Hong Kong: CE, lawmakers view SZ tech

Chief Executive John Lee today led a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government and Legislative Council delegation to visit the Greater Bay Area for a second day.

The delegation visited BYD Companys headquarters in Shenzhen this morning, to learn about the firms latest developments in automobiles, rail transit, new energy and electronics as well as take a ride on its intelligent rail transit system SkyShuttle.

In the afternoon, Mr Lee and the lawmakers led by LegCo President Andrew Leung, called on Dajiang Innovations Technology to view its business development in small unmanned aircraft, handheld imaging systems and robotics education.

The group then toured the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Youth Innovation & Entrepreneur Hub, where Hong Kong youths shared their development and work situation. Mr Lee said the Hong Kong SAR Government will provide more entrepreneurial support for Hong Kong young people to deepen their understanding of the Mainlands youth innovation and entrepreneurship bases and policies, and facilitate their career growth in Qianhai.

Meanwhile, led by deputy leader of the delegation and Chief Secretary Chan Kwok-ki, another group of LegCo members visited the headquarters of Tencent in Shenzhen this afternoon, to find out about the Mainland's latest fintech and online business developments.

At a media session after visiting Tencent, Mr Chan told reporters that he had met young people from Hong Kong recruited via the Greater Bay Area Youth Employment Scheme. He was pleased to note that they enjoy working in Shenzhen and have learnt a lot, especially in the high-tech area.

Additionally, the Chief Secretary and the delegates toured Nantou Ancient Town, a cultural relics protection unit in Shenzhen, to better understand the city's work in conserving historical buildings and tourism development.

In the evening, Mr Lee and the delegates attended a dinner hosted by CPC Dongguan Municipal Committee Secretary Xiao Yafei and Dongguan Municipal Government Mayor Lyu Chengxi. The Chief Executive said he looked forward to continuing closer and more innovative high-level co-operation in more fields with Mainland bay area cities, with a view to bringing bay area development to new heights.

The delegation will head to Dongguan and Foshan tomorrow.

This story has been published on: 2023-04-22. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Gov. Glenn Youngkin, rallying the party activists who will spearhead his bid to flip the state Senate and hold the Republican majority in the House of Delegates, called on them to reach out to voters they might have thought would never vote Republican.

In a speech Friday to the annual Republican Advance, gathered this year at the Richmond Marriott, he brushed aside the conventional wisdom of political scientists that candidates win elections by firing up a partys base.

This is a big tent; lets go fill it, he said.

Youngkin said his 2021 campaign, when he stunned national Republicans by breaking the Democrats three-term lock on the Executive Mansion and flipping the House, showed the way.

We did this by addition and multiplication, not by subtraction and division ... it was by bringing people into the party that hadnt thought they belonged, he said, challenging listeners to win over the votes of Black Virginians and win in solid blue Richmond.

Youngkin, whose Spirit of Virginia political action committee just took in a $1 million donation from billionaire Thomas Peterffy, told the Advance hes confident Republicans can take the state Senate.

Politico, which first reported the donation, noted that Peterffy, the biggest shareholder in an online brokerage, had been backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis presidential run but recently said he was putting that support on hold, sparking some speculation that some big GOP backers are still hoping Youngkin will throw his hat in the ring.

But Youngkin has said hes been talking to big donors to national GOP campaigns in order to raise money for Republicans contesting the 2023 state legislative elections. Even before his most recent big donations, Youngkins fundraising has dwarfed that of previous governors at a similar juncture.

The Virginia Public Access Project recently reported that in his first 15 months in office, Youngkin reported individual donations of $10,000 or more totaling $7.5 million  more than the last three governors combined at the same stage in their term.

Youngkin has not formed an exploratory committee for a presidential run and has told the Richmond Times-Dispatch, I have not written a book and I have not gone to Iowa to eat corn dogs  and I love corn dogs, referring to some of the usual things presidential wannabes do in the year before a presidential election, like the one coming in 2024.

Winning a GOP majority in the Senate and holding on to the House would fast-track his priorities  as he suggested when he told the crowd he did not understand why Senate Democrats did not want to protect life, referring to their derailing of bills his GOP allies sponsored to set shorter time limits on when abortions could be performed in Virginia.

Youngkin backed a bill that would have barred most abortions after 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest and when the womans life is in jeopardy.

He said Friday that while the General Assembly had major accomplishments in this years session, with the consolidation of the states workforce development agencies and tightening regulation of electric monopolies to bring down Virginians power bills, he did not understand why Senate Democrats balked at bills requiring schools to notify parents of their childrens academic honors or to limit Big Techs access to childrens online data.

In 2021 we were telling everyone what we were going to do ... the difference today is we have shown we can take conservative solutions and go to work and it is a lot more than a bumper sticker, he said.

You can take a state that was deep blue and you can turn it red and it works, he said.

But, he added, While we have gotten a lot done, we have a lot more to do.

From the Archives: Southside Plaza
Since Roe v. Wade, Republicans, by and large, want to bury their heads in the sand, hoping that nobody is really paying attention. But thats not whats happening. Millions of women, millions and millions of women, were outraged over it.

This observation  or warning  wasnt made by a left-leaning political pundit but by the staunchly anti-abortion Congresswoman Nancy Mace of South Carolina. While she proudly touts a solid pro-life voting record, Mace has long sounded the alarm that political agendas centered on extreme abortion restrictions lose elections. Shes right.

For nearly 50 years, abortion wasnt the primary issue driving voters to the polls because Roes protections prevented radical candidates from fulfilling their campaign promises to annihilate reproductive freedoms. But less than a year since Roe fell, its an issue that has galvanized millions of Americans. After the 2022 midterms, the Kaiser Family Foundation found that almost half of all voters nationwide said overturning Roe v. Wade had a major effect on the candidates they supported. Exit polls showed that voters in some swing states ranked abortion as the most critical issue in that election.

Weve also seen how consequential abortion is as an electoral issue outside the midterms, a significant indicator for 2024. Last August, voters in Kansas flatly rejected a proposed state constitutional amendment that would have said there was no right to abortion in the state. It was a landslide victory for reproductive rights, winning nearly 60% of the vote in a state long considered an anti-abortion stronghold. More recently, in the Wisconsin Supreme Court race, voters chose  by a double-digit margin  Janet Protasiewicz as their newest justice; she campaigned on restoring abortion rights in the state.

Protasiewiczs win also showed that voters elect candidates who focus on a comprehensive vision for the future, not those who attempt to send us back in time by resurrecting archaic laws. Again in Wisconsin, the decision to overturn Roe effectively restored the states abortion ban from 1849, which generated tremendous chaos and confusion for providers, patients and lawmakers.

Last September, Arizona revived an abortion ban from 1864  a law almost 50 years older than the state itself. And, of course, the long-dormant Comstock Act of 1873 is the cornerstone of the argument to ban medication abortion. How can we expect anyone in the 21st century to understand and abide by laws crafted to address Civil War-era issues?

Meanwhile, pro-choice voters swept abortion ballot measures in six states in the 2022 midterms  including one in Michigan that would help block the states ban from 1931. Anti-abortion activists are fully aware that this is a losing issue for them with voters, so they rely on and have weaponized the courts to carry out their unpopular agendas.

Ever since Roe was overturned, abortion has become a black light issue of sorts  one that can authenticate a candidate or reveal their hypocrisies. As demonstrated in the last election, anti-abortion candidates have engaged in an ideological and rhetorical tap dance around the issue to  temporarily  avoid recommitting to their previously staunch pro-life views. They clearly know how their constituencies truly feel about abortion, but they dont care. Many of these candidates have tried to maintain their anti-government, misogynistic street cred by defaulting to the classic states rights dog whistle  a transparent excuse to allow states to enact discriminatory laws.

Right now, were in the midst of a collision course heading into 2024, pitting extremist leaders forcing a radical anti-abortion agenda against the growing majority of Americans who support a womans right to choose. The record is clear  abortion is the decisive issue in elections.

Close 12-21-1945 (cutline) Santa's helpers--Making sure that Christmas gifts arrive on time at McGuire Hospital are (left to right), Misses Mary Jackson Shepherd, Martha Lafferty, Ann Rose, Sudie Mann and Archer Christian, members of the Red Cross Motor Corps. 02-23-1948 (cutline): Miss Diane Hunt (left) is loading a cargo desintine for McGuire with assistance of Miss Nancy Poindexter. 09-19-1943 (cutline): Mrs. Jan Laverge, Motor Corps, directs servicemen into station wagon for quick transfer to make rail connection. 07-23-1942 (cutline): Miss Emma Fensom leads her winning group past the judges. 09-04-1952 (cutline): Taxi service at work--Miss Ellen Armentrout (left), chairman of the Richmond Red Cross motor service, helps Mrs. Frances Tucker out of a car at the Medical College of Virginia. Driving patients to and from the hospital's clinic and bloodmobile constitutes the greater part of the work done by the motor service volunteers. 03-19-1942 (cutline): Motor Corps Holds Test Drill--The Henrico Red Cross Motor Corps holds its first test drill or workout in uniform to show what the women can do after completing Red Cross courses in first-aid and advanced first-aid. They have also completed training in motor mechanics and have had military drill under Colonel Sheppard Crump and blackout test driving under Chief Hendrick. In the picture: Mr. K.L. Jones, instructor in motor mechanics, is giving some las minute advice. Left to right: Miss Ann Vaughan, Mrs. Crump, Mrs. W.B. Cherry and Captain Mary Simmons. 01-23-1942 (cutline): The Red Cross Motor Corps and Canteen held a regional conference at the Jefferson Hotel yesterday , with representatives from 20 Red Cross units. Speakers were Mrs. F. Trubee Davison, national director of the Motor Corps, and Mrs. Graham Dougherty, national director of canteen. Talking over plans before the conference (left to right) Mrs. Dougherty, Mrs. John G. Hayes, chairman of the Woman's Red Cross War Council, who introduced the speakers, and Mrs. Davison. 07-05-1942 (cutline): Mrs. Herbert L. Smith, Mrs. T. Kent Norment, sergeant, and Mrs. Henry Sycle, lieutenant, carrying stretchers from the East End Casualty Center at Leigh Street Baptist Church. Because of the establishment of these centers, the Red Cross Motor Corps needs many more volunteers. 09-09-1943 (cutline): Swimming teams are (left to right) Miss McVey carrying Mrs. Brydon, Miss Emma Fensom (submerged) carrying Miss Jean Fensom, and Mrs.Jackson carrying Mrs. Trice. 03-17-1953 (cutline): On guard--Members of the local Red Cross Motor Corps with the assistance of members of the city police force have the responsibility of depositing campaign funds turned in at the Richmond-Henrico-Chesterfied Red Cross report luncheons. Above, C.S. McKenney turns over some of the money collected at yesterday's luncheon to Mrs. Patrick Walsh, of the Motor Corps. 08-31-1943 (cutline): Motor Corps Farmettes--Without the assistance of (left to right) Mrs. Ernest Trice, Miss Bee Fitzgerald, Miss Mabel Forbes, Miss Jean Fensom and Miss Emma Fensom, George A. Herman, of Creighton Rd., would have been unable to get his onions planted. These girls, members of the Red Cross Motor Corps, also recently helped in picking tomatoes and other vegetables and cutting weeds. 09-06-1942: Mrs. Molly in the driver's seat--the Richmond Motor Corps. 09-06-1942 (cutline): It's an army truck, and behind the windshield, delivering supplies for the Richmond Air Base Hospital, are Mrs. Anne Pinckney and Mrs. John DeWolf, Jr. 05-28-1947 (cutline): Clothing collected for overseas relief--Members of the Red Cross Motor Corps, pick up materials contributed by local merchants from unclained and unsalable goods for the drive for overseas relief. Mrs. W. Earl Miller, chairman of the spcial sources committee, has announced that more than 300 merchants have responded to the appeal. Fifty-trucks and drivers have been donated for the city-wide, house-to-house pickup of clothing, bedding and shoes slated for Saturday. 03-30-1945 (cutline): On tour of Richmond and Red Cross activities for the Philippine Islands, Mrs. William Rustia and Miss Aurea Labador see the sights. Their escort is Mrs. Clem Belmeur, of the Red Cross Motor Corps. From the Archives: The Women of the Richmond Red Cross Motor Corps The Motor Corps branch of the American Red Cross was established in 1918 with the mission to transport sick and wounded soldiers to hospitals and deliver supplies to posts during World War I. According to the American Red Cross, by the end of WWI, women of the Motor Corps had driven more than 35,000 miles. During WWII, the Motor Corps helped thousands of civilians evacuate from dangerous, war-torn areas. From 1946 to 1947, the dedicated 45,000 volunteers of the Motor Corps drove over eight million miles all over the globe. Here is a look back at the Motor Corps in Richmond. 12-21-1945 (cutline) Santa's helpers--Making sure that Christmas gifts arrive on time at McGuire Hospital are (left to right), Misses Mary Jackson Shepherd, Martha Lafferty, Ann Rose, Sudie Mann and Archer Christian, members of the Red Cross Motor Corps. 02-23-1948 (cutline): Miss Diane Hunt (left) is loading a cargo desintine for McGuire with assistance of Miss Nancy Poindexter. 09-19-1943 (cutline): Mrs. Jan Laverge, Motor Corps, directs servicemen into station wagon for quick transfer to make rail connection. 07-23-1942 (cutline): Miss Emma Fensom leads her winning group past the judges. 09-04-1952 (cutline): Taxi service at work--Miss Ellen Armentrout (left), chairman of the Richmond Red Cross motor service, helps Mrs. Frances Tucker out of a car at the Medical College of Virginia. Driving patients to and from the hospital's clinic and bloodmobile constitutes the greater part of the work done by the motor service volunteers. 03-19-1942 (cutline): Motor Corps Holds Test Drill--The Henrico Red Cross Motor Corps holds its first test drill or workout in uniform to show what the women can do after completing Red Cross courses in first-aid and advanced first-aid. They have also completed training in motor mechanics and have had military drill under Colonel Sheppard Crump and blackout test driving under Chief Hendrick. In the picture: Mr. K.L. Jones, instructor in motor mechanics, is giving some las minute advice. Left to right: Miss Ann Vaughan, Mrs. Crump, Mrs. W.B. Cherry and Captain Mary Simmons. 01-23-1942 (cutline): The Red Cross Motor Corps and Canteen held a regional conference at the Jefferson Hotel yesterday , with representatives from 20 Red Cross units. Speakers were Mrs. F. Trubee Davison, national director of the Motor Corps, and Mrs. Graham Dougherty, national director of canteen. Talking over plans before the conference (left to right) Mrs. Dougherty, Mrs. John G. Hayes, chairman of the Woman's Red Cross War Council, who introduced the speakers, and Mrs. Davison. 07-05-1942 (cutline): Mrs. Herbert L. Smith, Mrs. T. Kent Norment, sergeant, and Mrs. Henry Sycle, lieutenant, carrying stretchers from the East End Casualty Center at Leigh Street Baptist Church. Because of the establishment of these centers, the Red Cross Motor Corps needs many more volunteers. 09-09-1943 (cutline): Swimming teams are (left to right) Miss McVey carrying Mrs. Brydon, Miss Emma Fensom (submerged) carrying Miss Jean Fensom, and Mrs.Jackson carrying Mrs. Trice. 03-17-1953 (cutline): On guard--Members of the local Red Cross Motor Corps with the assistance of members of the city police force have the responsibility of depositing campaign funds turned in at the Richmond-Henrico-Chesterfied Red Cross report luncheons. Above, C.S. McKenney turns over some of the money collected at yesterday's luncheon to Mrs. Patrick Walsh, of the Motor Corps. 08-31-1943 (cutline): Motor Corps Farmettes--Without the assistance of (left to right) Mrs. Ernest Trice, Miss Bee Fitzgerald, Miss Mabel Forbes, Miss Jean Fensom and Miss Emma Fensom, George A. Herman, of Creighton Rd., would have been unable to get his onions planted. These girls, members of the Red Cross Motor Corps, also recently helped in picking tomatoes and other vegetables and cutting weeds. 09-06-1942: Mrs. Molly in the driver's seat--the Richmond Motor Corps. 09-06-1942 (cutline): It's an army truck, and behind the windshield, delivering supplies for the Richmond Air Base Hospital, are Mrs. Anne Pinckney and Mrs. John DeWolf, Jr. 05-28-1947 (cutline): Clothing collected for overseas relief--Members of the Red Cross Motor Corps, pick up materials contributed by local merchants from unclained and unsalable goods for the drive for overseas relief. Mrs. W. Earl Miller, chairman of the spcial sources committee, has announced that more than 300 merchants have responded to the appeal. Fifty-trucks and drivers have been donated for the city-wide, house-to-house pickup of clothing, bedding and shoes slated for Saturday. 03-30-1945 (cutline): On tour of Richmond and Red Cross activities for the Philippine Islands, Mrs. William Rustia and Miss Aurea Labador see the sights. Their escort is Mrs. Clem Belmeur, of the Red Cross Motor Corps.
Cancun cops apprehend group with drugs and high powered weapons

Cancun, Q.R.  A group of seven found in possession of drugs and firearms have been detained from Cancun streets. The arrests were made by the Ministry of Public Security (SSP) in collaboration with the State Attorney Generals Office (FGE) earlier this week.

On Thursday, the six men and one woman were arrested on 18th Street and Fraccionamiento Bahia Real Street in the irregular invasion zone of the city after police received an emergency 911 report.

The report described six men and one woman, armed and aboard two vehicles, a white Jetta and a beige Ford pickup, with bags of narcotics. When police arrived, they located the seven gathered around the two vehicles, all of whom attempted to escape but were blocked by responding police units.

Cancun police arrest all seven on drug and firearm charges. Photo: SSP QR April 20, 2023.

They were found in possession of four loaded weapons and a large amount of narcotics that included marijuana and cocaine products. Those arrested ranged in age from 21 to 42.
Chetumal taxi driver killed in fatal inner city rollover

Chetumal, Q.R.  A Chetumal taxi driver died Friday after rolling his unit in the city of Chetumal. The accident happened shortly before 2:00 p.m. along Avenida Independencia with Carmen Ochoa de Merino.

According to early information, the taxi was overturned when it was struck by a private vehicle after allegedly running a stop sign. The private silver car that hit the taxi was traveling with Belize plates.

A female passenger in the taxi was rushed to Chetumal hospital with non-nonthreatening injuries. The driver of the taxi was found partially ejected from his cab. He was pronounced on scene by attending medical personnel.

The driver of the private Belize-plated car was arrested.

Suchaa, the Chetumal chapter of taxi drivers, extended their condolences to the taxi drivers family, identifying him as Luis S.
Failed police filter stop leads to chase and detainment of 11 from Brazil

Playa del Carmen, Q.R.  Solidaridad authorities have detained 11 illegal migrants after the driver of their SUV refused to stop a Playa del Carmen police filter. The Secretariat of Public Security and Municipal Transit of Solidaridad located the seven adults and four minors from Brazil in a private SUV Friday night.

The suburban was requested to pull over at the Cancun-Playa del Carmen northern police filter Friday evening, but the driver ignored the request, which resulted in a large police pursuit.

Police chased the vehicle through Playa del Carmen where it was finally intercepted near El Palomar. The 11 people from inside, and the driver, were taken into custody.
Tulum taxi drivers will continue to do good since tourists often visit places based on their recommendations

Tulum, Q.R.  Tulum taxi drivers say they will work hand in hand in accordance with the new Mobility Law. Several different taxi unions headed by their leader Eleazar Sagrero Ordonez, participated in a meeting that was held with the head of the Mobility Institute, Rodrigo Alcazar Urrutia.

During the meeting, the Secretary of Frente Unico de Trabajadores del Volante, Eleazar Sagrero Ordonez, stated that the different taxi driver organizations will always respect the law and, above all, the guidelines established by the Mobility Law.

We have a great responsibility to our state. We are part of the image of our destination, as an example I can assure you that many of the tourists who visit us arrive at different places on the recommendation of the taxi driver, so for this reason we will continue to do good for Quintana Roo, said Eleazar Sagrero.

He said that Quintana Roo is one of the few states with a mobility law, which must be respected and abided by, therefore Frente Unico de Trabajadores del Volante members will always respect the guidelines established by this law.

During the meeting, the Director of the Mobility Institute, Rodrigo Alcazar Urrutia, highlighted the interest of taxi drivers in continuing to work in favor of the leading state of tourism in Mexico, and pointed out that everything will continue under the guidelines established by the Mobility Law.
Meteor showers mostly unfold in the pathways of comets. Made of ice, dust, rock and frozen gases, comets are celestial bodies that revolve around our sun and other stars in the universe. So far, astronomers have discovered more than 3,700 individual comets. The Lyrid showers are a byproduct of one particular specimen known as "C/1861 G1 (Thatcher)." Admittedly, that's a mouthful, so feel free to use the object's less formal name, Comet Thatcher.

Amateur astronomer A.E. Thatcher is credited with its discovery. On April 5, 1861, he was watching the heavens from his New York City home. That evening, he noticed a strange, luminous body in the constellation Draco. It didn't stay put. Just over a month later, the object came relatively close to Earth, flying just 31.1 million miles (50.1 million kilometers) overhead. Then over the next few months, it approached our sun before exiting the inner solar system, the area that encompasses every planet from Mercury to Mars  plus the asteroid belt.

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You will never get the chance to see Thatcher's comet up close. Like our beloved planet, it orbits the sun, but we now know that it takes Comet Thatcher approximately 415.5 Earth years to complete one rotation around the life-giving ball of plasma.

Because of its orbital path, Comet Thatcher spends most of its time far beyond the inner solar system. A.E. Thatcher was lucky; he got to observe his comet during one of its rare forays into the area. Astronomers think that its next visit to the inner solar system will occur in 2276 or so, ending a centuries-long hiatus.
Another name for the numbers generated in the Collatz conjecture is the "hailstone sequence." As you can see from the sequence listed above, the numbers go up and down and up and down like hailstones in a storm cloud, being lofted up, collecting ice and, after falling into a lower part of the cloud, blown upward again. At some point they plummet to the ground. There are certain numbers that, once you reach them in your calculations, fall most rapidly, but they all fall eventually to one.

So, the Collatz conjecture works for millions upon millions of numbers  anything with fewer than 19 digits, in case you were thinking about trying your luck with anything smaller  but one of the problems mathematicians are trying to solve is why. If they understood that, they would have a way of saying with certainty that it works on all natural numbers.

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One thing that makes the Collatz conjecture so confounding is that it involves an infinite number of integers. Even the most powerful supercomputer can't check every single number to see if the conjecture holds true. Not yet, at least.

One mathematician in recent years has made a bit of a breakthrough on the Collatz conjecture. Terence Tao, one of the most gifted mathematicians of the past century, published a paper in 2019 titled "Almost All Collatz Orbits Attain Almost Bounded Values." Tao is no slouch  he earned his Ph.D. from Princeton at the age of 21 and became the youngest-ever math professor at UCLA at 24. He won the Fields Medal, the highest math award in all the land, at the age of 31. And yet his big news about his Collatz breakthrough has two "almosts" in it.

Basically, Tao's results point to a new method for approaching the problem and note how rare it would be for a number to diverge from the Collatz rule. Rare, but not necessarily nonexistent.

And that, friends, is the closest anybody's come in recent years to solving the Collatz conjecture. Remember, if you're going to try to solve it yourself, begin with numbers starting with at least 20 digits.

Now That's Interesting Fermat's Last Theorem is a math problem which remained unsolved for 365 years. It was finally proven in 1995.
FLORENCE, S.C.  An apartment in the Church Hill public housing development was damaged in a fire Friday afternoon.

Florence firefighters were dispatched to 904 June Lane shortly before 3 p.m. and arrived to find smoke coming from Apartment B.

Three engine companies and a ladder company along with command staff responded to the fire and June Lane was temporarily blocked in front of the building. Florence police and medics with Florence County EMS assisted at the scene.

Housing Authority of Florence maintenance staff were also on scene to assist firefighters.

Florence Fire Marshal Chris Johnson cited unattended cooking as the cause of the fire.

The Red Cross was called in to assist the residents.
Agriculture and tourism are among the primary industries that drive the states economy, and the South Carolina Ag + Art Tour has been bringing those two essential elements of its culture together for a dozen years.

Led by the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, this years Ag + Art Tour began in earnest on Tuesday at the University of South Carolinas Russell House.

The South Carolina Ag + Art Tour itself is a free, self-guided tour of farms and markets featuring local artisans at every stop. During the tour, visitors can see firsthand where their food comes from, watch artists in action and purchase their works, enjoy the melodies of local musicians and learn more about rural life. The tour is the largest free farm and art tour in the nation with over 85,000 visitors participating since 2012.

Were all about rural tourism, were all about agricultural tourism and the ag experience  thats what this is all about, and thats where I see it going for the future, South Carolina Ag + Art Tour director Will Culler said. The tour has grown over the years and touched the lives of so many people. Not just in agricultural education, but rural revitalization and community revitalization and economic development.

The S.C. AG + Art Tour has operated in 15 South Carolina counties over the past 12 years, and the tour has seen hundreds of farms in dozens of communities embrace agritourism as a method of farm enterprise diversification, agricultural education, and rural revitalization, and economic development.

The tours first official stop is May 6 in Lexington County, with numerous dates to follow from York County at the top of the state, to Colleton County near the bottom. For a full list of dates and locations, visit the Ag + Art Tour website, https://www.agandarttour.com/.

Culler said the tour has grown so much, in fact, that some of the previous stops have reached the point they dont need or cant handle the extra traffic the tour provides  which, of course, is the ultimate goal.

Just this past year I was informed by the York County AG + Art Committee that several of their more mature agritourism farms, some of whom had participated in the tour for the past 12 years, would not be returning for the 2023 season.  It was not that they couldnt enjoy the tour or cherish the relationships the tour offered. The reasons given were that these agritourism venues no longer needed the Ag + Art Tour to realize their goals, to realize their passion. They had gotten their start, they had matured, and they had decided to step aside and let the next potential venue embrace agritourism, Culler said. And embrace agritourism is just what they have done. York County will see the same number of tour stops (28) this year as last year. Some of them may be just a just a little less mature but ready to blossom.

Culler, who also serves as a senior agribusiness Extension agent and Lexington County coordinator for Clemson Extension, was elected last year by the North American Farmers Direct Marketing Association to a three-year term on its board of directors.

This was a great honor for me as this organization of over 700 farms in all 50 States, Canada and Europe is doing incredible things for agritourism, he said.

More information about this organization and the resources it offers is available on its website https://nafdma.com/.
Seguin, TX (78155)

Today

Except for a few afternoon clouds, mainly sunny. High 87F. Winds E at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies in the evening, then becoming cloudy overnight. Low 63F. Winds ESE at 10 to 15 mph.
Ah, shopping malls. Every Malaysians second home is the mall closest to them, am I right? Theyre convenient, with ample parking spots and everything you need under one roof. Not to mention every malls main attraction the air conditioning. Malls are a great place to go to escape the sweltering heat. For residents of Putrajaya, IOI City Mall is probably their top choice.

As one of the countrys biggest malls, IOI City Mall visitors may not be aware of the existence of a couple shops tucked away in a corner or hidden on the ground floor. This mall is so massive, first time visitors may feel overwhelmed with the amount of shops.

It doesnt end there though, as theyre currently in the works of expanding. With the addition of IOI City Mall II, IOI will be the largest regional mall in Malaysia!

For all hungry visitors on the hunt for something other than burgers and fries, here are 10 unique restaurants in IOI City Mall thatll take your taste buds on an adventure.

1. The Spice Alley (#L1E-204)

Credit  IOI City Mall

If youre craving good, hearty Malaysian cuisine, The Spice Alley is for you. Freshly opened in 2023, this eatery focuses on serving high quality local food with a modern ambience.

The Spice Alley has a lot more to offer than youd expect. While they do have the classics like Nasi Lemak Ayam Berempah (RM18.90), Chicken Rice (RM19.90), and Cantonese Fried Beef Noodle (RM23.90), they also have dishes that are harder to come by in urban restaurants. This includes the TSA Signature Mee Siam (RM8.90), Penang-style Duck Egg Char Koay Teow (RM18.90), and Nasi Lemak Ikan Cencaru Sumbat (RM22.90).

Credit  IOI City Mall

Their appetiser selection is quite unique as well as they serve comforting fritters thatll remind you of tea time with your family back home. Their menu includes Jemput-Jemput (RM12), Keropok Lekor (RM12), and Cucur Bawang (RM10).

+6018 988 8680

Daily: 11am  10pm

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2. Cafe Colombo (#LG-242)

Cafe Colombo is a restaurant serving Sri Lankan cuisine. Not only do they use authentic Sri Lankan recipes, they also have dishes inspired by the settlers during the islands colonial era customers get to indulge in food influenced by Portuguese, Chinese, Indonesian, and South Indian flavours.

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The eatery has a variety to choose from, like Sri Lankan Spiced Chicken (RM28), Curry Leaf-Coriander Spiced Lamb Chops (RM56), and Kochchi Chicken (RM38), a smokey and creamy chicken served with curry leaf chutney that follows a recipe dating back to 1931.

The appetisers offered include Gotukola Coconut Salad (RM18), and Chicken Varuval with Toast Paan (RM18), that includes a Colombo style tostada with kochchi guacamole. They have 2 types of rasam, which are Crab Rasam (RM34) that comes with toasted bread, and Tomato Rasam (RM17).

Vegetarians can check out their Cashew Curry (RM25), Eggplant Salad (RM22), and Brinjal Moju (RM22).

+6012 565 4355

Daily: 11am  10pm

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3. Ombak Kitchen (#GE-15)

Those looking for the freshest seafood are often advised to visit coastal areas far away from the city. When Ombak Kitchen first opened its doors to seafood lovers of Bukit Jelutong in 2018, they had the vision of bringing the ocean to urban areas. And now, theyve expanded and have a branch here in IOI City Mall.

The restaurant adopts a casual dining concept. So casual in fact, customers are encouraged to feast on their tasty crustaceans with their hands.

If a seafood party is what you want, a seafood party is what youll get at Ombak Kitchen. Known for their delectable seafood spreads that include prawns, mussels, baby octopus, squid, clams, lobsters, crabs, scallops, you have to try it to believe it. They have several combos, starting from Combo 1  The Prince (RM199) that feeds 3 people, all the way up to Combo 8  The Premium Selection Set (RM999.90) that feeds 8.

On a more mellow note, they also offer dishes like the Heritage Laksa Pasta (RM33.90) thats cooked with mussels and clams, Cajun Seafood Fried Rice (RM29.90) made with prawns and mussels, and Half Lobster Canadian (RM94.90).

+6010 208 5946

Daily: 11am  10pm

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4. Le Shrimp (#LG-254)

Le Shrimp - Storefront

Le Shrimp drew inspiration from rich Japanese ramen broths and silky Chinese la mian to create their signature fusion shrimp noodles. To make the broth, the chefs use prawns sourced from local fisheries. Then, the prawns are baked at 180C before being grinded into a fine powder and simmered into a broth for over 8 hours.

First time diners should try their signature dish, the Le Signature Trio Shrimp Ramen (RM37.90) thats prepared using handmade ebiko prawn paste, prawn dumplings, and fresh prawns. You should also check out their Big Prawn & Braised Scallion Soy Chicken Ramen (RM35.90) or Crispy White Tuna Shrimp Ramen (RM35.90).

Le Shrimp also has a selection of tossed ramen that doesnt use their unique broth. Instead, the noodles are tossed in their special chilli vinaigrette blend, and you can choose to have your dish spicy or non-spicy. They have Crispy Chicken Karaage Tossed Ramen (RM25.90) and Ebiko Prawn Ball Tossed Ramen (RM29.90).

Good news for everyone who despises peeling prawn shells you can request for yours to be removed before being served. Hoorah!

+603 8682 1988

Daily: 11am  10pm

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5. Robataya Izakaya (#LG-262)

Robataya Izakaya is a Japanese restaurant that specialises in robata, a cooking method that grills food over charcoal. The restaurant imports seafood all the way from Japan, and allows customers to choose how their food is served robatayaki, sashimi, or tempura.

The airflown seafood offered includes Japanese horse mackerel, sea urchin, golden threadfin bream, live ark shell, and much more. Their menu is extensive and detailed; 1 fish can be prepared in a variety of ways. The best way to try their fresh seafood is with the Okan Sashimi Moriawase (RM88). You get 2 pieces each of salmon, maguro, abura bozu, akaebi, and hamachi.

If youre keen on trying their robatayaki, the restaurant has dishes like Grilled Salted Giant Freshwater Prawn (RM55), Kyushu Style Pork Belly (RM33), Grilled Beef Ribeye with Teriyaki (RM38), and Grilled Salmon Belly (RM29).

Need carbohydrates with your meal? Robataya Izakaya also serves robataya don like Chicken Katsu Toji Don (RM18), Ebi Yasai Ten Don (RM18), and Hokkaido Pork Don (RM24).

+6011 1799 3505

Daily: 11am  10pm

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6. Memorie (#LG-235)

Memorie - Storefront

Memorie is a Eurasian cafe that fuses Portuguese and Malaysian flavours to showcase the founders unique background. This cafe is an homage to the memories she made at the Portuguese restaurant her father would bring her to during the school holidays.

The concept of this eatery follows the timeline of Malayas colonised past. Its split into 4 eras: Portuguese Malaya, Dutch Malacca & British Malaya, the 1930s Immigration of Chinese Malaysia, and finally, the Independence of Malaya. Menu items from the first 2 eras include Ikan Bakar Portuguese Cencaru (RM19), Portuguese Tarts (RM20 for 6 pieces), The Memorie Big Breakfast, and Eurasian Shepherds Pie (RM22).

The second half of the menu sees more familiar local delicacies like Hainanese Toast (RM7) served with half boiled eggs, Butter Milk Crispy Chicken Chop (RM19), and Nasi Memorie (RM17), which is their version of nasi lemak.

+6012 409 4313

Daily: 10am  10pm

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7. Oppadak Oven Baked Chicken (#LG-46)

Oppadak Oven Baked Chicken - Storefront

Oppadak Oven Baked Chicken is not your average Korean fried chicken joint instead of deep frying chicken wings in hot oil, this restaurant bakes the chicken, as its name suggests. This eatery is great for those who want crispy fried chicken without the grease.

Their Baked Chicken comes in 6 flavours: Original, Soy Sauce, Manuela Garlic, Dakgangjeong Peanut, Hot & Spicy, Spicy Dakgalbi, and Cheese Sprinkle. Besides the Original and Cheese Sprinkle flavours, the baked chicken goes at RM19.90 for drumettes and wingettes, and RM34.90 for half a chicken. Following the same chicken parts, Original will set you backRM18.90 and RM31.90, while Cheese Sprinkle costs RM20.90 and RM35.90. Other than that, they also have Roasted Chicken that comes in the same flavours.

Oppadak offers something youve probably never tried before: chicken served in a hollowed out loaf of bread. Their Creamy Chicken Bowl (RM63.90) is a top seller that guarantees a unique eating experience with its tasty chicken and creamy sauce.

+603 8683 8226

Daily: 10am  10pm

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8. Bhai Jim Jum (#LG-39)

Bhai Jim Jum - Storefront

Not only is Bhai Jim Jum Malaysias first Thai hotpot located right here in IOI City Mall, the restaurant also offers Thai barbeque!

Bhai Jim Jum offers 3 different soup bases for its hotpot, including Clear Nam Sai, Red Tom Yum, and White Tom Ka, all of which cost RM18.90. These bowls of soup come with a variety of vegetables, fried beancurd skin, enoki mushrooms, Thai Manow sauce, and Thai sambal belacan. For some protein, you can choose to add on Chicken (RM9.90), Beef (RM11.90), and Seafood (RM15.90).

Their barbeque sets include the Kaikata Chicken Set (RM48.90) and Kaikata Beef Set (RM55.90). Both sets come with either chicken or beef, vegetables, and an assortment of seafood.

If youre looking for a more casual dining experience, the restaurant also has set meals. Of course, as a Thai eatery, they have classic dishes like Pad Thai with Seafood (RM17.90), Hot Basil Minced Chicken with Fried Egg (RM16.90), and Thai Mama Instant Noodles with Seafood (RM16.90).

+6012 231 0732

Daily: 10am  10pm

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9. Kakatoo (#LG-78B & 78C)

Kakatoo - Storefront

For authentic local cuisine, check out Kakatoo, a restaurant that specialises in Nyonya dishes. They have dishes perfect for solo diners as well as larger groups.

Try out their classic Nyonya eats like Asam Laksa (RM15.90) or Nyonya Curry Meehoon Noodle Soup (RM16.90). This restaurant is great for those who want a filling meal with rice, as they offer dishes like Beef Rendang Tok (RM16.90  RM30.90), Kerabu Mango Sauce Chicken (RM13.90  RM23.90), and Pongteh Chicken (RM14.90  RM26.90).

They have a wide selection of seafood to choose from, like Curry Kapitan Grouper Fish Head (RM65.90) and Tamarind Prawn (RM36.90). Vegetarians can opt to visit Kakatoo too, as the restaurant offers meatless meals that use plant-based protein. Check out their Vegetarian Nasi Lemak with Asam Fish Fillet (RM16.90) or their Vegetarian Rice Meal with Salted Egg Vege Chicken (RM17.90).

+603 8953 8074

Daily: 10am  10pm

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10. Original Banana Leaf (#GE-14)

Original Banana Leaf in IOI City Mall serves every Malaysians favourite Indian food banana leaf rice. The restaurant promises to provide customers with authentic banana leaf flavours in a more urban setting.

In addition to their original Banana Leaf Set (RM10.90), customers can add on any side of their choosing. Ranging from chicken, mutton, fish, and vegetarian, there are options for everyone. They offer dishes like Chicken 65 (RM11.80), Chicken Masala (RM10.80), and Mutton Varuval (RM14.80). If youre in the mood for seafood, you can order the Curry Tenggiri Fish (RM8.90), Squid with Onions (RM12.90), or Prawn Sambal (RM14).

Original Banana Leaf even has a breakfast and tea time menu where they offer a variety of thosai. Besides the classic Thosai Ghee Paper (RM4.30), they also have Thosai Sardine (RM7.80), Rava Thosai (RM3.50), and Rava Masala (RM5.80).

+603 8953 9757

Daily: 10am  10pm

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 17.48%11%2.12 5%3% 1.15%2  106FRC  4210295 98.31% 525354 350375 University Hill1.65  23 565    University Hill16525  50%       PMI   33.2 University Hill150  34% 4.5   University Hill  50 99 48%6379 12
Eighteen months after April Adcox learned she had skin cancer, she finally returned to Charlestons Medical University of South Carolina last May to seek treatment.

By then, the reddish area along her hairline had grown from a 2-inch circle to cover nearly her entire forehead. It oozed fluid and was painful.

Honestly, I was just waiting on it to kill me, because I thought thats what was going to have to happen, said the 41-year-old mother of three, who lives in Easley, South Carolina.

Adcox first met with physicians at the academic medical center in late 2020, after a biopsy diagnosed basal cell carcinoma. The operation to remove the cancer would require several physicians, she was told, including a neurosurgeon, because of how close it was to her brain.

But Adcox was uninsured. She had lost her automotive plant job in the early days of the pandemic, and at the time of her diagnosis was equally panicked about the complex surgery and the prospect of a hefty bill. Instead of proceeding with treatment, she attempted to camouflage the expanding cancerous area for more than a year with hats and long bangs.

If Adcox had developed breast or cervical cancer, she likely would have qualified for insurance coverage under a federal law that extends Medicaid eligibility to lower-income patients diagnosed with those two malignancies. For female patients with other types of cancer, as well as pretty much all male patients, the options are scant, especially in South Carolina and the 11 other states that havent yet implemented Medicaid expansion, according to cancer physicians and health policy experts who study access to care.

In the face of potentially daunting bills, uninsured adults sometimes delay care, which can result in worse survival outcomes, research shows. The odds of patients getting insurance to help cover the cost of treatment play out a bit like a game of roulette, depending on where they live and what type of cancer they have.

It is very random  thats, I think, the heartbreaking part about it, said Dr. Evan Graboyes, a head and neck surgeon and one of Adcoxs physicians. Whether you live or die from cancer shouldnt really be related to what state you live in.

The Affordable Care Act gave states the option to expand Medicaid eligibility and cover more people. Shortly after the law passed, just 2.6% of adults ages 18 to 64 with a new cancer diagnosis lacked insurance in Medicaid expansion states versus 7.8% in nonexpansion states, according to a study published in JAMA Oncology in 2018. Researchers at the American Cancer Society, who conducted the analysis, estimate that about 30,000 uninsured people are diagnosed with cancer each year.

But in all states, lower-income uninsured patients with breast or cervical cancer may have another route for coverage, even if they dont otherwise qualify for Medicaid. Adults with cancer detected through the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program can enroll in Medicaid for the duration of their cancer treatment, as a result of advocacy efforts and federal legislation that started more than three decades ago.

In 2019, 43,549 breast and cervical cancer patients were enrolled, according to a Government Accountability Office report published in 2020.

If youre lucky to be diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, youre good, said Dr. Fumiko Chino, a radiation oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, who studies cancer treatment access and affordability. But otherwise, you may have some significant obstacles.

The total amount billed to the insurer during the year following a cancer diagnosis can be steep. For instance, costs in 2016 averaged $168,730 for lung cancer and $137,663 for colorectal cancer, according to a 2022 study that calculated insurance claims for several common malignancies diagnosed in privately insured patients.

Since uninsured adults can struggle to afford preventive care, their cancer may not be identified until its more advanced, making it costlier for the patient and the health system, said Robin Yabroff, an author of the study in JAMA Oncology and a scientific vice president at the American Cancer Society.

Patients who cant get financial assistance through a safety-net facility sometimes rack up medical debt, use credit cards, or launch fundraising efforts though online sites, Yabroff said. We hear stories of people who mortgage their homes to pay for cancer treatment.

Cancer patients can purchase insurance through the ACA health insurance marketplace. But they often must wait until the regular enrollment period near the end of the year, and those health plans dont become effective until the start of the next calendar year.

Thats because the federal law was designed to encourage people to sign up when they are healthy, which helps control costs, said MaryBeth Musumeci, an associate teaching professor of health policy and management at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. If a new diagnosis were a qualifying event for new coverage, she said, then it would incentivize people to stay uninsured while they were healthy and they didnt think they really were going to need coverage.

Meanwhile, the on-ramp to Medicaid coverage for lower-income patients with breast and cervical cancer is a story of successful advocacy, dating to a 1990 law that created the national breast and cervical screening program. Mammography started to be widely recommended in the 1980s, and advocacy groups pushed to reach more underserved individuals, said Katie McMahon, a policy principal at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the organizations advocacy arm.

But research showed that some uninsured adults struggled to get care for those cancers detected through the screening program, McMahon said. A 2000 law allowed states to extend Medicaid to them, and by 2008 all 50 states and the District of Columbia had done so, according to the 2020 GAO report.

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SIOUX CITY  The Sioux City Community School District and school board members named in former Superintendent Paul Gausmans lawsuit deny claims that they violated open meeting laws.

Gausman filed a lawsuit in Woodbury County District Court in January claiming school board members Dan Greenwell, Jan George, Taylor Goodvin and Bob Michaelson violated Iowa Open Meetings laws.

The defendants filed an answer denying the claims and asking the court to dismiss the lawsuit on Thursday. The response follows an earlier decision by the court to deny a motion to strike filed by the defendants.

According to the lawsuit, board members held illegal meetings citing the wrong Iowa code sections in order to avoid notifying Gausman or the public of their discussion of him and the following board decision to file a complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

The school board member's response admits to holding closed sessions but denies violating open meeting laws and does not confirm or deny if the meetings were about Gausman.

In February the school board members filed a motion to strike asking the court to remove evidence and references to the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners' complaints as well as possible removal by the court of the elected officials. Woodbury District Judge Patrick Tott denied the motion to strike.

Gausman states on On Jan. 24, 2022 the board met in a closed session to discuss him and his professional qualifications and proposed to file a complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

To go into the closed session, the board cited the Iowa Code stating the closed session was to evaluate the professional competency of an individual whose appointment, hiring, performance or discharge is being considered when necessary to prevent needless and irreparable injury to that individuals reputation.

The code section specifically states that the individual being reviewed must request the closed session, as well as meet other requirements Gausman claims did not occur.

Gausman claims he was not notified and the board did not notify the public that they intended to file a complaint against him with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners, which the lawsuit claims was required.

On Nov. 30, 2022, the board held another special meeting and closed session to discuss Gausman, he claims.

The board cited a different code section stating the meeting was to review or discuss records which are required or authorized by state or federal law to be kept confidential.

This code section specifically states the board is only allowed to discuss the confidential record and Gausman claims it went beyond that.

He also alleges the board again discussed his professional competency, job performance and the possible filing of a complaint with the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners.

After the closed session ended and the board went into open session, Goodvin made a motion to direct Greenwell to file the complaint. Scarlett and Scolaro abstained from the vote, and Alarcon-Flory was not present. The motion did not state who the complaint was being filed against. Greenwell filed the complaint on Dec. 2, 2022.

The lawsuit also states Greenwell himself filed a complaint against Gausman on Aug. 1, 2022, with the same claims in a similarly worded letter, without board support. The filed response states Greenwell did file an earlier complaint.

The Iowa Board of Educational Examiners requires complaints to be from the district, and the one filed in August was not approved by the school board. Gausman requested Greenwell's complaint be dismissed due to for lack of jurisdiction, but Greenwell had withdrawn his complaint prior to any ruling. The filed response denies this.

Gausman is requesting the recording and minutes of the Nov. 30, 2022 meeting. The lawsuit claims he previously filed a Freedom of Information request to acquire the Nov. 30 recording but was denied by Greenwell in a Jan. 5 email. The filed response also denies providing the recording and minutes of the meeting.

Gausman is seeking the removal of the four school board members from the board as well as monetary damages and attorney fees. He is also asking the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners to dismiss the complaints filed against him by the district and Greenwell.

The board members are seeking the dismissal of all counts and "any other relief as the court may deem appropriate."
SERGEANT BLUFF  A MidAmerican Energy proposal to discharge excess liquid runoff from its coal ash storage facility near Sergeant Bluff into the Missouri River is drawing fire from Iowa environmentalists.

The Iowa Environmental Council has criticized the plan, saying MidAmerican did not adequately consider alternatives other than discharging the coal ash leachate into the river near its Neal North Energy Center. The group also said the energy company ignored proposed federal Environmental Protection Agency rule changes that, if implemented, would require treatment of all discharges from coal plants into waterways.

"MidAmerican is proposing to discharge a range of heavy metals, like mercury, that it has the ability to treat. EPA is telling utilities to treat the leachate, not send it directly to the river," Steve Guyer, IEC energy policy manager said in a news release.

MidAmerican said its plan meets federal and state standards, and its proposal does not require a specific treatment method, only that the discharge meets federal limits for pollutants.

"Contrary to the IEC's claims, MidAmerican did consider current and potentially more stringent future regulatory requirements as the proposal was being developed," the company said in a released statement. "The EPA does not require a particular type of technology or process; rather, it establishes limits that are protective of public health and environment, and sampling of the leachate demonstrates that it will meet the more stringent limitations proposed by the EPA.

"The bottom line is that MidAmerican's proposed plan meets both EPA's current regulations and would meet the new, more stringent standards that EPA has proposed to implement."

A public comment period on the proposal ended April 14, and MidAmerican now has the option of revising its analysis before submitting it to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, which will approve or deny a permit application. A DNR review of the plan could take weeks before a ruling is issued.

The IEC said it was joined in its opposition by other environmental groups, and more than 200 public comments about the plan were submitted through the IEC's website.

"We hope the DNR determines the analysis by MidAmerican is inadequate," said Mike Schmidt, staff attorney for the IEC, a Des Moines-based nonprofit group that describes itself as a public interest corporation that works to protect waters in Iowa and the Midwest.

Among the determinations the DNR must make is if MidAmerican's plan complies with water quality standards and whether the company chose an alternative that is the least degrading to the environment and is the most practical.

Leachate is water that soaks through the power plant's coal ash landfill. According to MidAmerican's plan, the company discharged leachate into the river from 2012 until 2018, when a holding pond was built to store the runoff. During periods of normal to high precipitation, the leachate evaporates. After extreme precipitation events, the holding pond reaches higher levels and does not evaporate quickly. MidAmerican said attempts to enhance natural evaporation with mechanical evaporators have been unsuccessful.

If the company's plan is approved, coal ash leachate would be discharged into the river infrequently, only after extreme weather events, said Geoff Greenwood, MidAmerican media relations manager.

"This proposal is an additional way to control and manage leachate in the limited instances where it might be discharged during extremely high precipitation events," Greenwood said.

MidAmerican said tests have shown pollutants such as mercury and lead contained in the waste water fall below federal limits.

The IEC countered that no amount of mercury or lead is safe for consumption, and those and other materials accumulate over time in living organisms, including humans, that ingest them.

"The Missouri River is already damaged from agricultural pollution and other discharges. We don't need to add mercury, lead, arsenic, cyanide and other toxic metals to the mix and degrade this river, which some people rely on for drinking water, even further," Alicia Vasto, IEC water and land stewardship director said in a news release.

The IEC has urged MidAmerican to adopt stricter practices of treating the waste water to remove toxic materials before discharge, or to continue its current practice of relying on evaporation from the holding pool.

"MidAmerican's analysis does not demonstrate that the proposed degradation is necessary, and it fails to consider reasonable alternatives available," the IEC said.

Greenwood said the company considered all alternatives to manage the leachate during times of heavy precipitation. All complied with EPA guidelines.

"MidAmerican's proposal meets the new standards EPA has proposed, which are based on the latest science, to protect our vital water resources and safe drinking water, while also supporting agriculture, industry, recreation activities and thriving communities," Greenwood said.
Police say an intruder entered an eastern Iowa nursing home two weeks ago and was later found partially undressed and in bed with a female resident of the home.

According to West Branch police, officers were summoned to Crestview Specialty Care shortly before 3 p.m. on April 5 about the possible abuse of a resident. When officers arrived, they were informed that a man, later identified as Michael James Beaver, 54, of West Branch, had somehow gained entry to the building.

The staff told police they discovered the man in bed with a female resident of the home. The man was partially undressed, with his pants either pulled down or removed, while the female resident was dressed.

It didnt appear that the resident had any idea who this gentleman was, Police Chief John Hanna said Monday.

Beaver wasnt criminally charged, Hanna said, as there was already an order to pick him up in connection with a civil commitment proceeding. Officers removed Beaver from Crestview Specialty Care and transported him to the University of Iowa Hospitals, Hanna said.

We did consult the county attorneys office, Hanna said. At this time, were still kind of holding it as an open investigation. You know, wed probably take another look at it if he were to be released with a finding that he is competent. But at this time, no charges have been filed.

Hanna noted that theres no direct evidence the resident was sexually assaulted.

The current administrator of Crestview Specialty Care, who identified herself only as Jamie, said no sexual assault had occurred. There was a gentleman who came in and he acted like he knew a resident, but there was no proof of anything sexual, she said.

She referred all other questions on the matter to the homes owners, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines. No one from Care Initiatives responded Monday to calls from Iowa Capital Dispatch.

Court records show that two days before the incident at Crestview, Beaver was arrested and charged with indecent exposure at the Iowa City Public Library. According to the arrest report, video evidence showed Beaver entering the library, going to the computers on the second floor, taking off his sweatshirt and pants, placing a jacket over his genitals, and then spending four hours watching pornographic videos while reaching under his jacket and stimulating himself.

The day after he was arrested, he was released from jail on his own recognizance. District Associate Judge Jason A. Burns released Beaver on the condition that he not return to the library. Court records indicate the indecent exposure case is still pending.

In August 2021, Beaver, who was homeless at the time, was arrested and charged with animal neglect causing death or serious injury, an aggravated misdemeanor. The arrest came after an Iowa City police officer found Beavers dog tied to a footbridge, near a homeless encampment, in 111-degree heat.

The dog, named Zeus, was in distress and was found lying on a blanket covered with black blood and flies, the officer reported. The dog began having seizures while the officer waited for animal control and was later euthanized due to renal failure caused by heat stroke.

Beaver was later convicted of simple-misdemeanor animal neglect. He was sentenced to eight days in jail with credit for the eight days already served.

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A former prison nurse accused of supplying drugs to an inmate with whom she had a romantic relationship has agreed to surrender her license.

Dori Dreckmeier of West Burlington was a licensed practical nurse who worked last year at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison, according to state records.

In January, the Iowa Board of Nursing charged Dreckmeier with being involved in the unauthorized manufacture or distribution of a controlled substance; making lewd, suggestive or otherwise sexual comments to a patient; violating the confidentiality or privacy rights of a patient; and committing an act that causes physical, emotional, or financial injury to a patient.

The board alleged Dreckmeier was employed at the correctional facility last year when she began a romantic relationship with an inmate. Between July 15, 2022, and Aug. 16, 2022, she allegedly spoke on the phone with the inmate and exchanged emails with him, and the content of the conversations was sexual in nature.

On Aug. 25, 2022, she allegedly brought a prescription medication and marijuana wax  a potent cannabis extract that has THC concentrations of up to 90%  into the prison and gave it to her incarcerated paramour. The inmate was later found unconscious in his cell.

According to the board, Dreckmeier sent handwritten notes and emails to the inmate admitting to her own personal drug use, and admitting to the fact that she sold controlled substances to others.

After she was placed on administrative leave, Dreckmeier allegedly sent numerous emails to other inmates who belonged to a gang, identified herself as a fellow gang member, and called her incarcerated paramour a snitch, all in an attempt to purposefully place his safety in jeopardy.

There is no public record of Dreckmeier being criminally charged with manufacturing or distributing drugs, or with any other offenses related to her employment by the Iowa Department of Corrections.

Other board actions

Other Iowa nurses who have recently been sanctioned by the Iowa Board of Nursing include:

Steven Correll of Corydon  The board charged Correll with excessive use of alcohol that could impair a licensees ability to practice the profession with reasonable skill and safety, and with engaging in behavior that is contradictory to professional decorum. According to the board, Correll was working at an unspecified health care clinic in June 2022 when co-workers noted that he appeared to be disheveled, had slurred and fragmented speech, and smelled of alcohol. He had seen four patients by the time his colleagues noticed the problem.

Later that evening, a county deputy reported finding Correll passed out in the drivers seat of his car, which was parked in the middle of a road and running. Corrells blood-alcohol level was allegedly measured at 0.303  more than three times the legal limit for driving. He later pleaded guilty to a charge of drunken driving. The board placed Corrells license on probation for 12 months and ordered him to complete 30 hours of educational training on professional ethics.

Rebecca Ikoba of Bettendorf  The board charged Ikoba with failing to assess or report the status of a patient; committing an act that could adversely affect the physical or psychosocial welfare of a patient; and violating the privacy of a patient.

The board alleged that between late 2019 and early 2020, Ikoba failed to administer a patients prescribed medications; failed to manage a patients sudden change in condition; discharged a patient and sent the person home with confidential information pertaining to three other patients; left unidentified medications at a patients bedside; failed to assess or document pertinent information on patients; failed to administer a blood transfusion; and failed to give others an accurate, thorough report on her patients.

In February 2020, the hospital removed Ikoba from duty on its medical/surgical floor, and she was assigned to a different area within the hospital. The board placed Ikobas license on probation for one year and ordered her to complete 44.5 hours of educational training.

Heather Easton of Ottumwa  The board charged Easton with initiating, or attempting to initiate, a sexual, emotional, social, or business relationship with a patient for personal gain. The board alleged that in 2014, she began seeing an individual as that persons primary care provider and then, in 2017, entered into a personal relationship with the individual.

That relationship continued until August of 2021. During the time the personal relationship existed, Easton allegedly prescribed mental health medications to the individual and continued to see the person in a professional capacity. Eastons license remains in full effect, but the board has ordered her to complete a three-day course on professional ethics.

Michelle Locher of Dubuque  The board charged Locher with committing an act or omission that could adversely affect the physical or psychosocial welfare of a patient. Locher was employed at an unspecified care center in July 2021 when she allegedly made what the board describes as unprofessional comments to a resident of the facility. The board has ordered Locher to complete 30 hours of training in managing difficult patients.

Meggan Turnure, aka Meggan Alexander, of Mason City  The board charged Turnure with failing to properly secure or safeguard medications and with violating a patients privacy rights. According to the board, while working at an unspecified care facility, Turnure kept patients prescription medications at her residence. The medications were labeled with private patient information.

The board ordered Turnure to complete 60 hours of educational training on patient privacy and nursing procedures. In 2012, Turnure was given a warning by the board for unethical conduct after it was alleged she had been convicted of providing false information in a loan application.

Tara Sheets of Pleasantville  The board charged Sheets with excessive use of alcohol that could impair a licensees ability to practice the profession with reasonable skill and safety. The board alleged that for four weeks in 2022, Sheets was in a residential treatment program for alcohol use. The board placed Sheets license on probation for six months.

Patricia Egbuna of Richmond, Texas  The board charged Egbuna with failing to assess, document or report the status of a patient, and with committing an act that could adversely affect the physical or psychological welfare of a patient.

According to the board Egbuna worked at various, unspecified long-term care facilities in Iowa between June 2022 and August 2022 when she failed to properly administer multiple oral medications to the residents of those facilities. She was also accused of failing to properly administer an intravenous antibiotic medication to a resident and with failing to assess and assist a resident who required emergency assistance.

The board ordered Egbuna to complete 10 hours of educational training in nursing documentation and 30 hours of training in nursing procedures.

Sara McAnulty of Marshalltown  The board charged McAnulty with abandoning a nursing assignment without properly notifying supervisors or first ensuring the safety of patients. She was accused of leaving the express care clinic where she worked to go to lunch and then never returning to complete her shift. The board ordered her to complete 30 hours of educational training in professional ethics.

Sheryl Trailer of Sac City  The board charged Trailer with excessive use of alcohol that could impair a licensees ability to practice the profession with reasonable skill and safety. According to the board, Trailer agreed to surrender her license.

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WATERLOO  Vincent Hemenway was shot twice as he watched friends work on a motorcycle in an Adrian Street garage in August 2020.

Each of those bullet wounds would have been fatal alone, an associate state medical examiner told jurors on Thursday as trial continued for the man accused of pulling the trigger.

Robert Lee Williams Jr., 34, is charged with first-degree murder in Hemenways death. Prosecutors said he and his brother, Ralpheal Williams, were wearing surgical masks and blue rubber gloves and taped plastic sleeves when they approached the group in the garage. Following a brief exchange, Robert Williams allegedly pulled out a pistol, and Hemenway was shot when he grabbed for the weapon.

Robert Williams attorneys dont dispute he was the gunman but said he shot in reaction to Hemenway lunging at him after he was taunted with racial slurs by people in the garage.

Dr. Michele Catellier, who conducted Hemenways autopsy, testified he sustained gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

The torso injury entered his left chest area and traveled slightly downward, passing through his body before exiting just below his right shoulder blade, according to autopsy photos shown to the jury.

The head wound entered just inside his hairline above his left ear. The bullet eventually came to a rest to the left in the base of the skull.

Catellier said she also noted a superficial tear near his left armpit which could have come from a bullet or bone fragment from the head shot.

Several of Hemenways relatives stepped out of the courtroom before Catelliers presentation to avoid seeing the images.

The associate medical examiner said each of the wounds would have been deadly on their own.

She said she wasnt able to determine the range of the gunshot.

Jurors also heard that police were able to link Williams and his brother to some of the items later found in a treeline a few blocks from the shooting scene.

Ryan Petruccelli, a DNA analyst for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, testified he found Robert Williams DNA on a white facemask. His brothers DNA was found on a black shirt discarded among the trees.

Blue rubber gloves, some with sleeve extensions were also found in the brush. Petruccelli told jurors DNA in the gloves was too weak to be used for comparison.

Also found in the trees was a 9 mm Smith and Wesson SD9VE pistol. The gun had a mixture of three or more DNA profiles that was deemed too complicated to untangle.

But Michael Tate, a DCI ballistics expert, said he was able to link spent shell casings found at the shooting scene to the pistol.

Photos: Homicide Aug. 15, 2020 081820jr-adrian-homicide-1 081620jr-homicide-search-1 081620jr-homicide-search-2 081620jr-homicide-search-3 081620jr-homicide-search-4 040622jr-robbery-trial-2 040622jr-robbery-trial-1 040622jr-robbery-trial-3 040622jr-robbery-trial-4 040622jr-robbery-trial-5 040722jr-robbery-trial-1 040722jr-robbery-trial-3 040822jr-robbery-verdict-1 042023jr-williams-trial-1 042023jr-williams-trial-4 042023jr-williams-trial-3 042023jr-williams-trial-2 042023jr-williams-trial-5 041923jr-williams-trial-2 041923jr-williams-trial-1 041923jr-williams-trial-3 041923jr-williams-trial-4 042123jr-williams-trial-4 042123jr-williams-trial-1 042123jr-williams-trial-2 042123jr-williams-trial-3 042423jr-williams-trial-1 042423jr-williams-trial-2
On this weeks edition of the On Iowa Politics podcast: so much. So very much. An overnight legislative session, Republicans self-censoring in debate, bills on child labor, the auditors office, property taxes. Its just all so very much.

On Iowa Politics is a weekly news and analysis podcast that aims to re-create the kinds of conversations that happen when you get political reporters from across Iowa together after the day's deadlines have been met.

This weeks show is hosted by The Gazettes Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy and features Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton, Lee Des Moines Bureau Chief Caleb McCullough, Jared McNett of the Sioux City Journal, Sarah Watson of the Quad City Times, and Gazette columnist Todd Dorman.

The show was produced by Stephen M. Colbert, and the music heard on the podcast is courtesy of Scarlet Runner and Copperhead.
Payment for emergency contraception for nearly 70 sexual assault survivors has yet to be reimbursed, while one claim for an abortion is also on hold, while Republican Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird reviews state policy.

Thats according to a statement from Planned Parenthood North Central States, based on records obtained by Iowa Public Radio from the Iowa Attorney Generals Office.

A spokeswoman for Bird did not respond to requests for information from The Gazette.

Iowa Public Radio reported the pending claims total about $3,300, including one claim for an abortion that cost $730 from a sexual assault victim.

AG REVIEW

The Iowa Attorney General's Office earlier this month said it had paused its practice allowing the states victim compensation funds to pay for emergency contraception  and, in rare cases, abortions  for victims of sexual assault, while it reviewed the state policy.

Though the payments are not explicitly required, it has been the states longtime policy to cover the cost of emergency contraception from the victim compensation fund. In rare cases, the fund also has paid for abortions for rape victims, said Sandi Tibbetts Murphy, director of the victim assistance division under previous attorney general, Democrat Tom Miller.

Bird defeated Miller in the 2022 November election.

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

VICTIM FUND

Iowa's $3.3 million victim compensation fund  which comes from fines, fees and penalties paid by convicted criminals  paid nearly $1.7 million in expenses for sexual assault victims who sought medical help in fiscal 2021, the most recent year for which numbers were readily available. That includes the costs of forensic exams and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, as well as Plan B, the so-called morning after pill, and other treatments to prevent pregnancy.

More than 2,200 examination claims were submitted, and a total of 10,434 sexual assault victims were served. Juveniles accounted for the majority of sexual abuse victim costs paid for by the victim compensation fund, according to a 2021 annual report.

No taxpayer dollars go into the state victim compensation fund, which is separate from taxpayer funds appropriated by legislators each year in the state budget process.

Victim advocates, including the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, have urged Bird to continue using the programs funds to cover emergency contraception and abortion. They say cost should never be a barrier for rape victims seeking medical care, including contraception to prevent unintended pregnancy and abortion care.

The fact that nearly 70 sexual assault survivors are waiting in limbo for the paid care they need because of politics is unacceptable, said Ruth Richardson, CEO of Planned Parenthood North Central States.

Attorney General Bird and Republicans pushing these dangerous policies to take away Iowans bodily autonomy are hurting the most vulnerable Iowans who are bravely coming forward to receive care after being violated in the worst possible ways, she said

Its unjust and cruel. These survivors should find comfort in having the compassionate, comprehensive care they need.
On Friday evening, the Supreme Court halted U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryks unprecedented effort to remove a key abortion drug, mifepristone, from the market nationwide. The order, which appears to be 72, ensures that mifepristone will remain legal and accessible in states where it remains lawful to prescribe. Only Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito noted their dissents, but not a single justice even tried to defend the decision by Kacsmaryk, a Donald Trump appointee whose ruling earlier this month represented a particularly lawless attempt to assert power over the Food and Drug Administration. Fridays stay sends a strong message to the lower courts that SCOTUS will not entertain this cynical attempt to impose new nationwide restrictionsand potentially even a banon abortion.

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As is often the case with shadow docket decisions, Fridays order does not provide a reason for the Supreme Courts action. It merely freezes Kacsmaryks ruling while the appeals process proceeds. But it is certainly a good omen for the ultimate outcome of this case. Even the two dissenters could not bring themselves to pretend that the lower courts got it right. (Technically, on the shadow docket, a justice can dissent without noting their vote, but it is rare.) Thomas didnt even explain his vote, while Alito railed against the courts emergency order to preserve access to medication abortion. He quoted recent opinions by Justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Amy Coney Barrett that had cautioned against abuse of the shadow docket, and accused his fellow justices of hypocrisy for intervening here.

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I did not agree with these criticisms at the time, Alito huffed, but if they were warranted in the cases in which they were made, they are emphatically true here. He further asserted that the court had no reason to step in, because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit had narrowed Kacsmaryks order. If SCOTUS allowed that order to take effect, he wrote, it would merely reinstate mifepristone restrictions that have been lifted since 2016.

Thats not remotely true: The 5th Circuits decision would bar mifepristones manufacturer from distributing the drug for months; Alito wrote that the FDA could avoid these problems by exercising its enforcement discretioncreating massive regulatory uncertainty and raising the very real possibility that Kacsmaryk could hold both FDA officials and drugmakers in contempt. The 5th Circuits decision would have also removed the generic version from the market entirely, jeopardizing access in all 50 states. Practical implications aside, the move is also problematic for the separation in powers: If allowed to stand, it wouldve forced the FDA to violate federal law by pulling a drug from the market without following the mandatory procedures that Congress laid out. (Mifepristone is one of two drugs used in a medication abortion, along with misoprostol. While misoprostol can terminate a pregnancy by itself, mifepristone reduces the risk of side effects and complications.)

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Alito then criticized castigated U.S. District Judge Thomas O. Rice, a Barack Obama appointee in Washington State, for issuing a competing injunction that preserved access to mifepristone in 17 states and the District of Columbia. Rice, he wrote, had gone beyond what the FDA requested by giving it relief that it had never hinted it was contemplating. And he castigated the Biden Administration for failing to swiftly appeal Rices order, charging it with leverag[ing] the injunction to implement a desired policy while evading both necessary agency procedures and judicial review.

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Conspicuously absent from Alitos dissent was even a single sentence trying to justify the actions of Kacsmaryk and the 5th Circuit. That is likely because the lower courts decisions were indefensible. This case, brought by far-right law firm Alliance Defending Freedom, asked the judiciary to contort a number of bedrock legal principles to overturn the FDAs 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. The plaintiffs are a group of anti-abortion doctors who do not prescribe the medication. To establish standing, they claimed they might one day treat a patient injured by mifepristone, a totally conjectural future injury that may well never happen. To claim that the medication is dangerous, they rejected more than 100 scientific studies proving its safe and effective, and instead cited anonymous blog posts from an anti-abortion website. To seek relief, they asked for a nationwide decree overruling the FDAs approval of the drug, removing it from the market even in states where abortion remains perfectly legal.

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None of this made sense. A hypothetical future injury that rests on a series of conjectures does not establish standing. A judge cannot toss out real scientific evidence in favor of baseless propaganda. And no court can simply yank a drug from the market by overriding FDA approval which is why no court has ever tried to do so until now. Even setting all that aside, this litigation came far, far too late to meet the six-year statute of limitations for such challenges. Kacsmaryk waved away all these problems in a stridently ideological opinion shot through with fervent anti-abortion rhetoric. The 5th Circuit attempted a similar trick. The Supreme Court declined to play along. It appears that even Justices Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts, and Amy Coney Barrett would not entertain this outrageous manipulation of the federal judiciary to override democratic decision-making.

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It is conceivable that SCOTUS conservative supermajority may one day entertain a different, more plausible challenge to medication abortion, perhaps by misreading the Comstock Act to transform the mailing of mifepristone into a criminal offense. But this case was an embarrassment from the start, and it gave the justices no credible excuse to side with the plaintiffs. A panel of judges from the 5th Circuitone thats different from the panel that upheld much of Kacsmaryks decisionwill soon hear the case and issue a decision; if the plaintiffs prevail, the government will appeal their ruling to SCOTUS, and the justices will face this question again. All the while, thanks to Fridays stay, the judicially imposed barriers to mifepristone will remain on ice, and blue state residents can still freely access the medication. This battle isnt over, but the Supreme Court has now sent a very strong signal that it has little patience for this type of grievous abuse of the federal judiciary.
On Tuesday Fox News abruptly agreed to a settlement with Dominion, the voting machine company that the network relentlessly defamed after the 2020 election. The $787.5 million payout to Dominion is hugeperhaps the largest defamation settlement in historybut spared Fox News the humiliation of a trial that would have fully exposed it knowing efforts to overturn Joe Bidens victory. In this weeks Slate Plus segment of Amicus, Mark Joseph Stern and Dahlia Lithwick discussed the case and what it tells us about the laws abilityor inabilityto save democracy. Their conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

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Dahlia Lithwick: Mark, this week you and I thought the Dominion trial would be happening and wed all be watching. But we arent because, they settled. Are you surprised?

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Mark Joseph Stern: Of course Dominion settledin retrospect, it was probably always going to settle. Dominion is a private company and what they really wanted here, above everything else, was to be made whole after Fox News slandered it relentlessly and threatened its entire business. You know, Fox tried to persuade election officials that they couldnt trust Dominions voting machines, and that their machines were the key to massive voter fraud that let Joe Biden steal the election.

That was an existential threat to Dominions ability to continue making a profit, so the company had to sue. They used the threat of a trial, in which all these secrets would come out, as a bargaining chip. They went all the way to jury selection because they were pressing Fox as hard as they could for a big settlement. And thats what they got. Now they can expand further into the market. And they got Fox towell, not quite to apologize, but to say in the passive tense that mistakes were made, which was probably the best they were going to do. And in the process, we got this extraordinary discovery where all these texts and conversations came out which showed that Fox, from executives on down, knew they were promoting lies about these machines that were demonstrably false an didnt stop it. In fact, they often encouraged it. Americans who are open to such truths can now recognize, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Fox News is a lying propaganda machine that doesnt care whats true and whats false.

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So look, its disappointing for us as journalistswe wanted a big trial, we wanted more information to come out, we wanted these executives and anchors on the stand, finally forced to reveal their laws. But ultimately, thats not what Dominion needed. It needed a huge settlement, and thats what it got.

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Dahlia Lithwick: I had two thoughts at the beginning of the week when the settlement was announced. One is that this is yet more proof positive that the law is not going to keep saving us. We keep thinking that there is this thing called the law that is going to keep making us whole, but its not. And two, that capitalism is not going to save us, either. This was a rational, self-interested decision by an entity that, as you said, made the best decision for itself. Our notion that Dominion had the responsibility to take down the lying liars at Fox was something we imported onto it. Thats not part of the rational calculus of how Dominion does business.

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Mark Joseph Stern: And theres nothing about capitalism that naturally supports democracy, right? We choose to have democracy and a market economy in the United States, but as some other countries like China are increasingly showing, capitalism does not necessarily foster democratic government or rule by the people. I dont want to get too deep into Marxist philosophy here, but I think this case sort of encapsulates that for a long time, so many of us pundits said Dominion was doing democracy a solid by exposing all these lies. And Dominion positioned itself that way, as though it really wanted to get to the bottom of these laws. But the reality was, that was always a bargaining chip. It was a negotiating tactic. And when the money came through and it was a big enough figure for Dominion, they settled and walked out of that courtroom with big smiles on their faces.

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Dahlia: I do think everything that wouldve come out at trial wouldve been gilding the lily, because it had already come out in the course of discovery. And you can read those texts of Fox News hosts saying what theyre saying. In some sense, it feels like the impeachment againwe didnt need the revelations of a trial to know what we know. So should we really be hugely angry at Dominion for not somehow landing the plan when, for all intents and purposes, its all out there, and you just needed to read it?

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Mark: But that last part is so important, right? You still needed to read it. I think the hope was that this trial would focus more peoples attention on thisit would make it a nightly news story. Accounts of the cross-examination between an anchor and a lawyer wouldve gone viral on Twitter. It wouldve stayed in the news cycle for much longer.

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This is something that you and I have issues with when we cover the Supreme Courttheres a big terrible decision, people pay attention to it for one or two days, and then it kind of fades away. A lot of controversies around the court just fade and theres not much we can do to revive interest. I find it fascinating that this past week, it has somehow become a big news story, again, that Clarence Thomas omitted his wifes nearly $700,000 of income from the Heritage Foundation in the aughts. That was a big story a long time ago, and it only gets the true, viral attention now because its coming on the heels of these other stories about Thomas. Theres an attention economy issue here, and I think another reason to hope for a trial at some point, because a trial is going to get this information before a lot more eyeballs.

Dahlia: In the first piece we co-wrote on Clarence Thomas latest scandal, I think the first note we had was: This is more of the same. Nothing about this should shock and surprise us. This is not new. But its just the nature of the news that we have these neatly packaged umbrage cycles to get people angry. In some sense, thats what Fox was doing all along. And its a failure of the media to explain both Dominion and Clarence Thomas in a way that remains salient for a long time to come.
The wreck of a Japanese ship that was torpedoed by an American submarine during World War II has been found off the coast of the Philippines after more than 80 years, search organizers and the Australian government said. Some 1,060 prisoners of war and civilians, mostly Australians, died in Australias biggest maritime disaster.

The Japanese transport ship SS Montevideo Maru was found at a depth of more than 4,000 meters on Tuesday, according to the non-profit Silentworld Foundation. The location of the Japanese transport ship has been a mystery since it was torpedoed by the USS Sturgeon on July 1, 1942, said the Maritime Archeology Group.

The resting place of the lost souls from the Montevideo Maru has finally been found, said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, hoping todays news would bring some measure of comfort to their relatives.

After five years of planning, researchers found the wreckage after only 12 days of searching. The effort was led by the Silentworld Foundation and deep-sea research specialists Fugro, and supported by the Australian Department of Defence. The wreck was discovered by an autonomous underwater vehicle northwest of the Philippine island of Luzon in the South China Sea.

Out of respect for the families of the victims, the wreck will remain on the seabed, where it lies at a greater depth than the Titanic, the foundation announced. The remains of people or objects will not be removed in this way.

When the ship was torpedoed, the American officers on the submarine did not know that it was carrying prisoners of war and civilians. Of the 1,060 people who died, about 980 were Australian, including at least 850 members of the military.

The Japanese ship transported Australians and nationals of several other countries to Hainan Island from the city of Rabaul in present-day Papua New Guinea before the city was taken under Australian administration by Japanese forces.

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Climate change indicators are reaching record levels. A report by the World Meteorological Agency revealed the dark statistics of our climate future, including the rapid melting of glaciers.

Rescuing them is practically a lost cause, they warned in the report. At the same time, they also highlighted the cause and effect of sea level rise and record heat. In a report on the state of the global climate over the past year, released ahead of Earth Day, the United Nations agency highlighted worrying trends that indicate the progress of climate change.

Maximum temperature of the oceans PHOTO: AP

Sea level is rising twice as fast

Sea levels are rising more than twice as fast today as they were between 1993 and 2002, the report concludes Reuters. Extreme melting of glaciers and record ocean temperatures have caused sea levels to rise by an average of 4.62 mm over the past decade, according to the United Nations. This is almost twice as much as in the previous decade. Since 1990, the sea level has risen by an average of 10 centimeters. Rising sea levels threaten some coastal cities and the existence of some islands, such as Tuvalu. They plan to build the island in a digital version so that the memory of it will remain if it sinks due to the climate crisis.

READ MORE Who will they be when the sea washes away their homeland?

As he estimated in the report Petteri Taalas from the World Meteorological Organization, shows that greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are once again reaching record levels, affecting the warming of the land and oceans, the melting of ice sheets, rising sea levels and ocean acidification.

In the last 20 years, we have doubled the rise of the sea level, before we had a rise of 2.3 mm per year, but now it is 4.6 mm. The cause is the melting of the glaciers in Greenland and Antarctica, Talaas explained.

As reported EuroNews, added that global sea-level rise could be particularly devastating because many of the worlds largest cities and most densely populated areas lie right in coastal areas. Low-lying countries such as the Netherlands and Bangladesh are also at risk. This should be a fact that motivates us to more ambitious climate mitigation goals.

The report also shows that Antarctic ice reached record low levels again last June and July.

Carbon dioxide PHOTO: iStock

The eight warmest years are behind us

The World Meteorological Organization ranked 2022 as the fifth or sixth warmest year on record. Globally, the last eight years were the warmest on record since 1850, with temperatures 1.15 degrees Celsius above the average between 1850 and 1900. Last year, countries such as Sweden, the UK, Ireland and Germany broke several temperature records after Europe, they pointed out. But despite continuing weather records being broken and climate change progressing, we released record high concentrations of the three main greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, into the air in 2021, the report added.

The dried up Lake Sau in Catalonia PHOTO: AP

The report came a day after a report by the European Unions space observatory, Copernicus, showed that Europe experienced its second warmest year on record in 2022 as it suffered from intense and prolonged heat waves and widespread drought. Europe had the hottest summer in history last year, with a record loss of ice from glaciers and a record number of sunshine hours. This extreme heat caused adverse effects on human health, they pointed out.
Now is not the right time to accept Ukraine into NATO, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius commented after the unannounced visit of NATOs first man, Jens Stoltenberg, to Ukraine. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also indicated quite clearly what he thinks about Ukraine joining NATO.



German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius expressed his views on Ukraines membership in NATO for the German television station ZDF. His comments come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for his countrys invitation to the defense alliance during a visit to NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg in Kiev. According to Pistorius, now is not the time to decide on this issue.

The door is partially open, but now is not the right time to make a decision about it, Pistorius said, hinting that Ukraines accession to NATO cannot be seriously discussed amid the war that Russia launched last February, the German press reported. dpa agency. According to him, the alliance must carefully consider every step, such as the possible granting of an official invitation to Ukraine. You have to make a decision with a cool head and a hot heart and not the other way around, he emphasized.

On Thursday, during Stoltenbergs unannounced visit to Kiev, Zelensky said that now is the time for Ukraine to receive an invitation to join the alliance. At the same time, he urged NATO to overcome resistance to sending some types of weapons to Kiev, including long-range weapons and modern aircraft.

The NATO Secretary General promised the Ukrainian president further support, both in the fight against Russian forces and on Ukraines path to the union. As he said, the members of the alliance will discuss its accession at the July summit in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius, where Zelenski is also invited. The time frame for Ukraines accession has not been determined, but Stoltenberg emphasized that Ukraine will have to survive the war as a democratic and independent country before it can become a member of the union. Lets remember that Zelenskiy asked for accelerated accession of his country to NATO last fall in light of the Russian attack.

What he thinks about Ukraines entry into NATO, however, was quite clearly indicated by the Hungarian Prime Minister via Twitter Viktor Orban. On the social network, he published an article from the Brussels Politico about the fact that Stoltenberg, on his first visit to Kiev since the beginning of the war, announced to Ukraine that its place is in NATO. Orban commented on the publication of the article with the word What?! (or in English What?!).

Hungary, which, like Turkey, has not yet given the green light to Swedens entry into NATO, has unresolved issues with Ukraine regarding the Hungarian minority living in Ukraine. Although the Russian invasion was condemned in Budapest, the Hungarian authorities are not sending weapons to the neighboring country.

Meeting of the group for Ukraine

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin at the beginning of todays meeting of the contact group for Ukraine at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, he emphasized his unwavering support for Ukraine. Our support for the Free Forces in Ukraine is strong and sincere, he said, adding that todays contact group meeting will focus on three key issues: air defense, ammunition and resources for Ukraine.

According to the US Secretary of Defense, members of the contact group have so far provided Ukraine with $55 billion in military aid, of which $35 billion was provided by the United States, reports the French news agency AFP.

We reject the dark vision (of the Russian president Vladimir) Putin about a world in which tyrants can attack their peaceful neighbors, Austin emphasized. Together we will ensure that Ukraine has everything it needs for a free life, he added.

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World tours provide entertainers with unique opportunities to visit new communities and make a positive impact. Beyonce recently announced her latest tour, which includes a unique spin  small business grants. Read about how Beyonce plans to support entrepreneurs this year, along with other small business grant opportunities below.

BeyGood Foundation Grants

Beyonce plans to offer small business grants during her upcoming Renaissance World Tour. The entertainers foundation, BeyGOOD plans to host luncheons for entrepreneurs and students in cities visited along the tour route. As part of these events, entrepreneurs will have the chance to apply for grants, with a total of $1 million available. The tour is scheduled to run from May through September. So more details about these grants and scholarship opportunities for students will be unveiled soon.

California Restaurants Care Resilience Fund

The California Restaurant Foundation is opening applications for its Restaurants Care Resilience Fund. The program uses funds from several local utility providers, including San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas, and Pacific Gas & Electric. This is the third year for the grant program. And $2.1 million is available. Eligible restaurants across the state can apply for grants of $5,000. To qualify, restaurants must have no more than five locations and less than $3 million in annual revenue. May 7 is the deadline to apply.

St. Paul Center of Economic Inclusion Vanguard Accelerator and Fund

St. Pauls Center of Economic Inclusion is launching a new round of support for businesses owned by Black, Latina, or Indigenous women. The centers Vanguard Accelerator and Fund program originally launched last year. And this round includes $400,000 in total funds, which will be distributed in grant increments of $5,000, along with forgivable loans between $25,00 and $250,000. The program uses funds from JP Morgan Chase, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), San Diego-based accelerator operator Founders First CDC, and St. Paul-based real estate firm NEOO Partners. To qualify for funds and the accelerator program, companies must by founded by Black, Indigenous, or Latina women, have at least three full-time employees, and revenue of no more than $3 million over the past three years. Applications are due by May 16.

Cherokee Small Business Grants

Cherokee County, Georgia is offering a second round of funding through its Cherokee Small Business Grant program. The program originally launched earlier this year and was planning to offer a second funding round next year. However, the amount of applications and interest in the program caused the county to allocate additional funds sooner. This round includes $1 million in funds from the federal American Rescue Plan Act and Cherokee County Board of Commissioners. The county distributed $500,000 to 35 small businesses during the initial round. April 30 is the deadline to apply for funding.

Bedford Small Business Recovery Grants

Bedford, Indiana recently received an additional $250,000 in COVID-19 relief funds to support small businesses that were negatively impacted by the pandemic. The city is offering grants to small businesses that need support retaining employees in low to moderate-income jobs. Eligible businesses can use funds to support working capital and operations or to support remote work. To qualify, businesses must be located within Bedford and have 100 or fewer employees. The application period closes April 26.

Downriver Riverfront Communities Economic Recovery Implementation Project

Businesses in five Downriver communities in Southeast Michigan may be eligible for grants through the Downriver Riverfront Communities Economic Recovery Implementation Project. The program aims to support businesses facing hardships due to the pandemic or the DTE coal-fired plant closures. The University of Michigans Economic Growth Institute is partnering with the Downriver Community Conferences Economic Development Department to facilitate the program. A total of $150,000 is available to support businesses in Ecorse, River Rouge, Riverview, Trenton and Wyandotte. Eligible businesses can apply for up to $10,000 in matching grant funds. Eligible projects should support the resiliency of the business, which can include everything from marketing campaigns to operational improvements.

Get the latest headlines from Small Business Trends. Follow us on Google News.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230421/iaea-chief-says-deeply-concerned-over-situation-at-zaporozhye-npp-1109750710.html

IAEA Chief Says 'Deeply Concerned' Over Situation at Zaporozhye NPP

IAEA Chief Says 'Deeply Concerned' Over Situation at Zaporozhye NPP

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency is concerned about the safety of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant.

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russia's special operation in ukraine

zaporozhye npp

zaporozhye

international atomic energy agency (iaea)

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In late March, Grossi visited the ZNPP for the second time since the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. He inspected the ZNPP together with the plant's management and responsible technical staff "to assess first-hand the serious nuclear safety and security situation at the facility and underline the urgent need to protect it," the IAEA said. The agency's recent reports emphasize "the serious nuclear safety and security risks facing Europe's largest nuclear power plant," the IAEA secretary general added. Moreover, the IAEA experts have detected significant damage to windows in the turbine hall of Unit 4 of the ZNPP, the statement read. The agency believes that the previously reported landmines explosions could not have caused these defects. Located on the left bank of the Dnepr River, the ZNPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe by number of units and energy output. It came under Russia's control in early March 2022 and has since been repeatedly shelled, raising international concerns over a possible nuclear accident. An international mission led by Grossi first visited the plant from August 31 to September 5. IAEA observers have since been staying at the plant on a rotational basis. Following the visit by the mission, the IAEA published a report in which it confirmed multiple attacks on the ZNPP.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/grossi-sees-no-offensive-weapons-at-zaporozhye-npp-russias-rosenergoatom-1108934040.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230421/rsf-say-ready-to-partially-open-airports-in-sudan-for-evacuation-1109751476.html

RSF Say Ready to Partially Open Airports in Sudan for Evacuation

RSF Say Ready to Partially Open Airports in Sudan for Evacuation

The Sudanese Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group said on Friday that it could partially open airports in the capital city of Khartoum to evacuate foreign citizens.

2023-04-21T23:51+0000

2023-04-21T23:51+0000

2023-04-21T23:51+0000

africa

sudan

rapid support forces (rsf)

khartoum

abdel fattah abdelrahman burhan

eid al-fitr

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The RSF added that they were fully prepared for cooperation in what concerned the creation of opportunities for representatives of foreign diasporas and diplomatic missions to safely leave Sudan.Last Saturday, violent clashes between the Sudanese regular armed forces and the RSF broke out, with the epicenter located in Sudans capital of Khartoum. Government forces accused the RSF of mutiny and launched airstrikes against their bases. Abdel Fattah Burhan, the head of the Sudanese military, has issued a decree disbanding the RSF. On Friday, Sudans armed forces said they had agreed to a 72-hour ceasefire on humanitarian grounds starting from 6:00 a.m. local time (04:00 GMT) and expressed hope that the RSF would comply with the truce. Sudans Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said on Friday that about 60 people were killed and more than 200 were injured during the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which is celebrated in Sudan on Friday. In total, about 600 have died and 3,500 have been injured during almost a week of conflict in Sudan.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/emergency-declared-in-kamchatka-villages-affected-by-ashfall-after-shiveluch-eruption-1109753496.html

Emergency Declared in Kamchatka Villages Affected by Ashfall After Shiveluch Eruption

Emergency Declared in Kamchatka Villages Affected by Ashfall After Shiveluch Eruption

A state of emergency has been declared on the territory of the Ust-Kamchatsky district on the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Russian Far East, where several villages were affected by ashfall during the Shiveluch volcano eruption, the districts head, Oleg Bondarenko, said.

2023-04-22T04:52+0000

2023-04-22T04:52+0000

2023-04-22T07:10+0000

russia

kamchatka

volcano

shiveluch

volcano eruption

far east

environment

pollution

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"The main outcome of today's commission on emergency situations is the declaration of a state of emergency on the territory of the Ust-Kamchatsky municipal district. The Commission unanimously adopted this decision," Bondarenko said on Telegram on Saturday. He added that the emergency zones include the villages of Kliuchi (Klyuchi), Mayskoye and Kozyrevsk. The Shiveluch volcano in Russia's Kamchatka Territory erupted in the early hours of April 11, spewing ash 20 kilometers (12 miles) into the air. The ash cloud covered several villages in the eastern part of the Kamchatka peninsula. Residents of the affected areas were advised not to go outside unnecessarily. The Russian Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said that the ashfall in the village of Klyuchi was the heaviest in the last 60 years. In some areas, the layer of ash was 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) thick, local authorities said. Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that health workers must pay special attention to the health of Kamchatka residents in the wake of the Shiveluch volcano eruption. Governor of Kamchatka Territory Vladimir Solodov told Putin on Wednesday that he intended to ask the Russian government to assist him in enlisting the help of pulmonary specialists and in arranging a health promotion campaign for children. He said that there was no immediate threat to the lives and health of local residents affected by the ashfall. Shiveluch is one of Kamchatka's largest, most active, and continuously erupting volcanoes, as well as one of the most active on the planet.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/finnish-president-refrains-from-backing-idea-to-close-russian-consulate-on-aland-islands-1109760445.html

Finnish President Refrains From Backing Idea to Close Russian Consulate on Aland Islands

Finnish President Refrains From Backing Idea to Close Russian Consulate on Aland Islands

Sauli Niinisto, president of Finland, is against closing the Russian Consulate in the Finnish city of Mariehamn on the Aland Islands. Yet however he warns that Finnish government will respond if the mission will do something not compatible with diplomatic status.

2023-04-22T11:47+0000

2023-04-22T11:47+0000

2023-04-22T11:47+0000

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Last week, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Sputnik that it was aware of the "civil initiative" in Finland calling for the closure of Russia's consulate on the islands, and expressed hope that the Finnish government would fulfill its obligations to ensure the demilitarized status of the islands and Russia's diplomatic presence there. Earlier in the month, a so-called civil initiative was registered in Finland calling on the government to close the Russian consulate on the Aland Islands due to the country's accession to NATO. As of Saturday, as many as 30,000 people signed the initiative. It has to be signed by at least 50,000 citizens for the country's parliament to consider the proposal. Russia's consulate in Mariehamn was opened in 1940 under the Moscow Treaty signed by the Soviet Union and Finland following the Winter War of 1939-1940 between the two states. The island's demilitarized status was set forth in the Paris Peace Treaty of 1947.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220320/finnish-president-says-joining-nato-can-escalate-security-situation-in-europe-1094029141.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220427/debate-on-re-militarising-key-baltic-archipelago-underway-in-finland-1095090122.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/first-batch-of-russian-fertilizers-departs-latvia-for-kenya-1109760730.html

First Batch of Russian Fertilizers Departs Latvia for Kenya

First Batch of Russian Fertilizers Departs Latvia for Kenya

Russian fertilizers were stuck in Latvia thanks to EU sanctions against Russian companies. Russia is committed to supply developing nations with mineral fertilizers as humanitarian aid.

2023-04-22T12:21+0000

2023-04-22T12:21+0000

2023-04-22T12:21+0000

fertilizer

kenya

uralchem

humanitarian aid

africa

russia

europe

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The WFP is planning to deliver more shipments of the sanctioned mineral fertilizers from Latvia to support countries in need, the ministry added.Earlier, Uralchem-Uralkali Group announced that a humanitarian shipment of 34,000 tonnes of fertilizer for Kenya has been fully loaded onto a vessel in Riga and has started its journey to Mombasa."We believe that access to food is a basic human right and that the ongoing unprecedented food insecurity crisis can be alleviated only by joint efforts. As one of the major global producers of fertilizers we continue to donate our plant nutrients to those who need it the most," he added.In November, Uralchem-Uralkali Group, one of Russia's largest producers of mineral fertilizers, said that the ports of Estonia, Latvia, Belgium and the Netherlands blocked more than 260,000 tonnes of the company's fertilizers. Head of Uralchem Dmitry Mazepin explained that his company was unable to pay for freight because of the restrictive measures, but negotiated help from the United Nations. Accoridng to the Uralchem-Uralkali CEO, the company is committed to donating a total of approximately 300,000 tonnes of mineral fertilisers to developing nations to alleviate the unprecedented global food crisis and prevent significant crop loss in countries that face such risks.Moscow has offered to supply Russian fertilizers blocked in the ports of Latvia, Estonia, Belgium and the Netherlands to the poorest countries free of charge. According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, as much as 262,000 tonnes of Russian fertilizers are stuck in European ports. The first batch of Russian fertilizers stuck in Europe since September 2022, amounting to 20,000 tonnes, was shipped from the Netherlands to Malawi.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230121/west-begins-to-realize-refusal-of-russian-fertilizers-bad-choice-senior-russian-official-1106545348.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230327/how-does-us-humanitarian-aid-influence-local-african-wheat-market-1108837522.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230306/malawi-praises-first-fertilizer-shipment-from-russia-as-essential-for-tackling-food-crisis-1108083762.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/germany-plans-to-open-lng-terminal-linked-to-nord-stream-pipeline-network---reports-1109762958.html

Germany Reportedly Plans to Open LNG Terminal Linked to Nord Stream Pipeline Network

Germany Reportedly Plans to Open LNG Terminal Linked to Nord Stream Pipeline Network

Berlin considers a plan to open LNG facility in the Baltic Sea that will be linked to the damaged infrastructure of Nord Stream pipeline.

2023-04-22T14:39+0000

2023-04-22T14:39+0000

2023-04-22T14:47+0000

nord stream sabotage

russia

germany

nord stream

olaf scholz

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The plan to open the terminal was discussed at a closed-door meeting with the participation of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Economy Minister Robert Habeck on Thursday, the report said, citing representatives of four organizations who took part in the meeting as well. A pipeline connecting the LNG terminal with the main land will feed into the existing pipeline infrastructure in the German city of Lubmin from spring 2024, Habeck said during the meeting. Media also reported that the German Economy Ministry announced the purchase of tubes that once belonged to the Nord Stream 2 pipeline to build a terminal off the Ruegen Island. The German authorities had earlier announced their plans to build a total of five national floating storage and regasification units for liquefied natural gas. Scholz further underlined their significance in ending German dependency on Russian fuel.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230418/us-tries-to-control-energy-and-info-flow-with-nord-stream-bombing-cover-up-1109621776.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/how-do-you-do-counterintelligence-work-with-ufos-uap-probe-chiefs-request-puzzles-expert-1109765187.html

'How Do You Do Counterintelligence Work With UFOs?': UAP Probe Chief's Request Puzzles Expert

'How Do You Do Counterintelligence Work With UFOs?': UAP Probe Chief's Request Puzzles Expert

Freelance journalist Robert Skvarla noticed that director of the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office claimed his organization would require additional authority to pursue their UFO-related agenda, including "counterintelligence work."

2023-04-22T18:32+0000

2023-04-22T18:32+0000

2023-04-22T18:32+0000

beyond politics

avi loeb

unidentified aerial phenomena (uap)

ufo

counterintelligence

us government

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The recent US Senate hearing on so-called Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP), as Unidentified Flying Objects (UFO) are often referred, has likely dampened the enthusiasm of those hoping to see evidence of alien life or technology.Testifying before the US Senates Armed Services' Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) Director Sean Kirkpatrick said that his taskforce found no credible evidence thus far of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics."Commenting on this development, freelance journalist Robert Skvarla, pointed out a peculiar part of Kirkpatricks testimony.During a conversation with Sputnik, Skvarla said both AARO and its predecessor program were both primarily focused on the collection of UAP-related evidence and on analyzing large datasets.He noted that the UFO narrative was previously used by the US spy agencies, such as a CIA psychological warfare operation PBSuccess.The CIA's jam wave station in Miami sent out a cable directing staff in Venezuela to create tabloid stories to dominate the news cycle. One of the things they suggested was flying saucers, Skvarla said.He also mentioned that US government agencies had previously infiltrated the ufologist community, claiming that the US Air Forces Office of Special Investigations used agents and informants during the sixties and seventies to investigate supposed ties between ufologists and Soviet agents.Meanwhile, Harvard astrophysicist Avi Loeb criticized the approach the US government adopted when faced with all the data about objects that they cannot explain.Now, the government is not a scientific organization, so they don't have the tools and the expertise and also the time to engage in scientific research. So they establish an office with relatively modest funding that goes report by report and looks back at what was available in terms of data, Loeb explained while conversing with Sputnik. And they try to vet what it means and what can we say about it. But this is a very limited approach.Instead, the astrophysicist argued, an effort aimed at studying the sky and figuring out if there are things there that we don't fully understand would have been a better approach, with Loeb noting how all the data the US government agencies have on UAPs was collected anecdotally, just by chance.For more cutting-edge analysis of current affairs, tune into Sputnik's radio shows.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230409/ex-us-pilot-warns-of-ufo-related-national-security-threat-1109297770.html

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Andrei Dergalin

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/israels-judicial-reform-may-negatively-affect-it-startups-cause-relocation-1109755782.html

Israels Judicial Reform May Negatively Affect IT Startups, Cause Relocation

Israels Judicial Reform May Negatively Affect IT Startups, Cause Relocation

Judicial Reform, proposed by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sparks fears of political instability among IT startups and forces CEOs to think about relocation, Eldad Ben Tora, the president of KIDOZ Inc., told Sputnik

2023-04-22T07:23+0000

2023-04-22T07:23+0000

2023-04-22T07:23+0000

world

middle east

israel

judicial reform

benjamin netanyahu

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The draft law is intended to shake up the judiciary. If adopted, it will curtail the Supreme Court's power to review and strike down laws that it rules unconstitutional and give the government a greater say in the selection of judges. Thousands have been protesting against the reform nationwide for months. In late March, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the suspension of the legislative process on the judicial reform in order to negotiate and reach a compromise with its opponents. According to a survey conducted by research non-profit organization Start-Up Nation Central among 1,142 heads of start-ups, international companies and investment funds on March 22-23, some 80% believe that judicial reform will negatively affect "them and their portfolio companies." The survey also showed that the vast majority of investors (84%) believe that judicial reform will negatively affect the ability to attract capital from abroad. The enterprises seem to agree with investors, as 77 percent think it will be difficult for them to raise capital from foreign investors, and nearly 80 percent of companies said that investors had canceled meetings with them after the news about the judicial reform emerged. The survey also suggests that more and more high-tech companies have started placing their funds outside Israel. This situation has the potential to cause a massive outflow of funds from the country, the survey concluded. High-tech companies currently employ approximately one in ten workers in Israel. According to the 2022 global startup ecosystem index, Israel's high-tech industry comfortably remains the third-largest worldwide and an undisputed leader among the Middle Eastern countries.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230329/healing-israels-deepening-political-divide-will-take-very-long-time-says-ex-official-1108889829.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230408/israelis-protest-judicial-reform-in-tel-aviv-1109273202.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230410/netanyahus-approval-rating-down-to-28-amid-judicial-fight-poll-1109322610.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/japanese-forces-to-increase-readiness-over-n-koreas-possible-satellite-launch-1109755174.html

Japanese Forces to Increase Readiness Over N. Korea's Possible Satellite Launch

Japanese Forces to Increase Readiness Over N. Korea's Possible Satellite Launch

Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered the country's Self-Defense Forces to be at increased readiness due to a possible launch of a rocket with North Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite over the Japanese territory.

2023-04-22T07:07+0000

2023-04-22T07:07+0000

2023-04-22T07:13+0000

asia

japan

north korea

asian version of nato

military

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Earlier in the week, the North Korean state-run news agency said that the country's leader Kim Jong-un had ordered the country's first military reconnaissance satellite, which had been already completed, to be launched on a carrier rocket at the planned date. The news agency provided no details regarding the exact date of the launch. Japan's forces are expected to deploy the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system and destroyer warships equipped with Aegis and Standard Missile-3 systems to intercept North Korea's rocket if necessary, according to media. Last week, North Korea tested a new Hwansong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, which was launched toward the Sea of Japan, flying about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and landing outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. Japan, in turn, requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council and on Monday took part in missile defense exercises in the East Sea international waters together with the US and South Korea.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230417/russia-china-believe-us-allies-responsible-for-escalation-on-korean-peninsula-1109593810.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230414/north-korea-tests-first-ever-solid-fuel-hwasong-18-icbm-1109503831.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/lack-of-arms-start-of-ukraines-counteroffensive-reportedly-postponed-indefinitely-1109753863.html

Lack of Arms? Start of Ukraines Counteroffensive Reportedly Postponed Indefinitely

Lack of Arms? Start of Ukraines Counteroffensive Reportedly Postponed Indefinitely

The US and its allies have already supplied arms to Ukraine worth billions of dollars, something that comes amid concerns over some of the weapons ending up on the black market.

2023-04-22T06:46+0000

2023-04-22T06:46+0000

2023-04-22T06:46+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

russia

ukraine

special operation

counter-offensive

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Kiev planned to begin a counteroffensive against Russian forces this month, but the lack of weapons has pushed the launch date back indefinitely, Ukrainian lawmaker Alexandra Ustinova told a US news outlet.The outlet also cited an unnamed Ukrainian source as saying that we, as a military, want to have all the weapons now, but of course its impossible in the current situation.The claims come as another US newspaper reported that even the quicker than expected delivery of American Abrams tanks to Ukraine would not likely reach the battlefield in time for the start of an anticipated Ukrainian counteroffensive, one in which Western allies appear to have fallen short of providing the weapons that US military officials believe Kiev needs.Earlier this week, US media reported that 31 Abrams tanks would arrive in Germany soon, with training expected to last 10 weeks. The tanks could reach Ukraine by the fall, the reports argued.The American newspaper referred to documents that were among the Pentagons leaked classified military assessments of the Ukraine conflict showing that US military planners believe that 253 tanks are needed for the coming counteroffensive.This followed a US magazine quoting one leaked Pentagon document as saying that the commencement date for Kievs counteroffensive against Russia has been set for April 30.The document reportedly refers to military equipment deliveries and a training timetable for nine Ukrainian brigades that, with assistance from the US and its allies, can be generated for the spring counteroffensive. According to the documents, three more brigades are anticipated to be recruited internally in Ukraine.Alexei Martynov, head of the Moscow-based International Institute of the Newly Established States, a think tank, in turn told Sputnik that the leak might be the US attempt to divert attention from American journalist Seymour Hershs investigation into explosions at the Nord Stream gas pipeline network, which Hersh insists was the work of the Biden administration.Since the start of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine, Washington and its NATO allies have sent billions of dollars worth of weapons to Kiev. This came amid concerns over the corruption in the Ukrainian government and the fact that some of the Western countries arms supplies to Kiev finally ending up on the black market.Russia has repeatedly warned that the Wests military aid to Kiev would add to prolonging the Ukraine conflict and make Western countries direct parties to the standoff, thereby confirming accusations that NATO is waging a proxy war against Moscow.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230412/ukraines-prime-minister-says-kiev-could-launch-counteroffensive-as-late-as-this-summer-1109370490.html

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russian special operation in ukraine, kiev's counteroffensive against russian forces, deliveries of us abrams tanks to ukraine. conflict in ukraine
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/le-pen-says-french-pension-reform-caused-total-rift-between-macron-society-1109764883.html

Le Pen Says French Pension Reform Caused 'Total' Rift Between Macron, Society

Le Pen Says French Pension Reform Caused 'Total' Rift Between Macron, Society

The French government's pension reform led to a total breakdown of relations between the French people and President Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen said on Saturday.

2023-04-22T17:06+0000

2023-04-22T17:06+0000

2023-04-22T17:06+0000

world

europe

marine le pen

emmanuel macron

pension reform

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"The problem is that Emmanuel Macron got completely 'bunkerized,' he can no longer leave the Elysee without drawing the ire of the people who he refuses to listen to and whose will he refuses to respect  [He] generated this anger and it is he who is the cause of this disorder, the chaos. I believe that there is a total breakdown between Emmanuel Macron and the French people today," Le Pen told a French broadcaster. Democracy means respecting the opinion of the people, the politician said, adding that France is now "more of a failed democracy" as the will of the French people is brushed aside. "Emmanuel Macron is losing popularity because he does not respect the will of the people. If the people say they don't want this reform, then it must be put on hold!" she said. On Friday, a poll carried out by BVA Group revealed that Macron's popularity plunged to a record low since he took office, as only 26% of French citizens support him following the implementation of the controversial pension reform. On Wednesday, he was booed by a crowd of protesters during his visit in Alsace, which was his first regional trip since the adoption of the controversial pension reform. On April 14, the French Constitutional Council approved the key article of the pension reform bill, which would gradually raise the age of retirement in France from 62 to 64 years by 2030. French trade unions called for a general nationwide strike against the reform on May 1.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230418/over-24000-took-part-in-spontaneous-protests-in-france-60-detained-1109627273.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/log-in-the-eye-western-crimes-against-children-in-war-zones-revealed-1109763716.html

Log in the Eye: Western Crimes Against Children in War Zones Revealed

Log in the Eye: Western Crimes Against Children in War Zones Revealed

The collective West is keen on projecting their own child abuse and negligence onto others, foreign experts claim, while participating in Rossiya Segodnya's recent conference dedicated to Western crimes against children in war zones across the world.

2023-04-22T16:14+0000

2023-04-22T16:14+0000

2023-04-22T16:14+0000

world

us

the united nations (un)

children

ukraine

afghanistan war

syria

white helmets

child abuse

human trafficking

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"I am an American, I served in the US Army, I participated in the war, and I am ready to talk about the terrible consequences of this US invasion," said US Army Corporal and Iraq War veteran Daniel Bosworth, who was a member of Operation Desert Storm."The US military left Afghanistan in a very disorganized manner. And it was decided to withdraw thousands of Afghan children without parents from August to December 2021. These children were transferred to the care of a special unit of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) (...) Tens of thousands of people were taken out of Afghanistan, but this organization was not ready to accept so many children. There were already many children from Central America there."However, this is just the tip of the iceberg, according independent investigative journalist Vanessa Beeley, who revealed at the conference more hideous instances of child abuse during US-led NATO invasions and military conflicts instigated by Washington. To illustrate her point, Beeley referred to the Yugoslav and Syria wars which saw Western proxies engaging in human trafficking and human organ trade, including those of children. Decades ago the US and NATO managed to balkanize Yugoslavia and carve out Kosovo from Serbia. Washington planned to do the same in Syria.White Helmets Sacrificed Kids for West's Regime ChangeAccording to Beeley, the White Helmets, an Al-Qaeda*-linked pseudo-humanitarian organization backed and even awarded by the West, has been involved in kidnapping and trafficking of children. Western governments, including Britain, Germany, Canada, Denmark, and the Netherlands, funneled tens of millions in taxpayer money to fund the White Helmets through British Army officer James Le Mesurier, who mysteriously fell to his death in Istanbul in November 2019. The notorious entity also used children for their staged chemical provocations in Syria in order to facilitate the establishment the West's "no-fly zone" and further occupation of Syria, Beeley pointed out."It is proven that the White Helmets staged this incident in Douma. However, no one investigated the use of children in this incident. There are many very facts, kidnappings, exploitation of children by the USA, the United Kingdom or the European Union and organizations associated with it. This is happening in all countries where attempted regime changes have taken place since 2011 () We see attempts by Western countries to sponsor organizations such as the White Helmets that violate international child protection laws. NATO member countries abuse children and commit crimes against them," she continued.African Minors in Europe Earn Living by ProstitutionGlobal conflicts and migration flows routinely serve as a source of cheap labor, as well as easy prey, for human traffickers and sexual abusers in the countries of the so-called collective West. A recent investigation by the New York Times revealed that about two-thirds of unaccompanied minors who have been coming to the United States in record numbers since 2021 end up working full-time. The country's Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and Health and Human Services (HHS) couldnt reach more than 85,000 of those minors and lost immediate contact with a third of migrant children over the last two years. A strikingly similar situation has been observed in Europe by Dutch independent journalist Sonja van den Ende."According to EU law, according to the legislation of Germany and Holland, these are teenagers, and their rights must be protected. But the authorities there do not know what to do with all these refugees. All the refugee centers are overcrowded, so the refugees just live on the street, and you can see this in almost every city in the Netherlands," van den Ende continued."These are primarily Africans. These boys and girls need money, so they are dragged into prostitution and drug dealing. And the EU countries do not even know how many children from Africa, from the Middle East live there illegally. Sometimes we see in the news that more and more boats are coming to European shores from Africa and there was already a big problem in the EU () Instead of solving this problem, they continue to exploit these children," she continued.To complicate matters further, the UN has recently started disclosing figures about thousands of instances of forced sex with UN peacekeepers in exchange for material aid in developing countries including the Central African Republic, Congo, Haiti and Uruguay. Hundreds of the aforementioned cases involved minors.The Hague Tribunal's Hypocritical ConcernsWestern governments don't see the log in its own eye while trying to find a speck in the eye of Russia. Since the beginning of the Russian special military operation to demilitarize and de-Nazify Ukraine, the US, its NATO allies and the Kiev regime have repeatedly spread groundless claims of Moscow's alleged crimes as part of their information warfare against Russia.In March 2023, the international criminal court in The Hague went even so far as to indict Russian President Vladimir Putin and children commissioner Maria Lvova-Belova for supposed "mass abduction" of Ukrainian children. The Russian Foreign Ministry resolutely rubbished the accusations: what European bureaucrats tried to wrap up as "abduction" was a humanitarian operation aimed at evacuating Ukrainians as well as Donbass residents, who have been subjected to indiscriminate bombing by the Kiev regime for eight years.Russia's caretaking of Ukrainian refugees comes in stark contrast with the Kiev regime's propaganda that routinely depicts Russians as "rapists" and "butchers" to get more weapons and funding from their Western sponsors. Apparently, therefore, Ukrainian authorities are trying hard to prevent Ukrainian families from coming to Russia.The case of 11-year-old Ukrainian Melania Borodai is highly symptomatic in this respect. When shelling began in Popasnaya, Melania and her grandmother went to Artemovsk (Bakhmut) planning to go then to Russia's Belgorod to their relatives. However, the Ukrainian military forces which had been stationed in Artemovsk at that time did not let them evacuate to Russia. Furthermore, the Ukrainian police unit called "White Angels" tried to take the 11-year-old away from her granny in order to send the girl to Germany. For ten months, Melania hid from the so-called White Angels, who tried to deceive her grandmother by telling her that the girl's mother was dead. Later, Melania recalled that while being evacuated by the Russian troops, she came under fire from Ukrainian spinners. Russian reportedly took off their bulletproof vests and covered the girl from all sides to save her life.The UN's 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide specifically prohibits the forced transfer of children. However, Ukrainian officials and their Western backers have been indulging themselves in violating the UN resolution for many years. There have been numerous instances in which Western governments encouraged the illegal separation of families and the taking away of minors in gross violation of numerous international agreements and conventions. Unfortunately, this practice has deep roots, going back to the colonial era when indigenous minors were separated from their parents, forcibly assimilated, sexually abused and killed by colonizers in the Global South. The gruesome discovery in 2021 of hundreds of unmarked graves with Native American children at the sites of former Canadian forced assimilation schools is just one example of centuries-long human rights abuse by modern human rights advocates.*Al-Qaeda is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210510/how-white-helmets-cashbox-mayday-profited-off-syrian-regime-change-op-at-expense-of-eu-taxpayers-1082847172.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221219/divide-et-impera-whats-really-behind-wests-repeated-failures-to-lift-africa-up-from-poverty-1105580254.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230226/most-unaccompanied-migrant-children-end-up-brutally-exploited-in-us-report-says-1107824191.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230215/russia-doing-its-best-to-protect-ukrainian-children-fleeing-country-embassy-in-us-1107451370.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20210710/ex-un-expert-canada-residential-schools-just-part-of-400-year-long-cultural-genocide-of-natives-1083355173.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/moscow-expels-german-diplomats-in-tit-for-tat-move-1109761346.html

Moscow Expels German Diplomats in Tit-for-Tat Move

Moscow Expels German Diplomats in Tit-for-Tat Move

Russian Foreign Ministry decided to expel a number of German diplomats in response for expelling Russian diplomats under a far-fetched pretext.

2023-04-22T13:20+0000

2023-04-22T13:20+0000

2023-04-22T13:20+0000

russia

germany

ukrainian crisis

russia-nato showdown

expulsion of russian diplomats

diplomatic expulsions

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"The German government has made a decision on a new massive expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany ... We strongly condemn this actions of Berlin that continues to defiantly destroy the foundations of the Russian-German relations, including their diplomatic dimension," the ministry stated.The Russian side announced reciprocal measures, expelling German diplomats from Russia, while also deciding to cut the maximum size of the German missions in Russia, the ministry added. "As a response to Berlin's hostile actions, the Russian side has taken a decision on a 'mirror' expulsion of German diplomats from Russia as well as on a substantial reduction of a maximum number of employees of German diplomatic missions in our country. German Ambassador to Russia Geza Andreas von Geyr was informed about it during the discussion in the Russian Foreign Ministry on April 5, 2023," the statement said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220225/russia-will-respond-to-expulsion-of-russian-diplomat-from-us-ambassador-says-1093352783.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230419/russian-envoy-kishinev-provided-no-reasons-for-russian-embassy-staffers-expulsion-1109664137.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/pistorius-remarks-on-ukrainian-attacks-on-russia-should-be-memorized---russian-mfa-spokeswoman-1109759451.html

Pistorius' Remarks on Ukrainian Attacks on Russia Should Be 'Memorized' - Russian MFA Spokeswoman

Pistorius' Remarks on Ukrainian Attacks on Russia Should Be 'Memorized' - Russian MFA Spokeswoman

Maria Zakharova, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman, draw public attention to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius words that it is "normal" that Ukraine launches limited attacks on the Russian territory.

2023-04-22T10:16+0000

2023-04-22T10:16+0000

2023-04-22T10:16+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukrainian crisis

maria zakharova

boris pistorius

war crimes

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Earlier this week, Pistorius told the German broadcaster that it is "normal" that Ukraine launches limited attacks on the Russian territory as long as no cities and no civilians are targeted. The spokeswoman also wondered if the German Defense Ministry established the perpetrators of the sabotage of Nord Stream pipelines and if the destruction of Germany's critical infrastructure project was also some "acceptable tactic of limited strikes." She also asked for more transparency in the matter, while inquiring whether Berlin's "elder brother in NATO" forbade the country to look into the blasts. The Nord Stream gas pipelines, built to deliver gas under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, were hit by explosions last September. Nord Stream's operator, Nord Stream AG, said that the damage was unprecedented and it was impossible to estimate the time repairs might take. Russia considers the explosions at the two pipelines an act of international terrorism. There are no official results of the investigation yet, though US journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner Seymour Hersh alleged that the explosions were organized by the United States with the support of Norway. Following Hersh's report, Moscow reiterated its calls for an impartial and thorough investigation. The US has denied its involvement in the incident.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20221017/donbass-woman-who-had-her-home-blown-up-by-ukrainian-himars-they-are-not-human-1101928026.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20220920/venezuelan-journo-in-donbass-kiev-tries-to-kill-as-many-people-as-possible-1100986732.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/president-of-honduras-warns-of-conspiracy-against-her-government-1109753012.html

President of Honduras Warns of Conspiracy Against Her Government

President of Honduras Warns of Conspiracy Against Her Government

Honduran President Xiomara Castro warned that people opposing her government are the same ones that overthrew her husband in 2009

2023-04-22T03:45+0000

2023-04-22T03:45+0000

2023-04-22T03:45+0000

americas

manuel zelaya

xiomara castro

honduras

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"You have to understand that there is a conspiracy that is being formed here, this has to be made clear to the Honduran people. Let's just look at the political figures who are coming out, the same ones that contributed to the coup d'etat in 2009," Castro told journalists on Friday. The president added that, since the coup against her husband, Manuel Zelaya, went unpunished, the same political figures are now trying to destabilize the government elected by the Honduran people. In June 2009, president Manuel Zelaya was overthrown in a coup in Honduras. Prior to the coup, Zelaya dismissed the countrys top military leadership, which refused to ensure the holding of a referendum giving him the right to be elected for a second term. Zelaya was arrested and deported to Costa Rica, and accused of corruption and violating the constitution. Later, the ex-president returned to Honduras. His wife Xiomara Castro won the 2021 presidential election and took office in January of last year.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230326/honduras-severs-diplomatic-relations-with-taiwan-1108792770.html

americas

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/russian-aviation-destroys-ukrainian-depot-of-rocket-artillery-weapons-1109754514.html

Russian Aviation Destroys Ukrainian Depot of Rocket, Artillery Weapons

Russian Aviation Destroys Ukrainian Depot of Rocket, Artillery Weapons

A Ukrainian depot of rocket and artillery weapons has been destroyed by Russian aviation, the enemy lost up to 600 Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) shells, a Russian Defense Ministry spokesperson told Sputnik.

2023-04-22T06:21+0000

2023-04-22T06:21+0000

2023-04-22T06:55+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

ukraine

russian aviation

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He added that, in the Avdeevka direction, two Ukrainian strongholds were hit by Russian forces. In the Maryinka direction, Russian troops suppressed several locations of Ukrainian units temporary deployment. Russia launched its special military operation in Ukraine on February 24, 2022, after the Donetsk and Luhansk peoples republics appealed for help in defending themselves against Ukrainian provocations. In response to Russias operation, Western countries have rolled out a comprehensive sanctions campaign against Moscow and have been supplying weapons to Ukraine. On September 30, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the heads of the Donetsk and Luhansk people's republics, as well as Kherson and Zaporozhye regions, signed agreements on the accession of these territories to Russia, following referendums that showed that an overwhelming majority of the local population supported becoming part of Russia. Western countries have significantly increased their economic and military support for Kiev regime, which now includes air defense and multiple rocket launching systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery, anti-aircraft guns, armored vehicles and various types of ammunition. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in January that arms supplies to Ukraine by Western countries testify to their direct and growing involvement in the conflict.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230417/kiev-received-over-45bln-in-international-aid-since-february-2022-1109591536.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230414/orban-conflict-in-ukraine-will-end-as-soon-as-us-europe-stop-supporting-kiev-1109499533.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/serbia-closely-monitoring-ukraine-conflict-to-modernize-national-army-1109761912.html

Serbia Closely Monitoring Ukraine Conflict to Modernize National Army

Serbia Closely Monitoring Ukraine Conflict to Modernize National Army

Serbian president Aleksandar Vucic told that military intelligence and General Staff monitor the Ukrainian conflict on the daily basis and use this information to modernize Serbian army.

2023-04-22T13:29+0000

2023-04-22T13:29+0000

2023-04-22T13:29+0000

military

serbia

aleksandar vucic

viktor orban

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Serbia is holding the Granite 2023 demonstration of its armed forces' military capabilities at the Batajnica military airfield near Belgrade. The event was attended by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who also held a meeting with Vucic earlier in the day. Over 5,000 military personnel, over 60 aircraft, helicopters, and drones, over 2,300 types of weapons and military equipment, dozens of imported and Serbian-made tanks and armored vehicles are participating in the demonstration. However, Serbia intends to maintain its military neutrality, the Serbian president said, adding that Belgrade will cooperate with Budapest only in the fight against terrorism. Serbia is the largest importer of Russian weapons and military equipment in Europe. Vucic has recently stated that the supply of new weapons from Russia, as well as the maintenance of MiG-29 fighters, were impeded by the sanctions of Western countries against Russia.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230421/vucic-washington-buys-up-to-one-third-of-serbias-arms-that-may-end-up-in-ukraine-1109716431.html

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230221/everyone-is-getting-ready-for-war-vucic-says-serbias-arms-exports-selling-like-hotcakes-1107680686.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/spain-to-send-ukraine-6-leopard-2a4-tanks-in-near-future-1109762727.html

Spain to Send Ukraine 6 Leopard 2A4 Tanks in Near Future

Spain to Send Ukraine 6 Leopard 2A4 Tanks in Near Future

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares stated that Madrid is going to handle to Kiev 6 Leopard 2A4 Battle Tanks in coming days.

2023-04-22T14:30+0000

2023-04-22T14:30+0000

2023-04-22T14:30+0000

russia's special operation in ukraine

military aid

ukrainian crisis

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Albares added that the remaining four tanks would be sent to Ukraine later. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised 10 German-made Leopards to Ukraine during a visit to Kiev in February. In early April, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said that the Spanish government was going to transfer six Leopard 2A4 to Ukraine in the second half of the month. The minister added that the Spanish army services were working on bringing four more tanks into combat readiness. Western countries have been supplying Kiev with various types of weapon systems, including air defense missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft guns, since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine over a year ago. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230127/four-reasons-leopard-2s--m1-abrams-will-bite-the-dust-in-ukraine-1106772754.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/syria-demands-from-us-to-stop-supporting-terrorism-in-the-country-1109764445.html

Syria Demands That US Stops Supporting Terrorism in the Country

Syria Demands That US Stops Supporting Terrorism in the Country

Syria demands that the United States stop supporting terrorism and separatist groups and immediately leave Syrian territories, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

2023-04-22T16:24+0000

2023-04-22T16:24+0000

2023-04-22T17:00+0000

world

middle east

syria

us

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"Syria also demands that the United States stop supporting terrorism and separatist groups and immediately leave the occupied Syrian territories," the ministry said in a statement. The statement added that the US forces deployed in Syria had continued to smuggle oil out of the country in recent weeks. In this regard, the ministry urged the US administration to pay compensation to the Syrian people. The armed conflict in Syria has been ongoing since 2011, with various insurgent groups, including terrorist organizations, fighting the Syrian armed forces to oust the government of President Bashar Assad. Washington backs Kurdish armed groups in Syria despite protests from Damascus. The US military currently controls parts of the provinces of Al-Hasakah, Raqqa, Aleppo, and Deir ez-Zor, where the largest Syrian oil and gas fields are located. The Syrian government does not recognize the so-called autonomous administration of northern and eastern Syria and calls the presence of the US military on its territory occupation and its theft of Syrian oil  state piracy. Last year, Syrian Foreign Minister Faysal Mikdad estimated the damage sustained by the country's oil and gas industry during 11 years of the civil war at $107 billion. He said Damascus would seek reparations from the US.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230304/us-continues-looting-of-quake-hit-syria-ships-dozens-of-tankers-worth-of-oil-out-of-occupied-areas-1108025021.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/twitter-scraps-all-state-affiliated-media-labels-sparking-media-meltdown-1109752829.html

Twitter Scraps All State-Affiliated Media Labels, Sparking Media Meltdown

Twitter Scraps All State-Affiliated Media Labels, Sparking Media Meltdown

Twitter dropped the State-Affiliated Media tag for all news outlets on Friday, angering the same outlets who complained when the tag was recently applied to them.

2023-04-22T03:13+0000

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2023-04-30T05:40+0000

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Social media behemoth Twitter is being both celebrated and vilified after reversing course on a controversial decision which saw outlets which receive money from governments get publicly labeled "state-affiliated media."The labels have existed for several years, but were applied exclusively to publications like Sputnik and RT which receive funding from countries the US is targeting for regime change  including Russia, Iran, Cuba, and more.After Twitter was purchased by billionaire Elon Musk, similar labels were affixed to Western government-sponsored outlets as well, including NPR, PBS, and Canadas CBC  a decision which led the outraged North American publications to abandon the platform altogether.But, strangely, none of those publications seemed terribly enthused by the decision."Twitter once muzzled Russian and Chinese state propaganda. That's over now," read a particularly morose headline from US government-funded NPR. A spokesman for CBC reportedly said the outlet still has no plans to return at this time, and is "reviewing this latest development and will leave [its] Twitter accounts on pause before taking any next steps."Meanwhile, a former Twitter executive interviewed by NPR complained bitterly that "it's disheartening to see labels that were built to inform people be used as a tactic to mislead."More independent voices, however, tended to welcome the decision.In February, following Russias intervention in the civil war that had been plaguing Ukraine since 2014, Twitter extended the labels to a number of individual journalists employed by these outlets, including this reporter.Last April, Twitter announced it was taking steps to "drastically" reduce the chance that users would come across content made by those the platform declared "state-affiliated  a category that includes numerous American journalists. Even after numerous Twitter Files disclosures, it remains unclear what role the Biden administration may have played in the effort to stifle those users speech, but any government-directed censorship of US citizens would almost certainly constitute a violation of the First Amendment.As of Friday, however, it may be a moot question.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230419/tables-turned-western-medias-hue--cry-over-twitters-govt-funded-label-exposes-us-hypocrisy-1109650856.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/ukrainian-top-official-calls-on-allies-to-cross-red-lines-in-weapons-supply-issue-1109767270.html

Ukrainian Top Official Calls on Allies to Cross Red Lines in Weapons Supply Issue

Ukrainian Top Official Calls on Allies to Cross Red Lines in Weapons Supply Issue

Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrij Melnyk said on Saturday that Kiev needed a tenfold increase in military assistance from the allies, thus urging the international partners to cross all "red lines" in the issue of weapons supply.

2023-04-22T18:59+0000

2023-04-22T18:59+0000

2023-04-22T18:59+0000

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"We are thankful to our allies for their military help. But: it is not enough. Ukraine needs 10 times more to finish Russian aggression this year. Thus we call upon our partners to cross all artificial red lines," Melnyk said on Twitter. He also urged the allies to allocate 1% of their GDP for arms supplies to Ukraine. Western countries have been supplying Kiev with various types of weapon systems, including air defense missiles, multiple launch rocket systems, tanks, self-propelled artillery, and anti-aircraft guns since Russia launched its military operation in Ukraine over a year ago. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further arms deliveries to Kiev.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/lack-of-arms-start-of-ukraines-counteroffensive-reportedly-postponed-indefinitely-1109753863.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/us-awards-245bln-for-patriot-pac-3-missile-production---pentagon-1109752720.html

US Awards $2.45Bln for Patriot PAC-3 Missile Production

US Awards $2.45Bln for Patriot PAC-3 Missile Production

Lockheed Martin was awarded a contract worth more than $2.4 billion for PATRIOT PAC-3 Missile production.

2023-04-22T03:01+0000

2023-04-22T03:01+0000

2023-04-22T05:33+0000

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"Lockheed Martin, Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded a $2,451,432,304 modification to contract for Phased Array Tracking Radar Intercept on Target (PATRIOT) Advanced Capability-3 missile production," the release said on Friday. Work on the contract will be performed in Grand Prairie in the US state of Texas over the next seven years with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2029, the Defense Department said. The US Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal in the US state of Alabama will oversee the supply as the contracting activity, the release said.

https://sputnikglobe.com/20230308/lockheed-martin-ready-to-go-in-making-operational-hypersonic-missiles---vice-president-1108164530.html

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/weekly-news-wrap-hunter-biden-laptop-spy-letter-was-election-influence-campaign-rfk-jr-announces-1109752161.html

Weekly News Wrap; Hunter Biden Laptop Spy Letter Was Election Influence Campaign; RFK Jr Announces

Weekly News Wrap; Hunter Biden Laptop Spy Letter Was Election Influence Campaign; RFK Jr Announces

A former acting CIA director has admitted that the infamous spy letter claiming that Hunter Biden's laptop info was Russian disinformation came straight from... 22.04.2023, Sputnik International

2023-04-22T04:05+0000

2023-04-22T04:05+0000

2023-04-22T10:01+0000

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Weekly News Wrap; Hunter Biden Laptop Spy Letter Was Election Influence Campaign; RFK Jr Announces A former acting CIA director has admitted that the infamous spy letter claiming that Hunter Biden's laptop info was Russian disinformation came straight from the Biden campaign.

Dr. Gerald Horne, Professor of History at the University of Houston, TX, author, historian, and researcher, joins us to discuss this week's important news stories. A former acting CIA director has admitted that the infamous spy letter claiming that Hunter Biden's laptop information was Russian disinformation came straight from the Biden campaign. Also, the DOJ has charged members of the African People's Socialist Party.Caleb Maupin, journalist, and political analyst, joins us to discuss this week's important news stories. The fighting in Sudan continues as rival groups battle and external forces vie for influence. Also, China and Russia circle the wagons and France may be on board for a multipolar world.Jon Jeter, journalist and author, joins us to discuss this week's important news stories. American exceptionalism is dying as several world powers combine for a new multipolar order. Also, RFK Jr. announces his 2024 bid for the White House.Steve Poikonen, national organizer for Action4Assange, and James Carey, host of The Left is Dead podcast, come together to discuss this week's important news stories. House Democrats consider going after Twitter files journalists. Also, Elon Musk reveals that the government was reading Twitter direct messages and the Hunter Biden corruption story grows.Ajamu Baraka, 2016 US vice presidential candidate for the Green Party, and Dr. Margaret Flowers, activist, and editor of "PopularResistance.org," come together to discuss this week's important news stories. The DOJ is going after the African People's Socialist Party. Also, Cuba celebrates another term for its president, and the Global South is finished with the IMF and the UN abusing their sovereignty.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

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https://sputnikglobe.com/20230422/when-did-free-speech-become-a-crime-in-america-1109751043.html

When Did Free Speech Become a Crime in America?

When Did Free Speech Become a Crime in America?

On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including Facebook labeling Seymour Hersh Nordstream reporting as "partly... 22.04.2023, Sputnik International

2023-04-22T04:01+0000

2023-04-22T04:01+0000

2023-04-22T10:13+0000

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When Did Free Speech Become a Crime in America ? On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan discussed current events including Facebook labeling Seymour Hersh Nordstream reporting as "partly false", and Twitter removing the "state affiliated media" tags from users' bios .

Sonja Van Den Ende - Independent Journalist, Writer | The Western Attacks on Children, There Will be no Counter Offensive from Ukraine, and Germany is Fine With Ukraine Striking RussiaTyler Nixon - Attorney, Media Relations Specialist & Garrett Zeigler - Former Trump Aide | Chicago Youth are Out of Control, Modern Democrat Policies Will Never Work, and The Need for Tougher Penalties for CrimeIn the first hour, Lee spoke with Sonja Van Den Ende about the gaslighting narrative of NATO, M1 Abrams tanks for Ukraine, and Germany pushing for a World War III. Sonja talked about the lack of counter-offensives from the Ukrainian military and Sonja's belief that Ukraine's military is running low on soldiers. Sonja spoke about NATO teasing Ukraine with membership and Russia fighting against the transgender agenda.In the second hour, Lee spoke with Tyler Nixon and Garrett Zeigler about Garrett's time in the Trump White House, the Democrats seen as modern-day Bolsheviks, and finding common ground on the right. Tyler and Garrett discussed the open corruption from the Democrat party and how the establishment Republicans destroyed the Trump White House agenda. Tyler and Garrett discussed the Biden crime family and how Garrett and his group exposed all of Hunter Biden's laptop emails.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.comThe views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the position of Sputnik.

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Longtime harness racing industry participant Don McElroy of London, Ont. passed away on Saturday, April 15, 2023 after losing his battle with cancer.

Born in Regina, Saskatchewan on Aug. 23, 1956, Don's passion in life was harness racing. Considered one of Ontario's top catch drivers in his day, Don posted 4,015 wins and more than $18.5 million in purse earnings during his driving career.

A two-time Lampman Cup winner as the top driver in the Ontario Sires Stakes program, McElroy was added to the Wall of Fame at London's Western Fair in 2010 where he won seven driving titles and captured the track's signature event  the Molson Pace (now the Camluck Classic)  on three occasions.

Predeceased by his mother Thelma and father Ken. Survived by his wife Wendy, daughter Amy, mother-in-law Pat Tanner, brother-in-law Kevin Blanchard, and nephew Thomas Blanchard. Don loved his two dogs Keeja and Rosie who are waiting for him heaven. Cremation has taken place.

Officials with The Raceway at the Western Fair District have indicated that the track will hold a winners circle tribute on Monday (April 24) between the third and fourth race. Horsepeople on-track that evening are invited to attend.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Don McElroy.
Culpeper County Public Schools recently announced an expansion of its School Bus Safety program which seeks to stop illegal passing of school buses.

Since it began the program in 2018, CCPS has partnered with BusPatrol, a safety technology company based in Lorton, in order to install stop arm cameras on its buses. According to a press release made by Laura Hoover, the systems director of communications, the program seeks to reduce the number of motorists that illegally pass school buses, which potentially put students at risk.

With the support of the Culpeper County Sheriffs Office, the Commonwealths Attorney and the County Attorney, Culpeper County Public Schools has been a leader in the Commonwealth in terms of protecting our students by being one of the first school divisions to deploy the stop arm, said CCPS Superintendent Dr. Anthony Brads.

The cameras provided by BusPatrol are equipped with artificial intelligence technology which have the ability to capture the license plates of vehicles that pass by school buses when they are stopped. Other items include DVR and storage devices, GPS and LTE connectivity.

According to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles, drivers are required to stop for stopped school buses with flashing red lights and an extended stop sign when approaching from any direction. Drivers are also required to remain stopped until everyone disembarking from the bus is clear and the bus moves again.

The DMV also recommends that drivers should stop for stopped school buses while loading or unloading passengers regardless of whether they have or have not activated their lights and stop signs.

The penalty for a first time violation in this matter is $250.

Every day, thousands of motorists illegally pass stopped school buses, with zero thought to the children whose lives they put at risk. We are proud to join forces with Culpeper County Public Schools to help make roads safer for students, said Kate Spree, a spokesperson for BusPatrol.

Hoover also mentioned that the costs of installation of the technology and its maintenance are provided at no cost to the CCPS or local taxpayers. This is made possible through BusPatrols violator-funded program.

BusPatrol also partners with other school divisions in the Commonwealth, including school systems in Gloucester County, Newport News and Williamsburg-James City County.

The school system has also set up a webpage on bus safety which also includes a phone number to call about stop-arm violations. The phone number is 877/504-7080.

The fleetwide installation of the stop arm cameras is expected to be completed in May.
Opening day has arrived for Gering High Schools production of Footloose. Several members of the cast were eager to share their thoughts about how the characters and their relationships make the show something that no one should miss.

Footloose tells the story of high school boy Ren McCormack, played by Dominic Marostica, who moves from Chicago to the small town of Bomont. A recent tragedy has prompted the Rev. Shaw Moore, played by Wyatt Soule, to push for a ban on dancing. Ren and the towns young people, including new best friend Willard, played by Maddux Janecek, and the reverends rebellious daughter Ariel, played by Kaitlyn Peterson, stand up for their right to dance. In doing so, they help the town move on to happier days.

Despite its reputation as a feel-good show with a focus on dancing, the cast said that Footloose is actually one of the most human and emotional stories of which theyve had a chance to be a part. In fact, Marostica said that Ren was a challenging character to learn not because of his many dance numbers, but because of his many different relationships and the ways in which they change throughout the course of the show.

One of the hardest things about learning Ren as a character is that he has a lot of different relationships with a lot of different people, he said. Ren goes through a change in this musical regarding his relationships, and that was the hardest thing to overcome.

One of those relationships is with his best friend, Willard. Though they soon become close, their relationship has a bit of a rocky start.

In their first scene, Willard is trying to pick a fight, Janecek said. So it goes from very brief enemies to quick friends who have each others back throughout the whole rest of the show, whether it comes to girls or fighting the town council.

Soule and Peterson have the opportunity to portray another important relationship with their volatile father/daughter dynamic. Thankfully, the pair had plenty of practice in another setting earlier this year.

We spent the majority of the speech season playing a father and daughter in a duet, Soule said. But these characters are a lot different. Its almost passive-aggressive, like things are one inch away from a full out argument in every scene and conversation. Thats something I found interesting about learning the part, mastering that balance.

Peterson said that Ariels relationship with her father culminates in their joint realization that despite their differences, theyre both doing their best to deal with the same problem in their own ways.

While theyre in their separate worlds, theyre both dealing with the exact same thing, which leads to a mutual respect, she said.

A similar discovery is made between Rev. Moore and Ren, who represent both sides of the shows central conflict. Soule and Marostica said that the resolution reached between their characters makes for one of the most unique and impactful endings theyve ever encountered.

Its not exactly a conventional climax, Soule said. It doesnt have a battle or a giant death scene. Its just an argument where we come to understand each other. I found that its very different, but in the best way. Its something you dont see every day, and its something that I think will stick in the audiences memories.

Marostica agreed, stating the lesson that he takes away from his scenes with Soule.

It just shows how two people who are different can grow and learn from each other.

As for the shows romantic leads, Marostica and Peterson said that the relationship between Ren and Ariel has more depth than many other love stories because of what they represent and how they support one another.

It isnt all about the love, its more about teaching each other how to open up about what theyre experiencing and what theyre closing themselves off from, Marostica said.

Petersons perspective on the relationship involves the fact that Ren and Ariel both had particular needs that can only be met by each other.

Ariel brings Ren into the town because theyre able to talk about things that no one else really talks about. Its a connection he hasnt really had with anyone else in the town, she said. In the same way, Ren is Ariels way of being able to leave the town and not have to worry about the pressures that everyone else is facing Theyre able to talk about the things that happened in a way that doesnt have a biased viewpoint.

All four actors said that theyre very proud of the show theyre about to put on, and encouraged everyone to come out and see the capabilities of the cast, led by a strong roster of seniors.

Vocally. this is the strongest cast weve had since weve been here, Janecek said. The male vocalists are strong, the female vocalists are strong, the groups are strong, the chorus sounds great.

Soule added that the show does a great job of featuring its cast in comparison to other shows hes been a part of, which typically focus on a small group of main characters and leave the rest in the background.

There are so many different kinds of scenes, he said. Theres comedy, theres a lot of emotion, anger, everything. Almost every main character has a large number that theyre a part of, and I think it just creates such a great dynamic.

Footloose opens tonight at 7 p.m. in the Gering High School auditorium. Shows are also available on Friday and Saturday evenings, also at 7 p.m. Tickets are $10 each and are available for purchase now at bit.ly/3ZK1bp5.
On this version of Hot off the Wire:

 U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says the United States will begin training Ukrainian forces on how to use and maintain Abrams tanks in the coming weeks, as the U.S. continues to speed up its effort to get them on the battlefield as quickly as possible.

 Russias military has acknowledged that a bomb accidentally dropped by one of its warplanes caused a powerful blast in a Russian city about 25 miles east of the Russia-Ukraine border.

 The Pentagon has deployed forces and is developing options to assist in the possible evacuation of U.S. Embassy personnel from Sudan, but the White House said Friday there are no plans for now for a broader pullout of Americans from the African country.

 An early morning fire engulfed much of a large high school in the southern Idaho city of Pocatello on Friday.

 The Supreme Court is facing a self-imposed Friday night deadline to decide whether womens access to a widely used abortion pill will stay unchanged until a legal challenge to its Food and Drug Administration approval is resolved.

 A group of Credit Suisse investors have sued Swiss financial regulators after a government-engineered takeover of the struggling bank by rival UBS left them with billions in losses.

 Korean American chef Edward Lee says food, at its best, tells a story. And the story Lee wants told with the meal he's preparing for next week's White House state dinner is of the connection between the United States and ally South Korea.

 Belgian customs have destroyed more than 2,000 cans of Miller High Life, advertised as the Champagne of Beers, at the request of houses and growers of the bubbly beverage.

 The U.S. is setting a record pace for mass killings this year. The carnage has taken 88 lives in 17 mass killings over 111 days.

 Looking back at 2022s weather with months of analysis, the World Meteorological Organization says last year really was as bad as it seemed when people were muddling through it.

 A historic amount of money is being spent on urban tree planting and maintenance in underserved, often concrete-covered neighborhoods across the country.
Police say an intruder entered an eastern Iowa nursing home two weeks ago and was later found partially undressed and in bed with a female resident of the home.

According to West Branch police, officers were summoned to Crestview Specialty Care shortly before 3 p.m. on April 5 about the possible abuse of a resident. When officers arrived, they were informed that a man, later identified as Michael James Beaver, 54, of West Branch, had somehow gained entry to the building.

The staff told police they discovered the man in bed with a female resident of the home. The man was partially undressed, with his pants either pulled down or removed, while the female resident was dressed.

It didnt appear that the resident had any idea who this gentleman was, Police Chief John Hanna said Monday.

Beaver wasnt criminally charged, Hanna said, as there was already an order to pick him up in connection with a civil commitment proceeding. Officers removed Beaver from Crestview Specialty Care and transported him to the University of Iowa Hospitals, Hanna said.

We did consult the county attorneys office, Hanna said. At this time, were still kind of holding it as an open investigation. You know, wed probably take another look at it if he were to be released with a finding that he is competent. But at this time, no charges have been filed.

Hanna noted that theres no direct evidence the resident was sexually assaulted.

The current administrator of Crestview Specialty Care, who identified herself only as Jamie, said no sexual assault had occurred. There was a gentleman who came in and he acted like he knew a resident, but there was no proof of anything sexual, she said.

She referred all other questions on the matter to the homes owners, Care Initiatives of West Des Moines. No one from Care Initiatives responded Monday to calls from Iowa Capital Dispatch.

Court records show that two days before the incident at Crestview, Beaver was arrested and charged with indecent exposure at the Iowa City Public Library. According to the arrest report, video evidence showed Beaver entering the library, going to the computers on the second floor, taking off his sweatshirt and pants, placing a jacket over his genitals, and then spending four hours watching pornographic videos while reaching under his jacket and stimulating himself.

The day after he was arrested, he was released from jail on his own recognizance. District Associate Judge Jason A. Burns released Beaver on the condition that he not return to the library. Court records indicate the indecent exposure case is still pending.

In August 2021, Beaver, who was homeless at the time, was arrested and charged with animal neglect causing death or serious injury, an aggravated misdemeanor. The arrest came after an Iowa City police officer found Beavers dog tied to a footbridge, near a homeless encampment, in 111-degree heat.

The dog, named Zeus, was in distress and was found lying on a blanket covered with black blood and flies, the officer reported. The dog began having seizures while the officer waited for animal control and was later euthanized due to renal failure caused by heat stroke.

Beaver was later convicted of simple-misdemeanor animal neglect. He was sentenced to eight days in jail with credit for the eight days already served.
TC Energy workers on Saturday at the site of a pipeline spill near Washington, Kansas, just a few miles south of the Nebraska border (Courtesy of TC Energy)

LINCOLN  A third-party review of a pipeline spill that released 500,000 gallons of crude oil onto Kansas farmland and a nearby stream was caused by a crack in the metal pipe that eventually ruptured under pressure.

That was the conclusion of a third-party review that was ordered by a federal pipeline safety agency to investigate the December failure of the 36-inch Keystone pipeline, just south of the Nebraska border near Washington, Kansas.

It was the largest oil pipeline spill in the U.S. in nine years.

The Root Cause Failure Analysis for the so-called Milepost 14 incident reached the same conclusion as an independent analysis of the metal pipeline released in February.

Fatigue crack

The primary cause of the rupture was a progressive fatigue crack that originated at a girth weld connecting a manufactured elbow fitting to the pipe constructed across Mill Creek (in Kansas), the operator of the pipeline, TC Energy, said in a press release Friday.

The company said that during construction of this segment of the Keystone pipeline, which as completed in 2011, inadvertent bending stresses sufficient to initiate a crack occurred on the elbow fitting.

Over time, and under the high pressure needed to push the oil down the pipeline, the crack worsened, eventually resulting in the leak.

The pipeline, which carries tar sands oil from Canada to refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast, was operating at a pressure of 1,153 pounds per square gauge at the time of the Dec. 7 rupture, according to the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration.

Repetitious pattern of failures

Since 2009, the Keystone pipeline has experienced three failures on similar girth welds, according to PHMSA.

In March, the agency ordered TC Energy to reduce the operating pressure to 923 ppsg on the segment of the Keystone pipeline from Steele City, Neb., to Cushing, Okla., due to a repetitious pattern of failures related to the original design, manufacture, and construction.

On Friday, TC Energy, in a press release, said it had recovered 98% of the released product and cleaned up 90% of the shoreline of Mill Creek, where the failure occurred. Previously, the company has estimated its cost of responding and cleaning up the leak at $480 million.

Thousands of cubic yards of oil-soaked soil and other materials removed from the spill site were trucked to a landfill just outside Omaha.

Excavation, more inspections planned

TC Energy said that in response to the failure analysis, it plans to:

Excavate and investigate other Keystone pipeline sites with characteristics like the incident location.

Perform additional in-line inspections of the pipeline.

Review evolving pipeline design guidelines.

Only a matter of time

The company said the latest review confirmed that the welding workmanship on the pipeline was compliant with applicable codes and standards.

A lobbyist with the Sierra Club of Kansas, however, said the latest report just reaffirms that there were flaws in original design, material and installation of the Keystone pipeline that make more oil spills inevitable.

This shouldnt give us any relief or assurance, said Zack Pistora of the Sierra Club. This only reaffirms that its only a matter of time before another weld fails or a design flaw causes another disaster.
Longview police suspect a shoplifter stole tools from the Seventh Avenue Home Depot on Thursday afternoon, then led them on a short foot pursuit before finally catching up to him to make an arrest.

The incident occurred at the Home Depot, 580 Seventh Ave. in Longviews Industrial Way neighborhood.

Officers were dispatched at roughly 12:30 p.m., and once they arrived at the home improvement store, the suspect, now identified as Nathanial Gatts, 31, of Longview, ran off, according to police.

Police say that as he fled from police, Gatts ditched the same items he attempted to steal in the parking lot, according to a statement on the Longview Police Departments Facebook page.

Officers pursued Gatts on foot through the parking lot, ending in his arrest and the recovery of $500 worth of stolen items, according to the police.

Longview police spokesperson Capt. Brandon McNew identified the stolen items as tools.

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According to court documents, Gatts was once arrested for stealing a power tool from the Lowes on Ocean Beach Highway on Dec. 16, 2022, and had a bench warrant issued for failing to appear in court.
KALAMA  The Kalama City Council on Thursday moved forward two projects to improve pedestrian safety by adding sidewalk near the elementary school and flashing beacons at downtown crossings.

The council accepted Halme Excavatings $404,370 bid to install sidewalk on Cedar, Date, Eighth, Ninth and 10th streets. The bid was about $200,000 less than the engineers estimate of $604,550.

The work is a combination of two projects the city received state Transportation Improvement Board, or TIB, grants to help pay for, said Kelly Rasmussen, public works director.

In 2021, the Kalama received a grant for 90%, or $360,000, of the project cost to install sidewalks on Cedar and South 10th Streets. Last year, the city got $311,400 for sidewalk on Cedar, Date, Eighth, Ninth and 10th streets to create a contiguous sidewalk on two blocks.

Even though the bids came in lower than expected, the city doesnt get to keep the extra grant funding, which will only cover the construction bid amount, Rasmussen said. The leftover money will return to the state.

Rasmussen will request construction begin after school gets out, he said, to prevent adding to existing congestion in the neighborhood. The work should still finish up before the next school year starts.

The council also approved the engineers estimate and OKd going out to bid to install rapid flashing beacons at four intersections along First Street at Fir, Geranium, Holly and Ivy streets.

Multiple citizens requested the city look into safer mid-block crossings, Rasmussen said.

Its a great project, he said. I think its highly needed,  especially in the winter when its dark at 5 oclock. With the influx of citizens moving into Kalama, our downtown businesses thriving, its dangerous to cross that street even at 25 mph.

The council previously discussed installing beacons at the intersections of Elm Street with North East Frontage Road and North West Frontage Road, but the rapid flashers can only legally be used on noncontrolled intersections, Rasmussen said.

The project includes installing the solar-powered beacons, rebuilding ramps to comply with updated American with Disabilities Act standards and removing some trees to improve line of sight, Rasmussen said.

If the project goes out to bid in early May, construction will likely begin in September because of ongoing supply chain delays, Rasmussen said.

In 2022, the council officially approved spending federal American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, pandemic relief funds on the project.

On Thursday, the council approved re-designating about $34,815 of ARPA funding previously set aside for community assistance.

Kalama received a total of about $795,450 in ARPA money, and in October 2021, the council designated up to $80,000 for a relief program for residents, businesses and nonprofits affected by the pandemic.

Last year, the city received 19 applications and granted $45,185 total to seven nonprofits, two businesses and four citizens, said Coni McMaster, clerk/treasurer. Six of the applicants werent eligible, and staff doesnt expect a continued need for help with COVID-19-related bills, she said.

Any changes to the funds designated use had to be made by the end of April or else they would stay as community aid, McMaster said.

The council will allocate the money later this year during budget season. All ARPA money must be earmarked for specific uses by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

In other business, the council approved an $81,000 budget amendment, including a total of $26,700 already expended for repairs to a library heat pump, public works dump truck and sewer plant influent pump system.

The amendment also included money to: upgrade a meter reading device, update email tenancy to better comply with public records laws, pay for street work related to the sidewalk project, upgrade public records software, and purchase finance storage room shelving.

Councilmember Wendy Conradi said while she is fine with the amendment, she was concerned about what it would mean by budget season. Last fall, the council OKd dipping into reserves to avoid reducing library staff time and hours, following public outcry over the proposed cuts.

Now partway through the year, by April, were saying we have $81,000 to make a budget amendment, Conradi said. Im a little hesitant to say, Yeah go ahead, lets do all of this, if were going to put ourselves in same position again come November.

City Administrator Adam Smee said he understands the concern, but the fluctuation is part of the nature of estimating revenue and expenses for the following year. Kalama has received more sales tax revenue than expected because of construction that will help cover the increased costs, he said.
COWLITZ RESERVATION  As rain cascaded from the sky, tribal drums beat to mark a 4-20 occasion  a new bright green brick and mortar cannabis dispensary, Qanapsu, opening Thursday afternoon.

A crowd huddled under the stores covered entrance area, while others simply stood in the rain, celebrating the opening and waiting for their chance to get inside the new store, the name of which is the Cowlitz Coast Salish word for grass.

Natalie Fox of Battle Ground showed up to support the tribe, she said, mentioning the work it has done in the community, like installing a new covered patio at the Veteran of Foreign Wars building in Vancouver.

The store will be good for the community, she said.

The more support they can get with their businesses, the more they can help out, Fox added. Im all for that.

The opening also saw attendance from others in the industry.

Weve been kind of keeping an eye on them since they were in the truck and are really excited that they got their brick and mortar open, said Ashleen Aguilar, a local cannabis entrepreneur. A temporary storefront opened on the reservation in 2022.

Rileigh Aguilar added that she thinks the tribal dispensary will add variation to the local industry. The tribe, she said, will get to sell merchandise and have the potential to be vertically integrated, which is different from other shops in the area.

It will also bring cannabis tourism to the area with the casino and the new hotel opening up, she said. Its just going to be really, really awesome.

The tribes hotel at ilani is opening Monday.

The idea for the tribal dispensary came from the late Dave Barnett, the tribes former chairman.

Barnett wanted this to be a fully immersive, functional art experience that was best in class in terms of design and that really spoke at an underlying level to the cultural foundations of the tribe, said Kent Caputo, chief operating officer with the Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

The new facility incorporates seemingly serious security measures for the protection of customers and staff. But it also incorporates many design elements reflecting the tribes heritage.

The tribes language is present not just in the name of the store but also on signs throughout. Icons on the walls are influenced by the area, and a display table in the middle of the shop is meant to replicate the landscape. And hanging overhead are large light fixtures resembling the woven headgear worn by tribal members. Each fixture is made up of several wooden pieces, each meant to look like blades of grass.

From Barnetts initial vision, the tribes new chairwoman, Patty Kinswa-Gaiser, and the tribal leaders, with the help of project manager Karlee Eichenberger, brought the idea into fruition, said Caputo.

The dispensary has a number of counters housing products, as well as an area for vendors to visit with customers and for customers to spend extra time learning more about the products.

Kinswa-Gaiser even spent time with the staff helping them to understand the customs and culture of the Cowlitz people.

Qanapsu has 17 employees on its team now, including staff members from the Choctaw, Grande Ronde, Alaska Native and Cowlitz tribes.

The stores general manager Jamia Cox said theres joy in working for the tribe and seeing the tax revenue collected going to support that. She tries to bring in staff members who feel the same way.

The store was designed to celebrate the place that we are, the home of the Cowlitz people, as well as some fun nods to cannabis, said Eichenberger.

The tribe now has five enterprises, the ilani casino and accompanying hotel, the Cowlitz Tobacco Outlet, Qanapsu and the Cowlitz Crossing gas station and convenience store.

Caputo expects the venture to be a successful one for the tribe.

We would not have gone to these lengths if we didnt think it was financially worthwhile, he said.
Lawmakers voted to require all boaters to stay a minimum of 1,000 yards away from endangered southern resident orcas in Washington waters.

Senate Bill 5371 is now awaiting Gov. Jay Inslees signature. Recreational boaters currently must stay 400 yards from the orcas.

A January 2021 study showed female southern resident orcas often stop hunting when boats come within 400 yards. Studies have also shown the southern residents hunt differently than the genetically similar northern resident orcas that live farther north, likely, in part, because of noise.

Two-thirds of southern resident pregnancies end in loss because of a lack of food. Chinook salmon, their prey of choice, face human-made barriers, pollutants, and hungry seals and sea lions. The orcas struggle to hunt and communicate with each other because boats generate so much racket, much of it in the same sonic sweet spot orcas use to hunt and communicate.

The population continues to decline. The latest Center for Whale Research census tallied 73.

The bill doesnt change much for commercial whale-watching boats, which already had to stay 1,000 yards away from the orcas for nine months of the year.

The Legislature tasked the state Fish and Wildlife Commission, which oversees the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to implement and manage whale-watching rules. When first updating the buffer for commercial whale-watching boats, the state was largely met with support. More than 4,000 people contacted the commission in support of stricter rules to protect the southern residents. About 200 comments opposed tougher regulations.

DFW last year released a report recommending the Legislature increase the buffer for all boats to 1,000 yards.

And the Department of Fish and Wildlife did a review of the latest science and found that the current 300 or 400 yards is not enough to minimize those impacts on their foraging, said Nora Nickum, senior ocean policy manager for the Seattle Aquarium, who helped draft the bill.

The report summarized the existing research, including a study that revealed boats within 1,640 yards, even those operating at just 1-2 knots, affected the southern residents hunting success.

I think its just clear that these whales are struggling and they need the best chance they can have to catch salmon and share that with their families, Nickum said. This change will directly improve their odds of catching fish and helping their young ones thrive.

The legislation would not change the regulations around approaching healthier populations such as Biggs killer whales, humpback whales, gray whales or any other whale species in the area.

Southern resident orcas have rounded tips on their dorsal fins, while transient orcas have pointier dorsal fins. The southern residents also often have some black splotches on their dorsal saddles, or patches below their fin, while transient orcas have more uniformly white dorsal saddles.

If signed into law, the buffer wouldnt go into effect until 2025. Boaters who violate the buffer could receive a natural resource infraction that comes with a $500 fine.

Boaters should learn what 1,000 yards looks like and respect the buffer, said Donna Sandstrom, director of the Whale Trail. Boaters can take a pledge at givethemspace.org to stay 1,000 yards away from the southern residents.

Shore-based whale watching on the Whale Trail also provides viewing opportunities throughout the southern residents foraging range.

Meanwhile, bills aimed at helping out the threatened salmon that orcas feed on made small gains this session.

Rep. Debra Lekanoff, D-Bow, got a bill to Inslees desk that would allow Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups to continue their work with limited liability.

These nonprofit groups were created by the state to join with local communities and other stakeholders to lead salmon recovery projects. The groups have completed an estimated 4,500 projects over the years, but have recently struggled to get insurance.

If the bill is signed into law, it would ensure these groups are not held liable for property damages as a result of their projects, unless the damage is due to acts or omissions constituting gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.

The project has to be designed by experts such as engineers and geologists, and be designed to withstand 100-year floods, among other matters, to be covered by the law. It would only apply to projects reviewed by the states Salmon Recovery Funding Board.

We have salmon enhancement groups that are citizen-driven all over the state, Lekanoff said. So were really excited to be able to continue having citizens be part of the salmon recovery world.

Legislation that would help protect and increase riparian areas  the trees and shrubs along rivers and streams critical to keeping flows shaded and cool, filtering stormwater runoff and providing woody debris for fish  didnt make it out of the Legislature, again.

The 2022 buffer bill, or Lorraine Loomis Act, wouldve required public and private land owners with land along newly designated riparian protective zones to keep them planted with trees and shrubs. The bill proposed the zones cover 100 feet on either side of a river or stream in areas that werent already forested.

It died last session after farmers argued that they would lose valuable land for crops.

Two similar bills were introduced this session that wouldve established a riparian grant fund, to encourage voluntary protection and restoration of these areas. One was largely shaped in partnership by tribes and the Washington Farm Bureau.

But it didnt make it out of the House Capital Budget Committee. Instead, lawmakers settled on $25 million for salmon recovery that, if included in the final budget, could help keep the conversations going.

At the end of the day, its a win-win, because the tribes and the agricultural community will still continue to work together on riparian buffers, and good healthy farmland, Lekanoff said.

Lekanoff said she plans to continue working on bills that clarify relationships among various federal, tribal, state and local agencies in salmon recovery work and create better statewide planning.
The 15-story Aspire College Station Apartments in the Northgate District is going through daily inspections by city officials following a structural pool issue earlier this week.

College Station emergency responders were made aware of a circulating social media post Sunday afternoon regarding damage to the pool deck, which sits right above the apartments parking garage, according to Brian Binford, the citys building official.

Sunday afternoon I got contacted by our fire marshals office and they connected me to the College Station Fire Battalion Chief who was already on site, Binford told The Eagle on Thursday. Once we got onsite we went up to the pool deck area [which rests above the complexs parking garage], and the engineers were already onsite and one gentleman was actually in the pool looking at the damage there. The property manager was there and several members of the fire department were trying to figure out what was going on.

From the outside of the pool, there was a lift to the surrounding side of the pool deck which had large cracks and a gap between with water in the middle, however, Binford said that water did not seem to flow down to the parking garage.

We walked the entire pool deck area which is a pretty significant area, then we went down to the parking garage to look at the bottom side or the structural shell of the pool to see if we could see anything there and when we went down underneath the pool and looking back up at it, you couldnt tell that anything happened, he recalled. This is what you would call the structural foundation of the pool because you have the structural walls and then within those walls you have the structure within the pool which is smaller. When we were looking at it, there is nothing to see that had happened. The only place you could tell something had happened is the area at the surrounding pool deck where that large opening was.

City engineers and fire department staff started going through scenarios and talk through what happened, and Binford said he heard there were reports of shaking in the building from residents. At the time, he said they came to an unconfirmed determination that somehow water reached the area between the shell of the swimming pool and the structural area surrounding the pool.

There is a void in there because you have this release in the foundation and the pool shell is built inside of it. I guess enough water got in there that it got beneath that pool deck area and uplifted it, that is what caused the damage, he said. The pool deck immediately surrounding the pool area, there is structural Styrofoam underneath there, there is a light top slab of concrete and then you have the paver, which is the finished product that you can see. Our understanding is that the water got in there, filled it up and lifted that Styrofoam up, and in turn lifted the pool deck up.

Following the incident, Binform said they cut off the water going into the pool, and once that had popped up and relieved that pressure.

Everything was at a point of equilibrium and it wasnt shifting or doing anything further, he said. In looking at that and knowing that deck area was not integral to the structure itself, and then the areas of the structure that we looked at, is how we made the determination that it is really isolated to this one structural area.

The 263-unit apartments, which were constructed between 2016 and 2018, are located at 711 University Drive in College Station.

Regarding the safety of the complex, Binford said he received numerous calls from worried parents of Texas A&M University students who live in the complex.

I completely sympathize with their concerns and I understand where they are coming from; I have spent a lot of time this week on the phone with parents, and I will speak to everyone that calls me and I will do my best, he said. The parents even after talking to me, they feel better, but I am sure they are still concerned and that is all rational and that all makes sense. There are different parties involved in it and I would like to mention that in dealing with the property manager there, and the people we have dealt with at Aspire, there was no hesitancy and they did not try to control what aspects we looked at. We told them we were going to go every day and look at it and they said, Please do.

Concerns from parents and residents regarding high-rise structures may stem from a 12-story condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, that killed almost 100 people in 2021. On Tuesday, a parking garage in Manhattan collapsed killing one and injuring others, due to the age of the structure and the amount of cars parked on the top roof.

Binford confirmed the city inspected the building countless times before issuing the occupancy certificate which allows people to move in. Following that, it would be up to the apartment complex to do inspections, and the fire marshals to do general area inspections, he said.

As of Friday, Binford said the pool though it was not drained. The cavity between the pool shell and the structure was drained.

We have been going daily and taking measurements to see if there has been any change, he said. Our primary concern is the people inside that building.
The Ten Commandments could be displayed in Texas public school classrooms and trustees could mandate districts grant students time for prayer and Bible reading under legislation approved by the Senate.

The two bills  along with others up for consideration  are a sign of how the Legislature could be inserting more religion into public education. The moves are drawing concern about the separation of church and state.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement that the bills represent one step we can take to make sure that all Texans have the right to freely express their sincerely held religious beliefs.

I believe that you cannot change the culture of the country until you change the culture of mankind. Bringing the Ten Commandments and prayer back to our public schools will enable our students to become better Texans, said Patrick, a Republican who oversees the Senate.

The legislation now heads to the House for consideration.

Cantor Sheri Allen, of Fort Worths Makom Shelanu Congregation, said the confluence of bills is concerning and could make non-Christian children feel ostracized.

Its telling a kid, My version of what my religion looks like is better than yours. Its endorsed by schools, which makes yours inferior, she said. It shifts this balance of respect and equality and equity, making one religion dominant over others. Its not supposed to be the way this country works.

The Ten Commandments bill by Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, passed Thursday echoes a piece of legislation passed last session, which required schools to hang up donated In God We Trust posters.

The law triggered controversy after Patriot Mobile  a Christian wireless provider tied to a political action committee that spent big money to elect conservatives to North Texas school board seats  started giving out the signs. The company said in a blog post that the move was part of putting God back into our schools.

Some parents unsuccessfully fought back by attempting to donate posters with In God We Trust written in Arabic or scrawled in rainbow lettering.

Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, introduced the bill that could clear the way for prayer time in school. Any school district policy would have to ensure that participation is voluntary and requires parental consent. Students could read the Bible or other religious texts.

Other bills this session also have raised concerns from advocates and researchers about the separation of church and state.

Both Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott are pushing for the creation of an education savings account program that would provide public funds for families to use on private school tuition, including at religious schools.

Abbott is promoting this plan at Christian schools across the state.

The House public education committee also recently heard a bill that would allow districts to hire chaplains instead of counselors. The chaplain would not need state certification.

Texas students, who are a diverse community with varied religious views and cultural practices, deserve to enjoy true religious freedom at public schools without being forced to learn according to the religious rights belief system, Texas Freedom Network organizer Shan Schaffer said.
The 2024 Republican presidential primary is already picking up as former President Donald Trump works to shore up his support in the countrys biggest red state  and as his rivals work to emerge from his shadow and make their own inroads in Texas.

After an underwhelming start to his 2024 campaign, Trumps polling numbers have bounced back in Texas, where he has expanded his support within the states congressional delegation to corral a majority of GOP House members.

The latest endorsement came Tuesday from U.S. Rep. Lance Gooden of Terrell, who chose to back Trump in dramatic fashion  announcing it moments after leaving a reception with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Capitol Hill.

I love Donald Trump, but I wasnt just going to endorse him out of loyalty. I wanted to do my due diligence for this next time around, Gooden explained in a TV interview afterward. As I left, I thought, you know, theres no reason to keep waiting to get on board with who I think is the next winner and our next president, and that gentleman is Donald J. Trump.

Gooden became the 13th of the Texas delegations 25 House Republicans to back the former president.

Both nationally and in Texas, Trump has seen his stock rise in recent weeks as Republicans rallied around him after his indictment by a Manhattan grand jury in a 2016 hush-money scheme. Even Texas Republicans who have not endorsed Trump  like U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott  condemned the indictment.

A conservative pollster who regularly tracks the presidential primary in Texas found that Trumps lead over DeSantis doubled from March to April.

Yet many Texas GOP officials are still keeping their powder dry, declining to endorse before DeSantis formally launches his campaign, or are planning to stay out of the primary altogether.

Multiple Texas Republicans got face time with DeSantis during Tuesdays reception for members of Congress that Gooden attended. The hosts included U.S. Rep. Chip Roy of Austin, who became the first member of Congress to endorse DeSantis last month and remains DeSantis highest-profile supporter in Texas.

Other attendees included U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who has said he would like to see some new blood in the primary.

Speaking with Texas reporters Thursday, Cornyn reiterated that he does not plan to endorse in the primary but said, I am interested in seeing that the best candidates run, and I think Mr. DeSantis is certainly in that category, and I wished him well.

Reflecting concerns among some Republicans over Trumps comeback bid, Cornyn also said the party needs to nominate somebody who can win the general election in 2024.

To me, electability is the paramount issue in the Republican primary for president, he said.

Former U.S. Rep. Will Hurd, R-Helotes, is pressing the same argument as he considers a long-shot presidential campaign. Hurd  who won three straight campaigns in the 23rd District when it was a national battleground  is returning to Iowa this weekend with a message of tough love for fellow Republicans.

The Republican Partys record speaks for itself, Hurd said in a statement Thursday, noting the GOP lost the popular vote in 2016, the House in 2018, and the Senate and the presidency in 2020.

Its time for us to take a hard look at ourselves and figure out what we need to do to start actually winning again nationwide, he said.

Hurd will be among the speakers Saturday at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalitions 23rd Annual Spring Kick-Off. Trump is also in the lineup.

Abbott and Cruz were invited to speak at the event but will not attend. Abbott has been turning down similar invitations during Texas legislative session, which ends in late May, and Cruz has focused on his reelection campaign in recent months, signaling that his well-known ambitions to run again for president are on hold for now.

While Abbott has kept open the possibility of a White House run, such speculation has quieted as Trump has bounced back nationally, raising the potential of an intriguing Trump-DeSantis showdown in the Texas primary. The state is an enticing prize for any candidate, with its relatively early primary date  March 5, 2024  and massive trove of delegates.

Trump puts early emphasis on Texas

Trumps campaign is well aware of the states importance.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who chaired both of Trumps previous campaigns in Texas, has been preoccupied with the legislative session but continues to have the former presidents ear. Speaking at Trumps March rally in Waco, Patrick blasted those who tied the event to the deadly Branch Davidian standoff in 1993, saying Trump was following his recommendation to hold the rally there.

In the week before the rally, as speculation grew that Trump was facing indictment, his campaign made a push to corral more endorsements from Texas Republicans in the U.S. House. U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson of Amarillo, who was Trumps doctor in the White House, took the lead inside the delegation, according to a person close to him.

The effort paid dividends as his campaign prefaced the Waco rally by announcing its Texas Leadership Team featuring eight new congressional endorsers. Fresh supporters also included Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham and former U.S. Rep. Mayra Flores of Los Indios.

The endorsements were less noteworthy to Trump-skeptical Republicans in the state, including Katrina Pierson, a former Trump campaign spokesperson from North Texas who is not yet formally supporting anyone for 2024.

When you have all the congressmen circling the wagons  the swamp protects the swamp, Pierson said in an interview Thursday. To me, its just an indication of who the establishment candidate is, going into the primary.

When asked if the former president was courting his support, Cornyn, the states senior senator, said he has not had much contact with Trump, though he added that a Trump aide texts campaign updates pretty much on a daily basis.

DeSantis second Texas trip in 2 months

DeSantis is returning to Texas this weekend to headline an awards ceremony Saturday in Austin hosted by the Cicero Institute.

The policy group is the brainchild of Joe Lonsdale, a technology entrepreneur and investor who moved his venture capital firm from Silicon Valley to Austin in 2020. He has become increasingly involved in state and local politics, serving as a top donor to the successful 2021 effort to reinstate Austins homeless camping ban.

Lonsdale did not respond to a request for comment about the DeSantis event, but on Twitter he has disputed suggestions that it indicates political support for DeSantis. The event is not a fundraiser, he emphasized, adding that DeSantis was a long-planned speaker  one of several figures to be honored for standing up to special interests for the common good.

The trip appears to be lower-profile than DeSantis last visit in early March to headline county GOP fundraising dinners in Dallas and Houston. DeSantis team has not said whether he is appearing anywhere else in Texas beyond the Austin awards ceremony.

While DeSantis has not yet formally announced a campaign, a pro-DeSantis super PAC called Never Back Down has been functioning as a campaign-in-waiting. It is stocked with alums of Cruzs 2016 presidential campaign, including then-campaign manager Jeff Roe, who has remained a close political adviser to Cruz.

The super PAC touched on Texas when it announced Wednesday the formation of 27 Students for DeSantis college chapters across the country, including one at Texas Tech University in Lubbock.

As the political world waits for his official presidential campaign launch, DeSantis has cultivated some intriguing  and generous  donors from Texas. Two of last months top contributors to his Florida political committee were both from Texas: an entity called Rural Route 3 Holdings LP, which gave $1 million, and a Houston doctor named Clive Fields, who gave $500,000.

Rural Route 3 Holdings also contributed $250,000 to DeSantis last year.

Public records tie the entity to Adam Sinn, an energy trader from Houston who is something of a political enigma. Records show he has not made a campaign contribution at the state level over the past decade, and only minimally at the federal level.

Sinn declined to comment through a representative, while Fields did not respond to a request for comment.

Haley a regular Texas presence

Beyond Trump and DeSantis, Nikki Haley has been the biggest factor in Texas among GOP presidential hopefuls.

The former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador already has held multiple fundraisers here and spent a day touring the border region with U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of San Antonio earlier this month. Her campaign bragged that she was the first 2024 contender to visit the Texas-Mexico border.

Gonzales himself is the source of some intrigue in the primary. After Trump launched his 2024 bid in November, Gonzales sent a supportive tweet that Gonzales campaign called an endorsement. Even so, Gonzales has welcomed any presidential candidate to travel the border with him, and he demurred last month when a TV interviewer asked if he was open to backing other contenders.

I havent met with President Trump yet, Gonzales said. I look forward to meeting with President Trump.

Haley lavished praise on Gonzales during her trip, at one point calling him the border king and a leader who should be in every single immigration conversation in Congress. It was an attention-grabbing comment given Gonzales firm opposition to a border-security proposal by fellow Republican Roy, one of several positions that prompted the Texas GOP to censure Gonzales last month.

As for Haleys Texas footprint, she has held 12 fundraisers in five cities since launching her White House bid in mid-February, according to her campaign, which said Texas was among her top three fundraising states in the first six weeks of her candidacy.

Former Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price attended one of Haleys fundraisers and posted later on social media that Haley was impressive! Haleys first campaign finance report also featured several prominent Texas donors, including John Nau, Ray Hunt, Nancy Kinder, Mindy Hildebrand, Arun Agarwal and Fred Zeidman.

Zeidman, a Houston donor and a veteran of presidential fundraising, endorsed Haley last month along with two other board members of the Republican Jewish Coalition.

But in a sign that some donors may not be ready to commit to a single candidate, Haley also got checks from Fields  the six-figure donor to DeSantis Florida committee  and Doug Deason, a Dallasite who played a key role in bringing DeSantis to the city last month.
Hudsons Bay Co (OTCMKTS:HBAYF  Get Rating) shares passed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of $8.19 and traded as low as $8.19. Hudsons Bay shares last traded at $8.19, with a volume of 2,900 shares changing hands.

Hudsons Bay Price Performance

The companys fifty day moving average is $8.19 and its two-hundred day moving average is $8.19.

About Hudsons Bay

(Get Rating)

Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates department stores in Canada and the United States. Its stores offers fashion apparels, accessories, cosmetics, and home products. The company operates its stores under the Hudson's Bay, Lord & Taylor, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks OFF 5TH, Find @ Lord & Taylor, Home Outfitters, Galeria Kaufhof, Galeria INNO, and Sportarena names.

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Lufax Holding Ltd (NYSE:LU  Get Rating) saw a significant drop in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 20,730,000 shares, a drop of 13.7% from the March 15th total of 24,010,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 15,250,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.4 days.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on LU shares. HSBC cut their target price on shares of Lufax from $4.00 to $3.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Macquarie cut shares of Lufax from a neutral rating to an underperform rating and set a $1.50 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, March 14th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of Lufax from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the company from $3.52 to $2.04 in a report on Monday, March 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $2.57.

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Lufax Price Performance

Shares of NYSE LU traded down $0.10 during trading on Friday, hitting $1.83. 11,411,078 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,779,192. The company has a market cap of $4.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 3.51, a PEG ratio of 1.69 and a beta of 0.56. Lufax has a 1 year low of $1.26 and a 1 year high of $7.05. The firms fifty day moving average price is $2.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $2.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.43.

Lufax Cuts Dividend

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lufax

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 21st. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 7th will be given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 5th. This represents a dividend yield of 9.9%. Lufaxs payout ratio is currently 16.36%.

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LU. Capital World Investors boosted its position in shares of Lufax by 6.3% in the 1st quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 56,470,472 shares of the companys stock worth $314,541,000 after buying an additional 3,341,655 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. boosted its position in shares of Lufax by 1,298.8% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 28,468,748 shares of the companys stock worth $158,571,000 after buying an additional 26,433,557 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its position in shares of Lufax by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 26,711,214 shares of the companys stock worth $67,846,000 after buying an additional 288,750 shares in the last quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. boosted its position in shares of Lufax by 0.7% in the 4th quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 25,442,454 shares of the companys stock worth $49,358,000 after buying an additional 178,613 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Lufax in the 4th quarter worth about $29,422,000. 15.24% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Lufax

(Get Rating)

Lufax Holding Ltd operates a technology-empowered personal financial services platform in China. It offers loan products, including unsecured loans and secured loans, as well as consumer finance loans. The company also provides wealth management platforms, such as Lufax (Lu.com), Lu International (Singapore), and Lu International (Hong Kong) to the middle class and affluent investors to invest in products and portfolios; retail credit facilitation services platform that offers small business owners with lending solutions; and technology empowerment solutions for financial institutions.

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Cromwell Property Group (OTC:CMWCF  Get Rating) is one of 330 publicly-traded companies in the Real Estate Investment Trusts industry, but how does it compare to its peers? We will compare Cromwell Property Group to similar companies based on the strength of its dividends, institutional ownership, risk, profitability, analyst recommendations, valuation and earnings.

Analyst Ratings

This is a breakdown of recent ratings and target prices for Cromwell Property Group and its peers, as provided by MarketBeat.

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Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Cromwell Property Group 0 0 0 0 N/A Cromwell Property Group Competitors 2531 12451 13626 314 2.41

As a group, Real Estate Investment Trusts companies have a potential upside of 20.41%. Given Cromwell Property Groups peers higher possible upside, analysts plainly believe Cromwell Property Group has less favorable growth aspects than its peers.

Valuation & Earnings

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Cromwell Property Group N/A N/A 6.03 Cromwell Property Group Competitors $911.00 million $160.65 million 12.45

This table compares Cromwell Property Group and its peers top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation.

Cromwell Property Groups peers have higher revenue and earnings than Cromwell Property Group. Cromwell Property Group is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than its peers, indicating that it is currently more affordable than other companies in its industry.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

66.5% of shares of all Real Estate Investment Trusts companies are owned by institutional investors. 7.0% of shares of all Real Estate Investment Trusts companies are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, hedge funds and large money managers believe a stock will outperform the market over the long term.

Dividends

Cromwell Property Group pays an annual dividend of $0.02 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.0%. Cromwell Property Group pays out 18.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. As a group, Real Estate Investment Trusts companies pay a dividend yield of 4.7% and pay out 146.7% of their earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares Cromwell Property Group and its peers net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Cromwell Property Group N/A N/A N/A Cromwell Property Group Competitors 11.09% 0.12% 2.15%

Summary

Cromwell Property Group peers beat Cromwell Property Group on 9 of the 10 factors compared.

Cromwell Property Group Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Cromwell Property Group (ASX:CMW) is a diversified real estate investor and manager with operations on three continents and a global investor base. As at 30 June 2020, Cromwell had a market capitalisation of $2.4 billion, a direct property investment portfolio valued at $3.0 billion and total assets under management of $11.5 billion across Australia, New Zealand and Europe.

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Canso Credit Income Fund (TSE:PBY.UN  Get Rating)s share price crossed below its 50 day moving average during trading on Thursday . The stock has a 50 day moving average of C$14.19 and traded as low as C$14.19. Canso Credit Income Fund shares last traded at C$14.30, with a volume of 7,600 shares traded.

Canso Credit Income Fund Trading Down 0.8 %

The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of C$14.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$13.83.

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Canso Credit Income Fund Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, February 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, February 15th were given a dividend of $0.0417 per share. The ex-dividend date was Monday, January 30th. This represents a $0.50 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.53%.

About Canso Credit Income Fund

Canso Credit Trust  Canso Credit Income Fund is a closed ended fixed income mutual fund launched by Lysander Funds Limited. The fund is managed by Canso Investment Counsel Ltd. It invests in the fixed income markets of Canada. The fund primarily invests in corporate bonds. It employs fundamental analysis with bottom-up and deep value approach to create its portfolio.

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Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) had its price objective cut by Piper Sandler from $83.00 to $75.00 in a report issued on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group cut their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $98.00 to $75.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. Barclays cut their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $61.00 to $56.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Charles Schwab from a neutral rating to an outperform rating and cut their price objective for the company from $81.50 to $67.50 in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $72.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Citigroup lowered their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eleven have given a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Charles Schwab currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $69.21.

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Charles Schwab Stock Down 0.4 %

SCHW stock opened at $53.80 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. Charles Schwab has a 1 year low of $45.00 and a 1 year high of $86.63. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $63.49 and a 200 day simple moving average of $73.35. The firm has a market cap of $96.38 billion, a PE ratio of 14.70, a PEG ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.88.

Charles Schwab Increases Dividend

Charles Schwab ( NYSE:SCHW Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $5.12 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.13 billion. Charles Schwab had a net margin of 34.82% and a return on equity of 27.36%. The businesss revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.77 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Charles Schwab will post 3.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 24th. Investors of record on Friday, February 10th were issued a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.86%. This is a positive change from Charles Schwabs previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 9th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 27.32%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Charles Schwab news, President Richard A. Wurster purchased 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $54.39 per share, for a total transaction of $108,780.00. Following the purchase, the president now owns 101,391 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,514,656.49. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Charles Schwab news, Director Marianne Catherine Brown acquired 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 28th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $53.47 per share, with a total value of $267,350.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 9,984 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $533,844.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, President Richard A. Wurster acquired 2,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, March 17th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $54.39 per share, with a total value of $108,780.00. Following the acquisition, the president now directly owns 101,391 shares in the company, valued at $5,514,656.49. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 81,000 shares of company stock worth $4,706,960 and have sold 676,962 shares worth $53,960,539. 6.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Charles Schwab

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Toronto Dominion Bank lifted its holdings in shares of Charles Schwab by 32,224.4% during the 4th quarter. Toronto Dominion Bank now owns 225,994,826 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $18,816,289,000 after acquiring an additional 225,295,680 shares during the period. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Charles Schwab by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 124,437,061 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $8,943,291,000 after buying an additional 2,589,952 shares during the period. State Street Corp lifted its holdings in Charles Schwab by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 65,566,364 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,712,255,000 after buying an additional 717,683 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Charles Schwab by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 26,658,930 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,215,792,000 after buying an additional 606,423 shares during the period. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in shares of Charles Schwab by 62.5% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 22,255,649 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,853,005,000 after purchasing an additional 8,563,389 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 73.49% of the companys stock.

About Charles Schwab

(Get Rating)

The Charles Schwab Corp. is a savings and loan holding company, which engages in the provision of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. It operates through the Investor Services and Advisor Services segments. The Investor Services segment includes retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors, and retirement plan services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees.

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Curi Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) by 30.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,631 shares of the retailers stock after buying an additional 607 shares during the quarter. Curi Wealth Management LLCs holdings in Walmart were worth $373,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 130,176,496 shares of the retailers stock valued at $16,883,890,000 after purchasing an additional 1,832,388 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 96,570,711 shares of the retailers stock valued at $12,525,224,000 after purchasing an additional 2,712,886 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in Walmart by 1.2% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 60,659,193 shares of the retailers stock valued at $7,867,497,000 after purchasing an additional 701,415 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp grew its stake in Walmart by 0.3% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 11,685,848 shares of the retailers stock valued at $1,515,655,000 after purchasing an additional 33,452 shares during the period. Finally, Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Walmart by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 10,904,858 shares of the retailers stock valued at $1,623,951,000 after purchasing an additional 303,726 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 31.27% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

WMT has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on Walmart from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Royal Bank of Canada set a $163.00 price target on Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Walmart in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating on the stock. Stifel Nicolaus upped their price target on Walmart from $157.00 to $161.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $170.00 price target on shares of Walmart in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $164.66.

Insiders Place Their Bets

Walmart Price Performance

In other Walmart news, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 1,957,377 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $140.72, for a total value of $275,442,091.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now owns 255,973,516 shares in the company, valued at approximately $36,020,593,171.52. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link . In other news, CEO C Douglas Mcmillon sold 9,708 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $143.57, for a total value of $1,393,777.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 1,432,515 shares in the company, valued at approximately $205,666,178.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Also, major shareholder Alice L. Walton sold 1,957,377 shares of Walmart stock in a transaction on Monday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $140.72, for a total value of $275,442,091.44. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 255,973,516 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $36,020,593,171.52. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last 90 days, insiders sold 21,053,710 shares of company stock worth $2,982,527,217. 47.06% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

WMT opened at $151.73 on Friday. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is $144.17 and its 200 day simple moving average is $143.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.82 and a quick ratio of 0.21. Walmart Inc. has a 1 year low of $117.27 and a 1 year high of $160.36. The firm has a market cap of $409.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 35.45, a PEG ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 0.48.

Walmart (NYSE:WMT  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 21st. The retailer reported $1.71 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.51 by $0.20. Walmart had a return on equity of 20.45% and a net margin of 1.91%. The business had revenue of $164.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $158.67 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.53 EPS. Walmarts revenue for the quarter was up 7.3% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts predict that Walmart Inc. will post 6.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Walmart Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, January 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, December 8th will be issued a $0.57 dividend. This represents a $2.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.50%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 7th. Walmarts dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.27%.

About Walmart

(Get Rating)

Walmart, Inc engages in retail and wholesale business. The company offers an assortment of merchandise and services at everyday low prices. It operates through the following business segments: Walmart U.S., Walmart International, and Sams Club. The Walmart U.S. segment operates as a merchandiser of consumer products, operating under the Walmart, Wal-Mart, and Walmart Neighborhood Market brands, as well as walmart.com and other eCommerce brands.

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Curi Wealth Management LLC boosted its position in shares of McDonalds Co. (NYSE:MCD  Get Rating) by 24.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,634 shares of the fast-food giants stock after acquiring an additional 321 shares during the period. Curi Wealth Management LLCs holdings in McDonalds were worth $431,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MCD. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership increased its stake in McDonalds by 1,189.7% during the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 2,191,692 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $541,962,000 after acquiring an additional 2,021,754 shares during the period. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its stake in McDonalds by 16.3% during the third quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 7,869,149 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $1,816,219,000 after acquiring an additional 1,105,231 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its stake in shares of McDonalds by 44.2% in the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 2,531,400 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $625,965,000 after purchasing an additional 776,419 shares during the period. Barclays PLC grew its stake in shares of McDonalds by 48.4% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 1,879,173 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $433,603,000 after purchasing an additional 612,854 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp grew its stake in shares of McDonalds by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 34,704,308 shares of the fast-food giants stock valued at $8,007,672,000 after purchasing an additional 365,601 shares during the period. 66.86% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insider Transactions at McDonalds

In related news, SVP Catherine A. Hoovel sold 2,876 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total value of $776,520.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 1,184 shares in the company, valued at approximately $319,680. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, SVP Catherine A. Hoovel sold 2,876 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $270.00, for a total transaction of $776,520.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 1,184 shares in the company, valued at $319,680. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Christopher J. Kempczinski sold 3,850 shares of McDonalds stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $267.69, for a total value of $1,030,606.50. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 34,637 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,271,978.53. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 8,122 shares of company stock worth $2,177,681 in the last three months. Insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

McDonalds Trading Up 0.4 %

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on MCD shares. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on McDonalds from $280.00 to $295.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday. Northcoast Research raised McDonalds from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $321.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Monday, April 10th. Morgan Stanley upped their price objective on McDonalds from $305.00 to $309.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Monday, April 17th. Tigress Financial upped their price objective on McDonalds from $320.00 to $330.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 8th. Finally, Stephens reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $280.00 price objective on shares of McDonalds in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-two have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, McDonalds has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $296.81.

MCD stock opened at $292.06 on Friday. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $273.16 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $267.93. The stock has a market cap of $213.21 billion, a PE ratio of 34.98, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 0.63. McDonalds Co. has a 1 year low of $228.34 and a 1 year high of $292.53.

McDonalds (NYSE:MCD  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 31st. The fast-food giant reported $2.59 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.46 by $0.13. McDonalds had a net margin of 26.65% and a negative return on equity of 120.10%. The company had revenue of $5.93 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.75 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $2.23 EPS. The companys quarterly revenue was down 1.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, analysts forecast that McDonalds Co. will post 10.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

McDonalds Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were paid a dividend of $1.52 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $6.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.08%. McDonaldss dividend payout ratio is 72.81%.

McDonalds Profile

(Get Rating)

McDonalds Corp. engages in the operation and franchising of restaurants. It operates through the following segments: U.S., International Operated Markets, and International Developmental Licensed Markets and Corporate. The U.S. segment focuses its operations on the United States. The International Operated Markets segment consists of operations and the franchising of restaurants in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain, and the U.K.

Further Reading

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EnerSys (NYSE:ENS  Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 793,600 shares, a drop of 13.6% from the March 15th total of 918,000 shares. Approximately 2.0% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 193,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.1 days.

Institutional Trading of EnerSys

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Victory Capital Management Inc. increased its stake in EnerSys by 8.8% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 10,476 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $609,000 after purchasing an additional 847 shares in the last quarter. Crossmark Global Holdings Inc. bought a new stake in EnerSys during the 4th quarter valued at about $215,000. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC increased its stake in EnerSys by 85.0% during the 4th quarter. Ceredex Value Advisors LLC now owns 235,846 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $17,415,000 after purchasing an additional 108,385 shares in the last quarter. Boston Partners increased its stake in EnerSys by 5.6% during the 3rd quarter. Boston Partners now owns 964,781 shares of the industrial products companys stock valued at $56,841,000 after purchasing an additional 50,743 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CenterBook Partners LP bought a new stake in EnerSys during the 3rd quarter valued at about $3,076,000. 95.66% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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EnerSys Stock Down 0.4 %

NYSE ENS traded down $0.32 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $82.63. 156,090 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 190,886. EnerSys has a 52-week low of $55.60 and a 52-week high of $94.32. The firm has a market cap of $3.38 billion, a PE ratio of 24.74, a PEG ratio of 0.97 and a beta of 1.37. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $85.33 and a 200 day simple moving average of $77.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72, a current ratio of 2.79 and a quick ratio of 1.54.

EnerSys Announces Dividend

EnerSys ( NYSE:ENS Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The industrial products company reported $1.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.24 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $920.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $926.36 million. EnerSys had a net margin of 3.81% and a return on equity of 13.30%. EnerSyss revenue was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.01 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that EnerSys will post 4.89 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 17th were paid a dividend of $0.175 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $0.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.85%. EnerSyss dividend payout ratio is currently 20.96%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of EnerSys in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a strong-buy rating for the company.

EnerSys Company Profile

(Get Rating)

EnerSys engages in the provision of stored energy solutions for industrial applications. It operates through the following segments: Energy Systems, Motive Power, and Specialty. The Energy Systems segment combines enclosures, power conversion, power distribution, and energy storage used in the telecommunication, broadband, and utility industries.

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EQT (NYSE:EQT  Get Rating) had its target price reduced by Piper Sandler from $51.00 to $50.00 in a research note released on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the oil and gas producers stock.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on EQT. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of EQT from $41.00 to $39.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and set a $50.00 target price on shares of EQT in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Mizuho lowered their target price on shares of EQT from $62.00 to $48.00 in a report on Friday, March 10th. TD Securities decreased their price objective on shares of EQT from $60.00 to $50.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, UBS Group assumed coverage on shares of EQT in a report on Wednesday. They issued a neutral rating and a $36.00 price objective on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $49.44.

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EQT Stock Performance

Shares of EQT opened at $32.59 on Wednesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a quick ratio of 1.08 and a current ratio of 1.08. EQT has a twelve month low of $28.10 and a twelve month high of $51.97. The firms 50 day moving average price is $31.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $35.74. The firm has a market cap of $11.74 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.93 and a beta of 1.16.

EQT Announces Dividend

EQT ( NYSE:EQT Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 15th. The oil and gas producer reported $0.42 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.52 by ($0.10). The business had revenue of $1.32 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.36 billion. The businesss quarterly revenue was down 6.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $0.41 earnings per share. On average, analysts forecast that EQT will post 3.38 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, May 10th will be issued a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, May 9th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.84%. EQTs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 14.60%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in EQT. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC raised its holdings in EQT by 3.3% in the 1st quarter. Resonant Capital Advisors LLC now owns 31,060 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $991,000 after buying an additional 1,006 shares during the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. raised its holdings in EQT by 3.7% in the 1st quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 118,791 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $3,789,000 after buying an additional 4,266 shares during the last quarter. 44 Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in EQT in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $306,000. DnB Asset Management AS raised its holdings in EQT by 205.7% in the 1st quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 161,173 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $5,143,000 after buying an additional 108,442 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Accel Wealth Management increased its position in EQT by 19.6% during the 1st quarter. Accel Wealth Management now owns 2,157 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $69,000 after purchasing an additional 354 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 97.60% of the companys stock.

EQT Company Profile

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EQT Corp. is a natural gas production company, which engages in the supply, transmission, and distribution of natural gas. The company was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA.

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Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc. (NYSE:GSBD  Get Rating) has received an average recommendation of Hold from the seven analysts that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating. The average 12-month target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $16.25.

Several research firms recently issued reports on GSBD. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Goldman Sachs BDC from $15.00 to $14.50 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 27th. StockNews.com started coverage on Goldman Sachs BDC in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock.

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Goldman Sachs BDC Stock Up 0.5 %

Goldman Sachs BDC stock opened at $13.81 on Friday. Goldman Sachs BDC has a 12 month low of $13.28 and a 12 month high of $20.17. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.51 billion, a PE ratio of 26.06 and a beta of 1.19. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34, a current ratio of 1.10 and a quick ratio of 1.10. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $14.46 and a 200-day simple moving average of $14.84.

Goldman Sachs BDC Announces Dividend

Goldman Sachs BDC ( NYSE:GSBD Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The financial services provider reported $0.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.51 by $0.14. Goldman Sachs BDC had a net margin of 15.17% and a return on equity of 14.31%. The company had revenue of $106.50 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $102.02 million. On average, analysts anticipate that Goldman Sachs BDC will post 2.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 27th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be paid a $0.45 dividend. This represents a $1.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 13.03%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, March 30th. Goldman Sachs BDCs dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 339.62%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Goldman Sachs BDC

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Goldman Sachs BDC in the 1st quarter worth $209,000. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC acquired a new stake in Goldman Sachs BDC during the first quarter worth about $245,000. BlackRock Inc. boosted its holdings in Goldman Sachs BDC by 139.2% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 676,501 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $13,266,000 after purchasing an additional 393,739 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can grew its stake in shares of Goldman Sachs BDC by 203.2% in the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 39,232 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $819,000 after buying an additional 26,293 shares during the period. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. increased its holdings in shares of Goldman Sachs BDC by 63.6% during the 1st quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 36,809 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $721,000 after buying an additional 14,311 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 28.35% of the companys stock.

About Goldman Sachs BDC

(Get Rating)

Goldman Sachs BDC, Inc invests in middle market companies located in the US. The fund targets companies operating in the fields software, health technology information technology, commercial services and textiles with an investment size of $25 to $75 million and an EBITDA of $5 to $75 million. It provides financing in the form of senior secured debt, unitranche debt, junior secured, mezzanine debt and equity for acquisitions, refinancing, growth, LBOs, dividend recapitalization and restructuring transactions.

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Gray Television, Inc. (NYSE:GTN.A  Get Rating) shares saw an uptick in trading volume on Thursday . 3,703 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 91% from the previous sessions volume of 1,937 shares.The stock last traded at $9.22 and had previously closed at $9.10.

Gray Television Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.04, a quick ratio of 2.10 and a current ratio of 2.10. The firm has a market cap of $827.12 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.05 and a beta of 1.22. The companys fifty day moving average is $9.36 and its two-hundred day moving average is $10.94.

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Gray Television Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were issued a $0.08 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $0.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.59%. Gray Televisions dividend payout ratio is currently 7.37%.

About Gray Television

Gray Television, Inc, a television broadcast company, owns and operates television stations and digital assets in the United States. As of February 28, 2019, it owned and operated television stations in 91 television markets broadcasting approximately 400 program streams, including approximately 150 channels affiliated with the CBS Network, the NBC Network, the ABC Network, and the FOX Network.

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Morgan Stanley downgraded shares of Helmerich & Payne (NYSE:HP  Get Rating) from an equal weight rating to an underweight rating in a research report report published on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports. Morgan Stanley currently has $45.00 price target on the oil and gas companys stock, down from their prior price target of $60.00.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on HP. Citigroup lowered their price target on Helmerich & Payne from $50.00 to $46.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Susquehanna lowered their price target on Helmerich & Payne from $72.00 to $55.00 in a research report on Monday, April 3rd. StockNews.com raised Helmerich & Payne from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report on Friday, April 14th. TheStreet raised Helmerich & Payne from a c+ rating to a b rating in a research report on Monday, January 30th. Finally, Bank of America raised Helmerich & Payne from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, January 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and six have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $58.50.

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Helmerich & Payne Price Performance

NYSE HP opened at $35.99 on Tuesday. Helmerich & Payne has a fifty-two week low of $32.69 and a fifty-two week high of $54.59. The stocks 50-day moving average is $38.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 2.10. The firm has a market cap of $3.76 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.99 and a beta of 1.65.

Helmerich & Payne Announces Dividend

Helmerich & Payne ( NYSE:HP Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The oil and gas company reported $1.11 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.81 by $0.30. Helmerich & Payne had a return on equity of 6.43% and a net margin of 6.56%. The company had revenue of $719.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $699.92 million. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.45) earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 75.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts anticipate that Helmerich & Payne will post 4.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Shareholders of record on Thursday, May 18th will be issued a dividend of $0.485 per share. This represents a $1.94 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 5.39%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 17th. Helmerich & Paynes payout ratio is 69.44%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Helmerich & Payne

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in HP. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its holdings in Helmerich & Payne by 2.2% during the first quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 328,890 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $14,071,000 after purchasing an additional 7,160 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates raised its stake in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 3.9% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 18,667 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $799,000 after acquiring an additional 709 shares during the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. bought a new position in shares of Helmerich & Payne in the first quarter valued at approximately $353,000. HighTower Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of Helmerich & Payne by 4.2% in the first quarter. HighTower Advisors LLC now owns 18,629 shares of the oil and gas companys stock valued at $799,000 after acquiring an additional 743 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Helmerich & Payne in the first quarter valued at approximately $272,000. 92.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Helmerich & Payne Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Founded in 1920, Helmerich & Payne, Inc (H&P) (NYSE: HP) is committed to delivering industry leading levels of drilling productivity and reliability. H&P operates with the highest level of integrity, safety and innovation to deliver superior results for its customers and returns for shareholders.

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Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund boosted its position in shares of Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Get Rating) by 95.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 133,990 shares of the utilities providers stock after buying an additional 65,601 shares during the quarter. Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds holdings in Edison International were worth $8,524,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of EIX. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Edison International by 12.6% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 1,234,491 shares of the utilities providers stock worth $86,534,000 after buying an additional 137,840 shares during the period. Aviva PLC boosted its stake in shares of Edison International by 21.5% during the first quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 151,158 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $10,596,000 after purchasing an additional 26,797 shares during the period. Prudential PLC purchased a new stake in shares of Edison International during the first quarter valued at $688,000. Cetera Investment Advisers boosted its stake in shares of Edison International by 30.5% during the first quarter. Cetera Investment Advisers now owns 6,916 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $485,000 after purchasing an additional 1,617 shares during the period. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Edison International by 1.7% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 44,530,226 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $3,121,569,000 after purchasing an additional 731,841 shares during the period. 87.19% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $82.00 price objective on shares of Edison International in a report on Monday, March 6th. Credit Suisse Group decreased their price objective on Edison International from $68.00 to $67.00 and set a neutral rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 24th. UBS Group upgraded Edison International from a neutral rating to a buy rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $69.00 to $75.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their target price on shares of Edison International from $73.00 to $77.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Finally, Mizuho boosted their target price on shares of Edison International from $67.00 to $73.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, six have given a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Edison International has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $71.17.

Insider Activity at Edison International

Edison International Trading Down 0.1 %

In related news, SVP J Andrew Murphy sold 22,471 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $72.03, for a total value of $1,618,586.13. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 12,989 shares in the company, valued at approximately $935,597.67. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link . 1.03% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Shares of EIX stock opened at $72.93 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average is $68.93 and its two-hundred day moving average is $65.23. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.74, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.68. The firm has a market capitalization of $27.91 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.58, a PEG ratio of 5.28 and a beta of 0.80. Edison International has a fifty-two week low of $54.45 and a fifty-two week high of $73.61.

Edison International (NYSE:EIX  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported $1.15 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.08 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $4.02 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.61 billion. Edison International had a return on equity of 12.05% and a net margin of 4.48%. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.16 EPS. Research analysts expect that Edison International will post 4.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Edison International Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 30th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 31st will be issued a dividend of $0.7375 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $2.95 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.04%. Edison Internationals dividend payout ratio is presently 184.38%.

Edison International Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Edison International is a renewable energy company, which through its subsidiaries, generates and distributes electric power, and invests in energy services and technologies. The company was founded on July 4, 1886, and is headquartered in Rosemead, CA.

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Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund lowered its position in ServiceNow, Inc. (NYSE:NOW  Get Rating) by 35.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 25,879 shares of the information technology services providers stock after selling 14,123 shares during the period. Illinois Municipal Retirement Funds holdings in ServiceNow were worth $10,048,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Merit Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in ServiceNow by 1.1% during the third quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC now owns 2,356 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $890,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. SWS Partners increased its holdings in ServiceNow by 0.6% during the third quarter. SWS Partners now owns 4,753 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,795,000 after buying an additional 28 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust increased its holdings in ServiceNow by 9.0% during the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 350 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $195,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC increased its holdings in ServiceNow by 14.6% during the first quarter. KB Financial Partners LLC now owns 236 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $131,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. increased its holdings in ServiceNow by 25.4% during the third quarter. Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. now owns 148 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $56,000 after buying an additional 30 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 86.31% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NOW has been the subject of several recent research reports. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $475.00 to $500.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $506.00 to $562.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday. Guggenheim lifted their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $478.00 to $511.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Monday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $550.00 to $575.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, January 26th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their target price on shares of ServiceNow from $465.00 to $545.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Friday, April 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and twenty-seven have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $529.28.

Insider Activity

ServiceNow Trading Up 1.2 %

In other news, insider Christopher Bedi sold 377 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $464.59, for a total transaction of $175,150.43. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 16,990 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,893,384.10. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . In other news, insider Lara Caimi sold 2,975 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $431.58, for a total transaction of $1,283,950.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 98 shares in the company, valued at approximately $42,294.84. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . Also, insider Christopher Bedi sold 377 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $464.59, for a total value of $175,150.43. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 16,990 shares of the companys stock, valued at $7,893,384.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last ninety days, insiders sold 65,629 shares of company stock worth $29,974,024. 0.28% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Shares of NOW opened at $473.31 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 1.11 and a quick ratio of 1.11. ServiceNow, Inc. has a 1 year low of $337.00 and a 1 year high of $521.58. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $448.13 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $418.45. The firm has a market cap of $96.43 billion, a P/E ratio of 295.82, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.11 and a beta of 1.04.

ServiceNow (NYSE:NOW  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 25th. The information technology services provider reported $0.88 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.28. ServiceNow had a net margin of 4.49% and a return on equity of 9.37%. The business had revenue of $1.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. On average, equities analysts expect that ServiceNow, Inc. will post 2.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

About ServiceNow

(Get Rating)

ServiceNow, Inc engages in the provision of enterprise cloud computing solutions. The firm delivers digital workflows on a single enterprise cloud platform called the Now Platform. Its product portfolio is focused on providing Information Technology, Employee and Customer workflows. The company was founded by Frederic B.

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LG Display Co., Ltd. (NYSE:LPL  Get Rating) was the target of a large growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 714,800 shares, a growth of 9.6% from the March 15th total of 652,000 shares. Approximately 0.1% of the shares of the stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 216,100 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 3.3 days.

Institutional Trading of LG Display

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of LPL. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. boosted its stake in LG Display by 7.0% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Asset Management Inc. now owns 29,312 shares of the electronics makers stock worth $164,000 after purchasing an additional 1,905 shares during the period. Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of LG Display by 24.0% in the first quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 12,493 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $80,000 after purchasing an additional 2,421 shares in the last quarter. Bank of America Corp DE boosted its position in shares of LG Display by 4.3% during the first quarter. Bank of America Corp DE now owns 72,171 shares of the electronics makers stock worth $596,000 after buying an additional 2,980 shares during the period. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of LG Display by 25.8% during the third quarter. Schechter Investment Advisors LLC now owns 17,181 shares of the electronics makers stock worth $70,000 after buying an additional 3,521 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC raised its position in LG Display by 54.8% in the 4th quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 10,230 shares of the electronics makers stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 3,622 shares during the last quarter. 2.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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LG Display Price Performance

LPL opened at $6.16 on Friday. The firms fifty day moving average is $5.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.47. LG Display has a twelve month low of $4.08 and a twelve month high of $7.42. The company has a current ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LG Display ( NYSE:LPL Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, February 17th. The electronics maker reported ($1.92) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.58) by ($1.34). The business had revenue of $5.38 billion for the quarter. LG Display had a negative return on equity of 22.16% and a negative net margin of 11.31%. Equities research analysts forecast that LG Display will post -0.97 earnings per share for the current year.

LPL has been the topic of a number of research reports. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of LG Display in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised LG Display from a neutral rating to an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 12th.

LG Display Company Profile

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LG Display Co, Ltd. engages in the manufacture and sale of thin film transistor and organic light-emitting diode display (OLED) products. Its products include television, commercial, monitor, notebook, mobile, auto, and OLED display. The company was founded on February 28, 1985 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.

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Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust (TSE:INO.UN  Get Rating) had its target price decreased by National Bankshares from C$4.25 to C$3.75 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports.

Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust Stock Performance

Shares of TSE INO.UN opened at C$3.45 on Tuesday. Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust has a 1 year low of C$3.32 and a 1 year high of C$8.94. The stock has a market cap of C$113.09 million, a P/E ratio of -2.97 and a beta of 1.60. The firm has a 50-day moving average of C$3.89 and a 200 day moving average of C$4.10. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 85.58, a current ratio of 0.89 and a quick ratio of 0.32.

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Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust Company Profile

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Inovalis Real Estate Investment Trust is an unincorporated, open-ended real estate investment trust established pursuant to a declaration of trust under the laws of the Province of Ontario. The REIT has been created for the purpose of acquiring and owning office properties primarily located in France and Germany but also opportunistically in other European countries where assets meet the REIT's investment criteria.

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TransAlta Renewables (TSE:RNW  Get Rating) had its target price boosted by National Bankshares from C$12.75 to C$13.25 in a report released on Wednesday, BayStreet.CA reports. The firm currently has a sector perform rating on the stock.

Several other research analysts have also recently issued reports on RNW. CSFB increased their price objective on TransAlta Renewables from C$14.00 to C$14.50 in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. TD Securities decreased their price objective on shares of TransAlta Renewables from C$12.50 to C$12.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, February 24th. CIBC dropped their target price on shares of TransAlta Renewables from C$13.50 to C$13.00 in a report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, Raymond James cut their target price on shares of TransAlta Renewables from C$16.50 to C$15.50 in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, TransAlta Renewables currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of C$15.14.

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TransAlta Renewables Trading Up 1.0 %

TSE:RNW opened at C$12.55 on Wednesday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of C$12.05 and a two-hundred day moving average price of C$12.68. The stock has a market capitalization of C$3.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 44.82, a PEG ratio of 2.71 and a beta of 0.76. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 43.77, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.78. TransAlta Renewables has a 1 year low of C$10.63 and a 1 year high of C$18.45.

TransAlta Renewables Announces Dividend

TransAlta Renewables Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Investors of record on Friday, April 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.0783 per share. This represents a $0.94 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 7.49%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. TransAlta Renewabless payout ratio is 335.71%.

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TransAlta Renewables Inc develops, owns, and operates renewable power generation facilities. The company operates through Canadian Wind, Canadian Hydro, Canadian Gas, US Wind and Solar, US Gas, and Australian Gas segments. As of February 24, 2022, it owned and operated 26 wind facilities, 13 hydroelectric facilities, 8 natural gas generation facilities, 2 solar facilities, 1 natural gas pipeline, and 1 battery storage project comprising 2,968 megawatts of net generating capacity located in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, the States of Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, Wyoming, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, North Carolina, and the State of Western Australia.

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Shares of PagSeguro Digital Ltd. (NYSE:PAGS  Get Rating) have been given an average rating of Hold by the thirteen research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price objective among brokerages that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $13.54.

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target on shares of PagSeguro Digital from $12.00 to $10.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, April 4th. Citigroup upgraded shares of PagSeguro Digital from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $12.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, March 28th. Susquehanna reduced their target price on shares of PagSeguro Digital from $26.00 to $16.00 in a report on Thursday, December 29th. Credit Suisse Group downgraded PagSeguro Digital from an outperform rating to a neutral rating and set a $11.00 price objective on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on PagSeguro Digital from $15.00 to $14.00 in a report on Tuesday, April 11th.

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PagSeguro Digital Stock Down 1.1 %

PagSeguro Digital stock opened at $9.02 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $2.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.25, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.61. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $8.58 and a 200 day simple moving average of $10.10. PagSeguro Digital has a 52 week low of $7.51 and a 52 week high of $19.49.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On PagSeguro Digital

PagSeguro Digital ( NYSE:PAGS Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $752.91 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $759.47 million. PagSeguro Digital had a return on equity of 17.41% and a net margin of 9.81%. On average, research analysts anticipate that PagSeguro Digital will post 0.95 earnings per share for the current year.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Nuveen Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in PagSeguro Digital by 41.3% in the third quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 9,118,704 shares of the companys stock valued at $120,640,000 after acquiring an additional 2,667,094 shares in the last quarter. HBK Sorce Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in PagSeguro Digital in the third quarter valued at $236,000. Bayesian Capital Management LP acquired a new position in PagSeguro Digital in the third quarter valued at approximately $644,000. Quantbot Technologies LP boosted its holdings in PagSeguro Digital by 16.0% during the third quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP now owns 17,668 shares of the companys stock worth $233,000 after buying an additional 2,441 shares in the last quarter. Finally, INCA Investments LLC acquired a new stake in PagSeguro Digital during the third quarter valued at $2,888,000. Institutional investors own 52.50% of the companys stock.

About PagSeguro Digital

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PagSeguro Digital Ltd. is engaged in the provision of financial technology solutions focused on consumers, individual entrepreneurs, micro-merchants, small companies and medium-sized companies in Brazil. Its business model covers the following pillars: Multiple digital payment solutions; In-person payments via POS devices that sell to merchants; Free digital accounts; Issuer of prepaid cards to clients for spending or withdrawing account balances, and Operating as an acquirer.

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Magnolia Oil & Gas (NYSE:MGY  Get Rating) had its price objective lowered by Piper Sandler from $35.00 to $34.00 in a research note published on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports. The brokerage currently has an overweight rating on the stock.

Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the company. Truist Financial increased their price target on Magnolia Oil & Gas from $29.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Mizuho reaffirmed a buy rating and set a $29.00 price target on shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. Credit Suisse Group increased their price target on Magnolia Oil & Gas from $28.00 to $29.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday, February 16th. Finally, Roth Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $30.22.

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Magnolia Oil & Gas Stock Performance

Shares of MGY stock opened at $21.34 on Wednesday. Magnolia Oil & Gas has a 12-month low of $18.01 and a 12-month high of $30.31. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.53 and a beta of 2.15. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $21.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $23.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 2.50 and a quick ratio of 2.50.

Magnolia Oil & Gas Increases Dividend

Magnolia Oil & Gas ( NYSE:MGY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported $0.86 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.10. The business had revenue of $349.04 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $351.53 million. Magnolia Oil & Gas had a return on equity of 59.22% and a net margin of 52.75%. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Magnolia Oil & Gas will post 2.71 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 10th were given a dividend of $0.115 per share. This represents a $0.46 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, February 9th. This is an increase from Magnolia Oil & Gass previous quarterly dividend of $0.10. Magnolia Oil & Gass dividend payout ratio is 9.77%.

Institutional Trading of Magnolia Oil & Gas

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Wesbanco Bank Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas in the first quarter valued at $591,000. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas by 70.9% in the first quarter. Hunter Perkins Capital Management LLC now owns 598,842 shares of the companys stock valued at $13,103,000 after purchasing an additional 248,351 shares in the last quarter. Raymond James & Associates lifted its holdings in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas by 14.0% in the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 320,830 shares of the companys stock valued at $7,020,000 after purchasing an additional 39,402 shares in the last quarter. Phocas Financial Corp. lifted its holdings in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas by 1.1% in the first quarter. Phocas Financial Corp. now owns 194,553 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,257,000 after purchasing an additional 2,161 shares in the last quarter. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI lifted its holdings in shares of Magnolia Oil & Gas by 15.3% in the first quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 8,475 shares of the companys stock valued at $185,000 after purchasing an additional 1,125 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.60% of the companys stock.

Magnolia Oil & Gas Company Profile

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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.

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Intercorp Financial Services Inc. (NYSE:IFS  Get Rating) saw a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 41,200 shares, a growth of 10.5% from the March 15th total of 37,300 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 49,600 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 0.8 days. Approximately 0.1% of the companys shares are sold short.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Intercorp Financial Services

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IFS. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC bought a new position in Intercorp Financial Services in the third quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its position in Intercorp Financial Services by 13.9% in the 2nd quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 22,419 shares of the companys stock valued at $521,000 after acquiring an additional 2,741 shares in the last quarter. American Century Companies Inc. boosted its stake in Intercorp Financial Services by 14.1% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 34,098 shares of the companys stock worth $801,000 after purchasing an additional 4,214 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new position in Intercorp Financial Services during the 1st quarter worth about $225,000. Finally, Renaissance Group LLC raised its stake in shares of Intercorp Financial Services by 16.9% in the 3rd quarter. Renaissance Group LLC now owns 51,283 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,029,000 after purchasing an additional 7,423 shares during the period. 7.69% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Intercorp Financial Services Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of IFS opened at $23.67 on Friday. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $23.05 and its 200-day simple moving average is $23.38. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.73 billion, a PE ratio of 6.33, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.37 and a beta of 1.27. Intercorp Financial Services has a 12-month low of $19.65 and a 12-month high of $32.54.

Intercorp Financial Services Cuts Dividend

Intercorp Financial Services ( NYSE:IFS Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 13th. The company reported $0.89 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.04 by ($0.15). The firm had revenue of $395.95 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $384.75 million. Intercorp Financial Services had a return on equity of 17.74% and a net margin of 29.14%. Analysts anticipate that Intercorp Financial Services will post 3.91 EPS for the current year.

The firm also recently declared an annual dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 8th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be given a dividend of $1.18 per share. This represents a dividend yield of 7.6%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. Intercorp Financial Servicess dividend payout ratio is currently 44.39%.

About Intercorp Financial Services

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Intercorp Financial Services Inc provides banking, insurance, and wealth management services for retail and commercial clients in Peru. The company operates through three segments: Banking, Insurance, and Wealth Management. It provides transactional accounts, such as cuenta sueldo and cuenta simple; savings accounts; investment accounts; and time deposits, certificates of deposit, and compensation for service time accounts.

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Snap-on (NYSE:SNA  Get Rating) had its price target increased by Bank of America from $230.00 to $240.00 in a report released on Friday, The Fly reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on SNA. Robert W. Baird increased their price objective on shares of Snap-on from $265.00 to $270.00 in a research report on Friday. Roth Capital reissued a neutral rating on shares of Snap-on in a research note on Thursday, February 2nd. Barrington Research reaffirmed an outperform rating and set a $280.00 target price on shares of Snap-on in a research report on Monday, April 17th. MKM Partners boosted their price target on shares of Snap-on from $238.00 to $259.00 in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Finally, StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Snap-on in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $254.33.

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Snap-on Trading Up 1.6 %

Shares of SNA stock opened at $263.01 on Friday. Snap-on has a fifty-two week low of $190.08 and a fifty-two week high of $263.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.26, a quick ratio of 2.40 and a current ratio of 3.48. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $242.84 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $235.89. The company has a market cap of $13.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.63, a PEG ratio of 2.17 and a beta of 1.09.

Snap-on Announces Dividend

Snap-on ( NYSE:SNA Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 20th. The company reported $4.60 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $4.14 by $0.46. The company had revenue of $1.18 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.13 billion. Snap-on had a net margin of 20.60% and a return on equity of 21.17%. Snap-ons revenue for the quarter was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $4.00 EPS. Research analysts forecast that Snap-on will post 17.16 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 10th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, February 23rd were paid a $1.62 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Wednesday, February 22nd. This represents a $6.48 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.46%. Snap-ons payout ratio is 38.50%.

Insider Activity

In related news, VP Iain Boyd sold 2,736 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.01, for a total transaction of $708,651.36. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 6,249 shares in the company, valued at $1,618,553.49. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other news, SVP Timothy L. Chambers sold 6,769 shares of Snap-on stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $259.08, for a total transaction of $1,753,712.52. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 13,905 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,602,507.40. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, VP Iain Boyd sold 2,736 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $259.01, for a total transaction of $708,651.36. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 6,249 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,618,553.49. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 41,744 shares of company stock worth $10,207,319 over the last quarter. Insiders own 4.20% of the companys stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MetLife Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Snap-on by 22.4% in the 1st quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 14,527 shares of the companys stock worth $2,985,000 after purchasing an additional 2,657 shares during the period. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS lifted its position in shares of Snap-on by 6.0% during the 1st quarter. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Public School Empls Retrmt SYS now owns 7,150 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,469,000 after buying an additional 407 shares during the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in shares of Snap-on by 11.3% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 125,365 shares of the companys stock worth $25,727,000 after acquiring an additional 12,720 shares during the period. Aviva PLC increased its holdings in Snap-on by 12.3% in the 1st quarter. Aviva PLC now owns 33,102 shares of the companys stock worth $6,802,000 after acquiring an additional 3,636 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Prudential PLC bought a new stake in Snap-on in the 1st quarter valued at about $302,000. 85.19% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Snap-on Company Profile

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Snap-On, Inc engages in the manufacture and marketing of tools, equipment, diagnostics, repair information, and systems solutions for professional users performing critical tasks. Its products and services include hand and power tools, tool storage, diagnostics software, handheld and PC-based diagnostic products, information and management systems, shop equipment and other solutions for vehicle dealerships and repair centers, as well as for customers in industries such as aviation and aerospace, agriculture, construction, government and military, mining, natural resources, power generation, and technical education.

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Shares of Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) (OTCMKTS:SVNLY  Get Rating) have been assigned an average rating of Hold from the seven analysts that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating on the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $99.00.

Separately, Barclays downgraded shares of Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating in a report on Tuesday, March 21st.

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Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:SVNLY opened at $4.55 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $18.02 billion, a PE ratio of 8.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.78. Svenska Handelsbanken AB has a 1 year low of $3.90 and a 1 year high of $5.45. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 1.89 and a quick ratio of 1.89. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $4.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.79.

Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) Increases Dividend

Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ) Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Investors of record on Friday, March 24th were paid a $0.2699 dividend. This is a boost from Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ)s previous dividend of $0.19. This represents a yield of 5.95%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 23rd. Svenska Handelsbanken AB (publ)s payout ratio is currently 50.91%.

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Svenska Handelsbanken AB engages in the provision of financial and banking services. It operates through the following segments: Sweden, United Kingdom, Denmark, Finland, Norway, The Netherlands, Capital Markets, and Others. The Capital Markets segment refers to the investment bank, including securities trading, and investment advisory services.

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This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices.
The jets had not yet broken the sound barrier when the V-shaped formation came into view against the blue sky .

About a dozen families erupted in cheers at the sight, eager to welcome home the fliers. Minutes later, loved ones laid eyes on their sailors for the first time in more than eight months.

Fighter squadrons from Carrier Airwing 7 returned Friday to Naval Air Station Oceana following an extended deployment with the George H.W. Bush Strike Group. The Pukin Dogs of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 143 were the first of two fighter squadrons to touch down.

As the pilots began walking to their families waiting near the hangar, 13-year-old Rhea Hampton, dressed in a red jumpsuit, sprinted to her father. Her feet lifted off the ground as Capt. Alex Hampton wrapped her in a hug.

I am just feeling pride, so much pride, for the work they have done, said Yvaal Hampton, Alex Hamptons wife, a smile stretched across her face.

Carrier Airwing 7, which included eight squadrons of fighter jets, Greyhound cargo planes and Seahawk helicopters, deployed in August with the USS George H.W. Bush. While parts of the strike group returned nearly three weeks ago, the return of carrier was delayed after a series of Iranian attacks in Syria.

Erin Giesler, wife of Lt. Cmdr. Jeffery Giesler, said the news of the extension was like a gut punch.

But it went quickly. Luckily, it wasnt as long as I thought it might be. And now its over, said Erin Giesler, wiping a tear from her eye as she watched her husband hold their 3-year-old son, Zack.

The remainder of the air wing will return Friday and Saturday. The George H.W. Bush and guided-missile cruiser Leyte Gulf will return Sunday to Naval Station Norfolk.

During the approximately 250-day cruise, the strike group participated in NATO-led vigilance activity Neptune Strike and Juniper Oak 23-2, the largest bilateral U.S.-Israeli exercise in history. The strike group completed over 12,100 sorties and 24,000 flight hours during deployment.

Standing alongside his F/A-18E Super Hornet, Capt. Alex Hampton corralled his family  his wife, 16-year-old son Zane, 13-year-old daughter Rhea, his mother, and two sisters  in front of a camera for a family photo. While the anticipation of waiting wore off, the tears and the hugs never stopped.

The being away is the most challenging part. The distance can make you feel disconnected. But they were on a mission. The mission was accomplished and now everyone is ready to be with family, said Yvaal Hampton.

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If you're an adult under age 65 who has not gotten a COVID vaccine, there's new guidance: You only need one shot. But many adults over 65 are eligible for a second booster.

The state health department has approved new, simplified COVID-19 vaccine guidance issued this week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About one in four Virginia residents has not received a COVID shot.

People who have not received a bivalent shot should get one dose. This includes children who have completed their primary series and adolescents and adults under age 65. So-called bivalent shots are designed to ward off the original strain of COVID-19 and the omicron variant.

Infants, toddlers and young children 6 months through 5 years who are unvaccinated may receive two shots of Moderna. Children 6 months through 4 years can receive three shots of Pfizer.

School-age children 5 years and older can receive two shots of Moderna or one of Pfizer.

Adults 65 and older are eligible for a second booster if it has been at least four months since their first booster. About 20 million adults in this age group nationwide received a bivalent booster more than four months ago, the CDC said.

People with immunocompromising conditions are also eligible for a second booster.

Only Moderna and Pfizer-branded shots have approved bivalent versions of the vaccine.

You can get a shot for free through the state health department or at a pharmacy.

It's unclear if the CDC will recommend an annual COVID booster. The announcements made this week say nothing about whether an annual shot is more or less likely, a spokesperson for the state health department said.

COVID levels have been low in central Virginia since January.

Charts that track COVID-19 variants, vaccination rates and hospitalizations in Virginia
Ceremonial scissors are poised to cut a ribbon today, April 22, to unveil the newly renovated annex at the Liederkranz, the first high-profile rehab of the prominent 112-year-old building in downtown Railside Grand Island in more than a generation.

The ribbon-cutting is at 2 p.m.

This is a huge deal for one of the citys oldest and most important institutions and buildings, Ryan Rozendal, president of the Liederkranz Board of Trustees, says in a news release. The restoring of windows looking into our private, walled courtyard will make this space one of the most sought-after event locations in the region.

The Liederkranz is a German arts and social club that was founded in 1870 by German settlers and that mission lives on today as a German heritage nonprofit club and event space. Its first president, John Wallichs, would become the citys first mayor after its subsequent 1872 incorporation.

Over the years, the building was used for everything from signing treaties with Native Americans to performances and civic functions, such as the time when John F. Kennedy spoke there while campaigning for president.

The history of Grand Island is intrinsically tied to the history of the Liederkranz, said Tom Ziller, a Liederkranz member, volunteer, and one of main organizers of Annex renovation. Thats why it is crucial to preserve and restore this vital pillar of our towns history.

The prominent brick building that stands at the corner of First and Walnut streets is not the first of the clubs facilities, though it has always been at that same plot of land that was donated by Union Pacific Railroad. That first structure was replaced with the present one in 1911, which still stands to this day and is one of the few buildings in Grand Island to be registered with the Nebraska State Historical Society and on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Annex was erected as an addition to the current building in 1915, jutting out almost 90 feet west into the Liederkranzs picturesque enclosed courtyard. The basement portion below the Annex houses the Liederkranz bowling lanes, which continue to run with the resumption of league play last year. On the main level is a multi-use area and the focus of the renovation efforts.

People drive by on 1st Street every day and dont realize there is a gorgeous, tree-canopied courtyard behind that brick wall, Ziller said, Or that there is a functioning bowling alley and amazing Ratskellar Bar in the basement.

The Liederkranz was remodeled in 1963 and further remodeled in 1969. Among many changes to the building over the years, one of the most prominent is the bricking over of its windows in the ballroom, second story balcony, and the annex. Following that renovation, it was rechristened the Centennial Room, though everyone reverted to calling it the Annex, which Ziller said is indicative of how it was regarded. Without windows, he said the Annex was left feeling enclosed, like a back storage room.

As part of the renovation and ribbon cutting, the Liederkranz board has voted to rename the annex as the Die Ziegelhalle, which means the Brick Hall in German.

Demolition of the panel siding and plaster beneath it began in November 2022. A group of 15 volunteers did most of the work, led by Randy Iversen and Ziller. Contributors included Jerrys Sheet Metal, Stump Construction, State Glass, Ziller Tile, Fonner Park, Boyd Electric, Ryan Krecklow, Doug Ferguson, and Dana and Ron Jelinek. Liederkranz board members Victor Ryan and Max Simonson were instrumental in their support as well.

After exposing the walls down to bricks and removing the drop-down ceiling, restoration began. Added back were the aforementioned new windows, new stairwell entrance doors and windows, a bridal dressing room and Green Room, renovation of the existing bar, restoration of 14-foot ceiling, refinishment of the floors, the addition of new lighting, and enhancement of duct work.

In total, the estimated cost of the renovation is around $50,000, though much more than that was contributed in donations, volunteer labor, and discounts, Ziller said.

While this renovation creates an unparalleled new event space, the restoration of the windows on this portion of the building breathes new life into our facility, Rozendal said. It lets people from the outside know that the lights are on in this place and that things are happening. It sends a message to the community that the Liederkranz is a vibrant place again.

The Liederkranz organizers hope that the restored Die Ziegelhalle will not only enhance its appeal as a wedding event space, but also offer an alternative smaller venue within its own facility to its larger Dance Hall and stage. It has easy access to bathrooms and a commercial kitchen, as well as a dedicated bar. Rozendal hopes to see it used for wedding and baby showers, bachelorette parties, musician and comedic performances, corporate and holiday events, and much more.

A significant portion of the funds for the renovations were raised through the Liederkranzs annual Craft Brew & Sausage Fest, a Oktoberfest-like showcasing of regional brewers products, butchers meats, and Nebraska musicians, all held under the canopy of the Liederkranz Courtyard. Started in 2015, the mission of the Craft Brew & Sausage Fest has been to raise awareness and fund the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of the Liederkranz building and premises. While funds raised for Brew Fest have previously been used toward repair of the facilitys ballroom ceiling, the restoration of the Annex marks its most notable contribution to date.

This ribbon cutting also shows our supporters that we can responsibly raise and manage funds for projects like this, Rozendal said. Its the first of many big things to come for this great place. Our goal is to eventually fully restore and enhance this building as Grand Islands central community space.

Following the ribbon cutting, attendees are invited to stick around for the Liederkanz Bockfest event, which starts at 3 p.m.

This years Brew Fest will be Aug. 19.
Since I posted the previous post, and got so many interesting replies from readers, I've done more thinking about what I would do if I had resources. And as for what I would want for myself, I come down to two things.

Firstly: a vacation. I would take a vacation. It's hilarious that this didn't even occur to me on Thursday. It's that far removed from my thinking, my consciousness, my normal state of being. The idea just doesn't enter my head. It should have been the first thing I thought of, and it wasn't, it was the last.

I haven't had a proper vacation in almost two decades. It's one thing you can't really do if you're a blogger. I've taken some time off here and there, and I've gone a few places, mainly for family or relationship stuff. But I have to keep the blog going in the interim. If I abandon the blog for days on end, I'll watch the readership dwindle. Some people complain that I don't write about photography enough, but here's the truth: everything goes on the fire. You have to keep the fire burning, and whatever burns has to be thrown on. That's the fact of it. Anything you can find the energy to write about, you write about. And are grateful for.

To take a vacation would be to let the fire go out, at least as long as the blog is how I make my living. My late friend Michael Reichmann was independently wealthy, and he could leave LuLa for a month to go to Antarctica or Iceland and let the chips fall. I never could do that, because I depend on this.

But boy, do I ever need a vacation. Don't get me wrong: I don't work very hard; and I like this work. I used to put in ten, twelve, or fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, but now I seldom reach the standard workday of eight hours, and I take days off. But I can't leave. And I'm depleted. I exist in a continual state of depletion, and have since about 2014. If a real vacation now and then can be said to be "recharging your batteries," a common cliche, then I'm an iPhone that never gets to more than about 15% charge and frequently runs down dead. I'm always in low battery mode. Three months on vacation wouldn't be enough at this pointI can feel that in my bones. It would fly by too fast. I need six. Hell, I need a sabbatical year, is what I need.

No chance of it. No. Chance.

So that would be Job One, the first thing.

Focused concentration

The second thing I'd buy for myself would be the lovely luxurious leisure to write something else.

I have a relatively low capacity for writing, I'm guessing. "Writing energy," you might call it. Anthony Trollope or Joyce Carol Oates I ain't. Hemingway wrote 600 words a day, and I can beat that; Stephen King thinks 2,000 words is one day's work, and I could do that sporadically (this post is 2,000 words) but I would have trouble sustaining it. A thousand to 1,500 words a day is about my comfort zone. The big problem I've had in recent years is that the blog soaks up most of my writing energy, and does it persistently, meaning, daily. That's finein fact, it's funif that's all I'm doing. But if I'm trying to do something else too, then the blog becomes the interruption for that other thing. That's the current crux of my dilemma, and has been for some time.

It's interestingit's not so much that I can't spare the time or effort for another thousand words every day on a different project; it's the nature of the involvement. Maybe the analogy would be...I don't know, maybe those guys who have two wives and two families, neither of which knows about the other. (I'm only speculating about that, I hasten to assure you!) When I'm cranking on the blog, I work on it all day whether I'm actually writing or notreading and sorting comments, keeping up correspondences, doing research, planning in my head what to write the next day. I go to bed thinking of ideas and I wake up in the morning pretty much knowing what I'm going to write about. It's a more or less continual and ongoing involvement in my head. In my thinking. I do as much work on it at the pool table or doing the dishes or driving as as I do in front of the computer.

When I'm writing, I get into this very isolated meditative state where I lose track of the world and everything else. I lose the sense of time; I have to set alarms if I want to remember a looming appointment. It's a state of focused concentration. My son is a rock climber, and I've read accounts of rock climbing that make sense to me because of what it feels like to write: climbers talk about the state of focused concentration they have to get into. They have one job and they need to be very present for it. They need to not make mistakes. They don't think about anything else. Writing is similar to those descriptions, except that you can make all the mistakes you want. When you're doing it, it's all there is. Interruptions are brutal, not because you can't break for ten minutes or half an hour, but because they break the state of mind you were in when you were there with it. And later you have to get back into it. It's like being awakened in the middle of the night: you then have the task before you of getting back to sleep. Sometimes that's easy, and sometimes not.

And when I try to do other projects, I need to do the same thing. I need to get into that same 247 preoccupation, with regular (uninterrupted!) stints immersed in the actual writing. That's when the blog goes from being my main project to being an interruption of the other thing. I finished a first chapter of the story of my son, but while I was doing it I was just immersed in it, thinking about it all day long. It's like you get in this flow state with it. And it's all you want to work on. I did a good job with that chapter (want to read it?), but it took a lot of false starts and a number of rewrites and reorganizations and I neglected the blog while I was working on it.

The big problem is, you can't switch from one project to the other. Or at least, I can't. I need to be working on the one project I'm working on (I think John Camp warned me about this). When I wrote "The Secret Art of the Family Photo," I got all immersed in it. Even though my editor was extraordinarily supportive and patient, I was still pretty insecure about it. It's been a very long time since I was edited...actually I never really have been. So being edited was for the most part a new experience. And (if I'm honest about it) I was cowed to be writing for such a prestigious publication. I never get stage fright writing for a big audience; not a hint of it; but I got stage fright as a writer for the first time in my life when I was writing that article. And I got preoccupied with it for several months. It wasn't the magazine's fault; it was entirely due to me following my own interest in it, and allowing myself to get preoccupied by the process and my feelings about it as we went along. But, during that time, I let the blog slide badly. A classic case of plain old neglect. My attention wasn't on it.

When I finished the article and it was published, I "looked up" from my extended reverie...and discovered that traffic on The Online Photographer had fallen off a cliff. Declined severely. I freaked out. Truly. I had a bout of panic and anxiety that lasted several weeks. I don't have a backup parachute; I don't have help in life. I have no wife whose income could help sustain the household through periods of my own unemployment. One parent is gone and the other is in year 12 of dementia. I have no savings to speak ofjust a very large emergency fund and almost no debt. If I screw up, I'm screwed, and that's the end of it. Free soloingclimbing without a safety ropeI guess would be the way to extend that earlier metaphor. In the month or two after that article was published, I thought my biggest problem was going to be selling this house quickly enough to avoid losing my equity. I still feel like I'm walking the sword's edge by hanging on to the house. My savings are at a low ebb and danger is on the horizon.

I'm happy to report that TOP's readership numbers have been going up again, especially lately. No idea if that's due to the announced demise of DPR, or whether I'm writing more articles that people want to read, or what, but it's a good thing. So the dark clouds aren't getting any closer. They're receding a little. But they're out there. I'm keeping a watchful eye.

Anyway: what I haven't worked out is how to keep up TOP and also write something else. That's the problem. It's not that I'd have to let TOP die if I concentrated on something else; I'd hire several other writers to contribute (I even know who they are already), and I'd write a few things myself on a regular basis. But I'd also have an editor to moderate the comments and do all the scut work, and I'd take time off whenever I wanted to, or whenever I needed to in order to get immersed in the other writing projects.

I don't even need to win the lottery. All I need to do is write one book that succeeds, or find another gig that pays the bills. Then I'd keep TOP going on a more occasional basis and still survive.

...And that's possible. I really believe it is. I just have to figure out how to get there from here. The solution is out there. I've been working on it; I just haven't found it yet. I can picture a different situation very clearly. Making the leap from here to there seems to be the difficult thing. You might say I could shut down the blog and work for a year on a book, but that would be the equivalent of jumping out of a plane with no parachute, expecting to find a parachute somewhere on the way down. Not a smart plan!

So my answer to my questionwhat would I do if I had money?actually has nothing to do with the car and the mortgage and all the other crap I wrote about the other day. If I took care of just these two things somehow, all that other stuff would fall into place. Material things are just details. They don't matter in and of themselves. They are things that fall into place when you have the important things worked out.

As for what I would do for others if I had money, one day I will write that post. It'll be far out! Very far out. I have some pretty involved and atypical daydreams along those lines.

Coda

And by the way, thanks. This has helped immensely. Writing about it has clarified my thinking in a useful way. I write most posts for you, but these last two posts were for me. I needed to think this through. Right now I feel like it worked. Thank you for listening.

Mike

Original contents copyright 2023 by Michael C. Johnston and/or the bylined author. All Rights Reserved. Links in this post may be to our affiliates; sales through affiliate links may benefit this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (To see all the comments, click on the "Comments" link below or on the title of this post.)

Featured Comments from:

Aaron: "Reading this reminds me of the difference between what I imagine the 'writing life' or the 'photographic life' of professionals to be and what they actually are (assuming one is not independently wealthy). I imagine for both a state of settled focus, light and free but dedicated. I imagine ideas and words magically turning into good writing or events or scenes magically turning into good photos. I imagine a lot of coffee and quiet afternoons at a desk in front of a big window with pen and paper or early mornings and late evenings strolling through wild places with a rugged camera and lens. I imagine myself as settled and at peace as a professional writer or photographer.

"The reality, from what I gather from you and from others is far different. Of course those moments of 'flow' or focus do happen for you. And of course the work itself means something to you and can be even joyful. But, what's invisible to the rest of us is the unending work and anxiety of trying to make a living. I've read more than once that for most professional photographers something like 1015% of their time is photographing and the rest is the business side of it. And of course, even that doesn't capture the razors edge that I imagine many pros are constantly on. Their paycheck is only as good as the next assignment or wedding or show or blog post or whatever.

"I'm thankful that I have a day job that I enjoy and that gives me and my family some financial security (although I wouldn't say we're rich). We can pay the bills, take a vacation here and there, pay for the kids braces, all without worry as long as we plan. And there's some left over for me to play with cameras! I don't have the guts or the mental fortitude to cut it as anything else.

"So, respect to you and other creators out there producing for us work worth engaging, all while trying to scrape out a living. Seriously, respect."

Dave Millier: "I got that from my one-man-business builder/kitchen fitter. He was constantly juggling 20 balls at the same time and there were no reserves, he had to keep it all going constantly, seven days a week. All was fine as long as he kept the juggling going, but it would all come crashing down if he took his eye off the ball for a moment. Self employment is not for the faint-of-heart."

Gavin Paterson: "Mike, 75-year-old here: youll never win the lottery. Youve already found what youre good at, and its not writing books, or youd have already done it. Im lucky; Ive travelled the world, lived overseas, have a wonderful family, and have photography as my passion and hobby, not my livelihood. What energises me is not what I could have done in the past, but what I can do now and for the foreseeable future. Dreams of painting, writing, etc., have been subsumed by the decades-long preoccupation of day to day living, which has not let up in retirement. You have a style that has me contributing to your Paetron account, and a lot of my interest in your blog is the feedback and response that you generate and develop in your online community. I believe you should foster your community, not yearn for the unobtainable."

Jeff1000: "Use AI to write your blogs.  "

ChatGTP replies: Thank you for your comment about using AI to write blog posts. While AI technology has certainly come a long way and can be very helpful in many areas, there are certain aspects of writing that still require the human touch.

One of the primary goals of blog posts is to engage with readers and create a sense of connection. While an AI program may be able to generate content quickly and efficiently, it may not be able to capture the nuances of human emotion or create a personal connection with the reader in the same way a human writer can.

Additionally, writing is a creative process that often requires a deep understanding of the topic and a certain level of expertise. While an AI program may be able to generate content based on pre-existing data, it may not be able to provide the same level of insight or analysis as a human writer who has spent time researching and understanding the topic.

That being said, there are certainly ways in which AI technology can be integrated into the writing process to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of the final product. For example, AI programs can help with tasks such as grammar and spelling checking, generating topic ideas, and even assisting with research.

In conclusion, while AI technology can be a useful tool for certain aspects of writing, it is important to remember that the human touch is still essential for creating engaging, insightful, and truly impactful blog posts.
Four Claflin University freshmen are receiving an intimate look at the challenges, opportunities and skills necessary to succeed in the hyper-competitive corporate environment of the 21st century as the inaugural class of BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Scholars.

The students also receive full scholarships and free room and board for four years, internships, and mentoring from company executives.

Siri Davis, Kamara Chima, Alexander Mills and Aiyana Uter are Claflin's BlueScholars. BCBS also selected students from Benedict College.

They recently began monthly lunch-and-learn sessions with executives from BCBS of South Carolina. The students will begin internships and engage in career development workshops during the program's second year.

The students share mutual backgrounds as high-achieving high school scholars who arrived at Claflin with impressive academic credentials. Their diverse interests beyond the classroom include sports, music, and community activism.

The scholars are acutely aware that lofty expectations come with full scholarships and access to corporate mentors. The students are preparing for employment opportunities at BlueCross, and all four are envisioning how they can fit into the corporate healthcare arena.

Siri Davis is an accounting major from Orangeburg, with a minor in computer science. She believes working at the health care company will be symbiotic -- matching her skill for navigating technology that constantly evolves with the company's complex databases.

"This scholarship is fantastic," says Davis, the youngest of three and the second sibling to attend Claflin.

Both older siblings are college graduates, and her parents were prepared to help their third college student. However, the BlueScholars all-expenses award has been a welcomed bonus to Davis's self-described "middle-class Black family, where education is always important."

"We meet with an executive every month, and they each have a separate lesson plan for us," Davis says of the monthly sessions. "We recently participated in an interactive session about self-awareness."

With that session in mind, Davis points out that she enjoys campus life while continuing to excel in the classroom. She is balancing life as a college student with the goal of graduating within four years.

"Many students arrive at college and are unable to balance the social aspects of campus life with their academics responsibilities," says Davis says, who was enrolled in college preparatory courses in pharmacy while attending the Orangeburg High School for Health Professions. Her extracurricular activities include being a scholar athlete on Claflin's Lady Panthers volleyball team and helping players from her former high school  HSHP  develop their volleyball skills.

Heeding the voice of her parents and her own, achieving academic success is a priority. She was an honor-roll student all four years in high school and has made the President's List at Claflin.

"Balance is important," Davis says. "My advice to anyone is to consider what you learn from everything. I've taken much of what I learned and needed and applied it to what I'm doing now and as I prepare for the future. I want to be ready for the corporate world."
A St. Matthews mom and a male friend area accused of beating the moms 18-month-old son, according to Calhoun County Sheriffs Office warrants and reports.

Warrants charge Tori Ella Chavis, 23, and Bret Alan Hodges, 20, both of the same Hammond Cross Road address, with one count each of unlawful conduct towards a child, criminal conspiracy, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.

The pair is accused of causing the following injuries to Chavis son: large knot on the forehead, red bruising and marks from cheek to behind ear, and bruising under the soft eye tissue.

The injuries allegedly occurred between Feb. 10 through 16, according to warrants.

One of the childs grandmothers documented injuries she noticed on different days.

An S.C. Department of Social Services caseworker reported the alleged abuse to the CCSO.

On March 15, the child underwent a forensic medical exam that found the injuries were consistent with physical abuse, according to the incident report.

Warrants claim Chavis and Hodges made several inconsistent statements about the childs injuries and didnt seek medical attention for him.

Chavis claimed that her son was injured when he jumped out of Hodges arms, warrants say.

Warrants go on to claim that Chavis and Hodges stories changed about the childs injuries.

At one point, they claimed the child was injured when he fell on a tree root, and then they claimed hed also fallen off of a porch.

The statements were medically inconsistent with the medical forensic team, warrants say.

"The beatings were so severe they were accomplished by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm by an adult on an 18-month-old," warrants say.

When CCSO deputies went to arrest Chavis and Hodges, deputies claimed to see drugs at the home.

They also reported a strong odor of marijuana coming from the residence, an incident report states.

As a result, Chavis and Hodges are both facing one count each of first-offense possession of cocaine base.

Chavis is facing one count of second-offense possession with intent to distribute marijuana and Hodges is charged with one count of first-offense possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

Calhoun County Magistrate Jeffrey Bloom set Chavis and Hodges bonds at $100,000 each.

If convicted, they face up to 20 years in prison.
DENMARK -- On April 13, 2023, Bamberg County elected officials joined Denmark Technical College for a groundbreaking ceremony for the paving of a portion of the campus.

The ceremony was attended by several elected officials, including Denmark Mayor Gerald Wright, Bamberg Mayor Nancy Foster, County Council Chairman Dr. Jonathan Goodman, County Council Vice Chairman Evert Comer, council members Larry Haynes and Spencer Donaldson, and several area commissioners. Commissioner James Bowden, a former Denmark Tech student in 1969, traveled from Washington, D.C., to attend the ceremony.

Alliance Consulting Engineering Project Manager Dave Novotny Sr. described the endeavor as a collaborative effort that presented several challenges and would not have been possible without everyone present.

The current configuration of the parking and pedestrian movements is not clearly defined, leading to the potential confusion for both drivers and pedestrians. To address these concerns, Novotny said, Six designated crosswalks connecting Blatt Hall and Smith Hall along with other buildings will be installed. Additionally, two newly installed raised crosswalks by McDuffie Circle will provide a safer passageway for the entrance and egress to various buildings, including the Academic Support Center, Learning Resources and Technology Center, and Student Service Center.

Novontny further explained, Along with the greatly improved pedestrian safety, we have redesigned the parking areas and will have clearly defined parking spaces including ADA accessible spaces. Traffic-calming measures, including speed bumps, will be installed to increase the safety of all students, faculty, and the public. The new pavement will be more visible, particularly in the dusk and dark with clear reflective pavement markings.

Denmark Tech President Willie Todd said, Were moving in the right direction and thanked those present for sticking with the college instead of jumping ship. He acknowledged the significance of this groundbreaking, noting no technical building had been built on campus since 1961.

Goodman said, The relationship between Denmark Tech and Bamberg County has been strengthened and as the school prospers, the county prospers and vice versa.

Mayors Wright and Foster expressed their happiness with the partnership of Denmark Tech, Bamberg County, and the cities of Denmark and Bamberg.

Wright said, Without Denmark Tech, the city of Denmark would be different and not in a positive way.

Foster said, Your footprint is everywhere, and you make Bamberg County a beautiful place to be.

Bamberg County Administrator Joey Preston applauded the collective effort of everyone involved in making the lives of students, faculty, staff and area residents safer and more enjoyable. He also expressed pride in the countys role in preserving the history, legacy and future of Denmark Technical College. Weve come a long way, he reflected, and we will continue to support this college in any way we can.
The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC Health) has a three-year plan to bring its Orangeburg hospital out of a financial deficit by building community trust, providing programs and services not currently offered locally, and optimizing its revenue cycle.

"We do have a plan that we are confident over the next three years we can reverse the financial trends," Interim MUSC Health Orangeburg President and CEO Dr. David Zaas said. "We can end up ensuring that we move from the red to the black. It won't happen overnight. It is going to take several key points."

In a February financial report, officials reported that year-to-date the hospital had a loss of $9.4 million. The hospital's fiscal year began Oct. 1.

Zaas said there are several ways and strategies that will be used to increase the hospital's viability.

These include:

"We are going to have to rebuild trust in the community for people to seek care here and not to drive past the hospital," Zaas said. "We are going to have to build programs that provide services that don't exist here today."

"We are going to have to improve with the electronic health record our ability to ensure that we optimize the revenue cycle and all those challenges that have impacted hospitals," Zaas said.

"We believe over three years we can move this from in the red to the black, make it sustainable and at the same point improve the services to the community, add the educational programs and do that by growing as our primary strategy," Zaas said. "We don't want to come in and say we are going to get from the red to the black by cutting things."

"Our goal is to get from red to black by growing rebuilding trust, recruiting talent and I am really optimistic," Zaas said. "We said three years and I am hoping we can beat that."

Zaas noted MUSC Health Orangeburg's financial challenges have not been isolated but are a part of a national trend of strain on health care systems.

"When we come into any of these hospitals, the primary goal is our mission which is both to improve the health of South Carolina through clinical care and education research," Zaas said. "That is what drove the decision of 'Why do we need to be here in Orangeburg.'"

"I think we would all agree that this hospital is essential to this community," Zaas said. "This hospital needs to be here for this community and for the surrounding areas."

Zaas said MUSC felt it was "best positioned" to help keep the hospital viable.

He said there is nothing but optimism from the MUSC board and leadership that the hospital will remain viable and improve.

"I think there is an amazing opportunity for education and research, especially in the city which has the other universities and really focus around education from high school to technical colleges to our HBCUs," Zaas said.

Zaas said the first task will be to build trust in the community.

"I think MUSC that we are really fortunate that we have a brand and a reputation that I think represents quality, that represents excellence," Zaas said. "I think even on March 1, we generated a lot of good will."

"Now the obligation is on us to earn that trust, respect of the community by continuing to focus on how do we improve the safety, quality and service through the patient experience. Family experience really, really matters; that is our top priority."

Zaas said the former Regional Medical Center was "already on a journey of improvement."

"We are going to accelerate that market," he said. "The focus on safety, the ability to recruit talent to this market."

Zaas said one goal is to bring back doctors and nurses that have left Orangeburg over the last several years.

"We have talked about a lot 'it is a new day,' not just for patients and families, but I think it is for care team members to say, 'Come back. We are committed to improving the care that we provide to the community."

Zaas said he is hoping over the next few weeks and months to announce the recruitment of new doctors to the area.

Zaas said the goal is to provide "higher complexity, higher acuity care closer to home" where people will not feel like they have to go to Columbia or Charleston to receive the care they need.

Zaas said the hospital is also working on implementing a nursing and physician hiring plan to help build more programs.

"We have a broader plan, but we really want to engage the medical staff and physicians here," he said.

Expanding services

As part of its effort to improve the hospital, MUSC is planning to add and expand existing services. Hospital officials said details on the time frames of the rollout of these various programs are too premature to release.

Heart stents -- One service, which was already underway by the RMC, is the provision of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) services.

This cardiac intervention, using the latest technology, will be able to open up blocked arteries for the first time in Orangeburg.

"That is a huge benefit to the community to be able to say you don't need to leave your community to get cardiac interventions that save lives," Zaas said. "How do we continue to expand out programs in heart advanced vascular?"

Historically the hospital has only been able to do diagnostic pictures to find blockages and would have to send patients to Columbia and Charleston."

The procedure entails using a catheter to place a small structure called a stent to open up blood vessels in the heart that have been narrowed by plaque buildup.

Sickle cell clinic -- Another plan is to launch a sickle cell clinic on the hospital's campus. MUSC opened its expanded Rena N. Grant Sickle Cell Center in January 2022. The center is named after Grant, who was the first African American to serve as director of legislation for the House Ways and Means Committee.

Grant died in February 2020 at age 38 from the disease.

Zaas said the hospital has identified space for the clinic and is finalizing the business model.

"Right now patients with sickle cell end up leaving this community because we don't have anyone with a focus or interest or expertise," Zaas said. "That has been a priority for the State of South Carolina, a priority for MUSC Health in Orangeburg."

Zaas said Orangeburg's sickle cell clinic will be combined with the management of acute pain crises without having to use the emergency room.

"We also want to ensure that we can offer access to clinical trials and eventually curative therapy," Zaas said. "Many, myself included, really believe that curative therapies for sickle cell are coming."

Expand cancer programs -- "The expansion of the cancer program here, I think, is going to be really critical to the community when you look at the number of people leaving the community," Zaas said. "We have a number of patients coming to our Hollings Cancer Center in Charleston and they are so excited. They ask, "When can I get my care in Orangeburg, so I don't have to drive to Charleston?"

Zaas said the expansion would require the recruitment of providers and nurses.

Trauma program certified, plans to improve program -- Zaas noted the hospital's trauma program was certified in March by the American College of Surgeons.

"The American College of Surgeons that was present was so impressed with the collaboration and potential of what we can do because there is such a need to support the community with that," Zaas said.

According to the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, the hospital is a Level III Trauma center.

A Level III Trauma Center is a hospital that has demonstrated an ability to provide prompt assessment, resuscitation, surgery, intensive care and stabilization of injured patients and emergency operations.

Increasing obstetrician and women's health providers.

Rebuilding the wound center.

"There used to be a wound-care clinic here," Zaas said. "It is really needed; it doesn't exist here any longer. That is the other one we are working on. How quickly can we rebuild that so people can have access to that care and don't need to leave."

Indigent care

One of the consistent challenges facing health care in Orangeburg and the hospital is the large volume of indigent care it provides and the challenges of making the hospital sustainable under such circumstances.

"One of the many things I love about MUSC is we are not only the academic medical center but we are also a safety-net hospital," Zaas said. "That is true in all our markets."

"We ensure independent of payer mix and others that we provide outstanding care," he said. "We embrace that. I think the payer mix and challenges are not very different than what we see in our other markets."

One of the issues that is going to have to be addressed is mental health.

"There are disproportionate challenges in mental health in our uninsured patient populations and how we work together with the state to address what is the best locations for care," Zaas said. "What do we do in our ER, what do we do in crisis stabilization units will have a huge impact on the health of our community. What are the mental health needs of the community and how do we help support those as well?"

"They are coming to the emergency room because we don't give them another option in this community," Zaas said.

As part of its efforts to improve profitability, MUSC Health Orangeburg is to also engage the community as part of a three-year community update or needs assessment.

"How do we ensure we have action plans and what action plans were in place?" he said. "I think it is really important that it is not done by a hospital but is done by a community. A community-needs assessment is really bringing together all the stakeholders in the community, schools, employers, local government."

As part of this effort, Zaas is scheduled to meet with leaders at local colleges, universities and high schools.

Overall, Zaas said MUSC will make sure all its decisions are made to ensure the "community hospital culture remains and is augmented."

"I am a real believer that for this to be successful, this is not really top down," he said. "This the resources of MUSC Health and the university in a broad system, but we really want to engage the physicians and the nurses and the community here on what services do we need and how do we work together to achieve them."
(Photo : Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Canadian authorities said that the country would be considering the possibility of offering the mifepristone abortion pill if a ban of the drug in the United States pushes through.

Canada says it can offer the mifepristone abortion pill

The situation comes after Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk ruled in favor of an anti-abortion group

The group filed the lawsuit against the FDA, saying its approval of the drug was not safe

A Canadian official said they could offer the mifepristone abortion pill if the drug gets banned in the United States following a slew of legal challenges by anti-abortion groups.

The remarks come after Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk said, in an Apr. 7 decision, reversed the drug's US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval. This ruling favored Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative Christian legal advocacy group that filed a lawsuit against the abortion pill.

Canada to Provide Access to Mifepristone

United States President Joe Biden's administration quickly worked to appeal the ruling, causing the case to go up to the Supreme Court. There, a judge issued an administrative stay that would last until the end of Friday, giving justices more time to consider the case, as per ABC News.

Canada's press secretary to Families Minister Karina Gould, Philippe-Alexandre Langlois, said that non-Canadians were welcome to get an abortion in the country. In a statement, he said that their government has and will always work to defend a woman's right to choose for her own body.

Langlois added that they have continuously taken action to protect that right and improve women's access to reproductive health services, including abortion. The statement added that in Canada, there were no restrictions or prohibitions placed on health care services for citizens of other countries.

The press secretary's remarks came after Gould on Thursday said Canada would "work to provide that for American women" when asked about the abortion pill. Mifepristone is a drug commonly used with a secondary pill, misoprostol, to induce an abortion or assist in managing an early miscarriage.

Read Also: US Judge Halts Litigations as J&J Pursues $8.9 Billion Settlement in Talc Lawsuits

Criminalization of Getting an Abortion

Gould noted that laws that criminalized women crossing state borders to gain access to reproductive health care were concerning. She said that they need to be vigilant regarding the issue to keep it from becoming worse or endangering women looking to gain access to abortion or healthcare providers, according to CTV News.

When asked whether or not Canada has enough supply of the abortion pill for the possibility of non-Canadians flocking to buy them, Gould said that they were not there yet. She noted that it was a situation that the government was currently thinking about and was engaged with.

Mifepristone works by blocking a hormone known as progesterone, which is needed for a pregnancy to develop. The secondary drug, misoprostol, is the one that empties a woman's uterus. Studies in the United States have shown that the two-step medication regime was 95% effective.

The abortion pill was first approved in the US for the medical termination of pregnancy through seven weeks of gestation more than two decades ago. BBC said the approved use was extended in 2016 to 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Related Article: Supreme Court Extends Access to Mifepristone Until Friday

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The president of South Carolina State University outlined his strategies for continued fundraising and academic program reviews during a board of trustees meeting held Friday at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Greenville.

The board held the meeting there because its Scholarship Gala & Tribute is set for Saturday at the hotel.

President Alexander Conyers said the university has some "tough decisions" to make if it wants to continue to move forward.

"I'm calling this summer the summer of hard reset. ... We're going to have to make some tough decisions, some intentional decisions. We can't be stagnant. We've got to make some decisions for the students first: students first, faculty and staff second and alumni third," Conyers said.

He said that will include a deep dive into the university's academic program productivity report, which S.C. State Provost Fredrick Evans is working on.

"We've got to make some tough decisions when it comes to that, develop a way ahead for additional resources and strategies for education majors," Conyers said.

He continued, "I think there are some more resources and things that we can be doing that I've got to put forth the resources for recruitment, retention and helping (education majors) pass the PRAXIS exam, perhaps hiring a PRAXIS coordinator, a PRAXIS lab.

"We certainly know that the state has a shortage of teachers, and if we aren't careful, everybody else around us will be recruiting these students for teachers."

The president said a cabinet retreat will also be held this summer.

"This is going to focus on talent management, reporting structure and then (a) 100%-of-positions review. We haven't done that probably in maybe a decade, maybe longer, looking at very single position and asking ourselves: Is this position still valid? Should it still be funded? Could we take these funds and reallocate it to a much-needed position someplace else? It's things that successful universities do every two to three years, and I know we haven't done that," Conyers said.

He said the university also continues to work on implementing additional safety and security measures, as well as the master, strategic and capital campaign plans.

The president said the university will also be finalizing its plan for a board of visitors and naming opportunities policy, both of which he said will "tie into the university's capital campaign."

Conyers also reported on the university's partnership with Educational Advancement, a non-profit that provides scalable, sustainable and operations- and technology-focused solutions to HBCUs to help them serve their students and meet their strategic goals.

Through the nonprofit, which has already provided $1.3 million in grant funding to the university, S.C. State has received funding for a transformation officer for a three-year period, along with an enrollment management IT specialist who will serve for the same time period.

"We have our IT division, but this person will be an IT specialist that works specifically in enrollment management," Conyers said.

The president said Ed Advancement is also partnering with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which asked the nonprofit to help the foundation identify two HBCUs to serve as a Lighthouse institution. S.C. State was selected as one of them for "lighting the path for other HBCUs to follow when it comes to technology and using data-driven decisions and IT transformation."

Conyers said, as a Lighthouse institution, the university received funding for services and personnel "to do a whole data-integrated, campus-wide integration specifically geared toward student outcomes and retention and graduation."

The president also reported that he is working on hiring an executive director for the university's burgeoning transportation center, one who will oversee its construction.

"We're looking forward to getting this out to bid. This is long, long overdue, more than 20 years. So we're very happy about this."

Conyers said Queens Village is also being renovated on campus to provide needed student housing.

"If you've been in them, the walls are solid. They're concrete walls, which means we've got to do some additional work with heating and cooling, but we certainly have a plan, a way ahead to bring these back on line, giving us an additional 56 beds," the president said.

He said the university is also preparing to begin its $4 million student center renovation and $20 million student center expansion projects, both of which are being provided through state funding.

The board also approved the organizational chart as presented by Conyers. It included the elimination of the vice president of strategic initiatives and the inclusion instead of a vice president of communications and strategic partnerships, along with a separate and distinct position of a vice president of institutional advancement.

"We don't have a senior vice president with a fundraising background. That's essential. If we're going to do this capital campaign, that's essential," said Conyers, noting the university would be looking to hire a vice president for institutional advancement.

Sonja Bennett-Bellamy, S.C. State vice president for institutional advancement and external affairs, will now serve as the vice president of communications and strategic partnerships.

Conyers continued, "We can do this without any additional funding now and then as we grow this, we can come back and relook the standalone position, if needed, for strategic development and strategic alliances.

"It may not be a vice president, it may be director of strategic initiatives and alliances," he said.
(TBTCO) - Voi viec S&P 500, chi so ai dien cho thi truong chung khoan My, o luong muc o von hoa cua 500 cong ty ai chung lon nhat nuoc My, roi vao thi truong gau (thi truong gia xuong) dai nhat ke tu nam 1973, mot so nha au tu ca nhan cho biet a hoc uoc mot vai ieu ve viec au tu trong qua trinh nay.
Wyomings top education leaders have agreed to collaborate on pilot projects that could kickstart the remaking of the states K-12 education system.

In a first, a formal partnership will unite the Wyoming State Board of Education, Wyoming Department of Education, University of Wyoming and Gov. Mark Gordons office and their educational initiatives to put all of the states power behind transitioning education in Wyoming toward a system thats center on individual student progress rather than seat time.

Our listening carefully to educators across Wyoming reveals a hunger for student-centered innovation and competency-based approaches to teaching and learning, Scott Thomas, the dean of UWs College of Education, said in a statement. This deliberate collaboration represents a signal moment for innovating education and advancing childrens learning throughout the state.

The State Board of Education, which includes Thomas and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Megan Degenfelder, voted Thursday at a meeting in Riverton to formalize their cooperation and start on pilot projects that will move some schools toward competency-based learning, allowing them to focus more on the individual learning of students.

The pilots will be voluntary for schools, but those that join will change how they instruct and assess students.

Potential paths

The groups vote was the product of a discussion that showed a clear alignment between the state bodies.

They have yet to move toward a direction for the pilots, but a State Board of Education memo circulated ahead of the meeting, and before the group agreed to work together, could offer clues.

In that memo, Diana Clapp, the coordinator for the Wyoming State Board of Education, gave board members two options.

In the first, the Board of Education would collaborate with schools and communities to expand on the work that they are already doing around competency-based learning. Schools would mainstream the programs they already have in place, such as career readiness and technical training programs, so that they reach more students.

The Board of Education would guide the schools through the transition, assisting with planning and giving them the support that they need to scale competency-based education. The Wyoming School-University Partnership, an alliance between school districts, community colleges, UW and state education organizations, would have served as a hub, acting as a facilitator so that schools could share their work and learn from one another.

The second option would have involved starting from scratch.

The Board of Education would place pilot schools into small groups, which would then work together with experts and the Board of Education to transform how they teach students. The schools and their communities would focus on the application and transference of learning, personalized learning experiences, and alternative demonstrations of competency, moving students away from seat time and traditional testing and assignments, according to the memo.

Schools would open up their graduation requirements so that students could earn credits for educational opportunities outside of school. For example, instead of requiring a student to take a biology or environmental science course with exams, they may earn credit by working with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department on research.

In both pilots, schools would reconsider course and graduation requirements, give more weight to opportunities such as internships, capstones and work-based learning opportunities, and would allow students more flexibility to work at their own pace and follow their interests. The schools would also emphasize learning through projects.

Wyomings education leaders will continue their discussions and begin to outline plans for the pilots in the coming weeks, said Linda Finnerty, a spokesperson for the Department of Education. They will decide what parts, if any, they want to pull from the Board of Educations proposal.

Though much remains to be seen, the group has celebrated its agreement as a landmark.

The willingness of the Governor, State Board and University to partner with us on this call for innovation is the key to our state achieving student centered education that best prepares students for the workforce, Degenfelder said in a statement.

An audible excitement swept those at the State Board of Education as they discussed the pilot projects and the shift toward competency-based learning.

Youre talking about changing the bedrock essentially of education, Lachelle Brant, Gordons education policy adviser, told the State Board of Education.

The boards members acknowledged that the pilot schools could be the start of a monumental shift for Wyomings K-12 education.

Sometimes a person gets on a board and you dont really know what youre supposed to be doing or what youre accomplishing, said Ellen Creagar, a member of the board and a social science and business professor at Eastern Wyoming College. This isnt that board folks. This is a board thats really moving, shaking and making big, important, positive change for students and changing the face of education in Wyoming. Its exciting.

Bringing together initiatives

Competency-based education essentially means moving from a system in which students mold to education to one in which education molds to individual students.

Its going from school desks lined up in rows, students listening to a PowerPoint lecture, to tests that ask a student to successfully perform a science experiment. Its students taking the knowledge and skills that they build and applying them to the world outside of the classroom.

Competency-based education is premised on the mastery of a subject, not a test score or the time spent in a classroom.

Each of the four state bodies has led their own push toward competency-based education.

The Department of Education and UWs College of Education have focused on teachers, using the approach as a new way to train and certify educators. For Wyoming students, the most notable steps have come from Gordons office and the State Board of Education.

Gordon announced the creation of his Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education (RIDE) initiative in May 2021. He asked the advisory group to broadly study how Wyoming could better prepare its K-12 students amid concerns about state funding for schools.

The group started a public input process to hear what Wyomings consumers  students, parents, businesses and educators  wanted from schools. It released a survey and held more than a dozen listening sessions across the state, producing a report in December that called for the remaking of Wyomings education system to focus on individualized learning for students.

In its report, the advisory group recommended the state strengthen career-connected education and change its K-12 system so that students progress through school based on academic mastery of subjects.

Gordons RIDE initiative paralleled an ongoing effort from the State Board of Education triggered several years before when the addition of computer science standards for K-12 raised questions about graduation requirements.

The State Board of Education started public outreach for its Profile of a Graduate initiative in March 2021 as it looked to shape Wyomings high school graduation requirements. The board asked Wyomingites to share the skills and knowledge that they wanted to see from the states graduates.

A survey and dozens of listening sessions revealed that the states residents wanted graduates to have seven key competencies, including mastering, applying and transferring foundational knowledge and skills, communicating effectively, and thinking critically.

While the State Board of Education and Gordons RIDE advisory group communicated with one another, their work was siloed  even as they found the same appeal of competency-based learning.

The vote Thursday at the State Board of Education marks the first time that all four state bodies have agreed to work together to advance competency-based learning in Wyoming.

It is an honoring of the voices of the people of Wyoming, Clapp told the board.

But while the board, UW, Department of Education and Gordon have bonded together, they still face a challenging road ahead.

A transition to competency-based learning is an enormous task and will not happen overnight. Board members acknowledged that the most significant obstacle will be educating parents, schools and communities about what may seem like a radical change.

Yet, they shared resolve that competency-based learning is the future of K-12 education in Wyoming.

Were all really in this together, Degenfelder said.

A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that the State Board of Education presented Wyomings education leaders with two options for competency-based pilot projects. Those options were included in a memo for the Board of Education before the group voted to work together.

PHOTOS: The first day of school in Casper First day of school First day of school First day of school First day of school First day of school First day of school First day of school First day of school
Oil and gas development in Laramie County has increased exponentially over the past decade. As Wyomingites, were familiar with the economic boons this industry brings. Over half of our states revenue relies on the fossil fuel industry. Taxes and royalties on fossil fuels fund our schools and keep our hospitals open and our roads navigable. The oil and gas industry alone accounted for 26% of Wyomings GDP and employed 28,000 individuals in 2019. Not so obvious, though, are the adverse effects of this booming industry. Many people are unaware of the threat that oil and gas extraction and production poses to our personal health, the health of our children and our aging population, and even the health of our unborn babies.

If youve spent much time in Laramie County, youve probably noticed the oil and gas infrastructure that dots residential neighborhoods outside of Cheyenne, or bright orange balls of flame on the horizon, visible from miles away. You might have seen drilling rigs multiple stories tall, or sound barriers that look like giant fortresses. The visible impact of oil and gas production poses some risks, especially to private landowners who may experience reduced property values as a result of infrastructure on or near their property. The greatest risk, though, is invisible and nearly unavoidable: air pollution.

The oil and gas industry is the worlds largest industrial emitter of volatile organic compounds, or VOC. In the presence of sunlight, VOCs can react with nitrogen oxides to form ground-level ozone. Although atmospheric ozone is beneficial and protects our planet from ultraviolet radiation, ground-level ozone is harmful and contributes to respiratory distress even in totally healthy people. When nitrogen oxides or sunlight are not present, VOCs are still independently harmful. Peer-reviewed research has shown that at sufficient concentration and duration, exposure to VOCs can increase cancer risk. Sufficient exposure can also lead to a suite of serious health conditions besides cancer, including damage to the immune system, neurological impacts like loss of smell, and respiratory damage. In fetal development, VOC exposure has been associated with lower birth weights and increased risk of congenital heart and neural tube defects. In pregnant mothers, VOC exposure is associated with an increased risk of miscarriage. Young children and the elderly are more susceptible to health risks associated with VOC exposure.

Volatile organic compounds are emitted when gas is flared or vented. They can leach from idle or abandoned wells. Owing to the abundance of oil and gas production around Laramie County, VOC emissions and their associated human health impacts are cause for great concern. What is being done? Are oil and gas operators required to eliminate any venting of gas? No. Are strict limits set on flaring? No. Are operators required to monitor emissions around the clock? No. Are we in Laramie County at least able to confidently assess our air quality before we head outside? Also no. At every step, our regulatory agencies fail to adequately protect public health. At every step, corporations are favored over people.

Our states Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has situated an ambient air quality monitor in Laramie County. On paper, it meets all the requirements that an ambient monitor should meet  its downstream of oil and gas development, unobstructed by trees or buildings, and is easily accessible by technicians. The monitor is also miles away from homes or any active oil and gas operations and infrastructure. Since the monitor is miles from any oil development it shows the air quality being good. By its location the monitor fails to provide an accurate portrayal of the impacts of oil and gas development on rural populations.

The monitor should be moved. Placing the monitor in a more densely populated area closer to oil development will ultimately yield more informative results. We deserve to know what is in the air we breathe. We deserve to be informed enough to make healthy decisions for ourselves and our families. Peer-reviewed research shows that air pollutant concentrations and associated health risks increase closer to oil and gas facilities. To assess the risk to human health that oil and gas development in Laramie County poses, the ambient air quality monitor must be moved closer to oil and gas facilities.
Workers must take disciplined mass action to defend their interests, said Movement for Social Justice political leader David Abdulah as the labour movement marks May Day today.

May Day commemorates the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement and is observed on May 1 annually.
(Photo : Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)



Hunter Biden's lawyers are slated to meet with Justice Department officials next week, including the US attorney overseeing the lengthy investigation into the president's son.

Hunter Biden's lawyers will meet DOJ officials

First son's attorneys request a progress report

The news comes as prosecutors consider four accusations against Hunter Biden

Hunter Biden's lawyers are slated to meet next week with US Attorney David Weiss and at least one senior career official from Justice Department headquarters to address the president's son's long-running probe, according to numerous individuals familiar with the case.

In recent weeks, Hunter Biden's legal team has contacted Justice Department officials, requesting an update.

Hunter Biden Probe

According to one person familiar with the conversation, they were invited to meet next week, as is customary when attorneys request a progress report. Weiss, the US Attorney for the District of Delaware appointed by former President Donald Trump, oversees an ongoing criminal investigation investigating President Joe Biden's son.

There have been no public developments since prosecutors reduced the possible charges Hunter Biden may face last year. According to people familiar with the case, prosecutors are still debating whether to pursue two misdemeanor tax evasion charges, one felony tax evasion charge relating to overreporting costs, and a false statement charge linked to a gun purchase.

Hunter Biden has previously denied any misconduct and has not been charged with any crimes. The meeting is being held as the Hunter Biden legal investigation resurfaces after an IRS supervisory special agent contacted Congress, claiming to have evidence regarding possible mismanagement and political intervention in the case.

While the agent's lawyer did not name Hunter Biden in a letter to Congress because doing so may violate the tax rules, a person familiar with the subject previously told CNN that the case involves the president's son.

It comes as federal prosecutors consider four accusations against the president's son, three of which are linked to tax evasion and one of which is tied to a weapons purchase.

According to NBC News, the prospective accusations include two misdemeanor counts of failing to submit taxes, a single felony offense of tax evasion connected to a business cost for one year of taxes, and the gun charge, which is also a potential felony.

Hunter Biden said on the Firearm Transaction Record that he did not utilize illegal substances while acquiring a.38 caliber gun in 2018, but admits in his biography that he was a crack addict. It is a crime to provide false information while purchasing a firearm intentionally.

Furthermore, two senior law enforcement officials told the network that there is "increasing discontent" inside the FBI because most of the investigation was completed last year. However, the IRS completed its tax inquiry more than a year ago.

There is no indication of when charges could be filed. Hunter Biden has categorically denied any misconduct. During Trump's administration, the Hunter Biden investigation began in 2018. In his unsuccessful 2020 re-election campaign, the former president invoked Hunter Biden as a rallying cry for his followers.

Hunter Biden's money relating to his offshore business operations was the subject of the original examination. It eventually came down to whether he declared all of his income and if he lied on gun purchase papers in 2018.

Read Also: Daunte Wright Death: Ex-Minnesota Cop Kim Potter To Be Released From Prison Next Week

IRS Whistleblower

House Republicans are also looking into Hunter Biden's businesses. Earlier this week, a guy working as a supervisory agent on a "high-profile" criminal tax inquiry came out requesting whistleblower protections, saying politics was "improperly contaminating choices" in a specific case.

The clandestine question was thought to be concerning the Hunter Biden case. On Wednesday, a lawyer for the anonymous whistleblower wrote to senators and inspectors general for the Justice and Treasury departments.

The IRS agent's charges against Hunter Biden also "involve failing to minimize evident conflicts of interest in the eventual resolution of the case" and "contradict sworn testimony to Congress by a senior political appointee."

A source familiar with the whistleblower letter verified to the Washington Examiner on Thursday that the anonymous senior Biden official whose testimony before Congress is being disputed is Attorney General Merrick Garland.

Related Article: IRS Whistleblower Claims White House Mishandles First Son's Probe

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Traffic detectives are searching for a pickup truck involved in a hit-and-run of a small child, Tucson police said late Friday.

The child was critically injured.

The collision happened just before 5:45 p.m. Thursday, April 20, in the 3600 block of East Drexel Manor Stravenue, near East Benson Highway and South Palo Verde Road.

Detectives describe the vehicle as a white 2018-2023 Chevrolet Colorado with black side mirrors.

They say it was driven by a male wearing a lime green, long-sleeved shirt.

The child was riding her scooter in the road when the vehicle "struck her head-on and fled northbound shortly afterward," police said in a news release.

Police said the child is in critical condition at a local hospital.

"Detectives are urging anyone with information to come forward and call 9-1-1 or 88-CRIME," police said.
For four years, Dan Horner was not well.

Horner joined the Navy a month after he graduated high school and served until he was 27 and later entered the corporate world. After a while, he found that he was debilitatingly ill, with doctors puzzled at how to help him.

Unable to function normally with his laundry list of ailments, Horner learned that his illness stemmed from trauma he had sustained throughout his childhood and during his military service. For four years, he explored various avenues in alternative medicines, searching for something that could help him ease his condition.

Through the use of natural remedies and plant medicines, including psychedelics, Horner recovered from many of his ailments, and he turned his attention toward educating others about the benefits of these treatments.

Horner, who lives in Tucson, is the founder and director of the Science of Psychedelics and Spiritual Medicine Conference, which will take place April 28-30 at the Herberger Theater in Phoenix. The conference will host guest speakers with experience in the science of psychedelics, with both researchers and advocates alike.

The conference will be Horners 10th that he has organized in Arizona, having coordinated symposiums about topics in alternative medicine since 2010.

Theyre all structured the same way. We get speakers that are knowledgeable on the topic, and we bring them in to educate the public, Horner, 48, said. Of course, were happy to have lawmakers, were happy to have politicians and officials from other organizations. But generally, we open it up to the public because were trying to educate the public directly.

Some of the speakers at the conference include Hamilton Morris, host of the television series Hamiltons Pharmacopeia; and Louie Schwarzberg, director of the Fantastic Fungi documentary on Netflix and Rick Doblin, founder of the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS).

Horner said that the inspiration for the conference stems from the wealth of research showing the benefits of psychedelics to improve and treat mental health conditions and to inform the public about recent breakthroughs in the science of psychedelic substances.

Recent studies from institutions, including the Center for Psychedelic Medicine at New York University Langones Department of Psychiatry have conducted research into psychedelic medicine, including the use of psilocybin as an effective treatment for alcohol use disorder. Additionally, MAPS has conducted research studies that support the medical efficacy of substances like MDMA, ibogaine and LSD to treat various mental health disorders.

One-seventh of the entire population of the United States has a mental health disorder, Horner said. That includes depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, all sorts of disorders that are mentally related. And were finding that psychedelics can help with this gigantic range of mental health disorders, and things that you wouldnt think of as mental health disorders.

Zach Leary, host of the MAPS podcast and a facilitator at the Evolution Retreat Center in Jamaica, will present at the conference about the use of psychedelics in the 21st century. He is the son of Timothy Leary, a former Harvard professor who was a prominent figure in the psychedelic movement of the 1960s.

Leary said that with his presentation, he hopes to provide insight on using psychedelics responsibly, the importance of intention behind the psychedelic journey and how his own experiences and history with psychedelics have impacted his life.

When psychedelics kind of found this modern renaissance within the last few decades, the explosion in psychedelic-assisted therapy, it has seen a tremendous rise in popularity and demand, and also a tremendous amount of success, he said. That said, there are also some things we should watch out for, and how people can be introduced to these substances, to these medicines in a safe, holistic way.

Jennifer Montjoy, who holds a doctoral degree in biobehavioral neuroscience from the University of Arizona, will also speak at the conference. Montjoy utilizes ketamine-assisted psychotherapy at Resilience Behavioral Health Solutions in Tucson, where she said she has supervised over 200 psychotherapy sessions supplemented with ketamine.

Montjoy said she is glad the conference will feature speakers educated about a variety of substances, as well as speakers with different backgrounds in both academia and clinical research.

I think its important culturally that we continue to shift and learn and have accurate information, Montjoy said. From people from different walks of life, different colored skin, different culture so that were also expanding access, hopefully, and its not just another elitist healing opportunity.

Montjoy said if anyone is interested in learning about her practice in Tucson or is a clinician interested in being trained in psychotherapeutics, they can visit her website, jenmontjoy.com.

Some students at the University of Arizona have also been excited about the prospect of increased public discourse regarding psychedelics. Sophomore Evan Laughlin founded the Psychedelic Radar, a student newsletter dedicated to sharing breakthroughs in scientific and medicinal research regarding psychedelic substances.

The members of Radar are passionate about spreading the information gathered from recent research into psychedelics and bringing in guest speakers with expertise in the realm of psychedelic medicine to speak with members of their club.

At this point in time, I think were seeing robust results, and the ability of psychedelics to change peoples perceptions for the better, Laughlin said. I think that for understanding them better, a conference like this is a huge step in that direction.

Tickets for the conference, both online and in-person, start at $299. For more information, visit thescienceofpsychedelics.com/tickets.
PHOENIX  It looks like the sale of homemade tamales on street corners and in parking lots will remain illegal in Arizona, at least for the time being.

Senate Democrats put out a statement late Friday saying they will not provide the necessary votes to override a veto by Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs of legislation that would have legalized the common practice of people selling home-cooked items such as tamales and empanadas.

Thats even though 10 of the 14 Democrats in the chamber voted for the legislation, House Bill 2509, earlier this month.

None of those Democrats responded to Capitol Media Services request that they explain their change of heart.

But Senate Minority Leader Mitzi Epstein, D-Tempe, said it wasnt until after the vote for the bill that caucus members heard from the Arizona Department of Health Services, which opposes the change.

This mattered to many people, she said.

However, Epstein said Democrats remain ready to support a scaled-back version of the bill.

She said the version Hobbs vetoed lacked certain safeguards that could convince lawmakers to once again support the idea.

For example, Epstein said there was no definition of home kitchen in the measure. She said that opened the proposed change to larger-scale operations beyond a family trying to make extra money.

Hobbs wrote in her veto message: This bill would significantly increase the risk of food-borne illness by expanding the ability of cottage food vendors to sell high-risk foods.

Amendments were rejected

The situation might have been different, Epstein said, had the measure been amended to include changes sought by Rep. Patty Contreras, D-Phoenix.

During the debate, Contreras, who has more than 15 years of experience as a food service manager, rattled off a litany of the kinds of diseases people can get if food is not cooked at the proper temperature for the necessary time.

She had proposed adding provisions to the measure to require the health department to inspect home kitchens where food was to be prepared before issuing the necessary permit.

That would have included many of the checks that now apply to restaurants, such as inspecting the area to ensure it is free from indication of pests and debris and making sure cooking supplies are clean and stored in sanitized cabinets and that refrigerated food is properly stored and dated.

But that change was rejected by Rep. Travis Grantham, R-Gilbert, sponsor of the measure. He minimized the risks of home-cooked foods, saying he never got sick from these kinds of items purchased on the street, a statement he said he could not make about eating in restaurants.

Epstein said the Democrats decision was not political and had nothing to do with the question of whether they should go against the wishes of the Democratic governor.

Their decision to refuse to provide the margin for an override wont preclude a debate, however.

Grantham said he intends to make the motion Tuesday on the House floor to override Hobbs veto. And if he somehow gets the votes there  he needs 10 of the chambers 29 Democrats to go along  the measure will go to the Senate.

That would provide an opportunity for supporters and foes of the original measure to explain why they will or will not vote to override the veto.

Public health associations support

While Epstein said there were concerns by some health experts, those foes, however, did not include Will Humble, executive director of the Arizona Public Health Association.

My gut says HB 2509 would have been a net public health benefit, Humble said. He suggested that predictions of dire consequences should be taken in context.

He pointed out that until 2011 it was totally illegal to sell foods not made in a licensed kitchen.

That year Arizona lawmakers approved allowing people to make baked and confectionery foods at home and sell them as long as the food did not facilitate the growth of bacteria.

What resulted, Humble said, is what Arizonans see at farmers markets, where breads, sweets, fruits, jams and jellies, along with other items, can be openly sold.

The program has been wildly successful and a big public health benefit, he said. It helps families earn extra income and improves the social determinants of health, including economic stability.

Humble said he sees HB 2509 as simply expanding on that  with what he believes are sufficient safeguards.

For example, he said, the bill excluded the sale of drinks, fish and shellfish products. Meat products would have to come from an inspected source in accordance with federal regulations.

And he said that foods with dairy, meat or poultry would have to be sold directly by the preparer, with no middleman, and delivered to the consumer in person. It also would have said that foods needing time and temperature controls would have to be maintained at the right temperature, could not be transported for more than two hours, and could not be transported more than once.

Finally, he said, all products would need to be labeled as to where they were made so theres a way to conduct food-borne illness investigations.
The following is the opinion and analysis of the writer:

I was 2 years old when I went on my first camping trip at Dead Horse Ranch State Park, a tiny little thing just north of Cottonwood. The name is hardly awe-inspiring, and while I am assured that at other times of the year it can be quite lovely, that weekend it was living up to its moniker with sticky, sweltering weather and a constant presence of biting flies turning the trip miserable for all involved. All except me. I had found something, a place that millions of people come to Arizona seeking, a place called the great outdoors.

This Earth Day, we should remember that Arizona is blessed, but with that blessing comes an obligation. The farms and towns, the cities and ranches of our great state, depend on water to survive. In 2017, we used roughly 7 million acre-feet of water. That number alone is not a problem  thanks to growing suburbs, innovation, and support from the state and federal government, we use less water today than we did half a century ago. But the Colorado River, our single greatest water source, has shrunk, posing an existential threat to Arizona. We need to balance our hydrological books.

Outside of Phoenix and Tucson, where Arizonas landscape stops being merely interesting and becomes something truly beautiful, youll find dozens of farming, ranching, and mining communities. These are the people who live the water crisis that those of us in metro areas pretend to know so much about. For a farmer in Eloy or Coolidge, the drought contingency plan isnt a sort of Damocles sword hanging over their head; its a sword thats already fallen, forcing them to spend money they didnt have to upgrade their irrigation system.

Unfortunately, some look at our water budget and see what happened to that farmer not as a tragedy but as a solution. This is deeply unserious. Over 130,000 Arizona jobs are supported by agriculture, and agriculture is the linchpin of communities across this great state. Time and time again, the agricultural community has shown that they are eager to increase efficiency, from supporting legislation that got rid of out-of-date use it or lose it water laws to supporting water management areas in rural Arizona. Farmers cannot be cut out of the solution to the water crisis.

So far, the picture looks bleak. Arizona is using more water than it needs, and many prefer to blame rural communities rather than search for solutions. However, theres a great deal of reason to hope. Last year, Arizona allocated over $1.2 billion toward grants, loans, and potentially large-scale projects to increase efficiency and possibly increase supply by large bipartisan majorities. Not only will this money make Arizonas water future brighter, it also shows the cross-partisan interest in solving Arizonas water crisis.

The Legislature is far from the only place Arizonans are coming together to tackle water issues. Most obvious are the citywide programs to use less water, as municipalities across the state urge their citizens to think about how to conserve and preserve for decades to come. However, what often goes unseen and unsung are the individual homeowners, the businesses who take on projects of their own, who go out of their way to conserve water. Those individual actions matter, and just as importantly, they are in each of our hands.

It only takes a few hours of driving to realize how special Arizona is. From Havasupai to the Huachucas, Mount Baldy to the sun-kissed banks of the Colorado River, Arizona is blessed to be the home of some of the most stunning and varied landscapes on the planet. For us to continue to live in this amazing state, we must be conscious about our water use. Luckily, on this Earth Day, the future looks bright.
(Photo : Leon Neal/Getty Images)

UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab resigns following an investigation looking into allegations that he bullied officials.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab files resignation amid allegations that he bullied officials

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak accepted his ally's decision with "great sadness"

Sunak installed Oliver Dowden as the new deputy prime minister

UK Deputy Prime Minister Domonic Raab resigned from his post following allegations that he bullied officials, dealing a serious blow to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's premiership.

Raab considered one of Sunak's closest allies, said in his resignation letter that he decided following an official inquiry that some of the claims made against him were justified. On the other hand, the prime minister accepted his deputy's resignation with "great sadness" and installed Oliver Dowden as the new deputy prime minister.

UK Deputy Prime Minister Resigns Over Bullying Allegations

Independent investigator Adam Tolley investigates the allegations against Raab. As per CNN, it follows eight formal complaints regarding the official's behavior during his time as foreign secretary, Brexit secretary, and justice secretary.

Raab said that he called for the inquiry and undertook to resign if it found that there was evidence of any bullying. He added that his decision to step down was made because it was essential to keep his promises.

He added that the investigation into the allegations dismissed all accusations except for two claims. He said that he had not once sworn or shouted at anyone in four and a half years and had not thrown anything or otherwise physically intimidated any individual or intentionally belittled anyone.

The report was later published after Raab's resignation on Friday, where it revealed that it concluded that the official acted in an intimidating way. The bullying behavior was allegedly done at times when the office would be unreasonably and persistently aggressive in conduct under the guise of having a work meeting.

In response to the investigation findings, Raab noted that setting the standards for bullying at an extremely low level was setting a dangerous precedent. He claims that it would encourage spurious complaints against Ministers of the country. According to Inquirer, he added that it would have a chilling effect on people who are driving change on behalf of the government.

Read Also: Sudan Violence: Death Toll Now Over 400; US Pre-Positions Military Forces

Setting a Dangerous Precedent

The latest development marks the third senior minister that has stepped down over personal conduct since Sunak was appointed prime minister. He entered Downing Street last October, committing to a government of integrity.

Sunak said that Raab had rightly undertaken to resign following the investigation's findings of bullying. During his remarks, he also appointed Alex Chalk as the new justice secretary for the region.

Raab said he was genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offense that officials felt from him. He said that these were most likely a result of the pace, standards, and challenge he brought to the Minister of Justice.

Just a short while after Raab initially took the role of deputy prime minister, Minister Without Portfolio Sir Gavin Williamson stepped down in November amid similar allegations of bullying. Earlier this year, Nadhim Zahawi was stripped from his post as Conservative Party chairman following an inquiry that found he committed a "serious breach of the Ministerial Code," said CNBC.

Related Article: UK Economy Indicates Recovery as Consumer Confidence Increases

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)  On April 26, 2017, Walter Watkins returned to his Memphis home from work, let his three-month-old dog Hennessy out to use the bathroom and went back inside the house to make her meal. When he went back out to get her, she was gone.

I was doing this for three months with her, from six weeks old when she started going outside. Im letting her outside so she can be housetrained, Watkins said.

A woman told him she had seen a man pull Hennessy over the fence, so Watkins started running through the neighborhood looking for the American Bully to no avail.

Watkins and his son, who was 10 years old when Hennessy was stolen, looked for her for more than two years before finally giving up. But then last week, almost six years to the day the dog was stolen, Watkins got a call from the Olive Branch Animal Shelter.

Hennessy had been sold to a family in Olive Branch and the animal shelter had found Hennessy after she had gotten lost. The shelter was able to connect Watkins with Hennessy because Watkins had chipped her when she was a baby and kept his contact information updated. A microchip is a small, electronic chip that is injected under the skin of the pet using a hypodermic needle. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, while a microchip doesnt act as a GPS tracking device, having one will make it more likely for an owner to be reunited with a lost pet.

It was a bad situation at the time. A lot of tears were shed because of this dog, Watkins said. After two years we gave up, we gave up looking. But I never stopped updating my information as far as the chip. When I got that call the other day, I really thought it was a joke. I was like look is this a sick joke? Why would you call and tell me this when its been six years? But he was like man, weve got your dog.

When Watkins told his son, now 17, that Hennessy had been found, he wanted to immediately leave school to come see her, but Watkins told him to finish the day and then come straight home.

When he came home, I mean my sons 17, you know how when they get 17 they think theyre grown and all that, Watkins said. Man, I seen the kid come back out in him. That was his dog. He looked for that dog day and night. And it was really him, like saying daddy can we go look for Hennessy? I wanted to give up a long time ago, but my son, we were out there every day for two years, looking for the dog.

Watkins is thankful he had microchipped Hennessy and is now pushing for others to do the same for their pets.

When an animal is found and taken to a shelter or veterinary clinic, one of the first things they do is scan the animal for a microchip, the veterinary association said in a written Q&A. If they find a microchip, and if the microchip registry has accurate information, they can quickly find the animals owner.

Watkins had spent somewhere between $95 and $200 to chip Hennessy in 2017 but said it can be done for much cheaper now. It cost five dollars to microchip a pet at the Memphis Animal Shelter and in July 2022, the shelter told the Commercial Appeal that it encourages owners to microchip their pets as a way to prevent animals from coming into the shelter. There are microchip scanners at every single fire station in Memphis allowing people who find a lost dog to scan them.

Its unbelievable how many pets are in the animal shelter right now, Watkins said. I believe that with a simple microchip, a lot of people would have their pets back. This right here goes to show that it works.

As for Hennessy, she is now called Princess Hennessy. The Olive Branch family that purchased the dog four years ago named her Princess. Watkins has conflicted feelings about having her back now and has been talking with the people who had her about how to set up a situation where they can still see Princess Hennessy.

I let the guy (who had her for four years) know shes got two families now, she got two homes now, I want you guys to know, this is your family, Watkins said. I even asked the guy do you want her back and, on the other hand, its like, I really dont want to give my dog back.
A 74-year-old Connecticut woman suffered bites to her arms and legs Friday when she was attacked by a black bear while out walking her dog on a leash in a Hartford suburb, state environmental officials said.

The woman was taken to a hospital with injuries that weren't life-threatening, officials said.

The 12-year-old female bear was located a short time later by authorities, who killed the 250 pound (113 kilogram) animal, which will be tested for rabies. The bear had been tagged as part of the states bear tracking program.

This was the first bear-on-human attack this year in the state. There were two last year, including one in October in which a 10-year-old boy in Morris was mauled in a backyard.

Jenny Dickson, the director of the wildlife division of the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the bear was in the area with three yearling cubs, but it is unclear why it attacked the woman in the suburb of Avon.

It could have been just the general reaction bears have to dogs, whether they're leashed or not, Dickson said, adding bears tend to view dogs as predators.

Dickson noted it was also trash collection day in the area, and the bear may have been seeking food in the garbage. It could have been that she was taking advantage of tasty meals and said, 'I don't want anybody near me when I'm getting my food,'" Dickson added.

She said the cubs, which were not harmed or captured, are at an age where they are not dependent on their mother.

Dickson said there have been a number of bear interactions with humans in Connecticut recently, including another this week in which a bear had to be put down after being found inside a home in Salisbury.

The bear population is continuing to grow and expand, she said. We are also dealing with a lot of bears that have become both habituated and food-conditioned. They are getting very used to people. They are getting a little too comfortable around our yards and around our neighborhoods.

Bear hunting is not allowed in Connecticut, but Dickson said the department has asked the legislature to legalize at least a limited hunt in areas of greater bear-human conflicts, in order to reduce that danger.

A bill allowing a hunt in northwestern Connecticut, where the bear population is most dense, failed to make it out of committee during the current legislative session. But lawmakers are still considering language that would allow special state permits to kill bears that threaten or damage crops, livestock or bees.

Without effective wildlife management the bear population will continue to increase, and these types of interactions will happen more frequently," said state Rep. Karen Reddington-Hughes, a Republican member of the environment committee who proposed the bear hunt.

There are between 1,000 and 1,200 black bears living in Connecticut, the department says, with sightings last year in 158 of the states 169 towns and cities.
WHEELING, W.Va. (AP)  Work to renovate the Fort Henry Building is now complete with the historic structure now home to three companies.

Ernest Dellatorre, director of business development for McKinley Architecture and Engineering, said the most recent phase of rehabilitation to the interior of the building was completed in March. McKinley owns the building, located at 1324 Chapline St., and has also moved its office from rented space at the Maxwell Center in Center Wheeling.

There are two other tenants, Steptoe & Johnson law office and a West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services office. About 3,700 square feet of space is still available to rent.

Dellatorre said the interior work brought some interesting discoveries to the building that once housed the Fort Henry Club.

One surprise was that hidden above a suspended ceiling in the formal fourth floor ballroom was the original 1920 domed plaster ceiling with intricate detail including seashells, flowers, medallions, and bas-relief, that we restored to its original magnificent ambiance, he said.

We also found hidden in a wall on the first-floor original French doors that were restored in place and now currently in use.

We found menus, photographs, newspapers, books and other artifacts that will eventually be displayed.

Dellatorre said the Fort Henry Building is one of McKinleys latest preservation projects in West Virginia. The projects architect was Christina Schessler, senior architect for McKinley.

We have a passion for historic preservation that began with the founder of our company David B. McKinley, he said.

We originally worked with the Fort Henry Club members to revitalize the building. When that did not come to fruition, we took it upon ourselves to purchase and restore the building to its original charm.

Dellatorre said they are planning to hold an open house in the future to showcase the renovations.

Before any interior work could be done, there were many external issues to deal with such as building stabilization including removing an earlier addition, repairing roof structure, replacing roof, replacing drainage by separating storm and sanitary lines, he said.

Some important and impressive people have walked these corridors: Charles Lindbergh, Babe Ruth, Jimmy Stewart, and President Herbert Hoover are just a few of the names we found in the local history books covering Wheeling.

All these people have influenced our national history, and they all stopped at the Fort Henry.

The first phase of renovations began in 2015.

Schessler said she began working on the design of the building in 2009. Since it is a historic structure and historic tax credits were sought for the project, certain original portions and aspects of the building had to be retained, as required by the Secretary of the Interior, she noted. This included retaining as much of the original plasterwork and woodwork as possible.

Anything the club thought was an important space we had to keep. A lot of it was in good shape, she noted.

During the installation of new mechanicals in the building, it was discovered that some woodwork was more damaged than it looked on the surface.

Paint hides a lot of things, she said.

This led to the recreation of some wood pieces to match the old. Sections of plasterwork also had to be repaired or recreated because it was very damaged in sections of the building.

Regarding the ballroom dome, Schessler said they were hopeful that some ornate plasterwork remained.

Whether it was intact was unknown. The majority of it was still there, she said.

Schessler said in addition to meeting historical guidelines, Americans With Disabilities Act guidelines also had to be met, specifically at the side entrance of the building. Previously when one entered it had a set of stairs that led to a landing and then another set of steps that went down to the elevator area. This was not ADA compliant.

To remedy the situation, the entire staircase was removed to make a smooth, one-level transition from the sidewalk outside into a new hallway leading to the elevators.

It took awhile to come up with that idea. Mr. McKinley came up with that, Schessler said of the companys founder. She added McKinley thought of the idea casually while talking with her at a social event.

As a way to put their own stamp on the building, McKinley employees signed their names on a wall now hidden behind an acoustic panel in the ballroom. Schessler hopes someday, maybe even 100 years from now, that someone else making improvements to the building will find their signatures.

It was a good experience, she said of the project. Were happy to be here. Were still in downtown Wheeling, which was important to us.

David H. McKinley, chairman of McKinley Architecture and Engineering, said the company has worked tirelessly on the $8 million project.

To finally finish the building and bring our vision to fruition, brings all of us a sense of personal accomplishment, he said. We are proud of our personal efforts, and are rewarded with being a tenant in this beautiful rehabilitation.

We had to navigate the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain delays and economic slow-down. Protecting historical structures is expensive, but worthwhile.

The time it took to complete; almost 10 years.

He noted the building has historic appeal and is located in the heart of the city.

Despite being more than a century old, the building is in good condition. When you look at an old building such as that, you have to determine if it can be saved; this building has strong bones and is structurally sound, he said.

We would rather save a building than have it torn down, and are honored that we could not only save  but also own a building that we restored.

The building is included in the Wheeling Historic District in the National Register of Historic Place; its reference No. 79002597. The firm has worked on more than 150 rehabilitation projects.

This restoration showcases our care for historic components, attention to detail, and carefully integrating modern purposes into a historic fabric, he said of the Fort Henry.

The Fort Henry Building was originally built as the James Fitzsimmons residence in 1850, according to information from the Ohio County Public Library. The townhouse later would be purchased by Allen Howell.

On August 6, 1890, an initial organizational meeting of the Fort Henry Club took place in the Howell Mansion. The club would be incorporated as the Fort Henry Club on Sept. 4, 1890. The Howell Mansion was then converted to an exclusive mens club and after extensive renovations, the Fort Henry Club opened Dec. 23, 1890.

The club served three meals a day and had a chef on duty around the clock, according to the librarys information. Businessmen from Wheeling and all over the country kept their memberships so they would have a place to go when in the city.

But after decades of economic and population decline in Wheeling, the Fort Henry Club was forced to close by the late 2000s.

It was first purchased by St. Matthews Episcopal Church, a neighbor of the Fort Henry Club Building. McKinley Architecture and Engineering first became involved with the project, then took ownership of the property in September 2013.
North Dakota House lawmakers passed three bills Friday that would restrict transgender peoples access to bathrooms, remove sexually explicit materials from the childrens section of libraries, and expand child care assistance in the hopes of combating the state's workforce shortage.

The trans bill and sexual materials bill passed the House and Senate with veto-proof majorities, so the bills could become law without Republican Gov. Doug Burgum's approval.

The child care bill passed after heated debate in the House and without a veto-proof majority. It still requires approval from the Senate and governor to become law.

TRANSGENDER BILL

The legislation would limit access to bathrooms, locker rooms and shower rooms for transgender and gender-nonconforming people in several state facilities. That includes dorms and living facilities controlled by the state board of higher education, penitentiaries and correctional facilities for youths and adults.

Restrooms and shower rooms at these facilities would be designated for use exclusively for males or exclusively for females, according to the bill. Transgender or gender-nonconforming people would need to get approval from a staff member at the facility to use the restroom or shower room of their choice.

House lawmakers did not debate the bill. It passed with a 78-14 vote.

Three Republicans  Reps. Eric James Murphy of Grand Forks, David Richter of Williston, and Cynthia Schreiber-Beck of Wahpeton  defied their party and voted against the bill. In the other direction, Democratic Rep. Corey Mock, of Grand Forks, was the only person in his party to vote in support of the bill.

The American Civil Liberties Union has said that so far this year, more than 450 bills attacking the rights of transgender people have been introduced in state legislatures.

SEXUAL MATERIALS BILL

Public libraries would be prohibited from keeping sexually explicit material  which is defined as being patently offensive and lacking serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value for minors  in the children's section, under this bill.

A librarian or anyone else who knowingly violates the rule could be charged with a felony, said Republican Rep. Lawrence Klemin, of Bismarck, speaking on the House floor before voting in support of the bill. The felony comes with up to five years in prison and $10,000 in fines.

Following minimal discussion, the bill passed with a 70-22 vote. All 12 Democrats voted against it, along with 10 Republicans.

Attempted book bans and restrictions at school and public libraries have surged across the country, setting a record in 2022, according to the American Library Association last month.

CHILD CARE BILL

Following heated debate, House lawmakers passed a bill that would expand child care assistance for parents in the state.

Supporters said the bill would help the state combat its workforce shortage, whereas opponents said it would cost too much without the guarantee of bringing in more workers.

The program would cost $65.6 million  which is significantly less than the other child care proposals lawmakers heard  and it would help thousands of children, said Republican Rep. Emily OBrien, of Grand Forks, while speaking in support of the bill on the House floor.

Democratic Rep. Alisa Mitskog, of Wahpeton, added that New Mexico  a competing oil-producing state  has already invested in child care assistance to attract workers.

But opponents said the program would be a waste of money from the state's general fund. Its also a very leftist, socialist idea, Republican Rep. Jeff Hoverson, of Minot, said.

The bill passed with a 62-29 vote, with all 12 Democrats voting in support along with 50 Republicans.

Burgum, the second-term Republican governor and a staunch supporter of child care investments, said last year that the lack of affordable child care in North Dakota contributes to workforce shortages that have hurt the state's economy. Adequate and affordable child care would help attract and retain companies in the state, he added.

Trisha Ahmed is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Trisha Ahmed on Twitter: @TrishaAhmed15
NYSSA, Ore. (AP)  Authorities were looking for a man they believe shot and killed an eastern Oregon reserve police officer.

Nyssa officer Joseph Johnson, 43, died Saturday night after a man he had pursued in a car shot at him. The man fled and Johnson was dead when sheriff's officers and medical workers arrived, The Oregonian reported.

Johnson had been responding to reports the man was making threats and damaging property, the Malheur County District Attorneys office said in a statement Sunday.

Nyssa, population 3,200, is near the Idaho state line about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northwest of Boise, Idaho.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek ordered flags at public institutions to be flown at half-mast until sundown Monday in honor of Johnson.

This is an absolute tragedy," she said in a statement. Officer Johnsons service and dedication to his community and our state will not be forgotten.

Johnson is survived by a wife and two children.
FRIDAY, April 21, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- While overall support for childhood vaccines remains strong, a new UNICEF report documents a significant decline in the public's faith in the importance of these vaccines.

Confidence in childhood immunizations dropped by up to 44 percentage points in some countries during the pandemic, according to the report. Meanwhile, 67 million children missed one or more of their vaccines over three years because of pandemic-related strains on health systems, scarce resources, conflict, fragility, and decreased confidence.

Perception about the importance of vaccines for children declined by more than one-third in the Republic of Korea, Papua New Guinea, Ghana, Senegal, and Japan, according to the "State of the World's Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination." Only in China, India, and Mexico did the perception about the importance of vaccines continue at the same level or increase. People younger than 35 years and women were more likely to report less confidence about vaccines for children after the pandemic began.

Support for vaccines remains relatively strong, with more than 80 percent of respondents in nearly half of the countries still perceiving vaccines as important for children. Yet, the threat of vaccine hesitancy may be growing because of uncertainty about the response to the pandemic, growing access to misleading information, declining trust in expertise, and political polarization, the report noted.

Vaccination coverage levels decreased in 112 countries between 2019 and 2021. Those born just before or during the pandemic are now passing the age when they would normally be vaccinated. There is an urgent need to get them caught up, according to UNICEF.

Here are some real-world examples of the impact: The number of children paralyzed by polio was up 16 percent year-to-year in 2022, while measles cases doubled. Inequities are a part of the picture, with too many children in marginalized communities unable to access or afford vaccines, according to the report. About 48 million of the 67 million children who missed routine vaccinations between 2019 and 2021 did not receive a single routine vaccine. At the end of 2021, India and Nigeria had the largest numbers of these zero-dose children. Increases in the numbers of zero-dose children were especially notable in Myanmar and the Philippines.
Oklahoma is believed to be the only state in the U.S. that has a law banning red-flag laws, which in other states allow for temporary firearm removal from individuals believed to be at risk of harming themselves or others.

States took millions to enact red-flag gun laws, but many still won't pass them A Lee Enterprises review reveals that lawmakers in 31 states have not passed red-flag laws even as most of those states received federal funding through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

The policy, which exists in 19 states and the District of Columbia, is one that gun-safety advocates are pushing once again across the U.S. in the aftermath of the late-March Nashville school shooting, which killed six people.

The policy has bipartisan appeal nationwide, with some Republicans in favor of it. But Oklahoma lawmakers in 2020 passed an anti-red flag law and have expanded access to firearms over recent years.

At the time of the Oklahoma bills passage, state Rep. Jay Steagall, R-Yukon, said red-flag laws amount to stripping American citizens of their rights to due process under the law.

And state Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, said that whether it is passing constitutional carry or opposing these stealthy attempts at denying our due process, Im honored to be continually leading the charge to defend the rights of Oklahomans and am pleased to see us be the first in the nation to pass this type of law.

Gun-safety experts have said they are working across the U.S. to prevent mass shootings, suicides and domestic violence. Oklahoma had the 12th highest firearm death rate among U.S. states in 2020 with a death rate of 20.7 per 100,000 people, according to federal data. But conservatives in Oklahoma have pushed back on the efforts.

And all members of Oklahomas congressional delegation were opposed to the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which contains funding for states to create and implement red-flag laws. However, states without red-flag laws can use the money authorized in the bill for other gun violence-reduction programs.

At the time of its passage, U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., said he voted against the bill because it does not protect the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens.

It incentivizes states to adopt red flag laws, which often treat individuals as guilty until proven innocent, Lankford said last year.

However, after the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act was passed, Oklahoma applied for and was awarded about $3.5 million in funding.

The state says it will form an advisory board to determine funding priorities, which could include specialized drug, mental health and veterans court programs, including those that specifically accept clients with firearms violations.

The state also proposes to spend the money on behavioral health detection for those at risk to themselves or others; and/or funding for law enforcement agencies to safely secure, store, track and return relinquished guns.

The main purpose of the proposed projects is to save lives by reducing the likelihood of gun violence, according to the federal application, submitted by the Oklahoma District Attorneys Council.
Iris Dager was adopted from Vietnam when she was just an infant. Now, at 31 years old, she dreams of finding and reconnecting with her birth mother. Raised in Sweden, Dager has made three separate trips to Vietnam in search of her biological mother. Dager, whose birth name was Nguyen Mai Thanh, spends each of these trips pedaling through Hanoi in search of information about her biological mother despite having few leads to her whereabouts. All she knows is that her mothers name is Ngo Thi Dung, she is from Hanois Gia Lam District, she was likely born in 1974, and she gave birth at the Hanoi Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital. Iris, or Mai Thanh, as an infant in a provided photo. "Who am I?" Dager was born on September 21, 1992 at the Hanoi Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital. At two months old, she was adopted by a Swedish-Icelandic couple. Currently, she works as a consultant for the Icelandic police in a role that allows her to liaise with international police agencies. Though Dager and her family took a trip to Vietnam when she was 10 years old, it wasnt until she was 25 that her dream of finding her biological mother began to take shape. Iris Dager's adoptive father is Swedish and her adoptive mother is Icelandic. Her Vietnamese name is Nguyen Mai Thanh and she was born in the Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Hanoi. Iris provided this photo. "I always wondered what my parents and family look like. Do my eyes resemble my mother's? What about my ears?" Dager told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. "Do I look like my father? Do I have any siblings? I If I do, are they similar to me? "I always want to know: Who am I? Where did I come from? How does my birth mother look like? Why was I abandoned by her? Was it because she was too young to have a child or because she was too poor? Do my birth parents still live together?" she said Iris/Mai Thanh was adopted as an infant in a photo provided. While Dagers adoptive parents have shown her nothing but love, growing up as an Asian in a relatively homogenous white community made her keenly aware that she was different. Other aspects of daily life, such as being asked about her family medical history at doctors appointments and not knowing the answer, only added to her feelings of otherness. I have so many questions, but no one can give me an answer, she said. "I hope my mother sees me in the news Dagers most recent trip to Vietnam took place at the end of March. In the past, she has made the journey with her adoptive parents. This time, however, she chose to travel on her own. Iris/Mai Thanh grew up with loving adoptive parents. "I once had the strange thought that anyone I met along the way could be my mother or my relatives," Dager said while discussing her visits to the Hanoi Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital (where she was born), the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NHOG), the Gia Lam District Police Department, and the Gia Lam District People's Committee. While these visits have turned up leads, all have been dead ends. Still, she refuses to give up and takes inspiration from other adoptees who found their biological parents after more than 40 years of searching. Currently, Dager is in contact with various groups and media organizations that specialize in helping adoptees find their relatives. "I hope my story spreads and, one day, my mother sees me in the news," Dager said. "Dear mom, your daughter is already home" I dare not imagine the day when I see my mother again because the chance is too slim and surreal. I came here with a certain expectation, but I hope very much for some kind of miracle that helps my mother and I reunite. I just want to see my mother again, to tell her "Dear Mom, your daughter is back home." If readers have any information about Iris Dager/Mai Thanh's birth parents, please contact the Tuoi Tre newspaper newsroom or Iris Dager at iris.maithanh@gmail.com. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Iris Dager was adopted from Vietnam when she was just an infant. Now, at 31 years old, she dreams of finding and reconnecting with her birth mother.

Raised in Sweden, Dager has made three separate trips to Vietnam in search of her biological mother.

Dager, whose birth name was Nguyen Mai Thanh, spends each of these trips pedaling through Hanoi in search of information about her biological mother despite having few leads to her whereabouts.

All she knows is that her mothers name is Ngo Thi Dung, she is from Hanois Gia Lam District, she was likely born in 1974, and she gave birth at the Hanoi Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital.

Iris, or Mai Thanh, as an infant in a provided photo.

"Who am I?"

Dager was born on September 21, 1992 at the Hanoi Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital.

At two months old, she was adopted by a Swedish-Icelandic couple.

Currently, she works as a consultant for the Icelandic police in a role that allows her to liaise with international police agencies.

Though Dager and her family took a trip to Vietnam when she was 10 years old, it wasnt until she was 25 that her dream of finding her biological mother began to take shape.

Iris Dager's adoptive father is Swedish and her adoptive mother is Icelandic. Her Vietnamese name is Nguyen Mai Thanh and she was born in the Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Hanoi. Iris provided this photo.

"I always wondered what my parents and family look like. Do my eyes resemble my mother's? What about my ears?" Dager told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

"Do I look like my father? Do I have any siblings? I If I do, are they similar to me?

"I always want to know: Who am I? Where did I come from? How does my birth mother look like? Why was I abandoned by her? Was it because she was too young to have a child or because she was too poor? Do my birth parents still live together?" she said

Iris/Mai Thanh was adopted as an infant in a photo provided.

While Dagers adoptive parents have shown her nothing but love, growing up as an Asian in a relatively homogenous white community made her keenly aware that she was different.

Other aspects of daily life, such as being asked about her family medical history at doctors appointments and not knowing the answer, only added to her feelings of otherness.

I have so many questions, but no one can give me an answer, she said.

"I hope my mother sees me in the news

Dagers most recent trip to Vietnam took place at the end of March. In the past, she has made the journey with her adoptive parents.

This time, however, she chose to travel on her own.

Iris/Mai Thanh grew up with loving adoptive parents.

"I once had the strange thought that anyone I met along the way could be my mother or my relatives," Dager said while discussing her visits to the Hanoi Obstetrics & Gynecology Hospital (where she was born), the National Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology (NHOG), the Gia Lam District Police Department, and the Gia Lam District People's Committee.

While these visits have turned up leads, all have been dead ends.

Still, she refuses to give up and takes inspiration from other adoptees who found their biological parents after more than 40 years of searching.

Currently, Dager is in contact with various groups and media organizations that specialize in helping adoptees find their relatives.

"I hope my story spreads and, one day, my mother sees me in the news," Dager said.

"Dear mom, your daughter is already home" I dare not imagine the day when I see my mother again because the chance is too slim and surreal. I came here with a certain expectation, but I hope very much for some kind of miracle that helps my mother and I reunite. I just want to see my mother again, to tell her "Dear Mom, your daughter is back home." If readers have any information about Iris Dager/Mai Thanh's birth parents, please contact the Tuoi Tre newspaper newsroom or Iris Dager at iris.maithanh@gmail.com.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala agreed to raise the bilateral trade to US$1 billion in the next couple of years during their talks in Hanoi on Friday. To fulfill the trade target, both sides discussed various measures to beef up cooperation in all fields, as well as considered a plan launching a Vietnam-Czech direct air route to encourage more Czech investors to invest in the Southeast Asian nation. The two countries will continue the implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which took effect from August 1, 2020. Vietnam called on Czech businesses to bolster investment in Vietnam, especially in the fields of automobile, digital transformation, renewable energy, environment, and infrastructure development, PM Chinh said. The Vietnamese government leader also proposed the Czech side create favorable conditions for Vietnamese agro-fishery products to enter the Czech market. Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala (C) stated the Czech Republic always considers Vietnam as the most important partner in Southeast Asia and wished to further advance cooperation with Vietnam in all fields. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two PMs also endorsed a plan launching direct flights linking the two countries to promote investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges. Besides, the two leaders agreed to speed up cooperation in security-defense, culture, education-training, labor, science-technology, transportation, and tourism. PM Chinh called on the Czech side to continue pushing other EU member states for early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). The Czech prime minister, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam from April 21 to 22, stated that Vietnam is a potential trade partner of the Czech Republic. More Czech businesses have sought to invest in or expand their investment in Vietnam. PM Fiala added that the Czech Republic advocated the EU-Vietnam cooperation in promoting sustainability in the fishery sector and supported the European Commissions early removal of the yellow card imposed on Vietnamese fishery exports. After their talks, the two PMs attended the signing ceremonies of mutual legal assistance agreements in criminal, investment and education. Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R, 1st) and his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala (L, 1st) witness the signing ceremonies of cooperation agreements between the two nations ministries and agencies in Hanoi, April 21, 2023. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre In related news, Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception for Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala the same day in Hanoi. The state leader suggested both sides work closely together to implement agreements signed during the visit, fully tap the potential and opportunities to further beef up bilateral cooperation in the upcoming period. For his part, the Czech prime minister affirmed that the two governments will tighten their cooperation and create optimal conditions for Vietnamese and Czech businesses to expand their investment. President Thuong took this occasion to request PM Fiala to extend his invitation to President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel to visit Vietnam at a proper time. Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (L) receives Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala in Hanoi, April 21, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala agreed to raise the bilateral trade to US$1 billion in the next couple of years during their talks in Hanoi on Friday.

To fulfill the trade target, both sides discussed various measures to beef up cooperation in all fields, as well as considered a plan launching a Vietnam-Czech direct air route to encourage more Czech investors to invest in the Southeast Asian nation.

The two countries will continue the implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), which took effect from August 1, 2020.

Vietnam called on Czech businesses to bolster investment in Vietnam, especially in the fields of automobile, digital transformation, renewable energy, environment, and infrastructure development, PM Chinh said.

The Vietnamese government leader also proposed the Czech side create favorable conditions for Vietnamese agro-fishery products to enter the Czech market.

Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala (C) stated the Czech Republic always considers Vietnam as the most important partner in Southeast Asia and wished to further advance cooperation with Vietnam in all fields. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two PMs also endorsed a plan launching direct flights linking the two countries to promote investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.

Besides, the two leaders agreed to speed up cooperation in security-defense, culture, education-training, labor, science-technology, transportation, and tourism.

PM Chinh called on the Czech side to continue pushing other EU member states for early ratification of the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA).

The Czech prime minister, who is paying an official visit to Vietnam from April 21 to 22, stated that Vietnam is a potential trade partner of the Czech Republic.

More Czech businesses have sought to invest in or expand their investment in Vietnam.

PM Fiala added that the Czech Republic advocated the EU-Vietnam cooperation in promoting sustainability in the fishery sector and supported the European Commissions early removal of the yellow card imposed on Vietnamese fishery exports.

After their talks, the two PMs attended the signing ceremonies of mutual legal assistance agreements in criminal, investment and education.

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (R, 1st) and his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala (L, 1st) witness the signing ceremonies of cooperation agreements between the two nations ministries and agencies in Hanoi, April 21, 2023. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre

In related news, Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong hosted a reception for Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala the same day in Hanoi.

The state leader suggested both sides work closely together to implement agreements signed during the visit, fully tap the potential and opportunities to further beef up bilateral cooperation in the upcoming period.

For his part, the Czech prime minister affirmed that the two governments will tighten their cooperation and create optimal conditions for Vietnamese and Czech businesses to expand their investment.

President Thuong took this occasion to request PM Fiala to extend his invitation to President of the Czech Republic Petr Pavel to visit Vietnam at a proper time.

Vietnamese State President Vo Van Thuong (L) receives Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala in Hanoi, April 21, 2023. Photo: Vietnam News Agency

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Police in Nghe An Province in north-central Vietnam completed handover procedures to return VND190 million (US$8,110) worth of cash collected by a bus conductor to the owner of the money on Friday. The owner was identified as Le Van Mao, a 59-year-old resident of Dien Yen Commune in Dien Chau District in the north-central province. While he was driving his car on an overpass of National Highway 48 in Dien Yen Commune at 7:35 am on the same day, a bag containing cash fell to the ground from his car. He said that he forgot to place the bag on the rear bonnet of the car, making it easy to fall. After seeing the bag fall down from the car, Truong Van Ky, 27, a conductor of a bus plying the route between Vinh City and Quy Hop District in the province, urged the driver of the bus to stop. I got off the bus and collected the bag to check it. I saw a lot of banknotes of various denominations, but I did not count them, Ky recounted. We tried in vain to follow the car, from which the bag fell, to return the money, Ky added. As such, he reported this case to the police in Dien Yen Commune. The police quickly found out the owner of the car and returned the cash to him. Mao said that he was driving to a bank to deposit the money. After putting the bag of money on the rear bonnet of the car, he came back to his house to take the car key, thereby forgetting the bag, he explained. I discovered my cash-filled bag had fallen after I drove about two kilometers from my house. I was really nervous, but luckily, the driver and conductor of the bus picked it up and gave it back to me, Mao shared. VND190 million worth of cash with several denominations was returned to its owner by a bus conductor in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam on April 21, 2023. Photo: N. Thang / Tuoi Tre Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Police in Nghe An Province in north-central Vietnam completed handover procedures to return VND190 million (US$8,110) worth of cash collected by a bus conductor to the owner of the money on Friday.

The owner was identified as Le Van Mao, a 59-year-old resident of Dien Yen Commune in Dien Chau District in the north-central province.

While he was driving his car on an overpass of National Highway 48 in Dien Yen Commune at 7:35 am on the same day, a bag containing cash fell to the ground from his car.

He said that he forgot to place the bag on the rear bonnet of the car, making it easy to fall.

After seeing the bag fall down from the car, Truong Van Ky, 27, a conductor of a bus plying the route between Vinh City and Quy Hop District in the province, urged the driver of the bus to stop.

I got off the bus and collected the bag to check it. I saw a lot of banknotes of various denominations, but I did not count them, Ky recounted.

We tried in vain to follow the car, from which the bag fell, to return the money, Ky added.

As such, he reported this case to the police in Dien Yen Commune.

The police quickly found out the owner of the car and returned the cash to him.

Mao said that he was driving to a bank to deposit the money.

After putting the bag of money on the rear bonnet of the car, he came back to his house to take the car key, thereby forgetting the bag, he explained.

I discovered my cash-filled bag had fallen after I drove about two kilometers from my house.

I was really nervous, but luckily, the driver and conductor of the bus picked it up and gave it back to me, Mao shared.

VND190 million worth of cash with several denominations was returned to its owner by a bus conductor in Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam on April 21, 2023. Photo: N. Thang / Tuoi Tre

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(Photo : PUNIT PARANJPE/AFP via Getty Images)

What impact does China's declining population have on the global economy?

India is expected to overtake China as the world's most populous country

India has not had the same rapid growth in industry and infrastructure

Both countries are facing issues

According to the most recent United Nations figures, India has surpassed China to become the world's most populous country.

When China lost its brand, it geared itself for below-the-belt strikes on India. China has recently made disparaging statements about India and its expanding population.

India to Surpass China's Population

"Size counts, but talent source is more important," stated China's Foreign Ministry Spokesman. China has descended to such lows that it has begun to make racist slurs against India. Yet, the international community has accused China of spreading the "quality sickness" Wuhan virus.

India's economic prospects are favorable because the country is home to one-fifth of the world's youth population. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke on India's young population at Madison Square.

Faced with a demographic problem threatening the government's attempt to challenge the United States, Chinese authorities and state media reacted angrily to Western coverage of new data showing India overtaking mainland China by the middle of this year, if not sooner.

According to the United Nations Global Population Dashboard, each will have almost 1.43 billion people - more than a third of the planet's population of 8 billion or more.

The nuclear-armed neighbors are involved in a conflict involving huge force buildups along their mountainous, 2,000-mile-plus border and skirmishes, including melees with clubs, sticks, and stones. The population ranking made news all around the world. Yet, prominent Chinese voices accused the West of exploiting the incident to "bad mouth" Beijing as the latest chapter in a long-running conflict with the US and its allies.

According to Chinese authorities and state media, America and the West are primarily concerned with population numbers, rather than education, industrial production, and economic clout, with China dwarfing India several times over. Wang Wenbin, a China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, emphasized the need to "look at not just the quantity, but also the quality of its population."

Notwithstanding the disparity in population, China is significantly wealthier than India. With economic liberalization in the 1970s, its economy grew to become the world's second-biggest, trailing only the United States, with a gross domestic output about seven times that of India, ranked fifth.

Both countries are facing unique issues. China's elderly population declined last year for the first time in six decades, after years of exponential growth, as per NBC News. This raises severe concerns about the ability of this behemoth, on which the global economy has grown to sustain and improve its economic standing. China's now-defunct one-child policy attempted to limit the country's population growth.

It is now frantically attempting to halt a declining birthrate, which implies that, like in many Western countries, a dwindling youthful population will struggle to sustain an increasing number of pensioners. It is what has slowed the growth of neighboring Japan, although it is already a high-income country.

India, on the other hand, has had further rapid growth in industry and infrastructure. The population is younger, yet many are unemployed or impoverished. According to official statistics, just 2.2% of workers between 15 and 59 have obtained formal vocational training. In China, 26% of the workforce is considered "skilled."

Despite a thriving technological sector, India's massive population has made it difficult to produce enough employment to meet demand. A study undertaken by the United Nations in connection with this week's report indicated that many Indians prioritized economic concerns over environmental, health, and human rights concerns when considering population change.

According to Andrea Wojnar, the United Nations Population Fund's representative for India, the findings indicate that "population worries have penetrated substantial segments of the general public," even though the figures should be viewed as a sign of development rather than a reason for concern. If China is anxious about losing the top rank, India does not appear enthusiastic about reclaiming it.

Read Also: Sudan Violence: Death Toll Now Over 400; US Pre-Positions Military Forces

World's Most Populous Country: Is the Title Beneficial?

According to The New York Times, China's aged population declined for the first time in six decades last year, a "hangover" from the country's decades-long one-child policy. It is anticipated to continue decreasing and end the century at less than half its present level.

The population of India is expected to expand for decades. Since 2011, it has climbed by 1.2 percent every year on average. This was a decrease from 1.7 percent during the previous decade. India has surpassed the United Kingdom, its former colonizing power, to become the world's fifth-largest economy.

Global corporations see it as a massive market - Apple recently opened its first store in the country to sell more iPhones - and a manufacturing powerhouse that provides an alternative to China after that country's COVID lockdowns disrupted supply chains that were overly reliant on its goods.

Several prominent commercial and political leaders consider India's growing population a boon that will boost its finances and expand its worldwide political and economic dominance.

India's demographic shifts propel the world's second-greatest rural-to-urban migration as millions flee to cities for jobs. In Mumbai's financial district, police wielding batons recently had to calm crowds as 650,000 candidates sought one of 8,000 available posts on the police force.

"Experts say India's new position underscores its demographic dividend as the country with the youngest workers," the BBC reports, "but also its biggest challenge: providing enough employment for them."

According to Andres Oppenheimer of The Miami Herald, Prime Minister Narendra Modi "gets great honors for helping modernize India's economy," but his "increasing misuse of power" might derail everything. Modi is "increasingly bullying independent media and has utilized a subservient judiciary to ban opposition figures," according to the report.

A court recently expelled Modi's primary political challenger, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, for joking about Modi having the same surname as two criminals in the news. Modi's excesses are "dangerous" since "unlike in China, India's recent success has been aided partly by democratic stability."

Related Article: Yellen Urges US, China to Work Together on Urgent Global Challenges

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Police officers arrested on Friday the suspect in a bank robbery that took place for just one minute in Da Nang, central Vietnam the day before. Le Phu Cao, a 32-year-old man from neighboring Thua Thien-Hue Province, was arrested when hiding in the citys Lien Chieu District. He is accused of robbing more than VND600 million (US$25,540) from a VietinBank branch on Dong Da Street in Hai Chau District on Thursday. In a black hoodie and blue jeans, Cao stopped his gray Yamaha Grande scooter, whose plate number is 43F1-478.53, in front of the bank at around 11:15 am, rushed inside and then closed the roller door behind him, the police announcement on Friday morning showed. There were five employees and one security guard inside the state-run bank branch at the time. With a seeming gun in one hand and an electric baton in the other, the robber threatened the security guard, then requested the employees to put money inside plastic bags. The entire ordeal happened within around a minute before the robber fled the scene. No one was harmed during the heist. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Police officers arrested on Friday the suspect in a bank robbery that took place for just one minute in Da Nang, central Vietnam the day before.

Le Phu Cao, a 32-year-old man from neighboring Thua Thien-Hue Province, was arrested when hiding in the citys Lien Chieu District.

He is accused of robbing more than VND600 million (US$25,540) from a VietinBank branch on Dong Da Street in Hai Chau District on Thursday.

In a black hoodie and blue jeans, Cao stopped his gray Yamaha Grande scooter, whose plate number is 43F1-478.53, in front of the bank at around 11:15 am, rushed inside and then closed the roller door behind him, the police announcement on Friday morning showed.

There were five employees and one security guard inside the state-run bank branch at the time.

With a seeming gun in one hand and an electric baton in the other, the robber threatened the security guard, then requested the employees to put money inside plastic bags.

The entire ordeal happened within around a minute before the robber fled the scene.

No one was harmed during the heist.

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More than 37,900 Vietnamese laborers went abroad for work in the first quarter of this year, meeting 34.48 percent of the full-year forecast and surging 15-fold year-on-year. Of the total, nearly 17,700 laborers traveled to Japan, over 18,000 went to Taiwan, and the remainder began work in China, Singapore, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, and other markets. Vietnam has licensed nearly 500 enterprises to send laborers abroad for work. They detached nearly 9,500 Vietnamese workers, including 3,420 females, to other countries in March alone, an 866 percent increase from the same month last year, according to the Department of Overseas Labor under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. The demand for laborers in markets across the world has soared since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing domestic companies to focus on enhancing the training and sending laborers abroad. Experts suggest that Vietnam gradually reduce the export of its unskilled workforce and send more high-skilled laborers and experts abroad. High labor demand abroad Enterprises in Japan are in dire need of workers, according to Nguyen Xuan Lanh, deputy general director of Esuhai  a firm which specializes in training and supplying human resources for Japanese companies. The demand for laborers in Japan has been high for a long time, about 5,000 [laborers] per year. Esuhai received orders for 2,400 laborers in just the first three months of this year alone, Lanh shared. Japans food processing sector had the highest demand for foreign labor, followed by the mechanics, metal processing, automobile, and healthcare sectors, Lanh added. Overseas manufacturing, agriculture, seafood processing, service, and healthcare facilities are all in need of laborers and foreign firms, particularly those in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea tend to look towards Vietnam to fill these roles given the ability, skills, and attitudes of Vietnamese workers, according to Nguyen Gia Liem, deputy head of the Department of Overseas Labor. The key markets which recieve Vietnamese laborers this year will be those in Northeast Asia, such as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, accounting for some 90 percent of the total Vietnamese laborers sent abroad, Liem said. This year, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will coordinate with relevant agencies to conduct negotiations to send workers to some European countries. The ministry also has plans to send an estimated 110,000 laborers to other markets this year. The laborers permitted to go abroad for work during the first quarter of this year are those who did not travel to other countries in the past due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Doan Mau Diep, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Manpower Supply. A corner of Do Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District, Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam. High-rise houses mushroom after thousands of residents in the commune go abroad for work. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre Exporting high-quality labor Vietnamese laborers are present in more than 40 countries and territories around the world and work in 30 different sectors, said Pham Trong Nghia, a member of the National Assembly's Social Affairs Committee. However, those sent to other markets are mainly unskilled workers with limited foreign language skills and are unable to meet certain demands. This problem can be mitigated by focuses Vietnams labor exports on Europe and Canada, according to Nghia. In the long term, it is also important to move away from unskilled labor export and focus more heavily on high-skilled opportunities, Nghia said. Laborers who are properly trained before they are sent abroad can learn knowledge, technology, and skills relatively quickly and then apply that knowledge once they return to Vietnam, Nghia noted. This training is also critical given that many markets have set strict requirements in terms of skills, qualifications, and language skills for their foreign workers. Residents in Nghe An Province apply for passports to work overseas. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre The benefits of working abroad Do Thanh Commune in Yen Thanh District, Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam is known as a land of billionaires or a European land thanks to sending residents abroad to work in the UK, Russia, Poland, and Germany, according to Tran Van Dung, a 63-year-old resident in the commune. These residents send money home to their families to build houses and buy vehicles, they also help their family members join them abroad. Some families have three to four members working overseas, Dung shared. While some of these families have had to take out loans in order to send their children abroad for work, the high overseas salaries have allowed those loans to be paid back quickly. Do Thanh Commune currently has 1,500 laborers working in European countries and over 1,000 with jobs in Laos, according to Luyen Xuan Hue, chairman of the Peoples Committee of Do Thanh Commune, adding that each family in the commune has at least one member working abroad. This overseas work has been paid off handsomely, with over three quarters of the 4,000 households in Do Thanh living in spacious houses and villas. Some 13,000-14,000 laborers from Nghe An Province go abroad for work each year. At present, more than 65,000 Nghe An residents work in other countries, according to the provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. These workers earn VND17-40 million (US$725-1,706) per month each, compared to likely salaries of VND7-12 million ($298-511) if they stayed in Vietnam. Remittances sent to Nghe An through a branch of the State Bank of Vietnam reached $250 million per year on average, alongside an additional $250 million sent to the province through unofficial channels. To ensure the trend continues, the provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs annually collects and summarizes information about labor markets, enhances labor demand-supply connectivity, and holds job exchanges which attract large enterprises, vocational schools, laborers, and students, said Vi Ngoc Quynh, deputy director of the department. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

More than 37,900 Vietnamese laborers went abroad for work in the first quarter of this year, meeting 34.48 percent of the full-year forecast and surging 15-fold year-on-year.

Of the total, nearly 17,700 laborers traveled to Japan, over 18,000 went to Taiwan, and the remainder began work in China, Singapore, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, and other markets.

Vietnam has licensed nearly 500 enterprises to send laborers abroad for work.

They detached nearly 9,500 Vietnamese workers, including 3,420 females, to other countries in March alone, an 866 percent increase from the same month last year, according to the Department of Overseas Labor under the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs.

The demand for laborers in markets across the world has soared since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing domestic companies to focus on enhancing the training and sending laborers abroad.

Experts suggest that Vietnam gradually reduce the export of its unskilled workforce and send more high-skilled laborers and experts abroad.

High labor demand abroad

Enterprises in Japan are in dire need of workers, according to Nguyen Xuan Lanh, deputy general director of Esuhai  a firm which specializes in training and supplying human resources for Japanese companies.

The demand for laborers in Japan has been high for a long time, about 5,000 [laborers] per year. Esuhai received orders for 2,400 laborers in just the first three months of this year alone, Lanh shared.

Japans food processing sector had the highest demand for foreign labor, followed by the mechanics, metal processing, automobile, and healthcare sectors, Lanh added.

Overseas manufacturing, agriculture, seafood processing, service, and healthcare facilities are all in need of laborers and foreign firms, particularly those in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea tend to look towards Vietnam to fill these roles given the ability, skills, and attitudes of Vietnamese workers, according to Nguyen Gia Liem, deputy head of the Department of Overseas Labor.

The key markets which recieve Vietnamese laborers this year will be those in Northeast Asia, such as Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea, accounting for some 90 percent of the total Vietnamese laborers sent abroad, Liem said.

This year, the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs will coordinate with relevant agencies to conduct negotiations to send workers to some European countries.

The ministry also has plans to send an estimated 110,000 laborers to other markets this year.

The laborers permitted to go abroad for work during the first quarter of this year are those who did not travel to other countries in the past due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Doan Mau Diep, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Manpower Supply.

A corner of Do Thanh Commune, Yen Thanh District, Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam. High-rise houses mushroom after thousands of residents in the commune go abroad for work. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre

Exporting high-quality labor

Vietnamese laborers are present in more than 40 countries and territories around the world and work in 30 different sectors, said Pham Trong Nghia, a member of the National Assembly's Social Affairs Committee.

However, those sent to other markets are mainly unskilled workers with limited foreign language skills and are unable to meet certain demands.

This problem can be mitigated by focuses Vietnams labor exports on Europe and Canada, according to Nghia.

In the long term, it is also important to move away from unskilled labor export and focus more heavily on high-skilled opportunities, Nghia said.

Laborers who are properly trained before they are sent abroad can learn knowledge, technology, and skills relatively quickly and then apply that knowledge once they return to Vietnam, Nghia noted.

This training is also critical given that many markets have set strict requirements in terms of skills, qualifications, and language skills for their foreign workers.

Residents in Nghe An Province apply for passports to work overseas. Photo: Doan Hoa / Tuoi Tre

The benefits of working abroad Do Thanh Commune in Yen Thanh District, Nghe An Province, north-central Vietnam is known as a land of billionaires or a European land thanks to sending residents abroad to work in the UK, Russia, Poland, and Germany, according to Tran Van Dung, a 63-year-old resident in the commune. These residents send money home to their families to build houses and buy vehicles, they also help their family members join them abroad. Some families have three to four members working overseas, Dung shared. While some of these families have had to take out loans in order to send their children abroad for work, the high overseas salaries have allowed those loans to be paid back quickly. Do Thanh Commune currently has 1,500 laborers working in European countries and over 1,000 with jobs in Laos, according to Luyen Xuan Hue, chairman of the Peoples Committee of Do Thanh Commune, adding that each family in the commune has at least one member working abroad. This overseas work has been paid off handsomely, with over three quarters of the 4,000 households in Do Thanh living in spacious houses and villas. Some 13,000-14,000 laborers from Nghe An Province go abroad for work each year. At present, more than 65,000 Nghe An residents work in other countries, according to the provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs. These workers earn VND17-40 million (US$725-1,706) per month each, compared to likely salaries of VND7-12 million ($298-511) if they stayed in Vietnam. Remittances sent to Nghe An through a branch of the State Bank of Vietnam reached $250 million per year on average, alongside an additional $250 million sent to the province through unofficial channels. To ensure the trend continues, the provincial Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs annually collects and summarizes information about labor markets, enhances labor demand-supply connectivity, and holds job exchanges which attract large enterprises, vocational schools, laborers, and students, said Vi Ngoc Quynh, deputy director of the department.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
This weeks Dateline sees presenter Ben Lewis head to the Ukraine one year on from Russias invasion to meet the teenagers coming of age in a war zone.

It features three Ukranian teens who provide a glimpse of what its like to fall in love, deal with grief, and head off to war in present-day Ukraine.

Participants include:

Oleksii  a 16 year old aspiring actor who has lived bunkered down in the theatre his parents own in downtown Kharkiv ever since Russias invasion.

Alevtina  an 18 year old fine arts student whose mother was killed by Russian troops on a routine trip to their local grocery store.

Artem  a 19 year old Russian-born Ukranian soldier whose parents fled to Kharkiv back when Vladimir Putin first gained power.

9:30pm Tuesday on SBS.
SBS struck deals at MIPTV for two thriller dramas from Europe.

5 part series The Crash tells the story of one of the most controversial aviation disasters and biggest cover-ups in Dutch history.

Crime thriller 1985, meanwhile was the first drama to be commissioned by two Belgian public broadcasters, VRT and RTBF, and is produced by Belgian producer Eyeworks.

The 8 part series is set against the backdrop of Belgiums most notorious unsolved crime spree, and begins as three friends  Vicky, her brother Franky and his best friend Marc  begin a new chapter in their lives, when they set off from their hometown to Brussels.

But as their adulthood and careers in the big city commence, the trio risks losing their innocence and noble illusions, as they find themselves caught up in the middle of the horrifying events that shocked a generation and will come to leave a scar on the entire country.

Beatriz Campos, SVP of global sales and production financing at StudioCanal, said: The shocking true events behind these two highly captivating dramas shook a nation which is still reeling from the events today.

They are incredible real life stories that have been extremely well adapted to the screen and will resonate with a wider world. The performances, clever narratives, impressive special effects and premium look have been very well received and we are proud to continue selling these shows worldwide.

Dates are yet to be announced.

Source: TBIVision
(Photo : Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

Prince Harry was allegedly "desperate" to return to the UK for his father, King Charles' coronation in May.

Prince Harry is eager to return to the UK for King Charles III's coronation

The Duke of Sussex requested to talk to the monarch personally

Meghan Markle might not attend the ceremony

Prince Harry is said to be "desperate" to return to the United Kingdom for his father, King Charles III's, coronation next month.

The Duke of Sussex, who returned last month to attend his court battle against Associated Newspapers, has not seen his father or brother, Prince William, the Prince of Wales, since the week of the late Queen's funeral last September, according to reports.

Prince Harry Feels 'Homesick'

When the Royal Family grew apart, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, released their scathing documentary series on Netflix. The Duke's memoir Spare was released in January, and tensions amongst the group allegedly deteriorated further, as per OK!.

Yet, Prince Harry, who allegedly requested that his father approach him "personally" with an invitation to the coronation, has been "homesick" and is keen to reunite with his family.

Final preparations are being made as King Charles III's coronation approaches. The Duke of Sussex will even fly back from his California residence to participate in the historic occasion. There was significant speculation over whether Prince Harry and Meghan Markle would attend the dinner after they missed the RSVP deadline in early April.

The journey will now be made by Prince Harry alone, with the Duchess of Sussex remaining in California with Archie and Lilibet. It has now been revealed that Prince Harry attempted to call King Charles many times to discuss preparations. Yet the new King was so preoccupied that he only had time for one discussion.

But having had Frogmore Cottage taken away, Prince Harry is said to miss parts of British living and may be eager to spend more time here.

"Harry was desperate to come back for the Coronation and spend quality time with his family," a source told The Sun.

Prince Harry will not be in the ceremonial parade routes or on the balcony since he is no longer a working royal. He will, however, be in Westminster Abbey on May 6 for the coronation. According to sources, there is a "willingness" and "wanting to heal on all sides."

Prince Harry's earliest efforts to interact more with King Charles followed the backlash from his contentious book, Spare, in which he was critical of Queen Consort Camilla. It's said that this was viewed as a "red line" that Prince Harry should never have crossed, with some suspecting that it was the cause of the lack of contact between the King and Prince Harry.

Read Also: Hunter Biden Lawyers To Meet with DOJ Officials as Probe Into President's Son Intensifies

Prince William Not Ready to Talk to Prince Harry

Nonetheless, royal insiders say Prince Harry wants to spend quality time with his family while he is here, no matter how brief his stay. In a January interview with ITV's Tom Bradby to promote Spare, Prince Harry stated, "I want a family, not an institution."

Per Mirror, he also wants his father and brother's "return." With only a few months till the ceremony, the future of Prince Harry's relationship with his family might be revealed shortly. Meanwhile, a source said, "William is still upset with Harry's book." Prince William reportedly considers it a betrayal, and he has no desire to discuss their differences with Prince Harry before the coronation.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have addressed public family tensions several times, most notably in their Netflix docuseries, 'Harry & Meghan,' which premiered in December 2022, and in Harry's tell-all book. A royal insider tells ET that "that's just not likely to happen" before the coronation. Buckingham Palace revealed earlier this month that Prince Harry would attend the coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey without his wife on May 6.

The Palace highlighted in the statement that May 6 is also the fourth birthday of the couple's son Archie. The coronation of King Charles III will take place on May 6, formalizing his function as the head of the Church of England and marking the transfer of his title and powers.

That is the formal moment when he is anointed King. King Charles will be crowned with the 17th-century Saint Edward's Crown, which weighs approximately 5 pounds and includes a solid gold frame and 444 stones.

Camilla Parker Bowles, his wife, will also be anointed and proclaimed Queen Consort. Camilla will be the first divorcee to be crowned, and the coronation invitation, which was posted in April, made headlines for the first time, referring to her as Queen Camilla. She had previously been referred to as queen consort.

Related Article: King Charles Was Victim of 'Merciless' Bullying at School, Former Classmate Says

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The mum of the UKs most premature twins says they are going strength to strength a year after coming home from hospital. Harley and Harry Crane were given zero per cent chance of survival when they were born at 22 weeks and five days  more than a week before the usual abortion limit. But the tough siblings beat the odds and came home after 140 days in the NICU. Now 17-months-old, the IVF pair are happy and healthy at home. A year after leaving hospital mum Jade Crane, 41, finally no longer feels scared and knows her miracle babies are staying here. Harley, who was born a tiny 500g, is now a crazy 24lbs, and is standing up. Her brother Harry was born weighing 520g and has now reached 20lbs and is a little behind developmentally but is trying to crawl around. Parents Jade and Steve, 53, who works in sales, couldnt be prouder of their twins and are "looking forward" to their future. Jade, a former mental health nurse and addiction counsellor, from Derby said: We are so blessed and lucky to have them doing so well. Its so crazy. Last year we were really scared. It was totally new to us. Theyre here and they are staying here. I feel confident in that now. They have gone from strength to strength. Their personalities havent changed since birth. Harley is the feisty one and Harry was Mr. laid back. Thats how they are now but amplified. They love each other. Jade and Steve had 11 years of treatment before two implanted embryos on their eighth cycle of IVF resulted in twins. She said: "I couldn't let myself believe it. I was so fearful of a miscarriage or something going wrong. I literally didn't do anything during the pregnancy as a result. "I was still in disbelief when we got to 20 weeks, and I hadn't even hit my third trimester when I went into labour so we hadn't bought anything." After leaking fluid, Jade went to Queens Medical Hospital, Nottingham, to get checked in October 2021. An internal examination revealed she was experiencing a premature rupture of membranes - where the fetal membranes rupture before the onset of labour. At 22 weeks pregnant, the mum feared the twins wouldn't survive. She said: "They told me they were going to admit me but that I was probably having a miscarriage. "The doctor kept saying it was a miscarriage but I said it couldn't be because I could feel the babies moving. "I knew they were ok but was being told they wouldn't survive at this gestation." The abortion law in the UK states that women can terminate a pregnancy up to 24 weeks in most cases - and doctors are not required to medically intervene before. Luckily for Jade, the facility is a teaching hospital and doctors intervene with babies born 23 weeks and later, she said. At the time of going into labour, on October 26, 2021, Jade was still 30 hours away from the 23 week mark - but doctors chose to intervene, she said. Jade said: "My babies were given a zero per cent chance of survival. "They were alive, moving around, and they cried. Their little cries sounded like a tiny kitten." Little Harley and Harry were intubated and taken to the NICU where they remained on ventilators. The twins battled chronic lung disease, a serious gastrointestinal problem called necrotizing enterocolitis and underwent many surgeries. Harley had to have a stoma bag fitted, which has since been removed, and Harry received injections in his eyes to help prevent premature blindness. Harry came home in March 6 2022 and Harley joined him a week later. Jade said: "I'm so proud of my babies - they're little fighters." Aside from a week back in the hospital when Harley contracted respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), they are doing well. They came off oxygen in July 2022. Jade said: It was an anxious time. You expect them to be back in hospital. A week later Harley was  with RSV. But weve had nothing further despite the bag being packed and ready to go. The twins corrected age is 13-months-old and Harley is on track with her milestones. Jade said: "Shes standing up. Shell walk soon. "Im really happy with that "Harry shows a few more delays. "We have concerns over Harry potentially having a mild form of cerebral palsy. "He's trying to crawl around. "He's a bit more behind but Harley will drag him along." The family won't get any official diagnosis until Harry is aged two but Jade feels "lucky" her twins are doing so well. She said: "Back then they said they'll have no quality of life "I remember I asked will they be able to feel love - at the time that's all that mattered. "Harleys the happiest baby youve ever met. "She's a charmer, smiley and very interactive. "Harrys a bit more serious." Jade and Steve celebrated the twins one year anniversary of coming home by visiting the hospital. She said: "It's a home from home for us. "We saw a lot of the nurses - they love it." Jade added: "I always have that what if; it's the PTSD of it all. "But were so looking forward to summer days out and putting them in a paddling pool for the first time."
FAST is having a moment.

Discussions around free streaming channels have been the buzz of industry events, beginning with MIPCOM 2022 in France and continuing around the world, first in Canada for Prime Time 2023, then Australia for Future of TV Advertising Sydney and, most recently, MipTV 2023s Global FAST Summit, where the event was standing-room only.

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Variety Intelligence Platform has had an onstage presence at all of these conferences and has seen the interest levels in FAST boom. Now the VIP+ subscriber exclusive Global FAST provides analysis of just who are the major international forces in FAST and a deeper look at the top five global markets.

The new revenue streams available from FAST are an obvious reason why there is heightened interest in the format, spurred by the recent entry of media giant Warner Bros. Discovery to the industry. But across the panels at MipTV, there emerged several trends worth discussing.

The most important is the definition of FAST. Domestically in the U.S. and internationally, there is confusion about just what FAST means. As VIP+ noted in the most recent Life in the FAST Lane report, those working in the industry refer to FAST as solely linear streaming channels and separate it from free on-demand content.

This was echoed consistently by those onstage at MipTV, beginning with Ampere Analysis executive director and co-founder Guy Bisson. The need to define FAST consistently, or for commentators to reflect the industry sentiment, is pressing, as confusion frequently occurs with advertisers and content companies, who have read that it is inclusive of AVOD.

Story continues

Pluto TVs EVP and international general manager Olivier Jollet took the definition of FAST one step further by arguing that it should now only refer to channels that are properly curated, versus the looping playlists of old. This trend is something that VIP+ has previously noted, with curation a key differentiator in the battle to attract viewers.

Within content, localization is also important and goes hand in hand with curation. Having a FAST platform with content that consists mostly of international shows is not a way to attract an audience, at least yet. AI dubbing companies such as Papercup are currently focusing on being able to take content from other languages and adapt it into a few languages but there will come a point where content can be translated to many more, opening options for services looking for "localized" content.

Single-IP channels have also been a hot topic of conversation around the world. It was noted at Future of TV Advertising in Sydney that they are among the strongest performance drivers for FAST channels, and this was echoed at MipTV, first by the Local Acts Marion Ranchet during her keynote address with VIP+ and then by multiple executives.

Recent analysis conducted by VIP+ showed there are 284 distinctive FAST channels based around a single piece of IP in the U.S., or 17% of the total. This figure is similar in Canada (18% of all channels), greater than what is seen in Australia (9%) but lagging behind the U.K. (21%). Given the success these channels have in attracting audiences, a savvy bet is that the figures will grow in all regions.

Content was a key point brought up in multiple discussions. As Banijay VP of digital Shaun Keeble put it, Content is going to win, and having rich IP is key. What this means for the future of FAST is a system likely dominated by legacy media companies, studios and service providers via owned-and-operated channels on their platforms, with fewer independent channels.

Instead, those will likely license their content to the bigger companies, which will require more as channel refresh rates grow. (See page 31 of Life in the FAST Lane for more detail on refresh rates.) Tying this back to the point about curation, theres a strong possibility that FAST in the near future will be an ecosystem that looks like cable TV, in terms of scheduled channels consisting mostly of reruns and mostly unscripted originals  but one with infinite more options to engage viewers.

To learn more about how FAST looks in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Germany, and to see where the global FAST services operate, subscribe to VIP+ today to read the full report.

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Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has chaired an emergency COBRA meeting over the "extremely concerning" situation in Sudan.

The UK plans to evacuate diplomats and nationals from Sudan, according to the head of the Sudanese army.

The US, France and China are also braced to bring out nationals in the face of deadly clashes, which have so far killed more than 400 people, according to the World Health Organisation.

A UK government spokesperson said: "We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan.

"We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies."

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Africa minister Andrew Mitchell attended the morning meeting in the Cabinet Office.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was planning for a wide range of scenarios, alongside the FCDO, on how it can assist in Sudan.

Two COBRA meetings also took place yesterday.

Sky News understands Britain had put troops and aircraft on standby at an overseas base in case they are needed to airlift embassy staff and UK citizens from the country.

A statement by the Sudanese military citing army chief Abdel Fatteh al Burhan said: "It is expected that the process of evacuation will begin in the coming few hours, as the United States, Britain, France and China will evacuate their diplomats and nationals by air with military transport planes belonging to their armed forces from Khartoum, and it is expected to start immediately."

It follows promises by rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), to open airports for evacuations.

Diplomats from Saudi Arabia have already been taken out of the coastal city of Port Sudan and Jordan's diplomats are due to follow suit.

Story continues

A statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, released on Saturday, said 91 citizens were evacuated, together with approximately 66 from "brotherly and friendly" countries - including Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada and Burkina Faso.

"We are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the citizens of the Kingdom who were evacuated from the Republic of Sudan, as well as several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries, including diplomats and international officials, who arrived in an evacuation operation carried out by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces, with the support of various branches of the armed forces," the statement added.

British forces could also deploy to other airfields close to Sudan.

The United States and France - close allies of the UK - have bases in Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa.

The Pentagon said earlier this week that it was moving additional troops and equipment to a naval base in Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of US embassy personnel.

But the White House said on Friday it had no plans for a government co-ordinated evacuation of an estimated 16,000 US citizens trapped in Sudan.

Violence triggered by warring generals

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke to the president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh, on Friday about the violence in Sudan, which was triggered by the two warring generals.

A Number 10 spokesman said the two leaders agreed to "continue to co-ordinate efforts to de-escalate the violence and protect civilians, including our citizens".

There are thought to be dozens of UK diplomats and other officials at the embassy in Khartoum as well as hundreds of UK citizens in Sudan. The figure rises into the thousands if dual nationals are also included.

Fierce fighting has gripped Sudan for the past few days as the army and RSF wage a power struggle, which has left hundreds of people dead and forced residents to hide in their homes.

The two warring sides said on Friday that they had agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr - but explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Two ceasefire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

Speaking to Sky News from the northwestern city of El Fasher in North Darfur, some 802 miles (1,290km) by road from Khartoum, humanitarian aid worker Thomas Okedi said: "The challenge in El Fasher now is that people are lacking basic services.

"There is no electricity in the city and right now it is 41C (105F). There is no water in households. Food is fast running out in the city."

Mr Okedi, who works for the Norwegian Refugee Council added: "The challenge is humanitarian workers do not have any guarantee of safety to access populations in need, so nothing is happening in terms of humanitarian work."

He urged international action to ensure that supplies could get through to those in need.

The latest conflict has forced thousands to flee the fighting and cross the border into Chad, where refugee camps were already under pressure from people displaced by long-standing violence in Darfur.

A UK government spokesperson confirmed the MoD is supporting the FCDO "with prudent planning for various contingencies".

The spokesperson added: "We are coordinating across government and with our international partners to provide the best ongoing consular assistance to British nationals and support for our diplomatic staff. We will continue to issue updates as the situation develops."

British nationals are being urged to stay indoors and register their presence in Sudan through a Foreign Office website.

Read more:

Why has violence erupted in Sudan?

Dramatic before-and-after images show impact of deadly clashes

Sudan fighting: Here's what's happening on the ground

The UK could launch its own evacuation mission or join any multinational effort, depending on the level of risk government ministers were willing to take given that it would involve deploying military forces into a country where active fighting is taking place.

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UK troops could potentially deploy across the border into the vast country by land or helicopter to facilitate any evacuation.

Another evacuation option for the UK would be to ask the United States or France, which have larger military footprints in the region, to assist with the rescue of Britons.
HA NOI Many banks have planned strategic mergers and acquisitions (M&A) to expand the ecosystem, as announced in this year's shareholder meetings.

A number of banks have announced the sale of capital, selling subsidiaries to foreign partners with a value of up to billions of dollars.

Vietnam Prosperity Commercial Joint Stock Bank (VPBank) has just announced the successful sale of 15 per cent of charter capital to Japan's SMBC Financial Group for nearly VN36 trillion (US$1.5 million). This investment will help raise VPBank's total equity from VN103.5 trillion to approximately VN140 trillion, becoming the bank with the second largest equity in the system.

Previously, 49 per cent of capital of FE Credit, a subsidiary of VPBank, was also sold to SMBC Consumer Finance Company - a member of SMBC Group. Up to now, this is the largest M&A deal in Viet Nam's financial industry with a transaction value of up to $1.4 billion.

At the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) of Saigon - Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank (SHB) held on April 11, o Quang Hien, Chairman of the Board of Directors informed the value of the sale of SHB Finance to a foreign partner.

Hien said that SHB and its partner Krungsri were completing the final administrative procedures in the sale of SHB Finance. It is expected the two sides will complete the procedures and in May, SHBs partner will pay 50 per cent of the deal value, the rest will be paid in the next 3 years.

Krungsri once revealed that the bank would spend 5.1 billion Thai baht, equivalent to $156 million, to acquire SHB Finance. Thus, this will be the second largest deal in Viet Nam's financial industry.

In its 2023 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, HCM City Development Commercial Joint Stock Bank (HDBank) revealed a plan to contribute capital and buy shares of a company in the securities sector to make that company an HDBank subsidiary.

HDBank leaders said that the securities and investment banking sectors are among the focus of future development. Investing in a securities company can help the bank expand and exploit its existing customer base by providing services such as issuance consulting, financial consulting, and restructuring.

The securities company that HDBank intends to invest in will need to meet a number of conditions such as being licensed to carry out operations such as securities brokerage, securities trading and securities investment consulting; has a charter capital of over VN1 trillion according to the most recent year's audited financial statements; and has been profitable for the last 3 consecutive years.

On April 8, Petrolimex completed the divestment of 40 per cent of capital at PGBank. At the same time, this bank also welcomed four new investors, including three institutional shareholders and one individual shareholder.

Petrolimex's divestment gives PGBank the opportunity to find a new group of strategic shareholders with the potential to increase capital after 12 years of standing still. Currently, PGBank is the bank with the lowest charter capital and total assets in the banking system.

The restructuring of credit institutions and handling of weak commercial banks are being urged by the Government. Many banks with strong potential are ready to shoulder the responsibility to recover weak banks.

At the end of March, Vietnam Maritime Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MSB) announced that it had proposed to shareholders to allow the merger with a credit institution.

MSB said that the purpose of the merger is to take advantage of the network, personnel as well as professional activities of the merged bank in order to increase the scale of MSB's operations.

Currently, there are four weak commercial banks subject to restructuring. These are ong A Bank (DongABank), Construction Bank (CBBank), Ocean Bank (OceanBank), and Global Petroleum Bank (GPBank).

According to financial experts, weak banks are acquired by big banks under the subsidiary model. The weak bank then will operate in the form of a one-member limited liability bank where the larger bank is the owner of 100 per cent of the charter capital.

The State Bank encourages and allows large banks to acquire or merge small and weak banks to support these banks as well as to avoid bad signals in the banking system. VNS
HA NOI  Viet Nam ranks first in pepper exports and second in cinnamon exports globally, especially when participating in FTAs.

The spice industry group is assessed to have an absolute comparative advantage in the global spice market.

The statement was made by Hoang Thi Lien, President of Viet Nam Pepper Association (VPA), at a conference on the countrys journey to become a sustainable multispice origin taking place in Ha Noi on Friday.

Lien said that Viet Nam currently ranked first in terms of export proportion and export output of pepper, however, there was still room for further development and exploitation of pepper plants.

The country has been integrating globally, with many Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) signed.

When the FTAs come into effect, the group of agricultural products including the spice plant group had an absolute comparative advantage in the global spice market as we had the advantage of geographical location, weather, climate, and soil, said Lien.

However, despite achieving certain results and advantages, in the current world market context, the spice industry in general and pepper, in particular, were not only affected by supply and demand factors but also by many other factors such as geopolitical factors which could be the main cause of continued instability, added Lien.

Strict requirements and regulations of the import market on non-tariff barriers continue to increase, especially issues related to pesticide residues (related to pepper) and heavy metals (related to the cinnamon tree).

The unpredictable evolution of climate change would be the main challenge for the global agricultural sector, she added.

Rising costs would also have a big impact on supply, said the president.

Lien said that the export turnover of pepper and spices reached more than US$1.4 billion last year, contributing to more than $55 billion in export turnover of agro-forestry-fishery products for the whole year.

However, there were still many shortcomings in the industry, such as the lack of an intermediary role between the private sector and the public sector, between the State and enterprises and the absence of the role of the VPA, she said.

In particular, VPA was also lacking in market research and connection between businesses and farmers, farmers and processors, she added.

Viet Nam is one of the major spice producers and exporters in the world, of which exports account for about 11 per cent of the global market share last year, according to ITC.

Of which, the US, the EU, China, India and Middle East are the leading import markets of some Vietnamese spices such as pepper, cinnamon and star anise.

Recently, the import markets have continuously had warnings about pesticide residues as well as the rising frequency of control and tightening of MRLs for food in general, including Vietnamese spices.

Nguyen Van Dien, director of the Viet Nam Administration of Forestry's Forestry Production Development Department, said that with favourable natural conditions, it had put cinnamon, pepper, and star anise in the top five in the world.

Over the years, the spice industry has made important contributions to the overall picture of agricultural exports.

Dien shared that we have leading enterprises in the world in the application of production technology, and the State also has many supporting mechanisms and policies.

However, there were still difficulties, so creating a large raw material production area was a challenge, he said.

Facing the current situation, the biggest difficulties were commercial competition, technical barriers, and residues of pesticides, he added.

This required more efforts from associations. On the business side, it was necessary to be a pillar for people, especially in connecting planting and processing areas to be able to create the highest added value, added Dien.

A VPA report shows that Viet Nam exported 76,727 tonnes of pepper with a total export turnover of $235.9 million in the first quarter of this year.

Compared to the same period last year, the export volume increased by 40.5 per cent, however, the export turnover decreased by 7.3 per cent.

The country exported 18,685 tonnes of cinnamon in the first quarter with a total export turnover of $54.8 million, up 45.8 per cent in volume and 13.8 per cent in value year-on-year.

Viet Nam exported 3,369 tonnes of star anise in Q1 with total export turnover of $21.6 million. Compared to the same period last year, the export volume increased by 261.9 per cent.

VPA reported that the pepper crop of the country would be relatively positive this year, with an estimated harvest output of 200,000 tonnes, up 9.3 per cent compared to last year.

Meanwhile, according to the International Pepper Community (IPC), the harvest from other producing countries such as Brazil, Indonesia and India are forecast to decrease compared to last year.

Total global pepper production is estimated at 526,000 tonnes this year compared to 537,600 tonnes last year.

Viet Nam's cinnamon output is forecast to increase over last year and is estimated at about 45,000 tonnes. VNS
HAVANA  National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue and President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez cut the ribbon to inaugurate the Suchel - TBV laundry detergent factory and solar power plant of Thai Binh Investment and Trading Corporation at Mariel Special Development Zone in Artemisa province on Friday (local time).

According to Tran Ngoc Thuan, Chairman and General Director of Thai Binh Corporation, which has operated in Cuba for 25 years, the Suchel - TBV factory can meet 100 per cent of the needs of Cuban consumers and exports to Latin American countries.

Meanwhile, the 20MW Solar Park also is wholly invested by Viet Nam. In the future, the company plans to build another solar parks with a total capacity of up to 1,000 MW by 2030.

Thuan said that currently, Thai Binh Corporation is employing 500 local labourers. He said that the firm's diaper factory, wholly invested byViet Nam, has been operating since 2019 and is currently meeting 70 per cent of the needs of Cuban consumers.

First Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment of Cuba Ana Teresita Gonzalez Fraga highlighted the significance of the projects to Cuba as well asViet Nams greatest presence at the Mariel Special Development Zone with five projects worth over US$160 million.

Minister of Construction Nguyen Thanh Nghi held that the inauguration of the two projects show the efforts and determination of Thai Binh Corporation in expanding its investment in Cuba. He said he believes that the two projects will operate effectively and help Cuba become self-reliant in power and commodity supply.

Nghi said he hopes the Cuban side will continue to create optimal conditions for the two factories to operate stably, benefiting both sides and contributing to realising socio-economic development goals of Cuba.

At the ceremony, General Director of Suchel- TBV factory Nguyen Lam ien and Isabel Matinez Ramires, Deputy General Director of the factory, symbolically presented 24 tonnes of washing powder to the health care sector of Artemisa province.

Representatives from the Solar Park also presented 5KWh solar panels to Mariel Orlando Santana General Hospital.

The same day, the Vietnamese and Cuban leaders also attended the launching of the second phase of ViMariel Industrial Park.

Ana Teresita Gonzaslez Fraga affirmed that the construction of the project's second phase shows the steadiness and growth of the Cuba-Vietnam economic partnership.

She called on Vietnamese companies, as a pioneer and important partner of the Mariel Special Development Zone, to continue to attract investment in new projects that benefit both sides. She affirmed that Cuban authorities are always willing to support them in implementing new projects.

Nghi hailed ViMariel's efforts in overcoming COVID-19 impacts to complete the first phase of the project. The park has attracted four foreign investors and seen interest from many others, he noted, underlining that the project reflects the effective and sustainable cooperation betweenViet Nam and Cuba.

At the event, the Cuban Government granted an investment licence to Agri-VMA, an animal feed company of Viet Nam in ViMariel IP. Nghi said he believes that with attractive investment attraction policies, Cuba will lure more foreign investors, including those fromViet Nam, to the Mariel Special Development Zone.

ViMariel JSC was established in 2018 to operate a 156-hectare industrial park in the Mariel Special Development Zone with a total investment of $41 million.

It is the first foreign enterprise granted the right to use land by the Cuban Government to build, manage and operate the industrial park infrastructure to attract investment in the fields of food and foodstuff production, consumer goods, building materials, electronic industry, and food.

At the event, leaders of Binh Duong and Artemisa provinces signed and exchanged a Letter of Intent on developing cooperative relations between the two localities. Binh Duong also presented Artemisa province with 50 tonnes of rice.

Also on April 21, NA Chairman Hue and President of the National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba Esteban Lazo Hernandez visited the Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB) run by BioCubaFarma Group in the Mariel Special Development Zone.

Eduardo Martinez Diaz, Chairman of BioCubaFarma said that the centre was founded 40 years ago, and is hosting 46 companies, 20 science-technology developers, and 115 production facilities, with over 19,000 employees. He said that the firm is strengthening international cooperation and technology transfer in a number of countries, including Viet Nam.

BioCubaFarma supplies nearly 1,000 products to the domestic market, including medical equipment, and medicines. Prominent among those are the vaccines against meningitis, hepatitis B, and COVID-19. All of the vaccine production technologies are fully owned by Cuba, he added.

Last year, BioCubaFarma and Viet Nams T&T Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the fields of pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and biotechnology. He also highlighted the cooperation potential between the two countries in biotechnology.

NA Chairman Hue said that the Politburo of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee has issued a resolution on biotechnology development and application for national sustainable development in the new period. He said he hopes the Cuban top legislator will help promote bilateral partnership in this area. VNS
HA NOI  Vietjet and F Air of the Czech Republic signed a cooperation agreement at the Czech-Vietnamese Business Forum held in Ha Noi on Friday.

Vietjet Aviation Academy (VJAA), Vietjets international standard training institution, will cooperate with F Air to develop basic pilot training programmes for Vietjet and the regional aviation industry.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh and Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala.

Vietjet Vice President Luong The Phuc said: "The agreement with F Air is part of Vietjets plans to develop, expand, and train high-quality aviation human resources, especially in pilot training to meet the demands of Vietjet and the aviation industry."

VJAA currently has modern European-standard facilities with three flight simulators, cabin training mockups, and a wave swimming pool, providing training programmes for pilots, cabin crews, engineers, mechanics, and aviation staff, the Vice President added.

With a tradition of more than 70 years of cooperation between Viet Nam and the Czech Republic, including aviation training, the agreement between Vietjet and F Air will help the carrier take the initiative in high-quality human resources to meet the development demands of the airline and the industry and expand cooperation with European partners. VNS
HCM CITY  The international and local cast and creators of A Tourists Guide To Love reunited in HCM City on April 20 to celebrate the films release.

Marking Netflixs first-ever talent stop in Viet Nam, lead actress and co-producer Rachael Leigh Cook, actor Scott Ly, and Vietnamese-Irish screenwriter Eirene Tran Donohue shared a momentous reunion with veteran Meritorious Artist Le Thien and rising star Quinn Truc Tran at a press conference, speaking to Vietnamese media about their filmmaking experience and what audiences can expect from the first production to set foot in Viet Nam since the pandemic and filmed almost entirely in the country.

At the event, Rachael Leigh Cook discussed her role in the film as both a producer and lead actress. This is the first time Im working on a project in Viet Nam. We received so much support from the government, creative partners, and the people here and the access that we have to produce this film. I can remember every single day, every single scene and filming location. Each place is so different, its such a memorable moment.

Lead actor Scott Ly reminisced about his return to Viet Nam for A Tourists Guide To Love, sharing that there are many things that pop up in my head that I can see and feel when I read the script about my roots, that I loved since childhood. I am so grateful to come back to the motherland and to work with people in Viet Nam on something that is off the beaten path.

Playing a compassionate and humorous grandmother who welcomes travellers of different backgrounds and cultures to her home, Meritorious Artist Le Thien shared her fondest memory of working with a global cast and crew.

This is an unexpected project for me. I also did not think that halfway around the world I would have another grandson like this. Participating in this project as an old artiste like me with a global film crew is like the first love of my life. I'm happy for this international collaboration with the local crew, it gives everyone a chance to learn from each other, she said.

Sharing her memories with the crew, rising actress Quinn Truc Tran said: I am so happy because I feel that everyone in the cast and crew love Viet Nam very much. They are willing to experience everything. This is a memory that makes me very emotional. When filming in Ha Giang for the Tet holiday scene, everyone had to sit on the floor for the meals. One of the actors playing a tourist is very tall and has back pain. So every time he sat down and stood, it was very painful. But he still tried very hard and was happy about that.

Screenwriter Eirene Tran Donahue, who has familial roots in Viet Nam, shared her experience writing A Tourists Guide to Love and the inspiration behind it.

My mother is Vietnamese and fell in love with my dad in Sai Gon. I fell in love with my husband in Ha Noi. And this inspired me to write this script. For me, Viet Nam is a place of love, joy and beauty and I want to share it with the world. More than that I want people to understand that you don't have to follow a set plan in your life, you don't have to do what people expect of you, you don't have to live according to other people's rules, you are in control of your own path, your own destiny, she said.

Before arriving in HCM City for the press conference, Donohue also hosted a writers discussion, inspiring close to 50 students from some of Hanois most prestigious film schools.

Released on 21 April globally and exclusively on Netflix, A Tourists Guide To Love follows a travel executive (Rachael Leigh Cook) who after an unexpected break-up, accepts an assignment to go undercover and learn about the tourist industry in Viet Nam. Along the way, she finds adventure and romance with her Vietnamese expat tour guide (Scott Ly) when they decide to reroute the tour bus in order to explore life and love off the beaten path.

Helmed by director Steven Tsuchida, the film takes the very best of Viet Nam, and in producer and star Rachael Leigh Cooks words, presents a compelling love letter to Vietnam in all its glory, with heart and humour.

A Tourist's Guide to Love is filmed in five iconic destinations in Viet Nam, showcasing the countrys beautiful locales to global audiences, who will be treated to the charming spectacles of vibrant life in HCM City, the natural scenery of a Nang, the laid-back ancient ambience of Hoi An, majestic landscapes in Ha Giang, and the unique beauty of Ha Noi, where past meets present.  VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnamese State and people always value and wish to promote traditional friendship lasting over 70 years with the Czech Republic in all areas, said President Vo Van Thuong.

During a reception in Ha Noi on Friday for Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala, who is on Viet Nam visit from April 20-22, President Thuong thanked the Czech Republics Government and people for providing invaluable support for Viet Nam in the past struggle for national liberation and reunification and the current national development.

He hailed mutual support that the two countries offered to each other in the fight against COVID-19.

Fiala, for his part, affirmed that the Czech Republic always values the development of ties with Viet Nam, its most important partner in ASEAN.

Speaking highly of the outcomes of talks between the two PMs, Thuong suggested both sides work closely together to carry out agreements reached during the visit, fully tap existing potential and opportunities to further enhance bilateral cooperation in the new period. This could be achieved through facilitating the exchange of delegations at all levels, promoting economic-trade and investment cooperation, leveraging the tradition of collaboration in education-training, and stepping up tourism and people-to-people exchanges.

Agreeing with the Presidents proposals, Fiala affirmed that the two governments will continue creating favourable conditions for the two countries firms to expand operations.

He proposed bolstering coordination in politics, diplomacy, economy-trade, and people-to-people exchange through the early opening of a direct air route between the two countries and the inauguration of a Czech cultural centre in Viet Nam.

Both sides agreed to continue working closely together and supporting each other at multilateral forums and international organisations, especially at the United Nations, ASEM and within the ASEAN-EU cooperation framework, for the sake of peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.

About security issue, including the East Sea issue, the two leaders underscored the need to settle disputes through peaceful measures, including diplomatic and legal processes in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

President Thuong suggested the Czech Government continue offering all possible support to the Vietnamese community to settle down their lives. He believed that the Vietnamese community will continue upholding their active role as a bridge promoting economic and tourism cooperation and cultural exchange, contributing to bilateral friendly cooperation across the board. VNS
(Photo : Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 21: A Lyft car is seen driving on Park Avenue South on April 21, 2023 in New York City. Lyft CEO David Risher announced that the company will "significantly reduce" its staff as it implements a company-wide restructuring. The layoffs could affect about 30% of Lyft workers which would be around 1,200 jobs.

Lyft is getting ready to significantly reduce its workforce, laying off roughly 30% of its entire staff, its new CEO David Risher told its employees in a memo, just a week since he started his new stint in the Uber rival.

The new big boss of Lyft, Risher, aims to cut costs across the ride-hailing service to keep up with the lower fares of its closest rival foe, Uber. His first move to drop expenses is to let go of thousands of employees.

Lyft to Layoff 30% of Workforce, Affecting Thousands of Employees

According to Associated Press, the San Francisco-based ride-hailing platform had a recent leadership change. The former Amazon executive, Risher, has begun his top leadership role at Lyft. A few days after he sat on the throne of the chief executive, he quickly told employees that some of them were losing their jobs.

Risher reportedly emailed roughly 4,000 employees on Friday, informing them of a shocking downsizing in the ride-hailing service. The new CEO tells the workforce that the looming job cut affects a "significant" number of workers.

AP News notes that the email failed to provide specific numbers of employees who eventually lost their jobs. However, sources in the Wall Street Journal disclosed that the ride-hailing service plans to slash around 1,200 workers, which is around 30% of the company's entire workforce. The unnamed sources are reportedly close to plans for Lyft to trim down costs.

As per the San Francisco Gate, the upcoming round of layoffs at Lyft follows the job cuts late last year. The Uber rival previously fired around 683 employees last November 2022. With that, the looming downsizing remarkably affects more workers.

Read Also: TikTok CEO Sets Record Straight on China Links, Data Collection

New CEO David Risher Plans to Lower Fares

Under the leadership of Risher, he wants to steer Lyft to be more competitive in pricing amid the low prices of Uber rides. He wants to drop the company's expenses to staggering amounts to make it possible.

In his recent email to employees, he explained the upcoming layoff, citing his goal to lower fares. The ex-Amazon exec wrote, "We need to reduce our costs to deliver affordable rides." On top of that, he says that this should also help raise the earnings of their drivers and, of course, to improve the profits.

The spokesperson of Lyft told CNN that "this is a hard decision and one we're not making lightly. But the result will be a far stronger, more competitive Lyft."

The co-founders of Lyft recently paved the way for its new CEO, Risher. John Zimmer and Logan Green, who has been with the Uber rival since day one, left their roles in the company as the leadership changed.

Related Article: Lyft Driver Assaulted and Carjacked By 3 Men, 3 Women in Baltimore

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HAVANA  National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Sen. Lieut. Gen. Tran Quang Phuong had a meeting with Teresa Maria Amarelle Boue, Secretary General of the Cuban Women's Union (CUW) in Havana on Friday (local time).

The meeting took place within the framework of the official visit to Cuba by NA Chairman Vuong inh Hue.

Phuong, who is a member of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee, congratulated the CWU on its achievements in and contributions to the revolutionary cause as well as in political and social activities in the Caribbean island nation.

He showed his admiration for the high percentage of Cuban female deputies in the 10th National Assembly at 55.3%, ranking second in the world, and hailed the Cuban revolution's achievements in promoting gender equality, as well as the Cuban Party and State's efforts to create favorable conditions for Cuban women to develop and participate in all aspects of social life at a very high rate.

The Vietnamese official expressed his hope that the womens unions of the two countries would continue to promote their friendship and cooperation, contributing to the development of the traditional solidarity, friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and Cuba.

For her part, Amarelle Boue, who is a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of Cuba, applauded the traditional friendship between the two countries over the past 60 years. She said that the Viet Nam Women's Union (VWU) and the CWU have had cooperation and exchanges for many years, contributing to the solidarity and friendship between the two countries cultivated by President Ho Chi Minh and Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro.

Highlighting the Vietnamese people's heroic fighting spirit in the resistance wars to defend the Fatherland in the past, she said their efforts in nation building have always been a great encouragement for the Cuban people in general and the Cuban women in particular. VNS
HAVANA  The role of Vietnamese and Cuban women in political and socio-economic life has been spotlighted at a seminar held by the Women's Unions of the two countries in Havana on Friday (local time).

Speaking at the event, Secretary General of the Cuban Women's Union Teresa Maria Amarelle Boue highlighted Cuba's gender equality achievements, especially the success of the national programme for women's progress and support to equality in economy, politics, culture, labour, family and other areas.

She said that in Cuba, women make up 62 per cent of university graduates, 67.2 per cent of technicians and professionals, and 45.4 per cent of the workforce in the public sector. Cuba also ranks second in the world in the proportion of women in the National Assembly (55.7 per cent) and the Council of State (52.4 per cent).

The Caribbean island nation is constantly striving to take action in support of gender equality and incorporate inclusive perspectives in social and public policy contexts, despite the increasing external sanctions, she said.

Amarelle Boue affirmed that the exchange of experience with Viet Nam in this field will contribute to strengthening the existing historical relations and implementing the actions committed in the cooperation agreement among feminist organisations of the two countries.

For her part, Standing Vice President of the Vietnam Women's Union o Thi Thu Thao said that women of the two countries have worked hard and made adequate contributions to the revolutionary cause in each country.

Vietnamese women admire and wish to learn from their Cuban peers' experience in all fields, she said.

In her speech at the event, Vietnam News Agency (VNA) General Director Vu Viet Trang pointed to similarities betweenVietnamese and Cuban women as well as the likeness in the policies of the two countries towards the progress and increasing participation of women in social life.

Trang underlined the role of the press in connecting women worldwide and spreading the voice of women on issues of national, regional and international importance. She highlighted the VNA's efforts as the major external information service provider of Viet Nam which always seeks measures to effectively realise the Party and State's foreign policies and orientations, bringing Viet Nam closer to the world and the world closer to Viet Nam.

She proposed stronger investment in digital media with the goal of promoting the progress of women, along with enhancing digital transformation, and building a synchronous digital platform for people, especially women, to gain easier access to information. The VNA leader emphasised that a flat world with equal access to information will support gender equality in society.  VNS
HAVANA - The brotherhood, traditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation, loyalty and solidarity between Viet Nam and Cuba will last forever, National Assembly Chairman Vuong inh Hue has stated.

The Vietnamese top legislator made the statement while meeting with leaders of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP); the Cuba-Vietnam Friendship Association (CVFA); schools named after President Ho Chi Minh, Vietnamese communist Nguyen Van Troi and former President of the Viet Nam-Cuba Friendship Association Vo Thi Thang; and Ben Tre village in Havana on Friday (local time).

NA Chairman Hue showed his delight at the Cuban people's achievements in overcoming difficulties, stabilising the situation and advancing the country to socialism, expressing his belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC), the Cuban people will reap greater achievements and successfully reach all targets set at the CPC's 8th National Congress.

The Vietnamese NA leader said that the special relationship between Viet Nam and Cuba is rare in the world. In his piece A journey through the land of the Annamese published in the US magazine Golden Years in 1889, Cuban hero Jose Marti described the Vietnamese people as hardworking, talent, skillful and brave, sowing the first seeds for the close friendship between the two peoples, he said.

The aspiration for peace, independence and freedom, and the tradition of heroic struggle against foreign invaders are common values that the two peoples share, forming a solid foundation for the special relationship between the two nations.

"Overcoming the long geographical distance and all difficulties and challenges, over the past six decades, the special solidarity and loyalty between Viet Nam and Cuba have been continuously consolidated and developed in all areas, stated the leader.

Briefing the Cuban friends on the outcomes of his ongoing visit, NA Chairman Hue said that at his talks and meetings with leaders of the Cuban Party and State, the two sides agreed on many important issues, especially the efforts to effectively promote bilateral cooperation, optimising each other's strengths and supporting each other to overcome difficulties and challenges.

Dozens of cooperation documents have been signed between agencies and businesses of both sides, including four deals in the fields of electricity, oil and gas, building materials and aviation. Twinning ties have been set up between the two countries' localities on this occasion, he said, stressing that the fruitful results of the visit will create a new impetus for the bilateral special relationship to develop stronger in the coming time.

"With Viet Nam-Cuba solidarity, we will surely win," emphasised the NA leader.

ICAP President Fernando Gonzalez Llort thanked Viet Nam for always supporting the Cuban people in all fields over the years. He affirmed that the institute will work hard to promote people-to-people exchanges to match the special relations between the two countries.

Head of the Cuban National Assemblys Commission on Foreign Relations Yolanda Ferrer said that the Cuban people are proud of their six-decade solidarity with Vietnamese peers, and underlined that Cuba treasures the friendship and the whole-hearted support from Viet Nam.

On the occasion, NA Chairman Hue presented gifts to leaders of the ICAP, members of the Committee for Solidarity with Viet Nam, and Ben Tre village.

He also gifted the Tio Ho, Vo Thi Thang and Nguyen Van Troi schools with sets of computers. VNS
HA NOI  An education system with emphasis on theory, heavy pressure of examinations, and the parents' fixation with credentials has led to a huge demand for extra classes, according to experts.

This also translates into income inequity among teachers as subjects considered 'important', like maths, English and literature, are in high demand, while teachers of subjects deemed less important, like music, physical education and civic education, are struggling with low pay.

During the final exam preparation period or summer break, when colleagues are busy teaching extra classes, 'secondary' subject teachers like Tran Thi Hoa becomes "idle", VTC News reported.

The 41-year-old teacher of a school in Vinh Yen District in Vinh Phuc Province said she wishes to teach extra classes like her colleagues to have extra income for her family and provide better learning conditions for her children.

"If only I had chosen to pursue a maths pedagogy major back then," she said.

Many maths, literature, and English teachers get most of their monthly income from teaching extra classes, ranging from a few million to hundreds of millions of ong, while their salaries from teaching at school are not significant; some are never even used.

Meanwhile, Hoa and many other 'secondary'" subject teachers count the days until payday each month. After 18 years in the profession, her monthly salary is only VN8 million (US$341).

Having been in the profession for nearly 20 years, technology teacher Tran Thi Phuong Thao, 43, is accustomed to the scene of "discrimination," where teachers of main subjects wear nice clothes and drive luxurious cars or motorbikes to school.

Meanwhile, she has used the same old Honda motorcycle since she married.

To receive a monthly salary of VN10 million (US$426), in addition to teaching, Thao also took on the position of deputy chairman of the school's Trade Union, leaving early and returning late like a routine. This meagre salary is only enough to cover the family's meals, clothing, and transportation expenses, while the rest goes for her children's tuition fees.

"Seeing colleagues taking on extra students to teach, I also longed to do so," the teacher said. "But, in reality, no one ever goes back to school to study technology. Every time I think about it, I feel bitter and have to find other things to be happy about to avoid feeling sorry for myself."

She had also applied to be a homeroom teacher to increase her responsibility allowance, but she was unsuccessful.

The school prioritises teachers of core subjects such as maths, literature, English, physics, chemistry, biology, history, and geography.

It's rare for teachers who teach technology, civic education, computer science or physical education also to be homeroom teachers.

Therefore, many teachers who teach extra classes and are homeroom teachers have become richer and can afford to buy cars and beautiful clothes and raise their children well.

Meanwhile, "supporting" teachers have become increasingly poor.

Eliminating the concept of 'supplementary' subjects

According to experts, main and auxiliary subjects are one of the consequences of extra teaching and learning. The more important the subject is, the more students attend extra classes, and teachers earn more money through teaching. As for subjects that are not valued in terms of grades and exams, teachers only have their salaries and no opportunity to teach more.

Professor ao Trong Thi, former Chairman of the National Assembly's Youth Culture and Children Committee, believes that extra teaching and learning is the source of differentiation between main and auxiliary subjects, creating a huge income gap for teachers.

There needs to be a change in exams, grades, and student evaluations to eliminate this gap. As long as there are knowledge-heavy exams that don't emphasise skills, there will still be extra teaching and learning, main and auxiliary subjects.

An education system solely based on grades and exams will inevitably lead students to flock to extra classes in subjects required for exams.

According to Pham Tat Dong, vice chairman of the Vietnamese Promotion of Learning Organisation, the issue of extra classes and primary and supplementary subjects won't alter as long as the first-level admission exam stays the same.

Parents feel pressured to emphasise their children's study of three courses needed to pass the exams to enter grade 10: maths, literature, and English.

This led to the creation of the primary and supplementary topics, and the maxim "study what you're tested on" was cemented into society and parents' minds.

This led to a significant emphasis on theory, the pressure of testing and examinations, and the parents' fixation with credentials and parent rankings are the causes of extra classes and additional disciplines.

Even though there is a shortage of teachers and skilled workers in society, education is not based on a foundation of real learning, real testing, and real quality.

Instead, it is based on the pursuit of virtual achievements, such as growing the number of excellent students and achieving a 100 per cent graduation rate and 100 per cent university entrance rate.

According to a report analysing the Vietnamese education sector from 2011 to 2020, published by the Viet Nam Institute of Educational Sciences and UNESCO, extra class fees are the largest expense for families of high school students today. The cost of extra classes is 32 per cent for primary school, 42 per cent for secondary school, and 43 per cent for high school.

Many parents with children in secondary school believe that the Ministry of Education and Training's proposal to exempt tuition fees for all secondary school students from the academic year 2022-2023 is a welcome signal.

However, this exemption amount is insignificant compared to the money parents spend on extra classes each year. They must pay a lot for extra classes, supplementary classes, and extracurricular clubs.  VNS
ONG THAP  More and more farmers in ong Thap Province use automatic irrigation to save water and improve efficiency.

They use automatic and semi-automatic-spraying and drip irrigation for fruits, vegetables, flowers, and ornamental plants.

In the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta province, 58 per cent of fruit growing areas and 68 per cent of vegetable and flower growing areas are equipped with the devices.

Bui Thanh Huong in Sa ec Citys Tan Quy Tay Commune invested VN20 million (US$850) to instal an automatic spraying system in his 3,000sq.m flower farm, and said it could be used for many years and helps him save water and labour costs.

In Sa ec City, well known for its flowers and ornamental plants, more than 50 per cent of farmers use them.

They reduce the cost of labour to a 10th, according to the farmers.

Nguyen Thanh Dung in Thanh Binh Districts Tan My Commune, has an automatic spraying system in his 5,000sq.m jackfruit orchard. He used to pay VN300,000 ($13) a day to hire a worker to irrigate his orchard, but no longer has to.

The system irrigates trees evenly and reduces the use of water, he said.

Automatic irrigation helps reduce water by 30-40 per cent compared to traditional methods, according to farmers.

The need for fertilisers has also been reduced since they are not washed away unlike in traditional irrigation methods, they said.

The use of automatic irrigation helps farmers save VN20 million ($850) per hectare per year.

Huynh Minh Tuan, deputy chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee, said the province has prioritised mechanisation of cropping and livestock breeding.

The use of advanced farming techniques and modern facilities helps reduce the impacts of the changing weather on agricultural production, cope with the shortage of labourers and reduce farmers work, he said.

The province targets having 90 per cent of vegetable and flower growing areas and all fruit growing areas equipped with automatic irrigation by 2030, he said.

Summer-autumn crop

ong Thap hopes to provide enough water in the next few months of the dry season for more than 200,080ha of rice, vegetables, perennial trees, and aquaculture farms.

It will build or upgrade irrigation works and take other measures to secure water, according to the Peoples Committee.

Authorities have instructed relevant agencies and localities to regularly update information about the weather and grow crops in compliance with schedules.

It has instructed farmers to restructure cultivation in areas that lack irrigation water by switching to drought-resistant crops.

This will be done on 6,306ha of rice fields this year.

Le Quoc ien, deputy director of the provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, said this would help farmers improve their incomes, and so the department encourages rice farmers to switch.

This [the switch] will help create specialised farming areas that grow crops in large volumes, build brands for agricultural produce and develop production codes for farming areas to help exports.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang ordered the improvement of drug rehabilitation centres to relieve the workload and address the degradation of current facilities, particularly those in the central and southern regions.

He was speaking at a conference on drug control and prevention in 2022 and the key tasks for 2023 on Friday morning.

The country recorded 196,110 drug addicts last year, nearly half of whom are not admitted to rehabilitation facilities. The 2022 total figure also decreased by 9,071 people compared to 2021.

Viet Nam has 110 drug rehabilitation centres, of which 97 are public. Nineteen cities and provinces across the country have implemented voluntary drug habilitation at home and in the community, with 124 organisations eligible to provide the service.

For localities which not yet have rehabilitation centres, the deputy PM required utilising temporary facilities and developing a plan to construct them with the support of central departments.

He also asked the health ministry to work on regulation adjustments to allow health workers, including the retired, to diagnose drug addiction, which currently only limits to psychiatry, general medicine, internal medicine and traditional medicine doctors according to Decree 109/2021/N-CP.

Minister of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs ao Ngoc Dung said that the status of the drug addict must be determined before they are taken to rehabilitation.

The diagnosis is exceptionally important as more cases of people using synthetic drugs are recorded, affecting local security and order.

At the meeting, the deputy PM also praised the police forces and authorities for the measures taken for drug control and prevention.

He required that before May 15, authorities must review the bottlenecks related to anti-drug work to put forward solutions in the near future.

The health ministry was also assigned to develop a new decree for actions and to study the methods to identify new types of drugs.

The Ministry of Public Security reported that the illegal use of drugs has been on the rise, especially after COVID-19. Drug crimes in hotspot areas also witnessed complicated developments.

Criminals are also taking advantage of delivery services to illegally transport narcotics into the country, or using Viet Nam as a transit point.

They also use social media and make transactions online using cryptocurrency such as bitcoin or ethereum, which is not recognised in Viet Nam but still valid for exchange in several other countries. This has made crime detection and investigation more difficult.

Meanwhile, the illegal cultivation of narcotic plants is still taking place in several remote and mountainous areas.

Specialised forces have been deploying multiple operations, which handled a total of 26,119 cases with 40,113 offenders, seizing 743.7kg of heroin, more than 2,100kg and 4 million tablets of synthetic drugs and over 460kg of marijuana.  VNS
The question of why Abbott firefighter Horace Daniel Wright had to lose his life last week remains a mystery to everyone but God, in whose arms the mans man with a soft side and servants heart now rests.

That was the message Pastor James Stevens delivered to a standing-room-only celebration of Wrights life on Friday at Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel. Honor guards and uniformed first responders turned out in force to pay their respects to Wright, 71, who was struck and killed by a firetruck while maneuvering traffic around a stalled car on Interstate 35.

Ushers estimated attendance at 400, as visitors filled the sanctuary, some standing along one wall. Overflow areas also were occupied.

Wrights death came one evening before the West community conducted 10th anniversary memorial services for the 15 people killed, including 12 volunteer firefighters, when a fertilizer plant exploded in April 2013. The West Volunteer Fire Department recently dealt with another loss, volunteer Edward Eddie Hykel, 60, having been killed when a big rig slammed into Department of Public Safety cruisers and a firetruck as Hykel worked a car fire.

Stevens said Wright died helping others, acknowledging that may sound like an overused phrase, but nothing better encapsulates his life. A relative, in a letter written for the occasion, said Wright was the toughest, strongest sweetest man I ever knew. Another said he obligingly would take his mother-in-law to buy groceries or get her hair done. One dubbed him the human form of the Energizer Bunny, never able to while away his time, preferring to clean, organize, fix things or run errands.

He was loyal, stubborn as a mule and a notorious backseat driver. He adored his three grandchildren, loved to hunt and fish, thought he could repair any piece of equipment, and never tried to hide his tears, according to friends and family members who knew him best and loved him dearly.

Stevens recalled when Dan and his wife, Susan, began attending First Baptist Church of Gholson after moving to the Abbott community from the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Stevens said he doubted Dan would join because Stevens revealed he is from New York and not a Dallas Cowboys fan. Despite those potential disqualifiers, he said, the Wrights became members.

Wright, known affectionately as Pop, attended Texas State Technical College before joining Holt Cat, where he worked more than four decades, retiring in December 2021. He and Susan, his wife of 48 years, moved to a small ranch in Abbott, and Dan joined the volunteer fire department.

In her note of remembrance, Abbott Fire Chief Doreen Strickland said the fire station became spotless when Wright joined the force. He was a gentleman, she said, who never let her open the door to the firetruck.

David Arnett, a relative who serves as pastor of Bible Way Church in Waco, said Wrights obsession with history tested the patience of family members.

Wed go somewhere and he would read every word of every historical marker, Arnett said. The group would move on, and wed look around, and Dan was nowhere to be found. He was still reading or picking up trash.

Arnett said some called Wright Dangerous Dan, due to his repair work on the largest machinery built by Caterpillar under the worst conditions. He was cowboy tough, said one note writer, willing to hold rambunctious horses steady for riders preparing to mount. A horse once bolted, dragging Wright along the ground, cutting furrows with his new belt buckle.

Stevens, who became emotional at times, said Wright is more alive than hes ever been, referencing his new home in heaven. A musical selection Friday touched on that theme, one verse saying, If you could see where I am you wouldnt cry, for Im living in a land where no one dies; And Im safe in the arms of Jesus Christ, if you could see where I am you wouldnt cry.

Scripture readings included Psalm 23, which assures that God is with believers even as they walk through the valley of the shadow of death.

Stevens said Scripture does not promise believers life without problems or disappointments, but does pledge to remain by their side.

In addition to the 400 people attending the service in the Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel, fire and rescue vehicles from around Central Texas were parked outside. A display featured Wrights firefighting uniform and personal equipment. A toy-size replica of Caterpillar machinery also was there.

The U.S. Honor Flag was draped over Wrights casket. It travels the nation in honor of first responders who die in the line of duty.

The family has designated the Abbott Volunteer Fire Department and the Texas Line of Duty Death Task Force for memorials.
The Brazos Nights concert series returned to Indian Spring Park on Friday, drawing thousands to celebrate the completion of the Waco Suspension Bridge and a new chapter for tourism in downtown Waco.

The event included musical acts from Wacos Mariachi Azteca, Austin-based guitarist Jackie Venson and headliner Asleep at the Wheel, as well as a show featuring 150 lighted drones.

The Suspension Bridge will officially open Saturday following a ribbon-cutting ceremony and cattle drive across the bridge at 11 a.m.

Senior Park Planner Tom Balk, who headed the $12.4 million renovation, said it is surreal to complete the project, which became a much more technical process than he imagined when the first analysis started in 2016.

Everything in and over the river was kind of an engineering marvel itself, he said.

Balk said the team  made up of San Antonio-based firm Sparks Engineering and subcontractor Gibson and Associates  also had to make sure details were correct and procedures were followed to preserve the Suspension Bridges registered historic landmark status, while making sure strategic upgrades were made so the bridge will last another hundred years.

Beginning in 2020, the 153-year-old bridge first had to be supported in the river, adding temporary pilings to take the load of the deck off its cables. Then, cables from the bridges first major renovation in 1914 were removed in a specific sequence to ensure the structures security on its pilings.

Once cables were removed the crew also excavated the 1914 anchorages, drilling large-diameter piers deeper through the foundation to bedrock and strengthening the anchors.

Sparks Engineering President Patrick Sparks said the project really started coming to life and became real when the cables came down.

When we got the cables down I think you really started to feel it and the project progressed pretty steadily, Sparks said.

The process did not come without its surprises, and Sparks said the crew had to stop and revise its approach when the cable removal exposed saddle bearings in desperate need of a redesign. Up in the bridges towers, the cables rest on large cast iron saddles that are supposed to move every day, adjusting to changes in temperature and load, he said.

Those did not move for probably a hundred years, and that was putting some strain on the towers, Sparks said.

The engineer and subcontractors worked closely to design new state-of-the-art sliding bearings that move easily, which Sparks said marked an important change during the process.

Cables were reinstalled on hanger rods that hold them to the bridge and tensioned, allowing the bridge to stand on its own again. The bridge was lifted off its temporary supports, which were removed by commercial divers.

Balk said it was momentous to see the divers in the river dismantling the bridges temporary supports piece by piece and floating them back to the surface. The deepest parts of the piles, which were driven deep into the bedrock, will remain hidden hundreds of feet below the bridge as souvenirs.

Balk said the project hits a couple personal notes in his life, sharing the Wacoan excitement of being ready to experience the Suspension Bridge again. He said he has been working on the project for the duration of his marriage, has one son who he pushed across the bridge in a stroller prior to its closure and has another who has never seen the bridge.

Sparks said he credits Balk with getting the project done, and having him and the city as clients has been one of the best parts of the project.

Were real proud to have been involved, Sparks said. Its an iconic Texas bridge, certainly one of the most significant bridges in the state, so were really honored to have been the prime consultants, and it was really great to work with some highly skilled subcontractors.  I really think the city had a really solid vision at the start of the bridge and made the project happen.

Wacoans gathered on University Parks Drive near the Suspension Bridge for the Brazos Nights concerts, where many food trucks set up shop for the night.

The concert series had been held at Heritage Square the past two years, while the work on the bridge kept Indian Spring Park off limits.

Mariachi Azteca kicked off the Friday evening festivities at 7, followed by guitar riffs, soulful solos and piano licks from Jackie Venson, a soul-pop guitarist, and her group.

Once the sun set, the North Richland Hills-based company Sky Elements launched a drone show featuring 150 lighted drones flying in Waco-themed formations. Drones flew over the Brazos River to Deep in the Heart of Texas, You Ask Me What I Like About Texas and other iconic Southern tunes.

The drones flew in Texas-themed formations, showing a longhorn, a cowboy with a spinning lasso, the shape of Texas with a star marking Waco, a flowing guitar and music notes. They also highlighted the city, creating a blue city of Waco Flying W emblem, a rotating ALICO Building, the phrase We Are Waco with the Brazos River flowing beneath and, of course, a model of the Suspension Bridge.

To close out the night, iconic blues-jazz-western swing band Asleep at the Wheel sang and played over the crowd gathered on University Parks Drive.
A federal district court jury in Waco awarded $279 million in damages Friday to Textron, known for making the Armys UH-1 Huey helicopter, in the companys patent infringement lawsuit against DJI, a Chinese commercial drone maker.

Textron Innovations Inc., a subsidiary of Textron, issued a statement thanking the jury, the court and the courts staff. This case presented complex issues, and the companys leaders are grateful the case recognizes its history of innovation, according to the statement.

Lawyers for Da-Jiang Innovations, the Chinese commercial drone company known as DJI, could not be reached for comment Friday.

Textron opened its case at trial Monday with its lawyers asking for $376 million in damages in the patent infringement case before U.S. District Judge Alan Albright and a jury of three women and three men.

DJI, of Shenzhen, China, gained a more than 70% share of the U.S. consumer drone market building and selling drones that make use of technology patented by U.S. aerospace company Bell Helicopter, owned by Textron, Mark Siegmund of Waco law firm Cherry Johnson Siegmund James argued in the case. DJI never negotiated a licensing agreement with Textron to use the patents and did not respond to licensing offers from Textron, Siegmund said.

Attorneys for DJI argued the company developed technology on its own to fly small rotor wing vehicles remotely that had nothing to do with piloted systems patented by Bell and owned by Textron.

Textrons largest subsidiary, Bell Helicopter, founded as Bell Aircraft Corp. in Buffalo, New York, by Lawrence Dale Bell in 1935, now builds military rotor wing aircraft in Fort Worth and Amarillo. Bell also makes commercial helicopters in Canada. Textron bought Bell in 1960.

Wang Tao founded DJI in China around 2006. Tao began with a a control system for remote control helicopters.
Marlin city leaders on Friday celebrated securing the money needed to start a modernizing overhaul of the municipal water system, with a groundbreaking ceremony at the towns surface water treatment facility.

The first of six phases will be a $580,000 project to renovate the facilitys electrical systems and rehabilitate a clarifier, City Manager Cedric Davis said.

The process of securing funding and planning repairs and upgrades to the municipal water system started in 2019, Marlin Mayor Carolyn Lofton said.

To stand here today ready for our water plant to receive the necessary upgrades so that we dont have to worry about water outages  is a great blessing, Lofton said.

The city faced a prolonged outage in 2015 blamed on a clogged filter, then faced another week without municipal water in February 2021 after a power outage caused damage at the treatment plant.

The city council awarded the contract for the first phase of the work to B5 Construction, managed by Chris Bell.

Well start with changes and upgrades to the electrical system, Bell said. But first we have to make submittals to get the parts and components approved.

The city will receive funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Water Development Board for the project.

These agencies require that American iron and steel must be used in parts, materials and components, Bell said. So, I have to prove that I bought American metals, made in American factories.

The submittals will take 30 to 60 days get approved, Bell said. Then he can order the major components for a drive system in the clarifier and the electrical upgrades.

Bell said his portion of the larger water project will take about 520 days, about 17 months, counting the submittals and 30 weeks to source the drive system for the clarifier. He said he wants to do all of the renovations while waiting on the drive system.

The next phases of the project will include replacing water lines under the streets and repaving, building storm sewers and replacing the treatment facilitys filtration system with a modern system, according to Joe Mundo, of Mundo and Associates, the firm contracted as the city engineers.

The city has another $13 million in grant funding lined up to pay for the next phases of the water system modernization, including the cost of repaving streets, according to a statement.

Lofton also said U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Waco, state Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, and the office of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott have helped Marlin get the $13 million in federal and state grants.
(Photo : JC Olivera/Getty Images )

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: (L-R) Ted Sarandos, Co-CEO at Netflix, David Choe, and Steven Yeun attend the Los Angeles Premiere of Netflix's "BEEF" at TUDUM Theater on March 30, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo

David Choe's 'Beef' co-stars Steven Yeun and Ali Wong react to his rape remarks in 2014, which resurfaced recently, facing backlash online, leading some folks to boycott the hit Netflix dramedy or drama comedy.

The Beef stars Wong and Yeun, also the executive producers of the popular Netflix show, issued their joint statement, along with the creator of 'Beef,' Lee Sung Jin. The co-stars of Choe denounce the distasteful remarks of the actor and artist.

David Choe's 'Extremely Disturbing' Rape Story

When the rape story of Choe resurfaced on the internet, his 'Beef' co-stars were initially silent. But this time, some of them have spoken out. According to Page Six, it took his Beef executive producers, Yeun and Wong, as well as the show creator Jin, less than a week before breaking their silence on the widespread issue.

In the resurfaced video, Choe told what he claims to be a fabricated story of raping a massage therapist. His co-stars slam his "disturbing remarks" in a joint statement they sent to Vanity Fair.

The statement of his colleagues at the hit Netflix series slammed his "fabricated" rape story, calling it "extremely disturbing" and "undeniably hurtful." Furthermore, they say they "do not condone" the story Choe made in his now-defunct podcast, DVDASA or "Double Vag, Double Anal, Sensitive Artist."

Yeun, Wong, and Jin also offered they "understand why this has been so upsetting and triggering."

Read Also: Prince Harry Desperate To Attend King Charles III's Coronation Despite Strained Relationship with Prince William

Choe's Beef Co-Stars Reveal He Has Since 'Put in the Work'

Despite condemning the rape story, they noted that their Beef co-actor, who stars an ex-convict, Isaac Cho, has "apologized in the past for making up this horrific story."

His colleagues also disclosed that they saw how Choe "put in the work to get the mental health support he needed" in the past couple of years." They say that this has helped the actor/artist improve himself over the years. On top of that, he has also pushed the Beef lead star to eventually learned from his previous awful actions.

Choe previously narrated a sexually explicit encounter with a masseuse, wherein he forced a girl he called "Rose" to touch his genitals. In the 2014 defunct podcast, he said he is "a successful rapist."

But then, according to People, he addressed the issue in the same year. The actor says, "If I am guilty of anything, it's bad storytelling in the style of douche." He further claimed that he is not a rapist, contrary to what he said in the podcast, adding that he hates them.

Related Article: 'Beef' Actor David Choe's 2014 Rape Comments Faces Backlash: Why Did Twitter Removed Video?

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Under indictment in New York, Donald Trump has fallen back on his favorite false narrative  rigged elections. He has doubled down on his baseless lies with more charges potentially on the way.

This comes as signs are showing that Trumps grip on the Republican Party may be loosening. More rivals for the GOP nomination continue to enter the field.

Candidates espousing the Big Lie about the 2020 election did not fare well in the midterms. After their unexpected poor showing, some pundits declared the existential threat posed by election denialism vanquished. Not so fast.

There is a reason for optimism: 44 percent of voters in the 2022 midterms named democracy a top issue on their minds and came out in large numbers to thwart election-denier candidates for many positions with control over elections, including secretary of state, governor and attorney general. However, The New York Times found more than 200 election deniers made it into office. Additionally, while polls seem to show decreased interest in election denialism, that doesnt necessarily correlate with legislative pushes to restrict the vote in the 22 states controlled by Republicans. The reason? These Republicans are facing conspiracy-fueled pressures from a faction of their party to restrict voting.

False claims by former President Trump and his allies helped lead to an unprecedented number of voter suppression bills in 2021 and 2022. This year, similar lies are used to justify dozens of similar bills nationwide. In a telling quote, a Nebraska legislator  who introduced a voter-suppression bill that didnt claim widespread fraud  said, But the perception is  there is.  And perception is reality.

Election conspiracies create the foundation for further voter restrictions and can be the basis for decisions on election administration if election deniers are involved. For example, a majority of the Shasta County, California, Board of Supervisors voted to end their contract with Dominion Voting Systems due to disinformation about voting machines: Just because were all sitting up here and elected does not mean we had free and fair elections every single time, said one supervisor. The county is now pursuing hand counts of votes, something the local elections office has warned may be impossible to complete in time with Californias reporting requirements. Any delay in certification would then provide an opportunity for more election lies.

Election disinformation continues to damage voters faith in democracy. Weve seen this through Common Causes social media monitoring program, where our volunteers look for and flag viral, emerging false narratives about voting and elections on a multitude of social media platforms. We collect this content so that we can escalate harmful posts to the platforms for removal and work with allies to ensure voters are receiving correct information. In our work, weve seen widespread confusion over the most secure method of voting, what it means to count votes and even how our democracy works. Before the midterms, only 47 percent of voters polled said that they trusted votes would be counted accurately.

As long as election denial is politically expedient or lucrative, it will remain attractive. Failed Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake raised $2.5 million after Election Day. And some false narratives are now baked into the election process. Last years Georgia Senate runoff experienced typical disinformation narratives: false claims about election results that were projected early, and conspiracy theories that fluctuating vote counts are due to fraud.

The lifting of bans on former President Trump by Twitter and Facebook hammers home the point that there is little interest from social media platforms in combating election disinformation. The platforms are scaling back content moderation at a time when consistent enforcement of civic integrity policies can be most impactful. The next year is pivotal, not just in state legislatures but for peoples attitudes toward democracy and the information they receive about it.

Before the midterms, we led more than 120 organizations in demanding social media platforms strengthen and consistently enforce their civic integrity policies and increase transparency for researchers and civil society advocates. Implementing these recommendations would be an effective way to combat disinformation. At the same time, Congress can use its oversight and investigatory authority to continue shining a light on how disinformation and other harmful content is spread and amplified on social media. At Common Cause, we will keep fighting election disinformation and hold vote suppressors accountable for spreading harmful claims about our democracy  because, unfortunately, Trump is not yet just a voice in the wilderness.
HONOLULU  Ken Potts, one of the last two remaining survivors of the USS Arizona battleship, which sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 102.

Howard Kenton Potts died Friday at the home in Provo, Utah, that he shared with his wife of 66 years, Doris, according to Randy Stratton, whose late father, Donald Stratton, was Potts' Arizona shipmate and close friend.

Stratton said Potts "had all his marbles" but lately was having a hard time getting out of bed. When Stratton spoke to Potts on his birthday, April 15, he was happy to have made it to 102.

"But he knew that his body was kind of shutting down on him, and he was just hoping that he could get better but (it) turned out not," Stratton said.

Potts was born and raised in Honey Bend, Illinois, and enlisted in the Navy in 1939.

He was working as a crane operator shuttling supplies to the Arizona the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when the Pearl Harbor attack happened, according to a 2021 article by the Utah National Guard.

In a 2020 oral history interview with the American Veterans Center, Potts said a loudspeaker ordered sailors back to their ships, so he got on a boat.

"When I got back to Pearl Harbor, the whole harbor was afire," he said in the interview. "The oil had leaked out and caught on fire and was burning."

Dozens of ships either sank, capsized or were damaged in the bombing of the Hawaii naval base, which catapulted the U.S. into World War II.

Sailors were tossed or forced to jump into the oily muck below, and Potts and his fellow sailors pulled some to safety in their boat.

The Arizona sank just nine minutes after being bombed, and its 1,177 dead account for nearly half the servicemen killed in the attack. Today the battleship still sits where it sank eight decades ago, with more than 900 dead entombed inside.

Potts recalled decades later that some people were still giving orders in the midst of the attack but there was also a lot of chaos. He carried his memories of the attack over the course of his long life.

"Even after I got out of the Navy, out in the open, and heard a siren, I'd shake," he said.

Stratton noted that the only remaining survivor from the Arizona is now Lou Conter, who is 101 and living in California.

"This is history. It's going away," Stratton said, adding: "And once (Conter is) gone, who tells all their stories?"

Several dozen Arizona survivors have had their ashes interred on the sunken battleship so they could join their shipmates, but Potts didn't want that, according to Stratton.

"He said he got off once, he's not going to go back on board again," he said.

Stratton said many Arizona survivors shared a similar dry sense of humor. That included his own father, who was severely burned in the attack and also did not want to return to the ship as ashes in an urn.

"'I've been cremated once. I'm not going to be cremated twice,'" Donald Stratton joked, according to the younger Stratton, before his death in 2020 at age 97.

"They had that all throughout their lives. They had the sense of humor, and they knew sooner or later they would pass," Randy Stratton said. "Our job now is to keep their memories alive."

Potts is survived by his wife. Information on other survivors was not immediately available.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says the bodies of seven people have been discovered during the search for two missing teenagers. A
On April 30, 1945, as Soviet troops approached his Berlin bunker, Adolf Hitler took his own life, as did his wife of one day, Eva Braun.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee  In the past two years, lawmakers in at least 11 states including Iowa have sought to loosen child labor laws to help employers fill empty jobs, even as federal officials and news investigations suggest that many minors working in manufacturing, meatpacking and construction jobs are being exploited or hurt.

The unemployment rate sits at 3.5%  a level last reached in 1969  and businesses of all types, from factories to restaurants to retail stores, are struggling to find workers. Some state legislators, mostly Republicans, see teenagers as a partial solution. They also argue that relaxing the rules will prompt more teens to seek out valuable work experiences and make it easier for them to supplement their families incomes.

But critics say the bills, backed by business groups, are an attempt to roll back critical child labor protections that are nearly a century old.

Do you remember the images of children in manufacturing and other dangerous work situations from the early 1900s? Connie Ryan, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, asked lawmakers during a hearing on a bill there. There is a reason our society said that it is not appropriate for children to work in those conditions.

The legislation in Iowa  which has passed the Senate and moved to the House  would, for example, allow children as young as 14 to work in meat coolers and industrial laundries. In Ohio, Republican state senators last month approved a bill that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work until 9 p.m. during the school year. And in Minnesota, a proposal would allow 16- and 17-year-olds to work on construction sites.

Eliminating work opportunities for youth just because of their age will make it even harder for businesses to find reliable employees, Republican state Sen. Rich Draheim, the sponsor of the Minnesota bill, said in a statement provided to Stateline. Businesses teach these youth workers skills that will prepare them for their future  and maybe even attract them to their industry for life.

Arkansas and Tennessee enacted changes last month. A new Arkansas law removes a requirement that children under 16 provide proof of parental consent to work, while the Tennessee law scraps the prohibition on 16- and 17-year-olds working in restaurants that derive more than a quarter of their revenue from alcohol.

Were desperately needing some extra workers between the ages of 16 and 17 to work at some of these restaurants, Tennessee Republican state Rep. Dale Carr said during a February hearing on the legislation, which he sponsored. Carr represents Sevierville, a tourist destination in east Tennessee.

GOP state Sen. Ed Jackson, who sponsored the bill in the Tennessee Senate, said the goal was to try to address staffing problems in the hospitality industry, but also to encourage Tennesseans to enter the workforce at a younger age in order to gain valuable experience.

Between 2001 and 2021, the share of 16- to 19-year-olds not working increased by 22.4 percentage points, according to an analysis of federal data by the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank.

Many adults lament this trend, perhaps because they fondly remember their teenage jobs scooping ice cream, waiting tables or working the cash register.

But in a report released last month, the Economic Policy Institute argues that the decline in teenage employment is a positive development, since it largely reflects the fact that more teenagers are staying in school. Of the 16- to 19-year-olds who said they were not working in 2021, 58.1% said it was because they were in school  up 21 percentage points compared with 2001.

Putting off work in order to obtain more skills and education is a positive trend  for both individuals and the economy  not one that should be slowed or reversed, the report states.

EPI notes that backers of the state bills include national and state branches of the National Federation of Independent Business, the Chamber of Commerce and the National Restaurant Association, as well as lodging and tourism associations, homebuilders and Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political advocacy group.

Attempts to weaken state-level child labor standards are part of a coordinated campaign backed by industry groups intent on eventually diluting federal standards that cover the whole country, the report asserts.

But Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association, said the legislation in her state is simply designed to open up more work opportunities for students who want, or need, to earn extra money. Dunker told Stateline that her group is most interested in provisions that would allow 14- and 15-year-olds to work later on school nights; allow some underage workers to obtain a drivers license to drive to and from a job; and allow 16- and 17-year-olds to take and deliver alcohol orders at restaurants.

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dunker said, the Iowa restaurant industry laid off about half of its workforce. In the years since, she said, we were never able to recoup our workforce.

This is a youth employment bill, she said. There isnt a youth job in the state that isnt at least $10 an hour, and most are $15.

Debbie Berkowitz, a former federal and union worker safety official who is now a fellow at the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor at Georgetown University, said that for decades, policymakers generally have agreed on the need to protect minors in the workplace. Recently, though, she has seen a pretty pronounced shift in the states.

This is a push by certain industries to see if they can get away with hiring children so they can pay them less and disguise it as job training, she told Stateline. These entry-level jobs provide little in terms of skills.

Berkowitz said there is a place for true apprenticeship programs and opportunities for minors to work in safe environments, but certain dangerous industries should be off-limits for children. She added that government workplace safety regulators at the state and federal level are vastly underfunded, leaving most workplaces unchecked until a major injury or death occurs.

There are certain low-road industries that are going to cut down on labor costs where they can, she said.

The state-level push to loosen rules comes amid a rise in the number of child labor violations tracked by the U.S. Department of Labor. Last year, there were 835 child labor violation cases involving 3,876 children. The number of minors illegally employed in fiscal 2022 was 37% higher than in fiscal 2021 and 283% higher than in fiscal 2015.

One major case concluded in February when Packers Sanitation Services Inc., one of the nations largest cleaning services for meatpacking plants, paid $1.5 million in civil penalties after the Department of Labor found that it had employed at least 102 children in hazardous jobs in eight states, including Arkansas, Minnesota and Tennessee.

Agency investigators found that the company had children  13 to 17 years old  working overnight shifts performing such jobs as using caustic chemicals to clean razor-sharp saws.

The state legislative push also comes amid a sharp increase in the number of unaccompanied minors arriving in the United States and joining the workforce, including middle schoolers working in roofing, meatpacking and other dangerous occupations, according to a recent investigation by The New York Times.

Late last month, the Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced a new collaboration to combat exploitation of children in workplaces.

The Fair Labor Standards Act and its child labor protections apply in all states, and no state has the ability to limit these provisions, U.S. Solicitor of Labor Seema Nanda said in a statement provided to Stateline. The Department will vigorously enforce child labor protections in all states and is closely monitoring state action in this area.

The US surpasses 160 mass shootings in 2023. Here's every event mapped Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones The US surpasses 100 mass shootings in 2023here's every event mapped
Continuing a COVID-19 pandemic trend, Americans are moving to the South and Southwest and from cities to the suburbs in search of more space and homes they can afford, recent government data indicates.

Immigration, which is bouncing back from pandemic lows, helped mitigate population loss in major cities.

A Stateline analysis of U.S. Postal Service change-of-address data from mid-2022 through March shows Americans continue to pour into suburbs and small cities in the South and Southwest. The same trends showed in recently released U.S. Census Bureau population estimates for mid-2021 to mid-2022.

There is an acceleration of previous trends away from large, expensive, dense urban areas, said Adam Ozimek, chief economist at the Economic Innovation Group, who analyzed county population growth using census estimates. Population loss in large cities would have been worse if not for immigrants moving in, he said.

Ozimek added that housing prices are rising quickly in some of the smaller cities that are destinations for movers. The housing shortage in such places, he said, is partly the result of zoning policies that dissuade developers from building affordable housing.

The only areas to see outflows of movers between mid-2021 and mid-2022, and drops in population overall, were the central counties within large metropolitan areas. In those areas, a net 829,000 people moved out, compared with the previous years net exodus of 1.2 million, according to a Stateline analysis using the census estimate and county classifications from the National Center for Health Statistics. A bump in immigration limited total population loss to only 49,000 in those areas from mid-2021 to mid-2022, compared with 793,000 the previous year.

Those losses could continue: Chicago, Los Angeles and New York City ZIP codes had the most people moving out, according to change-of-address forms.

The places that gained the most people between mid-2021 and mid-2022 were smaller metro areas with populations under a million, and outlying areas of bigger cities. Address changes since then reflect similar patterns: From mid-2022 through March, people flocked to the Florida cities of Port Saint Lucie and Ocala, along with The Villages, a retirement mecca south of Ocala. Many people also left Houston for suburban Katy and Austin for Georgetown, north of the Texas capital.

The county with the highest population growth between mid-2021 and mid-2022 was Maricopa County in Arizona, where Phoenix is located. That growth was led by people moving to suburban Surprise and Queen Creek, which straddles Maricopa and Pima counties, according to change-of-address forms.

Meanwhile, population loss is straining big city finances.

In Los Angeles, the city controller warned in a March review that declining home sales would make it harder to pay for ambitious plans such as Democratic Mayor Karen Bass strategy to reduce homelessness.

Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson, a Democrat, pledged to stop property tax increases he blames for driving people out of the city.

Immigrants mitigated the population loss in big cities. In Miami-Dade County in Florida, immigration more than doubled to about 39,000 between mid-2021 and mid-2022, helping turn the previous years population loss into a small gain of 3,400. King County, Washington, home of Seattle, experienced a similar turnaround.

A record-breaking influx of more than 300,000 Cuban migrants in 2022, many coming over the Southwest border after flights to Central America, deluged places such as Miami and Hudson County, New Jersey. Tighter restrictions on asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border, enacted by the Biden administration earlier this year, spurred many Cubans and Haitians to get to Florida by boat. That prompted the administration to start negotiations with Cuba and Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to call in the National Guard.

In Texas, where immigrants helped offset people moving out of Houston and Dallas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott made a show of sending buses of migrants from the border to Northeastern cities, though many ended up getting off in red states. DeSantis also transported migrants to Northeastern cities and proposed a widespread crackdown on migrants without legal status and those who help them.

The surge in immigration is more of a return to normal than an unusual spike, said Julia Gelatt, senior policy analyst at the nonprofit Migration Policy Institute. Its hard to tell how much of the increase comes from border traffic of migrants entering the country illegally and those seeking asylum, and how much from more typical legal avenues such as work and family visas. Those legal avenues also picked up last year after in-person interviews stalled early in the pandemic.

I wouldnt discount legal immigration as a factor, Gelatt said. We were under a lot of public health restrictions and those were easing authorities were working through the backlog and also using new flexibility to waive interviews for a lot of visas, as a way to help more people get into the United States more quickly.

Immigration more than doubled across all types of counties from rural to the most urban between mid-2021 and mid-2022, according to the Stateline analysis of census estimates.

10 cities where a $100,000 salary is worth the leastand the most 10 cities where a $100,000 salary is worth the leastand the most Key findings 10 cities where $100,000 is worth the most Data & methodology
ANAHEIM, Calif.  Disneyland announced that it will hold its first officially sanctioned Pride Nite as an after-hours ticketed event.

This is a departure for Disneyland Anaheim, which has allowed unofficial events such as the annual Gay Days celebration, but has never held an official event on its own.

Im happy Disney is finally doing something, especially in the wake of what is going on in Florida, said Eddie Shapiro, organizer of the annual unofficial Gay Days event in Anaheim.

Shapiro was referring to a dispute in Florida between Disney and the governor, over HB 1557, a new law dubbed Dont Say Gay that bans discussion of gay issues in public K-3 classrooms. After then-Disney CEO Bob Chapek criticized the proposed law, Gov. Ron DeSantis moved to assert control over the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which oversees land use and maintenance for Walt Disney World.

The Anaheim Pride events are scheduled for 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. on June 13 and 15 as part of a series of Disneyland After Dark parties.

Tickets cost $139 and are on sale now. The nights will include dance parties, a cavalcade (sort of like a parade but not exactly), photo opportunities, special food and more. Costumes can be worn, with stipulations.

In 2022, Disneyland Anaheim offered special food and decor for the annual June Pride Month, such as special cookies, pretzels and floral displays, but this is the first official event in the park.

Disneyland hasnt always welcomed the LGBTQ community. Beginning in 1957, Disneyland banned same-sex dancing and security guards warned and ejected gay couples from the dance floor. However, the policy changed after a series of lawsuits in the 1980s.

In France, Disneyland Paris now holds a well-attended annual pride event in June.

Disneyland Resort drew on inspiration from events like Disneyland Paris Pride for the first-ever Disneyland After Dark: Pride Nite event in honor of Pride Month in June, Disneyland officials said in a statement. This will be one of the specially ticketed events this year that patrons can purchase in advance and attend.

Based on the immediate response to the Disneyland Anaheim announcement on Twitter, it seems likely to sell out.

However, Shapiro predicted a backlash to the decision.

Not everyone was thrilled about Disney's announcement.

No Thanks! Would keep my kids away from this, @kaliwada wrote on Twitter.

Perverts! tweeted Random_Woman @Paused_Thoughts.

In 2022, Focus on the Family spokesman Paul Batura wrote in an essay entitled The Sad Collapse and Corruption of Disneys (Woke) World that Disneys disagreement with the Florida law banning discussion of gays in classrooms show the company is anything but wonderful today.

Batura added that he believes Disney has a desire to embrace an agenda that deliberately and blatantly rejects a Christian worldview of the family, as well as Gods view of human sexuality.

Disney officials declined to say whether this new Anaheim Pride event is a response to issues in Florida.

Shapiro said the unofficial Gay Days celebration at Disneyland is about to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Many supporters wear red T-shirts to identify their affiliation.

While it is now a familiar annual event, Shapiro said that in the early days, Disneyland would post signs at the park entrance warning guests about Gay Days and also offered white T-shirts on request to people who didnt want to be identified with the event by wearing red.

Immediately after the announcement, one Twitter follower said she was in favor of the event, but expressed cynicism.

Remember when Disney wanted to make it abundantly clear that they were not associated with Gay Days and gave us a script to answer guests asking why everyone was wearing red shirts? she wrote. Then they realized they could make money and started selling pins and rainbow cake slices?

___
 Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(22 April 2023)

Part I (see Part II)

The Armed Forces of the Russian Federation continue the special military operation.

 In Kupyansk direction, Army Aviation and artillery of the Zapad Group of Forces have inflicted a fire damage on the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) close to Figolevka, Dvurechye (Kharkov region), and Novoselovskoye and Rozovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

 In addition, actions of two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been thwarted near Sinkovka (Kharkov region) and Stelmakhovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

 Moreover, an ammunition depot of the 67th Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces was destroyed close to Staritsa (Kharkov region).

 Up to 60 Ukrainian servicemen, two armoured fighting vehicles, two pick-up trucks, and one U.S.-made AN/TPQ-50 counter-battery radar station have been destroyed during the day.

 In Krasny Liman direction, the Russian Ground-Attack and Army aviation, artillery, and heavy flamethrowers of the Tsentr Group of Forces have hit units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Nevskoye, Chernopopovka (Lugansk Peoples Republic), and Serebryanka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

 In addition, actions of two sabotage and reconnaissance groups of the Armed Forces of Ukraine have been thwarted near Chervonaya Dibrova (Lugansk Peoples Republic).

 Over 65 Ukrainian troops, two armoured fighting vehicles, and one D-30 howitzer have been neutralised in this direction during the day.

 In Donetsk direction, the assault detachments have liberated three quarters in the west part of the city of Artyomovsk.

 Airborne Troops have been blocking the enemy on the flanks and supporting the assault detachments to take control over the city.

 Operational-Tactical and Army aviation and artillery of the Yug Group of Forces have inflicted a fire damage on the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine close to Bogdanovka and Nikolayevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

 Over the past 24 hours, aircraft flew 6 sorties, and the Groups artillery carried out 62 firing missions in this area.

 Up to 255 Ukrainian servicemen and mercenaries, one infantry fighting vehicle, six armoured fighting vehicles, ten motor vehicles, one Grad MLRS vehicle, and two D-20 howitzers have been destroyed in this area during the day.

 In addition, an ammunition depot of the 95th Air Assault Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been hit close to Serebryanka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

 An artillery ordnance depot of the Ukrainian Armed Forces has been destroyed near Konstantinovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

 In South Donetsk and Zaporozhye directions, artillery of the Vostok Group of Forces has inflicted a fire damage on AFU units close Ugledar, Vremevka (Donetsk Peoples Republic), and Belogorye (Zaporozhye region).

#MoD

 @mod_russia_en

 Russian Defence Ministry report on the progress of the special military operation

(22 April 2023)



Part II (see Part I)

 One sabotage and reconnaissance group of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has been disabled close to Pavlovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

 Up to 20 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer have been neutralised in these directions during the day.

 In Kherson direction, over 25 Ukrainian servicemen, two motor vehicles, and one D-20 howitzer have been neutralised by fire.

 Operational-Tactical and Army aviation, Missile Troops and Artillery of the Russian Group of Forces have engaged 97 AFU artillery units at their fire positions, manpower, and military hardware in 136 areas during the day.

 Air defence forces have intercepted 10 HIMARS and Uragan MLRS projectiles during the day.

 Moreover, five Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles have been shot down close to Novokrasnyanka, Golikovo, Rubezhnoye (Lugansk Peoples Republic), Removka (Zaporozhye region) and Starovlynovka (Donetsk Peoples Republic).

 In total, 411 airplanes and 228 helicopters, 3,787 unmanned aerial vehicles, 415 air defence missile systems, 8,787 tanks and other armoured combat vehicles, 1,092 combat vehicles equipped with MRLS, 4,638 field artillery cannons and mortars, as well as 9,668 units of special military equipment have been destroyed during the special military operation.

#MoD

 @mod_russia_en

WtR
Weather Alert

...Cooler, Unsettled Weather this Week... * A slow moving low pressure system will provide daily chances for a mix of rain, snow, and pellet showers this week with rain-snow lines lowering to 5500-7000 feet by Tuesday morning. A few thunderstorms will also be possible each day (20-30% chance). * Be prepared for snow showers in the Sierra. While warm road temperatures and the early May sun angle may limit accumulations on paved surfaces, bursts of heavy snow and/or snow occurring during the overnight hours could bring travel impacts to mountain passes. * Expect gusty southerly winds to develop through mid-week with the strongest winds targeting portions of Churchill, Mineral, Lyon, and Mono Counites with potential crosswind travel impacts to US-395 and US-95. * Temperatures will dip down 5 to 10 degrees below early May normals through much of the upcoming week. * Additional low pressure systems may track across the region by next weekend which could yield continued cool and breezy conditions. This may yield more rain and snow showers with snow levels remaining around 6000 to 8000 feet.
US Magistrate Judge Alex Tse refused to sanction Volkswagen AG over the refusal of one of its managing agents to sit for questioning by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

According to Tse, VW didn't act in "bad faith" in efforts to convince Thorsten Duesterdiek to sit for questioning by the SEC in front of the San Francisco federal court. He also said he wasn't inclined to impose sanctions that could favor the SEC.

The Clean Diesel Scandal

The clean diesel scandal has cost the auto manufacturer a lot of money in vehicle refits, buybacks, fines, and legal costs so far. It even admitted that its engineers installed software that is built to defeat US emission tests.

The SEC sought Duesterdiek's deposition in the lawsuit that the agency filed in 2019 in which VW and former chief executive Martin Winterkorn were accused of defrauding US bondholders over the automaker's emissions scandal.

According to VW lawyers, it should not face any sanction in the SEC's case because it had no power to force Duesterdiek to speak with the SEC.

However, the SEC argued that VW had the power to influence Duesterdiek's decision to testify and that his deposition would be crucial to the lawsuit. The agency also claimed that VW had a duty to cooperate with the investigation and provide all relevant information.

The clean diesel scandal has been a major blow to VW's reputation and financial standing. It has paid billions of dollars in settlements and fines, and its share price has declined significantly since the scandal broke in 2015.

In addition to the SEC's lawsuit, VW has faced legal action from consumers, shareholders, and regulators around the world. The company has also been forced to invest heavily in electric and hybrid technology to meet stricter emissions standards.

The scandal has highlighted the importance of transparency and accountability in the automotive industry and has led to calls for stronger regulation and oversight. While VW has made efforts to regain the trust of consumers and investors, the clean diesel scandal is likely to have lasting effects on the company's reputation and financial performance.

Read also: Volkswagen Aiming To Produce 30 New Electric Car Models By 2025

The Effects on the Automotive Industry

The clean diesel scandal has also had ripple effects throughout the automotive industry. Other carmakers have faced increased scrutiny and pressure to meet emissions standards, particularly in Europe, where regulations were not as strict as they were in the US.

The scandal has also sparked a broader conversation about corporate responsibility and ethics. Many consumers are now more skeptical of big corporations and their claims, particularly around sustainability and environmental impact.

(Photo: by HECTOR RETAMAL/AFP via Getty Images)

People walk next to Volkswagen booths during the 20th Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in Shanghai on April 19, 2023.

At the same time, there is a growing demand for electric vehicles (EVs) that produce zero emissions. While EVs currently make up only a small percentage of global vehicle sales, many experts predict that this will change rapidly over the next decade as technology improves and costs come down.

As such, automakers like VW are investing heavily in EV development to stay ahead of changing consumer preferences and regulatory requirements. However, transitioning away from traditional combustion engines can be costly and challenging for established companies with large supply chains.

Ultimately, it remains to be seen how much lasting damage VW's clean diesel scandal will do to its reputation or financial performance. However, it certainly serves as an important cautionary tale about transparency and accountability at all levels within any organization.

Related article: US EPA Proposes New Vehicle Pollution Cuts, Predicts Major EV Growth

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Police have arrested a man accused of fatally shooting another man following an argument late last month at a fast-food drive-thru in Northwest Albuquerque.

Deandre Vigil, 24, is charged with an open count of murder and shooting at or from a motor vehicle in the March 31 death of 39-year-old Victor Torres.

Vigil is also charged in a September 2022 incident in which he allegedly tried to rob a gas station at gunpoint but was disarmed by employees.

Prosecutors have filed a motion to detain Vigil until trial.

(Vigil) tried to rob a business at gunpoint and put the lives of everyone in the store in danger, according to the motion. Then he later killed someone over an argument in a drive thru.

An online obituary for Torres said he is a father of three.

Though Victor may have left us too soon, his was not a life wasted as his light will shine on in the smiles and laughs of his children, and one day their children, as well as anyone lucky enough to have known him, according to the obituary.

A man wrote on the obituary website, We lost a one in a million wonderful, respectful and kind person to soon.

According to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court:

Police responded around 1:30 p.m. to a shooting near the McDonalds at Indian School and 12th NW, near Interstate 40. Officers found Torres fatally shot outside McDonalds and his longtime girlfriend was holding his head and pleading police for help.

The girlfriend, who is also the mother of Torres children, told police she was asleep when he got into an argument with another man while in the McDonalds drive-thru. She said the SUV followed them and Torres got out of the vehicle and told the driver to stop following us.

The girlfriend told police the driver said come over here big boy, I got something for you and shot Torres multiple times.

Police said surveillance video showed Torres get out of his vehicle and walk toward a Dodge SUV before being shot. Detectives were able to trace the SUV as having come from the Lowes home improvement store across the street and got store security video of the driver shopping there.

Detectives learned the SUV belonged to a relative of Vigil and identified him as the man seen in security video. Police said the detective also found a warrant for Vigil in the attempted gas station robbery in September 2022, in which he was identified as the suspect through a Crime Stoppers tip.

Detectives matched Vigil from the Lowes footage to the footage of the gas station robbery, where employees had also identified him as the suspect in a photo array.
Police say a woman brought her dead 5-month-old to her parents house a day after relatives reported seeing the mother using drugs while holding the infant.

A week earlier, according to police, the mother was also holding the baby as she fled from officers at high speeds, ran red lights and drove into oncoming traffic.

Rebecca Atkins, an Albuquerque Police Department spokeswoman, said the Crimes Against Children Unit is investigating the infants death and the mother, Christina Bennett, 31, has not been charged in the case.

Bennett is charged with battery upon a peace officer for kicking an officer who detained her on a felony warrant from the April 15 police chase.

Court records show police stopped chasing Bennett due to concerns for the public and the baby, named Amelia. A gas station manager told police Bennett shoplifted with the baby in her arms but declined to file charges in the theft.

The manager told police Bennett seemed high and they were highly concerned for the child, who looked dirty, was unclothed and did not seem to be well-taken care of, according to court records.

Bennett is charged with child abuse, aggravated fleeing and contributing to the delinquency of a minor in that incident. It is unclear if she has an attorney.

Police responded Friday to reports of a child not breathing at a home in the 10000 block of Ralph NE, near Constitution and Eubank, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court. Officers found Bennett holding Amelia and refusing to give the baby to paramedics for medical help until police arrived.

Police said Bennetts parents, who had called 911, told them she knocked on the front door, asked for a lighter and told them Amelia was dead. The parents said they tried to grab the baby but Bennett refused to let anyone hold Amelia.

Bennetts mother told police they called 242-COPS on Thursday after Bennetts other daughter Facetimed them to show them Bennett using drugs with Amelia in her arms, according to the complaint. Police responded to that call for service but Bennett reportedly left when she saw officers coming.

Police said the parents told them they didnt know where Bennett went between when police responded Thursday and when she showed up to their door with Amelia unresponsive the next day. After being detained, Bennett asked an officer to check her handcuffs and then kicked one of them.

The New Mexico Children Youth and Families Department was reportedly notified of the case and responded to the scene.

Court records show Bennett has been arrested for drug possession, auto theft, aggravated assault and other charges over the past several years. She was sentenced in January 2022 to probation after pleading guilty to possession of methamphetamine.

Court records show Bennett was satisfactorily discharged from probation in June 2022. Sometime between then and now, Amelia came into this world.
Insurance company donates almost 8,000 at-home COVID-19 tests for distribution across NM

Blue Cross and Blue Shield New Mexico has donated 7,848 at-home COVID-19 testing kits to three local organizations for free distribution across the state, according to a news release.

The kits aim to help underserved populations, particularly those in rural areas, where access to testing can be challenging.

Our rural and tribal areas are especially vulnerable, said Janice Torrez, Blue Cross and Blue Shield New Mexico president in a statement. And BCBSNM is committed to ensuring access to quality health care.

The organizations are:

 Bethel Community Storehouse  a nonprofit food and clothing distribution center in Moriarty

 Amador Health Center  a medical clinic in Las Cruces

 Premier Medical Group  a medical group in Albuquerque

The at-home antigen tests can be completed in 15 minutes and offer a convenient way for people to determine whether they are infected with COVID-19, the release said.

Molina donates $30,000 to Meals on Wheels

MolinaCares, in partnership with Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, has donated $30,000 to Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque to expand food delivery and behavioral health programs for New Mexicans, according to a news release.

The donation will provide $10,000 per year over the next three years to support Meals on Wheels of Albuquerques delivery program, which offers nutritious meals to those suffering from chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. The grant will also provide social interaction for homebound individuals in the Albuquerque and Rio Rancho communities, the release said.

Our efforts to bridge those gaps are made possible through generous donations, Chief Executive Officer of Meals on Wheels of Albuquerque, Shauna Frost, said in a statement. We are incredibly grateful for Molinas support and partnership in decreasing food insecurity in our communities.

The Molina Healthcare Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)(3) established in 2020, aims to improve the health and well-being of disadvantaged populations by funding meaningful, measurable, and innovative programs and solutions that improve health, life, and living in local communities.

NMMFA approves annual Energy$mart contracts

New Mexicos Mortgage Finance Authority has approved annual Energy$mart contracts, allowing service providers to provide $10.5 million in energy efficiency upgrades and emergency repairs for low-income households, according to a news release.

This program has helped over 10,000 low-income families reduce their energy costs and improve the health and safety of their homes in the past 13 years, the release said.

This program can help provide energy savings that families can use for necessities like food, medicine and other essentials, Isidoro Hernandez, executive director and chief executive officer of MFA, said in a statement.

The release explains in order to qualify, households can earn up to 200% of the federal poverty level, or $60,000 for a family of four, with preference given to households with a high energy burden, children under the age of 5, people over 60 years of age and individuals with disabilities.

The program is part of the nationwide Weatherization Assistance Program, which operates in all states and territories and has been funded by the Department of Energy since 1976.
Cover Images/Axelle Woussen Celebrity

The 55-year-old Oscar-winning actor has been hospitalized since last week after experiencing what his daughter Corinne Foxx described as a 'medical complication' on April 11.

Apr 22, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jamie Foxx's condition seemingly has improved amid his hospitalization due to "medical complications." According to a source, the "Django Unchained" actor is "awake and alert" in a Georgia medical facility.

Offering a health update of the 55-year-old was PEOPLE. Ann insider told the publication that the Hollywood star is "OK" although he is yet to go back home.

"He's still in the hospital and doctors are running tests but he's awake and alert, the unnamed informant further explained. "They're keeping him under observation."

Prior to this, Jamie's friend Martin Lawrence divulged that the former is "doing better. "Well, I hear he's doing better," the "Bad Boys for Life" star told Extra at his Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.

"My prayers go out for him every night and just wishing the best for him," Martin continued. He added that Jamie is "one of the best that we got in Hollywood, not only one of the best entertainers, but a good person."

Jamie has been hospitalized since last week after experiencing what his daughter Corinne Foxx described as "medical complication" on April 11. "We wanted to share that, my father, Jamie Foxx, experienced a medical complication yesterday," the 29-year-old actress posted on her social media page at the time. "Luckily, due to quick action and great care, he is already on his way to recovery."

The "47 Meters Down: Uncaged" star turned off the comments on the post, but added in her statement, "We know how beloved he is and appreciate your prayers. The family asks for privacy during this time. Much love, The Foxx Family."

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In an open letter addressed to L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon, the Canadian rapper claims he was 'wrongfully convicted of a crime [he] did not commit' after the 2020 shooting involving Megan Thee Stallion.

Apr 22, 2023

AceShowbiz - Tory Lanez has penned an open letter to the Los Angeles DA, maintaining his innocence in the Megan Thee Stallion shooting case. In the emotional letter addressed to L.A. County District Attorney George Gascon ahead of a new trial, the rapper claimed he was "illegally" convicted "of a crime [he] did not commit."

"Until my court date I'll be posting the OUTRAGEOUS & DISGUSTING INJUSTICES used against me by the PROSECUTION to get the conviction they so DESPERATELY wanted," Tory wrote in the caption of his Instagram post on Friday, April 21, "DESPITE the evidence they knew existed."

Tory began his letter, "I write this message with the utmost humility, love, and respect for the remarkable stance you've taken in regards to fighting for the justice of Black and brown minorities. Today I take a stance as an innocent Black man, wrongfully convicted of a crime I did not commit."

The Canadian star specifically named two district attorneys, Kathy Ta and Alex Bott, whom he accuses of "unlawfully [misusing] their authority to hide and suppress any and all exculpatory evidence that exonerates me, or furthers my innocence." He claimed, "I was completely robbed and deprived of a fair trial."

"Not only do I owe it to myself to fight for my freedom, but I owe it to my 6-year-old child, my family, fans, and most importantly the hundreds of thousands of Black and Hispanic minorities that cannot adequately fight for themselves," the "Letter to the City" emcee argued.

He went on alleging, "For 3 years, the prosecution has manipulated a false narrative, that has left me with no choice but to expose, and make aware, the practices, the behind door deals, and the unjust system used to illegally convict me and countless other minorities."

The 30-year-old ended the letter with a heartfelt plea for a fair trail. "Mr. Gascon, I come to you today as a wrongfully convicted man, not asking for sympathy, nor compassion, but for you to simply do what is fair and right by the laws of California, and most importantly in the eyes of God," he concluded.

In December 2022, Tory was found guilty of shooting Megan in the back of her feet following a verbal altercation after a party at Kylie Jenner's house in July 2020. He was charged with one felony count each of assault with a semi-automatic firearm and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He was also convicted of an additional felony count of discharging a firearm with gross negligence.

In late March, his attorney filed an appeal, claiming prosecutors tried to dirty him up with "irrelevant evidence." Earlier this month, sentencing for Tory was delayed following his legal team's appeal in the case. An upcoming motion hearing for a new trial is scheduled for May 8.

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At the event, which took place at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the French Riviera, the model wore what looks like to be a two-piece set comprised of a high-neck long-sleeved tunic and matching floor-length skirt.

Apr 22, 2023

AceShowbiz - Sofia Richie went all-out ahead of her nuptials with Elliot Grainge. When stepping out for a photo session at her pre-wedding reception, the model stunned in a white beaded dress.

At the Friday, April 21 event, which took place at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the French Riviera, the 24-year-old wore what looked like to be a two-piece set comprised of a high-neck long-sleeved tunic and matching floor-length skirt. Both were trimmed with shimmering beaded fringe.

Sofia styled her blond hair into a sleek bun and accessorized with soft, rosy makeup and delicate drop earrings. Her fiance, meanwhile, donned a white shirt underneath a black suit.

Sofia was first linked romantically to Elliot in April 2021, just months after she parted ways with Scott Disick. Around a year later, the fashion designer announced that she has gotten engaged to the music executive. In an April 2022 post on Instagram, she shared a photo capturing the moment of Elliot getting down on one knee.

Accompanying the proposal picture was another snap of Sofia sharing a kiss with Elliot. Along with the photos, the sister-in-law of Good Charlotte's Joel Madden gushed in her post's caption, "Forever isn't long enough @elliot."

Sofia has been kept busy with a number of pre-wedding events. Back in October 2022, the social media personality was seen heading to club Raspoutinein in Paris upon leaving Balagan restaurant to celebrate her bachelorette party. She was joined by her sister Nicole at the bash.

Later in February 2023, Sofia had her bridal shower celebrated in California. In the bash planned by her "angel godmother" Shelleylyn Brandler, she was joined by sister Nicole, mother Diane Alexander and other family members. Her fiance Elliot was also seen attending the festivity.

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Netflix Celebrity

The former 'Friends' actress is keen to reunite with Adam Sandler for more 'Murder Mystery' movies after they were back in the newly-released second installment.

Apr 22, 2023

AceShowbiz - Jennifer Aniston would love to make a third "Murder Mystery" film. The 54-year-old actress teamed up with close pal Adam Sandler in the mystery comedy Netflix movies, starting with the 2019 original and this year's sequel, and she hopes Nick and Audrey Spitz will be back for more antics.

"I hope so. I would love to make it three and I know Adam would too. But it really all depends on if people love this one like they did the first, and of course, if Netflix want us," she said with regards to another instalment when speaking to Best UK.

The former "Friends" star - who, along with Adam, serves as a producer on the movie - was recently asked whether she and Adam stick to the script entirely or whether they ad-lib and admitted that it can be a mix of both depending on the take, as the pair both noted how much they make each other laugh on set.

She told Collider, "We do a little bit of everything. Yeah. Usually, there's always something a little different from take to take, wouldn't you say?" Adam replied, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. We like to make each other laugh." Jennifer added, "Which is fun, and he does all the time. And it usually makes it in the movie, not the break, but the line."

"Murder Mystery 2" is streaming now on Netflix.

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The 'This Is Paris' star claims her husband came into her life 'at the perfect time' and feels her life is 'complete' now that she's building a family with him.

Apr 22, 2023

AceShowbiz - Paris Hilton feels blessed to have found Carter Reum. The 42-year-old star exchanged wedding vows with Carter in 2021, and she feels fortunate to have him in her life.

"I feel so lucky to have found you at the perfect time. You're just the best," the blonde beauty said during an appearance alongside her husband on the "I Am Paris" podcast.

Paris and Carter are parents to three-month-old Phoenix, and the "Stars Are Blind" hitmaker revealed that her life now feels "complete." She explained, "He literally just melts my heart. My heart just feels so full, like my life is so complete now."

The TV star also has a desire to protect her son. She said, "I'm just so in love with him. I just look in his eyes and he's so innocent and I just want to protect him from everything."

Meanwhile, Paris previously admitted that she can't eat in front of "cute boys." The reality star made the confession during a Thanksgiving dinner with her husband and his family. Paris recalled, "I remember walking in and just seeing you sitting there at the table. You had this big smile and your eyeballs were popping out of your head  in a good way."

Carter continued, "About halfway during the meal, the housekeeper walked over and said, 'Ms. Hilton, Ms. Hilton, is something wrong with the food? You're not eating,' and I'll never forget this, [Paris] said, 'I don't like to eat in front of cute boys,' and I'm like, 'So you're saying there's a chance!' "

Paris then asked Carter to step outside with her. He added, "I actually thought we were going to get fresh air. I turned the corner, you immediately kissed me. My life has never been the same since then."

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Plans for Ukraine to join NATO are deemed "short-sighted and simply dangerous" by the Russian Ministry of Defense.

Russia issues a warning about NATO's statements on Ukraine joining the alliance.

All NATO members agreed to Ukraine's membership

Zelensky had requested NATO's assistance

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, claims that Ukraine could join NATO are "short-sighted and dangerous." The comments were made on Friday by the ministry's spokesperson, Maria Zakharova. She stated on Telegram, "It could lead to the total collapse of the European security system."

Per Sky News, her remarks come after NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg verified that all alliance members agreed to Ukraine's membership.

Ukraine's NATO Membership

The chief stated that Ukraine must have 'the deterrence to prevent new attacks' from Russia once the conflict concludes and that joining NATO would provide Kyiv with defense.

Stoltenberg stated that the NATO allies had agreed that Ukraine would eventually join the alliance and that Zelensky had been invited to the July summit. Stoltenberg, who conferred with the president of Ukraine in Kyiv yesterday, added that the country's victory over Russia is now the top priority.

In the second year of the conflict, he acknowledged the need to discuss "new platforms" of support. He also emphasized the importance of assuring the sustained functionality of supplied weapons, according to Daily Mail.

As he opened a meeting in Germany with allies to discuss further support for Kyiv, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated today that international support for Ukraine is "firm and steadfast."

On the eve of the 50-nation conference, Zelensky implored Western allies to dispatch more fighter jets and long-range missiles to assist in repelling Russian forces. His requests were made directly to Stoltenberg, who visited Kyiv before the meeting at the Ramstein air base.

Zelensky had requested NATO's assistance to "overcome the reluctance" of certain member states in providing long-range missiles, modern fighter aircraft, and armored vehicles. Despite Ukraine's requests, NATO members have sent some Soviet-era fighter fighters to Ukraine, but no contemporary aircraft such as the US-designed F-16 has been promised.

Read Also: Japanese Montevideo Maru Shipwreck Found in South China Sea

Russia-Ukraine War Update

Concerned that Ukraine could use long-range missiles to attack targets within Russia, Ukraine's Western supporters have hesitated to dispatch long-range rockets. Ukraine announced earlier that it had received its first cargo of Patriots, one of the most advanced US air defense systems, from allies.

Germany also delivered an Iris-T anti-air missile system as promised. The equipment has been one of Kyiv's primary requests of its Western allies as it seeks to defend against Russian missile attacks and repel Moscow's invasion.

Kyiv has long desired NATO membership, which entails a commitment from all member nations to defend each other if invaded. Although NATO agreed in principle to Ukraine's membership in 2008, Ukraine has never been given a formal path to membership.

Per The Guardian, the 2014 outbreak of hostilities with Russia has also served as a deterrent to NATO members. Ukraine's immediate membership would necessitate an immediate conflict with a nuclear-armed Moscow, which the United States and other member states have made clear they will not contemplate.

In July, Zelensky is scheduled to attend NATO's next annual summit in Vilinus, Lithuania. Still, Ukrainian officials have stated that his attendance is contingent on the alliance agreeing to a roadmap to membership. Kyiv applied for accelerated membership in September.

Related Article: Moscow Warplane Accidentally Bombs Russian City of 400,000

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@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Universal Pictures Movie

The actor who plays the blood sucking vampire in the Dracula spinoff movie is praised by his co-star for doing so 'incredible' on set that it could be intimidating sometimes.

Apr 22, 2023

AceShowbiz - Ben Schwartz found it "awesome" working with Nicolas Cage on "Renfield". The ex "Parks and Recreation" star enjoyed working with the "incredible" star - who plays Count Dracula in the Chris McKay-helmed movie - alongside Awkwafina, 34, and Nicholas Hoult, 33, who plays the titular character.

"He's so into it. Before the scene, he would go up to the side and get himself real pumped up, and then he'd walk on and it'd be so intimidating. He was amazing," the 41-year-old actor told HeyUGuys.com. "So, he's crazy that guy that I saw, you know, do 'Raising Arizona' when I was a kid is still so committed to doing these movies. He's incredible. He gives it everything he has. It's awesome."

Ben - who plays mobster Teddy Lobo - admitted that his role was tough as he needed to be both the villain and funny. He said, "It was so fun. I think it was all on the page and all what I had to do like, they had the drum part there and all I had to do is kind of push into the comedy a little bit more."

"It's a fine thread to needle where it's like, let's not get too waka waka and let's not get too serious. When you have those moments of pathos and you have those moments of this is a really bad dude, you feel it. And then on the inverse, when you have the moments of comedy, it's just you know, it breaks. It gives you some levity in terms of what's going on in the movie."

The "Space Force" star was allowed the "amazing" chance to flex his well-tuned improv muscle with the "Pig" star. Ben said, "So even in the audition for the role, if it's not on offer, and I'm auditioning, I will ask the director, 'Hey, is it okay to play with the words or whatever?' "

"And there are some directors who are like, 'No, it has to be word perfect,' and then there are some directors like, 'Please, yes, we're figuring out this character like anything you could do to like to add.' And so I love that and with Nic Cage, I even got to improvise when we're doing scenes."

"I would lean him one way and he would follow me and he'd be amazing. So it's like heaven. My improv background has really helped me in the projects I've done. It's been really exciting."

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After criminal charges against him in connection to Halyna Hutchins' death on set of his movie were dropped, the '30 Rock' actor is now planning a documentary about the tragedy.

Apr 23, 2023

AceShowbiz - Alec Baldwin is developing a documentary about the "Rust" shooting. In October 2021, the 65-year-old actor and producer had a Colt .45 handgun in his hands during rehearsals when it accidentally discharged, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

While resuming shooting the movie at Yellowstone ranch in Montana, Baldwin is now working on a documentary about the film with "Last Days in Vietnam" and "Ethel" director Rory Kennedy, Variety reports.

This is the second documentary about the tragic incident as director Rachel Mason and producer Julee Metz are also shooting a documentary about Hutchins with the cooperation of her husband Matthew Hutchins.

Production on "Rust" is expected to finish by the end of May.

Attorney Melina Spadone said, "The production will continue to utilize union crew members and will bar any use of working weapons and any form of ammunition. Live ammunition is - and always was - prohibited on set. Each and every one of us is wholeheartedly dedicated to sharing Halyna's vision and paying tribute to her artistry."

Souza said, "Though bittersweet, I am grateful that a brilliant and dedicated new production team is joining former cast and crew to complete what Halyna and I started. My every effort on this film will be devoted to honoring Halyna's legacy and making her proud."

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Disney+ Hotstar is all set to release its first-ever Malayalam web series called "Kerala Crime Files - Shiju, Parayil Veedu, Neendakara" as part of its Hotstar Specials. The show features engaging crime stories set in the picturesque backdrop of Kerala, providing viewers with a fresh and exciting viewing experience.

Disney + Hotstar Specials Kerala Crime Files Shiju, Parayil Veedu, Neendakara' will feature the talented actors Lal and Aju Varghese in lead roles, bringing their acting prowess to the forefront. As the plot unfolds, viewers will be taken on an intense journey of crime and investigation, leaving them at the edge of their seats. The series will be available in multiple languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, Bengali and Marathi.

Kerala Crime Files Shiju, Parayil Veedu, Neendakara' produced by Rahul Riji Nair under the banner of First Print Studios and directed by the talented and promising director Ahammed Khabeer, is set to be a visual delight. The series is written by the skilled storyteller, Ashiq Aimar, while Jithin Stanislaus captures the essence of the story through his cinematography. The music is composed by Hesham Abdul Wahab, and the editing is done by Mahesh Bhuvanend.

Director Ahammed Khabeer believes that the extended time has given them the freedom to narrate the story in an engaging and elaborate manner, unlike a feature film. Being Disney + Hotstar's first original web series in Malayalam, Kerala Crime Files has been made without compromising on production value and quality. Although the story takes place in the backdrop of Kerala, the making and storytelling of Kerala Crime Files is at par with popular web series in India. - Producer Rahul Riji Nair said.
India Todays Karnataka Roundtable 2023 brings together political heavyweights, industrialists and celebrities before the crucial state assembly polls on 10th May.

Organised by the India Today Group, countrys largest media conglomerate, the Karnataka Roundtable will be held on April 22 in Bengaluru. The roundtable will cover a wide range of topics critical to the state elections, from the resurgence of Congress to reservation politics, polarisation to corruption.

Among the speakers for the Karnataka Roundtable are Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Congress National President Mallikarjun Kharge, Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai, Former Chief Minister of Karnataka and Leader of Opposition, Siddaramaiah, Congress president D K Shivakumar, Lingayat seer Basavarajendra Mrityunjaya Swami, among others.

The Roundtable will feature a host of sessions throughout the day, including Karnataka Today, India Tomorrow, The Battle for Karnataka, Bengaluru Dreams or Dust, Anyone for a slice of reservation, BJPs war for the south, Karnatakas war on corruption, Namma Modi BJPs gamechanger, and more.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will kick-off the event with his take on Karnataka Today, India Tomorrow, while the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj Bommai, will speak on The Battle for Karnataka. Mallikarjun Kharge, the President of the Indian National Congress, will focus on Victory at Hand and D K Shivakumar, the president of Karnataka Congress, will speak on his role as Karnatakas Chanakya.

Additionally, former Karnataka CMs Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy will participate in discussions titled Roar of a Challenger and Kingmaker or Crown,. Other noteworthy speakers include Pralhad Joshi, the Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, who will discuss Namma Modi BJPs gamechanger, and Tejasvi Surya, MP Lok Sabha, BJP, and Dinesh Gundu Rao, Congress MLA, who will debate on Delivery Dangal: What Karnataka Wants. Congress in-charge for Karnataka, Randeep Surjewala, and Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Electronics and IT, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, will speak on Who does Karnataka trust more.

A panel discussion titled Anyone for a slice of reservation will feature Lingayat seer Basavarajendra Mrityunjaya Swami, Karnataka Backward Class Commission chairman, K Jayaprakash Hegde, Chairman, BJP MLA Arvind Bellad, and Congress MLA NA Harris. Capt Gopinath, Founder, Air Deccan, will speak on Bengaluru Dreams or Dust?.

Minister C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Mohammed Haris Nalapad, President of the Karnataka Pradesh Youth Congress Committee, Sowmya Reddy, MLA, Congress and Tejaswini Gowda, MLC, BJP will be part of a roundtable discussion titled Youth Nataka: Hungry and Restless.

The Kannada film industry basking in the glory of recent smash-hits like KGF-2 will celebrate its achievements in a discussion on Sandalwood Soaring: Kannada Cinemas fightback featuring actor and former Member of Parliament Ramya. The debate will move on to BJPs War for the South with K Annamalai, President of Tamil Nadu BJP and a talk on Karnatakas War on Corruption by Lok Ayukta, Justice B S Patil.

The India Today Group has been a custodian of excellence and credibility for over four-decades. With multiple brands and platforms, the Group has established itself as a leader in media. ITG's unwavering focus on journalistic and editorial excellence and its constant innovation has made it the Gold Standard of Journalism. The Group has continued to set the benchmark for trust, integrity, and excellence across television, publishing, digital, and other platforms.
Sidharth Rao, Co-founder of Punt Partners, a mar-tech business, and Webchutney, one of Indias most well-known and honoured digital businesses, passed away on Friday, April 21, 2023.

An official statement issued by Punt Partners, stated, It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our friend and founder, Sidharth Rao. He suffered a fatal cardiac arrest on the 21st of April at his home in Karjat. Sids sudden demise has left us all in shock, and we request everyones time to grieve the loss of our beloved friend, son, brother, husband and colleague. Sids family is especially thankful for all the condolences and messages of support during this time.

Webchutney was started by Rao in July 1999 and was purchased by Dentsu in 2013. The Unfiltered History Tour developed by his agency for Vice Media took home the top prizes at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in 2022.
Renowned historian Barry McNealy isnt hard to find. A longtime educator, McNealy is the historical content expert at the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute where he gives tours and works with the BCRI staff to design programming.

McNealy is just as busy outside of the institute. When he isnt leading historical walking tours around different cities in Alabama, hes in a classroom or behind a podium, moderating panels or giving lectures.

Barry McNealy speaks to visitors outside of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute on July 24, 2021. (Shauna Stuart| AL.com)

Barry McNealy speaks to historian and James Beard award-winning author Adrian Miller outside of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute on May 7, 2022 (Shauna Stuart| Al.com)

This month, those interested in learning about history from McNealy will have two additional opportunities  for the last two Saturdays in April (April 22 and April 29), McNealy will give free walking tours of Kelly Ingram Park.

The tours  a partnership with the Alabama Department of Tourism, begin at 10:00 a.m. in front of the Fred Shuttlesworth statue at the BCRI.

Historically known as West Park, Kelly Ingram Park was a landmark site during Birminghams civil rights campaign of the 1960s. Birmingham police attacked demonstrators with police dogs and billy clubs as they made their way through the park during protests.

READ MORE: In 2023, a series of programs in Birmingham will commemorate 60 years since the citys 1963 civil rights campaign

The Kneeling Minsters sculpture in Kelly Ingram Park is a tribute to the clergy members who helped lead and organize demonstrations during Birmingham's civil rights movement . (Shauna Stuart| Al.com)

In 2017, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation designating part of Birminghams civil rights district as a national monument. The declaration made a portion of the area- which includes Kelly Ingram Park, Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, the A.G. Gaston Motel, 16th Street Baptist Church, Bethel Baptist Church, the Colored Masonic Temple, St. Paul United Methodist Church, and portions of the 4th Avenue Business District--part of the National Park Service. The collection of historic sites is collectively known as the Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument.

Kelly Ingram Park is also a training ground for the BCRIs Legacy Youth Leadership Program, the institutes flagship initiative to help high school students develop leadership skills through public speaking and civic engagement.

Members of the 2021 BCRI Youth Leadership Program pose for a photograph after their commencement ceremony. (Shauna Stuart| AL.com)

Tour guides with the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute Youth Leadership Program talk about the Three Kneeling Ministers sculpture in Kelly Ingram Park. (Shauna Stuart| Al.com)

Throughout the multi-week instruction, students in the program learn the history of Birmingham under the instruction of the BCRI staff. The students also learn to give tours of both the institute and surrounding historic sites, including Kelly Ingram Park.
Dawn, April 22, 2023

Muslims arent this way elsewhere

Pervez Hoodbhoy

IF even the Chinese are not safe here in Pakistan, who is?

Because of CPEC and Pakistans national interest, the Chinese are the most privileged and protected of all foreigners. Multiple layers of police and specially created army units keep them from harms way. Also, they are advised to keep a low profile and minimise contacts with locals, whether in Islamabad or Karachi or anywhere in Balochistan.

But, as this weeks events showed, even these precautions could not protect the Chinese from maddened, religiously charged mobs.

Work at the Dasu hydropower project stopped after a supervisor objected to long prayer breaks taken by workers. For the locals, this was blasphemy. Whisked away by helicopter to a lockup in Abbottabad, this man was luckier than Priyantha Kumara, the Sri Lankan manager of a Sialkot factory. Also accused of blasphemy, he was tortured to death and his corpse burnt by his workers.

Afghanistan excluded, such mediaeval age horrors are unknown in other Muslim-majority countries. Nor is blasphemy busting a national preoccupation elsewhere. Apart from dedicated mountaineers, who in his right mind would want to vacation in a country where the population is ready to burst into flames at the slightest provocation?

Elsewhere, tourists of all nationalities and religions are eagerly solicited and welcomed. The souks of Morocco and Egypt bustle with Americans, Europeans, Russians and Israelis, while Indonesia and Malaysia are popular destinations for Australians. Although UAE is formally under Sharia law, its relaxed social mores encourage people from everywhere to enjoy Dubais wonders.

Raging lynch mobs are common in Pakistan but unusual in other Muslim countries.

Pakistan is different. Scarcely any foreigner  white, Chinese or African  is visible on the streets or in the bazaars. Enrolment of foreign students in our universities is near zero. Major airports in Pakistan, constructed at enormous cost, are economically unsustainable for want of traffic. They have barely a handful of international flights daily with most passengers being Pakistani workers or expats.

Adding to the general perception of Pakistan as a dangerous place, earlier this week, Sweden announced indefinite closure of its embassy. Not far from it is Denmarks embassy, car-bombed in 2008. Two other European embassies are said to have also quietly shut down or restricted their operations. Even in normal times, diplomats in Islamabad stay largely within the Red Zone, making only an occasional foray for vacations up north.

We are exceptional in other ways too. Lest memories fade, lets recall that not only did Osama bin Laden find shelter in Pakistan, he was also hugely popular. According to the 2006 Pew Global Survey, the percentage of Pakistanis who saw bin Laden as a world leader grew from 45 per cent in 2003 to 51pc in 2005. In contrast, an identical questionnaire in Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon showed his popularity dropping by 20 points.

What makes Pakistan so unique and different from other Muslim countries? To this end, I will make three observations.

First, those who run Pakistan have long assumed that religion alone can stick together Pakistans various regions. Maximum amounts of this epoxy must therefore be injected everywhere possible, particularly in education. Although the breakup of 1971 proved plentifully that the glue wasnt strong enough, they chose to draw exactly the opposite conclusion. To quote Gen Ziaul Haq (1981), Take the Judaism out of Israel and it will fall like a house of cards. Take religion out of Pakistan and make it a secular state, it would collapse.

Elsewhere, one does not see such nervousness. Turkey? Egypt? Iran? Indonesia? Morocco? Being historically formed nation states, they are comfortable with Islam and do not have existential worries. Their national narratives are free from apocalyptic scenarios of disintegration and destruction.

Second, starting in the 1980s, Pakistans generals and clerics became symbiotically linked via the Kashmir jihad. Their so-called military-mullah alliance (MMA) created madressahs that became jihad factories. These eventually spun out of control. The 2007 Lal Masjid insurrection turned Islamabad into a war zone, leaving hundreds dead. It showed how impotent the state had become when confronted by the forces it had nurtured.

That impotence is glaringly evident today as well. Even in heavily policed Islamabad, it is estimated that two out of three mosques and madressahs are built on encroached land. Civic authorities stand helpless before this anarchy, unable to demolish hastily constructed structures. Government attempts to have the same prayer time for all mosques in Islamabad also foundered. Madressah reform is dead in the water. Instead, now that the Single National Curriculum is being implemented, regular schools have been turned into madressahs.

Compare this helplessness with Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iran, or elsewhere. These states tightly regulate where mosques can be built. Even the design and architecture  pleasing aesthetics being mandatory  is specified. More importantly, they spell out what can be said or not said during Friday sermons. This limits hate speech. Hence, there are no lynch mobs and no Mashal Khans or Priyantha Kumaras.

Third, the purist fantasy of a theological state (specifically those of Ziaul Haqs Nizam-i-Mustafa or Imran Khans Riyasat-i-Madina) is very much alive in Pakistan. Why demagogues can profitably use such slogans is easy to see. In a country that is deeply unequal, corrupt and plagued by huge class asymmetry, people yearn for an unblemished past when everything was perfect.

But note! The leaders of autocratic and authoritarian countries like Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, or Turkey are not peddling hype of some imagined past. Instead, Prince Mohammed bin Salman has vowed to transform the hardline kingdom of Saudi Arabia into an open society that empowers citizens and lures investors. While Recep Erdogan may privately ache for restoration of the caliphate abolished by Ataturk in 1924, only 8pc of his supporters want this.

For stability and prosperity, Pakistan will have to shed its illusions and become a normal country. This means that its diverse peoples must be held together consensually through shared needs and interdependence, not through some ideological diktat. The hyper religiosity promoted through state institutions and the toxic education in our schools is not getting us admiration anywhere. Instead, it is producing a wild, uncontrollable population. Even our friends now fear us.

(The writer is an Islamabad-based physicist and writer.)

[The above article from Dawn is reproduced here for educational and non commercial use]
As the conflict between competing parties continues in Sudan, the army has agreed to evacuate foreign nationals and diplomats.

Sudan's army stated Saturday, April 22, that the US, UK, France, and China are going to evacuate their diplomatic workers and citizens "within the coming hours" from the nation devastated by conflict. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry also said it was evacuating residents and foreigners from Sudan.

Rescuing Foreign Citizens, Diplomats

According to The Washington Post, the Sudanese military issued a statement saying that Army leader Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan has agreed to help with and ensure the safety of the evacuation of foreign people from the city of Khartoum in response to requests from many nations.

It was reported that military planes from the US, Britain, France, and China would soon begin evacuating diplomatic personnel and nationalities from Khartoum.

In addition, the Sudanese army statement said that the Saudi diplomatic delegation had already left by aircraft from a Red Sea port city and that the Jordanians would also depart via that route. Earlier, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry indicated plans were underway to evacuate Saudi citizens and other foreign people from Sudan.

CNBC said that Jordan has begun evacuating its residents in collaboration with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sinan al-Majali's televised remarks. He estimated that 300 Jordanians were involved.

It was unclear how many individuals would be evacuated or whether or not certain states would just be evacuating diplomatic officials.

Countries such as the US, South Korea, Japan, and the Netherlands have sent aircraft and soldiers to Sudan's neighbors in recent days in preparation for the possible extrication of diplomatic officials and other nationals.

Notably, the State Department earlier suggested it would not be evacuating all American citizens from Sudan and instead recommended that those who are already in the country stay indoors and not go to the embassy.

See Also: Sudan Violence: Death Toll Now Over 400; US Pre-Positions Military Forces

Current Sudan Crisis

Airports have become battlegrounds, and evacuations have been halted due to fighting between the Sudan government's military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Street violence has shut down hospitals, halted United Nations (UN) activities, and raised worries of a regional spillover as Burhan has been involved in a power battle with the leader of the RSF, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti.

The United Nations estimates that 10,000 to 20,000 people have fled to Chad. It is a neighboring country in western Africa that is already sheltering hundreds of thousands of refugees, The Guardian reported.

Despite reporting occasional clashes on Friday, April 21, and accusing each other of breaches, the warring groups announced they had agreed to a temporary ceasefire for the Muslim festival Eid al-Fitr this weekend.

Previous temporary ceasefire measures have failed to hold as shooting and shelling have forced civilians to stay indoors for days on end despite diminishing supplies.

See Also: Sudan Armed Forces Continue Fight Against Paramilitary Group Despite Ceasefire Agreement

@ 2023 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A federal jury ordered an Alabama company to pay a former employee more than $800,000 for retaliating against her after she complained of discrimination over her hairstyle.

Davita Key worked less than two days in 2017 for Dynamic Security, which provides services for the Hyundai plant in Montgomery and hired her to work in the mailroom there.

Key contended that after she informed her supervisors that she was pregnant, they told her that she couldnt have her hair in dreadlocks. Although Key offered to change her hair or wear a hat, according to the suit, the company fired her and claimed she was unwilling to abide by its dress code.

She sued in federal court in October 2019. The jury ruled on March 30 that Dynamic Security improperly retaliated against Key after she told supervisors and human resources that she felt discriminated against.

Key said she did not get the chance to show her work ethic. I never got the opportunity to show them who I was as a person, Key told AL.com this week.

Key said the decision to go to the U.S. Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission and file a lawsuit was a last resort. She initially hoped to resolve the issue internally and continue working with Dynamic Security, she said.

I did that after speaking to them and feeling like my voice was just not heard and I wasnt taken seriously, Key said.

The issue of hairstyle discrimination is complicated, said Leslie Palmer, an employment attorney who represented Key in her case. Federal law protects employees from being terminated based on the texture of their hair, but federal and state officials have split over dreadlocks.

Wearing an afro is protected, Palmer said. The circuits are split as to whether dreadlocks fall into texture or style.

Judges on the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta have ruled that employers are allowed to prohibit dreadlocks, but several states have passed laws to protect the hairstyle because it is usually worn by Black employees. The decision by the 11th Circuit said workplaces cant use hairstyle as a proxy for racial discrimination.

Key said she felt concerns about dreadlocks are closely tied to race.

When I think about my hair, that is racial, Key said. This is my hair. Its my race. Thats who I am as an African American woman. The texture of my hair is like this because I am African American. This is the texture of my hair, and the reason the texture is like this is because of my race.

Concerns about her hair initially emerged during the interview, according to court documents, when an interviewer asked about Hyundai and Dynamic Securitys hairstyle policy. Another person involved in the conversation looked at Keys hair and approved it if she wore it up.

She reported to work wearing her hair in the style that had been approved during the interview process. No one raised any concerns about her hair until she told her supervisors she was pregnant, according to her complaint.

Her supervisors sent her home early on her first day, according to court documents. The next day she came to work wearing a hat, but another supervisor pulled her aside. She asked Key if she felt discriminated against and then told her the Koreans who owned the plant send little memos saying they do not want African Americans wearing their hair in dreadlock hairstyles, according to court documents.

Key was asked not to return to the plant because of her dreadlocks and never received another assignment from Dynamic Security, she said.

Advocates nationwide have pushed for passage of the CROWN Act, which stands for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, at the state and federal level. Alabama officials have not enacted the law, which would include dreadlocks in the category of protected hairstyles, but 20 other states have, according to the Society for Human Resources Management.

The judge in Keys case dismissed allegations of pregnancy and racial discrimination, but Key prevailed on her retaliation claims.

Susan Bullock, an attorney representing Dynamic Security, told AL.com that there are plans to appeal the verdict.

The trial lasted three days. Key said she had not spoken to many people about her experiences at Dynamic Security and felt apprehensive about testifying. Key has three children and said she hopes she has set an example for them to stand up for themselves and to challenge unfair treatment.

Its like, Im not making this up in my head, Key said. It was a relief. It was something Id been carrying and now I had some form of justice.

Her other attorney, Heather Leonard, said it can be hard for employees to come forward, especially in Alabama, which has laws that give employers a lot of power over hiring and firing decisions.

A colonoscopy is less invasive than what Davita had to go through in that courtroom, Leonard said. Its a testament to her strength that she is willing to fight the fight that many people are too scared to fight. Its a victory for her, but its also a victory for a lot of Davita Keys out there who might be intimidated or too scared to pursue their claims.
Five people including one firefighters were injured in a Friday-night blaze at an east Birmingham apartment complex.

The fire erupted about 9:30 p.m. Friday at 1417 Montclair Road. That is the large, two-story complex across the street from Fair Haven Nursing Home.

Fire officials initially received reports of people screaming and jumping out windows.

When they arrived on the scene, they saw fire and smoke are coming from at least two apartments. Several residents were trapped and at least one person was evacuated through a window.

BFRS Battalion Chief Jackie Hiks said he couldnt confirm anyone jumped out of any windows, but said some residents were outside when they arrived.

First responder radio traffic indicated CPR was being performed on one patient.

Hicks said the firefighter was injured while rescuing a victim. Both were transported to the hospital with serious injuries.

Three other victims were treated on the scene and released.

Up to 12 apartments may have sustained smoke damage.

This is a developing story and will be updated.
A 21-year-old Athens man was killed early Saturday in a single-vehicle crash in Limestone County.

Dylan A. McMahan was driving a 2008 GMC Sierra when it left Brownsferry Road and overturned before hitting a tree around 12:45 a.m., according to the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

He was pronounced dead at the crash scene, which was about two miles south of Athens.

The crash remains under investigation.
As one would expect, Hakeem Jeffries, the first Black minority Speaker of the House, denied his history as a racist. Like many blacks, he may believe he cant be a racist because blacks dont have the power to effectuate their prejudices, or when blacks slur whites, they arent slurs because theyre truisms to achieve equity. Jeffries position highlights why American anti-racism programs wont be successful until they eliminate that mindset and, instead, encourage blacks to be honest about their racism.

Black economist Walter Williams said: Racial discrimination and racism in our country could have earned a well-deserved death, but it has been resurrected by race hustlers and poverty pimps as I call them, such as Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton who make a living on the grievances of blacks. If Williams were still alive, he would have a longer list of well-known race hustlers, like Hakeem and several other senior people in Washington.

In 2013, Hakeem was asked about his overtly racist and anti-Semitic Uncle Leonard Jeffries. He said he had only a vague recollection of Leonards controversial positions. There was no internet during that era.

Last week, articles surfaced that made a mockery of his answer. Hakeem had invited his uncle to speak at Hakeems college, Binghamton University. Jewish students objected, noting the recent controversy surrounding Leonards being asked to step down as the Chairman of Black Studies at the City College of New York after a speech in which he called the president of the college the Head Jew of the kabala of Jews running the college. He also said Jews financed the slave trade.

Image: Hakeem Jeffries. YouTube screen grab.

Leonard was also infamous for his Melanin theory, which advances that blacks are the superior race with greater intelligence and spiritual qualities. He argued that African Americas are warm, humanistic sun people and European Americans are cold, materialistic, ice people.

Hakeem dismissed the Jewish students concerns about his uncles bizarre racist and antisemitic theories, stating in a press conference, We have no intention of canceling a presentation that has factual information proven through scholarly documents and texts. Instead, Hakeem asserted that characterizing his uncle as antisemitic was unfair and, in a 1992 op-ed in his college paper, defended his uncles controversial positions.

The problem with Leonard Jeffries manifestly racist Melanin theory, the one Hakeem vociferously supported and that Leonard defends on the grounds that its objectively true, is that Jeffries isnt the only black academic asserting it.

While the Melanin theory is racist, Leonard claimed it was not, because he simply explains racial differences. Thirty years later, Ibram Kendi, whose book How to be an Anti-Racist is on the Navys recommended reading list and is one of the most important racial authorities on the left, asserts something similar. When he calls all whites racist, the word racist is not a pejorative. It is descriptive.

Kendis book reads like an anti-white polemic, but he said he doesnt hate white people. How can you hate a group of people for who they are? He also supports an idea promoted by Hakeem, that of good blacks and Uncle Toms. In his book, Kendi wrote: I had imagined history as a battle: on one side Black folks, on the other a team of them niggers and White folks.

Most of Hakeems 1992 op-ed was spent denigrating black conservatives who he equated to House Negroes. He specifically mentioned Clarence Thomas, Colin Powell, and Shelby Steele. Now that its come to light, black conservative congressman Byron Donalds has said he thinks Hakeem should apologize for his house negro comparison.

Hakeems response was to tweet, Right-wing extremists want us to step back. Not much of an admission of prejudice, but Hakeem cant apologize because his current thoughts about black conservatives have not changed, although they have been expanded. Today, per Hakeems incendiary theory, because whites are sore about Obama, black and white conservatives are trying to disenfranchise blacks.

Nor is Hakeem the only black politician in D.C. to assert openly racist theories denigrating whites as inferior and spouting antisemitic rhetoric. When she was a college student, Kristen Clarke, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, supported Leonard speaking at Harvard on the Melanin theory, and, like Leonard, she has anti-Semitic and anti-white conservative views. These have influenced her official duties.

There are other blacks in Washington besides Jeffries and Clarke who pretend they arent racist. In 2020, Kelisa Wing, the first Black DoD Education (DODEA) Chief of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, tweeted her racial views, Im so exhausted at these white folx in these [professional development] sessions this lady actually had the CAUdacity to say black people can be racist too  I had to stop the session and give Karen the BUSINESS  we are not the majority, we dont have power.

Kelisa Wing actually had a very powerful position, which she leveraged to stoke racism against whites. At one summit, DODEA urged white people to confess their crimes of privilege and silence. Over 66,000 students attend DOD schools. On her watch, 600 of her books were made available in 49 DoD schools, and the books are anti-white. Responding to criticism, Wing denied she was racist. Instead, she insisted, she was seeking equity.

Under Wings boss, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, getting rid of white supremacists is a priority, even though extremists have been estimated at 0.005% of the military population. To do this, all whites are targeted. The DoD program includes leveraging critical race theory (CRT), which is racist against whites. Service people are trained on systemic and institutional racism and bias against underserved communities. No attention is given to racism against whites, for example, CRT, or to the impact that training people on white oppressors and non-white victims has on supercharging racism.

Kamala Harris is no stranger to race hustling. She responded reflexively to the Jussie Smollett hoax. This was an attempted modern-day lynching. No one should have to fear for their life because of their sexuality or color of their skin. We must confront this hate.

Commenting on race baiter and anti-Semite Al Sharpton, Kamala said, Rev, I love you! And I thank you, on behalf of all of us, everyone, for all that you do and all that you are ... you are always a voice of truth ... you are part of the conscience of our country.

Leonard Jeffries would agree. Sharpton came to Leonards defense when the media wrote about his antisemitic speech. Sharpton said, If the Jews want to get it on, tell them to pin their yarmulkes back and come over to my house. A few days later, Sharpton led blacks in the Crown Heights riots, as they chanted Kill the Jew and Heil Hitler while rioting through a predominantly Jewish neighborhood. They killed two people and injured 152 police officers and 38 civilians. Sharpton never apologized because he said he did nothing wrong.

President Obama didnt have a problem with anti-Semitic, race-baiter Sharpton either. Sharpton visited the White House seventy-two times during his presidency. Politico said Sharpton was Obamas go-to man on race.

Kamala doesnt think she is racist, and neither do Wing, Austin, Clarke, Sharpton, Jackson, Leonard, or Hakeem. But their words and actions refute this, and they are stoking racism.

Walter Williams has it right: racism in America could be in the past, but the race hustlers wont let it die. Indeed, it has entered a more dangerous phase because, as one black activist wrote, blacks in government are using their power to effectuate their prejudices.

They safely maintain this racism by hiding behind the myth that blacks cant be racist, because, per master hustler Jesse Jackson, whites must be kept on the hookwhich means perpetuating racism and the notion that only whites and Black conservatives are racist. Ironically, it is the colorblind conservative platform that is truly anti-racist.
The book China After Mao: The Rise of a Superpower is a chronicle of Chinas rise to world power. Award-winning Dutch author Frank Dikotter is a China expert who bases his research on access to government documents and what he witnessed. His story is compelling because he has no agenda beyond trying to explain what he observed.

Four decades after Mao Zedongs death, the communist nation went from the 126th largest economy to the second. Western optimists credit a growing market economy and free trade for this transformation. However, the author challenges the economic miracle narrative of China after Mao.

Beyond the glitter of the nations shining metropolises and industrial base lies an immense system of contradictions, illusions, corruption, shadow banking, and political intrigue. Extreme wealth exists beside abject poverty. The plight of the poor Chinese people remains dire in the face of a political program that only serves the Communist Party and its leaders. If there is any miracle, it is that China still survives.

Dikotter traces this darker and more chaotic narrative. While the players, facts and policies constantly change, one thing stands out. The Chinese Communist Party is amazingly consistent in its four-decade march to ever more socialism -- not a market economy.

The book details, almost to excess, the power struggles and brutality of this march to keep China communist. However, one of the works great merits is to point out at least four CCP consistencies among many.

What We Consistently Dont Know

The first consistency is the lack of data about what is happening in China.

China is a mystery where the only rule is that nobody knows anything about China... including the Chinese government. Given the proliferation of false statistics, there is no way to calculate how big anything is in the country. Dikotter notes how in most things, I know what I dont know. But where China is concerned, we dont even know what we dont know.

The central government insists that each sector reaches its goals. Junior communist officials must present the best possible picture to remain in power and favor. Thus, China consistently suffers from inflated figures that no one can rely on. On the contrary, debts and shortcomings are underestimated so that failure will not be perceived and punished.

Data is dangerous in China and is best left unknown and unknowable.

A Consistently Controlled Economy with Little Freedom

Western media promotes the myth of a China turbocharged with private initiative and investment. The reality is a consistent policy of socialist ineptitude, which Dikotter documents with great skill and detail.

Behind the scenes is a constant power struggle of ideologues obsessed with growth at the expense of economic efficiency. Once factories are established, they are never closed and produce to overcapacity since they are always assured of subsidies and government bailouts.

In Chinas planned socialist economy, the market is rarely considered. The State sets production goals, and Party officials struggle to outdo each other to reach them even when there is no demand. The government sustains zombie industries that would be better left to die. Warehouses are overfilled with surplus goods. These products are later dumped on the world market at great discounts.

Similarly, government officials vie with each other over infrastructure projects financed by massive shadow banking debt and government aid. Thus, China is a nation of empty malls, vacant industrial parks, and unused airports. Ghost cities have sprung up everywhere, with no one to populate them.

In addition, the wealth is not well distributed since most goes to the State, not the people. Chinese premier Li Keqiang reported in May 2020 that more than 600 million Chinese live on a mere $140 a month.

Consistent Control of Trade

China maintains a consistent trade policy that overwhelmingly favors the communist nation. Chinese officials became proficient at luring foreign investors and executives to locate in the country and take advantage of cheap labor. They always held out the carrot of access to a billion-consumer market.

However, Dikotter concludes that the only result of these lures is a fairly insulated system capable of fencing off the country from the rest of the world. The State controls all trade that usually flows in one directionout to the West. Meanwhile, China ignores intellectual property rights and environmental regulations that allow it to produce things more cheaply. The States countless rules, currency manipulations, sanctions, bonuses, deductions, and incentives make China the most unlevel playing field in modern history.

When enterprises issue shares, the majority are taken over by the CCP and party cells are implanted inside the plants to ensure control even when in partnership with Western companies.

Consistent Socialist Orientation

Despite the ever-changing power struggles and Party intrigues, the most consistent policy of the CCP is its strict adherence to Communism. Throughout the four decades of liberalization, the CCP leadership never lost focus on its communist goals.

After Maos death, the Party instituted the Four Cardinal Principles that remain in effect to this day. The Principles are: We must keep the socialist road. We must uphold the dictatorship of the proletariat. We must uphold the leadership of the Communist Party. We must uphold Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong thought.

The more the West insisted that China was becoming capitalist, the more CCP leaders openly affirmed their unshakeable faith in Communism. Compromises with the West were merely capitalist tools in socialist hands. China makes no effort to hide this agenda.

In 1998, Chinese President Jiang Zemin declared, Chinas political system must not be shaken, weakened or discarded at any time. The Western model of politics must never be copied.

A Tragic Western Consistency

However, the greatest and most tragic consistency is a western one. As Marx once foresaw the fall of capitalism, naive westerners saw the inevitable fall of Communism. They adopted a credit, concessions, and industrial buildup policy without any proof of real change.

The Wests wishful thinking automatically assumed that free trade would inevitably lead to a free society. Democracy always seemed to be around the corner. People looked with a blind eye toward massive human rights violations and the brutal suppression of protests like those at Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Businessmen patiently and consistently waited for the one billion consumers that would soon be buying western goods. Western nations lost jobs to China instead.

Chairman Xi Jinping is now clamping down on dissent in China, building up its military and turning upon the West in alliance with Russia, Iran, and others. The West will soon pay the price for its illusions. Western trade policies have created a monstrous dragon, equipped to attack the nations that now depend on Chinas subsidized export goods.

Dikotters final analysis, however, does point out some major problems with the Chinese model. Throughout these four decades, China has struggled to survive amid corruption, bad economics, and faulty structures. Intrigue, brutal suppression of opposition and Western largess miraculously carried the nation to this point.

However, all is not lost for the West should it stand up to this defective bully. The author notes that China must face an entire range of longstanding structural issues of its own making that could reach crisis proportions in the near future. It is time to break the consistent policy of surrender and confront the problem frontally.

Image: Bloomsbury
I was asked recently whether I would receive a transplant. I have often addressed this question in my lectures and videos on the ethics of organ harvesting and transplantation.

Like most questions, the answer to this question is, It depends! There are many types of transplants, some of which are ethical and some which are not. And since ethical questions require a moral framework, my answers are based on the moral law found in the Ten Commandments against murder, lying, and theft.

Would I receive a tissue transplant? Absolutely! Tissues are things like skin, bone, heart valves, and corneas. Tissues are simple structures and are very tolerant of a lack of blood flow. They can be harvested from a corpse (a donor who is biologically dead and whose spirit has departed) and are completely ethical.

There is one ethical caveat to tissue donation, however. An LA Times article revealed that organ procurement organizations are harvesting tissues from the corpses of registered organ donors before the medical examiner has a chance to determine the cause of death. This article shared the devastating sorrow of families who were denied closure because their loved ones had unselfishly signed a donor card. Unfortunately, at autopsy, the bodies of these victims are so mangled by tissue harvesting that crime lab pathologists are sometimes unable to determine if injuries related to domestic violence resulted in murder. Thus, I recommend that no one be a registered organ or tissue donor. If you desire to donate your tissues, simply notify your family that they may release your corpse for tissue donation after all their questions regarding your death have been answered.

Image by stefamerpik.

This brings me to the question of organ transplants. Organs (things like livers, kidneys, hearts, and lungs) can only be harvested from a biologically living donor. This is because internal organs are complex structures that very quickly begin to break down and decompose when circulation stops, making them unsuitable for transplant. However, living organ donation, in which both donor and recipient remain alive after the procedure, is a wonderful and ethical form of transplant, one that every altruistic person should consider.

I would definitely consider donating one of my paired organs (such as a kidney) or a lobe of my liver to help another person. One of our friends donated a kidney to her young daughter, allowing her daughter to live for over twenty more years. Living donations are some of the most successful transplants and are in the best tradition of selfless service to a person in need.

I think it goes without saying that I would never condone travel to Communist China to receive an organ from a political prisoner executed by forced organ harvesting. And I deplore the exploitation of the poor by organ trafficking of kidneys on the black market. Both of these are human rights abuses and deserve to be condemned.

What about organs harvested from a brain dead organ donor? Brain death is a legal fiction, a term that was coined in 1968 when a group of doctors at Harvard Medical School decided that people in an irreversible coma could be declared dead for use as organ donors. People in a coma are still biologically alive, with beating hearts, and their spirits are still incorporated within their bodies.

The fact that people have survived a diagnosis of brain death and have gone on to live normal lives bears this out. These people are alive when brought to the operating room and respond to surgery like any other patient, as I saw firsthand during my anesthesiology training. Calling these people dead is a lie, and even though removing their beating hearts is legal under the Uniform Determination of Death Act, it is morally wrong. Knowing these facts, I could not ethically receive an organ from a brain dead person without being complicit in their murder.

And lastly, would I receive an organ from a circulatory death organ donor? These donors are not brain-dead, but they are not expected to survive. Again, the devil is in the details. Because organs begin to disintegrate so quickly without circulation, doctors begin harvest surgery in these cases within 75 seconds to 5 minutes after the heart stops beating. Every medical professional knows that people are routinely resuscitated after such a short period of cardiac arrest (see Pronounced Dead Twice: What Should an Attending Physician Do in Between?).

Even worse is the newer technique of normothermic regional perfusion with controlled donation after circulatory death (NRP-cDCD), in which doctors clamp off the circulation to the brain to make the donor brain dead on purpose before resuscitating the remaining organs for viable harvesting. The American College of Physicians has called for a pause in the practice of NRP-cDCD, as the burden of proof regarding the ethical and legal propriety of this practice has not been met. So, because patients declared dead by circulatory criteria are still capable of being resuscitated, and the ethics surrounding this is questionable, I could not ethically receive an organ from someone declared dead by circulatory death standards either.

Emotional appeals about organ donation ignore what is really going on behind the operating room doors. Catchy slogans like Give the gift of life sound good, but gloss over critical details that everyone who signs a donor card has a right to know. The public is being misled while doctors, lawyers, and ethicists continue to debate whether people should be told the truth. Even Dr. Robert Truog, a proponent of transplant, states in his book Death, Dying, and Organ Transplantation, brain dead donors remain alive and donors declared dead according to circulatory-respiratory criteria are not known to be dead at the time that their organs are procured. I agree with ethicist Dr. Michael Nair-Collins, who writes, Appealing to the good consequences of organ transplantation in an attempt to justify the lack of transparency, if not outright obfuscation on which the transplantation enterprise rests, is not a very compelling argument.

Heidi Klessig is a retired anesthesiologist and pain management specialist who writes and speaks about organ donation. Her work can be found at respectforhumanlife.com.
Remember that letter that hit the front pages about Russia disinformation and the Hunter Biden laptop? It was signed by 50 intelligence experts, and now we are learning that it was a bit fishy. Could it be that the whole thing was set up to find 50 to protect the presidential candidate before the second debate? To paraphrase Paul Simon, some Democrat was out there saying something like there must be fifty of you ready to sign a letter to protect our Joe.

This is the story:

Joe Biden's presidential campaign prompted former acting CIA Director Mike Morell to "help Biden" by organizing 50 colleagues to sign a letter in October 2020 falsely claiming that damning emails from Hunter Biden's laptop published by The Post were Russian disinformation. In private sworn testimony, Morell told the House Judiciary Committee that Antony Blinken, now secretary of state, was the senior campaign official who reached out to him "on or before" Oct. 17, 2020, three days after The Post published an email from the laptop suggesting Hunter had introduced his Ukrainian business partner to his father, then-Vice President Biden. Morell, identified as a potential CIA director under Biden, said he organized the letter to "help Vice President Biden... because I wanted him to win the election." Until Blinken's call, Morell told House investigators, he had no intention of writing any statement exonerating Biden.

Okay. I can understand that he wanted Biden to win the election. That's fair. I wanted Trump to be re-elected. But that's not the point. The issue here is that a letter was signed giving credibility to Biden's message that the whole thing was disinformation. That smells bad, and every one of the 50 should be brought before the Congress to explain his signature.

PS: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts, and videos.

Image: US Gov.
The Man with the Golden Gun happens to be one of my all-time favorite James Bond Pictures.

Sir Roger Moore was in outstanding form as Bond. The script gave Moore an opportunity to depict the darker, meaner, ruthless, and somewhat nasty side of Bond.

Christopher Lee was magnificent as the maniacal assassin Francisco Scaramanga. Bond and Scaramanga are almost reflections of each other in drive, skill, and talent; what separates them is Bond's sense of morality and patriotism. The Nietzschean theme prevails all through the picture and makes for compelling viewing.

Also quite striking are the stunning Swedish leading ladies, Maud Adams, who plays Scaramanga's abused mistress, and Britt Ekland, who play Bond's hapless assistant in Thailand.

Herve Villechaize plays Nick Nack, Scaramanga's little person manservant and conniving accomplice, who may be resentful of Scaramanga and want him out of the way.

I have watched this film multiple times, and it is fascinating how one manages to pick up striking details with each viewing that one surprisingly missed initially.

The focus here is on Sheriff J.W. Pepper, played by the very funny and amiable Clifton James.

The character, whose function was to provide comic relief, debuted in Sir Roger's debut Bond film, Live and Let Die (1973).

Pepper works for the Louisiana State Police. He is loud, brash, and garrulous and perpetually chewing and spitting out what appears to be tobacco. He fits the trope of the ineffectual policeman and has been used in a few other Bond films as well.

The popularity of the character caused him to be brought back in the subsequent Bond film, The Man With the Golden Gun (1974).



YouTube screen grab.

This time, Pepper is vacationing with his wife in Bangkok. During one of the car chases where he is accompanying Bond, an exasperated Pepper refers to the local Thai people in Bangkok as "little brown pointy heads."

In Live and Let Die, Pepper refers to a black character in the film as "boy," which some have claimed was proof that he is racist. The character was meant to be seen as somewhat bigoted or prejudiced, with those qualities linked to his ineptitude. While arresting a black person, he remarks, "This ain't exactly your debut at this sort of thing."

A key revelation occurs during a scene when Pepper's wife is about to buy an artifact of an elephant from a local Thai vendor. Pepper remarks, "Elephants! We're Democrats" as he spits on the floor.

Yes, Pepper, who can be seen as somewhat bigoted, is a Democrat. I searched across the forums to learn about fans' reactions to this revelation. Many seemed surprised at the revelations. Some even presumed that he was being ironic or sarcastic.

We cannot exactly blame people for being surprised, because the media machinery for the past few decades has been pushing this narrative that it is Republicans who are the racists while Democrats are the only hope for non-white people.

Yes, the character is a caricature, but caricatures are often based in fact. In this particular case, the depiction is historically accurate. Since the day it was founded in 1829, the Democrat party has fought every major civil rights initiative and has a long history of discrimination. The Democrats defended slavery, which caused the Civil War; they founded the Ku Klux Klan, imposed segregation, perpetrated lynching, and fought the civil rights acts of the 1960s. The Democrats were the party of slavery, Jim Crow, and that miserable terrorist excrescence the Ku Klux Klan.

The Democrats were a perfect example of systemic racism.

The Republicans were the party of Abe Lincoln; Reconstruction; anti-lynching laws; and the civil rights acts of 1875, 1957, 1960, and 1964. But these facts continue to remain secrets because of the media and because the GOP has done a very poor job in countering spurious Democrat narratives.

The Democrats haven't changed much.

They may say what appears to be the right thing  appearing to be proponents of inclusivity, equity, and diversity. But this diversity is superficial. The non-white people are needed only for photo ops and publicity campaigns. But when you dig deeper, you notice that they have very little respect for non-white people.

Whenever a non-white person dares to challenge the Democrat groupthink, he becomes the recipient of the most vile and bigoted attacks. The treatment meted out to black Republicans such as Hershel Walker, Larry Elder, Candace Owens, Herman Cain, etc. is proof of that.

If you look at the situation of non-white people in states run by Democrats, it becomes amply clear what their goal is. The black community is facing a crisis, with poverty, crime, bad schools, and a breakdown in family structure.

For the Democrats, this is ideal; it gives them their permanent underclass voter base, who rely on them for welfare, to whom they can turn around and say, "You want more freebies? Vote for us."

Their P.R. wing that masquerades as the media has pushed the Democrat-savior and Republican-bigot narrative to such an extent that even when they see no improvement in their lives and misgovernance by Democrats, the dominant share of black people continue to vote for Democrats. The Democrats have convinced a significant number of black people that if they do not vote Democrat, they are being disloyal to their race and siding with the enemy. This could be seen as a form of mental slavery.

Back to The Man with the Golden Gun and Sheriff J.W. Pepper: It is quite amazing that the film revealed the character to be a Democrat. It isn't clear how much thought screenwriters Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz put in while making this revelation. It will be interesting to see if this is muted when screened on TV.

If such a character were to be depicted in today's era, they would never, ever reveal him to be a Democrat, no matter what time the movie is set in. They would happily place a MAGA hat on his head and amplify the bigotry to the hilt.

This is another reason to like The Man with the Golden Gun (1974).
Wokeness is the secular religion that mandates fully embracing "diversity, inclusion and equity." Sins in this religion, like "racism," "homophobia," "sexism," and so on, are beyond brief lapses in faith  they are thoughtcrimes, with the most severe punishment in store. After all, Victor Hugo said, "to contemplate is to toil, to think is to do."

One does not have to look too far in the past to see where wokeness will lead. A prototype of this secular religion was espoused and fastidiously practiced in former Democratic Kampuchea, its constitution proclaiming that there is "complete equality among all Kampuchean people in an equal, just, democratic, harmonious, and happy society." What happened to Cambodia after these words were written is well-known.

The world gratefully accepts Japan's consumer technology and pop culture. In exchange, Japan has consumed modern Western social values, albeit with some reservations. On the one hand, even before the 2022 assassination of former premier Shinzo Abe with a homemade gun, there is little enthusiasm for firearms ownership in Japan  much less than that of European countries and much, much less than that of the U.S. On the other hand, like the U.S. and the West, most Japanese support redefining marriage and laws to specifically protect a sexually divergent minority.

While the Japanese enthuse over "gay marriage" and transgenderism, they are less than enthusiastic about traditional marriage and raising children. It should not be difficult to see how these attitudes will lead to population decline; Japan's is expect to fall to 100 million from the current 120 million in about one generation.

To keep Japan's feet to the fire, the American mandarin of Japan, a Biden administration crony, demanded that Japan legally recognize "gay marriage" and give preference to a tiny portion of the population. "I have full confidence based on the swiftness of the prime minister's actions," the American mandarin stated with a smirk at a press conference in Tokyo on February 15, 2023.

Japan has been chided by the West in the past for its lack of enthusiasm in imbibing from the West's vat of Kool-Aid. For example, the Western media scolded Japan for being either too harsh or too lenient in its response to the Wuhan coronavirus pandemic. With respect to the so-called coronavirus vaccine, with more and more cases of vaccine-related injuries and deaths in Japan as well as elsewhere and declining "vaccine" efficacy, perhaps Japan's hesitation regarding the so-called vaccines was not baseless. Nonetheless, as of March 31, 2023, more Japanese than Americans have been "fully dosed"  a cautious yet inevitable draught of Kool-Aid.

In addition to redefining marriage, Japanese same-sex couples have also demanded the right to raise children, as do American same-sex couples. So how has same-sex parenting worked out in the U.S.? In 2023, a lesbian couple in Lycoming County, Pa. pleaded guilty to the "torture starvation deaths" of two of the girls in their care. The couple face consecutive life sentences. In addition to murder, one was charged with fraudulently obtaining welfare benefits after the girls' deaths. In 2022, an Oxford, Ga. same-sex couple were charged with numerous crimes involving their two adopted children, including "aggravated child molestation and sexual exploitation of children." In 2018, six non-white adopted children were murdered by the white lesbian couple raising them when they drove off a cliff in Mendocino County, Calif. Prior to what was ruled by police as a murder-suicide, the adopted children reportedly suffered from physical abuse and starvation. The U.S. mainstream media are quite adamant in that same-sex "marriages" are no different from marriages. However, others have pointed out otherwise.

A tiny but strident Japanese homosexual and transgender lobby has demanded preferential treatment and protection. These Japanese groups are nowhere near as militant as American groups, so Japanese homosexuals and transgenders have much room for growth. How much? English-language media outlets in Japan did not mention key facts of recent shootings in Nashville and Colorado Springs. One English-language Japanese media outlet, citing foreign media, mentioned the Nashville shooter's transgenderism in passing. If these were reported in Japanese-language media, it did not appear to affect the stridency of Japanese homosexual and transgender lobbies or public support for "gay marriage" and transgender protection.

In reporting mass shootings in America, the media in both the US and Japan have zeroed in on guns and racism. Despite Japan's strict laws on guns and knives, highly motivated individuals wanting to kill will find ways to fabricate a weapon, use everyday objects, or simply ignore regulations.

In a country that is ethno-culturally homogeneous in general, racism is not in the minds Japanese murderers. More likely, they are mentally ill. No one in the U.S. is about to call its recent non-binary, transgender mass murderers mentally ill. Perhaps with greater public acceptance, and Japan is rather accommodating even to strident minorities who espouse the West's secular religion, outbursts of atrocities by protected groups will emerge.

The current prime minister of Japan and Japanese "conservatives" have pushed back on the same-sex "marriage" and transgender lobbies, but they will eventually cave. The prime minister fired an aide earlier this year when the aide made unkind comments concerning homosexuals and transgenders. The U.S. president has cloaked himself in wokeness, and it will not be long before Japan dons that robe, too.

Image via Max Pixel.
My employer has just informed us employees that we now have the option to show our personal pronouns in our corporate directory. I object on religious grounds, but I wonder if personal pronouns are nothing more than virtue-signaling. After all, there are really no rules around what constitutes a personal pronoun. If you really wanted to incorporate them into your work, there are many practical problems that I can see:

Naming issues Can I use unrecognizable words? (fdsjiofasjgka;rhruaigxvbmxl) Do I have to use words from a list? Can I use impossibly long words? Imagine thousands of characters. Can I use unpronounceable words? (Remember Prince's unpronounceable name?) Can I use non-alphabetic characters? Can I use suggestive or offensive words? Can I use foreign characters? Do I have to use any vowels? Do I have to use any consonants? Can I use words that already have another meaning? (United States of America) Can I use someone else's name? (President Biden) Can I use a sound? Technical issues Can I use words that are not recognized by standard authoring systems like MS Word? Do I have to program my spell-checker to accept the personal pronouns of everyone I am writing about? Do I have to do such programming every time I have to respect new personal pronouns? Grammar issues Can I use words that confuse the understanding of plural and singular? (Everyone, No one, Dallas Cowboys) If I use a pronoun that is plural, does an accompanying verb have to be plural or singular? (They is) What if two different people using plural pronouns want conflicting singular and plural verbs? Social issues Can any person, including heterosexual/binary people, create personal pronouns? Apparently so. If only non-heterosexuals can do so, isn't it discriminatory? If use of personal pronouns leads to misunderstanding and confusion, what is more important: the personal pronouns or bringing clarity? If I have to spend a significant part of my day trying to figure out what some sentences mean, would it be best to just ignore personal pronouns? Do I have to remember all the individual personal pronouns of every single person I talk to in a group meeting? If there are ten people in my meeting, and they all introduce themselves with their personal pronouns, I will not be able to remember them all when I talk during the meeting. If I just resort to referring to them by their last names so I don't offend anyone, would that defeat the purpose of personal pronouns? How much additional time should I add to a meeting in order to make sure I use the correct personal pronouns of each person every time? This could easily slow down the meeting. If my personal pronoun is a word that another person finds offensive, should I still use that personal pronoun? If my company has rules on the use of personal pronouns and a customer has different rules on the use of personal pronouns, which should I follow? Can a personal pronoun change at any time? What if a person suddenly embraces a new gender? What if a personal pronoun changes during a conversation? Can a personal pronoun change back and forth seamlessly? If a person cannot pronounce my personal pronoun, is that ableism? If a person uses a personal pronoun unique to that individual, is that showing preferential treatment and discrimination against others? Can I have personal verbs as well? How much time should an individual or organization spend trying to figure out these and other personal pronounrelated issues? Are there any restrictions on personal pronouns? If so, who makes those decisions and why? There is no definitive list of genders. It changes based on the source. Why can't we make up our own minds about the rules of personal pronouns?

I don't really expect that anyone will actually answer these questions. After all, leftists often sprout ideas and promote them without really thinking them through. Think "banning fossil fuels." Think "defunding the police." Think "transitioning minors." Personal pronouns are no more than virtue-signaling. The left should just wear T-shirts or pins that show how woke leftists are without forcing everyone else to change his life. But then again, when have leftists ever left anyone alone?

Most of us have objections to personal pronouns because using them seems to indicate that we agree with gender transitioning. Trying to make that argument is difficult and can often fall on deaf ears, so it might be better to point out the practical problems as outlined above. This is similar to the pro-life movement. Trying to make Christian arguments against abortion doesn't resonate with non-Christians. However, we can argue from science, sociology, and other secular perspectives.

Oh, and my personal pronouns are "me/ ."

Image: Ted Eytan.
If it werent for Tucker Carlson, I wouldnt have known about a disturbing story that Glenn Greenwald broke: The Biden administration is finding ways to stifle speech supporting the Russian position in the ongoing strife in Ukraine.

I guess I should say up front that I am neither pro-Russian nor pro-Ukrainian. I dislike both sides equally and reserve all my compassion for the innocents caught in the crossfire (including the hapless Russian conscripts). My greatest concern is the one Donald Trump articulated during his interview with Tucker Carlson, which is the fact that were witnessing two nuclear powers squaring off against each otherand (which Trump didnt say) one is ruled by a megalomaniac and the other ruled (for nuclear purposes) by someone who seems to have incipient dementia. I also have no dealings with or respect for black socialists, who are usually antisemitic, too. My sole focus here is on free speech in America.

Image: Omali Yeshitela, black socialist and DOJ target. Twitter screen grab.

On Wednesday, Greenwald, a leftist who is also a First Amendment absolutist, tweeted that members of a Black nationalist group were just indicted for spreading pro-Russian propaganda.

Here's one of the leaders of one of the groups who is now indicted, Omali Yeshitela of @_InPDUM, speaking at a "Peace in Ukraine" rally last month.



Criminalizing speech is becoming increasingly common by claiming the speech serves Russia's interests:https://t.co/i9kmkLYykr  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2023

Yeshitela sounds exactly like the Reverent Jeremiah Wright, doesnt he?

According to the DOJ press release about the indictment, charges were filed against four U.S. citizens and three Russian nationals. The charge is that Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, a Russian, founded something called the Anti-Globalization Movement of Russia (AGMR), which was headquartered in Russia and which the Russian government funded. He was aided by the two other Russian defendants. One of their illegal activities was to spend money to affect a candidate running for a local office in Florida.

Additionally, Ionov allegedly recruited local American groups, specifically the African Peoples Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement (collectively, the APSP) in Florida, Black Hammer in Georgia and a political group in California (referred to in the superseding indictment as U.S. Political Group 3). All three are black leftist organizations. The four Americans named in the indictment are leaders of these organizations. Ionov allegedly used his influence to make it appear that Americans supported Russias annexation of territories in Ukraine, and then these organizations spread that message, knowing they were acting on behalf of Russia.

On those facts, the Americans have been indicted for conspiring to have U.S. citizens act as illegal agents of the Russian government within the United States without providing prior notification to the Attorney General, as required by law and three of the Americans are also charged with acting as agents of Russia within the United States without such prior notification.

There are two things to remember. First, America is not at war with Russia. Congress has not declared war against Russia, nor has the Biden administration pretended that it has. Russia may be a geopolitical enemy, but its not a wartime enemy. Second, as Tucker and Glenn Greenwald discussed, violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act have routinely been treated as minor problems, with fines as the primary punishment.

For the government to go after penny-ante black socialist organizations that are saying exactly what others who oppose the war have been saying represents an escalation against speech unseen in modern America. It has the smell of a totalitarian political regime cracking down on speech that offends it. This is especially true when you consider the leeway the administration gives to Chinese control over speech, via TikTok. China, after all, is another geopolitical opponent. Its also revolting when you consider the information coming out about the Biden familys profiting from China, Ukraine, and other countries at Americas expense.

Glenn Greenwald has more, including information about how the mainstream media has become very comfortable with the criminal prosecution of any speech that the Democrat party opposes:

Even more chilling is how media outlets cover these DOJ indictments: mindlessly treating them as proven fact:



Anchor: "Jim, this shows how active Russia is in our democracy"



"Reporter": Indeed: chilling. [Proceeds to read from indictment without an ounce of skepticism]  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2023

All this is independent of the fact that the US not only does exactly what these indictments claim Russia (and China) do, but far more extreme. The US funds dissident groups in many nations, creates fake internets to destabilize, etc. You'd think reporters would mention this: pic.twitter.com/Lgjle6nI0X  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2023

Humans are tribal so I guess it shouldn't be that surprising but it's still amazing how the US media treats accusations from the US Government as unquestionably true (reading indictments = reporting), while similar accusations from adversary governments are inherently false.  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 19, 2023

And here is the Tucker Carlson segment that brought this to my attention, along with Glenns comment about the irony of appearing on the show of someone the left calls a hardcore white nationalist, with that alleged hardcore white nationalist strongly defending a black socialist groups right to free speech:

I don't know if you've ever experienced it before but it's an odd sensation to be on the show of a "hard-core white nationalist" as he passionately defends the rights of radical black leftists when no national Dem will.



Here's our episode on this case:https://t.co/AoIpGHXVcm  Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) April 21, 2023

The problem here, of course, is the double standard. Biden isn't going after everyone who violates the Foreign Agent Registration Act. He's just going after the ones who oppose his politics. And that is the most un-American thing of all.
Chinese police stations in the USA are a hot topic in the news these days, with two arrests made in New York and six stations claimed in Texas. These, were told, were the illegal stations. Simultaneously, its being reported that there is a growing number of Chinese migrants arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border seeking asylum.

But we Deplorables should be sensitive to the scent of weasel words. These stories are always about illegal Chinese police stations in the USA, which are characterized as secret or unauthorized. This language leaves the impression that there may be Chinese police stations in the USA that are legal.

We should care about this weaseling because the key point is that none are legal given their goals. There is a statute of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), called the National Intelligence Law (NIL), which mandates that every Chinese national on planet Earth, wherever he may be, is obliged, under penalty of law, to obey any intelligence-gathering request of the PRC. That is, the NIL makes a statutory spy out of every Chinese national.

Image: Fox by wirestock.

So, consider Professor Xia, your revered and mild-mannered physics professor. When he declines the request from the local Chinese police station for the data from certain physics experiments, he will receive a 3 a.m. visit from a local operative, who will make no overt threats but only warmly inquire, Do your grandparents still reside in Apartment 2109 of the Cloud Nine Apartments in Beijing?

And should the good professor attempt to disappear, the local Chinese police station will organize a foxhunt, which is a hunt in which the police (the foxhounds) seek the professor (the fox). It usually concludes with the fox captured and permanently disappeared or shipped back to the PRC.

Simultaneously we also see reports that vast numbers of mainland Chinese are attempting to flee the workers paradise for various destinations around the globe, including the USA. These escapees are not disloyal: They are only acting to implement the command of the Chinese National Anthem, the March of the Volunteers, which opens with the phrase: Arise! Ye Who Refuse to be Slaves!

And arise the Chinese have more than once attempted! In recent times vast multitudes of Chinese arose both in 1989 at Tiananmen Square and in the 2014 Umbrella Movement in Hong Kong, complete with their own anthem, Glory to Hong Kong.

The dismaying fact that American forces and Chinese forces might be destined to duke it out over Taiwan does not obscure the fact that vast throngs of Chinese long for political liberty just as we do but are held captive in a web spun by their elites just as we are. And when Democrats delicately imply that some of those Chinese police stations are legal, they are implicitly condemning freedom-seeking Chinese people to return to totalitarian slavery.

May we Americans and our Chinese brothers and sisters someday be colleagues and allies.
As part of the first generation after Roe v. Wade, I had an abortion.

The day the Supreme Court sent the issue back to the states was a day of celebration for me. (Didn't help us in ultra-permissive Colorado, though. Our Legislature just made that worse, too.)

Thinking about abortion has been part of the healing process for me, along with forgiveness from God. Let me offer ideas on how to talk about abortion so there will be fewer abortions, and so those opposing abortion can win elections again.

We might base our approach on what Jesus said: "Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves"(Matthew 10:16, NKJV).

In the midst of wolves: We are dealing with a really evil thing when we oppose abortion. Be realistic, pray up, put on the armor of faith.

Wise as serpents: Use reasoning to help people understand what abortion really does, not so much about when life begins. Sometimes words are not needed at all.

These days, the greatest rebuttal to the argument that a fetus is just a clump of cells is ultrasound. We didn't have that in my generation. When women with crisis pregnancies see that fetuses are little humans, and hear the heartbeats, many will choose to have their babies. So we should urge and enable women to get ultrasounds. Pay for them. Project Ultrasound helps people do that.

Another argument the left uses, implicitly, is that a preborn life is of little value  at least, it is not as valuable as a mother's current life and her opportunities. My body, my choice, you know.

Answer to that argument: Ask who that person might become if you do not abort him or her. How would having that person in your life benefit you and those around you? We can all use our imaginations.

A little story: One day, while holding a sign for a gubernatorial candidate near the offices of a local school district, I became aware that other people were holding signs behind me, down the drive to the parking lot. They were protesters for Planned Parenthood.

My dander went up while I continued to hold up my sign and wave at cars. You see, it has been a struggle for me to come to terms with my abortion.

When my sign-waving was done, I walked by the protesters, stopped, and said, "I had an abortion. It was the worst thing I ever did."

The leader of the group said, "You don't need to feel guilty." Then she seemed to be saying negative things about me to the women, calling me a fool or something.

That made me stop and say, "Think about this, ladies: 'Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed.'"

The women were stunned silent. A couple of them seemed to be thinking hard about the sentence. (It is a quote from the Rev. Dr. Robert H. Schuller.)

Following up, I said, "What if we have aborted the person who would have cured cancer?"

When I drove out of the parking lot, the group of women were huddled with the leader, and she was talking to them. I daresay that what the women heard from me had an impact on the group, in spite of the leader.

Carrying this further, we who oppose abortion can point out to women and their partners who is lost with each abortion: friends, family, helpers, and heroes; great teachers, leaders, thinkers, and scientists; tradesmen, construction workers, police officers, and firefighters; artists, dancers, painters, and other creatives; and more.

Harmless as doves: We should be careful with our language, not accusing or being demeaning to women, even as we fight for the lives of babies with our words. Express compassion for women. Say we are trying to help women and their babies be okay. Tell women where to find support.

Some other things to say: Let women know that we will stand by them. Add that we really hope women will keep their babies because they will be happier if they do, and we will all have more wonderful people in the world. Tell women we will leave abortion to the states, and we don't expect zero abortions. Show compassion for women who have experienced rape or incest.

Finally, let women know they are precious to God. He loves them, and he will offer them forgiveness, even if they have abortions. However, we think He would be glad if they didn't.

With our words, we can help Americans have fewer abortions, and we can help those who oppose abortion win elections again.

CS Boddie writes for Meadowlark Press, LLC.

Image: Nogwater via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped).
Legislation that would substantially expand education opportunity in Nevada will go before a state assembly committee shortly.

A bill introduced on behalf of Republican governor Joe Lombardo earlier this spring would free families to make the education decisions that work best for them. The proposed legislation seeks to increase the eligibility requirement for Opportunity Scholarships to 500 percent of the federal poverty line while also boosting spending from less than $6.7 million annually to $50 million initially.

The bill would also allow

open enrollment for public school students,

charter schools to apply for public money to bus children to campuses, and

cities and counties to sponsor charter schools.

The proposed legislation is scheduled to be heard by the Nevada Assembly Ways and Means Committee on Wednesday, April 26.

It's unclear how much chance any school choice legislation has of being passed by Nevada's Democrat-controlled Legislature. Despite being home to a public school system that ranks near the bottom nationally, Nevada remains largely dominated by teachers' unions interested only in forcing as many students as possible into their one-size-fits-all monopoly.

Nevada is seeking to join several other states that have recently passed significant changes to how they fund K12 education.

Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, and Utah all passed legislation this year making it easier for families to use taxpayer dollars to allow their children to take advantage of the option that best suits their needs. Several other states are considering legislation that would enable funding to follow students.

"Funding the Opportunity Scholarship program is about fighting for equality in education by giving low- and middle-income families the resources they need to access the same educational options and classrooms that are currently only available to wealthy families," said Erin Phillips, president of Power2Parent, a Las Vegasheadquartered parent advocacy organization.

Image: jarmoluk via Pixabay, Pixabay License.
If justices can be bought by billionaires, lifetime terms only enable corruption rather than protect the U.S. Supreme Court from undue influence.

By Sonali Kolhatkar

April 22, 2023: Information Clearing House -- A pair of new investigative reports from ProPublica about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas are a testament to not only the importance of good journalism in a democracy, but also Thomass unfitness on the court, and the need for better guard rails against moneyed influence. The first bombshell story, Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire, highlighted how a wealthy man named Harlan Crow befriended Thomas after he became a Supreme Court justice and treated him (and often his wife, Virginia Ginni Thomas) to luxurious vacations on a near-annual basis. Thomas did not disclose the trips as he was required to. Although he at first refused to speak with ProPublica about the initial story, he eventually made a statement saying he was advised he didnt need to disclose the gifts.

ProPublica followed that up just days later with another story whose title says it all: Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didnt Disclose the Deal. The property in question wasnt a marquee acquisition for the real estate magnate, just an old single-story home and two vacant lots down the road. Like the vacations, Thomas also did not publicly disclose the sale. His mother has lived in the home and continues to do so after ownership passed to Crow. The billionaire has been busy making expensive renovations to it.

There is no question that Thomas broke the law by failing to disclose his financial transactions with Crow. Every American should read the ProPublica reports on how one of the nine Supreme Court justices, whose jurisdiction covers the entire nation, appears to be in the pocket of a billionaire. The relationship between Crow and Thomas is a cozy one that has borne fruit for wealthy elites: the justice has routinely sided with moneyed interests and their influence on policymaking.

Before ProPublicas April 2023 investigations, most reporting on the Black justice had focused on his white conservative wife. Ginni Thomas has been an activist spouse, overtly reflecting the conservative political sensibility that her husband affirms in his judicial decisions. During Barack Obamas presidency, she founded a Tea Party nonprofit called Liberty Central, a move the New York Times described as the most partisan role ever for a spouse of a justice on the nations highest court.

She then went further, becoming a political lobbyist and leading a small and secretive organization called Liberty Consulting. A 2011 Politico report points out that she touted her experience and connections to help clients with governmental affairs efforts. She made headlines last year for having pressured former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows via text messages to try to overturn the 2020 election results in favor of Donald Trump. More recently, the Washington Post published an investigation into anonymous donations totaling $600,000 made to yet another organization she leads called Crowdsourcers for Culture and Liberty. The donations helped fund the rights vicious culture wars.

When asked about the conflicts of interest that her activism present for her husbands work on the Supreme Court, Ginni Thomas has brushed them off, telling the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol, Its laughable for anyone who knows my husband to think I could influence his jurisprudence The man is independent and stubborn. She also said in an interview with the conservative outlet the Washington Free Beacon, Like so many married couples, we share many of the same ideals, principles, and aspirations for America. She added, But we have our own separate careers, and our own ideas and opinions too. Clarence doesnt discuss his work with me, and I dont involve him in my work.

Well, thats a relief. The sanctity of the nations highest court and its freedom from partisan influence rests on the word of a person who promises theres no undue influence between a wife and her husband. This is a person who still believes that the 2020 election was stolena view that makes her even worse than Trump toady and former U.S. Attorney General William Barr, who said he would vote for Trump in 2024 but was at least able to admit that his election fraud claims were false.

In 2021, when Chief Justice John Roberts filed his year-end report on the federal judiciary, he stressed the importance of impartial decision-making, and that [t]he Judiciarys power to manage its internal affairs insulates courts from inappropriate political influence and is crucial to preserving public trust in its work as a separate and co-equal branch of government. Apparently, Roberts was either ignorant of the Thomases doings or confident that Ginnis promise of insulation from marital influence was good enough.

Although Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginni, offer arguably the most explicit examples of corruptive influence on the Supreme Court, they are not alone. In December 2022, the New York Times revealed that an innocently named charity called the Supreme Court Historical Society has become a vehicle for those seeking access to nine of the most reclusive and powerful people in the nation. The organization has raised millions of dollars from secret donors. The majority of the money that the New York Times was able to identify came from corporations, special interest groups, or lawyers and firms that argued cases before the court. Justices attend the Supreme Court Historical Societys annual dinner, offering a tantalizing chance for individual attendees to influence themas the leader of an anti-abortion group apparently took advantage of.

Notwithstanding the liberal minority that includes Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson, this is a court that loves wealth and has protected it for more than half a century. Its no wonder there is growing public disapproval of a body that is so influential that its highly anticipated decisions impact nearly every aspect of our lives, from abortion to guns, to labor unions, to LGBTQ rights, and more.

Supreme Court justices have lifetime tenureostensibly a mechanism to protect them from partisan pressures. But that only works if the regulations preventing corruptive influence are watertight and if there are actual consequences for violating such regulations. In the wake of the Nixon Watergate scandal, Congress passed the Ethics in Government Act (EIGA) to ensure that officials like Supreme Court justices were independent of moneyed interests.

But even though Justice Thomas appears to have violated the EIGA, there is no direct mechanism to hold him accountable short of Congress starting impeachment proceedings against hima move that has almost no precedent short of a House impeachment more than 200 years ago of a justice who was ultimately acquitted by the Senate.

No other democratically run nation on the planet gives its highest court justices lifetime tenure. Now, some legal experts have suggested term limits, and numerous Democratic senators have introduced the TERM Act, which would introduce 18-year terms for Supreme Court justices. This would mean that a new justice would replace one who was termed out every two years, and presidents would have two opportunities during each four-year tenure to appoint new justices.

In passing the TERM Act, the U.S. would join the rest of the worlds democratic nations in upholding an impartial judiciary, the Thomases could carry out their dystopian vision of the nation free from accusations of corruptionand billionaire Harlan Crow could even save himself some money.

Sonali Kolhatkar is an award-winning multimedia journalist. She is the founder, host, and executive producer of Rising Up With Sonali, a weekly television and radio show that airs on Free Speech TV and Pacifica stations. Her forthcoming book is Rising Up: The Power of Narrative in Pursuing Racial Justice (City Lights Books, 2023). She is a writing fellow for the Economy for All project at the Independent Media Institute
The Pixel Tablet is due to make an appearance at Google I/O in May, but prior to that, a new leak is showing off what the device looks like in a previously unknown color  Coral. Earlier this month it was rumored that the Pixel Tablet would have four color options.

At the time of that report though, only two of the colors were known. This included a green color and a beige color. These were at the time, the two colors of the tablet that had been seen in official marketing materials. Now though, it looks like Google has shown off the Coral model at Milan Design Week. Spotted by 9To5Google, user saori_vj on Instagram has shared video footage of the event. Where tables of Google hardware products lay strewn about next to each other, matched up by color.

The coral color for the Pixel Tablet is fairly subtle

As you can see in the images, the Coral (its unclear if this is the official color name) color of the Pixel Tablet has a much more subtle, muted hue than some of the other products in that colorway. Googles Coral Pixel Buds for example, are very bright with a darker, more vibrant hue.

Whereas the tablet is lighter and less pronounced. With the coral/pink tablet now shown off, that leaves just one color that hasnt made an appearance. Which should show up at Googles developer conference next month. Though judging by the other products on the table which are grouped up by similar colors, the fourth Pixel Tablet could come in a sort of yellow hue.

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It seems pretty clear that Google is looking to keep a certain color theme here. With the design of its current products matching up with what has already been displayed. So although it hasnt been confirmed yet, the fourth Pixel Tablet color seems likely to match the colors of something Google already sells.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced the merging of Google Brain and DeepMind teams. The resulting team, now called Google DeepMind, is tasked with boosting the companys AI efforts.

Maybe few people could predict a simple AI chatbot called ChatGPT would challenge a tech giant and the biggest search engine in the world. ChatGPTs threat prompted Google to act quickly and launch a rival, Bard. Google Bard still needs to catch up to ChatGPT in many ways. Thats why Google is now joining forces to take the competition to a whole new level.

Back in March, Google tasked the Assistant team to work on Bard. Now, the company is merging Google Brain and DeepMind to form Google DeepMind. The new team will focus on developing AI products and improving Bard. DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis will be the head of Google DeepMind, and hes tasked with powering the next generation of Google products and services.

In a letter to employees, Hassabis said they need to tackle some of the hardest scientific and engineering challenges of the time in order to build a more capable AI. He added, We need to work with greater speed, stronger collaboration, and execution, and simplify the way we make decisions to focus on achieving the biggest impact.

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Google DeepMind wants to unify the companys AI efforts

Pichai said this initiative would significantly accelerate our progress in AI. The tech giant acquired DeepMind in 2014, and its in-house Brain department has been researching AI for years. Both teams have developed multiple AI-driven services for Google, including AlphaGo, Transformers, word2vec, etc.

Jeff Dean, former SVP of Google Research and Health, will also serve as Chief Scientist to Google DeepMind. He reports directly to the CEO. Pichai says Dean would lead the future of Google AI research and head up the companys most critical and strategic technical AI projects, including multimodal AI models.

Google is not alone in competing with ChatGPT. Elon Musk has recently launched a new AI company, X.AI, to develop the so-called TruthGPT. The Chinese tech giant Alibaba is also working on a domestic version of ChatGPT.

Microsoft also stole the show by integrating ChatGPT into its Bing search engine. The latest reports suggest that Samsung might switch the default search engine of its products to Bing and ditch Google.
House Democrats Have Lost Their Minds



Representative Stacey Plaskett, who called Michael Shellenberger and me "direct threats to people who oppose them," is now threatening me with prison - over Mehdi Hasan's uncorrected error. By Matt Taibbi

April 22, 2023: Information Clearing House -- The Biden administrations Department of Justice has just charged four members of the African Peoples Socialist Party (APSP) for conspiring to act as agents of Russia by using speech and political action in ways the DOJ says weaponized the First Amendment rights of Americans.

The Washington Post reports:

Federal authorities charged four Americans on Tuesday with roles in a malign campaign pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda in Florida and Missouri  expanding a previous case that charged a Russian operative with running illegal influence agents within the United States. The FBI signaled its interest in the alleged activities in a series of raids last summer, at which point authorities charged a Moscow man, Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, with working for years on behalf of Russian government officials to fund and direct fringe political groups in the United States. Among other things, Ionov allegedly advised the political campaigns of two unidentified candidates for public office in Florida. Ionovs influence efforts were allegedly directed and supervised by officers of the FSB, a Russian government intelligence service. Now, authorities have added charges against four Americans who allegedly did Ionovs bidding through groups including the African Peoples Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement in Florida, Black Hammer in Georgia, and an unidentified political group in California  part of an effort to influence American politics.

AFP reports that the conspiracy charges carry a sentence of up to ten years, with three of the four APSP members additionally charged with acting as unregistered agents of Russia which carries another five years.

Russias foreign intelligence service allegedly weaponized our First Amendment rights  freedoms Russia denies its own citizens  to divide Americans and interfere in elections in the United States, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen in the DOJs press release regarding the indictments, adding, The department will not hesitate to expose and prosecute those who sow discord and corrupt U.S. elections in service of hostile foreign interests, regardless of whether the culprits are U.S. citizens or foreign individuals abroad.

Looks like the United States has decided to dispense with those freedoms as well.

The superseding indictment containing these charges consists of a lot of verbal gymnastics to obfuscate the fact that the DOJ is prosecuting US citizens for speech and political activities in the United States which happen not to align with the wishes of the US government. The grand jury alleges that the aforementioned Ionov directed these Americans to publish pro-Russian propaganda and information designed to cause dissention in the United States, which is about as vague and amorphous an allegation as you could possibly come up with.

For the record Omali Yeshitela, the founder and chairman of the African Peoples Socialist Party and one of the four Americans named in the indictment, has adamantly denied ever having worked for Russia. Earlier this month before charges were brought against him, the Tampa Bay Times quoted him as saying,

I aint ever worked for a Russian. Never ever ever ever. They know I have never worked for Russia. Their problem is, Ive never worked for them.

But its important to note that this should not matter. Under the First Amendment the government is forbidden to abridge anyones freedom to speak however they want and associate with whomever they please, which necessarily includes being as vocally pro-Russia as they like and promoting whatever political agendas they see fit, whether that happens to advance the interests of the Russian government or not. The indictment alleges that the four Americans engaged in agitprop by writing articles that contained Russian propaganda and disinformation, but even if we pretend thats both (A) a quantifiable claim and (B) a proven fact, propaganda and disinformation are both speech that the government is constitutionally forbidden from repressing.

Its not reasonable for the government to just dismiss the First Amendment on the grounds that it is being weaponized. You cant have your government dictating what speech is valid and what counts as agitprop and disinformation, because theyll always define those terms in ways which benefit the government, thus giving more power to the powerful and taking power away from the people. You cant have your government dictating what political groups are legitimate and which ones are tools of a foreign government, because you can always count on the powerful set such designations in ways which benefit themselves.

Theres also the brazen hypocrisy of it all. The US government is constantly engaging in foreign influence operations with outfits like the National Endowment for Democracy, which was set up to help foment coups and color revolutions and advance US information interests overtly in ways the CIA used to do covertly.

As commentator Brian Berletic noted on Twitter,

The US through the National Endowment for Democracy has created armies of organizations carrying out malign influence operations around the world including here in Thailand. When the Thai government attempts to stop this activity, the US embassy shouts free speech. Thailands government and others around the world could easily cite this move by the US Justice Department to target and uproot US-funded organizations doing exactly this and worse.

So for the US government to now claim its legitimate to start throwing US citizens in prison for a decade because they published propaganda for another country is absurd, and more than a little scary. The most powerful government in the world needs more political dissent at home, not less, and here they are trying to turn it into a crime.

When they claim the members of the APSP published propaganda and promoted dissention, what they really mean is that they engaged in speech and political activism that the US government does not like. The spinmeisters will try to spin it, the legal mumbo-jumbo will try to obfuscate it, but thats whats happening. Dont let them conceal this from you. Theyre not worried about Russian propaganda, theyre worried youll stop listening to US propaganda.
A serving member of the armed forces has appeared in court accused of sharing highly sensitive military information.

Thomas Newsome, 36, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday morning charged with two offences contrary to the Official Secrets Act 1989.

Newsome was deployed overseas until April 17, when he is alleged to have made a damaging disclosure of information relating to defence and which was in his possession by virtue of his position.

He is also charged with failing to take care of documents or to prevent the unauthorised disclosure of those documents as a person in his position may reasonably be expected to take on April 18.

Newsome confirmed his name and date of birth in court, but his address, which defendants normally state, was withheld on national security grounds, as were the names of his lawyers.

He is alleged to have shared a 10-page document with two senior officers who had clearance to view it and one civilian who did not, including by taking photographs of the document and sending them by social media.

Prosecutor Brigid Fitzpatrick said the document, which Newsome is alleged to have had digital and hard copies of, contained highly sensitive military information.

She said if it were leaked, it would pose a real and immediate threat to the lives of British citizens outside the UK and facilitate the targeting of personnel.

Newsome is also accused of possessing separate secret information on a USB stick.

The Metropolitan Police said he was detained on Tuesday before being charged on Friday.

A warrant of further detention was obtained in the interim, allowing police to detain him until Saturday.

District Judge Michael Snow rejected an application for bail and said Newsome would next appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on April 28.
Chris Pratt said his character in the final instalment of Guardians Of The Galaxy is more emotional which was a real challenge to act but he loved the opportunity to try to do something different.

The third film in the Marvel franchise will see the return of Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan and Pom Klementieff as well as Vin Diesel as animated tree-man Groot.

Stars of the trilogy appeared at the films European Gala event at the Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris on Saturday, ahead of the films release on May 3 in UK cinemas.

Hollywood actor Pratt, who reprises his role as Peter Quill in the blockbuster, told the PA news agency on the orange carpet: We see Peter in a more emotional way. For me, it was a real challenge.

And I embraced that, I loved the opportunity to try to do something different.

Its the third time Ive played this character. So it was nice to try and do it in a way that was different than the previous times and its a more emotional movie.

I think the audience who were kids or young teens when the first one came out are a little older now and theyre ready for it. So its exciting.

Pratt described the final adventure with his band of goofy space heroes traversing a variety of intergalactic worlds as emotional.

Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill in the third instalment of Guardians Of The Galaxy (Ian West/PA)

The 43-year-old told PA: Were all very lucky. We all feel grateful. Its a nice process and so Im trying to really embrace all of the feelings involved because I dont want to miss out.

I dont want to one day look back and think wow, that was so busy. I didnt feel what I was feeling. So Im feeling it all.

Meanwhile, Fast And Furious star Diesel, 55, described the end of an era as bittersweet.

He told PA: I think that characters come into your life for reasons and I think the Groot character came into my life at an interesting and important time, so I think its bittersweet.

Similarly, recalling the casts last moments together on set, Scottish actress Gillan said: There was a scene there was a goodbye scene of sorts where everyone was together in their Guardians uniforms.

We looked around and we were thinking, this is probably the last time that this will ever happen with this combination of people.

So it was definitely bittersweet.

Guardians, lets give the galaxy one more show  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 arrives in theaters May 5. Get tickets now: https://t.co/Owh9udpNCZ #GotGVol3 pic.twitter.com/WyFoX26HFU  Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) April 22, 2023

French actress Klementieff, who plays Mantis in the franchise, said she feels sad but extremely grateful to have worked with such incredible people and to have brought James Gunns vision to life.

Speaking of director Gunn, the 36-year-old told PA: Its very rare for movies of this scale to have the same director to write and direct three movies and to have such an interesting arc of every character.

I had so much fun playing Mantis because she started one way and then she developed and she developed in the current movie, you see how (much) stronger she is, more self confident, and how still insane she is, but in (a) beautiful way.

US filmmaker Gunn also spoke about the trilogy at the event, which saw performances from Disneyland characters of Star Lord and Gamora.

The 56-year-old told PA: I was planning on it being three films and I was always planning on this story really being story of Rocket (Raccoon).

I knew that to fulfil that story I really needed to go back to where he started.

To get to the end of the story we needed to go back to the beginning. And thats what we did.
A dog has been shot dead by police officers following an incident in the East Midlands.

Officers were called to reports that a man had been seriously injured at a house in Cameron Road, Derby, on Saturday morning.

Out of control dog shot by officers after man found with serious injuries at house in Derby: https://t.co/JJj47F3HC0 pic.twitter.com/OGL1jsmku8  Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) April 22, 2023

A dog at the address that was presenting a risk to officers and the public was shot and killed by firearms officers, a Derbyshire Constabulary spokesperson said.

There is no ongoing risk to the public and officers will remain in the area as the investigation into the incident continues.

A man has been arrested in connection with the incident.

A crime scene was in place, with road closures on parts of Cameron Road and Brunswick Street.
The family of Stephen Lawrence will gather in Trafalgar Square to mark the 30th anniversary of his death on Saturday.

The murdered teenagers loved ones will gather for the memorial at St Martin-in-the-Fields church.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is expected to attend alongside the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

It comes after Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitted on Friday that the force did not dig deep enough to root out racism since Mr Lawrences murder in 1993.

He apologised for failings in the aftermath of the killing, which led to the forces response to it being branded institutionally racist in the 1999 Macpherson Report.

The Met commissioner said a failure to robustly confront cultural and systemic failings, which were exposed by the forces response to the murder, had undermined its ability to fight crime, and he pledged to finally make the Met determinedly anti-racist.

The Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police published last month found the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic in the wake of a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer and Pc David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist.

The bungled original Lawrence murder investigation was hampered by racism and alleged police corruption, which meant it took nearly 20 years for two of the 18-year-olds five killers to be brought to justice, with three never prosecuted.

Sir Mark said black people still feel over-policed and under-protected, with disproportionalities and systemic biases in policing continuing.

There remain too few black officers and too many of them face discrimination within the forces ranks, he added.

He said in a statement: Thirty years on from Stephens murder, we offer our sympathies to the Lawrence family on their unimaginable loss.

He was a dearly loved son and brother who was taken from them far too soon and in such senseless circumstances.

Their dignified fight for justice, conducted in the pressure of the public eye with unwavering determination over so many years, continues to be a source of inspiration for us and so many.

On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I apologise again for our past failings which will have made the grief of losing a loved one all the more difficult to endure.

This anniversary, which closely follows the stark findings of the Casey Review, prompts us to pause, to remember and to reflect honestly on how policing has responded to the necessary calls for change that have punctuated the past 30 years.

Whilst significant progress was made against Macphersons recommendations, it is now clear that we did not dig deep enough to confront the cultural and systemic failings that allow discrimination to propagate.

This failing has undermined the experience of our increasingly diverse workforce and compromised the trust of Londoners and our ability to protect them from crime.

We have let black communities down. They feel over-policed and under-protected.

We are still not sufficiently representative of London, black officers and staff still face discrimination and are not always sufficiently supported to progress within the Met.

There are disproportionalities and systemic biases in our use of policing tactics and our support to victims of crime.

We are deeply sorry for these failings.

The responsibility for righting those wrongs, restoring the relationship with those communities and supporting our black colleagues to succeed starts with those of us in positions of leadership but it continues through every rank and role in our organisation.

I and the good majority of our officers are resolved to finally make the Met determinedly anti-racist and anti-discrimination of all kinds.
Animal rights protesters stormed the track at Ayr Racecourse in a bid to stop the Scottish Grand National, despite an increased security presence.

Police Scotland arrested several people after Animal Rising said around 25 of its supporters invaded the track ahead of the 200,000 race.

The group, which last week delayed the start of the Grand National at Aintree, said activists were attempting to attach themselves to jumps and gates to stop the race, which Jack Tudor-ridden Kittys Light went on to win.

The protest also failed to delay the event, with the off time in the 18-horse race recorded as 3.38pm.

Animal Rising activists are apprehended by police officers as they attempted to invade the racecourse (Jane Barlow/PA)

Sarah McCaffrey, of Animal Rising, said last weeks protest ahead of the Grand National in Aintree started a crucial conversation about our relationship with animals and nature.

Today we continue that conversation. As a society, we love animals, but we have to find a way to care for them without harming them, the protester said.

This conversation is particularly important in Scotland where we have so much potential for nature and wildlife to thrive.

We can all build a world that we are proud to be part of. An end to horse racing, as well as a transition to a plant-based food system, are key elements of this kinder, safer future.

The Scottish Grand National was won by Kittys Light (Jane Barlow/PA)

There was an increased security presence due to last weeks protest where 118 arrests were made by Merseyside Police.

But on Saturday it was just a handful of protesters who took part, and Ayrs managing director David Brown praised the swift action of the police and security teams on course.

The race went off to time, there was no notable delay and the professionalism of the team up here in Scotland was a credit to them, they dealt with it in a very efficient manner, he said.

What a great race it was and a great story, for Christian Williams to win it for the second year in a row with Kittys Light, after he finished second last year. I think for me this is Scotlands showpiece race and it all ran to time.

Police Scotland said: Officers are responding to a protest which is ongoing at Ayr Racecourse this afternoon.

A significant operation is underway to safely remove those involved.

A number of arrests have been made and an increased police presence remains at the scene.
A serving member of the armed forces has been charged with offences under the Official Secrets Act.

Thomas Newsome, 36, was charged on Friday with offences contrary to section 2 and section 8 of the Official Secrets Act 1989 following an investigation by the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, Scotland Yard said.

He has been remanded in custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates Court on Saturday.

The Crown Prosecution Service alleges that on April 17, Newsome without lawful authority made a damaging disclosure of information relating to defence which was in his possession by virtue of his position.

On April 18, the CPS alleges he had in his possession or under his control, by virtue of his position as such, documents which he failed to take such care of as to prevent the unauthorised disclosure of those documents as a person in his position may reasonably be expected to take.

The Metropolitan Police said Newsome was initially arrested on Tuesday and detained under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.

A warrant of further detention was obtained on Thursday, allowing police to detain him until Saturday.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: We can confirm the arrest of a serving member of the armed forces.

This matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation, therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.
Stephen Lawrences mother said his story remains as important and relevant as ever as a memorial service was held in central London to mark the 30th anniversary of the teenagers death.

The murder victims family gathered for the anniversary at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square on Saturday.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also attended.

Sir Keir made a short speech and read a poem by Maya Angelou at the request of Stephens mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

The anniversary comes after Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised for failings in the aftermath of the killing, with the forces response to the investigation being branded institutionally racist in the 1999 Macpherson Report.

Stephen was stabbed to death on April 22 1993 in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham (Family handout/PA)

Stephen was stabbed to death on April 22 1993 in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, south-east London, after he was set upon by a gang of white youths shouting racial slurs and brandishing weapons.

The bungled original investigation hampered by racism and alleged police corruption meant it took nearly 20 years for two of the 18-year-olds five killers to be brought to justice, with three never prosecuted.

The date of his death is now marked by Stephen Lawrence Day each year.

Sir Keir told the memorial that contrasted against the very worst side of Britain, Stephen represented the best, as he lamented the loss of a life which shone with the light of potential.

He was director of public prosecutions when two of Mr Lawrences killers were brought to justice.

Speaking outside the church, Mr Khan continued his assertion that the Metropolitan Police Service remains institutionally racist.

He told the PA news agency: Were here today to celebrate and remember Stephen Lawrences life, his legacy but also the extraordinary work thats taken place by his family, Doreen Lawrence and by their team and address the issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Its 30 years since Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered, I remember it well as a south Londoner.

For those of us who are people of colour it had a ripple effect on us, ripples of hate but also the appalling way that the family was let down by the Met Police Service, by the media and by some politicians.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan attends the memorial (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Thirty years on, weve not made the progress wed hope to have made.

Its really important that we recognise that 30 years on, Dame Louise Casey has found the Met Police to still be institutionally racist, we cant ignore that or equivocate on that, weve got to make progress.

The Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police published last month found the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic in the wake of a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer and Pc David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist.

Sir Mark admitted on Friday that the Metropolitan Police did not dig deep enough to root out racism since Mr Lawrences murder.

The Met commissioner said a failure to robustly confront cultural and systemic failings, which were exposed by the forces response to the murder, had undermined its ability to fight crime, and he pledged to finally make the Met determinedly anti-racist.

From left, Bishop of London Sarah Mullally, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Stuart Lawrence, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, former Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and solicitor Imran Khan leave the memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Baroness Lawrence said her sons story remains as important and relevant as ever 30 years after his death, adding that she is filled with immense pride to witness all that has been achieved in his name.

From launching education initiatives to opening up career pathways and inspiring community engagement, Stephens legacy has touched countless young lives and moved us closer towards a more just and equitable society, she said in a statement.

Yet, we must also acknowledge the work still to be done.

Inequality persists, and our mission to create a world free from discrimination continues.

She said we will ensure that Stephens legacy endures, inspiring change and uniting us in the pursuit of justice and equity for all.

Earlier this week, she told the BBC that nothing much has changed within the Metropolitan Police in the 30 years since her son was murdered.

Jessica Neil, chief executive of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, said the anniversary was an incredibly difficult time for Mr Lawrences loved ones but said she was feeling hopeful for the next 30 years.

She told PA: Today Im feeling hopeful. This service, Stephen Lawrence Day more broadly and the wider community that support us, its such a powerful demonstration of what can happen when ordinary people come together and demand extraordinary change.

I think the anniversary of Stephens death is an incredibly difficult time for the family, but focusing that into the foundation and the work that we do gives a sense of hope and hope that we can transform Stephens legacy that continues to deliver change for the next 30 years.

She said the teenagers legacy is one of hope and change.

She added: He was an ordinary young man whos life and death has inspired extraordinary change in the fabric of British society and so his legacy is one of hope and change and inspiring other young people like him to fulfil the breadth and depth of their potential.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has held an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss assistance for the British nationals trapped in Sudan as fighting continues in the African country.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed that the morning meeting in the Cabinet Office saw Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Africa minister Andrew Mitchell attend.

Government officials said they are doing everything possible to support those still inside the countrys capital, Khartoum.

It comes after the Sudanese army said it was co-ordinating efforts to evacuate American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft as bloody fighting entered its second week.

The FCDO has not confirmed the reports but PA news agency understands an evacuation is not imminent.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said it was planning for a wide range of scenarios, alongside the Foreign Office, on how it could assist in Sudan.

With reports suggesting the British Army is on standby to help with a potential evacuation, the MoD pointed out that a high-readied armed forces unit is always ready to be deployed should they be required.

The Sudanese army is battling a powerful rival paramilitary in and around Khartoum.

Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan have been complicated by the fact most major airports in the country have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven dangerous.

A UK Government spokesman said: We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan.

We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies.

Those held up in Sudan are advised to register with the FCDO and to stay indoors, with skirmishes taking place even in residential areas.

If you are a British national in Sudan, we advise you to register your presence to receive updates from the FCDO. You should also stay up to date with the FCDO Travel Advice by signing up to e-mail alerts.  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) April 21, 2023

In the US, the Pentagon said earlier this week it was moving additional troops and equipment to a naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of US embassy personnel.

But the White House said on Friday that it had no plans for a government co-ordinated evacuation of an estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Mr Sunak on Friday spoke with the president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh.

While no mention of using the nations airbases was made in the readout from Downing Street, a No 10 spokesman said the two leaders agreed to continue to co-ordinate efforts to de-escalate the violence and protect civilians, including our citizens.

There are no signs of the trouble abating as yet.

Even as the warring sides said on Friday that they had agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Two ceasefire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

Britain has historic ties to Sudan. In an unusual arrangement, Britain and Egypt jointly ruled Sudan from 1899 until it gained independence in 1956, but Sudan is not among the group of 56 Commonwealth nations.
Barry Humphries was known internationally for a plethora of alter egos who poked fun at the nuances of all sections of Australian society.

Across a seven-decade career, the entertainer delighted audiences with characters including softly spoken gentlemen, regular blokes, and boorish politicians, whose stories often overlapped.

Following his death in Sydney aged 89, here is a look back at some of Humphries classic characters.

 Dame Edna Everage

Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage (PA)

Perhaps his most well-known and memorable character, Dame Edna Everage was created after Humphries joined the newly formed Melbourne Theatre Company in 1955.

After beginning as a drab Melbourne housewife satirising Australian suburbia, the character evolved an increasingly boisterous and eccentric persona, with wisteria hue hair and cat eye glasses.

Rarely seen without bunches of gladioli flowers, Dame Edna was known for her extravagant wardrobe, ornate glasses and gaudy, custom-made gowns, which featured Australian symbols such as the national flag and the Sydney Opera House.

Dame Edna was perhaps Humphries most memorable character (Sean Dempsey/PA)

She made her film debut in John B Murrays The Naked Bunyip in 1970.

Humphries later successfully transitioned the character from stage to television, performing in the self-titled talk show The Dame Edna Experience, which ran for two seasons in 1987 and 1989 respectively, and other programmes.

 Sir Les Patterson

Humphries often performed the character of Australian statesman and cultural attache Sir Les Patterson in tandem with Dame Edna, though the two were polar opposites.

Barry Humphries as Sir Les Patterson (Johnny Patterson/PA)

Coarse, lecherous and often intoxicated, Sir Les appeared in high-profile interviews on shows including Parkinson, in which he was satirically billed as impugning the fundamental refinement of the Australian character.

He would often appear looking dishevelled and red-faced, dressed in a dirty suit, with a drink and cigarette in hand.

Sir Les popped up in pre-recorded segments of Dame Ednas talk show, and in 1987, Humphries appeared on BBC Radio 4s Today programme, where he played both characters simultaneously.

 Sandy Stone

Barry Humphries (PA)

One of Humphries enduring yet less obtrusive characters was the gentlemanly Sandy Stone.

Mr Stone, a dead man who inhabits the world of his youth, would often appear in a bed shirt and dressing gown to regale audiences with stories of his life.

Unlike Dame Edna and Sir Les, Humphries reportedly had a genuine affection for the character, which was reflected in his soft delivery and gentle persona.

In 1990 he published a book, titled The Life And Death Of Sandy Stone, which contained a collection of the characters monologues with humorous footnotes.

 Barry McKenzie

Originally created by Humphries as part of a comic strip for UK publication Private Eye, Barry McKenzie is a young Australian man with a penchant for beaches, beer and beautiful sheilas.

The character was supposed to parody the boorish behaviour of Australians overseas  ignorant, loud and drunk, while also retaining a straightforward and friendly aspect.

Humphries created the character of Barry McKenzie for a comic strip in Private Eye (PA)

The Private Eye comic strips were later compiled into three books  The Wonderful World Of Barry McKenzie, Bazza Pulls It Off! and Bazza Comes Into His Own: The Final Fescennine Farago Of Barry McKenzie, Australias First Working-Class Hero  With Learned And Scholarly Appendices And A New Enlarged Glossary.

The first two books were published in London but were initially banned in Australia over indecency.

Barry McKenzie was later the subject of two films in the 1970s, starring Barry Crocker in the title role, and featuring Humphries, this time in the role of aunt Edna Everage.

 Bruce the shark

More recently Humphries has lent his voice to the popular Pixar film Finding Nemo, in which he played the intimidating Great White Bruce the shark.

Despite his appearance, Bruce leads the fish-friendly support group, with the well-known slogan fish are friends, not food  though still retains his latent killer instincts.

Humphries was also recruited to play the role of the Goblin King in the first instalment of Peter Jacksons The Hobbit trilogy: An Unexpected Adventure.
Question Everything! Click Here To Support Information Clearing House Biden DOJ indicts four Americans for weaponized free speech



By Caitlin A. Johnstone April 22, 2023: Information Clearing House -- The Biden administrations Department of Justice has just charged four members of the African Peoples Socialist Party (APSP) for conspiring to act as agents of Russia by using speech and political action in ways the DOJ says weaponized the First Amendment rights of Americans. The Washington Post reports: Federal authorities charged four Americans on Tuesday with roles in a malign campaign pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda in Florida and Missouri  expanding a previous case that charged a Russian operative with running illegal influence agents within the United States. The FBI signaled its interest in the alleged activities in a series of raids last summer, at which point authorities charged a Moscow man, Aleksandr Viktorovich Ionov, with working for years on behalf of Russian government officials to fund and direct fringe political groups in the United States. Among other things, Ionov allegedly advised the political campaigns of two unidentified candidates for public office in Florida. Ionovs influence efforts were allegedly directed and supervised by officers of the FSB, a Russian government intelligence service. Now, authorities have added charges against four Americans who allegedly did Ionovs bidding through groups including the African Peoples Socialist Party and the Uhuru Movement in Florida, Black Hammer in Georgia, and an unidentified political group in California  part of an effort to influence American politics. AFP reports that the conspiracy charges carry a sentence of up to ten years, with three of the four APSP members additionally charged with acting as unregistered agents of Russia which carries another five years. Russias foreign intelligence service allegedly weaponized our First Amendment rights  freedoms Russia denies its own citizens  to divide Americans and interfere in elections in the United States, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen in the DOJs press release regarding the indictments, adding, The department will not hesitate to expose and prosecute those who sow discord and corrupt U.S. elections in service of hostile foreign interests, regardless of whether the culprits are U.S. citizens or foreign individuals abroad. Looks like the United States has decided to dispense with those freedoms as well. The superseding indictment containing these charges consists of a lot of verbal gymnastics to obfuscate the fact that the DOJ is prosecuting US citizens for speech and political activities in the United States which happen not to align with the wishes of the US government. The grand jury alleges that the aforementioned Ionov directed these Americans to publish pro-Russian propaganda and information designed to cause dissention in the United States, which is about as vague and amorphous an allegation as you could possibly come up with. For the record Omali Yeshitela, the founder and chairman of the African Peoples Socialist Party and one of the four Americans named in the indictment, has adamantly denied ever having worked for Russia. Earlier this month before charges were brought against him, the Tampa Bay Times quoted him as saying, I aint ever worked for a Russian. Never ever ever ever. They know I have never worked for Russia. Their problem is, Ive never worked for them. But its important to note that this should not matter. Under the First Amendment the government is forbidden to abridge anyones freedom to speak however they want and associate with whomever they please, which necessarily includes being as vocally pro-Russia as they like and promoting whatever political agendas they see fit, whether that happens to advance the interests of the Russian government or not. The indictment alleges that the four Americans engaged in agitprop by writing articles that contained Russian propaganda and disinformation, but even if we pretend thats both (A) a quantifiable claim and (B) a proven fact, propaganda and disinformation are both speech that the government is constitutionally forbidden from repressing. Its not reasonable for the government to just dismiss the First Amendment on the grounds that it is being weaponized. You cant have your government dictating what speech is valid and what counts as agitprop and disinformation, because theyll always define those terms in ways which benefit the government, thus giving more power to the powerful and taking power away from the people. You cant have your government dictating what political groups are legitimate and which ones are tools of a foreign government, because you can always count on the powerful set such designations in ways which benefit themselves. Theres also the brazen hypocrisy of it all. The US government is constantly engaging in foreign influence operations with outfits like the National Endowment for Democracy, which was set up to help foment coups and color revolutions and advance US information interests overtly in ways the CIA used to do covertly. As commentator Brian Berletic noted on Twitter, The US through the National Endowment for Democracy has created armies of organizations carrying out malign influence operations around the world including here in Thailand. When the Thai government attempts to stop this activity, the US embassy shouts free speech. Thailands government and others around the world could easily cite this move by the US Justice Department to target and uproot US-funded organizations doing exactly this and worse. So for the US government to now claim its legitimate to start throwing US citizens in prison for a decade because they published propaganda for another country is absurd, and more than a little scary. The most powerful government in the world needs more political dissent at home, not less, and here they are trying to turn it into a crime. When they claim the members of the APSP published propaganda and promoted dissention, what they really mean is that they engaged in speech and political activism that the US government does not like. The spinmeisters will try to spin it, the legal mumbo-jumbo will try to obfuscate it, but thats whats happening. Dont let them conceal this from you. Theyre not worried about Russian propaganda, theyre worried youll stop listening to US propaganda. Caitlin's articles are entirely reader-supported, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking her on Facebook, following her antics on Twitter, checking out her podcast, throwing some money into her hat on Patreon or Payp al , or buying her book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers . New book! Lao Sue And Other Poems , available in paperback or PDF/ebook . - https://caitlinjohnstone.com Views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House. Reader financed- No Advertising - No Government Grants - No Algorithm - This Is Independent Get Our Free Newsletter Registration is not necessary to post comments. We ask only that you do not use obscene or offensive language. Please be respectful of others. See also
The widow of an Army officer killed on a Cyprus RAF base when he was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman is appealing for a new inquest to look into discrepancies in witness accounts of his death.

Colour Sergeant Anthony Oxley, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, died while on deployment in June 2016 after a crash at the RAF Akrotiri base.

The 40-year-old, from Ryhill, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was riding a motorbike when he was involved in a crash with a Toyota Corolla driven by an American serviceman. He left behind a daughter and three stepchildren.

Anthony Oxley left behind a daughter and three stepchildren (Family handout/PA)

A 2018 inquest in Wakefield recorded a narrative verdict, that CSgt Sgt Oxleys death had been caused by multiple blunt force injuries to his head, as a result of a road traffic collision.

His widow, Sally Oxley, has since been pushing for a new inquest, saying she has been left in the dark about the details of how her husband died.

This week, her legal team submitted a request to the attorney general for England and Wales, seeking permission to go to the High Court and appeal for a fresh inquest.

Mrs Oxley is also travelling to Cyprus for a hearing on Tuesday, where she will apply for the inquest there to be adjourned until new evidence has been agreed.

Sgt Oxley died on a Cyprus RAF base when he was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman (Family handout/PA)

KRW Law, which represent Mrs Oxley, said the US Air Force took charge of the investigation and few details were made public, even though Mr Oxleys death happened within British sovereign territory.

Mrs Oxley, 45, said she was told during a meeting with an American general that the US serviceman involved in the accident would face no charges and that was the end of the matter.

She said she has been left with many unanswered questions after the cursory inquest in 2018.

Christopher Stanley, of KRW Law, said there were discrepancies in the evidence between witnesses and a new inquest was in the interests of justice.

Sally Oxley is travelling to Cyprus for a hearing on Tuesday (Family handout/PA)

Mr Stanley told the PA news agency: We have identified at least 20 witnesses who could be called and two documents we need disclosing to the Cypriot court, including the USAF investigation report.

Sally just wants the truth. If her husband was unlawfully killed because the driver made a mistake, thats all she wants to know.

Mrs Oxley, from Barnsley, said: Its very frustrating for myself and my family.

I know the outcomes never going to be changed but my husband didnt serve 21 years for them just to say he died by blunt force. Its not good enough.
Different  but still dramatic! Erika Jayne teased the upcoming season of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills and how its changed after Lisa Rinnas departure.

The show is different without Lisa, the XX$PENSIVE singer, 51, exclusively tells Us Weekly while gearing up for her Las Vegas residency, Bet It All on Blonde, which begins August 25. The pair have maintained a close friendship since the Bold and the Beautiful alum, 59, announced her exit in March after eight seasons on the hit series. Erika added that Rinna is probably the only person besides, like, my close family and friends to support her through her highly publicized ups and downs over the years.

Denise Richards Confirms Return to RHOBH After Season 10 Exit

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I want Lisa there, but not my choice, Erika elaborated. I miss her and I think some others miss her too.

Despite Rinnas departure  as well as Diana Jenkins exit  the upcoming installment of RHOBH, which does not yet have a premiere date, will feature many familiar favorites. In addition to Erika, Kyle Richards, Dorit Kemsley, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Garcelle Beauvais, Sutton Stracke, Camille Grammer are all currently filming, while Denise Richards will make appearances.

Erika Jayne Scores Win in 5 Million Lawsuit Promo

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One story line that will play out on season 13 is Erikas fallout with Dorit, 46, and her husband, PK Kemsley, over the Pretty Mess artists prediction that theyll be the next Bravo couple to split  a comment she made in October 2022 during a taping of Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. As Dorit and PK, 55, slammed their costar for her remarks, Erika hit back in the comments section of the businessmans social media post. When did you get so sensitive? You know damn well I was joking , she wrote at the time.

Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

As for her feelings on their relationship now, the Georgia native revealed that she no longer feels that the two are headed for a split.

I explained that to Dorit, Erika tells Us, adding that fans will have to watch [how their confrontation] play[s] out on the show.

Erika also points out that shes in a really good place in her life after years of turmoil. (Amid her 2020 split from ex-husband Tom Girardi, Erika was named in a fraud lawsuit against Toms law firm, claiming that he embezzled $2 million from plane crash victims he represented. She was dismissed from the lawsuit without prejudice in 2022.)

Read article

Things are great for me and that makes it a lot easier to get along with everyone, Erika tells Us, pointing out her renewed friendship with Sutton, 51, after years of feuding.

Erikas Vegas residency, Bet it All on Blonde, premieres August 25 at the House of Blues Vegas located in Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino and will run until early December. Pre-sale tickets are available now, while the general on-sale will take place Monday, April 24.

Sign up for Us Weekly's free, daily newsletter and never miss breaking news or exclusive stories about your favorite celebrities, TV shows and more!

With reporting by Christina Garibaldi
Koko Da Doll, one of the subjects of a forthcoming documentary on transgender women, was fatally shot in Atlanta this week, the film's publicist said Friday. She was 35.

Cinetic Media, the publicity firm representing "Kokomo City," which highlights the stories four Black transgender sex workers in New York City and Georgia, confirmed by email that Koko Da Doll was the transgender woman killed Tuesday in Atlanta.

Atlanta police and the Fulton County Medical Examiners Office have not publicly released the identity of the victim in Tuesday's shooting.

The homicide is the third fatal shooting of a transgender woman in the city since the beginning of the year, the police department said in a statement Friday.

"While these individual incidents are not related, we are very aware of the epidemic-level violence that black and brown transgender women face in America," the department said.

PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: Koko Da Doll attends the 2023 Sundance Film Festival

Tuesday's shooting was reported at 10:42 p.m. at an address that corresponds to a shopping center, Atlanta police said. The victim was dead at the scene, police said.

Like the two other attacks this year on transgender women  one Jan. 9 that followed a dispute and one April 11 that also followed a dispute  the case was still under investigation, police said.

Police said there's no evidence so far to suggest the victims were targeted because of their gender.

"Our investigators have not found any indication the victim was targeted for being transgender or a member of the LGBTQ+ community and these cases do not appear to be random acts of violence," the department said.

GLAAD announced the death of Koko Da Doll, who was also known by the name Rasheeda Williams, on Friday and stated, "Williams should be alive today."

"All transgender people deserve to live in safety and acceptance, beloved by their families, communities, and able to contribute to a world where all are more free," the LGBTQ advocacy group said.

The documentary's director, D. Smith, told Variety the killing was difficult for her to process.

"I created Kokomo City because I wanted to show the fun, humanized, natural side of Black trans women," she said. "But here we are again."

During its January premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, Kokomo City received three major accolades, including the Sundance Audience Award.

Its public release date was not available.

Producer Harris Doran said in an Instagram post Thursday that he was grief stricken, especially because Koko Da Doll was advancing her life and finding some success as a rapper.

"This tragedy is just unbearable to process," he said. "Koko was working so hard to get out. She is brilliant in the film and when you see it, you will fall in love with her just as we all have."

Daniella Carter, one of the other subjects of the documentary, also posted a heartfelt statement on her Instagram page Thursday.

"Im waiting here my arms wide open, tears running down my face," she said, "Ready for you to return even if it takes forever my sister."
Courtesy of Netflix

Spoilers below for season 1 of The Diplomat.

Keri Russells eyes say it all: The ending of the first season of Netflixs The Diplomat is outrageous, and also the ideal argument for the series continuing existence. Showrunner Debora Cahn has crafted that elusive not-prestige-but-not-not-prestige political thriller, one that marries the addicting silliness Netflix has staked its claim upon with the sobriety of those other streamers-that-shall-not-be-named. By the time Cahns name flashes onto the screen of episode 8, The James Bond Clause, the stakes feel both ridiculous and real. Which is, of course, the perfect formula for a cliffhanger finale.

The episode opens with Kate Wyler (Russell) staring into the distance, fretting over the ways she believes shes failed as a U.S. ambassador and might fail still. Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) is furious over her inability to sway President Rayburn (Michael McKean) into supporting the so-called Libya plan, in which the Brits would attack the Russian Lenkov Group in Libya as retaliation for the (supposedly) Russian-backed bombing of the British airplane carrier HMS Courageous. The new plan is one Trowbridge suddenly supports the next day: British Special Forces will arrest leader Roman Lenkov himself in France, where hes visiting his secret family in Cap dAntibes. Trowbridge, who previously thought the plan cowardly, is suddenly its biggest fan.

U.S. Secretary of State Miguel Ganon (Miguel Sandoval), British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Heyford (Ato Essandoh) and Kate fly to Paris. There, Kate is expected to ask the French minister of the interior, Brielle Fournier (Micky Sebastian), for permission to use British Special Forces in the Lenkov arrest. But she has some issues at home: Her husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), is scheming behind the scenes. In her own act of marital diplomacy, Kate has offered for him to join her in Paris; he turns her down, accepting another olive branch in place of the trip. Since Kate will be abroad, hell deliver a speech in her stead at the international relations think tank Chatham House.

The speech, like so much of Hals schmoozing, is a roaring success. He waives the so-called Chatham House Rule, which designates that speeches can be cited broadly but not credited to a specific orator. Hal wants to be seen, heard, and spread widely. In other words, hes campaigningand not subtlyfor the role of secretary of state, a job that Hals former colleague revealed might be, uh, vacated imminently.

Courtesy of Netflix

Even from afar, Kate knows her husband well enough to recognize when hes manipulating relationships behind her back. At Chatham House, Hal meets a British MP named Merritt Grove, who urges they meet for dinner that evening. Although Hal tries to politely decline, he offers to connect Merritt instead to Billie Appiah (Nana Mensah), the White House Chief of Staff. Such a move is an enormous overreach, given that Hal is not currently an acting U.S. ambassador. Its exactly this overreach that clues Kate into Hals ulterior motives. Shes livid, and once again decides their marriage must end.

Demanding that Hal cancel the meeting (and refusing to further help her husband oust Ganon as secretary of state), Kate leans instead on Dennison, who provides comfort and counsel as they speed-walk along the Seine. I feel like the stand-up thing to do is to give a relationship every possible chance, right? she says. I mean, its the whole fucking definition of my lifes work.

Perhaps youre just a decent person in a time when decency has lost its hold on the public imagination, Dennison replies, which just might be the most romantic thing Kates heard in a good long while.

Meanwhile, Stuart and assistant Ronnie (Jess Chanliau) go into Hal Crisis Management Mode. They tell Mr. Wyler theyll take the Grove meeting, so as to prove to the world that the White House is not a fee-for-services organization, but Halangered by the implication that hes selling accessinsists on a five-minute handover.

In Paris, Kates version of HCMM is slipping into the kind of red silk gown thatll drop Dennisons jaw, even if her real mission for the evening at the Louvre is convincing Fournier of the British Special Forces stipulation. Ultimately, she succeeds: Fournier grants permission, but tacks on another tidbit. One must register surprise that the present U.S. administration, after pointedly proclaiming a break with the past, would so strongly lobby for an extrajudicial assassination, she tells Kate, to the latters great confusion and shock. Translation: Trowbridge has no intention of arresting Lenkov; hes going to have him killed.

Alex Bailey/Netflix

Kate flees the party, certain that Dennison has taken advantage of their flirtation and deceived her about Trowbridges true plans. He follows her outside to the street, where she whirls on him, demanding the truth. But Dennison is just as floored by the assassination news as Kate herself. Trowbridge wouldnt, he says. It would bring down his government. By the time he says this, Kate has already connected the dots in her mind, and so she snatches Dennisons phone, switching on loud music and tossing the device to their bodyguard so as to ensure their conversation isnt overheard.

Listen to me, she says, grabbing Dennisons shoulder and staring at him, pleading for him to understand. A dead Lenkov is only good for the people who hired him. If Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge wants him dead

Finally, Dennison gets it. Nicol Trowbridge hired him, he says.

Their realization comes too late; the plot is already underway. Stuart pulls up to the site of the Grove meeting, unable to get in touch with CIA chief Eidra Park (Ali Ahn), now his ex-girlfriend. (To summarize, Eidra learned of his plans to follow Kate to D.C. should she become the next VP, even after Stuart told Eidra herself to reject a job in Cairo...so they could be together in London. Not cool.) Ronnie runs inside to alert Grove of his new guests while Stuart battles it out with Hal on the phone. Grove is pissed about the ambush, insisting he meet specifically with Hal. As he attempts to get into his car and departwith Ronnie, Stuart and Hal all colliding with him outside the restaurantthe vehicle explodes.

Outside the Louvre, Kate and Dennison learn of the attack. Kates eyes fill with tears as the camera spins around her, echoing her terror and disorientation. Watching, we know shes asking the same question we are, even if she doesnt vocalize it: Are Stuart, Hal and Ronnie alive?

The answer is, likely, yes. Theres little to no chance The Diplomat will kill off two of its central characters that quickly, especially as the conflicts around them have finally crystallized into something robust and compelling. Sewells Hal is not only a source of comic relief and charisma, but hes often the mechanism spurring Kate forward, even if shed care not to admit it. And Stuart is a kingmaker-in-the-making, with far too much potential as Kates right hand for Cahn to squander it on shock factor.

As for Ronniewell, sadly, that seems a far more likely loss. Not only was Stuarts assistant directly in range of the blast, but theyre enough of a side character for a hypothetical death to resonate emotionally without stripping the plot of its propulsion. Grove is almost certainly dead, too. And if thats the case, Kate will be after not just recovery but retaliationor her form of it, which is intelligence.

So, who ordered the car bombing? It seems possible that Grove, part of Trowbridges Conservative Party, somehow had information about Trowbridges involvement in the HMS Courageous attack and wanted to tell someone he could trust: a diplomat like Hal. But if Trowbridge caught word of this deception, he could have stopped the leak by orchestrating a hit on his own MP. And perhaps he didnt exactly plan for three Americans to get caught in the crossfire.

So, why did Trowbridge order an attack on his own people in the first place? Remember, hes trying to win a by-election. If he could make it appear as though Iran had sparked a war with the U.K.and then bravely enact vengeance upon themhed maybe win over the nationalist voters he needs. In one fell swoop, hed mimic the post-9/11 battle cry of the early aughts.

Thats a potent premise in an era of Brexit nationalism and xenophobia, especially when Kate herself was initially drawn under Trowbridges spell. Moving into an all-but-certain second season, the question is not only who will survive, but who theyll choose to trust when they meet again.

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Russias Aerospace Forces, the VKS, have rained daily destruction on Ukrainian cities since Putin unleashed his invasion in 2022. Large unguided bombs, supersonic weapons designed to kill aircraft carriers, and hypersonic glide vehicles intended to befuddle NATO air defenses have been lobbed at densely populated metropolises including Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Odesa.

But at 10:15 pm local time on Thursday, April 20, the mayhem landed on the wrong side of the border, following what Russias defense ministry characterized as an emergency release of air ordnance from an Su-34 fighter bomber overflying Belgoroda city of 370,000 only a 17-mile drive away from the Ukrainian border, and 35 miles northeast of Kharkiv, Ukraines second largest city.

/3. More detailed video of Russian jet bombers bombing Belgorod yesterday. pic.twitter.com/hGbWVmum8O  Special Kherson Cat  (@bayraktar_1love) April 21, 2023

Traffic cameras captured both the impact and detonation of the weapon, which is likely a bomb. Initially, it is seen penetrating into the ground, causing a small puff of debris on the side of the road. Traffic continues to roll by unperturbed.

But 18 seconds later, the weapon detonates, causing the ground underneath to bubble up, rupturing the surrounding concrete in a ball of fire and debris. A white car parked close to the point of impact spins high into the air before landing onto the roof of a nearby store. Several other nearby vehicles are destroyed as well. The explosion left a 40-meter diameter (131 feet) crater in the traffic intersection.

Russian MoD admits its own SU-34 "inadvertently" bombed Russian city of Belgorod, creating a massive crater and damaging residential buildings (says no civilian casualties) pic.twitter.com/8AnVEYioCl  Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) April 21, 2023

Fortunately, there were no deaths, though two women were injured. The detonation beneath the ground absorbed and channeled the blasts force, reducing lethal shrapnel directed at vehicles driving relatively close by. Of course, there was damage to nearby buildings, windows and powerlines were ruptured, and vehicles were destroyed. The briefly airborne car was eventually removed with a crane.

Its possible the weapon was a BetAB concrete-penetrating bomb, which comes in 150-, 250-, and 500-kilogram variants. This narrow-diameter weapon has a delayed impact fuse and rocket booster, and is designed for penetrating strikes on underground facilities and cratering airbase runways. Russia employed these weapons on the Syrian city of Aleppo in 2016.

That said, a fuse on a different kind of munition might also produce the delayed underground blast. Russian commentators speculated that the weapon may have been one of Russias new satellite-guided UMPK glide bombs (an upgrade kit for unguided bombs). These winged weapons can be released from a standoff distance, which could encompass an area over or near Russian soil.

Because the UMPK kits were rushed into operational use this year and remain somewhat crude and unperfected, its speculated that an error in their release or guidance systems could have caused the Belgorod blast.

While Moscow will investigate the Belgorod mis-bombing, sources close to the government already indicate that the results likely wont be made public.

The Fullback Versus Kharkiv

Russian warplanes routinely fly over Belgorod on their way to participate in combat operations over Ukraineincluding the especially relentless bombardment of Kharkiv early in the war, which occurred alongside Russian artillery fires. The image below is of a collection point for expended munition, and gives an idea of the vast quantities of death-dealing devices expended on that city alone.

However, Russian commentators initially thought this blast to be a Ukrainian attack. Kyivs forces have sporadically struck targets near Belgorod on a limited scale since Putin invaded, using artillery, drones, andon one memorable occasionHind attack helicopters for a raid on a fuel storage facility. Russian air defense missiles have also misfired and struck Belgorod.

A Russian TV commentator later seemed perplexed while reading a statement seemingly implying that the Belgorod bombing was an operation aimed at extremists at minimal distance.

The Su-34codenamed Fullback by NATO, and dubbed the Platypus or Hellduck for its flattened noseis an enlarged spinoff of Russias family of Flanker heavy fighters with side-by-side seating for pilot and weapon systems officer. Its noted for both its heavy maximum payload (consisting of over 15 tons of weapons and stores) and its integrated Platan laser-targeting system, the latter of which gives the jet better precision ground-attack capability than most Russian combat aircraft.

However, the VKSs Su-34 fleet has suffered heavily, with at least 17 confirmed lost in combat (several over Kharkiv) and two more in accidents, for total attrition between 10 and 20%.

Notably in October 2022, an Su-34 on a training flight smashed into the Russian coastal resort town of Yeysk, killing fifteen people. Both crew ejected before impact.

The wording of the Russian militarys statement today seemingly implies a deliberate decision to release the weapons over Belgorod due to a risk to the aircraft. However, it has also been described as an abnormal descent of aviation ammunition, which might mean the weapon was released from the aircraft without the pilots intent. Either scenario is at least less embarrassing than if a pilot or guided bomb mistakenly attacked the wrong city on the way to hit a target in Ukraine.

If Russias claim can be taken at face value, the underlying culprit may be a flaw with the munitions or bomb racks, as discussed above. It may also come down to the maintainers and armorers supporting the Su-34 fleet, who are likely overworked by the pace of operations.

Notably, a recent intelligence leak suggested that the pilot of a relatively old Russian Su-27 fighter misinterpreted orders and intentionally fired a missile at a vulnerable British RC-135W surveillance plane (not accidentally fired it in its vicinity as originally claimed). However, the beyond-visual range missile misfired, fortunately averting the possible death of the RC-135s crew and a major international incident.

No air force can entirely avoid military aviation accidents that pose threats to civilians, though that risk multiplies considerably in wartime with the increased tempo of operations and carriage of lethal munitions.

Of course, its awful for anyone whose life is put at risk, or has their car or home ruined by such mishaps. On Thursday, Russias air force appeared to have accidentally inflicted on the people of Belgorod a tiny fraction of the harm it has been doling out to Ukrainian communities on a daily basis for over a year, with paltry military results to show for it.

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Health officials say a veterinary tranquilizer called xylazine, also known as "tranq," is showing up in illegal drugs like the powerful opioid fentanyl, stirring issues in the medical community, as much is still unknown about xylazine and how it affects humans.

States like Pennsylvania are now adding xylazine to their list of controlled substances to try to keep it off the streets and allow records to be kept on the drug.

Dr. Jeanmarie Perrone, an emergency physician and the director of the Center for Addiction Medicine and Policy at the University of Pennsylvania, told Scripps News that local drug testing shows xylazine almost always co-occurs with fentanyl.

"Some people's theory about why xylazine is being added is because the fentanyl is so potent and relatively short-acting that it was added to make it a little bit more longer-lasting and to not have the potential deadly respiratory depressant effects that fentanyl is essentially known for," Perrone said.

In Florida, John Nelson  the founder of familiesrecover.org, a group that helps loved ones deal with addiction  said the use of xylazine, as with fentanyl, may be to increase dealers' profit margins.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, about 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine in 2022.

SEE MORE: White House announces new actions against fentanyl supply chain

Earlier this month, the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy declared fentanyl combined with xylazine to be an "emerging drug threat" in the United States.

During a news conference late last month, Sen. Chuck Schumer, (D) New York, warned xylazine is "deadly" and "dangerous."

"It causes severe wounds to the skin, sometimes all the way to the bone," Schumer said. "It creates a lot of dead tissue. There are breathing and heart rate issues, and the infections from these wounds can often lead to people even losing their limbs."

Perrone said the wounds are different from what she and others in the medical community have ever seen when it comes to addiction.

"We're seeing these very large open wounds, which are not like abscesses or superficial skin infections," Perrone said. "These are much deeper wounds that tend to be open and tend to progress in a way that is with a term that we call necrosis, which means a lot of a lot of the tissue actually disappears."

These wounds can lead to more issues for those who are seeking treatment.

"Because of these wounds, paradoxically, many patients can't get into rehab because rehabs aren't really equipped for the medical complications of wound care," Perrone said.

In November, the FDA warned health care professionals "routine toxicology screens do not detect xylazine," making it harder to treat people that come in.

"We don't have widespread testing," said Luke Engeriser, deputy chief medical officer at AltaPointe Health. "If somebody shows up in the emergency department, we could test for opioids, but we don't have widely available tests for xylazine."

To reverse an opioid overdose, the FDA said naloxone, also known as by brand name Narcan, should be used on everyone who overdoses, though it would be ineffective on xylazine since it's not an opioid.
Nestled among the designer boutiques on a cobbled street in New Yorks SoHo, sits a true pioneer: Americas first-ever museum dedicated to the climate crisis.

For the past five years, The Climate Museum has hosted exhibitions, art installations, talks, performances and workshops across the five boroughs and online, reaching more than 105,000 people.

Since October, it has been a pop-up museum in a bright and airy space on Wooster Street where its free for anyone to visit on afternoons from Wednesday until Sunday.

The museum has both art works and interactive exhibits  a recording booth to share messages on the climate crisis; a sticker station to add your climate resolutions to an ever-growing wall; stacks of postcards for writing to a lawmaker of your choosing (which staff will stamp and post).

While the atmosphere is light and welcoming, theres a serious mission at work to tap into a deep, often unvoiced, sense of aloneness which can overwhelm people when they begin to contemplate the vast and amorphous climate crisis.

Tackling it wont just need Big Tech and ambitious government policies but also a groundswell of cultural support and public engagement, says the museums founder and director Miranda Massie.

The arts open us up and make us see the possibilities of what we can do as a human community in a way that nothing else does, she said, at a presentation on Tuesday.

What we feel most of all in the climate crisis is alone, isolated, and outnumbered. Like anything that we could do is not big enough, its not the right scale.

Museums also occupy a unique position in the American psyche with superpowers of trust and popularity, Ms Massie says.

More Americans visit art museums, science centres, historic houses or sites, zoos, or aquariums than attend professional sporting events, according to the American Alliance of Museums. And they maintain a rare position of trust among the public, even amid rife disinformation and fraying of longheld social norms.

Museums have an ethical responsibility to address the challenges that are faced by humanity, Ms Massie said.

In order to maintain that trust and popularity we have to be relevant, address what people care about and what people are challenged by.

Visitors to The Climate Museum view the postcard mural, Someday, all this, by the artist David Opdyke (Climate Museum/Sari Goodfriend)

For us, that means a call for museums to address the climate crisis more broadly  whether theyre climate-dedicated or not.

The Climate Museum has hosted more than 250 events including recently Bill McKibben, the author and veteran environmental activist who founded 350.org; and Rollie Williams, a New York stand-up and YouTuber, who uses comedy to demystify climate change.

To celebrate Earth Day on 22 April, New York and New Jersey university professors will gather to talk about the launch of the modern environmental movement.

And up until the venue closes at the end of this month, it is showcasing Someday, all this  a striking piece by the artist David Opdyke, whose work is part of collections at MOMA and the Brooklyn Museum.

Using 400 hand-modified, vintage postcards, the piece is a commentary on the climate crisis across America, using both real and imaginary themes, to explore issues of displacement, migration and societal breakdown.

Ms Massie left behind her career as a civil rights impact litigator to found the museum in the wake of 2012s Superstorm Sandy. (Factors linked to rising global temperatures intensified the storm which devastated New York, leaving 44 people dead and $19bn in damages.)

She explained that the idea came to her so clearly and intuitively that she assumed that she had read about it somewhere else.

When I Googled it, and discovered that we would be the first [climate museum] in the US and one of the first in the world, I was astounded. Im still astounded. We got the URL, climatemuseum.org, for free, she said.

While some major art, science and cultural institutions have come under fire for their fossil fuel sponsorship, The Climate Museum has a strict policy of taking no funding linked to the oil and gas industry.

A visitor adds their sticker to the truth wall at the Climate Museum (The Climate Museum/Sari Goodfriend)

Ms Massie attributes the climate silence which exists around the issue in the US largely to the efforts of the fossil-fuel industry.

We've focused a lot of our programming on fossil fuel disinformation, and the fossil fuel industrys control of the narrative, she said.

There are many reasons for climate silence in the United States but the single most important one, in my personal opinion, is the brilliant, villainous work of the PR teams that serve the fossil fuel industry. They have done an outstanding job of controlling the story which makes them look good, inevitable and necessary.

To that end, emblazoned across one wall of the museum are statistics busting the myth of American climate indifference.

Recent polling shows that 66 per cent of Americans support ambitious climate action of shifting away from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy  a higher percentage of support than for abortion rights or voting rights.

Yet Americans continue to underestimate just how many other people around them feel the same way  both in red and blue states.

In New York state, for example, 72 per cent of people are concerned about the climate crisis  but estimates are that its 44 per cent. In Mississippi, 61 per cent are climate-concerned, but residents believe its only 33 per cent.

The Climate Museums mission is to end that disconnect in a way thats welcoming and inclusive, Ms Massie added.

Ultimately our view is that we will not get the policy we need - and we need it in a hurry  if we dont get the civic culture that we need.

The Climate Museum remains in search of a permanent, year-round home. While the plan is to expand across the US, Ms Massie says that New York City will be the hub due to the number of people, both international and American, who visit each year.

If you're not going to Disneyland or Vegas, you're coming to New York City. For cultural tourism, New York City is where it's at, she said.

The Climate Museum receives funding from New York, both at the city and state level. A number of foundations and really significant private donors have also supported the cause, Ms Massie says.

Funding is a constant battle  a common refrain across the arts  but even tighter when it comes to climate-focused causes which receive only 2 per cent of global philanthropy.

Thats been a very big challenge for us, she said, emphasising that the non-profit is actively fund-raising for our next pop-up.

There isn't a dedicated understanding of the role of arts and culture in moving us toward a just and safe future, she said.

We're seeing some real movement but as with the climate crisis as a whole ... will the concepts change quickly enough to make a difference? We need to see more funding, not just for the Climate Museum, but for climate arts and culture broadly.
Tributes have poured in following the news of Barry Humphries death.

The Australian comedy legend died aged 89 on Saturday (22 April) in hospital in Sydney surrounded by his loved ones.

Earlier this week, reports emerged that the Melbourne-born entertainer had been admitted to a Sydney hospital with serious health problems following complications with a recent hip replacement surgery.

In a statement announcing his death, his family said that he was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.

Following the news, tributes from public figures and fellow comedians have flooded in on social media remembering Humphries and his iconic characters, including Dame Edna Everage.

Ricky Gervais applauded the comedy genius on Twitter, bidding farewell to Humphries.

Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydon shared a photograph of himself and Humphries, writing alongside the picture: RIP Barry Humphries. A true great who inspired me immeasurably. It was a delight to call him my friend.

Brydon told fans that he had been in Australia with Humphries only three days ago.

RIP Barry Humphries. A true great who inspired me immeasurably. It was a delight to call him my friend.

I've been in Australia and was with him only 3 days ago. He was, as ever, making me laugh. His talent shone until the very end.

My love goes out to Lizzie and all the family. pic.twitter.com/G5aJfLiVkK  Rob Brydon (@RobBrydon) April 22, 2023

He was, as ever, making me laugh. His talent shone until the very end, wrote the actor. My love goes out to Lizzie and all the family.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remembered Humphries as a great wit, satirist, writer, and an absolute one-of-a-kind.

Albanese wrote: He was both gifted and a gift.

You will be mourned Barry Humphries 



I only met you a few times but that look in your eyes full of bright intelligence and mischief, knowing trouble was ahead and looking forward to every special second of it: I'll never forget it. Thank you Sir.



A genius  pic.twitter.com/duIRf3yKGv  Carol Vorderman (@carolvorders) April 22, 2023

Former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan similarly paid tribute to one of the funniest people Ive ever met.

As hilarious in private as he was as the iconic Dame Edna, wrote Morgan on Twitter. What a life, what a character.

You will be mourned, Barry Humphries, wrote Carol Vorderman, who said that in the few times she met Humphries, she saw his eyes were full of bright intelligence and mischief.

I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us. Quite simply, you were the greatest. pic.twitter.com/86scyP449b  Matt Lucas HQ (@RealMattLucas) April 22, 2023

Matt Lucas added: I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us. Quite simply, you were the greatest.

The former Great British Bake Off host accompanied his words with a photograph of himself and Humphries together smiling.

Comedian Jimmy Carr  who is currently in Australia  wrote: A bit bittersweet doing gigs in Australia this evening, Barry Humphries has past and no one will ever be as good at crowd work again.
Maia Kobabe, author of "Gender Queer: A Memoir," poses for a portrait with the book, which was one of the most banned titles in U.S. schools last year. (Josh Edelson / For The Times)

Fearing criminal penalties, public schools throughout Missouri removed hundreds of books from their libraries after state lawmakers last year made it illegal to provide students with sexually explicit material  a law that carried punishment of up to a year in prison.

The issue is playing out in public school districts and campus libraries across the United States, 1st Amendment advocates warn: Book bans, gassed up by state legislation pushed by conservative officials and groups, are stacking up at an alarming rate.

In a report published Thursday by PEN America, the nonprofit free speech organization cited 1,477 instances of books being prohibited during the first half of the 2022-23 academic year, up 28.5% from 1,149 cases in the previous semester. Overall, the organization has recorded more than 4,000 instances of banned books since it started tracking cases in July 2021.

At issue is more than a single book being removed in a single district, said Kasey Meehan, the Freedom to Read program director at PEN America and a lead author of the report.

Its a set of ideas, its themes, its identities, its knowledge on the history of our country  these are the kind of bigger buckets of what is being removed, restricted, suppressed in public schools and public school libraries, Meehan said.

Forbidden books are largely by and about people of color and LGBTQ individuals, the group found. Of the books removed in the first half of this school year, 30% are about race, racism or include characters of color, and 26% have LGBTQ characters or themes  all at a time when library shelves are becoming more inclusive and representative of society.

The clash over books is not new, but the tactics are changing. Once spurred mainly by concerned parents, book removals are increasingly powered by organized groups, elected leaders and legislation targeting titles that dont align with their values, PEN America found.

The pandemic helped shift that landscape as schools became entrenched in partisan politics. Groups such as Moms for Liberty, united in its opposition to mask mandates, took aim at curricula and rallied against books it deemed inappropriate for young readers.

School board meetings became arenas for those fights, which spilled onto social media. Some school staffers, particularly librarians, found themselves on the front lines of the intensifying culture wars, facing bullying, harassment and accusations of pedophilia or grooming children due to the literature they offered.

Texas school districts had the highest number of bans in PEN Americas report, with 438 removals. Florida had 357 bans, followed by Missouri, with 315 bans. In Utah and South Carolina, there were more than 100 bans.

State legislatures and courthouses in Republican-controlled states have largely led the charge.

According to PEN America, nearly a third of the book bans earlier this school year were the direct result of newly enacted state laws in Florida, Utah and Missouri. But its very likely that the laws, which are often ambiguous, indirectly led to many more effective book bans by creating a chilling effect, PEN said. Books have vanished en masse as staffers vet literature to ensure it doesnt run afoul of the laws.

The wave of legislation has drawn challenges. Missouris law, enacted in August, is the subject of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and two state library associations, which argue the law is unconstitutional.

Jamie Gregory, a school librarian in South Carolina, one of the states where bans are most prevalent, said the escalating situation feels like it presents ... this binary choice to librarians.

You either choose to stand by the ethics and the foundation of the profession and defend intellectual freedom rights, or risk your job and your personal safety, said Gregory, who has done work advocating for intellectual freedom. I dont know that a lot of people truly understand what that feels like.

A law in Florida, which has more book bans than any state but Texas, requires that books be reviewed by certified media specialists, leading some districts to clear out or



hide books in their libraries and classrooms.

Brian Covey said such was the case at his childrens public school in Floridas Duval County. One Thursday in January, Covey picked up his two elementary school children after a book fair fundraiser. Covey, who worked as a substitute teacher at a nearby campus, said his daughter asked him whether hed heard about what happened at school that day.

They took away all the books, he recalled his children telling him.

Covey, puzzled, asked which books. His children reiterated: all of them.

Classroom shelves were barren or sealed off with construction paper, he said. Schools in the county had launched a formal review of their classroom libraries in accordance with the law and guidance from the state.

They even went through and took away books kids were currently reading, said Covey, who tweeted about the issue.

Duval County Public Schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Covey said his daughter called it wrong and rude to take books away, because some children dont have them at home or are still learning to read. For a second-grader, she is an advanced reader and would devour books daily, Covey said. But the few books that have made their way back to the shelves after being reviewed are boring to her. She now mostly spends her free time hanging out with classmates.

While I love that she gets time to play with her friends, she loves to learn, Covey said. Shed rather be reading books.

Certain books are frequent targets of bans. Some of the most commonly removed titles last year, according to PEN America, were the graphic-novel-style memoir Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Flamer by Mike Curato, the graphic novel of The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood and Milk and Honey, a book of poems by Rupi Kaur.

The movement to restrict books is also affecting public libraries.

In Llano County in a rural area of central Texas, officials debated closing the entire library system rather than follow a judges order to return 17 challenged titles to its shelves while a lawsuit works its way through court. (County commissioners ultimately decided to keep the library open.)

PEN Americas study echoes a March report by the American Library Assn., which found that efforts to censor library books and resources nearly doubled last year to 1,269 such demands, from 729 the previous year. That marks the most attempts to ban books since the organization began collecting such data more than 20 years ago.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Florida now has the lowest threshold in the country for sentencing people to death, thanks to a law signed Thursday by governor Ron DeSantis.

Under the bill, eight of 12 jurors can seal a death sentence. Most states require a unanimous decision.

Mr DeSantis began pushing for such a provision after the gunman in the 2018 Parkland school shooting avoided the death penalty and was sentenced to life in prison in 2022.

We cant be in a situation where one person can just derail this, he said earlier this year at a meeting of the Florida Sheriffs Association.

Some Parkland families also opposed the verdict.

Jail is about rehabbing someone. There is no rehabbing [Nikolas Cruz], Ilan Alhadeff, father of slain student Alyssa Alhadeff, told reporters after the 12-person jury reached its decision.

I pray that animal suffers every day of his life in jail. And it should be a short life, he continued.

Florida, which allowed a simple majority vote to pass a death sentence until a 2016 ruling by the state supreme court, has the most death row exonerations of any state, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

There are currently over 300 people on death row in the state.

It should be hard to send someone to the death penalty, Randolph Bracy, a former state senator from Orlando who sponsored legislation in 2017 to require unanimous death sentences, told The New York Times. Florida has the highest rate of wrongful convictions, I think, in the country, he added. We needed that threshold to make sure that we were doing the right thing.

As The Independent has reported, the families of those impacted by terrorism and mass shootings are divided on the death penalty.

In my heart, as my mothers child, I wanted him to be dead like her, Reverend Sharon Risher, whose mother and cousins were killed in 2015 in a white supremacist church shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, told The Independent. Going back to my Christian faith, I knew that I didnt want that. I realised that even though he had done this horrific thing, my faith tells me that God is a God of restoration and redemption.

In Washington, meanwhile, the governor signed a bill on Friday officially striking the death penalty from state law, a punishment previously deemed unconstitutional in 2018 in the state supreme court.

To the extent that race distinguishes the cases, it is clearly impermissible and unconstitutional, Chief Justice Mary Fairhurst wrote in the lead opinion at the time, noting an analysis that showed juries were four times more likely to sentence Black people to capital punishment.The Independent and the nonprofit Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) have launched a joint campaign calling for an end to the death penalty in the US. The RBIJ has attracted more than 150 well-known signatories to their Business Leaders Declaration Against the Death Penalty - with The Independent as the latest on the list. We join high-profile executives like Ariana Huffington, Facebooks Sheryl Sandberg, and Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson as part of this initiative and are making a pledge to highlight the injustices of the death penalty in our coverage.
UK Minister Calls for Jailing Social Media Bosses Who Do Not Censor Speech By Jonathan Turley

April 22, 2023: Information Clearing House -- As previously discussed, after Musk decided to buy Twitter, Hillary Clinton called upon European countries to force social media companies to censor Americans. The European Union quickly responded by threatening Musk and other executives. Now, Technology and Science Secretary Michelle Donelan has announced plans to jail social media executives if they fail to censor so-called harmful content on their websites. The government, of course, will determine what is deemed too harmful for citizens to see or hear.

Donelan is seeking speech arrests under the UKs Online Safety Bill, a draconian censorship bill that would effectively ban end-to-end encryption for private internet users.

The bill uses Britains broadcasting regulator Ofcom to censor all forms of expression which spread, incite, promote or justify hatred based on various progressive characteristics, including transgenderism. So the government can censor anyone who it views as promoting or justifying hatred against virtually any group. Those who do not censor can now be rounded up by Donelan and her minions.

According to a report by The Telegraph, companies will also face fines of up to 10 per cent of their global revenue should they dare to ignore Britains demands to preemptively delete or obscure posts violating its coming censorship regime.

The decline of free speech in the United Kingdom has long been a concern for free speech advocates. A man was convicted for sending a tweet while drunk referring to dead soldiers. Another was arrested for an anti-police t-shirt. Another was arrested for calling the Irish boyfriend of his ex-girlfriend a leprechaun. Yet another was arrested for singing Kung Fu Fighting. A teenager was arrested for protesting outside of a Scientology center with a sign calling the religion a cult.

Recently we discussed the arrest of a woman who was praying to herself near an abortion clinic. English courts have seen criminalized toxic ideologies as part of this crackdown on free speech.

Donelan is only the latest voice of a rising generation of censors. These officials proudly parade their intent to silence or jail those with dissenting views. Yet, they do so in the name of tolerance. This is why free speech is in a free fall in Europe and why we must remain vigilant in this country to resist figures like Clinton who want to bring European censorship to our shores.

Jonathan Turley is an American attorney, legal scholar, writer, commentator, and legal analyst in broadcast and print journalism. A professor at George Washington University Law School, he has testified in United States Congressional proceedings about constitutional and statutory issues
FILE - Attorney Mark Pomerantz arrives at Federal Court in New York, Aug. 12, 2002. House Republicans on Thursday, April 6, subpoenaed Pomerantz, one of the former Manhattan prosecutors who had been leading a criminal investigation into Donald Trump before quitting last year in a clash over the direction of the probe. Rep. Jim Jordan, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, ordered Pomerantz to testify before the committee by April 30, 2023. (AP Photo/David Karp, File)

NEW YORK (AP)  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed Friday to let Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee question an ex-prosecutor about the criminal case against former President Donald Trump.

Under the agreement, committee members will be able to question Mark Pomerantz under oath next month in Washington. The deal resolves a lawsuit in which Bragg had sought to block Pomerantz from testifying, ending a legal dispute that escalated to a federal appeals court just weeks after Trump's historic indictment.

Pomerantz will be accompanied by a lawyer from Bragg's office, an accommodation the committee said it would have allowed even without Friday's agreement.

Braggs office and the Judiciary Committee reached the agreement after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay Thursday that temporarily halted enforcement of a House subpoena which had called for Pomerantz to testify.

The appeals court had been scheduled to hear oral arguments in the dispute on Tuesday.

Bragg's office said the agreement, delaying Pomerantz's testimony until May 12, preserves the district attorney's privileges and interests in his ongoing Trump prosecution.

Our successful stay of this subpoena blocked the immediate deposition and afforded us the time necessary to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that protects the District Attorneys privileges and interests, Braggs office said in a statement.

We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe. We are gratified that the Second Circuits ruling provided us with the opportunity to successfully resolve this dispute, Braggs office said.

Bragg had appealed to the 2nd Circuit after a lower court judge ruled Wednesday that there was no legal basis to block the Judiciary Committees subpoena and that Pomerantzs deposition must go forward as scheduled.

Under the agreement, Bragg withdrew his appeal.

Russell Dye, a spokesperson for committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said in a statement, Mr. Pomerantzs deposition will go forward on May 12, and we look forward to his appearance.

Pomerantz once oversaw the yearslong Trump investigation but left the job after clashing with Bragg over the direction of the case. He recently wrote a book about his work pursuing Trump and discussed the investigation in interviews on 60 Minutes and other shows.

Bragg, a Democrat, sued Jordan and the Judiciary Committee last week seeking to block the subpoena. His lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, argued that seeking Pomerantzs testimony was part of a transparent campaign to intimidate and attack Bragg and that Congress was invading a state to investigate a local prosecutor when it had no authority to do so.

Boutrous said House Republicans interest in Bragg amounted to Congress jumping in and haranguing the D.A. while the prosecution is ongoing.

The Judiciary Committee started scrutinizing Braggs investigation of the former president in the weeks that preceded his indictment. Jordan sent letters seeking interviews with Bragg and documents before subpoenaing Pomerantz. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee, said in her ruling Wednesday that she would handle any legal fights that may arise from other subpoenas in the committees investigation of Bragg.

A committee lawyer, Matthew Berry, said at that hearing that Congress has legitimate legislative reasons for wanting to question Pomerantz and examine Braggs prosecution of Trump, citing the offices use of $5,000 in federal funds to pay for Trump-related investigations.

Congress is also considering legislation, offered by Republicans in the wake of Trumps indictment, to change how criminal cases against former presidents unfold, Berry said. One bill would prohibit prosecutors from using federal funds to investigate presidents, and another would require any criminal cases involving a former president be resolved in federal court instead of at the state level.

House Republicans, Berry said, want to protect the sovereignty and autonomy of the presidency, envisioning a scenario where the commander in chief could feel obligated to make certain decisions to avoid having local prosecutors in politically unfavorable jurisdictions charge them with crimes after they leave office.

For those reasons, Berry argued, Congress is immune from judicial intervention, citing the speech and debate clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Pomerantz could refuse to answer certain questions, citing legal privilege and ethical obligations, and Jordan would rule on those assertions on a case-by-case basis, Berry said, but he shouldnt be exempt from showing up. If Jordan were to overrule Pomerantz and he still refused to answer, he could then face a criminal referral to the Justice Department for contempt of Congress, but that wouldnt happen immediately, Berry said.

Trump was indicted last month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations of extramarital sexual encounters. He has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.

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On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Larry Neumeister at twitter.com/lneumeister and send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/
Thousands of elementary and high school students throughout Illinois could lose access to after-school and summer programs in the upcoming fiscal year but advocates are hoping that either the General Assembly or the federal government can keep that from happening.

The programs, known as 21st Century Community Learning Centers, are a federally funded through program administered by the Illinois State Board of Education that targets students in low-performing and high-poverty schools.

Many of the programs offer academic enrichment activities to help students meet state and local academic standards. They also offer literacy and other educational services to the families of students enrolled in the programs.

Many of these students have child care responsibilities for younger siblings, mental health concerns, and are victims of domestic violence, just to name a few, said Kimberly David, associate director for Project Success of Vermilion County. The relationships that our staff build with these students to help ensure that they stay the course and finish high school are very important. Several of our students have utilized our program time to apply for college and jobs with the encouragement of our staff.

In the metro-east, Cahokia Heights, East St. Louis and Madison school districts have maintained after-school programs through the program.

David was among several people who turned out Wednesday for the state boards monthly board meeting in Springfield urging the board to ask the General Assembly to cover a funding gap that is estimated at $15 million by the board.

State board of education spokeswoman Jackie Matthews said the funding gap is the result of a miscalculation the agency made when it tried to estimate how much federal money would be available next year.

Each year, she said, the state board awards grants to school districts and other community-based organizations that provide after-school, before-school and summer programming. The grants typically run for five years and at the end of that period, they can either be renewed or the recipient can apply again through a competitive selection process.

Under federal rules, recipients generally are not allowed to carry over unspent funds from one year to the next. But those rules were relaxed during the COVID-19 pandemic when schools were forced to close and no services were being provided.

Matthews said agency officials were unable to accurately estimate the impact that rule change would have and, as a result, it made commitments to distribute more funds in the upcoming fiscal year than will actually be available.

The state board of education only discovered the error recently and, on April 10, it notified organizations whose grants expire at the end of this fiscal year that their grants will not be renewed and there will not be a new grant competition for them to enter.

We recognize the late timing of this communication and ISBEs error in not appropriately forecasting grant funding, the agency said in the notification letter. We are committed to providing earlier notice going forward, so that grantees have ample time to plan and prepare for the conclusion of the grant cycle.

The advocacy group ACT Now Illinois, a coalition of after-school service providers, estimates that 12,000 students will lose access to programs as a result while roughly 550 after-school staff members will lose their jobs.

Teresa Dothard-Campbell, who runs a program for middle school students in East Moline School District 37, said her program will not be directly affected this year but she has heard from colleagues at other sites who are being affected.

And I can tell you that it was very disheartening last week to sit around a table and to hear about the impact that not being able to be funded was going to have on the students in our community, she said. In my program alone, we serve 475 students out of a student population of 1,100 students. We offer over 22 after-school clubs or before-school clubs. And we are enriched with bringing in community partners as well to be able to provide those experiences.

Advocates urged the state board of education to seek additional funding through the General Assembly to prevent the programs whose grants are expiring from closing. But Matthews said the agency currently does not intend to do that. Instead, it is asking the federal government for permission to use pandemic relief funds to cover the amount that was over-allocated for next year.
A 20-year-old Kansas City, Kansas woman died in the hospital, days after she was found in her residence with a gunshot wound, according to police.

Jadah M. Clark was shot April 14 as she was inside a residence near 13th Street and Washington Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas police said. Police said Friday that Clark was an innocent victim fatally wounded during an exchange of gunfire near her home.

Detectives with the Major Case Unit were handling the investigation. As of Friday, no arrests had been made.

The shooting marks the citys fifth homicide so far in 2023, according to data maintained by The Star. Last year, there were 40 in Kansas City, Kansas.

Police were asking anyone with information about the shooting to contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS.
Miami-Dade County students joined others across Florida Friday to protest against what they say is Gov. Ron DeSantis anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.

Organized by Walkout 2 Learn, a group of Florida student activists, high-schoolers and college students left their classes in the afternoon and then rallied in major cities at 6 p.m., including Miami Beach, Orlando and Jacksonville.

A few dozen activists came together at Pride Park in Miami Beach holding various signs that read Say gay, You cant erase us, and See our power.

Using a large stage, activists like Maxx Fenning, president of Prism, an LGBT nonprofit organization in South Florida, voiced their opposition to recent LGBTQ+ legislation.

WPTV 5 reported students at the School for Advanced Studies at Miami Dade College also joined in.

#NEW: Students at School for Advanced Studies in Miami-Dade County hold walkout over Florida's education policies. Courtesy: Melanie Mahmoodi https://t.co/JeskMmpyW2 pic.twitter.com/QZCBAz0ubK  WPTV (@WPTV) April 21, 2023

On Wednesday, the State Board of Education agreed to an expansion of what LGBTQ+ activists call the dont say gay law, banning classroom teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades.

The DeSantis administration made the proposal in March and it will take effect after a procedural notice period that lasts about a month.

READ MORE: Florida officially limits gender, sexual orientation instruction in all school grades

This also comes after the Florida House of Representatives passed bills on gender-transition treatments, bathroom rules and blocking children from drag shows.

Heres a look at the Miami Beach rally:

A group of students attended a rally in support of the Walking Out to Learn! Protest, in Miami Beach to protest again the many educational policies implemented by the State of Florida and to send a message Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, to their representativesfrom school board to Senate, On Friday April 21, 2023.

Maxx Fenning, president of Prism, an LGBT nonprofit organization in South Florida, joined a group of students during a rally in support of the Walking Out to Learn! Protest, in Miami Beach to protest again the many educational policies implemented by the State of Florida and to send a message Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, to their representativesfrom school board to Senate, On Friday April 21, 2023.

Andrea Guerrero (left) and Nathalie Saladriguas, joined a group of students in a rally to support the Walking Out to Learn! Protest, in Miami Beach to protest again the many educational policies implemented by the State of Florida and to send a message Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, to their representativesfrom school board to Senate, On Friday April 21, 2023.
Miami educator Horacio Sierra has a voluminous library of songs on his digital device and delights in sharing his annual 100-most-played-songs playlists with followers of his social media accounts.

Lady Gaga has figured prominently on Sierras lists since her 2008 debut.

Now hes rubbing shoulders with the pop superstar in the halls of Washington.

Sierra and Gaga have been appointed by President Joe Bidens Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

Sierra, now 39, was appointed as a member, while Gaga, 37, is named a co-chair.

Lady Gaga arrives at the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

Who are some of the presidents appointees?

Welcome newly appointed members of the Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, led by @BruceCohen83 and @ladygaga! We look forward to partnering to positively impact the arts, libraries, museums, and humanities work across the country. https://t.co/bbhZje2Rwm  President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (@PCAHgov) April 13, 2023

The mid-April announcement by the White House finds the music fan and the music superstar joined by names including Oscar-winning producer Brian Cohen as Gagas co-chair and Sierras fellow members George Clooney, Jon Batiste, Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington, former Congressman Steve Israel, and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh.

The 24 appointees include a mix of musicians, educators, scholars, actors, art historians, philanthropists and activists.

READ MORE: Margaritaville goes to Washington. Jimmy Buffetts song is in the Library of Congress

As a college professor, I see my appointment as the administrations recognition of how the Humanities are an essential part of a well-rounded education, Sierra told the Miami Herald in an email interview.

Sierra, president of the Miami-Dade Cuban-American Democrats, is a tenured English professor at Bowie State University in Maryland where he created in-person and online courses such as Graphic Novels, Studies in Popular Music, Queer Cultural Studies, Shakespeare & Film, and U.S. Hispanic Literature.

The University System of Maryland awarded Sierra its Excellence in Teaching Award for his commitment to experiential education. His research on English and Spanish Renaissance literature was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Sierras editorials on humanities education have been published in The Washington Post, The Hartford Courant and The Baltimore Sun. His poems on the intersections of history, geography, and identity have been published in The William & Mary Review and other publications.

When we study classic and innovative works of literature, art, and music, we are invited to contemplate the human condition and how we can create a more peaceful and prosperous society. By representing Florida on this committee, I plan to promote and support our uniquely polyglot arts scene, Sierra said from Miami where he lives with husband Dallas Clay Sierra.

What the Arts Committee does

In this file photo from May 8, 2021, then-Democratic candidate for Florida governor Charlie Crist talks to Horacio Sierra, Cuban American Democratic Club president, during his meeting with Miami-Dade Democratic Cuban Americans at Tropical Park in Miami

The Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities was founded in 1982 during the Ronald Reagan administration to advise the president on cultural policy. The first lady historically serves as honorary chair and the Committee selections are appointed by the president.

According to the White House, the Committee advises the president and the heads of U.S. cultural agencies. These include the Librarian of Congress, National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, and the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The members advise the president on policy, philanthropic and private sector engagement, and other efforts to enhance federal support for the arts, humanities, and museum and library services.

From Miami to Washington

Maria and Horacio Sierra, combined, worked for 56 years at Miami Coral Park Senior High School in Westchester. They retired together in 2020. Their son Horacio was named by President Joe Biden to Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in April 2023.

The hometown writer and educator has had his name out there since he was a teen and for longer than, dare we say it, the Oscar-winning songwriter Gaga.

Miami may be a glitzy and flashy city, but we locals know that its a working class city where the entrepreneurial spirit is part of our DNA, Sierra said.

When you write about Miamis artists, politicians, and everyday citizens, youre writing about the American Dream. Were a city of Caribbean immigrants and Northern migrants. Were all hustling to lead fulfilling lives. So, Id say that hustle is what inspires me to have a strong work ethic and seize every opportunity that presents itself to me, Sierra said.

Sierra was first published in the Miami Herald at 16 when the paper had a features page called Yo! Herald, written by South Florida teens and overseen by Herald editors, like the Heralds current food editor Connie Ogle.

He was interested in so many things and he really could do everything. He stood out among all the kids that came through that program, Ogle said.

Hes one of those people whos interested in the world and that wasnt always the case with teenagers. To have him representing the arts, I cant think of any anyone better, Ogle said. Hes the kind of kid I knew would go on to great things. But I didnt know what those things would be because he could have been a writer. He could have gone into politics. He could have gone into the arts. He could have gone into any number of things and he probably would have been successful. So Im really proud of him.

From Cher to Columbine

A file photo of Horacio Sierra from March 8, 2001. Sierra was writing for the Miami Heralds Yo! Herald features page and was interviewed on what it meant to be a teenager at the time.

Some of Sierras earliest features for the Herald in 1999 included reviews of the eras biggest names.

Sometimes the 16-year-old wasnt into everything his Miami Coral Park Senior High classmates were grooving to on the CD format. Of the Backstreet Boys he wrote in one of his first published pieces: We all know the songs, weve all seen the videos, and unfortunately sometimes we can name all the members. But A.J., Brian, or Kevin, it doesnt really matter  their names are as interchangeable as their bland songs and videos.

Often times, he was right on the trends of the time, as when he recognized Lady Gaga precursor Chers unlikely comeback at age 52 with 1999s biggest hit, Believe. Cher is cool because of her music. For me, its about the music; its always been about the music. ... Her age is just a minor footnote to the great music she puts out.

And sometimes, at 16, Sierra, son of Coral Park Senior educators Maria and Horacio Sierra Sr., was entrusted by Herald editors to weigh-in on more serious national topics.

In December 1999, Sierra wrote a column for the Herald on the Columbine High School massacre. Two high school seniors murdered 12 students and one teacher at the Colorado school earlier that year.

The school violence that students witnessed in 1999 forever affected schools and security, Sierra wrote. Though the deadly rampage witnessed live on national television from Littleton, Colorado on April 20, is most entrenched in the nations mind, several other shootings and copycat threats at schools throughout the nation, including Dade and Broward, changed school policies. ... Only the future can tell if newly implemented safeguards will be able to curb school violence. All one can do is hope for a peaceful 2000, Sierra wrote.

He would also write about Miami Springs for the Heralds Neighbors section when he was at the University of Miami and served as an editorial intern at Ocean Drive en Espanol.

Sierras message from Miami

Try everything, Sierra says.

Miamis hustle culture allowed me to try my hands at being a journalist, an educator, a political activist, an op-ed writer, a community organizer, a poet, a scholar, a theater critic, a trivia host, a micro-influencer, an NEA grant reviewer, and even a tour guide.

Because why not? We shouldnt waste our talents on pursuing just one goal, Sierra said. And thats what the arts and humanities teach us, to be well-rounded. To be a Renaissance man and woman. Dont limit yourself. Rejections come and go, but youll eventually find success if youre willing to perfect your craft, promote yourself, and do good work.
BBC Twitter account labeled as

Twitter has removed labels describing certain media outlets as "government funded" or "state affiliated," after falsely implying they were government propaganda machines.

Fierce backlash from editorially independent media outlets like NPR and the BBC ensued after Elon Musk's Twitter inaccurately classified them as controlled by their governments. But after the organizations were forced to prove their independence and combat the threat of public mistrust, it all seems to be a moot point since the labels no longer exist.

SEE ALSO: Bye, bye blue checks: Twitter wipes legacy verified badges from the platform

Earlier this April, Twitter added a label to NPR's Twitter page describing it as "US state-affiliated media," which Twitter defined as "outlets where the state controls editorial content through funding or political pressure," per Gizmodo. The label put NPR in the same category as China's Xinhua News and Russia's RT and Sputnik which are widely considered to be government-controlled propaganda machines.

Following an email exchange with NPR reporter Bobby Allyn who told Twitter CEO Elon Musk that NPR only receives one percent of government funding, Musk changed the label to "Government Funded Media." The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS), British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and Voice of America also had the new "Government Funded" label, despite also being editorially independent.

The slightly different semantic classification was still unacceptable for NPR, and it left the platform. Efforts to "tarnish the independence of any public media institution are exceptionally harmful and set a dangerous precedent," said NPR CEO John Lansing.

But now, after all that, Musk has decided to drop media labels altogether. "This was Walter Isaacson's suggestion," Musk told NPR's Allyn in an exchange. Isaacson, an author and journalist who wrote Steve Jobs' biography is working on a biography of Musk.

And that's probably as much of an explanation as we'll ever get.
Parents of Prichardville Elementary students in modular classrooms say their children have symptoms consistent with mold exposure, and the school district is not responding to their concerns.

Parent Crystal Renee said her emails to school administrators, state legislators and others were ignored.

[They] just blew us off, Renee said.

The Beaufort County School District, which tested in February and did not find high mold counts, will test again next week after hearing from parents, Chief Operations Officer Robert Oetting told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette on Friday.

The school notified parents of mold testing in September and February, and told parents that theyd continue to test the classrooms periodically.

Weve had some parent concerns that have been raised [and] were going to test again, Oetting said. Outside of the parent concern we havent noticed or been able to detect any problems in the area.

However, parents said the district hasnt notified them about any new testing, although the district has been transparent about sharing previous test results.

The parents called for the district to test for mold again to ensure the safety of their children. They said in the two months after the February testing, temperatures have gotten warmer and there have been multiple heavy rain storms. They said that while there might not have been dangerous amounts of mold then, there could be now.

Within those two months, if you already have some remaining mold and its constituted as fine, but then we get more heavy rain, what are the chances of that progressing within a certain period? said parent Nicole Zolzer, who has a fourth grade student in a modular classroom.

The school has two modular, or mobile, buildings, built to accommodate growth in the Bluffton area. The fourth grade building has six classrooms and the fifth grade building has eight classrooms. Both modular buildings were built in 2018, although the fifth grade modular moved from River Ridge Academy in 2022.

Parents questioned what is an acceptable level of mold? There is mold everywhere, according to air quality specialist, Ken Marchi, with Low Country House Detectives, and that doesnt always mean that its harmful. People are impacted by mold differently depending on their immune system and allergies, he said.

A classroom in the mobile classroom building at Pritchardville Elementary. The school offers their students a wide variety of flexible seating options  from bean bag chairs to stool-like chairs. The mobile is structured more like a traditional brick and mortar building with classrooms on both sides of a central hallway.

The standard is you dont want to see that mold is coming from the building itself, Oetting said. Thats why you test to make sure that your indoor [mold] levels are significantly less than your outdoor levels.

The parents complaints follow a September incident at a Prichardville Elementary fifth-grade modular classroom, where the district tested and found unsafe mold levels. The school moved the fifth graders temporarily while repairing the interior walls and roof.

Oetting said the district hasnt had mold concerns at any other school this year.

We have a formal process, Oetting said. Whenever anybody has a concern, we ask them to fill out an indoor air quality report.

He said parents, community members or employees can fill out a report and then theyll investigate the issue.

Weve done everything that we can and whenever we found something we react as quickly as possible, Oetting said.

However, parents said theyve put in a lot of effort with little response.

Headaches, fatigue and ER visits

Renees fifth grader at Prichardville Elementary complained about headaches, itchy and watery eyes, throat irritation and fatigue before the September repairs.

These are symptoms consistent with mold exposure, and once the district repaired the classroom, Renees 10-year-old stopped showing symptoms. In March, along with about five other children, her symptoms returned.

She started with constant sneezing again, all the time, Renee said. She always complained about her head hurting, her throat sore, and (its) very red in the back.

Renee brought her daughter to a pediatrician, who ruled out other sicknesses like COVID or the flu.

I have a first grader there as well thats in the [main] building, and he has no symptoms of anything, Renee said. My kids dont get sick. They take their vitamins [...]and all that. They have great immune systems.

Parent Stephanie Frazier said her daughter has missed over nine days since March visiting the emergency room, urgent care and her pediatrician.

Her child was diagnosed with allergies to the environment, bronchitis and mesenteric adenitis. The later two can be related to conditions that cause respiratory problems, like allergies.

In the fall, parent Tanya Coluccis son was diagnosed with asthma and had to start nebulizer treatments, which help with wheezing and breathing problems.

It became like a pattern [where] he would be out sick for a while and then get better and then since he returned back to school, his allergy-asthma symptoms would flare up almost immediately with him being in school for a day, she said.

Colucci and Renee are in the process of getting mold allergy tests done on their children at the recommendation of their pediatricians.

Can I confirm that mold is the issue? No, but its the suspicion in my head, Zolzer said.

What does the testing say?

In September, the district found high amount of Aspergillus/Penicillium. The follow-up testing in February didnt find similar high mold counts in the classroom.

So whats the problem?

We have something called allergenic spores, which is what this Aspergillus Penicillium is. If you dont have allergies and you have a lot of (this mold), it will give you allergies, said Marchi, the air quality expert. If you do have allergies and you breathe this in, its going to exasperate your allergic reactions.

When testing for mold, inspectors send air samples from outdoors and inside the classroom to a lab. Marchi tests hundreds of buildings for mold annually, and has worked in the Lowcountry for 17 years.

The lab is looking for numbers 10 times greater than the outside, he said. However, like most states, South Carolina doesnt regulate or have standards for unhealthy mold levels, according to Marchi.

Teachers at Pritchardvile Elementary in Bluffton check in with each other in the new mobile classroom building for fifth grade students. The building is more secure than older mobile classrooms with two doors on either end of a central hallway. Existing portables have doors to the outside for each individual classroom. The new style also have bathrooms for the students and separate facilities for the teaching staff.

In February, all of the mold levels at Prichardville Elementary were less than 10 times greater than the outside air, and there was no toxic mold ever reported in the classrooms, according to Marchi.

However, parents said the school didnt collect enough air to properly test for mold. The school did a five-minute collection test instead of a 10-minute test, according to Marchi.

Will it make a big difference? It depends on the system, said Marchi, explaining that certain systems are designed for five minutes. He said the only systems he uses are for 10 minutes which collect 150 liters of air, instead of the five-minute tests, or 75 liters like the school collected and tested in February.

He said that the February results dont show anything alarming, but since it was two months ago, new mold could have grown  especially considering the warming and wet weather.

For sure my recommendation would be to have further testing, more comprehensive testing to find out whats really going on with the air in there, he said.

Editors note: An earlier version gave an incorrect attribution for Nicole Zolzers quotes
This week was one that saw the unprovoked shooting of a young Black Northlander gain national attention, the aftermath of two teens taking each others lives in a double shooting inside a car in Olathe, and an armed man taken down by Kansas City police officers. And road rage incident on Interstate 70 led to a fatal encounter, too.

If you havent already, pause for a moment. And calmly collect your breath.

News that 16-year-old shooting victim Ralph Yarl was recovering after Andrew D. Lester shot him in the head and arm came as a relief. The honor student at Staley High School has a tough road ahead of him, family members said. But hes home and recuperating after being fired upon simply for ringing the wrong doorbell.

Is this what our gun-loving culture has come to?

Why did the homeowner open fire within seconds of seeing the teen on his front porch? Because Ralph was Black, Lester told authorities after the shooting.

Heres the problem, though: Ralph was no threat to Lester. He did nothing wrong. The teenager was looking for his younger twin brothers and went to the wrong address. The unprovoked shooting captured the nations attention and reignited what should be an ongoing conversation on race relations in this country and the proliferation of guns.

A GoFundMe campaign for Ralph surpassed $3 million in donations after he was shot. Now will that enthusiasm help lead to change? Were hopeful.

Lesters legal saga is just beginning. Two hours after Lester shot Ralph, Kansas City police inexplicably released him from custody without charges. Outraged followed.

Days later, Clay County prosecutors finally charged the 84-year-old retired airplane mechanic with one count each of first-degree assault and armed criminal action. He was released from jail after posting bond. In his first court appearance, Lester pleaded not guilty to the accusations.

Sadly, if convicted, Lester could die in jail. But that would be his cross to bear for his actions.

Mysterious double teen shooting in Olathe

How do two teenagers who didnt know each other end up fatally shooting each other inside a vehicle in Olathe?

We couldnt make this up.

An investigation into the shooting last weekend determined the teens killed each other, Olathe police told us Thursday. How, you ask? With guns, of course.

Details of how 19-year-old Jessica Hicks of Olathe and 18-year-old Monterrio Spencer Jr. of Kansas City crossed paths are murky at best, police said. On Friday, investigators were still trying to determine how two strangers ended up in the same vehicle that came to rest near the Sola Salons at Rogers and Strang Line roads, authorities said.

When officers arrived on scene about 4:45 p.m. Saturday, they found Hicks mortally wounded. Spencer died at a hospital.

We still didnt know how these two young adults ended up killing each other in the same car. But we do know they were both armed.

Highway road rage leads to murder charge

Missouris proliferation of guns can be attributed to the states loose gun laws, community activists say. Anyone 18 and older can legally possess a concealed weapon without training or certification.

Who knows what kind of firearm training Charles J. Smith Jr., 18, of Cape Girardeau might have undergone before he obtained the gun he allegedly used to fatally shoot Gary L. Denham of Oak Grove?

Authorities took Smith into custody after a 17-hour manhunt. Smith was found hiding in Sweet Springs, about 40 miles from where he fired upon Denham after jostling vehicles during a fit of road rage on Interstate 70 just east of Kansas City.

Prosecutors charged Smith with second-degree murder, unlawful weapon use and armed criminal action in the shooting. His bond was set at $250,000.

Denhams death is tragic. In the coming days, we will learn more about the incident. But in a state where so many people stash firearms in their automobiles consoles and glove boxes, drivers have an extra incentive to avoid conflict at all costs. When perceived slights can turn into deadly encounters, we must show one another more mercy and grace, behind the wheel and everywhere else.

Officer-involved fatal shooting

Its not just teenagers. On Wednesday, investigators with the Missouri State Highway Patrol told us Kansas City police fatally shot a man they say was waving a firearm at bystanders. He was identified as 43-year-old Reginald E. Byers Jr. He failed to comply with commands to drop the weapon, according to a spokesperson for the highway patrol, the agency investigating the deadly shooting.

Not much is yet known about Byers or the circumstances that led to his death. A concerned witness called the police, and rightfully so. But did responding officers do enough to diffuse the situation, as one resident said to a Star reporter?

The public always deserves transparency any time law enforcement is involved in a fatality: Who are the officers involved? How long have they been on the force? Do they reside in the area they patrol? What are their histories with people in the neighborhood? Have they been involved in on duty, use-of-force incidents in the past?

These are all questions that could be answered without jeopardizing the officers safety or right to due process. Police agencies in other cities routinely release pertinent information in a timely manner in similar situations. Kansas City police do not.

Until the KCPD updates its policy on officer-involved shootings, the public will remain wary. We know the department has repeat offenders patrolling the street. Were watching the developments in this latest officer-involved shooting closely. Kansas Citians should, too.

In America, the right to own a gun is protected. But were seeing more proof every day that the bumper sticker wisdom of an armed society is a polite society is wishful fiction about fallible human nature.

If nothing else, this past week should remind us that sensible gun laws could go a long way toward reducing the unnecessary, hotheaded violence that plagues Kansas City. It doesnt have to be this way.

Most of all, dont forget to breathe.
Good news for the gas-starved?

While many of you are still striking out at the pumps in Miami-Dade and Broward, there are encouraging reports.

First up: All the gas terminals are back up and running at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale nine days after the region took in nearly 26 inches of rain in a single afternoon.

The 12 gas terminals owned by private petroleum companies took most of the week to trickle back to full operation after flooding and damage.

All Gas Terminals Operating at Port Everglades



Gas Deliveries Update No. 9

7:30 p.m., April 21, 2023

The privately owned petroleum companies at Port Everglades are reporting that all gas terminals are operational. #porteverglades pic.twitter.com/r4LmRnaK42  Port Everglades (@PortEverglades) April 21, 2023

Thats one means by which more fuel, which is ample, should begin to reach parched stations as demand has soared.

Next: The Florida Division of Emergency Management posted that it has deployed a million gallons of fuel to Southeast Florida as Port Everglades continues to get its operations fully up to speed to distribute more regular gas and diesel fuel.

According to the state emergency response team, Port Everglades was 98.9% operational with an estimated 12.86 million gallons of fuel dispensing daily. Port Everglades provides 40% of the fuel into the state.

.@FLSERT has deployed 1-million gallons of fuel to Southeast Florida as @PortEverglades continues work to de-water fuel racks & get operations back online for distributing gas & diesel fuel.



Read more updates on response & recovery efforts here: https://t.co/YzNX74T3DY  FL Division of Emergency Management (@FLSERT) April 21, 2023

Miami Herald Reporter Devoun Cetoute contributed to this report.
Leonardo Suarez, 73, has lived in Hialeah for eight years with his 69-year-old wife. Both are retired. They each receive a monthly check for $685 to pay for their home at 321 E. Sixth St.

The $1,370 the couple gets isnt enough to cover the cost of their home. The rent increase has forced them, for the first time, to ask for help.

Suarez, who was born in Cuba, explained to el Nuevo Herald that until 2022, the apartments rent was $1,050. Now they pay $1,475, and they were informed that the rent will rise to $1,550 in May, an increase that they say they cant afford.

Without help I dont know how well be able to pay that rent. We both have chronic diabetes, and my wife wakes up every morning with severe muscle pain. We cant go out looking for a job. We are old, he said.

Although the couple have two children, they rule out the possibility of asking them for money to cover the difference or moving in with one of them.

How affordable is housing in Hialeah?

Hialeah is the second largest city in Miami-Dade but has one of the lowest incomes at $43,181, according to the Census. The reality is that housing in the West Miami-Dade municipality is no longer affordable for the majority of residents.

Median rent in Hialeah is $2,950, about $200 less than in March but $100 more than in April 2022, according to Zillow statistics.

Average rents in the city is $800 above the national average, Zillow says.

The city is aware. And thats why the Department of Grants, in charge of managing state and federal funds, is reaching out to people on how to request aid.

Suarez will benefit from that, at a Babcock Park even where employees explained how to help pay the rent.

City employees informed him that due to his family circumstance, the couple can get a monthly check for $275 to help them cover the rent increase. That will allow them to continue living in their home for at least a year. But not all cases are so simple.

Being the city with the largest Hispanic population in the country, 95.82% of its total population, Hialeah requires by federal law that these funds be delivered to people with permanent residence. Many people who live in the city dont have legal status.

Thats the case of Gladys Jerez, 42. The Salvadoran woman has lived in the United States for 18 years. Her two children, ages 9 and 13, were born in the US, but she hasnt been able to adjust her status.

She has lived for two years with her partner and her children in a motel on Okeechobee Road, and the family pays $450 a week. They were evicted from a house that had been sold and havent been able to find a stable place to call home.

Because of Jerezs immigration situation, the city of Hialeah cannot give her federal funds to look for an apartment. Jerezs partner, of Cuban origin and a permanent resident, could seek to rent an apartment, and the city could provide help for three months.

$11 million to help pay rent

The Treasury Department has provided the city a second allocation of funds of about $4.1 million from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. That money allowed Hialeah to help 178 families through April 12, delivering a total of $562,756.

The program, created in March 2021 to help the most vulnerable during the pandemic, provided the city with $7 million. With that, Hialeah assisted with rent and utilities for 756 families, Maria Ruiz, director of grants for the city, told el Nevo Herald.

Ruiz said that in Hialeah there is more need to cover rents than what residents are asking the city for. We see $400 or $500 rent increases from one month to the next. People are paying more than 50% of their income on housing alone.

For this reason, her departments mission is to search for those who are most vulnerable. They live mainly in the eastern and southeastern sections of the city and in areas close to industrial centers, where rents are lower, but salaries have not matched the increase.

Our goal is to visit the neighborhoods and give advice to the most economically vulnerable residents in the community. We hope to hold events in different neighborhoods of the city as a way to reach out to residents who may be disenfranchised, Ruiz said.

The event at Babcock Park this month allowed a dozen residents to learn about the process, eligibility and alternative options to pay their home rent, including a program to help them buy their first property.

In Hialeah there are 78,718 homes, and 50.4% of them are multi-unit structures or buildings with two or more apartments, like the one where Suarez lives. The majority of residences in the city, 53%, are occupied by renters, a fact that is far away from the American dream of owning a property.
Earth Day - the one day when turning the lights off (or power) for one hour at night is the most exciting thing to do.

While this one-hour cessation of power usage does help, it would do more than just that to reduce humanity's carbon footprint altogether, but we're getting there despite our baby steps. After all, a world where our children couldn't enjoy a life similar to what we currently have is a world not worth living.

But what tipped humanity over the edge for us to advocate for saving the environment and our home planet?

Earth Day - How It All Began

Earth Day sprung its roots in 1960s America, smack dabbed in the Vietnam War. At the time, the country was consuming vast amounts of material that slowly polluted the planet; they couldn't be stopped due to the lack of laws protecting the environment back then and the silent acceptance of the American people of pollution being a sign of prosperity, per EarthDay.org.

However, the public slowly began to notice that pollution wasn't as good as it appeared; they eventually became outraged with the countless environmental disasters occurring in the county, per Untamed Science. These disasters include factories that spew black clouds of toxic smoke into the air, the dumping of toxic waste into a nearby stream, and even the bad effects of pesticides of the time on the environment.

All of these came to a head when Rachel Carson published his book titled "Silent Spring" in 1962, which eventually became a New York Times bestseller. It showed the dangerous effects of pesticides on the American countryside, according to History. The book sold more than 500,000 copies in 24 countries, spreading and raising public awareness and concern for living organisms, the environment, and the link between pollution and public health.

The rising public awareness about the effects of pollution on the human body and the environment eventually attached politicians' attention - Democrat Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin led the charge back then, thanks to his determination to convince the federal government that the planet was at risk.

Read More: Michael Schumacher's Family to Sue German Magazine Over Fake AI Interview

How Earth Day Was Born

Inspired by students' anti-war protests during the waning years of the Vietnam War, Sen. Nelson announced the idea for a teach-in on college campuses to the national media, with conservative Republican Congressman Pete McCloskey serving as his co-chair. The two recruited a young activist, Denis Hayes, to organize the teach-ins, which led the three to make it happen on Apr. 22, the weekday falling between Spring Break and Final Exams, to maximize the greatest student participation.

Hayes, recognizing the events of the day's potential to inspire all Americans built a national staff of 85 people to promote events nationwide, which eventually included various organizations, faith groups, and others. Sen. Nelson announced the concept of Earth Day at a conference in the fall of that year, which gained the media's and the public's attention.

The first Earth Day, Apr. 22, 1970, was effective at raising awareness about environmental issues and changing public attitude toward them, with public opinion polls indicating a permanent change in national priorities following that fateful day, per the Environmental Protection Agency. Thanks to Earth Day, familiar environment protection laws like the Clean Air Act, Water Quality Improvement Act, Endangered Species Act, Toxic Substances Control Act, and the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act were enacted in 1970.

Little Ways To Celebrate Earth Day

Celebrating Earth Day is more than just turning off and not using power for one hour. It's all about committing to doing things that will save the environment and encourage others to do the same.

Using solar panels and eco-friendly appliances does help in reducing your carbon footprint. To know if an appliance is eco-friendly, try looking for its Energy Star rating; it could tell you how energy efficient it is, according to Greener Ideal.

Driving electric cars is also one way to avoid using fossil fuels, though that would depend on how your local power company produces the electricity you use to charge it.

Aside from these things, you may also want to encourage people to recycle materials and throw their trash into the correct receptacles to segregate them properly. Composting, planting trees, and keeping bodies of water clean also help reduce our carbon footprint and let Mother Nature heal.

Earth is our home planet - if we don't take care of it, then we don't deserve to have it as such.

Related Article: Make Each Day Earth Day by Helping Nature Heal Using These 5 Technologies
While many Georgians like the smell of perfume, they actually love the smell of something else more.

A recent study by BetGeorgia used Google search data to find the most beloved scents in the Peach State.

Any guesses at which aroma is the number one choice for Georgians?

Well, it is none other than  Gasoline.

Thats right. There were 7,440 searches for smell of gasoline throughout the state since last April.

Here are the other most loved smells, based on Google searches in the state:

In second place: coffee

Third: cinnamon

Fourth: a new car

Fifth: chocolate

Sixth: vanilla

Seventh: nail polish

Eighth: Christmas trees

Ninth: log fires

Tenth: bacon

Whats your favorite smell? Let us know in the comments.
The U.S. Embassy in Sudan issued a security alert Saturday, warning American citizens to shelter in place until further notice, hours after the country's military said it had agreed to guarantee evacuation requests made by the United States, Britain, France and China.

It is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government co-ordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens, the alert said, as fighting continued between the Sudanese army and its partner turned rival, the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the west African nation.

The alert said there was incomplete information about convoys traveling from the west African country's capital Khartoum to the coastal city of Port Sudan. The embassy is unable to assist convoys. Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk, it added.

At least one American has been killed in Sudan since the fighting began, the State Department confirmed Friday. The U.S. victims name, gender, hometown and other details were not immediately disclosed.

The alert was issued hours after the Sudanese Armed Forces said in a Facebook post that the United States, Britain, France and China will evacuate their diplomats and citizens by air with military transport aircraft belonging to their armed forces from Khartoum.

It said that Gen. Fattah al-Burhan, the Sudanese army chief, had agreed to guarantee the evacuation requests, although it did not say how the departures would be organized.

The international airport in Khartoum is currently closed because of the fighting.

An estimated 16,000 Americans are on the ground in Sudan, many of them dual citizens. Around 500 of those American citizens had been in touch with the U.S. Embassy as of Wednesday, and 55 had requested an evacuation, with the number expected to rise.

A U.S. diplomatic convoy came under fire in an apparent attack by fighters linked to one of the warring sides, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday, calling the incident reckless and irresponsible.

The Biden administration is leaning toward evacuating U.S. government personnel from Sudan, a military official and two congressional staff members, told NBC News Friday.

Sudanese army soldier sit atop a tank in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan (AFP via Getty Images)

It was unclear when any evacuation might take place, but the Pentagon announced Thursday that the U.S. was deploying extra troops to the region in case they were needed for an evacuation.

Elsewhere, Britains Foreign office said in a statement that it was "doing everything possible" to support its citizens and diplomatic staff in the country, but it did not mention any evacuation attempt. French officials have yet to comment.

The Sudanese army's announcement came after days of intense pressure from the international community for a cease-fire and for help in facilitating the evacuations from the country.

The Sudanese military said in a statement on Friday that it had agreed to a three-day cease-fire to enable citizens to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and allow humanitarian services to proceed smoothly.

But fighting continued overnight into Saturday morning and explosions could be heard in Khartoum. Two cease-fire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

The bombardments, gun battles and sniper fire in densely populated areas have hit civilian infrastructure, including many hospitals.

The clashes have killed more than 400 people so far, the World Health Organization said in a statement Friday, although it stressed the death toll would likely be higher.

Fighting erupted after months of tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces Rafter months of heightened tensions between the two forces that had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by a military coup in October 2021.

Both sides disagree on how the Rapid Support Forces should be integrated into the military, a key condition of the framework agreement. The army wants the transition to happen in two years, while the Rapid Support Forces said it could take 10 years.

Burhan and his current rival and Rapid Support Forces leader, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a former camel dealer widely known as Hemedti, were leaders in a counterinsurgency against an uprising in Sudans Darfur region, a conflict that in 2005 saw the countrys dictator, Omar al-Bashir, become the worlds first sitting leader to be indicted by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of genocide.

They were part of the military establishment that helped oust al-Bashir in 2019 after widespread popular unrest, raising hopes for democracy after his 30 years in power.

The two generals then joined together to overthrow the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdock in 2021.

But conflict sparked earlier this month over a disagreement over how to integrate the Rapid Support Forces, Hemedtis faction, into the national army, a key condition of a framework agreement to return Sudan to democratic civilian rule.
Hoping to get outdoors this weekend? If so, youll have a chance to catch one of the oldest known meteor showers in the sky.

The Lyrids meteor shower will be visible across the Northern Hemisphere in late April as the beloved natural phenomenon makes its annual return to the night sky. The meteor shower has been studied for more than 2,000 years and was first recorded by the Chinese in 687 B.C., according to NASA.

The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors, the space agencys website reads. Lyrids dont tend to leave long, glowing dust trains behind them as they streak through Earths atmosphere, but they can produce the occasional bright flash called a fireball.

Heres what you need to know if you hope to see these meteors in Kansas when they hit their peak this weekend.

How to see the Lyrids in Kansas

While its rare to spot these meteors at their peak, they arent too hard to find. The Lyrids are active from April 15 through 29 this year, but they are expected to peak April 22 and 23.

The meteor shower is best observed in the Northern Hemisphere during dark hours, particularly after moonset and before dawn, according to NASA. Generally, youll have a better view if you move away from cities and streetlights that emit light pollution.

NASA recommends stargazing by lying flat on your back with your feet facing east. It might take up to 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark sky, so be patient when looking for meteors whizzing past.

Meteors spotted among the Lyrids travel at approximately 29 miles per second, NASA says. Meteor counts at peak activity generally sit near 18 per hour, but rare occasions could result in hundreds appearing in a relatively short period.

Wichitas stargazing forecast

Finding them is easy, but actually viewing these meteors during their peak period may be a challenge.

AccuWeather is currently forecasting poor stargazing conditions for the greater Wichita area Saturday and Sunday. Cloud cover is expected to hover around 50%, and projected low temperatures in the lower 40s and mid-30s could keep prospective viewers indoors.

Thankfully, the moon is less of a problem. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earths only natural satellite is in its new moon phase, which should minimize natural light in the sky.

What are meteors?

Meteors are, generally speaking, space debris that has entered Earths atmosphere. These objects usually burn up when flying across the sky at a high speed, but those that survive a trip through the atmosphere and land on the ground are called meteorites.

Dont confuse meteors with asteroids, which are small, rocky objects that orbit the sun in space. Comets, meanwhile, also orbit the sun but are comprised primarily of ice and dust, NASA says.
Perhaps carefully planning ahead or rushed in a moment of panic, someone in Viking-age Denmark buried their treasure and never returned. A volunteer stumbled upon the artifacts 1,000 years later.

Jane Foged-Mnster went out with a metal detecting group to search a field in northern Denmark last fall, she told TV2 Nord, a local Danish outlet. Scanning the field, she unearthed a piece of silver. Nearby, she found several more pieces, the outlet reported on April 19.

The volunteers quickly alerted local archaeological authorities who began excavating the site in Bramslev, the North Jutland Museums said in a news release.

Archaeologists uncovered two Viking-era treasure troves buried around the same time and within 165 feet of each other, the release said. Because of agricultural plowing, archaeologists found the artifacts scattered widely across the area and could not definitely identify which artifacts came from which treasure trove.

Together, the treasure troves contained about 300 silver coins dating to the 980s A.D., the release said. Archaeologists found a mixture of Danish, German and Arab coins as well as a type of cross coin made when King Harald Bluetooth Blatand ruled the region.

Photos show this type of cross coin that had a plus-sign-shaped design with three circles on each point. The coin appears a bit scratched and worn.

The cross coins from King Bluetooth, as hes most commonly known in English, were only circulated for a few decades before the kings son took the throne in the mid-980s, North Jutland Museums said in an April 20 post on Instagram.

One of the Viking cross coins from the buried treasure troves.

The 1,000-year-old treasure troves also contained several chopped up pieces of silver jewelry, the release said. These fragmented adornments were likely part of a payment-by-weight system.

Archaeologists identified two pieces of the same jewelry item: an unusually large and elaborate silver ring pin. Photos show the fragment with an intricately braided ball on the end of a curved rod. A rope-like ring and smaller decorative designs frame the central orb.

This ring pin came from Vikings in Ireland or nearby islands and was likely worn by a king or high-ranking religious authority, experts said. The ring pin was probably stolen during a raiding expedition and brought back to Denmark.

Danish Vikings did not wear this type of ring pin, so the stolen goods were chopped up for use as currency or melted down and remade into the local jewelry style, the release said.

Part of a silver ring pin from Viking-age Ireland or another nearby island.

A hoard like this is very rare, the director of the North Jutland Museum, Lars Christian Norbach, told AFP.

The significance of the treasure troves partially stems from the area where they were found, the release said. The artifacts were found at a Viking settlement about 5 miles from Fyrkat, a Viking castle fortress built by King Bluetooth.

The Fyrkat castle was unexplainably abandoned about the same time or soon after the silver treasures were buried, Torben Trier Christiansen, an archaeologist with the North Jutland Museums, said in the release.

The buried treasure, the abandoned castle and the showdown between King Bluetooth and his son may all be connected, Christiansen said. Unrest or fear of impending violence may have prompted people living at the Bramslev settlement to hide their valuables, he said in the release.

To investigate this possibility and understand more about the areas Viking history, archaeologists will continue excavating the Bramslev settlement this fall, the release said. They dont expect to find more silver treasures, but they hope to identify ruins of settlement buildings.

The silver treasures will go on display at a North Jutland Museum beginning in July, the release said.

Bramslev is located in the eastern peninsula region of Jutland and about 170 miles northwest of Copenhagen.

Google Translate was used to translate the news release from North Jutland Museums and the article from TV2 Nord. Instagram Translate was used to translate the Instagram post from North Jutland Museums.

Massive burial site tied to Mayan deity is uncovered  with some bodies headless

Vikings came to North America nearly 500 years before Columbus, study of wood reveals

Daughter cleaning parents basement uncovers dozens of Viking-age artifacts in Norway
Krissy Shields sits with her daughter after assembling a flower display in support of abortion rights Friday outside the Supreme Court. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times)

The Supreme Court on Friday ruled for the Biden administration to preserve legal access in most of the nation to an abortion pill that is part of the most common method of ending early pregnancies.

In an unsigned order, the justices blocked rulings by a Texas judge and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals that could have sharply restricted use of the pills or taken them off the market entirely. There were two dissents, from Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr.

More than 5 million women in the U.S. have used mifepristone since the Food and Drug Administration declared in 2000 that it was safe and effective.

The decision sends the case back to lower courts with a signal that most of the justices believe this challenge to the abortion pill will fail in the end.

The case posed the most important abortion question to reach the high court since last years 5-4 decision that overturned Roe vs. Wade and the constitutional right to abortion.

Though the three justices appointed by President Trump  Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett  voted last year to overturn Roe, they appear to have joined the courts liberals and Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. on Friday to put the Texas court rulings on hold.

Since the overturning of Roe, Texas and a dozen other Republican-led states have essentially made abortion illegal and prohibited doctors from performing surgery or prescribing abortion pills. The ruling by a Texas-based judge had threatened access to mifepristone, even in states where abortion remains legal.

President Biden welcomed Fridays decision.

I continue to stand by FDAs evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and my administration will continue to defend FDAs independent, expert authority to review, approve and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs, he said.

The fast-moving case posed a test for Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett. Last year, they said overturning Roe vs. Wade meant that elected officials, not judges, would decide the availability of abortion.

That did not stop U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Amarillo, Texas, from handing down a broad ruling this month that would have taken mifepristone off the market. Had Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Barrett joined Thomas and Alito, that decision would have gone into effect.

The courts decision in the mifepristone case resembles an earlier clash over Obamacare.

Shortly after Barrett was confirmed in October 2020, the justices faced a Texas-based lawsuit that threatened to strike down the healthcare law. The conservative challengers had won before a Texas judge and the 5th Circuit Court. The justices tossed out the suit in a 7-2 decision.

Fridays order is not a final ruling, and the justices gave no explanation for their decision.

Next month, the conservative 5th Circuit will review the district judges decision that the FDA wrongly approved the use of mifepristone as safe. If the appeals court rules against the FDA again, the Biden administration will ask the Supreme Court to review the case and rule on the issue.

Fridays order suggests that the FDA would probably win. Under the courts rules, the justices usually intervene to block a preliminary ruling if they believe it is mistaken and likely to be reversed on appeal.

In this instance, the administrations lawyers argued that the antiabortion activists who sued the FDA over mifepristone had no legal standing. They would not suffer a direct or personal injury because other doctors prescribe the drug. The administration also argued that the lower court judges were wrong to second-guess the FDAs judgment about the safety of a drug that has been used for decades.

The challenge to mifepristone arose in the fall. A group of antiabortion advocates that included doctors set up an office in Amarillo and filed a lawsuit to challenge the safety of the drug.

The pill had been used widely in Europe before the FDA approved it in 2000. When taken in combination with misoprostol, the medications cause cramping and bleeding; serious complications are exceedingly rare, the agency said.

Based on the safety record, the FDA in 2016 relaxed regulations on mifepristone. Since then, patients seeking access to it need only a single visit to a healthcare provider and may use the medication through 10 weeks of pregnancy, versus seven weeks under earlier regulations. Soon after Biden took office, the FDA approved sending the pills through the mail.

But as widely predicted, Kacsmaryk ruled for the antiabortion activists and revoked the FDAs approval of the drug.

The Justice Department appealed to the 5th Circuit Court. Though one appellate judge favored putting Kacsmaryks entire decision on hold, two others agreed with part of his ruling and suspended the FDAs regulations starting from 2016.

U.S. Solicitor Gen. Elizabeth Prelogar sent an emergency appeal to the high court and urged the justices to block the lower court rulings. She noted that the abortion pills have a safety record of more than 20 years, and no federal judge had ever overruled the FDAs judgment about the safety of a drug.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Federal and local authorities began a manhunt on Friday after a 21-year-old man charged with attempted capital murder of Kansas City, Kansas police officers was mistakenly released from jail across the state line.

The alleged fugitive, Jaeveon M. Mitchell-Locke, was among those injured on April 5 after an undercover fentanyl bust led by Kansas City, Kansas police ended in gunfire. Charges against Mitchell-Locke and two others were announced by Wyandotte County Prosecutor Mark Dupree during a press conference the following day.

Until Thursday evening, Mitchell-Locke had been held in Platte County jail on unrelated warrants. Major Erik Holland of the Platte County Sheriffs Office said officials were still trying to determine exactly how Mitchell-Locke was mistakenly released.

There are processes in place to prevent that kind of thing from happening, Holland said on Friday. At this stage, Im not going to speculate on how it occurred until that is completely reviewed. And obviously, our primary focus at this point is locating Mr. Locke and getting him back into custody.

The daytime shooting on April 5 happened outside of Fast Freds Market in Kansas City, Kansas. Customers, including high-schoolers, were inside the market when tactical teams tried to arrest men following an undercover fentanyl buy.

KCKPD officers stand near the scene where three officers were shot on Wednesday, April 5, 2023, in Kansas City, Kan.

Gunfire was exchanged between tactical officers and the suspected drug traffickers, authorities said. Three officers and three suspects were shot, and all suffered injuries that were not life-threatening.

Mitchell-Locke, along with defendants Cornell Lance Jones Jr. and Samarion Ardel England, were charged with several felonies, including aggravated assault against an officer, aggravated child endangerment and fentanyl distribution.

In a statement Friday, Kansas City, Kansas Police Chief Karl Oakman called the unintended release of Mitchell-Locke unfortunate.

He is a dangerous individual who needs to be taken off the streets, Oakman said, encouraging anyone who encounters him to contact law enforcement.

Authorities were asking that anyone with information concerning Mitchell-Lockes whereabouts contact the TIPS Hotline at 816-474-TIPS, or if anyone sees him to dial 911.
Texas-born Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, born Rita Jenrette Carpenter and last wife of late Prince Nicolo Boncompagni Ludovisi, leaves her residence, The Casino dell'Aurora, also known as Villa Ludovisi, during the execution of an eviction order, in Rome, Thursday, April 20, 2023. The villa contains the only known ceiling painted by Caravaggio and Princess Ludovisi is facing a court-ordered eviction Thursday, in the latest chapter in an inheritance dispute with the heirs of one of Rome's aristocratic families. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

ROME (AP)  A Texas-born princess piled her four yapping bichon frise dogs into a taxi Thursday after being evicted, following a bitter inheritance dispute, from a historic villa in Rome that contains the only known ceiling painted by Caravaggio.

Princess Rita Jenrette Boncompagni Ludovisi, nee Rita Carpenter, abandoned the Casino dellAurora off the swank Via Veneto hours after Carabinieri police arrived to enforce a court-mandated eviction order. Before she had even left, a locksmith changed the locks on the big green front door.

Her dramatic exit  one of the dogs briefly escaped as she spoke to journalists on the street  capped a remarkable, years-long soap opera that exposed the dirty laundry of one of Romes aristocratic families. The Boncompagni Ludovisi are perhaps best known for having produced Pope Gregory XIII of Gregorian calendar fame. But lately they have attracted more attention due to the inheritance dispute and court-mandated auction of their famous villa in the heart of Rome.

I feel like Im in a surreal movie, like Sartres No Exit, the princess said on the street, interrupted repeatedly by a barking fluffy white dog in her arms and three others at her ankles.

Casino dell'Aurora, also known as the Villa Ludovisi, has been in the Ludovisi family since the early 1600s. After Prince Nicolo Boncompagni Ludovisi died in 2018, the villa became the subject of an inheritance dispute between the children from his first marriage and his third wife, the San Antonio, Texas-born Princess Rita, whom he married in 2009.

Previously, she had been married to former U.S. Rep. John Jenrette Jr. of South Carolina.

The children have argued that the home, built in 1570, belongs to them, that their grandfather intended for them to inherit it, and that their late father abused them and mismanaged his fortune. They mounted a multi-pronged legal campaign to get control of the property so it can be sold.

The latest chapter in the saga came in January after Rome Judge Miriam Iappelli issued an eviction order, accusing the princess of having violated a previous order forbidding her from conducting guided tours of the property.

Boncompagni Ludovisi has said the tours were necessary to raise money to maintain the villa. In addition, the judge found that the princess had failed to maintain the home in a good state of conservation after an exterior wall crumbled.

One of the heirs, Prince Bante Boncompagni Ludovisi, was on hand Thursday at the villa to watch that woman, as he refers to his fathers widow, leave the property.

This house needs renovations. The pipelines of water need to be restored and the frescoes are in danger, he told reporters. This is a country: We have our police, we have our judges and you need to respect our country and our laws if you stay here.

Its not clear who will now undertake the work on the house, which needs at least 11 million euros in renovations to bring it up to code.

The villa was put on the court-ordered auction block last year as part of the inheritance dispute and assigned a court-appraised value of 471 million euros ($533 million), in large part due to the Caravaggio. After the minimum bid of 353 million euros ($400 million) failed to get any takers in the first auction, the price was progressively lowered in a series of successive auctions, with more scheduled until a buyer is found.

The Caravaggio ceiling graces a tiny room off a spiral staircase on the second floor. It was commissioned in 1597 by a diplomat and patron of the arts who asked the then-young painter to decorate the ceiling of the small room being used as an alchemy workshop. The 2.75-meter (9-foot) wide mural, which depicts Jupiter, Pluto and Neptune, is unusual: Its not a fresco, but rather oil paint on plaster, and represents the only ceiling mural that Caravaggio is known to have painted.

While the villa's fate is uncertain, so too is that of the princess.

Vowing that the truth will eventually come out (and announcing a book deal), Boncompagni Ludovisi insisted she had cared for the villa during her two decades living there and digitized the family's archive, with the help of Rutgers University.

I see no logic in this. I was a good custodian for the villa, she said.

She didnt say where she would go next, though she noted that the Episcopal Church in Rome had reached out to help.

I love Italy and Im so sorry to have such a brutal ending to what has been a labor of love for 20 years, she said. Her book, on the villa and its famous ceiling, is expected to be published at the end of the year.

"Its dedicated to my husband, Nicolo," she said, before speeding off with the dogs in a taxi into the Roman traffic.
Illustration by Aida Amer for Yahoo News; Photos: Getty Images

For as long as Shabnam Khalilyar can remember, the United States was a fixture of her life in Afghanistan.

She was just 5 years old when the U.S. military invaded her home country in late 2001, following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Her father quickly went to work for the Americans as a translator, as did her uncle, making most members of her family eligible for special visas created for those who helped U.S. forces.

But when Americas longest war finally came to an end in the summer of 2021, allowing Taliban militants to once again seize control of the country, only Khalilyar was able to make it out to safety.

A former journalist, she had been working for then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani prior to the withdrawal, putting her at direct risk of retribution from the newly empowered Taliban. After unsuccessfully trying to get to the Kabul airport on Aug. 30, Khalilyar and her family traveled to Mazar-i-Sharif in hopes of making it across the border to Uzbekistan.

Shabnam Khalilyar was one of roughly 80,000 Afghans who were evacuated and brought to the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome, an emergency resettlement effort established by the Biden administration amid the chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. (Illustration by Aida Amer for Yahoo News)

There was uncertainty [about] what Taliban are going to do after [Aug. 31], the day that American troops officially withdrew from Afghanistan, Khalilyar told Yahoo News. Are they going [take] the whole population hostage, closing all borders, no airport, and you cannot leave the country? The situation was very big for us.

While they were waiting for an opportunity to cross, Khalilyar received a WhatsApp message from a stranger telling her she could join a group that would be traveling from Kabul up north to Mazar-i-Sharif to be evacuated. She didnt know anything about the people in this group, or where they were going, but she knew it was an opportunity she couldnt afford to miss.

One thing was very important for me: just to get out of that country, no matter where, she said. I was risking my life. Either I'm going to die or leave that country.

The next morning, Khalilyar went to a hotel in Mazar-i-Sharif where she joined about 150 women in a wedding hall, where theyd been separated from roughly the same number of men, who were in another area. After a few days at the hotel, Khalilyar said they were moved to some apartments where she was paired up with four strangers who are now her good friends. They stayed in the apartments for about three weeks until finally one night they were taken to the airport and put on a flight to an unknown destination.

It wasnt until they landed that Khalilyar discovered they were in Doha, Qatar, west of Afghanistan. After spending about a month in a refugee camp there, she said, they were informed that theyd be traveling to the United States.

Khalilyar was one of roughly 80,000 Afghans who were evacuated and brought to the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome, an emergency resettlement effort established by the Biden administration amid the chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Foreigners board an aircraft at the Kabul airport on Sept. 9, 2021. (Bernat Armangue/AP)

Less than two years later, Khalilyar, 27, has resettled in Norman, Okla., where she studies international studies at the University of Oklahoma. Shes also among tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees who has yet to obtain legal permanent residency in the U.S. and whose temporary parole  good for just two years  is set to expire starting later this summer.

By relying on humanitarian parole, the Biden administration was able to bypass the regular refugee admissions system  which had been gutted under the previous administration  to quickly conduct one of the largest emergency resettlement efforts in decades. But parole is a temporary status, which offers no pathway to permanent residency; nor does Temporary Protected Status, which the Biden administration granted for Afghans in the U.S. last year.

That leaves few options for Afghans who were brought here specifically because of the dangers they would face at home, under Taliban rule. Those who worked directly with or for American troops or other U.S. government agencies are eligible to apply for Special Immigrant Visas, a lengthy and complicated process that requires applicants to submit a variety of documents  documents that could easily have been destroyed or left behind in the mad dash to flee the country.

Shabnam Khalilyar was one of roughly 80,000 Afghans who were evacuated and brought to the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome

But more than half of Afghans who were part of Operation Allies Welcome, including Khalilyar, are not eligible for the SIV program, including womens rights activists, journalists and civic leaders. For them, the best option is to request asylum and hope that their applications make it through the backlogged system  a process that can take years  before their parole expires. Thats precisely the situation that Khalilyar finds herself in now.

It's certainly not a proud moment in American history, our treatment of these individuals after 20 years, said Michael Turansick, supervisory policy and practice counsel at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Weve given them parole status but thats really, as a practical matter, legal limbo.

A majority of Afghan evacuees are in legal limbo

According to recent data provided by the Department of Homeland Security, of the more than 77,000 Afghan evacuees who received humanitarian parole, 17,000 had submitted applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to register for permanent residence as of April 16, 5,300 of which have been approved.

DHS said that since July 31, 2021, USCIS has also received approximately 16,200 asylum applications from Afghan evacuees, of which more than 2,000 had been approved as of April 16. The agency notes that the total number of asylees may be larger because applicants may include their spouse and unmarried children under age 21 as dependents on their applications.

Helal Massomi, a womens rights advocate who was part of the U.S. evacuation, told Yahoo News that while she is among the minority of evacuees whove already received asylum, she regularly speaks to members of the Afghan community in Washington, D.C., where shes based, who have not obtained any kind of permanent status.

The DHS also notes that, in a typical year, the USCIS will receive less than 2,000 individual requests for humanitarian parole from people of all nationalities, of which 500-700 are usually approved. Since July 1, 2021, however, the agency has received and processed 52,000 humanitarian parole requests from Afghan nationals, approximately 11,700 of which have been denied.

A spokesperson for the State Department, which oversees the Special Immigrant Visa program, noted that at the Presidents direction, we have undertaken substantial efforts to improve the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program to streamline the application and adjudication processes, while safeguarding our national security. including significantly increasing the number of staff dedicated to processing applications.

As a result, the spokesperson said, since the start of the Biden administration through April 1, 2023, we have issued more than 25,000 SIVs to principal applicants and their eligible family members  representing substantial yearly increases from the previous several years.

However, many more applications are still pending. According to the State Department's most recent quarterly report on the SIV program, as of Dec. 31, 2022, 62,919 principal applicants were awaiting Chief of Mission (COM) approval, which is one of the first of several steps in the SIV application process. At that time, an additional 76,778 principal applicants had submitted some, but not all, of the documents required to apply for COM approval.

A legislative solution

Historically, following other large humanitarian parole efforts , Congress has passed whats known as an adjustment act, to offer permanent status to those who were paroled into the country during an emergency situation. For example, two years after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, when the U.S. evacuated more than 100,000 Vietnamese refugees, Congress passed a Vietnamese adjustment act giving Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian evacuees in the U.S. the opportunity to become permanent residents after two years.

Similar combinations of parole plus adjustment acts were used throughout the Cold War to give refugees who fled communist countries, such as China and Cuba, a path to permanent residency. More recently, at various times during the 1990s and early 2000s, the U.S. government enacted adjustment legislation for certain parolees from the Soviet Union, Iraq and Southeast Asia.

But despite the support of the White House, as well as members of both parties in the House and Senate, Congress has thus far failed to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act.

In the past, we've kept our promises, Turansick said. Now in Afghanistan, we told them wed have their back and we haven't done so yet.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, center, tours an evacuation control center at the Kabul airport, August 17, 2021. (1st Lt. Mark Andries/U.S. Marine Corps)

Afghan evacuees and their supporters, including veterans groups and immigration advocates, had hoped to see the Afghan Adjustment Act included in a Continuing Resolution to fund the government, which was guaranteed to pass last fall, but it was unable to overcome opposition from critics like Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, who raised security concerns based on a report from the DHS inspector general, which found that some Afghan evacuees were not fully vetted before being paroled into the country.

In a statement at the time, Grassley said, Congress should not consider sweeping status immigration changes for evacuees unless and until this administration guarantees the integrity of and fully responds to long-standing oversight requests regarding their vetting and resettlement process. Anything less would be irresponsible.

Proponents of the Afghan Adjustment Act argue that it addresses those vetting concerns by requiring evacuees to undergo an extra layer of security checks before they can obtain permanent status.

This is where I think its just politics, Mahsa Khanbabai, an immigration law expert, said of the opposition over security concerns.

Khanbabai was a co-leader of a task force created by the American Immigration Lawyers Association during the evacuation to provide pro bono legal assistance to newly arrived Afghans. She told Yahoo News that the Afghan Adjustment Act would be game changing for tens of thousands of Afghans who would otherwise be forced to navigate the broken and dysfunctional asylum system.

Illustration by Aida Amer for Yahoo News)

We have cases years in backlogs. You dont have enough asylum officers in the first place. And to put people through that trauma all over again is really disconcerting, she said. Basically it's going to put a huge plug into ... this huge crack thats in the dam right now.

Grassleys office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on whether he would be open to considering a revised version of the Afghan Adjustment Act during this Congress.

So far, the bill hasnt been re-introduced, but Sen. Chris Coons, D-Conn., one of the co-sponsors of the act, told Yahoo News in a statement that hes optimistic that Congress will reach an agreement to enact protections for Afghans in the United States before humanitarian parole expires this year.

Not only is this a moral imperative, but countless former military leaders, including three former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO have said this is in our national security interest, Coons said. I am hopeful we can get an agreement together this Congress to keep our commitments to Afghans in the U.S., and heed the call of the U.S. troops, veterans and military families who have made this a priority.

Betrayal

For some Afghans, the U.S. governments inability, or refusal to provide them with permanent protections after 20 years of war feels like a betrayal.

The allies of [the] U.S., the Afghans, both in Afghanistan and here, were not expecting this kind of treatment, Helal Massomi, a womens rights advocate who was part of the U.S. evacuation, told Yahoo News.

Before the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August 2021, Massomi was working as an adviser to the Afghan government, advocating for the rights of women and other war-affected people were included in peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Now Massomi is advocating for Afghan refugees in the U.S. She works as a policy adviser for the Lutheran Immigrant Refugee Service, one of the countrys largest refugee resettlement agencies, and also serves as co-chair of the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition, a network of refugee, religious and human rights groups as well as veterans organizations that have been advocating on behalf of Afghan allies since President Biden first announced the plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan in the spring of 2021. The coalition has been a leading voice on Capitol Hill in favor of the Afghan Adjustment Act.

While Massomi is among the minority of evacuees whove already received asylum, she said she regularly speaks to members of the Afghan community in Washington, D.C., where shes based, who have not obtained some kind of permanent status.

They think that they're going to be deported from this country, she said. And there's a big probability that they will be deported from this country because the options that are out there are not permanent.

Desperate Afghans wait to submit documents inside the passport office in Kabul on June 30, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP)

Massomi said that among many of the Afghans she talks to, there is a sense that the U.S. does not care about them, that we were just a country that was used for the benefit of [the] U.S.

She said this feeling is especially acute among Afghan women who were evacuated but, in most cases, dont qualify for Special Immigrant Visas, noting that the U.S. government had justified its prolonged presence in Afghanistan, in part, by promising to bring democracy and gender equality to a society where women had long been treated like second-class citizens.

For Massomi, this sense of betrayal is compounded by the Biden administrations treatment of Ukrainian refugees, who were granted humanitarian parole to enter the U.S. following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security announced an extension of parole for certain Ukrainian refugees whose temporary status was at risk of expiring, allowing them to remain in the country for another year without having to submit any additional paperwork.

We are so happy for what they're doing [for] Ukrainians, but we stood by the U.S. for more than 20 years. We provided our home to them. We [gave] them everything they needed, Massomi said, adding that during the two decades the U.S. was at war in Afghanistan, roughly 66,000 Afghan soldiers and police were killed.

It makes Afghan people think that theyre less valuable than other communities, she said.

President Biden speaking from the Treaty Room in the White House about the withdrawal of the remainder of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, April 14, 2021. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

In lieu of an adjustment act, advocates like Massomi have urged the Biden administration to alleviate some of that anxiety by announcing an extension to the two-year parole for Afghan evacuees before it begins to expire this summer.

A National Security Council spokesperson told Yahoo News on background that the administration remains committed to supporting Afghan nationals who were admitted to our country through humanitarian parole, and the Department of Homeland Security is exploring opportunities for humanitarian relief.

Many more Afghans left behind

Massomi also emphasized that this immigration limbo is just one of the many things weighing heavily on Afghan evacuees in the U.S., many of whom remain separated from their families nearly two years after boarding an evacuation flight.

For those left behind in Afghanistan, like Khalilyars family or that of Col. Nazar Mohammad Azizi, a former helicopter pilot in the Afghan Army, getting out has become even more challenging  and more urgent.

Azizi, who served alongside U.S. and allied forces for 20 years, was evacuated after leading a fleet of Afghan military helicopters and other aircraft to safety in Uzbekistan during the Taliban takeover. He has since resettled in Tucson, Ariz., and been granted asylum, but worries for the family he left behind. His wife and daughter remain in Kabul, moving to a new house or apartment every few months to evade the Taliban, whove already thrown his brother in jail.

Azizis two sons, who were just toddlers when the U.S. military invaded and he decided to join them on the battlefield, are now both over 21  the maximum age to be included on a parents asylum application.

A few months ago, amid growing Taliban threats, Azizi sold his house in Afghanistan to pay to send his two sons to Kazakhstan, for their protection. But shortly after their arrival, tragedy struck: One of his sons was hit by a bus, putting him into a coma for 10 days. Now, Azizi said, he is awake but remains in the hospital with serious injuries from his chest down. A doctor there told Azizi that if his son is not moved to a hospital in the United States or Germany, he may never walk again.

If that happens, Azizi told Yahoo News, I couldnt forgive myself, in my whole life.

Michael Turansick is a supervisory policy and practice counsel at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

A recent report from the Association for Wartime Allies found that Afghan allies who were left behind following the evacuation continue to face years-long bureaucratic delays of processing of their SIV applications with lengthy wait times for relocation, as the threat to their existence under Taliban rule becomes increasingly more perilous.

Since the Taliban takeover, the Taliban have engaged in a systematic country wide effort to hunt down and murder the Afghans who previously worked with American forces, the report states, adding, Their campaign has thus far been tragically successful.

Afghans can also apply for humanitarian parole from outside the country, and in the wake of the evacuation, the USCIS received a flood of humanitarian parole applications from Afghans who were not lucky enough to escape. But those requests have also encountered bureaucratic hurdles.

As of April 12, the DHS said that approximately 770 Afghans outside the U.S. have received conditional approval for their humanitarian parole requests. However, they said the process is complicated by the fact that the USCIS requires humanitarian parole applicants to complete vetting and biometrics screenings in-person, at a U.S. embassy or consulate, neither of which are currently operating in Afghanistan. Those seeking humanitarian parole from Afghanistan must first travel to a third country to complete their vetting and screening requirements before they can be approved.

Khalilyar noted that such logistical barriers pose a particular challenge for other young women and girls left behind in Afghanistan, who are now barred from leaving the country without a male guardian. She reflected on where she might be had she not gotten out when she did.

It was my good luck that I was among the list of vulnerable people, she said.
A Montana state lawmaker is refusing to apologize after she angered Republicans and was barred from speaking on the House of Representatives floor.

On Tuesday in Helena, Montana, tempers flared at the state capitol as House lawmakers debated a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for transgender youth  barring access to everything from medication to counseling to surgery.

"Help does not come in the form of medically transitioning our youth," said Republican State Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe.

Democratic Rep. Zooey Zephyr, the first transgender woman to serve in the Montana legislature, stood to urge her colleagues to vote "No," angering her colleagues across the aisle in the process.

"If you vote 'Yes' on this bill and 'Yes' on these amendments, I hope the next time there's an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr said.

Republicans said she was out of line.

"That is entirely inappropriate, disrespectful and uncalled for," said Republican House Majority Leader Sue Vinton.

Zephyr describes Montana as a hostile state, as Republican lawmakers in the majority have pushed what she calls anti-trans policies.

Last month, activists took over the capitol rotunda as part of a Transgender Day of Visibility. Zephyr says it was her duty to speak out.

"These bills cause real harm," she said. "They get my community killed, and I rose up in defense of my community to let that be known."

SEE MORE: States want to ban gender-affirming care. What is that, exactly?

Then it got uglier.

A group of 21 Republican lawmakers called for Zephyr to be censured for "inappropriate" language, at the same time misgendering Zephyr in a statement and on Twitter by using the pronoun "his." Misgendering is widely considered offensive and demeaning.

On Thursday, as lawmakers debated another bill, House Speaker Matt Regier refused to let Zephyr speak.

"It is up to me to maintain decorum here on the House floor to protect the dignity, integrity and any representative that I don't feel can do that will not be recognized," Regier said to the chamber.

Zephyr's colleagues stood in a symbolic show of support.

Now it's now a standoff, with Zephyr not allowed to participate until she apologizes. She says that won't happen.

"I stand by my statements, and I will not apologize and I will continue to punch in on every piece of legislation that my community wants me to stand and talk on," Zepher said.

In an interview late Friday, Montana Speaker of the House Matt Regier said all 100 members of the chamber have to abide by the same decorum rules. He said he can't make an exception for just one.

"I need assurances that the next time any representative is going to be recognized that ... their intent is to stay within decorum," Regier said. "Until that trust is restored, I don't know how as speaker I would be doing my responsibilities by protecting the House and the entire decorum that we have all voted on here in our house rules."
Suspended Beaufort County lawyer Cory Fleming will go on trial Sept. 11 for financial crimes he allegedly carried out with convicted killer and former lawyer Alex Murdaugh.

The crimes involve the alleged theft of a $4.3 million inheritance due the sons of the Murdaugh familys housekeeper, Gloria Satterfield, from liability insurance proceeds after Satterfield died from injuries in a 2018 fall at Murdaughs house.

After Satterfields death, Murdaugh allegedly hatched a scheme involving Fleming to steal some $4.3 million in insurance money from Satterfields sons, according to state grand jury indictments. Murdaugh wound up with most of the money, but Fleming also shared in the proceeds, indictments say.

Fleming, who is represented by attorney Debbie Barbier, will go on trial by himself in Beaufort County.

Murdaugh will be tried separately on the Satterfield allegations at a later date.

Fleming, a close friend of Murdaughs from his days at the University of South Carolina Law School in the early 1990s, has pleaded not guilty.

Flemings trial will be the first Murdaugh financial crimes trial in state court.

In November 2022, former Hampton banker Russell Laffitte was found guilty in Charleston federal court of various counts of bank-related fraud. He was accused of helping Murdaugh carry out various theft schemes, most of which involved Murdaughs misuse or theft of his former clients funds being kept at Laffittes bank, Palmetto State Bank.

Fleming was one of five defendants involved in Murdaugh-related cases whom trial dates were discussed Friday with state Judge Clifton Newman at the Hampton County courthouse, about 90 miles south of Columbia.

The walls of the high-ceiling courtroom contain paintings of Murdaughs great-grand father, grandfather and father, all prominent solicitors, or chief elected prosecutors, who succeeded each other from about 1920 to 2005 in a five-county Lowcountry region. All were based in Hampton.

No trial dates were set Friday for Murdaugh, who is serving two consecutive life sentences in state prison for killing his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, in June 2021 at their Colleton County Moselle estate.

One of Murdaughs attorneys, state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Richland, is allowed to be excused from court appearances through July 31 because hes a sitting legislator.

Chief prosecutor Creighton Waters, with the S.C. Attorney Generals Office, told Newman that come Aug. 1, when Harpootlian and his legal team can no longer claim immunity from participating in ongoing cases, he wants to start discussions about trial dates for some of Murdaughs financial crimes.

Murdaugh faces nearly 100 counts of various crimes, ranging from money laundering, forgery and embezzlement involving millions of dollars in alleged thefts, according to state grand jury indictments.

Justice has a deadline

On Friday, trial dates were discussed but not set for state grand jury criminal charges involving Laffitte, who appeared with his lawyers Mark Moore, state Rep. Todd Rutherford, D-Richland, and Michael Parente.

Moore and Rutherford said they needed more time to prepare for any trial, especially Rutherford, who was hired Thursday.

Moore also asked for and got permission from Newman to move $300,000 from a Laffitte escrow account at the Nelson Mullins law firm to an escrow account at Moores firm, Maynard Nexsen, formerly known as Nexsen Pruet.

Any spending of that money, which came from the sale of Laffittes house and other properties so he could hire lawyers, has to be approved by Newman.

The money was at the Nelson Mullins law firm because that is where Laffittes first team of lawyers, who included Bart Daniel and Matt Austin, worked. Laffitte fired them within weeks of his guilty verdicts in federal court.

Laffitte is expected to be sentenced in that case by U.S. Judge Richard Gergel by the end of June.

Meanwhile, no trial date was set for Curtis Eddie Smith, Murdaughs alleged henchman in helping him launder more than $2 million Murdaugh allegedly stole over the years in various unlawful schemes.

Smith, who is out on bond, did not appear Friday, but his attorney Aimee Zmroczek told the judge that Smith has been suffering from severe health problems lately and may have to go on dialysis treatment. Smiths other lawyer, Jarrett Bouchette, also was present.

Trial dates also were set Friday for two Colleton County men  Jerry Rivers and Spencer Roberts  whom Waters characterized as minor players in the sweeping Murdaugh crime drama.

Rivers, represented by Chris Leonard, will go on trial Aug. 28. Roberts, represented by court-appointed attorney Shaun Kent, will go on trial Dec. 18. Kent, a high-dollar criminal defense attorney, was appointed to the case only this week.

Both trials will take place in Colleton County.

In 2021, Rivers is alleged to have received more than $89,000 in checks that originated from Murdaugh, Waters told a judge last year at Rivers bond hearing. Waters said checks went from Murdaugh to Smith first, then to Roberts and Rivers and other individuals whom Waters did not identify. Roberts also received a substantial number of checks allegedly originating from Murdaugh, Waters said last year.

Waters said Rivers and Roberts were arrested after evidence showed they played a small role in Murdaughs money-laundering schemes.

Prosecutors have bigger fish to fry than Rivers and Roberts, Waters told Newman, but said, when you uncover these things, you cant ignore them.

Columbia attorney Eric Bland, who with law partner Ronnie Richter was instrumental in bringing the Satterfield alleged theft to light in 2021, said Friday he is glad Fleming will finally go on trial.

Justice has a deadline, and its time, Bland said. Cory Fleming was instrumental in what happened in the Satterfield case.
Disney+ has released the official trailer for its upcoming Original series "American Born Chinese." The series, which is set to premiere on May 24, reunites Academy Award winners and "Everything Everywhere All at Once" co-stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan.

The release of the official trailer also comes with the announcement of new additions made to the cast members, as well as the characters each cast member will play in the series.

Disney+ Trailer for 'American Born Chinese'

Disney+ has revealed the official trailer for "American Born Chinese" and before we get to talking about the Original series, let's all watch the trailer first. Without further ado, here is the official trailer for the series, which began filming last year.

'American Born Chinese'

The Disney+ press release for the official trailer's debut describes "American Born Chinese" as a series that "chronicles the trials and tribulations of a regular American teenager whose life is forever changed when he befriends the son of a mythological god." It is based on a graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang.

"This is the story of a young man's battle for his own identity, told through family, comedy, and action-packed Kung-Fu," Disney says in its press release.

The series is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton, who likewise serves as executive producer. Emmy Award winner Kelvin Yu is likewise an executive producer of the series while also serving as showrunner.

It is scheduled for release on May 24.

Related Article: What You Should Know About the Disney+ 'Percy Jackson and the Olympians' Show

'American Born Chinese' Cast

As previously mentioned, Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan lead the cast for the Disney+ series and the two Academy Award winners will play the roles of Guan Yin and Freddy Wong, respectively. Joining them are Ben Wang, International Emmy Award Nominee Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, and Daniel Wu. Former Taekwondo champion Jimmy Liu as well as Sydney Taylor are part of the cast as well.

Ben Wang plays the role of Jin Wang, the central character of the story of "American Born Chinese." Yeon Yann Yann and Chin Han play Christine Wang and Simong Wang, respectively.

Disney+'s press release for the official trailer likewise lists guest stars that the audience can expect to see on the show. These include Academy Award Nominee Stephanie Hsu, James Hong, Ronny Chieng, Jimmy O. Yang, Leonard Wu, and Poppy Liu. New additions to the cast are Lisa Lu and Rosalie Chiang.

Fans of "Everything Everywhere All at Once" will probably note that this Disney+ series reunites Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, James Hong, and Stephanie Hsu after the award-winning movie.

For the complete list of characters that the aforementioned actors will play on the series, you can check here.

Read Also: A Live Action 'King Kong' Disney+ Series is in the Works
Former President Donald Trump is leaning on a network of personal and political relationships to rack up broad congressional support for his 2024 White House bid and undercut his chief Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, before the governors campaign formally gets off the ground.

The depth and influence of Trumps retail politicking abilities have become increasingly apparent over the past several days and weeks as an ever-growing list of congressional Republicans has lined up behind the former presidents comeback campaign. Hes already notched the support of at least half of Floridas Republican House delegation, including a handful of members whom DeSantiss team had sought to win over.

The spate of endorsements for Trump amounted to a disappointing series of defections for DeSantis, who is expected to announce a 2024 presidential bid in May or June after the Florida state legislature wraps up its annual session. So far, three members of Congress  including only one from Florida  have backed his presidential ambitions.

In some cases, the endorsements came as a direct result of lobbying efforts by Trump and his team. Others said that they never received any outreach from the former president or his political operation but noted that Trump had maintained an open line of communication with them, while they had only begun to hear from DeSantiss team recently.

It was actually the DeSantis people that started all of a sudden, after five years, kind of reaching out to me, said Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), who endorsed Trump on Monday. Not him, but his people.

In Steubes case, he recounted this week, Trump made a point to call him personally and check in after the congressman was admitted to the hospital after falling off a ladder at his home earlier this year. Since he endorsed Trump, Steube said, he hasnt heard from anyone in DeSantiss camp.

A spokesperson for DeSantiss campaign did not respond to The Hills request for comment for this story.

As president, Trump would invite members of Congress to fly with him aboard Air Force One when traveling to their states or districts. When Trump endorsed a lawmaker for office over the past few years, he would frequently try to call or meet with them or host them for a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. If something happened in a members personal life, Trump would often reach out.

Last week, when Trump attended a Republican National Committee (RNC) retreat in Nashville, he sat for three hours with Tennessees two GOP senators and four members of Congress from the state, most of whom the former president had either helped elect or spoken with before.

The former president on Thursday hosted 10 members of the Florida delegation at his Mar-a-Lago estate for dinner.

Personal touch is everything for him, a Trump campaign aide said.

In addition to Steube, Florida Reps. John Rutherford and Brian Mast endorsed Trump just ahead of DeSantiss visit to Washington, D.C., this week. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) met with the governor, then promptly issued a statement backing Trump for 2024. And Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) who represents DeSantiss old congressional district, joined his colleagues on Thursday in endorsing the former president.

Trumps long-standing and well-managed personal relationships stand in contrast with what some lawmakers have said about DeSantis who spoke with members of Congress at a conservative think tank this week in the nations capital. And its a difference Trumps team is happy to exploit.

President Trump and I, you know, we talk. We really just talk more about the country and whats going on, said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who introduced DeSantis at his victory party on election night in November but endorsed Trump earlier this month. I really havent had too many conversations with Gov. DeSantis, but at the end of the day its about who can hit the ground running.

Donalds said neither Trump nor DeSantis reached out to ask for his support, but said his decision to back the former president was due in part to where a lot of my voters are back home and voters around the country. With Trump, he added, members know what theyre going to get.

Trumps dominance in the nascent 2024 Republican primary comes after his campaign got off to a bumpy start late last year, leading some to begin writing his political obituary. But despite concerns among some in the party that he wont be able to win in a general election, polling suggests the former president remains the clear favorite to win the partys nomination.

A Wall Street Journal poll published Friday showed Trump with 51 percent support among likely GOP primary voters, up 13 points on DeSantis, his next closest competition.

The support for President Trump has been very, very strong among Republicans, said Garrett Ventry, a GOP consultant who advises House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.). The polling proves that. And the voters that these people represent, the president is very popular with them.

The slew of endorsements this week not only coincided with DeSantiss D.C. visit, but also preceded Trumps first public campaign event in Florida since he announced his 2024 bid in November when he speaks at the Lee County GOP Dinner on Friday.

The governors trip to D.C. for an event that was billed as a meet and greet and policy discussion with lawmakers, drew several dozen members of Congress. That same day, Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), DeSantiss former secretary of state, endorsed the governors presidential ambitions, citing his conservative principles, proven track record, and his commitment to our country.

But Trump rolled out a handful of new endorsements of his own. And in a development that came as a surprise to Trump and his team, Gooden issued a statement after attending the DeSantis event saying that while he had a positive meeting with the Florida governor, he had decided to endorse Trump.

A Trump aide noted that several of the endorsements came from lawmakers in delegate-rich Florida, and others came from Super Tuesday primary states like Tennessee and Texas. The backing of members of Congress can boost fundraising efforts, and they help bolster the narrative that Trump is the candidate to beat.

One Republican operative who is not aligned with Trump or DeSantis downplayed the significance of the deluge of congressional support for the former president, acknowledging it may be important in shaping a narrative inside the Beltway but is unlikely to sway many voters nearly a year ahead of the first primaries.

Trump famously had little support from Republican lawmakers when he first sought the White House in 2016 but went on to win the GOP nomination anyway.

DeSantis has also scored a handful of congressional endorsements of his own from the likes of Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Lee.

Massie, who served in the House with DeSantis for about six years, said that even after DeSantis left Congress, the two remained friends and talked about every six months once he became governor. Massie said that DeSantis never asked for his endorsement, but that he decided to announce his support early to help encourage DeSantis to run.

While Massie said that some Republican lawmakers who have endorsed Trump in recent weeks were sincere in their support, he suggested that others did so out of concern that the former president could threaten to back primary challenges to them.

I think a lot of them are sincere but there may be some who are worried about a primary challenger, Massie told The Hill in an interview on Friday. And I think in a primary, Donald Trump has more ability to move the needle with the 30 percent of the Republican Party that are solidly behind him.

Massie said that DeSantis still has plenty of time to get into the 2024 race, adding that the typical challenges of running a presidential campaign  fundraising, organizing and the like  dont apply to the Florida governor. He also said that there are more endorsements in the pipeline.

Roy, who along with Massie helped arrange DeSantiss recent appearance in D.C., explained his endorsement late last month as born out of his experience working with the governor while DeSantis was a member of Congress, as well as his desire to see a younger generation of leadership step up.

Ive known the governor. I was Teds chief when he was a freshman in Congress. We were starting the Freedom Caucus, we were meeting in basements, said Roy, who served as chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) before he was elected to Congress in 2018. You get to know these guys and Ive known the governor for a long time.

Itd be nice to have somebody whos not a baby boomer, he added. I think its time for a new generation. He can serve for eight years.

A number of former Trump officials have also defected to back DeSantiss presidential ambitions, including former Trump campaign aides Erin Perrine and Matt Wolking, both of whom now work for the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC.

DeSantis on Friday spoke at a Heritage Foundation event near Washington, where he received a standing ovation from attendees as he outlined his record and gave a nod to his general election appeal.

Weve been able to operate an administration that does not get consumed in petty controversy or drama or palace intrigue. We basically execute the mission day after day after day, DeSantis told the crowd.

Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Donald Trump is no stranger to the power of the photo op, and the image that emerged from his Palm Beach Mar-a-Lago club Thursday evening was a powerful one.

Under a massive gold chandelier in an opulent dining room, 10 Republican members of Floridas Congressional delegation flank the former president at a long rectangular table, with a red Make America Great Again hat at the head of the table pointed squarely at the camera.

All the members of Congress in attendance have endorsed Trump in his 2024 presidential bid over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to run against Trump, but has yet to officially announce.

Rep. Carlos Gimenez, a Miami Republican who was seated near the head of the table across from his wife, just announced his endorsement Friday.

Seated next to Trump on his left is Rep. Byron Donalds, who represents Southwest Florida, and had introduced DeSantis ahead of his victory speech last November, when DeSantis won reelection to governor by a landslide.

But in political terms, that victory, and the strength it signaled for the governor in his home state, seems like another century.

The dam is breaking in Florida politics and its breaking toward Trump and away from Ron DeSantis, said David Jolly, a former Republican congressman from Florida. This is a humiliating week for Ron DeSantis.

Speaking to Fox News Friday, Donalds, who is widely expected to seek the governorship after DeSantis leaves office, said his endorsement of Trump doesnt indicate a lack of faith in DeSantis.

I havent stopped my support of Gov. DeSantis, were just talking about the presidency, he said. Our countrys in a real problem. Youve got to be able to hit the ground running on day one. We know Donald Trump can do it. He did it once before, he can do it again.

Others who back Trump are more blunt

But other Republican politicians have been less diplomatic and criticized DeSantis for his interpersonal skills, long considered a liability.

Rep. Greg Steube, who attended Thursdays dinner at Mar-a-Lago and represents the district directly north of Donalds district, told Fox News that DeSantis repeatedly brushed him off when he tried to connect with the governor.

You cant win friends and influence people that way, especially in the political realm, he said.

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, himself a potential Republican presidential candidate, also dinged DeSantis for his social skills.

He seems to struggle with relationships, generally, Suarez told Fox News on Thursday. I look people in the eye when I shake their hands.

Those interpersonal skills are important in trying to win endorsements.

Most endorsements come about from relationships or, at least, a little love  notes, invitations, calls, said Al Cardenas, former chair of the Republican Party of Florida. In todays political environment, I am not sure how much endorsements mean in order to win, but if I were a candidate I would surely prefer to have them than not.

Showing up and shown up in D.C.

The Mar-a-Lago dinner came several days after DeSantis traveled to Washington, D.C., to try to win support from Republican members of Congress. One of those Congressmen, Rep. Lance Gooden from Texas, endorsed Trump soon after meeting with DeSantis.

The Thursday meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago came as Trump faces a criminal investigation in New York in connection with hush-money payments he allegedly made to a porn star and continuing probes into his handling of classified material and his efforts to influence the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.

The Miami Herald contacted all the members of Congress pictured with Trump at Mar-a-Lago to ask about the visit and to ask about the propriety of meeting with Trump as he faces numerous investigations. Along with Donalds, Gimenez and Steube, U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, Matt Gaetz, Anna Paulina Luna, Brian Mast, Cory Mills and Michael Waltz were also pictured with Trump Thursday evening. None provided comment ahead of publication.

After publication Luna sent a statement saying her endorsement of Trump wasnt intended as a slight of DeSantis.

I have said that I support DeSantis as my Governor and I stand by that, but I believe President Trump is the man our country needs right now, she said. He led America to peace and prosperity once and he will do it again. DeSantis should run in 2028.

State Sen. Joe Gruters, former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, was also in attendance, along with Trump aides Susie Wiles and Jason Miller, among others.

Recent polling shows Trumps surge

Beyond politicians, DeSantis support among prospective voters also appears to be lagging.

A Wall Street Journal poll released Friday found that 51% of likely Republican primary voters said they would vote for Trump, while 38% said they would choose DeSantis in a hypothetical head-to-head matchup between the two. That result was a nearly complete reversal of a December Wall Street Journal poll in which 52% of likely Republican primary voters said they preferred DeSantis and 38% said they would pick Trump in the same hypothetical matchup.

That turnaround in support has been stunning, particularly to political observers in Florida. DeSantis won reelection by the largest margin of any gubernatorial candidate in 40 years, flipping numerous counties in the state that had long been considered Democratic strongholds, such as Miami-Dade County.

His victory seemed all the more impressive in the context of a disappointing performance by Republicans nationally, especially among candidates backed by Trump.

But Trumps strength in the polls and the show of support from members of Congress demonstrates his hold on the Republican party, Jolly said.

Donald Trumps grip on the party is real, he said. Every other candidate is positioning himself to be the bridesmaid.

Miami Herald Tallahassee Bureau Chief Mary Ellen Klas contributed from Tallahassee.
They say great music is timeless.

At a concert Thursday in a Chicago-area synagogue, it's the instruments  specifically the violins  that carried decades of history and profound symbolism.

They once belonged to Jewish musicians before and during the Holocaust.

"The violin was something which was very much seen as a Jewish instrument," explained Avshalom Weinstein, the co-founder of the of Violins of Hope project and a third-generation violin-maker.

In workshops in Turkey and Israel, Weinstein and his father, Amnon, have spent the last 20 years lovingly collecting and repairing Holocaust-era violins. Many were played inside concentration camps where prisoners were often forced to entertain Nazis.

"Playing the music helped them survive, help them keep sane, helped others who heard it sometimes keep sane," Weinstein said.

Other retrieved instruments were thrown out from trains bound for Auschwitz and other death camps.

"It's amazing. I mean, there were so many different stories and will never know all of them," he continued.

For Weinstein, it's personal. His grandparents lost hundreds of family members and friends to the Holocaust. Still, after the war, his grandfather in Israel started acquiring what no one wanted: Violins made in Germany.

"For him, to destroy an instrument was not the right way. He thought and believed that the instruments, they didn't harm," he said. Today, the collection has grown to over 100 string instruments. Six of them were exhibited with heart-wrenching information about their origin stories at the North Shore Congregation Israel in Glencoe, Illinois, in a room leading to the sanctuary where the concert took place.

SEE MORE: Artificial intelligence keeps the memory of Holocaust survivors alive

Among the 700 concertgoers were many families with their own Holocaust survival stories.

Anita Cukier, whose parents survived Auschwitz, says the packed event fills her with hope.

"Every time I come to a synagogue, I am so grateful that I am alive and that I can be part of the Jewish community and see that it's thriving and it's being accepted even in an area like this that used to be forbidden to Jews. It's wonderful," she said.

The concert itself featured 16 violins from Weinstein's collection. Violinist Julian Rhee played one of them at a private reception ahead of the performance and later told Scripps News he was beyond honored to be a part of the Holocaust remembrance project.

"To bring a very visceral feeling to something that we need to remember and that needs to stay very powerfully inside all of us, I think it's incredible. And it's kind of an honor that what I'm doing as a violinist can play a role in that," said Rhee.

Over the past 20 years, the violins have traveled the globe for exhibitions and performances on the world's biggest stages. But their stop in Chicagoland is the most ambitious to date.

For the next six months, 70 instruments will be showcased in more than 100 events across Illinois  including in schools and communities with very few Jewish people.

"One of the most heartwarming parts of this initiative is how many people across a diverse spectrum of individuals and organizations and groups have raised their hand to really talk about tolerance and acceptance and kindness and hope," said Addie Goodman, the president and CEO of JCC Chicago, which is sponsoring the initiative.

With each concert, the memories and individualities of the six million Jewish people who perished during World War II come back to life. And in the audience, people can take comfort in the powerful knowledge that harmony, humanity and hope prevailed.
The U.S. sanctioned another Haitian lawmaker on Wednesday, accusing him of facilitating and soliciting bribes worth million of dollars.

Gary Bodeau, who was sanctionedby the Canadian government late last year, was sanctioned by the Department of the Treasurys Office of Foreign Assets Control under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, which targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.

Bodeau, 45, is a former president of the Lower Chamber of Deputies in the Haitian Parliament who was considered one of the most powerful lawmakers under President Jovenel Moise before his July 2021 assassination. Bodeau will now be ineligible to enter the United States under visa restrictions and any assets he currently has in the United States will be blocked.

In a statement, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused Bodeau of being involved in significant corruption.

The United States and its partners will continue to use all tools at our disposal to support the Haitian people and promote accountability for corrupt actors who exploit the Haitian people and contribute to the ongoing instability in Haiti, Blinken said.

Bodeaus designation follows that of several other high-profile members of Haitis political class and business community. The financial sanctions, which prevent travel to the United States and freeze any assets the individual may have in U.S. banks, are part of a new foreign policy by the U.S. and Canada targeting members of Haitis political and business elite. Both Washington and Ottawa have accused powerful figures in Haiti of contributing to the Caribbean nations political destabilization by financing violent protests and armed gangs and facilitating corruption.

Corrupt officials like Bodeau have created an environment that empowers illegal armed gangs and their supporters to inflict violence on the Haitian people, said Brian Nelson, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence. Along with our partners, including Canada, we are committed to holding accountable those undermining the integrity of Haitis government and destabilizing the country.

How U.S. sanctions turn people into economic pariahs and why some call it a civil death

Foreign governments have long been troubled by corruption in Haiti, which in recent years has increasingly become an open and accepted practice with Haitian lawmakers openly admitting on radio to accepting bribes to either remove or pass cabinet ministers. And according to the Biden administration, Bodeau, who once led a dynamic group of politically active youth, Jen Kore Jen, was among them.

Bodeau, the Treasury Department said, was involved in several corrupt schemes to influence the outcome of Haitian political appointments, including facilitating and soliciting bribes worth millions of dollars.

In 2018, Bodeau paid Haitian officials to secure their votes while seeking ministerial position appointments. He also solicited a large bribery payment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars from senior government officials in exchange for his political support, Treasury alleges.

A year later, during one of the more vexing periods of Moises administration, Bodeau allegedly offered to deliver a successful vote in Haitis Lower Chamber of Deputies for a prospective ministerial appointee in exchange for millions of dollars paid out through individual payments to members of the chamber, Treasury said.

While Treasury did not provide any names, officials say several Haitian businessmen provided between 500 and 600 million Haitian gourdes (approximately $6.2 million to $7.4 million) to members of the Lower Chamber of Deputies to influence the outcome of a ministerial vote. In advance of the floor session, Bodeau participated in discussions on the vote and payments with various members of the Chamber of Deputies.

Those allegations centered around a key vote for the No. 2 job in Haitis government involving Fritz William Michel. An unknown government functionary in the ministry of economy and finance, Michel was tapped by Moise in 2019 to become prime minister after Moise had failed on three different attempts to get his top pick through Parliament following the ouster of lawyer Jean Henry Ceant from the role.

Ceant, the last legitimate prime minister under Moise, was fired after six months by the Lower Chamber of Deputies while it was being led by Bodeau. The firing led to the international community withholding millions of dollars in aid and helped deepen Haitis political crisis. The United Nations, U.S., Canada and others in the international community would later condemn the behavior of opposition senators when they ransacked the chamber of the Senate to interrupt one of the ratification votes.

After Michel was approved by the Lower Chamber, his nomination was then sent to the Senate, where allegations of corruption would later kill his bid. At least two senators would publicly take to the radio and acknowledge that bribery was the new currency of politics in Haiti and there is always distribution of cash for the ratification of a prime minister. A third would allege that at least five senators had pocketed $100,000 each to confirm Michel as prime minister.

Michel would later deny the bribery allegations along with other corruption accusations that he raked in more than $16 million in government contracts, which included the sale of goats for $500 apiece to the government while he was employed in the ministries of finance and agriculture.

Haiti has been increasingly under pressure to address corruption with President Joe Biden signing into law last year legislation requiring the State Department to brief Congress on individuals in Haiti involved in acts of corruption. Earlier this week an investigative judge, Jean Wilner Morin, issued a letter to the Immigration Service requesting travel bans for eight individuals including the current director of customs, Julcene Edouard, and former director, Romel Bell, who has been sanctioned by the United States. The judges request is part of an investigation into illicit trafficking and money laundering at Haitis ports based on a 48-page report issued last month by the countrys Anti-Corruption Unit. That report, however, makes no mention of Edouard, leaving a representative of his to argue that he was included in the judges list in error.

Bodeaus designation now brings the total number of Haitians hit by U.S. economic sanctions to six, including Bell, who could not be reached. Canada, meanwhile, has issued 19 financial sanctions against Haitian nationals since last fall. In addition to Bodeau, Ottawa also sanctioned Ceant, who was seen in Palm Beach County last month attending the funeral of former Haitian Prime Minister Gerard Latortue. Both Ceant and Bodeau have proclaimed their innocence.

Bodeau did not respond to a Herald request for comment. But in a letter addressed to United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in February, the former lawmaker claimed he was a victim of political persecution by Canada and accused the government of sanctioning him without any evidence and without a chance to defend himself.

The Canadian Government has no concrete and palpable means to support this sanction against me, he said at the time. I am also outraged to be vilified without any evidence.

The United States latest designation comes as support for sanctions grows in U.S. congressional and international circles amid escalating gang violence and kidnappings in Haiti.


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The Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras welcomes applications and nominations for the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer, available in the early Summer of 2023.

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras

https://www.bysoweb.org/

The Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra (BYSO) is an independent 501(c)(3) organization that has been in residence at the Boston University College of Fine Arts since 1958. BYSOs mission is to encourage musical excellence in a professional and supportive environment by providing the highest-quality orchestra training and performance opportunities to qualified musicians, grades K-12. Also at the core of BYSOs mission is making exceptional classical music experiences accessible to youth from all Boston communities.

At the time of its founding, BYSO was a modest orchestra of 80 high school students. Since then, the organization has grown exponentially in terms of size and scope. Today, BYSO provides an unparalleled music education experience for more than 500 students annually across a robust array of programs that includes three full symphonic orchestras, two young string training orchestras, a preparatory wind ensemble, a chamber music program, and the Intensive Community Program (ICP)  a nationally recognized outreach program offering exceptional musical training to students of color from greater Boston.

Not only does BYSO provide students with a pathway to artistic mastery, but participation in BYSOs orchestral training programs also offers students ages four through 18 a unique opportunity to cultivate important skills for lifelong success. One hundred percent of BYSO students graduate from high school and 99% go on to seek undergraduate degrees upon leaving BYSOs programs.

Since its founding, BYSO has relied on the Boston University College of Fine Arts and other partner institutions to host its programs. Year after year, facilities partnerships have allowed BYSO to expand the size of its student body and the scope of its impact. However, BYSOs programs have now outgrown the space available at the University. In February 2023, BYSO took a momentous step forward to strengthen the quality, visibility, and accessibility of its programs by acquiring 235 Huntington Avenue, an historic iconic building on Christian Science Plaza across from Bostons Symphony Hall, to be the BYSO Youth Center for Music.

BYSO is currently in Phase One of a two-phase plan to acquire, renovate, and build a three-story addition to the existing building. In the 2023/2024 season, the new space will host several of BYSOs orchestra ensembles and all activities for the Intensive Community Program. Once Phase Two is complete, the BYSO Youth Center for Music will host all BYSO programs and will include orchestra rehearsal, educational, gathering, and community spaces. The BYSO Youth Center for Music will be designed to encourage musical curiosity and growth and will provide unfettered access to music-making at the highest level for all of Bostons children for generations to come.

BYSO is governed by a 20-member Board of Directors and has an annual operating budget of $4.5 million. BYSO has a part-time conducting and artistic staff of 13 in addition to 20 ICP teachers and an administrative staff of 20. Federico Cortese has been Music Director of BYSO since 1999.

With the appointment of a Chief Operating Officer, Catherine Weiskel, who has been Executive Director since 1996, will become President and Chief Executive Officer. The President and CEO will focus on the funding and development of the BYSO Youth Center; the COO will oversee the programs and on-going operations of BYSO, ensuring that the organization continues to fulfill its mission and achieve its goals for excellence and access.

The Opportunity

The new Chief Operating Officer (COO) will join a dynamic, forward-thinking organization at a pivotal moment in its 65-year history. The COO will work in partnership with the CEO, the Music Director, the Chief Development Officer, and the Chief Facilities Officer to expand the vision of BYSO and seize the opportunities and possibilities presented by the new BYSO Youth Center for Music. The COO will take a leadership role in an organization with a dedicated and engaged Board, an experienced and highly skilled staff, and well-deserved reputation for musical and educational excellence, financial strength, and organizational stability.

The Position

With the President and CEO, the Chief Operating Officer, the Chief Development Officer, and the Chief Facilities Officer form the executive leadership team of the Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra. The COO reports to the CEO and provides leadership, oversight, guidance, and support to a staff of 10 that includes the Director of Operations and Community Programs, Director of Finance, and Director of Marketing and Public Relations and their respective team members. The COO interacts on a regular basis with all BYSO stakeholders, including the Board and its committees, the artistic staff, parents, patrons, and the greater Boston music and music education community.

The COO is responsible and accountable for the day-to-day operations of BYSO, ensuring that the organization continues to meet and exceed its standards of excellence in music, education, and impact in the greater Boston community. The COO works with the Director of Operations and Community Programs to provide direction, impetus, and oversight to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of BYSO programs and operations, consistent with the vision of the CEO, the Music Director, and the Board. The COO works with the Director of Operations and Community Programs to foster and ensures a safe and supportive environment that enables the Music Director, youth orchestra musicians, and faculty to focus on making music and to do their best work. The COO encourages innovation, creative problem-solving, and interdepartmental collaboration throughout the organization.

The COO ensures the implementation of best practices in human resource management. The COO works with the CEO and the Director of Finance to embed the principals of equity, diversity, inclusion, access, and belonging in the administration, employment practices, and operations of BYSO. The COO takes a leadership role in developing a diverse workforce and ensuring that the compensation, benefits, and professional development opportunities offered to staff are equitably implemented and are competitive in the Boston market.

The COO oversees the financial operations of BYSO, including the preparation of operating and capital budgets, operating statements, and monthly forecasts. Working with the Director of Finance, the COO monitors cash flow and overall performance against budget, recommending adjustments as needed and ensuring that the CEO and the Board have timely and accurate financial reports to inform their decision-making. The COO is BYSOs liaison with consultants, legal counsel, etc., on matters of administration and operations.

The COO, working with the Director of Marketing and Public Relations, ensures effective communication throughout the organization among staff, Board, musicians, faculty, and parents. The COO oversees the implementation of effective marketing, branding, public relations, and social media strategies that promote the programs and activities of the BYSO, attract audiences, and drive sales for concerts and special events. The COO represents the CEO at BYSO and community events as requested.

Candidates for this position must be able to accept a work schedule that includes regular Sunday rehearsals and performances, occasional evenings, a two-week summer camp each August in Maine, and some international touring.

Candidate Profile

The successful candidate will be a leader who combines a passion for music and music education with successful experience managing human and financial resources in a not-for-profit performing arts organization. The candidate will have a strong working knowledge of music and orchestras, successful experience collaborating with creative and performing artists, and a deep commitment to the development of young musicians. Experience working in a professional symphony orchestra, though not required, will be an asset.

The successful candidate will be a strategic thinker and a superb listener with a management style that encourages creativity, innovation, risk-taking, and collaboration. The candidate will have a high level of emotional intelligence and the proven ability to work effectively with multiple and diverse stakeholders. The candidate will have excellent supervisory skills and the willingness to mentor talent.

The successful candidate will have demonstrated a commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, access, and belonging in all aspects of a performing arts organization. Experience working in a multi-cultural K-12 environment will be considered an asset.

The successful candidate will be a person of integrity and high ethical standards with a strong commitment to transparency. The candidate will be curious, imaginative, flexible, nimble, and decisive. The candidate will welcome the opportunity to inspire, encourage, support, and add value to a high performing administrative team, and to be an active participant in the Boston music education community.

Compensation

The annual salary range for this position is $110,000 to $115,000, including a contribution to health insurance.

Applications

The Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras is committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all facets of the organization and welcomes recommendations, nominations, and applications from all qualified candidates regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, or national origin.

Please prepare a cover letter that describes your specific interest in the BYSO and outlines your qualifications for the position. Please submit with a resume, salary requirements, and contact information for at least three professional references. Electronic submissions are requested. All applications will be treated as confidential and references will not be contacted without the candidates knowledge and agreement. The position will remain open until filled; application review will begin in early May.

Please send materials to:

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras  COO

c/o Catherine French Group

2500 Q Street NW, Suite 623

Washington, DC 20007

applications@catherinefrenchgroup.com

Please submit material in Adobe PDF format
There seems to be an implicit acceptance of these extrajudicial killings which are euphemistically referred to as encounters

The recent on-air killing of Atiq Ahmed, a former legislator/parliamentarian with grave criminal antecedents, and his brother is indicative of the culture of impunity and violence that pervades our social fabric. The facts of this case are clear, but the motives of the killers remain unknown. A judicial commission has reportedly been constituted and tasked to submit a report within two months and a special investigation team has been constituted to probe the twin murders.

Without making any value judgement on these twin murders in Allahabad, it is an opportunity to reflect on the reprehensible anti-rule-of-law trend of extra-judicial killings used to eliminate suspected criminals, one that is celebrated by sections of the law enforcement class and sometimes, even by the people at large.

There seems to be an implicit acceptance of these extrajudicial killings which are euphemistically referred to as encounters. In fact, a 2018 survey conducted by Common Cause and the Centre for Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) revealed that 50 per cent of those surveyed across 22 Indian states supported the use of violence by the police.

Clearly, a fundamental realigning of values is required that places the Constitution and the rule of law at the top of our nations priorities because these killings which take place without due process are illegal and are illustrative of a broken criminal justice system.

In Uttar Pradesh, for instance, 183 accused of crime have been eliminated in such extrajudicial encounters since 2017. The keywords here are accused of crime; no court ever had the opportunity to examine the version of the police. Innocent until proven guilty has become veritably meaningless. The public at large which at first brush might tend to glorify such killings must also look at the dangers of such impunity. If anybody can be picked up and killed without due process, despotism will take hold. No longer can India then claim to be a democracy based upon the rule of law.

From January 2017 to January 2022, there have been 655 encounter deaths all over the country, with the maximum number of encounter deaths reported from Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pradesh, followed by other states like Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha and Maharashtra. How many of these were really genuine encounters and how many of them were staged? We may never know the truth of these incidents. For instance, in the January of 2023, a case was registered against 12 UP police personnel for allegedly staging a fake encounter scene and killing a man with no previous criminal record. It was only after directions from the Allahabad high court that a case was registered on the orders of the chief judicial magistrate of the area.

In a democracy, such events should be an anathema. These events also supplant the majesty and jurisdiction of our courts. It is as if the state machinery is telling the judiciary that we will not abide by the Constitution, in particular Article 21, which protects the right to life of all persons.

Indeed, in 2011, the Supreme Court in Prakash Kadam vs Ramprasad Vishwanath Gupta 2011 (6) SCC 189 observed that where a fake encounter is proved against policemen in a trial, they must be given death sentence, treating it as the rarest of rare case.

In Om Prakash v. state of Jharkhand (2012) 12 SCC 72, the Supreme Court noted that it is not the duty of the police to kill the accused merely because he is a criminal.

In 2014, in Peoples Union for Civil Liberties vs. State of Maharashtra, the court issued a detailed 16-point procedure to be followed in the matters of investigating police encounters. In a detailed order passed on September 23, 2014, the bench of then Chief Justice R.M. Lodha and Justice R.F. Nariman highlighted that even the state has no authority to violate the right to life of a person. The guidelines issued by the court included preservation of evidence, registering an FIR without any delay, independent investigation by CID, a magisterial inquiry under Section 176 of the CrPC in all cases of death due to police firing, and an expeditious conclusion of the trial.

International law is even clearer. The prohibition against arbitrary deprivation of life is now codified in every major human rights treaty and is a jus cogens norm that states cannot derogate from. In 1982, the Human Rights Committee stated that the right to life is the supreme right from which no derogation is permitted even in times of public emergency which threatens the life of the nation. The Committee in Florentina Olmedo v. Paraguay, Commcn No. 1828/2008 (Hum. Rts. Comm. 2012) acknowledged that states have an obligation to prevent arbitrary killing by their own security forces.

In 2016, the United Nations adopted the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death (Minnesota Protocol). It applies to all potentially unlawful deaths, which include situations where the death may have been caused by acts or omissions of the state or the death occurred when a person was detained by or in the custody of the state. The Minnesota Protocol, therefore, establishes a positive duty on the state to protect life, even of those accused of heinous crimes.

The increasing propensity to use such extrajudicial means raises crucial questions over what policies and social factors enabled these illegal encounters to persist. The largely favourable depiction of encounters and shootouts in movies has inured our population to the violence and danger of these events. Such portrayals help inculcate an acceptance of such extrajudicial means as being necessary to secure the nation. The danger of the normalisation of such impunity is that due process and the rule of law will no longer be considered important. The importance of our Constitution in the governance of our polity will undoubtedly suffer. The Supreme Court must, therefore, step in and ensure it completely proscribes through the process of exemplary punishment the use of extrajudicial force against those accused of crime.

This must be supplemented with legislative action. The Parliament must enact a standalone legislation to provide for a special law that completely eliminates the scourge of fake encounters.
Google recently updated its AI chatbot, Bard, giving it the ability to help software developers and programmers in generating and debugging codes, as well as give an explanation for each line to better understand the source code.

This feature is something that many users have been requesting from Google, and the tech giant has finally made it into reality.

Bard Can Now Explain Code's Function; Supports 20 Programming Languages

According to the latest blog post from Google Research product manager Paige Bailey, Bard is now capable of helping users with their programming and software development tasks. Specifically, the AI model can generate a block of code for the users based on their needs, as well as debug an already existing code.

It's worth noting that users can ask Bard to debug a code that the AI chatbot wrote, hence giving more confidence that the code is indeed working. In case Bard flashes an error message or the generated code doesn't perform its function, users can simply type "this code didn't work, please fix it," and Bard will proceed with debugging the code.

Bard can also explain what a block of code is for. Google said that this feature is helpful for users who have just started learning about programming and software development. It will also help programmers understand their codes better by giving them an idea about what each code snippet will do after running their programs.

Bard's code generation and debugging abilities support more than 20 programming languages, which include C++, Go, Java, Javascript, Python and Typescript.

Programmers using Python language will now find it easier to export their codes to Google Colab without having to copy and paste the entire source code. Furthermore, Bard can now provide support in writing functions for those who are using Google Sheets.

Related Article: Google Says Bard was Not Trained Using ChatGPT

Bard's New Coding Ability to Make the AI Chatbot a Worthy ChatGPT Competitor

Even with the recent update of the AI chatbot, Bailey cautioned users to always double-check Bard's output, citing the possibility that the chatbot will produce codes that don't yield the expected output, or Bard will generate an incomplete code.

"Bard is still an early experiment, and may sometimes provide inaccurate, misleading or false information while presenting it confidently. When it comes to coding, Bard may give you working code that doesn't produce the expected output, or provide you with code that is not optimal or incomplete," Bailey stated in the blog post.

With the rise of AI models, Big Tech companies came up with their own AI chatbots to compete with each other. According to Tech Crunch, Bard is Google's effort to take on the leading AI languages in the industry today, particularly OpenAI's ChatGPT.

However, Bard has shown limitations in its capabilities, based on Tech Crunch's own testing of AI languages. Appending the code generation and debugging feature to Google's AI model is a great way to make Bard a worthy competitor of ChatGPT.

"With new coding capabilities, we're excited to apply generative AI to accelerate software development, inspire innovation, and help people solve complex engineering challenges," Bailey said.

Read Also: Google Stocks Drop After News of Samsung Potentially Switching to Bing
The bishops five-day visit to the Chinese capital is over. Asked by local journalists about patriotism, the bishop of Hong Kong said that we have to learn to love the country and the church. The visit has not been reported by official Catholic bodies.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Bishop Stephen Chow of Hong Kongs five-day visit to Beijing ended yesterday morning with a Mass at St Joseph's Church.

The visit came at the direct invitation of Archbishop Li Shan of Beijing, who also heads the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association. It was also the first of its kind since 1994 when Card John Wu headed the Diocese of Hong Kong and had the habit of visiting the Chinese capital.

Speaking on Thursday to international media in Beijing at the end of a Mass, he concelebrated with Archbishop Li Shan in the Church of the Most Holy Saviour, Bishop Chow said he had invited the archbishop to visit Hong Kong, which met with a "fairly positive" response.

With respect to the visit, the prelate stressed the importance of exchanging experiences, in particular about the training of young priests. On Tuesday, Bishop Chow visited Beijings great national seminary, where many seminarians from other Chinese dioceses are also studying.

To a question about patriotism, he replied: "We all have to learn to love the country and the Church. Everybody wants their country to do well. Nobody wants their country to be bad. Being patriotic is a duty. If you are [a] resident of Hong Kong or the mainland, you should love your own country.

In the brief homily during the celebration, cited on Vatican News, Bishop Chow spoke to the faithful present about the synodal journey promoted by Pope Francis in the Churches of the whole world.

This journey, he said, invites all members of the Church to listen to each other and, even more, to learn to listen to the Holy Spirit who guides us on our journey."

He added: The Holy Spirit is the God of unity not of division. For this reason, we hope that the Diocese of Hong Kong, the Diocese of Beijing, and all the Catholic communities on the mainland can have more intense collaboration and exchanges in the communion of love."

As noted, the visit to the Archdiocese of Beijing was strictly ecclesial. Nevertheless, on Tuesday Bishop Chow met with representatives from the State Administration for Religious Affairs (SARA).

As expected, the prelate did not participate in any official event nor was any meeting with the new bishop of Shanghai, Mgr Shen Bin, announced. The latter, who was recently transferred unilaterally, heads the Council of Chinese Bishops, a body not recognised by the Holy See, but which enables him to meet with important visitors to Beijing.

Thus far, neither China Catholic, the official website of Chinese Catholic organisations, nor the Archdiocese of Beijing post any information or pictures of Bishop Chows visit to Beijing on WeChat. Hong Kong newspapers and international agencies are the main source of information for the visit.
by Melani Manel Perera

Catholic clergy and ordinary Sri Lankans from every ethnic background joined the rally. Forming a human chain, protesters renewed their demand for the truth about the terrorist attacks and justice for their victims. The apostolic nuncio said the country has the blessing of Pope Francis.

Colombo (AsiaNews)  Thousands of Sri Lankans, including many Catholics, marched together to commemorate the victims of the terrorist attacks of 21 April 2019, Easter Sunday.

On that day, suicide bombers targeted four hotels as well as three churches  two Catholic and one Protestant  as religious services were underway, killing more than 250 people and wounding more than 500.

Yesterday, the fourth anniversary, protesters called on the Sri Lankan government to discover the people behind the attacks.

Led by Archbishop Malcolm Cardinal Ranjith of Colombo, the country's Catholic Church and the families of the victims have long raised doubts and concerns about the slow pace of the investigation, accusing the government of hiding the truth for political gain.

Thousands of people, including Catholic clergy, lined up for a silent protest on both sides of the main road connecting St Anthony's Shrine in Kochchikade, Colombo, to St Sebastian's Church in Katuwapitiya.

Reminding politicians that, We are watching until justice is meted out, protesters, dressed in black and white and holding hands to form a human chain (Jana Paura), held up signs that read: No justice delivered to victims so far, Where is the mastermind behind the Easter Sunday attack?, Dirty politics must end.

Bells rang at 8.45 am, the exact moment of the attacks, followed by two minutes of silence. At 6 pm, a Mass was held at the church in Katuwapitiya, followed by a prayer walk to the church of Kochichikade, joined by priests, nuns, young people from the archdiocese and the families of the victims.

We have organised this human chain to show that our people are more powerful than their politics," said Fr Jude Chrishantha, director of communication of the Archdiocese of Colombo.

We request the government listen and be sensitive to the message of the silent heart of the victims. I see that people are not only asking for justice for the Easter attack, but are also calling for remedies for our country, which is dying because of its disgraceful politics, he added.

For his part, Cardinal Ranjith said that "we need a fresh and transparent probe to find out why repeated warnings prior to the Easter Sunday attacks were not taken seriously, to determine as to why the suicide bomber who blew himself up in Dehiwela was allowed to do so, why he was not arrested. [. . .] We need a fresh probe to find answers to these questions."

The apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Brian Udaigwe, said that Sri Lanka has the full blessing of Pope Francis in its efforts to bring justice to those affected by the attacks.

So far, two Islamic groups have been accused in connection with the attacks, but no one has been convicted.

In January, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court ruled that then-President Maithripala Sirisena's inaction had led to the bombings, and ordered him to pay compensation to the victims' families.
Buick Regal Gen 1

Photo: Buick

Buick Regal Gen 2

Photo: Buick

ASC

Buick Regal Gen 3

Photo: Buick

Buick Regal Gen 4

Photo: Buick

Buick Regal Gen 5

Photo: Buick

Buick Regal Gen 6

Photo: Buick

SUV

More commercially successful in China rather than its home market, Buick gave us car enthusiasts a plethora of memorable automobiles. The 1949 Roadmaster comes to mind, along with the 1961 Special that introduced the aluminum-block 215 engine, the 1963 Riviera and 1963 Wildcat, 1970 GSX, and 1987 GNX.The latter acronym stands for Grand National Experimental, but more on this Corvette-beating icon a bit later. Introduced for the 1973 model year and canned in the US after 2020, the Regal continues to be sold in the PRC, where sedans are still going unusually strong.How did it come to this? Or better said, how did an American stalwart morph into a glorified Opel for China of all possible markets out there? There are many reasons for this tragic involution, and the best way for us to understand how Buick dropped the ball is to look into the Regal's long history, generation by generation.Based on the A-body platform designed for intermediate-sized automobiles, the original joined the personal luxury segment rather late. Introduced for the 1973 model year, the first gen couldn't have arrived at a better time considering the 1973 oil crisis that eventually kicked off the Malaise Era into overdrive.The Malaise Era can trace its roots back a few years prior to the 1973 oil crisis. It all started with a reduction in compression ratios to allow engines to run unleaded (and therefore lower octane) gasoline. In 1972, automakers ditched the gross power rating for the more realistic net power rating. With the deployment of emissions control devices, which included the catalytic converter from 1975 onward, muscle cars went extinct in favor of hideously underpowered luxury coupes and sedans.This is the era during which Buick rolled out the Regal , then the only mid-sized car in the United States to feature a V6 as the standard engine. Also available with 350- and 455-ci V8 behemoths, the original went on to sell 504,773 coupes and 55,123 sedans through 1977.Buick stuck to the personal luxury car theme with the second generation, which originally launched as a two-door coupe, just like its predecessor. The four-door sedan and  for the first time ever in the Regal's history  station wagon were introduced for model year 1982.The Grand National wouldn't have happened without the Regal Sport Coupe of 1978. Its 3.8-liter V6 could be had with either a two- or four-barrel carburetor, making Buick the first mainstream automaker in the United States to embrace turbocharging. Buick understood that forced induction helps the Grand National stand out in the crowd, which brings us to the one-year-only GNX Closely related to the slightly lighter Turbo-T, the GNX was developed in partnership with/McLaren. The GN to end all GNs cemented the G-body Regal's place in the Pantheon of American classics with roughly 300 horsepower and 420 pound-feet (569 Nm) to its name. By comparison, the 1988 model year Corvette cranked out 240 ponies and 345 pound-feet (468 Nm) of twist.General Motors redesigned the Regal from the ground up in 1987 for the 1988 model year. Now built around the W platform, the midsizer also switched to front-wheel drive. The W-body third generation is rightfully considered the beginning of the end, although certain peeps don't fully agree with that, including myself. It was the late 1980s, and front-wheel drive was the simpler, less expensive, and more fuel-efficient layout.Assembled exclusively in Canada at the Oshawa plant in Ontario, the Gen 3 came exclusively with six-cylinder engines and four-speed automatic transmissions. Displacements ranged between 2.8 and 3.8 liters. Buick couldn't make a case for turbocharging at all, though.The 3.8 originally made 170 horsepower and 220 pound-feet (298 Nm). In the last year of the Gen 3, this engine was uprated to 200 horsepower and 225 pound-feet (305 Nm) of torque. A whopping 865,420 examples of the Buick Regal were produced between 1988 and 1996.Still based on the W platform, the Regal became even more curvaceous for the 1997 model year. This generation dropped the two-door coupe altogether, and this generation was also the first to be produced outside of the United States. Care to guess where? Of course, the answer is China , where the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit has operated a joint venture with SAIC since 1997.Essentially an upmarket Century, the Regal came with the naturally-aspirated L36 3.8-liter V6 of its predecessor and a supercharged version of said engine, referred to under regular production code L67. Over in China, prospective customers were offered anything from a lowly 2.2-liter I4 to a 3.0-liter V6 powerplant.Developed in collaboration with SLP Performance, the GSX is best described as the GS with more oomph. The Stage 3 upgrade belts out 270 horsepower and 312 pound-feet (423 Nm) of torque as opposed to 240 horsepower and 280 pound-feet (380 Nm) for the GS.The Gen 5 is  without a shadow of a doubt  the lowest point of the Regal . Nothing more than a badge-engineered Opel Insignia, this generation of the Regal is heavier than its German counterpart due to extra structural support in the B pillars. Introduced in 2009 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the Regal debuted for the 2011 model year with either a 2.4- or a 2.0-liter lump.The naturally-aspirated 2.4 is nothing to write home about, whereas the force-fed 2.0 in the CXL Turbo is. Connected to either a six-speed manual or an Aisin-supplied automatic, this mill is rated at 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet (350 Nm). Come 2011, the GS returned to the lineup for the 2012 model year with an uprated 2.0 turbo backed up by a five-year warranty.With 270 horsepower and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) at its disposal, said engine helps the Regal GS hit 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 6.7 seconds. At the time, the direct-injected motor delivered the highest specific output of any series-production GM engine.The best year of the Gen 5 in terms of US deliveries was 2011, when General Motors moved 40,144 units. The Gen 6 arrived at dealers for the 2018 model year, and  obviously enough  sold far worse than its forerunner.Once again twinned with the Opel Insignia for Europe, Vauxhall Insignia for the United Kingdom, and Holden Commodore for Australia, the final generation topped 14,118 deliveries in the United States in 2018. "Dead on arrival" is arguably the most fitting way to describe it.Clearly not your grandpa's Buick, the GS for 2019 replaced the previous LTG engine with the LGX, a 3.6-liter V6 of the naturally-aspirated variety. Not even the introduction of an all-road wagon could help the Regal's ailing sales, even though Subaru has no problems whatsoever selling the Outback in huge numbers. GM finally threw in the towel in December 2019 by announcing the withdrawal of the Regal after the 2020 model year. And that  ladies and gents  is how Buick became an-centric brand in the United States.
kW

BEV

kWh

Photo: theSeb Ioniq Forum

EV

Imagine you get a Tesla Model Y or a BMW iX3, and while on a trip, you discover that it cannot use any direct-current fast charger (DCFC). Thats not something you want to find out while being far away from home.But someone decided to pull the trigger on a relatively cheap but still marked-up Hyundai Ioniq 5 and went through this exact scenario. They found out that the car (which is known for its 800V architecture and the ability to extract power from the grid at a rate of 350maximum) cannot use any fast-charging stall because it simply does not have the required CCS port. Theyre stuck with Level 1 charging!This person claims they paid CAD54,000 (USD39,478) for a Hyundai Ioniq 5 Essential after the CAD10,000 (USD7,310) rebate was applied. So, the price of theoriginally was CAD64,000 (USD46,788), which put it at nearly CAD20,000 (USD14,621) over the MSRP without the rebate.We looked around and found that a Hyundai dealer from Montreal is right now selling a Hyundai Ioniq 5 Essential for CAD36,587 (USD26,748), so this person should have certainly done some more research before pulling the trigger.But their misfortune attracted the interest of other Ioniq 5 owners and enthusiasts who were in disbelief. Some even said that the customer might have missed the CCS port being covered by a piece of plastic. That was until the unlucky person published the pictures showing their BEV without the part that enables fast charging. Instead of a port, it was just a piece of hard plastic.In todays BEV market, most, if not all, customers expect their vehicles to come with a fast-charging functionality. Some may replenish their batteries at a faster rate than others, but this option is deemed as something standard, a must-have, so to say.Sadly, the Ioniq 5 Essential doesnt come with the 800V architecture and the bigger 77.4battery like the Preferred Long Range Model. This entry-level version has a 58-kWh nominal (53-kWh net) battery pack, and the maximum voltage is limited to 522.7V. Technically, it should still be able to fast charge, but not at the rate of the 800V vehicles.Even Hyundai itself says that the Ioniq 5 Essential should be capable of fast charging, but the carmaker also says the Preferred trim is the one that comes with a couple of extra Performance features, which include the Ultra Fast Charger, a heat pump, and the battery heating system. So, the Essential trim might not perform very well in the cold Canadian weather besides not having the CCS port. It also does not have the cool vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality, which enables owners to use the car's battery to charge other devices.Weirdly enough, the buyer said they talked to the selling party, and they confirmed that they thought the car came with a CCS port as well. So, someone is either lying, or there is just some misunderstanding involved.Until a solution is found, it appears that the buyer might have had the misfortune to stumble upon one of the vehicles brought by Hyundai into Canada so it can adhere to the old rebate rules regarding the price limit for new BEVs. Now that the limit is higher, the Essential trims are not needed. But the cars might have remained in some dealers stock, which might try to offload them onto unsuspecting buyers.For now, this customer is stuck with an Ioniq 5 that can only benefit from AC charging. Maybe the dealer will fix this and swap the Essential with a Preferred  its the same car but has those Performance features needed for the Canadian market.
Photo: StoreDot

kWh

BEV

Photo: StoreDot

Photo: StoreDot

Photo: StoreDot

StoreDot licensed the XFC technology to VinES, which will produce these cells in different form factors. When they are ready, the battery manufacturer will deliver the XFC batteries to VinFast. Both companies believe the commercial premiere will happen in 2025. That's a year after the Israeli startup said it would start delivering its 100in5 cells. It is easier to think that this is a delay rather than that StoreDot will provide its XFC batteries to a different carmaker.This could represent a great competitive advantage for VinFast. So far, the company has failed to impress automotive journalists with its vehicles. Although they present Pininfarina's design, their suspensions, power delivery, and several other crucial handling aspects have been harshly criticized. If VinFast is not working to fix that or is not fast enough to make the necessary improvements, the XFC cells may become a marketing argument to attract buyers. After all, recovering 100 miles of range in only five minutes may be pretty convincing. That obviously depends on having adequate fast chargers. StoreDot never said at which charging speed that was possible.When the first VinFast with XFC cells arrives, it will be interesting to check which path the Vingroup decides to follow with it. StoreDot suggested that its XFC batteries would allow carmakers to reduce their average battery packs from 80to 50 kWh without major losses in terms of convenience. Again, that reasoning only works if these vehicles with a lighter XFC battery pack can find fast chargers able to make the best use of StoreDot's technology.Supposing these fast chargers were widely available, a car with an XFC 50-kWh battery pack would save 200 kilograms (441 pounds) and around $4,500. This cost-saving possibility could give its owner a more affordable vehicle and a battery pack replacement cost that might not turn their car into junkyard material should it fail out of warranty. However, it is this mass reduction that could turn such ainto a safer and more efficient machine. VinFast may either create cars with smaller battery packs or keep them at the same capacity and just use their fast charging capabilities as a plus. According to the company, XFC cells can retain more energy from regenerative braking, which makes the BEVs more efficient. It is almost as if they had ultracapacitors that did not discharge as fast as these components do. Batteries retain electricity for more time but are also harder to charge. If only these XFC cells had a higher energy density, right?Well, this is what CATL said it achieved with its condensed cells . The new batteries from the world's largest cell manufacturer achieved an impressive energy density of 500 Wh/kg, which means they can hold 1 kWh in 2 kg (4.4 lb). Multiply that by 100, and you'll have a 100-kWh battery pack tipping the scale at 200 kg. In other words, it will weigh as much as the 30 kWh StoreDot cells will help save in a standard 80-kWh battery pack. And this is not the only bad news CATL has to give to the Israeli startup. CATL said it was working on the cell to comply with "aviation-grade safety and quality requirements." The Chinese cell maker "will also launch the automotive-grade version of condensed batteries, which are expected to be put into mass production within this year." Yes, 2023, not 2024 or 2025. CATL did not disclose how fast these condensed cells can be recharged. It merely said that they present "excellent charge and discharge performance as well as good safety performance."If it is remotely close to what XFC batterie s can offer, things will be really tough for StoreDot. Even if the CATL's condensed cells charge at the same pace as current batteries, being so much more energy-dense will help it avoid charging sessions with longer ranges. I've made this question before and must make it again: isn't the Israeli startup at a high risk of delivering a technology that will already be obsolete when it is finally available?The way StoreDot has such a well-defined schedule for its own progress, it seems that XFC cells are either just respecting a validation requirements timetable or that the startup is doing what it can with a tight budget. Whatever the reason is for them to arrive only by 2025 is something only StoreDot may explain. One thing is sure: if its technology was ready for commercial debut, the Israeli startup would have already put it into production or licensed it to anyone who could do that, whether for VinFast to use them or for any of the 15 companies that StoreDot said are testing its XFC batteries.
Edward Hopper's "Night Windows" (1928) / Courtesy of Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York









By Park Han-sol







Edward Hopper (1882-1967) is a painter whose art is as enigmatic as it is iconic.







His most celebrated masterpiece, "Nighthawks," captures the essence of urban loneliness through a hauntingly mysterious snapshot of a brightly-lit all-night diner in an otherwise deserted streetscape.







While it was downtown New York that inspired Hopper the most, he trained his lens on such eerily quiet moments of solitude and detachment far from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis  unpopulated streets and isolated figures in confined interiors.







Little happens on his canvas, yet there is an understated tension that lies beneath.







Edward Hopper's "Self-Portrait" (1925-30)  2023 Heirs of Josephine Hopper/Licensed by SACK, Seoul / Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

The painter himself was known to be somewhat like his own art  conspicuously inscrutable and taciturn.







Yet, like any public icon, there is more to Hopper and his oeuvre than meets the eye  as shown in "Edward Hopper: From City to Coast," a newly mounted exhibition at the Seoul Museum of Art (SeMA) in central Seoul.







Co-organized by the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, the world's largest holder of Hopper's works with over 3,100 pieces in its collection, this is Korea's first-ever showcase of the American realist master.







The excitement among the art lovers here seems palpable, as evidenced by the fact that a total of 100,000 early bird tickets released at a discount price since March 23 have already been sold out.







Spanning all three floors of the museum, the major retrospective offers a peek into the artist's emblematic depiction of 20th-century Americana (and a bit of Paris) through some 160 oil paintings, watercolors, drawings and etchings, as well as 110 rarely-seen items dusted off from archives.







Edward Hopper's "City Roofs" (1932)  2023 Heirs of Josephine Hopper/Licensed by SACK, Seoul / Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art, New York





Edward Hopper's "Two on the Aisle" (1927) / Courtesy of Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio





As Hopper spent most of his life in his home studio at 3 Washington Square North in New York  which, in his own words, was "the American city that I know best and like most"  it was natural for the metropolis to become his major and most-remembered subject on canvas.







But the show intends to present a fuller picture of "Hopper's private New York" that goes beyond his more well-known pieces representing modern urban solitude through seemingly detached and soulless individuals.







This includes works like "City Roofs," a plain sight observed from the rooftop above his studio that offers a surprising moment of tranquility. "Apartment Houses, East River" and "Study for Macomb's Dam Bridge" bring to life his penchant for panoramic views of New York's architecture and bridges  instead of the vertical skyscrapers that began crowding the city during his lifetime.







His lesser-known watercolors and etchings portraying the city's residential districts and riverside also add an intriguing layer to the development of his visual language  forms outlined in strongly defined lighting and a bold composition with a cinematic feel.







Edward Hopper's "Night Shadows" (1921)  2023 Heirs of Josephine Hopper/Licensed by SACK, Seoul / Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art, New York





But as indicated by its title, "From City to Coast," the exhibition eventually moves beyond the fabric of New York to spotlight other significant places the artist traveled and stayed throughout his life  Paris, New England and Cape Cod.







"Wherever Hopper was, he was an observer," said Adam D. Weinberg, director of the Whitney Museum, during a recent press preview.







"While riding on the elevated trains through the city of New York, or strolling along the banks of the Seine in Paris, or crossing the windy shores of Ogunquit in Maine, or watching his wife and fellow artist Jo Hopper sketching a window overlooking Cape Cod Bay, Hopper employed his unique visual language and his inner impressions to capture the extraordinary in the mundane."







Alongside New York, the three places each illuminate different aspects of the artist's creative development. It was in Paris, the city he visited in his earlier years from 1906 to 1910, that he became influenced by Impressionism and explored the effects of light as well as compositional approaches to the urban mise-en-scene.







Edward Hopper's "Second Story Sunlight" (1960)  2023 Heirs of Josephine Hopper/Licensed by SACK, Seoul / Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art, New York





In Maine, one of six states comprising the region of New England, Hopper sketched the rocky northern coastlines and the windswept sand dunes to observe the ever-changing state of nature  something he could not easily witness within the bustling city.







And after being mesmerized by the charms of Cape Cod, he built his second home and studio in the region's Truro in 1934 and would return to the place every summer for the rest of his life. Here, the artist "gravitated toward compositions that capture collisions between nature and the built environment," said Kim Conaty, a curator at the Whitney who was behind the New York museum's "Edward Hopper's New York" exhibition last year.







Edward Hopper's "Railroad Sunset" (1929)  2023 Heirs of Josephine Hopper/Licensed by SACK, Seoul / Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art, New York





Edward Hopper's "Soir Bleu" (1914)  2023 Heirs of Josephine Hopper/Licensed by SACK, Seoul / Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art, New York





SeMA's curator Lee Seung-ah noted that the Seoul show brings up one interesting point for the audience to consider when viewing the American painter's work  whether his popular label as a "realist" should be accepted purely as it is.







While Hopper's oeuvre is grounded in realism, his image was not an exact documentation of a specific site. Rather, he infused his own memory and cinematic fantasy into the existing places, birthing a composite scene that sits somewhere between reality and imagination.







"Railroad Sunset," completed after one of his transcontinental trips, captures a dreamy American landscape as if viewed from the window of a moving train. In "Apartment Houses, East River," he replaces the racing train in front of the gray residential complex with a mystic forest. And "Soir Bleu" visualizes his reimagined scene of Paris filled with caricatures of a clown, a sex worker and a working-class man, among others.







Edward Hopper's "A Woman in the Sun" (1961)  2023 Heirs of Josephine Hopper/Licensed by SACK, Seoul / Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art, New York









While "From City to Coast" is, first and foremost, a dive into Edward Hopper and his artistic evolution, his wife and fellow artist Josephine Hopper (1883-1968) remains a notable presence throughout the show.







Not only was she the sole model for her husband's female figures on canvas  as witnessed in "A Woman in the Sun," "Jo Sketching in the Truro House" and even "Nighthawks"  she was his muse, creative companion and manager.







Josephine, or Jo, was the one who inspired Edward to experiment with watercolors after the couple met in Massachusetts in 1923.







"Artist's Ledger  Book III" (1924-67), kept by Edward Hopper and Josephine Nivison Hopper  2023 Heirs of Josephine Hopper/Licensed by SACK, Seoul / Courtesy of Whitney Museum of American Art, New York

She was also responsible for communicating with patrons and galleries to promote her reticent husband's body of works in his stead. And she kept meticulous ledger books of his creations and exhibitions for over three decades  the pages of which offer rare insight into the iconic yet still-elusive man of the 20th century.







And guess who bequeathed the bulk of Edward's artistic estate to the Whitney Museum in 1968 and made it the world's largest repository of his works?







At the Seoul show, Jo's critical role in the growth of Hopper's career  much at the expense of her own  is brought to light through several mediums: his paintings modeled after her, the digitally reproduced pages from the ledger books and the 2022 documentary "Hopper: An American Love Story" that highlights the artist couple's undeniably tumultuous yet creative union.







"Edward Hopper: From City to Coast" runs through Aug. 20 at SeMA.


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22 April 2023 09:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Yusif Abbaszade

Successful and accurate definitions of the concept of "politics" say that this is the art of governing the state and society. This art is mastered by a few who manage to implement social ideas that bring people prosperity, stability and confidence in the future.

They know how to create a favorable order in which various social strata successfully realize their abilities and opportunities for comprehensive development.

In the new history of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev became an indisputably successful political leader who played an exceptional role in the formation of a national state. He managed to rally the creative forces of the people around him in order to achieve strategic goals.

In the early 90s of the last century, when the Azerbaijani people restored their national independence, the young country faced difficult tasks. The fate of statehood and future generations depended on their decision.

The economic regress, which became a heavy legacy of the Soviet era, the Armenian intervention, and finally, the fragmentation of the national structure required a competent approach and fine management. At the most crucial moment in history, the Azerbaijani people entrusted their fate to Heydar Aliyev, knowing that only he, with his knowledge and experience, could cope with the difficult challenges of the era.

It has long been observed that successful politicians are able to overcome inertia and inaction, they know how to concentrate the energy of people in the main directions. The people of Azerbaijan have known about the great abilities of Heydar Aliyev since Soviet times.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he led the republic and was able to make it a leader as part of a large union. After the National Leader became one of the leaders of the USSR, having established himself as a great strategist. After the collapse of the Soviet regime, the Azerbaijani people saw in him the only person capable of helping their people in the fight against backwardness, with the task of building paradigms of statehood in the conditions of sovereign development.

The cornerstone of the Great Leader's policy at the turn of the century was protection from external influences and building a new energy concept. An exceptional role in the new history of Azerbaijan was played by the "contract of the century", signed on September 20, 1994 in Baku with the world's leading oil and gas companies. This was an event of epochal significance, which predetermined the fate of the country and the Caucasian-Caspian region.

This event became possible after the will of Heydar Aliyev reached a temporary truce in the war with Armenia.

The signing of the contract opened the way for foreign investment in the Azerbaijani economy. The oil and gas sector again felt a surge of strength, regaining its locomotive role in the industrial revival program.

Over 27 years, 89 billion US dollars have been invested in the oil and gas sector of the country. The development of the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli (ACG) block of offshore fields and the Shah Deniz gas field project brought Azerbaijan $170 billion in revenue.

According to forecasts, the undeveloped reserves of the block of ACG fields in the amount of 400 million tons will ensure the sustainable development of Azerbaijan until 2050.

The central element of Heydar Aliyev's policy was the revival of the national economy, which over the years made it possible to create a strong national army, improve the social sphere and other important sectors of the national industry.

Since 2003, Heydar Aliyev's political successor, President Ilham Aliyev, has continued the course of intensive development of the country on the basis of the approved priorities.

At present, Azerbaijan, according to the data of the world's leading rating agencies, is a country with a steady annual economic growth.

In the fall of 2020, Azerbaijan, as a result of a successful counter-offensive operation on the fronts of the Karabakh war, liberated its occupied lands and restored its territorial integrity.

The successful course of the republic is the result of an effective policy, at the origins of which was the great Heydar Aliyev, who managed to confidently bring his country to the world stage.

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22 April 2023 12:45 (UTC+04:00)

AzInTelecom LLC under the Ministry of Digital Development and Transport has started cooperation with Chekino Group, Azernews reports.

It should be noted that Chekino Group is one of the leading technology companies of Turkiye, in order to expand the field of information security services.

At the meeting held between the parties, Elkhan Azizov, acting chairman of AzInTelecom LLC, and Erol Yilmaz, CEO of Chekino Group signed a sales and cooperation agreement.

According to the agreement, it is planned to implement measures to stimulate the sale and use of the Guardian product in Azerbaijan, which belongs to the Chekino Group company and is used in the management of system operations of AzInTelecom LLC.

The CEO of the Company Erol Yilmaz said that they operate in different countries within the framework of the products, services, and projects they offer in security and other fields. Erol Yilmaz noted that he believes they will achieve good results thanks to the cooperation with AzInTelecom LLC, which adopted the principle of digital transformation in Azerbaijan.

In addition, customers of AzInTelecom LLC, whose information resources are trusted by a number of large companies and state institutions in Azerbaijan, can use information security audit, consulting, and cyber security services.

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Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
22 April 2023 10:35 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijan took first place in terms of import of Georgia's re-exported cars from January through March 2023, Azernews reports with reference to the National Statistics Office of Georgia.

The National Statistics Office of Georgia said that Georgia re-exported 7,300 cars worth $99.7 million to Azerbaijan during this period. Next, come Armenia ($87.3 million) and Kazakhstan ($87.2 million).

Moreover, Georgia re-exported 22,400 cars worth $412 million to foreign countries from January through March of this year.

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23 April 2023 12:00 (UTC+04:00)

Elnur Enveroglu Read more

An exhibition of the work dedicated to Azerbaijan has been held in Brussels, Belgium. The work belonged to four Belgian photographers, Anja Van Der Borght, Luc Embise, Linda Gezels and Maarten Van Middelem, has described historical places, sceneries of Azerbaijan's Baku, Azernews reports.

Hosted by the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the Kingdom of Belgium at the prestigious neoclassical Caryatids Ballroom in the Cercle Royal Gaulois, Brussels, the event was addressed by the Ambassador Vaqif Sadqov.

Discovering the landscapes and its people is a new and unique experience for travellers from every corner of the world. It takes visitors to a different place every time and opens the mind to see something new,  Ambassador Vaqif Sadqov said.

It is of note that the exhibition have presented some 50 genuin and formal photographs made during the adventurers travels, decribing the view of Azerbaijan, from the burning mountainside - Yanar Dag and historic Ateshgah Temple to the architectural wonders and street sellers of Baku.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Belgium were established on June 17, 1992. On 20 February 2017, Belgium celebrated the 25th anniversary of its relations with Azerbaijan. Besides, in 1995, Azerbaijan opened the Embassy in Belgium.

As regards the economic relations between Azerbaijan and Belgium, in 2013, volume of the international trade between the two countries amounted 61.34 million US dollars, where import from Belgium to Azerbaijan was $58.45 million and export from Azerbaijan to Belgium  $ 2.89 million.

Furthermore, the following economic documents have been signed between countries:

1. Convention on non-double taxation avoidance between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Kingdom of Belgium;

2. Agreement for promotion and protection of investments between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium;

3. Bilateral agreement on mutual administrative assistance in customs matters between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium;

4. Agreement on air transport between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium.

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22 April 2023 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

Milli Majlis Chairwoman Sahibe Gafarova has sent a letter to chairman of the Russias State Duma Vyacheslav Volodin over biased statements about Azerbaijan voiced for the Rusarminfo Russia-Armenia news agency by deputy chair of the Russian State Dumas committee for information policy, information technologies and communication Oleg Matveychev, Azernews reports citing Milli Majlis press and PR department.

The letter expressed concern over Oleg Matveychevs allegations concerning Azerbaijan.

The Speaker found the need for the State Duma to give assessment to Matveychevs statements. She expressed hope that both countries would prevent such actions that run counter to the spirit of relations between the nations and parliaments.

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22 April 2023 16:50 (UTC+04:00)

The public presentation ceremony of the magazine Shining Pearl of Azerbaijan prepared with the financial support of the Youth Fund of the Azerbaijani Republic was held at ADA University, Azernews reports.

The main goal of the magazine, co-authored by Bakhtiyar Salmanov, Inci Rustamova, and Ali Mammadov, undergraduate students of ADA University, is to introduce the culture of Shusha and Karabakh to the world as a part of Azerbaijani culture in connection with the election of Shusha as the Cultural Capital of the Turkic World in 2023 and to increase the literature base for representatives of the non-Turkish speaking community of the national, spiritual, musical, carpet weaving and other cultural fields of Shusha, which is the cradle of Azerbaijani culture.

During the event, ADA University vice-president for academic affairs, Vafa Kazdal, drew attention to the importance of social responsibility and sustainable development projects at ADA University.

Leyla Hasanova, a representative of the Turkic World Culture and Heritage Foundation, and Elvira Tanaguzova, an expert from Kazakhstan, told the participants about the role of Shusha in the culture of the entire Turkic world.

Besides that, the director and employees of the ADA University library, various experts, members of the Baku Book Center, and the head of the Sustainable Development Service, Aygun Huseynova, also participated in the event and spoke about the youth policy, which was formed in Azerbaijan by the National leader Heydar Aliyev.

At the end, the participants of the presentation ceremony got to know the magazine and authors during the tea break.

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22 April 2023 21:40 (UTC+04:00)

Iran exported 1.27 million tons of non-oil products worth approximately $460 million to Turkmenistan, over the last Iranian year (March 21, 2022, through March 20, 2023), Azernews reports via the statistics of the Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

According to the statistics, Iran's non-oil exports to Turkmenistan for the reporting period increased by 37 percent in value, while decreasing by 6.27 percent in volume compared to the preceding Iranian year (March 21, 2021, through March 20, 2022).

So, the exports amounted to 1.36 million tons worth $335 million in the preceding year.

Last year, Iran mainly exported agricultural and food products, industrial products, transformers, water conditioners, petrochemical products, etc. to Turkmenistan.

Meanwhile, the foreign trade turnover between Iran and Turkmenistan amounted to 1.3 million tons worth about $488 million for the last Iranian year, which is an increase of 32 percent in value, while a decrease of 6.4 percent in volume compared to 1.4 million tons worth approximately $369 million in the preceding year.

Overall, Iran exported more than 122 million tons of non-oil products worth approximately $53.2 billion in the last Iranian year, which increased by 10 percent in value, while no change in volume compared to the preceding year.

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You can reach Ishani Desai at 661-395-7417. You can also follow her at @_ishanidesai on Twitter.
Abortion Survivors Network Honored with Pro-Life Impact Award at National Prayer Luncheon for Life

$50k Grant Elevates, Celebrates & Accelerates Healing for People Alive After Attempted Abortion as Babies







NEWS PROVIDED BY

National Prayer Luncheon for Life

April 21, 2023



DALLAS, April 21, 2023 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Abortion Survivors Network, an organization providing support and healing for adults and children who survived attempted abortion, has been named the winner of the 2023 National Prayer Luncheon for Life Pro-Life Impact Award and given a $50,000 grant for their continued pro-life work. The Abortion Survivors Network, headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, was selected by voters from among six top finalists chosen for recognition out of a field of 120 nominated organizations. Thousands of life advocates gathered online and in person on April 21, 2023, to elevate, celebrate, and accelerate the work of these high-impact pro-life organizations.



Each of the top six nominated organizations received a National Prayer Luncheon for Life Pro-Life Impact Grant. Second place vote getter, Good Counsel Homes, a network of maternity homes serving homeless women and children operating out of Secaucus, New Jersey, claimed a $20,000 grant. The organization was lauded for providing safe, nurturing environments and comprehensive help for pregnant mothers and their children. ThriVe Express Women's Healthcare received $15,000 to further expand its pro-woman medical model aimed at the abortion-determined woman and was recognized as the country's strategy leader in the "pregnancy care center" movement.



Melissa Ohden, founder of The Abortion Survivors Network, accepted the title award and the top grant of $50,000, thanking the National Prayer Luncheon for Life, and briefly sharing her own story of surviving a saline abortion when she was 31 weeks old in her mother's womb. She emphasized that people survived abortions long before Roe v. Wade was decided, and continue to do so. Ohden shared how the grant will help The Abortion Survivors Network continue its life-affirming work of telling the stories of the more than 85,000 women and men who have lived despite attempted termination in the womb.



The remaining nominees included Equal Rights Institute, which trains pro-life advocates to compassionately and effectively make the case for life, Human Life Alliance, which provides quality pro-life resources and education, and Natural Women's Health, a God-centered, pro-life, holistic gynecology and fertility health medical practice which also provides abortion pill reversal services. Each of these nominees were honored with a $5,000 National Prayer Luncheon for Life Pro-Life Impact Grant.



Live Action took home the 2022 National Prayer Luncheon for Life Pro-Life Impact Award for the organization's powerful influence in social media and its investigative exposes of the abortion industry. Live Action news correspondent Christine Bennett was on hand to help pass the baton to the newly selected honoree for the 2023 title.



Bennett, herself almost aborted, thanked supporters for being "givers" in contrast to Planned Parenthood's "takers" and lamented the millions of babies, many of them African American, "whose lives were stolen from them."



The crowd welcomed Catherine Hadro, EWTN news contributor and founding host of EWTN Pro-Life Weekly, who served as emcee for the event. Hadro rejoiced that 32,000 fewer children were aborted in the six months following the United States Supreme Court Dobbs decision but reminded all that there is still much work  and prayer  to be done.



Aurora Tinajero, National Coordinator for Latinos por La Vida, spoke of Planned Parenthood's massive efforts targeting Hispanic communities  inveigling them into its "web of lies and deception." She pointed to a startling statistic: Hispanic people make up 18 percent of the United States' population yet represent 21 percent of abortions.



The Most Reverend Greg Kelly, Auxiliary Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dallas, spoke on behalf of life, acknowledging that God holds the power in the world and "in our hearts." He commended each of the finalists for their pro-life labors and compared them to the Biblical Good Samaritan.



Pastor Bruce Kendrick, Director of Life Initiatives at Watermark Community Church, told of his journey from having an extra bedroom to fill, on through fostering, and then adopting, children, along with his wife Denise. Together they have nine children, five of whom are adopted, and three grandchildren. He challenged all present to understand that beyond saving at-risk children and healing parents who have experienced abortion, we must resolve the problems that existed to send them along these paths.



"It was wonderful to be able to present pro-life advocates across the country with an opportunity to pray for their organizations, their people, their life-saving work, and to present them with tangible recognition for their tireless work on behalf of life," exclaimed Karen Garnett, National Prayer Luncheon for Life President. "We are honored to be able to acknowledge and reward them for the difference they make."



The award and grants were presented to the winning organizations by Garnett and National Prayer Luncheon for Life Chairman Brett Attebery.



Thousands of people participated in the 2023 National Prayer Luncheon for Life through voting, and many watching online as the recipients of the award and monetary grants received the news in Grapevine, Texas, where an in-person audience gathered for the occasion at the Dallas-area Gaylord Texan Resort. The entire program is available online at https://nationalprayerluncheonforlife.org/2023-event/.



About the National Prayer Luncheon for Life

Originating in 2016 as an in-person event hosted by Heroic Media, the National Prayer Luncheon for Life evolved in 2021 as a year-round initiative to elevate and celebrate high-impact pro-life organizations. The initiative culminates with an annual, largely online "hour of power" event in the Spring, encompassing thousands of participants nationwide to unite in fervent prayer and select, through nationwide voting, the high-impact National Prayer Luncheon for Life Pro-Life Impact Award winner and Pro-Life Impact Grant recipients. National Prayer Luncheon for Life is an initiative of Heroic Media. Learn more at nationalprayerluncheonforlife.org.



SOURCE National Prayer Luncheon for Life



CONTACT: Thomas Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net


The Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in central Seoul / Korea Times file



South Korea and its Indo-Pacific partners of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) discussed expanding cooperation to counter North Korea's escalating provocations, Seoul's foreign ministry said Saturday.



The NATO-Indo Pacific Partners Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday and Friday, brought together senior officials from NATO member states and Asia-Pacific partners, including South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.



During the meeting, Park Yong-min, deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, stressed the need to take a "stern joint response" against the North's missiles and nuclear provocations, pointing out that it is a global issue threatening the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime.



Separately, Park also met Lithuanian Vice Foreign Minister Mantas Adomenas and pledged to continue providing support for the restoration of peace in Ukraine. (Yonhap)


The author of the infamous letter signed by a list of intelligence agency officials claiming that the Hunter Biden laptop was "Russian disinformation" has blown the whistle on how that letter came to be written. Former acting CIA Director Mike Morrell wrote the letter after he was asked to do so by Biden campaign official Anthony Blinken, now Secretary of State "to help Biden". He never had any intention to write such a letter or help collect signatures for it until asked to by Blinken, and he said his motive to do so was "to defeat Trump". After the letter was circulated in the media, Blinken called Morrell and thanked him for doing it, saying it had been "effective."

Of course the letter itself was the fabrication, but polls show it flipped the election to Biden. Many Biden voters told pollsters they would not have voted for Biden if they had known the truth about the laptop.

https://nypost.com/2023/04/20/biden-campaign-pushed-spies-to-write-false-hunter-laptop-letter/

https://bigleaguepolitics.com/former-cia-director-admits-joe-biden-presidential-campaign-was-behind-intelligence-community-letter-claiming-hunter-biden-laptop-release-was-russian-disinformation/

This is just one more way the Democrats defrauded the American people in 2020.
Four 14 year old girls have been flashed by a self-styled "transgender" exposing his male genitilia in a high school locker room, and the girls parents have lawyered up in response. The boy, 18, who claimed he was a girl stated "by the way I am a transgender" and turned to directly display his male genitilia to the four girls. When the girls parents got inadequate response from the school, they sought legal advice.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12000615/Wisconsin-high-school-fire-trans-woman-18-exposed-genitalia-freshmen-girls-shower.html

https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2023/04/21/18-year-old-transgender-athlete-exposes-himself-to-freshman-girls-in-locker-room-n734792

https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2023/04/21/wisconsin-high-school-girls-allege-trans-student-undressed-showered-females-after-swim-class/

In many states, including North Carolina, such a display of male genitilia in front of females who objected to it would constitute the crime of indecent exposure, and if the boy viewed the girls in a state of undress, he also might be charged with peeping tom. Those who commit these crimes should be arrested and prosecutred, and the schools should be held responsible if they allow it. Maybe school personanel should be charged with contrubuting to the delinquency of a minor.

One key question is whether the Beaufort County Schools have any policies in place to deal with situations like this.
Q1: Assuming the Texas Legislature provides a new framework for another Chapter 313-type program, what considerations should the district have toward giving tax breaks to relocating businesses?

Q2: In what ways can the school board hold the district accountable in meeting state academic requirements?

Q3: When significant discipline issues arise, parents and community members tend to say that discipline is a consistent issue in Beaumont ISD schools. Do you agree with that characterization? What is the school board's role in discipline on district campuses?

Q4: How can the community best partner with the school board to push Beaumont ISD forward?

Brian Nepveux

Age: 46

Occupation: Owner of 360 Consulting, LLC and Aurum International, LLC

Highest Level of Education: Some college

Volunteer work/other elected office(s):

Appointed to the Beaumont City Council Community Development Advisory Committee since 2021

Founder of non-profit charity Make Ends Meet

Volunteers for Operation Beaumont Beautification

A1: (Tax breaks) have been offered before for big companies to move here and the reason that they have not moved here is because we still as a district, have not addressed (why) people are leaving in the first place. And that's behavior in the schools. That's the biggest obstacle that we need to overcome...the schools are so bad with failing grades that no company will move here. They'd have to pay their people not only relocation fees but they'd have to pay an extra $10,000 a year, roughly, to put kids in private school... Until we can address the reasons that the behavior issues are so bad...the companies are not going to move here.

A2: As a trustee, we have one employee that we can deal with directly and that's (the superintendent). The only influence we have is over Dr. Allen and trying to implement policies that she directs and funnels down throughout the 27 schools. There's every rule you can imagine in (the Student Code of Conduct) -- they're not being adhered to now. We could implement every policy in the world...it won't make a bit of difference. Not until we address the motivators behind this bad behavior. We (need) to find (students') talent and a little spark of inspiration -- that's all we can do. We can't just force kids into compliance, it's not going to work.

A3: All we can do is change policy. I could add 500 more pages (to the code of conduct) and it wouldn't make a bit of difference. I know this because I have children myself, and I can put a million rules on the fridge, and until I hold them accountable for their behavior and have set clear expectations and boundaries, then they're going to continue doing what they're doing. Kids learn all different types of ways and once you figure out how they learn you can help them, if they're visual, auditory, creative, hands-on -- you have to understand that you can't teach kids all the same way.

A4: A trustee position is to be the intermediary, (constituents') voice on (the school) board, their vote. Across the country, parents have had enough of some of the things that have been going on in the district and the direction is not going the way that parents want and they feel like they don't have a voice. They're up there at school board meetings...voicing their concerns and falling on deaf ears. Parents like myself have been running and serving to implement what is in our children's best interest. I'm an advocate for the largest special interest group in Beaumont and that's our children.

Kevin Reece (I)

Age: 47

Occupation: United Parcel Service driver

Highest Level of Education: Some college

Volunteer work/other elected office(s):

Elected Beaumont ISD District 4 Trustee for two terms

A1: Research really needs to be done (to see if companies) are really vetting other areas, because they use that as leverage. They don't give a lot of promises...They're not giving you anything, but you're giving them a 70% tax break, that's what it was (under Chapter 313). I don't know what (that will entail) in the future...I was telling people that we should have waited to see what these new guidelines were, they may have been more favorable to (us)... The considerations would be real impact and we need to look at pollution, that's one thing that I asked (about) a couple of times and nobody seems to care about it.

A2: The biggest problem that is causing all of the problems to linger in the district is accountability. From my understanding, the Board of Managers wouldn't really make academic decisions, so we have administration that's kind of used to doing what they want. And there's a lot of resistance within from the board to the superintendent and I just see a lot of smoke and mirrors at times. (There's) a lot of good presentations, but no implementation of the things that they're saying. We are a not rated district, so we need to come together as a board and realize that a state takeover could be looming if we keep losing schools.

A3: The way discipline is handled is what the problem is. Remove discipline from the classroom, stop (just) sending the kids back, actually process and find out (what the underlying issue is). (We) talk about getting more counselors, I need to see those counselors actually talking to those kids that are being disruptive, see what problems are happening. Some of them aren't bad kids, they're just having a bad day. I remember in high school when my grandfather died, I wanted to get in a fight, I didn't want to be happy. (I had a good friend) who cheered me up -- the trauma students may be facing may be worse.

A4: (Some community members) have suggested maybe wanting to hold a private forum. They're just really afraid to speak some of their concerns. That's why the problem still exists, too -- there's a break in the line of communication. Some of these problems are not coming to the board's attention. The community needs to meet somewhere board members can attend -- churches are good places, there's churches all over. Just set (a community meeting) in stone and show up and eventually, I think it will catch on.

Thomas Sigee, Sr.

Age: 62

Occupation: Collections officer for Jefferson County

Highest Level of Education: Bachelor's of science in criminal justice from Lamar University

Volunteer work/other elected office(s):

Previous Beaumont ISD District 3 Trustee for two terms, 2017-2021

Member of 100 Black Men of Greater Beaumont

Member of the American Legion Post 817

A1: Any tax break that you could have, not only for citizens but also for businesses relocating to this area, is going to drive more businesses here and throughout the whole state of Texas, it'll make it easier for incoming businesses. Taxes have been high and although the district has maintained that they will not raise taxes, people don't fully understand that for the past couple of years, the district has not raised taxes other than when the state of Texas said that we needed to.

A2: The school board only has one individual that works for them and that is the superintendent. We are the legislative body of the district. The superintendent comes up with the programs...the person at the top is responsible for everything that happens or fails to happen. There are programs that come into play, she may bring them to us and let us know what program that she wants to institute, but I think the bottom line is the superintendent is responsible for any and all programs that the district starts, but the board is a different entity.

A3: I do believe that discipline is an issue but there's this (guideline) called Chapter 37 (of the Texas Education Code) that is a guide for the superintendent and everybody involved in the district to make policy decisions on how you have discipline. It's an easy thing to say that I'm going to (get elected) and I'm going to fix this -- that sounds good for a person running for the board. But there are procedures that have to be followed to the letter in Chapter 37 that the district must adhere to.

A4: The big industries (in Beaumont) have always partnered with BISD. They've always been involved with BISD. We need parental support and parental involvement with the district. We need parental involvement more than we need anything else.

*(I) denotes incumbent trustee.

Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Baiterek Tower on Nurjol Boulevard, Astana, Kazakhstan / gettyimagesbank









By Kwon Mee-yoo







ASTANA/SEOUL  The March 19 parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia, signifies another phase of the country's reforms under the slogan, "New Kazakhstan." As a result of the elections, a multiparty parliament has emerged in Kazakhstan, with six political parties obtaining seats in the Mazhilis, the lower chamber of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, as opposed to three in the previous term.







Roman Vassilenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, speaks after a media briefing in Astana, Kazakhstan, March 16. Korea Times photo by Kwon Mee-yoo

As the country moves toward democracy under the reform led by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Kazakhstan is ready to strengthen relations with East Asia, particularly South Korea, as a key trade partner and investor.







Roman Vassilenko, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, said East Asia has been a very important region for the country for over three decades.







"If we say about [South] Korea, I want to emphasize that Seoul was one of the first countries that recognized our country's independence and established diplomatic relations," Vassilenko told The Korea Times via a written interview, noting that presidents of South Korea visited Kazakhstan six times, while the presidents of Kazakhstan also visited South Korea six times.







According to Vassilenko, South Korea is a significant trade partner and one of the top-10 investors in Kazakhstan, having invested more than $8.1 billion (10.8 trillion won) over the last 17 years, and more than 700 companies with South Korean capital are operating in Kazakhstan including Samsung, Hyundai, POSCO and Lotte.







"I believe that Kazakhstan and [South] Korea still have many areas in the economic sphere where they can create a synergistic effect in the process of mutual exchange and cooperation," he said.







"The most priority areas of economic cooperation are energy, mining and metallurgy, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, transport infrastructure, education and tourism."







The vice minister highlighted that Kazakhstan and South Korea have a strong relationship based on mutual respect and understanding with similar views on many regional and international issues.







"We would like to note that we consider [South] Korea as one of the most reliable and important partners of our country. In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to make efforts to further develop relations between the two counties," he said.







Deputy Minister Vassilenko also expresses strong concern over North Korea's nuclear program, emphasizing the need for a peaceful solution to the North Korean nuclear issue through full implementation of all relevant U.N. Security Council Resolutions.







"Recently, cases with missile tests have become more frequent. As a staunch supporter of nuclear disarmament, we share Seoul's concerns regarding the situation on the Peninsula," Vassilenko said.







"We strongly deplore the nuclear tests conducted by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and express serious concern over its nuclear program and recent legislation adopted to transform DPRK into a nuclear power, which undermines the global non-proliferation regime. We continue to underline the need for a peaceful solution to the DPRK nuclear issue through full implementation of all relevant U.N. Security Council Resolutions."











As a country with the longest continuous international border in the world shared with Russia and considering Russia is its main trading partner, Kazakhstan, like the rest of the world, is also affected by Russia's invasion of Ukraine that began in February 2022.







The war has brought changes to Kazakhstan, which had previously maintained a neutral stance and practiced pragmatic diplomacy, balancing its interests between Russia, China and the West amidst geopolitical tensions in the region.







"For Kazakhstan, both Ukraine and Russia are two friendly states. In this regard, we are watching the events in Ukraine with particular concern. We are concerned about the numerous human casualties, the destruction of civilian infrastructure and the unprecedented number of refugees. Based on the appeals of the Ukrainian side, we provide humanitarian assistance to the victims of the conflict," Vassilenko said.







"In general, in line with its principled position regarding any international problems, Kazakhstan consistently advocates finding an exclusively peaceful solution to the conflict. We are ready to provide a negotiating platform for peace talks if the opposing sides are interested in it."







Vassilenko added that the conflict in Ukraine has caused consequences for Kazakhstan's foreign trade and transit potential due to the rupture of established transport and logistics supply routes.







"The indirect consequences of largescale anti-Russian sanctions should be mentioned separately since Russia is a key trade and economic partner of Kazakhstan both in a bilateral format and through integration associations," he said.







"Due to obvious political, economic and geographical reasons, we do not join Western sanctions, but we also do not intend to allow the deliberate use of our territory to circumvent them. This position is understood by both our Russian and Western partners."







A voter places ballots in a box at a polling station installed at the National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Astana, Sunday. Kazakhstan held elections for members of the lower chamber of the parliament and the local representative bodies for the first time after the country's constitution was revised last year to strengthen principles of democracy. Korea Times photo by Kwon Mee-yoo









Dulat Bakishev, former ambassador of Kazakhstan to South Korea who now teaches at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS), noted that Kazakhstan is a young country that gained independence in 1991. He said that President Tokayev is trying to stabilize the country after unrest in 2022 by transitioning to a multiparty democratic system.







"We have this history under the Soviet regime, so our situation is not unique but understandable. We had this culture of having one leader for decades, but we are in the process of transition to a democratic system and a lot of events are happening at a very fast pace," Bakishev told The Korea Times via telephone interview, March 23.







"This is a process where people are stepping up to fight for their rights. It is difficult to say now, but we made steps forward and we have to see what this Mazhilis will do."







Professor Bakishev believes that Kazakhstan can benefit from learning how South Korea achieved its success as a democratic and developed country in a short period.







"For us, it is very important to learn how South Korea achieved its goals, how South Korea secured its security, how South Korea created alliances," he said.







He added that both countries can supplement each other economically by having more South Korean companies, technology and skilled South Korean workers in Kazakhstan's market.







"[South] Korea has a lot of people who have knowledge and experience, but some of them cannot apply their expertise here due to lack of resources. Maybe we could provide it since we have a developing economy and we need the expertise to develop."







Chu Young-min, a lecturer at the Department of Central Asia Studies at HUFS and expert on Kazakhstan, also views the early elections in Kazakhstan positively in terms of the legitimacy of the regime being secured through a more democratic process, even though the new parties that entered parliament have similar leanings to the pro-government Amanat Party.







"President Tokayev outlined an ambitious plan to hold early parliamentary elections in addition to presidential elections so that Kazakhstan would have a new president, parliament and government ministries to run the country by mid-2023," Chu said during an interview with The Korea Times.







"Once the new system is in place, he will be able to steadily implement the reforms he envisions to build a 'new' Kazakhstan."







According to Chu, as Kazakhstan is likely to maintain an ambiguous stance in its relations with certain big powers due to geopolitical influence, South Korea can be a good diplomatic partner for Kazakhstan as a relatively low-risk, pragmatic option in the current situation.







"South Korea and Kazakhstan do not have a particular history of hostility or threats to each other and even within the Kazakh leadership, there seems to be a tendency to view South Korea as a pragmatic partner rather than a member of a certain faction," Chu explained.







"In addition, the image of South Korea in Kazakh society is currently favorable, especially among the younger generation, as the Korean wave has continued unabated and has had a significant impact on the creation of the Q-pop culture among Kazakhstan's youth."







She believes that the soft power of South Korea can bridge the two countries together to find more areas of cooperation.







"As the two countries have already confirmed their friendship, it is necessary to continue this atmosphere and identify more specific and feasible areas of cooperation. Especially utilizing South Korea's soft power influence in Kazakhstan to promote cultural exchanges that can lead to public support and provide a foundation for cooperation in various fields," Chu said.


Q1: Assuming the Texas Legislature provides a new framework for another Chapter 313-type program, what considerations should the district have toward giving tax breaks to relocating businesses?

Q2: In what ways can the school board hold the district accountable in meeting state academic requirements?

Q3: When significant discipline issues arise, parents and community members tend to say that discipline is a consistent issue in Beaumont ISD schools. Do you agree with that characterization? What is the school board's role in discipline on district campuses?

Q4: How can the community best partner with the school board to push Beaumont ISD forward?

Robert Dunn, Sr. (I)*

Age: 70

Occupation: United States Navy for 26 years, retired; Educator in Beaumont and Port Arthur ISDs for 15 years, retired

Highest Level of Education: Bachelor's in business administration from University of Arkansas Grantham

Volunteer work/other elected office(s):

Beaumont ISD At-Large trustee for one term

Previous President of the Charlton-Pollard High School Alumni Association

Member of the 100 Black Men of Greater Beaumont

A1: There were some in the community that were upset about giving tax breaks, but what most people don't understand is that if we don't do something similar to (Chapter 313), companies may not come here. We want companies to come here so they can bring jobs to the community so the community can grow. And it would help us out in BISD having families to settle down here and have their kids go to our schools. That's why we're working feverishly to get our schools under control, so people don't have any concerns about the children coming to school.

A2: One of our goals is to improve the academics in the district, and we have allowed them to use different curriculums to help with that matter. But on our part, we need to give the district themselves some help in being able to do that. Part of my vision as a board member is to get control of our classrooms. We are required to educate students, we're not required to raise them...We can't have teachers spending 50 to 60% of their instructional time trying to get control of a class. As a board, we need to help the district to get control of the classes.

A3: We have our own policies and procedures, but then we are also mandated by the state (that there are certain guidelines for dealing with student discipline) -- we have to give them the benefit of the doubt. What's going on in that child's life or what's causing them to behave like this? We have to go through all those different things first before you punish a child... The board can help with our policies and procedures. We also have our district police and public service officers, and we need those constant eyes on campuses to help us be able to do that.

A4: One of the things that I wanted to do was meet with the community and the parents before this next school year so we can all work in conjunction to help improve our district. This is not a BISD problem, this is a Beaumont city problem and we need to work together. I would like for the community, the parents and the school district to have a dialogue about what we can do to improve that.

Carl Lambeth, Jr.

Age: 31

Occupation: Owner of Safemove SETX

Highest Level of Education: Associate's degree from Lamar Institute of Technology

Volunteer work/other elected office(s):

Member of Rotary Club of Beaumont

Member of the Greater Beaumont Chamber of Commerce Leadership Beaumont program

Volunteers with Safemove SETX for Gift of Life and Ubi Caritas

A1: I'm all for cheaper taxes, especially on citizens. As a resident of Beaumont, I can definitely see how this can hinder certain families. So, I would like to work with the city and see what types of tax breaks are already in place before we decided to give other tax breaks in certain areas.

A2: I feel like mentorship is a really big deal in the school district, and what I would like to do is work with the behavioral interventionists that are already in place and possibly expand the budget to allow more people to work with these children, possibly two or three per campus instead of just one. A lot of parents receive their news through the internet and social media, so I would like to expand that and be able to work with the parents as well to see how we can help them out to raise their child's academic levels and grades.

A3: Me graduating (from West Brook) in 2010, I had a firsthand look at the situation. From what I (saw) when I was a child, it wasn't very bad. But recently, I've had a lot of parents reach out to me and tell me the things that are going on and I feel like we need to do more. Possibly once elected, (we could) try to find a school district that has already went through this problem and see what they did to remedy the situation. But I do believe that the kids that are acting out, they are seeking attention from somebody, maybe they're not getting it at their home.

A4: It seems like I've already started doing that with all these community events and block-walking just during this campaign. Everybody in the community wants to help and they have certain opinions and ideas on how to fix certain issues. It's not all about me -- I don't have a personal agenda. I love it when the community comes to me with certain solutions that maybe I wasn't able to think of. But (if elected, being) in a position that gets a vote and has some power at the board meetings, I would like to being these to the other board members.

Mikelle Patillo

Age: 27

Occupation: Instructor at Pathway Vocational Academy cosmetology school

Highest Level of Education: Associate's degree from Vista College

Volunteer work/other elected office(s):

Volunteer at Southeast Texas Food Bank

Volunteer at the Salvation Army

Tutor

A1: (It would) depend on the business, what type of business are they bringing in, will it help the city grow? Because we don't want to just give tax breaks to businesses just so they can have a business in the area and wouldn't (actually) benefit the people of that area.

A2: We can hold the district accountable by being more hands-on as far as (being) 'off our seats and on our feet.' We're asking the community for help, but we have to be the help that we want to see first. Any employee that isn't already on a campus, we should be able to come off of our seat and get into the field and help our children ourselves... Let's start putting in work...as far as getting the problem children, taking them to the side and helping them, seeing what issues they're having in school and assisting with that.

A3: I do believe that it is a school-wide issue -- I've actually seen it at several schools from working them. The board's position on that is that we need to offer that support from the top to the end of the line. As board members, we should be on one accord with the superintendent who should be on one accord with administration and on one accord with principals who will be on one accord with teachers so that we can establish a culture that lets the children know that you're not going to come here and do what you want to do and have your way.

A4: I think the community can best partner with the school board by coming to the meetings (and) staying informed. We can put out as much information as possible, but what good is the information is nobody's going to act on it? So, if we're inviting you to our campuses, inviting you to spend time with your children and inviting you to board meetings and being as transparent as possible, (the community) could be more involved.

Denise Wallace-Spooner (I)*

Age: 65

Occupation: Retired educator

Highest Level of Education: Master's degree in educational administration from Prairie View A&M University

Volunteer work/other elected office(s):

Beaumont ISD At-Large Trustee for two terms

Member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority

Lifelong member of the NAACP

A1: I am pro giving businesses a tax break, but I would like for the Legislature to take a closer look at the beneficial aspects that taxes bring to the school district. Because we operate, of course, on that base and to move forward and do an exceptional job in educating our students here in Texas, we need the funding. So, there should be an equilibrium that is looked at.

A2: We can make sure that the programs and academic systems that are set in place are followed through on, especially with being help accountable with the A through F rating. We want all of our campuses to have at least a rating that is sufficient for all communities. We definitely should make sure that all of our programs are consistent, that there are levels of passing for each campus.

A3: We should always take an active role, especially with what we have in place to make sure that all of our departments are consistent with handling our district issues. Presently, we have a threat assessment team, individuals that come in and monitor immediately the threats of violence, self-harm and criminal behavior. With that, members of this team have been trained...As a board, we should definitely stay in sync with these entities, make sure that training occurs all the time so that we can ward off discipline issues that our district and other districts across the nation (are seeing).

A4: We have an ambassadors program in our district that was formed by the Friends of Texas Public School. In doing this right now, we have community members, staff members that include teachers and paraprofessionals, that are accountable through training we have implemented to put out the positive things and also assist with the things that are negative in our district. That is one the most current things we have in place that is working well for the district, that is helping to push and keep the message current.

*(I) denotes incumbent trustee.

Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Khaichuin Sim/Getty Images

Live roosters commonly used in cockfighting have been smuggled across the Laredo Port of Entry in recent weeks, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

"On two separate occasions in recent weeks, Custom Border Patrol officers and agriculture specialists made an unusual discovery, roosters deeply hidden within passenger vehicles," Port Director Alberto Flores, with the Laredo Port of Entry said in a press release.
Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht delivers sobering warning in biennial address

When an elected official has served in office as long and with as much distinction as Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, the public ought to listen to what he has to say.

Kudos to Hecht, who first became a judge 42 years ago, for delivering a sobering but important message earlier this month in his biennial State of the Judiciary address before members of all three branches of state government.

Partisan politics, he lamented, has worked its way into the judiciary in alarming ways, and threatens to undermine the sanctity of judicial independence.

After speaking for more than 30 minutes about the effects of COVID-19 and other matters facing Texas courts, Hecht paused and sighed before ending his remarks.

And I must add this, he said. I grow concerned that political divisions among us threaten the judicial independence essential to the rule of law.

Lawmakers and other elected officials of both parties put pressure on judges to take sides beyond the fair interpretation of the law. Some unfortunately do. The election of an openly partisan Democratic candidate to the Wisconsin Supreme Court the night before his address highlighted his concern, Hecht said.

The election of the judge is hailed or decried as a political event, not a judicial one, he said. It will not be a one-off. It will be on both sides.

The truth is that it already is.

Hecht, a Republican first appointed to the judiciary in 1981 by Gov. Bill Clements, stopped short of naming any specific Texas judge who had crossed the line into partisanship.

But there can be little doubt that in todays high-voltage political climate some have let their personal views contaminate rulings.

Just two days after Hecht delivered his remarks in Austin, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee in Amarillo, suspended the Food and Drug Administrations initial authorization back in 2000 of the widely used abortion drug mifepristone.

Minutes later, U.S. District Judge Thomas Rice, an Obama appointee in Washington state, issued a conflicting ruling barring the FDA from altering the status quo of the drug. Late Wednesday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals partially granted and rejected the federal governments emergency request to put on hold Kacsmaryks ruling.

When judicial accountability is measured by whether a judge decides cases the way people like, the way some people like, and what they like is different from what the law is, the pressure is on the judge to surrender independence, and the law to popular will, Hecht said. We should oppose it in every form at all costs.

We agree and urge lawmakers to take notice of Hechts concerns. Too often legislators, especially in Congress, shirk their responsibility to enact clear legislation or face difficult social questions, leaving the courts to establish law instead of interpreting it.

All judges in courts both low and high should be free from and reject the ugly partisan politics that have sadly sown such public distrust. We thank Hecht for the reminder.
Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare, which reported net income of $1.36 billion for the first quarter of 2023, is looking at land acquisition as a key part of its growth plan, Sam Hazen, CEO of the 180-hospital system, told analysts April 21.

"We own land in Austin, Dallas and are purchasing land in Las Vegas and Salt Lake City, and some Florida markets," Mr. Hazen said. "Our communities are growing; we are in great markets with great growth prospects."

The need for such land and subsequent hospital facilities is vital to try and match capacity constraints as well as increased patient demand, Mr. Hazen said. There is an approximate average of 74 percent of occupancy across the entire HCA network, he said.

The hospital operator, which is also building two new hospitals in San Antonio, said its contract labor numbers were down 21 percent on the year and much of the savings there will be channeled back into the network's permanent workforce.

HCA Healthcare is looking at $4.6 billion of capital expenditure in 2023 to meet such growing demand, CFO Bill Rutherford said.
Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network has named presidents to two of its Pennsylvania hospitals.

Mark Rubino, MD, has been tapped for president of Allegheny Valley Hospital in Natrona Heights, according to an April 21 news release shared with Becker's. He currently serves as president of Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, Pa. He will serve the health system in a dual capacity, continuing to lead Forbes Hospital when he assumes his new role at Allegheny Valley Hospital. The two hospitals will remain separate entities, yet become strategically linked.

Christopher Clark, DO, was named president of AHN Grove City Hospital. Similarly, he currently leads AHN Saint Vincent Hospital in Erie, Pa., and AHN Westfield (N.Y.) Memorial Hospital. He will continue to do so when he takes the helm at AHN Grove City, and three hospitals will be linked under a single management structure.



The changes go into effect May 7, pending approval from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Sacramento, Calif.-based Sutter Health has named Dominic Nakis the system's interim CFO as it searches for a permanent CFO over the next 12 to 18 months.

Before accepting his new role, Mr. Nakis served as CFO at Milwaukee-based Advocate Aurora Health.

Mr. Nakis will join the health system May 15 and partner with current CFO Brian Dean until Mr. Dean leaves July 1, according to an April 21 Sutter news release provided to Becker's.

"Dominic comes to Sutter with more than three decades of financial and leadership experience in the healthcare industry," Warner Thomas, Sutter Health president and CEO, said in the release. "I am pleased we will have Dominic's expertise to lead our financial operations and strategic perspective to support the organization's goals of increasing access for our patients through ambulatory expansion plans and other investments."
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For inspiration on what to invest in, David Sylvan, president of University Hospitals Ventures, looks to his children.

"The generation now  my kids' generation  wants their relationship with a care provider to be primarily digital, and perhaps somewhat impersonal, and we better lean into that," he told Becker's. "We better understand what hospital-at-home really means from a comprehensive delivery standpoint."

Mr. Sylvan has led the venture capital arm of Cleveland-based University Hospitals since 2020, overseeing the investment and innovation organization during the boom and (now) bust times for digital health. He's had to adjust.

"I prefer a little bit of rationality. We've all lived through periods where valuations made no sense at all," he said. "It's an opportunity for the money to come off the coasts, to look for those hidden gems in the flyover states and in areas that are 'underserved' from a capital velocity standpoint. Our pipeline is full. We're in an enviable position  'we' the industry  where we can now be a little bit more discreet when it comes to where we want to place bets."

His organization has been relocating portfolio companies from such places as Brazil and the United Kingdom to his "flyover" state so they can be nearer to University Hospitals.

University Hospitals Ventures has been focusing on diagnostics, decision support tools, digital therapeutics, femtech and women-founded entities, and other startups that serve underserved patients.

Mr. Sylvan is grateful for the support University Hospitals has shown for its venture arm. He said the "behemoths have been doing this for ages: the Ascensions, the Providences, Cleveland Clinic, the Johns Hopkinses."

"Middle-market" systems like his "either have a guy or girl with innovation somewhere on their business card, but they have a day job, and they usually don't make any traction gaining any traction" or a platform like University Hospitals Ventures, he said.

"There needs to be patience because the return horizons on these are painfully long  five, seven, 10 years to start to see returns," he said. "But you're also impacting culture. You're impacting your research machinery. You're attracting tools, technologies, companies into your space that are going to impact patient experience, the clinician experience, outcomes, efficiencies, etc. You have a dual-fold lens on return."

University Hospitals Ventures, which has a staff of 18, often partners with similarly sized health system venture capital arms on investments.

Mr. Sylvan, who joined University Hospitals in 2015 after a long career in finance, also appreciates the institutional backing at a time when some other health systems have disbanded their venture capital arms. He calls that a "doomsday move." "The desire to one day re-fire that machine is not trivial," he said. "You've also impacted the culture of your organization by virtue of the signal that you send."

He foresees artificial intelligence continuing to be a huge focus for the industry moving forward, with AI ethics becoming its own "cottage industry."

"Technology is going to continue to disrupt and disintermediate. I think the bricks-and-mortar model is gone. I think remote work is here to stay. We've got to recalibrate the spectrum when it comes to the cost of labor," he said.

"Consumers have choice now. Our patients are consumers. They do have choice. They're surrounded by hospitals. They can just drive to the next one. So we've got to continue to understand, from the vantage point of the user, how they want to be treated. And those who don't address that or don't lean into that meaningfully probably face a bit of an existential crisis."
Shortages in healthcare have long existed. And while some signs may point to easing labor pressures for hospitals, many professionals in the field are living a different story.

A March report from Altarum indicated that healthcare employment had rebounded to pre-pandemic levels. The healthcare industry currently has 1.3 percent more jobs than it did in February 2020. But in March, healthcare only gained 33,900 jobs, down from the average monthly gain of 54,000 over the prior six months, according to the latest jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Some heralded the data as the end of the labor shortage; those with boots on the ground were wary of conclusions.

One thing is certain: Healthcare is still short on the labor it needs, and those shortages remain unprecedented.

"This is unlike anything I've seen," Mark Smith, vice president of workforce strategy and analytics at Renton, Wash.-based Providence, told Becker's.

Becker's spoke with six industry executives across five health systems to understand how there can be more healthcare workers than there were in 2020, yet not enough for 2023.





Reason 1: Employment isn't growing proportionally across specialties

Although employment is growing across the overall healthcare sector, some specialties are still hurting. Hospital employment is near pre-pandemic levels and ambulatory is well above, but nursing and residential care remain 270,000 jobs below their 2020 average, according to Altarum's report.

"What we saw was really strong growth in the ASC areas with a lag in skilled nursing and in our acute ministries," Mr. Smith said.

Lagging workforce growth in residential care also impacts the hospital setting.

"It makes it a challenge to provide care because you are going to care for patients in the acute care setting longer," Mr. Smith said. "And it really backs up across the continuum, all the way back to having the ability to perform surgeries. You can't perform a surgery without knowing that you can place a patient post-surgery."





Reason 2: The generational gap

Many workers leaving the healthcare industry are tenured baby boomers and Gen Xers who took an early retirement around the beginning of the pandemic. This creates a skill gap between the workers coming in and the workers heading out, according to Max Buetow, president and CEO of Springfield, Mo.-based CoxHealth.

"If you have a nurse or technician or someone who's working in our human resources department and has 10, 20 years of experience, it's hard to expect someone who's a new entrant into the workforce to be as efficient in the way they provide career services as someone with that much experience," he explained.

Mr. Buetow added that "because the head count may be the same, it doesn't necessarily mean that they're able to contribute in the exact same way. So, it's exciting to have new people. There's new passion coming back into the workforce. But, as we start to see baby boomers retire, they were providing a huge amount of value to our organizations, and it'll just take us some time to continue to train up our current workforce."





Reason 3: The new gig workforce brings challenges

Several systems are rolling out flexible work options to help attract new  and young  healthcare talent. But a learning curve has accompanied the gig workforce, according to leaders from Chesterfield, Mo.-based Mercy.

Mercy partnered with Trusted Health to become a pioneer in the space, rolling out an app that would allow nurses in the health system and surrounding area to pick up gig shifts. Although the initiative has been successful (and added 2,000 gig nurses to Mercy's pool), it isn't filling the deficit left behind by the full-time core in every case, according to Kayla Drady, Mercy's executive director of talent acquisition strategy and operations.

"It's going to take more hearts, more humans, to fill the shift and complete the work in totality than before," said Cynthia Mercer, PhD, the system's chief administrative officer.

Mercy is working to calibrate the layers of its workforce just right, so everyone can work at the top of their license and exercise their skills to their full potential. This can help fill the gaps, according to Dr. Mercer and Ms. Drady.





Reason 4: Demand for services has risen

Healthcare has changed since the pandemic; there is more demand for services and higher levels of care are required, according to industry leaders.

"That [demand] could be as a result of delayed care during the pandemic," said Mr. Buetow, with CoxHealth. "I think there could [also] be opportunities where certain health systems are seeing shifts in market share as patients are moving around in populations. But across the board, I do think there's a situation where we're seeing an increase in demand for healthcare services."

This issue has shown up at Providence, too, according to Mr. Smith. It might nullify pre-pandemic comparisons.

"In our acute care settings, we're seeing higher acuity and longer length of stay," Mr. Smith said. "So while we might see pre-pandemic employment levels, we are seeing different types of patients than we saw before. I'm not sure that the numbers really can account for that level of acuity or the length of stay that we're experiencing right now."

An aging population also requires more caregivers, according to Gay Landstrom, PhD, RN, chief nursing officer of Livonia, Mich.-based Trinity Health.

"The need for a larger healthcare workforce will continue to increase as our population ages," said Dr. Landstrom. "The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 16.8 percent of the population was 65 or older in 2021, and predicts that number will grow to 21 percent in 2030."





Reason 5: Burnout and turnover

"Over the past two years, approximately 100,000 registered nurses left the workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic due to stress, burnout and retirement," Dr. Landstrom noted. "Another 610,388 RNs reported an 'intent to leave' the workforce by 2027, according to the latest NCSBN research."

"Although nurses and other clinicians may retain their licenses, it does not mean they are willing to work in patient care," she said.

Jim Benedict, president of Pittsburgh-based Allegheny Health Network, also pointed to high turnover. At Allegheny, a 14-hospital system with about 22,000 employees, turnover rates are higher than pre-pandemic and are more acute among the hardest-to-fill positions. The health system's current turnover rate is above 20 percent, and its goal is 10 percent to 15 percent.

"We've got to get the joy back into the practice," Mr. Benedict told Becker's. "We do a tremendous amount of work around our wellness strategies, and we have good wellness scores. But, with the environmental issues that our caregivers face every day, we have got to find ways collectively as an industry and, quite frankly, as a country, to make sure that this is an attractive place to exercise people's vocations. They're healers, and we've got to make sure that they're in an environment where they can heal."

To help with this, he said Allegheny Health Network is examining workloads and looking at how to reduce administrative work for bedside nurses.

He said the health system is also doing work with virtual nursing, particularly around admissions and discharges. Additionally, Allegheny is focused on building a pipeline of workers through involvement with high schools and seeking ways to engage with community members about healthcare careers.




President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, April 18. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon





President Yoon Suk Yeol ordered the swift deployment of an anti-piracy naval unit to waters off Sudan, Saturday, to protect South Korean nationals, his spokesperson said.







Yoon made the order after he was briefed on the current fighting in Khartoum between the military and a rival paramilitary force, Lee Do-woon said in a written press briefing. The 304-strong Cheonghae Unit is currently docked at the Port of Salalah in Oman.







Earlier in the day, the presidential office held a meeting, chaired by deputy national security adviser Lim Jong-deuk, with the relevant ministries on Sudan's conflict.







On Friday, a South Korean C-130J transport plane, carrying some 50 personnel, including security and medical staff, was dispatched to evacuate Korean nationals in Sudan. (Yonhap)


Rudd was super nice according to fans at the pub (@UpTheTownShow/Twitter)

Movie star Paul Rudd has been spotted in a pub in Wrexham ahead of a crunch match for the citys Hollywood-owned football club.

Images shared on social media showed the Ant-Man star drinking beer and singing songs with Wrexham AFC fans at the Turf next to the towns Racecourse Ground before the clubs pivotal National League game against Boreham Wood on Saturday afternoon.

Rudd drank beer and sang songs in the Turf (@UpTheTownShow/Twitter)

Victory would secure promotion to League Two for the Welsh club, who have attracted worldwide attention since their takeover by Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

Paul Novielli, a fan from Kentucky in the US on his fourth trip to Wrexham, took a selfie with Rudd and Sandy, a fan from Canada, at the Turf and described the actor as super nice.

(I) just said hi, can you take a picture he said yea I asked if hes having a good time and he said amazing, the 37-year-old told the PA news agency.

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Mr Novielli, who runs a podcast called Up The Town dedicated to Wrexham AFC, said Rudd joined in with songs including Super Paul Mullin and Allez Allez Allez at the pub as he shared drinks with fans.

He sat with (the owner) Wayne (Jones) from the Turf for a bit and did some sing songs, Mr Novielle added.

(He) engaged with a lot of people, took pictures  he was super nice.
Monica McWilliams visited several displacement camps in Bentiu, South Sudan, which are home to more than 100,000 people forced from their homes by severe flooding and conflict and unrest

I have met many young women like Veronica in my lifetime who have become my constant source of hope and inspiration. Through all the years of turmoil in Northern Ireland, it was the courage, determination, and intelligence (both emotional and intellectual) of countless Veronicas that provided the bedrock upon which future peace and prosperity could be built.

Veronica Nyajani Youhanes Magnok works for Concern Worldwide. Her home and place of work is a crowded displacement camp in a very remote part of the worlds youngest nation, South Sudan. This place is not just geographically remote, it also very, very far from the consciousness of the wider world.

Over the past decade, Bentiu camp has become like a small city, home to over 100,000 people seeking shelter from the violence and persecution of civil war. The majority of its residents are women and children  thousands of kids have never known any other home. Although a peace agreement has officially been in place since 2018, most are still afraid to leave.

Monica McWilliams visiting a displacement camp in Bentiu with the Concern team. Photo: Leek Gatdiet Riak/Concern Worldwide   Leek Gatdiet Riak/Concern Worldw

Ironically, even if it were safe to leave, Bentiu remains their home in exile for entirely different reasons. Relentless and unprecedented rainfall in the Great Lakes region of Africa has resulted in two-thirds of South Sudan being submerged by catastrophic flooding for the past four years. Its not something youll see on the nightly news, despite the devastating consequences. The camp, surrounded by earthen levees, is effectively an island.

Life here is very tough. People live in basic shelters and are almost entirely reliant on outside help for supplies. Child malnutrition is a big problem and risks to health include malaria, diarrhoeal disease, hepatitis E, cholera, typhoid fever, trachoma, and skin infections.

Logistical difficulties and chronic underfunding mean food has to be rationed by the UN agencies and fuel for cooking is hard to come by.

So wheres the hope in all this? Well, look no further than Veronica for evidence that all is not as grim as it seems. Young, full of good ideas, and really smart, she radiates energy and enthusiasm. She tells me of the good fortune that came her way as a young woman, being sent to university in Uganda at a time when the education system in her own country was barely functional. She trained as a social worker and then did the thing that so many others in her position would not. Veronica returned to South Sudan.

Monica McWilliams and Veronica in South Sudan

Today, shes at the heart of a Concern team providing some of the essential services that keep communities in this part of South Sudan afloat, including those in Bentiu camp. I sit with mothers as they line up outside Concern nutrition clinics, listening to their stories of challenge and survival. Inside, their children will be weighed and assessed, with their moms being shown how to deal with malnutrition and given the supplies they need to do so.

Theres midwifery and antenatal care. There are sanitation services and hygiene education sessions. There are gender and social protection activities. There are continuous evaluations to see where they can improve on whats being provided, whats changed, what progress is being made, and wheres the money is best spent. Theres even a complaints mechanism!

Much of this work is being carried out by young South Sudanese professionals like Veronica, backed up by outside expertise and local volunteers. They are the ones who are keeping things going, as this fledgling nation struggles to find its feet. They are the ones who are showing real leadership in the struggle for a better future for their nation.

But they cant do it alone. They need help, just as we needed support from others during the peace process in Northern Ireland. In Veronicas words, With all the conflict going in the world, South Sudan could easily be forgotten.

Monica McWilliams visiting a displacement camp in Bentiu with the Concern team. Photo: Leek Gatdiet Riak/Concern Worldwide   Leek Gatdiet Riak/Concern Worldw

Those with the power to drive democratic, social, and economic development in South Sudan, both domestically and internationally, need to use that power urgently and wisely. Squandering the opportunity to foster a peaceful and prosperous new member of the international community will only result in a future generation of restive and disaffected young people. That has happened too often elsewhere, when a peace dividend does not result in the very basics for vulnerable people and communities.

As we ourselves transition from being a conflicted society, with our own traumatising experience of violent conflict and ethnic and religious differences, I firmly believe that all of us have a historical imperative to support workers like Veronica, organisations like Concern, and countries like South Sudan.

Monica McWilliams is a human rights champion, peace campaigner and signatory of the Good Friday Agreement. She travelled to South Sudan with Concern Worldwide. For more details of Concerns work visit www.concern.org uk
Archbishop Eamon Martin has spoken about experiences of the priesthood during the Troubles and how he was very torn over what to say after Martin McGuinness died.

In an in-depth interview with The Irish Times, he said priests were caught in the middle of the conflict.

On October 28, 1969, while Bishop of Derry Edward Daly was attending the Birmingham Six trial in the UK, two IRA men  Eddie McSheffrey (29) and Paddy Deery (31)  were killed by their own car bomb.

Bishop Daly had banned all republican funerals after shots were fired over a coffin in the grounds of Long Tower Church that spring, but the IRA insisted the funerals of the two men would take place in St Eugenes Cathedral.

Just two months in St Eugenes by then, Archbishop Martin remembers how talks between Bishop Daly and Mr McGuinness went down to the wire, with the bishop agreeing that the coffins would be allowed into the church, under protest.

Archbishop Martin was sent to say the prayers at McSheffreys home at his Tricolour-draped coffin with two men in paramilitary uniform standing in a guard of honour.

He told the Irish Times: You could see out the window, police and Army keeping guard, while inside guns and everything and a guard of honour. I said the rosary, last decade in Irish.

Later, a new stand-off occurred when the police and military insisted on flanking the coffins on the way to the graveyard, with the IRA saying no.

An agreement was reached where the police would go in front, following two priests, including Archbishop Martin, followed by the coffins and pallbearers and family and, then, the rest of the mourners.

Soon, however, the pallbearers were changed, and then again every 100 yards putting more and more distance between them and the police: The further up the road we went, the further the police were getting behind, he says.

Halfway up the road, scores of umbrellas were unfurled and a volley of shots were fired over the coffins, while mourners scattered in all directions under the IRAs instruction and the RUC batoned people. Everything descended into chaos.

The coffins fell on the ground, before there was a very quick burial, recalled Archbishop Martin.

Afterwards, Daly and McGuinness reached a compromise, where no shots would be fired inside church grounds during IRA funerals.

Archbishop Martin was always aware of McGuinness growing up, who was seen by all us teenagers as in charge.

By 1987-1988, he was involved in politics, regularly attending Mass in Irish at Nazareth House said by the man who would later become archbishop.

I believe that later in his life he became a strong practitioner of his faith, the archbishop said.

Later, Archbishop Martin, who was president at St Columbs College from 2000 to 2008, dealt with McGuinness as Stormonts education minister, a role in which he was well thought of by a lot of people.

The archbishop remembers being very torn when McGuinness died: I wanted to say something but I remember being quite torn as to how to say  to pay tribute to his peacemaking  and thats in the end what I did.

I would say he played a leading role in bringing the IRA away from the bomb and the bullet, which has to be laudable. I found it very, very difficult to praise anything done during his years in active service, if you want to use that term.
Philip Kay (left) and Jill Latimer (wife of Neil Latimer) hold a banner in support of Mr Latimer, outside PSNI Headquarters at Knock in Belfast. Credit: Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX    Liam McBurney/RAZORPIX

Former UDR man Neil Latimer was one of four men charged with the murder of Adrian Carroll in 1983

A former UDR soldier convicted over the sectarian murder of Catholic man in Armagh has vowed to continue fighting to clear his name until the day he dies as he criticised unionist politicians for a lack of support.

Neil Latimer was one of four UDR members convicted in 1986 over the murder of 24-year-old Adrian Carroll, who was shot dead in an alleyway in Armagh's Abbey Street area as he returned home from work in November 1983.

Mr Carroll was the brother of Sinn Fein councillor Tommy Carroll.

His murder was claimed by the Protestant Action Force, a cover name used during the Troubles by the UVF.

The UDR soldiers convicted over the killing were part of a patrol in the area at the time. They became known as the UDR Four.

The murder occurred less than a year after the victim's brother, Roddy Carroll, was shot dead along with another man by an undercover RUC unit in Armagh.

The pair, who were members of the INLA, were unarmed when the shooting took place in the town's Mullacreevie Park, Armagh.

The Carroll family maintained the men were victims of a shoot-to-kill" policy.

Tommy Carroll, a founding member of campaign group Relatives for Justice, died last year.

Three of the men had their convictions overturned at the Court of Appeal in 1993 after it was ruled police interview notes from the investigation had been rewritten.

Latimer served 14 years in prison before being released in 1997, and made legal history in 2001 when his case became the first in Northern Ireland to be referred three times for appeal.

The appeal was once again lost in 2004, with Court of Appeal judges ruling his conviction was safe.

The former soldiers wife Jill and friend Philip Kay protested against the conviction at the PSNI's east Belfast HQ on Saturday, holding a banner that read UDR4 Soldier Betrayed by British Government & RUC corruption.

Latimer told the Belfast Telegraph he couldnt attend the protest himself because hes had that many death threats he thought it was best not to.

He said: The real reason for the protest was to make people aware, especially politicians, because for some reason or another politicians wont touch it with a barge pole  that's all unionist parties.

I have been to most of them over the years and they um and ah and they make promises.

He claimed certain unionist politicians dont want to know.

People that should be helping, because everybody out there knows I didnt do it. Theres absolutely no doubt about that.

We were told that politicians were advised by authorities that this case is never to see the light of day again, dont have anything to do with it.

He believes it was a set-up with various organisations and individuals playing a part to get the heat off the RUC because of a shoot to kill policy at the time.

Latimer continued: Since I was released clearing my name has been the main thing in my life. Its 40 years this year. I cant walk away from it. I cant let them get away with it.

They think they can haul everyone they want and make them make statements and thats it, job done.

Ive had various people read over my papers from the start and theyve all said the same thing, no way, this is ridiculous, this is a farce.

I will take this fight to my grave and whoever is coming after me will take it up then. Its not going to be forgotten about.
A man (57) has been arrested under the Terrorism Act in Gortnamona, west Belfast on Saturday.

His arrest was part of an ongoing investigation into the activities of the New IRA.

PSNI Detective Inspector Woods said: A 57-year-old man was arrested under the Terrorism Act following the search of a house in the Gortnamona area as part of an ongoing investigation into the activities of the New IRA.

He has been taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite where he is being questioned by detectives.
Bill and Hillary Clinton, George Mitchell and Bertie Ahern who were among the speakers at Queen's University Belfast to mark 25 years since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

The Good Friday Agreement has utterly changed life in Northern Ireland for the better but a lot still needs to be done, according to former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

In an exclusive interview with Ryan Tubridy on RTE Ones The Late Late Show on Friday night, the former First Lady and US presidential candidate said much has changed since her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, helped broker the peace deal 25 years ago.

I got to see and play a very small role in how it changed from a violent, frightening place that stunted peoples lives and forced a lot of people to leave to be able to pursue their futures, to a place that is so much more open and welcoming. Its exciting, she said.

But Ms Clinton, who is now the Chancellor at Queens University Belfast, said there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

She said the sectarian murals that remain in parts of Belfast are a series of reminders of how hard it is to get to peace, how brave people have to be to take risks for peace.

The Good Friday Agreementwas the beginning of the hard work, she said.

A lot of the animosity that existed has not disappeared but it has diminished enough so that people are living and working without the kind of fear they used to have.

However, there is a lot of deprivation that cuts across both communities. Its not one community thats free of economic insecurity, both communities are. The education systems are still separate, she said, adding its only when they attend third-level college or university that students from both sides of the political/religious divide actually study together.

So there is still a lot of work to be done.

On a lighter note, she revealed she is a huge fan of the hit comedy series Derry Girls in which their daughter Chelsea made a cameo appearance.

I thought the Derry Girls was so brilliant and I really appreciated the incredible story-telling that was both rooted in teenagers lives, but more than that, rooted in the peace process and what it meant to those teenagers.
Voters changing parties for council elections may not be new, but it gives some cause for concern
Barry Humphries after he received his OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) from the Queen at Buckingham Palace, London (Steve Parsons/PA)   Steve Parsons

Rob Brydon, Ricky Gervais, Matt Lucas and Dara O Briain were among the famous comedians remembering true great Barry Humphries following his death aged 89.

The stage and screen veteran, best known for his comic character Dame Edna Everage, died at St Vincents Hospital in Sydney Australia on Saturday night (11am GMT).

Humphries became a staple of the British comedy circuit after moving from Australia to London in 1959 and appearing in West End shows such as Maggie May and Oliver!

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During his seven-decade career he also appeared as the lecherous Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, an elderly, childless man living in the suburbs.

His death came following a readmission to hospital after suffering complications following hip surgery last month.

Comedian Brydon, a friend of Humphries, said he was with the Australian entertainer just three days ago when he was, as ever, making me laugh.

RIP Barry Humphries. A true great who inspired me immeasurably, Brydon tweeted.

It was a delight to call him my friend. Ive been in Australia and was with him only three days ago. He was, as ever, making me laugh. His talent shone until the very end.

Dame Esther Rantzen said the world is just that bit sadder following the death of her friend.

She told the PA news agency: Im very sad. I think weve lost a source of so much fun and someone I have worked with since the mid-1960s and liked and admired so much.

My memory of Dame Edna Everage goes back to when she was a mere Mrs, she was even then a superstar.

She was dressed by BBCs rather frumpy stock wardrobe but, of course, she turned into a butterfly and obviously achieved damehood.

She influenced me greatly. When I was lucky enough to be honoured with damehood, I was very frequently introduced as Dame Edna because it became a phrase which came naturally, and I was thrilled.

Barry was cultured and clever and a voracious reader and all the things that Sir Les Patterson not. A great creative artist.

Dame Esther said the world is just that bit sadder following the death of Humphries (Kirsty OConnor/PA)   Kirsty OConnor

Dame Esther recalled going backstage after one of Dame Ednas shows and talking to her manager about how brilliant it was that she went swooping right up to the ceiling of the theatre.

She told PA: (The manager) said the interesting thing was that Barry couldnt stand heights, so couldnt rehearse that, but Dame Edna had no fear and got straight into the machinery and had to be persuaded to wear a safety harness to keep her safe.

It was the most wonderful transformation, Dame Esther added.

Actor Gervais and impressionist Rory Bremner said Humphries was a comedy genius and an all-time great.

Farewell, Barry Humphries, you Comedy genius, Gervais tweeted.

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Bremner wrote: Heavens. With the passing of #barryhumphries we lose an all-time great.

Lightning quick, subversive, mischievous, widely read, deeply knowledgeable about art, music & literature- & savagely funny.

Dame Edna arguably the greatest comic persona ever. Les Patterson too. True genius.

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Little Britain star Lucas, who shared a picture of the pair together, described Humphries as quite simply the greatest.

He wrote: I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us.

Meanwhile, former Mock The Week host O Briain described Humphries as one of the absolute funniest people ever.

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Other tributes came from Australia, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese who described Humphries as the brightest star in a galaxy of personas.

For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone, Mr Albanese tweeted.

But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry.

A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace.

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Last Leg host Adam Hills said it was appropriate Barry Humphries took his final bow on a Saturday night.

RIP Barry Humphries. One of the greatest comedians of our time, the Australian tweeted.

He was nothing but an utter gentleman to me, and occasionally a Dame. Appropriately, he took his final bow on a Saturday night.

Comedian Jimmy Carr, who is on tour in Australia, tweeted: A bit bittersweet doing gigs in Australia this evening, Barry Humphries has past and no one will ever be as good at crowd work again.

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Australian actor Jason Donovan also posted a picture of himself as a young man posing with Humphries dressed as Dame Edna, tweeting: Australia has lost one of its greatest.

Funny, literate and fiercely intelligent. Barry Humphries was quite simply an entertaining genius. The characters he created brought laughter to millions.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson, who edited the Spectator magazine to which Humphries contributed, said the 89-year-old was one of the greatest ever Australians.

RIP Barry Humphries  one of the greatest ever Australians  and a comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, to say the otherwise unsayable, he tweeted.

Also an infallibly brilliant Spectator contributor. What a loss.

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Episodes from Barry Humphries hugely popular BBC Radio 2 series Forgotten Music Masterpieces will be played in tribute to the late entertainer, the broadcaster confirmed.

Laura Busson, commissioning executive for Radio 2, said: Everyone at Radio 2 is saddened to hear of the passing of Barry Humphries.

His six Radio 2 series of Barry Humphries Forgotten Music Masterpieces were hugely popular with our audience, and we will publish some of these programmes on BBC Sounds today for listeners to enjoy, in tribute to Barry.
A C-130J transport plane, carrying 50 personnel, including security and medical staff, leaves for Djibouti, April 21, as the airport in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum is currently closed. Yonhap



A military aircraft on a mission to evacuate Korean nationals in war-torn Sudan arrived at a U.S. base in nearby Djibouti, Saturday, according to the defense ministry.



The C-130J transport plane, carrying 50 personnel, including security and medical staff, left for Djibouti the previous day, as the airport in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum is currently closed.



The evacuation plan came as the fighting between rival forces in the African nation has been intensifying recently. The total number of Koreans in Sudan is estimated at 29.






Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva shakes hand with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa next to Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva, at the Belem presidential palace in Lisbon (Armando Franca/AP/PA)   Armando Franca

Portugals president welcomed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit on Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Mr Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon.

Portugal is home to more than 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

During his first joint press conference with Mr Sousa, Mr Lula avoided feeding the controversy regarding his recent comments about Western military aid fuelling Ukraine and Russias conflict.

Brazilian President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, left, greet each other as they meet for the Portugal-Brazil forum at the Belem Cultural Centre in Lisbon (Armando Franca/AP/PA)   Armando Franca

My country took the decision long ago to condemn Russia for the occupation of the space and violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the first days, and we have voted in the UN in this regard, he said.

The Brazilian leader reiterated his proposal that a group of nations including Brazil mediate a peaceful resolution to the war.

I never equalled both countries, because I know what an invasion is and what territorial integrity is, he said.

And all of us think Russia is wrong and we already condemned it in every UN decision.

The trip is Mr Lulas first to a European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October.

While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration.

Mr Lula, centre left, and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, centre right, during the Portugal-Brazil forum (Armando Franca/AP/PA)   Armando Franca

The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016 when Michel Temer was Brazils president, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip.

The event will be the setting for the signing of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Mr Lulas itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honour renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraers factory near Lisbon.
It was the experience of a lifetime, say pair who got around in tuk-tuk

Jonney Tohall (left) from Newtownabbey and Ryan Lewis (right) from Carrickfergus raised over 7,000 for the Air Ambualnce NI charity by travelling around India in a rickshaw.

Jonney Tohall from Newtownabbey and Ryan Lewis from Carrickfergus with their rickshaw

Two friends from Co Antrim who travelled over 1,500 miles through India in a glorified lawnmower are encouraging everyone to do something weird or wonderful to raise funds for Air Ambulance NI.

Jonney Tohall from Newtownabbey, and Ryan Lewis from Carrickfergus, spent six weeks travelling around the country in a seven horsepower motorised rickshaw.

They navigated the three-wheeled tuk-tuk along unfinished roads, passing through villages, jungles and even desert as they made their way from Jaisalmer in the north to Fort Kochi in the south.

Mr Tohall said the adventure proved to be more than interesting.

He added: So many people said we were a bit mad, but it didnt put us off. We lost count of how many times our rickshaw broke down but we held onto the fact that it was all for a good cause and it was the experience of a lifetime.

The local people were so helpful and we were welcomed into their communities and shared in the culture.

We have memories to last a lifetime and are already thinking about what our next weird and wonderful challenge could be.

Jonney Tohall (left) from Newtownabbey and Ryan Lewis (right) from Carrickfergus raised over 7,000 for the Air Ambualnce NI charity by travelling around India in a rickshaw.

Their fundraising bid was initially delayed due to the pandemic.

India experienced two huge waves of Covid in 2020 and 2021, and despite low infection levels last year, was put on high alert in December following a surge in neighbouring China.

But team Second to Naan was given the go-ahead to complete their mission earlier this year and the pair were determined to raise cash for the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS).

The pals managed to raise 7,333.54 for the charity which is tasked to the scene of critically-ill or injured patients an average of twice a day.

It is provided through a partnership between Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Air Ambulance NI.

Head of fundraising Kerry Anderson hailed what she described as certainly one of the most unusual fundraisers in aid of our charity.

It was fantastic to meet Jonney and Ryan and hear a little about their travels, she said.

They are determined, resilient characters up for a bit of fun and the fundraising efforts are truly incredible. The funds raised will help the medical team lift off by helicopter to reach future patients, wherever that may be in Northern Ireland.

This is very much a service that no one wishes to need but is there for every one of us.

Thank you from our charity team for your efforts and to everyone who donated.

The HEMS is expected to experience a surge in call-outs over spring and summer, which has prompted the charity to appeal for continued support.

Whether you choose to take on an extreme challenge like Jonney and Ryan or something more down to earth, all support will help, Ms Anderson said.

We have a range of events including abseils, runs and sky dives, but choosing something that you enjoy is always best.
The Sudanese army has said it is coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.

Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help.

The prospect has vexed officials as most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, has proven intensely dangerous.

Gen Burhan agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure such evacuations for various countries, Sudans military said.

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudans main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors.

Smoke over Khartoum, Sudan (Marwan Ali/AP)   Marwan Ali

As battles between the Sudanese army led by Burhan and a rival powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens  many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese militarys announcement. We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants, the National Security Council said.

On Friday, the US said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of the estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

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Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Gen Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first travelled by land to Port Sudan, the countrys main seaport on the Red Sea.

He said that Jordans diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudans far east, some 520 miles from Khartoum.

In a security alert, the US Embassy in Sudan said it had incomplete information about significant convoys departing Khartoum travelling towards Port Sudan and that the situation remained dangerous. Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk, it said.

With the US focused on evacuating diplomats first, the Pentagon said it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the effort.

Gen Burhan told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel on Saturday that flights in and out of Khartoum remained risky because of the ongoing clashes.

He claimed that the military had regained control over all the other airports in the country, except for one in the southwestern city of Nyala.

We share the international communitys concern about foreign nationals, he said, promising Sudan would provide necessary airports and safe passageways for foreigners trapped in the fighting, without elaborating.

Even as the warring sides said on Friday they had agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Two ceasefire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, chief of the paramilitary group fighting the army, known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, claimed he would work toward opening humanitarian corridors, to facilitate the movement of citizens and enable all countries to evacuate their nationals to safe places.

We are committed to a complete ceasefire, he told French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.

The clashes have killed more than 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organisation.

The international airport near the centre of the capital has come under heavy shelling as the paramilitary group, RSF, has tried to take control of the compound.

In an apparent effort to oust the RSF fighters, the Sudanese army has pounded the airport with air strikes, ruining at least one runway and leaving wrecked planes scattered on the tarmac. The full extent of damage at the airfield remains unclear.
Exclusive | Mobuoy scandal: Criminals documents show even the PSNI was using vast illegal dump

Belfast Telegraph investigation discovers thousands of documents, including a customer list, at site of one of the UKs biggest environmental crimes  but the authorities wont even lift them

The documents are still at the site on the Mobuoy Road outside Derry, with no Stormont or police interest in securing the evidence

Sam McBride Sat 22 Apr 2023 at 08:00
ONE of the men charged with murdering Victor Hamilton has been denied bail again.

Mamadu Saido Djalo made his fourth unsuccessful attempt to be freed on Thursday.

The 30-year-old, from Springfield Crescent in west Belfast, faces a single count of murdering Mr Hamilton on July 26 last year.

The 62-year-old was found dead in a pool of blood on the driveway of his home on Orkney Drive in Ballymena.

Charged alongside Djalo are 33-year-old Mario Menezes, from Portmore Street in Portadown, and 41-year-old Michael Hanrahan, from Thomas Street, also in the town.

A PSNI officer told Ballymena Magistrates Court police had launched extradition proceedings for a fourth male allegedly involved in the stabbing who is believed to have fled to Portugal.

The sergeant said the property on Orkney Drive was divided into three flats, with the victim living in one and Djalo and his partner in another.

The court was told that on July 24 there was a burglary at Djalos flat, and his partner would have believed the residents in the other two flats were responsible.

The officer said police found evidence which suggested Djalo had driven himself and a co-accused in his Range Rover from Portadown to Ballymena, stopping to buy cigarettes and latex gloves on the way, before finishing at Orkney Drive.

Mr Hamilton sustained a single fatal stab wound to his back.

The court was told there was evidence the Range Rover had been driven back to Portadown, allegedly dropping off the defendants at their addresses.

The officer said Djalo leapt from a first-floor window in an effort to evade arrest, and that he was only detained when a police dog became involved.

When he was arrested, [he said] , I swear I have not done that, said the sergeant.

Objecting to bail, police said that given the defendants links to Portugal, it was feared he could flee Northern Ireland.

A defence solicitor said that Djalo didnt deny his presence at the scene but told police he wasnt responsible for the single stab wound.

He argued that the risk of flight was decreased as Djalo was anxious to re-establish contact with his children.

He submitted the alleged murdered would work with the strictest conditions if freed.

But the judge refused bail and Djalo was remanded back into custody until May 18.
Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews attending the premiere of his documentary, Finding Michael.   PA

Former Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews organised an expedition up Mount Everest in the hope of recovering the body of his brother Michael after 23 years

REALITY TV star Spencer Matthews whose brother vanished on Mount Everest has paid tribute to Co Down climber Noel Hanna.

Noel Hanna died on Monday after summiting the 8,091 metre Annapurna peak in western Nepal, the 10th highest mountain in the world.

Ex-Made In Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, who is married to fellow TV and podcast star Vogue Williams, recently released his Finding Michael documentary on Disney+.

It follows his mission to bring home his brother Michaels body. The 22-year-old climber was last seen on Everest in 1999 after he became the youngest Briton to reach the summit.

He disappeared 8,000m above sea level in an area known as the Death Zone where oxygen levels are insufficient to sustain human life. Spencer was just 10-years-old at the time.

On Instagram yesterday he wrote: Although I never met Noel in person the news of his passing on Annapurna hit home. His story resonated with me deeply.

Losing a loved one is never easy, but knowing that Noels passion for climbing allowed him to live a life filled with adventure and purpose is a testament to the impact he made on those around him.

My heart goes out to his family, friends and the climbing community who knew him. Rest in peace Noel.

Mr Hanna (56), from Dromara, had scaled Mount Everest 10 times and in 2018 became the first person from Ireland to successfully summit and descend K2.

His wife Lynne paid tribute to her late husband after arriving in Kathmandu on Wednesday to bring his remains home and said in a Facebook post that it was just the renowned climbers time to go.

"I have arrived in Kathmandu to bring Noel home he passed away at Camp 4 on Annapurna, she said.

"After a successful summit he returned to the tent took some hot soup and fell asleep never to awaken again. No drama, no big story; it was his time to go.

He died in the Himalayas  what better place for my Mountain Man. Sleep well Noel.
The Philippines on Saturday raised concerns with China about soaring tensions related to neighboring island Taiwan when the two countries top diplomats met in Manila.

The meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang and Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo came amid heightened rhetoric over the Philippines recently granting the United States access to four additional military bases, two of them fronting Taiwan, which Beijing considers a renegade province.

Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines adherence to the One China Policy, while at the same time expressing concern over the escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait, said a statement by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) after a meeting of the two officials.

Manalo also told his Chinese counterpart that the Philippines continues to pursue an independent foreign policy, which seeks to ensure stability and prosperity in the region.

For his part, Chinas Qin reminded Manalo of the promises the two nations have made to each other, in what appeared to be an oblique reference to the One China policy, which Beijings envoy to the Philippines brought up last week in not so delicate a fashion.

Qin called the situation fluid and turbulent, without elaborating.

[A] healthy and stable China-Philippines relationship is not only meeting the aspirations of our two peoples, but also in line with the common aspirations of regional countries, he said.

We need to work together to continue our tradition of friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly resolve our differences in the spirit of credibility, consultation, and dialogue, and keep our promises to each other so as to bring more benefits to our two countries and people and inject greater positive energy to the peace and stability of this region and the whole world, Qin added.

Analysts had called expanded access to Philippine military bases central to Washingtons aim to deter any plan by Beijing to attack Taiwan.

China has said it amounted to interference.

But the latest controversy involving China was the warning of its envoy here to the Philippines.

Ambassador Huang Xilian had strongly advised Manila to unequivocally oppose Taiwans independence rather than fan the flames of conflict by offering the U.S. military additional access to bases. He also commented on the safety of 150,000 Filipino workers in Taiwan.

The Philippine government and opposition slammed the Chinese envoy for his statements on Manilas policy on Taiwan and its workers on the neighboring island, saying they will not brook any attempts at intimidation by Beijing.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. later downplayed the Chinese envoys comments noting the latters speech released in English may have been lost in translation.

On Saturday Marcos met with Chinas Qin and called the meeting useful.

Some of the pronouncements that have been made recently by our two countries and many other countries might be misinterpreted, according to a statement released by Marcos office.

So today it was really useful that we were able to speak with Minister Qin Gang, the Foreign Minister of China, so we can talk directly to one another and iron things out.

Protesters hold signs demanding the expulsion of Huang Xilian, the Chinese envoy to the Philippines, outside the Chinese Consulate in Makati City, the Philippines, April 21, 2023. [Gerard Carreon/BenarNews]

South China Sea issue

Qins visit came even as the Philippines is hosting more than 12,000 American soldiers for the largest-ever joint exercises between the two long-time allies.

The exercises were for maritime defense, territorial defense, [and] coastal defense, a Filipino military official said last month, amid seemingly hostile actions by Beijing in the South China Sea, parts of which both countries claim.

During the meeting Saturday with the top Chinese diplomat, his Philippine counterpart Manalo raised the issue of the disputed waterway.

Our leaders have agreed that our differences in the West Philippine Sea are not the sum total of our relations, he said, referring to the part of the South China Sea that lies within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.

These differences should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively, especially with respect to the enjoyment of rights of Filipinos, especially our fisherfolk.

Manila has said that China has ramped up its presence in the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone in the disputed sea and increased harassment of Filipino fishermen in recent years.

At a high-level foreign department consultation last month on the sea dispute, the government reminded China that intimidation and coercion have no place in solving the issue.

While there have been significant developments already after the bilateral consultative meeting, Manalo noted that much still needed to be done.

Philippine President Marcos on Saturday referred to the dispute saying more communication would help.

As to the conflicts, we agreed to establish more lines of communications so that any event that occurs in the West Philippine Sea that involves China and the Philippines can immediately be resolved, he said.

So we are currently working on that and are awaiting the Chinese response and we are confident that these issues would be worked out that would be mutually beneficial for both our nations.

Manila had recently lodged a complaint about the swarming of more than 40 Chinese fishing boats, which were escorted by a Chinese Coast Guard ship and a Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ship near Pag-asa (Thitu), one of the Philippine-occupied islands in the disputed waters.

In February, a CCG ship allegedly pointed a laser towards a Philippine Coast Guard vessel in Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Shoal).

Still, as the Philippines Foreign Secretary Manalo noted, China has remained the countrys top trading partner over the past few years, even amid the COVID-19 pandemic. And when Marcos visited Beijing in January, he took home investment pledges worth about U.S. $22.8 billion.

Meanwhile, Marcos is scheduled to make his second visit within a year to the U.S. on May 1, when he is set to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden in the White House.

The two leaders are expected to discuss deepening political and economic ties, Washington and Manila said on Friday.

And Biden is expected to reaffirm the United States ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines.
Pickets depicting extinct species, with words written in different languages meaning comrades, are scattered during a mock trial by the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crisis at Gwangju Museum of Art, April 9, during Gwangju Biennale. Courtesy of Youth Climate Emergency Action



By Cho Hye-yoon



The Korean government and companies stand as the defendants at a mock trial for violating the rights of past, present and future generations through their commercial activities.



No gavel is put in order, no bench is prepared for judges and no witnesses are boxed. At the courtroom, the public jury instead sits in an arena-like immersive installation comprised of military frontlines, sandbags, oil barrels and barbed wire. They are surrounded by wooden pickets of images representing extinct animals, plants and ammonite fossils  a sobering reminder of non-human witnesses to the impacts of the climate crisis.



It was a mock trial by the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes (CICC), organized by a group of climate activists, on April 9 during the Gwangju Biennale.



"These creatures were present as our ancestors who disappeared after colonization began 500 years ago," said Radha D'Souza, the lawyer who organized the climate tribunal. "And the war of extinction continues to this day."



Presented by the Dutch art organization Framer Framed at the Dutch Pavilion in the Gwangju Museum of Art at the biennale, the CICC held a three-day tribunal performance organized by Indian academic, writer, lawyer and activist D'Souza and Dutch artist Jonas Staal, and curated by Cho Ju-hyun, the curatorial director of ARKO International Arts Joint Fund for 2021-2022 Korea-Netherlands International Exchange Program.



From April 7 to 9, the "prosecutors" and "witnesses" from activist organizations testified to the role of the Korean government and companies in perpetuating climate war crimes  according to D'Souza and Staal, the climate crisis itself is a war waged against living worlds. The public was invited as a jury, tasked with passing a verdict based on the Intergenerational Climate Crimes Act, enacted by D'Souza in 2021.



On the last day of the trial, the court heard complaints brought by witnesses against companies such as Doosan and POSCO and the Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Witnesses included Kim Ji-young, an activist from Committee Against Samcheok Coal-Fired Power Plant (CASCPP), and activists Hyun So-young and Kang Eun-bin from Youth Climate Emergency Action. They testified regarding the impacts of coal power plant construction on humans and nature in Samcheok in Korea, and Ha Tinh Province in Vietnam. The judges were D'Souza, Ryu Jung-hwa, a public interest lawyer, and Ji Hyun-young, an environmental lawyer.





Hyun So-young from Youth Climate Emergency Action speaks as a witness during the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes trial at the Netherlands Pavilion of Gwangju Biennale, April 9. Courtesy of Youth Climate Emergency Action



The first witness, Hyun, kicked off the hearing by prefacing that "at the center of the extinction wars and climate crisis, are corporations that emit vast amounts of greenhouse gases. We are here to bring charges against POSCO and Doosan, to seek justice for the lands and communities they have harmed, and indict the governments that tolerate these unjust acts."



Hyun claimed that in contrast to their pledge for sustainable futures, Doosan and POSCO continue to build new emission-intensive coal power plants here and abroad, exacerbating the climate crisis further.



Pointing to a loophole in emissions regulations, Hyun said, "Greenhouse gases from the construction and operation of overseas coal plants are not considered the emissions of domestic companies, and this is why Doosan's profit-making has relied on overseas coal power projects for more than 80 percent of its earnings, for five years from 2016."



"Meanwhile, Vung Ang-2 coal power plant in Vietnam, built by Doosan and POSCO, is projected to emit about 180 million tons of greenhouse gases over the 25 years of its operation, an amount equivalent to the Netherlands' annual greenhouse gas emissions," Hyun said.





Kim Ji-young from Committee Against Samcheok Coal-Fired Plant, speaks during the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes trial at the Netherlands Pavilion of Gwangju Biennale, April 9. Courtesy of Youth Climate Emergency Action



The second witness, Kim from the CASCPP who is a resident of Samcheok, came up to the podium. Kim told the story of her coastal hometown Samcheok in Gangwon Province, where "more than two-thirds of the population lives within a 5-kilometer radius of the newly built POSCO's Blue Power coal plant."



Citing a 2021 poll that surveyed Samcheok residents' opinions on the coal plant, Kim explained that 60 percent of residents opposed the construction of the plant and almost 70 percent worried about health and environmental harms the plant may bring, such as air pollution caused by fine dust emitted from the coal plant. Emphasizing that the Blue Power coal plant is just one example of energy colonialism in Korea, Kim said the production and consumption of energy often come at the expense of the health of local communities and the coastal ecosystem.





Kang Eun-bin from Youth Climate Emergency Action speaks during the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes trial at the Netherlands Pavilion of Gwangju Biennale, April 9. Courtesy of Youth Climate Emergency Action



The third witness, Kang from Youth Climate Emergency Action, claimed Korea's export of coal power plants to Vietnam resembles the deployment of Korean troops during the Vietnam War. By referring to the concept of "ecocide," a term first coined during the Vietnam War to describe the impacts of deadly herbicides that continue to poison the land and people in Vietnam even after the war, Kang said, "With the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and the National Assembly turning a blind eye to corporations' polluting activities, environmental and social destruction are justified."



Lee Eun-ho of Youth Climate Emergency Action, who represented Doosan for the tribunal performance, said, "I almost teared up while listening to these poignant stories. However, speaking on behalf of Doosan, there is no proven scientific correlation between the climate crisis and the operation of coal power plants. However, as a group recognized for its ESG and green credentials, Doosan will continue to develop innovative technologies for a greener future."





Radha D'Souza, center, the lawyer who organized the Court for Intergenerational Climate Crimes, delivers the result of the trial at the Dutch Pavilion of Gwangju Biennale, April 9. Courtesy of Youth Climate Emergency Action
Bennington, VT (05201)

Today

Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 44F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies early then becoming cloudy with periods of rain late. Low 44F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
On Friday, The Associated Press reported on stories circulating online incorrectly claiming the COVID-19 mRNA vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna are no longer authorized in the U.S. because of safety concerns.
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Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada arrives at the prime minister's official office in Tokyo, April 13, after North Korea launched a ballistic missile toward the sea between the Korean Peninsula and Japan. AP-Yonhap



Japan's Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered the country's military, Saturday, to prepare to shoot down a North Korean spy satellite should it fall within Japan's territory.



Hamada ordered the Self-Defense Forces to make necessary preparations as he could potentially "order the destruction of ballistic missiles," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.



Preparations included making arrangements to deploy troops to the southern prefecture of Okinawa to "minimize damage should a ballistic missile fall."



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said preparations for the planned launch of the country's first spy satellite would proceed to counter perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, state media reported Wednesday. (Reuters)




A proposed federal rule that would force nursing-home owners to fully disclose their ownership structures is being supported by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, 17 other attorneys general as well as a number of advocacy groups.

Some in the industry are pushing back on the proposal by the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The rule is meant to increase transparency so regulators can better do their job amid widespread neglect and substandard care of nursing-home residents.

Some reform groups say the rule doesnt go far enough for detailed transparency.

The Centers, known by the initials CMS, had asked for public comment on the proposed rule. Campbell is co-leading a coalition of the attorneys general that last week submitted its comments to CMS.

In a statement, Campbells office described the proposed policies as common sense that will help attorneys general and their Medicaid fraud control units hold bad actors accountable for providing substandard care in nursing facilities.

The CMS proposal, at the urging of the Biden Administration, would require nursing homes to disclose ownership information and who the decision-makers are, especially in the cases of those owned by private-equity and real-estate-investment trusts.

Studies have made a connection between those ownership models and bad outcomes, including an increase in deaths.

One study of private-equity ownership also found worsening mobility of residents, declines in nurse availability per resident, and elevated use of antipsychotic medications in nursing facilities, Campbells office said.

Residents and staff members in Berkshire County nursing homes are often reporting neglect and poor care that can lead to the deterioration of health or the deaths of residents.

Chronic understaffing that is the root of such problems long predates the pandemic, an Eagle investigation found, but COVID brought the problems to the surface.

For every two people who died of or with the virus in a nursing home, one died prematurely of other causes, according to a study cited by Campbells office.

Staff members often dont make a living wage, and the crisis has prompted the industry, arguing that Medicaid isnt covering operating costs, to ask for more taxpayer money this year for pay increases. The state has paid nursing homes more than $300 million in the last two years.

Reform advocates say the industry shouldnt get a dime more until nursing homes fully open their books, and do, in part, what CMS is seeking with its proposed rule.

The murky ownership and management structure also hampers and delays law enforcement efforts, Campbells office said.

Some executives in the industry say the CMS rule will pile on layers of bureaucracy and not accomplish what it intends, according to an article in Skilled Nursing News, an industry publication.

They also say that the rule is targeting ownership models that make up only small percentage of U.S. nursing homes. A study by researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College published in November of 2021 found that only about 5 percent of nursing homes have private-equity ownership, and Mark Parkinson, president and CEO at the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living, said about 12 percent of facilities are owned by real-estate-investment trusts.

Parkinson, in a statement, called the rules focus on ownership a red herring, and a distraction from the real issues that impact the majority of providers, like Medicaid underfunding and workforce shortages.

The American Association for Justice, an advocacy nonprofit and lobby for plaintiffs lawyers, applauds CMS for the proposal but wants the agency to take the rule a step further. The association wants CMS to force nursing-home owners to identify their parent companies and clarify the entire ownership structures, among its other suggestions.

Increasingly, nursing homes are owned by entities that create complex networks of subsidiaries to manage their vast holdings, the association said in a news release, adding that the public needs to know exactly where all the billions in taxpayer money is going.
College President James Birge told The Eagle he too has questions about the possible project, but is waiting for the lease agreement and its review to answer them. He emphasized the college has not yet made a decision.
Sundar Pichai, chief executive officer of Alphabet, looks on during a session of the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, Jan. 22, 2020. Reuters-Yonhap





Alphabet Chief Executive Sundar Pichai received total compensation of about $226 million in 2022, more than 800 times the median employee's pay, the company said in a securities filing Friday.







Pichai's compensation included stock awards of about $218 million, the filing showed.







The pay disparity comes at a time when Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has been cutting jobs globally, The Mountain View, California-based company announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs around the world in January, equivalent to 6% of its global workforce.







Early this month, hundreds of Google employees staged a walkout at the company's London offices following a dispute over layoffs.







In March, Google employees staged a walkout at the company's Zurich offices after more than 200 workers were laid off. (Reuters)






A covenant is an agreement that involves obligations. It is a conditional promise or a promise with responsibilities. An example of this is: if you do this then Ill do this or if you listen to me and do what I tell you to, then I will help you.

Stop, look at me and listen! If you will just do what I say then I can help you!

I must have said those words fifteen times and she was just not listening. It was like wrestling a wild beast to get the burweed stickers out of the fur of my dog, Chloes ears. If you have longhaired animals that like to run around outside, you know what I mean. When the burweed is in season, the stickers get matted in the fur of animals and can be very painful and difficult to pull out. For both of us. I tried to put limits on where she walked, I leashed her on a long lead and warned her not to get in the area where the burweed was flourishing but she did not listen and obey my instructions. Apparently she thought she knew best.

After about the 14th time of telling her to stop, God finally whacked me on the head and said: Cindy, I am trying to teach you a lesson here. Do you know how many times I have told you the same thing-to just stop, pay attention, listen, and obey my instructions and you will be okay?

Uh-oh. Well, Godprobably quite a few.

There are several major covenant agreements contained in the Bible  major promises from God to man. These covenants include the Noahic covenant, Mosaic covenant, Abrahamic covenant, Davidic covenant and the New Covenant.

Photo credit: Unsplash/Aricka Lewis
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Story at a glance:

Pork producers have been using customizable mRNA-based vaccines on their herds since 2018, without telling the public.

All customized mRNA vaccines are untested. Only the mRNA platform itself has been approved.

According to the National Cattlemens Beef Association, There are no current mRNA vaccines licensed for use in beef cattle in the United States. However, a lobbyist for the association claims to have double-vaccinated his own herd with an mRNA vaccine against bovine respiratory disease.

Iowa State University began trialing an mRNA vaccine against bovine respiratory syncytial virus on Oct. 1, 2021.

Missouri House Bill 1169 would require labeling of products that can alter your genes. Big Ag lobbyists strongly oppose it.

Last week, I reported that pork producers have been using customizable mRNA-based vaccines on their herds since 2018  without telling the public.

This issue really only rose to the surface after attorney Thomas Renz started promoting new legislation in Missouri (House Bill 1169, which he helped write) that would require labeling of mRNA products.

In an April 1, tweet (and no, this was not an April Fools joke), Renz stated:

BREAKING NEWS: the lobbyists for the cattleman and pork associations in several states have CONFIRMED they WILL be using mRNA vaccines in pigs and cows THIS MONTH. WE MUST SUPPORT MISSOURI HB1169. It is LITERALLY the ONLY chance we have to prevent this 

NO ONE knows the impacts of doing this but we are all potentially facing the risk of being a #DiedSuddenly if we dont stop this.

The transhumanist agenda and its focus on food

Within days, alternative media was abuzz with this story and Renz started making the rounds sharing evidence that shows the U.S. government has been working on the integration of vaccines into foods for at least two decades.

In an April 2 interview with Naomi Wolf, Ph.D., Renz said:

[Bill] Gates, the WHO [World Health Organization], a ton of these universities: theyre all talking about including mRNA vaccinations as part of the food. Theyre going to modify the genes of these foods to make them mRNA vaccines.

Industry doesnt want you to know what theyre doing

The pushback by Big Ag lobbyists against this bill to require industry transparency on this important issue has been enormous, and one potential reason for that is because theyd have to admit that all sorts of foods may have been vaccinated with mRNA vaccines, have genetic modifications, or be modified to serve as vaccinations for humans.

Not only might this destroy Big Ag, but it would also seriously impact any surreptitious attempts by Big Pharma to use the food supply as a tool to distribute vaccines unbeknownst to consumers.

In short, Renz suspects the globalists transhumanist agenda is being secretly pushed forward using gene therapy in food production.

I cant help but wonder whether the industry simply doesnt understand how mRNA gene therapy in livestock might affect consumers, or whether they want to conceal the fact that theyre using gene therapy because they DO know it can also affect humans.

Globalists like World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab have openly admitted that they intend to alter humanity  both on the genetic level and through the incorporation of artificial intelligence and nanotechnology into the human body.

And, using COVID-19 as the cover, they managed to turn the entire world population into test subjects for this dangerous experimentation.

As noted by Renz in the Real Americas Voice interview above, we know for a fact that the mRNA COVID-19 shots have no beneficial impact in terms of preventing COVID-19 infection.

mRNA vaccines in livestock are untested

If the mRNA COVID-19 shots dont prevent infection, why would we assume mRNA shots for viral and bacterial infections in swine work any better?

One of the most disturbing aspects of using mRNA vaccines in swine is the fact that all of them are by definition untested. As explained by Merck on its website, its custom swine vaccine, Sequivity, is not a vaccine but, rather, a platform that allows for the endless customization of mRNA vaccines.

The customized mRNA shots that are created using it are completely untested. Heres how it works:

A pathogen is collected and sent to a diagnostic lab. The gene of interest is sequenced and sent electronically to Sequivity analysts. A synthetic version of the gene of interest is synthesized and inserted into the RNA production platform. The RNA particles released from incubated production cells are harvested and formulated into a customized vaccine.

As noted by Zoetis, the largest producer of veterinary drugs and vaccines:

Sequivity has safety and efficacy studies based on the platform with a historical initial isolate, not likely the isolate that customers would be requesting in their product.

What was that initial isolate? Will mRNA against a bacterial disease affect the animals in the same way that mRNA against a viral infection does?

What genes of interest are being chosen? If spike proteins are selected, might they be as pathogenic as the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein?

In CAFO environments with high populations of animals, wont mutations become rampant as the bacteria and viruses are subjected to constant customized vaccination pressure to adapt and become more dangerous? These are just some of the questions that need answers.

At the end of the day, the fact that mRNA shots can be endlessly customized without safety testing shows just how broken the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are.

Theres simply no way they can guarantee that customized mRNA shots are safe. The fact that the platform itself works and allows for this customization does NOT prove the safety and effectiveness of the shots being cooked up.

Approval of the platform also does not prove the food is safe for consumption after its been treated with mRNA.

Cows milk used to immunize mice

As reported by Dr. Peter McCullough, Chinese researchers have demonstrated that food can indeed be turned into a vaccine.

The nations food supply can be manipulated by public health agencies to influence population outcomes  Now an oral route of administration is being considered specifically for COVID-19 vaccination using mRNA in cows milk.

Zhang and colleagues have demonstrated that a shortened mRNA code of 675 base pairs could be loaded into phospholipid packets called exosomes derived from milk and then using that same milk, be fed to mice.

The mice gastrointestinal tract absorbed the exosomes and the mRNA must have made it into the bloodstream and lymphatic tissue because antibodies were produced in fed mice against SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein (receptor binding domain) 

Given the damage mRNA vaccines have generated in terms of injuries, disabilities, and deaths, these data raise considerable ethical issues. The COVID States project has shown that 25% of Americans were successful in remaining unvaccinated.

This group would have strong objections to mRNA in the food supply, particularly if it was done surreptitiously or with minimal labeling/warnings 

For those who have taken one of the COVID-19 vaccines, having milk vaccines as an EUA offering would allow even more loading of the body with synthetic mRNA which has been proven resistant to ribonucleases and may reside permanently in the human body.

These observations lead me to conclude that mRNA technology has just entered a whole new, much darker phase of development. Expect more research on and resistance to mRNA in our food supply. The Chinese have just taken the first of what will probably be many more dangerous steps for the world.

Will beef be treated with mRNA too?

At present, theres no evidence to suggest beef cattle are being treated with customizable mRNA vaccines, either in Europe or the U.S. The National Cattlemens Beef Association has also denied it, saying there are no current mRNA vaccines licensed for use in beef cattle in the United States.

That said, the Cattlemens Association previously confirmed they do, eventually, intend to use mRNA shots in cattle, which might affect both dairy and beef.

Time will tell whether public outrage will halt such plans. Clearly, the Cattlemens Association is concerned about internet rumors that its already in use.

On April 3, Texas Department of Agriculture commissioner Sid Miller issued a statement promising to conduct a risk assessment of the technology before its adoption:

Since news of the development of mRNA vaccines and mRNA-related treatments for livestock came to the attention of the Texas Department of Agriculture, we have been working towards developing a fact and science-based assessment of the risks associated with this technology.

Our analysis will include the clinical research, the structure of existing Texas law, and the public policy, economic, and production impact of the different policy prescriptions we may adopt. I aim to ensure that Texas agriculture remains safe, trusted, healthy, and wholly uninfected by dangerous or unproven technology.

I personally take this issue very seriously. No political hot takes. Just a well-reasoned and well-researched proposal based on a wide range of input from stakeholders, scientists, agriculturalists, and other experts. We are looking at this issue at TDA and will share your concerns. Please stay tuned.

Confusion caused by cattlemens association lobbyist

Here is where the National Cattlemens Association says no there is no #mRNA in our cows: https://t.co/k7cnEQzxH0. Below are clips (edited for time) from the testimony of the lobbyist from the Missouri Cattlemens Association before the #Missouri House. Hmmm  seems they arent pic.twitter.com/dCE9yCJKVb  Tom Renz (@RenzTom) April 10, 2023

Whats causing significant confusion on this issue is a statement made by National Cattlemens Beef Association lobbyist Shannon Cooper before the Missouri House.

Cooper told the House members he had recently double-vaccinated his herd with vaccinations that have this mRNA. According to Cooper, the mRNA vaccine given was for bovine respiratory disease.

Is he confused? Did he mistakenly believe the vaccine he gave had mRNA in it? Or is the National Cattlemens Beef Association incorrect in stating there are no approved mRNA vaccines for cattle in the U.S.? Or, are experimental mRNA shots being used without approval? Who knows at this point?

What we do know is that mRNA vaccines against bovine respiratory disease are being developed. Iowa State University began trialing an mRNA vaccine against bovine respiratory syncytial virus on Oct. 1, 2021.

The project end date is listed as Sept. 30, 2026. According to the trial submission, mice would be used to establish proof of concept. Cows would be used in year two of the trial. Assuming theyre on schedule, that means cows will be experimented on somewhere in late 2023 and/or 2024.

Is mRNA-jabbed livestock safe to eat?

Considering health authorities insist the COVID-19 shots are safe, its no wonder they also insist there are no problems associated with eating mRNA-treated meat. But can we trust them?

What about the cells now highjacked by the foreign mRNA instruction to create novel proteins? Are these proteins safe to consume? How long are the nano-lipid particles preserved in the tissue?

Livestock such as swine are routinely vaccinated against several diseases, and many of these vaccines must be administered at specific times to ensure theres no residue left in the meat.

So, just when are swine receiving these customized mRNA shots? And could there be mRNA vaccine remnants in the pork you buy?

Vaccines are nearly always given in the hindquarter of the animal, and according to mRNA jab developers, the mRNA remains at the injection site.

This theory has long since been proven false, as the mRNA in the COVID-19 jab gets has been shown to be distributed throughout the human body.

But it makes sense that the mRNA might be more concentrated at the injection site. In livestock, this could be bad news, seeing how the hindquarters are usually where the prime cuts of meat come from.

So, knowing whether theres any mRNA left in the animal at the time of slaughter is important. At present, we have no way of knowing this. We dont even know exactly how long the synthetic lipid-enveloped mRNA stays in the body.

We also dont know how long the antigen produced by the animals cells in response to a customized mRNA shot sticks around, and whether ingesting that antigen might have repercussions for human health.

Stanford researchers found the spike protein produced in response to the COVID-19 shot remains in the human body for at least 60 days, and the spike protein is whats causing most of the health problems associated with the jab.

Could the same be true for mRNA jabs used in animals?

Hogs can be killed anywhere from the age of 6 weeks to 10 months, which doesnt allow a whole lot of time for the mRNA and/or antigen to get flushed out.

Notorious industry mouthpiece defends livestock mRNA jabs

Aside from the many open questions, the fact that notorious Big Pharma mouthpieces are the ones cited by media, ensuring us that mRNA jabbed animals are safe to eat is yet another red flag. In this case, we have Dr. Kevin Folta insisting the mRNA is harmless.

Folta, a University of Florida horticulture professor, is a longtime advocate for genetically modified organisms. He has also advocated for the safety of glyphosate, and in 2015, he was caught lying about his financial ties to Monsanto. Now, hes taken up the advocacy for mRNA shots in livestock.

As reported by Cowboy State Daily:

Lawmakers in Arizona, Idaho, and Missouri have introduced legislation related to the use of mRNA vaccines in food. The Arizona bill only restricts labeling such food as organic. The Idaho bill amends state law to prohibit the sale of such foods unless conspicuously labeled that the presence of the vaccine is in the food.

The Missouri bill requires a conspicuous Gene Therapy Product label. Dr. Kevin Folta told Cowboy State Daily the proposed gene therapy label is inaccurate.

It means they have no idea what they are trying to regulate, Folta said, because there is no integration into the DNA. Its a transient set of instructions, like a USB drive. Not a hard drive  Messenger RNA occurs naturally as part of the function of cells in the body. mRNA is everywhere, and you cant live without mRNA, Folta said 

Folta said that the vaccines cant get into the food people eat. mRNA is an extremely unstable molecule. Thats why it works. Its very temporary. So when an animal is slaughtered or when a plant dies, mRNA is the first thing to go, Folta said.

Many of you will know exactly whats wrong with Foltas arguments that mRNA is everywhere and therefore harmless and that its activity is temporary because its so unstable. The mRNA in the shots is synthetic and does NOT break down the way normal mRNA does.

He is clearly misleading people, and its hard to believe its not intentional, considering the fact that everyone who knows even the slightest bit about mRNA jab technology knows the synthetic mRNA has been designed to prevent rapid breakdown and is further stabilized by the nano lipid. So, Foltas arguments are null and void from the get-go.

Final thoughts

Moving forward, its going to be extremely important to stay on top of whats happening to our food supply. Many of us were surprised to realize mRNA shots have been used in swine for several years already.

Soon, cattle may get these customizable mRNA shots as well, which could affect both beef and dairy products.

For now, I strongly recommend avoiding pork products. In addition to the uncertainty surrounding these untested mRNA vaccines, pork is also very high in linoleic acid, a harmful omega-6 fat that drives chronic disease.

Hopefully, cattle ranchers will realize the danger this mRNA platform poses to their bottom line and reject it. If they dont find beef and dairy that has not been gene therapied could become quite the challenge.

There is talk about domesticated food animals soon being vaccinated with #mRNA. We want our customers to know that we will not vaccinate our animals with #mRNAvaccines. We believe there is a time and place for vaccinations, but they must be used sparingly. If livestock are raised pic.twitter.com/pcN5fbxeOY  White Oak Pastures (@whiteoakpasture) April 10, 2023

Will Harris, from White Oak Pasture in Bluffton Georgia, is a rancher who has already come out against mRNA vaccines in cattle.

An April 10, White Oak Pastures tweet stated:

There is talk about domesticated food animals soon being vaccinated with mRNA. We want our customers to know that we will not vaccinate our animals with mRNA vaccines. We believe there is a time and place for vaccinations, but they must be used sparingly.

If livestock are raised in an environment where they can express their natural instincts, they probably wont need many (if any) vaccines. We hope to one day move away from all vaccines on our farm  we are close, but not there yet.

Everyone should know that over 80% of the antibiotics produced today are consumed by domesticated food animals  It would only make sense that in order for vaccine companies to move from very profitable to obscenely profitable would be to capture the animal agriculture market.

Im not sure that this would ever pass legislation, but law or not, Big Ag is highly influenced by Big Pharma. The multinational meat companies would certainly choose to mandate this if there was an opportunity for a shared profit.

In closing, please know: We dont believe in a blanket, one-size-fits-all approach to our health or our livestock. We will not add vaccinations for our livestock  we are moving in the other direction hoping to give fewer. (And, we already give very few).

If this is adopted and there is a panic for food from livestock that hasnt had the mRNA vaccine, we will choose to honor the demand from our loyalty members and employees first. If you are not a part of that group, we cannot guarantee we will have any product for you.

We are certainly not trying to promote panic  but, we do intend to notify our customers of how we will operate in times of growing demand. We screwed up during the pandemic  we wont do that again.

Originally published by Mercola.
Gravity Industries showcased their Iron Man-like jetpacks at a field training exercise earlier this month in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

Gravity worked with the Joint Prototyping and Experimentation Maritime program at Naval Surface Warfare Center to conduct multiple mock exercises with the jetpacks, including rapid transit from shore-to-sea and sea-to-shore missions.

Each jetpack is powered by five micro jet turbines that generate about 1,000 horsepower.

In the video, two pilots maneuvered from ship to shore and shore to ship to demonstrate the impressive capabilities the jetpacks can one day give Tier 1 operators.

The suit can run on jet fuel, diesel, or kerosene. Users can travel as fast as 80 mph and reach an altitude of 12,000 feet. However, both pilots in the video performed maneuvers at lower heights for safety purposes.

In the near future, jetpacks will likely be deployed with special forces units on the modern battlefield. The Brits are already flying theirs around.
If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.George Washington

What the police state wants is a silent, compliant, oblivious citizenry.

What the First Amendment affirms is an engaged citizenry that speaks truth to power using whatever peaceful means are available to us.

Speaking ones truth doesnt have to be the same for each person, and that truth doesnt have to be palatable or pleasant or even factual.

We can be loud.

We can be obnoxious.

We can be politically incorrect.

We can be conspiratorial or mean or offensive.

We can be all these things because the First Amendment takes a broad, classically liberal approach to the free speech rights of the citizenry: in a nutshell, the government may not encroach or limit the citizenrys right to freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and protest.

This is why the First Amendment is so critical.

It gives the citizenry the right to speak freely, protest peacefully, expose government wrongdoing, and criticize the government without fear of retaliation, arrest or incarceration.

Nowhere in the First Amendment does it permit the government to limit speech in order to avoid causing offense, hurting someones feelings, safeguarding government secrets, protecting government officials, discouraging bullying, penalizing hateful ideas and actions, eliminating terrorism, combatting prejudice and intolerance, and the like.

When expressive activity crosses the line into violence, free speech protections end.

However, barring actual violence or true threats of violence, there is a vast difference between speech that is socially unpopular and speech that is illegal, and its an important distinction that depends on our commitment to safeguarding a robust First Amendment.

Increasingly, however, the courts and the government are doing away with that critical distinction, adopting the mindset that speech is only permissible if it does not offend, irritate, annoy, threaten someones peace of mind, or challenge the governments stranglehold on power.

Take the case of Counterman v. Colorado which is before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Under the pretext of clamping down on online stalking, Colorado wants the power to be able to treat expressive activities on social media as threats without having to prove that the messages are both reasonably understood as threatening an illegal act and intended by the speaker as a threat.

While protecting people from stalking is certainly a valid concern and may be warranted in this particular case, the law does not require speech to be a true threat in order to be criminally punished. The Supreme Court has defined a true threat as statements where the speaker means to communicate a serious expression of an intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals.

Indeed, Colorados stalking law is so broad that a person can be charged with stalking for repeatedly contacting, surveilling or communicating with an individual in such a way that a reasonable person would feel serious emotional distress.

In the absence of any substantive guidelines on what constitutes a true threat on social media, such laws could empower the government to misinterpret any speakers intent and meaning in order to criminalize legitimate political speech that is critical of government officials and representatives.

Case in point: in Oklahoma, a street preacher who expressed his moral outrage over public drag queen performances that occur in front of children and churches that endorse same-sex marriage was given a five-year restraining order and threatened with arrest after citing Bible verses on social media about Gods judgment of sin.

The Rutherford Institute has taken on the case, warning that the ramifications of it going unchallenged could render anyone who quotes the Bible a criminal if it makes a listener feel unsafe or threatened or judged.

This is what it means to criminalize free speech: it turns those who exercise their free speech rights into criminals.

This criminalization of free speech, which is exactly what the governments prosecution of those who say the wrong thing using an electronic medium amounts to, was at the heart of Elonis v. United States, a case that wrestled with where the government can draw the line when it comes to expressive speech that is protected and permissible versus speech that could be interpreted as connoting a criminal intent.

The case arose after Anthony Elonis, an aspiring rap artist, used personal material from his life as source material and inspiration for rap lyrics which he then shared on Facebook.

For instance, shortly after Elonis wife left him and he was fired from his job, his lyrics included references to killing his ex-wife, shooting a classroom of kindergarten children, and blowing up an FBI agent who had opened an investigation into his postings.

Despite the fact that Elonis routinely accompanied his Facebook posts with disclaimers that his lyrics were fictitious, and that he was using such writings as an outlet for his frustrations, he was charged with making unlawful threats (although it was never proven that he intended to threaten anyone) and sentenced to 44 months in jail.

The question the U.S. Supreme Court was asked to decide in Elonis was whether his activity, in the absence of any overt intention of committing a crime, rose to the level of a true threat or whether it was protected First Amendment activity.

In an 8-1 decision that concerned itself more with criminal-law principles concerning intent rather than the First Amendments protection of free speech, the Court ruled that prosecutors had not proven that Elonis intended to harm anyone beyond the words he used and context.

That was back in 2015.

Despite the Supreme Courts ruling in Elonis, Corporate America has taken the lead in policing expressive activity online, with social media giants such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube using their formidable dominance in the field to censor, penalize and regulate speech and behavior online by suspending and/or banning users whose content violated the companies so-called community standards for obscenity, violence, hate speech, discrimination, conspiracy theories, etc.

The fallout is as one would expect.

The internet has become a forum for the governmentand its corporate partnersto monitor, control and punish the populace for speech that may be controversial but is far from criminal.

Everything is now fair game for censorship if it can be construed as hateful, hurtful, bigoted or offensive provided that it runs counter to the established viewpoint.

In this way, the most controversial issues of our dayrace, religion, sex, sexuality, politics, science, health, government corruption, police brutality, etc.have become battlegrounds for those who claim to believe in freedom (of religion, speech, assembly, press, redress, privacy, bodily integrity, etc.) but only when it favors the views and positions they support.

In more and more cases, the government is declaring war on what should be protected political speech whenever it challenges the governments power, reveals the governments corruption, exposes the governments lies, and encourages the citizenry to push back against the governments many injustices.

Indeed, there is a long and growing list of the kinds of speech that the government considers dangerous enough to red flag and subject to censorship, surveillance, investigation and prosecution: hate speech, conspiratorial speech, treasonous speech, threatening speech, inflammatory speech, radical speech, anti-government speech, extremist speech, etc.

In recent years, the government has used the phrase domestic terrorist interchangeably with anti-government, extremist and terrorist to describe anyone who might fall somewhere on a very broad spectrum of viewpoints that could be considered dangerous.

As I make clear in my book Battlefield America: The War on the American People and in its fictional counterpart The Erik Blair Diaries, the ramifications are so far-reaching as to render almost every American an extremist in word, deed, thought or by association.

You see, the government doesnt care if you or someone you know has a legitimate grievance. It doesnt care if your criticisms are well-founded. And it certainly doesnt care if you have a First Amendment right to speak truth to power.

It just wants you to shut up.

Yet no matter what ones political persuasion might be, the right to disagree with and speak out against the government is the quintessential freedom. When exercised regularly and defended vigorously, these First Amendment rights serve as a bulwark against tyranny.

Source: https://bit.ly/3KWX1oK

ABOUT JOHN W. WHITEHEAD

Constitutional attorney and author John W. Whitehead is founder and president of The Rutherford Institute. His most recent books are the best-selling Battlefield America: The War on the American People, the award-winning A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, and a debut dystopian fiction novel, The Erik Blair Diaries. Whitehead can be contacted at staff@rutherford.org. Nisha Whitehead is the Executive Director of The Rutherford Institute. Information about The Rutherford Institute is available at www.rutherford.org.

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John W. Whiteheads weekly commentaries are available for publication to newspapers and web publications at no charge. Please contact staff@rutherford.org to obtain reprint permission.
Facebook is censoring famed journalist Seymour Hersh's report alleging the US and Norway worked together to bomb the Nord Stream pipelines as well as his report claiming the Zelensky regime embezzled "at least" $400 million in US aid.



Hersh's post on the Nord Stream bombing was censored after being flagged by a Norwegian fact-checking organization that's partnered with the Norwegian government-owned media company, NRK, Michael Shellenberger reports.



From Michael Shellenberger, "Norway State Media Behind Facebook Censorship Of Seymour Hersh Over Nord Stream Explosion":

Over the last several months, there has been a major debate over who blew up the Nord Stream pipeline, which took natural gas from Russia to Western Europe. Pulitzer-winning journalist Seymour Hersh claims that the U.S. blew it up with the help of the Norway government. Others say Hersch's story is wrong. It has been a fascinating debate.



But instead of allowing people to make up their own minds, Facebook has decided to take a side. It is censoring Hersch's article, as the above video, made around 3:30 pm PT, shows. "We don't think we can make ourselves the arbiter of the truth" said a Facebook executive just a few years ago. And yet that's what they're doing.



There is a big debate over who blew up the Nord Stream pipeline. Instead of allowing the debate, Facebook has decided to take a side. It is censoring Pulitzer-winning journalist Seymour Hersh. And instead of explaining, Facebook sends readers to an article in Norwegian. Watch pic.twitter.com/nN18HovBPR  Michael Shellenberger (@shellenberger) April 19, 2023

Some amount of censorship, or "content moderation," is inevitable. The vast majority of Americans would support many forms of content moderation. But censoring a debate over who blew up a pipeline does not meet the threshold of needing to be censored. And instead of explaining, Facebook sends readers to an article in Norwegian by its Norwegian fact-checker, Faktisk, which is run by a Norwegian journalist.

Hersh's article is still the most compelling story on the pipelines destruction.



The Washington Post reported earlier this month that EU and NATO policymakers are no longer even interested in finding out who carried out the attack.



"At gatherings of European and NATO policymakers, officials have settled into a rhythm, said one senior European diplomat: 'Don't talk about Nord Stream,'" the Post reported. "Leaders see little benefit from digging too deeply and finding an uncomfortable answer, the diplomat said, echoing sentiments of several peers in other countries who said they would rather not have to deal with the possibility that Ukraine or allies were involved."



Hersh's report accusing the Zelensky regime of embezzling $400 million in U.S. aid is also being censored as a result of being flagged by the Ukraine-based, Western-funded media watchdog "StopFakes.org," RT reports.



"StopFake disputed Hershs allegation because Substack is a self-publishing platform, rather than a so-called legacy outlet," RT noted. "It also referred to statements by US officials, who claimed they had seen no evidence of American aid being diverted in Ukraine. If Hersh's allegations were true, the corruption 'would be known to American auditors, and it would have negatively impacted assistance to Ukraine,' the outlet stated."





Check out the ridiculousness of Facebook fact-checking Seymour Hersh reporting on #UkraineCorruption. Not even in English. I far prefer the free speech and logic provided by #ElonMusk. pic.twitter.com/Ep22wWirpv  Jessie Jameson (@JessieJameson77) April 19, 2023

This is how Facebook labeled the article pic.twitter.com/z8Gp2Six7g  Kevork Almassian (@KevorkAlmassian) April 19, 2023



According to Hersh's report, a CIA analyst estimated the Zelensky regime had embezzled "at least" $400 million in US aid funds meant to buy diesel fuel for the Ukrainian army and CIA Director William Burns confronted Zelensky directly over the theft in Kiev in January -- and that's the real story behind Zelensky's decision to fire ten high-ranking Ukrainian officials just days later in an "anti-corruption purge."



[Header image by the Institute for Policy Studies, CC BY 2.0, Facebook "false information" fact-check overlay added.]



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Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum, Sudan, near Doha International Hospital, April 21, in this photo provided by Maheen S. AP-Yonhap





Sudan's army said Saturday it had agreed to help evacuate foreign nationals as sporadic gunfire and airstrikes echoed across Khartoum despite promises by warring sides to agree to a cease fire for three days after a week of strife that has killed hundreds.







The statement citing army chief Abdel Fatteh al-Burhan came after promises by rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, to open airports for evacuations.







Sounds of fighting continued overnight but appeared less intense Saturday morning than on the previous day, a Reuters' journalist in Khartoum said. Live broadcasts by regional news channels showed rising smoke and the thud of blasts.







The army and the paramilitary RSF, which are waging a deadly power struggle across the country, had both issued statements saying they would uphold a three-day ceasefire from Friday for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday.







Sudan's sudden collapse into warfare has dashed plans to restore civilian rule, brought an already impoverished country to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe and threatened a wider conflict that could draw in outside powers.







There has been no sign yet that either side can secure a quick victory or is ready to back down and talk. The army has airpower but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas including around key facilities in central Khartoum.







Burhan and Hemedti had held the top two positions on a ruling council overseeing a political transition after a 2021 coup that was meant to include a move to civilian rule and the RSF's merger into the army.







The World Health Organization reported Friday that 413 people had been killed and 3,551 injured since fighting broke out. The death toll includes at least five aid workers in a country reliant on food aid.







International efforts to quell the violence had focused on the ceasefire, with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken calling on both sides to honor the truce.







The U.S. and some other countries have readied efforts to evacuate their citizens. The army said the United States, Britain, France and China would evacuate diplomats and other nationals from Khartoum "in the coming hours."






Australian entertainer Barry Humphries has died at the age of 89, a spokesman for the hospital where he was being treated has confirmed.

During a seven-decade career, the stage and screen veteran entertained generations with satirical characters including Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson.

Humphries died on Saturday evening, according to David Faktor, a spokesman for St Vincents Hospital in Sydney.

Barry Humphries alter ego Dame Edna Everage. Photo: Sean Dempsey/PA)

He told the PA news agency: I can confirm Barry Humphries passed away this evening Sydney time, around 7pm on Saturday evening (11am GMT).

A statement from Humphries family said: He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.

With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be.

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His audiences were precious to him, and he never took them for granted.

Although he may be best remembered for his work in theatre, he was a painter, author, poet, and a collector and lover of art in all its forms.

Barry Humphries being made a Commander of the British Empire by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace, for services to entertainment. Photo: PA.

He was also a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend and confidant to many. His passing leaves a void in so many lives.

The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on.

Humphries had been readmitted to St Vincents after suffering complications following hip surgery last month.

A family statement issued to the Sydney Morning Herald thanked fans and hospital staff for their support and good wishes.

Humphries became a staple of the British comedy circuit after moving from Australia to London in 1959 and appearing in West End shows such as Maggie May and Oliver!

He was among the leading members of the British comedy scene, alongside Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Spike Milligan.

As well as Dame Edna Everage, he also appeared as the lecherous Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, an elderly, childless man living in the suburbs.

So sad to learn Barry Humphries has passed away. When I visited him in his Sydney Hospital two weeks ago he was ailing from several health problems. But his spirits and wit were as acute as ever. We laughed away as the stories poured out. Funny, hugely literate, fiercely smart. Advertisement  Andrew Neil (@afneil) April 22, 2023

Journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil was among those remembering the funny, hugely literate, fiercely smart Humphries, tweeting: So sad to learn Barry Humphries has passed away.

When I visited him in his Sydney Hospital two weeks ago he was ailing from several health problems. But his spirits and wit were as acute as ever.

We laughed away as the stories poured out.

In a further post he added: I count myself lucky and privileged I got to see him one more time. A comic genius the likes of which we will never see again.

Fellow comedian Matt Lucas described Humphries as quite simply the greatest.

I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us. Quite simply, you were the greatest. pic.twitter.com/86scyP449b  Matt Lucas HQ (@RealMattLucas) April 22, 2023

Posting a picture of the pair together on Twitter, he wrote: I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries.

Thank you for delighting and inspiring us. Quite simply, you were the greatest.

Comedian Dara O Briain described Humphries as one of the absolute funniest people ever.

Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese described Humphries as the brightest star in a galaxy of personas.

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For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone.



But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry.



A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift.



May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/oSAKpxPGae  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 22, 2023

For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone, Mr Albanese tweeted.

But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry.

A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace.

TV presenter Carol Vorderman praised Humphries bright intelligence and mischief, tweeting: You will be mourned Barry Humphries.

You will be mourned Barry Humphries 



I only met you a few times but that look in your eyes full of bright intelligence and mischief, knowing trouble was ahead and looking forward to every special second of it: I'll never forget it. Thank you Sir.



A genius  pic.twitter.com/duIRf3yKGv  Carol Vorderman (@carolvorders) April 22, 2023

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I only met you a few times but that look in your eyes full of bright intelligence and mischief, knowing trouble was ahead and looking forward to every special second of it: Ill never forget it. Thank you Sir. A genius.

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Australian actor Jason Donovan posted a picture of himself as a young man posing with Humphries dressed as Dame Edna Everage, tweeting: Australia has lost one of its greatest!

Funny, literate and fiercely intelligent. Barry Humphries was quite simply an entertaining genius. The characters he created brought laughter to millions.
Dara O Briain, Rob Brydon, Ricky Gervais, Matt Lucas were among the famous comedians remembering true great Barry Humphries following his death aged 89.

The stage and screen veteran, best known for his comic character Dame Edna Everage, died at St Vincents Hospital in Sydney Australia on Saturday night (11am Irish time).

Humphries became a staple of the British comedy circuit after moving from Australia to London in 1959 and appearing in West End shows such as Maggie May and Oliver!

RIP Barry Humphries. A true great who inspired me immeasurably. It was a delight to call him my friend.

I've been in Australia and was with him only 3 days ago. He was, as ever, making me laugh. His talent shone until the very end.

My love goes out to Lizzie and all the family. pic.twitter.com/G5aJfLiVkK Advertisement  Rob Brydon (@RobBrydon) April 22, 2023

During his seven-decade career he also appeared as the lecherous Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, an elderly, childless man living in the suburbs.

His death came following a readmission to hospital after suffering complications following hip surgery last month.

Comedian Brydon, a friend of Humphries, said he was with the Australian entertainer just three days ago when he was, as ever, making me laugh.

RIP Barry Humphries. A true great who inspired me immeasurably, Brydon tweeted.

It was a delight to call him my friend. Ive been in Australia and was with him only three days ago. He was, as ever, making me laugh. His talent shone until the very end.

Dame Esther Rantzen said the world is just that bit sadder following the death of her friend.

She told the PA news agency: Im very sad. I think weve lost a source of so much fun and someone I have worked with since the mid-1960s and liked and admired so much.

My memory of Dame Edna Everage goes back to when she was a mere Mrs, she was even then a superstar.

She was dressed by BBCs rather frumpy stock wardrobe but, of course, she turned into a butterfly and obviously achieved damehood.

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She influenced me greatly. When I was lucky enough to be honoured with damehood, I was very frequently introduced as Dame Edna because it became a phrase which came naturally, and I was thrilled.

Barry was cultured and clever and a voracious reader and all the things that Sir Les Patterson not. A great creative artist.

Dame Esther said the world is just that bit sadder following the death of Humphries (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

Dame Esther recalled going backstage after one of Dame Ednas shows and talking to her manager about how brilliant it was that she went swooping right up to the ceiling of the theatre.

She told PA: (The manager) said the interesting thing was that Barry couldnt stand heights, so couldnt rehearse that, but Dame Edna had no fear and got straight into the machinery and had to be persuaded to wear a safety harness to keep her safe.

It was the most wonderful transformation, Dame Esther added.

Actor Gervais and impressionist Rory Bremner said Humphries was a comedy genius and an all-time great.

Farewell, Barry Humphries, you Comedy genius, Gervais tweeted.

Heavens. With the passing of #barryhumphries we lose an all-time great. Lightning quick, subversive, mischievous, widely read,deeply knowledgeable about art, music & literature- & savagely funny. Dame Edna arguably the greatest comic persona ever. Les Patterson too. True genius. Advertisement  Rory Bremner  (@rorybremner) April 22, 2023

Bremner wrote: Heavens. With the passing of #barryhumphries we lose an all-time great.

Lightning quick, subversive, mischievous, widely read, deeply knowledgeable about art, music & literature- & savagely funny.

Dame Edna arguably the greatest comic persona ever. Les Patterson too. True genius.

I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us. Quite simply, you were the greatest. pic.twitter.com/86scyP449b  Matt Lucas HQ (@RealMattLucas) April 22, 2023

Little Britain star Lucas, who shared a picture of the pair together, described Humphries as quite simply the greatest.

He wrote: I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us.

Meanwhile, former Mock The Week host O Briain described Humphries as one of the absolute funniest people ever.

RIP Barry Humphries, one of the absolute funniest people ever. A huge life, lived long and well. He will be missed.  Dara O Briain (@daraobriain) April 22, 2023

Other tributes came from Australia, including Australian prime minister Anthony Albanese who described Humphries as the brightest star in a galaxy of personas.

For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone, Mr Albanese tweeted.

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But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry.

A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace.

For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone.



But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry.



A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift.



May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/oSAKpxPGae  Anthony Albanese (@AlboMP) April 22, 2023

Last Leg host Adam Hills said it was appropriate Barry Humphries took his final bow on a Saturday night.

RIP Barry Humphries. One of the greatest comedians of our time, the Australian tweeted.

He was nothing but an utter gentleman to me, and occasionally a Dame. Appropriately, he took his final bow on a Saturday night.

Comedian Jimmy Carr, who is on tour in Australia, tweeted: A bit bittersweet doing gigs in Australia this evening, Barry Humphries has past and no one will ever be as good at crowd work again.

Australia has lost one of its greatest!

Funny, literate and fiercely intelligent

Barry Humphries was quite simply an entertaining genius.

The characters he created brought laughter to millions 

My thoughts are with family on this sad day! pic.twitter.com/5YuozMmzHI Advertisement  Jason Donovan (@JDonOfficial) April 22, 2023

Australian actor Jason Donovan also posted a picture of himself as a young man posing with Humphries dressed as Dame Edna, tweeting: Australia has lost one of its greatest.

Funny, literate and fiercely intelligent. Barry Humphries was quite simply an entertaining genius. The characters he created brought laughter to millions.

Former prime minister Boris Johnson, who edited the Spectator magazine to which Humphries contributed, said the 89-year-old was one of the greatest ever Australians.

RIP Barry Humphries  one of the greatest ever Australians  and a comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, to say the otherwise unsayable, he tweeted.

Also an infallibly brilliant Spectator contributor. What a loss.

RIP Barry Humphries - one of the greatest ever Australians - and a comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, to say the otherwise unsayable. Also an infallibly brilliant Spectator contributor. What a loss.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 22, 2023

Episodes from Barry Humphries hugely popular BBC Radio 2 series Forgotten Music Masterpieces will be played in tribute to the late entertainer, the broadcaster confirmed.

Laura Busson, commissioning executive for Radio 2, said: Everyone at Radio 2 is saddened to hear of the passing of Barry Humphries.

His six Radio 2 series of Barry Humphries Forgotten Music Masterpieces were hugely popular with our audience, and we will publish some of these programmes on BBC Sounds today for listeners to enjoy, in tribute to Barry.
Extensive changes to the State's abortion laws will be in women's best interest, according to a former consultant obstetrician.

The report, carried out by barrister Marie O'Shea, examined the effectiveness of the State's current abortion regime, making 70 legal and operational recommendations.

The review recommended changes to the existing three-day waiting period before terminations or treatment by medication.

Other recommendations include a change to the laws surrounding termination in cases of fatal foetal abnormality.

A report on the recommendations is due to come before the Cabinet on Tuesday.

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Dr Peter Boylan said it is important the changes are implemented, adding that removing the criminal element from the legislation is crucial.

"Criminalisation of doctors should stop. It's the only medical procedure where if you get it wrong, you're subjected to criminal sanction," he said.

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"The report seems to be extremely well written, and the recommendations seem to be exactly what women need. That is basically what it is all about. The provision of services that women need.

"The recommendations need to be implemented in the interest of women's health," he added.
Portugals president welcomed Brazilian pesident Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on an official visit on Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Portuguese president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Mr Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon.

Portugal is home to more than 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

During his first joint press conference with Mr Sousa, Mr Lula avoided feeding the controversy regarding his recent comments about Western military aid fuelling Ukraine and Russias conflict.

Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva and Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa (left) greet each other as they meet for the Portugal-Brazil forum at the Belem Cultural Centre in Lisbon (Armando Franca/AP/PA)

My country took the decision long ago to condemn Russia for the occupation of the space and violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the first days, and we have voted in the UN in this regard, he said.

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The Brazilian leader reiterated his proposal that a group of nations including Brazil mediate a peaceful resolution to the war.

I never equalled both countries, because I know what an invasion is and what territorial integrity is, he said.

And all of us think Russia is wrong and we already condemned it in every UN decision.

The trip is Mr Lulas first to a European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October.

While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration.

Mr Lula, centre left, and Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, centre right, during the Portugal-Brazil forum (Armando Franca/AP/PA)

The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016 when Michel Temer was Brazils president, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip.

The event will be the setting for the signing of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Mr Lulas itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honour renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraers factory near Lisbon.
The British government has issued a blatant threat by taking legal action over a planned 48-hour strike by nurses in the long-running dispute over pay, a union leader has said.

Royal College of Nursing (RCN) members working in the NHS in England at workplaces with a strike mandate are preparing to take industrial action from 8pm or the start of the night shift on April 30 until 8pm or the start of the night shift on May 2.

RCN general secretary Pat Cullen hit out at Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay after NHS Employers wrote to him asking to check the legality of the action because the strike mandate runs out in early May.

Mr Barclay said he had no choice but to take action, believing the strikes would put patient safety and the professional registration of nurses at risk.

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Speaking to BBC Radio 4s Today programme, Ms Cullen said: We have managed six months of industrial action and we have done that in the most safe and effective way.

We will certainly not put our members at risk, we certainly wont put our patients at risk.

But for Steve Barclay to come out yesterday and say that he was doing this to protect the registration of nurses, well you can see how nurses interpreted that.

That was a blatant threat to our nursing staff to say, If you dont stop this and accept my pay offer then your registration perhaps may be at risk.

Pat Cullen. Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA.

We will never put our nurses at risk and we certainly wont put their registration at risk.

Mr Barclay had said: Following a request from NHS Employers I have regretfully provided notice of my intent to pursue legal action to ask the courts to declare the Royal College of Nursings upcoming strike action planned for April 30 to May 2 to be unlawful.

The Government firmly believes in the right to strike but it is vital that any industrial action is lawful and I have no choice but to take action.

Strike action with no national exemptions agreed, including for emergency and cancer care, will also put patient safety at risk.

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This legal action also seeks to protect nurses who could otherwise be asked to take part in unlawful activity that could in turn put their professional registration at risk and would breach the requirements set out in the nursing code of conduct.

Steve Barclay. Photo: Jordan Pettitt/PA.

Ms Cullen urged ministers to calm this down and resume negotiations.

She said the union had been planning with NHS England and other service leaders for the potential industrial action next month, including ensuring there are protocols for escalation to ensure patient safety is not put at risk.

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However, she went on: If the court finds against us, then we will absolutely work within the parameters of the law.

We will never do anything illegal. Nurses dont work like that, and Im a nurse myself.

But if nursing is defeated then it is, in my mind, and in our nurses minds, an even darker day for this Government.
Sudan's army has said it had agreed to help evacuate foreign nationals as gunfire and air strikes echoed across Khartoum despite promises by warring sides to cease fire for three days after a week of strife that has killed hundreds.

The statement, citing army chief Abdel Fatteh al-Burhan, came after promises by rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, to open airports for evacuations.

Residents of Khartoum's adjoining sister cities of Omdurman and Bahri said fighting intensified late on Saturday morning after a relative lull, with air strikes near the state broadcaster and gun battles in several areas.

Live television feeds showed a huge cloud of black smoke rising from Khartoum airport and the sound of shooting and artillery booms.

The army and the paramilitary RSF, which are waging a deadly power struggle across the country, had both issued statements saying they would uphold a three-day ceasefire from Friday for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday.

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Sudan's sudden collapse into warfare a week ago has dashed plans to restore civilian rule, brought an already impoverished country to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe and threatened a wider conflict that could draw in outside powers.

There has been no sign yet that either side can secure a quick victory or is ready to back down and talk. The army has air power but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas including around key facilities in central Khartoum.

However, Burhan said on Saturday that "we all need to sit as Sudanese and find the right way out to return hope and life," his most conciliatory comments since fighting began.

Burhan and Hemedti had held the top two positions on a ruling council overseeing a political transition after a 2021 coup that was meant to include a move to civilian rule and the RSF's merger into the army.

The World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people had been killed and 3,551 injured since fighting broke out. The death toll includes at least five aid workers in a country reliant on food aid.

Evacuation

International efforts to quell the violence have focused on the ceasefire, with U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken calling on them to honour the truce.

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The army said the United States, Britain, France and China would evacuate diplomats and other nationals from Khartoum "in the coming hours", adding that Saudi Arabians and Jordanians were leaving by air via Port Sudan, 650 km (400 miles) from Khartoum.

Burhan said the army was providing safe pathways but that some airports including in Khartoum and Darfur's largest city Nyala were still problematic.

RSF chief Hemedti said on Facebook early on Saturday that he had received a phone call from UN secretary general Antonio Guterres in which they "emphasised the necessity of adhering to a complete ceasefire and providing protection for humanitarian and medical workers".

The RSF said it was ready to partially open all airports to allow evacuations. However, Khartoum's international airport has been caught in fighting and the status of other airports or RSF's control over them is unclear.

Hospitals hit

Outside Khartoum the reports of the worst violence have come from Darfur, a western desert region that borders Chad and that suffered warfare from 2003 that has killed as many as 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million, dragging on after successive peace deals.

A U.N. humanitarian update on Saturday said looters had taken at least 10 World Food Programme vehicles and six other food trucks after overrunning the agency's offices and warehouses in Nyala, in south Darfur.

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In Omdurman, one of Khartoum's adjoining sister cities, there were fears over the fate of detainees in al-Huda prison, the largest in Sudan.

The army on Friday accused the RSF of raiding the prison, which the paramilitary force denied. Lawyers for a prisoner there said in a statement that an armed group had forcibly evacuated the prison, with the detainees' whereabouts unknown.

The Sudanese doctors union said early on Saturday that more than two thirds of hospitals in conflict areas were out of service, with 32 forcibly evacuated by soldiers or caught in crossfire.

Some of the remaining hospitals, which lack adequate water, staff and electricity, were only providing first aid. People posted urgent requests on social media for medical assistance, transport to hospital and prescription medication.

Any let-up in fighting on Saturday may accelerate a desperate rush by many Khartoum residents to flee the fighting, after spending days trapped in their homes or local districts under bombardment and with fighters roaming the streets.

Sudan borders seven countries including Africa's volatile Sahel region. The hostilities risk fanning regional tensions and Burhan said he had spoken to eastern Libyan military leader Khalifa Haftar after reports Haftar had supplied the RSF.

He said, in television comments, that he was also in touch with the leaders of two of Sudan's other neighbours Chad and Ethiopia.

The violence was triggered by disagreement over an internationally backed plan to form a new civilian government four years after the fall of autocrat Omar al-Bashir and two years after the military coup.

Both sides accuse the other of thwarting the transition. -Reuters
British prime minister Rishi Sunak has held an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss assistance for the British nationals trapped in Sudan as fighting continues in the African country.

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed that the morning meeting in the Cabinet Office saw Britain's defence secretary Ben Wallace and Africa minister Andrew Mitchell attend.

UK government officials said they are doing everything possible to support those still inside the countrys capital, Khartoum.

It comes after the Sudanese army said it was co-ordinating efforts to evacuate American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft as bloody fighting entered its second week.

The FCDO has not confirmed the reports but PA news agency understands an evacuation is not imminent.

The Sudanese army is battling a powerful rival paramilitary in and around Khartoum.

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Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan have been complicated by the fact most major airports in the country have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven dangerous.

A British government spokesman said: We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan.

We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies.

Those held up in Sudan are advised to register with the FCDO and to stay indoors, with skirmishes taking place even in residential areas.

If you are a British national in Sudan, we advise you to register your presence to receive updates from the FCDO.



You should also stay up to date with the FCDO Travel Advice by signing up to e-mail alerts.  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) April 21, 2023

In the US, the Pentagon said earlier this week it was moving additional troops and equipment to a naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of US embassy personnel.

But the White House said on Friday that it had no plans for a government co-ordinated evacuation of an estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

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Mr Sunak on Friday spoke with the president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh.

While no mention of using the nations airbases was made in the readout from Downing Street, a No 10 spokesman said the two leaders agreed to continue to co-ordinate efforts to de-escalate the violence and protect civilians, including our citizens.

There are no signs of the trouble abating as yet.

Even as the warring sides said on Friday that they had agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Two ceasefire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

Britain has historic ties to Sudan. In an unusual arrangement, Britain and Egypt jointly ruled Sudan from 1899 until it gained independence in 1956, but Sudan is not among the group of 56 Commonwealth nations.
From being a virtual unknown, Nabilah Nordin has become an institutional favourite in no time at all. Her work, which can also be found in Melbourne Now at the National Gallery of Victoria and Fantastic Forms at Bundanon, has been given the prime location in the vestibule at the AGNSW. Nordins sculptures are self-consciously experimental, using vivid, eye-catching colours and unusual materials. One piece at the AGNSW, Discipline, is made from coloured balloons set in epoxy resin. Nabilah Nordins Corinthian Clump, 2023, at the Art Gallery of NSW. Credit: Mim Stirling Nordin has one thought with many different variations. That idea is to systematically refuse conventional ideas about sculptural form. Her six pieces at the AGNSW form a single ensemble titled Corinthian Clump. Its a playful response to the severe neo-classical aesthetics of Walter Vernons gallery entrance, in which she takes the geometric preoccupations of the architecture, screws them up and glues them together in a new randomised incarnation. Its a game that relies on the continuous fertility of the artists imagination to keep coming up with forms that break the unspoken rules of art  rather like having to compose sentences without using one or two vowels. Pierre Mukeba Pierre Mukeba occupies a special place in Australian art, as a representative of an African diaspora gradually finding its way into all aspects of life in this country. Born in the Congo, Mukeba spent time in refugee camps in Zambia and Zimbabwe before coming to Adelaide in 2006. His lively, brightly coloured drawings have been embraced enthusiastically by private and public collectors, making him a familiar inclusion in surveys such as The National.

His work, The last supper and the sheges, takes the Biblical story and recasts it with a group of central African outcasts. The theme is universal, the figures a reminiscence of the artists origins, the medium a floating piece of calico backed by offcuts of Dutch wax fabric, an accepted symbol of Africa. Like many emigre artists, Mukeba finds himself positioned between two cultures and falls back on the one he knows best. The appeal for local viewers is to catch a glimpse of this unfamiliar reality, and accept it as part of the new, globalised world we all inhabit. Reko Rennie In What Do We Want?, a three-channel video of less than three minutes duration, Reko Rennie conjures a strange, disturbing scenario of Indigenous people training in martial arts under the guidance of a tough-looking Aboriginal sensei. The aim, as it is chanted at the end and flashed on screen, is No more cops killing our mob. The message is that everyone wants peace, love and understanding, but, if necessary, will fight for what they see as just. Theres an aggressive edge to this film that undermines all the fine sentiments. Rennies martial arts students are akin to the Black Panthers, ready to combat violence with violence. If Rennie aimed to make us conscious of the impact of police brutality, he may only succeed in alarming his audience. Museum of Contemporary Art

Hoda Afshars Aura, 2023, at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Credit: Anna Kucera Hoda Afshar Yet another artist who seems to be an obligatory inclusion in contemporary surveys, Hoda Afshar has justified her surge to fame with one thoughtful body of work after another. A photographic artist from Iran, she is intensely conscious of the political currents that underpin everyday life, even in a country as complacent as Australia. Her series Remain (2020) was shot on Manus Island, making visible those refugees who have been filed and forgotten by the Australian government. The series Aura at the MCA brings together images from the year 2020, scavenged from the internet, that remind us of the pandemic, the bushfires and other momentous events. Afshar has isolated details, rendered them in grainy black-and-white, and adopted a mode of presentation that echoes the famous exhibition The Family of Man (1955), put together by Edward Steichen for New Yorks Museum of Modern Art. Its an ironic reference because the family of man is radically divided today, even though we have never been more connected. Diena Georgetti

Diena Georgettis work is an extended meditation on one of the perennial problems of the modern artist: how to be original. Her solution is to rove freely over the history of art, borrowing and recombining motifs in the form of a digital collage that is painstakingly translated into a painting  or so I understand it. Unlike most artists she has no signature style, as every series looks as if it was painted by a different person. The paintings at the MCA - part of a series called Community of the People - present a mashed-up blend of abstraction and schematic figuration from the 1950s and early 1960s. I cant identify specific paintings, but theres a retro feel to each canvas. Stylistically these pictures take us on a trip down the time tunnel, in which everything gets a little garbled. Turning a corner and coming across this series is disconcerting, as if one has left the realm of contemporary art and stumbled into another era. Carriageworks Naminapu Maymuru-White Is Carriageworks always empty, or does it just feel more empty than most places because of its cavernous interiors? Either way, Naminapu Maymuru-Whites small bark paintings of stars, clustered on an end wall, hint at a space much vaster than the gallery. Yet another outstanding artist from Yirrkala in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Maymuru-Whites theme is Milniyawuy, or as we know it, the Milky Way.

Its much easier to see the stars at night in north-eastern Arnhem Land, and these paintings make us feel as if we are gazing at a panorama divided into small segments. In their simplicity and directness, Maymuru-Whites pictures are among the most engaging in the show. Although the Yolgnu have their own stories about the cosmos, the experience of star-gazing and seeing patterns in the heavens is common to all people of all times. If you have any doubts look to the story of the Seven Sisters, which begins among the stars and is echoed independently by civilisations from Scandinavia to Persia to China to Australia. Installations on display at Carriageworks, left to right: Susan Balbungas Bamugora, 2023; Naminapu Maymuru-Whites Miliyawuy  Celestial River, 2023; Katie Wests The women plucked the star pickets from the ground and turned them into wana (digging sticks), 2023. Credit: Zan Wimberley Elizabeth Day Perhaps its the challenge of those towering ceilings, but Elizabeth Day has made a huge effort with an installation that covers a wall at Carriageworks with wool unravelled from old garments. In The Flow of Form: Theres a Reason Beyond Reason (1797 Parramatta Gaol), Carriageworks Redfern, Day has re-created a phantom image of the facade of the old Parramatta Gaol, coated in clusters of threads, in the manner of a quilt or tapestry. The sheer scale of the work lends it a sense of drama, while the bunches of coloured threads mimic an Abstract Expressionist canvas. Day, who has spent much of her career working with people in prisons and mental institutions, has taken this opportunity to create a piece about the many lives that have disappeared behind closed doors. Each unravelled garment suggests an anonymous person closeted away from friends and family. Day conjures up the broken threads of personal relationships, with all that colour concealing a great weight of melancholy.

Campbelltown Arts Centre Jumaadi Since coming to study in Sydney from his native Indonesia in 2000, Jumaadi has appeared in numerous exhibitions, both in this country and overseas. He has worked in diverse media, making paintings, drawings, paper cuts, puppets and videos. His subject matter, however, remains rooted in his birthplace near Yogyakarta, drawing on everyday life and folklore to create magical scenarios. Jumaadis pictures have a strong graphic quality and a mysterious symbolism; for instance, a large field of tree stumps, each with a single eye. It seems to suggest that nature is observing every depredation we inflict upon it. His largest work at Campbelltown features a black wall festooned with white paper cutouts, showing trees, figures and animals. We are looking at a story told in sign language, a language that revels in ambiguity. Julian Martin

Julian Martin has long been a mainstay of Melbournes Art Projects, crossing over from the world of so-called outsider art to the mainstream. His pastel drawings are equally adept at crossing the divide between abstract and figurative art. Each picture begins with an observation, which is refined and transformed into blocks of pure colour. Yet these seemingly abstract works retain a sense of the object, hovering on the verge of recognisability. Martin is an artist with a highly distinctive touch. A suite of his small works, as seen in this exhibition, reveals his skill with colour, which has an obvious emotional inflection. Although he has been exhibiting since the late 1980s, Martins work has been comparatively neglected by the major institutions. This display at Campbelltown should get the galleries to pay closer attention. Isabel and Alfredo Aquilizan with the Fruitjuice Factori Studios Another Country (The Juncture of Between Becomes Comfort Zone), 2010-2023, at Campbelltown Arts Centre. Credit: Mim Stirling Isabel & Alfredo Aquilizan with the Fruitjuice Factori Studio The Aquilizans were well-known in Australia even before they migrated here in 2006. Since then, this husband and wife have constructed huge installations made from cardboard and various scrap materials, at the Art Gallery of NSW and other venues. Their work, which draws on the folk traditions of the Philippines, is always playful and often made in collaboration with amateurs and would-be artists.
The character for which Barry Humphries was most famous: Dame Edna Everage. This stance looked unsteady when compulsory national service loomed after graduation. He ingeniously evaded Puckapunyal Camps military training and kitchen duties by manoeuvring himself into concert preparations. As a scenic designer, he even secured a staff car and driver for a 250-kilometre round trip to Melbourne in search of a particular shade of pink. He later discovered that his 700 purchase of paint  made from a rare insect  was the subject of an audit into the camps excessive expenditure. Humphries began a Melbourne University arts-law degree in 1951, but dropped out after two years (in 2003 he was welcomed back to accept an honorary doctorate, an honour also bestowed on him by Queenslands Griffith University. Not to be outdone, the Cambridge Union would confer an honorary doctorate on Les Patterson).

His university days were largely devoted to student theatre and unleashing his schoolboy enthusiasm for Dadaist absurdity: mounting provocative exhibitions involving old shoes and raw meat; launching his first alter-ego, the mad bohemian Dr Aaron Azimuth, which Humphries later described as an exquisitely liberating disguise; shocking the public with elaborate pranks, such as eating vomit  actually strategically deposited Heinz Russian salad. He did this on board a Qantas flight and was subsequently banned. Another prank was to place a chilled bottle of champagne and a whole hot cooked chicken in a street bin and wait for and witness the reaction of a desperate beggar to walk by and look in. He smoked and drank heavily, grew his unconventionally long hair even longer, partied late, became better acquainted with the opposite sex, and horrified his parents. When his university career ended, Humphries agreed to take a job in a record-label warehouse orchestrated by his father, but the theatre soon lured him away. During a theatrical tour of country Victoria, his most-loved character was born. A tour-bus distraction, Edna Everage was inspired by the worthy women at post-show receptions, and Louisa  whose what-will-the-neighbours-think narrowness and chilly humourless criticisms (Your father and I dont know where you came from. ) are laid bare in her sons memoirs. His improvised comic creation made her stage debut in a 1955 Melbourne revue. Humphries then-unprecedented lampoon of Australian suburbias morals, mores, its prejudices and preoccupations struck a chord. As the decades rolled on, the Moonee Ponds housewife became Dame Edna, a housewife gigastar, a global celebrity.

In 1955, however, Humphries was still a struggling actor  and a struggling husband. He had impulsively married dancer Brenda Wright that year, shortly before moving to Sydney to perform in Phillip Street Theatre revues, but his womanising and drinking soon led to separation. Back in Melbourne, he recorded his first Sandy Stone monologue. Sandy  a combination of his Uncle Lewis and a childhood neighbour, Mr Whittle  described once as the dullest man on earth. Other characters also emerged at this time, including Estragon in Waiting for Godots Australian premiere. Throwing himself ever more vigorously into Bohemia, he befriended the Blackmans, Boyds, Sunday Reed, and Clifton Pugh, who painted his portrait in 1958. Humphries also met fellow actor Rosalind Tong, a former New Zealand Ballet dancer. After divorcing Brenda, he married Ros in April 1959, shortly before sailing to London, where their daughters Tessa (who became an actress) and Emily (an artist) were born in 1963 and 1965. Humphries began his London life working in an ice-cream factory. But by 1960 he was playing Mr Sowerberry in the West End hit Oliver! and although his involvement was curtailed by a near-fatal slip down a Cornwall cliff, which required a televised helicopter rescue, he returned for seasons in Toronto and New York (and as Fagin in 1967 and 1997 London revivals). During the 1960s, he also returned to Australia for three successful solo shows featuring Edna and friends, but was otherwise based in London where he worked with and befriended Spike Milligan, Dudley Moore and Peter Cook. Another friend from a different world  they were essentially kindred spirits  was the poet John Betjeman.

Humphries as Aunty Edna with Barry Crocker in a London taxi in a scene from The Adventures of Barry McKenzie. In addition to theatre and television engagements, Humphries made his cinematic debut in the Moore-Cook film Bedazzled (1967), and contributed to Cooks satirical magazine Private Eye  including the text for a cartoon about a clueless, cloddish Australian abroad, Barry McKenzie. His circle of friends  British artists, aristocrats and fellow expats  was huge. But his chronic alcoholism and serial infidelity reduced him to crippling feelings of shame and he was admitted to a psychiatric hospital. After a month I was expelled as incorrigible, he later recalled. After 10 impossible years together, at least half of them waiting for Barry to come home, Ros decided to remain in Melbourne with their daughters while he returned to London. After some tragic falls from grace (including being found drunk and badly beaten by the road), the self-described dissolute, guilt-ridden, self-obsessed boozer struck rock bottom. He entered a private hospital in Glen Iris and after treatment by Dr John Moon and attendance at Alcoholics Anonymous, he was at last, and forever, sober. As in the previous decade, his career was a series of hits and misses during the 1970s. The Adventures of Barry McKenzie (1972) film, directed by his young friend Bruce Beresford, was a success; the sequel less so (although it did feature Edna being dubbed a dame by prime minister Gough Whitlam on her triumphant return home). Britain enthusiastically embraced his solo shows, which now featured the red-faced, yellow-toothed, crimpeline-suited, grossly-endowed cultural attache, Sir Les Patterson, who would introduce Edna with Laaaaze un Genelmen, give her the clap; give her the clap she so richly deserves.

Sir Les Patterson, aka Barry Humphries, at Government House in 2003. Credit: Penny Bradfield At first, America did not take to Edna. It was not until the 1990s that the United States warmed to her. She became so popular that she had a Vanity Fair column and a recurring role on the popular television series Ally McBeal. On both sides of the Atlantic, Edna also hosted chat shows, interviewing (if that is the word) stars from Zsa Zsa Gabor and Sean Connery to Ivana Trump and K.D. Lang. Portrait of Barry Humphries promoting the Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2015. Credit: Nic Walker He had always been a bibliophile and his success funded an extensive collection of books, despite the best efforts of Louisa who gave away the young Barrys books on the basis that he had read them. His habitual extravagance, divorce and a defrauding manager meant he sometimes had to sell, but he must have been delighted, in 2011, to join that most exclusive bookish coterie, The Roxburghe Club, founded in 1812 by the 2nd Earl Spencer and limited to 40 members. He also collected Victorian and fine art, particularly from the late-19th and early-20th centuries (including many works by Australian impressionist Charles Conder). He also took up the brush himself. In 1979 he married his third wife, Diane Milstead, They had two sons: Oscar, born in 1981, an art dealer and journalist; Rupert, born in 1982, a designer of video games. Their nine-year relationship ended bitterly (Milstead described him as a champion mattress tester).

Louise Hearmans winning 2016 Archibald Prize portrait of Barry Humphries. Credit: AGNSW, Nick Kreisler In 1990, he married finally and forever, actress-playwright Lizzie Spender, daughter of the poet Sir Stephen Spender. Honours were heaped upon him: the 1979 Olivier Award for best comedy performance, a Special Tony Award in 2000, and the J.R. Ackerley Prize for his 1992 autobiography, More Please. He was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 1982, and Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2007. Curiously and sadly, for a star who spent most of his adult life in Britain he was never knighted. The Melbourne International Comedy Festivals major award was renamed in his honour in 2000. In 2019 festival organisers stripped his name from the award amid outrage over Humphries comments about transgender people. He said his comments had been grossly interpreted. Of course, Dame Edna condemned her manager, and distanced herself, or thought she did, by saying My son has a husband; my daughter has a wife. A few years before Louise Hearmans portrait won the 2016 Archibald Prize, Humphries observed that I still seem to shock people even though I look terribly respectable now in my old age. He also defied expectations of octogenarians by taking Edna and his other alter-egos on an extensive international farewell tour (the irrepressible dames retirement proved to be short-lived). Loading
Barry Humphries, the man responsible for some of Australias most loved characters including Dame Edna Everage, Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone, has exited stage left for the last time.

Humphries, 89, died on Saturday at Sydneys St Vincents Hospital, where he had been treated for various health issues. For weeks the comic had brushed aside concerns about the seriousness of his condition.

He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit, his family said in a statement on Saturday night.

With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be.
SN: Finding something to do that looked like fun was important and that was writing. Ive not been given to looking back much and never seen the point in it. I was forced to do it, and then I realised what a pleasurable business it was, looking back and becoming reacquainted with my parents. And I realised how much gratitude I had for the life Ive led, which wasnt really the life Id expected at all  and how much fun a lot of it was and how much pleasure people have given me over the years. And how absurd all the twists and turns have been. Loading Fitz: Did you try and keep to a particular word count a day, or set number of hours writing, and then endless reworking? SN: It was actually written very spontaneously and after a bit I called David Marr and I said Ive written 40,000 words. He said My dear boy, thats an awful lot of words. Fitz: I would have said, Sam, youve barely cleared your throat, and its time you got started! but go on.

SN: I sat on it for a few months thinking I dont know if I want to read it again, because I was scared of boring myself. Eventually, I had the courage to send it off to some publishers and I got these immediate enthusiastic responses and I thought, Oh, maybe it should go out. Fitz: I remain amazed that after all these years living here you are still not a citizen, despite being practically one of us? Citizen of the world: Neill doesnt feel the need to become an Aussie but he knows how to boil a billy. SN: Ive got three citizenships: Irish, British and New Zealand. Thats probably enough. Fitz: But beyond the paperwork of passports, I know you can finish this line: Once a jolly swagman camped by a . . . what?

SN: [Laughs.] Well, a small brackish pool infested with things that want to kill you. And from which it would certainly be very wise to boil the water before making a cup of tea out of a billy. Fitz: You pass! Alright, try this: There was movement at the station for the word had passed . . . SN: Around that pies are on now, at the stations refreshment kiosk. Fitz: Close enough. When the All Blacks play the Wallabies, is there not a small part of you that wants to cry out Come on the Wallabies? SN: I shouldnt be telling you this because youre a Wallaby yourself, but a large part of me is actually quietly rooting for the Wallabies. I get bored with rugby when the All Blacks were beating everybody. And I guess the fact that my mate [former Wallaby captain] George Gregan is staying with me at the moment gives you some idea of where I am at.

Fitz: Richard Harris, the great Irish actor once said, Ill tell you this: two Golden Globes, one Grammy, five Grammy nominations, two American Academy Award nominations, two British Academy Award nominations, one Cannes Film Festival award, four gold records, one platinum record and so on. I am also a multimillionaire. And you know what? Id give it all up tomorrow, the whole lot, for one Irish rugby cap. Just one. Did you ever aspire to be an All Black yourself and did you play rugby? Tom Long, Patrick Warburton, Neill and Kevin Harrington in The Dish (1990). Credit: AP SN: Of course I played. I had the very specialised position of breakaway and I used it to break away as soon as I possibly could, to find a part of the field where nothing was going to happen. No All Blacks cap for me. Fitz: And yet nor was acting the obvious path? I was interested to read that you used to stutter. Were there any moments from your early life like in the film, The Kings Speech, where youre in such agony trying to get words out that youre sort of trying to recede into the background, dying of embarrassment? SN: Yes, I was pretty silent as a child. I didnt really want adults to talk to me because I wouldnt be able to reply. And it wasnt until I got to about the age of 14 or 15 that the stutter started to go away. And that coincided with getting some sort of confidence in my life as well. Stuttering can be an inherited condition, and I passed it on to one of my children. We took her to speech therapist as a very small child because she was almost entirely silent. Sometimes I wish she still was a bit [laughs] but that is fixed!

Fitz: Looking back, was it your performance in My Brilliant Career in 1979, playing the male lead Harry Beecham, that was your key breakthrough? And was that a pinch-me moment or did you always feel you were destined for stardom? SN: Lets put that one to rest: I was never destined for that. In fact, I never imagined I would have a career in the movies at all. That is just the way it turned out. Like all careers, there are breakthroughs and setbacks, thats just the way it goes. But I guess you could put My Brilliant Career down as a breakthrough. Sam Neill and Judy Davis on the set of My Brilliant Career (1979). Credit: Fairfax Media Fitz: Are you never intimidated by the fact that youll be unlikely to ever equal  and you can call me a shameless sycophant if you like  your performance in Dead Calm, with Nicole Kidman and Billy Zane, which was the best film there ever was. SN: Well, Im glad you liked it . . .

Fitz: I LOVED it! SN: . . . loved it. Its good to have one or two runs on the board. Fitz: Looking back, are you glad you missed out on succeeding Moore, Roger Moore, in the role of Bond, James Bond, to Tim Dalton in the early 80s? SN: Very relieved, really. I would have been stuck with being an ex-Bond for the rest of my life. Neill tends to an ailing triceratops with Laura Dern in Jurassic Park (1993). Credit: Alamy

Fitz: Russell Crowe once said that he has enough of the working class in him that he never feels that hes between films, and more than he is unemployed. Given how busy you are  shooting three films this year  I guess you are free of that feeling anyway? SN: Yes, but Im probably not as driven as I used to be. But I do love working. And Im very comfortable on the set. Im very comfortable to be working with my peers. Thats one of the great things in my life actually. Sam Neill (left) and John Clarke in Death in Brunswick (1990). Credit: Alamy Fitz: You will have seen the controversy around Guy Pearces tweet of a fortnight ago, saying If the only people allowed to play trans characters r trans folk, then r we also suggesting the only people trans folk can play r trans characters? and his subsequent profuse apology. Your thoughts? SN: I see your cunning plan FitzSimons, you are trying to get me into trouble here. I have nothing to say on this question. Innocent bystander. But at least let me say, I love Guy Pearce.

Fitz: Meantime, none of my business, but if you havent fallen in love with one or many of your leading ladies over the years, youd have to be the first regular leading man in the history of cinema, not to have done so? SN: Yes . . . Ive done that before. Fitz: How is Nicole? SN: [Wild laughter.] No, actually, when we were doing Dead Calm I fell in love with a woman who would become my wife, Noriko Watanabe. Fitz: A fortnight ago, I interviewed intimacy coordinator Chloe Dallimore. Have you had to call on the services of such professionals?

SN: As a matter of fact, I will be under the care of an intimacy coordinator on this current shoot [with Annette Bening]. I look forward to everyone being entirely comfortable . . . Loading Fitz: My missus says, and I quote, Sam has to be the most eligible bachelor on Earth, something not often applied to 75-year-olds. It is of course none of our damn business whether or not you are indeed a bachelor - unless of course you want to spill? SN: First of all, let me say your wifes the nicest person to say such a thing. But yes, Im certainly a bachelor. On occasion, someone nice will be kind enough to go out for dinner with me, but thats about the extent of it. Fitz: Is your knighthood one of the honours of your life, Sir Sam?

SN: Yeah. Well I first turned it down some years ago but [then I thought] it might look good on my CV when I check out. [Laughs]. Fitz: Does that make you a monarchist? SN: Not necessarily. I dont have any strong feelings about the monarchy to be honest. I know its out of date and everything but I cant get myself to get worked up about it. There are worse things. Fitz: Is there anything that makes you break out of your sunny persona and makes you turn suddenly savage? Do you never say, This is f--ing outrageous, and Im putting my name and fame to shame those who say it! ? SN: Well, I was very appalled by how Jacinda was treated and I get very angry about politics in America and guns in America. Theres a lot of things that upset me. And I will get very upset if Australia doesnt vote for the Voice. I think this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance and I dearly hope that people start listening and show respect and do the Voice.
Eating disorders affect one in 20 Australians, according to the National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, with around a million people impacted from 2020 to 2021. The report included binge-eating behaviour, which is the most common indicator of the development of an eating disorder. Young women are at the highest risk of developing the illness, with 5.6 per cent of women and girls aged 16 to 34 reporting binge-eating in the 12 months before the study. As of 2022, eating disorders were the third leading cause of the total burden of disease for women aged 15-24 in Australia. Eating disorders make up 57 per cent of hospitalisations within this group. The impact on parents The Flinders University study found: Just 14.7 per cent of parents had a helpful experience with both the first general practitioner and first therapist they saw and needed to see an average of 3.55 therapists before finding one that could help.

Parents had to take an average of 70.06 days leave from work to care for their child throughout the duration of the illness, with 13.9 per cent reporting either having to stop work or losing their job due to the illness. 75 per cent of parents spent 21 hours or more per week on direct care.

96 per cent of parents experienced worse emotional health than normal, 70.5 per cent experienced worse physical health than normal and 92.7 per cent of parents experienced a deterioration in their relationship, with 3.8 per cent reporting their relationship ended.

91.8 per cent of families needed to access treatment in the private sector, with median out-of-pocket treatment expenses between $10,000 and $20,000*. *The survey was conducted before Medicare rebated eating disorder psychology sessions were lifted to 40 per year.

When Jane Rowans daughter Charley was diagnosed with an eating disorder, the stress the illness caused her family was unimaginable.

Charley was 15 when she was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa in 2016. Rowan had to supervise Charley during three meals and three snacks a day and watch her for 90 minutes after each meal to ensure she didnt purge. Her daughter could not be left alone and had to attend a number of appointments with psychologists, psychiatrists and GPs. I felt like I went from parent to prison officer, Rowan said. It becomes all-consuming. It took over my life for probably 18 months  normal life stops. Her daughter is doing better, and Rowan is now the executive director of Eating Disorders Families Australia. Rowan said the stigma and misunderstanding around eating disorders meant families do not receive the same support they would if a child had another illness such as leukaemia.

People see it as a choice, when its not, she said, adding compassion, casual catch-ups and offers to look after other children is helpful for parents with a child with an eating disorder. The report also found that families of adolescents with eating disorders cycle through an average of 3.55 psychologists before they find one that fits. Loading And of the million Australians affected by an eating disorder, just 200,000 receive evidence-based treatment due to a lack of specialised services. Senior clinical psychologist and head of the Monash University Body Image and Eating Disorders Research Group Gemma Sharp said GPs and psychologists do not receive training in eating disorder treatments, making finding a mental health professional more complex.

Its not uncommon to go through a couple of [mental health] therapists to find the right fit  but theres an added complexity in eating disorders, she said, due to the physical and mental health components of the illness. It can be considered a more challenging presentation to manage as a psychologist should always work in a multidisciplinary team. Another key concern was the missing middle of support, where patients are deemed too ill for their GP and psychologist to treat them, but not ill enough for an inpatient treatment program, often located in a hospital. She is calling for health professionals to have basic training in eating disorders. Eating disorders are everyones business, Sharp said. Eating disorder treatments made up less than 2 per cent of the National Health & Medical Research Expenditure between 2010 and 2020.

In 2021, research funding in Australia equated to $1.10 per individual with an eating disorder compared to $32.62 and $67.36 per person with autism or schizophrenia. The Butterfly Foundations helpline offers support for people affected by eating disorders and negative body image. Its clinical supervisor, Dr Tania Nichols, said it would be helpful when clinicians are assessing for anxiety and depression that they are also screening for eating disorders. There are limited designated-funded eating disorder beds across the country. NSW has just 15 public beds and 55 private; Victoria has 15 public beds and 35 private, while Queensland has just five public beds and 20 private. Independent MP Zoe Daniel co-chairs the Parliamentary Friends of Eating Disorder Awareness and is calling for more federal funding for the illness ahead of the May budget. [Theres a] desperate need for funding to support people with eating disorders and keep them out of hospital. We need funding for prevention, education and treatment, in particular in-home programs, she said.

In the last budget, an extra $24.3 million was provided to implement new community-based treatment services and fund existing support and treatment services, including $1 million for the Butterfly Foundation to establish community-based residential eating disorder treatment centres and psycho-education intervention sessions to assist those between recovery programs. The National Eating Disorders Collaboration is currently developing the National Eating Disorders Strategy 2023-2033, set to be released later this year, to design the eating disorder system of care. Daniel is also calling for an expert task force to oversee and implement the strategy. A spokesperson for Health Minister Mark Butler said eating disorders were difficult to treat and very dangerous. The Albanese government has funded all states to build new residential treatment services for eating disorders, with $20 million in grants currently out to tender for community-based support. In October, the government launched the Australian Eating Disorders Research and Translation Centre aimed at improving models of care to address eating disorders. Support is available from Eating Disorders Families Australia on 1300 195 626, Butterfly Foundation on 1800 33 4673 and Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Australia is no closer to having a national genomic testing program for people with undiagnosed rare genetic conditions 18 months after a federal parliamentary committee warned failing to establish such a program would leave patients missing out on life-saving treatment.

People with primary immunodeficiencies are spending years searching for diagnoses that would lead them to effective treatments due to Australias patchy and disconnected access to genetic testing, Melanie Wong, a paediatric immunologist at Westmead Childrens Hospital, said.

It is truly devastating to lose patients, especially young ones, due to delayed diagnosis or the inability to control severe infections, said Wong, who also co-chairs the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy Immunodeficiency Strategy.

It took decades, and a month in a Vancouver hospital, for Archie Dowell to be diagnosed with Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome, thanks to a genetic test. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

There are more than 400 types of primary immunodeficiencies, which vary in severity but collectively affect an estimated one in every 25,000 people.
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 Its the human-like teeth that repulse people. Jutting out of plush toy monsters called Fugglers are rows of life-sized gappy, buck teeth that look like before pictures on an orthodontists website. The toys have divided opinion, courted controversy, inspired memes and even prompted USA Today to publish a fact check on claims that real teeth were used to make the little creatures. (Verdict: False.) Toy licensing agent Michael Goodman  who sold the rights to multinational toy company Spin Master in 2018  recalls first pitching Fugglers to an executive at another company. The guy was like This is disgusting, I dont want you to send a sample, dont contact me about this product. I was like Oh my god, its a doll with fake teeth, relax. Even their creator  British childrens author Louise McGettrick  says Fugglers started off as a joke and selling them was not the goal. It was intended as a secret to find online, a weirdness tucked in the recesses of Etsy, says McGettrick of her first Fugglers, which she made after stumbling across a sandwich bag of individual false teeth on eBay.

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They felt like the antithesis of a desirable item, which was the joy of it. But to their legions of young fans Fugglers  a portmanteau of funny ugly monsters  are endearing, personality-filled creatures that buck bland toy conventions. Nine-year-old Rose Preece with her Fugglers. Credit:Simon Schluter I just like them because they are weird, says nine-year-old Rose Preece. And without weird, its just kind of boring. Squishmallows, the hybrid cushion and plush toys, are adorable but they are normal, Rose says. I prefer Fugglers ... theyre just different. Her mother, Cath Thomas, is less enamoured. They give me the creeps, Thomas says. The teeth make me feel very uncomfortable. I just think of dead people. Kmarts business manager for toys, Asaf Harel, said Fugglers had been extremely popular since they hit Australian shelves almost two years ago.

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The feedback weve received on Fugglers has all been really positive so far, Harel says. Some people may find them a bit strange looking  but thats part of the fun. Fugglers are not the first ugly toy phenomenon. Loading In 2001, design students David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim created UglyDolls  quirky, googly-eyed cuddly toys which celebrated the concept that ugly is beautiful and inspired an animated film. And Huggy Wuggy, a freaky plush toy with razor sharp teeth and bloodshot eyes, is based on a rogue toy that eats the losers in a horror video game called Poppy Playtime. Dr Lauren Gurrieri, an associate professor of marketing at RMIT University, says ugly toys traverse the boundary between something cute and something a little monstrous. Children are always intrigued by monsters and scary themes, so this toy allows them to have play possibilities that gently engage with those emotions, fears and parts of the human condition.

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Gurrieri says Fugglers have no gender-identifying features, a plus for parents concerned about gender-stereotyped toys. Theres been a real backlash by a lot of parents, whove often coalesced in the form of activist groups, like Pinkstinks or Let Toys Be Toys, which rail against the gendered ideals and norms that are embedded in so many toys, Gurrieri says. Beyond freer gender expression, Fugglers also offer the possibility of expressing yourself in different ways, perhaps embracing what might be considered to be flaws or unique characteristics. This in turn promotes the message that its OK to be different. In 2018, Spin Master bought the rights to Fugglers, which are now available in the UK, Canada, Australia, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain. Louise McGettrick, the creator of Fugglers. McGettrick says the notion of her creations appearing in shops across the world was the literal definition of beyond my wildest dreams. Their seed was planted, she says, when she saw the individual false teeth on eBay while searching for her husbands Christmas present.

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I couldnt for the life of me understand why anyone would sell a random assortment of false teeth, let alone buy them, and my imagination wouldnt let it go. McGettrick had visions of a little old lady sewing the teeth into teddy bears and proudly selling them at a craft fair, oblivious to the horrified whisperings. It made me laugh so much I decided to make it real. They felt like the antithesis of a desirable item, which was the joy of it. Fugglers creator Louise McGettrick She posted the first Fuggler on Etsy in 2010 and realised she had accidentally started a business when the orders started coming in. I quickly learned three very important things, McGettrick says. Firstly, the people who are repulsed by your product will market it as effectively, if not more so, than the people that love it. Social media was riddled with people sharing my work with cries of anguish. Secondly, if you have a divisive product, other peoples hate is nourishing fuel for those who love it. Thirdly, humour is a great motivator to buyers. The real-teeth myth, she says, took on a life of its own. People posted images of Fugglers on social media, pretending they had used their childrens baby teeth and asking for feedback. It became this popular lore that somehow ended up in national papers or on TV chat shows, McGettrick says. I know its a silly story, but nobody spent literally one minute fact checking before broadcasting it to millions?

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Special Minister of State Don Farrell has previously floated increasing the number of senators allocated to the Northern Territory and the ACT from two each to four, but government sources confirmed a wider expansion of parliament would be considered. Asked whether the government would consider expanding the House and Senate, a spokeswoman for Farrell said the inquirys final report would consider a number of potential reforms, including one vote one value. The Albanese government is keenly interested to review the multi-partisan and joint committees findings, including any recommendations it makes, he said. Any increase to the number of House seats requires a rise in senators: under the Constitution, the number of lower house members in each state must be twice the number of senators.

According to the progressive think tank The Australia Institute, restoring the representation to about what it was after the Hawke governments reforms would require between 223 and 234 lower house seats, and up to 122 senators. Since 1984, Australias population has grown by about 10 million but the number of parliamentarians has stayed the same, said Bill Browne, director of the democracy and accountability program at the think tank. That leaves local members and senators stretched too thinly, between their obligations to more and more voters, an increasing volume of legislation, and committee work scrutinising policy and the government. Increasing the number of parliamentarians is not necessarily popular with voters, but what would be popular are the better outcomes that a larger parliament could deliver. Browne said a bigger parliament would also result in a deeper talent pool for ministers, a priority for Robert Menzies when he argued for the parliaments first increase in size in the 1940s.

There are multiple options for increasing the size of parliament. Psephologist and polling analyst Kevin Bonham has recommended two alternative reforms: an expansion by one-sixth (to 14 senators per state and about 175 House seats), or an expansion by one-third (to 16 senators per state and about 200 House seats). He said an expansion by one-sixth would have no benefit to either major party in the House of Representatives, but could favour Labor and the Greens in the Senate. In the House, all youre doing is just increasing the number of seats and the Australian Electoral Commission would redraw the boundaries in a fair manner, Bonham said. Veteran psephologist Malcolm Mackerras also suggested increasing the number of House seats to 175 and each states senators from 14, while giving the ACT one additional senator.

Its a political decision, but all I can say is on a population basis the Albanese government will have no difficulty whatsoever to justify this quite modest increase, he said. Mackerras said an expansion of parliament should be done at the same time as reforming the Senate ballot paper, which he said contained deceitful instructions by advising people to number at least six boxes above the line. In his evidence to the inquiry, Labors national secretary Paul Erickson said the committee should look at the discrepancy between Tasmanian seats and the rest of the country. The Labor Party does not have a policy position on the size of the parliament, but I think its reasonable to observe that, unless there is a significant unexpected change in the population trends between states and territories, that malapportionment will continue to grow, he said. Thats something this committee should give some consideration to. Its been a while since weve looked at this debate.

If Albanese and his ministers decided to expand parliament, it is unclear whether they would be able to do it in time before the next election due in 2025. Government sources, who were not authorised to speak publicly, said it was more likely any expansion of the House would be legislated after the next election. The government would also have to ensure parliament could accommodate the extra MPs. Seating for the House of Representatives is 172, while the Senate chamber is 89. A spokesperson for the Department of Parliamentary Services said the original building design factored in significant additional seating capacity and upgrades could deliver even further capacity. If there is no expansion of parliament before the next election, the Australian Electoral Commission will redistribute the electorates.
Going deeper, Reed unearths a striking fact about the move against the Liberals. The loss of votes for the Liberals in the last month is entirely due to female voters deserting the party, he tells me. Dutton inherited a party which already was doing terribly with women voters. In the words of the partys own official election review: The Liberal Party performed particularly poorly with female voters, continuing a trend that has been present since the election of 1996, the year that John Howard first took the prime ministership. A majority of women preferred Labor in all age segments in 2022. MP Karen Andrews announced her retirement from parliament at the next election. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen And Dutton is making it worse. Although its not entirely Duttons fault. As hes explained many times, the Liberals decision to say No to the Voice was a result of the overwhelming majority of the partys MPs and senators. It was an irrepressible expression of the partys identity. Its just that women voters increasingly dislike that identity. Australias women roared at last years election. More women were elected than ever before, comprising a record 38 per cent of members of the House of Representatives and a record 57 per cent of senators. In Labor, 53 per cent of the caucus today is female.

They are not there as window dressing. Albanese appointed record numbers of women to the inner sanctums of decision-making. Forty-three per cent of cabinet ministers are female, almost identical to the proportion of women sitting in the expenditure review committee of cabinet. Loading This is the locus of critical choices about where to spend budget revenues and where to cut. Of its nine members, four are women  Penny Wong, Katy Gallagher, Michelle Rowland and Madeleine King. So, its just that Australian women didnt roar in, or for, the Liberal party. The Libs had 13 women MPs in the last parliament and just nine in this, or 21 per cent of their total in the House. In one revealing rationalisation for the absence of female voices, the Liberals deputy leader, Sussan Ley, said that men also speak for women. Yes, and Tony Abbott appointed himself to be his governments minister for women, too. Brilliant.

As Liberal senator Linda Reynolds put it to the first meeting of the party room after the election: Menzies with the support of Dame Elizabeth Couchman founded the Liberal Party as the progressive party for women, which until 2001 was the party over 50 per cent of Australian women voted for. Today it is around 30 per cent. We cannot win majority government again without regaining the trust and electoral support of women of all ages. Reynolds was caught up in the problem as the minister who employed Brittany Higgins at the time of her alleged rape in the ministerial office. Instead of regaining women voters, the party is still shedding more. Senator Linda Reynolds at the ACT Supreme Court. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen And this week a senior woman on the Liberal frontbench, Karen Andrews, minister for home affairs under Morrison, announced her retirement from parliament at the next election. Which isnt any kind of shock decision from a 62-year-old after 13 years on the Canberra shuttle. But its not any great inspiration for aspiring women, either. The next night, Peter Dutton delivered a speech in which he reassured the party that it was suffering merely the normal fortunes of the electoral cycle: In the cycle of politics, parties will be down, but, of course, they are never out.

But unless the Liberals can reverse the trend of ever-falling support from women, they will be out. Many Liberal men reading this will be sceptical, questioning the principle of pursuing a particular minority or special group, resisting the idea of diversity or equating it with wokeness. Which illustrates the problem exactly. Women are not a minority or a form of diversity. Women are the majority. They are Australia. Overlook them and you overlook not some exotic subgroup but most of the country. Former shadow attorney-general Julian Leeser has quit the frontbench in order to campaign for a Yes vote on the Indigenous Voice referendum. Credit: Alex Ellinghausen Dutton went on to reassert the timeless principles set out by the partys founder, Robert Menzies, and rightly so. He referenced his most famous speech, the Forgotten People broadcast. He made no mention of the fact that this piece of Liberal holy writ was, in part, an appeal to women voters. Much of the Forgotten People seems particularly addressed to women, writes Judith Brett in her book Robert Menzies Forgotten People. She goes on: Prima facie, the forgotten people Menzies was addressing were the middle class, but they were also women whose particular interests and problems had generally been forgotten by a politics organised around the conflicts of the economy and the workplace.

In elaborating the virtues of the home as central to non-Labour [sic] ideology, Menzies was elaborating the virtues of womens traditional social space, writes Brett, emeritus professor of political science at La Trobe University. Loading It made it easier for the needs of women in the home to be articulated as political demands  A generation before the womens movement, Menzies was politicising the non-political. Not only did Menzies very much have women in his pitch, women were structured into the origins of his party at its birth in 1944. One of the Liberals foundations was the Australian Womens National League. Led by Couchman, it was a slick and monied political league which carried a peak membership of 50,000. The Australian Womens National League joined on condition it had equal representation throughout the Liberal organisation and had the right to participate in preselections, even though the group did not itself advocate that women stand for parliament. It was a different era.

But this female foundation helped the Liberal Party build an election-winning lead with women voters that it cultivated for years, providing an electoral advantage that lasted until the defeat of the Fraser government in 1983, as Margaret Fitzherbert wrote in Menzies: The Shaping of Modern Australia. Loading Menzies embraced women not because he was especially enlightened but because he needed them. There is a lesson here for todays Liberals. One of the co-authors of the partys election review, Senator Jane Hume, says the party is about to begin work on implementing several review recommendations designed to bring more women into the party and to better support them. But its not competing for women in a vacuum. Theres a federal budget afoot, and the Finance Minister, Katy Gallagher, also the Minister for Women, says that shes working carefully through all the recommendations in a newly published letter from the Womens Economic Equality taskforce. We cant afford to do everything but we are serious about looking at addressing inequality for women and doing that in the confines of a tough budget, looking to implement new measures.
Washington: US President Joe Biden pledged to continue fighting politically driven attacks on womens health after the Supreme Court on Friday preserved access to a widely used abortion drug until a lower court rules on the legal fight.

If the justices had upheld a restriction on mifepristone imposed by a lower court, it would have undermined the US Food and Drug Administrations medical judgment and its two-decade approval for the drug, and put womens health at risk.

Boxes of the drug mifepristone line a shelf in Alabama. In Australia, the drug along with misprostol, is listed on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Credit: AP

The stakes could not be higher for women across America, Biden said in a statement. I continue to stand by FDAs evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and my administration will continue to defend FDAs independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs.

Mifepristone will remain available as the New Orleans-based 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals hears appeals from the Biden Administration and Danco Laboratories, which makes the drug.
Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili will discuss support from Italy and other partners for Georgia in its quest to obtain the European Union membership candidate status by the end of this year as part of his official visit to Rome, the Georgian foreign office said on Friday, Azerews reports with reference to Agenda.

In comments on the topic, the official stressed his office and other state agencies were completely focused on obtaining the status, and noted he had already met with the Italian Parliaments Speaker to discuss the legislative bodys vital support for Georgias EU integration.

The Speaker expressed his very clear support for Georgia, and I am sure the Italian Parliament and Government will be actively involved in supporting our EU aspirations, said the FM.

The official also said he would sign a new strategic document during a meeting with his Italian counterpart later on Friday to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in defence, security, politics, trade, economy, culture and education.

"The high-level dialogue format will further strengthen ties between the states and bring a new impetus to bilateral relations, Darchiashvili said.

The FM noted the meeting would also review Georgia's European integration prospects and highlighted the importance of individual cooperation with the blocs member states to ensure the countrys integration into the EU.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday held a meeting with Karnataka BJP leaders in Bengaluru for the upcoming Assembly elections.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was also present at the meeting.

Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to poll-bound Karnataka from Friday as the state gears up for a fierce political battle in the month of May. This is Shah's first visit to Karnataka since the announcement of the polls last month.

Shah was supposed to hold a roadshow in Devanahalli on Friday. However, his roadshow was cancelled due to rain.

"Due to heavy rain could not be there among the people of Devanahalli. I bow to them for turning out in large numbers despite adverse weather. I will certainly visit Devanahalli soon for a campaign. Their enthusiasm shows that the BJP will win a massive victory in Karnataka," tweeted Shah.

Taking to Twitter, BJP Karnataka said, "Amit Shah ji landed in Bengaluru and was headed to the Devanhalli Roadshow. However, heavy rains in that area made the commencement of the road show impossible. In order to not cause inconvenience to the karyakartas assembled, the state leadership has decided to postpone the event."

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The 224-seat Assembly will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13.

Big names in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and party president JP Nadda among others featured in the party's list of star campaigners for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections.

The BJP released a list of 40-star campaigners on April 18 for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections for which the BJP has exerted full might to return to power.

The other big names from the Centre which will seek votes for the party in BJP's "gateway to the South" (Karnataka) include Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister Smriti Irani and others.

Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya also feature in the list.

The chief ministers of BJP-ruled states including Karnataka's Basavaraj Bommai who is seeking a second term, Uttar Pradesh's Yogi Adityanath, Assam's Himanta Biswa Sarma, Madhya Pradesh's Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will campaign for the party.

Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai, former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, KS Eshwarappa who quit electoral politics also feature in the list.

BJP Chief JP Nadda is also on a two-day visit to the state. This is Nadda's first visit to the State after the party announced candidates for the Assembly polls. Nadda held a roadshow in Bidar.
Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he condemns people who spread negativity and try to hinder the progress of the nation, alluding to critical remarks made by former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik about the BJP-led central government.

Goyal asserted that they are positive-thinking people.

"Unfortunately, some people always think negatively and all the time try to stall the country's progress by misleading people. I completely condemn such people," he told reporters here.

He was replying to a question about Malik in a media interview making critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency.

Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya.

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The CBI move comes barely a week after Malik gave an interview to "The Wire", in which he made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.

Malik and some Khap leaders held a protest at a police station in New Delhi on Saturday after not being allowed to hold a meeting at a south Delhi park as they lacked requisite permission, according to officials, who rejected reports that he was detained.
Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu are expected to attend a key meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be hosted by India next week under its presidency of the grouping, people familiar with the development said on Saturday.

There is no confirmation yet on in-person participation of Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in the SCO defence ministerial meeting scheduled for April 27 and 28, they said, adding he is likely to join the deliberations virtually.

The people said defence ministers of China, Russia and other SCO member countries except Pakistan have confirmed their in-person attendance.

However, there was no official announcement on the participation at the defence ministerial meeting by the SCO member states.

The visit by Li, if it takes place, would come amid the three-year border standoff in eastern Ladakh. The SCO defence ministerial meeting in New Delhi would be followed by the foreign ministerial meeting of the grouping in Goa on May 4 and 5.

Foreign ministers of all SCO countries, including Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, are scheduled to attend the meeting. Pakistan has already announced that Bhutto Zardari would travel to India to attend the meeting.

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The SCO defence ministers' meeting is set to delve into various issues relating to regional security, including the threat of terrorism and the situation in Afghanistan. The meeting will be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The SCO member countries are India, Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.
The Delhi government's Directorate of Education (DOE) has taken over seven special schools from the Social Welfare Department, according to a circular issued on Friday.

The schools taken over by the DoE are the Government Nursery Primary School for Deaf and the School for Mentally Retarded Children in Mayur Vihar, the Senior Secondary School for Blind Boys in Kingsway Camp and the Middle School For The Deaf in Rohini Sector 4, the Lady Noyce Nursery Primary School For The Deaf in Nehru Vihar and Delhi Gate and the Government Senior Secondary School For The Deaf in Kalkaji.

"Concerned District Deputy Education (DDE) Officers are directed to depute a team under the chairperson-ship of DE (Zone) concerned, Principals, Head of Schools and District Coordinator. The team will physically visit the school for analyzing the various educational aspects for ensuring the Provisions made in the RTE Act, 2009, RPWD Act 2016 and National Policy on Education, 2020," the DoE circular said.

It added that the team will have to send a detailed report to the Inclusive Education Branch headquarters within a week from the issuance of the order.

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The Delhi government will use print and electronic media, including radio, to create awareness among labourers in the city over various welfare schemes run for them by it.

The Kejriwal government will spread awareness about its schemes for labourers through radio and monthly magazines. The Labour department will undertake a massive campaign for awareness creation, said a Delhi government statement on Friday.

"We will start a massive awareness programme to increase the registration of labourers and provide them benefits of all the schemes of the Kejriwal government," Delhi Labour Minister Raaj Kumar Anand said.

Posters, banners will also be put up at construction sites in Delhi to provide benefits of government schemes to labourers. Monthly magazines will be distributed to every labourer, in which all the schemes and initiatives of the government will be mentioned, said the minister.

The Labour department has digitised more than 50 lakh documents of labourers, so that they can get the benefits of government schemes, he said.

In a meeting with officials of his department and Delhi Building and Construction Workers Welfare Board, the minister directed for widespread awareness creation about various schemes of the government.

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He instructed officers to implement the Shramik Aujar Toolkit Sahayata Yojana, Doctor on Wheels Yojana for the health check-up of labourers and the plan to set up a crche for the children of the labourers, at the earliest.
A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kerala to take part in 'Yuvam-23' to interact with youngsters, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), the youth wing of the ruling CPI(M) has announced a protest on Sunday and posed one hundred questions to him over various issues faced by the youth.

Modi is scheduled to attend Yuvam-2023, an interaction with youngsters, organised by the BJP at Kochi on April 24.

The DYFI has launched a massive campaign asking 100 questions to Modi on various issues faced by the youth and the country such as unemployment, poor wages, sale of public sector companies among others.

Hundreds of flex boards raising questions to Modi have been erected by the DYFI, next to the BJP boards welcoming the Prime Minister.

The DYFI protest on Sunday will be held in all 14 districts of the state and will be inaugurated by senior Left leaders at all places. CPI(M) state secretary M V Govindan will inaugurate the protest at Kollam while LDF convenor E P Jayarajan will inaugurate the event at Thiruvananthapuram.

All India president of DYFI and Rajya Sabha MP, A A Rahim, said the party was asking hundred questions to Modi, who has not faced a single press meet in the last nine years.

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"Nine years have passed since the Indian Prime Minister has attended a press conference. The Prime Minister is interested only in Mann Ki Baat and scripted interviews. The youngsters of Kerala are asking one hundred questions to Modi and he should answer at least one of them," Rahim said in a Facebook post.

The DYFI has launched a QR code which will open the questions to the Prime Minister.

The questions include topics related to Pulwama attack, Demonetisation, 2002 Gujarat riots, horse trading of legislators, PM Cares Fund, encounter politics , rising fuel prices among others.

The PM is attending the Yuvam 2023 in Kochi and on April 25, he will visit Thiruvananthapuram to take part in various programmes.
The nomination papers of BJP's Saundatii Yellamma constituency candidate Ratna Anand Mamani for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly election was accepted on Saturday after a thorough scrutiny by the election officials owing to objections raised by the opponents including Congress.

Ratna, who is wife of former deputy speaker of the Karnataka Assembly late Anand Mamani, said the objection by the Congress candidate was rejected after closely scrutinising the application.

"I have got a favourable judgment to contest the Assembly election. I request the people of my constituency to bless me in the coming days," Ratna told reporters.

The BJP candidate said that she was not frightened after the objection, saying that she never committed anything wrong. "When the opponents cannot win, they resort to these low level conspiracies," Ratna alleged.

Accusing her opponents, she said those who created trouble for her should come face-to-face to fight in the election.

Ratna's lawyer said there could have been some minor errors, which did not amount to a gross violation of poll code to the extent that her nomination papers can be rejected.

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In a whirlwind tour to launch several development projects in two states and a Union Territory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel more than 5,300 km through seven cities and attend eight programmes in 36 hours beginning Monday.

Modi will travel from Delhi to Madhya Pradesh in central India, then to Kerala in south, followed by the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu in west, before returning to the national capital on Tuesday, officials said.

They said the prime minister will travel from Delhi to Khajuraho, covering a distance of around 500 km, and then to Rewa to participate in a National Panchayati Raj Day programme.

After this, he will come back to Khajuraho, covering a distance of around 280 km in the to and fro journey, and then travel to Kochi, covering an aerial distance of about 1,700 km, to participate in the Yuvam Conclave.

On Tuesday morning, Modi will travel from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram, covering a distance of about 190 km, where he will flag off a Vande Bharat Express train and also dedicate and lay the foundation stones of various projects.

From there, the prime minister will travel to Silvassa via Surat, covering about 1,570 km, the officials added.

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At Silvassa, Modi will visit the NAMO medical college and dedicate and lay the foundation stones of various projects. After this, he will travel to Daman for the inauguration of the Devka seafront, following which he will go to Surat, covering about 110 km. From Surat, Modi will travel back to Delhi, adding another 940 km to his travel schedule, the officials said.

"The hectic schedule will see the prime minister travelling an aerial distance of around 5,300 km. To put this figure in perspective, one can look at the length of India from north to south, which is about 3,200 km," an official said, noting that the entire travel and other programmes of the prime minister are packed in only 36 hours.

Modi is known to keep a busy schedule during his travel, domestic as well as international, and officials have often highlighted how the prime minister ensures that his trips are packed with important meetings and programmes.
Kerala police and central agencies have launched an investigation into a letter threatening a suicide bomb attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be visiting the state on April 24 and 25 to take part in various programmes.

The letter in Malayalam, purportedly written by a Kochi resident, was received at the office of BJP state president K Surendran who in turn had handed it over to the police last week.

The news of the threat letter came out today after a report by ADGP (Intelligence) was telecast in the media. As the news was out, Surendran met the media and said he had handed over the threat letter a week ago to the state police chief.

"Last week, President, BJP state committee, Kerala had received a letter written in Malayalam threatening the life of Hon. Prime Minister of India by using suicide bomber," the intelligence report read.

The report also said the veracity of the letter and the person behind it were under investigation.

Surendran alleged that the "leak of the intelligence report" from the police was a grave mistake and it should be probed. The 49-page report gives details of the names of the officials on duty, their roles, the detailed programme chart of the Prime Minister among other matters.

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Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan also slammed the alleged leak of the ADGP (Intelligence) report and said it was a serious matter.

"The Chief Minister should explain how a report on the security detail of the Prime Minister was leaked and going viral on WhatsApp. This means the state home department is in shambles," Muraleedharan alleged.

Meanwhile, Kochi resident N J Johny, whose name and number were there in the alleged threat letter, today said he was innocent.

"Police have questioned me. I have given them all the details. They crosschecked the handwriting and everything," he told the media.

His family said they suspect another person from the locality, who has some issues with them over some matter related to a church, behind the letter.

As per the report, nearly 2,000 police personnal have been deployed each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi cities.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Saturday said the "haste" with which the Supreme Court is disposing of the petitions for legal recognition to same-sex marriages is not appropriate and it should have sought the opinion of religious leaders and experts from diverse fields.

VHP Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain expressed apprehension the top court's actions could lead to "new disputes".

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud is hearing a batch of pleas seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriage. It began hearing the matter on Tuesday and the arguments remained inconclusive on the third consecutive day on Thursday. The arguments will resume on April 24.

On Thursday, the top court said it may be redefining the "evolving notion of marriage" as the next step after decriminalising consensual homosexual relationship, which implicitly recognised that same-sex people could live in a stable marriage-like relationship.

"The haste with which the honourable Supreme Court is disposing off the petitions for recognition of same-sex marriage is not appropriate in any way. This will give rise to new disputes and will also prove to be dangerous for the culture of India," Jain said.

"Hence, before proceeding ahead on this subject, the honourable Supreme Court should have taken the opinion of the religious leaders, people from the field of medicine, social scientists and academicians by forming a committee," he told reporters here.

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Jain said the subject of marriage is governed by different civil codes.

"None of the civil codes prevailing in India gives permission for this (same-sex marriage). Does the Supreme Court want to make a change in these?" he said.

Ram Narayan Dwivedi of Kashi Vidvat Parishad, Govind Sharma of Ganga Mahasabha and Mahant Balak Das of Dharma Parishad also spoke at the press conference.

During Thursday's hearing, the Supreme Court did not agree to the contention that unlike heterosexuals, same-sex couples cannot take proper care of their children.

Referring to its 2018 judgment that decriminalised consensual gay sex, the court said it led to a situation where two consenting homosexual adults can live in a marriage-like relationship and the next step could be to validate their relationship as marriage.

"Therefore, by decriminalising homosexuality we have not just recognised the relationship between consenting adults of the same gender, we have also recognised implicitly the fact that the people who are of same sex could be in a stable relationship, it said.
Maharashtra Health Minister Dr Tanaji Sawant on Saturday said the current XBB.1.16 variant of coronavirus was no cause for concern and citizens should not panic about the rise in cases.

The present wave will come down to an endemic stage by May 15 and a downward trend will be seen next month, the minister said while urging citizens not to panic.

Maharashtra on Friday reported 993 COVID-19 cases and five deaths, which took the tally to 81,60,499 and the toll to 1,48,497.

According to the state health department, the XBB.1.16 is the dominant variant of Omicron that was driving the case surge in the state. So far, 681 cases caused by this variant have been detected, and five persons have succumbed.

The minister was speaking at the 'bhoomi poojan' ceremony of the new 900-bed district civil super-speciality hospital in Thane, which was performed by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

Speaking on the occasion, Shinde said the Thane District Civil Hospital had a major role in the development of the Shiv Sena in Thane and surrounding districts.

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The new super-speciality hospital will be constructed on the same land where the existing medical facility stands.

The 900-bed hospital will be a modern one equipped with all super-speciality facilities such as an air ambulance, he said.

State ministers Ravindra Chavan, Dr Tanaji Sawant, Union MoS Kapil Patil, MLA Sanjay Kelkar, MLC Niranjan Davkhare and a number of elected representatives, and Thane Collector Ashok Shingare and Thane Civil Surgeon Dr Kailas Pawar were present for the ceremony.

The chief minister said a total of Rs 50 crore were disbursed to more than 6,000 beneficiaries from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund during his tenure, which was not done in the past, he said.

Shinde further said the state government has introduced several initiatives in the health sector, including Balasaheb Thackeray Aapla Davakhana scheme, under which citizens could get quick medical treatment near their homes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, doctors and other medical staff had proved their commitment due to which many patients preferred availing treatment at the civil hospital, he said.

Health Minister Dr Sawant said he will monitor the work on the hospital building, which is likely to be completed and handed over on August 30, 2024.

He also appealed to the chief minister to recognise health department workers who had risked their lives during the pandemic by providing increments, promotions, and also making the temporary employees permanent.
By Jayshree P Upadhyay

(Reuters) - India's market regulator is planning to permit a new category of mutual fund schemes where asset managers' charges will partly be linked to performance, according to an official document reviewed by Reuters and a source directly familiar with the matter.

As part of the proposal, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) wants to allow additional charges if a fund consistently outperforms a relevant benchmark index and gives higher annualised returns, according to an internal SEBI document.

The proposal to introduce performance-linked charges on select mutual fund schemes has not been previously reported. According to the plan, the base fees currently charged for mutual funds would be reduced and additional charges would be based on performance.

If introduced, India would be one of a handful of major markets to introduce performance-linked fees for mutual funds.

"The regulator is considering this proposal since it has observed that many actively managed funds fail to beat their benchmark index," said a person with direct knowledge of the matter, declining to be named since he was not authorised to speak to the media.

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"An option for additional charges could act as an incentive for funds to give better returns," the source said. Past performance will be used to judge whether a fund has performed better than the chosen benchmark.

There was no response from SEBI to a request for comment.

The proposal has been referred to SEBI's mutual fund panel to work out implementation, said the source.

Typically, such proposals are sent to internal panels for deliberation, following which public feedback is sought and a final decision taken by SEBI thereafter.

The proposed changes are part of a comprehensive review of fees that India's 39.46 trillion rupee ($480.26 billion) asset management industry currently charges from its investors. There is a need for transparency on charges levied by mutual funds, SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch said on March 28.

At present, Indian Asset Management Companies are allowed to levy charges called Total Expense Ratio, which range from 0-2.25% of the investment amount. The fee includes the total costs associated for managing the fund.

To get more investors to invest in mutual fund schemes from India's tier-2 and tier-3 cities, the regulator also allows fund houses to charge additional fees for marketing and to incentivise intermediaries.

However, during inspections of India's 44 asset managers, SEBI found instances of malpractices, including incentive charges on the same investor by different funds, according to the document cited earlier.

To curb this, SEBI will only allow funds to charge additional fees if an investor is buying any mutual fund for the first time, the document showed.

($1 = 82.1630 Indian rupees)

(Reporting by Jayshree P Upadhyay; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)


The US, the pre-eminent power in the region for the last five decades, reacted coolly; but the CIA chiefs complaints in Riyadh that the US was blindsided, suggest they are worried. India, equally surprised, has been cautious, only approving of diplomacy to resolve differences. China mediated the agreement between Saudi Arabia and Iran recently, demonstrating the confidence of a global power. The declared result commits the two countries to restore full diplomatic relations -- after seven years of stalemate -- and implement old agreements for expanding ties. If it mitigates long-standing rivalries between the two Gulf giants and ends the horrific war in Yemen, it could impact the larger West Asian region, and extend Chinas global clout.



Oil and oil products account for 87 per cent of Saudi Arabias exports and 40-45 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP). The figures for Iran, a more diversified economy are 70 per cent and 20-25 per cent. China- the worlds largest oil importer, is crucial to both. The West, and we in India, should have been less surprised by just how important China has become to all countries in West Asia. The US shale oil revolution, followed by the Western push for energy transition away from oil, has made China the principal market for Gulf oil exports. Chinas crude oil imports from the Gulf have grown eight times since 2000 to over 250 million tonnes (mt) in 2021. Meanwhile, the US and EUs sourcing of oil from this region has declined from about 250 mt to less than 100 million in the same period.



The Vision 2030 of Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aims to transform the country by leveraging oil revenue to stimulate a new phase of industrialization, build new cities, exploit mineral wealth etc. China has worked on synergies with its own Belt and Road Initiative, offering competitively industrial capacity, new sources of energy and complete projects. The Gulf countries all seek to diversify and reduce their dependence on oil. And China has just what they need in building new renewable energy, industrial capacity, and infrastructure (also weaponry as an alternative to traditional Western suppliers). China has over 80 per cent of the world's manufacturing capacity for solar power, and similar dominance in EVs, batteries, wind turbines etc. As a US analyst put it, China is now the centre of gravity of global energy trade. And it has made West Asia a focus area for its foreign policy.

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Meanwhile, Saudi relations with the US have deteriorated as the Biden administration alienated the leadership with prescriptive lectures on domestic affairs and OPEC policies. It complains about ties with Russia, while that country is an ally of the Saudis in keeping oil prices elevated. The disastrous Saudi intervention in the Yemen war not only exacerbated tensions with Iran but brought Houthi rocket attacks on Saudi infrastructure. The US did not respond effectively, opening its historic role as a security guarantor to question. As Riyadh sought political options, China walked in through an open door. China has found Saudi Arabia to be a safe, dependable oil source. It has imported up to 1.8 million barrels per day, or 17 per cent of its imports in the last two years from the Saudis. Riyadh values the Chinese market, which takes 25 per cent of its oil exports and is locking in refinery capacity there.



A somewhat frustrated China seems to have chosen between the two great Gulf rivals, in favour of Saudi Arabia. In December 2022, President Xi visited Riyadh where he participated in three summits: China-Saudi Arabia, China-GCC, and China-Arab States. This clearly acknowledged Saudi Arabias leading role and presented China as a partner, for the entire Arab world. The Joint Statement issued after the China-GCC meeting showed a tilt against Iran on 1) the three islands near the Straits of Hormuz occupied by Iran, but claimed by UAE; 2) Yemen, where China condemned attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia on Saudi Arabia and UAE; and 3) while addressing the Iran nuclear file and destabilising regional activities! In Iran, back in 2016, President Xi mooted plans for a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement, and in 2019 the proposal was revived with outlines of $400 billion in Chinese investments. This grand scheme ran into difficulties as a vocal section in Iran (led by former President Ahmedinejad) claimed it had security elements disallowed by the Iranian Constitution. Clearly the Iranian revolutionary slogan neither East nor West is still in play. Apart from the fact that the Iranian oil and gas industries prefer Western technology, its labyrinthine bureaucracy moves slowly on any new projects. While the agreement was finally concluded in 2021, only $185 million of the 400 billion has materialized!



As always, the Iranians bargained shrewdly. First, the Saudi-owned Iran Internationals London bureau, whose broadcasts were feeding the anti-regime protests inside Iran, was closed ("relocated"). Then, Iran signalled to the Houthis in Yemen a possible reduction in arms supplies. With the agreements following swiftly thereafter, China pulled off a diplomatic coup. Clearly taken aback, the Iranians called in the Chinese Ambassador, and conveyed strong dissatisfaction. But the Chinese knew that Tehran, hemmed in by sanctions blocking oil sales to others, anti-regime protests, and persisting threats of possible Israeli-US attack, had limited options. In February 2023, President Raisi paid a standalone state visit to China, the first in twenty years. He agreed to a roadmap to implement the 2021 agreement. And probably agreed to Chinese mediation with Saudi Arabia over their differences.
Climate change continued its advance in 2022 as droughts, floods, and heatwaves affected communities on every continent and cost many billions of dollars, said the annual report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

Antarctic sea ice fell to its lowest level on record, and the melting of some European glaciers was off the charts, Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

For global temperature, the years 2015-2022 were the eight warmest on record. Melting of glaciers and sea level rise, which reached record levels in 2022, will continue for up to thousands of years, said the report.

"While greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise and the climate continues to change, populations worldwide continue to be gravely impacted by extreme weather and climate events," said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

Throughout the year, hazardous climate and weather-related events drove new population displacement and worsened conditions for many of the 95 million people already living in displacement at the beginning of the year, according to the report.

The new WMO report is accompanied by a story map, which provides information for policymakers on how the climate change indicators are playing out, and which also shows how improved technology makes the transition to renewable energy cheaper and more accessible than ever.

Also Read Prospects of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees vey low: Report Averting climate disasters requires bold emission reduction measure: UNEP India's G-20 presidency: Opportunity for developing world's climate agenda UN chief Guterres calls for action to address root cause of rising seas COP27 climate summit: What India can expect at UNFCCC meet in Egypt? Shehbaz stands firm on Parliament's supremacy amid Pak SC standoff XBB.1.16 now Covid 'variant of interest' due to its sustained increase: WHO Success of climate crisis will in part depend on India's decisions: US Musk's wealth nosedives $12.6 bn after chaos at SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter Twitter removes 'government-funded' news labels from all media accounts

"We need accelerated climate action with deeper, faster emissions cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. We also need massively scaled-up investments in adaptation and resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable countries and communities who have done the least to cause the crisis," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement.

--IANS

ksk/
Google has updated its AI chatbot called Bard to help people with programming and software development tasks, including code generation, code debugging and explanation.

The company is launching these capabilities in more than 20 programming languages including C++, Go, Java, Javascript, Python and Typescript.

"You can easily export Python code to Google Colab -- no copy and paste required. Bard can also assist with writing functions for Google Sheets," said the tech giant.

In addition to generating code, Bard can also help explain code snippets for people, especially those who are learning about programming for the first time.

If Bard gives you an error message or code that doesn't do what you intended, just tell Bard "this code didn't work, please fix it", and Bard can help you debug, said the company.

Bard is still an early experiment, and may sometimes provide inaccurate, misleading or false information while presenting it confidently, Google admitted.

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However, when it comes to coding, Bard may give you working code that doesn't produce the expected output, or provide you with code that is not optimal or incomplete.

"Always double-check Bard's responses and carefully test and review code for errors, bugs and vulnerabilities before relying on it," the company explained.

Bard is already helping people with everyday tasks, from crafting presentations and writing lesson plans to inventing new recipes or planning a workout routine.

Alarmed at the success of Microsoft-owned OpenAI's ChatGPT, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has created a unit that will help the company build more capable AI systems safely and responsibly.

This group, called 'Google DeepMind', will bring together two leading research groups in the AI field: the Brain team from Google Research, and DeepMind.

--IANS

na/prw/ksk/
Only about half of Democrats think President Joe Biden should run again in 2024, a poll shows, but a large majority say they'd be likely to support him if he became the nominee.

The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 26 per cent of Americans overall want to see Biden run again a slight recovery from the 22 per cent who said that in January.

Forty-seven per cent of Democrats say they want him to run, also up slightly from only 37 per cent who said that in January.

The ambivalence among Democratic voters comes as Biden is preparing to formally announce his 2024 reelection campaign as soon as next week, according to people briefed on the discussions. The president has been eyeing Tuesday, April 25 four years to the day since he entered the 2020 race although no final decisions have been made.

Despite the reluctance of many Democrats to see Biden run for another term, 78 per cent of them say they approve of the job he's doing as president. And a total of 81 per cent of Democrats say they would at least probably support Biden in a general election if he is the nominee 41 per cent say they definitely would and 40 per cent say they probably would.

Interviews with poll respondents suggest that the gap reflects concerns about Biden's age, as well as a clamouring from a younger generation of Democrats who say they want leadership that reflects their demographic and their values. Biden, now 80, would be 82 on Election Day 2024 and 86 years old at the end of a second presidential term. He is the oldest president in history.

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Jenipher Lagana, 59, said she likes Biden, calling him an interesting man who has had an incredible political career. She praised Biden for providing a breath of fresh air and said she approves of how he's been doing his job as president.

But "my problem with him running in 2024 is that he's just so old," said Lagana, who is retired and lives in California. "I would love to see somebody younger, like (Transportation Secretary Pete) Buttigieg or (California Gov. Gavin) Newsom be able to get in there and handle things maybe a little differently just because they're a younger person.

Donna Stewart, 48, a program director for a nonprofit in New York, also pointed to Biden's age as a concern.

I voted for him. I like him as a person. I like him as a leader for the country, she said. However, I just feel that he's still lacking the up-to-date knowledge of what needs to be done.

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden appeared to hint that he would limit himself to just one term in the White House, framing his candidacy as a bridge to a new generation of Democratic leaders. But while in office, Biden has made his intentions clearer that he would run again for a second term, saying as recently as last week in Ireland that he's already made that calculus and that the announcement will happen relatively soon.

With only nominal primary challengers and a chaotic Republican field, the president and his senior aides have felt little pressure to formalize a reelection campaign.

Instead, Biden has focused on governing, holding events at the White House and travelling across the country to sell his top legislative achievements such as a bipartisan infrastructure law and a sweeping climate, health care and tax package.

The president and his senior political advisers are meeting with Democratic donors in Washington next week in an event meant to energize the party's top contributors ahead of Biden's expected reelection campaign.

Biden has also batted away questions about his age, saying that voters simply need to watch me to determine whether he's up to the job as president.

And while many Democrats remain tepid on Biden because of his age, others said it was actually an asset.

Stephen Foery, 47, said Biden's decades in Washington first in the Senate and then as vice president proved to be valuable in the first two years of his presidency because he's done a lot to fix the country in a very short amount of time.

I think that one of the benefits of living a long life is that you have a lot of wisdom to impart, said Foery, a creative services manager in Pennsylvania. If you gain as much experience as Biden has throughout his life, it would be a shame to simply disregard him because of his age.

Biden's job approval rating stands at 42 per cent, a slight improvement from 38 per cent in March. The March poll came after a pair of bank failures rattled an already shaky confidence in the nation's financial systems, and Biden's approval rating then was near the lowest point of his presidency. Thirty percent of Americans call the national economy good, a slight improvement from 25 per cent a month ago.

Younger Democrats remain a reluctant part of Biden's coalition just 25 per cent of those under age 45 say they would definitely support Biden in a general election, compared with 56 per cent of older Democrats.

Still, an additional 51 per cent of younger Democrats say they would probably vote for Biden in a 2024 general election.

It's really hard to support somebody who is such a career politician, who has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo when the status quo doesn't work for me, said Otis Phillips, 20, who lives in Washington state.

Phillips, a student, said he has been pleased with some of Biden's initiatives, including his student loan forgiveness program and his focus on climate policy. But he emphasized: I don't like maintaining the status quo. And so I want things to change, and I don't think Biden's how we're going to get that in the next four years.

Both the current and former president could face resistance from the public as a whole in a general election. A total of 65 per cent of US adults say they would definitely or probably not support former President Donald Trump if he is nominated in a general election, including 53 per cent who say they definitely would not. Biden's obstacles are smaller by comparison but still substantial: 56 per cent of Americans say they would be unlikely to support Biden in a general election, including 41 per cent who say they would definitely not.

Biden has long bet that once voters are presented with a binary choice either him or a Republican candidate, particularly if it is Trump that a majority of the electorate will side with Democrats. He often quotes his father, Joseph R. Biden Sr., in his public remarks: Joey, don't compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative.

The only reason why I would not want him to run is because of his age. Like, that's the only thing, said Shakeen Magee, 45, a self-employed Georgia resident.

But she said that if Biden does officially become the Democratic nominee in 2024, she would definitely support him because we can't take another Trump." Magee added that if we were to get another Republican in that office, it would just undo the little progress that Biden has been able to make.
By Erik Larson

Reid Hoffman, the billionaire LinkedIn co-founder who is also a major donor to the Democratic Party, is defending his role in financing a New York authors lawsuit accusing former President Donald Trump of sexual assault  a landmark case that is set to go to trial next week.



In general, I prefer to talk about these values and ideas over commenting on specific gifts that Ive made, Hoffman said in the post. But there is a theme to a number of them: protecting the rule of law from the threat posed by Donald Trumps scorched-earth legal methods. Hoffman said Friday in a post on LinkedIn that his grant to a nonprofit backing E. Jean Carrolls battery lawsuit against Trump fits with his drive to protect American values and reinforce the importance of the rule of law, equality, and helping the disadvantaged.



Trumps lawyer, Alina Habba, declined to comment on Hoffmans post. She won court permission to seek evidence from Carrolls lawyer to determine whether the writer had answered truthfully during her deposition last year when she said she wasnt aware of any outside financing for her lawsuit. Carrolls lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, revealed Hoffmans financing to Trumps legal team in a letter earlier this month, prompting the former presidents attorney to send a letter to the judge questioning Carrolls credibility and motives for suing. Hoffmans Democratic connections backed Trumps long-standing claim that the lawsuit was politically motivated, Trumps legal team argued.

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I want to be clear that Ive never taken any steps to hide the financial support that I have provided to this lawsuit after it started, he wrote. Hoffman said in his post Trumps legal team has characterized his support of Carroll as secret.



Carroll is not a wealthy person, Kaplan wrote. Trump, by contrast, claims to be a billionaire who has reportedly used his own PAC funding to pay for his personal attorneys. Kaplan has said there is nothing unusual about getting outside financing for lawsuits, including in cases that are politically charged. She pointed to Trumps own use of funds donated by his political supporters to pay for legal fees, despite Trump being a billionaire.



Hoffmans post on Friday said money from his past grants have also been used to support Lisa Rosenberg, whose group Open the Government has helped train citizens on how to use Freedom of Information Act requests to expose government abuses against women and families. The lawsuit going to trial next week was filed under the New York Adult Survivors Act, a new state law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on sexual assault cases even if they are decades old.

The billionaire has also financially supported lawsuits seeking to block participants in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters from holding public office, according to his post. He has also backed civil lawsuits filed by victims of the violent 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, under the Ku Klux Klan Act. Carrolls lawyer, Kaplan, was also behind that litigation.
Elon Musk saw his wealth plummet by more than $12 billion in just a day as he faced chaos and disappointing news from across his companies -- SpaceX, Twitter and Tesla.

According to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, this was the biggest drop in Musk's wealth so far this year.

Tesla's share price fell by 9.8 per cent after disappointing first quarter results.

Tesla's operating income decreased 24 per cent to $2.7 billion in Q1 2023 as the Elon Musk-run EV maker continues to cut prices of its vehicles.

On the same day, SpaceX's integrated Starship spacecraft experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" four minutes into its first test flight.

SpaceX's giant Starship rocket exploded after its launch from the US state of Texas on Thursday.

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The rocket got off the launch pad in SpaceX's Starbase in South Texas but exploded minutes later. The spacecraft failed to reach orbit.

Twitter also went into chaos after Musk removed legacy Blue check marks, leaving hundreds of celebrities in the doldrum.

Musk still remains the world's second-richest person despite this latest tumble in net worth, behind French tycoon Bernard Arnault, reports The Verge.

Musk's fortune once sat as high as $320 billion in late 2021. Later, he became the first person in history to lose over $200 billion.

--IANS

na/prw
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda' is making elaborate preparations ahead of his much-publicised trip to India next month, saying he needs to do home-work before embarking on the visit.

The official date of his visit to India is yet to be announced.

Prachanda could be travelling to New Delhi during the first or the second week of May, a Prime Minister's aide said.

This will be his first foreign trip since he became Nepal's Prime Minister in December last year.

Boosting bilateral ties and talks on trade, energy, agriculture, culture, and air service will prominently feature in his talks with Indian leaders.

I am preparing for my upcoming visit to India, which is taking place soon Prachanda said at an event here.

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We need to do proper home-work before the visit, the 68-year-old Maoist leader said.

Foreign ministry officials have begun the groundwork for his visit.

Earlier this year, Prachanda announced that he would visit India on his first foreign trip after assuming the post.

In July last year, Prachanda visited India at the invitation of BJP National President J P Nadda.

In addition to the BJP president, he had at the time met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Prachanda was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time on December 26 last year after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader K P Sharma Oli.
Oliver Dowden has been named UK's new deputy prime minister, Sky News reported.

Dowden had been serving in Rishi Sunak's government as the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office secretary before the new appointment. He will continue in the roles alongside his new responsibilities, as per Sky News.

Dowden after the announcement tweeted: "Deeply honoured to have been asked to serve as deputy prime minister. I look forward to working even more closely with the prime minister as we tackle the issues that matter most to the people of this country".

Dowden's appointment came after the resignation of former Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab. He resigned earlier on Friday in the wake of bullying allegations.

"I am writing to resign from your government, following receipt of the report arising from the inquiry conducted by Adam Tolley KC. I called for the inquiry and undertook to resign if it made any finding of bullying whatsoever. I believe it is important to keep my word," read Raab's statement.

Allegations surfaced about Raab in November, with former staff claiming he created a "culture of fear" in their departments.

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He denied the allegations and requested an investigation into himself after two formal complaints were made.

The Dy PM and Justice Secretary, Raab was appointed by Rishi Sunak after he took power in October.

"It has been a privilege to serve you as Deputy Prime Minister, Justice Secretary and Lord Chancellor. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work as a Minister in a range of roles and departments since 2015, and pay tribute to the many outstanding civil servants with whom I have worked," he said.

Raab's departure follows Sunak's decision to dismiss Tory party chairman Nadhim Zahawi from his post in January after the former chancellor was found to have broken the ministerial code over his tax affairs.
The Sudanese Ministry of Health has said that over 400 people were killed and about 3,500 others wounded in the continued clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"The death toll on Friday reached more than 400 with about 3,500 wounded," Sudanese Health Minister Haitham Mohamed Ibrahim said in a statement.

"Most of the cases were in Khartoum, where 130 deaths and 1,900 injuries were recorded," Ibrahim was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

He pointed out that the number of deaths and injuries dropped on Friday compared to past days, with 59 deaths and 200 injuries recorded.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.

--IANS

Also Read India supports peace process and capacity building in South Sudan At least 25 people killed, 183 injured in Sudan clashes, toll may rise UN condemns clashes in South Sudan after 27 killed, probe to be launched Army vs paramilitary: A common person's guide to the crisis in Sudan Firing heard in Sudan capital amid tensions between military, paramilitary Canada provides new military aid package for Ukraine amid war with Russia Pak govt borrows PKR 239 bn credit from State Bank of Pakistan: Report Oliver Dowden named UK's new deputy prime minister, after Raab resigns Joe Biden 2024 splits Democrats but most would back him: AP-NORC poll US bank deposits fall $76.2 bn, led by large institutions: Fed data

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CEO Gregory Becker and CFO Daniel Beck stepped down this week, the Santa Clara, California-based company said Friday in a filing. Becker will act as a consultant on an as-needed basis at no cost to the company, SVB said.

SVB Financial Group, the bankrupt former owner of Silicon Valley Bank, said its chief executive officer and chief financial officer have resigned, more than a month after the lender collapsed into receivership.
As Ukrainian and Russian troops fight conventional battles on the front lines, Europe's first major war of the internet age has also sparked a war of technology as both sides vie for advantage with their drones and satellite communications.

While the two sides have kept pace with one another thus far, Ukraine's minister in charge of technology told The Associated Press in an interview Friday that he was confident his country had the motivation and abilities to out-innovate Russia in the end.

Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine's Minister of Digital Transformation, said unmanned aerial vehicles (drones), electronic warfare, satellite communications and other technologies had been a fundamental part of the war with Russia that began more than a year ago.

Technologies allow traditional and modern artillery to be more accurate, and they help save the lives of our soldiers, he said.

When you have eyes' over you, you can make more effective decisions about managing your troops.

He acknowledged that Russia was also aware of the importance of technology on the battlefield, and was actively developing and improving its own.

Also Read Russian shelling cuts off power again in liberated Ukrainian city Vladimir Putin scrambles to boost weapons production for Ukraine war War in Ukraine: How one year of conflict changed geopolitics and economics Analysis: Shock of war hits world economy at the crossroads post-Covid Lessons from a year of war Lyft plans job cuts, may hit 30% of employees as it struggles over profit Google merges DeepMind, brain research units as AI race hots up Tesla investors flag mismanagement, demand review of Musk performance Dominic Raab quits as deputy PM; spotlight now turns to Rishi Sunak Chile to nationalise vast lithium industry, unveils model to share resource

Every day, there are new UAVs on the battlefield from our side and from Russia's side, Fedorov said. We see what kind of drones they have. We receive, disassemble and study them.

He said the government was planning investments in new technology projects to encourage further competition and innovation.

In this technology war we will surely win, he said.

Even if fewer than 50-60% of supported projects will give some result, it can be decisive on the battlefield.

In recent weeks, anticipation of a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive this spring has risen. Fedorov said it was impossible to imagine any efficient operations without technologies on the battlefield.

Ukraine has not mounted a major operation to liberate occupied territories since it retook the city of Kherson and part of the surrounding province last November. However, the frequency of reported drone attacks in Russia has increased.

Over the past months, a spate of drone strikes has targeted areas in southern and western Russia, reflecting the growing reach of the Ukrainian military. After each strike, Russian authorities blamed Ukraine, but Ukrainian official stopped short of openly claiming responsibility. Instead, they emphasised the right to strike any target in response to the Russian aggression.

Fedorov said the effect of Ukraine's drone warfare could be seen in Russia's actions, noting that Russia has now started moving armored equipment further from the front line.

There have been certain events that have changed the situation, but we continue to scale this useful experience, he said, but refused to be drawn on the details.

Commenting on the battle for the city of Bakhmut, the longest of the war so far, Fedorov said that the use of technologies is invaluable in such situations. When you have limited artillery resources, weapons, ammunition, and strike drones, you need to be as accurate as possible, he said. This accuracy can be achieved in particular by drones.

However, with a front line thousands of kilometers long, the heavy weapons and armored equipment traditional for warfare remained essential, Fedorov said. Technology could help Ukraine locate potential targets, but the army could not hit them all because it lacked the necessary artillery and ammunition, he said.

The delivery of promised aid from partner countries remained critical, said the minister in charge of technologies.
Malaria Vaccine AA Images

Ghana became first country earlier this month to approve new experimental R21/Matrix-M vaccine

KAMPALA, Uganda (AA) - Additional African countries are set to approve a new vaccine for malaria with 20 million doses available to purchase in 2023, according to an official with the World Health Organization (WHO).

The UN health agency said in a high-level meeting earlier this week that regulatory authorities from at least 10 African countries are currently examining trial data to evaluate the vaccine.

Additional countries are expected to approve the vaccine in the coming weeks.

"We expect many more countries to come through," WHO's malaria vaccine implementation head, Mary Hamel, said at the meeting.

Ghana became the first country on April 13 to approve public usage of a new experimental malaria vaccine, followed by Nigeria, making them the first nations globally to use the new R21/Matrix-M vaccine.

The vaccine was developed by Oxford University scientists and manufactured by the Serum Institute of India.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the vaccine would increase equity in access to malaria prevention.

Nearly every minute, a child under 5 dies of malaria, according to the WHO, that said many deaths are preventable and treatable.

The vaccine has undergone clinical trials in the UK, Thailand and several African countries.

There is an ongoing phase III trial in Burkina Faso, Kenya, Mali and Tanzania that has enrolled 4,800 children.

Results are expected to be reported later this year.

Adrian Hill, chief investigator of the R21/Matrix-M program and head of the Jenner Institute at Oxford at the Nuffield Department of Medicine, said: This marks a culmination of 30 years of malaria vaccine research at Oxford with the design and provision of a high efficacy vaccine that can be supplied at adequate scale to the countries who need it most.

The R21/Matrix-M is a low-dose vaccine that can be manufactured at a mass scale and modest cost, enabling hundreds of millions of doses to be supplied to African countries which are suffering a significant malaria burden.

Hamza Kyeyune/AA
The purpose of World Book and Copyright Day is to encourage people to read and love books. Every year on April 23, people celebrate the importance of books as a link between the past and the present, a bridge across generations, and a link across cultures. To maintain the momentum of the Day's celebrations through its own efforts, UNESCO and the worldwide organisations that represent the three primary sectors of the book industry-publishers, booksellers, and libraries-select the World Book Capital for a year.

The 23rd of April is a symbolic date in world literature. On this day, numerous well-known authors passed away, including Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Miguel de Cervantes, and William Shakespeare. This day was a logical option for UNESCO's General Conference, which was convened in Paris in 1995, to honour books and authors globally and promote access to books.

UNESCO's theme for 2023 is Indigenous Languages!

The International Decade of Indigenous Languages (2022-32) began last year, and it is a UN objective to maintain and encourage linguistic diversity and multilingualism. The World Book Capital Network Charter includes references to indigenous and regional languages and acknowledges a less rigorous definition of "the book" by recognising a variety of literary genres, including oral traditions. On April 23, when the world celebrates World Book and Copyright Day, UNESCO will emphasise the importance of indigenous languages.

The bulk of the almost 7,000 languages still in use-many of which are rapidly vanishing-are spoken by indigenous peoples who account for the lion's share of global cultural variety. The UN has no constraints on which cultures or peoples can be considered indigenous, however many of you will be familiar with indigenous populations that are either from your own nation, live there, or are among the people you have worked with abroad.

History of the World Book and Copyright Day

In honour of the great authors who passed away on April 23rd, including William Shakespeare, Miguel Cervantes, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, UNESCO has designated that day as World Book Day. The UNESCO General Conference, which was convened in Paris in 1995, decided on this date to recognise and pay homage to writers and books all across the world.

Significance of World Book and Copyright Day

On this day, books and authors are honoured around the world, and people are also urged to discover the joy of reading. Respect will grow for people who have made priceless contributions to societal and cultural advancement as a result. Awarded is the UNESCO Prize for Children's and Young People's Literature Advancing Tolerance. Additionally, this day will improve public understanding of copyright laws and other steps to safeguard intellectual property.

What is Copyright?

It is a legal concept that has been adopted by the majority of governments and grants exclusive rights to writers or producers of creative work, usually for a set period of time. Essentially, it is the right to copy. Additionally, it grants the owner of the copyright the right to be acknowledged for the work and other connected rights. Therefore, it is a sort of intellectual property.

Quotes on World Book and Copyright Day

A room without books is like a body without a soul - Marcus Tullius Cicero

There is no friend as loyal as a book - Ernest Hemingway

You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me - C S Lewis

If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all - Oscar Wilde

If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it -Toni Morrison

I do believe something very magical can happen when you read a good book - J K Rowling

If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking - Haruki Murakami

The library is inhabited by spirits that come out of the pages at night. - Isabel Allende
Every year on April 28, there is a celebration known as "World Day for Safety and Health at Work" to honour workplace safety and health. This day recognises the importance of reducing workplace injuries and other problems and strives to increase awareness about it. World Safety and Health Day was first observed in 2003 by the International Labour Organisation and is currently observed on a global scale.

Millions of lives are lost annually as a result of health and safety risks at work, necessitating public awareness campaigns regarding safe practices. More information about the World Day for Safety and Health at Work and how it promotes safety standards is provided in this article.

Theme For World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2023 -

"A safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental principle and right at work". The issue of a safe and healthy working environment as a fundamental concept and right at work will be covered on World Day for Safety and Health at Work in 2023. Every year on April 28th, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is observed to encourage the global prevention of workplace accidents and diseases.

It is a public awareness campaign designed to draw attention to the severity of the issue and the ways in which encouraging and cultivating a safety and health culture can assist lower the number of work-related fatalities and injuries. The International Labour Organisation (ILO), capitalising on the organisation's historic advantages of tripartism and social interaction, started observing World Day in 2003 to emphasise the avoidance of accidents and illnesses at work. Additionally, from 1996, the trade union movement has celebrated April 28 as International Day of Remembrance for Lost and Injured Workers.

Together, work to create a culture that values safety and health

Having a strong OSH system, which includes meaningful participation of governments, employers, employees, public health actors, and all relevant parties at the national and enterprise level, has been essential in protecting working environments and ensuring the safety and health of workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, as we have seen. Governments and social partners actively participate in all stages of the OSH decision-making processes through effective social dialogue.

This is crucial for everything from the creation and updating of legislative and policy frameworks for occupational safety and health to practical implementation at the workplace. In addition to helping to improve OSH policies and strategies, social dialogue is crucial for fostering a sense of ownership and commitment, which makes it easier for them to be implemented more quickly and efficiently.

A strong OSH culture at work is one in which management and employees both recognise and support the right to a safe and healthy working environment. A strong OSH culture is based on inclusivity and the meaningful participation of all parties in the continual advancement of workplace safety and health.

Employees feel comfortable sharing concerns about potential OSH risks or hazards at work in an environment where there is a strong OSH culture, and management is proactive in working with employees to identify solutions that are suitable, efficient, and long-lasting. This necessitates open discourse and communication based on mutual respect and trust. We must keep working to establish a solid safety and health culture at all levels as we deal with the ongoing global health crisis and persistent OSH threats in the workplace.

Future Agenda for Safety and Health at employment

More than 2.3 million deaths occur annually as a result of occupational diseases or accidents, killing 6,300 individuals every day. Every year, there are 317 million workplace accidents, many of which necessitate lengthy absences from work. The economic cost of poor workplace safety and health practices is estimated to be 4% of the worldwide Gross Domestic Product annually, despite the enormous human cost of this daily challenge.

The ILO's World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2017 campaign emphasises the urgent need for nations to increase their capacity to gather and use trustworthy occupational safety and health (OSH) data. An international action plan with precise goals to eradicate poverty, safeguard the environment, and ensure prosperity for all is included in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which was adopted on September 25, 2015.

As a result of its approval, countries now need to have the ability to gather and use trustworthy OSH data in order to complete their commitment to implement and report on some of the agenda's 17 sustainable development goals and their targets. An annual global campaign to encourage safe, healthy, and respectable employment is called the World Day for Safety and Health at employment.

The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has recognised it every year on April 28 since 2003. A national occupational safety and health culture is one in which the principle of prevention is given the highest priority and in which governments, employers, and employees actively participate in securing a safe and healthy working environment through a system of defined rights, responsibilities, and duties.

Prevention Of Workplace Injuries And Diseases

The annual World Day for Safety and Health at Work on April 28 promotes workplace illness and accident prevention throughout the world. It is a public awareness campaign designed to draw attention to the severity of the issue and the ways in which encouraging and cultivating a safety and health culture can assist lower the number of work-related fatalities and injuries. We are all accountable for putting an end to workplace fatalities and injuries.

The development of a national policy and programme as well as the establishment of an inspectional system to ensure adherence to occupational safety and health regulations are just a few of the infrastructure-related responsibilities that fall under our purview as governments in order to maintain the employability of workers and the success of businesses. As employers, it is our duty to make sure that the workplace is secure and healthy.

As employees, it is our duty to work safely, to take care of our own safety and the safety of others, to be aware of our rights, and to help put preventive measures into action.

Emerging Workplace Risks

Technical innovation, as well as social or organisational change, may result in new and growing occupational risks, such as:

New manufacturing techniques and technologies, such as nanotechnology and biotechnology

Higher workloads, downsizing-related work intensification, unfavourable conditions linked to labour migration, and occupations in the informal sector are some examples of the new working conditions.

newer types of employment, include self-employment, outsourcing, and short-term contracts

Through improved scientific knowledge, such as the impact of ergonomic dangers on musculoskeletal problems, they might become more commonly known.

Changes in views regarding the significance of specific risk factors, such as the impact of psychosocial factors on work-related stress, may have an impact on them.

Past crises have taught us that workplaces can play a crucial role in preventing and controlling outbreaks. Adequate safety and health measures at work can be extremely important in controlling the disease's spread while safeguarding employees and the general public. To effectively address the COVID-19 situation, governments, businesses, and employees must work together.
The last Saturday in April, which falls on April 29 this year, is observed as World Veterinary Day. It's a day to honour the honourable work that veterinarians do. In addition to honouring the profession's contribution to the health and well-being of animals, people, and communities all around the world, the day offers acknowledgement to individuals who have dedicated their lives to assisting animals.

Some of the world's most kind and unselfish people are veterinarians. They have the challenging job of caring for and assisting injured and ailing animals. Additionally, we honour all animals today, whether they are cattle or pets, wild or domestic, as well as both.

Why Do We Celebrate Veterinary Day?

To uphold the rights, welfare, and health of animals, Veterinary Day was established. The purpose of the event is to raise awareness of the veterinary field and its contributions to medical research generally as well as to animal health.

The World Veterinary Association recognises this unique day as a celebration of its belief in the interdependence of humans and animals in order for them to coexist in this world. This is the rationale behind World Veterinary Day:

to increase public awareness of the value and work of veterinarians.

to aid in the unification of the veterinary community worldwide.

to propagate the importance of promoting animal welfare.

to assist veterinarians in receiving encouragement and credit for their efforts.

to aid in the community of veterinarians developing resilience.

The History Of World Veterinary Day

Even though World Veterinary Day was first observed in 2000, its origins can be traced to the first International Veterinary Congress, which met in Hamburg, Germany, in 1863. Epizootic diseases, their treatments, and the formulation of guidelines for a moral cow trade in Europe were all on the agenda of the meeting, which was presided over by Professor John Gamgee. This gathering eventually led to the World Veterinary Association by becoming known as the World Veterinary Congress.

For the efficient planning and operation of the congresses, a "Permanent Committee" was established at the 8th World Veterinary Congress. The Permanent Committee and the other participants of the 15th World Veterinary Congress in Stockholm later felt the necessity for a unique worldwide constitution.

Thus, the World Veterinary Association (WVA) was established in 1959 in Madrid, Spain. In its six decades of activity, the WVA has collaborated with 70 nations and national veterinary societies. World Veterinary Day was initially observed by the WVA in April 2000 and is now observed annually all around the world.

Improving Equality, Inclusiveness, And Diversity In The Veterinary Profession

The World Veterinary Day in 2023 will take place on April 29, 2023, and it honours the work done by veterinarians, veterinary organisations, and other groups to promote justice and equity. In a diverse society, there needs to be a special emphasis on removing obstacles and enhancing inclusiveness through diversity, equity, and inclusion policies and practices. The promotion and use of diversity, equity, and inclusion improves the wellbeing of all veterinarians.

A Few Important Veterinary Facts

A four-year bachelor's degree in veterinary science is required to become a veterinarian.

Vets must put in lengthy hours in demanding working conditions. They even have to work on the weekends and at night.

The majority of veterinarians work in private practice, taking care of animals including dogs, cats, rabbits, ferrets, birds, etc.

Many veterinarians care for farm and wild animals, including pigs, cattle, sheep, and goats.

Stray Animals and their Rights

Every five years, national-level data on the livestock population is gathered. The most recent livestock census took place in 2019, and the following one is scheduled for 2024. According to the 2019 census, there were 203.31 lakh stray dogs and livestock in the nation. The State/UT Government is responsible for managing public health, sanitation, and livestock pounds, and local bodies must develop a system to regulate stray animals in order to safeguard the public.

According to Article 246(3) of the Indian Constitution, the State has the sole authority to pass laws for the entire State or any portion thereof with respect to any of the matters listed in List II of the Seventh Schedule, including the preservation, protection, and improvement of stock, the prevention of animal diseases, and veterinary training and practise. Additionally, in accordance with Article 48 of the Indian Constitution, the State shall make every effort to organise agriculture and animal husbandry along modern and scientific lines.

In particular, the State shall take measures to preserve and improve the breeds of cows and calves as well as other milch and draught cattle and prohibit the slaughter of these animals. The state may provide the Panchayat the authority to develop and manage Cattle Pounds (Kanji Houses)/Gaushala Shelters (community assets), in accordance with the Eleventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution. The Gaushalas and Shelter Houses are being established by many States to control stray cattle.

In accordance with Section 3 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, it is also everyone's responsibility to do everything in their power to protect the welfare of any animals in their care and to prevent needless suffering and agony. According to Section 11(1)(h) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, it is considered cruelty if anyone who owns an animal fails to give it enough food, water, or shelter.

Section 11(1)(i) states that it is also considered cruelty if someone abandons an animal without a good reason in conditions where it is likely that it will starve or suffer other harm.
Anna University, Chennai announced the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) Scorecard 2023 on April 22, 2023, . The direct connection to get the TANCET 2023 Scorecard has been established on the official website www.tancet.annauniv.edu. After visiting the official website, you must provide login information such as your Registration number and Password to obtain your TANCET scores Download 2023.

Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) 2023 is held annually by Anna University for admission to master's level programmes such as ME, MTech, MBA, MCA, MPlan, and MArch in various universities and institutes throughout Tamil Nadu.

Overview

Conducting Body- Anna University, Chennai

Exam Name- TANCET 2023

Full-Form- Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test

Courses Offered- M.Tech, ME, MBA, MCA, M.Arch & M.Plan

How to Download the Scorecard?

Step 1: Initially go to Anna University's official website, tancet.annauniv.edu.

Step 2: Navigate to the "TANCET Scorecard 2023" option on the home page.

Step 3: Provide your correct login information, such as your Registration number and Password.

Step 4: Click the "Submit" button.

Step 5: The TANCET scorecard will finally appear on your screen.

Step 6: Download your TANCET scorecard and print it for future reference.

TANCET 2023 Answer Key

Anna University has issued the TANCET answer key for the March 25 exam. Applicants can get the TANCET answer keys by logging in to the official website, tancet.annauniv.edu. TANCET 2023 answer key assists applicants in calculating their final score. TANCET's actual score also assists Anna University in determining the percentage point score of every applicant to assign a rank.

TANCET 2023 Counselling

Applicants who pass the TANCET 2023 exam are eligible for admission counselling. The final admission would be given to the students who have qualified in the counselling rounds. DTE Chennai uses a centralised admissions method based on the TANCET scorecard.
The Walt Disney Company has settled with former Marvel vfx and animation boss Victoria Alonso, who was dismissed by the company last month.

According to a report by Deadline, Alonso will receive multiple millions of dollars in compensation from the Marvel parent company.

Context: On March 17, Alonso was fired by Disney, seemingly out of the blue. Rumors swirled as to why the long-time exec who had helped build the MCU into the juggernaut that it is today was dismissed. Eventually, it came out that the official reason for Alonsos sacking was her involvement in promoting Argentina, 1985, a film she produced that was nominated for best international feature at this years Oscars.

What has changed? Details regarding the settlement are scant, and because the issue was settled its unlikely that well know more anytime soon. But we do know that after a very public back-and-forth between Alonsos lawyer and Disney spokespeople, the two parties have now settled and the figure they agreed upon is in the millions.

What are they saying? Both companies are, predictably, declining to comment now that the settlement has been reached. But at the time of Alonsos dismissal, her layer Patricia Glaser said:

The idea that Victoria was fired over a handful of press interviews relating to a personal passion project about human rights and democracy that was nominated for an Oscar and which she got Disneys blessing to work on is absolutely ridiculous. Victoria, a gay Latina who had the courage to criticize Disney, was silenced. Then she was terminated when she refused to do something she believed was reprehensible. Disney and Marvel made a really poor decision that will have serious consequences. There is a lot more to this story and Victoria will be telling it shortly  in one forum or another.

Disney later released a statement that claimed:
Happy to see this event getting high interest once more, for the 50th Anniversary Edition, the organization who includes hard working people like John Williams have managed to fill 19 spots, 15 to start the race and 4 as reserve. We think they need to go for 20 racing teams given the new drive of this historic endurance regatta.

Below teams registered and release sent by Beverly Simmons:

Team Skipper Crew Country Boat 1 Babysitting Robots Trey Sunderland Matthew Smyth USA Goodall F18 Akurra 2 Team Outer Banks Hardy Peters James Eaton USA Nacra 3 Meercat Mark Modderman Mike Siau USA 4 Team Australia Rod Waterhouse TBD AUS Windrush Edge 5 Team Germany Stefan Rumpf Christian Schutz GER Nacra Evolution 6 TBD Matt Morris Robert Arrowsmith USA Nacra Evolution 7 CIRRUS  MM Sailing Emmanuel Boulogne Matthieu Marfaing USA Cirrus 901 8 Team Sonnenklar Jared Sonnenlkar David Cerdas USA Nacra Evolution 9 TCDYC Chris Green Jessica Green USA Cirrus 901 10 Leopold Leopold Seifert-Almstedt TBD SWE C2 11 FRANCE n7 Emeric Dary Paul Normand FRA Cirrus 901 12 Team Rudees TBD TBD USA TBD 13 Cat in The Hat Larry Ferber TBD USA Nacra F18 MKII



14 Rocket 88 Racing Brendan Busch TBD USA Nacra 15 Moor Bloody Australians Pete Skewes TBD AUS Windrush Edge

2024 Alternate Teams Team Skipper Crew Country Boat 1 Lupe Tortilla John Tomko Jonathan Atwood USA Nacra Evolution 2 Team Australia 2 Brett Burvill Max Puttman AUS Windrush Edge 3 The Netherlands Gerard Loos Andre Houschke NED F18 4 Two Trees Sailin Sam Carter Ian Ray USA eXploder Scorpion F18 5

The 50th Anniversary of the Worrell 1000 is on for 2024!

For Immediate Release:

It was a steamy, Virginia Beach summer night in 1974. Two brothers sat at the bar they owned together  Worrell Brothers Restaurant and Raw Bar. An Atlantic Avenue eatery and discotheque (yesDISCO. They were a thing back then). Michael and Chris Worrell were well into a few beers when the sailing smack-talk began. Both were into skippering Hobie 16s at the time and I am certain that between the bragging and the attempts at one-upping  the liquid courage kicked in and Michael bet his brother that he could sail his Hobie all the way from VA Beach to Miami. Non-stop. And IF his brother was ballsy enough to come along on his own hobie.he would BEAT HIM THERE. Was it sibling rivalry? Sheer machismo? Probably a bit of both  but they agreed to the bet. Thankfully, they did NOT set out that evening.

They didnt even set out that next day or the day after. It was in October of that year that the two got underway. Only one would make it to Florida  and it wouldnt be Miami. Michael made it to Fort Lauderdale  battered, bruised & exhausted with a boat that needed significant repair. But it was on that day that a spark flared in Michael Worrell. It lit a fire in his gut so fierce, that he worked doggedly on planning over the next 2 years to make this race an actual regatta  A long distance race he was certain he could make a legacy out of.known and sought after by sailors the world over. He wasnt wrong..

For those familiar with the story, they remember the early days when the race was run under different names: Worrell Brothers Coastwise Race; 1976-1978, shortened to Worrell 1000 in 1979  when it was a continuous, 24-hour format on Hobie 16s. Some only recall the more current format of racing daily from checkpoint beach to checkpoint beach. Some years with an open class of 20 and under boats, to the most recent format of F18 only. Changes some felt werent right for the event, but most were just happy to be a part (if they were lucky enough to make the cut and be on the start line). Regardless  if it werent for that fateful bar-bet.The Worrell 1000 Race, known worldwide by sailors and fans alike  would not have come about.

At. All.

So for the 2024 race  we honor The spark that lit the flame. Officially dubbed the 50th Anniversary Event, registration opened at 7pm EST on Wednesday, April 19th. Today  just 2 days in  the field of 15 entrants has been FILLED, with an alternate list already underway (4 alternates have registered as of the writing of this article: click here). 15 teams representing 5 different countries.

Returning champions, Team Australia (winners in 2019 & 2022), along with multiple teams & individual sailors from the 2022 event are coming back for more, along with some new faces. And although we have lost both Michael and Chris Worrell to that eternal, never-ending regatta beyond the seaI am certain they would be thrilled to see how much the Worrell 1000 has become loved. Revered. Infamous. Sought-after. And above all else  ALIVE AND WELL.

Join us in May, 2024! Specific checkpoint info and event details coming soon. Keep abreast of the latest news at www.worrell1000race.com and be sure to like and follow the event on Social Media:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/Worrell1000/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Worrell1000

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/w1krr/
Chino, CA (91710)

Today

Cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low around 50F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Cloudy skies this evening. A few showers developing late. Low around 50F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
The states 2023-24 hunting and trapping seasons were set by the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission at its April meeting on Friday. The Commission approved the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agencys recommendations to the elk hunt proclamation to add four new elk permits and two additional elk hunt zones.



The new zones are located on the Ed Carter Tract and on the Sundquist tract. The increase brings the number of elk zones to 10 and total permits to 19. Two of the permits are for the archery hunt and two for the gun hunt.

The Young Sportsman Hunt, which has one permit, has been aligned to coincide with school fall break dates.Elk were reintroduced in Tennessee in 2000. Since the elk hunt began in 2009 with five gun permits, 96 bull elk have been harvested.Several regulation changes on various wildlife management areas and refuges were approved upon recommendations made at the March Commission meeting. The complete changes will appear on the TWRA website. Two new areas were established as refuges. Otey Mills Refuge is a management unit of North Cumberland WMA and consists of 800 acres in Claiborne County. Crooked Creek Refuge is a 570-area area in Carroll County, which the Commission voted to name after the late Sgt. Lee Russell. Russell served in the aviation division of the Tennessee Highway Patrol where he assisted with search and rescue, warrant execution, air cover, and more. Russell tragically lost his life in a helicopter crash while on duty.There were no proposed changes to the deer, bear, turkey seasons and small game hunting seasons. The only changes involve calendar dates.An update was given on human/bear conflict. The Agency has been seeing a rise in conflicts due to increasing human and bear populations as well as urbanization near bear habitats. Attractants have been identified as a major contributor. This includes garbage, pet foods, and foods left in automobiles and other areas. Long term, proactive community-wide involvement, continuing public education and new bear proof trash containers were discussed as measures to combat the challenges moving forward.Two clarifications were made in the Manner and Means proclamation. One concerns weapon rules during youth deer/bear hunts. The other is an update to verbiage regarding urine-based deer scent attractants in reference to chronic wasting disease (CWD).The Commission approved the Fisheries Division to open a 30-mile stretch on the Mississippi River for silver carp and paddlefish commercial fishing and the type of gear allowed for invasive carp on Pickwick Reservoir.
Kevin Roig Tony Sammons Don Walker Previous Next

The Kelly administration on Friday announced several upcoming leadership changes, including the departure of Chief of Staff Joda Thongnopnua and Senior Advisor Kirsten Yates, as well as the appointment of Tony Sammons as chief equity officer, Kevin Roig as the director of Public Affairs, and Don Walker as interim administrator of Community Development.

Public service is a relay race - its about accomplishing as much as possible within the time we have before passing the baton off to the next person, Mayor Kelly said. Im proud of my talented, dedicated team, who over these past two years has worked hard to both bridge opportunity gaps and create new opportunities for Chattanoogans from every walk of life. As we enter the next chapter of this administration and welcome some new folks to continue carrying out the One Chattanooga vision, Im grateful to those who helped us get where we are today as they prepare to pass their batons.

Mr. Thongnopnua is planning to step down at the beginning of May to take a role with the National Science Foundation. He has been appointed to a role within the National Science Foundations new Technology, Innovation and Partnerships directorate established by the CHIPS and Science Act passed by Congress and charged with the critical mission of advancing U.S. competitiveness through investments that accelerate the development of key technologies and address pressing societal and economic challenges.

Mr. Thongnopnua has served in city government since the beginning of the Kelly administration, first as chief policy officer and then as Mayor Kellys chief of staff, and played a key role in the priorities and successes of the first two years of the Kelly administration, from the One Chattanooga plan to the administrations $30 million American Rescue Plan community investment approach.

Since the first day of my administration, Joda has been an integral part of my team. When I came into office, I described a vision of One Chattanooga that challenged our community to close the economic gaps that have persisted in our city for decades. For the past two years, I have relied on Joda to help me do just that by turning One Chattanooga into tangible results, said Mayor Kelly. Chattanooga is better off as a result of his hard work, and I am excited to see what hell achieve for our country in his new role with the National Science Foundation, where I know he will also continue to be a real champion for Chattanooga from Washington, D.C.

The administration will announce who will succeed Mr. Thongnopnua in his role as chief of staff in the coming weeks, prior to his departure.

Senior Advisor for Communications and Digital Strategy Kirsten Yates also announced she would be transitioning out of her role leading the administrations communications office in mid-May. Ms. Yates will be succeeded by Kevin Roig.

Officials said, "Ms. Yates has played a vital role in shaping the administrations goals and has served as a senior member of the mayors team for the last year. Yates spearheaded one of Mayor Kellys top priorities by creating a more thoughtful, cohesive, and informed dialogue about the most complex and pressing issues facing our community. From keeping Chattanoogans informed about the mayors agenda to helping drive the creation of the mayors Roadmap to End Gun Violence, Ms. Yates played a key role in nearly all major administration policies."

Prior to joining the city of Chattanooga, Ms. Yates served as deputy lead of the Center for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) infection control education and partnership collaborative, and holds over 12 years experience in different communication leadership roles in government programs, social marketing campaigns, as well as crisis and emergency responses. She worked for more than eight years at the CDC, leading communication efforts for programs like the COVID-19 vaccine distribution initiative and vaccine effectiveness research.



Mayor Kelly said, Kirsten has been a critical strategic voice and a first-rate communicator for my administration. She has played a key role in not only advancing our One Chattanooga agenda, but helping shape it for the betterfrom positioning our city as a leader in sustainability to helping launch efforts to build new digital infrastructure for our residents. I am so grateful to her for all shes done for Chattanooga, and to her husband and three young children for letting us borrow Kirsten for the past year.

Ms. Yates will be succeeded by Kevin Roig, described as a seasoned public affairs, communications, and operations strategist who brings a decade of political, policy, and campaign management experience to the city of Chattanooga. Appointed by Mayor Kelly, Mr. Roig joined the city this week. He previously served as Deputy Chief of Staff and Communications Director for U.S. House of Representatives member Garret Graves on Capitol Hill from 2015 to 2022, where he was at the forefront of successful legislative communications campaigns across an array of issues, from infrastructure and disaster response to energy and the environment, it was stated.

I am looking forward to welcoming Kevin to our team. He brings a tremendous amount of public service experience and he has a clear understanding of how to build broad coalitions and consensus for getting things done for residents, Mayor Kelly said. Kevin is exactly the kind of talent were looking to bring to Chattanooga and I am proud to have him join our team.

The Kelly administration also announced two additional appointments who will serve in key roles.

Mayor Kelly announced that he will submit his appointment of Tony Sammons to be the Citys next chief equity officer to the Chattanooga City Council for confirmation. Mr. Sammons currently serves as the citys administrator for the Department of Community Development and has served in city government for more than 16 years, and previously served as Deputy Chief Operating Officer under Mayor Andy Berkes administration.

Tony leads by example, and I have to say Ive been extremely impressed by his ability to galvanize a team, take on big challenges and do it in a way that upholds the dignity and respect of those serving alongside him, Mayor Kelly said. He possesses the type of wisdom and leadership abilities that are what we need more of in city government, and I look forward to what hell accomplish as we work together to bridge the equity gaps across our community.

Sammons will be succeeded in his current role as head of the Department of Community Development on an interim basis by Don Walker, who currently serves as the Deputy Administrator for the Department of Community Development.

Prior to joining the city last year, Walker spent 25 years as the Director of Guest Services and Operations for the Tennessee Aquarium, where he implemented multiple company-wide programs and processes to improve operations and guest satisfaction, including the development of a company-wide customer service and training program that led to sustained increases in customer satisfaction ratings.
From left, BASF employees Rob Gagliano, Andrew Cates, Josh Crow and Julie Clark Previous Next

During National Volunteer Week, BASF employees assisted the Chattanooga Area Food Bank in their efforts to provide meals for families experiencing food insecurity in the Chattanooga area.

The BASF volunteers sorted donations and made food boxes, providing 736 meals for those in need.

The food bank will distribute the boxes to those in need through church pantries, senior centers, and other nonprofits.

For more information about BASF in Tennessee, visit www.basf.us/TN.
A woman on Chestnut Street told police someone had broken into her vehicle overnight. She said she found everything moved around in the vehicle and a sleeping bag in her front passenger seat. She believes it was a homeless person. She said the person stole a brown off-brand purse (worth $30) and a couple of gift cards (worth $10). She has not noticed anything else taken. She said the vehicle was left unlocked. Police did not observe any cameras in the parking lot of the apartment complex, only at the entrances of the building. Police will be taking the sleeping bag left behind by the person to Property.



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A disorder was reported at the LaQuinta Inn & Suites, 5000 New Country Dr. An employee told police that residents in a room were arguing very loudly and yelling at each other. The employee pointed the couple out to police as they were coming out of the hotel. Police spoke with the couple, who said they just argued and nothing got physical. There were no signs of things being more than verbal. The man was trespassed from the property on the employee's request and he left the property without issue.

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Police were told that sometime overnight someone cut multiple wires, cables and copper tubing/piping out from under the train cars that house the business Escape Experience at 1600 Choo Choo Ave.

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Employees at the Exxon, 2304 Shallowford Village Dr., showed police video of people taking a bucket out of box truck with the name of the company Drain Right Guttering. A man walked from the truck to the trash cans and dumped the contents of the bucket into the trash can. Several of the bucket's contents can be seen on the ground. Employees told police there were a lot of screws and they wanted a report to show how screws got on their ground if it caused damage to a customer's vehicle.

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A man told police he wished to make a report of his damaged windshield. He said he was driving on I-24 East approximately at the 180 mile marker (between Rossville Boulevard and 4th Avenue). He said a rock bounced off the roadway and struck his windshield, damaging it. He said he saw a white rollback truck with stones on it a couple of car lengths ahead of him. The vehicle had the lettering "All About Storage Wagner Storage" written on the cab. The man believes this is the vehicle where the rock/stone came from that damaged his vehicle. He did not notice any other damage to his vehicle.



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A man told police his cousin had charged him with the care of a vacant property on Dorris Street. He said the door to the house had been forced open and he wanted police to clear the residence. Police did so and left the scene.

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An anonymous person told police a white male and a white female were screaming at each other at the Hamilton Inn, 6860 Lee Hwy. Police observed the woman walking away from the Inn. The woman was identified and told police she lived there and had a verbal disagreement with her boyfriend. She said both of them had walked away and police presence was no longer needed. She said no physical altercation had occurred.

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While conducting routine patrol, police witnessed a Toyota Tacoma with the high beams activated at 1700 Hixson Pike. An attempt was made to stop the vehicle, but it fled at a high rate of speed, going southbound on Hixson Pike, committing a slew of traffic violations. Those included reckless endangerment at speeds well past double the 35 mph posted speed limit.

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Police were contacted in reference to a man wearing a sweatshirt and jeans and a woman wearing leopard print pants in a verbal altercation with each other at Tatum Park, 1609 Union Ave. Police located the couple matching the given description near S. Hawthorne Street/Union Avenue and identified them. The woman told police they were not in any type of altercation and that the man had slapped her butt in a playful manner. She said someone must have heard her scream after he had done so.
The Chattanooga winners of the Fifth Annual Civics Essay Contest will be honored at a ceremony at the Joel W. Solomon United States Courthouse in Chattanooga on May 4 at 4 p.m.The 2023 divisional winners of the middle school essay contest are Ellie Lee (First Place) and Seven Dapp (Second Place).The 2023 divisional winners of the high school essay contest are Simon Lewis (First Place), Maurquez Thompson (Second Place), and Ryan Matthews and Lilianna Henry (tied for Third place).All winners will receive cash prizes at the ceremony.The essay contest was open to public, private, and home school students in sixth to 12th grade in 17 East Tennessee counties. The Courts Civics and Outreach Committee and the Chattanooga Chapter of the Federal Bar Association sponsored the contest.The prompt for this years contest was a question that is currently before the Supreme Court: Should race be a factor in college admissions? Students were invited to share their views on whether race and ethnicity should be considered in admissions and whether there are race-neutral factors that could be considered to ensure a diverse student body.The local essay contest was coordinated with the national essay contest sponsored by the Federal Bar Association. More information is posted on the Courts website: connections.tned.uscourts.gov.
Chattanooga Police responded to a call of a missing child on Angela Drive and found the child had drowned.

Police were notified of a 3-year-old missing child and immediately began search and rescue measures.

Multiple agencies including Tennessee Highway Patrol, East Ridge Police Department, Hamilton County Sheriff's Department and Red Bank Police Department assisted in the search.



The child was found by CPD officers in a creek nearby the residence.

CPR was immediately administered and the child was taken to a local hospital. The child was pronounced deceased at the hospital.



The investigation is on-going.
United Methodists of the Holston Conference worshipped together for the last time today as a body of 842 local churches before voting to allow 264 congregations to leave the denomination.



A special session of the Holston Annual Conference was held at Central United Methodist Church in downtown Knoxville on Saturday to worship and processing requests for churches to exit The United Methodist Church. The meeting also included the kickoff of a visioning and prayer campaign for the future of Holston Conference, which has 578 remaining churches in East Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and North Georgia.



The gathering was attended by 945 members and guests, representing both remaining and departing churches.



It is a poignant day as our disaffiliating churches and withdrawing pastors have played an important role in the lives of those of us continuing in The United Methodist Church, said Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett, resident bishop. Our conference vote today ratifying disaffiliations will not change the impact these pastors and churches have had on us.



Churches from the Scenic South District in the Chattanooga area that have disaffiliated include Chapel Hill, New Salem, Rising Fawn, Savannah, Sulphur Springs, Trenton and Wauhatchie.



Those from the Hiwassee District in the Cleveland and Athens areas include Apison, Big Spring, Jones Chapel (Athens), Luminary, Mt. Zion, Pleasant Grove (Cleveland), Spring City, Wesley Memorial (Cleveland) and Wesleyanna.



The decision of some traditionalist congregations to separate from the denomination was triggered by long conflict over issues around human sexuality and other matters. A church law expiring at the end of 2023, paragraph 2553, allows U.S. congregations to exit with property if they also meet other financial and procedural requirements.



The churches leaving the Holston Conference will now join 2,095 U.S. congregations that have withdrawn from The United Methodist Church since 2019, representing about 7 percent of U.S. United Methodist churches, according to the denomination.



With the disaffiliations approved today, total Holston Conference membership will drop from 148,580 to 117,378, representing 21 percent of members who are departing the denomination, said the Rev. Tim Jones, Holston communications director.



Rev. Jones also said that 66 percent or 175 of the 264 disaffiliating congregations have fewer than 100 members. Out of 25 Holston churches with more than 1,000 members, 23 will remain United Methodist.



After approval of the disaffiliations and prayers for departing churches and members, the Rev. Kim Goddard, dean of the cabinet under Wallace-Padgett, spoke about the future of Holston Conference to church members who stayed for the visioning part of the meeting.



I see 578 churches who now have the opportunity and the calling to set a new course, Rev. Goddard said. As painful as the last hour was, that hour has passed. Now we have this hour, this moment, and I believe in this time we have the potential and possibility to write a new chapter, to give us a fresh new start, to set us on a renewed and revived path of faithfulness.



Bishop Wallace-Padgett said the future of Holston Conference is strong and robust.



We are a people moving into the future with courage and determination. Most of all, we are focused on making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world, she said.
Although his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was described as stoic King Charles III has shown emotion in public on a number of occasions. But fear isnt one many people are used to seeing from him. Well thats exactly what a body language expert noticed in a throwback photo of the monarch and Queen Camilla (formerly known as Camilla Parker Bowles) during their royal tour in New Zealand. And while the king was frightened, his wife was amused.

Camilla Parker Bowles and King Charles III depart Exeter Cathedral in Exeter, England | Chris Jackson  WPA Pool/Getty Images

Picture was taken during Charles and Camillas visit to a sanctuary

In 2015, then-Prince Charles and Camilla embarked on a 12-day tour visiting several regions in New Zealand and Australia. One stop was at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary and thats where Charles held a tuatara, which is a rare reptile native to New Zealand.

Body language expert Judi James explained that then-Prince Charles had no issues while holding the small creature until an insect got involved.

He and Camilla were on a tour of New Zealand and Australia when he agreed to get hands-on with the lizard  Charles is a man who never seems to show fear, except on this occasion when he had a tuatara and a bumblebee to grapple with, James told Express.

Expert analyzes photo in which Charles looked panicked while Camilla is laughing

Then-Prince Charles scared by bee while holding a tuatara during a visit to the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in New Zealand | POOL/AFP via Getty Images

The expert analyzed the photo of a terrified-looking Charles sitting next to Camilla who couldnt help but laugh about the incident as she looked on.

James said the royal seemed to be doing quite well until a bee flew into his jacket just as the lizard decided to make a break for freedom.

She pointed out that Charles was so caught off guard with open-mouthed in shock and looked uncharacteristically wrong-footed here, which seemed to amuse Camilla greatly.

Then-Prince Charles reacts when a bee flies inside his jacket as he handles a tuatara at the Orokonui Ecosanctuary in New Zealand | Gerard OBrien  Pool/Getty Images

James spoke about another moment when the king and queen showed fear in public

James previously spoke about another time the king displayed fear but that incident didnt involve reptiles or insects. The expert broke down how Charles and Camilla reacted when their vehicle was swarmed by protestors as they traveled to an event in 2010.

James claimed that Camilla may be Charles Achilles heel when it comes to displays of tension or even fear. Both the couples body language suggested off-the-scale levels of both on the night in 2010 that their car was attacked by protesters en route to the Royal Variety Show.

The expert observed that Charles and Camillas mouths open in shock and fear, and Charles clutching Camillas fingers in what looks like a bid to reassure her.

Showbiz Cheat Sheet acknowledges conditions and cultures can impact body language and is sensitive to all backgrounds.
Camilla Parker Bowles Is Not the Only Queen With a Staggering Jewelry Stash  a Look Inside Queen Margrethe IIs Extensive Collection

The world of royalty is known for its extravagance, and Camilla Parker Bowles is no exception to that rule. Her jewelry collection is unparalleled, but shes not alone in this regard. Other Queens have amassed their own impressive collections, including Queen Margrethe II.

Queen Margrethes jewelry collection is equally as valuable and luxurious as Camillas. Its no wonder that it has captured the attention of many jewelry enthusiasts around the world.

Queen Margrethe II | Steffi Loos/Getty Images

Queen Margrethe IIs Khedive of Egypt Tiara

The Danish royal family celebrated a significant milestone last year, as they marked Queen Margrethe IIs Golden Jubilee. The ceremony was a testament to her long-standing reign, which began on January 14th, 1972.

Margrethe ascended to the throne of Denmark following the passing of her father, King Frederik IX of Denmark. In honor of the Queens recent birthday, heres a look at some of her most iconic jewelry pieces, starting with the Khedive of Egypt Tiara.

A stunning piece of jewelry, the Khedive of Egypt Tiara, is a dazzling diamond wreath scroll tiara. Princess Margaret of Connaught received the tiara as a wedding present from the Khedive of Egypt. It has since become a treasured heirloom in the Danish royal family.

The tiaras delicate design, adorned with dazzling diamonds, has made it a popular choice for weddings among Queen Ingrids descendants. It is valued at a stunning $3 million.

This engagement ring and bracelet rivals any in Camilla Parker Bowles staggering jewelry collection

Margrethes engagement ring is a sight to behold. The ring is a magnificent piece of jewelry that features two Princess cut diamonds, symbolizing the union of the bride and groom. It also boasts an impressive weight of 12 carats.

The rings stunning design is a testament to the Queens enduring love for her late husband, Prince Henrik. The ring, worth $1.3 million, stands out as the second most valuable in the world, showcasing the extraordinary extravagance of the royal family.

Margrethes floral choker bracelet is a stunning piece of jewelry that is just as impressive as her engagement ring. The intricate floral design is a testament to the skill and craftsmanship of the jeweler who created it.

The bracelets rich history, dating back to the 1840s, adds to its allure. According to our sources at Criss Cut, jewelry expert Maxwell Stone believes Margrethes collection is one of the finest in the world.

From her 12-carat engagement ring thats worth a staggering 1 million, to the diamond wreath scroll tiara that she wore on her wedding day, the Danish Queen has one of the grandest and most eclectic jewelry collections among Europes royal houses, Stone shared.

A look at Queen Margrethe IIs brooch collection

Margrethes jewelry collection is not complete without her exceptional brooches. Her diamond daisy brooch features a large diamond fashioned into the shape of a daisy, creating a unique and striking piece of jewelry.

Princess Margareta originally owned the diamonds that make up the brooch. Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden commissioned the new brooch in 1935. The piece is valued at an impressive $200,000.

The George Jensen Jubilee Brooch is another well-known item in Margrethes jewelry collection. The esteemed Royal warrant holder George Bensen crafted the brooch, which marked Margrethes 50th year on the throne.

The broochs standout feature is its 18-karat gold beam, which adds a unique and luxurious touch to the piece. It also boasts a unique design that includes 50 grooves on its edge. Each groove symbolizes a year of the Queens reign.

The stunning piece is valued at $20,000 and serves as a reminder of Margrethes unwavering commitment to her role as monarch.
Duggar family followers know all about Josh Duggars prison sentence. Josh was sentenced to over a decade in prison after he was caught downloading child sexual abuse material on his work computer. He had a few people in his corner who believed in his innocence, though. And one of them was his neighbor, Nicole Burress. Heres what Burress wrote about Joshs inmates believing in Joshs innocence.

Josh Duggars neighbor, Nicole Burress, spoke highly of Josh and Anna Duggar

Duggar family member Josh Duggar | Kris Connor/Getty Images

Josh Duggar had plenty of support before and after his sentencing. And one of his supporters was his and Anna Duggars Arkansas neighbor, Nicole Burress. According to Radar Online, Burress wrote a letter requesting that the judge give Josh a light sentence thanks to all hes done for the community over the years.

In our little town, the entire Duggar family is well-known for being service-focused, she wrote. Though they dont brag about their service, we often see that after a national disaster, the Duggar family, including Joshua, quietly step in to help those in need.

Burress detailed a specific account that occurred in early 2020 when she contracted coronavirus (COVID-19). She needed medication  and Josh delivered it to her in the middle of the night. Joshua had willingly risked exposing himself to a pandemic disease that everyone feared, and that I was miserably suffering from, Burress explained. Even though my gown-donned doctor stared at me from behind a door, Joshua drove to my door to compassionately hand over medicine to ease my dehydration and end my contractions.

Nicole Burress claimed he said the other inmates know hes innocent

Nicole Burress wanted Josh Duggar to get a light sentence for his crimes. And she later wrote again about how the Duggar family members fellow inmates allegedly thought he was innocent. Part of the letter, which was posted to Reddit, detailed how Josh called Anna Duggar on the phone and explained what the other inmates thought of him.

In fact, I was at Annas house on a Saturday night a few weeks ago, when Joshua called, Burress began. She then said that an inmate was verbally threatening Josh while Josh was in solitary confinement. But the man later apologized.

This hardened criminal stated that he and the other men knew that Joshua was innocent, Burress claimed. As inmates, they recognized that sometimes innocent men are in prison and they were so stunned by Joshuas character that they were convinced of his innocence.

Duggar family followers on Reddit think Josh was purposely telling Anna false accounts. I also fully believe Josh is fabricating these stories with the air of absolute conviction so his help-meet Anna will stick by his side and continue to tout his innocence, a follower wrote.

Are Josh and Anna Duggar still together?

Anna Duggar "wants to stand by" Josh as he serves his decade-long prison sentence, a source tells In Touch. https://t.co/gISFx7bycq  In Touch Weekly (@intouchweekly) January 14, 2023

Josh and Anna Duggar remain together in 2023, and she reportedly visits him regularly at FCI Seagoville in Seagoville, Texas.

Weve seen Anna at visitation fairly regularly, an insider told The Sun. Ive spoken to Anna a couple of times. Normally the only thing Ive seen is Anna and then their kids, I dont really know anybody else.

However, additional reports suggested Anna might not be so sure about her marriage. Divorce is not something she wants, but shed be lying if she said she hasnt questioned her future with Josh, another source told In Touch Weekly. Anna married Josh for better or worse and it cant get any worse than this.

How to get help: If you or someone you know has been sexually abused, text HOME to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 for free and confidential support.

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The total spending by UAE-based organizations on outsourcing services from local and offshore providers was estimated at over $4.8 billion in 2018 and is now expected to reach $6.8 billion this year with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7%, according to a new report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG).

The key growth contributing sectors include financial services, public sector, telecommunications, hospitality, and leisure, stated the report.

For the study, BCG had collaborated with Forward Mena (previously known as Beirut Digital District Academy) to examine the growth of remote work ecosystems in six developing countries in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena): Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Ranked 16th globally for ease of doing business, the UAE is now the second-largest economy in the Arab world, with a gross domestic product (GDP) of around $360 billion in 2020.

As one of the key markets or demand hot spots for job outsourcing, the country is rising as a strategic hub where entities can easily outsource parts of their value chains and source-in talent from third parties, thus facilitating high growth overtime, stated the BCG report in its report, titled MENA Talent Map.

As per the report, UAE is one of the largest suppliers of talent in GCC. Customer support, finance and accounting, human resources, and KPO are the major jobs and job clusters supplied by the UAE, it added.

Dr. Leila Hoteit, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG, pointed out that the UAE was striving to diversify its economy with its national and emirate-level agendas revolving around emerging themes of sustainable economic development, cutting-edge innovation, digital transformation, safety and security, and advanced science, technology and artificial intelligence.

"With the country calibrating on future-forward initiatives, we expect the country diversification outlook to exceed expectations and ground the nation as a fully rounded hub across industries," noted Dr Hoteit.

In terms of the nations future economic outlook, three job clusters were highlighted to help drive long-term strategies, which in turn signal strong growth potential for job outsourcing, she stated.

"These are infrastructure management services, such as cloud engineers and cybersecurity analysts; software and applications development, that include software engineers but also application developers; and finally, data and artificial intelligence (AI), for data scientists and blockchain developers," she added.

BCG pointed out that when it comes to spending on job outsourcing services and sourcing-in talent, certain key industries spring up.

As outlined in the study, the most prominent by far are financial services, public sector, hospitality, leisure and telecommunications, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Going on dates offers an opportunity to get to know each other  to find out if theres that spark of connection and whether or not that spark can grow into something more.

Its supposed to entail an exchange of information between two people, but sometimes, it can turn into a one-sided conversation when your date seems unable to talk about anything but himself.

A 22-year-old woman from Oregon went on a date with a guy, but all he could talk about was his body.

Fortunately, one resourceful waitress was able to come to her rescue and help her get out of that awful date.

Delaney (@dlaneyrose2000) shared a video of her bad date story on TikTok. She was at dinner with a guy, who was admittedly very attractive, but thats just about all the good things she had to say about him.

The guy kept comparing himself to The Rock and droned on about how he could replicate Patrick Swayzes lift in the final scene from Dirty Dancing with Delaney. No one likes a bragger!

Delaney was confused about where the conversation was headed, so she decided to focus on her meal.

I was just like, Im working on burgers right now. I dont know what youre talking about, Delaney said.

The guy was also talking extremely loudly, so embarrassingly enough, the whole restaurant could hear every word of the conversation. Heres where the waitress swooped in to Delaneys rescue, much to her intense relief.

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Although Womens History Month has officially ended, it doesnt mean we all cant take a little more time out of our day to learn about some amazing women who made an impact on history!

When was the last time you read about a great architect? Do you know the woman who led what was Americas largest women-owned architecture firm?

Her name was Chloethiel Woodard Smith, and she was an extremely accomplished American architect.

Chloethiel was born in Peoria, Illinois, in 1910 and grew up in Portland, Oregon. Her parents were highly educated people, and it is said that she had an interest in architecture from a young age when her family built and designed their new home.

She decided to study architecture at the University of Oregon and earned her degree with honors in 1932. Chloethiel then received her masters degree at Washington University in St. Louis in 1933.

There, she was one of two women out of the seven students in her graduate class. She learned a lot about community building and planting during graduate school.

In 1935, Chloethiel made her big move to Washington, D.C., where she started working for the Federal Housing Authority in 1935.

She quickly excelled in D.C., starting as a senior draftsman in the rental housing division before continuing to rise to the role of chief of research and planning in large-scale housing.

Chloethiel left Washington, D.C., for a few years and moved to Bolivia in 1942 to become a professor of architecture at the Universidad Mayor de San Andres. She worked there for two years. Then, in 1944, she was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.

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Pixabay/H. Hach

The United States church leaders have spoken out against a new bill that would include abortion in the health benefits provided to the community following the Senate's decision to revoke the newly implemented regulation.

New Abortion Health Benefits

Angelus reported that the new rule extending abortion to veterans' and their dependents' health benefits, which was put into effect by the Biden administration in 2022 following the United States Supreme Court's reversal of its previous precedent identifying access to abortion to be a constitutional right, enable the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide counseling about abortion and to execute some abortions under specific circumstances. The U.S. regulation is in effect despite the state law in each state.

Some people opposed to abortion have criticized Vice President Joe Biden's track record. They pointed out that the Veterans Health Care Act of 1992, which prohibited the Veterans Administration from providing abortions, was passed by the United States Senate unanimously when Biden served as a senator from Delaware.

Also Read: US Catholic Bishops Criticized By Nancy Pelosi Following Opposition on Abortion, Transgender Treatments For Children

Overturning the New Abortion Health Benefits

A report from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) stated that the Congressional Review Act legislation aimed at invalidating a provisional final regulation issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that includes abortion to veterans' and dependents' health insurance packages was revoked by a vote of 51 to 48 in the United States Senate on Wednesday, Apr. 18. The vote was taken to reject the resolution.

According to the Catholic News Agency, on Thursday, Apr. 19, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the USCCB, and Bishop Michael Burbidge, chair of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Pro-Life Activities, said in a joint statement that "Our heroes and their dependents deserve quality health care services instead of policies to end the lives of their children."

The bishops have argued that it is "inhumane" to hand out taxpayer-funded abortion as a remedy for childbirth rather than the means required to welcome a child and grow as a family.

As mentioned, they will continue to press Congress to avoid adopting this detrimental legislation. Instead, they will encourage Congress to give genuine support for the service veterans and those who care about them.

On Sept. 21, 2022, the Bishops' Conference provided feedback on modifying the VA regulation. The remark noted that the VA policy to carry out abortions when the "life or health" of a pregnant woman is threatened allows abortions to be performed throughout the entire nine months of maternity.

The clergy members brought up another point: Congress has not allowed the VA to allow voluntary abortions in its policies.

"But even if it had, such a practice would be poor public policy because it involves the intentional killing of unborn children and harm to women who undergo the abortion procedure," they noted.

Accordingly, the bishops also discussed the significance of enhancing the quality of medical care provided to veterans. As mentioned, soldiers encounter insurmountable obstacles in life, mainly because active-duty service frequently results in significant mental health traumas and can be coupled with a challenging shift to life as civilians.

The new VA policy may be challenged in court. According to Politico, the Hyde Amendment prohibits the government's support of abortions to cover only those involving sexual assault, incest, or a maternal mortality risk. The Veterans Health Care Act of 1992 bans abortion for military personnel or retirees.

Related Article:Religious Leader Argue Over Abortion Rights Following Missouri's Ban
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As a result of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia's failure to acknowledge the sexual assault allegations made by a woman against the former college chaplain, they are now in the middle of a new lawsuit. The incident reportedly happened when the archdiocese relocated the abusive priest from Philadelphia to Nashville in 2013.

Lawsuit

According to CBC News, new charges were made against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Wednesday, Apr. 20, claiming that church administrators secretly moved a priest accused of sexually assaulting women from one job to another inside the parish between the years 2003 and 2020.

In a five-count lawsuit filed in the Court of Common Pleas, the church and the priest are accused of negligence and recklessness for allegedly failing to adequately oversee the priests, evaluate accusations against them, as well as safeguard the congregation from them, commonly by simply transferring the priests to other dioceses.

After the archdiocese, which was led at the time by Archbishop Charles Chaput, transferred Father Kevin McGoldrick, then 48 years old, to her college in Nashville, Tennessee, Jane Doe, the person whose identity they are protecting, asserts in her lawsuit that Father McGoldrick sexually molested her after the archdiocese relocated him there.

Jane Doe said that her entire senior year had been taken from her. She was reportedly paralyzed by anxiety during the entire year and lived in continual terror of someone discovering the truth, especially if they would blame her.

According to the complaint, Jane Doe has already resolved an issue with the Diocese of Nashville; nevertheless, she claims that late last year, she was horrified to learn that Father McGoldrick had been suspected of abusing a woman in Philadelphia years before he allegedly raped her.

Attorney Stewart Ryan of the law firm Laffey, Bucci, and Kent represents Jane Doe in legal matters.

Moreover, The Inquirer reported that Her allegations were validated by the findings of a church investigation in Philadelphia in January 2020. And after a few short months, the Diocese of Nashville settled with her for $65,000.

However, officials there continued to say that they were unaware of any previous complaints against McGoldrick before he was transferred to Aquinas in 2013. A spokeswoman for the monitoring organization, Catholics4Change, in the Philadelphia metropolitan area, stated that McGoldrick's superiors in Philadelphia had written an email describing him as a priest in good standing. It is the usual procedure when clergy members migrate between dioceses.

Also Read: 28 Catholic Priests Face Child Sex Abuse Allegations in Georgia Since 1940s; No Criminal Charges Pursued

Sexual Abuse of the Priests Covered By the Church

As per Abuse Lawsuit.com, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) received 4,228 claims of sexual misconduct involving children in 2021. Between July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2020, 3,924 victims of abuse have come forward with these allegations. Over 2,700 members of the clergy from different parts of the country were involved in the occurrences.

According to the report, only 22 complaints entail ongoing investigations or legal proceedings. Yet, victims with older cases are still looking for legal rights and transparency from the accountable dioceses.

In addition, a large number of high-ranking Church officials have been complicit in a variety of cover-ups. Many dioceses and church leaders covered up the abuse and sheltered the perpetrators rather than taking action to protect the children in their care.

Instead of reporting the abuse to law enforcement agencies, many diocese leaders relocated abusive priests to different churches to cover their actions. Shifting abusive priests among congregations is often known as "priest shuffling." The officials of the church reshuffled priests and shielded pedophiles over the victims who were innocent children.

Some of the victims of these cover-ups have taken legal action against the dioceses and bishops who abused their authority to safeguard the priests they protected.

Related Article: Diocese of San Diego Rejects Lawsuit's Allegations of Hiding Assets from Sexual Abuse Victims
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An organization dedicated to helping and aiding millions of people in need every year received significant donations from the Latter Day Saints Church, amounting to $8.7 million. The American Red Cross has been helping many people, primarily through blood donation drives. The donation will fund programs to aid people with cancer or sickle cell disease and purchase biomedical equipment, mobile blood donation centers, and other initiatives.

Gail McGovern, president and chief executive officer of the American Red Cross thanked the church for its unwavering financial support and the commitment of its members, according to the news that has been recently released. The church's donations, according to McGovern, have a significant daily impact on the lives of those in need.

Church Leads Blood Drive Efforts, Helping Thousands of Patients in 2022

According to the Church of Jesus Christ, in 2022, the church remained the single-largest donor to the Red Cross blood drives. Over 70,000 Latter-day Saints volunteered to donate blood at more than 2,000 drives nationwide in the first nine months of the year. Their efforts significantly impacted people recovering from operations, receiving cancer treatments, coping with chronic illnesses, and accident and emergency victims.

These donations are extremely helpful to cancer patients, who account for about 25% of blood and blood product usage in the United States. The Red Cross received 1,047,767 platelet donations with the help of the church in 2022, and efforts are being made to provide platelets that are 100% pathogen-free.

Sickle cell disease affects approximately 100,000 Americans, mostly of African descent. Over the course of their lives, these patients may require thousands of blood transfusions. Through September of last year, the church successfully recruited nearly 21,000 African American blood donors in an effort to help fill this need.

In addition, the church provided funding in 2022 for the Red Cross to buy and install essential biomedical equipment. There were also 12 blood centrifuges, ten platelet incubators, three DNA sequencers, two DNA extractors, and one flow cytometer among the equipment.

Also Read: Mormon Church Steps Up to Save Great Salt Lake with Water Donation

Church Supports Red Cross, Boosts Blood and Platelet Donations for Sickle Cell Patients

The Church's Welfare and Self-Reliance Services Department's managing director, Blaine R. Maxfield, expressed his appreciation for the selflessness of churchgoers who donate blood. According to KSL, he emphasized how the American Red Cross's mission and the church's commitment to helping the less fortunate and exhibiting love for one's neighbors are complementary.

The church played a significant role in the recruitment of nearly 21,000 additional African American donors in 2022 and assisted the Red Cross in raising an impressive 1,047,767 platelet donations. These blood donors are essential for sickle cell disease patients, who may need thousands of blood transfusions throughout their lifetime.

Also, Christianity Daily shared that the church supported the Red Cross' efforts to provide aid during wildfires, flooding, and hurricanes across the United States by taking part in its annual disaster-giving program. By working together, the church can show that it is committed to helping those in need and changing the lives of countless people.

Related Article: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Donates $8.7M to Red Cross, Upholds Status as Top Blood Drive Supporter
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Loudoun County will spend $11 Million to construct a bathroom for trans-identifying students. This kind of restroom will be tested in two schools within their county.

Constructing Trans Bathroom

The Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is looking into possibly renovating all of the schools' restrooms with ceiling-to-floor stalls and a communal sink area, The Christian Post reported.

As mentioned, students of a different gender who are required to share a bathroom will have a greater chance of maintaining their privacy due to the newly constructed bathrooms available to all genders.

According to records from a meeting held by the school on Mar. 14, the administration planned to test out this toilet alternative first at Loudoun Valley High School and then at Broad Run High School.

The school system has planned to spend $11 million on the prototype bathrooms. Additionally, LCPS is considering the construction of private bathrooms within the schools while maintaining gender-specific facilities.

The proposal comes at a time when instructors assert that they have, on multiple occasions, requested that the Loudoun County School Board employ more special education personnel. During a board of directors meeting, educators stated that the special education program requires an increased number of speech pathologists, teachers, and teaching assistants because the linguistic demands of the pupils are growing.

On Tuesday, Apr. 18, LCPS said in an interview that it is inaccurate that the institution cut funds for the special education program and claimed that the refurbishment is an effort to adhere to the Virginia Department of Education model regulations.

Students must use the restrooms that align with their gender by birth "except to the extent that federal law otherwise requires," according to the government of Gov. Glenn Youngkin's revised regulations.

Additionally, the model policies stipulate that single-user restrooms and other facilities should be made available, along with proper signage indicating that the location is open to all learners.

Also Read:Archdiocese Issues Revised Gender Policy Focusing on Biological Sex for Pronouns and Bathrooms

Parent's Stance on Trans Bathroom Plan

ABC 7 News reported that Loudoun County School Board Chair Ian Serotkin intends to provide accommodations for students who identify as nonbinary or transgender. However, some parents in Loudoun County believe that the LCPS is wasting money by spending millions on new restroom designs.

Based on the results of a poll conducted among more than 4,100 individuals in Loudoun County, one of the priorities that parents, teachers, and community members would want to see the next administrator of schools in the county focus on is special education.

On the other hand, a report from Fox News stated that Michael Rivera, a father of two who lives in Loudoun County and is running for a seat on the school board in the troubled district, believes that the strategy not only wastes the money provided by taxpayers but also ignores an additional problem that affects pupils who have special needs.

"This flies in the face of all of the cries from the community. We're talking about 11 million dollars that are not being directly spent on educating children, and, to be honest, it's quite insulting," he noted.

Rivera also mentioned that the community had voiced concerns in recent meetings over a shortage of financing for special needs programs; nevertheless, the bathroom proposal has supplanted their worries.

If the pilot experiment is successful, however, the spending of $11 million might increase. According to Rivera, restroom upgrades will initially be implemented at only four schools out of the nearly one hundred requiring them.

Related Article:Iowa Passes Controversial Bills Banning Gender-Affirming Care for Minors and Imposing Restrictions on Transgender Bathroom Use
Pexels/Andrea Piacquadio

Auxiliary Bishop Guerino Di Tora of Rome, who serves as the vicar for the basilica's chapter, claims that a misunderstanding led to a group of Anglican clergy being permitted to celebrate the Eucharist in Rome's Basilica of St. John Lateran.

On April 18, a liturgy was held, presided over by Fulham Anglican Bishop Jonathan Baker, who oversees the Anglo-Catholic parishes in the dioceses of London and Southwark that have asked not to be served by a female priest or bishop. Anglo-Catholic clergy was attending a conference in Rome when the event took place.

Lateran Chapter Regrets Anglican Eucharist Incident; Calls for Prayer for Unity Amidst "Good Faith" Misunderstanding

The Lateran Chapter stated on April 20 that Bishop Di Tora had expressed profound regret for the incident on April 18 at the Basilica of St. John in Rome. According to the article shared in The Dialog, canonical rules were broken when a group of about 50 priests from the Anglican Communion and their bishop celebrated at the cathedral's main altar.

A representative of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, Benedictine Father Martin Browne, acknowledged the apology but emphasized that no one had intended to offend or embarrass anyone and that everyone had acted in good faith. In order for everyone to one day celebrate the Lord's saving mysteries at the same altar, he continued, it is essential to pray for unity. The incident serves as a reminder of this.

The Vatican's "Directory for the Application of Principles and Norms on Ecumenism," which states that Catholic churches are typically reserved for Catholic worship, was cited by Father Browne on April 20. He emphasized that it does not entirely disallow celebrations by communities not fully communed with the Catholic Church. When other Christians lack a location or the necessary liturgical objects to conduct their religious ceremonies properly, the directory permits such hospitality.

Also Read: China Appoints New Bishop to Catholic Diocese in Violation of Vatican Agreement

Anglican Clergy's Eucharist at Lateran Basilica: Bishop Di Tora Apologizes for "Communication Breakdown"

According to the story in Catholic News Agency, in a statement released on Thursday, Bishop Guerino Di Tora expressed his sincere regret for the incident involving a group of Anglican clergy who were celebrating the Eucharist at the high altar of the Lateran Basilica. He characterized what happened as a "failure in communication."

According to the statement, about 50 Anglican priests celebrated at the Cathedral of Rome against canonical rules while accompanied by their bishop. Di Tora emphasized that a communication breakdown led to this regrettable incident. On Wednesday morning, Bishop Baker and the other clergy members met with Pope Francis; it is still unknown how or why they were given permission to lead a religious service at the archbasilica.

The article shared in National Catholic Register stated that the Anglo-Catholic tradition, despite its name, is in communion with the Anglican Church and not the Catholic Church. The participating Anglican clergy are members of this tradition. Generally speaking, Anglo-Catholics have more traditional beliefs than the Anglican Church, such as opposing women's ordination.

Related Article: Vatican Takes a Stand Against Colonialism-Supporting Doctrine
Catholic archdiocese in Haiti calls for protection after latest church kidnapping

Catholics in Haiti are calling for protection after another church service suffered a kidnapping attack as abductions and insecurity in the Caribbean nation are at an all-time high.

The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince says that on April 13, armed men broke in during a mass at Saint Charbel Oratory in Port-au-Prince officiated by Archbishop Max Leroy Mesidora, kidnapping multiple people. Two men were injured in the attack, both of whom required hospitalization.

"This act of kidnapping is one too many, undermining both the integrity of a sacred place of worship and the freedom of movement of people in the country," Mesidor said in a statement shared by Vatican News and Haiti Libre.

"The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince once again expresses its indignation at such acts, which spare no one and respect no place; in this sense, it demands that the State authorities finally guarantee the security of lives and property, and that they prosecute and condemn those who operate the kidnapping industry and profit from it."

"God wants his children to be free and not to be oppressed or treated as slaves. God is the helper of His people. May He be gracious to us, bless us, and save us," he prayed.

Amid rising insecurity that saw the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in July 2021, kidnappings have increased by 173% since 2021. According to an early April report from the Center for Analysis and Research in Human Rights, 389 kidnappings were recorded in Haiti in the first three months of 2023.

The group surmises that part of the blame could be on alliances formed between gangs seeking to expand territory and a growing "kidnapping industry."

In October 2021, 17 missionaries with Christian Aid Ministries were kidnapped and held by the 400 Mawozo gang. All were released or escaped within two months of the abduction.

Weeks before the American missionaries were kidnapped, another American, Pastor Jean Pierre Ferrer Michel, was abducted along with Isabelle Devendegis and Norman Weiner in front of the Jesus Center Church of Delmas 29. Although the female congregant was initially released, Michel and Weiner were released weeks later after ransom was reportedly paid.

In February, Father Antoine Macaire Christian Noah of the Claretian Missionaries' Independent Delegation for the Antilles was reportedly kidnapped 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince while traveling to his missionary community in Kazal, according to Catholic News Agency.

Father Jean-Yves Medidor was kidnapped on March 11 while leaving his home. After 10 days of captivity, he escaped, according to Aid to the Church in Need.

Italian Sister Luisa Dell'Orto, 64, a nun from the Little Sisters of the Gospel, was killed during a June 2022 robbery. Pope Francis hailed her as a martyr.

"We witnessed an unprecedented level of violence between gangs, the murder of President Jovenal Moise, another earthquake  the second in a decade  that killed 2,500 people, a health system that is on the verge of collapse and dramatic levels of food insecurity," Sister Marjorie Boursiquot told Aid to the Church in Need.

"Everyone, somehow, is a victim of this situation. There have been cases of kidnappings in the Church," Boursiquot added, citing the case of Dell'Orto.

"Here was a sister who really gave all of herself during 20 years of service to the poor children in one of the slums of the capital. Her death was a shock to us all."

The rise of kidnappings comes as millions suffer from malnutrition and hunger.

Save the Children reports that "nearly half the population, including 1.9 million children," are classified as "acutely food insecure."

The violence has forced the temporary closure of the Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) charity hospital in Cite Soleil because of an inability to guarantee the safety of patients and staff.

"We are looking at a war scene just meters away from our hospital," Vincent Harris, MSF medical advisor, said in a March statement. "While the hospital has not been targeted, we are a collateral victim of the fighting, since the hospital is right on the frontline of the fighting. ... We realize that closing the hospital will have a serious impact on the people of Cite Soleil, but our teams cannot work until security conditions are guaranteed."
Supreme Court allows abortion pill to remain on market for now; Alito dissents

The U.S. Supreme Court will temporarily allow the abortion pill to stay on the market until appeals against a Texas federal judge's suspension of the Food and Drug Administration approval of the drug can be adjudicated.

In an unsigned ruling Friday night, the court granted the request by the FDA and the abortion pill's manufacturer Danco Laboratories for a stay of Trump-appointed Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's April 7 suspension of the FDA's 2000 approval of mifepristone pending disposition of the appeal in the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and petition for a writ of certiorari for review by the nation's high court. The 5th Circuit will hear oral arguments in the case next month.

Mifepristone is the first drug in the chemical abortion regimen, which destroys the environment in the uterus and starves an unborn baby to death. Also known as chemical abortion or the abortion pill, mifepristone has emerged as a source of safety concerns for the pro-life movement. Chemical abortions represent about half of all abortions in the United States.

Two justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, indicated they would have denied the requests.

In dissent, Justice Samuel Alito accused the court of "shadow-docket decisionmaking," suggesting that the appellants "are not entitled to a stay because they have not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the interim."

"The applicants claim that regulatory 'chaos' would occur due to an alleged conflict between the relief awarded in these cases and the relief provided by a decision of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington," he wrote. "It is not clear that

there actually is a conflict because the relief in these cases is a stay, not an injunction, but even if there is a conflict, that should not be given any weight."

On the same day as Kacsmaryk's ruling, Judge Thomas Rice in Washington, an Obama appointee, issued a preliminary injunction prohibiting the FDA from "altering the status quo and rights as it relates to the availability of mifepristone." His ruling came after 17 states and Washington, D.C., asked the court to prevent the FDA from "reducing mifepristone's availability." The plaintiffs argued that it is "fair and equitable for FDA to not act with respect to the Mifepristone REMS Program until a determination is made on the merits."

Alito contends that the Supreme Court should not issue a say "if the moving party has not acted equitably, and that is the situation here."

"The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has engaged in what has become the practice of 'leverag[ing]' district court injunctions 'as a basis' for implementing a desired policy while evading both necessary agency procedures and judicial review," he wrote.

"The Washington District Court enjoined the FDA from altering its current practice regarding mifepristone  something that the FDA had never hinted it was contemplating. The FDA did not appeal that appealable order, and when seven States that might take such an appeal asked to intervene, the FDA opposed their request. This series of events laid the foundation for the Government's regulatory 'chaos' argument."

Alito continued by saying that the applicant's argument for "irreparable harm" is primarily based on the claim "Danco could not continue to market mifepristone because the drug would be mislabeled" and "distribution could not resume until Danco jumped through a series of regulatory steps that would be largely perfunctory under present circumstances."

"That would not take place, however, unless the FDA elected to use its enforcement discretion to stop Danco, and the applicants' papers do not provide any reason to believe the FDA would make that choice," he wrote.

Jason Yates, CEO of My Faith Votes, expressed disappointment with the court's temporary stay.

"Our hearts break to consider how many more innocent human lives will be ended," responded Jason Yates of My Faith Votes.

"The fact remains that the FDA approved the drug in defiance of science and standard safety protocol in service of Big Abortion and political interests. While disappointed in this decision, we take solace tonight knowing the underlying lawsuit will eventually receive a full review by the Supreme Court Justices, and we trust that this evil drug will ultimately be off the market."

NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju said in a statement praising the order that its "crucial" for people to have access to chemical abortion pills.

"The fight, however, is far from over," Timmaraju said. "Once again, anti-abortion extremists will use the courts to push their deeply unpopular agenda and once again, we will organize the tens of millions of people who believe in safe, legal abortion to fight back."

Carol Tobias, president of National Right to Life, said that her organization hopes that the 5th Circuit will "confirm the fact that these drugs are dangerous to women."

"The U.S. Supreme Court gives the full 5th Circuit the opportunity to evaluate the case on its merits and review the materials presented to them in a timely fashion," said Tobias. "What the courts will see is a drug that does not cure a disease or alleviate the symptoms of a disease. It was developed to take the life of an unborn child and always has the potential to harm the mother."

The FDA-approved chemical abortion regimen consists of a two-drug combination of mifepristone and misoprostol. After the FDA eased longstanding restrictions in recent years, women can use the drugs for chemical abortion up to 10 weeks gestation, previously limited to seven weeks. The pills can now be prescribed following a telemedicine consultation without requiring an in-person appointment with a healthcare provider, which critics warn could put the health of women with ectopic pregnancies at risk.

Alito asserted that if the Supreme Court rejected a request for a stay, it would "not eliminate mifepristone from the market" but would have stayed the 5th Circuit's decision to allow the lower court's block on the distribution of the pill by mail and other restrictions to go into effect.

The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the Christian Medical & Dental Associations and four individual doctors filed a lawsuit seeking an overturning of the FDA's 2000 approval of mifepristone and the Biden administration's more recent lifting of restrictions, such as allowing the drug to be distributed by mail.

While proponents of easing restrictions on the abortion pill argue that data shows the drug is relatively safe compared to other approved drugs, the 5th Circuit panel earlier this month ruled that the FDA "failed to 'examine the relevant data' when it made the 2016 major [Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies] changes."

"That's because FDA eliminated REMS safeguards based on studies that included those very safeguards," the 5th Circuit ruling states. "Imagine that an agency compiles studies about how cars perform when they have passive restraint systems, like automatic seatbelts. For nearly a decade, the agency collects those studies and continues studying how cars perform with passive safety measures. Then one day the agency changes its mind and eliminates passive safety measures based only on existing data of how cars perform with passive safety measures."

The ruling included a picture of a "Black Box" warning on mifepristone that informs users that it can cause "serious and sometimes fatal infections or bleeding," including the possibility of "prolonged heavy bleeding." Additional potential side effects listed on the "Black Box" warning include "sustained fever, severe abdominal pain" as well as "abdominal pain or discomfort, or general malaise (including weakness, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea)."
Missionaries staged daring escape from kidnappers in Haiti, CAM reveals

The final 12 of the 17 Christian Aid Ministries missionaries who were kidnapped in Haiti on Oct. 16 executed a daring escape plan after they prayed, allowing them to gain freedom last Wednesday, the international charity has revealed.

Over the time of their captivity, God gave various hostages a desire to attempt an escape, but it took them a while to all agree on when or how this should take place. To attempt such a thing would be dangerous! They sought God in prayer over and over again, seeking direction from Him, CAM spokesman Weston Showalter revealed in a statement shared at a press conference Monday.

The group, he explained, included a married couple, a 10-month-old baby, a 3-year-old child, a 14-year-old girl, a 15-year-old boy, four single men, and two single women.

It took time and Gods work, but after much discussion and prayer, they became solidly united and decided God was leading them this way. The hostages shared that this eventual sense of unity was in itself a great miracle, he said. On several occasions, they planned to escape, but they had decided if specific things didnt happen, they would accept that as Gods direction to wait.

Twice when they planned to escape, God gave clear signs that this was not the right time. On both occasions, on the very minute they had discussed, the exact thing took place they had requested as a sign. God was at work, but the timing was not right, Showalter added.

The group kept strategizing and praying until they miraculously united and agreed that they would make their great escape from a barricaded house where they were being held on Dec. 15.

During the night, as God directed, they prepared, put on their shoes, and packed pouches of water in their clothes for the journey. They stacked their mattresses in a corner and prepared to leave, Showalter said. When they sensed the timing was right, they found a way to open the door that was closed and blocked, filed silently to the path they had chosen to follow, and quickly left the place they were held, despite the fact that numerous guards were close by.

Once they were away from the hostage camp, the missionaries moved toward a mountain feature identified as a landmark and journeyed northwest under starlight, according to CAM.

With Gods help, protection, and leading, they quickly made their way through the night. They walked for possibly as much as ten miles, traveling through woods and thickets, working through thorns and briars. One of the hostages said, Two hours [of the walk] were through fierce brambles. We were in gang territory the whole hike, Showalter noted. The moon provided light for their path. During times they werent sure which way to go, they stopped and prayed, asking God to show them.

The group eventually found someone who helped them make a phone call for help.

Later that day, all of them flew on a coast guard flight to Florida, Showalter said. Prior to this final deliverance, we praise God for how He made a way for the other hostages to be released. All of these steps were obviously leading up to the end of this two-month journey of difficulty. No doubt your prayers to Almighty God played a part in all the hostages now being reunited with their loved ones.

The international charity first announced the final 12 missionaries were free 11 days after the release of three others on Dec. 5 by the 400 Mawozo gang. Some two weeks prior to that, the gang released two missionaries described as sick adults.

In discussing best practices learned from the kidnapping of the missionaries, which included 16 Americans and one Canadian, David Troyer, general director of the Ohio-based ministry, acknowledged that while all the missionaries were aware of the dangers of working in Haiti, and tried to take proper security precautions, they intend to improve their security protocols.

We appreciate the desire of our staff to minister, even in dangerous places. However, this event has given us a heightened awareness of the need to strengthen our safety protocols and better instruct our people about the dangers involved, Troyer explained in a statement.
Nun murdered in Haiti hailed by Pope Francis as martyr: 'Made her life a gift to others'

Pope Francis has hailed as a martyr an Italian nun who was brutally attacked and killed while caring for the poor and needy in Haiti during a suspected armed robbery.

Sister Luisa DellOrto, 64, was killed Sunday during an armed aggression, probably with the aim of robbery, in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, according to the diocese of Milan, The Associated Press reported.

The nun, from the Little Sisters of the Gospel, died soon after being taken to hospital, two days before her 65th birthday.

DellOrto made her life a gift to others, even to the point of martyrdom, the pope said in remarks to the public in St. Peters Square on Sunday, according to Vatican News.

For more than two decades, she dedicated above all to the service of street children, Pope Francis recalled.

I entrust her soul to God, and I pray for the Haitian people, especially the little ones, so they can have a more serene future, without misery and without violence, he prayed.

Responding to the popes mention of DellOrto as a martyr, the nuns biological sister, Maria Adele DellOrto, said: Here, yes, she really gave her life for the work, that is certainly a fact. She was aware that something might happen ... because its obvious, even in her last letter she said so, that the situation was very difficult. But she was keen to stay and bear witness.

Last year, the nun wrote a letter to a missionary group, explaining her decision to continue her work in Haiti.

You will tell me I am a bit crazy. Why stay here? Why expose yourself to risk? What is the point of living in such discomfort? Wouldnt it be better for people to solve their own problems? To be able to count on someone is important in order to live! And witnessing that you can count on the solidarity that comes from faith and love of God is the greatest gift we can offer, she wrote.

The impoverished Caribbean nation is struggling in the social and political aftermath of the assassination of President Jouvenal Moise last July. Haiti also has yet to recover from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake that killed more than 2,200 people last August.

Last year, the U.S. State Department urged Americans to depart Haiti now.

The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to make plans to depart Haiti now via commercial means. U.S. citizens should carefully consider the risks of traveling to or remaining in Haiti in light of the current security situation and infrastructure challenges, a statement from the U.S. Embassy in Haiti said.

In a 2021 interview, Dr. David Vanderpool, the founder of LiveBeyond, a Christian nonprofit organization that's been operating in Haiti for over a decade, told The Christian Post that many Haitians of faith "have turned to God more now than ever" amid natural disasters and increased crime.

Typically, persecution increases faith for those who have faith," he said. Introducing people to the Christian faith is a real challenging situation because many people respond differently. But many Haitians with faith have turned to God more now than ever."
Ransom paid for all missionaries kidnapped in Haiti but gang was divided on release: family member

A family member of several of the formerly kidnapped Christian Aid Ministries missionaries in Haiti said a ransom had already been paid for their release but the gang refused to set everyone free before the remaining 12 managed to escape.

There had been a ransom agreement reached with the hostage-takers, and to my understanding that ransom was actually delivered the Sunday night that my wife and son and the other lady were released, Michigan resident and missionary, Ray Noecker, told MLive in an interview published Monday.

The final 12 of 17 missionaries reportedly staged a daring escape from the clutches of the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti last month while their kidnappers were busy making sure their phones were charged, WZZM reported. The daring escape of the 12 missionaries on Dec. 15, after two months in captivity, came just 11 days after the release of three others on Dec. 5, including Noeckers wife, Cheryl, and his 6-year-old son, Sheldon. His four other children, Cherilyn, 27; Courtney, 18; Brandon, 16; and Kosandra, now 14, were among the Dec. 15 escapees.

Two weeks prior to that, the gang released the first two of the missionaries, reportedly for medical reasons.

While he doesnt know how much money was paid and who paid for the release of the missionaries, Noecker insisted that payment was made for the entire group kidnapped on Oct. 16.

The ransom agreement was for the entire group but there was some division within the gang so they were not able to release all of them at that time (Dec. 5), Noecker said. So that would be one of the reasons the gang would have told the group that were in captivity that they were being released because of the sores, the medical condition of my wife and the other lady.

A source with knowledge of the first two releases told The Miami Herald that no ransom was paid even though the 400 Mawozo gang leader, Wilson Joseph, had threatened to kill all the missionaries if his gang didn't receive $1 million each for their release.

Christian Aid Ministries previously shared how the group of kidnapped missionaries repeatedly plotted and prayed about their escape and waited for the right signs from God.

During a luncheon and prayer vigil celebrating the safe return of his family at West Michigan Research Center, Noecker explained in a WZZM report how rain opened up a window for four of his children and the other missionaries to escape on Dec. 15.

Noecker, who was preparing for a day of teaching pastors when the missionaries were abducted, explained that the guards who watched them at night usually gathered around an extension cord to charge their phones.

Heavy rains on the night of their escape put the cord under water and forced the guards to move the charging of their phones to the opposite side of the building, opening the door for their eventual escape.

Last month, CAM spokesman Weston Showalter said once the missionaries were away from the hostage camp, they moved toward a mountain feature identified as a landmark and journeyed Northwest under starlight.

With Gods help, protection, and leading, they quickly made their way through the night. They walked for possibly as much as 10 miles, traveling through woods and thickets, working through thorns and briars. One of the hostages said, Two hours [of the walk] were through fierce brambles. We were in gang territory the whole hike, Showalter noted. The moon provided light for their path. During times they werent sure which way to go, they stopped and prayed, asking God to show them.

Noecker said when he was first reunited with his entire family after the kidnapping he yodeled.

I just started yodeling, he recalled.

On Sunday, just days after the missionary and his family returned to West Michigan, their community came out to thank God and celebrate their safe return.

"We just want to celebrate what God did," Pastor Ryan Vanderzwah said. "We prayed and He answered."

Despite the kidnapping in Haiti, Noecker told WZZM that if God calls his family to go back and minister there he plans to answer that call.

"God calls us to minister to the hurting people," he said. "So that would be why we went as a family, because there was a need and an opportunity to make a difference in peoples lives."
United Nations commission denies advocating for decriminalization of sex with children

A United Nations commission has pushed back against media reports suggesting that its report published in March called for decriminalizing all sexual activity between minors and adults following reports on social media.

The "8 March Principles" report from the International Commission of Jurists in collaboration with the UNAIDS agency stirred controversy as some critics have interpreted it as indicating that children under 18 can consent to sexual relations with adults.

On page 12, the report argues that "criminal law is often misused as a substitute for addressing complex, structural social challenges," including the "application of criminal law in connection with consent."

The paper calls for international human rights law to pay "due regard" to three key points, including the capacity for people with disabilities to consent as well as "adolescents' evolving capacity to consent in certain contexts, in fact, even if not in law, when they are below the prescribed minimum age of consent in domestic law."

It also recommended the principles laid out in the document "be interpreted as a 'living document  in the light of present-day conditions and responsive to the evolution of human rights law and standards."

The 32-page report "called for enforcing minimum age of consent laws in a non-discriminatory manner."

After the report sparked outrage and condemnation on social media, the Geneva-based ICJ issued a statement Thursday saying the report's contents were "seriously misrepresented."

"The 8 March Principles do not call for the decriminalization of sex with children, nor do they call for the abolition of a domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex," the statement reads.

"Indeed, the ICJ stresses that States have a clear obligation under international law to protect children from all forms of abuses, such as child sexual abuse, including through the criminalization of such conduct."

In a press conference Tuesday, United Nations spokesman Stephane Dujarric denounced what he described as "malicious misreporting on a recent report on the age of legal consent."

"I can tell you that the report released by the International Commission of Jurists in March has recently been misrepresented on a number of websites," Dujarric said. "It did not call for the decriminalization of sex with children, nor did it call for the abolition of the age of consent."

In addition to consent, the report also advocates for the total decriminalization of abortion and any criminal liabilities for those who "make and act on decisions about one's own body, sexuality and reproduction," including abortion and sex-change procedures, which the report termed "gender-affirming care/therapy."

"No one may be held criminally liable for exercising their rights to sexual and reproductive health, such as requesting, accessing or using sexual and reproductive health facilities, services and goods, including information," the report states. "Abortion must be taken entirely out of the purview of the criminal law, including for having, aiding, assisting with or providing an abortion."

It also proposes shielding pregnant mothers from criminal liability for engaging in conduct "alleged to be harmful to their own pregnancy," including using drugs or alcohol or contracting HIV and transmitting it to the unborn child while pregnant.

While it's not yet clear how the 8 March Principles report will be used, a conservative group in 2021 warned of an effort by the United Nations to compile a list of "LGBT hate groups" that could be used as a "blacklist" to punish groups and organizations that subscribe to traditional beliefs about gender and sexuality.

According to the Center for Family and Human Rights, "the UN rights office is collecting the names of anyone who opposes the LGBT agenda in any way."

The report addresses the contents of a "call for input to a thematic report" on the topic of "gender, sexual orientation and gender identity."

Issued by Victor Madrigal-Borloz, the United Nations independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, the call for input sought information on individual nation-states' actions regarding issues of sexual orientation and gender identity in addition to asking for information about groups that oppose the idea that "the meanings attached to sex (and other) differences are socially created."
Does the Church of England need Evangelicals?

Does the Church of England need Evangelicals? The question is now a pressing one, given that the last few months of chaos over the issue of gay marriage seem finally to have done what decades of doctrinal indifferentism and even the advent of women priests failed to achieve: an Evangelical rebellion among the Church of Englands most committed Evangelical congregations.

Theo Hobson in The Spectator is confident of the answer: No, the C of E does not need Evangelicals. To quote his reasoning:

Evangelical dynamism cannot renew the Church as a whole. Its energy is too counter-cultural; it presents Christianity as an identity in sharp contrast to the surrounding culture, it insists that a true Christian is marked out by brave dissent from liberal views on sexual morality ... an established Church cannot foreground such energy.

The argument is interesting: An established national church cannot ultimately oppose the culture of her nation. Some (including myself) would argue that this is precisely why no church should be established, since such politically motivated alliances always have a dominant partner, and history makes it very clear who the dominant partner always is. Hobsons vision, while short on details, shows no concern for this particular outcome and seems to envisage the Church as the rightly submissive handmaiden of the cultural Zeitgeist, existing to offer a religious and liturgical gloss that legitimates the liberal state and whatever its current moral tastes happen to be. In short, the Church is there to express in religious idiom the values of the dominant class, in this case, urban progressives. Since Evangelicals will not do this, they are now surplus to requirements.

Hobsons article stands in stark contrast to another article published last week on the dissident website UnHerd by the feminist writer Mary Harrington. In The Death of Christian Privilege, she raises a far more significant question than Hobson: Does the decline of Christianity also signify the liquefaction of meaning and the descent into the kind of moral chaos into which the West has descended, with its demolition of sexual taboos and its long war against the authority of the body? Her answer is yes, it does.

This point reveals the shallowness of Hobsons analysis. Indeed, both he and Harrington cite the case of Kate Forbes as demonstrating the incompatibility of Christian faith with holding public office today. The difference, however, is that Hobson sees this as a reality requiring Christians to accommodate their views to public taste. Harrington sees it as a moment of significance, even tragedy, indicating how far our society now is from the universe of meaning within which Christianity operates. It is not simply the death of Christian privilege she is observing; it is the death of meaning itself.

The difference between the Christianity described by Harrington and that espoused by Hobson is therefore fundamental. In times past, the fault line in Western Christianity tended to run between the anti-supernatural and the supernatural: Did Jesus really heal the sick? Was the resurrection a real, historical, physical event? Today the line is more subtle but just as important: Is there such a thing as human nature? The issue of our day is anthropology. What does it mean to be human, if it means anything at all? Does being human mean that there is a moral framework to which I must conform, lest I dehumanize myself and others along with me? Traditional Christianity says yes; the modern world says no, at least when it comes to matters of sexual morality and sexed bodies.



Ironically, Hobsons apparent objection to Anglican Evangelical views on these matters makes absurd his claim that unless attempts at innovation are rooted in the fullness of Anglican tradition, they will wither, and cause division. Innovative views of sex, gender, and marriage are inevitably repudiations of the fullness of Anglican tradition, as even the briefest glance at the Book of Common Prayer or the Homilies or the 39 Articles will reveal. That is precisely why they are so divisive.

Hobson will likely have his wish, not merely in England but on the worldwide Anglican stage as well. Traditional, orthodox Anglicans are about to meet in Rwanda in order to assess the global situation and further attenuate, perhaps even completely sever, links with the Church of England. One reason is that the African bishops see the Wests attempt to foist this liquefied anthropology upon the global Church as yet another act of Western colonialism. As I argued in my last column, LGBTQ-affirming churches are simply doing what the pro-slavery churches of the 19th century did: giving specious blessing to the values of the world in which they find themselves.



It is depressingly gratifying that Theo Hobson seems to have proved my point with almost indecent haste.

Originally published at First Things.
The Book of Acts is not communism

This is not communism. It is pure Christianity.

Yes, even Pope Francis, a man often accused of being soft on communism, understands. He offered that succinct assessment in a homily on Divine Mercy on a Sunday in 2021 at St. Peters Square, when speaking on the Book of Acts, specifically Acts 4:32, which states of the apostles that no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common.

Francis paused to explain in the very next line, lest anyone had any misconceptions: This is not communism. It is pure Christianity.

Indeed.

I mention this now because the Lectionary readings from last weekend and throughout the past week include the passages from Acts that many Religious Left Christians often sloppily assume advocate for communism. The passage last Sunday was from Acts 2:42-47, which includes this line: All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to their needs.

Karl Marx, an atheist and evolutionary racist who hated religion and referred to Christianity as a hypocritical faith that preaches cowardice, self-contempt, abasement, submission, humility, pulled from that line to develop one of his most famous maxims: From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

The other passage from Acts that is frequently invoked by social justice Christians is Acts 4:32-35, which states:

The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common. With great power the apostles bore witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great favor was accorded them all. There was no needy person among them, for those who owned property or houses would sell them, bring the proceeds of the sale, and put them at the feet of the apostles, and they were distributed to each according to need.

Ive written about that passage before in articles with titles like, The Early Church Was Not Socialist, and in other writings. I cant begin to convey how many times Ive been asked about it over the years, and not always from opponents. Heres the reality:

The fact that certain passages of Scripture, or certain religious orders, express forms of communalism  look closely at that word, communalism, not communism  or pooled together resources to help one another certainly does not mean they were practicing the 19th century militantly atheistic ideology known as communism. There is plainly no comparison between the first-century apostles or Saint Francis and his followers to Vladimir Lenin and the Bolsheviks. If you think the teachings of Karl Marx are analogous to the teachings of Jesus Christ then, well, Im frankly speechless.

The likes of the early apostles and Franciscans were first and foremost forged on a Christian model; religion served as their rudder, their guiding, inspiring, animating force  the very spiritual force that communism seeks to abolish. Marx called religion the heart of a heartless world, the soul of soulless conditions, the opium of the masses. Lenin called it spiritual booze, Medieval mildew, a necrophilia, and said, there is nothing more abominable than religion.

To take a single Marxist exhortation to share wealth and then in turn argue that communism is thus comparable to Christianity is the height of folly. And yet, I shudder to think how many pastors right now are saying just that from the pulpit as they interpret the Book of Acts.

The reality is that individuals who opt for communal life in a religious order, which is a minuscule, rare portion of the population, do so voluntarily to serve God. Under atheistic communism, a totalitarian regime forces 100% of society to bend to its will. It confiscates their property, contrary to the Bibles vigorous defenses of property rights, as rudimentary as the understanding implicit in the 10 Commandments: thou shalt not steal. In the New Testament, individuals like the Good Samaritan or the vineyard owner voluntarily give their own earnings as free-will acts of benevolence, not as forced responses to state fiat.

Lets get back to the Book of Acts:

Read further in that section. A colleague of mine often urges, Never read a single Bible verse. Context is crucial. The full section of Acts 4:32-37, plus the start of Acts 5, makes clear that these believers owned property. In most Bibles, the heading for that section states, The Believers Share Their Possessions. Look closely at those last two words: Their Possessions.

On the contrary, possessions are not permitted under communism. Marx and Engels in The Communist Manifesto stated: The entire communist theory may be summed up in the single sentence: abolition of private property. Throughout Acts, these believers have private property. It has not been abolished.

Acts 4:36 notes that Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus whom the apostles called Barnabas, sold a field he owned and brought the proceeds to the apostles. Barnabas was permitted property. He sold not all of it, but a field.

In Acts 5, the same is true of Ananias, who also sold a piece of property.

Both Barnabas and Ananias owned property and chose to sell a portion to share.

The apostles willingly could choose to sell their property (or some of it) and share it. They were not compelled at knifepoint by a government regime to forcibly give up all possessions or be carted off to a labor camp.

Above all, this mere sharing of some property by these early apostles is light years away from the teachings of Marx and Engels and Lenin, and more. If you doubt me, then please, read. Educate yourself! The Manifesto talks about the abolition of not only property, but of family, religion, all morality, eternal truths, capital, classes, states, societies, and much more. Almost hilariously, Marx and Engels in the Manifesto explain that communism seeks nothing less than to abolish the present state of things.

Gee, is that all?

Marx and Engels declared that communism represents the most radical rupture in traditional relations. They closed their Manifesto by stating that, They [Communists] openly declare that their ends can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all existing social conditions. As for Marx, he had a favorite quote from Goethes Faust: Everything that exists deserves to perish.

That was Karl Marx and his ideology. It is a radical transformation of human nature. Read The Communist Manifesto and then read the Book of Acts and then try to argue that Acts is communism. Read the 10-point plan in the Communist Manifesto. Does it sound like a plan of the apostles?

Beyond the Manifesto, read other communist classics, such as Marxs A Contribution to the Critique of Hegels Philosophy of Right (the opiate of the masses essay), Friedrich Engels The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State, Marxs literally devilish poetry and plays, such as The Pale Maiden and Oulanem, Lenins opus The State and Revolution and his elucidation of communist ethics vs. Christian ethics in his shocking 1920 Speech to the Russian Young Communist League, Nikolai Bukharin on Communism and Religion in his The ABC of Communism.

Note how these men stated, repeatedly, that their communism is incompatible with your idiotic Christianity. To quote Bukharin: Religion and communism are incompatible, both theoretically and practically ... Communism is incompatible with religious faith. He urged communists everywhere: A fight to the death must be declared upon religion take on religion at the tip of the bayonet.

I could go on and on.

The lesson for Christians ought to be clear: Please get better informed about communism before outrageously linking it to the Christian faith. The glorious, redeeming teachings of Christ and his apostles bear no comparison to the deadliest ideology in human history. Communism kills people; Christ saves people.

No, folks, the Book of Acts is not communism. Anyone who makes such an assertion immediately conveys profound ignorance. They are showing you that they have no idea what communism is.

Communism is the antithesis and enemy of Christianity. The Book of Acts, as even Pope Francis said, is Christianity, not communism.

Editors note: A version of this article first appeared in Crisis Magazine.
What happens when the salt of the earth loses its saltiness

In many African communities today, the only way to preserve things from decaying is by applying salt to them. The preservative role of salt is natural and does not depend on any other factors, like electricity, to be effective. Jesus knew that the earth is bound to decay if nothing is done to preserve it. He then commissioned us, His disciples, to become the salt that will uphold the truth that will deliver the world from moral decay and falsehood.

The salt also adds flavor to food. Jesus wants us to be distinct and to add taste to this world. The presence of believers  no matter how few they are  should radiate grace and kindness in any environment that they are found in. As Christians, we should be able to preserve the truth of the Word of God and act as Gods agents of grace in the societies He has placed us in.

When believers stop preserving the truth that has been handed down to us, it shows in our immediate culture. Uneducated men in the Bible turned the world upside down, but today, professors in theology and educated preachers are no longer capable of bringing changes in small communities because truth is no longer championed. Falsehood and half-truths have taken over the mouths of those who are supposed to boldly proclaim the Word of God without fear. Truth is sometimes bitter but has the power to bring the needed changes in the lives of the hearers. The Scripture says, Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).

The reason why there is moral decay in our nations and societies today is that the salt of the earth has largely lost its saltiness. The truth is no longer preserved; it's edited to suit the culture.

I recently met a lady that I wanted to share the Gospel with. In the course of our discussion, I told her that Christians who continue a lifestyle of sin are in danger of hearing Christ say to them, depart from me, I never knew you. She later accused me of preaching a false Gospel. According to her, if a Christian is killed as an armed robber, he will make it to Heaven because he has confessed Jesus as his Lord and Savior. This lady claimed to be an evangelist in one of the Pentecostal churches in Nigeria. When self-professed Christians are deceived, we are in big trouble.

All the moral lapses in our societies and nations today are a result of believers inability to preserve the people by telling them the truth. Many of us are telling people to come to Christ, but we refuse to tell them to sin no more. People are no longer warned of the dangers of sinful lifestyles, and this has resulted in them pursuing their self-centered goals and lustful desires even after theyve made a public profession of faith in Christ.



Our conversion is supposed to change us. We are expected to walk in Gods path. A move toward God is a move toward righteousness, purity, and holy living. May we never forget our calling. May we never lose our saltiness.
Calls for Colombia to protect religious freedom

A bill has been presented in Colombia to remove punishments for crimes relating to violations of the right to freedom of religion or belief (FoRB).

Earlier this month, Colombia's Minister of Justice, Nestor Ozuna, accepted a Senate committee proposal to remove language addressing crimes against religious sentiment and respect for the dead from legislation.

Proponents argue that the changes will make the criminal system more humane and streamlined, and reduce overcrowding in prisons and police stations.

However, religious leaders and human rights defenders fear that the changes will leave religious groups in rural areas and conflict zones even more vulnerable, and make it harder for them to take legal action.

FoRB expert and Senator Lorena Rios Cuellar has argued that abolishing these crimes will have a negligible effect as there were only 10 FoRB-related complaints in 2018, according to figures from the Public Prosecutor's office.

Anna Lee Stangl, Head of Advocacy at Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), said she was "perplexed" as to why Colombian senators are seeking to eliminate crimes that are "already severely underreported and rarely investigated".

"This will put members of religious groups in rural areas and conflict zones who experience a disproportionate percentage of these types of crimes in an even more vulnerable position and will reduce rather than increase their recourse to legal remedy," she said.

"CSW is concerned that this is part of a larger pattern on the part of the government which, while recognising the important role the religious sector played in Colombia's peace process, has paid little attention to the way members of religious groups experience serious human rights violations, in many cases linked to FoRB, in its official reports.

"We call on the Colombian government to strengthen existing protections for FoRB and to ensure that these rights are consistently upheld for all."
Chicago settles with Wheaton College students in evangelism lawsuit

(CP) After years of litigation, the Chicago City Council agreed to pay over $205,000 to settle a lawsuit with four Wheaton College students who argued their religious freedom was restricted when they tried evangelizing at the city's Millennium Park.

The city council approved the settlement at its meeting on Wednesday, accepting the recommendation of the Committee on Finance to pay the students $5,000 in damages each and over $185,000 in attorney fees. The settlement was accepted by a vote of 48 to 0.

The case dates back to 2018 when four Wheaton College students with the Chicago Evangelism Team sponsored by the Office of Christian Outreach of the Evangelical higher education institution claimed they were prohibited by security from evangelizing at the 24-acre Millennium Park.

The students  Caden Hood, Matt Swart, Jeremy Chong and Gabriel Emerson  filed a federal lawsuit seeking an injunction against a set of rules that regulate legal activity within the park. The lawsuit singled out a restriction banning "disruptive conduct" restricting activity that "interferes with or disrupts another visitor's peaceful enjoyment of performance or amenity in the Park."

The Chicago Evangelism Team ventures into the city to share the Gospel with those they encounter in the streets, subways and parks. The four students believe it is essential for Christians to share their faith with others.

In 2020, Judge John Robert Blakey, an Obama appointee, sided with the students, saying the city's defence of its rules "rests upon its misapplication of the government speech doctrine."

"The City contends that, by curating art and programming, it exercises permissible government speech making its restrictions immune to First Amendment attack because the rules further such government speech," the judge wrote. "This Court rejects the City's flawed reading of this important doctrine."

The students were represented by the law firm Mauck & Baker. After the judgment, the city rewrote its rules for Millennium Park to allow the evangelists "more freedom to preach and hand out literature," the legal group states on its website.

Associate attorney Sorin Leahu previously told The Christian Post that the students don't use any form of amplification or shout when they evangelize.

"They do what you would expect anyone going to the park to do: have conversations with people, engage people, hand out literature," Leahu said. "It is nothing disruptive to what anyone else is doing in the park."

"By its nature in history, public parks have always been completely open to speech activities," he added.

In April 2019, the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, which oversees Millennium Park, created new rules for the park.

One of the new rules separated the park into 11 "rooms," or sections, and prohibited "the making of speeches and passing out of written communications" in 10 of the 11 separate areas.

Under the rules, people could only deliver speeches and hand out papers in Wrigley Square, the park's northwest corner.

Lead attorney John Mauck called the revised rules "problematic" because the sculpture Cloud Gate, also known as the "Bean," was an area that was off-limits.

"The Bean is one of the highest tourist attractions in the United States. ... That's where you want to get your message out," he told The Chicago Tribune.

"This isn't just about evangelists," he added. "This is for politicians campaigning, political activists and whoever else wants free speech."

 The Christian Post
London bishops remember Stephen Lawrence on 30th anniversary of murder

Church leaders have said that society, the police and the Church still have a long way to go in overcoming racism on the 30th anniversary of the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

The Bishop of Croydon, Dr Rosemarie Mallett, said that all three "can do better" on the issue of racial equality and that the Church is "not immune" to the problem of racism.

"We believe that God delights in our diversity and that we are called to love and respect one another. We believe that we are all equal in the eyes of God, and that all of us equally deserve protection and safety on our streets  as well as justice when we are harmed by others. And yet, thirty years on, the stark reality is that all are not equally safe on our streets - and all do not receive the justice that they deserve," she said.

"Thirty years on, Stephen's day is a stark reminder for us all of how far we still have to go. In particular, the Baroness Casey Review shows a concerning lack of progress in improving standards in our policing  and we still hear every week the stories of those for whom racism is a daily oppression.

"The Church is not immune from these problems ... Our police can do better, our Church can do better, our communities can do better  our society can be better as long as we refuse to give up, as long as we choose hope and commit ourselves to building a better way."

Lawrence was just 18 when he was murdered in a unprovoked, racially motivated attack in Eltham, south-east London, on the evening of 22 April 1993.

The Bishop of Southwark, Christopher Chessun, said that Lawrence's legacy had been one of "change and hope".

"Today marks the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence. When Stephen died, so many of us hoped that it would be a wake-up call for our society. We hoped that we would never again have to witness such tragic violence, nor such failings in our police force," he said.

"Stephen's death marked the beginning of a change in our society  a change that we are still living through. Progress always takes longer than we think it will, but as Christians we are called never to lose hope and to always keep striving for a better world, with urgency and vigour.

"On this Stephen Lawrence Day, let us all take the opportunity to pray and reflect on Stephen's life and legacy of both change and hope  and let us commit to building a future where our differences are celebrated and all are respected and valued.

"Our hearts go out to Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Stephen's family with gratitude for all they continue to do to promote racial justice."

Churches Together in Britain and Ireland and Christian Aid have partnered together to mark the anniversary with a series of conversations about the current state of race relations in the Church and society, which can be viewed online and on the CTBI YouTube channel.
Majority of world's Anglicans formally reject leadership of Archbishop of Canterbury

The Global Anglican Futures Conference (GAFCON) has committed to join with the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans in the "urgent matter" of resetting and reordering the Anglican Communion.

It cannot come as a surprise to those who have kept an eye on events in the Anglican Communion. The decision of the bishops of the Church of England to commend Prayers of Love and Faith for those in relationships other than holy matrimony may have been the last straw, but as the GAFCON Conference Commitment states:

"Despite 25 years of persistent warnings by most Anglican Primates, repeated departures from the authority of God's Word have torn the fabric of the Communion. These warnings were blatantly and deliberately disregarded and now without repentance this tear cannot be mended."

The document says it is "pastorally deceptive and blasphemous to craft prayers that invoke blessing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit", and calls public statements by the Archbishop of Canterbury and other leaders of the Church of England in support of same-sex blessings "a betrayal of their ordination and consecration vows to banish error and to uphold and defend the truth taught in Scripture".

The document continues, "We have no confidence that the Archbishop of Canterbury nor the other Instruments of Communion led by him (the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates' Meetings) are able to provide a godly way forward that will be acceptable to those who are committed to the truthfulness, clarity, sufficiency and authority of Scripture.

"The Instruments of Communion have failed to maintain true communion based on the Word of God and shared faith in Christ.

"Successive Archbishops of Canterbury have failed to guard the faith by inviting bishops to Lambeth who have embraced or promoted practices contrary to Scripture.

"This failure of church discipline has been compounded by the current Archbishop of Canterbury who has himself welcomed the provision of liturgical resources to bless these practices contrary to Scripture. This renders his leadership role in the Anglican Communion entirely indefensible."

So, the repeated failure of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the other Instruments of Communion (the Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Consultative Council and the Primates' Meetings) to offer godly leadership have now led to a vote of "no confidence" by the majority of the world's Anglicans.

Bishop Stead, who chaired the statement writing group, explained, "This grieves us, but it is they who have walked away from us."

As the Kigali Commitment - the name given to the conference statement - was read to the gathered delegates, the weight of what was happening descended on those gathered. There was a time of silence and the doxology was sung before the conference shared the Eucharist together.

Afterwards, there were tears, mourning the sin and broken relationships that have led to this point, but there was also the joy of those freed from oppression.

Archbishop Samy Shehata, the Primate of South Sudan, who warned the Church of England's General Synod of the consequences of moving foward with the Prayers of Love and Faith, said, "It is sad but at least it is now clear."

Since the inception of Gafcon, it has been necessary for the Gafcon Primates to recognise new orthodox jurisdictions for faithful Anglicans, including the Anglican Network in Europe, which stands ready to welcome those who feel they can no longer remain in the Church of England or Church in Wales because of the failure of the leadership.

Susie Leafe is director of Anglican Futures, which supports orthodox Anglicans in the UK.
The Museum of the Southwests latest installment features the playful colors of multi-media artist Andrea Reyes.

Based out of San Antonio, Reyes focuses on abstract painting and sculpture, taking inspiration from her two children  3-year-old Esteban and a less-than-1-year-old  as well as her young students. By teaching throughout Mexico and the U.S., Reyes attempts to capture the unbridled expression and sense of spontaneity found in children.

Shes trying to bypass those filters we build up over time in life and become more and more a part of us as we enter into adulthood  self-consciousness, that need to control or mitigate things, Matthew Ward, the museums senior director of Curatorial Affairs, explained.

Beyond channeling her inner child, the Piedras Negras native (Eagle Pass border town) also partakes in particular creative techniques that allow her to release control. First, she lays her canvases on the ground, allowing the top and bottom of the piece to be determined after shes done creating. Instead of standing above her canvases, Reyes gets floor level before starting and often uses large amounts of water in her paintings, ultimately forging a sense of motion and freedom in her art. Lastly, she lets her children pick out colors and often uses her nondominant hand when composing.

In the middle of the display, guests will find a small table and stools painted by Reyes along with two puzzles resembling her pieces and a bowl of Mexican candy symbolic of her childhood. The table allows both children and adults to not only observe the installment from a different perspective but to interact with the art as well. The candies, of course, are to eat.

Throughout the collection, interpretation can be left up to the viewer. Unrestrained and lively in nature, each piece showcases a form of movement both physically and emotionally. An opening reception from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on May 9 will be held at the museum. Andrea Reyes will give an artist talk at 6 p.m. Visit www.museumsw.org to find out how to become a member and to attend.
With Mother's Day just around the corner, it's time to start planning a special day for mom and a brunch that will wow her. After all, what better way to show your appreciation for all she's done than by treating her to a delicious meal?

No matter what mom's culinary preference is, there's sure to be a Houston restaurant that will cater to her cravings. From pasta and seafood to steak and more traditional brunch fare, keep reading for our top picks for Mother's Day brunch in Houston this year.

Arnaldo Richards' Picos Restaurant

Take mom to beloved Mexican restaurant Picos, where the mariachis will be strolling and the margaritas and mimosas will be flowing. On May 14, Picos will offer a Mother's Day buffet from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The flavor-filled feast includes a meat carving station with pork porchetta, prime rib and picanha, omelet and waffle stations, charcuterie options, Picos' legendary moles and a dessert bar.

As a special holiday offering, the traditional antojito platter will also feature gorditas, salbutes, tlacoyos, picadas and quesadillas. Specialty cocktails, including a seasonal Fresa spritz and Les Jamelles rose, will also be on tap.

Find it: Arnaldo Richards' Picos Restaurant, 3601 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77098; 832-831-9940

Kirsten Gilliam

B&B Butchers & Restaurant

What mom wouldn't love caviar service or a "Good Morning" pizza served with Nutella, sliced strawberries and bananas on Mother's Day? Famed steakhouse B&B Butchers & Restaurant will serve both alongside their menu of tasty brunch dishes like Butcher's Benedict with blackened filet, griddle onions and bearnaise sauce, and an apple crisp waffle topped with stewed apples, pecan and bacon.

The menu also features B&B's renowned burgers, steaks and seafood options. Diners can enjoy a meal inside or dine with views of Houston's skyline on the covered patio. Moms will receive a complimentary bellini or mimosa upon arrival, and don't worry about entertaining the kids: There will be a balloon artist from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Find it: B&B Butchers & Restaurant, 1814 Washington Ave., Houston, TX 77007; 713-862-1814

Bistro Menil

If your mom has a penchant for European-inspired cuisine, then Bistro Menil is the brunch spot for her. Chef and owner Greg Martin has expertly curated a menu of mouthwatering dishes perfectly paired with a selection of wines. Indulge in dishes such as the delectable Caprese omelet, the rich and savory eggs Lyonnaise, the bistro Scottish smoked salmon plate, or the classic Belgian waffle served with a sensational mixed berry compote or a succulent buttermilk fried chicken breast.

With almost 15 cocktails, finding the perfect drink to accompany any meal is easy. Once brunch is over, take a stroll through the beautiful Menil Collection grounds or pop in for a quick peek at the latest exhibit on display.

Find it: Bistro Menil, 1513 W. Alabama St., Houston, TX 77006; 713-904-3537

Kimberly Park

Brennan's of Houston

Indulge your mom with a soulful jazz brunch experience at the iconic Brennan's of Houston, a New Orleans-inspired restaurant nestled in the heart of Midtown. With a culinary legacy spanning almost five decades, Brennan's is renowned for its exceptional focus on fresh seafood, bold spices and luscious sauces.

This Mother's Day, they're pulling out all the stops with a special menu showcasing Creole cuisine's irresistible flavors. From the Creole seafood campechana to the tantalizing crawfish cakes and eggs and the decadent strawberry shortcake, this brunch will surely delight and satisfy even the most discerning palates.

Find it: Brennan's of Houston, 3300 Smith St., Houston, TX 77006; 713-522-9711

Four Seasons Hotel Houston

Celebrate Mother's Day in style with a special brunch at Toro Toro. Show your appreciation for your mother with a spectacular feast of brunch classics and pan-Latin fare. Indulge in the restaurant's in-house smoked brisket enchiladas, almond French toast with vanilla bean creme Anglaise and Cognac lobster bisque.

Take advantage of the country ham salad with deviled egg and watercress for a taste of Southern charm. There will also be an array of made-to-order or freshly cut options, including a waffle station, omelet station, pastry station, seafood station and carving station. For the little ones, a dedicated Kid's Corner will keep them entertained while they enjoy their meals. Finally, the dessert station will feature an array of treats that will satisfy any sweet tooth.

Find it: Four Seasons Hotel Houston, 1300 Lamar St., Houston, TX 77010; 713-650-1300

Georgia James

This year, renowned steakhouse Georgia James hosts a one-day-only Mother's Day brunch menu from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Executive chef Greg Peters is whipping up a special brunch menu featuring strawberry cinnamon rolls with graham cracker schmear and cream cheese icing, house ham Benedict with smoked trout roe and T-bone and eggs with smothered hash browns.

This limited-time brunch menu will also include a Belgian waffle with assorted fruit, chocolate syrup and whipped cream for the kids. In addition to the brunch specials, Georgia James will serve a scaled-back version of their regular menu. Make a reservation, because Georgia James is closing their doors early at 3 p.m.

Find it: Georgia James, 3503 W. Dallas St., Houston, TX 77019; 832-241-5088

Hugo's

Popular brunch destination Hugo's extends its warm wishes to all mothers by adding special items to their already extensive brunch buffet. The Mother's Day buffet will feature an array of enticing dishes including pan dulce, tacos, quesadillas, chiles rellenos, chilaquiles, enchiladas, ceviche and much more. Additionally, diners can enjoy Hugo's famous margaritas, shaken tableside, and the restaurant's award-winning wine list to enhance the festive atmosphere.

Find it: Hugo's, 1600 Westheimer Road, Houston, TX 77006; 713-524-7744

Kirsten Gilliam

Lulu's River Oaks

This Mother's Day, Lulu's River Oaks welcomes moms to their casually elegant eatery to raise a glass and celebrate over a delicious Italian brunch. Indulge in popular dishes, including Tortilla Espanola, crab Benedict and the classic American breakfast, along with their sparkling Aperol spritz or Bloody Mary.

Find it: Lulu's River Oaks, 2518 Kirby Drive, Houston, TX 77019; 713-590-7350

Rainbow Lodge

Moms will love the historic and picturesque grounds of Rainbow Lodge. One of Houston's most unique restaurants, the original lodge features seafood and wild game in a historic 115-year-old log cabin on an acre of beautiful grounds. For Mother's Day, the restaurant will offer a special three-course, prix fixe brunch menu from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dine inside or al fresco on their outdoor patio.

Find it: Rainbow Lodge, 2011 Ella Blvd., Houston, TX 77008; 713-861-8666

Will Pryce

Rosalie Italian Soul

Houston's C. Baldwin Hotel is gearing up to celebrate Mother's Day in style with a special brunch at their stunningly designed Rosalie Italian Soul eatery. Inspired by the Mother of Houston herself, guests will be treated to a delicious seasonal brunch menu that features a selection of inviting dishes including spring pea pizza, chicken Milanese and shrimp scampi.

To top it all off, order the indulgent pavlova, a dessert that pairs perfectly with strawberry or white peach bellinis. And with indoor and outdoor seating on the hotel's sprawling back patio, visitors can savor their meals while soaking up the beautiful Houston weather.

Find it: Rosalie Italian Soul, 400 Dallas St., Houston, TX 77002; 713-351-5790

Sylvia's Enchilada Kitchen

The beloved Tex-Mex eatery is resurrecting its famed Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for one day only. Moms are in for a treat as they indulge in all-time favorites such as chile con queso, chilaquiles, omelets, street tacos and a selection of Sylvia's top five enchiladas. But that's not allSylvia's Enchilada Kitchen's extravagant brunch will also feature an array of delectable desserts and signature cocktail specials.

Find it:

1140 Eldridge Parkway, Houston, TX 77077; 832-230-3842

6401 Woodway Drive, Houston, TX 77057; 713-334-7295

Wild Oats

Enjoy a relaxed stroll through Houston's Farmers Market and settle in for a tasty brunch at the family-friendly restaurant Wild Oats. The Farmers Market eatery celebrates Mother's Day with limited-time specials, including their tuna tostada, roasted beet salad, smoked salmon Benedict, grilled mahi-mahi, smoked prime rib, RC Ranch Wagyu bavette fajita and a classic omelet.

Don't forget to leave room for dessert: Wild Oats' Mother's Day desserts include molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, creme brulee and strawberry rhubarb cobbler.

Find it: Wild Oats, 2520 Airline Drive, Suite C-315, Houston, TX 77009; 713-393-7205

This story was edited by Hearst Newspapers Managing Editor Kristina Moy; you can contact her at kristina.moy@hearst.com.
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Charred, drained or swamped, built up, dug out or taken apart, blue or green or turned to dust: this is the Earth as seen from above.

As the world commemorates Earth Day on Saturday, the footprints of human activity are visible across the planets surface. The relationship between people and the natural world will have consequences for years to come.

In Iraq, lakes shrivel and dry up as rain fails to fall, weather patterns altered by human-made climate change. In Florida, the opposite problem: too much water clogs roads and neighborhoods, trapping cars and stranding people, with the burning of fossil fuels again partially to blame for erratic conditions.

In megacities, like the rapidly growing Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, skyscrapers shoot upwards while in Guyana excavators dig deep into the earth for deposits of gold.

In California, surfers straddle waves in the ocean. In New Jersey, solar panels float in ponds, and in India, fishing nets sink into the lakes. Residents of neighborhoods in Utah meanwhile, find water where it shouldnt be  coursing through their streets and homes.

On land, farmers are at the whims of the weather, with patterns being altered by climate change. In Argentina, parched lands turn crops to gray. Just outside Barcelona, new cracked, thirsty water beds appear after months of little to no rain.

Earth Day first began in 1970, heralded as the birth of an environmental movement that encouraged people worldwide to protect the natural world. Today, it also urges action to combat climate change, which has accelerated in recent decades.

Each year, scientists have warned that the burning of fossil fuels is heating the planet and bringing us closer to breaching internationally agreed upon limits of warming, which would have major effects, such as more extreme weather events.

Around the world, activists of all ages are keeping the pressure on governments and companies to do more to protect the environment and combat climate change.

___

Associated Press climate and environmental coverage receives support from several private foundations. See more about APs climate initiative here. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
From the West Coast to the Northeast, leaders in blue-state America are scrambling to build a bulwark against the conservative attempt to restrict access to abortion medication, navigating a tumultuous and quickly changing legal landscape.

At least six Democratic-led states - representing a quarter of the country's population - have publicly pledged to stockpile abortion drugs, striking a defiant note as the courts weigh the question of whether to limit the availability of mifepristone, a pill that has been used by millions to terminate early pregnancies.

On Friday, the Supreme Court temporarily preserved access to the drug while a lawsuit against its use continues. But officials in liberal states had already promised to fight for access to medication abortion. The pills, which are used in more than half of the nation's abortions, have become a vital resource for those seeking the procedure since the court overturned Roe v. Wade last year.

Three of the stockpiling states - Washington, Oregon and Massachusetts - have together purchased more than 67,000 doses of mifepristone, which is the first of a two-drug medication regimen that can currently be obtained through the mail and taken at home. Maryland also said it would purchase "a substantial amount" of the pills.

Two other states, California and New York, have already acquired more than 400,000 doses of misoprostol, the second drug in the regimen, which can be used alone but is not as effective as the two-step approach. Unlike mifepristone, misoprostol is not currently in legal peril.

The scattered effort, which also includes university systems and providers across the country, is the latest turn in the national standoff over abortion access. The political right, fresh off a monumental victory in June's Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision that invalidated Roe, has undertaken an audacious attempt to push more challenges to abortion through sympathetic federal judges, setting up more showdowns in the courts.

The high stakes race to safeguard abortion medication accelerated this month, when Texas-based federal Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, who is known for his antiabortion views, suspended the Food and Drug Administration's 23-year-old approval of mifepristone in an unprecedented ruling. Within hours, the Biden administration appealed the decision and eventually asked the Supreme Court to restore full access to the pill while lower courts consider the case. The court did that on Friday night.

After the Supreme Court's ruling, states can hold stockpiles of the drug in reserve as the case winds its way through the courts, experts say, and providers can dispense pills as they had before. Still, fears remain that the continuing legal wrangling could impact availability in states that have strengthened abortion protections.

"There's nothing, in theory, stopping women from getting a prescription and getting it filled," said Ameet Sarpatwari, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School.

In the weeks since the Texas ruling, some left-leaning states have said they also intend to roll out new policies that will protect pharmacists who provide mifepristone and ensure privacy for patients who receive abortion treatment, even if they are traveling from out of state. In California, where voters last year enshrined the right to abortion in the state constitution, officials announced such steps this week.

"Republicans are waging a war on women in this country," Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-Calif.) said Tuesday. "It is important for women across our state to know that we will continue to safeguard their reproductive freedoms, and to protect California pharmacists who dispense medication abortion, without fear of persecution or prosecution."

But, in a reflection of the complicated legal turf states are navigating, Newsom's announcement was short on specifics. Legislation is still in the works, officials said, and they are waiting to see what additional action the courts would take.

Leaders in Washington state and Oregon, who with California have sought to maintain an abortion rights firewall on the West Coast, each recently announced they would purchase three-year supplies of mifepristone.

In Washington, where another federal judge issued a ruling that contradicted the Texas opinion, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) directed the state's corrections department - which has a pharmacy license - to purchase 30,000 mifepristone pills. New legislation would enable the department to dispense and sell it to health-care providers.

On Thursday, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek (D) announced the state had secured 22,500 doses of mifepristone and said the pills would be available to anyone "forced to come to our state for care." Many women drive to Oregon from neighboring Idaho, which largely bans abortion, and thanks to the Supreme Court ruling, doctors can continue prescribing them pills for now.

"In the state of Oregon, if they step into the state, we provide them care, too," said Alison Edelman, a professor of gynecology at the Oregon Health and Science University's Center for Women's Health.

Across the country, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey (D) - the first woman elected to the office - turned to the state's largest public university for help as the Texas ruling loomed. The University of Massachusetts at Amherst agreed to purchase 15,000 doses of mifepristone, about a year's supply for the state. On Friday, a university spokesman said the pills had arrived and were in storage.

"Here in Massachusetts, we are not going to let one extremist judge in Texas turn back the clock on this proven medication and restrict access to care in our state," Healey said in an April 10 announcement, two days after Kacsmaryk's decision was made public.

Healey also issued an executive order confirming that Massachusetts providers are shielded if they perform medication abortion services that could be subject to legal action or sanctions in other jurisdictions.

In New York, the state has purchased 150,000 doses of misoprostol to "meet anticipated needs," according to the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul (D). The dosage needed by specific patients is dependent on whether the two-drug regimen is used.

If mifepristone is removed from the market, Hochul said, New York is prepared to spend $20 million to support access to other methods of abortion.

Maryland is also partnering with its state university system to acquire enough mifepristone doses for 2.5 years, said the office of Gov. Wes Moore (D), which did not specify the exact number of pills. Moore, who assumed office three months ago, told members of The Washington Post's editorial board this week that Maryland will protect abortion rights "regardless of what the Supreme Court decides."

Moore expressed frustration that Democratic states like his are being forced to focus time on "something that has been settled law for decades, that we are validating the use of a drug that has been validated for decades."

Danco Laboratories, which manufactures mifepristone, said it has been able to meet demand spikes prompted by Democratic states stocking up. To cut down on hoarding, however, Danco may have to resort to a system that restricts providers to ordering their traditional volumes, said spokeswoman Abby Long.

Aside from the states, independent clinics and other medical providers also appear to be stockpiling, she said.

"Overall we're seeing a dramatic increase in orders from providers because there is a tremendous amount of uncertainty at the moment," Long said. She added that there are not currently any concerns about shortages.

While the country's coasts have long been havens for abortion rights, the picture is far different in its heartland.

Colorado last week sought to cement its status as an island of abortion access in the conservative Mountain West, as Gov. Jared Polis (D) signed a trio of bills that prohibit cooperation with out-of-state prosecutions of those who provide or receive abortions; outlaw "deceptive" advertising by antiabortion crisis pregnancy centers; and require most large employers to cover the full cost of abortions.

But the state has not publicly said it would stockpile abortion medication. The attorney general's office said it could not discuss legal guidance given to state agencies, but a spokesman for Polis said Colorado has been "preparing for this cruel ruling."

Meanwhile, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) called on Democratic-led states to "band together" - but said they need to look beyond stockpiling abortion medications.

"If the response is, 'We'll stockpile instead of protecting all access,' then we're minimizing the work that we have to do to make sure that women and families are fully protected," Lujan Grisham said Sunday on CBS's "Face The Nation."

Like New Mexico, which has become a destination for Texans seeking abortions, Illinois has long been seen as a sanctuary for those seeking the procedure from Midwestern states with bans on their books.

Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) said in a statement that second-guessing the safety of mifepristone is "deeply disturbing" and his office would do "everything possible" to protect access to abortion. The promise echoed those of two other Democrats in the Midwest, Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan, who have vowed to do everything in their power to ensure protections remain intact.

But their words are little comfort to activists like Jay Becker, a semiretired paralegal in Chicago who has been marching for reproductive rights for decades. She'd already made signs that said: Red state. Blue state. We can't hide. The war on abortion is nationwide.

"We are calling on people to take to the streets," she said, fresh off one protest while planning another with Rise Up 4 Abortion Rights, a national advocacy group. "Not just once but persistently."

"We blue states are not havens," she added. "The case is a neon sign that we can't hide."

- - -

Thebault reported from Los Angeles, Ovalle from Washington, Brulliard from Boulder, Colo., and Slater from Williamstown, Mass. The Washington Post's Scott Wilson in Santa Barbara, Calif., and Aaron Gregg, Danielle Paquette, Christopher Rowland, Nick Anderson, Ovetta Wiggins and Silvia Foster-Frau in Washington contributed to this report.
The Justice Department sent a memo to the nation's judges on Thursday that warned against imposing high fees and fines that would unfairly burden low-income people.

A day later, top officials at the agency celebrated several people who have received pardons and clemencies in recent years, characterizing their long sentences for nonviolent drug crimes as harsh and unfair.

Both efforts were part of the Biden administration's campaign to address what Justice Department officials describe as systemic failings in the justice system that disproportionately affect the poor and people of color.

"Imposing and enforcing fines and fees on individuals who cannot afford to pay them has been shown to cause profound harm," officials wrote in the "Letter to Colleagues" memo this week, which warned that harsh financial penalties that trap people in poverty could be unconstitutional.

"Individuals confront escalating debt; face repeated, unnecessary incarceration for nonpayment of fines and fees; experience extended periods of probation and parole; are subjected to changes in immigration status; and lose their employment, driver's license, voting rights, or home," the memo said.

Associate Attorney Vanita Gupta, the No. 3 person in the Justice Department whose office sent the letter, said that municipalities are wrongly issuing excessive fines and fees to people without assessing their abilities to pay them, relying on the money collected to fund basic functions of government. The fees often snowball and have resulted in people serving jail time for unpaid traffic tickets or housing code violations.

The letter is intended to serve as guidance for local and state judges and those working in juvenile facilities. It represents the Justice Department's latest reversal of Trump-era guidance under Attorney General Merrick Garland, who also reversed a charging policy that called for prosecutors to pursue the most serious offenses possible, even when that might trigger stiff mandatory minimum sentences.

In 2016, under President Barack Obama, the Justice Department issued guidance similar to the memo on fines and fees sent out this week. That followed an investigation in to the police department in Ferguson, Mo., which determined that the city relies heavily on residents paying fines and fees to keep the city running. Each year, the report said, Ferguson - which came under national scrutiny in 2014 when 18-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot by police - expects to collect more fines and fees, pressuring courts and the police department to impose them.

During the Trump administration, Attorney General Jeff Sessions rescinded the Obama administration's guidance, along with at least two dozen other memos issued by previous administrations. Sessions said at the time that he was ending "the long-standing abuse of issuing rules by simply publishing a letter or posting a web page."

Sessions - who sought to reshape the Justice Department to take a tougher stance on crime - also shut down the department's Office for Access to Justice, which was created in 2010 under Attorney General Eric Holder during the Obama administration, to provide resources to help low-income residents navigate the legal systems.

Garland has reopened the office. Its staff helped to write the memo sent on Thursday and will issue a "best practices guide" to help local and state governments reshape how and when they impose fines and fees.

"This is the lowest hanging fruit in the criminal justice system," said Marc Levin, chief policy counsel for Council on Criminal Justice. "Because this is the people who are going to jail not for a new criminal offense, but because they haven't paid a fee."

Advocates say that Republican and Democratic states have made progress in getting rid of some burdensome fees - even without the guidance - but added that more work is needed. Most states impose fees to cover court operation costs that are added on top of the fines for committing the violation, according to a report from Fines & Fees Justice Center.

Since the 2016 memo, the Justice Department said that 24 states and D.C. have ended or amended policies that suspend driver's licenses for unpaid fines and fees.

The effort to reduce court fees and fines is a rare criminal justice effort that has bipartisan support, according to Frank Russo, associate general counsel of the American Conservative Union, a group that says it pushes to find solutions that balance public safety with reforming the justice system.

Russo said the Trump administration also made headway in recidivism efforts, including by significantly expanding the number of colleges and universities participating in the Second Chance Pell Pilot Program, an Obama-era initiative to help prisoners earn an associate's or bachelor's degree while incarcerated.

"This is actually an important way of reducing recidivism and building second chances," Russo said of the Justice Department memo issued Thursday. "How can you expect someone to obtain new job opportunities and find housing and develop a success away from crime if you are saddling them with fees?"

More than a dozen people who were either pardoned or had their sentences shortened attended a "Celebration of Second Chances" event at Justice Department headquarters Friday morning with their families.

The event featured three people who had received clemency speaking with the lawyers and judges who pushed to get them released. The people had been incarcerated for committing nonviolent drug crimes.

Presidents have the power to formally forgive people for their crimes - which is known as a pardon - or reduce someone's criminal punishment, which is known as a commutation. Obama commuted 1,715 sentences, most toward the end of his presidency. Trump commuted the sentences of 70 people. So far, Biden has commutations for more than 80 people, a number that advocates say is far too low.

Kenneth A. Polite Jr., head of the Justice Department's criminal division, sat on the stage with Danielle Metz, a New Orleans woman who was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences plus 20 years in 1993 for nonviolent drug offenses. When Polite served as the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, he pushed for clemency for Metz, writing a letter to Obama saying that she deserved to return to her community.

Metz on Friday described spending more than two decades incarcerated, trying to do everything right to ensure she had a chance of one day being released. She was granted clemency in 2016 and has since attended college. Metz now works as a community health worker and advocate and said clemency has enabled her to "shine" outside her jail cell.

"She is the living embodiment of justice achieved," Polite said Friday.

Alexander Williams, a former federal judge in Maryland, described how sentencing guidelines gave him no choice but to send Evans Ray Jr. to prison for life in 2007 for distributing crack cocaine. Williams later pushed for Ray to be granted clemency, which he was awarded in 2016.

Ray and Williams now advocate together against mandatory minimum sentences.
HONOLULU (AP)  Ken Potts, one of the last two remaining survivors of the USS Arizona battleship, which sank during the 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, has died. He was 102.

Howard Kenton Potts died Friday at the home in Provo, Utah, that he shared with his wife of 66 years, according to Randy Stratton, whose late father, Donald Stratton, was Potts' Arizona shipmate and close friend.

Stratton said Potts had all his marbles but lately was having a hard time getting out of bed. When Stratton spoke to Potts on his birthday, April 15, he was happy to have made it to 102.

But he knew that his body was kind of shutting down on him, and he was just hoping that he could get better but (it) turned out not, Stratton said.

Potts was born and raised in Honey Bend, Illinois, and enlisted in the Navy in 1939.

He was working as a crane operator shuttling supplies to the Arizona the morning of Dec. 7, 1941, when the Pearl Harbor attack happened, according to a 2021 article by the Utah National Guard.

In a 2020 oral history interview with the American Veterans Center, Potts said a loudspeaker ordered sailors back to their ships so he got on a boat.

When I got back to Pearl Harbor, the whole harbor was afire, He said in the interview. The oil had leaked out and caught on fire and was burning.

Dozens of ships either sank, capsized or were damaged in the bombing of the Hawaii naval base, which catapulted the U.S. into World War II.

Sailors were tossed or forced to jump into the oily muck below, and Potts and his fellow sailors pulled some to safety in their boat.

The Arizona sank just nine minutes after being bombed, and its 1,177 dead account for nearly half the servicemen killed in the attack. Today the battleship still sits where it sank eight decades ago, with more than 900 dead entombed inside.

Potts recalled decades later that some people were still giving orders in the midst of the attack but there was also a lot of chaos. He carried his memories of the attack over the course of his long life.

Even after I got out of the Navy, out in the open, and heard a siren, Id shake, he said.

Stratton noted that the only remaining survivor from the Arizona is now Lou Conter, who is 101 and living in California.

This is history. Its going away, Stratton said, adding: "And once (Conter is) gone, who tells all their stories?

Several dozen Arizona survivors have had their ashes interred on the sunken battleship so they could join their shipmates, but Potts didn't want that, according to Stratton.

He said he got off once, hes not going to go back on board again, he said.

Stratton said many Arizona survivors shared a similar dry sense of humor. That included his own father, who was severely burned in the attack and also did not want to return to the ship as ashes in an urn.

'Ive been cremated once. Im not going to be cremated twice,' Donald Stratton joked, according to the younger Stratton, before his death in 2020 at age 97.

They had that all throughout their lives. They had the sense of humor, and they knew sooner or later they would pass, Randy Stratton said. Our job now is to keep their memories alive.

Potts is survived by his wife, Doris. Information on other survivors was not immediately available.
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The bomber's pilot, 1st Lt. Herbert G. Tennyson, a former hotel clerk from Wichita, Kan., approached the target at an altitude of about 8,000 feet. His B-24 carried eight bombs, an array of heavy machine guns, and 10 other men.

Tennyson was 24. He'd been married for 10 months. His wife, Jean, his high school sweetheart, was seven months pregnant back in the states.

Painted on the nose of his plane was a racy image of a woman with angels wings, and the nickname "Heaven Can Wait."

As the aircraft approached the Japanese target at Awar Point on the Pacific island of New Guinea on March 11, 1944, it was hit by antiaircraft fire. The tail broke off, and the plane plunged into nearby Hansa Bay.

Three figures were seen jumping out as it went down. The wreckage burned on the surface and sank in about 200 feet of water, leaving behind a large oil slick. There were no survivors.

Earlier this month, a team of elite Navy divers and archaeologists from the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) ended a five-week, deep-water search of Hansa Bay for the bones of Heaven Can Wait's crew.

The project unfolded about 10 miles from an active, 6,000-foot volcano in one part of World War II's vast Pacific Ocean graveyard. It was the deepest underwater recovery mission for the DPAA, the government agency that seeks to account for service members missing in action from past wars.

And it was the first time the Navy's so-called SAT FADS - Saturation Fly-Away Diving System - had been used in such a role, the Navy said.

The DPAA said "osseous" material that could be bone had been found, as well as "material evidence that could be used to support any potential identifications," and two aircraft machine gun barrels.

The agency said the osseous material was being treated with the reverence and ceremony due human remains, but verification would need to take place in the DPAA laboratory at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

The wreckage of the plane had been discovered in 2017 during an underwater survey by Project Recover, a nonprofit partnership that uses technology to hunt for the missing, mainly from World War II.

Project Recover located the bomber using data from a detailed, four-year investigation by relatives of one member of the crew, 2nd Lt. Thomas V. Kelly Jr., the plane's bombardier.

In early March, a vessel carrying the diving system, divers from the Navy Experimental Diving Unit, and experts from the DPAA arrived in Hansa Bay, the DPAA said.

The diving apparatus, somewhat like a space station, included a pressurized habitat where the divers lived aboard the ship, and a pressurized diving bell, which they used to reach the bottom.

The system allowed them to work in the pressure of deep water for long periods without having to decompress after each dive, the Navy said. They only needed to decompress at the end of the project.

Once on the bottom, the divers exited the diving bell and vacuumed material from the crash site into big baskets that were hauled up to the ship to be sifted for artifacts.

"Remains do survive . . . even after 80 years of being on the sea floor," said Katrina L. Bunyard, a DPAA underwater archaeologist and historian.

Andrew Pietruszka, Project Recover's lead archaeologist, said, "Fish and other animals and microorganisms, they'll eat all the soft tissue" but leave the bones. "That's why we get, typically, decent preservation."

Tennyson's grandson, Scott Jefferson, 52, of Queenstown, New Zealand, said he thought the plane's loss "was a mystery that would never be solved. . . . I'm just overwhelmingly grateful to everybody that made this happen."

"Throughout my childhood, I just visualized they must have gone down in the middle of the ocean, in the middle of nowhere . . . and that was that," he said in a telephone interview.

"My grandma, even when she was more than 90 years old . . . it was a really hard subject for her," he said. "She never remarried and . . . never gave up hope that he was coming home."

The wreckage of the plane was found scattered across the bottom of the remote bay off the Bismarck Sea in the southwestern Pacific Ocean.

The experts had pinpointed the front section, where Tennyson; co-pilot Michael J. McFadden Jr., 26, of Clay Center, Kan.; and several other members of the crew were stationed.

A cockpit seat used by either Tennyson or McFadden had been located, according to the images from Project Recover and a sketch of the site drawn by DPAA forensic archaeologist Meghan Mumford.

The seat where radio operator Eugene J. Darrigan, 26, of Wappingers Falls, N.Y., sat was spotted earlier by Project Recover's underwater cameras.

Darrigan had been a color mixer in a textile factory. His wife, Florence, 23, and 8-month-old son, Thomas, were back home in New York. He had seen Thomas once, when the baby was baptized.

The remains of navigator Donald W. Sheppick, 26, should "be found between the bombardier's enclosure and the pilot/co-pilot's seat," Project Recover wrote in a 2018 report.

Sheppick was from Roscoe, Pa., a small town on the Monongahela River south of Pittsburgh. He had previously worked as a bank teller, according to Census records, and for Carnegie Illinois Steel, in nearby Homestead.

His wife, Mary, was pregnant with their son and living with Sheppick's parents.

The nickname, Heaven Can Wait, probably came from a 1943 movie of the same name, starring the actor Don Ameche.

He had sponsored a different B-24, dubbed "Heaven Can Wait Don Ameche." That plane was lost on May 4, 1944, elsewhere in the Pacific, according the Pacific Wrecks website.

Before any archaeology could start, the project had to make sure no bombs were with the wreckage. Last fall, divers went down to search.

Mumford, who was on the expedition, said the safety of the team is a priority. "As they're excavating, there's the possibility of unexploded ordnance being detonated," she said.

No bombs were found, she said.

"I get goose bumps thinking about this," said Jim Emmer, 75, of Victoria, Minn., a nephew of Army Staff Sgt. John W. Emmer Jr., who was a photographer and gunner on the plane.

John Emmer was 26 and had worked in the family lumber business in Minneapolis. Everyone called him "Johnny." He had a girlfriend named Mary.

His mother worried about him being in the Army Air Corps. Three weeks before his death he wrote her, "God has looked out for me for two years now, and I guess he knows best."

Jim Emmer said, "I just wish this was done when my father was alive. He was a very close brother to my uncle. So many people that have passed, this was a major event in their life growing up."

He said John's father was despondent after learning of his son's death and was never the same.

"My grandfather just completely changed," he said in a recent telephone interview. "He used to be a happy go-lucky, very personable man. He turned into pretty much a recluse."

The United States entered World War II after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. By March 1944, the United States and its allies had begun to push back the Japanese advances in the Pacific.

The island of New Guinea, just north of Australia, was then part of the front lines, which sprawled thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean. Part of the island was in Japanese hands, and part was in allied hands.

On March 11, American B-24s based at Nadzab, in the southeastern section of the island, were sent to attack a big Japanese base at Boram, about 300 miles northwest.

On the return trip, Tennyson's plane and two others flew to attack a secondary target - enemy antiaircraft guns at Awar Point on Hansa Bay, according to research by Scott Althaus and other members of the Kelly family.

As the planes approached Awar Point, Heaven Can Wait was hit.

"Flames started to pour from the front bomb bay," eyewitness Staff Sgt. Arnold S. Smith, a waist gunner on a nearby B-24 reported. "In 2 or 3 seconds flames enveloped the plane from the first bomb bay to the tail."

"Three men then jumped or fell out of the rear of the plane," he reported. "The first man wore no chute and spread eagled straight down into the water. . . . I saw a white streamer as if from a chute coming from the second man but I did not see whether it opened."

"The third man was wearing a chute but I did not see it open," Smith recalled. "The tail assembly broke off and fell into the ocean. The plane banked left and drove in a slip into the water a quarter mile off the point."

Other bombers circled near the crash site looking for survivors. "I could see no evidence that bodies remained at the surface," Smith reported.

The 11 were classified as killed in action. After the war and an investigation by the American Graves Registration Service, their bodies were declared unrecoverable. Jean Tennyson got back her husband's belongings and a government check for $84.19.

The modern quest for Heaven Can Wait began a decade ago when members of Kelly's family, led by Althaus, a first cousin once removed and a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, began digging into his story.

Over four years, Kelly's relatives gathered a trove of data, and Althaus compiled a detailed report on the fate of the bomber and its crew. The family also located relatives of the other 10 men on board, said Sandy Althaus, 82, of Georgetown, Tex., Kelly's cousin and Scott's mother.

In 2016, the family reached out to Project Recover - formerly the BentProp Project - a partnership with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the University of Delaware.

Althaus sent the organization his report on July 31, 2017, and the following October, Project Recover found the plane.

Lt. Kelly was 21 when he was killed. He was from Livermore, Calif., about 40 miles southeast of San Francisco. He was gregarious and popular, and was known as "Toby." He had a sister named Betty.

He was raised in a ranching family, had his own horse and wanted to be a cowboy when he grew up, Scott Althaus wrote in his report. In the service, he kept up a correspondence with 38 people back home.

The family still has dozens of his letters.

"I've heard the concept of generational grief," said Kathy Borst, 69, one of Kelly's nieces, who never knew him. "And I believe I experienced it. It was extremely powerful."

"I can't explain it," she said. But if Kelly's remains came home, the idea "that my grandmother, my grandfather, my mother and my uncle I never knew were in the same plot in Livermore has great meaning to me."

She said in one of the last letters home, Kelly wrote: "I don't want you to feel sorry for me. I'm just telling you to appreciate what you have. Even if you don't think it is much. It is so much. The men fighting here for everyone, they're doing it for your freedom."

She became emotional as she read the letter over the phone.

"Twenty-one years old," she said.
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NEW YORK - By the time Chris Hooi gets to work in Midtown Manhattan, he's already been out to see his seafood supplier on the Brooklyn waterfront. He likes to make sure the 70 or so Dungeness crabs that will be delivered to his stall at the Urban Hawker food hall are alive and fresh.

Around the corner from Rockefeller Center and eight blocks north of Times Square, Urban Hawker is a universe away from the steamy streets of Singapore, where Hooi learned to prepare chili crabs from his father. Now Hooi operates one of the 17 stalls at an ambitious complex for Singaporean food first dreamed up by Anthony Bourdain.

In Singapore, there are over 110 hawker centers. Each stall within typically specializes in one dish. The tradition dates back to the mid-1800s, when immigrants arrived from China, India, Indonesia and Malaysia and cooked food from their homeland that workers could enjoy at affordable prices. As unemployment swept the nation after World War II, the streets became crowded and unsanitary. So when Singapore became a sovereign nation in 1965, the government set up a program to settle street hawkers in centers with proper plumbing, sanitation and seating.

At the new hawker center in Manhattan, each stall was selected by K.F. Seetoh, a Singapore-based journalist, entrepreneur and self-described "food guru." He initiated and spearheaded the bid to get hawker culture inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2020 and founded the World Street Food Congress, a festival he's organized in Singapore and Manila.

Seetoh had long wanted to bring Singapore's food culture to New York, and it became a realistic proposition once he met Bourdain. He shepherded Bourdain around the city when he was in town to film "A Cook's Tour," in 2002.

They became friends, and Bourdain asked Seetoh to help open a grand global street food center in Manhattan. Those plans fell off, however. After Bourdain died in 2018, Seetoh was determined to make the food hall happen. It finally opened in September.

For Seetoh, sharing Singaporean food is sharing lessons in history, anthropology, business, sociology and, of course, food culture, in one fell swoop.

"I see talent in these hawkers, and I see love," Seetoh told The Washington Post on a recent visit to New York. "There's a world of opportunity in this food. To call it 'love of food' is too simple. It's a love with someone's lineage. That forms a whole novel to me."

For Seetoh, Urban Hawker is an opportunity for cooks to tell a story. These are a few of the hawkers whose personal novels are sure to grip you.

- - -

Wok & Staple

There are meals and then there are events. The chili crab from Wok & Staple is the latter - messy, piquant, aromatic, labor-intensive and very rewarding.

You might say the dish is Hooi's birthright. And although chili crab is not hard to come by in Singapore or, for that matter, in New York's hyper-multicultural dining landscape, what makes Wok & Staple's chili crab distinct is its direct link to Singapore.

Chris will tell you he was a mischievous teenager. His dad, Kok Wai Hooi, a chef and restaurant owner who immigrated to Singapore from Malaysia, brought him into the kitchen to get him off the streets.

"It wasn't a choice, it was a chance," he said.

In the 1960s, "chili crab" was just a generic description, but his dad had made a mark on the local food world by giving it a specific, indelible flavor. Before he and his friends developed their sauce, the dish was prepared with a bottled chili sauce.

The Hooi family's superlative version came about when they tossed in fiery sambal chili paste, popular in Malay food, and fragrant Southeast Asian ginger flower. Lime juice adds acidity, and it's finished with egg white for a silky mouthfeel, a Cantonese technique Hooi's dad learned from his China-born father.

"My dad wanted to figure out how to make it with more flavor and appeal to a multicultural Singapore population," Chris said. "Today it's become iconic."

- - -

Daisy's Dream

The food at Daisy's Dream has the seal of approval from the toughest critic of all: chef-owner Roy Tan's mother, Daisy.

In 2011, she opened the first hawker stall in Singapore that specialized in Peranakan food. Peranakans trace their origins to the 15th century when immigrants from China settled in what is now Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Their rich food heritage is a fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian flavors and techniques.

Peranakan matriarchs are known as nyonyas, and the food is referred to as Nyonya cuisine in their honor. Daisy Tan was always cooking for her sizable family - Roy is the youngest of nine - and it was a longtime dream for her to sell the meatballs she learned to make from her mother.

When she retired from her career as a financial adviser, Roy secured her a stall at a hawker center. Her meatballs are pork-based with savory shrimp bits, sweetness from chopped red onions and water chestnuts for snap. They became a hit, and are now the signature item at Dasiy's Dream.

"It took her 60 years, but she figured out how to share the joy she felt from her mother's cooking with the world," Tan said.

Another Peranakan specialty on his menu is laksa, a fragrant noodle soup made with dried chili, blue and yellow ginger, candlenut, galangal and lemongrass. They're cooked down into a paste called rempah, which is as labor-intensive as it is delicious. The addition of coconut milk makes it different from the sour versions served in other parts of Southeast Asia (and several Malaysian restaurants in Queens).

- - -

Kopifellas

There is regularly a cluster of people waiting for coffee at Kopifellas, located right at the entrance of the hawker center. You will order your kopi, the term for coffee throughout Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, and you will wait.

You might not notice time is passing because you will be distracted - then mesmerized - by the spectacle of workers pouring the coffee from on high from a long-spout kettle, a technique called "pulling" that's adopted from the Indian method of making masala chai.

The strong brew sits for a bit before the kopi-maker does his handiwork, pouring it into a cup with a mixture of evaporated and condensed milks.

"The longer you pull the coffee, the more you bring out the aromas," said Shane Yazid, a casual kopi historian. He has worked for Kopifellas, which has eight outposts in Singapore, and came to New York to open the first international store.

The beans are imported from Singapore because they're specially roasted with sugar and butter, an old method developed to cover the bitter, smoky flavor of the beans. It lends the coffee a creaminess that no fancy oat milk latte could rival.

- - -

Hainan Jones

Hainanese chicken rice is the unofficial national dish of Singapore. The pale sliced poached chicken breast over a pile of rice, dotted with tiny cilantro bits, doesn't look particularly remarkable. But don't be fooled.

The rice is cooked with pandan leaf, ginger and other fragrant ingredients. The chicken is poached in an aromatic broth with ginger and garlic, then shocked in an ice bath. The effect it a sensory riot.

"Wow," I said to Seetoh when I tasted the rice.

"That's what Bourdain said the first time I made him try it," Seetoh said with a grin.

At Hainan Jones, it comes with chili dip, a sweet black soy sauce, miso soup, plus the option for a vegetable add-on.

Seetoh calls Hainanese people "the biggest gifters of heritage food culture in Singapore." He explains that people from China's Hainan province were among the last wave of immigrants to arrive in Singapore and were famously resourceful and business-savvy.

"Chicken and rice in Hainan is just poached chicken with plain rice and a ginger dip, but the Singapore version uses so many spices not available in China," Seetoh said. "They adapted their plain-Jane dish and came up with a fireworks version, just by making do with what they had."

Hainan Jones is run by Wei Keat Lim, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America's satellite location in Singapore. At 27, he is the youngest hawker to come to Seetoh's complex. The pandemic upended his plan to do an internship in Manhattan, so he opened a chicken rice hawker stall.

He ended up preparing hundreds of meals a week for front-line workers and found joy in cooking and serving massive amounts of food. He told me it was more fulfilling than the fine dining he planned to pursue.

"Chicken rice is my favorite food of all time. I eat it almost every day. I started thinking: Can I give back to society and also keep food affordable like hawkers have always done?" he said. "The median age of hawkers is around 60, and people worry that in five or 10 years, the culture will be extinct. I just want to continue this tradition."
GLENWOOD, Minn. (AP)  Loving father and husband. Heroic military veteran. Selfless law enforcement officer. And a distinctive laugh.

That's how Josh Owen, a Minnesota sheriffs deputy killed on his 44th birthday, was remembered by the thousands of mourners at his funeral Saturday on a cold, clear spring day.

Drawn by four horses, his flag-draped casket arrived atop a black caisson in the small city of Glenwood, Minnesota Public Radio News reported. A line of tan-uniformed Pope County deputies raised a final salute alongside first responders, military members, Owens wife, 10-year-old son and even his police dog.

Owen was fatally shot and two other law enforcement officers were wounded on April 15 while responding to a domestic assault call at a home in the town of Cyrus. The suspect was killed.

Owen served in the Army National Guard and deployed overseas twice to Bosnia and Iraq.

His platoon leader in Iraq, Lt. Col. John Anderson, said Owen lived up to the definition of a hero, recalling how he once rescued a trapped truck driver after an ambush.

Pope County Chief Deputy Nathan Brecht tearfully remembered how Owen disliked paperwork but loved working the night shift  and believed law enforcement is a noble profession.

This man was your protector in Pope County, Brecht said. As your family slept soundly, he kept watch.
The Supreme Court has preserved full access to mifepristone, a key abortion medication, while a lower court considers whether to restrict when and how the drug should be prescribed - and whether the Food and Drug Administration was wrong to approve the drug more than 20 years ago.

Here's what to know about the case, how we got here, and what could be next.

- - -

What did the Supreme Court rule?

Photo for The Washington Post by Paul Ratje

On Friday evening, the court announced it will block an appeals court ruling that reimposed restrictions on mifepristone that were lifted by the FDA in recent years. The decision is temporary, while the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals weighs a challenge to a ruling by a Texas judge that suspended FDA approval of mifepristone altogether.

The appeals court has scheduled a hearing for May 17 and will rule sometime after that. Its decision on the merits of the case will likely be appealed to the Supreme Court, and Friday's order will remain in place until the Supreme Court decides whether to hear such an appeal.

- - -

Can I still get a medication abortion?

Yes, in circumstances where such abortions are permitted by state law. Mifepristone is the first pill in the two-drug regimen used in medication abortions, which make up more than half of the pregnancy terminations in the United States. The combination of mifepristone and misoprostol is approved by the FDA to terminate a pregnancy up to 10 weeks.

Even if FDA approval of mifepristone is eventually suspended or restricted as part of the Texas litigation, people could still get medication abortions using misoprostol alone, although using just that drug can take longer and be more uncomfortable, with possible side effects including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Many U.S. providers have said they will offer misoprostol-only medication abortions, if need be.

- - -

Are there any restrictions on mifepristone while the appeals court considers the case?

No. The Supreme Court's decision reverts access to mifepristone to the way it was before a Texas federal judge suspended its approval. That means that in states where abortion is legal, women can continue to obtain a two-drug medication abortion during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy - securing the pills from pharmacies and through the mail, as well as from their health care providers. The second drug, misoprostol, is also available up to 10 weeks. However, medication abortions are banned or largely banned in over a dozen states.

- - -

What is the Texas case about?

A group of conservative organizations filed a lawsuit questioning whether the Food and Drug Administration followed proper protocols and scientific evidence when deciding how to regulate mifepristone.

The groups say that the drug is dangerous and should never have been permitted to be available to American consumers - an argument sharply refuted by mainstream medical groups, based on clinical trials and two decades of accumulated scientific evidence. The drug is also used in more than 90 countries. The lawsuit asks the courts to order the FDA to revoke its approval of mifepristone, removing the abortion pill from the American marketplace.

The Justice Department, independent health advocates and pharmaceutical companies have strongly opposed the lawsuit, saying mifepristone is overwhelmingly safe and that it would be a dangerous precedent for a court to interfere with the FDA's oversight authority.

- - -

How did it get to the Supreme Court?

The conservatives groups initially filed the case in an Amarillo, Tex., courthouse with one judge, U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, a nominee of President Donald Trump who has strong antiabortion views.

Kacsmaryk ruled in favor of the groups, ordering the FDA to revoke its approval of mifepristone.

The Biden administration appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, asking a panel of judges to pause Kacsmaryk's ruling until the appeals process is concluded. (The appeal of any federal Texas case goes to the 5th Circuit, based in New Orleans.)

The 5th Circuit blocked Kacsmaryk's order to the FDA to revoke approval of the drug, but did not grant the Biden administration's request to preserve full access to mifepristone. Instead, it imposed significant restrictions on how and when people can obtain the drug. Among them: People can no longer obtain the pill by mail or have it prescribed by medical professionals who are not doctors, and can use it up until seven weeks of pregnancy, instead of the current 10 weeks.

The Biden administration then asked the Supreme Court to stay that ruling and restore full access to the pill while the lower courts consider the appeal of Kacsmaryk's decision.

- - -

Is there other litigation involving abortion medication?

This is where it gets even more complicated. Just after Kacsmaryk issued his ruling, another judge in Washington state delivered a conflicting ruling in what can be viewed as a dueling abortion pill lawsuit. In the Washington state case, 17 states with Democratic attorneys general - and the District of Columbia - accused the FDA of wrongfully imposing too many restriction on mifepristone.

The lawsuit, which seeks to make it even easier to distribute the medication to patients, also was opposed by the Justice Department, which again argued that the FDA knows what it is doing and that courts shouldn't interfere.

Judge Thomas O. Rice in Washington state, who was nominated by President Barack Obama, agreed. He said the FDA should preserve "the status quo," retaining access to mifepristone in those 17 states and D.C.

It is unclear how the rulings by Kacsmaryk or the 5th Circuit would coexist with Rice's order. But the coalition of Democratic state attorneys general says that if the dual rulings take effect, they would expect the FDA to preserve access to mifepristone in their states - even if it becomes prohibited in other ones.

The Supreme Court is acting only on a request to put the 5th Circuit ruling on hold, and the Washington state ruling was not in front of it.

- - -

Will the Texas case affect drugs that are not abortion medication?

Kacsmaryk's ruling marks the first time a judge has ordered the FDA to revoke the approval of a drug, and experts say that it could politicize the agency and undermine its ability to approve medication that Americans rely on every day. This could, they said, open the door for people to file lawsuits when they do not like a medication that is on the market - even if that medication has repeatedly been deemed safe.

Here's what President Biden said in a statement: "If this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks."

- - -

What is the second abortion drug, misoprostol, and will it be affected?

Mifepristone is one of two drugs used in the standard two-step medication abortion regimen. The other is misoprostol, which is not affected by this ruling.

Many abortion clinics say that if they are forced to stop providing mifepristone they will continue to provide surgical abortions and, in many cases, a different medication abortion regimen that includes only misoprostol.

In a two-step medication abortion, a patient first takes one mifepristone pill, which terminates the pregnancy. About 24 hours later, the patient typically takes a four-pill dose of misoprostol - a drug introduced in 1973 to treat stomach ulcers - to soften the cervix and prompt contractions that expel the embryo or fetus.

While misoprostol is widely used on its own to perform abortions around the world, studies show it is less effective than the two-step regimen, and usually causes more cramping and bleeding.

- - -

Does this debate affect access to the morning-after pill?

No, because morning-after pills are considered emergency contraceptives, not medications to terminate pregnancies. The commonly used over-the-counter drug contains the synthetic hormone, progestin, which can prevent pregnancy if taken as soon as possible after having unprotected sex. It works by stopping or delaying ovulation, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The FDA in December announced it would overhaul packaging labels for Plan B One-Step, an over-the-counter emergency contraceptive, to clarify that scientific evidence shows "no direct effect on fertilization or implantation." The agency said the pill "will not work if a person is already pregnant, meaning it will not affect an existing pregnancy."

Before that decision, the labeling on packages of Plan B and generic versions had suggested the pills work mainly by stopping the release of an egg from the ovary, or possibly by preventing fertilization. But it had also suggested that if an egg is fertilized, the drug might prevent it from attaching to the wall of the uterus. Some abortion opponents had used the latter claim to argue the medication causes abortions and should be restricted.

- - -

What is the Comstock Act and how is it involved with this case?

The Comstock Act is a Civil War-era federal law that originally prohibited the mailing of birth control, "lewd" or "obscene" material and anything intended for abortion. It's been whittled away over the years by the courts and Congress, but it's still on the books, and antiabortion advocates have begun citing it to argue that it's technically illegal to mail the abortion pill regimen.

Justice Department lawyers have argued that mailing abortion pills does not violate the Comstock Act, in part, because senders cannot know if the recipient would use it illegally. They said abortion medication has other uses beyond terminating pregnancies and every state has exceptions for when abortions can be legally terminated, making it impossible to definitely know how any one person will use them.

But Kacsmaryk argued in his ruling that the law says you can't mail items intended for abortion. So even if the FDA had correctly approved abortion medication, he argued, it's illegal to mail it.

- - -

The Washington Post's Robert Barnes contributed to this report.
Women will continue to have broad access to a widely used abortion pill amid a legal challenge to the drugs FDA status, the Supreme Court ruled Friday.

Manufactured by New York-based Danco Laboratories, the drug, mifepristone, is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, in medication abortions. Such abortions comprise more than half of all abortions in the United States.

Earlier rulings by lower courts had approved restrictions on mifepristone access as a lawsuit that contests the drugs FDA status makes its way through the legal system. The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000.

Filed in Texas in November by opponents to abortion, the lawsuit alleges that the FDAs original decision to approve mifepristone was flawed, as were subsequent modifications to the decision made starting in 2016. One of those modifications involved permitting mifepristone to be sent through the mail.

On April 7, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk revoked FDA approval of mifepristone pending the outcome of the case, prompting Danco Laboratories and the Biden administration to appeal. In response, judges Andrew Oldham and Kurt Englehardt, who sit on the New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, ruled that the original FDA decision would stand, but not the subsequent modifications.

The ruling essentially rolled back access to the drug to the status quo set in 2016, preventing patients from receiving pills through the mail  though officials in Connecticut were quick to emphasize that the decision would have little impact here.

In states that have largely limited access to abortions at clinics and hospitals, the ruling would have had the effect of closing the door on one of the last options for women to obtain safe, legal abortions, advocates say.

In Connecticut, access to abortion remains legal in all cases up to the 24th week of pregnancy.

In a legal opinion sent to Gov. Ned Lamont last week, Connecticut Attorney General William Tong called mifepristone the gold standard for medication abortions and treatment of miscarriages, adding that legal access to the pills in Connecticut had been unaffected by either of the decisions in Texas and Louisiana.

Tong pointed to a third ruling by a federal judge this month  this one in Washington state  who sided with Connecticut and more than a dozen other states that had sued to prevent the FDA from curbing access to the drug within those state borders.

Here in Connecticut, medication abortion remains available and accessible, and I am fighting in multiple courts alongside attorneys general across the country to make sure it stays that way, Tong said in a statement earlier this week.

In a statement Friday, Dr. Nancy L. Stanwood, chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood of Southern New England, said restricting mifepristone goes against all evidence and science.

Mifepristone is safe, effective, and has been instrumental in increasing access to abortion care, she said. There is absolutely no reason beyond political motivation to restrict access to mifepristone.

Various Connecticut officials, including Lamont, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and Tong, hailed Friday's Supreme Court action.

Todays stay preserves access to safe, legal medication abortion. Were done with radical, misogynist politicians who want to micromanage our lives and bodily autonomy. Im going to fight like hell at every single step of this case, alongside women, patients, and doctors everywhere who refuse to live in Gilead," Tong said in a statement, referencing the fictional dystopia made famous by Margaret Atwood's novel "The Handmaid's Tale."

Decisions on reproductive health care should only be made between a patient and their doctor without the interference of politicians or politically motivated judges," Lamont said in a statement. "Todays Supreme Court decision to preserve access to mifepristone is the right course for the court to take before making a monumental decision on Americans access to health care, particularly when Americans have been safely using this medication for decades with the support of their doctors."

"I remain disappointed and upset that we are even having this conversation decades after the FDA determined mifepristone is safe and effective," Lamont added.

This story includes reporting from the Associated Press.
President Joe Biden issued a disaster declaration Saturday for 13 Texas counties, freeing federal relief for areas damaged in last winter's crippling ice storms.

Disaster relief will be available for state agencies, local governments and some nonprofits "on a cost-sharing basis" to repair and replace damaged facilities and conduct other emergency work, the White House said.

Gov. Greg Abbott, who had requested a disaster declaration covering 23 counties, thanked Biden for the designation, calling it "a critical first step to helping Texans recover from this severe weather event."

"Texas will continue to work with our federal partners to support recovery from damage that occurred as a result of this storm," Abbott said in a statement.

Saturday's disaster declaration included Travis County, home to the state capital, and nearby counties of Bastrop, Blanco, Burleson, Burnet, Hays, Lee, Milam and Williamson. Henderson County southeast of Dallas, Kendall County south of Fredericksburg, and Leon and Robertson counties east of Waco also were included.

Money also will be available for hazard mitigation measures across Texas, the White House said, with additional disaster relief available if Texas requests help and future damage assessments find a need.

The storms in late January and early February left a damaging coat of ice across a broad swath of Texas, cutting power to more than 300,000 customers statewide and hitting the Central Texas region around Austin particularly hard.

In a February letter to Biden, Gov. Greg Abbott had requested federal aid for 23 counties, including the 13 that were part of Saturday's order. Left out of Biden's declaration were Caldwell, Delta, Denton, Falls, Hopkins, Hunt, Lamar, Red River, Shelby and Smith counties.

Abbott said Saturday that he directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to ensure that other affected counties that can meet applicable damage thresholds will be added to the disaster declaration.

This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2023/04/22/biden-disaster-declaration-ice-storm/.

The Texas Tribune is a member-supported, nonpartisan newsroom informing and engaging Texans on state politics and policy. Learn more at texastribune.org.
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Houston may not have been the first stop of Taylor Swift's 2023 The Eras Tour, but the Bayou City still holds a special place in her heart. During the first night of her three sold-out concerts at NRG Stadium (Taylor's Version) on Friday, the Anti-Hero singer-songwriter explained to her tens of thousands of fans why she loves to perform in Houston.

"We love coming to play for you," Swift told the cheering crowd. "We've been playing for you for nearly 20 years." Swift then revealed that her connections to Houston run deep. "You always treat us so nice," she said. "You treat us like Houston is my mom's hometown, which it is. You treat us like this is where my parents got married, which it is."
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WASHINGTON (AP)  Its April 22, 2027, and 72 hours into a first-strike Chinese attack on Taiwan and the U.S. military response. Already, the toll on all sides is staggering.

It was a war game, but one with a serious purpose and high-profile players: members of the House select committee on China. The conflict unfolded on Risk board game-style tabletop maps and markers under a giant gold chandelier in the House Ways and Means Committee room.

The exercise explored American diplomatic, economic and military options if the United States and China were to reach the brink of war over Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. The exercise played out one night last week and was observed by The Associated Press. It was part of the committee's in-depth review of U.S. policies toward China as lawmakers, especially in the Republican-led House, focus on tensions with President Xi Jinping's government.

In the war game, Beijings missiles and rockets cascade down on Taiwan and on U.S. forces as far away as Japan and Guam. Initial casualties include hundreds, possibly thousands, of U.S. troops. Taiwan's and China's losses are even higher.

Discouragingly for Washington, alarmed and alienated allies in the war game leave Americans to fight almost entirely alone in support of Taiwan.

And forget about a U.S. hotline call to Xi or one of his top generals to calm things down  not happening, at least not under this role-playing scenario.

The war game wasn't about planning a war, lawmakers said. It was about figuring out how to strengthen U.S. deterrence, to keep a war involving the U.S., China and Taiwan from ever starting.

Ideally, the members of Congress would walk out of the war game with two convictions, the committee chairman, Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., told colleagues at the outset: One is a sense of urgency.

The second: A sense ... that there are meaningful things we can do in this Congress through legislative action to improve the prospect of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Gallagher said.

In reality, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the committee's top Democrat, told lawmakers, we cannot have a situation where we are faced with what we are going to be facing tonight."

The only way to do that is to deter aggression and to prevent a conflict from arising, said Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.

The U.S. doesnt formally recognize the Taiwan government but is Taipei's most vital provider of weapons and other security assistance. Xi has directed his military to be ready to reclaim Taiwan in 2027, by force if necessary.

Asked about lawmakers' war game, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, said China wants peaceful reunification with Taiwan but reserves the option of taking all necessary measures.

The U.S. sides so-called war game is meant to support and embolden Taiwan independence separatists and further fuel tensions in the Taiwan Strait, which we firmly oppose, Liu said.

In the war game, lawmakers played the blue team, in the role of National Security Council advisers. Their directive from their (imaginary) president: Deter a Chinese takeover of Taiwan if possible, defeat it if not.

Experts for the Center for a New American Security think tank, whose research includes war-gaming possible conflicts using realistic scenarios and unclassified information, played the red team.

In the exercise, it all kicks off with opposition lawmakers in Taiwan talking about independence.

With the think tank's defense program director Stacie Pettyjohn narrating, angry Chinese officials respond by heaping unacceptable demands on Taiwan. Meanwhile, China's military moves invasion-capable forces into position. Steps such as bringing in blood supplies for treating troops suggest this is no ordinary military exercise.

Ultimately, China imposes a de facto blockade on Taiwan, intolerable for an island that produces more than 60 percent of the world's semiconductors, as well as other high-tech gear.

While the U.S. military readies for a possible fight, U.S. presidential advisers  House committee members who are surrounding and studying the wooden tables with the map and troop markers spread out  assemble.

They lob questions at a retired general, Mike Holmes, playing the role of the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, before deciding courses of action.

What are the economic consequences if the U.S. goes maximalist on financial punishments, one lawmaker asks.

Catastrophic is the response, for both the United States and China. China will hit back at the U.S. economy as well.

Who's going to tell the president that he has to say to the American people, Say goodbye to your iPhones? Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, asks.

Do American leaders have any way to communicate with their Chinese counterparts, lawmakers ask. No, China's leaders have a history of shunning U.S. hotline calls, and that's a problem, the exercise leaders tell them.

In the war game, U.S. officials are left trying to pass messages to their Chinese counterparts through China-based American business leaders, whose Dell, Apple, HP and other product operations China all subsequently seizes as one of its first moves in the attack.

Are potential military targets in China near major metropolitan areas that are going to include millions and millions of people? asks Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.

Has Taiwan done all it can to try to calm the situation? All it can and will, lawmakers are told.

It's not clear to me we've exhausted all our diplomatic options, Gallagher notes.

Then, on paper, U.S. and Chinese satellites, space weapons, drones, submarines, ground forces, warships, fighter squadrons, cyber warriors, communications experts, bankers, Treasury officials and diplomats all go to war.

At the end, before the lessons-learned part, the war-game operators reveal the toll of the first wave of fighting. Lawmakers study the tabletop map, wincing as they hear of particularly hard setbacks among U.S. successes.

U.S. stockpiles of very long-range missiles? Gone.

Global financial markets? Shaking.

U.S. allies? As it turns out, China's diplomats did their advance work to keep American allies on the sidelines. And anyway, it seems the all-out U.S. economic measures against China's economy have put allies off. They're sitting this one out.

In the hot-wash debrief at the end, lawmakers point to a few key military weaknesses that the war game highlighted.

Running out of long-missiles is bad, said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.

But the most glaring shortfalls appeared in diplomacy and in nonmilitary planning.

Becca Wasser, a think tank senior fellow who role-played a convincingly menacing Chinese official, pointed to lawmakers' recurring frustration in the war game at the lack of direct, immediate leader-to-leader crisis communication. It's something Beijing and Washington in the real world have never managed to consistently make happen.

In peacetime, we should have those lines of communication, Wasser said.

The exercise also underscored the risks of neglecting to put together a package of well-thought out economic penalties, and of failing to build consensus among allies, lawmakers said.

As we get closer to 2027, they're going to be trying to isolate us, Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said of Xi's government.

Holmes, in the role of Joint Chiefs chairman, reassured lawmakers, after the first three days of fighting.

"We survived, he said.
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KARACHI, Pakistan (AP)  An ailing elephant who underwent a critical medical procedure by a team of international veterinarians earlier this month has died at a Pakistani zoo, officials said Saturday.

Noor Jehan, 17 years old, was brought to Karachi with three other elephants more than a dozen years ago. She died after an accident just days after the procedure performed by a team of experts based in Austria to assess her condition, said Kanwar Ayub, a top official at the Karachi zoo.

Syed Saifur Rehman, the top local government official in Karachi, said city and zoo administrators did all they could to comfort the long-ailing elephant after the procedure this month.

Sadly we could not save Noor Jehan despite making all efforts including bringing in a team of foreign experts for her treatment, he said.

Videos of Noor Jehan leaning her head against a tree and struggling to stand caused alarm in Pakistan and around the world.

An eight-member team from the Austrian animal welfare organization Four Paws was brought in and performed a complex procedure to assess several medical issues the elephant was facing. The procedure was done with the help of a crane and a fire truck.

The team included veterinarians from Egypt and Bulgaria and an elephant husbandry expert from Germany. It was headed by Dr. Amir Khalil of Egypt.

The experts did an ultrasound and found a large hematoma in Noor's abdomen, which was affecting her organs. Noor Jehans pelvis was broken due to trauma and there was an abscess growing in that area.

After the procedure, Khalil was hopeful for her recovery. We nearly lost her when we gave her sedation, but luckily we had all the necessary preparations, and Noor Jehan stood up again," he said at the time.

Khalil said her death came after an accident April 13 in her enclosure that left her unable to leave the pool in her enclosure for hours. A local team was able to pull her out under the remote supervision of Four Paws veterinarians, who had already left Pakistan. But the animal was unable to stand up on her own despite multiple attempts to help her.

Khalil said that because Noor Jehan was already weakened from her condition, the elephant did not have the strength to stand up again. After fighting for nine days, she died, he said.

It is now more urgent than ever that the remaining elephant at Karachi Zoo, Madhubala, who is mourning her long-time companion, is transferred to a more species-appropriate location as soon as possible, to prevent another potential tragedy, said Khalil.
BANGKOK (AP)  A tornado that tore through two villages in central Myanmar near the capital Naypyitaw killed eight people and destroyed more than 200 houses, a rescue worker said Saturday.

The tornado hit Aung Myin Kone and Tadau villages on Naypyitaws southern outskirts at around 6:10 p.m. on Friday, Thet Paing Soe, a leading member of the Doh Lewe charity organization, told The Associated Press.

He said local charity organizations had transported 128 people to hospitals, and 232 houses in the two villages were destroyed.

The tornado blew for approximately 40 minutes. Almost all the houses in the villages are quite badly damaged. The restoration will take months, Thet Paing Soe said.

Major tornadoes are rare in Myanmar.

However, tornadoes of a size that rarely cause death and serious damage often occur in the summer and pre-monsoon periods when the temperature rises, said Kyaw Moe Oo, a director-general at the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.

During this period, there are frequent tornadoes in the lower parts of Myanmar, but there are few casualties. These kinds of fatalities in central Myanmar are rare, he told AP.

Myanmar experiences extreme weather virtually every year during monsoon season. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 people.

State-run MRTV television reported that Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmars military-installed government, visited the disaster area on Saturday and provided aid to the residents. The report said that two Buddhist monasteries and a small clinic were among the structures destroyed.
With an escalating series of allegations swirling around conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his financial ties to a wealthy political donor, Connecticuts two U.S. senators have been among the most prominent voices calling for increased accountability on the nations highest court.

Whether Congress has the ability  or desire  to act, however, is far from clear.

Thomas has so far denied wrongdoing in his friendship with Harlan Crow, going so far as to say that family vacations paid for by the billionaire were not reportable under ethical guidelines he had received. After it was further revealed that Crow had purchased Thomas childhood home and allowed his mother to continue living there rent-free, however, the conservative justice indicated that he would amend past disclosure forms to reflect the real-estate transaction.

In a pair of tweets earlier this month, U.S. Sen Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn, called on Thomas to resign from the court, a proposition that he later conceded was unlikely. In that event, Blumenthal said that Congress should investigate the justices actions if he refuses to step aside.

A member of the Judiciary Committee, Blumenthal later said that he had spoken with the committee chairman, Sen. Dick Durban, D- Illinois, about holding a hearing on Supreme Court ethics, at which Thomas could be called  or even subpoenaed  to testify.

Blumenthal told CT Insider last week that those discussions among Democrats on the committee are ongoing.

Congress does have the authority to impeach and remove members of the Supreme Court, as it can with presidents and other federal officials. However, with Republicans in control of the House and a two-thirds majority needed to convict in the Senate, the likelihood of Thomas being forced out of office is miniscule.

Even the idea of having a lifetime judicial appointee such as Thomas forced to answer questions before Senators is a long-shot, experts say.

I wish them good luck with that, said Leslie Levin, a professor of legal ethics at the University of Connecticut School of Law. Its hard for me to imagine that Justice Thomas would appear before a committee and explain himself and it's also hard for me to believe that a federal court would enforce a subpoena.

The only other time a sitting justice has been subpoenaed to testify before Congress was in 1953, when the House Un-American Activities Committee sought to force Justice Tom C. Clark to appear before lawmakers, Congressional historian Josh Chafetz told the online publican Reason.

Rather than show up, Clark offered to respond to written questions, according to Chafetz, and lawmakers eventually dropped the matter.

Blumenthal defended the possibility of subpoenaing Thomas, even if the effort proves unsuccessful.

I am very clear-eyed as to the likelihood of a subpoena and the probability of enforcement of it, Blumenthal said. There are separation of powers issues, Im fully aware of all the legal obstacles, but there's no way of knowing what the result may be without doing it.

Part of the reason that seeking accountability for Supreme Court justices is so difficult, according to Levin, is that they are not bound to a formal code of ethics similar to the canons in place for other federal judges.

Connecticuts other U.S. Senator, Chris Murphy, has sought to address that discrepancy by introducing legislation to establish a code of conduct for the nine justices, while also appointing an Ethics Investigations Counsel. (Blumenthal has signed on to the bill as co-sponsor).

I don't care if you agree with Thomas's politics. Congress cannot allow for judges to so brazenly flout conflict of interest rules, Murphy said in a tweet this week calling on lawmakers to act on the bill. It's unacceptable that there is no enforceable code of conduct for the court.

Even if Congress were to pass such a bill, however, Levin said that the Supreme Court could simply strike it down as an unconstitutional violation of the separation of powers.

Given the lack of movement by the court or the federal Judicial Conference  headed by Chief Justice John Roberts  Levin said that it appears the justices simply have no interest in applying a code of conduct to themselves.

Theyre very aware of the fact that people have been asking for a long time why there is no code of ethics for the U.S. Supreme Court justices, Levin said. Would you want to regulate yourself if you didn't have to?

On Thursday, Judiciary Committee Chairman Durbin formally requested that Chief Justice Roberts, or his designee, appear before the committee to answer lawmakers questions about Supreme Court ethics in light of the allegations against Justice Thomas. Blumenthal said that he had also signed on to Durbins letter.

One of the top-ranking Republicans on the committee, Sen. John Cornyn, R- Texas, publicly recommended that Roberts decline the invitation, according to CNN, remarking that the hearing would amount to a circus.
Storm Prediction Ctr, Norman, OK Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH OUTLINE UPDATE FOR WS 162

NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK

603 PM CDT SAT APR 22 2023

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH 162 REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM CDT

FOR THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS

TX

. TEXAS COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

BLANCO BROWN BURNET

COKE COLEMAN COMANCHE

CONCHO CORYELL GILLESPIE

HAMILTON IRION KIMBLE

LAMPASAS LLANO MCCULLOCH

MASON MENARD MILLS

NOLAN RUNNELS SAN SABA

SCHLEICHER STERLING SUTTON

TOM GREEN

The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southern San Saba County in west central Texas...

* Until 645 PM CDT.

* At 605 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 8 miles southwest

of Sloan, moving southeast at 30 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.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...

Cherokee around 640 PM CDT.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southeastern Coleman County in west central Texas...

Northern McCulloch County in west central Texas...

East central Concho County in west central Texas...

* Until 700 PM CDT.

* At 607 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Lohn, moving

east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...

Rochelle around 640 PM CDT.

Placid and Mercury around 645 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Whon,

Us-283 Near The Mcculloch-Coleman County Line, Milburn and Fife.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
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CLEVELAND, Ohio  Clevelanders Ian Barrett of Fuego Fermentations and Alaina Caruso of The Home Pantry won high honors at the national Good Food Awards announced Friday, April 21, in Portland, Oregon. Barrett received the award for his fermented habanero hot sauce. Caruso was recognized for her strawberry rose jam.

The Good Food Foundation recognizes products for the combination of responsible business practices and superior taste. The Cleveland companies were among 200 out of 2,000 entries that won.

Both products are made in Clevelands Old Brooklyn neighborhood. The fermented habanero hot sauce is sold in retailers around Northeast Ohio. Products from The Home Pantry are sold at the West Side Market and specialty retailers in 26 states.

It is great for Habanero and Fuego Fermentations as a brand to get recognized for the tasty sauces that we work so hard to get right, says Barrett. What makes our products special is the passion we put behind them and the attention to detail. We care about hot sauce. Thats why we make hot sauce for hot sauce people.

Caruso is also pleased. Whats special is that we love what we do. We hand cut and make all of our products, we de-seed the jam, we taste test and texture test every batch, she says. I think all of the care that goes into making these products show in the end result.

I have no expectations throughout this whole process as a business, she notes. My ultimate goal is to enjoy life and to always do my best, not be the best. I am just so grateful that what I love to do is reflected back from everyone who enjoys the jams. Its a really nice feeling.

Paris Wolfe is a life and culture reporter for Cleveland.com. She has a special interest in food, dining, cocktails and spirits. You can reach her with news and story ideas at pwolfe@cleveland.com. Heres a directory of her latest posts. Follow her on Instagram @pariswolfe.
WARRENSVILLE HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Two police officers were injured in a Saturday morning crash on Interstate 480, authorities say.

One of the officers is in stable condition at the hospital and the other officer has been treated and released in the crash that happened on I-480 westbound near Warrensville Center Road, Warrensville Heights police Lt. Randy Sobczyk said.

The officers were tending to another crash in that area when an uninvolved vehicle lost control and struck a police officer in a cruiser and another police officer outside a police cruiser, Sobczyk said.

The crash caused a major traffic backup as State Highway Patrol blocked the lanes so the crashes could be investigated.

More information will be released at a later time, Sobczyk said.

He urges people to slow down when approaching an emergency scene.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The new spirit of alignment between Cleveland and Cuyahoga County on improving physical links to Lake Erie also appears to include agreement on improving bike lanes, parks and trail connections across the city and the region.

Some 200 people celebrated Earth Day by showing up Saturday afternoon for a two-hour, eight-mile ride along the Cuyahoga River and across West Side neighborhoods with Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Cuyahoga County Executive Chris Ronayne.

The Celebrate Trails Day event followed Ronaynes announcement earlier this month that he supports Bibbs initiative to create a new waterfront development authority to oversee projects including a potential land bridge that would better connect downtown to Lake Erie.

And it followed a coordinated effort in March by Ronayne, Bibb, and other local officials to fight an amendment to the state of Ohio transportation budget bill that would have killed a fully-funded and highly popular bike lane project planned for Superior Avenue in downtown Cleveland. The amendment was withdrawn by its sponsor, State Rep. Tom Patton, (R-Strongsville).

An artist's rendering of the Superior Avenue Midway project.Courtesy City of Cleveland

Even the weather gods appeared to bless Saturdays ride. After steady showers all morning, the sun appeared as the ride started at 1 p.m. at Merwins Wharf along the Cuyahoga River on the Columbus Road Peninsula.

The event was organized by Bike Cleveland, the citys nonprofit advocacy organization for bicyclists and bike infrastructure, in collaboration with the city, the county and Cleveland Metroparks.

The ride treated those who showed up to the sight of the regions top two elected officials astride their bikes, rolling along sections of the Towpath Trail, the Red Line Greenway and local streets.

It was something they couldnt have imagined seeing in the past. Mayors from suburbs including Garfield Heights, Shaker Heights, Newburgh Heights, Euclid and Bay Village also joined the ride, as did Metroparks CEO Brian Zimmerman.

When youre out on a bike, youre an advocate, Jacob VanSickle, Bike Clevelands executive director, said in an interview with cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer.

By getting our leaders across the county out on bikes, theyre experiencing what its like to be out here, and that will inform future decisions on trail connections and bike lanes.

On Lorain Avenue, for example, the ride slowed as bicyclists had to maneuver carefully past double-parked cars and a truck that blocked the entire westbound travel lane as it was unloading.

VanSickle said the upcoming Lorain Avenue Cycle Track, a project designed to provide a protected two-way route separated from traffic, will create a stress-free place for people to commute east and west in and out of downtown.

An image from the original proposal for a Lorain Avenue Cycle Track.Courtesy Ohio City Inc.

Along West 25th Street, northbound riders used a bike lane painted on the pavement, a treatment considered less safe than a protected lane separated from traffic.

Bikers crossed the Detroit-Superior Bridge eastbound on a lane painted on the pavement and then turned southeast on Huron Road, where a recent, $11 million city rehab project completed under Frank Jackson, Bibbs predecessor, failed to include any new infrastructure for bikes or pedestrians.

We need the city to upgrade existing bike lanes, VanSickle said. We need protected bike lanes and to fill gaps where people arent left to fend for themselves when a bike lane ends at a busy intersection. But he said the ride was intended less to highlight specific shortcomings than to let elected officials know bike advocates will continue pushing for improvements.

The elected officials were happy to signal their support.

I want to let you know that we at City Hall are committed to making this one of the best bike-friendly cities in the country, Bibb told the crowd at Merwins Wharf along the Cuyahoga River, the starting point of the ride.

Bibb also said, you have a mayor and a county executive all aligned on these issues. Thats critical.

Ronayne told the crowd that communities become more multi-modal, more bike friendly, the bike infrastructure gets better, community by community, when a mayor is looking at life through two wheels, not four.

And Ronayne threw down a marker against which riders could measure progress in the city and the county.

We can be the greatest trail city in this country if we want to be, he said. Weve got a foundation we can build on.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  In a push to bring money into government coffers, Cleveland and the Ohio Attorney Generals office violated an agreement to collect unpaid parking tickets.

Thousands of people who had been ticketed for parking illegally in Cleveland as long ago as the year 2000 recently received notices from the attorney generals office, which the city has contracted to collect on unpaid parking debts.
BEREA, Ohio -- Browns GM Andrew Berry held his pre-draft media availability on Friday at the teams headquarters in Berea. He addressed the ongoing situation with defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey and dove into the teams roster and draft philosophy.

Mary Kay Cabot, Ashley Bastock and Dan Labbe got together after the press conference and talked Winfrey before getting into their takeaways from Berry about edge rushers, linebackers and geese vs. horses.

Then, since its Friday, they talked a little Succession, reacting to Sundays Episode 4 and looking ahead to Episode 5.

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Which position would be most surprising for Browns to draft?

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A man dressed as a tree walks on stilts past the Houses of Parliament at 'The Big One' environment event which coincides with "Earth Day", in London, April 22, 2023.

Climate change campaigners gathered outside Britain's parliament building ahead of Earth Day to urge action on global warming, while volunteers worldwide geared up to plant trees and clear trash to mark the 54th annual celebration of the environment.

Earth Day this year, officially on Saturday, follows weeks of extreme weather with temperatures soaring to record highs in Thailand and a punishing heatwave in India, where at least 13 people died of heatstroke at a ceremony last weekend.

Average global temperatures could hit all-time highs in 2023 or 2024, climate scientists have warned.

Pope Francis, who has championed green causes since his election in 2013, urged people to look after the environment.

"The Book of Genesis tells us that the Lord entrusted human beings with the responsibility of being stewards of creation (Gen 2:15). Care for the Earth, then, is a moral obligation for all men and women as children of God #EarthDay," he tweeted on Saturday.

"Climate impacts are here," Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, said on Friday as climate change activists walked down the street outside parliament in London, some dressed in green costumes and green paint.

Hamid said when she now visits her hometown of Delhi, it feels like "putting your head in the oven" and that London's 2022 heatwave was like "a dystopian film".

"We can't afford that anymore."

Activists led by the Extinction Rebellion group have gathered in London to kick off a four-day action, billed "The Big One", to coincide with Earth Day.

About 30,000 people have signed up for family-friendly rallies and marches, marking a change in strategy for a group known for its disruptive tactics, including blocking roads, throwing paint and smashing windows.
Siemens wind turbines operate on a wind farm in Marshalltown, Iowa, where many of Berkshire's first big renewable investments were made over the past decade as the former MidAmerican Energy under now-Berkshire Energy was well situated in one of the nation's top wind corridors.

With annual meeting season coming soon, Warren Buffett's climate record is back in the news  and activists are still not happy.

Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway conglomerate faces three different shareholder resolutions heading into its annual "Woodstock for capitalism" on May 6. While no one expects any of the resolutions to pass  Buffett's opposition and 32% voting stake will likely prevent that  they are attracting support from high-profile investors like California's $445 billion pension giant CalPERS and have in recent years seen an increasing base of Berkshire shareholders push up vote totals against Buffett's clearly stated wishes.

The resolutions demand better disclosure of climate risks Berkshire faces from its mix of utilities, reinsurance companies, shipping coal on its Burlington Northern railroad, and investments in oil stocks, which he has been increasing recently, specifically through a big stake in Occidental .

Buffett's climate metrics getting better

Berkshire is a climate paradox: Many of its climate metrics are improving rapidly, if not as fast as some competitors. The biggest: Its utilities' renewable power projects completed or under construction are on track to double the recent national average of electricity generation from renewable sources, and its revenue from coal shipping has moved steadily lower over the past decade. But Berkshire both dishes out and absorbs climate risk  in emissions from power plants and, through its investments in Chevron and Occidental, gasoline-powered cars; and in its insurance exposure to flooding and wildfires that are expected to worsen as global temperatures rise.

"It's fair to say that for their size, the breadth and complexity of their business, that their approach to climate change continues to lag behind peers," CFRA Research analyst Cathy Seifert said. "They could be front and center, but I don't think they will be."

Any discussion of Berkshire and climate necessarily begin with its utility business, since electricity production accounts for a quarter of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. Berkshire Hathaway Energy, whose CEO Greg Abel is the heir apparent to the 92-year old Buffett himself as the parent company's chief executive, would be the fifth-biggest U.S. utility holding company if it were independent.

Berkshire Energy spokesman Brandon Zero said the company would have no comment.

BHE is moving rapidly to shift its power mix to wind and solar. Counting plants under construction, Berkshire will soon get 45% of its power from wind, solar, geothermal energy and hydropower, according to Berkshire Hathaway Energy's annual report, which will comfortably exceed the 21.5% the government reports that all utilities actually generated in 2022. The 31% of electricity capacity Berkshire will be getting from natural gas when its coming plants are done is less than the 40% national share. But it still uses more coal, the dirtiest major electricity fuel  coal represents 23% of Berkshire's power mix  more than the national average of 20%.
WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 27: Student loan borrowers gather at Supreme Court the evening before the court hears two cases on student loan relief to state the relief is legal and needs to happen immediately on February 27, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for We The 45 Million)

The Supreme Court decision on whether or not it allows the Biden administration to move forward with the plan to cancel $400 billion in student debt will have life-changing financial consequences for tens of millions of Americans.

Unfortunately for borrowers, legal experts remain skeptical that the justices will greenlight the relief.

"I expect the court will rule against the Biden administration," said Paul Collins, Jr., professor of legal studies and political science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Collins predicts the six conservative justices will vote down President Joe Biden's program, and that the three liberal justices will be in favor of it. "The Supreme Court is an incredibly ideological and partisan institution in 2023  perhaps more so than at any other point in American history," he said.

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University of Illinois Chicago law professor Steven Schwinn agreed. "I predict the court will rule 6-3 against it, along conventional ideological lines," he said.

Schwinn anticipates the six conservative justices to argue that the Biden administration is exceeding its authority by trying to cancel as much as $20,000 in student debt for tens of millions of people.

The White House has insisted that it's acting within the law, noting that the Heroes Act of 2003 grants the U.S. education secretary the authority to make changes to the federal student loan system during national emergencies. The nation has been operating under an emergency declaration since March 2020 because of the Covid pandemic.

That act followed the 9/11 terrorist attacks, providing relief to federal student loan borrowers who'd been affected by those events.

If the Biden administration is forced to resume student loan payments, which have been paused for over three years, without delivering debt forgiveness, it warns that delinquency and default rates will skyrocket after the economic damage wrought by the public health crisis.
A lithium mining machine moves a salt by-product at the mine in the Atacama Desert in Salar de Atacama, Chile on October 25, 2022.

The Chilean government's newly announced plan to have the state take a majority stake in the lithium industry disconcerted business leaders, though analysts cautioned that the proposal appears to try to strike a middle ground between competing interests.

President Gabriel Boric announced in a national broadcast Thursday night that private companies will have to partner with the government in exploiting Chile's lithium, a metal used to make rechargeable batteries.

Boric said the state would take a controlling interest in each partnership, leading some to call it a nationalization of the industry, while others disagreed.

"Phrasing it as nationalization is too strong  it's a quasi-nationalization in that the playing field will now be leveled in favor of the state," said Nicolas Saldias, senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean. "There is no level playing field for the private sector in Chile."

Chile is the second largest producer of lithium and holds the world's third largest reserves of the metal. Demand for lithium is expected to soar amid the transition to renewable energy around the world and the growth in electric vehicles that are powered by lithium batteries.

The South American country has recently been losing ground to others in the race to exploit the metal so there was much anticipation over what Boric, a leftist, would announce as the country's strategy for the industry.

"There were no great surprises, which doesn't mean that it isn't a very important change in the model," said Mariano Machado, principal analyst for the Americas at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk intelligence firm.

Under the plan, all companies wanting to work in Chile's lithium sector will have to take on the yet-to-be created National Lithium Company as a partner and the "state will have control," Boric said Thursday. Existing contracts will be honored, but Boric expressed optimism they could find a way to boost state participation in their operations before they expire.

"It's not a theft of the concessions, it's a changing of the rules rather than abruptly breaking them," said Emily Hersh, CEO of Luna Lithium, a lithium exploration company with projects in the Americas.

Two companies currently mine lithium in Chile, Albemarle Corp. of the United States and local company SQM with concessions set to expire in 2043 and 2030, respectively. Shares in the two companies plunged Friday following Boric's announcement.

Creation of the new company would require approval from Congress, which has already shot down several of Boric's key initiatives.

Until then, two other state-owned companies, Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, and state mining company Enami will figure out how the private-public partnerships will operate.

Chile's president traveled Friday to Antofagasta, some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the Chilean capital to deliver more details about his proposal to local authorities.

"We're calling for a dialogue and participation process to gather visions and knowledge regarding the new governance of lithium and salt flats," Boric said.

But Chile's business sector expressed concern.

"We were quite disconcerted" by Boric's announcement, said Ricardo Mewes, head of the Confederation of Production and Trade, an association that represents Chile's business community.

Mewes said business leaders had expected there would be a "great private sector participation" in the lithium sector and now the "state will be the one that will control" the industry.

Several analysts said those concerns may go too far.

Saldias, at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said the proposal "actually provides the private sector more opportunity than the existing framework because  there would be more ability to partake in projects than currently exists."

He cautioned, though, that environmental restrictions on the way lithium is produced and the push for more consultation with local communities could lead to "an increase in the costs of doing business" in Chile.

Machado at Verisk Maplecroft said that "Chile appears to have gone for a model that is in the middle in which the state has the upper hand, given that it's a resource that is considered strategic."

That is a different model from neighboring Bolivia, in which the state has full control of the sector, and Argentina, in which the state simply grants concessions for companies to operate.

Finance Minister Mario Marcel called for calm in the business community. He said that under the plan, private companies will contribute capital, technological knowledge and experience, while the state provides "financing" and at the same time safeguards environmental conditions of the salt flats and the "relationship with the Indigenous peoples" of the affected area.

It remains unclear whether the government would contribute capital in direct proportion to its ownership stake.

Boric also said the government will go beyond just being involved in mining lithium, saying it will promote the development of lithium products with added value as it strives to become the world's leading lithium producer.

Boric's plan is in line with the "direction that the world is going," said Hersh at Luna Lithium.

"The push to have more added value where minerals are produced and to have a grater share of revenues from the mining activities are understandable long term trends," she said.

For Hersh the real concern isn't necessarily Chile, a country with a robust mining industry and existing lithium production. She worries about what message this sends to others in the region that are trying to build up nascent industries, considering Mexico already nationalized its lithium sector.

"You kind of have a rush to the party, you can't be seen as the uncool president who isn't doing it," Hersh said.


The ability of ChatGPT to seize upon a specific, verifiable application in a focused business sector could go a long way to underscoring it as a monetizable asset. Current use cases for generative artificial intelligence may seem limited and a bit ad-hoc, but a big explosion in use cases over the next year is the expectation, according to researchers, with customer service a prime target. That makes the travel sector, already once remade by the dawn of the internet, a likely place for rapid adoption.

Already, generative AI is being experimented with inside the travel sector, albeit with mixed results. One profound limitation of ChatGPT's application in travel to date is that its data does not extend beyond September 2021. That is a problem for now, particularly in the world of travel where information needs to be current to be useful  but only for now.

The online travel agencies are already today in mid-reshaping from the inside by AI, and even if travelers are not aware of it, recommendations offered and decisions being made influenced by the technology.

"Booking.com has been using AI and machine learning for over a decade," said Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking Holdings , parent company to Booking.com. "It is ingrained in the customer journey at every step on our platform."

That includes personalized recommendations for trips, and machine translation in more than 40 languages and dialects.

How AI becomes your personal travel assistant

Now top travel executives are thinking through the implications of the latest iteration with the new race between Microsoft-funded OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Bard, among other early examples of public generate AIs. The large language models that are at the heart of generative AI provide, "interesting possibilities in particular for itinerary building and question answering," Fogel said. But the primary consideration, he said, isn't so much to replace human interaction.

"Travel is fundamentally about connecting people and communities, and that human connection will always play a crucial role in the travel experience," Fogel said.

But humans don't possess AI's ability to analyze vast databases and that will add new levels of value and trip support for travelers, with human interaction continuing to play a critical role in shaping the overall trip experience. "The innovation happening in travel should be all about making the human interaction between travelers and supplier partners even richer, while creating efficiencies at scale," he said.

Booking Holding's Kayak platform recently announced its official integration of ChatGPT, to gradually expand to more users, in a blog post  written by ChatGPT and edited by Kayak staff. It described ChatGPT "as a virtual travel assistant," allowing for more conversational interactions with Kayak's search engine.

"By simply typing in natural language queries, like 'Where can I fly to from NYC for under $500 in April', users will receive personalized recommendations based on their search criteria and Kayak's historical travel data," the blog noted.

The AI's ability understand and analyze natural language allows for more personalized recommendations, too. "If someone asks, 'I'm looking for a hotel in New York City that's close to Central Park', ChatGPT can understand the traveler's specific needs and preferences and ask Kayak to provide tailored recommendations based on that information," according to the blog.

Airport stress and anxiety is another focus

This role for AI as a trip assistant will follow the traveler through the experience including the ability to intercede quickly when travel plans are disrupted.

"The potential for AI to remove friction, surface value, predict potential problems and intervene with real-time solutions if your travels go awry, is something that continues to drive our teams," Fogel said. "We ultimately want to recreate and even exceed the ease and personal touch of the days of a traditional travel agent through the power and use of cutting-edge technology, and AI is central to that," he said.

There may be not better example today of travel plan disruption than the airport experience. That has made Matt Breed, chief information officer for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, an early adopter of AI, with improving the customer experience at the airport among his top goals.

"There has traditionally been a lot of anxiety associated with travel," Breed said, largely due to the stacking up of unknowns that accompany air travel, and airports can be a particularly fraught experience, he added. "How long will it take me to get through security? Will I have time to get something to eat? What shopping items are available near my gate?"

Breed predicts that at least some of the anxiety can be eliminated or mitigated by focused use of AI and generative AI tools like ChatGPT.

He envisions AI as an itinerary analyzer, pulling in multiple sources of real-time information and helping to optimize the passenger journey  in effect, a travel personal assistant.

"Matt, traffic to the airport today is a little heavy. I would suggest leaving at 5:25 a.m., which given projected TSA pre-check wait times should leave you with time to grab Starbucks near gate N15. Should I place your order to have it ready when you arrive?," the AI might be able to suggest.

And Breed is betting this hypothetical, bringing the technology into the customer's pocket and personalizes its use, will soon be reality. "That type of scenario is not very far off, especially with the real time data feeds that are currently exposed or will be emerging in the near future," Breed said.

Behind the scenes at Seattle-Tacoma, AI is also playing a bigger role in operations, where there is also a lot of room to improve. The airport is using the Assaia Apron AI system for surface decision-making, and while it may not directly interact with the traveler, it is customer focused.

"Being able to make incremental adjustments to our operations based on suggestions from the AI really can have a large impact on how efficiently we park aircraft and turn them around, which helps avoid those delays that travelers really hate," Breed said.

Scheduling at the airport is always a challenge  staffing, baggage handling, parking the airplanes. AI can play a large role in helping to optimize operations in the future, especially as it gains the ability to view data across multiple systems, in real time. "One of the most impressive things that I have seen out of GPT-4 is its ability to provide structure and organization around data that at first glance seems very unstructured and chaotic," Breed said.

Online booking sites and apps already big winners

Amid all of the ChatGPT buzz, travel analysts caution that it is easy to miss the context of an industry in which new technology has been a constant, but also often overstated at time of introduction.

"The travel industry is an industry of buzzwords," said Max Starkov, who has been a hospitality and online travel industry consultant for thirty years. "When blockchain appeared, the industry proclaimed that travel would never be the same. The same happened when the first delivery and waiter robots came into being. The metaverse? 'This is how people will travel in the future!'"
U.N. security members patrol outside the building during the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. Headquarters in New York City, September 20, 2022.

A first batch of Russian fertilizer which Latvia seized last year is being shipped to Kenya by the United Nations' World Food Programme, Latvia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Russia has cited the seizure as a key sA first batch of Russian fertilizer which Latvia seized last year is being shipped to Kenya by the United Nations' World Food Programme, Latvia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.tumbling block to its continued participation in a Black Sea grains deal that allows Ukraine to export grains.

A vessel left the port of Riga on Friday with part of the 200,000 metric tons of seized fertilizer, the ministry said.

Several more vessels are due to transport the rest of the fertilizer which was seized in March 2022, a ministry spokesperson said.

Russia has indicated that it will not allow the Black Sea export deal which was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July, 2022, to continue beyond May 18 because a list of demands to facilitate its own grain and fertilizer exports have not been met.

Russia's foreign ministry has repeatedly named fertilizers stuck in Baltic Sea ports as one of the key stumbling blocks to continuing the deal.

The Latvian government described the shipments as a "donation" which it facilitated as "support for the countries that have been affected by the food crisis triggered by Russia's war on Ukraine."

It was not immediately clear if Russia was satisfied with the shipment, or if it would boost chances of an extension of the grains deal.

The move comes ahead of a meeting in New York next week between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss the grains deal, among other issues.

Lavrov has said nothing has been done to address Russia's concerns.

Most of the fertilizer seized in Latvia is owned by Uralchem and Uralkali, according to market sources and data seen by Reuters.

The companies used to be controlled by Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin, who gave up control last year after the European Union sanctioned him in March 2022 as "a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin".

The Uralchem-Uralkali Group said in February it intended to donate more than 34,000 metric tons of fertilizer stored in Latvia to Kenya.
Heavy smoke billows above buildings in the vicinity of the Khartoum airport on April 15, 2023, amid clashes in the Sudanese capital.

The Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.

Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help. The prospect has vexed officials as most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, has proven intensely dangerous.

Burhan "agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure such evacuations for various countries," Sudan's military said.

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudan's main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors. As battles between the Sudanese army led by Burhan and a rival powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens  many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese military's announcement. "We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants," the National Security Council said. On Friday, the U.S. said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of the estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first traveled by land to Port Sudan, the country's main seaport on the Red Sea. He said that Jordan's diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudan's far east, some 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Khartoum.

In a security alert, the U.S. Embassy in Sudan said it had "incomplete information about significant convoys departing Khartoum traveling towards Port Sudan" and that the situation remained dangerous. "Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk," it said.

With the U.S. focused on evacuating diplomats first, the Pentagon said it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the effort.

Burhan told Saudi-owned TV station Al-Hadath on Saturday that flights in and out of Khartoum remained risky because of the ongoing clashes. He claimed that the military had regained control over all the other airports in the country, except for one in the southwestern city of Nyala.

"We share the international community's concern about foreign nationals," he said. "Living conditions are deteriorating."

In a separate interview with Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel, Burhan promised Sudan would provide "necessary airports and safe passageways" for foreigners trapped in the fighting, without elaborating.

Even as the warring sides said Friday they'd agreed to a cease-fire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday. Two cease-fire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed. The turmoil has dealt a perhaps fatal blow to hopes for the country's transition to a civilian-led democracy and raised concerns the chaos could draw in its neighbors, including Chad, Egypt and Libya.

"The war has been continuous since day one. It has not stopped for one moment," said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Sudanese Doctors' Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The clashes have killed over 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organization. The bombardments, gunbattles and sniper fire in densely populated areas have hit civilian infrastructure, including many hospitals.

The international airport near the center of the capital has come under heavy shelling as the paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, has tried to take control of the compound. In an apparent effort to oust the RSF fighters, the Sudanese army has pounded the airport with airstrikes, gutting at least one runway and leaving wrecked planes scattered on the tarmac. The full extent of damage at the airfield remains unclear.

The conflict has opened a dangerous new chapter in Sudan's history, thrusting the country into uncertainty.

"No one can predict when and how this war will end," Burhan told Al-Hadath. "I am currently in the command center and will only leave it in a coffin."

The current explosion of violence came after Burhan and the chief of the RSF, Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, fell out over a recent internationally brokered deal with democracy activists that was meant to incorporate the RSF into the military and eventually lead to civilian rule.

The rival generals rose to power in the tumultuous aftermath of popular uprisings that led to the ouster of Sudan's longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019. Two years later, they joined forces to seize power in a coup that ousted the civilian leaders.

Both the military and RSF have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of atrocities in crushing a rebellion in Sudan's western Darfur region in the early 2000s.

Many Sudanese fear that despite the generals' repeated promises, the violence will only escalate as tens of thousands of foreign citizens try to leave.

"We are sure both sides of fighting are more careful about foreign lives than the lives of Sudanese citizens," Atiya said.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22)  Despite a 72-hour truce, Filipinos in Sudan were advised to stay home as gunfire and bombings persist in nearby areas, the Philippine Embassy in Egypt announced Friday.

READ: Sudans warring factions announce ceasefire, but fighting continues

We kindly ask you to remain in your home, away from windows and rooftops," the advisory read. "Stay at the lower levels of your shelter."

People should go out only if necessary, such as when replenishing food and water supplies, it added..

According to the embassy, air evacuation is currently not an option as airports in Sudan have been closed since April 15.

Our Philippine Consulate in Khartoum is also stranded and currently cannot provide consular and Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) services, it said.

The Consulate is currently working on ways to secure food and water and other supplies for delivery or pickup, it also said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday said a Filipino was among civilians injured in Sudan amid fierce fighting between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group.

The agency said they have received 86 repatriation requests from Filipinos in the North African country.

Based on the latest data gathered by the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, there are approximately 400 Filipinos in Sudan.

READ: Filipino hurt in Sudan conflict but now recovered  DFA
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22)  A lawyers group and human rights alliance have called for an independent inquiry into the deaths of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who were allegedly tortured and killed by the military.

In separate statements on Friday, the National Union of Peoples Lawyers (NUPL) and human rights group Karapatan said the manner of their deaths violated international humanitarian law.

The CPP on Thursday confirmed the deaths of the Tiamzons but refuted the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) statement that the couple may have died in a boat explosion in Samar province in August last year.

The group's report said the couple and 10 other members have suffered severe beating in the hands of their captors, citing witnesses who saw their smashed faces and bodies.

READ: CPP confirms deaths of Tiamzon couple, says they were killed by AFP

Dubbed as barbarous, the NUPL said the killings have exposed the injustice of the current counterterrorism framework in the country, which blurs the distinction between armed conflict and terrorism.

The manner in which they were killed all point to the commission of war crimes by the military, the group added.

Meanwhile, Karapatan cited that under IHL, it is prohibited to harm civilians that are unarmed combatants or those who are no longer able to engage in combat, such as the wounded or sick.

Karapatan Secretary General Cristina Palabay said the "nanlaban" line was also invoked in numerous killings of CPP personalities, in the same way as it was used by the authorities to justify the drug war killings.

There is a seeming desire to sweep everything under the rug by tagging the casualties as communist terrorists, Palabay added.

The group said the killing of the "Catbalogan 10" also violated Republic Act 9851 or the Philippine Act on Crimes Against International Humanitarian Law, Genocide and Other Crimes Against Humanity.

'A win for govt'

Upon confirmation that the Tiamzons were high-ranking officials of the CPP, AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar on Friday said their deaths was a success of government operations against the fugitives of the law.

The AFP denied allegations of capture and torture as claimed by the CPP.

"Their allegations of capture and torture are part of their propaganda and an attempt to deceive the Filipino people," he said. "What happened in the August 2022 operation was a legitimate encounter acting on information that VIPs of the CPP-NPA were escaping from ongoing military operations."

Benito and Wilma Tiamzon were pre-martial law activists and veterans of the anti-dictatorship struggle.

They were arrested in Cebu in March 2014 and were released to join the peace negotiations with the Philippine government in 2016-2017.

In 2020, the two were convicted by a Quezon City court for the 1988 kidnapping and serious illegal detention of four Army lieutenants.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 2022)  The Philippine government will continue to adhere to the One China Policy, Manila's top diplomat said Saturday as he tackled the ongoing tensions in the Taiwan Strait with his counterpart from Beijing.

This was among the regional issues covered during the bilateral meeting of Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang earlier in the day, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Secretary Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines adherence to the One China Policy, while at the same time expressing concern over the escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait, the DFA said in a statement recapping their meeting.

He also emphasized that the Philippines pursues an independent foreign policy, which seeks to ensure stability and prosperity in the region, it added.

Under the One China Policy, the Philippine government shall recognize the People's Republic of China as the sole legal government of Chinawhich claims Taiwan as its own territory.

Earlier this month, the East Asian giant launched military drills around the island nation after its president met with a top United States official in California.

Chinese Ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian, meanwhile, warned that the new sites under the Philippines Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the US may be used to interfere in the situation in the Taiwan Straitsomething the government has denied.

RELATED: China tells PH to oppose Taiwan independence, warns anew vs. EDCA sites
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22)  The Philippines and China have agreed to resolve differences and address common challenges as the nations top diplomats meet amid brewing regional tensions.

In a joint statement for their bilateral meeting in Manila on Saturday, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo and his Chinese counterpart, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, acknowledged the need to work on these issues to further boost bilateral ties.

"We need to [p]roperly resolve our differences in the spirit of credibility, consultation, and dialogue, and keep our promises to each other so as to bring more benefits to our two countries and people and inject greater positive energy to the peace and stability of this region and the whole world," Qin told Manalo during their first in-person meeting.

"Amid the fluid and turbulent regional situation, a healthy and stable China-Philippines relationship is not only meeting the aspirations of our two peoples, but also in line with the common aspirations of regional countries," he added.

Manalo, for his part, said Manila and Beijing's conflicting views on the West Philippine Sea should not be viewed as the sum total of their relations.

He expressed belief that these differences "should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively."

"Especially with respect to the enjoyment of rights of Filipinos, especially fisherfolk whose livelihood and general well-being are undermined by incidents and actions in the West Philippine Sea," the DFA chief stressed.

A 2016 ruling of a tribunal in The Hague invalidated China's sweeping claims in the South China Sea, which includes the West Philippine Sea. It also recognized Manila's sovereign rights in areas within its exclusive economic zone, which Beijing contests.

Despite the landmark decision, the East Asian giant continued with its incursions in the waterway, with their ships and militia sighted in parts of Philippine territory.

READ: Maritime row with China a 'serious concern' for Filipinos  DFA

Meanwhile, Manalo vowed that the Philippines will continue to work with China  which he labeled as one of the country's top trading partners  to further strengthen their economic relations.

"Our cooperation in agriculture and infrastructure development, energy, and science and technology are important elements of bilateral economic ties," Manalo said. "The revival of tourism, resumption of flights, and exchanges of students, teachers, and workers will further strengthen our people-to-people linkages."

Qin will be in the country until April 23. He is also expected to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. later in the day.
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In 1935, Mauna Loa presented a very different situation. The volcano started erupting in November, and its lava headed right toward Hilo, population 16,000. The lava moved at around a mile a day. That theoretically gave the town a whole month to evacuate, but everyone would rather the town not be destroyed by a river of molten rock, if that were at all a possibility.

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Shutting off the volcano wasnt an option. Mauna Loa already had enough force to break through the earth itself; any barrier we could erect to cork that flow would be like fighting a hurricane using a flashlight. However, we didnt necessarily need to stop the flow. So long as the lava flowed in a different direction (as it would in 2022), Hilo would be fine. We just needed to divert that flow. And we had just the tool.

USGS When your only tool is a bomb, every problem looks like a target.

Yes, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory called in help from the U.S. Army Air Service, who sent in a squadron of biplanes. They dropped bombs with the force of 3.6 tons of TNT. The man in charge of this operation was Lieutenant Colonel George S. Patton, whod be better known as General George S. Patton come World War II.

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The lava was flowing to Hilo via a network of underground tunnels. If the bombs could collapse these tunnels, the lava would forge a new path, and if that meant going anywhere other than to Hilo, the mission would be a success. In the end, the mission was indeed deemed a success. Which was impressive considering how many of the bombs missed their targets, and how little effect they seemed to have on those tunnels.

USGS This cute little bomb just landed in lava and got stuck.

They called the mission a success because the lava stopped moving and solidified in place. However, that doesnt seem to have much to do with the bombing campaign. The lava stopped flowing because Moana Loa stopped erupting. One previous time Moana Loa erupted, in 1899, the lava flow stopped after Hawaiians gave the goddess Pele offerings of brandy, and there too, were not certain about any causal link.
At the start of the 20th century, many men in British pubs played dominoes. Then came a new game  darts, which gave authorities lots to fear. These were sharp objects, flung by men who were often drunk. No law existed on the books to restrict darts, but they did have a law banning games of chance in pubs. So, the city of Leeds declared darts to be a game of chance, and they arrested one publican for hosting darts games.

That publican got through his ordeal, thanks to a friend named Bigfoot. And we think youll get through your ordeal too, thanks to the following facts

1. Jumbo Unleashed

Lady Bird Johnson caught LBJ having sex with a secretary on an Oval Office couch, said one Secret Service agent. Johnson later had staff install a buzzer to warn him when she was approaching.

2. The Piggyback Bandit

Sherwin Sheyagan, a former high school team manager, kept showing up at games and hopping on players backs. Five states banned him from sporting events, then Virginia finally put him in jail.

3. Thats Nuts

There are no Brazil nut plantations. The nut trees are all wild because weve been unable to copy their symbiotic relationships with other plants.

4. Nub City

For decades, one town in Florida represented two-thirds of American dismemberment claims. The people there kept chopping off their own arms for the insurance.

5. Anti-Aphrodisiacs

Butterflies rub each other with a repulsive stench. This way, a male discourages any competitor from mating with a female after hes already done so.

6. The M247 Sergeant York

The first killer robot immediately targeted its generals. Luckily, this 1985 computer-controlled tank did not fire. Then, given the chance to fire, it shot up a toilet instead of the target drone.

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7. What Was He On?

A colleague of Freuds, Karl Koller, investigated the use of cocaine in the eye. First, he poured cocaine in his own eye (fun). Then, he stabbed his eye with a pin (excessive).

8. Just Call It 10

Students doing physics problems all know that gravity is 9.81 meters per second squared. But the value varies considerably from this depending on where you are on the planet and even what time of the month it is.

9. No Chance

In 1908, Bigfoot Anakin won a game of darts in court to beat a gambling charge. By showing he could target individual numbers, he man proved darts is a game of skill.

10. Cadaver Ecosystem

A mountain lion will take down an elk, which is much too big for it to eat, and then abandon the half-eaten corpse. Hundreds of species rely entirely on these abandoned mountain lion meals for sustenance.

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11. Turn Left

MIT invented turn-by-turn in-car navigation in 1989. They never bothered pursuing the invention, though. They assumed insurance companies would never let drivers use it.

12. STG-44s

The Nazis left so many of their rifles around, people still used them in the Iraq War. Same deal in Syrias civil war: People are using assault rifles the Soviets captured from Germany all those years ago.

13. Timmins Folly

A Canadian city built a misguided museum to Shania Twain. The city went on subsidizing the museum, so they actually lost $33 on every visitor, until they finally demolished it.

14. Leonid Rogozov

This Russian surgeon took out his own appendix in Antarctica. He had to do the operation on himself as there were no other doctors in Antarctica at the time.

15. Percontation

Theres a special punctuation mark called the percontation mark, which you can stick at the end of a sentence to show that a question is merely rhetorical. How crazy is that
MANILA, Philippines (AP)  China's foreign minister said Saturday his country is willing to work with the Philippines to resolve their differences, as tensions rise over Beijing's behavior in the disputed South China Sea and Manila's deeping military cooperation with the U.S.

Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks in Manila with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, and was scheduled to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. just days before he travels to Washington for a meeting with President Joe Biden.

China has warned that a deepening security alliance between the United States and the Philippines should not harm its security and territorial interests and interfere in long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Beijing has criticized a recent agreement by the Philippines and the U.S. to grant U.S. forces access to additional local military camps.

The deal allows American forces to establish military staging grounds and surveillance outposts in the northern Philippines across the sea from Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, and in provinces facing the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety.

We are willing to work together with Philippines to implement the consensus of both leaders, keep China-Philippine ties in the right direction, safeguard the overall situation of our bilateral relationship, work together to continue our tradition of friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly resolve our differences in the spirit of credibility, consultation, and dialogue, Qin told reporters.

Manalo said he hoped the meeting will provide an opportunity to make some headway in addressing common issues and challenges.

The Philippines has filed more than 200 diplomatic protests against China since last year, including at least 77 since Marcos took office in June. Most of the complaints refer to Chinas aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, including targeting a Philippine coast guard ship with a military-grade laser in February.

Washington lays no claims to the contested waters but has challenged Beijings extensive claims, including by deploying warships and fighter jets and repeatedly warning that it would help defend the Philippines  a treaty ally  if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft are attacked. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the seaway, which sits atop vast deposits of oil and gas.
I have watched Rupert Murdochs career with admiration, irritation and, sometimes, horror.

His besetting sin is that he goes too far. The fault that has landed Fox News settling with Dominion Voting Systems for $787.5 million isnt new in the Murdoch experience.

He is a publishing and television genius. But like many geniuses, his success keeps running away with him  and then he must pay up. He does so without apology and without discernible contrition. Those who know him well tell me he treats his losses with a philosophical shrug.

Murdochs talent reaches into many aspects of journalism. He has nerves of titanium in business and a fine ability to challenge the rules  and, if he can, to bend them.

Llewellyn King is executive producer and host of ?White House Chronicle? on PBS.- Original Credit: handout- Original Source: handout

As an employer, he is ruthless and, at times, generous and indulgent. I know many who have worked for Murdoch, and they speak about the contradictions of his ruthlessness and his generosity, particularly to those who have borne the battle of public humiliation for him. Check out the salaries at Fox News and the London Sun.

In 1968, Murdoch bought The News of the World, a crime-centric Sunday paper. The following year, he bought the avowedly left-wing Sun.

Here Murdoch showed his genius at knowing the makeup of the audience and what it wanted: He flipped The Sun from left politics to the extreme right and, for good measure, stripped the pinups of their bras.

That was a hit with men, and the politics were a revelation: Murdoch had defined a conservative, loyalist and anti-European vein in the British newspaper readership that hadnt been mined. He went for it and soon had the largest circulation paper in Britain.

After he bought the redoubtable Times and Sunday Times, the Murdoch invasion was complete. He had also been instrumental in the launch of Sky News. Money rolled in and political power and prestige with it  although there is no evidence that he sought formal preferment, like a peerage.

On to New York and U.S. newspapers.

Here, the formula of sex and nationalism foundered. Murdoch didnt succeed as an American newspaper proprietor except for deftly keeping The Wall Street Journal a prestige publication.

However, he brilliantly  with several bold moves  built a television network. Then, in the cable division, he applied the British formula: Give the punters what they want.

In Britain, it was sex and nationalism. In America, it was far-right jingoism.

Murdoch gave it to Americans just as he had given it to the British: in large helpings of conspiracy, paranoia and nationalism.

Royal and celebrity gossip was the mainstay in his tabloids after right-wing Euro-bashing and breast-baring. He paid well for sensationalism, and that attracted a seedy kind of private investigator-journalist, prepared to go further and deeper than his or her colleagues. Corruption of the police was the next step, along with telephone bugging and other egregious transgressions.

Eventually, it all came tumbling down. Murdoch had to appear before a parliamentary committee, fire people and, in a strange move, close The News of the World as though the inanimate newspaper had been breaking the law without anyone knowing.

In fact, he had gone too far. The joyful music of the cash register had led to a wilder and wilder dance. He damaged his legend, his papers and all of Britains journalism. He also lost the opportunity to buy control of Sky News.

But Fox was a joy. Oh, the sweet music and the wild dance! Give them what they want all day and all night. Give them their heroes untrammeled and their own facts. And finally, the election results they, the punters, wanted to believe, not the ones that the polls posted.

You can see the two-tiered approach that has worked so well for Murdoch working again here. Some respectable publications and some vulgar moneymakers, like his respected The Australian and his raucous big-city tabloids; in Britain, the respected Times and Sunday Times and the ultra-sensational Sun; in America, the respected Wall Street Journal and the disreputable Fox Cable News and his other remaining newspaper, the scalawag New York Post.

For a remarkably gifted man, Murdoch can do some appalling things and has genius without bounds.

Llewellyn King is executive producer and host of White House Chronicle on PBS.
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KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP)  American embassy staffers were airlifted from Sudan early Sunday, as forces loyal to rival generals battled for control of Africa's third-largest nation for a ninth day amid fading hopes for deescalation.

The warring sides said they were helping coordinate the evacuation of foreigners, though continued exchanges of fire in Sudan's capital undermined those claims.

A senior Biden administration official said U.S. troops are carrying out the precarious evacuation of U.S. Embassy staffers. The troops who airlifted the staff out of Khartoum have safely left Sudanese airspace, a second U.S. official confirmed.

The Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, which has been battling the Sudanese army, said the U.S. rescue mission involved six aircraft and that it had coordinated evacuation efforts with the U.S.

But the U.S. denied the group did anything to help the evacuation.

You may have seen some assertions in social media in recent hours, that the Rapid Security Forces somehow coordinated with us and supported this operation. That was not the case, said Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation.

The RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamad Dagolo, said it is cooperating with all diplomatic missions and that it is committed to a three-day cease-fire that was declared at sundown Friday.

Earlier, army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said Sunday that France was organizing the evacuation of its embassy staff, French citizens in Sudan and citizens of allied countries. She said France was organizing the operation in connection with all the involved parties, as well as with our European partners and allies.

However, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven intensely dangerous. The two rivals have dug in, signaling they would resume the fighting after the declared three-day truce.

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudan's main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors. As battles between the Sudanese army and the powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens  many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese militarys announcement. We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants, the National Security Council said. On Friday, the U.S. said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of the estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first traveled by land to Port Sudan, the countrys main seaport on the Red Sea. He said that Jordans diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudans far east, some 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Khartoum.

President Joe Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier Saturday from his national security team with no end in sight to the fighting, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the mission.

The evacuation order was believed to apply to about 70 Americans. U.S. forces were flying them from a landing zone at the embassy to an unspecified location.

With the U.S. focused on evacuating diplomats first, the Pentagon said it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the effort.

Burhan told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel on Saturday that flights in and out of Khartoum remained risky because of the ongoing clashes. He claimed that the military had regained control over all the other airports in the country, except for one in the southwestern city of Nyala.

We share the international communitys concern about foreign nationals, he said, promising Sudan would provide necessary airports and safe passageways for foreigners trapped in the fighting, without elaborating.

Two cease-fire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed. The turmoil has dealt a perhaps fatal blow to hopes for the countrys transition to a civilian-led democracy and raised concerns the chaos could draw in its neighbors, including Chad, Egypt and Libya.

"The war has been continuous since day one. It has not stopped for one moment, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties.

The clashes have killed over 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organization. The bombardments, gunbattles and sniper fire in densely populated areas have hit civilian infrastructure, including many hospitals. Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org said Sunday there was a near-total collapse of internet connectivity.

The international airport near the center of the capital has come under heavy shelling as the RSF has tried to take control of the compound. In an apparent effort to oust the RSF fighters, the Sudanese army has pounded the airport with airstrikes, gutting at least one runway and leaving wrecked planes scattered on the tarmac. The full extent of damage at the airfield remains unclear.

The conflict has opened a dangerous new chapter in Sudan's history, thrusting the country into uncertainty.

No one can predict when and how this war will end, Burhan told the Al-Hadath news channel. I am currently in the command center and will only leave it in a coffin.

The current explosion of violence came after Burhan and Dagalo fell out over a recent internationally brokered deal with democracy activists that was meant to incorporate the RSF into the military and eventually lead to civilian rule.

The rival generals rose to power in the tumultuous aftermath of popular uprisings that led to the ouster of Sudans longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019. Two years later, they joined forces to seize power in a coup that ousted the civilian leaders.

Both the military and RSF have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of atrocities in crushing a rebellion in Sudans western Darfur region in the early 2000s.

Many Sudanese fear that despite the generals' repeated promises, the violence will only escalate as tens of thousands of foreign citizens try to leave.

We are sure both sides of fighting are more careful about foreign lives than the lives of Sudanese citizens, Atiya said.

___

Associated press writers Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem, Fay Abuelgasim in Beirut, Angela Charlton in Paris, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee and Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Days after Fox News agreed to pay nearly $800 million to settle a lawsuit over its airing of 2020 election lies, you'd be hard-pressed to notice anything had changed there.

Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham led their shows Thursday talking about Hunter Biden, the president's son. Ingraham's show warned, The left wants the government to be your only family. Hannity targeted familiar villains  Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Vice President Kamala Harris. Carlson mocked a speech on racial equity, saying it meant "that straight white men are bad.

Experts doubt the settlement will lead to much of a course correction in conservative media, save for a little less specificity to avoid future lawsuits.

So far, that's been the chief result of a Connecticut jury's verdict last year that Alex Jones must pay $965 million to parents of Sandy Hook school shooting victims, after claiming the 2012 massacre was a hoax and that grieving parents were actors. Now Jones is more likely to keep names out of it, said Nicole Hemmer, a Vanderbilt University professor and author of Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s.

It hasn't changed his conspiracy theories, Hemmer said. He's just a little more careful about not saying legally actionable things.

Heading into the 2024 election, radio host Erick Erickson predicted more hesitancy in conservative media to embrace claims by former President Donald Trump or anybody in politics preaching election denialism. Fox's response will be most watched.

If anything, Fox is just as dominant among conservatives today as it was in the aftermath of the 2020 election, the period addressed by the Dominion lawsuit. That's when Fox aired false claims that Dominion Voting Systems helped rig the election against Trump, despite many at the network knowing the allegations were bogus.

Documents in the case exposed the fear within Fox that it would lose viewers if the network didn't tell Trump fans what they wanted to hear.

A former Fox personality, Bill O'Reilly, wrote after the settlement: This is what happens when money becomes more important than honest information. His own experience, though, shows there was reason to be afraid. O'Reilly said he lost more than 1,000 premium subscribers to his website after telling them the election results wouldn't be overturned.

Fox's followers, it seems, were more upset with the election reporting than with revelations in the lawsuit about those at the network who didn't believe the fraud charges and expressed private disdain for Trump.

There's been little noticeable change in Fox's television ratings in the past few months, certainly none attributable to the lawsuit. In March, Fox's website had 88.7 million unique visitors, marking its fourth straight month of double-digit gains, said Howard Polskin, whose website The Righting monitors conservative media.

Most conservative websites either ignored the Dominion lawsuit or gave it cursory coverage, he said.

The coverage on the right would not support at all that some landmark settlement had been reached, Polskin said. It was completely misaligned with the magnitude of the news event itself.

While Fox acknowledged in the settlement the judge's conclusion that the network had spread false material about Dominion, Fox offered no apology. That likely would have meant more to Fox's critics than its fans, anyway, said Megan Duncan, a Virginia Tech communications professor who studies news audiences.

To Fox's followers, criticism of the network wouldn't matter much unless it was made by someone who shared their ideology. For the bulk of Fox's audience, the settlement will be quickly forgotten  if it was followed at all, she said.

For Fox, that's all an argument for the importance of keeping its audience happy.

That audience is what has made Fox the leading cable television network for several years, so profitable that it is able to absorb the $787 million Dominion settlement as a cost of doing business.

Fox still has legal challenges, with a pending defamation lawsuit by Smartmatic, another elections technology company. But Dominion also has a case against Newsmax, Fox's chief television rival for a conservative audience. Newsmax insists its case is different and that it has better protections against defamation than Fox did.

But as a smaller company, if Newsmax is wrong, a financial judgment could cripple or kill it, to Fox's benefit, Hemmer said.

Fox would absolutely go after that audience, she said.

Fox soon faces crucial negotiations with three large cable companies  Comcast, Spectrum and Cox  over carriage fees, the amount they will pay to Fox for the right to offer the network on their systems, said Angelo Carusone, president of Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog group.

Ever since an advertiser boycott against former Fox personality Glenn Beck, largely orchestrated by Media Matters, Fox has concentrated on boosting carriage fees. It has succeeded to the point where Fox would have a 35% profit margin even if it had no advertising revenue, he said.

That makes it important for Fox to illustrate to these companies that it has a large, valuable audience that can be counted on to be loyal at a time people are cutting cable service.

Fox could use the conclusion of the lawsuit to build up its news operation, which has lost personalities such as Chris Wallace and Shepard Smith in recent years, said Chris Stirewalt, an executive fired by Fox after the quick, although ultimately correct, decision on election night 2020 to call Arizona for Democrat Joe Biden in the presidential race.

Fox said that it is doing just that, saying this past week that it has increased its investment in journalism by more than 50%.

Being a news organization is expensive and dangerous, said Stirewalt, now political editor at NewsNation. Not just expensive because you have to pay to get news but also, expensive because you can lose your audience because sometimes you have to tell them what they don't want to hear.

It could be easier, and good business, to double down on programming that appeals to the attitudes and emotions of viewers, he said. Fox wouldn't be alone in following that direction.

I don't envy their choices," he said.

Erickson, the radio host, said he would expect to see greater management control of Fox's personalities, although this wouldn't necessarily be something that viewers would notice. That would revert back to the days of the late Fox leader Roger Ailes, drummed out of the network in a sexual misconduct scandal in 2016.

Whether you liked Roger Ailes or not, he did understand that you should not lie to your audience, Erickson said.

The ovations delivered on Thursday night by an audience crowded into Hannity's studio  for him and for Carlson and Ingraham at the beginning and end of their shows  illustrated an enduring point.

Fox has several solid journalists on its payroll but its stars, the chief reason viewers tune in, are those that offer tough talk and opinion.

I think theyve backed themselves into a corner, and that corner is full of Trump supporters, said Hemmer, the Vanderbilt professor. That is the business model.
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BRIDGEPORT  The city is losing its fourth permanent health director since 2016.

Ebony Jackson-Shaheed, hired in September 2021, is resigning effective May 5.

The Friday announcement by Mayor Joe Ganim's office, which said she will be taking an unspecified "new opportunity," caught people who have worked with her by surprise.

I'm not happy shes leaving. Im not," said City Council President Aidee Nieves, noting Jackson-Shaheed had met with the legislative body's budget committee a week ago to outline her post-COVID pandemic vision for the health department. "This was the year we were finally free from COVID. She was kinda going to be able to do her thing.

Shaheed-Jackson did not return a request for comment Friday.

The news of Jackson-Shaheed's pending departure also came just hours after what those in attendance described as an extremely tense Thursday evening meeting between herself, her supervisor, Janene Hawkins, who is the mayor's chief administrative officer helping run municipal government, and East End community and political leaders.

The city has been looking for a new location for its communicable disease clinic. The municipally owned Ralphola Taylor Community Center on Central Avenue is under consideration. Hawkins and Jackson-Shaheed agreed to the East End meeting to address questions and concerns and got an earful.

It was a very passionate meeting. There was a lot of passion in that meeting," said Deborah Sims, who helps run the East End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, a group that weighs in on economic development issues.

Sims and others said the clear message to Hawkins and Jackson-Shaheed was the Taylor Center is not a good location for the clinic.

"It was heated," developer Anthony Stewart, who is building a new retail/office complex, Honey Locust Square, across the street that is supposed to revitalize the neighborhood, said Friday. He too does not want the clinic as a neighbor.

"People got excited and there was a lot of back and forth," Stewart said, adding he felt sympathy for Jackson-Shaheed. "I don't know what her day was like before she walked in there, but I know for that hour or so it went bad."

As reported in January, she has also been under pressure by council members and activists to implement a plan to partner Bridgeport police officers with newly hired social services workers who will address certain emergencies. That was a key public safety reform the council and a special task force first sought in 2021 and council members have expressed frustration with the delayed rollout.

Jackson-Shaheed, who has a background in epidemiology, was initially one of two consultants Ganim hired in early March to fill the leadership vacuum left following the abrupt resignation of Health Director Lisa Morrissey in mid-January, 2021. Morrissey had been on the job for less than eight months during which she helped spearhead Bridgeports response to the global COVID-19 crisis that arrived in Connecticut in early 2020.

Morrissey, who had subsequently become health chief of the Housatonic Valley Health District, was hired earlier this year as deputy commissioner with the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Ganim had hired Morrissey away from Danbury in spring 2020 after Maritza Bond, who had served as Bridgeport's health director since the fall of 2016, left in early 2020 just prior to the pandemic for the same job in New Haven.

And before Bond, Bridgeport's health chief was Kristin duBay Horton. Ganim fired her in early 2016 soon after he was elected in November 2015.

It's a tough gig when you've got to answer to the public, the council, the mayor and deal with the science and all that," said Councilman Scott Burns, who co-chaired the public safety task force that recommended establishing a social services unit at the police department and also co-chairs the council's budget committee.

Burns said he was "a little surprised and a little disappointed" about Jackson-Shaheed's leaving.

"Shes very professional. Seems to have a good grasp of public health. But at the same time maybe it wasnt the perfect fit," Burns said.

Ganim's office in its announcement Friday credited Shaheed-Jackson for making "many visible and strategic improvements in the health department."

"She has expanded and promoted health equity, enhanced social services, and has added several new positions within the department including a health educator, epidemiologist, and research associate," read the statement. "During her tenure, Jackson-Shaheed oversaw the hiring of several social workers and mental health professionals for the city. She also spearheaded the effort to finish the health departments commitment to become a nationally accredited public health department."

The Bridgeport YMCA manages the Ralphola Taylor Community Center for the city. Carmen Colon is the YMCA's director and attended Thursday's meeting on the proposed communicable disease center.

"I work with the health department very frequently," Colon said Friday. "She's great to work with. Always responsive."

Councilman Ernie Newton is a budget committee chairman and also represents the East End. He too participated in Thursday's meeting, also calling it "heated." But, he has positive feelings toward Jackson-Shaheed.

"She helped us through COVID, and I felt she was a very bright individual," Newton said. "Weve lost a good person.

And Councilman Jorge Cruz has worked with Jackson-Shaheed as co-chairman of the legislative body's education and social services committee.

"Ever since Maritza Bond left we have had two health directors come and go," he said. "It's sad."

The mayor's office said Deputy Health Director Sumit Sharma will serve as acting department head pending a national search for Jackson-Shaheed's replacement.
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP)  The family of a northern Virginia man fatally shot by U.S. Park Police officers has reached a $5 million settlement in its civil lawsuit against the government.

Two officers shot 25-year-old Bijan Ghaisar of McLean in November 2017 after a stop-and-go chase on the George Washington Memorial Parkway outside the nation's capital.

Ghaisar was unarmed, but the officers said they feared for their lives when Ghaisar's car lurched forward after it had stopped and the officers stood outside the vehicle with weapons drawn.

The civil settlement comes after more than five years of legal wrangling and criticism of Park Police alleging excessive force and a lack of transparency.

Federal prosecutors declined to prosecute the officers, Lucas Vinyard and Alejandro Amaya, after a two-year FBI investigation. At that point, Fairfax County Commonwealths Attorney Steve Descano filed manslaughter charges against the officers in state court. That set off a tug-of-war between state and federal officials over who had jurisdiction to prosecute the case.

In October 2021, a federal judge tossed out the manslaughter charges brought by Descano's office. The judge ruled that the officers were entitled to immunity and that their actions were proper under the circumstances.

Even though the criminal charges were tossed out, Ghaisar's family continued to pursue a civil lawsuit alleging wrongful death.

The Ghaisar family said the officers violated their own policies by chasing Ghaisar, who was unarmed when officers opened fire.

The settlement, detailed Friday in a court filing in federal court in Alexandria, describes the agreement as a compromise. It says that Ghaisar's parents, James and Kelly Ghaisar, will receive $3.75 million, and their lawyers will get $1.25 million.

The settlement still must be approved by a judge.

Dashcam video of the shooting shows the pursuit starting on the parkway, then continuing into a residential neighborhood. It shows the car driven by Ghaisar stopping twice during the chase, and officers approaching the car with guns drawn. In both cases, Ghaisar drives off.

At the third and final stop, the officers again approach with guns drawn, and Amaya stands in front of the drivers door. When the car starts to move, Amaya opens fire. Seconds later, when the car begins moving again, both Amaya and Vinyard fire multiple shots.
Celebrity comedian Stephen Colbert was recently seen cooking pizza, instead of making fun of it, in New Haven.

The Shops at Yale  a collection of more than 65 shops and restaurants in downtown New Haven  posted a photo on Facebook on Friday of Colbert visiting Yorkside Pizza and Restaurant.

During his visit, Colbert spun dough and loaded pizzas into the oven, the post stated. For his efforts, Colbert was awarded the "Employee of the Month" prize of a free pizza slice.

Colbert visited the pizzeria despite making fun of both New Haven and Connecticut's love of pizza in the past while hosting "The Late Show." In 2021, Colbert made fun of a couple of New Haven legislators' bids to make pizza Connecticut's official state food. In 2023, some Connecticut legislators continue the effort to make pizza the state food.

"Come off it Connecticut, this is a little thirsty. You have zero cuisine of your own so you, who sit right next to New York and New Jersey, are trying to steal pizza as your official food? Why? Because you have one town who makes good pizza?," Colbert said during a segment in 2021.

In 2022, he also poked fun at Yale News, the university's student newspaper, reporting that New Haven had a low rumble of COVID-19 cases that were detected in its sewage.

Theres one fairly reliable way to track COVID cases, and its looking pretty crappy, Colbert said during a 2022 show. Take New Haven, Conn., where according to sewage, there is a low rumble of COVID-19 cases. Low rumble, by the way, is usually a sign that youre about to produce some sewage.

Colbert isn't the only celebrity to be spotted in a New Haven pizzeria this year. In February, Paul McCartney visited Frank Pepe's Pizzeria in New Haven after a speaking engagement the Yale Schwarzman Center.
(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

Matthew Delmont, Dartmouth College

(THE CONVERSATION) Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower had a problem. In June 1944, Allied forces had landed on Normandy Beach in France and were moving east toward Nazi Germany at a clip of sometimes 75 miles (121 kilometers) per day.

With most of the French rail system in ruins, the Allies had to find a way to transport supplies to the advancing soldiers.

Our spearheads  were moving swiftly, Eisenhower later recalled. The supply service had to catch these with loaded trucks. Every mile doubled the difficulty because the supply truck had always to make a two-way run to the beaches and back, in order to deliver another load to the marching troops.

The solution to this logistics problem was the creation of the Red Ball Express, a massive fleet of nearly 6,000 2-ton General Motors cargo trucks. The term Red Ball came from a railway tradition whereby railmen marked priority cars with a red dot.

From August through November 1944, 23,000 American truck drivers and cargo loaders  70% of whom were Black  moved more than 400,000 tons of ammunition, gasoline, medical supplies and rations to battlefronts in France, Belgium and Germany.

These Red Ball Express trucks and the Black men who drove and loaded them made the U.S. Army the most mobile and mechanized force in the war.

They also demonstrated what military planners have long understood  logistics shape what is possible on the fields of battle.

Thats a point well known in todays war in Ukraine: As the Russian invasion stretches into its second year, logistics have been an important factor.

Supplying the front lines

The Red Ball Express gave the Allies a strategic advantage over the German infantry divisions, which were overly reliant on rail, wagon trains and horses to move troops and supplies.

A typical German division during the same period had nearly 10 times as many horses as motor vehicles and ran on oats just as much as oil. This limited the range of the vaunted Blitzkrieg, or lightning attacks, because German tanks and motorized units could not move far ahead of their infantry divisions and supplies. Driving day and night, the Red Ball truckers earned a reputation as tireless and fearless troops. They steered their loud, rough-driving trucks down pitch-black country roads and through narrow lanes in French towns. They drove fast and adopted the French phrase tout de suite  immediately, right now  as their motto.

Gen. George S. Patton wanted us to eat, sleep, and drive, but mostly drive, one trucker recalled.

James Rookard, a 19-year-old truck driver from Maple Heights, Ohio, saw trucks get blown up and feared for his life.

There were dead bodies and dead horses on the highways after bombs dropped, he said. I was scared, but I did my job, hoping for the best. Being young and about 4,000 miles away from home, anybody would be scared.

Patton concluded that the 2 truck is our most valuable weapon, and Col. John D. Eisenhower, the supreme commanders son, argued that without the Red Ball truck drivers, the advance across France could not have been made.

Fighting Nazis and racism

The Red Ball Express was a microcosm of the larger Black American experience during World War II. Prompted by the Pittsburgh Courier, an influential Black newspaper at the time, Black Americans rallied behind the Double V campaign during the war, which aimed to secure victory over fascism abroad and victory over racism at home.

Many soldiers saw their service as a way to demonstrate the capabilities of their race.

The Army assigned Black troops almost exclusively to service and supply roles, because military leaders believed they lacked the intelligence, courage and skill needed to fight in combat units.

Despite the racism they encountered during training and deployment, Black troops served bravely in every theater of World War II. Many saw patriotism and a willingness to fight as two characteristics by which manhood and citizenship were defined.

The boundaries between combat roles and service roles also blurred in war zones. Black truck drivers often had to fight their way through enemy pockets and sometimes required armored escorts to get valuable cargo to the front.

Many of the white American soldiers who relied on supplies delivered by the Red Ball Express recognized the drivers valor at the time.

An armored division commander credited the Red Ball drivers with allowing tankers to refuel and rearm while fighting. The Black drivers delivered gas under constant fire, he said. Damned if Id want their job. They have what it takes.

A 5th Armored Division tank driver said, If it wasnt for the Red Ball we couldnt have moved. They all were Black drivers and they delivered in the heat of combat. Wed be in our tanks praying for them to come up.

Logistics in Ukraine

Days into the war, Ukraines armed forces destroyed all railway links between Ukraine and Russia to thwart the transport of Russian military equipment and tanks.

Relying on trucks and road networks, Russian convoys encountered fuel shortages and counterattacks from Ukrainian military and civilians.

The Russian militarys ability to move supplies across extended distances  as well as Ukraines ability to disrupt those supply lines  is still pivotal in determining the future of the war.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-story-of-black-soldiers-and-the-red-ball-express-during-world-war-ii-179743.
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TOPEKA, Kan. (AP)  Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed anti-diversity and anti-abortion provisions in Kansas' next state budget Friday, intensifying a conflict with the Republican-controlled Legislature over culture war issues that could see her scotch a dozen or more conservative initiatives.

The governor has the power to excise individual budget items and used it to eliminate $2 million in state tax dollars for anti-abortion centers providing free counseling and pregnancy and parenting services. She's previously vetoed two bills that would enact anti-abortion policies despite a decisive statewide vote in August 2022 affirming abortion rights.

Kelly vetoed a budget provision that would have prevented state universities from using diversity equity and inclusion principles in their hiring. She nixed another provision barring the state board that licenses mental health professionals from requiring them or giving them incentives to undergo training involving diversity or anti-racism theories.

The governor also has vetoed five bills rolling back transgender rights, including a sweeping bathroom bill and a measure that would have ended gender-affirming care for minors. GOP lawmakers are expected to try to override most if not all of Kelly's vetoes on hot-button issues when they reconvene next week to wrap up their business for the year.

Governor Kelly had two choices  to honor her campaign pledge to govern from the middle or to move Kansas sharply towards the left, Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said after several vetoes earlier this week. The governor has clearly chosen the latter.

Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the U.S. have pursued several hundred measures this year rolling back LGBTQ+ rights and attacking liberal ideas or policies in education and business. While voters in GOP-leaning Kansas affirmed abortion rights and narrowly reelected Kelly last year, they also left conservatives firmly in charge of the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Kelly has until Monday to act on a bill that would allow parents to pull public school students out of a lesson or activity that impairs the parents sincerely held beliefs, values or principles. Also on her desk is a bill that would prevent state and local officials from using environmental, social and governance issues in investing public funds or awarding government contracts.

On the budget legislation, Kelly followed the traditional Kansas practice of signing the measure itself  containing most of a proposed $24 billion annual budget  while vetoing multiple individual items.

The aid to the anti-abortion centers would have helped them aid both pregnant people and new parents, providing supplies, parenting and life-skills classes and job training or placement. It also would have started a state-supported advertising program to make them more visible.

Lawmakers put the money in the budget for State Treasurer Steven Johnson, a Republican who opposes abortion, rather than in a department under the control of Kelly, an abortion rights supporter. In her veto message, Kelly suggested that neither the state's founders nor any of its treasurers would have seen such a program as part of the office's duties.

This is not an evidence-based approach or even an effective method for preventing unplanned pregnancies, Kelly said.

Republican lawmakers also are hoping to pass a proposal to provide up to $10 million a year in state income tax credits to the centers' donors.

Kelly this week vetoed a measure that would have required clinics to tell patients that a medication abortion can be reversed with a regimen rejected by major U.S. medical organizations and a bill that would have subjected doctors to criminal charges or lawsuits if a newborn is delivered alive during certain abortion procedures and they are accused of not providing the care that a physician reasonably would with other live deliveries.

On the anti-diversity provisions, Kelly said the one for the board licensing mental health professionals could have restricted training in life-saving practices, without being more specific.

She said the provision for state universities would have hindered hiring, made it harder for them to attract federal and private grants and hurt efforts to support students from all backgrounds.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said Kelly had rejected measures to support women in need and prevent the prevention of radical ideology using tax dollars.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
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SANTIAGO, Chile (AP)  The Chilean governments newly announced plan to have the state take a majority stake in the lithium industry disconcerted business leaders, though analysts cautioned that the proposal appears to try to strike a middle ground between competing interests.

President Gabriel Boric announced in a national broadcast Thursday night that private companies will have to partner with the government in exploiting Chile's lithium, a metal used to make rechargeable batteries.

Boric said the state would take a controlling interest in each partnership, leading some to call it a nationalization of the industry, while others disagreed.

Phrasing it as nationalization is too strong  its a quasi-nationalization in that the playing field will now be leveled in favor of the state, said Nicolas Saldias, senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean. There is no level playing field for the private sector in Chile.

Chile is the second largest producer of lithium and holds the worlds third largest reserves of the metal. Demand for lithium is expected to soar amid the transition to renewable energy around the world and the growth in electric vehicles that are powered by lithium batteries.

The South American country has recently been losing ground to others in the race to exploit the metal so there was much anticipation over what Boric, a leftist, would announce as the countrys strategy for the industry.

There were no great surprises, which doesnt mean that it isnt a very important change in the model, said Mariano Machado, principal analyst for the Americas at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk intelligence firm.

Under the plan, all companies wanting to work in Chiles lithium sector will have to take on the yet-to-be created National Lithium Company as a partner and the state will have control, Boric said Thursday. Existing contracts will be honored, but Boric expressed optimism they could find a way to boost state participation in their operations before they expire.

Its not a theft of the concessions, its a changing of the rules rather than abruptly breaking them, said Emily Hersh, CEO of Luna Lithium, a lithium exploration company with projects in the Americas.

Two companies currently mine lithium in Chile, Albemarle Corp. of the United States and local company SQM with concessions set to expire in 2043 and 2030, respectively. Shares in the two companies plunged Friday following Borics announcement.

Creation of the new company would require approval from Congress, which has already shot down several of Borics key initiatives.

Until then, two other state-owned companies, Codelco, the worlds largest copper producer, and state mining company Enami will figure out how the private-public partnerships will operate.

Chiles president traveled Friday to Antofagasta, some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the Chilean capital to deliver more details about his proposal to local authorities.

Were calling for a dialogue and participation process to gather visions and knowledge regarding the new governance of lithium and salt flats, Boric said.

But Chile's business sector expressed concern.

We were quite disconcerted by Boric's announcement, said Ricardo Mewes, head of the Confederation of Production and Trade, an association that represents Chiles business community.

Mewes said business leaders had expected there would be a great private sector participation in the lithium sector and now the state will be the one that will control the industry.

Several analysts said those concerns may go too far.

Saldias, at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said the proposal actually provides the private sector more opportunity than the existing framework because  there would be more ability to partake in projects than currently exists.

He cautioned, though, that environmental restrictions on the way lithium is produced and the push for more consultation with local communities could lead to an increase in the costs of doing business in Chile.

Machado at Verisk Maplecroft said that Chile appears to have gone for a model that is in the middle in which the state has the upper hand, given that its a resource that is considered strategic.

That is a different model from neighboring Bolivia, in which the state has full control of the sector, and Argentina, in which the state simply grants concessions for companies to operate.

Finance Minister Mario Marcel called for calm in the business community. He said that under the plan, private companies will contribute capital, technological knowledge and experience, while the state provides financing and at the same time safeguards environmental conditions of the salt flats and the relationship with the Indigenous peoples of the affected area.

It remains unclear whether the government would contribute capital in direct proportion to its ownership stake.

Boric also said the government will go beyond just being involved in mining lithium, saying it will promote the development of lithium products with added value as it strives to become the worlds leading lithium producer.

Borics plan is in line with the direction that the world is going, said Hersh at Luna Lithium.

The push to have more added value where minerals are produced and to have a grater share of revenues from the mining activities are understandable long term trends, she said.

For Hersh the real concern isnt necessarily Chile, a country with a robust mining industry and existing lithium production. She worries about what message this sends to others in the region that are trying to build up nascent industries, considering Mexico already nationalized its lithium sector.

You kind of have a rush to the party, you cant be seen as the uncool president who isnt doing it, Hersh said.

___

Politi reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
While healthcare technology is constantly evolving, for some in Connecticut the thousands-of-years-old practice of riding a horse can be the best medicine. As of 2017, there are 1,352 working horse farms in Connecticut, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and some of them offer more than simply riding.

Founder of the non-profit organization Healing with Horses in Uncasville, Sharon Rosati, said that equine therapy helped her more than any other treatment after breaking most of the bones in her body and suffering a traumatic brain injury from a car crash in 1994.

"I did every therapy they suggested once I woke up [from a coma]. Nothing worked. I was depressed, I was giving up, I was in a wheelchair. It was no life," Rosati said. "My friend took me to a farm. I was wheeled in ... as soon as I got there I smelled the horse's muzzle, it was like sweetgrass, and I started to cry. I was so motivated at that moment, that I put my arms around [the horse] and he lifted me out of my wheelchair."

Healing with Horses / contributed

After connecting to a horse after her car crash, Rosati said she turned into a "fighter" and visited the horses as often as she could. In an effort to give back to the horses that helped her recovery, she began rescuing horses in need and started Healing With Horses in 1998. The organization helps others in need with its equine therapy programs involving rescued horses.

"Everything you could put in a program is there. I also tied them into relaxation techniques like yoga, horse hugging and grooming," Rosati said. "I believe in it, it worked for me."

Other therapeutic riding programs in the state, such as the one at Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center in Bristol, also aim to assist those with challenges like attention deficit disorder, autism, cerebral Palsy, anxiety and depression. Teaching guests horsemanship skills can positively contribute to their social, cognitive, physical and emotional well-being, according to the center. A study published in the National Library of Medicine concluded that equine therapy "improved balance, wellbeing, quality of life, trust, spasticity, selfefficacy, selfesteem ... pleasure and a sense of accomplishment."

Shelly Whitlock-Pope / contributed

The practice of using horses for therapeutic purposes has reportedly been going on for thousands of years. Famous Greek Physician Hippocrates, who lived around 400 B.C., was reported as stating that riding horses "strengthens body muscles and keeps them in good form," according to the Therapeutic Riding Association of Greece.

"Because horses are so beautiful, because they have such a history of helping throughout the world ... they have helped us since the beginning of time and they continue to. We have a lot to learn from them," Executive Director of Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center Shelly Whitlock-Pope said. "When you can be focused and deliberate and lead a horse around, it's very empowering. If you're a child, who maybe doesn't feel good about yourself and the horse does what you want, it's empowering."

Farms also have programs that aim to let guests bond with horses without riding them. During the unmounted programs, guests can develop their communication skills by learning to read a horse's body language to look for signs of relaxation, acceptance and understanding, according to Shepard Meadows.

The program at Shepard Meadows has since been expanded to include Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy as well. The psychotherapy sessions include a licensed therapist and an equine specialist who work with individuals to address their psychological needs. The center has programs aimed at benefiting everyone from at-risk youths to veterans.

"It's just another way of being innovate and unique, not in a traditional clinic setting in an office inside. You're outside, you're with nature, you're with animals it's just a much more open feeling," Whitlock-Pope said. "The more people we can get here, the more happy the world can be. People can heal, it's all good."

Shelly Whitlock-Pope / contributed

Rosati believes that horses are empathetic, being able to sense others' emotions and respond to them. She said that often horses can choose who to bond with on their own. A 2018 study published in Scientific Reports found that horses are possibly able to perceive emotions in human facial expressions and human voices.

"You have to study the horses and understand what they're trying to tell you, which also helps with Autism because most of the kids are none verbal," Rosati said. "My feeling is that the horses know what you need, the horses pick you, you don't pick them ... The horse is drawn to something within everybody or not. I've seen horses flee from people and I don't know why other than they sensed something that isn't right."

Here are some places to find equine therapy in Connecticut (most farms also offer volunteer opportunities):

Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center Bristol Shepard Meadows Equestrian Center aims to help guests improve their physical, emotional and social skills through its horsemanship program. Horses on the farm include Lola, who was born in 1989 and works with young riders, and Indy, who has been on the farm since 2016 and works with older riders. Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy (EAP) sessions are private, while the unmounted program for kids is a six-week group activity.

Healing with Horses Uncasville Healing with Horses uses rescued horses in its therapy programs. Founder, Sharon Rosati, said that she started the program after using horse therapy herself to help recover from a car crash. "Therapy was intense, and after much frustration and not much improvement, I lost hope, and I gave up. I then found myself at a horse rescue farm, where I started to feel motivated again. While still in a wheelchair, a horse came to me and nuzzled into my chest and tried to lift me straight out of my wheelchair," Rosati wrote on the program's website. The program offers classes on equine communication and boosting self-confidence after bullying.

Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center Naugatuck View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hidden Acres (@hiddenacrestrc) Hidden Acres Therapeutic Riding Center's program is designed to help guests learn how to care for and ride horses. The farm also offers a therapeutic carriage driving program that aims to teach guests how to control horses using reins and voice commands. Unmounted horsemanship courses help guests with memory and horse-caring skills.

SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center Canton The SpiritHorse Therapeutic Riding Center offers private horse and pony lessons to guests of all ages, including those with disabilities. Visitors can bond with the animals by brushing, grooming and riding them. The center hopes to assist guests with learning work-reward systems. Some of the horses that riders can bond with include a small pony named Taco and an American Paint Horse named Cash.

Ebony Horsewomen Hartford Ebony Horsewomen has been offering equine-assisted therapy since 1984. Some of its programs include psychotherapy, which brings together licensed therapists and equines, designed to help guests address challenges like PTSD, substance abuse and eating disorders and therapeutic riding lessons. The center aims to connect with guests of diverse backgrounds to "help in addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health care."





High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Old Lyme High Hopes Therapeutic Riding offers courses on carriage driving and horse riding led by mental health practitioners, educators and therapists. Some members of the organization's herd include Blessing, who was bred as a racehorse, and Aladdin, who is "technically a pony" but a miniature horse by breed.

Healing Hoofbeats of CT Bethlehem Healing Hoofbeats of CT offers therapy with horses for both individuals and groups, led by mental health professionals. Its programs are designed to help individuals recover from past trauma and learn effective ways to grow relationships through couple and family counseling.

New Canaan Mounted Troop New Canaan The New Canaan Mounted Troop aims to help individuals with special needs develop their social skills through its therapeutic riding and equine care program. The organization offers courses for both individuals and groups.
For years she was known as TVs funnywoman.

But in one of the most powerful books of the year, RUBY WAX tells how she spent time in a mental institution.

After part one of our serialisation in yesterdays Daily Mail, our final extract sees her take up the story with characteristic honesty and black humour.

Let me tell you a little about my relationship with television. My father always told me that when I failed in the acting nonsense (as he called it) that Id set my heart on, hed set me up with a little linen business in our home town of Evanston, Illinois.

The reason I wanted to be on television is because I knew if I could just keep myself on the air, Id never have to go home to my parents. So I bulldozed my way to a career in TV and a series that lasted 25 years.

I toured the world filming documentaries. I dont remember asking anyone at the BBC for permission. I just filmed year after year.

The reason I wanted to be on television is because I knew if I could just keep myself on the air, Id never have to go home to my parents. So I bulldozed my way to a career in TV and a series that lasted 25 years

Carrie Fisher and I went to find her a cowboy while herding and learning to castrate cattle. Pictured: Wax and Fisher at the Chiltern Firehouse, London, in 2014

Pictured: With Goldie Hawn on the Ruby Wax Show

Then the BBC asked me to interview stars. I thought OK, a year and then back to my beloved documentaries. Ive never been interested in doing interviews sitting at a desk, slinging questions, so I invited the guests to make the documentaries with me.

Carrie Fisher and I went to find her a cowboy while herding and learning to castrate cattle. While interviewing Hugh Hefner at the Playboy mansion, I lived in a dorm with the latest batch of bunnies.

But at the BBC there is a rule: No jobs for women over 50. Just when I thought my best years were ahead of me, I was fired.

I had committed the heinous crime of turning five-zero  and there are few exceptions to this rule at the BBC. The only time theyre prepared to break it is if the budget wont stretch to prosthetics for a 20-year-old, so they need the authentic old one.

I made a decision. I wanted to prove to everyone I wasnt going down with the ship  the ship being my career. So I opened the throttle and got into Oxford to study mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

In retrospect, being fired was a good thing. Ive managed to build a life and a more interesting career. Since the firing, Ive built a great brain (mine) by learning about the brain.

Now that Im thinking about it, I wouldnt have received an OBE (for services to mental health) if I hadnt been thrown out of TV. So in a strange way, I should be grateful and write them a thank-you letter.

May 29, 2022

Tonight we are going out as a family. I am allowed to leave the mental institution where Ive been a patient for the past two-and-a-half weeks to join my husband Ed and our children.

My daughters, Madeleine, 32, and Marina, 29, hold my hands as we walk. I ask how rehearsals are going for the Edinburgh Festival. Their act is called Siblings  very French And Saunders, they say.

Im so proud of them. But when I laugh at their jokes, it sounds hollow, even to my ear. Im trying to act like I used to before I got depression, but we all know that Mommy is missing and someone else has possessed her.

They keep asking when Im coming home. Im the last person to know that.

Im thinking about my mother Berta a lot. She was beautiful. People who knew her told me that she was the It Girl of Vienna.

PRIDE AND JOY: Ruby with her two daughters, Marina and Madeleine

Im thinking about my mother Berta a lot. She was beautiful. People who knew her told me that she was the It Girl of Vienna. Pictured: Ruby with her parents in the 1950s

Imagine having to leave all that behind, to suddenly pack your bags and flee, as my parents did from the Nazis. Flee fast!

I think that urge is embedded in my DNA. I can clean out my closet, get rid of any sign that I lived there and be out of the door in less than six minutes.

When Im travelling, I start packing when the taxi pulls up to get a few hits of that delicious adrenaline rush. Sometimes, I even shower after the taxi starts honking. Im sure this is a leftover trait from my relatives in the old country.

My parents never talked to me about their experiences during the war. Even though they didnt say anything specific, I could taste their fear. I didnt need to see any films about the Holocaust (and never have). The images in my mind are enough. I have Schindlers List playing on a loop in my head.

Did my parents love each other? I guess, before it got ugly. They brought the war to our kitchen, where theyd have screaming matches. I was piggy in the middle.

My mother would say: Whats wrong with her? Her head is not on right. Those teeth? She looks like a squirrel. My dad would throw in: Whos going to marry her when her behind is as big as a house?

Its ironic that my parents ran from Europe to escape the war and I ran to Europe to escape them.

EARLY ROLEPLAY: Ruby with a bow and arrow

May 31

MY son Max, 33, visits. Hes scared by my sickness but pretends its normal to visit your mother on a mental ward. Hes searched and found an eccentric coffee shop he thinks Ill like. He knows I love the unusual and kitsch and he found it. Max knows how to cheer me up.

June 3

I walk to the hotel next door by myself today. They know me as the crazy person in pyjamas. Even though Im wearing a coat, somehow they can still tell Im in pyjamas.

I start yelling at a waitress for not letting me order salad. She says they dont serve it. I say I have it here most days. Two Nigerians say they come in every day, too, and they have salad. They are on my side. We bond over the salad.

The three of us report the waitress to the maitre d, saying her attitude is appalling.

The salad arrives. I dont pay for mine because of the way I was treated. I find out later the Nigerians had to pay for me. I wonder if they were also from the clinic.

June 5

My Husband, Ed, comes to deliver items from a list Ive given him, which includes my bike. He has to carry it up four flights of stairs as the lift isnt working.

He didnt bring the brownies I ordered and he apologises profusely, promising to bring them when he next comes.

I think when Im mentally ill, he tries to acquiesce to all my whims in case I try to stab him.

My Husband, Ed, pictured, comes to deliver items from a list Ive given him, which includes my bike. He has to carry it up four flights of stairs as the lift isnt working. Pictured: Ruby Wax and Ed Bye at the 1996 Bafta Craft Awards

I think when Im mentally ill, he tries to acquiesce to all my whims in case I try to stab him. Pictured: Ruby Wax and Ed Bye on holiday in Barbados in 1998

June 9

The bike fills up my room. I finally build up the courage to take it out for a spin. Rule number one: Dont let a person who is in a mental clinic go out to ride their bike.

As I leave it begins to rain. But do I turn around? No, of course not. Im determined to get where Im going for coffee. I must ride down a busy street and Im splashed by the buses Im weaving in and out of.

While making a turn, I lose my balance and fall over. A few people rush over to help as Im lying sideways in the street.

Cars are swerving around me. I dont want to seem like an old person, so I hear myself say: Im fine. Ive done this on purpose. Im just trying out a new bike.

Ive cut my leg and am trying to not let them see Im bleeding from both knees through my trousers.

Two days before I was admitted to the clinic, I had been on a Christian retreat in Yorkshire. It was one of several trips Id booked to help me find meaning in my life.

While I was there something felt wrong. I thought maybe I had a virus or jet-lag from a previous trip. Then I remembered I had felt the same way years ago but I couldnt put my finger on what it was, until a sudden lightning flash hit me.

Could it be depression rearing its head again? After a 12-year absence, could that old, evil chestnut have come back?

I phoned my psychiatrist to tell him I was spiralling downhill. He said he could hear by the sound of my voice that I was in trouble.

On May 10, 2022, I got up knowing full well I had depression. There can be no doubt. Once youre in it, you hardly know where you are.

You dont exist any more. Your spirit has left the building. Your body is no longer connected to your mind and you cant figure out whos moving your limbs.

I told the people running the retreat I had to leave, that I was very ill and I was sorry.

My psychiatrist called to tell me he had booked me into a clinic and that I should get to London and check in. Someone drove me to the railway station in Leeds. I was pretending I was still Ruby but I didnt have a clue how she used to act.

I tried hard to be light and amusing but it was just snippets of sentences that fell out of my mouth. I was a poor imitation of myself.

The hands on the station clock were jumping around, staccato fashion. I recognised a feeling of not being able to tell a minute from an hour. I needed to get somewhere safe. I walked into a cafe and stood like a zombie, unable to decide whether I should ask for a cup of tea or go outside and throw myself in front of the train. The mental torment was mounting fast.

I missed a few trains because I wasnt sure how long the doors were kept open, and I was frightened Id be half in, half out when the door closed and Id get dragged down the line.

When I got to London, it took a long time to get off the train because I was too scared the doors would shut on me. I had written the name of the clinic on a crumpled-up piece of paper. I handed it to the taxi driver and off I went on my latest adventure.

Not a journey to find meaning in my life, but a journey towards a fully fledged breakdown.

June 9 (continued)

Bang! Bang! Bang! Im having my twentieth and final session of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). This procedure stimulates the brain, causing trillions of new neural connections to be made. It feels like Woody Woodpecker and his cartoon fans are gang-banging in my head.

I hadnt noticed much of a change, but now, at the last treatment, I can see a very small shaft of light.

It takes as long to notice depression coming and going as it does watching your hair grow. Whats different today is, rather than give the technician grief, I thank him.

When I first clapped eyes on him, I thought he was an unemployed person who had snuck in, stolen a plastic apron and was pretending to be a neuroscientist.

I used to quiz him before the sessions started about where he went to school. How old was he exactly? (He looked 14.) Hed tell me he was trained by an expert in rTMS procedures and Id wonder: Why did I get the trainee? Why didnt I get the expert?

I used to grill him on how a magnetic hammer slamming the right side of my head could possibly be healing me. Today Im not grilling him because I have to admit its beginning to work.

I dont feel like hurling myself at a moving car any more. When Im crossing the road, I look both ways.

June 13

My curiosity is back. I dont want to stay in my room, I want to find out why everyones here. Whats their prognosis? Ive begun taking regular visits to the clinics cafeteria.

After I pick out who looks craziest in the cafe, I make a beeline for the seat next to them. Today it is an elderly woman in a stained nightgown with high velvet go-go boots.

Shes in full make-up, though her red lipstick is nowhere near her lips, and she wears a silver crown made out of foil. She informs me there was shrimp in her freezer but wolves came to her house and stole it, so she started leaving vegan moussaka out for them.

I tell her Im fascinated that she thought the wolves were vegan. She looks at me like Im crazy as if to say: Its obvious theyre vegan, you idiot.

The rest of the table are self-cutters. I ask to see their wounds, which they proudly show me. The ones who seem jolliest have the deepest wounds. I compliment them when I see a particularly imaginative design. That makes them smile.

We have a library here which Ive never noticed. For me not to look in every door to see whats going on is a sure sign I havent been well. So today  big progress!  I go in.

Of all the books I could have chosen that day, I pick one completely relevant to my situation. It is called Falling Upward, by Richard Rohr.

These are the words that first catch my attention:

We have two tasks in our lives. In the first half we establish an identity, a home, relationships, friends, community and security. This first-half- of-life task is no more than finding the starting gate.

We all need some successes and positive feedback early in life, or will spend the rest of our lives demanding it or bemoaning its lack from others. There is a good and needed narcissism. You first have to have an ego structure to then let go of it and move beyond it.

I take the book back to my room and keep reading. You cannot walk the second half of lifes journey with first journey tools. You need a whole new toolkit.

Rohr writes that the second half of life is where you can get a wider perspective on it. He calls that a larger container and says we experience this larger container as our identification moves from I and expands into we or us.

In my first half, I had ambition. I was served with hot and cold running success. When I was younger, I lived with my foot on the accelerator. This is why you have to be young to be able to tolerate all those high speeds and late nights.

Maybe its good Im older now (I cant believe I just said that).

So many of us (me) try to keep the first half our permanent home, mostly to keep out the fear of  dare I use the word?  death?

If you hold on to the first half of your life, youll only get more and more discontent because its a losing game.

If looks were your thing, people stop looking. If success was your thing, youll always be replaced by someone younger.

Thats not just television. Thats the law of the jungle.

June 15

I go out with my family and two friends to a Chinese restaurant in Central London called Royal China. The waiter tells us theres a Royal China private club next door.

I have to know what the difference is between the club and the restaurant with the same name.

My curiosity is making a comeback. I stroll into the club like Im a member.

My kids and my girlfriend are bringing up the rear. I discover the club is exactly the same as the restaurant we were just in, with one slight difference: security guards to ensure non-members dont get in.

The moment I enter, I am manhandled by security. I start fighting them off, insisting I am meeting a friend. My girlfriend cleverly says Oh, there she is, and points into a private room.

I struggle out of the guards grip and run into the room where she is pointing. There I see a masterpiece of cosmetic surgery. This womans eyes are stretched like slits in a forest of lashes. Her ballooned lips are so bee-sting swollen theyre in another time zone.

I know its evil of me but I have to take a quick photo. She doesnt notice but security does. They grab me and dump me out on the street. My kids tell me Ive totally embarrassed them but I think they secretly like it when I embarrass them. When I break rules, Im myself again. This is when they see Mommy has returned.

June 18

I was supposed to leave the clinic today but Ive begged to stay another day. Ed is going to have to drag me out by my ankles, I feel so happy here now. But I know I have to face outside sooner or later.

June 19

Ed picks me up and he has to do about 40 trips up and down the stairs to get all the suitcases out of the building. He needs to pack up all the items I requested over the month which I never wore or ate.

Some months later, I say a final goodbye to the shrink.

Me: Ill tell you one thing thats changed. I dont feel fear any more about whats coming. Even though I may change in the next ten minutes and life may become more painful again, Im not scared like I was. This idea of having a second half of my life makes me so jazzed up to reinvent again  but for something much deeper than before. I thought it was all over at this point in my life but this second half seems way more interesting than the first.

Shrink: Ive noticed a big change in you. Its been exciting to observe you moving from desperation to where you are now. Id say, now, youre well into the second half of your life.

Ive often dreamed of meeting a truly wise woman. At this point, Im thinking, Im the right age  if I stopped dyeing my hair, I reckon I could qualify for the job.

 Ruby Wax, 2023
Here, FEMAIL reveals where the cast of the popular show The OC are now

Mischa Barton has been confirmed to guest star in the new season of revived soap Neighbours, which will air on Amazon Freevee.

Best known for playing Marissa Cooper in 00s teen drama The O.C., Mischa, 37, will play Reece, an American who is new to Erinsborough who is 'not quite who she appears to be'.

It's been 20 years since American drama began and made Mischa, Rachael Bilson, Adam Brody and Ben McKenzie household names, or at least their alter ego monikers of Marisa, Summer, Seth and Ryan.

Since the end of the Josh Schwartz-created series in 2007 the cast have been busy getting married, starring in films, having babies, being arrested and more.

Here, FEMAIL reveals the unlikely careers of The O.C's many stars

The O.C. started over 20 years ago and if you haven't seen it before it's well worth a watch. Think angsty storylines, dubious fashion choices and a killer soundtrack

Mischa, as Marisa Cooper (left), in 2003, and Mischa now, as her new character Reece in revived Aussie soap, Neighbours

Marisa Cooper - Mischa Barton, 37

Mischa's character Marisa was in every sense the girl-next-door, however she also had a wardrobe full of Chanel, pots of money and a fairly substantial alcohol and drug problem.

Following her character's tragic death in season three, Mischa later claimed that she departed the series because of 'bullying' behind the scenes but has never alluded to who was the bully.

Just like her alter ego, Mischa struggled during her young adult years; getting arrested in 2007 and receiving a DUI for marijuana possession and driving without a licence.

The actress, who was born in Hammersmith, London, was sent to court-ordered rehab as part of her sentence, however two years later, she was admitted to a mental health ward.

Mischa was sent to the venue under a psychiatric hold, after she started exhibiting worrisome behaviour that she later attributed to exhaustion.

The star was hospitalised again for a mental health evaluation in 2017, the same year two ex boyfriends teamed up to try and sell an intimate tape and photos of her that were taken without her consent.

Mischa successfully sued to have distribution of the video and images blocked and following the court case spoke out saying she 'came forward to fight this not only for myself but for all women out there'.

Going through a difficult private life, Mischa's career took somewhat of a backseat, starring in a number of limited-release movies and short-lived series, including The Beautiful Life: TBL, The Hills: New Beginnings, Virgin Territory and American Beach House.

In 2019 she came 11th on season 22 of Dancing With the Stars.

Summer Roberts - Rachel Bilson, 41

Rachel as Summer (left) was apparently only supposed to be a supporting character on The O.C. but after Rachel nailed the role, her character was upgraded to become one of the show's four main stars

Summer was apparently only supposed to be a supporting character on The O.C. but after Rachel nailed the role, her character was upgraded to become one of the show's four main stars.

As Marisa's best friend and the object of Seth's obsession, life later imitated art as Rachel and Adam, who played Seth, started dating before splitting in 2006.

Speaking about working with her ex while having to play his girlfriend on set, Rachel told Armchair Expert in 2021: 'We broke up at the very end so there wasn't much [for us to film] after the breakup.

'We did get married after we broke up.  That's always fun.

'They totally did that on purpose. That was the only scene left to shoot, was the wedding.

'[The writers were] like, 'You broke up? Let's give you a wedding'.'

However it seems the former couple are still on great terms as Rachel told Dax Shepherd: 'I had so much, and still do, love and respect for Adam.

'We went through so much together, being so young and everything with the show.

'And I'm so happy for him with his family and his beautiful wife and kids and everything.'

Two years after the show ended, during April and May 2009, Rachel was burgled by The Bling Ring group three to six times, amounting to between $130,000 and $300,000 of stolen property.

Rachel went on to date her Jumper co-star Hayden Christensen, with the pair dating on and off for 10 years, during which time they welcomed their daughter Briar Rose in 2014.

The two called it quits in 2017 amid reports he cheated with his Little Italy co-star Emma Roberts.

Career-wise, Rachel starred in Hart of Dixie from 2011 to 2015, had stints on How I Met Your Mother and Nashville.

In 2021, she began hosting a popular podcast, aptly titled - Welcome to the OC, B**ches - with former co-star Melinda Clarke, who played Julie Cooper.

During each show they rewatch an episode of The O.C., often with members of the cast for a delicious taste of nostalgia.

Seth Cohen - Adam Brody, 43

Adam starred as Seth Cohen (left) and dated co-star Rachel Bilson during their time on the show. Adam married Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester and the couple share two kids

Back in the day, there weren't many hetero blooded females who didn't have a crush on adorable and slightly nerdy comic-book-loving Seth, played by Adam Brody.

After splitting from co-star Rachel Bilson in 2006, Adam started dating Gossip Girl actress Leighton Meester in 2011, who he met while filming indie film The Oranges.

The couple got married in 2014 and welcomed a daughter, Arlo Day and a son, who they've yet to reveal his name but describe as their 'dream boy'.

Adam has appeared in several films as supporting roles, including Mr. & Mrs. Smith, alongside Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Jennifer's Body with Megan Fox, Scream 4 and Baggage Claim.

Most recently, he once again reprised his role as the superhero version of Freddy in the sequel Shazam! Fury of the Gods.

Ryan Attwood - Ben McKenzie, 44

Just like his former character Ryan Attwood (left), Ben's career has gone from strength to strength and the actor continues to be busy, with the actor scoring a number of leading roles

As The O.C's resident bad boy Ryan Attwood, Ben made a leather jacket and grey hoodie look really attractive.

Since the show came to an end in 2007 with his character an architect, Ben has also bagged himself a number of successful roles.

He starred in acclaimed TNT drama Southland from 2009 to 2013, and then scored the lead role on FOX's Batman prequel series Gotham.

On the set of that show he met and began dating actress Morena Baccarin. The couple got married in 2017 and share daughter Frances and son Arthur.

Ben's career continues to be busy, with the actor appearing in romantic comedy I Want You Back in 2022, and most recently scoring the leading role in The Hurt Unit, an upcoming medical drama from ABC.

Jimmy Cooper - Tate Donovan, 59

Tate had a hugely successful career before The O.C. and has continued to bag major roles ever since it ended

Tate played the Jimmy Cooper, who put on a happy-go-lucky front but was actually in mountains of debt from trying to live up The O.C.'s way of life.

The actor had many high-profile romances with Jennifer Aniston and Sandra Bullock back in in the '90s, before eventually getting hitched in 2005 to actress Corinne Kingsbury.

Sadly the couple didn't work out and they got divorce in 2008.

Following the end of The O.C, Tate has appeared in a number of incredible titles including Oscar-winning films Argo, Manchester by the Sea and Rocketman.

The star has also starred in acclaimed shows Respect, the Aretha Franklin biopic, in 2021, Damages, 24: Live Another Day, The Man in the High Castle and MacGyver.

In addition to acting, Tate is also an award-winning director, with episodes of Gossip Girl, Glee, Madam Secretary, Bloodline and more all under his belt.

Sandy Cohen - Peter Gallagher, 67

Those eyebrows are still as iconic as ever! Peter played Seth Cohen's dad and the saviour of young hoodlam Ryan Attwood

Playing everyone's favourite dad Sandy Cohen, Peter Gallagher already had a hugely successful career  including Titanic, While You Were Sleeping and American Beauty - before he starred as the lawyer-come-surfer in show The O.C.

Married to Paula Harwood since 1983, the couple have two grown up children, James and Kathryn.

The actor has appeared on shows like Rescue Me, Californication and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and even joined Grey's Anatomy as Dr. Alan Hamilton for its 18th season in 2021.

Since The O.C. he's also starred on the Netflix show Grace and Frankie and Apple TV's Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist.

This year it was announced he had joined Apple TV+ crime drama series Truth Be Told.

Kirsten Cohen - Kelly Rowan, 57

Kelly's character Kristen was a workaholic and alcoholic and was the one to usually put a dampener on things. Kelly has stayed out of the limelight since leave Orange County

As Seth Cohen's workaholic and alcoholic mother, Kelly's character Kristen went through a lot before the end of the show, which ended on a happy note with her giving birth to a baby girl.

In life imitating art, one year after the show ended Kelly also gave birth to a little girl with media mogul billionaire David Thomson.

However, the couple called it quits right before their daughter Braelin arrived.

Since the end of The O.C. Kelly landed roles in the film Perception and made an appearance on the hit show Castle.

Focused on private life and raising her daughter, Kelly's last acting credit was in 2016 for Hallmark Channel made-for-TV movie Tulips in Spring.

Julie Cooper - Melinda Clarke, 53

Melinda (right) nailed the role of Julie Cooper (left) so execs made her a main character. After leaving The O.C. Melinda starred on Nikita from 2010 to 2013, and also had minor roles in Entourage, Gotham and The Vampire Diaries

Melinda starred as Julie Cooper and she had plenty of drama in the show - including sleeping with her daughter's boyfriend.

She is another character who was only supposed to bit part at the start but secured her place by nailing the role.

Julie was KiKi's, aka Kirsten's BFF, but was married to Jimmy who was also Kirsten's ex-boyfriend, which made things really awkward.

And things got even more confusing later on when Julie married Kirsten's dad.

Following the end of the show, Melinda starred on Nikita from 2010 to 2013, and also had minor roles in Entourage, Gotham and The Vampire Diaries.

Although she hasn't appeared in anything since 2018, Melinda is enjoying success as co-host of podcast Welcome to the OC, B**ches, along with her The O.C. co-star Rachel Bilson.
In yesterday's extract from his biography of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Gareth Russell recalled how a woman better known for her love of horseracing and 'drinky-poos' displayed an iron will behind closed doors.

Adolf Hitler even called her 'the most dangerous woman in Europe'.

Here, in the second and final instalment, we reveal how the Queen Mother made an art form of getting her own way, defeating bad news and dull guests alike with an armoury of cunning tactics.

(And she had no sympathy for Prince Andrew's misbehaviour even then.)

The Queen Mother's favourite 'drinky-poo' was one-part gin to two-parts Dubonnet, a fortified wine initially developed to treat malaria in early 19th-century France

On February 6 1952, Elizabeth was having morning tea in her bedroom when the King's equerry arrived to inform her that she was a widow.

After seeing her husband's body, Elizabeth ordered that there be someone on vigil throughout so that he would 'not be left alone'. She went to the Nursery to see their two grandchildren. 'Don't cry, Grannie,' three-year-old Prince Charles comforted, before he was told that his grandfather was gone.

There were various options as to what to call Elizabeth now that she was a widowed queen. She felt that including the word 'dowager' in her new title would make her sound as old as God's governess, so she rejected it.

The suggestion of 'queen mother', first used for Charles II's mother in 1649, was proffered and accepted. Elizabeth became, officially, Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Her critics speculated that Grinners  their nickname for her  had managed to score a title whereby she was referred to as a queen twice as much as anybody else.

Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margret attend the arrival of the coffin of King George VI at Westminster Hall on February 11, 1952

Queen Elizabeth II (left) with grandmother Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother (right) at King's Cross for the train carrying King George's coffin from Sandringham

Elizabeth had no inclination whatsoever to marry again. As much as she had loved her husband, she enjoyed her independence so much that, on waking each morning, her favourite thought was: 'And what would Elizabeth like to do today?'

'She likes all homosexuals,' concluded Sir Isaiah Berlin, who was an Oxford professor until 1967, the year in which homosexuality was partially decriminalised.

Many on the Right opposed the law change, with one politician urging the Queen Mother to send a 'moral message' to the nation by firing any homosexuals on her staff.

She replied that, if she did that, she would end up having to go self-service.

During a stay with his grandmother, Prince Andrew irritated a member of the Queen Mother's stable staff until the young man, close to the Prince's age, lost his temper and hit the Prince, thereby knocking him into a pile of manure.

Andrew shouted that he would tell his grandmother about this. The next day, seeing the Queen Mother walking with her corgis, the lad went over to confess to her and offer his resignation.

After hearing him out, the Queen Mother waved her hand dismissively. 'You mustn't worry about it. I'm quite certain Prince Andrew deserved it.'

Four-year-old Prince Charles looking fed up as he sits between with aunt Princess Margaret and his grandmother, Elizabeth the Queen Mother, at the 1953 coronation

The Queen Mother with Prince Charles and Princess Anne

Prince Charles pictured with the Queen Mother and a small dog called Pippin

In her old age while dining with friends, conversation turned to a persistent rumour that has long divided historians: after the death of her first husband, Prince Albert in 1861, Queen Victoria had gone into a long mourning. Years later, she recovered through her friendship with a ghillie called John Brown.

Rumour had it that the Queen and the ghillie were not just friends but lovers, while others went further and said they had secretly married.

The latter theory of a second marriage has long been dismissed as nonsense. However, Elizabeth blithely revealed that she knew for a fact that it was true because, when she was queen, she had found documents at Balmoral that proved it.

A guest asked her what she had done with this piece of historical gold. Apparently, 'her eyes twinkled in a steely way' as she answered: 'I burned the documents.'

During the Nineties, a sotto voce 'Oh, gosh, not this again' often came from the Queen Mother as she saw yet another headline about her grandchildren or their spouses.

She did not like any of these family matters to be brought up in conversation, and had different tactics for killing the topic.

The Queen Mother and Diana Princess of Wales in the Trooping the Colour procession, 1983

The Queen Mother at Clarence House for her 101st birthday with family members including Prince Charles, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Anne, and Prince Andrew

The Queen Mother on her 94th birthday, pictured with the Queen and Prince William outside Clarence House. Princess Anne and husband Sir Timothy Laurence are directly behind

For staff, it was froideur, as an equerry learned when asked her if she had seen Prince Charles's 'tell-all' interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, broadcast the night before.

'The look she gave me could have frozen fire,' he recalls. A second later, she smiled coldly to tell him, very firmly: 'Some things are best not discussed.'

If, however, a guest brought up the latest royal scandal, the Queen Mother chose alcohol and flattery by selecting a topic that she knew interested the questioner, no matter how stultifying she found it personally, and gesturing subtly to a footman as she asked: 'Do let's have another drink, I'm longing to hear about X.'

'Have I died again?' was the Queen Mother's wryly amused query every time a news outlet misreported news of her departure.

The Queen Mother pictured wearing a pastel pink, floral jacket and hat for her 97th birthday

Prince Harry and the Queen Mother at Trooping the Colour in June 1989

Prince William, Prince Harry and Prince Charles pictured with the Queen Mother during celebrations to mark her 101st birthday. She died less than a year later on March 30 2002

Mock broadcasts were practised at the BBC in preparation for the inevitable day, and members of her household went to regular meetings to co-ordinate her state funeral.

Guessing where they were, the Queen Mother got a kick out of asking them what they had been up to that day and then watching their hibiscus-tinged embarrassment.

Towards the end of her life, she said to Billy Tallon, the footman known as 'Backstairs Billy' who had been in her service for half a century: 'We're two old dears, really, aren't we, William? But we have had some fun.'
There's something other worldly about Wes Anderson's distinctive movie style that transports you to another time - and TikTok creators can't get enough of it.

The video-sharing app has been flooded with millions of clips mimicking the filmmaker's signature symmetrical framing and color palette.

In fact on TikTok, the Wes Anderson hashtag has garnered more than 582.5 million views at the time of writing.

His use of high saturation also adds to the whimsical nature of his critically acclaimed movies, which include The Grand Budapest Hotel, The Royal Tenenbaums, The Darjeeling Limited and Moonrise Kingdom - just to name a few.

The video-sharing app has been flooded with millions of clips mimicking the filmmaker's signature symmetrical framing and color palette. Pictured is an example from @twolostkids

Sisters Thali and Gabi, from Brazil, uploaded a video mimicking Wes Anderson's style

An example of the symmetrical framing that Anderson uses from the movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel, starring Owen Wilson (center)

LA director Josh Rimmey also turned his hand at recreating the trend, with the Wes Anderson hashtag garnering more than 582.5 million views at the time of writing

His top-down shot of his woodworking tools is similar to this scene from The Grand Budapest Hotel

TikTok creators have been using the hallmarks of an Anderson movie - such as his use of title cards to introduce settings, symmetry, and front-on and top-down shots - to craft their own short films.

Many of the videos use Obituary, from Anderson's movie The French Dispatch, by composer Alexandre Desplat - a long-time collaborator of the filmmaker's - to really set the tone for viewers.

Sisters Thali and Gabi, from Brazil and known as @twolostkids on TikTok, recently posted a video showcasing their trip to Paris - but in the Wes Anderson style.

'We always pretend we're in a Wes Anderson movie - Lost in Paris,' the caption reads on the clip, which has so far been viewed more than 1.4 million.

Drawing from his use of symmetry, the two sisters stand side-by-side in matching red coats as they pull out black-and-white umbrellas at the same time and open them.

It then cuts to a title card that reads: 'Wes Anderson presents Lost In Paris directed by Two Lost Kids with Two Lost Kids.'

The video goes on to show a yellow-themed room featuring a dining room table and chairs before the camera pans 90 degrees to reveal an art-covered wall.

More meticulously shot scenes of Paris - including at the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower - continue to flash up, again perfectly framed in Anderson's symmetrical style.

Title cards also appear heavily in the clips on TikTok, which are used to set the scene in Anderson films

British actor Michael Barrymore (left) joined in on the fun on TikTok. Pictured right is a scene from Moonrise Kingdom, with Bob Balaban in the film

New York creator Tori Romo, 25, also took a leaf out of Anderson's book and uploaded a video titled 'Things In Tori's Life That Don't Make Sense.'

In a nod to the filmmaker, a man's voice begins to narrate over footage of a smiling Tori in a light blue sweater, saying: 'There are things in Tori's life that don't make sense.'

As she slaps down two Jane Austen novels, the voice continues: 'She owns two copies of Pride And Prejudice. Yet she hasn't read either of them.'

'She despises apples and refuses to eat them unless they are sliced,' the man says as Tori pretends to gag while trying to bite into the fruit.

'On dating apps she physically has to swipe right on a man if his name is Matt, which is funny because nothing has ever worked out with a Matt.'

The clip progresses with Tori lying down on a couch, with the narrator saying: 'In Tori's first therapy session, she was asked, "Is there anything else I should know about you?" To which she said, "I'm worried I'm a self-aware narcissist."

'He laughed, "Well, that's impossible, those don't exist."

New York creator Tori Romo , 25, also took a leaf out of Anderson's book and uploaded a video titled 'Things In Tori's Life That Don't Make Sense'

Tori's use of color is a nod to the eye-catching sets on Anderson's films, such as this scene from The Royal Tenenbaums. This scene features Luke Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller and Gene Hackman

'"Wow," she thought, "I know more than my own therapist." Her second therapist told her, "You don't need therapy. You seem fine." What the - ?'

Tori's video has been view more than 1.1 million times, at the time of writing, and people were loving her take on the Wes Anderson genre.

'I'm obsessed with this narration,' one fan wrote.

'How did you get Wes Anderson to direct???' another person quipped.

'This is the best piece of content I've seen in days,' a third comment read.

Others compared the TikTok to French favorite Amelie and the Lee Pace-led show Pushing Daisies.

'I LOVE this!!!! I can't put my finger on all the movies it reminds me of but one would have to be Amelie,' one TikTok user said.

New York City photographer Ava Williams featured her journey on 'the first train along the Shoreline East to Grand Central Terminal'

She also shares some shots of her on the train, reminiscent of Anderson's style

Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and Adrien Brody in the 2007 film, The Darjeeling Limited

Someone else added: 'This is very Pushing Daisies.'

Los Angeles-based director Josh Rimmey, who co-founded Black Coffee Productions, also tried to his hand at the Wes Anderson trend.

'You better not be acting like you're in a Wes Anderson film in your wood shop,' the text overlay reads, with a sheepish-looking Josh appearing.

The 30-second video, which has been viewed more than 1.9 million times so far, begins with: 'The shop, 5.30pm (PST).'

It then cuts to some very Anderson-esque shots, including a top-down scene showing off his woodworking tools - similar to the one seen in The Grand Budapest Hotel where Saoirse Ronan's Agatha bakes prison-break tools into some pastries to aid Gustave's (Ralph Fiennes) escape.

Again his video features the symmetrical framing that Anderson is famous for, but in this case it features Josh putting on his over-the-ear hearing protection and wood being cut by a circular saw.

Another creator Illeleana Karis also got in on the fun, posting a satirical video titled: 'How to get away with murder (serial killer guide).'

Another shot from @twolostkids's video showing a yellow-themed dining room

Jason Schwartzman, Jude Law and Wes Anderson on the the set of The Grand Budapest Hotel

It begins with a top-down shot of a filled teacup and saucer, and a narrator saying in a tongue-in-cheek tone: 'There are a few simple rules you must follow.

'Rule number one: pick a location, preferably a location that is more remote. Some examples: a farm or an island, if you're rich enough.

'Rule number two: don't leave a mess. If you're going to do, be discreet. Nobody wants to clean up a huge pile of blood and splattered brains on the wall.

'And finally, the last and most important rule: don't be stupid. Remember every single tiny detail of your performance, make sure your work isn't traceable. You wouldn't want to be caught, would you?'

Illeleana's video, which has been seen 14.9 million, is littered with references to Anderson's films.

Josh's video features a satisfying symmetrical shot of a circular saw

Another creator Illeleana Karis also got in on the fun, posting a satirical video titled: 'How to get away with murder (serial killer guide)'

Illeleana 's video, which has been seen 14.9 million, is littered with references to Anderson's films

New York City photographer Ava Williams and British actor Michael Barrymore also paid homage to the director with their own takes.

Ava's featured her journey on 'the first train along the Shoreline East to Grand Central Terminal,' according to her Anderson-inspired title card, adding the time: '6:45am.'

It then features front-on shots of her standing on the platform, looking into the camera, as well as on the train.

Michael's video was similarly train-heavy, with him walking up the stairs at the station and on his commute with pitstops throughout London.

One TikTok creator known as @esno.art has shared a video about 'how to create the perfect Wes Anderson edit,' which has been seen more than 535,000 times so far.

'Symmetry is a very important tool in Wes Anderson movies, so find things that have lines that you can use,' the creator begins.

One TikTok creator known as @esno.art has shared a video about 'how to create the perfect Wes Anderson edit,' which has been seen more than 535,000 times so far

As well as considering symmetry, the creator recommends using music by Alexandre Desplat, a long-time Anderson collaborator

'And a very crucial thing is always to turn 90 or 180 degrees when you make a cut. Never film at angle but point the camera straight at the subject so all lines are straight.

'Use music by Alexandre Desplat, either from The Grand Budapest Hotel or The French Dispatch, like the sound that's trending right now.

'Most of the clips should be static, so avoid any shaky handheld footage and if you want to use any movement it should be smooth and very slow where you track the subject along the frame.

'Find buildings, landscapes or interiors that have some color, preferably some warm and earthy tones and clothes and objects that have a vintage look, along with the pastel colors.

'In the color grading, you can be creative and use a hint of green and yellow in the shadows and midtones with a bit of magenta in the highlights and skin tones.'
Longtime couple Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos have a reputation for gloating about their wild sex life and spilling sordid details about their romance - but when it came their debut week as co-hosts on Live, the pair were anything but titillating.

Within the first minutes of their first official show together, Kelly and Mark, both 52, were inundated with criticism from fans - who were swift to slam their cheesy jokes, 'painfully fake banter' and 'cringey PDA' and that was just in the first episode.

Some may have put it down to first-day jitters - but as it turns out, that bitter backlash was just the tip of the critical iceberg.

In the days since their first show, which saw Mark taking over from his wife's longtime co-host Ryan Seacrest, the pair have faced a barrage of negative feedback, ranging from outrage over their three-day-per-week filming schedule to boredom over their 'mundane' chit chat.

Longtime couple Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa have finished their first week as co-hosts, after Mark took over for Ryan Seacrest on the morning show Live With Kelly and Mark

The new version of the show was panned by viewers - some of whom branded Mark and Kelly as 'phony' and 'inauthentic' and others who slammed them for talked about 'mundane things'

From being slammed for 'never saying anything of substance' to Kelly receiving fierce criticism over 'interrupting' her husband, here's a look back at their catastrophic first week as co-hosts

On Mark's first day, he and his wife chatted about a stroll they had taken together through Central Park the day before.

On his second, they debated about the actor's snoring problem. And later in the week, they spent a big chunk of the show reflecting on what they missed most from their childhoods - and the monotonous discussions are certainly a far cry from the salacious conversations they've had in the past.

From dishing on the most unusual places they've had sex to sharing intimate stories from their bedroom, the couple - who tied the knot in 1996 after meeting on the set of All My Children - have bared it all over the years, but it seems as though they're taking on a much more wholesome image for the show.

And it has not gone over well with fans. Kelly and Mark's squeaky-clean new persona has left many of their viewers 'yawning' - and when they did make a subtle joke about their sexual endeavors, it was slammed as 'lame' and 'uncomfortable.'

Since Mark's first day as co-host on Monday, Twitter has been flooded with tons of angry messages from people who called the show a 'big flop' and begged for Ryan to come back - and some even asked the network to cancel it once and for all.

As the actor's first week comes to an end, FEMAIL went ahead and recapped the disastrous start that the couple has had as co-hosts.

From being slammed for 'never saying anything of substance' to Kelly receiving fierce criticism over 'interrupting' her husband, here's a look back her and Mark's catastrophic first week as co-hosts.

Day one - 'Husband and wife working together doesn't work': Almost immediately, viewers became repulsed by the couple's 'painful fake banter' and slammed Kelly for constantly 'interrupting' her husband

Not into it: Mark's first day was on Monday, April 17, and almost instantly, fans decided that the pairing 'didn't work'

'Husband and wife working [as co-hosts] doesn't work,' one person wrote on Twitter right after it premiered. 'They have same daily experience. Why would it be interesting?'

No thanks: Others admitted the first episode almost put them to sleep, while some were repulsed by the couple's 'fake banter'

Mark's first day was on Monday, April 17, and almost instantly, fans decided that the pairing 'didn't work.'

'Husband and wife working [as co-hosts] doesn't work,' one person wrote on Twitter right after it premiered. 'They have same daily experience. Why would it be interesting?'

Others admitted the first episode almost put them to sleep, while some were repulsed by the couple's 'fake banter.'

'Painful. They never say anything of substance... Just fake banter,' someone else tweeted, while another user simply said, 'Yawn.'

'Your first show sucked. Remember the days with Regis [Philbin], when real social and news issues were discussed?' recalled another person.

'Not bedtime eating and sleeping habits or a walk in Central Park, or the many other mundane things that were conversed about. Big fail.'

'The show is basically a morning show on these two's boring life. It isn't going to cut it,' stated someone else.

'Ryan gave us a different view and a different way of doing things. Kelly and Mark are one agreeable voice. Ryan had different interests,' one user explained.

'I don't know if it's just me, but the on-camera chemistry was just not there,' a different tweet read. 'Seemed very forced.'

'Look up gibberish in the dictionary and you'll see a picture of these tow. I've never heard two people talk for so long and actually say nothing,' scathed another person.

'Let him speak!': Others were furious that Kelly kept 'interrupting' her husband

During the episode, the couple opened up about a recent visit to Central Park they took together. But as Mark told the audience about the date, Kelly cut him off on multiple occasions

Overbearing: 'We used to run through the park, but now we're -' he said, before Kelly interjected, 'We used to chase each other'

'They're as authentic as a $3 bill,' someone else said, while a different person agreed, 'These two are the phoniest on all television.'

'They looked like actors in the Truman Show. Creepy,' wrote another user.

Others were furious that Kelly kept 'interrupting' her husband. During the episode, the couple opened up about a recent visit to Central Park they took together. But as Mark told the audience about the date, Kelly quickly cut him off.

'We used to run through the park, but now we're -' he said, before Kelly joined in, 'We used to chase each other.'

'We saw some people who we used to see run and they were now also walking,' Mark continued.

But then, Kelly interjected again. She said: 'It's so funny how, I don't know if it's age or our knees, whatever it is, time.

'We were big runners but yesterday I we weren't even power-walking. Nobody was sweating.'

People quickly started slamming the mother-of-three for being so overbearing.

'I am so happy to see Mark and Kelly this morning... But Kelly, could you please let him talk? OMG,' wrote one disgruntled viewer.

'Let him start and finish a story his way... It's the only way it's going to work.'

Another tweeted: 'Every time Kelly interrupts Mark, take a shot.'

'Kelly, please let Mark finish his sentences,' someone else begged. 'Otherwise, this is gonna be hard to watch every day.'

Day two - 'So you're going to talk about your love life all morning?' Fans continued to be turned off by Kelly and Mark's 'insufferable' conversations, especially when they spent a good chunk of the episode discussing his snoring

During Tuesday's episode, fans continued to be turned off by Kelly and Mark's 'insufferable' conversations - especially when they spent a good chunk of time discussing Mark's snoring

After Kelly revealed that her husband often keeps her up at night, she actually pulled out her phone and started playing a clip of his loud snoring that she had recorded the night before

During Tuesday's episode, fans continued to be turned off by Kelly and Mark's 'insufferable' conversations - especially when they spent a good chunk of the series discussing Mark's snoring in detail.

After Kelly revealed that her husband often keeps her up at night, she actually pulled out her phone and started playing a clip of his loud snoring that she had recorded the night before for the audience.

'Most nights, that's how I wake up. That's my mid-evening alarm,' she said. 'First I hit the bed, that doesn't do the trick so then I shove my foot into the side of him, which re-positions him.

'But then that makes the sound louder. It goes into surround sound. What I find works lately, I push my finger into him and for some reason that works, it wakes him up.'

'So you guys will talk about your marriage and life at home all morning?' one disapproving viewer asked afterwards. 'Maybe you two need a reality show [instead].'

'You guys are going to talk about your personal love life and life at home all morning?' another person scathed.

'So you guys will talk about your marriage and life at home all morning?' one disapproving viewer asked afterwards. 'Maybe you two need a reality show [instead]'

Someone else said: 'I've been watching since before Kelly but I think it's time to move on.

'I love Kelly and Mark but I'm a widow, I look to this show to cheer me up and make me smile.

'Two days in and I'm sick of hearing about their perfect love, life, and family. It's too much.'

'Kelly is an a**hole for playing her husband snoring. I'm so done with this show,' read a fourth tweet, while a fifth simply said, 'Cringe.'

A different user said they'd rather be tortured than watch the rest of the show, adding, 'It's so bad, this has to be two of the most insufferable people on TV. Nobody should fake smiles this much.'

'Thanks, no thanks,' tweeted another viewer. 'It's time for a clean slate with hosts that make sense, are more concerned in the show than with themselves, and don't turn it into inappropriate discussions about their "private" time.'

Day three - 'The show is becoming creepy': Kelly and Mark got intimate during a session of couple's yoga, but people were not amused with their 'unnatural' and 'awkward' PDA

Stretch it out: Things got a little steamy during Wednesday's episode. The pair participated in a session of couple's yoga together, but the segment was met with even more criticism

The couple showed off their moves as Colleen Saidman and Rodney Yee, who created the company Yoga Shanti together, instructed them

And Kelly couldn't help but make a very cheeky joke about it. While discussing the exercise before-hand, she said she wanted to give it a try so she could make herself more 'bendy'

Things got a little steamy during Wednesday's episode of Live With Kelly in Mark. The pair participated in a session of couple's yoga together, but the segment was met with even more criticism on social media.

The couple showed off their moves as Colleen Saidman and Rodney Yee, who created the company Yoga Shanti together, instructed them - and Kelly couldn't help but make a very cheeky joke about it.

While discussing the exercise before-hand, she said she wanted to give it a try so she could make herself more 'bendy' - and Mark's mind quickly went to a dirty place over her admission.

'I'm bendy but I think I could be bendier, you know what I mean?' Kelly asked her husband, who replied, 'Yeah,' before turning to smirk at the audience.

Ooh-la-la: Mark's mind quickly went to a dirty place over her admission. He smirked and turn to the audience before they both started giggling

People were not amused with the couple's PDA, with one person branding it as 'creepy and off-putting' and another calling it 'unnatural and awkward'

The two of them giggled as the viewers started cheering, and after a long moment of awkward silence, Kelly added, 'I'm flexy but I'm not as flexible as I should be.'

People were not amused with the couple's PDA, with one person branding it as 'creepy and off-putting' and another calling it 'unnatural and awkward.'

'The show is becoming creepy. The hand holding and the googly eyes. It's very off putting,' wrote one user.

'Its just so weird. They seem very a unnatural, awkward, and enough of the PDA. Its like theyre trying so hard to make it work and its just not hitting,' someone else agreed.

'I see Mark holding your hand, your wrist, your leg,' another person tweeted to Kelly.

'Feels cringy like, "You're mine." The awkwardness is the hand holding and leg touching moments.'

Day four - 'Life must be good to only have to work three days a week': People were left furious after it was revealed the show pre-tapes two out of its five shows, which meant the couple only works three days a week

Social media users were left outraged after it was revealed during Thursday morning's episode that the couple only work three days a week

At the start of the show, the words 'previously recorded' flashed across the screen. And since it never films live on Fridays - that means two out of the five episodes were taped in advance

'Three day a week contract, what a joke,' raged one person on Twitter. Someone else said, 'It would be nice for the shows to actually be live and not prerecorded'

According to the show's upcoming filming schedule, Kelly and Mark will indeed only be filming three days per week

Social media users were left outraged after it was revealed during Thursday morning's episode that the couple only work three days a week.

At the start of the show, the words 'previously recorded' flashed across the screen. And since Live With Kelly and Mark never films live on Fridays - that means two out of the five episodes this week were taped in advance, despite the show having the word 'live' in its name.

One person raged on Twitter afterwards, 'Three day a week contract, what a joke.'

'It would be nice for the shows to actually be live and not prerecorded,' said someone else.

Another disgruntled user wrote, 'Fourth show and @kellymarklive already isnt live. Why not just record five in one day and call it a week?'

'Not even one week in and already onto "previously recorded." I guess this gig is not that important to them,' read a fourth tweet, while a fifth said, 'Why call it Live With Kelly and Mark when it is not live? Pre-recorded just does not mean live.'

'So Live With Kelly and Mark isn't really "live" huh? Life must be good to only have to work three days a week,' stated a different user.

Someone else called it 'very disappointing,' adding, 'Maybe change the name.'

According to the show's upcoming filming schedule, Kelly and Mark will indeed only be filming three days per week.

The calendar shows them in studio on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week, and on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday the week after that.

Day five - 'I think it's time to retire this show': As the week came to an end, fans begged for the show to be canceled, with one calling it 'doomed' and another hailing it as a 'horrific decision' to put Kelly and Mark together

During the final episode of the week, Kelly and Mark sat down for couples therapy, during which, Mark spoke about how 'cold' his wife could be after they argue

Kelly and Mark were joined by their therapist, Dr. Linda Carter, and they got real about the problems they've had to face and aired some of their dirty laundry live on TV

During the final episode of the week, Kelly and Mark sat down for couples therapy, during which, Mark spoke about how 'cold' his wife could be after they argue, and she admitted he can be too clingy sometimes.

During their conversation with Dr. Carter, Kelly asked the New York-based psychologist what couples who work together should do if they get into a fight right before heading to their jobs

They were joined by their therapist, Dr. Linda Carter - who they said they've been speaking to for around a year - and they got real about many of the problems they've had to face throughout their 27-year romance and aired some of their dirty laundry live on TV.

During their conversation with Dr. Carter, Kelly asked the New York-based psychologist what couples who work together should do if they get into a fight right before heading to their jobs so they can ensure the tension doesn't trickle over into the work place.

'Let's say a couple has an argument at home and let's say they have to go to work together. What's the best way to deal with that?' she asked.

Dr. Carter responded, 'It's really important to have a ritual, something to tell the other person that things are fine, the argument is over, maybe by holding hands, squeezing their partner's hand - a signal.'

Mark then revealed that he and Kelly once had a 'disagreement' before they had to go to a 'public dinner party' together

He said he tried to tell his wife that he was 'done with the argument' by taking her hand, however, his gesture was not returned. He said: 'What I felt was the coldest, deadest hand'

Kelly also admitted that Mark can be too clingy once in a while. After asking Dr. Carter for tips on how couples can manage being together 24/7, she said she 'sometimes' struggles with that

'What if the argument isn't over though?' Kelly continued, to which the doctor explained, 'Then it can be a signal that says, "We'll get back to this later but for now we're putting it on hold."'

Mark then revealed that he and Kelly once had a 'disagreement' before they had to go to a 'public dinner party' together.

He said he tried to tell his wife that he was 'done with the argument' by doing just what she suggested, taking her hand during the event, however, his gesture was not returned.

'What I felt on the other side of my warmth was the coldest, deadest hand,' he said. 'When she's happy with me, she gives me a squeeze, a little touch.

'[But that night] it was like a corpse. I was holding a corpse. She does it on purpose.'

During the chat, Kelly also admitted that Mark can be too clingy once in a while. After asking Dr. Carter for tips on how couples can manage being together 24/7 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the actress explained that she 'sometimes' struggles with that herself.

'Sometimes, if I go into another room to get space, somebody walks in right behind me,' she said, turning to Mark, who admitted, 'Yeah I do that.'

As Mark's first week came to an end, fans begged for the show to be canceled on social media, with one calling it 'doomed' and another hailing it as a 'horrific decision' to put them together

But he promised that next time Kelly tells him she 'needs a minute,' he's going to leave her alone.

As Mark's first week came to an end, fans begged for the show to be canceled on social media, with one calling it 'doomed' and another hailing it as a 'horrific decision' to put Kelly and Mark together.

'Having two spouses with the same stories makes for a boring and uninteresting show,' the latter added. 'Someone needs to step in and stop this train wreck.'

'This show is so cringe,' someone else wrote following Friday's episode. 'Second-hand embarrassment for all.'

'How anyone stomach watching this show is beyond me,' said another person. 'Barf city.'

'It's time to retire this show,' read a different tweet.

Once again, Kelly and Mark's PDA was also brought up by numerous social media users, with one person begging, 'Be professional and keep your hands off each other.'

'You don't need to hold hands and keep touching each other,' someone else wrote. 'We know you're married.'
Princess Eugenie has shared the first glimpse of her one-year-old niece, Sienna Mapelli Mozzi, in a photo celebrating Earth Day.

The 33-year-old mother and aunt revealed that Sienna and her two-year-old cousin August 'love going to the London Zoo' in a photo of the pair watching the penguins swimming around in Regent's Park.

The pair look on as a penguin glides past them on the other side of the glass - although Sienna's attention appears to be on something just out of shot.

The daughter of Princess Beatrice, 34, and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, 39, has a thick head of strawberry blonde hair.

As she stands at the enclosure, she looks wrapped up in a white teddy fleece jacket with a hood, light blue jeans and fleece-lined boots.

Cousin love! Princess Eugenie posted a sweet snap of Sienna Mapelli Mozzi, one, and her older cousin August Brooksbank, two, at London Zoo to celebrate Earth Day

The tot stands next to her older cousin, August, two, as he also watches the penguins while dressed in a thick jacket, dark jeans and mini Doc Marten boots.

Posting a series of photos to celebrate Earth Day, Princess Eugenie wrote of the snap of the cousins: 'August and his cousin Sienna love going to the London Zoo. It's part of the Zoological Society of London, a global wildlife conservation charity that helps to restore habitats and protect wildlife. Every time you visit you are supporting their work.'

In the other photos, Princess Eugenie shows little August enjoying a BBC Earth experience, an immersive screening from the BBC's Natural History Unit.

Eugenie also posted a photo of August walking through a picturesque woodland landscape with his father Jack and the family dog

Elsewhere, Princess Eugenie posted a photo of herself examining oysters as part of her Earth Day celebratory post

The final photo in the series is a snap of little August walking with his father, Jack Brooksbank and the family Labrador through a picturesque woodland filled with blossoms.

She wrote of the last photo: 'Because I love them and they love nature.'

Elsewhere Eugenie posted a photo of herself examining oysters as part of her work into coastal conservation.

She wrote: 'Who knew oysters were so cool... one oyster can clean up to 200L of water a day.

'Blue Marine Foundation are leading an initiative called Solent Seascape Project which is restoring coastal marine life with a collection of partners making it one of the most ambitious environmental projects in the UK!'

Eugenie's post comes after she revealed earlier this year that she is teaching little August about the environment.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, the daughter of Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson said giving birth to her son August in 2021 'totally changed' her outlook on the environment.

She said: 'My son's going to be an activist from two years old, which is in a couple of days. Everything is for them, right? Every decision we now make has to be about how August is going to be able to live his life.'

The Duke of York's daughter said that becoming a mother has made her more concerned for communities vulnerable to climate change in a discussion with Reuters IMPACT and Arctic Humanity at Risk Basecamp.

Eugenie, speaking with Reuters editor-at-large Axel Threlfall and Arctic Humanity founder Gail Whiteman, said: 'My son's going to be an activist from two years old, which is in a couple of days. So, he, everything is for them.

'I talked to Peter Thomson, the UN Special Envoy for Oceans and all he says to me is that I do this for my grandchildren. And that's the same.

'Every decision we now make has to be for whether August, what he's going to be able to look at and do and how he's going to live his life.

'But I think also as a mother, you all of a sudden, totally you change, your hormones change, everything changes.

'Like now I'm scared of flying and things like that and I would never be before.'

And she will no doubt raise her second child, due this summer, to be an environmental activist as well.
Amelia Spencer is back from her honeymoon in paradise - but she hasn't touched down at home quite yet.

The model, 30, was reunited with her twin sister Eliza last night as the pair donned all their finery to attend a fashion show in Barcelona.

As Princess Diana's nieces oozed glamour while posing for photos on the red carpet, Amelia still had her honeymoon glow as she donned a burgundy gown at the Pronovias event.

The cut-out asymmetric frock, which was glittery and clinched at the waist, was paired with black pumps.

The newlywed wore her blonde locks in a low, sleek bun as she posed for photos, and sported dazzling diamond and ruby earrings.

Amelia Spencer and her twin sister Eliza Spencer, both 30, oozed with glamour as they attended the Pronovias show at Barcelona Bridal Fashion Week

Meanwhile Eliza was dripping in elegance next to her sister as she opted for a sequinned black frock with a plunging neckline and a slit up the side.

Amelia's twin opted to wear her hair down and parted in the middle as it hung down her back. She also accessorised with dangling diamond earrings.

The sisters attended the Pronovias show at Bridal Fashion Week in Barcelona, Spain.

And newlywed Amelia knows a thing or two about bridal gowns after donning a lace dress from Atelier Versace to wed Greg Mallett, 30, in South Africa last month at a lavish ceremony.

In recent weeks, Amelia has been sharing photos of her heavenly-looking honeymoon in the Maldives with her new husband as they relaxed in crystal clear blue waters.

Lady Amelia Spencer (left) posed with Amandin Chayon (centre) and Eliza Spencer (right) at the Barcelona event

In the snaps, Lady Amelia could be seen relaxing in a pool while wearing a pink bikini, while in others, she donned a white bathing suit as she hopped onto a jet ski on the turquoise sea.

In another photograph, her new personal trainer husband Greg can be seen showing off his incredible physique on the beach.

Other snaps show the excited Greg taking photographs of the resort, as well as another image which shows the personal trainer showcasing his wedding ring with a wide grin on his face.

In her first Instagram post since sharing her wedding photographs, the socialite took to her social media profile to offer a glimpse of her honeymoon to her 56,000 followers.

'The first few days of our magical honeymoon @coco_resorts #cocomoments,' she captioned the collection of picturesque images.

In one photograph the affectionate couple share a kiss while standing in the sea, and others showed the newlyweds enjoying breakfast in a pool.

In one snap, Amelia can be seen showing off her physique in an ivory ribbed one-piece while standing in a pool in front of a backdrop of waves. In another, the beauty poses as she enjoys the sun in the same infinity pool.

There are also plenty of couple pictures, with one sweet photo capturing a kiss the newlyweds shared on a night out.
A woman whose bra size is 28GG (28J in the US) has revealed some people think she's lying about her cup size.

Jen Warnes, who posts videos on TikTok reviewing bras for women with bigger breasts, revealed some people tell her she is attention-seeking with her content.

In her most recent video, Jen posted a comment left by a viewer on one of her videos which said: 'She's not a J cup. Just wants attention by claiming to have a larger chest than she really has.'

She then went on to demonstrate that the person who left the comment was in the wrong, by trying on a new 28J bra and explaining how it fits perfectly.

Although Jen is from the UK, she uses both US and UK measurements to explain sizings to her followers, with 28J in the US being 28GG in the UK.

Jen Warnes, who posts bra reviews for larger cup sizes on TikTok, revealed some people do not believe she really wears a size 28GG (28J) but explained most people don't understand how bra sizes work

At the beginning of the video, Jen says: 'Am I really a J cup or am I just doing it for attention? I'll let you decide that!'

She then presents to the camera a new pink bra and shows the label, which says the item is indeed a US size 28J.

In the next shot, she tries on the bra and explains that the underwire fits flat against her chest and the cups entirely surround her breast tissue.

She says: 'The reason why you think I might be lying is that we are so used to being put in the wrong bra size that we just have no perception of what the correct size actually looks like.'

Now she is wearing a second bra, which she reveals does not fit very well and points out the ways in which it doesn't best support her.

She points out that the underwire does not sit flat on her chest and revealed that when she used to wear it, she would be 'constantly readjusting throughout the day'.

Jen says: 'It actually pokes into my tissue and the band rides up my back.'

Going back to the original comment, she says: 'You're right, I am doing it for attention.'

Jen then explains she is actively trying to bring attention to her page so other women with small frames and large breasts can 'find things that fit them'.

Responding to Jen's video, commenters supported her message and agreed that many women don't understand bra sizes.

One person said: 'Guarantee the commenter isnt wearing their correct size.'

Another told her: 'You go girl! People have been brainwashed to think theres no size above DDD.'
The researchers found that almost all of the studies exceeded that standard

Face masks may raise the risk of stillbirths, testicular dysfunction and cognitive decline in children, 'explosive' new research suggests.

A review of dozens of studies on face coverings suggested they can cause mild carbon dioxide poisoning when worn over long periods.

The German academics who carried out the research believe masks create a pocket of dead space between the mouth and mask, which traps the toxic gas.

They say the build-up of CO2 in pregnant women's bodies could cause complications for the unborn fetus. They point out that CO2 also contributes to oxidative stress, which can affect cognition and cause testicular issues in men.

But independent doctors have questioned the conclusions of the study  which never directly looked at health complications and mask use, describing the link as 'unlikely'.

One study the German researchers looked at found that just 0.3 percent prolonged CO2 exposure to both pregnant rats and young mice led to brain damage, heightened anxiety and poorer memory. Another found that male mice exposed to 2.5 percent CO2 for four hours  equal to 0.5 percent for humans  resulted in the destruction of testicular cells and sperm. A third study found that three percent CO2 (equivalent of 0.8 percent for humans) in pregnant rats caused stillbirth and birth defects

Alluding to the surge in stillbirths during the pandemic, the German researchers said: 'Circumstantial evidence exists that popular mask use may be related to current observations of a significant rise of 28 percent to 33 percent in stillbirths worldwide.'

'[And] reduced verbal, motor, and overall cognitive performance of two full standard deviations in scores in children born during the pandemic,' the researchers wrote in the paper, published in the journal Heliyon.

But the study could not conclusively prove that the masks were directly responsible for any of these complications.

Dr Stuart Fischer, an emergency care physician in New York, questioned whether there was a 'toxic buildup' of CO2.

He said: 'I wouldnt say this happens, because the body adjusts the pH, the acid/base balance very quickly. Respiratory acidosis due to facemasks is unlikely although short-term side effects might affect people with chronic lung disease.'

The German research team gathered data from 43 previously published studies on exposure to CO2, mask-wearing and pregnancy.

They found that after wearing a mask for more than five minutes, CO2 levels in the inhaled air rose to between 1.4 percent and 3.2 percent.

One mask study conducted in Germany, researchers measured the CO2 concentration of air behind surgical masks worn by 15 healthy men. Within 30 minutes, the CO2 concentration rose to roughly 2.8-3.2 percent.

In another study in Italy, scientists measured the air under surgical masks worn in a lab and found a concentration between 0.22 and 0.29 percent within five minutes.

Masks provide breathing resistance and create a dead space that traps CO2, leading to more inhaled and re-breathed CO2, the reviewers said.

The gas makes up around 0.04 percent of all inhaled air, for comparison, and the Department of Agriculture said safe levels should be below 0.5 percent for eight-hour exposure.

One study found that exposure to 0.48 percent CO2 for 10 minutes daily for 20 days in pregnant guinea pigs led to stillbirth and birth defects in 68 percent of pups

The researchers then looked at studies that focused on the effect of similar CO2 levels on animals such as mice and rats.

Mammals such as mice and rats with prolonged exposed to 0.3 percent carbon dioxide gave birth to offspring which had 'irreversible neuron damage', the review found.

In total, the researchers looked at studies dating back from the start of the scientific databases they searched until November 30, 2021.

The main caveat of the research is that the studies looking at the potential toxic effects of carbon dioxide are animal studies - because these experiments would not be ethical in humans.

The researchers also noted that none of the studies in their review looked directly at mask use and miscarriages, infertility and neurodevelopment disorders.

The researchers also noted that the exact effects of toxic levels of CO2 on unborn life is not known in great detail.

Carbon dioxide is known to contribute to oxidative stress, which the researchers suggested would hinder fetal development.

Dr Kevin Bass, cell and molecular biology PhD student, said on Twitter that the new paper was 'explosive'.

But he said: 'We do not have any good evidence in pregnant women... of the long-term effects of mask-wearing and therefore no evidence that these effects occur in women.'

He added: 'All we have are animal studies and a clear indication that changes in CO2 concentrations do occur in mask-wearing women.'

Stillbirths and pregnancy complications rose during the Covid pandemic, and preeclampsia and other pregnancy complications were blamed on the virus.

Factors other than mask-wearing are likely to be at play, such as hospital closures and delayed care.

It comes after three years of fierce debate about the effectiveness of masks.

The biggest review by the Cochrane Institute, the 'gold standard' of evidence-based reviews, based in London, found they made little to no difference to infections but smaller studies suggest there is a lower risk of catching Covid.

Mask mandates on transportation systems in America were backed by penalties of up to $3,000 for repeat offenders.

Former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr Anthony Fauci initially advised people not to wear masks, which he later claimed because he was concerned there would not be enough for healthcare workers.

He went on to advise that everyone should wear a mask.
Illegal nasal tanning sprays are being sold online for as little as 20, MailOnline can reveal today.

Products branded as containing melanotan-2, an artificial hormone that accelerates tanning, were being openly advertised on the likes of websites like Etsy and Depop.

The substance, which can also come as injections or powders, is banned in some countries, including the UK, US and Australia, because of the serious side effects it can trigger, including kidney damage.

Under British law, it is illegal to sell the hormone. Anyone caught breaking the rules can face up to two years in jail and an unlimited fine.

But it is not illegal to buy the substance, which works by boosting the production of melanin  the pigment which darkens skin.

MailOnline discovered one UK-based seller on Etsy using the site to advertise 25 10mg sprays of the illicit tanning drug melanotan 'to help with a natural tan'. The 'handmade' sprays were the 'highest quality made in sterile and lab conditions to ensure safety and sterility,' it said

Another UK-based seller promised 'a golden sun kissed tan within as little as one week'. The 'handmade' nasal spray was available in three separate strengths: 'double strength' for 20; 'triple strength' at 25 or 'extreme strength' for 30

Gyms and salons have also been caught selling it in recent years.

Influencers including Geordie Shore stars Bethan Kershaw and Charlotte Crosby have previously promoted the sprays and injections to their millions of followers as a way to fast-track tanning.

Experts warn that, because they are not regulated, unlicensed melanotan products could contain other harmful chemicals that arent listed on the label.

MailOnline discovered one UK-based seller on Etsy advertising 25 10mg sprays of melanotan 'to help with a natural tan'.

What is melanotan-2? The synthetic hormone works by stimulating pigment cells in the skin, causing them to produce more of the melanin that gives skin its darker colour. Melanotan is a synthetic hormone used for tanning that works by increasing the levels of melanin, a natural dark pigment in the skin. This pigment is part of the bodys natural response to the sun, and increasing levels of melanin results in skin darkening or tanning. There are 2 types of melanotan  melanotan I and melanotan II. It is currently illegal to sell tan injections such as melanotan, as this product is unlicensed. Melanotan is illegal in the UK because it has not been tested for safety, quality or effectiveness and no one knows what the possible side effects are or how serious they could be. The MHRA tests medical products in the UK. They are warning people not to use melanotan and they say that the product is being 'advertised and sold illegally'. Source: Cancer Research UK and NHS Advertisement

The 'handmade' sprays claimed to be the 'highest quality made in sterile and lab conditions to ensure safety and sterility', it said.

They were also '99.8 per cent purity mixed with 10ml specialist high grade laboratory water', the seller claimed.

And another UK-based seller promised 'a golden sun kissed tan within as little as one week'.

The 'handmade' spray was sold in 'double strength' for 20; 'triple strength' at 25 or 'extreme strength' for 30.

MailOnline understands nasal tanning sprays are prohibited by the marketplace and it will be removing the listings.

Etsy also told MailOnline it will be working to remove any additional listings for nasal tanning sprays.

Under each product, the website also adds a disclaimer which claims that 'sellers are responsible for the following applicable laws and regulations'.

This includes 'properly labelling and disclosing the ingredients of their ingestible products, as applicable', it said.

The website also states: 'Etsy assumes no responsibility for the accuracy or contents of seller's labelling or listing.

'Always read labels, warnings, directions and other information provided with the product before using it.

'If you have any questions, or are concerned about potential allergens or other ingredients, message the seller.'

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), which polices the safety of medicines used in Britain, has previously branded melanotan 'dangerous'.

It has also taken action to remove melanotan products from the market for over 10 years.

But it can only take action if a product falls under the definition of a medicine and is not appropriately licensed in the UK.

Between 2011-2021, the watchdog received 13 reports of suspected adverse drug reactions related to melanotan products via its Yellow Card scheme.

Symptoms listed in these reports included nausea, abdominal pain, anxiety, flushing and dizziness.

But using the substance can even result in kidney damage.

And in some cases experts have seen the drug cause the enlargement of moles and freckles which can increase the risk of skin cancer.

Influencers including Geordie Shore star Charlotte Crosby have previously promoted the sprays and injections to their millions of followers as a way to fast-track tanning

Last year Geordie Shore star, Bethan Kershaw, also told her social media followers she had used sprays from a company called Real Tan

MailOnline found one advert on Depop from a seller in South Lanarkshire, Scotland which promoted the 'UltraTan Nasal Spray Melanotan2 nasal spray'. It promised a 'sun kissed tan all year round' and for '25 per bottle you wont be disappointed with the results,' they added

On its website, Depop insists it prohibits the sale of drugs and drugs paraphernalia. But MailOnline found the nasal sprays openly accessible to purchase

In another advert, the seller advertised a 'Melanotan nasal spray' for 25 or two bottles for 45

MailOnline also spotted sellers advertising melanotan sprays on online marketplace Depop.

It comes just a year after MailOnline found dangerous tanning injections advertised on the app, as well as needles, used 'fertility pills' and bongs.

Nine in 10 users of Depop are typically aged between 16 and 26  although anyone can open an account from the age of 13.

On its website, Depop insists it prohibits the sale of drugs and drugs paraphernalia.

MailOnline found one advert from a seller in South Lanarkshire, Scotland which promoted the 'UltraTan Nasal Spray Melanotan2 nasal spray'.

It promised a 'sun kissed tan all year round' and for '25 per bottle you wont be disappointed with the results,' they added.

In another advert, the seller advertised a 'Melanotan nasal spray' for 25 or two bottles for 45.

Depop, which claims to buy and sell 'the most inspiring and unique things', is less well-known than its marketplace competitors, such as eBay.

MailOnline understands Depop has now removed the listings after the adverts were brought to their notice by this wesbsite.

The marketplace is conducting a thorough search to ensure appropriate action is taken against listings and sellers that violates its policy, we also understand.

While Depop employs a dedicated trust and safety team to monitor misuse of the platform, it also encourages app users to report any listings that do not meet its guidelines.

MailOnline found other easily accessible websites including 'TurboTan' and 'trutan' selling melanotan-containing nasal sprays without restriction.

'Our Melanotan 2 Nasal Spray is the perfect option for customers who hate the idea of needles but want the fabulous results of Melanotan 2,' trutan wrote on its website.

Meanwhile 'TurboTan' offered a 'turbo-strong' 10ml bottle for 21.50.

'Your 10ml nasal spray bottle (60 sprays) contains exactly 10mg of Melanotan 2,' it said.

'So one spray per nostril (2 sprays) is equal to about 0.333mg of Melanotan 2.'

Meanwhile 'TurboTan' offered a 'turbo-strong' 10ml bottle for 21.50. 'Your 10ml nasal spray bottle (60 sprays) contains exactly 10mg of Melanotan 2,' it said. 'So one spray per nostril (2 sprays) is equal to about 0.333mg of Melanotan 2'

TurboTan recommended buyers 'start with a very low dose'. Their melanotan 2 nasal sprays are available for next day delivery and be purchased with just one click via PayPal

Available to purchase in a click of a button, Tansation's 24.99 nasal tanner was also formulated with Melanotan 2, 'providing you with an even and long-lasting tan'

MailOnline also found other easily accessible websites including 'TurboTan' and 'trutan' selling melanotan-containing nasal sprays without restriction. 'Our Melanotan 2 Nasal Spray is the perfect option for customers who hate the idea of needles but want the fabulous results of Melanotan 2,' trutan wrote on its website

Available to purchase in a click of a button, TanSation's 24.99 nasal tanner was also formulated with Melanotan 2, 'providing you with an even and long-lasting tan'.

A spokesperson for TanSation told MailOnline today that it 'predominantly sells in some European countries and the US'.

They added: 'The UK market is quite diluted by small time players in local shops.

'We dont currently live in the UK as its not a place to make money anymore.

'That being said people are going to access what they want to access, its 2023. People stopped listening to the government a long time ago.'

Trutan and TurboTan did not respond to MailOnline's request for comment.

Dr Bav Shergill, of the British Association of Dermatologists, told MailOnline: 'Melanotan products are rightly illegal to sell in this country.

'There are many reports on the dangers of injectable melanotan and we would urge people to be equally mindful of the potential health risks of melanotan nasal sprays.

'Given that these products are not legal to sell in the UK, many people resort to buying them online from abroad.'

He added: 'As well as the risk of side effects from melanotan products, it is often impossible to be sure of what is in products bought in this way and by extension what it is that you are putting in your body.

'We understand that there is a huge amount of appearance-related pressure on people to develop a tan.

'However, the only safe way to develop a tan is to get it out of a bottle from fake tan products.'

Dr Emma Wedgeworth, a consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson also told MailOnline: 'Worryingly, reports have linked the use of these sprays to changing moles, skin cancers and even kidney damage.

'They are unlicensed and have not been comprehensively tested or subject to the rigorous clinical standards that medicines usually are.'

She added: 'As a result, we dont yet fully understand how harmful these sprays could be and how they may impact on our health.

'Simply put, we should not be putting potent, unlicensed, potentially harmful chemicals into our body for aesthetic purposes.

'Fake or self tan products appear to be safe. However, overexposing yourself to the sun or using medicines like melanotan-2 to change your skin colour is likely to damage to your skin, both in the short and long term.'

A spokesperson for Charlotte Crosby said: Charlotte would never knowingly promote a company illegally selling unlicensed products.
It was billed by optimistic neurologists as the beginning of the end for Alzheimers.

The drug, lecanemab, was the first medicine to effectively slow decline in dementia patients  by as much as 27 per cent, according to much-anticipated trial results published at the end of last year. Finally, after many previous treatments that initially showed promise had failed to live up to the hype, there was hope on the horizon.

And the need is clear: almost one million Britons live with the cruel, degenerative disease, with numbers steadily rising.

Following the apparent initial success of lecanemab, a number of new UK trials have been set up. Researchers will soon begin giving the treatment to a small group of people showing early signs of Alzheimers, the most common form of dementia.

Meanwhile, the Government has also announced plans for a large and ambitious study to evaluate potential new dementia treatments  and has effectively promised a blank cheque to fund it. The National Institute for Health and Care Research, remarkably, has said there is no set upper limit for how much it will spend on the study. And a source close to Eisai, the Japanese pharmaceutical firm behind lecanemab, said a large-scale trial involving thousands of NHS patients was now a possibility.

Genevieve Lane, pictured with her daughters, died in September 2022 after her third dose of Alzheimer's wonder drug lecanemab

Ms Lane suffered a massive bleed on the brain, shown here on this scan

But The Mail on Sunday can now reveal that some of the UKs top Alzheimers experts are calling for a pause to the rollout of lecanemab. They have concerns about its safety, after it emerged that at least three patients in the initial trial died due to severe unexpected illnesses potentially linked to the drug.

Data also shows that about one in ten participants experienced swelling in the brain, and one in six had brain bleeds.

There doesnt appear to be an obvious way of knowing who these catastrophic life-threatening side effects are likely to affect, says Professor Robert Howard, professor of old age psychiatry at University College Londons Institute of Mental Health. As a clinician, I cant put my hand on my heart and tell my patients this would be safe.

Today, we can confirm the identity of one of the trial participants who died after taking lecanemab  after her family agreed to tell her story in order to highlight the possible dangers.

Genevieve Lane, 79, from Florida, suffered a massive, fatal seizure in September 2022, just a week after her third dose of the drug. The retired car hire manager was first diagnosed with dementia two years earlier, after she noticed small lapses in her memory.

The doctors caught it in its very earliest stages, says her daughter Charlotte Lane, 56. She could still recognise everyone and go to the shops on her own, but she began losing her wallet and keys, and struggled to find the right words. So she knew something wasnt right.

The diagnosis hit Genevieve hard. She had so many friends and hobbies, says elder daughter Julie Lane, 59.

Ms Lane, a retired car hire manager was first diagnosed with dementia two years earlier in 2020, after she noticed small lapses in her memory

Research has shown that one in six patients treated with the 'wonder drug' suffer from brain bleeds while at least three of the people involved in the clinical trial died

Genevieve learned about the lecanemab trial from other Alzheimers patients in her retirement village. She asked her doctor if she could sign up, and after several months of tests she was enrolled.

She was early on in her disease so they thought she would be a good fit, says Julie. She wanted to do everything she could to hold on to her independence. She knew it wouldnt be a cure, but wanted the possibility of a few more years with her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Elusive route to Alzheimer's cure Lecanemab is the latest in a series of Alzheimers drugs that work in a similar way. Many believe the disease is triggered by amyloid  a toxic protein. Normally these circulate in the blood, but for reasons not fully understood they can clump together in the brain and form plaques, which disrupt cell function and cause brain damage. Anti-amyloid drugs such as lecanemab work by using the immune system to attack the plaques. The theory is that, in doing so, deterioration may be slowed or even halted. And a number of these drugs have been shown to be effective at removing amyloid plaque from the brain. However, until lecanemab, there was no evidence that this slows down the progress of the disease. Lecanemab is the latest in a series of Alzheimers drugs that work in a similar way Some experts say this is because treatment is being given too late, meaning the Alzheimers has progressed too far to be stopped. But others believe the theory that amyloid plaque triggers Alzheimers is incorrect. They argue that the build-up of amyloid is a by-product of the disease, rather than the cause, meaning that removing amyloid is unlikely to have an impact on slowing the disease. An alternative idea is that faulty genes cause Alzheimers by triggering a mass die-off of brain cells. Earlier this month, scientists said they had identified 92 genes that increase the risk of Alzheimers developing. Professor Julie Williams, director at the UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University, said that this could lead to a gene therapy capable of treating the disease by 2040. Advertisement

I think she also believed it was important for science, especially since its a genetic disease that could affect us as well some day.

Lecanemab is given via intravenous infusion every few weeks, and in April 2021 Genevieve began treatment. During that time, her daughters say her condition continued to decline slowly.

However, 18 months later it became clear she had been given a placebo  a dummy version of the drug given to some patients in trials to ensure the benefits of the real drug are not being imagined by the patient.

Mum was really upset that she wasnt getting the real drug, says Charlotte. But, in hindsight, we see this as a blessing because it meant we got 18 months longer with her.

Genevieve then began taking lecanemab and, on August 8 last year, received her first infusion.

Her daughters say they began to notice a deterioration almost immediately. She was moving slowly and needed to spend a lot of time in bed, says Julie. She complained of headaches, and we began to be concerned.

Genevieve returned for her second infusion on August 29, and in the following weeks, her health began to falter even further.

She was getting more and more confused, says Charlotte. She was given her third dose of lecanemab on September 7.

A week later, while having dinner with a friend, Genevieve collapsed. She was rushed to hospital, but there was little the doctors could do. Her daughters flew to Florida to be at her bedside, and were shocked at what they saw.

She seemed in so much pain, says Charlotte. She was having these mini-strokes. There were only flashes of consciousness and she couldnt speak.

Five days after she was admitted, the family made the decision to remove Genevieves life support. She died on September 19.

The other people who died during the trial were taking blood thinners  medicines that help reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks but can increase the risk of bleeding. Until now, experts have believed it was the combination of lecanemab and blood thinners that raised the risk of life-threatening side effects

An Eisai spokeman said: The wellbeing of the patients enrolled in our studies is always Eisais top priority. Eisai has established a rigorous safety monitoring process. This includes an independent data safety monitoring committee of external experts. Eisai promptly communicates important safety information to regulatory agencies, sites, investigators and subjects.

Genevieves daughters contacted researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, who agreed to carry out an autopsy. It concluded she had suffered a catastrophic seizure triggered by a burst blood vessel in her brain.

The team involved believe their findings, reported in medical magazine Science two weeks ago, show evidence that lecanemab can have deadly side effects.

An autopsy will never provide 100 per cent proof of a cause of death, but it can give you a very clear idea of what happened, says Dr Matthew Schrag, a neurologist at Vanderbilt University, the senior author of the report. Were as close as we can get to certainty that it was taking lecanemab that caused Genevieves death.

In 2021, another Alzheimers drug, called aducanumab, also made by Eisai and its partner, the US firm Biogen, was at the centre of what has been called one of the biggest medical scandals in recent history.

Regulators at the US Food And Drug Administration had approved it for use before any evidence that it worked was published. When the data was released, it was revealed that the drug had little to no impact on slowing Alzheimers.

There were concerns after it was reported that a 75-year-old woman in Canada died after being given aducanumab. Regulators have since recorded another four deaths linked to the medicine.

Eisai and Biogen abandoned efforts to roll out aducanumab, and instead focused on pushing forward with lecanemab.

However, in September it was reported that a patient on the lecanemab trial had died. Speaking to the MoS, some experts called for the trial to be halted due to safety concerns.

This was just nine days before Genevieve Lanes death.

Then, in November, the results of the lecanemab trial were released and made headlines around the world.

The study, which involved 1,800 participants, showed that early-stage Alzheimers patients given lecanemab saw their cognitive abilities decline 27 per cent less over 18 months than those who did not take the drug. Professor John Hardy, a dementia researcher at University College London, said he hoped the drug would be available on the NHS in a year  and labelled it the beginning of the end for Alzheimers.

However, it quickly became clear that taking lecanemab was not without risks.

The drug works by clearing away a protein known as amyloid, which builds up in the brains of Alzheimers patients. Amyloid clumps are thought to cause progressive brain damage, and therefore reducing them could help slow the disease. However, there is a downside  lecanemab can cause a condition known as amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, or ARIA. Problems include swelling of the brain and brain haemorrhages.

All those on the trial were monitored with MRI brain scans every three months. Anyone who developed ARIA was taken off the drug. However, researchers have now identified three cases where lecanemab patients died of unexpected symptoms likely connected to the drug.

The other people who died during the trial were taking blood thinners  medicines that help reduce the risk of strokes and heart attacks but can increase the risk of bleeding. Until now, experts have believed it was the combination of lecanemab and blood thinners that raised the risk of life-threatening side effects.

However, the death of Genevieve Lane, who was not on blood thinners and was relatively healthy, has raised further concerns. Previously we thought the message from the lecanemab trial was, dont start taking this drug if you are on blood thinners, but this autopsy shows it is not as simple as that, says Prof Howard.

Genevieve did have an underlying condition that may have made her more likely to suffer a brain haemorrhage. Her autopsy revealed she had cerebral amyloid angiopathy  a build-up of amyloid plaque on the blood vessel walls that weakens them, increasing the risk of dangerous bleeding.

US regulators have advised doctors to test for and rule out the condition  which affects roughly half of all Alzheimers patients  before prescribing lecanemab. However, Dr Schrag warns: Even if a patient does not have cerebral amyloid angiopathy when they begin the treatment, that does not mean they cannot develop it further down the line.

Experts say that due to the risk of these side effects, patients taking lecanemab would need regular MRI brain scans. This could make the 21,000-a-year drug unaffordable to the NHS.

To roll out lecanemab on the NHS would take a lot of resources, says David Thomas, head of policy at Alzheimers Research UK. Given the safety concerns, youd need to be carrying out monthly MRI scans on every patient.

Eisai is currently setting up a UK trial that will explore the benefits of giving lecanemab to people at risk of developing Alzheimers. But experts believe it would be a mistake to rush to offer the drug.

I hope the NHS does not approve lecanemab, says Professor Alberto Espay, a neurologist at the University of Cincinnati. The data clearly shows that far more people will be harmed by taking it than see any benefits.

Genevieves daughters say they want to share their mothers story to raise awareness of the risks. Its possible that for some people, this drug could do some good, says Julie, but clearly it is not safe for everyone.

lSome names have been changed for privacy reasons.
It is the parenting debate that has rumbled on for decades  is smacking your children wrong? Is a short, sharp shock  perhaps a smack to the back of the legs or bottom  acceptable when all attempts to reason have failed? Or is such treatment never OK and even tantamount to child abuse?

Earlier this month the Government made public its view on the matter, in response to a campaign to ban smacking.

Two of the UKs leading childrens charities, the NSPCC and Barnardos, had called on Ministers to bring England in line with 60 countries, including Wales and Scotland, in making illegal any physical punishment of children.

It isnt an effective discipline tool and there is now a wealth of evidence to prove smacking results in long-term harms, including mental health problems and behavioural difficulties, an NSPCC representative told The Mail on Sunday.

But the Government disagreed, arguing that parents must be trusted to discipline their children in the way they see fit.

Two of the UKs leading childrens charities, the NSPCC and Barnardos, had called on Ministers to bring England in line with 60 countries, including Wales and Scotland, in making illegal any physical punishment of children

The decision was met with outrage. On Twitter, the Government was accused of treating children as second-class citizens.

Commonly cited was the impact of smacking on childrens development. Smacking is endorsing violent behaviours that children will likely end up emulating, tweeted one social media user.

Guardian columnist Sonia Sodha quoted incontrovertible evidence that smacking children is harmful  citing a review of 69 studies arguing the act is linked to emotional problems and bad behaviour.

Yet not all experts agree. Professor Robert Larzelere, researcher in human development and family science at Oklahoma State University in the US, and author of the book Authoritative Parenting, believes the harms of smacking have been overplayed.

Complete abolition isnt warranted based on the current scientific evidence, he says.

The idea that smacking leads to long-term psychological harms isnt supported by science. If its the only thing parents are using as discipline, or if its severe  such as multiple strikes to areas other than the backside  there is evidence it can be damaging. The same is true if it continues when the child is older than 11. Otherwise, the proof of harm isnt there.

In fact, Prof Larzelere says there may even be benefits, adding: Studies show that, for children with behavioural problems, using a smack on the bottom as a back-up to other methods  such as a time-out away from fun activities  is twice as effective at resolving difficult behaviour compared with non-physical discipline alone.

If these children arent disciplined properly, they are more likely to grow up to a life of delinquency and crime.

In most cases, parents are able to phase out the smacking after the age of about six, when children become more co-operative with parents and other adults.

Prof Larzelere is not alone in his view. Last week, the MoSs GP columnist Dr Ellie Cannon  who is opposed to smacking and supports a ban  asked readers for their thoughts. The majority who wrote in believed the occasional smack was fine.

Professor Robert Larzelere, researcher in human development and family science at Oklahoma State University in the US, and author of the book Authoritative Parenting, believes the harms of smacking have been overplayed

Last week, the MoSs GP columnist Dr Ellie Cannon  who is opposed to smacking and supports a ban  asked readers for their thoughts. The majority who wrote in believed the occasional smack was fine (picture posed by models)

Smacking was in my toolbox to keep my kids on the straight and narrow, writes mother-of-three Lesley Berry. I can count on one hand the number of times I had to physically punish them  but they were aware that it was an option and that I would follow through.

Another mother-of-three said: I could tell which children were smacked and which werent. The ones with parents who dont believe in smacking often behave terribly.

With my kids, I just had to give them a stern look and they knew to stop their rubbish  because I had disciplined them when they were younger, so they respected me and did what they were told.

There were also those who said they benefited from being smacked. My mother would look at me as if to say, Youre going to get caned if you continue,  wrote one woman. That stopped me instantly. As a result I am good at observing body language and facial expressions.

And, while controversial, most British parents do smack  about two thirds, according to YouGov data. So is it really that harmful?

Arguably, todays children are more in need of discipline than previous generations. Teachers have described being swamped by pupils with behavioural problems. And according to NHS data, prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs have risen by a third since 2015.

At the extreme end of the spectrum, antisocial behaviour complaints have also risen by a third since 2015, according to data collected by the Tony Blair Institute. About 30 per cent of incidents are committed by someone under 18.

Some MoS readers blamed such problems on a lack of discipline.

We can all see the increase in antisocial behaviour, lack of manners and no respect for others from youngsters who have been deprived of parents loving enough to use a swift tap to the bottom, wrote one.

A body of evidence shows smacking is effective for particularly defiant children.

US psychologist Diana Baumrind followed hundreds of children over a decade, taking note of the parenting styles they were exposed to.

Her first reports, published in the 1960s, found the most disciplinarian parents  who used punishments including smacking  brought up the most well-behaved children, providing they explained to their children why they were being smacked. These parents also, in general, showed children above-average levels of love and respect.

In contrast, permissive parents, who did not discipline their children at all, were associated with the worst behavioural outcomes.

Further research has since supported these findings. Studies in the 1980s found a combination of time out (sitting on a chair for two minutes, away from fun activities), enforced by a smack to the bottom if a child did not co-operate, was the most effective method of calming bad behaviour. It also reduced the frequency of hysterical events.

Arguably, todays children are more in need of discipline than previous generations. Teachers have described being swamped by pupils with behavioural problems. And according to NHS data, prescriptions for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) drugs have risen by a third since 2015

However, some experts say these studies are no longer relevant in todays technology-driven world. Its increasingly difficult to keep childrens attention on you, says Professor Stella Chan, a clinical psychologist at the University of Reading. And children have a host of new and complex challenges that might make them feel emotional.

If the smacking doesnt work, then what? Theres a tendency to smack again and again, which can be a slippery slope into abuse.

Even Prof Larzelere recognises potential for harm if smacking happens in an uncontrolled way.

Studies dont show improvements if children are smacked because the parent is angry, he says. Instead, it must be a controlled situation  the child knows if they dont do time out they will get two strikes of the hand on the bottom.

But some research doesnt support benefits to smacking at all. In 2005, researchers from the University of Washington studied the effect of an enforced reduction in physical punishment on 500 children and found, on average, an improvement in behaviour.

In 2021, a review of 69 studies on smacking from several countries  including the UK  found the act led to no improvement in behaviour. The paper, published in the Lancet, concluded that children were more likely to act out after being physically punished. In 13 of the studies, smacking was associated with increased aggression, antisocial behaviour and disruption at school.

Some have questioned the validity of this data, as it is difficult to tell if the punishment or the natural disposition of the child is to blame. But researchers say it is telling that the more a child is smacked, the worse their behaviour.

Another study, by Harvard University, used scans of 147 children to show brain patterns in those who are smacked compared with those who arent. Smacked children showed greater activity in areas associated with recognising threat and fear, suggesting they may be at a higher risk of anxiety disorders.

We know from research that children copy what they see, says Professor Chan. They dont have the maturity to understand why smacking is taking place and so think it is OK to use physical force when you dont agree.

But what do you do instead?

Prof Larzelere points to studies that show one minute in an isolation room  a small, safe space with no distractions  is as effective at resolving challenging behaviour as smacking.

But Dr Chan says there is no quick fix. Instead, evidence-based techniques from a young age will prevent bad behaviour.

Only a handful of MoS readers letters were against smacking

The most effective way to teach children boundaries is, counter-intuitively, by using reward, she says. You withdraw rewards when they behave badly and praise them when they stop  theyll be motivated to behave in a certain way.

Also, she says, think about why children may be misbehaving in the first place. Very often it is because they want attention. So making sure youre generally attentive can solve a lot of problems.

Ultimately, Prof Chan says smacking is not the most effective way to get a child to listen. Youll get more long-term benefits with other methods, and theres less risk, she adds.

Its worth noting that the charities are not calling for a new law to criminalise smacking, but are fighting for the abolition of the legal defence of reasonable punishment, which parents can use if they physically punish a child.

In Sweden  which outlawed smacking in 1979  the number of children who are smacked has dramatically reduced since the 1970s, according to charity reports. But Prof Larzelere points out that the ban has made a negligible difference to child abuse and child-on-child violence. In fact, Sweden has seen an increase since the ban.

He adds that there is little difference in child abuse mortality rates between countries where smacking is banned and those where it is permitted. A 2018 study in Canada compared incidence of fighting among boys in Sweden and the UK, and also found little difference.

Only a handful of MoS readers letters were against smacking.

One was written by an 86-year-old daughter of a childrens rights campaigner, who grew up in the 1940s. My twin and I were the youngest of eight, she wrote. We were happy and well-disciplined. Never did my parents lift a finger to us.

My mother used to say, Smacking smacks one devil out but another, worse one, comes in. I believe she was right  and far ahead of her time.
The first drug treatment for one of the leading causes of blindness could become available on the NHS.

Pegcetacoplan tackles dry age-related macular degeneration, or dry AMD, which affects more than 500,000 Britons and causes a quarter of severe sight- loss cases in the UK.

The jabs can slow the eye damage that causes vision loss by more than a third, according to research.

The condition is far more prevalent in elderly people, affecting about one in five over-90s.

There have been several advances in the treatment of the less common wet AMD, where sight loss happens rapidly. This type is caused by an overgrowth of blood vessels that leak fluid into a part of the eye called the macula, which gives the eye clear vision in the direct line of sight, essential for activities such as reading or driving.

Drugs that stop this process are effective for preserving vision. Known as anti-VEGF medications, they are given as injections directly into the white of the eye and stop the release of proteins that cause the leaky blood vessels.

Pegcetacoplan tackles dry age-related macular degeneration, or dry AMD, which affects more than 500,000 Britons and causes a quarter of severe sight- loss cases in the UK

Experts have described the discovery of pegcetacoplan  which is given once or twice a month as an injection in hospital  as a seminal moment for AMD patients

Dry AMD occurs when, for reasons not fully understood, cells responsible for vision in the macula begin to die, leading to a gradual loss of vision. Previously, there has been no treatment.

But following positive results from international trials, including some carried out in UK hospitals, the US health watchdog, the Food and Drug Administration has given pegcetacoplan, also called Syfovre, the green light for patients with severe dry AMD.

Meanwhile, the UK drug watchdog, the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, is carrying out its own checks on the treatment with a view to approving its use.

Id expect it to be approved at least to some patients by end of this year, early next, says Dr Christiana Dinah, the ophthalmology research lead at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust who led the UK trials.

Experts have described the discovery of pegcetacoplan  which is given once or twice a month as an injection in hospital  as a seminal moment for AMD patients.

Until now theres been nothing at all for the dry form of the condition, says Dr Dinah. Patients gradually stop being able to see their grandchildrens smiles or words in a book  and it can be devastating because theres nothing we can do.

But pegcetacoplan dramatically slows the spread of dead cells which cause dry AMD by dampening a part of the immune system, stopping the fighter cells from attacking the macula nerve tissue.

Researchers gave 1,250 patients with advanced dry AMD one of three treatments: injections monthly, injections every other month or a dummy jab. After 18 months, those who had monthly jabs saw an average of 22 per cent reduction in disease progression compared with the dummy group. In some patients, the figure was as high as 36 per cent. There was an average of 17 per cent reduction in those receiving the injection every other month.

Wed say it gave patients roughly an extra year to 18 months before the damage reached the macula, which is when central vision deteriorates dramatically, adds Dr Dinah. It gives them more time to see the things they want to see.

The treatment was said to be generally well-tolerated, though there were some side effects including eye pain and spots in the patients vision called floaters.

David Freeman, 83, from London, was enrolled in a UK trial of pegcetacoplan roughly 18 months after his sight began deteriorating from dry AMD.

Daylight would feel blinding, he says, and I started to struggle to see peoples faces  it was like looking through a net curtain.

Today, a year into his monthly injections, he says his sight hasnt improved but the jabs have halted the condition.

I thought things would go downhill very quickly, he says, but not much has changed. I can still read words on an iPad, with the help of a magnifying glass, and I can watch TV if I sit relatively close to it.

He said he would recommend the treatment to anyone.

The thought of having a needle stuck in your eye isnt nice, but theres no pain because they give you anaesthetic drops, he says. You barely feel it.
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.

J.F. writes: I leased a Citroen Berlingo van from PSA Finance on a three-year contract due to end last November.

Because of interruptions during the pandemic, the contract was extended and PSA was to collect the vehicle on January 25, but its driver never turned up. I was flying abroad the next day, so left the keys with a friend and it was collected on January 31.

Now PSA Finance has sent letters saying that I owe 390 and a separate 8,143. It will not say why.

Tony Hetherington replies: You were hit by a bizarre series of demands, none of which were explained. You did not miss a single payment during the years you leased the van, and you returned it in excellent condition with only 18,000 miles on the clock. It was properly serviced while you had it, with the final service last November. Yet in mid-February you received a strange letter from PSA Finance. It began: 'Further to our recent correspondence, your account arrears of 8,143.60 according to our records remains outstanding.'

Charges: The Citroen Berlingo was leased for three years from PSA Finance

This was a breach of contract, the letter added, and it went on to warn that you could face late payment charges, further action, and damage to your credit rating. But there had been no such recent correspondence, and no arrears. All PSA Finance would tell you was that you owed thousands of pounds due to an unexplained 'shortfall'. And as if this was not bad enough, a separate letter from PSA Finance demanded 390, described as 'repossession and tracing costs'.

Yet PSA Finance had not had to repossess the van. It was handed over as arranged, just as the lease ended. And what tracing was needed? The company knew where you were, and where the van was. You told me: 'It's like they pluck these figures out of thin air.'

PSA Finance is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, so you were entitled to expect better behaviour. I asked the company to comment, and while it was deciding what to tell me, yet another demand landed on your doormat. This one was for 30, described as 'auction costs'.

I went straight back to PSA Finance and this time the message seems to have got through. It told me: 'It's evident that errors have been made for which we do of course accept responsibility.' The company added that you did not owe a penny, let alone thousands of pounds. You should ignore any 'system-generated' correspondence already in the pipeline, and your credit rating was safe.

The closest to an explanation for all this is that there was a breakdown between PSA Finance and the outside firm it had hired to collect the van. That firm failed to find you on January 25, as arranged, and did not answer when you called. However, it managed to find the same address on January 31 and collect the van. PSA Finance regarded this as an 'emergency collection', though it is not clear why as your lease was valid until that day.

PSA Finance  which has in recent days changed its name to Stellantis Financial Services  has now sent you a written apology and is paying 800 into your bank account by way of saying sorry for the concern it caused.

A parking ticket... for charging my car

M.W. writes: I have received a Parking Charge Notice (PCN) from Parkingeye Limited, which I think is very unfair.

I charged my electric car in the Asda car park in Ramsgate, Kent. It was a very slow charging point but the nearest for the company I am with, BP Pulse.

If drivers are penalised for using a charging point, surely this will put people off going electric?

'Unfair': The BP Pulse slow charger takes longer than an hour

Tony Hetherington replies: The blunt truth is that car parks with short time limits are not suitable for slow electric charging points. Asda is pulling in two different directions at once, imposing a one-hour parking limit but offering a charging point that takes longer than an hour. BP says it has no control over this as it simply provides the charging point.

Parkingeye told me it has ten prominent signs at the car park, which advise you can register inside Asda to stay longer than an hour. But retracing your route I found that you would pass just one sign, and it says nothing about registering to stay long enough to charge your car.

If the same rules apply to the charging points as to all the other spaces in the car park, doesn't this mean petrol and diesel vehicles can quite reasonably occupy the electric spaces? Absurdly, Asda says yes. You are not the first EV driver to be penalised in this way, and Asda is not the only supermarket to operate like this. When will the Government provide its long overdue parking fairness scheme?

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.
Britain's biggest energy firms are sitting on a hoard of 280 million in taxpayer cash that should have been passed on to customers through vital grants, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

British Gas, Scottish Power and Eon are among the firms to have held the largest sums earmarked for the Government's Energy Bills Support Scheme. These companies have retained an estimated 155 million between them.

The scheme to help with the cost-of-living crisis was in place from October to March. Millions of households were given 400 off their gas and electricity bills through monthly instalments to ease the burden of sky-high energy costs.

But shocking Government figures, analysed by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, show that hundreds of thousands of households had still not received financial support by early March, when the figures were compiled. This includes huge numbers on traditional prepayment meters, who are often the most vulnerable  struggling at the lowest end of the income scale.

It is understood that many prepayment vouchers may have been delivered to customers but have still not been redeemed. But others have not received them at all.

Struggle: Government figures, analysed by the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, show that hundreds of thousands of households had still not received financial support by early March

Government data spanning October to February shows that some suppliers have performed better than others when distributing cash from the support scheme.

Industry sources said certain companies had undertaken drives to remind customers who had received but not redeemed their prepayment vouchers to do so.

Official figures show that Octopus Energy has shelled out almost 90 per cent of its support vouchers and now holds just over 1 million worth of cash from the energy help scheme.

By contrast, Scottish Power has yet to hand over 45.4 million worth of support.

Energy suppliers have said the Government numbers are out of date as new figures are due this month. Some have also stressed that the majority of support vouchers have been delivered to customers but have not been redeemed.

Customers affected include not only households with prepayment meters but also those on direct debit or so-called 'standard credit' customers who pay for their energy by cash or cheque.

Simon Francis, coordinator of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, said the research paints a 'shocking picture'.

He added: 'In some cases, energy firms have been far too slow to pass on these vital funds to customers who may have spent the winter living in cold, damp homes. While many millions of households have had their payments issued with no problem, the figures around pre-payment meter voucher redemption are particularly worrying. Energy firms need to up their game significantly to end this breakdown in customer service.'

There are many reasons why support may not have been fed through to customers, particularly as different suppliers used varying methods to pay the 400. Some discounted it straight from customer bills, while others credited cash into people's bank accounts.

In theory, this meant payments could bounce back or lead to 'technical gremlins' interfering. But, regardless of the method, campaigners are calling for urgent action.

Rocio Concha, Which? Director of Policy and Advocacy, said: 'It is very concerning that we are still seeing Energy Bill Support Scheme vouchers not being redeemed and that millions of pounds in Government support is going unclaimed.'

'It's essential that in the scheme's final months, the Government, energy suppliers and top-up outlets pull out all the stops to raise awareness of the scheme, and do everything possible to reach customers who are still struggling to redeem their vouchers or are unaware of the scheme.'

It is understood that energy firms will have to hand back any outstanding cash to the Government, including interest gained. This raises the question as to what Ministers will do with the windfall, should it arrive this summer.

All major energy firms were contacted for comment.

Eon urged customers to redeem any vouchers valid until the end of June 2023, adding that it has managed more than 24 million payments in the past six months.

A spokesman added: 'As a proportion of customer accounts, we are well within industry performance levels when it comes to providing this support in a timely way and continuing to deliver this help to customers in an efficient way.'

Scottish Power said: 'Our priority is for our customers to get the support they are due. But many factors can result in a voucher not being redeemed, such as email addresses being out of date or customers not engaging with their energy company.'

British Gas said: 'Our teams have worked hard to deliver this Government scheme to millions of customers.

'All payments have been issued. If for any reason a customer hasn't received one of these payments, our advice is to get in touch with us and we'll resolve it as quickly as possible.'
Ecological campaigners have vowed to keep fighting a rare legal battle with the City regulator over the listing of North Sea oil firm Ithaca Energy.

Environmental group ClientEarth launched a lawsuit against the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in February, claiming the watchdog unlawfully signed off documents related to Ithaca's 2.5 billion stock market flotation last year.

ClientEarth alleged Ithaca's listing papers failed to adequately outline the risks to the company  one of the North Sea's largest fossil fuel producers  from climate change.

Last week, the High Court threw out the case, which took the form of a judicial review. But ClientEarth has vowed to appeal and insists the regulator 'failed' by waving through Ithaca's prospectus, a legal document that companies are required to publish ahead of a float.

The ecological group argues that, although the prospectus acknowledged climate change poses a risk to oil and gas companies, Ithaca failed to explain prior to its float how significant the risks could be to its business, which includes setting up new oil and gas projects. It claims these are incompatible with climate goals, particularly considering the Paris agreement target to limit global warming to below 2C.

Scrutiny: Ithaca Energy has become one of the North Sea's major players

ClientEarth argues this failure was subsequently ignored by the FCA. Robert Clarke, a ClientEarth lawyer, said: 'One of the regulator's main duties is to protect investors.

'A key way it does that is by ensuring companies that apply to list on the London Stock Exchange adequately disclose the risks associated with their activities, including climate-related risks.

'In the case of Ithaca's listing, we believe the regulator has failed by ultimately waving through Ithaca's prospectus even though legal requirements have not been met.'

The FCA said ClientEarth does 'not have the standing to bring the claim', adding: 'In any event, the prospectus does address risks arising out of climate-related factors to Ithaca's business and securities.'

Its lawyers said ClientEarth was not 'directly affected by the decision to approve Ithaca's prospectus'.

Ithaca was floated in November in the UK's largest public listing of 2022. It has drawn intense scrutiny over its interests in the Cambo and Rosebank oil and gas fields, which have turned Ithaca into one of the major players in the North Sea.

There has been a renewed focus on UK oil and gas production since Russia's invasion of Ukraine triggered a push for Britain to wean itself off foreign imports.

Since its float, Ithaca's shares have fallen by about 30 per cent. It is now valued at 1.6 billion.

A ClientEarth spokesman said: 'We are disappointed but will apply for the decision to be reconsidered under court procedural rules.'

An FCA spokesman said: 'We welcome the court's decision to refuse ClientEarth's application for permission to apply for judicial review. It would need to renew its applications for permission should it wish to pursue its case further and we will oppose any such application.'
They say a demonic spirit was targeting a seven year-old boy called Javier who was living in the home

A former NYPD cop-turned-exorcist and his wife have been filmed trying to clear a New York home of an 'evil spirit' its occupants claimed was tormenting a child.

Chris DeFlorio and wife Harmony raced to the property in Brooklyn on being told that a seven year-old called Javier had endured multiple terrifying encounters at the hands of the entity.

A promo for a film about the incident, called 'It's Coming,' sees Javier shiver: 'The person has long legs ... he is black.

'I think what what he wants to do to me is kill me ... because it never leaves... I think I am going to die.'

Married demonologists Chris and Harmony were dispatched to the Williamsburg address at the behest of filmmaker Shannon Alexander, whose movie about their exorcism efforts will premiere at the Hot Doc's Toronto Film Festival on April 29.

Javier, 7, is seen in the clip speaking with Demonologist Chris DeFlorio, who tells the boy that paranormal activity that is playing with him is 'not your friend'

Chris DeFlorio and his wife Harmony are pictured trying to rid the family's Williamsburg home of evil spirits that have taken taken over their home and the young boy who lives there

'When Harmony and I heard a child was involved we pretty much ran right over,' Chris told DailyMail.com.

Filmmaker Shannon Alexander reached out to DeFlorio in August 2022 while he was filming a documentary on the family, which was originally set to be about sleep paralysis.

During the filming they say they began to encounter strange paranormal activity taking place- voices being heard, and a large black shadow figures walking around the house.

'When Shannon called, it was obvious to me that he was shaken up a little by the footage he filmed.'

DeFlorio said Alexander told him after reviewing the footage he saw orbs and heard strange noises that he didn't pick up on when he was filming.

Meanwhile, Javier's family were frightened over the disturbed boys claims that the spook was targeting the youngster, and sought help that resulted in a visit from Chris.

When he rocked up at the property, Chris said he instantly felt as if something was off.

'It is something you can't explain in words but a feeling you never forget after the first time you're exposed to it,' he said.

Chris said the spirit played a warped game with Javier, where it initially tried to befriend the boy and play games - only to then threaten to kill the child, it's claimed.

Special equipment was deployed, which Chris claims confirmed his suspicions.

'There was no delay in picking up outlines and mapping of a spirit on my device,' he said. 'Alarms were going off on devices programmed to pick up energy in that local area.'

Chris began his usual practice of reading Catholic prayers in the hopes of driving the negative spirits away - but soon hit a snag.

'As I began to read the prayers, Harmony felt ill. She began to feel dizzy and nauseous...symptoms she always feels in the presence of evil,' he said.

He claimed that he began to suffer Physic attacks - internal attacks Chris claims are triggered by ghosts, which he says are geared to attack the mind and cause confusion and distraction.

'The very words I were reading became difficult to pronounce even though they were right there on the page,' he said.

At one point, he said he had to take pause which alarmed his wife that her husband may be in trouble. But, the Catholic prayers continued and the minor exorcism of the home included. As he read scripture, he said, activities were happening in the home.

'Demonic entity can tip its hand because one thing it hates is anything sacred and anything from God,' he said. 'This is where it lacks control and will expose itself,'' he said.

The footage shows the mother sharing her fears of this dark entity: 'I woke up to a man in all black standing at the foot of my bed,' she said. Javier's sister sister is heard saying, 'There was a weird smell and to the right side of me I saw a black shadow near the wall'

'As I began to read the prayers, Harmony felt ill. She began to feel dizzy and nauseas...symptoms she always feels in the presence of evil,' he said

DeFlorio said that the boy's mother, who claims that she started seeing spirits in her childhood, began to cry out that 'many were coming,' and was not happy that the ghost busting duo were there.

The mother claims she saw an evil spirit walking towards Harmony in one part of the room and DeFlorio said he made a 'split-second decision' to call it out and dare it to come towards him instead of his wife.

'This was the moment I realized that the family was not just in danger, but my wife and I were now targets as well,' he said.

The filmmaker told DailyMail.com that he 'did not plan for this story to unfold the way it did.'

'The story was initially about sleep paralysis but evolved into the family being afflicted by the demonic, he said.

'It was an accumulation of weird things that I finally decided were not coincidental. Lights cutting out and weird shadowy figures moving across the screen,' he said.

'I witnessed camera and audio equipment would be moving towards Ashley almost attacking her.

'In playback and editing of the footage there were sounds of hissing and voices recorded that were demonic sounding.'

Ashley, a mother of five, is seen in the hallway of her apartment, where she claims a demonic spirit has been afflicting her family

Ashley is seen outside her home that is located in the housing project in the Bushwick-Wiliamsburg border

He claimed the first time he encountered the eerie paranormal activity was when he was interviewing Ashley's 13-year-old daughter, Selena while she was standing in the hallway of the family's home.

The teen claimed to have seen these shadowy figures before, and the same activity happened when he was speaking to the Javier, though not as pronounced, he said.

The home which is an apartment located in a housing project on the Bushwick-Williamsburg border has been in Ashley's husbands family for generations.

He said that each time the family left the home, the spirits would follow Ashley. Once it began to afflict the children, Alexander said he sought out an exorcist or demonologist and found Chris.

The trailer continues with the boy's mother saying, 'I woke up to a man in all black standing at the foot of my bed,' she said.

While Javier's terrified sister sister says, 'There was a weird smell and to the right side of me I saw a black shadow near the wall.'

And, before the film ends, DeFlorio is seen sitting the young boy down and telling him that this entity 'is not your friend.'

Chris has urged anyone who wants to find out how the exorcism turned out to watch the full movie.
Wild swimmers and bathers take note - an interactive map reveals the scale of toxic algae in Britain's beautiful rivers and lakes near you.

Citizen-scientists across the UK have been report sightings of dangerous blue-green algae in local fresh waters bodies to the UK Centre for Hydrology & Ecology (UKCHE) through an app.

Scientists then study the submissions to the Bloomin' Algae app to confirm if suspected sightings are in fact blue-green algae, which is not actually algae but a phytoplankton called cyanobacteria.

Blue-green algae can cause severe skin rashes, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, eye or throat irritation and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties - and it can be fatal to animals and, in rare cases, humans.

In some cases the toxic algae can damage your liver and it is a neurotoxin, meaning it can harm your brain.

To use the map, select the time period you want to see reported sightings of blue-green algae and click update. Correct sightings will show as green dots, plausible ones are yellow and incorrect ones are grey. Clicking on a dot will show further information on a report including its location, the sample date and pictures.

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Shocking photos showed how Lake Windermere in the Lake District turned bright green last autumn as great swathes of it were covered in toxic blue-green algae

Algal blooms of cyanobacteria are caused by high levels of phosphorus 'nutrients' in the water combined with other factors such as high temperatures, lighting conditions and water

Algal blooms of cyanobacteria are caused by high levels of phosphorus 'nutrients' in the water combined with other factors such as high temperatures, lighting conditions and water.

Blue-green algae can naturally occur in some rivers, lakes and streams but it can also be caused by nutrients entering the water through sewage overflows and run-off from agriculture. Blooms are most commonly seen during the summer and early autumn.

They are a major health risk when they bloom, especially when the scums accumulate along the shore where children or dogs play, or where livestock come to drink.

The Bloomin' Algae app can be downloaded from both the Apple and Android app stores, so that if you spot an algal bloom, you can use it to send a photo and details of its location. The UKCEH will then report it to the UK environment and health agencies so they can take appropriate action.

Shocking photos showed how Lake Windermere in the Lake District turned bright green last autumn as great swathes of it were covered in the toxic algae, mainly due to sewage overflows.

While the map from the UK Centre for Hydrology & Ecology does not record the cause of individual algal blooms, it allows British wild swimmers and those who do watersports to be safer as they can know of recent sightings.

By looking back over past reports you can be found out if toxic blue-green algae is a common occurrence at your local bodies of water, so you can be more weary of taking a dip there.

Scientist Anne Dobel, 35, who works on the Bloomin' Algae project, told MailOnline: 'Generally you see cyanobacterial blooms in areas where are there a lot of nutrients.

'Our tool doesn't say anything about what is the cause of the bloom, but it is meant as a tool for indicating hazard as they can create toxins in the water - and this can be a risk to people using the water body in different ways like swimmers and dog walkers.'

The Bloomin' Algae app can be downloaded from both the Apple and Android app stores, so that if you spot an algal bloom, you can use it to send a photo and details of its location

Ms Dobel, a freshwater ecologist, added: 'On the research side of it we very much focus on the change aspect, do we see an increase in blooms with climate change?'

However, they are not at a stage where they can say one way or the other if blooms are increasing across the UK as they do not currently have enough data.

'Some lakes can be naturally prone to bloom, it doesn't have to be any type of pollution,' Ms Dobel said.

'Because there is a bloom, the levels of algae, when that is very high we call it eutrophication. Where you have a water body that has high amounts of algae in it and it indicates nutrient levels as well - high in nutrients and high levels of algae of phytoplankton.'

She added: 'There is research that could be showing a potential rise in blooms, things like temperature, long periods of very stable warm weather, can make it go on for longer.

'And we have a lot of anecdotal evidence and evidence from around the world saying the same.'

She said: 'The app is a useful tool, and local authorities and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency use it to manage their water bodies and make sure signs go up so people are aware there's a bloom as they have the potential to become very toxic.

'They are very potent toxins and they can affect your liver and can be a neurotoxin.'

After Lake Windermere turned bright green last autumn - revolutionary app highlights toxic levels of sewage in Britain's beautiful rivers and lakes

The astonishing levels of raw sewage dumped into Britain's lakes and rivers has been laid bare as campaigners are now set to introduce a new forecast which lets swimmers know if it is safe to take a dip.

Shocking photos showed how Lake Windermere in the Lake District turned bright green last Autumn as great swathes of it were covered in toxic algae, caused by phosphate 'nutrients' which largely enter the water through sewage overflows.

Blue-green algae, which is not actually algae but cyanobacteria, can cause severe skin rashes, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, eye or throat irritation and allergic reactions or breathing difficulties - and it can be fatal to animals and, in rare cases, humans.

So bad has the scale of pollution in Lake Windermere - one of Britain's most popular natural attractions - that tourists are beginning to worry if it is safe to take part wild swimming and watersports.

'I get asked 'what about the blue-green algae' by customers every day,' Lake District swim tour company owner Pete Kelly told MailOnline. 'I'm going to get a t-shirt printed on it with the answer on it.'

Last year the north basin of Windermere, an entire five mile stretch, turned bright green - and a girl aged 12 or 13 was spotted swimming in it with no warnings given that it might be unsafe

Ducks swimming amongst the potentially toxic blue-green algae last year

The Save Windermere campaign, along with local business, will use British-made portable microscopes, made by IOLight combined with AI to determine cyanobacteria levels in Lake Windermere within just a few minutes

Swim The Lakes, which Mr Kelly, 54, co-owns with his wife Andrea, is one of the businesses based at Windermere that will be getting new high-tech digital microscopes, which are smaller and less expensive than what would normally be seen in a laboratory, to monitor the lake's toxic algae levels.

The Save Windermere campaign, along with local business, will use the British-made microscopes combined with AI to determine cyanobacteria levels in the waters within just a few minutes.

The Environment Agency will often need one or two weeks to get results on the toxic levels, by which point an algae bloom could have cleared up.

The new system will allow the levels of the harmful blue-green algae to be known in real time, letting wild swimmers and lake users know if it is safe to go into the waters.

And Save Windermere have now started an 8,000 fundraiser to pay for the IOLight microscopes, which will be sold at a discounted price, and for the AI software by partners Bloom Optix which can identify the harmful cyanobacteria 'as well as a trained scientist'.

Campaign director Matt Staniek, 27, has criticised water company United Utilities for the high levels of untreated sewage that ends up in the lake, either being directly dumped there or from from rivers upstream.

Last year, South Lakeland District Council, which owns the Windermere lake bed, told families on holiday to keep themselves and their pets away from potentially toxic blue-green algae.

Fish were also spotted swimming in circles at the water's surface, prompting concerns that they were suffocating and 'struggling for life'. The algae uses up oxygen dissolved in the water, which fish need to breath. As oxygen levels continue to deplete the fish can die, causing devastating consequences for other local wildlife that rely on them for food.

'By their own admission United Utilities is the single largest input of phosphorous into Windermere which is causing its decline. There are 16 point sources of pollution from United Utilities in the Windermere catchment,' Mr Staniek told MailOnline.

'We have known about the decline of Windermere for decades. We need the damage rectified.'

Last year 5,900 hours of discharge of untreated sewage went into the Lake Windermere catchment. Pictured: Algal blooms at Lake Windermere last autumn

Mr Staniek added: 'Last year from just a handful of sites we saw 5,900 hours of discharge of untreated sewage into the catchment, all of which has gone into Lake Windermere.

'Much of the damage has already been done to Windermere as we have a layer of sediment at the bottom of the lake which is an accumulation of decades worth of pollution.

'And it's simply because we have not seen enough investment to ensure that in 2023 no sewage discharge is going into England's largest lake and the jewel in the crown of the Lake District National Park. This is unacceptable.'

Mr Staniek told added: 'Last year the north basin of Windermere, an entire five mile stretch, turned bright green - and I saw a girl aged 12 or 13 swimming in it with no warnings given that it might be unsafe.'

But the environmentalist says that with the new technology, which is hoped to be able to forecast blue-green algae blooms in the future, people will feel safer when they visit as they will have real time confirmation of Windermere's safety.

As the results of sewage in the lake become more apparent, tourists may begin to become more wary of coming, dramatically impacting the local economy.

He said: 'We do not want to put off tourists by saying: 'You can't come to Windermere because there are toxic algal blooms all the time.'

'We want to make sure that people can continue to visit our greatest natural resource that brings 750million a year to the community.'

Mr Staniek added: 'Windermere is a symbol of what the government, Ofwat and United Utilities have failed to do for decades, but also for what could be done. If you removed the sewage Windermere will recover.

'I was shocked last summer by just how few warning signs there were warning people of the risk to their health from the blue-green algae.

'It's startling that as this summer approaches that it's up to lone campaign to ensure that people can come here and swim free from fear.

'We need to pull out heads out the sand. It is happening, it is real.

'To the water companies the message is: 'Stop pumping sewage into Lake Windermere'.'

'I get asked 'what about the blue-green algae' by customers every day,' Lake District swim tour company owner Pete Kelly (pictured with wife and co-founder Andrea) told MailOnline

Swim The Lakes, which Mr Kelly, 54, co-owns with his wife Andrea, is one of the businesses based at Windermere that will be getting new high-tech digital microscopes, which are smaller and less expensive than what would normally be seen in a laboratory, to monitor the lake's toxic algae levels

And Pete Kelly from Swim the Lakes, who will be monitoring the lake for the project once it is live, said: 'It's important to get involved in it for me. No lake, no future for me and my business.

'And future generations won't be able to experience one of the most beautiful lakes in the country.

'Windermere is a very safe, beautiful place to swim but if the level of nutrients keeps to get pumped into it at the current level and global warming continues, it's bad new for the ecosystem.

'There's a ticking time bomb of nutrients that have been going into Windermere for decades as it has two very distinct, very deep basins of around 70 metres.

'As water temperatures increase, it provides breeding grounds for algae and blue-green algae. We don't know, unless we do advanced laboratory tests, if it is toxic.

'I have been coming to the Lake District since I was a child. It's a beautiful environment and we're screwing it up - it's unacceptable. My business aside I'm very passionate about saving it.

'When I'm not working on the waters guiding clients, I'm swimming in the waters, kayaking and canoeing. It's a major part of my life. I live and breathe Lake Windermere. I'm very rarely not on or near it. I moved here 20 years ago to be near this kind of thing.

'The big thing is, it's not a new story. With the massive influx of people and the post-covid interest in watersports people are more aware of what's going on. I have been in business for 18 years and I have been trying to get in touch with organisations that are trying to do something about it.'

Talking about the Save Windermere campaign Mr Kelly said: 'Matt Staniek is a force of nature and he is holding people that are the biggest polluters to account - which in our book is United Utilities.

'We pay them to deal with our water, they do a crap job of it, and we pay them to give it back.'

He said that businesses around lake saw a downturn in business last year after reports of the blue-green algae covering Windermere.

He said: 'Last year Windermere went green for so long you couldn't miss it and we did see a downturn. Luckily there's a lot of lakes so I can go to others. But other businesses associated with Lake Windermere did see a downturn in business.

'On most days of the year Lake Windermere is the best place to swim in Britain - but on some days it is not.

'I've only ever had to reschedule a swim because of that issue once. I do regular tests with a bacterial testing kit. I do this every time before I take a class and it has only come positive once.

'If things continue as they are, I will see these tests come up positive every day.'

He said the new kit is 'brilliant' as you can test the water' there and then'.

'People aren't often satisfied with the answer I give them as I haven't got a laboratory in my basement, but now we can point to a set of data and say 'if it looks like that don't go in the water'.

But he said it was 'outrageous' being forced into needing this system: 'I'm really glad we have the opportunity now to do something which will hopefully put pressure on politicians and United Utilities to do something about it.'

'We're paying them to do the water and they cut corners and and don't do a good job - we have proven this in Ambleside area that the levels of pollution go through the roof.

'We have to make a stink about it. The amount of profits they make are obscene, when you look at the dividends paid to shareholders. They've shafted out countryside for profit and it can't go on.'

A fish in Britain's biggest lake seemed to be choking on the water last year

Campaign director Matt Staniek, 27, has criticised water company United Utilities for the high levels of untreated sewage that ends up in the lake, either being directly dumped there or from from rivers upstream

When asked what the lake could look like in ten years time, Mr Kelly said that just 'posing that question is terrifying'.

'In the last 10 years the changes I have seen in the lake or huge so if that continues I think we will see some catastrophic environmental things happening. Mass fish deaths. Increased illness from the levels of blue-green algae and reduced numbers of visitors to the Lake District.

'There's a big clue as to why people come to the LD, it's in the name. If the lakes look minging they won't come.

'There was a 400% increase in the participating of open water swimming the past few years. the visitors who are coming here want to swim, but the lake may become so unsafe they can't.

'If United Utilities do the good thing and stop putting sewage in the lake and if we can predict when the blue-green algae will affect the lake then a lot of the bad press about Lake Windermere will be averted.

'The prediction of doom in 10 years time will be averted if they stop right.'

Andrew Monk, 61, co-founder of IOLight who make the portable microscopes told MailOnline they and Bloom Optix were hoping to be able to predict future algae blooms in Windermere once they have enough data.

'This is very new technology. AI is a very big deal and is taking over everything and that's we are using to identify these,' he said.

'It's something we are hoping to do that but it's not something we can do today. We need data and we need to try and predict something and see if it works.'

The IOLight digital microscope can fit in your jacket pocket, making it more portable than heavy and fragile laboratory microscopes which can cost tens of thousands of pounds

AI developed by Bloom Optix can identify organisms, including cyanobacteria, from pictures taken by the portable microscopes

The approximately 1,000 digital microscope can fit in your jacket pocket, making it more portable than heavy and fragile laboratory microscopes which can cost tens of thousands of pounds.

And Mr Monk says it is so simple a child can use it: 'You put some water on a lake under a slide, and you pair the microscope with your phone. Anyone can do that, we've trained kids to do it.'

'The second element, developed with our partners Bloom Optix in the US, is to find whether what is in the lake good for the environment or if it it is cyanobacteria as they look identical.

The microscopes generate a picture on your phone screen and the AI will process the image and tell you whether it's algae or cyanobacteria - and what kind of bacteria and whether or not it is likely to be toxic.

And it can also tell how much is in the sample, as one cell is not going to do any more 'but if there's billions we're in trouble'.

And the process only takes about five minutes, compared to potentially weeks for official tests.

'The problem with that, is by the time you process it, the bloom is gone and the question is irrelevant.'

The process has already been tested by researchers at America's Great Lakes, which are suffering from algae blooms.

He said that the ease of use and affordability of the system means that potentially millions more samples can be collected and studied, to produce models which include data from your phone, such as location, weather conditions and more.

Last year, South Lakeland District Council, which owns the Windermere lake bed, told families on holiday to keep themselves and their pets away from potentially toxic blue-green algae

Dr Stephen Thackeray, Lake Ecologist from the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology said: 'In order to predict phytoplankton blooms (including cyanobacteria, that are often referred to as blue-green algae), you need to bring together several lines of evidence, over and above observations of organisms down the microscope.

'At a minimum, you would need to understand the weather conditions, nutrient availability, inflows into the lake, and underwater light conditions.

'All of these things affect rates of growth in profound ways. We collect much of this data as part of the UKCEH lakes monitoring programme, and are working on techniques to combine the data to better understand and forecast water quality events.'

A United Utilities spokesperson said: 'We fully understand and share the passionate feelings about Windermere. The lake is affected by a number of complex challenges including the impact of more extreme weather caused by climate change, an excess of nutrients and seasonal variations of the tourist population.

'That's why we and like-minded local organisations have joined forces and formed Love Windermere, a partnership that's determined to improve the water quality in the lake.

'Integral to that work is undertaking a detailed scientific study to really understand what nutrients and pollutants are currently in the lake and where they're coming from.

'That will allow a coordinated plan of action across the lake catchment to be developed to help improve Windermere. For United Utilities, this means building on the major sewage treatment upgrades already delivered in recent years by starting early on 19m of investment to further improve storm overflow operation.'
Dozens of tasteless photos of tourists posing at Auschwitz have surfaced online after the memorial museum called on visitors to show respect at the former death camp where over a million people were killed.

It comes after a photo of a woman at the Auschwitz Memorial Museum went viral on Twitter. The social media post of the woman sparked fury as she was seen sitting on the railway tracks where the Nazis transported 1.1 million, including a million Jews, to their deaths.

The Auschwitz Memorial Museum has since pleaded with so-called 'Holocaust tourists' to 'respect' the site.

But despite the museum's calls for restraint, dozens of other social media phots have been unearthed of tourists posing crudely at the death camp.

From a glamour model who claims to have Spain's biggest breasts posing beneath the 'work sets you free' sign at the entrance to the death camp, to tourists posing tastelessly on the tracks that transported over a million to their death, MailOnline has uncovered some of the vulgar snaps taken at one of the world's most important sites.

A Spanish model is seen standing under the infamous 'work sets you free' sign at the entrance to the former Nazi-German extermination camp Auschwitz

A woman dressed in white poses for the camera outside barracks where prisoners were held

A man is seen grinning at the camera as he spreads his arms and kneels on the infamous railway track

In one of the images, a pouting Spanish model is seen striking a classic pose as she stands outside the gates of the biggest killing factory in human history.

Posting the photo in February to her 1.2 million Instagram followers, the photo shows her standing under the infamous 'work sets you free' sign at the entrance to the former Nazi-German extermination camp Auschwitz.

Another shows her standing on rail tracks leading to the 'gate of death' where the Nazis murdered over one million people.

Normally sharing photos of herself in exotic locations, the model who is dressed in black captions the photos: 'My face in this picture is not very happy, despite as I already commented in my previous post, I fulfilled one of my dreams by coming here.'

At the beginning of April a man posted a photo of himself kneeling on the snow covered rail track and grinning at the camera as he holds his arms open.

He captioned the photo 'The heart broken history'.

In another alongside the caption 'Auschwitz - Not too long away - not far away' he is seen smiling as he leans against one of the cattle trucks used to transport Jews to their deaths.

Just three days later on April 9, another tourist took a selfie showing herself grinning next to one of the camp's barbed wire fences.

A pouting Spanish model is seen striking a classic pose as she stands outside the gates of the biggest killing factory in human history

The memorial account asked that people reminded respectful when visiting the site

A grinning woman is seen smiling as she takes a selfie next to one of the camp's barbed wire fences

A tourist smiles, crosses his arms, and leans on one of the train carriages in an relaxed fashion outside the Auschwitz Memorial Museum

Another photo taken last month shows a young woman sitting on the track as she smiles at the camera

A woman is seen sitting on the railway tracks that transported some 1.1 million people to their deaths at the camp

Meanwhile, a photo from January shows a glamorous Portuguese woman dressed in white posing with a black bag as she stands between buildings where prisoners lived in squalor and were starved to death.

Posting the photo on Instagram where she has 12.4k followers and describes herself as a professor, she captioned the photo: 'It's hard to understand, it's hard to breathe... it's an unfortunate atmosphere that unfortunately cannot be forgotten!

'May this place serve as a lesson to all of us so that this history never repeats itself! All bigotry breeds atrocities.'

These are just a few of the dozens of photographs taken at Auschwitz over the last few months that MailOnline has found on Instagram.

The photos continue to appear despite the Auschwitz Memorial Museum repeatedly asking tourists to 'show respect'.

The museum most recently issued the plea after a similar photo went viral.

The photo that sparked the recent uproar showed the brunette reclining on the railway tracks leading to the 'gate of death' where the Nazis murdered over one million people.

A Portuguese woman dressed in white poses between buildings where prisoners lived in squalor and were starved to death

A woman is seen smiling as she takes a selfie outside buildings within the former death camp

A man is seen sitting on the railway tracks leading to the 'gate of death' where the Nazis murdered over one million people

A woman is seen posing on the railway tracks were over a million people were transported to be murdered by the Nazis

A woman in a red scarf stands outside the building at the Auschwitz Memorial Museum

After posting the snap on Twitter, Maria Murphy said: 'Today I had one of the most harrowing experiences of my life.

'Regrettably, it didn't seem everyone there found it quite so poignant.'

She added that she had taken the photo about two hours after the tour of the notorious death camp she was on had began.

Established shortly after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, the camp grew into being the biggest killing machine in history.

By the time of its liberation in 1945, over 1.3 million people had been killed in its gas chambers, executions and tortures.

Now, as the world pays tribute to those who died in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, the Auschwitz Memorial Museum has hit out at so-called 'Holocaust tourists'.

The museum which is set in the former death camp said: 'Pictures can hold immense emotional & documentation value for visitors.

'Images help us remember.

'When coming to @AuschwitzMuseum visitors should bear in mind that they enter the authentic site of the former camp where over 1 million people were murdered.

'Respect their memory.'

Established shortly after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, Auschwitz grew into being the biggest killing machine in history.

By the time of its liberation in 1945, over 1.3 million people had been killed in its gas chambers, and by executions and torture.

In 2014, Breanna Mitchell (pictured) was widely criticized for taking this smiling selfie at the camp

A smiling woman pictured in a selfies at the Auschwitz Memorial Museum over the infamous train tracks

Auschwitz Memorial Museum spokesman Pawel Sawicki said: 'If we see inappropriate behaviour, we react.

'Sometimes the reaction comes after the picture is already taken.

'We also react to various inappropriate pictures on the internet by contacting the authors or by trying to raise awareness and discussion through public opinion.'

Pawel Sawicki from the museum told VICE: 'If we see inappropriate behaviour, we react.

'This is our duty. Sometimes the reaction comes after the picture is already taken.

'It also happens that we react to the publication of various inappropriate pictures on the internet  by contacting the authors or by trying to raise awareness and discussion through public opinion.'

This is not the first time tourists to the former concentration camp site have come under fire for their inappropriate snaps.

In 2014, an Alabama teenager was criticized for taking a smiling selfie during a tour of the Auschwitz Memorial Museum.

Breanna Mitchell later defended her actions, claiming she took the picture in memory of her father, who taught her about the concentration camps.

Other people were also seen taking crude selfies outside the death camp. Another image saw a woman posing for a selfie as she grinned outside the memorial site and train tracks.
Called the 'Big One' by scientists, it is set to strike within the next seven years

Experts have warned the Bay Area will experience an earthquake the likes of which have not been seen in decades in the next few years - with one town in particular at risk of collapsing in on itself during the prospective disaster.

Labeled the 'Big One' by wary seismologists, the catastrophic event is poised to strike within the next seven years, according to a report from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) - and could spell doom for residents of scenic Alameda.

The small city was once a peninsula, connected to Oakland by a small landmass that more than 100 years ago was dredged out to lengthen a shipping strait.

Since then, the town has existed as an island - while growing exponentially in size over the past century thanks to the addition of hundreds of acres of reclaimed land.

However, the reclamation effort took place in the early 1900s, leading scientists for years implore the town of roughly 76,000 to reanalyze its earthquake readiness.

Speaking to a Bay Area paper, the director of earthquake sciences for USGS said the city is at risk of collapsing in on itself when a quake does eventually strike - with Alameda poised to bear the brunt of the disaster.

Experts waned the region will soon experience a high-magnitude earthquake before the end of the decade - with the town of Alameda at particular at risk due to its proximity to problematic Hayward Fault, and it being isolated on a for-the-most part manmade island

Due to being built on reclaimed land laid back in the early 1900s, the town of roughly 76,000 is at risk of collapsing on itself when the state's next big quake comes around, experts said

'With fill, it's a little like a house of cards,' Christine Goulet of the USGS told Mercury News Alameda's earthquake readiness, saying that citizens could see their community come tumbling down before 2030 if nothing is done.

Goulet has a Ph.D. in civil engineering from UCLA, and said most of the six-mile wide landmass is at risk of liquefaction - a phenomenon that occurs under serious shaking that causes water-logged soil to lose its strength and behave like a liquid.

She further warned that the wet marshland pumped from the bottom of the San Francisco Bay in the early part of the previous century was likely not packed down properly - leading to more cause for concern.

She said of the process: 'What happens is they dredge material from nearby sea or bay, which has a mix of clay and silt, and then they just put that in without compacting it appropriately.'

Goulet added that despite this less-than ideal positioning, the lion's share of the small town is set outside the original land mass, with dozens of towering apartments lining the coast - all well beyond the outskirts of its natural shoreline.

Worsening the town's earthquake readiness, she said, is that fact it only has five points of entry, four of them being drawbridges that are almost always raised - leaving extremely limited options for potential evacuees.

If you're trying to leave the island in a hurry, the most sensible option would be its underground Tube - a 3.5mile underwater tunnel to Oakland.

However, in the event of a quake, such a passage is far from safe, and would likely be overrun if and when 'the Big One' hits. The 'Big One' refers to an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or larger.

In Almaeda, only a small portion of the isle is set on sound rock, with the rest being built on soft, spongy clay that has not been reassessed in more than a hundred years.

This has led to questions about the city's structural integrity - concerns that for decades have gone unheeded.

The city is also located a stone's throw from the Hayward Fault - the primary concern for experts when considering the likelihood of a San Francisco earthquake.

Despite repeated warnings from experts such as herself, Goulet said officials have not addressed the town's precarious positioning.

Only a small portion of the isle is set on sound rock, with the rest being built on soft, spongy clay that has not been reassessed in more than a hundred years

Worsening the town's earthquake readiness is that fact it only has five points of entry, four of them being drawbridges that are almost always raised. The other is an underground tunnel

The small city is home to roughly 76,000, and was once a peninsula connected to Oakland by a small landmass that more than 100 years ago was dredged out to lengthen a shipping strait

The small city is home to roughly 76,000, and was once a peninsula connected to Oakland by a small landmass that more than 100 years ago was dredged out to lengthen a shipping strait

Compounding the crisis is the fact that like many other East Bay cities, much of Alameda's architecture consists of older, wood-frame houses that would serve as perfect fuel for post-quake fires, experts said

The city is also located a stone's throw from the Hayward Fault - the primary concern for experts when considering the likelihood of a San Francisco earthquake

Christine Goulet, the director of earthquake sciences for the United States Geological Survey, made the warnings on Monday

In recent years, earthquakes colloquially categorized as 'Big Ones' have somehow an exceedingly rare occurrence even in the Golden State, with the last striking LA in 1994.

That event, known as the 1994 Northridge earthquake, lasted less than 20 seconds, but wrought millions of dollars of damage and killed 57 people.

That said, the disaster was several hundred miles away from Northern California - which owns the dubious distinction of seeing through some of the worst earthquakes in history, with the last occurring in 1989 with a magnitude of 6.9.

Called the Loma Prieta earthquake due to its epicenter being near a Santa Cruz mountain of the same name, the event caused at least 57 counted deaths and nearly 3,757 injuries.

The majority of those fatalities occurred in Oakland due to much of the city being built on reclaimed land - causing the collapse of a two-deck, multi-lane freeway that crushed dozens of cars on its lower level, and caused crashes up top.

Also destroyed was a since-repaired section of the San FranciscoOakland Bay Bridge, leading to a single fatality.

Experts at the time attributed the collapses to Oakland, much like Alameda, being at heightened risk of liquefaction - with both incidents taking place on land at 3 percent or greater.

The bridge collapse, moreover, occurred in an area with a calculated risk of roughly 73 percent - a probability about the same as that of Alameda.

Since then, against all odds, California has managed to escape another 'Big One' - but Goulet says that Bay Area residents should not count their lucky stars just yet.

In addition to the heightened risk of liquefaction in Alameda, her agency there is also a 70 percent chance that one or more quakes of a magnitude of 6.7 or larger will occur before the year 2030 - bad news for residents of the island community, which is almost entirely set on reclaimed land

Much like the Loma Prieta earthquake, the event could see buildings again tilt and sink into the ground, and destroy crucial bridges and even tunnels, Goulet and others warned on Monday.

This is most troubling for Alameda, which for years has allowed the construction of condos and buildings almost exclusively on its coastal, man-made portions.

In the event of the next 'Big One' a phrase that refers to a quake with a magnitude of 6.7 or larger - Goulet said the event could see buildings tilt and sink into the ground, and destroy crucial bridges and even tunnels. This is troubling for Alameda due to ongoing construction of condos and buildings - set almost exclusively on at risk, man-made portions of the island

These buildings - consisting of apartments, offices, and other tall structures - line its scenic south, east, and north shores, all of which are located in liquefaction zones at 73 percent risk or more, according to Goulet.

The rest of the city, a small section at its center, is roughly 3 percent at risk.

Dennis Evanosky, a documentarian and longtime Alameda resident who lived through the Loma Prieta quake, told Mercury that if Goulet's prediction does come true, consequences for the tens of thousands living in those areas will be dire.

'All those apartment houses along the South Shore, that's all soup,' Evanosky said Monday.

'Everything the water side of Otis, everything the water side of Clement, everything the water side of Main and Central, that's all man-made land. All of it. Including schools.'

When asked about similarities before the predicted quake and the most recent Big One in 1989, Evanosky said he sees the same outcome ahead for Alameda - adding the damage will be worse due to the city's refusal to rebuild parts of the island.

The last 'Big One' to hit the Bay Area occurred in 1989, with the Loma Prieta earthquake. Having boasted a magnitude of 6.9, it is the biggest to hit the region in 34 years

The event caused at least 57 counted deaths and nearly 3,757 injuries, and has been followed by an uncharacteristic lull in large, earth shattering quakes

The majority of those fatalities occurred in Oakland - also built on reclaimed land - causing the collapse of a two-deck, multi-lane freeway that crushed dozens of cars on its lower level

Similar collapses could be seen in Alameda if nothing is done about its foundation, Goulet said

The Marina district, the San Francisco neighborhood affected by the 1989 Loma, was also built on fill. Unlike Alameda, the city has since implemented tax-payer funded projects to redo the soil, and mitigate a possible liquefaction disaster

'The only difference between Alameda and San Francisco is that they're fully aware of what they're doing,' Evanosky said, criticizing the lack of caution.

Danielle Mieler, the city's sustainability and resilience manager, added of the city's apparent ignorance of the pressing predicament: 'I know when I bought a house in Alameda I looked at that liquefaction map.

'[I] said 'I'm not buying anything that's not in that original land area.''

Compounding the crisis is the fact that like many other East Bay cities, much of Alameda's architecture consists of older, wood-frame buildings that would double as perfect fuel for post-quake fires.

If history serves any precedent, Goulet's predicted quake could spawn a similar fire seen during the 'Great' San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, which, aside from the Loma Prieta quake, is the last real 'Big One' to hit the Bay Area.

Commonly accepted as being one of the worst earthquakes of all time, it had a magnitude of 7.9 - and caused at least 700 deaths.

That figure consists of Bay Area residents killed as a result of the initial quake, and the fire that ensued. Wooden homes that at the time covered the city served as tinder for the blaze.

While the 700 figure is commonly quoted, experts today agree the total loss of life was likely underestimated by a factor of 3 or 4.

Worsening maters is not only Alameda's lack of reliable exit and entry points, but its lack of a neighborhood water reservoir - meaning in the event of the fire, there will likely be no water readily available within city limits.

This leaves the 23-square-mile isle not only at risk of being wrought by a post-quake inferno, but at the mercy of more prepared locales like San Francisco and neighboring Oakland.

If history serves any precedent, Goulet's predicted quake could spawn a similar fire seen during the 'Great' San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, which, aside from the Loma Prieta quake, is the last real 'Big One' to hit the Bay Area

Commonly accepted as being one of the worst earthquakes of all time, it had a magnitude of 7.9 - and caused at least 700 deaths

That figure consists of Bay Area residents killed as a result of the initial quake, and the fire that ensued. Wooden homes that at the time covered the city served as tinder for the blaze

In the 70 years prior to the 'Great' 1906 quake, 6-to-7 magnitude earthquakes would occur around that rate, but since the devastating Loma Prieta disaster, such seismic activity has tapered off

While the 700 figure is commonly quoted, experts today agree the total loss of life was likely underestimated by a factor of 3 or 4

According to Goulet, the safest course of action to prevent widespread damage when the next 'Big One' occurs would be to entirely rebuild parts of the island - due to archaic landfills laid around the time of the 1906 quake

According to Goulet, the safest course of action to prevent widespread damage when the next 'Big One' occurs would be to entirely rebuild parts of the island - a stance shared by virtually all of her contemporaries.

But the city's management has made no effort to engage in such a campaign, despite the reclamation effort occurring at a time where safety regulations were nonexistent and the land was haphazardly packed.

'It's not the fact that it's reclaimed, it's how it's been built,' the USGS scientist said, citing similar efforts seen in LA, which was also built with fill and has seen several liquefaction mitigation projects over the past century to make its soil denser.

'You can remediate today,' Goulet said of the city's hesitance, adding that with each passing day, the Bay Area grows more and more risk of a 6.7-plus earthquake, after having not experienced one in 34 years.

That's almost double the rate of which such quakes are said to occur in the region, tapped somewhere between 10 to 15 years.

In the 70 years prior to the 'Great' 1906 quake, 6-to-7 magnitude earthquakes would occur around that rate, but since the devastating Loma Prieta disaster, such seismic activity has tapered off.

Goulet and scientists believe that a similar period of strong activity may now be in the cards after the uncharacteristic lull - with Alameda poised to bear the brunt of the inevitable disaster.

That said, the city has taken some efforts to prepare itself for the worst-case scenario, recently constructing a 160-foot pipeline in the gulf between it and Oakland in the event of a fire.

Goulet and scientists believe that a similar period of strong activity may now be in the cards after the uncharacteristic lull - with Alameda poised to bear the brunt of the inevitable disaster

However, the precaution does little to address the inevitable earthquake - or quakes - that loom on the horizon, with Alameda, by far, being the most at risk.

The Marina district, the San Francisco neighborhood affected by the 1989 Loma, was also built on fill. Like LA, the city has since implemented tax-payer funded projects to redo the soil, and mitigate a possible liquefaction disaster.

The installation of the Oakland pipeline, meanwhile, was only just completed over the weekend, and will not be operational until the end of the year.

The city has yet to announce plans for a liquefaction mitigation project.
READ MORE: Post in LTN row has tracking device installed after it was destroyed

Vandals have tried and failed to get remove new bollard as one took crowbar to it

The saga of the most hated bollard in Britain has taken a new twist that has delighted supporters of the traffic restricting scheme but angered those opposed to the anti-car measure.

After vandals destroyed or stole a plastic bollard more than 20 times in a low traffic neighbourhood the controversial road restriction in east Oxford has now been replaced with a sturdy wooden post.

The three-foot-high bollard was erected after council chiefs spent thousands replacing a previous bollard that had been vandalised by drivers opposed to the scheme that stops the roads being using as shortcuts.

A tracking device was even placed on the plastic bollard and was later found in a nearby empty house undergoing renovations.

After vandals destroyed or stole a plastic bollard more than 20 times in a low traffic neighbourhood the controversial road restriction on Howard Street in east Oxford has now been replaced with a sturdy wooden post

Old bollard and new bollard: The old plastic bollard on Howard Street was destroyed or stolen a plastic more than 20 times has now been replaced with a sturdy wooden one

Supporters of the road restriction scheme are pleased the council have finally installed what they hope is a vandal proof bollard.

But opponents of the scheme  part of a low traffic neighbourhood introduced in East Oxford  have refused to give up waging their vandalism campaign.

Soon after the bollard was installed in Howard Street a Facebook page for opponents of the scheme featured a photo of chainsaw with a threat to chop down the post.

Residents also found a crowbar that had become lodged into the bollard as a vandal attempted to remove a padlock that secures the post to a metal plate.

Emergency services have a key that allows them to remove the bollard and travel along Howard Street which links the busy Ifley and Cowley Road.

Zuhura Plummer, a campaigner with the Oxford Liveable Streets, hopes the installation of a more secure bollard will put an end to the vandalism that led to it being dubbed 'the most hated in Britain' and featured on BBC's Panorama.

She said:' We are obviously hoping that the whole fuss over the bollard will calm down. Some of those opposed to it did post a photo of a chainsaw with a threat to cut it down, but nothing has happened.

'Hopefully it will now be accepted and I am sure we will see an end to the vandalism.'

A plastic bollard was first installed last year after resident complained to Oxford city council that their road was being used as a 'rat run' with drivers using it as a short cut between two main roads.

More than 1,000 cars a day used the road lined with terraced homes in the east of the University city.

Soon after a plastic bollard was placed alongside two wooden planters the vandals began their attacks.

Zuhura Plummer (pictured), a campaigner with the Oxford Liveable Streets, hopes the installation of a more secure bollard will put an end to the vandalism that led to it being dubbed 'the most hated in Britain' and featured on BBC's Panorama

A destroyed sign for the consultation on the East Oxford low traffic neighbourhoods

CCTV caught an arsonist setting fire to the road restriction measure while drivers destroyed 20 bollards in less than three weeks by driving over them.

Frustrated residents placed a tracking device on it and later discovered it had been tossed through a window in an empty house being renovated.

Other plastic bollards installed by the council in surrounding streets were also destroyed costing Oxfordshire County Council 100,000 to replace them. They hit out at the 'unprecedented vandalism'

Its role in the much-hated low-traffic neighborhood schemes across the UK has made it a focal point for irate drivers simply trying to get to work.

But supporters of the road restrictions have now hit back and are fitting them with trackers to find where they have been taken.

One was dumped in an abandoned house just yards from where it was taken. The unusual theft was featured on an episode of the BBC's Panorama programme.

A vandal set a bollard alight after 11pm on a Sunday night in July on Howard Street in east Oxford.

Video footage from local residents shows shows drivers destroying barriers put up for the low-traffic neighbourhood, including a DPD delivery driver, a taxi and several vans and cars.

A spokesperson for DPD told MailOnline at the time: 'It is unacceptable behaviour and the local depot is investigating that particular incident. We have reminded all drivers in the area to respect the low-traffic neighbourhood initiative and route accordingly.'

A vandal setting a low-traffic neighbourhood bollard alight after 11pm on a Sunday night in July on Howard Street in east Oxford

The plastic bollard on Howard Street was routinely pulled over so cars could driver over it

Motorists destroyed 20 bollards over less than three weeks - with vans and cars driving over the barriers

Plans to install steel bollards were scrapped in favour of the wooden type which are secured to a metal plate by a padlock.

Ms Plummer, who says she is not anti-car, said the benefits of closing the street to through traffic was obvious.

'The problem began with people using Google maps. It looks for the shortest route and that means going down Howard Street if you are driving to the Cowley Road. There were 4,000 cars a day coming down a quiet residential street.

'With the bollard it has massively reduced that number and is back to just being used by local residents. I have a car and am not anti-car, but there are many short journeys that people can take by bike or by walking.

Maniqua Mia, who has lived in the street for 40 years, said the restriction just makes it harder to drive to his home

'At the local Larkrise Primary school 35 per cent of children were being dropped off by car. That is now down to 14 per cent as parents cannot use the road and have to walk or cycle. That is 300 fewer car journeys.'

Opponents of the low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) say the restriction just pushes traffic on to other roads.

Yesterday a delivery driver who had been directed down Howard Street sat baffled in his van as he tried to work out how he could drop off goods at a nearby pub.

He said: 'I've been driving round in circles. My Tom Tom Sat Nav keeps directing me down roads that are blocked off. It is a pain in backside and just makes driving so much more frustrating.

'I just want to get on with my job, but it is so frustrating.'

Many of the residents in the street support the LTN with posters backing the scheme in their front windows.

One resident said: 'It makes such a change not to have cars racing down the road. I cycle mostly so it is much safer. It is also much cleaner as there are no exhaust fumes.'

However, not all the residents in the street are in support of the LTN.

Maniqua Mia,who has lived in the street for 40 years, said the restriction just makes it harder to drive to his home.

'I am not a fan of the bollard. It never worried me with traffic and I would prefer it wasn't there,' he said.
The story of one of Los Angeles' first wellness cults is reportedly being adapted into a television series starring Mark Ruffalo.

Known as the Source Family, the group had a prominent flash in the pan from the late 1960s until they began to disband after their eccentric leader died in a hang-gliding accident in Hawaii in 1975.

During their heyday, about 140 men and women lived in a series of communes in southern California, where they dressed in flowing robes, practiced tantric sex, and recorded a series of psychedelic rock albums.

They also, famously, operated a health food restaurant on the Sunset Strip that was frequented by the likes of John Lennon, Joni Mitchell, and Marlon Brando.

They worshipped at the altar of Father Yod, born Jim Baker. He was a reported WWII fighter pilot, bank robber, lethal judo expert, and wealthy Midwesterner who developed a religious philosophy that combined astrology, mysticism, western esotericism, and a number of other spiritual philosophies.

Father Yod took 14 'spiritual wives' within the group, and encouraged underage female members to marry older men - leading some to describe him as 'a dirty old man on a lust trip.' However, unlike many cults from the era that gained prominence for the horrific abuses members suffered, the Source Family has remained largely free from such controversies.

Members of The Source family cluster around a Rolls-Royce bought by their disciple 'Father Yod' - born Jim Baker - with the proceeds of his Sunset Boulevard health food restaurant

Father Yod - who also went by Yahowah - is pictured with members of his Source family. He 'married' 14 women he described as 'spiritual wives'

The Source restaurant is pictured in LA during the 1970s. Its wacky health food dishes set trends and took in $10,000-a-day, enabling Father Yod to live a lavish lifestyle

Members of the Source cult perform music outside their Mother House - whose official name was Chandler Mansion - in Los Angeles

Father Yod (left center, with white beard and staff) and his followers in an undated photo

A number of documentaries and books about the group have been released over the years, and now a limited series, with Ruffalo tipped to play Father Yod, is in motion, according to the LA Times.

Historian Isis Aquarian, along with co-authors Jodi Wille and Charlie Kitchings, has also released a new book called FAMILY: The Source Family Scrapbook - published by Sacred Bones and Otherworld.

The legends surrounding the man who became Father Yod are many.

It's said that he shot down 13 Japanese planes while flying in World War II. That his hands were registered as weapons, after he killed two men using his martial arts expertise (he was convicted of manslaughter in 1963). It is also suspected that he robbed up to 11 banks.

While still known as Jim Baker, he moved to Hollywood to take a shot at acting with an audition for Tarzan. After that evidently failed, Baker turned to the restaurant business and launched the health food spots Old World and Aware Inn.

Both were a huge success in California's burgeoning hippie scene, and while basking in his newfound wealth, Baker delved into it the philosophies that were so popular at the time. He became a student of the spiritual guru Yogi Bhajan, then began developing his own spiritualism that combined the principles of a number of mystical philosophies - free love, spiritual sex, health-focused living, and smoking a lot of marijuana.

Sometime in the late 1960s Baker assumed the name Father Yod and began gathering followers, eventually adopting the Source Family name and moving into a mansion in the LA neighborhood of Los Feliz.

To fund their lifestyle, Father Yod put his entrepreneurship to work and opened the Source restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, which quickly became the face of LA's outlandish culture. So much so, it was parodied in the Woody Allen film Annie Hall, when the main character grimacingly orders 'alfalfa sprouts and a plate of mashed yeast.'

At its height, the restaurant was making about $10,000 per day, leaving Father Yod and his disciples extremely well funded. He purchased a Rolls-Royce that followers chauffeured him around in, adopted the name YaHoWah (a repurposing of the Hebrew word for god, Yahweh) and taught his followers how to chant it.

As female members gave birth within the cult, his followers naturally grew.

Father Yod was a wealthy restaurateur before developing his spiritual philosophy and cult

Family members abandoned their old names, assuming the last name Aquarian instead, and took first names like Lotus, Lovely, Explosion, Isis or Sunflower - leaving each with a name like 'Zarathustra Aquarian.'

At one point, the group spent tens of thousands of dollars on instruments, amplifiers, and recording equipment, and converted the mansion's garage into a recording studio where they set to work putting their philosophies to music.

Father Yod fronted the band, and they recorded about 60 albums filled with improvisational psychedelic rock and hippie-folk.

Their music was never picked up by a major label, but much of it was self-published by the family, and the remaining LPs draw hundreds of dollars apiece by collectors today.

The Source Family's recording drew the ire of neighbors, and they were eventually forced to relocate to a smaller home in Nichols Canyon.

Another reason for their flight from the mansion was persistent visits from police, who were responding to reports of underage women living among the group. In response, Father Yod reportedly encouraged the girls to marry male members, as a way of insulating them from police and the reach of irate parents.

The Source restaurant, which the cult operated on Sunset Boulevard

Mark Ruffalo (left) is rumored to be starring as Father Yod in a television series about the Source Family produced by Stacey Sher (right)

At some point in the early 1970s, Father Yod began marrying multiple women, leaving his first wife Robyn devastated.

She would later accuse him of being a conman on a 'lust trip' for young women but, beyond her complaints, there were few noises of dissent from within the group.

Former member Galaxy Aquarian, who was once named Dawn Hurwitz, joined when she was 16 years old in 1972 and later became one of Father Yod's wives.

She told the LA Times that her time with the group had been a positive experience.

'I took a lot of that with me, but I've adapted to life,' Galaxy said. 'I married another man. I've worn several hats.'

Father Yod eventually moved the group to Hawaii, and one day in 1975 he announced he was going to go hang gliding.

Despite having zero experience in the sport, he jumped off a 1,300-foot cliff in a glider and promptly plummeted to his death.

It remains unclear whether the death was a suicide. According to the Johns Hopkins Newsletter, Father Yod had experienced a lapse of faith in the year of his death and confessed to followers that he was not a god.

And in the 2012 documentary The Source Family, a former member said Father Yod told the group of his intent to 'leave the body' a month before the fatal accident.

The cult began to dissolve after Father Yod's death, finally disbanding around 1978.

According to the maker of that documentary, Jodi Wille, Mark Ruffalo is gearing up to play Father Yod in a limited series based on the cult. Also involved in the project is Ruffalo's manager Margaret Riley, along with producer Stacey Sher.

In March, they all joined a number of former Source Family members for dinner, inspired by what they dubbed 'a journey into the cult roots of health food,' according to the LA Times. They were also joined by producer Ben Sinclair, music producer Rick Rubin, and actress Patricia Arquette.

The dinner, put on by the media group Atlas Obscura, included a menu inspired by the Source restaurant with items like 'multidimensional soup,' 'aware salad,' and 'psychedelic toast.'

Before the group ate, Source Family members Galaxy, Zarathustra, and Venus Aquarian gave a blessing they were taught by Father Yod.

'As above, so below, and around, we go, YaHoWah,' they chanted together.
She has been helping Julia Wendell, who falsely claims she is Madeleine McCann

'Producer, Celebrity Medium, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Keynote Speaker, Author, Private investigator working with law enforcement to solve cases.'

These are the many positions that Fia Johansson claims to hold on her social media channels, where she advertises her services.

Johansson, who claims to be a 'psychic detective' with 25 years of experience, insists she has solved murder cases, foiled terrorist plots and even helped a British Royal escape a blackmail plot.

But the case that has seen Johansson's face plastered all over social media sites like TikTok and Instagram has been her involvement in helping Julia Wendell, a Polish woman who falsely claimed she was the missing Madeleine McCann.

Soon after Wendell, 21, posted her now debunked claims that she was the missing British girl, Johansson saw her opportunity and jumped on a plane to Poland to investigate the case.

'Producer, Celebrity Medium, Clinical Hypnotherapist, Keynote Speaker, Author, Private investigator working with law enforcement to solve cases.' These are the many positions that Fia Johansson (pictured) claims to hold on her social media channels, where she advertises her services

But the case that has seen Johansson's (left) face plastered all over social media sites like TikTok and Instagram has been her involvement in helping Julia Wendell (right), a Polish woman who falsely claimed she was the missing Madeleine McCann

Soon after Wendell, 21, posted her now debunked claims that she was the missing British girl, Johansson saw her opportunity and jumped on a plane to Poland to investigate the case. Pictured: The pair on the US show Dr Phil

Julia Wendell falsely claimed she was the missing Madeleine McCann (pictured)

Since then, Johansson, 41, has appeared alongside Wendell on the US show Dr Phil and at one stage was even granted power of attorney over the 21-year-old.

Johansson has consistently appeared in TikTok live videos with self-professed amateur 'detectives' where she has repeated Wendell's false claims that she is Madeleine.

Johansson has also used her Instagram profile, where she has 9.5million followers, to post nearly daily updates on Wendell's false claims. Since February 22 this year, of her 54 posts, 45 were posting newspaper articles where Johansson had been quoted on Wendell's case.

And after DNA tests proved that Wendell's claims were fake, Johansson was quick to say she had never believed she had been Madeleine, who went missing in 2007.

'I have always believed Madeleine was alive, but when I flew out to Poland, I knew Julia wasn't Madeleine,' Johansson told the Mirror.

Johansson has since insisted that she has not been using Wendell's case for fame or money - instead claiming she wanted to help the 21-year-old discover who she was.

The self-professed psychic medium has spent her career coming out with wild claims about Madeleine.

Interestingly, four years before Johansson flew to Poland to meet Wendell and help her parrot the false claims on the Dr Phil show - a move that saw her exposure skyrocket -, Johansson said she had a vision that Madeleine was in Germany.

'Madeleine is alive, I can see that she's in Germany,' Johansson told the Daily Star in 2019. 'She has no clue about her other family. She was very little, she doesn't remember anything about the family.'

She insisted that Madeleine was living with her new parents - who were in their 70s - in the German state of Koln, without providing any evidence.

Johansson insisted at the time that Madeleine would find her parents by 2022 or 2024 by herself because she's 'going to be very famous in singing' - without providing any evidence for her claims.

Johansson said in 2019: 'Madeleine's very much inter-connected with music and dance, she has an amazing, beautiful voice.

'She will find her own family by accident. My prediction is that she will find them by 2022 to 2024 by herself, because she's going to be very famous in singing.

'She's always trying to help other people, she has a golden heart. The good news is, she doesn't remember the trauma.'

At the time, a spokesman for the Official Find Madeleine Campaign on Facebook said Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate 'do not believe in psychics of mediums', adding that they have 'complete confidence' in the UK police.

The self-professed psychic medium has spent her career coming out with wild claims about Madeleine

A spokesman for the Official Find Madeleine Campaign on Facebook said Madeleine's parents Gerry and Kate 'do not believe in psychics of mediums', adding that they have 'complete confidence' in the UK police

Madeleine went missing while on holiday with her family in Praia da Luz at the Ocean Club apartments (pictured)

Johansson's work has earned the Iranian native the nickname 'the Persian Medium' and garnered her over 8 million Instagram followers.

According to her website, she charges $35 per minute for her advice, or $2,500 for a one-hour meeting.

Johansson, who claims to have a PHD in Psychology and Human Behaviour, says she works as a clinical hypnotherapist and holistic healer.

She claims that she has 'visions' of those who have gone missing - if if she ignores 'the spirits' she gets 'punished' with a headache, nausea and hot flushes.

She said that she realised the had a 'gift' because she had a vision as a child that a family member was going to be in an accident before it happened.

'I remember one time, it was the middle of summer and some friends came over and we played, we had fun and then it was time for them to go home and I suddenly said 'No don't go!' and they asked why and I said: 'Because I see you guys are going to have a car crash',' Johansson told The Sun in 2020.

She added: 'And they looked at me like, 'What are you talking about?' And sure enough they left, then 40 minutes later our phone rang and they had a car crash.

'I see colours first - and when red and black appear I know something crazy is on the way to happen and I should warn or stop that person right away.

'Sometimes I close my eyes and I meditate and can see a vision, like a movie, of exactly what is going to happen.'

Johansson, who used to live in Stockholm, Sweden, with her uncle, claims that she was 14-years-old when she helped police find the body of missing girl Jessica Anderson based on information she was 'picking up' in her mind.

'I went to the police so I could share with them the information I was picking up about the whereabouts of their body,' Johansson told Forbes.

'This kind of gift is inexplicable, but what I shared with the police allowed them to locate the girl's body and essentially led to a charge and arrest of the perpetrator,' Johansson claimed, without providing evidence.

Since then, Johansson says she has been called upon several times by police, families and governments to help find missing people, solve murders, foil terror plots - and even help Hollywood stars decide which projects to take on.

She claims that she has been hired by law enforcement agencies in the UK, France and Germany - all without providing evidence.

Johansson's work has earned the Iranian native the nickname 'the Persian Medium' and garnered her over 8 million Instagram followers

Johansson, who claims to have a PHD in Psychology and Human Behaviour, says she works as a clinical hypnotherapist and holistic healer

'I have worked on two cases in the UK, one which was for the British government and I can't talk about that too much for my own safety,' Johansson insisted during the 2020 interview.

'It was through their counter terror organisation and they wanted me to locate individuals.'

Johansson also claimed that she helped foil a blackmail plot involving a member of the UK's Royal Family.

He said: 'The second case was a billionaire who actually was a part of the Royal Family. It was an off case - kind of a blackmail situation.

'They wanted to know exactly why there were a couple of people and a couple of agencies that wanted to blackmail them.

'And I could locate them and afterwards when the law enforcement from the UK took action they could easily stop them.'

The 'psychic' claims that she has also helped a number of celebrities - but she says she cannot reveal their identities because she has signed non-disclosure agreements.

Johannsson says that she only works with celebrities who sign a three year contract with her - and who pay her up front.

'I'm constantly working with celebrities,' she said. 'As a psychic medium I help them say yes or no to a contract, or certain producer or movie.

'So they will come to me and ask 'Do you think this network is right for me?' or 'Do you think I will sacrifice my love life if I have to move to another country to film this movie?'

Johannsson says that she only works with celebrities who sign a three year contract with her - and who pay her up front

Since Wendell posted her now debunked claims - and Johansson parroted them - hundreds of TikTokers have been duped into believing that she was Madeleine.

Johansson has appeared in videos alongside amateur 'detectives' who have posted streams of content about Wendell and her lies - often without explaining there was no evidence of her claims.

In the months since Wendell first made her claims, TikTok videos featuring her name have been viewed more than 79.6 million times. And TikTok videos featuring Johansson's name have been viewed 27 million times.

Interestingly Wendell has only posted five videos on TikTok, meaning that the vast majority of the content has been made by these 'sleuths' who have been lapping up Wendell's claims and inviting Johansson on to speak to them to get views.

This is not a new phenomena - after Nicola Bulley, 45, went missing on January 27 in , Lancashire Police accused TikTokers of 'playing private detectives' near the scene. And in America, millions TikTok 'sleuths' posted videos about Gabby Petito after she went missing in August 2021 - and the same happened when four students in Ihaho were found murdered in their apartment.

MailOnline has contacted Johansson for comment.
London Fire Brigade has spent more than 3.3 million rescuing animals ranging from cats and dogs, lizards and snakes to even fish in a pond since January 2009.

According to figures released by the London Assembly and the Mayor of London, between January 2009 and February 28, 2023, LFB attended 9,256 incidents involving animals, with costs ranging from 250 to almost 4,000 for an individual rescue.

The figures, seen by MailOnline show the number of pump engines deployed by London Fire Brigade and the number of hours they were on scene to complete the rescue.

In total, London Fire Brigade has spent 10,814 hours rescuing animals since January 2009 with an estimated cost of 3,368,404. The Fire Brigade estimates the cost by the number of pump ladders (Fire Engines) they have at the scene and the number of hours it takes to complete the rescue.

One rescue on December 12, 2010 in Enfield required a total of four fire engines to rescue a dog which was stuck in a pond at an estimated cost of 1,040 after a member of the public rang for help on their mobile phone.

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This cat was rescued from a house fire in Kensington in October 2017 when a blaze broke out in the property's swimming pool motor room

One in two animal rescues completed by LFB since 2009 involves a cat - many of which have been stuck up trees. Firefighters have spent 5,158 hours on 4,535 cat calls with a total cost of 1,613,136.

Digging further into the data, LFB attended 611 incidents involving cats stuck up trees, taking a total of 683 hours.

One such emergency call on August 1, 2022, in Downhills Park, Wood Green took three hours to resolve, because a member of the public decided to try and retrieve the cat themselves before getting stuck in tree - bumping up the cost of the rescue to 1,092.

A few weeks earlier, a kitten in Orpington, Kent needed rescue during a botched bid to raid a bird's nest.

In total, the old cliche of firefighters rescuing cats from trees has cost LFB 207,715.

In January 2023, firefighters from three stations attended a scene in Kenley, south London where a goat, named Gandalf, had become stuck on a 35-metre high cliff edge after being separated from the rest of its herd.

According to sub officer Darren Joy, who was at the incident, said: 'The goat had been spotted the day before but we dont know how long it had been stuck there for. There was no clear way back up for him and it was steep.

'Firefighters worked quickly to assess the situation and our drone team also attended. The drone actually helped distract Gandalf and allowed crews to put a line over the goat and pull him up to safety. Thankfully, he was very well-behaved and came away unhurt.

Birds are number two on the list of animals requiring assistance - including one unfortunate swan who was flying low over the River Thames passing Hampton Court on March 15 when it smashed into a tree on an island in the middle of the stream getting stuck some 40 feet into the air. It took firefighters from Twickenham three hours to extricate the swan from the tree at a cost of 999.

A low-flying swan was making its way along the River Thames near Hampton Court Palace when it crashed into a tree on Ash Island, pictured

It took firefighters from Twickenham three hours to extricate the injured swan from the tree

Firefighters had to use special cutting equipment to save a fox cub who got stuck in a car wheel in Tottenham

Other firefighters were able to remove this cat who was stuck in a Hammersmith chimney

A Harris Hawk in Soho landed on an anti-pigeon spike at an art gallery in January 2015 and was at risk of becoming a permanent exhibit until the local firefighter until managed to save it from its Carravagio-esque fate.

Dogs, it seems are far less accident-prone than cats and birds with only 15 per cent of animal rescue calls relating to man's best friend, yet, since 2009, the LFB has spent 496,303 and 1,630 hours catching canines.

Somewhat appropriately, two dogs have required rescue from the Barkingside area of east London.

On July 6, 2020, firefighters from Kentish Town spent three hours rescuing a baby seagull who was impaled on a spike protecting a former period home which had been converted into flats. A few months earlier, colleagues from Orpington helped a kestrel which had been caught in branches up a tree and was unable to fly off.

In Stratford, East London, a specialist team of firefighter had to rescue a group of ducklings who were in danger in a lock. It took three hours at a cost of 1,038 to bring the small birds to safety.

Willow the Staffordshire Bull Terrier gets rescued from the roof of her owner's east London home On June 23, 2019, Willow, a three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier managed to clamber onto the roof of her owner's three-storey home in Hackney, east London. The dog escaped through a loft conversion. LFB had to deploy a specialised aerial ladder to safely reach the dog who was periliously perched on a narrow ledge before she was rescued by firefighter Richard Kirby. Speaking at the time, Stoke Newington White Watch manager Jason Butcher said: 'Willow had been missing for a few hours and at first they thought she had got out the front door but then they heard her up on the roof. Willow, a three-year-old Staffordshire bull terrier, pictured, managed to escape onto the roof of her owner's home in Hackney, east London on June 23, 2019 Firefighter Richard Kirby of Stoke Newington retrieved Willow from the roof and returned her to her relieved owner 'Shes lucky she didnt fall as it was only a small ledge where she got out of the window. She then climbed up the pitched roof and onto a flat area. Every now and then they could see her looking through the Velux window. 'When we got the aerial ladder platform in place, Willow came to the edge to see what was going on and Firefighter Richard Kirby went up and brought her back down to safety before handing her over to her relieved owner. 'We would always urge people to contact the RSPCA if they see an animal stuck or in distress. 'Firefighters love animals too and we are always happy to assist if the RSPCA require our assistance and specialist equipment, as we used in this case. 'The work of a firefighter is so much more than just attending fires. Every day crews across London are called to a range of incidents including road traffic collisions, flooding and animal rescues. Firefighters also do lots of preventative work within the community to help stop fires from starting in the first place.' Advertisement

This baby seagull was rescued from an anti pigeon spike in Belsize Park, north London

This cat had its paw stuck in the kitchen sink of a house in Wood Green and needed specialist help to escape

An injured seagull in Kentish Town who was having problems swimming required the assistance of two fire engines in July 2017, costing 984.

The most expensive five rescues involve a cat, two dogs and two horses - one of which needed rescuing from a swimming pool.

On July 28, 2017, firefighters from Kentish Town were called to a house in Gospel Oak where the RSPCA said a cat had become stuck in the wall space of a home. It took three crews a total of 12 hours to save the cat, costing the taxpayer 3,912.

A foal struggling in the River Lee in Chingford, east London required two crews who spent a total of 12 hours on the scene at a cost of 3,480 in April 2013.

A dog stuck in a lake in Enfield cost 3,276 while a dog stuck in a badger hole in Richmond Park in March 2022 cost 3,168. The horse in a swimming pool in Biggin Hill took two teams 10 hours to rescue and cost an estimated 2,980.

The figures show that firefighters in the capital have rescued eight cows, 158 deer, 10 ferrets, one school of fish, 475 foxes, 4 goats, 18 hamsters, five hedgehogs, nine sheep, 205 horses, 17 rabbits, three lizards, 19 snakes, one tortoise and a surprising 81 squirrels.

A further 377 animals where the details have not been fully recorded cost a further 137,864 to rescue.

A London Fire Brigade spokesperson said: 'Firefighters love animals and we are ready, willing and able to assist distressed or injured animals  the last thing we want is for people to put themselves at risk rescuing an animal themselves  but we do encourage people to call the RSPCA in the first instance and we will assist if our specialist equipment is required.'

Many of the rescues are requested by the RSPCA, especially if their officers do not have the skills or equipment to assist an animal in a potentially life-threatening situation.

A spokesperson for the charity told MailOnline: 'We work very closely with the emergency services and their highly trained crews sometimes assist us with animal rescues. Like any member of the public, the RSPCA can request the help of the fire and rescue service when there is a question of health and safety and we are unable to access and rescue an animal in trouble ourselves. For example, we may request help from the fire service if the rescue needs specialist equipment which our officers dont carry. Were always incredibly grateful for any help we receive from them.

'Our animal rescuers are trained in water and height rescues, however on occasion we will ask for help from the fire service if the rescue is very complex, challenging or requires their specialist equipment.

This fox was stuck on a ledge on Blackfriars Bridge and had to be rescued by the fire brigade

LFB enlisted the help of their Fire Rescue tender to save the fox from possibly drowning in the River Thames

Even pigeons are rescued by firefighters if members of the public report birds in distress

London Fire Brigade had to rescue this swan from Tottenham, where it got into trouble

'Working together in these challenging environments helps share good working practices and means a better response to the public we both serve - and firefighters sometimes use animal rescues to help with training for human rescues too.

'We are proud of our partnership with the fire service and what we achieve together for animal welfare. The public love animals, and our work with the fire service helps stop countless animals suffering every year.

'We urge anyone who sees an animal which needs rescuing to consult the RSPCA website for advice on what to do, and who can help.'

In one of the more unusual rescues, firefighters had to save this goat who was stranded on a cliff edge in south London
We all know it's coming.

For months Ukraine's generals have been hunched over maps, studying intelligence, and shuffling the pieces around as they try to come up with a plan to win their country back.

Meanwhile Kyiv's allies have been ransacking their store-cupboards for any and every spare bit of kit that might help.

The moment of truth is now just around the corner. Russia's winter offensive has all-but run out of steam. Ukraine's muddy ground is starting to harden.

Soon, it will be time for the counter-attack.

Here, MailOnline analyses the what, where, when and how of the coming offensive, and reveals why it will decide the future of Ukraine

Ukrainian soldiers fire targets on the front line in the direction of the city of Ugledar, Donetsk, Ukraine as Russia-Ukraine war continues on April 18, 2023

Ukrainian soldiers fire targets on the front line in the direction of the city of Ugledar, Donetsk

WHAT IS THE PLAN?

Ukraine is thought to be mustering up to 100,000 men into at least 12, but perhaps as many as 18 combat brigades to take on the Russians.

They are thought to have been given around 200 Western tanks, 800 armoured vehicles and 150 artillery guns to arm nine of those brigades - meaning they could field up to 400 tanks, 1,600 vehicles and 300 guns in total if they plan to build nine more.

Russia's status is less clear. Based on leaked casualty figures, Putin could have as few as 100,000 men or as many as 290,000 in Ukraine.

The same leaks suggest he only has around 500 tanks left on the battlefield, but may be pulling more from storage. The number of armoured vehicles and artillery guns is not clear.

Ukraine's battle plans are a closely guarded secret but Mick Ryan, a general who recently retired from the Australian army, told MailOnline that Kyiv has three broad options.

First, they could go with a single big attack, using everything they've got; second, they could split that force between simultaneous attacks in the south and east; or third, they could decide on smaller-scale attacks in both the south and east, which are not coordinated.

General Stephen Twitty, retired from the US military, believes Ukraine will go with option three - a tactic he refers to as 'eating the apple one bite at a time.'

'Ukraine will go with what has worked for them in the past,' he said. 'What the Ukrainians have been successful at doing is small-scale manoeuvres using infantry, armour and artillery, to attack Russian forces in small areas, and gain ground.'

General Ryan believes it will be a mixture of options two and three.

A large-scale attack is unlikely, he predicts, because it is hard to organise and easy for the Russians to spot and defend against - but he believes Ukraine's plan will look unlike anything we've seen so far.

'This is going to look very different because the challenge is different,' he said. 'They're going to have to breach obstacle zones which they haven't done before.

'One thing the Ukrainians have mastered in this war is surprising us.'

Ukrainian soldiers fire mortar shells towards Russian positions near Bakhmut

Ukraine will be hoping they can surprise Russian units preparing for a counterattack. Russian president Vladimir Putin (L) speaks with the head of Russia's army, Valery Gerasimov (R)

WHERE WILL UKRAINE TARGET?

The Russians believe Melitopol - a small city in southern Ukraine captured during the first days of the war - is the most-likely target.

Taking it back would break the 'land bridge' between Putin's forces in the south and east, open up the road to re-taking Mariupol, and put Crimea within HIMARS range.

And in recent weeks Ukraine has stepped up bombardment of military targets in the city with long-range rockets and artillery, seeming to confirm those suspicions.

Attacks into the eastern Luhansk region are also likely, as Ukraine seeks to relieve pressure on places like Bakhmut and take back its industrial heartlands in the Donbas.

But all may not be as it seems.

Surprise will be the key to victory, General Ryan says, because Russia does not have enough men to defend its entire 750-mile frontline.

And the men it does have vary hugely in quality, from elite paratroopers to conscripts with barely a day's training.

That means the line will have weak spots, and Ukraine's route to victory lies in finding and exploiting them.

If they can deceive the Russians into placing their best units around a city they actually have no plans of attacking, that will help.

General Twitty added: 'You're talking about 800 miles of defensive lines, there is no army out there that can [cover] 800 miles. The key will be to find weak spots in that line.'

WHEN WILL THE ATTACK BEGIN?

The simple answer is: We don't know. But we do have some clues.

First, an attack is unlikely so long as the ground is muddy. Ukraine's turf freezes in winter, thaws to a slush in early spring, then re-hardens as the weather warms - generally in late April and early May.

Second, Ukraine is unlikely to attack until it has received all of the weapons it has been promised and until its troops have been trained to use them - a process that is expected to complete around the same time.

But a third element, General Ryan and General Twitty both say, will be getting the logistics in place to sustain the offensive once it gets going.

Given how many different systems Ukraine now operates, that will be extremely complicated - and how long it will take is anyone's guess.

'My feeling is they will not go until the logistics are in place,' General Twitty said.

'Sustainment is going to be key. That means spare parts, fuel, ammunition.

'Success will depend on their ability to take all of this new equipment, put it together and make it work for them on the battlefield.'

A Ukrainian service member gestures to another soldier driving a captured Russian T-72 tank, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the liberated village of Lukianivka

HOW WILL UKRAINE CARRY OUT THE ATTACKS?

Starting last year, Russian forces began constructing lines of tank traps, trenches, minefields and barbed wire fences that now stretch the entire length of the frontline.

Ukraine's first task will be to breach that line.

For that, they have been given mine clearing vehicles, breaching charges, hydraulic bridges, and bulldozers.

Speed will be vital. Russian artillery will be pre-sighted at spots on the line, and lingering too long will mean shells come crashing down on top of them.

Once through the line, they will have to take on whatever Russian troops have been left to defend it.

General Ryan expects these will be conscripts, Wagner mercenaries, and other low-skilled soldiers who Russia views as expendable.

Next will come Russia's mobile defence - units who sit away from the front but are primed to rush into battle whenever and wherever the barricades are breached.

General Ryan believes Russia will use whatever elite troops it has left for this task, such as marines and paratroopers.

Provided Ukraine can hold them off, the next task will be consolidating their forces and attacking again as quickly as possible - generating momentum which could lead to a rout.

'You want to catch the Russians off guard, generate shock and exploit that,' General Ryan says. 'If you can do that over and over again, you can make a breakthrough.'

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky addresses a joint press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (not pictured) following their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, 20 April 2023

Ukrainian servicemen return from heavy fighting amid Russia?s attack on Ukraine, close to Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 15, 2023

WHAT IS ZELENSKY'S GOAL?

President Zelensky has made his aim clear: To push Russia out of every bit of occupied terrain, up to and including Crimea.

That may be the ultimate goal, but almost nobody expects this offensive to reach all the way to the southern peninsula. So what can we expect?

General Ryan says the goal for Ukraine should be to recapture large portions of its south and east from Russia, in a way that makes it obvious it has regained the initiative.

For General Twitty, the aim should be to make sure whatever territory they recapture stays in their hands and isn't immediately taken back.

'Last year the Ukrainians took back Kherson, and they took back part of Kharkiv. They consolidated their gains, and they held onto them,' he said.

'Their goals this time should be the same: To take back swathes of territory, which is success within itself, but then to hold on to those gains.'

Both generals expect the war to last beyond the end of this year, so another key goal will be convincing Ukraine's Western allies that all the gear they donated was worth it - because Kyiv will need more to get through 2024.

And if Zelensky wants to keep his promise to liberate Crimea, then he will need even more again - perhaps including fighter jets and naval vessels.

He will have to rely on success during this offensive to inspire Western leaders to donate that kit, and to put his troops in a good position for any future assault.

If Ukraine manages to pull that off, then total victory over Russia is on the cards. But failure may mean that door shuts forever.

The fate of Ukraine, and the end of the war, will be decided in the coming months.
From a chilling insight into Lori Vallows deranged beliefs to previously unseen photos which reveal the brutality bestowed on her children, the doomsday cult moms murder trial has delivered a series of bombshells.

In the two weeks since the case began, jurors have been left visibly shocked and upset by the litany of evidence against Vallow, 49.

She is accused of killing her two children, Tylee Ryan, 16, and Joshua JJ Vallow, seven, as part of a sick religious plot with her husband, doomsday author Chad Daybell, 54.

The couple are also accused of murdering Daybells wife, Tammy Daybell, 49. All of their victims were claimed to be 'possessed' and 'zombies' whose only cure was death.

Here are six of the most shocking revelations to emerge since Vallows trial at Ada County Court in Boise, Idaho, began on April 10.

Lori Vallow s deranged beliefs to previously unseen photos which reveal the brutality bestowed on her children, the doomsday cult moms murder trial has delivered a series of bombshells. Vallow is pictured in court on March 6, 2020

Vallow, pictured, allegedly killed her two children JJ, seven, and Tylee, 16, after falling into religious fanaticism

Vallow is accused of killing her kids, seven-year-old Joshua (JJ), left, and 16-year-old Tylee, right

Gut-wrenching photos of JJ and Tylees remains

Horrifying, previously unseen pictures of Tylee and JJs remains were shown to jurors in what marked the trials darkest moment so far.

JJ had been wrapped in a black plastic bag sealed with thick layers of duct tape. When the medical examiner in Ada County cut open the bags, the little boys face was also wrapped in tape and there was a 'thick layer across his mouth, jawline to jawline'.

The photographs of JJ's decomposing body triggered gasps throughout the courtroom. He was wearing red pajamas, a pull-up night diaper and was covered in a blue child's blanket.

Rexburg Police Detective Ray Hermosillo, who was part of the team that dug up the body, delivered a haunting account of the moment JJ's face was unwrapped.

'Through the videos and pictures that we had seen of JJ for the last eight months... the tips coming in, everything we had obtained and looked at, I was able to recognize that same little boy lying on the [medical examiner's] table to be JJ Vallow. He had the same haircut.'

Hermosillo then revealed Tylee was found in another grave nearby - but her remains were so badly burned that an autopsy couldn't be carried out.

'We started to uncover just burnt flesh, charred bone, the smell was again of a decomposing body. We had to take turns digging because the smell was so bad,' the detective said.

Tylees remains were found 'stuffed' into a green bucket which was also melted. A 'partial human skull' was also found in the grave.

The last known photograph of Tylee, center, during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park with JJ, left, her uncle Alex Cox, right, and her mom Lori

The last picture of Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, 7, before he vanished and was found dead in September 2019

The 'charred remains' of Tylee Ryan, 16, and JJ Vallow, seven, were found at the couple's home in Salem, Idaho. Pictured: Investigators searching the property on June 9, 2020

Vallow killed in pursuit of money, power and sex

Lori Vallow is dubbed the doomsday cult mom because of the unhinged religious beliefs that allegedly pushed her to kill.

But prosecutors have also presented another motive for the sick murders of Tylee, JJ and Tammy.

'Lori Vallow Daybell used money, power and sex - or the promise of those things - to get what she wanted. What she wanted was money, power and sex,' Fremont County prosecutor Lindsey Blake said during the opening of the trial.

Vallow and Daybell began by labeling the victims 'possessed' and even gave names to some of the 'evil spirits' inside them. The couple recruited a small group of followers who believed these deranged ideas and were essentially at their beck and call.

They pocketed hundreds of thousands of dollars through life insurance payments and social security benefits following the murders, prosecutors say.

Jurors have been told Vallow continued to claim social security payments worth thousands of dollars per month after her children died. Tylee and her adopted brother, JJ, had both received the payments because of the deaths of their fathers.

Daybell pocketed a $430,000 life insurance payment after Tammys death.

Vallow had expected a $1million payout after the death of her husband Charles Vallow - but he'd switched the beneficiary to his sister, Kay Woodcock, after Vallow began to claim he was a zombie called 'Ned Schneider' and accused him of an affair.

Lori Vallow murdered her children as she hunted 'money, power and sex' with her husband Chad Daybell, jurors in the doomsday cult mom's murder trial have heard. Pictured: A court sketch of Vallow on Monday

Lori Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell in a picture obtained by East Idaho News

The key individuals in Lori Vallow's tangled family tree, including her five husbands, two dead children and killer brother

Moms laughter after kids bodies found

Lori Vallow laughed hysterically when her surviving son, Colby Ryan, confronted her after Tylee and JJs remains were found in Chad Daybell's yard.

The chilling exchange was revealed in a call Colby made to Vallow while she was in prison on charges linked to the disappearance of her children. Ryan called his mother soon after their bodies were discovered.

During the call - which was heard for the first time on Tuesday - Vallow also claimed Jesus Christ was 'on her side' and said 'one day you will understand'.

Jurors have heard several recorded calls that involved Vallow and Daybell since the trial opened.

In another, Vallow insisted her son JJ was 'safe and happy' months after she allegedly partnered with her doomsday cult husband to murder the little boy.

Jurors at her murder trial were played a damning phone call that Vallow's former best friend Melanie Gibb made in December 2019, months after the children were killed.

During the call, which Chad Daybell was also on, Vallow made the haunting claim she could reveal JJ's whereabouts, but that 'that would not be good for JJ'.

Jurors were played a disturbing phone call between Colby Ryan, 27, (right) and Vallow (left) while she was in prison following the discovery of Tylee and JJ's bodies

Doomsday couples deranged rituals

Friends and confidantes of Vallow and Daybell have taken the witness stand to disclose the bizarre beliefs and rituals concocted by the couple.

Vallow would hold creepy 'castings' intended to rid evil spirits from people she claimed to be possessed. These people were often close to her - including her children and former husband - and they would be killed after these ceremonies failed, prosecutors allege.

Zulema Pastenes, Vallows former sister-in-law through her marriage to Vallow's brother Alex Cox, detailed how the so-called castings were held.

'She said that we had to be holding hands and in a circle and each of the participants would have a different part to say or do in order to complete it,' said Pastenes. 'Each person would say their part and then she would finish it by doing a sealing of the casting.'

Jurors were shown pages from Pastenes' journals, which detailed how Vallow claimed a 'possessed' person could be dealt with.

Pastenes wrote 'dispel', 'burn', 'cast out' and 'get rid of them' - with 'binding' mentioned as another technique. Some of the writings described methods which had eerie links to how JJ and Tylee's remains were found.

Melanie Gibb, Vallow's former best friend who also took part in castings, said the couple claimed they could create 'portals'.

'Chad explained to her how to make a portal, I think hers was in a closet,' said Gibb. They claimed they could 'communicate' through the portals.

Zulema Pastenes, pictured, delivered bombshell testimony on the fifth day of Lori Vallow's murder trial in Boise, Idaho

Pastenes, right, described creepy 'castings' intended to rid evil spirits from people Vallow claimed to be possessed

'Doomsday cult mom' Lori Vallow's trial for the murders of her children JJ, 7, and Tylee, 16 started on Monday. She is pictured in August 2022

Dark ratings and zombies: How victims were chosen

Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell claimed Tylee, JJ and Tammy were 'possessed' and referred to them as 'zombies' before the murders. Charles Vallow was also deemed a zombie before he was shot dead by Alex Cox.

The labels were part of Vallow and Daybells warped belief system that also included a 'light and dark rating scale' which they claimed applied to every human on earth.

The couple said they were chosen to lead 144,000 'light' humans through the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Zulema Pastenes revealed Tylee had been given a rating of '4.1 dark'. Pastenes was told that JJ had been 'attacked by demons'.

Brandon Boudreaux, the ex-husband of Vallows niece, was rated '3 dark'. Boudreaux was later the target of an attempted shooting which was believed to be carried out by Alex Cox, who subscribed to their ideas.

Melanie Gibb told the trial that Vallow and Daybell would also refer to people as zombies.

'The pattern was as soon as [someone] started questioning or just thought something suspicious was going on, all of a sudden that person became dark or a zombie,' Gibb said. She added that 'most of' the people who were deemed zombies ended up 'gone'.

Daybell had claimed that in a previous life he was the 'heavenly father and Jesus and Holy Ghost', while Vallow said she was 'a personal witness of Jesus Christ'.

The pair said they were the 'leaders' of the 144,000, Gibb said.

Lori Vallow's best friend Melanie Gibb (right) was among those who delivered bombshell testimony in the cult mom's murder trial

Brandon Boudreaux, right, pictured with his ex-wife Melanie

Revealed: Chad Daybells wife was asphyxiated

The mystery of how Chad Daybells wife, Tammy, died suddenly on October 19, 2019 was officially revealed for the first time on the trial's opening day.

Daybell claimed Tammy had gone to bed with a cough and didn't wake up - then he declined an autopsy. Her body was exhumed around two months later as suspicion grew about Daybell and Vallow's role in the children's disappearance.

Prosecutor Lindsey Blake disclosed on record for the first time that an autopsy found 'Tammy died at the hands of another, and that the cause of her death was asphyxiation'.

Daybell was married to Tammy, a school librarian, for 28 years and they had five children together. Her death shocked friends and relatives who said she'd been fit, healthy and in training for a running event at the time.

Jurors heard that Vallow and Daybell believed 'Tammy was dark, Tammy was possessed, she was possessed by an evil spirit named Viola'.

Chad and Tammy Daybell pictured before their split

Tammy Daybell's cause of death has finally been confirmed as asphyxiation, more than two years after a second autopsy was completed
An Australian real estate agent arrested on the French Riviera over the suspected attempted murder of his wife had previously been a diamond dealer in Dubai.

Daily Mail Australia can reveal Damien Carew and Anna Polianskaya-Carew lived for several years in the United Arab Emirates where they had a 'humungous' home on the exclusive Palm Islands.

The couple moved to Monaco about nine years ago and had been renting a villa in nearby La Turbie when Carew was arrested on suspicion of having tried to kill the mother of his two children.

Local media outlets have reported 43-year-old Carew, who is originally from Melbourne, called emergency services on Wednesday last week after an incident involving his wife.

An Australian real estate agent arrested on the French Riviera over the suspected attempted murder of his wife had previously been a diamond dealer in Dubai. Damien Carew is pictured with Anna Polianskaya-Carew in Argentina

Damien Carew and Anna Polianskaya-Carew lived for several years in the United Arab Emirates, where they had a 'humungous' home on the exclusive Palm Islands (above)

She had lost consciousness and was in a coma, while Carew was taken into custody and their children were being cared for by her family, according to the NEWS.MC English-language news website.

Daily Mail Australia confirmed on Friday afternoon the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade had offered its support.

'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is in contact with French authorities in relation to the arrest of an Australian man in France and stands ready to provide consular assistance, if requested,' a spokesman said.

Such assistance can include prison visits, liaison with local authorities, help communicating with family members and providing lists of local lawyers.

Carew, who attended Melbourne's prestigious St Kevin's College, was released from a Paris prison in January and had been under 'judicial control' in relation to a money-laundering case.

Daily Mail Australia understands Carew had struggled since he was let out of jail and Russian-born Ms Polianskaya-Carew had in recent months been suicidal.

The couple met on a beach in Greece when she was still a teenager. They became engaged in 2011 and married two years later on the Riviera at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.

Ms Polianskaya-Carew, 33, worked as a brand manager for Ibrahim Zein jewellery at the Stardust boutique in Monaco's Hotel de Paris, her Linkedin profile states.

A friend of the couple said Carew had struggled since he was let out of jail in January and Russian-born Ms Polianskaya-Carew (above) had in recent months told friends she was suicidal

Carew is described as a real estate agent and the couple were once directors of Sterling Estates International, which had been registered as a business in London and Monaco.

The pair's current circumstances are in stark contrast to what appears to have previously been an idyllic life.

A friend said said Carew and Ms Polianskaya-Carew, who moved permanently to Monaco in late 2014 to settle down, had made the most of the trappings of Dubai.

'They were living the high life,' the friend said. 'They were living in a humungous villa on Palm Islands.

'They were a very good looking couple, as you can tell. They obviously had a very ostentatious life. They live in Monaco, they've been in Dubai.'

While in the UAE, Ms Polianskaya-Carew worked for the American commercial real estate services company Jones Lang LaSalle and her husband was involved in property as well as dealing in diamonds.

After moving to Monaco, where Ms Polianskaya-Carew's mother lives, the couple had a daughter then a son.

Damien Carew, 43, called emergency services last Wednesday after an incident involving his wife, local media reported. She was in a coma and Carew was taken into custody

The friend was stunned to learn that Carew had been arrested over what had happened to his wife.

'I was floored,' the friend said. 'I couldn't believe it. I don't think Damien would hurt her like that.

'They're the most generous people, quite quirky, but really down to earth. They're just so nice. It's just so sad. My heart breaks for the children.'

Since Carew's stint in jail Ms Polianskaya-Carew had become increasingly depressed and told friends she had made several attempts at taking her own life.

Neighbours said they had heard nothing on the day of the alleged incident but confirmed police had been attended the house.

Prosecutors have opened a judicial investigation into attempted aggravated murder and intentional violence against a spouse.

Monaco-Matin reported Carew was represented by a Parisian lawyer when he appeared before a judge who ordered he be detained.
Addresses of Houses of Parliament and Chequers were also signed up to lottery

If you've got an address like Buckingham Palace or Downing Street, you might think your luck was already in.

But this week bosses at the People's Postcode Lottery were stunned to discover it has players in these very high places - and not just the royal residence and the Prime Minister's London home either!

Almost all of Britain's poshest addresses have signed up to take part in the hope of striking it lucky and winning a slice of the multi-million-pound jackpot.

It seems that politicos at the Houses of Parliament and Chequers, the PM's country residence, are feeling the pinch like the rest of us nowadays and have signed up to take part in the monthly draw.

And His Majesty's households don't want to be left out in the cold either, with players at Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace deciding to get in on the action too.

While none of these posh postcodes have yet hit the big jackpot, they've all won smaller cash prizes dozens of times over the past five years - including just last month.

If you've got an address like Buckingham Palace or Downing Street, you might think your luck was already in. But this week bosses at the People's Postcode Lottery were stunned to discover it has players in these very high places - and not just the royal residence and the Prime Minister's London home either. Pictured, Britain's poshest addresses which have signed up to the People's Postcode Lottery

Do the royals play the People's Postcode Lottery? Buckingham Palace pictured on Monday during reheasrsals for the King's Coronation

Downing Street was among the surprising list of locations registered to play the People's Postcode Lottery

Yesterday the People's Postcode Lottery ambassador Jeff Brazier said: 'I know the palace is nicknamed Buck House but in future they might be calling it Bucks House.

'I've delivered thousands of winning cheques all over Britain, but now I know they're playing at the Palace I'll get the white gloves out in case we get the chance for the most famous door knock of all time.'

People's Postcode Lottery workers were going through a list of their players' addresses when they were shocked to see some of the UK's most famous and powerful addresses pop up.

'We didn't honestly expect to see Buckingham Palace on this list,' admitted one.

So it's perhaps no surprise that they've chosen to launch their newest game on Coronation Day. With Millionaire Street, one lucky postcode will get to share in a massive 1m jackpot every single week.

The popular People's Postcode Lottery, which was launched in Britain in 2005, works a little differently to most lotteries.

It seems that politicos at the Houses of Parliament and Chequers, the PM's country residence, are feeling the pinch like the rest of us nowadays and have signed up to take part in the monthly draw

His Majesty's households don't want to be left out in the cold either, with players at Balmoral, Windsor Castle and Kensington Palace deciding to get in on the action too

Yesterday the People's Postcode Lottery ambassador Jeff Brazier (pictured) said: 'I know the palace is nicknamed Buck House but in future they might be calling it Bucks House'

Instead of entering every week by choosing their own numbers, players simply subscribe and pay 12 a month, and their postcode goes into a monthly draw.

If theirs is selected, everyone in that postcode who plays gets to share in the winnings which in May will be a staggering 19 million.

Good causes also benefit with a third of the ticket price going to charities  so far more than a billion pounds has been donated to organisations such as Barnardo's, the Alzheimer's Society and NSPCC.

So far more than 70 per cent of British postcodes are playing and 82 per cent of them won a prize last year.
As the nation this week said a tearful goodbye to Paul O'Grady, there was one mourner who was notable by her absence  the woman he was secretly married to for almost three decades.

Now Teresa Fernandes has broken her silence to tell of her sadness at the death of the much-loved TV star and her fondness for the gay icon she wed in a small register office in 1977 and 'forgot to divorce' for 28 years.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline from her smart flat in Hampstead, north London, bisexual Teresa, 73, joked: 'We probably enjoyed one of the longest marriages in showbiz!'

'Paul was a very special, close friend of mine, but we didn't really love each other.

'I was lesbian and he was gay so the marriage would never have worked but we had a great time as friends and even though it was almost 50 years ago I have great memories,' recalls Teresa, who divides her time between London and Lisbon, where she was born.

Teresa Fernandes (right) has broken her silence to tell of her sadness at the death of Paul O'Grady (left) and her fondness for the gay icon she wed in a small register office in 1977 and 'forgot to divorce' for 28 years

Teresa told MailOnline: 'Paul was a very special, close friend of mine, but we didn't really love each other'

'Of course I was sad when I heard Paul had died, he was always a good friend but I hadn't seen him since the early 1980s.

'We just drifted apart at around the time he started to get famous, but I didn't go to the funeral because it's too far for me to travel.'

Paul, who died suddenly in bed last month aged 67 from a cardiac arrhythmia, met Teresa when the pair worked at north London gay bar The Showcase in the early 1970s before he found the big time with his alter ego persona acid tongued Scouse brass Lily Savage.

In his autobiography 'The Devil Rides Out', he wrote how Teresa's visa was about to expire and how her mother - who was named Maria - was chasing her to get married, so he proposed a 'marriage of convenience' to solve the dilemma.

But Teresa, retired hotel worker, told MailOnline: 'Only one part of that is true. Yes my mother was chasing me to get married, but my papers were always in order, I was never going to be kicked out.

'I even have a British passport now because I lived in the UK for so long but yes, my mother was always asking 'when are you getting married you are almost 28' so in stepped Paul to help me out and keep my mother happy.'

Teresa, who admitted the marriage was never consummated, said: 'I told Paul what my mother was saying and he just turned to me and said 'Look, if you need to get married, I will help you out' and a few months later we were in the registry office at Harrow Road with friends getting married.

'We then had a little party to celebrate afterwards with some of his friends and mine and then that was it. We both carried on with our jobs but we never lived together or slept together.

The block of flats in Lisbon,Portugal where Maria Teresa Fernades stays with her sister when she is in the city

The block of flats in Lisbon, Portugal, where Maria Teresa Fernades grew up as a child

Paul died suddenly in bed last month aged 67 from a cardiac arrhythmia

'I told my mother I was married and she was delighted, we had intended to go to Portugal and have the ceremony but in the end the plans changed as Paul couldn't get the time off work but a friend of his went so he didn't lose the money for the ticket.

'My mother never met Paul and I think she would have figured out something wasn't right but as far as she knew I was married.

'Paul told me he had never been married but he said he had a daughter from when he was younger and at first, I thought he was joking when he offered to marry me, but he really did help me out.'

In the book Paul also revealed how one night Teresa - who he described as a David Cassidy lookalike - had stepped in to save him after an argument started between him and a foul-mouthed lesbian customer known only as Jake.

He wrote how Jake had demanded a large run but he had ignored her and she then turned and shouted:' Are you f***ing deaf ?'

Paul wrote: 'Reluctantly I stopped what I was doing and slammed a large rum into a glass from the optic. She snatched the drink out of my hand and threw the money in my face.

'Before I had time to respond Teresa, the Portuguese barmaid stepped in.

'Get out bi***,' she growled at a disbelieving Jake. 'I said get out. Who do you think you are throwing money in his face? Now leave before I kill you.

'Jake threw her drink over Teresa and in a flash the normally placid Teresa went for her.

'All hell broke loose, Jake tried to jump over the bar but was grabbed by Bill the bouncer, Peter the manager and a couple of strong-armed women and dragged cursing out of the club.

'Crazy bi***,' Teresa said laughing, wiping her denim shirt down with a dishcloth. 'But I had to do something before she killed you.

'I'd liked the good-natured Teresa from the moment I met her. She was uber-cool and laid back and was a big hit with the women customers, who all fancied her David Cassidy good looks.'

Paul O'Grady and Teresa (right of right picture) secretly wed in 1977 to stop Teresa being forced to go back to her Catholic family in Portugal

The marriage certificate Maria Teresa Fernandes and Paul O'Grady at Harrow Registry office

Paul O'Grady with his daughter Sharon, who was born in the 70s after Paul had a brief relationship with work colleague Diane Jansen

Paul added: 'Originally from Lisbon, Teresa was under tremendous pressure from her devout Catholic family to find herself a husband.

'Little did we realise as we swigged Bacardi and Cokes that she was soon to become the future Mrs O'Grady.'

Writing of the ceremony Paul said: 'It was a curious assortment of people who gathered on the steps of the register officer in Harrow Road that morning, May 27.

'Big Phil, the jovial Irish lesbian, a woman built like a Royal Marine who made Charles Bronson seem rather fey in comparison, Stella, lesbian of the old school in her fifties, always the perfect gentleman in both manner and appearance, neat and dapper in a three-piece suit and tie, her steel-grey hair cropped close to her head and slicked back with brilliantine, giving her the appearance of a wartime spiv.'

He added: 'The bride wore a white trouser suit, whilst the groom was in his old faithful a cream suit bought with Norman's (friend) birthday money.

'The star of the show was undoubtedly Lozzy acting in loco parentis as the groom's mother (the real model having been left out of the equation for obvious reasons.

'At the end of the ceremony, after the immortal words 'I now pronounce you man and wife' had been uttered, the registrar turned to me and said 'C'mon, you know what to do now, don't you?

'Pay the fee?' I replied. No dear, kiss the bride.'

Paul and Teresa were married during that time before eventually getting divorced in February 2005.

Teresa said: 'Of course I knew all those years I was married but I just didn't really think about as I went on with my life.

'Paul and I carried on working after we got married and we had a lovely party with his friends and mine and then we just drifted apart.

'I had other partners since then, boyfriends and girlfriends, and so did Paul during our marriage but he was never the jealous type, and neither was I because of our situation.

'I think I last saw pub when his friend Alan, who was the best man at the wedding, invited me to the Royal Vauxhall Tavern in the early 1980s when Paul was performing there.

'We talked and reminisced but that was it and a few years later he was famous and, on the TV, but by then we had lost contact.

'Paul always made me laugh and I always used to say he would make someone very happy and he was a lovely man, we had such a good friendship and it's shame we drifted apart.

'Him offering to marry me to help me out was just one of those things that Paul would do, he would help anyone, he was very kind natured and you can see that, he would help anyone if they need it.

'I was sad when I heard he had died, I was surprised though because every time I saw him on the TV and in the newspapers he always looked so good and he was still young, he wasn't old like me at all.'

Teresa added: 'I only found out I was still married when my lawyer who helped me get my British passport asked me and when I told him the story he said we had better sort it out.

'In the end the divorce came through and when I noticed the date I had to smile as it was Valentine's Day, 14 February 2005.

'We had been married for 28 years, most people don't even get to half that these days. It must have been one of the longest marriages in showbusiness.'
A former University of Connecticut senior has been sentenced to 55-years in prison for killing two people in a spree of violence that sparked a six-day manhunt.

Peter Manfredonia, 26, was sentenced on Wednesday for the shooting death of Nicholas Eisele, 26, a former high school classmate, and the abduction of his girlfriend, Shannon Spies in May 2020.

Manfredonia reportedly wrote disturbing messages on his apartment walls about 'snapping' like Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza.

The former college student led authorities on a manhunt across four states - Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut - before he was captured. He pled guilty to the crimes in February.

Two days before the shooting, the crazed student killed another man, Theodore 'Ted' DeMers, 62, and seriously wounded an 80-year-old man, who lost several fingers and part of his ear in a Samurai sword attack.

Spies gave a powerful testimony, telling the courtroom that the plea deal 'does nothing' except 'close the door on this court case,' and said she hoped her testimony 'haunts' Manfredonia for 'the rest of his life.'

Peter Manfredonia, 26, pictured in Superior Court in Rockville, Connecticut on February 8. Manfredonia, who has admitted to wielding a sword in a fatal attack in Eastern Connecticut, was sentenced to 55 years in prison Wednesday for killing a former classmate and kidnapping a woman prompting a multi-state manhunt

Shannon Spies, 25, girlfriend of victim Nicholas Eisele, 23, shot dead by Manfredonia gives a powerful testimony during the sentencing hearing for Peter Manfredonia in Milford Superior Court on Wednesday. She said she hoped her impact statement 'haunts' Manfredonia for 'the rest of his life

'The damage can never be undone. None of this brings Nick back or makes me feel whole again,' Spies said.

'I will never be the person I was before then. I will never feel safe, even in a room surrounded by only people I know. I will always look at the world differently.'

Eisele's mother Michele Krawoski and father John Eisele wore t-shirts with a photo of their late son inside a heart with the words: 'As long as I breathe you'll be remembered. Justice for Nick.'

Krasowski had a letter that she tried to read but became overcome with emotion and had someone else read it on her behalf.

'It takes all the strength and will I can muster to get up, put my feet on the ground and fight to find the courage to face another day, carrying around the Mack truck worth of grief on my shoulders, the grief that runs through every part of me,' she said, the Harford Courant reported.

'And now I can only hold him in my heart. His father, brother and sisters can ever only hold them in their heart, too.'

She added: 'Parents are not supposed to bury their children. It isn't the natural order of things.'

Nicholas' distraught father John Eisele told the court, 'I honestly can't remember what it felt like to not worry or be anxious or what life was like before grief.'

'I will never recover from these wounds,' he said, in part, the news outlet reported.

It remains unclear what prompted the violent attacks.

Manfredonia's lawyer, Michael Dolan, said his client's mental health problems contributed to the spree, but were not an excuse.

For most of the hearing, Manfredonia dressed in a tan prison uniform with his hands in cuffs and looked straight ahead, showing little emotion.

In the courtroom, Manefredonia apologized to Spies and the Eisele family. 'There are no words that can possibly atone for what I have done,' he said to Eisele's family.

'My actions were nothing short of reprehensible. ... Nick was a good young man to whom I felt no ill will or malice. My actions were senseless. Please know you have my deepest apology.'

Michele Krasowksi, mother of Nicholas Eisele, is pictured at Wednesday's sentencing hearing for Peter Manfredonia in Milford Superior Court in Milford

John Eisele, father of Nicholas Eisele, speaks during a sentencing hearing for Peter Manfredonia in Milford Superior Court. The family wore T-shirts with a photo of their late son and the words: 'As long as I breathe you'll be remembered. Justice for Nick'

Nicholas Eisele (pictured) and Manfredonia were school classmates growing up in Newtown, Connecticut, the town where 20 children and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012

Manfredonia killed Ted DeMers, 62, (pictured) in Willington, Connecticut two days before he set out to kill his former high school classmate, Nicholas Eisele

Eisele and Manfredonia were school classmates growing up in Newtown, Connecticut, the town where 20 children and six educators were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.

Eisele's sister, Jessica, survived the school shooting.

'As a survivor of the Sandy Hook school shooting, I was forced to relive the trauma and pain of 12/14 as Peter used the same source of violence to end my brothers life,' Jessica Eisele said at the sentencing hearing.

'Peter Manfredonia is a monster who must be punished for what he has done. My brother is gone and will forever be. There's no way for me and family to recover from that.'

More than 40 relatives and friends of Nicholas Eisele filled the courtroom, with his mother and several others who testified. Many wept while being comforted by others.

After killing Eisele, Manfredonia forced Spies into her car and fled the state. She was physically unharmed, and was set free when they reached Columbia, New Jersey.

Manfredonia was finally captured by the authorities near a truck stop in Hagerstown, Maryland.

On May 22, 2020, two days before shooting Eisele, Manfredonia killed Ted DeMers, 62, and seriously wounded an 80-year-old man and neighbor of DeMers, who survived but was seriously wounded.

Before the heinous killing, both men had attempted to help Manfredonia and had offered to drive him to his motorcycle that had been parked down a dirt road near their home in Willington, Connecticut.

It is unclear what prompted Manfedronia to attack the men, but someone who Manfredonia has been involved with and recently stopped seeing him in the area.

Manfredonia's lawyer, Michael Dolan (pictured) said his client's mental health problems contributed to the spree of violence but were not an excuse

An undated photo of Manefredonia

After the killing spree, police said Manfredonia broke into another man's house in Willington and held him hostage for about 24 hours before taking off with his truck and firearms.

The man later told police that Manfredonia told him 'he just flipped.'

Ansonia/Milford State's Attorney Margaret Kelley called the killing of Eisele and the kidnapping of Spies horrific and a 'senseless tragedy' that severely damaged others' lives.

Judge Peter Brown said the 55-year sentence would do nothing to dull the pain suffered by Spies and Eisele's family.

Spies' testimony was the first time she spoke publicly about the ordeal.

Though she didn't detail much about the hours she spent with Manfredonia as his captive, she said he tried to hug her at one point while apologizing for killing Eisele.

'The version of myself that went to bed with my boyfriend - my best friend and the sweetest man Ive ever met - on May 23 was not alive anymore when my parents picked me up from a state police headquarters in New Jersey on May 24,' she testified.

'I lost absolutely everything I had,' Spies said. 'I lost my best friend and my partner. Theres no telling how amazing our future could have been and I was robbed of ever knowing that happiness.'

'I was robbed of ever knowing peace again, of feeling safe anywhere, even in my own home.'
What better way to celebrate not being charged with manslaughter than to post self-serving photos to social media, resume production on the very film in which you accidentally shot a young wife and mother to death, and begin filming a 'reality documentary' about this entirely avoidable tragedy?

About how strong and brave you are for surviving it?

Repugnance, thy name is Alec Baldwin. What a disgrace he is: 65 years old and in it for the likes.

Hours after prosecutors announced they were dropping charges against Baldwin in the on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, he and his equally sick, fake-Spanish wife Hilaria (nee Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas from Boston) took to Instagram.

I owe everything I have to this woman, Alec wrote.

To which an anonymous hero replied: Dont point a gun at her!

Next up was Hilaria, posting a photo of herself curled up in Baldwins lap like a little girl, her head on his shoulder, his eyes closed in  what? Ecstasy? Satisfaction? Relief?

What better way to celebrate not being charged with manslaughter than to begin filming a 'reality documentary' about this entirely avoidable tragedy? (Pictured, Alec Baldwin and wife Hilaria kiss goodbye in front of a camera crew as he leaves New York).

Repugnance, thy name is Alec Baldwin. What a disgrace he is: 65 years old and in it for the likes.

Hours after prosecutors announced they were dropping charges against Baldwin in the on-set shooting death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins (pictured), he and his equally sick, fake-Spanish wife Hilaria (nee Hillary Lynn Hayward-Thomas from Boston) took to Instagram.

He seems to be soothing her in ways both husbandly and paternal, while behind them hangs a family portrait, most of the heads chopped out of frame.

Creepy, creepy, creepy!

But we knew that, right? Alec and Hilaria  these are not well people.

This is a woman who went on the Today show and did a cooking segment as a Spanish lady, pretending to speak English as a second language, asking: How you say in Eng  cucumber? Married to a man who seemingly encourages her delusion, her apparent addiction to having baby after baby (now 7 bambinos and counting, Numero Ocho surely on the way), whose rage issues are well documented, and who once called his then-11-year-old daughter a rude, thoughtless little pig for missing his phone call.

But sure, Alec is Husband and Father Of The Year. This little matter of holding a gun at his cinematographer, against safety protocols, resulting in her death at age 42? Well, s**t happens.

It's safe to say that casa Baldwin is Bizarro-world where up is down, down is up, and things most decent people would consider mortifying  like using your multiple babies as sexy-mommy-yoga props, continuing to speak in that demented Spanish accent, or, say, accidentally killing your co-worker  are, at the very least, seen as possibly advantageous.

Shame is vanishing in American culture, and these two are our prime examples. Nothing can humble or embarrass them. Everything is content.

Now that charges have been dropped  surely I'm not alone in being shocked by that  its time to cut loose. Time for Alec and Hilaria to hit the streets, seek out the paps, get photographed wearing $300 slippers, babies strapped everywhere, and remind everyone who the real victims in this tragedy are: yes, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin.

What  you thought it was Halyna Hutchins? Her widower Matthew? Their son, nine years old at the time Halyna was killed, so traumatized he couldnt speak a single word for two days?

Next up was Hilaria, posting a photo of herself curled up in Baldwins lap like a little girl, her head on his shoulder, his eyes closed in  what? Ecstasy? Satisfaction? Relief?

Time for Alec and Hilaria to hit the streets, seek out the paps, get photographed wearing $300 slippers, babies strapped everywhere, and remind everyone who the real victims in this tragedy are: yes, Alec and Hilaria Baldwin.

Reader, Alec and Hilaria are back to disabuse you. Here was Alec on Wednesday, tenderly kissing his wife goodbye outside their luxury NYC apartment building, Hilaria holding whichever baby was camera-ready, making sure the paparazzi  who Alec has a habit of aggression with  got the shot. As well as the personal film crew they had with them.

Yes, Alec Baldwin, as DailyMail.com exclusively reported Friday, has hired a film crew to shoot a 'reality documentary. And not just any crew: this one is led by Rory Kennedy, sister of the newly-announced, highly-problematic presidential candidate Bobby Kennedy Jr.

Wow. Imagine the pitch meetings at Netflix or Hulu or whatever streaming service considers getting in the mud with Baldwin. Surely there's an audience for a deeply unlikable, unrepentant actor and his equally narcissistic, empty-vessel wife luxuriating in their victimhood, right? To say nothing of their poor children, who will probably be used for sympathy points.

Anyway, here was Alec again on Thursday, trailed by Rory's camera crew as he landed in Montana to resume production on Rust, the very film Hutchins died on, a low-budget disaster that saw seven crew members walk off over safety concerns the very morning she was shot, an independent film no one is asking for nor needs to see.

He looked quite happy to be there. As for lesson learned? Well, Alec was seen holding a gun the WRONG way on set.

It's all so ghoulish.

And here was Hilaria on Friday morning, pushing her expensive stroller and carrying her gourmet coffee, accompanied by at least one nanny, making sure photographers captured her in all her glory.

See? Zero shame. It's all about the Baldwins and the Benjamins. It's all about Hilaria's heat-seeking need for attention and Alec's reinstatement as a movie star who pals around with the Kennedys.

Water really does seek its own level.

Here was Hilaria on Friday, pushing her expensive stroller and carrying her gourmet coffee, accompanied by at least one nanny, making sure photographers captured her in all her glory.

And here was Alec again on Thursday, trailed by Rory Kennedy's camera crew (pictured) as he landed in Montana to resume production on Rust, the very film Hutchins died on.

A low-budget disaster that saw seven crew members walk off over safety concerns the very morning she was shot, an independent film no one is asking for nor needs to see. (Baldwin pictured back on Rust set on Friday).

As for lesson learned? Well, Alec was seen (pictured on Friday) holding a gun the WRONG way on set. It's all so ghoulish.

Finally, Alec and Hilaria are free to resume their lives where it really matters: social media. Lest we forget  in the thick of all of this, Baldwin, quite possibly facing a criminal trial and prison time, begged his fans to get Hilaria to one million Instagram followers.

I would like a really great, great surge of people to follow my wife on Instagram,' he said. 'Would you do that for me? Please?

These two really have their priorities straight. Theyre deeply in touch with the things that matter most. Hilaria loves to tell us through her wardrobe.

Remember the EMPATHY sweatshirt? The BOUNDARIES ARE HOT! hoodie?

On Friday, she gave us yet another peek at her innermost thoughts, toddler-level though they may be: Hilaria strolled through New York City's streets in brown sweatpants, the Skittles-colored slogan OH, HAPPY DAYS running up the side of one pant leg.

So kind of Hillary to go for plain English so we Americans could understand.

Now, dont forget: even though they seem to be in the clear, Hilaria and Alec are still traumatized. Very much so. Muy, muy mucho. Theyll need to parlay this into a reality show, a book deal and at least one new podcast to process their suffering.

After all, this is the line theyve been peddling since the accident: feel sorry for them as they retreat to the Hamptons, shop at Ralph Lauren, dine in full view of the paparazzi.

As they buy a farmhouse in Vermont and conduct bizarre roadside pressers in which a glowering Hilaria scolds the media while practically levitating from all the attention, angling to get in every shot, her husband wresting back the spotlight. 'Excuse me,' he snapped to his wife. 'Do me a favor  I'm gonna answer the questions.'

It was like he was talking to the help!

Theyre deeply in touch with the things that matter most. Hilaria (pictured in January) loves to tell us through her wardrobe. Remember the EMPATHY sweatshirt? The BOUNDARIES ARE HOT! hoodie?

On Friday, Hilaria strolled through New York City's streets in brown sweatpants, the Skittles-colored slogan OH, HAPPY DAYS running up the side of one pant leg.

As they buy a farmhouse in Vermont and conduct bizarre roadside pressers in which a glowering Hilaria scolds the media while practically levitating from all the attention, angling to get in every shot, her husband wresting back the spotlight.

Undeterred and unconscionable as ever, they then posted a 'happy family' picture on Halloween, just weeks after Halynas death, Hilaria writing that parenting through this has been an intense experience, to say the least.

It was Halynas sons first holiday without his mom  a child-centric one at that. 'Heartless' doesnt begin to describe that post.

Next, Alec sat for a softball interview with ABCs George Stephanopoulos  his pal from the Hamptons (a detail neither disclosed)  trying in vain to work up tears as he blamed Hutchins for her own death.

Everything is at her direction, Baldwin told Stephanopoulos. Im holding the gun where she told me to hold it.

Of equal importance: her death had ruined Baldwins love of moviemaking.

People who are watching this show, Baldwin said, you have no idea how unique a motion picture set is.

Talk about tone deaf! Unique is certainly one way to describe that set.

Even George Clooney publicly castigated Baldwin, calling Hutchinss death entirely preventable. Insane and infuriating, Clooney said.

The same holds true for resuming production on Rust and simultaneously filming a vanity project: Insane. Infuriating.

Clearly Alec and Hilaria think that if we all just see who they are, hear their tale of woe over and over, that well feel sorry for them. That well like them. Maybe even buy what theyre selling.

Perhaps they should ask a certain sad-sack couple in Montecito how thats been working out.
Chicago's interim police chief is to retire after only month in the job - stepping down after a series of headline-grabbing crimes, on the same day as the ultra-progressive new mayor takes office but insisting that his decision was made months ago.

Eric Carter, the interim superintendent, will retire on May 15 after 30 years on the force.

He took over when David Brown resigned after the February 28 mayoral election. Brown turns 63 in September, which is the mandatory CPD retirement age.

Brown stood down on March 16, to take a job in the private sector in Texas.

Carter's final day will be the day that ultra-progressive Brandon Johnson takes over from Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Eric Carter, the interim superintendent of Chicago police, announced on Friday he is retiring after 30 years in the force, but less than a month as chief. He said he made his decision in late 2022, but it comes as an ultra-progressive takes over as mayor of the crime-wracked city

But in his letter announcing his retirement, Carter said the decision had been many months in the making.

'Believe me when I say this decision was not an easy one,' he said.

'For nearly four decades I have lived a life of service and sacrifice to our country and to this great city; and I wouldn't trade these years for anything.

'It was after much deliberation and prayer, however, that I declared my intentions to former Superintendent Brown in late 2022, and most recently to Mayor Lightfoot and Mayor-Elect Johnson.'

Chicago authorities will now begin searching for Carter's replacement.

Under new rules, a relatively new civilian body, the Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, will come up with a short list of superintendent candidates.

Johnson must then choose from that list.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown who stood down on March 16, to take a job in the private sector in Texas

Whoever becomes the new police chief is taking on a tough job.

Overall crimes are up 47 percent, year on year, with robbery, sexual assault and theft surging.

Theft has risen by a remarkable 25 percent.

Murders and shootings are both down, however.

The complicated law and order situation was brought into sharp focus by wild events last weekend, when a crowd of more than a hundred rowdy teenagers turned violent in Downtown Chicago on Saturday night.

Dozens torched and smashed cars while blaring music in a 'teen trend' that left two with gunshot wounds.

Shocking footage showed some teenagers jumping on top of a bus while others started a massive brawl after descending on Millennium Park and attempting to breach barricades.

Gunshots rang out with some rounds striking two teenage boys aged 16 and 17.

The two youths were transported to a nearby hospital in fair condition. A total of 15 people, nine adults and six children were arrested.

Police said most of the charges were for reckless conduct, but a 16-year-old boy was also charged with unlawful use of a weapon, and a firearm was recovered. An adult and a juvenile were also charged with possession of a stolen vehicle.

Cars were also left vandalized near East Washington Street, including a Tesla.

More than a rowdy hundred teenagers gathered in Millennium Park on April 15

Two teenage boys, 16 and 17, were reported shot during a fight. They were transported to the hospital in stable condition

The rowdy group torched cars and got into fights before gunfire ended the night

After the shooting, a nearby Tesla was then seen on fire. Pictured: the torched car

Chicago politicians, many of whom are criticized for being notoriously soft on crime, wrote off the night of criminal misdeeds, saying it was a few bad eggs in a sea of revelers, or even a political demonstration.

Outgoing Mayor Lori Lightfoot weighed in on the event, telling a local reporter that she thinks calling the weekend scene 'mayhem' is incorrect.

'The mass majority of the young people who came downtown, came downtown because there was great weather and it was an opportunity to enjoy the city. That's absolutely, entirely appropriate,' said Lightfoot, defending the teens.

She added: 'There are a few that came with different intentions. They have and they will be dealt with. But I'm not going to use your language, which I think is wrong, to say there's 'mayhem.''

Brandon Johnson, 47, said Sunday he does not 'condone the destructive activity' and that it's 'unacceptable and has no place' in Chicago, but that it should not be used as a way to vilify the group.

'However, it is not constructive to demonize youth who have otherwise been starved of opportunities in their own communities,' said Johnson, a progressive Democrat.

Brandon Johnson, 47, said Sunday he does not 'condone the destructive activity' and that it's 'unacceptable and has no place' in Chicago, but that it should not be used as a way to vilify the group

State senator Robert Peters, who counts parts of Chicago within his constituency, brushed off the ugly scenes in a widely criticized social media post.

He said: 'Since I'm a glutton for punishment and I'm sure I'm gonna get the most unhinged, crime weirdo replies but: I would look at the behavior of young people as a political act and statement.

'It's a mass protest against poverty and segregation.'

Johnson's election promised to exacerbate the situation.

The president of the powerful police union, Fraternal Order of Police said ahead of the vote that a Johnson victory was going to result in violence and chaos.

'If this guy gets in we're going to see an exodus like we've never seen before,' John Catanzara told the New York Times, predicting that eight hundred to one thousand police officers would walk off the job if Johnson was elected.

He then promised there would be 'blood in the streets.'

Johnson has promised to train two hundred new detectives and fill outstanding positions on the police force, but he has also pledged to rein in some police procedures.

He campaigned on ending no-knock warrants, canceling the city's contract with ShotSpotter, erasing the police department's 'racist' gang database, and erecting a memorial to survivors of torture perpetrated by former police commander Jon Burge and his subordinates.
Meghan Markle wrote to King Charles about unconscious bias in the Royal family after her bombshell Oprah interview, it was claimed last night.

The Duchess of Sussex's letter reportedly named the individual accused of speculating about her unborn son Archie's skin colour - but went on to claim the person wasn't racist.

It is understood that it was sent in reply to one from the King - the only senior member of the family to make contact with the Duchess after Meghan and Harry were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.

Meghan said the comment over Archie's skin was not made with malice.

But a source told the Daily Telegraph that the Duchess will not attend the Coronation on May 6 because she received a unsatisfactory response from the King.

Meghan Markle wrote to King Charles about unconscious bias in the Royal family after her bombshell Oprah interview, it was claimed last night (the Duchess of Sussex is pictured with King Charles in March 2019 at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey)

It is understood that it was sent in reply to one from the King - the only senior member of the family to make contact with the Duchess after Meghan and Harry were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 (pictured)

The Duchess of Sussex's letter reportedly named the individual accused of speculating about her unborn son Archie's skin colour - but went on to claim the person wasn't racist (pictured with Prince Archie in Cape Town in September 2019 while touring South Africa)

Buckingham Palace is also aware of the Sussexes' frustration that initial correspondence about the Coronation made no reference to their children.

Harry will instead attend the celebration on May 6 alone, while Meghan looks after Prince Archie on his fourth birthday and Princess Lilibet in California.

A royal insider suggested that while the exchange was warm in tone, it had not eased the tension between the two sides.

Relations continued to sour after the Sussexes stared in a six-part Netflix docu-series and the publication of the Harry's revealing memoir, Spare.

Charles, who at the time was Prince of Wales, is said to be disappointed that Meghan and Harry felt the need to make such damaging allegations public.

He recently gave backing to a research project into the monarch's historical links to the transatlantic slave trade, having previously expressed 'personal sorrow'.

MailOnline has contacted the Sussexes for comment.

Prince Harry has touched on unconscious bias in the past. In January this year, he spoke to Tom Bradby on ITV to promote his memoir.

The presenter said 'in the Oprah interview you accused members of your family of racism', Harry responded by saying 'no I didn't', adding 'the British press said that'.

After Bradby said the duchess claimed troubling comments were made about Archie's skin colour, Harry said: 'There was - there was concern about his skin colour.'

Asked if he would describe that as racist, the duke said: 'I wouldn't, not having lived within that family.'

He continued: 'The difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different.'

Meghan said the comment over Archie's skin was not made with malice. But a source told the Daily Telegraph that the Duchess will not attend the Coronation on May 6 because she received a unsatisfactory response from the King (pictured with the King and Queen Consort in Mary 2018)

Buckingham Palace is also aware of the Sussexes' frustration that initial correspondence about the Coronation made no reference to their children

'But once it's been acknowledged, or pointed out to you as an individual, or as an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you therefore have an opportunity to learn and grow from that in order so that you are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.'

It has also been reported that Prince Harry was 'desperate' to be at the Coronation to publicly support his father because he is 'homesick'.

The Sun reports that despite the Duke having made repeated attempts to contact the King to discuss the plans during his time back in London, his father has only been able to pencil in time for one conversation.

It is understood that Harry was 'missing aspects of British life' and 'may start spending more time' in the UK.

A source told the publication: 'Harry was desperate to come back for the Coronation and spend quality time with his family.'

It was revealed by Buckingham Palace on April 14 that Prince Harry is to attend the King's Coronation service in London next month alone, with the Duchess of Sussex remaining in California with their children.

But the Duchess will stay home at the couple's residence in Montecito with one-year-old Lilibet and Archie, whose fourth birthday is on the same day as the ceremony.

The couple's friend Omid Scobie confirmed Archie's birthday 'played a factor in the couple's decision' and he expected it would be a 'fairly quick trip to the UK' for Harry. The Duke will only attend the ceremony itself, which is likely to last a few hours.

The announcement came just over three weeks until the event, and a royal observer told MailOnline: 'Charles will be pleased. The rest of the family will be relieved that Meghan won't be there - it would have been particularly uncomfortable for Kate.'

Harry and Meghan had delayed their decision over whether they would fly in for the ceremony, despite the RSVP date of April 3 having passed.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said in a statement: 'Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.'

READ MORE: Prince will appear 'quickly' with royal family for the Westminster Abbey ceremony only as Palace confirms Duchess of Sussex will stay in LA with children Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3 last year Advertisement

Archewell, Harry and Meghan's charitable foundation, then issued a near identical statement to the Press Association news agency confirming the Duke will attend.

A spokesman said: 'The Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.'

Charles will be crowned in a ceremony full of pomp, pageantry and traditions that date back 1,000 years, following the 70-year reign of his mother Queen Elizabeth II who died last September.

Mr Scobie, who is a trusted contact of the Sussexes, tweeted the news of Harry's forthcoming attendance and then added: 'I understand that Archie's fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a factor in the couple's decision.

'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.'

And ITV News royal editor Chris Ship said: 'Given everything that been said/alleged - in six Netflix episodes and one book - this is a big development.

'But Harry coming alone does mean less pressure on the Royal Family - and fewer of those awkward photographs together.'

Harry is understood to be flying back to California just hours after the ceremony for his father's coronation is done.

Royal sources claimed Harry told the King that he will not stay in Britain for the star-studded concert at Windsor Castle the following day - and will instead fly back to the US after the ceremony so he can be with his family and belatedly celebrate Archie's fourth birthday, which is also on May 6.

A source told the Mirror: 'Harry said that he would be returning for the King's Coronation but it will only be a fleeting visit. Organisers have been told Harry won't be attending the concert with the rest of the Royal Family, which is a great shame as it will be such a spectacular event.

Harry will play no part in next month's official procession, walking in and out as a guest. Front row seats will be reserved for working members of the Royal Family. Sources have also indicated that the Duke delayed replying to the invitation to the coronation because he was 'preoccupied' by where he would have to sit during the ceremony.
Australian media tycoon Kerry Packer's modified $100million icebreaker yacht, the Arctic P, will be hired out to the ultra-rich for this European summer.

Packer, who was Australia's richest man at the time of his death in late 2005, commissioned the specialised German-built yacht in 1969 and passed it down to his son, James.

However, Packer's daughter Gretel bought it from James in 2017 after the billionaire decided he wanted to upgrade to a $200million superyacht, the Daily Telegraph reports.

Kerry Packer's beloved $100million yacht, the Arctic P (above), will be available to hire in Europe this summer

It was said the Arctic P held a lot of sentimental value to Gretel but it seems the boat's $10million annual maintenance, crew and mooring bill has seen her decide to rent it out.

The boat has been put up for hire on luxury rental website CharterWorld and is currently moored in Antibes, France.

Arctic P is a whopping 88m long and can carry 12 passengers as well as a 25-strong crew.

The 1,444-tonne yacht's hefty build was specially designed to help Kerry Packer's sea-sickness, which did not affect his boating-mad father Sir Frank or his son James.

The Arctic P is actually designed to carry heavy cargo through the icy seas of Antarctica, resulting in less roll on the deck.

Packer's (above) specialised ice-breaker yacht was designed to help his seasickness with the hefty build resulting in less roll on deck

In the 1990s Packer told a shipyard crew in Malta to rig the unique yacht for maximum satellite TV coverage.

It was refitted again in 2008 in the years after Packer's death.

The Arctic P can reach a maximum speed of 22 knots thanks to two Deutz-MWM diesel engines and features a swimming pool.

Sources told the Telegraph last week that Gretel renting out the boat could be a sign she's looking to sell and downsize in the future.
Google users urged to delete scam email from their Gmail inbox

An urgent warning has been issued by tech giant, Google, to ignore scammers attempting to woo unsuspecting targets with a prize.

Users of Google's email service, Gmail, have been told to look out for and delete a scam email claiming the company is offering a 'prize' for making the '18.25 billionth search' through its search engine.

To claim the prize, users must complete a survey that asks for the target's personal information and credit card information.

The scam is the most recent iteration of the 'billionth search' variety, with previous attempts utilising pop-up or banner ads to deceive targets.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 65 per cent of Australians had received some sort of scam offer or request during the 2021-22 financial year.

Google users have been urged to delete a scam email in their Gmail inbox claiming they will get a price for completing the '18.25 billionth' search on their search engine (pictured)

To identify the scam, Gmail users should look for an email claiming 'Congratulations! You are the lucky Google user'.

'Every 10 millionth search is reached worldwide, we will proclaim a lucky user to send out a thank-you gift,' the scam email reads.

'Based on out last 7 days' [sic] user data, you are the lucky user!

'Please select your reward below and claim it by following the instruction [sic].'

Google has warned any advertising or emails from the company will not include offers of a prize.

The company advises users to report emails with sweepstakes, lotteries or similar tactics.

Australians lost a record $3.1billion to scams over the course of 2022, with investment, remote access and payment redirection scams being the most damaging.

'As scammers become increasingly sophisticated in their tactics, it is clear a coordinated response across government, law enforcement and the private sector is essential to combat scams more effectively,' Catriona Lowe, ACCC Deputy Chair, said.

Australians lost a record $3.1billion to scams over 2022 through more 'sophisticated' attacks, however more Australians are reporting scam attempts to authorities (stock image)

While scammers are targeting Australians at a greater rate, more scams are being reported to authorities.

'The results of The Personal Fraud Survey showed that 65 per cent of people received a scam offer or request in 2021-22, up from 55 per cent in the previous year,' William Milne, ABS head of crime and justice statistics, said.

'While more people were exposed to scams this year, we found that the number responding to scams has actually decreased to 552,000.

'The survey shows that 2.7 per cent of Australians responded to a scam in 2021-22 down from 3.6 per cent in 2020-21.'
Major Tesla investors are demanding the board of directors keep Elon Musk on a short leash in an open letter, as the company faces a series of discrimination lawsuits and its values plunges 15 percent.

It continues an awful week for the 'Chief Twit' in which a SpaceX Starship rocket exploded in mid-air in its first test flight, Twitter launched its new blue check system to mostly derision and his wealth dramatically nosedived by $13billion in just 24 hours after the entrepreneur suffered a series of business blunders.

Tesla reported disappointing first quarter results, with shares dropping by 9.75 percent and earnings plummeting by over 20 percent.

This has resulted in an in the letter, which is signed by investors who say their holdings amount to over $1.5billion in stock.

They believe that the company, as its currently being run, is 'jeopardizing its long-term value' taking 'substantial legal, operational and reputational risks and are concerned with Musk's involvement.

Major Tesla investors are demanding the board of directors keep Elon Musk (pictured) on a short leash in an open letter, as the company faces a series of discrimination lawsuits and its values plunges 15 percent

'Tesla appears to be embracing a broader culture of being 'above the law,' they wrote, according to CNBC, citing several lawsuits that accuse them of racial discrimination, sexual harassment, unsafe working conditions and union busting.

'Instead of working to address problems with regulators, CEO Musk has made derogatory tweets and comments, fueling tensions,' they added, referring to Musk as 'over-committed' between multiple companies.

Kristin Hull, one of the shareholders who signed the letter, said: 'We want to see the board take their job seriously - we don't see them doing a good job at being Elon Musk's boss.'

Despite his disastrous week, Musk still has a net worth totaling $164 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. His fortune ranks him second in the worldwide rich list, only behind French luxury brand mogul Bernard Arnault.

According to an internal email seen by the outlet, Musk told his Space X employees that he is optimistic about the venture, despite his high-profile rocket launch going up in flames.

The largest rocket to ever take off, the 395-foot behemoth was comprised of a Super Heavy booster and Starship.

But just four minutes after takeoff at 9:33 ET, the rocket dramatically exploded, abruptly ending its first orbital launch.

Space X has claimed that it purposefully activated the flight termination system to obliterate the rocket after the Super Heavy craft failed to separate, which began causing an uncontrollable death spin before it was exploded.

Musk's high-profile rocket launch was watched by thousands of people as they witnessed the 395-foot behemoth manage to get off the launchpad

The SpaceX launch ended in disaster when the Starship spacecraft exploded into a fireball after just four minutes

Despite the unideal optics of exploding the rocket as thousands of people watched on from the ground in south Texas, NASA, Musk and SpaceX have hailed the launch as a success after achieving their main objective of lifting the Starship off the launchpad.

But Musk will have a harder time claiming success with his recent Tesla quarterly report, after the electric car giant's shares fell nearly 10 percent Thursday.

The decline came just a day after the company also reported a more than 20 percent dip in net income, compared with the same quarter a year ago.

Musk sparked concern among analysts when discussing the poor filings, which saw the company earn a net income of $2.51 billion for the first quarter of 2023, a 24 percent decline from the previous year.

'Weve taken a view that pushing for higher volumes and a larger fleet is the right choice here, versus a lower volume and higher margin,' the billionaire said on an earnings call after the report.

Musk also admitted that it was 'difficult to say what the margin will be' before Tesla's declining bottom line becomes ominous.

Musk's net worth took a huge dive after Tesla reported poor first quarter returns Thursday

While most of his net worth decline is reportedly tied up in his giant stake in Tesla, Musk experienced further setbacks in his latest unpopular decision with Twitter.

Ever since acquiring the company a year ago, the billionaire has threatened to remove blue tick verification.

And after receiving a muted reaction to his 'Twitter Blue' rollout, Musk eventually followed through Thursday and rid the site of 'legacy' ticks.

The decision was widely panned online, especially by those who lost their verification, with megastars including Oprah Winfrey, Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian now finding themselves without their prized blue ticks.
Great flashes of cannon fire lit up the night sky off the coast of Cuba as HMS Pickle confronted a ship with twice her crew and far more weaponry.

The Royal Navys valiant little schooner had been pursuing the Spanish-registered Voladora throughout that steamy summers day in June 1829 but the enemy had waited until dark to launch the David and Goliath-like attack which seemed certain to spell the end of the Pickle.

During a battle lasting a gruelling 80 minutes, the Pickle came under a heavy cannon and musket bombardment that splintered her sides and killed four of her crew members.

But this was nothing compared to the damage she somehow managed to inflict on the Voladora, shooting away both of her masts, holing her sails and causing her rigging to come crashing down on to her stern.

Losing at least 14 of her crew of 65, the Voladora eventually surrendered and there soon came confirmation that the Pickle had been vindicated in her pursuit of the much larger vessel. Boarding her at dawn, the Pickles crew found her bloodied deck covered with dead and wounded men.

Great flashes of cannon fire lit up the night sky off the coast of Cuba as HMS Pickle confronted a ship with twice her crew and far more weaponry, writes David Leafe

But it was those suffering below who were their main concern.

Crammed into the suffocating heat of the hold, their necks manacled and their bodies ridden by dysentery and smallpox, were 320 African slaves  223 men and 97 women.

Kidnapped from their villages by gangmasters, they were now enduring the cruel 4,000-mile passage to the sugar plantations of Cuba.

They and thousands of others like them might have spent the rest of their lives as slaves had it not been for the bravery of the men aboard HMS Pickle and the other ships in the Royal Navys West Africa Squadron.

This was a task force formed in 1808 to help in the abolition of this despicable trade. And its work came at a high cost. Over the ensuing six decades, some 17,000 of the squadrons sailors met their deaths  either killed in action or succumbing to the same diseases that claimed the lives of so many slaves. That represented one sailors life lost for every nine captives freed.

At their peak in the 1840s and 1850s, British anti-slavery operations involved as many as 36 ships and 4,000 sailors, accounting for an estimated half of naval spending and around two per cent of government expenditure.

And yet today we hear little about the squadrons work, overshadowed as it is by criticism of Britains role in the slave trade generally.

That came to the fore again this month as the Guardian newspaper unearthed a 17th-century document revealing that King William III was given shares in a company profiting from slave trading. In response, King Charles has signalled his support for research into the monarchys links with slavery.

King Charles has signalled his support for research into the monarchys links with slavery

While it goes without saying that such trafficking in human life is repellent, the Guardians move also raises the question of why so little attention is paid to our contribution in bringing it to an end.

The West Africa Squadron was key to that and there was much need for its work. After passing legislation to abolish slavery in 1807, Britain spent the next few decades negotiating treaties with other countries to suppress the trade in the Atlantic.

But the profits to be made by fulfilling demand for slaves from the burgeoning sugar plantations of countries such as Cuba and Brazil meant that most governments were unwilling to impose the law on their subjects.

Their slave ships operated with shocking impunity, not least when it came to the barbaric treatment of their captives.

In July 1823, a young Royal Navy officer named Cheesman Binstead noticed huge numbers of sharks circling in the water as his ship, HMS Owen Glendower, patrolled the seas off West Africa. His superiors explained that to avoid the huge fines imposed for slave trading, an intercepted ship had thrown its human cargo into the waves and the jaws of the predators.

READ MORE: King Charles is forced to support probe into royal family's slavery links for the first time as American historian unearths documents claiming monarchy had shares in Royal African Company and used money for Kensington Palace Advertisement

Conditions aboard the slave ships were so terrible that many died long before they reached their destination, as described by naval officer James Bowly in 1863.

In a letter sent home from Sierra Leone, he described how on one captured vessel only around 200 of the 540 original captives survived the passage there.

They were in the most dreadful condition that human beings could be in, he wrote. I should never have believed that anything could have been so horrible . . . some of them mere walking skeletons.

Many of the squadrons ships had diverse crews including Kroomen  experienced fishermen recruited as sailors from the coast of what we know today as Liberia.

To motivate its sailors, the Navy put them on commission, a ship receiving todays equivalent of around 3,000 for every male slave liberated, 2,000 per adult female, and 1,000 for every child under 14.

Important though the money was, many of the squadron were also driven by a desire to do good, among them Cooper Kay, a 19-year-old midshipman who wrote excitedly to his mother about HMS Cleopatras pursuit of a slaver ship off Cuba in 1840.

How glorious! Seeing ones name in the papers for something of that sort! Should not you like it, dearest Mama? I was sharpening my sword in the most butcher-like manner all the chase. It was delightful to see how eager our men were to get up with her.

The lions share of the bounty went to the captains and officers, despite the suffering and dangers faced by all aboard the squadrons ships.

These included the constant threat of tropical diseases including yellow fever and malaria. Such fatal illnesses were easily transmitted in the cramped conditions aboard and the squadron suffered significantly higher death rates than other naval stations in this period. I dread sending away men in such a floating pest house! wrote an officer of one ship.

The crews also risked being killed by violent slave traders, as Richard Crawford, a petty officer aboard HMS Esk, discovered.

In March 1826, a boat party sent out by Esk apprehended the Brazilian ship Netuno on the Benin River in modern-day Nigeria and Crawford was put in charge of the captured vessel, only to be fired on by another slave ship, the Cuban-registered Caroline.

One shot smashed through the Netunos sides and another sent a splinter flying through the air, partially scalping Crawford. He collapsed and lay on the deck as one of his men took the wheel but somehow the battle-scarred Netuno managed to kill 20 of the Carolines crew and saw her off before struggling the 1,500 miles to Sierra Leones capital Freetown with 50 holes in her sails, and much of her rigging destroyed.

Although seriously injured, Crawford managed to write his report to his commanding officer that evening. A few months later he was invalided home with fever but later returned to take command of another of the squadrons ships.

King Charles spoke about Britain's involvement in the slave trade during a visit to Rwanda last year (where he's seen with Queen Camilla). Dr Brooke Newman has unearthed a document that shows a transfer of 1,000 of shares in the in the Royal African Company to William III

One problem was that those ships were often terribly slow compared with the nimble vessels used by the slavers, and so the Royal Navy came up with the ingenious idea of adapting captured slave ships for their own use. In 1827, a clipper named the Henriqueta  responsible for transporting thousands of men and women to Brazil and the Americas  was seized and used to hunt down slave vessels in the very waters where she had once plied on the other side of the law.

She was renamed HMS Black Joke, after a popular song, and in 1831 she captured the 300-ton Spanish ship Marinerito which was carrying 496 slaves off the coast of Nigeria.

As the Black Jokes men attempted to board her, a Midshipman Pierce found his hat blown off by a musket ball before he was knocked overboard by a sword thrust that punctured his jacket and shirt.

Even then, he didnt give up. Avoiding drowning by grabbing hold of one of the Marineritos damaged sails as it trailed in the water, he managed to haul himself back on board to continue the fight.

This was typical of the derring-do shown by the squadrons sailors. But sadly, panic among the overcrowded slaves on board had caused the deaths of 27 of them.

While there are few records of the reaction of slaves to their release, a report on the Marinerito incident observed that those who survived all appeared to be fully sensible of their deliverance and upon being released from their irons, expressed their gratitude in the most forcible and pleasing manner.

The poor creatures took every opportunity of singing a song, testifying their thankfulness to the English, and by their willingness to obey and assist, rendered the passage easy and pleasant to the officers and men who had them in charge.

Like so many of the unfortunates freed by the squadron, those aboard the Marinerito could not return home for fear of being recaptured. As foreign secretary, and later prime minister, Viscount Palmerston pointed out, they had already suffered much even before they were first dragged aboard by the slavers. The razzia [devastating raid] has been made in Africa, the village has been burnt, the old people and infants have been murdered, the young and the middle-aged have been torn from their homes and sent to sea.

Instead, they were taken to the squadrons base in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone.

Maintained at government expense for a year, they were then given the option of going to Britains colonies in the West Indies to work as apprenticed labourers, but many chose to stay in Sierra Leone.

As for the slavers, once they had been apprehended, they would often be manacled below decks, using the very chains with which they had imprisoned their captives.

They were then transported either to Freetown or the island of St Helena where specially set up Admiralty Courts dispensed punishments including fines of around 7,000 per slave in todays money and ordered their ships to be sold off at auction or destroyed.

At first, the squadron could only detain vessels if slaves were found on board, but eventually the law was changed so that they could be taken if suspicious items  including manacles, chains and outsize cooking pots  were discovered.

All this tightened the noose on the slave traders who were forced to spend ever greater sums to conduct their business, including buying faster ships and paying those large fines if they were brought before a court.

By the early 1860s, the transatlantic traffic was slowly dwindling and while the squadrons efforts were only part of the wider economic and political picture that saw its demise, its achievements speak for themselves.

During the six decades it was in operation, it captured 1,600 slave ships and liberated around 150,000 Africans. Yet its role has been wilfully forgotten, according to Jeremy Black, former professor of history at Exeter University and author of the book Slavery: A New Global History.

Those people who wish to get Britain endlessly to apologise are inclined to ignore, underrate or misrepresent the British naval commitment to ending the slave trade, he says.

We actually have many reasons to be proud of British history yet you would not know it from the activists and campaigners who seek to denigrate it.

How strange this would have seemed in the squadrons heyday, a time when its pursuit and capture of slave ships became celebrated naval engagements.

Widely reported and memorialised in engravings, watercolours and oil paintings back home, its victories were undeniable and its hard to disagree with the assessment of Viscount Cardwell, secretary of state for war, during a parliamentary debate in 1868: With regard to the efforts we have made for the suppression of the slave trade, I own I do not know a nobler or a brighter page in the history of our country.
Ministers were under mounting pressure to scrap smart motorways last night as yet another coroner warned of a risk of more deaths on the controversial roads.

Anne Pember, senior coroner for Northamptonshire, has written to road bosses warning that the lack of a hard shoulder means 'there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken'.

It comes just days after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that all planned future smart motorways schemes have been cancelled due to drivers losing confidence in the 'death trap' roads.

However, he stopped short of scrapping hundreds of miles of existing schemes by restoring the hard shoulder.

Ms Pember's warning came after she presided over the inquest of David Levett, the latest known victim of the controversial roads.

Ministers were under mounting pressure to scrap smart motorways last night as yet another coroner warned of a risk of more deaths on the controversial roads. Pictured: The M3 smart motorway near Camberley in Surrey

The 53-year-old, who had cerebral palsy, was a rear seat passenger when his carer's Seat Leon was smashed into from behind by a lorry on the M1 while stationary.

The stretch had no hard shoulder as it had been converted into an 'all-lane running' (ALR) smart motorway.

This means drivers can become marooned in live traffic if they're unable to reach an emergency layby.

Ms Pember's intervention is the latest in a string of similar warnings from other coroners in recent years about the dangers posed by smart motorways.

In a report to prevent future deaths, sent to National Highways boss Nick Harris and dated Tuesday (APRIL 18), she wrote: 'In my opinion there is a risk that future deaths could occur unless action is taken... during the course of the inquest, evidence was given that the location of the collision was on an all lane running smart motorway.

'There was nowhere for the driver of the first vehicle to park safely, e.g. on a hard shoulder.

'In my opinion, action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe you (and/or your organisation) have the power to take such action.'

National Highways now has 56 days to respond.

The inquest at The Guildhall coroner's court in Northampton last week heard that the smash which killed Mr Levett happened after his carer pulled over on the inside lane.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that all planned future smart motorways schemes have been cancelled due to drivers losing confidence in the 'death trap' roads.

He did this to help his stricken brother-in-law, whose Volvo had broken down on the M1 between junctions 17 and 18 near Rugby.

After pulling in behind he switched on his hazard lights, he told the inquest.

He had intended to drive his brother-in-law somewhere safe while the Volvo was recovered, but an HGV ploughed into the back of the Seat as they climbed back into it.

Mr Levett was rushed to University Hospital in Coventry but died following extensive surgery after the smash on January 28, 2018, having suffered 'severe head and chest injuries'.

Concluding the hearing, Ms Pember said: 'I believe that, if the hard shoulder had been available for the broken down vehicle to pull into, it's quite possible that David Levett would not have died.'

And Mr Levett's sister Angela Mower, 57, said: 'The government needs to look into these because people are still dying.

'[National Highways] keep reassuring everyone they are safe but clearly they are not.'

Mr Levett's carer was 'lucky to be alive', the inquest was told. Both he and his brother-in-law later recovered from their injuries.

The inquest heard that Stationary Vehicle Detection (SVD), which is supposed to notify control room staff of a broken down vehicle so they can close off the lane, had not been installed at the time. It is understood to have now been installed.

Earlier this month Susan Evans, assistant coroner for Derbyshire, said Derek Jacobs, 83, and Charles Scripps, 78, would still be alive if the M1 section they were killed on had a hard shoulder.

They died in a three-car pile-up near Sheffield in March 2019.

And in November, Nicola Mundy, senior coroner for Doncaster Coroner's Court, wrote to National Highways to warn of a 'lack of public understanding' around smart motorways and what to do when breaking down on them following the death of Nargis Begum, 62.

Protesters against smart motorways pictured at last year's Conservative Party Conference

Some 153 vehicles drove past the mother-of-five before a Mercedes smashed into the back of her Nissan Qashqai on the M1 in South Yorkshire on September 9, 2018.

Ms Mundy also wrote a report to prevent future deaths, saying: 'There is a risk that future deaths will occur unless action is taken.'

In January 2021, Sheffield coroner David Urpeth confirmed the lack of a hard shoulder on a stretch of M1 in South Yorkshire contributed to the deaths of Jason Mercer and Alexandru Murgeanu.

In a verdict of unlawful killing, the corner explained the loss of a hard shoulder had 'contributed to this tragedy' in June 2019, adding: I believe smart motorways, as things stand, present an ongoing risk of deaths.'

The AA's roads policy chief, Jack Cousens, said: 'This tragic case only highlights why the hard shoulder should be reinstated across all existing 'smart' motorways.'

National Highways regional director Andrew Jinks said: 'We offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to the family of Mr Levett and all those affected by this tragic incident.

'We care about everyone who uses our roads and are continuing to make our network as safe as possible.

'We have committed 900million to safety improvements on the network, including building additional places to stop in an emergency and installing new technology to spot stopped vehicles.

'Safety on our roads remains our absolute priority and we will continue to build on the work and safety improvements already under way to help drivers and passengers feel and be safe.

'We will consider the coroner's report and respond within the 56-day deadline.'
For ramblers, nature enthusiasts and local families, Frensham Little Pond has long been a popular destination.

But for some this verdant haven in west Surrey has become a parking hell since the National Trust removed traditional pay-and-display meters.

Instead drivers are instructed to use the parking app PayByPhone. And the Daily Mail can reveal it is one of around 30 cashless National Trust car parks, meaning just under 4 per cent are now app only.

It comes as 2million people face a future in parking meter deserts, as councils scrap traditional machines in favour of cashless alternatives. Charity bosses and MPs have branded the trend appalling and urged council chiefs to consider the impact on older motorists.

Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has written to every local authority in England, warning them not to force drivers to use their phones to pay for parking.

For some this verdant haven in west Surrey has become a parking hell since the National Trust removed traditional pay-and-display meters

For ramblers, nature enthusiasts and local families, Frensham Little Pond has long been a popular destination

Visitors to Frensham Little Pond were quick to voice their frustrations.

Landscape architect Phil Brown, 57, who was there with his elderly father, said: I hate these machines.

'I flatly refuse to download yet another parking app on to my phone and I see absolutely no reason why they cant make a provision to pay by cash or card.

Mr Brown, from Somerset, added: I just hate the whole bureaucracy of it all. So now were going to get back into the car and drive somewhere else that allows me to pay in a normal way for parking.

Visitors to the site can pay for parking through PayByPhones app, logging into the firms website or by texting or calling it.

A sign said drivers could pay for parking at a cafe if they were struggling with the app. However, it took more than four minutes for a young person to walk to the cafe  and it is only open 10am-3pm.

Parking is free for National Trust members if they leave their membership cards on the dashboard.

Teacher Emma Ghosh, 44, said: My membership expires in a few weeks and I dont really want to renew it. But if I dont, Im going to have to find a different place to park.

But visitors have been quick to voice their frustrations as they see no reason not to pay by cash or card

The conservation charity confirmed it axed cash machines at the car park in 2021 after the vandalism of four machines, with thieves successfully stealing or attempting to steal cash.

Last night campaigners called on bosses to bring back traditional meters. Baroness Altmann, a former pensions minister and campaigner for older people, said: The National Trust needs to reconsider its decision to take away the opportunity from people who dont have a smartphone to park in some of their car parks  its wrong and its shameful.

And Dennis Reed, of pensioners campaign group Silver Voices, added: Even during their leisure time, older people are being isolated by technology.

A National Trust spokesman said: We are sorry for the impact this has had on some users of this car park. Visitors preferring to pay in cash can do so at the cafe which is open during peak visitor hours between 10am and 3pm in winter and 10am and 4pm in summer.
Steven Spielberg is among a host of stars rallying to save a prominent London cinema from closure.

The operators of the Curzon Mayfair are desperately pleading with their landlord to renew the lease on the Grade II-listed building before it ends next year.

The 89-year-old venue regularly hosts star-studded premieres. More than 19,000 people have backed the petition.

Developers' plans would see the cinema reopen with one screen instead of two. Spielberg, who premiered his Oscar-nominated film The Fabelmans there in January, said it would be a 'travesty if Curzon was no longer there'.

The campaign is also being backed by actors Toby Jones, Tilda Swinton, Emily Mortimer and Imogen Poots.

Steven Spielberg (pictured) is among a host of stars rallying to save a prominent London cinema from closure

Historic England describes the interior of the cinema, built in 1963-66 to replace a 1930s art-house cinema, 'as the most elaborate and best surviving of the post-war period'.

Spielberg, who premiered his latest Oscar-nominated film at the venue in January, said it would be a 'travesty' if it were to close.

'I was privileged to be there only a few months ago for the UK premiere of my new film, The Fabelmans, and it would be a travesty if Curzon was no longer there to host such special events,' he said.

Actor Toby Jones pleaded: 'Please don't touch the Curzon Mayfair! For those of us who have stumbled down those steps clutching the brass railing, then collapsing into the modest, cosy bar, glancing furtively at fellow viewers then smiling or wiping remaining tears from our eyes.

'The Curzon has been more than just another cinema. It's been a kind of club to which anyone can belong.'

Tilda Swinton, who was nominated for a BAFTA for her role in Curzon film We Need to Talk About Kevin, described the venue as a 'cultural generator'.

'Having nourished, encouraged and enlightened us for nearly a century, it deserves our gratitude, respect and protection,' she said.

'The Curzon Mayfair is not just an important and beautiful building- it is a cultural generator without which the social health of central London would be significantly compromised.

The 89-year-old venue, Curzon Mayfair, regularly hosts star-studded premieres. More than 19,000 people have backed the petition. Pictured: David Zaslav and Spielberg

'We urge its landlord to appreciate its unique value to the lives of countless people and to join with us in seeking to safeguard its future for all cinema makers and supporters as yet far down the road.

'Curzon's diligent stewardship of this rare and beloved venue should be cherished and sustained.'

The campaign is also being backed by Mary Poppins Returns star Emily Mortimer, Babylon actress Katherine Waterston and Imogen Poots, who starred in The Father.

Curzon has formally applied for a new lease and if the Landlord refuses, the resulting legal process would give a court the power to grant a new tenancy for up to 15 years.

Curzon said it will make a substantial investment by bringing on board Benedetti Architects, who recently worked on the redesign of the BAFTA headquarters, to carry out an extensive refurbishment.

Westminster councillor Patrick Lilley, who set up the petition, said he is '100 per cent confident that Curzon Mayfair will be showing films for the next ten years'.

He told the Mail: 'I believe Curzon Mayfair will challenge the right to stay and carry on for decades. I don't believe it's an open and shut case they're not short of a bob or two to fight their corner.

'The love for it, not just locally it's also Spielberg. ET to the rescue and Mary Poppins too. If you can't save it with ET and Mary Poppins there is no hope for culture in London.'

He also criticised proposed plans to reduce the number of screens, adding: 'You won't get new, interesting stuff unless there is that second screen taking risks.'

A petition to save the cinema from closure over a noise dispute in 2016 amassed 27,000 signatures.

Landlords, 38 Curzon Lease Ltd, who converted the office space above into four luxury apartments, complained of noise from the films.

Spielberg, who premiered his latest Oscar-nominated film at the venue in January, said it would be a 'travesty' if it were to close

The Curzon said it could not afford soundproofing, which it estimated would cost 500,000.

Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, intervened with the 'agent of change principle' which requires developers to pay for the costs of soundproofing for works carried out next to an existing venue.

The redevelopment of Bank's The Ned hotel and Camden's Koko was also overseen by 38 Curzon Lease Ltd.

Vevil Properties Limited bought the freehold for 38 Curzon Street in 2015 for 27.5 million.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: 'The Curzon cinema is a cultural gem and an important home for cinema in London. We need to ensure we protect our cultural venues  especially ones as iconic as the Curzon in Mayfair.'
Police allege the man had rushed at them with knives

A man shot dead by police after allegedly running at officers with knives has been identified as a 52-year-old army veteran.

Police were called to a home on Bel Air Avenue at Kirwan, in Townsville, at about 4.40pm on Friday, following reports the man, Steven Angus, had threatened to self-harm.

Police fired on Mr Angus, striking him in the chest, after he allegedly rushed at them with knives.

First aid was provided to Mr Angus after he was incapacitated, but he was pronounced dead shortly after Queensland paramedics arrived at the scene.

Police were called to a home on Bel Air Avenue at Kirwan, in Townsville, at about 4:40pm on Friday, following reports the man had threatened to self-harm (pictured, police at the scene)

Townsville District Acting Chief Superintendent, Chris Lawson, said: 'Police fired their service firearms at the male, hitting the male, and as soon as he was hit first aid was provided and unfortunately a short time later, after the arrival of QAS, he was pronounced deceased'.

'All of this incident was caught on body-worn camera footage, so that footage will be available to the coroner and Ethical Standards Command as they do their investigation,' Chief Supt Lawson said.

Five officers, including an acting sergeant, constables and senior constables initially responded to the call.

'So they're people who do have some level of service, but they're also people involved with very junior service as well, so we are providing support across all ranges to those individuals involved,' Chief Supt Lawson said.

A Queensland Police spokesperson said investigations are underway.

The man is understood to have been shot 'several times' in the chest (pictured, officers at the scene on Friday evening)

Chief Supt Lawson supported the officers that fired on Mr Angus, believing they had use necessary force.

'Our use of force policy is very clear, you use whatever use of force you consider necessary to resolve the incident, and at the minimum level possible,' he said.

'At this stage I'm confident... the officers acted appropriately.

'Obviously our thoughts go out to the family involved because we don't want to see people being hurt and we don't want to see people die, we want to resolve these incidents as peacefully as possible and our thoughts are with the family.'

Police had attended to the property on Thursday night for a similar situation that was instead de-escalated.

It is believed Mr Angus was at Townsville University Hospital following the Thursday night incident, returning home after some time.

Lifeline 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au

Beyond Blue 1300 224 636 or www.beyondblue.org.au

Open Arms Veteran and Families counselling 1800 011 046 or openarms.gov.au

Safe Zone Support 1800 142 072.
Actor Jim Broadbent has backed JK Rowling's position on transgender issues, pledging to confront her critics 'if it came to it'.

Broadbent, who played the role of Professor Horace Slughorn in three Harry Potter films, said the abuse aimed at the author was 'really sad'.

Rowling has received heavy criticism from trans rights activists after arguing four years ago that women should not be ousted from their jobs for believing biological sex is real.

Broadbent, 73, said in an interview with The Daily Telegraph that he never could have imagined 'cancel culture' when he first embarked on his career.

It came after the author last night tweeted she has 'laid in a large stock of champagne' after hearing trans rights supporters are planning to boycott a new TV-series adaptation of the books.

Actor Jim Broadbent (pictured) has backed JK Rowling's position on transgender issues, pledging to confront her critics 'if it came to it'

Broadbent, who played the role of Professor Horace Slughorn in three Harry Potter films, said the abuse aimed at Rowling (pictured) was 'really sad'

JK Rowling has become a controversial figure in recent years over her outspoken criticism of transgender rights

Broadbent also rejected the argument that able-bodied actors should be barred from playing disabled roles. This is a practice in the industry known as 'crippling up'.

When asked for his opinion on Rowling becoming a 'lightning rod' for her abuse on social media for her position on single-sex spaces, trans rights and gender, the Oscar winner said: 'It's really sad.

'I think JK Rowling is amazing. I haven't had to confront it myself, but I would support her in that, I think, if it came to it.'

The author has become a highly controversial figure in recent years after her outspoken criticism of trans rights.

She has repeatedly clashed with other celebrities over her views, and was involved in a row with former SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon over Scotland's decision to introduce Gender Recognition Certificates for 16 and 17-year-olds.

She has also faced backlash for her vocal support for Posie Parker, also known as Kellie-Jay Keen, who claims to be a women's rights activist.

Parker, who has previously declined to describe herself as a feminist, recently embarked on a tour across Australia and New Zealand, which dozens of neo-Nazis attended.

Groups of men were seen performing Nazi salutes at the Parker rallies, and just last week she sparked fresh controversy as she claimed the entire 'so-called LGBT community' is nothing more than 'a bunch of f***ing men in dresses'.

Rowling's views have split opinion among actors in the Potter series, with star Daniel Radcliffe saying many trans individuals were left 'hurt' by the author's comments.

Meanwhile, Emma Watson commented: 'Trans people are who they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned or told they aren't who they say they are.'

Rupert Grint added: 'I firmly stand with the trans community and echo the sentiments expressed by many of my peers.

'Trans women are women. Trans men are men. We should all be entitled to live with love and without judgment.'

Jim Broadbent as Professor Horace Slughorn next to Daniel Radcliffe as Harry Potter

Emma Watson has been an outspoken critic of Rowling's views, saying 'trans people are who they are and deserve to live their lives without being constantly questioned'

Rupert Grint previously said: 'Trans women are women. Trans men are men'

Daniel Radcliffe said that 'trans women are women' in November last year as he stated he wanted to let members of the LGBT+ community know 'not everybody in the franchise felt that way'.

He added: 'The reason I felt very, very much as though I needed to say something when I did was because, particularly since finishing Potter, I've met so many queer and trans kids and young people who had a huge amount of identification with Potter on that.

'And so seeing them hurt on that day I was like, I wanted them to know that not everybody in the franchise felt that way. And that was really important.'

Rowling first drew outrage on Twitter in 2020 when she criticized an opinion piece published by the website Devex, a media platform for a global development community, that used the phrase 'people who menstruate'.

She said: 'I'm sure there used to be a word for those people. Someone help me out. Wumben? Wimpund? Woomud?'

Although her comments were directed at the transgender community, critics were quick to point out there are also many women who do not menstruate for natural reasons such as the menopause and medical issues.

In response, Radcliffe hit out at the author who launched his career, saying: 'To all the people who now feel that their experience of the books has been tarnished or diminished, I am deeply sorry for the pain these comments have caused you'.

On Friday evening Rowling said she had stocked up on champagne after hearing that some trans right supporters are not planning on watching a new adaptation of the Harry Potter franchise.

She said: 'Dreadful news, which I feel duty bound to share. Activists in my mentions are trying to organise yet another boycott of my work, this time of the Harry Potter TV show.

'As forewarned is forearmed, I've taken the precaution of laying in a large stock of champagne.'

Her comments follow the announcement of a new 10-year television series which will see the rebirth of the Harry Potter tales.

All seven books will be revisited in the HBO series, but filming is not set to start for at least a year.

There is also not yet a script writer or executive producer lined up for the project, however original producer David Heyman is suggested to be in talks to run the series.
A family friend allegedly planned the robbery that left a 9-year-old American boy dead in the Dominican Republic earlier this week.

Gioser Luis Feliz arrived at Cibao International Airport in Santiago for a spring break trip with his family Wednesday shortly before their car was targeted by a gang of thieves.

Tomas Pena Morel, 32, was arrested alongside five others in connection to the murder of Gioser Luis Feliz, who was shot in the head after leaving the airport with father Sergio Luis Feliz.

Morel is a friend of the elder Feliz, according to officials. Feliz had warned travelers not to share information on social media when travelling to the Dominican Republic, after he posted photos of the family at JFK Airport as they waited to board their flight Wednesday.

'It was an attempt to rob me of my belongings without me knowing who it would be because it was my first time coming to Santiago,' Sergio said, admitting that he and his son would be the ideal victims.

Boy's father Sergio Luis Feliz with close family friend Tomas Pena Morel, 32

Tomas Pena Morel (pictured), 32, was arrested alongside five others in connection to the murder of Gioser Luis Feliz, who was shot in the head after leaving the airport with father Sergio Luis Feliz

A family friend allegedly planned the robbery that left a 9-year-old American boy Gioser Luis Feliz (pictured) dead in the Dominican Republic earlier this week

Luis Angel Vargas Brito, 18, Derlin Javier Mercado Martinez, Cesar Junior Ulloa Cuevas, Jose Manuel Almonte Santana, 20, and Elian Martinez Sanchez, 22, were all also arrested.

Five women were also taken into custody by police but have not been charged, nor have police confirmed their connection to the murder.

Gioser's uncle told the media that Feliz's father and Morel have known each other for over 10 years and were 'basically brothers.'

'Since I found out about the death of the child Gioser Luis Feliz, I am following up on the case,' said Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader in a statement.

'I have been informed by the Director of the National Police about the arrest of the 5 criminals who committed this horrendous crime. Now justice must be ensured in the courts,' he added.

The family is now working on getting Gioser's body back to New York so a funeral can be held.

Reports indicated that the driver of the car refused to stop after it was set upon by the muggers, who then opened fire before speeding away.

Gioser was tragically struck in the head, and he died in hospital while undergoing surgery, according to Diario Libre.

Morel, seen here with Feliz, had been friends with the father for over a decade

Gioser Luis Feli arrived at Cibao International Airport in Santiago for a spring break trip with his family Wednesday shortly before their car was targeted by a gang of thieves

Gioser's uncle told the media that Feliz's father Sergio (pictured) and Morel have known each other for over 10 years and were 'basically brothers.'

The tragic shooting unfolded after the family was picked up by an unnamed friend of the boy's father, Sergio Luis Feliz Mancebo.

After landing in the Dominican Republic for the child's spring break, they were expected to spend several days in the country before returning to New York next Monday.

In a video posted after he lost his son, Sergio said the family was intercepted by the muggers as they passed through a toll booth.

The gang then opened fire when the driver of the car, one of the father's friends, refused to stop and attempted to flee.

One of the bullets hit the boy in the head, and he was rushed to a local hospital for emergency surgery before he was pronounced dead. His body will be transported back to the United States.

The assailants fled the scene in a white Hyundai, which police used to track them down and arrest them after discovering they had rented it shortly before the botched mugging.

A press release added that the men 'admitted their participation' in the shooting.

'These detainees were captured by video surveillance cameras in this terminal and from there they followed the father of the victim,' added a police spokesperson following the arrests.

The boy's father, Sergio Luis Feliz Mancebo, told police that the muggers opened fire when the driver of the car refused to stop

President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader, said he had been 'following up on the case' after the boy's death shocked the nation

The boy's father warned travelers not to share information on social media when travelling to the Dominican Republic, after he posted photos of the family at JFK Airport as they waited to board their flight Wednesday.

The 9-year-old's death caused shockwaves across the Dominican Republic, with news of the arrests being praised by the nation's president, Luis Abinader.

'Since I found out about the death of the child Gioser Luis Feliz, I have been following up on the case,' he said on Twitter.

'I have been informed by the Director of the National Police about the arrest of the 5 criminals who committed this horrendous crime. Now justice must be ensured in the courts.'

The investigation into the shooting is ongoing.
A mother who found the strength to live on after the triple homicide of her children and the sudden death of her last surviving child revealed she has turned her home into a shrine to them.

Shirley Singh lost three of her children - 24-year-old Neelma, 18-year-old Kunal and 12-year-old Sidhi - after Neelma's ex-boyfriend killed them inside the family's Brisbane home in Bridgeman Downs in April, 2003.

Mrs Singh said she holds onto the happy memories she had with her children but admitted her biggest regret was not cuddling her youngest daughter, Sidhi, enough.

'One day I said to her "can you leave me alone?", I regret saying that. I tell parents, "don't say that" because she's left me for good,' she told A Current Affair on Friday.

Mrs Singh still lives in the home where the murders unfolded alongside her estranged husband, Vijay, as housemates.

Shirley Singh (above) revealed how she stayed strong after three of her children - 24-year-old Neelma, 18-year-old Kunal and 12-year-old Sidhi - were murdered in April, 2003

Mrs Singh still lives in the family's Brisbane home, the scene of the grisly murders (pictured, Mrs Singh with her husband Vijay and only surviving child Archana at press conference a week after the murders. Archana has since died of a brain aneurysm)

Photos from her children's lives fill the home and specialised shrines mark key points of the horrific murders, including the spa bath where they were left, and their childhoods.

Every night Mrs Singh tucks photos of her children into bed and every morning she wakes them.

'I will talk to them and think about all the happy memories,' she said.

'I say good morning to them, I kiss them. I feel as if they're still there with me. Call me silly but this is how I live.'

A memorial in the family's living room shows photos of all four of Mrs Singh's children and the ages they would have turned if they were still with her.

This year, Neelma would have been 44, Kunal 38, Sidhi 32 and Archana 'Sonia' Pathik - the only child to survive the attack who passed of a brain aneurysm in Melbourne three years ago - would be 46.

Mrs Singh released her book, Shirley's Story, on the twentieth anniversary of her children's murder.

She said she hopes to help others struggling with grief realise their own strength.

'Don't become anyone's victim, put your head up and fight,' she said.

The book was written by her close friend's daughter and former journalist Emily Eklund Power and released on Thursday.

Mrs Singh said she tucks photos of her four children into bed every night and wakes them every morning (pictured, Mrs Singh with the photos)

Neelma (left), Kunal (centre) and Sidhi (right) were killed by Neelma's ex-boyfriend Massimo 'Max' Sica on Easter weekend in 2003

Both Mrs Singh and Ms Power said through writing the book they found a disturbing pattern of abuse in Neelma's relationship with her ex-boyfriend and killer, Massimo 'Max' Sica.

Sica killed Neelma, Kunal and Sidhi on Easter Sunday in 2003.

After cruelly murdering them, he disposed of their bodies in the master bedroom spa bath and called triple-zero, pretending to have discovered them there.

It took police five-and-a-half years to gather enough evidence to take Sica to trial and almost a decade for him to be sentenced.

Neelma and Sica met as neighbours before she moved to Dubai to become an Emirates air hostess in early 2002.

While she was in Dubai, Neelma was using a laptop Sica had set-up with spyware so he could monitor her and was often subject to loyalty 'tests' by him.

Neelma had decided to return to Brisbane in May, 2002, after she was attacked by a female roommate in Dubai but instead of going to her family, she moved in with Sica.

However, she fled back to her family six weeks later after seeing a dark side to the future killer.

Sica was still legally married to another woman, was considerably older than Neelma at 33 years, had previously spent time in jail and told Neelma about his plans to kidnap a businessman to hold at ransom.

Mrs Singh has written a book about how she dealt with the grief of losing her children which was published on Thursday (pictured, Mrs Singh, right, her close friend, centre, and her friend's daughter and former journalist Emily Eklund Power, left)

Sica (above) had a controlling and abusive relationship with Neelma before he murdered her and two of her siblings on April 22, 2003

After Neelma broke up with him, Sica anonymously emailed naked photos of her to her friends and family.

Finally, Sica told Neelma he had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour and had only a few weeks left to live.

Feeling sorry for him, Neelma invited him over to spend time with her while her parents were away in Fiji for a wedding on April 22, 2003.

'Something happened in Neelma's bedroom between the two of you,' Justice John Byrne told Sica during his 2012 sentencing.

'Enraged by jealousy most likely, you strangled Neelma with both hands, using sustained pressure for about a minute, intending to kill her.

'To ensure that Kunal and Sidhi would not tell that you had murdered Neelma, you murdered them too.

'You put your victims into the spa bath in the master bedroom ensuite.

'Your savage attack on Kunal had rendered him unconscious. He drowned after you filled the bath with water and covered the three bodies with bedding.

'These are brutal, horrific crimes  in the worst categories of murder.'

Sica was sentenced to a minimum of 35 years in jail.

Mrs Singh said her children were left so disfigured by the attack that she could hardly recognise them.

In 2012, Sica was sentenced for killing Neelma then her siblings to hide the murder and leaving their bodies in the family's spa bath (pictured, photos of Neelma, Kunal and Sidhi)

Mrs Singh said she still lives her life as though her children are with her, even celebrating their birthdays (pictured, Mrs Singh, her husband Vijay and daughter Archana at the children's funeral in 2003)

But she chooses to focus on the happy days with her children and continues to make memories with them.

'Archanas room, Neelmas room and Sidhis room are always open,' she told the Courier Mail, explaining her son Kunal had joked about wanting more privacy so she still makes sure to knock before going into his room.

On special occasions, she brings Kunal a beer and Vodka Cruisers to her girls.

'If its a spiritual day, I do offerings, I dress them up with flowers. Ive got a candle Ive been lighting ever since I lost my children,' she said.
The Governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has ordered state police and the California National Guard to partner with local law enforcement agencies to tackle San Francisco's drug problem and disrupt fentanyl trafficking.

The move comes after city officials requested state and federal assistance to tackle the issues of open-air drug dealing.

The Governor announced the plan on Friday just days after taking a tour of the Tenderloin district with California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Mayor London Breed's Chief of Staff in which the trio assessed the situation for themselves and saw how bad the fentanyl crisis in the city has become.

The California Highway Patrol, the California National Guard, the San Francisco Police Department, and the San Francisco District Attorney's Office will now collaborate to help the city address the drug problem.

California Governor Gavin Newsom announced a partnership between California State Police and National Guard to disrupt fentanyl trafficking in San Francisco

The trio assessed the situation for themselves and saw how bad the fentanyl crisis in the city has become. California Governor Gavin Newsom, far right waving, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, middle in navy jacket, far left, Sean Elsbernd, San Fran Mayor London Breed's Chief of Staff

The Governor announced the plan on Friday days after taking a tour of the Tenderloin district

Governor Newsom has directed the California Highway Patrol to identify ways to assist local police, including the assigning of personnel and resources, technical assistance, training, and drug trafficking enforcement in key areas, particularly the Tenderloin District - an area of the city known for its high crime rate and illegal drug activity.

Additionally, the Governor instructed the California National Guard to identify specialist personnel and resources to analyze drug trafficking operations, with a focus on dismantling fentanyl trafficking rings.

'Through this new collaborative partnership, we are providing more law enforcement resources and personnel to crack down on crime linked to the fentanyl crisis, holding the poison peddlers accountable, and increasing law enforcement presence to improve public safety and public confidence in San Francisco,' Newsom said.

'Two truths can co-exist at the same time: San Francisco's violent crime rate is below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth  and there is also more we must do to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis.'

The Governor said the partnership 'will not seek to criminalize those struggling with substance use and instead focus on holding drug suppliers and traffickers accountable.'

But the announcement has garnered mixed reactions from the residents and business owners of San Francisco: while some believe that cracking down on drug dealers will help solve the city's drug crisis, others are concerned that criminalizing those struggling with substance abuse will not fix the problem.

The Tenderloin and South of Market are the area most affected by the city's drug and homelessness crises, with people dealing and using drugs openly on sidewalks

A homeless man is seen in Tenderloin district of San Francisco in California

Progressives argue that the city is simply repeating a failed war on drugs, while moderates want more prosecutions of drug dealers and increased action to tackle the issue.

The Tenderloin and South of Market are the area most affected by the city's drug and homelessness crises, with people dealing and using drugs openly on sidewalks.

New statistics reveal a 41 percent surge in overdoses in San Francisco in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period last year, with 200 people dying in the year to March.

Recently, San Francisco politicians have been looking to outside sources for assistance managing the problem.

Aaron Peskin, the president of the Board of Supervisors, sent letters to the governor and Representative Nancy Pelosi last week asking for federal and state aid to help improve the conditions of the streets.

On Wednesday, JJ Smith, an activist who documents the horror he sees on the streets of San Francisco, said when the governor walked by him, he asked: 'What are you going to do about this fentanyl epidemic?'

The Governor, who had just seconds prior extended a theatrical wave to people watching him take his walkabout, punted Smith's question and said: 'What should I do JJ? ... I need you to tell me what we need to do.'

Recounting the back and forth later, Smith said the governor 'shrugged me on [sic]' and did not answer the question.

'I'm a citizen, I pay taxes. I've been paying taxes in San Francisco for many years and I deserve [for him to] at least stop and say something to me about that,' said Smith, whose online videos often document the tormented lives of those addicted to fentanyl and living on the streets.

He added that Newsom and his entourage walked down the street during a bright and sunny hour of the day, when they weren't likely to see any misdeeds occurring.

'I'm in the streets, I know what's going on on the streets,' he said.

'People from City Hall can't tell you what's going on on the streets, because they don't know.'

Smith confronted Newsom, who said he was in town to discuss policy solutions for the ongoing fentanyl crisis that Smith regularly documents

Smith said he later saw the governor again and asked his same question, to which the governor replied: 'I'm here to work on it now.'

Last month, Mayor Breed wrote to Northern California's new U.S. attorney requesting help to curb the city's open-air drug markets. Additionally, Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin recently called for the creation of a joint task force with the police department to address the crisis.

'Our Police Department and District Attorney have been partnering to tackle this issue and increase enforcement, but our local agencies can use more support. With the Governor's leadership and clear direction, our state enforcement agencies can partner with us to make a difference for our residents, businesses, and workers who are living with the impacts every day,' mayor Breed said.

She had promised crackdowns on drug dealing since December 2021 after declaring a three-month emergency in the Tenderloin.

More police were put onto the streets in March 2022 with another boost in February after business owners complained.

'The San Francisco Police Department has been working hard to stop drug trafficking by making countless arrests and narcotics seizures,' said San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott.

'Despite our ongoing work and close collaboration with the District Attorney, the fentanyl crisis has contributed to hundreds of drug overdose-related deaths. We welcome the support of our state partners because when we work together we can make a significant difference to make our city safer.'

'The CalGuard is seeing significant success supporting multiagency task forces interdicting fentanyl across our state,' said Major General Matthew P. Beevers of the California National Guard. 'We expect to achieve the same success working with our partners in San Francisco.'

While some, like Supervisor Matt Dorsey, are grateful for the help from the state, others, including Public Defender Mano Raju, argue that resources should be directed towards treatment for people who use drugs and alternatives for drug dealers.

The unnamed woman had to have both of her feet amputated because she would not seek medical treatment for the flesh eating disease

Homeless men are seen on a sidewalk near San Francisco's City Hall, where legislators dream up increasingly relaxed policies that fail to protect any part of the city's vulnerable population

Public policy in San Francisco has continually allowed for a skyrocketing homeless, drug addicted and mentally unstable population to run the streets of the city.

The city is also facing a spiraling violent crime problem. Tech exec Bob Lee became one of the city's latest murder victims last week.

The number of homeless people in San Francisco was tallied in February of last year at almost 8,000, the second highest figure of any year since 2005, according to the official government count which takes place every three years.

It has almost certainly ballooned since the latest count.

Various liberal politicians and city leaders have attempted to implement numerous policies to curb the many issues that have arisen due to the swelling homeless and drug addicted population.

One specific harm reduction policy that failed was the opening of the Tenderloin Center last year that was meant to help alleviate the city's drug and homelessness crisis.

It cost taxpayers a whopping $22million and was meant to be a 'safe place' for addicts to 'get high without getting robbed' and without fear of fatally overdosing.

Users were also meant to be directed to help centers, though during its first four months of operations, it referred just 18 people of the more than 23,000 who were welcomed to the site.

Overall less than one per cent of visits ended in a 'completed linkage' to behavioral health programs.

Despite their efforts, 2022 saw upward of 500 people die from overdoses in San Francisco. In 2021, that figure was 641.

Many of those living on the streets battle serious illnesses often exacerbated by substance use.

Homeless people are seen in Tenderloin district of San Francisco

Last month, a homeless woman was filmed after having both of her feet amputated following an illness that passersby had begged her to be treated for.

On Feb 6, JJ Smith had filmed the shocking first clip of the woman refusing medical help for her damaged feet.

In a heartbreaking follow-up posted on March 30, it appears the woman did not heed his advice as she appeared in a wheelchair with stumps.

In the video from February, the wild-eyed woman, who appears to be foaming at the mouth, refuses the videographer's offer to take her to the hospital to treat the infection that is on both of her feet.

'Let me get you to the hospital,' he says.

'No, no, no,' she replies as she goes to sit down on a pile of dirty materials.

'Your feet is [sic] going to get cut off, if you don't fix it,' said Smith.

'It will be fixed I promise,' she insisted.

Further details of what caused the woman's illness have not been shared.
A man has been charged with the torture and murder of a toddler in a rural Queensland town.

The two-year-old boy was found unresponsive inside a Gordonvale home in the early hour of a September morning two years ago.

Paramedics rushed the baby to Cairns Hospital but the toddler died shortly after.

Australian Police Tape

An investigation into the boy's death was opened after suspicious injuries to the child's face and body were discovered by hospital staff.

A 39-year-old man was arrested and charged with one count each of torture and manslaughter.

He will appear at Cairns Magistrate Court on Saturday.

More to come.
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The Bud Light marketing executive whose team oversaw its disastrous partnership with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney has taken a leave of absence, according to a report on Friday.

Alissa Heinerscheid was hired to overhaul Bud Light's marketing in June 2022 with the vision of freshening up its image.

But that took a disastrous turn on April 1 when the partnership with Mulvaney was announced, sparking a boycott and knocking $6 billion from the company's value.

Heinerscheid is being replaced by the vice president of global marketing for Budweiser, Todd Allen, according to Ad Age.

DailyMail.com has approached Bud Light for comment.

Alissa Heinerscheid, the brand's vice president of marketing, has taken a leave of absence, according to a report on Friday

The 26-yea-old transgender activist announced the partnership in a now viral post included the hashtag '#budlightpartner', and a caption that touted the cans as her 'most prized possession'

Heinerscheid's team was responsible for Bud Light's widely-lauded Super Bowl ad featuring Miles Teller and his wife Keleigh Sperry, and 'the Bud Light Carry' ad, which shows a woman carrying a round of beers to a table of friends without spilling a drop.

Those ads were part of Heinerscheid's vision to make the brand more female friendly - something she has described as a 'passion point'.

But that vision was swiftly cut down on April 3 with the brand's partnership with Dylan Mulvaney, a controversial trans activist with a mass following on social media, which proved to be a step too far for Bud Light's loyal customers.

Kid Rock was among the first to criticize the partnership and lead a boycott, with other conservative consumers, distributors and suppliers following suit.

Heinerscheid has not commented on the scandal.

A graduate of Wharton business school, she has been hailed in interviews as the first woman to 'lead' Bud Light in its 41-year history.

On March 30, in an interview with the Make Yourself at Home podcast, she told of her strategy to ditch Bud Light's 'fratty' reputation and embrace inclusivity to attract a young generation of drinkers.

'I'm a businesswoman. I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light, and it was this brand is in decline,' she said.

'It's been in decline for a really long time. And if we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light.

'So I had this super clear mandate. It's like we need to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand.

'What does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusivity. It means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign that's truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different. And appeals to women and to men.

During a podcast appearance last month, days before the Mulvaney partnership was announced, Heinerscheid said Bud Light was on the wane when she took the helm last summer, but planned to right the ship in the coming months

'And representation. Is it sort of the heart of evolution? You've got to see people who reflect you in the work.

'And we had this hangover. I mean, Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out of touch humor, and it was really important that we had another approach,' she said.

In an earlier interview with Forbes, she gave the same mandate.

'As the first woman to lead the biggest beer brand in the world, it's an amazing opportunity to really evolve and elevate Bud Light, this brand I love.

'This campaign is meant to feel different, to be lighter and brighter, with a confidence and magnetism, and it's really critical to depict real people and real places,' she said.

'What I need to do to help this brand to evolve... this is my passion point.'

Since taking the gig in July, Heinerscheid has already rolled out several adverts as part of a push to empower women - one of which features a dancing Miles Teller and his wife

This desire was felt in a February commercial titled 'The Bud Light Carry,' which saw a female protagonist, after buying her friends a round of beer, successfully bring the glasses to her friends without spilling a drop

Prior to her current role, Heinerscheid worked as an associate brand manager for Listerine, and afterwards headed Bud Light's parent Anheuser-Busch's inhouse agency for seven months.

During that time, the marketing specialist claims to have created the firm's current 'internal influencer agency', an approach that Bud Light now appears to be favoring with its decision to market through figures like Mulvaney.

In an interview with New York PR publication Provoke Media last year, Heinerscheid hailed companies like Nike for inclusive, 'culturally relevant campaigns' featuring black athletes, while also praising former employer General Mills for its more 'wholesome and genuine' approach to ads.

'I have always been impressed with how culturally relevant and impactful the marketing is for Nike,' she told the outlet in November after being named on of its 25 American Innovators of the year.

'Also, as a parent,' she added, 'there is just something so wholesome and genuine about what General Mills does.'

That said, despite being a proponent of progressive ideals, the New Yorker is a registered Republican, according to public records updated in 2016, and has a family with three young children.

She married her husband Henry Charles Heinerscheid, a consultant in Boston with Tapestry Networks, in 2011.

She had spent five years working with him after graduating Harvard, where she studied English.

Their wedding was announced by the New York Times in May 2011.

She married her husband Henry Charles Heinerscheid, a consultant in Boston with Tapestry Networks, in 2011, after working with him as a senior associate for five years. She left to pursue a master's in marketing later that year

She then enrolled in a marketing Master's program at $60,000-per-year Wharton, finishing in 2013.

She has held roles at Cheerio's, Listerine, and Anheuser-Busch in the time since.

Mulvaney - a transgender woman who during the pandemic became known on TikTok for her 'days of girlhood' series - has more than 10.8million followers on the platform.

The Mulvaney controversy began on April 3 when Bud Light sent her custom-made cans featuring her face. The gift served as the start of the since-confirmed partnership between the parties, further confirmed by an ensuing post from Mulvaney, in which she appeared to her followers naked in a bathtub drinking a Bud Light beer.

In the turmoil that ensued, Bud Light's parent company, Anheuser-Busch, issued a statement saying it supported the brand's decision to work with Mulvaney, whose videos follow her journey.

'Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics,' the rep said.

It added: 'From time to time, we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Mulvaney. This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.'

Their doubling down only enraged angered customers more.

Onlookers are now criticizing the maneuver as a shameless publicity grab, amid the recent trend of companies going 'woke' to better their bottom lines.

Analysts said the decision to pair Bud Light with a transgender activist was a strange marketing idea.

'I simply don't understand why they hired the person who was doing the marketing,' said Ted Jenkin, CEO of Oxygen Financial, which he founded to offer financial services to business owners and high net worth individuals across America.

He told Fox News Digital: 'I mean, if your target customer is Kid Rock, and then all of a sudden you decide to go to RuPaul, that just doesn't make any sense at all.'

Anheuser-Busch is led by US CEO Brendan Whitworth, a former Marine lieutenant, CIA officer, and Harvard Business School graduate, who joined A-B in 2014

Whitworth issued this public statement two weeks into the controversy

Brendan Whitworth, the CEO, said: 'We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people.

'We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer.'

Whitworth, a former Marine lieutenant, CIA officer, and Harvard Business School graduate, did not directly address the Mulvaney partnership or issue an apology.

Instead, he signaled a desire to move away from divisive subjects, saying: 'I am responsible for ensuring every consumer feels proud of the beer we brew.'

He continued: 'My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another. As CEO of Anheuser-Busch, I am focused on building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.

'I care deeply about this country, this company, our brands and our partners. I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors and others.

'Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.'

Until then, Anheuser-Busch's only comment on the matter had been a single statement confirming the Bud Light cans showing Mulvaney's face were a personal gift to the influencer, and not for sale to the public.

'Anheuser-Busch works with hundreds of influencers across our brands as one of many ways to authentically connect with audiences across various demographics,' the statement last week said.

'From time to time we produce unique commemorative cans for fans and for brand influencers, like Dylan Mulvaney.

'This commemorative can was a gift to celebrate a personal milestone and is not for sale to the general public.'
Eric Adams on Friday told an audience in Washington DC that New York City was being 'destroyed by the migrant crisis', as he set out to secure federal finance for his city.

The mayor earlier this week accused the Biden administration of turning its back on New York, which is currently housing 34,800 migrants in 112 shelters. In the last 12 months, more than 56,000 migrants have arrived in the city.

Adams has ordered city agencies to cut $4 billion from their budgets over the next four years to pay for the humanitarian effort.

In the eight months to March, the city spent $817 million on dealing with the surge in arrivals - many of them bussed to New York City under a scheme hatched by the governors of Texas and Arizona, to make Democrats understand their struggle.

Adams on Friday told a panel discussion: 'The city is being destroyed by the migrant crisis.'

Eric Adams, mayor of New York City, is seen on Friday speaking at the African American Mayors' Association meeting, in Washington DC

Adams (left) said that not enough was being done to help New York City with migrants

Biden on Friday met with some of the mayors - but Adams was not present

He angrily hit out at his own colleagues, saying: 'And none of my folks came to Washington DC to fight for the resources that's going to undermine every agency in our city.'

Adams told the audience that he would have presided over a miraculous post-pandemic recovery, if it wasn't for the migrant costs.

'If you removed the $4.2 billion dollars that have been dropped into my city because of a mismanaged asylum seeker issue, you [would have] probably witnessed one of the greatest fiscal turnarounds in the history of New York City,' he said.

His comments echo those made on Wednesday, when he accused the Biden administration of not doing enough to prevent illegal border crossings, triggering 'one of the largest humanitarian crises that this city has ever experienced.'

Adams said that Joe Biden, pictured on Friday, was not doing enough to secure the border

Some of the many migrants who have been bused to New York from the southern US border sit amongst belongings and sleeping bags outside of The Watson Hotel on West 57th Street in February

There are currently 34,000 migrants in New York City being housed in 112 shelters

He added: 'The national government has turned its back on New York City. Every service in this city is going to be impacted by the asylum seeker crisis.'

Kathy Hochul, the governor of New York, has called for the state, city and federal authorities to split the costs of dealing with the migrants equally.

The city has applied for $654 million in FEMA grant money, but a decision will not be made until May 31.

The mayor has repeatedly expressed his frustration at the lack of meaningful assistance provided by the Biden administration to help curb the issue that has burdened the city's resources and residents for months.

Now, two more migrant shelters are set to pop up in a busy part of town.

The vacant Candler Tower office building in Times Square that was once home to a 24-hour McDonald's will now house hundreds if not thousands of the city's illegal migrant population.

The fast-food joint, once billed as one of the busiest and most profitable models of McDonald's, shut down during the June 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns.

And the building's owner, UK-based investment company EPIC, signed over the deed last March to avoid foreclosure, according to a report from the New York Post.

The other shelter will be located in a six-story commercial building in Brooklyn.

The McDonald's that shuttered last year in Times Square will now be used to shelter some of the 30,000 migrants for whom the city is now caring

Adams is pictured in February at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, which is now being used to shelter migrants, but was then being used to shelter New York City's homeless population

Most of the other emergency shelters being used to house migrants across the city are located in hotels.

One Indian immigrant who works at a newsstand on 42nd Street near the defunct McDonald's said that the migrants may be a boon for his business, but could also potentially boost crime in the tourist-heavy area.

'If there are protests or crime, people visiting from other countries won't keep coming back to New York,' Hossain, 49 said, according to the Post.

'If the immigrants behave and are nice it will not be a problemIf they are given jobs it will not be a problem. When theyre given everything and have nothing to do, thats when you get problems.'

City Councilman Robert Holden of Queens, a Democrat, offered up his frustration with the mayor's move to house even more migrants - stretching even further the city's already drained resources.

'We're now going to house them in retail spaces, commercial spaces. Where does it end and when does the taxpayer get a break here?' he asked.

'This is a problem that the Biden administration created and the government should foot the bill and have a plan to feed and house them,' he added.

The mayor recently said: 'We continue to do more than any other city in the nation, but as the number of asylum seekers continues to grow, we are in serious need of support from both our state and federal governments.'

It was also recently revealed that the city's Immigration and Customs Enforcement office is 'fully booked through October 2032' to process migrants seeking asylum in the US.

The near decade-long backlog means that some migrants without valid asylum claims may select New York City in an effort to avoid facing an immigration judge, possibly forever.
An abandoned and emaciated alligator that was found in a New York City lake and sent to the Bronx Zoo for recovery has died in a 'tragic case of animal abuse,' zoo officials said.

The zoo provided extensive medical treatment and nutritional support for the debilitated gator, but she succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, the zoo said in a statement.

'This alligator suffered and died because its owner decided to dump her in a frigid lake, in an extremely debilitated state rather than provide her with the veterinary care that could have saved her,' Bronx Zoo officials said. 'Wild animals are not pets.'

An autopsy showed chronic and severe weight loss, extreme anemia and infections in the gator's intestine and skin, the statement said.

An alligator rescued from a lake in Prospect Park in Brooklyn under care at the Bronx Zoo has died in a 'tragic case of animal abuse,' zoo officials said

Zoo officials blamed the reptile's death on the alligator's previous owner who dumped her in a cold lake in 'an extremely debilitated state' and cautioned against keeping wild animals as pets

An X-ray shows a bathtub stopper in the stomach of an American alligator, rescued from a lake in Prospect Park, Brooklyn earlier this year

The gator, nicknamed Godzilla, was estimated to be 5 to 6 years old. She also had a chronic ulcer in her stomach caused by a rubber bathtub stopper she had ingested while illegally kept as a pet.

That rubber stopper was later successfully removed.

When the gator was rescued from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn in late February and brought to the Bronx Zoo for recovery, she weighed only 15 pounds.

An alligator of her length should have weighed 30 to 35 pounds, officials said.

The emaciated gator was easily caught at the time due to its weakened state and small stature

The large animal was captured after being spotted in the waters in mid-February

Meghan Lalor, a representative for the Parks Department, said the Prospect Park gator was likely a pet who became unwanted or outgrew its space and was subsequently released into public waters.

Keeping an alligator as a pet in New York City is illegal, as is releasing animals into city parks.

Alligators are obviously not native to the area and experts warn that it is always a bad idea to set non-native animals free into the environment because they can harm other species.

Alligators are native to tropical, warmer climates which is part of the reason this gator was having such a hard time navigating the freezing waters of Brooklyn.

The female gator was sickly and underweight. Although attempts were made to nurse her back to health she did not survive
The FBI is closing in on over two dozen potential suspects who were involved in Jack Teixeira's Discord page, where he allegedly leaked security secrets.

It comes as it was revealed Teixeira, the US Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents to a small group of gamers, had been posting sensitive information months earlier than previously known and to a much larger chat group.

In February 2022, soon after the invasion of Ukraine, a user profile matching that of Airman Jack Teixeira began posting secret intelligence on the Russian war effort.

Teixeira was using a previously undisclosed chat group on social platform Discord, the newspaper reported, adding the group had about 600 members, according to the New York Times, citing online postings reviewed by the newspaper.

The FBI has been interviewing friends of Teixeira from the infamously named 'Thug Shaker Central' Discord service.

The FBI is closing in on over two dozen potential suspects who were involved in Jack Teixeira's Discord page, where he allegedly leaked security secrets

They've been asked how they were introduced to Teixeira, what kind of games they were playing and if they are foreign nationals.

Those who hung out on the Discord had previously said that some of the two dozen or so members were from Russia, Ukraine, mainland Europe, Asia and South America, according to the Washington Post.

At least one former member has had their electronic devices seized by the FBI but it's not clear if the FBI has confirmed foreign nationals were on the server.

Teixeira, 21, had been scheduled for a detention hearing in Boston's federal court, but the judge canceled it after Teixeira's lawyer filed a motion requesting that it be delayed for about two weeks.

The defense said it 'requires more time to address the issues presented by the governments request for detention.' A new date has not yet been set.

On Wednesday morning, Teixeira was brought to the courtroom in handcuffs and orange jail garb as he waived his right to a preliminary hearing. He said nothing beyond answering yes and no to questions about whether he understood his rights and the proceeding.

Teixeira was charged last week under the Espionage Act with unauthorized retention and transmission of classified national defense information. During his first court appearance last Friday, a magistrate judge ordered him to remain in custody until his detention hearing.

Documents believed to have been leaked by Jack Teixeira to various members of his Discord server

A court sketch shows US Air Force Guardsman Jack Teixeira (pictured in orange) appearing before a judge Wednesday, where he waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges of leaking classified documents

Jack Teixeira, in T-shirt and shorts, is seen being taken into custody by armed tactical agents on Thursday, April 13

Teixeira is pictured in his uniform. He has yet to enter a plea over claims he leaked classified documents

He has not yet entered a plea. His federal public defender didn't respond to an email last week from The Associated Press and didnt speak to reporters at the courthouse.

Teixeira is accused of sharing highly classified military documents about Russia's war in Ukraine and other top national security issues in a chat room on Discord, a social media platform that started as a hangout for gamers. The stunning breach exposing closely held intelligence has sparked international concern and raised fresh questions about America's ability to safeguard its secrets.

Air Force leaders said Tuesday they were investigating how a lone airman could access and distribute possibly hundreds of highly classified documents. The Air Force has also taken away intelligence mission from the Air National Guard 102nd Intelligence Wing based in Cape Cod, where Teixeira served, pending further review.

Court records unsealed last week revealed how billing records the FBI obtained from Discord and interviews with social media comrades led authorities to Teixeira.

Investigators believe he was the leader of an online private chat group on Discord called Thug Shaker Central, which 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 Russias invasion of Ukraine.

A Discord user familiar with Teixeiras online posts told the FBI that a username linked to Teixeira began posting what appeared to be classified information roughly in December. 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 court records.

The criminal complaint against Jack Teixeira filed April 14, 2023

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.'

Thats different from what posters have told The Associated Press and other media outlets - that the user they would call 'the O.G.' started posting images of documents because he was annoyed other users werent taking him seriously.

The prosecution affidavit alleges Teixeira was detected on 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 classified documents 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.

Authorities have not revealed an alleged motive. But 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.

The Biden administration has scrambled to contain the potential diplomatic and military fallout from the leaks since they were first reported, moving to reassure allies and assess the scope of damage. There has been 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.
LGBTQ immigrants who cross the southern border from Mexico into the United States may not be held in detention under new legislation being proposed by a group of Democratic lawmakers in both the House and Senate.

The extraordinary proposals are aimed at 'setting minimum standards' for detention facilities where thousands of illegal aliens are already being kept as they await processing.

The legislation, which is being introduced by Democrats Washington Representative Pramila Jayapal and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, is being framed as 'an attempt to restore humanity and dignity to the immigration system.'

Although the idea is to relieve some of the pressure in numbers waiting in an already overloaded immigration system, it would mean that anyone claiming to be a 'vulnerable person' would be able to avoid detention altogether and be free to go.

The bill also carries an extremely broad definition of what is considered to be a 'vulnerable person' and includes anyone under 21 or over 60, pregnant women, anyone identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex (LGBTQ+), a victim or witness to a crime, and those with mental or physical illnesses or disabilities, to name but a few of the main categories.

Aliens who have a credible fear of persecution, 'limited English language proficiency,' those experiencing 'severe trauma,' and survivors of 'torture or gender-based violence' would also meet the definition of a 'vulnerable person'. In such cases, the DHS would review each case individually before deciding to detain.

Legislation being introduced by New Jersey Senator Cory Booker and Democrats Washington Representative Pramila Jayapal is being framed as 'an attempt to restore humanity and dignity to the immigration system'

Migrants stand near the border wall after crossing the Rio Bravo river with the intention of turning themselves in to the U.S. Border Patrol agents, as seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Migrant encounters in February 2023 were at their lowest level since 2021 but increased once again in March

The bill, entitled Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act also creates a 'special rule for vulnerable persons and primary caregivers,' which would prevent their detention unless the Department of Homeland Security can demonstrate that community-based supervision is not reasonable or practicable.

'Our immigration system has allowed for the unjust treatment of immigrants and stripped them of their humanity and due process,' Booker said in a statement. 'We must respect and protect the basic rights of immigrants detained in the United States.'

The bill leans heavily in the favor of immigrants and could bring into force new rules on the detention of illegal aliens giving DHS officials only 48 hours to decide whether an illegal should be detained - and only if it has been considered that 'the release of an alien will not reasonably ensure the appearance of the alien as required or will endanger the safety' of others.

In those cases, DHS 'shall impose the least restrictive conditions' for detention, and ensure they get a custody hearing within 72 hours. And in those hearings, 'there shall be a presumption that the alien should be released,' the bill states.

Democrats supporting the bill argue that the proposed legislation is necessary to restore the dignity of aliens held in detention after attempting to enter the U.S.

Migrants walk into U.S. custody after crossing the border from Mexico, Ciudad Juarez

Migrants cross the Rio Grande river into the United States from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

Migrants walk alongside the U.S. border wall, seen from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

They believe that the current immigration system has allowed for the unjust treatment of immigrants and stripped them of their humanity and due process.

'The Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act urgently reforms the alarming injustices of a broken, for-profit immigration detention system by ending the use of private detention facilities altogether, repealing mandatory detention, and prohibiting family detention while also restoring due process and increasing oversight, accountability, and transparency measures,' said Jayapal. 'This is a measure that will go a long way to restore humanity and dignity to the immigration system.'

Alongside Booker and Jayapal the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act is sponsored by dozens of House and Senate Democrats, including House Majority Whip Katherine Clark and Washington State Representative Adam Smith.

'This bill is a crucial step forward to bringing due process back to our immigration system and centering the humanity and dignity of people who come to our country to build a better life,' said Smith.

Separately, Democrat Sen. Bob Menendez unveiled an immigration plan on Tuesday for the Biden administration that focused mostly on executive actions that would bypass the gridlock of Congress.

The outline called for boosting new pathways to citizenship, giving more humanitarian aid to specific countries, increasing funding for border security and launching further efforts to target human traffickers.

But on Monday House Republicans unveiled their own sweeping immigration bill that would tighten asylum eligibility, expand migrant family detention and crack down on employment of undocumented workers.

The House Judiciary Committee is expected to mark the bill up on Wednesday. It's likely dead on arrival in the Senate and may face difficulties getting through the House, given that Republicans have differing ideas on how to best tackle immigration.

Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas faced a verbal smackdown from Republicans during a hearing on Tuesday

On Tuesday of this week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas faced a verbal smackdown from Republicans during a hearing, with some demanding he resign and one suggesting a 'no confidence' vote.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Ky., told the secretary he has been 'derelict in his duties' and said he planned to introduce a draft resolution that would require the Senate to hold a no confidence vote 'in the coming days.'

On the House side Republicans have been calling for impeachment for a long time, but no articles have been put up for a vote. Marshall noted a need to support the House's impeachment efforts.

'I stand at the ready to receive articles of impeachment from the House and conduct an impeachment trial in this body. But in the meantime, I think the Senate must show our colleagues in the House that we've had enough of the failures from the Department of Homeland Security and believe that the secretary is not fit to faithfully carry out the duties of his office,' he said.

The House must approve articles of impeachment before an investigation can formally be launched in the Senate.

At one point during the Homeland Security Committee hearing Mayorkas asked the senator if he could respond. Marshall shot him down: 'I want you to answer my questions, not give me lectures.'

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., at one point estimated between 4 million and 5 million people had crossed the southern border over the last two years. Mayorkas replied that he is 'very, very focused on the security of our border.'

'No you're not. No you're not,' Johnson interjected. 'I don't want to listen to that.'

Johnson then asked Mayorkas how many girls are sex trafficked at the southern border and the secretary said his department has made fighting human trafficking 'a priority.'

'But you are failing miserably,' said Johnson.

'You're not giving me any stats whatsoever in terms of the number of people that are human trafficked, how many young girls are sex trafficked,' Johnson said. 'You don't have a clue. You won't even answer how many dead bodies, which is very well documented, at the border.'

'Do you not care?' the Wisconsin Republican added. 'Do you not have just an ounce of human compassion for what your open border policy, the type of human depredations it is causing? You just sit there looking with a blank look on your face.'

He again listed off the number of border crossers over the last two years. 'And you're saying this is a priority?' he said. 'Mr. Secretary, you ought to resign.'

Democrat Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., reprimanded his GOP colleagues to lighten up on the secretary.

'I just want to take a moment to ask my colleagues here today to treat the secretary with the respect he deserves,' Carper said, noting Mayorkas' dedication to the tough job.

Migrants surrender to the American authorities to request political asylum in the United States, on April 17, 2023 in in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico

'I was raised  my guess is most of the folks in this committee were raised  to treat other people the way we want to be treated. I wouldn't treat anybody the way that I've seen you treated before in other committees and again here by at least one of our colleagues today.'

But Sen. Josh Hawley backed up the calls to resign. 'You should have resigned long ago and if you cannot change course, you should be removed from office,' Hawley, R-Mo., said.

Meanwhile in the lower chamber Homeland Security Chair Rep. Mark Green reportedly told donors he would produce high crimes and misdemeanors charges against Mayorkas.

Mayorkas told the senators it was up to Congress to reform a 'broken' immigration system.

Some of the Republican lawmakers set their sights on New York Times reporting that Biden administration officials were aware of unaccompanied children brought to the border being trafficked into child labor.

Placing unaccompanied children in the care of vetted guardians mostly falls to Health and Human Services (HHS).

But Hawley accused Mayorkas of 'pressuring officials and agencies to skip the vetting process and get these kids out as soon as possible to sponsors who weren't vetted.'

The Times' reporting did not mention Mayorkas and mostly focused on the role of HHS and high-level Biden officials.

'Senator, I look forward to discussing this issue further because you are misstating the facts so terribly,' Mayorkas said.

'You are failing miserably,' Sen. Ron Johnson told Mayorkas, demanding he resign
Alec Baldwin has been spotted holding a Winchester rifle the wrong way around on the new set of Rust - just a day after involuntary manslaughter charges against him were dropped.

The actor appeared to be passing the prop weapon to another cast member as filming resumed in Montana following the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins in 2021.

The 65-year-old was charged with manslaughter over the killing, but on Thursday two charges against him were sensationally shelved.

Baldwin has always insisted he was not responsible for her death because he did not pull the trigger, claiming the gun fired by itself.

He also said he trusted those employed to work with guns on the set, and believed the crew member who told him the gun was 'cold' - not loaded.

After the charges were dropped, Baldwin took to Instagram to thank his wife Hilaria for helping him through the controversy, while she posted a bizarre picture of her curled up on his knees.

Alec Baldwin is seen on Friday on the set of his Western film Rust, which resumed filming following the October 2021 death of a camerawoman. Baldwin is seen handing a prop gun to another crew member, holding it by the barrel

Baldwin is seen on Friday standing beside a horse as filming resumed for Rust

A truck is seen driving towards the set near the town of Pray, in Montana

Halyna Hutchins was shot dead on the set of the movie Rust in October 2021

Hilaria Baldwin posted this bizarre image of her in Alec's arms on her Instagram after the charges were dropped

Meanwhile Alec credited her with getting him through the ordeal following the shooting in 2021

Hutchins' widower, Matthew, is now an executive producer on the film - a proviso in the legal settlement reached with Baldwin's production company.

Matthew Hutchins is also a producer on a documentary being made about the filming. On Friday, Baldwin and the crew were seen being tailed by the documentary team.

The film is now being finished in Montana, rather than returning to the original New Mexico location.

Most of the cast and several of the crew members are in Montana to resume filming, with two additional safety officers.

Melina Spadone, attorney for the film, said it is expected to be completed by May.

'The production will continue to utilize union crew members and will bar any use of working weapons and any form of ammunition,' she said.

'Live ammunition is  and always was  prohibited on set.

Rust is now being finished in Montana, near the town of Pray - 45 miles south east of Bozeman

The hangman's gallows are seen on the Montana set. The film tells the story of a person sentenced to hang. They synopsis states: 'A 13-year-old boy, left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, is taken on a violent, harrowing journey to old Mexico by his long estranged grandfather after he's sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher'

The church, which was notable in the New Mexico set, has been recreated in Montana

The large livery stables and saloons are seen, beside the cars and van on Friday

The town is built to resemble a frontier town in the 1880s

The church is visible just over the hillside in Montana on Friday

A truck is seen on the site on Friday, with the snowy hills in the backdrop

The filming is being done at Yellowstone Film Ranch, which was completed in June 2020

'Each and every one of us is wholeheartedly dedicated to realizing Halyna's vision and paying tribute to her artistry.'

Cinematographer Bianca Cline is taking over as director of photography, and said she will donate her salary to charity in honor of Hutchins.

The film is being completed at Yellowstone Film Ranch, which was completed in June 2020.

The site features a western-style backlot in Paradise Valley that is styled after a late-1800s gold rush town, as well as a production office for rent in downtown Livingston.

The synopsis of the film reads: 'A 13-year-old boy, left to fend for himself and his younger brother following the death of their parents in 1880s Kansas, is taken on a violent, harrowing journey to old Mexico by his long estranged grandfather after he's sentenced to hang for the accidental killing of a local rancher.'

On Thursday night, it emerged Baldwin could face fresh charges - hours after the manslaughter case was dropped.

The special prosecutors appointed to the case stressed on Thursday night that Baldwin had not been cleared.

Their statement came shortly after Baldwin's lawyers said their client was 'pleased' and the actor posted a tribute to his wife on Instagram, thanking her for her support.

'This decision does not absolve Mr Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled,' said Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis.

Alec Baldwin arrived to Montana one day before filming resumes on his troubled western movie Rust, exclusive DailyMail.com photos show

Hilaria wore loose jeans, a white top and flannel with sneakers, before changing into slippers and carrying her seven-month-old

Kari Morrissey (left) and Jason Lewis, special prosecutors in the Rust shooting case, issued a statement on Thursday evening saying they had 'new facts', which led them to dismiss the charges against Baldwin - but stressed he had not been cleared

Charges were dropped on Thursday because new evidence showed that the gun could indeed have fired without the trigger being pulled, a source told The Wall Street Journal.

The prosecutors confirmed they had obtained 'new facts' about the circumstances around the shooting, which led them to dismiss the existing charges against Baldwin.

The armorer who provided the prop gun, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, is still being prosecuted as planned.

'Over the last few days and in preparation for the May 3, 2023, preliminary hearing, new facts were revealed that demand further investigation and forensic analysis in the case against Alexander 'Alec' Rae Baldwin, III,' said Morrissey and Lewis in their statement.

'Consequently, we cannot proceed under the current time constraints and on the facts and evidence turned over by law enforcement in its existing form.

'We therefore will be dismissing the involuntary manslaughter charges against Mr Baldwin to conduct further investigation.

'This decision does not absolve Mr. Baldwin of criminal culpability and charges may be refiled.

'Our follow-up investigation will remain active and on-going. Charges against Hannah Gutierrez-Reed remain unchanged.

'No further statements will be made at this time.'

Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was charged alongside Baldwin in Hutchins' death

Baldwin is seen standing next to Hutchins - a mother-of-one - on the set of Rust in October 2021

Baldwin speaks on the phone in the parking lot outside the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office shortly after the fatal shooting

Producer and actor Baldwin fired the prop gun (pictured) that killed one crew member and injured another on the set of the movie 'Rust' in New Mexico

Legal analysts said that the decision to dismiss the charges, but keep the door open to refiling them, was bizarre.

And their statement certainly takes the shine off Baldwin's celebrations.

Shortly before, his lawyers, Luke Nikas and Alex Spiro, told DailyMail.com: 'We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident.'

Baldwin arrived in Montana on Thursday to resume filming the movie, which was being shot in New Mexico at the time of Hutchins' death.

He thanked his 39-year-old wife Hilaria, mother to his seven children, on hearing the news of the charges being dismissed.

'I owe everything I have to this woman,' said Baldwin, posting a photo to Instagram.

Baldwin added: '(and to you, Luke)' - a reference to his attorney, Luke Nikas.

It was announced earlier this year that Baldwin would remain in the lead role for Rust and that another cinematographer would replace Hutchins

Alec Baldwin has denied pulling the trigger, but prosecutors charged him with involuntary manslaughter for firing the weapon while it was pointed at Hutchins. The charges were dropped on Thursday

Matthew Hutchins (left) is pictured above with Halyna and their now nine-year-old son

Baldwin's legal team have been waging a fierce battle on his behalf.

They have insisted that the Oscar-nominated actor was not responsible for the accident because he was told the gun was 'cold' - not loaded.

There should never be live ammunition on set, and Baldwin said he trusted the film crew to carry out their professional responsibilities in sourcing prop guns and dummy ammunition.

His lawyers also challenged the impartiality of the Santa Fe prosecutor, Mary Carmack-Altwies.

She was removed from the case in February, after Baldwin's lawyers successfully pointed out that she could not oversee the case while running for state Senate.

Carmack-Altwies said she was committed to prosecuting Baldwin, arguing that no one - no matter how famous or wealthy - was beyond the law.

She said she was stepping aside for the good of the case.

'My responsibility to the people of the First Judicial District is greater than any one case, which is why I have chosen to appoint a special prosecutor in the 'Rust' case. Kari Morrissey and Jason Lewis will unflinchingly pursue justice in the death of Halyna Hutchins on behalf of the people of First Judicial District,' she said at the time.
The widow of an Army officer killed on a Cyprus RAF base when he was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman is appealing for a new inquest to look into 'discrepancies' in witness accounts of his death.

Colour Sergeant Anthony Oxley, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, died while on deployment in June 2016 after a crash at the RAF Akrotiri base.

The 40-year-old, from Ryhill, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was riding a motorbike when he was involved in a crash with a Toyota Corolla driven by an American serviceman. He left behind a daughter and three stepchildren.

A 2018 inquest in Wakefield recorded a narrative verdict, that CSgt Sgt Oxley's death had been caused by multiple blunt force injuries to his head, as a result of a road traffic collision.

His widow, Sally Oxley, 45, said she was told during a meeting with an American general that the US serviceman involved in the accident would face no charges and that was 'the end of the matter'.

Sally Oxley believes there are 'discrepancies' in witness accounts of her husband's death and wants a new inquest

The 40-year-old, from Ryhill, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was riding a motorbike when he was involved in a crash with a Toyota Corolla driven by an American serviceman on a Cyprus RAF base

Mrs Oxley has since been pushing for a new inquest, saying she has been left in the dark about the details of how her husband died.

This week, her legal team submitted a request to the attorney general for England and Wales, seeking permission to go to the High Court and appeal for a fresh inquest.

Mrs Oxley is also travelling to Cyprus for a hearing on Tuesday, where she will apply for the inquest there to be adjourned until new evidence has been agreed.

KRW Law, which represent Mrs Oxley, said the US Air Force took charge of the investigation and few details were made public, even though Mr Oxley's death happened within British sovereign territory.

She said she has been left with 'many unanswered questions' after the 'cursory' inquest in 2018.

Christopher Stanley, of KRW Law, said there were discrepancies in the evidence between witnesses and a new inquest was 'in the interests of justice'.

Mrs Oxley, 45, said she was told during a meeting with an American general that the US serviceman involved in the accident would face no charges and that was 'the end of the matter'

Mr Stanley told the PA news agency: 'We have identified at least 20 witnesses who could be called and two documents we need disclosing to the Cypriot court, including the USAF investigation report.

'Sally just wants the truth. If her husband was unlawfully killed because the driver made a mistake, that's all she wants to know.'

Mrs Oxley, from Barnsley, said: 'It's very frustrating for myself and my family.

'I know the outcome's never going to be changed but my husband didn't serve 21 years for them just to say he died by blunt force. It's not good enough.'
A man has been charged with offences under the Official Secrets Act following an investigation by the Met's Counter Terrorism Command.

Thomas Newsome, 36, a serving member of the armed forces, was arrested earlier this week and is now due to appear at court, Scotland Yard said.

The Crown Prosecution Service alleges on April 17 Newsome, without lawful authority 'made a damaging disclosure of information relating to defence' which was in his possession 'by virtue of his position'.

On April 18, the CPS alleges he 'had in his possession or under his control, by virtue of his position as such, documents which he failed to take such care of as to prevent the unauthorised disclosure of those documents as a person in his position may reasonably be expected to take'.

Newsome was initially arrested and detained under PACE on April 18, a warrant of further detention was obtained from Westminster Magistrates' Court on April 20, allowing police to detain him until April 22.

Thomas Newsome, 36, a serving member of the armed forces, has been charged with offences under the Official Secrets Act, Scotland Yard said

He was subsequently charged late on Friday April 21 with offences contrary to section 2 and section 8 of the Official Secrets Act, 1989.

He has been remanded in police custody and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court today.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'We can confirm the arrest of a serving member of the armed forces.

'This matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation, therefore it would be inappropriate to comment further.'

Section 2 of the Act makes it an offence for a Crown servant or government contractor to make an unauthorised disclosure of information relating to defence if it damages the capability of the armed forces to carry out their tasks.

Section 8 creates offences relating to actions that increase the danger of disclosure.

Under Section 8(1) it is an offence for a Crown servant to retain information protected by the Act contrary to their official duty.

Previously a security guard who sent classified documents to Russia and snooped around colleagues' desks at the British embassy in Berlin was charged under the Official Secret's Act

David Smith, 58, admitted sending classified documents to the Russian Embassy anonymously in May and November 2020.

Paisley-born Smith began collecting secret material over four years and was caught following an undercover sting in August 2021.

The former RAF serviceman pleaded guilty to eight charges under the Official Secrets Act and was sentenced to 13 years and two months in jail.
A British Airways pilot has reportedly been accused of sexually assaulting one of his stewardesses on a drunken night out between flights.

The aviator was taken and questioned in east Asia after the alleged victim reported him to the police.

Other members of the crew - who were on the flight which departed from London last week - have reportedly been asked to assist with official inquiries.

The incident - which 'disturbed' many BA staff - allegedly occurred when the female member of the cabin crew was out with her colleagues.

After the accusations were made a different flight crew was sent out by BA to work on the return flight back to the UK.

A British Airways pilot has reportedly been accused of sexually assaulting one of his stewardesses on a drunken night out between flights (file photo of BA plane)

And a 'crisis team' from airline British Airways, comprised of their own security executives, are said to have flown to east Asia to start an investigation of their own, the Sun reports.

The pilot accused of sexual assault has been suspended from his job dependent on the outcomes of BA's and police enquiries.

The woman who accuse him is reportedly being supported by the airline and has been taken off duty from flying.

Her and the pilot were flown home as passengers on different BA flights.

A source told the Sun that the 'serious episode has disturbed many within BA', adding that for an experienced pilot to be involved with police matters between flights was 'highly irregular'.

They said that bosses at the airline wanted keep in incident 'under wraps'.

A British Airways spokesperson said: 'As there is an ongoing police investigation it would be inappropriate to comment.'
Meghan Markle was left upset after a letter from King Charles did not address her belief that neglect led to her feeling suicidal or concerns over the launch of a bullying probe into her, it was claimed last night.

The Duchess of Sussex wrote to King Charles about the issues, as well as about unconscious bias in the Royal family after her bombshell Oprah interview, it has been claimed.

She is believed to have brought up her poor mental health while participating as a working royal, having claimed in the interview that she reached the point of feeling suicidal but was told by palace aides she was not allowed to seek professional help.

There was also said to be disappointment that the letter from Charles did not address her concerns about the bullying probe which was launched into her behaviour towards staff.

These feelings may have played a part in the Duchess' decision to remain in California while Prince Harry attends the coronation, The Telegraph reports.

It is understood that it was sent in reply to one from the King - the only senior member of the family to make contact with the Duchess after Meghan and Harry were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 (pictured)

Meghan Markle wrote to King Charles about unconscious bias in the Royal family after her bombshell Oprah interview, it was claimed last night (the Duchess of Sussex is pictured with King Charles in March 2019 at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey)

It is understood that Meghan's letter was sent in reply to one from the King - the only senior member of the family thought to have contacted the Duchess after Meghan and Harry were interviewed by Oprah Winfrey in March 2021.

The Duchess of Sussex described in the show how she became mentally unwell and was brought to the point of self-harm.

She told Oprah: 'I just didn't want to be alive anymore.

'And that was a very clear and real and frightening constant thought. And I remember, I remember how [Harry] just cradled me and I was... I went to the institution, and I said that I needed to go somewhere to get help.

'I said that I've never felt this way before and I need to go somewhere. And I was told that I couldn't, that it wouldn't be good for the institution.'

According to last night's reports, Meghan thanked the King for his words, but felt that the concerns she had raised have still not been resolved.

The letters also reportedly named the individual accused of speculating about her unborn son Archie's skin colour - a conversation Prince Harry confirmed to the host did take place.

Meghan is said to have told the then-Prince of Wales she had never intended to accuse them of being racist.

She did not use the word 'racist' when she was interviewed by Oprah, and is understood to have told the King she had wanted to start a conversation over unconscious bias.

Meghan and Charles agreed the comment over Archie's skin was not made with malice.

Buckingham Palace is also aware of the Sussexes' frustration that initial correspondence about the Coronation made no reference to their children.

It is understood the couple's invite made no reference to their children, despite Archie's fourth birthday being on the same day as the ceremony.

Harry will instead attend the celebration on May 6 alone, while Meghan looks after Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet in California.

Meghan Markle was left upset after a letter from King Charles did not address her belief that neglect led to her feeling suicidal

The Duchess of Sussex's letter reportedly named the individual accused of speculating about her unborn son Archie's skin colour - but went on to claim the person wasn't racist (pictured with Prince Archie in Cape Town in September 2019 while touring South Africa)

The couple's friend Omid Scobie confirmed Archie's birthday 'played a factor in the couple's decision' and he expected it would be a 'fairly quick trip to the UK' for Harry. The Duke will only attend the ceremony itself, which is likely to last a few hours.

Mr Scobie, who is a trusted contact of the Sussexes, tweeted the news of Harry's forthcoming attendance and then added: 'I understand that Archie's fourth birthday (also on May 6) played a factor in the couple's decision.

'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.'

The announcement came just over three weeks until the event, and a royal observer told MailOnline: 'Charles will be pleased. The rest of the family will be relieved that Meghan won't be there - it would have been particularly uncomfortable for Kate.'

Harry and Meghan had delayed their decision over whether they would fly in for the ceremony, despite the RSVP date of April 3 having passed.

A royal insider suggested that while the exchange was warm in tone, it had not eased the tension between the two sides.

Relations continued to sour after the Sussexes stared in a six-part Netflix docu-series and the publication of the Harry's revealing memoir, Spare.

Charles, who at the time was Prince of Wales, is said to be disappointed that Meghan and Harry felt the need to make such damaging allegations public.

He recently gave backing to a research project into the monarch's historical links to the transatlantic slave trade, having previously expressed 'personal sorrow'.

MailOnline contacted the Sussexes for comment.

Prince Harry has touched on unconscious bias in the past. In January this year, he spoke to Tom Bradby on ITV to promote his memoir.

The presenter said 'in the Oprah interview you accused members of your family of racism', Harry responded by saying 'no I didn't', adding 'the British press said that'.

After Bradby said the Cuchess claimed troubling comments were made about Archie's skin colour, Harry said: 'There was concern about his skin colour.'

He continued: 'The difference between racism and unconscious bias, the two things are different.'

Meghan said the comment over Archie's skin was not made with malice. But a source told the Daily Telegraph that the Duchess will not attend the Coronation on May 6 because she received a unsatisfactory response from the King (pictured with the King and Queen Consort in Mary 2018)

Buckingham Palace is also aware of the Sussexes' frustration that initial correspondence about the Coronation made no reference to their children

Prince Harry is to attend the coronation of his father King Charles and his stepmother Queen Camilla alone

'But once it's been acknowledged, or pointed out to you as an individual, or as an institution, that you have unconscious bias, you therefore have an opportunity to learn and grow from that in order so that you are part of the solution rather than part of the problem.'

He credited his wife for opening his eyes to unconscious bias in the couple's Netflix series, release late last year.

It has also been reported that Prince Harry was 'desperate' to be at the Coronation to publicly support his father because he is 'homesick'.

The Sun reports that despite the Duke having made repeated attempts to contact the King to discuss the plans during his time back in London, his father has only been able to pencil in time for one conversation.

READ MORE: Prince will appear 'quickly' with royal family for the Westminster Abbey ceremony only as Palace confirms Duchess of Sussex will stay in LA with children Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St Paul's Cathedral in London on June 3 last year Advertisement

It is understood that Harry was 'missing aspects of British life' and 'may start spending more time' in the UK.

A source told the publication: 'Harry was desperate to come back for the Coronation and spend quality time with his family.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said in a statement after Prince Harry confirmed his attendance: 'Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that The Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6th May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.'

Archewell, Harry and Meghan's charitable foundation, then issued a near identical statement to the Press Association news agency confirming the Duke will attend.

A spokesman said: 'The Duke of Sussex will attend the coronation service at Westminster Abbey on May 6th. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.'

Charles will be crowned in a ceremony full of pomp, pageantry and traditions that date back 1,000 years, following the 70-year reign of his mother Queen Elizabeth II who died last September.

And ITV News royal editor Chris Ship said: 'Given everything that been said/alleged - in six Netflix episodes and one book - this is a big development.

'But Harry coming alone does mean less pressure on the Royal Family - and fewer of those awkward photographs together.'

Harry is understood to be flying back to California just hours after the ceremony for his father's coronation is done.

Royal sources claimed Harry told the King that he will not stay in Britain for the star-studded concert at Windsor Castle the following day - and will instead fly back to the US after the ceremony so he can be with his family and belatedly celebrate Archie's fourth birthday, which is also on May 6.

Harry will play no part in next month's official procession, walking in and out as a guest. Front row seats will be reserved for working members of the Royal Family. Sources have also indicated that the Duke delayed replying to the invitation to the coronation because he was 'preoccupied' by where he would have to sit during the ceremony.

For help and support, call the Samaritans for free from a UK phone, completely anonymously, on 116 123.
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A widow whose husband died 10 days after receiving his Covid-19 vaccine has urged anyone who develops a headache after getting the jab to visit a hospital.

Dr Stephen Wright, 32, worked as a clinical psychologist in south-east London, before he died from a blood clot to the brain after having his first dose of the AstraZeneca jab in January 2021.

Since her husband's tragic death, Charlotte Wright, 36, has been urging for more openness about vaccination risks. This week a coroner ruled the vaccine should be added to Dr Wright's death certificate.

'I don't want this to happen to anybody else, I don't want anyone to lose a loved one,' she told The Times.

'I want to let people know, if you have someone who has something as minor as a headache after, get them to the hospital. If my husband had not gone to work that morning and had instead gone to hospital it could have been different.'

Dr Stephen Wright (left), 32, worked as a clinical psychologist in south-east London, before he died from a blood clot to the brain after having his first dose of the AstraZeneca jab in January 2021

Dr Wright's widow Charlotte (pictured outside London Inner South Coroner's Court) has urged anyone who gets the jab and then develops even a minor headache to visit a hospital

Senior coroner Andrew Harris described the case as 'very unusual and deeply tragic'. A small group of people, Dr Wright included, have had a severe reaction to the jab and health authorities are investigating, the inquest at London Inner South Coroner's Court heard.

There have been at least 75 confirmed deaths relating to Covid jabs recorded in the UK. Dr Wright, of Sevenoaks, Kent, suffered from a combination of a brainstem infarction, bleed on the brain and 'vaccine-induced thrombosis'.

Before Dr Wright received the vaccine Mrs Wright, who was on maternity leave from her job as deputy manager of a private day nursery, asked her husband if it was safe.

He reassured her it was both safe and necessary, as he was going in and out of hospitals.

Mrs Wrigh recalled: 'I asked Stephen, "Is it safe?", and he replied, Yes, it is.'

After getting the jab Dr Wright experienced a sore arm and a light cold, but was better within four days.

Nine days after taking the vaccine he complained of a headache and took a painkiller so he could go to work.

Later that day he became increasingly unwell and his left arm became numb.

After calling an ambulance, Mrs Wright recalled that her husband was 'pretty terrified' but tried to reassure her. They said 'I love you' to each other, but because of lockdown restrictions she couldn't accompany him to the hospital.

He was taken to Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington and moved to King's College Hospital as his condition rapidly worsened but the nature of the bleed meant he was unfit for surgery.

Shortly after Mrs Wright arrived at the hospital, his life support machine was switched off.

Dr Stephen Wright, 32, (pictured) died ten days after receiving his first dose of Covid-19 jab

Charlotte Wright with husband Dr Stephen Wright. Dr Wright, 32, who worked as a clinical psychologist in south-east London, suffered a blood clot to the brain after having his first dose of the jab in January 2021

The death certificate initially recorded the cause was a result of 'spontaneous' natural causes.

Speaking to The Times, Mrs Wright said that following her husband's death she refused to consider the vaccine played a part.

She said: 'I did not want Stephen to be branded antivaxer because he was so pro-vaccine.

'I believe if he had been told all of the possible reactions, he would have still taken the vaccine because I am aware it is a rare situation.'

After the inquest, she said: 'It was made clear that Stephen was fit and healthy and that his death was by vaccination of AstraZeneca.

'For us, it allows us to be able to continue our litigation against AstraZeneca. 'This is the written proof.'

She said: 'I think we're only going to get that when we have an answer from AstraZeneca and the Government.'

Speaking to the BBC outside court, the mother-of-two said the coroner's ruling 'provides relief but it doesn't provide closure'.

Paying tribute to her late husband, she continued: 'I'm just very thankful that I got to marry such a great man and raise our boys in his honour.'

A spokesman for AstraZeneca said: 'We are very saddened by Stephen Wright's death and extend our deepest sympathies to his family for their loss.

'Patient safety is our highest priority and regulatory authorities have clear and stringent standards to ensure the safe use of all medicines, including vaccines.

'From the body of evidence in clinical trials and real-world data, Vaxzevria has continuously been shown to have an acceptable safety profile and regulators around the world consistently state that the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks of extremely rare potential side effects.

His widow Mrs Wright (pictured), is considering taking legal action against the pharmaceutical giant

Gareth Eve says he has 'no alternative' but to pursue legal action against AstraZeneca after his wife, BBC Radio Newcastle presenter Lisa Shaw, died from coronavirus vaccine complications

'The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Authority (MHRA) granted conditional marketing approval for Vaxzevria for the UK based on the safety profile and efficacy of the vaccine.'

There have been at least 75 confirmed deaths relating to Covid jabs recorded in the UK. However, these are not broken down by brand.

At least a dozen named Brits are reported to have died following blood clots triggered by a rare side effect of the AstraZeneca jab.

The inquest into Dr Wright's death comes after the widower of a BBC presenter who died from coronavirus vaccine complications launched legal action against AstraZeneca with others whose 'relatives died or suffered injuries related to the jab'.

Mother-of-one Lisa Shaw, 44, died from 'vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia' in May 2021, about a week after receiving her first Covid jab. She worked for BBC Radio Newcastle.
This is Samantha Stobbart, the former girlfriend of Raoul Moat, the murderer who became Britain's most wanted fugitive after he went on the run for seven days in 2010.

Care worker Samantha, 34, believed to be a single mum, now lives quietly with her two daughters, one of them, Chanel, now aged 16, by Moat.

A neighbour in her village near Durham told MailOnline: 'She works long hours at a nursing home, often doing the night shift. If she isn't at work she's out with her daughters, she's a lovely lass.'

Former nightclub bouncer Moat, 37, sparked the biggest manhunt in British history when he murdered Sam's new partner, karate instructor Christopher Brown, 29, and shot Samantha herself with a sawn-off shotgun in July 2010.

He then shot and blinded PC David Rathband, who tragically took his own life two years later aged 44.

Jealous and controlling: Raoul Moat was possessive of his much younger girlfriend, Samantha Stobbart, after he relentlessly pursued her when she was just 15

Care worker Samantha, 34, believed to be a single mum, now lives quietly with her two daughters and works in a local nursing home

After the shooting spree, Raoul Moat (pictured) went on the run for a week, assisted by two accomplices

Memories of those events from 13 years ago have been rekindled for those who survived them by the three-part ITV true-crime drama The Hunt for Raoul Moat, which ended this week.

Samantha has rarely spoken about the shooting, but told the News of The World in 2010 of the terrifying moment when Moat appeared at the window and started to shoot.

She recalled: 'There was nothing I could do against a madman with a gun.

'I had to get back to the house to make sure my baby daughter Chanel was safe.

'I saw the sparks flying off Raoul's gun as he shot me.

'Then I was on the floor with blood pumping out everywhere.'

Samantha added that 'there was no emotion' in Moat's eyes as he carried out the attack.

In 2012 she told the Daily Mirror: 'Without my daughter, I wouldn't have lasted this long.

Less than 24 hours after shooting Samantha and Chris, the gunman crept up on unarmed PC David Rathband (pictured) as he sat in his patrol car by a roundabout in Newcastle

One of PC David Rathband's daughter Mia's most treasured possessions is a teddy bear dressed in a policeman's uniform, given to her by her brother on her 21st birthday

'I have never had counselling. I don't want to talk about it  it just brings it all back. The whole thing made me realise how quickly things can go wrong in just a few seconds.

'And if you think like that, the world is a pretty scary place.'

Moat, 37, threatened to target more police officers after launching into his murderous rampage following his release from prison.

He was released from Durham Prison on July 1, having served an 18-week sentence for assaulting a child.

While in prison, his girlfriend Samantha, 15 years his junior and mother to his daughter Chanel, told him that she had a new partner, karate instructor Chris.

Knowing Moat has a violent temper, Samantha tried to protect them by saying Brown was a policeman.

Tragically, it only served to compound the anger he already harboured towards the police who he blamed for ruining his business.

Moat wrote on Facebook: 'Gonna lose my home and lost my Mrs of nearly 6 years to a copper. Like they haven't f****d my life enough over the years. I've lost everything... watch and see what happens.'

On July 3, after a night out, Samantha and Chris were at a friend's house in Birtley on the outskirts of Newcastle. Moat was crouched down outside an open window armed with a sawn-off shotgun listening to the conversations inside.

His daughter Chanel was asleep upstairs. Samantha kissed Chris Brown goodbye as he left the house. Suddenly Moat appeared and shot Chris twice at close range, then reloaded and fired a fatal shot to his head.

Murder victim Chris Brown, who was shot dead by Raoul Moat, sparking one of the biggest manhunts in British police history

Ex-girlfriend Samantha Stobbart (pictured), then 22, was hospitalised in the shooting

Ms Stobbart (pictured in 2011) was left critically injured after she was shot in the stomach by Moat and only survived because her arm had partially blocked the shot

Sally Messham (pictured) as Samantha Stobbart in ITV's The Hunt For Raoul Moat which tells the story of the weeks-long rampage

Josef Davies as Chris Brown alongside Sally Messham as Samantha Stobbart in the ITV drama. Moat shot himself after a stand-off with police

Samantha ran inside and Moat fired at her through a window, hitting her in the arm and stomach. He watched Samantha crawl out of the room then ran to his car.

Police then announced they were trying to trace Raoul Moat in connection with the shootings and warned the public not to approach him.

Samantha was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, where she was left fighting for her life.

Two days later, she was declared to no longer be in a critical condition following the attack and she issued a direct appeal to Moat, who had gone on the run, pleading: 'Please give yourself up. If you still loved me and our baby you would not be doing this.'

Less than 24 hours after shooting Samantha and Chris, the gunman crept up on unarmed PC David Rathband as he sat in his patrol car by a roundabout in Newcastle.

The 37-year-old former doorman shot the father-of-two twice in the face. In March 2009 PC Rathband had interviewed Moat under caution in the back of his police car for driving a van that was uninsured to carry scrap metal.

After the shooting spree, Moat went on the run for a week, assisted by two accomplices. Northumbria Police organised a mass manhunt which included 160 armed officers from other forces as far away as Northern Ireland.

Police also used sniper teams, dogs helicopters, tracker Ray Mears and even an RAF jet for reconnaissance.

Moat was later located by a riverbank in Rothbury, Northumberland, but after a six-hour standoff with the police, he shot himself. He was rushed to Newcastle General Hospital and was pronounced dead by doctors.
Home Secretary Suella Braverman asked on her first day as an MP whether she could claim a speeding ticket incurred during the course of Parliamentary duties on expenses - meaning taxpayers would fund it - a Conservative MP has claimed.

William Wragg, MP for Hazel Grove in Greater Manchester, recalled the incident in posts on social media last night in which he described the 'lamentable hopelessness of the Home Secretary'.

Mr Wragg, who is stepping down as an MP at the next election having represented his constituency since 2015, posted a picture on Twitter of Big Ben in the early hours of this morning, followed by a series of tweets describing the alleged incident.

The question is said to have been asked to members of IPSA, the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority, after a presentation given to new MPs on their first day in Parliament, which both he and Ms Braverman attended in 2015.

It comes as the Home Secretary finds herself in the midst of a legal battle over plans to deport people who arrive in the UK by boat claiming asylum to Rwanda.

Suella Braverman is alleged to have asked if the ticket could be claimed on expenses, and therefore funded by taxpayers

In the tweets posted at 1:30am on Saturday, Mr Wragg, who chairs the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Select Committee, alleged the Home Secretary asked whether a speeding fine could be paid by the taxpayer.

He wrote: 'This evening, having kept quiet for a while, I was struck by the lamentable hopelessness of the Home Secretary, remembering particularly her first week or so as a Member of Parliament.

'My clearest recollection of our Home Secretarys legal acumen came from day one as an MP. We had a presentation from IPSA UK.

'Her question to IPSA concerned whether a speeding ticket incurred during the course of parliamentary duties could be claimed on expenses.

'Rather embarrassed, the representatives from IPSA said no.

'Thank goodness our Nation has been blessed with such a fine Attorney General and Home Secretary. Carry On!'

The Home Secretary has been contacted for comment. The Home Office declined to comment.

IPSA regulates what MPs may claim on expenses, with these expenses being funded entirely by taxpayers, and what may not - as well as the amount of money granted for any expense.

Mr Wragg tweeted the allegations at 1:30am on Saturday

At 12:30pm on Saturday, Mr Wragg told his followers that although his previous tweets were 'true', they were a result of his 'patience snapping'.

He said: 'For context, I've become increasingly concerned and depressed by the toxicity of the debate around immigration and asylum, which, Im sorry to say, has been worsened by the Home Secretary.

'Previous tweets were a symptom of my patience snapping. Although true, being cheeky and off-hand doesn't aid good public discourse, which is something we should all strive to maintain. I hope everyone has a nice weekend, remembering we tend to have more in common.'

The latest IPSA regulations state that MPs may claim the cost of travel 'by public transport, private transport, taxis and hire cars' only for journeys between an MP's constituency and London, journeys within a constituency, some other UK travel and journeys to and from European countries.

There is no provision for the payment of fines or penalties either related to transport or for any other criminal offences.

The allegations made by Mr Wragg come after he became a leading rebel amidst the chaos of Conservative government last summer, and became one of the first MPs to call for Liz Truss to resign.

Ms Braverman previously served as Attorney General in the Cabinet before becoming Home Secretary, in which role she has been accused of 'pushing the borders' of international law over her plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda.

European judges have accused the Home Secretary of 'undermining' human rights, amid reports she intends to ignore a previous court ruling which grounded planned flights to the African nation.

As Attorney General, Ms Braverman was the most senior government law officer, responsible for providing ministers with legal advice and supervising the Crown Prosecution Service.

It is not the first time UK MPs have come under fire over speeding tickets.

In 2013, former Liberal Democrat MP and his wife Vicky Pryce were each jailed for eight months after it emerged Ms Pryce took three speeding points on her licence for her husband in 2003.
Tributes are flowing for entertainer Barry Humphries, best known for his alter ego Dame Edna Everage, after his death in a Sydney hospital aged 89.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led worldwide tributes to entertainer Barry Humphries, who has died at 89.

'For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone,' the prime minister wrote on Twitter on Saturday night after news of Humphries' death broke.

'But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift.

'May he rest in peace.'

Tributes are flowing for entertainer Barry Humphries, best known for his alter ego Dame Edna Everage, after his death in a Sydney hospital aged 89

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led worldwide tributes to entertainer Barry Humphries, who has died at 89

British comedian Ricky Gervais paid tribute on twitter writing 'Farewell, Barry Humphries, you comedy genius.'

Piers Morgan, British television host also paid tribute.

'One of the funniest people I've ever met,' he wrote on twitter.

'A wondrously intelligent, entertaining, daring, provocative, mischievous comedy genius.

'As hilarious in private as he was as the iconic Dame Edna. What a life, what a character. Thanks for all the laughs, Barry.'

NSW Premier Chris Minns said Humphries 'set the world's stages and screens alight'.

'The all-time most successful solo theatrical performer, anywhere in the world - Barry was a legend,' Mr Minns wrote on Twitter.

'Defining Aussie creativity and performance for generations. Vale Barry Humphries.'

British comedian Ricky Gervais paid tribute to the beloved entertainer on twitter writing 'Farewell, Barry Humphries, you comedy genius'

Comedian Sean Micallef simply said 'no one made me laugh as much or for so many years.'

Writer and journalist Phillip Adams, who co-produced the critically panned but hugely popular 1972 comedy film The Adventures of Barry McKenzie, based on one of Humphries' characters, said Humphries was the cleverest person he had ever known.

'I've known you since 1956 and we did lots of things together- including three significant films - parting company because of politics differences,' Adams wrote on Twitter.

Comedian Marty Fields said, 'The greatest improv comic Australia has ever produced has passed away tonight. A God of comedy. What a massive loss.'
Liberal comedian Bill Maher launched the Cojones Awards, a new trophy for those who stand up to cancel culture mobs, on Friday's edition of his long running HBO talk show. The award honors 'outstanding achievement in growing a pair.'

Maher, 67, handed out a gold trophy of dangling testicles to Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos for his refusal to apologize over the controversy created by Dave Chappelle's 2021 comedy special The Closer, which was criticized over jokes about the transgender community.

The host congratulated Sarandos for standing firm as Netflix employees walked out of their jobs over the controversy. He joked that if staff didn't like the content then maybe 'Netflix may not be the best place for you.'

'So for making the phrase "don't let the door hit you in the ass" never sound better, this is for you Ted,' Maher added.

Another recipient was actor Ben Stiller, who in February defended his 2008 comedy smash hit Tropic Thunder which caused controversy for Robert Downey Jr's use of blackface.

Comedian Bill Maher congratulated Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos for refusing to backdown to employees who walked over Dave Chappelle's comedy special, The Closer

'So for making the phrase "don't let the door hit you in the ass" never sound better, this is for you Ted,' Maher said

Ben Stiller received an award for refusing to apologize for the 2008 comedy Tropic Thunder in which Robert Downey Jr. donned blackface

Stiller said he was 'proud' of the movie and that he makes 'no' apologies - noting that the film was controversial upon its release.

'And the lesson is if you stand up to the mob for just a day or two, their shallow, impatient, immature smartphone-driven gerbil minds will forget about it and go on to the next nothingburger and you, you still will have your cojones,' Maher said.

Other recipients of awards were Cornell University and its president Martha Pollack, who denied requests from students for trigger warnings to be attached to college courses.

'She didn't cave in or hire a new dean of sensitivity, she just said, "No. College is for introducing you to new ideas, not for kissing your ass and making you feel wonderful and always right,"' Maher joked.

The ivy-league's school assembly voted in favor of the measure earlier this year. Pollack vetoed it when it arrived on her desk.

'We cannot accept this resolution as the actions it recommends would infringe on our core commitment to academic freedom and freedom of inquiry, and are at odds with the goals of a Cornell education,' Pollack wrote in a letter, reports The New York Times.

Another award went to Trader Joe's for refusing to remove names from its ethnic food selections, including Traders Jose's, Trader Ming's and Arabian Joe's

Another award went to Trader Joe's for refusing to remove names from its ethnic food selections, including Traders Jose's, Trader Ming's and Arabian Joe's.

While holding up the trophy, Maher said: 'You see how easy it is? So, to the home of the 19-cent banana, here, have some nuts.'

In 2020, Trader Joe's denied the labels were racist in a press release after an online petition circulated demanding the names be changed.

'We want to be clear: we disagree that any of these labels are racist,' the popular grocery chain said in a statement posted on its website. It added, 'We do not make decisions based on petitions.'

Other Trader Joes names cited include Trader Giottos and Trader Joe San for Italian and Japanese foods.

Company spokeswoman Kenya Friend-Daniel said the company has indeed dropped some names over the years, including Arabian Joes and Armenian Joes, and may lose others in the future. But that will be solely on input from its employees and customers.

Other recipients of awards were Cornell University and its president Martha Pollack, shown here, who denied requests from students for trigger warning to be attached to college courses

In introducing the segment, Maher said he was inspired to create the awards after spending a night at a movie producer friends home where he had been invited to host a discussion on cancel culture.

The comedian said those at the party all agreed it would be a good idea to create an awards show for those 'brave people who have fought back.'

'Then of course being Hollywood, nothing happened. But it's still a good idea, so I'm going to do it right here, right now,' he joked.

During the same show, in which Maher was joined by psychotherapist Esther Perel, as well as podcasters Glenn Loury and Daniel Bessner, Maher also took aim at Fox News' recent settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.

The network paid Dominion $787.5 million this week after the voting technology firm alleged the conservative network knowingly aired false claims its machines were used to rig the 2020 presidential election.

Maher called out Fox News host Tucker Carlson for having Trump lawyer Sydney Powell on his show. He remarked that Carlson has called him a 'psychopath... a liar... and f***ing b***h' in private.

The comedian joked about Fox News' statement on the settlement which included the words: 'This settlement reflects Foxs continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards.'

'You know which news outlets have, I think, even higher journalistic standards? The ones who dont have to pay three-quarters of a billion dollars for being a f*****g liar,' Maher retorted.

Despite not being a recipient of a Cojones Award, Maher did take time to discuss Harry Potter author JK Rowling.

'J.K. Rowling used to be a villain to the right because she wrote books about witchcraft. Now, shes a villain to the left because she has the crazy belief theres more to being a woman than pronouns and lipstick,' he told his audience.
Met commissioner admitted on Friday force did not do enough to fight racism

Stephen Lawrence's mother has said his 'story remains as important and relevant as ever' as a memorial service was held in central London today to mark the 30th anniversary of the teenager's death.

The murdered teenager's loved ones met for the memorial at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square today, alongside people including Labour Leader Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan.

The anniversary comes after Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised for failings after the killing in 1993, with the force's response to the investigation being branded institutionally racist in the 1999 Macpherson Report.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death on April 22 1993 in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, south-east London, after he was set upon by a gang of white youths shouting racial slurs and brandishing weapons.

The anniversary comes after Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley admitted on Friday that the force 'did not dig deep enough' to root out racism since Mr Lawrence's murder in 1993.

The family of Stephen Lawrence have gathered in Trafalgar Square to mark the 30th anniversary of his death today. Pictured left to right: Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Stuart Lawrence, former Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan leave after attending a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the murder of Stephen Lawrence

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer comforts Baroness Doreen Lawrence at the memorial service for her son Stephen Lawrence in Trafalgar Square today

Teenager Stephen Lawrence (pictured) was murdered 30 years ago today

He apologised for failings in the aftermath of the killing, which led to the force's response to it being branded institutionally racist in the 1999 Macpherson Report.

Mr Lawrence's mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, and father Stewart met with people including Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and former Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, who attended the memorial.

Sir Keir made a short speech and read a poem by Maya Angelou at the request of Stephen's mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said a failure to robustly confront 'cultural and systemic' failings, which were exposed by the force's response to the murder, had undermined its ability to fight crime, and he pledged to 'finally' make the Met determinedly anti-racist.

The Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police published last month found the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic in the wake of a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer and PC David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist.

The bungled original Lawrence murder investigation was hampered by racism and alleged police corruption, which meant it took nearly 20 years for two of the 18-year-old's five killers to be brought to justice, with three never prosecuted.

The date of his death is now marked by Stephen Lawrence Day each year.

Sir Keir told the memorial that 'contrasted against the very worst side of Britain, Stephen represented the best', as he lamented the loss of 'a life which shone with the light of potential'.

He was director of public prosecutions when two of Mr Lawrence's killers were brought to justice.

Speaking outside the church, Mr Khan continued his assertion that the Metropolitan Police Service remains 'institutionally racist'.

He said: 'We're here today to celebrate and remember Stephen Lawrence's life, his legacy but also the extraordinary work that's taken place by his family, Doreen Lawrence and by their team and address the issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.

'It's 30 years since Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered, I remember it well as a south Londoner.

'For those of us who are people of colour it had a ripple effect on us, ripples of hate but also the appalling way that the family was let down by the Met Police Service, by the media and by some politicians.

'Thirty years on, we've not made the progress we'd hope to have made.

'It's really important that we recognise that 30 years on, Dame Louise Casey has found the Met Police to still be institutionally racist, we can't ignore that or equivocate on that, we've got to make progress.'

Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley (pictured) said a failure to robustly confront 'cultural and systemic' failings, which were exposed by the force's response to the murder, had undermined its ability to fight crime, and he pledged to 'finally' make the Met determinedly anti-racist

Baroness Doreen Lawrence (centre) attends a memorial service at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square today

Met commissioner Sir Mark Rowley said on Friday said a failure to robustly confront 'cultural and systemic' failings, which were exposed by the force's response to the murder, had undermined its ability to fight crime, and he pledged to 'finally' make the Met determinedly anti-racist.

Baroness Lawrence said her son's 'story remains as important and relevant as ever' 30 years after his death, adding that she is 'filled with immense pride to witness all that has been achieved in his name'.

'From launching education initiatives to opening up career pathways and inspiring community engagement, Stephen's legacy has touched countless young lives and moved us closer towards a more just and equitable society', she said in a statement.

'Yet, we must also acknowledge the work still to be done.

'Inequality persists, and our mission to create a world free from discrimination continues'.

She said 'we will ensure that Stephen's legacy endures, inspiring change and uniting us in the pursuit of justice and equity for all'.

Earlier this week, she told the BBC that 'nothing much has changed' within the Metropolitan Police in the 30 years since her son was murdered.

Jessica Neil, chief executive of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, said the anniversary was 'an incredibly difficult time' for Mr Lawrence's loved ones but said she was 'feeling hopeful for the next 30 years'.

She said: 'Today I'm feeling hopeful. This service, Stephen Lawrence Day more broadly and the wider community that support us, it's such a powerful demonstration of what can happen when ordinary people come together and demand extraordinary change.

'I think the anniversary of Stephen's death is an incredibly difficult time for the family, but focusing that into the foundation and the work that we do gives a sense of hope and hope that we can transform Stephen's legacy that continues to deliver change for the next 30 years.'

She said the teenager's legacy is one of 'hope and change'.

She added: 'He was an ordinary young man who's life and death has inspired extraordinary change in the fabric of British society and so his legacy is one of hope and change and inspiring other young people like him to fulfil the breadth and depth of their potential.'

Sir Mark said black people still feel 'over-policed and under-protected', with 'disproportionalities and systemic biases' in policing continuing.

There remain too few black officers and too many of them face discrimination within the force's ranks, he added.

He said in a statement: 'Thirty years on from Stephen's murder, we offer our sympathies to the Lawrence family on their unimaginable loss.

Residents of borough where Stephen Lawrence was murdered contribute to 'Hopeful Futures' art Residents in the borough where Stephen Lawrence was murdered will mark the 30th anniversary of his death by contributing to an an art piece inspiring a hopeful and fairer society for all. Greenwich London Borough Council will remember the teenager with a community event in General Gordon Square, Woolwich. Residents are invited to contribute to a piece of art exploring the Stephen Lawrence Research Centre's theme of 'Hopeful Futures'. Between 11am and 4pm, locals will be able to add their own touch to an artwork based around the theme of a future where all communities 'live life to the full' and enjoy the same opportunities. Cllr Anthony Okereke, Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: 'The Royal Borough of Greenwich shares the aspirations of the Stephen Lawrence Foundation to learn from the tragedy of Stephen's death. 'We want to create a future in which he would have thrived and succeeded in his dream of becoming an architect. 'As we come together to celebrate Stephen's legacy 30 years on, our thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved him. 'I hope that by continuing to share his story with the young people of our borough, we can motivate a new generation to drive forward the changes we still need to see in our society.' Advertisement

'He was a dearly loved son and brother who was taken from them far too soon and in such senseless circumstances.

'Their dignified fight for justice, conducted in the pressure of the public eye with unwavering determination over so many years, continues to be a source of inspiration for us and so many.

'On behalf of the Metropolitan Police, I apologise again for our past failings which will have made the grief of losing a loved one all the more difficult to endure.

'This anniversary, which closely follows the stark findings of the Casey Review, prompts us to pause, to remember and to reflect honestly on how policing has responded to the necessary calls for change that have punctuated the past 30 years.

'Whilst significant progress was made against Macpherson's recommendations, it is now clear that we did not dig deep enough to confront the cultural and systemic failings that allow discrimination to propagate.

'This failing has undermined the experience of our increasingly diverse workforce and compromised the trust of Londoners and our ability to protect them from crime.

'We have let black communities down. They feel over-policed and under-protected.

'We are still not sufficiently representative of London, black officers and staff still face discrimination and are not always sufficiently supported to progress within the Met.

'There are disproportionalities and systemic biases in our use of policing tactics and our support to victims of crime.

'We are deeply sorry for these failings.

'The responsibility for righting those wrongs, restoring the relationship with those communities and supporting our black colleagues to succeed starts with those of us in positions of leadership but it continues through every rank and role in our organisation.

'I and the good majority of our officers are resolved to finally make the Met determinedly anti-racist and anti-discrimination of all kinds.'
READ MORE: More than 100 SAS to fly to Middle East to airlift Brits from Sudan

Saudi Arabia has already announced the rescue of foreign nationals by boat

PM held Cobra meeting today as Brits trapped in Sudan wait to be rescued

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss assistance for British nationals trapped in Sudan today, as Saudi Arabia says it has already brought foreign nationals out of the war torn country.

More than 150 people from various nations reached the safety of Saudi Arabia today, in the first announced evacuation of civilians from Sudan.

It comes as more than 100 SAS and Paras are being flown to the Middle East, as troops continue to wait for the order to rescue the UK citizens.

British citizens trapped in the country said they feel 'abandoned' and 'left in the dark' by the government, who said it is currently preparing for 'a number of contingencies'.

It comes as Saudi Arabia, the first country to announce the evacuation of civilians, shared footage of Saudis and other foreign citizens from 'brotherly' nations being brought to safety by boat.

Saudi Arabia's official Al-Ikhbaryia TV channel shared footage of a boat used in the evacuation of Saudi citizens and other nationals from Sudan

People carry on their shoulders Othman Mohamed, a senior general loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, on April 20

Sudanese army soldiers, loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, sit atop a tank in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan, on Thursday

Aerial view of black smoke rising above the Khartoum International Airport amid ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals in Sudan's capital Khartoum

The Sudanese army said earlier that it was co-ordinating efforts to evacuate American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft as bloody fighting entered its second week.

Its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan received calls from leaders of multiple countries to 'facilitate and guarantee safety for evacuating citizens and diplomatic missions'.

It noted that the evacuations were expected to begin 'in the coming hours', adding that the US, Britain, France and China are planning to airlift their nationals out of Khartoum using military planes.

But the prospect has angered officials as most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, has proven intensely dangerous.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed that a meeting in the Cabinet Office took place this morning, with Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Africa minister Andrew Mitchell.

Government officials said they are 'doing everything possible' to support those still inside the country's capital, Khartoum.

The FCDO has not confirmed the reports but it is understood an evacuation is not imminent.

British SAS troops will prepare for operations at a secret base ahead of a possible mission to rescue those trapped by the fighting.

The Sudanese army is battling a powerful rival paramilitary in and around Khartoum.

The conflict between Russian-backed rebels and government forces has led to more than 400 deaths in the last week.

Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan have been complicated by the fact most major airports in the country have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven dangerous.

A UK Government spokesman said: 'We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan.

'We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies.'

A British citizen who is stuck in the country told the BBC: 'It remains very depressing, worrying and confusing to be a Brit on the ground here... We're still very much in the dark'.

'We don't have a plan, we don't even have a kind of plan for a plan. We understand that this is a fast-evolving situation but to be honest we've just in many senses been completely abandoned here.'

And a British-Sudanese woman caught up in the violence said she has received no communication from the British Embassy, and has been forced to shelter for days without water or electricity.

Rozan Ahmed told Sky News: 'I have heard nothing but explosions and gunfire, and shelling screams for the past six hours. Only now has it died down.

Saudi Arabian media shared footage which it claimed shows Saudi citizens and other foreign nationals arriving in Jeddah, upon their rescue from Sudan

TV footage Saudi deputy Foreign Minister Walid al-Khuraiji (right) welcoming Saudi citizens and other nationals upon their arrival in Jeddah

'On top of that we have to deal with the fact that there are rogue soldiers walking around our streets, randomly raiding our homes, and then we don't have water.'

She asked for an explanation from the government as to why she and her family have not yet been evacuated.

Saudi Arabia earlier announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first traveled by land to Port Sudan, the country's main seaport on the Red Sea.

He said that Jordan's diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudan's far east, some 520 miles from Khartoum.

In a security alert, the US Embassy in Sudan said it had 'incomplete information about significant convoys departing Khartoum traveling towards Port Sudan' and that the situation remained dangerous.

'Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk,' it said.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak (pictured in Downing Street this morning) has held an emergency Cobra meeting to discuss assistance for British nationals trapped in Sudan as fighting continues

Brits held up in Sudan are advised to register with the FCDO and to stay indoors, with skirmishes taking place even in residential areas. They must provide their whereabouts, contact details and to state whether they wish to leave the country or remain there.

This will allow planners at Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ), in Northwood, north-west London, to work out how many they may have to rescue.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has also cut short an official visit to New Zealand to deal with the crisis. The SAS are expected to be accompanied by a company of soldiers from the Parachute Regiment. During Operation Pitting in 2021, the Paras led the effort to secure Kabul airport after the Taliban took over Afghanistan.

The RAF will play a central role in any evacuation. Last night, the service was cancelling scheduled flights to other destinations so aircraft could join the airlift.

The Foreign Office has advised UK citizens in Sudan to register their presence. They must provide their whereabouts, contact details and to state whether they wish to leave the country or remain there

British soldiers currently on exercise in Kenya were expecting to fly back to the UK. But, according to Army sources, the Coldstream Guards have been told they will have to remain in the country.

The SAS and Paras will join forces with US troops in any rescue mission, which is complicated by intense fighting around the airport in the capital Khartoum.

In the US, the Pentagon said earlier this week it was moving additional troops and equipment to a naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of US embassy personnel.

But the White House said on Friday that it had no plans for a government co-ordinated evacuation of an estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Mr Sunak on Friday spoke with the president of Djibouti, Ismail Omar Guelleh.

While no mention of using the nation's airbases was made in the readout from Downing Street, a No 10 spokesman said the two leaders agreed to 'continue to co-ordinate efforts to de-escalate the violence and protect civilians, including our citizens'.

There are no signs of the trouble abating as yet.

Even as the warring sides said on Friday that they had agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Two ceasefire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

Britain has historic ties to Sudan. In an unusual arrangement, Britain and Egypt jointly ruled Sudan from 1899 until it gained independence in 1956, but Sudan is not among the group of 56 Commonwealth nations.

The World Food Programme said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where one third of the population needs aid.

Burhan and Daglo's dispute centred on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army, a key condition for a deal aimed at restoring Sudan's democratic transition after the military toppled Bashir in April 2019 following mass citizen protests.

In October 2021, Burhan and Daglo joined forces to oust a civilian government installed after Bashir's downfall.

Daglo now says the coup was a 'mistake', while Burhan believes it was 'necessary' to include more groups into politics.
Shocking pictures from the NYPD show the moment a woman was kidnapped off the street in Brooklyn.

According to law enforcement, a man approached the woman around 1:45 am Friday, picked her up and carried her into a Toyota minivan, images released by the police show.

Police say the van then took off with the woman inside. The incident occurred along Avenue W and Stillwell Avenue in the Gravesend section of the borough. The car headed north on Stillwell.

As he approached her, the man had his arms raised as if he was trying to stop her or grab her attention.

Police were alerted to the incident by an eye witness who went to the 60th precinct to report what they had seen. As of Saturday morning, there have been no reports anyone has reported a person being taken to the precinct.

This image released by police shows the moment the woman was picked up by the man and carried towards a Toyota minivan

Images show the man approaching the woman as if he is trying to get her attention or stop her

The car police say the woman was bundled into before it sped off

A police source told the New York Post that investigators are at a loss regarding who the two people in the video are.

'She didnt appear to be struggling like you would if it was a stranger,' the source told the newspaper.

The woman is in her 20s, around 5-foot-5, 120 pounds and has long hair. She was wearing a striped shirt, blue skirt and white sneakers.

The suspect is clad in a black shirt, dark pants and black sneakers. He looks to be in his 30s, approximately 5-foot-10 and weighs 175 pounds.

Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS , or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA. You can also submit a tip online here.

A reward of up to $3,500 is being offered for information.

The abduction occurred in the same place where 22-year-old Rasard Deas was shot dead at the New Food First Cook Chinese restaurant in May 2022.

Neighbors told NBC New York at the time that gunshots were not 'uncommon' in the the area that has become 'plagued by crime.'

Just last month, a man punched a woman in the face on board a train around midnight in the area after she asked him to stop touching her.

In December 2022, a similar violent attack on a woman took place when Jean-Francois Coste, 53, was inside the Stillwell Avenue station and he punched a female MTA worker while inebriated.

Tanya McCray, 56, was about to begin her shift when she witnessed Coste - a senior equity analyst at Tocqueville Asset Management - attempting to access a room for employees only.

McCray, a 21-year veteran of the MTA and a train operator, told police that when she denied Coste access and said he couldn't get in, he punched her in the face.

Friday's abduction occurred in area in front of the Marlboro Housing Projects.

Although crime is currently the same rate as last year, many New Yorkers remember the times during the pandemic where crimes were rampant and left many in fear

Crime has been a big problem for major cities such as New York, Chicago and San Francisco.

Offenses were up nearly 23 percent in New York in 2022 under first-year mayor and former police officer Eric Adams, who had to assign additional police to the subway system to control skyrocketing crime.

In addition, more than 43,000 asylum seekers have flooded the Big Apple since last spring, leading the city to set up emergency shelters at hotels while constructing mass housing for the migrants.

While many migrants have since been moved out of the hotels, a significant number at The Watson have refused to take up the city's offer to ship them to the Red Hook housing facility in Brooklyn, causing headaches for longtime residents in Hell's Kitchen.
Animal rights protesters have been arrested by police as they attempted to invade the race course during the Scottish Grand National today at Ayr Racecourse.

The Animal Rising group have taken responsibility for the incident on social media, sharing a video of 25 of their supporters storming underneath fencing and running to different positions around the track.

They attempted to attach themselves to the jumps and gates on the racetrack in an effort to 'cancel the big race'.

Police Scotland have confirmed there is a 'significant operation' at Ayr Racecourse to remove protesters and that a 'number of arrests have been made'.

Animal Rising said they will 'protect animals' and added that they will vow to more demos, adding that the protest at the Aintree Grand National last week was 'just the beginning'.

Animal Rising activists are apprehended by police officers as they attempted to invade the race course during the Coral Scottish Grand National festival at Ayr Racecourse

The Animal Rising group have taken responsibility for the incident on social media

Protesters attempted to attach themselves to the jumps and gates on the racetrack an an effort to 'cancel the big race'

An Animal Rising protester is apprehended by police after being chained to the fence at Ayr Racecourse

A protester is held down by a police officer during the Scottish Grand National today

Police attempting to apprehend a Animal Rising protestor at Ayr Racecourse earlier today

Protesters on the racecourse before the start of the Scottish Grand National today as police apprehend them

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: 'Officers are responding to a protest which is ongoing at Ayr Racecourse this afternoon.

'A significant operation is underway to safely remove those involved.

'A number of arrests have been made and an increased police presence remains at the scene.'

On social media at just before 4pm, Animal Rising said: '25 supporters of Animal Rising have made it onto the track at the Scottish Grand National, to put their bodies in the way of harm, and protect animals.'

The post added: 'They're attempting to attach themselves to jumps and gates in order to cancel the big race.

'This afternoon 8 year old Oscar Elite died on the very same track. We take action today with them in our hearts.

'A horse dies every other day in racing in the UK. We are here to protect horses by saying NO to this barbaric 'sport.'

'There are plenty of other things we can have fun doing on a Saturday afternoon that don't involve watching animals come to harm.

'Last week at Aintree was just the beginning. The Summer of Animal Rising is upon us.'

Despite the protest, the race went ahead as planned, with horse Kitty's late taking the victory.

Activists attempted to disrupt the Grand National at Aintree by getting onto the racecourse and fixing themselves to fences and railings, causing the race to be delayed by 15 minutes

A protester being detained as activists tried to disrupt the Grand National by getting into the racecourse and fixing themselves to fences and railings, causing the race to be delayed by 15 minutes on April 15

This comes after the Grand National at Aintree was delayed after Animal Rising protesters stormed the racetrack.

At least two protesters fixed themselves to a jump using glue and lock-on devices.

Animal Rising supporters have also been spotted at a climate protest outside Parliament today.

Thousands of protesters have gathered for their 'The Big One' campaign, organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR), as part of a four-day campaign designed to 'highlight the environmental failures' of government.

Animal Rising flags were pictured amongst activists carrying XR flags and posters.

Animal Rising supporters have also been spotted at a climate protest outside Parliament today

Thousands of protesters have gathered for their 'The Big One' campaign, organised by Extinction Rebellion (XR), as part of a four-day campaign designed to 'highlight the environmental failures' of government

XR says thousands of people protested outside government departments in London on Friday 'to highlight the environmental and social failures' of the government.

Today's protest focused on nature and biodiversity, and started from Westminster Abbey with attendees, many of them children, wearing animal costumes and masks.

'It's an emergency. Everybody needs to pull together so the future generations can enjoy our beautiful planet,' said 47-year-old Jenny O'Hara Jakeway, who made the six-hour journey from Wales with her two children.

'I should protest more but my life is work and family. Being passive is not an option anymore because of the urgency of the situation,' she told AFP.

Many had made banners for the occasion, with one reading: 'We defend the climate but police arrest us' and another 'Extinction is forever'. Others warned that a third of UK birds were 'at risk of extinction'.
Protests come just a day after another council lost High Court bid to

Far-right supporters and counter-protestors were kept apart by a police cordon as they voiced their views over Government plans to house up to 2,000 asylum seekers at RAF Scampton, the historic home of the Dambuster Squadron, on Saturday.

Lincolnshire Police officers were present at both a far-right rally and a counter protest organised by Stand Up To Racism, which saw more than 100 supporters march through Lincoln city centre.

The Government announced last month that it is working on proposals to use the Scampton site, about five miles north of the city, to provide accommodation for single adult male asylum seekers, starting with around 200 and 'increasing to 2,000 people over time.'

Refugees will also have access to catering facilities and basic primary care at Scampton, the former home of the Red Arrows and the Second World War Dambusters squadron.

The protests in Lincoln come just a day after Braintree District Council lost a High Court bid to prevent the Government housing up to 1,700 asylum seekers at Wethersfield Airfield, a former RAF base in Essex.

More than a hundred protestors joined a Stand Up To Racism march through Lincoln on Saturday as the far-right held a rally against plans to use RAF Scampton to house refugees

Protestors hold an England flag reading, 'Illegals Not Wanted' at a far-right demonstration in Lincoln city centre on Saturday

A small crowd of far-right supporters listened to arguments against the Government proposal

A protestor against the plans holds a sign, 'RAF base resident says left don't speak for me'

One protestor holds a sign arguing RAF Scampton is unsuitable for 1,700 asylum seekers

The Government announced last month that it is working on proposals to use the Scampton site, about five miles north of the city, to provide accommodation for single adult male asylum seekers, starting with around 200 and 'increasing to 2,000 people over time'

Lawyers for the local authority asked for an injunction preventing the use of the airfield to house asylum seekers and opposed the Home Office's argument that the need to accommodate more people was an 'emergency' under planning law.

READ MORE: Council LOSES court bid to stop the Home Office housing up to 1,700 asylum seekers on former RAF airbase Advertisement

But Mr Justice Waksman concluded that the court did not have the legal power to grant the council's application for an injunction, and therefore ruled in favour of the Government.

The protests also took place as Border Force officials escorted 100 migrants to Dover Docks after Suella Braverman announced amendments to the Illegal Migration Bill on Friday.

The Home Secretary said the changes proposed to her controversial legislation, designed to stop migrants on small boats crossing the English Channel, would help prevent 'last-minute, bogus claims'.

Speaking after Saturday's counter-protest march ended in Cornhill, Lincoln, Calvin Bissitt, secretary of Lincoln and District Trades Council, said those marching were in support of refugees and opposed attempts to apportion blame to asylum seekers.

While the counter-demonstration was not supporting the use of Scampton to house asylum-seekers, it sought to make clear that refugees should be made welcome in the UK.

'Refugees fought and died in the skies of Britain,' Mr Bissitt said.

'I think nothing is a greater insult to them and their legacy than to allow the far right... to allow them to speak as if they care about the heritage and the legacy of the RAF.'

Around 10 police officers were briefly forced to form a cordon between the counter-demonstrators and far-right rally, at which ex-solider and former Patriotic Alternative activist Alek Yerbury was the main speaker.

Mr Yerbury told a small crowd standing near a bridge over the River Witham: 'What we have shown to the Home Office, to the council and to their minions is that we see through their game.

'We have shown them that if they are not prepared to resolve this problem, we will do it ourselves.'

Ex-solider and former Patriotic Alternative activist Alek Yerbury was the main speaker at the far-right demonstration

Protestors at the counter-rally did not support the use of Scampton to house asylum-seekers, but sought to make clear that refugees should be made welcome in the UK

Protestors at the counter-rally hold signs saying, 'Refugees Welcome' as they marched along

More than a hundred supporters turned out for the Stand Up To Racism protest in Lincoln

Lincolnshire Police had held talks with organisers of both events and stressed that it was the force's duty to facilitate peaceful protest, while ensuring officers were on hand to prevent the possibility of crime or disorder occurring.

A member of Scampton Parish Council had urged people not to attend the far-right protest, saying it hijacked people's legitimate concerns.

In a statement issued after the plans for Scampton were announced, the Home Office said it recognised the importance of the rich heritage at the base and was committed to preserving and enhancing its heritage assets, having engaged with Historic England.
More than 2,000 cans of Miller High Life beer were crushed for falling afoul of European laws over their decades-long slogan, 'Champagne of Beers'.

The Comite Champagne halted the American beer shipment this week and paid for the 2,352 cans to be destroyed when they arrived at the Belgium port in Antwerp.

The shipment was on its way to Germany when it was decided that their packaging, which includes their famous 'Champagne of Beers' slogan, was in violation of France's protected designation of origin (PDO) for Champagne.

The destruction was at the request of the trade body who defends the interests of houses and growers of the north-eastern French sparkling wine.

Molson Coors Beverage Co, which owns the Miller High Life brand, does not export the century-old brew to the EU, and Belgian customs declined to say who had ordered the beers.

More than 2,000 cans of Miller High Life beer were crushed after they arrived in Belgium customs earlier this week

The Comite Champagne paid for the American beers to be destroyed over their use of the coveted word 'Champagne' in their century old slogan

The buyer in Germany 'was informed and did not contest the decision', the trade organisation said in a statement.

The consignment was intercepted at a port in Antwerp in early February.

A video shows custom workers emptying thousands of cans by hand before crushing them in a machine.

The cases were stopped, while on their way to Germany, in a port in Antwerp in February

Molson Coors Beverage Co, which owns the Miller High Life brand, does not export the century-old brew to the EU, and Belgian customs declined to say who had ordered the beers

Miller High Life was launched in 1903 and according to the Milwaukee-based brand's website, the company started to use the 'Champagne of Bottle Beers' nickname three years later. It was shortened to 'The Champagne of Beers' in 1969

The use of the coveted word, 'Champagne', is incompatible with European Union rules which make clear that goods infringing a protected designation of origin can be treated as counterfeit.

What is the Comite Champagne The Comite Champagne is the trade association that represents the interests of independent Champagne producers and houses. It protects consumers against misleading claims regarding any wines, products, including beverages, that trade off Champagne's reputation as an appellation of guaranteed origin and quality. The trading body has brought and won many cases over the illegal use of the word Champagne. Some include: 1984  against 'Champagne' cigarettes in France;

1987  against Perrier mineral water in Germany;

1990  against 'Schaumpagner' Paris-Night bubble bath in Switzerland;

1993  against 'Champagne' Yves Saint Laurent perfume in France;

1994  against elderflower 'Champagne' in Great Britain; and

2002  against the use of the phrase 'Arla: the yoghurt with the taste of Champagne' in Sweden. Source: Lexology Advertisement

Frederick Miller, a German immigrant to the US, founded the Miller Brewing Company in the 1850s. Miller High Life, its oldest brand, was launched as its flagship in 1903.

According to the Milwaukee-based brand's website, the company started to use the 'Champagne of Bottle Beers' nickname three years later. It was shortened to 'The Champagne of Beers' in 1969.

The beer has also been available in champagne-style 750ml bottles during festive seasons.

'With its elegant, clear-glass bottle and crisp taste, Miller High Life has proudly worn the nickname 'The Champagne of Beers' for almost 120 years,' added Molson Coors Beverage Co.

The 27-nation bloc has a system of protected geographical designations created to guarantee the true origin and quality of artisanal food, wine and spirits, and protect them from imitation.

That market is worth nearly 67 billion annually - half of it in wines, according to a 2020 study by the EU's executive arm.

The managing director of the Comite Champagne, Charles Goemaere, said the destruction of the beers 'confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin and rewards the determination of the Champagne producers to protect their designation'.

Molson Coors Beverage Co said it 'respects local restrictions' around the word Champagne.

'But we remain proud of Miller High Life, its nickname and its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provenance,' the company said. 'We invite our friends in Europe to the US any time to toast the High Life together.'

Belgian customs said the destruction of the cans was paid for by the Comite Champagne.

According to their joint statement, it was carried out 'with the utmost respect for environmental concerns by ensuring that the entire batch, both contents and container, was recycled in an environmentally responsible manner'.
Border Force officials escorted 100 migrants to Dover Docks - one day after Suella Braverman announced ammendments to the Illegal Migration Bill.

The Home Secretary said the changes proposed to her controversial legislation, designed to stop migrants on small boats crossing the English Channel, would help prevent 'last-minute, bogus claims'.

Photographs from today show migrants braving the wind and cold at sea before they are escorted off the boat by Border Force officials.

Last year saw a record 45,728 migrants cross the Channel - significantly more than 2021's total of 28,526.

More than 5,000 have crossed this year already, with 1,295 of those arriving in one day, according to official government figures.

Border Force officials escort 100 migrants from a boat into Dover Docks, Kent, earlier today

Last year saw a record 45,728 migrants cross the Channel - significantly more than 2021's total of 28,526

The amendments laid on Friday are being seen as an attempt to appease Conservative backbenchers who were calling for more protection against interference by judges, including the European Court of Human Rights, in how the UK polices its border.

The Home Office said the amendments would 'make clear' the UK's domestic courts are restricted from hearing a legal challenge to deportation from someone who arrived unlawfully, unless the person is deemed to be at risk of serious and irreversible harm.

If the person arriving via an unauthorised route was not at risk of death, persecution, torture or degrading treatment by being deported, then any appeals would be heard remotely after the person had been removed from the UK, officials said.

Another proposed change will allow ministers to 'exercise discretion in relation to interim measures issued by the European Court of Human Rights'.

According to Ms Braverman's department, there will be set principles under which ministers would be able to decide whether or not to comply with European judges.

Alongside pushing forward with the amendment, ministers are having 'constructive discussions regarding reform to the Rule 39 process in Strasbourg', the Home Office said.

Photographs from today show Border Force officials escorting 100 migrants off a Channel boat

The Illegal Migration Bill, introduced in the Commons on March 7, revealed Migrants can be detained under new powers and removed to countries considered safe

A Rule 39 order was used to block the inaugural deportation flight taking asylum seekers to Rwanda.

A separate amendment appealed to the liberal side of the Tory Party, with a concession to produce a report on existing and potentially new safe and legal routes into the country for migrants within six months of the Bill becoming law.

An annual cap on people coming via such routes will also be agreed through Parliament.

Ms Braverman said: 'The British public are rightly fed up with people coming to the UK through dangerous small boat crossings, and myself and the Prime Minister are absolutely committed to stopping the boats once and for all.

'The changes I am announcing today will help secure our borders and make it easier for us to remove people by preventing them from making last-minute, bogus claims, while ensuring we strengthen our safe and legal routes.

'My focus remains on ensuring this landmark piece of legislation does what it is intended to do, and we now must work to pass it through Parliament as soon as possible so we can stop the boats.'

Further amendments proposed include giving immigration officers new powers to search for and seize electronic devices, such as mobile phones, from those arriving unlawfully to help assess whether someone has the right to be in the UK.

The Home Office also intends to bring in new regulations that will see age-disputed people treated as an adult if they refuse to undergo a scientific age assessment.

More than 5,000 migrants have crossed the Channel this year already, with 1,295 of those arriving in one day, according to official government figures

The call for the use of age assessments, designed to prevent adults posing as children, has reportedly been called for by right-wing Tory MPs.

According to Tory immigration minister Caroline Nokes, the new law 'criminalises' pregnant women and children and fails to act as a deterrent.

Ms Nokes, now chairman of the women and equalities committee, pledged to rebel against the measure in a Commons vote set for tomorrow.

The MP also voted against last year's Nationality and Borders Act.

Last month 840 people arrived on the south coast after crossing the Channel - just over a quarter of the 3,066 recorded in March 2022 - and only slightly higher than the figure for March 2021 (831).

According to Home Office data, 1,180 people made the journey in January this year, followed by 1,773 in February.

A Home Office spokesperson said: 'The unacceptable number of people risking their lives by making these dangerous crossings is placing an unprecedented strain on our asylum system.

'Our priority is to stop this illegal trade, and our Small Boats Operational Command is working alongside our French partners and other agencies to disrupt the people smugglers.

'The government has gone further by introducing legislation which will ensure that those people arriving in the UK illegally are detained and promptly removed to their country of origin or a safe third country.'
DailyMail.com has obtained exclusive pictures of actor Alec Baldwin documenting his return to the set of his Western drama Rust. Pictures show the actor talking to a camera crew before heading to work.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Baldwin, 65, had hired Rory Kennedy, 54, the youngest child of RFK and his wife Ethel, to make a documentary about his return to making the movie after his involuntary manslaughter charges were dropped.

Despite that, prosecutors say the investigation into the shooting that killed Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza is ongoing. The resurrected production will be directed by Souza and produced by Hutchins' husband Matthew.

Kennedy is a celebrated documentary filmmaker and was nominated for an Oscar for her 2014 war epic Last Days in Vietnam - which is billed as telling 'the untold stories of the Americans and Vietnamese on the ground'.

DailyMail.com published photos this week showing Kennedy currently in Montana, being pictured at Bozeman airport with Baldwin getting off a United flight from Denver.

On Saturday morning, Alec Baldwin was pictured leaving the $285,000 apartment in Montana he has hired for the duration of the shoot before being driven to the set

Documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy, who was repeatedly seen visiting the apartment on Thursday, was nowhere to be seen

Earlier this week, it was revealed that Baldwin, 65, had hired Rory Kennedy, 54, he youngest child of RFK and his wife Ethel, to make a documentary about his return to making the movie after involuntary manslaughter charges against him were dropped

Director Joel Souza, shown here, will oversee the resurrected production

The 30 Rock star will be in Big Sky County until May 22 to continue the production of Rust. Filming ceased in October 2021 following the shooting

Rory Kennedy is a long-time associate of the Baldwin family. Kennedy is pictured with Alec and Hilaria in October 2022

Halyna Hutchins pictured on her Instagram page, the Ukrainian was 42 years old when she was shot dead on the set of Rust

Baldwin was first seen being filmed by Kennedy's crew outside his New York City home, embracing his wife and children as he departed for Montana.

The 30 Rock star will be in Big Sky County until May 22 to continue the production of Rust. Filming ceased in October 2021 following the shooting.

Armorer Hannah Gutteriez-Reed, who was charged alongside Baldwin, will play no further part in Rust and still faces manslaughter charges over her role in the mom-of-one's death

Production has moved to Montana and will take place on the same set where the hit show Yellowstone is filmed. The ranch boasts a purpose-built Western-style backlot and views of Paradise Valley and the Crazy and Abzaroka mountain ranges.

Filming recommenced this week amid blizzard conditions in the area.

On Saturday morning, the actor was pictured leaving the $285,000 apartment he has hired for the duration of the shoot before being driven to the set. The weather appears to have become more settled.

Kennedy, who was repeatedly seen visiting the apartment on Thursday, was nowhere to be seen.

However, the blonde director was inside when news broke that two charges of involuntary manslaughter against Baldwin related to the death of Hutchins had been dropped.

Also on Saturday, Baldwin's wife, Hilaria, was seen out and about in Manhattan pushing a stroller. The couple shares seven children together.

Hilaria, 39, wore a baggy open flannel shirt over a green tank top with a black bra visible underneath along with blue jeans and furry slippers.

The Massachusetts-native was seen chatting with another parent on her morning stroll, occasionally removing her sunglasses and using them as a make-shift hair band.

On the same morning that her husband was in Montana, his wife, Hilaria, was seen out and about in Manhattan pushing a stroller. The couple shares seven children together

Hilaria, 39, wore a baggy open flannel shirt over a green tank top with a black bra visible underneath along with blue jeans and furry slippers

The Massachusetts-native was seen chatting with another parent on her morning stroll, occasionally removing her sunglasses and using them as a make-shift hair band

To celebrate her husband's acquittal on manslaughter charges, Hilaria posted a photo of her being cradled by the Hunt for Red October star

Baldwin, who had been due to face a preliminary hearing in the case next month, celebrated by posting a photo of himself with wife Hilaria to Instagram.

In response, she posted a second photo that showed her cradled in his arms while sitting on his lap.

Meanwhile, Rory Kennedy is a long-time associate of the Baldwin family and has enjoyed an illustrious career producing documentaries on a range of topics, including AIDS, rural poverty and border issues.

Like the famously left-wing Baldwin, she has been outspoken in her support for Democratic politics  endorsing Barack Obama for president in 2008 and Hillary Clinton in 2016.

She has not, however, commented on her conspiracy theorist older brother Robert's bid for the 2024 Democrat nomination which he formally announced to little fanfare earlier this week.

The pair are not known to be tremendously close, living on opposite sides of the country. Kennedy lives in Malibu with her film writer husband Mark Bailey, their daughters Georgia and Bridget, and son Zachary.

Famously, the couple's July 1999 wedding had to be rescheduled after a plane piloted by her cousin John F Kennedy Jr and his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy crashed into the sea en route to the nuptials in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts  killing both of them and Carolyn's sister Lauren Bessette.

Rory and Mark eventually married two weeks later at a mansion belonging to billionaire Greek tycoon Vardis Vardinogiannis in the picturesque town of Ekali, just outside Athens.
More than 3,000 Russian civilians were evacuated after the discovery of an unexploded bomb - believed to have been dropped by one of Vladimir Putin's own warplanes - after a second went off in a huge explosion earlier this week.

Residents of seventeen apartment blocks in Belgorod, which is just over the border with Ukraine, were evacuated after a 500 kg explosive device was found within 650 feet of their buildings.

The major blunder follows a bomb going off in the city after it was accidentally dropped by an Su-34 Russian fighter-bomber, causing a powerful blast which saw several people injured.

The new bomb is believed to be the same type as the first - a Soviet-designed FAB-500M62 with a high-explosive warhead - capable of causing utter devastation and which was undoubtedly destined for Ukraine.

The embarrassing admission comes as Moscow has ramped up its diplomatic battle with the west, with more than 20 German officials being angrily expelled by the Kremlin in what it called a 'reciprocal' move.

More than 3,000 Russian civilians have been evacuated after the discovery of an unexploded bomb - believed to have been dropped by one of Vladimir Putin's own warplanes

Queues of traffic in the Russian city of Belgorod as 3,000 residents were evacuated today

Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov shows the site of the crater after an explosion on Thursday

Kyiv's forces released images showing smoke rising over the almost levelled city of Bakhmut

The latest embarrassment for Russia saw sappers uncover a bomb on their own territory, buried some 22ft below the surface and poses an acute danger to locals in Belgorod.

Those evacuated lived in the same area as those affected by the huge blast on Thursday, which left a 70ft crater in the middle of the road and damaged homes and roads.

Military explosive experts decided to 'neutralise' the explosive at a training ground, Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.

'The operational headquarters decided to evacuate 17 apartment buildings within a radius of 200 metres. According to preliminary data, it is more than 3,000 people. Anyone who needs help with temporary accommodation, it will be provided,' he said.

Gladkov said later that people had started to return to their homes after a 'shell' was removed from the area.

The precautionary evacuations ended later in the day, according to Belgorod mayor Valentin Demidov.

'The bomb was removed from the residential area. Residents are being delivered back to their homes,' Mr Demidov wrote on Telegram.

Russian authorities did not say if the detonated device was dropped by accident on Thursday and if so, whether it was a remnant of or separate from the bomb that exploded in the city.

'The bomb was found near the place where the explosion occurred on April 20 due to the descent of Su-34 ammunition,' said anti-war group Protest Russia.

'It turns out that stupidly for two days no one noticed that the Su-34 had lost two bombs, not one.'

A picture shared by the Governor of the Belgorod Region Vyacheslav Gladkov's telegram channel shows damage at the site of a blast in downtown Belgorod

A Russian SU-34 warplane bombed its own city of Belgorod in 20 April 2023 humiliating blunder

Those evacuated lived in the same area as those affected by the huge blast on Thursday, which left a 70ft crater in the middle of the road and damaged homes, including this apartment

Belgorod, located about 25 miles east of the Russia-Ukraine border, has faced regular drone attacks since Russia sent troops into Ukraine last year.

Russian authorities have blamed those strikes on the Ukrainian military, which refrained from directly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Meanwhile the bloody battle for Bakhmut - just a few hours' drive away from Belgorod - rages on, , with Kyiv's forces releasing images showing smoke rising over the almost levelled city.

Putin's forces, believed to be Wagner mercenary fighters, claimed today that they have taken three districts in the key Ukrainian city, which has been the epicentre of fighting in recent months.

'The airborne troops were restraining the Ukrainian units on the flanks and supported the actions of the assault squads to capture the city,' Russia's defence ministry said in its latest bulletin.

Moscow's invasion of Ukraine and the subsequent support for Kyiv's forces from Germany, Britain and other western powers has sent relations into deep freeze, with frequent expulsions of diplomats on both sides.

Ukrainian soldiers fire targets on the front line in the direction of the city of Ugledar, Donetsk

A Ukrainian service member walks near residential buildings damaged by a Russian military strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the front line town of Bakhmut

Putin's forces claimed today that they have taken three districts in the key Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Pictured: Ukrainian serviceman near to shelled buildings in the city

Ukrainian soldiers of the 57th Brigade fire a mortar in the direction of Bakhmut, in Donetsk Oblast

Kyiv is reportedly preparing for a new assault on Russian positions utilising new kit supplied by the UK and other allies, including Challenger 2, M1 Abrams, and Leopard 2 battle tanks, Stryker and Bradley armoured vehicles, and new artillery systems.

The arsenal could be used to conduct a 'big bang-style' offensive bulldoze Putin's forces and even retake Crimea, military experts told The Sun Online.

Former US General Ben Hodges told the news site that he believes Ukraine will focus their efforts on finally retaking Crimea, which has been in Russian hands since 2014.

Developments on the battlefield come as Russia has announced the expulsion of more than 20 German diplomats, a move Moscow described as reciprocal following the departure of some of its diplomats from Berlin.

We are deepening our cooperation with Estonia and the Netherlands. Support from  and  means Victory for Ukraine, Victory for Ukraine means peace in Europe.

Thank you my friends @HPevkur @DefensieMin Kajsa Ollongren pic.twitter.com/wt63bKeyp9  Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) April 22, 2023

Distance is not an issue, when true friends come together to fight for freedom and democracy. New Zealand made a lot for #UAarmy and our people. Thank you @AndrewLittleMP for the discussion at #Ramstein. pic.twitter.com/snikguDfvI  Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) April 22, 2023

'As a reaction to the hostile actions of Berlin, the Russian side decided to mirror the expulsion of German diplomats from Russia, as well as to significantly limit the maximum number of employees of German diplomatic missions in our country,' Russian news agency Tass cited the Russian foreign ministry as saying.

A German foreign ministry official said Berlin and Moscow had been in contact in the last few weeks with the aim of reducing Russia's intelligence presence in Germany.

'Today's departure of Russian embassy staff is related to this,' the official added.

The German ministry declined to say how many Russian diplomats had left.

Ukrainian servicemen ride inside a M113 armoured personnel carried on a road to the front line city of Bakhmut

Relations between Russia and Germany, which used to be the biggest buyer of Russian oil and gas, have crumbled since Putin's troops invaded Ukraine in February last year.

Ukraine has been building up its diplomatic ties with western nations as the war drags on into its fourteenth month.

Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraine's defence minister, tweeted about his meetings today with counterparts from the Netherlands, New Zealand and Estonia.

He said Kyiv is 'deepening our cooperation' with Estonia and the Netherlands, and described New Zealand as 'true friends' of the Ukrainian army and people.
A trans double rapist received more than 30,000 of taxpayers cash to mount a defence - while she was initially sent to a womens prison.

Isla Bryson, 31, was convicted in January of raping two women: one in Clydebank in 2016 and one in Drumchapel, Glasgow, in 2019.

The case sparked an uproar after Bryson was initially housed in an all-female prison before being moved to the male estate following the outcry.

She committed the offences while still a man known as Adam Graham amd was sentenced to eight years in jail.

Bryson met both the victims online, with prosecutors saying the 31-year-old 'preyed' on vulnerable women.

Isla Bryson, 31, pictured, was convicted in January of raping two women: one in Clydebank in 2016 and one in Drumchapel, Glasgow , in 2019

She committed the offences while still a man known as Adam Graham (pictured) and was sentenced to eight years in jail

Bryson met both victims online, with prosecutors saying the 31-year-old 'preyed' on vulnerable women. She began transitioning after being charged with the rapes in 2020, aged 29

Bryson still has a penis and began transitioning after being charged with the rapes in 2020, aged 29.

The sex beast's lawyers recieved a total of 30,428.23 in fees, VAT, outlays and counsels' fees out of a fund from the Scottish Legal Aid Board.

A spokesperson for the Scottish Legal Aid Board said: 'Anyone charged with a serious criminal offence has the right to a fair trial and effective representation helps ensure that.

'As well as preventing miscarriages of justice, paying lawyers to provide representation for an accused eligible for legal aid helps the trial process to run smoothly and can help reduce inconvenience and distress for victims and witnesses.'

Scotland's Justice Secretary Keith Brown ordered an urgent review of the case and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) took the decision to halt the movement of all transgender prisoners with a history of violence against women into the female estate.

Bryson was moved out of Scotland's only all-women's prison to a male jail within hours of a humiliating U-turn by ex-Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The SNP leader revealed the U-turn just 24 hours after her own justice secretary Keith Brown backed the Scottish Prison Service's decision to put the transgender double rapist with female inmates in Cornton Vale.

Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross said today: 'It should not have taken public disgust and a slew of negative headlines about a double rapist being sent to a women's prison for Nicola Sturgeon to realise this was completely unacceptable and wrong.'

The double rapist will serve the sentence at HMP Edinburgh, also known as Saughton Prison, which was built in 1920 and holds around 900 prisoners per day.

Isla Bryson leaves Edinburgh High Court in a prison van after being sentenced to eight years in jail

'They are the ones who are suffering and all he's done is pull a stroke to try and get himself a softer sentence.

The sex-attacker's estranged wife dismissed the double rapist's eight-year sentence as 'nowhere near enough'.

Shonna Graham, 31, said: 'He  and I will always call him a he  will be out of prison in four years, but his two victims will have to live with this for the rest of their lives.

'It's an insult to them that their whole ordeal has hardly been discussed and it's all been about him, and what kind of prison should he go to.

'I'm glad they finally saw sense and put him in a man's prison and I hope he has a hard time there  he deserves it after what he's done.'

Shonna said she thought 15 years would have been a more suitable sentence for the double rapist, but she did welcome Lord Scott's words when he told Bryson: 'You see yourself as the victim in this case. You are not.'

It came just weeks after the devolved Scottish Parliament passed a Bill to make it easier for people to change their legal gender, drawing criticism from women's rights campaigners who argue predatory men could use it to access single-sex spaces such as bathrooms.

The Government in Westminster has since said it will block the change because it would have an impact on equality matters across the rest of the country.

The issue also came to a head shortly before Nicola Sturgeon said she would step down as Scottish First Minister after almost a decade in power, saying she had become too divisive.

During sentencing today, Lord Scott noted Bryson continues to 'vehemently deny' the offences, claiming the victims 'colluded' to press charges.

Shonna Graham, 31, married evil Graham when he was a man before his court case

Shonna Graham and Isla Bryson - then Adam Graham - on their wedding day

The court heard the rapist, who appeared in court wearing a blonde wig, black leggings and fluorescent pink jacket, is still pursuing full gender reassignment and is on 'the maximum recommended doses of hormone prescription' from Glasgow's Sandyford sexual health service clinic.

Defence advocate Edward Targowski KC said this, coupled with 'troubled early years', made Bryson vulnerable.

He told the court the criminal's move to transition following both rapes was not 'an afterthought cynically designed to reduce the punishment', contrary to what he described as 'ill-informed and ill-judged comments' made outside of the court.

But Lord Scott said the seriousness of the crimes 'far outweigh' Bryson's mitigatory circumstances.

He acknowledged Bryson is considered 'vulnerable in some ways' due to adverse childhood experiences, but said: 'You see yourself as the victim in this situation. You are not.

'Your vulnerability is no excuse at all for what you did to these two women.

'You raped two women who can both be regarded as vulnerable.'
A super PAC supporting a potential White House bid for Ron DeSantis has claimed it will help pay for Donald Trump to move out of Florida to California, after the ex-president insulted the state yesterday as part of an attack on the governor.

Never Back Down CEO Chris Jankowski aired the declaration in a statement posted to the political action committee's website Saturday - a day after Trump criticized DeSantis's Florida for being 'among the worst states' to live in and raise a family.

Never Back Down is promoting DeSantis for president, despite the 44-year-old having yet to formally announce presidential aspirations.

Its strongly worded statement - shared with one of its new ads touting DeSantis - serves as the latest installment in an ongoing row between Trump and the Florida politician, who up until recently sang each other's praises.

That all changed last November, when Trump announced his third consecutive White House Bid. The declaration promptly caused a rift between the two men - culminating in the continuing war of words currently on display.

Never Back Down aired the moving proposition on behalf of Gov. Ron DeSantis Saturday - a day after Trump criticized Florida for being 'among the worst states' to live in

The scathing statement came in response to recent comments made by Trump, seen here giving a speech in Fort Myers Friday, expressing his disdain for his home state under DeSantis

Never Back Down - run by a former GOP operative and Trump administration staffer - is currently promoting DeSantis for president, despite the 44-year-old having yet to formally announce his presidential aspirations. It began running ads in support of DeSantis last week

Responding to Trump's criticism on behalf of DeSantis, Jankowski - a veteran GOP operative and former official at the Republican State Leadership Committee - said his org would personally pay for the politician's move out of Palm Beach.

'Donald Trump has so deeply disparaged the state of Florida by calling it the 'worst state, we at Never Back Down will help him leave by offering financial assistance to help him move to his beloved California,' Jankowski wrote in the Saturday statement.

'He can be close to his good buddy Gavin Newsom,' the Republican cheekily added, 'whom he loves so intensely and gets along with so well.'

Jankowski - who runs the PAC with former Trump Citizenship and Immigration Services director Ken Cuccinelli - proceeded to slide in a few more barbs, poking fun at Trump for claiming his fraud indictment at the hands of NY DA Alvin Bragg was 'hand-picked and funded by George Soros'.

Soros, a Hungarian-born philanthropist worth nearly $7billion dollars, has emerged a lightning rod for conservative groups for his funding of increasingly liberal causes.

'The good news is that since so many people are moving to the state of Florida, thanks to the incredible success of Governor Ron DeSantis, no one will notice when Trump leaves,' Jankowski wrote.

'The state of Florida will be better off when Trump takes his Soros-fueled, dumpster fire of a campaign to San Francisco, where it will fit right in.'

The Jewish financier, who has close ties to California's Newsom, has been criticized for his recent overhaul the criminal justice system - achieved by giving millions to a network of woke prosecutors in Democratic races.

Bragg, one of the progressives appointed through Soros's push, led the historic grand jury indictment of the ex-president earlier this year, over a confirmed hush money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

The scathing, somewhat tongue-in-cheek statement came in direct response to recent comments made by Trump's office - laid bare in leaked emails that expressed the ex-president's disdain for his home state under the leadership of DeSantis

As those assertions were leaked, Trump delivered a speech - and distributed a pie of pizza - in Fort Myers, before continuing his criticism of DeSantis during a GOP dinner in Lee County

The scathing, somewhat tongue-in-cheek statement came in direct response to recent comments made by Trump's office - laid bare in leaked emails that expressed the ex-president's disdain for his home state under the leadership of DeSantis.

'The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair,' a spokesperson said in an email obtained by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

'He has left a wake of destruction all across Florida and people are hurting because he has spent more time playing public relations games instead of actually doing the hard-work needed to improve the lives of the people he represents.'

Titled 'The Real Ron DeSantis Playbook,' the campaign email proceeded to point out several aspects of life in the Sunshine State that Trump believes to be lacking, citing a slew of studies and reports to support the claims.

The list of points in the email, now circulating online, agued that Florida has become 'among the worst states to live find economic opportunity work retire raise a family pay taxes  rent a home have a baby... be a teacher be a doctor [and] be a police officer.'

The rep who penned the email, Steven Cheung, also cited studies that showed that the state was becoming increasingly unaffordable for both millennials and working moms while under the guidance of DeSantis.

As those assertions were leaked, Trump delivered a speech - and distributed a pie of pizza by hand - in Fort Myers.

While that appearance did not see the politician continue his crusade against DeSantis, he would voice his distaste of the governor later in the evening, during Lee County's GOP dinner, claiming the governor came groveling for an endorsement request - while celebrating what he said were favorable polling numbers.

'Sir, I'd love to have your support, sir,' Trump mimicked the father-of-three. 'I'd love to have your support, sir, I'm down in about three.'

'It was like a rocket ship after I gave him it, because otherwise right now you'd have a lawyer someplace looking for business.'

On Saturday, Trump continued his verbal assault online, starting with a Truth Social post that again touted his standing in some polls - while using Trump's recently tapped nickname for the polarizing governor: 'Ron DeSanctimonious'

'In the Polls, I am beating Biden everywhere, by a lot, except in the Globalist inspired Wall Street Journal, one of the worst, and most partisan, media outlets anywhere,' he wrote, claiming he was ahead in almost every other major media outlet.

On Saturday, Trump continued his verbal assault of the governor online, starting with a Truth Social post that again touted about his standing in some polls - while using Trump's recently tapped nickname for DeSantis: 'Ron DeSanctimonious'

The PAC also poked fun at Trump for his involvement with George Soros, after the ex-president his fraud indictment was 'hand-picked and funded by' the progressive billionaire

'It was that way with them in 2016, until I beat Crooked Hillary. Now they are using the same Fake Playbook, that I beat Ron DeSanctimonious easily, but Biden is close.

'All others media outlets have me beating both by a lot. Dont buy their Bull They are FAKE NEWS!!!'

A subsequent stream of posts would continue to zero in on DeSantis, including a shared article from Rolling Stone that claimed donors for the Florida conservative were 'getting happy feet' given a recent abortion law signed by DeSantis, and other polarizing legislature that may see him lose more moderate voters.

DeSantis, meanwhile, has kept relatively mum about his rivalry with Trump - apart from a few rumored statements reported in the media and now the ads aired by Never Back Down.

The PAC, a grassroots movement designed to get DeSantis into office, released its first national ad this month, which began airing earlier this week,

Titled 'Fight Democrats, not Republicans', the clip criticized Trump for his recent attacks on the governor, and reportedly cost at least $1 million to run.

The war of words between the two men serves to bolster an air of confusion as to who amongst a still developing field of potential Republican candidates - including DeSantis, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, ex South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and Trump's old running mate Mike Pence.

In February, a deep-pocketed donor network associated with billionaire Charles Koch and his late brother David has said it will not be backing Trump's next bid for office - heavily hinting at supporting DeSantis instead.

The declaration, made by brass at Americans for Prosperity Action in a memo to staffers, did not specify which candidate would receive the prospective funding, but vowed it would not be the embattled ex-head of state.

While not mentioning Trump by name, the CEO of the Kochs' main political arm offered a not-so-subtle jab at the former president, who during his tenure often sparred with Koch officials over his administration's trade and immigration policies.

The move, first reported by The Washington Post, as the donor group associated the billionaire industrialist brothers elected to sit out the two most recent GOP elections, where Trump, 76, twice surfaced as a frontrunner.

The group has yet to explicitly announce its support for DeSantis, who, as previously mentioned, has yet to confirm his presidential plans.

Trump, meanwhile, announced his run in November - during which he unveiled his nickname for his former mentee and he has already picked up some endorsements.
Two people died and 12 more were injured at a restaurant in Madrid after a flaming pizza set fire to the ceiling and walls.

The blaze started late last night at Burro Canaglia Bar&Resto, an Italian restaurant in the central Salamanca neighbourhood.

One person who died was a restaurant employee, while the other was a customer, Madrid's mayor Luis Martinez-Almeida said outside the building. Both victims were between the ages of 25 and 30.

Six of the injured were taken to hospital after the blaze, which broke out around 11pm, all of whom were described as being in a serious or critical condition.

Some customers are understood to have been celebrating a birthday, but it is unknown whether they were among the casualties.

Two people died and 12 more were injured at a restaurant in Madrid after a flaming pizza set fire to the ceiling and walls

Six of the injured were taken to hospital after the blaze, which broke out around 11pm, all of whom were described as being in a serious or critical condition

Firefighters gathered outside Canaglia Bar&Resto, an Italian restaurant in the central Salamanca neighbourhood, after the blaze

An eyewitness told El Pais newspaper that the fire started after a waiter flambed a pizza and the flames set fire to the ceiling and walls.

Madrid fire chief Carlos Martin said the blaze took place near a fire station and people were able to run to alert them about the accident.

Diners found it hard to flee as the blaze started near the main exit, emergency services said.

The mayor claimed there were about 30 diners and staff members in the restaurant at the time of the fire, according to the BBC.

He added there would have been more victims had the firefighters taken longer to attend the scene - with the blaze extinguished within 10 minutes from the first warning of fire.

Emergency services co-ordinator Emergencies Madrid confirmed: 'A fire in a restaurant in Manuel Becerra Square has resulted in the deaths of two people.

'Six people hurt have been taken to different hospitals in a serious condition. Four other people suffered minor injuries.

One person who died was a restaurant employee, while the other was a customer, Madrid's mayor Luis Martinez-Almeida said outside the building

'Twelve firefighter crews have put out the fire that spread quickly across the restaurant ceiling.

'They also rescued several people, clients and employees.'

One of the customers, who managed to escape and reach the street as the fire was still raging, said: 'Everyone began to shout and scream for help.

'They were moments of panic because there were people trapped who couldn't escape because of the fire and the smoke.'

Several people rescued by firefighters from inside the premises were said to have unconscious when they were brought our and laid on the pavement while paramedics tried to revive them.

Firefighter chief Carlos Marin said: 'People came running to the fire station which is only about 400 metres from the restaurant.

Several people rescued by firefighters from inside the premises were said to have unconscious when they were brought our and laid on the pavement while paramedics tried to revive them

'Our response was very quick because half of us responded by running to the scene on foot and the other half in vehicles.

'People were trapped inside when we arrived and after extinguishing the flames, we performed 12 rescues.

'They were trapped because the flames were preventing them from reaching the exit.'

Police are investigating the cause of the incident.
A Middle Eastern wife of a former FBI agent claimed she was locked in an American Airlines bathroom with her three-year-old and accused of terrorism.

Yazz Giraldo, 36; her husband Ali Moghaddam, 44; and their two young children were flying on an American Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to New York in September for a wedding when the mother claims she was discriminated against.

She had tried to take her infant daughter to the first-class bathroom but an unidentified flight attendant told her she was not allowed to despite 'everybody else using it,' her lawsuit, viewed by the New York Post, said.

She then took her daughter to the rear of the plane to where her husband was sitting separately. While changing her daughter's diaper, a second flight attendant told her there was no rule against her using the first-class bathroom closest to her seat. But when she later attempted to she claims she was locked in.

American Airlines has said it is reviewing the lawsuit and strives to 'provide a positive and welcoming experience to everyone.'

Yazz Giraldo, 36 (pictured); her husband Ali Moghaddam, 44; and their two young children were flying on an American Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale to New York in September for a wedding when the mother claims she was discriminated against by a first-class flight attendant

Both their children needed to use the restroom and when she attempted to take her infant daughter to the first-class bathroom, a flight attendant told her she wasn't allowed to. After she changed her daughter in the rear of the plane, another crew member told her otherwise and the took her three-year-old son to the front bathroom

After she ignored the flight attendant again, she claimed the attendant locked her in the bathroom and left her crying. Once she was released, a supervisor reported told her the 'pilot decided to put the plane under terrorist attack warning because of you'

After the first incident, when her three-year-old son needed to relieve himself, she had opted to take him to the first-class restroom.

But she was once again stopped by the flight attendant - even though her son 'was holding himself, he was about to lose it,' she said.

Despite the flight attendant's attempts to block her, the mother-of-two still took her son into the bathroom.

'I closed the door, when Im inside the bathroom I start hearing the noise: "Tick, tick, tick," [of the door locking],' she said.

'I freaked out. I was already under so much stress,' she said. 'I started to panic, I banged on the door a few times and I said: "Let me out of here."

'She was punishing me for challenging her.'

The former TV host lost track of time in the bathroom as she was overwhelmed, 'shaking,' and crying until she was released.

American Airlines has said it is reviewing the lawsuit and strives to 'provide a positive and welcoming experience to everyone'

'I was humiliated,' she said.

After being released, a supervisor approached her and claimed the 'pilot decided to put the plane under terrorist attack warning because of you.' When she tried to explain what happened, she said the supervisor screamed at her.

'I immediately knew it was racism. I immediately knew I was being discriminated against,' she said.

While all of this was happening, her husband - who served six years in the FBI - was unaware and didn't know the incident occurred until the family was escorted off the plane in New York.

Moghaddam requested they be taken to the FBI substation. After authorities learned he had a law enforcement background, the family was released 15 minutes later.

Her husband, who served six years in the FBI, said he was angered they would accusing his family of terrorism and that the word 'word terrorism is unique, especially considering all my sacrifices you dont throw that around'

'I dedicated about a decade of my life to public service, to protect the community. Joint Terrorism Task Force, undercover, S.W.A.T., all of this  for my family to be labeled as terrorist and be marched off a plane just because we want to change a diaper?' he told the New York Post.

'For me, theres certain terms that have a history and connotation that is very negative,' he continued. 'that word terrorism is unique, especially considering all my sacrifices you dont throw that around.'

Since the flight, Giraldo has started going to therapy, her lawyer Jitesh Dudani told the Post -adding that the family, who were once frequent flyers, are now fearful.
A former Isis fighter smuggled himself into Britain on a small boat across the Channel, posing as a 17-year-old  despite being aged 42, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

The man is thought to be the oldest person to pretend to be an unaccompanied minor and is understood to have spent up to a week in a local authority residential facility with other under-18s before his lies were exposed.

The Iraqi, named only as 'AJ', is a security threat because of his previous active service with the terror group in his own country.

He is staying in a three-star hotel along with other adult migrants as he appeals a decision  at taxpayers' expense  to have him deported.

Yesterday, a Home Office spokesman described his case as one of the most 'egregious examples' of why this country must stop asylum-seekers crossing from France.

A former Isis fighter smuggled himself into Britain on a small boat across the Channel, posing as a 17-year-old  despite being aged 42 (file image)

The revelation comes as Rishi Sunak granted a concession to 60 Tory rebel MPs by amending the Illegal Migration Bill  seen as vital to his 'stop the boats' pledge  to include compulsory age checks for those claiming they are children.

The MoS can reveal that 'AJ' arrived in late 2021, crossing the Channel in a small boat and using fake ID he bought online.

Despite his thick beard, receding hair and 'numerous' tattoos on his arms and neck, he applied for asylum as an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child and was put in local authority care in London.

But after suspicious officials checked his fingerprints against a Europe-wide database of asylum-seekers, his true identity was exposed and he was apprehended.

The MoS has learned that he was first encountered by US and UK security forces in Iraq in 2006 and recorded as a terrorist.

He is now on conditional bail and is fighting his deportation in a Legal Aid-funded case, claiming he is suffering from depression which can only be treated by the NHS and that deporting him to Iraq would breach his human rights.

The Iraqi, named only as 'AJ', is a security threat because of his previous active service with the terror group Isis in his own country (file image)

Last night, a security source told the MoS: 'This is one of the most extraordinary cases we've ever encountered. It's common for adult migrants to claim they are children, but we think this is the oldest person to make that claim.

'The brazenness of his claims was mind-blowing. He initially said he had fled to Britain alone after his farmer parents abandoned him, but his story had holes in it.

'He was also very clearly not the age he claimed to be. Some of the tattoos on his arms had been there a long time and had started to fade. He also had a thick beard and lines on his forehead and around his eyes. When we checked him on the Eurodac system, his true identity popped up, and his name was red-listed, meaning he is considered a potential threat to national security. He is known to have been part of Isis in Iraq and took part in terrorism campaigns. We are now trying our hardest to get him out of the country.'

A Home Office source said: 'This is another egregious example of why we must stop the boats  we need to secure our borders, crack down on this problem and detain and swiftly remove those who come here illegally.'
MSNBC host Joy Reid slammed Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito after the court's decision to temporarily preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

The case was brought before the Supreme Court after a federal judge in Texas on April 7 ruled that FDA approval of the drug was not legal.

Hours later, a judge in Washington state made the opposite ruling, setting the stage for a Supreme Court decision.

The court on Friday they voted 7-2 to continue allowing women to access the drug, which was approved by the FDA more than 20 years ago and is used in more than half of all abortions in the United States.

Justices Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, which sparked a takedown from Reid on her MSNBC show Friday, when she referred to the judge as 'Mullah Alito,' comparing him to an Islamist extremist.

MSNBC host Joy Reid slammed Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito after the court's decision to temporarily preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone Friday night

Reid was specifically criticizing a section of Alito's dissent where he said 'the Government has not dispelled legitimate doubts that it would even obey an unfavorable order in these cases, much less that it would choose to take enforcement actions to which it has strong objections.'

She specifically criticized a section of Alito's dissent where he said 'the Government has not dispelled legitimate doubts that it would even obey an unfavorable order in these cases, much less that it would choose to take enforcement actions to which it has strong objections.'

Reid said: '[T]his reads to me like that he's admitting, 'We don't have an army, we don't have the ability to enforce our decisions, and we're not sure if the government would even obey.

'That's a pretty glaring admission of weakness and a pretty churlish thing to write down in your dissent.

This guy seems to be all in his feelings that the American people oppose his attempts to play mullah instead of Supreme Court justice and ban abortion.'

The decision was sparked by the April 7 ruling of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, who found that the FDA exceeded its authority when it approved the drug back in 2000.

Kacsmaryk's order was partially blocked by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, though that court imposed restrictions that would prevent mifepristone from being sent to patients by mail.

The Biden administration and Danco Labs, the manufacturer of mifepristone, warned of possible wide-ranging consequences if the FDA's scientists were overruled by politicians and judges.

'If allowed to take effect, the lower courts' orders would thwart FDA's scientific judgment and undermine widespread reliance in a healthcare system that assumes the availability of mifepristone as an alternative to more burdensome and invasive surgical abortions,' Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the Supreme Court in a filing this week.

Alliance Defending Freedom, representing opponents to the abortion pill, countered that the administration's concerns amounted to a 'sky-is-falling-argument.'

'If this litigation involved any other drug, there would not even be a debate as to whether this Court should intervene mid-litigation stream with extraordinary relief,' their attorneys wrote in a filing to the court.

The case has divided the nation, with more than 150 Republican lawmakers supporting the conservative plaintiffs.

Democrats and leading medical associations, on the other hand, have pushed for mifepristone's continued availability.

The original stay expired on Wednesday but Justice Samuel Alito extended it until Friday at midnight.

The justices met for a private conference Friday, where they could talk about the issue.

The challenge to mifepristone, brought by abortion foes, is the first abortion controversy to reach the nation's highest court since its conservative majority overruled Roe v. Wade 10 months ago.

Since then more than a dozen states have banned abortion outright and several others have imposed heavy restrictions.

Staff with the group, Progressive Anti-Abortion Uprising, Kristin Turner, of San Francisco, left, Lauren Handy, of Washington, and Caroline Smith, of Washington, right, demonstrate against abortion pills outside of the Supreme Court

A new CBS News poll last week found that nearly two-thirds of the country wants mifepristone to remain available amid a fierce debate on abortion taking place throughout the country.

Abortion rights is expected to be one of the dominant issues in the 2024 presidential election.

In Texas abortion opponents filed a suit in November, arguing that the Food and Drug Administration's original approval of mifepristone 23 years ago and subsequent changes were flawed.

They won a ruling on April 7 by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, revoking FDA approval of mifepristone. The judge gave the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, mifepristone's maker, a week to appeal and seek to keep his ruling on hold.

Responding to a quick appeal, two more Trump appointees on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the FDA's original approval would stand for now.

But Judges Andrew Oldham and Kurt Englehardt said most of the rest of Kacsmaryk's ruling could take effect while the case winds through federal courts.

Their ruling would effectively nullify changes made by the FDA starting in 2016, including extending from seven to 10 weeks of pregnancy when mifepristone can be safely used.

The court also said that the drug cannot be mailed or dispensed as a generic and that patients who seek it need to make three in-person visits with a doctor. Women also might be required to take a higher dosage of the drug than the FDA says is necessary.

The administration and Danco have said that chaos will result if those restrictions take effect while the case proceeds. Potentially adding to the confusion, a federal judge in Washington has ordered the FDA to preserve access to mifepristone under the current rules in 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia that filed a separate lawsuit.

Medical groups point out mifepristone has been used by millions of women over the past 23 years with a low complication rate.

Common drug side effects with mifepristone include cramping, bleeding, nausea, headache and diarrhea.

In rare cases, women can experience excess bleeding that requires a surgical procedure to stop.

The mifepristone case is the first abortion case the nine justices are hearing since the conservative majority overturned Roe v Wade

More than 5.6 million women in the U.S. had used the drug as of June 2022, according to the FDA.

In that period, the agency received 4,200 reports of complications in women, or less than one tenth of 1% of women who took the drug.

For now, the Supreme Court is only being asked to block the lower-court rulings through the end of the legal case.

But the administration and Danco have a fallback argument if the court doesn't agree.

They are asking the court to take up the challenge to mifepristone, hear arguments and decide the case by early summer.

The court only rarely takes such a step before at least one appeals court has thoroughly examined the legal issues involved.

The New Orleans-based 5th circuit already has ordered an accelerated schedule for hearing the case, with arguments set for May 17.
Thousands of teachers are paying artificial intelligence computer software to write their end-of-year school reports for them, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.

More than 1,000 primary and secondary school teachers have already signed up to use Real Fast Reports, which creates a 'totally personalised and unique' report for each pupil at the touch of a button.

It costs just 10 a year to use the service, which was launched by two former teachers last year.

The company boasts its software saves teachers 'countless hours writing thousands of reports' by producing statements 'in fluent prose, inserting the student's name and gender pronouns automatically'.

All teachers have to do is put in a few bullet points of information about a student to create each report.

More than 1,000 primary and secondary school teachers have already signed up to use Real Fast Reports (stock image)

The AI software allows teachers to write bullet points about each pupil, which are then used to make a polished school report

Furious MPs and parenting groups last night criticised the use of AI in producing school reports, which are one of the few opportunities families have to check how their child is doing in class.

It comes amid growing anger at a series of teaching strikes which have forced classrooms to close and lessons to be missed.

'Parents are being short-changed and treated with contempt,' said Chris McGovern, chairman of the Campaign For Real Education. 'AI-generated reports are a lazy and deceitful cop-out which, along with strikes, brings the profession into further disrepute.'

Parenting campaign group Us For Them said: 'Children are expected to deliver individually prepared homework without the help of AI. It shouldn't be too much for parents to expect the same of schools.'

In years gone by report cards would be handwritten and give detailed descriptions of each pupil's progress  and some of their shortcomings.

But in recent decades they have become increasingly formulaic, leading to suspicion that some teachers simply 'cut and paste' impersonal paragraphs from child to child. Some teachers have admitted using ChatGPT to write pupil reports. The software can turn two sentences into a polished 250-word report.

But Real Fast Reports, founded by Peter Gravell and Angela Newton, claims to produce reports with a 'personal touch'.

In years gone by report cards would be handwritten and give detailed descriptions of each pupil's progress  and some of their shortcomings

A Mail on Sunday reporter signed up for a free trial with the company, and typed 'enthusiastic, good reading results, helpful, spelling needs work' into the software. The slick report it produced said: 'Jane is an enthusiastic student in English. She achieved good results in her reading test, but her spelling needs improvement. Jane is a helpful student who is always willing to assist her classmates.'

Mr Gravell told The Mail on Sunday that he believed his technology produced better school reports than many pupils currently got.

He said: 'Some teachers just write three reports per class  one good, one medium, one bad  and then copy and paste for the whole class and change the names.

'As experienced teachers and parents, we understand the concerns about AI potentially short-changing families and producing formulaic or bland reports. However, our service balances the efficiency of AI with the personal touch that only a teacher can provide.

'Teachers say that writing in bullet points forces them to think more carefully about the feedback they provide.

'Real Fast Reports is a far superior alternative to bulk copying and pasting, which some time-pressured teachers may resort to when writing reports.'

He added that it was also a 'tremendous help' to teachers with dyslexia or those who do not speak English as a first language.

Industrial action on Thursday will see schools close across England, depriving millions of children of yet another day of schooling. It follows two strike days last term. A further shutdown is planned on May 2 in the dispute about pay.

Britain and its values can lead the world in the AI revolution

By Michelle Donelan, Science Secretary

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a sci-fi fantasy. It is real, a part of our lives, and is here to stay. Solutions to some of our greatest challenges  many of which were once thought impossible  are now within reach. Many of us will likely live to see a cure for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's thanks to AI. Our children's talents will be discovered and nurtured through personalised AI-supported education in schools. And everything from agriculture to law enforcement will become more efficient, effective and affordable as AI products solve problems for us.

But the warnings about the potential risks are credible and must be heeded. We must put AI safety and reliability first, so we can confidently capture its incredible benefits. Furthermore, we cannot pretend that AI is not a threat in the wrong hands. Some states around the world will undoubtedly seek to monopolise its use for menacing purposes, or to further the goals of authoritarianism. If we want AI to be safe and to work for humanity rather than against it, we must inject our western, British values into its development from the start.

MICHELLE DONELAN: Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a sci-fi fantasy. It is real, a part of our lives, and is here to stay

In our White Paper last month, we set out our country's approach to AI, founded on five key principles that we will enforce on to all AI uses: safety, transparency, fairness, accountability and redress. Together, these will ensure that AI reflects our principles from the off  no ifs, no buts. By doing so, we not only put ourselves in contention to lead the world in safety, we also give AI companies the certainty and the clarity they need to invest in the UK.

Estimates suggest that AI will add trillions of dollars to the global economy over the next decade  which means high-paying jobs, stronger public services and a better quality of life for us all. The question for the UK is: how much of that potential do we want to seize? How ambitious should a country such as ours be? Our answer is simple: the UK plans to become a world superpower in safe AI.

Investment in British AI firms has increased by a factor of ten in just six years. Last month we announced a new 900 million supercomputer that will put Britain at the cutting edge of AI development. However, I firmly believe we need a revolutionary approach if we are to succeed in our mission.

The Vaccine Taskforce showed during Covid what we are capable of when we allow our brightest minds to solve a problem.

Tomorrow, we are announcing more detail on the new Foundation Models Taskforce aimed at ensuring that the UK becomes a global leader in safe AI. We are not rushing to put rigid laws in place which could quickly become out of date and make it harder to keep the UK on the cutting edge of tech. Thanks to Brexit we can take an approach which encourages British firms to innovate responsibly with AI, instead of bogging them down in bureaucracy.

Britain does best when it leads and sees the potential for good in a new technology. We did it with everything from the steam engine to the worldwide web  revolutionary technologies that helped reshape our world for the better.

When it comes to AI, we must step up and ensure our values, our regulation and our know-how is what guides the world toward the safe use of AI that will benefit us all.
Kenyan officials have exhumed 21 bodies while investigating a cult whose followers are believed to have starved themselves to death.

On Thursday, homicide detectives marked out patches of earth with sticks and yellow tape in Shakahola forest in Kilifi county, near the location where police rescued 15 members of the Good News International Church last week, according to footage broadcast by Citizen TV. Four of them died before they reached hospital.

Officials earlier reported seven deaths in eastern Kenya in connection with the arrest of Makenzie Nthenge, a pastor who reportedly told followers to starve themselves in order to 'meet Jesus'.

'In total since yesterday, we have 21 bodies,' a police source told AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to exhumations in the Shakahola forest outside the coastal town of Malindi.

The leader of the church, Mackenzie, was arrested following a tip-off that also suggested the existence of shallow graves belonging to at least 31 of Mackenzie's followers.

Kenyan officials have exhumed 21 bodies while investigating a cult whose followers are believed to have starved themselves to death

Forensic experts and homicide detectives carry the bodies of suspected members of a Christian cult named as Good News International Church, who believed they would go to heaven if they starved themselves to death, after their remains were exhumed from their graves in Shakahola forest of Kilifi county, Kenya

Mackenzie's lawyer could not immediately be reached for comment.

'We have not even scratched the surface which gives a clear indication that we are likely to get more bodies by the end of this exercise,' the source added.

Another police source confirmed the same toll, also on condition of anonymity.

At least three children were among the victims, said one of the sources.

Nthenge, leader of the Good News International Church, turned himself in to police and was charged last month, according to local media, after two children starved to death in the custody of their parents.

He was initially released on bail of 100,000 Kenyan shillings ($700).

But police arrested Nthenge on April 15 after discovering the bodies of four followers whom he reportedly told to starve themselves in order to 'meet Jesus'.

The case is due to be heard in court on May 2 with an initial hearing on Monday.

'This pastor will have to face all these charges even though he has gone on a hunger strike saying that he is praying and fasting in custody,' a police source said.

On Friday, Kenyan police said that they had exhumed three other bodies.

Eleven other followers of the church - seven men and four women aged 17 to 49 - were taken to hospital, three of them in critical condition, after being rescued on April 14.

Police raided the forest after receiving information of the deaths on 'ignorant citizens starving to death under the pretext of meeting Jesus after being brainwashed' by Nthenge.

Local media reported that six of Nthenge's associates were also arrested.

Titus Katana, a former member of the church, helped police identify the graves.

'We have shown the graves to the police, and in addition, we have saved the life of a woman who only had a few hours left, otherwise she'd also be dead,' Katana told Citizen TV.

Matthew Shipeta from Haki Africa, a human rights group, said he had seen at least 15 shallow graves in the forest.

Officials earlier reported seven deaths in eastern Kenya in connection with the arrest of Makenzie Nthenge, a pastor who reportedly told followers to starve themselves in order to 'meet Jesus'

Helen Mikali, the manager of a children's home who was also helping investigators, said she had visited several nearby villages where parents and children had disappeared.

'Personally I have visited about 18 children's graves,' Mikali told Citizen TV. She did not say how she knew the graves contained the remains of children.

Last month police arrested and later released Mackenzie, who they identified as Paul Nthenge Mackenzie, for encouraging the parents of two boys to starve and suffocate their children to death.

During a court appearance in that case, Nthenge said he was unaware of the events that led to the deaths of the two boys, adding he was the target of hostile propaganda from some of his former colleagues, The Standard newspaper reported.
Prince Andrew played a key role in the battle to control the Windsor Castle fire helping firefighters navigate the historic building, a new television documentary reveals.

But the layout of the castle was so complicated that the monarch's son got lost!

Mike Green, who was the senior divisional officer, on the day the fire broke out, November 20, 1992, explained: 'It was a very difficult location.

'Prince Andrew actually made himself available so he was saying: "Where do you want to get to? I'll show the way there."

'But even he came unstuck on a couple of occasions because it's such a complex building that he was leading them one way and then suddenly said: 'Oh no, we can't get through this way.'

A new TV documentary reveals the role Prince Andrew played during the 1992 fire at Windsor

Prince Andrew played a key role in the battle to control the Windsor Castle fire helping firefighters navigate the historic building, a new television documentary reveals

It is now 30 years since the Windsor Castle fire broke out on the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's 45th wedding anniversary.

She was planning to spend the weekend at Windsor Castle as her husband was on a trip to Argentina.

Channel 4's documentary The Windsor Castle Fire: The Untold Story, has now created a minute-by-minute account of the battle to save the building.

Jenny Bond, who was the BBC's Royal Correspondent between 1989 and 2003, told the programme that Andrew was on the scene immediately.

'Prince Andrew was actually pretty key to how the early part of the operation went,' she said.

Firefighters battling the blaze at Windsor. It is now 30 years since the Windsor Castle fire broke out on the late Queen and Duke of Edinburgh's 45th wedding anniversary

'He'd been there at the castle doing some research work and, suddenly, he was alerted to the fact there was a fire.

'So, he was on the scene immediately and, pretty much, took charge, I think, in those initial hours.'

Charles Anson, who was the Queen's press secretary between 1990 and 1997, also recalled the day vividly.

He remembered the Queen being led into the burning castle to rescue some of her personal possessions.

'The Queen herself wanted to go into recover some of the smaller items within her own apartments,' he said.

'She would have a better idea where they were and which ones she wanted to take out.

'The Queen herself wanted to go into recover some of the smaller items within her own apartments,' Charles Anson, who was her press secretary between 1990 and 1997, said

'Towards the end of the day it became clear, after the Queen had removed things from her own apartments, that there was no way in which she would be able to stay in the castle.

'So, she returned to Buckingham Palace, which was very unusual. I remember her coming in.

'We said how sorry we were and the Queen in what was then a quite husky voice from the smoke at Windsor, she said: 'Well, at least we saved the pictures.'

One of the firefighters, Neil Carter, was present when the monarch arrived at the castle.

'I happened to be at the entrance to the castle when the Queen arrived,' he recalled. 'I met her eye at the time and it was a very sombre moment.

'I realised how much she valued the castle and to see it in that state must have been a horrible experience for her. She just looked incredibly sad.'

The Windsor Castle Fire: The Untold Story is at 8.15pm on Saturday April 22 on Channel 4.
A former royal butler of King Charles has revealed the tell-tale signs that show when the monarch is unhappy.

Grant Harrold worked for the King and Queen Consort when they were still Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall between 2005 and 2011.

The royal insider said that while he never saw the King 'angry', he could tell when he was stressed and, to do this day, can tell just by watching the King on television if he is 'unhappy'.

During an etiquette event earlier this week he said: 'There was a documentary I watched a couple of years ago and the interviewer kept asking the same question.

'You would probably never notice, but I could tell that he had had enough.'

A former royal butler of King Charles has revealed the tell-tale signs that show when he is unhappy. Following the death of his mother Charles was seen becoming frustrated over a leaky pen (pictured)

Grant Harrold (pictured)worked for the King and Queen Consort when they were still Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall between 2005 and 2011

Reflecting on watching the pen situations, the former butler said he 'really felt' for his former boss then. Picture: King Charles frustrated over a leaky pen in Hillborough Castle, Northern Ireland

While most would not notice the agitated King, the butler said it is clear through his mannerisms and the way he presents himself.

He told The Independent: 'It's in his mannerisms. He'll just suddenly [look left and right], he'll be fidgeting a little bit and kind of look all around, it's quite interesting.

'It looks like this, like he's just getting comfortable [in his chair], but actually he's not happy.'

In the days following the death of his mother, the King was seen on two occasions getting flustered over a leaking pen, with some onlookers claiming he appeared 'petulant'.

The first pen mishap came during his proclamation in which he motioned frantically to an aide to move a pen box away from his desk.

The second incident happened while he was sitting at the royal residence of Hillborough Castle in Northern Ireland, when once again appeared flustered by ink dripping as he signed a book towards the end of the visit.

He old royal aides he 'can't bear the bloody thing', adding 'every stinking time'. as he furiously rubbed the ink away from his fingers.

Reflecting on watching the pen situations, the former butler said: 'When the Queen died and we saw the pen incident, I really felt for him then.

'Losing both parents so quickly, and then having to carry on doing stuff in front of people  that was probably the most stressed I've ever seen him.'

The revelations come as the UK prepares for the Coronation of the King and Queen on May 6, which will be attended by 2,000 guests.

The guest list includes royal family members, politicians, heads of state and other foreign royals, as well as celebrities.

Early this week Sarah Ferguson, Duke of York confirmed that she would not be attending the King's coronation as she had not been invited, despite the fact her daughters Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie are set to be there.

Experts said that she had not been invited to the historic day because she is an 'embarrassment' and is no longer a member of the Royal Family.

Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain Fergie told Kate Garraway and Adil Ray: I'm not [going], it's a state occasion, and being divorced I don't think you can have it both ways.

'I am divorced and I'm really loving being divorced to my ex-husband, not from him but to him, it's important to differentiate.'
King Charles last night led tributes to legendary comedian Barry Humphries who died yesterday aged 89.

The true genius of stage and screen, who delighted generations with his satirical alter egos Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, passed away in St Vincents Hospital in Sydney, Australia, with his close family by his bedside.

In a statement, his family said: He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.

Heartfelt tributes to Australian-born Humphries, who had become a national treasure in Britain since arriving here in 1959, poured in from fellow comedians, politicians and the Royal Family  despite the comic taking great pleasure in using his sharp-tongued characters to poke fun at the absurdity of celebrity and authority.

A spokesman for King Charles said the monarch  who was famously left in hysterics when Dame Edna infiltrated the royal box during the 2013 Royal Variety Performance  was saddened by the news. His Majesty is writing privately to Mr Humphries family as we speak, the spokesman said.

King Charles last night led tributes to legendary comedian Barry Humphries who died yesterday aged 89

A spokesman for King Charles said the monarch  who was famously left in hysterics when Dame Edna infiltrated the royal box during the 2013 Royal Variety Performance  was saddened by the news

His Majesty is writing privately to Mr Humphries family as we speak, the spokesman said

It was always a thrill to watch him perform

Sir Michael Parkinson, who hosted Humphries on his talk show sofa over the years described him as one of his favourite guests of all time, as well as a dear friend.

In a time when the word is bandied around far too easily, we have truly lost a genius, Sir Michael said. I shall miss him and the dame in equal measure.

Tweet memories Jason Donovan Australia has lost one of its greatest! Funny, literate and fiercely intelligent, Barry Humphries was quite simply an entertaining genius. The characters he created brought laughter to millions... Ricky Gervais Farewell, Barry Humphries, you comedy genius. Boris Johnson RIP Barry Humphries  one of the greatest ever Australians  and comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, to say the otherwise unsayable. Also an infallibly brilliant Spectator contributor. What a loss. Advertisement

Actress Maureen Lipman, another long-time friend of the comedian, told The Mail on Sunday that he left audiences helpless and made us disbelieve our ears and fear for our sanity. He curled that magenta lip for us, she said, referring to Humphries in character as Dame Edna. He lacerated pretentiousness for us. He moved us and mithered us in mirth. 

League Of Gentlemen and Inside No 9 star Reece Shearsmith said he had one of the most fearsomely sharp-witted minds we will ever see. He was always so funny, so sly and so terrifying. It was always a thrill to watch him perform.

And broadcaster Joan Bakewell said Humphries loved everything that prompted ideas and thought. He loved art, books, ideas, laughter . . . and he was good at them all, she added. Four-times married Humphries, who was also a painter, author and poet, had been readmitted to hospital on Wednesday after suffering complications following hip surgery last month.

The bibliophile, who had an impressive collection of rare books, fell after catching his foot on a rug while reaching for a book.

The absurdity was not lost on Humphries. It was the most ridiculous thing, as all domestic incidents are, he said.

He leaves behind fourth wife Lizzie Spender, two sons, two daughters and ten grandchildren.
King Charles is said to be furious that some members of the Armed Forces and the police may miss out on special commemorative Coronation medals.

Details of the medal were expected to have been announced by now, but a row over Government funding is said to be holding up plans.

There are fears that the cost of decorating hundreds of thousands of uniformed personnel could run to 35million  and that there is not enough metal to do it.

However, sources close to the King said that he wanted all serving frontline members of the police, fire, emergency services, prison services and the Armed Forces to be given a medal  just as they were during the Queens Platinum Jubilee last year. They said: The King is furious about it. He believes that all service personnel who take part in the Coronation should receive a medal for doing so, along the lines of previous celebrations.

King Charles is said to be furious that some members of the Armed Forces and the police may miss out on special commemorative Coronation medals

Details of the medal were expected to have been announced by now, but a row over Government funding is said to be holding up plans

While about 120,000 medals were issued at the Queens Coronation in 1953, only 10,000 are expected this time  though sources dispute this figure.

These are expected to go to key people involved in the big day, as well as members of the Royal household.

READ MORE: Will there be a coronation medal for King Charles III? Advertisement

Last night, sources said that attempts by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace to give every serving member medals were being resisted by Suella Bravermans Home Office.

They said: Ben is insisting that every member of the Armed Forces should get a medal  about 220,000. But other departments, led by Suella in the Home Office, are trying to block it.

It is sheer spite, because they dont want to be made to look bad by the MoD.

However, Home Office sources said that while they supported the plans, they had raised concerns about how they would be funded amid fears that the money would have to come out of existing budgets.

One said: We support giving Coronation medals to Armed Forces personnel and other uniformed officers. Along with other departments, weve asked for a cross-Government approach to provide the funding for these medals.

The medal is not expected to be ready in time for May 6, but will be handed out at a later date. Its design is yet to be unveiled, but the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has said it is still considering options.

While about 120,000 medals were issued at the Queens Coronation in 1953, only 10,000 are expected this time  though sources dispute this figure

A Coronation medal was made for Queen Elizabeth II when she was crowned. It featured a portrait of the Queen on one side and her Royal cypher on the other, and was given to members of the Royal Family, government officials and members of the Armed Forces.

Coronation medals have been issued for each British monarch since the Coronation of King George IV in 1821. They have also been issued by other Commonwealth realms, such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Medals have also been issued to commemorate the late Queens Silver, Golden and Diamond Jubilees.

A DCMS spokesman said: As with other major state occasions, we are considering options for a Coronation medal. More details will be announced in due course.

A source disputed the 35million figure and said the issue with metal had not been raised by officials.
This week the debate over whether second homeowners should be charged a higher rate of council tax has been reignited in the UK.

It comes after Scotland's First Minister launched a consultation to tax second homeowners in the country double the amount of council tax, mirroring a similar proposal that could be set to take place in England in 2025.

MailOnline speaks to locals in popular tourist spots as well as second homeowners about what the solution is to the UK's empty home crisis.

Second home owner Mark Brooks, who rents a property near Hope Cove, Devon, said areas like his 'need tourists for the local economy to survive'

Grassroot campaigners from First Not Second Homes, based in Cornwall, support the idea of double council tax - but believe the Government needs to go even further

When Humza Yousaf unveiled plans to make second homeowners in Scotland pay double the amount of council tax, it would have sounded familiar to those in England and Wales.

Tens of thousands of empty properties across the country, leading to locals being priced out of their hometowns has prompted a wave of tax proposals by local Governments.

Speaking at the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the new First Minister, announced the plans in a bid to crackdown on the 42,865 long-term empty properties in the country - and help increase housing availability for locals.

But it is not a clear-cut solution. In the coastal tourist town of Elie and Earlsferry, Fife, where 54 per cent of houses are second homes, people are in two minds over the proposal.

Angus Meldrum, 56, who owns Elie Watersports said, 'to do a blanket solution all over Scotland is just a bad idea'.

In the tourist hub Elie and Earlsferry, Fife, Scotland, 54 per cent of housing are deemed to be second homes

He told MailOnline: 'The problem is there's a lot of second homes that never get used or get used once a year, then lie empty for the rest of the year. It's the people who are not using them that's the problem.

'That is not good for the economy, the tourism industry or anything. People should either be made to use their houses or let them out.

'In Elie, a lot of people have more than enough money to not worry too much about [being taxed more]. Some of them will probably decide to sell up but the majority will just accept they're going to pay money.'

Elie business owner Shona Jones, 50, worried that the plans had 'not been thought through fully' and expressed concerns about the 'impact on tourism'.

She said: 'Short-term lets will disappear, therefore a majority of the businesses will also suffer, and the bottom line is empty homes are an issue.

'The downside of living in a holiday village is there's not a happy medium. It's either extremely quiet or overly busy.

'We need to strike a balance. At the minute, you get the distinct feeling that anything second home, no matter the circumstances, equals bad. That's not always the case.'

And it is not a new concept - much of Wales already charges second homeowners a premium on their council tax, with some areas looking to boost this by 150 per cent in the next year.

Speaking at the Scottish Trades Union Congress earlier this week, new First Minister Humza Yousaf unveiled plans to tax second home owners double the amount in a bid to crackdown on the 42,865 long-term empty properties in the country

This map shows parts of the country where plans to make second home owners a council tax premium are in place

Allowing councils to charge a council tax premium on second homeowners and those with long-term empty properties has already been introduced in Wales. Individual councils have chosen to charge anywhere between a 25 per cent and 150 per cent premium

Only four councils across Wales have opted not to tax second homeowners a premium.

Most councils have chosen to charge these homeowners double the amount of tax, with two, Gwynedd Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council, choosing to charge 150 per cent higher than the standard tax rate.

In England, councils up and down the country have started initiating plans that would increase tax premiums for second homeowners.

It comes as the Government reported 257,331 homes in England were unoccupied for at least six months last year, and the shocking revelation that two thirds of homes in the London borough of Westminster are deserted.

The councils tend to be in tourist hubs - from the Lake District to the Cotswold's, Norfolk to Cornwall.

It is hoped they will be able to instigate the change in tax by 2025, depending on when the Government's Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill is passed through and receives Royal Ascent - it is currently stalled at the House of Lords.

Current estimations expect the Bill to be passed in April next year.

Public opinion in parts of England is split over whether those with more than one property should be punished. While some support the idea to push more money back into local communities, other business owners in tourist hubs have warned those supporting the tax rise not to 'bite the hands that feeds you'.

In Dorset, which is home to tourist and second home havens such as Bournemouth, Sandbanks and Swanage, the latest figures show the county has 5,722 second homes.

Locals are enthralled in a fierce debate over whether there is a need to add a premium to second homeowners' tax.

Mark Morris, 32, runs Sandbanks Concierge maintenance company that cleans homes along the millionaire's row in Poole.

He believes those who work hard and can afford second homes should not be punished - adding further tax could have a detrimental impact on his local business that relies on holiday homeowners.

Mark Morris, 32, runs Sandbanks Concierge maintenance company that cleans homes along the millionaire's row in Poole. He believes those who work hard and can afford second homes should not be punished

Peter Piers, 78, from Berkshire who was visiting Hope Cove, Devon, backed the plans to tax second home owners to help 'free up homes for locals'

Younger people in the Victorian coastal town of Swanage, Dorset, have been priced out of the area by second homeowners

Mr Morris told MailOnline: 'If these laws are introduced here, it will have a terrible impact on my business.

'Owners of second homes used to get reduced rates of council tax does not double the usual amount. Pushing it so far, the other way is really extreme.

'Why should people who have worked really hard to be able to afford a second home be punished for it?'

Similarly, Poole property developer Myles Bridges, 58, believes if imposed the new law could have an unfair impact on less wealthy second homeowners.

He said: 'There is an erroneous assumption that all second homeowners are incredibly wealthy.

'Not all second homeowners live in Sandbanks. For those who might have a second home in a cheaper part of the country this could be really hard on them.'

Other Dorset locals, however, are all for the tax increase in hope that it will make housing more affordable to those from the area.

Debbie Tottingham, 56, who manages a post office near Sandbanks said: 'There is a short supply of housing for local people right now so doubling the tax for those with two houses is a good thing.

Angus Meldrum, 56, who owns Elie Watersports in the tourist town of Elie and Earlsferry, Fife, Scotland said 'to do a blanket solution all over Scotland is just a bad idea'

Elie business owner Shona Jones, 50, worried that the plans had 'not been though through fully' and expressed concerns about the 'impact on tourism'

Speaking at the Scottish Trades Union Congress, the new First Minister, announced the plans in a bid to crackdown on the 42,865 long-term empty properties in the country - and help increase available housing. Pictured: The coastal town of Elie and Earlsferry, Fife, Scotland

'We need more housing for renting and buying for ourselves.'

Further down the coast in the Victorian coastal town of Swanage, younger people have been priced out of the area by second homeowners.

Rachel Girling has lived in Swanage for decades and she has seen the 'terrible' impact of second home ownership firsthand.

She said: 'I think if people can afford to buy a second home, they can afford to pay double the council tax for what it does to the area.

'I have seen what it does to an area like Swanage, it drives house prices up and makes life so much harder for the locals.

'Lots of people I know have moved away because things have become so expensive.

'When second homeowners buy these homes and leave them empty most of the year, they take away from the local economy.'

It's a similar story in Devon where the issue of hiking tax has become a bone of contention among those who live and work in areas filled with second homes.

South Hams District Council is just one council along England's coast that voted in February to double council tax for owners when the Bill is passed through.

The area has 4,000 second homes amounting to just one in 12 of the total but it is not a clear-cut matter, causing fractures in the communities of Salcombe and Hope Cove.

First Not Second Homes organiser, Cath Navin, who was born in St Ives and now lives in St Erth, Cornwall, said locals 'can't access truly affordable housing'

Grassroot campaigners from the group First Not Second Homes have travelled from Cornwall to London this weekend to demand action on second homes from the Government (picture from May 2022)

Second homeowner Mark Brooks, rents out a barn conversion near Hope Cove, living in nearby Galmpton.

He said: 'I am already paying rates for both the house I live in and the holiday cottage so it will be pretty gutting if I am charged double.

'I'm sure most second homeowners can afford it but that's not really the point. I think you must be very careful about attacking people who are spending money in the area.

'People need homes to live in - of course - but places like Hope Cove need tourists for the local economy to survive.'

He said the solution is provide more 'genuinely affordable housing' and warned politicians in tourist towns not to 'bite the hand that feeds you'.

In Salcombe - recently named Britain's most expensive seaside town with homes costing an average of 1.2million - Catherine Palmer who lives in nearby Kingsbridge says attacking the well-off isn't the answer.

She said: 'It feels like everybody is coming after second homeowners. Are we saying nobody should be allowed a second home just because some people can't afford one?

'I can't afford to live down in Salcombe but that doesn't mean other people shouldn't.

John and Sarah Knott from Arundel, West Sussex, were on holiday in Salcombe but previously owned a second home in Devon which they sold in 2004 supported the plans

In Dorset, which is home to tourist and second home havens such as Bournemouth, Sandbanks and Swanage (pictured), the latest figures show the county has 5,722 second homes

The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill, if passed, will allow councils to hike these taxes is still at Committee Stage in the House of Lords. As it was not passed through as law before March 31 this year, councils will not be able to enforce the changes until the 2025/26 tax year at the earliest

'Doubling council tax will bring money into the local economy which is a good thing but there are some strong opinions locally.

'It would be better if homes were occupied for more of the year so making it more expensive to leave a house empty could work but if you push too far and get rid of second homeowners that would be really bad for the local economy.'

John and Sarah Knott from Arundel, West Sussex, were on holiday in Salcombe but previously owned a second home in Devon which they sold in 2004 supported the plans.

What is the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill and how will it impact second homes? The Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill is currently at Committee Stage in the House of Lords. It will not be made law until it receives Royal Ascent which is currently expected in April 2024. While the bill covers many aspects behind the Government's agenda to level-up the country, one relates to how local authorities can tax second homeowners. It will allow councils to charge a premium tax rate for second homeowners, that could be up to double the standard council tax. The section of the bill has been added in an attempt to stop second homeowners price out local house buyers. It is also part of a bid to reduce the number of empty properties up and down the country. According to the Government's figures from last year, 257,331 homes in England were unoccupied for at least six months. Advertisement

Mr Knott, 65, said: 'I think double council tax is fine. It won't put anybody off buying here because if you can afford a house down here at these prices you can definitely afford to pay a bit more in council tax.

'I think it will have a positive effect on relationships between second homeowners and locals too if those who could afford it were seen to pay their fair share or even a little more.

'If I still had my second home, I would be happy to pay it if I knew the money was going towards helping people in the community.'

Peter Piers, 78, from Berkshire, who was visiting Hope Cove on holiday backed the plans.

He said: 'I think it's probably a good idea if it helps to free up homes for locals.

'It might make people think twice about buying a second home. If a house is rented out to a local and it's being lived in that's bringing in a lot more investment locally than a house that's left empty most of the year. That doesn't do anything for the local community.'

The Bill to allow councils to hike these taxes is still at Committee Stage in the House of Lords. As it was not passed through as law before March 31 this year, councils will not be able to enforce the changes until the 2025/26 tax year at the earliest.

Some who feel they are being pushed out of their hometowns by tourists have said enough is enough and are not willing to wait any longer.

Grassroot campaigners from the group First Not Second Homes have travelled from Cornwall to London this weekend to demand action on second homes from the Government.

The group, along with other activists, will stage a protest outside the houses of Parliament.

One of the organisers, Cath Navin, 52, who was born in St Ives and now lives in the nearby village of St Erth, told MailOnline that locals 'can't access truly affordable housing' as a result of the second homes.

Ms Navin, who runs her own farmers' market stalls and bakery business, said: 'Tourism is not our primary industry in Cornwall - agriculture generates more income.

'I appreciate people say don't bite the hand that feeds you, but tourism is not feeding everybody.

'Those staying in AirBnBs or in short-term lets go to Sainsburys, Tesco, Asda, they don't come to market stalls like mine, that's not their bread and butter so they go elsewhere which doesn't bring much to the local economy.

'Schools are losing teachers, we have horrendous A&E waiting lists down here, the social care system is on its knees because we can't get staff, because they are priced out of their properties.

'Doubling the council tax is a start, particularly if that money can be ring fenced to remain in Cornwall and be used specifically for housing interventions.'
Only a 'select group' of reality stars will attend 2023 Australian Fashion Week next month, with the rest blacklisted to protect the event's reputation.

Just a handful of brides from this year's season of Married At First Sight have been invited, after last year saw a deluge of fame-hungry participants flock to Sydney's Carriageworks venue.

Evelyn Ellis, Janelle Han and Tahnee Cook, who already work in the fashion and influencer spheres, are among the lucky few.

Duncan James and Sandy Jawanda are also confirmed to attend.

These VIPs will be rubbing shoulders with Australia's fashion elite, who get to sit in the first two rows at all the runway presentations.

Only a 'select group' of reality stars will attend 2023 Australian Fashion Week next month, with the rest blacklisted to protect the event's reputation. (Pictured: MAFS bride Evelyn Ellis)

With only an elite group of glamorous and well-edited MAFS stars attending Fashion Week this year, the rest of the cast is said to be 'feeling the FOMO'.

One unnamed cast member from this year's season has been bombarding designers with unsolicited messages, begging for the chance to be seen in their clothes.

Another has resorted to emailing one of the featured brands, pointing out the number of followers they have on Instagram.

Just a handful of brides from this year's season of MAFS have been invited, after last year saw a deluge of fame-hungry participants flock to Carriageworks. Evelyn Ellis, Janelle Han (left) and Tahnee Cook (right), who already work in the fashion industry, are among the lucky few

With only an elite group of glamorous and well-edited MAFS stars attending Fashion Week this year, the rest of the cast is said to be 'feeling the FOMO'

The question on everyone's lips is whether 2023 Fashion Week will be all business or if reality stars and influencers will steal the spotlight in the front row once again.

The usual suspects, including Phoebe Burgess, Nadia Fairfax, Holly Kingston, Francesca Hung, Simone Holtznagel, Imogen Anthony, Jack Vidgen, Nikki Phillips, Kate Waterhouse, Anna Heinrich, and Ksenija Lukich, are all expected to attend.

Fresh from her stint in the jungle, MAFS alum Domenica Calarco has also secured her seat and is expected to appear at multiple shows.

Rumours are swirling that Hollywood actress Mischa Barton could also attend after landing a guest role on the Neighbours reboot.

The question on everyone's lips is whether 2023 Fashion Week will be all business or if reality stars and influencers will steal the spotlight. (Pictured: Phoebe Burgess and Kate Waterhouse)

Rumours are swirling that Hollywood actress Mischa Barton (pictured) could also attend after landing a guest role on the Neighbours reboot

It comes after MAFS 'villain' Olivia Frazer ruffled feathers las year when she took a seat in the front row at AFW, despite having been assigned a second-row seat.

An onlooker told Daily Mail Australia she was supposed to have been seated next to them in the second row at the Bec + Bridge show.

'I noticed Olivia mingling with people in the front row and trying to work out where she was sitting,' they said.

It comes after MAFS 'villain' Olivia Frazer ruffled feathers las year when she took a seat in the front row at AFW, despite having been assigned a second-row seat

Also during the 2022 event, fame-seeking MAFS groom Nasser Sultan was put on notice over his rowdy behaviour.

Security at Carriageworks, the Sydney venue where most of the runway shows were held, issued the 56-year-old with a stern warning to 'stop being a pest'.

The warning was given after Nasser was pictured harassing former NRL WAG Phoebe Burgess in the front row at the Oroton showcase.

Also during the 2022 event, fame-seeking MAFS groom Nasser Sultan was put on notice over his rowdy behaviour. Security at Carriageworks, the Sydney venue where most of the runway shows were held, issued the 56-year-old with a stern warning to 'stop being a pest'

Nasser had briefly slipped into racing royalty Kate Waterhouse's seat when she moved away and tugged on Phoebe's designer coat to try to get her attention.

However, the ex-wife of retired NRL star Sam Burgess turned her back on Nasser as he repeatedly asked for a photo and tried to start a conversation.

An apologetic Nasser told Daily Mail Australia he was 'really embarrassed' about his behaviour around Phoebe, but denied gatecrashing the show or stealing anyone's seat, as had been previously reported.

'[The incident with security] really embarrassed me. I felt like a f**kwit... but I didn't take anyone's seat or sneak in,' the former music promoter said.

The warning was given after Nasser was pictured harassing former NRL WAG Phoebe Burgess (right) in the front row at the Oroton showcase

'I was invited to that show, saw Phoebe went over to say hello. Why can't you say hello to people these days?

'Security were saying I stole Kate Waterhouse's seat. I did not. I was there for a few seconds just taking a photo with Phoebe and then moved back to my seat.'

He added: 'They said I was being a pest and that the designers didn't want me at their shows... that's not true. I have been invited to many of shows.

'I have been going for years. I have no shame sitting in the back row. I am happy just to be there.'

'Security were saying I stole Kate Waterhouse's seat. I did not. I was there for a few seconds just taking a photo with Phoebe and then moved back to my seat,' Nasser explained

Australian Fashion Week, running from May 15 to 19, will present 10 runway shows a day in which designers showcase their resort collections for spring/summer 2024.

Popular names like Aje, St Agni, Bondi Born, Anna Quan and Bec & Bridge are among the brands showing this year.

The week will include a wave of promising talent and fresh faces, including Asiyam, Youkhana, Erik Yvon, Iordanes Spyridon Gogos, Wackie Ju and Nicol & Ford.
EastEnders star James Farrar has revealed some members of the public have refused to shake his hand amid his character Zack Hudson's HIV storyline.

Speaking on The One Show the actor, 35, said while most fans have nothing but praise for the soap tackling such a sensitive topic, others have left him dumbfounded by their outdated beliefs about the disease.

He said: [EastEnders is] storytelling at its best, you'll see the Walford residents on Monday  it's a similar reaction to what [former character] Peggy Mitchell [played by] Barbara Windsor had which was you're not coming in my pub because I don't wanna catch this'.

'Where within my story it's been people saying that you can catch it from toilet seats and shaking hands.'

Then telling hosts Alex Jones and Ronan Keating: 'I've had it out there in the public, where people have gone 'Ugh I better not shake your hand.'

Shock: EastEnders star James Farrar, 35, has revealed some members of the public have refused to shake his hand amid his character Zack Hudson's HIV storyline

Good and bad: The actor said while many fans have have nothing but praise for the soap tackling such a sensitive topic, others have left him stunned by their outdated beliefs about the disease (pictured with co-star Letitia Dean)

Before adding: 'Whether it's tongue-in-cheek or not, it's not acceptable either'.

A stunned Alex replied: 'It's surprising that you say that.'

'It's still happening,' James said before going on to discuss the intensive research he had done for the role.

He also spoke about the show previously tacking the subject when Mark Fowler (Todd Carty) was diagnosed HIV positive way back in 1991.

Last month the show's viewers praised the character for telling Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty) he was HIV positive.

Zack had been struggling to let his ex know of his status as he feared how she would react.

The pair were left devastated by the death of their little girl earlier weeks earlier, after doctors revealed she had Edwards' Syndrome.

They are no longer together but Zack decided to finally tell Whitney of his diagnosis.

Shock: He told hosts Alex Jones and Ronan Keating: 'I've had it out there in the public, where people have gone 'Ugh I better not shake your hand.

Speaking out: 'It's still happening,' James said before going on to discuss the intensive research he had done for the role (Alex Jones, left and Ronan Keating, right, pictured)

Throwback: He also spoke about the show previously tacking the subject when Mark Fowler (Todd Carty, pictured on the show) was diagnosed HIV positive way back in 1991

While Whitney struggled to instantly accept Zack's news, viewers took to Twitter to praise his handling of the situation, with many insisting Whitney could have handled things differently.

One person wrote: 'I hope Whitney accepts that Zacks HIV diagnosis and helps him through it, these days on treatment your levels become undetectable and cant be transmitted.'

Another viewer tweeted: 'Proud of Zack for telling Whitney about the HIV! I get that she was hurt he never told her, but I didnt like the way Whitney reacted though.'

Someone else posted: 'I'm glad Zack has finally told Whitney the truth. I wish she wasn't taking it so badly. I think he didn't tell her before bc he feels ashamed of how he got it, & he was being like his own enemy! He'll feel dejected now. The HIV didn't make any difference to the baby!'

'Zack finally being honest with Whitney about the HIV,' wrote another viewer along with a smiling face emoji.

Unimpressed by Whitney's reaction, one person wrote: 'Whitney hasnt considered Zacks feelings in this having HIV.'

Praise: Last month the show's viewers praised the character for telling Whitney Dean ( Shona McGarty ) he was HIV positive

Honest: Zack was seen starting his HIV medication in January as he was consumed with guilt over keeping Whitney in the dark about his condition

Whitney was upset Zack had not told her about his HIV status, questioning him on whether it had affected the health of their late baby.

When he insisted it hadn't and he'd had confirmation from the doctors, she was angry he had spoken to them behind her back without telling her.

Earlier in the episode, Zack was seen meeting with a doctor who told him once his medication had brought his viral load to an undetectable level, he would not be able to pass HIV on.

He was advised to use protection during sex and was told any partners could consider going on PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis), medication which can reduce the chance of getting HIV from sex or injection drug use when taken as prescribed.

Zack told Whitney of his diagnosis, explaining it happened after he used needles to inject steroids in the past.

Unable to handle the news at the time, Whitney was shocked and asked him to leave her home.

Zack was seen starting his HIV medication in January as he was consumed with guilt over keeping Whitney in the dark about his condition.

He has been overwhelmed with shame about his HIV diagnosis and at first kept it to himself, only telling part of his problems to his sister Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean).

Call THT Direct on 0808 802 1221 for HIV support or email info@tht.org.uk
Naomi Watts showcased her chic sense of style as she was seen for the first time in NYC on Friday since news broke that her ex, Liev Schreiber and girlfriend Taylor Neisen, are expecting their first child together.

The Watcher actress, 54, who recently showed off her ageless complexion during a lavish trip to Mexico, was seen joining a close pal in the Big Apple ahead of a getaway.

Earlier on Thursday, DailyMail.com exclusively learned that the star's ex and Ray Donovan actor, 55, will welcome his first baby with Taylor, 31, after dating for five years.

Watts and Schreiber also share two children, Alexander 'Sasha', 16, and Samuel Kai, 15, from their 11-year relationship that came to an end in 2016.

As she stepped out into the busy city streets, the Oscar-nominated actress opted for stylish comfort wearing a pair of loose-fitting, light blue jeans with a hem that fell down past her ankles.

Stepping out: Naomi Watts, 54, showcased her chic sense of style as she was seen for the first time in NYC on Friday since news broke that her ex, Liev Schreiber and girlfriend Taylor Neisen, are expecting first child together

She added a plain white shirt that was tucked into the high waist of her fashionable pants and layered the look with a long, white blazer that she chose to leave unbuttoned.

The British-born star draped a cream-colored sweater over her shoulders and tied the arms into a loose knot in front of her for a stylish flare.

Her short blonde locks were parted to the side and fell down to nearly brush her shoulders in a light waves.

A large, tan-colored purse was easily slung over her right shoulder to hold a few items she needed during her busy day.

Naomi accessorized her ensemble with a pair of small, dainty earrings along with thin, chained necklaces that were partially concealed by her outfit.

The King Kong actress slipped into a pair of open-toed, wedge heels that were slightly covered by her baggy jeans.

As she strolled to an awaiting vehicle, the mother of two additionally carried a black, paper bag to hold other items she needed amid the day of travel.

The award-winning star was also seen standing next to a close friend who had a small suitcase next to her as they stepped out into the fresh air.

Keeping it chic: As she stepped out into the busy city streets, the Oscar-nominated actress opted for stylish comfort wearing a pair of loose-fitting, light blue jeans along with a white shirt and blazer

Leaving the city: The award-winning star was also seen standing next to a close friend who had a small suitcase next to her as they stepped out into the fresh air

Naomi's outing comes shortly after DailyMail.com exclusively learned on Thursday that her ex, Liev Schreiber, is expecting his first child with girlfriend of five years, Taylor Neisen.

Watts and the actor had previously begun dating back in 2005, and welcomed their first child in 2007, and their second the following year in 2008.

However, after eleven years of being together, the two stars chose to go their separate ways in September 2016, but have maintained a healthy co-parenting relationship.

At the time of their split, the pair released a joint statement to further express their decision, which read, 'Over the past few months we've come to the conclusion that the best way forward for us as a family is to separate as a couple,' per Us Weekly.

'It is with great love, respect and friendship in our hearts that we look forward to raising our children together and exploring this new phase of our relationship.'

The statement concluded with, 'While we appreciate your curiosity and support, we ask the press to be mindful of our children and respect their right to privacy.'

Since the end of their relationship, Liev began dating Taylor, a former beauty pageant contestant, whom he was first romantically linked with in 2018.

After meeting on set of the Netflix drama series, Gypsy, Naomi began dating fellow actor, Billy Crudup in 2017.

Earlier last week, Liev and Taylor were seen opting for casual comfort as they enjoyed a peaceful stroll together in NYC.

Neisen appeared to be sporting a baby bump as she donned a pair of leggings and a plain top while walking their adorable pup.

Baby on the way! Naomi's outing comes shortly after DailyMail.com exclusively learned on Thursday that her ex, Liev Schreiber is expecting his first child with girlfriend of five years, Taylor Neisen; the couple seen earlier last week on a stroll in NYC

Blended families: Naomi and her partner, Billy, celebrated Kai's graduation last year in May with their other son, Samuel, in attendance, as well as Liev and Taylor

Lovebirds: After meeting on set of the Netflix drama series, Gypsy, Naomi began dating fellow actor, Billy Crudup in 2017

Since their split, Naomi and Liev have continued to co-parent with their blended families. Last year in May, Naomi and her partner, Billy, were seen in an Instagram selfie in celebration of Kai's graduation.

Also in the snap was their other son, Alexander, as well as Naomi's ex, Liev and his girlfriend, Taylor, as they all flashed cheerful smiles towards the cameras.

During a past interview with PorterEdit in 2019, The Impossible actress opened up about their blended families and co-parenting together. 'We're doing things very differently.'

'I'm pretty proud of us, corny as that may sound. We've made it our absolute priority to be good and kind to each other and we're absolutely committed to that.'
Kim Kardashian is an absolutely perfect model for her SKIMS Swim line.

In a series of Instagram stories on Friday, the entrepreneur shared her opinions on three products in the new line.

The first is a cotton candy pink bandeau-style bikini top, 'Alright I'm going to try on some of our SKIMS Swim,' the 42-year-old mom of four said.

'I really love this pink bandeau, it is so cute. I love the little bandeau,' she added.

In the next clip, she's wearing a light blue triangle top with sequins along the edges of the cups.

'This really cute top I love,' she said. 'I love the triangle top with the sequins, so cute.'

Pink bikini: Kim Kardashian is an absolutely perfect model for her SKIMS Swim line

Cute: 'Alright I'm going to try on some of our SKIMS Swim,' the 42-year-old mom of four said. 'I really love this pink bandeau, it is so cute. I love the little bandeau,' she added

In the third IG Story, she still wore the blue triangle top but also added a pair of sheer light blue pants to her ensemble.

'I love a good coverup so, I love these pants, 'cause they're really cute just to cover up and wear over if you're going to lunch by the beach or anything like that,' The Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum said.

'I always love something that you can cover up with too,' she added.

Her makeup looked flawless with the 'dewy glam' look her skin gets from her SKKN beauty line.

The Kardashians star truly is a renaissance woman moving effortlessly from promoting her swim and beauty lines to fighting for justice for people wrongly imprisoned.

Kim paid a visit to Los Angeles County's California State Prison in Lancaster - which is about an hour drive north of Beverly Hills - on Monday with her younger sister Khloe, 38.

Their visit was part of REFORM Alliance's Future Shapers Advisory Council and Kim explained that she wants to use her celebrity platform to 'change the lives' of those behind bars.

Following the visit, she said: 'It's always an honor to be able to visit the men and women living behind our prison walls.

Sequins: In the next clip, she's wearing a light blue triangle top with sequins along the edges of the cups. 'This really cute top I love,' she said. 'I love the triangle top with the sequins, so cute'

Cover up: In the third IG Story, she still wore the blue triangle top but also added a pair of sheer light blue pants to her ensemble

'Hearing the stories of people trapped in the prison system is what drives my commitment to advocate for reform and find ways to leverage my platform to help change lives and laws.'

The Kardashians star went on to add that she was 'thrilled' to be able to bring the council - which was established in 2018 by rapper Meek Mill, alongside individuals that include Michael Rubin and Jay-Z - into the prison.

She vowed to be building the next generation of leaders.

She said: 'Today I was especially thrilled to bring REFORM's Future Shapers Advisory Council inside the prison as well.

Blue coverup: 'I love a good coverup so, I love these pants, 'cause they're really cute just to cover up and wear over if you're going to lunch by the beach or anything like that,' The Keeping Up With the Kardashians alum said

'We are building up the next generation of leaders and influencers who will join us in this fight.'

The designer - who has North, 10, Saint, seven, Chicago, six, and three-year-old Psalm with ex-husband Kanye West - is currently training to be a lawyer.

In January of this year she met criminals in 'solitary confinement' at the Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent, California where she reportedly had discussions with them about their mental health.

At the time, a source told TMZ: 'Kim spent a day at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent, CA earlier this week.

'Her focus was to meet with inmates in solitary confinement, speaking with them in depth about the toll the lockup can have on their mental stability.'
Nicky Hilton looked ready for spring in a hot pink mini dress in her latest Instagram post on Friday.

The 39-year-old fashionista shared a reel with her 1.4 million followers, showing them outtakes from a trip to Dallas, Texas.

The mother-of-three - who attended a Max Mara luncheon last month - wrote in the caption, 'Best time on our annual girls trip to Dallas!'

The French Sole collaborator, who is the younger sister of Paris Hilton, added, 'Thank you to everyone for coming out to my trunk show. Loved meeting everyone!'

The blonde beauty finished the note by writing, 'Lots of critical funds were raised for Childrens Cancer Fund.'

Cute! Nicky Hilton looked ready for spring in a hot pink mini dress in her latest Instagram post on Friday

Nicky's slim-fitting sleeveless frock flattered her tall, trim, statuesque figure.

She wore her platinum locks loose, styled in an off-center part with loose ringlets flowing over her chest.

Hilton, who is married to James Rothschild, used her classic footwear as a prop as she playfully held a pink ballet to her ear, pretending it was a telephone.

The brief clip was soundtracked to a club remix of the Kelis song Milkshake.

Behind her in some portions of the video were bright and colorful bouquets of flowers.

Nicky was joined in the images by mom Kathy Hilton, friend Tina Chen Craig, and Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet.

The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills regular donned a multicolor graphic blouse with dark trousers.

Tina was fashion-forward in a three-piece light wash denim outfit complete with a maxi skirt.

And Stacey shined bright in a yellow halter neck dress with flirty ruffles along the bottom.

New post: The 39-year-old fashionista shared a reel with her 1.4 million followers, showing them outtakes from a trip to Dallas, Texas

Texas trip: The mother-of-three wrote in the caption, 'Best time on our annual girls trip to Dallas!'

Footwear from the multihyphenate's ongoing collaboration with French Sole was tastefully styled throughout the party's displays.

The Alice + Olivia Instagram page also shared moments from the event online.

The caption read, 'a spectacular event in dallas last night! thank you to my gorgeous hosts (nicky, tina, kathy!) and to all of the amazing women who came out to support the childrens cancer fund!'

Nicky later took to her Instagram Stories to repost other content from the affair.

And she glowed in a group photo with friends from a dinner at the restaurant Komodo.

It comes after the entrepreneur was spotted in a purple pastel dress while taking a walk in New York City last week.

The socialite donned an eye-catching outfit as she made her way down the Big Apple's sidewalks.

Hilton wore a flowing dress that featured a light purple top portion and a tri-color bottom that obscured her toned legs during her outing.

Message: The French Sole collaborator, who is the younger sister of Paris Hilton, added, 'Thank you to everyone for coming out to my trunk show. Loved meeting everyone!'

Night out: Nicky took to her Instagram Stories to share a photo with friends at Komodo

She later shared photos in the look on social media and clued followers in to her whereabouts.

She called her look 'mermaid glam' and shared that she had attended an event for @UBeauty.

Nicky was there to support Tina and wrote in a caption, Congrats @tinachencraig on another epic launch.

'Thank you for creating glass skin in a bottle!  We are obsessed with you and your products!'
Jono Castano and Simone Holtznagel are celebrating their milestone first anniversary this week.

Model Simone, 29, revealed on Friday that her celebrity trainer boyfriend had taken her for a romantic weekend away to the NSW South Coast to mark the occasion.

Jono, 32, also shared a sweet tribute to Simone, who rose to fame on Australia's Next Top Model, saying she 'lights up his life'.

In his post, he shared a series of pictures of the pair together from over the past year.

'Like the smiles in our photos, you light up my life in so many ways. You always push me to be better, you help me find balance, your yummy delicious food on the daily and the list seriously goes on ,' he wrote.

Jono Castano and Simone Holtznagel are celebrating their milestone first anniversary this week

He finished: 'I love you happy anniversary xx.'

'I love yooooou [infinity symbol],' Simone replied.

Simone revealed Jono surprised her with a trip away for their anniversary weekend.

Model Simone, 29, revealed on Friday that her celebrity trainer boyfriend had taken her for a romantic weekend away to the NSW South Coast to mark the occasion

Jono, 32, also shared a sweet tribute to Simone, who rose to fame on Australia's Next Top Model, saying she 'lights up his life'

She shared a picture of him at their accommodation and wrote: 'Jono planned me a whole surprise weekend with all my favourite things,' adding a love heart emoji.

The pair went Instagram official in June last year.

Simone shared a video of the pair cuddling up while watching The Veronicas in concert.

Simone revealed Jono surprised her with a trip away for their anniversary weekend. She shared a picture of him at their accommodation and wrote: 'Jono planned me a whole surprise weekend with all my favourite things,' adding a love heart emoji

Just before that, the pair went public as they locked lips at Mimi's - the celebrity hotspot owned by Justin Hemmes, who is dating Simone's sister Madeline.

The pair reportedly first met a few years ago.

Jono and his ex-wife and business partner Amy Castano split in 2021.
Shannen Doherty has officially filed for divorce from her husband, Kurt Iswarienko, after 11 years of marriage, according to documents obtained by TMZ on Friday.

The Beverly Hills, 90210 actress, 52, who recently celebrated her birthday earlier last week on April 12, cited in the papers that both she and the photographer have been separated since January of this year.

The former couple initially said 'I do' back in 2011, and did not welcome any children during the course of their relationship. Her marriage to Kurt was her third, having previously tied the knot with Ashley Hamilton and then Rick Salomon.

The representative of The Hollywood star, Leslie Sloane, expressed to the outlet that, 'Divorce is the last thing Shannen wanted. Unfortunately, she felt she was left with no other option.'

Doherty, who recently reunited with her Charmed co-stars last month in March, has been battling breast cancer since it returned in 2020 as stage four.

Filed for divorce: Shannen Doherty, 52, has officially filed for divorce from her husband, Kurt Iswarienko, after 11 years of marriage, according to documents obtained by TMZ on Friday; the two seen in 2012 in West Hollywood

Eleven year marriage: The former couple initially tied the knot back in 2011, and did not welcome any children during the course of their relationship

Sloane then added to TMZ that the outlet could reach out to Kurt's agent, 'Collier Grimm at PICTUREKID,' due to her being 'intimately involved,' hinting that she may have had some involvement in the separation.

Separate sources close to Shannen and Kurt explained to the outlet that the actress is 'not well' in regards to her health and added that their divorce is far from amicable, and instead is bitter and 'very acrimonious.'

Also in the documents obtained by TMZ, Doherty has asked for spousal support but requested that it not be awarded to the photographer.

Before her marriage to Kurt, the star had tied the knot with Ashley Hamilton in 1993 until their divorce was finalized the following year in 1994. She later said 'I do' to Rick Salomon in 2002, but their marriage was annulled nine months later in 2003.

In February 2020, it was revealed that the actress had been diagnosed with stage four breast cancer after going into remission from the illness back in 2017.

During a past interview with People in 2019, the Little House On The Prairie star opened up about how her cancer battle had actually made their relationship stronger.

'Cancer solidified us,' Shannen gushed to the publication at the time. 'Kurt and I have a much deeper appreciation for each other now.'

In 2015, the actress had been diagnosed with breast cancer, and had a mastectomy, as well as undergoing both chemotherapy and radiation, which had led her to remission in 2017. But in 2020, the cancer had returned.

'No other option': The representative of The Hollywood star, Leslie Sloane, expressed to the outlet that, 'Divorce is the last thing Shannen wanted. Unfortunately, she felt she was left with no other option'; the former couple seen in September 2016 in Los Angeles

She further explained, 'Its not that our marriage wasnt good before. But we were definitely going through some growing pains,' and added, 'We would lock horns on things, and instead of resolving it, we wouldnt speak for a couple of days.'

The actress then stated that at the time, 'we dont let a night go by mad at each other,' and revealed, 'The last time we had a big argument was pre-cancer.'

Shannen expressed that cancer not only affects the 'person with cancer' but also 'the people in your life. And its shaped both of us. We look at life very differently now.'

The star commented on her now-estranged husband's support at the time, stating, 'I dont have to be a sexy little vixen. How Kurt sees me really helps me be a better person. He was always like, 'Ive never seen someone handle something so difficult with so much grace. Youre so strong.'

The BH90210 actress gushed, 'Kurt and I look at each other with such profound respect now. He was my rock in every way possible, and he made sure I knew how much he loved and valued me.'

'We have a much deeper appreciation [for each other] now, and a much larger capacity for forgiveness.'

Separated months earlier: The Beverly Hills, 90210 actress cited in the papers that both she and the photographer have been separated since January of this year

Bitter divorce: Separate sources close to Shannen and Kurt explained to the outlet that the actress is 'not well' in regards to her health and added that their divorce is far from amicable, and instead is bitter and 'very acrimonious'

Later in 2021, while promoting her film, List Of A Lifetime, Shannen explained to People that her cancel battle is, 'part of life at this point,' and referenced to her now-estranged husband.

'My husband says that you would never know that I have cancer. I never really complain. I don't really talk about it. It's part of life at this point.'

The former couple officially tied the knot during a romantic sunset ceremony in Malibu in October 2011.

Shortly before news of her divorce came to light, Doherty celebrated her 52nd birthday earlier last week on April 12.

Her close friend and fellow actress, Sarah Michelle Gellar, paid a special tribute to the star on her main Instagram page, as well as uploading an assortment of snaps of the two together.

'Its your birthday @theshando so in honor of you, here is a slideshow of some of more ridiculous stunts (swipe right) Any suggestions for new ones?' the Cruel Intentions star penned in the caption.

Shannen sweetly responded in the comment section, and humorously typed, 'we sure are drinking a lot in these photos!! I love you S!!'

'Involved': Sloane then added to TMZ that the outlet could reach out to Kurt's agent, 'Collier Grimm at PICTUREKID,' due to her being 'intimately involved'

In the past: The former couple officially tied the knot during a romantic sunset ceremony in Malibu in October 2011; Shannen and Kurt seen in June 2010 in New York
Ashley James has shared the details of her 'empowering caesarean' with newborn Ada as she 'gained closure' from the traumatic birth of first child, Alfie.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 35, welcomed her second child with boyfriend Tommy Andrews last month, and updated her Instagram followers on Friday.

Sharing a carousel of snaps, Ashley could be seen as she cradled her Ada and Alfie, two, and admitted she 'could relive the day, everyday if she would.'

Laying in a hospital bed, she donned a medical gown and shared a kiss with Tommy after welcoming their daughter.

The reality star captioned the post with a lengthy message in which she gave an insight into her experience.

Congratulations! Ashley James, 35, has shared the details of her 'empowering caesarian' with newborn Ada as she 'gained closure' from the traumatic birth of first child, Alfie

Family: The former Made In Chelsea star welcomed her second child with boyfriend Tommy Andrews last month, and updated her Instagram followers on Friday

Ashely began: 'I thought I'd go into some detail about Ada's birth. It's still the absolute best day of my life, but like I said it wasn't without complications, so I want to add a slight trigger warning.

'I opted for an elective caesarean and everything felt so wonderful and controlled, which is exactly what I needed after my first birth.

'It felt so surreal going into the operating room knowing we were about to meet her in a few minutes. It felt so overwhelming I was crying happy tears listening to my playlist.

'We were told we'd meet her in a few minutes if we wanted to put on our song for the birth.

'The anaesthetist sat behind me and kept telling me exactly what was going on. So when things got complicated, she carried on calmly letting me know step by step. It helped me remain calm as it felt empowering knowing what was happening and when.

'They knew I had an anterior placenta, but it was lower than they thought so she was stuck underneath it. I later found out the chord was so around her neck. As a result it took more time and tugging, and I lost a little more blood.

'Ada entered the world with the help of forceps. They had to take her away and I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear her cries.

'She kept crying until they brought her to me and the moment they placed her on my chest she stopped. She knew her mama. She knew she was home.'

Sharing a carousel of snaps, Ashley could be seen as she cradled her Ada and Alfie, two, and admitted she 'would relive the day, everyday if she could.'

Surgery: The reality star captioned the post with a lengthy message in which she gave an insight into her experience

Experience: Ashely began: 'I thought I'd go into some detail about Ada's birth. It's still the absolute best day of my life, but like I said it wasn't without complications'

Adorable: Alfie was dressed in a cute knitted set as he visited the hospital

'I felt that instant love at first sight I'd heard about. I didn't feel it with Alf - it came gradually later on. Perhaps because I was slightly traumatised from the birth? But anyway, it's like my heart burst out of my chest straight away and grew and it's never gone back in.'

'Alf came to visit in the afternoon, and I remember thinking that I just never ever wanted that day to end. If I could relive it every day, I would.

'I wanted to share because I so hoped my first birth would be positive. And I was so worried about doing it again. I got my positive story.

She finished: 'I know it's Caesarean Awareness Month and I want to say, I feel zero guilt about my birth choice. I don't feel like I was robbed of a birth, because it was beautiful and perfect. And it helped me get closure from my last. 04.03.23- the day we met Ada.'

Candid: 'I opted for an elective caesarean and everything felt so wonderful and controlled, which is exactly what I needed after my first birth,' she revealed

New addition: Ashley shared a snap of Ada in her carrier as they got ready to go home
Lala Kent is mourning the loss of her father five years after his death.

On Friday the Vanderpump Rules star took to her Instagram page and shared an emotional tribute to her beloved dad, Kent Burningham, with a series of throwback snaps.

'Today is the 5 year anniversary of my dads passing. What a special man he was,' she began in the caption. 'Anyone who knew him, loved him. Anyone who didn't know him really missed out.'

She went on reveal how his passing has left a void, but that she take solace in knowing he has played a role in all that's good in her life since his passing

'I miss him. My heart will never be the same. I will say, the amount of blessings that have come to me since his passing, are beautifu they can only be explained by him becoming a part of my higher power,' she added.

'Cheers to you, my sweet dad. Until we meet again @lisa.burningham @cherylbham @eastonburningham @bkbham.'

Tribute: Lala Kent, 32, paid tribute to her late father Kent Burningham with a series of throwback snaps on her Instagram page on Friday, April 21

The cover photo show a closeup of her father that looks to have been taken on the beach when was a much younger man.

The next image appears to show a young Lala and her brother Easton with their father and mother during a beach day in the summer seemingly in the 1990s.

Kent Burningham can be seen soaking up the sun while taking a ride on a boat in another summertime photo.

Both Lala and her dad are all smiles in another picture taken during a break from the ski slops during a wintertime outing that was likely to have been taken in the late 90s.

There's also shot of her father sitting a restaurant with his head shaved, indicating it was a more recent picture taken before his death.

And lastly, Kent shared a photo of the small tattoo that she got in honor of her father that's heart-shaped with 'Dad' etched inside. She got the tattoo done sometime in the weeks after his passing as a way to honor his memory.

Burningham passed away back on April 21, 2018, at the age of 64.

His adoring daughter announced his death on Instagram a few days later by sharing a video that captured a lighthearted moment between the two where they were testing out a Snapchat filter while driving.

'Rest in paradise, my sweet dad. The world seems to be spinning much slower. I've never felt so lost. Ive never felt so sad. My world has crumbled,' she wrote in 2018.

Mourning the loss: The Vanderpump Rules star honored her dad on the '5-year anniversary' of his death of Friday, April 21 with a series of throwback snaps on Instagram

Family outing: One of the throwback snaps appears to show a young Lala and her brother Easton with their father and mother during a beach day in the summer seemingly in the 1990s.

RIP: Kent Burningham was 64 when he passed away in April 2018

Daddy's girl: Another of the photos in the tribute appears to show a young Lala out on the ski slopes with her dad that was likely taken in the late 1990s

Her world: The final photo of the post show Kent Burningham sitting a restaurant

'Dad' tattoo: The reality star also shared a photo of the small tattoo that she got in honor of her father that's heart-shaped with 'Dad' etched inside

Over the course of the five years since his death, Kent has done her best to keep his memory and spirit alive with regular posts on her social media platforms.

'Dad, I promise i'm going to make you proud. I'm going to be kind and tender hearted, just like you,' she shared, in part, in a May 2018 post.

Later in the winter of 2018, in December, she shared one of her random posts where she paid tribute, writing, 'My sweet dad. My heart will never be the same.'

In the first Father's Day holiday after her dad's passing, she posted another series of throwback photos, along with more heartbreaking confessions from a brokenhearted daughter.

'There isn't a minute that goes by I dont think of you. Not one second my heart doesnt hurt. Not a moment that I feel whole,' she wrote just three months after his death.

Huge loss: Burningham passed away on April 21, 2018, at the age of 64; a few days later Kent announced his passing with a lighthearted video showing them testing out a Snapchat filter

Keeping his spirit alive: 'My sweet dad. My heart will never be the same,' Kent shared in one of her many tributes to her dad on social media over the five years since his passing

Life's gifts: Kent has struggled with the fact that her father never got to see her become a mother; she is pictured with daughter Ocean, who arrived three years after her dead die

'Today is heartbreaking and beautiful all at once. I miss you. I miss your voice. I miss your smile. I miss hugging you. I miss it all. Im so grateful to call you mine, dad. I am forever thankful and forever changed. Happy Fathers Day, my sweet dad. Until we meet again...'

Back on March 15, 2021, the Salt Lake City, Utah native welcomed her first baby with then fiance Randall Emmett, daughter Ocean.

Less than two weeks later, she honored her dad on what would have been his 67th birthday by sharing an update on her life at the time, which included some sweet sentiments.

'My sweet dad- here we go, celebrating another birthday of yours without you here. Im a mom now I know you know that. Ocean is beautiful. She looks like you through the eyes,' she shared.

'I think I'm doing a pretty good job so far. I wish you could be here to see it. I know you have the best view of it all, but I cant see you and thats all I want. I miss you so much. Thank you for your unconditional love. I feel your blessings. I love you, dad. Happy Birthday
Bachelor star Bella Varelis is currently enjoying a trip to the U.S.

And on Saturday, the reality TV star turned influencer turned up the heat as she soaked up the sun in the idyllic Malibu.

Bella, 28, stripped off into a bright blue bikini as she relaxed on a sunbed.

In another shot, she wears the same bikini with a colourful dress wrapped around her waist.

Her bikini top was bandeau in design and featured a cut-out over the bust.

Bachelor star Bella Varelis sizzled as she showed off her toned figure in a bright blue bikini on Saturday in Malibu

While in Malibu, she also enjoyed a trip to celebrity hotspot Nobu.

Before heading to Malibu, she enjoyed a trip to Disneyland, sharing shots of herself out the front of the famous Disney castle.

Just last month, Bella raised eyebrows by sharing a glimpse of her expensive home decor shortly after slamming her landlord for jacking up her rent by '$400 a week'.

Bachelor star Bella Varelis is currently enjoying a trip to the U.S.

In another shot, she wears the same bikini with a colourful dress wrapped around her waist

While in Malibu, she also enjoyed a trip to celebrity hotspot Nobu

Bella, a former Bachelor runner-up, revealed she had no choice but to vacate her home in Sydney's ritzy Vaucluse due to the prohibitively expensive rent and allegedly poor standard of property management.

But everyday Aussies struggling during the rental crisis expressed little sympathy for the full-time influencer - because just hours later she posted a slew of photos on Instagram of designer furniture inside her new eastern suburbs apartment.

Her living room featured an opulent stone coffee table worth $390, a brass dome lamp worth $314, a wave-shaped designer mirror worth $796, and a $1,000 Dyson air purifier.

She also showed off her copy of Athens Riviera, a coffee table book worth $195.

Before heading to Malibu, she enjoyed a trip to Disneyland, sharing shots of herself out the front of the famous Disney castle

Just last month, Bella raised eyebrows by sharing a glimpse of her expensive home decor shortly after slamming her landlord for jacking up her rent by '$400 a week'

Bella's dining area features several designer boucle dining chairs with gold accents, each worth $349.

She has previously boasted about owning a matching terrazzo dining table, which retails for a whopping $1,895.

Bella shared a photo of her 'bedside essentials', which included upmarket products like a $180 brass lamp and an artisanal candle worth $100.

Bella shared this photo of her living room, showing off her stone coffee table ($390), a brass dome lamp ($314) and a wave-shaped designer mirror ($796)

It comes after Bella was slammed for complaining about her rent going up by $400, with critics claiming she should just 'move to the western suburbs' instead of relocating to a nearby property in the east.

Some claimed Bella, who often shows off her designer purchases, could easily have afforded her rental increase if she reduced unnecessary expenditure.

'Feed full of designer bags as if she's rich, but then can't even afford the rent,' one wrote.

'Lol Vaucluse, cry me a river,' another added.

Others encouraged her to seek traditional employment so she could pay her rent, instead of promoting products on Instagram for cash.

'Maybe if she got a real job she could afford her rent, instead of selling teeth-whitening kits or whatever these "influencers" do,' one critic said.

Some critics said Bella, who often shows off her designer purchases, could easily have afforded her rental increase if she reduced unnecessary expenditure
The promotional push is underway for the upcoming Disney+ series American Born Chinese with the release of its first full trailer.

The adaption of Gene Luen Yangs award-winning 2006 graphic novel of the same name reunites Everything Everywhere All At Once cast members Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu.

The story follows Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a child of Chinese immigrants who's seemingly a normal high schooler struggling with his school and home life.

But things are far from normal soon after he's introduced to a new Chinese exchange student and asked to play the role of chaperone for the newcomer to the school.

Their meeting leads to a sequence of events that thrust Jim into a battle between Gods of Chinese mythology.

Reunited! Everything Everywhere All At Once stars Michelle Yeoh, 60, and Ke Huy Quan, 51, reunite for the neww Disney+ series American Born Chinese

Off the top of the trailer, Jim is portrayed in typical home and school settings that ultimately portray him as an outcast of sorts due to his Chinese heritage.

His life takes a dramatic turn when school officials ask Jim to serve as a guide for new student Wei-Chen (Jim Liu), who's also said to be Chinese, but in reality is not all what he seems.

'I just want to be a regular guy who does regular stuff,' Jim says before being confronted by a group of kids who tease him in school: 'You made a new friend.'

'I just thought this year was going to be different,' he confesses to Wei-Chen.

It's at this point in the teaser that Jim gets his first look at that battle between Gods of Chinese mythology.

Stunned and baffled over what's going on, Wei-Chen confesses to his newfound friend, 'I'm not from this world,' adding, 'I need your help with my quest to stop the uprising.'

It turns out his friend is actually the son of a mythological god.

The trailer goes on to showcase both Yeoh and Quan in their first post-Oscar roles, as well Hsu, who has a recurring role in the action-comedy.

Teen life: Ben Wang portray Jim Wang, a seemingly normal teenager of Chinese immigrants

Setting the tine: Off the top of the trainer, Jim is seen enjoying dinner with his mother

Paired up: Once at school, Jim is asked to play chaperone to a new Chinese student

Outcasts: Ultimately Jim is portrayed him as an outcast of sorts due to his Chinese heritage.

Fitting in: 'I just want to be a regular guy who does regular stuff,' Jim says before being confronted by a group of kids who tease him in school: 'You made a new friend'

This series is also the story of a young mans battle for his own identity, told through family, comedy, and action-packed Kung-Fu.

Along with Wang, Liu, Yeoh, Quan and Hsu, the cast also includes Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Sydney Taylor, Hong Huifang, Poppy Liu, Ronny Chieng, Rosalie Chiang, James Hong, Lisa Lu, Jimmy O. Yang and Leonard Wu.

After making its world premiere at South By Southwest on March 15, all eight episodes of American Born Chinese are slated to debut on Disney+ on May 24.

Yeoh, 60, previously worked with the show's co-director Destin Daniel Cretton, as part of the cast of Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings.

Lucy Liu also serves as director in the series comprising of eight episodes.

Yeoh, Quan and Hsu were all nominated for Oscars for their roles in Everything Everywhere All At Once at the 95th Academy Awards, which was held March 12.

The absurdist comedy-drama film won 7 of 11 Oscar nominations, including Best Actress for Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Quan, Best Supporting Actress for Jamie Lee Curtis, along with Best Picture and Best Director for the team of Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert.

Battle begins: Jim's life is far from normal after meeting his new friend, who's not who he seems

Out of this world: Things get strange after Wei-Chen confesses he's 'not from this world

Epic: The meeting of Jim meets Wei-Chen leads to a sequence of events that thrust Jim into a battle between Gods of Chinese mythology.

Action packed: There's no shortage of high-flying action and martial arts

School showdown: Much of the action goes down in the halls of their high school

High-flying: The action scenes are packed with lots of martial arts

Long format: The action comedy series comprises of eight episodes

Coming: American Born Chinese are slated to debut on Disney+ on May 24
Mischa Barton made a low-key arrival to Nunawading studios in Melbourne on Friday during her first week on the set of Neighbours.

The O.C. star, 37, kept her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses as she hopped out of her car in an all-black ensemble.

She looked stylish in a black blazer and matching trousers as she made her way to set.

With her golden tresses slicked back from her face, the British-born American actor seemed quick to build rapport with the rest of the cast members.

Filming for the day looked to be a fun one as crew were also spotted carrying inflatable pool animals while Mischa gathered her things from her vehicle.

Watch the complete iconic series, The O.C. available now only on Stan.

Mischa Barton made a low-key arrival to Nunawading studios in Melbourne on Friday during her first week on the set of Neighbours

Mischa's role as Reece in the Amazon reboot will shake up Ramsay Street as her character's identity 'is not what it seems'.

The former Hollywood socialite's appearance is designed to appeal to American viewers, as Neighbours, which is set in the fictional Melbourne suburb of Erinsborough, will screen in the U.S. on Amazon Freevee.

'I'm excited to be part of this iconic show's next chapter, and I am really looking forward to being back in Australia  a place I know and love!' Barton said in a statement.

She looked stylish in a black blazer and matching trousers as she made her way to set

The O.C. star, 37, kept her eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses as she hopped out of her car in an all-black ensemble

Mischa picked up a takeaway coffee on her way to set and carried her belongings in a brown bag

'I think the character of Reece is going to be a great role for me to explore and play with,' she added.

Neighbours' executive producer Jason Herbison said: 'With Neighbours launching on Amazon Freevee in North America, we are beyond excited to have an actor of Mischa's calibre join us for the beginning of this exciting new chapter.

'Mischa's character is dynamic and unpredictable, and will have an instant presence on Ramsay Street. Our loyal viewers are going to love her, locally and abroad.'

Mischa's role as Reece in the Amazon reboot will shake up Ramsay Street as her character's identity 'is not what it seems'

Stefan Dennis was spotted on set in a suit, he portrays businessman Paul Robinson on the show

Alan Fletcher, known for his role as Dr. Karl Kennedy, was spotted taking pictures and video using a tripod and ring light on set

Barton began her career as a child actress in Hollywood films like The Sixth Sense and Notting Hill, which were both released in 1999.

However, she became a bona fide superstar when she was cast as troubled teenager Marissa in the hit TV series The O.C., which ran from 2003 to 2007.

Her career foundered after she quit The O.C. at the end of the third season, and Barton publicly struggled with life in the spotlight.

Cameras began rolling for Amazon's revived Neighbours on Monday, and the series should be back on screens by the end of this year.

The continuation of the long-running soap series follows the finale in 2022, which was watched by millions of fans.
Bling Empire and Bling Empire: New York are being canceled by streaming giant Netflix.

The reality TV series centered on rich Asian Americans living in Beverly Hills, California  and the spinoff show with the same premise but based in New York City  will not be renewed for new seasons.

According to Deadline, Netflix has decided not to continue with a fourth season of Bling Empire nor a second season of Bling Empire: New York.

The show  which premiered its debut season in January 2021  starred: Christine Chiu, Kane Lim, Kelly Mi Li, Kevin Kreider, Gabriel Chu, Anna Shay, Cherie Chan, Jessey Lee, Kim Lee, Andrew Gray, Jamie Xie, and Guy Tang.

The New York-based series  that just launched in January  centered around Dorothy Wang, Tina Leung, as well as married couple Deborah and Stephen Hung.

Sad news: Bling Empire and Bling Empire: New York are being canceled by streaming giant Netflix

No reason was given for the cancellation of the shows.

The debut season of Bling Empire dropped in January 2021 and launched the sophomore installment in May 2022.

The third season  which had two more episodes for a total of 10 compared to the previous seasons  premiered in October 2022.

Inspired by the success of 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians, the reality show followed affluent socialites as they partied and ran major businesses in Los Angeles.

Like any entertaining reality show, Bling Empire also had its fair share of drama as the stars of the show kept and spilled secrets.

Since its release, the show has received criticism for launching during the pandemic when an anti-Asian sentiment was at its peak in America.

Bling Empire also came under fire for perpetuating stereotypes about Asian Americans being wealthy and privileged.

On the other hand, many felt that the popularity of the show proved only heightened interest in the one percent of the Asian diaspora and was not representative of the community and identity as a whole.

Overall, the release was considered a radical move and praised for bringing inclusivity to an industry that largely lacked diversity at the time.

Cancelled show: The reality series centered on rich Asian Americans living in Beverly Hills  and the spinoff show with the same premise but based in New York City  will not be renewed for new seasons

No more: According to Deadline, Netflix has decided not to continue with a fourth season of Bling Empire nor a second season of Bling Empire: New York

Unexplained axing: No reason was given for the cancellation of the shows

Past premiere: The debut season of Bling Empire dropped in January 2021 and launched the sophomore installment In May 2022

Last one: The third season  which had two more episodes for a total of 10 compared to the previous seasons  premiered in October 2022

Real life Crazy Rich Asians: Inspired by the success of 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians, the reality show followed affluent socialites as they partied and ran major businesses in Beverly Hills

'Pissed off': Overall, the release was considered a radical move and praised for bringing inclusivity to an industry that largely lacked diversity at the time

Dissatisfied reactions: As such, many fans took to social media to express their distaste in both the show as well as the unexpected cancellation

Mixed feelings: On the other hand, many felt that the popularity of the show proved only heightened interest in the one percent of the Asian American identity and was not representative of the community as a whole

As such, many fans took to social media to express their distaste in both the show as well as the unexpected cancellation.

'I'll be a better person now that #blingempire franchise is cancelled,' one Twitter user wrote. 'I watched it, but I felt gross the whole time I was watching it.'

'You just pissed off a ton of people,' a fan said, addressing Netflix. 'Why would you ever think it would be a good idea to cancel #BlingEmpire'?

'I'm sorry but why are the reality shows with predominately non white casts on Netflix being cancelled? First Selling Tampa now #BlingEmpire,' another individual tweeted.
Luke Burgess is officially an Australian citizen.

The former NRL player, who hails from West Yorkshire, England, received his Australian citizenship in Sydney on Saturday.

Luke, 36, posted a carousel of photos to his Instagram of the exciting day with the caption: 'A very special day for me to receive my Australian citizenship.

'I love this country I now call home and its an honour to officially be a part of this amazing cultural heritage. #Citizenship.'

He was joined by his partner Tori May and their baby daughter Charlotte.

Luke Burgess (pictured) is officially an Australian citizen! The former NRL player, who hails from West Yorkshire, England, received his Australian citizenship in Sydney on Saturday

In one photo, the happy family stood in front of an Australian and Aboriginal flag at the citizenship ceremony in Bondi Pavillion.

The NRL star was also joined by MP Kellie Sloane, who posted a photo of them on her Instagram page as he held his citizenship certificate.

She captioned the snap: 'Big news - this legend is now officially an Aussie. Congrats - and terrific to be part of your citizenship ceremony at the most iconic Australian settings.'

Friends ands fans of the former Rabbitohs player jumped to the comments of his Instagram post to congratulate him.

British TV personality Ant Middleton said: 'Congrats Bro, awesome news.'

He was joined by his partner Tori May and their baby daughter Charlotte as the happy family stood in front of an Australian and Aboriginal flag at the citizenship ceremony in Bondi Pavillion

Luke, 36, posted a carousel of photos to his Instagram of the exciting day

The NRL star was also joined by MP Kellie Sloane, who posted a photo of them on her Instagram page as he held his citizenship certificate

While celebrity chef Manu Feildel wrote: 'Congrats buddy. We very lucky to be living here.'

And model Simone Holtznagel commented: 'Omg your baby tho'.

Luke first made made his name in the UK with Leeds Rhinos in the English Super League, winning a title in 2009.

He then moved out to Australia ahead of the 2011 NRL season, signing a deal alongside his three siblings - Sam as well as twins, George and Tom - at South Sydney Rabbitohs.
Comedian Julian Clary gave a touching - if a little bit rude - tribute to his former drinking partner Paul O'Grady at his funeral yesterday.

Clary started his speech by telling fellow mourners that he wouldn't be swearing in the church but then replaced expletives with 'blank', leaving attendees in stitches.

Guests at the private funeral in the Grade I listed church were also amused by a musical mishap during a hymn and clips from O'Grady's television career.

The service commenced with a reading from actor-turned-Labour peer and LGBT rights activist Lord Cashman and O'Grady's former PA and agent Joan Marshrons, who read a Woodland Burial and donations were requested for four causes 'close to his heart', including Save The Children UK, the Orangutan Appeal UK, Battersea Dogs And Cats Home, and Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital.

The old friends lived close to each other in Kent and were frequently spotted in the local pub enjoying a cider or even Moet et Chandon.

Clary started his eulogy by telling fellow mourners that he wouldn't be swearing in the church but then replaced expletives with 'blank'

Clary paid tribute to his old friend when his death was first announced, describing O'Grady as 'my fierce and funny friend'

Norman Corfield, churchwarden for St Rumwold's Church Bonnington, where the funeral was held, told the Daily Express the speech prompted 'a lot of laughter'.

'He started it by saying because it was in a church he wouldnt be using any swear words so he amused everybody by putting a lot of blanks in. There were lots of blanks in amongst the words he said.

The warden added that: 'He was telling stories about his time with Paul OGrady and he obviously had a great time with him and he was very fond of him.'

Following the service on Friday, the Reverend Canon Roger Martin said: 'The mood was very jolly. There were some recordings of Paul, favourite clips, a good selection of varied music, it was lighthearted. It was a moving occasion.'

He also added: 'It was a very fitting send off.'

The vicar described Clary's eulogy as 'very entertaining', adding: 'He spoke quite a lot about their stage life together.'

Julian Clarey is seen arriving at the church at the Funeral of Paul O'Grady on April 20, 2023

Alan Carr arriving to the funeral of Paul O'Grady at St Rumwold's Church in Aldington, Kent

Paul O'Grady's husband Andre Portasio cuts a sombre figure as he walks into the church for the late comedian's funeral while holding their beloved dog Conchita

Floral tribute in the shape of O'Grady's late dog Buster is seen leaning against his coffin as it is carried to the church

Jo Brand and Gaby Roslin arriving for the funeral of Paul O'Grady at St Rumwold's Church in Aldington

O'Grady's daughter Sharyn Mousley donned a black face covering as she walked into the service alongside a young man, believed to be the comedian's only grandson, who was holding a Lily Savage wig

Mr Martin also spoke about the church organ, which has to be pumped by hand, malfunctioning and going out of tune during a hymn and said they had turned it into a 'moment of fun'.

The private funeral for friends, family, loved-ones and stars including Ronnie Wood, Alan Carr and Jo Brand was held at St Rumwold's Church in the village of Bonnington in Kent on Thursday afternoon.

But despite moments of great poignancy following the star's sudden death, there were also laughs when clips of Mr O'Grady's best loved shows and gags were played.

The service featured a series of personal tributes to the entertainer, including a bronze statue of his beloved late dog Buster that had been placed on a leopard-print throw.

A photograph of a smiling O'Grady was placed at the front of the Grade I listed parish church surrounded by arrangements of lilies in a nod to his drag alter ego, Lily Savage.

The comedians lived near each other in Kent for several years and would often meet up at their local boozer, The Walnut Tree Inn.

O'Grady, who died last night aged 67, lived in a 2.5million home in the village of Aldington, near Ashford in Kent, which he bought from comic Vic Reeves back in 1999.

Paul O'Grady died from cardiac arrhythmia aged 67 last month, shocking fans across Britain and around the world

The friends pictured together in 2018. They were neighbours and were often found at the local pub together

The star suffered two heart attacks, in 2002 and 2006, and was rushed to hospital in 2013 with chest pains so had cut back his visits to the 18th century pub in recent years.

Wiping away tears, local pub landlady Karen Barrett said O'Grady popped in throughout his two decades living in the village - often with Clary in tow.

She said: 'I last saw him last year and he was donating a children's book he'd written for a raffle.

'He was an amazing man, so down-to-earth, natural, warm and funny. If you never met him, you missed out.

'He came in quite a bit when he first moved here. He'd come in with Julian Clary and they were absolutely brilliant. Out of the two, I'd say Julian was the quieter.

'Paul's favourite tipple was either a pint of cider or his favourite champagne, which was Moet & Chandon. He also loved oysters.

'He'd had a couple of heart attacks in the space of four years about 15 years or so ago so he wasn't such a regular visitor more recently.

'But he had his 50th birthday here at the pub with about ten friends and when his friend and manager, Brendan Murphy, died, he held the wake here.

'I'm devastated by the fact he's gone because we had such great times.'

Clary paid tribute to his old friend when his death was first announced, describing O'Grady as: 'My fierce and funny friend. I'm going to miss you.'
He's got a very public love life and is currently in a rocky divorce negotiation with actress Alice Evans.

And Ioan Gruffudd's girlfriend Bianca Wallace has shared an insight into their relationship this week while opening up about her MS.

The Welsh actor went public with their romance in October 2021 while in the midst of his messy split from wife Alice, who accused him of cheating.

Now, Australian actress Bianca has detailed how supportive the star was over her MS diagnosis, admitting she gave him the chance to 'run' before the relationship was serious.

Noting her previous abusive relationships of the past, the beauty gushed over Ioan as she admitted that before hiim, 'my heart couldn't take being let down again'.

'He listed all the reasons why he loved me': Ioan Gruffudd's girlfriend Bianca Wallace has shared an insight into their relationship as she opened up on dealing with her MS this week

Recalling how he 'didn't hesititate for a second' following a conversation about the realities of the condition, Bianca shared that Ioan gave unwavering support.

Writing for The Telegraph this week, the star, who has appeared in short films and mini-series', detailed how MS affects her life and has done in previous relationships.

But referencing the current one with Ioan, she explained that back in 2021 she gave him a 'get out of jail free card' when openly discussing her illness.

Despite asking him to take a few days to think the news over, Bianca explained: 'Yo (Ioan) didnt hesitate for a second, listing all of the reasons he was in love with me and why he was here to stay, and that no MS diagnosis or scary future would deter him'.

Bianca began displaying symptoms for MS when she was 25, before an MRI scan revealed lesions on her spine and brain.

Talking on her illness, she added: 'When things are hard I sob to Yo about not feeling strong enough to face what is ahead of me, alongside the guilt I feel that he has entered into such a complicated journey.'

While she also openly discussed her previous abusive relationship with her ex-husband, on which a neurologist informed that her life would 'deteriorate rapidly' if she was to stay in the relationship.

Going stron: The Welsh actor went public with their romance in October 2021 while in the midst of his messy split from wife Alice, who accused him of cheating

She shared that Ioan 'listed all of the reasons he was in love with me and why he was here to stay, and that no MS diagnosis or scary future would deter him'

Ioan recently filed for divorce from wife of 14 years Alice Evans, with his divorce papers citing irreconcilable differences as the reason behind his split from his wife.

The document, which was filed Los Angeles Superior Court on March 1, also reveals the former couple separated on New Year's Day - a month before they went public with their relationship status.

The British-American actress recently called the Fantastic Four actor a 's**t' for allegedly blindsiding her and going forward with legally ending their marriage in now-deleted posts.

The papers state the exes are in a 'collaborative process and intend to resolve all issues including spousal support by written agreement' - which mirrors their joint statement about their shock break-up.

The couple share two daughters, Ella, eleven, and Elsie, seven, whom Ioan was spotted spending time with last month.
He managed to bag second place during this year's Winter Love Island after finding love with girlfriend Lana Jenkins on the show.

But Ron Hall has admitted this week that life in the public eye isn't one he is a big fan of as he adjusts to his new career since leaving the series.

The former financial adviser, 25, admitted that he has given up his corporate profession and now 'feels unemployed' since swapping to to one in content creation.

'I almost feel unemployed. But 24/7 working, your brain doesn't switch off,' he explained in a new Youtube video.

Revealing that the newfound fame is a 'weird feeling', the reality star opened up about his future plans.

Love Island's Ron Hall has admitted that he 'feels unemployed' while discussing the imposter syndrome he feels after being thrust into the public eye

Answering fans' questions in a new video, Ron explained that his 'new job' is content creating on social media and influencing.

But it's not one he's too familiar with, as the star admitted that he 'never in a million years; envisioned himself creating a YouTube channel or working in the public eye.

Explaining that he is struggling slightly with the change in jobs, he reached out to fans for help in terms of what they want to see.

And describing it as feeling 'unemployed' but constantly working all at the same time, Ron shared: 'Your brain just doesn't switch off'.

'Anyone who has tried to film a TikTok or anything like that, for me, this is my new job or life now, your brain has to constantly think of ideas. My brain does not work that way - I am not that creative.'

But looking to get stuck in, Ron added that he was keen to create videos and content with girlfriend Lana.

'I wanna try to push the boat out as much as I possibly can, some mad content. So give me your ideas,' he shared.

He added: 'Frankly, I just don't know what i'm doing. I'm meeting people who are really helping me at the moment'.

Success story: He managed to bag second place during this year's Winter Love Island after finding love with girlfriend Lana Jenkins on the show

He explained: 'Anyone who has tried to film a TikTok or anything like that, for me, this is my new job or life now, your brain has to constantly think of ideas. My brain does not work that way - I am not that creative'

Ron and Lana scored the second place title after pal Kai Fagan and his girlfriend Sanam Harrinanan took the crown.

And since leaving the villa, the islanders have been thrown into a life in the spotlight - attending VIP events, A-list premieres and parties.

Speaking exclusively to MailOnline this week, the Love Island finalist, who is based in Essex, discussed his future plans with Manchester-based Lana after he previously made it clear that he will not be moving up North.

He admitted despite 'only spending six days apart' since leaving the South African villa, he aims to 'buy his own place' before they commit to living together.

Ron confessed: 'I struggle to be apart from her. Weve only spent six days a part since coming out.

'Our end goal is to move in together but at the minute we want to be able to buy our own places and then eventually move in together.'

Status: Since leaving the villa, the islanders have been thrown into a life in the spotlight - attending VIP events, A-list premieres and parties (Ron and girlfriend Lana at a PrettyLittleThing bash last week)
Sofia Richie kicked off her wedding day with an intimate bridal breakfast on Saturday.

The model, 24, took to her Instagram Stories to share a few snaps her closest ones posted of the special morning, hours before she is set to walk down the aisle and marry fiance Elliot Grainge, 30, at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France.

Sofia, who is the daughter of music superstar Lionel Richie, sported a laid back look for breakfast, wearing a white hoodie, black pajama pants, white slippers and a white hat, along with a pair of black shades.

Her blonde tresses cascaded down her back as she posed next to a table adorned with pale pink and baby blue balloons.

She also shared a closer look at the cozy breakfast setup, with 10 table settings on an outdoor patio, writing, 'The big day.'

Bride to be! Sofia Richie kicked off her wedding day with an intimate bridal breakfast on Saturday, hours before she is set to walk down the aisle and marry Elliot Grainge in France

Her guests were treated to fresh fruit, croissants, as well as a number of refreshments among other delicious treats.

Guests also received white custom bridesmaids robes, which featured their initials in baby blue letters.

Paris Hilton was also in attendance, and shared a photo of the wedding weekend gifts she received from the couple.

'Can't wait to celebrate you both tonight sis!' she wrote, adding, 'So happy you found your forever fairytale.'

One of her pals also shared a look at the gifts, which included a cozy white set with embroidered initials, as well as a matching hat and a gold water bottle.

Yet another gal pal shared a photo of the beautiful venue, writing 'already crying.'

Another snap featured a look at the incredible view of the ocean from the venue with the caption 'Today's the day!'

The day prior the couple hosted a lavish reception at the hotel. Sofia looked sensational in a beaded ivory gown as she and her beau headed to the beach to pose for snaps.

'The big day': The daughter of music superstar Lionel Richie, 24, also shared a closer look at the cozy breakfast setup, with 10 table settings on an outdoor patio, writing, 'The big day'

Yummy! Her guests were treated to fresh fruit, croissants, as well as a number of refreshments among other delicious treats

Fancy: Guests also received white custom bridesmaids robes, which featured their initials in baby blue letters

'So happy you found your forever fairytale': Paris Hilton was also in attendance, and shared a photo of the wedding weekend gifts she received from the couple

Perfection: One of her pals also shared a look at the gifts, which included a cozy white set with embroidered initials, as well as a matching hat and a gold water bottle

Sweet: There was also a photo of pink, blue and yellow balloons

Splendid! Another gal pal shared a photo of the beautiful venue, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, writing 'already crying'

'Today's the day!' Yet another of Sofia's girlfriends posted a look at the incredible view of the ocean from the venue

Among the slew of stars jetting in to watch them exchange vows is reportedly Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, Sofia's sister Nicole Richie and husband Joel Madden, as well as her father Lionel and brother Miles.

Sofia slicked back her blonde tresses into a chic chignon and accentuated her features with a radiant palette of make-up.

Meanwhile, music executive Elliot cut a dapper figure for evening in a dark tailored suit. He layered his jacket over a crisp white shirt and completed the look with a polka dot tie and graphic pocket square.

The couple appeared to enjoy their sun-soaked surroundings as Elliot guided his gorgeous fiancee down onto the beach.

After posing for a slew of photographs they then headed off to celebrate with family and friends.

The couple have spared no expense for their stay at the five-star hotel which is set on the seafront of Cap d'Antibes.

Spread across 3 buildings it boasts elegant rooms with courtyard views and sophisticated French-country decor. Built in 1869 as a private mansion, it opened as a hotel in 1889 and is a favourite among stars.

In addition to the wedding day at Eden Roc guests also enjoyed a welcome dinner at the seafood restaurant TETOU on Thursday and a reharsal dinner held at a private estate on Friday.

Stunning: The day prior the couple hosted a lavish reception at the hotel. Sofia looked sensational in a beaded ivory gown as she and her beau headed to the beach to pose for snaps

In love: Sofia and Elliott got engaged in April 2022. The couple started dating in early 2021 and they went Instagram official in April 2021

Ahead of Sofia's wedding at the lavish venue, which is expected to be on Saturday, the Christian-born star announced she had converted to Judaism.

The model described it as 'one of the greatest experiences of my life' as she was welcomed into the Jewish community.

Sofia and Elliott got engaged in April 2022, taking to Instagram at the time to announce the news as they shared snaps of the sweet candlelight proposal.

The couple started dating in early 2021 and they went Instagram official in April 2021.
Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell called out online trolls for affecting his mental health in a series of new tweets, in which he fiercely denies being a 'pedophile.'

Nearly two years after pleading guilty to child endangerment charges relating to a girl who met him online and attended one of his concerts in Ohio when she was 15, the actor, 36, defended himself against false accusations.

After one Twitter user penned a message urging others not to 'forget he's a pedo,' the father-of-one, replied: 'Do a second of research. This is what I have to live with everyday. They are literally going to kill me.'

'Blood [is] on their hands,' he fired, alluding to the strain that unsubstantiated claims have on his wellbeing amid his divorce from estranged wife Janet Von Schmeling.

In a separate tweet, Bell said it blew his 'mind how mean people are on here to people clearly dealing with mental health issues.'

Frustrated: Former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell called out online trolls for affecting his mental health in a series of new tweets, in which he fiercely denies being a 'pedophile' (seen in 2019)

'It's unreal how cruel you all can be,' he bemoaned, before angrily responding to another post calling him a pedo.

While his fans told him not to subject himself to reading hateful posts, Bell seemed to hit a boiling point as he told one troll to 'f**k' off as he swore 'to God' he is not a 'pedophile.'

His tweets were posted just one day before claiming on Twitter that he learned that his spouse had filed for divorce by reading about it online.

'I found out my wife filed for divorce from TMZ,' Bell tweeted in the early hours of Friday. He then posted a link to a YouTube clip of his new song, Going Away.

'I know exactly what you're gonna do, with all the s**t you said that wasn't true, When is everybody going to get a clue, we're not the same,' Bell sang in the video. It's unclear what the inspiration was for the track.

Von Schmeling, 28, said in court docs that she and the actor initially separated from one another in September of 2022.

The news of their split came a week after Bell went missing in south Florida after reportedly threatening to commit suicide. He was later found unharmed.

Bell's said that the reason behind the breakup after four years of marriage is irreconcilable differences, the outlet reported.

Drained: In a separate tweet, Bell said it blew his 'mind how mean people are on here to people clearly dealing with mental health issues'

Denying claims: After one Twitter user penned a message urging others not to 'forget he's a pedo,' the father-of-one, replied: 'Do a second of research. This is what I have to live with everyday. They are literally going to kill me'

Newly-single: His tweets were posted just one day before claiming on Twitter that he learned that his wife, Janet Von Schmeling, was seeking a divorce by reading about it online

The pair are parents to one-year-old son Wyatt Bell, who Von Schmeling is asking for primary legal and physical custody of.

Von Schmeling said that she is open to Bell receiving visitation of their son as part of a divorce agreement.

The news comes a week after the actor took to Twitter April 13 to express his shock at the widespread news that his family had reported he was missing, and officials put out an alert was put out stating that he was missing and endangered.

'You leave your phone in the car and dont answer for the night and this?' Bell wrote on Twitter, with a face with an accompanying tears of joy emoji.

The Newport Beach, California-born performer was reported missing by family prior to being found by police at around 1 p.m. ET April 13 in Florida.

The Nickelodeon alum 'caused concern' with family before he was reported missing - and then found by police hours later, a source told US Weekly.

The source said, 'There was some communication with family members that caused concern so they are worried about him and looking for him.'

The insider said that some of his relatives were not even aware he was in Florida where his estranged wife Von Schemling lives with their toddler son.

Bell was spotted in public on Tuesday during a trip to SeaWorld in Orlando with his son.

Rough month: Just last week, child star Drake Bell was reported missing by the Daytona Beach Police Department in Florida

A fan told TMZ he greeted the actor and that he was 'nice and soft-spoken, but seemed fine.'

Daytona Beach Police Department confirmed earlier: 'At this time, we can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr. Bell is safe.'

The alarming series of events comes after years of erratic behavior including multiple DUI arrests and pleading guilty to charges of attempted endangering [of] children and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles for which he received two years' probation.

In January, Bell reportedly entered treatment weeks after he appeared to be sucking on a balloon in the front seat of his parked car for more than thirty minutes outside his home - with his son in the car.

Soon after, the star and his wife, also an actress, split up, with the latter moving to Florida with their son, Jeremy.

In December, DailyMail.com revealed exclusive pictures of Bell, best known for his role on Drake & Josh and The Amanda Show, inhaling inflated balloons in the front seat of his parked car outside his Los Angeles home.
Bertie Carvel, who starred in the hit series Doctor Foster, has hinted there is a chance of another series of the popular drama.

The actor, 45, admitted to 'never say never' when he was probed on the future of the show, which last aired in 2017.

Despite going down a treat with fans, the series only ran for two seasons from 2015-2017 - with fans being left on a cliffhanger.

Portraying property developer Simon on the show, Bertie's character was married to GP Gemma Foster (played by Suranne Jones) but having a secret affair with a university student named Kate (Jodie Comer).

Speaking with TV Mag in a new interview, the star gave his own thoughts on where the characters may be now.

'Never say never': Bertie Carvel, 45, has hinted that there COULD be another season of the BBC's Doctor Foster (pictured with co-star Suranne Jones)

Potential: The actor admitted to 'never say never' when he was probed on the future of the show, which last aired in 2017

He shared: 'I imagine Gemma and Simon are still alive in that version of the multiverse, and if theyre not in one, they will be in another'.

The second series saw Betie's character grapple with his mistakes and his teenage son, Tom, go missing, leaving fans on a cliffhanger as it rounded off.

Despite the unknown ending leaving room for another series, neither the show or the BBC ever confirmed a third.

Since appearing on the show, Bertie has been kept busy with a leading role in drama series Dalgliesh.

Playing the titular detective role, the actor previously explained that he drew on his own personal experiences to get into the character.

He shared: The story I was making in Dalgliesh was about a year of grief, and it intersected with my own experience in a way that was challenging.

'My mother died in November 2019, and its that and the birth of my son which followed closely that are the hinges in my life.'

Dubbing the experience 'healing', he continued: 'I wont be the same again in my work, so that was challenging, but it was healing and therapeutic too.

Imagining the characters now, he shared: 'I imagine Gemma and Simon are still alive in that version of the multiverse, and if theyre not in one, they will be in another'

While he also portrays former Prime Minister Tony Blair in Netflix's popular period drama The Crown, which depicts and dramatises the British monarchy.

Bertie plays Dalgliesh in three two-part stories, starting with an adaptation of the 1971 novel Shroud For A Nightingale, centring on the murder of a student nurse at a residential college.

Hes joined by sidekick DS Charles Masterson (Jeremy Irvine), and sparks fly as their chalk-and-cheese personalities make for a tense relationship. From the third episode they will be joined by DS Kate Miskin (Carlyss Peer).
Toni Garrn has announced she has split from her husband Alex Pettyfer.

The German model, 30, took to social media on Saturday to share the news, admitting it was a 'very difficult' decision for the couple of five years.

Since tying the knot in 2020 and meeting two years prior, the couple have also become parents to daughter Luca Malaika, who is set to turn two in June.

While they also decided to marry for a second time in 2022, saying I Do in front of their little one.

Revealing the news, Toni shared to her 4.6M Instagram followers: 'Alex and I have made the difficult decision to divorce.'

It's over! Toni Garrn has split from her actor husband Alex Pettyfer after 5 years together - months after tying the knot for a second time

One for good measure: It comes after Toni and Magic Mike star Alex married again in 2022 at a second ceremony on the Greek island of Paros

Adding: 'We will continue our relationship as friends and co-parents to our angel, Luca. Please respect our privacy during this sensitive time.'

While Alex did not comment publicly, he shared a picture of the couple's daughter Luca on his Instagram Stories as they enjoyed some time together at the park.

He captioned the photo: 'Happiness.'

Mail Online has contacted representatives for Toni and Alex for further comment.

Toni and Alex were first linked in 2019 when they attended Elton John's Oscar party together, but did not confirm their romance until later in the year.

The couple later worked together on the film Warning, alongside Alex's father Richard Pettyfer, Rupert Everett, Thomas Jane, Alice Eve and Annabelle Wallis.

It comes after Toni and Magic Mike star Alex married again in 2022 at a second ceremony on the Greek island of Paros.

They had been holidaying with their daughter Luca and Toni revealed in July that she and Alex said 'I do' once again at a beach-front ceremony.

Tough: Revealing the news, Toni shared to her 4.6M Instagram followers: 'Alex and I have made the difficult decision to divorce'

Offspring: While Alex did not comment publicly, he shared a picture of the couple's daughter Luca on his Instagram Stories as they enjoyed some time together at the park

Happier times: Since tying the knot in 2020 and meeting two years prior, the couple have also become parents to daughter Luca Malaika, who is set to turn two in June

Sharing a short clip of the pair on Instagram, Toni wrote: 'Yesterday felt like the most beautiful dream. Collecting all pictures.. stay tuned.'

Toni wore an elegant backless white wedding dress with a floor-length veil pinned on to her blonde hair.

The pair first said I do in an intimate ceremony in Toni's hometown of Hamburg in November 2020.

They tied the knot in her hometown of Hamburg in Germany 10 months after their Christmas engagement.

Following the ceremony, the couple took to Instagram to share their first social media post as newlyweds.

Alongside a snap of the pair kissing, Toni penned 'Now you really get to call me wifey ', whilst Alex wrote 'Mr & Mrs Pettyfer.'

Alex asked for the beauty's hand in marriage after just 10 months of dating, marking the third time he has proposed to one of his girlfriends.

While he popped the question on Christmas Eve, the lovebirds waited to announce the news on New Year's Eve.

The couple shared a photo taken just after the proposal, with Toni exclaiming 'I still can't believe it', while Alex added 'Ok now for real the last throwback to 2019. Onto 2020 as wifey.'

Days later, she shared a closer snap of her dazzling diamond ring.

Alongside the snap she penned: 'Christmas Eve the love of my life surprised me on his knees asking me to be his forever.

'He changed my life the day we met and showed me what love really is - so yes I cannot wait to spend every day (well almost) of my life with you @alexpettyfer.'

Low-key: The pair first said I do in an intimate ceremony in Toni's hometown of Hamburg in November 2020

Introducing Mr and Mrs Pettyfer! The couple originally began dating in 2018 before marrying in 2020, 10 months after their Christmas engagement (pictured 2020)

Toni rose to prominence in the fashion industry after signing an exclusive contract with Calvin Klein in 2008, having made her debut for the designer in their Spring/Summer 2008 runway show in New York at the age of 15.

She went on to feature in their advertising campaign before walking again exclusively for the brand the following year.

In the 2009 seasons she walked in more than 60 shows for other well known fashion houses including Stella McCartney, Dior, Chanel, Hermes, Louis Vuitton, Dolce & Gabbana and Micheal Kors among others.

While she is also known for strutting down the runway as a Victoria's Secret Angel, walking her first catwalk for the underwear brand in 2011.

She ranked in 20th place in the Top 50 Models Women list on international modelling site models.com in 2012.

The fashionista released her own line of jeans after collaborating with German denim label Closed in 2014.

She has appeared in a variety of Vogue magazines published around the world, as well as Muse, Glamour and Harper's Bazaar in America, Italy's Marie-Claire, i-D and many more.

Toni also turned her hand to acting, playing the role of Reeva Steenkamp in the 2017 LifeTime movie Oscar Pistorius: Blade Runner Killer.

Meanwhile, British-born Alex made his professional acting debut in Tom Brown's Schooldays as lead character Tom Brown.

He was then cast in June that year as teenage MI6 spy Alex Ryder in the film Stormbreaker.

He next appeared in 2008 flick Wild Child, starring alongside Emma Roberts.

Fashion star: Toni rose to prominence in the fashion industry after signing an exclusive contract with Calvin Klein in 2008 (pictured walking in the Missoni Fashion Show during Milan Fashion Week last year)

Alex went on to work on a number of other film projects, including 2011's Beastly and I Am Number Four.

Before also taking to screens in 2012's Magic Mike, portraying Adam, a 19-year-old who enters the world of male stripping.

In 2018 he appeared as journalist Stephen Underwood who learned of the horrendous murder of 22,000 Poles under Stalin's instructions in postWorld War II thriller The Last Witness.

The next year, in 2019, he was cast in the main role of Brody in the Netflix science fiction miniseries The I-Land.
Tatum O'Neal gave fans an inside glimpse into her family when she shared a photo of herself with her father, Ryan O'Neal on his 82nd birthday.

'Happy birthday dad I love you,' the 59-year-old Academy Award winner captioned the post, which showed them sitting by by side on a bed as she held onto her small grey dog.

In the image, her proud father placed one hand on his daughter's shoulder while she wrapped her arm around his.

She was dressed in a beige blouse with colorful vertical stripes and a pair of coordinating pants.

An Andy Warhol print of Ryan's long time love Farrah Fawcett hung above the bed and a bar cabinet was visible behind them.

Birthday boy: Tatum O'Neal, 59, gave fans an inside glimpse into her family when she shared a photo of herself with her father, Ryan O'Neal on his 82nd birthday

Throwback photo: The father and daughter duo sat on a bed. He wore a white shirt and brown pants while she had on a striped top and pants. A small grey dog was cradled by the Academy Award winner

The late Charlie's Angels star and the Paper Moon actor were together for decades before her death in 2009 after a long battle with anal cancer.

They started dating in 1979 and broke up in 1997 after he had an affair. The couple got back together in 2001 and were together until her death at age 62.

Farrah was still married to Lee Majors, the star of the hit show The Six Million Dollar Man, when she and Ryan met in 1979 and fell in love.

'There was never a day I didn't love her,' Ryan confessed in an interview with People in 2019.

As fate would have it, the couple's strong attraction for each other was sealed when Lee asked Ryan to check up on his wife while he was away filming.

The Love Story actor and pinup girl went on to become one of Hollywood's 'it' couples, which included welcoming son Redmond in 1985.

Farrah and Ryan split in 1997 after 18-years together, but they reconciled four years later when the actress took care of Ryan after he was diagnosed with leukemia.

The tables were turned in 2006 when Farrah was diagnosed with anal cancer.

Art: An Andy Warhol print of Ryan's long time love Farrah Fawcett hung above the bed and a bar cabinet was visible behind them

Oldest child: Tatum is the oldest and only girl out of Ryan's four children

Ryan was at Farrah's bedside during her final weeks in the hospital, where he finally proposed marriage.

'I think they would've married if she had made it because he asked her to marry him in the hospital and she said yes. But she took a turn for the worse,' Farrah's friend Alana Stewart told People.

'The two of them had a deep bond and deep love. No matter what they went through, the ups and downs, he was the one she wanted by her side.

Farrah passed away as O'Neal held her hand on June 25, 2009.

Oscar winner: Tatum is the youngest person ever to win an Academy Award, winning at age 10 for her performance as Addie Loggins in Paper Moon in 1973 opposite her father

Siblings: Tatum and Griffin O'Neal are from Ryan's first marriage to Joanne Moore, he had Patrick O'Neal with Leigh Taylor-Young and Redmond Fawcett O'Neal with Farrah Fawcett

Their relationship was described as tumultuous at times, in part, due to Ryan's reputation as a ladies man and his sometimes volatile behavior.

But still, their attraction and bond could never be denied.

In January, Ryan's younger brother Kevin O'Neal died at the age of 77 of natural causes.

He passed away in his sleep at his home in Thousand Oaks, California, according to Ryan's 55-year-old sportscaster son Patrick.
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Sofia Richie radiated beauty as she was escorted down the aisle by her father, music legend Lionel Richie, walked her down the aisle at the luxury Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the French Riviera on Saturday.

On her big day, the model, 24, looked sensational in a beaded ivory gown as her dad sweetly walked her down a flight of stairs as she prepared to marry British music executive, Elliot Grainge.

Before saying 'I do' in front of her closest loved ones, she beamed with joy as she linked arms with the four-time Grammy winner, who led his youngest daughter, clad in a breathtaking custom wedding dress, to her groom.

The blushing bride - who had a total of three Chanel dresses for her wedding weekend, including the one she wore to her rehearsal dinner the day prior - wore a delicate gown with iridescent white sequins and a criss-cross neckline, which was inspired by a look from Chanel's fall 2023 collection.

The groom arrived cut a dapper figure in a black tuxedo and bow tie as he stood alongside his father Lucian Grainge and stepmother, Caroline Grainge.

The A-list guest list also included her older sibling Nicole Richie, who wore a black asymmetrical black gown, her husband Joel Madden and sister-in-law Cameron Diaz, who is married to his twin brother Benji Madden.

Blushing bride: Sofia Richie radiated beauty as she was escorted down the aisle by her father, music legend Lionel Richie, walked her down the aisle at the luxury Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in the French Riviera on Saturday

Stunning: On her big day, the model, 24, looked sensational in a beaded ivory gown as her dad sweetly walked her down a flight of stairs as she prepared to marry British music executive, Elliot Grainge

Walking down the aisle: Before saying 'I do' in front of her closest loved ones, she beamed with joy as she linked arms with the four-time Grammy winner, who led his youngest daughter, clad in a breathtaking custom wedding dress, to her groom

As Sofia sauntered past stunning floral arrangements, two men fluffed the train of her dress as her friends stared in awe from behind a large wooden door.

Vogue first confirmed that the couple exchanged vows on Saturday evening in the South of France.

In a video on the publication's Instagram, Lionel's daughter gushed about her groom, 30: 'I am so excited. [It's] because I'm marrying Elliot, I know that sounds cheesybut he is the man of my dreams.'

As for what he might think of her wedding dress, she said: 'I honestly think Elliot is going to love it. He is my biggest cheerleader when it comes to anything I wear. If he doesn't cry, I'll be very sad.'

The model brought her mother-in-law Lady Caroline Grainge and her best friend Ali Meller to her wedding dress fitting in Paris.

Details of the dress included an inscription of 'S&E' on the inside, for her 'something blue.'

The dress also featured two heart embellishments, to symbolize the couple's connection.

Sofia worked with Chanel creative director Virginie Viard to make her wedding dress vision come to life, and though she admitted that she previously wanted a 'princess dress' as she got older she realized she wanted something 'a bit more simple.'

Sofia also discussed her makeup for the wedding weekend.

'I'm keeping the makeup for the entire weekend super simple and clean. I just want it to feel timeless: I don't want to look back in like 20 years and be like, 'She's a glamazon.''

As for her after-party dress, Richie wore a short structured dress with the signature Chanel camellia in the front, inspired by Claudia Schiffer's runway dress.

All in the details: Sofia held a delicate arrangement while her dad looked handsome in a black tuxedo

Here comes the bride! Her golden blonde lockers were perfectly swept into a romantic updo

Wedding bells: Lionel held onto his daughter's arm as she prepared to become a married woman

Perfect: The ceremony was picture-perfect from every angle

Wow! No expense was spared to ensure the bride had the perfect wedding

Gorgeous accessories: The influencer wore a sheer veil in front of her face as she prepared to exchange vows with the love of her life

Beautiful: The blushing bride - who had a total of three Chanel dresses for her wedding weekend, including the one she wore to her rehearsal dinner the day prior - wore a delicate gown with iridescent white sequins and a criss-cross neckline, which was inspired by a look from Chanel's fall 2023 collection

Handsome groom: The groom arrived cut a dapper figure in a black tuxedo and bow tie as he stood alongside his father Lucian Grainge and stepmother, Caroline Grainge

Dapper: Sofia's spouse smiled as he got ready to say 'I do' for the first time

Family affair: Sofia's older sister Nicole Richie stunned in a black asymmetrical black gown

Proud dad: Lionel looked proud to stand by his daughter's side

Showtime: After more than a year of wedding planning, Sofia made her debut as a bride

It's time: The bride was joined by all her loved ones on her special day

Sweet: Nicole's sister-in-law Cameron Diaz, who is married to Benji Madden, wore a black floor-length dress to the ceremony

Doting parents: Diaz and Benji guided their daughter Raddix down the stairs

Adorable: The pair's three-year-old wore a oink dress, matching leggings and cowboy boots

Glowing: The bride was careful not to fall as she descended a flight of stairs

First look: Sofia smiled brightly as she saw her groom for the first time

The day prior the couple hosted a lavish reception at the hotel. Sofia looked sensational in a beaded ivory gown as she and her beau headed to the beach to pose for snaps.

Among the slew of stars that jetted in to watch them exchange vows is reportedly Cameron Diaz and Benji Madden, Sofia's sister Nicole Richie and husband Joel Madden, as well as her father Lionel and brother Miles.

The couple have spared no expense for their stay at the five-star hotel which is set on the seafront of Cap d'Antibes.

Spread across 3 buildings it boasts elegant rooms with courtyard views and sophisticated French-country decor. Built in 1869 as a private mansion, it opened as a hotel in 1889 and is a favourite among stars.

Earlier in the day Sofia kicked off her wedding celebrations with an intimate bridal breakfast.

She took to her Instagram Stories to share a few snaps her closest ones posted of the special morning.

Sofia sported a laid back look for breakfast, wearing a white hoodie, black pajama pants, white slippers and a white hat, along with a pair of black shades.

She also shared a closer look at the cozy breakfast setup, with 10 table settings on an outdoor patio, writing, 'The big day.'

Glammed up: A photographer documented Sofia's every move as she made her way to the aisle

Memorable: The star walked down a long white pathway to her groom

Whirlwind romance: The couple wed after two years of dating

Star-studded guest list: Paris Hilton and her husband Carter Reum were among the celebrity guests who flew across from the United States to see Sofia get married

Glamorous: All eyes were on the reality star as she arrived in a silver gown with a plunging neckline

Inseparable: Hilton and Reum were seen holding hands

Glamorous: All eyes were on the reality star as she arrived in a silver gown with a plunging neckline

Looking good! Friends of the couple were dressed in black tie for the occasion

Intimate: Large floral arrangements adorned the venue as they wed at the picturesque Hotel du Cap Eden Roc

Picture-perfect: The ceremony was held at the Hotel du Cap Eden Roc in Antibes

In addition to the wedding day at Eden Roc guests also enjoyed a welcome dinner at the seafood restaurant TETOU on Thursday and a reharsal dinner held at a private estate on Friday.

Elliot is the son of Lucian Grainge, the chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group.

He works as the CEO of indie record label 10K Projects and works with Trippie Redd and Tekashi 6ix9ine.

Ahead of Sofia's wedding at the lavish venue, the Christian-born star announced she had converted to Judaism.

The model described it as 'one of the greatest experiences of my life' as she was welcomed into the Jewish community.

Sofia and Elliott got engaged in April 2022, taking to Instagram at the time to announce the news as they shared snaps of the sweet candlelight proposal.

The couple started dating in early 2021 and they went Instagram official in April 2021.

A source spoke to Entertainment Tonight at the time and expressed that the happy couple had known each other for an extended period of time prior to the start of their romance.

'They have been friends for years and Elliot is also close with Sofia's brother, Miles. It's very nice for Sofia to date someone who her family approves of and likes,' they said.

Bride to be! Earlier in the day she kicked off her wedding day with an intimate bridal breakfast, hours before walking down the aisle

'The big day': She shared a closer look at the cozy breakfast setup, with 10 table settings on an outdoor patio, writing, 'The big day'

'So happy you found your forever fairytale': Paris Hilton was also in attendance, and shared a photo of the wedding weekend gifts she received from the couple

Fancy: Guests also received white custom bridesmaids robes, which featured their initials in baby blue letters

Splendid! Another gal pal shared a photo of the beautiful venue, Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, writing 'already crying'

'Today's the day!' Yet another of Sofia's girlfriends posted a look at the incredible view of the ocean from the venue

Engaged: Richie announced her engagement to Grainge in 2022, showing off her splendid ring

Romantic: She included a number of snaps shots from the proposal, including the moment Elliot got down on one knee

Meanwhile another source told US Weekly of their early romance at the time: 'Their relationship took off and they have been getting closer and closer and spend practically every day together.'

Sofia was previously in a high-profile relationship with reality television personality Scott Disick, whom she began seeing in 2017.

The former couple, who had a 16-year age gap, were together for nearly three years before they broke things off in May 2020.

They then reconciled that July, although they went on to separate for a final time in August.

Sofia has also been linked to a string of eligible bachelors including Cha Cha Matcha founder Matthew Morton and Israeli shipping heir Gil Ofer.
The crooks were running a scam, in which they would impersonate customer care executives of various banks and e-commerce sites, and dupe unsuspecting customers

The Delhi Police on Wednesday announced the arrest of 31-old-man from West Bengals Murshidabad, who illegally procured Indian and international SIM cards in bulk, activated them, and then sold them to cybercriminals operating from Jharkhands Jamtara district and other parts of the country.

Delhi Police Cyber Crime branch busted a fake call centre syndicate from Jamtara (Jharkhand) with the arrest of six persons which led to the recovery of 22,000 sim cards used in the crime. (ANI photo)

Officers aware of the arrest said they had seized nearly 22,000 SIM cards from the accused, identified as Nasim Malitya.

It took us nearly six hours to count all the SIM cards. Nearly 16,000 of them were of three leading cellular service providers of India. International SIM cards from countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka were also there, said an investigator probing the case, on condition of anonymity.

Malityas arrest came after the Delhi Police busted a gang of cybercrooks operating from Jamtara and arrested five people involved in running a pan-India scam, in which they would impersonate customer care executives of various banks and e-commerce sites, and dupe unsuspecting customers.

Apart from the 21,761 used and unused SIM cards that were recovered from Malitya, at least 12,500 pre-activated SIM cards were already provided to Jamtaras cyber criminals over a period of one year. The cyber criminals were posting their mobile numbers on Google as the customer care helplines of banks of repute and several e-commerce sites, said deputy commissioner of police (outer-north) Ravi Kumar Singh.

Hindustan Times
On Earth Day we must resolve to recreate ancient doctrines of regenerative lifestyle to ensure our planet and its inhabitants remain healthy

The celebration of Earth Days or for that matter any day is the occasion for educating the public on issues of concern to humanity, discussing concerns having global relevance, mobilising public opinion, showcasing the achievements of humanity, and revisiting the civilizational discourses for drawing a road map for the future. Human civilization is at a cross-road due to the planetary climate crisis. Unquestionably, human indulgence and the plundering of natural resources is the prime reason for the mess we are in.

The Vedic culture is a set of doctrines for living in perfect harmony with nature. The verses in the Vedas manifest the sacred relationship between biotic and abiotic components. To the Vedic people, the Earth was an object of worship and its bountiful natural resources were utilised to meet the bare minimum needs for survival. A Hymn in Prithvi Sukta in Atharva Veda is the foremost inspirational ecological proclamation. Through this, we earnestly vouch for the ever-lasting allegiance to Mother Earth- 'Mata Bhumih Putroham Prithivyah. Rig Veda (8.8.49.4) contemplates that United be your purpose, harmonious be your feelings, collected be your mind, in the same way as all the various aspects of the universe exist in interconnectedness, wholeness and oneness.

Prithvi Sukta says O Mother Earth! Be kind to us and bestow happiness upon us. May you be fertile, arable, and nourisher of all? May you continue supporting people of all races and nations? Through these, Mother Earths blessings are sought for the prosperity of all creatures and the fulfilment of righteous aspirations of man. We solemnise Mother Earth for all her natural bounties, especially for her gifts of water, herbs and vegetation, and we pray for the wellness of the sky, hills, mountains, rivers, clouds, seas and oceans and wish that all components of Earth remain healthy.

Through such principles, man secured the Earth from all environmental misadventures and ill-treatment. In Sanatan culture, we firmly believe that the earth and all its objects are not merely the creation of God but also possess his divine energy (Tat sristva ta devanu pravisat: after creating the universe, He entered into every object created). Thus, we developed close interconnections and a co-existential mindset with nature. Contrastingly, to satisfy our greed and unlimited wants, we are now polluting the hydrosphere, lithosphere, biosphere and atmosphere- crucial components of Earth. Consequently, mother earth is wounded, its ecosystem polluted to the extent of becoming incapable of supporting.

Verse 12.1.35 in Bhumi Suktam warned us about the overexploitation of natural resources irreparably damaging the environment. In Atharv Veda, we prayed that What, O earth, I dig out of thee, quickly shall that grow again: may I not, O pure one, injure thy vitals or thy heart. Since we no longer celebrate the divine energy in Earth and its components, our indulgence with nature has become Prakriti Virodhi. Therefore, the question arises: What should be our Sanatan discourse on the irreversible planetary climate crisis? Contextually, the Sanatan worldview, scholarship, traditions, civilizational discourses and nature-centric indulgence can provide a spiritual roadmap to address the threat of climate change.

Pancha mahabhutas (Prithvi, Agni, Jal, Akash, and Vayu) originate from nature and depend upon each other for existence. Earth, the densest of all, is the ground upon which life originates and flourishes. For us, the Earth is an organic entity, metaphysically and metaphorically. We worship these elements for their sacredness and divine energy. We used to perform the prayer before any action that we thought might pollute these elements. Through yagnas and sacrificial fire, we used to purify the environment. Practices like daily greetings to mother earth before stepping onto it, praying to the sun at the first sight, greetings to food and offering it to God before eating, worshipping rivers, mountains, vegetation and various other lands- and life-forms, and thanking God before sleeping amply demonstrate the depth of our intimate relationship with nature. In Vishwamitra Smriti we pray Samundravasane devi parvatstanmandale? Vishnupatni namstubhyam padsparsh kshamaswame- Oh Mother Goddess, the one who is covered with oceans as her garments and mountains as her bosom, the consort of Lord Vishnu, please forgive us for touching You with our feet.

This does not mean that Hindus mindlessly worship the superiority of nature due to fear or superstition. Vedic culture taught us that human beings are not the supreme species and have no right to dominate or conquer other entities. Vedas advised us to live in a co-existential mindset. Ishavasya Upanishad verse-1 says that Isavasyamidam sarvam yatkinca jagatyam jagat; Tena tyaktena bhunjitha ma grdhah kasya sviddhaman; meaning that All natural resources belong to the God and our share is the bare minimum necessary for survival and earn without committing sins. So we should not covet others wealth. The irony is that the modern Hindus are en-route to forgetting their traditional sacred relationship with nature and their ecological vision is becoming blurred. Consequently, the life support system of the earth has been degraded and polluted and the earth is becoming unfit to nurture and support life. We need to restore our ancient ecological vision to reverse this trend. We ought to embrace our traditional lifestyle, world view and civilizational discourses of green living. The Vedic philosophy of oneness must be the guiding principle for our indulgence with nature where the universe is considered an integral part of our own higher self.

From scientific materialism and dualistic Western metaphysics, we learnt that man is independent of nature and God is independent of both, man and nature. This prompted us to consider mother earth a dead object and encouraged us to exploit nature that can be naturally regenerated whereas Atharva Veda taught us: O Mother Earth, May whatever I dig from you grow back again quickly, and may we not injure you by our labour. This is leading to the collapse of the earths ecosystem. The fact is Mother Earth does not discriminate against the creatures decorating her body and soul. To Her, all creatures are equally important. Thus, we arrive at the dictum Sarva Bhuta Hita.

We should not live in the illusion that man is special or different from other biotic and abiotic components and also from each other. We must restore and promote the deep-rooted benign interconnectedness that exists between man and nature. We need to interface our Sanatan worldview and modern science to experience and enrich inner harmony and peace, universal brotherhood and respect for mother earth.

We need to recreate ancient doctrines of regenerative lifestyle which can ensure the sustainability of nature. We must ensure that all life-sustaining components of mother earth remain healthier than ever before. On Earth Day, can we commit ourselves to restoring Earths life-sustaining ecosystem, re-establish the Sanatan connection with nature and natural resources, celebrate Gods creativity and divine energy, and relearn to live harmoniously with Nature? After all, Wisdom comes to a man, who meditates, acts and lives according to the true eternal laws of Nature' (Rig Veda).

(The writer is Vice-Chancellor, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda)
Given strained ties between the two countries, Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has said his visit to India next month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers meet should not be seen in terms of bilateral ties. The conclave will take place in Goa on May 4 and 5.

Bilawal has said his participation in the meeting in India reflects Islamabads commitment to the charter of the SCO. Responding to a question on a programme on Dunya News aired, he said he would represent Pakistan at the Foreign Ministers meeting to be held in Goa next month. We are committed to the SCO charter and this visit should not be seen as a bilateral one but in the context of the SCO, he said.

It will not be appropriate to focus on a particular member, MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said on Thursday on participation of Pakistan in SCO Foreign Ministers meet.

He also said it is premature to say bilateral meeting between Zardari and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar may take place on the sidelines of the SCO conclave.

Pakistan on Thursday announced that its Foreign Minister will lead his countrys delegation to the meeting of SCO Foreign Ministers (CFM).

Pakistan Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said during a weekly press meet on Thursday Zardari was attending the SCO-CFM meeting at the invitation of Jaishankar.

Bilawal will be the first Minister to visit India after then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited New Delhi in 2014 for the swearing in ceremony of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2011, then Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar visited India. In December 2015, then External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj visited Pakistan and days later, Modi made a brief visit to the neighbouring country.

Meanwhile, it would be the highest-level visit to India by any Pakistani leader in recent years and a possible opportunity to break the ice between the two nations.

The ties between India and Pakistan came under severe strain after Indias warplanes pounded a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist training camp in Pakistans Balakot in February 2019 in response to the Pulwama terror attack.

The relations further deteriorated after India announced the withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmirs special powers and the bifurcation of the erstwhile State into Union Territories in August 2019.

India has been maintaining that it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan while insisting that the onus is on Islamabad to create an environment free of terror and hostility for such an engagement.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became permanent members of the Beijing-based SCO in 2017.

India, which currently holds the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) presidency, sent the invitation to SCO members including the new Foreign Minister of China Qin Gang and Zardari in January.

The eight-member SCO is a major regional powerhouse that was established over two decades ago with the aim of promoting economic, political, and military cooperation among its member nations. It represents around 42 per cent of the worlds total population and 25 per cent of the global GDP.

Notably, this years SCO Foreign Ministers meeting comes in the wake of escalating Russia-Ukraine war and Indias G20 Presidency.
With situation worsening in strife-torn Sudan and causing concern about safety of nearly 3,000 Indian nationals there, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting via video conference to review the security situation in the African nation. He directed preparation of contingency plans for THE evacuation of Indians from there.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Ambassador of India to Sudan BS Mubarak and other senior officials were present at the briefing, the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) said in a statement. It was learnt the IAF and Navy chiefs attended the meet.

Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, Ambassador of India to Sudan BS Mubarak, along with the envoys to Egypt and Riyadh and Secretary (Consular, Passport, Visa Overseas Indian Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs, Ausaf Sayeed, attended the high-level meet.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar held talks with United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres in New York late on Thursday to discuss the issue and underscored the need for successful diplomacy, which can lead to an early ceasefire and create the ground situation for the safety and welfare of people in the strife-torn African nation.

During the meeting in New Delhi, the Prime Minister assessed the most recent developments in Sudan and received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground, with specific focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located throughout the country.

The Prime Minister expressed his condolences on the passing away of an Indian national, Albert Agustine, who tragically fell victim to a stray bullet last week.

Modi instructed all relevant officials to remain vigilant, closely monitoring developments and continuously evaluating the safety of Indian nationals in Sudan and extending them all possible assistance.

Modi directed the preparation of contingency evacuation plans, accounting for the rapidly shifting security landscape and the viability of various options. He also emphasised the importance of maintaining close communication with neighbouring countries in the region, as well as those with significant numbers of citizens in Sudan.

As regards talks between Jaishankar and Guterres in New York, the External Affairs Minister tweeted: Good to meet UN Secretary General @antonioguterres in New York today afternoon. Discussed the current developments in Sudan, G20 Presidency and Ukraine.

Focus understandably was on Sudan. India strongly supports efforts towards an early ceasefire, leading to creation of safe corridors. Will continue to work closely with the UN and other partners in this regard, he said.

More than 300 people, including an Indian national, have been killed since intense fighting erupted in the Sudanese Capital Khartoum and elsewhere in the country on Saturday.

Jaishankar is headed on a nine-day trip to Guyana, Panama, Colombia, and the Dominican Republic beginning on Friday, his first visit as the External Affairs Minister to these Latin American countries and the Caribbean. Before his trip to Latin America, he arrived in New York.

He said while his trip to South America was planned quite a while ago, he came here to the UN mainly because once the fighting started (in Sudan) on the 14th (of April), you could immediately see that this was very serious and a lot of people were trapped by the situation.

We knew that the UN itself has a large presence in Sudan. This will be the centre. Because at this moment, what is needed is diplomacy, successful diplomacy because its only diplomacy which can create the ground situation for the safety and welfare of the people out there, Jaishankar told a small group of journalists here after his meeting with Guterres.

Noting that he had a very good meeting with Guterres, Jaishankar said once the fighting in Sudan started out I felt that it was very important that he met the UN Secretary-General.

Most of our meeting was on the Sudan situation. We also of course discussed the G20 and we also spent some time on the Ukraine conflict. But essentially it was about the Sudan situation, he said.

Jaishankar said in Sudan, the UN is at the heart of the efforts to establish a ceasefire. And that is really key because at the moment, unless there is a ceasefire and unless there are corridors, it is not safe for people to really come out, he said.

The UN is doing its bit talking to everybody. We of course have obviously very strong interest in the matter because so many Indians are there, Jaishankar added.

Jaishankar said New Delhi is in touch with several countries and he has spoken to Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia Faisal bin Farhan and UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

We have been in touch with the Americans, I have also been in touch with my British counterpart, he said.

Earlier on Thursday morning, he had a long conversation with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry for being Sudans neighbour and having a strong interest and strong understanding.

So, the focus is how do you get the diplomatic processes to yield the desired result. The desired result is a workable, on-the-ground observed ceasefire. And then to take the next step, which is how do you create corridors for movement, what are the options of movement, what are the assembly points, Jaishankar said.

Meanwhile, the team in New Delhi is in continuous touch with the Indians in Sudan, advising them saying we know its very difficult for everybody, but keep calm, dont take unnecessary risk. Theyll have to wait for this to sort itself out, he said.

I hope that the efforts, including that led by the Secretary General, will yield something very soon. But we will have to wait and see, Jaishankar said.

Earlier on Thursday, Guterres had a meeting convened by the African Union on the dramatic situation in Sudan, bringing together the United Nations, the League of Arab States, IGAD [The Intergovernmental Authority on Development] and the European Union, as well as representatives from a number of countries that are deeply committed to solving the crisis.

There was a strong consensus on condemning the ongoing fighting in Sudan and calling for a cessation of hostilities. As an immediate priority, I appeal for a ceasefire to take place for at least three days, marking the Eid al-Fitr celebrations, to allow civilians trapped in conflict zones to escape and to seek medical treatment, food and other essential supplies, Guterres told reporters here.

Jaishankar said there have been earlier attempts at a ceasefire that did not hold. What he (UN SG) said to me was encouraging in respect of the people who are trapped right now becauseas he said that it is more important than ever before that this ceasefire holds. We hope so too, he added.

India on Thursday said the situation in Sudan is very tense and is focusing on ensuring the safety and well-being of the Indian community, including working on contingency plans and possible evacuation.
Lord Buddhas teachings are the basis for solutions to the greatest challenges confronting the world, including war, economic instability, terrorism and climate change, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday after inaugurating the two-day Global Buddhist Summit here which is being attended by delegates from 30 countries.

Taking a swipe at rich nations, the Prime Minister said that the world is facing a climate change crisis now because in the last century some countries stopped thinking about others and the coming generations. For decades they kept thinking that meddling with nature will not impact them. They kept putting it on others.

Inspired by the teachings of Lord Buddha, India is taking new initiatives for global welfare, Modi said.

Had the world followed His teachings, it would not have faced the climate change crisis, Modi said emphasising that the path shown by Lord Buddha is the path of the future and sustainability.

Addressing a gathering of eminent Buddhist monks, scholars, ambassadors and diplomats, Modi quoted ancient texts on Lord Buddhas teachings and said the need of the hour is that people and nations prioritise global interests along with that of their own by drawing inspiration from the Buddhas philosophy.

This is the road to a happy and stable world. This is necessary to move from self to the wider world, from narrowness to integral (approach), the Prime Minister said, adding that the world will have to think about the poor and countries lacking resources.

Modi asserted that India has been following the path shown by the Buddha and cited the country extending help to others, including Turkiye after it was hit by an earthquake, to say that it has treated every human beings pain as its own.

Challenges to solutions is the journey of the Buddha (samasya se samadhan). The Buddha didnt leave his palace because He was in discomfort, He left because he saw and felt the pain of others, he said at the summit being organised by the Union Ministry of Culture in collaboration with the International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).

Modi recalled his speech at the United Nations a few years ago where he said, India didnt give war to the world, it gave the Buddha, and said the summit will provide an effective platform for putting together efforts of all countries in the direction of achieving a peaceful and prosperous world while fostering sustainability.

Platforms like IBC are giving the opportunity to like-minded and like-hearted countries to spread Buddha Dhamma and peace, Modi said.

He said the summit was taking place at a time when India had completed 75 years of Independence and was celebrating Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The world is watching this country of 140 crore people, understanding it and also accepting it, Modi said.

Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy said, This Global Buddhist Summit will also help in strengthening cultural and diplomatic ties with other countries.

During the course of the summit, discussions will be held on peace, environment, morality, health, and sustainability, among others, said Reddy while Law Minister Kiren Rijiju was of the opinion that India is the birthplace of Buddhism. By hosting this summit, India is not only doing its duty, but it is also showing the way forward.
In a shocking incident, a woman was chased and shot at in full public glare on Friday afternoon at Saket Court in South Delhi by a suspended lawyer who fired 4-5 rounds, triggering panic at the court. Soon after the shooting, victim M Radha, in her 40s, was rushed to hospital, where her condition is said to be stable.

Delhi Special Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said the assailant, identified as Kameshwar Singh, was later arrested from Faridabad.

According to preliminary reports, Singh, a former advocate at the Saket court, had filed a case of cheating against Radha over a monetary dispute involving Rs 25 lakh and the hearing in the case was scheduled for Friday.

Videos of the incident that went viral show Singh and Radha arguing on the court complex and the man pulling out a gun and running after her. He fired two shots from a close range at the Radha, who scrambled to move away from him screaming for help. The man then fired a third round. People present there ran in panic and one of them could be heard saying someone save the woman. However, majority of them remain mute spectators.

Singh then moved inside the building and the injured woman who got shot in her abdomen. She was taken away by the bystanders and security personnel present there to a nearby hospital. Eyewitnesses said at least two more rounds were fired during the incident that took place around 10.30 am.

As per an FIR filed by accused Kameshwar Singh, the woman and an advocate, Rajendra Jha, have been blamed for defrauding and cheating him of Rs 25 lakh in November last year under Sections 406 (Punishment for criminal breach of trust), 420 (cheating), 120 B (criminal conspiracy), and 34 (common intention) of the IPC at the Saket police station.

Jha showed me a very good plan of investment in which money was paid at a very high rate of interest, i.e., @ 20-40 per cent per month. He and Radha are in collusion with each other and have roped in so many people and cheated them on a large scale, says the FIR.

Jha and Radha have paid me only Rs 3,00,000 through the RTGS facility and no further money was paid to me thereafter. They have grossly violated the terms and conditions of my investment, read the FIR.

Both the persons have hatched a conspiracy against me, defrauded me heavily and grossly cheated me in a sum of Rs 25 lakh along with interest @ 20 per cent per month thereon, the FIR added.

This incident is the latest in a series of shootings that have occurred on court complexes in Delhi. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter and expressed concern at the poor law and order situation in the national Capital.

L-G sahab, what is happening in our Delhi? The law and order situation in Delhi has completely deteriorated. Instead of creating obstacles in the work of others and engaging in dirty politics on every issue, everyone should focus on their own work. And if they cannot manage, they should resign so that someone else can do it. The safety of people cannot be left to chance, he tweeted in Hindi.

AAP chief spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, too, trained his guns at L-G VK Saxena, saying he should take responsibility for the incident as Delhi Police report to him. The L-G has only two jobs  Police and DDA. After the arrival of the new L-G sir, the law and order situation in Delhi has gotten worse. Guns are fired in courts. The police are involved in Rs 350-crore corruption, he tweeted in Hindi.

Later, AAP chief spokesperson and Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, too, trained his guns at Lieutenant-Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, saying he should take responsibility for the incident as Delhi Police report to him. The L-G has only two jobs -- Police and DDA. After the arrival of the new L-G sir, the law and order situation in Delhi has gotten worse. Guns are fired in courts. The police are involved in Rs 350-crore corruption, he tweeted in Hindi.
The AAP on Friday demanded a probe by an independent agency into an alleged Rs 350-crore scam in the Delhi Police and asked Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena to take responsibility of the matter. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also asked whether those guilty will go to jail.

Tagging a media report on the alleged scam, Kejriwal tweeted in Hindi: Prime minister, the Delhi Police comes under you. Will this be investigated? Will the guilty go to jail?

Addressing a press conference, Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) chief spokesperson and Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj said the law-and-order situation of the national capital is deteriorating and Fridays firing incident in the Saket court complex is a proof of that.

If a place is secure in the country, it is the courts. There were several rounds of firing in a court. What is the police doing? A lawyer was recently killed at Dwarka. Elderly people are being killed, while mobile phone and chain-snatching incidents are taking place. Vehicles are being stolen from posh areas. Even if a crime is captured on CCTV, police are unable to catch the culprits, Bharadwaj said.

He added that the LG should take moral responsibility for the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Delhi. What is the LG doing? He goes to a DJB sewer treatment plant to take stock of the ongoing work, but he should also go to a police station or the Saket court complex. When will the LG get himself clicked at a police station? A woman was dragged (by a car) in Kanjhawala, but he did not go there. He should have taken reporters there too. You are roaming from drain to drain, but not going to a police station.

The LG sahab has not done any work that will make one say that the law-and-order situation is improving. He should take moral responsibility for this. If he wants to resign, it will be seen. At least he should take responsibility, Bharadwaj quipped.

We want to know what did you do? How is it possible that the scam happened in the Delhi Police and the police will probe it? Where is the CBI and the ED? It is a scam of Rs 350 crore in Delhis biggest security agency.

Who is the LG trying to protect? He is completely silent on this. Please accept your responsibility. You are answerable. You are accountable. We demand that the LG sahab clear his position on the scam and an independent agency probe this, Bharadwaj said.

The Delhi Police has ordered an inquiry into the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to the force in last years Union Budget, officials said on Thursday.
Led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP slammed Lieutenant-Governor (LG) VK Saxena over the citys law-and-order situation on Friday, following a shooting incident inside the Saket court complex. No response was available from the LGs office on the AAPs attack on Saxena.

In an apparent dig at the LG and the BJP-led Centre, Kejriwal in a tweet said Delhis law-and-order situation is creaking and instead of creating hurdles in others jobs and indulging in dirty politics, everyone should pay attention to the job at their hands. He also said those responsible for the situation should resign if they are not able to handle it.

Peoples safety cannot be left to the mercy of gods, the AAP national convenor said. Sharing a video on Twitter of the Saket court firing incident, in which a woman aged around 40 years was shot at, Kejriwal asked, LG sahab, what is happening in our Delhi?

Senior AAP leader and Delhi minister Atishi also urged Saxena to focus on providing a safe city to its people, while accusing him of obstructing the work of the Arvind Kejriwal government.

Addressing a press conference, Atishi said the national capital witnessed a very shameful incident. All of us know that women have never been safe in Delhi. A woman was shot at multiple times in a highly secured area. The incident took place in broad daylight, in a protected area and in the national capital. There cannot be a more shameful incident than this.

In any city, a court complex is one of the most secured areas. Policemen and women, PCR vans and metal detectors and scanners are there. Despite such high security, a woman was shot at, she said.

A video purportedly of the incident was also played at the press conference. Reiterating that the only job that the LG has is putting up obstacles in the work of the AAP dispensation, Atishi requested him not to meddle in the governments work.

The LG says he works at the ground level. The LG sahab does only one work -- obstructing Arvind Kejriwals work. He also goes and gets himself clicked at various places where Delhi government projects are underway. I have never seen any photo of his conducting a surprise inspection at a police station, a PCR van or in crime-prone areas. You have been given certain responsibilities. Please allow the elected government in Delhi to work. With folded hands, I urge you to pay heed to your responsibilities and work towards providing a safe Delhi to women, children and elderly people, the Kalkaji MLA said.
Samajwadi Party president and former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Akhilesh Yadav, while attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath was busy as a star campaigner while his administration was being battered by criminals.

Criminal activities are happening in broad daylight but it is claimed that law and order are fine in the state. The public has also come to know that the BJP has mastered the art of false propaganda, the SP chief said on Friday.

The government has nothing to show as its work so it is wasting its time by listing the works of the SP government as its own, he added.

There is jungle raj in Lucknow. Miscreants robbed a womans chain at gunpoint in broad daylight in Krishna Nagar area and Rs 13 lakh was looted from a businessman in the Kaiserbagh area. A contract worker extorted money from a girl in the name of providing a job and raped her. The miscreants looted the gold chain of an old man at Budheshwar temple in Para, Akhilesh Yadav alleged.

The former chief minister of UP further alleged, On April 20, 2023, a teenager was raped at pistol-point in the Antu police station area of Pratapgarh district while a bus driver molested a BSc student returning from Chandausi after appearing in exams. He said in Meeruts Kankarkhera, miscreants dragged two sisters, beat them up and behaved obscenely.

The SP chief alleged that in Unnao, five BJP goons set fire to a victims house soon after being released from jail for not withdrawing the rape case against a minor. He said in the Triveni Enclave located at Tajganj in Agra, Saresham inspectors daughter-in-law was looted after taking her hostage.

These incidents are just for counting. Every day incidents of loot, murder, molestation and rape happen in the state. In most cases, instead of helping the victim, the police work to create pressure in favour of the criminal elements. Due to poor investigation and negligence in prosecution, all the criminals are left free. Law and order are badly messed up under the BJP rule, he said.

Women and girls are unsafe. The public is tired of all this. By teaching a befitting lesson to the BJP in the civic elections itself, the people will write the advance script of the BJPs defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Akhilesh Yadav said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is a star campaigner in poll-bound Karnataka. The Karnataka assembly elections are slated to take place on May 10, 2023, with the results being declared on May 13, 2023. All the 224 assembly seats will go to vote in a single phase.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, addressing the civil servants said that your life is not just for your own self but for your loved ones. Public welfare is the biggest priority. Small works related to the general public are really big works. Civil servants should get these works completed on time, this is good governance. Chief Minister Chouhan was addressing the Civil Services-Day launch programme in the assembly hall of the RCVP Noronha Academy of Administration and Management, Bhopal. <

Chouhan said that our basic work is social service. Whatever work we do, it is for the common citizens. Chief Minister Chouhan extended best wishes and congratulated Team Madhya Pradesh on Civil Services Day. The chief guest for this special event on Civil Services Day was Mohandas Pai, educationist, author, former member of Infosys and currently Chairman, Manipal Global Education.

Chief Minister Chouhan said that the meaning of Civil Services Day is that we are public servants and our main aim is to serve the country. In a democracy, there is governance of the people, for the people and by the people. Chouhan said that the theme of Civil Services Day 2023 is Developed India, Empowering Citizens and Reaching the Last Mile. Congratulating Team Madhya Pradesh, he said that he is proud that together they have made a very important contribution in making Madhya Pradesh prosperous and developed. Team Madhya Pradesh has worked unitedly. Rapid positive changes have taken place in Madhya Pradesh. We have surprisingly increased the capacity of irrigation from 7.5 lakh hectare to 45 lakh hectare. Crossing this, we will now work to increase it up to 65 lakh hectares. Today 4 lakh kilometers of roads have been built in the state. At some point of time it used to be only 71 thousand kms and was in poor condition. Now there are excellent roads in the state.

Amazing work has been done in various fields including energy in the state. We are able to work as the state now has good resources. Chouhan said that the construction department should also remain active in the state. Today Madhya Pradesh is counted among the developed state, Madhya Pradesh is no more a bimaru state. The credit for this goes to the extraordinary hard work of Team Madhya Pradesh. The Chief Minister said that our work is not possible without the common people due to whom we are able to reach the beneficiaries. Vikas yatras have become Jan-kalyan yatras in the state.

Chouhan said that talking of infrastructure in the state, a lot of positive changes have taken place. Agricultural production has increased manifold. The grain stores are full. Per capita income has increased. The contribution of Madhya Pradesh in the countrys GSDP has increased. In the year 2005-06, the budget size of the state was Rs 25 thousand crores, which has increased to Rs one lakh crore in the year 2012-13, Rs two lakh crore in the year 2020-21 and this time it has crossed Rs 3 lakh crore, which is not a cakewalk. It is an exceptional achievement. Madhya Pradesh has taken a comparatively higher jump, the credit of which goes to Team Madhya Pradesh.

Chouhan said that the distance between the public and the administration has been bridged in the state, which has become possible due to the efforts of good governance. The Mukhyamantri Jan-Seva Abhiyan succeeded in connecting more than 83 lakh beneficiaries with the schemes of the Central and State Governments.

Our programs became the programs of the people. People have also participated in the decisions. Campaign will be conducted again from May 10 to 25 to redress public grievances.
Burhanpur women of Madhya Pradesh are the happiest to have received the Prime Ministers Award for Excellence for the best performance in the country in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, presented the Prime Ministers Award for Excellence to Burhanpur Collector Bhavya Mittal at a grand ceremony on Civil Services Day in New Delhi today. It is the result of cooperation and coordination between the government and the citizens. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has continuously encouraged innovation in development programmes and processes.

The Prime Ministers Award for Excellence is no less than a unique gift for the women of Burhanpur. Rekha Suresh Soni of Bahadarpur village, 8 km from the district headquarters, recalls her difficult times and says that she had come to this village in the year 2000 as a daughter-in-law. Due to the problem of water, no one was ready to initiate a marriage proposal in this village. Water had to be brought from a long distance. But now, due to the efforts of Shivraj ji and Modi ji, our village has started getting plenty of water. The whole village has also become green. Everyone is getting clean water. Health problems are also decreasing. The time which used to be spent earlier in fetching water is now being used for other works. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has done a very good job for us.

Deepika Shyam Soni of the same village tells that there were many problems related to water in the village. New daughters-in-law also had to fetch water from far away wells. Now with the availability of water, our major problem has been solved. Savita Pramod Sagar, sarpanch of Bambhada Gram Panchayat, 17 km away from the district headquarters, expressed happiness telling that now there is no dearth of water unlike before when there was a lot of water crisis here. Water has reached every house. The government has made a very good arrangement for water in our village. On behalf of all the villagers and Gram Panchayat, we express our gratitude to the Chief Minister and the Prime Minister. Priyanka Khadse of the same village tells that she used to worry every day that she would have to go to fetch water in the morning. Many working women used to get late for work as they had to go far to fetch water. Now many things have become easier.

Burhanpur district has acquired an unprecedented and proud achievement of providing pure drinking tap water to every household through the Jal Jeevan Mission. Burhanpur has got the distinction of becoming the first Har Ghar Jal-certified district in the country. Burhanpur has given a new direction to the country by providing water to every village. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, tap water has been made available to more than 51 lakh 15 thousand rural families of the state so far. Water is being supplied to all 254 villages under the Har Ghar Jal scheme. These villages have been certified under Har Ghar Jal.
Chinas second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, recently appeared off Taiwan with some escorts and carried out exercises involving its air group, which includes 24 J-15 jet fighters and a dozen helicopters and UAVs. The J-15 is a 32-ton twin-jet fighter-bomber that can carry up to 6.5 tons of bombs and missiles. J-15 entered service in 2013 as the heaviest carrier aircraft currently in service anywhere (which is not a good thing). So far 60 J-15s have been built and two have been lost due to accidents. China is working on a lighter, more reliable carrier aircraft to replace the J-15. During the recent exercise off Taiwan the Shandong carried out 80 takeoffs and landings with its J-15s. This was a realistic test of the carrier and its J-15s operation under wartime conditions. The Shandongs task force also contained two destroyers, a frigate and a supply ship with more fuel.

China is building more carriers. In 2022 China launched its third aircraft carrier, the 80,000-ton Fujian (CV-18). Fujian is powered by steam turbines that generate the needed electrical power for its EMALS (electromagnetic aircraft launch system) in a conventionally powered carrier. Fujian was supposed to have three EMALS catapults but these were not installed and Fujian used conventional steam-catapults instead. Fujian turned out to be larger than expected, in part because of the space needed for the IEP (integrated electric propulsion) system that supplied the power for EMALS. The only other carrier using EMALS is the American nuclear-powered USS Ford. China was more deliberate in designing their EMALS system and appears to have learned from the mistakes the Americans made, and so delayed installing EMALS on Fujian.

At 300 meters (984 feet) Fujian appears to be nearly as long as the 333-meter Ford, which displaces about 100,000 tons. Fujian has a smaller crew and operates fewer aircraft. The nuclear-powered Ford moves at higher speeds for sustained periods than the Fujian, which has to dedicate a lot of internal space for its oil fuel. Fujian is expected to be ready for sea-trials by the end of 2022 and enter service in 2023 or 2024,

China already has two carriers in service; Liaoning (CV-16) and the similar Shandong (CV-17), which completed sea trials and entered service at the end of 2019, as it was seen moving past Taiwan. Back then it was assumed that China wanted to build two more similar carriers (CV-18 and 19) which would lose the ski jump deck and instead adopt a catapult. This was the case with Fujian (CV-18) that was already under construction in 2019, and in the water a year later. At that point it appeared that CV-18 would be in service by 2024 but details of its layout and displacement were still vague.

It was believed that CV-18 might be delayed by the decision to use EMALS instead of steam catapults. The U.S. Navy has had problems getting its EMALS to work effectively and the Chinese were believed to be waiting to see how that works out before deciding. That was not the case as CV-18 was built with the IEP, which was only required if EMALS was used. What is unknown is if CV-19 will be similar to CV-18 or use nuclear-power. China has more problems with nuclear-powered surface ships than with EMALS. China has been working on nuclear propulsion for submarines for decades and encountered lots of technical problems that seriously limited the development of an effective Chinese nuclear submarine force. Chinese nuclear power experts informed the government that China did not yet have reliable nuclear power plants for surface ships and it would be a while before that technology was perfected.

With the official recognition of Fujian, it became clear that China probably would have five or six non-nuclear-powered carriers by 2030, with all but two of them (Liaoning and Shandong) based on the Fujian.

Since carriers spend a lot of time in port getting upgrades and maintenance, you need three or more in order to guarantee having at least two available at all times for operations. China has already built or is building enough escort and support ships, along with air wings, to keep several carrier task forces, each built around one carrier, busy while one or more carriers were sidelined by months of maintenance and upgrades. China announced in 2020 that their first carrier, a rebuilt Russian carrier, would not remain a training carrier but would be equipped and manned with a crew that would enable it to also serve as a combat carrier in an emergency.

Fujian was not a complete surprise. As early as 2014 there were official photos of carrier model displayed at an official event. The detailed model had the hull number 18 and the ship looked similar to an American Nimitz class CVN. The Chinese CVN has four catapults and three elevators and much other evidence of being nuclear and very similar to the Nimitz class. This was an early Chinese Navy proposal for a CVN and that has apparently been refined to something that is similar to the Nimitz.

At one point it was believed that the first Chinese CVN would be more like the American USS Enterprise (CVN 65). This was the first American nuclear-powered carrier and it served as the prototype for the subsequent Nimitz class. The Enterprise was an expensive design, and only one was built, rather than the expected class of six. While a bit longer than the later Nimitz class, it was lighter (92,000 tons displacement, versus 100,000 tons). The Enterprise was commissioned in 1961, almost 40 years after the first U.S. carrier (the Langley) entered service in 1923. CVN 65 was active until 2012 and decommissioned in early 2017, two months before the second Chinese carrier was launched. China may end up going that way before building their first nuclear carrier. A large oil-fueled carrier would enable them to gain experience with a large carrier and allow designers to perfect the design of a nuclear-powered large carrier.

Chinese are keen students of history, their own as well as that of others. Chinese ship designers know all about the Langley and the Enterprise. The Chinese are also well aware that in the two decades after the USS Langley there were tremendous changes in carrier aviation. While the innovation slowed after World War II, major changes continued into the 1950s (jet aircraft, nuclear-propulsion, anti-aircraft missiles). But in the ensuing half-century, there has been no major innovation in basic carrier design. This has not been a problem because the carriers have proven useful, at least for the U.S. Navy, the only fleet to use such large carriers. Currently the United States has 11 CVNs, although that may shrink to ten because of problems getting the Ford class operational.

No one else has maintained a force of these large carriers. Only the U.S. has felt a constant need to get air power to any corner of the planet in a hurry. More importantly, no navy has been able to give battle to the U.S. carrier force since 1945. The Soviets built new anti-carrier weapons and made plans to use them, but that war never occurred. China is building carriers but does not yet seem committed to having a lot of them to confront the U.S., but rather just a few to intimidate its neighbors.

The Chinese Navy is very popular with most Chinese and its commanders are enthusiastic about expanding in order to protect the seaborne trade that the modern Chinese economy depends on. For thousands of years Chinese rulers did not consider naval power important because it wasnt. Now it is and the navy is getting the money and encouragement to do what China has never done before. But at the moment Chinese tech is not up to the task of providing capable carrier aviation, especially on a large scale. The government also realized that the money required to make it all work was not really available either.

Another problem is the shrinking number of qualified Chinese willing to join the navy. The Chinese working age population is declining as a result of the one-child policy that began in the 1980s and lasted for three decades. But when the one-child limits were eased in the last decade it was discovered that a more affluent Chinese population was not interested in having large families. This is a common pattern, especially in the newly affluent nations of East Asia. Already South Korea and Japan are suffering from falling birth rates. It's worse in Europe. The United States has avoided this problem so far but that appears to be changing. For China the population problem is a major limit to the effectiveness of their growing navy and its aircraft carrier component. A carrier does not operate alone, but requires several destroyers and frigates as escorts, along with supply and fuel ships. Each carrier task force requires over 5,000 officers and sailors.

The sea trials for Shandong took 19 months, which was six months longer than their first carrier, Liaoning. There was no official explanation why the second carrier took longer to debug but it was put into active service by December 2019. It is known that Shandong has more electronics, including a powerful AESA (flat panel phased array) radar and a more capable communications and control system built into the ship. It would not be surprising if those improvements caused unexpected and repeated problems.

Shandong is 315 meters (1,033 feet) long, which is three percent longer than Liaoning. Shandong displaced 75,000 tons, which is 12 percent more than Liaoning. Obvious differences are a slightly (about 10 percent) smaller control tower and about ten percent more flight deck area. There is more space internally for maritime and aircraft fuel. It appears that Shandong would have to be refueled about once a week when at sea and Fujian will be no different.

Shandong was considered a new design but based on the first Chinese carrier, the Liaoning. That first carrier was a 65,000-ton, 305 meter (999 feet) long ship that was itself a modified version of the last Cold War Russian carrier design. In 2016 China confirmed that Shandong would also have the ski jump deck like Liaoning, would be somewhat heavier, and incorporate new design features that would enable it to carry more aircraft (mainly the J-15) in a larger hangar deck (just below the flight deck) as well as more fuel and aircraft weapons. Photos of Shandong under construction revealed that it also incorporated design features that will make it more capable of surviving combat damage as well as operating more efficiently and effectively as a carrier.

In addition to the Chinese built J-15 fighter, the Shandong had an early-warning radar and anti-submarine aircraft, which had long been standard on American carriers, as well as some helicopters. The carrier itself had modern radars and electronics to detect and control aircraft. Shandong operates about 20 percent more aircraft than Liaoning (50 fixed-wing and helicopters compared to about 40). In 2019 China only had about fifty carrier qualified J-15 pilots and Liaoning was kept busy being what was designed for; a training carrier. By 2023 there were over a hundred qualified J-15 pilots.
Moved by their love for forests, a group of women in Chhattisgarh are now battling forest fires -- until now a task executed mostly by males.

Women volunteers belonging to Jai Maa Sharda womens self-help group in Bilaspur district are helping officials to extinguish forest fires which routinely cause havoc.

Clad in green sarees, a symbol of greenery, these women understand the significance of forests and therefore have volunteered to save God-given green cover.

Protecting forests from fires is of great importance. According to the Forest Department, the fire season started on February 15.

The Department is conducting an awareness campaign to save the forests from being gutted.

Influenced by the campaign, the women came forward and presented their proposal to the Forest Department to save the forests.

Seeing their enthusiasm, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Bilaspur, Kumar Nishant, told his colleagues to train the women in battling forest fires.

The Forest Department has provided them green sarees and trained them to use fire blowers.

These women, if and when they get news about forest fires, rush to burning site. The women who have taken up this responsibility include Ramshila Bai Sorthe, Anarkali Ayam, Sonam Bai, Sat Kumari Maravi, Uma Mahant, Janki Bai and others.
Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday said that Covid cases in the national capital have sort of stabilised and are likely to taper off in the coming days. The Health Minister also said that most of the coronavirus-related deaths recorded in the national capital in recent times have been caused by co-morbidities, and Covid was incidental.

Delhi on Thursday logged 1,603 COVID-19 cases with a positivity rate of 26.75 per cent along with three fatalities, according to data shared by the city health department here. With the new fatalities, the death toll in the city due to the coronavirus pandemic rose to 26,581.

Out of 7,976 Covid beds in the hospitals of Delhi, 390 are occupied, the health department data showed. A day earlier, the city reported six deaths along with 1,757 new cases with a positivity rate of 28.63 per cent.

Bharadwaj said, Covid cases have sort of stabilised. Recently, it was being said that the cases were showing an upward trend. Now, it is likely to taper down in the coming days.

Asked about the fatalities being reported regularly in Delhi due to the viral disease, he said, In most of these cases, patients had serious illnesses for a long time and Covid was incidental. But, any death is unfortunate, and it should not happen.

Asked if any special arrangements are being considered for schools and children in view of the Covid cases, the minister said, no such step was being planned as of now.

We are telling teachers that if students have cough and cold, those children should be advised to take rest. We will appeal to parents to not send their children to school if they have such symptoms, he said.

On the Delhi governments preparedness to fight the Covid pandemic, Bharadwaj said, We have all our arrangements in place, including Covid beds, oxygen beds, ICU beds, oxygen supply and others.

Later interacting with reporters, the Delhi health minister said Covid wave is fading and will end in the next few weeks. We analyse every fatality and most of them happening due to comoribidities. A healthy person has not developed serious illness due to this variant, he claimed, adding those with comoribidities should take precautions and avoid going to crowded places.
A 22-year-old engineering student committed suicide by hanging with the ceiling in Piplani area. The reason for the suicide could not be revealed as no suicide note was found.

However, the student's friends told the police that before the suicide, he had an argument over meeting his girlfriend. He was calling girlfriend to meet. The girl refused because it was late at night and was angry with this.

ASI Kaushalendra Singh told that deceased Nishant Singh Patel was a first year student in a private college. He was living in Chhatrasal Nagar Piplani in a rented room. On Thursday night around 12 in the night, Nishant called his girlfriend who lives in Bhopal to meet her. Girlfriend refused to meet.

On this he told his girlfriend that if she would not come he will die. Girlfriend thought he was joking. After about 20 minutes the girlfriend called over his mobile, but Nishant did not receive the call. When in doubt, she sent her friends living near Nishant's room to see.

By the time the friends reached Nishant had hanged himself. Friends cut the noose and took him to the hospital. The doctor declared him dead.
The behaviour of cheetahs brought from Namibia and South Africa to Kuno National Park, Sheopur in Madhya Pradesh is normal and they are completely healthy. The work of monitoring the cheetahs is being done 24 hours by the experts. Project Cheetah is proving successful. Four cubs have also been born.

Local residents including Cheetah Mitras are also benefiting financially from wildlife tourism. The state-wise tiger population figures are likely to come by July 2023. A three-day international seminar on wildlife conservation and management will be held at Kanha Tiger Reserve from April 27 to 29, in which many subject experts will participate.

This information was given in the meeting of Madhya Pradesh State Wildlife Board chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Mantralaya meeting hall on Friday.

Chouhan said that good work is being done in the field of wildlife conservation in the state. Board members including Forest Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, MLA Sanjay Shah, Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains, Additional Chief Secretary Forest J.N. Kansotiya and senior administrative and departmental officers were present.

Issues related to Cheetah Project in Kuno Palpur, restoration of tigers in Madhav National Park and establishment of Barasingha in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve were discussed in the meeting. Necessary approvals were also given by the board for various construction works in various sectors including traffic, communication, energy and drinking water.

It was informed that initiative has been taken to establish a ropeway at Pachmarhi in Narmadapuram district till Chauragarh, the main pilgrimage site of Satpura region. Chief Minister Chouhan instructed to take necessary steps on this subject after considering the relevant points. Discussion was held on filling up the posts of mahouts and making necessary provisions to encourage them considering them skilled and educated even without school education.

In the information related to the All India Tiger Census, it was told that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has released the All India Tiger Co-Predator Census Estimate 2022 in Mysore, Karnataka on 9th April. According to this, the maximum increase in the number of tigers has been revealed in the Central India region. This is also a clear indication that there has been an increase in the number of tigers in Madhya Pradesh. The state-wise tiger population data is expected to be formally released in July 2023.

It was informed that management and effectiveness of all the tiger reserves of the country are evaluated in an interval of 4 years. The Government of India gets this evaluation done by subject experts. Tiger Reserves of Madhya Pradesh are included in better categories. According to the evaluation report of the year 2022, 2 tiger reserves of Madhya Pradesh Kanha and Satpura have been placed in excellent category, Pench, Bandhavgarh and Panna Tiger Reserves in very good category and Sanjay Tiger Reserve in good category. The proposals for the formation of Burhanpur, Harda and Omkareshwar sanctuaries were also discussed in the meeting. The details of the decisions taken in the last meeting of the Board and their implementation were given.
The Bharatiya Janata Party held a series of meetings on Friday to finalise the list of candidates for the second phase of the urban local bodies polls as the party is grappling with the issue of rebel candidates contesting elections as independents.

Two meetings were held on Friday. In the morning, a meeting was held at the party headquarters where BJP state president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary, organising secretary Dharampal Singh and party in-charge Radhamohan Singh along with office-bearers gave a final shape to the list.

In the evening, another meeting was held at Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths residence where besides the party state president, Deputy Chief Ministers Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak were also present.

The emphasis is on selecting only the winnable candidates and therefore the party leadership is taking all pains to ensure that leaders who are popular get the tickets, a BJP leader said.

The urban local bodies elections, supposed to be the last major polls in Uttar Pradesh before the crucial 2024 Lok Sabha elections, have been embroiled in a row with party candidates denied tickets contesting as rebel candidates.

Former deputy chief minister Dr Dinesh Sharma, who was mayor twice, has been given the task to placate the rebel candidates in Lucknow. He spoke to some and was able to convince them to withdraw their nomination papers while some refused to withdraw their papers.

Dilip Srivastava, the former corporator from Maithili Sharan ward, who is contesting election as an independent, told this reporter that he was denied ticket on the direction of a former minister who is currently an MLA. I am still a BJP worker and enjoy the support of the people, he said.

Elections are to be held in 17 municipal corporations, 199 municipal councils and 517 nagar panchayats. Of these 288 seats are reserved for women, 205 for Other Backward Classes, 110 for Scheduled Caste and two for Scheduled Tribe candidates.
The 57-year-old priest, Ajit Singh, alias Joker Nath, alias Pujari, and his associates, Sonu, alias Seela, 27, and Premjeet, alias Sonu Balhara, 32, were arrested for murdering 24-year-old Dinesh, alias Raju a native of Nepal, police said.

According to the police, the incident took place on Wednesday after Dinesh damaged 2-3 fingers of an idol while cleaning it at a temple in Khandsa village.

The deceased body was recovered on Thursday afternoon from the temple premises after Mahesh, a native of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, who is also an eyewitness in the case alerted the police. The complainant Mahesh told the police that he was doing the work of installing tiles at the temple along with his co-workers for the last few days.
The Haryana government on Friday claimed no clean chit has been given to anyone after revenue officials said no rules were broken in the transfer of land to realty major DLF by Skylight Hospitality, a company linked to Congress leader Sonia Gandhis son-in-law Robert Vadra.

In an investigation related to an FIR against former Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, businessman Vadra and others in September 2018 in Gurugram, Haryana revenue officials have said there was no violation of rules in the transfer of a 3.5-acre piece of land by Skylight Hospitality to DLF. The information was placed before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday in an affidavit in connection with the "court on its own motion" public interest litigation for monitoring cases against current and former legislators.

This was interpreted by Congress leaders as a clean chit to party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadras husband in an alleged case of corruption. On Facebook, Robert Vadra said, I am happy to see a ray of hope in the report given by the Haryana government to the court clearing that there were no wrongdoings in my business transactions. He called the entire episode a vindictive method of politics and said it is toxic for the country.



But on Friday, a Haryana government statement claimed, "No clean chit has been given to anyone involved in the transfer of land between M/s Skylight Hospitality and M/s DLF Universal Limited." It said the case remains under active investigation. The affidavit had also said a new special investigation team (SIT) was set up on March 22 to conduct further investigations, it recalled. The SIT is still obtaining more documents and examining individuals connected with the case, the official statement said.



According to the statement, the affidavit also said the SIT is yet to record statements of some stakeholders and certain records or clarifications are yet to be received from banks and government departments. The focus of the SIT's investigation is not limited to just probing the revenue loss, the statement said. It added that the probe aims to expose all those involved in the criminal conspiracy to give high financial gains to certain individuals, and a quid pro quo involving underhand dealings.

According to the affidavit placed before the court Wednesday by the tehsildar of Manesar in Gurugram, Skylight Hospitality sold 3.5 acres of land to DLF Universal Limited on September 18, 2012, and no regulation or rules were violated in that transaction. The Bharatiya Janata Party had alleged irregularities in the land deal which took place when the Congress was in power in the state. In 2014, this was a major poll issue in Haryana. The Congress, Hooda and Vadra have always denied any wrongdoing.

An FIR was registered in 2018 under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act at Kherki Daula police station in Gurugram on the complaint of a Nuh resident, who alleged irregularities. The same complainant also alleged that 350 acres of land was allotted to DLF at Wazirabad in Gurugram in violation of rules. But that piece of land remains with the state government authorities, the affidavit said.

In 2012, IAS officer Ashok Khemka cancelled the mutation of the 3.5-acre land deal between Skylight Hospitality and the DLF in Gurugrams Manesar-Shikohpur. 'Mutation' is part of the land transfer process.

The government statement said the SIT was reconstituted last month after a thorough review of the investigation by senior police officers. "Two experienced senior civil officers having domain knowledge of the revenue as well as Town and Country planning matters, have also been attached with the SIT with the objective of expediting the investigation," it said. (Agencies)
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Friday alleged a scam in issuance of fitness test certificates for autorickshaws at the transport departments fitness centre at Burari here, and demanded the resignation of Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot. No immediate reaction was available from the Delhi government or the Transport department on the allegations of the BJP.

At a press conference here, Sachdeva alleged that training certificates and vehicle fitness test certificates were being issued in the name of deceased drivers.

He said a delegation of Delhi BJP will meet Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena with proof of alleged corruption at the Burari fitness centre and seek his intervention in the matter. Sachdeva said auto drivers going to the Burari centre for fitness test of their vehicles are made to undergo a training session and alleged they are issued certificates without any training.

Also, there is just one inspector at the Centre who is supposed to handle the rush of autorickshaws, he said.

Sachdeva showed a fitness test certificate issued in the name of a deceased driver, saying a probe was needed to unearth the scam and sought answer from Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot.
The Supreme Court on Friday directed the Delhi government to contribute Rs 500 crore from the Environment Compensation Charge (ECC) fund to the Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor being constructed linking Delhi to Meerut within 10 days.

The semi-high speed rail corridor will connect Delhi with Meerut and the estimated cost of the 82.15-km stretch is Rs 31,632 crore. The corridor, with 24 stations, will cover the distance from Sarai Kale Khan in Delhi to Modipuram, Meerut in 60 minutes.

A bench of Justices S K Kaul and A Amanullah asked the Centres counsel to obtain instructions with regard to Delhi-Alwar RRTS corridor after the apex court was informed that approval of the central government is awaited.

The bench also asked the counsel appearing for the Delhi government to take instructions regarding sanction for the Delhi-Panipat RRTS corridor.

Senior advocate Aparajita Singh, who is assisting the court as an amicus curiae in a pollution related matter in which the issue about RRTS has cropped up, told the bench the Centres approval is awaited for the Delhi-Alwar corridor, while the Delhi governments sanction for the Delhi-Panipat corridor is also awaited. Singh told the bench the Delhi government has moved an application for grant of Rs 500 crore from the ECC fund, in which around Rs 1,100 was lying, for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor.

She referred to the March 6, 2019 order of the apex court which had directed the Delhi government to contribute Rs 265 crore, which included the tax liability, from the ECC fund within 10 days for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor. The amicus contended the top court had earlier said the ECC has to be used for developing the infrastructure of Delhi to reduce pollution and the application for grant of Rs 500 crore from the ECC fund should be allowed as the project will help reduce the inflow of vehicles coming to the national capital.

Senior advocate A N S Nadkarni, appearing for the national capital region transport corporation (NCRTC), which is handling the project, said the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor is scheduled to be completed in 2025 and the apex court had noted in its March 2019 order that the contribution of the Delhi government towards it stands at Rs 1,138 crore.

In its March 2019 order, the apex court had noted the contribution of the Government of India for the Delhi-Meerut RRTS corridor project is Rs 5,687 crore, that of Uttar Pradesh Rs 5,828 crore and the National Capital Region of Delhi Rs 1,138 crore.

The bench noted in its order passed on Monday that the amicus, while referring to the March 2019 order, has no objection to release of Rs 500 crore on the same terms and conditions as set out in the 2019 order. We accordingly direct the Delhi government to contribute Rs 500 crore from ECC funds within 10 days, the bench said.
Timing of schools changed in Bhopal: Schools will start from 7 am to 12.30 pm; Collector's decision due to scorhing heat.

The timing of schools has changed in Bhopal. Now schools will operate from 7 am to 12.30 pm only. Due to the heat, Collector Ashish Singh issued orders on Friday. However, from May 1, the summer vacation of school children will begin, which will last till June 15.

This order will be applicable in all government-private schools. According to the information, the order will be applicable with immediate effect on schools affiliated to aided, recognized, Board of Secondary Education, CBSE, ICSE. That is, the timing of the schools will remain changed from Saturday itself. It has been said in the order that the effect of heat is increasing.

Teaching work in the school after 12.30 pm can adversely affect the health of the children. Therefore, it has now been decided to keep the timing of the schools from 7 am to 12.30 pm. The work of examinations and evaluation will remain the same as per the scheduled time.

Presently many schools are operating till 1.30 pm. Because of this the children reach home by 3 pm. They suffer a lot due to the heat.

The Collector has issued orders regarding the timing of the schools on April 21.

Timings of schools have been changed in Jabalpur, Gwalior, Chhindwara, Damoh, Narmadapuram, Chhatarpur, Ujjain, Shahdol etc. districts of the state. Some schools are operating from 7 am to 12 noon and at some places from 7.30 am to 12.30 noon.
In late 2022 Russia began issuing a why we fight pamphlet to all troops in Ukraine as well as those recently mobilized and being sent to Ukraine. The pamphlet explained why it was important to never retreat when attacked or threatened by the enemy. This no retreat doctrine was particularly important when attacking Ukrainian forces. The pamphlet explained how Josef Stalin, the Russian ruler during World War II, had solved that problem. He ordered KGB (secret police) troops stationed behind the front line attack forces before a major offensive. The KGB had orders to fire on any retreating soldiers and shoot to kill. Stalin also ordered immediate execution for any cowards. During the 1942-43 Stalingrad Campaign 19,000 Russian soldiers were killed by the KGB for not advancing. Statistics like this were considered a state secret until the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991. It turned out that Russian losses during World War II were about 50 percent higher than the official, but fake death toll that was used after 1945. The 2022 pamphlet mentioned the KGB enforcers but not the number of soldiers the KGB killed nor the deliberate concealment of the true losses during World War II. During the 1990s the truth about World War II losses became known in Russia and school textbooks were updated with the actual data and other details.

Over a decade ago, current leader Vladimir Putin began changing the official history and textbooks. Most of the new soldiers in 2022 are unfamiliar with the pre-Putin data on wartime losses and practices. In the last year Putin has made it a crime to dispute his version of the facts or to criticize the performance of Russian troops in Ukraine.

Older soldiers or civilians can quietly let the new soldiers know what really happened during World War II and troops who recently served in Ukraine will confirm that Russian troops have been taking heavy losses and that the Ukrainians, like Russians during World War II, were staunchly defending their country, but without the secret police enforcers. Putin accuses the Ukrainians of being Nazis despite the fact that Russian troops are the brutal attackers. A growing number of Russians have figured all this out but find it easier to just go along rather than face prosecution by speaking out.

Most of the 2022 pamphlet goes into the official (Putin) version of why Russians are fighting in Ukraine. According to Putin the fight is all about thwarting a NATO conspiracy to weaken and destroy Russia. To prevent this from happening, Russia must return Ukraine to Russian rule, and then do the same with other neighbors that were once part of the Soviet Union. The pamphlet comes with maps showing where Russian borders should be (which alarmed most of Russias others neighbors) as well as other maps describing the Putin version of Russian history during the last several hundred years. During this time, Russia is described valiantly fighting to make the region safe for Russia.

Since its forbidden to criticize the pamphlet in Russia, the reaction by Russians was obtained from the growing number of Russians leaving Russia, legally or otherwise. Government-approved opinion polls in Russia continue to show most Russians supporting the government and the war in Ukraine. That was another characteristic of Stalinist Russia, where the truth was whatever the government wanted it to be. Welcome to the past that everyone talks about but few want to visit.
Some devotees going to Vindhyachal temple for darshan by a car met with an accident in Chandauli in which three persons, including a father-son duo, died on the spot while four others were critically injured.

The car driver and a woman survived the accident.

The cops sent the bodies for post-mortem and were making further investigations.

Reports said that Deepak Patel of Bihar's Rohtas district was going for darshan at Vindhyachal temple in Mirzapur district along with his family members and friends in his car on Friday morning. Near Jhansi village under Sadar Kotwali of Chandauli, their car rammed into a truck parked on the highway. The collision was so powerful that three people in the car died on the spot. The front part of the car was badly damaged in the accident.

Circle Officer Ramveer Singh and Sadar Kotwali Inspector Rajeev Singh, who reached the spot along with local police, somehow took out the injured and rushed them to the district hospital for treatment. Seeing their critical condition, the doctors referred them to the trauma centre at Varanasi.

The police also cut the car with a gas cutter and took out the dead bodies.

The deceased were identified as Rajkishore Chowdhary (32) and his son Aarush Chowdhary (5) of Visambharpur in Rohtas district, and Shailesh Kumar (22) of Madhaina village.

Shraddha Devi (40), Khushbu Kumari (19), Radhika Devi (65) and Ruchi Chowdhary (16) sustained serious injuries in the mishap.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi vacated his official bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi on Saturday and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhi's residence, weeks after losing his Lok Sabha membership following his conviction in a defamation case.

The Congress said the government may "evict" Gandhi from a house but he occupies a place in the hearts and homes of crores of Indians.

The party also launched a "MeraGharAapkaGhar" campaign on social media with party leaders offering their homes to Gandhi.

Saturday morning, Gandhi moved out all his belongings from his 12, Tughlaq Lane residence where he had been staying for almost two decades.

Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the bungalow in the morning. He handed over keys of the vacated house to officials of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), sources said.

He shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhi's 10, Janpath residence.

The Lok Sabha Secretariat had issued a notice to him to vacate the bungalow by April 22, following his disqualification from Lok Sabha.

The former Congress chief was disqualified from Parliament after a Surat court convicted and awarded a two-year sentence to him in a defamation case over his Modi surname remarks made in Kolar in Karnataka in 2019.

He moved a sessions court against the magistrate's order but his plea was rejected. A relief on his conviction and disqualification could have paved the way for him to retain his official bungalow, allotted to him as a Wayanad MP.

Gandhi will now move the high court against the sessions court order.

The Congress said on its official Twitter handle in Hindi that "this country is the home of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul who resides in the hearts of people."

"Rahul whose relation with the public is unbreakable. Some see in him their son, some brother, some their leader.... Rahul belongs to everyone and everyone belongs to Rahul. This is the reason why today the country is saying- Rahul ji, my house-your house," the Congress said, using the hashtag "#MeraGharAapkaGhar".

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said, "They may evict you from a house, but you will always have a place in all our homes and hearts, Rahul ji. We know that such episodes won't deter you from raising the voice of the people and speaking truth to power."

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said Rahul Gandhi is neither worried about the post nor about the government house. "He did not compromise on his principles even after risking everything," he said.

"Today Rahul Gandhi vacates his home at Tughlaq Lane in response to the LokSabha Secretariat's order. The Court gave him 30 days to appeal and the HC or SC could still reinstate him, but his exemplary gesture to move out shows his respect for the rules," said party MP Shashi Tharoor in a tweet.
Pakistans parliament on Friday notified a law to curtail the powers of the Supreme Court Chief Justice from taking sou motu actions and authority to constitute panels of judges for cases to be heard, taking the prevailing tensions with the judiciary a notch higher. Relations between the judiciary and the ruling coalition have become sour ever since the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government has been pushing for the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 to dilute chief justices power to take suo motu action and form a panel of judges for hearing of cases.

It was initially passed by both houses of parliament and sent to the president for his assent. However, the president sent it back, saying that the proposed law travelled beyond the competence of parliament.

On April 10, the bill was passed for the second time by a joint sitting of parliament with certain amendments, amid a noisy protest by lawmakers from ousted prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

Through its Twitter account on Friday, the National Assembly announced that the controversial bill became law after mandatory ten days since the parliament passed the bill again after the president had returned it without an endorsement for reconsideration.

Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 of the Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) is deemed to have been assented by the President [] under clause (2) of Article 75 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. It is hereby published for general information, the tweet said.

The parliament went ahead to notify the law despite an eight-member bench of the Supreme Court, including Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, last week barring the government from processing the then-bill to become a law.

The moment that the bill receives the assent of the president or it is deemed that such assent has been given, then from that very moment onwards and till further orders, the Act that comes into being shall not have, take or be given any effect nor be acted upon in any manner, said an interim order issued by the bench of the court April 13.

The key piece of legislation dilutes the powers of the chief justice by stating a three-member panel of senior judges, including the chief justice would decide if suo motu notice should be taken.

It also gave the right of appeal in all suo motu cases with retrospective effect.

The law also states that every cause, matter, or appeal before the apex court would be heard and disposed of by a bench, constituted by a committee made up of the chief justice and the two senior-most judges.

Previously the chief justice enjoyed sole power to take suo motu and set up benches.

There was no concept of appeal in an action taken under the suo motu notice.

By giving the right of appeal, among others, former premier Nawaz Sharif disqualified by the Supreme Court under suo motu powers would get the right to appeal within 30 days of the law's enactment.

Since the court had already stopped the government from enforcing the act into law, it is not clear if the right of appeal would be entertained by the court.

However, the new law further increased the gulf between the judiciary and the parliament  the latter getting the full support of the government.

Earlier, the law was passed twice by parliament because the president returned it after it was sent back by the president without his signatures, which are required for any bill to become an act.

However, if the same bill is passed without any changes, the president cannot only delay it for ten days and it becomes a law even without his endorsement.
Pakistans electronic media watchdog on Friday ordered local cable TV operators across the country to stop airing Indian channels, warning that stringent action would be taken if they were found violating its orders.

In a statement, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) mentioned that several operators in the past were found violating the rules set in place by it and the Supreme Court.

On Friday, PEMRA ordered its regional offices to conduct enforcement drives on reports of violations by cable operators who were airing Indian channels.

No channel other than Pemra licensee would be allowed for distribution on cable TV networks and any operator found defying the orders henceforth would be dealt with strictly in accordance with the PEMRA law,the authority said in the statement.

The Karachi regional office conducted surprise inspections in various areas and raided cable operators, namely Digital Cable Network, Home Media Communications (Pvt) Ltd, Shahzaib Cable Network and Sky Cable Vision.

Similar raids were conducted in Sindhs Hyderabad and Punjab's Multan region by the PEMRA enforcement teams and they confiscated illegal equipment and show-cause notices were issued to the violators, the statement said.
Adell Harriman & Carpenter Inc. decreased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) by 24.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 21,460 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 7,071 shares during the quarter. Adell Harriman & Carpenter Inc.s holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $2,356,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ABT. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 339.1% in the third quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,581,157 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $443,273,000 after purchasing an additional 3,537,778 shares during the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories by 83.1% in the first quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,925,012 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $582,924,000 after purchasing an additional 2,235,314 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 1.3% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 154,563,421 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $14,955,557,000 after buying an additional 2,011,683 shares during the period. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in Abbott Laboratories by 99.8% in the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,140,866 shares of the healthcare product makers stock valued at $371,753,000 after buying an additional 1,568,700 shares during the period. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can acquired a new position in Abbott Laboratories in the third quarter valued at $131,945,000. Institutional investors own 72.93% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at Abbott Laboratories

In other Abbott Laboratories news, SVP Julie L. Tyler sold 260 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.24, for a total value of $26,842.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 40,896 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $4,222,103.04. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Julie L. Tyler sold 260 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.24, for a total transaction 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 sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $103,922.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 52,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,256,842.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,971 shares of company stock valued at $199,140. Insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

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Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Bank of America dropped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $115.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $118.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $132.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $110.00 to $125.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Thursday, January 26th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Abbott Laboratories currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $122.37.

NYSE ABT traded up $1.42 on Friday, hitting $111.77. The stock had a trading volume of 2,649,776 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,316,972. Abbott Laboratories has a 52-week low of $93.25 and a 52-week high of $123.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.63. The company has a market capitalization of $194.25 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.22, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 4.70 and a beta of 0.67. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $102.13 and a 200-day moving average of $104.73.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.05. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 15.88% and a return on equity of 26.09%. The business had revenue of $9.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $1.73 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was down 18.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.37 EPS for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 52.17%.

About Abbott Laboratories

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Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad and diversified line of health care products. It operates through the following business segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment refers to the international sales of a line of branded generic pharmaceutical products.

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Albion Financial Group UT decreased its position in shares of AbbVie Inc. (NYSE:ABBV  Get Rating) by 2.0% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 12,443 shares of the companys stock after selling 256 shares during the quarter. Albion Financial Group UTs holdings in AbbVie were worth $2,011,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Red Tortoise LLC bought a new position in AbbVie in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. O Dell Group LLC boosted its stake in AbbVie by 108.7% in the 3rd quarter. O Dell Group LLC now owns 192 shares of the companys stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. My Personal CFO LLC bought a new position in AbbVie in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Align Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in AbbVie in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Finally, Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group boosted its stake in AbbVie by 85.3% in the 3rd quarter. Oliver Lagore Vanvalin Investment Group now owns 202 shares of the companys stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 67.71% of the companys stock.

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AbbVie Stock Up 0.5 %

ABBV stock traded up $0.74 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $162.48. The stock had a trading volume of 1,761,768 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,925,548. The firm has a market cap of $286.64 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 24.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.65 and a beta of 0.58. The business has a 50-day moving average of $155.91 and a two-hundred day moving average of $154.06. AbbVie Inc. has a 52-week low of $134.09 and a 52-week high of $168.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.42, a current ratio of 0.96 and a quick ratio of 0.84.

AbbVie Announces Dividend

AbbVie ( NYSE:ABBV Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The company reported $3.60 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $3.54 by $0.06. AbbVie had a return on equity of 154.52% and a net margin of 20.39%. The firm had revenue of $15.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $15.30 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $3.31 earnings per share. The companys quarterly revenue was up 1.6% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that AbbVie Inc. will post 10.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be paid a $1.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $5.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.64%. AbbVies dividend payout ratio is currently 89.56%.

Insider Transactions at AbbVie

In other news, SVP Elaine K. Sorg sold 7,499 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.67, for a total value of $1,212,363.33. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 35,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,711,801.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Elaine K. Sorg sold 7,499 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $161.67, for a total transaction of $1,212,363.33. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 35,330 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,711,801.10. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Perry C. Siatis sold 3,520 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, April 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.00, for a total value of $563,200.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 10,377 shares in the company, valued at $1,660,320. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 185,767 shares of company stock valued at $28,443,783. Insiders own 0.26% of the companys stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ABBV has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler raised their price target on AbbVie from $157.00 to $163.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday, February 9th. Wolfe Research cut AbbVie from an outperform rating to a peer perform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 22nd. They noted that the move was a valuation call. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price target on AbbVie from $169.00 to $167.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 6th. SVB Leerink raised AbbVie from an underperform rating to a market perform rating and raised their price target for the company from $135.00 to $153.00 in a report on Friday, February 10th. Finally, Morgan Stanley raised their price target on AbbVie from $178.00 to $181.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Monday, April 10th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, six have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $162.94.

AbbVie Profile

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AbbVie, Inc is a research-based biopharmaceutical company, which engages in the development and sale of pharmaceutical products. It focuses on treating conditions such as chronic autoimmune diseases in rheumatology, gastroenterology, and dermatology, oncology, including blood cancers, virology, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), neurological disorders, such as Parkinsons, metabolic, comprising thyroid disease and complications associated with cystic fibrosis, pain associated with endometriosis, and other serious health conditions.

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Legal & General Group Plc (LON:LGEN  Get Rating) insider Jeff Davies sold 62,086 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of GBX 249 ($3.08), for a total transaction of 154,594.14 ($191,305.70).

Legal & General Group Stock Up 0.1 %

LGEN stock opened at GBX 254.10 ($3.14) on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 0.88 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 619.54. Legal & General Group Plc has a 52 week low of GBX 201.40 ($2.49) and a 52 week high of GBX 287.90 ($3.56). The stock has a market capitalization of 15.17 billion, a PE ratio of 686.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 1.38. The firm has a 50 day moving average of GBX 247.30 and a 200 day moving average of GBX 247.31.

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Legal & General Group Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 5th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, April 27th will be paid a dividend of GBX 13.93 ($0.17) per share. This is an increase from Legal & General Groups previous dividend of $5.44. This represents a dividend yield of 5.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. Legal & General Groups payout ratio is presently 5,135.14%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Legal & General Group Company Profile

LGEN has been the topic of several recent research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a GBX 355 ($4.39) target price on shares of Legal & General Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Royal Bank of Canada reiterated an overweight rating on shares of Legal & General Group in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Berenberg Bank cut shares of Legal & General Group to a hold rating and lowered their price target for the company from GBX 345 ($4.27) to GBX 290 ($3.59) in a report on Monday, January 30th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Legal & General Group from GBX 397 ($4.91) to GBX 390 ($4.83) and set an overweight rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 335 ($4.15) target price on shares of Legal & General Group in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Legal & General Group currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of GBX 322.14 ($3.99).

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Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Legal & General Retirement (LGR), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Legal & General Insurance (LGI).

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Invesco Income Growth Trust Plc (LON:IVI  Get Rating)s share price passed below its 50-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 50-day moving average of GBX 278 ($3.44) and traded as low as GBX 270 ($3.34). Invesco Income Growth Trust shares last traded at GBX 278 ($3.44), with a volume of 47,441 shares changing hands.

Invesco Income Growth Trust Stock Performance

The firms fifty day moving average price is GBX 278 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 278. The company has a current ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 0.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.32. The firm has a market capitalization of 162.22 million and a PE ratio of -5.42.

About Invesco Income Growth Trust

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Invesco Income Growth Trust plc is a close-ended equity mutual fund launched and managed by Invesco Fund Managers Limited. It is co-managed by INVESCO Asset Management Limited. The fund invests in the public equity markets of the United Kingdom. It seeks to invest in stocks of companies operating across diversified sectors.

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Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. (NYSE:IVR  Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,380,000 shares, a drop of 8.4% from the March 15th total of 3,690,000 shares. Approximately 8.8% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average daily volume of 961,200 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.5 days.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have commented on IVR. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. Barclays reduced their target price on shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital from $12.00 to $11.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 13th.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Invesco Mortgage Capital

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Russell Investments Group Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Captrust Financial Advisors bought a new position in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital during the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in Invesco Mortgage Capital by 1,879.1% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,978 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 3,777 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Middle East FZE bought a new stake in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital during the 4th quarter valued at about $55,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its stake in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital by 196.3% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,242 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $58,000 after purchasing an additional 3,473 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 53.54% of the companys stock.

Invesco Mortgage Capital Price Performance

Invesco Mortgage Capital Cuts Dividend

IVR traded up $0.04 during trading on Friday, hitting $10.59. 415,135 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 954,788. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $11.56 and a 200 day moving average price of $12.38. The company has a market cap of $409.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -0.84 and a beta of 1.64. Invesco Mortgage Capital has a twelve month low of $9.60 and a twelve month high of $18.80.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be issued a dividend of $0.40 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 15.11%. Invesco Mortgage Capitals dividend payout ratio is currently -12.64%.

Invesco Mortgage Capital Company Profile

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Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc is a real estate investment trust. It engages in the business of investing, financing, and managing mortgage-backed securities and other mortgage-related assets. The company was founded on June 5, 2008 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

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Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MA boosted its stake in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) by 1.3% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The fund owned 36,854 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after acquiring an additional 457 shares during the quarter. Nichols & Pratt Advisers LLP MAs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $4,047,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 339.1% during the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 4,581,157 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $443,273,000 after buying an additional 3,537,778 shares in the last quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 83.1% during the 1st quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 4,925,012 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $582,924,000 after buying an additional 2,235,314 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 154,563,421 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $14,955,557,000 after buying an additional 2,011,683 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its position in Abbott Laboratories by 99.8% during the 1st quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 3,140,866 shares of the healthcare product makers stock worth $371,753,000 after buying an additional 1,568,700 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Great West Life Assurance Co. Can bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 3rd quarter worth about $131,945,000. 72.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have commented on ABT. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Abbott Laboratories in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Friday, January 6th. Barclays upped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $127.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $118.00 to $122.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, BTIG Research upped their target price on shares of Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a report on Monday. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Abbott Laboratories presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $122.37.

Abbott Laboratories Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:ABT traded up $1.56 on Friday, reaching $111.91. 2,965,312 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 5,320,914. The company has a fifty day moving average of $102.13 and a 200-day moving average of $104.73. Abbott Laboratories has a twelve month low of $93.25 and a twelve month high of $123.18. The company has a market capitalization of $194.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.22, a PEG ratio of 4.70 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 (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.98 by $0.05. Abbott Laboratories had a net margin of 15.88% and a return on equity of 26.09%. The firm had revenue of $9.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.64 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.73 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 18.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts predict that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.37 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Investors of record on Friday, April 14th will be given a dividend of $0.51 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. This represents a $2.04 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.82%. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is 52.17%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $103,922.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 52,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,256,842.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $103,922.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now owns 52,203 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,256,842.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Andrea F. Wainer sold 679 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total transaction of $68,375.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 70,427 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $7,091,998.90. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,971 shares of company stock worth $199,140. Corporate 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.

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The rains deceptively arrived as just another South Florida drive-by drenching. But they stuck around, for hours, dropping more than 2 feet of water on the airport, seaport and surrounding neighborhoods of Fort Lauderdale.

By the time the jarring, unexpected storm of April 12 was over, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport had closed, forcing the cancellations of hundreds of flights and stranding thousands of air travelers.

At Port Everglades, the main conduit for gasoline supplies into the region, a dozen fuel terminals invaded by floodwaters were forced to halt operations, prompting countless motorists to form gas lines around Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties.

With hurricane season less than two months away, the episode raises a critical question: How will two of the countys main transportation nerve centers cope with a repeat occurrence?

By and large, the approach is to stick with current best practices, and examine changes that make sense over the long term, according to the top managers of both hubs.

The recent flooding event that impacted FLL was due to an unprecedented and historic amount of rainfall over our area in less than 24 hours, Mark Gale, CEO/director of aviation at the Broward County Aviation Department, said in an emailed statement. For decades, weve managed fairly well at FLL through hurricanes and while weve had some flooding, its nothing compared to what we experienced last week.

The airport reopened April 14 and the airlines have returned to normal schedules.

Currently, he said, the airports annual hurricane preparations and readiness calls for the maintenance team to canvass all properties and roadways to ensure the drains are clear of debris and surface areas devoid of objects that could potentially become projectiles during high winds or otherwise impact draining capabilities.

Jetliners on the elevated south runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport after the airport reopened and recovered from a massive rainstorm that flooded and closed the facility for nearly two days.

Our airport tenants are also required to do similar reviews of their respective operating areas to flag and remove items that pose a threat to safety or airport operations during hurricane season, he said.

But he said the deployment of pumps for water removal are generally more effective for smaller, more localized flooding issues.

The use of pumps to remove water from the airports roadways and airfields during last weeks historic rainfall event was not a feasible option given that all areas surrounding the airport that we could potentially have funneled the pumped water into, were themselves totally flooded and overflowing, Gale said.

But as the department review the storms impact, we are open to exploring any new and viable means of flood mitigation that may arise to shore up FLLs resiliency.

Jonathan Daniels, chief executive and port director at Port Everglades, said its no easy task to plan for storms such as the one that befell Broward.

We had 26 inches over a 24-hour period, he said. You do everything you can in planning to put yourself in a position to handle certain flood and weather events.

Thus far, damage assessments have yet to be completed and no cost estimates have been made. But one of the more notable items damaged at the airport were the two arresting systems designed to stop aircraft from overshooting the runways. One of the systems was broken up by floodwaters. The other was damaged when a small plane overran a runway before the storm.

Gale said the manufacturer visited the airport to inspect damage. He said he anticipated receiving a report next week so his department can coordinate the next steps for repairs or replacement.

The process, he said, could take several months.

At the seaport, gas terminal flooding

This storm event  and there are no excuses, Daniels said, occurred when we were looking at a traditional afternoon Florida rainstorm that turned from a short-term event to what became unprecedented.

The biggest problem at the seaport, he said, was that the space between protective berms surrounding gasoline tanks quickly filled with water.

All 12 of the ports terminals closed so the private companies that operate them could remove the water, assess the damage and carefully restore their pumping stations to normal.

Its not so easy immediately removing that, Daniels said. First you have to make sure there is no contamination. And then after the dewatering occurs there needs to be an assessment of any potential damage. The last thing they want or we want is to turn the fuel back on and have there be some kind of environmental damage, which then compounds the problem.

Gasoline tanker trucks wait in line for fuel at Port Everglades after a massive rainstorm disrupted operations on April 12. All 12 of the ports gas terminals were expected to have returned to service by Friday.

Daniels said there had been rumors of contamination in the tanks but that was not the case.

All of the gasoline terminals were reported back in operation by Friday evening, the port said in a statement.

In addition, the ports pipelines that move aviation fuel to the Fort Lauderdale airport and Miami International Airport remained open and were unaffected, Daniels said.

The port never technically closed and roadways remained open, although port pilots elected to suspend the movement of vessels in and out of the harbor during the storm. A nine-story harbormaster tower recorded a wind gust of up to 68 mph and wind-driven water did penetrate the huge gantry cranes that move shipping containers in the south port section.

What we had to deal with was What do we do with the water? Where does the water go?' he said.

The way ahead

For both transportation hubs, its a perennial question with few easy answers.

The port, which is a resident of Fort Lauderdale, Dania Beach and Hollywood, is ensuring that all construction projects adhere to local codes that cover flooring and windstorms, Daniels said.

Port Everglades received a $32 million state resilient infrastructure grant to help replace worn bulkheads on its north end. They are designed to withstand sea level rise of more than 4 feet.

The airport occupies a basin area bordered by Interstate 95 on the west, Interstate 595 on the north, U.S. 1 and the Florida East Coast Railway Line on the east and Griffin Road, a multiple-lane commuter thoroughfare on the south.

As if the tons of water delivered by the massive April 12 rainstorm were not enough, it occurred during a high tide, one airport official said, forcing the massive overflows of retention ponds. The events seemed to justify the summary remark by Broward County Mayor Lamar Fisher, who said nature was not kind to us.

Flooding at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on April 13, 2023 after heavy rain pounded South Florida a day earlier. The airport was closed for two days.

Indeed, nature had overwhelmed an airport design that was not quipped to withstand 26 inches of rain in a day when it was designed to deal with up to 17 inches in three days.

It was a much greater amount of water than it was designed for, said Carlos Adorisio, engineering unit manager for Broward Countys Resilient Environmental Department,

Fisher, who toured inundated neighborhoods and relief centers as well as the airport, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Friday that outside consultants are working with the county to help with the damage assessments.

We are only nine days out from the storm, he said. Once we get the assessment done we will have our after-action review.

Its also unclear what can be learned from other airports facing flood threats around the nation.

Unlike those in New York and along the California coast, for example, the Broward airport, cant flush [flood] waters into the ocean.

We might be able to learn from those other airports, Fisher said. We are still unique at the end of the day to our specific area.

A vulnerable airport

Browards international airport, which started out as an airfield in 1929, appears in a variety of national studies conducted over the last decade that place it among the most vulnerable in the nation to flooding due to storms and sea level rise.

A decade ago, a national climate assessment by the multi-agency U.S. Global Change Research Program listed Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood on a list of 12 airports facing flood vulnerability, according to an article published by the nonprofit research organization Climate Central. Another study this year by the Brookings Institution included it on a list of airports not ready for climate change.

In 2014, the airport built an elevated runway on its south side and upgraded its north runway in 2019, a $95 million rehabilitation project that also made it higher.

What other potential measures might be available to airports to deal with mass flooding in the future appears to be undetermined.

Two years ago, the Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Department of Transportation started a resiliency study to learn how climate change is threatening the nations airports.

An Allegiant Airlines flight arrives at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on the morning of its reopening April 14. The remains of flooding from an historic rainstorm can be seen along the north runway.

Airports need comprehensive infrastructure plans and guidance from the Office of Airports to address near- and longer-term climate risks, the FAA said in a note announcing the project. Existing practices do not adequately account for and prioritize resilience, which is crucial to maintaining community access to safe and efficient air transportation for passengers and cargo.

The study, which is intended to produce a series of best practices to guide airport managements, is expected to take another three years.

Another study conducted last year by American Airlines placed Miami International Airport, where American maintains a major hub and is the largest tenant, on a list of 12 large airports it serves that are at risk to climate-change related flooding.

In a statement, the airport said it maintains a system for monitoring and dealing with storm waters.

The storm water management system at MIA has been the focal point of our utilities master planning efforts for the last 30 years. said spokesman Greg Chin. State-of-the-art computer modeling, strict guidelines that exceed FAA requirements for frequency and intensity, and a rigorous design review process have resulted in a resilient system that has provided and continues to provide a high level of service.

In the meantime, the FAA said Friday it is not aware of any significant federal funding requests for flood mitigation efforts for South Florida airports.

Gregory Stuart, executive director of the Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization, which connects local government with the federal government to fund projects, said his agency is working with the seaport and airport to find better ways to design storm water systems. We are going to do something.

The storm, Stuart said, inspired him to intensify his focus on the problem, which came into sharper relief when he and several acquaintances were caught in downtown Fort Lauderdale after the skies opened up. He arrived home at 3:30 the next morning.

It was sobering, he said of the experience.

Staff writer David Lyons can be reached at dvlyons@SunSentinel.com
Olympus Co. (OTCMKTS:OCPNY  Get Rating) shares passed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $18.98 and traded as low as $18.00. Olympus shares last traded at $18.00, with a volume of 400 shares traded.

Olympus Stock Down 1.4 %

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59, a current ratio of 1.99 and a quick ratio of 1.48. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $18.00 and a 200 day moving average of $18.98. The stock has a market capitalization of $23.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.95, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 0.70.

Olympus Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Olympus Corp. engages in the manufacture and sale of precision machineries and instruments. It operates through the following segments: Medical, Scientific Solutions, Imaging, and Others. The Medical segment covers digestive, surgical, and ultrasonic endoscopy as well as endoscopic treatment tools. The Scientific Solutions segment manufactures and sells biological and industrial microscopes, industrial endoscopes, and non-destructive testing equipment.

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Kuke Music Holding Limited (NYSE:KUKE  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decrease in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 38,800 shares, a decrease of 13.2% from the March 15th total of 44,700 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 114,600 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 0.3 days.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Kuke Music

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Kuke Music stock. Jane Street Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Kuke Music Holding Limited (NYSE:KUKE  Get Rating) in the first quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor bought 22,178 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $85,000. Jane Street Group LLC owned 0.08% of Kuke Music as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 0.21% of the companys stock.

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Kuke Music Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:KUKE traded down $0.06 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $0.90. The companys stock had a trading volume of 23,419 shares, compared to its average volume of 101,969. The businesss fifty day simple moving average is $1.01 and its 200-day simple moving average is $0.72. The company has a market capitalization of $19.10 million, a P/E ratio of -4.27 and a beta of 1.26. Kuke Music has a fifty-two week low of $0.33 and a fifty-two week high of $3.87.

Kuke Music Company Profile

Kuke Music Holding Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides classical music licensing, subscription, and education services in China. It operates through two segments, Subscription, Licensing and Smart Music Learning Business; and Music Events and Performances Business. The Subscription, Licensing and Smart Education Business segment distributes commercial copyrights and offers music education solutions.

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Springfield Properties Plc (LON:SPR  Get Rating)s stock price traded down 2.3% during mid-day trading on Friday . The company traded as low as GBX 83.25 ($1.03) and last traded at GBX 84 ($1.04). 36,783 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 64% from the average session volume of 103,189 shares. The stock had previously closed at GBX 86 ($1.06).

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Peel Hunt restated a hold rating and issued a GBX 120 ($1.48) target price on shares of Springfield Properties in a research report on Tuesday, February 21st.

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Springfield Properties Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.84, a current ratio of 4.14 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The stock has a market cap of 99.54 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 600.00 and a beta of 1.24. The businesss 50-day simple moving average is GBX 82.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is GBX 86.09.

Insider Transactions at Springfield Properties

Springfield Properties Company Profile

In other news, insider Roger Eddie sold 22,170 shares of Springfield Properties stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 80 ($0.99), for a total transaction of 17,736 ($21,947.78). In related news, insider Innes Smith sold 12,978 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 77 ($0.95), for a total value of 9,993.06 ($12,366.12). Also, insider Roger Eddie sold 22,170 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of GBX 80 ($0.99), for a total transaction of 17,736 ($21,947.78). 44.85% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

(Get Rating)

Springfield Properties Plc, together with its subsidiary, engages in the house building business in the United Kingdom. The company operates in Private Housing and Affordable markets. It is also involved in hiring plants and machineries, property development, buying and selling real estate and residential property, manufacturing timber kit, and management services.

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Targa Resources (NYSE:TRGP  Get Rating) had its price objective boosted by Barclays from $87.00 to $92.00 in a research note published on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on shares of Targa Resources from $89.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Scotiabank started coverage on shares of Targa Resources in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. They set an outperform rating and a $115.00 price objective for the company. Seaport Res Ptn reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Targa Resources in a research report on Thursday, February 16th. UBS Group boosted their price target on Targa Resources from $106.00 to $108.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on Targa Resources in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Buy and a consensus target price of $99.00.

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Targa Resources Stock Up 0.1 %

TRGP stock opened at $75.61 on Tuesday. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $74.07 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $72.32. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.15, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.11 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.44 and a beta of 2.28. Targa Resources has a one year low of $55.56 and a one year high of $80.40.

Targa Resources Increases Dividend

Targa Resources ( NYSE:TRGP Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 22nd. The pipeline company reported $1.38 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.29 by $0.09. Targa Resources had a return on equity of 25.20% and a net margin of 5.46%. The business had revenue of $4.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.38 billion. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Targa Resources will post 5.56 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be paid a dividend of $0.50 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a $2.00 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.65%. This is a positive change from Targa Resourcess previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. Targa Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.99%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in Targa Resources by 104,219.5% in the 4th quarter. Moneta Group Investment Advisors LLC now owns 25,241,143 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $1,855,224,000 after buying an additional 25,216,947 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp lifted its stake in shares of Targa Resources by 14.4% in the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 7,836,957 shares of the pipeline companys stock worth $591,455,000 after acquiring an additional 986,283 shares in the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Targa Resources by 6.6% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 6,802,014 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $513,349,000 after purchasing an additional 421,874 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Targa Resources by 55.1% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 4,593,308 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $337,012,000 after purchasing an additional 1,631,589 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its stake in Targa Resources by 424.5% during the 1st quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 3,777,797 shares of the pipeline companys stock valued at $285,110,000 after purchasing an additional 3,057,486 shares in the last quarter. 88.29% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Targa Resources

(Get Rating)

Targa Resources Corp. provides midstream natural gas and natural gas liquids services. It also provides gathering, storing, and terminaling crude oil, and storing, terminaling, and selling refined petroleum products. It operates through the following business segments: Gathering and Processing, and Logistics and Transportation.

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It gives me no pleasure to hate on Cocaine Bear. The director Elizabeth Banks (Pitch Perfect 2, the Charlies Angels reboot) isnt the chief problem, even if her mashup of dismemberment, mugging and dubious heartwarming is this months working definition of tonal problems. But with this script, the project was cooked long before the actors got to the set, ready to interact with a digital, coked-up bear to be created further down the production pipeline.

Cocaine Bear is a nice title, certainly, and Universal put together a promisingly berserk trailer. The story springs from actual life, as briefly lived by an actual bear who, in 1985, discovered 88 pounds of cocaine dropped from a smugglers small plane into the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia.

Two deaths resulted from that incident. The smuggler died after his parachute malfunctioned and he landed in someones driveway in Knoxville, Tennessee. The bear, meanwhile, apparently died after reading Bret Easton Ellis Less Than Zero and giving that stuff a try.

The movie expands the scope and body count a tad. Several interlocking groups of characters  drug dealers, led by Ray Liotta in his final performance; park employees, led by Margo Martindale; concerned nurse and mother searching for her daughter, played by Keri Russell and Brooklynn Prince  cope, often fatally, with the agitated bear as the smugglers try to retrieve a duffel bag full of cocaine. Isiah Whitlock, Jr. is the Knoxville lawman on the trail.

Screenwriter Jimmy Warden sets up the various bloodbaths on cue, with the bear assuming quasi-magical properties of speed, agility, cunning and limb-strewing. Half of its played for laughs; a quarter is played for jump scares and suspense; the remaining quarter, which is where Cocaine Bear eventually lands and becomes truly galling, goes for your heartstrings, even as fake entrails are getting ripped and eaten straight out of Liottas innards. In simple terms, Banks and Warden are going for something like funny-SCARY-clawy-funny-stupid-funny-BLOODY-awwww.

Plenty of rooting interests come our way, including OShea Jackson Jr. and Alden Ehrenreich as put-upon associates of the Liotta character, along with the ever-reliable Russell. Yet the ensemble appears to have been encouraged to really go for it, and not worry about playing a human being unless its really called for. A half-hour into Cocaine Bear, everyone, person and bear alike, has become a drag.

Keri Russell eludes a highly agitated foe in Cocaine Bear, directed by Elizabeth Banks.

Ultraviolence is a funny thing, unless its not: Here, watching Martindales ranger character getting her face ripped off while being dragged along a gravel road isnt a sight gag, and it isnt an effective shock bit. Its just sour. Composer Mark Mothersbaughs consciously 80s-vibe score has more personality than whats on screen.

This is capped by an end credits dedication to the late Liotta, who deserved a better finale. File this one in the well, the title was catchy folder with Snakes on a Plane and last years Violent Night.

Cocaine Bear  1.5 stars (out of 4)

MPA rating: R (for bloody violence and gore, drug content and language throughout)

Running time: 1:35

How to watch: Premieres in theaters Thursday evening Feb. 23

Michael Phillips is a Tribune critic.

mjphillips@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @phillipstribune
Find Me by Alafair Burke. Harper, 304 pages, $26.99

Amnesia certainly is a familiar plot trope, found in daytime dramas to novels. But in the exciting Find Me, Alafair Burke puts a fresh spin on this syndrome by steering the plot device toward friendship and obsession.

Find Me, by Alafair Burke

Find Me works as both a clever standalone novel as well as the solid sixth continuation of Burkes series featuring NYPD Detective Ellie Hatcher.

Find Me centers on Hope Miller  at least that is what her friends and neighbors in Hopewell, N.J., have called her for the past 15 years. But no one, not even Hope, knows her real identity because she has suffered from amnesia ever since she was pulled from an overturned vehicle by Manhattan defense lawyer Lindsay Kelly.

Lindsay became Hopes best friend and mentor, protecting her and helping Hope establish a new life. Lindsay also have become a bit obsessed with Hope, worrying about her safety and her ability to maneuver her own life.

Needing a change, Hope moves to East Hampton, where she quickly finds a job. But during her second week working for a real estate agent, Hope disappears, the only clue a drop of blood matching a DNA sample related to a serial killer who terrorized Wichita, Kansas, years before. Lindsay contacts Ellie, who is quite familiar with the College Hill Strangler because her fathers obsession with investigating the killer may have led to his suicide.

Burkes focus on her intelligent characters and smart plotting energizes Find Me. The deep friendship between Lindsay and Hope drives one aspect of the plot while Ellies strong investigative skills and her realistic, never-ending grief over her father pull together the intersecting story.

Burkes reputation for delivering highly entertaining, intricately plotted novels continues with Find Me.

Virtual discussion

Join Alafair Burke (Find Me), Laura Lippman (Seasonal Work) and Megan Abbott (The Turnout, which was my top mystery of 2021) for a virtual discussion about their books at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 11 through Murder on the Beach bookstore, 104 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, murderonthebeach.com. Email murdermb@gate.net or 561-279-7790 to receive the Crowdcast link.

Isolated farmhouse

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf. Park Row, 352 pages, $16.99

Heather Gudenkauf, who has an affinity for chilling mysteries set in Americas Heartland, takes another leap forward with the tense The Overnight Guest, in which dual plotlines converge in a tightly wound story.

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf.

Heather Gudenkaufs new novel is The Overnight Guest.

The Overnight Guest works as a regional mystery, a psychological thriller, a solid police procedural and, in a broad sense, a locked room story. Gudenkauf doesnt miss a beat as her ninth terrifying mystery moves at a vigorous brisk pace.

True-crime writer Wylie Lark has traveled from her Oregon home, leaving her 14-year-old son with her ex-husband, to Burden, Iowa, to try to finish her fourth book. Shes retreated to a remote farmhouse that has only the basics  electricity and water, but no WiFi, no television, no cell phone to distract her. She avoids contact with the residents of the small agriculturally centered town, going into Burden only for supplies.

Wylie chose this farmhouse for a reason. About 20 years ago it was the site of a familys murder; the 12-year-old daughter was injured, her best friend and her teenage brother disappeared that night. Wylie has almost finished her manuscript about the crimes and the aftermath, yet she is, oddly, hesitant to bring the project to a close. A major snowstorm interrupts her writing when Wylie discovers a 5-year-old boy bleeding in her front yard, and later a severely injured woman in a wrecked truck. The woman and child show signs of abuse, but the three are on their own until the weather improves. The storm has taken out Wylies electricity and land-line telephone.

Gudenkauf alternates the plot of The Overnight Guest from the present and Wylies situation to the police investigation into the murders, which doubles as Wylies manuscript. Gudenkauf astutely explores how Wylies choice of career affects her anxieties and her judgment in dealing with others. The two gripping stories move briskly as Gudenkauf keeps both plot points intriguing.

Oline H. Cogdill can be reached at olinecog@aol.com.
Union home minister Amit Shah will arrive at 3.30 pm on Sunday at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport. (Photo: PTI)

Hyderabad: BJP leader and Union home minister Amit Shah prefaced his visit to the city on Sunday by announcing in Bengaluru that they party hoped to form government in Telangana later this year, after it does so in Karnataka.

As part of its poll plan for Telangana, the BJP has decided to conduct Vijay Sankalp Sabhas, public meetings, as part of its Parliament Pravas Yojana. Such meetings are planned in seven constituencies, with Amit Shah set to lead the meeting at the Chevella constituency.

A senior BJP leader said that while the Parliament Pravas Yojana is confined to party activists, followed by a voter interaction, they had decided to go public with the meeting during Shahs visit, with around a lakh people expected to be in attendance.

In this regard, BJP state chief Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Saturday directed district chiefs and senior leaders to mobilise crowds for the Chevella meeting, appealing to them to send the "sign of a BJP victory" through Vijay Sankalp Sabhas.

"We must give confidence to the party national leadership that BJP will win in Telangana in the next elections, by successfully conducting the Chevella meeting," Bandi told the state BJP leaders in a teleconference.

Claiming that the people of Telangana suffered due to the "corrupt and dictatorial misrule" of the BRS government, he said BJP activists were also harassed and that the people have decided to elect the BJP to power. "There is no need to worry about harassment of BRS government, BJP high command will back the its cadre," he said.

"People of Telangana want the Narendra Modi-led corruption-free government from Centre to state," he said, calling for a strong social media campaign as well.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Kochi and Thiruvnanthpauram on April 24 and 25 (PTI)

Thiruvananthapuram: The detailed security plan report prepared by the intelligence wing of Kerala police in connection with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kochi and Thiruvnanthpauram on April 24 and 25, reportedly got leaked, triggering major security concerns.

The 49-page report prepared by ADGP intelligence contains minute details of security arrangements, including threat perception from PFI and other outfits, names of officers deployed for PM security, routes in various districts and alternative arrangements. ADGP intelligence T.K. Vinod Kumar has initiated a probe into the leak.

Union minister V. Muraleedharan slammed the Kerala government, alleging major security lapses on the eve of the PMs visit. He said chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan cannot shy away from his responsibility by terming it an "official lapse".

"Initiate strong action against the officials responsible for the lapse. It is a matter of shame that there are people in power who cannot even keep the security details of the PM confidential. The highly confidential report is being circulated on WhatsApp, which shows the callousness of the home department," he said.

In another major security concern, the state BJP office here received a letter last week threatening a suicide attack during the Prime Minister's visit. BJP state president K. Surendran handed over the letter to the security agencies.

The police found that the letter written in Malayalam was in the name of N. J. Johnny, a native of Ernakulam. During questioning, Johnny said he was innocent. "I was questioned by the police in detail. I have shared all the information with them. They have examined my handwriting and cross-checked it," he told mediapersons.

His family said they suspected another person from the locality was behind the letter. He had an issue with their family in connection with the local church.

The police have decided to carry out a scientific probe into the matter.

The PM is scheduled to address a youth meeting and take part in a road show in Kochi. He will arrive in Kochi on April 24 to attend the youth conference "Yuvam 2023" organised by a BJP-backed organisation. He will take part in a massive road show in Kochi later in the day.

Mr Modi will dedicate the Kochi Water Metro to the nation. Its a project that connects 10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats.

On April 25, the Prime Minister will flag off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express from Thiruvananthapuram central station.

He will also lay the foundation stone of various rail projects, including the redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode and Varkala Sivagiri railway

stations and dedicate the rail electrification of the Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section.

Mr Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi (PTI)

New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as MP after conviction in a defamation case, moved out all his belongings from his official residence on Friday, with sources saying he will hand over the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow to the Lok Sabha secretariat on April 22.

The former Congress president was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification after the conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court for his "Modi surname" remark.

The former Congress chief had on April 14 shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi's official residence.

Sources said Gandhi moved out his remaining articles on Friday evening from the bungalow which was allotted to him as an MP. A truck was seen moving out the building with his belongings.

He has been living in the bungalow for nearly two decades.

After shifting his office, he started living with his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence, the sources said.

A Surat court on March 23 had convicted Gandhi of defamation and given him two-year sentence, leading to his disqualification. He had challenged the magisterial court order in the sessions court in Surat which rejected his appeal to set aside the conviction which would have paved the way for his reinstatement as MP.

The party has said the sessions court order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court next week.

A day after his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had sent Gandhi a notice to vacate the premises by April 22.

Sources said Rahul Gandhi has been on a hunt for a space to set up his independent office.

A few years ago, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also asked to vacate her Lodhi Estate bungalow after her SPG security cover was removed.

Rahul Gandhi first got elected as an MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 2004 and shifted his constituency to Wayanad in 2019.
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. (Photo: Twitter/@AndhraPradeshCM)

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday said with blessings of Allah on occasion of Id-ul-Fitr, people of Andhra Pradesh will flourish in all aspects.

The CM, in his tweet, wished all Muslims Eid Mubarak, and underlined that Ramzan promotes tolerance, fraternity, kindness and generosity among people, and takes away ill-feeling, injustice and hatred.

According to reports reaching the state headquarters, Muslims all over the state celebrated Ramzan with religious fervour, offering special prayers at Idgahs and masjids and exchanging pleasantries with each other.

In Vijayawada, the Idgah committee organised Ramzan celebrations at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium. YSR Congress leaders Malladi Vishnu and Devineni Avinash were among those who attended the celebrations.

In Kadapa, Deputy Chief Minister S.B. Amjad Basha offered special prayers at Ameena Idgah grounds, where Pedda Dargah peer Hazarath Sayyad Sha Arifulla Hussainee led the prayers.

Muslims in large numbers visited Idgahs and offered special prayers in Kakinada, Konaseema, Eluru and East and West Godavari districts. They also went to burial grounds and offered prayers to their departed elders.

In Rajamahendravaram, MP Margani Bharat took part in special prayers and announced sanction of Shadikhana on 31 cents of land, along with financial aid of 2 crore.

Thousands of Muslims gathered at Idgahs and masjids in Kurnool, Nandyal and Adoni and offered prayers. They woke up early on the day, commencing their Tarab Namaz at 4 a.m.

Muslims shared sweets and vermicelli kheer, besides organising community luncheons for friends from all communities.

Kurnool MLA Hafeez Khan and Panyam MLA Katasani Rambhupal Reddy also participated in Ramzan prayers.
Congress Karnataka President DK Shivakuma (PTI)

Bengaluru: The Congress on Saturday alleged Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's office is calling up the returning officers of various districts to find defects in the applications filed by its candidates and rectify the mistakes in those of BJP nominees contesting the May 10 Assembly election.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief D K Shivakumar demanded that the Election Commission should investigate the matter and summon the call details of the CMO to ascertain the truth.

"A major conspiracy is going on to reject the applications of the Congress candidates," the party's Karnataka unit chief said in a press conference.

He charged that some applications of the BJP candidates, for instance in Saundatti Yellamma constituency, are defective but the CMO "directly called the officer and directed him to make changes".

"There is no need to elaborate how a big team is trying to reject (my) application. You all have been informed about it," the Congress state chief said.

Shivakumar said he has filed the election form 10 times yet "when they can do this to me then imagine what they can do to the ordinary candidates".

"Pressure is being built on all the returning officers. There is rampant misuse of power. The EC must take note of it. The CMO must be investigated," the Kanakapura candidate demanded.

On Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje's charge that the Congress was collecting 'bribe' from those candidates who have been given ticket to contest the Assembly election, Shivakumar retorted that his party was not collecting '40 per cent commission'.

"We are only raising building fund for our party. We are collecting Rs 2 lakh from general candidates and Rs 1 lakh from SC/ST candidates," Shivakumar explained.

The opposition Congress is locked in a tussle with the ruling BJP to wrest power in Karnataka with the JD(S) also an important player as polling is just weeks away.

Karnataka will vote in a single phase on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.
A car was left nearly unrecognizable after crashing into a concrete pole in Hallandale Beach early Saturday morning, killing the passenger inside.

A woman was driving the car near the 800 block of West Hallandale Boulevard about 4 a.m., when she struck the pole, causing super-extensive damage to the vehicle, according to Capt. Pedro Abut, of the Hallandale Police Department.

A man in the car died.

A car is left nearly unrecognizable after an early morning fatal accident on Northwest Eighth Avenue, just north of Hallandale Beach Boulevard on Saturday.

The woman was taken to Aventura Hospital with injuries. She is currently in stable condition, Abut said.

Traffic-homicide detectives are investigating the cause of the crash.
PCC chief A. Revanth Reddy. (Twitter)

HYDERABAD: Demanding that BJP legislator Etala Rajendar unconditionally withdraw his allegation that the Congress has accepted Rs 25 crore from the BRS during the November 3 Munugode bypoll, TPCC chief A. Revanth Reddy said that he was the only person who was relentlessly fighting against Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for the last nine years.

Revanth Reddy was speaking to the media after swearing under oath at the Bhagyalakshmi temple at Charminar that no one would be able buy him and that he would never surrender to anyone in his political career. He had challenged Rajendar to come to the temple and repeat his allegation under oath to the Goddess.

Revanth Reddy turned emotional at Rajendar's remarks. "My aim is to dethrone Chandrashekar Rao from Chief Minister's post. It does not deter me that more than 130 cases have been registered against me. I will continue my fight against the Chief Minister," Reddy said.

During the Munugode bypoll, `300 crore was raked in from liquor sales and crores were spent by political parties but the Congress spent nothing to get voters for party nominee Palvai Sravanthi, who still polled 25,000 votes.

The Chief Minister had praised Rajendar in the Assembly recently, he pointed out. Rajendar was aware of the protests organised by the Congress against the BRS government. "It is now a matter of my self-respect and Rajendar must prove his charges," the TPCC chief said.

Elswhere, Rajendar responded by saying that he stood by his allegation. Political parties have spent Rs 6,000 on each voter in Huzurabad and Munugode byelections, he said.

The BJP leader said, "The Congress and the BRS will jointly contest the Assembly elections to thwart the BJP. The people will decide the fate of their leaders. I am not scared of Revanth Reddy and I think taking oath at a temple is a cheap trick," Rajendar said.
A tornado that tore through two villages in central Myanmar near the capital Naypyitaw killed eight people and destroyed more than 200 houses, a rescue worker said Saturday.

The tornado hit Aung Myin Kone and Tadau villages on Naypyitaw's southern outskirts at around 6:10 pm on Friday, Thet Paing Soe, a leading member of the Doh Lewe charity organisation, told The Associated Press.

He said local charity organisations had transported 128 people to hospitals, and 232 houses in the two villages were destroyed.

The tornado blew for approximately 40 minutes. Almost all the houses in the villages are quite badly damaged. The restoration will take months, Thet Paing Soe said.

Major tornadoes are rare in Myanmar.

However, tornadoes of a size that rarely cause death and serious damage often occur in the summer and pre-monsoon periods when the temperature rises, said Kyaw Moe Oo, a director-general at the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.

During this period, there are frequent tornadoes in the lower parts of Myanmar, but there are few casualties. These kinds of fatalities in central Myanmar are rare, he told AP.

Myanmar experiences extreme weather virtually every year during monsoon season.

In 2008, Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 people.

State-run MRTV television reported that Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar's military-installed government, visited the disaster area on Saturday and provided aid to the residents.

The report said that two Buddhist monasteries and a small clinic were among the structures destroyed
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday asserted that the state BJP is determined to "gift two lotuses" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in next years Lok Sabha elections.

The northeastern state has two Lok Sabha constituencies - West and East Tripura constituencies - which are being held by the ruling party.

On the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya, I have addressed party leaders and workers of various levels in a workshop on the booth empowerment campaign in the presence of BJP national secretary Asha Lakra, Saha said in a Facebook post.

We are determined to gift two lotuses from Tripura to honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji by strengthening the organisation up to the booth level in the next Lok Sabha elections, the chief minister said.

Also Read | India committed to furthering sustainable development, says PM Modi



He expressed hope that the party workers will play a big role in strengthening the organisation in order to achieve the goal of winning both the Lok Sabha seats.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped the party in the 2023 Assembly elections in Tripura in all possible ways. Now is the time to gift him two Lok Sabha seats of the state, Tripura BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee said at the workshop.

Union minister Pratima Bhoumik, MP Biplab Kumar Deb and other senior leaders were present at the event.
A 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district that triggered violent protests, police said.

The 17-year-old girl, whose body was found in a canal in Kaliachak police station area on Friday, knew the man, Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sana Akhtar said, identifying him as the prime accused.

A case has been filed under IPC section 302 (murder) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on the complaint filed by the girl's mother, he said.

The preliminary post-mortem report revealed no injury to the body, Akhtar said, adding that a bottle of poison was found near the body.

Also Read | Fresh violence in West Bengal's Kaliaganj over teenager's rape, murder

"We are investigating the case from all angles," he said.

Violence rocked Kaliachak, around 18 km from the Bangladesh border and 320 km north of Kolkata, as locals protested against the incident, prompting the police to use tear gas shells and charge batons to bring the situation under control, officials said.

Several shops and e-rickshaws were set on fire by the mob, which demanded the arrest of those behind the incident. Roads were also blocked and stones were hurled at the police, they said.

The RSS-backed ABVP gheraoed the Kaliaganj police station, while BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar sat on a dharna outside the SP office in Raiganj, demanding justice for the victim's family.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed to bring the situation under control, police said, adding that a few protestors were also detained.

Three persons were injured in the police action and admitted to the Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital, officials said.

Majumdar, who visited the victim's village along with local BJP MP Debasree Chaudhuri, demanded a CBI investigation into the incident.

"We think the real truth will be revealed only if a CBI inquiry is conducted in this case," he told reporters.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also sent a team to the area, and sought a report from the state police within three days.

The girl went missing on Thursday evening after she left home for going to her tuition classes. Her body was found the next day floating in a canal amid hectic searches by her family and locals.

Protests had started on Friday afternoon but quietened down by the day-end, only to restart on Saturday.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar co-chaired the 4th India-CARICOM ministerial meeting with his Jamaican counterpart Kaminaj Smith here in Guyana's capital and discussed a range of issues, including trade, climate change and counterterrorism.

Jaishankar also had separate bilateral meetings on Friday with counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada, and Barbados.

During the bilateral meetings, the minister touched upon various issues including expanding cooperation, trade, climate change, digital transformation, health domains, agriculture, and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

Also read | 'Looking at it positively': Jaishankar on India's participation in Afghan meeting to be hosted by UN

"Good to meet Dr Amery Browne, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Spoke about taking forward our development partnership focusing on digital transformation and health domains. Will continue our cooperation at multilateral forums," the minister tweeted.

Good to meet Dr. Amery Browne, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Spoke on taking forward our development partnership focusing on digital transformation and health domains. Will continue our cooperation at multilateral forums. pic.twitter.com/8Vv4c6tmTE  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 22, 2023

"So nice to meet Foreign Minister Dr Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis on the sidelines of the India-CARICOM meeting. Noted our resonance in agriculture and digital domains. Conveyed that India will always voice the concerns of the Global South," Jaishankar said in a string of tweets.

"Glad to meet FM of St. Vincent and Grenadines Keisal Peters today (Friday). Appreciated SVGs interest in Millets. Also discussed our ongoing projects and further expanding of cooperation," he added in a separate tweet.

Glad to meet FM of St. Vincent and Grenadines Keisal Peters today. Appreciated SVGs interest in Millets. Also discussed our ongoing projects and further expanding of cooperation. pic.twitter.com/Uh3kn31j6q  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 22, 2023

"Happy to meet FM Joseph Andall of Grenada. Discussed advancing our development partnership. Also reaffirmed our belief in Reformed Multilateralism," another tweet said.

"Glad to meet with Barbados Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds. Exchanged views on working together in domains of renewable energy, health and skills."

The minister also had a bilateral meeting with the co-chair of the India-CARICOM meeting Kaminaj Smith and "discussed taking forward cooperation in training and development partnership", he tweeted.

"Agreed on the importance of business-to-business exchanges for stronger ties," he added.

The minister also met Bahamas Parliamentary Secretary Jamahl Strachen, an Indian alumnus, and discussed International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), as well as the UNSC reforms, he tweeted.

Jaishankar began his nine-day trip to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic on Friday by meeting his counterpart from Surinam Albert Ramdin here.

"Co-chaired 4th India-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting with Jamaican FM @kaminajsmith at @CARICOMorg HQ. Thank FM Guyana Hugh Todd for inviting us all," he tweeted.

He said he appreciated the perspectives of his counterparts from the Caribbean nations of Surinam, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, and representatives from Belize and Bahamas.

"Discussed our wide-ranging sectoral cooperation, including in Trade & Economy; Agriculture & Food Security; Health & Pharma; Energy & Renewables; Infrastructure, ICT & eGovernance; Development Partnership & Capacity Building; Higher Education; Culture and P2P domains," he tweeted.

"Also exchanged views on vital issues of Climate Change & Disaster Resilience; Counter Terrorism; Reformed Multilateralism and closer cooperation at multilateral forums. Agreed on follow-up steps, including holding the second Joint Commission Meeting this year," Jaishankar said.

Earlier on Friday, Jaishankar also met Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Dr Carla Natalie Barnett and exchanged views on intensifying India-CARICOM ties in traditional as well as new areas of cooperation.

CARICOM is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states (14 nation-states and one dependency) throughout the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's dig at his former party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia has triggered a war of words, with leaders from the ruling BJP calling the grand old party's Rajya Sabha member a "blot" on the country and wishing that he is born in Pakistan in his next life.

Digvijaya Singh on Friday visited Ujjain city in Madhya Pradesh, where the famous Mahakaleshwar temple is located.

Responding to a query about what he would seek from the deity, Singh had told reporters, "Hey Mahakal, a second Jyotiraditya Scindia should not be born in the Congress."

Also read | Prayed another Scindia should not be born in Cong, says Digvijaya during Ujjain visit

Scindia, who was once considered to be a close aide of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, had quit the grand old party in March 2020, ending his nearly two-decade-long association with the organisation. He then joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was made a Union minister.

Following Singh's swipe at him, Scindia had on Friday tweeted that Lord Mahakal should ensure an "anti-national" like Singh, who also greatly harmed Madhya Pradesh, is not born in India.

When asked about the Congress veteran's remark against Scindia, BJP leader and Minister for Panchayat Mahendra Singh Sisodia said, "I pray to Lord Mahakal that a person like Digvijaya Singh, who ruined the entire Congress and Madhya Pradesh, should be born in Pakistan in his next life."

Minister for Medical Education Vishvas Sarang, who also belongs to the BJP, reacted sharply to Singh's remarks as he termed him a "Pro-Pakistan" leader and accused him of insulting the country's army and soldiers.

"Leaders like Digvijaya Singh are a blot on this country. Jyotiraditya ji has rightly tweeted. Such people who speak pro-Pakistan language, talk about giving protection to terrorists and dividing this country, such people have no place in India, Sarang said.

The Congress government under Kamal Nath in the state, which came to power in December 2018 after 15 years of the BJP rule, collapsed in March 2020 after 22 MLAs loyal to Scindia joined the saffron party following his rebellion in the grand old party. Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held by the end of this year.
Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu are expected to attend a key meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be hosted by India next week under its presidency of the grouping, people familiar with the development said on Saturday.

There is no confirmation yet on in-person participation of Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in the SCO defence ministerial meeting scheduled for April 27 and 28, they said, adding he is likely to join the deliberations virtually.

The people said defence ministers of China, Russia and other SCO member countries except Pakistan have confirmed their in-person attendance.

However, there was no official announcement on the participation at the defence ministerial meeting by the SCO member states.

Also Read | Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto to attend SCO meeting in India in May: Pakistan Foreign Office

The visit by Li, if it takes place, would come amid the three-year border standoff in eastern Ladakh. The SCO defence ministerial meeting in New Delhi would be followed by the foreign ministerial meeting of the grouping in Goa on May 4 and 5.

Foreign ministers of all SCO countries, including Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, are scheduled to attend the meeting. Pakistan has already announced that Bhutto Zardari would travel to India to attend the meeting.

The SCO defence ministers' meeting is set to delve into various issues relating to regional security, including the threat of terrorism and the situation in Afghanistan. The meeting will be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The SCO member countries are India, Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.
Six people, including two juveniles, were apprehended in connection with the killing of Delhi BJP Kisan Morcha leader Surendra Matiala in Dwarka's Bindapur area, police said on Saturday.

One of the two shooters, arrested from Chandigarh, was associated with the Kapil Sangwan gang. Matiala's killing appears to be a desperate act by Sangwan, suspected to be abroad, to assert his presence in the area and revive his dwindling group, they said.

According to the police, the accused were identified as Sachin (25), a resident of Bahadurgarh in Haryana, Arun Chand (19) and Deepak Berwa (19), both residents of Palam Colony in Delhi, Yogesh Kumar (30) of Jhajjar in Haryana, and two boys aged between 16 and 17 years.

Also Read: BJP youth leader Praveen Kammar murdered in Dharwad

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Dwarka) M Harsha Vardhan claimed that Yogesh was among the two shooters who killed Matiala and a weapon has also been seized from him. He was arrested from Chandigarh on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, the police officer said.

The Delhi BJP Kisan Morcha leader was shot dead in his office in the Bindapur area on April 14.

During the investigation, police zeroed in on four bike-borne suspects who were at the spot when the crime was being committed. Two of them fired on Matiala. One of the two motorcycles was stolen from Dwarka the day Matiala was killed, the DCP said.

He claimed that Kapil Sangwan was the main conspirator behind this killing.

Sangwan and Rohit, a resident of Jhajjar, planned the killing. Rohit roped in his brother Sohit, Kumar and others in the conspiracy and also involved two criminals from Rajasthan in it, the police officer said.

A screenshot of a post on Instagram from an account bearing the name Kapil Sangwan claiming responsibility for the killing and alleging that Matiala had connection with a rival group was circulated on social media, police said, adding the account was created and deactivated the same day.

It, however, could not be ascertained whether it was Sangwan who was using the account and where he had made the post. Both the claims could not be confirmed and Matiala never received any extortion call, police added.
Villagers of the border hamlet of Sangiote in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district did not celebrate Eid with much enthusiasm on Saturday as they grieved the killing of five Indian soldiers when an Army truck carrying material for a scheduled Iftar was ambushed by terrorists.

Sangiote has a population of more than 3,500 and over 60 per cent of the men are ex-servicemen.

"We have not celebrated Eid with any pomp and show. We just offered prayers. The people are saddened by the death of jawans, who were bringing material for our Iftar on Thursday evening," Sangiote Sarpanch Mukhtiar Khan told PTI over phone from his home.

Also Read: Poonch terror attack: NIA visits spot with forensic experts

Khan condemned the terrorist attack and said the entire village decided to have a muted Eid by offering only prayers. He said special prayers were offered for the fallen soldiers.

Expressing solidarity with the Indian Army and the families of the jawans, he said an Iftar was scheduled in the village on Thursday evening and the jawans were ferrying vegetables, fruits and other material in the truck from Bhimber Gali camp, when they came under attack at Bhata Dhurian.

The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

The whole village stands with the Army, Khan said.

"After Eid prayers, we are staying back at our homes and there will be no celebrations like visiting relatives, distributing sweets, wearing new clothes or taking children outside as is the practice on the first day of the festival, he said.

Amir Khan, another villager, said after the terrorist attack they had convened a condolence meeting. "The participants were unanimous in condemning the terrorist attack and decided to restrict Eid celebrations to namaz only, he said.

Saddam Hussain said a company of the Rashtriya Rifles is deployed in the village and enjoys cordial ties with the villagers. "The soldiers usually distribute fresh fruits, including watermelons, to the residents for Iftar and nobody had imagined such an attack on them just two days ahead of Eid, he said.

The Bhata Dhurian forest area has for long remained a preferred infiltration route for terrorists from across the Line of Control because of its topography, dense forest cover and natural caves.

In October 2021, nine soldiers were killed in two major gunfights with terrorists within four days in the forest area during a search operation, which continued for over three weeks with no trace of terrorists.
The police and security agencies are on of high alert in Kerala in view of an anonymous suicide bomb threat to Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day Kerala visit.

The anonymous letter raising the threat to the Prime Minister was received by BJP state president K Surendran at BJP state committee office in Thiruvananthapuram last week. Police have launched an inquiry to trace the source of the letter.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to visit Kerala on April 24 and 25.

The letter in Malayalam said that there would be a suicide bomber attack on the Prime Minister during his Kerala visit.

Read | Kochi Water Metro will accelerate port city's development, says Kerala CM ahead of launch

Modi is scheduled to attend and interact with the youth in Kochi and flag off the Kochi water metro service on April 24. In Thiruvananthapuram, he is scheduled to flag off the Thiruvananthapuram-Kasargod Vande Bharat train and commission various stretches of the NH on April 25. Modi is also scheduled to hold several party meetings. He is likely to attend a roadshow in Kochi, and also travel in the Vande Bharat train.

The police are learnt to be taking the anonymous threat with much seriousness as it is Modi's first visit to Kerala after the Popular Front of India was banned. ADGP (Intelligence) had mentioned the threat in a communication to police officials with regard to security arrangements for the Prime Minister.

Meanwhile, the police quizzed one person identified as N J Johnny of Kochi in connection with the anonymous letter as his name was mentioned in the letter. He said that he was innocent and suspected that another person having a personal rivalry with him might have done it.

The BJP have demanded a probe into the leakage of a communication sent by the ADGP (Intelligence) to the police officials regarding the security arrangements for the Prime Minister's visit. Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan and BJP state president K Surendran demanded action against those responsible for leaking the communication regarding the PM's security arrangements.
The federal indictments of King Nano of Plantation, the second in command of the Latin Kings operations in Florida, Queen Flaka of Fort Lauderdale, King Boom of West Palm Beach, and King Tato of Miami Beach, and more than two dozen associates, have put a major dent in the gangs operations, authorities said.

In court this week, authorities said they received information gang members uncovered a plot to kill Christopher Isabel, aka King Nano, because they suspected he was providing information to law enforcement. Isabel is facing racketeering conspiracy and drug-dealing conspiracy charges.

It used to be good to be king, said Isabels lawyer, Bruce Fleisher, in a play on the old quote from the Mel Brooks movie. He declined further comment.

Evidence from the undercover investigation, which began in late 2013, includes testimony from confidential informants, recordings of wire-tapped phone calls and texts, photographs of gang tattoos posted on Facebook and Instagram and hundreds of hours of surveillance by law enforcement.

Federal authorities say they uncovered a pattern of drug deals, robberies, gun crimes, witness intimidation and retaliation that led to last weeks arrests of more than two dozen alleged members and associates.

Of the 21 men and two women indicted on organized crime racketeering conspiracy charges, authorities said Isabel, 33, is the highest-ranking ranking alleged member arrested. He was Second Crown or second in command of all of Floridas 17 tribes or local chapters of the gang, authorities said.

Most of the suspects have already pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Defense lawyers for several of the suspects argued in court that the allegations are flimsy.

Some said their clients may have been involved in gang activity in the past but had given it up. Others denied their clients had any involvement in gang activities and said they hold down regular jobs and are just about eking out a living in construction and restaurant jobs.

Barbara Lee, aka Queen Flaka, 49, of Fort Lauderdale, who is charged with racketeering conspiracy and distribution of a controlled substance, said in court she had no money to hire a lawyer. Her nickname comes from the Spanish word for skinny or thin and is often used as a term of endearment.

I have a 1994 Honda Accord, Lee told the judge. She said she was unemployed because her job is seasonal, filing income tax returns.

Danielle Lucatorto, aka Cookie, 29, of Margate, is charged with racketeering conspiracy and robbery, alongside her then-boyfriend Bobbie Tejada, aka King Riko, 32, of Fort Lauderdale. Prosecutors alleged Tejada was a high-ranking gang leader who was Regional Officer for South Florida.

Prosecutors say Lucatorto, Tejada, and Andres Lugo, aka King Ghost, 33, of Plantation, the alleged Second Crown, or second in command, of the Broward tribe, planned to attack and rob cocaine from a tow truck worker they thought stole drugs from their car.

In June 2014, Broward Sheriffs deputies pulled over Lucatorto and Tejada after they picked up more than four ounces of cocaine in Palm Beach County that Lucatorto planned to sell, testified Sunrise Police Detective John Eric Windell, a member of an Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Task Force.

The Sheriffs Office towed the car and later removed the drugs from the vehicle, but Lucatorto believed a tow truck employee, identified only by his initials, had stolen the drugs, investigators said. She suspected the man because he had previously bought drugs from her, they said.

Investigators intercepted calls or texts between Tejada and Lucatorto involving discussions about Tejada and Lugo getting guns and attempting to track down the tow truck guy.

At one point, Tejada sent a photo of a tow truck he was following and told Lucatorto he and Lugo were going to light his a__ up, investigators said. Tejada also sent a photo of two mens hands holding guns, according to court testimony.

Baby dont go to jail. I love you. I miss you, Lucatorto responded. Later, she added: Get him, baby.

Lucatortos lawyer Jim Lewis said his client works for a cell phone company and is not a member of any gang. Her mother testified she got her nickname when she was a child because she was caught hiding cookies to eat later.

Shes not a king, shes not a queen, shes not even a princess, Your Honor, shes a Cookie, Lewis told U.S. Magistrate Judge Lurana Snow. Shes not a danger  Shes just not part of this and she shouldnt be treated like she is.

But the judge ruled that all 22 of the suspects facing racketeering charges will remain locked up pending trial. She said prosecutors had presented enough evidence to indicate the suspects pose a potential danger to the community.

Six more alleged associates  for a total of 29 suspects  are facing related firearms charges but were not included in the RICO conspiracy case.

Some of the alleged gang associates who were not charged with racketeering expressed concern and bafflement in court about why they were being treated differently to the others. The judge explained to them that they were better off facing the lesser charges.

Latin Kings members, who pick their own nicknames, must pay dues, attend meetings and strictly adhere to gang rules, investigators said.

A cell phone video prosecutors played in federal court in Fort Lauderdale this week showed gang members inflicting a brutal punishment on a fellow member in Miami-Dade County because he was believed to have broken gang rules.

In accordance with gang tradition, the man was forced to stand against a wall with his hands forming a crown gang sign in front of his body and endure a severe 3-minute beating, federal prosecutors Julia Vaglienti and Lawrence LaVecchio said in court.

If the target let his hands drop or tried to defend himself in any way, gang leaders would reset the clock and the beating would start over again, investigators said.

No face, no face  Get in there  We got a minute left, an unidentified man says on the video as several men are recorded beating and kicking the victim.

Authorities say the cell phone video was made by Tony Estevez, aka King Kilo, 29, of Miami, the Second Crown or second in command of the South Miami tribe.

Estevez is the only racketeering conspiracy suspect who has not yet been arrested. Investigators said they believe he is still on the lam.

Investigators said another defendant, Sean Buendia, aka King Chill, 32, of Davie, who is charged with racketeering conspiracy and robbery, got into trouble with the gang because members said he fired a gun at Samuel German, aka King Traffic, 31, of Hollywood. The two got into a dispute about allegations German was running a drug house with a gang member who was not a Latin King, authorities said.

Buendia avoided going to a gang disciplinary hearing, investigators said, because he feared he would be stripped or forced out of the gang. The stripping process can involve cutting all Latin King tattoos off the other person or cutting the tattoos so deeply that they are unrecognizable, prosecutors said.

Windell testified Wednesday that gang members can leave by being stripped, involuntarily and often with violence, or may be allowed to leave by a Golden Gate  a non-violent process  if they go on good terms and after completing whatever work the gang asked them to perform.

pmcmahon@tribune.com, 954-356-4533 or Twitter @SentinelPaula
Maharashtra deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday said the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi government had "red-flagged" development works but the current dispensation is committed to fast-track various projects.

The senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader was speaking after performing the groundbreaking ceremony and laying a foundation stone for various projects in Bhayandar city in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

"The previous MVA government had not given enough funds for the development of Mira-Bhayandar township. That government had shown a red flag to overall development but the current government (of Shiv Sena-BJP) is committed to bringing development and will ensure that projects are expedited," he said.

Also Read: Maharashtra govt to file curative petition in Supreme Court on Maratha quota

Fadnavis said the upcoming Mahavir Bhavan in Bhayandar will fulfil the needs of Jain monks and others for camping.

He said the upcoming metro line in the region has been extended up to Uttan, a coastal town in the Thane district.

Fadnavis, who holds the Home portfolio, also said an integrated CCTV network will be set up in Bhayandar which will lead to the fast detection of crime.

He said the state government will fund 50 electric buses for Bhayandar and asked civic authorities to ensure that necessary medical facilities are made available at the upcoming cancer hospital in the city.

Earlier in the day, Fadnavis attended a meeting at Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini at Uttan.
China CITIC Bank (OTCMKTS:CHCJY  Get Rating) and Kuehne + Nagel International (OTCMKTS:KHNGY  Get Rating) are both large-cap finance companies, but which is the better stock? We will compare the two companies based on the strength of their valuation, analyst recommendations, institutional ownership, dividends, profitability, earnings and risk.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares China CITIC Bank and Kuehne + Nagel Internationals gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

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Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio China CITIC Bank $55.59 billion 0.46 $9.23 billion N/A N/A Kuehne + Nagel International $41.29 billion 0.88 $2.77 billion $4.63 13.05

China CITIC Bank has higher revenue and earnings than Kuehne + Nagel International.

Risk and Volatility

Dividends

China CITIC Bank has a beta of 0.02, meaning that its share price is 98% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Kuehne + Nagel International has a beta of 0.91, meaning that its share price is 9% less volatile than the S&P 500.

China CITIC Bank pays an annual dividend of $0.81 per share and has a dividend yield of 7.8%. Kuehne + Nagel International pays an annual dividend of $1.26 per share and has a dividend yield of 2.1%. Kuehne + Nagel International pays out 27.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend.

Profitability

This table compares China CITIC Bank and Kuehne + Nagel Internationals net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets China CITIC Bank N/A N/A N/A Kuehne + Nagel International 6.72% 74.54% 17.40%

Analyst Recommendations

This is a summary of current ratings and recommmendations for China CITIC Bank and Kuehne + Nagel International, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score China CITIC Bank 0 0 0 0 N/A Kuehne + Nagel International 1 4 3 0 2.25

Kuehne + Nagel International has a consensus target price of $280.00, suggesting a potential upside of 363.50%. Given Kuehne + Nagel Internationals higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Kuehne + Nagel International is more favorable than China CITIC Bank.

Summary

Kuehne + Nagel International beats China CITIC Bank on 7 of the 11 factors compared between the two stocks.

About China CITIC Bank

(Get Rating)

China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited provides various banking products and services in the People's Republic of China and internationally. The company operates through Corporate Banking, Personal Banking, and Treasury Operations segments. It accepts deposits; offers corporate and personal loans; and provides securities agency, remittance and settlement, and guarantee services, as well as investment banking and international services. The company also engages in the capital markets operations and inter-bank operations, including inter-bank money market transactions, repurchase transactions, investments, and trading in debt instruments; and derivatives and forex trading. In addition, it offers asset management, finance leasing, and other non-banking financial services. The company serves corporations, government agencies, and non-financial institutions; and individual customers and micro and small enterprises. As of December 31, 2021, it operated 1,415 outlets, including 37 tier-one branches, 126 tier-two branches, and 1,252 sub-branches; 1,569 self-service banks; and 5,398 self-service terminals, as well as 9,078 smart teller machines. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Beijing, the People's Republic of China. China CITIC Bank Corporation Limited operates as a subsidiary of CITIC Corporation Limited.

About Kuehne + Nagel International

(Get Rating)

Kuhne + Nagel International AG engages in the provision of logistic services. It operates through the following segments: Sea Logistics, Air Logistics, Road Logistics, and Contract Logistics. The company was founded by August Kuehne and Friedrich Nagel in 1890 and is headquartered in Schindellegi, Switzerland.

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The Secondary Students Union of Northern Ireland has called for an immediate reversal of the decision to axe the funding for schools which allows them to provide extra support such as breakfast and homework clubs, counselling and supplying books to students.

In a letter written to schools on Thursday 20th April, the Department of Education announced that from 30th June 2023 Extended Schools Programme will be no longer be available leaving thousands of young people without the necessary support.

With these budget cuts announced just weeks after the cuts to the Holiday Hunger payments, it is yet another disappointment in a series of blows for students and families.

SSUNI President Eilidh O Connor commented We are very disheartened to hear of yet more cuts from the Department of Education. Our students and families deserve better! At a time when people are finding it increasingly difficult, families need to be supported, not neglected.

Following the issue of funding cuts to education, the President of the Union, which represents over 42,000 secondary students in Northern Ireland added These cuts will undoubtedly create anxiety and pile on unnecessary pressure on the most vulnerable young people in society . Once again students have become victims of the political vacuum here in Northern Ireland. SSUNI would strongly advocate that this decision is repealed.

Thousands of students in NI rely on the services provided by the Extended Schools Programme and they are the ones who are going to suffer most. The most vulnerable children in our society are repeatedly paying the price for the Stormont Stalemate.

We have just celebrated 25 years since the Good Friday Agreement and we must not forget that the principles of peace, prosperity and security for the people of NI are its foundation. Decisions like this undermine those principles and the young people of NI deserve better.

SSUNI Community Relations Officer Ellen Taylor As we listened to the Queens University Conference and of course, Bidens speech, young people were promised a brighter future. These cuts will not bring a brighter future to all our students, only emphasise a pertinent divide.

The Union believes that this funding is essential to ensure that the promises made to us in the Good Friday agreement are not squandered and it is vital that they remain fulfilled to protect our students and young people from further unnecessary hardship.
James McClelland will present his last Rejoice programme on BBC Radio Foyle this Sunday (April 23).

James has been a part of BBC Radio Foyle since it opened in 1979, and was a guest on one of Foyles early broadcasts.

Reflecting on his time with the BBC, James said: Looking back Ive had so many wonderful years and experiences in the BBC, and I have so many wonderful memories.

Larry Deeney, Station Manager and Content Editor, said: James has contributed to a range of programmes on BBC Radio Foyle and BBC Radio Ulster for more than three decades, most notably as the presenter of Rejoice on BBC Radio Foyle.

Its a remarkable achievement and one which I know has been appreciated by his listeners and all of us in Foyle. We are deeply grateful and wish him well for the future.

During his time with the station James was involved with a range of programmes, working with producers including Maureen Gallagher, Michael Magowan and others.

James first radio documentary about Donegal tweed (about which he has particularly fond memories) was followed by many others  something that took him across the region and to England and Scotland to gather material.

James says that he learned much about script writing, interviewing and editing from Michael Magowan. And it was Joe Mahon who gave him the go ahead to make a documentary in Canada, a commission that took James and his tape recorder along the famous Rockies Railroad from Vancouver to Calgary.

'Rejoice' began as a pilot programme in 1986 and it has been a showcase for many different types of religious music over the years  sacred, gospel and inspirational. Its popular appeal owed much to James McClelland and his connection with listeners in Foyle, and beyond.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced that he will request a major disaster declaration for Broward County due to the devastating flooding last week, his office announced in a press release Saturday, the first step towards possible federal assistance for struggling residents.

The Biden administration will have to decide whether to approve the declaration and what kind of assistance the county can receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The precise timing of when that decision will be made is not known right now, said John Mills, a spokesperson for FEMA.

When the agency receives the request, the agency will review and process the request, Mills said.

For the past week, residents have anxiously awaited word about financial help from FEMA. Many are living in homes where mold has grown due to the flooding, and are unable to afford home repairs without assistance. Some will need to relocate permanently.

Over the past week, FEMA officials joined people from the State Division of Emergency Management in assessing the damage to thousands of homes in hard-hit neighborhoods like Melrose Park and Edgewood. So far, teams have assessed over 1,300 homes, according to the press release. Over 1,000 of them had major damage.

The teams are expected to finish their work this weekend, the press release said.

FEMA offers both individual assistance and public assistance. Individual assistance can include money for temporary housing, repairs, losses in insured or uninsured property, and medical expenses. Public assistance goes to local governments to help pay for things like debris removal and repairs to infrastructure.

DeSantis has also activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, the press release said, with up to $5 million available for businesses affected by the flooding.
The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) is warning farmers to be extra vigilant this week to protect forests from fire damage.

It comes after the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) issued a Condition Orange High Fire Risk alert this week (April 18), which is set to remain in place in all areas until Saturday (April 22) unless there is significant rainfall.

IFA Farm Forestry Chair, Jason Fleming, cautioned that most fires spread from adjoining land into the forest.

He said, "It is important that farmers assess the risk to their forest and make sure that the firebreaks are maintained. A firebreak should consist of a six-metre-wide fuel free zone, typically around the boundary of the forest."

He encouraged farmers to review the fire plan for their forest or to prepare one, especially if the forest is in a high-risk area.

He continued: "If you do not have [a] fire plan, I would suggest that you prepare one with a map that identifies potential risks, assembly points, access and escape routes, reservoirs or water points and firebreaks. The plan should also contain contact details for the local fire station, local Garda station, and Forester.

"Forest fires can cause devastation and significant financial loss to farmers. Under the Afforestation scheme, farmers are obliged to replant where a forest is damaged by fire, so it is important that farmers consider the financial consequences of a fire and make sure there is adequate insurance cover in place."

#FireWarning



Condition Orange - high fire risk



We have issued an Orange Forest Fire Warning arising from weather patterns and expected level of risk



Warning in place until 6pm, Saturday, April 22  Dept of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (@agriculture_ie) April 18, 2023

The DAFM is asking the public to keep the following in mind:

 Do not light fires in or near woodland. You will be responsible if fire spreads from a campfire or barbeque. Use only designated barbeque points where available. Thoroughly soak BBQ embers after use and make sure that they are extinguished completely.

 Do not block forest entrances or roads when parking - access may be required by the fire service or forestry personnel in the event of an emergency, their job will be made easier if the roads are clear.

 Be prepared  Many hikers, cyclists, etc will carry mobile telephone, maps and GPS. These can be used to provide very accurate location information if you have to report a fire incident to the emergency services.

 If you see a fire, report it immediately to the emergency services - Dial 999 or 112. Give clear details as regards location and any other useful information such as the size of the fire, wind direction, proximity to dwellings or forestry etc. You will not be billed by the fire service or local authority for making the call.

 Report any illegal and suspicious activity to the Gardai. Dangerous or irresponsible burning activity should not be tolerated in our communities. Note that the burning of growing vegetation on uncultivated land between 1 March and 31 August each year is prohibited by law.

 Do not approach fires - Wildfires can be extremely dangerous and can rapidly change direction and behaviour. Avoid traversing uphill above fires  in suitable conditions, fire can travel uphill faster than you can run. Smoke can be highly disorienting and damaging to health. Avoid passing through smoke.

 Do not attempt to extinguish fires yourself. Fire fighting is dangerous work and should be left to suitably equipped and trained personnel. If you see a fire, call the fire service and retire to a safe distance.

For more information on preparing a Forest Fire Plan, the IFA has developed an information note here.
As a teenager in Davie, I dreamt about moving to Washington, D.C., and pursuing a political career.

My big break came during my freshman year of college. After volunteering on a few campaigns, I finally received the promise of my first paid position. All I had to do was volunteer one more time at the partys largest fundraiser to prove that I was up to snuff.

As the event approached, I was nervous and excited. My path was starting to take shape. Then it all came crashing down  hard. I was drugged and raped while volunteering.

The man was at least a decade my senior and a respected figure in the party.

When I woke up naked, disoriented and bleeding in his hotel room, he threatened to derail my fledgling career if I ever spoke about what he had done to me. He said my red cocktail dress implied that I was a fast woman, and no one would ever value my word against his.

I believed him. Not only because I was a low-level intern and he had friends in high places, but because it was not the first time I had been raped.

A native Floridian, Melissa A. Sullivan is a military spouse and a press officer for a federal agency. She lives in Washington, D.C.

On April 13, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill making Florida one of the most restrictive states in the country to obtain an abortion by banning the procedure after six weeks.

Whats more, the legislation requires a restraining order, a police report, a medical record or other evidence from survivors of rape, incest and human trafficking for them to obtain an abortion up to 15 weeks.

The notion that a survivor  who has recently undergone what is likely the most traumatic experience of their life  should be made to provide a doctors note verifying that they were raped is not only an utterly cumbersome requirement but also unrealistic, insensitive and continues to put the onus of responsibility on the survivor.

DeSantis ban also presupposes that all survivors of rape, incest and human trafficking are safe enough to report their perpetrators to begin with. There are dozens of valid reasons why survivors of rape and sexual assault do not file a police report, receive a restraining order or perform a rape kit.

When I was in middle school in Cutler Ridge, a few eighth-grade boys roofied sodas at a party and took turns violating me while I was passed out. When my friend tried to intervene, she was tackled by one of the boys.

Even though I did not yet have the adult language to articulate that I had been raped, I knew something very wrong had occurred. I reported the incident to school officials and was met with skepticism, victim-blaming and resistance. The boys were never questioned or reprimanded.

Shortly before this incident, I transferred from another school in Homestead because I was sexually assaulted on campus while walking from an overflow-trailer classroom to the main building.

As I rushed to second period, two older boys grabbed me from behind, pushed me up against a chain link fence, held me by the throat and sodomized me in broad daylight. Neither my screams nor the possibility of a passerby deterred them from carrying out their depravity.

I reported the attack to school administrators. The boys were questioned but insisted that they did not do it. The bruises, scratches and scrapes that covered my young limbs were explained away, and I had my first taste of the (in)justice system when a school resource officer declined to investigate the matter.

Someone fortunate never to have experienced these events might think I am an anomaly. They may find it shocking or incredulous that I have been raped and sexually assaulted multiple times. The truth is that it is more uncommon for women not to have experienced some violation, whether sexual harassment, unwanted touching or many other cases of abuse.

While the #MeToo movement encouraged survivors to speak out, it did not change the inherently adversarial reporting system, nor did it alleviate reporting burdens placed on people of color, the poor, those in the military or those who are unable to come forward for safety, financial or other reasons.

Months after the rape at the political fundraiser, I discovered I was pregnant. If that horrible incident had occurred today, I would have been forced to birth my rapists child because I did not report that rape.

I do not expect a person who has never had their body torn away from them to understand the precise type of suffering that a survivor of rape, incest or human trafficking will endure throughout their lifetime. I do, however, expect our leaders to have compassion.

A native Floridian, Melissa A. Sullivan is a military spouse and a press officer for a federal agency. She lives in Washington, D.C.
THE family of a pilot, who landed his airplane in Mallow racecourse after narrowly avoiding an air disaster, have scattered his ashes on the makeshift runway made for his journey home.

It has been 40 years since Captain Ruben Ocana captured hearts in Mallow after landing an executive jet running dangerously low on fuel. The Gulfstream II jet lay idle at Mallow racecourse for six weeks while a runway was built to accommodate his journey home. Captain Ocana had been due to refuel in Shannon while en route from New Jersey to Munich. However, disaster struck when foggy conditions affected the flightpath.

An air traffic controller guided him through another route that led him to Mallow Racecourse.

Miraculously, no one was injured and the airplane suffered minimal damage.

Captain Ocana preparing to take off again on May 23, 1983 after making a forced landing at Mallow Race Course six weeks earlier.

Captain Ocanas daughters were joined by other members of his family as they scattered his ashes at the scene of the historic event on Friday.

They are currently participating in the Ocana festival  an initiative organised by locals to commemorate the special event.

The two-day event includes such events as a model airplane display at the Hibernia Hotel, an exhibition in the local library, and drone racing in Mallow town park. Festivities will also include performances from local musicians.

General Manager of Operations and Safety at Cork Airport, Dorothy Coffey, making a presentation to Silvana Ocana and Ana Elsa Ocana, daughters of Capt. Ruben Ocana during a courtesy visit to Cork Airport. Also included is Kieran O'Driscoll, Operations Manager at the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow. Pic: Brian Lougheed

Captain Ocana had become something of a celebrity during his six weeks in the area. While staying in Mallows Central Hotel he made a host of friends and even judged the Rakes of Mallow Beauty Contest.

Former journalist with the then Cork Examiner and Evening Echo, Ray Ryan interviewed the pilot following his landing.

He was very calm and professional. He told me that he would be back in the air once the ground dried but he didnt realise that the soil was a bit softer than it was in Mexico, Ray laughed.

He described the kindness shown to Captain Ocana in the community.

He was treated a folk hero for averting what could have been an air disaster, Ray said. He really enjoyed his time in Cork and attended everything from hurling matches to local presentations.

Pictured on a courtesy visit to Cork Airport were Silvana Ocana and Ana Elsa Ocana, daughters of Capt. Ruben Ocana. Also included is Kathleen Walshe, Communications Specialist at Cork Airport. Pic: Brian Lougheed

Ray described the send-off Captain Ocana received when flying home 40 years ago.

Around 2,000 people turned out to say goodbye to him, Ray said. Before saying goodbye he thanked everyone and even said a few words in Irish.

There was a lot of tension for him as he only had a certain amount of space with the airstrip and the plane was insured for 9m. There was a lot at stake but it was the perfect send off. Nobody could move because of the cars that day. Some of the people were standing on top of their cars waving. It was a happy story that was also very different.

For the full list of times of events taking place readers can check out the Ocana Fest 2023 Facebook page.
A young woman was terrified after a work colleague offered her a spin home, but then drove at high speed in the wrong direction and refused to let her out of the car until she began to have a panic attack in front of him.

At Cork Circuit Criminal Court, 29-year-old Patrick ODriscoll has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Judge Helen Boyle sentenced him to two and a half years with the last year suspended on charges including falsely imprisoning the woman in his car while driving across Cork City.

Judge Boyle said: I have no doubt this was a terrifying experience for her, and one which has had an ongoing psychological impact.

Detective Garda Eoghain OCallaghan arrested ODriscoll, of no fixed address. The charge related to November 11, 2021, in a car travelling between Rochestown Rd and the North Ring Rd, where the false imprisonment occurred.

Defence barrister, Paula McCarthy, said the accused had certain mental health issues and his criminal offending did not start until very recently, before which he had been a productive and hard-working member of society. She said he became unemployed during covid, reacted extremely badly to the isolation of the pandemic and resorted to drinking heavily.

Detective Garda Mark Durcan outlined the details. He said the woman and the defendant were briefly acquainted, and he offered to drive her from one part of the city to the bus station. However, that was not what happened, the detective said.

He drove in the opposite direction, said Det Garda Durcan.

He refused to let her out. He eventually left her out on the north side of the city after she had a panic attack.

He was also sentenced in respect of a trespassing offence where he let himself into someone elses house without permission and lay down on a bed. Det Garda Durcan said this offence occurred on September 9, 2022.

The detective said one of the homeowners had been socialising in the pub where the defendant had been earlier. She denied the defendants assertion that she had given him permission to go back to her house. Det Garda Durcan said the woman told gardai that when she returned home the defendant was there before her in a bed.

Patrick ODriscoll was charged with trespassing on that occasion.

Finally, in another incident he admitted trespassing at a room in the Maldron hotel in Cork on June 23 2022. On that occasion the defendant and a woman went into a room without permission. When the person staying in the room spoke to them they turned around and said they had come into the wrong room. It later transpired that some property was taken from the room.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

The lion believed to be extinct but spotted by camera in Sena Oura National Park, Chad. Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) / Government of Chad

In a sign of hope for lions, conservationists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Government of Chad were overjoyed when a remote camera captured the majestic image of a healthy female lion in Chads Sena Oura National Park, where not a single lion had been spotted in almost 20 years.

Just a century ago, as many as 200,000 lions roamed the African savanna. Today, with around 23,000 African lions estimated to be living in the wild, the big cats are classified as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species.

The conservation team described the female lion as, A beautiful lioness, in her prime and clearly in great health, a press release from WCS said.

The image of the female lion was captured in February, but was just recently released, reported BBC News.

The photo shows a prime, very healthy adult lioness, around five years old, Dr. Luke Hunter, WCS Big Cat Programme executive director, told the BBC. I am sure she is not alone.

Lions are officially extinct in Sena Oura National Park, according to the IUCN. The park is part of the Bouba Ndjida-Sena Oura Landscape, which sits along the border of Chad and Cameroon.

This is hugely encouraging because prime females are the foundation of any lion population, and they are not big wanderers: they inhabit areas that have prey and are safe to raise their cubs in, Hunter said, according to the BBC.

Poaching was a big problem in the region more than 10 years ago, but dedication to conservation by the governments of both countries has led to wildlife populations starting to bounce back under improved protections of the national parks, the press release said.

The lion population in Cameroons Bouba Ndjida National Park has been increasing, and the lions there seem to be repopulating parts of their former range, which includes adjacent Sena Oura.

Wildlife surveys have been conducted by WCS conservationists in support of the regions park guards, which include the use of camera traps like the one that caught the image of the female lion in Sena Oura.

There are only two recognized species of lion in the world: the African lion and the Asiatic lion. Not nearly as many Asiatic lions as African lions  fewer than 500  remain living in the wild, and they can only be found in the western coastal state of Gujarat, India.

West and Central African lion populations are fragmented and have gone down approximately 66 percent since the early 1990s. These lions are a genetically distinct subspecies from the lion populations in East and Southern Africa, and they are considered Critically Endangered regionally.

Hunter said fewer than 1,000 northern lions still inhabit the western and central parts of the continent, BBC News reported.

These are especially endangered and precious, Hunter added.
Founded in 2005 as an Ohio-based environmental newspaper, EcoWatch is a digital platform dedicated to publishing quality, science-based content on environmental issues, causes, and solutions.

Once upon a time, the Steenstrup Glacier, located in northwestern Greenland, was one of the most stable glaciers in the country. But new research shows this ice formation is now in the top 10% of glaciers contributing to all ice melt in the entire region.

From 2018 to 2021, the glacier retreated a whopping 5 miles, a rare and considerable amount of change. The formation thinned by about 20% and contributed double its usual ice discharge into the ocean, according to a new study by researchers at Ohio State University. The study was published in Nature Communications.

Steenstrup Glacier is located in shallower waters and is more isolated than other glaciers in the area, which is why experts believed it was largely unaffected by rising temperatures, even as other Greenland glaciers were seeing huge declines.

Our current working hypothesis is that ocean temperatures have forced this retreat, Thomas Chudley, lead author of the study, said in a statement. The fact that the glaciers velocity has quadrupled in just a few years opens up new questions about how fast large ice masses can really respond to climate change.

Ocean temperatures are on the rise. The former highest recorded ocean surface temperature was 20.0C in 2016 and was recently topped by a 21.1C average recorded in early April of this year. As temperatures increase, scientists are concerned for these glaciers, especially as a glacier like Steenstrup that was previously stable is now retreating and discharging ice at unprecedented rates.

A quadrupling in speed within 5 years is, to our knowledge, unprecedented among the relative accelerations of large Greenland glaciers, including the doubling of velocity over 5 years of Sermeq Kujalleq in the early 2000s, the authors wrote in the study. The short-term doubling of ice discharge is likewise unprecedented and only exceeded by Harald Moltke Br, which ~tripled its annual ice discharge within the span of a decade.

Greenland is especially sensitive to warming. According to the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, the average temperature increase globally was 1F over the past century, while in Greenland, average air temperatures have increased by around 7F since the 1990s. Greenland loses around 234 billion tons of ice per year, meaning more ice is melting in Greenland than forming each year.

The retreat and ice discharge of Greenlands ice formations can contribute to rising sea levels, posing risks to coastal communities without swift action to curb rising ocean temperatures. The researchers noted that more observation for the Steenstrup Glacier is important, but the findings of its unprecedented retreat are also a warning for scientists to study what is occurring for similar glaciers and how it could impact sea level rise in the future.

Whats happening in Greenland right now is kind of the canary in the coal mine of what might happen in West Antarctica over the next few centuries, Chudley said. So it would be great to be able to get into the fjord with real on-the-ground observations and see how and why Steenstrup has changed.
LOMAHASHA  Residents of Lomahasha want the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) to redo civic education excercise.

This is because the residents are not happy that the civic education excercise was done at the Inkhundla centre and not at the umphakatsi. They now want the EBC to go back to the constituency but this time, to specifically go to the umphakatsi and not the Inkhundla centre.

Civic education involves the teaching of a community about their rights as well as their obligations. World over, civic education is a vital part of democracy and equips ordinary people with knowledge of their rights and also the Constitution. It further teaches individuals what they could do to protect and support democracy.

Elections

Civic education also ensures that people of different genders and age are equally educated before participating in the elections. In the past, it has been expressed that more men than women get elected. In a recent article by the Times of Eswatini, some women blamed EBCs civic education excercise as not effective enough to encourage the members of the public to give both women and men equal opportunities of being voted for. In the 2018 report published by the EBC, only 24 per cent of the total nominated candidates were women. In Eswatini, EBC is tasked with carrying out the civic education and they have been going to communities around the country doing this. During their recent visit to Lomahasha, EBC held civic education excercise at Lomahasha Inkhundla, but this left the residents angry.

The residents said they were not happy about this because civic education is supposed to be done at the umphakatsi. Bhekinkosi Masilela, who is one of the residents of Lomahasha inkhundla, said it was wrong for EBC to use the Inkhundla centre when there was an umphakatsi where the civic education should have been conducted. Masilela said this was not the right way of doing it. Masilelela said at the inkhundla centre, it was not a true representation of the community. He said this was why there were only a few people who attend civic education. He said only about 200 people attended, yet this was a fraction in comparison to the number of people who were supposed to have attended.

Attendance

Also, he said this meant that the community would not be able to make the right decisions about who should be chosen as the right candidate for a position, such as bucopho. Other residents who spoke on condition of anonymity also expressed the same concern. They wondered why the EBC avoided going to the Umphakatsi of Lomahasha and opted to go to the inkhundla centre. Noteworthy, Lomahasha is not the only place where civic education was conducted at the inkhundla centre instead of a specific umphakatsi. This has also been the case for Lomshiyo Umphakatsi under Ntfonjeni. Not only is civic education conducted at the inkhundla centre, even voting is also done there.

Mbonisi Bhembe, the communications Officer of EBC said under normal circumstances, it was not EBC that decided on the venue. He said each chiefdom suggests the venue. Bhembe said in some instances, there were reasons why a specific umphakatsi would want the elections to be held at a certain venue. He said the reasons could be many, such as factors that could prevent certain people from attending. He said to ensure that the venue was all-inclusive; the umphakatsi made sure that they chose a venue that would ensure that everyone was able to attend.

Authorities

He also said residents who had concerns should also consult with their local authorities on those concerns. Nkhosingiphile Mphaphu, the indvuna yenkhundla for Lomahasha also noted that the decision to use the inkhundla centre was made by local authorities. He said since the area currently did not have a chief, as the previous one had passed on, there were issues that made it difficult for residents to meet. He said for that reason, it was decided that a neutral place should be used. Mphaphu also said there was a place where the umphakatsi held its meetings, but that this area was very far and that it was not easily accessible using ordinary vehicles. Also, he said one of the halls at the inkhundla centre belonged to the umphakatsi and that they used it for meeting purposes. He stressed that it was not EBC that decided to use the hall but that the local authorities decided on the umphakatsi hall which is situated at the inkhundla centre. Furthermore, Mphaphu said the Inkhundla Centre was best in some of the situations because it was neutral venue.
NHLAMBENI  Shock has engulfed residents of Nhlambeni after the chairman of the inner council there was found bludgeoned to death.

The chairman, Gangane Dudline Magagula (69) was found dead inside his one-room house in Nhlambeni. He is said to have been last seen on Tuesday. According to Sizwe Shongwe, who is the secretary of the inner council, they were expected to go to Hhohho umphakatsi. The Hhohho umphakatsi is under Nftonjeni Inkhundla, but also overseas some areas in Nhlambeni, which is under Timphisini Inkhundla. Shongwe said they were surprised that on Wednesday, Magagula, who is popularly known as Gangane, did not show up to attend the scheduled meeting. He said they went to his home to check on him but noticed that there was no response and proceeded to the meeting.

Wife

He said when he returned later in the day, he asked his wife if they had seen Magagula but her response was negative. It was gathered that Magagulas phone had been ringing but that later on it was out of network. Shongwe said upon realising that he could not locate Magagula, he gathered about five others including the chairperson of the community police. He said when they went to the homestead, they noticed that the livestock had not been fed and it appeared the door was slightly open.

He said when they approached the door, they noticed what looked like small drops of blood. Shongwe said they then asked the community police member to enter the house and check the situation. He said the door was pushed further to open so that the community police member could enter.

However, when the community police member, who was also identified as Shongwe entered the house, he noticed Magagulas body on the floor, with his head appearing to have been hit with a blunt object, as it had a gaping wound.

Shongwe, the inner council secretary said when the others saw the community police member leaving the house and raising the alarm, they sensed that he had bad news to share. It was then we discovered that he was dead, said Shongwe. He said the matter was then reported to the police, who arrived to record statements about the incident. It was gathered that Magagula lived alone in his house. The Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati confirmed the alleged murder.
Gender budgeting concentrates on gender-based and equality-focused assessment for redistribution of the economic resources. The goal of gender budgeting is to bring in equality by meticulously utilising the available resources, techniques, and procedures of the budget cycle. It was established to promote economic equality, and it has proved to be an important policy practice for women across the globe (OECD 2022). It is also known as Gender Sensitive Budgeting (GSB) and Gender Responsive Budgeting (GRB). It is a vital instrument, in the hands of the policymakers, to ensure that both men and women equally get the benefits of development, thereby supporting gender mainstreaming. This is not simply a balancing act but an ongoing process of developing, implementing, and reviewing policies and programmes with a gender perspective in mind.

No country can afford its development without taking into consideration its female population. In spite of women being revered and respected in mythology and historical texts, development really has not benefited women in India. In almost all cultures, male dominance has been a key component of gender relations. Although, government has taken a number of steps to close gender gaps, still more efforts are needed to lessen the gendered inequalities. The Indian government has implemented numerous programmes in the past under different five-year plans with the goal of advancing a better socio-economic status to women. This was aimed to benefit women through budgetary allocations which led to introducing the gender budget in India. It was started when there were no gender budget models in the context of developing nations. For this, it was important to spend money on research to develop methods and tools for allocating resources through a gender perspective in the policy and its implementation.
Studies found that cross-border cooperation is very essential to promote territorial integration by exploring the trade and investment opportunities with the neighbouring countries (Van Houtum 2000; Knippschild 2011). It provides a huge scope of spillover effect for increasing the economic activity across the bordering states, particularly benefiting the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) engaged in agriculture and allied activities. For instance, cross-border intra-regional trade is one of the major driving factors for most of the Southeast and East Asian countries for successful engagement in the global value chain (GVC). Despite India sharing its border with seven countriesBangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Myanmar, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Chinamore than 73% of Indias exports to South Asian1 countries are through land routes (60% through road and 13% by rail).2

On the one side, countries sharing a border have the potential to leverage cultural and ethnic similarities with the neighbouring countries, which will strengthen diplomatic relations. On the other, it can align their trade activity to meet the import demand. Given the locational advantage, India has huge untapped intra-regional trade potential. However, out of the 17 border states in India, only nine are actively engaged in cross-border trade due to political and security reasons, difficult geographical terrain for connectivity, and open borders in most of the regions leveraging informal trade. To promote cross-border trade and develop the border regions, both the central and state governments have been taking many developments and infrastructure initiatives, such as Bharatmala for intranational transport networks to strengthen land route connection with the neighbouring countries.3 Additionally, initiatives such as Vibrant Villages Programme (VVP), which was announced in the budget 202223, aim to promote cross-border trade through cultural and ethnic linkages in Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh (HP), and Uttarakhand.
DeSantis says Disney 'waged war' on state policy

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a likely Republican presidential candidate, accused Disney of 'waging war on state policy regarding families and children.'
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Amy Chelgren barely averted the tears when she saw herself in a slideshow while graduating from Felony Veterans Treatment Court.

The photo showed her standing beneath a sign that read, Selfless Service.

It was the day before basic training graduation, Chelgren said. When I see myself back then, I get choked up, so many times.

She was arrested in 2019 on a driving under the influence charge. Chelgren had served in the U.S. Army for nine years, including in South Korea, and qualified for the pre-trial diversion program.

It was difficult but gave her new coping skills and changed my overall attitude, she said.

The program offers leniency for felonies, including violent offenses, in exchange for participating in rigorous treatment designed to help veterans deal with substance abuse or mental disorders.

Veterans spend about two years undergoing counseling, therapy and weekly urinalysis testing, periodically meeting with the judge and a team of professionals run by John Herman, the program coordinator. Successful participants who complete the program can get their charges reduced.

In its fifth year, it has graduated 45 people, including seven on Thursday. The event at American Legion Alamo Post 2 was attended by a slew of Bexar County Courthouse officials who either have served the specialty court or are themselves former military service members.

The specialty court was started in 2017 by two state district judges, Jefferson Moore and Lori Valenzuela, who both attended Thursdays graduation and greeted former grads who were in the program at its inception.

Moore retired last year and Valenzuela is a justice on the 4th Court of Appeals. The specialty court is now run by Judge Frank J. Castro out of the 399th District Court.

Also in attendance was Judge Erica Dominguez, who presides over County Court at Law No. 6, and oversees the misdemeanor version of the same specialty court.

The day Chelgren was arrested, she had her 14-year-old daughter in the car with her.

I was such a highly-functioning alcoholic, I didnt feel intoxicated, she said. If I did, I would have never gotten in the car with her.

Chelgrens progress through the program hit some setbacks, she said. One of her daughters was having problems in school around the time she got kicked out of her apartment. One had to go live with Chelgrens father in Wisconsin. Moore sent Chelgren to stay in a residential program because she had not saved enough money to deal with that type of situation.

I was in a dark place. I wanted to drop out of the program, she said. It was not fair to the kids, and I hadnt failed any of my UAs (urinalysis tests). I had done everything right.

But Moores order, Chelgren said, taught her a lot, and she began to look up to him, like a dad.

It was a tough lesson, but it ended up being a positive experience, she said. It taught me to save money and allocate money, to budget for emergencies.

Chelgren said she would recommend the program to any veteran.

They steer you toward the right path, and if you veer off, they help you with the struggle, she said.

On Thursday, Castro had some surprises for his seven new graduates. Each received a plaque and an American flag.

The final part of the programs five phases is called Give Back, where participants help other veterans, provide blankets for the homeless, or do any number of things that aid the community as a whole. But the name seemed off, and Castro now calls it The Warriors Project, because veterans have already given back by their service to the nation, he said.

Im very impressed with the hard work these vets have done in achieving their goals, Castro said. They have given to their country, and to us.

After each was presented with their certificate of graduation and flag, Castros last surprise was the slide show. put together by Herman.

To the tune of Toby Keiths American Soldier, each graduate was shown participating in their Warrior Project, alongside photos of them while in the service. Many watched it through tears.

I almost started crying, said Chelgren, who is the only woman in her family of military men to have served. I felt I was on top of the world that day (when the picture was taken). I was proud of myself.

Chelgren recalled the Selfless Service sign was near her bunk at Fort Jackson, S.C.

I would tell myself, Thats why I am here. Selfless Service. Thats what we signed up for, and including giving up your life.
A San Antonio woman was arrested in the death of her boyfriend that followed months of violence between the pair, court records show.

Israel Reyes, 23, was charged with murder in connection with the death of 41-year-old Zachary Aaron Williamson. Reyes is being held on $175,000 bail.

San Antonio police responded to the Preserve at Westover Hills apartment complex in the early hours of April 6 after Reyes called 911 to report she shot a person whom she had a protective order against. She said she shot Williamson in self-defense and that he wasnt supposed to come here, an affidavit supporting her arrest said.

ALSO READ: Man arrested in fatal shooting of his girlfriends ex-boyfriend at South Side apartment

Officers found Williamson dead in the dining room from a single gunshot wound to the head and multiple blunt force injuries.

Reyes told police she and Williamson were dating and had an 8-month-old child together, but that she had obtained an emergency order of protection after Williamson was arrested in February for allegedly making threats against her, assaulting her and unlawfully restraining her. The couple had been involved in multiple 911 calls regarding disturbances at multiple locations.

That night, Williamson went to the apartment and took a bath, and the pair had dinner together. Reyes said she was texting an acquaintance, fell asleep and woke up to Williamson yelling at her. She said she told him to leave but that he pushed her and put his hand over her mouth.

Reyes told police she grabbed an object, but police said she refused to answer additional questions about the shooting and couldnt provide a time line of events leading up to it, including what prompted her to grab the gun.

Multiple people told police Reyes had previously assaulted Williamson, leaving him with visible injuries, including hitting him with a lead pipe and stabbing him with scissors and knives, the affidavit said. They indicated Williamson didnt report any assault because he didnt want to be arrested for violating the protection order against him.

Investigators found hospital bills supporting accounts that Williamson was assaulted, and a witness shared messages from Reyes in which she acknowledged beating up Williamson, the affidavit said.

Meanwhile, Reyes ex-husband described alleged abuse by Reyes that he experienced, including stabbings, beatings and an attempt to run their vehicle into oncoming traffic.

Police said Reyes' sister said the accused woman should not be trusted and that her violence was concerning.

In Williamsons autopsy, the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office noted dozens of injuries, including bruising to his legs, shoulders and arms; six circular bruises on his rib cage that wrapped around to his back; cuts on his back; and 16 puncture wounds to the top of his head. The medical examiner also said Williamson had defensive wounds, including four circular puncture wounds and three cuts on the palm of his left hand, and large cuts on his left and right forearms.

The medical examiner believed the puncture wounds to the head were caused by the bottom grip or the magazine of a handgun and that they were inflicted just prior to Williamsons death.

The medical examiner determined the cause of death was a gunshot wound and ruled it a homicide.

Police said when they questioned Reyes a second time, her characterization of the nature of her relationship with Williamson was inconsistent. At one point, she said he was emotionally and physically abusive before saying he never hit her. She also said he stalked her but admitted to faking a suicide attempt to get his attention, the affidavit said. Despite her applying for a protective order, Reyes allowed Williamson to stay at the apartment with her when he was released from jail in March.

Investigators said Reyes refused to provide details about the shooting and became confrontational when asked about the accusations that she caused Williamsons injuries.

Police said they searched Reyes' apartment and found evidence that contradicted her statements, including a box cutter, scissors, towels and a pillow that all had blood on them.

Investigators concluded Reyes was not in fear for her life and that she intentionally shot Williamson in an escalation of continuing family violence, the affidavit said.
Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge. (Provided by the Montana Department of Corrections.)

The Senate Finance and Claims Committee voted Friday to put the $3.9 million annually that would go toward funding 120 beds for Montana prisoners at a CoreCivic private prison in Arizona into a separate bill after nixing the funding several other times this session.

The vote to put the money back toward the out-of-state prison beds happened just before 6 p.m., Friday as the committee continued its day of work on Day 79 of the 90-day legislative session. The amendment was not posted on the legislatures website when it was considered and approved.

The committee had just hours earlier rejected an effort to put the funding back toward the Arizona beds but decided to reconsider that action. It decided the new vehicle for the money would be House Bill 817, a bill with a broad title of revise capital projects, sponsored by Rep. John Fitzpatrick, R-Anaconda.

Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, said there was some confusion about the vote earlier in the afternoon when the effort to re-establish the plan funding the Arizona beds was rejected, 15-4.

The new mechanism to fund the prison beds through HB817 will be contingent on Senate Bill 95 passing and being signed into law. That bill makes theft of property worth $1,500 or more an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $50,000 on a first offense. It also increases penalties for theft of under $1,500 to up to 6 months in jail and increases penalties for people who write bad checks and who make false financial statements.

SB95 contains a contingency clause that says if it passes along with HB817, and HB817 does not contain an appropriation for the $3.9 million annually for the CoreCivic prison beds in Arizona, it is void.

But since the Finance and Claims Committee appropriated that money through HB817, both bills are moving forward. SB95, sponsored by Sen. Barry Usher, R-Yellowstone County, passed the Senate 36-14 and is awaiting its third reading in the House. HB817 passed the House 93-2 and its first action in the Senate is in the Finance and Claims Committee.

Supporters of the amendment to add the CoreCivic money into HB817 said Friday the state would need the extra beds because of the additional people who would be jailed or go to prison under the laws amended in SB95.

A fiscal note for SB95 assumes there will be at least 200 more people each year facing jail and prison time under the changes.

Sen. Ryan Lynch, D-Butte, asked committee chairman Sen. John Esp, R-Big Timber, how many people were currently in jail or prison for theft, to which Esp replied: Not as many as we will have.

Lynch suggested that the private, for-profit CoreCivic was getting a backroom deal with the committees decision to add the money back in after taking it out of House Bill 2, the budget bill, earlier this month.

The department never asked for this, and all of a sudden were going to let the Republicans shove this down Montanas throat, he told the committee. Were celebrating locking up more people and sending them out of state.

The committee voted 10-9 to both pass the amendment and then pass the bill. On the vote to pass the bill to the Senate floor, Republican Sens. Josh Mandeville, Kenneth Bogner, and Jeff Welborn joined Democrats in opposing it.

The committee voted 14-5 on April 11 to take the same money out of HB2 that was added into the budget in the House, as proponents said they did not believe they would need the extra prison beds because of community corrections and other beds coming online over the biennium and another bill that would allow some prisoners eligible for parole to go to a prerelease or treatment center within 14 months of their eligibility date.

House lawmakers supporting the money for CoreCivic, which also operates the Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby, had said they put the money into the budget because they felt moving prisoners to Arizona would be the cheapest and fastest way to get people awaiting transfer from county jails open beds.

The committee also adopted an amendment to HB817 to put $25 million during the coming biennium toward workforce housing for people who work at prisons and behavioral health centers. Lynch offered an amendment to to say it should only apply to state facilities and not the Shelby prison operated by CoreCivic, but the concept died.

Funding for the workforce housing in HB 817 is contingent on House Bill 819 passing.

Democrats have repeatedly criticized the idea of sending prisoners to Arizona, saying it would do nothing to rehabilitate prisoners or reduce recidivism when the prisoners are hundreds of miles away from their homes and families.

The Senate is scheduled to take up House Bill 2 on the floor on Monday after its discussion was pushed from Friday so the Finance and Claims Committee could take action on more bills.

The post Funding to send Montana prisoners to Arizona private prison reinstated by Senate committee appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Greta Besch-Moen speaks during a school board meeting in the Lincoln Center in Billings, Montana on April 5, 2022 (Photo by Darrell Ehrlick of the Daily Montanan).

A federal judge has ruled that elections for Montanas largest public school district can continue in several weeks, while chastising the school board for not properly updating its election maps and violating the U.S. Constitutions promise of equal weight to every vote.

In a ruling that essentially forced federal court judge Brian M. Morris between two difficult positions  halt the election with just weeks to go, or allow unequal voting districts  he ruled the best of the two options was to allow the election for three school board trustees to continue, but not without scolding Billings Public Schools.

The court recognizes the difficult situation in which the boards delay has placed plaintiffs, Morris said. The inordinate delays between July of 2022 and February of 2023 by the board in adopting the new map forced this dilemma upon plaintiffs. The court will not countenance further delays in adopting the new map in the future.

Comments from Billings Public Schools were not immediately available on Friday afternoon.

It is disappointing that even through the legitimate, legal action taken by us, the school board was not required to complete their work and allow citizens to fairly and equitably elect board members this election cycle, said resident Michael Scheppele, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Continuing with district maps based on the prior 2010 Census is further justification to replace the current slate of trustees with responsible candidates serving the common interests of the voting public.

Morris ruling largely sided with Scheppele and James Wilson, who took legal action after the Billings Public School Board, excluding the high school district, failed to adopt new districts based on the 2020 Census. They were represented by attorney Joel Krautter of Netzer, Krautter and Brown.

In the intervening decade, population trends changed throughout Montanas largest city, and the voting districts were disproportionate. District 1 has a population of 15,327 while District 6s population stands at 18,535, a difference of 19%.

Repeatedly, federal courts have recognized that any deviation of more than 10% is assumed unconstitutional on its face, while lower differences may also be a violation of law.

The Fourteenth Amendments one-person, one-vote rule confirms that a voter has a constitutional right to have his vote counted with substantially the same weight as that of any other voter, Morris said in the decision. The deprivation of this constitutional right unquestionably constitutes irreparable injury.

Even though Morris found the districts were clearly unbalanced, and a violation of law, he turned to other federal guidance, which said that in these very specific circumstances, the courts must weigh the factors to do the least harm.

Courts may allow an election to proceed under an unlawful plan when these circumstances arise, Morris said. (Because) courts should consider the proximity of a forthcoming election and the mechanics and complexities of state election laws in determining whether to enjoin an election.

Ultimately, Morris said that while the votes were unequal and a violation that the public would stand more harm by halting the election, waiting for new maps to be approved correctly, and risking that public school business would slow or stop.

The court determines that it would not be feasible to enjoin the 2023 Election, Morris said. The court emphasizes that the overall balance  of factors does not favor indefinitely postponing this election.

The ballots for the race have already went to voters, and the election will be held on May 2.

The post Judge scolds Montanas largest school district for unfair maps, but says May 2 election can proceed appeared first on Daily Montanan.
Thousands of people have signed a petition in support of a Herefordshire farmer who was sentenced to prison after he dredged a mile-long stretch of the River Lugg.

Kidderminster Magistrates Court sentenced John Price to 12 months in prison following an investigation and prosecution by Natural England and the Environment Agency.

Mr Price, a mixed Herefordshire farmer, entered a guilty plea to all seven charges last year.

He was accused of 'obliterating' riverside habitats after he dredged a mile-long stretch of the River Lugg, a protected river, in December 2020.

Mr Price said at the time that he undertook the maintenance works to protect local households from flooding, which were heavily impacted by storms in 2019.

But Natural England and the Environment Agency said the banks of the River Lugg were "damaged" causing "significant and long-term ecological harm".

Since the sentence was handed down on 20 April, an online petition has launched to appeal against it, gaining nearly 4,000 signatories in the space of 24 hours.

Emily Naylor, who started the petition on Friday (21 April), said Mr Price "did the most amazing job" in clearing the banks and dredging the bottom of the River Lugg.

"The land has since grown back with native plants and encouraged local wildlife," she said, "Yet on 20 April they have sentenced him to 12 months prison sentence plus a fine of over 600k.

"Please sign this petition to support the man who has done the job that the Environment Agency were too afraid to carry out, saving multiple local homes from the yearly flooding a and the old bridge from further flood damage."

One signatory said: "The EA should have done this work years before Mr Price was asked to do it. Completely wrong and against a natural feel for justice that his sentence is so harsh."

Another added: "I'm struggling to believe what I've just read - it's absolutely mind boggling. May I suggest the Environment Agency improves before taking such inappropriate action against a helpful, innocent person."

Mr Price's charges included carrying out operations on an SSSI-protected river without consent, contravening a stop notice, contravening the Environmental Permitting Regulations and contravening the Reduction and Prevention of Agricultural Diffuse Pollution Regulations.

Martin Quine, Environment Agency place manager for Herefordshire, said the agency welcomed the outcome of the prosecution.

While Mr Prices justification for the works was to help prevent flooding to local properties, his actions did not have any flood prevention benefit.

"The destruction of river banks is not appropriate flood management. It is important that the Judge recognised that the works significantly weakened flood prevention measures rather than improved them."
New Delhi/Georgetown (Guyana), Apr 22 (UNI) Kamina Johnson Smith, the incoming Chair of the Caribbean Community

(Caricom) Council on Foreign and Community Relations, said the Caricom grouping has benefited from its cooperation with India in many areas, and also said that India was among the first countries to donate vaccines to Caricom during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In her address at the Fourth Caricom-India Ministerial meeting, which was co-chaired by Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Johnson Smith, said that during their last engagement held on the margins of the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, we expressed our intention to strengthen the collaboration between us.

Johnson Smith, who is also Jamaicas Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister, said since then India has taken the Presidency of the G20 under the theme of One Earth, One Family, One Future, affirming the value of all life and the interconnectedness on Earth and within the Universe.

CARICOM member states take your Presidency, the messaging of your theme and this engagement as an excellent context within which to expand on our earlier discussions and to identify new areas for enhanced collaboration in the multilateral sphere, to promote our mutual interests as developing states, she said.

She said the Caricom grouping has benefited from its cooperation with India in many areas, including through collaboration with the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) where we have engaged in capacity-building projects and programmes in health, agriculture, disaster management, fisheries, information and communication technology (ICT), and diplomacy.

She said under the principle of Vaccine Maitri, India was among the first countries to donate vaccines to CARICOM during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, thus demonstrating its commitment to the welfare of developing nations and further, to equitable access to vaccines.

She said Indias generosity helped Caribbean Countries address an unprecedented global crisis and saved Caribbean lives.

Johnson Smith said that while she regretted that the Caricom-India Joint Commission could not meet during the visit of the Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, we are aware that it is intended to meet biennially and I offer assurances that our officials will propose new dates.

She said their engagement on Friday also gives us time to reflect on the common values shared by CARICOM and India, namely our commitments to democracy, sustainable development and multilateralism.

These principles provide a foundation for co-operation between the Caribbean Community and India in international fora. We share a firm understanding that traditional development financing frameworks do not meet all the needs of the developing South; and that climate change presents an existential threat to our societies, acknowledging the realities of a global crisis where Small Island and low-lying coastal Developing States (SIDS) are paying the price for the advancement of developed states.

She said that partnerships with larger nations and economies, such as India, are essential to amplify the concerns of the Caribbean Community and other SIDS on the global stage.

We know that in the context of the G20, India has sought to highlight the concerns of small vulnerable states such as ours, including on food security. We have every faith, that this will continue. With solidarity and collective action, we can pave a way forward to secure prosperity for future generations, she added.

Caricom Secretary General, Carla Barnett, said the 15-member regional integration grouping attaches great value to the bonds of friendship that have been forged with India over the years.

India has remained a vital partner of the Community since the region established formal diplomatic relations in 1997. Subsequently, steady progress has been made through regular political engagements and structured development cooperation arrangements, she added.

The Caricom Foreign Ministers committed to enhanced cooperation programme between Caricom and India. They also agreed to the hosting of the Caricom-India Joint Commission later in 2023 which is the mechanism that would provide the framework for the implementation of the programme of cooperation.

The Caricom-India cooperation framework is three-tiered and operates at the level of the Caricom-India Summit, Caricom-India Ministerial Meeting and Caricom-India Joint Commission. Engagement at the ministerial level provides the opportunity for the deepening of the Caricom-India partnership, through discussions on bilateral, regional and multilateral issues of mutual interest and concern. It demonstrates the intrinsic value of and strong commitment to strengthening south-south cooperation.

The Fourth Ministerial Meeting of the India-Caricom Ministerial meeting was held at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown, Guyana. It was attended by the Foreign Ministers from Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago. The Bahamas and Belize were represented at the level of Parliamentary Secretary and Ambassador.

UNI RN
Rege-Jean Page is considering growing his hair long like his 'Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves' character.

Rege-Jean Page plays Xenk Yendar in the fantasy heist comedy

The 34-year-old actor - who shot to fame playing the dashing Duke of Hastings aka Simon Basset on Netflix's hit period drama 'Bridgerton' - donned a long wig as Xenk Yendar in the fantasy heist comedy, and he believes he could "rock the hair in real life".

However, the one part of his costume he was glad to take off after a long day on set was his armour.

He told Best UK magazine: "Yeah, it's a fun look - the long wig, especially. I feel like I could rock that hair in real life. Maybe if we do another one of these, I'll grow it for real. And the armour was pretty heavy - it was hot under there and it took way too long to go to the bathroom."

The movie star - who has been tipped to play James Bond but has denied this to be the case - suggested he's not against the idea of reprising his 'Bridgerton' role.

Asked about fans being eager for him to return, he said: "I take that as a compliment but I don't know if that will happen. I feel like Simon and Daphne got their happily-ever-after. But I loved my time on Bridgerton. I'm very grateful for the opportunities it opened up for me."

Rege-Jean also admitted he likes having a varied career.

He said: "I honestly like both. Villains are always fun - you tend to have more freedom with what you can do. But I love playing the hero, too. I'll take everything!"

It comes after a source said he wants to mirror the career of Robert Downey Jr.

Since leaving 'Bridgerton', he's gone on to forge a movie career with blockbusters 'The Gray Man', and most recently, 'Dungeons and Dragons'.

And an insider claimed the 'Mortal Engines' actor would like to have a "versatile" career like the 58-year-old Hollywood veteran - whose movie credits include 'Iron Man', 'Dolittle' and 'Richard III'.

A source told Us Weekly: "He's shaping his career along the likes of Robert Downey Jr., who is someone he admires. He wants to be known as a versatile actor and refuses to be pigeonholed in any one genre."
Solo travel as a woman can be incredibly empowering and rewarding. It allows you to step outside your comfort zone, and gain a sense of independence and self-reliance. You can set your own itinerary, explore at your own pace, and connect with locals in a truly unique way.

Greek Islands

As a seasoned solo traveler, I highly recommend exploring the Greek islands. The stunning islands of the Aegean Sea offer an opportunity for self-discovery and adventure, with each island offering its own unique charm. Navigating from island to island is a breeze with the exceptional and affordable ferry system and theres a wonderful range of accommodation types to suit all styles and budgets.

So, which Greek islands are the best for solo travel? Here are six of the top islands to consider, including Serifos, Sifnos, Folegandros, Kos, Syros, and Milos.

Serifos is an idyllic island that offers a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of city life. Here is a great place to be alone as you can spend your days selecting a spot to relax with a book on its unspoiled beaches or indulge in local food at one of the picturesque villages. The island is lesser-known and therefore offers untouched breathtaking landscapes making a haven for nature lovers. Serifos is perfect for solo travelers who want to disconnect from the world and recharge their batteries.

Sifnos is another island that is perfect for solo travelers. It's an island favoured by food lover's, with traditional Greek cuisine being the highlight. The island also boasts some of the best beaches in the Cyclades, making it a great place to unwind and soak up the sun.

Folegandros is one of the most underrated Greek islands with picture-perfect whitewashed villages, stunning cliffs and crystal clear waters, Folegandros is an Instagrammer's dream. The island's rugged terrain and winding paths make it ideal for exploring on an ATV and finding a slice of Grecian paradise all to yourself. A visit to the magnificent Panagia Church at sunset is a must.

Beautiful Kos

Kos is a larger island that offers a bit of everything for solo travellers. It's the most well-known and definitely busiest on this list but it does offer direct flights from the UK. Though there are some obvious tourist spots there are also opportunities to find solitude in the mountain villages but if you're looking to make friends on your travels then Kos is known for a vibrant nightlife.

The beaches of Milos

Milos is famous for its stunning geological formations, including the unique Sarakiniko Beach, which is surrounded by white volcanic rocks that resemble a moonscape. Whilst this is the main draw to the island Milos is one of the best places to be alone if you are a water baby. Rent a set of wheels and spend your days bathing on some of the best beaches in the world. Theres little nightlife in Milos meaning you wont have to worry about having any evening FOMO, instead wake up with the sun and enjoy the incredible view!

Syros is a lesser-known island to the masses but the capital of the famous Cyclades. It is home to charming towns and villages, including the architecturally impressive Ermoupoli which is one of my favourite towns in all of Greece. Syros also boasts some of the best beaches including Galissas Beach and Kini Beach, which are perfect for swimming and sunbathing. This is the island where the locals summer.

Written by Sabrina Chakici, TV Host & Travel Writer. Follow her travels at www.clutchandcarryon.com
Russia has become India's top crude oil supplier amid changing geopolitical dynamics following the Ukraine crisis. This has led to an increase in India's imports from Russia, but exports have not risen proportionally, resulting in a sharp increase in India's trade deficit with Russia. In terms of textile trade, India is a garment supplier for Russia. However, India's garment exports to Russia halved to $29.848 million in 2022, and its share in Russia's total garment imports is negligible, below one per cent.

India exported garments worth $66.394 million to Russia in 2021, but the war with Ukraine disrupted trade and normal life, leading to a drop of more than 56 per cent in garment exports to just $29.848 million in 2022, according to Fibre2Fashion's market insight tool TexPro.

The Russia-Ukraine war began in the second half of February 2022. Garment shipments to Russia were registered at $57.674 million in 2020, $75.326 million in 2019, and $76.571 million in 2018.

Russia has become India's top crude oil supplier, increasing imports from Russia while exports have not risen proportionally, leading to a larger trade deficit. India's garment exports to Russia dropped by more than 56 per cent to $29.848 million in 2022. India's garment exports to Russia accounted for only 0.46 per cent of its total exports in 2022.

India's garment exports to Russia were negligible compared to its total exports, accounting for just 0.46 per cent of India's total exports in 2022, as per TexPro. India's total garment exports reached $14.354 billion last year, with Russia remaining far below the list of top 10 markets for Indian garment shipments.

India's garment supply to Russia also held minimal value compared to Russia's total garment imports, which ranged between $6-7 billion per year in recent years.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (KUL)
Retail sales volumes in the United Kingdom are estimated to have fallen by 0.9 per cent month on month (MoM) in March this year, following a rise of 1.1 per cent in the previous month, according to the Office of National Statistics (ONS).

Sales volumes rose by 0.6 per cent in the three months to March this year compared with the previous three monthsthe first three-month on three-month rise since August 2021.

Non-food stores sales volumes fell by 1.3 per cent MoM in March 2023, following a rise of 2.4 per cent in February, with feedback from retailers that poor weather conditions throughout most of March affected sales.

UK retail sales volumes are estimated to have fallen by 0.9 per cent month on month (MoM) in March, following a rise of 1.1 per cent in February. Retailers said poor weather conditions throughout most of March affected sales. Sales volumes of department stores and clothing stores fell by 3.2 per cent and 1.7 per cent MoM during the month respectively.

Total non-food stores sales volumes (total of department, clothing, household and other non-food stores) fell by 1.3 per cent MoM in March this year, following a rise of 2.4 per cent in February.

Within non-food stores, sales volumes of department stores and clothing stores fell by 3.2 per cent and 1.7 per cent MoM respectively during the month.

Online sales in textile, clothing and footwear stores increased by 11.3 per cent year on year and by 4.6 per cent month on month in March.

Non-store retailing (predominantly online retailers) sales volumes fell by 0.8 per cent in March, following a rise of 0.3 per cent in February this year.

March saw sales volumes fall for the 12th consecutive month. But despite many consumers tightening their purse strings, they still wanted to celebrate special occasions.Meanwhile, clothing sales were held back by the wet weather in March, Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said responding to the figures.

Retailers are optimistic for the big events on the Spring calendar such as the Kings Coronation, and other bank holidays. However, the removal of government support for household bills from this month will mean consumer discretionary spend will be under additional pressure. We need Government to help retailers keep prices down and shore up consumer confidence by ensuring any additional regulatory burdens are kept to a minimum, as these additional cost pressures will inevitably mean that consumers will be further squeezed, she added.

Fibre2Fashion News Desk (DS)
Prostitution Racket: The crime branch of Mumbai police arrested a Bhojpuri actress, named Suman Kumari for allegedly running a prostitution racket. The accused was an agent who used to force aspiring models into prostitution. The police even rescued three models who were trapped, when the raid was conducted.

Suman was caught red-handed by the investigating team of the Mumbai Police after the cops raided a Goregaon hotel post receiving a tip-off.

A report in Midday suggests that a team of Mumbai Police sent dummy customers to Suman, who charged Rs 50k to Rs 80k for one girl. The dubby customer asked to send three girls to the hotel Royal Palm in Goregaon's Aarey Colony. And then Suman was nabbed red-handed by the police.

Who Is Suman Kumari?

The accused Suman Yadav, also known as Suman Kumari Tetu Gopi, is known for her work in several Bhojpuri films. She has been featured in several movies including Laila Majnu, Jomestic Box, Baap Numbari Beta 10 Numbari and also a few Bhojpuri web series.

The 24 years old Bhojpuri actress has been featured in several Hindi and Punjabi music albums as a lead. The police report suggests that Suman has been residing in Mumbai for the last six years.

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She was arrested on Friday (April 21) by the crime branch of the Mumbai police for forcing aspiring models into prostitution. A report in AajTak even suggests that she used to take advantage of the customers' financial instability while dealing with them and forced the models to sign a contract.

Meanwhile, a similar incident was reported last week, when police arrested a television actress named Aarti Mittal from Goregaon for running a prostitution racket. Aarti was accused of running a prostitution racket inside the film industry.

The actor-casting director Aarti was caught red-handed in a raid when an undercover police officer posed as a customer. Aarti was a part of several daily soaps including Appnapan - Badalate Rishton Ka Bandhan, Na Umra Ki Seema Ho, Dharampatni, and Yeh Hai Chahatein, among several others.
Mammootty came to Eid Namaz this time without breaking his routine.

Mammootty attended the Eid Namaz at Kalur Stadium. Mammootty was accompanied by Dulquer Salmaan. Eid Gah was held at Kalur Nehru Stadium under the leadership of Sharif Meleth.

This time there will be no festive celebrations for Mammootty. His mother Fatima Ismail died yesterday. She died while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Kochi. She was 93 years old. Yesterday evening, the cremation ceremony was held at Semb Juma Masjid Khabarstan. The entire Malayalam film industry mourns the death of Fathima Ismail, dear Mamooka's mother.

Mammootty's family is a highly respected family in Kerala. Mammootty has always given due priority to his family and held them first before his professional life. He is an ideal father as stated by actor Dulquer Salman.

Malayalam Superstar Mammootty is well-known for his humble and simplistic nature along with his marvelous acting. The actor's son Dulquer Salmaan is also said to be one of the humblest actor in the southern film industry.

Mammootty would give due credit to his mother Fathima Ismail for the humble nature inculcated in their family members.

The actor has expressed his love for his dear mom in various interviews. In a throwback interview, he even said that his mom is very innocent and would tear up seeing someone hitting him in movies. She is such a nice person that if anyone would ask her which is her favourite among Mamooka's movies, she would just remain mum and wonder and would not be able to answer this question.

Mamooka'a mother Fathima Ismail is loved by all in her village for her loving and caring nature. They say that her humble nature was the charm that would attract everyone towards her. She mothered six children including Mammootty.

In such a situation, Mammootty's presence at the Eid-ul-Fitr Prayer With Dulquer Salmaan became the talk of the town.
New Delhi/Georgetown (Guyana), Apr 22 (UNI) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who is visiting Guyana, co-chaired the Fourth India-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting in Georgetown on wide-ranging cooperation between India and the Caribbean Community in the fields of trade and economy, agriculture and food security among other issues. He also held bilateral meetings with several of the Caricom Foreign Ministers.

In tweets, the EAM said that he co-chaired the Fourth India-Caricom ministerial meeting with Foreign Minister Kamina J Smith of Jamaica.

Co-chaired 4th India-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting with FM @kaminajsmith of Jamaica at @CARICOMorg HQ.

Thank FM Hugh Todd of Guyana for inviting us all.

Appreciate perspectives of FMs Albert Ramdin (Suriname), Denzil Douglas (St Kitts and Nevis), Alva Baptiste (St Lucia), Keisal Peters (St Vincent & Grenadines), Kerrie Symmonds (Barbados), Amery Browne (Trinidad & Tobago), Vince Henderson (Dominica), Joseph Andall (Grenada) & representatives from Belize and Bahamas.

Discussed our wide-ranging sectoral cooperation, including in Trade & Economy; Agriculture & Food Security; Health & Pharma; Energy & Renewables; Infrastructure, ICT & eGovernance; Development Partnership & Capacity Building; Higher Education; Culture and P2P domains.

Also exchanged views on vital issues of Climate Change & Disaster Resilience; Counter Terrorism; Reformed Multilateralism and closer cooperation at multilateral forums.

Agreed on follow-up steps, including holding the second Joint Commission Meeting this year.

On his bilateral meetings with the foreign ministers, he tweeted:

Glad to meet FM of St. Vincent and Grenadines Keisal Peters today.

Appreciated SVGs interest in Millets. Also discussed our ongoing projects and further expanding of cooperation.

On his meeting with his counterpart from Trinidad and Tobago.

Good to meet Dr. Amery Browne, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.

Spoke on taking forward our development partnership focusing on digital transformation and health domains.

Will continue our cooperation at multilateral forums.

On his bilateral with his Jamaican counterpart, he said:

Great to meet FM @kaminajsmith of Jamaica. Complimented her for effectively co-chairing the India-CARICOM meeting earlier today.

Discussed taking forward cooperation in training & development partnership. Agreed on importance of business to business exchanges for stronger ties.

He also met the Barbados FM:

Glad to meet with Barbados Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds.

Exchanged views on working together in domains of renewable energy, health and skills.

On his meeting with his Grenada counterpart, he said:

Happy to meet FM Joseph Andall of Grenada.

Discussed advancing our development partnership. Also reaffirmed our belief in Reformed Multilateralism.

He met the Bahamas parliamentary secretary, who has studied in India.

Appreciate meeting Bahamas Parliamentary Secretary Jamahl Strachen, an Indian alumnus.

Discussed ISA, CDRI, training and UNSC reform.

"So nice to meet Foreign Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis on sidelines of India-CARICOM meeting.

Noted our resonance in agriculture and digital domains. Conveyed that India will always voice the concerns of the Global South.

UNI RN
Within hours of the film's theatrical release, several illegal websites started circulating pirated links to Yogi Babu's Yaanai Mugathaan movie. These pirated links are all over the internet, being shared by social media sites and personal accounts. The links allow one to watch the content in them or to download the entire film for free. The cinematic experience is entirely different from watching the content through these links. However, no amount of measures taken by the cops and Producers Council could contain piracy. If this is the case of a Yogi Babu movie, think about the situation of other films. Will government able to take strict action against these illegal websites?

'Yaanai Mugathaan deals with the problem between God and man' says Director Rejishh Midhila.

Director Rejishh Midhila has cast Yogi Babu as Ganesha in 'Yanai Mukhathan'. He has directed Malayalam films like 'Lal Bahadur & Shastri', 'Varikkuzhiyile Kolapathakam' and 'Innumuthal', and is coming to Tamil through this film. The film is released worldwide yesterday (April 21, 2023).

In a recent interview to a media portal he said, "I like Tamil movies. My desire from the beginning was to direct in Tamil. That is what my journey was all about. But, things did not go well for that. So I directed some films in Malayalam. Now I have produced and directed this film in Tamil.

Actor Ramesh Tilak acted in my Malayalam film. When he heard the story of 'Yaanai Mugathaan', he said that if it was made in Tamil, Yogi Babu would be suitable for this character. He himself also introduced Yogi Babu. After hearing the story, Yogi Babu said that he would act immediately. This is how he came into this film.

As per the story, Ramesh Tilak, an auto driver in Chennai, is an ardent devotee of Ganesha. But he is a bit of a liar and a hypocrite. Yogi Babu comes before him and introduces himself as 'I am Ganesha'. He wouldn't believe it. If someone stood in front of us today and said, 'I am God', would anyone believe it? This is the story. It will tell you what God will do to make you believe it.

Although it looks like a comedy, there are emotional things in the story. Yogi Babu has done two characters. It will be double-edged. You can also see Yogi Babu's excellent performance in this. As he has come from the bottom of life, it is easy for him to express his feelings.

The first half will take place in Chennai. The next half will go to Rajasthan. There is a reason why it is like that. Also, there will be some suspenseful elements in the story. It will surely be new for the fans.

Karunakaran, Urvashi, Harish Peredi, Kulappullileelan and many others have also acted.

After this, I will do another film with Yogi Babu. There is a desire to use him better. It is an adventure film. The story takes place in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya."

DISCLAIMER- FILMIBEAT doesn't support or promote piracy as it is a criminal offense under the Copyright Act of 1957. We sincerely request you to not participate in any such practice or encourage piracy in any form.
Anupamaa update: Ardent fans of Rupali Ganguly and Gaurav Khanna got a special surprise in the recent episode. They were pleasantly surprised to hear Shaheer Sheikh's voice during a crucial sequence in the hit daily soap.

SHAHEER SHEIKH VOICEOVER IN ANUPAMAA

The Kuch Rang Pyar Ki Aise Bhi actor lent his voice for a poem, which was showcased in the recent episode of Anupamaa. It was indeed a treat for the viewers as Shaheer narrated the poem at a time when MaAn are facing issues in their lives and on the brink of divorce.

The Yeh Rishtey Hain Pyaar Ke star's voiceover added to the drama of the scene. While Anupamaa is busy with her Dance Academy, Anuj is miles away in Mumbai with Choti Anu and Maya. They couldn't meet each other after they parted ways over a misunderstanding.

Ankush called Anuj Kapadia to Ahmedabad, requesting him to come back to attend some work meeting. He also called Anupamaa following which we heard Shaheer's poem, which the intensity of the drama in the show.

SHAHEER SHEIKH REACTS TO FANS' COMMENT ON HIS VOICEOVER

The TV heartthrob, while interacting with a portral, reacted to the reaction that he received from the audience. He expressed his gratitude to the makers and Rajan Shahi.

"They want me to give voiceover for a particular scene, and it was a surprise for me. It's very different, and excited about this. I thank DKP Production and Rajan Shahi for giving me the opportunity," Shaheer told India Forums.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR SHAHEER SHEIKH?

On the professional front, the Navya actor is currently seen in Woh Toh Hai Albelaa, which is also produced by Rajan Shahi. He is paired opposite Hiba Nawab in the daily soap, which airs on Star Bharat.

The Mahabharat actor has also been approached for Nach Baliye 10. However, he is yet to accept the offer.

A source exclusively told Filmibeat, "Hina Khan-Rocky Jaiswal and Shaheer Sheikh-Ruchikaa Kapoor have been approached to shake a leg in Nach Baliye 10. The production house is keen to rope the two celebrity couples for the same. However, Hina and Shaheer are yet to accept the offer."

"I don't think Shaheer Sheikh is going to accept the offer. He is a shy and reserved person, who believes in keeping his personal life as private as possible. However, one can never say never. Talking about Hina Khan, she politely declined previous seasons and it remains to be seen if the makers will be able to convince her to change decision or not," the source added.

ANUPAMAA NEW TWIST

As per the latest track, Anuj and Anupamaa have decided to end their relationship. While there is a tiny hope, things point out towards their separation. Will MaAn get divorced? Only time will tell.

Stay tuned for more updates.
Fahmaan Khan Reality show: In 2017, Fahmaan Khan started his acting career by appearing in Kya Qusoor Hai Amala Ka. He went on to perform significant roles in several television series such as Ishq Mein Marjawan, Mere Dad Ki Dulhan, and Apna Time Bhi Aayega.

Nonetheless, it was his portrayal of Aryan Singh Rathore, the main character in the popular Star Plus series Imlie, alongside Sumbul Touqeer Khan, that made him a well-known figure in households.

As the success of Imlie changed his fate completely, the talented actor is currently winning hearts with his performance as Ravi Randhawa in Ekta Kapoor's Pyar Ke Saath Vachan Dharampatnii.

FAHMAAN KHAN REJECTS KHATRON KE KHILADI 13 OFFER?

The show premiered on Colors TV in November last year and features Kritika Singh Yadav as the female lead Pratiksha opposite Fahmaan Khan. While the actor is currently busy with his daily soap, the latest buzz suggests that he was recently approached for a big-ticket reality show.

After Introducing His Wife & Daughter, Vivian Dsena Confirmed To Make His TV Comeback With A Hit Colors Show

Well, we're talking about the thirteenth season of Khatron Ke Khiladi 13, to be hosted by filmmaker Rohit Shetty. Yes, you read that right!

Accoriding to an India Forums reports, the makers of KKK 13 had reached out to Fahmaan and were keen to have him on the show. However, the actor decided to refuse it and the reason is Dharampatnii. He decided to not accept the offer as he's currently wishes to focus on his ongoing show.

Fahmaan is yet to react on the same.

Archana Gautam On Friendship With Bigg Boss 16 Rival Shiv Thakare Post The Show: Wo Log Apni Life...

LIST OF KHATRON KE KHILADI 13 CONFIRMED CONTESTANTS

While Fahmaan might have said no to Khatron Ke Khiladi 13, Bigg Boss 16 runner-up Shiv Thakare recently confirmed his participation in the stunt-based reality show and became the first participant.

The other confirmed contestants are Anjum Fakih, Anjali Anand, and Ruhi Chaturvedi as of now. The other names are expected to be revealed in the coming days.

There are speculations that Munawar Faruqui, Archana Gautam, Nakuul Mehta are some of the other names who might be seen in the much-awaited show. However, an official announcement is still awaited.

For the unversed, Khatron Ke Khiladi 13 will reportedly be shot in Argentina and contestants are likely to leave in the last week of May or first week of June.

Keep watching this space for more updates!
Englewood, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - April 21, 2023) - Let Hutch Help has launched a new application service and three-question eligibility assessment that can help non-profit organizations and churches determine if they qualify for ERC rebates with no cost or obligation, and apply for their IRS refunds.

This new simplified eligibility assessment launched by Let Hutch Help allows organizations to determine if they qualify for Employee Retention Credit (ERC) rebates, using only "Yes or No" answers to three basic questions.

More information about the simplified eligibility check, the rebate application process, and the deadline for making a claim can be found at http://go.lethutchhelp.com/ercchatwithus.

NYC Employee Retention Credit Application Service for Nonprofit, Churches Launched by Let Hutch Help

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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The recently launched eligibility assessment is available to any employer that operated a business during the recent pandemic, including startups and non-profit organizations, as well as churches, with no cost or obligation. After completing the three-question assessment, employers will be given the option to discuss their rebate with an ERC specialist, to determine how much they may be able to claim.

Since it was created in 2020, the ERC program has gone through several expansions that some business owners may not be aware of. The application service provided by Let Hutch Help, in partnership with Jorns & Associates, can help employers to claim their maximum allowable rebates under the newest guidelines, which could be up to $26,000 per employee.

To qualify for the program, an employer must have kept staff members on the payroll during the pandemic and had their business affected by it in some way. While this is often shown through the business suffering financial losses or temporary closures, the ERC specialist team says it can help employers to qualify for a variety of other reasons.

Employers that have already received loans through the federal government's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) can now access rebates through the ERC as well, after changes passed in the Consolidated Appropriations Act. However, they will be required to provide their PPP loan documents to the ERC specialist team to have their rebates calculated.

Rebates claimed through Jorns & Associates are not a loan or deferral, never require repayment, and have no restrictions on how they can be spent. These tax credits are reimbursement for wages that employers have already paid during the pandemic.

Businesses that were only operational for a certain period of the pandemic may still be eligible for rebates, and an ERC specialist can help them to determine which fiscal quarters they may qualify for. Employers may be able to claim up to $5,000 per employee for wages paid in 2020, and up to $7,000 per quarter per employee, for wages paid in the first three quarters of 2021.

More information about the ERC program, the maximum allowable rebates, and the fast application service can be found at http://go.lethutchhelp.com/erc.

Contact Info:

Name: Ryan Hutchison

Email: support@lethutchhelp.com

Organization: Let Hutch Help LLC

Address: 3531 S Logan St D334, Englewood, Colorado 80113, United States

Website: https://www.lethutchhelp.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/163276
Englewood, Colorado--(Newsfile Corp. - April 21, 2023) - Auto Repair Shops in Seattle, Washington that have already received PPP loans can now qualify for up to $26,000/employee in ERC pandemic relief funds, which can be claimed using this new eligibility assessment service launched by Let Hutch Help and Jorns & Associates.

Auto Repair Shops in Seattle Washington can access up to $26,000 per employee in pandemic relief funds, which never need to be repaid, using the new fast rebate calculation and application service launched by Let Hutch Help and Jorns & Associates.

More information about pandemic relief funds, the maximum allowable rebate, and the eligibility requirements can be found at https://claimemployeeretentioncredit.com

ERC Qualification Assessment Service for Seattle Auto Repair Shops Launched by Let Hutch Help LLC



To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

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Jorns & Associates helps Auto Repair Shops take advantage of an expansion to the ERC program, which allows them to claim rebates even if they have already received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and have between 10 to 500 W-2 employees. Rebates claimed through this service are not a loan or deferral and never require repayment.

The rebate application service is open to all business types not just Auto Repair Shops, including startups and non-profit organizations, such as churches, clinics, and performing arts centers.

While individual rebates will vary, the ERC program has no upper limit on funding, allowing Jorns & Associates to help some clients claim as much as $6 million. Employers can use the fast eligibility assessment to determine if they qualify. It can be found here: http://go.lethutchhelp.com/ercchatwithus.

Jorns & Associates has a no-cost educational training, designed to educate employers about the ERC program, and how they can maximize their rebates. Though most small to medium-sized Auto Repair Shops in Seattle, Washington can now qualify, many employers still believe they are not eligible for rebates after having enrolled in the PPP.

The educational training is open to any business owner with between 10 to 500 W-2 employees and can be found at http://go.lethutchhelp.com/erc.

Employers can access the eligibility assessment, rebate application service, and funding estimates with no risk. Any business that does not receive a rebate will not be charged at all by Jorns & Associates.

More information about the no-risk eligibility assessment, educational training, and maximum allowable claims can be found at http://go.lethutchhelp.com/erc.

Contact Info:

Name: Ryan Hutchison

Email: support@lethutchhelp.com

Organization: Let Hutch Help LLC

Address: 3531 S Logan St D334, Englewood, Colorado 80113, United States

Website: https://www.lethutchhelp.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/163277
Palau President vows support of Hawaii's eco-initiatives

HONOLULU, HI / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2023 / Organized by the nonprofit Kanu Hawaii, Volunteer Week Hawaii expands this year to encompass volunteer opportunities, events and initiatives all April long. The month-long celebration of volunteerism includes more than 800 opportunities in the works and 400 events that the public can participate in and has brought international leadership to participate and endorse Hawaii's efforts for Earth Day.

Taking inspiration from the Palau Pledge, a world-first tourism initiative, Kanu Hawaii led the creation of Hawaii's version; committed to the respect and care of Hawaii. On April 21, business leaders, dignitaries and government officials including the President of Palau, Hawaii Governor Josh Green and Oahu Mayor Rick Blangiardi came together to sign the pledge and urge for its adoption in all sectors. In attendance was the President of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr., who spoke on the genesis and impact of the Palau Pledge, which the Hawaii Pledge was modeled after. The Palau passport pledge requires the signature of all those entering its country to be environmentally conscious while a guest of the island nation. It has garnered international attention since its kick-off at the United Nations in 2017. More about the Palau Pledge: https://vimeo.com/251574951

Hawaii is the last place in the U.S. in which the sun will rise on Earth Day. More than 100 countries are anticipated to join in celebration of a moment of peace. Kanu Hawaii will host E Ala E, a Hawaiian chant that will unite voices from across the Hawaiian islands on Earth Day. This year they will be joined by spiritual leaders from more than 100 countries including Palau, Mexico and India who will share a global moment of peace at sunrise in their time zone. Groups across Hawaii will gather from the highest peaks of Maui's Haleakala to the shores of Oahu's eastern coast and at sea, as canoes venture out of Hilo Bay. They will congregate in sacred Hawaiian spaces and places, urban centers and along the coastlines. Hawaii participants will share a chant that will begin at 6:07 am sunrise in paradise.

Later that morning on Earth Day, Hawaii aims to set the stage with the largest statewide dive cleanup in partnership with PADI and Aqualung, which include hundreds of divers at more than 10 coastal areas of every major Hawaiian island. The goal is to remove thousands of pounds of trash littering the ocean and coastal waters of the islands. An estimated 15 to 20 tons of marine trash are being washed up on the shores of Hawai'i every year, 96 percent of which is made from plastic material.

For images and video of 2023 Earth Day Events in Hawaii by noon HST: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rpjbqrjzez3bmui/AABbDT-7BfdPar3EdgD_LcPia?dl=0.

Contact Information

Jacque Vaughn

President

jacque@transcendencepacific.com

6199615553

SOURCE: Kanu Hawaii

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/750775/International-Leaders-Come-to-Hawaii-to-Celebrate-Pledge-to-Our-Keiki-Hawaiis-Largest-Dive-Clean-Up-Global-Moment-of-Peace
The International Indian Film Academy Awards aka IIFA is one of the most popular award ceremonies of the year. Its known for its razzmatazz, glitz, and spectacle. This year, the tradition should continue. So what makes this event special? Or what has made the event so special over the years

The Hosting

No award ceremony can be complete without a host, and no award ceremony can be memorable sans a good host, or a great one rather. For IIFA, we had Boman Irani, Riteish Deshmukh, and Lara Dutta take charge for a good number of years.

The Performances

Be it Akshay Kumars rollicking performance at the 2008 ceremony of Amitabh Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan dancing to Kajra Re in 2005, the ceremony has boasted some amazing performances over the years. Its hard to match up to the hysteria of these veterans, the younger lot does put its best foot forward. Looking forward to this years performances.

East meets West

There was one very special moment at the ceremony when Shah Rukh Khan and Angelina Jolie shared the stage and podium for the event and it was a moment to cherish. It has been a while since we saw a star from the West grace the event. Lets see if it happens soon or not.

The Venues

For all the globetrotters, IIFA is nothing less than a dream come true. From Australia to Canada to Sri Lanka to Dubai, the event has created frenzy in almost all the countries across the world. This year, the ceremony returns to Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Let the madness begin.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Congress has expelled its Assam Pradesh Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta, days after she accused party leader Srinivas BV of sexism and harassment. In a statement on Twitter released Saturday (22 April), the All India Congress Committee (AICC) said Angkita is being suspended from the party for six years for anti-party activities.

Honble Congress President has expelled Dr Angkita Dutta, President Congress Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect, the statement read.

Honble Congress President has expelled Dr. Angkita Dutta, President Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect. pic.twitter.com/jEofAiRlja  INC Sandesh (@INCSandesh) April 22, 2023

This comes days after Assam Pradesh Congress Committee issued a show cause notice to her after she went public with her allegations against Srinivas.

Who is Angkita Dutta, what are her charges and what has happened so far? We explain.

Who is Angkita Dutta?

Angkita Dutta has studied political science and has a degree in LLB from Delhi University, reported Hindustan Times (HT). She also has a PhD from Guwahati University.

Her family has been associated with the Congress for generations.

She was appointed as the chief of Assam Pradesh Youth Congress in November 2021. Her father was former Assam minister Anjan Dutta, who was also a three-time Congress MLA. At the time of his death in 2016, he was serving as Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president, reported Indian Express.

Angkitas grandfather, Thaneswar Dutta, had backed Indira Gandhi during the 1978 Congress split, as per the HT report.

Angkita was fielded by Congress twice from the Amguri constituency in the 2016 and 2021 Assam Assembly elections. She lost both times.

She was also seen with Rahul Gandhi during Congress Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Allegations against Srinivas BV

In a series of tweets earlier in the week, the now-former Assam Congress leader alleged that Indian Youth Congress (IYC) president Srinivas has been continually harassing her and discriminating against her on the basis of gender for the past six months.

Calling him sexist and chauvinistic, she tweeted on Tuesday: I am a woman leader. If I undergo such harassment, how am I supposed to encourage other women to join.

Angkita also said she apprised Rahul Gandhi of the matter months ago, but still no action was initiated. Is this the safe space Rahul Gandhi talks about? she asked.

@IYC President @srinivasiyc has continually harnessed me and was discriminating on the basis of my gender. My values and education doesnt allow me anymore. The leadership has played deaf ears despite bring front of them MANY TIMES @RahulGandhi @kcvenugopalmp @priyankagandhi  Dr Angkita Dutta (@angkitadutta) April 18, 2023

Despite my complaints, no inquiry has been initiated against Srinivas I have kept quiet for months waiting for them to take action against him yet no one seems interested. Srinivas in the guise of his PR is getting away with all kinds of wrongdoings, she wrote in a tweet.

I had a lot of faith in @RahulGandhi and went to Jammu during @bharatjodo to appraise him of @srinivasiyc harassment and demeaning use of language towards me. Its April now and still no equity against him.  Dr Angkita Dutta (@angkitadutta) April 18, 2023

In an interview with Indian Express, Angkita said her grievances began when IYC Secretary Vardhan Yadav was appointed as Assam in-charge.

She said after Yadav took over the post, he started misbehaving with her, addressing her as ae ladki (you, girl). The ex-Assam Youth Congress chief said that she questioned Yadavs arrival in one of our groups and also reached out to the AICC.

She claimed that she approached Srinivas during the Congresss plenary session in Chhattisgarhs Raipur in February. He pulled me aside and asked me why I was putting up these messages on the groups. Kya daaru peeta hai, vodka peeta hai, ya tequila peeta hai (Do you drink alcohol, vodka, tequila?), are the words he said to me. I walked away and reported it to the IYC and AICC leadership, she was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Soon after her accusations came to light, Srinivas issued a legal notice to her, threatening legal action if she did not issue a public apology.

As per The Quint, the notice, sent by IYCs legal team on Srinivas behalf, said that Angkita has resorted to using utterly unparliamentary, undignified, defamatory, malicious words against Srinivas, and has levelled false and frivolous allegations.

The notice also stated that her name has come up in the Sharda Chit Fund Scam and she has been meeting Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma  a veiled accusation of her colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

ALSO READ: Pratadit Mahila Adhyaksh: Angkita Dutta changes Twitter bio

Angkita Dutta files police complaint

On Wednesday (19 April), Angkita filed a complaint against Srinivas at Assams Dispur police station. She accused the IYC chief of being sexist, chauvinistic, and outraging a womans modesty, according to a HT report.

She also alleged he physically harassed her and used abusive words during the Congresss plenary session in Chhattisgarh.

He heckled me holding my arm, pushing and pulling and threatening me using slang words, saying he will ruin my career in the Congress if I complained against him to the high office bearers of the party, Angkita said in her complaint, as per HT.

Reactions to the allegations

Srinivas has called the allegations completely false and politically motivated, reported The Quint.

A close aide of the IYC president also claimed that Angkita has been constantly in touch with the Assam chief minister.

The ED (Enforcement Directorate) has also confiscated some properties of Angkita. So, she is also trying to get her name removed by joining hands with the BJP, like Sarma, the close aide of Srinivas told The Quint.

Angkita has rebuffed these claims of her siding with the BJP, describing them as disappointing.

I am a fourth generation Congressperson. I have CBI and ED cases against me, defamation cases from the BJP. I have not said a word against the party, just against this individual [Srinivas]. I have been speaking against this within the party, what have they been doing about that? she told Indian Express.

Speaking to Indian Express, Debadrata Saikia, the Leader of Opposition in the Assam Assembly, said earlier on the show cause notice: The Pradesh Congress Committee has asked Angkita Dutta to explain her conduct She has stated that the incidents began six months back. Unfortunately, she had not informed the PCC chief till two days back. Also, she has said that the matter was raised before the party high command. I doubt if she has raised the issue with national president Mallikarjun Kharge ji or our general secretary in-charge Jitendra Singh ji. Jitendra Singh ji came to Assam in the last three to four months many times and he never mentioned this.

Meanwhile, Sarma has also responded to the allegations against Srinivas, saying that if the Congress does not handle the issue, then the police will take action.

Angkita Dutta is the daughter of Assam. The way Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has tackled this matter is sad. They (Assam Congress) are thinking that she has given a wrong statement and the IYC president is right. I would have been happy if the Assam Congress talked in favour of her. But what we see is the complete opposite, Sarma was quoted as saying by ANI.

Taking suo motu cognisance of Angkitas tweets, the National Commission for Women (NCW) said it is appalled and disappointed.

The commission also directed the Assam Police to launch an inquiry into the harassment allegations levelled against Srinivas.

With inputs from agencies

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Last month, China brokered a rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran, a landmark deal that restored full diplomatic ties between the two bitter rivals.

There was hope the detente could also bring an end to one of the worlds longest-running  and virtually forgotten  proxy wars in Yemen, as well.

Indeed, peace talks have begun to end the eight years of a brutal conflict between a Saudi-led coalition of nine regional countries and the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The war has created what is often referred to as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis.

Despite the exchange of hundreds of prisoners between the adversaries this past week and promising discussions of a permanent ceasefire and the lifting of the Saudi-led blockade of Yemen, however, the path towards peace remains incredibly shaky.

Even more uncertain is whether Yemen can ever recover once the hostilities end.

Yemen in pieces

On my trip to Yemen last July, I (Leena) was stopped by militias at over 40 checkpoints between the southern city of Aden and the capital, Sanaa.

My driver, a doctor before the war, briefed me ahead of each stop regarding the background and affiliates of the checkpoint officers. The brief would change rapidly throughout the 12-hour drive!

On the ground, it was evident the humanitarian crisis had impacted every part of the country and robbed Yemenis of any meaningful prospects. This proxy war, riddled with foreign interests and fuelled by regional and local competition, has left Yemen a fractured nation.

Multiple armed groups are vying for influence all over the country. In 2014, Houthi rebels drove Yemens internationally recognised government into exile and assumed control over Sanaa.

Months later, the Saudi-led coalition  backed by the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and France  launched a military intervention to try to restore the government to power.

The Houthis have since tried to hold onto their gains in northern Yemen, while occasionally launching strikes inside Saudi Arabia itself.

In the south, the United Arab Emirates is backing the two secessionist movements  the Southern Transitional Council and the Giant Brigades  and militarising two Yemeni islands off the southern coast.

Also Read: A look back at the deadliest crowd crushes in past 10 years

Saudi Arabia and Oman, meanwhile, have vested interests in the Mahra region in eastern Yemen and are meddling with tribal politics. And Yemens largest Islamist political party, known as al-Islah, controls the Marib province northeast of the capital and parts of two other regions, Taiz and Hadramawt.

The division in the country appears in other ways, too. The currency used in the south differs from the one in Sanaa. In Aden, the secessionist flag is visible at every turn. In the north, I caught the image of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani, who was assassinated by the US three years ago, hanging in one of the main streets of Sanaa.

Second only to the devastating humanitarian crisis, Yemens fragmentation is arguably the most detrimental outcome of this war  and the most glaring obstacle to any real solutions to end the crisis.

Saudi foreign policy moderation

For the Saudis, the peace process appears to be part of a wider trend of foreign policy moderation as the kingdom seeks to retreat from nearly a decade of gaffes, miscalculations and destructive forays abroad.

Since the kingdoms inception in 1932, Saudi diplomacy and security policy have been typified by caution and a desire to maintain the status quo of a regional balance of power.

In this, Riyadh never sought overt domination of the region. It focused its efforts to thwart those who did, such as Egypt under Gamal Abdel Nasser, Iraq under Saddam Hussein and post-revolutionary Iran. Importantly, the Saudis also aimed to avoid direct confrontations, instead utilising their petro wealth and diplomatic influence and alliances when dealing with rivals.

The kingdoms first six monarchs adhered to this approach. But things took a dramatic turn with the ascension of King Salman and the elevation of his heir, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, to key positions in the Saudi government in 2015.

Known for his disdain for tradition and self-assured confidence, bin Salman quickly set about defining a new, aggressive foreign policy for the kingdom that eschewed the lessons of the past.

Among other things, this included imposing a blockade on Qatar and only just stopping short of outright invasion, abducting the prime minister of Lebanon, assassinating journalist Jamal Khashoggi and pursuing a provocative approach to its regional rival, Iran.

Under this new muscular foreign policy, the 2015 invasion of Yemen  Saudi Arabias first-ever major military operation abroad  was intended to be a brief operation that would demonstrate the military and technological prowess of a dynamic and capable kingdom.

Also Read: Peace in war-ravaged Yemen? Long wait, severe hunger must not end in half-cooked food

Instead, the invasion quickly devolved into a protracted and wasteful quagmire. It has cost the country immensely in terms of lives, resources and reputation. At the same time, it inflicted endless amounts of misery and human suffering on the Yemeni people.

Eight years on, Riyadh is edging back to a less confrontational posture in the region. After the detente with Iran, resolving the Yemen war would be another important step towards resuming a more normal approach to Saudi foreign policy.

What next for the Yemeni people?

After eight years of bombs, missiles, destruction and hundreds of thousands of civilian deaths, it is the Yemeni people who have lost the most in this war.

Houthi and Saudi officials may claim work on a political solution is under way, but whether this will have a serious and much-needed humanitarian component remains a big question. For the people of Yemen, the journey to peace will be gruelling as they navigate the broken nation left behind.

Also Read: 85 people killed, 3 businessmen arrested: What we know about Yemens deadly Ramzan stampede

If the goal is to ensure lasting peace, the Saudis must honour the requests of the Yemeni negotiators, starting with a permanent ceasefire and lifting the blockade.

It is also imperative the currently exclusive Houthi-Saudi peace talks open up to include leaders from all factions nationwide. A realistic plan for transitional and restorative justice is necessary to address the more pressing humanitarian issues. This requires all parties to be present in discussions.

Finally, peace talks must remain Yemeni-led to eventually pave the path for a Yemeni-led and UN-supported political transition that allows Yemenis to determine the future of their nation.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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The arrest and charging of a French publisher as he arrived in London has raised serious questions about the use and abuse of power in the UK.

Ernest Moret was detained and questioned by police at St Pancras station under counter-terrorist powers, allegedly because of his involvement in the anti-government protests that have swept France in recent weeks. Moret was stopped under schedule 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000, one of the most controversial counter-terrorist powers in the UK.

What is schedule 7?

Schedule 7 gives police the power to examine and detain anybody at an airport or port (or in this case, an international train station) for up to six hours, even if they dont have reasonable suspicion that theyve done anything wrong.

In contrast, ordinary powers of arrest or stop and search do require that police have reasonable suspicion first before they exercise these powers.

If you are stopped under schedule 7, you must comply with an examination, which includes handing over documents and any other information requested. Failure to do so is a criminal offence, which is apparently why Moret was arrested  according to a statement released by his publisher, he refused to disclose the passcodes to his phone and computer.

While schedule 7 can be exercised without reasonable suspicion, the power must only be used for the specific purpose of assessing whether a person is or has been concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. It would not be lawful to use it to stop someone for another type of crime, say, possessing drugs or trespassing.

Therefore, if, as it is alleged, Moret was stopped because the police said they had the right to ask him about demonstrations in France this raises the question of whether the power was exercised for the correct purpose  assessing whether he was a person concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism.

What is terrorism?

Ultimately, this all depends upon the meaning of acts of terrorism and the UKs definition of terrorism contained in British law is very broad. Essentially, the UK defines terrorism as an act (or threat of action) that is designed to influence the government or an international organisation, or to intimidate the public or section of the public for the purpose of advancing a political, religious, racial or ideological cause.

Not all actions, however, are captured. The law defines acts as involving serious violence against a person, serious damage to property, endangering peoples lives, creating a serious risk to the health or safety of the public or designed to seriously interfere with or disrupt an electronic system.

On the face of it, this definition seems reasonable. We all imagine terrorist attacks as hurting or killing people. Perhaps we also imagine them seriously damaging property too. It would be perverse to say a bomb that killed people was a terrorist attack but the bomb that only damaged a building was not.

However, not all examples are so clear-cut. What must the level of damage to property be? The definition of terrorism is silent as to how this damage can occur.

In other words, damage doesnt have to be inflicted using bombs or firearms to amount to terrorism.

Would protesters spraying a building with fake blood be causing serious damage to property? What about cutting off the head of a statue in protest at the UKs public institutions failure to grapple with its slave-trading legacy? Controversial, perhaps, but terrorism? What about disrupting a sporting event and causing damage to property in the process?

Most people would probably think that we know terrorism when we see it but trying to legally define terrorism is notoriously difficult. For this reason, the UK defines terrorism in broad strokes and then places immense trust in decision-makers such as the police to ensure that the definition is not applied in a perverse way.

This means that it is not the wording of laws that is preventing terrorist powers from being applied to the above examples of political protest. Rather, it is how they are being interpreted and applied.

Freedom of expression

This delegation to law enforcement and prosecutors on the ground is what makes the detention of the French publisher so worrying.

Schedule 7 has a troublesome and controversial history in this regard.

In 2013 David Miranda, husband of journalist Glenn Greenwald, was detained at Heathrow airport carrying files related to information obtained by US whistleblower Edward Snowden. While the Court of Appeal did find that he had been lawfully detained, it also found that schedule 7 failed to adequately protect journalists right to freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights.

Rather than amend the law on schedule 7 to rectify this, the UK took the much narrower approach and amended the officer code of practice that officers should follow when exercising the powers to provide additional safeguards for journalists. However, this seems not to have been sufficient to protect Moret from being detained and then arrested for non-compliance with schedule 7.

While certain elements of the protests in France have turned violent, protest is, nevertheless, fundamental to a democracy. French MPs are even participating.

So if the police are now interpreting the UKs definition of terrorism to capture French protesters in France, this is deeply concerning. This definition is also not limited to actions that occur within the UK so a person engaging in such conduct abroad could still be subject to British counter-terorrist powers once they arrive in the UK.

This may make sense to us when considering people who have returned to the UK after travelling to Syria or Iraq to join Islamic State but are the French protests in a democratic country really the same? What about if similar protests against an anti-democratic or authoritarian regime turned violent? These too are potentially captured by a British definition of terrorism which makes no distinction between whether the government which the activity is directed against is democratic or not.

Overall, the UK has decided on a very broad definition of terrorism to suit the need to capture the lowest common denominator. Any attempt to amend this definition, or to replace it with different definitions for different powers and criminal offences would require substantial time and political effort and is unlikely to occur any time soon.

Until such a time as there is the political will to change the law, British transport hubs will remain a precarious place because of schedule 7 and the discretion it bestows on police officers.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Jalandhar, Apr 22 (UNI) Former Union information and Broadcasting Minister and Congress MP Manish Tiwari on Saturday questioned the proposed visit of Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto in the context of past visits of several Pakistan dignitaries including former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, which resulted into bad experiences for India like Kargil war, attack on Pathankot Air Force Station and several other incidents of terror cropped up from across the border.

He also condemned the terror attack on Indian soldiers which claimed the lives of five brave hearts out of whom four belonged to Punjab.



Interacting with the media persons here today Tiwari said that a country which gives shelter to terrorism does not do something to end terrorism will continue to hurt Indians especially Punjab. He said that whenever any dignitary from Pakistan had come to India, such incidents do take place soon after the dignitary left for his country as is evident from the past experiences. He said there were many such evil forces sitting in Pakistan which did not want cordial relations between India-Pakistan.



He said that now Bilawal Bhutto is coming to Goa to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on May 4 and 5. In such a situation, killing of five Indian army men in a terror attack in Poonch before his arrival indicates that the evil forces sitting in Pakistan will not allow India and Pakistan to come close.



Talking about the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-poll, Tiwari said that it is not merely an election but a tribute to Chaudhry Santokh Singh. Taking a dig at the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab, Tiwari said that the government had failed on all fronts including law and order situation.

UNI XC GS RKM
A village in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district has decided not to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr today (22 April), as per reports. Sangiote village was the destination of a terror attack on an Indian Army truck carrying six soldiers on Thursday. The ambush left five jawans of the Rashtriya Rifles (RR) unit dead, while one was seriously injured.

According to a PTI report, at least 12 people were detained for questioning on Friday in connection with the attack.

Why are residents of Sangiote village giving Eid celebrations a miss this year? How was the Army truck ambushed and who is behind the terror attack? Lets take a closer look.

Pall of gloom

According to an Indian Express report, the Army truck was carrying fruits and other items for an iftar gathering slated to be held in Sangiote, which has a population of 4,000 people, on Thursday evening.

Several people from the village were invited for the 7 pm iftar for which the arrangements were being made by the Rashtriya Rifles unit, the report added.

Mukhtiaz Khan, sarpanch of the Sangiote panchayat, who was among the invitees for the iftar, told the newspaper: Kya iftar jab hamare paanch jawan uss haadse mein shaheed ho gaye (what iftar fast when five of our soldiers were martyred in that unfortunate incident).

As soon as we got information about the terror attack from social media groups, a pall of gloom descended on the village, he added.

The villagers will not celebrate Eid on Saturday; well only offer namaz, Khan told Indian Express. The martyred soldiers were part of the RR unit deployed for counterterror operations in the village.

J&K Poonch terror attack

The Army vehicle was ambushed on Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway from multiple sides at around 3 pm when it crossed Tota Gali.

The Indian Armys Northern Command said in a statement that the terrorists fired on the moving vehicle taking advantage of heavy rains and low visibility in the area. The vehicle caught fire, due to likely use of grenades by terrorists.

The truck laden with fruits and edibles  travelling between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in Rajouri sector  caught fire in the attack. Indian Express reported that Army officials and residents from nearby Bhatta Durian village found charred body of five soldiers and one critically wounded soldier when they reached the spot.

Bullets seemingly rained on the vehicle from all the sides, leaving the trapped soldiers with no chance to retaliate, even as the attackers managed to escape apparently without suffering any damage or casualties, sources were quoted as saying by The Wire.

The slain soldiers include Havildar Mandeep Singh (Punjab), Lance Naik Kulwant Singh (Punjab), Sepoys Harkrishan Singh and Sewak Singh (Punjab), and Lance Naik Debashish Baswal from Odisha.

As per Times of India (TOI), this was the deadliest attack on a security convoy in J&K since the 2019 Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF jawans.

ALSO READ: Poonch terror attack: Drones, sniffer dogs, MI chopper used in manhunt; 12 detained

Who are the suspects?

The Peoples Anti-Fascist Force (PAFF), a banned terror group considered to be a proxy of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) based in Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the attack, reported PTI.

At least seven Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists could also be involved in the ambush, officials aware of the prime facie investigation told Hindustan Times (HT).

It is suspected terrorists used grenades and sticky bombs to set the vehicle on fire.

Sources told Indian Express that the current investigation points to the role of three-four unidentified terrorists, who are believed to have used Chinese-made 7.62 mm steel core bullets capable of piercing armours.

These bullets with markings 71-China were recovered by forensic science laboratory and bomb disposal teams that visited the spot on Friday, the report added.

Sources also told the English daily that attackers were likely hiding on both sides of the road  which has dense forests on one side and a deep gorge on the other.

Those who executed the attack are believed to have been present in Rajouri and Poonch for more than one year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain which is quite tough, PTI reported citing unnamed sources.

As per PTI, drones and sniffer dogs have been deployed to trace the terrorists, while the Army has also conducted a recce of the area with an MI chopper.

As per a News18 report, central intelligence agencies and the intelligence wing of the Border Security Force (BSF) had raised alerts about movements, hideouts, and suspected stores of terrorists in the Jammu area in January 2022. Sources said that local security forces were also cautioned about possible attacks on security forces in Poonch.

Notably, the attack has come at a time when Srinagar is scheduled to hold a G20 meeting on 22-23 May. Pakistans foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto is also slated to visit Goa in May to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation foreign ministers meeting, in a first high-level visit by a Pakistani leader to India in years.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark upon a journey spanning over 5,000 km in various parts of the country in 36 hours from April 24.

During his two-day tour, he will attend eight programmes and travel to seven different cities.

Modi will first travel to Madhya Pradesh following which he will go further south to visit Kerela. He will then make a stop at Daman and Diu before finally returning to the national capital on April 29.

Detailing the itinerary of the Prime Ministers long tour, the officials said, PM will start the journey in the morning of April 24. He will travel from Delhi to Khajuraho, covering a distance of around 500 kilometres. From Khajuraho, he will travel to Rewa where he will participate in the National Panchayati Raj Day programme. After this, he will come back to Khajuraho, covering a distance of around 280 km in the to-and-fro journey. From Khajuraho, he will travel to Kochi, covering an aerial distance of about 1700 kilometres, to participate in the Yuvam Conclave.

Next morning, the PM will travel from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram, covering a distance of about 190 Km. Here, he will flag off Vande Bharat Express and also dedicate and lay the foundation stone of various projects. From here, he will travel to Silvassa via Surat, covering about 1570 kilometres. There, he will visit NAMO medical college and will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of various projects, they added.

Further, PM Modi will then travel to Daman for the inauguration of Devka seafront, post which he will go to Surat, covering about 110 kilometres.

The power-packed schedule will see the Prime Minister travelling a staggering aerial distance of around 5,300 kilometres.

To put this figure in perspective, one can look at the length of India from North to South, which is about 3200 kilometres. Adding to the distance is the time factor  all this travel is jam-packed in only 36 hours, the officials said.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: The Indian division of Al-Qaeda (AQIS) has threatened to avenge the death of slain mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother, calling them martyrs.

AQIS issued a seven-page magazine to deliver its message on Eid-ul-Fitr where it also vowed to liberate Muslims.

We shall stay in the hand of the oppressor be it in the White House or the prime ministers house in Delhi or GHQ in Rawalpindi. From Texas to Tihar to Adyala  we shall liberate all Muslim brothers and sisters from their shackles, the magazine read.

We shall strap bombs to the bodies of our children to protect honour of our prophet. What a calamity it is.. To Allah we belong and we shall return, it added.

Atiq and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on live television by three men posing as reporters. Both men were interacting with the media while police personnel was escorting them for a checkup at the Prayagraj hospital.

Meanwhile, The incumbent BJP government in the poll-bound state of Karnataka has been demanding Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to campaign for the party in the upcoming assembly elections following the encounter with Atiq Ahmed.

A report by News18 quoted sources saying that Asad Ahmeds encounter case could make Adityanath a big draw.

The Uttar Pradesh CMs strict approach towards gangsters and criminals could make its way into his speeches during campaigns in Karnataka, which the BJP feels will have good resonance.

With inputs from agencies

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Bengaluru: Basavraj Bommais office has been accused of calling the returning officers of various districts and instructing them to deliberately find defects in the nominations filed by the Congress Party and rectify the mistakes in the filings of BJP candidates contesting the Assembly election.

Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief D K Shivakumar demanded that the Election Commission should investigate the matter and summon the call details of the CMO to ascertain the truth.

Congresss Karnataka unit chief said in a press conference, A major conspiracy is going on to reject the applications of the Congress candidates.

He claimed that the applications of some BJP candidates like that of in the Saundatti Yellamma constituency are defective but the CMO directly called the officer and directed him to make changes.

The chief added, There is no need to elaborate how a big team is trying to reject (my) application. You all have been informed about it.

Furthermore, Shivkumar, who is running from the Kanakpura constituency, said that he filed his nominations 10 times and noted that when they can do this to me then imagine what they can do to the ordinary candidates.

He added, Pressure is being built on all the returning officers. There is rampant misuse of power. The EC must take note of it. The CMO must be investigated.

On Union Minister Shobha Karandlajes charge that the Congress was collecting bribe from those candidates who have been given tickets to contest the Assembly election, Shivakumar retorted that his party was not collecting 40 per cent commission.

We are only raising building funds for our party. We are collecting Rs 2 lakh from general candidates and Rs 1 lakh from SC/ST candidates, Shivakumar explained.

With inputs from agencies

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Washington: Next year is going to be pivotal in the US-India relationship as President Joe Biden looks forward to his trip to India in September this year.

Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu said that Indias 2023 G20 presidency further broadens its capacity to stand as a force for good in the world.

This is gonna be a big year. Of course, India is hosting the G-20. This year, the United States is hosting APEC. Japan is hosting the G7. We have lots of our QUAD members who are taking on leadership roles. And it provides opportunities for all of us to bring our countries closer together, Lu told PTI.

He added, I know our President is looking forward to travelling to India in September. That will be his first trip to India as part of the G-20 Leaders Summit. Were really excited about whats to come in the next few months.

Talking about how 2023 has already been an exciting year for both countries, Lu said, Were only a little over three months into this new year. And weve had a number of really exciting things that happened.

The current year has welcomed US leaders like Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to India.

In March Dr Jaishankar hosted his QUAD counterparts for a ministerial meeting and extraordinary public events at the Raisina Dialogue with all four foreign ministers together. It was the first such public discussion with QUAD foreign ministers and really drove home how our four countries are coming together to support the people of the Indo-Pacific, Lu further said.

Talking about the newly-appointed US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti, Lu said, And then lastly, this month, the arrival of our new Ambassador Eric Garcetti. He has already received a really warm welcome from our Indian and American staff at the US Embassy. Once he presents his credentials, he is looking forward to meeting with the rest of India and I think India will find that he is young, he is enthusiastic, and hes eager to bring our relations to new heights.

With inputs from agencies

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At least 12 people were detained on Friday for questioning in connection with the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch which claimed the lives of five soldiers.

An MI helicopter, drones and sniffer dogs were pressed into service in a massive manhunt to nab the terrorists behind the attack that targeted a vehicle carrying soldiers from armys Rashtriya Rifles unit on Thursday.

Officials said that those detained were being questioned at various levels by the security forces to ascertain the identity of the terror group, which is believed to be active in the area for more than a year and probably comprises a snipper too.

A day after the attack, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh along with Additional Director General police Mukesh Singh was camping in neighbouring Rajouri district to oversee the investigation. The two officers also visited the site.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team headed by a Deputy Inspector General rank officer was also present as the agency is likely to take over the case.

Initial reports suggest the presence of around five terrorists and the army truck is believed to have been attacked from three different sides. After the ambush, the terrorists possibly used grenades as well as sticky bombs that set the vehicle ablaze.

JeMs proxy wing claims responsibility for the attack

Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy wing of the terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are reports suggesting that it was the handiwork of the banned Lashker-e-Taiba group also.

The officials said those who executed the attack are believed to have been present in Rajouri and Poonch for more than one year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain which is quite tough, they said.

The area is a hotbed of Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) as its commander Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi, who is a resident of the area, they added.

At present, three to four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, PTI said citing sources.

The entire area of Tota-Gali-Bata Doriya, which has dense forests, has been cordoned off.

Top army and police officials on Friday laid wreaths and paid homage to the soldiers  Havildar Mandeep Singh of Chankoian village of Ludhiana (Punjab), Lance Naik Kulwant Singh of Charik village of Moga district (Punjab), Sepoy Harkrishan Singh of village Talwandi of Gurdaspur district (Punjab) and Sepoy Sewak Singh of Bagha village of Bathinda district (Punjab).

The mortal remains were sent to their native places, they said.

Officials said a high alert has been sounded in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch amid heightened vigil along the Line of Control.

Meanwhile, Jammu witnessed several protests by BJP, VHP, Rastriya Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Dogra Front and Jammu Statehood organisation among others.

In a tweet, the Army said, Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and all ranks of Indian Army salute the supreme sacrifice of five Indian Army bravehearts, Hav Mandeep Singh, L/Nk Debashish Baswal, L/Nk Kulwant Singh, Sep Harkrishan Singh and Sep Sewak Singh who laid down their lives in the line of duty at Poonch Sector yesterday. Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said he was anguished at the loss of lives of the brave soldiers.

General Manoj Pande #COAS and All Ranks of #IndianArmy salute the supreme sacrifice of 05 #IndianArmy Bravehearts, Hav Mandeep Singh, L/Nk Debashish Baswal, L/Nk Kulwant Singh, Sep Harkrishan Singh & Sep Sewak Singh who laid down their lives in the line of duty at #Poonch Sector. https://t.co/7YSI1sEiEb  ADG PI  INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) April 21, 2023

Their rich service to the nation will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families, he said in a tweet.

With inputs from PTI

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In a surprising move, though not entirely unexpected, the US permanent representative to NATO Julianne Smith said that NATOs doors are open, if India is interested. Her statement has generated a popular debate on whether India is joining NATO.

Also, it has disturbed several geopolitical heavy weights. However, it must be made clear that Juliaane has categorically stated that NATO is looking at engaging India more, given the latters interest, and not precisely at India becoming a formal member. In fact, in her statement, she has made it explicitly clear that at the moment, NATO is not considering the prospects of becoming a broader global military alliance.

The discussions about Indias enhanced engagement with NATO have been doing rounds for quite some time. In July 2022, US Congressman of Indian origin, Ro Khanna said that addition of India as a sixth nation in the NATO plus on the lines of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel and South Korea will move Delhi towards Defense Security Alignment with the United States, strengthening the growing defense partnership between the two countries. This was in the wake of the approval of an amendment to the National Defence Authorization Act by the US House of Representatives, proposing the deepening of the India-US defense ties.

Geopolitically speaking, the need for strengthening Indias engagement with NATO is in tune with the recent developments in world politics particularly the rise of China, its increased expansionism in the maritime and land domains, global influence operations and the meteoric rise in its economic heft and Russias revivalist war-like engagements. However, the issue is not as simple as it may appear because of the differing perceptions in Washington DC and New Delhi on this issue.

Historical background

In the cold war days, the US was not comfortable with Indias non-alignment approach and aversion to join the power blocs. Overtime, despite the facade of non-alignment, India came to be seen as closely aligned to the USSR. The friction between the US and India also became deeper because of the US support to Pakistan on the Kashmir issue and in the 1971 war. Much to Indias chagrin, Pakistan joined the US-led SEATO in 1954 and signed the Baghdad pact in 1955, enabling it acquire the high-tech weapons from the US which it subsequently used against India in 1965 and 1971.

Though the US helped India in the India-China war of 1962, the relations between Delhi and Washington could not make much headway. After the Soviet disintegration, India, having lost its robust geopolitical support base, felt a sense of isolation. The sense of isolation and strategic unease was also strengthened by its mounting internal security challenges in the form of Pakistan-supported armed insurgency in Kashmir and Punjab.

This led New Delhi to find new friends and India started reaching out to Israel, US and South East Asia. Also, there was a ray of hope because after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan in 1988, the US was not much interested in Pakistan. However, once again, India-US relations strained after Indias nuclear test, as a result of the US sanctions against India. Later, after 9/11, the US co-opted Pakistan as its foremost ally in the war against terror, leading it to play softball with Musharraf on the issue of Pakistans support to terrorist groups in Kashmir. It did not go down well with India and relations suffered from mutual distrust.

The ultimate breakthrough came in 2008 after the civilian nuclear deal. After the 2008 civilian nuclear deal, one witnesses the continuous process of strengthening of the strategic ties between the two countries, despite some occasional frictions.

The horns of dilemma

Geopolitics and strategic dilemmas are like two sides of the same coin, and when it comes to a civilized state as layered in its diplomatic sub-conscious as India, such dilemmas rule the roost.

The votaries of India joining NATO argue that if India joins NATO, it will get the US military support against China and an easier access to high tech US weapons and crucial intelligence.

Over the last decade, India-China ties have worsened due to frequent Chinese incursions in Depsang, Doklam, Galwan in the Ladakh border region and most recently in Tawang in North Eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, claimed by China as its territory.

Diplomatically, Chinese influence operations and strategic encircling of India in South Asia have raised Indias insecurities. Also, it is felt that deeper India-US engagement is a most logical phenomenon in geopolitics because of the faith in common values such as democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of the global commons and the liberal world order.

Indias strategic establishment feels that China may think of embarking upon a major military adventure on the India-China border. Its motivations range from cutting India to its size, preventing it from closely aligning with the US and boosting its image of global power. It is quite likely that Chinese believe that any adventure in Taiwan straits may backfire due to its high optics as it will be a direct challenge to the US.

However, on the Indian border, they assume that India will be left alone to defend itself and the US will not lend a decisive support because of Indias ambivalence on the issues and concerns relevant to the US such as the Ukraine war.

Chinas aggressive intelligence gathering on Arunachal Pradesh in recent times, particularly about the prospects of the US supporting India militarily in the Arunachal, amply suggest that there is something up the dragons sleeves.

However, there are strong voices in Indias power corridors who are either against India joining NATO or at least highly circumspect about it. They argue that in Arunachal Pradesh and the other border areas with China, the Indian army is in full control of the Himalayan terrain and can effectively counter the Chinese advance.

India needs advanced technology in defence and better quality intelligence from the US, which if the US is sincere about deeper engagement with India, is also possible outside the purview of formally joining NATO.

In their perception, Indias formal association with NATO will be a nemesis of its robust strategic relationship with Russia which goes back to the cold war days. Though Russias share of Indian arms import has decreased from 69 per cent between 2012-17 to 46 per cent between 2017-21, it continues to be the largest weapons supplier to India.

India is dependent on Russia for the parts of its entire old armaments. Delhi fears that formally associating with NATO will further push Russia into Chinas fold, Indias number one adversary. However, it is pertinent to mention that even deepening the engagement with the NATO without formally joining it, is equally likely to draw a rift between India and Russia and drift Moscow towards China.

Particularly, after the Ukraine war and the US stance in that, Russians have very limited choices and their alignment with China appears like an inevitable reality and a logical culmination of the sharpening US-Russia rivalry post-2008.

Perhaps New Delhi realises the inevitability of the emergence of the Russia-China axis in the emerging world order. Inhibitions and reluctance for deeper engagement with the US in public emanates from Indias desire to guard its strategic autonomy, explore a modus vivendi to navigate through the emerging rival power blocs and find a productive and relevant space in this complex maze of geopolitics.

Also, though difficult to give credence to at this stage, Indian policy planners might also be looking at exploiting the fault lines between the Chinese and Russians as there is already a history of rivalry between the two civilizational states. Most recently, in 1969, China and Russia fought over a boundary dispute. Though the boundary disputes are more or less resolved, Russia is much weaker and desperately needs China, the two states vie for geostrategic influence in Central Asia and Far East, and Russians are not very comfortable with the burgeoning Chinese geo-economic footprint in the Central Asia, its traditional stronghold.

Also, Indian strategic circles are apprehensive of the US motives. They fear that the US intends to pit India against China, use it as a bulwark, and contain the rising China. This may be a well-calculated strategy as after the Chinese decline, India is likely to be the main strategic contender to the US. If China and India are embroiled in a long-standing military and economic conflict, there will be no single victor. Both will end up with major losses, shattered morale and massive economic reverses.

China with its dictatorial Xi-led communist regime and diplomatic isolation due to its increasingly expansionist tendencies may not sustain long enough with its repressive machinery and may face an internal chaos-like situation in the near or distant future; however, India with its strong civilisational roots, robust democracy and economy is likely to be global power in the long run.

However, New Delhi realises the power disparity, particularly in the economic domain and technology, and is in no mood to escalate conflict with China. PM Modi wants to focus on the internal security challenges of Islamic radicalization, infrastructure and economic development and governance reforms for the next few years, to prepare a strong edifice for the future economic growth and diplomatic heft.

There are apprehensions about the US supporting India in the event of a war with China. Some of these fears emanate from recent events such as the declining US influence in West Asia and the US withdrawal from Afghanistan which is seen in India as a betrayal of Afghans. The US response in the Ukraine crisis also does not evoke much confidence in India and the US support is seen as insufficient and intended to serve its own ends instead of any genuine intent to help Ukraine against Russia.

Ukraines massive destruction is perceived as a result of over-reliance on the US and an ideal case of irrational decision-making to be avoided at all costs. Also, anti-India propaganda campaign by the US-based human rights institutions, advocacy groups, Islamist and Khalistani entities makes Indias strategic czars extremely uncomfortable and a significant section among them is not averse to perceiving these acts as having some latent support in the official circles and the deep-state.

The above-mentioned apprehensions are further accentuated by NATOs internal frictions and faultlines, amply reflected in the statement by the French president that Europe should not be a vassal in US-China conflict. The simmering divisions over the Russia-Ukraine war and Washingtons apathy towards quad and Indo-Pacific are also making New Delhi sceptical about the future of NATO and the US intentions. Last but not least, Chinese penetration in the US state institutions is also a matter of concern for India.

New normals and the way ahead

Having discussed the pros and cons of the idea of Indias deeper engagement with NATO, it can be argued that the idea of India joining NATO is fundamentally rooted in robust consensus on the need for deeper, stronger and comprehensive engagement between the US and India. The way this broad consensus has strengthened now, is unprecedented. It is already manifested in the India-US foundational agreements such as the civilian nuclear deal, GSOMIA (2002), LEMOA (2016) and BECA (2020). Even the staunchest critics of the US in Indias strategic establishment find it difficult to hold arguments against this fundamental need for enhanced India-US engagement.

At this stage, any formal association with NATO may backfire for India, for the reasons mentioned above. Indias strategic neutrality, likely to add immense moral fibre to Delhis credibility as a future possible interlocutor in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, will provide crucial diplomatic dividends to the US and world peace.

Also, if there is even a remote possibility of Russo-Chinese fault-lines rupturing the alliance, then Indias historic ties with Russia and neutrality can facilitate that process, which in any case need not be scuttled by Delhis premature alliance with NATO.

However, as the global rifts and fault lines sharpen and manifest in the form of concrete power blocs, it will be increasingly difficult for India to maintain its neutrality. If China continues its expansionism and subterfuge, and the China-Russia axis becomes stronger, then India-US strategic partnership is bound to grow and strengthen as a logical and natural development. Hence, there is hardly any need to rush into things.

Also, as regards India, the US establishment needs to explore the workings of Indias strategic sub-conscious mind. Strictly transactional approach does not align well with Indias cultural and civilizational ethos. New Delhi prefers an equal relationship based on values, trust and a sensible and nuanced understanding of each others concerns, compulsions and world views emanating from their cultures, politics and history.

The author is a Cornell University graduate in public affairs, and bachelors from St Stephens College, Delhi, is a policy analyst specialising in counterterrorism, Indian foreign policy and Afghanistan-Pakistan geopolitics. Views expressed are personal.

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Mumbai: Speculation about Nationalist Congress Party leader Ajit Pawars next political move refuses to die down after the senior leaders name was missing from the NCP list of star campaigners for the upcoming Karnataka elections and he skipped a convention of his partys Mumbai unit on Friday.

Speaking to reporters in Pune, while Pawar downplayed the development saying he was unable to attend the convention as it clashed with some other programmes, his absence at the meeting raised a few eyebrows.

The day-long meeting in Mumbai was addressed by party chief Sharad Pawar and senior leaders like Praful Patel, Jitendra Awhad, Supriya Sule, Chhagan Bhujbal and state NCP president Jayant Patil.

Talking about Ajit Pawars absence from the meeting, NCP spokesperson Clyde Crasto said the event was planned a month ago.

Ajit Pawar had accepted invitations to several programmes in Pune. He expressed his inability to attend. All leaders have their schedules to follow. Just because they are unable to attend one function, it does not mean they are planning to quit. He was present along with (Sharad) Pawar for an Iftar party earlier this week in Mumbai, Crasto said.

The NCP on Friday released its list of nine candidates for Karnataka polls as well as its list of star campaigners.

The 15-member list of star campaigners included Sharad Pawar and his daughter and MP Supriya Sule, but not his nephew, Ajit Pawar.

Meanwhile, in Pune, asked in a public interview to the Sakal Media Group whether his party will stake a claim for the chief ministers post next year when Assembly polls are due in Maharashtra, Ajit Pawar said, Why 2024, we are ready to stake a claim for the CMs position even now. He, however, did not elaborate on the statement.

During a rapid fire round, the MLA from Baramati in Pune district, who has served as deputy chief minister multiple times, was asked whether he would like to become chief minister.

Yes, I would 100 per cent like to be (CM), Pawar promptly replied.

Rumours about Ajit Pawars next political move started swirling last week when he suddenly cancelled his scheduled meetings and also made comments which were seen as being soft on the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shindes camp.

The Shinde-led Shiv Sena has said that it would not be a part of the government in Maharashtra if Ajit Pawar joined the BJP with a group of NCP MLAs.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut fuelled the speculation further when he wrote in his weekly column in party mouthpiece `Saamana last Sunday that Sharad Pawar recently told Uddhav Thackeray that there was a lot of pressure on some individuals to break ranks. Families are being targeted but even if individual members take a different stand, NCP as a party will never go with the BJP, he wrote, quoting the senior Pawar. Ajit Pawar later clarified that he would always remain with the NCP.

Sharad Pawar on Tuesday too dismissed the speculation about his nephews exit.

Notably, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Friday said the leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (alliance of the Shiv Sena (UBT)-NCP-Congress) were defaming Ajit Pawar and questioning his credibility.

They are questioning Ajit Pawars credibility. From the early morning swearing-in (when Ajit Pawar broke ranks and joined hands with Devendra Fadnavis in 2019) till now, question marks are being raised on his life, stand and work, Bawankule told reporters.

Bawankule also junked media reports that 13 NCP MLAs were in touch with the BJP.

On 23 November, 2019, Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar were sworn in as chief minister and deputy CM, respectively, but the government fell without proving its majority five days later.

With inputs from agencies

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Bengaluru: After the scrutiny by electoral officials, a total of 3,044 nominated candidates are in the fray for the 10 May Assembly polls in Karnataka.

In a statement on Friday, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Karnataka, however, said this is excluding the five Assembly segments, as the scrutiny in Savadatti-Yellamma, Aurad, Haveri (SC), Raichur and Shivajinagar constituencies is not yet completed.

Meanwhile, the nomination of state Congress President D K Shivakumar, who had expressed apprehensions about the possibility of his papers getting rejected, has been accepted, according to official sources.

This comes after the Congress state chief claimed that the BJPs IT cell was vetting his affidavit.

My nomination is in order. But there was information that the BJPs IT cell was examining my nomination papers. Theres a conspiracy to misuse the official machinery, Shivakumar said before the scrutiny of documents began on Friday.

Out of the 3,044 validly nominated candidates  219 are from BJP, 218 Congress, 207 from JD(S), while the rest are all from small parties and Independents, according to the CEOs office.

A total of 4,989 nominations have been received from these candidates. The last date for the withdrawal of candidatures is 24 April.

In a surprise move, hours before the deadline for filing nomination on April 20, Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh on Thursday had filed nomination from Kanakapura segment, from where his elder brother Shivakumar is the partys candidate.

Suresh has filed his papers as a backup plan in the event of Shivakumars nomination getting rejected.

They had alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched by the ruling BJP to reject Shivakumars nomination.

He had on Thursday claimed that 5,000 people have downloaded his assets list (which was part of his nomination affidavit).

With inputs from agencies

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Paris: Four people were killed and 46 others were injured in a bomb attack on a Paris synagogue more than 40 years ago, and a Lebanese-Canadian university professor has been found guilty in absentia of the crime.

Hassan Diab, 69, the lone suspect in the bombing outside the Copernic synagogue in 1980, when over 300 people were attending services, has been sentenced for life in his absence. An arrest warrant has also been issued, reports said.

Diab, who has generally avoided the media attention during the proceedings, told reporters on Friday that the decision was Kafkaesque and unfair.

After participating in a vigil with supporters at the Canadian Tribute to Human Rights monument in Ottawa, he remarked, Wed hoped reason would prevail.

Where is Hassan Diab?

According to reports, he is still in Canada and skipped the trial in Paris. His defence team claimed he was the victim of identity theft. It is unclear how strained relations between Canada and France would become if a fresh extradition procedure for Diab were to be successful.

Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, declared that his nation would look carefully at next steps and keep an eye on what the French government decided to do.

He declared, We will constantly be there to defend Canadians and their rights.

After French authorities freed Diab in 2018, Trudeau declared that Canada will be wary of any future extradition attempts.

I think for Hassan Diab, we have to recognise first of all that what happened to him never should have happened, he said at the time.

The existing laws governing extradition are being examined by the Canadian government for possible revision.

Critics claim that these laws provide judges too little latitude. Within the nation, Diabs case is frequently viewed as evidence of the extradition laws as they currently stand failing.

Donald Bayne, Diabs attorney, referred to the decision as a political result and a miscarriage of justice.

He declared, The evidence proves hes innocent and yet theyve found him guilty.

During some tense exchanges during the three-week trial in Paris, a chair was left unoccupied for Diab. There was no possible doubt that he was guilty, according to state anti-terrorist prosecutors, who requested a maximum prison sentence. To avoid a judicial error, Diabs defence requested that he be declared innocent.

Since the Nazi occupation of France during World War II, the Jewish community had not been the target of a lethal attack until the bombing.

What happened outside Copernic synagogue in 1980?

On October 3, 1980, a device carrying 10 kg of explosive was left in the saddlebags of a rental motorbike that was parked outside the synagogue. While people were inside enjoying Shabbat, the barmitzvah of three boys, and the batmitzvah of two girls, the synagogues glass ceiling collapsed on them. The power of the explosion caused shopfronts along 150 yards of road to break and a synagogue door to be blasted off.

Three bystanders were killed, and 48 hours later, the hotel concierge who worked across from the synagogue passed away from his wounds in the hospital. The attack was timed to hit people leaving the synagogue, and it was only because the rituals were running 15 minutes behind schedule that a greater catastrophe was prevented.

The investigation

The attack, which was never claimed by any organisation, was planned by Palestinian nationalists, according to a protracted police inquiry.

According to reports, Diab, an Ottawa sociology professor, resembled the bomb suspect in a photo. He was detained in Canada in 2008 and extradited to France in 2014. There, he was imprisoned for three yearspart of that time in solitary confinementwhile he awaited a murder trial.

According to French authorities, he belonged to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestines special operations division, which was thought to be behind the attack.

The appeals court overturned each decision by a judge to free him on the grounds of purportedly insufficient evidence.

Finally freed in 2018 and permitted to return to Canada, Diab was ordered to stand trial by a higher French court in 2021.

The nearly 20-year-old passport that was found nearly after the attack, showing entry and exit to Spain, the location where a commando was thought to have planned the bombing, was a major focus of the three-week trial in Paris. The passport was extremely incriminating, according to state prosecutors.

According to Diabs defense, there was insufficient evidence to show that the then-sociology student was in France at the time. His attorneys claimed that he was taking exams at a university in Lebanon and was therefore unable to use the passport, which he claimed to have misplaced.

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Belgorod: A day after the Russian air force accidentally bombed one of its own cities, causing a powerful blast, more than seventeen apartment buildings were evacuated on Saturday in a Russian city near the Ukrainian border after an explosive device was found at the same site.

The blast which occurred late on Thursday rocked part of Belgorod, leaving a huge crater and three people injured. The Russian Defence Ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion. The ministry also ordered an investigation but did not elaborate on the details of the weapon, which military experts said was possibly a powerful 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) bomb.

The governor of Belgorod province, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported on Saturday that sappers examining the site of Thursdays blast found and decided to detonate what he called an explosive object that was in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings.

The precautionary evacuations ended later in the day, according to Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov.

The bomb was removed from the residential area. Residents are being delivered back to their homes, Demidov wrote on Telegram.

Russian authorities did not say if the detonated device was dropped by accident on Thursday and if so, if it was a remnant of or separate from the bomb that exploded in the city.

Belgorod, located about 40 kilometres (25 miles) east of the Russia-Ukraine border, has faced regular drone attacks since Russia sent troops into Ukraine last year. Russian authorities have blamed those strikes on the Ukrainian military, which refrained from directly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Moscows invasion of Ukraine has sent relations with the West into deep freeze, with frequent expulsions of diplomats on both sides.

On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that German authorities had decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany.

A ministry statement said that as a reaction to the hostile actions of Berlin, Russia decided to mirror the expulsions by Germany and significantly limit the maximum number of staff at German diplomatic missions in Russia.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia is expelling more than 20 German diplomats, Russian state media reported, but didnt give a precise number.

The German air force said earlier that a Russian plane flew to Berlin with diplomatic clearance on Saturday, but didnt specify who or what was on board. Special clearance is required because the European Union closed its airspace to Russian aircraft shortly after the war in Ukraine started.

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Brussels: Belgium, the country which proudly calls itself the champagne Region of the world, destroyed 2000 cans of Miller High Life for using the slogan Champaign of Beers on their packaging.

Miller High Life has marketed itself as the Champagne of Beers for many years until this week when the French decided to clear the controversy.

More than 2,000 cans of Miller High Life that were labelled as such were smashed by Belgian customs at the request of the trade organisation safeguarding the interests of the producers and houses of the northeastern French sparkling wine.

The Comite Champagne requested the destruction of a shipment of 2,352 cans on the grounds that the American brewerys century-old motto violates the protected Champagne mark of origin.

Early in February, the shipment was stopped at the Belgian port of Antwerp and was headed for Germany, according to a Belgian Customs Administration official on Friday.

The Miller High Life brand is owned by Molson Coors Beverage Co, but it is not currently exported to the EU, and Belgian customs refused to reveal who had bought the drinks.

The trade organisation stated in a statement that the German customer was informed and did not contest the decision.

The Miller Brewing Company was established in the 1850s by German immigrant Frederick Miller in the US. Its oldest brand, Miller High Life, was introduced as its flagship in 1903.

On the website of the Milwaukee-based company, it is stated that three years later, the moniker Champagne of Bottle Beers was first used.

In 1969, it was abbreviated to The Champagne of Beers. 750ml champagne-style bottles of the beer have also been offered during holiday seasons.

Miller High Life has proudly sported the slogan The Champagne of Beers for almost 120 years thanks to its exquisite, clear-glass bottle and crisp flavor, according to a statement from Molson Coors Beverage Co to the Associated Press.

No matter how well-liked the slogan may be in the US, it is in conflict with EU regulations that make it clear that products that violate a protected indication of origin can be considered counterfeit.

The word champagne is subject to local restrictions, according to Molson Coors Beverage Co.

The business added, But we continue to be proud of Miller High Life, its moniker, and its Milwaukee, Wisconsin, provenance. We always welcome our European friends to the US to raise a glass of High Life together.

According to Belgian customs, Comite Champagne compensated for the cans destruction. It was done with the utmost respect for environmental concerns by ensuring that the entire batch, both contents and container, was recycled in an environmentally responsible manner, according to their joint statement.

(With inputs from agencies)

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Louisville, Ky.: The family of the shooter who opened fire at a bank in Louisville is attempting to legally destroy the AR-15 rifle that was used to murder five of his coworkers.

As required by state law, Kentucky auctions off weapons seized by law enforcement and uses the money raised to purchase equipment for the police. Following the incident last week, Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg predicted that under Kentuckys current law, a murder weapon will one day be back on the streets.

Greenberg has been sceptical of the law and has explored workarounds that would make crime weapons worthless once they are seized by his police department in Louisville. Greenberg was shot at by an attacker during his mayoral campaign last year.

The family of 25-year-old Connor Sturgeon, who lives in Indiana, said they were shocked to hear the gun he used in the April 10 attack could go back in circulation. Sturgeon was fatally shot by a responding police officer in the banks lobby.

The Sturgeon family was aghast to learn Kentucky law mandated the assault rifle used in the horrific event last week be sold to the highest bidder at public auction, according to a written statement released by a family spokesman Thursday.

The statement said the family is working vigorously to see that the rifle is destroyed. They said the first step in that process occurred Monday when federal agents took possession of the rifle.

This tragedy is yet another indication that meaningful, common sense gun safety measures must be enacted, the statement said. We respectfully urge the Kentucky state legislature to lead the way by changing Kentucky law to remove the gun auction provision.

The confiscated guns are bought at auctions by federally licensed gun dealers. An auction held last year totalled nearly $174,000, according to Kentucky State Police.

One of the victims of the shooting, 63-year-old Tommy Elliott, was a friend of Greenbergs and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.

Eight other people were injured in the shooting at Old National Bank in the citys downtown, including a rookie police officer who was shot in the head. Officer Nick Wilt remained in critical condition this week, and he was battling pneumonia. Seven others who were hospitalized have been released.

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Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo Manrique surrendered to US federal agents Friday to be extradited to Peru, where he faces charges of accepting millions of dollars in bribes as part of a mammoth corruption scandal in which four of Perus ex-presidents have been implicated.

Toledos surrender ends a yearslong legal battle against his extradition, which started in 2019 when he was arrested at his home in Menlo Park, California. Federal prosecutors have said Peruvian officials will travel to Northern California to pick up Toledo and fly him back to Peru. Its not immediately known when that will happen.

Toledo accused of taking bribes from Brazilian firm

Toledo, who was Perus president from 2001 to 2006, is accused of taking at least $20 million in bribes from Odebrecht, a Brazilian construction company that has admitted to US authorities that it bribed officials to win contracts throughout Latin America for decades. He has denied the charges.

He had sought a stay on his extradition, pending a legal challenge to the U.S. State Departments decision to send him back to Peru, but a court of appeals denied his latest motion this week and a federal judge ordered him to surrender.

After his arrest, Toledo was initially held in solitary confinement at the Santa Rita Jail about 40 miles (60 kilometers) east of San Francisco, but was released in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic and his deteriorating mental health. He was held under house arrest after that.

4 ex-presidents linked to one corruption scandal

Toledo has been living in California since 2016 when he returned to Stanford University, his alma mater, as a visiting scholar to study education in Latin America. His ties to the San Francisco Bay Area go back to the 1970s when he was an undergraduate student at the University of San Francisco and then a graduate student at Stanford University.

Toledo, 77, is one of four ex-presidents linked to the Odebrecht corruption scandal that has shaken Perus politics, with nearly every living former president now on trial or under investigation.

Former President Ollanta Humala is standing trial on charges that he and his wife received over $3 million from Odebrecht for his presidential campaigns in 2006 and 2011. Both have denied any wrongdoing.

Ex-leader Pedro Pablo Kuczynski, who left office in 2018, is under house arrest for similar charges.

Former leader Alan Garcia, in office from 2006-2011, fatally shot himself in the head in 2019 as police arrived at his home to arrest him.

With inputs from AP

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California: Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Alphabet Inc, received a total compensation of about $226 million in 2022, the companys securities filing revealed on Friday.

The amount is 800 times more than the median employees pay. Pichais compensation included stock awards of about $218 million, the filing showed.

The sum has left many in shock as Alphabet, the parent company of Google has been cutting jobs globally, The Mountain View, California-based company announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs around the world in January, equivalent to 6 per cent of its global workforce.

Pichais salary, however, has remained steady at $2 million for the past three years.

Earlier this month, hundreds of employees at the companys London office staged a walkout following a dispute over layoffs.

In March, Google employees staged a walkout at the companys Zurich offices after more than 200 workers were laid off.

With inputs from agencies

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Jihadists linked with Al-Qaeda have claimed responsibility for an attack this week that killed the chief of staff of Malis junta leader, and another ambush, the SITE Intelligence monitoring group said Friday.

Oumar Traore, chief of staff for Colonel Assimi Goita, the transitional president, was among several people who died in an ambush on Tuesday near the Mauritanian border, according to a statement from the Malian presidency.

Traore was part of a team that was accompanying engineers to scout for sites to drill for water, who came under attack some 400 km (250 miles) north of the capital Bamako.

The presidency said three others also died.

On Friday, Jamaat Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM) claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it had killed Traore and two members of the army, according to a statement reported by SITE, which monitors jihadist websites.

The group also claimed to have taken two hostages.

In the same statement, JNIM claimed to have carried out a separate attack on Wednesday that killed seven soldiers in an ambush between Sokolo and Farabougou in central Mali.

It said three of its own fighters were also killed in the attack, according to the SITE report.

The Malian army has not confirmed the incident.

Mali has been battling a security and political crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the countrys north in 2012.

Jihadists affiliated with Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have since escalated their operations into central Mali and neighbouring Niger and Burkina Faso.

Thousands of civilians, police and troops have been killed across the region, and more than two million have fled their homes.

The Sahel country has been ruled by the military since August 2020.

With inputs from AFP

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Yangon: The Myanmar Election Commissions deputy chief was shot dead in Yangon on Saturday by rebel fighters, the military said, in the latest killing of a high-profile official linked to the countrys military junta.

Myanmars military has led a crackdown on dissent after seizing power in a coup more than two years ago, sparking social unrest and an economic crisis. Self-declared civilian Peoples Defence Forces have sprung up in opposition to the junta, with their fighters targeting officials perceived to be working with the military.

Deputy director Sai Kyaw Thu of the Union Election Commission was shot dead in the township of Thingangyun in eastern Yangon, the armys information team said in a statement.

It said anti-coup Peoples Defence Forces were responsible but did not give further details.

The military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyis elected government in February 2021 over unsubstantiated allegations of voter fraud in elections the previous year.

It has ordered the junta-stacked Election Commission to withhold fresh polls, which opponents of the military say cannot possibly be either free or fair. Last month the commission dissolved Suu Kyis National League for Democracy party over its failure to re-register under tough new military-drafted electoral rules.

Myanmars main military-backed party, the Union Solidarity and Development Party, has already registered, state media reported on Friday. The group was defeated by Suu Kyis NLD at elections in 1990, 2015 and 2020.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the militarys power grab, which sparked renewed conflict with ethnic rebels and gave birth to dozens of other opposition groups now battling the military.

Across the country, there are almost daily killings of low-level junta officials or alleged informers, with details and reprisals from the military often following quickly.

In April last year the deputy governor of Myanmars central bank, who was appointed by the military days after it seized power, was shot by unknown assailants at her house in Yangon.

In November 2021 a top executive from Mytel  a telecoms venture between the military and Vietnamese firm Viettel  was gunned down outside his Yangon home.

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Manila: China and the Philippines on Saturday agreed to cooperate in resolving their maritime disputes in the South China Sea, where the two countries have conflicting claims. They also agreed to strengthen their bilateral relations.

The two foreign ministers discussions are the most recent in a string of high-level encounters the Philippines has had with American and Chinese leaders as the two nations compete for strategic dominance in the Indo-Pacific.

As he began talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Manila, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo said Manilas relations with Beijing are more than just their differences over the South China Sea.

These differences should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively, especially with respect to enjoyment of rights of Filipinos, especially fishermen, Reuters quoted Manalo as saying, adding that their livelihoods are undermined by incidents and actions in the waterway.

The Philippines has lodged scores of diplomatic concerns against Chinas presence in the critical waterway and what it refers to as Chinas aggressive actions since Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr took office in June.

The two neighbours need to work together to continue a tradition of friendship, deepen cooperation and properly resolve differences, Qin said in his opening remarks.

Working together would help promote peace and stability of the region and the world, Qin said.

His visit comes just weeks after the Philippines announced the location of four additional U.S. military bases, two of which are facing north towards Taiwan.

Qin is to meet Marcos later on Saturday, ahead of the presidents meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington in May.

More than 17,000 Philippine and US soldiers are conducting their largest ever joint military drills in the Southeast Asian country, drawing criticism from Beijing, Manilas rival in the South China Sea.

A landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 invalidated Chinas claims of sovereignty over almost all of the South China Sea, which sees the passage of about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne goods annually and is believed to be rich in minerals and oil-and-gas deposits.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia and the Philippines have competing claims in portions of the waterway.

With inputs from agencies

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Kyiv: Russia is adapting simple bombs to include guidance systems, making them affordable and efficient alternatives to pricey guided missiles.

Illia Ponomarenko of the Kyiv Independent claims that the UMPK (unified module for gliding and navigation) technologies appear to be turning ordinary bombs into intelligent ones.

The enhanced guided or gliding bombs, according to Ponomarenko, present an especially serious threat to Ukraine and have the ability to deliver devastating hits upon Ukrainian lines and the rear front.

According to the site, this device can be used to give Russias plentiful supply of outdated Soviet FAB-500M-62 gravity bombs wings and a basic satellite navigation system.

Russian bombs that had been modified were successfully employed in March to strike Ukrainian defences in Avdiivka, Donetsk.

According to Russian media, the production of the kit costs less than 2 million roubles, or about $24,000, making it significantly less expensive than buying missiles and other weaponry from abroad.

In contrast, one Kalibr cruise missile, which Russia used frequently in its invasion of Ukraine, costs just under $6.5 million.

The JDAM-ER kits, which turn existing unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions, were given by the US to Ukraine, and they are identical to the system.

Although Russia has not acknowledged making the UMPK kits in substantial quantities, this would be a practical substitute for pricey cruise and ballistic missiles, the stock of which is already largely exhausted.

According to estimations from the Ukrainian air force, these weapons can have an effective range of more than 50 kilometers, or about 31 miles, the Kyiv Independent said.

According to the article, the Ukrainian air force calculates that up to 20 guided bomb hits are made every day along the front line by Russian Su-34 and Sukhoi Su-35 aircraft that are launched from higher heights.

Ukraine must use air defence systems like the S-300 to fend off the jets in order to stop the Russian attack.

According to recently released Pentagon documents, Kyivs supply of S-300 weapons is running low and may run out in May.

On Wednesday, a number of Patriot missile defence systems sent by Western partners arrived in Ukraine.

Additionally, Ukraine has been frantically searching for more ammo for its air defence systems, which have been essential to protect against Russian planes.

As its Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 are obsolete and do not have contemporary longer-range air-to-air missiles, Ukraine has also been pleading for its Western friends to supply fighter jets to protect against Russian assaults.

This week, Germany granted Polands request to give Ukraine five MiG-29 fighter planes.

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Russia on Friday ordered the arrest of Bulgarian journalist and longtime Kremlin critic Christo Grozev, after adding him to its list of foreign agents.

Grozev is not currently in Russia.

The move comes after Russia arrested US journalist Evan Gershkovich last month on charges of spying.

Gershkovich, who has been reporting from Russia for six years, was arrested during a reporting trip to Yekaterinburg, a city in the Urals.

53-year-old Grozev is the lead Russia journalist for the Bellingcat investigative website and played a key role in its investigation into the poisoning of opposition politician Alexei Navalny.

The Russian interior ministry added Grozev to its list of foreign agents on Friday and a Moscow court ordered the arrest of Grozev, Russian news agencies reported.

Moscow has extensively used the label foreign agent, which has Stalin-era connotations, against Kremlin critics but rarely against a foreigner.

According to Russian law, it can be slapped on an individual regardless of their citizenship.

Grozev covered Russias invasion of Ukraine, Navalnys poisoning

Late last year, Grozev was put on a wanted list by Russian authorities, and the FSB domestic security service has also accused him of helping Ukrainian intelligence.

Grozev has extensively covered Moscows offensive in Ukraine.

The RIA Novosti news agency on Friday quoted a source saying investigators accuse Grozev of helping prominent Russian journalist, Roman Dobrokhotov, to illegally cross the border.

Dobrokhotov is the founder of the investigative news website The Insider.

Before the Kremlin launched its full-scale offensive last year, Bellingcat had already investigated the shooting down of flight MH17  which killed all 298 people in eastern Ukraine in 2014  and argued that Russian-backed fighters were likely responsible.

Moscow has denied any involvement in the downing of the plane.

Russia has also stepped up efforts to stamp out dissent after President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February last year, and most independent media outlets have been shut down or suspended operations.

With inputs from AFP

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Moscow: The Russian foreign ministry on Saturday announced the expulsion of more than 20 German diplomats in retaliation to the mass expulsion of Russian embassy staff from Berlin.

The German authorities took a decision on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany. We strongly condemn these actions of Berlin, which continues to defiantly destroy the entire array of Russian-German relations, the ministry said in a statement.

Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova told state-run television Zvezda that Moscow had decided to expel more than 20 diplomats after her ministry denounced another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany.

Relations between Moscow and Berlin, which used to be the biggest buyer of Russian crude oil and gas, have been strained since Russias invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the subsequent sanctions slapped against Russia by Kyivs Western allies.

As a reaction to the hostile actions of Berlin, the Russian side decided to mirror the expulsion of German diplomats from Russia, as well as to significantly limit the maximum number of employees of German diplomatic missions in our country, the ministry said.

The German foreign ministry said it had taken note of the Russian statements.

From now on, Moscow will also limit the maximum number of employees in German diplomatic missions in the country, and said Germanys ambassador Geza Andreas von Geyr was notified of the measures on April 5.

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London: With practically all of the Kremlins opponents already imprisoned or in exile, and liberal journalistic outlets and human rights organisations forced to close, it may have seemed that years of repression in Russia had succeeded.

But in only three weeks, Russias security agencies and courts have broken through a number of new barriers in their fight against alleged foes, spies, and traitors.

The arrest of Wall Street Journal writer Evan Gershkovich on 29 March served as a stark reminder to the few Western journalists still present in Russia of the dangers associated with travel, speaking with sources, and simply carrying out their work.

The last time Moscow had held an American journalist for alleged espionage  a charge that Gershkovich, his paper and the US government all strongly reject  was 1986, when the country was still under Soviet communist rule.

Then on Monday, opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza was jailed for treason and spreading false information about Russias war in Ukraine. His 25-year sentence was three times longer than any previously imposed for speaking out against the Russian invasion.

The following day, supporters of Alexei Navalny, the most prominent critic of President Vladimir Putin who is serving 11-1/2 years for alleged fraud and contempt of court, said he had been beaten by prison guards for the first time and faced new charges carrying five more years for thwarting prison authorities.

The Kremlin says it has no say over court decisions and Navalnys treatment is a matter for the prison service. Putin has told Russians that the West is seeking to use traitors as a fifth column to sow discord and ultimately destroy Russia.

Since mid-March, Russias parliament has also broadened censorship laws on what people can say about its armed forces and voted to extend the punishment for treason to life imprisonment instead of 20 years.

The father of a Russian girl who drew an anti-war picture was sentenced to two years in prison and detained in neighbouring Belarus when he attempted to flee. This week another opposition politician, Ilya Yashin, lost his appeal against an 8 and half year sentence for spreading false information about the armed forces.

There is a move towards a real kind of totalitarian regime. It was perceivable already one year and a half ago but now its become full-scale, said Nicolas Tenzer, senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis and a personal friend of Kara-Murza.

Arrest warrant

The trend has accelerated since 17 March, when Putin was accused of war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Though dismissed by Russia as legally void, given it is not a member of the ICC, the arrest warrant highlighted the fact that Putin has no way back  and therefore nothing to lose  when it comes to relations with the West.

It seems that Putin really doesnt care about what the West is thinking He just wants to go all-out in his repression and in his war, Tenzer said in a telephone interview.

Maria Alyokhina, a member of the Pussy Riot feminist punk group who spent nearly two years in a Russian penal colony for protesting against the Kremlin, described the treatment of Navalny and Kara-Murza as pure sadism on the part of Putin and the authorities.

They are in a war and theyre losing the war. And theyre mad about that. They are taking revenge, out of powerlessness, out of fear, of fury, the combination of all these things. I dont think in that sense they will stop, she told Reuters.

You probably think it could not be worse, but it can.

They are killing him

The fear among supporters of Navalny and Kara-Murza  both in poor health after surviving past poisoning attempts that they blame on the security services but which the Kremlin denies  is that they might not survive their long jail terms.

Navalnys allies said last week he had suffered sudden weight loss and acute stomach pain that made them suspect another attempt at slow poisoning.

They are killing Navalny in prison, said his associate Maria Pevchikh. Russias prison service did not reply to a request for comment.

Tenzer said the death of either Kara-Murza or Navalny would provoke expressions of outrage but Putin might calculate there is nothing more the West could do in response, given it has already imposed waves of sanctions on Moscow and is arming its enemy, Ukraine.

The Kremlin may derive short-term gains from its treatment of both Gershkovich and the jailed Russians. Recent experience suggests the American may be traded in a prisoner exchange, once his case has gone through the courts, while the cases of Navalny and Kara-Murza serve to neutralise Putins best-known enemies and deter others from speaking out.

But there may be longer-term risks in creating powerful symbols or even martyrs for the opposition.

Putins position is not now under threat but history is not short of examples of former political detainees  from Vaclav Havel in Czechoslovakia and Nelson Mandela in South Africa to Chiles Michelle Bachelet  who have swapped prison for the presidency. Nationwide protests swept Iran after the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of the countrys morality police last September.

Every dictatorial regime believes itself to be invincible, and yet every dictatorial regime falls in the end, Kara-Murzas wife Evgenia said after his sentencing on Monday.

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New Delhi: A group of Indians are among 66 people of 12 nations who have been successfully evacuated from conflict-hit Sudan to Saudi Arabia, the Saudi foreign ministry announced late on Saturday. A ship carrying Saudi citizens and the other nationals reached Jeddah safely, in the first evacuation of civilians since the conflict began.

Marking the first instance of civilians being rescued from the conflict zone, the evacuation comes barely a few days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with his Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Tuesday.

In the implementation of the directives of the Kingdoms Leadership, we are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the evacuated citizens of the Kingdom from Sudan and several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries, including diplomats and international officials, the Saudi foreign ministry tweeted.

Among those who have reached Jeddah are the crew of a Saudi passenger aircraft that was hit by gunfire while preparing to take off from Khartoum at the beginning of the fighting on April 15, news agency AFP reported.

Indians, as well as people from other nations, arrived safely from Sudan, including diplomats & international officials: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/XoqykgnF2v  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

The evacuation was carried out by the kingdoms naval forces with the support of other branches of the army, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

A convoy of vehicles helped the evacuees to reach Port Sudan from where they boarded ships to Jeddah, according to media reports.

The nationals from various countries were received by officials and soldiers who distributed sweets due to the festival of Eid.

A large number of people have died due to the battles between forces loyal to Sudan army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy turned rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later got involved in a bitter power struggle. The conflict which has taken place in and around the capital Khartoum - has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.

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Washington: US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu said that Indias actions will have a significant impact on the worlds ability to address the climate problem as he pledged to work with New Delhi and other nations to meet the challenging goals.

In an interview to PTI, Lu said that the US is determined to support that effort through technology and financing.

I would say none (of the issues) is more important than the climate crisis. The success of the world in facing the climate crisis will in part depend on decisions taken by India, Lu said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modis ambitious energy transition goal, Lu said,We have so much respect for the Prime Ministers pledge to create 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity in India by 2030.

Our teams are working every day on this challenge together and I have great confidence that working together not only between the United States and India, but India and the rest of the world that we will reach these really ambitious targets, he added.

Lu said the future of the planet in part depends on the ability of India to lead the way in green energy.

I love some of the things that leading industrialists in India are saying today, which is that India will not only produce enough green energy for itself, India wants to be the biggest green energy exporter for the world, he said.

Thats something that we should be fully behind as people who care about this climate crisis, Lu said.

India and the US have a strong bilateral partnership in the energy sector. In April 2021, the US and India launched the US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership, with two tracks i.e. Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP); and Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD).

The SCEP Ministerial Meeting twice so far, most recently in October 2022 led by the US Energy Secretary and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The SCEP has five pillars: 1) Power & Energy Efficiency, 2) Renewable Energy, 3) Responsible Oil & Gas, 4) Sustainable Growth, and 5) Emerging Fuels and Technologies (hydrogen biofuels and waste to energy).

An Energy Storage Task Force was launched to support the large-scale integration of renewable energy needed to support the clean energy transition.

Further, a US-India Natural Gas Task Force was set up to support Indias vision for transitioning into a natural gas-based economy, MoU on Strategic Petroleum Reserves for cooperation on Strategic Petroleum Reserves operation and maintenance was signed. A public-private Hydrogen Task Force enables the scaling of technologies to produce hydrogen from renewable energy.

The inaugural CAFMD meeting was held on 13 September 2021 in Delhi chaired by Special Envoy on Climate John Kerry and Ministers of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. Both sides agreed to proceed with three pillars of cooperation, viz, Climate Track, Finance Mobilization and Adaptation and Resilience.

The US joined the International Solar Alliance in November 2021 and ratified the ISA Agreement in September 2022.

With inputs from agencies

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Madrid: In a Madrid restaurant, a server accidently set decorations on fire while flaming a pizza, causing a major incident that resulted in two fatalities and 12 injuries.

According to Jose Luis Martnez-Almeida, mayor of the city, one of the victims was a patron and the other was an employee of a restaurant.

Five other people had major injuries, and he claimed that one patient was in a critical condition in the hospital.

The fire reportedly started when a waiter set a pizza on fire as part of serving process and the flames ignited plastic flowers decoration attached to the ceiling and columns of the restaurant in the west of the city, according to the mayor, who was speaking outside the institution.

At the time, there were about 30 customers and employees inside.

According to eyewitness accounts, the server doused the meal in alcohol before lighting it on fire. The waiter held the blowtorch in one hand and the burning plate in the other.

A diner who only gave her name as Ruth told a local newspaper that a column with plants surrounding it caught fire as the man drove by and quickly burnt everything.

The mayor claimed that because of the close proximity of the firefighters station to the restaurant, they were able to respond swiftly. It was quite fortunate, he remarked. Less than 10 minutes after the alarm was set off, the fire was put out.

People reportedly rushed to the fire station to warn the fire crew, according to Carlos Marin, the fire chief for Madrid.

The flames and smoke would have caused more casualties if they had taken an additional four or five minutes, according to the mayor.

An investigation into the incident has been opened by the police.

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Istanbul: The general consul of Turkiye in New York confirmed that twelve stolen artefacts were returning home, according to Anadolu News Agency report.

Reyhan Ozgur said at a repatriation ceremony, The momentum of the cooperation is not only encouraging deeper cooperation between Turkiye and the US, but is also inspirational for the global community combating cultural property smuggling.

The message that buying, possessing, and selling cultural artefacts illegally will have repercussions is sent loud and clear to all smugglers, dealers, and collectors.

Antiquities trafficking, according to Ozgur, poses a tremendous threat to our common cultural heritage.

That is why as the Republic of Turkiye, within this group of artefacts, there are pieces from every different region of our country such as Burdur, Konya, Sanliurfa, Canakkale, Manisa, Antalya and Eastern Anatolia, he said.

Ozgur stated that 1,203 cultural goods were returned to Turkiye between 2002 and 2023, underscoring the countrys efforts to combat cultural property smuggling and safeguard the history of the different civilizations that formerly called Anatolian territories home.

The Memorandum of Understanding between Turkiye and the US, noted Ozgur, played a part in bringing the facts together.

Both Matthew Bogdanos and Lisa DelPizzo, assistant district attorneys for New York County, expressed their joy for the repatriation and promised to keep collaborating closely with Turkiye.

According to representatives of the New York Cultural Attache, a Turkish Airlines cargo flight will be used to transport the twelve relics to Turkiye later on Wednesday.

A bronze statue of Septimus Severus from Burdurs Boubon Ancient City was among the historical artifacts, and, according to Turkish diplomatic sources, it is very significant.

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Washington: The Financial Stability Oversight Council on Friday put out new processes to better detect and address financial system risks as well as advice to make it simpler to designate non-bank financial organisations for regulatory oversight.

Just over a month after the worst threat of contagion since the 2008 financial crisis was caused by the bankruptcy of two regional banks, the multi-regulator council entrusted with monitoring stability risks in the financial system submitted the suggestions for public discussion.

In light of a lack of regulation, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has expressed worry about non-bank financial organisations such as pension funds, hedge funds, and private equity companies.

She said in remarks to the FSOCs meeting that the banking system remains sound, but we continue to be vigilant and monitor conditions closely.

But the banking sector turmoil showed that showed financial regulators work is not done and supervisory and regulatory changes are needed to help prevent financial disruptions from starting and spreading in the first place, Yellen said.

FSOC, chaired by Yellen and including Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and head of other major financial regulators, was granted the ability to designate non-bank firms as systemically important, but this was made more difficult in 2019 with changes made under the Trump administration.

The new guidance removes some inappropriate hurdles to designating non-bank firms and replaces them with a process that allows for firms under review to have significant engagement with regulators.

National Credit Union Administration Chair Todd Harper described the 2019 designation process as an overly lengthy and Rube Goldberg-like process with various hurdles for doing so.

This new guidance that we are releasing today for public condiment provides a substantial improvement in this process. It has an important attributes of being clear, credible, balanced and consistent, he said.

A US Treasury official told reporters, however, that the new guidance was not a full return to the original 2012 rules put in place by the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.

Risks, Vulnerabilities

FSOCs proposed new risk assessment framework aims to enhance the councils ability to address financial stability risks by reviewing a broad range of asset classes, institutions and activities, according to a Treasury fact sheet.

These include markets for debt, loans, short-term funds equities, digital assets and derivatives; counterparties, payment and clearing systems; and financial entities including banking institutions, broker-dealers, asset managers, investment firms, insurers, and mortgage originators and services.

The new framework also specifies vulnerabilities that FSOC and member regulators would consider when evaluating potential stability risks. These include leverage, liquidity risk and maturity mismatches, market interconnections and concentration, operation risks and risk management activities.

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Washington/Ramstein Air Base, Germany: The US Defence Secretary said on Friday that the military is formulating plans to evacuate the US embassy in Sudan as the Biden Administration considered whether to withdraw staff from the capital of the nation, which is becoming more chaotic.

Weve deployed some forces into theater to ensure that we provide as many options as possible if we are called on to do something. And we havent been called on to do anything yet, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a news conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. No decision on anything has been made.

Last weekend, a bloody power battle between two formerly associated members of Sudans ruling council began. Already hundreds have perished, tipping a country dependent on food handouts into what the UN terms a humanitarian disaster.

President Joe Biden authorised a plan this week, according to John Kirby, the White Houses national security spokesman, to station US military close by in case they are required to assist in the evacuation of American diplomats.

We are simply pre-positioning some additional capabilities nearby in case that theyre needed, Kirby told reporters.

With the airport in Khartoum caught in the fighting and the skies unsafe, nations including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany and Spain have been unable to evacuate embassy staff.

Cameron Hudson, a US Africa policy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and former director for African affairs at the National Security Council, said the level of violence in Khartoum makes the situation for an evacuation unpredictable.

The major challenge is theres a war going on across all corners of the city and the international airport in the middle of the city is not functional right now, so the challenge is moving people to a safe space to evacuate them, Hudson said.

Washington has said that private American citizens in Sudan should have no expectation of a US government-coordinated evacuation from the country. State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said the United States was in touch with several hundred American citizens understood to be in Sudan.

Earlier on Friday, the State Department confirmed the death of one US citizen in the country.

UN works to extract staff

Other countries and the United Nations are also looking at how they can evacuate citizens and employees.

The UN has been trying to extract staff from very dangerous zones in Sudan to move them to safer locations, the top UN aid official in Sudan, Abdou Dieng, said on Thursday. Dieng said he had been moved to a safer area on Wednesday.

The UN has about 4,000 staff in Sudan, of which 800 are international staff. A UN source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there were a further 6,000 UN staff family members and associated personnel in Sudan.

Switzerland said on Friday it was examining ways to evacuate nationals from Sudan, and Sweden said it will evacuate embassy staff and families as soon as possible.

Spanish military aircraft are on standby and ready to evacuate some 60 Spanish nationals and others from Khartoum, and South Korea sent a military aircraft to stand by at a US military base in Djibouti to evacuate its nationals when possible.

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Washington: The US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu said that the country is currently working to issue more than a million visas to Indians this year, ensuring that the Biden administration is committed to processing all student visas for Indians who are due to attend school this year.

Lu told PTI that they are prioritising work visas: H-1Bs and L visas which are the most sought by Indian IT professionals.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Tech companies usually depend on such visas to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

We are on track to issue more than a million visas this year. This is a record for us along with a record number of student visas and immigrant visas, Lu said.

He added, Weve also been prioritising work visas: H-1Bs and L visas. Wait times at some of our consular sections in India, for these visas are now below 60 days. We will continue to make sure that we prioritise visas for workers, as this is vital for both the American and the Indian economy.

There have been growing concerns in India over the long waiting period for first-time visa applicants, especially for those applying under B1 (business) and B2 (tourist) categories.

With inputs from agencies

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Washington: According to the US Justice Department, two men were convicted on Friday for planning to assault US power substations as part of a white supremacist scheme to cause unrest and economic hardship.

According to a news statement from the DOJ, Jonathan Frost, 25, of Katy, Texas, and West Lafayette, Indiana, received a 60-month sentence while Christopher Cook, 21, of Columbus, Ohio, received a 92-month term.

In February 2022, Cook and Frost each entered a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to finance extremists. Jackson Sawall of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was also accused, entered a guilty plea in February 2022, and will now undergo sentencing, according to the DOJ.

Their plan was to attack substations with powerful rifles, which they believed would result in millions of dollars in damages while causing civil unrest, the department said. But they never carried out any attacks.

Plots against power infrastructure and electric substations have come to light recently in different parts of the country including North Carolina, Washington State and South Carolina. Incidents of vandalism have left thousands in the dark.

Frost and Cook hatched their plans in an online chat group in the fall of 2019, according to DOJ. Within weeks, the two began to recruit others including Sawall.

As part of the recruitment process, Cook circulated a list of readings that promoted white supremacist ideology and neo-Nazism, DOJ said.

It said the three men met in Columbus, Ohio, in February 2020 to train. A planned attack in Ohio was thwarted when police stopped their car in a routine encounter.

Cook and Frost later attempted to recruit juveniles in Texas to their cause, prosecutors said.

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Washington: The US on Friday called on China to cease its military, diplomatic and economic pressure against Taiwan, and instead engage in meaningful dialogue.

US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel during a press briefing on Friday, said, We urge Beijing to cease its military, diplomatic, and economic pressure against Taiwan and instead engage in meaningful dialogue with Taiwan.

The US will continue to support a peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues consistent with the wishes and the interests of the people of Taiwan, he added.

And of course, we will go about this in coordination with our important allies and partners, of which of course the Republic of Korea is one of them. And we will keep coordinating with friends and allies across the Indo-Pacific to advance what we believe is our shared prosperity and security values, including preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, Patel said.

The Group of Seven (G7) foreign ministers recently declared that peace and stability were an indispensable element of global security while reiterating their call to China to behave responsibly as a member of the international community.

In a joint statement issued after a three-day meeting at Karuizawa in central Japan, the foreign ministers emphasized: There is no change in the basic positions of the G-7 members on Taiwan.

Expressing concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas, the ministers from Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, plus the European Union, opposed Chinas militarization activities in the region.

The G-7 joint statement comes in the wake of French President Emmanual Macrons remarks during his recent visit to China where he said that Europe should not become a follower of either Beijing or Washington and avoid getting involved in any conflict between the two countries over Taiwan.

The communique issued by the G-7 ministers after the meeting in Japan read, We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. There is no legal basis for Chinas expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose Chinas militarization activities in the region.

With inputs from agencies

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New Delhi: Co-founder and Former CEO of Singapore based fashion technology firm Zilingo has reportedly filed a defamation lawsuit against Mahesh Murthy, the marketer and founder of Pinstorm, demanding $100 million (820 crore) in damages for what she claims were defamatory comments he made about her in a piece he published.

Ankiti Bose was reportedly put on administrative leave in March 2022 while investigations into the companys financial problems were ongoing.

Bose asserted in the lawsuit filed April 20 in the Bombay High Court that she was being tried to be fired from the company after Zilingo went out of business in January allegations of financial irregularities.

Around the same time, Mahesh Murthy wrote an article for Outlook Business Magazine titled From Vulture Capital to Victim Capital: Mahesh Murthys Take on VCs in India.

Murthy allegedly made false and defamatory claims against her in his piece that was posted across social media platforms.

Bose claimed that Murthy and Outlook had both harmed her name, reputation, and standing in the public. She has therefore requested 820 crore in damages.

Additionally, a permanent injunction prohibiting Murthy from writing or publishing anything disparaging about Bose is requested in the lawsuit. An order to erase any negative writing, tweets, or articles that have been placed about her online is also requested.

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Dwight Garner at the NY Times:

The Robert Johnson we meet in this book remains somewhat blurry and indistinct. He wasnt a big personality, people tell McCormick. He was soft-spoken; he held peoples attention only when he played.

Johnson grew up in the Mississippi Delta with his mother and stepfather, an illiterate sharecropper. He hated farm work and fled to Memphis whenever he could. Early on he played a drugstore harmonica and a jaw harp, then annoyed older musicians by noodling on their guitars when they werent around. He got pretty good.

He was a slender man with tapering fingers. He was said to be shy, but sometimes recklessly bold around women. There was a strong music scene in the Delta and in Memphis, and he thrived in it, playing on street corners and in juke joints. People tend to remember him playing the popular songs of the time, more so than the somber and stabbing work that came to define him.

more here.
Ewald Engelen in Sidecar:

The shock among the Dutch chattering classes on 16 March was palpable. The right-populist FarmerCitizen Movement (BBB)  established in 2019 by a small communications firm, bankrolled by the powerful Dutch agrifood complex and led by a former meat industry journalist  had massively increased its vote share in the countrys provincial elections. It is now the largest party in all twelve provinces, and expected to achieve the same status in Senate elections next month. This would give BBB veto power at both national and local levels, potentially bringing an already hesitant green transition process to a standstill. Faced with this prospect, an irate commentariat has begun to denounce the farmers as enemies of environmental progress, and speculate that voting restrictions  on the elderly, the undereducated, those in rural constituencies  might be necessary to override their resistance.

The casus belli for the farmers revolt was a 2019 ruling by the Dutch Supreme Court that the government had breached its EU obligations to protect 163 natural areas against emissions from nearby agricultural activities. This prompted the centre-right coalition government, led by Mark Rutte, to impose a nationwide speed limit on highways of 100km/h and cancel a wide array of building projects intended to alleviate supply shortages on the Dutch housing market. Yet it soon became apparent that such measures were insufficient, since transport and construction contributed a pittance to national nitrogen emissions. Agriculture, by contrast, was responsible for 46%. A structural solution would therefore have to involve substantial reduction of livestock. The suggestion long put forward by the marginal Party for the Animals, to slash half of the aggregate Dutch livestock by expropriating 500 to 600 major emitters, was suddenly on the table.

More here.
Jeffrey C. Isaac in LA Review of Books:

ON APRIL 3, 2022, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz-MPP party won two-thirds of the National Assembly seatsa parliamentary supermajorityfor the fourth consecutive time since 2010. In his 12 years in power, Orban has revised the Hungarian constitution, transformed the state, substantially weakened the prospects for political opposition, and instituted a new quasi-authoritarian regime of national cooperation that he has billed as illiberal democracy or Christian democracy. In the coming years, it can be assumed that Orban and his government will do their best to further entrench this regime and continue to promote its examplesomething Orban has heretofore done with great success.

Orban has been amply rewarded for his efforts. He has accumulated vast political power, which he has used to enrich his family, friends, and principal supporters, thus further reinforcing his kleptocratic rule. He has used his power to reshape electoral law, the media system, and the cultural and educational system; to marginalize critics and opponents; and to intimidate independent civil society institutions, most notoriously through the passage of a Lex CEU that forced Central European University to leave its Budapest home and reopen in Vienna. This has made him the scourge of the European Unionwhose rule of law and transparency requirements he has regularly floutedand the bane of supporters of civil and academic freedom everywhere.

It has also made him a hero of the transnational far right, a symbol of resistance to the supposed tyranny of human rights, gender equality, woke elitism, and liberalism more generally. He has long been lionized by the US populist right: feted at Conservative Political Action Committee meetings; idolized by Tucker Carlson, Steve Bannon, and Patrick Deneen; and regarded as a pioneer of a new kind of illiberal regime that promises to save civilization from an evil humanistic overclass.

More here.
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Roman Emperor Julius Caesar was assassinated.



Julius Caesar was a general in the Roman army before he proclaimed himself Emperor of the Roman Empire in 49 BC. He became dictator over the Empire, making changes and political reforms, but unfortunately he had enemies as well. In 44 BC, a plot was hatched between Brutus Albinius and several other Roman senators and generals to assassinate Caesar.



On the 15th of March, 44 BC, Caesar was arriving at the senate when he was accosted by the group of assassins. A senator named Casca reportedly struck Caesar first with a knife, and soon the whole group was stabbing Caesar. Reportedly, when Caesar saw Brutus, whom he trusted, among the murderers, he said the words "Et tu, Brute?", meaning "You too, Brutus?", and gave up fighting. He died soon after, and his murder threw the Empire into a civil war.

2. The Western Roman Empire ended.



After the Roman Empire had grown to encompass most of the then-known world, the Empire began having troubles defending all of its borders against its enemies. To make governing the Empire easier, it was split into two different regions: the Eastern and the Western Roman Empires. Civil wars and enemy invasions continued to weaken the Western Empire, though. Although the fall of the Empire took a long time, it officially ended in 476 AD.



In 476 AD, the last Western Roman Emperor, Romulus Augustulus, who was only 16 years old, was forced to give up his rule to Odoacer, a Germanic barbarian. Odoacer had held the real power for several years, and when Augustulus left the throne Odoacer became the first King of Italy instead of a Roman Emperor. One of history's greatest empires had ended.

3. William the Conqueror invaded England at the Battle of Hastings.



King Edward the Confessor, King of England, died in 1066 without any family to take over the rule of the country. Instead, he left the throne to Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex, who was crowned King soon after. Meanwhile, William, Duke of Normandy, decided to claim the throne of England as his own.



On October 14, 1066, after William and his armies had landed on English soil, the battle began between William's and Harold's forces. The battle took place near the town of Hastings in East Sussex. After a full day of fighting, Harold was killed and William had won. He soon became King of England, and the first Norman (meaning, from Normandy) to do this. King Edward the Confessor, King of England, died in 1066 without any family to take over the rule of the country. Instead, he left the throne to Harold Godwinson, the Earl of Wessex, who was crowned King soon after. Meanwhile, William, Duke of Normandy, decided to claim the throne of England as his own.On October 14, 1066, after William and his armies had landed on English soil, the battle began between William's and Harold's forces. The battle took place near the town of Hastings in East Sussex. After a full day of fighting, Harold was killed and William had won. He soon became King of England, and the first Norman (meaning, from Normandy) to do this.

4. King John of England signed the Magna Carta.



The full name for the Magna Carta is Magna Carta Libertatum, which means "Great Charter of Freedoms" in English. It was a document signed by King John on June 15, 1215. The document was influential in setting down basic rights and freedoms for the church, the English barons, and the English people.



The rules set out in the Magna Carta were not followed either by the barons or by King John, so it wasn't very useful in reality. But it helped to set the standard for basic rights, and it made the King admit that he still had to submit to laws even though he was King.

5. The Wars of the Roses began.



The Wars of the Roses were between two rival families who wanted to take control of England, the Lancaster and the York families. The wars began in 1455 and lasted for over 32 years, finally ending in 1487. By that time, the male heirs of both families had been killed in the wars, and the Tudor family finally took control of England, after the Battle of Bosworth Field, when Richard III of York was defeated by the Lancaster Henry Tudor.



The Wars of the Roses got its name from the heraldic badges, or emblems, of the two warring families: the symbol of the York family was a white rose, while the symbol of the Lancaster family was a red rose. When the Tudor family took control, their symbol became a red rose with a white rose in the center, unifying the two warring families.

6. The Spanish Armada was defeated by the British.



The Spanish Armada was a fleet of Spanish ships sent to invade and take control of England in 1588. This happened during the Anglo-Spanish War, which lasted from 1585 to 1604, when England and Spain were enemies. In 1588, the decision was made to send Spain's vast Armada to invade England. The goal was to take control of England, as well as to reinstate Catholicism instead of Anglicanism as the chief religion in England.



The British ships met the Spanish Armada in the English Channel, and the battle began on July 30th. When the battle finally ended on August 8th, the Spanish surrendered. England had lost none of their 197 ships, but Spain had lost about 44 of their 137 ships. Although the war continued, England had managed to prevent an invasion.

7. The American Revolutionary War began.



Also known as the American War of Independence, the Revolutionary War took place between America and England, between 1775 and 1783. Many factors caused America's breaking away from being a colony of England for independence; for example, having to pay high taxes on goods like stamps and tea angered colonists in America when they had no say in British government.



On April 19, 1775, the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" was made, when the first shots were fired in the war at the Battles of Lexington and Concord. On July 4th, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was made that self-declared America as independent of Britain. Although the war didn't end until 1783, it ended successfully for America: now known as the United States of America, it was its own country, and no longer a colony of England.

8. The Battle of Waterloo was fought.



The Battle of Waterloo was the battle that ended the Napoleonic Wars fought between England and her allies, and France and her allies. It was fought on June 18, 1815. England's forces were led by Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, and France's forces were led by the self-proclaimed Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte.



Bonaparte had already been captured by England and put in prison in 1814, but he managed to escape. Although the Battle of Waterloo was a decisive British victory, the Duke of Wellington called it "the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life"; the French could have won, but didn't. Bonaparte was exiled again, and the war between England and France ended. The Battle of Waterloo was the battle that ended the Napoleonic Wars fought between England and her allies, and France and her allies. It was fought on June 18, 1815. England's forces were led by Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, and France's forces were led by the self-proclaimed Emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte.Bonaparte had already been captured by England and put in prison in 1814, but he managed to escape. Although the Battle of Waterloo was a decisive British victory, the Duke of Wellington called it "the nearest-run thing you ever saw in your life"; the French could have won, but didn't. Bonaparte was exiled again, and the war between England and France ended.

9. Queen Victoria of England was crowned.



Queen Victoria gave her name to the Victorian era, which was the time period of her rule between 1837 and 1901--more than 63 years! She ruled longer than any other British monarch had before her. She wasn't originally supposed to have been queen, though; when she was born, she was only the 5th in the line of succession to the throne. At the age of 11, though, she became heir to the throne when her uncle, William, IV, became king; when he died, she became queen at the age of 18.



Britain prospered under Queen Victoria's rule, and many territories were added to her dominion, including India. She married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in 1840, and had 9 children. When she died in 1901, her son, Edward VII, became king. The Victorian age ended, and the Edwardian age began.

10. World War I began.



World War I was a global war between many of the world's countries. It began in 1914 and didn't end until 1918. The countries were divided into two sides: the Allies, which included Great Britain, France, Russia, and Italy; and the Axis, which included Germany, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary.



World War I was known for its trench warfare, where the different sides dug trenches opposite each other and fought each other from there. It was also one of the deadliest wars in history: about 15 to 22 million people died.

Source: Author lordprescott This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor looney_tunes before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Cuba, Philippines, Equatorial Guinea



Answer: Spain



At its maximum extent, in the mid-18th century, the Spanish colonial empire - one of the largest in history - included more than one-third of the Americas and various territories in Asia, Africa, and Oceania.



The largest of the Caribbean islands, Cuba was discovered by Christopher Columbus on 27 October 1492, and immediately claimed for the newly established Kingdom of Spain. The island's current capital, Havana, was founded in 1519. With its large plantations - supported by the work of African slaves - Cuba gradually became one of Spain's most important colonies. Surprisingly, while in the early 19th century most of Spain's Central and South American colonies had broken out from Spain, Cuba remained loyal almost until the end of the century, when a strong pro-independence movement arose. Cuba became a protectorate of the United States after the Spanish-American War of 1898, and obtained independence on 20 May 1902.



Though Spanish is no longer an official language in the Philippines - superseded by English - the Spanish influence in the large archipelago in the North Pacific Ocean is still considerable. Named after King Philip II, the islands were colonized by Spain in 1565, and until 1821 were ruled by the Viceroyalty of New Spain, based in Mexico City. During the Spanish-American War, the Philippines declared their independence, but the United States - to which they had been ceded at the end of the war - refused to recognize it. After a very tempestuous first half of the 20th century - culminating in the bloody Japanese occupation during WWII - the Philippines finally became independent on 4 July 1946.



Equatorial Guinea is the only sovereign nation in Africa where Spanish is an official language - together with French and Portuguese. Located on the west coast of Central Africa, the country also includes a number of islands, the largest of which - Bioko and Annobon - were initially colonized by the Portuguese in the 1470s. Bioko (then known as Fernando Po) was ceded to the Spanish in 1778, who from there began to colonize the territory on the mainland, later to be known as Rio Muni. Though Spain tried to keep hold of Spanish Guinea by raising its status from colony to province, the push for independence was too strong, and on 12 October 1968 the Republic of Equatorial Guinea was born.

2. Namibia, Tanzania, Nauru



Answer: Germany



After its unification in 1871, Germany set about creating its own colonial empire. Though short-lived (1884-1920), the German colonial empire at its height was the third-largest of its time, comprising sizable sections of Africa and Oceania.



Located on the Atlantic coast of southern Africa, present-day Namibia was known as South-West Africa. The vast, sparsely-populated territory had only a few European settlements - many of them Protestant missions from Germany. The arrival of Bremen merchant Alfred Luderitz in 1882 led the way to Germany's acquisition of the territory two years later. Rich in mineral resources, South-West Africa became even more profitable for Germany when diamonds were discovered in 1908. Relations between the German colonizers and the native population, however, were very difficult, culminating in a genocidal campaign against the Herero and Namaqua in 1904-1907. During WWI, South-West Africa was occupied by South African troops. The Treaty of Versailles (1919) decreed that South-West Africa would remain a South African possession as a League of Nations mandate. The territory took the name of Namibia when it achieved independence on 20 March 1990.



The mainland part of Tanzania, located on the east coast of Africa, has been continuously inhabited by hominids and humans for over 3 million years. In the mid-19th century, explorations of the interior of the territory attracted the attention of several European powers, including Germany. The colony of German East Africa (which eventually grew to include also Burundi and Rwanda) began in 1885, when the Society for German Colonization founded by adventurer Karl Peters obtained an imperial charter to establish a protectorate in the African Great Lakes region. Native resistance to German expansion was fierce, even though the German administration vastly improved the territory's infrastructure. After Germany's defeat in WWI, German East Africa broke up, and the territory came under British control with the name of Tanganyika. Present-day Tanzania was born on 26 April 1964 from the merger of Tanganyika and Zanzibar.



The world's third-smallest sovereign country, Nauru is a tiny island located in Micronesia, north-east of Australia. First sighted by Europeans in 1798, it was given the name of "Pleasant Island", and was often visited by European sailors. Towards the end of the 19th century, Germany took advantage of the civil war that raged for ten years (1878-1888) to annex the island and incorporate it into the Marshall Islands Protectorate. It was under German rule that the phosphate deposits briefly made the island prosperous in the 20th century (though with considerable damage to the environment and the population's health). During WWI, Nauru was captured by Australian troops, and then put under League of Nations trusteeship. Occupied by the Japanese during WWII, Nauru was administered by a United Nations trusteeship until it became independent on 31 January 1968.

3. Mauritius, Malaysia, Belize



United Kingdom



At its peak in 1920, the British Empire was one of the contenders for the title of "largest empire in history". No wonder it was described as "the empire over which the sun never sets" - a phrase that had been previously used to refer to the Spanish Empire between the 16th and the 18th century.



Located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, the island nation of Mauritius became a Dutch possession at the end of the 16th century; the French then took over in 1715, naming it Isle de France. In 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars, the British invaded the colony - which, with the Treaty of Paris of 1814, was officially ceded to the United Kingdom; the nearby island of Reunion, which is also part of the Mascarene Islands, was instead returned to France, to which it still belongs. Under British rule, Mauritius was a plantation colony, like most other territories located in the Tropics. When slavery was abolished in 1833, a large number of indentured labourers from India were brought to the islands: for this reason, over 65% of Mauritius' population is of Indian ethnicity. Independence came to Mauritius on 12 March 1968, though the country kept Queen Elizabeth II as head of state until 1992.



The sultanates of the Malay Peninsula, where now mainland Malaysia is located, came under British influence in the early 19th century, after almost two centuries spent under Dutch control. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 set the boundaries between the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and British Malaya - which also included Singapore. In 1909, another treaty defined the boundaries between Thailand (one of the few Asian countries to have avoided Western colonization) and British Malaya. Of the two Malaysian states located on the island of Borneo, Sabah came under British control in 1878, and Sarawak in 1946. Occupied by Japan during WWII, the Federation of Malaya achieved independence on 31 August 1957; Malaysia came into being on 16 September 1963.



Located in northeastern Central America, Belize is the only country in the region (excluding the Caribbean) that has English as an official language. One of the main hubs of the ancient Maya civilization, in the early 16th century the territory was claimed by Spain, which encountered stiff resistance from the native populations. The first permanent British settlement was founded in 1716; throughout the 18th century, the British settlers had to fend off Spanish attacks. The Crown Colony of British Honduras was formally established in 1862, after years of conflict between the British and the Maya. In the 20th century, a combination of natural and economic disasters encouraged the birth of an independence movement. In 1973, British Honduras changed its name to Belize, and independence was declared on 21 September 1981. Answer:At its peak in 1920, the British Empire was one of the contenders for the title of "largest empire in history". No wonder it was described as "the empire over which the sun never sets" - a phrase that had been previously used to refer to the Spanish Empire between the 16th and the 18th century.Located in the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, the island nation of Mauritius became a Dutch possession at the end of the 16th century; the French then took over in 1715, naming it Isle de France. In 1810, during the Napoleonic Wars, the British invaded the colony - which, with the Treaty of Paris of 1814, was officially ceded to the United Kingdom; the nearby island of Reunion, which is also part of the Mascarene Islands, was instead returned to France, to which it still belongs. Under British rule, Mauritius was a plantation colony, like most other territories located in the Tropics. When slavery was abolished in 1833, a large number of indentured labourers from India were brought to the islands: for this reason, over 65% of Mauritius' population is of Indian ethnicity. Independence came to Mauritius on 12 March 1968, though the country kept Queen Elizabeth II as head of state until 1992.The sultanates of the Malay Peninsula, where now mainland Malaysia is located, came under British influence in the early 19th century, after almost two centuries spent under Dutch control. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 set the boundaries between the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and British Malaya - which also included Singapore. In 1909, another treaty defined the boundaries between Thailand (one of the few Asian countries to have avoided Western colonization) and British Malaya. Of the two Malaysian states located on the island of Borneo, Sabah came under British control in 1878, and Sarawak in 1946. Occupied by Japan during WWII, the Federation of Malaya achieved independence on 31 August 1957; Malaysia came into being on 16 September 1963.Located in northeastern Central America, Belize is the only country in the region (excluding the Caribbean) that has English as an official language. One of the main hubs of the ancient Maya civilization, in the early 16th century the territory was claimed by Spain, which encountered stiff resistance from the native populations. The first permanent British settlement was founded in 1716; throughout the 18th century, the British settlers had to fend off Spanish attacks. The Crown Colony of British Honduras was formally established in 1862, after years of conflict between the British and the Maya. In the 20th century, a combination of natural and economic disasters encouraged the birth of an independence movement. In 1973, British Honduras changed its name to Belize, and independence was declared on 21 September 1981.

4. Cape Verde, Macao, Timor-Leste



Answer: Portugal



Portugal was the first European power to acquire colonies outside the continent during the Age of Discoveries. The most important of them, Brazil, to this day is the largest Portuguese-speaking nation in the world. Other significant colonies were in Asia and Africa.



The Cape Verde archipelago is the southernmost of the four island groups in the North Atlantic Ocean known as Macaronesia ("Islands of the Blessed"). The islands were one of the first territories to be colonized by Portuguese explorers in the mid-15th century. Because of its location of the coast of West Africa, Cape Verde became a hub for the slave trade, and later an important location for resupplying ships sailing around Africa. Cape Verde's independence from Portugal came on 5 July 1975, a year after the April Revolution that put an end to the authoritarian regime that had ruled Portugal since 1933.



Now a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China, Macao (or Macau) is located in the West Pearl River Delta, on the South China Sea. In 1557, it was leased to the Portuguese as a trading post by the Ming Dynasty; then, in 1887, Portugal was granted full possession of the territory. Macao was handed over to China on 20 December 1999. The Portuguese cultural influence is still strong in the small territory, which consists of a peninsula and the islands of Taipa and Coloane.



Timor-Leste comprises the eastern part of the island of Timor, in the Indonesian archipelago; its name means simply "East Timor". In 1613, the western half of Timor came under the control of the Dutch East Company, and the Portuguese strengthened their presence in the eastern half of the island, which was officially declared a colony in 1702. East Timor remained in Portuguese hands until 1975, when an anti-colonialist political faction unilaterally declared the territory's independence. East Timor was eventually occupied by Indonesia, with grievous consequences for its people, who were subjected to appalling acts of violence. It took over twenty years for the unfortunate country to have its independence formally recognized on 20 May 2002.

5. Uzbekistan, Armenia, Latvia



Answer: Soviet Union



Strictly speaking, the Soviet Union was not a colonial empire, but a federal union of 15 socialist republics governed centrally from Moscow. However, the relationship between Russia and its satellite states resembled in many ways the one between a colonizing nation and its possessions.



Located in Central Asia, Uzbekistan is one of two doubly-landlocked countries (the other being Liechtenstein). Inhabited since the 1st millennium BC, the territory of present-day Uzbekistan was part of most of the major empires that held sway in that part of the world, and some of its cities (such as Samarkand and Bukhara) grew prosperous because of their location on the Silk Road. In the 1860s, most of Central Asia was conquered by the Russian Empire, and remained part of the Soviet Union after the Empire's collapse. The Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic, established in 1924, also included neighbouring Tajikistan; the two republics were separated in 1929. The environmental disaster of the Aral Sea occurred under Soviet rule, when the waters of the rivers that fed the lake were used for irrigation of the country's extensive cotton fields. The independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan was declared on 31 August 1991.



A landlocked country in the Caucasus, Armenia boasts a rich cultural heritage that goes back to the Bronze Age, possibly even earlier. In the 19th century, it was divided between the Ottoman Empire (Western Armenia) and Russia (Eastern Armenia). During WWI, Armenia found itself in the crossfire of the conflict between the two declining empires - which culminated in the genocide of 1915. In 1918, the collapse of both empires led to the establishment of the short-lived First Republic of Armenia, which fell to the Soviet Union in 1920. Together with neighbouring Azerbaijan and Georgia, Armenia was incorporated into the Union. The final years of Armenia as a Soviet Socialist Republic coincided with natural disasters (1988 earthquake) and growing tensions with Azerbaijan over the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Armenian independence was restored on 23 September 1991.



One of the three Baltic states, sandwiched between Lithuania and Estonia, Latvia was ruled by Sweden, Poland and Lithuania before it was annexed by the Russian Empire in 1795. Like other parts of that vast empire, Latvia took advantage of the power vacuum created by the Russian Revolution to declare its independence in 1919. In 1939, the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact between Germany and the Soviet Union assigned Latvia (together with Estonia and Finland) to the Soviet "sphere of influence". Incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1940, and occupied by Germany in 1941, Latvia suffered heavy population losses during WWII and in the post-war years, when repression against anti-Soviet activities was at its worst. Under Mikhail Gorbachev's more open-minded rule, the pro-independence movement gained momentum; the country's independence was restored on 21 August 1991.

6. Madagascar, Djibouti, Laos



Answer: France



Even if its colonial empire - which at its peak included large portions of Africa and Southeast Asia - is long gone, France, like the UK and the Netherlands, still keeps some of its overseas possessions. The countries listed in the question were all part of the Second French Colonial Empire, which began in 1830 with the conquest of Algiers.



The world's fourth-largest island, located in the Indian Ocean off the coast of East Africa, Madagascar was discovered by the Portuguese in 1500. Though trading posts were established by Europeans in the following centuries, the island's rule remained in the hands of various local kingdoms. The political influence of France and Britain, however, steadily grew, until France invaded the island in 1883, eventually overthrowing the Merina Kingdom that had been in power since the mid-16th century. After years of conflict, the French annexed Madagascar in 1896. The years of French rule were not easy for either the colonizers or the colonized: in 1947, a violently repressed uprising led to the deaths of thousands of Malagasy people. Madagascar eventually achieved independence on 26 June 1960.



Formerly known as French Somaliland, Djibouti is a small country in the Horn of Africa. Its territory was ruled by various local sultanates, and then by the Ottoman Eyalet (province) of Egypt. In 1883, the French arrived on an exploratory mission - which, two years later, led to the coastal area around the Gulf of Tadjoura becoming a French protectorate. In 1958, following a referendum, French Somaliland was granted the status of Overseas Territory; in 1967, a second referendum changed its name to French Territory of the Afars and Issas. These changes, however, did not stem a growing struggle for independence that often turned violent. After a third referendum, the territory finally became independent on 27 June 1977 - depriving France of its last outpost in Africa.



Inhabited for thousands of centuries, Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, located in the Indochinese Peninsula. From 1353 to 1707 it was the seat of the wealthy kingdom of Lan Xang, which eventually broke up into three separate kingdoms that came under Burmese and Siamese control. By 1899, the whole territory of present-day Laos had become part of French Indochina, which already included Cambodia and Vietnam. For France, Laos was mainly useful as a buffer between Thailand and Vietnam, as well as a source of labour and raw materials. In February 1945, Laos was invaded by the Japanese, which exploited the growing opposition to France to pressure the king into declaring independence; however, the French resumed control in April 1946. Independence for Laos came on 22 October 1953, while France was engaged in the First Indochina War against the Viet Minh.

7. Eritrea, Libya, Albania



Answer: Italy



In the 1880s, two decades after its unification in 1861, the Kingdom of Italy sought to follow other European powers in the creation of a colonial empire, and became involved in what is known as the Scramble for Africa.



When Italy set its sights upon Eritrea, the region in the Horn of Africa was under the control of the Ottoman Empire through the Khedivate of Egypt. The first step towards the establishment of Italian Eritrea was the conquest of the port city of Massawa in 1885; the new colony was officially proclaimed on 1 January 1890. The Italian presence brought many improvements to the country's infrastructure, and many native Italians settled there, especially in the capital Asmara, which was nicknamed "Little Rome". In 1936, after the invasion of Ethiopia, Benito Mussolini declared the birth of the Italian Empire, and Eritrea became part of Italian East Africa together with Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland. In 1941, the British invaded Eritrea, and held it under military administration until 1950. Eventually annexed by Ethiopia, Eritrea did not become officially independent until 24 May 1993.



The coastal region of Libya on the Mediterranean Sea was ruled by the Ottoman Empire as the Eyalet (later Vilayet) of Tripolitania from 1551 to 1911. As a consequence of the Italo-Turkish War of 1911-1912, the Italians seized control of the region, which became known as Italian North Africa. During Mussolini's rule, the colony was split into Italian Cyrenaica and Italian Tripolitania; like Eritrea, it attracted a large number of Italian settlers. Libyan resistance to Italian rule was fierce, and repression by the Italian military led to many deaths among the Bedouin population. When Italy entered WWII, Libya became the setting for the North African Campaign, which ended with Italy and Germany's defeat in 1943. Under Allied occupation until 1951, Libya declared independence on 10 February 1947.



Located in the Balkan Peninsula, with a coastline on both the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea, Albania had been under Ottoman rule for almost five centuries when it became independent in 1912. In 1925, Albania signed a treaty with Italy that gave the latter a monopoly in shipping and trade concessions. Ahmet Zogu, Albania's president, proclaimed himself king in 1928; however, Italy controlled almost every aspect of the country's political life. Then, in 1939, Italy invaded Albania, making it a protectorate and a dependency. Italy intended to make Albania a colony, and eventually turn it into an Italian land, but the end of the Fascist regime in 1943 intervened. Albania was occupied by Germany, and at the end of WWII became a one-party communist state led by Enver Hoxha.

8. Suriname, South Africa, Indonesia



Netherlands



The Dutch were among the first empire-builders in Europe - in particular during the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, when the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the Dutch West India Company (WIC) were founded. Dutch explorers discovered new territories - such as Australia and New Zealand - and established coastal forts and settlements in many parts of the known world.



Also known as Dutch Guiana, Suriname is South America's smallest sovereign nation, located in the northeastern part of the continent. The Dutch and the English arrived there in the mid-17th century, establishing plantation colonies in the fertile plains of the region. The Treaty of Breda of 1667 put an end to the disputes between the two countries: in exchange for Surinam (as the name was originally spelled), the Dutch granted the English possession of New Amsterdam, which eventually became New York City. The economy of the colony was heavily based on slavery, and the brutality of the planters towards their slaves led to frequent unrest. When slavery was abolished in 1863, the plantations became reliant on labour imported from Asia - hence the remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity of Suriname's current population. Suriname became independent on 25 November 1975.



First reached by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1487, what is now South Africa became a target of Dutch interest in the mid-17th century. In 1652, a supplying stations for ships sailing to

Asia was established at the Cape of Good Hope on behalf of the VOC; it would later became Cape Town, one of South Africa's three capitals. The Dutch Cape Colony steadily grew and thrived for about 150 years, expanding inland and occupying much of the territory of present-day South Africa. In 1795, Great Britain invaded the Cape Colony to prevent it from falling into the hands of the French, who had invaded the Low Countries. After a brief return of the Dutch in 1803-1806, the colony was once again invaded by the British, and after the end of the Napoleonic Wars became officially part of the British Empire. South Africa became independent on 11 December 1931.



The colony of the Dutch East Indies, consisting of much of present-day Indonesia, was formed in 1800 from the nationalization of the numerous trading posts established by the VOC since they first arrived in the archipelago in the late 16th century. The Dutch presence was strongest on the island of Java, where the capital, Batavia (now Jakarta) was located, while other parts of the islands kept their independence; conflicts with indigenous groups occurred throughout the period in which the Dutch were in control. However, by the early 20th century Dutch domination had extended to the whole territory of what is now Indonesia. Dutch rule ended in 1941 with the Japanese invasion of the islands. Two days after the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, Indonesia declared itself independent. Four years later, on 27 December 1949, the Netherlands finally recognized the country's independence, bowing to international pressure. Answer:The Dutch were among the first empire-builders in Europe - in particular during the 17th century, the Dutch Golden Age, when the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and the Dutch West India Company (WIC) were founded. Dutch explorers discovered new territories - such as Australia and New Zealand - and established coastal forts and settlements in many parts of the known world.Also known as Dutch Guiana, Suriname is South America's smallest sovereign nation, located in the northeastern part of the continent. The Dutch and the English arrived there in the mid-17th century, establishing plantation colonies in the fertile plains of the region. The Treaty of Breda of 1667 put an end to the disputes between the two countries: in exchange for Surinam (as the name was originally spelled), the Dutch granted the English possession of New Amsterdam, which eventually became New York City. The economy of the colony was heavily based on slavery, and the brutality of the planters towards their slaves led to frequent unrest. When slavery was abolished in 1863, the plantations became reliant on labour imported from Asia - hence the remarkable ethnic and cultural diversity of Suriname's current population. Suriname became independent on 25 November 1975.First reached by Portuguese explorer Bartolomeu Dias in 1487, what is now South Africa became a target of Dutch interest in the mid-17th century. In 1652, a supplying stations for ships sailing toAsia was established at the Cape of Good Hope on behalf of the VOC; it would later became Cape Town, one of South Africa's three capitals. The Dutch Cape Colony steadily grew and thrived for about 150 years, expanding inland and occupying much of the territory of present-day South Africa. In 1795, Great Britain invaded the Cape Colony to prevent it from falling into the hands of the French, who had invaded the Low Countries. After a brief return of the Dutch in 1803-1806, the colony was once again invaded by the British, and after the end of the Napoleonic Wars became officially part of the British Empire. South Africa became independent on 11 December 1931.The colony of the Dutch East Indies, consisting of much of present-day Indonesia, was formed in 1800 from the nationalization of the numerous trading posts established by the VOC since they first arrived in the archipelago in the late 16th century. The Dutch presence was strongest on the island of Java, where the capital, Batavia (now Jakarta) was located, while other parts of the islands kept their independence; conflicts with indigenous groups occurred throughout the period in which the Dutch were in control. However, by the early 20th century Dutch domination had extended to the whole territory of what is now Indonesia. Dutch rule ended in 1941 with the Japanese invasion of the islands. Two days after the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, Indonesia declared itself independent. Four years later, on 27 December 1949, the Netherlands finally recognized the country's independence, bowing to international pressure.

9. Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Burundi



Answer: Belgium



Compared to other European powers, Belgium came late to the colonial game. The kingdom's overseas possession, all acquired in the early years of the 20th century, consisted of two territories located in Central Africa, which now correspond to three sovereign countries.



The second-largest country in Africa after Algeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was known as Belgian Congo from 1908 to 30 June 1960, when it achieved independence with the name of Republic of the Congo-Leopoldville. However, before it became a colony of the Belgian kingdom, the vast territory (which is almost completely landlocked, with a very short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean) was a personal possession of King Leopold II, acquired in 1885 during the Scramble for Africa, and named Congo Free State. Before that, the huge Congo Basin, one of the world's largest areas of tropical rainforest, had not been claimed by any European nation because of its challenging environmental conditions (including the prevalence of dangerous tropical diseases). During the 23 years of the Congo Free State's existence, numerous well-documented atrocities were committed against the native population - whose disclosure led to the end of Leopold's tyrannical rule.



Rwanda and Burundi, two small landlocked countries located east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, were two separate kingdoms - Ruanda and Urundi - when they became part of German East Africa at the end of the 19th century. In 1916, while WWI was raging in Europe, the Belgians occupied the two territories, which in 1922 were eventually awarded to Belgium as a Class-B Mandate of the League of Nations. After the formal dissolution of the League of Nations in 1946, Ruanda-Urundi remained under Belgian control until 1 July 1962, when it became independent with the name of Rwanda-Burundi. Burundi became a separate republic on 28 November 1966.

10. Bulgaria, Lebanon, Egypt



Answer: Ottoman Empire



In its heyday, the Ottoman (or Turkish) Empire ruled most of the Balkan Peninsula, the Middle East and North Africa. Founded in 1299, it was officially abolished in 1922, after its defeat in WWI.



Located in the Balkan Peninsula, with a coastline on the Black Sea, Bulgaria first became a state in 681; the Cyrillic script was developed there, probably in the 9th century. The First Bulgarian Empire was eventually conquered by the Byzantine Empire in the 11th century, but a successful revolt in 1185 established the Second Bulgarian Empire. By the end of the 14th century, the Second Bulgarian Empire had all but disintegrated, and the Ottoman Turks took over in 1396. Bulgaria remained part of the Ottoman Empire - which suppressed its culture and imposed heavy taxes - until the Turks were defeated by Russia in the Russo-Turkish War (1877-1878). The country became officially independent from the Ottoman Empire on 5 October 1908.



Located in the Eastern Mediterranean, Lebanon is the ancient home of the Phoenician civilization. In 1516, it was ceded to the Ottoman Empire by the Mamluk Sultanate that had ruled the country since the late 13th century. When, at the end of WWI, the Ottoman Empire was dismembered, in 1920 the State of Greater Lebanon was created under French and British mandate. The country's independence dates from 22 November 1943.



One of the cradles of Western civilization, Egypt has a history that goes back to the 6th millennium BC. In 1517, the Mamluk Sultanate was defeated by the Ottoman Turks, and Egypt became an "eyalet" (province) of the Ottoman Empire, with semi-autonomous status. Ottoman rule ended temporarily in 1798 with Napoleon Bonaparte's invasion, but then resumed with the ascent of the Muhammad Ali dynasty in 1805. Egypt declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire in 1914, shortly after the start of WWI, and was a British protectorate until 28 February 1922.

Source: Author LadyNym This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor agony before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Treaty of Constantinople 1832



Answer: Greek War of Independence



Greece was, in the early nineteenth century, part of the Ottoman Empire but still retained its own language and customs. The war for independence began with an excursion into neighbouring Moldova to attack the Turks, which met with defeat but became the catalyst for other uprisings. On 25 March 1821, further rebellions took place in several parts of Greece and the war for independence had begun in earnest.



By 1822, the Ottoman Empire had lost control of the Peloponnese and the Greeks declared their independence. Internal conflicts meant there was no smooth progression and by 1827 most of Greece had been reclaimed. However, the major powers of Europe threw their might behind Greece, with Russia, Britain and France sending warships to the region. In 1830, Greece was declared an independent state under the protection of the three powers mentioned in the previous sentence.



The Treaty of Constantinople brought the conflict to an end with the Ottoman Empire recognising Greece's independence. Greece still celebrates its independence day on 25 March, the day the war began in earnest.

2. Treaty of Nanking/Nanjing 1842



Answer: First Opium War



The first of the two Opium Wars took place between 1839 and 1842 and involved Britain and China. Foreign traders, including the British, had been importing opium into China, causing huge problems with addiction rife and economic difficulties arising as a result. China destroyed over 1.000 tons of the drug in 1839 and hostilities broke out when British warships destroyed a Chinese blockade on the Pearl River, Hong Kong. Further raids involved the capture of Canton (Guangzhou) and then Nanking (Nanjing) itself.



The Chinese were unable to continue resistance and the Treaty of Nanking was agreed in August 1842. This gave merchants a virtual carte blanche to continue selling opium and also ceded Hong Kong to Britain, with the Chinese regaining Hong Kong only in 1997.

3. Treaty of Paris 1856



Crimean War



Lasting from October 1853 until April 1856, the Crimean War was fought between the Ottoman Empire, supported by France and Britain, against the Russian Empire. As the name implies, most of the battles took place on the Crimean Peninsula, including the Battles of Balaclava (1856), Alma River (1854) and Inkerman (1854). The war is remembered for the work carried out by two British nurses, Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, which paved the way for better treatment for injured soldiers and improvements in nursing.



The Treaty of Paris brought an end to the war, lost by Russia which had to cede land, opening up the Danube for other countries to use. Answer:Lasting from October 1853 until April 1856, the Crimean War was fought between the Ottoman Empire, supported by France and Britain, against the Russian Empire. As the name implies, most of the battles took place on the Crimean Peninsula, including the Battles of Balaclava (1856), Alma River (1854) and Inkerman (1854). The war is remembered for the work carried out by two British nurses, Florence Nightingale and Mary Seacole, which paved the way for better treatment for injured soldiers and improvements in nursing.The Treaty of Paris brought an end to the war, lost by Russia which had to cede land, opening up the Danube for other countries to use.

4. Treaty of Zurich 1859



Answer: Austro-Sardinian War



This relatively short war lasted from 29 April 1859 until 11 July 1859 and is also known as the Second Italian War of Independence, which tells you what was at stake. Austria had won the First Italian War of Independence, lasting from 1848 until 1849, giving them control of Piedmont and Lombardy. The Piedmontese managed to form an alliance with France with the latter country provoking the Austrian Empire to attack Sardinia thus giving France the excuse it needed to become involved.



With the French army's support, the Piedmontese defeated Austria with an armistice being agreed in July 1859. The Treaty of Zurich, actually a series of three treaties, initially saw Lombardy pass from Austria to France, who then ceded it to Sardinia, with a final treaty being a peace treaty between Austria and Sardinia.

5. Treaty of Vienna 1864



Answer: Second Schleswig War



The two wars bearing the name of Schleswig were a result of what was called the Schleswig-Holstein Question. Schleswig was a region in the southern part of Denmark with a large German population in the south, mixed Danish and German in the middle and mostly Danish in the north. Holstein was primarily German speaking and Denmark considered it part of Schleswig The regions were disputed by Denmark and Prussia, supported by the Austrian Empire.



Denmark was no match for the combined armies and the King of Denmark, Christian IX, surrendered Schleswig and Holstein to Austria and Prussia under the Treaty of Vienna.

6. Peace of Prague 1866



Answer: Seven Weeks' War



Prussia was becoming the dominant state under the Iron Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck, and was looking for freedom from the terms of the 1815 Congress of Vienna. This had created a German Confederation, dominated by the Austrian Empire. Although allies in the wars to claim Schleswig-Holstein, Bismarck turned on Austria using the former Danish territories as the excuse. Although Austria had the support of other states, such as Bavaria and Hanover, Prussia had formed an alliance with Italy, meaning Austria had to fight on two fronts. The war lasted from June to August 1866 with the decisive battle being the Battle of Koniggratz which Prussia won.



The Peace of Prague was signed between Austria and Prussia. By this treaty Austria acknowledged the dissolution of 'the Germanic Confederation and would no longer be considered part of the states which would later become Germany. Full control of Schleswig-Holstein was ceded to Prussia and Venetia, a region that included parts of north-eastern Italy and western Slovenia, was given to Italy.

7. Treaty of Frankfurt 1871



Answer: Franco-Prussian War



Prussian, and Bismarck's, ambitions continued to grow during this period of European history and Bismarck's attempts to put a Prussian prince on the throne of Spain provoked France, led by Napoleon III, into action - they would have had enemies to the north and south if Bismarck's plan had succeeded. France declared war in July 1870, but had miscalculated the support Prussia had from other German states meaning their army was heavily outnumbered. The Battle of Sedan was decisive. Fought in September 1870, it led to the capture of Napoleon III and victory for Prussia.



The Prussians pushed on into Paris and France surrendered in January 1871. The Prussians rubbed salt into the wounds by crowning Wilhelm as the first emperor, or kaiser, of Germany in the Palace of Versailles.



A peace treaty was concluded at Frankfurt am Main in May 1871, with Prussia gaining most of the French provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. France had to pay a large indemnity with the Germans still occupying parts of France until this had been paid in full. The seeds for the Great War had already been sown.

8. Machain-Irigoyen Treaty 1876



Paraguayan War



While Europe went through turmoil, South America was also having its own problems with the War of the Triple Alliance, also called the Paraguayan War, taking place between 1864 and 1870. Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay formed an alliance against Paraguay with the borders between the countries having been set by the Europeans, mostly Spain and Portugal, rather than on traditional tribal boundaries. Hostilities broke out in earnest in 1864 when Paraguay launched the Matto Grosso campaign, invading the Brazilian region of that name, as well as attacking in the south of Brazil and regions of Argentina.



Counter-offensives drove them back, but the war swung back and forth with Asuncion, Paraguay's capital, being captured by Brazilian forces in January 1869. Earlier treaties had been concluded with Brazil and the Machain - Irigoyen Treaty, named for the main signatories for each side, settled matters between Argentina and Paraguay.



The war was extremely costly, not least in loss of life, for all participants and Paraguay lost much of its original territory. The war is classed as the deadliest fought in Latin America between neighbouring countries. Answer:While Europe went through turmoil, South America was also having its own problems with the War of the Triple Alliance, also called the Paraguayan War, taking place between 1864 and 1870. Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay formed an alliance against Paraguay with the borders between the countries having been set by the Europeans, mostly Spain and Portugal, rather than on traditional tribal boundaries. Hostilities broke out in earnest in 1864 when Paraguay launched the Matto Grosso campaign, invading the Brazilian region of that name, as well as attacking in the south of Brazil and regions of Argentina.Counter-offensives drove them back, but the war swung back and forth with Asuncion, Paraguay's capital, being captured by Brazilian forces in January 1869. Earlier treaties had been concluded with Brazil and the Machain - Irigoyen Treaty, named for the main signatories for each side, settled matters between Argentina and Paraguay.The war was extremely costly, not least in loss of life, for all participants and Paraguay lost much of its original territory. The war is classed as the deadliest fought in Latin America between neighbouring countries.

9. Treaty of San-Stefano 1878



Answer: Russo-Turkish War



This was another war involving the Ottoman Empire, with a coalition between Russia, Montenegro, Serbia, Romania and Bulgaria opposing them. The Balkan states were fighting for independence from the Ottomans while Russia wished to regain territory lost in the Crimean War. The war lasted just over ten months, with the Russian coalition prevailing. It took the intervention of the western powers, including Britain, to bring matters to an end.



Under the terms of the Treaty of San-Stefano, the Ottoman sultan recognized the complete independence of Serbia, Montenegro and Romania with increased territories. An autonomous principality of Bulgaria was to be created, bounded by the Danube, the Black Sea, the Aegean and Albania. The Treaty of Berlin superseded the original treaty very soon as the west felt that Russia had gained too much under the terms of the first treaty.

10. Treaty of Shimonoseki 1895



Answer: First Sino-Japanese War



Lasting from August 1894 until April 1895, this war between Japan and China was essentially a fight for control of Korea. Japan had its eye on Korea's natural resources, and encouraged Korea to declare itself independent of China. Matters escalated, especially when a Korean leader, who favoured Japan, was assassinated in Shanghai and full scale war broke out in 1894. Although China had greater manpower, Japan had modernised itself and was soon on the offensive, invading Manchuria and the province of Shandong.



China was defeated and the Treaty of Shimonoseki formally ended the war. China had to recognise Korea as an independent nation, cede Taiwan to Japan and open certain ports to trade with Japan. The two countries would fight again, but not until 1937 and overlapping with World War II.

Source: Author rossian This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor trident before going online.Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
CHAOS ensued at yesterday's 33rd Independence Day anniversary at Outapi in the Omusati region as some people grabbed food initially meant for Very Very Important Persons (VVIPs) and fled the event.

The VVIP category comprised the president, ministers, deputy ministers, members of parliament, regional governors and councillors.

Their menu included fried beef, Greek salad, and steamed vegetables.

Chaos erupted after president Hage Geingob announced that the food prepared for VVIPs would be given to the public due to an insufficient supply.

Attendees, especially children, began grabbing food, leaving some elders with nothing.

Elizabeth Kristian from Omatelekelo village at Ogongo blamed the organising committee for the situation.

"People of the Omusati region have no respect for elders. The president gave us food because he cares, yet they allowed children to run away with it," she said.

Nahango Erastus from Iishanaputa village said the celebration was not well organised compared to past celebrations at Oshakati, where people queued up to receive food without incident.

"Omusati should learn from Oshakati," he said.

Venesia Shikesho from Okathitu kaShau said she witnessed young boys running away with food in their hands and others licking their fingers.

During his Independence Day speech, Geingob said Namibians must ensure that the struggle for economic emancipation does not become a justification for social unrest and division.

"As a free and independent nation with a history of a long and bitter struggle, we should reject any efforts to divide our citizens based on tribal, ethnic, racial, gender or religious differences," he said.

POPULATION UNDER DURESS

The country's 33rd Independence Day was further marred by protests against unemployment and arrests.

Political analyst Henning Melber says young people see little reason to be optimistic about the future, with half the population lacking proper sanitation and living in poverty.

"Daily life is a permanent reminder that after 33 years of independence Namibia remains one of the most unequal societies [in the world]," he says.

Melber says yesterday's arrests violated civil liberties and betrayed the values enshrined in the Constitution.

"The right to freedom of opinion, the right to peaceful protest, the right to assemble and other related civil liberties of a plural democratic society were violated by the authorities through police [officers] who put aside law and created disorder. This adds fuel to the flames," he says.

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Popular Democratic Movement (PDM) parliamentarian Maximiliant Katjimune labels the country's 33rd Independence Day a disaster.

"The government has to wake up and resolve unemployment, poverty and inequality as a matter of urgency before things get out of hand. We cannot continue with business as usual," he says.

Political analyst Joseph Diescho says Namibia's leadership is out of touch with the people and is only interested in self-congratulation and celebrating the past.

He highlights the need for youth organisers to understand the current unemployment crisis and to inspire young people to take themselves seriously.

Independent Patriots for Change spokesperson Immanuel Nashinge says the younger generation is no longer interested in hearing about the liberation struggle.

They are more concerned about the current challenges they are faced with in their daily lives, he says.

"We have Namibians who are struggling with simple items like food," Nashinge says.

He says the government is not addressing the current challenges Namibians are faced with, and the younger generation hopes to hear solutions to these challenges.
It has been 12 years since Andries Tatane was shot by the police in broad daylight, in front of television cameras and community members.

The social activist was part of a group of community members who took to the streets to demand access to tap water from Setsoto Local Municipality in Ficksburg.

Television footage showed Tatane was unarmed and posed no threat to the police.

Twelve years later, his family is still fighting for his killer to be brought to book.

On Friday, the family visited his grave to mark 12 years since his passing.

The seven officers who were accused of his murder and assault were acquitted by the Ficksburg Magistrate's Court in 2013.

Tatane's sister, Seipati Tatane, told Scrolla.Africa that the family has not healed from her brother's brutal killing.

"What hurts the most is that the people who killed him are free and continuing with their lives as if nothing happened.

"The court failed us. We were told that the suspects were released because there was a lack of evidence to prosecute them. We don't understand this because the incident was captured by the media. What more evidence does the court need?"

She said that they are working with Forum 4 Service Delivery (F4SD) in a petition calling for a re-investigation into the brutal death of Tatane.

"We will not rest until the court ruling is reversed and suspects are sent into incarceration," she said.

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F4SD president Mbahare Kekana said Tatane's death has exposed the painful societal tensions and difficulties South Africans are faced with daily.

"Police continue to fail dismally to handle public protests and see protesters as their enemies rather than people fighting for their rights.

"All government services should be based on the concept of service; the poorest of the poor should be guaranteed a right to life, dignity and respect. However, Tatane was denied all those rights and unfortunately died in an undignified way," he said.

Kekana added that Tatane had the courage to lead from the front in the society he served, but 12 years later, the Setsoto Municipality is still unable to deliver basic services to the people.

Pictured above: Andries Tatane's family

Image source: Supplied
Welcome to my genealogy blog. Genea-Musings features genealogy research tips and techniques, genealogy news items and commentary, genealogy humor, San Diego genealogy society news, family history research and some family history stories from the keyboard of Randy Seaver (of Chula Vista CA), who thinks that Genealogy Research Is really FUN! Copyright (c) Randall J. Seaver, 2006-2021.
bohlah at 22-04-2023 04:54 AM (1 week ago) (m)

The Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has said that Nigerians are large-hearted people and they will forgive President Buhari.



He stated this in an interview with Channels TV this evening April 21.



Recall that President Buhari earlier today asked for forgiveness from anyone who he must have wronged during his time in office.



Quote Whoever thought that there had been some form of injustice on him, we are all human; there is no doubt I hurt some people, and I wish theyd pardon me; those who think I hurt them so much, please PARDON ME.  PMB, today, as he received last Sallah homage as the President.''

During the interview, Garba was asked if Nigerians will really forgive the President considering the fact that he failed to deliver in some of his promises which include security. Responding, Garba said;



The Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has said that Nigerians are large-hearted people and they will forgive President Buhari.He stated this in an interview with Channels TV this evening April 21.Recall that President Buhari earlier today asked for forgiveness from anyone who he must have wronged during his time in office.During the interview, Garba was asked if Nigerians will really forgive the President considering the fact that he failed to deliver in some of his promises which include security. Responding, Garba said; I believe that Nigerians are large-hearted and they would forgive the President''.

Watch a video of the President asking for forgiveness and also Garba's reaction below

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lindaikejiblog (@lindaikejiblogofficial)

Post Reply I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist Posted: at 22-04-2023 04:54 AM (1 week ago) | Addicted Hero
amasan1 at 22-04-2023 08:40 AM (1 week ago) (m)

A legal practitioner, Festus Ogun, has dragged the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to the Federal High Court.

A legal practitioner, Festus Ogun, has dragged the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, to the Federal High Court.

The human rights activist filed the lawsuit to challenge the police chiefs continuous stay in office after his retirement.



Baba clocked 60 on March 1.



I firmly believe that his continuous stay in office is illegal and unconstitutional. Rule of law must reign supreme, the Principal Partner of Festus Ogun Legal said on Friday.



In the suit marked FHC/AB/CS/24/23 and filed on Thursday at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta Judicial Division, the defendants are the IGP, the President, and the Police Service Commission (PSC).



In his argument, the plaintiff insisted Baba has reached his retirement age, but is not willing to step out of the Police Force, claiming he has four years tenure like the President.



Why should a retired Police IG continue in office as Inspector General of Police? Rule of Law is now a joke in Nigeria, the lawyer fumed.



Ogun said the position of the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi that Baba could stay in office for four years despite clocking the retirement age is rooted in [a] grave misconception of our extant laws.



He said: The IGP cannot stay beyond 60 years of age in office. Upon attainment of age 60 in March, he ceases to be a police officer, let alone an IGP.



Staying in office a day after clocking 60 years of age will, therefore, be illegal and unconstitutional. It will be likened to a civilian holding the highest police rank in the country.



He informed the authorities that Section 7 (6) and Section 18 ( cannot be read in isolation of each other, and thus must be read together for full effect.



Dingyadi, he continued, cannot rely only on Section 7(6) of the Police Act and completely shy away from Section 18 ( of the same law.



That will be dishonest and a misinterpretation of law. This dangerous precedent must be averted. Rule of law must be respected by all persons, Ogun stressed. The human rights activist filed the lawsuit to challenge the police chiefs continuous stay in office after his retirement.Baba clocked 60 on March 1.I firmly believe that his continuous stay in office is illegal and unconstitutional. Rule of law must reign supreme, the Principal Partner of Festus Ogun Legal said on Friday.In the suit marked FHC/AB/CS/24/23 and filed on Thursday at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta Judicial Division, the defendants are the IGP, the President, and the Police Service Commission (PSC).In his argument, the plaintiff insisted Baba has reached his retirement age, but is not willing to step out of the Police Force, claiming he has four years tenure like the President.Why should a retired Police IG continue in office as Inspector General of Police? Rule of Law is now a joke in Nigeria, the lawyer fumed.Ogun said the position of the Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Dingyadi that Baba could stay in office for four years despite clocking the retirement age is rooted in [a] grave misconception of our extant laws.He said: The IGP cannot stay beyond 60 years of age in office. Upon attainment of age 60 in March, he ceases to be a police officer, let alone an IGP.Staying in office a day after clocking 60 years of age will, therefore, be illegal and unconstitutional. It will be likened to a civilian holding the highest police rank in the country.He informed the authorities that Section 7 (6) and Section 18 (cannot be read in isolation of each other, and thus must be read together for full effect.Dingyadi, he continued, cannot rely only on Section 7(6) of the Police Act and completely shy away from Section 18 (of the same law.That will be dishonest and a misinterpretation of law. This dangerous precedent must be averted. Rule of law must be respected by all persons, Ogun stressed.

Post Reply I am an investigative reporter at Gistmania, I conduct fact-finding investigative journalism. Posted: at 22-04-2023 08:40 AM (1 week ago) | Hero
The private sector has the potential to bring enormous additional resources to African countries to help them meet their national targets for reducing emissions and adapting to climate change impacts.

press release

The African Development Bank recently hosted a workshop for stakeholders in Kenya's energy sector to discuss the new Public-Private Partnership Act 2021 and how it can advance the country's power industry.

The 23 March to 24 March event was organized together with the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), the country's power transmission agency. Participants looked at the status of the Act and made recommendations that would help to expedite the development of PPPs.

Signed into law in December 2021, the new Act recognizes the need to enhance private sector participation in the financing, construction, development, operation or maintenance of infrastructure or development projects. For the energy sector, PPPs will contribute in the develop of generation and transmission lines.

In addition to providing deep insight to the development of PPP transmission lines, the workshop also aimed at establishing key synergies that will help to catalyze the development of PPPs.

It followed a series of engagements between the Bank and KETRACO about their proposed PPP Transmission Lines Program and the need to clarify aspects of the Act.

The Kenyan utility had requested the Bank's support in funding and organizing the event to review the Act and help to create knowledge and understanding and enable the acceleration of private transmission project development in the country.

"Part of our initial due diligence indicated that there was a knowledge gap within its PPP project implementation team and, more broadly, a need for clarity on key stakeholder management in the appraisal, procurement, and structuring of transmission line PPPs," said Angela Nalikka, the African Development Bank's Manager for Power Systems Solutions Development.

Speaking at the event, the General Manager, Project Development Services at KETRACO, John Mativo, said the workshop had given the staff a better understanding of the PPP Act.

"The institution is definitely on a stronger footing to engage stakeholders and we are grateful to the African Development Bank for their contribution," Mativo said.

The event attracted participants from the country's electricity agencies, government departments and development institutions.

Among those in attendance were the Ministry of Energy, Kenya Power and Lighting Company Limited, Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Kenya Electricity Generation Limited (KENGEN), SwedFund, and the International Finance Corporation.
Vivo X Fold 2, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Tecno Phantom V Fold: Best Foldable Phones 2023 Features oi -Carlsen Martin

The Vivo X Fold 2 was recently unveiled in China as the brands third foldable smartphone following the Vivo X Fold and Vivo X Fold+. But it isn't just Vivo, the Tecno Phantom V Fold arrived in India last week.

And brands like Huawei, Honor, Oppo, Motorola, and Xiaomi has all revealed foldable smartphones of their own in the past year to rival Samsung's dominance of the foldable phone market. So we've decided to list some of the best foldable phones 2023.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 | The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is well over six months old, but it still reigns top dog in the foldable smartphone segment. Not only is the Galaxy Z Fold 4 the most accessible foldable phone on our list but it is the most refined yet and is easily the furthest you can go with the foldable form factor. It is also the most adept at blurring the lines between flagship and foldable. However, the one caveat here is that all this refinement comes at a pretty hefty price.

Tenco Phantom V Fold | If the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the most expensive, then the Phantom V Fold is the most affordable foldable phone on our list. For a first-generation foldable smartphone that costs as much as a flip phone, the Phantom V Fold is rather impressive. The Phantom V Fold also does a better job than Samsung at dealing with the crease. The Phantom V Fold is an excellent foldable smartphone, especially considering its price, and goes a long way towards making the foldable form factor more accessible.

Vivo X Fold 2 | The Vivo X Fold 2 arrives with a flagship specs sheet on both the display, camera, and performance fronts. Additionally, the X Fold 2's new hinge design is rated for 400,000 folds, which is among the highest among foldable phones. The X Fold 2 also features ZEISS T* lens coating and optics co-engineered with ZEISS. The company is yet to confirm the Vivo X Fold 2 India and global availability.

Oppo Find N2 | Unlike other foldable smartphones on our list, the Oppo Find N2 is more on the smaller side, measuring just 7.1 inches when unfolded. Additionally, the Find N2 is also one of the few smartphones on this list that offers stylus support. Additionally, the Find N2 brings flagship specifications, solid Gorilla Glass Victus protection, and a triple-camera setup fine tuned in collaboration with Hasselblad.

Motorola Razr 2022 | The Moto Razr makes an appearance as the first clamshell folding smartphone on our list. After a couple of attempts with mid-range chipsets, Motorola finally gave its Razr folding smartphone the flagship treatment it deserved last year. Not only that but the Lenovo-owned brand also increased the size of the cover display and updated its capabilities. Motorola was the first brand to reinvent the flip form factor for smartphones with the original Moto Razr in 2019. And after years of trial and error, the company finally got it right with the Razr 2022.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 | As amazing as the Moto Razr 2022 was, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 was simply better. Despite a smaller cover screen compared to its competitors, the Z Flip 4 takes the top spot among flip smartphones, primarily because of its accessibility. But accessibility aside, Samsung still offers a flagship smartphone experience, water resistance included, with the Galaxy Z Flip 4. If you prefer the 'flip' form factor, there's no better choice than the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Huawei Mate X3 | Moving back to the horizontal folding smartphones and next up we have the first non-Android, 4G foldable smartphone on our list. While the Mate X3 might be lacking on the software front, it certainly makes up for it in terms of hardware. It is also worth noting that the Chinese version of the Mate X3 is equipped with a Silicon-carbon battery, while the device also supports satellite messaging. However, the one downfall on the Mate X3 is the lack of 5G support and access to Google Services.

Vivo X Flip | The Vivo X Flip recently made its debut as the first clamshell folding smartphone by the brand. The flip phone is currently only available in China and there's no confirmation about its launch outside the country. However, the Vivo X Flip does arrive with a flagship specs sheet, including cameras co-engineered with ZEISS. The phone also has one of the largest cover screens on a flip smartphone and brings a ton of utility with Vivo partnering with several developers to bring more app support for the cover display.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 | The Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 is the second foldable smartphone from the brand and features a slightly larger display when unfolded as compared to other devices on our list. The Mix Fold 2 also features all the aspects of a flagship foldable smartphone, including a top-tier chipset, vibrant displays, and a camera setup co-developed with experts Leica.

Oppo Find N2 Flip | The Oppo Find N2 Flip is the last vertical folding smartphone on our list. The Find N2 Flip is a more accessible smartphone, available for purchase in India, globally, and in China. Moreover, the Find N2 Flip has all the makings of a flagship smartphone with a sizeable battery for a flip smartphone. Additionally, the phone features a large cover display and a dual-rear camera setup fine tuned by Hasselblad. On balance, the Find N2 Flip is a solid flip phone that is as close as a flagship as you'll ever get with the flip form factor.

Best Mobiles in India
Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 foldable smartphone to feature waterproof body, periscope camera News oi -Carlsen Martin

After the recent launch of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra, the Chinese smartphone maker is now gearing up to unveil a new foldable smartphone. The Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 will succeed last year's Mix Fold 2. Now, recent reports provide insight into the specifications of the Mix Fold 3.

According to a post by tipster Digital Chat Station, the upcoming Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 will feature a periscope camera. However, there is no mention of the sensor used or the megapixel count. To recall, the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 opted for an 8 MP telephoto shooter with 2x optical zoom.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 3 could be second waterproof Foldable

The addition of the periscope camera sensor will improve the zoom capabilities of the Mix Fold 3. The tipster also notes that the Mix Fold 3 will feature a waterproof design, hinting towards an IP8X rating, although there is no mention of the rating, which suggests Xiaomi is still running tests to determine an official IP rating.

It seems like Xiaomi is looking to make big upgrades to the camera system of the Mix Fold 3, taking inspiration from the camera system of the recently launched Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Xiaomi could also leverage its partnership with Leica for the camera setup on the Mix Fold 3.

Improved Camera hardware on Foldables

The emphasis on camera on foldable smartphones doesn't come as a surprise as OEMs are placing a heavy focus on optics. This was also the case with the Vivo X Fold 2 and Vivo X Flip, both of which use ZEISS optics and ZEISS T* lens coating, while the Oppo Find N2 and Find N2 Flip feature Hasselblad camera tuning.

The jury is still out on the camera system of the Mix Fold 3, although let's not rule out the addition of the 1-inch camera sensor of the Xiaomi 13 Ultra. Digital Chat Station also noted that the Mix Fold 3 is said to be thinner and lighter than its predecessor. Xiaomi is yet to provide an official detail about its upcoming foldable phone, but we will update you as soon as they do.

Best Mobiles in India

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7 indicted in espionage case involving retired Air Force captain

ROC Central News Agency

04/21/2023 10:18 PM

Taipei, April 21 (CNA) A retired Air Force captain and six active military officers in Taiwan's Air Force and Navy were indicted in Kaohsiung on Thursday for allegedly spying for communist China.

All seven individuals were charged with violating the Classified National Security Information Protection Act by the Taiwan High Prosecutors Office in Kaohsiung.

Prosecutors and investigators launched the case in January this year, detaining a retired Air Force captain and three active military officers on Jan. 4, while three other active lieutenant commanders were released on bail ranging from NT$100,000 (US$3,268) to NT$200,000 bail.

The detainees included the retired captain surnamed Liu (aS), who is at the center of the investigation, an active commander surnamed Sun (a), and two lieutenant commanders identified by their surnames Liu and Kung (e), respectively.

Following their indictment on Thursday, the Taiwan High Court branch in Kaohsiung ordered the four individuals to be held incommunicado starting on Friday.

The three others involved with the case remain released on bail so far.

According to the investigation's findings, Liu began doing business in China after retiring from the Air Force in 2013.

He was then recruited by the Chinese side to serve as a spy and, using his personnel connections in the military, help recruit active military officers in the Navy and Air Force to join in the spying activities, according to prosecutors.

They allege Liu recruited at least six officers into his spy ring and received "rewards" of between NT$200,000 and NT$700,000 from the Chinese side through a shell company he set up for each individual he brought into the fold.

In addition, Liu was given bonuses of between NT$30,000 and NT$100,000 if his benefactors were supplied with information on Taiwan's military.

(By Hung Hsueh-kuang and James Lo)

Enditem/cs

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'Creative Diplomacy' And The FSB: Was A Russian NGO Bridging Divides Or Spying On Unwitting Participants?

By Mike Eckel April 21, 2023

In November 2018, at Tufts University's Fletcher School, near Boston, Natalia Burlinova, a Russian foreign policy expert visiting from Moscow, was the featured guest for a discussion on the importance of public diplomacy. The event featured a small group discussion with graduate students, meetings with professors, and a dinner.

Shortly after the event concluded, Burlinova sent photographs and details of her meetings with participants. She later sent more photographs and information, as well as rAsumAs, from similar events that were held around the same time at other U.S. universities: George Washington University, Harvard University's Davis Center, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

According to the FBI, the alleged recipient of the photographs and notes on her meetings was Russia's main domestic intelligence agency, the Federal Security Service (FSB).

Now residing in Russia, Burlinova was charged this week by the Justice Department with conspiracy to defraud and failure to register under the U.S. Foreign Agents Registration Act. The FBI has issued a warrant for her arrest.

According to the U.S. criminal complaint, the meetings with American students and academics were part of "a years-long effort to influence the opinions of future leaders in the United States on behalf of the Russian government."

In addition to the U.S. meetings, Burlinova and her organization, called Creative Diplomacy, or PICREADI, hosted dozens of young journalists, public policy specialists, and newly minted graduate students at annual events in Russia over the course of four years -- a program that "was funded in part by the FSB, a fact never disclosed to the public," according to the FBI. The organization's website prominently features an interview with a Russian couple who were kicked out of the United States in 2010 after the FBI identified them and eight others as "sleeper agents" for Russian intelligence.

"Burlinova provided extensive information to the FSB about the U.S. citizen participants in the Meeting Russia programs, including biographical information, their interests, and their political opinions," the FBI alleged. "The FSB subsequently monitored the career developments of these U.S. citizen participants with an aim that some would become influential public figures."

Nefarious Purposes?

The allegations have stunned some of those who participated in the events in Moscow and the United States, according to interviews with more than a dozen people who attended programs hosted or organized by Burlinova. Others said they weren't surprised by the criminal charges. Still others said they were disappointed that they may have been duped, having believed they were merely engaging in high-minded academic discussions about public diplomacy and cross-cultural understanding.

"There were no discussions at any point of any covert contacts or funding or of any nefarious purposes," said one person who was involved the program for many years and who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject. If the allegations are true, "this would mean that [Burlinova] acted very irresponsibly toward members of the team, participants, and partners of the program."

"It was very obvious to me that she had a desire to influence our thoughts on Russia, but I didn't think she was particularly good at that," said Caleb Larson, a Berlin-based reporter who traveled to Moscow in 2018 to participate in one of the Meeting Russia events.

"In retrospect, you end up thinking, 'Oh, so you're some sort of low-level FSB informant trying to play a bigger game, and you're not doing it particularly well,'" he said.

In a series of audio recordings that she provided to RFE/RL, Burlinova said the charges were politically motivated, calling herself a "humble teacher" and saying the allegations echo the case of Maria Butina, a Russian who was arrested in the United States in 2018 and convicted on similar foreign agent charges.

"It's just an attempt to create a Butina Part II," she said. "That is, the case of Maria Butina Part II."

Creative Diplomacy

The case against Burlinova is one of several that U.S. law enforcement has pursued in recent years, highlighting what U.S. authorities argue are Russian "malign influence" efforts in the United States and elsewhere.

One of the best known cases is that of Butina, a gun-rights activist who sought to infiltrate Republican Party political circles and who worked closely with a powerful Kremlin-connected political figure. She was deported in 2019 after serving a prison sentence on charges of being an unregistered foreign agent.

Other cases include Elena Branson, a Russian-American woman who headed an NGO that ostensibly advocated on behalf of Russian expatriates. She fled the United States in October 2020 a month after FBI agents raided her Manhattan apartment and now lives in Russia.

Burlinova's case "hearkens back what was going on pre-Trump election in 2016, when you had the Russians trying to get into Twitter accounts, Facebook accounts and other social media...to try and attract Americans," said Steven Hall, who served as the CIA's station chief in Moscow in the 1990s. "This seems to be an advanced variation of that."

Founded in 2010, PICREADI says it was formed to engage in Russian public diplomacy, a concept that basically describes government efforts to influence public opinion as part of conducting foreign policy.

For years, according to the U.S. documents, Burlinova communicated with an unnamed FSB officer to coordinate her travels and event planning. In 2015, for example, the FSB officer gave Burlinova a list of people associated with U.S. universities and foreign policy institutes and instructed her to research them, the FBI said.

'We're Angry Now'

Details in the FBI affidavit suggest agents had extensive, detailed access to Burlinova's cell phone or e-mail accounts or computer files, including her correspondence with an unnamed FSB officer with whom she consulted frequently and to whom she sent photographs, rAsumAs, and other information.

"If she didn't delete the e-mails, texts, or pictures on her phone, then it's all fair game," said Darren Mott, a retired FBI special agent who specialized in cyber- and counterintelligence threats.

"If she wasn't officially trained by the FSB to be an asset, then she was probably lazy in her operational security," he said -- for example, storing files on her phone that could then be easily accessed.

In November 2018, Burlinova and a colleague traveled to the United States for events and meetings at several universities, including Tufts' Fletcher School, Harvard's Davis Center, George Washington University, and MIT. The FSB gave Burlinova 150,000 rubles ($2,300) for the trip, the FBI complaint said.

According to people with knowledge of the events, Burlinova espoused Russian government positions in her discussions and supported President Vladimir Putin but didn't come across as a Kremlin shill or voice unwavering support for Kremlin policies.

On November 15, "Burlinova sent to the FSB Officer several photographs of her meetings with U.S. citizens at the U.S. universities, and updated him on her various meetings in the United States," the complaint said. It said she sent the officer more information later in November, after returning to Russia.

"We were fairly clear-eyed when we decided to invite her," said one person with knowledge of the events, also speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. But "we never suspected she was some sort of spy."

"We're angry about the situation now," the person said.

The FBI later met twice with officials at Tufts, most recently in March 2022, asking questions about Burlinova and her organization.

The Fletcher School declined to comment on questions about Burlinova's events there. MIT and the Harvard's Davis Center did not respond to e-mails seeking comment. An official at George Washington University told RFE/RL that Burlinova had met informally with two professors and never gave any presentations to students or faculty.

Meeting Russia

Between 2017 and 2021, Burlinova organized a series of annual events in Moscow called Meeting Russia. The events were billed as a way for young professionals -- foreign policy experts, graduate students, journalists -- to "facilitate productive dialogue among the new generation of leaders and draw attention to the critical points in Russia's relations with the United States and the European Union."

The program paid for participants' food, lodging, and transportation within Russia. Some participants said their airfare was paid for, while others said they paid their own way.

In interviews with RFE/RL, participants said it was clear there was a pointed effort to present a pro-Russian, pro-government point of view. Some, particularly journalists who participated, said they saw no problem with that and that it was useful to hear directly from Russian lawmakers and others.

Burlinova's "own designs, her own point of view, were totally Kremlin-friendly, but it was a transparent thing. It wasn't being hidden. She was clear about where her positions stood," said Reid Standish, who attended the event in 2018 as a freelance journalist. Standish is now a reporter with RFE/RL who focuses on China.

"I went into it with very clear eyes. I was curious to check it out," Standish said.

Another attendee agreed that Burlinova was up-front about her pro-government views. Still, he was surprised to hear about the arrest warrant and the criminal charges.

"What was weird to me about the entire thing is what [was] couched in this public diplomacy language. PICREADI was billed as this public diplomacy organization. But I had the sense that they didn't know what that was," said the person, who asked not to be named so as not to jeopardize a job search or security clearance.

"What [the event] was at its core was a just series of meetings. [It] didn't seem like it was intended to quote-unquote recruit anyone," the person said.

The FBI also questioned several attendees about the events, according to the criminal complaint. Several participants confirmed to RFE/RL they had been questioned about Burlinova and her organization.

"The FSB link. I knew others that I have talked to on the program. We all assumed there would be spying, but the question was, 'Is the program being spied on, or is the program spying on us?'" said Bennett Murray, a journalist who attended the program in Moscow in 2019 and is now a freelance journalist living in Serbia.

"I'm not too shocked about the whole spying stuff," he said.

One European attendee said it was completely not a surprise Burlinova had allegedly been working with the FSB and said she had exchanged messages with other participants after news broke of the arrest warrant.

"We were always right, what we thought about this organization," said the person, who also asked to speak anonymously due to her work with a European government agency. "I was messaging with two other friends. We were like, 'This is insane, but also I'm not really surprised.'"

The person said it was upsetting to know Burlinova had allegedly been passing personal information to the FSB, but: "If you really thought that you could go to Russia in 2018 and thought something like that could not happen to you, you're really super naive."

"We were aware of the risks, data being monitored. We would joke that there were like dodgy cars following us," another European attendee said. "It seems like everyone was there in good faith, establishing a dialogue. We didn't think she was actively involved in passing information."

Burlinova spoke openly about how the organization had received government funding -- a grant from the government's Presidential Fund, which gives money to many Russian organizations, participants said.

"I was thinking about the allegation that the program was funded by the FSB," another participant said. "It's so disheartening. We all knew she would get funding from the Russian [Foreign Ministry], and I remember her justifying it because of the foreign agent law, the difficult environment for NGOs, the lack of alternatives."

"We believed her. I guess we were trusting her good faith," the person said.

'Absolutely Groundless'

In her audio responses to RFE/RL, Burlinova contended the charges that she was a foreign agent of the Russian government operating in the United States were "groundless."

"The accusations of the American government that I was engaged in some kind of recruiting activity or was illegal activity...as a foreign agent there -- I think they are absolutely groundless," she said. "I didn't represent the Russian government or the state. I had a purely personal mission to present the Russian program, which is a public diplomacy program, and what we promoted within the framework of this program is Russian narratives."

The Meeting Russia events ended after 2021 for unclear reasons. But Burlinova set up an alumni group for people who participated, including a Facebook page where she and others regularly debated, and sometimes argued, about current events. In some cases, a person using a PICREADI log-on would post pointed, critical comments to participants' own social media accounts -- on Instagram, for example.

After Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, discussions involving many of the participants in the Meeting Russia events turned more negative toward Burlinova, PICREADI, and Russian foreign policy altogether. Burlinova posted commentary echoing unfounded Russian claims that Russia was forced to invade Ukraine and that Ukraine was home to bio-weapons laboratories funded by the United States.

Burlinova "sees herself as a public diplomat person," Murray said. "At the same time, she probably realizes now that all of her work cultivating people in the West has been wrecked" by the Ukraine invasion.

PICREADI's website has a mix of blog posts, videos, journal articles, and promotional materials. It also includes interviews with Russian public figures.

Two of those interviews -- one published in 2018 and one in 2020 -- are interviews with a husband and wife who were among the 10 Russians arrested by the FBI in 2010 and accused of being "sleeper agents" posing as average U.S. citizens in the United States.

"If [Russia] can manage to preserve peace, it will be a country that is much more open to the world and much more active, especially from the people's point of view," Andrei Bezrukov, who was living under the name Donald Heatherfield when he was arrested, was quoted as saying. "It also has the potential to become a serious exporter, especially [an] exporter of technology.

"But, if there is war, and I hope not, then all forecasts are off," he said.

On April 21, Burlinova posted a photograph to her Telegram channel, showing her standing alongside Butina in an undisclosed location.

"So, two 'foreign agents' have met up, the main weapon of Russian intelligence in the United States," she wrote. "Thank you, Maria, for your interest in my situation."

RFE/RL correspondent Todd Prince contributed to this report.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-fsb-fbi- burlinova-arrest-warrant-spying/32373997.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Hokanson: State Partnership Program Stable, Steadfast and Growing

By Sgt. 1st Class Zach Sheely, National Guard Bureau April 21, 2023

DENVER -- The Department of Defense National Guard Bureau State Partnership Program  built on enduring relationships, common interests and trust  is stable, steadfast and growing, the Guard's top leader said Thursday.

The program started with 13 partnerships in 1993. It now boasts 100 nations paired with National Guard elements from every state, territory and the District of Columbia, with more to come.

The program will be refined and expanded in the coming months and years, said Army Gen. Daniel Hokanson, National Guard Bureau chief.

"We're looking at streamlining processes, ensuring funding, and expanding existing partnerships, while selectively looking at where we add additional partnerships," Hokanson told the Guard's annual SPP conference.

In the last year alone, the Guard added seven SPP security cooperation agreements  Austria and Vermont, Norway and Minnesota, Samoa and Nevada, and most recently, Oman and Arizona. Three nations are awaiting partner announcements.

The State Partnership Program began 30 years ago after the breakup of the Soviet Union to help countries emerging from behind the Iron Curtain. Now, 25 European nations are partnered with National Guard elements, with partner nations in every geographic combatant command area of responsibility.

The program is administered by the National Guard Bureau and guided by State Department foreign policy goals. It is executed by the adjutants general in support of combatant commanders, U.S. Chief of Mission security cooperation objectives, and Department of Defense policy goals.

Guardsmen, who often serve in the same state for an entire career, offer the continuity to build lasting relationships with foreign military counterparts. These relationships also provide the DOD with regional access, as evidenced by Russia's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.

"We never want to see another Ukraine," Hokanson said. "We never want to see another country's borders violated. As our Guardsmen work with their counterparts in different countries, we can help identify and hopefully prevent these things from happening in the future."

The 2022 National Defense Strategy names partnerships with foreign allies as a key strategic advantage: "Mutually-beneficial alliances and partnerships are an enduring strength  and will be all the more critical in the years ahead."

In support of that NDS goal, Hokanson said the Guard is postured to grow the SPP in the next decade.

Partnerships start at the military-to-military level, with Guardsmen training side-by-side with foreign counterparts at home and abroad. They often evolve into whole-of-society relationships between states and nations.

Hokanson said the Guard executes 20%-30% of the nation's security cooperation engagements that are SPP-related or enabled, with 1% of the U.S. security cooperation budget.

"I don't think you can find a better value than the State Partnership Program," he said.

Retired Army Gen. Stephen Townsend, a conference keynote speaker, said value, flexibility and persistence are three characteristics exemplified by the SPP.

"In my view, these three features embody state partnerships and are the reason why SPP is so useful both to our combatant commanders and our National Guard," Townsend said.

In his final assignment as the commander of U.S. Africa Command, Townsend said he saw the value of the SPP firsthand.

"I know this because it was always a talking point during my visits to Africa," he said. "It wasn't just service chiefs or chiefs of defense asking me about the partnership program. It was the presidents and ministers.

"If they didn't have an SPP, they wanted one," he said. "If they had an SPP, they wanted more of it."

There are 17 African nations in the SPP. The Utah Guard was one of the first state partnerships established in Africa, pairing with the Kingdom of Morocco in 2003. Townsend lauded the effectiveness of this partnership.

"I designated African Lion as AFRICOM's priority joint and multinational exercise in 2019," he said. "The Utah National Guard has really stepped up to the plate with everything from self-propelled howitzers to special forces, military bands and KC-135 tankers."

Townsend said the special sauce of the SPP is the extended relationship reach.

"It's not just a program for the Guard; it's a partnership for the whole of state government," Townsend said, citing Iowa and Kosovo's close ties, with foundations in the SPP.

The Iowa Guard and Kosovo were paired in the SPP in 2003, and shortly after that, Iowa designated Kosovo as a sister state. Kosovo has since established a consulate in Iowa, the first foreign diplomatic representation in that state.

The global environment is changing and the Guard's efforts and relationships with state partners are paramount, Hokanson said. As partnerships mature, an increased emphasis on multidomain operations has emerged, including cyber- and space-related deterrence.

"Space is big, and we need our partners and our allies to make sure that we are resilient in this domain," said Air Force Brig. Gen. Michael Bruno, chief of staff, Colorado Air National Guard. "Strengthening our relationships with our partners is crucial to maintaining a secure, safe and sustainable space environment."

Bruno said highlighting the importance of the space domain begins with education. He added that including partners in space-related exercises, like U.S. Space Command's Global Sentinel, can increase global space situational awareness and enable Guardsmen to learn from partners.

"That's the great thing about the SPP," he said. "It's not one-sided; we learn from each other and we grow from each other's knowledge."

Hokanson said the SPP is intended to be mutually beneficial.

"We are all trying to do the same things, ensure the safety and security of our citizens, and preserve our borders and sovereignty," he said. "It is an incredible two-way exchange of information."

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Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai (R) and Clarence Pace, director general of the Department for Health Services within the Ministry for Health of Malta, and chairman of the board of the Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM), inaugurate an insomnia specialist clinic in Paola, Malta, on April 21, 2023. The Mediterranean Regional Center for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) on Friday opened the insomnia specialist clinic in Paola, offering TCM treatment for sleep disorders. (Xinhua/Chen Wenxian)

VALLETTA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Mediterranean Regional Centre for Traditional Chinese Medicine (MRCTCM) on Friday opened an insomnia specialist clinic in Paola, Malta, offering TCM treatment for sleep disorders.

Chinese Ambassador to Malta Yu Dunhai said that the opening of the clinic marks a significant milestone for the MRCTCM and reflects the strong bilateral relations between China and Malta.

This year commemorates the 60th anniversary of China sending its first medical aid team abroad, as well as the 30th anniversary of China dispatching its first medical team to Malta, Yu added.

Noting the assistance provided by Chinese medical teams to the Maltese community, Yu said their ongoing commitment to serving Maltese people is a reflection of "excellent bilateral relations" and "a message of bringing closer people-to-people exchanges."

Clarence Pace, director general of the Department for Health Services within the Ministry for Health, and chairman of the board of MRCTCM as well, emphasized the popularity of TCM among the local population.

Insomnia is a prevalent condition in Malta, he said, adding that TCM uses treatments including acupuncture, which research has proved effective in treating sleep disorders.

Mario Tabone Pumpach, 56, has suffered from severe insomnia for seven years. Acupuncture has improved his condition, he told Xinhua, adding that he hoped the clinic would bring recovery and help more patients like him.

After the opening ceremony, Pace told Xinhua that cooperation in the field of TCM is an integral part of strengthening friendly relations between Malta and China. He also expects more and better TCM treatment services for patients in the future.

Dong Xiaoyan, head of the 18th Chinese medical team, said the insomnia clinic will help insomniacs with acupuncture, massage and cupping in order to enhance their sleep quality and health.

Since 1994, when the MRCTCM was established by the Chinese and Maltese governments, 18 Chinese medical teams composed of over 100 physicians have offered TCM treatment to more than 200,000 Maltese patients. 
The private sector has the potential to bring enormous additional resources to African countries to help them meet their national targets for reducing emissions and adapting to climate change impacts.

press release

The new agreement will mobilize institutional investor capital in support of AfDB's private sector loan operations focused on African countries

Partnership to support the UN SDGs and climate finance-related targets, enable investments in Africa for ILX's European pension fund participants

AfDB is strongly committed to mobilizing more private sector finance across Africa; ILX is a key partner in catalysing new SDG and Climate focused investments

The African Development Bank and ILX Management B.V. (ILX) today signed a partnership agreement to scale up investments and spur institutional investor capital mobilization for Sustainable Development Goals and climate-focussed private sector projects in the Bank Group's regional member countries.

The signing ceremony took place at the offices of ILX Management in the Netherlands capital Amsterdam.

ILX's investors are the Dutch pension fund asset managers APG Asset Management, (on behalf of ABP and bpfBOUW) and Achmea Investment Management, (on behalf of Pensioenfonds Vervoer), with other Dutch and European pension fund participants in ILX successor funds expected to join in the future. ILX Fund I provides a scalable $1 billion private credit investment strategy to be deployed across emerging and developing countries, co-financing with global Multilateral Development Banks (MDB) and other DFIs.

The cooperation arrangement enables the African Development Bank to deliver on its ambition to mobilize financial resources from institutional investors to bridge the significant financing gap required to meet the Bank's High Five priorities: Light up and Power Africa; Feed Africa; Industrialize Africa; Integrate Africa and Improve the quality of life for the people of Africa. This partnership will allow the Bank and ILX to support non-sovereign operations in these key priority sectors. The High 5s are intrinsically linked to the SDGs.

At the same time, the arrangement offers ILX Fund pension fund participants the opportunity to benefit from the AfDB's long-standing track record of successfully investing in key economic sectors across Africa. All loan investments are SDG or Climate Finance-focussed while offering attractive risk-adjusted returns, combined with robust environmental, social and governance (ESG) safeguarding.

APG Asset Management, the Netherlands' largest pension provider, together with Achmea Investment Management have committed $1,050 million to Emerging Market private credit fund ILX Fund I, to invest in four key economic sectors; energy access & clean energy, sustainable industry & infrastructure, inclusive finance and food security. ILX invests in loan participations arranged by Multilateral Development Banks and other leading DFIs in support of their SDG and Climate focused projects across the Emerging Markets and Developing Economies.

ILX received grant funding in its development phase from: KfW, the German Development Bank, on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); the Netherlands' Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. They strongly supported ILX's role in mobilising large scale pension fund capital for the leading MDBs and other DFIs in support of their SDG and climate-finance-related investments in emerging markets.

Hassatou N'Sele, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the African Development Bank Group, commented: "We are very pleased to be partnering with ILX to mobilize institutional capital with a Sustainable Development Goals focus. Our objectives are aligned, and the African Development Bank has a strong track record of structuring and financing projects with a strong development impact."

Manfred Schepers, Founder and CEO of ILX, said: "We are delighted to have established this strategic partnership. The launch of this partnership demonstrates AfDB's strong commitment to engage actively with European pension funds, as a key partner in its mobilization effort and contribution to sustainable growth across the African continent. We look forward to a long-term partnership with AfDB on behalf of our pension fund investors, which are becoming key counterparts to finance SDG and climate-finance projects across the emerging markets."

Kitty van der Heijden, Director-General for International Cooperation, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Netherlands said: "With this agreement, Dutch pension funds, ILX and the African Development Bank join hands to increase investments in the SDG and climate goals on the African continent. A very welcome step, as the challenges in achieving the SDGs, and the need to integrate the global climate commitments in African countries' development pathways, are more urgent than ever."

About the African Development Bank Group

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa's premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states.

For more information: www.afdb.org

About ILX Management B.V.

ILX Management B.V. is the Amsterdam-based manager of ILX Fund I, an emerging market focused private credit fund that invests in loan participations originated and structured by Multilateral Development Banks and other Development Finance Institutions. ILX aims to create large scale investment opportunities in global development finance that directly contribute to sustainable development across the emerging markets. ILX was created with the grant support from the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation (KfW) on behalf of the German Ministry for Development Cooperation (BMZ), the Netherland's Directorate General for International Cooperation and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

For more information: www.ilxfund.com

Left to Right: Tanja Pelle, CRO/COO of ILX; Steven Collet, Director & Ambassador of Business and Development, Dutch Ministery of Foreign Affairs ; Hassatou N'sele, AfDB; Manfred Schepers, CEO of ILX; Max Ndiaye, AfDB; Elvira Eurlings, CIO of ILX

Contact:
Statement by Minister Joly and Minister Anand on the situation in Sudan

Global Affairs Canada

Statement

April 21 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada

The Honourable Melanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs and The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence, today issued the following statement about support for Canadians in Sudan:

"The situation in Sudan is volatile and deteriorating rapidly. Canada continues to call for an end to violence and stands with the Sudanese people as they strive for peace.

"We are actively monitoring the situation in Sudan and working with neighbouring countries, as well as with like-minded governments and the international community to coordinate the response to this crisis.

"In response to recent developments, Canada has deployed members of Global Affairs Canada's Standing Rapid Deployment Team (SRDT) to Djibouti to enhance our ability to support and to further assess the needs on the ground.

"The SRDT is composed of highly trained employees who are on standby ready to deploy on short notice to assist the Government of Canada when responding to emergencies. Team members provide emergency response, coordination, consular assistance and logistical support.

"The Embassy of Canada to Sudan in Khartoum has temporarily suspended in-person operations. Consular services remain available to Canadians in Sudan; however due to the ongoing security situation, these could be limited. Officials in Ottawa are also in regular contact with Canadians affected, providing them information and advice as the situation develops. Further, officials at our missions in nearby countries also stand ready to support as needed.

"Canadians in need of emergency consular assistance should contact Global Affairs Canada's Emergency Watch and Response Centre:

by calling +1 613-996-8885

by text message at +1 613-686-3658

via WhatsApp at +1 613-909-8881

via Telegram at Canada Emergency Abroad

by e-mail at sos@international.gc.ca

"The Department of National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces are conducting planning for various contingencies alongside Government of Canada partners. Canadian military personnel that have been deployed in the region are in close contact and planning with our allies.

"We will continue to update Canadians regularly as events unfold. We urge all Canadians in Sudan to check travel.gc.ca regularly for updates and to sign up with the Government of Canada's Registration of Canadians Abroad service, so that we can provide direct updates and share crucial information about available assistance."

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April 21, 2023

Release

Navy to Christen Future U.S. Navy Ship Kingsville

The Navy will christen and launch the newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36), during a 10:00 a.m. CST ceremony on Saturday, April 22, in Mobile, Alabama.

The principal speaker, the Honorable Franklin Parker, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs,will deliver the ceremonial principal address. Remarks will also be provided by the Honorable Sam Fugate, mayor of Kingsville; Rear Adm. Fred Pyle, director, Surface Warfare Division, office of the Chief of Naval Operations; Mr. Rusty Murdaugh, president, Austal USA; and Mr. Stan Kordana, vice president of Surface Systems, General Dynamics Mission Systems. Ms. Katherine Kline will break a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow to symbolically christen the ship. Ms. Kline is a member of the sixth generation of the King Ranch family, descendants of steamboat Capt. Richard King who founded the King Ranch located in Kingsville, Texas, in 1853. Naval Air Station Kingsville, located three miles from Kingsville, was founded in 1942 and continues a special relationship with the King Ranch.

"USS Kingsville highlights not only the city of Kingsville and Naval Air Station Kingsville, but also shows the efforts of two communities working together for the betterment of the nation," said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. "As we christen her today, I look forward to seeing the work that the officers and crew of USS Kingsville will do."

Kingsville is the 18th Independence-variant LCS and is the first ship named after Kingsville, Texas.

The Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) class are fast, optimally-manned, mission-tailored surface combatants that operate in near-shore and open-ocean environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. LCSs integrate with joint, combined, manned, and unmanned teams to support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence missions around the globe.

The LCS class consists of two variants, Freedom and Independence, designed and built by two separate industry teams. The Independence-variant team is led by Austal USA (for the even-numbered hulls, e.g. LCS 2).

Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. More information on the Littoral Combat Ship Program can be found at: https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2171607/littoral-combat-ship-class-lcs/

https://www.defense.gov/News/Releases/Release/Article/3370326/

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NATO Deputy Secretary General stresses closer cooperation with Indo-Pacific partners

NATO - North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

21 Apr. 2023

NATO Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoana virtually addressed the NATO and the Indo-Pacific Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania on Friday (21 April 2023), emphasizing NATO's commitment to working more closely with Indo-Pacific partners to address security challenges and preserve peace.

In his remarks, Mr. Geoana highlighted the global nature of security and the shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law, which are under increasing pressure. He stressed that transatlantic security is interconnected with Indo-Pacific security.

"Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine grinds on. Authoritarian regimes in Moscow, Beijing and elsewhere are openly challenging the rules-based international order," he said. The Deputy Secretary General also mentioned the rising security threats posed by terrorism, nuclear proliferation, cyber-attacks, and climate change.

Mr. Geoana emphasized the importance of a unified response to these common challenges, noting that NATO is deepening its partnerships with Indo-Pacific partners, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, and the Republic of Korea.

He also stated that China is not NATO's adversary, but that China's assertive behavior and coercive policies "challenge our values, our interests and our security." He added that the growing alignment of Russia and China is a concern as China refuses to condemn Russia for its unjust and unprovoked war against Ukraine. "Instead, it seeks to maintain the appearance of a carefully balanced neutrality, while also amplifying Russia's false narratives and disinformation," said Mr. Geoana.

To address these challenges, NATO is not only strengthening its partnership with Indo-Pacific partners but also fostering cooperation with other like-minded partners across the globe.

The conference, titled "NATO and the Indo-Pacific: Forging Deeper Partnerships," is part of a series of conversations organized by the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the German Marshall Fund of the United States in the lead-up to the Vilnius Summit in July. The aim of this series is to evaluate and deepen the engagement with NATO partners Australia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, and New Zealand.

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Sudan unrest: Army agrees to three-day truce starting Friday

Iran Press TV

Friday, 21 April 2023 6:15 PM

Sudan's army said it has agreed to a three-day truce starting on Friday to allow people to celebrate the Eid Al-Fitr, after almost a week of fighting between its troops and a rival paramilitary force.

"The armed forces hope that the rebels will abide by all the requirements of the truce and stop any military moves that would obstruct it," an army statement said on Friday.

However, following the army's announcement, media reports quoted witnesses hearing heavy firing in the capital Khartoum.

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) had agreed to the 72-hour truce earlier in the day.

Drone footage showed several plumes of smoke across Khartoum and its Nile sister cities, together with one of Africa's biggest urban areas.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the almost week-long fight has killed at least 330 people and wounded 3,200 more, mainly in the capital and the west of Sudan.

At least five aid workers have been killed, including three from the World Food Programme, which has suspended its Sudan operation.

The situation has tipped the continent's third-largest country, where about a quarter of people already relied on food aid, into a humanitarian disaster.

Sudanese medics have warned of a catastrophic healthcare situation, especially in Khartoum where many hospitals were apparently caught in the crossfire.

The conflict stems from a power struggle between Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the RSF, over a plan to integrate the paramilitary fighters into the regular military.

Burhan heads a ruling council installed after the 2021 military coup and the 2019 ouster of long-time ruler Omar al-Bashir, while Hemedti, who analysts say may command more than 100,000 fighters, was his deputy on the council.

The fighting has derailed the latest internationally backed plan for a transition to a civilian government in Sudan, four years after the fall of President Omar al-Bashir and two years after a military coup.

The conflict has dashed hopes for progress toward democracy in Sudan, and risks drawing in its neighbors. Sudan sits strategically between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, and Africa's volatile Sahel region.



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US seeks to disrupt Yemeni peace process: Head of Supreme Political Council

Iran Press TV

Friday, 21 April 2023 7:51 AM

The US is seeking to disrupt efforts to establish a nationwide peace across the impoverished Yemen, the head of the country's Supreme Political Council (SPC) has warned, following recent direct talks between representatives from the Yemeni Ansarullah resistance movement and Saudi officials.

SPC Chief Mahdi al-Mashat further emphasized on Thursday that Washington does not desire the resolution of Yemen's devastating humanitarian crisis - recognized by the United Nations as the world's worst - and reiterated that prolongation of the disaster would neither serve the interests of the Saudi government nor the Middle East region.

"Saudi authorities should not surrender to pressure from US officials. Capitulation to Americans' outrageous demands would bear nothing other than destruction and instability," the high-profile Yemeni official then pointed out.

Mashat made the remarks days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud to weigh in on Riyadh's continued role in the negotiations with the Ansarullah movement and the ongoing Yemeni peace process.

This is while Saudi and Omani delegations held talks earlier this month with Ansarullah officials in the Yemeni capital city of Sana'a, with the progress of the talks lauded by several parties to the conflict.

Following the talks, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed bin Saeed al-Jaber, declared in a Twitter message that the talks were meant to "stabilize the truce and cease-fire, support the prisoner exchange process and explore venues of dialogue between Yemeni components to reach a sustainable, comprehensive political solution in Yemen."

Mashat further stated that the next round of talks with Saudi Arabia would begin following the upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday, marking the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, Yemen's official Saba news agency reported.

The previous talks ended hours before 318 prisoners were transported on four flights on April 14 between the southern Yemeni port city of Aden and Sana'a, reuniting detainees with their families.

All parties to the conflict in Yemen agreed at negotiations in Switzerland last month to free 887 detainees and to meet again in May to discuss further releases. The deal was overseen by the United Nations envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, and the ICRC.

Meanwhile, Riyadh and Tehran agreed last month to restore diplomatic ties severed in 2016, raising optimism for further progress in Yemen's peace process.

Saudi Arabia launched its brutal war of aggression against Yemen in March 2015 in collaboration with a number of its regional allies along with plenty of arms deliveries and logistics support from the US and several other Western governments to reinstall former Yemeni president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, who resigned from the presidency in late 2014 and later fled to Riyadh amid a political conflict with the popular Ansarullah movement.

The key objective of the war was to crush the Ansarullah movement, which has been running state affairs in the absence of an effective government in Yemen.

However, the Saudi-led military aggression has stopped well shy of all of its objectives, despite leaving tens of thousands of Yemenis killed and many more starved and displaced, turning the entire country into what is widely recognized as the scene of the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

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The Azadi Briefing: Taliban Deals Yet Another Blow To Education In Afghanistan

By Mustafa Sarwar April 21, 2023

The Key Issue

The Taliban has closed all education centers in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand that were funded by foreign NGOs.

The hundreds of education centers, mostly funded by UNICEF, the United Nations children's agency, and Save The Children, provided literacy classes to tens of thousands of girls and boys in remote areas that lack government schools.

Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, a spokesman for the Kandahar educational department, told Radio Azadi that the activities of the education centers had been suspended until further notice. He said the decision was made after "complaints from locals," without elaborating.

Why It's Important: The decision is the latest blow to education in Afghanistan, where the Taliban has banned girls above the sixth grade from attending school and women from studying in universities.

The militant group has also tried to root out all forms of secular education and converted scores of secular schools, universities, and training centers into madrasahs, or Islamic seminaries.

Munir Ahmad, a resident of Kandahar, told Radio Azadi that he is "very concerned" about the Taliban's decision. "This is not good news for us because most classes were in areas where children have no [other] access to education," he said.

The Taliban's move appears to be the latest salvo in its standoff with foreign NGOs. The Taliban has imposed restrictions on the UN and other international organizations, including banning them from employing Afghan women.

What's Next: There are fears that the closure of foreign-funded education centers in southern Afghanistan, the birthplace and political base of the Taliban, could be extended nationwide.

If that occurs, hundreds of thousands of children will join the already estimated 3 million school-aged girls who are unable to receive an education.

The Week's Best Stories

The sidewalks outside bakeries in the Afghan capital, Kabul, are packed with desperate mothers and children hoping for a bite to eat. The Taliban has banned women and girls from many jobs, secondary schools, and universities since returning to power in August 2021, triggering an economic crisis, according to the UN.

Kandahar, the country's second-largest city, appears to be becoming the de facto capital under the militant group's rule. Several officials have recently been transferred from Kabul to Kandahar. Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada lives in the city and rarely leaves the Pashtun heartland in southern Afghanistan.

What To Keep An Eye On

The UN has threatened to leave Afghanistan as soon as next month if the Taliban does not reverse its ban on Afghan women working for the world body.

Achim Steiner, the administrator of the United Nations Development Program, said on April 18 that the "entire United Nations system" is taking "a step back and reevaluating its ability to operate" in Afghanistan. He said the UN would not negotiate its "fundamental principles."

Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on April 12 that the group does not want to create "obstacles for the United Nations," but added that the ban on Afghan women working for the organization was "an internal issue of Afghanistan."

But the UN has said the around 600 Afghan women it employs are vital in delivering life-saving aid to Afghans and warned that the Taliban would bear responsibility for the humanitarian consequences.

Why It's Important: The UN's exit from Afghanistan would have disastrous consequences and aggravate the already dire humanitarian crisis in the country. UN agencies provide critical assistance in the fields of health, education, and food security.

The UN on April 18 announced that an estimated 34 million Afghans -- out of a population of 40 million -- were living below the poverty line. The figure is a huge increase of 15 million since 2020, when the Western-backed Afghan government was still in power.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azadi-briefing-taliban-education- afghanistan-united-nations/32373721.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Danish, Swedish Jets Scrambled to Escort Russian Military Aircraft Over Baltic Sea

Sputnik News

20230421

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Danish and Swedish scrambled fighter jets to escort Russian military aircraft IL-20 transiting over the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Danish islands of Zealand and Bornholm, the Danish air force said on Friday.

"Thursday afternoon the Danish and Swedish Quick Reaction Alert jets a Russian military aircraft in the airspace over the Baltic Sea. This is the first time that Denmark and Sweden have worked together in this way," the statement said.

The Danish air force added that Russian military planes regularly patrol the Baltic Sea, and their flight patterns often cause Denmark or its neighboring countries to scramble military planes.

"What made the mission special was that the collaboration was planned in advance," the statement read.

The Russian Defense Ministry repeatedly stated that Russia's aircraft carry out flights in strict accordance with the international rules for using airspace above neutral waters without crossing air lines and dangerously approaching foreign aircraft.

The IL-20 is a Russian electronic signals intelligence military aircraft (NATO code name Coot-A), a variant of the turboprop airliner Il-18.

 Sputnik

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Yemen health system 'edging closer to collapse' warns WHO

21 April 2023 - Yemen's fragile health system is "severely overburdened" the World Health Organization's (WHO) leading official for emergency operations in the country said on Friday, and more international funding is urgently needed to stop it deteriorating further.

Hopes are running high of an end to the intense fighting between a Saudi-backed coalition standing alongside Government forces, and Houthi rebels and their allies, which since 2015 has led the near total collapse of the economy, with tens of thousands killed, and 21.6 million in need of humanitarian assistance and protection this year, according to the UN.

"Nevertheless, the country's fragile health system is severely overburdened and edging closer to collapse", said Dr. Annette Heinzelmann of the WHO in Yemen, "while international donor funding is insufficient to avert further deterioration of the country's failing health services."

Acute child malnutrition

She said that around 12.9 million Yemenis have urgent humanitarian healthcare needs, with 540,000 children under five, currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition "with a direct risk of death."

Some 46 percent of health facilities across the country are only partially functioning or completely out of service, due to shortages of staff, funds, electricity, or medicines.

She told journalists at the regular Friday briefing at the UN in Geneva, that the Yemen humanitarian "Health Cluster", made up of 46 UN and non-governmental organizations, has received only 62 million - or 16 percent - of the $392 million needed to reach those 12.9 million most-vulnerable people.

"Disease outbreaks - notably of measles, diphtheria, dengue, cholera and polio - are accelerating Yemen's deepening health crisis. Mass-displacements, overburdened health facilities, disruptions of water and sanitation networks, and low immunization coverage are triggering and spreading these disease outbreaks."

In the first quarter of this year, more than 13,000 new cases of measles, 8,777 cases of dengue fever, and 2,080 suspected cholera cases were reported. "But the actual numbers are likely much higher", she warned.

System only just afloat

She said that WHO has managed to sustain an integrated response to Yemen's health crisis in ten priority areas:

Coordinating the national Health Cluster.

Keeping therapeutic feeding centres (TFCs) operational.

Strengthening disease surveillance.

Responding to all infectious disease outbreaks.

Supporting health care facilities and services..

Controlling vector-borne, water-borne, and neglected tropical diseases.

Fighting chronic diseases including diabetes, renal diseases, and cancer.

Maintaining water, sanitation and hygiene services in health facilities to strengthen infection prevention and control measures.

Supporting and improving maternal and newborn healthcare

Meeting neglected mental health needs.

Supported by international donors, WHO was able to provide essential medical equipment, supplies, and training in 2022 to around 7.8 million people - that's around 62 percent of the 12.6 million people targeted under the Humanitarian Response Plan for the year.

She said that WHO also ensured life-saving care for just over 60,000 Yemeni children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, with medical complications.

Dr. Heinzelmann said that WHO and health partners in Yemen "are beginning to see the dire consequences of our severely underfunded efforts to mitigate Yemen's health crisis."

She pointed to the expected suspension of support by the Yemen Health Cluster to 23 out of 43 health facilities in the Marib district, which is host to Yemen's largest population of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

In effect, this will effectively stop healthcare services for about 2.8 million most vulnerable people in the area.

Out of money

She said WHO has "almost no funds available to prepare for Yemen's annual flood season that is starting now and will bring a predictably major upsurge in vector-borne and water-borne disease outbreaks".

"In closing, I must emphasize the consequences of Yemen becoming a forgotten humanitarian crisis. The Yemeni people are resilient but suffering greatly. More than two of every three Yemenis are dependent on food, medical, and other humanitarian assistance.

"The international community must scale up support to Yemen "to avert untold human suffering and deaths in coming months", she concluded.

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UN coordinator calls for urgent 'humanitarian pauses' in Sudan, as death toll mounts

21 April 2023 - The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan issued a strong statement on Friday calling on both sides in the military power struggle to "implement humanitarian pauses" allowing civilians and aid workers to access essential supplies.

"I am horrified by the toll the clashes are having on civilians", said Abdou Dieng. "At least 331 people have been killed nationwide, including five aid workers, and nearly 3,200 have been injured."

The fighting between troops from the national army and a powerful rival militia known as the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted six days ago, and has had a devastating impact on civilian life and the major on-going humanitarian aid operation across Sudan.

Latest news reports indicate that bombing, shelling and gunfire have continued unabated, especially in the capital Khartoum, and the UN migration agency, IOM, reported on Friday that one of its staff members had become a victim of the violence.

UN migration agency staffer killed

"It is with a heavy heart that I confirm the death of a dedicated IOM Sudan staff member this morning after the vehicle he was traveling in with his family south of El Obeid was caught in a crossfire between two warring parties", said Director General, Antonio Vitorino.

He said the male staffer leaves behind a wife and newborn child, "and our team in Sudan in mourning."

"The safety and security of all IOM staff is my number one priority. We continue to work with our UN partners to update our security response", he assured.

Three workers from the World Food Programme (WFP) lost their lives in North Darfur as the military showdown first began on Saturday.

Mr. Vitorino said the latest outbreak of violence has forced IOM to suspend its humanitarian operations in Sudan.

IOM has operated in Sudan since 2000, responding to the complex humanitarian needs in the country where an estimated 3.7 million people are internally displaced", the IOM chief continued.

Some 15.8 million people in Sudan, one-third of the population, were in need of humanitarian assistance before this week's fighting began.

Food, water, healthcare crisis

Mr. Dieng said that even short agreed pauses in the intense fighting between the rival factions, which have so far ignored all calls for a ceasefire, would allow civilians access to essential food and water.

"Access to health facilities is also paramount. Many hospitals have had to close. And in those that are functioning, widespread blackouts and lack of electricity place patients at high risk."

Several hospitals have simply run out of blood and other lifesaving supplies.

"Assaults on hospitals, humanitarian staff and facilities must stop", said the Humanitarian Coordinator.

"As we are ending the holy month of Ramadan and celebrate Eid al-Fitr, a time of peace and reconciliation, I call on all parties to the conflict to immediately end the fighting and work towards a peaceful resolution."

On Thursday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made an urgent call for a three-day ceasefire over Eid, as the "first step" towards a permanent cessation of hostilities, noting that humanitarian operations had become "virtually impossible".

The UN alone has a 4,000-strong team of humanitarian workers, 3,200 of whom are Sudanese nationals.

According to the latest statement from UN aid coordination office OCHA, there have been reports of military strikes against health facilities, hijacking of ambulances with patients and paramedics still on board, looting of health facilities, and military forces occupying health facilities.

Severe shortages grow

In hospitals, there are severe shortages of specialized medical staff, oxygen supplies and blood bags, according to the World Health Organization, WHO, while lack of electricity and blackouts place hospital patients at high risk.

"There are also rapidly rising mental health and psychosocial support needs, especially among children, as the conflict continues", noted OCHA.

As of Friday morning, heavy gunfire, air strikes and shelling have been reported in different parts of the country, OCHA added, especially in North, Central and South Darfur states, North Kordofan and in the capital, Khartoum.

On 20 April, there were unverified reports of intensified clashes in El Obeid, North Kordofan State, as well as unrest and rising tensions in Gedaref, in eastern Sudan.

Solidarity with Sudan: UN Women

The head of the UN Women, Sima Bahous, also issued a statement expressing grave concern over the effect of the relentless fighting on Sudanese women and girls.

"As in all crises, this will surely have dire and disproportionate impacts on the lives of Sudanese women and girls. We stand in solidarity with the people of Sudan and remain committed to supporting them.



"The resilience of Sudanese women is a source of hope, their role in the pursuit of peace essential, their strength as humanitarian workers, carers and protectors an inspiration", added Ms. Bahous.

"We must heed their calls for a ceasefire and peace and commit to supporting them in everything they do."

She noted that reports of sexual and gender-based violence were already surfacing, and feared "they will only grow more frequent."

She called on Government troops and militia to "ensure that no woman or girl is affected by these crimes".

She insisted that "every instance" of sexual and gender-based violence must be investigated and prosecuted without exception.

"The UN Secretary-General has called for an immediate halt to the fighting to coincide with Eid-Al-Fitr. This will allow the continued delivery of essential humanitarian assistance and a return to dialogue. He has demanded respect for international law. I join his call and urge all parties to commit to a peaceful resolution."

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USS Ashland completes forward-deployment to Japan, arrives in San Diego

US Navy

21 April 2023

From Lt.Cmdr. Lauren Spaziano

SAN DIEGO -- Amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) arrived in San Diego April 20, after almost a decade of forward-deployed service operating out of Japan.

As part of the U.S. 7th Fleet's Forward-Deployed Naval Forces in Japan, Ashland improved interoperability with allies and partners in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

"I am incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication displayed by the Ashland crew during our time in 7th Fleet," said Cmdr. Dirk Sonnenberg, commanding officer of Ashland. "The work we did while forward-deployed is unmatched for an amphibious dock landing ship. We are excited to bring that passion to 3rd Fleet and Expeditionary Strike Group 3."

Since 2013, Ashland has participated in numerous operations and exercises across the Indo-Pacific to include Iron Fist, Balikatan, Talisman Sabre, and Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) series events during 16 forward-deployed patrols. Additionally, the crew conducted humanitarian assistance and disaster response operations in Saipan and Tinian in 2015 and 2018.

ESG 3 comprises three amphibious squadrons, 15 amphibious warships, and eight naval support elements including approximately 18,000 active-duty and reserve Sailors and Marines. As the deputy commander for amphibious and littoral warfare, U.S. 3rd Fleet, the ESG 3 commander also oversees Mine Countermeasures Group 3 and the 14 littoral combat ships and two subordinate divisions under Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. ESG 3 is postured in support of U.S. 3rd Fleet as a globally responsive and scalable naval command element, capable of generating, deploying, and employing naval forces and formations for crisis and contingency response, forward presence, and major combat operations focusing on amphibious operations, humanitarian and disaster relief and support to defense civil authorities, and expeditionary logistics.

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Labour Party, LP, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to recommend the erring Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs to President Muhammadu Buhari for sanctions.

Recall that the former Resident Electoral Commissioner REC in Adamawa, Hudu Yunusa Ari, had defied the Chief Returning Officer, Mele Lamido, and unilaterally announced the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governorship Candidate, Senator Aishatu Dahiru, as the winner, when collation had not been concluded.

But, the National headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, acted swiftly by annulling Ari's action, suspending him, writing the Presidency to get him sacked.

The Commission immediately appointed Mele Lamido to conclude the collation.

Lamido consequentlt announced Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate as winner, the matter has raised debates on how to safe Nigeria's democratic process.

Speaking on the issue, the Acting National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Pastor Obiora Ifoh, said for as long as the president has the responsibility of appointing Resident Electoral Commissioners, the best the INEC can do is to recommend sanctions for erring RECs.

The Labour Party spokesman said, "Since the President, based on an Act of the National Assembly, remains the appointing and confirming authority for RECs, the best INEC can do with respect to serious disciplinary action is to make recommendations."

Meanwhile, in August 2022, a coalition of eight civil society organizations, CSOs kicked when President Buhari appointed some APC members as resident electoral commissioners and asked the Senate to reject the nominees

The civil societies called on the Senate to reject the nominees, who included four alleged members of the APC, saying the nomination violated the provisions of the 1999 constitution as amended and negated the criteria and procedure prescribed to protect the neutrality, objectivity and non-partisanship of INEC.

The CSOs in a statement by Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre, Center for Media and Society, The Albino Foundation Elect Her, Nigerian Women Trust Fund, Partners for Electoral Reform, Inclusive Friends Association and The Kukah Centre, claimed that 14 of the 19 nominees from Sokoto, Enugu, Imo and Ebonyi among others were either APC loyalists or were indicted for corruption in the past which they said breached the constitution on appointment of INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners.

The statement said, "To mention a few, Prof. Muhammad Lawal Bashir from Sokoto was a Governorship aspirant under the All Progressive Congress in the 2015 elections cycle. Mrs. Sylvia Uchenna Agu, the nominee for Enugu State, is believed to be the younger sister of the APC Deputy National Chairman, South-East.

"The nominee for Imo State, Mrs. Pauline Onyeka Ugochi, a former Head of ICT at INEC in Imo state, gained notoriety for connivance with politicians to undermine elections. Mrs. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, a former Accountant-General of the Ebonyi, was suspended allegedly on the grounds of incompetence and corruption in 2016.

"We contend that the appointment of these individuals as RECs will significantly undermine the neutrality and impartiality of the Independent National Electoral Commission, and it will increase mistrust in INEC and Nigeria's electoral process. By the combined effect of Section 156 (1)(a) and Third Schedule;

"Part 1, Item F, paragraph 14 (1), these individuals are constitutionally prohibited from any appointment as members of INEC. It will be against the sacred spirit of the Constitution to accept their nomination. Given their antecedent and close affinity with political parties, it is improbable that they will remain neutral and objective if successfully screened as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC)," they stated.

The statement added, "On July 26, 2022, the Nigerian Senate announced President Buhari's appointment of 19 Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) following the expiration of the tenure of the out-gone RECs in 19 states. Of the 19 nominated RECs, 14 were new appointments, while five were reappointed.

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"The new nominees include Pauline Onyeka Ugochi (Imo); Muhammad Lawal Bashir (Sokoto); Prof. Ayobami Salami (Oyo); Zango Abdu (Katsina); Queen Elizabeth Agwu (Ebonyi); Agundu Tersoo (Benue), Yomere Oritsemlebi (Delta); Prof. Yahaya Ibrahim, (Kaduna); Dr. Nura Ali (Kano); Agu Uchenna Sylvia (Enugu); Ahmed Garki (FCT); Hudu Yunusa (Bauchi); Prof. Uzochukwu Chijioke, (Anambra); and Mohammed Nura (Yobe).

The reappointed nominees include Ibrahim Abdullahi (Adamawa); Obo Effanga (Cross River); Umar Ibrahim (Taraba); Agboke Olaleke (Ogun); and Prof. Samuel Egwu.(Kogi).

"Also, we call for a thorough examination and background checks of the credentials of the nominees. The Senate is urged to reject these nominees that fall short of the threshold of non-partisanship and impeccable character. Electoral commissioners must be individuals with impeccable character, unquestionable neutral inclinations, dispositions, and competence. The nominations and process of confirmation must be inclusive and representative of all segments of the society."
Gunfire Heard in Khartoum Despite New Cease-Fire Declarations

By Michael Atit, Mariama Diallo April 21, 2023

Sounds of sporadic shelling could be heard into the night Friday in Sudan's capital, despite renewed cease-fire declarations from Sudan's military and a rival paramilitary force locked in heavy clashes for the past seven days.

Neither side had immediate comment on an offer from Kenyan President William Ruto to mediate the conflict, which has killed hundreds and prompted thousands of Khartoum residents to flee the city.

The Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces both announced they would honor a 72-hour cease-fire beginning Friday to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

"The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr ... to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families," the RSF said in a statement.

However, artillery fire was heard throughout the day and into the night in Khartoum, raising questions about whether the declared truce would fail, as have several others this week.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke to the heads of both military factions this week, urged the combatants to abide by the truce.

"I reiterate my call on both sides to pause the fighting to allow civilians to take care of themselves and their families, to permit full and unimpeded humanitarian access, and to enable all civilians, including diplomatic personnel, to reach safety," he said in a statement Friday.

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said that no decision had been made about whether to evacuate diplomatic personnel from Sudan, but that the United States was preparing for such action in case it becomes necessary.

He said American citizens in Sudan should not expect a U.S. government evacuation.

"If you are an American citizen, and you didn't take our warning to leave Sudan, and particularly Khartoum, you need to take care of your own safety and security, shelter in place" he told VOA.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the Pentagon has deployed forces to the region in case a possible evacuation is needed but said no decision has been made yet.

"We've deployed some forces into theater to ensure that we provide as many options as possible if we are called on to do something. And we haven't been called on to do anything yet," Austin told reporters at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The Pentagon said U.S. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with Sudan's army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, on Friday to discuss the safety of Americans in Sudan.

The Associated Press reports that Milley also discussed the situation in Sudan while meeting with allies in Germany on Friday for talks primarily focusing on Ukraine. Milley and defense officials from Germany, Italy, Canada, and other countries discussed plans to coordinate any potential evacuation efforts in Sudan, according to the report.

The RSF announced Friday that it is ready to partially open all of Sudan's airports to allow countries to evacuate their nationals. However, it was not clear to what extent the paramilitary group controlled the country's airports.

Fighting has been reported this week at the Khartoum International Airport.

In a televised message to the nation Friday, Burhan made his first speech since the fighting began, saying he remained hopeful the military would win the battle, and vowed to secure what he called Sudan's "safe transition to civilian rule."

For many Sudanese, Burhan's claim likely rang hollow, as 18 months ago he joined forces with RSF leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo to seize power in a coup that ousted a pro-democracy transitional government.

In Kenya, Ruto made his offer to mediate the conflict as he conveyed a message of goodwill to the Sudanese at the end of Ramadan.

Murithi Mutiga, International Crisis Group's program director for Africa, said it was encouraging that neighbors, including Kenya, were eager to help resolve the Sudan crisis, but he was skeptical that Ruto or any one leader could do it alone.

"The reality, though, is that you need concerted actions by multiple external partners because nobody has really substantial leverage over the main actors," he said.

Ruto said he strongly believed that a peacefully negotiated solution to the conflict in Sudan was within reach. He expressed hope the fighting parties would respond to appeals to end the fighting put forth this week by the East African regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development bloc and the African Union.

However, major powers need to step in, Mutiga said.

"It's good to support the regional initiatives that might send the Kenyans, the Djiboutians and South Sudanese heads of state, but they need to be backed up by serious external pressure, particularly by two key players: Saudi Arabia and the U.S.," he said. "They have considerable access to the main actors. They might be able to move the needle, and they might be able to encourage them to accept talks."

Ruto said halting the fight would be a gesture of goodwill and stop a descent into conflict, insecurity, instability and humanitarian crisis.

Mutiga said the fact that the RSF's announcement of a cease-fire was seemingly met with no interest from the Sudanese army suggests the RSF might be under some sort of military pressure.

"But we have to remember that this is a very large force, very motivated force and one with a lot at stake," Mutiga said. "The armed forces seem determined to crush them militarily, but that is partly because they worry that a truce might allow the RSF to reinforce."

Regardless, Mutiga said, it is essential that the two parties move toward an agreement sooner rather than later because the suffering in Sudan has been horrific.

At least 413 people have been killed in the power struggle between the two previously allied leaders of the ruling military junta, Burhan and Dagalo, according to the World Health Organization.

The group said that thousands more have been injured in the fighting, and that as many as 20,000 people have fled Sudan to neighboring Chad.

At least five aid workers were among the dead, including three from the World Food Program, which suspended operations in Sudan. On Friday, an aid worker with the International Organization for Migration was killed in the city of El Obeid, according to Reuters. The worker was driving his family to safety when his vehicle was caught in the crossfire.

Alyona Synenko, the East Africa regional spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross, called the latest aid worker's death "extremely disturbing news and very concerning and saddening for the humanitarian community."

She told VOA a general state of lawlessness is increasing in Sudan.

Mariama Diallo reported from Nairobi, Kenya, while Carol Van Dam Falk and White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara reported from Washington. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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Q&A: US Troops Positioned for Diplomats' Evacuation Out of Sudan

By Patsy Widakuswara April 21, 2023

The United States is deploying more troops at its base in Djibouti as it considers whether to evacuate diplomats from Sudan, where a power struggle between two military factions has led to days of violence that has killed more than 330 people.

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, spoke Friday with VOA's White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara about the ongoing fighting in Sudan. He also previewed next week's White House state visit by President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

VOA WHITE HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: I'd like to start with Sudan. What's the latest on the evacuation of American diplomats and the deployment of troops to the base in Djibouti?

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS JOHN KIRBY: There's been no decision to evacuate our diplomats. We're still focused right now on pre-positioning appropriate military capabilities nearby in the region, not in Sudan, just in case there is a decision made to evacuate our embassy.

The bottom line is the situation on the ground in Khartoum is not good. The violence continues, the fighting continues despite both sides calling or urging the other to abide by cease-fires. There's still a lot of violence inside Khartoum, and so it's a very tenuous, very dangerous situation. And as we've said, if you are an American citizen, and you didn't take our warning to leave Sudan and particularly Khartoum, you need to take care of your own safety and security, shelter in place, find a place to stay where you can stay safe and not be moving around.

VOA: So there's no evacuation for American citizens at this point?

KIRBY: There is no expectation that there's going to be a U.S. government evacuation of American citizens. That remains the case right now.

VOA: Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken has called the leaders of both warring parties to push for a cease-fire. Obviously, that hasn't happened. The U.S. has very limited leverage because we have pulled U.S. assistance since the coup in Sudan in 2021. Which countries in the region are you reaching out to, to help push for a cease-fire?

KIRBY: We're talking to the African Union, we're talking to the Arab League. Clearly, we're talking bilaterally with other nations around Sudan in the region who obviously have a stake in making sure that peace and security, stability has a chance there in Sudan. And yes, we are reaching out directly. You've mentioned Secretary Blinken, but there are other lines of communication reaching out directly with the leaders on both sides there, General [Abdel Fattah] Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and General [Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo] "Hemedti" of the RSF and to urge them to put down their arms, actually put in place a sustainable cease-fire so that humanitarian aid and assistance can get to the people that need it.

VOA: Would the U.S. administration consider any kind of punitive measures to push for a cease-fire?

KIRBY: I don't have any muscle movements to speak to right now. We are focused right now on communicating to both sides they need to put their arms down, they need to stop the fighting. We need to get the ability for people to get access to food and water and medicine and again, to have a discussion about a transition to civilian authority.

VOA: And how concerned are you that this would turn into a proxy war, where outside groups such as the Wagner Group that's already in the region might take opportunity from the chaos?

KIRBY: Obviously, we don't want to see this conflict expand or broaden, and we certainly wouldn't want to see additional firepower brought to bear; that will just continue the violence and continue to escalate the tensions.

VOA: I want to move on to the South Korean president's visit next week. One of the leaks showed that there is concern from the South Koreans that President [Joe] Biden might push President Yoon [Suk Yeol] to supply military weapons, munitions particularly to Ukraine. Has this leak complicated the visit at all?

KIRBY: We are very excited about having our second state visit be the Republic of Korea. President Biden and President Yoon have a terrific relationship. We as a nation have a great relationship with the Republic of Korea, our South Korean allies. And it is an alliance. We have actual alliance commitments with South Korea. And there's an awful lot on the agenda and it won't just be Ukraine.

But there's an awful lot of other things on the agenda, everything from high technology to climate change to certainly threats inside the Indo-Pacific region. Obviously, North Korea will be on the agenda. There's a lot to talk about. And this is a terrific relationship.

VOA: President Yoon said he may be open to providing military support to Ukraine under some circumstances. Is this something that President Biden will push President Yoon for?

KIRBY: This isn't about pushing South Korea at all. It's about having a meaningful conversation about items of mutual shared concern and interest and certainly the war in Ukraine is something that South Korea shares that concern with. I'll let President Yoon speak to what he is or isn't willing to do.

We have said from the very beginning that what a nation decides to do with respect to supporting Ukraine is up to them to decide. It's a sovereign decision. The whole idea of supporting Ukraine, this whole fight is about sovereignty. It's about independence. And how ironic and hypocritical would it be for the United States to dictate terms to a sovereign nation about what they should or shouldn't do.

VOA: Can we expect any kind of announcements in terms of extended deterrence, increasing U.S. strategic assets, any kind of joint operations of nuclear scenarios in the region?

KIRBY: We routinely talk to the South Koreans about the extended deterrence. I'm not going to get ahead of the president or any specific announcements or anything going forward.

VOA: On semiconductors, now that China cannot access U.S. technology but also Japanese and Netherlands technology for semiconductors, they are reaching out to South Korean companies. Is this something that the president will also discuss?

KIRBY: I have no doubt that they'll talk about high technology and the need to keep improving, preserving, maintaining resilient supply chains when it comes to semiconductors. But I won't get ahead of the conversation.

VOA: You mentioned today's meeting in Ramstein, Germany, which marks one year that the Defense Contact Group has been meeting. Secretary [of Defense Lloyd] Austin said this morning that the focus will be on air defense, ammunition and logistics. What does that say in terms of where we are in the war right now and the strategy going forward?

KIRBY: We have evolved the capabilities that we are providing Ukraine ... as the war itself has evolved over time. Here we are past a year. And we know that in the spring when the weather improves, and it's already starting to improve, that we can expect the Russians to want to go on the offensive in some areas, and we don't know exactly where or how they'll do that. But we want to make sure that the Ukrainians are able to better defend themselves against that and if they choose offensive operations of their own, that they've got the capabilities to conduct those.

And you heard Secretary Austin talk about air defense, talk about armor capabilities because we believe that one of the things and they say they need to be better at is combined arms warfare, which is maneuver warfare in open terrain. That means, that requires armor, that requires artillery, that requires some air defense. But he also talked about logistics because that's really the lifeblood of any army in the field, is how do you keep it in the field? How do you sustain it? How do you get him spare parts and food and water and fuel, the kinds of things that they need to maintain operations in a continuous way? So that's got to be front and center as well.

VOA: Last question, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg this week said that Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family. At this point, do you see Ukraine to be closer toward becoming a NATO member?

KIRBY: Nothing's changed about our support for the Open Door Policy of NATO. Nothing's changed about that. We continue to support an open door for NATO. But we've also said that any conversation about coming into the alliance has got to be a conversation between the nation in question and the alliance itself.

VOA: But do you see that Ukraine itself has improved on the criteria that it must meet?

KIRBY: Our focus right now with respect to Ukraine is making sure that they can beat back the Russian aggression. That they can be successful on the battlefield so that President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, if and when he's ready to negotiate, he can be successful at the table. That's our focus. We'll let the secretary-general speak for the alliance.

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Sudan's RSF To Observe a 72-Hour Truce

By Margaret Besheer April 21, 2023

Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces said Friday it has agreed to a 72-hour truce to begin at 6 a.m., designed to bring at least a temporary halt to the days of deadly fighting in the African country that has killed hundreds.

The RSF said in a statement, "The truce coincides with the blessed Eid al-Fitr ... to open humanitarian corridors to evacuate citizens and give them the opportunity to greet their families."

The Muslim holiday of Eid marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.

There has been no indication, however, from the rival Sudan Armed Forces about its intention to observe the truce.

On Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an immediate halt to fighting and appealed for a three-day cease-fire to mark the end of Ramadan to enable trapped civilians to seek safety and supplies.

"This must be the first step in providing respite from the fighting and paving the way for a permanent cease-fire," Guterres told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York.

He had just met virtually with the heads of the African Union, Arab League and regional Intergovernmental Authority on Development bloc, IGAD, as well as representatives from other countries with influence. The session yielded no breakthroughs.

Guterres has been working the phones to achieve a deescalation since violence erupted last Saturday between former allies, now rivals, Army Commander General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the RSF.

"The cessation of hostilities must be followed by serious dialogue allowing for the successful transition, starting with the appointment of a civilian government," the U.N. chief said.

Humanitarian crisis

Guterres told reporters it is "virtually impossible" for aid workers to conduct operations in the current state of hostilities, and he demanded that fighters stop targeting humanitarians.

Three employees of the World Food Program were killed in crossfire at the start of the fighting in Darfur. Others have been harassed and intimidated. There have also been reports of sexual assaults on aid workers. Warehouses have been attacked, looted and seized. The WFP said 4,000 metric tons of food was stolen at one of its depots in Nyala, south Darfur.

"There were no humanitarian services provided to Sudanese the last five days, simply because it's not possible for any humanitarian workers to move outside of their home location or their compound," the acting U.N. humanitarian and resident coordinator for Sudan, Abdou Dieng, told reporters by phone Thursday from the country.

He said the U.N. was hoping for a cease-fire to move staff in more dangerous areas to safer zones but said that what is safe one day may not be safe the next.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Thursday that more than 330 people have been killed in the fighting and around 3,200 wounded.

The U.N. has warned that Sudan's health care system "could completely collapse." Hospitals need more staff and supplies, including blood.

At least 20 hospitals already have closed, according to Sudan's minister of health. At least nine in the capital, Khartoum, are closed, with the potential for a dozen more to soon close, according to the United Nations.

Officials say this is all tragic for a country where one-third of the population - or nearly 16 million people - needed humanitarian assistance before the latest violence.

The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, said Thursday that between 10,000 and 20,000 Sudanese have fled this week into neighboring Chad. The U.N.'s Dieng said his office has also received reports of people arriving in South Sudan and at the border area between Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Calls for dialogue

The fighting between the army and RSF broke out after months of rising tensions over the country's political future and plans to integrate the RSF into the national army.

Calls to end the fighting have come from around the world and within Africa, including the African Union, the Arab League and IGAD.

The presidents of Kenya, South Sudan and Djibouti say they plan to travel to Sudan in the coming days to hold discussions with the leaders.

But Sudan's two top generals have yet to express a willingness to negotiate, and each has demanded the other's surrender.

The clashes are part of a power struggle between Burhan, who also heads Sudan's ruling military council, and Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, the deputy head of the council. The two generals joined forces in October 2021 to overthrow the transitional government formed after the 2019 ouster of longtime autocratic leader Omar al-Bashir.

The restructuring of the military was part of an effort to restore the country to civilian rule and end the political crisis.

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Russo-Ukraine War - 21 April 2023 - Day 422

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A number of claims and counterclaims are being made on the Ukraine-Russia conflict on the ground and online. While GlobalSecurity.org takes utmost care to accurately report this news story, we cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, photos and videos.

On 24 February 2022, Ukraine was suddenly and deliberately attacked by land, naval and air forces of Russia, igniting the largest European war since the Great Patriotic War. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a "special military operation" (SVO - spetsialnaya voennaya operatsiya) in Ukraine in response to the appeal of the leaders of the "Donbass republics" for help. That attack is a blatant violation of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine. Putin stressed that Moscow's goal is the demilitarization and denazification of the country. The military buildup in preceeding months makes it obvious that the unprovoked and dastardly Russian attack was deliberately planned long in advance. During the intervening time, the Russian government had deliberately sought to deceive the world by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

"To initiate a war of aggression... is not only an international crime; it is the supreme international crime differing only from other war crimes in that it contains within itself the accumulated evil of the whole." [Judgment of the International Military Tribunal]

The UK Ministry of Defence reported that with soft ground conditions across most of Ukraine, severe mud is highly likely slowing operations for both sides in the conflict.

However, Russian online outlets are likely exaggerating the overall impact of mud on Ukrainian forces as part of an information operation aimed at raising Russian morale, and undermining Ukraine's supporters, in light of an anticipated Ukrainian counter offensive.

Surface conditions can be expected to improve in the coming weeks. The threat from mines probably continues to be a more important factor in limiting the combatants' off-road manoeuvre.

The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported that during the day of April 21, Russian forces launched 2x missile and 28x air strikes, about 20x MLRS attacks. Last night, Russian forces employed 12x Shahed-136 combat UAVs to launch air strikes, 8x of which were destroyed by Ukrainian defenders. The likelihood of missile and air strikes across Ukraine remains high.

Russia's main focus is the offensive operations on Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Mar'inka, and Shakhtars'ke axes. Ukrainian Defense Forces repelled about 30x Russian attacks in these areas of the frontline during the day of April 21. The city of Bakhmut remains at the epicenter of the fighting.

Volyn and Polissya axes: no significant changes. Certain units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus continue their missions in the areas bordering Ukraine. Certain units of the territorial troops of the Russian Armed Forces continue their deployment on the territory of Belarus.

Sivershchyna and Slobozhanshchyna axes: a certain number of Russian troops remains stationed in the areas of Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod oblasts (russia) bordering Ukraine. During the day of April 21, the invaders shelled the settlements of Leonivka (Chernihiv oblast), Kindrativka (Sumy oblast), Hoptivka, and Vovchans'ki Khutory (Kharkiv oblast).

Kup'yans'k axis: during the day of April 21, Russian forces attempted to improve the tactical situation and conducted an assault near the settlement of Lyman Pershyi. To no success. Krasne Pershe, Dvorichna, Zapadne, Kotlyarivka, and Berestove (Kharkiv oblast) came under Russian fire.

Lyman axis: Russian forces did not conduct any offensive operations during the day of April 21. Stel'makhivka, Makiivka, Nevs'ke, Dibrova, Bilohorivka (Luhansk oblast), Ivanivka, Verkhn'okam'yans'ke, Spirne, Zvanivka (Donetsk oblast) were shelled with artillery.

Bakhmut axis: Russia continues its offensive operations.

Fierce fighting for the city of Bakhmut continues. Russian forces attempted an advance near the settlement of Bohdanivka. Rozdolivka, Orikhovo-Vasylivka, Bakhmut, Ivanivske, Chasiv Yar, Oleksandro-Shul'tyne, Bila Hora, Dyliivka, Zalizne, Pivnichne, Pivdenne, and New York (Donetsk oblast) suffered from Russian shelling.

Avdiivka axis: Russian forces conducted offensive operations in the vicinities of Novokalynove, Stepove, and Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast), to no success. The invaders shelled the settlements of Novokalynove, Stepove, Avdiivka, Tonen'ke, Pervomais'ke, and Nevel's'ke (Donetsk oblast).

Mar'inka axis: during the day of April 21, Ukrainian defenders repelled numerous Russian attacks in the vicinity of settlement of Mar'inka. At the same time, Krasnohorivka, Mar'inka, Heorhiivka, Pobjeda, and Novomykhailivka (Donetsk oblast) were shelled by Russian forces.

Shakhtars'ke axis: during the day of April 21, Russian forces conducted unsuccessful offensives in the vicinity of Vuhledar. The Russian invaders shelled the settlements of Vuhledar, Prechystivka, Zolota Nyva, Velyka Novosilka (Donetsk oblast).

Zaporizhzhia and Kherson axes: Russian forces stay on the defensive. During the day of April 21, the Russian invaders fired mortars and artillery at the vicinities of Ol'hivs'ke, Pavlivka, Malynivka, Hulyaipole, Novodanylivka, Novoandriivka (Zaporizhzhia oblast), as well as the city of Kherson.

Recently, an occupation unit of about 300x recruited convicts arrived in the temporarily occupied Skadovs'k (Kherson oblast), allegedly to ensure law and order. Rumors are being spread among the Russian occupiers about the prompt end of active combat to be followed by territorial concessions in favor of Russia. The rumors are probably intended to boost the Russian invaders' morale. At the same time, certain combat units previously located in the city are reported to be gradually withdrawn from the settlement to the temporarily occupied territory of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.

During the day of April 21, Ukrainian Air Force launched 1x air strike on a concentration of Russian troops and military equipment. Ukrainian missile and artillery troops hit 1x concentrations of Russian troops, 1x anti-aircraft missiles and system, as well as 2x other important military Russian targets.

Entrepreneur Yevgeny Prigozhin refutes reports that have appeared in the media about the closing of the "cauldron" around the Ukrainian garrison remaining on the western outskirts of the city. Despite the successes of the Wagner PMC in the area of the Chasov Yar-Khromovo highway, the defenders still have communication routes with the outside world, so we are only talking about an operational encirclement, in which all roads are shot through.

In the meantime, according to military observer Boris Rozhin, the Armed Forces of Ukraine (APU) are gathering reserves to Chasov Yar, Rai-Aleksandrovka and the Seversky salient. This can be interpreted as preparation for a strike on the flanks of the group advancing on Bakhmut, which is obviously hampered by the continuing slush. The accumulated reserves are periodically subjected to air and artillery strikes.

The situation in other directions

According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, during the day, the Armed Forces of Ukraine along the entire line of contact lost about 525 servicemen, 9 armored vehicles, 13 vehicles, 2 D-20 and 2 Msta-B howitzers, Akatsiya and 2 Gvozdika self-propelled artillery mounts, a rocket system "Grad".

Aircraft and artillery hit 94 enemy artillery positions and 135 areas where enemy units were concentrated. Intercepted three drones and three missiles from HIMARS systems.

In addition, three ammunition depots were destroyed in the areas of the settlements of Kislovka, Gulyaipole and Poltavka, two of which belong to the 65th and 44th brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the same time, a storage facility for fuel and fuels and lubricants was liquidated in Konstantinovka.





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U.S. Navy Ship Patrolling Middle East Seizes $42 Million in Drugs

US Navy

21 April 2023

From U.S. Naval Forces Central Command / U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs

MANAMA, Bahrain -- A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer interdicted a fishing vessel attempting to smuggle $42 million in illegal drugs while transiting the Gulf of Oman, April 21.

USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) was operating in support of Combined Task Force (CTF) 150 when it discovered the fishing vessel smuggling 802 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1,000 kilograms of hashish. CTF 150 is one of four task forces under Combined Maritime Forces, a multinational naval partnership consisting of 38 nations.

Before U.S. Navy and Coast Guard members from Paul Hamilton seized the vessel, five smugglers on board attempted to discard 50 bags of methamphetamine weighing 35 pounds each by throwing the drugs overboard. Some of the bags were able to be recovered from the water.

The vessel's crewmembers identified themselves as Iranian nationals.

"This was outstanding work by the entire Paul Hamilton team," said Capt. Anthony Webber, commander of Task Force 55 and responsible for overseeing U.S. maritime surface operations in the Middle East. "These interdictions remove illicit narcotics from the high seas and help deter destabilizing activity in regional waters."

In 2023, maritime forces supporting CTF 150 have seized illegal drugs worth a combined estimated U.S. street value of $150 million, adding to record-breaking drug interdictions by U.S. and international naval units in 2021 and 2022 totaling $1 billion in value.

"I am incredibly pleased with the performance of our Sailors," said Cmdr. Jake Ferrari, commanding officer of Paul Hamilton. "We remain committed to delivering consistent maritime security and countering illicit activities and contraband smuggling in the region."

CTF 150 conducts maritime security and counter-terrorism operations in the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean to disrupt criminal and terrorist organizations and their related illicit activities, including the movement of personnel, weapons, narcotics and charcoal. These efforts help ensure legitimate commercial shipping transits the region free from non-state threats.

Combined Maritime Forces is the largest multinational naval partnership in the world whose partner forces operate in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Northern Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and Arabian Gulf to promote regional security and stability.

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All current Type 055 large destroyers enter active PLA Navy service with commissioning of 8th hull Xianyang

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun Published: Apr 21, 2023 10:18 PM

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently commissioned the Xianyang, the eighth Type 055 10,000 ton-class large destroyer. All eight warships in this class have now entered service with the PLA Navy.

Having just entered service, the Type 055 large destroyer Xianyang (Hull No. 108) recently embarked from a naval base of PLA Southern Theater Command for a combat training mission, China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Friday.

The report came two days before the 74th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy, which falls on Sunday.

Since the commissioning of the first Type 055 large destroyer in January 2020, the PLA Navy now operates eight warships in this class, namely the Nanchang, the Lhasa, the Anshan, the Wuxi, the Dalian, the Yan'an, the Zunyi and the Xianyang.

It also means that all eight Type 055s China has currently built have entered active service, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Friday.

Four of the vessels are in service with the PLA North Sea Fleet, and the other four are in service with the PLA South Sea Fleet, the expert said.

They will play vital roles in safeguarding China's sovereignty, security, territorial integrity and development interests, the expert said.

Over the past three years, Type 055s have participated in distant sea training in regions like the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Bering Sea, the Philippine Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea. They have also been parts of the PLA Navy's aircraft carrier groups, observers said.

The Type 055 large destroyer is a large platform that can carry significant amounts of equipment and stay at the sea for longer periods compared with the previous generation of destroyers. It can also sail faster thanks to its combined gas and gas propulsion system, said Liu Shenghai, head of the mechanical and electrical department on the Yan'an, CCTV reported.

The 130-millimeter-caliber naval gun, a large missile carrying capacity, the integrated radio frequency system and the anti-submarine weapons system of the Type 055 give the warship outstanding comprehensive combat capabilities, CCTV quoted sailors on the Type 055 as saying.

Observers said that a Type 055 has a displacement of more than 12,000 tons, is equipped with a 112-cell missile vertical launch system and is endowed with the capability to gain strong situational awareness.

Shi Hong, executive chief editor of the Shipborne Weapons magazine, told the Global Times that the Type 055 is the world's best destroyer in terms of comprehensive capabilities, and the continued commissioning of ships in this class will contribute to the PLA Navy's combat capabilities.

China could build more Type 055s in the future, with new technologies applied to improve overall capability, analysts said.

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Chinese defense minister's Russian trip signals closer cooperation with Moscow

Li Shangfu's visit coincided with surprise drills by Russia's Pacific Fleet.

By RFA Staff 2023.04.21 -- China's new U.S.-sanctioned Defense Minister Li Shangfu visited Russia this week, his first foreign trip since taking office, as Beijing and Moscow align closer to confront the U.S.

Gen. Li was received by President Vladimir Putin on Sunday, almost immediately after he arrived in Moscow. During the four-day visit, Li also held talks with his counterpart Sergei Shoigu and paid a visit to Russia's top military academy, the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Russian armed forces.

"New progress has been made in strategic communication, joint exercises and training, and practical cooperation, which enriched the strategic connotations of the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination for a new era," Senior Col. Tan Kefei, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, said in a news release without giving further details.

The Russian and Chinese ministries of defense "reiterated their joint resistance to attempts by external forces to interfere in each other's internal affairs," Tan said.

Li's trip took place less than a month after the state visit by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Xi's first foreign tour after being re-elected as China's state president.

China and Russia have been seen as trying to form a new world order and the presence of the head of the Chinese People's Liberation Army could signal a "new military alliance to challenge the Pentagon," said a commentator in China Today, a Beijing-supported supplement of Russian news portal Svobodnaya Pressa.

Konstantin Olshansky said that the trip shows that "Beijing openly supports Moscow in the Ukrainian conflict."

China has so far refused to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine but maintains that it would not provide weapons to either side of the conflict.

Luke Coffey, a senior researcher at the Hudson Institute, a U.S. think-tank, said in an interview with RFA Mandarin Service that Russian and Chinese presidents had likely discussed "possible ways that China can support Russia's invasion of Ukraine both diplomatically and through logistical support."

Sanctioned by the U.S.

Li Shangfu, 65, is an aerospace expert. He became China's defense minister at the National People's Congress in March.

In 2018, Li, then-Director of the Equipment Development Department of the Central Military Commission, was sanctioned by the U.S. State Department for purchasing Russian combat aircraft and equipment related to the S-400 surface-to-air missile system.

The sanctions mean "direct contacts between the Minister of Defense and his counterpart in the Pentagon" are impossible, said Adil Kaukenov, a Russian China expert.

"The Chinese defense minister has no ties with the American military circles, which are especially needed given the dangerous situation in the Taiwan Strait," Kaukenov wrote on his Telegram channel.

"But Li has close business ties with the Russian military circles, in fact, because of which he brought sanctions on himself," he added, implying that with Li Shangfu at the helm, the relationship between the PLA and the Russian military would see an unprecedented close cooperation.

During his stay in Moscow, Li discussed with Russian military leaders "strategic cooperation" and pledged to take the bilateral ties "to a new level," according to both ministries of defense.

The two armed forces are expected to have more exchanges of personnel and technologies.

Zhang Hong, an associate research fellow at the Institute of Russian, Eastern European and Central Asian Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, was quoted by the Global Times newspaper saying that "more military services could start to have exchanges, like strategic rocket forces."

"Russia previously announced that it is helping China develop a missile early warning system," Zhang said.

Olshansky from Svobodnaya Pressa meanwhile said that the PLA has long been interested in Russia's advanced technologies as "Moscow is still far ahead of Beijing in many breakthrough technologies, from aircraft engines to nuclear submarines."

Perhaps not coincidentally, when Li Shangfu was visiting Moscow, the Russian Navy held a snap exercise of its Pacific Fleet from Apr. 14 to Apr. 20 in the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk near the Sakhalin Island and Kuril Islands, which are at the center of a long-running dispute between Russia and Japan.

The Pacific Fleet, headquartered in Vladivostok, is responsible for a vast area of the Russian Far East region along the Pacific coast.

More than 25,000 troops, 89 aircraft and 167 warships including 12 submarines took part in the surprise combat drills, according to the Russian military Zvezda TV channel.

"Russian Pacific Fleet puts on a show, including both ASW (anti-submarine warfare) forces and amphibious landings too," said Lyle Goldstein, a Russia and China expert at the think tank Defense Priorities in Washington D.C.

"I have to suspect this might have been timed to impress" the visiting Chinese defense minister, the analyst tweeted.

"If Russia can intimidate/distract Japan, that must be pleasing to China," he added.

Edited by Mike Firn.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Reports Say Confrontations Between Iranian Students, Security Forces Growing Over Hijab Rules

By RFE/RL's Radio Farda April 21, 2023

Confrontations between university students and authorities over mandatory hijab regulations are reportedly on the rise following a monthslong crackdown over protests sparked by the September death of Mahsa Amini while in police custody for an alleged head scarf offense.

Reports from several schools indicate incidents taking place, including the hospitalization of a female student and the mass expulsion of students from dormitories over their resistance to the mandatory hijab law.

Zahra Rahimi, a chemistry student at the University of Yazd, is reported to have been hospitalized after coming under severe pressure from the school during a disciplinary committee meeting, which included the president of the University of Yazd, Abbas Kalantari, allegedly insulting and slandering her.

Student associations say they hold Kalantari and the university responsible for the harm inflicted on Rahimi. During her transfer to the hospital, her friends were reportedly threatened by agents not to spread the news of the situation.

In another incident, several students from the social science faculty at the University of Tehran were deprived of their right to use dormitories following their protests against mandatory hijab regulations and strict security measures. Similar protests have occurred at other universities across the country, prompting increased scrutiny and crackdowns by authorities.

In addition, plainclothes forces have allegedly attacked and harassed students at the University of Isfahan's Art Faculty. They reportedly warned students about observing hijab law and rules prohibiting male and female students getting together in public gatherings. In some instances, security forces are said to have attacked students with pepper spray.

The hijab became mandatory in Iran shortly after the 1979 revolution, by order of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic republic. However, no law had been passed at that time restricting women's clothing in Iran.

Despite more than four decades of compulsory hijab enforcement under the Islamic republic, Iran has recently seen widespread and comprehensive protests condemning the compulsory hijab and demanding the overthrow of the Islamic republic system.

Following protests sparked by the death of the 22-year-old Amini last September, many women and girls in Iran have openly opposed the imposed dress code, appearing in public without a hijab.

Numerous protests have been held at universities, particularly in Tehran, where many students have refused to attend class. Protesting students have chanted "Woman, life, freedom" and "Death to the dictator" at the rallies, while some female students have removed and burned their head scarves.

Written by Ardeshir Tayebi based on an original story in Persian by RFE/RL's Radio Farda

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-confrontations- students-security-forces-hijab/32374072.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Junta offensive in Myanmar's Kachin state kills 10, razes 1,000 homes

Fighting became so intense that the junta launched three airstrikes a day for six days.

By RFA Burmese 2023.04.21 -- The military offensive began in Shwegu township on March 23 and continued for 19 days, during which the junta carried out more than a dozen airstrikes and engaged local resistance forces in at least 10 major battles.

Over the period, junta troops from the military's 88th Division had killed at least 10 civilians and razed some 1,000 houses to the ground, residents said.

The offensive, which ended on April 10, is the latest push by the military to gain control of northern Myanmar's Kachin state, where the junta has been battling local units of the People's Defense Force paramilitary group and the formidable Kachin Independence Army since its Feb. 1, 2021 coup d'etat.

A member of the Shwegu PDF told RFA Burmese that at one point, the fighting was so intense that the junta "launched three airstrikes a day for six days."

"They fired into the villages with heavy artillery that burned down the villages. The remaining houses were torched and destroyed by the junta troops," said the PDF member, who spoke on condition of anonymity citing security concerns.

"A total of 12 villages were damaged. Some civilians were killed, too. When we tried to clear the ruins after they left, we found the bodies of civilians left unburned."

Following the offensive, the junta convoy proceeded towards the main road between Shwegu and neighboring Bhamo township, the PDF member said, although he could not provide further details on its location.

A statement issued by the junta on April 9 seemed to confirm the reports, saying that "21 battles took place in Shwegu between March 23 and April 8."

'Those who didn't die were shot'

A resident of Shwegu's Si Thar village told RFA that 10 civilians from the area were killed by junta troops when their convoy suddenly appeared in the area.

"Some of them were herding the cattle in the fields, others were trying to hide when the advancing junta convoy found them," likely on April 8, said the resident, who also declined to be named.

"They were captured and killed by the junta troops. They left some of them burning with their hands tied together behind their backs. Those who didn't die after being set on fire were shot dead."

The resident said members of the convoy set fire to the villages of Si Thaung, Si Maw and Nat Lan before leaving.

"The people they killed were only innocent civilians from Si Thar village," she added, and ranged in age from 22 to more than 60 years old.

Residents buried the bodies, which were discovered with gunshot wounds and cut throats, on April 14, after the convoy departed, she said.

In its press release on April 9, the junta said that members of the military were injured during the offensive and that it had recovered the bodies of 17 KIA and PDF fighters during the fighting. It claimed that the KIA and PDF had been providing weapons and ammunition to resistance forces and smuggling timber after gaining a foothold in the area.

An information officer with the Shwegu PDF told RFA that 50 junta soldiers were killed during the offensive, while the KIA and PDF lost three fighters each. RFA was not able to independently verify the information officer's claims.

'We are still too scared'

Meanwhile, thousands of residents of Shwegu's 12 villages have been sheltering in the jungle since the fighting began, according to area sources.

A resident of one of the villages, Man Hkar, said they dare not return out of fear that the junta troops would return.

"We are still hiding in the jungles, while some are staying in small huts on their farms," the resident said. "People told us that we can go back because the fighting has cooled off, but we dare not. We are still too scared."

Residents who have been surveying the damage said that during the 19-day offensive, junta troops burned down nearly 1,000 civilian homes in Shwegu's 12 villages.

Some of the homes were destroyed by bombs dropped by junta jet fighters, although most were razed by arson, they said.

The junta has previously denied that its troops set fire to civilian homes.

A resident of Si Thar who was among those whose homes were burned said that rebuilding what the junta had destroyed would be difficult, noting that the local population is still dealing with the trauma of the fighting and loss.

"Some of us have fled to the town and some to the jungles, but we all are facing food shortages and sheltering difficulties," the resident said.

"We can stay in other people's houses for now, but we don't have the money to buy new ones for ourselves ... About 100 houses were burned in our village alone. I have become homeless."

According to Thailand's Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), authorities in Myanmar have killed at least 3,427 civilians and arrested nearly 21,500 since the February 2021 coup, mostly during peaceful anti-junta demonstrations.

Independent research group Data for Myanmar said that junta troops had burned more than 60,000 civilian homes across the country as of the end of February.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.

Copyright 1998-2023, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content April not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Russia Suspends Dairy Products From Kyrgyzstan After Calls In Bishkek To Drop Cyrillic Script

By RFE/RL's Kyrgyz Service April 21, 2023

BISHKEK -- Russia has suspended the import of dairy products from Kyrgyzstan after the chairman of Kyrgyzstan's National Commission for the State Language and Language Policies, Kanybek Osmonaliev, said his country is ready to start working on switching the Kyrgyz language from Cyrillic to a Latin-based alphabet.

Russia's agriculture products watchdog, Rosselkhoznadzor, said in a statement on April 21 that the move was made following the inspection of Kyrgyz dairy products and milk farms last week, which revealed an "inefficiency" in control by Kyrgyz dairy companies over product quality. No specific issues were mentioned.

Russia has for years used Rosselkhoznadzor as a blunt foreign policy instrument against former Soviet states whose actions Moscow dislikes. Russia has banned food and drinks from Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine during periods of increased bilateral tensions. Those countries have described Moscow's actions as economic sanctions.

A day before the suspension was announced, Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov met with Osmonaliev and harshly criticized him for his April 19 statement about the necessity for the Kyrgyz language to switch from Cyrillic to a Latin-based alphabet, an issue that has irritated Moscow.

The move to shift to Latin script was in part driven by political considerations in order to distance the Turkic-speaking nations from years of Russian influence and develop a stronger national identity.

In Kazakhstan, the process of switching to the Latin alphabet has been going on since 2017, when former President Nursultan Nazarbaev first instructed the government to work on the transition of the Kazakh alphabet to a Latin-based variant by 2025.

In Uzbekistan, two alphabets, Latin- and Cyrillic-based, were used in parallel from 1993, but as of January 1, 2023, only the Latin variant has been used by official entities.

Another Central Asian nation, Turkmenistan, fully switched from the Cyrillic script to Latin in 1993, while Azerbaijan, a Turkic-speaking former Soviet republic in the South Caucasus, replaced its Cyrillic-based alphabet with the current Latin-based script on December 25, 1991.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kyrgyzstan-dairy- products-banned-cyrillic-latin/32373802.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Nairobi  Parliament is ready to midwife the bi-partisan discussions that will resolve the current political stand-off pitting the government and the opposition, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has said.

Speaking in Bungoma on Friday, Wetangula hailed President William Ruto and the Azimio La Umoja leader Raila Odinga for choosing to resolve the political stand-off through negotiations noting that the decision was a noble idea and a show of statesmanship by the two leaders.

"Parliament is ready to midwife and facilitate the negotiations in the hope that the exercise will bring peace, tranquility and development to our country," the Speaker said.

"When you compete in a general election and you emerge victorious you become the president of everyone, for those who voted for you and those who did not therefore you must put interests of all at heart. Kenya is for all of us."

The Speaker made the comments on Friday during a funds drive in aid of Chebukaka Girls Secondary School in Kabuchai Constituency, Bungoma County.

He defended President Ruto against the accusation by the opposition that he is not sincere in the bipartisan efforts pointing out that the head of state has reaffirmed his commitment to engage in talks with any leaders for good of the country.

"The Head of State has been clear that the talk should not be centered around the last general election because the polls were credible," he added.

He however took issue with the opposition noting that it is wrong to blame the President for the high cost of living insisting that the current budget was prepared by the Uhuru regime.

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"Kenya Kwanza government is operating on a budget prepared by the last regime which has subjected Kenyans to suffering," said the National Assembly Speaker.

The 2023/24 budget estimates are due in Parliament this week. The Public Finance Management Act provides that the National Treasury must submit annual budget estimates two months before the end of the financial year.

"President Ruto's first budget will take effect in July and it will address the high cost of living by lowering prices of essential commodities such as fuel and flour among others."

Wetangula challenged the Parliamentarians to ensure that the budget must address fundamental issues faced by Kenyans because as people's representatives, they know them better.

The Speaker said he was happy that for the first time, political leaders from Bungoma County were speaking with one voice irrespective of their political affiliations.

He added that as a result, they were enabled to bargain for development projects for the region when he led all leaders among them the governor and MPs in visiting the president at State House on Wednesday.

Among the key projects that the president promised to initiate in the region is the installation of a new mill at Nzoia Sugar factory to boost its production, the setting up of a new Level Six hospital worth Sh8 billion, and tarmacking of all roads that had stalled in the area among others.

He said he will work with local leaders to support the infrastructural development of the schools so that students get quality education.
Proposed U.S. bill takes aim at PRC cyberattacks against Taiwan

ROC Central News Agency

04/21/2023 03:55 PM

Washington, April 20 (CNA) Four United States senators and representatives introduced legislation Thursday that would enable the Pentagon to cooperate with Taiwan in fortifying its cybersecurity against China.

The bill, called the "Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act," would authorize the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct cybersecurity training exercises with Taiwan, and defend Taiwan's military networks and infrastructure.

"We must push back on the Chinese Communist Party's growing aggression, and its attempts to undermine democracy around the world -- including through hostile cyber actions," Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen, one of the bill's four co-sponsors, said in a press statement.

"All too often, we've seen Taiwan used as a testing ground for China's cyberattacks later used against the United States," said Rosen, a former computer programmer, citing the 20 million to 40 million cyberattacks from China against Taiwan per month in 2019.

The bill's three other co-sponsors were Republican Senator Mike Rounds, Democratic Representative Chrissy Houlahan and Republican Representative Mike Gallagher, who chairs the Select Committee on Strategic Competition Between the U.S. and China.

"This bill helps arm Taiwan to the teeth in the cyber domain by strengthening Taiwan's cyber forces and building an even stronger partnership between our two countries," said Gallagher, who warned that Chinese cyber assaults could have "devastating" effects.

Houlahan, who referred to Taiwan as "a close ally and important strategic partner," said "Taiwan's critical infrastructure resilience is absolutely imperative to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific."

Legislation related to national security, however, rarely passes through Congress as a standalone bill, according to Breaking Defense, which said the bill was most likely to be seriously considered later this year "when lawmakers begin drafting the annual defense policy and spending bills."

Also on Thursday in testimony to lawmakers on possible cybersecurity cooperation between the U.S. and Taiwan, John Aquilino, commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said it was a priority to enhance cybersecurity capabilities between the U.S. and its allies in the region.

Meanwhile, Aquilino refuted the idea that Washington's arms deliveries to Taipei would be impacted by its military support to Kyiv, stressing that "the U.S. is the only global force capable of managing multiple threats."

(By Chian Chin-yeh and Chao Yen-hsiang)

Enditem/ls

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Defence Minister Anita Anand announces approximately $39 million military aid package for Ukraine

National Defence

News release

April 21, 2023 - Ramstein Air Base, Germany - National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

Today, Defence Minister Anita Anand participated in the eleventh meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, hosted by United States Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III.

At the meeting, Minister Anand announced that Canada is providing a new military aid package for Ukraine. This assistance includes:

A $34.6 million contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ukraine Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) Trust Fund. This donation will: enable the implementation of the NATO CAP fuel material project, which will provide Ukraine with 3.3 million litres of much-needed fuel supplies; enable the implementation of the NATO CAP Improved Ribbon Bridge project - which will provide Ukraine with modular floatation bridge assets to enable wet-gap crossing; and provide a first contribution to the NATO CAP medical first aid kits project.

Approximately $2.5 million for 40 .50 caliber sniper rifles and ammunition from PGW Defence Technologies Inc. based in Winnipeg, which includes spare parts and accessories.

Approximately $2 million worth of new radio sets (16 in total) from L3 Harris to accompany the Leopard 2 tank donations.

This donation comes from the remaining funds across the Government of Canada's various funding envelopes for military assistance to Ukraine.

Minister Anand noted that all eight Leopard 2 main battle tanks committed by Canada to Ukraine have been delivered to Poland, and that Canada has deployed three Leopard Gunnery Skills Trainers from 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier to assist with efforts to train Ukrainian tank crews on the operation and tactics of the Leopard 2 tanks.

The Minister also highlighted Canada's announcement on April 11, 2023, that Canada will donate more than 21,000 small arms to the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including assault rifles, machine guns, and over 2.4 million rounds of small arms ammunition, sourced from Colt Canada and valued at approximately $59 million.

Canada is working closely with Allies and partners to provide Ukraine with the comprehensive military aid that it needs as quickly as possible.

Quotes

"Approximately one year after the Ukraine Defense Contact Group first met here at Ramstein Air Base, our collective resolve to stand with Ukraine is stronger than ever. At today's meeting, we made important progress on addressing Ukraine's most pressing immediate, and long-term defence priorities. The donations and support announced by Canada today will help ensure that Ukraine has what it needs to defend its sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity." The Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of National Defence

Quick facts

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) was created by the United States Secretary of Defense in April 2022 to provide a strategic mechanism to identify critical equipment needs and gaps for Ukraine, allow Allies and partners to synchronize donations, consult and coordinate military assistance to Ukraine, and build the capabilities of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Convening monthly at the ministerial level, the UDCG now brings together more than 40 countries.

The NATO Ukraine Comprehensive Assistance Package Trust Fund finances non-lethal military assistance projects to support the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Projects provide critical military commodities such as fuel, medical supplies, winter gear, ambulances, and bridging equipment.

Since the beginning of 2022, Canada has committed over $8 billion in direct financial, military, humanitarian, and other assistance to Ukraine.

Since February 2022, Canada has committed over $1 billion in military assistance to Ukraine. This includes eight Leopard 2A4 main battle tanks and one armoured recovery vehicle, a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) with associated munitions, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, small arms, M777 howitzers and associated ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, winter clothing, and more.

Since late March 2022, the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has been assisting with the delivery of military aid for Ukraine within Europe from Canada and on behalf of our Allies and partners, transporting over 8 million pounds of military donations to date.

CAF personnel are currently deployed to the United Kingdom and Poland to assist with the training of members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine under Operation UNIFIER, Canada's military training and capacity building mission in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Since the start of Operation UNIFIER in 2015, the CAF has trained over 36,000 members of the Security Forces of Ukraine in battlefield tactics and advanced military skills.

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April 21, 2023

Transcript

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley Hold a Post-Ukraine Defense Contact Group Press Conference, Ramstein Air Base, Germany

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III; Joint Chiefs Of Staff Chairman General Mark A. Milley

STAFF: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for being here today. It is my pleasure to introduce Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III, and chairman of the Joint Chiefs Staff, General Mark Milley. The secretary and the chairman will deliver opening remarks, and then we'll have some time to take a few questions. Please note that I will moderate those questions and call on journalists. Due to time constraints, I would ask those I call on to limit their follow-up questions to give your colleagues a chance to ask their questions, and I appreciate your assistance with this.

With that, Secretary Austin?

SECRETARY OF DEFENSE LLOYD J. AUSTIN III: Thanks, Patrick.

And good afternoon, everyone. Nearly one year ago, I first convened what became the Ukraine Defense Contact Group right here at Ramstein. Our goal was to improve the coordination of our support for Ukraine as it fought back against Russia's reckless and lawless invasion.

Over the past year, this Contact Group has become an extraordinary community of action, and together, we have rallied to defend the principles of democracy and freedom and sovereignty. So we're all back here at Ramstein a year later to build on that impressive progress.

Over the past year, the members of this Contact Group have provided tremendous capability to Ukraine. Right after Russia invaded, we surged in Javelins and Stingers, and then we provided Ukraine's defenders with howitzers and HIMARS and other artillery, and we continue to rush in ground-based air defense capabilities and munitions to help Ukraine control its sovereign skies and to help Ukraine defend its citizens from Russian cruise missiles and Iranian drones.

Our collective efforts have made a huge difference on the battlefield, and now, in just a few short months, the Contact Group has delivered more than 230 tanks, more than 1,550 armored vehicles and other equipment and munitions to support more than nine new armored brigades. We've also expedited our M1 Abrams timelines to supply Ukraine with more armored capability in the coming months, and the M1s that the Ukrainians will use for training will arrive here in Germany in the next few weeks. And all of this is huge progress, and I am confident that this equipment and the training that accompanied it a it will put Ukraine's forces in a position to continue to succeed on the battlefield.

Ukraine forces have formidable capability and courage, as we have seen throughout, and all of this progress rests on the coordinated work of some-50 nations of goodwill that have gathered again today.

Now, let me say just a few words about the reports of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive and classified U.S. material. I take this matter extremely seriously, and we will continue to work closely and a with our deeply-valued allies and partners in a spirit of abiding respect and friendship. As I have discussed this issue with our allies and partners, I've been struck by their solidarity and their commitment to reject efforts to divide us, so nothing will fracture our unity or reduce our determination.

Now, I'm grateful to my good friend Oleksii Reznikov for joining us at Ramstein, and he once again gave us all a first-hand account of the battlefield dynamics, highlighting Ukraine's most urgent needs in the critical months ahead.

We also heard from my colleagues in U.S. European Command about the progress on building Ukraine's combat power as Ukraine prepares to push back the lines of Russian invade a invaders, and we talked about key enablers that will help Ukraine repel Russian forces such as heavy equipment and transport vehicles and refuelers and mine rollers. And I'd like to thank those here who announced donations of these important systems, including Germany and the Netherlands. We also discussed ways to intensify our sustainment in industrial base initiatives.

Now, Russia has continued its assault on civilian targets in Ukraine, including schools and theaters and apartment buildings, and those targets have absolutely no military value whatsoever. So we're helping Ukraine defend its citizens and its skies against Russian missiles and Iranian drones.

Now, many Contact Group members have stepped up with new air defense systems and critically-needed ammunition for those systems, and we're going to stay focused on the key capabilities that Ukraine needs right now, as well as in the medium term.

Now, we also heard today from the European Union on its proposal to speed up the production and delivery of ammunition for Ukraine, and more countries are thinking about how they can increase industrial production not just for the near term, but also for the medium term and the long term, and that is a powerful reminder that we stand with Ukraine's defenders for the long haul.

You know, Putin made a series of grave miscalculations when he ordered the invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago. He thought that Ukraine wouldn't dare to fight back, but Ukraine is standing strong with the help of its partners. Putin thought that our unity would fracture, but Russia's cruel war of choice has only brought us closer together. And I'd note that Finland, which has long taken part in this contact group, is here today as a new NATO ally. I expect that Sweden will soon follow, and that makes something crystal clear a Putin's war of choice is not the result of NATO enlargement, Putin's war is the cause of NATO's enlargement.

You know, when I first convened this contact group, I saw nations of goodwill that were eager to help Ukraine resist Russia's imperial aggression, I saw a coalition that stood united and firm, I saw countries determined to stand up for an open and secure world of rights and rules, and all of that was just as true at Ramstein today as it was a year ago.

The Ukrainians are still standing strong in their fight for their freedom and they have the courage and the capability for the road ahead and we will have their backs for as long as it takes.

And so with that, I'll turn it over to the Chairman.

GENERAL MARK A. MILLEY: Thank you, Secretary, and I want to start off by thanking Secretary Austin for his leadership over the past year in this 11th Ukrainian Defense Contact Group, which has resulted in enormous support to Ukraine, not only from the countries of Europe but really from the globe, and it really wouldn't be happening without Secretary Austin's leadership. So thank you, sir.

And thanks also to the ministers and chiefs of defense from over 50 countries that attended today and have consistently attended now for a year, and their participation and support is critical to the capability of the Ukrainian military to defend itself.

It's been nearly a year since Secretary Austin began this contact group right here at Ramstein and this forum has been vital to coordinate and synchronize the support, continued international support, to Ukraine.

I also want to thank Ukrainian Minister of Defense Reznikov and a and my colleague and partner, Chief of Defense General Zaluzhnyi, whom I've had a chance to contact in the last week or so, and his representative here, General Moisuk, for their continued leadership. I also congratulate Finland on their accession into NATO. This historic event marks a deepening of the NATO alliance and reaffirms to the world the strength of this relationship.

But this is not just about the United States and European security. NATO and this contact group helped to uphold something bigger than that. They uphold the global international order, where all nations can live in peace and can prosper, a world that respects sovereignty and the rule of law, a world that counters unbridled military aggression.

421 days ago, Putin thought he could overthrow the Ukrainian government, thought he could fracture NATO as he launched an unprovoked war of aggression, with hundreds of thousands of Russian forces crossing the border on multiple avenues of approach. He was wrong. Ukraine's spirit remains unbroken.

There are now 31 members of NATO and NATO is even stronger and united in the face of Russia's aggression and its attack on the rules-based order. The United States and the members of this contact group remain committed to supporting Ukraine as it fights for freedom against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion.

To date, the United States has committed more than $35 billion in military assistance, including over two million tank and artillery rounds, tens of thousands of anti-armor weapons systems, air defense systems, and other forms of munitions, hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles, precision aerial munitions and counter-UAS capabilities.

In addition, there's about 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers conducting training right now in Germany. Another 8,800, almost 9,000 have completed training and have returned to Ukraine. And there are 65 Ukrainians that completed training on Patriot missile systems just recently.

Since the early phases of this war and for every month since, the United States has provided Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself, and in conjunction with our allies and partners, we have delivered. This coalition will continue to provide vital training and additional capabilities for air defense and maneuver to enable Ukraine's ongoing fight.

Air defense munitions, air defense capabilities, tank munitions, armored vehicle capabilities, artillery ammunition, artillery tubes androckets, and spare parts remain critical as Ukraine protects its cities and expels the Russian menace from its territory.

Our countries and the countries of Europe have pledged that Ukraine will have the capabilities it needs to execute their missions on their own timeline and we have pledged that support for as long as it takes, as the Secretary just said. This week, the United States announced our latest security assistance package as part of our ongoing commitment to Ukraine.

As we stand here today, the Ukrainian military continues to perform very well. Intense fighting in and around Bakhmut continues and has for several months. Russia is expending significant manpower for very little gain. Russia is intensifying indiscriminate shelling in Avdiivka and other cities and urban areas. And Russia continues to pay severely for its war of choice.

Unlike the Ukrainian forces who are highly motivated to fight for their country, to fight for their freedom, their democracy and their way of life, the Russians lack in leadership, they lack will, the morale is poor, and their discipline is eroding.

Russia has resorted to tightening conscription laws as they indiscriminately feed their citizens into the chaos of war, and so far, they've been quite ineffective in their coordination or direction of combined arms maneuver on the battlefield.

Over the past year, Russia's temporary territorial gains have come with enormous losses. Hundreds of thousands of Russians have fled their country, in addition to the casualties. They are trying to avoid fighting in Putin's war.

Russia continues to fail in achieving its strategic objectives. They failed to seize Kyiv, they failed to topple the Ukrainian government, and they failed to fracture NATO. In fact, they've done just the opposite. Kyiv stands, the people of Ukraine are emboldened, and NATO has never been stronger.

As President Biden and Secretary Austin have repeatedly said, the United States remains committed for as long as it takes.

Thank you and I look forward to your questions.

STAFF: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. Thank you, Chairman. Our first question will go to Rachel Cohen, Defense News.

Q: Hi, thank you for doing this. I have one question for each of you. Mr. Chairman, we know from the recent leaks that the Pentagon was bullish on Ukraine's chances of retaking much territory in the spring counter-offensive. Is that still your assessment now or what has changed? And are you concerned that spring conditions on the ground will slow things down?

And then for Secretary Austin, looking at the current crisis in Sudan, what lessons learned from the Afghanistan evacuation are shaping your efforts to prepare to get U.S. embassy staff out of Sudan? And has the State Department asked you to begin that process?

GEN. MILLEY: Well, let me a let me start by saying that I'm not going to comment on future operations specifically or any of the substance that's in any of these leaks that are out there.

But I will say that our task and our commitment to Ukraine was to provide the a the training and the equipment for up to nine brigades, armored brigades, armored mech brigades to conduct either offensive or defensive operations. Those brigades are trained, they're manned and they're equipped, and they are prepared for combat operations. So whenever and wherever Ukraine chooses to use them, we will continue that support, and I am very confident in those units' ability to succeed.

SEC. AUSTIN: Regarding Sudan, the department, through our headquarters at AFRICOM, continues to monitor very closely the situation on the ground, and we continue to coordinate with a with the State Department to make sure we have a common vision of what the situation is.

We always want to make sure that we're doing prudent planning, which is what we're doing. We've a we've deployed some forces to a into theater to ensure that we provide as many options as possible if we are called on to do something, and we haven't been called on to do anything yet. No decision on anything has been made. And for operations' security purposes, as you would guess, I a I a I won't specify, you know, where those troops moved to and a and a but a but our focus is to make sure that we continue to do prudent planning and that we create and maintain as many options for our president as possible.

STAFF: Thank you. Our next question will go to Ute Spangenberger, ARD.

Q: My question is going to a to a to both, calling fighter jets. Ukraine said that they need more fighter jets. Poland has just delivered MiGs. Did you talk about fighter jets? And how helpful could they be for Ukraine?

SEC. AUSTIN: Right now, what a what we all believe is what Ukraine needs most urgently is ground-based air defense capability. That is what has enabled them to prevent the Russian air forces from having a meaning ameaningful impact in this fight. And so you've heard us say that for the last several months. We will continue to say that because that is what is a is a is most important in the current a in the future of fight, the immediate future. We have to make sure that the a the Ukrainians have the ability to protect their infrastructure, protect their citizens, but also protect troops that the troops are maneuvering. So we a we continue to engage our partners and a and a and allies and a and emphasize that we need to do everything we can to ensure that Ukraine has adequate air defense a ground-based air defense capability.

And I have to applaud the a the work that our partners are doing. Where possible, they're stepping up to the plate. I believe that a that we can still do more, and I'm asking them to do more, and I believe that they will respond, so a

STAFF: Okay, our next question will go to Will Dunlop, Agence France-Presse.

Q: Thank you.

Secretary Austin, are Contact Group members working to speed up deliveries of military supplies, especially key items such as artillery rounds, ahead of Ukraine's counteroffensive? And does Ukraine have the items it needs for that offensive?

And Chairman Milley, do you think the Abrams tanks will have a significant impact once they arrive on the battlefield in Ukraine? The U.S. has previously expressed concerns about logistics and sustainment for the tanks. Have those concerns been sufficiently addressed? Thank you.

SEC. AUSTIN: Yeah, so several months ago as we a we set out to plan and a as our people set out to plan with the Ukrainian partners, we outlined the parameters for, you know, potential operations, and we designed this a the support that would be required to a to support those operations, and we laid that out in detail and we a that a that set us on a path to generate combat power, combat capability. You've heard us talk about the a the combat platforms, the tanks, the Bradleys, the Strykers, Marders, CB90s, and all this a the sustainment that goes along with that and all of the munitions required to a to be successful.

As you just heard, both what the chairman and I said, this was a this was really difficult work, but we have met our initial goals to provide what's required to a to get started and a and we will con a and we know that combat is dynamic, complex, and so we understand that we're going to have to continue to sustain Ukraine's efforts going forward when the fight starts and long after the fight continues.

GEN. MILLEY: So on the M1 tank, you know, I'm biased, but I think the M1 tank's the best tank in the world. There are other tanks that are quite good. Leopards, for example, are being provided, as well. But I do think the M1 tank, when it is delivered, will make a difference.

Now, let me distinguish between a in a couple of weeks you're going to get training tanks a those aren't quite combat-capable a and they'll be used to train the crews on how to shoot, maneuver and maintain these tanks, and that'll be part of the sustainment package to get them trained up as the other tanks are a are a are being refurbished in order for a to accelerate their delivery. But when they do get here and those crews are trained and they're used in a combined-arms maneuver tactic in combination with mech infantry, the Bradleys, they'll be very effective.

But I would also caution, there's no silver bullet in war. It's a a it's a a war is a the outcomes of battles and wars are the function of many, many variables. And in this case, you a you would have to make sure that your tanks are used in combined arms with mechanized infantry, artillery, all of that is synchronized with dismounted forces, et cetera. So there is no silver bullet in this case, but I do think the M1 tank, when it's delivered and it reaches its operational capability, that it will be very effective on the battlefield.

STAFF: Thank you. And our last question will go to Anne-Claire Coudray, TF1.

Q: Thank you. One question for Secretary Lloyd Austin. Do you really believe in a (inaudible) counter-offensive? Because here today, we mainly hear about sustainability and long-term aid, and if this counteroffensive doesn't lead to Ukrainian victory quickly, do you think that the Biden administration will still have the support of the American people to continue to help Ukraine?

And if I have the time, one quick question to General Miley (sic). You have been asked about jets, but is there any chance that the United States change their mind about the delivery of F-16? Thank you.

SEC. AUSTIN: So, (Clair ?), your question is whether or not we can expect to have a continue to have support for Ukraine. Well, we a we've enjoyed strong support from the American people throughout for a for thisa this effort, this campaign, and that support has enabled the Ukrainians to be as successful as they have been on the battlefield. I have to credit the Ukrainians for their will to fight, for the ingenuity, for their professionalism, for their leadership. But even when you have all of that, you can't get it done unless you have the right gear and a and the a and a and you are able to sustain your efforts. And so we've worked together to help create the dynamics that we've seen thus far. We're going to continue to work.

So we've enjoyed support from the American people throughout. I am a I am very hopeful that we'll continue to see that same level of support, and a and again, this is not just important to the Ukrainian people, it's important to the world.

This is about the rules-based international order, this is about, you know, a a a bully not having the a the ability to trample his a his smaller neighbor at will, and this is about protecting a or providing the opportunity for a country to protect its sovereign rights, so.

GEN. MILLEY: So on the F-16 or any other fourth generation aircraft from any other country, I would a you know, first of all, those are policy questions that'll be made by political leaders, but from a military perspective, the task is to control the airspace.

How you control that airspace can be done in many, many different ways. The most cost effective, efficient and a way to do that right now for Ukraine and the fastest way to do that for Ukraine is through air defense. They've been doing it for over a year now.

They've been denying the airspace to effective Russian use. The Russians have been flying some sorties in Ukraine but limited amounts of sorties over Russian-occupied Ukraine. They have a Russians have not done battlefield air interdiction deep into Ukraine territory, except through missiles and rockets that have been fired from over Russian territory.

Why is that done by the Russians? Because the Ukrainians are shooting Russian aircraft down. So the Russians are cautious to come into Ukraine because of the effective use of the Ukrainian air defense system. That is the most critical thing right now, is that air defense system, to make sure that it is robust, it's rigorous, it's deep, and it's layered from high altitude to mid altitude to low altitude and from short range, mid range to long range. And the front line forces a the Ukrainian front line forces need to be protected.

That's the most important, critical military task right now. That was the theme of this entire day, was air defense, air defense, air defense, to make sure that Ukraine can defend its airspace.

In terms of the aircraft themselves, there's a long lead time for a for training of pilots, et cetera, and the Russians have a significant amount of air power. And to take the Ukrainian Air Force from where it is today and to build it up to match the Russian Air Force, that's a significant level of effort by lots of countries, and those policy choices may or may not be made down the road and we'll see where that goes.

But right now, the immediate need is air defense.

STAFF: Secretary Austin, General Milley, thank you very much, gentlemen. Ladies and gentlemen, this concludes our press briefing. Thank you very much for joining us today.

SEC. AUSTIN: Thanks, everybody.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/3370530/

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April 21, 2023

Speech

Opening Remarks by Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III at the 11th Ukraine Defense Contact Group (As Delivered)

Ramstein Air Base, Germany

Good morning, everyone. And welcome to the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group.

It's been nearly a year since this group first met, right here at Ramstein. And I hear that many of you refer to this as the "Ramstein forum." So it feels right that we're back here to reaffirm our shared unity and resolve.

Now, this Contact Group started from a place of moral clarity. We see Putin's war for what it isaand that is an unprovoked and indefensible war of aggression against a peaceful, sovereign, and democratic neighbor.

Ukraine has been fighting bravely to defend its people, its sovereignty, and its freedom.

And countries from around the world have condemned Russia's atrocities and aggression, and stood up for an open world of rules and rights.

Ladies and gentlemen, more than a year later, Ukraine is still standing strong. Our support has not wavered. And I'm proud of the progress that we have made together.

In total, the members of this Contact Group have provided more than $55 billion in security assistance for Ukraine. That's a tenfold increase since we first met.

Just in the past few months, we've provided the equipment and training to support an additional nine armored brigades for Ukraine. That has already strengthened Ukraine's position on the battlefield.

A European consortium is donating Leopard tanks. And countries continue to coordinate through the Contact Group on providing ammunition and maintenance for those tanks.

This Contact Group also provided key air-defense systems to protect Ukraine's skies, citizens, and critical infrastructure. That includes Patriot systems from the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands, SAMP/T from Italy and France, and NASAMS from Canada and Norway.

We've also improved training, sustainment, and the power of our industrial bases.

And throughout, we've demonstrated our unity and determination. Our common efforts have made a huge difference to Ukraine's defenders on the battlefield. And they underscore just how badly the Kremlin miscalculated.

Putin thought that he could easily topple Kyiv's democratically elected government. He thought that the wider world would let him get away with it. He thought that our unity would splinter.

But he was wrongaon each and every count.

As we come together again at Ramstein, the world hears our voices loud and clear. The world sees what we've achieved together.

The Ukrainian military stands tall with capability and courage.

After more than a year of Russian aggression and deceit, this Contact Group is as united as ever and more global than ever. And our support for the forces of freedom in Ukraine holds strong and true.

Now, I know that many of you have been following the reports of unauthorized disclosure of sensitive and classified U.S. material. I take this issue very seriously. And we will continue to work closely and respectfully with our deeply valued allies and partners.

As I've discussed this issue with our allies and partners, I've been struck by your solidarity, and your commitment to reject efforts to divide us.

And we will not let anything fracture our unity.

Now, we're joined again by my good friend, Oleksii Reznikov of Ukraine. And Oleksii, we're looking forward to hearing directly from you and your team on the state of the battlefield and your most urgent requirements.

I also want to thank each country joining us today. You've shown that nations of goodwill from all around the world reject Russia's cruelty and aggression.

Many of you have dug deep in your stocks for assistance for Ukraine.

Some of our allies, like Estonia and Latvia, have donated more than one percent of their GDP to Ukraine's cause.

The European Union recently announced an important initiative to ramp up the industrial production of ammunition.

And through the work of our National Armaments Directors, many more countries are also boosting their production of the ammunition that Ukraine so urgently needs.

Now, earlier this week, the United States announced our 36th Presidential Drawdown of security assistance for Ukraine, valued at $325 million. We've now provided more than $35 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began. In this latest package, we've included more ammunition for HIMARS, additional 155-millimeter and 105-millimeter artillery rounds, and important anti-armor capabilities.

And every step of the way, we remain focused on ensuring the accountability of our assistance, along with our Ukrainian partners.

Now, at today's Contact Group, we'll focus on three key areas: air defense, ammunition, and enablers.

Ukraine urgently needs our help to shield its citizens, infrastructure, and forces from Russia's missile threat.

I also look forward to getting an update from General Aguto, our Commander of the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, on our work to build Ukraine's armored combat power.

And we'll also hear an update on our progress toward maintaining Ukraine's equipment for the long term.

We all know what's at stake. For more than a year, Ukraine's forces have defended their country and their fellow citizens.

But they've also defended the basic principle that autocrats don't just get to assault their smaller neighbors.

And the valor and skill of Ukraine's troops have inspired the world. From the battle of Kyiv to the liberation of Kherson, Ukraine has shown again and again the power of a free people fighting to defend their rights.

Ukraine will continue to fight just as bravely.

And all of us here have come together to stand up for Ukraine and for a world based on rules and rights.

We reject Putin's grim vision of a world where tyrants get to assault their peaceful neighborsaand try to impose self-declared spheres of influence at gunpoint.

Ladies and gentlemen, this Contact Group is still guided by moral clarity.

Together, we will make sure that Ukraine has what it needs to live in freedom.

Together, we will defend the rules-based international order that keeps us all secure.

And together, we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.

Thank you all for being here. And with that, let's pause for a moment to let our friends in the media depart.

https://www.defense.gov/News/Speeches/Speech/Article/3369867/

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April 21, 2023

By Jim Garamone , DOD News

Milley Says Ukraine Has Leadership, Morale to Beat Russia

More than a year after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his war of choice against Ukraine, Ukraine continues to fight, and allies and partners continue to support and stand behind the nation, Army Gen. Mark A. Milley said at Ramstein Air Base, Germany today.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III participated in the 11th iteration of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. The two men spoke to the news media following the meeting of about 50 nations.

Milley said the Russian president thought he would have an easy time invading Ukraine, toppling its government and incorporating the sovereign nation into Russia. "He thought he could fracture NATO, as he launched an unprovoked war of aggression with hundreds of thousands of Russian forces crossing the border on multiple avenues of approach. He was wrong," the chairman said.

"Ukraine's spirit remains unbroken," he continued. "There are now 31 members of NATO, and NATO is even stronger than ever a united in the face of Russia's aggression and attack on the rules-based order."

The United States and the members of the contact group remain committed to supporting Ukraine as a fight for freedom against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion.

The United States has been one of the leaders of the effort to support Ukraine's fight for its existence. The United States has committed more than $35 billion in military assistance to Ukraine, including millions of tank and artillery rounds, tens of thousands of antitank weapons, and air defense systems. The United States is also supplying tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, logistics vehicles and specialty capabilities to counter drones, Milley said.

The training effort has also been effective and ongoing. Milley noted there are about 2,500 Ukrainian soldiers participating in training in Germany; 8,800 more have completed the training and returned to Ukraine.

Milley said the Ukrainian forces have acquitted themselves well against the far larger Russian forces. He said Russia has continued to expend significant manpower in the battle for the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut for very little gain. Russia has resorted to launching indiscriminate rockets and shelling of urban areas.

"Russia continues to pay severely for its war of choice," the general said. "Unlike Ukrainian forces a who are highly motivated to fight for their country, their freedom, their democracy and their way of life a the Russians lack leadership, and they lack will."

Milley said Russian morale is poor and their discipline is eroding. "Russia has resorted to tightening conscription laws as they indiscriminately feed their citizens into the chaos of war," he said. "And, so far, they've been quite ineffective in the coordination or direction of combined arms maneuver on the battlefield."

Even as Russia has lost tens of thousands of service members in battle in Ukraine, even more Russian men have fled their country. "They are trying to avoid fighting in Putin's war," he said.

Russia continues to fail in achieving its strategic objectives. "They failed to seize Kyiv, they failed to topple the Ukrainian government, and they failed to fracture NATO," Milley said. "In fact, they've done just the opposite. Kyiv stands. The people of Ukraine are emboldened, and NATO has never been stronger."

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April 21, 2023

By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News

Following Ukraine Defense Contact Group, Austin Reminds Members of Their Impact

After a full day of discussion during the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III reminded participating nations of the significance of their commitments.

"Over the past year, members of this contact group have provided tremendous capability to Ukraine," Austin said. "Right after Russia invaded, we surged in Javelins and Stingers. Then we provided Ukraine's defenders with howitzers ... HIMARS ... and other artillery. And we continue to rush in ground-based air-defense capabilities and munitions to help Ukraine control its sovereign skies ... and to help Ukraine defend its citizens from Russian cruise missiles and Iranian drones."

Those contributions and efforts, Austin said, have made a big difference on the battlefield for Ukrainian soldiers.

Most recently, he said, members of the UDCG have delivered to Ukraine more than 230 tanks and more than 1,550 armored vehicles, along with other equipment and materials that have allowed the Ukrainians to support more than nine new armored brigades.

And just last month, the Defense Department announced it planned to expedite earlier plans to field 31 Abrams tanks to Ukraine. Under the expedited plans, the U.S. will send to Ukraine M1A1 Abrams tanks from refurbished hulls already in U.S. inventory, and those tanks will be delivered in the fall a which is faster than what was originally expected.

"And the M1s that the Ukrainians will use for training will arrive in Germany in the next few weeks," Austin said.

The DOD plans now to make a different set of training tanks available so that Ukrainian troops can learn on those systems concurrent with the refurbishing of the tanks they will eventually use on the battlefield. It's expected that there will be training tracks for both Abrams operations and Abrams maintenance.

"All of this is huge progress," Austin said. "And I'm confident that this equipment a and the training to accompany it a will put Ukraine's forces in a position to continue to succeed on the battlefield."

During the daylong UDCG meeting, Austin said participating nations heard from U.S. European Command about progress toward building Ukraine's combat power and from Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov about battlefield dynamics and Ukraine's most urgent needs.

"And we talked about key enablers that will help Ukraine repel Russian forces, such as heavy equipment and transport vehicles ... refuelers ... and mine rollers," Austin said. "I'd like to thank those here who announced donations of these important systems, including Germany and the Netherlands."

And while Austin said Russia continues assaults on civilian targets in Ukraine a targets that have no military value a he also said UDCG members have stepped up with new air-defense systems and related munitions to help stave off those assaults. The secretary also pointed to recent efforts in the European Union to commit to speed up the production of much-needed ammunition for Ukraine.

"And more countries are thinking about how they can increase industrial production a not just for the near term but also for the medium term and the long term," he said. "And that is a powerful reminder that we stand with Ukraine's defenders for the long haul."

The first meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group happened in late April 2022, also at Ramstein. After that meeting, Austin said a decision was made to extend the forum to a monthly meeting so that more work could be done.

"The contact group will be a vehicle for nations of goodwill to intensify our efforts, coordinate our assistance, and focus on winning today's fight and the struggles to come," Austin said at the time. "The monthly meetings may be in-person, virtual or mixed. And they'll extend the transparency, the integration and the dialogue that we saw today."

At the conclusion of today's UDCG meeting, Austin weighed in on Russia's decision to invade Ukraine a a decision he characterized as a mistake.

"Putin made a series of grave miscalculations when he ordered the invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago," Austin said. "He thought that Ukraine wouldn't dare to fight back. But Ukraine is standing strong, with the help of its partners. Putin thought that our unity would fracture. But Russia's cruel war of choice has only brought us closer together."

In advance of chairing the most recent meeting of the UDCG, Austin visited with military and civilian leadership in Sweden, a nation that has applied for membership to NATO. During his visit, Austin expressed hopes that Sweden will have attained membership in the alliance before the July NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Sweden's neighbor, Finland, became a NATO member earlier this month. Both nations' efforts to join the long-standing defensive alliance have come as a result of Russia's actions in Ukraine, Austin said.

"Putin's war is not the result of NATO enlargement," Austin said. "Putin's war of choice is the cause of NATO enlargement. You know, when I first convened this contact group, I saw nations of goodwill that were eager to help Ukraine resist Russia's imperial aggression. I saw a coalition that stood united and firm. I saw countries determined to stand up for an open and secure world of rights and rules. And all of that was just as true at Ramstein today as it was a year ago."

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April 21, 2023

By C. Todd Lopez , DOD News

U.S.-Led Ukraine Defense Contact Group Convenes for 11th Discussion

This morning, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov for a bilateral discussion in advance of the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. The first such meeting was held last April, also at Ramstein.

"It's been nearly a year since this group first met, right here at Ramstein," Austin said. "And I hear that many of you refer to this as the 'Ramstein forum.' So, it feels right that we're back here to reaffirm our shared unity and resolve."

During his opening remarks, Austin reminded attendees that their combined efforts in the past year to provide security assistance to Ukraine have greatly enhanced that country's ability to fight and to retain its sovereignty in the face of Russia's illegal invasion.

"Our common efforts have made a huge difference to Ukraine's defenders on the battlefield," Austin said. "And they underscore just how badly the Kremlin miscalculated. Putin thought that he could easily topple Kyiv's democratically elected government. He thought that the wider world would let him get away with it. He thought that our unity would splinter. But he was wrong a on each and every count."

Plans for the day-long UDCG event include among other things, briefings by participating nations regarding the security assistance they plan to provide to Ukraine, and an update from Reznikov on Ukrainian battlefield progress.

"Oleksii, we're looking forward to hearing directly from you and your team on the state of the battlefield and your most urgent requirements," Austin said. "I also want to thank each country joining us today. You've shown that nations of goodwill from all around the world reject Russia's cruelty and aggression."

Austin said this most recent meeting of the UDCG would focus on air defense, ammunition and enablers.

"Ukraine urgently needs our help to shield its citizens, infrastructure and forces from Russia's missile threat," he said.

The secretary also noted a recent agreement among European nations to ramp up the production of ammunition to support Ukraine and said that other nations outside Europe are also boosting production of much-needed ammunition.

Over the past months, Austin said, the UDCG has provided equipment and training that has allowed for an additional nine armored brigades in Ukraine.

"That has already strengthened Ukraine's position on the battlefield," he said.

Additionally, both European nations and the United States are donating tanks to the Ukrainians. The U.S. has committed a total of 31 Abrams tanks, for instance a expected to be delivered before the end of the year.

The UDCG has also continued to provide air-defense systems to help Ukrainian fighters defend their skies, citizens and critical infrastructure, Austin said. Included there are Patriot systems donated by the U.S., Germany and the Netherlands; National/Norwegian Advanced Surface to Air Missile Systems from both Canada and Norway; and SAMP/T systems from Italy and France.

On Wednesday, the U.S. also announced $325 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine, using presidential drawdown authority, or PDA, which pulls hardware from existing U.S. military stocks.

This latest PDA, which is the 36th of its kind, includes, among other things, additional ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems; 155mm and 105mm artillery rounds; tube-launched, optically-tracked, wire-guided missiles a also called TOW missiles; AT-4 anti-armor weapon systems; anti-tank mines; and over nine million rounds of small arms ammunition.

"For more than a year, Ukraine's forces have defended their country and their fellow citizens," Austin said. "But they've also defended the basic principle that autocrats don't just get to assault their smaller neighbors. And the valor and skill of Ukraine's troops have inspired the world. From the battle of Kyiv to the liberation of Kherson, Ukraine has shown again and again the power of a free people fighting to defend their rights."

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Update 154 - IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

International Atomic Energy Agency

35/2023

Vienna, Austria

21 Apr 2023

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts present at Ukraine's Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) have heard shelling almost every day over the past week and at one point were told to shelter at the site because of the potential dangers caused by continued military activity in the region, Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

The IAEA team's recent reports to headquarters in Vienna further underscore the serious nuclear safety and security risks facing Europe's largest nuclear power plant (NPP) during the military conflict, at a time of increased speculation of imminent military offensives and counter-offensives in the southern Ukrainian region and elsewhere in the country, Director General Grossi said.

"I saw clear indications of military preparations in the area when I visited the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant just over three weeks ago. Since then, our experts at the site have frequently reported about hearing detonations, at times suggesting intense shelling not far from the site. I'm deeply concerned about the situation at the plant," he said.

Director General Grossi said the perilous situation on the ground meant he had to continue pressing for protection of the plant so that there is no attack on the facility and also that the facility is not used to launch attacks. He continues his efforts and negotiations with Ukraine and the Russian Federation.

Adding to the nuclear safety and security risks, the ZNPP continues to rely on the only remaining functioning 750 kilovolt (kV) power line for the external electricity it needs for reactors cooling and other essential nuclear safety and security functions. Before the conflict, the plant had four such off-site power lines available.

A back-up 330 kV power line that was damaged on 1 March on the other side of the Dnipro River from the Russian-controlled ZNPP has still not been repaired, with Ukraine having said military action is preventing its experts from safely accessing the location situated in territory it controls to repair the line.

The nearby Zaporizhzhya Thermal Power Plant (ZTPP) operates the 330 kV open switchyard, through which back-up power has in the past been provided to the ZNPP. The Russian Federation reported last month that Rosatom was working to remove damaged equipment from the open switchyard, with the aim of restoring three 330 kV lines to the grid system in currently Russian-controlled territory. The IAEA team will access the site to assess the situation.

The IAEA team has also reported that the current situation at the ZNPP is having a significant impact on the plant's maintenance capability. Plant management informed the IAEA experts that the scope of maintenance performed during outages on all units in 2022 was reduced compared to the planned scope due to reduced maintenance staff, absence of external contractors who perform a significant part of the work, and a lack of spare parts needed for the maintenance, including critical components. ZNPP currently has only about a quarter of its regular maintenance staff available. New staff are being hired but it will take some time until they are fully trained. The plant said a substantial list of required spare parts has recently been submitted to Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear company.

As a result of the significant reduction of staff, the ZNPP currently does not have a systematic maintenance and in-service inspection schedule. Before restarting any of the reactor units, the site is considering obtaining advice from an engineering organization within Rosatom that will assess the status of the plant and provide recommendations for all structures, systems and components important to safety regarding their maintenance or any necessary replacement before operation. The site considers that this maintenance/replacement work may be undertaken using the services of a centralized Rosenergoatom company that is capable of performing these types of maintenance tasks.

"This shows again the continuing detrimental impact that the current situation on the site is having on the seven indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security, in this case pillars two and five on safety and security systems and equipment and logistical supply chain," the Director General said.

The IAEA team has also identified extensive damage to windows in the turbine hall of Unit 4 in a location that appears inconsistent with being caused by the previously reported landmine explosions. The IAEA team aims at clarifying the cause of the damage.

On a more positive note, the water level in the Kakhovska Reservoir - which provides water for ZNPP reactor cooling - has gradually been increasing over the past two months and has now returned to normal level, 16.2 metres on 21 April.

As a result of the warmer weather, the operator has started to put reactor Unit 6 in cold shutdown which is expected to be reached by the weekend, leaving only Unit 5 in hot shutdown to produce hot water and steam for the site. The two reactors were in hot shutdown during the winter to provide steam and heating to the ZNPP as well as heating to the nearby city of Enerhodar, where many plant personnel live.

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U.S. Military Chiefs Say Increasing Ukraine's Air Defense Capability Most Urgent Critical Task

By RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service April 21, 2023

Fortifying Ukraine's air defense capability was the major theme of a meeting on April 21 of dozens of countries that have supported Kyiv in its fight against invading Russian forces and as it prepares to launch a spring counteroffensive.

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference that beefing up Ukraine's air defense system is "the critical military task right now," adding that the goal is to make sure that it is robust and rigorous -- "layered from high altitude to mid altitude to low altitude and from short range, mid-range to long range."

Milley said air defense was the theme all day of the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking alongside Milley at the news conference, said Kyiv's allies in the contact group believe that what Ukraine needs most urgently is ground-based air defense capability.

"That is what has enabled them to prevent the Russian air forces from having a meaningful impact in this fight," Austin said.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting consisted of representatives from some 50 countries that are providing military aid to Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the Ramstein meeting by warning of an "uncontrollable" arms race and said Moscow needed to build up its tactical missile capabilities, including those on its Kaliningrad territory bordering Poland and Lithuania, the RIA state news agency said.

Milley also said the Ukrainian military continues to perform very well, adding that Russia is expending "significant manpower for very little gain" in intense fighting in and around the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut. Russian forces also have intensified indiscriminate shelling in Avdiyivka and other cities and urban areas, he said.

"Russia continues to pay severely for its war of choice," he said. "Unlike the Ukrainian forces who are highly motivated to fight for their country, to fight for their freedom, their democracy and their way of life, the Russians lack in leadership, they lack will, the morale is poor, and their discipline is eroding."

Austin confirmed that the United States plans to deliver Abrams tanks to Germany in the coming weeks, saying Ukrainian soldiers will be trained on how to use them.

The training is to take place at a military training area in southern Germany and last around 10 weeks, according to earlier news reports about the delivery of the tanks.

The Pentagon previously announced that the Abrams tanks would be delivered in the autumn, but Austin said that the delivery had been expedited.

Milley said the tanks that are to arrive in the next couple of weeks as "training tanks" that are not combat-capable. He said they would be used to train the crews on how to shoot, maneuver, and maintain the tanks.

Neither Austin nor Milley said exactly when combat-ready Abrams tanks would arrive, but Milley predicted that when they get to Ukraine and are used in combination with mechanized infantry, "they'll be very effective."

German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius also made promises to Ukraine during the Ramstein meeting. German Leopard tanks damaged in the war are to be repaired in Poland from now on, he said. This will ensure their quick return to the front, he said.

Also on April 21, six Leopard tanks left Spain by ship destined for Ukraine, according to a naval monitoring website. Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles said this month that Spain would send 10 Leopard 2A4 tanks. The remaining four are undergoing repairs. Spain has also trained 40 tank crew members and 15 mechanics.

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier he was "confident" that Ukraine is prepared to retake more territory amid preparations for an expected counteroffensive against Russian forces as Kyiv's international supporters gather in Germany to discuss beefing up weapons deliveries for Ukraine.

"I'm confident that they will now be in a position to be able to liberate even more land," Stoltenberg told journalists on the sidelines of the meeting.

The NATO chief noted that Germany and the United States have delivered multiple Patriot air defense batteries, which he said are "operational in Ukraine." He declined to provide other details or the exact number of Patriot systems that have been delivered.

Stoltenberg added that the alliance's current focus is to ensure Ukraine prevails against Russia's unprovoked invasion, and once the war ends, that Kyiv has "the deterrence to prevent new attacks."

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksiy Reznikov, who is also attending the meeting, met with Austin ahead of the talks.

"Over the past year, members of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group have provided tremendous capabilities to Ukraine. We will support them for as long as it takes," Austin tweeted after meeting with Reznikov.

On the battlefield, Russia pressed its offensive in the eastern city of Bakhmut despite suffering heavy losses, the Ukrainian military said on April 21, while Kyiv and Poltava regions sustained more drone attacks that caused damage to infrastructure.

Ukrainian air defense detected and shot down eight Iranian-made Shahed drones above Kyiv overnight, the capital's military administration said early on April 21.

"After a 25-day lull, the capital of Ukraine suffered another air attack from the enemy.... About eight enemy drones were detected and shot down," Serhiy Popko, the head of the Kyiv military administration, said on Telegram, adding that according to initial reports there were no casualties or major damage.

In the eastern region of Poltava, a Russian drone attack damaged civilian infrastructure, Dmytro Lunin, the region's military governor, said on Telegram.

"There is destruction of civilian infrastructure. Rescuers are working to control the fire. Preliminarily, there are no victims,"a Lunin said.

In the eastern region of Donetsk, fighting raged on the Bakhmut-Avdiyivka-Maryinka front, which Russian forces have been unsuccessfully attempting to break through for several months, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in its daily bulletin.

"The enemy, at the cost of heavy losses, continues to concentrate its main efforts on conducting offensive actions in the Lyman, Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, and Maryinka directions," the military said, adding that the fiercest battle continues to be fought for Bakhmut.

Over the past day, more than 60 enemy attacks were repulsed by Ukrainian defenders, it said.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and AP

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/ukraine-bakhmut- drones-kyiv-russia-nato/32373294.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Romania To Hold Off On Ukrainian Grain Ban For Now

By RFE/RL April 21, 2023

Romania says it will hold off on a ban on Ukrainian grain imports as it awaits a decision from the European Union on enforcing proposed measures aimed at easing a glut that has flooded Eastern Europe from Ukraine.

The European Commission has proposed measures for wheat, maize, sunflower seed, and rapeseed from Ukraine after a joint complaint from five EU countries -- Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia -- over a drop in prices on local markets because of the influx from Ukraine.

"We are in solidarity with the farmers from Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Slovakia, but we must make the rules together," Romanian Agriculture Minister Petre Daea told a news conference on April 21 after a meeting with his Ukrainian counterpart, Mykola Solskiy, in Bucharest.

"Let's not enter into a competition of legal decisions. It does not benefit any of us; on the contrary, it creates additional problems for us," he added.

The five countries became transit routes for Ukrainian grain that could not be exported by sea because of Russia's invasion, but delays in moving the grain have caused a glut of cheap imports, prompting complaints from farmers and bans on the grain by some countries.

The situation forced the European Union to seek a solution, and on April 19 European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis discussed the measures with ministers from the five countries, as well as with their Ukrainian counterpart, the European Commission said in a news release.

An EU official quoted by Reuters said the proposal would only allow the grain to enter the five countries from Ukraine if they were to be exported to other EU members or to the rest of the world. The measure would last only until the end of June.

The European Commission has proposed that the commodities be either sealed or monitored by the Global Positioning System (GPS) to ensure that they are not opened during transit and therefore should not affect the markets in the states they pass through.

The commission's proposal, which also includes a second tranche of agricultural financial support, is subject to the countries lifting unilateral measures, the commission said.

The European Commission has also announced plans to open an investigation into whether measures such as bans on imports are required for sensitive agricultural products.

Bulgaria announced earlier on April 19 that it will temporarily ban the import of grain, milk, meat, and other food products from Ukraine, following steps taken by Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia.

Hungary also made an announcement on April 19 on Ukrainian agriculture products, saying it is widening its ban to include honey, wine, bread, sugar, and a range of meat and vegetable products.

The Hungarian Grain and Feed Association said on April 21 that it opposed a ban on grain, saying it will hit feed stocks and industrial users hard.

"We disagree with the import ban on Ukrainian grains and oilseeds, especially in a season when our exposure to maize imports is very high," the association said in a statement, noting the measure means lost access to the "closest, and therefore most economical, source of raw material" needed for feed makers and others.

"This measure will cause significant difficulties to Hungarian feed makers and industrial users, which will affect livestock farmers and consumers."

With reporting by Reuters and Agerpres

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/romania-ukraine-grain- ban-bulgaria-hungary/32373605.html

Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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A non-political Northern youth group, known as Arewa Social Youth Forum, has urged the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, to appoint Hon James Faleke as his Chief of Staff.

The group, in a statement signed by Umaru Yahaya said their recommendation came after the evaluation of the names being mentioned in the media as contenders for the position.

He said the ambidextrous nature of Faleke when he served as the Secretary of the APC Presidential Council puts him ahead of others, especially when the issue of balancing of offices is considered.

"Following a series of media reports regarding who the President-Elect picks as his Chief of Staff, it is imperative that some criteria and some evaluations are needed to arrive at conclusion, regarding the right man for that sensitive office," he said.

He said after a series of scientific evaluations, alongside Nigeria's principle of zoning of offices, which engenders unity and peaceful co-existence, the Forum is urging the President-Elect, to appoint James Faleke as his Chief of Staff.

"Hon. Faleke who has been a loyalist to the President-Elect for over 30 years, and his ambidextrous nature coupled with his knowledge of the country exhibited when he served as the Secretary of the APC Presidential Council is the major reason the APC triumphed in the North during the presidential poll," he said.

"His administrative prowess, sagacity and his legislative knowledge are attributes needed to coordinate the staff of the president.

He said Faleke is a highly-experienced lawmaker, who can build a very cordial relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government in the new dispensation because he represents the new generation of Nigerian political class, politically savvy and intellectually vibrant.

"It is in the best interest of the country to appoint a Northern Christian, especially at a time when the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket is being used by some individuals to sow discord among Nigerians," Yahaya said.

The group further urged the President-elect not to jettison the issue of zoning and balancing of power.
IAEA Chief Says 'Deeply Concerned' Over Situation at Zaporozhye NPP

Sputnik News

20230421

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Friday he was "deeply concerned" over the security situation at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant (ZNPP), as the IAEA experts present there had reported about hearing explosions almost every day for the past week.

In late March, Grossi visited the ZNPP for the second time since the start of Russia's special military operation in Ukraine. He inspected the ZNPP together with the plant's management and responsible technical staff "to assess first-hand the serious nuclear safety and security situation at the facility and underline the urgent need to protect it," the IAEA said.

"I saw clear indications of military preparations in the area when I visited the [Zaporozhye] Nuclear Power Plant just over three weeks ago. Since then, our experts at the site have frequently reported about hearing detonations, at times suggesting intense shelling not far from the site. I'm deeply concerned about the situation at the plant," Grossi said in a statement released by the IAEA.

The agency's recent reports emphasize "the serious nuclear safety and security risks facing Europe's largest nuclear power plant," the IAEA secretary general added.

Moreover, the IAEA experts have detected significant damage to windows in the turbine hall of Unit 4 of the ZNPP, the statement read. The agency believes that the previously reported landmines explosions could not have caused these defects.

In this regard, Grossi expressed his desire to "continue pressing for protection of the plant so that there is no attack on the facility and also that the facility is not used to launch attacks," the IAEA said.

Located on the left bank of the Dnipro River, the ZNPP is the largest nuclear power plant in Europe by number of units and energy output. It came under Russia's control in early March 2022 and has since been repeatedly shelled, raising international concerns over a possible nuclear accident. An international mission led by Grossi first visited the plant from August 31 to September 5. IAEA observers have since been staying at the plant on a rotational basis. Following the visit by the mission, the IAEA published a report in which it confirmed multiple attacks on the ZNPP.

A Sputnik

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Ukraine's Accession to NATO Discussed, Quick Decision Not Expected - Berlin

Sputnik News

20230421

BERLIN (Sputnik) - The NATO members are discussing Ukraine's possible accession to the bloc, but this decision will be made later since it is not on the agenda at the moment, German government spokeswoman Christiane Hoffmann said on Friday.

Earlier in the day, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stated all NATO members have agreed that Ukraine will become a NATO member.

"[Ukraine's] accession is discussed by NATO partners, but this decision is not on the agenda," Hoffmann said during a press briefing when asked to comment on Stoltenberg's statement.

Hoffmann referred to German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius' recent statement that Ukraine's accession to NATO would not be discussed during the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting. According to Pistorius, the relevant decision should be made after the end of the Ukrainian conflict and at the proper time, and not out of solidarity.

In September, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine was applying to be fast-tracked to join NATO. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was closely monitoring the situation and recalled that Kiev's orientation towards the alliance was one of the reasons for the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

On Friday, the Ukraine Defense Contact Group consisting of 54 countries is holding its 11th military briefing on the issue of Ukraine's support at the US Air Force Ramstein base in Germany.

A Sputnik

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US Defense Secretary: US Expediting Abrams Delivery to Ukraine, Tanks Will Arrive in Germany Soon

Sputnik News

20230421

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - The United States' timeline for providing M1 Abrams tanks to Ukraine has been expedited to deliver training tanks to Germany in the coming weeks, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday.

"We've also expedited our M1 Abrams timelines to supply Ukraine with more armored capability in the coming months, and the M1s that the Ukrainians will use for training will arrive here in Germany in the next few weeks," Austin said during a press conference.

Earlier on Friday, US media reported that 31 Abrams tanks will arrive in Germany soon, with training expected to last for 10 weeks. The tanks could reach Ukraine by fall, the reports said.

A Sputnik

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Canada to Provide Ukraine With New Military Aid Package Worth $29Mln

Sputnik News

20230421

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Ottawa will provide Ukraine with a new military aid package worth $29 million to be spent on fuel and sniper rifles among others, Canada's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.

"Minister Anand announced that Canada is providing a new military aid package for Ukraine. This assistance includes A $34.6 million contribution to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Ukraine Comprehensive Assistance Package (CAP) Trust Fund ... Approximately $2.5 million for 40 .50 caliber sniper rifles and ammunition from Prairie Gun Works based in Winnipeg, which includes spare parts and accessories. Approximately $2 million worth of new radio sets (16 in total) from L3 Harris to accompany the Leopard 2 tank donations," the National Defense statement reads.

Accordingly, the C$34 million will allow the implementation of NATO's CAP fuel material project, which seeks to provide Ukraine with 3.3 million liters of fuel.

Part of the funds will go to implement the NATO CAP Improved Ribbon Bridge project, the statement said, which consists in providing Ukraine with modular flotation bridges, and allows for wet-gap crossing.

The announced funding will also mark Canada's first contribution to NATO's CAP medical first aid kits project, the statement added.

Canada's Ministers of Defense Anita Anand also noted that the eight Leopard 2 provided to Ukraine are currently in Poland where Ukrainian crews are being assisted by Gunnery Skills Trainers from 2nd Canadian Division Support Base Valcartier, the statement pursued.

A Sputnik

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Stoltenberg Claims All NATO Allies Agree Ukraine Should Become Member of Alliance

Sputnik News

20230421

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - All NATO allies have agreed that Ukraine should become a member of the alliance, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday.

"I said in Kiev yesterday [on Thursday] that Ukraine's future is in Euro Atlantic family and all NATO allies have agreed that that Ukraine will become a NATO member," Stoltenberg said ahead of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The NATO chief also said that the alliance's allies have been discussing a delivery of different types of aircraft to Ukraine.

"On jets, well, allies have delivered, Poland has delivered MiG-29s. There's an ongoing discussion about also other types of jets," Stoltenberg added.

On Thursday, Stoltenberg said during a visit to Kiev that allies were committed to delivering more jets, tanks and armored vehicles to Ukraine. He estimated that NATO's military aid to Ukraine had topped $165 billion since February 2022.

During the visit, Stoltenberg reiterated that Ukraine's place was in NATO but gave no timeline for its accession. He said this would be made possible "over time" and assured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the alliance was with Ukraine for the long haul to help it transition to NATO standards and ensure its full interoperability with allies.

In September, Zelensky announced that Ukraine was applying to join NATO in a fast-track manner. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow was closely monitoring the situation and recalled that Kiev's orientation towards the alliance became one of the reasons for the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022.

A Sputnik

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US Urged Ukraine to Cut Its Losses & Leave Artemovsk: 'Pentagon Leak'

Sputnik News

20230421

Svetlana Ekimenko

Artemovsk (Bakhmut), located north of the city of Donetsk, has been the scene of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine for months now, with heavy fighting continuing in the western parts of the important transport hub.

Washington had warned Ukraine that it would not be able to hold Artemovsk and that its forces would "likely be encircled" there by Russian troops, a "leaked" US intelligence document allegedly obtained by the Washington Post showed.

Artemovsk, known in Ukraine by its pre-Soviet name Bakhmut, has been at the center of hostilities in Donbass for months, with the Ukrainian Armed Forces sustaining heavy losses and sacrificing civilian lives there.

According to the "bleak" US assessment marked "top secret", the Kiev regime was advised to cut its losses and abandon the city. "Steady" advances of Russia's troops since November "had jeopardized Ukraine's ability to hold the city", and Ukrainian forces would probably be "at risk of encirclement, unless they withdraw within the next month," the purportedly leaked document stated.

However, Kiev authorities did not heed the warnings, the Washington Post report stated.

Another document in the "leaked" Pentagon haul is said to have outlined the steps Ukraine could take against Moscow, such as using advanced munitions, waging information campaigns and utilizing counter-drone technology to "impose future costs" on Russian forces.

Hotly contested Artemovsk is an important transport hub with many crossroads, which previously served as a vital center for supplying pro-Kiev militants in the region. Ukrainian militants have been using civilians in the city as human shields, holding innocent people hostage and deploying heavy equipment in residential areas. Heavy fighting continues in the western parts of the city, as the Russian military advances, according to the head of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR), Denis Pushilin, in conversation with Sputnik on Thursday. Russian troops have cut off or taken under fire control of all the asphalt roads leading to Artemovsk and Russian Armed Forces continue to drive out Ukrainian troops in the western part of Artemovsk, the Russian Defense Ministry said on 20 April.

"The assault detachments continued active operations to destroy the enemy in the Donetsk direction," Russia's Defense Ministry said. Meanwhile, the Airborne Troops and artillery of the Southern Group of Forces support the advancing assault detachments and preventing the enemy's attempts to counterattack on the flanks and transfer reserves, the ministry added.

A package of top secret US Department of Defense documents was purportedly leaked online in recent weeks. The trove of documents was initially released on the Discord platform, which is popular with gamers. Later, the alleged Pentagon files found their way to major social media platforms and eventually were picked by the US mainstream media. The documents supposedly shed light on US interests in various corners of the world, including the Pentagon's assessment of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, and showed that the US was spying not only on its opponents but also on its allies. The veracity of the disclosed data has yet to be proved.

Since the revelations,, the FBI has arrested Jack Teixeira, a 21-year-old member of the US Air Force National Guard, for his alleged involvement in leaking the classified documents. A federal court in Boston charged Teixeira with the unauthorized retention, removal and transmission of classified information on 14 April.

Regarding the Pentagon "leak", Moscow has not ruled out the possibility that it was deliberately orchestrated for the purpose of disinformation. Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov emphasized that the US is a party to the Ukraine conflict - is, in fact, waging a proxy war against Russia - and might be expected to resort to such practices.

A Sputnik

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Vucic: Washington Buys Up to One-Third of Serbia's Arms That May End Up in Ukraine

Sputnik News

20230421

BELGRADE (Sputnik) - Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said on Thursday that Washington purchases between one-fourth and one-third of Serbia's defense industry products that may end up in Ukraine.

US media reported in mid-April, citing the leaked Pentagon documents, that the Serbian authorities had already sent weapons to Ukraine and were ready to transfer more. Later, in a conversation with Sputnik, Serbian Defense Minister Milos Vucevic called such reports untrue.

Vucic said on April 13 that Serbia has not and will not supply Ukraine with weapons and ammunition, adding that Belgrade exports defense products to authorized end users only.

"We produce ammunition, we sell it when Spain, for example, asks for it. And what are we supposed to do, we sell. Could it end up in Ukraine? It could. Do we know that it could end up there - we know, but what choice do we have?" Vucic said in a televised appearance on Serbian broadcaster TV Prva.

"Should we violate long-term contracts with America, which purchases a one-third, one-fourth of the ammunition - what are you people talking about, what do you even want, to close plant?"

The president noted the Serbian army will be purchasing all weapons and ammunition produced in Serbia within the next three years "so that no one can tell us that our weapons are going there [to the conflict area]."

Vucic also said that the West is urging Belgrade to join NATO, posing Russia as a threat, but the alliance itself is a threat to Serbia.

"They tell us to join NATO because Russia will endanger everyone ... We cannot join NATO because NATO has posed a threat to us," the president said.

Belgrade has repeatedly denied information about Serbia selling arms to Kiev while stressing its commitment to military neutrality.

Belgrade strictly adheres to the observance of domestic and international legal acts and also avoids the supply of weapons to any state if "an outbreak or continuation of an armed conflict is possible there" and a threat to peace and security is created, the Serbian Foreign Ministry said on April 12, adding that the re-export of the Serbian weapons without the permission of Belgrade was banned.

A Sputnik

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Support for Ukraine accelerated in a show of continued unity at Ramstein

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace attended the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group today

21 April 2023

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace called on his counterparts at Ramstein Air Base today to accelerate the delivery of military aid packages in a demonstration of continuing unity in the international support for Ukraine.

Ministers and representatives from 50 nations attended the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the US Air Force base at Ramstein, Germany.

The acceleration of military support was the focus of the meeting, with Ministers progressing deliveries to bolster Ukraine's capabilities as they plan to expel Russian Forces from illegally occupied territory. Since its first meeting in April 2022, the Ukraine Defence Contact Group has grown to involve more than ten other nations.

The completion of delivery of the most recent package of military aid was confirmed, including:

A squadron of Challenger 2 tanks, along with their ammunition, spares, and armoured recovery vehicles;

32 AS90 self-propelled guns, sufficient to support two brigades with close support artillery;

More than 150 armoured and protected vehicles;

And hundreds more of the most urgently needed missiles, including for air defence.

As the Prime Minister has previously announced, firm plans are now in place to sustain and support this equipment, including with ammunition, with the UK set to provide more than 300,000 artillery shells to Ukraine throughout 2023, equivalent to more than 1,000 shells per day.

The UK is committed to standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes and has committed so spend another A2.3bn on military support for Ukraine this year. By making this commitment we will strengthen Ukraine's position in negotiations, guard its long-term sovereignty and enable Ukraine to deter by denial.

The higher quality of training for Ukrainian soldiers has also proven battle-winning against Russian Forces and the Defence Secretary updated the meeting on the training provided by UK Armed Forces and their counterparts from nine other nations.

A total of 14,000 Ukrainian recruits have now returned from the UK to defend their homes, trained and equipped for operations including trench clearance, battlefield first aid, Law of Armed Conflict awareness, patrol tactics, and rural environment training.

The UK has committed to continue and develop the training provided according to Ukraine's requirements, including the extension to pilots, sailors and marines, and is now expected to reach 20,000 trained recruits by the end of this year.

The second procurement round for the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine was announced, having been established last summer to encourage donations from around the world and stimulate industrial supply of cutting-edge technologies for Ukraine's most vital battlefield requirements.

The fund's first round raised A520m of donations and received 1,500 expressions of interest from suppliers in 40 countries around the world. The second procurement round is now open and the UK is calling for further national donations and industry to provide their most innovative technologies, especially for air defence.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

The message from Ramstein is clear. International support for Ukraine is growing. More countries than ever are attending. Donations are increasing and their delivery is accelerating. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. The UK can be proud of our support. We are providing countless brave Ukrainians with the battle-winning training, equipment and ammunition urgently needed to repel Russia's barbaric invasion.

The UK is committed to standing with Ukraine for as long as it takes to defend themselves against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion. We are one of the leading providers of military support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and were the first country to donate modern main battle tanks, as well as training Ukrainian tank crews in the UK and delivering them within 11 weeks of announcement.

To date, the UK has supplied more than 10,000 anti-tank missiles, 200,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, hundreds of anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled artillery, and more than 200,000 pieces of non-lethal equipment, including extreme cold weather clothing, mine detection equipment, and industrial strength generators.

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Andriy Yermak had phone talk with foreign policy advisors to heads of government of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, foreign policy advisor to Finland's President

President of Ukraine

21 April 2023 - 21:16

On behalf of President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak had a phone talk with the foreign policy advisors to the heads of government of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland and the foreign policy advisor to the President of Finland. The parties discussed the formats of further support for Ukraine.

"I want to note the significant contribution of Northern Europe's countries to speeding up Ukraine's victory and emphasize the importance of further coordination to strengthen the political and practical support for our country in the fight against Russian aggression," Yermak said at the beginning of the talks.

The head of the Office of the President also outlined the Ukrainian vision of the possible scope and specific mechanisms for implementing guarantees, reflected in the Kyiv Security Compact, developed by the Yermak-Rasmussen international expert group. According to Yermak, a clear algorithm for Ukraine's movement towards membership in the Alliance should be proposed at the Vilnius NATO summit.

"I hope that the countries of Northern Europe will support the provision of security guarantees to Ukraine before it becomes a full member of NATO and are ready to sign the relevant document," he said, calling on the participants to share their views on the possibilities of maximizing the practical results of the Vilnius NATO Summit and, in particular, provision of security guarantees to Ukraine before joining the Alliance.

The head of the President's Office also informed the representatives of the Northern European countries about the Ukrainian Peace Formula. Yermak said Ukraine is counting on the readiness of these states to participate in its implementation and to encourage as many other countries as possible to join. He reiterated the importance of holding the Global Peace Summit, ensuring participation in it at the highest level, and called to consider the proposal on the possibility of hosting it by one of the Scandinavian countries.

Separately, the participants in the talks focused on the issues of expanding defense support for Ukraine, including air defense, long-range artillery, combat aircraft and ammunition.

The head of the President's Office separately thanked Finland for the decision to provide the 15th defense aid package of EUR 78 million to Ukraine, which brought the total cost of the defense aid packages to EUR 990 million.



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Now we all need to stay united, mobilized and fully focused on defense - address of the President of Ukraine

President of Ukraine

21 April 2023 - 19:02

Dear Ukrainians, I wish you health!

I held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief. Generals Syrsky, Tarnavsky, the Commander-in-Chief, the Defense Intelligence chief, and representatives of the Government reported.

We constantly and carefully analyze the course of hostilities, the hottest and all potentially dangerous areas. The frontline is priority number one.

We are also actively preparing new brigades and units that will show themselves at the front. The issue of their provision, training, and integration into the overall Defense Plan - we add crucial details every time at the Staff meetings.

Everyone in Ukraine must understand that the main task of the state is the de-occupation of our territories, the return of our lands and our people from Russian captivity. State resources are directed primarily to this task. And I am grateful to everyone who helps. Who keeps the world's focus on Ukraine. To everyone who creates jobs in Ukraine, who pays taxes, and who stays in the country and supports the work of their enterprises. To everyone who organizes fundraising for our soldiers and recovery - fundraising in Ukraine, in other countries... Now, just like last year, we need to stay united, mobilized and fully focused on defense.

Today, I would like to personally thank each and every one who manufactures weapons and ammunition, drones at state-owned defense enterprises and businesses that joined, all those who repairs equipment, who creates new equipment, in particular, for demining. Thank you for the fact that, despite everything, Ukraine is increasing our defense production potential.

Today, at the Staff meeting, we, as usual, considered the missile program and ammunition issues in detail.

All day the utmost attention to communication in the Ramstein format, today was a meeting. I thank those partners whose determination is fully in line with the actual situation and needs on the battlefield. I am waiting for the report of the Minister of Defense on the results of the meeting.

I spoke with the president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, she was visiting Kyiv. The key is the real economic interaction of the EBRD with Ukraine, and the bank's involvement in the recovery and development of our country.

Every investment now, every job saved or created in Ukraine, every implemented economic project is also protection. And when it comes to defense, speed is crucial. The attention of the EBRD was drawn, in particular, to the urgent needs for recovery, housing construction, and investment opportunities in Ukraine. To work with Ukraine and in Ukraine right now is to implement the very mission for which the EBRD was created.

Today, I also held an ad hoc meeting regarding those events - primarily international - that are to be held in the coming weeks and months. We work out the content of each event in detail. Ukraine and our soldiers have no time for formal politics and any impractical things. Every event, every negotiation and meeting should give concrete help to the defense, should concretely strengthen our soldiers and protect our values.

Weapons and ammunition for our soldiers, resilience for our economy, real preparedness for any scenarios - all this is absolutely substantive. So it was and so it will be.

Of course, I want to thank our soldiers.

Bakhmut. For brave actions - to 5th Separate Assault Brigade. Thanks, guys! Lyman direction. For stability and reliable holding of positions - to 66th Separate Mechanized Brigade. Well done!

96th Kyiv Anti-Aircraft Missile Brigade. Thank you, warriors, for your accuracy!

Thank you to everyone who is currently in positions, in the trenches, on combat missions, and on combat duty!

Thanks to everyone who helps the front!

And please remember those who gave their lives defending Ukraine and Ukrainians. Great tribute to our heroes!

Glory to Ukraine!





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Rwanda's coffee industry actors are participating in the Specialty Coffee Expo 2023, as the country seeks to attract buyers through one of the largest coffee events in North America.

The event takes place from April 21-23, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, USA.

According to a statement from the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), this three-day event brings together coffee enthusiasts, industry professionals, and exhibitors from all over the world to showcase the latest advancements in the coffee industry.

For Rwanda, it is an opportunity to promote the visibility of the "Rwanda Coffee" brand, by showcasing its single-origin specialty coffees to American specialty coffee importers, roasters, and retailers, NAEB indicated. This, it said, will enable Rwanda to share its knowledge and experiences with similar industries in other countries.

Ten Rwandan coffee export companies are attending the event. They are Baho Coffee, Gihanga Coffee, Impexcor, Kivubelt Coffee Ltd, CAFERWA/Kivu Noir, Nyamurinda Coffee Growers, Question Coffee, Dukunde Kawa Musasa, Dalas Investment Ltd, and Storyline.

The main objective of the Rwandan delegates participating in this trade show, NAEB said, is to strengthen existing commercial ties while building new ones with potential buyers to accelerate the expansion of coffee exports and increase the revenue of the country's coffee industry.

The Specialty Coffee Association, the organisation behind the expo, organised a full schedule of events that will provide participants a wealth of opportunities to network, learn, and engage with others in the industry. Rwanda's coffee industry has seen significant growth over the years, thanks to the government's efforts to promote coffee production and quality.

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Rwanda's coffee exports at a glance

Rwanda's coffee export revenues increased by 34 percent to more than $105 million (about Rwf116 billion) in 2022, from more than $78.3 million in 2021, shows data from NAEB's December 2022 report.

With this performance, the country has already surpassed the target to generate $95 million from coffee exports annually, by 2024.

The report indicated that the growth in revenue mainly resulted from good coffee prices in the international market which averaged $5.58 a kilo in 2022 or a rise of 31.2 percent from $4.48 a kilo in the previous year.

For volumes, there was a slight increase of 2 percent in the quantity of coffee the country exported, from 17,479 tonnes in 2021 to 17,848 tonnes in 2022, the report showed.

According to NAEB, in the 2021/2022 fiscal year, Switzerland and the United Kingdom were the top importers, followed by the United States and Kenya.
Daria Herasymchuk met with the delegation of the European Commission, European Parliament and Sweden led by Dubravka A uica

President of Ukraine

21 April 2023 - 14:52

Secretary of the Coordination Council for the Protection and Safety of Children under the President of Ukraine, Advisor - President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation Daria Herasymchuk had a meeting with the delegation of the European Commission, European Parliament and Sweden led by Vice President of the European Commission Dubravka A uica.

The delegation included: Vice-Speaker of the European Parliament, Coordinator for Children's Rights Ewa BoAena Kopacz, Minister for Social Services of Sweden Camilla Waltersson GrAnvall, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine Matti Maasikas, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Sweden Tobias Thyberg and others.

The interlocutors discussed the facts of the forced deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia, in particular with the subsequent change of their personal status, including citizenship, separation from parents or guardians, adoption and other violations and crimes against Ukrainian children by Russians.

Daria Herasymchuk spoke about cases of abduction of young Ukrainians by the occupiers. According to her, the main goal of our state is to completely stop the deportation of Ukrainian children to the Russian Federation and ensure their safe return and reunification with their families.

"Ukraine is doing everything possible to return every child," she emphasized.

Advisor - President's Commissioner for Children's Rights and Children's Rehabilitation Daria Herasymchuk stressed the need to unite the efforts of all European and world institutions so that no Russian criminal who violated the rights of Ukrainian children escapes fair punishment.

"Together we must create such international legal mechanisms that will not only testify to the criminality of the intentions and actions of the occupiers towards Ukrainian children, but also serve as a basis for the protection of all the children of the world. Today, when we talk about saving and protecting the children of Ukraine, we actually care about the safety of all the children of the world," said Daria Herasymchuk.

Vice President of the European Commission Dubravka A uica expressed hope that European sanctions and resolutions will be able to help Ukraine return all children.

"No country in the world has a future without its children. Ukraine has no future without its children. And we are ready to continue supporting you in this difficult mission to return Ukrainian children," she said.

The members of the European delegation emphasized their readiness to contribute as much as possible to finding ways to solve the issue of deportation and forced relocation of Ukrainian children.

At the end of the meeting, the guests received symbolic gifts - dolls, each of which has the name of a Ukrainian child kidnapped by the Russian invaders.

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Volodymyr Zelenskyy held a meeting of the Staff of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief

President of Ukraine

21 April 2023 - 14:21

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces reported on the current situation on the battlefield. Particular attention was paid to the most difficult areas of the front - the areas of Bakhmut, Avdiivka, Maryinka in the Donetsk region.

Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov informed the participants of the meeting about the enemy's plans for the near future.

Commander of the Ground Forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, Commander of the "Khortytsia" operational-strategic group of troops Oleksandr Syrskyi, Commander of the "Tavria" operational-strategic group of troops Oleksandr Tarnavskyi, Commander of the "Odesa" operational-strategic group of troops Eduard Moskalyov and Commander of the "Pivnich" operational-strategic group of troops Serhiy Nayev reported on the course of hostilities in the areas of the front within their responsibility.

The supply of Ukrainian troops with weapons and ammunition and their distribution by units was analyzed. Separately, the participants considered the issue of staffing and equipment provision in the newly created brigades.

In addition, the members of the Staff continued to consider the issue of establishing the production of rockets and ammunition by domestic enterprises and improving the efficiency of the repair of armored vehicles, artillery and other weapons.

The meeting was attended by: Head of the Office of the President Andriy Yermak, Chief of the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense Kyrylo Budanov, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhny, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council Oleksiy Danilov, commanders of troops and operational directions. The meeting of the Staff was also joined by members of the government, heads of law enforcement and security agencies.

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Latest in Ukraine: Zelenskyy Says Counteroffensive Is Coming

By VOA News April 21, 2023

New developments:

The Wagner Group founder is concerned about a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The United States will be training Ukrainian soldiers on Abrams tanks, while Germany will build a tank repair hub in Poland.

Ukraine grain exports are still banned by European countries.

In his nightly video address, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was readying for a counteroffensive.

"The front line is priority number one," he said Friday. "We are also actively preparing new brigades and units that will show themselves at the front."

Zelenskyy thanked the allies for their commitment to Ukraine's defense.

A U.S.-hosted meeting Friday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany focused on air defense and ammunition in Ukraine. The United States said it would soon start training Ukrainian troops to operate Abrams tanks, while Germany announced that it was building a tank repair hub in Poland for tanks deployed in Ukraine.



During the meeting, allies also reassured Kyiv of their unconditional support and backed Ukraine's bid to join NATO in the future.

Ukraine pressed its allies for long-range weapons, jets and ammunition ahead of the counteroffensive against Russian troops, which is expected in the coming weeks or months.

Prigozhin concerned

Following Zelenskyy's remarks Friday, Yevgeni Prigozhin, chief of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, expressed concerns about an imminent Ukrainian counteroffensive with highly trained Ukrainian forces.

"Today we are killing those who were trained in Ukraine, but the ones coming from Germany will be technologically educated," he said in an audio recording released on his Telegram channel.

He was referring to those Ukrainian soldiers who will train in Germany to use U.S. Abrams tanks.

Prigozhin predicted that Ukraine would counterattack after the spring rains, when the ground is firm.

"They will attack ... they will come and try to tear us apart, and we must resist," he said.

Russia relies heavily on the Wagner forces in Bakhmut, where fighting is still raging.

Kyiv said Friday that while Russian forces had made some advances in the eastern city, the situation was still in play. "The situation is tense, but under control," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Malyar made the comments after Russia's Defense Ministry said in a briefing Friday that assault troops were fighting in western parts of Bakhmut, the last part of the embattled Ukrainian city still held by Kyiv's forces.

EU-Ukraine grain

Four European Union member states have banned Ukraine's food exports to protect their own markets. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria say that an influx of Ukrainian food imports is harming their own farmers, who can't compete with Ukraine's low prices. The Polish government approved $2.4 billion in aid for its agricultural sector, criticizing the European Commission on Friday for not doing enough to help resolve the problem.

"What the EU is offered with a delay, it is too little, a drop in the ocean of needs," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference.

The European Commission has offered $110 million of aid for central European farmers, in addition to an earlier $61.5 million package. It has also said it will take emergency preventive measures for other products a like wheat, corn and sunflower seeds a but the central European states want this list to be broadened to include honey and some meats, Reuters reported.

Ukraine's economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture, and the European ban will put a significant dent in its sales, Bloomberg reported, citing UkrAgroConsult.

Romania has for now decided not to participate in the ban, while allowing transit of Ukraine exports through its Black Sea port of Constanta.

Several central European countries became the gateway to a glut of Ukraine's food exports after Ukrainian grain was stranded in Black Sea ports blockaded by Russia. The Black Sea Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey has allowed safe transit of grain shipments through that corridor, though Russia is threatening not to renew after the deal expires on May 18.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that the renewal of the deal depended on whether the West would lift restrictions affecting Russia's agricultural exports. The Kremlin said Friday that it was monitoring reports of a possible ban on Russian exports and that new Western sanctions would damage the global economy.

"We are aware that both the U.S. and the EU are actively considering new sanctions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We believe that both the current sanctions against the Russian Federation and the new additional steps that the U.S. and the EU may be thinking about now will, of course, also hit the global economy."

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.

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Europe Set to Curb Ukrainian Grain Deals After Farmers Protest

By Henry Ridgwell April 21, 2023

The European Union is reportedly preparing emergency curbs on Ukrainian food products after several member states bordering Ukraine imposed their own import bans in recent days, complaining that a glut of cheap produce is hitting their own farmers.

Following a virtual meeting with EU officials on Wednesday, Romanian Minister of Agriculture Petre Daea outlined the bloc's plans.

"The [European] Commission is making available to the five countries [Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia] 100 million euros [$109.32 million] from its crisis reserve. ... It provides for the activation of exceptional safeguarding mechanisms, which means stopping imports until June 5 for the following products: wheat, corn, sunflower seeds and rapeseed," Daea told reporters.

He added that the deal would be made available only when member states had withdrawn their own unilateral import bans.

The EU has yet to confirm details of the planned support package.

Ukraine grain

Ukraine, the world's fifth-biggest grain exporter, has struggled to ship agricultural produce from its Black Sea ports to world markets following Russia's invasion last year.

The European Union ended quotas and tariffs on Ukrainian goods after the outbreak of the war to shore up the Ukrainian economy. Eastern European states claim this has led to cheap grain imports being dumped on their domestic markets.

In the past week, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria have banned the import of Ukrainian grain and other products, in an apparent breach of EU trade law. Bulgarian Prime Minister Galab Donev said Wednesday that the measures were necessary.

"A significant amount of [Ukrainian] food has remained in the country and disrupted the main production and trade chains," Donev told reporters. "If this trend persists and even increases, it is possible to reach extremely serious consequences for the Bulgarian business."

Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki outlined a $2.4 billion support package for farmers and said the European Union response had been inadequate.

"What the EU is offering us is offered with a delay; it is too little, a drop in the ocean of needs," Morawiecki told a news conference Friday in Warsaw.

Protests

Farmers have staged protests in several countries bordering Ukraine, including Romania.

"Our fear is that this unfair competition coming from our colleagues in Ukraine cannot be borne by the Romanian farmers. We will witness a chain of bankruptcies of Romanian farmers," warned Liliana Piron of the League of Romanian Agriculture Producers Associations at a protest in Bucharest earlier this month.

Brussels warned this week that the import bans violated EU law.

"Unilateral action is not possible under EU trade policy," European Commission spokesperson Miriam Garcia Ferrer said Wednesday. Nevertheless, it appears the EU is preparing to approve emergency curbs on Ukrainian imports for certain countries.

Domestic politics

The dispute has taken many by surprise, said Ian Bond of the Centre for European Reform, an analyst group.

"In the case of Poland, what's so strange is that this is so much at odds with the assistance that Poland has given Ukraine in other ways," Bond told VOA.

"So, this is entirely driven by domestic political considerations to do with protests by Polish farmers, and the risk that government obviously feels that the farmers might defect and vote for some other party in the next elections," Bond said.

Ukraine reaction

For Ukrainian farmers, the import bans add to the troubles caused by Russia's invasion. Volodymyr Bondaruk, executive director of the Pearl of Podillia, a mixed dairy and arable farm near Ternopil in western Ukraine, said, "I would like farmers and the agricultural lobby in the Eastern [European] countries to understand that we face similar problems. We don't ask for subsidies; we don't want anything like that. Just help us to sell our goods," Bondaruk told Reuters.

"We have leftovers from the 2022 harvest. In the previous years, we exported a lot of corn, wheat and other grains to the Middle East countries, African countries. But today because of the war, ports do not accept large amounts of goods," he added.

Black Sea

The glut of Ukrainian grain in Europe is the result of reduced exports through the Black Sea since Russia's invasion. A deal brokered by the United Nations and Turkey to reopen the shipping route, known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, came into force last August. However, Russia is threatening to end the deal when it's up for renewal next month.

The ban on imports of Ukrainian grain by some countries in Europe could play into Moscow's hands, analyst Bond said.

"It seems to me that this increases the chances that Russia will see this as a pressure point and will try to use it as a way of saying, 'Well, we're not going to renew the grain deal unless you agree to completely unacceptable conditions.'"

While its domestic import ban remains in place, Poland resumed the transit of Ukrainian products across its territory on Friday.

The European Union said it planned to organize alternative transport, including convoys of trucks, trains and barges, to take grain from Ukraine's land borders to ports where it could be shipped to the world market.

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US Military Leaders Pledge Support for Ukraine 'as Long as It Takes'

By Carla Babb April 21, 2023

The top U.S. military officials meeting Friday in Germany reaffirmed the U.S. and allied commitment to support Ukraine against Russia's invasion for "as long as it takes."

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley spoke to reporters following the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

The group is made up of more than 50 nations a NATO members plus at least 20 other nations a dedicated to supporting Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion by providing military equipment and training.

Austin said the UDCG has provided more than $55 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since the group was formed about a year ago, giving the nation tremendous capability, including a variety of missiles, artillery and air defense systems.

Most recently, the UDCG has delivered more than 230 tanks and more than 1,550 armored vehicles, allowing the Ukrainian military to support more than nine new armored brigades.

Austin also confirmed the expedited delivery of 31 U.S.-made advanced M1A1 Abrams tanks. He said the battlefield-ready tanks would be delivered by October, faster than expected. He said versions of the tanks to be used only for training would arrive in the coming weeks.

U.S. defense officials have said the tanks will be sent to a base in Grafenwohr, Germany, so Ukrainians can start a 10-week course on how to operate them. The U.S.-led training will involve about 250 Ukrainians.

Calling himself admittedly "biased," Milley said he believed the M1A1 tanks were best in the world and would make a difference on the battlefield, though he said, in war, "there is no silver bullet, and the tanks alone will not win the war for Ukraine."

The thick armor of the Abrams tanks and their 1,500-horsepower turbine engines make them much more advanced than the Soviet-era tanks Ukraine has been using since the war began.

The Biden administration announced in January that it would send a newer version of the Abrams tanks, the M1A2, to Ukraine when they had been procured and built, a process that could take years.

Pentagon press secretary Brigadier General Pat Ryder said in March that the administration pivoted to provide M1A1 Abrams tanks instead to get the tanks "into the hands of the Ukrainians sooner rather than later."

The U.K. was the first to promise Western-style tanks for Ukraine, sending its Challenger 2 tanks to aid in the fight. After the U.S. Abrams announcement in January, Germany announced it would provide Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine and allow other allies with German tanks, such as Poland, to do the same.

Austin also said the group heard from the European Union and several nations about efforts to speed up production and delivery of ammunition to Ukraine, in both the short and long term, an indication of their commitment to building Ukraine's combat power.

He said the UDCG also heard from Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov about battlefield dynamics and Ukraine's most urgent needs.

Both officials were asked about providing the latest in fighter jets to Ukraine, something Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked for repeatedly.

Milley said the decision to send fighter jets was "a policy question to be made by political leaders." From a military perspective, though, he said the primary task at hand was to control the airspace, and the fastest, most efficient and cost-effective way to do that is through ground-based air defense systems.

The general said that since the war began, Ukraine has been denying the airspace to Russian planes, forcing them to rely on missile and artillery attacks. He said maintaining all layers of Ukraine's air defense systems afrom high to low altitude, long range to short range a was currently the most critical military task and was the main theme of the group's discussions Friday.

The U.S. alone has now provided more than $35 billion in security assistance to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, which Austin called "an unprovoked and indefensible war of aggression."

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group has worked better than predicted in terms of maintaining supplies for Ukraine, showing Western resolve to face down Russian aggression and having "Ukraine's back even without having forces on the battlefield," said Michael O'Hanlon, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution.

The U.S. and allies have vowed to support Ukraine in defending its sovereign territory.

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Russia forces battling Ukrainians in their last Bakhmut strongholds: Report

Iran Press TV

Saturday, 22 April 2023 1:40 AM

Russia's defense ministry says the country's soldiers are battling Ukrainians in the latter's last strongholds in the flashpoint city of Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine.

The ministry offered the information in a briefing on Friday, saying the Russian forces were engaged against the Ukrainians in the city's western parts, which has been identified as the last part of the city still held by Kiev's troops.

The battle over the city has been dragging on for months.

Kiev acknowledged that Russian forces had made some advances in fierce fighting for Bakhmut, but still alleged that the situation was under control.

"Decisions are being made according to military expediency," Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Russia has been carrying out what it calls a special military operation against its neighbor since last February. Moscow says the operation aims to stop Kiev's persecution of the pro-Russian population in eastern Ukraine and to "de-Nazify" the ex-Soviet republic.

Kiev has, ever since the onset of the conflict, been pressing its Western allies for a constant and increasingly-improving flow of state-of-the-art weapons.

Russia's operation in Bakhmut relies heavily on the Wagner security company, whose commander Yevgeny Prigozhin warned about the prospect of a Ukrainian counterattack.

"The West has handed over 230 tanks and 1,500 other armored vehicles. This, too, is enough to provide serious opposition," he said.

On Wednesday, the United States announced its 36th security package for Ukraine since the start of the war, that brought the total US military assistance for the Kiev government to more than $35.4 billion in that time.

Russian officials have, however, repeatedly warned that further armament of Kiev would only prolong the conflict.

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Russia says Chinese proposal can serve as basis for Ukraine peace deal

Iran Press TV

Friday, 21 April 2023 2:10 PM

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin has said the Chinese peace plan for Ukraine could serve as the basis for a future peace agreement between Moscow and Kiev.

"Some of the provisions of the peace plan presented by our Chinese colleagues can be the basis, the basis for future peace efforts," he said in an interview with RT published on Friday, referring to a peace plan offered by China earlier this year that included 12 points.

However, Galuzin said it's up to Kiev to resume negotiations, as it was the party who pulled out in the first place. He said Russia has never sought to avoid peace talks.

"In March 2022, it was Russia that responded positively to a Ukrainian proposal to hold peace talks. And the two sides were close to an agreement. We even formulated a draft treaty with Ukraine," he said, referring to talks mediated by Turkey.

Kiev has not responded to a document that Moscow put forward in April based on what Ukraine suggested in Istanbul, Galuzin said.

"The Kiev regime was stopped by its Western mentors," he claimed, reiterating a view previously expressed by other senior Russian officials.

The Chinese peace plan calls for an immediate ceasefire, dialogue, and respect for all countries' territorial sovereignty to replace the continuous fighting in Ukraine.

The plan also urges both sides to agree to a gradual de-escalation and warns against the use of nuclear weapons.

US making money in Ukraine

The senior Russian diplomat said the US policy on Ukraine is inherently cynical and ignores the interests of the Ukrainian people.

The US "and its satellites" want to weaken Russia and are using Ukraine as a tool to do that, the diplomat stated.

Galuzin told RT that the US and its NATO allies "consider Ukraine as just raw material for [fulfilling] their aggressive purposes against Russia."

"They seem to be ready to continue this fighting to the last Ukrainian, unfortunately," he said.

Washington has declared the "strategic defeat" of Russia in Ukraine as its goal, he noted, with the US and its allies delivering weapons to Kiev on an unprecedented scale.

He said Washington is the biggest beneficiary of the hostilities.

"The main beneficiary of [arming Ukraine] is the USA. [Its] military-industrial complex... is now ensured orders for years to come. They are making profit on the war they conduct in Ukraine against us," Galuzin said.

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Ukraine planned attacks on Russian forces in Syria, leaked document reveals

Iran Press TV

Friday, 21 April 2023 11:22 AM

The top-secret US intelligence document leaked recently reveals that Ukraine's military intelligence hatched plans to carry out covert attacks on Russian forces in Syria with the assistance of local Kurds.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky directed a halt to the plan in December, but the leaked document, based on intelligence gathered as of Jan. 23, details how such a campaign could proceed if Ukraine revived it, the Washington Post reported after obtaining the "top-secret" document.

While making the plan in December, Ukraine's military intelligence officers favored attacking Russian positions using UAVs or limiting strikes to Wagner group forces, the secret document disclosed.

Ukrainian forces were mulling over training operatives of the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to attack Russian positions and carry out "unspecified 'direct action' activities along with UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle] attacks," as per the document.

Meanwhile, the SDF in return for supporting Ukrainian operations, asked for training, air defense systems and a guarantee that its role would be kept secret, according to the document which also noted that the leadership of the SDF forbade attacks on Russian forces in Kurdish areas.

This is one of the intelligence documents allegedly leaked to a Discord chatroom by Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard, who was later arrested.

The documents appear to have sensitive material about the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine that recently completed one year.

One top-secret document said tough Russian defenses and Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies will probably exacerbate casualties during offensives by Ukraine.

Another secret document detailed the dire state of Ukrainian air defenses. The document said Kiev's ability to provide air defenses that protect the front line will be completely reduced by May 23.

One top-secret document said tough Russian defenses and "enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive," the Washington Post reported.

A "secret" document reviewed by AFP details the dire state of Ukrainian air defenses, which have been instrumental in protecting against Russian strikes and preventing Moscow's forces from gaining control of the skies.

The leaked documents also show Washington has been spying on its allies, including Kiev, Tel Aviv and Seoul.

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COAST SALISH TERRITORY, April 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On April 24th & 25th at The Westin Bayshore in Vancouver, British Columbia, the First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) will bring together over 1300 leading continental Indigenous, corporate and government experts to the Values Driven Economy Conference which will showcase leading successful Indigenous-industry deals from around the world.



Hear from Indigenous and industry proponents who will share the inside details of successful deals in energy, mining, infrastructure, and finance, highlighting what worked -- and what didnt  so that we can all learn from major project best practices.

Media is welcome to attend.

FNMPCs 130 First Nations members  comprising 1/5 of all First Nations in Canada  invite you to come learn how major projects, done right, can provide lasting environmental, social, and economic benefit to all parties across North America.

The 6th annual FNMPC conference The Values Driven Economy will focus on what will be required of corporations and innovative policy to ensure respect and protection of Indigenous peoples rights and interests, pulling perspectives from across Canada, the United States, and Australia to address challenges on national and international levels.

Speakers include:

Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson , Minister, Natural Resources Canada

, Minister, Natural Resources Canada Dr. Katy Huff , Assistant Secretary, U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy

, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Office of Nuclear Energy, Department of Energy Kate Gordon , Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy

, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Energy, U.S. Department of Energy Honourable Josie Osborne, Minister, Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, Government of B.C.

Minister, Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation, Government of B.C. Premier David Eby , Government of British Columbia

, Government of British Columbia Hilary Tompkins, Partner, Hogan Lovells

Partner, Hogan Lovells Chief Emeritus Emily Whetung, Curve Lake First Nation

Curve Lake First Nation Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister, Indigenous Services Canada

Minister, Indigenous Services Canada Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank

CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank Greg Ebel , President & CEO, Enbridge

, President & CEO, Enbridge David Kakuktinniq (Inuit) , President, Nukik Corporation

, President, Nukik Corporation Ambassador David L. Cohen , U.S. Ambassador to Canada

U.S. Ambassador to Canada Honourable Greg Rickford , Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development, Government of Ontario

, Minister of Indigenous Affairs and Northern Development, Government of Ontario Kate Finn (Osage Nation), Executive Director, First Peoples Worldwide

Notes for the media

The Values Driven Economy conference will be held April 24th & 25th on Coast Salish Territory at the Vancouver Westin Bayshore (Vancouver, B.C., Canada).

Conference website: www.fnmpcindustryevent.com

Conference summary: Click here

List of sponsors: Click here

Media are invited to attend the conference in person at no cost.

Please reach out to Allie Meeres for any media inquiries:

Allie Meeres

E: allie@sedgwickstrategies.ca

P: 778-918-1250
MINNEAPOLIS, April 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evangelist Nick Hall will share the Gospel at FTS, the largest university outreach event in history, on April 29. The evangelist, speaker, and founder of Pulse will speak in front of an at-capacity stadium crowd of 60,000 or more.

This is the first time a stadium event of this magnitude will be held at a university campus, and it all started when two University of Oklahoma students named Josh Robinson and Nathan Wong co-founded FTS and dreamed of holding the event many months ago. The student leadership team asked Nick Hall to be the main speaker at the outreach.

Revival started at Asbury University earlier this year, and now were seeing a movement forming again in Oklahoma City with the next generation as they look for hope in a dark world, says Hall. FTS is a place where an entire community can come together in one stadium to hear the Gospel message.

Chance the Rapper will headline this unprecedented event as he crosses the divide between popular culture and a stadium-capacity evangelistic outreach. Kari Jobe, the Grammy-nominated worship artist behind the songs The Blessing and Forever, along with Grammy-winner Chandler Moore from Maverick City, will also perform.

The free event, known as FTS for Fill the Stadium", takes place at the Gaylord FamilyOklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.

Following this stadium outreach in April, Hall will share insights about how to reach the next generation at a high-profile TEDx event to be held in Fargo, North Dakota on July 20. The event will take place at the Fargo Civic Center where Nick will have the opportunity to share the Gospel during an 18-minute TED Talk presentation.

Other speakers at the TEDx event in Fargo include venture capitalist Molly Wood, Harvard student Penelope Hartogensis, and filmmaker William Greenfield.

Hall sees TEDx as a catalyst for another ambitious plan: to reach the entire state of North Dakota with the Gospel, starting with his TEDx talk and into 2024.

Pulse launched in North Dakota back in 2004 through my English paper at NDSU, he says. Before that, my life was impacted through Luis Palaus Mission North Dakota back in 2000. People have been asking us to lead a statewide effort for years, and we are asking if now is the time?

To request interviews with Nick Hall, contact John Brandon at john.brandon@pulse.org

###

About Pulse

Founder and President Nick Hall started Pulse in 2006 on his college campus. Since then, Pulse has seen 318 million people impacted by the Gospel and two million people have responded to Jesus through their initiatives. Pulse is a prayer and evangelism movement on mission to empower the Church and Make Jesus Known. Since Pulses founding, they have linked arms with hundreds of ministries and churches around the world to fuel evangelistic movements. Whether hosting a big outreach event or providing the evangelistic voice at another organizations event, training evangelists on American college campuses, or overseas in Africa, the common goal of everything they do is to share the hope of Jesus. Learn more at www.pulse.org.

About Nick Hall

Nick Hall is on earth to tell people about Jesus. He started a grassroots movement as a college student and has spent the last 20 years traveling the world to meet people where they are and tell them that they matter. As a student at North Dakota State University, Nicks life was changed when he wrote a paper titled Pulse for his English class hoping to combat the depression, substance abuse, and suicide that was impacting his friends and their campus. That paper unleashed one of the largest student-led efforts in American history, launching a nonprofit that exists today. Through Pulse events, Nick has shared a message of hope with over 300 million people around the globe. Everywhere Nick goes, he talks to people about faith and the deeper issues of life, because he knows what it feels like to make mistakes, experience heartbreak, and be alone. One of the goals of Nicks life is to come alongside students who desire to impact their high school or college campus, because thats where this all began. Nick lives in Minneapolis with his wife Tiffany and three children.
Luanda  The Minister of State and Head of the Military Affairs Office to the President of the Republic Francisco Pereira Furtado recommended Friday in Luanda the youth to be guided by a decent and patriotic conduct, as part of the norms and laws in force in the country.

Francisco Furtado said it was urgent the youth comply with this conduct in order to preserve the gains achieved in the country, such as the peace and national reconciliation.

"As young people are the guarantors of peace and stability in the country, it is within them that the leaders are forged who ensure the continuity of development programmes and strategies", stated the Minister of State at a conference to mark 21 years of peace and national reconciliation, celebrated on April 4.

The recommendation extends to the military, who must be guided by the good performance of the functions entrusted to them

He recalled that the future of Angola depends on the foundations that the current generation is building, fundamentally in the education system, health, among others.

In his speech, Francisco Furtado spoke of the sacrifices endured by Angolans to gain independence, ensure territorial integrity and maintain national unity.

On the other hand, the Minister of State highlighted the structural and social development of the country, recorded in the last 21 years.

He pointed out great transformations in various sectors of activity, including construction (infrastructures), social, sports, cultural and economic sectors.

On April 4, 2002, the Memorandum of Understanding was signed between the Angolan Government and UNITA, which put an end to the armed conflict in the country.
Farmington, April 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Global Tissue Banking Market size was valued at USD 1.63 billion in 2022 and is projected to grow by $3.70 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 10.8% from 2023 to 2030. The procedure of collecting, preparing, and preserving transplantable human tissues for potential therapeutic applications is known as tissue banking. The obtained tissues are used to restore and replace the damaged or lost tissues of patients. In addition, they are utilized to restore damaged heart muscles, treat spinal cord injuries, and heal severe burns on the epidermis. Currently, advances in clinical trials and biomedical research contribute to the worldwide demand for tissue preservation and banking.

Request Sample Copy of Report  Tissue Banking Market Size, Share & Trends Estimation Reports By Type Outlook (Freezers, Thawing Equipment, Storage System, Alarming and Coding Equipment, Labelling and Coding Equipment), By Application (Hospitals, Tissue Banks, Biotech Companies, Research and Academics Institutes), By Region and Forecasts, 2023-2030 ., published by Contrive Datum Insights.

Segmentation Overview:

Type Outlook:

Based on the product, the market is segmented into accessories, consumables, equipment, and media. The equipment segment will grow at a substantial rate between the forecast period. The equipment segment includes freezers, storage systems, thawing equipment, labeling equipment, and coding equipment among others. The key drivers driving the equipment segment include increasing bio-research activities, new product developments for a better store of tissues, and increasing government initiatives for conducting research trials on the tissue-based drug discovery process.

Application Outlook:

Based on the application, the market is divided into biobanking, drug discovery, regenerative medicine, and therapeutics among others. The biobanking segment will be the dominant segment in the global tissue banking market owing to an increase in the number of biobanks, increasing genomic research activities, and the growing collection of disease-specific bio-samples.

Regional Analysis:

Based on the region, the North American region holds a strong position in the global market, and the trend will continue during the forecast period, whereas the Asia Pacific region will be the fastest-growing region. The increasing R&D activities along with the presence of leading biopharma and pharma companies in the United States are supporting the growth in the region. The Asia Pacific will propel with the highest CAGR in the global market. The growing healthcare industry, an increasing number of organ donors, and the adoption of advanced technologies in clinical trials are boosting the market growth for the APAC region.

Buy this Premium Research Report@

https://www.contrivedatuminsights.com/buy/75780

Scope of Report:

Report Attributes Details Growth Rate CAGR of 10.8% from 2023 to 2030. Revenue Forecast by 2030 USD 3.70 Billion By Type Freezers

Thawing Equipment

Storage System

Alarming and Coding Equipment

Labelling and Coding Equipment By Application Hospitals

Tissue Banks

Biotech Companies

Research and Academics Institutes By Industries Government

Healthcare

Retail

Manufacturing

Others By Companies Thermo Fisher Inc.

Brooks Automation

Worthington Industries Inc.

Custom Biogenic Systems Inc.

Panasonic Healthcare Co. Ltd.

BioLife Solutions, Inc

Merck & Co. Inc. (Sigma-Aldrich Corporation),

Hamilton Bonaduz AG

Beckman Coulter Inc.

Others. Regions and Countries Covered North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

Europe (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

The Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

Latin America (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

Rest Of the World Base Year 2022 Historical Year 2017 to 2022 Forecast Year 2023 to 2030

Market Dynamics:

Drivers

Rising aging population

Additionally, the utilization of human tissue allografts is expanding globally because of an aging population and an increased number of people having surgical procedures. These tissues are utilized to restore limb function, lessen pain, and enhance the quality of life for patients. Additionally, the industry is being driven by the new trend of cosmetic surgery as a result of rising disposable income and rising body consciousness among people.

Rise in chronic diseases

Growing chronic illness prevalence, rising healthcare spending on developing new pharmaceuticals, and expanding tissue engineering technology are some of the main drivers of the tissue banking market. According to recent data released by the WHO, chronic diseases are one of the world's biggest problems, and they are responsible for roughly 60% of all fatalities globally. The market is expanding as a result of developing clinical studies, rising organ donation and storage, and developments in the biopharmaceutical sector.

Opportunities

Technological advancements

The prevalence of chronic diseases, advancements in drug discovery and development, and increased financing for R&D by both governmental and non-governmental organizations, along with advances in regenerative medicine, all contribute to the growth of the worldwide tissue banking market. In addition, biotech start-ups are creating biobanks that are fuelling the market's expansion even more. For instance, Orig3n, is working on building the most diverse biobank, harnessing the power of induced pluripotent stem cell technology for accelerating regenerative medicine.

Restraints/Challenges

High cost

On the other hand, the high cost associated with this market will obstruct the growth rate. The dearth of skilled professionals and lack of healthcare infrastructure in developing economies will challenge the tissue banking market.

This tissue banking market report provides details of new recent developments, trade regulations, import-export analysis, production analysis, value chain optimization, market share, impact of domestic and localized market players, analyses opportunities in terms of emerging revenue pockets, changes in market regulations, strategic market growth analysis, market size, category market growths, application niches and dominance, product approvals, product launches, geographic expansions, technological innovations in the market. To gain more info on the tissue banking market contact Data Bridge Market Research for an Analyst Brief, our team will help you take an informed market decision to achieve market growth.

Key Segments Covered:

Top Market Players:

Thermo Fisher Inc.

Brooks Automation

Worthington Industries Inc.

Custom Biogenic Systems Inc.

Panasonic Healthcare Co. Ltd.

BioLife Solutions, Inc

Merck & Co. Inc. (Sigma-Aldrich Corporation),

Hamilton Bonaduz AG

Beckman Coulter Inc.

Others.

By Type

Freezers

Thawing Equipment

Storage System

Alarming and Coding Equipment

Labelling and Coding Equipment

By Application

Hospitals

Tissue Banks

Biotech Companies

Research and Academics Institutes

By Industries

Government

Healthcare

Retail

Manufacturing

Others

Regions and Countries Covered

North America: (US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America)

(US, Canada, Mexico, Rest of North America) Europe: (Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe)

(Germany, France, Italy, Spain, UK, Nordic Countries, Benelux Union, Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific: (Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific)

(Japan, China, India, Australia, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) The Middle East & Africa: (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa)

(Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East & Africa) Latin America: (Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America)

(Brazil, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Rest Of the World

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Chicago, IL, April 22, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) announced more than $400,000 USD in funding for research designed to improve care for patients with advanced heart and lung disease. The grants were funded by the ISHLT Foundation, and announced at the 43rd ISHLT Annual Meeting & Scientific Sessions, held 19-22 April in Denver. These grants are the first of two 2023 ISHLT grant cycles. The second cycle opens in May 2023.

I am truly grateful for the strong industry support of our ISHLT research grants, said Kathleen Grady, PhD, RN, MS, FAAN, Chair of the ISHLT Grants and Awards Committee, which contribute to scientific breakthroughs in the areas of advanced heart and lung disease across the lifespan and career development of new investigators. Ultimately, these grants inform enhanced patient care.

Our industry and non-industry partners in research fully understand the importance and relevance of research to improve outcomes for patients with advanced cardiovascular and pulmonary disease, said Dr. Grady. I am very thankful and applaud their support of our grants program.

The new ISHLT Cardiogenic Shock Research Grant, supported by Abiomed, supports rising stars in the field of heart failure or cardiac surgery whose research will enhance the understanding and management of cardiogenic shock in the setting of heart failure to optimize clinical outcomes and promote native heart recovery using temporary mechanical circulatory support (tMCS). The grant was awarded to two recipients.

ISHLT Cardiogenic Shock Research Grant, supported by Abiomed

Awarded to: Thomas Hanff, MD, MS

University of Utah in Salt Lake City, UT USA

Research Title: Angiotensin II Deficiency in Cardiogenic Shock: Using Novel Translational Insights into Cardiogenic Shock Pathophysiology to Guide the Timing and Optimal Use of Temporary Mechanical Circulatory Support

Purpose: The project aims to investigate the role that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system plays in cardiogenic shock outcomes.

With the funding, the team will be able to explore 1) whether Angiotensin II deficiency contributes to the pathophysiology of cardiogenic shock, 2) whether cardiogenic shock can be identified earlier in patients with chronic failure by monitoring circulating Angiotensin II levels, 3) whether Angiotensin II levels can be used to inform optimal timing of temporary mechanical support initiation, escalation, and de-escalation, and 4) whether there is sufficient rationale to study Angiotensin II as therapy to improve survival in patients requiring temporary mechanical circulatory support.

ISHLT Cardiogenic Shock Research Grant, supported by Abiomed

Awarded to: Paolo Meani, MD, PhD

Maastricht University Medical Center in Maastricht, Netherlands

Research Title: A Multicentric Left Ventricular Venting Strategy Comparison in Patients Receiving Extracorporeal Life Support - A Prospective Observational Study

Purpose: The project aims to investigate the potential benefits of left ventricle (LV) venting/unloading for cardiogenic shock patients receiving veno-arterial extracorporeal life support (VA-ECLS).

With the funding, Dr. Meani will conduct a 30-month national observational study that aims to 1) systematically analyze LV unloading in a large prospective national cohort of VA-ECLS treated patients, providing detailed information on indications, timing, type and modality among a wide spectrum of clinical conditions, (2) compare and evaluate the different LV unloading techniques in terms of efficacy and outcomes in patients supported with VA-ECLS, (3) finally propose a common definition for LV overload and unloading.

Abiomed, Inc., part of Johnson & Johnson MedTech, is a leading provider of medical technology that provides circulatory support and oxygenation. Their products are designed to enable the heart to rest and recover by improving blood flow and/or provide sufficient oxygenation to those in respiratory failure.

ISHLT/ICCAC VAD Coordinator Career Development Grant

Given by ISHLT in partnership with the International Consortium of Circulatory Assist Clinicians (ICCAC)

Awarded to: Daphenie Fauvel, MSN, FNP-BC

Montefiore Medical Center in Bronx, NY USA

Research Title: No Patient Left Behind: Increasing VAD Patient Awareness & Access to Social Aid Programs

Purpose: The study will establish a novel post discharge social wellness visit to address patients declining engagement and concerns of extraordinary socioeconomic challenges.

Dr. Fauvel hopes that by enrolling patients in state and federally funded programs, they can achieve better follow up, have less readmissions, better navigate healthcare, and improve their overall health literacy. The funding will help provide resources to help patients stay technologically connected and assist with other vital elements such as transportation, food access, and applications for appropriate disability/supplemental income benefits.

The International Consortium of Circulatory Assist Clinicians (ICCAC) is a professional mentoring organization of mechanical circulatory assist device clinicians.

ISHLT/Enduring Hearts Transplant Longevity Research Grant

Given by ISHLT in partnership with the funder, Enduring Hearts

Awarded to: Kaushik Amancherla, MD

Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN USA

Research Title: Molecular Insights into Early Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Using Single-Nuclear Multiomics

Purpose: The study is designed to identify important pathways and new drug targets to protect against cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV).

Dr. Amancherla hopes to understand how episodes of acute rejection can result in cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) using multiple techniques such as single-nuclear multiomics to look at individual cells response to the therapy.

Enduring Hearts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding innovative research aimed at increasing longevity and improving the lives of children living with transplanted hearts.

The new ISHLT Extracorporeal Photopheresis Immunomodulation in Thoracic Transplantation Challenge Grant, supported by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals, funds research aimed at studying the use of extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP) immunomodulation to improve outcomes in thoracic transplant patients.

ISHLT Extracorporeal Photopheresis Immunomodulation in Thoracic Transplantation Challenge Grant, supported by Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals

Awarded to: Sonia Garg, MD

UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX USA

Research Title: Description of the Effect of Extracorporeal Photopheresis on Markers of Cardiac Function, Net State of Immunosuppression and Microcirculatory Dysfunction

Purpose: The study will investigate the effect of immunomodulatory therapy (photopheresis) on cardiac function, markers of net state of immunosuppression, and microcirculatory dysfunction in heart transplant patients that have developed donor specific antibodies.

Mallinckrodt is a global business focused on providing specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies for rare and critical conditions as well as specialty generics and active pharmaceutical ingredients whose mission is centered on listening for needs and delivering solutions to better serve patients and customers.

For more information about ISHLT and ISHLT Foundation Research Grants, visit ishlt.org/research-data/grants-awards/research-grants.

Attachments
Vancouver, April 21, 2023 - Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SYH) (OTCQX: SYHBF) (Frankfurt: SC1P) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has retained Red Cloud Securities Inc ("Red Cloud") to provide market making services with the objective of maintaining a reasonable market and improving the liquidity of its Common Shares.



Under the agreement between Red Cloud and the Company (the "Red Cloud Agreement"), the Company has agreed to initially pay Red Cloud a fee of C$5,000 plus applicable taxes, per month. Red Cloud will not receive any Common Shares or options as compensation. Red Cloud and its clients may acquire a direct interest in the securities of the Company. Skyharbour Red Cloud are unrelated and unaffiliated entities. Red Cloud is a member of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada and a member firm of the Toronto Stock Exchange and the TSX Venture Exchange. The term of the Red Cloud Agreement is ongoing unless terminated by written notice. The engagement of Red Cloud remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Red Cloud Securities Inc.:

Red Cloud Securities Inc. is registered as an Investment Dealer in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and British Columbia and is a member of the Investment Industry Organization of Canada. It is focused on providing unique comprehensive capital market services and innovative financing alternatives to the junior resource sector. The company was founded by capital markets professionals who designed the firm to service small public and private companies. This solution is a comprehensive platform that provides a full range of unconflicted corporate access services. Offering these services as a unified platform provides the ultimate value proposition for issuer clients.

About Skyharbour Resources Ltd.:

Skyharbour holds an extensive portfolio of uranium exploration projects in Canada's Athabasca Basin and is well positioned to benefit from improving uranium market fundamentals with twenty-three projects, ten of which are drill-ready, covering over 490,000 hectares of land. Skyharbour has acquired from Denison Mines, a large strategic shareholder of the Company, a 100% interest in the Moore Uranium Project which is located 15 kilometres east of Denison's Wheeler River project and 39 kilometres south of Cameco's McArthur River uranium mine. Moore is an advanced-stage uranium exploration property with high-grade uranium mineralization at the Maverick Zone that returned drill results of up to 6.0% U 3 O 8 over 5.9 metres including 20.8% U 3 O 8 over 1.5 metres at a vertical depth of 265 metres. Adjacent to the Moore Uranium Project is Skyharbour's recently optioned Russell Lake Uranium Project from Rio Tinto, which hosts historical high-grade uranium drill intercepts over a large property area with robust exploration upside potential. The Company is actively advancing these projects through exploration and drill programs.

Skyharbour has a joint-venture with industry-leader Orano Canada Inc. at the Preston Project whereby Orano has earned a 51% interest in the project through exploration expenditures and cash payments. Skyharbour now owns a 24.5% interest in the Project. Skyharbour also has a joint venture with Azincourt Energy at the East Preston Project whereby Azincourt has earned a 70% interest in the project through exploration expenditures, cash payments and share issuance. Skyharbour now owns a minority interest in the Project. Preston and East Preston are large, geologically prospective properties proximal to Fission Uranium's Triple R deposit as well as NexGen Energy's Arrow deposit.

Skyharbour has several active option partners including: ASX-listed Valor Resources on the Hook Lake Uranium Project, CSE-listed Basin Uranium Corp. on the Mann Lake Uranium Project, and CSE-listed Medaro Mining Corp. on the Yurchison Project. More recently, Skyharbour announced two new earn-in option agreements with Yellow Rocks Energy, a private Australian entity, to option the Wallee and Usam Island projects, and Tisdale Clean Energy at the South Falcon East Project.

Furthermore, the Company owns a 100% interest in the South Falcon Point Uranium Project on the eastern perimeter of the Basin which is host to the Fraser Lakes Zone B Uranium and Thorium Deposit. Skyharbour has recently optioned the South Falcon East Project, a uranium project in the southeast Athabasca Basin and represents a portion of the larger South Falcon Project, to Tisdale Clean Energy whereby Tisdale will fund exploration, pay Skyharbour in cash, and issue shares of the company over a five-year earn-in period.

Collectively, Skyharbour has now signed option agreements with partners that total over $34 million in partner-funded exploration expenditures, over $22 million in stock being issued and just under $15 million in cash payments coming into Skyharbour, assuming that these partner companies earn-in the full amount at their respective projects.

Skyharbour's goal is to maximize shareholder value through new mineral discoveries, committed long-term partnerships, and the advancement of exploration projects in geopolitically favourable jurisdictions.

Skyharbour's Uranium Project Map in the Athabasca Basin:

https://www.skyharbourltd.com/_resources/maps/SKY_SaskProject_Locator_20230320_V2A.jpg

To find out more about Skyharbour Resources Ltd. (TSX-V: SYH) visit the Company's website at www.skyharbourltd.com.

Skyharbour Resources Ltd.

"Jordan Trimble"



Jordan Trimble

President and CEO

For further information contact myself or:

Nicholas Coltura

Corporate Development and Communications

Skyharbour Resources Ltd.

Telephone: 604-558-5847

Toll Free: 800-567-8181

Facsimile: 604-687-3119

Email: info@skyharbourltd.com

NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT OF THIS NEWS RELEASE.

The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction.

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed to be "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that management of the Company expects, are forward-looking statements, including the Private Placement. Although management believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements if management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements, include market prices, exploration and development successes, regulatory approvals, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Please see the public filings of the Company at www.sedar.com for further information.
April 21 - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - JZR Gold Inc. (TSXV:JZR) (OTC:JZRIF) (the "Company" or "JZR") announces with great sadness the passing of Dr. Stewart Jackson, PhD, P. Geo, the Company's "Qualified Person" pursuant to National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Dr. Jackson was an accomplished mining professional, with decades of experience in the exploration and development of mineral projects and was instrumentally involved in several successful discoveries. Management and the board of directors of the Company wish to extend their sincere condolences to Dr. Jackson's family and friends.

The Company also wishes to announce that, due to market conditions, it has amended the terms of its private placement previously announced on February 22, 2023. Pursuant to the new terms of the offering (the "Offering"), the Company intends to issue up to 4,166,666 units (each, a "Unit") at a price of $0.60 per Unit, to raise gross proceeds of up to $2,500,000. Each Unit will be comprised of one common share (each, a "Share") and one share purchase warrant (each, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant shall entitle the holder to acquire one additional common share (a "Warrant Share") at a price of $0.90 per Warrant Share for a period of 18 months after the date of issuance. The Offering is expected to close on or about May 30, 2023 and is subject to approval of the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV").

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to fund operations of the fully constructed 800 tonne-per-day gravimetric mill, as well as future exploration work on the Vila Nova Gold project located in Amapa State, Brazil (the "Vila Nova Project"). The Company possesses a 50% net profit interest on all net profit generated from the Vila Nova Project. Funds will be advanced to ECO Mining Oil & Gaz Drilling and Exploration (EIRELI) ("ECO"), as operator of the Vila Nova Project, by way of one or more loans to ECO. Net proceeds will also be used for general working capital purposes.

Finder's fees or brokers' commissions comprised of cash, securities of the Company or a combination thereof may be paid in connection with the Offering, in accordance with the policies of the TSXV. The Units, Shares, Warrants and Warrant Shares issued pursuant to the Offering will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.

The Offering will be conducted pursuant to available prospectus exemptions, including issuances to accredited investors, close personal friends and close business associates of directors and officers of the Company and to existing shareholders of the Company pursuant to the exemption set out in BC Instrument 45-534 (the "Existing Shareholder Exemption"). Shareholders of record of the Company as at April 21, 2023 (the "Record Date") are eligible to participate under the Existing Shareholder Exemption. In order to rely on the Existing Shareholder Exemption, the subscriber; (a) must have been a shareholder of the Company on the Record Date and continue to hold shares of the Company until the closing date of the Offering, (b) must be purchasing the Shares as principal, and (c) may not purchase more than $15,000 value of securities in any 12-month period, unless the subscriber has received advice from a registered investment dealer regarding the suitability of the investment. If the Company receives subscriptions from investors relying on the Existing Shareholder Exemption which exceed the maximum amount of the Offering, the Company intends to adjust the subscriptions received on a pro-rata basis.

The Offering may close in one or more tranches, as subscriptions are received. Any participation by insiders will constitute a related party transaction under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 - Protection of Minority Security Holders In Special Transactions ("MI 61-101") but is expected to be exempt from the formal valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101.

For further information, please contact:

Robert Klenk

Chief Executive Officer

rob@jazzresources.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements, which includes any information about activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements with respect to respect to the details of the Offering, including the proposed size, timing and the anticipated use of proceeds, the receipt of regulatory approval for the Offering, the expected exploration activity on the Vila Nova Project by ECO and the anticipated processing . Forward-looking information reflects the expectations or beliefs of management of the Company based on information currently available to it. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mineral exploration industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks related to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions; risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with the specifications or expectations, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks related to adverse weather conditions; geopolitical risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with the Canadian securities regulators. The forward-looking information contained in this press release is expressly qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities laws.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its regulation services provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

None of the securities of JZR have been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any state securities law, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. persons" (as such term is defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration or an exemption from such registration requirements. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy in the United States nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any State in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.

NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION, DISTRIBUTION OR DISSEMINATION, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, IN OR INTO THE UNITED STATES.

Copyright (c) 2023 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.
Toronto, April 21, 2023 - York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC Pink: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) (the "Company" or "York") is pleased to report the final assay results from its Phase 4 drilling program ("Phase 4") at the 100%-owned York Harbour Copper-Zinc Project (the "Project") in western Newfoundland, Canada. These results further confirm the presence of high-grade copper-zinc mineralization, highlighting the potential for expanding mineral resources at the Project.

In addition to these final Phase 4 assay results, the Company will provide an update on its current Phase 5 diamond drilling campaign, targeting new areas of potential high-grade Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") mineralization.





Figure 1: Plan View of York Harbour's Phase 4 Completed Drill Holes and Mineralized Zones within the Main Mine Area

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3326/163422_490cc37e2414c804_002full.jpg

Phase 4 played a crucial role in expanding the Company's understanding of the potential within the Main Mine area and other parts of the 4,725-hectare property, building on positive results from earlier exploration phases.

Key Highlights from the Final Outstanding Analytical Results:

Drill hole YH22-73 intersected 44.93 metres of 1.292% copper including 5.36 metres of 2.938% copper

Confirmed significant high-grade copper-zinc VMS mineralization: The final assay results from the remaining four diamond drill holes of the Phase 4 program further confirmed the presence of significant copper-zinc mineralization, supporting the potential for expanded mineral resources at the York Harbour Copper-Zinc Project.

Comprehensive understanding of project potential based on final drill assay results, combined with analytical findings from earlier exploration phases and most of the Phase 4 drilling program, provide an understanding of the Projects potential for expanding mineralization.

York's President & CEO, Bruce Durham, commented, "We are pleased to report these final assay results from our Phase 4 drilling program. The continued confirmation of significant copper-zinc mineralization reinforces our belief in the potential of the York Harbour Copper-Zinc Project. As we move forward, we remain committed to unlocking further value and advancing our exploration efforts."







Table 1: Drill Assay Results from Remaining Four Holes During Phase 4

To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit:

https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/3326/163422_490cc37e2414c804_003full.jpg

Update on Phase 5 Drilling Program

The Phase 5 drilling campaign began on February 18th with the casing on drill hole YH23-111. Since then, the Company has completed five drill holes (YH23-111-115) tracing the A Zone mineralized structure north for approximately 120 m, and four drill holes (YH23-116-119) testing for possible gold-bearing VMS mineralization within the K zone. Following this drilling, the drill rig and equipment was readied for NQ-sized drilling of the Pinnacle Pond zone, and the drilling began on this zone with the collaring of drill hole YH23-120 on March 30th. To date, the Company has completed 2,170 m of NQ-size diamond drilling during the Phase 5 program.

Newfoundland's Mining History and Northwestern Deposits

Newfoundland has a rich history of mining, which has made significant contributions to the provincial economy. The province is known for its diverse mineral resources, including base metals, precious metals, and industrial minerals. Western Newfoundland, in particular, has a history of successful mineral exploration and mining operations, with several significant base, precious and rare earth discoveries and mines.



The exploration potential of western Newfoundland is supported by its geology, hosting several mineral-rich geological belts. These belts are characterized by Precambrian and younger rocks and favorable structures, creating an ideal environment for the formation of critical element deposits. The presence of the Dunnage Zone, a well-known geological structure in the region, has been associated with VMS-style mineralization, making it an attractive target for exploration companies like ours.



The ongoing exploration success in western Newfoundland highlights the region's potential for further discoveries and economic development. The provincial government has demonstrated support for the mining industry by offering incentives and promoting investment in mineral exploration.



With the York Harbour Copper-Zinc & its Bottom Brook Rare Earth Element Projects located in this resource-rich region, the Company is well-positioned to capitalize on the area's geological potential. These projects are strategically located with access to essential infrastructure, such as roads, power, and ports, which will facilitate future project development and mining operations.



York's President & CEO, Bruce Durham, further commented, "Newfoundland, particularly the western portion of the province, has showcased its potential for hosting significant deposits. Our two projects benefit from this geologically prospective setting, and we are dedicated to advancing our exploration efforts to unlock the full potential of our projects."

Qualified Person

Doug Blanchflower, P. Geo., a Director of York Harbour, and Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and accepted the technical material contained in this news release.

About York Harbour Metals

York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC Pink: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) is an exploration and development company focused on two high-grade projects in Newfoundland. The York Harbour Copper-Zinc-Silver Project is located approximately 27 km from Corner Brook in Newfoundland. The Company intends to continue drilling the 11 known mineralized zones and explore new massive sulphide targets.

Recently, the Company announced the acquisition of a high-grade Rare Earth Elements ("REE") project also located in Newfoundland. The Bottom Brook Critical Metals Project, covering 15,150 hectares, is located next to the Trans Canada Highway and is just 27 km from the deep-water port at Turf Point. York Harbour intends to actively identify diamond drill targets through property-wide prospecting, focused soil sampling, and geological mapping. A substantial drill program is scheduled for this year.

For further details on York Harbour Metals, please reach out via email to info@yorkharbourmetals.com or call +1-778-302-2257. You may also visit the Company's website at www.yorkharbourmetals.com for past news releases, media interviews and opinion-editorial pieces by management.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors,

"Signed"

Bruce Durham

CEO, President, and Director

Telephone: 778-302-2257 | Email: info@yorkharbourmetals.com

Website: www.yorkharbourmetals.com

1518 - 800 Pender Street W, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 2V6

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements herein include but are not limited to statements relating to the prospects for development of the Company's mineral properties, and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/163422
Talatona  Luanda Bengo Special Economic Zone (ZEE) and the Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Portugal and China (AJEPC) signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in the fields of attracting Portuguese-speaking entrepreneurs to invest in Angola.

The memorandum also provides for the creation of joint efforts and foresees the sharing of experiences to support entrepreneurs in doing business and coveying know-how.

Speaking to the press on Thursday, ahead of ongoing "FIN Business Forum Angola", the ZEE CEO, Manuel Pedro, said he believes that in the next three years they will be able to bring Portuguese-speaking businesspeople from Brazil, Portugal, Cabo Verde, Sao Tome and Principe, Guinea-Bissau and Macau.

In turn, AJEPC counterpart, Alberto Carvalho Neto, considered it a "great honour" to maintain a very active cooperation in the coming years to bring "the highest number" of entrepreneurs from the European Union (EU) to be able to know the ZEE, invest, create links and open paths to cooperation.

The FIN Business Forum Angola is part of a larger project that intends to have Lusophony as the basis for connecting continents.

The project, promoted since 2017 by AJEPC, focuses on creating a continuous network connecting continents, allowing all participants to expand their network of contacts and businesses in a cyclical way every year.
Khartoum (Agenzia Fides) - The conflict between the two military factions in Sudan risks having repercussions on neighboring countries, partly because both contenders have connections with neighboring states and external sponsors.

The Sudanese Armed Forces (FAS) commanded by General Abdel Fattah Al-Bourhane have strong ties with their Egyptian counterparts, as evidenced by the fact that some Cairo soldiers, who were in Sudan for joint exercises, were temporarily detained by the militiamen of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Al-Bourhane's rival, General Mohammed Hamdan Daglo (or Dagalo), known as "Hemetti".

The proximity between the Sudanese regular armed forces and those of Egypt is part of the pressure campaign conducted by Cairo against Ethiopia because of its control of the flow of the Nile waters, compromised according to Egypt, by the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), is the largest hydroelectric plant ever built in Africa.

It is therefore understandable that Addis Ababa favors Daglo rather than Al-Bourhane. From its strongholds in Darfur (in the west of the country) Daglo with its RSF has woven a dense network of cross-border relationships centered on the trade of gold extracted from the mines in the area and on sending its own men to reinforce the ranks of its own regional allies. In particular, Daglo is supported by Cyrenaica (eastern Libya) strongman Khalifa Haftar, to whom the Sudanese rebel general allegedly supplied some mercenaries. Haftar's role shows the complexity of the regional political situation.

The Libyan general is sponsored by the United Arab Emirates, France, Russia, and Egypt. The latter, as noted, supports Al-Bourhane and not Daglo. Haftar's leeway stems, according to some analyses, from the fact that he ensures the security of Egypt's western border.

Moreover, the Emirates sponsors of both Haftar and Daglo are the receivers of gold extracted from Sudanese and Central African mines, controlled by the Russian militiamen of Wagner in their faces accused by Western countries of collusion with Daglo. The latter seems to meddle as well in the civil conflict in the Central African Republic if only to draw resources with which to finance the war. Note that both Daglo's RSFs and Al-Bourhane's FAS have their own resources that could enable the two contenders to prolong the war to the bitter end. The former, as mentioned mainly gold and the supply of mercenaries (employed, for example, by the Emirates and Saudi Arabia in the war in Yemen), the latter through control of vast sectors of the national economy (banks, insurance companies, the agribusiness sector, the war industry, whose products have even been employed in Ukraine). The sanctions imposed on Sudan by Western countries for the coup of 2021 (conducted together by the two rival generals) did not prevent the conflict from erupting.

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Daglo also has strong family ties with Chad, being from a Chadian Arab clan of the Rizeigat tribe. Chadian President Mahamat Deby's Chief of Staff, General Bichara Issa Djadallah, is a direct cousin of his. Within Chadian power there is a delicate balance between members of the Zaghawa ethnic group (President Deby's) and Arabs who live straddling Chad and Sudan (such as Djadallah). There are fears in N'Djamena that a possible victory of Daglo in the Sudanese conflict could incite the ambitions of the large Chadian Arab community.

The fear of the destabilization of Chad, perhaps with the support of Wagner's mercenaries, has prompted Washington to re-establish relations with Al-Bourhane, as evidenced by the visit to the USA of one of its men, Sudanese military intelligence chief Mohamed Ali Ahmed Subir, where he met with political, military, and CIA officials.

Finally, the possible destabilization of Sudan risks reverberating in South Sudan, itself in the grip of a civil war.
UK ban on recruitment of paramedics - Curse or blessing for Ghana?

Vicky Wireko Reality Zone Apr - 22 - 2023 , 08:50

In the wake of the United Kingdom (UK) governments revised code of practice for international recruitment of health and social care personnel from countries which include Ghana, should our Ministry of Health worry or toss it over as inconsequential?

From a list of 54 countries, mainly from developing countries, the UKs National Health Service (NHS), which until then was recruiting paramedics to supplement their services, is now saying that those countries should not be targeted when actively recruiting health or social care professionals.

Brain drain

As a country, we have had cause to lament, time and again, over the brain drain of our professionals, especially paramedics. We have whined that medics trained with taxpayers money should not abandon ship on completion of their courses and should be made to stay and help improve our healthcare systems and the ratio of doctors to the population.

In light of the above, therefore, it must be welcome news if the UK government will now not come openly knocking at our doors to take away one most critically trained professionals for community service.

For us, any number we save will definitely help improve the alarming doctor-patient ratio which, by available figures, reportedly stood at one doctor to ten thousand, four hundred and 50 people (1:10,450).

Amazingly, the recommended ratio by the Commonwealth, of which the UK is the head, is 1:1,500, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) ratio stands at 1:1,320. Comparatively, the UKs own ratio stands at 3.18 doctors to 1,000 people.

So if this sorry ratio for Ghana is going to be brought down, albeit a drop in the ocean, why should we bemoan the UKs revised code of practice? We should be clapping for it.

I have been a great cheerleader of those private medical colleges that have come on board in the last decade or less.

I have been to two graduation ceremonies of Accra College of Medicine in the past, for example, and, witnessing the multiple award-winning new doctors they graduated, the quality was just remarkable and encouraging.

If for nothing at all, those private medical colleges will eventually help in a way to bridge the gap even with the handful of doctors they have and will be able to graduate in the future.

Their addition to the numbers that the public medical schools will give us will go to help.

As one understands it, yes, the UK governments announcement does not stop individual doctors from making their own arrangements to go and practise in the country.

But one cannot also rule out the fact that any health facility in that country recruiting from any of the listed countries would be guided by their governments recent announcement.

Additionally, countries like the USA, Canada and Australia, where one is likely to find a number of Ghanaian doctors practising, may not necessarily have revised their notes on international recruitment of health and social care persons. So, will the drift be in that direction? That may not be our worry for now.

Ministry of Health

What should be our concern is for our Ministry of Health to begin to see UKs directive as a blessing and an opportunity to put structures in place to make them employers of choice.

Such arrangements should include continuous training, better remuneration systems, attractive working environments and other such conditions that would attract and retain health personnel in the country.

We may not strike a perfect deal but that is okay. It may be a work in progress, for even in the UK and other advanced countries, doctors and nurses go on strike for days asking for better remuneration.

If our private health institutions can support and retain their staff with better remuneration, why cant our public health institutions do so for their staff or be made equally attractive? Health is wealth and the nation stands to gain with a better health system.

Luckily, our Ghana Health Service has been said to be one of the most efficient in the world. We witnessed this during the peak of the pandemic when the service kept its cool in the management of the COVID-19 situation across the country.

They proved to the world that given the necessary support, they could do the job just as one saw in the 1960s and 70s.

Some of us who lived through the 1970s with critical medical cases will always celebrate the calibre of paramedics of those times. Their commitments and dedication to duty were just splendid.

Those medics worked tirelessly to save lives. They certainly made one understand that they had chosen to serve humanity and save lives not merely for remuneration. One believes that is so today too.

That is why up to today, some of us empathise with doctors in the public sector when they ask for a bit of a push-up in their salaries to cope with the general pressures of life.

On the back of what the UK government is saying, therefore, let us take the silver lining in it and work to improve the conditions of our paramedics to stay and stick with us. Home is home and to help save and improve lives is their fulfilling calling.
Ambassador Alhaji Salamu Amadu and UAE Embassy donate to Ayawaso Council of Zongo Chiefs

GraphicOnline Apr - 21 - 2023 , 12:52

Ambassador Alhaji Salamu Amadu, Founder and Group Chairman of the Afro Arab Group of Companies, has donated food items and undisclosed cash to the Ayawaso Council of Zongo Chiefs, with the support of the United Arab Emirates Embassy in Ghana, led by His Excellency Amer Jamil Alalawi.

The donations are part of his special extension of benevolence to Muslims during the month of Ramadan, as the Islamic world observes the 30-day fasting exercise.

Ambassador Alhaji Salamu Amadu, who is also the Youth Ambassador for Peace and Development for the Zongo and Inner Cities in Ghana, assured the Chiefs that he would extend the blessings bestowed on him by the Almighty Allah to bring development and, most importantly, help defeat poverty in the Zongo and Inner Cities.

He pledged to use the blessings to help the development of the Zongo Communities across the country and also help defeat poverty.

The Acting Chairman of the Ayawaso Council of Zongo Chiefs, Chief Seidu Louis, expressed their profound gratitude to Ambassador Alhaji Salamu Amadu and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the donations during the Ramadan month and sought prayers from the Almighty Allah to increase the young philanthropist to do more for the Zongo Communities.

The Mayor of Nima, Abdul Fatahu, has hinted that he will embark on a house-to-house float to disseminate the initiative from Ambassador Alhaji Salamu Amadu and the Afro Arab Group to inhabitants in the Zongos.

He added that he will champion the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals number 1, which talks about Poverty, and noted that once poverty is defeated, all the other SDG Goals would be accomplished.

Last week, Ambassador Alhaji Salamu Amadu made history by handing over an ultra-modern lavatory he built for the house he was born and bred in for the first time in 36 years.

He urged every home in the Zongo Communities that needs a toilet facility to contact the Afro Arab Group so that they can build the toilet facility for them to pay in flexible payment plans without interest.
Ato Forson to call 9 witnesses

Emmanuel Ebo Hawkson Apr - 21 - 2023 , 08:51

A former Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, will call nine witnesses as part of his defence against a criminal case of allegedly causing financial loss of 2.37 million to the state in a deal to purchase 200 ambulances between 2014 and 2016.

Counsel for Dr Forson, Dr Aziz Bamba, who made this known last Tuesday, April 18 at the Accra High Court, said some of the witnesses were outside the country and, therefore, he had not been able to have conference with them.

He moved two applications for the court to grant his client more time to file the statements of the witnesses and also for disclosures by the prosecution.

The other accused persons- Sylvester Anemana, a former Chief Director of the Ministry of Health, and Richard Jakpa, a businessman, will respectively call six and five witnesses.

Courts response

Although the court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, with additional responsibility as a High Court judge, granted the two applications, she stated that she would not countenance anything that would delay the trial.

According to her, the witnesses could use technological means to write their statements, sign and send them for filing at the court.

They can then be behind a computer somewhere and be cross-examined. It is my hope that by August 31 when we go on break, I will be done with all my pending cases so that I can attend to my duties at the Court of Appeal, she said.

Justice Asare-Botwe gave the prosecution up to April 21, this year to file the disclosures, while the defence must file their witness statements and exhibits by May 24.

Hearing continues on May 9 for case management conference.

Not guilty

The court directed Dr Forson, who is currently the Minority Leader in Parliament, and the two other accused persons to open their defences after she ruled that the prosecution had established a prima facie case against them and subsequently dismissed their submissions of no case

The accused persons have pleaded not guilty to five counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, abetment to wilfully cause financial loss to the state, contravention of the Public Procurement Act and intentionally misapplying public property.

Ambulance deal

Per the prosecutions facts accompanying the charge sheet, in 2009, while delivering the State of the Nation Address, the then President, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, indicated that new ambulances would be purchased to expand the operations of the National Ambulance Service.

Mr Jakpa, who is a local representative of Big Sea General Trading Limited, a company based in Dubai, subsequently approached the Ministry of Health with a proposal that he had arranged for finance from the Stanbic Bank for the supply of 200 ambulances to the government.

Parliament approved the financing agreement between the government and the Stanbic Bank.

According to the facts, on November 19, 2012, Mr Anemana wrote to the Public Procurement Authority seeking approval to engage Big Sea through single sourcing for the supply of 200 ambulances.

The facts added that on August 7, 2014, Dr Forson wrote to the Bank of Ghana for letters of credit of 3.95 million for the supply of 50 ambulances in favour of Big Sea.

The letters of credit were accordingly released to Big Sea.

The facts said 30 ambulances were purchased at a sum of 2.37 million but all were found not to have met ambulance specifications and not fit for purpose.
'Drone medical delivery service in Ghana is saving lives daily. I did not call for its halt' - Health Minister

GraphicOnline Apr - 21 - 2023 , 22:05

The Minister of Health, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu has rejected claims in a section of the media that he has threatened to halt the operations of Zipline Medical Delivery Service in Ghana.

After a Ghana Health Service Management Meeting during the week, some media reported that the Health Minister slammed the operations of the much-praised drone delivery service, and threatened to reach out to his bosses to halt the operations because it is being abused.

However, a press statement issued by the Ministry of Health on Friday, rejected the media reports, saying the Minister rather commended the operations but rather raised some concerns.

"At the same ceremony, the Minister expressed the view that the services of Zipline, where drones are used to deliver medical commodities to health facilities are saving lives every day and stakeholders should endeavour to use the services judiciously for the purpose of sustainability," the statement said.

The statement continued that, rather, "the minister bemoaned the practice where some health facilities just place orders for Zipline services not in times when the service is most needed."

It added: "Due to the unpredicted nature of emerging technologies like Zipline, it will be in the Ministry's and its agencies' best interests to periodically review the guidelines around its operations to ensure alignment with government policies."

The statement assured that the "Ministry remains committed to the operations of Zipline in the provision of essential healthcare services and will keep exploring all available means to make this sustainable."

In the statement, the Minister also described as misleading, reports that claimed he said the National Health Insurance Scheme is not working.

Ghana's medical drone delivery service has been hailed as the largest in the world, and it has attracted international plaudits.

During her recent visit to Ghana, United States Vice President, Kamala Harris commended Ghana for being a global example in the delivery of essential medical supplies through drones to remote areas.
Eid-ul-Fitr: Ghanaian Muslims end fasting after moon sighting in Ashanti region

GraphicOnline Apr - 21 - 2023 , 13:33

Ghanaian Muslims marked the end of the Islamic holy month of fasting (sawm) on Thursday, April 20, 2023, with the sighting of the moon at Kenyase-Truba in the Kwabre east district of the Ashanti Region.

The Hillal Committee - Ghana, the body responsible for coordinating the moon sighting in Ghana, confirmed the sighting, which means there will be no fast observed on Friday, April 21, 2023.

The Chief Imam, Osmanu Nuhu Sharubutu, announced on Thursday evening that Eid-ul-Fitr, the festival marking the end of Ramadan, will be observed on Saturday, April 22, 2023, based on the moon sighting.

The Ramadan period has ended after 29 days of fasting, with the Eid-ul-Fitr officially observed on Saturday, April 22, 2023 in Ghana.

The Ghanaian government has also declared Monday, April 24, 2023, as a public holiday to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr.
Lord Commey denies involvement after he was named among individuals in govt who support galamsey

GraphicOnline Apr - 21 - 2023 , 16:26

The Director of Operations at the Presidency, Lord Commey, has denied allegations of supporting or engaging in illegal mining as contained in a 37-page report submitted to the Chief of Staff by the former Minister for Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng.

The report, which detailed the work of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (ICIM), cited Commey as one of the appointees in the Jubilee House that was supporting or engaging in illegal mining.

In response, Commey stated that he had never engaged in or supported illegal mining and had never communicated with anyone to seek favor in relation to engaging in illegal mining.

He challenged Frimpong Boateng to provide evidence of his claims or face legal action to protect his reputation.

Frimpong Boateng's report highlighted the need for increased efforts in the fight against illegal mining, also known as "galamsey," which has caused significant environmental damage in Ghana.

The report called for more inter-agency collaboration and proposed the establishment of a national task force to coordinate the government's efforts.

Illegal mining has been a major challenge for the Ghanaian government, with several initiatives and policies being put in place to tackle the issue.

The ICIM was established in 2017 to oversee the implementation of the government's plan to combat illegal mining.

Read Lord Commey's statement below;

RE: REPORT ON THE WORK OF THE IMCIM SO FAR AND THE WAY FORWARD

My attention has been drawn to a 37-page report purported to have been written by the former Minister for Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng who was Chairman of the Inter-ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (ICIM).

The report said to have been submitted to the Chief of Staff (CoS) cites me as an example of persons supporting or engaging in illegal mining.

There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace. Examples are Lord Commey, Charles Nii Teiko, and Frank Asiedu Bekoe (Protozoa),

For purposes of setting the records straight, I wish to state without shred of doubt that I have never engaged in or supported illegal mining as contained in the said report.

There is no point prior, during and after the appointment of the said Minister have I called, text or even assigned anyone to seek favour in respect of engaging in illegal mining to warrant his unsubstantiated allegations against me.

I therefore challenge him to prove beyond reasonable doubts claims I was either promoting or engaging in illegal mining or I would use available legal means to protect my hardwon reputation.

Until proven otherwise, I would urge all to treat the claims of Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng with the contempt they deserve.

God Bless our homeland Ghana

Lord Commey

Director of Operations at the Presidency
Police refutes claims of power theft and illegal connections

GraphicOnline Apr - 21 - 2023 , 08:50

The Ghana Police Service has refuted allegations of power theft and illegal connections at the Osu Police Barracks and the Kumasi Central Police Station. The claims were made by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) in the media.

In a press release, the Police Administration stated that the payment of electricity by the police is centrally managed and not directly paid for by individual police officers or commands, hence there was no incentive for the service or any of its officers to steal electricity as alleged.

The Police Administration conducted investigations into the matter and found that the ECG had disconnected three buildings at the Osu Police Barracks and one building at the Kumasi Central Police Station because they had no electricity meters.

The connections at both locations were done by officials of the ECG directly to the poles because the company indicated that it did not have any meters available at the time.

The investigation was conducted at the instance of the Inspector-General of Police, who subsequently held a meeting with the management of ECG.

The Police claim the outcome of the investigation was made known to the ECG, and they accepted and expressed regret about the situation.

Following the investigation, all Police Regional Commands were directed to officially invite and work with ECG officials within their areas of operation to reexamine all existing electricity connections and metering in all Police facilities across the country, including the possibility of installing bulk meters instead of individual meters for each building.

The Police Administration also called on the public to disregard the false claims of power theft and illegal connections levelled against the Police, stating that there is no basis for the allegations.
Presidency dismisses Frimpong-Boatengs galamsey report as hearsay

Kweku Zurek Apr - 22 - 2023 , 15:18

Allegations made by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Chairperson of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, in a report on illegal small-scale mining in Ghana, have been dismissed by the Office of the President.

The Presidency in a statement stated that the claims in the report were unfounded and amounted to hearsay.

The report, which was submitted in an informal way, was handed over to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President in March 2021.

It mentioned dozens of individuals in the Akufo-Addo government who were accused of being involved in illegal mining or interfering in the work of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining.

However, the Presidency argued that despite the serious allegations, no evidence was presented to support them.

The Office of the President reiterated President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's commitment to fighting illegal mining and welcomed any credible information on the matter.

Read the entire statement below;

Press Statement On Prof. Frimpong-Boatengs Report

The attention of the Office of the President has been drawn to a publication in the media ostensibly quoting from a document authored by the former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Chairperson of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, which, allegedly, imputes wrongdoing on the part of some government appointees in the fight against Galamsey.

At the outset, it must be pointed out that the document being discussed was not an official report formally delivered to the Office of the President. On the contrary, it can only be rightly referred to as a catalogue of personal grievances and claims made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, intended to respond to some issues he faced as Chairperson of the IMCIM.

The document was handed to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President on March 19th 2021, in an informal meeting, where Prof. Frimpong-Boateng complained about public attacks and criticisms made about his tenure as Chairperson of the IMCIM.

This was after Prof. Frimpong-Boatengs tenure as Minister had not been renewed by the President of the Republic in his second term. The document did not have a transmittal or cover letter nor, indeed, an addressee, such as to suggest that it was submitted to the Chief of Staff for action. It is noteworthy that the IMCIM was a creature of Cabinet, and any formal report on its activities would, normally, be submitted to Cabinet through the Cabinet Secretary, or directly to the President of the Republic as Chairperson of Cabinet. Till date, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has done neither.

It is important also to point out that, whilst Prof. Frimpong-Boateng makes serious allegations against some government appointees, as having been involved in, supporting or interfering with the fight against illegal mining, not a single piece of evidence was adduced or presented to enable the claims to be properly investigated.

Indeed, the allegations contained in the document are at best hearsay. It is instructive that since Prof. Frimpong-Boatengs meeting with the Chief of Staff in March, 2021, he has taken no step nor acted in furtherance of the matters contained in the document.

The Presidents commitment to fighting illegal mining is unassailable, and the Office of the President welcomes any information on illegal mining activities which provides a credible basis for investigations to be conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.

We continue to count on the co-operation of the general public.
Soil fertility maps launched for farmers in Yendi municipality

Dawuni Emma Apr - 22 - 2023 , 09:05

A project to develop soil fertility maps to assist farmers in their activities in the Yendi municipality in the Northern Region has been launched.

Dubbed: Research for Development and Innovation Agriculture and Learning (ReDIAL), the project is intended to help farmers to improve yields.

Under the project, soil fertility maps would be developed and presented to farmers and other stakeholders to aid them in their activities.

It is being jointly implemented by the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Friends of the Nation and Tropenbos Ghana with funding from the EU.

Some areas samples were taken for the research include Bini, Zagban, Gbungbaliga, Gukpegu, Kuga, Gnani, Paaduli, Kpassani and Sunsong.

In attendant at the launch were farmers, input dealers, staff of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Yendi Municipal Assembly, persons with disabilities, traditional rulers and assembly members, among others.

Relevance

A lecturer in natural resources at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kyereh Boateng, who launched the project, said soil fertility parameters were a prerequisite in soil fertility management.

He, however, said undertaking onsite measurements and laboratory analysis of soil fertility parameters before and during crop cultivation was a challenge for farmers in the country.

According to the lecturer, addressing such difficulties in the municipality would enhance proper farmers decisions and policy formulation on crop nutrient management profiles and soil fertility maps.

Another lecturer at the KNUST, Israel Boateng Yeboah, suggested a crop rotation method as an alternative for farmers to improve soil fertility.

According to him, the application of synthetic fertiliser had a long-term effect on the chemical properties of the soil while organic fertiliser enhanced soil properties and increased crop yield.

He mentioned some soil improvement materials, including waste crop residues such as maize stover, maize husk, rice stalks, groundnut pods, cowpea pods and wastewater from fish ponds.

Others are animal manure from sheep and goat droppings, among others.

Another lecturer at KNUST, Prof. Emmanuel Acheampong, urged the participants to apply what they had learned on their farms to improve yields.

The soil fertility maps were handed over to beneficiaries after the launch.

Appeal

The Yendi Municipal Director of Agriculture, Alhaji Abubakari Mohammed, said his outfit lacked the needed resources to embark on sensitisation programmes for farmers on the ReDIAL project and, therefore, appealed for support.

The Yelzoli Tamalnaa, Alhaji Shamrock Mahama, thanked the organisers and sponsors for undertaking the project in the area. He, however, entreated them to extend its duration to 2026, instead of 2024.
Addis Ababa  Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has "strongly condemned" and refuted allegations that Ethiopian troops have crossed into neighboring Sudan.

Ahmed made the statement in response to allegations that Ethiopian troops have crossed into Sudan's territory as the country encounters an internal conflict between the Sudanese Army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

"At this critical stage, in which the identity, the shared destiny of the Sudanese people and Ethiopians are facing challenges, there are some parties that are seeking to achieve their lowly political goals by spreading false claims," state-run Ethiopian News Agency (ENA) quoted Ahmed as saying in a statement issued in Arabic language late Thursday. "It is very unfortunate that these sides are claiming that Ethiopia brought its troops inside the Sudanese border areas."

He dismissed the "false claims" that Ethiopia brought its military personnel to the Sudanese border.

"It is very unfortunate that these forces are claiming that Ethiopia brought its troops inside the Sudanese border areas. We strongly condemn these allegations, which lead to distorting the good neighborly relations between Ethiopia and Sudan," he said.

The Ethiopian prime minister underscored the East African country's belief that the border issue with the neighboring Sudan can only be solved through dialogue.

"We strongly believe that the border issue between the two sister countries will be resolved through dialogue and discussions where Ethiopia values brotherhood, good neighborliness between our two countries, and does not want to exploit the current circumstances in Sudan," he said. "We fully trust that the brotherly Sudanese people will not heed to such claims, but seek to stand with the Ethiopian people who value good neighbors."

Ethiopia and Sudan have longstanding competing claims over the Al-Fashaqa border region, an area of fertile land settled with Ethiopian farmers that Sudan claims is within its boundary.

Over the past few years, Ethiopia and Sudan were accusing each other of "provocations" over border incidents. The situation, however, has improved recently.

Xinhua
Internal conflicts nearly cost us in 2020 general election - Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto identifies ills in NPP

Severious Kale-Dery Politics Apr - 22 - 2023 , 17:39

On January 10, 2023, the then Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto (OAA), resigned from his position to enter the race for who becomes the flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Our Education and Agriculture Editor, Severious Kale-Dery (SKD), caught up with him in his house for an interview.

Below are excepts of the interview.

Severious Kale-Dery (SKD): Hon, it has been three months since you resigned from your post as the Minister of Food and Agriculture. What have you been doing since?



DR OWUSU AFRIYIE AKOTO (OAA): Since my resignation from office, I have used the time to consult stakeholders as to what requirements we need to win the 2024 general election. I consulted from the polling stations through to their supervisors, who are the coordinators, to the constituency executives, to the regional and national level.

So, the three months have been used very judiciously in trying to understand the nature of the problems this party faces. Basically, I am in this race as a result of what I observed to be things which are not well managed in the party that nearly cost us in the 2020 elections.



SKD: What are some of those things that are not being managed well in the party?

OAA: Given the amount of work that was done in the first term of the Akufo-Addo administration of which I played a major part, I think that the performance was very satisfactory to the extent that we were expecting that the results would have reflected the acknowledgement of the good works done by this government. Unfortunately, it was rather the reverse. We were expecting that the 1.5 million majority that President Akufo-Addo had over President Mahama in 2016 would have gone to two million or more, with the over 169 constituencies that we had in Parliament increasing to 200 constituencies.

But what did we see at the end of the elections? Now, Parliament is 137 NPP and 137 NDC and the Majority was cast substantially with just one difference between what is our Majority and their Minority and that was ironically by an independent candidate who used to be an NPP MP who was so disappointed with what was going on within the party that he decided to defend his seat as an independent candidate.

So, that is what is making the difference. Otherwise, Parliament is split. The Speaker of Parliament is now in the domain of the NDC, the Right Honourable Alban Bagbin, who won the vote over the Right Honourable Professor Aaron Mike Oquaye, who had shown a lot of competence in the first term of the administration in Parliament.

So, you see that things are not going well in spite of the superior campaign that we ran in 2020. If you look at the NDC, you cannot even remember any campaign message. They didn't have a single campaign message that would have attracted Ghanaians to say let us give them a chance. On the other hand, we had lots of messages of what we had done during the first term and were going to continue and add on new projects and programmes.

Unfortunately, we didn't impress the electorate because of the too many conflicts within the party.

SKD: So, Hon, why do you want to contest, knowing that there are so many challenges?

OAA: I want to bear the flag of this party to give me the opportunity to bring about the necessary changes in this party to stand us in a good position to be able to win the 2024 December general election.

Apart from the conflicts, a lot of the party people on the ground throughout the country are complaining about lack of employment from the base all the way to the top. The people are actually unhappy.



SKD: You seem to have good ideas but there are obstacles ahead in terms of super congress and national congress. How prepared are you for the job ahead?

OAA: I am very much prepared because I am going on my track record as Minister of Food and Agriculture. There are 3.1 million farmers in this country. I know this for a fact because in 2018, for the first time in 36 years I organised an agricultural census and it was very clear that we had 3.1 million in this country.

The Planting for Food and Jobs raked in a little over 1.7 million of these farmers and this has to do with subsidies for seeds and fertilisers to improve the efficiency of the smallholder agriculture in particular because they still produce the bulk of our agricultural output but have been neglected all these years. So, I decided that we are going to come in to introduce new technology of improved seeds and application of fertiliser.

So, what I am saying is that these 1.7 million farmers are really appreciative of what I did and I remember in 2022, when I went out, you could see that everywhere I went, it was like a thanksgiving tour because everywhere I went, farmers were expressing their appreciation for the work that I have done.



SKD: Surely, that is great, but I think that before the farmers endorse you, you have to deal with a certain constituent of the party that will ensure that you are able to get to the level of the farmers. How are you dealing with those constituents?

OAA: The interesting thing is that most of these delegates, especially in the five regions in the north, are also the delegates. Their constituency executives, almost all of them that I met, Savannah, North East, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions are actually farmers.

So, it is a double-edged sword. While agriculturally it was positive, politically, it is also recognition of my contribution to their living standards.



SKD: Hon, people think that you are relying on the goodwill of your father to want to climb onto the seat. What is your reaction?

OAA: No! No! That is not true at all. There is no basis to say that. What I am saying is that the emphasis is to do with my track record.

I don't think there will be many people who will be able to use their track record to defend the way I have. And as I have said, the 3.1 million farmers are the ones who will bear witness to me.

You just have to go to the farmers and ask them of the impact that I have had on their lives as Minister for Food and Agriculture and they will confess to you. Not only farmers, but traditional rulers who are in charge of leading farmers around the country. From Nayiri in the Mamprusi land to the King of Dagbon, the Yaa Naa himself, to Otumfuo Asantehene. Everybody accepts that I have made a positive impact on their subjects and the subjects themselves would come confessing that this man has changed our lives.

So, for me, that is a good sign that in terms of ability, in terms of vision in terms of delivery, I have done it.

So that's the first thing but I am saying that in addition to that, my concern for this party is also derived from the part of my heritage and not only that, two terms in Kwadaso werent handed over to me on a silver platter. I had to try three times. So, I understand the politics at the grassroots. When the grassroots cough, I understand what is wrong with them.

So, I am in touch with the grassroots and therefore, the grassroots are the base. They are the ones who deliver power to us and therefore, if they are complaining about the fact that they are hungry, they are neglected, they don't have jobs and so on, it is for some of us to lead the charge, to take power to correct those things in order to strengthen the party at the base.

SKD: Your other contestants are busily touring the country. What assurance are you giving to your supporters that you are strongly in the race?

OAA: Actually, my other competitors are running around the country as if we are having a general election. This is not a general election.

We have only 210,000 delegates who are going to vote and in the super delegates, less than 1,200 delegates and we know all of them.

So, for me, it is not a matter of a big gathering. I go directly to the people, who have the power to vote. It is not a secret; everybody has their names and telephone numbers and where they are.

So, I am going to them and three months that I have been out of office, I have been going to them quietly talking to them. So, you as a journalist may not know. But I have been very busy. My schedule is totally different, it is not sitting in one place in the office. I am talking to the delegates. And I have been engaging them for quite sometime now.



SKD: Hon, what has been the most exciting moment in your six-year stay as Minister in charge of agriculture?

OAA: For me, the most exciting thing in my life is the opportunity to deal with the poorest in the society, who happen to be the smallholder farmers; that I have been able to impact their lives to increase their income and their living situation that they can now afford some life of luxury from the additional production and that, they have been able to achieve through the application of subsidised seeds and fertiliser. For me, that is the most important.



SKD: You have served for six years as a minister. What has been your greatest regret?

OAA: Oh, my regrets really are not many. For instance, poultry, I wish we had done better in poultry. Over the years, poultry farmers are closing down because of the high prices of feed and the flood of imported poultry, which are literally dumped in the country because if you can land and sell for averagely GH14 per kilo, when production in this country could be a minimum of GH32 per kilo, then the local industry has not got a chance.



SKD: Why have you not been able to ban the importation of poultry in the country?

OAA: By the World Trade Organisation (WTO), we have regulations, we have evidence to say that we are restricting or we are countervailing, but that is not my area, that is Ministry of Trade and Industry.

SKD: What happened to the Rearing for Food and Jobs?

OAA: That is going on but I am saying that out of the livestock, poultry is very disappointing so far because poultry is the easiest source of protein for the ordinary person.

In Ghana here, there are two sources of protein- fish, poultry and the others. Poultry is by far the biggest in terms of generating employment and income for the family.

We are talking about the situation of dumping from their countries of origin, as they subside their supplies to bring poultry into this country and we are not doing much about it.

Then, secondly, in terms of feed and all of that, we need to have an institution and that is why I am talking about the Poultry Development Authority (PDA) and the Grains Development Authority (GDA) because 70 to 80 per cent of the cost of production of feed is from the grains.

So, the GDA can collaborate with the PDA to make sure that they can bring down the cost of grains by intervening in the market at the right prices but we need institutions.

That is the problem that we have. We have not created enough institutions to be able to manage these soft sectors because if you go to East Africa or even Cote dIvoire, these are very common. We don't have these, but we are just here, make lip service that agriculture is important and that the farmer is important, but we don't do anything. That is why this government has done a lot in terms of institution building to strengthen the sector.
Chile President Gabriel Boric announced that his government will nationalize the countrys lithium industry, with the objective of increasing wealth for the country, and developing a key industry as a fundamental step to link Chiles economic development with the change towards a green economy at a global level.

Boric outlined the new National Lithium Strategy as a set of measures that seek to incorporate capital, technology, sustainability and added value in a public-private model. Development of the industry will be led by the State, through an initial role headed by Codelco (Corporacion Nacional del Cobre de Chile)the state-owned Chilean mining company that is one of the largest copper producers in the worldand Chilean mining and metals company ENAMI (Empresa Nacional de Mineria), and that will also involve the private sector.





Chile President Boric describing the National Lithium Strategy

The actions that make up the National Lithium Strategy include:

Create the National Lithium Company;

Create a Network of Protected Salt Flats and in those salt flats ensure the use of technologies with low environmental impact;

Modernize the institutional framework;

Create a Technological and Public Research Institute of Lithium and Salares;

Incorporate the State into the productive activity of the Salar de Atacama; and

Prospect other salt flats.

Major lithium miners Albemarle and SQM will continue to operate in the country until their contracts expire in 2043 and 2030, respectively. Boric said he hoped that miners already present in Chile would be open to negotiate state participation before contract expiration.

Future lithium licences will be issued only as public-private partnerships with state control.

The move by President Boric follows Mexicos nationalization of its lithium. (Earlier post.)
Khartoum  As fighting continues in and around Khartoum, countries including Jordan, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, South Korea, and Greece, are racing against time to evacuate their citizens from Sudan. Others continue to advise their nationals to 'shelter in place'. However a statement today by the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) assures that diplomats and nationals from the UK, US, France, and China will be evacuated by air "in the coming hours".

Hostilities have now entered their second week, and the sound of gunfire and explosions can still be heard in and around Khartoum, in spite of a three-day truce announced by the opposing SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), to coincide with Eid El Fitr, marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. The clashes flared-up again this morning, and reportedly intensified in Khartoum 2.

In Khartoum, the official spokesman for the Sudanese army, Brig Gen Nabil Abdullah, said that foreign missions will be evacuated in the coming hours. Jordan has begun implementing a plan to evacuate nearly 300 Jordanians from Sudanese territory, under directive of the King of Jordan, while the Hungarian Foreign Minister announced the evacuation of 14 Hungarians and 48 others, mostly Americans and Italians, from Sudan to Egypt.

'Shelter in place'

The US embassy in Khartoum said that while large convoys are leaving Khartoum towards Port Sudan, the embassy is unable to provide assistance, that the evacuation of American nationals from Sudan is not safe at present. "US citizens are strongly advised to remain indoors, shelter in place until further notice, and avoid travel to the US embassy," a security alert in a pinned tweet says. "The US embassy remains under a shelter in place order and cannot provide emergency consular services," it says.

"Due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a US government-coordinated evacuation of private US citizens. There is incomplete information about significant convoys departing Khartoum traveling towards Port Sudan. The embassy is unable to assist convoys. Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk."

South Korean media reports that a military transport aircraft has been sent to Djibouti to evacuate South Korean nationals from Sudan to Seoul. The Greek foreign minister also says that he has discussed the coordination of evacuations of his country's citizens with the European Union's foreign policy commissioner.

The Iraqi Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced coordination with Arab countries for the safe evacuation of the Iraqi nationals in Sudan, who number about 300 people.

Successful evacuations

According to the Saudi news channel, a number of Saudi nationals and citizens of other countries arrived in Jeddah today after being evacuated from Sudan. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the evacuation of 91 of its citizens and 66 nationals of other countries from Sudan, and said that they included diplomats. The Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that its citizens who were stranded in Sudan have arrived in Jeddah in Saudi Arabia, in preparation for their transfer to Kuwait.

According to the Dutch public broadcaster NOS, the Netherlands is preparing "with all its might" for an evacuation of Dutch citizens from Sudan. 134 people have now been called to ask if they want to join a departure organised by the government. They have been advised to pack a bag in advance.

At time of posting, it was not yet clear when there is a chance to leave the country. "At the moment it is not possible," the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. "The security situation does not allow an evacuation. We cannot predict how it will go. It can take a long time, or suddenly go very fast. It is clear that no option is without risk."

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The Dutch ambassador to Sudan, Irma van Dueren, is in Jordan with employees of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defence, where two military transport aircraft are standing by. "From there, they maintain contact with Dutch nationals in Sudan and prepare for all scenarios," the embassy says.

The British Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) has urged British nationals in Sudan to register their presence to receive updates from the FCDO. "You should also stay up to date with the FCDO Travel Advice by signing up to e-mail alerts," the FCDO travel alert says.
This week, Xiaomi announced the highly-anticipated Xiaomi 13 Ultra so now that you've had some time to settle your thoughts on it, we want to ask you if it ticks the right boxes.

It may be somewhat of a rhetorical question, given the 13 Ultra's currently the most popular phone in our database. You guys obviously can't get enough of it.

Like every Ultra before it, the 13 Ultra is a standout smartphone and a camera-centric device. Xiaomi ensured that it would stand above any other phone in the market, and be head and shoulders over its own Xiaomi 13 Pro.

Looking at the Xiaomi 13 Ultra next to the 13 Pro side-by-side, there are a lot of similarities - the display and chipset are the same, the primary camera uses the same sensor, and the Xiaomi 13 Pro even has an edge in charging - 120W vs 90W.

But the Xiaomi 13 Ultra has a bigger battery, a nicer build with flat matte sides, and a back panel clad in antibacterial nanotech silicon leather. And when it comes to cameras, the 13 Ultra goes way past its sibling.



The Xiaomi 13 Ultra looks like its predecessor

That sentiment is also true for most other phones on the market. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra can make a good case as the best phone for photo and video in the world right now. The only other device that has similarly impressive camera hardware is the Oppo Find X6 Pro, and it's limited to China. Even ignoring that, we're not sure the Oppo beats the Xiaomi. This may need to be resolved via a good old-fashioned shootout.

For years now we've been asking for a phone with two telephoto cameras and Xiaomi has delivered. The 13 Ultra added a much-needed 3.2x 75mm midrange zoom to the must-have 5x 120mm camera. Even better, the two have brighter lenses, and we expect better image quality.

But beyond the hardware improvements Xiaomi made a few breakthroughs in software as well. The Xiaomi 13 Ultra can capture UltraRAW DNGs with built-in multi-frame processing and HDR even at the full 50MP resolution. Those files will give budding photographers invaluable control in Lightroom, and Adobe will release a camera profile just for the 13 Ultra soon.

Then there are the Leica color modes, the Leica Portrait mode, and an intuitive new Fast Shot mode for street photographers that will let you set a focus distance and then capture images in just 0.8s.

The Xiaomi 13 Ultra is a true photographer's dream phone and that's before you consider it has the best chipset around, the fastest storage, the most advanced display, exquisite build quality, and IP68 water and dust proofing.

The final cherry on the cake is that Xiaomi will release the 13 Ultra around the world, unlike it did with its predecessor. It makes the discussion of wanting one actually meaningful.

So let's have it - is the Xiaomi 13 Ultra going to be your next phone? Cast your votes.
The judging for the 2023 Congressional Art Competition for high school students was held Saturday at the Office of Congressman James Moylan in Hagatna.

Every year each congressional district across the country holds an art competition for students from public and private high schools in their district.

The theme this year was 'Guam, where Americas day begins,' said Auriann Camacho, press secretary for the Congressman Moylan, and that 26 submissions were received this year.

The judges were the lieutenant governor, president of the Mayors Council of Guam, Guam Youth Congress speaker, a representative from the Guam Chamber of Commerce, a local artist and the chief of staff for Sen. Chris Duenas.

We accepted a bunch of different mediums. Some are paintings and we also got collages and AI generated art. Whatever medium the student wanted to do, Camacho said.

The winner is expected to be announced on Monday after staff in the Washington D.C. office are made aware of who won, said Camacho.

The winning piece will be displayed in the United States Capitol, where lawmakers and tourists will be able to admire the art work for a year.

It will also be featured on the house.gov congressional art competition page.
Satellite imagery of the area morning of April 22, 2023, showing cloudy skies and isolated showers across.
Hundreds of people spread out on the grounds of Ypao Beach, leaving no trash left untouched.

On Saturday, the Guam Visitors Bureau, in collaboration with the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam, conducted a beach cleanup for this years Earth Day.

We work together to clean up the Ypao beach and to make sure that we have a cleaner and sustainable future for our island and for our ocean, said Paul Chen, director general of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam.

This would be the third time that the event has been hosted and according to Chen, the number of volunteers has been increasing every year.

First year we had one hundred, second year we had two hundred and fifty, this year we are going to have five hundred, said Chen.

Water and Taiwanese coffee were offered for the volunteers who came out to the event, as well as a limited supply of specially designed hats which the first 250 people who came to the event were able to grab as their own.

Hopefully everyone enjoys their time on the beach and doing some social work for our island, said Chen.

The event was also a way for the Taiwanese government to help Guams efforts in beatifying the island. #LetTaiwanHelp was used in the flyer promoting the event to show that Taiwan can be a part of the World Health Organization.

We want to show that Taiwan can help, but unfortunately Taiwan is not a part of the International World Health Organization. We want Guam to support Taiwan to be a part of the World Health Organization, said Chen.

We can help Guam and we want to help. We have donated so many equipment to Guam and Taiwan is a peace-loving country, added Chen.

Aside from GVB and TECO, there were many other organizations and companies putting in the work at the beach cleanup.

Ryan Torres, store manager of Macys, was out with other Macys employees to help clean up the beach.

We need to maintain our environment to keep it long lasting for all of our future generations to come, said Torres.

Its an important time where we all need to come together, wishing everyone to take care of each other and especially our environment, added Torres.

Hyatt Regency Guam also came out to participate in the beach cleanup with about 50 employees. Claire Garcia, director of human resources at the Hyatt, shared that this was a perfect time for them to help the community.

This month marks global month of service for Hyatt worldwide, so this is perfect timing for the Hyatt team to come out and also give back to the community servicewise, said Garcia.

According to Garcia, helping and giving back to the community is a way for them to connect with the island.

When Hyatt places its mark on an island or in a city, its important for us to give back to the community. Its important that we give back because theyve supported us as well, the island, added Garcia.

The event also brought many people who just wanted to help clean the beach and promote Earth Day.

Juanita Sablan, from Tamuning, participated in the beach cleanup with her husband and three kids not only to help clean up the beach but to also teach her kids the importance of these events.

I think its important in the home, as much as to teach your kids about the environment and how it gets polluted if we dont clean up. They are learning it at home and also at school too, said Sablan.
The Ministry of Health and Social Services has registered 13 cases of Covid-19 as of last week.

Health minister Kalumbi Shangula told The Namibian the virus has not disappeared from the country.

"We have always informed the public as such. We are registering between 1 to 3 cases per day," he said.

Former health minister Bernard Haufiku, who is also a member of the African Public Health Foundation, confirmed that the virus is still around.

He highlighted a recent case where an 18-month-old child was admitted to a local private hospital with a high fever of 40 degrees Celsius.

"Anyone who knows or practises paediatric medicine will tell you this child was on the brink of going into a convulsive seizure because of this very high temperature. We were lucky to have brought down the temperature in the hospital and have triggered Covid-19 management protocols and Covid-19 public health measures," said Haufiku.

According to Haufiku, the patient was admitted elsewhere before with similar symptoms, but the Sars-Cov-2 test was not done.

He cautioned the public and healthcare providers to take precautions when dealing with patients with a high fever.

"This virus is still with us and will not abruptly disappear from the face of the earth. We are, therefore, cautioned to be alert, both the public and healthcare providers, and always have Sars-Cov-2 at the back of our minds when dealing with or having a patient, family member, or any other person with respiratory symptoms and fever," said Haufiku.

He warned against large gatherings, as the 18-month-old patient and the parents were part of a wedding held in the Ohangwena region recently.

Haufiku urged the public to continue following Covid-19 protocols to protect themselves and their communities.

This includes wearing masks, practising social distancing, regularly washing hands, and getting vaccinated.
press release

On Friday 21 April 2023, Verulam Regional Court sentenced two accused, Nkosikhona Luthuli (28) and Kusakwendoda Luthuli (42) to life imprisonment for the murder of Sergeant Sibongile Mbanjwa who was stationed at Phoenix detectives.

On 4 May 2021 at about 22:00, Sergeant Mbanjwa was with a colleague in a state vehicle when they were suddenly attacked by the accused. The accused fired shots towards the state vehicle, fatally wounding Sergeant Mbanjwa. The colleague tried to drive away but the vehicle stopped few meters away. He fled the scene on foot. Sergeant Mbanjwa was declared dead at the scene.

A case of murder, attempted murder and robbery was reported at Verulam police station and the case docket was allocated to the Hawks members from Durban Serious Organised Crime Investigation.

Two weeks later, the accused were arrested and charged accordingly. They appeared in court several times and their bail was successfully opposed until they were convicted. They were both sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, five years' imprisonment for attempted murder and five years' imprisonment for robbery.




Haiti - UN : Humanitarian response plan of 720 million dollars, all the details (report)





Faced with the scale, gravity and urgency of the humanitarian crisis in Haiti, the UN presented on April 13, a Humanitarian Response Plan of 720 million dollars https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39298-haiti-flash-the-un-appeals-for-$720m-to-respond-to-the-humanitarian-emergency-in-haiti.html and a summary of this plan.



Following this presentation, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on behalf of the Humanitarian Country Team and partners released a comprehensive and detailed consolidated document of this plan to provide life-saving assistance to 3.2 million Haitians.



Note that this year's appeal for Haiti is the highest since the 2010 earthquake, and more than double the amount requested in 2022.



Download the full report of the Humanitarian Response Plan (PDF in French 83 pages) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/HTI_HRP_2023_FR.pdf



Download the summary of the Response Plan in Creole (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Haiti-2023-HRP-At-a-glance-Creole.pdf



Download the summary of the Response Plan in English (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Haiti-2023-HRP-At-a-glance-English.pdf



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39354-haiti-politic-signing-of-a-cooperation-framework-of-more-than-11-billion-dollars.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39298-haiti-flash-the-un-appeals-for-$720m-to-respond-to-the-humanitarian-emergency-in-haiti.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - News : Zapping...





8 Haitians perish at sea while fleeing Source-Matelas

Wednesday, April 19, 8 people perished at sea trying to flee the Source-Matelas area, during the attack by armed bandits https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-39359-haiti-news-zapping.html . Several other people were shot dead by the thugs, confirmed the former deputy of Cabaret, Joseph Manes Louis, stressing that the corpses of victims were still visible in the streets Friday, April 21 in the afternoon. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-38268-haiti-flash-massacre-in-sources-matelas-at-least-12-citizens-killed-several-houses-burned-video.html



Cryptocurrency Quant Robot disappeared

Friday, following the sudden disappearance online since Thursday of the "Cryptocurrency Quant Robot" (CQR) platform in which many Haitians, among others, had placed hundreds or even thousands of US dollars, the Governor of the Central Bank questioned by journalists simply recalled "[..] No entity is authorized to carry out transactions in Crypto currency on the national territory."



Making the National Historic Park profitable

A meeting was held this week between Luz Kurta Cassandra, the Minister of Tourism, Mrs. Emmelie Prophete the Minister of Culture, executives of the two ministries as well as members of the Management Authority of the National Historical Park. At the end of this meeting, it was decided to create an interministerial commission with the objective of making the National Historical Park profitable by increasing the value chain of the heritage elements of the territory of this Park.



The UEH suspends its relations with EDSEC

The rectorate of the State University of Haiti (UEH) has suspended its relations with the School of Law and Economics of Les Cayes (EDSEC). Consequently, EDSEC officials are prohibited from using the name and logo of the UEH under penalty of penalties provided for by law. The UEH criticizes the leaders of the School for not initiating the reforms proposed by the executive council of the UEH which considers that it is impossible in this case to guarantee education that meets elementary academic standards under current conditions...



Les Cayes : dozens of houses demolished

As part of the fight against insecurity, the authorities of Les Cayes again demolished several dozen houses on April 20 in the Cite Bigaille at the entrance to the city.



46 years in the RNH

April 22, 1977-April 22, 2023, the National Radio of Haiti (RNH) celebrates its 46th anniversary. As a public service media, the RNH has known, over time and beyond political upheavals, to position itself as a privileged witness to the transformations of our society and the incessant struggles waged by the Haitian people to achieve well-being.



HL/ HaitiLibre


















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Published on 2023/04/21 | Source

New stills added for the upcoming Korean drama "Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938" (2023).

Advertisement

Directed by Kang Sin-hyo

Written by Han Woo-ri

Network: tvN

With Lee Dong-wook, Kim So-yeon, Kim Beom, Ryu Kyung-soo, Hwang Hee, Kim Yong-ji,...

12 episodes - Sat, Sun 21:20

Follow up to "Tale of the Nine Tailed"

Synopsis

The story of Lee Yeon, a gumiho who was summoned back to a chaotic 1938 after being embroiled in an unexpected incident.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2023/05/06
The management of APL Electric Company Limited, Aba, a subsidiary of Geometric Power Company, has attributed the poor power supply in Aba, Abia State, to the huge debts owed by its customers, vandalism of power equipment, metre bypassing and assault against Aba power staff carrying out their legitimate duties in the city.

Residents of Aba, have accused APL who is the operator of the Aba ring fenced area, of giving poor power supply and estimated billing to its customers in the city. They called for the installation of prepaid metres and lamented that the incidence of estimated bills and being charged for what they did not consume are affecting their daily living and businesses.

However, during a town hall meeting with the Aba Landlords Association,in Aba, Managing Director of APL, Patrick Umeh, explained that the company has been importing power from the Niger Delta Power Holding Company, NDPHC, since the Geometric Power plant in Osisioma Ngwa Industrial layout is yet to be commissioned.

Umeh disclosed NDPHC has cut down its supplies to APL from 80mw to 25mw based on the huge debts it is being owed. He added that NDPHC is owed N2 billion while the Aba ring fence customers owe APL N4.2 billion, stressing that NDPHC is no longer prepared to grant further credit extension.

To improve power supply in Aba, Umeh urged electricity consumers in the city to pay their bills, adding that until the Geometric power plant is commissioned, APL will continue to rely on NDPHC for supply.

He said;"The quantum of electricity supplied to Aba ring fence is commensurate with the amount of money persons and businesses are willing to pay for electricity consumed. Since the Geometric Power plant in Osisioma Ngwa layout has not yet been commissioned , APL has been importing electricity from NDPHC. The NDPHC has cut down its supplies it's from 80mw to 25mw. NDPHC decided to crash supplies on account of a humongous debt which is still growing.

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"Rather than pay for power they consumed,; communities, groups ,businesses and individuals in the Aba ring fence chose to not only owe for several months but engage in power theft, metre bypassing, vandalism against power infrastructure and assault against Aba power staff. All these resulted in low revenue generation, compelling NDPHC to curtail supplies. The company is owed N2 billion while Aba ring fence customers owe APL N4.2 billion. Until Geometric power plant is commissioned, APL will continue to rely on NDPHC. In other words, load shedding is a child of circumstances. Power consumers in the Aba ring fence are implored to pay their bills as and when due."

Speaking at the event, President General of Aba Landlords Association, Chief Alphonsus Udeigbo , urged the management of APL to ensure regular power supply to the residents and businessmen in Aba.

He lamented that poor power supply has made many businesses and small and medium scale enterprises to operate at low capacity.

Earlier, a cross section of the residents of the city had decried the poor power supply and estimates billings given to them by APL and called for a change.

They demanded the installation of prepaid Meters and assured that they are prepared to pay for the quantity of power they consume monthly.
BUILDING work has begun to adapt a house in Sonning Common for a boy who suffers from a debilitating disease.

Alex and Lisa Clarke spent three years searching for the right company to make their home in Wood Lane Close easier for their elder son Ben to get around.

The nine-year-old was diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy in 2017 after his parents had noticed him falling over a lot and since then he has been slowly losing his ability to move and breathe independently.

The changes to the familys property will include making the ground floor navigable when using an electric wheelchair by widening the doorways.

Bens new bedroom will need to be on the ground floor and enable his wheelchair to move around it. He will have his own bathroom and special bed.

The Clarkes, who also have a five-year-old son called Zak, were helped with the design and new layout by an interior designer.

The building work is being carried out by Sessile Construction and the family are staying at Swiss Farm in Henley during this time.

They previously lived in Henley before moving to Sonning Common in 2018.

Mr Clarke said: It has taken us a long time to find the right builder to do Bens Big Build.

The frustration of not being able to find a builder to simply provide a quote or getting ridiculous quotes was exacerbated when the cost of all things skyrocketed at the start of the Ukraine war.

Over three years, we reached out to more than 15 contractors and received four quotes, which ranged from the sublime to the absolutely ridiculous.

Through a personal recommendation, we are so happy to have now found a builder who has worked with us to understand the project, quoted at a competitive rate and been flexible to our needs.

I cannot express how thankful we are to Jamie and Hollie, from Sessile Construction, of Maidenhead.

From day one of speaking to Jamie, we really felt he listened to us and had a genuine interest in helping us realise the dream of adapting our home for Bens needs and making it an accessible forever home.

Nothing is a problem and he has or will find a solution to all challenges.

As a family, we are so excited to now be on the way to having this project completed and be in our home.

Ben will have a bedroom and wet room that is accessible and meets his needs and the remainder of our house will be accessible for him when the time comes for him to be in a wheelchair full-time.

Were incredibly happy to have the right builder. More than anything were relieved. Its also quite exciting to know that in a short space of time well be able to move back into our house. Were hoping to be back in for summer.

Ben has been sharing a room with his brother and both boys are excited about getting their own rooms.

Mr Clarke said: Ben is incredibly excited about getting his own space but theres also a bit of sadness that hes losing the house we bought a few years ago and because of the changes needing to be made for him.

Jamie Day, director of the construction company, said: They approached us in the middle of last year and my initial thought was that I definitely wanted to be involved because its going to be really good for their son.

I was surprised to hear that it had been difficult for them to find a company because I would have thought that any decent builder would want to help out.

Weve done lots of house renovations but never for the reasons theyve got. Its a very nice feeling to have been chosen for the project. I love my job but this one is particularly enjoyable because you know how much it will benefit the family and Ben.

Work is underway. We have the extension up and weve been knocking through the house, opening up the downstairs to make it much more accessible.

Were thinking on our feet as were able to adapt and change things.

Interior designer Hannah Dean, of Hamilton Avenue, Henley, volunteered her services.

Mr Clarke said: Hannah has had a massive impact on the layout. She has basically created a much more welcoming finish, which is really going to be beneficial. She has been incredible.

Mrs Dean, who lives with her husband and children, Charlotte, 11, and Alexandre, nine, said: It was just before lockdown that I saw on social media the family were putting on their gala ball and looking to raise money for renovations.

I considered putting in a two-hour consultation, which is something I offer normally, but then I thought, Actually, I want to properly help them with transforming the house. I offered my services and said, I can do as much as you like.

It was a good time to get involved because we moved the small kitchen so now its a big kitchen and dining area they can use as a family.

Since then, Ive been helping with flooring choices, kitchen layout, all the wall colours, layouts of furniture.

Two weeks ago, we chose the bathroom layout for Ben  the tiles, the colour  to make it really nice for him.

I met Ben for the first time when we were doing the final bits for the bathroom so I got to have a cuddle, which was really nice. Hes just so gorgeous and such a squidge.

It has been a real pleasure knowing Im helping in some way. It really puts everything into perspective.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is one of the most common genetic disorders in children and usually only affects boys. Most children with it are not expected to live beyond their early twenties.

Ben does not yet permanently need a wheelchair but uses one for travelling long distances because he gets tired easily.

Mr Clarke said: Hes still doing well. We are starting to see a decline in his ability to keep moving for longer. Hes struggling more with climbing stairs and hes starting to find it difficult to stand up from the floor.

In the grand scheme of things, hes doing well but we are noticing change and the loss of core skills.

The Clarkes founded Ben versus Duchenne to raise awareness about the condition and have been fundraising for the building work and an electric wheelchair since 2018.

Sponsored walks with friends and a black-tie ball in 2020 raised 42,000 and shops and organisations in and around Henley have also raised money.

Mr Clarke, who works as an operations manager, said: None of this could have happened without the amazing community that has supported Ben vs Duchenne over the last five years since Ben was diagnosed.

To every single one of you who has donated to any fundraiser, thank you  you have made a difference to Bens life and to our family.

Bens school community have awareness now through the different articles in the Henley Standard and campaigns weve run. A number of people exposed to Duchenne reached out and thanked us for raising awareness.

We did a poll on Bens Instagram to find out what people wanted  more family stuff or information.

The overriding feeling was that people wanted to know about the condition and how we have to adapt in our lives on a daily basis while trying to keep it as normal as possible.

We have taught Ben that although he has this condition, life goes on as normally as possible and he can do what he chooses to do.

For more information, visit www.benvsduchenne.com
Rwandans and their friends living in Norway held the 29th commemoration of 1994 the Genocide against the Tutsi.

The event was organized by the Urukundo Rwandan Organization in collaboration with the Rwandan embassy to the Nordic countries. Held under the theme "Remember-Unite-Renew," the commemoration was attended by people from Norway, Sweden, Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Mali, Ghana, Ethiopia and Eritrea.

The mourners called for unity and a renewed commitment to preventing similar atrocities in the future.

Felix Muhigana, a Rwandan living in Norway, gave a presentation on Rwanda's post-independence politics, which led to the Genocide against Tutsi that claimed more than one million lives within 100 days.

Rwanda's ambassador to the Nordic countries, Dr. Diane Gashumba, encouraged the participants of the event to fight against all causes of genocide, emphasized the message of love and togetherness to build a better Rwanda.

Rwandan children and youth born after the Genocide against the Tutsi performed plays in memory of the victims, conveyed messages of support to survivors and expressed their commitment to 'Never Again.'

Edissa Mihana, a survivor of genocide against the Tutsi, gave testimony of her ordeal and how she survived as a seven-year-old.

The president of Urukundo Rwanda Organisation in Norway, Marie-Chantal Muhigana, thanked RPF-Inkotanyi to have stopped the Genocide against the Tutsi.

Muhigana explained that the reasons behind the annual commemoration of Genocide against the Tutsi are to keep the memory of the victims, pay tribute to victims and support survivors, fight genocide denial and ideology.

It is also to make sure that justice is served, and to keep the determination that life should go on, and that future generations will live in peace.

The national mourning week was closed on April 13, but commemoration activities in Rwanda and abroad continue for 100 days until July 3, the eve of Liberation Day.

In July 1994, the RPA stopped the Genocide against the Tutsi and liberated Rwanda, putting an end to an era of divisive politics that plunged the country into one of the worst tragedies in history, the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
No fewer than 1,930 Nigerians have been killed by gunmen this year while 582 people have been kidnapped by non-state actors.

LEADERSHIP Weekend also reports that 561 people have been killed between March 2023 to April 13, 2023 while at least over 200 Nigerians have been kidnapped for ransom within the same period.

Reports show that in January 2023, Nigeria recorded 375 incidences of security breaches resulting in 208 abductions and 749 fatalities.

However, in February 2023, the nation recorded 452 attacks resulting in 173 abductions and 620 fatalities.

While they seemed to be a reduction in the number of terrorist attacks in the build-up to the 2023 general elections, there seems to be a resurgence of the menace after the polls.

Senator Shehu Sani reacting to the development said Nigeria is the only place where people are killed and those in government join the electorates to pray for solutions.

He said, "Nowhere in the whole of Africa is there a place where 125 people are killed and 80 were kidnapped in 60 days, according to official figures, other than in Kaduna. The leaders elected to solve the problem have joined the electorates in prayers for God to solve the problem".

Amidst the killings, the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU) has asked the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS); the African Union (AU), and the United Nations (UN) to intervene to halt the incessant killings in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State.

LEADERSHIP Weekend reports that gunmen penultimate Sunday invaded Sankwab in Atyap Chiefdom in the Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of the state, killing more than 20 villagers and destroying property valued at millions of naira.

The SOKAPU leadership said the people of the area had lost confidence in the Nigeria government and therefore called on the international community to intervene before it was too late

SOKAPU president, Mr Awemi Maisamari, stressed that the call on international communities for action became necessary since the home government had allegedly failed to protect the citizens.

In like manner, Benue State for instance suffered over 400 casualties to herders attacks in the last three weeks as hostilities also resumed in Kaduna, Niger, and Zamfara States.

The Kindred head of Ucha, Zaki John Akpan while speaking with LEADERSHIP Weekend accused soldiers of supervising killings of his subjects by armed herders.

He, therefore, called for the withdrawal of soldiers and deployment of mobile police personnel and Civil Defence Corps in the area to protect citizens which is the government's primary responsibility.

"If the government wants to help this nation, the government should withdraw soldiers back to the barracks and then deploy Mopol and civil defence".

He dismissed insinuations that the attacks are fueled by the anti-open grazing law promulgated by the State government in 2017.

"What happened here, people are attributing to anti-grazing law but we that are here don't see it as anti-open grazing law. What is happening in Kaduna, Taraba, and other states? What are they saying there are also killings there. They say they have deployed security at these places, I'm not challenging them but these problems are persisting. I wonder why insecurity persists despite the presence of security personnel.

"We'll inform them that this is where those guys are but nothing happens. Armed herders said we are eating their cattle but here in Ngban where they came to kill 37 people. No cattle was touched here by anybody, three days before the attack, they came to graze around our houses with their guns. Soldiers will see them with guns but say nothing.

"On the day of elections, herders killed 12 persons at Tse Alaar, next day they attacked Yelewata, and they later killed somebody at Udei who went to the stream to have his bath. After that they came to Tse Ikyogen and opened people's houses and brought out yam seedlings for their cattle to eat, same thing happened at Tse-Iho when we reported to soldiers, they told us not to disturb the herders that they will look into it."

He said while the distance between Ngban and Keana is about 50 km, there was nobody in the bushes but the land was not enough for the armed herders who want to kill everybody in Benue.

"Now for your information about 50km away from Ngban towards Keana, there is nobody in the bush but they don't graze there. It is here where the people run to for safety that they want to graze and then accuse us of rustling their cattle.

"I just feel the herders have a different agenda. Talking about the anti-open grazing law, nobody has asked herders to leave Benue, the government only asked them to ranch. They have laws in some states that prohibit alcohol and others and people obey. Why can't they obey Benue law? In the recent attack, we recovered 36 bodies while 38 persons were injured. One of the injured persons also gave up making the figure of casualties 37. They burnt a vehicle and two motorcycles at the district head's compound, burnt a thatched house with yam seedlings and as they withdrew, they were killing people" he said.

In Niger State, a local vigilante group at Ibbi town has taken the battle to the invaders of the community, killing no fewer than 50 bandits who had been terrorising and kidnapping its residents for ransom.

LEADERSHIP Weekend learned that the vigilantes launched the attack on the bandits and destroyed their camps at the bottom of a mountain within Kainji National Park, following the abduction of 12 people from the community about two weeks ago.

A source from the community said the vigilante group, with support from their colleagues from Niger South, went after the bandits in a raid. During the raid, the vigilantes were said to have lost two of their men, while the bandits killed nine of the 12 people in captivity.

The director, Defence Media Operations, Major General Musa Danmadami, briefing journalists recently attributed the spike in kidnapping to the reversal of the cashless policy and called for an all-of-society approach to end violent attacks and killings in the country.

"There must be societal and government approach. I don't want to say categorically clear but we are all aware that before now, the cash crunch, they kidnap anybody and there is no cash to pay, the criminals have to make use of the fact that there is no cash and unfortunately with the reversal of the policy-making cash available, the criminals have the impetus to do what they are doing, though I know that there is still some elements of cash crunch going on.

"We are equally faced with the problem of cash crunch however, I want to assure you that the Military, we are still doing our job, we have not rested. Op safe conduct which was conducted towards the successful conduct of elections to support police and INEC has come and gone, we are all aware that there are still two states where elections are still going to be conducted, so we are still not resting on our oars.

"The military is still working round the clock to make sure there is peace and security in the country. During the briefing, we told you the number of people who have been kidnapped and we equally told you about the efforts of the military to ensure those kidnapped victims are rescued, so we'll continue to carry out our responsibility to the best of our knowledge while calling on the civilian populace to support us."

A public and private security analyst and trainer, Major Banjo Daniel (retired) said the failure of security agencies to end the killings could be the body language of the Commander in Chief.

He said it could probably be a result of the orders they receive that hinders them from attacking the armed herders

"It is probably the orders they receive, as far as I'm concerned the country is already more like a criminal state, we have accepted criminality of all forms. It didn't just start today, it started long ago.

"Our troops are capable and I'm still saying that the Army is capable of dealing with any insurgency. If the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Lt Gen Faruk Yahaya has received instructions to end these terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and others if he has received such instructions and is sitting there now then he should go to jail for incontinence, incapacity to perform assigned duties.

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"I want to believe that he has not received such instructions directly that go and end these killings. I also think the President must step up the will to end these killings," he said.

The secretary general, International Institute of Professional Security (IIPS), Dr. Abdullahi Mohammed Jabi, while calling on citizens to be security conscious also called for a rejig of security architecture in the State to end senseless killings.

He lamented that it was rather unfortunate that the killings are becoming perpetual and only pronounced in Benue.

He wondered why the reckless killings in Benue are dominant from all the states in the middle belt." Why is Benue the theatre of war? Is like we are running out of strategic thinking and we need to rejig the security architecture and contain the threats and the citizens must be up and doing.

"These figures are human beings, the attackers are human beings, they must look at their trademark, they are not coming in as ghosts so they must be able to look at their trademark, their activities, within five days 105 people were killed in different communities in three local government areas so it's unacceptable.

"There may be complacency and conspiracy theories going on there for obvious reasons of whether the past posture of the governor when he was on the saddle and now that he is about to leave. Nevertheless, the citizens must be security conscious, and deploy more security personnel that are not of the conceptual Fulani or Northern extraction there to avert compromise, if we get other tribes and other professionals there, maybe the narrative will change other having dominant forces in both the criminals and the anti criminals," he said.
The pay package awarded to Alphabet Inc. Chief Executive Officer Sundar Pichai soared to $226 million in 2022, boosted by a triennial stock grant, making him one of the worlds highest-paid corporate leaders. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google Inc.

The stock award portion of his pay amounted to $218 million, according to a filing from the Google parent company Friday. He received a total of $6.3 million in compensation in 2021, when he didnt receive the grant, and his salary has remained steady at $2 million the past three years.

The 50-year-old CEO has been navigating a more competitive industry, with AI products such as the chatbot ChatGPT from startup OpenAI threatening to undermine Googles dominance in search. A broader tech slowdown also has taken a toll on the company, with its shares sliding 39% in 2022. Still, theyve mounted a comeback in 2023, rising 19%.

Pichais stock award comes on a three-year schedule, and he received a similarly sized package in 2019. That year, the executive was awarded $281 million.

CEO compensation has become a particular touchy topic in the technology industry  especially after a wave of layoffs at Alphabet and other major companies. Apple Inc. CEO Tim Cook slashed his 2023 pay after drawing ire for making $100 million each of the past two years.

Pichais package put him well above other executives at Alphabet in 2022. Prabhakar Raghavan, the senior vice president of Googles knowledge and information, and Philipp Schindler, chief business officer, both took in about $37 million. Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porats compensation was $24.5 million. Their stock grants are given out on an annual basis.

In January, Alphabet started cutting about 12,000 jobs, or 6% of its global workforce, following months of other measures to reduce spending and set new priorities. The median total compensation for Alphabet employees was $279,802 in 2022, according to the filing. Pichais compensation was 808 times that amount.

As part of his compensation package, Alphabet spent $5.94 million on personal security for Pichai, according to the filing.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday expressed hope that traders will soon be able to settle foreign trade in the rupee currency as several banks from different countries are opening special Vostro accounts with Indian banks. Union Minister Piyush Goyal addresses a programme in Rajkot.(PTI)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved 60 requests to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVAs) of correspondent banks from 18 countries, including the UK, Singapore, and New Zealand.

The central bank, he said, is in discussion with its counterparts in different nations on this.

"We will soon start seeing operationalisation of this rupee trading in international trade with several countries," Goyal told reporters here.

He also said that negotiations for free trade agreements (FTAs) with developed regions like the European Union, the UK, and Canada are in "advanced" stages.

Groups including European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement (EFTA), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are also keen to start talks for similar pacts with India.

"The whole world wants to have a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with India," the minister said.

On the second phase of the production-linked incentive scheme for the textiles sector, he said that extensive stakeholder discussions have happened on the subject.

"I am quite confident that very soon we will be able to finalise the contours of the scheme and take it up for approval at the highest level," he added.
The long war against human trafficking in Edo State and other parts of the nation by various state governments and other stakeholders seems to be recording milestones regardless of the challenges amid global synergy and efforts to curb human trafficking most especially for sexual exploitation and monetary gains.

This is even as the fight to end the dangerous menace, especially sexual exploitation often suffer setbacks largely due to oaths of secrecy between the victims and their traffickers.

The negative effect of this trade most often than not leads to the death of victims in mysterious circumstances.

Edo State is recorded to be one of the epicentres of sex slaves as thousands of trafficked girls had been rescued and repatriated in the last five years. It is also on record that successive governments in Edo State and traditional institutions, especially the Benin monarch have taken bold and decisive steps in the fight against the illicit trade.

However, the recent investigation indicated that the trade still strives as some of the willing victims now find Dubai as one of the destination points despite efforts by relevant government agencies to stem the tide.

Victims Fight Back

An investigation by our correspondent shows that some of the victims are defying the odds against their traffickers who are bent on sexually exploiting them without minding the consequences.

Many of these victims are dying in silence owing to the oath of secrecy they entered before native doctors.

As part of efforts against trafficking, the Oba of Benin had in 2018 renounced curses on trafficked victims when he summoned chiefs and native doctors to his palace where curses placed on trafficked girls by their 'madams' was renounced.

The outcome of Oba's intervention was to free trafficked girls from the spiritual curse and financial bondage placed on them by their traffickers. The Oba had used the occasion to also place a curse on the traffickers and priests who continue to engage in the practice of trafficking, aiding and abetting trafficking, and urged victims to speak out.

The Monarch's action yielded positive results and commendation globally as most of the victims heave a sigh of relief from their 'madam' who has enslaved them for years.

LEADERSHIP Weekend however gathered that some of the notorious traffickers now take their victims to native doctors in neighbouring states to administer oaths on them probably to escape curses placed in Benin by the Oba.

UK Madam In The Eyes Of The Storm Over Death Threat

Giving credence to the above came to the fore when a 21 years old trafficked victim, from Benin City, simply identified as Betty (not real name), trafficked to Dubai, raised the alarm of a death threat from her madam, popularly referred to as 'Avira De Vaille' presently based in the Manchester, United Kingdom.

Betty's revelation came following a letter of summon from an 'Ayelala' native doctor in Ondo State said to have been submitted to the father of the trafficked girl in Benin.

The victim was summoned by her madam to the native doctor for reneging on their agreement to pay the sum of N5 million purportedly agreed between her and the said madam (trafficker).

Betty in an interview said she had so far paid the N3.2 million to the account of her madam and decided to break the oath of secrecy as she can no longer sustain the exploitative agreement.

Narrating her ordeal to LEADERSHIP Weekend she said, "So far, I have paid the sum of N3.2 million into Margaret Cole's Polaris bank with accounts No: 1041199420. Even this morning she sent me a voice note insisting that I must pay or face severe consequences. I started paying her in December 2022. I used to pay her between N200,000 to N300,000 every week.

"Initially, I was paying the money into her friend's account before she asked me to reverse it to her account. Even when I was coming to Dubai she gave me $1,000 to buy things and also introduced me to her in-law called Omoruyi.

"It was when they brought the threat letter from the voodoo priest that my father arrested the sister. I was told that trafficked girls pay between N2 million and N3 million. Why should I be forced to pay N5 million as if it is Europe?

But the accused, who reside in London when contacted, denied trafficking anybody to Dubai for sexual exploitation.

"I don't know anything. What is she doing in Dubai? This is a girl I supported in paying her school fee. Did she not tell you about that? The issue you are talking about is currently a subject of investigation at Ekiadolor police station in Benin.

"If you want to find out anything on the matter contact her brother called Osaro. Don't call my line again, please," she said.

Another trafficked victim who is 27-year-old (name withheld) is currently trapped in Dubai and has cried out for help following constant threats from her trafficker, whom she alleged to have trafficked her to Dubai.

The victim who has gone into hiding from her trafficker spoke in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP Weekend said she can no longer continue with the agreement as she was constantly exploited by her trafficker.

She claimed to have paid the sum of 10,000 Dirham out of the 20,000 Dirham agreed.

Trouble however started when she complained of having excruciating pain in her womb due to the high number of clients that patronised her daily.

She narrated that despite her current health challenges her trafficker insisted that she must pay up or face severe circumstances.

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She, therefore called on the federal government, and relevant non governmental organisations, and the chairman of Diaspora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri to come to her rescue as she can no longer continue with the acclaimed oldest professions.

In a faint laden voice apparently occasioned by the pains with her womb, she said, "I can't continue with this work. But my trafficker insisted that I must pay him the balance of 10,000 Dirham or be ready to face dire consequences and I'm scared.

"Since I came to Dubai he has been threatening and disturbing me. My womb can't withstand the daily sex; the work has affected my womb. I am tired and need protection.

"Out of the 20, 000 Dirham I have paid him 10, 000 which is equivalent to N2 million and as I speak I am even pregnant due to burst condoms. I even appealed to him to give me some cash to terminate the pregnancy but he refused".

"Part of our agreement was for him to renew my international passport which has since expired but he also refused to do that. So I am calling for help and protection".

On his part, the executive directive, Initiative for Youth Awareness on Migration, Immigration, Development and Re-integration, Solomon Okoduwa, frowned on the action of the trafficker and promised to collaborate with relevant security agencies to rescue the victim from the den of the trafficker.
Uday Kotak, the current chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director (MD) of Kotak Mahindra Bank, will assume the role of a non-executive, non-independent director of the lender after the end of his tenure later this year.



In its regulatory filing, the bank said 'the appointment of Mr Uday Suresh Kotak (DIN: 00007467) as a non-executive, non-independent director of the Bank upon his ceasing to be the managing director and CEO", Mint reported.



The Reserve Bank of India had capped the terms of MD and CEO at the private banks at 15 years from October 1, 2021 onwards. The central bank, however, has allowed the serving bank heads to complete their current tenures.



Worth $14.1 billion as per Forbes, Uday Kotak has been heading the lender since its inception in 1985. Started as a non-banking financial institution, Kotak Mahindra became a commercial bank in 2003 and by the end of 2022 had 1,752 branches across the country.



In February, Bloomberg reported that the board of Kotak Mahindra Bank has engaged global management consulting and leadership search firm Egon Zehnder to lead a global search for a CEO to replace the founder. Uday Kotak, Founder, MD and CEO of Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd,(HT Photo)

According to report, group presidents and whole-time directors Shanti Ekambaram and KVS Manian are the internal candidates for the top job, according to the people.

Having joined the bank in 1991, Ekambaram oversees multiple functions including online savings accounts, treasury, public affairs and human resources. On the other hand, Manian is a member of the group management council and heads its wholesale banking and wealth management business.



(With Bloomberg inputs)

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Udupi on April 27 for the Karnataka election campaign ahead of the May 10 elections to the state assembly, Udupi district Congress committee president Ashok Kumar Kodavoor said on Friday. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. (ANI)

READ | Karnataka Assembly Election 2023 LIVE Updates: Parties step up campaigns

Addressing reporters here, he said Gandhi would address the fishermen community in Uchila in the district on April 27 to understand their problems and sufferings. Karnataka PCC President D K Shivakumar will also be visiting Udupi district on April 23 and 24, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to arrive in Udupi on May 4 as part of the ruling BJPs vigorous election campaign, according to BJP sources.

READ | Jagadish Shettar explains why he joined the Congress: My self respect

Shivakumar will address a public rally in Byndoor on April 23 and visit Kollur temple. A huge road show is also scheduled for April 24, in which he will travel from Udupi city bus stand to Ajjarkad and address a public meeting there.

Over 10,000 people are expected to participate in these events. Kodavoor said a vigorous campaign will be taking place in the days ahead for all five candidates in Udupi district. We will ensure a Congress victory in the district, he said. Udupi Congress candidate Prasad Raj Kanchan was also present.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief DK Shivakumar, a candidate from the Kanakapura assembly constituency in the upcoming May 10 polls in the state, on Saturday alleged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's office was calling up the returning officers of various districts to find defects in the applications filed by its candidates. Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar is contesting from the Kanakapura assembly constituency in the upcoming May 10 polls in the state. (PTI)

He also claimed CM Bommai asked them to rectify the mistakes in those of BJP nominees contesting the crucial election. Shivakumar demanded that the Election Commission (EC) should investigate the matter and summon the call details of the CMO to ascertain the truth.

READ | Karnataka Assembly Election 2023: Rahul Gandhi to visit Udupi on April 27

BJP legal team and CM Office are trying everything to make sure Congress candidates' nominations are disqualified. I request ECI to collect the call register of the CM. In Savadatti also, the same thing happened. CM himself called officials, he told news agency ANI.

You know how they acted in my case even after I filed nominations many times. They tried to disqualify my application also. CM Office itself is participating in malpractice to tell Returning officials to accept their applicants' applications, CM himself is involved in it, he added.

In a surprise move hours before the deadline for filing nomination papers on Thursday, Bengaluru Rural MP and the brother of DK Shivakumar  DK Suresh  entered the fray from Kanakapura as well. Foreseeing a conspiracy at play, he did so as backup plan in case his brother's nomination got rejected by the EC.

READ | Jagadish Shettar explains why he joined the Congress: My self respect

However, Shivakumar's nomination was accepted from Kanakapura, the state unit of the grand old party said on Friday.

Shivakumar also said many leaders are joining the Congress ahead of the election. Kalyana Karnataka's several leaders already joined us. Many others are wishing to join Congress in the district and taluk units, I've also suggested our leaders the same. I welcome those who want to join us. Vishwanath Patil, a 3-time former MLA is also joining us. Chittapur is an important constituency. Arvind Chauhan is also joining us, he said.

(With PTI inputs)
Heart-wrenching scenes were witnessed at the Dera Bassi civil hospital on Saturday where grieving relatives of those who died while cleaning septic tanks at a meat processing unit demanded immediate release of compensation before giving consent to perform the postmortem examination. Grieving family members of the victims outside the civil hospital in Dera Bassi on Saturday. While one of the victims, Kurban, is survived by wife and six children, Manak and Janak leave behind a one-year-old daughter and two young kids, respectively. (HT Photo)

However, they were later pacified Dera Bassi ASP Darpan Ahluwalia following which they allowed the authorities to conduct the autopsy.

The victims who died on Friday were plumbing contractor Manak Singh, 25, a resident of Behra village, and his workers Janak Thapa, 35, a native of Nepal, and Shridhar Pandey, 25, and Kurban, 35, both hailing from Bihar. Manak was a permanent employee of the factory.

Their family members said the magisterial probe was merely an eyewash. Life is a struggle for us, said one of the victims kin.

We have to work every day to make the ends meet. We do not have the kind of money or resources to fight any legal battle, the aggrieved family member said.

Zulekha, 34, said after the death of her husband Kurban, she has been left alone to look after her six children -- four daughters and two sons -- the youngest of whom is just two-year old. The family had migrated from Bihar a few years ago and was living in migrant quarters.

Instead of celebrating Eid, I am running around in the corridor of the civic hospital with my children. We were better off in Bihar. I do not know how would I feed my six children, she added.

The probe will bear no outcome. Even if the culprits are nabbed, what will happen? asked Gulafza, Kurbans elder daughter.

Will the system ensure the well-being of my five siblings? My father was the sole breadwinner of the family. None of us standing here has any money now, she added.

Manaks brother Surinder said he had married just two years ago and left behind a one-year-old daughter.

Shanti, wife of Janak, said while their family lived in Dera Bassi, one of their children is in Nepal, unaware of the tragedy.

Dera Bassi subdivisional magistrate Himanshu Gupta said bodies of Kurban and Janak have been sent to their native places in Bihar and Nepal.

Manaks cremation was performed in his village, while family members of Pandey will arrive on Sunday to claim his body.

AAP MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa, who was also present at the hospital, said, Those who died cannot be brought back, but I assure that I am standing with the victims families. The family members of those who died in the tragedy will be offered all kinds of support. We need to put an end to the menace and have to find a permanent solution.
The Himachal Pradesh high court has issued notices to the six chief parliamentary secretaries (CPS) and the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government over their appointments and sought a reply within three weeks. The petitioner alleged that the chief minister cannot appoint chief parliamentary secretaries as there is no such provision for it in the Constitution. (Representational photo)

A division bench of justice Sandeep Sharma and justice Virender Singh passed the orders on a civil writ petition filed by an organisation, the People for Responsible Governance (PeRGO), challenging the appointments after terming them unconstitutional.

Soon after forming the government in December, chief minister Sukhu appointed MLAs Ram Kumar, Sanjay Awasthi, Sunder Singh Thakur, Mohan Lal Brakta, Ashish Butail and Kishori Lal as chief parliamentary secretaries.

Also read: Himachal deputy CM leads delegation to Austria, Switzerland to study ropeway projects

The petitioner alleged that the chief minister cannot appoint CPSs as there is no such provision for it in the Constitution.

Moreover, it said, these appointments would put a burden of more than 10 crore annually on the state exchequer.

PeRGO, through its petition, alleged that the respondents (CPSs) were re de-facto ministers enjoying all facilities and amenities of ministers, thereby defeating the purpose of constitutional amendments inserted by the 91st Amendment Act, 2003.

It amounts to huge burden on the state exchequer. The payment of their salary is without any sanction of law and is a drain on the exchequer, the plea said, adding that each CPS is paid 2.2 lakh a month as salary and allowances

A 2005 case was cited in which the appointment of then chief parliamentary secretaries in Punjab was challenged. The court quashed the appointments of the chief parliamentary secretaries and parliamentary secretaries as the Constitution did not vest any such powers in the chief minister.

The organisation had challenged the Himachal Parliamentary Secretary (appointment, salary, allowances, powers, privileges and facilities) Act, 2006, through a writ petition in 2016.

That case is still pending in the high court. At that time, the petitioner made the erstwhile nine CPS respondents. Now the court has been told, through the application, that the old government has changed and it is necessary to make the new CPSs a respondent to dispose of the case.

The petitioners alleged that the government is aware that the Supreme Court has ruled the appointment of parliamentary secretaries in Assam and Manipur unconstitutional.

The petition has sought repealing the Himachal Pradesh Parliamentary Secretaries Act, 2006.

The matter is listed for hearing on May 19.

Similar law in the case of Assam parliamentary secretaries had been declared to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2018. The law enacted by HP legislature is pari materia with the Assam Act. So, on the same lines, this law is also unconstitutional. We are now five years ahead of the Supreme Court judgment. It is expected that the high court hears this case expeditiously so that wasteful expenditure out of the state exchequer is curtailed, said senior advocate Rajnish Maniktala, whose also heads PeRGO.

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I dont sketch. Never have. That, to me, is not the best way to bring my vision to life. I first create the world around a creation When I do runway shows, I always pick the music first and then design the collection. Because design is not just about a garment or pattern or fabric, its about being able to transport someone into a parallel world where pace and time cease to exist, says fashion designer and actor Masaba Gupta. Masaba Gupta interacting with (left) Sanyukta Shrestha (HT Photo)

She was speaking during an insightful session with Nepalese designer and a champion for sustainability Sanyukta Shrestha. The session, titled Fashion Forward: Charting the Course for Indias Fashion Design Industry on a Global Stage, was held in the city as part of the Chandigarh Design Festival, organised at Chitkara International School, Sector 25, Chandigarh. The event saw some of the brightest minds from the design industry coming together to discuss the future of design in India and abroad.

On what fashion design means to her, Masaba says, Its possibly the purest form of creative expression, a carefree way to tell the world who you are and what youre about. When Im designing, I ensure that my guards are down that there are no barriers or boundaries that I express myself freely.

Comfort first, she says, is her signature style. She says fashion doesnt have to kill you. You can look good while also feeling good and comfortable.

The Masaba Masaba actor says she always wanted to act but my mum (actor Neena Gupta) said dont act. She would always say do something jis mein dimaag lagana ho. Because thats something you can do forever whereas acting, especially in India, depends a lot on your physicality, your looks, and your age! she explains.

She recalls that the first scene she shot was one with her mother and there were no dialogues, just expressions. After the first take, her mum said Youre so bad at it. You need to work hard. Also, when I first told her about the show, she wondered if itll be something like Keeping Up With the Kardashians! Masaba says, laughing.

On her relationship with her mum, Masaba adds that Neena (Gupta) is her biggest critic and motivates her to constantly work hard. She ensures that I know that just because you land an opportunity doesnt mean you take it for granted, she says.

I have also inherited her sense of humour. She is someone who can endlessly laugh at herself, alone. And Im very similar, the founder of LoveChild, says.

On how she dealt with the pressure of having famous parents as a child, she says that she thought of the world around her as a video game. Her motto was earn points and dont get killed.

Her advice to upcoming fashion designers is to one, keep asking for what you deserve and not feel shy. Secondly, its okay to not know everything and to be bad at certain things, like in her case, she confesses its math. Third, delegate work. Dont try to do it all. And last but not the least, dont be a watered-down version of another designer. Be the best version of yourself, she concludes.

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A day after four men, including a Nepalese national, died of asphyxia while cleaning a septic tank at a meat processing plant in Dera Bassis Behra village, police on Saturday booked the factorys owner, general manager and one of the directors for culpable homicide. The families of the victims have termed the magisterial inquiry mere eyewash. (HT Photo)

The accused are Kamil Qureshi, a noted meat exporter and owner of Federal Agro Industries Private Limited, general manager PS Hameed and latters son Mohammed Shahid Hameed, who is one of the directors at the company.

The trio are facing a case under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 34 (acts done in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code, punishable with jail up to 10 years.

ALSO READ: Magisterial probe mere eyewash, say kin of victims

Mgmt didnt inform victims families

The FIR was lodged on the complaint of Surinder Singh, brother of one of the victims, Manak Singh, a plumbing contractor at the factory, who alleged that the factory authorities made no effort to inform the victims families about the tragedy.

Apart from Manak Singh, 25, a resident of Behra village, those who died in the mishap were Janak Thapa, 35, a native of Nepal, and Shridhar Pandey, 25, and Kurban, 35, both hailing from Bihar.

Surinder told the police that Manak, youngest of four siblings, had been working at the factory for the past seven years.

He said it was Kuldip Singh, a native of their village, who also works in the factory, who informed his mother about the accident.

On receiving information from his mother, Surinder, along with his brother Nihal Singh, rushed to the factory, where they learnt that Manak and three others had been rushed to the Dera Bassi civil hospital after collapsing in the septic tank. But they were pronounced dead at the hospital.

Surinder alleged that he, along with his family members, visited the factory later and learnt that animal hides were being dumped in the 12-foot-deep and one-meter-wide pit.

He alleged that the company had not cleaned the tank for six to seven months, leading to formation of poisonous gases in it. He further stated that the factory management were fully aware that when the lid would be taken off, it will emit the poisonous gases.

But they did not provide any safety equipment to the workers while directing them to carry out the cleaning job, which led to the death of his brother Manak and three others, alleged Surinder.

Dera Bassi ASP Darpan Ahluwalia said an FIR had been registered and the accused will be nabbed soon. A magisterial inquiry ordered by Mohali deputy commissioner Aashika Jain is also underway.

Meanwhile, the contractor who was assigned the task to clean the tank, Yamu Din, bunked the directors claim that the tank was cleaned every alternate day.

Din maintained that the tank was opened for cleaning after nearly seven months. The four workers collapsed one after the other after inhaling the poisonous gases. I also fainted and regained consciousness after nearly an hour, he said.
While thousands of people offered prayers at the Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar, the authorities barred people from offering Eid prayers at Jamia Masjid in old city. Devotees offer prayers on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr at Hazratbal shrine in Srinagar on Saturday. (Waseem Andrabi /HT)

Across the Valley, congregational prayers were held at mosques and Eidgahs despite overcast weather conditions. However, no untoward incident or protest was reported from anywhere across Kashmir during the Eid prayers unlike past years.

After abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019, there has been a huge decline in protests and stone-pelting incidents across Kashmir.

The authorities had also disallowed prayers on the last Friday, Jumatul Vida or last Friday of Ramzan, triggering outrage across the Valley. After intense criticism, the Jammu and Kashmir administration permitted people to offer Shab-e-Qadr prayers on Monday night for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370.

Anjuman Auqaf Jamia Masjid in a statement said that its for the fourth consecutive year when Eid prayers were not allowed at the grand mosque.

The police and civil authorities informed us late Friday evening that Eid prayers would only be allowed if held before 7.30 am which was not possible for the Anjuman as it had already given the programme of offering Eid prayer at 9am as people from far-flung areas come to offer prayer at Jamia Masjid, Srinagar. This is a central place of congregational prayers in the Valley. The purpose of such central places of worship is to provide a space and opportunity to Muslims so that they can pray together in large numbers on Fridays and other religious occasions. To facilitate people from across the Valley to reach these central places, prayers timings are decided accordingly and like in dargah Hazratbal prayers timings by the Waqf board have been set at 10.30 am. Anjuman Auqaf had also announced prayers at 9 am. It is strange that if congregational prayers can be allowed at other places at 10.30 am, why not at Jamia Masjid, the statement said.

The Jamia Masjid or grand mosque is one of the biggest mosques in Kashmir and has been central to many important developments throughout the history of the Valley.

Meanwhile, former J&K chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti offered Eid prayers at dargah Hazratbal in Srinagar. Farooq expressed regret that people were not allowed to offer prayers at Jamia Masjid... Its a historical mosque and has big importance in Kashmir. People should be allowed to offer at every mosque, he told reporters after offering Eid prayers.

JKs lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha greeted people on Eid festival.

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the culmination of the holy month of Ramzan and symbolises the spirit of austerity, brotherhood, compassion and the joy of sharing, Sinha said in a message.
A day after a womans mobile phone was snatched near the Hallomajra light point on Friday, police cracked the case within 24 hours with the arrest of an 18-year-old boy. The victim, Diksha Thakur, a resident of Surya Tower, VIP Road, Zirakpur, had told the Chandigarh police that on Friday, she, along with her colleague, was headed back home when a snatcher took away her Apple iPhone. (Getty Images)

The accused was identified as Garvit Goyal of Sector 32, Chandigarh. The snatched mobile phone and the scooter used in the crime were recovered from him.

The victim, Diksha Thakur, a resident of Surya Tower, VIP Road, Zirakpur, had told the police that on Friday, she, along with her colleague, was returning home on the latters two-wheeler. They both work for Just Dial company at Industrial Area, Phase 2, Chandigarh.

When they reached near the Hallomajra light point around 6.45 pm, a youth riding a scooter snatched her Apple iPhone and fled the spot. Thakur had managed to jot down the number of the snatchers scooter (CH01-BV-5830) and alerted the police.

Acting swiftly, a team led by Baldev Kumar, station house officer, Sector 32, traced the accused using technical and human intelligence, and arrested him on Friday.
Amid protests by activists and residents of adjoining villages in Faridkot and Ferozepur districts, the state water resources department has put on hold the work of relining of Rajasthan feeder canal. The local residents have been protesting against the concrete lining of the Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind Feeder canals. Representational image. (Hindustan Times)

The two canals - Rajasthan feeder and Sirhind feeder - flowing parallel to each other pass through Muktsar, Faridkot and Fazilka districts. Punjab water resources department had decided to close Rajasthan Feeder Canal for 60 days on the request of the Rajasthan government to complete the remaining work of the relining. The Rajasthan feeder was closed on March 26, while relining of the Sirhind feeder was planned to be undertaken during the next closure.

The activists of the area have been opposing the 780-crore project of the concrete lining of the canals. The protesters said that it would affect the agricultural activities and recharge of the groundwater in the area. A dharna under the name, Mudki Morcha, has been going on near twin canals passing through the Ferozepur district near Ghall Khurd village since March 15 on National Highway-5 against the concrete lining.

In a letter to the Ferozepur deputy commissioner, Punjab water resources department executive engineer Ramanpreet Singh has said that the Punjab government has approved a project for relining the Rajasthan Feeder canal. Following this water resources department started relining and other pending work on Rajasthan feeder canals which starts from the village Machaki Mall in Faridkot district. It is to inform you that no more work for relining of Rajasthan feeder canal will be carried out during the present closure, he added.

As per official sources, a meeting of protesters has been arranged with the principal secretary water resources, Krishan Kumar, next week to resolve the matter.

A tripartite agreement for remodelling-cum-relining of these canals was signed by the Union ministry of water resources, Rajasthan and Punjab governments on January 23, 2019. The concrete lining project was started about four years back, beginning in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan Canal starts from Harike and passes through Faridkot, Ferozepur and Muktsar districts and culminates in northwest Rajasthan. The first 167km of this canal lies in Punjab and Haryana, and the rest 37 km of it is in Rajasthan. Due to a crumbling brick lining, seepage is causing a huge loss of water, adversely affecting the water-carrying capacity of the canal in the tail-end region. Sirhind Feeder Canal originates from Ropar and heads southwest to Doraha in the Ludhiana district. At Doraha it splits into three  Abohar branch, Bathinda branch and Patiala branch and ends in Punjab.

For the last about four years, the concrete lining work was going on in Rajasthan and Haryana, and now, when it was to begin in Faridkot, it is facing strong opposition from residents.

Kirti Kisan Union vice-president Rajinder Singh Deep Singh Wala said that the governments decision to stop the work of concrete lining of the Rajasthan Feeder and Sirhind Feeder canals is a victory for the people. We demand that this project should be cancelled. We are fighting against the concrete lining for the past one year and will continue to do so if they attempt to start the work again. The water crisis in Punjab has become very serious. In such a situation, there is a need to recharge groundwater, not extract water from the earth. Farmers do not have to use tubewells if canal water reaches their lands, he added.

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The Imo State Police Command has said that it has launched manhunt for the killers of its five operatives and a couple at Okpala junction in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the State.

Gunmen had on Friday opened fire on five policemen who went to eat at a local restaurant, killing all of them and carted away their riffles.

The gunmen also killed a couple identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu who owned a shop beside the location of the crime

Confirming the gruesome murder to our Correspondent, the spokesperson for the Police in the State, Henry Okoye, stressed that the Command's Tactical and Operational Teams had been deployed to the area.

He highlighted that the Command was on the trail of the suspects, adding that security had also been beefed up in the area to increase public confidence.

According to him, "The murder incident is confirmed. The Command has deployed Tactical and Operational Teams of the Command to the area for constant patrol and in search of those behind this dastardly act. We are closing in on them.

"The corpses of the operatives have been evacuated and deposited in a morgue. I urge members of the public to go about their lawful businesses without fear and or intimidation as the Command is capable of protecting the people of the state."

LEADERSHIP reports that the incident threw the junction and the entire community into a state of palpable tension as commercial activities abruptly came to standstill.

A source who identified himself as Uche and a relative to the couple stated that the slain cops drove from neighbouring Aboh Mbaise Police Division to eat at the junction.

He narrated that while the policemen were eating, some gunmen drove to the scene and opened fire on them.

He said that while three policemen were shot dead at the scene, two others ran to a nearby shop but their attackers trailed them to the shop and killed them and equally killed the couple who owned the shop.

The eyewitness disclosed that after killing the policemen, the gunmen carted away their riffles.
As a mark of respect to the fallen soldiers, the villagers of Sangiote and Bhata Dhurian in Poonch district didnt celebrate Eid and confined themselves to offering Namaz only on Saturday. Eid was a low-key affair at Sangiote village in Poonch as a mark of respect to the five soldiers who were killed in the Poonch terror attack. (HT Photo)

The sarpanch of Sangiote village, Makhtiaz Khan, 46, said, Almost 65% of families from Sangiote have their members in the army and other belts forces. Every family has one to two members in the army, BSF, CRPF, ITBP, J&K police and other belt forces. Some are captains and subedars in the army. The unit of the 49 RR, to which the ill-fated truck belonged, falls in my panchayat. Therefore, the pain and grief of losing five soldiers is felt more here in the village.

He said that the company commander of the 49 RR had invited sarpanches and panches of the area for an Iftar party in Sangiote village on Thursday evening around 7 pm but the truck that was sent to Bhimber Gali for bringing fruits and other eatables for Iftar party, was ambushed around 3 pm at Tota Gali.

Sangiote, has two panchayats with a population of 8,000 people.

Because of this enormous loss, we decided not to celebrate Eid today. The villagers offered Namaz only and stayed home. We, in this hour of grief, are with the bereaved families. The soldiers were for our security and the martyrs had very cordial relations with us, added Khan.

He shared some pictures of the village that showed no pompous Eid celebrations.

Khan informed that the LoC was barely 7 to 8 km away from his village.

Qayoom Khan, 62, sarpanch of Bhata Dhurian, said Eid was not celebrated with pomp and show in his village.

It remained a low-key affair. People offered Namaz only because they are sad by the attack. During peak militancy, our area remained peaceful but now things have changed. I was also invited by the army for Iftari in Sangiote on that day but since my children study in Poonch, I had sought exemption but had promised to send my panches but then this gruesome attack unfolded, he said.

On the fateful day of Thursday, no one had thought that such a dastardly attack will unfold that too during the pious month of Ramzan, he added.

The videos that had surfaced soon after the truck was ambushed showed five soldiers charred to death in the fire, which had engulfed the truck. The soldiers were not even able to come out of the truck.

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Trekkers trapped at Pindari glacier in Uttarakhands Bageshwar district amid avalanche-hit are safe and trekking down, said an official on Saturday. (Representative Photo)

A group of 14 trekkers, including 13 US nationals, were stranded at Pindari glacier after an avalanche hit Uttarakhands Bageshwar district on April 20.

Soon after, state disaster response force (SDRF) personnel and other rescue teams, along with village locals, began rescue efforts.

Bageshwar district disaster management officer Sikha Suyal said all trekkers are safe and are trekking down. Only their tent and belongings are buried under the snow. On April 21 morning, they had reached zero point and would reach Duyali by today evening, where they would rest overnight, said the official.

Our teams which were dispatched for their rescue would meet them (trekkers) on the way, and they would trek down along with them, she said.

She added that there were no health concerns, however, a chopper has been kept on standby for an emergency.

Anuradha Pal, district magistrate, Bageshwar said, As per the information from the rescue team, lightning struck and a big snowball was formed that uprooted the tents of trekkers on April 20 evening. They are trekking down. Their belongings are still buried under the snow, around 20 km from the zero point.

Lalita Negi, media in-charge at SDRF said, We received information on April 20 evening about stranded trekkers due to an avalanche from Ravi Kumar, India Program Director of National Outdoor Leadership School [NOLS], a non-profit global wilderness school, and Suresh Madhan of US Embassy. These trekkers, which included one Indian and 13 foreign nationals, had gone to Pindari glacier in Bageshwar district for training.

The SDRF spokesperson said their team is in coordination with other teams of the local administration. The SDRF team carrying rescue equipment, medical kits, ration kits and other necessary items has already been dispatched to the spot to rescue trekkers, said Negi.

Earlier in the day, the rescue team in charge informed that they have crossed the nearby Khati village and will spot the trekkers soon.
A fire broke out at Vikas Bhawan near the Income Tax Office (ITO) in Delhi on Saturday morning. The fire department officials received the call regarding the blaze at around 8.30 am. Four tenders were rushed to the building that hosts a number of government offices, including the Delhi Commission for Women. Firefighters at Vikas Bhawan near ITO in Delhi.(ANI)

The firefighting operation is still underway.

In August 2019, two rooms at the office of the Delhi Commission for Women were gutted in a fire that broke out at Vikas Bhawan. While no one was hurt in the blaze, several files were gutted and property destroyed in the blaze, according to DCW chief Swati Maliwal.

(More details awaited)

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Three persons were arrested on Friday night for allegedly transporting and supplying liquor to night clubs on MG Road without any excise permit, police said, adding that they have recovered at least 400 beer bottles that were meant to be supplied to clubs. Gurugram, India-April 22, 2023: A view of Sahara Mall located at MG road near Sikandarpur metro station, Police arrested three persons and caught two autorickshaws loaded with 30 cases of Beer being transported to night clubs in Sahara Mall on MG Road, in Gurugram, India, on Saturday, 22 April 2023. (Photo by Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times)(Pic to go with Leena's story)

The beer cases were loaded in two autorickshaws and were being taken to Sahara Mall where at least five night clubs are operational, police said.

The suspects were identified as Ramdev Yadav, Krishan Kumar Yadav and Ibrahim of Gurugram.

Acting on a tip-off, Sector 29 police caught the two autos from near Sahara Mall around 10.30pm on Friday night and also informed the excise department.

Pawan Malik, station house officer, Sector 29 police station, said when they questioned the suspects, they revealed that they were asked to deliver the consignment to Sahara Mall but they could not furnish any excise permit to carry the alcohol.

They were arrested from the spot and later were granted bail after joining investigations. We are conducting further investigations to ensure that no illegal activities are carried out in night clubs on MG Road, he said.

Two different cases were registered at Sector 29 police station under section 61(1)(a) of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914 (Haryana Amendment Bill, 2020) at the Sector 29 police station on Friday night.

A retired excise officer, requesting anonymity, said 48 cases are the minimum quota for a year that L-4&L-5 licence holders (bars) has to lift. This is consumed within a week and bar owners purchase 90% of the liquor from the grey market causing a huge lose to the exchequer. Whenever police or excise seize illegal liquor, they do not investigate the source from where it is procured. Police do not arrest pub owners and FIRs are lodged only against two or three staffers of the pub or the transporter, he said.

Any outlet serving liquor has to buy liquor stock via a travel permit but many establishments are buying from the grey market, said police.

Excise officials said they will check the liquor stock of all outlets at Sahara Mall to ascertain the volume of bottles that has been bought from outside the market.

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The Rajasthan government on Saturday said it is committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens stranded in violence-hit Sudan and issued a list of helpline numbers for those in need of assistance. Smoke fills the sky in Khartoum, Sudan, near Doha International Hospital on Friday, April 21, 2023. The Muslim Eid al-Fitr holiday, typically filled with prayer, celebration and feasting, was a somber one in Sudan, as gunshots rang out across the capital of Khartoum and heavy smoke billowed over the skyline. (AP)

At least 40 Rajasthanis are currently stranded in Sudan, an official statement said.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group for over a week that has reportedly left around 300 people dead.

In light of the conflict, the Bikaner House Resident Commissioner's Office has released helpline numbers for those in need of assistance or information, the statement said.

Those who require assistance can contact the helpline numbers -- 91 83060 09838, 0141-2229111, and 011-23070807. The ACS (Coordination) cum Chief Resident Commissioner, Bikaner House, Shubhra Singh, has requested Non-Resident Rajasthanis (NRRs) to contact the helpline numbers provided on social media channels and the website of the Rajasthan Foundation, it said.

According to a list provided to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), at least 40 Rajasthanis are currently stranded in Rajasthan, the statement said.

Dhiraj Srivastava, resident commissioner (Bikaner House) in Delhi and commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation, attended a meeting with MEA officials in the national capital to discuss the current situation and ensure that all Rajasthanis in Sudan receive the necessary assistance.

"The state government is committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens in the conflict zone and will work with NRR Mitras to support those affected by the conflict in Sudan," Srivastava said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday issued directions for the preparation of contingency plans to evacuate Indians from Sudan as he carried out a detailed review of the security situation in the African country at a high-level meeting.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday took cognizance of the violence during the Ram Navami celebration in West Bengals Howrah and sought a report from the director general of police (DGP) and the chief of Howrah city police within two weeks. (Representative Photo)

According to the notice, the report must contain the details of the first information report (FIR) registered, the status of the investigation, and the arrest, if any, in the matter. The report must also include the number of people injured, the treatment given to them, and also the details of the destruction of property, if any, stated the apex rights body, adding that it should also mention the safety measures taken to avoid such incidents.

Also Read: Bengal Police report suggests Ram Navami violence was pre-planned: Calcutta HC

It has issued notices to the DGP, West Bengal and the commissioner of police, Howrah, directing them to enquire into the matter and submit a report within two weeks. They have also been asked to ensure that proper legal procedure is followed in the investigation in the matter, and no one is subjected to hardship due to any illegal action of the police, the rights body stated.

The commission has observed that the allegations, if true, amount to a failure of the authorities to exercise due diligence to avert the incidentThe state is answerable, if these rights are abrogated without substantive reasons, the NHRC statement said.

Violence broke out in Bengals Howrah district on March 30 during a Ram Navami procession. Over the next three days, violence spread to the North Dinajpur and Hooghly districts. Several, including police personnel, were injured in the violence and vehicles were set on fire.

Earlier this month, the Calcutta high court said reports filed by state police suggest that the Ram Navami clashes were pre-planned, adding that a central agency might be better suited to probe the events that had ratcheted up communal tensions and stoked a political row in the eastern state. The court has reserved its order.

Also Read: March 30 to April 4: A tense six days in West Bengal

Following the riots, the Calcutta high court ordered the state to deploy central forces during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.

Both the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have accused one another of triggering the riots. While chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of hiring goons from outside to trigger riots in the state, the latter has sought a National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe into the matter.
REVDANDA: The grand show set up on Sunday last week for Union Home Minister Amit Shah to confer Maharashtra Bhushan, the highest civilian award, on 77-year-old Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, drew in over 10 lakh of the spiritual leaders followers, 14 of whom perished from heat stroke. In the course of the week, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, himself a follower of Appasaheb, has not been able to live down the criticism stemming from the tragedy, which could have been averted if organisers of the event had covered the open area where the followers had converged, to protect them from the searing April heat. Apart from Dharmadhikari expressing grief over the incident, no other communication was made, nor did he visit families that had suffered loss. His silence has not affected the belief of his followers  many have said they were saved from any problems that could have arisen from sunstroke by the strength of faith (HT Photo)

The Kharghar event was also a forum for the ruling combine to strengthen its political ties, in the presence of an electorate from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and parts of Konkan.

Dr Dattatreya Narayan alias Appasaheb Dharmadhikaris sway encompasses the swathe of Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Palghar, Raigad and Maval. MMR has nine municipal corporations, including BMC. There are 31 Assembly and 6 Lok Sabha constituencies in Thane, Palghar and Raigad district.

A few days following the Kharghar event, HT travelled to Revdanda, a small town in Raigad district, 112 kilometers from Mumbai, to meet the spiritual leader. It is close to Alibaug.

It is surrounded by lush paddy fields, where the Dharmadhikaris reside in a big house, which is the nerve centre of the spiritual group Shree Samarth Prasadik Aadhyatmik Seva Samiti. The founder of the sect Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari resided here, which now houses his son and successor Appasaheb. The area around the house, which is otherwise abuzz with followers and activity, was quiet, with a group of police officers posted outside the bungalow. Our request for an audience with Dharmadhikari was politely declined.

No one will meet you. They have closed the gates of the house since the incident in Kharghar, said a policeman. Sandip Patil, an aide of the spiritual leader, who issued a statement on his behalf after Sundays incident, was not reachable on cellphone either.

Apart from Dharmadhikari expressing grief over the incident, no other communication was made, nor did he visit families that had suffered loss. His silence has not affected the belief of his followers  many have said they were saved from any problems that could have arisen from sunstroke by the strength of faith.

Faith floats

So how did Dharmadhikari become such a powerful spiritual-social leader? Here is the backstory.

His father, late Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari laid the foundation of the groups work in Raigad district in 1943 by organising a Shri Baithak (meeting) based on the Dasbodh (verses) written by Saint Samarth Ramdas, a 17th century saint, who set up many Hanuman temples and encouraged the youth to focus on physical well-being. Unlike other saints of Maharashtra who are Vitthala bhakts, Ramdas was a Ram bhakt.

Nanasaheb belonged to an agrarian family, owning fair parcels agricultural land. He worked as a purohit and an astrologer on the side. Aided by sound oratorical skills, he became popular as a religious preacher and popularised the Shree Baithaks to propagate Ramdass literature. Through this initiative, he also worked on de-addiction, which became popular in the coastal districts of Raigad, Thane and Palghar, where alcoholism was rampant among peasants and fisher-folk.

It is believed that Nanasahebs preachings led to a sizeable number of people giving up alcohol and the grateful families joined his already growing faction. He also worked to eradicate superstitious beliefs latent among Koli, Agri, Adivasi and Katkari families, earning him larger numbers.

Even today, followers  called Shree Sadasyas -- speak about his social work at the baithaks. They attend weekly meetings each of two-and-a-half hours.

His popularity reached an acme in the 1990s. On May 1, 2008, then Congress-NCP government led by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh conferred the Maharashtra Bhushan award on Nanasaheb, however the spiritual leader passed away on July 8, 2008, before his public felicitation. His son and successor Appasaheb received it posthumously on November 25 that year at Kharghar.

Lakhs turned up at the event, which was also reported in the 2010 edition of the Limca Book of World records.

Garnering numbers

After the death of his father, Appasheb came to be regarded as Swari (a name given to him by his followers out of respect). He founded Dr Shree Nanasaheb Dharmadhikari Pratishthan in 2008, which carried forward his late fathers vision of doing social good. Welfare activities such as blood donation camps, tree plantations, environment conservation, job fairs, distribution of educational material etc were carried out on a mass scale  it garnered him lakhs of followers.

It eventually had a deep impact on MMRs socio-political life. Followers rejuvenated wells in Raigad a few years ago and carried out a cleanliness drive across the state. Unlike his father, Appasaheb is not known for his oratory but he excels in management skills. Under him, the groups network has expanded into the interiors of the state.

A local from Revdanda said: His father used to mingle with people very easily but Appasaheb speaks less. There is an aura around him. He wears the cloak of a VIP very easy; his fondness of rubbing shoulders with the powers that be has enhanced his equity.

The earlier well-to-do family prospered immensely after Nanasahebs death, added the follower.

Appasaheb meets his followers between 8 am and noon. People who come to him with their problems have to put in a nivedan (application-cum statement about the issue) before they can gain an audience.

They seek guidance on family matters, particularly decisions of marriage. If the Swari advises against a union, followers do not disobey him. Once a follower did not allow is son to enter the house as he had married a woman from another caste, against the advise of Appasaheb.

There are other stories too. A woman who works as a household cook has been attending the baithaks for seven years, as it gives her mental peace. My husband used to drink daily, which affected his employment. But after I started attending the baithaks, he gradually quit drinking. He is back at work.

The organisation is structured in two tiers: The followers are called Shree Sadasya (member) and those who conduct meetings with them are called Shree Das (servant). A Shree Das reports directly to the higher authority.

Every Saturday, Appasaheb visits his farmhouse at Samrth Wadi, near Revdanda, where he conducts meetings from 10:30am to 1 pm of several servants who come from the various parts of the state.

He is assisted by his son Sachin, who reviews the meetings attended by the followers. A log of the participants is carefully maintained. There is already a database of 45 lakh followers worldwide. It is believed, such is his influence that he can gather a crowd of over 10 lakh with just a single message.

He has three sons Umesh, Sachin and Rahul. Older son Umesh looks after the familys agriculture business, Sachin looks after the work of the pratishthan and Rahul looks after the petrol pump and allied business the family holds.

Today, Appasaheb has a following among NRIs in the United States.

Those who moved to foreign countries have started branches of baithaks in their cities. Multiple baithaks have been organised in the UAE, UK, Singapore, Australia, Nigeria and Iran.

In 2017, Appasaheb was awarded Padma Shri by the government.

Political pull

He has not ostensibly thrown his weight behind any political party, but politicians from all factions turn up at Appasahebs doors during elections. While Shinde calls himself a Shree Sadasya, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, union transport minister Nitin Gadkari, Raigad MP and NCP leader Sunil Tatkare and NCP MP Supriya Sule have visited Revdanda to meet him at one time or the other.

In fact, at last Sundays Maharashrtra Bhushan ceremony, Shinde had said he got much mental and emotional support from the spiritual leader when he lost his two children in a tragic incident. During the face-off with Uddhav Thackeray last year, Shinde had again reached out to the followers, and after he became the CM, he spent a whole day at Appasahebs residence during Diwali. Last week, he told the gathering of followers, The political establishment needs the support and inspiration of a spiritual establishment, and this is endorsed by the presence of people at the function. The crowd cheered.

Followers speak up

While largely, Dharmadhikaris fandom remains undented despite Sundays incident  most of them do not connect the Kharghar lapse with the spiritual leader  notes of dissent are being heard from certain sections, stoked by Appasahebs post-event silence.

Sushruta Patil, former sarpanch Ambepur, said her family has adhered to the organisations teachings, because they do not draw caste lines. Every worker is disciplined and is self-motivated, she said.

Hemkant Goyaji, a 47-year-old Zilla Parishad school teacher disagrees with Patil. Goyaji was a devotee of Dharmadhikari for 21 years, until he realised that Manuwad was being discussed in the baithaks. He first felt uneasy when his family approached Dharmadhikari to match horoscopes with a prospective match. He turned to books on rational thought, the Constitution and sociology, which led him to believe everything taught in the baithaks was fake.

Goyaji started questioning the spiritual speeches. Once, the Nirupankar (a preacher) selected by Dharmadhikari related his personal experiences of how God had pulled him out of difficult times. I observed how people related to him and blindly started thinking that those were the words of Dharmadhikari himself, said Goyaji.

Earlier, Goyaji had helped in the construction of the familys petrol pump gratis, thinking it was an adnya, (an order from the Swari). He eventually realised how much money the family had saved by not paying labourers.

Goyaji stopped going to baithaks from 2014, much to the consternation of his family.

Reshma Thosar, a teacher and a former devotee, started visiting the baithaks with her family after her Class XII exams. I was asked to read at a certain pace and provide a reading report. This was believed to help the family enhance its virtues and wash away its past sins. Good things were attributed to the grace of the guru, while the bad was a result of the devotees previous sins, she said. It did not go down well with her.

Added to this, was the chaos of various rituals and felicitations, which left us with no time to socialise with our relatives and guests. The gurus orders overwhelmed us. I began planting trees, attending health camps and doing everything I could to obey him, while others in the meeting built petrol pumps, mansions, cars and bungalows, she said.

She started losing faith as she watched the youth renounce the world and follow him blindly. There were women following his orders only to save their marriages with unworthy husbands, she said.

Thosar exited the sect in 2016.

Meanwhile, the voluminous registers at numerous baithaks in the region are continuing to add acolytes.
Mumbai: Days after his clarification that he would not leave the NCP till his last breath, Ajit Pawar on Friday declared in an interview to the Sakal group in Pune that he could become chief minister not in 2024 but right now. His remarks are being seen as a not-so-subtle signal to his uncle Sharad Pawar, the NCP supremo, who has not accepted his suggestion of joining hands with the BJP. Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar addresses the media at Vidhan Bhavan, in Mumbai, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. (PTI Photo) (PTI04_18_2023_000128A) (PTI)

Ajit could go with the BJP if he gets the chief ministership, said a senior NCP leader. His close aides are saying that the party will offer him the post if the Supreme Court disqualifies Eknath Shinde and his MLAs in its judgment on the Shiv Sena split which is expected in the next few days. Sharad Pawar is so far not willing to forge an alliance with the BJP, and Ajits remarks are a message to him that he is prepared to take an extreme step.

In further indications of his desire to jump ship, Ajit has been contradicting his party as well as his Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) allies on various issues and praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut wrote in his Saamna column that Sharad Pawar had told him and Uddhav Thackeray that some of his party colleagues were under pressure due to the central governments investigating agencies but he had told them to take their own decision. This further fuelled speculations that Ajit could split the party to join hands with the BJP.

Ajit, in the interview to Sakal, also pointed out that the NCP leadership did not stake a claim on the chief ministers post in 2004. Ajit is convinced that he had a chance to become chief minister in 2004 when the NCP won two seats more than its ally, the Congress, said a top NCP leader. As per the agreement between the two parties, the chief ministership was to have gone to the party with more seats. However, Pawar conceded it to the Congress in exchange for more ministerial berths for the NCP. After that, Ajit never got a chance to be CM.

The NCP leader added that Ajit was recently looking forward to being the face of the recently launched MVA rally campaign across the state but Uddhav Thackeray emerged as the common choice, and by that logic, the chief ministerial candidate of the MVA. Ajit sees this as a ploy to again deny him the chief ministership if the MVA wins next year, he said. He is also convinced that Pawar is promoting his daughter, Supriya Sule, and would prefer her for the chief ministerial post. The increasing participation of Sule in the NCPs decision-making process has not gone down well with him.

Ajits recent remarks are a clear indication that he has not given up on his ambition of becoming chief minister of Maharashtraa dream he has nursed for almost two decades. The inference is clear. He is running out of patience and making it clear that he is not willing to compromise, said a senior NCP legislator.

None of the NCP leaders reacted to Ajits remarks in the interview. It has been decided that only Pawar Saheb (Sharad Pawar) and Supriya Sule will speak on the Ajit issue, said the NCP leader. All the other senior leaders are keeping quiet. However, a few of them, like Praful Patel and MP Sunil Tatkare, support Ajit.

Tatkare, NCP MP from Raigad, on Friday said that he would like to see Ajit as chief minister. He is the first party MP to come out in support of Ajit. Earlier, three MLAs had said they would support Ajit if he decided to go with the BJP.

While NCP leaders remained silent, the partys partners in the MVA reacted. While the Shiv Sena (UBT) was cautious in its reaction, state Congress chief Nana Patole minced no words. Strongly reacting to Ajits statement that in 2002, he worked under the leadership of then Congress chief minister Prithviraj Chavan against his wish, Patole said the NCP leader should have left the government if he was not willing to work under Chavan. If Ajit Pawar has 145 MLAs with him, he should definitely become the chief minister, he remarked.

Meanwhile, Ajits name was missing from the NCPs list of 15 star campaigners for Karnataka, where the party is planning to field about 40 candidates in the assembly elections. Besides party chief Pawar, senior leaders Praful Patel, MP Supriya Sule, MP Fauzia Khan and some middle-level leaders are in the list.
Maharashtra on Saturday reported a further decline in fresh Covid cases with 850 new infections and four deaths in the past 24 hours. Data released by the state health department stated that the active caseload now stands at 6,167 and the fatality rate was recorded at 1.18%, the same as yesterday. Maharashtra logged 850 new Covid cases on Saturday. (File Photo)

According to the bulletin, 648 patients were discharged and the recovery rate was 98.10%. Omicron XBB.1.16 is still the dominant Covid variant as the majority of the cases were found to be infected with it. Mumbai tops the list of districts with the highest active cases, with 1377 infections, followed by Thane and Palghar.

The state recorded a total of 993 new cases of Covid-19 infections on Friday with five deaths reported. Mumbai saw two patients succumb to Coronavirus infection. One of the dead was a 56-year-old woman suffering from cancer and the other, a 44-year-old woman, who also had tuberculosis.

Meanwhile, the country on Saturday recorded 12,193 fresh Covid-19 cases, with the number of active cases of the infection going up to 67,556, according to the data by the Union health ministry.

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MUMBAI: A metropolitan magistrate court in the city came to the rescue of an elderly couple from Kandivali who was mistreated by her son and daughter-in-law. The court on Monday directed them to vacate the house and pay the elderly couple a sum of 25,000. HT Image

The 60-year-old woman approached the magistrate court in Borivali pleading that her son and daughter-in-law were mistreating her and her husband and were pressuring them to vacate their residence and transfer the house in their name. She said they have been residing in the house in Hanuman Nagar, Kandivali since before the marriage of their son.

She added that after the marriage, her son and daughter-in-law had been mistreating them and abusing them - to coerce them to leave the house. She also said that the two had been residing in the house against their wish and the house was in the name of her husband.

Narrating the ill-treatment, the woman claimed that her daughter-in-law once pushed her out of the house because of which she fell and sustained injuries. She said that the couple had been preventing her and her husband from going out to meet other relatives and mingle with others even in their neighbourhood.

On the plea filed by the woman, the court issued notice to her son and daughter-in-law, but they failed to appear before the court and narrate their side. Hence the magistrate court said that in absence of any objection, the complaint made by the woman has to be considered as is.

Accepting the contentions of the woman, the court directed the son and the daughter-in-law to vacate the house within 30 days. The woman asked the court to direct the son and daughter-in-law to pay them a sum of 1 lakh. The court accepted the monetary requirement of the elderly couple but reduced the demand to 25,000, which her son would have to pay her in a month.
The outcome of the governorship and State House of Assembly elections in Katsina State have flared a new permutation that stirred political gladiators lobbying to be part of the incoming administration to be sworn-in next month.

Interestingly, as big wigs, stakeholders and elected candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC), prepare ahead of the May 29 transition and swearing-in, there is increasing concern about who becomes the speaker of the state assembly. This has already taken the centre stage where the concerned lawmakers are relentless in tussling for the number three position in the state.

Importantly, the outcome of the March 18 poll and the last Saturday rerun election saw the governorship candidate of the APC, Dr Dikko Umar Radda and his deputy, Faruq Lawal Jobe as winners of the contest. The party also got an overwhelming victory as it picked 33 out of the 34 legislative seats of the house; the PDP has only one seat (Kankara LGA).

This victory has provided the APC yet another chance to control the affairs of the state, giving rise to the bargaining process on 'who takes what' as is the usual tradition of every political party.

Findings tevealed that the party has already zoned the speakership slot to the Daura district for being the only zone yet to attain a political space in the hierarchy of power in the next administration since both the governor-elect and his deputy Dr Radda and Jobe came from Katsina and Funtua senatorial districts respectively.

Record has it that the Daura zone has been frequent in producing speakers of the house, due to similar scenarios where the number one and two citizens emerged from other zones, as it has been in the collective bargaining of the state.

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Fact-checks equally showed that the last two successive speakers Ya'u Umar Gwajo-Gwajo and Tasi'u Maigari Zango all came from the Daura zone within the five local governments under the Daura emirate comprising Daura, Zago, Baure Mai-adua and Sandamu. But strong indications in the recent build-up may cause a shift for the seat from the area.

The reason is that the concerned council areas have already grabbed the senatorial seat in the last election, hence the need to allow other lawmakers from the remaining seven councils (Kankia, Kusada, Bindawa Mani, Mashi, Dutsi and Ingawa) under the Katsina emirate to emerge.

LEADERSHIP Weekend reliably gathered that despite the said plan for the power-shift within the zone, there are lawmakers in the Daura emirate that are also eying the seat by all means, prominent among them is Hon Nasiru Daura, who is making a strong move to grab the seat.

And if the rumours making the rounds are something to go by, Hon Nasiru would battle the speakership seat with three-time lawmaker representing Kankia local government at the state assembly, Hon Hamza Salisu Rimaye, who according to findings, has been picked for the seat.

Another factor playing out in the alleged bargain for Kankia zone to produce the speaker of the house is heavily linked to a condition of forfeiting the secretary to the state government (SSG) slot which the director-general of the APC campaign council, Hon Ahmed Dangiwa is admiring.

Pundits believe that getting the two positions would be very difficult for political gladiators from the Kankia axis, the constituency favoured to occupy the seat, but in a situation where care is not adequately applied, the speaker seat may likely end up in the Daura emirate.
MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has registered 10 more money laundering cases against Cox and Kings Group (CKG) and its directors based on cases registered in Mumbai and Gujarat involving 3,700 crore. The agency informed the special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court of the new cases while opposing the bail plea of the travel companys chief financial officer Anil Khandelwal. HT Image

ED had registered the first case based on allegations that Cox and Kings Group had defaulted in repayment of loans to the tune of 3,642-crore borrowed from Yes Bank. The loans were allegedly driven by the banks former MD and CEO, Rana Kapoor bypassing the norms, the ED had alleged.

CKG promoter Ajay Ajit Peter Kerkar had allegedly with the help of Khandelwal and internal auditor Naresh Jain diverted the loan amount to other group companies.

ED has claimed that apart from this case, it has on March 29 initiated money laundering probes into 10 other cases registered against CKG, Kerkar and others, including two cases registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation, six cases registered by the Mumbai police, and two cases registered by the Gandhinagar police, Gujarat.

Khandelwals lawyers Dhruti Chheda and Ankit Pandey of PGC Legal said ED has registered these fresh money laundering cases only after they moved for bail in the first ED case.

Khandelwal was first arrested by ED in the money laundering case registered on the basis of cases registered by the Economic Offence Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai police by Kerkar against him. Now, EOW has filed a summary report, seeking to close the case for lack of evidence and Khandelwal had applied for bail contending that since the predicate offence does not survive, the money laundering case also cannot continue, Chheda said.

Chheda said they moved bail plea earlier this month as the predicate offence against Khandelwal does not exist anymore. However, now to hold him further, ED has come up with these 10 more cases against the group.

ED had arrested Khandelwal in connection with the money laundering case linked to the loan taken from Yes Bank, claiming that Yes Bank had a total outstanding of 3,642 crores from CKG, which included 1,997 crore from their three domestic and two overseas entities. It alleged that Rana Kapoor had in collusion with Ajay Ajit Kerkar, Khandelwal, Naresh Jain and others sanctioned loan to CKG despite the negative reports from senior bank officials.

ED in its reply to Khandelawals bail plea claimed that during the probe, it was found that Kerkar was the mastermind and Khandelwal was the prime executor of the plans hatched by him to siphon funds.

During the course of siphoning and diversion of funds from different banks / institutions, Khandelwal in collusion with Kerkar also diverted 275 crore to companies owned by Khandelwal and Jain for their own personal gain, ED claimed.

ED further said that bonding and interdependence between Kerkar and Khandelwal was eye-catching and inseparable. Initially, Kerkar, Khandelwal and Jain and their other associates were working in tandem and used to divert the money from the group for their personal use. In around 2018, the group started facing financial difficulties and investigation agencies and regulatory bodies started intervening. Once the investigation started, they started blaming each other to save themselves from the clutches of law.

The lawyers for Kerkar, Dharmesh S Joshi and Parag T Joshi from T D Joshi & Associates said, We are in process of taking further steps once we get clarity on new ECIRs as this is a clear afterthought by Enforcement Directorate. all Firs could have been clubbed to one ECIR.
Mumbai: The Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government has formed a 17-member committee, headed by dairy development minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, to oversee the implementation of a consultants recommendations for the all-round development of Aarey Milk Colony. HT Image

However, the move has sparked a controversy as the MLA from Jogeshwari, under which the majority of Aarey falls, has not been appointed to the panel.

A government notification issued on Friday said the panel would examine the report by the consultant and recommend changes. It will suggest measures to make Aarey encroachment-free and how to use that freed land for public use. It will also ensure provision of basic amenities through the BMC to the residents and guide the state on developing the colony as a tourism spot without disturbing the ecosystem.

Officials at Mantralaya said the consultant is in the process of being hired.

Vikhe Patil had in March announced to set up a high-level committee and appoint a consultant. The government has planned to monetise the land parcels at Aarey Colony and Worli through commercial development.

Ravindra Waikar, Shiv Sena (UBT) legislator from Jogeshwari, is disappointed. If Borivali MLA Sunil Rane (BJP) is on the committee then as the local legislator, the government should appoint me to it as well, Waikar told reporters.

Other than Vikhe Patil, the panel has the forest minister, tourism minister and officers from several departments as members.
MUMBAI: A special MCOCA court has questioned the action taken by Thane police in registering an extortion case based on the complaint by IAS officer Radheshyam Mopalwar against a detective agent, his wife and a friend. The court said the delay raised suspicion about the prosecution case and therefore acquitted the trio. HT Image

The special MCOCA court on Wednesday acquitted Satish Mangle and his wife Shraddha and Mangles friend Atul Tambe of the charges of extortion, citing several lacunas in the probe conducted by the Thane police.

As per the prosecution case, Mopalwar had recorded all his conversations and meetings with Mangle, wherein the former had allegedly asked for money.

Mopalwar had approached encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma, who was posted at Thane at the relevant time and showed him the tapes. Based on this, police laid a trap to catch the accused red-handed in the meeting which was to be held in a seven-star hotel in Juhu.

The court questioned this and observed, Police heard the audio-video recording of the informant and then they came to the conclusion that there is a threat to the life of the informant and his daughter and therefore they decided to lay a trap first. When the police found that they had received the information as to the cognizable offence then it was the duty of the Police to register the offence first and then lay the trap. It is not the case under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. Moreover, there is no explanation given by the prosecution as to why they did not register an offence first.

Besides, the police invoked the charges of MCOCA claiming that underworld gangster Ravi Pujari was behind this. The court however found that the prosecution failed to bring any evidence to show the involvement of the gangster.

Prosecution failed to establish the connection between these accused and Ravi Pujari. Even the prosecution failed to prove that the CDs of the recording of the so-called call between the informant and Ravi Pujari was having the voice of Ravi Pujari. In such circumstances, it is very difficult to conclude that the accused are having organised syndicate of criminals along with Ravi Pujari, the special court said.

Voice recording of Ravi Pujari was not sent to the FSL. Investigating officer did not obtain the voice sample of Ravi Pujari when he was extradited to India, the special court further said.

The court has also disbelieved the tapes recorded by Mopalwar as the tapes were not immediately seized by the police nor were immediately sent for forensic examination. The tapes were seized almost a month after registration of the case and were sent for forensic examination another month later.

As per the prosecution case, Mopalwar was posted as vice president and managing director of Maharashtra Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Limited. It was alleged that Mopalwar was fighting a divorce case against his wife since 2013.

At that time Satish was running a detective agency under the name of Shirley Detective Agency. Mopalwar came in contact with Mangle through his friends and sources for assistance to his case.

It is alleged that there arose disputes between Mangle and his friend through whom Mopalwar had approached Mangle. After which it is alleged that Mangle started demanding money from Mopalwar. The prosecution alleged that Mangle had gathered several video and audio tapes, some of which he allegedly gave to news channels and later began blackmailing Mopalwar.

The prosecution claimed that the Mangle couple began threatening Mopalwar of defaming him with alleged call recordings of several calls of Mopalwar with others if he failed to give them 7 crore.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal ( RJD) will be organising gatherings christened Ambedkar par charcha across Bihar from April 26 to May 2 as part of its drive to reach out to the people to highlight the partys ideological fight against the BJP and alleged attempts to dilute the tenets of the Constitution, party leaders aware of the matter said. Tejashwi Yadav. (PTI)

The programme will be held in each of the 101 subdivisions of the state, where five to six leaders from panchayat level would be selected to visit villages to spread the partys message.

RJD recently conducted a three-day workshop for its party leaders on the strategy to be adopted for spreading the partys message ahead of the 2024 parliamentary polls next year.

State spokesperson of RJD, Chiitranjan Gagan, Ambedkar pe charcha is aimed at highlighting the contribution of Dr B R Ambedkar in empowering weaker sections and the importance of Indian Constitution in safeguarding the rights and liberties of common citizens, especially those from marginalised sections.

We want our voters, especially from weaker sections, to know how the countrys Constitution is their only tool to remain empowered and they should play a decisive role in defeating the BJP in 2024 parliamentary polls, Gagan said.

RJD, the lead constituent of the ruling alliance in Bihar headed by Nitish Kumar, has 79 MLAs in the state.

Party leaders said deputy chief minister Tejashwi Prasad Yadav will also be touring the state from June onwards to galvanise party workers. The party has already formed committees to select booth level workers by adopting the strategy of appointing eight volunteers in each booth, who would be responsible for reaching out to voters and also ensuring their mobilisation on the polling day.

Voters mobilisation on the polling day is important as many voters stay away from casting their franchise for various reasons. We want that voters should come to the booths , which is why we are strengthening our booth level management team, said another senior RJD leader.

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Many of us refrain from using restrooms, especially in public places, government buildings, and commercial establishments, for the simple reason that they are unclean, poorly maintained and have yellow stains and a pungent smell. Maintaining clean and hygienic washrooms can be a daunting task for facility managers and building owners. The constant need for surface cleaning not only adds to labour costs but also requires large amounts of cleaning chemicals and water consumption. However, a solution has been developed that not only reduces these costs but also offers a sustainable solution. National startup award winner Hygienity Solutions, founded by Vipul Chavan and Adwait Joshi, has introduced artificial nano coatings that can be easily applied as a spray on wash basins, urinals, and toilets. These non-stick coatings prevent the formation of stains, scales, and hard water build-up, making surfaces bacteria and odour-free, while also minimising water consumption for cleaning. This technology is environment-friendly and does not affect the surface. Vipul Chavan (L) and Adwait Joshi, co-founders of Hygienity Solutions, at their office in Pune. (HT PHOTO)

How it started

Chavan and Joshi are school friends who graduated from New English School, Tilak Road in Pune. After completing schooling, Chavan went on to study BE Mechanical at the Government College of Engineering at Karad.

Says Chavan, During our second year at college, we worked on a project in the coating sector which involved understanding both chemical and mechanical technologies. With the support and guidance of our professors, we overcame initial challenges and successfully made a prototype that worked. We implemented it in hospitals, hotels, and educational institutions. We received positive feedback and further improvised it based on customer demands for greater efficiency.

Joshi got involved in the project aimed at developing a coating solution in 2020-end. Chavan offered him the opportunity to join forces and use his marketing skills to explore market opportunities. During the lockdown period, the duo did a lot of literature review, prototype development at a small lab made at their house, conducting trials, and tests, understanding the business scope and looking for incubation support.

Joshi says, We approached people through my fathers corporate connections and discovered a range of applications for the product beyond friction-reducing coatings. With the help of the BHAU Institute at the College of Engineering, Pune (COEP), we also received incubation support and learned how to explore the business and technical aspects of the product. We officially incorporated a company in August 2021.

Water consumption challenge

While developing a prototype, the duo realised that in the present situation, the market offers only one-time cleaning solutions, lacking a preventive approach. In the existing solutions, water and energy consumption during the cleaning process were also a matter of concern. The duo pondered on this problem statement and decided to come up with a preventive measure to surface contamination, leading to reduced water and energy consumption.

Chavan said, After successfully making the prototype, we consulted with some domain and technical experts and designed a two-spray coating process. This solution was particularly beneficial for commercial or office spaces where the cleaning process was executed in an organised manner.

The duo also participated in a programme titled India Water Pitch-Pilot-Scale Startup Challenge, by the central government in September 2022. The duo received 20 lakh funds as a grant from the government for their first phase of product development to be conducted in collaboration with the local city government.

Product market fit

As they navigate the difficulties and continue to innovate, the duo believes that funding, team-building, product-market fit, and investment efforts are vital elements of a successful startup.

Joshi said, The principal causes for Indias low ranking in sanitation and hygiene maintenance are overcrowding in cities and water-related issues. Due to high footfall in the restrooms and particularly hard water quality, maintaining a clean environment is challenging and expensive. Frequent cleaning is the sole alternative, but it has drawbacks such as excessive water use, the requirement for strong acidic chemicals, the development of plastic trash, and dependency on workers, among other things. As a result, there was a need for a solution that would assist in maintaining a clean surface for an extended period without the need for frequent cleaning by resources.

Chavan says, As we progress to the next stage, we will cover public toilets and continue to create case studies for the municipal corporation workers within the Sinhagad Road ward office jurisdiction. For now, we have chosen government offices where the officers can themselves review the product efficiency.

We are still in the pilot testing phase. Apart from office spaces, we are also conducting tests at manufacturing plants. We worked with BVG company in the initial stage which helped us conduct trials at one company. Based on the feedback received during these trials we will launch this new product within 6 months, claimed Joshi.

National Startup Award

Hygienity Solutions won the National Startup Award for 2022. Chavan recalls, The application process had started in February 2021, and we were not sure if we would be selected. Applying in the initial stages granted us an extended time span. We were selected for the first stage in November 2021, and Joshi presented in the final round in front of the jury. The team generated a lot of case studies and feedback, and our innovation helped us win the award. We shared positive as well as negative feedback received by us, in front of the jury.

Process map

Chavan said, During the pilot run, we experienced that sanitation workers are not educated and we needed to train them. It was difficult because they are using specific products for several years and they tend to use our products in a similar way. Workers needed to clean the surface before applying the base coat. Preparation was needed in the initial days of surface and that process and spraying and letting it dry was not working initially with the workers. We are reducing this curing time. Our product is eco-friendly but the basic chemicals involved in it give a pungent smell. We are overcoming these challenges. It is difficult to change workers mindsets and make them understand the SOP. Hence, we decided to go for product simplification.

Simplification and automation

Chavan and his team are trying to improve the durability of the base coat. Explaining the automation aspect involved, Chavan said, The top coat needs to be sprayed daily. For that we are working on dispensing units like an auto-janitor device used in certain big companies. These dispensing units will spray our top coat automatically after 15 users. This will also help us to optimise usage in case of less usage of surfaces.

We are also exploring a problem statement wherein like government offices the footfall is huge and the surface load is high and hence it needs frequent cleaning. This also increases the cost of maintenance, as well as hazardous chemicals, are used to achieve good results. Besides, the water problem, mostly in remote areas, is also a matter of concern. We want to head one step closer to waterless toilets, explained Chavan.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Friday said that his party is ready to stake claim to the Maharashtra chief ministers (CMs) post at any point of time instead of waiting for the 2024 general elections. Earlier this week, the NCP leader also clarified that he did not take any signature of any MLAs regarding the rumours of joining hands with the BJP. (HT PHOTO)

Pawar was speaking to the media at Pune District Cooperative Bank.

Asked why the NCP was obsessed with the CMs post, he said, In the year 2004, NCP had more seats than Congress and the post of chief minister was all set to go to the NCP but the party got the deputy chief minister post. NCP is the leading party. We are ready to stake claim to the CMs post at any time instead of waiting for the general elections.

Pawar also addressed various issues related to the cooperative sector and to the performance of Pune District Cooperative Bank. Friday afternoon, he visited Ahmednagar Road and reviewed the work on various projects.

Rumours about Ajit Pawars next political move started swirling last week when he suddenly cancelled his scheduled meetings and also made comments which were seen as being soft on the BJP and Chief Minister Eknath Shindes camp. The BJP is part of the Shinde government.

The NCP leader proposed that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) extend the double-decker highway from Wagholi to Shikrapur till Viman Nagar to ease traffic congestion on Ahmednagar Road. Pawar promised to call a meeting with union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari for the purpose. Pawar also proposed that the Maha Metro carry out its metro planning by taking into consideration the flyover from Shikrapur to Viman Nagar.

Earlier this week, the NCP leader also clarified that he did not take any signature of any MLAs regarding the rumours of joining hands with the BJP.
Prabhas took to social media on Saturday to share a teaser-lyrical motion poster for his upcoming film, Adipurush. The poster shows a silhouette of Prabhas from the film that slowly glows brighter and reveals Prabhas as Lord Ram in the end. The song Jai Shri Ram plays in the background. Adipurush stars Prabhas as Lord Ram. It also features Kriti Sanon as Sita and Saif Ali Khan as Lankesh.

The song was launched in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada as well. It sings about the might and power of Lord Ram and how simply taking his name is better than chanting any mantras. Soon after its release, the teaser-poster started trending on Twitter. Watch it here in Hindi and Telugu:

Sharing the teaser, Prabhas wrote, If you can't visit the Char Dhaam, Just chant the name of Prabhu Shri Ram. Jai Shri Ram. A fan reacted to the post writing, Goosebumps. Another wrote, After many struggles, this look is very awesome. finally this look is very nice @actorprabhas sir this is the very perfect look for you sir .Adhipurush is such a history creating movie, wrote a fan. Another fan also mentioned composers Ajay-Atul. "Jai Shri Ram. Only Adipurush has to be seen now. The mesmerizing music is given by Ajay Atul. What to say about Prabhas, he is looking just like Shri Ram."

Adipurush will have its world premiere at the 2023 edition of the Tribeca Film Festival. Starring Prabhas, Kriti Sanon, Sunny Singh and Saif Ali Khan, the film will be screened under the Escape From Tribeca section of the film gala, to be held in New York from June 7 to June 18.

In an Instagram post, Prabhas said he is looking forward to the movie's premiere on June 13. "Looking forward to #Adipurush being premiered at the #TribecaFestival on June 13th," the Baahubali star wrote alongside the movie's official poster.

Om Raut, who made his directorial debut with Ajay Devgn-starrer Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior in 2020, said he is excited and honoured that Adipurush will be having its world premiere at Tribeca.

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When Shah Rukh Khan's daughter Suhana Khan was announced as the brand ambassador for beauty brand Maybelline, many questioned the decision. A few even took to social media to troll her, saying that she got the deal only because her father is a superstar and some even asked what she had done in her career to deserve it. However, Alaya F believes Suhana totally deserved to be the face of the brand. Alaya F has called Suhana Khan deserving of the brand deal she got.

In a new interview, Alaya said that the brand must have made the decision knowing full well what they were doing. They chose Suhana because she and her lineage brought something important to the table.

Speaking to RJ Siddharth Kanan, Alaya said, People often forget it that at the end of the day, whether it's brands or films, it's a business and decisions are made with thought. Lineage is not something that should be discarded and treated lightly. Lineage takes a lot of effort to build. All you have to do is live upto it. So it happens to everyone. Specially when you come from a family that's just in the spotlight but I think you just have to do your best to live upto all the wonderful opportunities and make the most of it.

She added, No one does anything just like that. There is obviously thought and value that was brought on by her being a part of it. So in whatever way, it was totally deserved. You can't blame someone for the opportunities that they get, you just have to hope that they make the most of it.

Suhana's debut project is the Indian adaptation of the iconic comics The Archies and will be released on OTT giant Netflix later this year. Produced by Tiger Baby and Graphic India, The Archies is a coming-of-age story that will introduce the teenagers of Riverdale to a new generation in India. The film will also mark the debut of Boney Kapoor and late Sridevi's daughter, Khushi Kapoor.

Alaya was last seen in Anurag Kashyap's Almost Pyaar With DJ Mohabbat. Her next release is horror film U-Turn.

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Javed Akhtar has expressed a desire to have a few festivals for atheists as well and asked for fellow atheists to come up with some ideas. Javed's tweet comes on Saturday when India celebrates two festivals - Akshaya Tritiya and Eid. The Bollywood writer-lyricist has often said that he does not believe in any religion. (Also read: Raj Thackeray praises Javed Akhtar for comments in Pak) Javed Akhtar has sought ideas for a festival for atheists.(AFP)

Javed tweeted Saturday afternoon, "I think it is time when we atheists should decide to have at least two festivals in a year of our own .. but invite all the believers to come share our joy . My fellow atheists any ideas for our festivals." Raghu Ram (of Roadies fame) was among the first ones to reply to him and he wrote, "What a great idea! A peace day that combines all major festivals minus their problems. A festival of lights, veg biryani, gifts and hugs. Maybe everyone can wear nice new clothes and plant a tree."

A person commented, They're called Saturday and Sunday. One also wrote, I propose Food Festival. Afterall that's what I look forward to in each and every festival." Several others suggested that the two festivals Javed talked about could be Science Day & Earth Day. One of them also suggested: Republic Day & Independence Day come to the mind, Javed Sahab. Atheists must celebrate the constitution with personal gusto as our freedom to not believe stems from it.

One of them also wrote, "There are many non-religious festivals already - Harvest festivals (Bihu, Baisakhi, Onam etc.)..Ambedkar Jayanti..Independence DayBut none specific to atheists, as it is a belief system but not an emotive ideology. And that is okay IMO."

Javed Akhtar has often said that he is an atheist and he had also written in a 2020 tweet, "I am an equal opportunity atheist who is against all kinds of faiths. In another tweet from 2013, he wrote, "For an atheist all religions are the same . He is against the very institution of religion."

A glimpse of some previous tweets by Javed Akhtar.

In 2019, Javed had also tweeted that he, I am an atheist and I say it publicly. I want people to be reasonable and rational there are some who want the opposite.

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Kriti Sanon is in Indore and gorging on the city's famous poha and jalebi. But what caught the fans' attention first is that she travelled to the city in economy class. She was even filmed playing with a baby on the flight. (Also read: Deepika Padukone flies economy class; fans say she didn't respond to them. Watch) Kriti Sanon has been spotted on an economy Indigo flight to Indore.

A paparazzo shared videos of Kriti from the economy Indigo 6E flight. Kriti was seen in a white dress and a pink shawl over her shoulders. She wore a black mask and styled her hair in waves. She was carrying a coffee flask and her cell phone too as she walked down the aisle behind a couple of others.

Another video showed her sitting in her window seat while interacting with a small child. The child extended their hand from the seat in front of Kriti's and the actor held it and blew kisses. She even caught a glimpse of the camera filming her.

Fans of the actor called her gesture sweet. She is so pyaari (sweet) my babez, wrote one. She becomes baby when she is with a baby, wrote another. Shes the sweetest person ever, also read a comment. A few, however, questioned why she was being filmed on the flight. Now she has a cameraman on flights with her and looking towards the camera, read a comment. So???? Is she some kind of an angel??? Is she from heaven???? Economy from Mumbai to Delhi or Mumbai to Bangalore cost u more than 3 to 4k. Those who are in economy are still rich. Stop this kind of bragging. Trying to show celebs as some kind of Mahan, read another comment.

Kriti Sanon will be seen next with Shahid Kapoor in an untitled romantic movie. The film recently concluded production, the makers announced on Saturday.

Kriti Sanon eating poha and jalebi in Indore.

Backed by Jio Studios and Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films, the romance drama is written and directed by Amit Joshi and Aradhana Sah. Maddock Films shared the news of production wrap on the project and also revealed the movie will be released in theatres in October this year.

"An impossible love story! announce the wrap of their untitled film starring Shahid Kapoor & Kriti Sanon together for the first time ever!" the banner wrote alongside a poster of film.

She also has Adipurush with Prabhas which will premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival.

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President Samia Suluhu Hassan has joined other Muslims for Eid El Fitri prayers at the Mohammed VI Mosque located in Kinondoni, Dar es Salaam on Friday.

Other top governmental leaders who also attended the national event Eid were the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mohamed Mchengerwa.

Opposition party Alliance for Change and Transparency (ACT-Wazalendo) leader Zitto Kabwe was also among famous who attended the event.

This year, the event was celebrated with prayers at the national level in Dar es Salaam region, where President Samia Suluhu Hassan is the guest of honour.

https://dailynews.co.tz/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/X8pSG8EVfIGlyLS-.mp4Preaching during the prayers, BAKWATA's Secretary, Sheikh Hassan Chizenga called on Tanzanians to upbringing their children with good morals and to strongly condemn all inappropriate conducts in society.

"Our society shouldn't accept cultures that are not suitable for them...we should protect our cultures," Sheikh Chizenga said.
Palak Tiwari joined the industry as an actor like her mother Shweta Tiwari. She makes her film debut with the Salman Khan-starrer Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan which released on the occasion of Eid on April 21. Shweta has been working in TV and films for over two decades now. In a recent interview, Palak jokingly stated that she is more attached to Shweta and has been since she was a kid. She went on to say that she can call her mother 30 times a day, and sometimes Shweta ignores her calls. (Also read: When Salman Khan comforted 11-year-old Palak Tiwari as she cried seeing mom Shweta win Bigg Boss 4. Watch) Sweta Tiwari with her daughter Palak Tiwari who made her debut in Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. (ANI Photo)(Instagram)

Shweta Tiwari is best known for her role in Kasautii Zindagii Kay from 2001. She has also worked on the shows Parvarrish, Begusarai, Mere Dad Ki Dulhan and Main Hoon Aparajita. The actor won Bigg Boss, hosted by Salman Khan, in 2010 and has also participated in other reality series like Nach Baliye, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa and Khatron Ke Khiladi. Palak shared that her mother would be away working long hours for her television shows and if she would go visit her, she would refuse to leave her mother's side when she was shooting.

Speaking to Mid-day, Palak also shared that she's quite attached to her mother. She said, "I feel she would be keeping much more tabs on me if she didn't realise I was doing a Salman sir film. But she feels so secure that it's a film with him so everything must be going so smoothly that she doesn't worry as much. Also in general in our relationship, it's not a 50-50. It's a proper ek tarfa pyaar (one-sided love). I'm obsessed with my mom and she just bears me. She has to, because I'm her daughter, but no, I'm obsessed with my mom. I still call her 30 times a day and she ignores most of my calls."

Palak became known after her appearance in the music video of Harrdy Sandhu's chartbusting hit song Bijlee Bijlee. She has also appeared in the music video of the song Mangta Hai Kya with Aditya Seal. After Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan, she will next be seen in The Virgin Tree which stars Sanjay Dutt. The horror-comedy also stars Sunny Singh and Mouni Roy.

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Actor Priyanka Chopra and her husband Nick Jonas attended the Citadel special screening in Rome. Several pictures and videos of the duo arriving at the venue and also posing for the paparazzi emerged online. Apart from Priyanka and Nick, the cast members of Citadel including Richard Madden and Stanley Tucci were also seen at the event. (Also Read | Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra share kisses and ice cream as they roam around Rome) Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas at the Citadel premiere in Rome.

Priyanka, for the event, wore a green gown while Nick Jonas opted for a blue shirt under a dark blue blazer, matching pants, and white sneakers. The duo arrived at the event holding hands as they waved at the paparazzi. Both of them also posed for pictures inside the venue.

In one of the videos, Priyanka was seen greeting the paparazzi with a namaste (folded hands) as she smiled for the camera. In another clip, as Priyanka posed solo for the photographers, Nick stood at a distance and clicked her pictures. Priyanka also posed with the Citadel cast for photos.

Created by the Russo Brothers, Citadel will premiere exclusively on Prime Video on Friday, April 28, with two episodes, followed by a new episode released weekly every Friday through May 26. The show stars Richard and Priyanka in the lead roles. The action-packed show revolves around two elite agents Mason Kane (Richard) and Nadia Sinh (Priyanka) of the global spy agency Citadel.

Sharing details about the show, Priyanka earlier said as quoted by news agency ANI, "The story is closely interwoven with the stunts. What's so exciting about these huge action pieces was that they are infused with drama and storytelling. We get to see a lot about these characters, how they physically interact, not just great action sequences but there's drama at the heart of each one of them, so there's a story sort of interwoven in all the stunts. And that was just very cool and new for me."

Priyanka will also be seen in the romance drama Love Again, directed by James C Strouse. The film also stars Sam Heughan and Celine Dion. Priyanka will also be seen with Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif in Farhan Akhtar's directorial Jee Le Zaraa.

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Actor Shah Rukh Khan on Saturday greeted his fans gathered outside Mannat, his home in Mumbai, on the occasion of Eid. In several pictures and videos, a huge crowd was seen waiting for the actor since morning. The actor arrived on his iron balcony just at the entrance of Mannat. On the occasion, Shah Rukh dressed in a white T-shirt and black denims. He also wore dark sunglasses. (Also Read | Shah Rukh Khan greets cheering fans outside Mannat on Eid for first time in two years) Shah Rukh Khan greeted people on Eid with folded hands, and salutes outside Mannat.

Amid cheers and hoots from his fans, Shah Rukh stood on his balcony and waved at them. He greeted the crowd with folded hands, saluted them, and also blew kisses. To give his fans a better view of himself, he climbed further up on the railing. The actor smiled, flashed the thumbs-up sign, and touched his chest as the crowd chanted his name. Shah Rukh also did his signature style--posing with his arms wide open for his fans.

Shah Rukh was joined by his youngest child--son Abram Khan. For the occasion, AbRam wore a white kurta and salwar. As AbRam joined his father, he got a kiss on his forehead from him. AbRam, along with Shah Rukh, also waved at the people gathered outside.

Last year too, Shah Rukh greeted his fans on Eid. Taking to Twitter, Shah Rukh had posted two selfies with hundreds of his fans waving as they stood near Mannat. The actor captioned the post, "How lovely to meet you all on Eid. May Allah bless you with love happiness and may the best of your past be the worst of your future. Eid Mubarak!!"

Recently, Shah Rukh was seen posing with his wife-interior designer Gauri Khan, and children--Aryan Khan, Suhana Khan, and AbRam Khan inside Mannat. Gauri treated her fans to an exclusive fam-jam frame, that made a way into her book, My Life In Design. "My coffee table book, #MyLifeInDesign, now available in stores," Gauri wrote in the caption. The picture showed Shah Rukh, Aryan and Abram all twinning in black leather jackets.

Fans saw Shah Rukh last in the action thriller film Pathaan, directed by Siddharth Anand. The film released on January 25, 2023. It also stars Deepika Padukone, John Abraham, Dimple Kapadia, and Ashutosh Rana. He will be next seen in director Atlee's action thriller film Jawan alongside Vijay Sethupathi and Nayanthara. He also has director Rajkumar Hirani's next Dunki opposite Taapsee Pannu.

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Khushbu Sundar, who was last seen in Aadavallu Meeku Johaarlu Vakula as Rashmika Mandannas mother in 2022, is looking forward to her next Telugu film Rama Banam with Gopichand, Dimple Hayathi, and Jagapathi Babu. The actor-politician also revealed that she was open to more roles in Telugu especially since she hadn't had the opportunity to work with actors like Chiranjeevi and Nandamuri Balakrishna yet. (Also read: Khushbu Sundar on sexual abuse by father at 8: 'Im not ashamed, perpetrator needs to be...') Khushbu Sundar will next be seen in the Telugu film Rama Banam.

While Khushbu has worked in the Hindi and Tamil film industries, the actor shared that the reason why she didn't do as many Telugu films is because the industry shifted from Chennai to Hyderabad. She had already asked her family to move from Mumbai to Chennai, so she didn't want to trouble them to move once again to Hyderabad. Khushbu made her acting debut as a child with the film The Burning Train (1980). She acted in a number of Hindi films including Naseeb, Laawaris, Kaalia, Dard Ka Rishta, Bemisal, and Meri Jung. She entered south cinema with the Telugu film Kaliyuga Pandavulu (1986) which was Venkatesh Daggubati's debut.

In an interview with Cinema Express, Khushbu spoke about how times have changed since she started in films in the 1980s. She shared how they had to improvise on set and said, "There were times when we had to do make-up in dark rooms with candles and change costumes in bathrooms. When we did not have make-up, we did colour correction on our faces using turmeric powder. This hack worked especially well when we had to shoot temple scenes. You have graphics today, we had original tricks up our sleeve."

She continued, "I want to do more roles in Telugu for sure. But I am also very choosy about the work I do. It does not matter if the role is even 10 minutes long, I want that part to be significant. I have also never got a chance to work with Chiranjeevi or Balakrishna so far. If the right script comes along, I am game for it."

In Rama Banam, the actor's character is an entrepreneur named Bhuvaneshwari, who values family over everything else. She called the character quite close to who she is in real life. The actor also shared that Rama Banam, directed by Sriwass, is a very message-oriented film that promotes familial values.

ott:10

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When Benjamin Netanyahu won the parliamentary elections in November 2022 and finally managed to muster a full majority in the Knesset (Israels Parliament) after a turbulent political period of three years since 2019 over which Israel had to hold five Knesset elections, it was greeted with cautious optimism. Bibi as he is popularly known as, was back in power as prime minister (PM) 17 months after last losing the elections in the June 2021 to Naftali Bennett. The victory was greeted with optimism because the return of Benjamin Netanyahu with full majority (however thin) offered hope for a period of internal political stability. Caution because, knowing Netanyahu and his traditionally aggressive security oriented policies, there is always a fear of blowback for Israel in the region. The ride so far has however been far from smooth with Netanyahu facing serious challenges both within the country as well as in the region. FILE PHOTO: A man holds an Israeli flag as he stands in front of a large picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.(REUTERS)

Internally, the Israeli government has been facing stiff resistance over some of the controversial reforms that Netanyahu has proposed within months of taking over as the PM, primary among them being the judicial reforms. The judicial reforms are aimed to substantially constrain the authority of the judiciary and give the government near-complete control over the appointment of judges. The reforms triggered wide spread protests on the streets of Israeli cities with citizens groups including workers unions and even reservists of the Israeli Defense Forces, calling the bill a murder of democracy. It also led to Netanyahu firing his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on 26th March, when the minister insisted on a pause to the judicial reforms. Although Yoav Gallant was reinstated on 10th April, the event has exposed the deep fragility within the coalition government.

Netanyahus troubles have however, not subsided with the reinstatement of the defence minister. The attacks on Palestinians worshippers at the Holy Al Aqsa Mosque in East Jerusalem twice in first week of April, not only provoked various armed groups in West Bank, Gaza Strip and Syria but also drew sharp criticism from the Arab countries in the region. Israeli police claimed that they were forced to enter the mosque compound after masked agitators locked themselves inside the mosque with fireworks, sticks and stones, but there are not many who are ready to buy this argument, especially as the worshippers were offering prayers in the holy month of Ramzan. Provoked by Israeli raids on worshippers at Al Aqsa Mosque, al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement fired six rockets from Syria on 9th April, drawing immediate retaliation from Israel. There was armed clashes reported across Gaza Strip and occupied West Bank too, thus escalating the security situation all around Israel.

The Al-Aqsa in East Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Six-Day War, hosts Islams third holiest site, Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, a seventh-century structure believed to be where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. It may be recalled that even in May 2021, just before being defeated in elections, PM Netanyahus forces had attacked Al Aqsa compound against Muslim worshippers during Ramzan, injuring hundreds of Palestinians, drawing international condemnation.

Earlier, at least 10 Palestinians were killed on 22nd February, in fighting with Israeli forces in the West Bank town of Nablus, sparking unrest in the area. This was soon followed a retaliatory action in which two Israeli brothers shot dead in a terror attack on 26th February West Bank town of Huwara. Concerned over the escalating situation and the upcoming period of Ramzan, Khaldoon Al Mubarak, senior adviser to UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was dispatched to meet PM Netanyahu on 23rd March, in order to convey a message to the Israeli government concerning its treatment of Palestinians. The direction of this government goes completely against the Abraham Accords, Mubarak was quoted as having told Netanyahu.

In midst of all this internal turmoil, two major developments were reported from the region, having a direct bearing on Israel. On February 28 2023, the UN reported that Iran has enriched parts of uranium to 84% purity, causing alarm on Iran being at the threshold to developing a nuclear weapon. Just a few days later, on March 10, China stunned the world when it announced that Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to resume diplomatic relations after seven years, in a peace deal brokered by it. Both these announcements have profound impact on Israels regional policies. Against Iran, Israel has been propagating stiff action (including military) to counter its nuclear programme which it alleges, has a strong military dimension and poses existential threat to Israel. A firm critic of the Iran nuclear deal, it was the first to welcome when President Trump pulled out of the Iran Nuclear Deal in May 2018, calling it the worst deal ever. Recent reports of Iran enriching uranium to very high levels, almost weapon grade, can, therefore, be not good news for Israel.

The other development ie the Saudi-Iran rapprochement may raise more concern in the Israeli establishment than even the nuclear enrichment by Iran. The Saudi-Iran peace deal threatens to put to waste years of backdoor attempts towards reconciliation with the Arab world in general and Saudi Arabia, in particular. In the past few years, there were even reports of Saudi going slow on the Palestinian issue as also trying to find a way to fit Israel into the regional framework where the sole aim seemed to unite, against Iran. This seemed logical to some extent because Iran was the common enemy for Israel as well as Saudi Arabia, especially since Iran backed proxies had upped the ante and targeted Saudi Arabia with drones and long-range weapons since 2019. The Abraham Accords signed in August 2020 between Israel and four Arab countries ie UAE, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco were an initiator towards this process, deliberately keeping Saudi Arabia out of it while incorporating its powerful ally UAE, to test the waters. The Saudi-Iran peace deal is, therefore, a huge setback to Israels regional calculus. If Iran no longer remains enemy No.1 for the Arab world, how does Israel find support for its anti-Iran crusade in the region?

This is not all. Following the Saudi-Iran peace deal, there seems to be a wave of reconciliation among the Arab counties in the region. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry visited Syria on 27th February, first trip by a top Egyptian diplomat to Syria since its civil war began in 2011 in a signal towards possible warming ties between Syria and Arab states. Earlier in March, Egypts foreign minister held talks with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu on the possibility of restoring ties, during the first visit to Cairo by Turkeys top diplomat since relations ruptured after overthrow of Muslim Brotherhood government in 2013 in Egypt. Qatar and Bahrain too have announced restoration of diplomatic ties on April 13, an important step towards unity within the GCC.

There are also serious developments taking place on getting Syria back within the folds of Arab League. During President Assads visit to the UAE on 19th March, the UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan told Assad Syria has been absent from its brothers for too long, and the time has come for it to return to them and to its Arab surroundings. On 14th April, GCC foreign ministers and their counterparts from Egypt, Jordan and Iraq met in Jeddah, upon the invitation of Saudi Arabias foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss Arab developments. The ministers discussed the efforts that aim to reach a political solution which preserves Syrias unity, security, stability and Arab identity and that brings Syria back to the Arab fold, a statement issued by the Saudi foreign ministry said.

The developments in the Arab world mentioned above leading towards larger reconciliation in the Arab world and peace deal with Iran could permanently alter the decades old geopolitics of the West Asian region. With mainstreaming of Iran in the region, Israel will have to rethink its strategy, especially with Iran nuclear deal going nowhere and Iran steadily enriching Uranium to higher grades. The reluctance and in fact, inability of the US to influence geopolitics in the region is another dampener for Israel. Also, Chinas active and assertive diplomatic involvement in the region and Russia leaning towards China and the countries in the region for support in view of Western sanctions on it owing to the war in Ukraine, may make it tough for Israel, especially if it keeps resorting to frequent armed actions against the Palestinians in Gaza Strip and/or the West Bank. Its strategy of enforcing peace through security and a fast fading option of a viable two state solution for Palestine will require a serious review, going forward. Israel needs to stay ahead of the curve to reap the benefits of its diplomatic overtures in the region in the past few years, lest it finds itself left out in the region once again, turning back the clock to the 1990s, a period of hostility and isolation.

This article is authored by Rajeev Agarwal, assistant director, Manohar Parrikar Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis, New Delhi.
Welcome back to the World Weekly where we explain the biggest news of the week and put it in global context. This week fighting in Sudan has killed at least 300 people. What is the origin of the conflict and what does this mean? An aerial view of black smoke rising above the Khartoum International Airport. The conflict has rendered parts of the country a no-fly zone. (AFP) Sudan's power struggle Fighting broke out in the capital, Khartoum, early morning on April 15 between Sudans military government and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary unit. Since then the situation has quickly devolved. More than 400 people have been reported dead and 3,500 injured as the fighting spread to other cities in the country. At least two attempts ceasefire have failed. Reports say 70% of hospitals in the capital and neighbouring states are paralysed or out of service. Shops have been shut and many people are running out of essentials, including food and water. Electricity supply has been erratic as energy facilities were also hit. And in a huge blow, the World Food Programme has suspended its aid to the country where at least two-thirds of the population (15.8 million people) are relying on aid. In this situation, at least 3,000 Indians are also stranded. The Indian government has set up a control room in New Delhi to provide information and assistance. Stranded Indians have been advised to stay indoors. The government has said it is working with US, UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE (the Quartet countries) for support in ensuring the safety and security of Indians stuck in Sudan. On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the situation on the ground and directed concerned officials to develop a contingency plan. All in all, unless fighting stops soon, the situation could become extremely dire. The question is why did the fighting begin in the first place? A revolution marred For this we have to go back to 2019, a time of hope for the Sudanese people which also resulted what remains one of my most favourite visuals ever (See here). After months of protests and civil uprisings, Sudanese leader President Omar al-Bashir  who had taken power in 1989 coup  was ousted in a military coup. It was led by army leader Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in coordination with Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, leader of the RSF  a paramilitary unit which worked for al-Bashir. The army announced a military council that would oversee a two-year transition to a civilian government. Politics and protests followed. Eventually, al-Burhan became the de facto leader of the country and Hemedti his deputy. As is wont to happen, the alliance began to fray. The two men began to regard each other with suspicion and by February of this year, it appeared likely that the tensions would erupt into fighting. On the 13th of April, the forces began deploying forces to strategic positions. Civilians were told by the army to stock up food. People flee their neighbourhoods amid fighting in Khartoum on Wednesday, following the collapse of a 24-hour truce. (Source: AFP) Is a civil war imminent? The fighting in Sudan has all the common hallmarks necessary for it to become a full-blown conflict: ethnic divisions, fight for wealth and power, and vested foreign interests. At home, the countrys elite is made up of ethnic groups based around Khartoum and the Nile. Hemedti, on the other hand, is an outsider  from the wrong class and place. This means the current fighting could take on a communal, almost existential, colour. The countrys mineral resource exports, especially gold, make it an especially lucrative fight. On the global stage, Sudan is of strategic importance. It is the third largest country in an already volatile region. The Nile, which flows through the country, is of vital importance to Egypt  which has close ties to Sudans military  and Ethiopia with which the country has, in many places, disputed borders. The other countries on its borders  Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic, Eritrea and South Sudan  all have their own internal conflicts with various rebel groups fighting for control. What happens in Sudan will not stay in Sudan, Alan Boswell of the International Crisis Group told the AP. Chad and South Sudan look most immediately at risk of potential spillover. But the longer (the fighting) drags on the more likely it is we see major external intervention. The Gulf Arab countries have their own part to play: the United Arab Emirates has close ties with the RSF, which has sent fighters to support UAE and Saudi Arabia in the war against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. Sudan also sits on the Red sea corridor, where the Russia has longed to build a naval base for upto 300 troops and four ships. The corridor is vital in that it forms part of the link between the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean. Plus, the Wagner Group, a mercenary group linked the Kremlin, has been operating in Sudan since 2017, mining the gold and possibly helping fund Russias war in Ukraine. A CNN report on Friday claimed that there was evidence that the Wagner group is also providing the RSF with missiles in ongoing fighting. Israel, on the other hand, is hoping that the current conflict will not affect the normalizations of its relations with Sudan under the US-brokered Abraham Accords. For now, there seems to be no signs that the fighting will stop. The sheer number of foreign entities looking to mediate  the US, the UN, the European Union, Egypt, Gulf countries, the African Union amongst others  or affect the peace process for their own vested interests in Sudan are sure to complicate peace efforts. And, as usual, its the people that will be caught in the crossfire. That's all for this week, folx. If you have any suggestions, feedback, or questions, please write to me at sanya.mathur@hindustantimes.com
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Union home minister Amit Shah will blow the conch to kickstart the partys campaign for the forthcoming assembly elections in Telangana by addressing a huge public meeting at Chevella in Rangareddy district on Sunday, state BJP president Bandi Sanjay said. Amit Shah to kickstart BJPs campaign for upcoming Telangana assembly polls. (PTI)

Sanjay, who held a teleconference with the state BJP executive committee members and district-level party leaders on Saturday to discuss the arrangements for Shahs visit, said not less than a lakh of people would be mobilised for the rally.

The BJP president said the rally had been christened as Vijay Sankalp Sabha (Meeting to take a vow to bring victory to the party), where Shah would give a call to the people across the state to pull down the corrupt, dynastic and dictatorial regime of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) led by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao.

The meeting should create a sensation in the state and send a message across all sections of people that the BJP is the only alternative to the BRS and its victory in the next assembly elections is imminent, Sanjay said.

He said soon after the ongoing Karnataka assembly elections, the BJP national leadership would focus on Telangana assembly elections, scheduled to be held in November or December this year.

All the top BJP leaders would be coming to Telangana to address a series of meetings and programmes in the state. Shahs visit will be the beginning of the partys campaign for next elections, Sanjay said.

The BJP president said Shahs visit would rejuvenate the party leaders and cadre and help them go all out to bring victory to the party. In the coming days, there is every possibility that the KCR government would be harassing the BJP workers. The party would stand by them and there is no need to get disheartened, he said.

Shah, who would be landing in Hyderabad in the morning, would have a meeting with senior Telangana BJP leaders and suggest a road map for the party for the coming months.

During his visit, the Union home minister would also meet the team members of the latest Telugu film RRR which had won an Oscar award in the best original song category. Shah will felicitate the film crew for winning the award, a BJP leader familiar with the development said.

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Arunachal Pradesh government is reaching out to youth in border villages near Line of Actual Control (LAC), asking them to join the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) that guards international border in the northeastern state, as they are familiar with the terrain, local tribes and their culture. The force currently has around 180 outposts on the entire 3,488km long India-China border from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. (PTI)

The recruitment push is in line with the Union home ministrys recruitment policy, which states that 20% vacancies in border guarding forces such as ITBP, Border Security Force (BSF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Assam Rifles should be allotted to border districts within the responsibility of the respective armed force.

We are encouraging people residing in border districts to join the CAPFs (central armed police forces) by availing the 20% allotted seats, chief minister Pema Khandu said. Not only is it important for keeping the border population from migrating, but it is also a great employment opportunity. The state is in touch with the ITBP and the central ministry in this regard, Khandu said.

The Centre had in February approved stationing seven more battalions, or around 9,400 personnel, for the ITBPs additional 47 border outposts and 12 staging camps, out of which six battalions have been earmarked for Arunachal Pradesh alone. The force currently has around 180 outposts on the entire 3,488km long India-China border from Karakoram Pass in Ladakh to Jachep La in Arunachal Pradesh. The longest border of 1,080km it guards is in Arunachal Pradesh.

Having new battalions means ITBP will need more men. People who know local dialects and culture will be an asset for the force, a Union home ministry official said. It is a fact that the border population currently has poor representation in the border guarding forces.

Union home minister Amit Shah is closely monitoring the implementation of the recruitment scheme and has directed the director generals of border forces to hasten the process.

Shah also launched the Vibrant Villages Programme in Kibithoo, Arunachal Pradesh, during his two-day visit near the LAC on April 10-11. The programme aims to develop infrastructure and increase Indias presence near the border in response to Chinas repeated attempts to change the LAC. Since the India-China border is not fully demarcated, and both sides have different perceptions of the LAC, the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) troops often transgress into the disputed area.

Assam Rifles, which is one of the six CAPFs and guards Indias border with Myanmar, had informed a parliamentary standing committee on home affairs in February that during 1965, around 65% of soldiers of the force were from northeastern states, which has gradually reduced to 20-22% in the present time. The low representation of local people in Assam Rifles affects operations and intelligence gathering as the jawans belonging to other parts of the country are not familiar with the terrain, local languages and culture of the region, Assam Rifles had informed the committee. HT reviewed the report of the committee released in March.

The policy for recruitment of constables, revised in 2017, from border districts states that recruitment rallies should be organised by respective paramilitary forces in border districts where vacancies remain unfilled. For ensuring that the youth from only concerned district participate in such rallies, appropriate identifications like domicile certificate, Aadhaar number, Voter ID Card and Ration card etc. could be accepted. Wide publicity, preferably in the local language, about the recruitment of personnel for CAPFs (Central Armed Police Forces) in the states/border districts may be ensured by Staff Selection Commission and CAPFs, the revised policy states.

The sanctioned strength of all six central paramilitary forces is 10,15,237. There is shortage of 83,127 personnel, according to latest home ministry data.

Internal security expert Sameer Patil called the induction of local resident in force a welcome step. The induction of the locals in the paramilitary forces is a welcome development. The locals knowledge of the terrain would be a big plus for the forces. Moreover, it also provides employment opportunities for them and gives them a sense of being a stakeholder in managing the security of their place, Patil said.
Congress on Saturday expelled Assam Youth wing Congress president Angkita Dutta for her alleged anti-party activities after she recently accused Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief BV Srinivas of harassment and even lodged a complaint in this regard. Assam Youth wing Congress president Angkita Dutta recently accused Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief BV Srinivas of harassment (ANI Photo)

Tariq Anwar, member-secretary of the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) on Saturday issued a letter in which he wrote, Honble Congress president has expelled Dr Angkita Dutta, president Assam Pradesh Youth Congress from the primary membership of the party for six years for her anti-party activities with immediate effect.

Dutta had on April 18 spoke about the alleged harassment and the next day, she lodged a complaint at Dispur police station against Srinivas. According to her, Srinivas has been mentally harassing her for the past six months. She claimed that Srinivas used derogatory language and threatened her with dire consequences if she were to raise a complaint to higher party officials.

Also Read: BJP reacts to Congress youth wing leaders expulsion: Sack woman instead of

Talking to a media person in Guwahati, Angkita had said that on March 25, Srinivas sexually assaulted her in a hotel in Chhattisgarh. She claimed that she informed the partys high officials about the incident, however, they ignored her.

I didnt file a complaint against the party but against a particular person, BV Srinivas. I am a Congress party worker, I have worked for the party and will continue doing so. All I wanted is to stand against what was wrong and I hope the accused will be punished under the law, she told the media on April 21.

Meanwhile, in response to Duttas complaint and harassment allegations, Srinivas filed a defamation case and sent her a legal notice.

Dutta appeared at the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court on April 21 and her statement was recorded under section 164 CrPC, which grants the magistrate the authority to record statements or confessions regardless of jurisdiction.

The Congress party on the same day issued a show cause notice to Dutta alleging her of making disgraceful allegations and tarnishing the image of the Congress party. A day later, a letter of her suspension was issued.

Senior Congress leader Debabrata Saikia after the suspension said that Dutta recently went out of the party line and did some anti-party activities. She crossed all the limits. She didnt follow the partys discipline and lodged a complaint. She even appeared before a judicial magistrate without consulting us, he said.

Saikia said that Dutta was given a show cause notice but her reply was not satisfactory. AICC [All India Congress Committee] was not satisfied with the reply to the notice and as a result, she was expelled, he added.

President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee Bhupen Kumar Borah called blamed Dutta for tarnishing the partys image and called her allegations disgraceful. The allegations she raised against Srinivas BV are disgraceful and she is tarnishing the image of the Congress party by exaggerating it, Borah said.
Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, who was shot dead last week at point-blank range, had reportedly grabbed acres of land of former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's kin in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj when the slain gangster was a member of parliament (MP) of the Samajwadi Party and the party was in power in the state. Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad was accused in more than 100 criminal cases. (PTI)

The incident happened back in 2007 when Atiq, then an MP from Phulpur, forcefully occupied the property of Veera Gandhi located in the Civil Lines area of Prayagraj with the help of his henchmen, The Times of India reported.

When Veera Gandhi, who belongs to the family of Sonia Gandhi's father-in-law Feroz Gandhi, came to know about it, she appealed to the state government and district administration to take action, but nothing was done, India Today reported.

Atiq Ahmad shot dead: Who were the assailants posing as journalists?

She then sought Sonia Gandhi's help, who was heading the Congress-led UPA in the Centre. The intervention of Sonia Gandhi saved the property, and Atiq had to reportedly return the keys to the owner.

Rita Bahuguna Joshi, the then Uttar Pradesh Congress chief, confirmed to TOI that Sonia Gandhi asked her to intervene in the matter. I called the district administration and consequently Atiq pulled back in that case," she said.

Read | 'If murdered': Atiq Ahmad's mystery letter sent to Yogi Adityanath, CJI Chandrachud

"Atiq wanted to occupy the land as it was located behind Palace Talkies. He tried this as an experiment. If he had successfully occupied the land, then he would have captured other lands owned by Veera Gandhi's family as well," India Today quoted former inspector general (IG) Lalji Shukla, who was at loggerheads with Atiq and his henchmen, as saying.

Atiq was accused in more than 100 criminal cases, including the Umesh Pal murder case, a key witness in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal. Ahmad (60) and his brother Ashraf were shot dead by three men posing as journalists while police personnel were escorting the two brothers to a hospital in Prayagraj for a check-up.

Meanwhile, the Uttar Pradesh Police are on the hunt for slain gangster Atiq's wife Shaista Parveen. Parveen has also been named in the sensational killings of lawyer Umesh Pal among others. She has been on the run and a reward of 50,000 has been announced on her arrest.

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The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday hit out at the Congress party for expelling a youth wing leader who had alleged harassment by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Srinivas BV. Calling Congress's ladki hun, lad sakti hun slogan hollow, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said that the manner in which the complainant, Angkita Dutta, has been sacked is uninspiring for women. Expelled IYC Assam chief Angkita Dutta with Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra.(Source: Twitter)

This is Congresss model of women empowerment! Sack the woman who alleged harassment instead of providing a platform to hear her grievances. The manner in which Angkita Dutta has been removed from the Congress is uninspiring for women, he said in a tweet.

Malviya also said, Ladki hun, lad sakti hun is a hollow slogan.

Congress on Friday expelled Youth Congresss Assam unit chief Angkita Dutta for six years for anti-party activities, days after she alleged harassment by Srinivas BV and another IYC functionary Vardhan Yadav.

"Hon'ble Congress President has expelled Dr. Angkita Dutta, President Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect," Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar said in a release.

Dutta accused Srinivas BV of being sexist, chauvinistic and outraging a womans modesty. In a police complaint filed on Wednesday, she alleged that Srinivas BV has been harassing her, physically and mentally, for six months by making sexist comments and threatening her with consequences if she complained against him to top Congress leaders.

He heckled me holding my arm, pushing and pulling and threatening me using slang words, saying he will ruin my career in the Congress if I complained against him to the high office bearers of the party, said Duttas complaint, a copy of which HT has seen.

The Congresss Assam unit had issued a show cause notice to Dutta asking her to explain her conduct despite assurances from party leadership that her grievances would be addressed.

Dutta had tweeted: "When previous IYC president Keshav Kumar had sexually harassed and because of #MeToo came out. He was compelled to remove. Now despite being mentally harassed and discriminated by B V Srinivas for 6 months. I have been told to keep mum and no enquiry is initiated."

"Honestly I am aware this could lead to an end of my political career. If this is the price I have to pay, so be it. About me meeting some BJP leader, one is welcome to check CCTV footage of home and office where you will probably see me reading trolls my colleagues are spreading," she tweeted on Friday.

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With hands on hips, Tabassum Hessaru looks at one of her workers tying oranges to make an 18ft garland. As the crane meant to lift the garland blocks the entrance of the road leading to Mehboob Nagar, a small hamlet close to Shiggaon town, she asks the worker to hurry. Chief minister Basavaraj Bommai filed his nomination from Shiggaon on April 19. (ANI)

The order is from the local Bharatiya Janata Party leader to facilitate chief minister Basavaraj Bommai, she said. Last time, we made the garland with apples, she says. Whom did you say the Congress fielded? (Mohammed Yousuf) Savanur? He is not even from Shiggaon. Then it is decided; Bommai will win again.

Also read | Shah slams Cong on 4% quota, says exits will not hurt

In Mehboob Nagar, which has voters from Muslim, scheduled caste and Lingayat communities, the consensus is that Bommai will return. Standing outside his house, 68-year-old Yellappa Hadimini said he wont be thinking of any party before voting. Around 10 years ago, we didnt have drinking water. We had to get it from outside. Bommai avaru (sir) gave us water and even came to our street after becoming chief minister. I am for that person, Hadimini said.

A few kilometres away, at Bommais Shiggaon home, party officer bearers were all smiles. The Congress has fielded an outsider. He is a Muslim association member from Hubblli, said an office bearer who didnt want to be named.

On April 19, hours after Congress announced the candidature of Savanur, president of Anjuman-e-Islam Hubballi-Dharwad, the party withdrew its decision. Realising that Savanur didnt have a base in the constituency, in a late-night announcement, the Congress announced a new candidate, Yasir Ahmed Khan Pathan.

Savanur was given the seat here as a consolation. He was the party ticket aspirant from Hubballi Central assembly constituency, but Jagadish Shettar shifted to Congress and has become a Congress candidate, so to pacify him the seat was given to him. When the BJP is fielding (minister V) Somanna and (minister R) Ashoka against Siddaramaiah and DK (Shivakumar), here we were fielding such candidates against the sitting chief minister, said a Congress functionary in Haveri, who declined being named.

Even Pathan wont make any difference. The fight is now one-sided. We wonder if we should even campaign, said the Congress functionary, adding that the party had a chance to defeat the chief minister if they had fielded former minister Vinay Kulkarni. We were ready for the challenge, the former MLA (Ajjampeer) Khadri had given his support to ensure Kukarnis win, but the party decided otherwise, he said.

Lingayats and Muslims are dominant in Shiggaon. Of the 80,000 Veershaiva-Lingayat voters in Shiggaon constituency, only 16,000 belong to Bommais sub-sect. A large chunk is from the Panchamasali community. There are at least 60,000 minority voters, apart from the Veerashaiva-Lingayats. The remaining comprise 40,000 Dalits and 24,000 members of the Kuruba community, according to a Congress leader.

The caste combination also helped Bommai in the previous three elections. But this time, Veerashaiva-Lingayat Panchamasali voters were disturbed. Recently, there was a protest by members of the Panchamasali Lingayats community in Shiggaon over reservations and they are upset over the recent issues with Shettar. If we had fielded Kulkarni (a Panchamasali leader), we had a fighting chance, said another Congress functionary, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Although the Congress talks about equations, the support for Bommai is beyond communities, according to Suma Koppal, a teacher at a day care centre in Shiggaon. Neither did the Congress nor Kulkarni give us drinking water facility 10 years ago. He (Bommai) didnt look at the community when he did this. So, people wont look at the community when they vote, she said.

Bommais campaigning blitzkrieg on April 19 has virtually ensured that the limited hope the demoralised Congress workers had in Shiggaon was finished. Bommai held a massive roadshow along with BJP national president JP Nadda and Kannada film star Kichcha Sudeep in his constituency. A large crowd had gathered as Bommai, Nadda and Sudeep travelled through the streets in a specially-designed vehicle before addressing a public rally.

Bommai made an emotional appeal to his constituents and said that he will serve Shiggaon till his last breath. You have been blessed with your faith for 15 years. Our bond is divine. No one can come in the way of this. Till my last breath I will serve you, the chief minister had said.

The BJP will return to power, winning more than 125 seats in the 224-member assembly, he said. Those in the opposition claimed that I will contest from a different constituency. They said the chief minister was looking for a new seat. Im not a chief minister who runs away. If I die, I want to be buried in Shiggaon, he said, later seeking permission from the constituents to allow him to campaign in other constituencies to ensure the partys victory.

Talking to HT after filing his nomination on April 19, Bommai had said his connection with the people will ensure his victory. I am the chief minister, but I know each and every street here. Even after becoming chief minister, they have seen me walking on these streets, he said. I can call more than 25,000 people here by name. This relationship I have will give me a victory.

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MR CHARAN SINGHS resignation from the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet was officially announced here today in a Government notification. HT This Day: April 23, 1959 -- Charan Singh Goes: New clash feared

His portfolios of Revenue, Irrigation and Power, the notification said, would be taken over, pending final disposal, by Mr Hukum Singh, Health and Justice Minister, and Mr Girdhari Lal, P.W.D. Minister. Mr Hukum Singh will look after Revenue and Mr Girdhari Lal after Irrigation and Power.

Mr Charan Singh sent his resignation letter on April 2 and Dr Sampurnanad, Chief Minister, recommended its acceptance from the afternoon of April 20. The cause of the retrospective effect of the resignation is a subject of great speculation in political circles here.

Mr Charan Singhs exit from the UP Cabinet will almost inevitably spark a fresh wave of political controversy in the already faction-ridden State Congress. It will also have a deep impact on the administration, where he was known for his firm anti-corruption drive.

STATEMENT ISSUED

An indication of the coming controversy was given by Mr Charan Singh himself in a statement he issued two hours after the announcement. He said the grounds of his resignation were the same as those in 1957, when he resigned but was persuaded to continue. They related to the need for economy, efficiency and integrity in the Administration. He said:  I was led to believe in 1957 that things would improve in future, but unfortunately they have, if anything, worsened since.

Mr Charan Singh did not elaborate has charges against the Administration or the Chief Minister, but cited the instance of the distribution of power to be generated by the 46 crore Rihand project.

The statement discloses that 80 Congress members of the UP Legislature have already lodged a strong protest against the proposed manner of power distribution and are still awaiting a reply from the Chief Minister. Mr Charan Singh said he would give in detail the grounds of his resignation in a statement to the Vidhan Sabha, when it meets next.
Congress has expelled the chief of Youth Congresss Assam unit for six years for anti-party activities, days after she alleged harassment by Indian Youth Congress (IYC) chief Srinivas BV and secretary in-charge Vardhan Yadav. IYC national president Srinivas BV and now-expelled IYC Assam chief Angkita Dutta.(Twitter)

"Hon'ble Congress President has expelled Dr. Angkita Dutta, President Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect," Congress general secretary Tariq Anwar said in a release.

In a police complaint filed on Wednesday with Assams Dispur police station, Angkita Dutta accused Srinivas BV of being sexist, chauvinistic and outraging a womans modesty. She alleged Srinivas BV has been harassing her, physically and mentally, for six months by making sexist comments and threatening her with consequences if she complained against him to top Congress leaders. (Also Read | Who is Angkita Dutta? Allegations against Srinivas BV: 'Sexist, chauvinistic')

He heckled me holding my arm, pushing and pulling and threatening me using slang words, saying he will ruin my career in the Congress if I complained against him to the high office bearers of the party, said Duttas complaint, a copy of which HT has seen.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya tweeted: "This is Congresss model of women empowerment! Sack the woman who alleged harassment instead of providing a platform to hear her grievances. The manner in which Angkita Dutta has been removed from the Congress is uninspiring for women."

The Congresss Assam unit had issued a show cause notice to Dutta asking her to explain her conduct despite assurances from party leadership that her grievances would be addressed.

Dutta has said she has been facing harassment for six months, but she informed Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah about it only two days ago, said Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, suggesting that the timing of the allegations could be related to assembly polls in Srinivas BVs home state of Karnataka.

Dutta tweeted on Friday: Honestly I am aware this could lead to an end of my political career. If this is the price I have to pay, so be it. About me meeting some BJP leader, one is welcome to check CCTV footage of home & office where you will probably see me reading trolls my colleagues are spreading.

Earlier this week, Srinivas BV sent a criminal defamation notice to Dutta for allegedly using "unparliamentary and defamatory" words against him. In a press statement issued by IYC national media in-charge Varun Pandey, Congress's youth wing accused Dutta of using "utterly unparliamentary, undignified, defamatory, malicious words" against Srinivas BV.

"Dr Dutta has resorted to using utterly unparliamentary, undignified, defamatory, malicious words against Srinivas BV and has levelled totally sexist, chauvinistic, false, frivolous allegations against him. The IYC legal cell has taken a strong, stringent legal action and therefore IYC National President Srinivas BV has sent a Criminal Defamation notice to Dr Angkita Dutta in view of the same," the release stated.

(With inputs from agencies)

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On the occasion of World Earth Day, several leaders are taking to Twitter to share posts on ecological conservation. Among them was Nagaland's Minister for Tourism and Higher Education Temjen Imna Along. The minister is popular for sharing sweet, humorous and impactful messages on the micro-blogging site. Nagaland minister Temjen Imna Along.(Twitter/Temjen Imna Along)

On Saturday, Imna wrote a letter to the countrymen to highlight the importance of Earth Day.

Here is what the letter says, Don't you like the smell of soil when it rains? Then, take the responsibility of your future on this Earth Day and protect the nature. Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground."

The minister also signs the letter saying Aapka cute sa Temjen (Yours cute Temjen).

The post garnered a lot of traffic online. Reacting to it, one user wrote, Awesome! while another said, Wonderful way of communication. Offbeat.

On the occasion of World Sleep Day, minister Temjen Imna had put a similar sweet post. In a picture posted by him on Twitter several people were seen seated in what seemed like a conference or discussion room. They were also seen dozing off on their seats.

About World Earth Day

This day is celebrated across the globe every year to create awareness on the need for environmental protection. The theme of this year's Earth Day is in continuation to the theme that was followed last year  Invest in our planet. On World Earth Day, people also take a pledge to adopt sustainable modes of living which can help in the preservation of our biodiversity.
Leaders across the world, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Droupadi Murmu, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, have extended their greetings on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr. The world leaders extended the message of joy and compassion on the occasion. A view of Delhi's Jama Masjid on the occasion of Eid. Huge crowd of people offer namaz at the Masjid on this significant day. (ANI)

Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May the spirit of harmony and compassion be furthered in our society. I also pray for everyones wonderful health and well-being. Eid Mubarak! Modi tweeted on Saturday.

Murmu tweeted, On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr I extend my wishes to all countrymen especially our Muslim brothers and sisters. Eid, which is the festival of love and kindness gives us the message to help others. On this occasion, let us take the resolution to move ahead together."

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also tweeted on the occasion.Eid Mubarak to everyone! May this auspicious festival bring peace, happiness & prosperity to all, he wrote.

#EidMubarak to Muslim communities celebrating across the UK and around the world! wrote UK PM Rishi Sunak extending his greetings on the festival day.

Extending his and 'first lady' Jill Biden's warmest greetings on Eid, Joe Biden tweeted, "As the month of Ramadan comes to a close, Jill and I send our warmest greetings to Muslims celebrating Eid al-Fitr in the United States and across the world.

We wish you a joyous holiday filled with community and compassion. Eid Mubarak!"

Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum extended greetings on Eid. He tweeted, Happy new year to the UAE and its people.. Happy new year to our Arab and Islamic nation. Happy new year to the world... May God accept your obedience.. and perpetuate your joys.. and fulfill all your aspirations.
A pall of gloom descended at Charik village in Punjabs Moga district on Friday as hundreds of people gathered at the house of Lance Naik Kulwant Singh who was among five soldiers killed in the terrorist ambush in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch on Thursday. Family members and relatives of Sepoy Harkrishan Singh who were among five soldiers killed in the Poonch army attack on Thursday. (PTI)

The 32-year-old, who joined the army in 2009, was the second member in his family to have died in a terrorist attack. His father, Baldev Singh, who was posted in Kargil, had also died in a terror attack earlier.

I last talked to him yesterday in the morning. He was climbing a mountain at that time. He told me that he is fine and asked me not to worry. He asked me to take care of his son, Kulwants mother Jinder Kaur said. Kulwant is survived by his wife and two children.

Four of the soldiers who died in the attack on Thursday belonged to Punjab.

At Bagha village in Bathinda, several people gathered at the house of Sepoy Sevak Singh (23) who was a key breadwinner of the family. His father is a daily wager.

He was always worried about me. When our parents talked about his marriage, he always said that he wanted to see me get married first, his sister Jasvir Kaur said.

The family of Sepoy Harkrishan Singh in Fatehgarh Churian assembly segment of Gurdaspur district is waiting to receive the body.

His pregnant wife Daljit Kaur, who also has a one-and-half-year-old daughter, recalled how he had promised to visit home soon. I last spoke to him on Thursday. He had spoken to our daughter too and had promised to come home soon, she said.

At Chankoian Kalan in Payal Tehsil of Ludhiana, Subedar (retired) Jasvir Singh said that the news of the death of his nephew, Havaldar Mandeep Singh, has shaken the entire family, including the deceaseds eight-year-old son.

His son is mum and is not saying anything but watching the news of the attack. We do not know if he understands the meaning of life and death. But he says he will join the Indian Army like his father, Singh said.

Lance Naik Debashish Biswal, from Alagum village in Odishas Puri district, would have celebrated his second marriage anniversary on Saturday. His aunt, Shantilal, said whenever he came to the village, he would take part in all social activities and was an inspiration to the youngsters.

He always took part in flood and drought relief activities. We have lost a brave and dutiful son who cared for his family, she said.

Dilip Biswal, a cousin of the deceased, said: He was very hardworking and joined the army with the aim to serve the nation. The whole village is in shock. Although we are proud of him, we are shattered. He was one of the brightest children in this village.
Former chief minister Jagadish Shettar left the Bharatiya Janata Party after being denied a ticket in the upcoming assembly polls. After joining the Congress, Shettar has blamed senior BJP leaders, including national general secretary B L Santhosh, for targeting him. In an interview to Gerard de Souza, the Lingayat strongman spoke about the insults he faced, how his community has backed him and his plans in the Congress. The earlier six times, when I contested on a BJP ticket, I got elected. This time, Im contesting on behalf of the Congress party and will definitely be elected with a huge margin, says Jagadish Shettar. (ANI)

Edited excepts:

Five days on from switching from the BJP to Congress, are you happy with your decision to switch or do you have any regrets?

Because of what they have done, it has affected my self-respect. I am very much hurt I have explained my stance in so many interviews. Self-respect is very important. It is the hurt and insult (that has driven me to do this). After joining Congress, immediately we are facing elections. I am contesting on a Congress ticket and local Congress leaders and workers have welcomed me. My well-wishers earlier are also with me. So, this will be my seventh time contesting. The earlier six times, when I contested on a BJP ticket, I got elected. This time, Im contesting on behalf of the Congress party and will definitely be elected with a huge margin.

The BJP has accused you of enjoying every possible position thanks to the party, and now because they have rejected your candidature, you have jumped ship.

Why was my ticket rejected? They have not given me an answer. My age is 67, so age cant be a factor. There are no corruption or scandal to my name; no blemish. I have a clean image. What is the reason for the denial of the ticket? I want an answer. Nobody has answered. I may have enjoyed positions, but a lot of others, too, are there who have enjoyed positions. Shivraj Singh Chouhan is the (Madhya Pradesh) chief minister for the fourth time now. Have you ever denied him a position? Why is Jagadish singled out? I dont want to become chief minister or any minister. All I wanted to do was become a simple MLA. Why was it denied? I want reasons.

Why do you think the BJP has denied you a ticket? Did you do something to upset them?

The High Command has not suggested that I join the (B S Bommai) cabinet. So, that cant be a reason. Everyone wants power. I myself denied power. Why should the high command be unhappy with me?

Is there a reason for you to believe that certain leaders in the BJP, even at the top level, are jealous of you becoming a big leader?

Definitely. I am the senior-most leader in the party and the community leader after Yediyurappa. For that, there is envy. If Jagadish Shettar is elected, he will become the senior-most and will have the authority to claim a high post. This despite me telling the high command that I will not claim any post, CM post or ministry post or anything. I said I was willing to be just an MLA for the full five year term. All I wanted was to be with the people and serve the people. My comfort zone is in having discussions and attending to the problems of the people. This is the last leg of my political career. I wanted to be with the people, for the development of the area, this has been my aim with the support of the government. After this, I will respectfully exit from the political arena. This was my only demand, which was really a minuscule demand. Even that they didnt want to do.

Do you think the BJP wants to bring in a Brahmin face? Is the BJP doing this to promote either Pralhad Joshi or B L Santosh at your cost?

I dont want to comment now on what the BJP wants to do. I dont know. It is left to them what they want to do now.

The Congress tends to be very different from the BJP. The BJP is very organised, has a clear structure. How are you finding your feet?

I am a common man. I like all communities. Even in my six terms as an MLA, I didnt have conflict with anybody. I love all communities. There is no problem for me being a part of the Congress. The Congress rank and file has wholeheartedly supported me. All are saying that they had one of us to get the ticket that would have provoked infighting, but now that Jagdish Shettar has come, they have wholeheartedly supported me. From day one, they are campaigning with me.

The Congress agenda has been to highlight the corruption of the BJP with the slogan 40% Commission Sarkar. You have been part of the BJP.

As a party they are doing it. Whether it is 40% or anything, corruption is there. So, my cause is that my self-respect is hurt, other issues they will take as a political party and they will fight.

As a leader of the Lingayat community, do you think that the BJP has insulted your community by denying you a ticket?

A lot of people in Karnataka, especially in north Karnataka, are calling me by telephone and expressing. Not only Jagadish Shettar, they are saying that our (the communitys) self-respect is hurt by the BJP. That whatever decision you have taken is 100% correct and we are going to support you. In a lot of districts and talukas, the community people have started joining the Congress, who were in the BJP.

The community is influenced by a lot of seers and mutts whose diktats are often followed by the voters. Have they extended support to you?

So many of them have extended support to me (rattles off some names). So many seers have also supported my cause. They have openly supported my cause, saying that it is injustice to Jagadish Shettar.

Are you a contender for the chief ministers post should the Congress win a majority?

Im not a CM candidate. Im a new entry to the Congress party. I have not put any conditions on the Congress party. I work for the Congress and I work for the winnability of the Congress to get a clear majority. I have not claimed anything, CM post or any other post. All I have said is treat us with high respect and treat me with honour.

What is your personal equation with Congress leaders like Siddaramaiah and D K Shivakumar?

My personal relation is always there. When he was CM, I was the leader of the opposition. When I was the CM, he was the leader of the opposition. Personally, we are good friends. Only as part of our duty, I had taken very good issues as opposition leader, criticised the government and projected the issues strongly in the assembly.
Former Karnataka chief minister Jagadish Shettar, who left the BJP to join the Congress, has said that his fight is for self-respect and he is not contesting the polls to acquire any position. Shettar joined the Congress on April 17. (PTI)

In an interview, the senior Lingayat leader appeared to blame BJP national general secretary BL Santhosh for his exit without naming him. Certain leaders felt that if Shettar gets elected on the BJP ticket, he would become senior-most and will have the authority to claim a high post. This despite me telling the high command that I will not claim any post, he said.

He added that denying him a ticket was part of a strategy to ease out all senior party leaders on the pretext of age so that someone in Delhi could become the claimant. Asked whether the BJP denied him a ticket to promote either Pralhad Joshi or BL Santosh, Shettar said it was left to the BJP what they wanted to do about the CM post. I am fighting for my self-respect, he said, claiming that it was his last electoral fight.

My age is 67, so age cant be a factor. There are no corruption scandals to my name. No blemish. What is the reason for the denial of the ticket? I want an answer, he said and asked how come Shivraj Singh Chouhan was chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for the fourth time. Have you ever denied him a position, Shettar asked.

On whether the Congress had promised him any position, he said, I just want to be an MLA and serve people. He said while corruption may be an election issue for the Congress, self-respect was the issue for him. My cause is that my self-respect is hurt, other issues they will take as a political party and they will fight, he said.

The Lingayat leader also said that he would be campaigning for Congress in all Lingayat-dominated constituencies and claimed that many seers of Lingayat Mutts supported him in his fight.

Shettar is contesting the Hubbali-Dharward assembly constituency in north Karnataka, from where he was the BJP MLA for six terms. Shettar comes from a family of RSS leaders; his father was the first Jan Sangh mayor of Hubbali city.
20:00 | Lima, abr. 21.

It should happen as soon as he arrives in Peruvian territory, the prosecutor said during an interview with RPP Noticias.





"The concrete and real issue is that he has (been issued) a pre-trial detention order that must be compulsorily complied with," Vela emphasized.





an eventual request by the ex-president for house arrest citing health reasons, the prosecutor pointed out that the assessment should be made by the Office of Prosecutor Jose Domingo Perez the Public Ministry representative who prepared the accusation against Toledo. Concerning, thethe Public Ministry representative who prepared the accusation against Toledo.





Regarding the request issued by Perez for Vela to accompany the delegations of the police and the Prosecutor's Office that will bring the former president back to Peru, he indicated that this must be decided by the Attorney General's Office.





Eliane Karp









In this sense, he deemed as "imperative" that the U.S. justice system evaluate this issue "and take a measure similar to the one it had taken regarding Toledo," issuing an arrest warrant, so that the former First Lady does not leave the United States.





Failure to do so would allow Karp to travel to another territory, where any procedure to extradite her "would have to start from scratch," Vela warned.
In yet another alleged suicide case, a second-year undergraduate student of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-Madras) was found dead on Friday, marking the fourth such incident at the institute this year. Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

The student was found hanging in his hostel room on the campus, a police officer said, adding a case has been registered and a probe is on.

On March 14, a third-year B-Tech student of IIT-Madras died by suicide.

The premier institute said the post-Covid environment has been challenging, and that it has strived to improve and sustain the well-being of students/scholars, faculty and staff on campus, while constantly evaluating the various support systems in place.

Suicide cases at IIT-Madras this year:

1. April 21: A police officer at Kotturpuram police station, where a case of unnatural death was registered, said a purported suicide note recovered from the 20-year-old students hostel room said he took the extreme step over a relationship. The student is from Maharashtra and was a student at the department of chemical engineering. The suicide came to light after the students friends noticed his room locked for several hours. They informed the hostel warden who alerted the police, an officer said. The police arrived and broke open the door and found him dead, the officer added.

The IIT-Madras, which conveyed its condolence to the bereaved, said: "We are deeply anguished to convey the untimely passing away of an undergraduate student from the Chemical Engineering Department in the afternoon of 21 April 2023 in his hostel room. The Institute has lost one of its own, and the professional community has lost a good student. The reason for the demise is unknown. Police are investigating. The parents have been informed." The Institute said it is taking all possible measures to proactively identify and help students under stress. "We will continue to keep strengthening these measures."

2. March 31: A 32-year-old PhD student of the IIT, Madras, died by suicide in his room in Tamil Nadu's Velachery. The deceased student was a native of West Bengal. This was the 11th case since 2018 at the institute. On March 31, the deceased student posted a WhatsApp status 'I am sorry not good Enough'. Seeing the status, his friends reached his home and found Sachin hanging in his room, police said.

3. March 14: A third-year BTech student of IIT-Madras died by suicide, police said. The 20-year-old student of the electrical engineering department, who hailed from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, was found hanging in his hostel room by his roommates.

4. February 14: A post-graduate student of engineering at IIT Madras also died by suicide. He too was found dead in his hostel room.

Similar cases have also been reported from other IITs, most prominently from IIT-Bombay, where an 18-year-old Dalit student died by suicide on February 12.

(With inputs from Divya Chandrababu in Chennai)

Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. A few major suicide prevention helpline numbers in India are 011-23389090 from Sumaitri (Delhi-based) and 044-24640050 from Sneha Foundation (Chennai-based).

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Terrorist organisation al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) has threatened attacks on India to avenge the murder of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf on live television in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj last Saturday, calling them martyrs. Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead on April 15. (HT File)

On the occasion of Eid al-Fitr, in its seven-page magazine released by As-Sahab, the propaganda media wing of al Qaeda, the terror group also promised to liberate Muslims.

In an indirect threat of releasing its members from security Tihar jail in the national capital, the magazine says: We shall stay the hand of the oppressor be it in the White House or the prime ministers house in Delhi or GHQ in Rawalpindi. From Texas to Tihar to Adyala  we shall liberate all Muslim brothers and sisters from their shackles.

Atiq and Ashraf were shot dead at point-blank range by three men posing as journalists during a media interaction at a Prayagraj hospital while police personnel were escorting them for a checkup.

Slogans of Atiq Ahmad raised near Patna mosque

Slogans in praise of Atiq Ahmad and Ashraf were on Friday heard close to the largest mosque in Bihar capital. The district administration shared a statement by Mohd Faisal Imam, who heads the managing committee of the Jama Masjid in Patna, on social media, in an apparent attempt to keep passions under control, especially in view of the Eid ul Fitr festivities on Saturday.

The matter relating to Atiq Ahmed pertains to Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, the Nitish Kumar government has ensured excellent law and order, Imam told reporters who had made a dash to the crowded mosque, situated adjacent to the Patna Junction, upon learning about the shouting of slogans after the prayers.

Rajiv Mishra, the senior superintendent of police, Patna, told news agency PTI, We have not made any arrests or detentions in connection with the incident. But we are taking all preventive measures that may be required in view of the situation.

Atiq's killers are followers of Godse: Owaisi

AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi alleged that those who shot dead Atiq Ahmad and his brother were following in the footsteps of Nathuram Godse, who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi, and called them "terrorists," who were part of a terror module.

Owaisi, who was addressing a gathering here, sought to know why UAPA has not been slapped against them. He targeted Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adiytanath over the killing of Atiq and and Ashraf, who were in police custody. Noting that the perpetrators hailed from poor families as reported in the media, he wondered how did they get hold of a revolver worth eight lakh each. Owaisi also cited a media report, which quoted a police officer as saying that the perpetrators were given training for at least a month before killing the duo. "...it is understood from this that they were given practice. It is understood from this that these three killers were illegitimate children of Godse. Because, Godse also shot Gandhi dead. These are successors of Godse," he claimed. "... these three people are part of terror cell. I have a suspicion. There are such people in our country, don't know how many, who were given training, who were given weapons, who were told that you have to fulfil the dream of Godse."

(With inputs from PTI)

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As Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as MP after a conviction in a defamation case, vacates his official 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow on Saturday, the Congress and several of its leaders extended support to their former party president with a hashtag campaign "#MeraGharAapkaGhar" on social media. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi had moved out all his belongings from his official residence on Friday, with reports claiming that he would hand over the bungalow to the Lok Sabha secretariat on Saturday.

The former Congress president was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification after the conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court for his "Modi surname" remark.

The former Congress chief had on April 14 shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi's official residence.

This country is the home of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul who resides in the hearts of people. Rahul whose relation with the public is unbreakable. Some see in him their son, some brother, some their leader... Rahul belongs to everyone and everyone belongs to Rahul. This is the reason why today the country is saying- Rahul ji, my house-your house. #MeraGharAapkaGhar, the Congress wrote on its Twitter handle.

Lauding Rahul Gandhi for his exemplary gesture, party MP Shashi Tharoor tweeted, Today @RahulGandhi vacates his home at TughlaqLane in response to the LokSabha Secretariats order. The Court gave him 30 days to appeal &the HC or SC could still reinstate him, but his exemplary gesture to move out shows his respect for the rules. #Respect."

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said while Rahul Gandhi vacated his official residence today, his goal and destination are much higher than a house.

A house is not made of four walls and a cement roof. Home is a feeling - of peace, of peace, of love. And when crores of people open the doors of their hearts and homes for you, then what is the point! No one can scare, no one can silence this satyagrahi of truth because he is ready to pay any cost. #MeraGharAapkaGhar A small proof of this country's love for you Rahul ji, she tweeted.

Another party spokesperson Salman Anees Soz said, Dear @RahulGandhi: I dont have a home in Delhi but you know that my home in Kashmir is your home too. I can say without hesitation that millions of Kashmiris will welcome you in their homes since you are one of us and on the side of truth and justice.

Senior Congress leader KC Venugopal said they may evict you from a house, but you will always have a place in all our homes and hearts.

We know that such episodes wont deter you from raising the voice of the people and speak truth to power! The whole country today is saying #MeraGharAapkaGhar in one voice! the Congress general secretary tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi has been living in the bungalow for nearly two decades.

After shifting his office, he started living with his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence, the sources said.

A Surat court on March 23 had convicted Gandhi of defamation and given him two-year sentence, leading to his disqualification. He had challenged the magisterial court order in the sessions court in Surat which rejected his appeal to set aside the conviction which would have paved the way for his reinstatement as MP.

The party has said the sessions court order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court next week.

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Muslims across India are celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr on Saturday after the sighting of the moon was confirmed. Devotees offered mass prayers in mosques across the country, following the prayer timings in different regions. India celebrates "Eid-ul-Fitr" with prayers and festivities on Saturday.(HT Photo/Raj K Raj)

Eid-ul-Fitr signifies the end of the month-long Ramzan fast observed by Muslims, during which they abstain from food and drink from sunrise to sunset. The pre-dawn meal, known as suhur, and the meal consumed after sunset, known as iftar, are the only times Muslims can eat during the holy month. Throughout Ramadan, Muslims practice self-restraint and spiritual reflection, and engage in acts of charity.

On Friday, President Droupadi Murmu extended her warm greetings to the citizens on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr and urged everyone to take a pledge to promote brotherhood and harmony in society.

Muslims offer 'Eid' prayers at Jama Masjid in Old Delhi on Saturday.(HT Photo/Raj K Raj)

"Eid signifies the end of the holy month of Ramadan, spreading love, compassion and affection. The festival conveys a message of solidarity and mutual harmony," the statement issued by Rashtrapati Bhavan quoted the President as saying.

In the national capital, the prayer timing for Eid-ul-Fitr was scheduled at 6:09 AM, and numerous Muslims congregated at the Jama Masjid to offer their prayers.

Celebrations across world

Muslims across the globe celebrate Eid-Ul-Fitr with prayers followed by a sermon soon after dawn.

-Eid Ul-Fitr in Ethiopia was celebrated on a grand scale as people gathered to offer greetings.

-Muslims in Palestine did namaz for Eid in front of the Al-Aqsa mosque.

-The courtyard of Aya Sofia mosque, Istanbul inTurkey was filled with numerous visitors from all over the world. The moment was adorable as it narrated the submission of devotees to Allah.

-Sudan's army has declared a three-day ceasefire in areas affected by the ongoing civil war, allowing citizens to observe Eid al-Fitr and ensuring the flow of essential humanitarian services. The announcement follows a week of intense fighting, with explosions shaking the capital city, Khartoum, for seven consecutive days

Massive crowd of devotees on Eid-ul-Fitr at Jama Masjid in Delhi on Saturday.(HT Photo/ Raj K Raj)

Significance

Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan and the start of a new spiritual journey, also signifying the beginning of a new Islamic year. It is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the tenth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The sighting of the moon is essential for ending the month-long Ramadan fast and celebrating Eid, which typically takes place on different days across various regions, with a one-day difference.

Moon sighting holds significant importance in Islamic culture, with Prophet Muhammad himself waiting for news of sightings of the crescent moon as it marked the start of a new month. During Eid, Muslims wear new clothes, give alms to the poor, distribute sweets, and indulge in traditional dishes, while children receive gifts and money from their elders known as Eidi.

(With inputs from agencies)

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The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Saturday successfully launched its PSLV-C55/TeLEOS-2 mission, sending two Singapore-made satellites into the space. The launch vehicle lifted off at its scheduled 2:19 pm launch time from Isro's Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota, at the end of a 22.5-hour countdown. The mission marks 57th flight of the space agency's PSLV vehicle (Image courtesy: ANI)

Here is all you need to know about the mission:

(1.) It is a dedicated commercial mission undertaken by ISRO through NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), the space agency's commercial arm.

(2.) Of the two satellites, TeLEOS-2 is the primary one, and Lumelite-4, the co-passenger.' These weight about 741 kg and 16 kg respectively.

(3.) TeLEOS-2 has been developed under a partnership between the Government of Singapore and Singapore Technologies Engineering Limited. Once deployed and operational, it will support the satellite imagery requirements of various agencies under the Government of Singapore.

(4.) Lumelite-4, on the other hand, has been co-developed by the Institute for Infocomm Research and the National University of Singapore. It aims to augment the city-state's maritime safety.

(5.) The mission also marks the 57th flight of the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). The rocket will place the two satellites into an eastward inclincation orbit.

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Among the devotees who lined up on Thursday morning to pay obeisance and seek blessings from Siddhalinga Mahaswamy at the Siddaganga Mutt, a place of reverence especially for the Lingayat community, was Gowrishankar Swamy, a sitting legislator of the Janata Dal (Secular) from the Tumkur Rural constituency. The leaders across the political spectrum have been making a beeline for seeking approval from the Mutts. (PTI)

Swamy, who filed his nomination later in the day, got relief from the Supreme Court this week, after it stayed the Karnataka high courts order last month, disqualifying him for distributing fake insurance bonds to voters in the previous assembly election. The stopover at the Mutt before he filed his nomination was par for the course as most leaders in the state are known to seek blessings from seers and pontiffs before any important or auspicious event.

Political parties visiting Mutts has been part of electioneering in Karnataka. This time, since the Congress and the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) are fighting a pitched battle and the JD(S) is trying to retain its vote bank, there is a more concerted effort by political leaders to find favour with the Mutts and the pontiffs, said a local resident and devotee, not wishing to be named.

Within the precincts of the Mutt, which was set up in the 13th century by Sri Gosala Siddheshwara, there is acknowledgement of political leaders queuing up for blessings and support, but Mutt officials are adamant about being non-partisan. We do not get involved. It is up to people to vote for who they want, an office bearer said, seeking anonymity. The officials also take umbrage at being seen as a Lingayat only Mutt.

Officials point to the work the Mutt does in imparting education to 40,000 students, providing board and lodging to about 10,000, and carrying out social services.

This place belongs to all; there is no caste, no religion that is favoured here, the office bearer said. The pontiffs visit to former chief minister BS Yediyurappas residence earlier this year to hosting political leaders from across the spectrum, from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, was an illustration of the Mutt being equidistant from all political parties, he pointed out.

Pivotal role

In the state where the ruling BJP is accused of using religion to drive its politics, there is a perception that seers and Mutt leaders play a pivotal role in shaping the discourse. It is no surprise then that leaders make a beeline for seeking approval from the Mutts. To be sure, the Mutts are coveted by all political parties, including the Congress and the JD(S).

The BJP, which is battling the perception that it has loosened its hold over the Lingayat vote bank, has bolstered its outreach as senior leaders have been visiting Mutts and announcing aid. Prime Minister Modi visited the Siddhaganga Mutt, while Union home minister Amit Shah visited the Sri Adichunchanagiri Mutt, a place of reverence for the Vokaligga community that the BJP is trying hard to woo.

Party president JP Nadda since January has visited a clutch of Mutts in Tumakuru, Davangere and Chitradurga districts to woo the scheduled caste, Lingayat and Vokaligga communities.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, too, has had stopovers to elicit support from the seers. In August last year, Gandhi paid a visit to the Murugha Mutt in Chitradurga. The party was buoyed when the Haveri Hosamata seer commented about his prospects of becoming a Prime Minister like his father and grandmother.

For the BJP, the outreach to the Mutts redoubled after Dingaleshwar Swamy of the Balehosur Mutt made a stinging comment about graft in the state. In April last year, the Lingayat seer created a stir with his comment that there is rampant corruption in the state and the Mutts, too, have to pay a commission of 30% to get grants sanctioned for them. Although the BJP was quick to deny the allegations, there was palpable concern within the party on the fallout that the statement could have for the party in the polls.

Doles and favours

While Mutts and seers have played a key role in influencing the electorate, it was the Lingaayat strongman, Yediyurappa, who started the practice of generous doles and favours to the Mutts, a BJP leader said.

In 2013, when BS Yediyurappa quit the party fold, there was drop in support for the BJP among the Lingayats. That time, several Mutt leaders had indicated that the move would not augur well for the party, and so it did. In 2018, too, there was a perception of distance between the party and the mutts over several issues, including grants, the BJP leader said, speaking on condition of anonymity. This time, the party took no chances and ensured that there is no scope for disengagement, given their role as influencers.

In March, the state government allocated 1,000 crore for the development and renovation of temples in addition to grants for some of them. Presenting the budget, chief Minister BS Bommai announced the construction of a Ram temple in Ramanagaram district to woo voters considered as the vote bank of the Congress and the JD(S).

The partys outreach programme, the Vijay Sankalp yatra, was started from the Jnana Yogaashram in north Karnataka and the Siddaganga Mutt in Tumkur. Both are places of reverence for the Lingayats.

The Lingayat Mutts are considered to have more clout in the state, although their followers are not restricted to a single community. In Karnataka, Mutts are inclusive spaces, given the work they do in the fields of social service, health care and education. Therefore, they have a wider reach among other communities as well, the BJP leader said.

Political parties try to elicit support of the Mutts through promises to buttress their work in these areas by providing financial and logistical support.

Among the Mutts that are counted as influential are the Siddhaganga Mutt, the Suttur Mutt in Mysore, which is considered a place of reverence for the VeeraShiva-Lingayat community, the Kanaka Guru Peetha in Haveri district, revered by the Kuruba community that is counted as the vote bank tank of the Congress .

In Chitradurga, the Muruga Mutt that had been at the forefront of seeking to dismantle social restrictions imposed on the so-called lower castes, is now embroiled in a controversy after the chief pontiff was arrested following charges of sexual misconduct.

In Udupi, Sri Krishna Mutt was a big draw for political leaders, particularly of the BJP, for its support to the Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

Mutts are often very subtle in their messaging. It is not always that they will come out with political statements; they largely confined their concerns to social issues, the BJP leader said. However, there have been instances of Mutt leaders and seers issuing statements on issues such as reservation, like the Panchamasali Mutts Jagadguru Basava Jaya Mrityunjaya Swami had spoken for 15% reservation for the Panchamas community.

Although the Mutts largely refrain from taking political positions, there have been instances of seers asserting their demands and preferences. In 2017, for instance, when the Lingayats sought to be denoted as a separate religion, their agitation was supported by Siddalinga Swami of Tontadarya Mutt, Gadag, and Muruga Sharanaru of Bruhan Mutt, Chitradurga, among others.

Challenges and pitfalls

The dependence on seers and Mutts come with challenges and pitfalls. In the event of a controversy surrounding the Mutt or it leader, it becomes difficult for political parties to sidestep the issues. Its a conflict and leaders have to strike a balance between the devotees and law enforcement agencies, acknowledged the BJP leader.

In Chitradurga, at the Muruga Mutt spread between two lakes, there is a palpable distress over the disrepute that the charges against the pontiff, Shivamurthy Murugha, have brought to the centuries-old institution that runs educational institutions and hostels.

There is no denying that the influence of the Mutt has dipped. Earlier, the Mutt was considered one of the oldest and most reputed. Now, people feel a sense of shame, said a functionary of the Mutt, not wishing to be named.

Officials at the Mutt are hopeful that the government that has recently appointed a bureaucrat as administrator of the Mutt will pave the way for the appointment of a new pontiff.

Since Mutts exert influence on groups as the other backward classes, Dalits and the two powerful groups, the Vokaligas and Lingayats, it has become imperative for parties to ensure their support, said SC Natikar, professor of sociology at the Karnataka University, Dharwad.

Each community has its own mutt, and there is a tendency among the followers to follow the cue of the pontiff and the seers, Natikar said. Though these Mutts claim to be apolitical, there is evident support for parties by various Mutts.

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Kerala has been put on high alert after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office received a threat letter against the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The letter, which contained the name and other details of the sender, threatened a suicide attack during Modi's visit to Kochi scheduled for April 24. PM Modi will hold discussions with Christian religious leaders during Kerala visit.(ANI)

Police have identified the man mentioned in the letter, but he has denied any involvement claiming that his name was used by his opponents to frame him. Security measures have, however, been tightened and central probe agencies have sought additional details.

Meanwhile, a letter from the Additional Director General of Police outlining security drills was leaked to the media. The ADGP's letter also highlighted several other serious threat perceptions, including one from the banned Popular Front of India (PFI). Minister of State for external affairs M Muraleedharan, who hails from Kerala, raised concern over the leak, calling it a serious lapse on the part of the state police.

BJP state chief K. Surendran has maintained that all scheduled functions will take place.

Modi is expected to arrive on April 24 in Kochi and the following day in Thiruvananthapuram to inaugurate the state's first Vande Bharat Express.

Detailing the Prime Minister's programme during his visit, Surendran had earlier said that the top BJP leader will conduct a roadshow and address a public meeting.

"Prime Minister's visit to Kerala will give impetus to the state's development. There is a great expectation among the people of Kerala for this visit. PM Modi will hold a road show. People will come voluntarily to receive him. 'Yuvam' will be the conference that would mark the beginning of Kerala's political change. The youth who want the development of Kerala beyond party politics will participate in this," he said at a press conference.
Union Minister takes jibe at Kerala govt on letter threatening PM Narendra Modi Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan took a jibe at the Kerala government on Saturday after a report by the Additional Director General of Police on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security that outlined security drills and highlighted serious threat perceptions was leaked to the media. Read more V Muraleedharan (Sonu Mehta/HT PHOTO)

AAP MP Sanjay Singh serves notice to ED: Public apology within 48 hrs, else

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh has served legal notice to the Enforcement Directorate, accusing the agency of popularising a 'false, malicious campaign against the Rajya Sabha member's alleged involvement in the Delhi Excise Policy. It sought a public apology within 48 hours, or else face criminal proceedings. Read more

Pooja Hegde's floral anarkali for outing in Mumbai is the traditional wear fix your summer wardrobe needs

Actor Pooja Hegde's sartorial choices can be best described as effortless, relatable and fuss-free. So it comes as no surprise that the Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan actor's off-duty wardrobe exemplifies the same. Read more

Palak Tiwari reveals she has ek tarfa pyaar for her mother Shweta Tiwari: Its not 50-50'

Palak Tiwari joined the industry as an actor like her mother Shweta Tiwari. She makes her film debut with the Salman Khan-starrer Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan which released on the occasion of Eid on April 21. Shweta has been working in TV and films for over two decades now. Read more

2, W, W, W1, W1, 0: Mohit Sharma triggers LSG's unreal final over collapse for GT's sensational comeback win - Watch

The Lucknow Super Giants looked set for a cruising victory by the end of the 18th over of the chase against Gujarat Titans; the side needed 17 runs to win off 12 deliveries in a 136-run chase. However, the Titans lived up to their defending champions tag, as India's two senior bowlers  Mohammed Shami and Mohit Sharma  bowling brilliant final two overs to secure a 7-run win for the Titans. Read more

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West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday urged all Muslims to unite and ensure that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre is defeated in the Lok Sabha elections next year. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. (Samir Jana/HT photo)

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief, who was addressing Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations at Red Road in Kolkata, also claimed that some people are trying to divide the country through politics of hate and said she is ready to give her life but will not allow a division of the country.

They are saying thok do, thok do. What thok do? If we get united, they will lose their chair. Next year, around this time, we would change the chair (at the Centre), she said, in an apparent reference to the BJP.

In one years time, elections will be held to decide who will come to power in our country. Let us promise that we will unite and fight against the divisive forces. We must ensure that all of us together vote them out in the next polls. If we fail to protect democracy, then everything will be finished, she added.

The chief minister also urged overseas and NRIs voters to return to the country ahead of next years elections. Those who work outside, must return (to the country) to vote in the 2024 elections, she said.

Some people are taking money from the BJP and saying they would divide the Muslim votes. I am telling them that they dont have the guts, she added.

Alleging that some people are trying to divide the country and practice politics o f hate, Banerjee said: I am ready to give my life but will not allow any division of the country.

We want peace, we dont want riots. We have to put up a fight against the traitors and money-power agencies. I am ready to fight. I have the guts to fight and I am not ready to bow down, she said.

Banerjee also asserted that she will not allow the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC). They are again trying to bring back the NRC. I dont know about other states but wont allow it, she said.

The BJP hit out at the chief minister, whom they often accused of indulging in Muslim appeasement.

The chief minister is using the auspicious day of Eid-ul-Fitr, when Muslims pray for the well being of everyone, for political gains. The Muslims should never forgive her for maligning this sacred day, senior BJP leader Rahul Sinha said.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday launched a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and All India Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) while addressing a gathering for Eid-ul-Fitr namaz in Kolkata. Without naming anyone, Banerjee said she has to fight central probe agencies too while fighting against the money power of her political opponents. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee addresses a gathering for Eid-ul-Fitr namaz.

Emphasizing her commitment to maintaining peace and unity in the state, the chief minister asserted she did not want riots or divisions in the country and promised to do everything in her power to prevent such occurrences.

We want peace in Bengal. We don't want riots. We want peace. We don't want divisions in the country. Some people are trying to divide the country and practise politics of hate ... I am ready to give my life but will not allow any division of the country, Banerjee said.

"I am ready to fight the money power (of her political opponents), and (central) agencies (which her party alleges has been unleashed on TMC with a political motive), but I will not bow my head," she said.

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo also claimed some political parties were trying to divide Muslim votes to help the BJP, assuring the gathering that she would not let it happen. In 2021, Banerjee warned against an alleged split in minority votes in state assembly elections after AIMIM's entry into West Bengal. She had then referred to AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi as a friend of BJP from Hyderabad.

Someone takes money from BJP and says that they will divide Muslim votes. I tell them that they don't have the courage to divide Muslim votes for BJP, she told the gathering.

"In one year's time, elections will be held to decide who will come to power in our country. Let us promise that we will unite and fight against divisive forces. We must ensure that all of us together vote them out in the next polls. If we fail to protect democracy, then everything will be finished."

The chief minister's words were met with applause and appreciation from the gathered audience. to

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Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday said that "there is no crisis" in the state BJP. Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh (File Photo)

He said one minister had taken a leave of absence, and three more are having medical treatment in Delhi.

"There is no crisis. One minister has taken a leave of absence from me, he went to Indore. Three of them are having medical treatment in Delhi. That's all. Everyone attended the (party) meeting," CM Biren Singh told reporters.

On April 20, BJP MLA Paonam Brojen Singh from Wangjing Tentha Assembly Constituency tendered his resignation as Chairman of Manipur Development Society.

He was the third BJP MLA to resign from the administrative post in the past few weeks. He said he resigned due to "some personal grounds".

"I tender my resignation from the post of chairman of Manipur Development Society (MDS) due to some personal grounds," Brojen stated in his resignation letter submitted to CM Biren Singh.

Earlier, on April 17, BJP MLA from Manipur's Langthabal Assembly constituency, Karam Shyam, resigned from the Chairman post of the Tourism Corporation of Manipur.

Shyam who tendered his resignation letter to the state's Chief Minister Singh alleged of not been assigned any responsibility as the Chairman of the Tourism Corporation of Manipur.

Prior to that BJP MLA Thokchom Radheshyam Singh resigned as the adviser to Manipur's CM on April 13. In his resignation letter, Radheshyam also complained of not being given any responsibility.
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is making elaborate preparations ahead of his much-publicised trip to India next month, saying he needs to do home-work before embarking on the visit. Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal. (REUTERS)

The official date of his visit to India is yet to be announced.

Prachanda could be travelling to New Delhi during the first or the second week of May, a Prime Ministers aide said.

This will be his first foreign trip since he became Nepals Prime Minister in December last year.

Boosting bilateral ties and talks on trade, energy, agriculture, culture, and air service will prominently feature in his talks with Indian leaders.

I am preparing for my upcoming visit to India, which is taking place soon Prachanda said at an event here.

We need to do proper home-work before the visit, the 68-year-old Maoist leader said.

Foreign ministry officials have begun the groundwork for his visit.

Earlier this year, Prachanda announced that he would visit India on his first foreign trip after assuming the post.

In July last year, Prachanda visited India at the invitation of BJP National President J P Nadda.

In addition to the BJP president, he had at the time met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Prachanda was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time on December 26 last year after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader K P Sharma Oli.
Northern Army commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Saturday visited the site of the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch district where five Indian soldiers were killed. He reviewed the ongoing operations and security situation at ground zero. Northern Army chief Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi at Tota Gali in Poonch sector (HT Photo/Sourced)

Lt Gen Dwivedi reviewed the operational situation after the incident of Thursday 23. He was briefed on the actions undertaken so far and exhorted the troops to be steadfast in their resolve, Northern Command wrote on Twitter.

A massive search operation by the army, Jammu and Kashmir police and paramilitary forces is being carried out to track down the terrorists responsible for Thursdays attack in the Tota Gali area.

At least five soldiers were killed and another was injured after a truck carrying fruits and other eatables for an Iftar party, was ambushed by heavily armed terrorists at Tota Gali on Thursday.

Also Read: 5 soldiers killed, one injured as terrorists ambush army truck in Poonch

The incident took place when the vehicle was moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot in Poonch.

People familiar with the matter and close to the security establishment told HT that on Thursday, the attackers, believed to be five to seven in numbers, fired 32 bullet rounds, including rounds of 7.62 mm steel core bullets, rocket-propelled grenades and used sticky bombs before fleeing from the spot.

The sticky bombs were probably planted on the fuel tank by the terrorists. Two pins of Chinese hand grenades were also recovered from the site of the attack. There is also a possibility that Pakistani terrorists may have been involved in this attack said the people.

Police have also detained around a dozen suspects since Thursday to get some clues about the attackers.

It may be stated that the army, police and paramilitary forces are scanning the dense jungles of Bhata Dhurian, including Narkhas and have pressed into service around 2,000 soldiers, including commandoes in the searches.

Drones, sniffer dogs and helicopters are also being utilized to catch hold of the terrorists, said the people quoted above.
One the five jawans who made the supreme sacrifice in the terror attack in the Poonch district of Jammu and Kashmir, Lance Naik Kulwant Singh met a heroic end like his father who lost his life in the Kargil conflict in 1999. Kulwant is survived by a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a three-month-old son, who reside at Chadik village in Punjab's Moga.(source:Twitter/@raghav_chadha)

He had joined the army in 2010, 11 years after his father made the supreme sacrifice in the heights of Kargil.

Also Read | Army truck ambushed in Poonch was carrying iftar fruits; village to skip Eid celebrations

"Before leaving home, he told me that he would be fine and asked me not to worry," Lance Naik Kulwant Singh's mother told ANI.

Kulwant is survived by a one-and-a-half-year-old daughter and a three-month-old son, who reside at Chadik village in Moga.

The sarpach of the village said since Kulwant was the sole bread-winner of the family, the government should come forward to extend all help to his family.

"Kulwant Singh was the only bread-winner of the family and he laid down his life in Kargil. The government should come forward and help his family," Gurcharan Singh, the sarpanch, told ANI.

An Army vehicle passing between Bhimber Gali and Poonch in the Rajouri sector was fired upon by unidentified terrorists on Thursday, the army said in a statement. The vehicle caught fire due to the likely use of grenades by suspected LeT terrorists, the army added in its statement.

Five personnel of the Rashtriya Rifles deployed for counterterrorism operations in the area lost their lives in the incident, the Army said.

Following the attack, the army launched a massive operation on Friday to hunt down a group of around six to seven terrorists, which it said was behind the ambush.

"The Army and security agencies have received inputs about the presence of 6-7 terrorists operating in two groups in the Rajouri-Poonch sector near the area where the incident took place yesterday," a defence source told ANI.

"Multiple special forces teams along with drones and surveillance helicopters have been rushed to the area to help carry out search-and-destroy operations there," the source said.

The security forces, including the army, police and intelligence agencies, are coordinating the operations.

"More details are being ascertained about their route of ingress into the area. The search is being conducted extensively in the area where multiple cave-type natural structures are present," said the source.
The hunt for terrorists responsible for the Poonch attack in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday, which led to the deaths of five Rashtriya Rifles jawans, entered the second day on Saturday, with senior officers in the security establishment visiting the border district. Army Commander Northern Command Lt General Upendra Dwivedi in Bhata Dhurian area of Poonch on Saturday. (PTI)

Northern Army commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, Border Security Force director general SL Thaosen and additional director general of police Mukesh Singh visited the spot of the attack in Tota Gali area of the district on Saturday, besides National Security Guard officials.

Five soldiers were killed and another was seriously injured when terrorists, believed to be five to seven in number, ambushed their truck that later caught fire.

A preliminary probe has revealed that the truck was on its way to Sangiote from Bhimber Gali to transport fruits and other eatables for an iftar party that was supposed to be hosted by the Armys Rashtriya Rifles unit at 7pm that evening, officials said.

Lt Gen Dwivedi reviewed the operational situation after the incident of Thursday. He was briefed on the actions undertaken so far and exhorted the troops to be steadfast in their resolve, the Northern Command said on Twitter after Lt Gen Dwivedis visit.

The BSF DG also reviewed the deployment of the force along border areas, a spokesperson for the force said.

DG BSF was briefed by DIG BSF Rajouri. He reviewed the overall deployment of BSF and also domination plan on forward defence locations, the spokesperson said.

Thaosen was accompanied by PV Rama Sastry, ADG Western Command; DK Boora, IG, BSF Jammu, and other senior police and CRPF officers.

While no arrests have been made so far, 14 people were detained for questioning, officials said, adding that some of them have been let off.

Officials believe at least five to seven terrorists affiliated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba were involved in the planning and execution of the attack.

The attackers fired 32 rounds, including some of 7.62 mm steel core bullets that penetrate armour and rocket propelled grenades, and used sticky bombs before fleeing the spot, officials said.

The sticky bombs were probably planted on the fuel tank by the fleeing terrorists. Two pins of Chinese hand grenades were also recovered from the site of attack. There is also a possibility that Pakistani terrorists may have been involved in this attack, one of the officials said requesting anonymity.

Teams of the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir police, and paramilitary forces are scanning the dense jungles of Bhata Dhurian, and have pressed into service around 2,000 personnel for the searches, officials said.

The cordon-and-search operation is going on in large areas of Bhata Dhurian-Tota Gali and neighbouring areas to hunt down the terrorists involved in the attack. Multiple security agencies are engaged in the operation, PTI quoted an officer as saying.

The entire area has been cordoned off, the officer said, adding that drones and sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service.

As a mark of respect for the soldiers, the residents of Sangiote and Bhata Dhurian in the district refrained from festivities on Eid on Saturday.

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While the country is celebrating 'Eid-ul-Fitr' on Saturday, there is a village in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch which has decided to give it a miss. Reason: Sangiote village was the destination of the Indian Army truck which was ambushed on Thursday, leaving five soldiers attached with the Rashtriya Rifles dead. The truck was carrying fruits and other items for an iftar gathering meant to be held in Sagiote later on Thursday evening, The Indian Express reported. The Indian Army truck which was targeted by terrorists in Poonch on Thursday. (ANI)

The report added that the truck transported materials from the Basooni headquarters of the Rashtriya Rifles located in Balakote. Also, the vehicle collected additional items during its journey from the Bhimber Gali area, where the Rashtriya Rifles has a significant presence due to the movement of Army convoys between Poonch and Rajouri.

Also Read: At least 7 LeT terrorists behind Poonch attack

Sarpanch of the Sangiote panchayat Mukhtiaz Khan, who was was among those invited for the iftar, told the newspaper: Kya iftar jab hamare paanch jawan uss unfortunate haadse mein shaheed ho gaye (what iftar fast when five of our soldiers were martyred in that unfortunate incident).

Watch: Poonch attackers hiding in caves? Indian Army launches manhunt for LeT terrorists from Pak

As soon as we got information about the terror attack from social media groups, a pall of gloom descended on the village, Khan said, adding that the villagers will not celebrate Eid on Saturday, they only offer namaz.

At approximately 3pm, as the loaded vehicle approached its destination, only 7-8 km away and crossed Tota Gali, unidentified terrorists who had set an ambush in advance, launched an attack on the vehicle from various directions, as stated in the report.

12 detained; drones, sniffer dogs, MI chopper used in manhunt

At least 12 people were detained on Friday for questioning in connection with the deadly ambush of five army soldiers in the dense forest area of Bata Doriya even as a MI helicopter, drones and sniffer dogs were pressed into service in a massive manhunt for the perpetrators.

Officials said those detained were being questioned at various levels by the security forces to ascertain the identity of the terror group, which is believed to be active in the area for more than a year and probably comprises a snipper too.

A day after the attack, director general of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh along with additional director general police Mukesh Singh was camping in the neighbouring Rajouri district to oversee the investigation.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team headed by a deputy inspector general rank officer was also present as the agency is likely to take over the case.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Days after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma lauded his Punjab counterpart Bhagwant Mann for the action against fugitive pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh and his outfit Waris Punjab De, Union home minister Amit Shah also praised the Punjab government for doing a good job in the matter. Fugitive pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh and Union home minister Amit Shah

The Punjab government did good work. The Centre is also cooperating, Shah said at India Today's Karnataka Roundtable 2023 on Saturday.

When asked why the Waris Punjab De chief is yet to be arrested, Shah replied, "There is no Khalistani wave in Punjab We are monitoring the situation very closely. No one can attack India's unity and sovereignty. This may happen some time (his arrest). Earlier, he used to roam freely, but now he can't carry on with his activities."

On March 18, the Punjab Police had launched a massive crackdown against Amritpal and the members of his 'Waris Punjab De' outfit. While several of his associates, including his mentor-cum-aide Papalpreet Singh, have been arrested, Amritpal is still at large.

On Thursday, the radical preacher's wife Kirandeep Kaur was stopped from boarding a flight to London at the Sri Guru Ram Dass International Airport here.

She was questioned by the immigration authorities and some other officials for more than three hours and thereafter, asked to return along with some relatives who had come to see her off at the airport. Singh married Kaur, a UK-based Non-Resident Indian, on February 10.

Shah also said the Narendra Modi government wouldn't tolerate attacks on Indian high commissions.

"We have made the NIA that capable that they can probe if there is any conspiracy against India on foreign soil. Delhi Police registered a case and launched a probe and a report from the Indian High Commission was also received. Based on that, we have handed the probe to the NIA," the home minister told the news channel.

On March 19, a group of Khalistan supporters demonstrated outside the Indian High Commission in London, sloganeering with flags and posters of Amritpal Singh. The posters, with Singhs photo, said FreeAmritpalSingh, WeWantJustice, WeStandWithAmritpalSingh.

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US President Joe Biden is looking forward to his visit to India in September for G-20 Summit, his administrations point person for South and Central Asia has said. Noting that 2024 is going to be a big year for the India-US relationship, Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, said in an interview that India's leadership in the G-20 further broadens its capacity to stand as a force for good in the world. US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi(AP)

This is gonna be a big year. Of course, India is hosting the G-20. This year, the United States is hosting APEC. Japan is hosting the G7. We have lots of our QUAD members who are taking on leadership roles. And it provides opportunities for all of us to bring our countries closer together, Donald Lu told PTI in an interview on Thursday.

I know our President is looking forward to travelling to India in September. That will be his first trip to India as part of the G-20 Leaders Summit. We're really excited about what's to come in the next few months, he said.

We're only a little over three months into this new year. And we've had a number of really exciting things that happened, he said, referring to the recent visit of US Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Lu also mentioned the recent arrival of the new US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, who filled a key diplomatic position that has been vacant for more than two years. The controversial former Los Angeles mayor won his tumultuous bid to become US ambassador to India last month after his nomination got stalled over criticism of his handling of sexual harassment allegations against an aide.

"He has already received a really warm welcome from our Indian and American staff at the US Embassy. Once he presents his credentials, he is looking forward to meeting with the rest of India and I think India will find that he is young, he is enthusiastic, and he's eager to bring our relations to new heights, Lu said.

Lu emphasized the importance of the G-20 as a powerful forum where the world's leading economies can come together to respond to global challenges such as food security, health, energy insecurity, climate change, and unsustainable debt. India as the president of the G-20 has been taking a lead in advancing a positive agenda for the G-20.

In March Dr Jaishankar hosted his QUAD counterparts for a ministerial meeting and extraordinary public events at the Raisina Dialogue with all four foreign ministers together. It was the first such public discussion with QUAD foreign ministers and really drove home how our four countries are coming together to support the people of the Indo-Pacific, he said.

(With PTI inputs)

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified from the Lok Sabha last month following his conviction in a 2019 defamation case, on Saturday said he was paying the price for speaking the truth as he vacated his government bungalow and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhis residence in the national capital. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi locks the doors of the government bungalow at 12 Tuglak Lane in New Delhi on Saturday. (Vipin Kumar/HT photo)

The former MP from Keralas Wayanad was allotted the government bungalow at 12 Tughlak Lane after he won from Amethi in the 2004 Lok Sabha elections. He had started shifting his belongings on April 14 to Sonia Gandhis residence at 10 Janpath.

Also read | 'Such disdain': Amit Malviya on Rahul Gandhi video; 'Waste', reacts Congress

The people of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years. I want to thank them. There is a price for speaking the truth these days. Whatever the cost, I will pay it, he said, adding he would continue to raise issues of price rise and corruption with double the force.

On March 27, the Lok Sabha secretariat had asked Rahul to vacate his official residence by April 22 after he was disqualified from the Lower House on March 24. A day later, Rahul said he will abide by the notice.

On Saturday, Rahul, accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, vacated the bungalow and handed over the keys to the Lok Sabha officials.

I have no problem even if it has been snatched away from me. This house was given to me by the people of India. I will stay with the former Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) at 10 Janpath for some time and then find some other way, Rahul said.

After a politician ceases to be a member of either House, the official accommodation allotted to him is withdrawn, but the period of time taken in sending an eviction notice is often much longer. Congress leaders earlier pointed out that some leaders, such as Ghulam Nabi Azad who retired from the Rajya Sabha in 2022, still retain their official bungalow.

Rahul ji spoke the truth about the government, thats why all this is happening with him. But Rahul ji is very courageous, he is not afraid, will not be afraid and will continue the struggle, Priyanka said.

Party general secretary KC Venugopal, who was also present at the spot during the handover, said, They can give this house to anyone now. The way the (Narendra) Modi government and (Union home minister) Amit Shah is targeting Rahul Gandhi is political vendetta.

A senior Congress leader pointed out that unlike many MPs, Rahul did not seek any extension and had informed the Lok Sabha secretariat that he would vacate the premises.

On March 23, Rahul was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison by a metropolitan magistrates court in Surat in a criminal defamation case for a remark he made ahead of the 2019 general elections about the Modi surname.

Under the law, the conviction and two-year jail term renders Rahul unfit to enter either House of Parliament for a period of eight years. But this can be reversed if he can get the conviction overturned or the sentence reduced to less than two years by a higher court.

On April 20, a sessions court in Surat dismissed Rahuls plea for a stay on his conviction. The Congress has decided to move the high court.
As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday vacated his official bungalow following his disqualification from Parliament, he said he is ready to pay any price for speaking the truth. Rahul Gandhi said the bungalow was given to him by the people of the country and he stayed there for 19 years. "I don't want to stay. No problem that the place where I lived for 19 years has been snatched from me," Rahul Gandhi said as he officially handed over the keys of his Tuglaq lane bungalow. Rahul Gandhi's mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra were also present there as Rahul left his address of 19 years. Rahul Gandhi handover his residence to officials in the presence of Sonia Gandhi Photo Vipin Kumar

"There is a price for telling the truth. I am paying the price," Rahul Gandhi said.

Before leaving, Rahul Gandhi shook hands with the staff, closed the door himself and handed over the key before approaching the journalists and photographers.

"Whatever my brother is saying is the truth. He spoke the truth about the government and that's why all this is happening. But he is very courageous, he never gets scared. He will carry on his fight," Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said.

"Leaving the house is not an issue for Rahul Gandhi, but the way the Modi government is targetting Rahul Gandhi for speaking the truth is political vendetta. Every Indian can now see this -- two-year imprisonment, an immediate disqualification, immediate notice to vacate the house," Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said.

On March 23, a Surat court convicted Rahul Gandhi in a 2019 defamation case for his statement 'how come all thieves have Modi surname in common'. As he was sentenced to two years imprisonment in the case, he was immediately disqualified from the Lok Sabha and was asked to vacate his official bungalow. While Rahul Gandhi appealed against the Surat court order in a higher court, he started the process of shifting on April 14. On April 20, the sessions court rejected Rahul Gandhi's plea for a stay on the conviction.

The party said it will avail of other legal options in the case but in the meantime, Rahul Gandhi vacated his bungalow.

Rahul Gandhi became an MP for the first time in 2004 from his family's Amethi seat. In 2019, Rahul Gandhi lost Amethi to BJP's Smriti Irani, but retained his Lok Sabha membership as he won from Kerala's Wayanad.

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#Peru a 26 anos de la operacion militar de rescate de rehenes en la embajada de #Japon MAS EXITOSA DEL MUNDO! #LoHicimosPorElPeru#HonorDisciplinaYLealtad "Hasta quemar el ultimo cartucho" pic.twitter.com/I76BqirhNf
The Delhi Police on Saturday afternoon clarified that former J&K governor Satyapal Malik has neither been detained nor arrested, after several farmer leaders claimed that Malik was arrested by the Delhi police -- a day after the CBI called him for questioning in an insurance scam. False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram alongwith his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will, the Delhi Police clarified. Satyapal Malik not arrested, 'Came on his own, can leave': Police

On Saturday, a khap panchayat was organised in support of Satyapal Malik in RK Puram but the police cancelled it as there was no permission for the event. Some leaders of the Bhartiya Kisan Union were detained by the police and it was then that Satyapal Malik reached the RK Puram police station.

BKU's Gurnam Singh Charuni issued a video claiming that Malik was arrested. Yesterday, I expressed my apprehension that Satyapal Malik may be taken to task for his statements and his support to the farmers. Then I got to know he has been summoned by the CBI. Today there was a programme in support of Satyapal ji which was cancelled by the police and he was arrested. We too have been arrested. I am getting calls from supporters asking whether they should call for a chakka jam or not in protest. I want to tell them to wait for the time being and maintain peace, Charuni said in the video.

Police said as Satyapal Malik arrived at the police station, he was informed that the khap panchayat could not be held where it was planned.

The panchayat was called by leaders of 36 prominent khaps from Haryana, western UP.

Malik recently made some claims about the 2019's Pulwama attack in an interview. Soon after the interview, he was issued a notice by the CBI for questioning in an insurance case that was reported by him earlier.

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More than 150 people, including foreign diplomats and officials, have been rescued from Sudan and have arrived in Jeddah, Saudi foreign ministry said. The first announced evacuation of civilians was carried out by the Saudi Arabia's naval forces with the support of other branches of the army, the foreign ministry said. Smoke rises over the city as army and paramilitaries clash in power struggle, in Khartoum, Sudan, April 15. (via REUTERS)

It announced "safe arrival" of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countries including India. Citizens from Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philipines, Canada and Burkina Faso have also been evacuated.

The foreigners included "diplomats and (government) officials", the ministry said. Saudi Arabia "worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals" ahead of their departure to their respective countries, it added.

Violence erupted in Sudan last week between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and those of his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. Daglo commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Earlier, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan said that he received calls from leaders of several countries to facilitate and guarantee safety for evacuating citizens and diplomatic missions adding that the evacuations are expected to begin in the coming hours. The United States, Britain, France and China are planning to airlift their nationals using military jets, he informed.

Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo seized power in a 2021 coup. The conflict has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded so far as heavy gunfire from both sides continued in many parts of Sudan's capital Khartoum, AFP reported.

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The Supreme Court on Friday questioned the Tamil Nadu government for invoking the National Security Act (NSA) against a Bihar-based YouTuber Manish Kashyap while issuing notice on his petition challenging the validity of his detention under the said Act. Kashyap is currently lodged at Madurai jail in connection with his videos on fake news about Bihari migrants being killed in Tamil Nadu. Bihar Youtuber Manish Kashyap was arrested under the NSA by Tamil Nadu police earlier in April (File Photo)

The bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dhananjaya Y Chandrachud and Justice PS Narasimha said, Why so much vengeance against this man? You invoke NSA for this? At the request of Kashyaps lawyer who alleged harassment of being moved from one place to another in connection with several cases lodged against him over the same social media post, the Court directed the state not to move him out from Madurai jail.

We direct that the petitioner be not moved from the Central Prison Madurai, the bench said. The Court further posted the hearing on April 18.

Also Read: Mr Sibal, why NSA for this?: CJI to Tamil Nadu govt over YouTuber Manish Kashyaps fake videos

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for the Tamil Nadu government argued that Kashyap was not being punished for his post alone. Sibal said that the man claiming to be a journalist is a politician who has contested elections. He came to the state to interview people and circulated videos on social media where he has 60 lakh followers.

They want to benefit in Tamil Nadu by raising this pitch. He was arrested for the interviews he conducted here, Sibal said.

Kashyap had on April 5 appeared before the Madurai district court that ordered that he be remanded in judicial custody for 15 days, following which he was detained by Tamil Nadu police under the NSA Act and sent to Madurai central prison.

Kashyap had approached the Supreme Court to club all first information reports (FIR) against him and preferred having the cases transferred to Patna where he resides. The Bihar government also appeared before the Court and submitted that the petitioner is a habitual offender who is facing eight criminal cases in the state.

The bench told the two state governments that it was interested to transfer all FIRs to be probed in one place. The drift of all his posts is the same that Bihar migrants are being killed in Tamil Nadu. We are not going to quash the prosecution. Let all cases be probed by one agency, the bench noted.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government in Telangana on Saturday appealed to the Centre to revoke its proposal to privatise the Medak Ordnance Factory, which has been playing a critical role in the countrys defence. Telangana government urges Centre not to privatise Medak Ordnance Factory. (ANI)

In a letter written to Union defence minister Rajnath Singh, state finance and health minister T Harish Rao, who represents Siddipet assembly -- which is part of Medak parliamentary constituency, said it was unfortunate that the Centre had decided to privatise all seven ordnance factories across the country.

These facilities play a critical role in the national defence and privatisation could have significant negative consequences for both the countrys security and the livelihood of thousands of employees who work in these factories, he said.

Quoting a representation given to him by the Ayudha Karmagara Telangana Employees Samakhya (Federation of Telangana employees of the ordnance factory), Rao said privatising seven public sector organizations in the defence sector could lead to competition that could hinder the development of new weapons and undermine the Make in India initiative.

He also noted that the Medak Ordnance Factory had sufficient work for its staff during the previous financial year 2022-23 and it had achieved the target of production worth 930 crore by March 31, 2023. It was prepared to achieve any target, if sufficient workload was provided, he said.

Unfortunately, there is no sufficient workload for the 2023-24 and there is a threat of declaring the only Ordnance Factory in Telangana as sick industry in the coming years, he said.

The minister presented six demands to the defence minister including rolling back the decision to privatize defence sector enterprises, strengthening research departments, modernizing the mission, providing skill training to employees, simplifying administration and procurement procedures, and ordering work for the Ordnance Factory in line with Army requirements.

He said there were growing concerns about the impact of privatisation on Indias defence sector, with some experts warning that privatisation could lead to a loss of strategic autonomy and put the countrys security at risk.

In view of the strategic importance of the ordnance factories and the potential negative impact of their privatization, we request the Centre to withdraw its decision to privatise these critical facilities, Rao said in the letter to Singh.

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The Indian National Congress posted a video on Saturday on Twitter hinting at peace between Karnataka Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah and state party president DK Shivakumar. Tweeting the video, Congress said, Together, we can and we will emerge victorious. The video shows while Shivakumar fixing the pocket of Siddaramaiah's attire as the duo posed for photos. (Twitter/INCIndia)

The video shows while Shivakumar fixing the pocket of Siddaramaiah's attire as the duo posed for photos.

There have been speculation about a widening rift between the two top leaders of the Congress in Karnataka. The tussle gave BJP an advantage as the principal opposition has been busy with its problems and has been unable to capitalise on the piling charges of corruption, distortion of history and mal-administration under Basavaraj Bommai, people aware of the developments said.

The rife between the two leaders for being the chief ministerial candidate is a known secret in Karnataka. This had also fuelled the infighting between the two camps, forcing others to identify with either one of them ahead of the elections.

Siddaramaiah, in a recent interview, had said that the upcoming Karnataka elections will be his last assembly election.

Recently, Siddaramaiah had also called a news report  stating that he said the Congress party should not consider Shivakumar for the CM post if they want to win  totally false.

The two leaders, in February, also took separate bus tours in northern and southern parts of the state which reignited rumours that all was still not well within the party. The two then decided to have a joint bus tour after the intervention of the party high command.

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Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan took a jibe at the Kerala government on Saturday after a report by the Additional Director General of Police on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's security that outlined security drills and highlighted serious threat perceptions was leaked to the media. Muraleedharan said, This is a serious incident. If the intelligence ADGPs report leaked and reached to media, it shows the easy approach of the state government which is responsible for ensuring the security of the Prime minister.

This is a serious incident. If the intelligence ADGPs report leaked and reached to media, it shows the easy approach of the state government which is responsible for ensuring the security of the Prime minister, Muraleedharan said as reported by news agency ANI.

The letter, which was leaked, also showed a threat from the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

Kerala has been put on high alert after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office received a threat letter against the upcoming visit of PM Modi. The letter, which contained the name and other details of the sender, threatened a suicide attack during Modi's visit to Kochi, which has been scheduled for April 24.

While the police identified the man mentioned in the letter, he denied any involvement claiming that his name was being used by his opponents to frame him. Security measures have, however, been tightened and central probe agencies have sought additional details.

Modi is set to arrive in Kochi on April 24 and will be inaugurating the state's first Vande Bharat Express on the following day in Thiruvananthapuram.

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Violence erupted in West Bengals Uttar Dinajpur on Saturday after a 17-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered by a 20-year-old man, who was among two people arrested, police officials said. Security personnel try to control the situation after violent protests by locals over the death of a minor girl, in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, on Saturday. (PTI)

Local residents in Kaliaganj area blocked roads and set shops on fire, prompting police to fire tear gas shells and use stun grenades to disperse the crowd, the officials said. The two sides had also clashed on Friday night, hours after the minors body was recovered from near a pond, with police firing tear gas shells and resorting to lathicharge to maintain law and order.

The incident and violence also triggered a political row after a purported video of police dragging the body of the minor went viral on social media. HT could not independently confirm the authenticity of the video.

Also read | Bengal likely to receive light rain in 24 hours, temp below 40 C in most parts

According to police, the minor had gone missing on Thursday and her body was found near the pond on Friday. A bottle of poison was also found on the spot, they said.

As news of the incident spread, an irate mob blocked roads with burning tyres. They also clashed with police after the latter reached the spot. Police resorted to firing tear gas shells and lathicharge to disperse the crowd.

My daughter was raped and murdered. We demand appropriate action against the culprits. We want justice. We want a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the victims father told media persons.

Police, however, said a post mortem report did not suggest any rape.

We have already arrested the prime accused and his father on the basis of a complaint by the victims mother. The prime accused has been charged with murder and rape under the Indian Penal Code and under provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act on the basis of a complaint lodged by the family. The post-mortem report suggests death by poisoning. There were no major injury marks on the victims body, Raiganj superintendent of police (SP) Sana Akhtar said.

The SP said the two arrested persons, Javed Ali and his father Anisur Haque, were produced in court and sent to police custody for 14 days.

A senior police officer said a poison bottle was recovered from the spot where the girls body was found. The officer also said that the deceased and the prime accused were in a relationship. We are investigating all angles, the officer said.

On Saturday, fresh violence erupted as local residents blocked roads and set shops on fire. Police once again resorted to firing tear gas shells and used stun grenades to bring the situation under control.

We have detained seven people in connection with the violence. The situation is under control and a large contingent of police have been deployed in the area, SP Akhtar said.

Meanwhile, a political row erupted after a purported video of police dragging the minors body inappropriately during the violence was shared by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Sharing the 18-second video on Twitter, BJPs IT cell head Amit Malviya said: In this video, the body West Bengal Police is insensitively dragging is that of a minor rape and murder victim from the Rajbongshi community in Uttar Dinajpurs Kaliaganj. Such haste is often seen when the purpose is to eliminate or dilute evidence and cover up the crime.

On the video, SP Akhtar said: Police had to recover the body for investigation. The villagers were resisting. Police had to use mild force. Later, police did what the circumstances demanded. The body was taken to an ambulance and then shifted to a hospital. If there were any lapses by any police personnel, departmental action would be taken.

State women and child development minister Shashi Panja slammed the BJP for politicising the issue: The death of the girl is very unfortunate. But the BJP playing politics over the dead body was more unfortunate. BJP MLAs and party workers from outside the area were brought in. They demanded a CBI probe and incited everyone. A narrative is being created that the law and order has deteriorated in the state, she said.

In a statement, the National Commission for Women said it has taken cognisance of the video. It also sought an FIR and asked for detailed action against the accused. A detailed action taken must be apprised to the Commission within three days, it said.

A National Commission for Protection of Child Rights team arrived to visit the family.

A team of BJP leaders led by state president Sukanta Majumdar also visited the family. On Friday, the police had stopped a BJP team from visiting the spot.

Police are making a mockery in the name of post mortem. They are acting in a biased manner. If the family allows, we will move Calcutta high court for a CBI probe. We are with the family, Majumdar said.

The party also staged demonstrations at multiple locations in the district and in Kolkata.

On Majumdars remarks, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said: The incident is very unfortunate. But when police are investigating the case and have arrested the accused, why is the BJP trying to politicise the issue? They (BJP) want to visit the spot, use it to gain political mileage, bring in central teams etc. They should first check what happened in Unnao and Hathras.
Commenting on the recent spike in Covid cases countrywide, Serum Institute of India (SII) chief executive officer (CEO) Adar Poonawalla on Saturday said that the current variant of the virus is not severe and five to six million doses of Covovax are available. In the next two to three months, SII will also manufacture the same amount of Covishield doses, he added. SII chief executive officer Adar Poonawalla.

Currently, the Covid strain is not severe, its just a mild strain. Just for precautionary measures, elderly people can get the booster dose, but it would be their choice whether or not to take it. Five to six million doses of Covovax are available. We will also produce the same amount of Covishield doses in the next two to three months, news agency PTI quoted Poonawalla as saying.

The Centre on Friday asked eight states, including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra, to maintain a strict watch and take pre-emptive action in any area of concern to control any emerging spread of infection.

In a letter to UP, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Haryana, and Delhi, Rajesh Bhushan, secretary of the union health and family welfare ministry, urged these states to remain cautious against laxity at any level that may nullify the gains made in pandemic management so far.

The country has been witnessing a consistent rise in Covid cases since March, with 10,262 cases reported in the week ending April 20. A rise in positivity rate has also been noted across the country, with 5.5% positivity reported in the week ending April 19 against 4.7% positivity reported in the previous week, said Bhushan.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) expelled Assam president of the Indian Youth Congress Angkita Dutta on Saturday, days after she accused the organisations national president Srinivas BV of harassment. Dutta was expelled from the party for a period of six years due to anti-party activities. Expelled IYC Assam chief Angkita Dutta with Rahul Gandhi during Bharat Jodo Yatra.(Source: Twitter)

Honble Congress President has expelled Dr Angkita Dutta, President Congress Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect, read a statement released by the AICC.

Who is Angkita Dutta?

Angkita Dutta, who hails from a family with four generations of Congress members, actively participated in the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' led by Rahul Gandhi and contested internal organisational polls twice, ultimately becoming a booth committee member.

Dutta's family has deep-rooted connections to the Congress; her father, Anjan Dutta, was the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee and served as minister of transport, industries and public enterprises before passing away at AIIMS New Delhi in 2016 at the age of 64.

Her grandfather, Thaneswar Dutta, supported Indira Gandhi during the Congress split in 1978 and ran as a Congress candidate from Sivasagar LAC the same year.

On the educational front, Angkita Dutta pursued political science and obtained an LLB from Delhi University, as well as a PhD from Guwahati University.

Angkita Dutta's allegations against Srinivas BV?

In a series of Tweets on Tuesday, Dutta had alleged that IYC president Srinivas BV was a sexist and chauvinistic person, who has been harassing her and discriminating based on gender.

Watch: 'Rahul played deaf...': Youth Cong slams Assam leader, who accused Srinivas BV of harassment

Dutta had also claimed that she had informed the matter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, but no enquiry was ordered.

She filed a complaint at the Dispur police station on Wednesday, alleging Srinivas was harassing and torturing her for the last six months by making sexist comments, using slang words and also threatening her with dire consequences if she keeps complaining against him to the senior party office bearers.

She also alleged that during the partys plenary session at Raipur in February, the accused had heckled her and threatened to ruin her political career.

Show-cause notice

Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah had earlier said Dutta has submitted her reply to the show-cause notice for going public with allegations of harassment and gender discrimination against the Indian Youth Congress president without first informing the party leadership.

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Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akti or Akha Teej, is an auspicious day for Hindus and Jains celebrated across India. This day holds immense significance for those who wish to invest in gold as it is believed that any new venture, investment, or purchase made on Akshaya Tritiya will bring prosperity and good luck. This year the occasion will be celebrated on April 22. However, before you rush to the jewellery store to make a purchase, there are certain things you need to keep in mind to ensure you get the best value for your money. From checking the purity of the gold to understanding the making charges and hallmarking, this article will guide you through the essential factors you should consider before buying gold jewellery on Akshaya Tritiya. (Also read: Akshaya Tritiya 2023: Top diamond jewellery trends that are worth your investment ) Before buying gold jewellery, it is important to keep certain things in mind to ensure that you make an informed and wise decision. (Mint file)

Things to keep in mind before buying gold jewellery:

Dishi Somani, Founder of Dishis Designer Jewellery, shared with HT Lifestyle, some important tips that will help you make the most of your gold purchase on Akshaya Tritiya.

1. Purity: When buying gold, purity is of utmost importance. Gold purity is measured in karats, with 24 karat gold being sure comes at a higher cost. It's essential to verify the purity of the gold you are buying, as adulterated gold can be a common issue. Look for BIS (Bureau of Indian Standards) hallmarked gold jewellery or gold coins, which indicate that the gold meets the prescribed purity standards., informed Dishi. It's also advisable to purchase gold from reputable jewelers or trusted sources to ensure authenticity.

2. Weight and pricing: Gold is priced based on its weight, and the market rates can fluctuate. Make sure to check the weight of the gold jewelry or gold coin you're buying and compare it with the current market rate to calculate the cost. Advised Dishi. Further Somani adds Jewelers often charge making charges or wastage charges, which vary depending on the design and craftsmanship. It's important to understand these charges and negotiate them, if possible, to avoid overpaying.

3. Budget: Set a budget before buying gold and stick to it. It's easy to get carried away by the allure of gold and end up spending more than planned. Assess your financial situation and determine how much you can comfortably afford to spend on gold without compromising your other financial goals. quoted Somani. Avoid going into debt or using credit cards to purchase gold, as it can lead to unnecessary financial stress.

4. Purpose: Consider the purpose of buying gold. Is it for investment or for personal use? If you're buying gold as an investment, you may want to opt for gold bars or coins, as they are easier to sell or exchange. Jewelry, on the other hand, may have additional costs associated with making charges, and the resale value may not be the same as the purchase price. If it's for personal use, choose a design that you love and aligns with your style preferences. explains Dishi.

5. Certification: Look for certifications or authenticity marks when buying gold jewellery. Trusted jewelers often provide a certificate of authenticity along with the purchase, which validates the purity and weight of the gold. added Dishi. This can be useful for future reference or in case you wish to sell or exchange the gold in the future.

6. Return/Exchange Policy: Inquire about the return or exchange policy of the jeweler or seller. It's essential to know their policies in case you want to return or exchange the gold due to any defects or other reasons. Read the terms and conditions carefully and keep all the receipts and documents related to the purchase in a safe place for future reference. advised Somani.

7. Storage and safety: Once you have purchased gold, ensure proper storage and safety. Gold is a valuable asset and can be prone to theft or damage. Consider investing in a safe deposit box at a bank or a secure locker at home to store your gold. Insure your gold to safeguard against any unforeseen events.

Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious occasion to buy gold, but it's crucial to be well-informed and make a wise purchase. Consider factors such as purity, weight, pricing, budget, purpose, certification, return/exchange policy, and storage and safety before buying gold. By keeping these points in mind, you can make a well-informed decision and enjoy the prosperity and blessings associated with Akshaya Tritiya. Happy shopping and may your purchase bring you joy and prosperity!," concludes Dishi Somani.




he was handed over to the U.S. Marshals Service. Toledo has lived in the North American country for several years, and gave himself up at a federal court building in California, where





The 77-year-old who served as Peru's president from 2001 until 2006 is wanted by Peruvian prosecutors investigating a sprawling scandal involving Brazilian construction conglomerate Odebrecht.





Toledo who holds a doctorate from Stanford University is accused of taking millions of dollars from Odebrecht in exchange for favored treatment in bidding on public works.





He denies all charges, which could see him jailed for up to 20 years and 6 months if convicted in Peru.





Friday's surrender appeared to be the start of the endgame for a man who was initially detained in California in 2019.





He was put under house arrest in 2020 and ordered to wear an electronic ankle monitor.













He was seen carrying a few belongings, according to images published on social networks, as he made his way to a federal building.





The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to AFP that he had handed himself in, and judicial sources said the extradition process was expected to last less than a week.





"Car Wash"





Peruvian prosecutors say they have testimony from two people who claim Toledo received bribes from Odebrecht.





The firm acknowledged paying backhanders in Brazil and several other nations around Latin America in the so-called "Car Wash" scandal, which has so far seen dozens of politicians and business figures behind bars.





Four other former Peruvian Presidents currently face corruption investigations. They are Ollanta Humala (who ruled 2011-2016), Pedro Pablo Kuczynski (2016-2018), Martin Vizcarra (2018-2020), and Pedro Castillo (2021-2022).





Former President Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000) was convicted of corruption charges and is in prison.





Another ex-President, Alan Garcia, died by suicide in 2019 as police were preparing to arrest him in the Odebrecht case.
Actor Priyanka Chopra attended the grand premiere of her upcoming Amazon series Citadel in Rome. Priyanka arrived at the event, which saw Richard Madden and Stanley Tucci in attendance, with her husband, Nick Jonas. The paparazzi clicked Priyanka at the occasion dressed in a ravishing Valentino plunge neck gown and a feathered cape jacket. The pictures and videos show Priyanka posing with Nick Jonas and Richard Madden, showing off her beauteous look, and greeting the media with a Namaste. Nick also turned photographer for his wife and looked enamoured with her. Priyanka Chopra makes Nick Jonas go 'DAMN' with her 90s-inspired look in a Valentino plunge neck gown. (Instagram)

Priyanka Chopra makes Nick Jonas go 'Damn' with her Citadel premiere look

Nick Jonas shared a video from the Citadel premiere on TikTok that showed him recording Priyanka posing for the paparazzi on the blue carpet as a voiceover saying 'Damn' plays in the background. Fan pages also shared Priyanka's glamorous look from the Citadel premiere on Instagram. They loved her ensemble and showered her with compliments. One wrote, "Very Sophia Loren vibes." Another commented, "She is so DAMN hot." A fan remarked, "Priyanka is like a Goddess. So beautiful." See the videos and pictures below.

Priyanka Chopra's Rome premiere look by Valentino features a figure-skimming gown in a parrot green shade. It comes with a plunging neckline highlighting her decolletage, a cinched waistline, a flowy skirt, spaghetti straps, and a floor-grazing hem length.

Priyanka styled the gown with a matching green cape-style jacket adorned in 90s-inspired feather adornments on the borders and featuring full sleeves, a floor-sweeping train on the back and an open front.

Priyanka accessorised the Valentino look with high heels and emerald and diamond jewellery, including earrings, rings and a necklace. In the end, Priyanka chose a pouffy 90s updo, bold double-winged eyeliner, plum lip shade, subtle eye shadow, rouged cheekbones, dewy base, feathered brows, and light contouring for the glam picks.
Half of the world's population could be living in areas with water stress as early as 2025, according to a United Nations report. India, where groundwater is critical for food security and drinking, is already grappling with water table decline. This alarming trend highlights the urgent need for sustainable water solutions in India and around the world. (ALSO READ: Therell be tomorrow if theres water, says Modi as he launches Jal Jan Abhiyan) Uravu labs is Bengaluru-based start-up. Left-right Govinda Balaji (Engineering) , Swapnil Shrivastav (Business), Pardeep Garg (Technology & Business), Venkatesh R (Design & Operations) (Uravu labs)

One such solution is extracting water from the air around us. Water from air? It may sound like science fiction, but innovators present this rather unconventional method of water extraction as potential answer to helping tackle the world's water scarcity problem. (ALSO READ: Google doodle for Earth Day 2023 depicts action plan for greener future)

How does an air-water extraction system work?

A water-air extraction system uses a dehumidifier to remove moisture from the air. It can be done in a variety of ways, the most common being by cooling warm, humid air. By this process, air loses its ability to hold moisture, causing water vapour to condense into droplets. Something similar can be seen while we operate our air conditioner.

A Bengaluru-based start-up Uravu Labs has made a device to capture water from the air. They, however, have taken a different approach. They have used an air-water extraction system based on desiccation where a saltwater solution called brine is used to remove moisture from the air. Air passes over the brine, and as it absorbs moisture, the brine becomes saturated. The brine is then heated with solar energy to evaporate the water, and the resulting water vapour is collected.

You can relate water absorption to home salt becoming wet and sticky in rainy season.

ALSO READ: Nagaland minister aapka cute sa Temjen has sent you a letter on Earth Day, one you can't miss

Solar powered air water extraction system from Uravu labs uses hygroscopic property of brine solution to capture water from moist air.(Uravu labs)

What is the benefit of a desiccation-based system over a cooling system?

Swapnil Shrivastav, co-founder of Uravu Labs, told Hindustan Times that their aim is to have an environmentally friendly, sustainable solution. "Our air-to-water system uses less energy (300 watt-hours per litre) and its requirement is independent of humidity change."

While Uravu Labs is currently using solar energy, Shrivastav claims his device can be powered by the waste heat of industries and biomass.

ALSO READ: Time to act: Earth Day 2023 calls for collective action on environmental issues

Capacity and business model

Uravu Labs delivers packaged water to the hospitality industry, premium cafes, beverages industry from an in-house facility based in Bengaluru. Their present capacity is 1000 litres per day (LPD), with an average cost of 45 per litre of water production. They have an ambitious goal of scaling up to 1 lakh LPD within two years and expect a lowering of costs.

Uravu labs has partnered with hospitality industry to fulfil their needs for pure water delivered in glass bottles.(Uravu labs)

Challenges to Air water extraction system

As the device extracts water present in the air, it requires a weather condition with sufficient humidity. It may not work in dry and cold climates, while more humidity also poses a challenge.

To tackle this, Shrivastav says they can modify the quantity of brine to accommodate changes in relative humidity without increasing operational costs.

However, the device requires a temperature of more than 1215 Celsius and a relative humidity of more than 2530 percent, Swapnil adds.

But while water is chemically dihydrogen monoxide (H20), our bodies require water that contains soluble minerals and salts. Additionally, the air pollution may find its way into the dehumidified water.

On this, Swapnil says their current target customers are those who require pure water, like the beverage industry, while they can also mineralize the water based on customer requirements. He also claims that their device can filter air pollutants.

The cost, size of the device, maintenance requirement, and environmental concern of proper desiccation disposal are other challenges that can hinder wide-spread use of this type of air-water extraction system.

A ray of hope in dark times!

The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) monitors groundwater levels in the country and found that in 2021, over 33% of monitored wells showed a decline of 02 metres, and some areas in major cities like Delhi, Chennai, and Lucknow had experienced a decline of over 4 metres when compared to the 20102019 average. (ALSO READ: India suffering from worst water crisis in its history: NITI Aayog)

The solution proposed by the Indian start-up can specifically help the beverage industry, which often has to face backlash from locals over concerns about water table depletion due to excessive extraction of water. (For context: Coca-Cola plant's permit cancelled in TN after farmers protest)

We need more such initiatives and technological advancements in our fight against the climate crisis.
Iranian authorities arrested three female teenagers and two men in connection to the mysterious poisoning of thousands of schoolgirls in the country, IranWire reported. The suspects were arrested from the southern city of Lar and forced to confess carrying out poisoning attacks, a source told IranWire. Iran School Poisonings: An Iranian flag flutters.(Reuters)

The five suspects were arrested simply because they were protestors, the report claimed adding, that a scenario was created to accuse them of being involved in the students' poisoning.

Iranian police spokesperson Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi said that the suspects threw Nitrogen in seven schools in the Larestan area as a team. This resulted in poisoning 53 kids, the spokesperson alleged. The females detained identified as Satayesh Amiri, Setayesh Darogheh and Erfaneh Honar. They all are in the same school and are all 17 years old, it added. The two other suspects were identified as Alireza Bagheri and Ebrahim, Satayesh Amiri's father, the report claimed.

Security personnel also seized students' cellphones to ensure that the students do not record videos, it added. This comes after more than 13,000 students showed symptoms like nausea, dizziness, headaches, coughing, difficulty breathing, and heart palpitations, many of whom required hospitalisation, following suspected poisoning.

Ebrahim Amiri was taken into custody later that evening during a raid on his home after which Alireza Bagheri was arrested.

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Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for girls' education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate, was given a honorary fellowship by Oxford University's Linacre College. With this, Malala became the first Pakistani to receive the honour, the Oxford Pakistan Programme (OPP) announced. Malala Yousafzai: Malala Yousafzai gets honourary fellowship.

The award was handed to the activist in a ceremony. Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse and the first Speaker of the National Assembly of the Parliament of South Africa Dr Frene Ginwala were also awarded this honorary fellowship by the college.

Malala reminisced visiting her friends at Linacre College and praised the OPP's influence saying that the partnership is changing the lives of students in Pakistan. Principal Dr. Nick Brown appreciated Malala for her efforts saying, Malala is globally recognised for her extraordinary work in support of womens education, particularly for those from the least advantaged backgrounds.

Malala's father Ziauddin Yousafzai said, It is a huge honour for my daughter to receive this recognition. I could see the joy on Malala's face when she received the honour, and as a proud father, I am extremely happy for her.

I know that she will use this opportunity to further expand her work and collaborate with others to find solutions to the challenges in access to education for girls, he added.

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Meghan, the wife of Britain's Prince Harry, criticised the British media on Saturday over reports that letters exchanged with King Charles played a part behind her decision not to attend his coronation, her latest confrontation with the press. Meghan Markle: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.(AP)

The Daily Telegraph reported Meghan had written to the now king to express her concerns about unconscious bias in the royal family. It said the letter was sent following her 2021 comments in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that the family had raised concerns about how dark her son's skin would be.

It reported the Duchess of Sussex did not feel she had received a satisfactory response to her concerns.

"The Duchess of Sussex is going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondence from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago," a spokesperson for Meghan said.

"Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. We encourage tabloid media and various royal correspondents to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating."

Prince Harry will attend the coronation next month without Meghan, who will remain in California with the couple's two young children. Their eldest, Archie, turns four on the same day.

Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties in March 2020, saying they wanted to make new lives in the United States away from media harassment.
The Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from the United States, Britain, China and France out of the country on military airplanes, as fighting persisted in the capital, including at its main airport. Smoke rises over the city as army and paramilitaries clash in power struggle, in Khartoum, Sudan, April 15. (via REUTERS)

Also Read| Street battles in Sudan capital as Eid ceasefire calls ignored

The military said that army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan had spoken to leaders of various countries requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, which has been roiled by bloody fighting for the past week. Countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens amid deadly clashes that have killed over 400 people so far. With Sudan's main international airport closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to simply shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans.

Also Read| US military prepares for possible Sudan embassy evacuation

Burhan said that diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said that Jordan's diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way.
Authorities in Thailand warned residents across the country, including the capital Bangkok, to avoid going outdoors amid record-breaking heatwave. This comes as many parts of Asia are reporting extreme heat this month, with high temperatures seen in Bangladesh and India as well. Extreme heat in Asia has also led to a surge in power demand, resulting in power cuts and shortages for millions of people, news agency Reuters reported. Thailand Heat Wave: Motorbike riders wait at the traffic light as temperatures hit a record 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, Thailand.(Reuters)

In Bangkok's Bagna district, temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius, according to the meteorological department. Authorities warned residents to avoid any outdoor activities. "Sometimes, I take refuge in the 7-11 convenience store... to escape the heat," a resident in Bangkok told Reuters.

Thailand's department of disaster prevention and mitigation said that temperatures are set to exceed 40 degrees Celsius in at least 28 provinces in the coming week.

Government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said that extreme heat has resulted in record electricity consumption, with the country consuming more than 39,000 megawatts on April 6, surpassing the previous record of 32,000 megawatts in April last year.

What is happening right now is caused by climate change, influencing abnormal (weather) and a phenomenon that is called extreme weather, expert Mathinee Yucharoen told Reuters.

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Reid Hoffman, the billionaire LinkedIn co-founder who is also a major donor to the Democratic Party, is defending his role in financing a New York authors lawsuit accusing former President Donald Trump of sexual assault  a landmark case that is set to go to trial next week. Reid Hoffman, co-founder of Linkedin and venture capitalist, arrives at the annual Allen and Co. Sun Valley media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. (REUTERS)

Hoffman said Friday in a post on LinkedIn that his grant to a nonprofit backing E. Jean Carrolls battery lawsuit against Trump fits with his drive to protect American values and reinforce the importance of the rule of law, equality, and helping the disadvantaged.

In general, I prefer to talk about these values and ideas over commenting on specific gifts that Ive made, Hoffman said in the post. But there is a theme to a number of them: protecting the rule of law from the threat posed by Donald Trumps scorched-earth legal methods.

Carrolls lawyer, Roberta Kaplan, revealed Hoffmans financing to Trumps legal team in a letter earlier this month, prompting the former presidents attorney to send a letter to the judge questioning Carrolls credibility and motives for suing. Hoffmans Democratic connections backed Trumps long-standing claim that the lawsuit was politically motivated, Trumps legal team argued.

Trump Protests Democratic Donor Backing Rape-Accusers Suit

Trumps lawyer, Alina Habba, declined to comment on Hoffmans post. She won court permission to seek evidence from Carrolls lawyer to determine whether the writer had answered truthfully during her deposition last year when she said she wasnt aware of any outside financing for her lawsuit.

Hoffman said in his post Trumps legal team has characterized his support of Carroll as secret.

I want to be clear that Ive never taken any steps to hide the financial support that I have provided to this lawsuit after it started, he wrote.

Kaplan has said there is nothing unusual about getting outside financing for lawsuits, including in cases that are politically charged. She pointed to Trumps own use of funds donated by his political supporters to pay for legal fees, despite Trump being a billionaire.

Carroll is not a wealthy person, Kaplan wrote. Trump, by contrast, claims to be a billionaire who has reportedly used his own PAC funding to pay for his personal attorneys.

The lawsuit going to trial next week was filed under the New York Adult Survivors Act, a new state law that temporarily lifted the statute of limitations on sexual assault cases even if they are decades old.

Hoffmans post on Friday said money from his past grants have also been used to support Lisa Rosenberg, whose group Open the Government has helped train citizens on how to use Freedom of Information Act requests to expose government abuses against women and families.

The billionaire has also financially supported lawsuits seeking to block participants in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters from holding public office, according to his post. He has also backed civil lawsuits filed by victims of the violent 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, under the Ku Klux Klan Act. Carrolls lawyer, Kaplan, was also behind that litigation.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired a meeting of the government's emergency response committee on Saturday to discuss the situation in Sudan, with defence minister Ben Wallace among those attending. (ALSO READ: Sudan military crisis explained: Who is fighting, what is happening?) British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak(REUTERS)

Sudan's army said on Saturday it had agreed to help evacuate foreign nationals, as gunfire and air strikes echoed across Khartoum despite promises by warring sides to cease fire for three days after a week of strife that has killed hundreds.

The army said the United States, Britain, France and China would evacuate diplomats and other nationals from Khartoum "in the coming hours".

"We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan," a government spokesperson said when asked about the comments.

"We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies."

On Saturday, Britain's Foreign Office updated its travel advice for Sudan to warn that "in the event of a ceasefire, any decision to move must be taken at individual risk".
" " A Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) mother interacts with her cub in the Ranthambhore National Park in Rajasthan, India. James Warwick/Getty Images

More than 100,000 tigers ranged across Asia a century ago, from the Indian subcontinent to the Russian Far East. Today they are endangered, with only about 4,000 tigers left in the wild. The greatest threats they face are habitat loss and degradation, illegal hunting and declines in their prey.

Thanks to focused conservation efforts, tiger numbers have rebounded in some parts of their range. In Nepal, for example, the wild tiger population has nearly doubled from 121 in 2009 to 235 in 2018. But a road-building boom in Asia could undo this progress.

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Land planners and conservation scientists like me need to know much more about how tigers respond to roads and railways so we can find ways to safeguard these animals. We especially need this information for Nepal, which is one of the least-developed countries in the world but is working to expand its economy and raise people out of poverty. Roads and railways are spreading rapidly through the forests and grasslands where tigers live.
Head of the European Union Foreign Affairs Service Josep Borrell has said that the European Union has already prepared 16 thousand military units of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and transferred 600 million different ammunition, including missiles, to Kiev, he wrote on Twitter.

April 22, 2023, 11:10 European Union has already trained 16 thousand Ukrainian soldiers: Josep Borrell

STEPANAKERT, APRIL 22 , ARTSAKHPRESS: "At a meeting of the contact group on the defense of Ukraine, I informed about the military support of the EU. Over 16,000 military personnel have already been trained, and over 600 million pieces of ammunition and missiles have been transferred," says the announcement.

On March 8, Borrell said that the EU military mission would train more than 11,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of the month and 30,000 by the end of the year. In addition, he said, the EU mission will train crews for tanks that will be sent to Kiev through NATO.

On November 14, it was reported that the European Union officially launched a training mission for the Armed Forces on the territory of the EU.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced New Zealanders living in Australia will have a direct pathway to Australian citizenship from July 1, 2023. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Sandy Boyce has been living in Australia for 15 years, and for almost ten of those has been fighting to become an Australian citizen.

The New Zealander made the move across the Tasman Sea in 2008 to join her husband, and  despite planning early on to only stay here a couple of years  soon fell in love with the country and set up a home in Perth.

Now, almost 60 years old and with a grandchild, she and her husband want a clear and direct pathway to citizenship so that they can reap the benefits of the taxes they have dutifully paid for so many years.

Changes in 2001 made it more difficult for Kiwis who move to Australia, like Ms Boyce, to attain citizenship.

Her wishes are set to be answered this weekend, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announcing New Zealanders living in Australia will have a direct pathway to Australian citizenship from July 1, 2023.

Mr Albanese will make the announcement on Saturday, coinciding with his New Zealand counterpart Chris Hipkins visit to Australia.

Sandy Boyce and her husband have lived in Australia for over 15 years and this weekend will be a step closer to citizenship.

Under the changes, all Special Category Visa holders will be able to directly apply for citizenship without becoming permanent residents first  provided they meet four-year residence and other eligibility requirements.

The changes will bring Australias treatment of New Zealanders in line with New Zealands treatment of Australians.

Ms Boyce said she and her husband had struggled immensely over the past decade trying to figure out the path to citizenship.

Ms Boyce says she has no intention of moving back to New Zealand.

I have no intention of going back to New Zealand, I just want to be a citizen here, she told NCA NewsWire.

I want to know I can become a citizen, I can stay here  get a pension, get a seniors card like everyone else.

Im not looking for the moon from the government  I would just like an easier path to citizenship.

She said she had spent years trying to become a citizen, but was constantly passed around between departments and was never able to find answers.

Its just become too hard, she said.

Story continues

New Zealand PM Chris Hipkins will visit Australia this weekend. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Mr Albanese said the change would further strengthen the long friendship between the two countries.

Australia and New Zealand have a deep friendship, which has been forged through our history, shared values, and common outlook, he said.

As we mark the 50th anniversary of the trans-Tasman Travel Arrangement, I look forward to strengthening our relationship.

We know that many New Zealanders are here on a Special Category Visa while raising families, working and building their lives in Australia. So I am proud to offer the benefits that citizenship provides.

Since February 2001, New Zealand citizens in Australia have been considered non-protected SCV holders, and have had restricted eligibility to social security benefits.

They have only been eligible to those benefits if they obtain citizenship after being granted permanent residency.
Inge Janssen leads the Public Affairs function for Europe, Middle East and Africa at Booking.com. She joined the company in April 2016 to help create a global public affairs function for Booking.com, and since then has built the EMEA public affairs team from the ground up. She is a member of the company's Extended Leadership Team (ELT). Inge is passionate about ensuring businesses grow in an ethical and sustainable way and create a positive societal impact. Inge loves travelling and lives in Amsterdam with her family. Prior to joining Booking.com, she spent 10 years in Brussels, where she served amongst other things as a policy advisor in the European Parliament and as a senior manager public policy at Liberty Global. Inge is the Chair of EU Travel Tech and holds degrees from the university of Maastricht and Kings College in London.
BirchStreet Systems, the market leader in P2P software for the hospitality industry, announces it is exhibiting at The Hospitality Show, a brand new industry event hosted by The Venetian Resort in Las Vegas, this summer.

Organized by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Hotel Management, The Hospitality Show brings together prominent industry leaders, senior executives of hotel brands, owners, operators, management companies, and procurement specialists to discover new technology and operations solutions.

Over three days of educational sessions, attendees will hear from world-class speakers and innovators. Companies connect with brands, owners, operators, and key decision-makers through personalized business matchmaking and networking events. Members can also receive priority access to more than 300 vendors in the events exhibition hall.

BirchStreet Systems will exhibit at Booth #946, where delegates will network with fellow industry leaders and discuss how to elevate operations and drive profitability.

About AHLA

The AHLA is the national association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry. Based in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward.

About Questex

Questex, the force behind Hotel Management, specializes in bringing markets together to help people live better through the travel, hospitality, and wellness industry. Using advanced technologies in life science and healthcare to fuel their efforts, Questex connects through live events, surrounded by data insights and digital communities.

About BirchStreet Systems

BirchStreet Systems powers hospitality and food and beverage enterprises with a comprehensive procure-to-pay business solution. As the global leading provider of spend management solutions in the hospitality industry, 16,000 enterprises in over 130 countries subscribe to BirchStreet to connect with a network of more than 500,000 suppliers.

Established in 2002, BirchStreet is privately held and is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada with offices in California, China, Singapore, India, and the United Kingdom.

BirchStreet Sales

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INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  The man who shot and wounded two Indianapolis police officers before being killed in a gunbattle with members of the Indiana Crime Guns Task Force was identified Friday as an ex-convict with three weapons convictions.

The Marion County Coroner's Office said the man killed in Thursday's shooting was 46-year-old Daniel Yefter Ghebrehiwet. He had an AR-15-style rifle and riddled a police patrol vehicle with bullets before being killed, according to police.
A cargo company operating out of Harris County will have to pay a hefty fine after admitting they failed to comply with regulations regarding proper screening of cargo through Bush International Airport.

Air Cargo Screening & Solutions LLC pleaded guilty June 7, 2022, to making materially false statements about the company's screening process of air cargo for explosives on commercial flights, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas said in a news release Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Charles D. Eskridge ordered the company to pay a $415,508 fine Thursday, which included the profits for the screenings they did not conduct, according to the release and court documents. The company will also be on probation for five years.

At the hearing, the court said these screening procedures were instituted after the 9/11 attacks to increase the safety and security of passengers and air cargo.

The Aviation and Transpiration Security Act, passed two months after the 9/11 attacks, mandates the screening for explosives on cargo transported on passenger aircraft. To meet these requirements, Transportation Security Administration created guidelines to certify facilities in the U.S. that screen cargo before designating it to passenger aircraft.

ACSS followed the program and screened air cargo for domestic and foreign air carriers that traveled through IAH. However, a comparison of records from explosive trace detection machines and forms ACSS employees completed showed that the company falsified records, claiming they had screened 100 percent of the cargo passing through their facility when they had not.

Checking packages for explosives, packages destined for aircraft carrying passengers, is vital to saving lives and protecting the national security, U.S. Attorney for the SDTX Alamdar Hamdani said in the release. Whether through significant fines or federal prison time, we will pursue those charged with such security who knowingly shirk that duty. Put simply, companies must answer for potentially putting lives and the nation at risk.
It's time to appreciate the retro technology of a record player and re-up your music collection with Record Store Day.

A annual event usually in April, Record Store Day brings people to independently owned record stores across the world to celebrate the culture associated with vinyl music lovers. There are also select new releases and exclusives from a variety of genres seen each year. View them here, but know not each store will order every one of those new releases.

This year Record Store Day will take place Saturday, April 22, and Houston shops are celebrating with drinks and live music.

VINYL POPULARITY: Vinyl collections are expanding across the county. In Houston, they're here to stay for sure

Record stores to shop in Houston

Sound Revolution

Known as the oldest record store in Houston, Sound Revolution is bringing out free beer for Record Store Day. At its Tomball Parkway location, there will also be a DJ mixing beats from noon to 2 p.m. and a performance by Noella Grey and The Imaginary Band after.

Open 8 a.m.- 9 p.m. Saturday.

1312 Cypress Creek Parkway and 21153 Tomball Parkway

Vinal Edge Records

Vinal Edge Records has been showing sneak peaks of new and exclusive records they'll have on Saturday. "It's all about the records," Chuck Roast says, when asked if they are having any celebratory events.

He says the shop focuses on trying to have a wide variety of records, especially unique, used ones.

Open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.

239 W. 19th St.

Cactus Music

Cactus Music will help control the crowd with tickets that had to be purchased before Friday. So if you didn't get a ticket and want to go, you can still stop by but won't have priority on Record Store Day releases or deals. If you do want a chance at the releases, you can wait for the ticket entries to finish in the morning and you'll get to go in. If you do have a ticket or are hoping to get new releases, write down the specific vinyls you are trying to get.

View in-store records here.

Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday.

2110 Portsmouth St.

Soundwaves

Soundwaves, a surf, skate and music store, is having a midnight sale for Record Store Day. For one hour at midnight, the store will open so you're the first to get your hands on those exclusives. If that's past your bedtime, the store will open again at 10 a.m.

Open 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.

3509 Montrose Blvd.

Sig's Lagoon

Sig's Lagoon is opening two hours earlier than usual for shoppers looking to buy Record Store Day exclusives. They will also have Record Store Day 2023 totes and stickers available. Regular record store shopping will commence at 10 a.m.

Open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday.

3622 Main St.

Sound Exchange

Sound Exchange is opening earlier for Record Store Day. It is flexing that it will have a new Taylor Swift release, "Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions."

Elizabeth Conley/Staff photographer

Open 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Saturday.

101 N. Milby St.
In 2022, volunteers provided 23,902 hours of service to Community Action Programs Cayuga/Seneca. Their gift of time, their skill and their ability to meaningfully help us advance our mission and expand capacity for program delivery impacts thousands of individuals and families in need. Volunteers are the backbone of our agency; they lend their expertise on our board of directors and Head Start Policy Council, participate in fundraising campaigns and special events, enable us to administer programs like CAP Closet, Christmas Elf and transportation services, and often work in roles that provide critical services to our clients. We are inspired by their selflessness, passion, commitment and influence on our work. April is National Volunteer Month, a time to recognize these individuals who actively support our community and whose efforts are truly lifechanging. While we are incredibly grateful to our volunteers all year long, we are proud to honor them and celebrate their tremendous contributions during this time.

Over the last few years, volunteers have been instrumental in allowing us to meet an increase in demand for services in over 40 programs designed to alleviate hunger and homelessness, help domestic violence victims, prepare individuals for the workforce, provide early childhood development, improve health outcomes, strengthen families and mitigate crisis. Through some significant challenges, funding cuts and limited resources, the value of volunteerism has never been higher. Mark Heroux started volunteering at CAP in September 2021, a blessing to the agency at a time when our ability to deliver food through our Mobile Food Pantry was stretched thin. Mobile deliveries provide healthy nutritious food to vulnerable populations, including seniors, disabled individuals, veterans, individuals recovering from hospital stays, individuals and families in shelters or hotels, and people in need without transportation, especially in rural areas throughout Cayuga County. On average, over 200 deliveries are made per month, a number that has steadily increased since the start of the pandemic.

Mark has been active in the community for many years. A U.S. Navy veteran, he came to CAP through a connection he made with our food recovery supervisor, Kirk McCreary. He knew that there was an urgent need for mobile pantry drivers, and was up for the challenge. Two days a week, he spends hours packing food boxes and delivering food to residents throughout Cayuga County. Never one for accolades, he does it simply because he enjoys helping others. I get way more out of it than I put into it, he said. When Mark is at CAP, our staff feel his positive energy. It lightens our load and helps us provide opportunities for growth and economic security. He creates meaningful connections with clients that are lifechanging, shares kind words that are often much needed and connects them to other programs and services that are catalysts for economic mobility. He, like so many of our volunteers, is an advocate, a problem solver, full of energy and creativity that empowers others. When asked what he would say to someone who may want to get involved, Mark said No. 1, its a lot of fun. No. 2, its enjoyable. It's something I look forward to every week, and others will too.

CAP offers a diversified catalog of volunteer opportunities, flexible schedules and time commitments. The volunteer experience can be deeply rewarding and satisfying, and has a host of healing benefits while connecting you to our community. The events of the last few years have amplified the call for volunteers, and the need for kindness, decency and compassion has never been greater.

Our volunteers contributions are nothing short of transformational. From our drivers and our clerical, special events and food pantry volunteers to our board of directors and policy council, each one has amplified our voice, our mission and our reach, and created hope and opportunity for families living in poverty. "Thank you" will never be sufficient compensation. As we celebrate National Volunteer Month and the action takers and change makers doing amazing things in our community, we hope to inspire you to get involved. CAP has implemented protocols to protect the health and safety of volunteers, staff, clients and their families to make volunteerism more accessible, inclusive and impactful. A little bit of time truly makes a huge difference.

To learn more about CAPs volunteer opportunities, call (315) 255-1703 ext. 141 or email volunteer@caphelps.org.
A Katy man was sentenced to spend five years in federal prison Friday over his role in a white supremacist plot to attack U.S. power grids.

In 2019, Jonathan Allen Frost, 24, planned an attack and recruited, trained and equipped other men with a gun and a "suicide necklace" containing fentanyl as part of the plot, the Justice Department said.

The attack never happened. In August 2020, federal agents searched Frost's home and found Nazi propaganda, chemicals that could be used to build explosives and lists of power substations. Last year, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists and faced a possible sentence of 15 years in federal prison.

MORE ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: String of mysterious deaths, precise cuts hit Brazos Valley cows

Frost was sentenced to 60 months in prison by U.S District Court Judge James L. Graham in Ohio. He also was ordered to spend 30 years on supervised release and pay $100 in fines, according to court records.

Also sentenced Friday were Christopher Brenner Cook, 20, of Columbus, Ohio, who was sentenced to 92 months in prison. Another man, Jackson Matthew Sawall, 22, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, has also pleaded guilty and is yet to be sentenced.

These defendants plotted armed attacks against energy facilities to stoke division in furtherance of white supremacist ideology and now they are being held accountable, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division in a press release. The Justice Department will not tolerate the use of violence to advance any extremist ideology and we remain determined to protect our communities from such hateful acts of terror.

Frost is described in court documents as a resident of Katy and West Lafayette, Indiana, where he graduated from Purdue University in 2020 with a degree in Computer Information and Technology.

According to prosecutors, Frost and Cook met in an online chat group in 2019 and began talking about a plan to attack a power grid. They were later joined by Sawall.

The men worked together to promote white supremacy and neo-Nazism, according to the Justice Department. Their plan was to attack power substations using powerful riles with the intent of causing millions of dollars in damages and creating civil unrest. The men talked about their attacks possibly leading to a race war or another Great Depression, according to prosecutors.

In February 2020, the men met in Columbus, Ohio, to talk about their plan. During that meeting, Frost gave Cook a custom-built "AR-47" rifle and then took him to a shooting range to train, according to court records. A charging document referred to the weapon as a ghost gun, a weapon that has no serial number and can't be traced.

In the same trip, Frost also gave Cook and Sawall necklaces that were filled with fentanyl that were supposed to be ingested if the men were ever caught by authorities. The men made a plan to hang propaganda posters, vandalize a mosque and cut down a telephone pole as propaganda for their fascist groups. However, those things never happened.

The men were pulled over by police in Ohio, and during the traffic stop Sawall swallowed his suicide pill, according to court documents. He survived, but any Ohio plans were apparently disrupted.

In March 2020, Frost and Cook returned to Texas, where they hoped to continue their planning. Another disruption happened in Oklahoma, where they had planed to meet a potential recruit to their cause. The recruit lost their phone. Another person found it, found Nazi propaganda on it and turned it in to police, according to court documents.

Months later, federal agents raided the homes of Frost and the other men, uncovering more propaganda, weapons and information about their group.

The investigation into the men was conducted by FBI agents in Columbus, Milwaukee, Indianapolis and Houston, according to the Justice Department
A motorist struck and killed a pedestrian crossing a dark road Friday night in northwest Houston.

The collision occurred around 11:41 p.m. when a vehicle driving east on West Mount Houston Road, near Ella, hit the pedestrian, Sgt. Steven Jumbo with the Harris County Sheriff's Office said.

The vehicle hit the pedestrian walking in the north-to-south direction of the road, Jumbo said. The driver pulled over a few hundred feet away from the crash and called 911, he said.

There's no indication that alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash, Jumbo said.

Authorities did not release the name of the pedestrian who was killed.
Georgios Kefalas/AP

A fund controlled by a Swiss billionaire who has steered tens of millions of dollars to liberal causes also donated as much as $50,000 to the nonpartisan group Common Cause to advocate for a federal ban on donations like his.

David Vance, a spokesman for Common Cause, which advocates for limiting big money in politics, confirmed that the group received a donation from the Berger Action Fund, founded by Hansjorg Wyss. The fund has enabled Wyss, who lives in Wyoming but remains a Swiss citizen, to donate enormous amounts of money to liberal causes without running afoul of the United States' ban on foreign citizens contributing to political campaigns.
When Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick went on TV news this week holding fistfuls of dollars to show how much money people could save on their property taxes, it had a familiar feel for anyone who has seen a Mattress Mack commercial over the decades.

During an interview on Spectrum 1 News, Patrick got a laugh out of anchor Karina Kling when he held up wads of cash in his hands, much like Jim Mattress Mack McIngvale has done in Houston TV ads. While McIngvale would use the props to show how much he would save people on furniture, Patrick used them in his interview to demonstrate how much better his plan to cut property taxes is than a rival plan in the Texas House.
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A poll funded by House Speaker Dade Phelan offers insight into why hes not budging on a property tax reform proposal that Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who runs the Texas Senate, vehemently opposes.

Phelan, a Beaumont Republican, and the House have been adamant that their property tax plan must include a way to limit year-over-year increases in the home appraisals used to calculate tax bills.

CRUNCH TIME: Dan Patrick calls House Speaker Phelan 'California Dade' in feud over property tax relief bills

Currently, taxable values on owner-occupied homes cannot grow by more than 10 percent, if theyre protected by the states homestead exemption. Phelan and House leaders have passed a plan that would lower that cap to 5 percent and apply it to all properties, including rentals and other commercial real estate.

But its an idea that the Senate and Patrick, a Houston Republican, have been against, warning it doesnt produce as much savings as the Senate plan and that they will not pass it.

The House bill is just wrong on its math, Patrick said in an interview with Spectrum 1 News about a property tax issue that has become one of the biggest dividing points between the legislative leaders with less than 40 days left in the regular session.

ISSUE FOCUS: Leaders of Texas Legislature set battle lines over property tax relief

But partially released results of the Phelan poll of 1,000 likely voters by the Ragnar Research Group shows voters like the House plan.

The appraisal cap proposal received clear support with 53 percent of voters preferring reducing the cap, Chris Perkins, a partner at Ragnar Research Group, wrote. Support for this proposal is bipartisan, though it is strongest among Republican and independent voters.

But that new poll comes after the Texas Senate had its own private poll first reported by Quorumreport.com that shows their plan, which hinges on raising homestead exemptions for all homeowners, is even more popular.

Senate leaders say that poll by Austin-based Baselice & Associates shows 82 percent of voters supported raising the homestead exemption for school district taxes from $40,000 to $70,000 and increasing the total exemption for seniors and the disabled to $100,000.

Phelan told reporters last week he is not opposed to increasing the homestead exemption again (it was raised from $25,000 to $40,000 in 2021), and is willing to work with the Senate.

But previously he has told groups in speeches that homestead exemption increases have a limited impact.

We can talk about the homestead exemptions all day long, and thats great, but what does that do for the small business? Whats that do for that first-generation small business? Phelan told the Texas Public Policy Foundation last month. I have constituents who dont even own a home. They pour (all their money) back into their business.

Patrick has argued almost that same point on reducing appraisal caps because it doesnt help seniors as much as the Senates plan would.

Patrick was once on of the loudest advocates for appraisal caps, building his early political campaigns around the concept. It became one of the first bills he ever filed when he was first elected to the Texas Senate for the 2007 session.

Last month, Patrick acknowledge that shift in his thinking.

I came in thinking that was the answer, Patrick said. But we learned that wasnt the answer.

While both tax plans have far more to them, it is the fight over appraisal caps and homestead exemptions that have added to the bad blood between the two Republican leaders who are the most important members of the Texas Legislature.
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The dam over Peck's Brook on Fisk Street has been rated a 'significant' hazard by the state. The town of Adams can't apply for grants without the owner's permission but it can't find the owner.

Adams Seeking Owner of Hazardous Dam

ADAMS, Mass.  The town's interested in removing the hazardous Fisk Street Dam  but it can't find the owner, Cwm Felin Ltd.

The limited liability company has a post office box in the Bahamas and owes more than $50,000 in delinquent property taxes and interest.

Community Development Director Eammon Coughlin told the Select Board on Wednesday that there are grants available to remove the dam but it requires either permission from the owner or possibly a taking by the town.

The dam is listed on the town's hazard mitigation plan and has been rated as a "significant hazard"  in the middle of the state's three-tier rating system.

"I need to delve more into what criteria gives it that rating, but the fact it's upstream of homes, some utilities  water, gas utilities that run through there  things would not be good if it were to fail," Coughlin said. "The dam is quite large, there's quite a large empoundment behind it as well, it would be very costly to remove and would likely be a multiyear process."

Berkshire Regional Planning Commission had approached the town about possible grants last fall but Coughlin said it's been difficult to track down the owner of the dam and the 60-odd-acre parcel it sits on.

The dam over Peck's Brook was built to power the mills in the area and had been part of the former L.L. Brown Co., a paper manufacturer. It is located in the narrow strip of land between Forest Park Avenue and Fisk Street.

It's been an issue for more than a half-century. There was talk about taking it down in the early 1970s and the town back in 1977 had considered taking court action against the owner at the time, Adams Paper Associates of Worcester and its President Barry Krock, because of silt backup and the need for structural repairs. The state had ordered repairs be made but it is not clear what, if anything, had been done.

Coughlin said Community Development has tried to contact the owner and that tax bills sent each year by the treasurer have been returned to sender. He joked about a joint venture to the Bahamas for a couple weeks to track down the owner.

A Google search for Cwm Felin Ltd. brings up a Welsh town by that name but nothing on the state's corporations list or on the Registry of Deeds' website.

"We're really unable to proceed with anything, in terms of any grant funding to try to look at the dam removal without approval by the owner," Coughlin said. "We could also begin the tax taking process to try to acquire ownership and move forward with removal that way."

Selectman Joseph Nowak didn't think it a good idea to take the property because "if something happens, it comes our way."

Selectman Howard Rosenberg agreed, adding it was a public danger and that the town should look into what it can do so as not to be liable. He recommended consultation with town counsel.

Coughlin said his office will continue efforts to contact the owner and speak with town counsel about help in that regard.

He also reported that the contract for the water system at the Greylock Glen had been awarded to Rifenburg Companies of Troy, N.Y., for $4.9 million. The project will provide potable water for all elements of the development as well as install a 350,000-gallon tank that will store water pulled from the water district. The project is being funded largely by grants and state monies.

In other business:

The board took two actions related to the annual town meeting and election.

 Timothy F. Rowley was appointed as temporary town clerk for one day to oversee the annual town election on Monday, May 1. The appointment was made because Town Clerk Haley Meczywor is running for election as a town meeting member.

The board also voted to close the town meeting warrant. Meczywor said no citizens petitions had been submitted.

The election will be held at the Memorial Building from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last day to register to vote is Friday, April 21; absentee ballots must be requested by Monday, April 24.

 The board approved a victuallers' license to Poseidon Coffee. The coffee hut was approved for a liquor license at the last meeting.

 The board approved a mission statement for the Agricultural Commission presented by Chair Sonia McWhirt.
Cayuga County Habitat for Humanity will hold its annual Women Build event from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 20.

The event offers area women an opportunity to serve their community by helping renovate a home, and learning skills along the way. No experience is necessary, and men are also welcome to participate. Volunteers, who must be 16 or older, work under construction professionals and alongside future Habitat homeowners.

"This is a rewarding experience for all involved, and improves the community that you share," Habitat said in a news release.

The event will take place in two sessions, from 8:30 a.m. to noon and from 12:30 to 3 p.m. Lunch and snacks will be provided.

Cayuga County Habitat is also looking for its next low-income homebuyer family, and welcomes help from volunteers to do so.

For more information, to register for the event, to donate or to learn about the homebuyer program, visit cayugahabitat.org/womenbuild.
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Indias southern state of Kerala has been put on high alert after a threat of a suicide attack was received ahead of prime minister Narendra Modis visit.

The threat came in a letter received by the state head of Mr Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), according to Indian media reports.

K Surendran, BJPs Kerala chief, reportedly received the letter a week ago and handed it over to the police and the intelligence department, which is now investigating the threat.

The threat comes as Mr Modi is set to visit the major port city of Kochi on 24 April.

The letter threatened that Mr Modi would face the fate of Rajiv Gandhi, a former Indian prime minister and father of opposition leader Rahul Gandhi, who died in 1991 in a suicide bomb attack.

The letter, however, also contained the name and address of the alleged sender, according to Indian media outlets. The police traced down the person  a local resident who denied writing it.

The police have matched the letter with my handwriting. They are convinced that I was not behind the letter, he told The Indian Express.

Somebody who holds a grudge against me may have been behind the threat. I have shared the names of persons whom I suspect, he said.

Meanwhile, a letter detailing the ramped up security during the prime ministers visit after the threat was leaked to the media, with state BJP chief slamming the police.

Religious extremist outfits are very strong and active in Kerala, he alleged. The report of the state intelligence chief has been leaked out to the media. It has reference to several organisations including the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), SDPI and Maoists. But the state government is protecting these outfits, he said.
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Ben Affleck has revealed the one thing he believes that his spouse, Jennifer Lopez, would opt to change about him.

The 50-year-old opened up about his relationship with Lopez, who he got married to in summer 2022, during Fridays episode of The Drew Barrymore Show. Speaking to Drew Barrymore, Affleck said that while his spouse never told him this, he believes that theres one quality about him that she would want to change, if she could.

She would probably want to cultivate brevity in the way I speak, the Air star explained during the episode, as reported by People. I dont know if youve noticed, but I go on and on and on. I talk in circles.

He added: Shes never said that to me, but that would be my guess.

Affleck and Lopez officially tied the knot in 2022, after getting engaged for a second time. The pair initially got engaged in 2002, before calling it off in 2004. They rekindled their romance in May 2021, over 17 years after they broke up.

Before the couple got back together, they started separate families with previous spouses, as Lopez shares her 15-year-old twins, Emme and Max, with ex-husband Marc Anthony. Meanwhile Affleck and his ex-wife, Jennifer Garner, share three children: Violet, 17, Seraphina, 14, and Samuel, 11.

Since getting married, Lopez and Affleck have continued to open up about their relationship, including the opportunities theyve had to work together. During an appearance on CBS Sunday Mornings Tracy Smith last month, Affleck raved about working with Lopez on his new movie, Unstoppable, which is about former Arizona State wrestler Anthony Robles.

What fun, what a joy to do something with her, see her be great, go to work with your wife, go to work with your best friend, the Good Will Hunting star said. Because ultimately, like, your work becomes the lions share of what defines your life, in terms of the time you spend.

Elsewhere in his conversation on The Drew Barrymore Show, the Charlies Angels star went on to praise Lopez and her beauty. In response, Affleck made a confession about his wife and her everyday eating habits.

Let me tell you something thats gonna upset you. Jennifer just eats whatever she wants. Whatever she wants. She eats cookies, ice cream, everything, he told Barrymore.

As the actress was shocked by his remarks, she went on to ask him if his wife works out frequently. In response, he said: She works out. I work out too, but I dont magically appear to be 20 years old, you know what I mean? With perfect skin and the whole thing.

Affleck concluded his remarks by applauding his partners work ethic and gushing over her beauty.

The work ethic is real, the discipline is real, but also the superhuman thing is real, he said. Shes the most gorgeous woman in the world. She looks spectacular.
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People are rallying behind a DoorDash driver who was removed from the app, after he confronted a customer who falsely claimed he didnt deliver her order.

In a video posted to TikTok earlier this month, the driver, who goes by the name Yung Tuci, shared a video of himself approaching a woman. According to Tuci, who is also a musician, the woman filed a complaint saying that her DoorDash never arrived, although he already delivered her order to the hospital she was working at.

He proceeded to film the hospital worker and asked her: So you didnt get the DoorDash order? As the woman looked confused by the comment, she responded: I have no idea what youre talking about.

Tuci continued to explain that he delivered the order and pointed at one of the womans co-workers, who allegedly saw the customer get her food. He recited the complaint that she apparently made on DoorDash, adding: You said the order never arrived.

She once again denied ever saying on the DoorDash app that her order didnt arrive. However, Tuci then told her that the complaint was still there, and it was jeopardising his job.

I got a contract violation, he said. Im an independent contractor, so that puts my job at risk.

According to DoorDashs support page for its drivers, one contract violation does not constitute grounds for deactivation. However, multiple never delivered violations could lead to deactivation.

Throughout the video, he proceeded to tell the woman that his job was at risk and accused her of wanting free food. She denied that statement, before the driver told her that they had to get in touch with DoorDash about the complaint. At the end of the video, she confirmed that her order was delivered.

He explained how the situation ended in the caption of the clip, which has more than 30m views. I had to end up telling her if she doesnt call support before the end of the day and get the violation removed, her jobs on the line next, he wrote.

In a follow-up video, Tuci said that he no longer had a contract violation on his account, noting that the woman removed the complaint shed made about her not delivering her order.

In a statement to The Independent, a spokesperson for DoorDash noted that they do not tolerate any false claims made on this app. The spokesperson also confirmed that the contact violation was removed.

All Dashers have the ability to dispute contract violations or deactivations, the company said. The Dasher disputed the customers claim and upon investigation, we removed the Dashers contract violation. We also removed the customer from our platform for fraudulent activity.

In a third video posted to TikTok, Tuci revealed that he got an email for DoorDash, which said that his account had been deactivated.

To the Independent, a spokesperson for DoorDash confirmed that Tucis account was removed, noting that the company wouldnt tolerate any form of harassment.

While we empathise with the Dashers frustration around a customer falsely claiming the order was never delivered, it is never okay for any member of our community to harass, intimidate, or threaten another, the spokesperson said. As a consequence, we have also removed the Dasher from our platform.

The statement concluded: We never take the decision to deactivate lightly. We expect all members of our community  Dashers and customers alike  to follow our rules and we will not hesitate to enforce them fairly and consistently.

In the comments of Tucis video about his account being deactivated, people have criticised DoorDash for its decision.

@doordash yall wrong for this one, one wrote, while another added: @doordash do better.

A third wrote: Nah @doordash he was being way more patient than he probably shouldve been. Give this man his account back.

Other people claimed that Tuci handled the customers false complaint in the right way and said that they wouldnt be using DoorDash again after this.

@doordash needs to be cancelled if this is the way yall treat your employees. Hes trying to prove his honesty in a calm manner! one wrote.

Deleted @doordash never again!!! another wrote.

The Independent has contacted Tuci for comment.
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Love Is Blind season four star Marshall Glaze has issued an apology after receiving backlash for resurfaced tweets that many people deemed as colourist and anti-Black.

The tweets resurfaced on social media this week when fans of the Netflix reality series shared screenshots of Glazes posts dating back to 2011, in which he made insensitive comments about Black women.

The 27-year-old marketing manager took to Twitter on 20 April to apologise for his past comments, and explained why he decided not to delete the tweets. Im seeing a lot of my old tweets surface from years ago. This happens to pretty much everyone who goes into the public eye. It happened to my cousin and I knew itd happen to me, he began his Twitter thread, referring to his cousin Justin Glaze, who also faced backlash after The Bachelorette fans resurfaced his ignorant and hurtful tweets.

Let me be clear, the Love Is Blind star continued, before turning his tweets on private. Like I said to someone earlierthings change. I was a sad teenager with a lot of issues when I tweeted a lot of that. Ive grown and do not feel or think the same way.

Glaze went on to explain that anyone with anything to hide would have gone back and deleted the offensive tweets, but he decided to leave them on his Twitter profile for a reason even though he had a chance to go back and erase it.

Its my progression as an individual. As a human. Those old tweets are just my proof that I have evolved, he said. I thank God for the opportunity to be damaged, seek clarity and forgiveness, and develop into a better person.

Earlier this week, Marshall Glazes old tweets began circulating online after Reddit user u/No_animereader1471 posted screenshots in the Reddit forum r/LoveIsBlindOnNetflix. Some of the tweets, which were made when Glaze was around 15 to 18 years old, shared many negative opinions about Black women and his preference towards Latina women.

A group of sad Black girls that sit in a damn circle sharing their stories on why MEN aint s***, he wrote in one tweet. Ill tell you, BLACK females. Why?

(Twitter/Marshall Glaze)

In another tweet, Glaze wrote: You walk into a restaurant and what do you see? A white couple, a Hispanic couple, an Asian couple, OH and a group of Black girls.

Latina girls know how to treat their dude! he said in one tweet, while another read: I want a Latina girlfriend, only so she could speak Spanish when we Yea lol.

Many Love Is Blind fans shared their disappointment after discovering Glazes past tweets, while others admitted that they werent surprised yet another celebrity or reality star has issued an apology for their past insensitive remarks.

Colourism and anti-Blackness is like a rite of passage for these lot. Spooky, said one person on Twitter.

So Marshall had anti-Black women tweets, said someone else, along with a GIF that read, Pretends to be shocked.

Im tired of Black women being told to get over stuff. We have the right to be mad at Marshall for those tweets, another fan said.

While many fans took Glazes side after fellow Love Is Blind contestant Jackelina Bonds called off their engagement, some people shared they were switching teams in light of his resurfaced tweets.

Damn Marshall we were all rooting for you until those black girl tweets resurfaced from 2014, said one person, while another tweeted: After seeing Marshalls past tweets resurface, Im happy Jackie kept the ring.

In season four of Love Is Blind, Marshall Glaze and Jackelina Bonds went through many ups and downs throughout their short-lived relationship. The two formed a deep emotional connection in the pods, but the 27-year-old dental assistant also sparked romance with fellow cast member Josh Demas.

The newly engaged couple had many heated arguments when they returned home to Seattle, including one that led Glaze to pack his things and leave their shared apartment. Former fling Josh Demas re-entered the picture, causing Bonds to address her feelings for him. When the two reconnected, Demas said that losing her was his biggest regret and Bonds admitted that she chose wrong in accepting Glazes proposal.

After Bonds didnt show up for her wedding dress fitting, the couple called off their engagement in episode 10  but not without Bonds telling Glaze that she will be keeping her engagement ring.

The live reunion special for Love Is Blind season four aired on Sunday 16 April, after much delay and technical difficulties. While Jackie Bonds and Josh Demas were a no-show at the live reunion, they did reveal in a pre-taped interview with co-host Vanessa Lachey that theyve been dating for a year, moved in together, and are already parents to a dog. While speaking to Lachey, Bonds claimed Marshall called her a derogatory term that was meant as a joke, but Marshall later clarified that he never used such a term and the comment was taken out of context.

All episodes of Love Is Blind season four are available to stream on Netflix.
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It appears that Prince Louis was given a hand-me-down shirt from his older brother Prince George in a new birthday tribute for the late Queen Elizabeth II.

To mark what would be the Queens 97th birthday, the royal family shared an unseen photograph of the late British monarch surrounded by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In the photo, which was taken by the Princess of Wales during a family trip to Balmoral, Aberdeenshire last summer, the Queen is seen sitting on a couch joined by Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and of course, Prince Louis.

The four-year-old royal was seen standing off to the side of his great-grandmother and next to his cousin, Isla Phillips. Apart from the grin on his face, Prince Louis also wore a button-down shirt with blue and white stripes and mandarin-collar shirt. In fact, the striped shirt appeared to be identical to the one worn by Prince George when he was the same age as his younger brother.

In 2017, Kensington Palace released a portrait of Prince George in honour of his fourth birthday. The photograph, captured by royal photographer Chris Jackson, showed the Prince and Princess of Wales eldest child beaming in the blue and white striped shirt.

The long sleeve shirt  called the Pereprine Shirt Seersucker Blue  is from the Franco-Spanish boutique Amaia Kids, a favourite brand amongst the royal family. The shirt currently retails on their website for $74.25 (58).

Prince George had also worn the striped blue shirt for the then-Cambridges Christmas card in 2017, before Louis was born. The slightly formal photograph was taken in a studio and showed George and Charlotte standing in front of their parents.

This isnt the first time Prince Louis has been passed down clothes from his nine-year-old brother, Prince George. In December 2020, Louis made his red carpet debut at the London Palladium by wearing a Redwink blue jacket from Amaia (115) that his brother had previously worn three years earlier at Queen Elizabeths annual Christmas lunch at Buckingham Palace.

That same year, Louis re-wore a merino wool jumper from the brand Wild and Gorgeous while meeting Sir David Attenborough with his siblings. Prince George wore the sweater in 2016, during the Cambridges tour of Canada two years before the youngest royal was born.

Prince Louis was even seen wearing his fathers mini sailor suit at Trooping the Colour last June, more than 30 years after Prince William wore it to the same event in 1985 when he was just two years old. In 2019, Louis made his debut on the Buckingham Palace balcony wearing a blue-and-white shirt and matching shorts set borrowed from his uncle, Prince Harry.

The previously unseen photograph featured the late Queen Elizabeth II with the young royals, who were all smiles as they sat next to their beloved Gan Gan. In addition to the George, Charlotte, and Louis, Mia, Lucas and Lena Tindall were seen in the image, along with Savannah and Isla Phillips.

Standing at the back were the Queens grandchildren Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor and James, Earl of Wessex  the son and daughter of the now-Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh.

However, missing from the photograph were the Duke and Duchess of Sussexs two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet. Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, stepped down as senior working royals in 2020 and have since relocated their family to the United States. The duke will make his return to the United Kingdom for the coronation of his father, King Charles II, on Saturday 6 May. However, Meghan will stay at home in California with their two children, as the coronation is also the same day as Archies fourth birthday.

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 earlier this month. 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.
In October 1873, Col. William Jones assembled his forces. His men built two log and earthen fortifications that looked out over the landscape where the expected attack would advance from. In addition to their sidearms, the men also mounted a 10-pound cannon, and a 24-hour guard was established. The men, who were yeomen farmers from their nearby homes, stood ready to repel the opposing army.

War had come to Mentz, and nationally, it would be called "The Port Byron Railroad War. Well, to be honest, the war was more a spat and a standoff between local landowners and the New York Central Railroad. But the national, and even local news played up the conflict between the small landowner and the large intrastate company with the grant title.

To set the stage for this war, we need to look back to 1853 and the merger of many smaller railroad companies into the New York Central. One of the early projects taken up by the new company was to construct a direct line between Rochester and Syracuse. In the 1850s, the company had been given the authority by the state to take a strip of land about 96 feet wide across whatever land they might need. This was enough land to lay down two sets of tracks.

As the train traffic increased, the company decided to expand to four tracks and the state gave them the authority to take another 32 feet of land. The land acquisition process involved agents from the company coming to town and informing the landowners what they were taking and what they would be paid. It was a government-sanctioned form of privately funded eminent domain. But payment was not enough for some landowners whose land was split by the railroad. Abner Armstrong, William Jones, Lany Graham and Andrew Myer, who all lived along the railroad in the High Bridge area, asked for a bridge over the busy tracks. The railroad was not agreeable to building a bridge.

So when the construction crews reached the High Bridge area of Mentz, they ran into some resistance. The local men, under the direction of William Jones, who had been given the title of colonel, had prepared to defend their land by building their forts. The number of soldiers varies by report, but it appears that 60 to 100 men pitched their tents, created fortifications, put up the American flag and were armed. They named their forts after their leaders, Armstrong and Graham.

It is clear that at first, the New York Central responded in force. A letter in the newspaper stated that the railroad workers were armed with guns, clubs, stones, shovels, spades, pickaxes and more. A book about the history of the railroad notes that Superintendent Burrows, who was a forceful citizen and lacking in anything that faintly resembled tact, sent a train of armed employees to the site and ordered them to charge the forts. The employees resisted and were fired, but the idea of the New York Central sending an armed train to take on the local men was fodder for the papers, who immediately took sides.

The Auburn paper, which was more sympathetic to the railroad, noted that the leaders were ridiculously marshaling the excited men who brandished their rusty muskets. The Buffalo Evening Courier was a bit more sympathetic to the men, stating that they should be congratulated for standing up for their rights and that they were entitled to the thanks of the community. The railroad history noted that a local clergyman came to the battlefield and blessed the men, comparing them to the minutemen of 1775 and telling them that they were fighting a holy war. It doesnt appear that there were any injuries, and local law enforcement was called in to restore the peace. The railroad compromised by squeezing the extra two tracks onto their existing land and allowed the case be settled in the courts.

At first, all four men were part of the trial and had to be represented. This required all the men to travel, as the courts and the railroad moved the location of the trial from Auburn to Geneva to Canandaigua. So it was decided to let Abner Armstrong fight the good fight and that all would abide by whatever the outcome was, be it against or for them. The case went on for over a year and in the end, the men got the money they wanted (but no bridge) and the railroad got the land they needed.
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Tom Parker Bowles, son of Queen Consort Camilla, has hit back at Prince Harrys claim that his mother played an end game to become Queen.

Parker Bowles is the eldest child of Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles, who were married from 1973 to 1995. They also share daughter Laura Rose Lopes (nee Parker Bowles).

On Thursday 20 April, the 48-year-old British food writer appeared on The News Agents podcast where he discussed Camillas marriage to Charles, insisting that she just married the person she loved.

I think change happens but I dont care what anyone says  this wasnt any sort of end game, he said. She married the person she loved and this is what happened.

His comments come after the Duke of Sussex labelled his step-mother as the villain in his highly-publicised memoir, Spare, which was released last January. In the tell-all memoir, Prince Harry claimed that the Queen Consort leaked stories about the royal family to the media to bolster her image as part of a long game for marriage and the crown. I have complex feelings about gaining a step-parent who I thought had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar, he wrote.

However, sources close to the Queen Consort have said that Camilla was hurt to be branded as the villain by Harry.

Asked if his mother would be anxious in the run-up to the coronation, Parker Bowles said it was difficult for her to take on such a role during the ceremony but shes never complained.

I think anyone would be anxious on an occasion of this sort of importance in terms of the historical. And yes, I think Id be terrified if I had to sort of walk out wearing ancient robes   he said. Shes 75, but you know, its tough to do it. But shes never complained. You just do it. Get on with it.

He said it was not really weird to think of Camilla as the Queen, because shes still our mother. I say our but not the royal we, speaking for my sister and me. Shes our mother.

His remarks reflect those made by Charles and Camillas former royal butler, Grant Harrold, who told The Independent that she would be nervous and terrified ahead of the historic event.

[Charles] has done this for so long, the only thing that will worry him is that he is very particular and likes everything done and to go perfectly, Harrold said during an etiquette event this week.

Hell be more focused on making sure everybody knows what theyre doing. Hell trust his team, including the household team, the office, secretaries, hes going to trust that theyll get it right so that he just has to worry about making sure he gets the crown on the right way.

Tom Parker Bowles denied claims his mother played an end game to become Queen (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

The Duke of Sussex has confirmed his attendance at King Charles and Queen Camillas coronation on Saturday 6 May. In a statement, Buckingham Palace announced Prince Harry will attend the ceremony while his wife, Meghan Markle, 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 on 12 April. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Prince Harrys confirmation at the Kings coronation comes after months of speculation over whether the royal couple would attend the ceremony. 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.

In the same interview, Parker Bowles spoke about planned protests that are set to take place during the coronation on 6 May.

Everyone has a right to think what they want, he told podcast hosts Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel. You know, we live in a, thankfully, a free country.

Republic is an activist group that calls to see the monarchy abolished and the King replaced with an elected, democratic head of state. The group says its supporters will march along The Mall on 6 May, which the King will proceed down from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. The demonstrators have been known to carry yellow protest signs emblazoned with the words, Not My King.

When asked whether he was worried that anti-monarchy demonstrators would get in the way of the King and his mothers coronation, Parker Bowles backed their right to protest. If people want to protest, thats their right to do so, I think, he added. If people protest, people protest. Youre allowed to protest, were all allowed to have different views. I think that makes for an interesting and civilised country.

Republic is set to stage the largest protest action in its history by lining the coronation procession route and gathering in Trafalgar Square. From there, they will march down the procession route towards Westminster Abbey  the site of the coronations of England and Britains monarchs since 1066.

Additional reporting by PA.
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An Indian man was arrested in London on suspicion of funding terrorism and faced extradition to the US, where he is wanted by authorities over fraud and money laundering offences.

The arrest was part of wider joint action by the UK and US that targeted terror financing, the Metropolitan Police said.

Sundar Nagarajan, born in Indias Madurai city in the southern Tamil Nadu state, is also known as Kasiviswanathan Naga and Nagarajan Sundar Poongulam, said media reports.

He faced charges of helping launder money to evade US sanctions and fund the Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group backed by Iran, which the UK government classified as a terrorist organisation in 2019.

Mr Nagarajan was detained in west London by officers from the National Extradition Unit following a request by US authorities and an international arrest warrant.

He was presented before the Westminster Magistrates Court and will appear in the same court again on 25 April.

In a press statement on Tuesday, the Met police said: Sundar Nagarajan, (27.08.57) of Hayes UB3, was taken into police custody before appearing at Westminster Magistrates Court this afternoon for commencement of extradition proceedings.

Officers from the Mets Counter Terrorism Command also arrested one Nazem Ahmad on suspicion of funding terrorism.

Ahmad is suspected of being a funding source for Hizballah, a proscribed terrorist organization, the police statement said.

Sanctions against Mr Ahmad were announced by the UK government on Tuesday. The US also announced sanctions against Ahmad and a number of his associates on the same day.

A US treasury department release alleged that Mr Nagarajan acted as Mr Ahmads primary international accountant.

It said Mr Nagarajan is the central manager of financial ledgers detailing the networks operations in Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa.

He also facilitated payment for and shipment of art Mr Ahmad purchased from major auction houses and galleries, it said.

Following the arrests, detective chief superintendent Gareth Rees, of the Mets Counter Terrorism Command, said the arrests are the result of ongoing work and cooperation with our American colleagues, and are a key milestone in what is a complex investigation into terrorist financing.

Terrorist groups rely on financial support and funding for their activities and the NTFIU works closely with agencies in the UK and around the world to identify and take action against those people who provide and facilitate this funding, he said.
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Several people have been arrested at the Scottish Grand National after animal rights activists invaded the course.

Police intervened after 25 animal rights activists from campaign group Animal Rising rushed on to the track at Ayr racecourse to prevent the 3.35pm race from going ahead.

The protest came after the death of horse Oscar Elite on the same track on Saturday. Activists from Animal Rising said they wanted to protect animals and stop them from dying or coming to harm.

In a post on their Twitter account, the group said activists were attempting to attach themselves to jumps and gates in order to cancel the big race, but all protesters were swiftly removed from the tracks.

The group said: A horse dies every other day in racing in the UK. We are here to protect horses by saying NO to this barbaric sport. There are plenty of other things we can have fun doing on a Saturday afternoon that dont involve watching animals come to harm.

Police Scotland said a significant operation was underway to safely remove protesters from the track.

Animal Rising has warned it will continue with more race disruptions.

Police Scotland said: We are responding to a protest which is ongoing at Ayr Racecourse this afternoon. A significant operation is underway to safely remove those involved. A number of arrests have been made and an increased police presence remains at the scene.

More than 118 people were arrested last week after a large number of protesters attempted to gain entry to the Aintree Racecourse track, delaying the start of the Grand National.

Scores of activists climbed fences at Aintree, with at least two fixing themselves to a jump using glue and lock-on devices.

The protesters breached security fences as National runners were in the parade ring, causing a delay of 12 minutes, although racegoers helped police and event organisers to stop some from reaching the track.
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Stephen Lawrences mother said his story remains as important and relevant as ever as a memorial service was held in central London to mark the 30th anniversary of the teenagers death.

The murder victims family gathered for the anniversary at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square on Saturday.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also attended.

Sir Keir made a short speech and read a poem by Maya Angelou at the request of Stephens mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence.

The anniversary comes after Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised for failings in the aftermath of the killing, with the forces response to the investigation being branded institutionally racist in the 1999 Macpherson Report.

Stephen was stabbed to death on April 22 1993 in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, south-east London, after he was set upon by a gang of white youths shouting racial slurs and brandishing weapons.

The bungled original investigation hampered by racism and alleged police corruption meant it took nearly 20 years for two of the 18-year-olds five killers to be brought to justice, with three never prosecuted.

Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death on April 22 1993 (PA Media)

The date of his death is now marked by Stephen Lawrence Day each year.

Sir Keir told the memorial that contrasted against the very worst side of Britain, Stephen represented the best, as he lamented the loss of a life which shone with the light of potential.

He was director of public prosecutions when two of Mr Lawrences killers were brought to justice.

Speaking outside the church, Mr Khan continued his assertion that the Metropolitan Police Service remains institutionally racist.

He said: Were here today to celebrate and remember Stephen Lawrences life, his legacy but also the extraordinary work thats taken place by his family, Doreen Lawrence and by their team and address the issues of equality, diversity and inclusion.

Its 30 years since Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered, I remember it well as a south Londoner.

For those of us who are people of colour it had a ripple effect on us, ripples of hate but also the appalling way that the family was let down by the Met Police Service, by the media and by some politicians. Thirty years on, weve not made the progress wed hope to have made.

Its really important that we recognise that 30 years on, Dame Louise Casey has found the Met Police to still be institutionally racist, we cant ignore that or equivocate on that, weve got to make progress.

London mayor Sadiq Khan attended the service (PA)

The Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police published last month found the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic in the wake of a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer and Pc David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist.

Sir Mark admitted on Friday that the Metropolitan Police did not dig deep enough to root out racism since Mr Lawrences murder.

The Met commissioner said a failure to robustly confront cultural and systemic failings, which were exposed by the forces response to the murder, had undermined its ability to fight crime, and he pledged to finally make the Met determinedly anti-racist.

Baroness Lawrence said her sons story remains as important and relevant as ever 30 years after his death, adding that she is filled with immense pride to witness all that has been achieved in his name.

From launching education initiatives to opening up career pathways and inspiring community engagement, Stephens legacy has touched countless young lives and moved us closer towards a more just and equitable society, she said in a statement.

Yet, we must also acknowledge the work still to be done.

Inequality persists, and our mission to create a world free from discrimination continues.

She said: we will ensure that Stephens legacy endures, inspiring change and uniting us in the pursuit of justice and equity for all.

Earlier this week, she told the BBC that nothing much has changed within the Metropolitan Police in the 30 years since her son was murdered.

Jessica Neil, chief executive of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, said the anniversary was an incredibly difficult time for Mr Lawrences loved ones but said she was feeling hopeful for the next 30 years.

She said: Today Im feeling hopeful. This service, Stephen Lawrence Day more broadly and the wider community that support us, its such a powerful demonstration of what can happen when ordinary people come together and demand extraordinary change.

I think the anniversary of Stephens death is an incredibly difficult time for the family, but focusing that into the foundation and the work that we do gives a sense of hope and hope that we can transform Stephens legacy that continues to deliver change for the next 30 years.

She said the teenagers legacy is one of hope and change.

She added: He was an ordinary young man whose life and death has inspired extraordinary change in the fabric of British society and so his legacy is one of hope and change and inspiring other young people like him to fulfil the breadth and depth of their potential.
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Senior military figures, celebrities and leading MPs are among the more than 50,000 people backing The Independents petition calling for the UK to give refuge to Afghan war heroes who served alongside British forces.

It comes after we revealed the plight of an Afghan pilot who served alongside the British army and fled to the UK on small boats and is now being threatened with deportation to Rwanda.

The air force lieutenant, who flew 30 combat missions against the Taliban and was praised by his coalition forces supervisor as a patriot to his nation, was forced into hiding and said it was impossible to make his way to Britain via a safe route.

He says he is one of many Afghan forces veterans who have been forgotten by the US and British forces, and believes the promise of friendship and cooperation has been abandoned.

The Independent believes that this hero  and all those who served alongside him  should be given the right to stay in the UK, which has since been backed by senior figures from across the armed forces and the political spectrum.

Tobias Ellwood

The chair of the Commons defence select committee was among the first major figures to offer his support to the air force lieutenant after our initial report about his plight.

Mr Ellwood, the Conservative MP for Bournemouth East, warned that his case illustrates the gaping hole in the current system, which has no functioning process allowing Afghans to apply for asylum from abroad.

This is clearly not who we are as a nation, and is not how our migration system should operate, he said, adding: There is something very wrong if pilots who worked alongside us in Afghanistan could now be sent to Rwanda.

The case illustrates the gaping hole in the current system, said Tobias Ellwood (Yui Mok/PA)

Admiral Lord West

In the same report  which came a day after Rishi Sunak promised to review the veterans plight, during a grilling by MPs  a former head of the Royal Navy added to the criticism, saying the government has a duty to look after those who fought alongside Britain.

Not least because they were helping us. But also because no one is ever going to want to help us if we ever get involved in a situation like that again, said Admiral Lord West, chief of Naval staff from 2002 to 2006.

He added: I understand all the issues about trying to stop boats coming across the Channel and people drowning. But I think occasionally one has to show some flexibility. And I would have thought this was a classic case where we should.

( )

Sir Laurie Bristow

The following day, the British ambassador to Afghanistan during fall of Kabul in 2021 was among a wave of public figures to back our campaign.

Sir Laurie Bristow warned that the lives of Afghans who worked for us and with us  are at risk as a result, adding thatmany of our own service people owe their lives to Afghans who worked and fought alongside them in Afghanistan.

Sir Laurie Bristow was stationed in Afghanistan during the evacuation of Kabul (PA)

Sir William Patey

Simultaneously, Sir Lauries predecessor warned of the extreme danger the war hero would have faced had he stayed in the country.

He flew combat missions against the Taliban so obviously he would have been under direct threat of reprisal in Afghanistan; he would have been killed, said Sir William Patey, who served as ambassador to Afghanistan from 2010 until 2012.

I really dont see how he cannot get asylum or qualify under the various Afghan schemes. Its a bit farcical that he is being threatened with Rwanda.

General Sir Richard Barrons

The pilots route to the UK should not affect his asylum chances, said a former chief of joint operations, who served in Afghanistan.

This should not be complicated, said General Sir Richard Barrons. This pilot is either entitled to come here or hes not. The fact that he went through other countries to get here is not surprising considering the mess the government made with the evacuation process.

( )

Rory Stewart

Rory Stewart, a former international development secretary, said the pilots story was profoundly shocking because it went directly against the pledges made to those in Afghanistan.

We are shirking our responsibilities towards Afghans who risked their lives to fight alongside us and who are now at risk of their lives, warned Mr Stewart, the former Tory MP who now co-hosts The Rest Is Politics podcast.

Rory Stewart said the pilots story was profoundly shocking (PA Archive)

Kevan Jones

Describing the pilots case as a stain on Britains great reputation, former defence minister Kevan Jones said: We always stick by our friends.

We should continue to do that. This government is clearly not doing that in this case and many others.

Colonel Simon Diggins

Their comments came as then-deputy PM Dominic Raab was repeatedly pressed on the veterans plight on BBC Radio 4s Today programme.

Colonel Simon Diggins, who served as a defence attache in Afghanistan and was involved in the Kabul evacuation, said: We shouldnt accept the terminology that he got here illegally; that is not the right language for people like him who have no other means of getting here safely.

It is appalling that this man who was in our allied forces is being treated in this way.

Colonel Simon Diggins served as defence attache in Afghanistan (Colonel Simon Diggins)

Major General Tim Cross

Major General Tim Cross, who served in Iraq, the Balkans and Northern Ireland, described the case as one of common sense, or rather the lack of it.

He went on: If this man was a member of Afghan forces fighting alongside the coalition then the risks to him are obvious. The whole Afghanistan withdrawal was terribly done, and cases like these are the human consequences of mistakes we made in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.

Major General Tim Cross was the top British officer involved in planning post-war Iraq (AFP via Getty Images)

Sir Keir Starmer

As our campaign picked up steam, Sir Keir Starmer said it was a disgrace that a brave pilot who fought alongside British troops faced being forced out of the UK.

The Labour leader also accused the government of a shameful level of incompetence as he called on ministers not to deport him.

The dramatic intervention came as the pilot wrote an open letter to the prime minister, in which he directly appealed to Mr Sunak to offer sanctuary in the UK to him, his family and fellow Afghans who served alongside Britain.

Keir Starmer said it was a disgrace the pilot faced deportation (Getty)

Lord Robertson

Next to offer their support was former Nato chief Lord Robertson, who warned that it would be an indefensible disgrace if the Home Office carried out its threat to send him to Rwanda.

Lord Robertson, former secretary general of the military alliance, urged the government to show decency and give the pilot the respect and safety he deserves.

It came as The Independent highlighted the plight of hundreds of Afghans stranded in Pakistan after the UK government stopped military flights and demanded they pay for their own accommodation before being allowed to travel.

( )

Bear Grylls

The former SAS soldier, who is now a survivalist and television adventurer, urged ministers to do right by those who have given so much to keep us safe.

In an opinion piece for this website, Bear Grylls wrote: Imagine braving the horrors of war to support the forces of a country that you dont even live in, only to find that when you travel to that country for genuine sanctuary from horror, torture and the many other dangers of your own country (braving even more hardships along the way), youre told that you arent acknowledged or wanted.

Bear Grylls has backed our campaign, urging ministers to do right by those who have given so much to keep us safe (Getty Images)

Lord Alf Dubs

Lord Alf Dubs  a child refugee who fled the Nazis before the Second World War  said the idea of deporting a pilot was absolutely shocking and accused Rishi Sunaks government of totally cruel treatment.

The Labour peer called on the PM to make sure the veteran is allowed to stay. If he risked his life for us, how can we possibly not consider giving him safety? The government must think again, he said.

Lord Alf Dubs said the idea of deporting a pilot was absolutely shocking (PA)

Sir Richard Dannatt

Sir Richard Dannatt, former head of the British Army, argued that the pilot was a special case for asylum and should be granted permission to stay.

The former head of the British Army said there was a flaw in the government policy if Afghans who helped British forces could be deported in the crackdown on small boat crossings.

His support came as polling by Savanta for The Independent found that just 23 per cent voters think the government is giving enough support to Afghans trying to escape their home country after working with Britain, while 47 per cent want more to be done.

Sir Richard Dannatt is one of many armed forces leaders to back our campaign (GETTY IMAGES)

Air Marshal Edward Stringer

Drawing powerfully on his own experience in the country, a former head of RAF forces in Afghanistan, was next to back our campaign. Writing an op-ed in The Independent, Air Marshal Edward Stringer said: Now is the time for us to demonstrate the decency on which we so pride ourselves.

He added: It was in Basra in 2007 that I first heard reported an aphorism of the Arab street: that it is better to be an enemy of the British than a friend. If you are an enemy they will buy you, if a friend they will sell you ... If we are not to live up to this reputation, we should do all we can to look after those who risked their lives to help us.

His comments came as our petition calling for the government to provide refuge to Afghan war heroes topped 50,000 signatures.

Air Marshal Edward Stringer was also director of operations at the Ministry of Defence (Royal Air Force)

Piers Morgan

Hosting Independent editor-in-chief Geordie Greig and Lord Dannatt as guests on his TalkTV programme, Piers Morgan also called for the Afghan pilot to be granted sanctuary.

Im giving you the full support of this show, because I think it is a really important battle, he said. It may be one man but it actually represents a large number of people who sacrificed a lot, and many of them sacrificed their lives. Were going to keep hammering away at No 10.

Ben McBean

Ben McBean, a marine commando who lost an arm and a leg in Afghanistan, and described as a hero by Prince Harry, also backed the campaign, saying we must help our pilot settle in the UK.

Mr McBean told The Independent that he couldnt see why anyone would have an issue with Afghan veterans being given a new home in Britain.
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Ministers have stripped out safeguards that prevent asylum seekers claims from being wrongly dismissed, as they try to speed up the deportation of Albanian small-boat migrants.

The government quietly announced the change, which removes the need for a second pair of eyes on decisions that allow people to be deported to their home countries.

The new power applies to migrants from an outdated list of nations that were previously deemed safe, including Ukraine.

It is mainly being used in respect of Albanian nationals, The Independent understands, as nationals of the other countries on the list  which include Bolivia, South Korea and Serbia  do not currently account for significant numbers of asylum seekers or small-boat migrants.

The change is part of a wider push, codenamed Operation Bridora, to declare as many as possible of the asylum applications received from Albanians unfounded, and remove these people from the UK, after a surge in the number arriving on small boats.

The Home Office denies targeting any specific nationality, but sources say the power in question is not being applied equally in respect of claimants from other countries that qualify, while charities have accused the government of discrimination.

It comes as Rishi Sunak is under pressure to achieve his pledge to clear the backlog of pre-June 2022 asylum claims by the end of this year  a target that is under threat from an expected surge in crossings over the summer.

A Home Office source told The Independent: They are not trying to solve the backlog, theyre trying to refuse as many people as possible.

In a written parliamentary statement, immigration minister Robert Jenrick said ministers had already removed the right of asylum seekers to appeal against the certification of a claim as clearly unfounded, and were now taking away a requirement to have cases looked at by two specially trained officials.

The change is part of an operation that aims to reject as many asylum applications from Albanian small-boat migrants as possible (PA Wire)

This government believes it is important to have procedures in place to ensure that those who make clearly unfounded human rights and asylum claims are quickly removed from the UK, Mr Jenrick said.

The current requirement for a second check to be conducted by a different Home Office official on every certified decision is delaying the conclusion of claims which are bound to fail. We must maximise our capacity to progress clearly unfounded cases in a more efficient way.

A Home Office official who works in the asylum department acknowledged that the second pair of eyes process slowed down decisions, but warned that its removal could spark new legal challenges.

The decision [to declare an asylum claim unfounded] is too final, they added. It takes away the right to appeal, it implies deportation. If it goes to judicial review, I think its going to get battered.

Mr Jenricks statement said that the additional checks were no longer necessary because the Home Office already operates a robust quality assurance framework and will conduct other forms of review.

The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants said the governments focus on Albanians was another example of scapegoating a minority in order to undermine the UKs entire refugee protection system.

Ravishaan Rahel Muthiah, the organisations spokesperson, added: This speeding up removes an important layer of scrutiny on what is a critical decision-making process  in many cases these are literally life-and-death decisions. Each individual claim deserves to be assessed with the same level of care and effort. To cut corners is nothing short of discriminatory.

Rishi Sunak welcomes Albanian prime minister Edi Rama (EPA)

New internal guidance for caseworkers was published on Tuesday, and confirms that it has been updated to reflect the fact that there is no longer a requirement for decisions to be reviewed by a second pair of eyes.

A previous version, seen by The Independent, said the process ensured that cases had been correctly identified, that all correct paperwork is present, and that all objective evidence had been considered and was up to date.

Of the 160,000 asylum applications awaiting an initial decision in the UK by the end of last year, 15 per cent (24,747) were from Albanians.

Mr Sunak and Suella Braverman labelled them illegal migrants after people from Albania became the largest group by nationality among small-boat migrants last year. Their comments sparked calls from the Albanian ambassador for the campaign of discrimination to stop.

Afghans have subsequently become the largest group among asylum seekers crossing the Channel, and the Home Office expects the number of people arriving by small boat to hit a new record this year.

The government said all asylum cases are still considered on their individual merits, and that anyone who wishes to challenge a decision that their claim is unfounded can launch a judicial review.

It said a robust framework of safeguards and quality checks remains in place, and that no one at risk of persecution or serious harm would be put through the process.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We have always been upfront about the pressures put on our asylum system by the sharp rise in dangerous and illegal journeys to the UK. The asylum system is now costing 3bn a year, and urgent reform is needed.

This change ensures the Home Office will get through unfounded cases more efficiently, meaning those with no right to be in the UK can be swiftly removed. It is not specifically targeting any nationality.
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A junior doctor who joked about gassing the Jews on Twitter has been suspended from the British Medical Association (BMA).

Dr Martin Whyte, a paediatrician and deputy chair of the junior doctors committee, has been suspended pending investigation following tweets the BMA called totally unacceptable.

In response to a tweet about a synagogue shooting in 2018, Dr Whyte tweeted: Hahaha zeig heil hahaha gas the jews hahaha just kidding but have you seen these youtube videos about the holohoax theyre pretty convincing imo [in my opinion].

Dr Whyte also said people should boycott Israel out of spite, TheDaily Mail reports. He tweeted: Lifehack: promise not to boycott Israel, but do it anyway. Do it out of spite,

He also tweeted: Me: Its important to represent Judaism and Jewish people fairly and respectfully in art. Also me: Jew banker goblins.

A BMA spokesperson said: These tweets are totally unacceptable and we condemn them in the strongest possible terms. The views expressed in no way reflect the values of the BMA. Dr Martin Whyte has been removed from taking part in any and all BMA business with immediate effect and the BMA will be undertaking an external independent investigation.

Mr Whytes Twitter account has now been closed.

In an email to junior doctors on Friday night, reported by TheDaily Mail, the BMA said: There is absolutely no place in the BMA for anti-Semitism.

It added: We strive to be a tolerant, diverse and progressive organisation. We want to assure members that we treat anti-Semitism, and all forms of prejudice and discrimination, with the utmost seriousness.

The Independent has approached Dr Martin Whyte for comment.
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Armed police officers have shot and killed an out-of-control dog after a man was found with serious injuries at a house in Derby.

A man has also been arrested in connection with the incident at a property in Cameron Road on Saturday morning.

Derbyshire Police have closed off parts of Cameron Road and nearby Brunswick Street.

A dog at the address that was presenting a risk to officers and the public was shot and killed by firearms officers, the force said in a statement.

Police officers remain at the property and scene is in place, the force said. It gave no update on the mans injuries or whether he had been taken to hospital.

There is no ongoing risk to the public and officers will remain in the area as the investigation into the incident continues, police said.

It comes just days after six people, including one elderly man, were hospitalised when two dogs began attacking people near a primary school in Birmingham, with pupils reportedly kept inside for an hour until the canines were brought under control and taken to secure kennels.

A 28-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a dog dangerously out of control, West Midlands Police said.

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Just two weeks prior, 17 dogs were seized by police and three people arrested in Carrington after a six-year-old girl was seriously injured in a dog attack, Greater Manchester Police said.

Despite the UKs canine population only increasing by 15 per cent since 2018, the number of dog attacks has risen by more than double that proportion, rising from 16,000 in 2018 to 22,000 last year, according to the BBC.

But the recent rise merely represents the latter end of a stark trend of rising dog attacks in recent decades, including those which are fatal or require hospitalisation.

Some 8,389 of the victims of such attacks in 2018 were hospitalised by their injuries  a huge increase on the 3,395 such admissions in 2002.

According to the Office for National Statistics, 15 people were killed by canines in the decade up to the 1991 Dangerous Dogs Act. By contrast, in the 10 years to 2022, there were at least 32 such deaths.

Following Saturdays attack, Cameron Road was closed from the junction with St Thomas Road and close to the junction with Duncan Road, while Brunswick Street was shut from the junction of Havelock Road and Sutherland Road.
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The Royal British Legion has urged Britain to honour its commitment to help Afghan war heroes as it backed The Independents campaign to stop the threatened deportation of an Afghan fighter pilot.

The veterans charity said it was right to question the deportation of any Afghan who served alongside British forces in the war against the Taliban.

The Royal British Legion, which was established in 1921 and has 180,000 members, supports tens of thousands of armed forces personnel, veterans and their families each year.

Director general Charles Byrne said: We encourage the government to promptly and fully assess those who are applying for support. It is vital that we remember the many Afghans who worked bravely alongside the British armed forces in Afghanistan.

The charity joins more than 20 senior military chiefs and politicians who have lent their voices to the campaign. The Independent is calling on the government to give asylum to an Afghan pilot who arrived in the UK on a small boat and has now been threatened with deportation to Rwanda.

The Afghan pilot arrived in the UK on a small boat and is now being threatened with deportation to Rwanda (The Independent)

His story has highlighted the plight of many other Afghan war heroes who are resorting to dangerous routes to get to the UK.

The pilot is still waiting for a response to his open letter to Rishi Sunak, which calls on the prime minister to grant him asylum and reunite him with his family. Mr Sunak promised to ask the Home Office to look into the case, but the Home Office has so far refused to comment on this case.

The British Legion is currently helping Afghans who have been relocated to the UK under the Ministry of Defences Afghan relocations and assistance policy.

Mr Byrne went on: The Royal British Legion commends The Independents campaign to stop or question the deportation of any Afghan who served alongside the British forces in the war against the Taliban. Britain should honour its commitment to help those who helped us.

The Afghan air force lieutenant, who flew combat missions against the Taliban, was forced into hiding after the fall of Kabul in August 2021, and said it was impossible to make his way to Britain via a safe route.

He said he had been forgotten by the US and British forces he worked alongside, adding: We worked with them and we helped them like they were our brothers. We are not Taliban, we are not Isis, so why are they leaving us like this?

The veteran is worried for his family, who are still in Afghanistan, and said he is speaking out on their behalf.

The British Legions support comes after several senior military chiefs  including the former head of the army Sir Richard Dannatt, former Nato chief Lord Robertson, and General Sir Richard Barrons, a former chief of joint operations who served in Afghanistan  backed The Independents campaign and urged the government to look into the pilots case.

Other senior military figures who added their support include Air Marshal Edward Stringer, the former head of RAF forces in Afghanistan, and Admiral Lord West, former head of the Royal Navy, who said the government has a duty to look after those who fought alongside Britain.

The campaign has also garnered support politically, with Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer describing the treatment of the Afghan pilot as a disgrace. The chair of the defence select committee, Tobias Ellwood, said the pilots case has exposed a gaping hole in the UKs asylum system, while Lord Dubs  a former child refugee who fled the Nazis before the Second World War  said the case was absolutely shocking.

Former international development secretary Rory Stewart said the pilots story is profoundly shocking because his treatment goes directly against the pledges made to those in Afghanistan.

This week, our campaign was backed by Piers Morgan, who has called on Mr Sunak to do the right thing and give this hero a new life here. Former marine commando Ben McBean also said he couldnt see why anyone would have an issue with Afghan veterans being given a new home in the UK.

The Independent has launched a petition calling for the UK to support Afghan war heroes who served alongside Britain

Data shows that the Afghan relocations and assistance policy scheme (Arap) has so far rejected 18,946 Afghans, while just 3,399 have been found eligible. Charities and MPs have warned that the criteria for the scheme are too narrow, and that hundreds of people who worked alongside British forces are being left behind.

Richard Dannatt (right) in Afghanistan in 2007 (PA)

The general resettlement scheme for at-risk Afghans, the Afghan citizens resettlement scheme, has only resettled 22 people since the initial evacuation, government data shows.

Mr Byrne said: We are proud to currently be supporting hundreds of Afghans who relocated to the UK under the Afghan relations and assistance policy, and who have been designated by the Ministry of Defence as having a close UK defence connection, with everything from help getting employment to providing education and clothes for children, and we are committed to offering practical help as they resettle in their new lives in the UK.

A government spokesperson said: Whilst we dont comment on individual cases, we remain committed to providing protection for vulnerable and at-risk people fleeing Afghanistan and so far have brought around 24,500 people impacted by the situation back to the UK.

We continue to work with likeminded partners and countries neighbouring Afghanistan on resettlement issues, and to support safe passage for eligible Afghans.
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Bullying of civil servants in Whitehall is set to worsen after the farce of Dominic Raabs departure from government, experts have warned.

Officials will be deterred from filing formal complaints against other ministers in the future, they said, amid claims of a chilling effect.

A row also erupted as allies of the former deputy prime minister were accused of massively undermining the UKs ambassador to Spain - by naming him as the man at the centre of one of the upheld complaints.

Mr Raab was forced to resign after an independent investigation found he had acted in an intimidating and aggressive way towards officials.

But civil servants who claimed he bullied them only found out the results of their complaints from rolling news channels, sources close to the process said.

And Rishi Sunak came under fire for his decision to wait 24 hours before releasing the inquirys findings, allowing his deputy time to resign and write a national newspaper article setting out his side of the story first.

Dave Penman, the leader of the FDA union that represents senior civil servants, told The Independent that the delay between the report landing on Mr Sunaks desk and Mr Raabs eventual resignation was a farce that would only underline that this is a process thats about the politics and not the people.

The events of Mr Raabs ejection from government would absolutely deter others from raising complaints, he said, adding: If bullies think they can get away with it, it flourishes.

As he resigned Mr Raab claimed the findings against him set out a playbook for a small number of officials to target ministers.

But Hannah White, the director of the Institute for Government (IfG), said "no civil servant would feel encouraged to speak out in future".

She said that reading Mr Raabs resignation letter, and one sent in response by the prime minister: "No civil servant would conclude that the current Government is keen to establish a culture of accountability and professionalism.

Mr Raabs allies also came under fire after a British ambassador at the centre of one of the upheld bullying complaints was identified as the UKs ambassador to Spain, Hugh Elliott, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The paper was told that Mr Raab had heard reports that Mr Elliott had gone beyond a Cabinet-agreed position to never have Spanish officers permanently stationed in Gibraltar.

A Conservative former minister said that naming Mr Elliott, whose identity had been carefully anonymised in the official report, massively undermined the senior diplomat, especially as civil servants cannot publicly defend themselves.

The former head of the civil service Lord Kerslake told The Independent that it was poor form and technically a breach of the Official Secrets Act.

Spain is seen as an important diplomatically, given Brexit and the conflict over Gibraltar.

Alex Thomas, from the Institute for Government, said: The credibility of one of the UK representatives overseas is dependent on the fact that they properly represent their government. To put that allegation out there without the opportunity to refute it is potentially damaging.

Downing Street has declined to comment.
Not good enough. That was the message from the Planning and Zoning Commission to Northern Arizona Healthcare (NAH) this week as the proposed new hospital project was sent to Flagstaff City Council with a recommendation for denial.

The commission was mixed in its decision, with two members voting in support of the project and some expressing ambivalence toward the vote entirely. In the end, commissioners cited concerns over sustainability and infrastructure funding as reasons for the call.

In recent weeks, the already controversial project has seen pushback by community groups including Friends of Flagstaffs Future (F3) over issues of carbon neutrality.

F3 Executive Director Michele James said she and others feel that while NAH has paid lip service to making the project carbon neutral, there is no clear plan or date by which they mean to achieve this.

The 172.6-acre project near Ft. Tuthill County Park, which hopes to create a wellness village including a 448-bed hospital once fully completed, is now set to go before Council on May 2.

Some on the commission had hoped to yet again postpone a vote, but NAH pushed the commission to make a call and send the proposal to the city council, be it with a recommendation to approve the project or not.

We are looking forward to bringing it to city council on May 2 and we're pleased that it's moving forward to city council, NAH Director of Communications Andrea Kelly told the Arizona Daily Sun. And we're looking forward to having the opportunity to clarify some of the points made tonight and to correct some of the inaccuracies that were [stated] as well.

The Flagstaff City Council has reportedly already been in discussions with NAH regarding the proposed health campus and has had multiple executive sessions to discuss the project so far, with another lengthy executive session scheduled for early next week.

On Wednesday, the commissions vote to recommend denial boiled largely down to two concerns: whether the project is compatible with the citys goals of achieving carbon neutrality by 2030, and how much NAH was willing fund new roads and fire infrastructure the project demands.

Planning and Zoning Chair Marie Jones said she was conflicted about how to come down, very much wanting to support the project but simultaneously having real concerns about it.

I see that in terms of the zoning regulations that the City of Flagstaff has, the applicant is meeting those, Jones told her fellow members. What does stand out to me as a problem are the issues having to do with sustainability.

Jones pointed to the proposed location as one example. Jones worried that the project being built on the outskirts of the city would make accessing the facility without a vehicle a significant hurdle for residents, and not in keeping with the goals of reducing motor vehicle trips that the city is working toward.

Traffic studies have shown that an estimated 53,000 new daily trips will be generated to the hospital site and across the city by the time the full campus is completed, compared to the hospital's current central location.

The city has been accused of emphasizing motor vehicle traffic over more sustainable ways of transportation in the past, most notably during controversial ballot measures in 2018.

But other commissioners believed the commission was holding the project to a higher standard than that of other projects it had reviewed.

Most of the objections we got in our email had to do with carbon neutrality -- and I guess correct me if Im wrong -- but I dont see that the city has any requirement for this project on its own to be carbon neutral, Commissioner Ian Sharpe said. Thats a goal of the city collectively but not independently for each project.

Other commissioners said they were more troubled by the plan on how to fund new road improvements, intersections and a relocated fire station that the project requires.

For NAHs part, hospital officials have said the project makes substantial progress in terms of sustainability and carbon neutrality, especially when compared to the current hospital.

While increasing the number of beds, the new location as planned would see an approximately 45% reduction in energy use when compared to the current facility, according to NAH. Hospital officials have also touted a reduction in the use of water by 20 million gallons annually for the new facility and have indicated they would look at changes to the hospitals supply chain and reuse of materials to support carbon neutrality as well.

Our application has been reviewed by the folks responsible in the city for reviewing the sustainability portions of the plan, and have determined that it meets the city's requirements, Kelly said.

But James is skeptical, as are others such as Stefan Sommer of the Northern Arizona Climate Change Alliance.

The bottom line is there's no way to evaluate the plan relative to net-zero goal by 2030 until they provide the carbon footprint, Sommer said. Once we have that, then we know where to begin the conversation.

And James lamented that the hospital could be taking a more holistic view of community health.

In recent years, COVID-19 has shown that adequate housing is a form of healthcare, and James said climate change and supporting carbon neutrality is no different given the extreme impacts a changing climate is likely to have on resident of Flagstaff and the region.

This hospital should be carbon neutral, because that's what healthcare should do; the people who are running this have an obligation to make it as carbon neutral as possible, James said, adding in a letter to the commission that NAH must make a strong, detailed, and publicly available commitment to building a carbon neutral hospital and ACC, or better yet, carbon negative buildings.
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Rishi Sunak and Dominic Raabs response to the report into bullying accusations against the former deputy prime minister has made future civil service complaints more difficult, according to a think tank chief.

Hannah White, director of the Institute for Government (IfG), said no civil servant would feel encouraged to speak out in future and called the episode a missed opportunity for the prime minister to reinforce standards.

It comes after Adam Tolley KCs investigation into allegations of bullying concluded Mr Raab engaged in an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates while he was foreign secretary.

No civil servant would conclude that the current government is keen to establish a culture of accountability and professionalism Hannah White, Institute for Government director

Mr Raabs conduct in the department had a significant adverse effect on one colleague and he was also found to have been intimidating to staff by criticising utterly useless and woeful work while justice secretary.

Though he stopped short of describing the conduct as bullying, Mr Tolleys findings were consistent with what he said would amount to the offence under the ministerial code.

Senior Conservative politician Mr Raab decided to resign from his positions as deputy prime minister and justice secretary after learning of the reports contents, having previously vowed to quit if found to have bullied staff.

But in the aftermath of his exit, he launched a tirade against activist civil servants who he argued had the ability to stand in the way of ministers democratic mandate by making complaints about ministers charged with implementing changes.

Mr Raab said the inquiry has set a dangerous precedent by setting a low threshold for bullying, which he says will encourage spurious complaints.

He later told BBC News on Friday: What youve got is the risk here that a very small minority of very activist civil servants, with a passive-aggressive culture of the civil service, who dont like some of the reforms  whether its Brexit, whether its parole reform, whether its human rights reform  effectively trying to block government.

Thats not on, thats not democratic.

But the IfGs Ms White said the reaction to the investigation may discourage future complaints rather than embolden civil servants.

Mr Sunak had received Mr Tolleys report on Thursday morning but had spent close to 24 hours deliberating over whether to sack his deputy before Mr Raab decided to walk.

In a letter to Mr Raab, the prime minister said he accepted the resignation with great sadness.

Ms White, writing for the IfGs website, said: Reading Raab and Sunaks letters together, no civil servant would conclude that the current Government is keen to establish a culture of accountability and professionalism or feel encouraged to speak out in future.

An opportunity to reinforce standards has been missed, the mutual suspicion which has been growing between ministers and civil servants remains and nothing has been done to reduce the risk of future problems.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA  a union representing senior civil servants, including some of the complainants against Mr Raab  called for an independent inquiry into ministerial bullying and a change to how complaints are handled following the investigation.

No 10 has vowed to learn the lessons in terms of dealing with concerns about working practices in a timely manner but has so far refused to undertake a shake-up of the internal government complaints process.

Senior Tories spoke out after the publication of the 47-page investigation on Friday to argue Mr Raab should not have stood down and to criticise the tone of the complaints.

Former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said Mr Raab should not have quit and that Mr Sunak should have refused to accept his deputys departure.

Mr Rees-Mogg told Channel 4 News: I think his resignation was unnecessary and I think the prime minister should not have accepted it.

I think it is very dangerous that we are setting the bar so low for this.

Government whip Joy Morrissey tweeted that we now live in a country where the definition of bullying includes telling someone to do their job.

Mr Sunak filled the gap left in his Cabinet by Mr Raabs departure by promoting two longstanding allies, with Alex Chalk becoming Justice Secretary and Oliver Dowden appointed as Deputy prime minister.
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Former deputy prime minister Dominic Raab has resigned after an inquiry found he had acted in an intimidating and aggressive way with officials.

The 47-page report by Adam Tolley KC examines a number of incidents spanning the former ministers tenure as foreign secretary, justice secretary and Brexit secretary.

Here PA takes a look at the key allegations  and which ones were upheld.

 Disciplinary threat

Mr Raab was accused of conveying a threat which had a significant adverse effect on a member of staff while working at the foreign office. He was said to have suggested those involved on a project had breached the Civil Service Code.

Senior diplomat Sir Philip Barton gave evidence that he later had a private meeting with Mr Raab to warn him not to threaten staff with the code. Mr Raab disputed that the meeting had taken place.

Finding: Mr Tolley found Mr Raab had conveyed a threat and should have known his reference to the code would be perceived as such. He did not intend to threaten anyone with disciplinary action, but should have known how his comments would be interpreted.

He also found that, while Mr Raab was foreign secretary, his conduct on one occasion amounted to an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates.

 Banging tables and hand-waving

Colleagues complained that Mr Raabs physical gestures were used in a threatening way. Loud banging on tables and finger-pointing were among the allegations. In one extreme case, he was said to have extended his hand towards someones face to stop them talking.

Finding: Mr Tolley found there was scope for misunderstanding and that the then-minister had not intended to be threatening.

 Intimidating meetings

While at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Dominic Raab was said to have complained about a lack of the basics or basic information provided by staff. He was said to have been intimidating and insulting on a number of occasions in meetings.

Finding: Mr Tolley found in the complainants favour. He made comments which were likely to be interpreted as unfairly personal criticism, the report said. In relation to a separate complaint about an incident at a work meeting while foreign secretary, Mr Raab displayed unreasonably and persistently aggressive conduct.

 Perverse culture of fear

A second group complaint at the MoJ described a perverse culture of fear and unreasonable work deadlines.

Finding: Mr Tolley said the staff had no ulterior agenda but the nature of the evidence made it unsuitable grounds for a finding of fact.

 Shouting and swearing

Mr Raab was not found to have shouted or sworn at colleagues on any occasion.

Mr Tolley said there was no persuasive evidence that he had shouted, and concluded he had not sworn either at individuals or more generally.

 Woeful and useless insults

Mr Raab claimed there was cultural resistance to his flagship Bill of Rights and policies on parole reform in the Ministry of Justice.

When frustrated that one of his steers about a proposed reform was not implemented, he was said to have described the work of staff involved as utterly useless and woeful.

Finding: Mr Tolley found in the favour of the complaint. On balance, I think that these were the words used; they comprised criticism that was not in the nature of constructive feedback. They were reasonablyunderstood as insulting personal criticism, he said.
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The widow of an Army officer killed on a Cyprus RAF base when he was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman is appealing for a new inquest to look into discrepancies in witness accounts of his death.

Colour Sergeant Anthony Oxley, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, died while on deployment in June 2016 after a crash at the RAF Akrotiri base.

The 40-year-old, from Ryhill, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was riding a motorbike when he was involved in a crash with a Toyota Corolla driven by an American serviceman. He left behind a daughter and three stepchildren.

A 2018 inquest in Wakefield recorded a narrative verdict, that CSgt Sgt Oxleys death had been caused by multiple blunt force injuries to his head, as a result of a road traffic collision.

His widow, Sally Oxley, has since been pushing for a new inquest, saying she has been left in the dark about the details of how her husband died.

This week, her legal team submitted a request to the attorney general for England and Wales, seeking permission to go to the High Court and appeal for a fresh inquest.

Mrs Oxley is also travelling to Cyprus for a hearing on Tuesday, where she will apply for the inquest there to be adjourned until new evidence has been agreed.

KRW Law, which represent Mrs Oxley, said the US Air Force took charge of the investigation and few details were made public, even though Mr Oxleys death happened within British sovereign territory.

Mrs Oxley, 45, said she was told during a meeting with an American general that the US serviceman involved in the accident would face no charges and that was the end of the matter.

She said she has been left with many unanswered questions after the cursory inquest in 2018.

Christopher Stanley, of KRW Law, said there were discrepancies in the evidence between witnesses and a new inquest was in the interests of justice.

Mr Stanley told the PA news agency: We have identified at least 20 witnesses who could be called and two documents we need disclosing to the Cypriot court, including the USAF investigation report.

Sally just wants the truth. If her husband was unlawfully killed because the driver made a mistake, thats all she wants to know.

Mrs Oxley, from Barnsley, said: Its very frustrating for myself and my family.

I know the outcomes never going to be changed but my husband didnt serve 21 years for them just to say he died by blunt force. Its not good enough.
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Scottish Tory MSPs have been accused of hypocrisy for condemning Lord Frosts comments on rolling back devolution.

The SNP said the Tory party cant change its spots on its opposition to the creation of the Scottish Parliament.

It came after former lead Brexit negotiator Lord Frost wrote in the Daily Telegraph to urge Tory ministers, if re-elected, to review and roll back some currently devolved powers in light of the issues facing the SNP.

He said his party had allowed this to happen, adding: Scotland does not need to be an independent actor on the world stage, it should not be able to legislate to disrupt free trade within the UK, and it does not need to have most tax-raising powers currently available to it.

Lord Frost also said devolution should be about running an effective local administration.

The column was condemned by multiple senior Tory MSPs, with finance spokeswoman Liz Smith calling it ill-informed and misleading.

Murdo Fraser described it as nonsense and said devolution had enabled opposition MSPs to shine a light on SNP failings, while Donald Cameron, the Scottish Tories constitution spokesman, said it was a load of baloney.

SNP depute leader Keith Brown said Tory MSPs support for the UK Governments section 35 order of the Scotland Act to block gender reform laws showed their comments amounted to crocodile tears.

He also said the refusal to acknowledge the demand for an independence referendum undermined democracy.

Mr Brown said: The people of Scotland will see right through these crocodile tears from Tory MSPs who have failed time and time again to stand up for Scotlands democracy any time their Westminster bosses attempted to take powers away from Holyrood.

All Lord Frost did this week was say what every Tory MSP has been thinking: the Tories would rather there was not a Scottish Parliament at all. They know they will never win power in Holyrood so they are more interested in trying to undermine it.

The Tories never supported devolution and a Scottish parliament in the first place  a leopard cant change its spots.

If Tory MSPs really cared about Scotlands democracy they would stand up to the blatant power grabs we have seen from (Prime Minister Rishi) Sunaks man in Scotland  Alister Jack.

Craig Hoy, the Scottish Conservatives constitution spokesman, branded it a feeble attack from the SNP.

The Scottish and UK Conservatives fully support devolution  of which section 35 is a crucial part, he said.

The UK Government was forced to pause the progress of the SNPs flawed Gender Reform Bill because of its impact on equalities legislation across the UK. Without a mechanism to deal with cases like this, devolution would simply not be able to function  as the SNP know well, having voted for it as part of the Scotland Act.

Poll after poll has shown that most Scots not only oppose the SNPs Gender Recognition Bill itself, but also their costly legal challenge to the section 35 order.

It is Humza Yousaf who is trying to fool voters, by attempting to manufacture grievance with the UK Government and distract from the scandal engulfing his rapidly collapsing party.
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The encounter, as recalled by E Jean Carroll, was friendly at first.

Ms Carroll, then a magazine feature writer and TV host, bumped into Donald Trump in the upmarket New York department store Bergdorf Goodman.

As Ms Carroll wrote in her 2019 memoir What Do We Need Men For?, he recognised her as that advice lady. She knew him as that real-estate tycoon.

Mr Trump supposedly told her that he was there to buy a gift for a girl, and asked for help to choose an appropriate item.

She placed the incident in either late 1995 or early 1996, when the future president was married to Marla Maples.

The pair made their way to the lingerie section, where Mr Trump suggested that she try on a lace bodysuit.

She claims she jokingly said that he should try it on instead.

As they reached the dressing rooms, Ms Carroll alleges that Mr Trump shoved her against a wall, put his hands underneath her dress and pulled down her tights.

He then unzipped his pants, and forcing his fingers around my private area, thrusts his penis halfway  or completely, Im not certain  inside me, she wrote.

A colossal struggle ensued, she said, and Ms Carroll eventually pushed him away and ran out of the dressing room. The episode was over in under three minutes, she wrote.

Former President Donald Trump has not yet confirmed whether he will testify in the E Jean Carroll rape and defamation trial (Associated Press)

After the allegations were first made in a book excerpt in New York magazine in June 2019, Mr Trump angrily denied it.

"I've never met this person in my life. She is trying to sell a new book  that should indicate her motivation. It should be sold in the fiction section, he said in an official White House statement that month.

Then days later in an interview in the Oval Office with The Hill, Mr Trump went even further.

Ill say it with great respect: Number one, shes not my type. Number two, it never happened. It never happened, OK?

Ms Carroll then filed a defamation lawsuit against Mr Trump alleging he had damaged her reputation, substantially harmed her professionally, and caused emotional pain.

After writing her Ask E Jean column for Elle magazine for nearly 30 years, the magazine terminated her contract abruptly in December of that year. The magazine denied it was related to Ms Carrolls allegations.

Months after Ms Carroll filed against Mr Trump, the Department of Justice intervened and transferred the case to federal court, arguing that he was immune from prosecution as president at the time of the initial defamation.

But the federal court disagreed with the position of the DoJ and allowed discovery in the case to continue.

And when the former president failed to have the case dismissed last October, he took to Truth Social to again unleash his denial, and unwittingly at the same time allowed Ms Carroll to file the new defamation claim.

In 2022, New York passed the Adult Survivors Act which allowed adult sexual assault survivors one year to sue their alleged abusers.

Ms Carroll filed a second lawsuit against Mr Trump for rape and for additional alleged defamatory statements made by him in October 2022 where he called her a complete con job. It is this second case for which court proceedings began on 25 April.

In a court filing earlier this year, Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote that the central issue in both cases is the same  whether Mr Trump raped Ms Carroll.

E Jean Carroll in New York in 2019 (Associated Press )

If he did not, then Ms Carrolls sexual assault claim ... and her libel claims in both cases likely would fail.

If he did, then little would remain in either case except perhaps a few minor issues related to Mr Trumps statements and determination of damages.

In addition to Ms Carroll herself, her attorneys plan to call several friends that she spoke to about the allegations at the time, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, and Ashlee Humphreys, a Professor at Medill School of Journalism, Northwestern University.

Ms Carrolls attorney Roberta Kaplan said they tried for three years to obtain Mr Trumps DNA sample to compare it with stains found on the dress she was wearing on the day.

After refusing to provide a sample, Mr Trumps attorneys then made an 11th-hour offer to do so earlier this year. Judge Kaplan rejected the offer.

For the defence, Mr Trumps attorneys have listed him, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, and several others on their list of potential witnesses.

As the case is being tried in civil court, the jury will likely be asked to find whether there is a preponderance of evidence to prove Ms Carrolls claims, rather than the criminal standard of beyond reasonable doubt.

More than two dozen women have accused Mr Trump of sexual assault.
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Lori Vallows estranged cousin has revealed one of her most haunting fears about the murders for which the so-called cult mom is currently on trial.

Megan Eyden, whose father is Ms Vallows uncle, spoke out about the bombshell case in an interview with NewsNations Ashleigh Banfield aired Friday night.

It came at the end of the third week of Ms Vallows Idaho trial for the murders of her children Joshua JJ Vallow and Tylee Ryan, and her new husband Chad Daybells first wife Tammy.

Ms Eyden said she has tried to distance herself from media coverage surrounding the case for the past three years because it was hard to hear all of the horrifying allegations.

A lot of it has been speculation, of course, she said. And so its pretty difficult to, you know, to hear everybody trying to talk about what they think happened and not really know.

So until the trial started, I really stayed for the most part out of it. And I think most of my immediate family has done the same as well.

Ms Eyden revealed that family tension first arose two months before the children vanished in Idaho, when Ms Vallows fourth husband Charles was shot by her brother Alex Cox in Arizona in July 2019.

Police initially ruled that Cox acted in self defence after a fight broke out during a custody dispute over JJ, who was Charles and Ms Vallows adoptive son. However, police have since ruled that Charles death was a murder conspiracy. Ms Vallow is facing charges for his death separate from the Idaho trial, while Cox died in December 2019.

Some members of the family suspected something was wrong from the start, according to Ms Eyden.

All I can tell you is that for sure there was a rip in the family when Charles was killed, she said. There was part of the family that believed that Alex acted in self-defense and there was a part of the family that believes that he did not. And that definitely was a separation in our family. And I think that sort of continues  somewhat today.

Ms Eyden said she still struggles with the idea that if her immediate family had been willing to hold [Vallow] accountable and hold Alex accountable at that time that the kids might still be alive.

She said Ms Vallows other brother Adam Cox fought hard to find the truth about what happened to Charles.

The family really ripped [Adam] apart for that because they wanted to protect Alex and Lori from consequences, she said. And I think thats the crux of where all of this comes down to - nobody wanted to hold Lori and Alex accountable.

Ms Eyden, who said she had been estranged from Ms Vallow for years prior to the childrens disappearance, spoke of how little hope she had for them being found alive during the nine-month search, which ended in the discovery of their bodies at Mr Daybells property in June 2020.

For my own mental health, I really had to just come to terms with the fact that I was not optimistic about the children being found alive, she said.

Ms Eyden also shared her belief that the most powerful influence in Ms Vallows life was her father, Barry Cox.

By all accounts, and from my own experience, I can tell you that, you know, Loris dad has been a big factor in her personality and in the way that she has turned out, she said.

Anybody who has dug into his history a little bit will tell you that he definitely believed he was above the law.

Barry Cox, she said, ended up serving prison time for tax evasion after trying to sue the IRS.

I think the most pervasive thing that ran throughout the family system was this concept that Barry talked about called the lower 95, where he believes that 95 per cent of the population are stupid, sheep, unattractive people, she said.

And he and his family are in the upper 5 per cent who are smarter than everybody more intelligent, more exceptional, more beautiful. And certainly that plays into a lot of Loris personality.
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A Missouri man has been arrested for holding a grocery store worker at gunpoint while demanding he be served steaks.

Larry Gene Gay, 70, pulled out a loaded semi-automatic pistol inside a Price Cutter store in Republic on 18 April during a dispute over a closed meat counter.

Mr Gay told police he was trying to buy steaks when the good man helping him said he would be unable to weigh the meat because the counter was closed, according to OzarksFirst.com .

He said he brandished his weapon just to say Im not stealing.

I need you here to help me to get a couple of these steaks. Im not going to hurt you, he said he told the employee.

The employee said the dispute began when staff spotted Mr Gay packing his own meat at the closed counter.

He said Mr Gay became upset when told that he could not do that.

Once he held the gun to my throat  pushed it into my throat  I decided to comply, the employee told investigators.

Police officers responded to the scene after receiving reports of an armed robbery.

Mr Gay was ordered to get out of his truck in the parking lot and placed under arrest. The loaded pistol - with a bullet in the chamber - was removed from his hip holster.

He was subsequently charged with one felony count of unlawful use of a weapon and a felony count of armed criminal action.

He was booked into the Greene County Jail on $50,000 bond.

Asked by an investigating officer why police had received reports of Mr Gay threatening people with his gun, he said: I dont know. I have no idea.
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Nima Momeni, the tech executive charged with fatally stabbing Cash App founder Bob Lee earlier this month in San Francisco, was previously cited on suspicion of assault and battery against a woman in an incident in 2022, according to police records obtained by Business Insider.

A woman in the Bay Area city of Emeryville called police to report that Mr Momeni attacked her, grabbed her arm, pulled it and pushed her physically, according to the records.

No charges were filed in the incident.

The reported incident is a non incident, a lawyer for Mr Momeni told Insider. There was no arrest. There was no case filed."

Before being arrested for the 13 April killing of Lee, Mr Momeni had previous run-ins with police, including a dismissed misdemeanor charge for driving under the influence in 2004 and 2011 charges, later dropped, of driving with a suspended license and selling a switchblade.

San Francisco police say Mr Momeni and Lee knew each other, and that the Cash App founder was stabbed in the chest during an argument related to Mr Momenis sister.

At some point during the early-morning altercation, Khazar Momeni sent Lee a text message that read, Just wanted to make sure your doing ok Cause know nima came wayyyyyy down hard on you, according to court records.

Prosecutors allege the argument involved Mr Momeni asking Lee about inappropriate contact with Khazar and drug use, The San Francisco Standard reports.

One of Lees friends told police they didnt know if Lee and Ms Momeni were having an intimate relationship, but that her marriage seemed to be in trouble, according to the website.

Mr Momeni will be arraigned on 25 April. His lawyers have said he intends to plead not guilty.

The brutal murder of Lee shook San Franciscos close-knit tech community.

The killing was seized on as a sign of persistent troubles with crime in San Francisco.

However, as The Independent has reported, the city is relatively safe for a large metropolis in America, and violent crime rates have largely been declining in San Francisco since peaking in the 1990s, with the beginning of 2022 marking the lowest level of reported violent crime since 1985, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
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A Florida couple was shot at after going to the wrong house to make an Instacart grocery delivery.

Waldes Thomas said he and his girlfriend, Diamond Darville, were making the delivery in Broward County when they mistakenly pulled up at the wrong address and walked onto the property.

Mr Thomas told WTVJ that a male homeowner demanded to know who they were and eventually pulled up behind them in his truck.

I had seen him pull out a gun and thats when I said, We got to go, we got to go, Ms Darville told WTVJ. I was scared, Im not going to lie.

The couple says that their car was then struck by several gunshots and they pulled over to call Davie police.

A Florida couple was shot at after going to the wrong house to make an Instacart grocery delivery. (WTVJ)

We were there for Instacart, we were trying to tell him, and he went about it the wrong way  instead of just calling police, saying I have trespassers on my lawn, he decided to shoot, Mr Thomas said.

Davie police confirmed to WTJV that a gun had been fired in the area but that no injuries had been reported.

(A detective) asked if we wanted to prosecute and we agreed to do that, but he said since they didnt break any laws or do anything unlawful, they couldnt do anything because we were on their property, Ms Darville told WTVJ.

Its just not right - even if you have a gun, I understand youre trying to protect your family, but you dont come outside shooting.

Were telling you what were here, were trying to leave and youre blocking us in, it couldve just been on our way and they made it bigger than what it was.

Instacart told WTJV that it was looking into the incident.

The safety of the entire Instacart community is incredibly important to us, and we take immediate action when we receive reports of violence or threats of violence made against any member of the Instacart community. We have reached out to the shopper and will cooperate with law enforcement on any ongoing investigation, the company said in a statement.

The incident comes after a spate of shootings in response to unreasonable threats, including those of Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis and two Texas cheerleaders.
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The US Supreme Court has preserved access to a widely used abortion drug while legal challenges against mifepristones government approval continue, marking the courts first major decision on abortion rights in the year after a constitutional right to abortion care was revoked.

The decision from the nations high court on 21 April will maintain the US Food and Drug Administrations approval of the drug, which is used in more than half of all abortions in the US, after a federal judge in Texas struck it down in a ruling that would have profound and potentially dangerous consequences for millions of Americans if allowed to go into effect.

Mifepristone will remain legal and accessible, with the FDAs approval intact. The case now returns to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana, where both parties will have a chance to file briefs. The case will be argued before a three-judge panel on 17 May.

Conservative Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

Abortion providers and abortion rights advocates feared that a ruling that preserves a decision from US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas would effectively allow a single judge, with a history of anti-abortion activism, to determine reproductive healthcare decisions for millions of Americans  not only in states where abortion already faces severe restrictions but also in states where access to care is legally protected.

A ruling that strips the FDAs regulatory authority could also invite similar activist- and partisan-driven challenges to other drugs at the centre of right-wing attacks, including Covid-19 vaccines, birth control, HIV medication and hormones and other drugs used for gender-affirming healthcare.

If this ruling were to stand, then there will be virtually no prescription, approved by the FDA, that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks, President Joe Biden said in a statement earlier this month.

The Supreme Courts decision on Friday, hours before its self-imposed midnight deadline, means that the FDAs 23-year-old approval of the drug will remain in place while the high-profile challenge mounted by an anti-abortion activist group continues in the lower court.

Mifepristone was first approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration in most cases up to 10 weeks of pregnancy in 2000. A vast majority of abortions occur within the first nine weeks of pregnancy. From 2019 through 2020, nearly 93 per cent of all abortions were performed before the 13th week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More than 5 million women have used mifepristone to end their pregnancies since the FDAs approval in 2000.

Mifepristone is also used to treat miscarriages. Roughly 10 per cent of clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriages, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Major medical groups and research from hundreds of studies over the last two decades have confirmed the overwhelming safety and efficacy of the drug. Studies show it is as safe to use as common over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and the protocol for medication abortion is used in more than 60 other countries.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association also signed a brief in the case opposing the challenge from anti-abortion groups.

The decision arrives nearly one year after the Supreme Courts conservative supermajority decision in Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization, which revoked a constitutional right to abortion care, and triggered a wave of state-level anti-abortion laws and restrictions.

In the months that followed, more than a dozen states effectively outlawed abortion care for most pregnancies, and more than a dozen others have imposed restrictions on abortion drugs.

The Supreme Courts decision is a huge relief, but were not out of the woods yet, said Nancy Northup, president and CEO of the Center for Reproductive Rights.

The lower court ruling out of Texas has zero basis in fact or law  and yet it has sowed chaos, confusion and panic for patients and providers across the country, including those in states with strong protections for abortion rights, she added. That crisis was not resolved today.

Jennifer Dalven, director of the ACLU Reproductive Freedom Project, welcomed the Supreme Courts decision, adding that it is frightening to think that Americans came within hours of losing access to a medication that is used in most abortions in this country and has been used for decades by millions of people to safely end a pregnancy or treat a miscarriage.

Patients shouldnt have to monitor Twitter to see whether they can get the care they need, she added.

In November, the right-wing legal group Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit against the FDA in US District Court in Amarillo, Texas on behalf of a group of anti-abortion activists that incorporated as the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine that same month with an address in Amarillo.

The legal challenge was widely derided as an attempt to shop for a judge who would deliver a sympathetic ruling, with an appeals process that would land in a similarly sympathetic appeals court in Louisiana.

The Alliance Defending Freedom also led the challenge at the Supreme Court that ultimately struck down Roe v Wade.

Erik Baptist, senior counsel for Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement after the Supreme Courts decision that the FDA must answer for the damage it has caused to womens health, a claim dismissed by major health organisations and 20 years of research.

President Biden said his administration will continue to fight politically driven attacks on womens health and renewed his demand that Congress codify the protections for abortion care affirmed by Roe v Wade into law.

That is increasingly unlikely in a Republican-dominated House of Representatives, which has proposed several anti-abortion measures.

But lets be clear  the American people must continue to use their vote as their voice, and elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v Wade, Mr Biden said.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who has led efforts at the White House on reproductive healthcare in aftermath of Roe, said in a statement that the administration will continue to fight to protect a womans freedom to make decisions about her own body and access to reproductive health care, including medication abortion.

No one should stand between a woman and her doctor, she added.
Barney Helmick has been the director of Flagstaffs Pulliam Airport for over a decade, and this month he announced his retirement.

In 2015, Helmick was named Arizona Airport Executive of the Year. Hes been the recipient of the Arizona Airport Associations Presidents Award, and the man in charge at Flagstaffs airport since 2010.

His leadership skills, colleagues say, have propelled the airport forward.

For one thing, Helmick was instrumental in securing direct flights to Denver.

Barney and I spent two to three years really revamping how we would look for getting additional commercial airline service. We were successful with acquiring United Airlines with a Denver route in 2019, said Heidi Hansen, the economic vitality director for the City of Flagstaff.

Now his supervisor at the city, she first met Helmick as a peer when she worked at the convention and visitors bureau.

United Airlines stopped running flights from Flagstaff to Denver in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Hansen credits Helmick with preserving a good relationship with the airline despite the present situation.

Even though the airline market is volatile and changing, hes always continued to take a positive attitude and his strong work ethic has allowed us to continue to forge ahead, Hansen said.

Adversity and volatility in aviation is nothing new for Helmick, who worked in airports before and during 9/11, has watched TSA become what it is today, and one night in 1999 was on the front lines of a milestone technological event.

Y2K in our business, that was a bigger event than people think, he said.

As the world entered a new millennium, one time zone at a time, Helmick was watching. A few airports had trouble with their systems understanding the date change from 99 to 00, but internationally, leaders in aviation worked together to solve any technical problems on the fly.

It was fun to follow that all the way around until it got to Arizona and see what was going on. Without all of those connections and networking through those organizations, I dont know that we could have done that so accurately, Helmick said.

That same degree of cooperation would prove helpful as airlines and airports grappled with the aftermath of one of the most impactful terrorist attacks in American History. On September 11, 2001, Helmick worked in airport communications at Sky Harbor International Airport.

A lot of people dont know that airports around the country shut down. For the commercial service airports, it was just three days. The only thing operating was these communications emergency operations centers and a handful of maintenance and operations people at different airports to maintain security, Helmick said. It put those of us working there into a spotlight. We had everybody from the mayor to the governor coming in to see what was going on. We worked with the military. At that time, TSA didnt exist. It was run by the FAA. It put us in the spotlight because we were running the show and there was nobody else at the airport.

After 9/11, Helmick decided he wanted to run an airport. He went back to school to earn the necessary degrees and eventually went on to direct the Phoenix Goodyear and Phoenix Deer Valley airports before moving north to Flagstaff.

During Y2K and 9/11, Helmick saw the value of a powerful network, and his strength as a leader had been built on a fundamental appreciation for people and professional connections. He fondly describes airport directors in Yuma, Phoenix and Sonoma, California, and mentions them all by their first names.

Airports rely on people in order to operate smoothly as cities within cities, well-oiled machines that get planes in the air. Helmick has an almost inherent understanding of that.

Because Barney has done just about every position you can think of, he is one of the best people to train others and share all that he knows. Hes been able to develop his team from the beginning. Hes very much about helping to promote them and make sure they have a long career, Hansen said.

Helmick will never forget his first day working at an airport. It was Memorial Day of 1988. He hired on with Sky Harbor and began to build a career from the ground up.

It was a simple job. I worked for the City of Phoenix as an aircraft fueler, and customer service agent. We did charters, a little bit of everything, similar to what the airlines do. It was a great learning experience, Helmick said.

For the last decade in Flagstaff, Helmick has been building a team  and he encourages his employees to earn their own experience.

Team building is fun. If youre a manager and you dont like team building, you shouldnt be a manager, he said. I dont look at things as, 'Im going to make the decision and were all going to deal with it.' Thats not team building. I tell all my staff, Take ownership!

Before that first job at Sky Harbor, Helmick worked for 10 years in construction. An old boss told him he could always defend actions, but inaction was indefensible. Today, Helmick passes that lesson in responsibility to the team he assembled in Flagstaff.

While at the helm of Phoenix Goodyear Airport, Helmick also had the opportunity to build his team.

Its a fairly busy general aviation airport. A lot of flight training. We had branches of the German Airforce there. It was an airport that was owned by the City of Phoenix, but located in the City of Goodyear -- which gave me the opportunity to work with two different government agencies, Helmick said.

Connecting more than just flights

As an airport director, Helmick is constantly working with different government agencies to make sure his airport is running in compliance with federal and municipal regulations while meeting the needs of the community it serves.

You deal with various different businesses and contractual agreements, making sure that theyre compliant. Youre working with all the federal agencies, the list goes on forever, Helmick said. Most people think, 'Oh its just the FAA.' Then we have TSA, and then we have the EPA, the Department of Justice, an agency that deals with disadvantaged businesses and ADA compliance. Dealing with those is the fun part of my job.

He also lists strategic planning and working with the city among his favorite parts of running an airport.

Barney is not only very actively involved in his section of the airport, he is very helpful in all of our sections in the economic vitality divisions, Hansen said. He lends support to all of our economic leaders. Hes well-liked throughout the City of Flagstaff; people value his expertise.

When he was director of the airport in Deer Valley, it was the 19th busiest airport in the country  running more than 400,000 operations in a day. Hansen added that the depth and breadth of Helmicks experience has made him an invaluable partner.

The airport directors brain houses a dragons hoard of knowledge about aviation, airlines and airport functionality.

We see a lot of what they call wind-sheers here in Flagstaff. If the wind gets too strong, they cant land or take off. They fly into the wind to take off, but if that wind exceeds, say, 40 knots at an angle, they cant leave, Helmick explained during a casual conversation about weather. It changes from airplane to airplane, because there are different safety standards for each aircraft. A large 757 can take off in things that a smaller 172 2C airplane could not take off in.

Helmick plans to preserve the networks hes worked hard to build and continue to share the history and well-earned wisdom that made him an asset to the City of Flagstaff for more than 13 years.

I definitely will be staying in contact with my friends and networks and the Arizona Airports Association. I mentioned the Arizona Association of Airport Directors. They have a regional branch called the Southwest Chapter that Ill stay with, mainly just to answer questions, share history, things like that, Helmick said. Ive been asked to work with the citys emergency manager program as an alternate. Ive offered to stick with that.

Hell leave behind a series of capital improvement projects, already in the works.

The airport is going to have a transformation that people are going to be very happy with, Hansen said.

Right now improvements to the airports parking lot are already underway. Improvements to the taxi lane, fire sprinkler system, ramps and hangers are also in the works. Additionally, the airport is slotted to install a new cafe.

Many of those improvements are funded because of Helmicks advocacy.

Hansen said a lot of the current capital improvements are made possible by funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

It was important to have not only American and United Airlines acquired at the time CARES funding came out. That was really important because our airport was offered $18.1 million in that funding, versus other airports that were only getting like $100,000. It was a great opportunity to get a lot of improvements done with our hangers and so on, Hansen said. Even though United had to leave the market for now, it really was a feather in our communitys cap, helping us with the funding were putting to good use.

Looking forward

The next airport director will need to make expanding air service to Flagstaff a priority, Helmick said, as ultimately it comes down to the airlines willingness to operate out of Pulliam.

A lot of that is beyond our control; its a matter of convincing [airlines] that we can put enough butts in seats to do it, Helmick said.

Beginning Friday the task of expanding service will fall to Helmicks team and his successor  who has not been officially named yet.

Then its Helmicks turn to catch a flight on his way to leisurely visits with family in Alaska and Tennessee as nothing more or less than a passenger.

Then Ill pull a Travis Tritt and take a three-day ride on my Harley, he said.
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Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has agreed to let former prosecutor Mark F Pomerantz testify before the House Judiciary Committee over the DAs investigation into former president Donald Trump.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee with be permitted to ask Mr Pomerantz questions under oath on 12 May.

An attorney from the DAs office will be present with Mr Pomerantz according to a statement from the Manhattan DAs Office on Twitter.

We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe, the statement from the Manhattan DA says.

It continued, Our successful stay of this subpoena blocked the immediate deposition and afforded us the time necessary to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that protects the District Attorneys privileges and interests.

The move will bring Mr Braggs battle with Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chairman of the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee, to an end. For now.

The House Judiciary Committee issued a subpoena for Mr Pomerantz, who worked for the Manhattan DAs office for approximately a year from 2021 to 2022, shortly after Mr Bragg unveiled an indictment against Mr Trump.

During his time with the DA, Mr Pomerantz was assigned to work on an investigation into Mr Trumps personal and business finances.

Mr Pomerantz resigned citing frustration with Mr Braggs handling of the investigation. He later released a book, People v Donald Trump, recounting this.

In response to the subpoena, Mr Bragg sued Mr Jordan calling it an unprecedently brazen and unconstitutional attack by members of Congress.

Additionally, Mr Pomerantz argued that the subpoena puts him in a difficult position as he does not want to violate grand jury secrecy nor face repercussions for declining Congress subpoena.

Earlier this week, the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals issued an administrative stay, temporarily blocking Mr Pomerantzs deposition.

In that time, the House Judiciary Committee and Manhattan DAs office coordinated a date, time, and other logistics for Mr Pomerantzs questioning.

Mr Pomerantzs deposition will go forward on May 12, and we look forward to his appearance, Russell Dye, a spokesperson for Mr Jordan said in a statement on Twitter.
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Former President Donald Trump's behavior toward women, long a source of flashpoints in his political career, now faces a new level of scrutiny: a trial in a lawsuit accusing him of rape.

Jury selection is set to start Tuesday in the case filed by former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped her in a luxury New York department store dressing room in the 1990s.

Trump, who is unlikely to attend the trial, has called the accusations a complete con job. Carroll, who is seeking unspecified damages, casts the case as a #MeToo-inspired quest for accountability from the epitome of prominent men.

Im filing this lawsuit not just for myself but for every woman in America who has been grabbed, groped, harassed, sexually assaulted and has spoken up and still has been disgraced, shamed or fired, Carroll said early on.

The lawsuit is putting Trumps history with women under a microscope as he runs to return to the White House. But if a trial over a rape accusation would be a crisis for most candidates, with Trump, it remains to be seen.

To the extent that the chaos around Trump is his biggest challenge, this reinforces that narrative, said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who worked on Marco Rubios 2016 presidential campaign. The No. 1 thing I hear in focus groups of Republican voters is that theyre tired of the constant drama that comes with Trump.

Trump's political rise was riddled with criticism of his attitudes and conduct toward women. There were his insulting remarks about onetime Republican rival Carly Fiorina's appearance, his misogynistic comments about former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, his double-down on denigrating a former Miss Universe whom he had pilloried about her weight and more  including, most notoriously, the crass Access Hollywood hot-mic recording that nearly derailed his 2016 campaign and elicited rare contrition for what he called "locker room banter.

Then there were the dozen-plus women, including Carroll, who came forward during his campaign and presidency to accuse him of sexual assault and harassment. He denied all the claims. Other lawsuits over them were dropped or dismissed, but Carroll's has endured.

If Trump prevails in the case, he will likely tout it as another example of him beating what he sees as spurious claims about him, Conant said. If Trump loses, the impact could depend on the circumstances of the judgment. Carroll is seeking unspecified damages and a retraction of Trumps denials of her allegations.

Trump has aimed to use his other legal troubles  including a recent, unrelated indictment and ongoing investigations into other matters  to bolster his support among fellow Republicans, painting the various probes as a politically motivated witch hunt" and a broad attempt to interfere with the 2024 election. Its unclear whether the voters he seeks to reach will sympathize with his portrayal of Carrolls lawsuit as a pile-on, see it as a growing distraction or ignore it altogether.

His campaign saw a spike in donations after his indictment, which accuses him of fudging his companys records to try to conceal payments made to suppress stories about his alleged marital infidelity; he denies the charges and the sexual encounters.

His favorability ratings have held steady at 34% among U.S. adults overall and 68% among Republicans, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Beyond its political ramifications, the trial marks a #MeToo milestone, even after closely watched civil and criminal cases against disgraced movie honcho Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men. The case also is drawing national attention to a New York law that allows for lawsuits over decades-old sex crime claims.

The time frame for pursuing criminal charges over the allegations, which Carroll never reported to police, has long since passed. If she prevails in the lawsuit, it could cost Trump money but not his freedom.

A former magazine journalist, talk show host and Saturday Night Live writer, Carroll was best known  at least until her lawsuit  for the eponymous advice column she wrote for Elle magazine from 1993 through 2019.

According to Carroll, she crossed paths with Trump at Bergdorf Goodman sometime in 1995 or 1996, when he was a real estate mogul and man about town. Recognizing her as that advice lady, he asked her to help him browse for a women's gift, bantered with Carroll about a bodysuit and steered her to a fitting room, she says. Then, in her telling, he suddenly forced himself on her while she tried to push him off.

That rape changed my life, which is shocking for me to now understand, she said in a deposition, a legal term for pretrial questioning under oath.

According to Carroll, she immediately lost interest in dating and desire, then lost her job after she told her story in a 2019 memoir and Trump responded that she was totally lying. Elle has said her contract wasn't renewed for unrelated reasons.

Trump says he never encountered Carroll at Bergdorf Goodman and had no idea who she was when she publicly accused him. He has asserted that she invented the story to sell her book.

Its a false accusation. Never happened, never would happen, he said during a caustic 5 1/2-hour deposition, which can be played for jurors.

In snippets released to date, he called Carroll a nut job, her attorney a disgrace and the case a big, fat hoax. He reiterated his description of Carroll as not my type"  and misidentified her in a 1987 photo as Marla Maples, his wife from 1993 to 1999.

Besides Carroll, two Trump accusers who never sued are set to testify in Carrolls case.

Jessica Leeds has said Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt when they were seatmates on a flight three decades ago. People magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff has said Trump forcibly kissed her against her will while showing her around his Florida home for a 2005 article.

Jurors also are expected to hear the Access Hollywood recording.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly.

The trial will unfold at a federal courthouse a block from the state court where Trump was arraigned earlier this month on his indictment.

___

Associated Press writer Michelle Price contributed to this report.
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Donald Trump offered supporters a bite of his partially-eaten pizza as he visited a Florida restaurant after giving a speech.

Video from the former presidents trip to Downtown House of Pizza in Fort Myers on Friday night showed him biting a slice before asking, Does anybody want a piece that Ive eaten?

No one took him up on the offer as the enthused crowd chanted: Trump! Trump! Trump!

Viewers sounding off on social media expressed their horror at the idea of sharing a half-eaten slice.

Mr Trump made the pizza parlour appearance after giving a speech at the Lee County Republican Partys Lincoln Reagan Dinner, according to Fox News.

(AP)

The one-term president is currently the leading candidate for the 2024 Republican nomination for president, despite being arrested and charged with falsifying business records in relation to hush money payments.

The twice-impeached Republican made more history as he became the first former president in American history to be indicted by prosecutors.

(AP)

Mr Trump, who launched his third White House campaign in November, leads Florida governor Ron DeSantis 51 per cent to 38 per cent among likely Republican voters, according to a Wall Street Journal poll on Friday.

Trump stopped at a pizza place tonight after giving a speech in Fort Myers and handed out slices to supporters. He then took a bite out of a slice of pepperoni pizza and said, Does anybody want a piece that Ive eaten? pic.twitter.com/KoZYAzuhma  Kate Sullivan (@KateSullivanDC) April 22, 2023

Mr DeSantis, who recently signed into law a six-week abortion ban, has yet to formally launch his campaign.
 Close Related video: Trump arrives in Aberdeen to visit his Scottish golf resort

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E Jean Carroll was grilled on her old texts and emails in connection to the alleged rape by Donald Trump as the judge in the battery and defamation case against the ex-president denied his request for a mistrial to be declared.

Magazine columnist E Jean Carroll is suing Mr Trump for battery and defamation after he allegedly raped her in a dressing room at the Bergdorf Goodman department store in the 1990s. Ms Carroll ended her stint on the stand on Monday afternoon after three days of emotional testimony.

In a letter sent in overnight on Monday, Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina argued that Judge Lewis Kaplan was guilty of pervasive unfair and prejudicial rulings against the Trump legal team.

Ms Carroll revealed the accusation in her 2019 memoir What Do We Need Men For?: A Modest Proposal.

Mr Tacopina showed a message Ms Carroll sent to her friend Carol Martin.

Do not worry. I have been walking these great New York Streets the last six days ALONE and at night, and ALL DAY LONG and receive nothing but thanks! and thumbs up! It is the opposite of concern, she wrote, according to Law & Crime.
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The campaign for Greeces May 21 national election officially opened Saturday with the dissolution of the parliament that was elected in July 2019.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis met with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou to propose the dissolution and she accepted it, as obliged by the Constitution of Greece. Mitsotakis said that with less than three months before lawmakers' four-year terms were due to end, next month's voting does not count as an early election.

Shortly after his meeting with the president, Mitsotakis gave a televised address in which he defended his government's record. He listed its achievements as well as the challenges ahead, and sought to make the case for a stable government going forward.

However, the prime minister's center-right New Democracy will be hard-pressed to continue leading Greece in another single-party government. Next month's legislative election will be the country's first under a proportional representation system, and polls show that none of the leading parties is expected to receive a majority of votes.

The prospects of New Democracy, the center-left Syriza party or the Panhellenic Socialist Movement, or PASOK, teaming up in some combination to form a coalition government also is considered extremely unlikely by politicians and pundits.

In that event, another election would be held in early July. Another revision to election laws would give the winner of that vote a 30-seat bonus. Yet even the second election may not produce a majority in the 300-member Greek parliament.

Already, talk of a third election has surfaced, although officials and pundits agree that a prolonged period of uncertainty could be harmful for the economy and the overall governance of the country.

Election campaigning has been underway unofficially, only pausing for a few days as Greece marked a week of religious celebrations culminating with Orthodox Easter on April 16.

Political parties have gone hard at each other and, as expected, especially on Mitsotakis' government. The main opposition Syriza party has promised to form a progressive coalition government if it wins, but its relationship with PASOK has recently taken a turn for the worse.

PASOK, which is widely expected to remain the third largest party, would be a necessary coalition partner for both New Democracy and Syriza since Greece's other parties are either too small or in the case of those on the extreme right, too toxic.

New Democracy's relationship with PASOK was negatively impacted by a wiretapping scandal that seemed to have targeted party leader Nikos Androulakis, among others.

The Communist Party, the fourth-largest party in parliament, has flatly refused to join any coalition.

When he visited Sakellaropoulou on Saturday, Mitsotakis said the campaign should stay away from toxicity and extreme attitudes. The president also wished for a calm and fruitful campaign for the country.

But the rhetoric so far  Syriza has referred to the current government as a regime  , for one - points to a fraught brutal campaign that could extend to several months, if more than one election is required.
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Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed anti-diversity and anti-abortion provisions in Kansas' next state budget Friday, intensifying a conflict with the Republican-controlled Legislature over culture war issues that could see her scotch a dozen or more conservative initiatives.

The governor has the power to excise individual budget items and used it to eliminate $2 million in state tax dollars for anti-abortion centers providing free counseling and pregnancy and parenting services. She's previously vetoed two bills that would enact anti-abortion policies despite a decisive statewide vote in August 2022 affirming abortion rights.

Kelly vetoed a budget provision that would have prevented state universities from using diversity equity and inclusion principles in their hiring. She nixed another provision barring the state board that licenses mental health professionals from requiring them or giving them incentives to undergo training involving diversity or anti-racism theories.

The governor also has vetoed five bills rolling back transgender rights, including a sweeping bathroom bill and a measure that would have ended gender-affirming care for minors. GOP lawmakers are expected to try to override most if not all of Kelly's vetoes on hot-button issues when they reconvene next week to wrap up their business for the year.

Governor Kelly had two choices  to honor her campaign pledge to govern from the middle or to move Kansas sharply towards the left, Senate President Ty Masterson, a Wichita-area Republican, said after several vetoes earlier this week. The governor has clearly chosen the latter.

Republican lawmakers in statehouses across the U.S. have pursued several hundred measures this year rolling back LGBTQ+ rights and attacking liberal ideas or policies in education and business. While voters in GOP-leaning Kansas affirmed abortion rights and narrowly reelected Kelly last year, they also left conservatives firmly in charge of the Republican-controlled Legislature.

Kelly has until Monday to act on a bill that would allow parents to pull public school students out of a lesson or activity that impairs the parents sincerely held beliefs, values or principles. Also on her desk is a bill that would prevent state and local officials from using environmental, social and governance issues in investing public funds or awarding government contracts.

On the budget legislation, Kelly followed the traditional Kansas practice of signing the measure itself  containing most of a proposed $24 billion annual budget  while vetoing multiple individual items.

The aid to the anti-abortion centers would have helped them aid both pregnant people and new parents, providing supplies, parenting and life-skills classes and job training or placement. It also would have started a state-supported advertising program to make them more visible.

Lawmakers put the money in the budget for State Treasurer Steven Johnson, a Republican who opposes abortion, rather than in a department under the control of Kelly, an abortion rights supporter. In her veto message, Kelly suggested that neither the state's founders nor any of its treasurers would have seen such a program as part of the office's duties.

This is not an evidence-based approach or even an effective method for preventing unplanned pregnancies, Kelly said.

Republican lawmakers also are hoping to pass a proposal to provide up to $10 million a year in state income tax credits to the centers' donors.

Kelly this week vetoed a measure that would have required clinics to tell patients that a medication abortion can be reversed with a regimen rejected by major U.S. medical organizations and a bill that would have subjected doctors to criminal charges or lawsuits if a newborn is delivered alive during certain abortion procedures and they are accused of not providing the care that a physician reasonably would with other live deliveries.

On the anti-diversity provisions, Kelly said the one for the board licensing mental health professionals could have restricted training in life-saving practices, without being more specific.

She said the provision for state universities would have hindered hiring, made it harder for them to attract federal and private grants and hurt efforts to support students from all backgrounds.

House Speaker Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, said Kelly had rejected measures to support women in need and prevent the prevention of radical ideology using tax dollars.

___

Follow John Hanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/apjdhanna
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Even before the US Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v Wade last year, anti-abortion activists and Christian conservative legal groups were taking aim at medication abortion, the most common form of abortion care in the US.

The Supreme Courts June ruling in Dobbs v Jackson Womens Health Organization revoked a constitutional right to abortion care that was affirmed by the case of Roe v Wade nearly 50 years earlier.

In the months that followed, more than a dozen states have effectively outlawed abortion care altogether, or implemented severe restrictions that have complicated access to abortion for millions of Americans. All of those states have separate laws targeting medication abortion, and at least 15 other states restrict access to the procedure.

The Supreme Court returned to abortion rights with a challenge from anti-abortion activists to reverse the federal governments approval of mifepristone, a widely used drug for medication abortion procedures and miscarriage care.

On 21 April, justices upheld the governments approval while the case plays out in an appeals court next month, but a move to strip the governments approval could devastate access to abortion and miscarriage care for millions of Americans across the country, including in states where access is legally protected.

What is mifepristone?

A medication abortion procedure typically consists of a two-drug protocol of mifepristone and misoprostol. Mifepristone is used in more than half of all abortions in the US.

The drug was first approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration in most cases up to 10 weeks of pregnancy in 2000. A vast majority of abortions occur within the first nine weeks of pregnancy. From 2019 through 2020, nearly 93 per cent of all abortions were performed before the 13th week, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Mifepristone is also used to treat miscarriages. Roughly 10 per cent of clinically recognized pregnancies end in miscarriages, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

The drug blocks the hormone progesterone, which helps support the uterus. A healthy uterine lining supports a fertilized egg, embryo and fetus. Without progesterone, the uterus will expel its contents.

Roughly 24 to 48 hours after a patient takes mifepristone, the patient then takes misoprostol, which helps empty the uterus.

Last year, the FDA permanently lifted the in-person requirement for medication abortion prescriptions, allowing patients to access the drugs via telehealth appointments and online pharmacies so patients can take the drugs from the comfort of home.

The FDA also has approved a generic version of the drug that its manufacturer GenBioPro says makes up two-thirds of the US market.

Last year, Republican lawmakers across the US filed dozens of bills to restrict the availability and distribution of abortion drugs, while abortion rights advocates, President Joe Bidens administration and Democratic members of Congress sought to bolster their availability.

Abortion rights advocate describes abortion to members of Congress in testimony

Major medical groups and research from hundreds of studies over the last two decades have confirmed the overwhelming safety and efficacy of the drug. Studies show it is as safe to use as common over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen and acetaminophen, and the protocol for medication abortion is used in more than 60 other countries.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Medical Association also signed a brief in the latest case opposing the challenge from anti-abortion groups.

How did the drug end up at the Supreme Court?

In November, the right-wing legal group Alliance Defending Freedom filed a lawsuit in US District Court in Amarillo, Texas on behalf of a group of anti-abortion activists incorporated as the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, which was organised that same month with an address in Amarillo.

The Alliance Defending Freedom also led the challenge at the Supreme Court that ultimately struck down Roe v Wade.

US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk  a former right-wing activist lawyer who was appointed to the federal judiciary by Donald Trump  held a hearing in the case on 15 March in Amarillo.

Earlier this month, Judge Kacsmaryk issued a ruling to suspend the FDAs approval of mifepristone. His order was set to take effect a week later, pending a decision from on appeal. But in a separate ruling in Washington state, a federal judge ruled that the FDA cannot change the status quo when it comes to mifepristones approval, setting up potentially duelling decisions over the drug.

Abortion rights advocates, providers, major medical groups and legal analysts condemned the ruling, and the US Department of Justice and Danco Laboratories, which manufactures mifepristone, filed an appeal.

That appeal landed at the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which has jurisdiction over the Amarillo court.

A three-judge panel on the Fifth Circuit blocked a part of the judges ruling, but struck against mail-in prescriptions and rules that expanded the drugs approval for use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.

What did the Supreme Court do?

On 21 April, the Supreme Court blocked the lower courts rulings from taking effect while the case returns to the appeals court. It was unclear whether the justices on the conservative supermajority court would uphold the Texas ruling or pause the decision while the legal battle continues.

The case of Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v FDA returns to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana.

Both parties will have a chance to file briefs, and the case will be argued before a three-judge panel on 17 May.

Can the FDA just ignore the ruling?

Thats what several members of Congress have argued, though President Joe Bidens administration and abortion rights advocates have stressed that the case must play out in court and affirm the FDAs ability to make such decisions.

Democratic senator Ron Wyden, the chair of the Senate Finance Committee, which oversees the FDA, has repeatedly argued that the administration ignore a ruling that undermines the FDAs regulatory powers.

US Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has argued that an increasingly partisan-driven federal judiciary weaponised by right-wing activist groups has undermined its legitimacy in making such decisions.

Republican US Rep Nancy Mace also has suggested that a ruling that revokes the FDAs approval of the drug should be ignored or tossed out.

What happens if mifepristone is not available?

Abortion providers and civil rights groups have warned of grave consequences to the loss of widely used abortion drugs from the market.

Providers could turn to a misoprostol-only medication abortion regimen, though that would be considered an off-label pharmaceutical use for the drug in the US. Misoprostol is currently approved by the FDA for the prevention and treatment of gastric ulcers but also is administered for other obstetric or gynecologic care.

Several Democratic-led states are stocking up on mifepristone and proposing legal protections for pharmacists and providers who dispense the drug.

A ruling that undermines the FDAs drug approval process could also open the door for other activist-driven legal battles over other drugs, potentially inviting other destabilising lawsuits to Covid-19 vaccines, contraception, HIV medication, gender-affirming care, and other life-saving drugs.

This story was first published on 20 April and has been updated with developments
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Russia is struggling to maintain the narrative that its conflict in Ukraine is similar to the Soviet Unions battle against the Nazis in the Second World War, the UKs Ministry of Defence (Mod) has said.

President Vladimir Putin consistently said he wanted to denazify Ukraine in the run up to his countrys invasion in February last year.

Putin, assisted by the countrys state media, has exploited the memory of the Second World War, which is a lynchpin of Russias national identity.

However, in its latest intelligence update on Saturday, the MoD said: The Russian state is struggling to maintain consistency in a core narrative that it uses to justify the war in Ukraine: that the invasion is analogous to the Soviet experience in the Second World War.

It said that the countrys state media saying the cancellation of this years Immortal Regiment Great Patriotic War remembrance marches was on safety grounds is false.

The MoD said that the real reason they were cancelled is that Russian authorities are becoming increasingly concerned that attendees would highlight the increasing death toll from the war.

The update added that Wagner group boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has questioned if there are any Nazis in Ukraine - directly opposing Putins central justification for the conflict.

The military contractors currently have thousands of soldiers in Ukraine and have previously been accused of human rights abuses in the country, as well as in Syria, Libya, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Mali and Mozambique.

The MoD update added: The authorities have continued attempts to unify the Russian public around polarising myths about the 1940s.

This handout photo released by Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov shows the site of the crater after an explosion in Belgorod, Russia (Telegram channel of Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov)

On 12 April 2023, state news agency RIA Novosti reported unique documents from FSB archives, implicating the Nazis in the murder of 22,000 Polish nationals in the Katyn Massacre of 1940.

In reality, FSBs predecessor agency, the NKVD, was responsible. Russias State Duma officially condemned Joseph Stalin for ordering the killings in 2010.

It comes as thousands of people were evacuated on Saturday in a Russian city near the Ukrainian border after an explosive device was found at the site where a bomb accidentally dropped by a Russian warplane caused a powerful blast this week, authorities said.

The bomb blast late on Thursday rocked part of Belgorod, leaving a large crater and three people injured.

The Russian Defence Ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion.

The governor of Belgorod province, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported on Saturday that sappers examining the site of Thursdays blast found and decided to detonate what he called an explosive object that was in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings.

Additional reporting by agencies
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In the last minutes of their meeting in Moscow last month, Xi Jinping declared that his Russian counterpart was driving the kind of geopolitical changes not seen in the world in more than 100 years. When Mr Xi extended his right hand for a formal farewell, Vladimir Putin grasped it with both hands and wished him a safe trip, standing there beaming until the Chinese convoy had left the premises.

It was a public display of diplomatic bonhomie between the autocratic allies, signalling two things: Mr Xis commitment to what the pair have touted as a no-limits partnership and, at the same time, Moscows growing dependence on Beijing to avoid being isolated by mounting sanctions since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Mr Putins reliance on China has only grown as the conflict in Ukraine has dragged on, experts say, with Russia counting on Beijing for moral, financial and diplomatic support as it faces heavy military losses and the ongoing contraction of the Russian economy.

With the fairly dire performance of the second-largest army in the world, the increasing crackdowns within Moscow and impending fallout of political instability expected next year and alongside that losing influence in central Asia, what Russia wants is China to remain standing, it wants weapons to fuel the war and short of that, Putin could use imports this year to finance the manufacturing of its own weapons, says David Dalton, senior analyst specialising in Europe and Eurasia at Dragonfly Intelligence.

Mr Dalton explains that while Mr Xi did not use last months visit to promise Russia the heavy artillery and weapons that could have changed the course of the war, he gave Mr Putin something else that was critical.

One of the things that he wanted was the visit itself, which demonstrated most theatrically that Russia is not isolated and that it still has connections with powerful people around the world. Xis visit was the most high-profile visit Putin hosted since the full-scale invasion, and the demonstration of this friendship [to the world] was important for Putin, Mr Dalton says.

Francis Lee-Saunders, another analyst from Dragonfly specialising in Eurasia, says that as much as the West might want it to appear that Mr Putin is alone without Mr Xis support, theres more to the relationship than meets the eye.

Often discussions about Russia and Chinas relationship sees the notion of West vs Russia or Russia vs the world, or that with no other friends left, Russia is walking into the arms of China. The reality is slightly more complicated. Russia does not quite face the global isolation often spoken of [or] that the Western policymakers would like to see, Mr Lee-Saunders explains.

Mr Putin is banking on Iran for its supply of Shahed drones that Russia has used to exhaust Ukraines air defence since August last year. His alliance with Belarus and North Korea does not appear to be impaired either.

Trade with other non-European countries does continue, there is growing attention on how Russia has one way or another circumvented sanctions. Armenia and Kazakhstan are particular examples of that, the analyst tells The Independent.

Russia does face strained ties but it is by no means completely alone on the world stage.

A year into the war, a dive into Mr Putin and Mr Xis diplomatic friendship showed that while a lot has changed for Russia globally, there has been just as great a shift in the dynamic between Beijing and Moscow.

The relationship right before the invasion was of backing each other when we can while being largely adversarial. This has all changed after the invasion. China kind of became, one day to another, the dominant power in the relationship. It saw a great opportunity in this and most likely came consciously to this no-limits partnership, says Barbara Keleman, senior Asia associate, speaking at a briefing hosted by Dragonfly on the Russia-China relationship.

While Mr Xi will not compromise Chinas economic recovery from the Covid pandemic by offering military aid to Russia and therefore face global sanctions, the analysts said China could be expected to scale up its help for Russia if it senses Mr Putins regime is destabilised and on the brink of collapse.

China remains committed to support Russia strategically even if it is by amplifying Russias narrative, Ms Keleman said.

For now at least, China has stated that providing military support to Russia is a red line it will not cross. But it has become increasingly clear that for Mr Putin there are no red lines, and that the war in Ukraine is intrinsically tied to his future as Russias leader. It means Russia is likely to continue seeking stronger ties to China, whatever the cost.

Putin has revealed himself as a fairly instrumental politician and the reasons why he started the war, among several other reasons, is Russias political culture. It started as that but now it is a war for the survival of Putins regime paired with his personal survival, says Mr Dalton.

This will drive his friendship with China for the foreseeable future  or for as long as he [Putin] lasts.
 Close Related: Putin visits Russian troops in Ukraines Kherson and Luhansk regions

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The US said on Monday it now estimates that since December Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties, including 20,000 killed.

Ukraine has largely rebuffed a heavy-assault by Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, where Vladimir Putins forces are struggling to encircle the city of Bakhmut in the face of dogged Ukrainian defense.

White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the US estimate is based on newly declassified American intelligence. He did not detail how the intelligence community derived the number.

It comes as an explosion in a Russian region bordering Ukraine derailed a freight train on Monday, the local governor said in a social media post.

Pictures shared on social media showed several tank carriages laying on their side and dark grey smoke billowing into the air at the site of the derailment in the Bryansk region.

No casualties have so far been reported.

Russian Railways, the countrys rail operator, said the incident occurred at 10:17 Moscow time (0717 GMT). It said the locomotive and seven freight wagons were derailed and the locomotive caught fire.
The supreme court's emergency rule on the abortion pill staying two more days in the market is a clear failure of the Dobbs v. Jackson decision. The conservative majority seemed to claim a victory almost one year ago, and returned the abortion right to the states, unfortunately, this has only led to a national turmoil.

No other case would defame the supreme court than the case when the Taney's court rejected the Missouri compromise and determined the Congress had no power to prohibit slavery. Historians regard this notorious decision triggered the civil war. If there is no other means to divide the nation, then let the supreme court do it----return those critically right decisions to the states, and make us more divided. Ironically, returning power to the states plays a similar role in the most recent supreme court abortion case, dividing men and women half privileged, and the other half not.

The abortion matter is not about life nor death, right nor wrong. The matter here is the turmoil runs like a snow ball, which maganifiies itself each time when a new lawsuit is filed.

An early Texas lawsuit in which the husband sued the friends of the wife for providing help when the women seeked abortion not only made me feel chilling but also heartbreaking.

This lawsuit, in the sense of so called pro-life, deprives each individual women's access to the simplest care from another human being. When the women is most fragile and vulnerable with an unwanted pregnancy, she cannot even turn to a friend. Life is hell, period, no need to go to heaven for heaven's sake.

Some states are stockpiling abortion pills to prepare the worst. This is an inconvenient fact----the Dobbs v. Jackson decision is not protecting life, but protecting people's ego and distroying lives of million. We are not a whole country, when half of the population has no protection.
Extinction Rebellion enters the second day of several days of protest in central London as the climate activist group attempts to abandon disruptive tactics and focus on relationships over roadblocks.

Protesters chanted outside Westminster on Saturday, 22 April as they called for more action to tackle the climate crisis.

More than 30,000 people have said they will attend the protests, between April 21 and April 24, described as The Big One.

The demonstrations will be XRs first major action since announcing it would move away from more controversial methods of protest.

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Sadiq Khan has criticised the lack of progress within the Metropolitan Police in the 30 years since Stephen Lawrence was murdered.

Speaking outside a memorial service to mark the day, the mayor of London said that there was still work to be done on racism within the Met.

Mr Khan gave a speech during the service in which he said that Britain's biggest police force was still 'institutionally racist'.

Stephen Lawrence was murdered in April 1993 by five people in a racially-motivated attack.

It took 20 years for two of those people to be jailed, with it later being found that the police investigation was beset with racism itself.

Click here to sign up to our newsletter.
The industry seems to be unusually good at recognising talent internally

In retail, a key route to the top job still starts on the shop floor, a rarity compared with most sectors where the ladder to senior management now typically starts with professional qualifications, very often in accountancy.
Aoife Barry on fearing for her safety after an anonymous emailer targeted her and other prominent figures on Twitter  and how they banded together to stop him

When harassment online is abstract or hypothetical to you, you can envisage all the things you would do if it happened. But when it does happen to you, any of your plans and presumptions shatter, because the situation feels so unreal and out of your control.
The businessman wrote the message on Twitter in which he has 5.2 million followers.

Lord Alan Sugar has written a message to Tetris film writer Noah Pink asking to contact him about an exciting movie project on social media.

The Apprentice star, 76, told the Canadian writer to look me up on Google after losing his verified blue tick on Twitter following changes to the platform from owner Elon Musk.

In a post to his 5.2 million followers, Lord Sugar tagged Pink writing: I need to contact on a exciting movie project.

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Twitter DM service has gone due to technical problems.

I cant give contact details in this open forum. You can track me down via MGM Apprentice or the BBC.

The British entrepreneur added love Tetris at the end of the message, referencing the 2023 film Pink wrote starring British actors Taron Egerton and Toby Jones.

The 1980s video game-inspired film tells the story of Alexey Pajitnov, a Russian programmer behind the video game and entrepreneur Henk Rogers (Egerton), who went through a legal battle over the rights to the computer game in Russia.

Originally from Hackney, east London, Lord Sugar founded electronics company Amstrad in 1968 at the age of 21, selling audio and computer equipment, which led him to becoming a tycoon and household name.
Stars of the trilogy appeared at the films European Gala event at the Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris.

Actor Chris Pratt takes photos with a fan during the red carpet event to promote his latest movie Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (Ahn Young-joon/AP/PA)

Chris Pratt said his character in the final instalment of Guardians Of The Galaxy is more emotional which was a real challenge to act but he loved the opportunity to try to do something different.

The third film in the Marvel franchise will see the return of Dave Bautista, Zoe Saldana, Karen Gillan and Pom Klementieff as well as Vin Diesel as animated tree-man Groot.

Stars of the trilogy appeared at the films European Gala event at the Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris on Saturday, ahead of the films release on May 3 in UK cinemas.

Hollywood actor Pratt, who reprises his role as Peter Quill in the blockbuster, told the PA news agency on the orange carpet: We see Peter in a more emotional way. For me, it was a real challenge.

And I embraced that, I loved the opportunity to try to do something different.

Its the third time Ive played this character. So it was nice to try and do it in a way that was different than the previous times and its a more emotional movie.

I think the audience who were kids or young teens when the first one came out are a little older now and theyre ready for it. So its exciting.

Pratt described the final adventure with his band of goofy space heroes traversing a variety of intergalactic worlds as emotional.

Chris Pratt plays Peter Quill in the third instalment of Guardians Of The Galaxy (Ian West/PA)

The 43-year-old told PA: Were all very lucky. We all feel grateful. Its a nice process and so Im trying to really embrace all of the feelings involved because I dont want to miss out.

I dont want to one day look back and think wow, that was so busy. I didnt feel what I was feeling. So Im feeling it all.

Meanwhile, Fast And Furious star Diesel, 55, described the end of an era as bittersweet.

He told PA: I think that characters come into your life for reasons and I think the Groot character came into my life at an interesting and important time, so I think its bittersweet.

Similarly, recalling the casts last moments together on set, Scottish actress Gillan said: There was a scene there was a goodbye scene of sorts where everyone was together in their Guardians uniforms.

We looked around and we were thinking, this is probably the last time that this will ever happen with this combination of people.

So it was definitely bittersweet.

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French actress Klementieff, who plays Mantis in the franchise, said she feels sad but extremely grateful to have worked with such incredible people and to have brought James Gunns vision to life.

Speaking of director Gunn, the 36-year-old told PA: Its very rare for movies of this scale to have the same director to write and direct three movies and to have such an interesting arc of every character.

I had so much fun playing Mantis because she started one way and then she developed and she developed in the current movie, you see how (much) stronger she is, more self confident, and how still insane she is, but in (a) beautiful way.

US filmmaker Gunn also spoke about the trilogy at the event, which saw performances from Disneyland characters of Star Lord and Gamora.

The 56-year-old told PA: I was planning on it being three films and I was always planning on this story really being story of Rocket (Raccoon).

I knew that to fulfil that story I really needed to go back to where he started.

To get to the end of the story we needed to go back to the beginning. And thats what we did.
Growing up in theatres with her musician dad, Zara Devlin was destined for the stage. Here, the IFTA-nominated actor talks about why she never gets starstruck, how Covid crushed her Broadway dreams and the huge responsibility of playing the role of tragic schoolgirl Ann Lovett

Having just landed her first Best Actress IFTA nomination for her role in Ann, a feature film about a seminal moment in Irish history, the death of Ann Lovett, Zara Devlin is hotly tipped to become the Next Big Thing. She has already worked with some of the countrys most acclaimed directors, and when we talk, she is waiting for the sun to go down in New Ross, Co Wexford, to commence a night-time shoot for Claire Keegans Small Things Like These alongside Cillian Murphy. The last few months have been a dream, she tells me.
Joe Duffys show is a transformative influence on Irish life. But every now and then, it dives head-first into triviality and is all the better for it

The two faces of Liveline (Radio 1, Mon-Fri 1.45pm) were on display this week: two stories that demonstrated, with perfect clarity, what makes the show so powerful in some ways, so transformative in Irish life  and simultaneously so ridiculous.

On the one hand, Joe Duffy replayed interviews from, respectively, 2016 and 2018 with Jonathan Dowdall and Alex Hurley. The former youll recognise as the convicted criminal whose testimony was a central plank in the States case against Gerry Hutch, which ended in failure this week. The latter is the accountant whom Dowdall, and Dowdalls father, tortured in 2015.

Hurleys interview was genuinely disturbing in parts, even difficult to listen to, but of course worth playing. Dowdalls, for me, came across as quite self-serving and slippery, the kind of interview where youre not sure what to believe.

This is what we might call Serious Liveline: where the long-running talk-shop shines a clear, sometimes harsh light on the less savoury realities of modern Ireland. These arent always horrific, but itll be some class of Bad Thing (real or perceived) in general: recent episodes have debated, for example, job shortages, a Dublin allowance for teachers, sexually explicit books aimed at kids, disability services, dangerous driving and  that deathless staple of the genre  Rip-off Ireland.

In this way, Liveline shapes the public discourse to a fair degree. We in media probably overstate our effect on the nation, but this programme, undeniably, can and does change things.

Its become a kind of jokey shorthand, whenever one is being stonewalled by a company or arm of government: Go on Liveline, theyll have to listen then. A marketing catchphrase, Talk to Joe, is now synonymous with the failsafe route to take: a guarantee of, if not necessarily success then at least attention for your cause.

So influential has Liveline become, indeed, that, as Duffy pointed out in his introduction to the Dowdall/Hurley diptych, the Dowdall tape was actually used during the Hutch trial.

Serious Liveline is, at a rough estimate, about 80pc of the show. The rest well call Lighter Liveline: more lifestyle or magazine-type radio. This week, say, we heard a nice chat with Father Frank OGrady, the Sligo priest who gave Joe Bidens son the last rites some years ago and met Biden pere on his visit. Other recent episodes included bits on the late Mary Quant, and even a tribute to Vincent van Gogh.

Then, every now and again, Liveline strays into the realms of... madness is probably too strong. Certainly daftness, though, absurdity, nonsense, silliness. Duffy sounded positively giddy as he declared: Listeners are already piling in on this.

What great affair of state was getting people riled up? A new director general at RTE, of course, challenges he faces, the demise of long-wave and, as Joe said with a chuckle, the new Late Late presenter.

Tom suggested Imelda May as host. John called for the Late Late to be jazzed up with an X-Factor style contest to find Ryan Tubridys replacement. Noreen reckoned the show has never replaced Gaybo and should be retired. Someone referred to your previous caller.

Classic Liveline: daft, absurdand great fun.
Abbey co-director Caitriona McLaughlin: If we have an idea what people or theatre should sound like, what hope have we of welcoming new people into this country?

Ditching her job analysing sewage to intern at a Derry theatre changed the course of Caitriona McLaughlins life. Here the Abbeys artistic director talks about putting the national theatres past controversies to rest, making diversity mainstream and telling stories on stage that are too difficult to face in real life

Artistic director of The Abbey Theatre Caitriona McLaughlin. Picture: Lorcan Doherty

Kathy Donaghy Sat 22 Apr 2023 at 03:30
The privacy class-action lawsuit may be one of the first of its kind in Nebraska. But it appears to be part of a national trend that took off last fall.
A barefoot home intruder who claimed to be a garda before biting a mans bicep has been told he will be spared jail if he is suitable for community service.
Man charged with murder of Kildare dad (47) told gardai you are wrong

The accused was remanded in custody to Cloverhill until his next court appearance on Thursday

Damien Szatkowski (37) of Peachville, Kilshane, Dublin 11 appeared before a special sitting of Naas District

Alan Sherry Sat 22 Apr 2023 at 19:12






A man who was drinking with a woman in a van began punching her in the face without warning after she passed out and woke up dressed in just a T-shirt, it is alleged.
Gardai call for an external investigation into GSOC

A Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) investigator who claimed he attended a party for Gerry The Monk Hutch last Monday night is a former police officer who is friendly with a female member of the Hutch family.

The Gsoc investigator, who has now quit, told people he went to the party in north inner-city Dublin following Hutchs acquittal for the Regency Hotel murder.

The man, who was an officer in another jurisdiction, lives near Hutchs relative, which led them to strike up a friendship.

He was hired by Gsoc several years ago following an interview over Zoom.

This man is in his 60s. It has now been established he has a link to a close family member of Gerry Hutch. That is a concern and alarm bells have now been activated, a source said.

The investigator agreed to resign after his bosses learnt of his claim that he had attended the party after Hutch was found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne.

Justice Minister Simon Harris said he has asked Gsoc for a report on this serious development.

This needs to be investigated, he said. That investigation is being considered by Gsoc, so it would not be appropriate for me to comment on it at this time.

I have requested a report from the chairperson of Gsoc, which I expect to receive in the coming days. Gsoc has a vital role in upholding confidence in policing in Ireland, and it is incredibly important that public confidence in Gsoc be maintained.

But today gardai have called for an external investigation into the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) following the resignation of the investigator.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) today said it was calling for the move, describing the decision by GSOC to launch an investigation into itself as unsatisfactory.

In light of the resignation of a senior GSOC investigator AGSI will be writing to the Chair of GSOC to seek clarity on the impact of this on any current investigations pertaining to our members.

This development is a concern, it said.

The former Gsoc officer, who had been involved in several major investigations into potential garda misconduct, was due to be suspended, but took the decision to resign instead.

His attendance at the party, which has not been confirmed, has raised major concerns in Gsoc because of the potential for compromise or a security breach.

In a statement, it said: Gsoc became aware in recent days of a potential conflict of interest involving a staff member. Gsoc immediately commenced an internal investigation into the matter.

The officer concerned has now submitted their resignation and Gsocs investigation is ongoing.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien said yesterday that he and his cabinet colleagues were shocked by the development.

Speaking at a Fianna Fail housing event in Dublin, he said: We have to allow that investigation to take place and conclude, but I do know that member in particular has resigned from their position.

He added later: No one is in any way understating the seriousness of that revelation about the Gsoc member, but thats been dealt with. I dont think we can read into that to say that it goes any further than that.

Gsoc have a very important role within our judicial system and the apparatus of the state, and the guards have the full support of the public and the Government.

I think we need to let the investigation commence and conclude in relation to this particular matter, and I dont think we should look at that having any sort of contagion effect. I dont believe it does.
An image of Thomas captured on CCTV last Sunday. Photo: Gardai.

Gardai have renewed their appeal for the public's assistance in tracing the whereabouts of 49-year-old Thomas Flood, who is missing from his home in Dublin 1 since Monday, April 17.

Thomas is described as being approximately 5ft 2in in height and of a medium build. He is bald and has blue eyes.

Thomas was last seen in the Howth area on Sunday, April 16. He was wearing a grey top with a light grey jacket, dark trousers and brown shoes.

An image of Thomas captured on CCTV last Sunday. Photo: Gardai.

Thomas has been known to frequent the Howth and Dollymount Strand areas.

Gardai and Thomas family are concerned for his welfare.

Anyone with any information on Thomas whereabouts are asked to contact Mountjoy Garda Station on 01 666 8600, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111, or any Garda Station.
Sharon Phelan had to undergo a blood transfusion and a surgical drain had to be attached to treat a severe infection after she returned home from a trip to Turkey for a mummy makeover. Photo: Mark Condren

An Irish woman who travelled to Turkey for a mummy makeover package ended up in hospital for two weeks with a severe infection after returning home.

Sharon Phelan, a mother-of-two from Co Kilkenny, revealed how she woke up one morning and her mattress was destroyed in blood.

A part of her stomach where an incision was made practically opened up and she had to go to St Lukes Hospital in Kilkenny for emergency treatment.

The 50-year-old underwent a tummy tuck and liposuction at Ekol Hospitals in Izmir at the start of February. She also had a breast procedure. The package cost 4,950, including the operations, two-nights in the hospital, five-nights accommodation at a hotel, all prescribed medication and flights.

Ms Phelan was due to be moved to a hotel 40 minutes from the hospital the day after the operations for her aftercare, but insisted on staying as she was worried about something going wrong and being so far away.

While she experienced some pain and discomfort following the operations, and felt unwell for a time, she was happy with how the procedures went.

Ekol signed off on a fit-to-fly certificate and she flew home on February 10. However, when she returned home, the problems started.

The area where the incision was made for the tummy tuck had become seriously infected. Ms Phelan provided pictures of the wound but they were too graphic to share.

It looks like a shark bite across my stomach, she said.

They gave me medications and antibiotics to take and I took everything I was supposed to take.

For the last two months, Ms Phelan has had a surgical drain attached to her in a bid to remove the infection. She also had to undergo a blood transfusion.

It has left me feeling depressed and some days I dont want to get out of bed.

"Im afraid to cough or sneeze in case I do damage and Im afraid of the wound opening up again. Im not allowed to do anything strenuous and havent been able to return to work as a carer.

Ms Phelan came across Ekol on a Facebook advert and said all her dealings with the hospital were through WhatsApp.

When she contacted the hospital about the infection, she received a reply on WhatsApp saying: We have spoken with your surgeon. He said that it looks like you did not walk in a curved position (following surgery).

"For now, we would like to advise you to apply to your GP and change dressings and also take prescriptions for antibiotics. If you follow up all suggestions, it will heal in three weeks.

She spent 15 days in St Lukes Hospital and also had to visit her GP on a number of occasions.

Ms Phelan previously underwent a gastric sleeve procedure, where 80pc of the stomach is removed at a different clinic in Turkey and said the operation went really well.

In the aftermath, she experienced loose skin and contacted the clinic about undergoing liposuction and a tummy tuck, but their waiting list was months long. When I contacted Ekol, they could practically take me straight away, she said.

I was meant to go to a hotel the day after my operation but I kicked up a fuss to stay in the hospital. They told me that they needed the room. Then they told me they would send me to an apartment across the road from the hospital, but I wanted to stay in the hospital in case anything went wrong.

The Irish Independent contacted Ekol for comment but did not receive a response.

In a previous statement, the hospital said: Our patients are closely followed by their surgeons during their stay at our hospital and they cannot be discharged without their surgeons consent. Our patients are regularly contacted and even after they go back to their country, our services continue.

According to the statistics, complication rates of aesthetic surgeries conducted in Turkey are below the rates of aesthetic surgeries conducted all over the world.

Our hospital prioritises our patients safety and thus act in such a way to increase our service quality.
Rising numbers are presenting at A&E on return from foreign clinics

Irish patients seeking major medical procedures abroad are being warned to consider the risks amid growing concern at the number of people presenting at emergency departments on their return.

The warning comes as surgeons tour Ireland encouraging people to get cheap cosmetic, dental and weight-loss procedures in foreign countries.

Foreign hospitals are holding roadshow events at four-star hotels in Dublin and Cork to provide free consultations and sign up prospective patients for special offers.

As the procedures are carried out abroad and the doctors do not have to be registered in Ireland, the regulatory body for doctors in Ireland does not have any remit over the advice given at the roadshow events or subsequent surgeries.

Professor Helen Heneghan, a full-time bariatric surgeon with the HSE, said: I think its irresponsible of any hospital or clinic to recruit patients for major surgeries in this way.

Hospitals here say the number of people needing emergency treatment after returning from surgeries abroad has increased.

Prof Heneghan said: The severity of complications also seemed to increase last year.

St Vincents Hospital in Dublin reported the number of patients needing treatment after returning home nearly trebled during the pandemic.

The average age of those hospitalised was under 40 and 88pc were women.

Hundreds of medical tourism agencies are promising mummy makeover packages, bariatric (weight-loss) procedures and surgeries that are not easily accessible in EU countries, such as the Brazilian butt lift (BBL).

Ekol Hospitals in Izmir, Turkey, which registered as a company in Ireland two years ago, has been holding roadshow events at hotels in Dublin and Cork in a bid to attract new clients.

It has held four events so far this year, with hundreds of people meeting bariatric and plastic surgeons.

The Gibson Hotel and Clayton Hotel Cardiff Lane in Dublin and the Clayton Hotel in Cork have hosted roadshows.

Prospective patients are encouraged to sign up to book an appointment and are offered a free consultation to discuss the procedures that interest them.

If they book at the event, they receive a roadshow discount.

Sources familiar with Ekol indicated that, on average, the company pays up to 4,500 renting conference rooms at Irish hotels for the events.

They also book rooms for surgeons and staff attending.

After going to an event, prospective patients receive a number of follow-up text messages.

As Ekol Hospitals, we have realised that you have not booked yet! For this reason, we are giving you a special offer to pick up where we left off, one text read.

Another said: It is time to change! At Ekol Hospitals, we are running a special campaign for Christmas by which you will have five per cent off for any surgeries.

The Irish Independent has spoken to a number of former patients of Ekol who were happy with their procedures.

They described the hospital as efficient and like a fancy, private clinic.

There are also hundreds of positive reviews about Ekol to be found online.

However, others have criticised the company after they were made to sign disclaimers stating they would not post anything negative about them on social media if they were unhappy with the outcome of their surgeries.

The Irish Independent contacted Ekol for comment, but received no response.

In a previous statement, the hospital said: Our patients are closely followed by their surgeons during their stay at our hospital and they cannot be discharged without their surgeons consent.

Our hospital prioritises our patients safety and thus acts in such a way to increase our service quality.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has urged people to inform themselves of both the risks and benefits of any procedures abroad.

They are also advised to discuss their plans carefully with their own doctor, dentist or hospital specialist before committing to any procedure abroad.

Individuals should also familiarise themselves with any follow-up treatment or process that may be required and be aware they may encounter communication difficulties in a non English-speaking environment, the DFA said.

Case study: It looks like a shark bite on my stomach  Irish mum had to be hospitalised after Turkey mummy makeover

An Irish woman who travelled to Turkey for a mummy makeover package ended up in hospital for two weeks with a severe infection after returning home.

Sharon Phelan, a mother-of-two from Co Kilkenny, revealed how she woke up one morning and her mattress was destroyed in blood.

A part of her stomach where an incision was made practically opened up and she had to go to St Lukes Hospital in Kilkenny for emergency treatment.

The 50-year-old underwent a tummy tuck and liposuction at Ekol Hospitals in Izmir at the start of February. She also had a breast procedure. The package cost 4,950, including the operations, two-nights in the hospital, five-nights accommodation at a hotel, all prescribed medication and flights.

Ms Phelan was due to be moved to a hotel 40 minutes from the hospital the day after the operations for her aftercare, but insisted on staying as she was worried about something going wrong and being so far away.

While she experienced some pain and discomfort following the operations, and felt unwell for a time, she was happy with how the procedures went.

Ekol signed off on a fit-to-fly certificate and she flew home on February 10. However, when she returned home, the problems started.

The area where the incision was made for the tummy tuck had become seriously infected. Ms Phelan provided pictures of the wound but they were too graphic to share.

It looks like a shark bite across my stomach, she said.

They gave me medications and antibiotics to take and I took everything I was supposed to take.

For the last two months, Ms Phelan has had a surgical drain attached to her in a bid to remove the infection. She also had to undergo a blood transfusion.

It has left me feeling depressed and some days I dont want to get out of bed.

"Im afraid to cough or sneeze in case I do damage and Im afraid of the wound opening up again. Im not allowed to do anything strenuous and havent been able to return to work as a carer.

Ms Phelan came across Ekol on a Facebook advert and said all her dealings with the hospital were through WhatsApp.

When she contacted the hospital about the infection, she received a reply on WhatsApp saying: We have spoken with your surgeon. He said that it looks like you did not walk in a curved position (following surgery).

"For now, we would like to advise you to apply to your GP and change dressings and also take prescriptions for antibiotics. If you follow up all suggestions, it will heal in three weeks.

She spent 15 days in St Lukes Hospital and also had to visit her GP on a number of occasions.

Ms Phelan previously underwent a gastric sleeve procedure, where 80pc of the stomach is removed at a different clinic in Turkey and said the operation went really well.

In the aftermath, she experienced loose skin and contacted the clinic about undergoing liposuction and a tummy tuck, but their waiting list was months long. When I contacted Ekol, they could practically take me straight away, she said.

I was meant to go to a hotel the day after my operation but I kicked up a fuss to stay in the hospital. They told me that they needed the room as other people were booked in for procedure. Then they told me they would send me to an apartment across the road from the hospital, but I wanted to stay in the hospital in case anything went wrong.

The Irish Independent contacted Ekol for comment but did not receive a response.

In a previous statement, the hospital said: Our patients are closely followed by their surgeons during their stay at our hospital and they cannot be discharged from the hospital without their surgeons consent. Our patients are regularly contacted and even after they go back to their country, our services continue.

According to the statistics, complication rates of aesthetic surgeries conducted in Turkey are below the rates of aesthetic surgeries conducted all over the world.

Our hospital prioritises our patients safety and thus act in such a way to increase our service quality.
Future Irish elections will be targeted by malicious actors using artificial intelligence (AI) and preventative measures need to be taken as a result, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator John McGahon from Louth, said AI has great potential, but also poses a major threat to our democracy if left unchecked.

We have seen what has occurred internationally in the past with elections and referendums targeted by advancing technology. It will be no different with the advent of AI, Mr McGahon said.

It comes as the family of Michael Schumacher are pursuing a German Magazine for creating a fake AI interview with the severely injured former F1 driver.

Mr McGahon said: AI has real potential to reshape our economies by improving growth and productivity but at the same time poses a real danger to society if not countenanced.

Tech moves at lightning speed and governments have been incredibly slow to try and check this new balance of power.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from 50m Facebook users was used to try and sway the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential election and the UKs Brexit referendum in the same year, is an example of where governments failed through regulation to protect citizens against big tech.

AI will be the next frontier where this could happen, it certainly is the future and it must be approached in a measured manner that ensures proper regulation and safeguards are included.

Our own elections here are vulnerable to being targeted by those who have no regard for democracy. We cannot allow it to happen.

The fake Michael Schumacher interview may seem trivial, but it is a small example of the danger posed by AI, Mr McGahon said.

The Louth senator said AI capabilities can create credible looking deepfakes and this presents a financial risk and reputational damage to those targeted by it.

He said a taskforce must be set up to determine how European Union nations are going to deal with the potential threats posed by AI.

All of this can be used to manipulate elections and undermine the credibility of our democratic institutions.

There are credible concerns from scientists that AI could be used to create autonomous weapons, remove thousands of manual jobs alongside concerns about the security threats, the invasion of privacy and social grading.

Time is of the essence here. There should be a taskforce established by leading governments and the European Union about how we are going to approach this.

Meanwhile, while governments are figuring out what to do next, AI is still expanding at lightning speed, Mr McGahon said.
Department of Housing officials claim Darragh O'Brien was not shown statistics from the Residential Tenancies Board. Photo: Niall Carson/PA

Statistics on the numbers of people who would face eviction after the ban was lifted made for sobering reading in the Department of Housing, internal government emails show.

Documents released under Freedom of Information (FoI) also reveal the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform was aware thousands of households were going to be affected by the end of the moratorium on no-fault evictions, weeks before the Government decided to press ahead with lifting the ban.

The Government made the controversial decision to end the ban last month.

The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), which collects data on the number of notices of termination served by landlords, had shared the most recent statistics for the second half of last year with the Department of Housing in the weeks and months before the government decision.

Those same statistics were only made available to the public in April, days after the eviction ban had already been lifted.

Figures released on April 4 showed more than 4,000 notices to quit were recorded in the final three months of last year.

The same statistics had been available to the Government since February.

This prompted questions about whether ministers knew how many families and households would be affected before the Cabinet made the decision to end the ban.

The Department of Housing has claimed its officials did not share notice of termination statistics with Minister Darragh OBrien.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has also said the eviction ban would still have been lifted, even if ministers had known of the numbers in advance.

Documents released to the Irish Independent show that in December, officials at the Department of Housing were sent a report by the RTB outlining the 4,741 notices of termination it had received in the third quarter of last year.

These same figures were only released to the public last month.

Thank you for this information. It makes for very sobering reading, wrote Alan Martin, an assistant principal officer in the private rental market section of the Department of Housing.

Is it possible for the RTB to run an analysis on the data and see when these notices are going to take effect, bearing in mind the current eviction ban?

The RTB responded, saying it would try to run such an analysis in the New Year.

The same documents also reveal a second government department was given sight of notice-to-quit data before the decision to lift the eviction ban.

On February 16, the RTB was told Paschal Donohoes department was looking for figures on notices to quit, broken down by local authority or county.

An email sent to the RTB requested a summary of high risk-areas for evictions.

In response, the RTB sent over the same notice of termination statistics that it had shared with the Department of Housing for internal purposes only.

The Irish Independent asked the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform if Mr Donohoe had been aware of the number of evictions likely to be caused by the lifting of the ban, in advance of the Government decision.

A spokesperson for the minister, who was contacted yesterday evening, said he was away in London on official business and unlikely to be able to comment.
The Government is planning a mini housing budget to ramp up development and reduce the cost of construction of new homes.

Lower development fees for builders along with increased grants for renovating vacant and derelict houses will be part of a range of measures to introduce more housing supply.

Housing Minister Darragh OBrien will reveal several state interventions aimed at making construction of social, affordable and cost-rental homes more attractive to developers.

The package has been developed over a number of weeks and will also introduce subsidies for builders who develop cost-rental properties that will be available for at least 25pc below the market rate.

High-level talks are still under way, but it is expected the minister will bring a memo to the Cabinet next week outlining how he plans to re-divert around 1bn of underspend in his department towards projects that will result in more new homes.

Central to the plan is reducing development levies to encourage more building.

While the majority of the schemes will be delivered through existing funding, further financial resources may be needed to pay for the ambitious new plan.

Mr OBrien is locked in talks with Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe about reducing the residential development levy.

At present, there is a contribution from developers of 96.39 per square metre for all new residential developments.

The ministers are discussing reducing this rate in a bid to encourage more builders to begin construction on new homes.

There are also plans to increase the grants that are provided to people who are renovating vacant and derelict homes.

The State currently pays 30,000 towards renovating a vacant property and 50,000 for a derelict building.

These amounts are set to increase under the new housing package, and there are plans also to allow people to rent out homes after they are renovated.

Under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant, those applying for the funding must live in the home after it is renovated.

However, from next month, those renovating properties will be allowed to rent out one property they have refurbished.

The housing minister will also flag with cabinet colleagues the introduction of a Cost Rental Subvention Scheme that will aim to improve the viability of building properties that will be provided as tenancies at cheaper rates.

In return for subsidies of up to 150,000 per property, the State will take an equity in rental developments. Between 500m and 750m will be set aside for the scheme.

The introduction of more cost-rental properties is a key plank of the Governments response to the removal of the eviction ban.

The Green Party has been pushing the model in order to address the decade-long housing crisis.

Cost-rental housing is provided by local authorities, housing agencies and the Land Development Agency.

Rents must be 25pc below the market rate and net household incomes must be below 53,000 to apply to the scheme.

The new measures will be rushed through in the coming weeks and months to ensure that construction is not delayed due to developers holding off to avail of the new funding.

The cost-rental scheme will be developed as soon as possible to ensure developers can claim the subsidies.

Details of the new housing package will be debated over the weekend, and the three government leaders will sign off on the measures at their weekly meeting on Monday.

The Cabinet will then sign off on the package and it will be announced by the leaders and Mr OBrien on Tuesday.

No new tax measures will be announced next week.

Government plans to help private landlords and tenants will not be unveiled until the Budget in the autumn.
Three people pleaded not guilty earlier this month in federal court to trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine in Billings out of short-term rental homes and apartments.

Camille Ann Rounds, Deborah Lynn Renenger and Keegan Tait Roll are accused of bringing drugs into Billings over the course of several months. Drug task force agents seized thousands of fentanyl pills, hundreds of grams of meth and firearms following their arrest last month.

A detective with the Billings Police Departments Street Crimes Unit connected Roll to fentanyl trafficking in town earlier this year, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. On March 9, 2023, police tracked Roll to an apartment complex on the 2900 block of Second Avenue South. Police, assisted with members of the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task force, arrested Roll after watching him leave the apartment. Officers allegedly found him carrying 49 fentanyl pills, amounting to about 5.5 grams, during a search. According to information gathered by EMHIDTA agents, court documents said, Roll was at the apartment to meet with his drug supplier.

Agents then searched the apartment where Roll, 28, was staying. Inside the residence, they met with a woman who allegedly gave police a false name. A BPD detective identified her as Renenger, court documents said. The 32-year-old was also on probation and had an active warrant for her arrest. Law enforcement searched Renenger and allegedly found several grams of meth tucked into her bra.

In January of this year, according to a search warrant signed by Yellowstone County District Judge Brett Linneweber, BPD officers searched a vehicle driven by Renenger, who was suspected of traveling from Absarokee to Billings with guns and drugs. They allegedly found about an ounce of fentanyl pills, nearly 14 ounces of meth and two handguns.

Investigators obtained a warrant for the apartment, according to court documents, and seized hundreds of fentanyl pills, about 17 grams of meth and drug paraphernalia. Cell phones recovered in the residence allegedly contained messages between Roll and Renenger arranging drug deals. Messages on Renengers cell phones, court documents said, also indicated Rounds was Renengers supplier.

Rounds, 45, was allegedly driving a vehicle with Washington State plates and staying at various residences in Billings prior to her arrest. A BPD detective found Rounds staying at a home on the 400 block of Lewis Avenue on March 9, court documents said. She left the house in an SUV the following day, and agents pulled her over. Rounds allegedly agreed to speak with law enforcement, saying she had trafficked thousands of fentanyl pills into Billings from Washington, along with a pound of meth.

Task force agents received a search warrant for the Lewis Avenue home and seized about 308 grams worth of fentanyl, 160 grams of meth and a handgun, court documents said. The handguns serial number was allegedly removed, and Rounds told law enforcement she had the gun out of fear of being robbed.

During their appearance in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan on April 11, Rounds and Renenger pleaded not guilty to counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Roll is facing charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

A fourth person named in the indictment, Scott Francis Richardson, has also been charged with possession of fentanyl and meth with the intent to distribute. Available court records do not show his alleged role in the drug trafficking racket that spanned from January through March of 2023, and he has yet to make his initial appearance in court.

Last year, Members of the SCU seized about 14 pounds of loose fentanyl powder and nearly 5,000 pills during the course of their investigations in Billings, according to BPD data.

Earlier this week, 11 people pleaded not guilty to accusations of operating a meth trafficking scheme that looped around the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservations and the surrounding counties. Their arrest and indictments followed a takedown coordinated by agents with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office.
Two weeks from today, President Michael D Higgins will make history by becoming the first Irish head of state to attend the coronation of a British monarch.
Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sean Fleming has said reports this morning that foreign nationals may be evacuated from Sudan after the army agreed to facilitate extractions are premature.

To date, 124 Irish citizens in Sudan have made contact with the Irish embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, but the Government believes there are approximately 180 Irish citizens in the country in total.

Sudan's army said on Saturday it had agreed to help evacuate foreign nationals but fighting still raged in the capital Khartoum this morning with reports of airstrikes near the state broadcaster and gun battles in several areas.

While many countries including the UK, the US, France, Germany, Belgium and Spain have sent aircraft to the Sudanese border in the hopes of a brokered deal to secure airports to allow foreign nationals to flee, Mr Fleming said: There are no evacuations planned at this point.

On the issue of evacuation, we're talking to our international colleagues, France and the UK, in particular, but there are reports of evacuation happening. I think that's premature. People have to assess the airport and it isnt safe to go in and out at this point in time.

So it's important that the full facts of getting people out are taken into consideration.

"And there's no security at the airport that people can rely on to get things in and out. So all of that has to be examined before if actually any evacuation takes place, Mr Fleming said on RTEs Saturday with Colm O Mongain.

Its understood that while both the Sudanese Army and rival Rapid Support Forces have verbally hinted at facilitating evacuations, governments are not fully convinced that peace would hold in the ground in the event of attempted extractions.

This is due to the agreed upon 3-day ceasefire this week which never took hold as fighting continued to rage across Khartoum.

More than 400 people have been killed in the bloodshed over the past seven days.

The message is to stay in and stay safe for the time being. And everybody, the vast majority, of the Irish people out there, over the last 48 hours have registered with the Irish embassy, and we'd ask those people who haven't yet registered to be in immediate contact with the embassy to do so as quickly as possible, Minister Fleming said.

Its understood Ireland is working extensively with its EU partners, along with the UK, to work out the possible logistics of all types of evacuations through air and land.

Logistically, there are extra challenges as the telecom networks are not operational at times, which adds degrees of difficulty in contacting Irish people who are sheltering across the country, and organising them if and when an evacuation attempt will occur.

Securing the airports is also seen as a difficult challenge given they are bitterly contested battlegrounds between army and RSF forces.
Skeletons in the closet: inside Trinitys hidden anatomy museum

The university has a controversial collection of human remains, gathered over centuries by fair means and foul. Kim Bielenberg takes an exclusive tour as its custodians prepare to return a set of stolen skulls to Inishbofin

Kim Bielenberg Sat 22 Apr 2023 at 03:30
Sensory spaces, staff training and quiet hours can all help tourism become more inclusive

The sensory nook set in a suite at the Pillo Hotel

The sensory playroom at the Pillo Hotel in Co Meath

The Pillo Hotel in Ashbourne, Co Meath, has a playroom with a difference.

Its lights are low, its features colourful  from purple and orange beanbags to bubbling water tubes, a ball pit and a pink cube glowing in a playhouse.

There are textured tiles, LED-tipped lights and a dexterity board with wheels to turn, switches to flick and letters to arrange.

This is a sensory playroom, the hotels Francesca Fennell explains. Her six-year-old son, Rhys, is autistic, and she describes to me the calming effect spaces like this can provide. Everything in the room has a purpose... it promotes play and provides space to stim.

The room is bookable for exclusive, 45-minute slots by families (free to guests/20 for non-residents), and is one reason the Pillo featured on our Fab 50 list of the best places to stay in Ireland in 2023.

As well as its playroom, designed with Keith OGrady of Sensory House Ireland, staff are trained in autism awareness, and a two-bedroom suite has been adapted to include a little sensory nook.

The sensory nook set in a suite at the Pillo Hotel

April is Autism Awareness Month, and national autism charity AsIAm (asiam.ie) says at least 3.3pc of people in Ireland are autistic. However, its most recent report says 86pc of autistic people, their families and carers do not believe they have the same chance in Irish society.

Sometimes when we discuss things like autism, we confine ourselves to what we might call service land, where we only see autistic people as people who need school places or to access therapy, says AsIAms CEO Adam Harris.

Whereas autistic people want to do the same things as everybody else.

Creating inclusive environments makes business sense too, he adds. Autistic people and their families are also consumers.

The Radisson Sligo and Tullamore Court, both in the INua collection, are other examples of hotels with sensory bedrooms  using mobile sensory trolleys with aura projectors and fibrotic lights.

The Radissons idea came from the hotels Innovation Team, and is created to benefit children with autism, ADHD and a variety of other disabilities, the hotel says.

The trolleys are supplied by Multisensory Ireland, and also feature a colour command interactive panel and waterless rainbow tube, among other features.

A mobile sensory trolley at the Radisson Sligo

Elsewhere, Roe Park Resort in Co Derry has an autism-friendly room featuring special lighting, a sensory area and dine-in room facilities, while Sligos Clarion has a sensory playroom available to guests and members of its health club.

In Clonakilty, designated an autism-friendly town by AsIAm, Fernhill House and the Clonakilty Park offer sensory boxes, as well as familiarisation documents like sensory maps or social stories that guests can access ahead of visits.

The Cork International Hotel is another example of a hotel that, describing itself as ASD aware, has provided staff training and introduced sensory boxes.

Predictability is really important, Harris says. That sense of not knowing what to expect can often be most challenging and stressful for an autistic person.

"Also, you cant always change every aspect of the environment, but you can give people tools to help them manage the environment according to their need, and thats where sensory boxes can be really important.

He also points to the issue of affordability.

Its really important that we think about the price point for families in our Same Chance report, it comes across very clearly that the cost of living crisis is being felt even more acutely by autistic people and their families.

"Thats because there are often additional costs to raising a child on the autism spectrum, or to being an autistic adult due to the high unemployment within our community.

"So I think it is important to think about ways we can make these facilities accessible to families in terms of price point as well.

Some hotels and tourist attractions also have quiet rooms that people can withdraw to, or dedicated time slots.

Belfasts St Georges Market, for example, has quiet hours where music and noise are reduced for a calmer mood. W5, the interactive discovery centre, has a quiet room for visitors to take a break from the main exhibition spaces, crowds, noise and excitement.

Passengers with hidden disabilities can book sensory rooms at Dublin and Shannon airports (lanyards are available at these and Cork Airport). AsIAm continues to work with hotels and tourist attractions on training and awareness, and Failte Ireland is also recruiting for an inclusive tourism manager.

Weve come a long way, but weve a long way to go. The single biggest barrier to autistic people in our communities remains judgment and attitude, Harris says.

I dont want this to be an unusual selling point, Fennell says of the Pillos sensory spaces and staff training. I want this to be a standard with every hotel.

As a travel and tourism industry, inclusion is our social responsibility, she adds. There is a much-needed place for people on the spectrum in society.
Barbados Crop Over festival: Its 4am. Suddenly, bottles of paint are whipped around in circles above the crowd, like liquid Catherine Wheels
ABOUT 90pc of what we take in from the world, we take in visually. Visual literacy refers to our ability to comprehend, make meaning of, and communicate through visual means.

From the Caves of Lascaux to the Book of Kells, from Ogham to emojis, understanding the visual has always held importance. As parents, we know the importance of textual literacy and now more than ever, computer literacy. Have we ever really considered the importance of visual literacy? What better time to stop and see the world around us than during this pandemic.

On October 21, a limit on movement of 5km from peoples' homes was put on certain activities in the latest round of Covid-19 measures announced by the Government. In the hustle and bustle of life, the beauty that surrounds us may have been camouflaged by the rush of life. Perhaps we noticed the beauty but busy schedules did not allow us to stop and really observe it. Using the opportunity for exercise within 5km will not only ensure our children keep active in these challenging times but it is a wonderful opportunity to introduce the concept slow-looking and teach our children the language of visual literacy.

Children love flowers that tickle the senses Stock picture

Here, the Professional Development Service for Teachers (PDST), which brought us the Keeping the Learning Going at Home series when schools were closed earlier this year, kindly shares some ideas to help parents teach children the art of slow-looking, to not only look at the world but to really see the fine details of the visual world. The PDST is a Department of Education and Skills support service.

Ideas for Slow  Looking

Very simply, the art of slow-looking involves firstly looking followed by the ability to see, describe, analyse and finally interpret.

The following are some ideas to get you started in learning to be visually literate:

 Explore all signage in your locality. What do all the signs mean? Ask your child to contemplate why certain symbols and colours are used? Is the symbol used in other contexts? Can your child make a connection and think of other times or places they may have observed this sign? Both rural and urban settings offer a variety of signs and symbols.

 Explore the road markings in your locality as you journey to school. Ask your child to speculate why certain markings would be necessary at various junctions. Consider the possibility that this conversation may be about the absence of road markings if the roads within your 5km radius are local roads.

 Slow-look at the expansive palette of colour that surrounds you on your daily walk or commute. Perhaps, ask your child to find various autumnal shades. Provide language to help describe the various shades: Is it crimson, golden, sage green for example? This is a wonderful opportunity to increase your childs word bank and their ability to describe their world which will be of life-long benefit to them.

 Slow-look at nature retreating. Seize the opportunity to show your child the subtle changes from day to day, the dramatic changes from season to season. This will help build your childs vocabulary and develop their imagination for creative writing.

 Our Irish climate provides us with a great variety of weather which colours the scener each day. Seeing how the colour of the day influences our perception and mood is a wonderful way to teach children about the impact of colour in illustrations in their books or images appearing on their screens.

 Visual images have the power to bring our senses together and impact viscerally on our emotions. Challenge your child to find scenes depicting various moods. Using a simple homemade cardboard frame or a camera would be an excellent way to consider the contents of a scene. For older children, this can lead to conversations and critical thinking about the images used in newspapers, on news broadcasts, on social media.

 Bring maths to life and identify shapes, types of lines or patterns in our environment. Slow-look for symmetry in your environment, for hidden shapes within the bare branches of trees.

 A very simple way to bring all the language experiences together would be to play I spyencouraging your child to slow-look and to really see, describe, analyse and interpret the world around them.

This is just a tip of the visual literacy iceberg but when restrictions ease in December, we can take comfort that our time was time well spent where our children learnt far more than a textbook will teach them.
Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien has said that he and his Cabinet colleagues are "shocked" at revelations that a member of the Garda Ombudsman (GSOC) has resigned after telling colleagues that he attended a party which Gerard Hutch was at on Monday night.

Speaking at a Fianna Fail housing event in Dublin on Saturday, Mr O'Brien has said "all of us in Government are very shocked by that revelation" and noted that it was now being investigated by GSOC.

"We have to allow that investigation take place and conclude but I do know that that member in particular has resigned from their position," he said.

He added: "No one is in anyway understating the seriousness of that revelation about the GSOC member but that's been dealt with, I don't think we can read into that to say that it goes any further than that.

"GSOC have a very important role within our judicial system and the apparatus of the state and the guards have the full support of the public and government.

"I think we need to let the investigation commence and conclude in relation to this particular matter and I don't think we should look at that having any sort of contagion effect. I don't believe it does."

Justice Minister Simon Harris has sought a report from the chair of GSOC into the revelations which he expects to receive within days.

"This is a serious matter which needs to be investigated. That investigation is being considered by GSOC, so it would not be appropriate for me to comment on it at this time. I have requested a report from the Chairperson of GSOC, which I expect to receive in the coming days," he said in a statement issued on Saturday afternoon.

"I will say that GSOC has a vital role in upholding confidence in policing in Ireland, and it is incredibly important that public confidence in GSOC be maintained."

The investigator with GSOC resigned after he told people he had attended a party which Gerard Hutch was at on Monday night.

Mr Hutch walked free from the Special Criminal Court that day after being found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne.

The officer  who has been involved in several major investigations into potential garda misconduct, told a number of people that he had been at a house party which Mr Hutch attended.

The claim came to the attention of other members of staff in GSOC and was reported to senior management.

A formal process commenced.

RTE reported that the investigator who has worked with GSOC for the past number of years was due to be suspended, and would have to surrender his phone and identity card.

He took the decision to resign instead and his resignation has been accepted.

It is not clear whether the GSOC investigator actually attended a party or just said he had attend a party which was also attended by Mr Hutch.

The officer was involved in a number of highly sensitive investigations into An Garda Siochana, including the investigation into the death of Superintendent Colm Fox, who took his own life in Ballymun Garda Station in 2019.

Superintendent Fox was the lead detective in the investigation into the murder of Byrne at the Regency Hotel during the time Patrick Hutch Junior was charged and appeared in court. The case against Patrick Hutch Junior collapsed following the death of Supt Fox.

Garda headquarters tonight said it was aware of the incident, RTE stated.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Minister for Justice said he and the Department were notified by GSOC of an issue with a staff member this afternoon, and that it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.

In a statement provided to Independent.ie, GSOC said it became aware in recent days of a potential conflict of interest involving a staff member.

GSOC immediately commenced an internal investigation into the matter.

The officer concerned has now submitted their resignation and GSOCs investigation is ongoing.

GSOC has no further comment at this time.

The incident was first reported this evening on the Irish Mirrors website.
David Quinn: How many of those who voted to repeal the Eighth Amendment expected 8,500 abortions a year?
The first gathering of the Citizens Assembly on Drugs recently took place in Malahide, Dublin. Over 18 months, 100 citizens will discuss the issue, hear from experts and then produce a report for the Government to consider, with a view to developing appropriate policy and legislation.
Inside the swish medical tourism roadshow  I was offered a tummy tuck and liposuction for 4,000

Pop up clinics from international hospitals are advertising all-inclusive packages for cosmetic surgery abroad, and queues of people are visiting swish hotel events around Ireland to sign up

Ekol Hospitals in Izmir, Turkey, offers packages on cosmetic surgery

Nicola Anderson Sat 22 Apr 2023 at 03:30
A bill that bolsters community-led searches for missing people was signed into law earlier this week.

Brought by Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning, House Bill 18 establishes a missing persons response team training grant program. Administered through the Department of Justice, local groups can seek financial support from the grant account for formal training, resources, conference fees, travel expenses and more.

The law will take effect in July, and it costs the general fund $61,000. Running Wolf brought a similar bill last session, but it died over objections to the cost.

Indigenous people represent 6.7% of Montanas population and yet account for, on average, 26% of the states active missing persons cases.

In committee hearings, several Missing and Murdered Indigenous People advocates supported the legislation. Diana Burd, Blackfeet, told lawmakers of a community-led search for Arden Pepion, a 3-year-old girl who went missing from the Blackfeet Reservation in 2021.

In her testimony, Burd said the search was chaotic. The search, according to her, lacked a leader, coordination and resources. She said searchers didn't have formal training and didn't know how to organize, how to be efficient or what clues to look for.

Because of the lack of collaboration, she testified in January, (Pepion) was not found.

In various hearings, Running Wolf stressed that the bill is not just for Native Americans but can benefit all Montanans.

House Bill 163, also brought by Running Wolf, would extend and expand the states missing Indigenous persons task force. The bill passed the House and Senate and is pending reconciliation.

Rep. Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls, brought a resolution requesting an interim study on missing youth. A Montana Department of Justice report found that in 2021, more than 80% of missing Indigenous people in the state were under the age of 18. Her resolution passed in February.
The name Theodor Heuss is unlikely to be known to many in these parts. However, the German liberal politician was the first post-war president of what was then West Germany and is credited with helping that shattered country re-build morale at home and repairing its utterly shredded reputation abroad.
Dame Esther Rantzen and Sir Michael Parkinson were among those paying tribute to the late comedian.

Australian entertainer Barry Humphries has been remembered as a great creative artist and comic genius following his death at the age of 89.

During a seven-decade career, the stage and screen veteran entertained generations with satirical characters including Dame Edna Everage, Sir Les Patterson and Sandy Stone.

Humphries, who had been readmitted to St Vincents Hospital in Sydney, Australia, after complications following hip surgery, died on Saturday evening local time (11am GMT), according to hospital spokesman David Faktor.

A statement from Humphries family said: He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.

With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be.

His audiences were precious to him, and he never took them for granted.

Although he may be best remembered for his work in theatre, he was a painter, author, poet, and a collector and lover of art in all its forms.

He was also a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend and confidant to many. His passing leaves a void in so many lives.

The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on.

Barry Humphries alter ego Dame Edna Everage (Sean Dempsey/PA)

Humphries became a staple of the British comedy circuit after moving from Australia to London in 1959 and appearing in West End shows such as Maggie May and Oliver!

He was among the leading members of the British comedy scene, alongside Dudley Moore, Alan Bennett and Spike Milligan.

Dame Esther Rantzen told the PA news agency that the world is just that bit sadder following the death of her friend.

Dame Esther Rantzen said she was very sad to hear of Humphries death (Ian West/PA)

Im very sad. I think weve lost a source of so much fun and someone I have worked with since the mid-1960s and liked and admired so much, she said.

My memory of Dame Edna Everage goes back to when she was a mere Mrs, she was even then a superstar.

She was dressed by BBCs rather frumpy stock wardrobe but, of course, she turned into a butterfly and obviously achieved damehood.

She influenced me greatly. When I was lucky enough to be honoured with damehood, I was very frequently introduced as Dame Edna because it became a phrase which came naturally, and I was thrilled.

Barry was cultured and clever and a voracious reader and all the things that Sir Les Patterson not. A great creative artist.

Diana, Princess of Wales enjoying a chat with the flamboyant Dame Edna Everage backstage at the Golden Jubilee concert in aid of the charity Birthright at the London Palladium (PA)

Dame Esther recalled going backstage after one of Dame Ednas shows and talking to her manager about how brilliant it was that she went swooping right up to the ceiling of the theatre.

She told PA: (The manager) said the interesting thing was that Barry couldnt stand heights, so couldnt rehearse that, but Dame Edna had no fear and got straight into the machinery and had to be persuaded to wear a safety harness to keep her safe.

It was the most wonderful transformation, Dame Esther added.

At Elizabeth IIs Golden Jubilee concert in 2002, Dame Edna introduced the Queen, taking her place in the royal box, by bellowing: The Jubilee Girl is here, possums.

The monarch was greeted with rapturous cheers.

Dame Esther was among hundreds who were remembering the late entertainer  including comedians Rob Brydon and Matt Lucas, former prime minister Boris Johnson and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and broadcasters Andrew Neil and Sir Michael Parkinson.

Barry Humphries died on Saturday evening in Sydney, Australia (Yui Mok/PA)

In a statement to the PA news agency, Sir Michael said he had lost a dear friend of many years.

He said: Barry was a cultured, highly intelligent, fascinating man who just happened to create, in Dame Edna Everage, one of the everlasting comedy characters of all time as well as one of my favourite guests on my talk show.

In a time when the word is bandied around far too easily, we have truly lost a genius. I shall miss him and the Dame in equal measure. So will we all.

Meanwhile, journalist Neil remembered the funny, hugely literate, fiercely smart Humphries, tweeting that he had visited him in hospital two weeks ago.

He said: I count myself lucky and privileged I got to see him one more time. A comic genius the likes of which we will never see again.

Mr Albanese described Humphries as the brightest star in a galaxy of personas, referencing both Dame Edna Everage and Sandy Stone.

Meanwhile, former British prime minister Mr Johnson tweeted: RIP Barry Humphries  one of the greatest ever Australians  and a comic genius who used his exuberant alter egos, Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson, to say the otherwise unsayable.
Our fashion editor rounds up the latest style news and fashion trends

'Mariella' dress with open shoulder and soft peplum detail on the waist. Available in sizes 8-16, it is made in Ireland using a purple butterfly print, from heidihiggins.com

Dressing women for special events in their lives comes easy to designer Heidi Higgins. And while the busy mother of three has moved to a different business model in recent years, she is very much about quality fashion pieces that allow you to stay true to your own style.

With that in mind, you can do a phone consultation with Higgins in which she will advise about styles and fit or, if needed, adjust a style  whether you want a longer sleeve or a dress in a different colour or fabric.

This bespoke offer is part of Higginss no-waste sustainability programme. She makes each dress once an order is placed, and this takes two to three weeks or less, which is the case at the moment, so good news for mums with a communion coming up.

The Alicia floral dress in lightweight crepe is a super relaxed but impactful look styled with a headpiece (110) from milliner Deb Fanning.

'Ada' dress with sequin waistband

The Ada dress in orange (375) has a sequin waist and high-low hem, while the Mariella dress (325) has an open shoulder, ruffle detail and peplum (325) and comes in a purple print and in mint green.

Yellow and pink are proving hugely popular colours, and check out the loose-fitting Carmen shift dress with roll collar (285) and the Valeria dress (375) which cinches the waist and flatters the hip.

'Valeria' pink dress, accessorised with a feathered headpiece by Deb Fanning

A selection is available at Arnotts on Henry Street and the full collection is available on Higginss website. heidihiggins.com

Balletic touches

A visit to the National Gallery in Dublin to see the Pastel Revealed exhibition comes highly recommended.

Running until June 5, admission is free and you can view one of my all-time favourites, Edgar Degass Two Ballet Dancers in a Dressing Room.

Fashion designer Niamh ONeill is also a fan of Degass work, and his ballet dancers provided the inspiration for her exciting new SS23 collection.

A lot of his ballet dancers are in white dresses with maybe a blue bow. In one of his paintings, the dancers are wearing pink, and while I dont always do a very literal translation, I felt I wanted to do a literal translation here and do a pink dress, but to update it  a dress you can dance in, and go out, ONeill explains.

'Ballet' dress in pink linen

I started my daughter, Violet, in ballet when she was two because I never got to go myself. Talk about living vicariously through your child, she says.

The dress, named Ballet, is made in soothing pink linen which comes from Baird McNutt in Northern Ireland. It has contrasting red linen shoulder straps, pockets, and an overlay of soft cotton tulle detail at the waistband (295).

Celebrate dress in pink mikado, 345, also available in green, niamhoneill.com

Her Celebrate dress comes in pink, and the fit-and-flare silhouette holds its shape beautifully in mikado fabric.

I love the idea of taking a really classic shape and classic fabric and to use really precise cutting and minimal shape just to make it more modern with clean lines, explains the designer.

Niamh x Holly 'Ruffle' dress

In the past, ONeill collaborated with sustainability advocate and vegan chef Holly White, and this season there is a Niamh X Holly Ruffle dress in floral printed organic cotton (295). niamhoneill.com

Racing style

No one should underestimate the interest in dressing up for the races. More than 6m is spent by women on fashion in advance of the Punchestown Festival each year, according to a research report carried out at NUI Maynooth on the economic impact of the festival.

The five-day event kicks off next week, and the Bollinger Best Dressed  Full Stop competition, open to ladies and gents, takes place over the first four days, with daily winners on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and the finale on Friday.

The Style Council judges are led by Jess Colivet, well-known as a personal shopper at Kildare Village, and the line-up also includes stylist Roxanne Parker of sustainable fashion podcast My Soul Style, along with a number of influencers.

A new face to the judging panel this year is David OConnor, general manager of the Louis Copeland group, aka The Style Doctor on Instagram. A passionate flag-bearer of gentlemens style, he tells me he will be looking for impeccable grooming, excellent tailoring fit and perhaps a different take on the traditional occasion suit.

The Bollinger Style Council judges with TV presenter Marietta Doran

Green continues to be a big trend in menswear, and the SS23 grooms are liking the white tuxedo jacket look worn with black trousers. Separates are coming into their own too, with matching waistcoat and trousers and a jacket in a second colour, OConnor explains.

The Louis Copeland Made to Measure event has been extended and now ends tomorrow week, April 30.

For more information on the racing festival and the valuable style prizes, see punchestown.com.
Portugal is home to more than 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

Brazilian president Luis Inacio Lula da Silva shakes hand with Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa next to Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva, at the Belem presidential palace in Lisbon (Armando Franca/AP/PA)

Portugals president welcomed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit on Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Mr Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon.

Portugal is home to more than 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

During his first joint press conference with Mr Sousa, Mr Lula avoided feeding the controversy regarding his recent comments about Western military aid fuelling Ukraine and Russias conflict.

My country took the decision long ago to condemn Russia for the occupation of the space and violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the first days, and we have voted in the UN in this regard, he said.

The Brazilian leader reiterated his proposal that a group of nations including Brazil mediate a peaceful resolution to the war.

I never equalled both countries, because I know what an invasion is and what territorial integrity is, he said.

And all of us think Russia is wrong and we already condemned it in every UN decision.

The trip is Mr Lulas first to a European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October.

While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration.

The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016 when Michel Temer was Brazils president, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip.

The event will be the setting for the signing of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Mr Lulas itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honour renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraers factory near Lisbon.
British military aircraft have been put on standby to evacuate UK citizens and embassy staff caught up in fighting in Sudan.

British officials refused to say whether the RAF would be involved in US plans for a possible airlift of civilians out of the country.

But Whitehall sources said prudent planning to prepare for any eventuality is under way in the ministry of defence, Sky News reported.

It came as the US State Department said it was in contact with hundreds of Americans in Sudan, warning those trapped in the country that they should not expect a co-ordinated evacuation.

Spokesman Vedant Patel said that given the closure of Khartoums airport and the uncertain security situation in the country, citizens there should make their own arrangements to stay safe.

James Cleverly, the British foreign secretary, cut short a visit to New Zealand to coordinate Britains response to the crisis. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, was due to chair a meeting on Sudan yesterday evening.

Fighting between forces loyal to Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of the army, and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, continued for a seventh day.

The US State Department confirmed an American citizen had died in the violence and the UNs International Organisation for Migration said one of its staff was gunned down when his vehicle was caught in crossfire.

The Sudanese army yesterday claimed to have gained the upper hand in the struggle for Khartoum and that it had begun the cleaning of hotbeds of rebel groups around the capital.

The claims could not immediately be verified, but one Khartoum businessman said intensive fighting around the army headquarters, which the RSF had been trying to storm for days, seemed to have ended.

In the evening the air force launched a big campaign of airstrikes. Then at about 6am people started to see army soldiers trying to sweep the city from south to north to clean up what was left, he said.

The army later said it had agreed to a three-day ceasefire which the RSF announced earlier in the day. It was not immediately clear whether fighting had actually stopped.

At least 413 people have been killed and 3,500 wounded in a week of violence.

Gen Burhan, who has been the defacto ruler of Sudan since a coup in 2021, pledged the military would prevail and secure the vast African nations safe transition to civilian rule. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2023)
Deputy British prime minister Dominic Raab resigned on Friday after an inquiry found he acted in an intimidating and aggressive way with officials in behaviour that could have amounted to bullying.

Adam Tolley KCs investigation published earlier on Friday concluded Mr Raab engaged in an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates while foreign secretary.

Mr Raabs conduct in the department had a significant adverse effect on one colleague and he was also found to have been intimidating to staff by criticising utterly useless work while justice secretary.

Rishi Sunak, who had spent the night agonising over whether to sack his key ally, accepted Mr Raabs resignation with great sadness.

Mr Raab, who also quit as justice secretary, went down swinging, criticising the Kafkaesque saga and accusing committed officials of trying to force him out of the cabinet.

Mr Tolleys five-month investigation into eight formal complaints about Mr Raabs conduct as Brexit secretary and foreign secretary, and in his previous tenure leading the ministry of justice, was handed to Downing Street on Thursday morning.

Downing Street suggested that Mr Sunak accepts his ally broke the ministerial code with what amounted to findings of bullying.

The Tolley report said Mr Raab acted in an intimidating fashion with unreasonably and persistently aggressive conduct in a work meeting while he was foreign secretary.

He also committed an abuse or misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates with a staffing move, which Mr Raab argued was key to Brexit negotiations on Gibraltar with Spain.

But Mr Tolley said he introduced an unwarranted punitive element while his conduct was inevitably experienced as undermining or humiliating by the affected individual.

On a separate occasion while running the Foreign Office, Mr Raab was found to have caused a significant adverse effect on a civil servant after conveying a threat.

He was said to have issued unspecified disciplinary action, suggesting there had been a breach of the civil service code.

In a separate strand of the investigation, Mr Tolley praised the justice department complainants courage for coming forward with allegations that launched the inquiry.

Though he did not make any formal findings about Mr Raabs conduct in relation to these claims, Mr Tolley did say Mr Raab acted in an intimidating manner at meetings with policy officials.

He made unconstructive critical comments about the quality of work, including criticising the absence of the basics.

Mr Raab was found to have criticised the obstructiveness of officials and described some work as utterly useless and woeful.

Though he stopped short of describing the conduct as bullying, Mr Tolleys findings were consistent with what he said what would amount to the offence under the UK governments ministerial code.

Behaviour that could be characterised as offensive, intimidating or insulting, or amount to a misuse of power in a way that undermines or humiliates would fall within the description of bullying, the lawyer wrote.

Mr Tolley said Mr Raabs conduct as Brexit secretary could not be characterised as offensive or malicious, though he said it was experienced as intimidating, in the sense of excessively demanding.

Mr Raab said in his resignation letter to Mr Sunak that he was genuinely sorry for any unintended stress or offence that any officials felt.

But he criticised a number of improprieties during the inquiry, including systematic leaking of skewed and fabricated claims as he called for an independent review.

Mr Raab said the inquiry has set a dangerous precedent by setting a low threshold for bullying, which he said would encourage spurious complaints.

And he claimed that Britain would pay the price if the threshold for bullying in government has been lowered.

Labour leader Keir Starmer accused Mr Sunak of continual weakness by allowing Mr Raab to resign rather than sacking him, before hitting out at the outgoing ministers whining.
A view shows the accident scene following a large blast in a street in the city of Belgorod. Photo: Reuters

A Russian warplane accidentally dropped a bomb on a Russian city near the Ukrainian border late Thursday, injuring three people and creating a massive crater in a street  the latest mishap in Moscows brutal war against its neighbour.

The Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged it was friendly fire, saying overnight that an Su-34 supersonic fighter jet had accidentally discharged a munition.

As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod, there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition, the ministry said, according to the Tass state news agency.

Videos from the scene showed piles of twisted metal and chunks of concrete scattered on the street, several damaged cars and apartment buildings with blown-out windows and destroyed walls.

The blast was apparently so strong that a parked car flipped into the air and landed on the roof of a one-story shop, local media reported. The vehicle was removed yesterday using a construction crane.

The residents of Belgorod were faced with tough ordeals last night, said Belgorods governor, Vyacheslav Gladkov. Together, I think we will go through them. Gladkov announced a state of emergency overnight and said the crater measured 65 feet across.

According to Gladkov, one nearby apartment block was fully evacuated to allow for repairs.

Antiwar Russians quickly took to social media to proclaim the incident a real-life example of a popular Russian meme  bomb Voronezh  a city in southern Russia. The meme speaks to the Kremlins tendency to oppose or try to harm the West with measures that end up hurting its own citizens instead  a Russian version of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

The real-life bombing of Belgorod, in which a powerful munition was accidentally dropped, showed the futility of President Vladimir Putins effort to prevent what he calls the special military operation in Ukraine from affecting Russians at home. According to Western intelligence and Russian military documents, Putin had intended for his invasion to be a blitzkrieg operation leading to the capture of Kyiv. Instead, it has become a grinding war of attrition with no end in sight.

It was not clear what type of weapon exploded in central Belgorod. Some military analysts suggested it could have been a UMPK FAB-500M62 glide bomb whose wings failed to initiate.

The FAB exploded as normal; the fuse was set on delay, so apparently the target was something underground: bunkers, cellars, workshops and the like, a prominent Russian military blogger, who uses the handle Fighterbomber, wrote on the Telegram messaging app. Belgorod got lucky today.

It would all have been fine except for the chosen flight path over the city, which at night glows like a huge lantern and its impossible not to see it, Fighterbomber added. You cant make mistakes like that. This should never ever happen again.

Earlier this month, Ukraine warned that Russia has introduced guided bombs into its arsenal, such as a modified FAB-500 bomb. It has used this type of bomb, for example, to target Ukrainian defences in Avdiivka in the Donetsk region.

The FAB-500 is a 500kg Soviet-made general-purpose bomb, with a highly explosive warhead. Yurii Ihnat, the spokesman for the Ukrainian air force, said recently that the Russian military has been using these bombs from a distance that is unreachable for Ukrainian air defence, according to Ukrainska Pravda, a Ukrainian news site.

Ihnat added that Russia may be increasing production of these bombs, which will be outfitted with wings and GPS navigation.

It is unclear why Russia has only recently adopted this method of turning simple bombs into guided ones.

But it allows Moscow a way to replenish its significantly depleted stockpiles of cruise and ballistic missiles with a relatively cheap and effective weapon while also filling some gaps in air support for its ground troops in Ukraine.

More often, the enemy uses guided air bombs weighing 500kg along the entire front line. There are signs of preparation for the mass use of 1,500 kg KABs, Mykola Oleshchuk, the commander of the Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, wrote in a Telegram post.
The Good Friday Agreement has utterly changed life in Northern Ireland for the better but a lot still needs to be done, according to former US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

In an exclusive interview with Ryan Tubridy on RTE Ones The Late Late Show on Friday night, the former First Lady and US presidential candidate said much has changed since her husband, former US President Bill Clinton, helped broker the peace deal 25 years ago.

I got to see and play a very small role in how it changed from a violent, frightening place that stunted peoples lives and forced a lot of people to leave to be able to pursue their futures, to a place that is so much more open and welcoming. Its exciting, she said.

But Ms Clinton, who is now the Chancellor at Queens University Belfast, said there is still a lot of work that needs to be done.

She said the sectarian murals that remain in parts of Belfast are a series of reminders of how hard it is to get to peace, how brave people have to be to take risks for peace.

The Good Friday Agreementwas the beginning of the hard work, she said.

A lot of the animosity that existed has not disappeared but it has diminished enough so that people are living and working without the kind of fear they used to have.

However, there is a lot of deprivation that cuts across both communities. Its not one community thats free of economic insecurity, both communities are. The education systems are still separate, she said, adding its only when they attend third-level college or university that students from both sides of the political/religious divide actually study together.

So there is still a lot of work to be done.

On a lighter note, she revealed she is a huge fan of the hit comedy series Derry Girls in which their daughter Chelsea made a cameo appearance.

I thought the Derry Girls was so brilliant and I really appreciated the incredible story-telling that was both rooted in teenagers lives, but more than that, rooted in the peace process and what it meant to those teenagers.
Ukrainian servicemen rest in a shelter, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in the frontline town of Bakhmut, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, April 21, 2023. REUTERS/Anna Kudriavtseva

Ukraines military intelligence unit planned secretive attacks on Russian targets in Syria aided by Kurdish militants in the country, according to a leaked document.

Under the plan, Ukrainian officers would have trained members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a former US-supported group, to launch drone attacks on Russian troops and Moscow-backed Wagner Group mercenaries.

The Kurdish militia reportedly agreed to take part in the covert operation in exchange for training, air defence systems and a guarantee that its role would be kept secret.

However, the US intelligence document, outlined in The Washington Post, suggests Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraines president, ordered a halt to the operation in December.

Details of the plan emerged from a trove of US intelligence leaked to a chatroom on the Discord messaging platform by Jack Teixeira, a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

Russia retains a considerable presence in Syria after Vladimir Putin helped prop up the countrys embattled dictator, Bashar al-Assad, in 2015.

Thousands of Russian troops have remained there since the brutal civil war, along with fighter jets and air defence systems.

Moscow often transfers troops and hardware from Syria to Ukraine to counter its heavy losses there.

The leaked intelligence revealed Ukraine had planned to use UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles] and proxies interests.

Targets could have included a key Russian facility at Latakias Bassel al-Assad airport, Russias main military base in Syria. Oil and gas infrastructure and a base used by Wagner were also identified as targets.

The intelligence indicated Turkey was aware of the plan and its officials had sought to avoid potential blowback by suggesting Ukraine launched the attacks from Kurdish-held areas, instead of territory in northern Syria held by rebel groups, some of which are backed by Ankara.

Farhad Shami, an SDF spokesman, said the militia had never taken sides in the Ukraine war. ( Telegraph Media Group Ltd 2023)
Millionaire who dredged waterway ordered to pay 655,000 (735,000) to restore landscape, but experts say it will take decades to re-establish mature trees

A millionaire farmer who destroyed the habitats of otters, kingfishers and trout as he illegally ripped out trees has been jailed for a year.

Using diggers and bulldozers, John Price carried out what a judge said was ecological vandalism on an industrial scale on a mile-long unspoilt and protected stretch of the River Lugg in Herefordshire.

He destroyed the riverbed and banks as he dredged the waterway, leaving hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of damage.

Prices assets are worth up to 25m (28m), the court heard, and he was ordered to pay prosecution costs of 600,000 (672,000) and a further 655,000 (735,000) for work to restore the river at Kingsland.

The 68-year-old, who claimed he was helping prevent flooding to local properties, was also banned from being a company director for three years.

Judge Ian Strongman at Kidderminster Magistrates Court said the jail sentence was intended as a deterrent to others.

Mr Strongman said the farmers actions had turned a stretch of traditional tree-lined river, which has protected status as a site of special scientific interest (SSSI), into a canal devoid of life, adding that it is ecological vandalism on an industrial scale.

Environmentalists hailed the sentencing, and waterways campaigner Feargal Sharkey said it was a fantastic outcome, praising the Environment Agency for pursuing the case.

Price, a potato, beef and cereal farmer, from Day House Farm, Kingsland, had admitted seven out of 10 charges brought by the Environment Agency and Natural England related to unconsented operations and causing damage to a site of special scientific interest.

The agency says the River Lugg has an exceptionally high diversity of wildlife, with 121 river plant species providing habitat for invertebrates, fish and birds.

The work removed the habitats of hundreds of these species including otters, kingfishers and salmon, as well as destroying trees, aquatic plant life and invertebrates, agency chiefs said.

It is predicted it will take decades to re-establish mature trees to provide the stability, cover and shade to restore the diversity of the river, they said.

Fish, plants, native crayfish and birds may take years to make a gradual return to previous populations.

Emma Johnson, area manager for Natural England, said: The River Lugg is one of the most iconic rivers in the UK and to see this wanton destruction take place was devastating.

Conservationist Miles King said: In truth, no amount of money will bring the habitats and species back.
Republican lawmakers in Montanas House of Representatives doubled down Friday on their decision to silence a transgender member of the minority Democratic Party during a floor debate in the chamber.

Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, attempted to join the debate on a bill but was not recognized by the Republican chairman of the body. Democrats responded by standing in protest, and as happened one day earlier, the Republican majority voted almost unanimously to deny Zephyrs request to speak.

Im going to expect the same standard for all the representatives in this House, House Speaker Matt Regier, a Kalispell Republican, said in response to the Democrats objection. Im still going to stand for the dignity and integrity of this House.

On Thursday, Regier had twice refused to recognize Zephyr because of what he said were comments the freshman lawmaker made earlier in the week. Her admonition to fellow lawmakers that they should be ashamed for voting for a bill to restrict gender-affirming care for minors violated the chambers decorum, Regier said.

Zephyr told members of the press that she has no intention for apologizing for her words, which were chosen with clarity and precision at the time. Regier said she would need to apologize to the floor before she will be permitted to join in debate.

Minority Leader Kim Abbott, in an interview Thursday, declined to elaborate on potential procedural strategies to resolve the impasse.

We have to protect the rights of our members, so well do what we need to do to protect the rights of our members, Abbott said, but added more needed to be done to clarify when decorum has been breached.

In an exchange at the end of Fridays floor session, Democratic Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, of Box Elder, asked for that.

In the last two days it kind of befuddles me, about not having a clear definition about what you as the speaker had mentioned  of what your response was of the definition of the integrity and dignity of the House, Windy Boy said.

Regier responded: This House will move forward with dignity and integrity, which means there will be no belittling of peoples votes or belittling of peoples motives. We will keep it to the issues at hand. And if you cannot follow that, you will not be recognized.
The former president wants to deploy the military to fight crime and deport immigrants

Donald Trump has spelled out a rigidly authoritarian vision for a second term should he win the US election.

It includes: mandatory stop-and-frisk laws; deploying military to fight crime, break up gangs and deport immigrants; purging the federal workforce and charging leakers.

The former president has steadily begun outlining his vision for a second-term agenda, focusing on unfinished business from his time in the White House and an expansive vision for how he would wield federal power.

In online videos and stump speeches, Trump is pledging to pick up where his first term left off and push even further.

Where he earlier changed border policies to reduce refugees and people seeking asylum, hes now promising to conduct an unprecedented deportation operation. Where he previously moved to make it easier to fire federal workers, hes now proposing a new civil service exam.

After urging state and local officials to take harsher measures on crime and homelessness, Trump says he is now determined to take more direct federal action.

In 2016, I declared I am your voice, Trump said in a speech last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference and repeated at his first 2024 campaign rally in Waco a few weeks later. Today, I add: I am your warrior. I am your justice. And for those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution.

Trumps emerging platform marks a sharp departure from traditional conservative orthodoxy emphasising small government, which was famously summed up in Ronald Reagans first inaugural address: Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem. Trump, by contrast, is proposing to apply government power, centralised under his authority, toward a vast range of issues.

Experts called some of Trumps ideas impractical, reckless, self-defeating, potentially illegal and even dangerous. Some of Trumps specific proposals are admittedly underdeveloped, such as a plan for building futuristic cities from scratch on unused federal land, which has been compared to projects in regimes such as Saudi Arabia.

But Trump has a track record of floating ideas that stoke widespread outrage or confusion, then roiling government and legal institutions to realise them, such as banning citizens of several majority-Muslim countries from coming to the United States and imposing trade barriers. Trump is currently facing federal and local criminal investigations arising from his unsuccessful efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat, which ultimately inspired a deadly riot by his supporters at the US Capitol.

As with so many things Trump, itll be sticky to sort out where what hes proposing is literally unlawful, which some things would be, and where what hes proposing would fly in the face of well-established and deeply principled norms, said Steve Vladeck, an expert on constitutional and national security law at the University of Texas at Austin.

Trump campaign advisers said the former president will continue rolling out new policy ideas, with the goal of being upfront with voters about his agenda and letting them vote based on policy, similar to how he released a list of his potential Supreme Court nominees during the 2016 campaign. They identified Trumps top priority as public safety and law enforcement, while stressing a commitment to collaborating with state authorities and working within the law.

Together, we are going to finish what we started, Trump said at the Waco rally last month. With you at my side, we will totally obliterate the deep state, we will banish the warmongers from our government, we will drive out the globalists, and we will cast out the communists and Marxists, we will throw off the corrupt political class, we will beat the Democrats, we will rout the fake news media, we will stand up to the RINOs (Republicans in name only), and we will defeat Joe Biden and every single Democrat.

Supporters have cheered Trumps continued turn away from longtime conservative orthodoxy, such as free trade and foreign interventions, and credited him for ushering in larger shift in the party.

In articulating a vision of a more coercive right-wing government, Trump is finding common ground with leading rival for the Republican nomination, Ron DeSantis.

The Florida governor has laid out his own doctrine of asserting more government power, exemplified by his flagship bills restricting classroom instruction of diversity, gender and sexual orientation; his moves to punish Disney for opposing him; and suspension of a Democratic prosecutor.

The shared positioning on executive power by Trump and DeSantis, who lead early primary polls, underscores how much Trump has reshaped the Republican base in the mold of his Make America Great Again movement.

The Reagan limited-government conservatism and emphasis on federalism is being displaced by a new muscular, nationalising cultural conservatism, with a lot of anger, said Larry Diamond, a senior fellow at Stanford Universitys Hoover Institution who studies democracy.

One thing weve learned about Trump and authoritarian populists like him is not to dismiss what theyre saying as just idle language and toothless roar. We need to take it very seriously.

The rise of a more activist view of right-wing governance has sparked a wider debate within the conservative movement. Former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, another potential presidential aspirant, has criticised Trump and DeSantis as not conservative.

The Trump campaigns policy development is being led by Vince Haley, a former White House aide who previously worked for former House speaker Newt Gingrich. As the current Trump campaigns policy head, Haley has been coordinating with Heritage and partner organisations to consider policy ideas and potential personnel picks for an administration-in-waiting. One adviser likened the collaborative spirit to the weekly meetings of conservative minds convened by the anti-tax activist Grover Norquist.

The heritage and partner groups say theyre laying the groundwork for a future Republican president without picking sides and have been in discussions with DeSantiss team as well.
The military said its chief had spoken to leaders of various countries requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan.

The Sudanese army has said it is coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.

Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help.

The prospect has vexed officials as most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, has proven intensely dangerous.

Gen Burhan agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure such evacuations for various countries, Sudans military said.

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudans main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors.

As battles between the Sudanese army led by Burhan and a rival powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens  many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese militarys announcement. We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants, the National Security Council said.

On Friday, the US said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of the estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

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Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Gen Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first travelled by land to Port Sudan, the countrys main seaport on the Red Sea.

He said that Jordans diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudans far east, some 520 miles from Khartoum.

In a security alert, the US Embassy in Sudan said it had incomplete information about significant convoys departing Khartoum travelling towards Port Sudan and that the situation remained dangerous. Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk, it said.

With the US focused on evacuating diplomats first, the Pentagon said it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the effort.

Gen Burhan told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel on Saturday that flights in and out of Khartoum remained risky because of the ongoing clashes.

He claimed that the military had regained control over all the other airports in the country, except for one in the southwestern city of Nyala.

We share the international communitys concern about foreign nationals, he said, promising Sudan would provide necessary airports and safe passageways for foreigners trapped in the fighting, without elaborating.

Even as the warring sides said on Friday they had agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Two ceasefire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, chief of the paramilitary group fighting the army, known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, claimed he would work toward opening humanitarian corridors, to facilitate the movement of citizens and enable all countries to evacuate their nationals to safe places.

We are committed to a complete ceasefire, he told French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.

The clashes have killed more than 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organisation.

The international airport near the centre of the capital has come under heavy shelling as the paramilitary group, RSF, has tried to take control of the compound.

In an apparent effort to oust the RSF fighters, the Sudanese army has pounded the airport with air strikes, ruining at least one runway and leaving wrecked planes scattered on the tarmac. The full extent of damage at the airfield remains unclear.
Image Credit: Twitter/AITC

Kolkata/UNI: Alleging that some forces were trying to dismember the country, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday asserted that she would never allow the country to be divided.

Speaking at the Eid-ul-Fitr prayer gathering on Indira Gandhi Sarani (erstwhile Red Road), Banerjee exhorted the people to stay united as "some forces are trying to dismember the country".

"I am ready to sacrifice my life but I won't let the country be divided at any cost," she said.

The Chief Minister, who is also the supremo of the ruling Trinamool Congress, called upon the people to ensure the defeat of the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha election.

Ruling out the implementation of NRC (National Register for Citizens) in the state, the Chief Minister emphatically said that peace would prevail in West Bengal as people don't want riots.

In an apparent reference to central probe agencies like the CBI and the ED, which are investigation a number of alleged scams in the state, Banerjee averred that she will not kowtow at all and continue her fight not only against the "gaddar party" but also against the "agencies".

Iterating that she would protect democracy at any cost, Banerjee said if democracy is at stake, everything will be at stake.

Giving a clarion call to fight the divisive forces, the Trinamool Congress chairperson once again charged the ruling party at the Centre with attempts at changing the country's Constitution.
Image: Official FB

New Delhi/IBNS: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday vacated his office residence in New Delhi days after his disqualification as a Member of Parliament even as the Congress leader reiterated his resolve to speak out truth for whatever it costs him.

Rahul Gandhi was living in a government bungalow at 12 Tughlaq Lane, but he was asked to vacate the house, which he has been occupying since 2005, after his disqualification from the Lok Sabha following a two-year jail term verdict by a Gujarat court in a defamation case.

"People of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It's the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth...," Rahul Gandhi said, as quoted in the media.

#WATCH | "People of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It's the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth...," says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he finally vacates his official residence after pic.twitter.com/hYsVjmetYw  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

The eviction notice from the Lok Sabha housing panel came two days after his disqualification from the Parliament.

The Congress leader was given time till April 23 to vacate the bungalow.

Rahul Gandhi wipes his hand (on pants) after shaking hands with his house staff. These men/women must have served him over the years. Such disdain pic.twitter.com/tEPPkeCP1Y  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 22, 2023

Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to a 2-year jail sentence in the 2019 defamation case for his remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi involving his surname.

During the 2019 Lok Sabha poll campaign, the Gandhi scion had said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname."

A complaint, which was lodged by BJP leader Purnesh Modi, claimed Rahul had defamed the entire Modi community.
Image: video grab

Kolkata: Violence engulfed West Bengals Kaliaganj on Saturday after a tribal girl was allegedly raped and murdered, media reports said.

The incident happened on Friday and the locals spotted the victims body later.

The girl was a resident of Gangua village of Uttar Dinajpur district. She went missing on Thursday after leaving her home for tuition. Despite an extensive search by her parents and villagers, she couldnt be traced the whole night.

The irate locals clashed with the police and blocked roads. A heavy police force was deployed in the area to control the law-and-order situation in the area.

The locals also allegedly pelted stones at the police and burnt tires.

Amit Malviya, the head of the BJP's IT cell, shared a video showing police officials dragging the body of the victim. Malviya also said that the victim belonged to the Rajbongshi community.

"In this video, the body West Bengal Police is insensitively dragging is that of a minor rape and murder victim from the Rajbongshi community in Uttar Dinajpurs Kaliaganj. Such haste is often seen when the purpose is to eliminate or dilute evidence and cover up the crime," Malviya tweeted.

In this video, the body West Bengal Police is insensitively dragging is that of a minor rape and murder victim from the Rajbongshi community in Uttar Dinajpurs Kaliaganj. Such haste is often seen when the purpose is to eliminate or dilute evidence and cover up the crime pic.twitter.com/zgz2Rxlik1  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 22, 2023

According to North Dinajpur Superintendent of Police Sana Akhtar, the body of the minor girl has been sent for autopsy, India Today reported.

Akhtar also confirmed that two people have been arrested in connection with the alleged rape and murder of the girl. A bottle, which is suspected to contain poison, was discovered near the victim's body, the report added.

The investigation into the alleged crime is underway and a medical board has been formed to determine the cause of the girl's death. According to the police, no signs of injury were found on the victim's body, the report said.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken cognizance of the incident and has requested that the West Bengal Police ensure a proper investigation.

The commission has also requested that if the accusations are found to be correct, an FIR must be filed under the appropriate sections.
New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik sat on a sit-in protest along with his supporters at a police station in New Delhi on Saturday following a tiff with the Delhi Police, media reports said.

This comes a day after Malik received a summons from CBI in connection with a Rs 300 cr bribery case.

Police said they questioned Malik as he was holding a meeting at a park in Delhis RK Puram without taking permission, the report said.

According to the police, a few farmer leaders from Haryana had arrived in the national capital to support Satya Pal Malik, and food was provided to them without obtaining prior permission from the police.

Delhi Police took to Twitter to clarify its action and added that Satya Pal Malik was not detained.

"False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will," (sic), the Delhi Police said.

False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov.



Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram alongwith his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will.#DelhiPoliceUpdates  Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) April 22, 2023

On Friday, Satya Pal Malik had said that he may have been called by the CBI as he exposed the sins of some people by speaking the truth.

Nearly a week ago, Malik made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre in an interview with The Wire, particularly its management of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the final governor before the region was split into Union territories.
Image Credit: video grab

New Delhi/IBNS: Saudi Arabia has safely evacuated 91stranded foreign nationals66 from friendly countries, including India, the Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

It has also evacuated Bangladeshi nationals as well from conflict-ridden Sudan.

The evacuation was done days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's recent discussions with officials from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, during which both nations had reportedly pledged their "practical support on the ground".

Spoke to Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, HH @FaisalbinFarhan just now.



Appreciated his assessment of the Sudan situation. Will remain in close touch.  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 18, 2023

"The number of citizens who were evacuated from friendly countries reached 66, representing the following nationalities - Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada and Burkina Faso," the Saudi foreign minister said in a statement.

A total of 158 people, including Saudi nationals and people from other countries, have been evacuated from Sudan and transferred to Saudi Arabia's Jeddah ports by boat, the Saudi state television said

The army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Sudan are currently engaged in a violent power struggle throughout the country.

The evacuation has taken place as both groups announced that they would observe a three-day ceasefire starting from Friday, to coincide with the festival of Eid al-Fitr.

The current violence in Sudan has been caused by a dispute over an internationally supported proposal to create a new civilian government, which comes four years after the ousting of autocrat Omar al-Bashir and two years following a military coup.

Each side is accusing the other of obstructing the transition.
Image Credit: IBNS File

Bengaluru (Karnataka): Union Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has been summoned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for the third time as part of an investigation into an alleged insurance scam.

Shah clarified that there is no connection between the summons and Malik's allegations against the BJP-led government.

According to Shah, the BJP government has not engaged in any activities that need to be hidden from the public.

If any remarks are made for personal or political gain, they should be treated as such, he added.

"According to my information, he has been called a second or third time. An investigation is underway, some new information or proof must have come to light and he has been called for the third time. There is no truth in this that he has been called for speaking against us," Shah said at Karnataka Roundtable organised by India Today.

On Friday, Satya Pal Malik had said that he may have been called by the CBI as he exposed the sins of some people by speaking the truth.

Nearly a week ago, Malik made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre in an interview with The Wire, particularly its management of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the final governor before the region was split into Union territories.

Referring to Malik's allegations against the BJP-led government, Shah said he should be asked "why these things (have) come to mind after leaving us".

Shah wondered why Maliks soul wasnt awoken when he was in power.

...the credibility of such remarks should be seen by people, journalists...if all this is true, why was he quiet when he was Governor..these are not issues of public discussion, he said.

I want to tell the people of the country that the BJP-led government hasn't indulged in any such thing which needs to be hidden, Shah stated.

If some remarks are made for personal, political self-interest after leaving us, those should be evaluated by the people, media...," he added.

Asked about the partys decision to appoint Satya Pal Malik as Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Shah said Malik had served the BJP for a long time had also worked as a BJP vice-president.

In the Karnataka elections, Amit Shah said that the BJP will get back to power with a full majority and there is no chance of a hung assembly.

"This time BJP will return to form government in Karnataka with full majority. I'm confident that we will win 15-20 seats more than the halfway mark."

Asked about JD(S), he said voting for it "means voting for Congress".

Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13.
File image from Facebook/Fumio Kishida

Tokyo: With the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima just a month away, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is all set to embark on a multi-country trip in a bid to compete against China and Russia for influence in Africa, reported Nikkei Asia.

Fumio Kishida will leave next week on the first multi-country trip to Africa by a Japanese leader since 2014.

According to reports, his four stops  Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique  are all part of the Global South, a loosely defined collection of over 100 developing nations.

The valuable natural resources acquired by many Global South countries, and their general diplomatic aversion to the US, have brought overtures from China and Russia to Japans alarm, Nikkei Asia reported.

As per Nikkei Asia, the Japanese PM has told his aides that Chinese President Xi Jinping and senior Chinese officials have been going all over Africa and Latin America, adding, At this rate, well lose to them."

Earlier In January, a month after Xi Jinping met with his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Saudi Arabia, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang made a visit to Egypt.

In 2022 alone Kenyas trade with China spiked 27 percent, and polling there shows positive views of Beijing soaring to 82 percent from 58 percent in 2021, according to reports.

Nikkei Asia reported quoting Chinas official Xinhua News Agency, In Mozambique, a resource-abundant place, a Chinese-backed liquefied natural gas project began production in November. And Ghanas finance minister paid a visit to China last month to discuss debt restructuring after its default in December.

Support from the Global South will be crucial to the G7s efforts to isolate China and Russia, as per Nikkei Asia report.

In a statement after their meeting this week, G7 foreign ministers stressed reinforcing an international order based on the rule of law, calling out Russias invasion of Ukraine and Chinas negligence of international law in the East and South China seas.

However, what G7 lacks is the economic dominance it once had. Members that accounted for more than 60 percent of the global gross domestic product from the 1970s to the 1990s now have shares of less than 50 percent, Nikkei Asia reported.

Japans new outreach efforts go beyond Africa as Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is planning a trip to Latin America later this month.

Chile and Peru are both members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade agreement to which China has applied. The Japanese FM is expected to argue that new members must adhere to the CPTPPs high degree of trade liberalisation, reports Nikkei Asia.

Tokyo seeks to step up ties with the Global South by providing finance, training, and other assistance to nations dealing with high energy costs, food shortages, and climate change, while also conveying Japans positions on the Ukraine crisis and the geopolitical situation in East Asia, according to reports.

Last month, Japan announced plans to provide development assistance based on the needs of recipients, reports Nikkei Asia.
A dramatic overhaul of Montanas election calendar appears to be dead after a bipartisan panel of lawmakers unanimously voted it down Friday morning.

A sprawling 128-page proposal, House Bill 774 sought to put elections for school levies and trustees, along with those for myriad other local districts, on the same schedule as even-year federal elections.

Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Hopkins, a Missoula Republican, told the Senate State Administration Committee that his goal was to address what is often low turnout in those off-year elections by tying them to the primary and general election calendar for federal offices.

Anytime you can take a 30% turnout election and connect it over to a 70% turnout election  I mean, just basic math  youre doubling the amount of people that are paying attention to that race, youre doubling the amount of people that are turning out to vote in that race, he said during a Wednesday hearing on the bill.

But local election officials from around the state turned out in force on Wednesdays hearing on the bill, criticizing it as a poorly thought-out proposal that would spawn innumerable unintended consequences. Clerk and recorders from nine different counties testified against the proposal during the hearing.

Amy Reeves, the clerk and recorder from Lewis and Clark County, testified that putting all the elections on the same day would result in 92 different ballot types for voters in her county, a product of myriad overlapping districts that different residents fall under. And several opponents cited voter fatigue as electors grapple with ballots that continue on for five or more pages of candidates and issues.

We were in the general election, we counted ballots for 35 hours straight, Reeves said. That was a one-page ballot. I dont even know how long it would take to count if it was more.

Others who spoke against the bill argued it would actually reduce the amount of bandwidth available for local issues and candidates, effectively burying them under the top-of-the-ticket partisan fights for federal and statewide offices. Sanders County resident Mindy Ferrell argued it could further inject national partisan politics into local races, where many officeholders are nonpartisan.

Those nonpartisans speak directly to the issues that are close to home, Ferrell said. State and national elections are politicized and we as citizens are tired of politics.

By the time it landed in the Senate, HB 774 created or impacted more than 100 sections of state law, generating confusion among committee members from both parties about what the bill did and didnt do. Hopkins stated he wanted to narrow the scope of the bill to apply only to schools, but other types of elections and districts were still affected by the bill's provisions.

By the time the committee took action on it Friday morning, the bill had accumulated five proposed amendments, two of which were put forward by Hopkins to revise it further. During the hearing, Democratic Sen. Janet Ellis of Helena asked him to respond to criticism about last-minute changes contained in such a wide-ranging proposal.

To me, thats just a regular legislative session, it might be because Im from the appropriations side of it, he said, noting that the Legislatures main budget bill was still working through a stack of substantial revisions.

But before Fridays vote, committee chairman Sen. Mike Cuffe, a Eureka Republican who also serves on Senates budget committee, said he was also unclear on just what was or wasnt still affected by the bill. And the committees Republican vice chair, Sen. Wendy McKamey of Great Falls, said she couldnt support the bill despite appreciating some of the ideas contained in it.

I have to say that I think this is an extraordinary life, and it may be an impossible lift for our clerks and recorders at this time, McKamey said.

The committee voted unanimously, 10-0, to table the bill.
Global icon Priyanka Chopra, who is all set to be seen in the Russo Brothers upcoming series Citadel, recently said that is not going to be sidelined in the Hollywood industry as she is a good actor.

The actress, who gave some of the best performances in Bollywood before moving abroad, also admitted that she didnt audition for Joe and Anthony Russo's Citadel.

citadel

Priyanka said even if she had auditioned, she would have got the job.

Talking about Indian representation in Hollywood films, Priyanka Chopra was quoted as saying to The Tribune, We produce more than a thousand movies in India every year. Our technicians are world class, our technicians are hired by Hollywood to do a lot of their work, because we are good at our jobs. But yet we are sidelined.

citadel

Revealing that she did not audition for Citadel, Priyanka said, An actor like me, who has enjoyed being a leading lady in Bollywood, I know my job and will not be sidelined when I audition. I will be good because Im a good actor. I will win the job like I did for Quantico because Im good at my job and Im not underconfident. (sic)

web screen grab

According to Nick Jonas' wife Priyanka, there is a need to generate additional opportunities for Indians worldwide, and she is facilitating the same in the Hollywood industry.

She revealed that she is currently working on several shows that not only feature Indian actors but also have Indian women working behind the scenes as writers and directors.





Her ultimate goal is to increase the number of Indian individuals in the Hollywood industry as she firmly believes in the immense talent of the Indian community and their rightful place on the global stage.



(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)
Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri likes to voice his opinion on social media and now he has slammed the emulation of the "unhappy, drug-addled, and despondent lifestyle prevalent in the West" within the advertising realm.

The Kashmiri Files director cited print advertisements as examples and proposed that rather than replicating negative Western attitudes, India's festivals and culture should be celebrated.

web screen garb

Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri took to Twitter to share a few shots of the advertisements in Saturday's newspaper and tweeted, "On Akshay Tritiya & Eid - festivals of celebration and happiness, 8 pages of fashion ad in TOI (worth millions) but full of lifeless, sad & depressed models. As an advertising professional, I believe, mimicking sad, drugged & depressed lifestyle of the West is a dangerous trend. Pl celebrate India, our festivals, our culture and above all life. Pl share your views."

On Akshay Tritiya & Eid - festivals of celebration and happiness, 8 pages of fashion ad in TOI (worth millions) but full of lifeless, sad & depressed models.



As an advertising professional, I believe, mimicking sad, drugged & depressed lifestyle of the West is a dangerous trend. pic.twitter.com/6sOkmA4uGJ  Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) April 22, 2023





Later, the filmmaker clarified his statement, stating, "Disclaimer: the above comment in no way questions Sabyasachi's credibility as a designer or his talent. It only refers to this negative trend in advertising, and I made this statement as a trained advertising professional. Consumer delight is the first lesson in advertising."

Instagram/VivekAgnihotri

Writer Apurva Asrani also responded to the post suggesting that the fashion industry in India takes inspiration from Paris, London, and New York. At present, the West appears to have a pessimistic outlook on life, both economically and politically, which seems to be reflected in the industry's trend.



"Smiles always capture attention but sad faces don't and the focus remains on the brand only," one user wrote, while another tweeted, "The reason why models have a blank face is so that people look at the models attire rather than her face. If the model is seen laughing or smiling, people wont notice the dress she is wearing."



(For more news and updates from the world of celebrities from Bollywood and Hollywood, keep reading Indiatimes Entertainment, and let us know your thoughts on this story in the comments below.)
(Trigger Warning: This article contains references to suicide/death. Reader's discretion is strictly advised.)

A second-year undergraduate student of IIT-Madras allegedly died by suicide, police said on Friday.



The deceased has been identified as Kedar Suresh, 20, who hailed from Madhya Pradesh and was staying in Cauvery Hostel.

BCCL

Suresh's friends saw his room locked from inside for several hours on Friday morning. As their calls went unanswered, the concerned friends informed the hostel warden, who in turn alerted the police.



The door was broken open thereon, and the authorities found Suresh suspending from a ceiling fan.

Cops suspect love affair caused suicide

Kotturpuram police have registered a case, and the required medical procedures were being carried out on Friday evening. The body would be subsequently handed over to the family, police said.



Representational Image

Preliminary probe indicated that the deceased student may have had some issues arising out of him being in love with a woman.



The IIT-Madras, which conveyed its condolence to the bereaved, said: "We are deeply anguished to convey the untimely passing away of an undergraduate student from the Chemical Engineering Department in the afternoon of 21 April 2023 in his hostel room. The Institute has lost one of its own, and the professional community has lost a good student. The reason for the demise is unknown. Police are investigating. The parents have been informed."



The Institute said it is taking all possible measures to identify and help students under stress proactively. "We will continue to keep strengthening these measures."



4th suicide case in 3 months

This suicide is the fourth such incident in just three months' time.

Earlier, Sachin Kumar, a PhD student at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) and a native of West Bengal, had ended his life at his friend's house in Chennai on March 31, 2023.



On March 14, 2023, a third-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, allegedly died by suicide in his hostel room.



In February, a research scholar from Maharashtra died by suicide at IIT-Madras.



IITs to appoint mental health counsellors

Considering the recent suicide cases on campus, the IIT Council conducted a meeting chaired by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday, April 18, 2023.

At the meeting, students' mental health and wellness was discussed at length, with Pradhan highlighting the need to devise a "robust mechanism of zero tolerance for discrimination in institutes".



IIT council meet

In the seven-hour-long session, it was agreed that at least one mental health counsellor should be appointed on every campus.



(With inputs from PTI)

(Trigger warning: If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, you are not alone. If you know anyone battling with depression or other mental health issues, please reach out to someone who can help. AASRA Foundation: 022 2754 6669 Samaritans Mumbai: +91 84229 84528 / +91 84229 84529 / +91 84229 84530 Sanjivini Society for Mental Health: +911124311918)



For more on the news, sports, and current affairs from around the world, please visit Indiatimes News.


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Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, has said President Muhammadu Buhari does not harbour ill will toward anyone.

Making the disclosure on Friday in an interview with Channels Television, he said the President has clearly demonstrated over the years by his actions that he does not hold grudges.

Information Nigeria reports that President Buhari had asked Nigerians to forgive him if he has in any way hurt them in the course of his duties.

The President had asked for forgiveness on Friday during his final Sallah homage by residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) led by the FCT Minister, Mohammed Bello.

He said, Having been a governor, minister, and the president twice, I think God has given me an incredible opportunity to serve as your president. And I thank God for that.

READ ALSO: Fani Kayode Jubilates As Court Dismisses N4.6bn Fraud Charge

So, please, whoever feels I have done wrong to them, we are all humans. There is no doubt I hurt some people and I wish you will pardon me. And those that think that I have hurt them so much, please, pardon me.

Shehu however said there is no specific admission of wrongdoing in Buharis plea for forgiveness, adding that there is no politician or journalist in detention for things they have said against the President.

He said, The president of Nigeria does not harbour ill will toward anyone. This is clearly demonstrated over the years by his actions.

As we speak today, there is no politician in detention for things they have said against President Muhammadu Buhari.

There is no journalist in detention for things they have written against President Buhari. He does not personally hold grudges against individuals.
We have given an order to stop work, not only at this site but also in all of the construction sites in banana Island.

I think that the exercise we are doing today is not really just about this location.

You have all seen the extent of what I will call unapproved extension into the water. You can see that the original line for Banana Island is even not where we are.

Its way in front there and you can see that there are several extensions that have been granted by both the Federal Ministry of Work and Housing. These are the two federal agencies that have been culpable for those extensions.

They have done these extensions even without our knowledge. We have the responsibility for building approvals and the rest of these.

From what I have been told, all of the four buildings at the back have never even applied for approvals.

The legality is real and so that is why we are going round other properties in Banana Island.

READ MORE: Banana Island: I Survived Without Scratch  Bricklayer

Excuses have been given that they dont have access and this is not acceptable. This is total recklessness of all of the developers and we will make a strong point out of this place and all around Banana Island and in other developments that we have.

The officers that will also be similarly found culpable will also be sanctioned, if any.

But what we are doing right now is to set up external seven man committee. We are giving the people two weeks to independently also ascertain what has gone wrong there.

So they should finish their work maybe towards the end of next week or thereafter.

And so, this will also further strengthen our hand to be able to also come up with a robust work plan that we can enforce going forward.

In all of these places, its heart breaking each time we have to go through these and it shows sometimes how irresponsible those developers and some of our citizens that just want to make quick money.

And of course our own officers who are also not alive to their responsibilities.

We have had to change staff here and there so that we can bring forward a robust and very strong monitoring offices.

But we believe that we are still far from, we are still short on it I must say. And we will continue to do what we need to do to ensure that we keep the lives of our residents safe at all times.
It was gathered that Dare had paid a scheduled visit to the stadium on Friday, promising to make his stand known after due assessment.

However, after the tour round the stadium, the minister ordered the closure of the stadium to avert any unforseen circumstances.

Thank God there was no casualty. I also inspected the three other light masts and the effects of age and weather elements were visible, clearly, they are also a suspect after 51 years.

READ MORE: 2022 World Cup Qualifier: President Buhari likely to watch Nigeria vs Ghana second leg live  Sports Minister, Sunday Dare

Based on my assessment, advice of experts and in the interest of public safety, there will be a temporary closure of the stadium and surrounding facilities; proper assessment and necessary action will be taken soon.

The concession process towards fully privatising the Surulere stadium which began last year will be expedited by the Federal Government through the ICRC towards a comprehensive rehabilitation and upgrade of the 51 years old edifice.

We have decided to be on the side of caution, hence the decision to impose extensive restrictions around the stadium.

We request the cooperation of anyone who this decision may inconvenience as we cannot ascertain the reality on the ground, said the minister.
This week, the Columbia Falls City Council once again rejected a large housing proposal east of downtown. Only two out of six councilors  Mike Shepard and Darin Fisher  voted in favor of 7030 Hwy 2 Residences.

It was the latest in a series of housing proposals targeting the small city in northeast Flathead County. The development followed on the heels of a contentious months-long process to evaluate River Highlands subdivision, the brainchild of Kalispell developer James Barnett.

Barnett was responsible for a proposal that split the Whitefish community in 2022, and he also built a residential subdivision in Kalispell.

In August 2022, Barnett set his sights on Columbia Falls, where he originally proposed 455 units on 49 acres located east of the Flathead River and south of U.S. Highway 2. Twice, however, public outcry against the proposal prompted Barnett to withdraw his plans.

In the midst of the River Highlands proceedings, Columbia Falls company Schellinger Construction brought another proposal for 103 residences near Meadow Lake Resort on the west side of town. While hours of public testimony pushed council to initially postpone its decision on Tamarack Meadows subdivision, the proposal eventually went through.

Location Ventures developer Rishi Kapoor wasnt so lucky.

Kapoor, based in Florida, proposed 7030 Hwy 2 Residences  180 residences on 22 acres located near the intersection of U.S. Highway 2 and River Road. The project called for 99 single-family attached homes in 3- and 4-unit buildings, as well as 81 one-to-three-bedroom apartments. The goal, according to the developer, was to maximize the use of space while maintaining 55% of the acreage as open space.

In multiple meetings that went late into the night, droves of public commenters enumerated similar concerns with all three housing developments. Safety, traffic and environmental issues topped their lists.

Shirley Folkwein, president of the Upper Flathead Neighborhood Association, was a vocal opponent to the most recent proposal and others before it.

The major concern that we had, she said, (was that) it doesnt agree with the growth policy because its an environmentally sensitive area.

Wetlands and a wildlife corridor are both at stake in the location of 7030 Hwy 2 Residences.

Folkwein and her supporters also worried the developer would have to drill under the Flathead River to connect to city services. The plans for the development didnt include this detail, but nor did they specify how the development would reach city services from the project location east of the river.

Although proponents of both projects pointed out numerous Montana rivers are subjected to drilling in order to create utility access, including the Clark Fork in Missoula, Folkwein felt the Flathead is in a different category.

We contend this is the Flathead River, she said. It was a major concern that there eventually could be a rupture of the pipeline.

Housing and affordability were also at issue in the 7030 Hwy 2 Residences proposal. The proposed apartments were expected to rent for about $2 per square foot or $1,600 for an 800-square-foot studio, a price that would exceed affordability in Columbia Falls, Folkwein believed.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Columbia Falls during 2021 was $56,860. Median gross rent from 2017 to 2021 was $813.

In overall Flathead County, for comparison, median gross rent for the same time period was $910 and the median household income was $63,582.

Cassidy Kipp, deputy director of Community Action Partnership of Northwest Montana, also illustrated the need to focus on local solutions to housing concerns, particularly in Columbia Falls.

We really need to hone in on specific neighborhoods that were serving, she told the Missoulian.

CAPNM owns two low-income housing properties in Columbia Falls, and Kipp explained the poverty level relative to the presence of deed-restricted housing units in the small city is distinct from the breakdown elsewhere in Flathead County.

In the county seat of Kalispell, for example, the poverty level and the number of deed-restricted housing units are pretty similar, according to Kipp. In Columbia Falls, meanwhile, theres a higher rate of poverty and fewer deed-restricted units.

Therefore, Kipp stressed, solutions need to be tailored to specific areas, and more data needs to be collected to understand the true need in each community.

The developers eyeing Columbia Falls dont appear to be going away anytime soon. Barnett intends to rework his River Highlands proposal and return to the city again, according to Columbia Falls City Planner Eric Mulcahy.

And Kapoor, in a statement, said, While we are disappointed in the City Councils decision to deny the project, we respect their decision. We are committed to this proposal, which is two years of intentional design and valuable stakeholder input in the making. Our next step is to take the time to reassess how and where our efforts can best serve the Columbia Falls community.
Kano State governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, says his administration in eight years has pardoned 4,013 inmates across the Kano correctional facilities.

The governor who was represented by his deputy, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna stated this through his Chief Press Secretary, Hassan Musa Fagge, while pardoning another 43 inmates serving various jail terms in the spirit of Eid-el-Fitr celebration at the Goron Dutse custodial facility.

According to Ganduje, the government has also settled fines and compensations for the inmates to the sum of four million, nine hundred and forty-nine thousand naira.

Ganduje was quoted as saying freedom is everything to human life hence the decision to pardon them in order to regain their freedom.

READ ALSO: Ill Go To Niger Republic If They Disturb Me In Daura  President Buhari

He however called on pardoned inmates to exhibit good character wherever they find themselves in society.

Suleiman Muhammad Inuwa, controller of the correctional service in the State, explained that the gesture offered by the Kano State Government of releasing inmates on payment of fines, compensation and pardon will assist in decongesting the facilities and ensure a peaceful atmosphere in the yard.

He further appealed to other states to emulate the gesture and also urged the beneficiaries to be good ambassadors of the Nigerian Correctional Service by being law-abiding citizens through displaying good behaviour.

Chairman of the council on the prerogative of mercy, Abdullahi Garba Rano, on his part thanked the governor for exercising the power conferred on him by the constitution to release the inmates on the recommendation of the correctional service management and the council.
President Muhammadu Buhari has said he cant wait to retire to his home in Daura, Katsina State, but would leave for neighbouring Niger Republic if hes being disturbed here.

Buhari disclosed this while addressing guests who came to celebrate with him on the occasion of the Sallah Day in at the State House on Friday, April 21.

Buhari, in a statement by his spokesperson, Garba Shehu, stated that he cant wait to retire to Daura, far away from Abuja, in order to get some rest after years of work.

READ ALSO: Presidency Has Placed Cows Above Nigerians Lives  Ortom Replies Buhari

I cant wait to go home to Daura, he said.

If they make any noise to disturb me in Daura, I will leave for the Niger Republic.

I deliberately arranged to be as far away as possible. I got what I wanted and will quietly retire to my hometown, he added.

The President said he remains grateful to Nigerians who voted him in 2015 and 2019 without any monetary incentive, with some trooping to campaign rallies in different states just to catch a glimpse of him.

He told his audience that his journey was not all smooth, and he was incarcerated for three years after the coup that ousted him from power in August 1984.

Buhari noted that he contested elections three times in 2003, 2007 and 2011 without success.

He said the flaunting of ethnic and religious cards in elections was rubbish as the presiding justices at the Supreme Court that squashed his cases in previous elections he contested before 2015, were Northern Muslims from Zaria in Kaduna State, Niger, and Jigawa states.

He highlighted the strengths of democracy as a system of government, particularly in providing opportunity to participate and fostering a sense of belonging among citizens.

God gave me an incredible opportunity to serve the country. We are all humans; if I have hurt some people along the line of my service to the country, I ask that they pardon me. All those that I have hurt, I ask that they pardon me.

I think it is a good coincidence for me to say goodbye to you, and thank you for tolerating me for almost eight years, the President said.
Nigerias indigenous automobile manufacturing company, Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing, IVM, has unveiled its latest innovation, Innoson Liquefied Natural Gas, LNG and Compressed Natural Gas, CNG, vehicles.

The vehicles which comprises of truck, bus, and cars was unveils at its factory in Nnewi, Anambra state.

Speaking during the launch, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN, Otunba Francis Meshioye, stated that the new vehicles represent great advancement in the manufacturing industry and indeed the pride of Nigeria and Africa.

READ MORE: No Date For Subsidy Removal Yet Until Were Sure Move Wont Be Too Hard On Nigerians  FG

Its a great thing to see what we witness in other parts of the world, in our own home. I encourage the Nigerian government and individuals to patronize Innoson Vehicles as thats a sure way of partnering with the greatness we saw here today

On local manufacturing, the Chairman of the South East Directorate MAN, Lady Ada Chukwudozie assured manufacturers of an improved environment for production as plans for better electricity in the southeast are ongoing. She encouraged the IVM brand to keep blazing the trail in car manufacturing.

We are very happy with the factory tour of Innoson Vehicles, He is a trailblazer in car manufacturing in Nigeria, the blacksmith of Africa and our leaders are here to pay homage.

Members of MAN, BOI, NNDDC, and many other leaders across the manufacturing and Oil and Gas sector were present at the launch of the Innoson LNG/CNG Truck, Bus, and Cars.

The founder of Innoson Vehicles, Chief Dr. Innocent Ifediaso Chukwuma referred to CNG vehicles as an idea whose time has come. Adding that the newly launched vehicles were produced to enhance transportation at a reduced cost.

The serial entrepreneur recalled how BOI has been instrumental in the creation of his industries and in boosting his entrepreneurial capacity.

He also urged everyone who wants to join the manufacturing industry to not be deterred from taking that step to produce what can solve problems in society.

When we started, I started with nothing in terms of investors but I went to the Bank of Industry, did a presentation for them and they accepted to help. Most of the equipment I buy for my factory is from them. As you know, the Vehicle manufacturing industry is the industry of all industries. So go ahead and launch that production company. I will buy materials or parts from you once you begin. There is room for more people in the car manufacturing industry.
The President, Nigerian Baptist Convention, Rev. Dr. Israel Akanji has begged the President-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu of All Progressive Party (APC) to ensure an all-inclusive government when he takes over power from President Muhammadu Buhari on May 29.

Rev. Akanji, led this out while addressing newsmen at the National Convention of the Baptist Convention, at Baptist International Convention Centre, Lufuwape town, along Lagos-Ibadan expressway, noted that the incoming administration should take cognizance of geographical, religious, and ethnic balance of the country.

He said, I will request of him to make his government admirable by deploying his wealth of experience to handling the perennial issues of our great country.

When in office fully, the new President must ensure an all-inclusive government, taking cognizance of geographical, religious, and ethnic balance; alleviation of poverty, development of infrastructure, especially roads, power, hospitals and education; provision of employment and assurance of security in our Nigeria.

READ MORE: May 29: Tinubu Appoints Okotete, Onanuga, Marwa, 10 Others Into Inauguration Committee

I believe the President-elect is fully aware of how some of our best brains are dumping their jobs in Nigeria in search of greener pastures in the Western world.

We believe that with some intentionality to curb this trend, the federal government can devise means of ensuring that these our God-given brilliant Nigerians are retained to serve their fatherland, which they love dearly.

He added, Nigerians are good people if the leaders show the right example. The new President must take advantage of the goodwill of Nigerians to ensure that mistakes of various past leaders become raw materials to provide our country the best leadership possible.

Policies to be adopted must be with human face. Leadership must be conscious of the hardships which accompany policies that are hurriedly and unpreparedly made for a big country such as Nigeria.

For instance, in the recent case of the Naira redesign, while the idea might have been good, there were visible signs of unpreparedness for the steps that were taken, which brought a lot of hardship to Nigerians. Such approaches must be carefully avoided in the future and leadership must be constantly responsive to the cries of the masses.
The British government has named Oliver Dowden as the countrys deputy prime minister on Friday.

He replaced Dominic Raab who resigned on Friday following a case of bullying staff during his time in government.

Recall that Raab, who also quit as justice secretary, said in a resignation letter he felt duty bound to accept the outcome of the inquiry but said it dismissed all but two of the claims levelled against me.

READ ALSO: UK Deputy PM, Raab Resigns After Bullying Allegations

Tweeting after the announcement, Dowden said: Deeply honoured to have been asked to serve as deputy prime minister. I look forward to working even more closely with the prime minister as we tackle the issues that matter most to the people of this country.

Sunaks appointment of Dowden as deputy prime minister cements his reputation in government as the prime ministers right-hand man, after a stint in the Cabinet Office where he was responsible for coordinating the governments response to winter strikes.

Dowden was culture, media and sport secretary for 18 months in Boris Johnsons government, during which time he provided emergency funding for the arts during the pandemic and also banned Huawei from UK 5G networks, the Guardian UK reports.

Also, lawmaker Alex Chalk was appointed new justice minister, a position which was previously held by Raab.
Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspects for the gruesome murder of a commercial motorcycle operator in Alkaleri Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, April 21, 2023, said the suspects, Hashimu Adamu, 22, and Anas Muhammed, 23, lured the victim, Muhammad Tukur, to a village where they stabbed him to death and made away with his motorcycle.

According to the PPRO, the decomposed body of the victim was found dumped near a forest at Shinge village four days after he was reported missing by his younger brother.

READ ALSO: Man Allegedly Murders Girlfriend For Attempting To Break-Up With Him

On 5/04/2023 at about 0800hrs, one Ibrahim Umar m of Kangere ward, Bauchi LGA came to A Divisional Headquarters and reported his younger brother, one Muhammad Tukur M of the same address an Okada rider (Dan Achaba), missing, the statement read.

On receiving the report, particulars of the missing person were obtained and disseminated to the various areas within Bauchi and beyond.

Subsequently, on 09/04/2023 at about 1600hrs, information was received from Maina-Maji Divisional Headquarters that a decomposed male corpse was sighted at Shinge village forest, Alkaleri LGA which was later identified to be the missing person.

During the Investigation, it was revealed that one Hashimu Adamu m aged 22yrs of Badaqoshi village Alkaleri LGA, and Anas Muhammed m aged 23yrs of Kangere ward, Bauchi were the last passenger sighted with the Okada rider heading to Badaqoshi village.

Consequently, detectives attached to the Command swiftly swung into action and arrested the aforesaid passengers for interrogation.

During the interrogation, the suspects confessed that on 04/04/2023 at about 0800hrs they criminally conspired amongst themselves to lure Muhammad Tukur okada man now deceased to take them to Badaqoshi village Alkaleri LGA, on reaching Shinge village, they stabbed him on his abdomen with a sharp knife afterwards slaughter him and abandoned the dead body therein and made away with his Bajaj motorcycle.

Coroners Form C has complied and the dead body has been evacuated to ATBUTH Teaching Hospital Bauchi for examination and has been confirmed dead by the Medical Practitioner,

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include; one Boxer Bajaj motorcycle, red in colour.

Investigation is ongoing after which the suspects will be charged to court for prosecution. Our will has been tested severally, but our resolve remains unshakable.

See photos below:
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyole Sowore has knocked President Muhammadu Buhari over his apology to Nigerians as his administration comes to an end.

Recall that Buhari, had on Friday, asked Nigerians for forgiveness, particularly, especially those he might have hurt while discharging his duties.

But, in his reaction to Buharis apologies, Sowore, in a tweet claimed that the president may never be forgiven.

According to Sowore, President Buhari did not only hurt Nigerians, but humiliated the citizens of the country with some unfavourable policies.

READ ALSO: Tinubu, Shettimas Emergence Will Lessen My Pain In Borno  Zulum

He said, You denied Nigerians of a decent life, you denied children, women, men -old and young- an opportunity to live and thrive.

You destroyed businesses, you took innocent lives, you destroyed the educational sector, you deprived the sick and infirm of an opportunity to be nursed to health. You unjustly detained and imprisoned many.

You encouraged violence where you couldnt carry it out yourself. You created division through religious bigotry and ethnicity. Yourself, your family members, cronies and members of your cabal perpetrated untold corruption. You borrowed Nigeria back to the Stone Age!

Your tenure and the souls you ruined, lives you wasted , opportunities you crushed will continue to hunt and haunt your till the end of time! he tweeted.
The chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, on Friday stated that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government cant evacuate Nigerian students from Sudan at the moment.

Information Nigeria learnt that not less than 300 people have lost their lives since fighting erupted last Saturday between forces loyal to Sudans army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Despite the festivities marking the end of Ramadan, the forces of the two rival generals failed to cease fire.

However in a statement released on Friday, the Federal Government amidst calls for evacuation stated that while the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) have put in place arrangements to evacuate Nigerian students and other Nigerian citizens stranded in Sudan, the tensed situation makes it gravely risky and impossible for any flights at this point in time

READ ALSO: Why is the UAE Golden Visa so Popular?

The statement signed by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, quoted Dabiri-Erewa as saying that aircrafts parked at the airport in the country was burnt on Friday morning

According to her, humanitarian groups were seeking ways of getting food, water and medicals across to people.

The statement reads, The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said while the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have put in place arrangements to evacuate Nigerian students and other Nigerian citizens stranded in Sudan, the tensed situation makes it gravely risky and impossible for any flights at this point in time, noting that aircrafts parked at the Airport in the country were burnt yesterday morning.

She, therefore, appealed to the fighting Parties to consider the Juba Peace Agreement enunciated by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as a fundamental mechanism for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the country.
Ismaila Yushau Maihanchi, a National Assembly member-elect in the just concluded general elections, is dead.

According to reports, the member-elect for Jalingo, Yorro, Zing constituency in Taraba State died on Saturday morning in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Spokesperson of the States Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Andetarang Irammae, in a statement disclosed to newsmen on Saturday revealed Maihanci fell sick shortly after the election and has been receiving medical treatment in Abuja.

He described Maihancis death as a rude shock to the Party, adding that the deceased will be missed by the PDP and people of the State.

READ ALSO: No Date For Subsidy Removal Yet Until Were Sure Move Wont Be Too Hard On Nigerians  FG

Acting chairman of the Party, Abubakar Bawa, on his part described the death as a big blow to the PDP family in the state and the country at large.

A family source who spoke with Daily Post on Maihancis demise said the late member-elect took to illness shortly after he was declared winner of the just concluded election.

The source added that the funeral arrangements would be announced later.

Ismaila Yushau Maihanchi who contested the National Assembly election on the platform of the PDP, defeated his opponents from the All Progressives Congress (APC), the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Social Democratic Party, SDP, by a landslide.
Femi Falana, popular human rights lawyer, has explained why there must be severe punishments for the suspended Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Yunusa Ari, along side others found complicit in the State supplementary governorship election.

Recall that Ari had come under fire for unilaterally announcing the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate, Aishatu Dahiru (Binani), as the winner, when collation had not been concluded.

However, the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), acted swiftly by annulling Aris action, suspending him, writing the Presidency to get him sacked.

To its end, the Commission appointed Mele Lamido to conclude the collation.

Lamido consequently announced Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate as winner, the matter has raised debates on how to safe Nigerias democratic process.

Falana speaking about the issues in an interview on Channels Television nonetheless, said the Adamawa REC, APC candidate and security personnel involved in the saga must be prosecuted and punished.

Speaking on calls for probe of Adamawa governorship and supplementary elections he said, It is not a matter of probe; the law is very clear on these matters. One, under Section 120 sub-section 4 of the Electoral Act 2022, anybody involved in any false declaration of elections is liable to be prosecuted and the penalty is three years imprisonment which, for me, isnt stringent enough.

Two, there is also Section 121 of the Electoral Act which prescribes 12 months imprisonment for financial inducement with regard to the election. There are allegations that a sum of N2 billion must have changed hands. So, it is not enough for the candidate of the APC, Aishatu Ahmed Dahiru (Binani) to deny. There must be an investigation.

Would these things have happened in the normal cause of events? Was there inducement? That has to be investigated. The officers, who were at the high table with Mr Hudu Yunusa Ari such as the Commissioner of Police, the Director of State Service and the Commander of the Nigeria Defence and Security Corps, are involved in the criminality that occurred.

So, they all have to be tried under the law. It is not enough for the Inspector General of Police, IGP, to simply deploy the Commissioner of Police involved or for the Director of the DSS to be withdrawn from that state. We must make an example this time because this is not the first time that it has happened.

READ ALSO: No Date For Subsidy Removal Yet Until Were Sure Move Wont Be Too Hard On Nigerians  FG

There had been false declarations of results before now in 1983 that plunged the old Ondo State into a major violence eruption. In 2003, many false results were declared. So, we must find out what happened this time so that this terrible experience will not be repeated in the history of our country.

If the REC can be punished in line with the electoral law, what laws would be meted out to the accomplices?

There is a provision for conspiracy. If you conspire with anybody to make a false declaration of results, you are liable to be prosecuted. The NTA must be brought in. The NTA televised the acceptance speech of the candidate of the APC. The candidate of the APC has to be brought in because she was party to the whole false declaration otherwise her acceptance speech would not have been ready and delivered.

She has denied allegations levelled against her, particularly that from the DSS official captured in a video. The EFCC and the ICPC would have to be brought in to investigate. And I am not accepting the allegations for now. More so, they may be statements he made while being tortured by the crowd. So, we need to investigate and get to the root of the matter.

However, with regard to the acceptance speech delivered by Madam Binani, she is liable to be prosecuted under Section 120 of the Electoral Act.

On claims by Alhaji Lai Mohammed that President Buhari did not intervene in the Adamawa saga because it was the job of the INEC chairman

I dont want to believe that the president has not taken action because he is currently (while the interview was going on) out of the country on a tour of Saudi Arabia but the statement is not correct.

Under the constitution and the Electoral Act, the appointment of a Resident Electoral Commission, REC, is made by the president and the nomination will have to go to the Senate for approval. That was what happened in November, last year with respect to the 19 electoral commissioners appointed last year. Unfortunately, some of us cried out with respect to all those who were appointed at that time.
A controversial and much-debated bill that would have completely revised Tax Increment Financing programs in Montana was tabled in the Montana Legislature's House Taxation Committee on Friday.

Senate Bill 523, introduced by Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, would have removed school levies from the calculation of the tax increment and would have required a local election on TIF projects in certain situations. The bill passed the Montana Senate and Hertz added many amendments to the bill late in the process, but it wasn't enough and the bill failed to get to the full House. The committee tabled it on a 13-8 vote.

As the bill was debated this session, it became clear to many observers that the Tax Increment Financing methods used in Missoula were the main target of the bill. Many proponents and opponents of the bill came from Missoula.

On Friday, Rep. Dave Fern, D-Whitefish, said he didn't want a bill aimed at Missoula to affect communities around the entire state.

"My problem (was) with the way this occurred, because it seemed like we were dealing mainly with one community," he said. "And my perception of this is I felt like I was sitting at a town hall meeting for the city of Missoula, hearing grievances and why some of the grievances were worthy of attention. We also heard comments, electronic correspondence from communities where this policy is working very well. And we've heard more of that than we did from the aggrieved community."

Fern said he thinks it's bad policy to change a statewide statute based on a particular community.

Jesse Ramos, a former Missoula City Council member who is now the community engagement director for the libertarian/conservative group Americans for Prosperity Montana, was a strong supporter of the bill.

"The bill died a terrible death, an untimely death, and I'm writing its obituary," he said on Friday. "The problem is that we have some legislators  and I get it  they think they're there to represent their local governments, not their constituents."

Ramos has long been a critic of TIF and said he anticipated the bill failing.

"Unfortunately, constituents have to work," he said. "When you're taking on these big giants, the League of Montana Cities and Towns, a lot of these folks are paid with taxpayer dollars to fight against the interest of the taxpayers. It's frustrating."

He said he was glad there was a robust discussion on the merits of TIF. He also took issue with some of the words of members of the Missoula Redevelopment Agency's board and staff, who on Thursday had directed some ire at Ramos and the bill's supporters.

"Now they're saying 'blight is a threat to the community' and I hadn't seen a discussion of blight as a part of a TIF project in a long time," he said. "That's definitely a coincidence. And citizens going to Helena to fight for what they think is right is 'criminal'? That's fantastic. But the fight goes on."

The Montana state policy defining TIF states it "allows a local government or redevelopment authority to generate revenues for a group of blighted properties targeted for improvement."

Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Winnifred, said he supported the bill because he believes "bad actors" are abusing the system.

"I think this really needs to pass so that the word is out there and it sends a message to these guys who are abusing it," he said. "Big corporations that don't need these tax dollars for their construction projects. We have a person from Big Sky coming up here wanting his money, that really turned me off because those guys have more damn money than the U.S. government has."

The bill was supported by the School Administrators of Montana, who argue that TIF diverts funds from school districts and instead into construction projects in Urban Renewal Districts.

But Rep. Mark Thane, D-Missoula, took issue with Butcher's comments. Thane is the former superintendent of Missoula County Public Schools.

"We've heard essentially people say that there are abuses, that it's corrupt, that it's corporate welfare," Thane said. "And I just want to go on record as saying that these funds are audited. There's oversight by local government entities. There is no evidence that there's been any kind of fraud or corruption or even abuse."

Thane said the intent of TIF is to take properties that are blighted and get them redeveloped.

"There is no money that's awarded to corporations for their vertical construction," Thane noted. "It's usually the deconstruction of existing buildings on a property. It might be utility work. It might be an amenity, such as parking for the city, but I do take some offense at the allegations that it's in some way corrupt or being abused when there's been no evidence presented."

Thane said that it's only been two years since the law was changed to allow smaller towns and districts to use TIF, so he thinks there needs to be more time allowed for those projects to come to fruition.
Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, has said he is relieved that president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, the vice president-elect, are the ones taking over from President Muhammadu Buhari.

Zulum who said this on Friday when he hosted Shettima at an Eid-el-Fitr lunch at the government house in Maiduguri, described the victory recorded by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the presidential election as the greatest relief to him and his administration.

It is one of my greatest joys that here today, senator Kashim Shettima is sitting in our midst as the vice president-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria waiting to be sworn in. It has been one of my prayers since I was sworn in as governor in 2019, he said.

READ ALSO: Anti-Tinubu Protester, Uja Remanded In Prison For One-Month Mental Evaluation

On a different occasion, President Buhari has lamented that nobody is as supportive as it should be in addressing the problems faced in Borno state.

It is true that this has been one of my nightmares. Insha Allah in the next four years to come I have with me a brother, and indeed a boss that will support me and support the government and people of Borno state. We have incoming President Bola Tinubu who dearly loves Borno state and shares our pains.

Information Nigeria reports that the governor had recently described Buhari as his greatest pillar in nearly four years of his first term.

According to him, the president gave him incredible support through his fight against Boko Haram and numerous humanitarian and developmental interventions in the State.
The 52nd street station is shown in West Philadelphia on March 31, when a young man was shot on the Market-Frankford Line, marking the second SEPTA shooting that week. On Friday night, police said a 16-year-old boy was shot in the face while sitting on the steps of the station. Read more

A 16-year-old boy was shot in the face late Friday night while sitting on the steps of the SEPTA station at 52nd and Market Streets in West Philadelphia, police said, one of at least four shootings on or near the transit system in less than four weeks.

Police took the boy to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia, where he was reported in critical condition Saturday.

The search continued for the gunman, who fled east on Market, police said. No weapons had been recovered.

The 52nd Street Station was the site of another shooting on March 31, when a 19-year-old man was shot in the arm on SEPTAs westbound Market-Frankford Line just before 8 a.m. SEPTA said that shooting was sparked by a fight between several men.

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Two days earlier, a man and a woman were shot inside SEPTAs Snyder Station on the Broad Street Line in South Philadelphia during what police said was also an argument. The suspected gunman was apprehended at 15th and Wolf Streets a short time later, police said.

Earlier this month, Joseph Lighty, 21, was killed April 8 during an argument and fight that started on Broad Street and, police said, continued down to the northbound Broad Street Line subway platform at the SEPTA Walnut-Locust Station. There, Lighty was shot in the left leg and was pronounced dead shortly after at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. The suspected gunman was arrested.

SEPTA spokesman Andrew Busch referred questions about Fridays shooting, which occurred just before 10:30 p.m., to Philadelphia police. The teen became the 16th child shot this month and one of more than 50 children shot this year in the city.

He urged anyone witnessing a shooting on the SEPTA system to call 911, and also noted call boxes are available at all stations and on trains that will connect riders with SEPTA personnel. He said multiple calls to 911 enabled SEPTA and Philadelphia police to quickly respond to the shooting at 52nd Street on March 31 and make an arrest.

Staff writer Michelle Myers contributed to this article.
Safety means never having to say sorry - thats one of the messages from Show Jumping Ireland as another event season is set to begin.

It is a thought-provoking line that thousands of people who will flock to the countrys agricultural shows over the next six months should note.

Greenfield sites will become pop-up towns with the movement of people, animals, machinery exhibits and vehicles.

Jeeps and horse boxes, quad bikes, electric scooters and tractors old and new will move along the crowded pathways.

Agricultural shows and events all bring excitement, colour and joy to the areas, which are a proud part of rural heritage. But with so much activity, there is always the potential for accidents.

Visitors are urged to heed instructions of stewards, drive slowly and carefully, never too close to lorries or trailers, ensure children are always supervised and kept a safe distance from cattle, horses, and machinery.

Great efforts continue to be made by individual shows and their umbrella body, the Irish Shows Association, and by the Show Jumping Association of Ireland and other bodies, to ensure these events are successful, enjoyable and accident-free.

All shows now have safety officers, many of whom have attended training courses to help them carry out their duties.

These include the erection of public signage, carrying out inspections to identify and control potential hazards and ensuring that animals are led by competent handlers.

Last month, in reparation for this years showing season, which begins in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co Clare, on Sunday, the ISA held a safety think tank seminar in Carlow, Mitchelstown, Virginia and Sligo, covering each of its four regions.

Shows not represented at the events ran the risk of having to pay an increased Insurance premium or maybe risk not getting cover at all. The continued need for on-farm risk assessments was repeatedly stressed.

The statistic that 197 people have lost their lives due to a farm accident over the last ten years underlines the need for such vigilance.

Fatalities on farms account for nearly half of all fatal workplace incidents in Ireland. However, farmers only represent 6% of the workforce.

With around 2,800 serious injuries annually on farms, many are life-changing and place the farmers livelihood at risk.

Individual shows have therefore become platforms for various stakeholders to highlight the issues and promote farm safety.

The Department of Agriculture, whose dedicated farm safety budget for this year was increased to 2.5m, is among the those spreading the message.

Teagasc, the Health and Safety Authority, Farm Relief Service, the Irish Farmers Association, and others in the farm lobby, along with the agri-business sector regularly promote health and safety among farmers.

They do so through information stands, seminars, demonstrations, video screening and meeting visitors.

Tractors and quad bikes are also currently the focus of a two-week Health and Safety Authority national inspection campaign which ends tomorrow.

Statistics show there were 34 vehicle-related fatalities on farms in the five years up to 2022  18 of these involved tractors and people over 65.

Four of the deaths were related to quadbikes. Two involved children, and the other two fatalities were people over 60.

The campaign reminded farmers ahead of the busy silage season that serious injuries or further deaths can be prevented if farmers carry out risk assessments.

They were also advised to plan their work in advance, ensure important precautions are taken and remember to keep people and vehicles separate to ensure safety.

Meanwhile, Tullamore is the venue for an Embrace FARM conference today to discuss the impact of its Encircle Programme on the farming community.

The focus will be on assisting the emotional well-being of farm families through their loss and the practical support and information they may require.

Tullamore Show also hosted an interactive Farm Safety Live demonstration last year as a practical example of the importance of farm safety.

Developed by FRS Training, HSA and FBD Insurance, the aim was to get people thinking more about safety on the farm, giving them practical tips and actions to take home.

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said it is critical that safety is at the core of everything people do at farm level.

You are only ever one step away from being in danger. Planning is necessary to ensure you and everyone on the farm stays safe, he said.

Minister of State Martin Heydon said he was delighted Tullamore Show had a dedicated farm safety stand.

We should never miss the opportunity when we have farmers, and their families gathered together to remind them of the risks on farms.

The fact is that Irish farmers are seven times more likely to die in a workplace incident than any of the other two million workers in Ireland.

Were asking everyone to take away one tip, bring it home to your own farm and apply it, he said, an apt show day message in the context of an old rhyming slogan: At work at play, let safety lead the way.
The pandemic may be over but its effects, allied to ever-rising operating costs and staffing shortages, are still being felt, and a remorseless and steady stream of hospitality closures sadly continues; granted, many of those venues had been buckling under the other multiple pressure points before the first lockdown but The Covid was the barnful of straw that crushed the camels vertebrae to fine dust.

So it was with one venerable old stager, the much-adored Crawford Art Gallery Cafe which closed last summer, a storied restaurant containing the original DNA of modern Irish hospitality as it was first opened by Ballymaloes Myrtle Allen, with various sympathetic overseers continuing to propagate her culinary ethos over the course of some 35-plus years.

Its demise triggered a national mourning: though we now live in an ephemeral digital universe where appetites, literal and metaphorical, are dictated by the fleeting whims of social media, anyone truly immersed in Irish food recognised that it remained a vital and relevant Irish restaurant right to the end, chef/restaurateur Sinead Doran, who served under Rory OConnell in Ballymaloe House for years, the one to finally let slip the reins. In other words, enormously big boots to fill.

Step up, veteran Cork restaurateurs Beth Haughton and Harold Lynch, most recently of Dockland, on Lapps Quay.

One requirement of the new operators was that they open for evening service on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, in tandem with the gallerys desire to extend its own relationship with the local citizenry. The old room itself was always a joy, one of the most elegant in Irish dining; high-ceilinged, airy, light-filled, and usually housing a tasteful selection from the gallerys art collection. Accordingly, I am very excited at the prospect of seeing the place after dark on a buzzing Saturday night.

DECORUM

Im in for a shock. It seems the entire Dockland interiors fittings and fixtures have been decanted into the space and, what worked so well elsewhere, struggles here. Dockland occupied a mundane commercial space in a modern office block but was kitted out with irreverent aplomb: enormous jostling paper globes serving as light shades, bringing fun-filled drama and spectacle to the bland space added to other complementary touches that created a most memorable restaurant.

But what was fun and funky there, is frivolous here, a host of those paper globes suspended from the ceiling now gobble up this graceful rooms effortless sense of height and space. Large potted palms on raised platforms create sections, possibly aiming for intimacy but really only further intruding on the room.

On the walls hang large frameless homogenised photographic prints which might well have been bought by the yard from the interiors section of Woodies, their inclusion frankly baffling considering the artistic alternatives available elsewhere in the gallery. Various other ornamental knick-knacks are busy, needless clutter in a space where less is more.

All in all, it is like gussying up Greta Garbo as (meat-dress era) Lady Gaga to enter X-Factor  in other words, there are certain notions that will never work.

Though not full, the room is tipping away nicely, an older crowd, save for one younger birthday party group, all having fun, always a strength of Haughtons front-of-house direction.

Mr Clink-Clink, First Born, and I order swiftly, a keen edge to our hunger but though we had arrived nearly bang on time for an 8pm booking, it is almost 35-40 minutes after that before starters arrive. It is hard to fathom the delay as everyone else seems to have mains, even desserts, but we are offered no explanation.

Neither does a very average and flabby Montepulciano from a dispiriting wine list help to pass the time any faster, and we, great guzzlers all, subsequently consume an entire three courser without quite finishing the bottle  wed normally have demolished a decent wine in that time spent waiting for food.

UNPRETENTIOUS

The menu is concise, good, mostly Irish produce in a brasserie-style, very much as the duos previous restaurant offerings. My croquettes are encased in crisp, deep-fried breadcrumbs, housing molten, rich cheese filling served with pea shoots, precisely the ridiculously flavoursome, sinful excess I need at that very moment. FB has an equally tasty mushroom crostini, supercharged with parmesan and truffle oil, and rocket salad. MCC does least well with sizzling garlic prawns but it is near impossible for frozen, rubbery Asian Tiger prawns to compete with superior North Atlantic cousins from Irish waters.

FB has good steak, medium rare, with pepper sauce, crispy onion rings, and green salad. MCCs grilled breast of chicken is a tad dry, and tomato fondue, pesto, and chorizo labour to rescue a dish completed by creamy mash.

Again, I am the clear winner: excellent confit duck leg, salty, crispy skin sheathing succulent, juicy meat pulsating with gamey flavour, served with wilted spinach, bacon and thyme stuffing, rustic potatoes, and nice red wine plum sauce. It is quite delicious, but also heightens my pining for something better in the glass. We finish with coffees and desserts: a pleasant if overset zabaglione and good almond and clementine cake.

Haughton and Lynch have never aspired to culinary grandstanding, opting instead to encapsulate an overall restaurant experience, feeding diners tasty, unpretentious food in a warm, welcoming, ever-lively atmosphere; they hit those marks tonight.

Problems are easily rectified. Cork is fast becoming a national hotspot of multiple cracking venues in which to relish good wine, fostering a growing and appreciative audience. With plentiful superb national suppliers, it is no trouble at all to create a superior list that still satisfies hide-bound old traditionalists who only ever drink the same thing, yet also carrying infinitely more interesting wines to appeal to a newer audience delighted to lap them up.

Oh yeah, and less Gaga, more Garbo. Theres rarely a substitute for timeless class.

The Verdict
Although they now live in Australia, this Cork couple dreamed of exchanging vows in a winter wedding in Ireland.

Gillian Day and Sean Creedon have been together for almost a decade. We first met in the well-known Cork nightclub Havana Browns during our college years and we have been together ever since, says Gillian, from Ballyphehane.

Gillian Day and Sean Creedon got engaged in Victoria, Australia

She and Sean, from Bishopstown, who have been based in Melbourne for five years, got engaged in Victoria, Australia. Sean did an amazing job with the proposal, says Gillian. Although we had been together a few years at this stage it was a total surprise and really caught me off-guard. We did a hike to the top of Mount Bishop in Wilsons Prom, Victoria, and when we reached the top I turned around and Sean was down on one knee. It was a beautiful time for us, and Wilsons Prom remains one of our favourite destinations in Victoria.

Even so, she and Sean found themselves travelling back to the other side of the globe for their big day as an Irish winter wedding was our main goal, says Gillian.

Gillian Day and Sean Creedon got married in November 2022

Geraldine ONeill, celebrant, led the ceremony, in the atrium of the Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney, County Kerry, in November 2022.

The five-star venue proved to be the perfect reception venue also. Killarney did not disappoint. Although it was winter we had mostly blue skies and the rain held off until later in the evening. We wanted mulled wine, Christmas decorations, fires, and an overall cosy, comfortable atmosphere. We wanted our wedding day to feel like we were home and it most certainly did! says the bride.

Gillian Day and Sean Creedon with s Geraldine and Robert Day and Christine and Neil Creedon

The couples parents Geraldine and Robert Day and Christine and Neil Creedon and Seans grandmother Margaret Creedon played key roles in the occasion. It was so special to Sean to have his grandmother there. Margaret did a beautiful reading for us and her presence on the day meant a lot to Sean and myself, says Gillian.

Ciara Hourihane, Gillians friend, was her bridesmaid; while Seans brother, Conor Creedon, was his best man, with his friend, Jamie Blake, as groomsman.

Gillians niece, Emma Day, was the flowergirl; and her nephew, Robert Day, was the pageboy.

Gillian Day and Sean Creedon had their wedding reception at Muckross Park Hotel in Killarney

Although we had approximately 150 guests, the whole day felt very intimate, says the bride.

Our venue, Muckross Park, was incredible from start to finish, especially with our planning a wedding from overseas. They kept us relaxed and organised and ensured everything ran smoothly on the day. The feedback from each one of our guests about the hospitality from each and every staff member from the hotel was incredible.

Gillian Day and Sean Creedon at Killarney National Park

And they couldn't have wished for a better backdrop, on the grounds of the hotel and Killarney National Park, they add. Micheal OSullivan was our photographer on the day and he was brilliant! His professionalism and promptness made the day flow so easily, says the bride.

Gillian Day and Sean Creedon

Gillian looked stunning in a design by Australian bridal label Karen Willis Holmes, bought in Melbourne. Joanne Henderson and Sandra Flynn did our hair and make-up in the hotel prior to the ceremony. They were both fantastic  professional and great fun, says the bride.

Gillian Day's gorgeous dress is a design by Australian bridal label Karen Willis Holmes, bought in Melbourne. And Joanne Henderson and Sandra Flynn did her hair and make-up. The groom and his attendants sourced their suits at Tom Murphys, Patrick Street, Cork

The couple enjoyed a minimoon in Galway and will honeymoon in Bali.

Gillian is a midwife and Sean is a fund accountant.

The newlyweds plan to move back to Cork city in the future.

Gillian Day and Sean Creedon at Muckross Park Hotel
The pub is a great leveller, and meeting people is a huge part of the draw, publican Denis Cronin muses.

You could be sitting there talking to a plumber or a professor or a scientist. Everyone comes in and has the craic and chat, and thats what makes the pub a little bit special. Maybe thats what drew me back that and the cooking. Denis, together with his New Zealander wife Caroline, are custodians of Cronins, the traditional Victorian pub run by his family in Crosshaven since 1970 when his grandparents, Jo and Denny, acquired the building. Cork City publicans, they bought the former Kenneficks Hotel 53 years ago, transforming the handsome building into a traditional pub in the centre of the harbour village.

Three generations later, their grandson Denis, and Caroline, are the owners, having taken over Cronins in 2019, after Denis parents, Sean and Thecla, retired.

From when I first knew what a pint glass was, I was picking them up for washing and helping out around the place for pocket money, so it was kind of second nature, Denis admits, and while he did try a few different lines of work, he was always drawn back to the pub.

His parents ran Cronins for 39 years before passing him the baton. As owners of a landmark village pub that played a central role in community life for decades, Sean and Thecla belonged to a cohort of rural publicans who witnessed the changing role of the pub in Irish society. Mirroring the economic fortunes of a community transitioning from the lean 1980s to the Celtic Tiger highs and beyond, Cronins hasnt just managed to stay relevant; against all the odds it has come out on top, awarded the Georgina Campbells Ireland Pub of the Year 2022.

Considering the pub was closed for two of the three years theyve owned it, this accolade came as quite the surprise. With only five months of ownership under their belts, covid was the first hurdle, bringing about the unexpected closure of pubs across Ireland in March 2020. Forced to diversify, the couple offered a mix of takeaway food, heat-at-home meals, and locally-produced goods. We were dealing with all that and tipping along nicely, when the flood happened that August, Denis recalls.

Cronin's Pub, Crosshaven, Co. Cork. Photo Joleen Cronin

FAMILIARITY

The flood occurred over two nights in August 2020, causing extensive damage to the Victorian building and its ornate interior. It wasnt tidal, Denis explains. It was the main sewer backing up beneath the building. Faced with the prospect of calling it a day, they took the decision to forge ahead  rescuing, renovating, and restoring the famous pub.

It took 18 months to refurbish, and building during that period was an absolute nightmare, Denis recalls. We were really lucky to have the right insurance in place, although the bills were still coming in. We did find ourselves in a situation where we were knocking on the institutes door again, to get more finance to get us back up and running, which wasnt ideal.

He recalls a panicked phone call from a customer who saw the pub boarded up and worried it was being modernised beyond recognition. Local support has been tremendous. People just love the familiarity. Theres so much history in the building and the biggest challenge we had was to keep the old-world character. The craftsmanship is all there, you can even see it in the walls, which date back to 1892.

He recalls having to empty the building of 50 years of history. You could see all the families histories, from the different wallpapers and memorabilia that my parents and grandparents collected over the years. Both Sean and his mother, Jo, were great collectors of curios and antiques, and the pubs interior is filled with memorabilia.

Reopening almost a year ago, on the May bank holiday weekend of 2022, proved a wonderful feeling, although it presented some unexpected challenges. Because we were closed for so long, it was tricky to get skilled staff. It was amazing hiring 20-year-olds who hadnt even spent time in a pub! They had missed those covid years of going to a pub and didnt know what to expect or what customers were going to need. And then some staff were just used to working without social interaction, where the drinks [order] came in on a printer and were put on a tray. That was a huge challenge to get people up to speed and to balance the level of expectation from the customer side.

Convivial and cosy, the quintessential Irish pub plays many roles: confessional and community centre, haven and hideaway, party place, and quiet corner. If drinking is the central tenet of pub culture, so too is hospitality and companionship. There may be music, or newspapers, or the big game on a screen, but there will always be the coming together of strangers, neighbours, and friends, relaxing outside of the home.

Husband and wife team Denis Cronin and Caroline Burgess of Cronin's Pub and 2PointRoad, Crosshaven, Co. Cork. Photo Joleen Cronin

UNSCHOOLING

Its not just a rapport with the customers thats important; Denis, who trained at Ballymaloe Cookery School in 2008, notes the satisfaction he gets from working with local farmers and producers, serving quality food while building on the relationships his mum founded over 20 years ago when Cronins first began serving food. From the Willems familys Coolea Cheese, who are Dutch, like my mother, to craft butcher Tom Durcan in The English Market and free-range pork from Caherbeg in Rosscarbery, you meet all these interesting people practicing their crafts. Theres a huge sense of job satisfaction from people when theyre happy. You have the craic with them and you have the craic at the bar too.

Unlike his parents, who lived above the pub when they ran it, Denis and Caroline chose to have their own home away from the business, home-schooling their three youngest children.

We unschool them, jokes Denis, which is different to homeschooling, but it works with our schedule. A publicans life might start a little bit later than normal, so this allows us to spend the morning with the kids and get them doing activities or what have you.

Caroline is also busy with their latest project, a New Zealand-style coffee shop, attached to the pub.

The recent prestigious award is as much a recognition of the hard work as it is a celebration of the innovation and the whole team behind the newly refurbished pub.

Cronins is one of a number of great Cork pubs that have been awarded our Pub of The Year title down the years  Mary Anns of Castletownshend, Blairs Inn of Blarney, and MacCarthys of Castletownbere among them.

Georgina Campbell, the publisher of highly regarded Georgina Campbells Ireland guides, explains: Its a gorgeous old pub that weve loved for many years. Denis Dutch mum, Thecla, was a pioneer of great pub food, something that really wasnt that common until relatively recently! Overcoming serial misfortunes to bring it back to life, there have been changes since the flood  the Mad Fish restaurant is gone, for example, and the new food style is evolving  but theyve gone to endless trouble to recreate what matters most, the old bar in particular.

Almost a year on, the customers are coming in and looking for their pints, three or four deep at the bar. Its great to see the buzz back in pubs after a few really tough years for the folks operating them, Denis reflects.

It is a kind of special feeling, and Crosshaven is a special place for a lot of people. And were lucky to be the custodians of somewhere like Cronins. Its like a stage or a community centre, and, along with other businesses, its nearly like the life and soul of the village.

Cronin's Pub, Crosshaven, Co. Cork. Photo Joleen Cronin
Love or hate the prospect of spending a Sunday assembling a flatpack wardrobe, there was no denying excitement at the news Ikea had finally set up its stall in Cork.

A new Ikea Plan and Order Point was officially opened in Douglas Village Shopping Centre on Monday, joining three other such units already set up across the country, with more in the pipeline for later this year.

However, those flocking to the new Cork store may have been disappointed to find a much smaller offering than the Ballymun behemoth (and a distinct lack of canteen serving up Ikeas famed Swedish meatballs).

First opened in 2009, Ikea's flagship store in Ballymun in Dublin remains the only full-sized store in the Republic. It has been a huge hit with Irish customers from the beginning, with Ikea Ireland reporting profits of over 11m in its first year of operation.

A decade later in 2019, Ikea Ireland said the store is one of the most successful Ikea stores in the world, claiming that over three-quarters of the population had visited since it opened.

Ikea have noted that its Dublin store was the highest performing in its entire global network coming out of the pandemic in 2020, and last year was the number one store in the world for sales in cooking and eating accessories, home decoration sales, and pint glasses.

Second store location

With such success in Dublin, Ikea began scouting for locations for a second store in Ireland as early as 2016, meeting at least twice with Cork County Council to discuss areas with potential.

While never publicly confirmed by the Swedish furniture giant, Carrigtwohill was hotly tipped to be the chosen destination for the next store, being just 12km from the city and close to the Midleton commuter line.

But as its ecommerce platform launched in 2017, Ikea shifted its focus to online sales. One million annual visits to Ikea Irelands website jumped to 17m when customers could buy online, and in its first year of operation, the online business represented 16% of total sales.

A Cork store was taken off the agenda by 2018, with Ikea confirming it had no plans to open any additional stores in Ireland, instead directing resources to its Ballymun store, new order-and-collection point in Carrickmines, and online service.

The pandemic further magnified the importance of online sales for Ikea (with ecommerce representing more than half of total turnover in 2021), as rather than a second store, the company announced it will be opening a 450,000sq ft Irish Customer Distribution Centre in west Dublin next year to process online orders.

Competition

Taking a different approach, Ikeas competitors have established a strong physical presence across the country. Rival Scandinavian furniture retailer Jysk is set to open its seventh Irish store in Ballincollig in Cork this summer, with nine new store openings planned across the country this year.

While Ikea said in its latest financial statements that it holds the largest furniture market share in Ireland at just under 12%, it admitted that a lack of physical presence compared to competitors is impacting certain areas of its business, such as kitchens and home furnishing assembly sales.

Enter the Plan and Order Point, Ikeas newest approach to accessing customers around the country, without incurring the multi-million euro cost of building full-size stores.

The Plan and Order Point is Ikeas newest approach to accessing customers around the country, without incurring the multi-million euro cost of building full-size stores.

The model now operating in Douglas in Cork, as well as Naas, St Stephens Green, and Drogheda are smaller units of between 70-100sqm, focused on kitchen and bedroom planning. Ikea Ireland have said that the new model is intended to be both small and low cost to create and run.

Customers can book free appointments to view the selected units on display, meet with a design specialist for advice, and use 3D technology to see how the design will look in their space. The full range of Ikea products can also be ordered in-store, for delivery to home or a chosen location.

Customer feedback

As the Douglas store was immediately booked up for its first week, it is clear there is demand for the service. However, feedback from customers using existing Plan and Order Points shows the demand for a store experience more akin to Ballymun, where they could pick and buy additional items and make returns in the store.

At the opening of the Douglas unit on Monday, Market Manager for Ikea Ireland Martyn Allan hinted that the Plan and Order Point is only the first step for Cork, and that there may be hope yet for a full-size store to be based here.

Speaking last month, Ikea Country Deputy Retail Manager Marsha Smith said that they have not ruled out opening a full Cork store in the near future.

The dream is that we will have more full-sized stores like the one in Ballymun  We take our time to get into anything, she said.
Brett Narloch sees the benefits of the electronic pull tabs in the truck stop he owns near Grassy Butte.

The machines have generated about $250,000, with around $80,000 being put right back into the Grassy Butte community, including more resources for local emergency responders, such as a utility task vehicle, jackets, hats and extraction equipment for firefighters, he said.

If you get in a car accident in the middle of nowhere, those guys are the first people that are going to come and help you, Narloch said.

His Sweet Crude Travel Center is at the intersection of U.S. Highway 85 and State Highway 200 in the Bakken oil field.

Hes frustrated that his establishment has been listed among four convenience stores and gas stations with the glitzy gambling machines  locations that in recent years have drawn scrutiny and prompted disagreement about where the devices should go: Only in bars, or other places, too? And what is a bar?

Narloch said his stores 10 machines are in a walled-off area not open to minors. The machines have been enormously popular, with no complaints, he said.

Ive never seen a customer walk in and leave because their kids might see this  no bad experiences, whatsoever, he said. Staff patrol the area and card people when necessary, he added.

Fundamental issues related to electronic pull tabs remain undecided in the Legislature, with days dwindling for lawmakers to reach agreement on legislation about the machines that have proliferated since first appearing in the state in 2018 after being approved by the 2017 Legislature.

Two lawmakers who have been influential on the legislation this session have ties to a businessman connected with e-tab distributors that are the subject of an attorney general complaint on gambling violations.

North Dakota has 4,500 electronic pull tab machines at 800 sites statewide. The machines generated nearly $1.6 billion in proceeds in fiscal year 2022, paying out about $1.4 billion in prizes and netting about $200 million for charitable uses.

The bill

Senate Bill 2304 is now a vehicle for many of the issues related to the machines, a bill key lawmakers say will find its way to a House-Senate conference committee to resolve differences.

The state House of Representatives on Wednesday in a 53-40 vote passed the bill with amendments resurrecting legislation the Senate had defeated, related to increasing rent for the machines, allowing the machines in establishments with on-sale liquor licenses, and increasing the limit of expenses small charities can deduct from their proceeds.

Those components would mean bar owners would collect more rent money, establishments other than traditional bars could have e-tabs, and a lesser percentage of proceeds would go to charitable purposes.

State Director of Gaming Deb McDaniel has questions about how the bill would affect the attorney generals regulatory abilities and limits on the machines during a proposed study of charitable gambling issues, and how the bill would affect local governments abilities to approve or deny machine sites.

McDaniel said charitable gambling is a privilege the state and its residents have given to certain organizations to conduct, and is not to be treated as a business.

I feel that there is nothing in this bill that will help charitable purposes, she said.

The bill initially sought to define a bar in line with state rules that altered the definition of an alcoholic beverage establishment to clarify that it does not include off-sale liquor stores, gas stations, grocery stores or convenience stores, but allows bars in hotels, bowling alleys and restaurants.

Rep. Ben Koppelman, R-West Fargo, told the House the amended bill is an attempted compromise that we could send back to the Senate and ultimately conference on to see if we can come up with a holistic approach to the concerns around gaming, the needs to rectify some things in the rules of gaming, and also what proper oversight of gaming might be by the attorney general.

The rule change last year by the state Gaming Commission was for the future in case nothing happens during this legislative session, according to McDaniel.

Narloch called 2304 good enough and hopes it passes. He sees it as clarifying that if you have an on-sale liquor license, then you can have gaming, which we have.

Exploding

House debate on the bill drew bipartisan concerns about how it might expand gambling in North Dakota and for reviving legislation the Senate previously rejected. Koppelman said the latter is not a new concept.

Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, said the bill would expand gambling and be a huge cost for the attorney general for enforcement.

This gaming is exploding, bigger than any of us actually can imagine, Nathe said. The bill speeds it up, he said.

Koppelman told the Tribune the bill gets tighter on the machines proliferation, limiting the number of sites per charity and machines per site.

Rep. Alisa Mitskog, D-Wahpeton, said, Im very, very concerned by the explosion and the growth of these e-tab machines. We dont need them in c-stores or liquor stores.

Koppelman said hes investigating those examples of e-tabs in convenience stores and gas stations.

I would like to see pictures of what were talking about here so that I can fully wrap my head around, he said. If something is occurring where theyre flat-out putting them in the convenience store in a portion where kids go get their food and all that, that should not happen.

Koppelman said e-tabs should not be allowed in convenience stores, gas stations, grocery stores since those seem to be the three that everybodys talking about. He said hes somewhere in the middle when it comes to e-tabs in liquor stores.

I do agree that we should put better criteria in where these machines can go, he said.

Study

Senate Majority Leader David Hogue, R-Minot, rejects the e-tab name, a very clever misnomer, he said.

I call them slot machines because they do contain the noises and the lights and the buttons that the modern slot machines contain, Hogue said.

He said the Senate strongly supports House Bill 1497 for a proposed timeout on the machines proliferation during a mandatory 2023-24 interim legislative study of the states charitable gambling issues including electronic pull tabs.

If were going to study this because the reason thats prompting the study is the dramatic expansion, maybe we should stand still for a while, both from a number (of sites) that the charitable organizations can have and the number (of machines) that are in the bars, and lets cap that for now and study the problem, Hogue said.

Koppelman said, I dont know that we need to nail the state of North Dakota closed for business on gaming until we can study it. ... I think we know enough to where we can address some of these things now and if this is studied, address it further.

Machines appearing in convenience stores is another sign that things have probably gotten out of kilter, Hogue said. The machines proliferation has gone beyond what I think anyone anticipated in 2017, he said.

The recent attorney general complaint was a revelation to us and adds to the concerns, Hogue said. The machines also raise concerns about money laundering and addiction, he said.

House Majority Leader Mike Lefor, R-Dickinson, said hed like the Legislature to limit the machines further proliferation, improve the attorney generals enforcement abilities, and provide a definition of where we want these machines to be located and where we do not.

I always think that industry should have a clear path for their businesses, but that the regulator also has some input ... especially when we talk about gaming, said Lefor, who added he also supports the study.

Campaign contributions

Three e-tab distributors with ties to Mandan businessman Dave Wisdom are the subject of a civil regulatory complaint filed last week by North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley.

Wrigley alleges a scheme involving the Wall of Honor nonprofit as an enticement to get bars to use electronic pull tab machines provided exclusively by the three companies, and to influence bars into switching charitable gambling organizations.

Wrigley seeks to revoke the distributor licenses of Western Distributing Company, Plains Gaming Distributing Inc. and Midwest Gaming Distributing Inc., fine them $120,000, and impose another $5,000 fine against Western for allegedly loaning startup money to an American Legion post.

Wisdom in 2020 gave $7,000 and $395 to the reelection campaigns of Reps. Jim Kasper, R-Fargo, and Koppelman, respectively. The two lawmakers worked on a House subcommittee that spearheaded the amendments to Senate Bill 2304.

Kasper declined to comment when asked about the $7,000 donation and his involvement in the legislation.

Thats apples and oranges, and thats sort of a cheap shot question, he told the Tribune.

Wisdom told the Tribune he has made political donations to dozens of legislators over his career, as well as to the state Republican Party, several initiated measure campaigns and Donald Trumps presidential campaign.

Donations are made to candidates, parties and initiatives that are principally aligned with smaller government, less taxes and the support of independent business principles, Wisdom said.

He also said Kaspers voting record aligns with the philosophical principles aligned with my political beliefs.

Koppelman said, I generally do not think of donations as influence. I dont generally turn down donations from individuals or groups that think Im the right legislator for the job, but it also doesnt change my perspective.

He said his work on the bill and ahead are far from a blank check on what that individual would probably want to see, or what the gaming industry as a whole would want to see.

Wrigley told the Tribune, Our campaign reporting laws are in place so that the public can see where our financial support is coming from for our campaigns, and then decide for themselves whether they think our actions or inactions are being influenced by the financial contributions.

I note, that if asked about contributions, I think its incumbent upon us as officeholders to be able to provide an objective basis for why it is we take action or dont take action. I think these are fair inquiries, and thats why we have public reporting, the attorney general said.
A new report has found the Defence Forces has no structures in place to support members who have children with additional needs.

The lengthy document highlights how a serving member of the force had raised several concerns to management over a three-year period about his family circumstances.

One of the key issues he raised included how he had not been able to travel overseas because of his daughters disability, but there was no process in place for members in this position.

He also highlighted a broad range of maladministration, including the loss of documents, and a lack of engagement by management into his concerns.

Finalised last month, the reportis believed to be the first of its kind regarding family circumstances and disabilities within the Defence Forces.

The Military Investigating Officer found in the report that the man was not alone in his complaints and other families were affected by similar issues within the force.

Compassion

The investigator also highlighted a lack of compassion shown to the complainant throughout the process and noted a lack of flexibility for members who have caring responsibilities to apply for career courses and decline overseas duties.

The complainant, who was described as highly valued with an exemplary record, reported feeling penalised because of his daughters disability and said the process had a negative effect on his wife.

The concerns were submitted through a Redress of Wrongs application under the military complaints process.

The investigator also found there is no mechanism where families with additional or special circumstances can be supported or considered for a new role.

A number of recommendations have since been made by the investigator including seeking legal advice on the current selection process for course applications.

The report comes in the wake of a scathing report from the Independent Review Group into the Defence Forces.

It found the Defence Forces to be a workplace where self-worth and value are negated and disrespect is a dominant feature in an organisation resistant to change.

Tanaiste and Minister for Defence Micheal Martin said the IRGs report makes for stark reading and pulls no punches.

The Cabinet has since agreed to set up a state inquiry.

Fianna Fail TD Paul McAuliffe has called on the government to include the families of children with disabilities in the inquiry's terms of reference.

In a statement, the Defence Forces told the Irish Examiner Oglaigh na hEireann fully accepts the findings of the Independent Review Group into the Defence Forces (IRG-DF) report and will now work with An Tanaiste and Minister for Defence, Mr Micheal Martin TD and the Department of Defence to fulfil all of the approved recommendations.

As per the recommendations of the IRG report, paragraph 4.2 addresses recommendations for reform of the complaints process for serving members of the Defence Forces. We will soon be appointing our first-ever civilian Head of Strategic HR and a Head of Transformation who will be charged with the process of significantly redesigning our grievance procedures and HR policies.

Oglaigh na hEireann recognises the value of each individual to the organisation and provides Personnel Support Services (PSS) for our personnel and their families. The PSS provide welfare, information, psycho-social support and referral service, that is professional, responsive and confidential, to serving members of Oglaigh na hEireann and their families, to sustain and enhance the individual well-being of personnel, and to promote a safe and positive work culture.
Former US president Donald Trump is to visit Ireland next month.

It will come just weeks after his successor Joe Biden took part in a four-day visit to the island of Ireland.

There is speculation the two men who went head to head in the 2020 US presidential election could again be candidates in 2024.

US President Joe Biden arrives at Ireland West Airport Knock, in County Mayo, on the last day of his visit to the island of Ireland.

Bill Clinton, another former US president, is also a recent visitor to Northern Ireland, where he took part in a major conference to mark the 25 anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Trump has owned the Trump International Hotel & Golf Links on the outskirts of Doonbeg in Co Clare since 2014.

It has been indicated the resort expects the 76-year-old to land at Shannon Airport on May 3 for a stay.

The last time the former president visited Ireland in 2019 he was still in office.

Protestors stand at the peace camp on the road to Shannon Airport during Mr Trumps last visit (PA)

There were some protests during that visit, but Mr Trump and his sons Eric and Donald junior also received a warm welcome in Doonbeg.

Mr Trump is currently facing court action in the United States.

He has pleaded not guilty to charges of falsifying business records to hide damaging information ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
Staffing levels in Ireland's Defence Forces are 4,000 below what experts say is the absolute minimum number of personnel needed for the country's military to operate effectively.

The Defence Forces has been battling a recruitment and rentention crisis to the last number of years and figures obtained by the Irish Examiner show there are now just 7,600 trained personnel. However, the actual effective strength is likely to be less as the official figure of 7,600 includes those on long-term sick leave, maternity leave, career breaks, or on permanent leave as they await their official discharge.

The Commission on Defence report, compiled by a group of Irish and foreign experts, states that the country's Defence Forces need a minimum of 11,500 personnel.

The Government says it is committed to achieving this figure, but there are fears that the numbers could fall below 7,602.

Prior to the commissions report, successive governments agreed the minimum strength across the entire Defence Forces should not drop below 9,500. Personnel numbers have continued to dip under this for several years, with each year worse than the last.

That minimum of 9,500 Defence Forces personnel comprises the following minimums for each of the services:

The Army was supposed to have 7,520 personnel  it now has 6,220;

The Naval Service should have 1,094 personnel but has just 744;

The Air Corps should have 886 but has 638 personnel.

There are fewer than 60 recruits currently under training at the new Joint Instructor Training Centre in Gormanston, Co Meath.

In order to keep pace with retirements and those quitting, the Defence Forces need to recruit up to 800 personnel per year just to keep pace.

The recruits in Gormanstown are spread across the army, navy, and air corps. The navy, which is being hit hardest by the recruitment crisis, has just 14 recruits currently in training.

Gerard Guinan, general secretary of PDForra  which represents enlisted personnel  said his association had predicted this staffing crisis back in 2017. Mr Guinan said:

While some inroads on pay for new entrants has been made, the failure to appropriately address issues associated with allowances and the equitable application of the Working Time Directive was always going to lead to this situation.

He said failure to address such issues is a major factor in discontent and the exodus of personnel.

Sadly, the inability to put ships to sea, the increased departures arising from increased mandatory selection (for missions) and the farming out of work to civilian contractors, who are paid multiples of what our members get, is the natural and predictable consequences of this inaction and delay, Mr Guinan said.

He said PDForra's prediction of an impending personnel crisis had been viewed in some quarters as "alarmist" and it's time "people on the other side" (the Department of Defence) start engaging in fixing the problem.
Graham Norton has given a firm eh, no to presenting The Late Late Show, making it clear that the celebrated TV personality and author would find presenting RTEs flagship show so hard.

When asked by radio host Brendan OConnor if he would be tempted to return to Ireland to host the Late Late after current host Ryan Tubridy steps down, Norton responded: Eh, no.

That job is so hard. That job is such a hard gig, he said.

I just chip away at a very silly bit of show business and I just talk to actors, musicians. The Late Late Show, you have to cover so much stuff. You have to be across so many things and the changes of tone and also that show is so long. Being on it is hard work.

Norton was also asked about married life, almost a year on from when he married Scottish film-maker Jono McLeod at an exclusive event at Bantry House in West Cork.

Married life is good so far, he laughed. We're only a year in.

The West Cork native was also asked about including an unhappily married gay couple in his new book.

I liked the idea in Ireland that there were so many gay couples, there was almost like a shotgun wedding thing going on  where people were thinking oh God, now you voted for it, I suppose we'll have to do it.

"All your friends have been campaigning going from house to house. Thanks for that. Now I have to get married.

So I quite liked that idea and I liked writing them. They made me laugh, that couple.

Graham Norton at Bantry House, the venue for his wedding last year. He will return there for a West Cork Literary Festival event in July when he will be in conversation with Cobh-born comedian Maeve Higgins. File picture: Darragh Kane

Norton was also asked about how he began to return more and more to Ireland in recent years.

The reason I started coming back more is because my father got ill. My father had Parkinson's and so because of that I was coming back more often.

When I left, I was in my 20s and you sort of think your parents are gonna live forever and, you know, 'I'll go and nothing will change'.

That was a big wake-up call and then my father died and, when he died, that was such a kind of traumatic time.

But the people in Bandon were so good and they made me kind of fall in love with Ireland in a way again.

It just sort of reminded me that lots of that small-town stuff that I'd been running away from has benefits as well.

It can be really claustrophobic and limiting but also really supportive and lovely, and that was kind of when I fell in love with Ireland again.

In May, Norton will host the Eurovision Song Contest when it takes place in Liverpool.

He will be taking a leaf out of the late Terry Wogan's book, as he plans to do his running commentary throughout the contest.

"I thought 'I don't want to give up the commentary gig entirely because you know, the chance of someone else being better than me is quite high, and then I'll have lost my gig'," he joked.

"I'm doing most of the commentary and then I think during the voting sequence Mel Giedroyc is going to take over."
A young woman was terrified after a work colleague offered her a spin home but then drove at high speed in the wrong direction and refused to let her out of the car until she began to have a panic attack in front of him.

Now at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, 29-year-old Patrick ODriscoll has been sentenced to 18 months in prison.

Judge Helen Boyle imposed a sentence of two and a half years with the last year suspended on charges that included falsely imprisoning the young woman in his car on a journey across Cork City.

Judge Boyle said: I have no doubt this was a terrifying experience for her  and one which has had an ongoing psychological impact on her.

Detective Garda Eoghain OCallaghan first arrested Patrick ODriscoll, 29, of no fixed address.

The charge related to November 11, 2021, in a car travelling between Rochestown Road and the North Ring Road where the false imprisonment occurred.

Defence barrister Paula McCarthy said the accused had certain mental health issues and that his criminal offending did not start until very recently, before which he had been a very productive and hard-working member of society.

She said he became unemployed during covid, reacted extremely badly to the isolation of the pandemic and resorted to drinking very heavily.

Detective Garda Mark Durcan outlined the details of this offence. He said the young woman and the defendant were briefly acquainted and he offered to drive her from one part of Cork City to the bus station. However, that was not what happened, the detective said.

He drove in the opposite direction He refused to let her out. He eventually left her out on the northside of the city after she had a panic attack, Det Garda Durcan said.

Trespassing offences

He was also sentenced in respect of a trespassing offence where he let himself into someone elses house without permission and lay down on a bed.

Detective Garda Durcan said this offence occurred on September 9, 2022.

The detective said one of the homeowners had been socialising in the pub where the defendant had been earlier. She denied the defendants assertion that she had given him permission to go back to her house.

Det Garda Durcan said the woman told gardai that when she returned home the defendant was there before her in a bed.

Patrick ODriscoll was charged with trespassing on that occasion.

Finally, in another incident, he admitted trespassing at a room in the Maldron hotel in Cork on June 23, 2022.

On that occasion, the defendant and a woman went into a room without permission. When the person staying in the room spoke to them, they turned around and said they had come into the wrong room. It later transpired some property was taken from the room.
JANE Harte had a traumatic start in life.

Hours after her birth, breathing rapidly, turning purple, and close to death in severe septic shock, she was rushed from a private Cork hospital to the neonatal intensive care unit in the nearby Erinville hospital.

She suffered a Group B streptococcus infection, sepsis, meningitis, and brain damage. Now 27, Ms Harte is profoundly disabled and non-verbal and has spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy.

Olivia Harte wrongly felt guilty about her daughters misfortune. But after hearing a radio interview, she launched an investigation into her daughters care.

Through Freedom of Information requests and her legal team, barristers Doireann OMahony, BL, and John OMahony, SC, and David OMalley, of Callan Tansey solicitors, and the medics, they assembled troubling  but contested  discoveries.

It was alleged that Ms Harte was born healthy, but contracted an infection and that her condition deteriorated catastrophically over the first 17 hours of her life at the now-closed City General Hospital on October 8, 1995.

It was alleged that a delay in treating a Group B streptococcus infection with antibiotics led to sepsis, meningitis, and brain damage.

The case was against retired consultant and gynaecologist Pallany Pillay, 88, who was the proprietor of City General Hospital, which shut in 2000.

Mr Pillay was also a consultant at the hospital and Janes mother, Olivia, was his private patient.

Settlement

Counsel for Mr Pillay, Adrienne Egan, SC, told the court that it was accepted that the baby developed meningitis, but what was at issue was when the relevant symptoms arose.

Ms Egan said that records from the hospital had been destroyed in 2015 and these proceedings had been initiated three years ago. Liability was contested.

But, on Wednesday, the Hartes High Court action was settled for 12m.

Although no liability was admitted, the financial settlement will change Janes life and allow her to move into her family home.

Its taken three years of my peace of mind, reliving my life, Tony Swanns life [Janes late father], poor Janes life, wondering what she could have been. All she [allegedly] needed was an antibiotic, Ms Harte said.

Ill be coming to terms with that for the rest of my life. But at least we got 12m for her, which will improve her life beyond what we could ever do for her financially.

Im so glad its over and well be able to have her home.

Shell be able to have a quality of life with her family.

Jane has been living at the Cope Foundation in Montenotte, Cork. Her needs have been too complex for her family to care for her.

The longest time she could spend at her family home was four hours because she would get uncomfortable in her wheelchair and, without a hoist, could not be taken out.

Ms Harte said that staff at Cope Foundation went above and beyond to help Jane and the Harte family.

Kay Allen and Amy ODonovan at Cope have worked with Jane in Cope for more than 17 years. Theyre my backbone.

They empowered me and supported me all the way.

'Unbelievably distressing'

Not being able to care for Jane has caused Ms Harte and her family a crushing burden of guilt. We all love her and felt powerless and guilty over her condition and her situation and living in Cope.

But now she can come home. I wont have to call Cope when she starts biting herself or hitting herself when shes uncomfortable [in her wheelchair]. Its very distressing for her and its unbelievably distressing, as a mother, to be powerless, to not be able to help her, do whats needed for her.

Olivia with her daughter, Jane Harte. Picture: Collins Courts

Although the Cope Foundation has been outstanding, Jane deserves a family life, Ms Harte said.

The money will allow her to move into her family home, with the carers, therapists, and equipment to thrive and reach her potential.

A small swimming pool will be installed.

Jane has always responded hugely positively in the water, but getting pool time has been a challenge.

Her condition causes her muscles to tighten and spasm, which is discomforting and painful. But water seems to dissolve that pain, Ms Harte said.

Her greatest joy is being in the pool, free from her body and free from her chair.

Shes never cried or gets worked up in the pool, shes just happy. Its a joy to experience, even to watch her, to be in the pool with her, its her happiest time.

The only time shes not tense is in the pool. She can stretch, shes comfortable, she splashes, and all she needs is armbands and someone supporting her head.

Im hoping she will have her own pool and never be restricted again. Not a fancy pool, but just a small pool for two people, so she can do her physio, or like a big hot-tub.

Once I have an extra pair of hands, which she can afford, she can be in the pool as much as possible.

Ms Harte has watched her daughters condition disimprove, helpless to alter that course.

She cant use her left arm, she used to be able to use both arms, she falls. She could get around for a number of years on her knees, she never stood, but she could crawl and climb, with her two hands shuffling her along, Ms Harte said.

She had great independence that way, she could climb up onto her water bed, onto her couch. She doesnt like her wheelchair, she doesnt like to be in it for long.

But the money will be able to provide more physiotherapy, more swimming; basic things she needs.

The future is bright for her, her disability considered.

It doesnt bring back your perfect, normal child, but we have to be grateful.

A private physiotherapist is the first person Ms Harte will call to begin a new, intensive care plan for Jane.

With physiotherapy and assistive technology, there is so much out there available for Jane.

The physio said that youth is on her side. He said she can regain muscle tone. She might never crawl again, but she might get the use of her left arm and give her more mobility. Shell be far more comfortable.

Radio inspiration

Ms Harte said that hearing about Connor Corroon, who had suffered catastrophic injuries at birth at the same hospital, was the catalyst for investigating Janes case.

By the grace of God, I heard that womans story on the radio in 2019 and I got a gut feeling to pursue it, Ms Harte said.

Connors mother, Judith Mary, of Copestown, Mallow, Co Cork, sued City General Hospital Cork and Dr Pallany Pillay, arising out of the circumstances of Connors birth on February 6, 1995. Liability was conceded.

Unable to speak for most of his life, Connor, bright but non-verbal following a catastrophic birth injury, defied his prognosis and gave evidence aloud in court in a historic legal case.

Using eye-gaze technology to speak through a computer, he spelled out the words with his eyes, to say: I feel free and today my life begins, following the cases resolution for 21.5m after a 17-year legal battle.

That technology, along with life-altering therapies, was possible because of interim payments made to Connor following his case against the hospital.

Mr Corroon went on to study at third level and represent Ireland in sport.

I heard his mother on the radio and that triggered a train of events for me. She was talking about her son needing physio.

I hope that someone reading about Janes story could trigger them to think about their own case.

If you have any doubt, look into it, apply for Freedom of Information. Thats how it began for me.

Its huge. Were very grateful today. Its surreal.
Come with me now, this is special. Weve been invited to stand in the very spot where Corkwoman Elizabeth St Leger Aldworth discovered the secret rites of a Freemason initiation ceremony some 300 years ago  and was almost put to death because of it.

If you are interested in this article then no doubt you will enjoy exploring the various history collections and content in our history hub. Check it out HERE and happy reading

Her great, great, great, great, great granddaughter, artist Mary St Leger, is here, standing in the library of Doneraile Court, Cork, recalling the night a young Elizabeth spied on the adjoining lodge room in November 1712.

The account of her discovery, her threatened death for eavesdropping, and later her surprise invitation to join the Freemasons is a startling fact of history. And the story of the first Lady Freemason has passed through generation after generation carrying the verbal DNA of the family, says Mary St Leger.

There are written accounts, too. The latest, Doneraile Court. The Story of the Lady Freemason, a work of historical fiction by US journalist and author Kathleen Aldworth Foster  note the shared name  is the reason we are here.

She is also present in this striking Georgian house in north Cork, and she is taking us back to that moonlit night in November when Elizabeth hears male voices coming through the wall into the library. Some say she hid in a grandfather clock; others that she hid behind a curtain and, others still, that she took a brick out of the wall, still loose during renovations, to see what was going on next door.

Kathleen Aldworth Foster believes the latter  and has proof to back it up. A floorplan dating to 1700 notes that the wall between the library and the lodge was under repair on the night 17-year-old Elizabeth made her life-changing discovery.

She goes on to explain that her heroine prised a loose brick out of the wall and saw her father Arthur, first Viscount Doneraile and a Master Mason, performing arcane rituals in the adjoining lodge room.

At first, she is spellbound; then terrified that she would be discovered.

David J. Butler, Provincial Grand Librarian and Freemason archivist, author Kathleen Aldworth Foster with a portrait of her distant relative and subject of her new book, the First Lady Freemason Elizabeth Aldworth, in the background.

The author conjures up the fraught atmosphere as she reads a section of her book, describing the spyhole and what Elizabeth saw as she looked through it.

Excitement ran through her as the scene inside the lodge room revealed itself to her for the first time. The room was dimly lit by three candles, all placed on a small oval table in the middle of the room. A single log burned in a fireplace at the far end, and the men all sat motionless in armchairs along the four walls. She could see a black and white checkered floor below them.

Death threat

The tension rises as she crouches on tired muscles and strains to see a secret ceremony, open only to men. In real life, the Freemasons have said in interviews that they are not a secret organisation, just an organisation with secrets.

If that has piqued your curiosity, Kathleens description of its rites and rituals  and, yes, the famous handshake  will thrill.

Meantime, Elizabeth St Leger is so appalled by the initiation of a member at the point of a dagger that she trips, making a racket as she tries to flee the library. At the door, she comes face to face with the butler  and tyler, or guardian of the lodge  whose sword is drawn in his hand.

She lets out a bloodcurdling scream.

The dramatic scene, however, is not just brought to life in Kathleens imagination. In an 1811 account, published by S Kennedy of Patrick Street, Cork, it is clear that Elizabeth St Leger faced death for her transgression.

He [the butler] was soon joined by the members of the Lodge present, and luckily, for it is asserted, that, but for the prompt appearance of her brother, Lord Doneraile, and other steady members her life would have fallen a sacrifice to what was then esteemed her crime.

Theres more to the story of how the lodge debated the incursion before reaching the highly unorthodox decision of admitting its first female member.

The beauty of being at a book launch held in the place of the real action is that we dont have to imagine the scene so evocatively described in the novel, but simply walk into the room next door.

The wooden ceiling of the lodge, which is open to the public thanks to the Office of Public Works, is engraved with a design showing the cardinal points of a compass. It echoes the Freemason symbol of a square and compass.

Kathleen Aldworth Foster again reads from her book, giving us an informed taste of what really happened here.

For those bursting with curiosity, she also describes a Freemason handshake; or the grip of the Entered Apprentice, as she puts it in her book: Elizabeth extended her right hand to her father. When his hand took hers, he placed his thumb on the knuckle of her forefinger and applied enough pressure where she felt it.

Truth or fiction?

You can find out if you really want to. Freemasons have also said that kind of information is out there if you care to look, although they are not at liberty to divulge it.

Restored letter

Back in Doneraile Court, though, another surprise awaits. A real letter written in 1715 by a very real Elizabeth Aldworth has been restored and is read out for the first time  by David J Butler, Provincial Grand Master and Freemason archivist.

In it, Elizabeth is writing to her cousin to ask him to vouch for the bearer 

the daughter of a servant of hers  who is going to Midleton to collect an annuity. By then, she has married Freemason and MP Richard Aldworth to become the Honourable Elizabeth Aldworth.

The couple lived their long lives together at Newmarket Court. She remained active in the fraternity all of her life and was said to have been seen in a carriage wearing the full regalia. She certainly took the organisations guiding principle  goodwill to all and a desire to help those less fortunate  to heart though, gaining a reputation as a philanthropist.

There wasnt a day when she did not dispense some act of benevolence or charity, the Limerick Chronicle noted when she died in her eighties around 1772.

She was buried in St Fin Barres cathedral in Cork city with full Masonic honours. The story, though, does not end there. During construction work at the cathedral a few decades later, her coffin was opened and a fellow Freemason claimed her body was in a state of wonderful preservation. She was attired in a dark silk dress, white stain shoes, and silk stockings of a similar colour. Her person was comely; her face of a dusky or ash colour; her features quite perfect and calm.

How American journalist Kathleen Aldworth Foster came to discover her own distant relative is a story in itself, which she relates in her book (available from donerailecourt.com).

We can just be thankful that she has written it because, 300 years on, as she writes: the Honorable Elizabeth Aldworth remains the first and only female Freemason recognised in Ireland as a member of the regular, all-male fraternity.
Last Monday, after he was acquitted of the charge of murder, Gerry the Monk Hutch had a bit of a walkabout outside the Criminal Courts of Justice building.

Trailed by a scrum of reporters and photographers, he was trying to locate a taxi.

As he made his progress, some members of the public called out positive greetings and congratulations to him.

Later in the week, various media organisations canvassed opinions on Hutch in his home place, Dublins north inner city. For the greater part, the response was positive.

Beyond that, there is a sense that there was a degree of sympathy for his plight among sections of the general public, which is highly unusual.

Hutch is a dangerous criminal with a history that includes being a suspect in at least two murders.

He has a reputation for avoiding involvement in making money from drugs, but the basis for that is questionable.

For instance, is it possible that a major criminal today has never at any point invested money for a lucrative return in the drugs trade?

He has also made a settlement with the Criminal Asset Bureau for 1.2m.

Having stayed in the shadows for a long time, his re-emergence in the public consciousness in recent years was through the Kinahan-Hutch feud, which claimed 18 lives.

At least two of these murders were of people who were entirely innocent of any involvement in crime.

Others who died had only a peripheral involvement and were targeted mainly because of a sometimes loose association with Hutch.

Despite his acquittal this week, it is fair to say that many among the public would be of the opinion that he had a central involvement in the Regency Hotel murder of David Byrne in 2016.

The presiding judge at the Special Criminal Court, Tara Burns, stated the belief of her and her two colleagues that members of the Hutch family were involved, but they couldnt say beyond a reasonable doubt that Gerry Hutch was guilty of murder.

There seemed to be a degree of sympathy for the plight of Gerry Hutch among sections of the general public, which is highly unusual considering his reputation. Picture: Picture Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Ordinarily, public opinion towards criminals of Hutchs status is to hope that the law can find a way of ensuring they are locked up, that they pay for their crimes, and that they are no longer at threat to public safety.

Yet Hutch appears to have escaped such opprobrium. Why?

In the first instance, it would appear that he was the beneficiary of a sense of natural justice.

Usually, when a defendant beats the rap as he did, the general reaction is he got off.

In Hutchs case, most who observed the trial came to the conclusion that anything but a not guilty verdict would have been completely unjust.

Lack of evidence

The case against him was extremely flimsy, leaving the impression that it was brought as much in response to general pressure to make somebody answer for what was a public outrage rather than any solid evidence.

Jonathan Dowdall, 44, leaving court last summer with his father Patrick Dowdall. His intervention was a disaster for the Hutch prosecution.

Before Jonathan Dowdall turned States witness, in a deal to reduce charges against himself  which had included murder  most of the case was based on hours of recording of the two men talking during a car journey.

Hutch does not make any admission on the tape, but it could be posited that he indicates control and knowledge of the possession of three of the weapons that were used.

This opened the possibility for a charge related to firearms but very little to pursue him for murder. Yet he was only subject to the latter charge.

It was as if there was misplaced confidence that the juryless court would ensure that this defendant, who everybody knows was behind the operation, would be convicted.

The decision to even admit the tape in evidence was controversial, as much of the recording occurred in Northern Ireland, a different jurisdiction.

Had Hutch been convicted, there was already a solid ground for appeal in that judicial decision.

Dowdalls intervention was a disaster for the prosecution.

He was entirely discredited as a witness and his assertion that Hutch admitted to him to being one of the gunmen, if anything, did further damage to the case.

Prior to that, there was a general belief that if Hutch was involved it was as the mastermind behind the operation rather than taking a hands-on role.

Between it all, it is difficult to understand why the DPP brought the charge and one wonders the degree of pressure that was exerted by the gardai, who were under pressure themselves, to do so.

Like a Hollywood script

Apart from the details of the trial, the perceived trajectory of Hutchs life over recent years is straight from the pages of a Hollywood script.

After making his money through crime  and reputedly staying away from the drugs trade  he had beaten the odds, avoided being murdered, and exited so-called gangland years previously to a quiet life.

Unlike others, he didnt engage in bling or any kind of flashiness. He helped out in his community and even set up a taxi service, taking the wheel himself.

There was tight security throughout the trial. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

He called it Carry Any Body, or CAB, an apparent reference to the only real success against him by a law enforcement agency.

Then, through his close-knit family, he was hauled all the way back into the world he had left behind. Two nephews fell out with the Kinahans and he allegedly intervened and negotiated a financial settlement.

Despite that, his nephew Gary was killed by the Kinahans and somebody in the Hutch family felt that revenge was necessary, resulting in the plot to kill Daniel Kinehan at the Regency.

That failed but the outcome was that the Kinahans went after the Hutches with extreme ruthlessness, killing Gerrys brother, two of his closest friends, and another nephew.

Hutch himself went on the run, from both the Kinehans and the law.

Despite his best-laid plans for a quiet retirement, the past just wouldnt leave the Monk alone.

The law finally found a way to bring him to justice, but they do so unfairly and so he skips free again.

Meanwhile, the Kinahans who had once seemed all-powerful are now fleeing from pillar to post as the Americans have become involved in shutting them down.

Their future looks bleaker than anything that Hutch is facing.

Such a narrative, combined with the farrago of his murder trial, has, it can be argued, softened public attitudes towards this serious criminal figure.

That would cut no ice with the victims of his crime, from either back in the day, or the families of those killed in the current feud.

He isnt entirely free. The Kinahans will in all likelihood, and despite their reduced circumstances, probably try again to kill him.

His days of looking over his shoulder are not at an end but neither is he destined to live out those days behind bars.

Has justice been served? Everybody has their own opinion on that.
The countrys first Children and Young Peoples Assembly on Biodiversity Loss has published its final report to coincide with Earth Day, with 35 young people selected from the 500 who applied to take part.

With six key messages formulated, as well as 58 calls to action, the 35 members aged between seven and 16 called for an Ireland where we are connected to and care for the rights of nature (and each other) so that biodiversity is restored and protected and we live and grow up in healthy, clean and fair environments.

One member of the assembly, seven-year-old Fiadh from Cork, said: The earth is what we are living on, if we do something bad, thats what we will be living with, and if we do something good, thats what we will be living with.

"So we should take very good care of the earth so we will be living with the good results.

The final report of the assembly's grown-up counterpart  the Citizens' Assembly on Biodiversity Loss  was published earlier this month.

Minister of State for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, hearing the assembly members' calls to action on biodiversity loss. Picture: Fabian Boros

The adult assembly expressed its support for the junior assembly, calling for the State to take into account the recommendations from the Children and Young Peoples Assembly on Biodiversity Loss, an initiative featuring our next generation, and continue to engage with children and young people on the environment.

The young people have taken their role very seriously, putting huge work into their own report. Their key recommendations include:

We must treat the Earth like a member of the family or a friend;

Future generations must live in a world where there isn't a biodiversity crisis and where children don't have to take action because of the incapability of past generations;

Every decision must take biodiversity into account;

Children and young people must be included in decisions being made about biodiversity;

Biodiversity protection must be a shared responsibility and a global, collaborative effort.

We must consume resources in a sustainable, moderate way that neither diminishes the environment/ biodiversity or our rights, wellbeing and livelihoods.

One of the assembly members, 13-year-old Oisin from Galway, said: My key message to everyone in Ireland is to play your part.

"I hope that everyone will take inspiration from our calls to action and contribute to combating this crisis.

Minister of State for Heritage, Malcolm Noonan, said he had taken hope and inspiration for the future from the commitment shown by the young people on the assembly.

I was inspired and moved by the work of the children and young people when I met them in Killarney at the end of their second weekend last October," he said. "This report captures beautifully their passion and creativity, and provides a clarion call to action for the government on how to restore our natural world.

I have committed to meet with the Assembly later this year once we have published the new National Biodiversity Action Plan to discuss with them how their calls to action are reflected in it."

In their own words...

There is a wide range of food for thought for policymakers from the young members.

 Seven-year-old assembly member Fiadh said: We need more forests because sometimes when I go out into the car and I look out at the mountains I see a lot of deforestation has been happening in the middle of the forest. It's just very bad because you're just cutting down someone's home and I don't think that should be happening.

"Imagine if you were just sitting in your house, minding your own business, and then half of your house just gets chopped off, leaving you there and not even caring about you and your home.

"Trees are homes and there should be more trees and that's why we should reintroduce more native species back into Ireland.

Some of the younger participants in Ireland's Children and Young Peoples Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. Picture: Fabian Boros

 Nine-year-old Zion from Galway said we should treat the Earth like a person.

Nicely, care for the Earth and make sure the Earth is happy. There should be more nature reserves. Stop hunting for fun. Stop littering on land and in water. Plant a tree for every baby born so they will have more forests.

 Fourteen-year-old Olwyn from Wicklow wants to plant native trees each year, and tie it in with the number of births. That way we will have a forest for 2023, 2024 etc. This will give everyone a forest to explore near them. The impact will be immediate but it will build our futures.

She wants people to listen to children and teens. That our voices are heard and respected. That people see we have more to offer.

Perhaps we could have children's elections, our own Dail, our own Seanad where politicians answer our questions.

"That we unite to solve our biodiversity loss and other climate issues. That hope is not lost. There are solutions and we can work together to rewild the planet.

 Nine-year-old Elsie from Tipperary would like to see a penalty point system for environmental harm. I feel like if someone is doing something to harm the environment and they know they shouldnt, there should be a punishment, she said.

 Thirteen-year-old Jesse from Wexford agreed with Elsie on the penalty point system, where the more points you get, the more severe the penalty is.

This is the most important to me because I dont feel people should be able to destroy natural habitats without directly facing consequences since the world is left to deal with the consequences," she stated.

 Thirteen-year-old Siofra from Wicklow wants the media to cover the detailed status of the biodiversity emergency all the time until we have reversed biodiversity loss.

The Irish public proved it does work with the covid emergency but we are not doing it [yet] for the biodiversity emergency.

"More people would be aware and act if they saw the numbers on TV and in newspapers every day and were told what they can do to help until it is fixed.

Anabell and Olwyn taking part in a role play exercise during Ireland's first Children and Young Peoples Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. Picture: Fabian Boros

 Sixteen-year-old Niamh from Waterford said she was inspired by the assembly, and not just in terms of the immediate issue, biodiversity loss.

Seeing everyone care, and want to be part of the solution to biodiversity loss, was such a beautiful thing to watch. Please remember, many of us didn't know each other before the Assembly, so for us to work together the way we did, and make the friendships we made, was just amazing.

The group came together and everyone cared about everyone else. I learned so much from the Assembly members, from my fellow Young Advisors, and the Adult Project Team, but not just in terms of biodiversity  I learned so many valuable life lessons.

My message to children and young people everywhere would be that your voice matters. It matters just as much as anyone else's, and what you have to say is so important. You need to be heard, so don't be afraid to speak out.

"Don't be afraid to stand up for what you think is right. The change starts with each of us, in each of us.

 Seventeen-year-old Anabel from Dublin said the key message to the people of Ireland and in particular children and young people, is to get involved.

Every single individual can make a difference in overcoming biodiversity loss. It is a global challenge that can be impacted by local change.

"Following the publication of our calls, I hope that they make a difference in our effort to tackle this crisis. The calls represent the views of children and young people across Ireland, it is very important that our voices are heard and acted upon in our country's effort to stop biodiversity loss.
Courtmacsherry, West Cork 485,000 Size 325 sq m (3,500 sq ft) Bedrooms 4 Bathrooms 3 BER -





SHOWING all this week: Harbour House, a Courtmacsherry water-fronting home of substance and quite some history, and one coincidentally reprising its one-time mid-1900s role as a cinema.

Water across the road

The substantial main street building has been a home (on and off); a boat-building shed operated by the local Travers family; a dancehall known as Ruddocks Hall; decried as a den of iniquity by local clergy in the 1930s (with one notable sermon for the regatta dances in August 1936, widely reported); and later it was the Room at the Top, which also held talent shows.

It also served as a temporary cinema too after electricity arrived in the late 1930s until the 1960s with a sheet draped over the rafters; it was a garage called Jim Burkes, a car and motorcycle dealership; a shop and more.

Various historical loops followed: Later owners again built boats here, only at ground floor, not upstairs as the Travers had done in the late 1800s and early 1900s, winching them out via a gable opening.

Showing tonight...

Most recently, and by some coincidence, its buyers in 2019 who are cinema lovers of the golden era, put in their own private home cinema for family and friends, which is far more elaborate than the one which operated here in a flicker of black-and-whites classics over half a century ago.

Harbour House was bought only as recently at 2019 by Peter and Jane Jennings, a couple from the UK, now into their early to mid-70s, and sort of serial renovators who have eight renovations/conversion projects to their credit, in places like Kent and outside London.

Several of their projects have had home cinemas, they say, adding that they dont have a television, preferring the allure of the big screen (theirs is 12-foot wide) and the enjoyment of films from the 1930s to the 1960s and world cinema, with musicals screened most Sundays.

Peter and Jane have been visitors to Ireland, and after spells with friends in Ballydehob and attendances at the Fastnet Film Festival in Schull (attended also by new locals such as Paul Mescal and Saoirse Ronan whove each bought homes in the Schull/Ballydehob hinterland) and which they love for its casual engagement, they took a whim to fly to view this property, Harbour House, and one other in Clonakilty, four years ago.

The Clonakilty one was big, but a bit boring, says Peter, a retired social worker. He and Jane, who worked in education in London, both equally fell for the charms and scope of Courtmacsherry, and appreciated the fact it was only an hour from Cork City and the airport for affordable Ryanair flights over and back to family in England.

They bought Harbour House from Clonakilty agent Martin Kelleher who had it for sale with a guide of 297,000, getting it for 280,000 according to the Price Register. At that time, it was a private house upstairs with a mix of service rooms below, and no connecting internal stairs.

Chequered past, and bright future

Clearly not afraid of work, they linked both levels, updated the decor and kitchen, refurbished and lifted it to new levels of brightness  in contrast to the black-out darkness of the cinema below especially, with its neon-look Bijou Kinema sign crafted by Peter, the velvet curtains and comfortable stressless seats used for movie nights.

Much of the work was done during covid lockdowns, so sourcing materials was a challenge and the cost of timber went up 50% between starting one end of the building and finishing the other. When trying to source doors, all they could get at one stage were fire-rated ones, so they also had to stump up for them.

They have a good eye  not just for cinema  and having done so many houses before, they seem to know what works in creating a distinctive home. An unloved 1960s James Bond-style house in Epping Forest overlooking the lights of London was a favourite, and had languished years on an agents books before they took it in hand. They also have a good ear for serious jazz.

Red carpet

Thus, the walls of several rooms have art and posters reflecting their twin art passions: Janet paints and Peter prints posters for special movie nights and screenings, with their home cinema having its own back-up kitchenette... a bit more up-market than a popcorn maker.

The cinema room has its own foyer where they can post lit posters of upcoming shows and the couple say they can download and screen visitors favourite movies for special occasions.

A buyer of Harbour House can choose to maintain this renewed cinematic tradition (back by popular demand) or repurpose the room and not opt to buy the house including the costly projection gear.

Laughing, Peter recalls one of the previous homes they did up and sold with the cinema intact for its next occupant, when he made up a poster advising Cinema under new management!

On constant show, meanwhile, Harbour Houses feature main living room  sort of a first-floor cocoon  has a wall now entirely lined with bookshelves, many of the titles being either cinema, art, or music related, while the view from the large picture windows is over the water, and the permanent mooring spot for the RNLI Trent Class lifeboat. (The RNLI lifeboat history in Courtmac is coming up to a 200th anniversary, having been the first in Ireland, since 1825.)

Location scout

Todays Harbour House is sizeable, at some 3,500 sq ft over its two levels. Because of its changes, at first glance, it might not look like it has a history back to the 1800s, perhaps due to the wide, rectangular window sizes and tiled roof, but its considerable history is acknowledged by a plaque on the steps/front wall recalling its many, varied, and colourful previous uses.

Selling agent Martin Kelleher  who had to tear up his sales brochure from four year backs and start again for its new iteration, such were the changes  guides the mid-village four-bed, three-bath home (with scope left still for repurposing some of the ground-floor rooms for next owners) at 485,000 and notes its views and history in the picturesque seaside villages life.

Studio

Its flawlessly presented and immersed in light throughout. It has been completely reconfigured, extended and refurbished by the current owners to an exceptional standard in recent years. Its a jewel in the crown of the beautiful lifeboat village, he says.

Job done, over a building of some scale, Peter and Jane Jennings are heading back to family in the UK and Peter admits that taking on a project in his mid-70s, with some arthritis, can be a bit more of an ask than even five years ago. However, he praises the health system and supports theyve found here in Ireland having been initially warned of the hazards of leaving the UKs NHS to come to Cork.

We need to downsize and also to move to the UK to be nearer family. We have always tended to buy houses that turn out to be building projects, but are hoping the next time to find a house where we can just move in and put our feet up, says Peter, admitting we do have a tendency to see interesting buildings and think, Now what could we do with that?

VERDICT: Cinema Paradiso , West Cork style.
Its not unusual for the Legislature to wait to resolve major spending bills until the end of the session. This year legislators are dealing with two competing bills related to the states public employee pension plan and its $1.9 billion shortfall.

The issue isnt new, but legislators decided in the past to study it instead of making a decision.

Senate Bill 2239 preserves the present pension while providing $250 million from the general fund in the 2023-25 biennium and contributions from the state over the next 30 years. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Sean Cleary, R-Bismarck, also increases employee contributions by 1% and employer contributions by 3.6%.

The bill also includes the option for all employees to enroll in the states defined-contribution plan.

House Bill 1040, which has support from Gov. Doug Burgum, provides a 30-year plan to be updated every two years to make the pension plan solvent. As amended in the Senate on Friday, there would be a one-time infusion of $135 million plus $65 million each biennium from a state fund derived from oil taxes to reduce the shortfall.

An actuarial study of the bill as it was introduced estimates the cost to the state of closing the plan at $5.5 billion. Supporters of the bill dispute that figure. Notably, amendments made to the bill since its initial introduction reduce the expense next biennium but increase the overall cost of closing the plan, postponing payments to future legislatures.

Under HB 1040 all new employees would be under a defined-contribution plan. There would be incentives for current employees to switch to the defined-contribution plan. A defined-contribution plan is comparable to a 401(k)-style plan, which is common in the private sector.

The North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System, or PERS, supports SB 2239. It believes the bill provides members with the most security, provides a path to resolving the shortfall and offers employees the option of which plan to join.

Other states such as West Virginia, Michigan, Alaska and Oklahoma have had mixed results switching to defined-contribution plans. West Virginia decided closing the defined-benefit plan was too expensive and reopened it.

The pension plans shortfall occurred when the 2008 national financial crisis caused the funds assets to decline by more than 20%. Legislative sessions since then failed to fund the complete recovery of the fund.

Its time for the Legislature to do so, and theres a limited number of days left in the session to complete the work. SB 2239 provides one major expenditure and spreads out the recovery over 30 years using higher contributions.

HB 1040 requires a major expenditure this session and then relies on future legislative sessions to plow more money into the recovery. Theres no guarantee future sessions will look favorably on the bailout.

Legislators need to be frank about the cost of HB 1040, which appears to be substantially higher than SB 2239, a cost that might make future sessions balk. The reluctance to be clear about the cost of HB 1040 indicates the cost is a stumbling block.

Legislators need to find common ground. Its important they agree on a recovery plan this session. Theres nothing wrong with compromise. HB 1040s incentives for recent employees to switch to the defined-contribution plan could be incorporated in SB 2239.

Agreeing on a plan will be good for the health of the state, and SB 2239 offers the best path forward.
A team of explorers have found a sunken Japanese ship that was transporting Allied prisoners of war when it was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines in 1942, resulting in Australias largest maritime wartime loss with a total of 1,080 lives.

The wreck of the Montevideo Maru was located after a 12-day search at a depth of over 13,000ft  deeper than the Titanic  off Luzon island in the South China Sea, using an autonomous underwater vehicle with in-built sonar.

There will be no efforts to remove artifacts or human remains out of respect for the families of those who died, said a statement from the Sydney-based Silentworld Foundation, a not-for-profit group dedicated to maritime archaeology and history.

It took part in the mission with Dutch deep-sea survey specialists Fugro and Australias Defence Department.

Our team in APAC has helped @SilentworldFdn find the wreck of the #MontevideoMaru, 80 years after one of the worst international maritime disasters in history. Read more here  https://t.co/qzi7hFrISf#Hydrography #Oceanography #MontevideoMaru  Fugro (@fugro) April 21, 2023

The extraordinary effort behind this discovery speaks for the enduring truth of Australias solemn national promise to always remember and honour those who served our country, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

This is the heart and the spirit of Lest We Forget.

The Montevideo Maru was transporting prisoners and civilians who were captured after the fall of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.

The ship was not marked as carrying PoWs, and on July 1 1942, the American submarine Sturgeon, after stalking the ship through the night, fired four torpedoes, sinking the vessel in less than 10 minutes.

Those killed included 1,080 people from 14 nations, including 979 Australians.

Families waited years for news of their missing loved ones, before learning of the tragic outcome of the sinking, said Silentworld director John Mullen.

Some never fully came to accept that their loved ones were among the victims. Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster.
The Sudanese army has said it is coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.

Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help.

The prospect has vexed officials as most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, has proven intensely dangerous.

Gen Burhan agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure such evacuations for various countries, Sudans military said.

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudans main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors.

The Sudanese military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces are fighting across Khartoum (Marwan Ali/AP)

As battles between the Sudanese army led by Burhan and a rival powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens  many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese militarys announcement. We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants, the National Security Council said.

On Friday, the US said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of the estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

#Statement | In the implementation of the directives of the Kingdom's Leadership, we are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the evacuated citizens of the Kingdom from Sudan and several nationals of brotherly & friendly countries, including diplomats & international officials pic.twitter.com/Eg0YemshYD  Foreign Ministry  (@KSAmofaEN) April 22, 2023

Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Gen Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first travelled by land to Port Sudan, the countrys main seaport on the Red Sea.

He said that Jordans diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudans far east, some 520 miles from Khartoum.

In a security alert, the US Embassy in Sudan said it had incomplete information about significant convoys departing Khartoum travelling towards Port Sudan and that the situation remained dangerous. Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk, it said.

With the US focused on evacuating diplomats first, the Pentagon said it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the effort.

Gen Burhan told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel on Saturday that flights in and out of Khartoum remained risky because of the ongoing clashes.

He claimed that the military had regained control over all the other airports in the country, except for one in the southwestern city of Nyala.

We share the international communitys concern about foreign nationals, he said, promising Sudan would provide necessary airports and safe passageways for foreigners trapped in the fighting, without elaborating.

Even as the warring sides said on Friday they had agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Two ceasefire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, chief of the paramilitary group fighting the army, known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, claimed he would work toward opening humanitarian corridors, to facilitate the movement of citizens and enable all countries to evacuate their nationals to safe places.

We are committed to a complete ceasefire, he told French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna.

The clashes have killed more than 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organisation.

The international airport near the centre of the capital has come under heavy shelling as the paramilitary group, RSF, has tried to take control of the compound.

In an apparent effort to oust the RSF fighters, the Sudanese army has pounded the airport with air strikes, ruining at least one runway and leaving wrecked planes scattered on the tarmac. The full extent of damage at the airfield remains unclear.
Burma Myanmar Junta Airstrikes Support Struggling Ground Troops

After junta bombardment hits Kyauk mine in Myawaddy Township. / Cobra Column

Myanmars junta has intensified bombing as its ground troops struggle in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, according to the rebel groups.

Heavy clashes have occurred at the Kyauk mine near Mae Ka Nal village since Tuesday when many junta troops and allied Border Guard Forces attacked.

Several resistance groups and Brigade 6 of the Karen National Liberation Army, the armed wing of the countrys oldest ethnic revolutionary group the Karen Nation Union, are fighting off the junta raids, said the Cobra Column that is taking part in the clashes.

After its ground troops were unable to occupy the area, the junta shelled, and used fighter jets and multiple rocket launchers, according to the resistance groups.

Buildings were damaged and a resistance fighter was injured, the Cobra Column reported.

The fighting was heard 8km away.

We heard fighting this morning with heavy blasts for several hours. Our house vibrated, a resident of Myawaddy town told The Irrawaddy on Friday evening.

On Saturday morning, a junta fighter jet bombed the area but no resistance casualties were reported, said the Black Panther Column resistance group.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, 24 regime troops were killed and 23 injured and resistance groups lost two members with seven injuries, said the Cobra Column.

Weapons and ammunition were seized from regime forces.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.

Around 3,000 residents from Mae Ka Nel and nearby villages are sheltering at monasteries in Myawaddy town, according to media reports.
Burma Myanmar Regime Troops Torch Large Sagaing Village

Inn Sa village after being burned by junta troops in Sagaing Township on Friday. / CJ

Myanmars junta forces burned down most of the 700 houses in a Sagaing Township village on Friday morning, according to residents.

Around 100 troops torched Inn Sa village after raiding nearby Taline Kyun village, according to Sagaing True News that monitors regime activities.

The Peoples Army to Fight Dictatorship resistance group said three regime soldiers were killed and three injured in a resistance attack on the raiding party.

Almost the whole village was razed in the arson attack. They responded heavily when we shelled them in the village, said a member of the group.

The group said resistance fighters used homemade 60mm mortars to attack junta soldiers.

The regime forces then torched 10 houses in adjacent Taung Kyar village and split in two and raided two more villages, said Sagaing True News.

The Irrawaddy could not independently verify the reports.

An estimated 7,500 people from six Sagaing Township villages, including Inn Sa, have left their homes.
Conflicts In Numbers Myanmar Junta Air Strikes Kill Over 210 People in Past Month

Myanmar junta fighter jets

More than 210 people were killed and 60 wounded in air strikes targeting the civilian population in six Myanmar regions and states that have become resistance strongholds from March 20 to April 18.

The Irrawaddy recorded at least 28 junta air strikes in Sagaing and Bago regions and Chin, Kayah, Kachin and Karen states, mostly in civilian areas. Each air strike consisted of multiple shootings and bombings.

Sagaing Region in northwest Myanmar suffered the most casualties. In one attack junta aircraft dropped two bombs on Pazi Gyi Village on April 11, killing 175 people including children, according to people on the ground.

The air strike on Pazi Gyi is the deadliest one conducted so far by the junta on civilian targets since the military coup. Last October, a junta air strike on a concert in Hpakant Township of Kachin State killed more than 80 civilians.

At least six air strikes from March 30 to April 18 in Chin State in western Myanmar claimed the lives of 21 civilians and wounded another 21 when the regime launched retaliatory attacks.

Southeastern Myanmars Kayah State, where junta ground troops have suffered heavy casualties, has been hit by regular air strikes and shelling.

Among these air raids, at least five hit civilian targets in eastern Demoso and Balakhe, as well as the townships of Pekon and Pinlaung in neighboring southern Shan State.

At least five civilians including medical workers were killed and six were injured by the aerial bombings in Kayah State.

One civilian in Karen State also perished in the air strikes conducted by the junta in March.

A report issued by the United Nations Human Rights Office in March said the number of junta air raids between February 2022 and January 2023 more than doubled from a year earlier, from 125 to 300.
There's something about this video that makes me laugh so hard. Here's Rox and Lee, bloggers from New Jersey, who describe their Instagram channel as, "Inspiring you with our love while spreading love, light, and laughter." They recently put their spin on this short video trend called, "POV: Your wife is mad but y'all still sleeping together," that was originally created by a couple named Ricky and Lesly. That original video showed the couple gradually scooting out of bed, down the stairs, and almost out the door. It's clear they are having a blast filming the video, as they can hardly stifle their giggles.

Rox and Lee take it so much farther, though, which makes it even more hilarious. Rox and Lee scoot out of the bed, across the floor, down the outside steps, down the sidewalk, and down the street. They, too, are having a great time making this video (and all of their other contentyou can tell they are a great couple!). What's even funnier than the video are the comments. Here are some gems:
FILE - Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey delivers her State of the State address, Tuesday, March 7, 2023, in Montgomery, Ala. Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Friday, April 21, 2023 announced she replaced her director of early childhood education over the use of a teacher training book, written by a nationally recognized education group, that the Republican governor denounced as teaching woke concepts" because of language about inclusion and structural racism.
This Week in Review

A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more.
Robert Ovetz explains this exact scenario in a recent article for Chief: The Voice for Workers.

"Last October 31, one of the largest nonprofit organization staff in the country began a two-week long unfair labor practices strike. Their employer was accused of unilaterally declaring impasse after it refused to bargain in good faith. Workers wanted more staff hired, more staff training, an end to being churned and burned by long hours, and better health insurance. In response, managers fired organizers, recruited strikebreakers, and drove their cars into strikers on the picket line. On November 14, the ULP strike ended when the employer returned to the bargaining table. Their employer wasn't the anti-union Amazon, Starbucks or Trader Joe's  it was a union, SEIU 2015, one of the largest unions in the country. SEIU 2015 represents about half a million workers throughout California in the in-home and nursing home industry."

How common is this, for the staff of a union to organize a worker's organization, i.e., a union, and be met with an anti-union response? As Ovetz reports, SEIU staff has organized at the national level, and in Oregon and Colorado, in the last ten years.

Union workers, workers employed by a union, have been fired for their organizing efforts, in addition to other strike-breaking tactics. Well, in a similar manner that capitalists are often the best Marxists  in terms of understanding that organized workers are a threat to unabashed profit, it seems that unions are getting better at crossing the picket line.

Ovetz concludes with an essential sentiment that goes beyond the strike, "If we are going to turn the workers movement around, we also need to take action in solidarity with the union's workers who are also beginning to organize against the exploitation of their own labor."

Harry Cleaver, retired professor of Economics from the University of Texas at Austin, offered this take on Twitter, "The transformation of union leadership from expressing the needs and desires of the rank & file to managers of the supply-side of the labor market, has been recurrent in the history of organized labor. Seems only fiercely democratic structures avoiding hierarchy can prevent it."

It appears that organized labor might be deeply beholden to politicians and (predominantly) the capitalist wing of the Democratic party. The history of union organizing in the US is replete with examples of unions as bastions of segregation before non-white workers demanded equality  within organizations claiming to represent all workers' interests. Few unions pushed back against the white supremacy that characterized US labor organizing during the 20th Century, including the United Mine Workers and the Industrial Workers of the World  the Wobblies. To be clear, rank-and-file members are the union, not union management leadership  or at least that is the political point Ovetz is emphasizing, and that unions should consider if they will continue to be relevant as places for political activity.

This is a terrific opportunity to recommend "The Tribe of the Moles" by Sergio Bologna, which traces the labor formations autonomous from labor unions and political parties in Italy during the 1960s and 1970s. Zerowork is also a useful approach to labor.
Jaylen Griffin was last seen Aug. 4, 2020, at the family's home on Warren Avenue in the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood.

At the time, he was 5 feet, 3 inches and 145 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. He was 12.

He has not been seen since.

Saturday, on his 15th birthday, his loved ones and community supporters held a vigil on Memorial Drive by the Central Terminal near where he was last seen.

"We're praying for answers in the case of his disappearance since August 2020," read a Facebook post by Bury the Violence about the plans for the 6 p.m. prayer circle. Participants were asked to bring a candle to the vigil.

In the years since his disappearance, community groups have conducted searches, distributed missing posters and even put up a billboard about Griffin in a search for answers.

Buffalo police have asked anyone with information on his whereabouts to call 911. The department also has a confidential tip line which accepts calls and texts at 716-847-2255. The department's Special Victims Unit can be reached at 716-851-4494.
To hear her defense attorney tell it, Jonay B. Robinson was a longtime victim of domestic abuse who was controlled by her boyfriend who kept her in the dark about a planned mass shooting.

According to prosecutors, Robinson was a gang member bent on avenging her brother's murder.

On Friday afternoon, after about 2 hours and 15 minutes of deliberations, an Erie County Court jury decided they believed prosecutors.

The jury convicted Robinson of murder, assault and weapons possession charges for the July 2021 quadruple shooting at the Ferry Grider Homes that killed a 3-year-old boy.

Robinson, 27, was found guilty of second-degree murder, one count of first-degree assault, two counts of second-degree assault and a count of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon. The jury acquitted her of a charge of criminal possession of a firearm.

Robinson's trial began Monday. Her boyfriend, Dequan I. Richardson, 24, who took the stand in her defense on Thursday, previously admitted being one of the shooters who sprayed a courtyard of men, women and children with at least 34 bullets. Three men were also injured in the shooting.

In the hallway outside the courtroom after the verdict was read, court officers had to separate members of a group of Robinson supporters from members of a group supporting the family of Shaquelle Walker Jr., the 3-year-old who was fatally shot in the head.

After Friday's closing arguments, jurors began deliberating which portrayal of Robinson they believed.

While their views on Robinson differed, attorneys on both sides did agree on one thing: since Richardson was picked up by police, he has been trying to keep his girlfriend from getting convicted.

Jurors watch Jonay Robinson's police interview as trial in 2021 quadruple shooting continues Jurors on Tuesday were shown video of Jonay B. Robinson being questioned by police the day after a 3-year-old boy and three men were shot in a courtyard of the Ferry Grider Homes. Robinson is accused of being an accomplice in the quadruple shooting.

"That might be the one noble thing that this man has ever done in his entire life," Schwartz told the jury in his 37-minute closing statement.

Richardson, who admitted in March he was one of the two shooters who sprayed a crowded Ferry Grider Homes courtyard with bullets on July 5, 2021, took the witness stand Thursday as Robinson's only defense witness.

Richardson pleaded guilty to murder and assault charges for the quadruple shooting. Prosecutors have described Richardson and Robinson as accomplices.

Robinson's defense attorney has told jurors his client may have been behind the wheel of the vehicle that drove the shooters to and from the scene, but she did not know what Richardson planned and had no part in the attack.

Seeing her boyfriend, an accomplice who already pleaded guilty for different roles in the crime, take the stand and tell jurors she had nothing to do with it was unusual, District Attorney John Flynn said.

"You see that in the movies, but I've never seen that in real life," Flynn said.

Robinson was not offered a plea deal prior to trial, he said.

"We respect the jury's verdict but disagree with it," defense attorney Jeremy Schwartz said outside the courtroom. "There are issues we are going to take up on appeal."

Robinson had been victimized by Richardson for years, her attorney told the jury Friday.

"This is a toxic relationship. That man treated Jonay Robinson like dirt and it's a relationship she couldn't get away from," Schwartz said.

During Richardson's testimony, jurors heard about an arrest of his at a store near Hertel Avenue and Military Road in which an officer saw him push her. He was charged with harassment.

Robinson suffered other abuse and, like many victims, didn't usually report it to police, Schwartz said. Richardson continued to "wield his influence" over Robinson on the night of the shooting, he said.

Her attorney contended she had been trying to move on with her life: she had moved to Cheektowaga and was working as a certified nursing assistant. She also took care of a niece and nephew.

She may have made posts on Facebook about guns or about how mad she was about her brother's slaying, her attorney acknowledged.

"That doesn't mean someone would do such a horrible thing, condone such a horrible thing or help someone do such a horrible thing," as what occurred in this shooting, Schwartz said.

Prosecutors painted a different portrait of Robinson  as a person who casually texted about guns, who called meetings of gang members and who was a part of the planning and execution for the quadruple shooting on Donovan Drive.

"She's the boss. She makes the rules," Assistant District Attorney John Feroleto told the jury during his 90-minute closing statement.

When he was on the stand, Richardson worked "to create this fantasy that she doesn't know what's going on," Feroleto said.

Feroleto pointed jurors to the "mountain of evidence" prosecutors introduced at trial, including video from surveillance cameras, guns and ammunition found by police in a search of Robinson's Cheektowaga apartment where Richardson had been staying, cellphone records, Facebook posts and text messages.

Prosecutors described Richardson as "not credible" and accused him of trying "to manufacture doubt in a case where there is none."

They said it was "unreasonable" to think Robinson didn't know what was going to happen.

Is it possible Robinson didn't know about what was planned but had bullets in her apartment that match casings found at the scene? That an assault rifle later found in the bedroom closet of the apartment had been at the scene of a mass shooting? That her vehicle was used in a shooting, the prosecutor asked?

"Is this defendant just the unluckiest person in the world?" Feroleto asked.
Buffalo School Board members say the $243.7 million contract with the Buffalo Teachers Federation that they approved Friday should send a clear message to the district's teachers.

"This board of education and this superintendent value and respect the work that they do," Superintendent Tonja M. Williams said. "They do life-altering, life-changing work, and so, if this board did not believe they were worth every penny, trust me, we would not have gotten the unanimous vote that we got today."

The board unanimously approved the tentative contract agreement between Buffalo Public Schools and the Buffalo Teachers Federation that would give teachers the second-highest starting salary in the region and allow veteran teachers to reach maximum salary more quickly.

After a presentation by the district's general counsel Nathaniel J. Kuzma, board members eagerly motioned to approve the tentative contract, lifted their hands in support and cheered with vigor when it passed.

Teachers are expected to gather at 3 p.m. Monday at Kleinhans Music Hall to ratify the contract.

For a district challenged in trying to maintain and grow its teachers, this tentative agreement is a step forward, said Tami Hollie-McGree, chief of human resources for Buffalo Schools.

"Now, we're competitive," she said.

The teachers union and district have been at an impasse since 2019, when the contract settled in 2016 expired. In the four years since, the teachers union has engaged in dozens of pickets, offered a "vote of no confidence" in the superintendent and pursued legal actions against Buffalo Public Schools.

Relations became so testy between the sides that a state-appointed mediator was hired to bring the sides closer. Still, if teachers ratify the agreement, this impasse will appear to be a much shorter period relative to the 12 years that separated the 2004 expiration from the next deal in 2016.

Board president Sharon Belton-Cottman emphasized how the contract reflects the value and importance of teachers, but said student outcomes will continue to be monitored.

"I'll quote a verse from the Bible," she said. "To whom much is given, much will be required."

Fact-finder recommends raises to make Buffalo teacher pay competitive but falls short of union proposal The recommendations released Tuesday are intended to guide the district and Buffalo Teachers Federation in resolving an impasse since 2019.

A lack of competitive pay compared to suburban districts has long been a complaint of the Buffalo Teachers Federation, and a recruiting obstacle for a district short on teachers.

Under the tentative agreement, current teachers would receive a retroactive 8% raise on their salary, with a one-time 10% bonus calculated off the top of the new figure. On July 1 of 2023, 2024 and 2025, salary increases of 6%, 4% and 3% will be accompanied by the removal of one step each year on the salary ladder.

Kuzma simplified the data: The average salary would increase over the term of the contract from $72,000 to $91,000. Comparing 2018-2019  the last year of the previous contract  with 2025-26  the final year of the proposed contract  the base starting salary would jump from $39,531 to $46,170, with an even greater increase for teachers holding a master's degree.

Under the tentative deal, teachers would rise more quickly up the salary ladder. Take the 24th year of a teacher's career under the two agreements, for example. In 2018-19, a teacher made $81,983 after 24 years. In the proposed deal, in 2025-2026, a teacher reaching Step 24 would make $105,180.

"This will make us lockstep with all these other districts," Kuzma said when asked about how Buffalo compared long-term to wages in Williamsville and Hamburg.

The district and teachers compromised on two points of negotiation that stalled talks over the last six months.

End of an era: Philip Rumore to step down as Buffalo Teachers Federation president Buffalo Teachers Federation President Philip Rumore announced Wednesday in a letter to teachers that he will step down from the role he has held since 1981 and retire.

All current and retired Buffalo teachers, as well as new hires will continue to receive district-covered retiree healthcare, until June 30, 2026. Only after that date would new hires no longer be eligible for retiree healthcare, but they would be allowed to sell back unused sick days or earmark early retirement incentives toward coverage. Longtime Buffalo Teachers Federation President Philip Rumore, who announced Wednesday he would retire June 30, had bargained to continue retiree healthcare.

The solution on implementing a three-bell schedule to alleviate the school bus driver shortage is more complicated, and teachers must be notified of any change for the next school year by June 1.

The district said "affected schools" would have start times of 7:30, 8:15 and 9 a.m., and those would, in almost all cases, not change by more than 30 minutes from their current bells. The length of the school day would not change, and the latest final bell would be at 4:20 p.m.

Buffalo teachers reject district's proposal to change school bell times to address bus driver shortage Buffalo Schools' teachers have delivered a resounding "no" to the district's proposal to move to three bell times instead of two at the start and end of the school day.

If teachers believe they would experience hardship as a result of their new schedule, they would move to the top of the transfer list, ranked by seniority, according to the proposal. Kuzma said the new bell schedule would save 60 to 70 bus routes, and reduce the number of students on each bus and the time it would take to transport students home.

Surveys conducted by the teachers and a parent group this year showed both groups rejected a previously proposed three-bell schedule that has been since tweaked.
French President Emmanuel Macron narrowly avoided being heckled and booed by opponents of the controversial pension reform during a recent visit to a French region.

However, the battle against the president and his government shows no sign of abating, with protestors brandishing pots and pans as their weapons of choice.

Hoping to change the narrative and portray a population that favors the pension reform or, at the very least, understands why the legal retirement age needs to be raised from 62 to 64, Macron made his way to Ganges in southern France, where police were ordered to keep protesters away from the school he was visiting.

Despite this peacekeeping strategy, unions and other anti-reform groups remain determined to disrupt every presidential visit, their new tactic of unwelcome committees leading to interrupted visits and power cuts.

Macrons public appearances before voters are intended to turn the page and show he is willing to engage with his critics, but the deep tensions created by his unpopular reform suggest that opposition may continue indefinitely.
A Buffalo man faces a maximum of 40 years to life in prison following his conviction Friday by a jury in State Supreme Court on a second-degree murder charge for his role in a deadly gas station robbery in the city's Delavan-Grider neighborhood.

Erie County prosecutors said the jury reached a guilty verdict on all the counts, including first-degree robbery and second-degree criminal possession of weapon, brought against Daiquin Gray, 28, after two hours of deliberation following a four-day trial.

At about 6 p.m. on April 24, 2021, Gray and Corey J. Bell, 33, of Buffalo, approached Marcques Robinson, 38, of Buffalo, from behind as he was pumping gas into his vehicle with the intention of robbing him. Prosecutors said the crime occurred at a gas station on East Delavan Avenue and Grider Street.

Gray fired several shots at Robinson during the robbery. Robinson, who attempted to flee the attack, collapsed nearby and died from his injuries. When Robinson fell to the ground, Gray stole his gold chain from around his neck, prosecutors said.

Gray, who remains held without bail, is scheduled to be sentenced May 26.

Meanwhile, Bell pleaded guilty on Nov. 1, 2022 to one count of first-degree robbery and remains held without bail. Bell faces a maximum 25 years in prison when he is sentenced on May 12.
Militants suspected to be jihadists launch assault on military camp in Mali with Russian soldiers

Suspected jihadists launched an attack on a military camp in central Mali on Saturday, targeting what was referred to as a Russian camp by two local officials and a diplomatic source speaking to AFP.

The Malian junta began working with Russian instructors in 2022, but opponents argue that they are mercenaries from the Wagner group.

A local elected official, who spoke to AFP anonymously, said we have no toll for the moment as the situation is still confused. He added that it is jihadists who targeted the airport and the Russian camp next to it.

Two Malian military officials also confirmed the attack took place in Sevare, in the Mopti region.

Several witnesses on the ground reported hearing four loud explosions at around 5:30 am (0530 GMT), followed by automatic weapons fire. Smoke was seen near the airport. According to another local official, it is the Russian camp and their planes that have been targeted  the camp is near the airport.

While part of the airport was surrounded by the jihadists, Senegalese soldiers from the United Nations mission in Mali, MINUSMA, managed to slow their advance, said the official.

MINUSMAs camp covers four hectares of land next to the airport and the Malian army camp that houses the Russians. An official from MINUSMA declined to comment.

A terrorist attack in Sevare  our men are on the ground, said a Malian military official adding that it was a complex attack that required a booby-trapped vehicle and guerrilla techniques, according to another military source.

Mali has been grappling with a security crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies emerged in the north of the country in 2012. Since August 2020, Mali has been under military rule, which broke away from its long-standing alliance with France and other Western partners in the battle against jihadism and turned towards Russia both militarily and politically. AFP
On the first day of Eid, street fighting in Sudans capital subsides.

Street fighting between the forces of two rival generals eased in parts of Sudans capital Friday, witnesses reported, after repeated calls for an end-of-Ramadan ceasefire to the nearly week-long conflict.

More than 400 people have been killed and thousands wounded since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and is commonly known as Hemeti.

The army announced Friday it had agreed to a ceasefire for three days to enable citizens to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and allow the flow of humanitarian services, which UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had called for a day earlier.

Blinken welcomed both the armys announcement and an earlier one by the RSF, a powerful force formed from members of the Janjaweed militia involved in years of violence in the western Darfur region.

It is clear, however, that fighting is continuing and there is serious mistrust between the two forces, Blinken said, urging both sides to pause the fighting and permit full and unimpeded humanitarian access.

Witnesses in several areas of Khartoum reported a rare lull in the fighting Friday evening, after explosions had rocked the city for the seventh straight day.

Eid is meant to be spent with sweets and pastries, with happy children, and people greeting relatives, resident Sami al-Nour told AFP. Instead, there has been gunfire and the stench of blood all around us.

Soldiers and paramilitaries fought fierce street battles in densely populated districts of Khartoum, with witnesses reporting blasts near the army headquarters in the city of five million.

On Friday evening, the army accused the RSF of violating the truce, including by indiscriminately bombing the airport and presidential palace.

Two previous ceasefires earlier in the week also failed to take hold.

The World Health Organization said 413 people had been killed and 3,551 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the death toll is thought to be higher, with many wounded unable to reach hospitals.

The International Committee of the Red Cross urged immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access, stressing this was a legal obligation under international humanitarian law.

Analysts have warned the conflict could affect countries across the region, with the UN saying up to 20,000 people have already fled to neighbouring Chad.

For the first time since hostilities began, Burhan appeared on television.

For Eid this year, our country is bleeding: destruction, desolation and the sound of bullets have taken precedence over joy, he said in a pre-recorded message.

We hope that we will come out of this ordeal more united a single army, a single people towards a civilian power.

The International Crisis Group (ICG) said urgent steps were needed to stop a descent into full-blown civil war, warning the nightmare scenario that many feared in Sudan is unfolding.

The World Food Programme said the violence could

plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people  one-third of the population  need aid.

It has suspended its Sudan operations after three WFP workers were killed on Saturday.

On Friday, the UN migration agency said one of its employees died after his vehicle was caught in crossfire.

Burhan and Daglos dispute centred on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army, a key condition for a deal aimed at restoring Sudans democratic transition.

Whats taking place was inevitable, said Khartoum resident Ibrahim Awad. A country ruled by two leaders cannot move forward, there cant be two armies.

Civilians are becoming increasingly desperate, with thousands risking the dangerous streets to flee Khartoum.

This is a mere power struggle, said Abdul Wahid Othman. They dont care about poor citizens who have been left without water, electricity.

Plans are being made to evacuate foreign nationals, with the United States, South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries and the European Union weighing a similar move.

More than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighbouring states are now out of service, the doctors union said. At least four hospitals in North Kordofan state were shelled.

In El Fasher in Darfur, some 800 kilometres (500 miles) southwest of Khartoum, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the situation was catastrophic.

There are so many patients that they are being treated on the floor, said MSF project coordinator Cyrus Paye.

The military toppled autocratic president Omar al-Bashir in April 2019 following massive protests against his three decades of iron-fisted rule.

In October 2021, Burhan and Daglo joined forces to oust a civilian government installed after Bashirs downfall, derailing an internationally backed transition to democracy.

With neither Burhan nor Hemeti appearing ready to back down, the situation could get much worse, the ICG think tank said.

Even if the army eventually does secure the capital, and Hemeti retreats to Darfur, a civil war could well follow, with potentially destabilising impact in neighbouring Chad, the Central African Republic, Libya and South Sudan.
Protests against judicial reform in Israel persist with tens of thousands participating

Tens of thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv for the 16th consecutive week to protest against government judicial reforms which they consider as a threat to democracy.

Despite the Prime Ministers announcement of a pause to allow talks for the reforms on March 27, which split the nation, weekly protests occurred nonstop.

Another mass protest is set to occur in the coastal city on Sunday in conjunction with Netanyahus speech to the general assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America.

The reform proposals essentially reduce the power of the Supreme Court and transfer more power to politicians over the appointment of judges.

The Netanyahu administration argues that the changes are needed to rebalance the powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.

The week ahead also includes Remembrance Day and the countrys 75th anniversary. A demonstration against the reform will take place in Tel Aviv on Tuesday before Independence Day on Wednesday, while those who support the reform will gather on Thursday. AFP
The European Union announced on Friday that it is preparing for the possibility of evacuating its citizens from Khartoum amidst ongoing armed conflicts in the Sudanese capital.

We are trying to coordinate an operation to get our civilians out of the city which is now in a high-risk situation.

We are working on different possibilities for taking people out, a senior EU official stated.

According to the official, the security situation is not conducive to an evacuation operation currently, but once conditions permit, the EU and seven EU member states with missions in Sudan, including France, Germany, and Italy, will transport the roughly 1,500 trapped EU citizens out of Khartoum by road since the airport is closed.

A three-day ceasefire would be necessary to carry out such an operation, the official added. We will be following closely the situation to wait for the moment that it can be done, the official said, At that moment, its our expectation we will be fully prepared to go ahead with the evacuation of our nationals.

The clashes between Sudans army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the leader of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have resulted in over 400 deaths and thousands of injuries since they erupted on Saturday.

In the violence, a senior EU humanitarian official was shot and wounded, and the blocs ambassador to Sudan was assaulted at his residence.(AFP)
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Ann Arbor (Informed Comment)  The UNs World Meteorological Organization has issued its annual report. As you will have guessed, things dont look good.

There were 117 heat waves in 2022 and 58 droughts globally. But there were also 61 wet spells and 63 floods. We are rushing toward weather extremes. Global heating has driven a 6-fold increase in heat waves over the past 40 years.

By the way, this spring, India and some other Asian countries confronted the worst April heat wave on record. Ive lived in India and Pakistan in April, and even forty years ago it was sweltering hot. I cant imagine what it is like now. It reached 111 degrees F. some places, such as Bankura, Bengal, and schoolchildren werent able to go to class in many instances.

One of the striking WMO findings is that in the Swiss Alps, 6% of the mass of the glaciers was lost between 2021 and 2022, a record breaking setback. If you did that every year for the next 17 years, all the glaciers would be gone from Switzerland. That development is a little unlikely, since the average volume loss in the past twenty years has been more like one to two percent per annum. Still, the rate of global heating is increasing, and the glaciers in the Swiss Alps have lost half their volume in the past 85 years.

Article continues after bonus IC video

Swiss glaciers disappearing at record speed  BBC News

Some glaciers in the Alps may be 120,000 years old, and we are melting them so fast we could wipe them out in this century.

What was the reason for this weird 6% loss of volume? The WMO gives three. There wasnt much snow in 2022, so the glaciers were left uncovered, increasing their exposure. Second, winds brought an unusual amount of dust from the Sahara Desert up to Switzerland and deposited it on the glaciers. Brown dust reflects less sunlight back away than does white ice, making it hotter for the glaciers. Finally, it was unusually hot in Europe last summer, and the extra heat helped melt glaciers.

Just to underline, this. is. not. normal.

Melting glaciers are a problem for several reasons. Many parts of the world depend on summer glacier melt for drinking water. In fact, the whole country of Pakistan and the Indian province of Kashmir do. In the old days before we humans heated up the earth by burning coal, petroleum and fossil gas, the glaciers would melt a little in the summer but then grow back in the winter. Now, they are not growing back to the same extent. Hence the 6% loss in volume. If the glaciers go away, maybe entire countries thirst to death.

Second, the melt water eventually flows into the seas and oceans, causing them to rise. In past times on earth when it has been so hot that there is no surface ice, the seas have been as much as 300 feet higher, and there was a third less land area than there is now. I.e bye-bye Louisiana, the Carolinas, and the countries of Egypt and Bangladesh. Those past warm epochs were caused by thousands of volcanic eruptions over millions of years. We humans have managed to heat up the globe in only 270 years, a rate never before seen in earth history.

I put solar panels on my roof and got an electric car, but there is only so much individuals can do. This is a job for governments, and it matters a lot whom you vote for.

But fighting climate change is always possible. Think of it like a scale of 1 to 100. We can stop it at 2 or go to 3. If we go to 3 we can stop it there or go to 4. Wherever we can stop it or slow it down, we win. Since it is a spectrum, there is never a point where you could say that it is too late to do anything. If you dont do something you guarantee that things will move further to the other side of the spectrum and get even worse.
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Human Rights Watch  (Beirut)  Negotiations for a new truce in Yemen by Saudi and Houthi authorities present an opportunity to incorporate accountability and monitoring mechanisms that are essential for protecting Yemenis fundamental rights, Human Rights watch said today. Based on news reports, negotiations are apparently making progress.

To effectively address Yeminis human rights, any new truce would require provisions for the genuine participation of Yemeni civil society in discussions on issues affecting their rights, the release of everyone arbitrarily detained, a plan to survey and clear all landmines and explosive remnants of war, and a commitment to accountability and redress for wartime abuses. The parties to the conflict, as well as the UN and powerful states, have comprehensively failed to hold rights violators accountable since the conflict began in 2014. Their continued abuses have reinforced the need for an independent, international, investigative mechanism to end impunity.

The real beneficiaries of this truce should be Yemeni civilians, rather than leaders of the parties to the conflict, who have no interest in being held accountable for their grave violations of international law said Niku Jafarnia, Yemen and Bahrain researcher at Human Rights Watch. Yemeni civil society and activists have been effectively frozen out of negotiations, leaving people in Yemen with no one to represent their interests.

Warring parties agreed to a two-month UN-brokered truce in 2022, which included an agreement to cease all offensive military operations, as well to allow fuel ships to enter Hudaydah ports and to restart commercial flights from Sanaa airport. The parties renewed the truce twice, ending on October 2. However, violations continued, and key provisions to protect civilians were not included.

Throughout the conflict, Human Rights Watch and other rights groups have documented widespread violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law. The Saudi- and UAE-led coalition, intervening on behalf of the government, destroyed and damaged civilian infrastructure, including homes, medical facilities, schools, markets, and water and food sources and infrastructure through its air campaign, some of which may amount to war crimes. The Houthis, who control the capital and much of the rest of the country, have fired mortars, rockets, and missiles into densely populated areas both in Yemen and in Saudi Arabia, constituting other possible war crimes, and have laid landmines in civilian areas across the country.



Credit: jackmalipan via Unsplash

Despite a decrease in civilian casualties and the re-opening of Sanaa airport for commercial flights, civilian harm continued during the truce. Based on data from the Civilian Impact Monitoring Project, there were about 938 civilian casualties in the six months of the truce. The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Projects Yemen Truce Monitor recorded 2,208 incidents of shelling, artillery, and missile attacks  an eightfold increase from the six months prior to the truce, as well as 374 air/drone strikes and 369 armed clashes.

Save the Children found that parties to the conflict killed or injured 38 children in the last week of July  the highest number recorded since early 2020.

Mwatana for Human Rights, a Yemeni civil society organization, recorded at least 14 indiscriminate ground attacks throughout the truce. In one attack, on July 23, 2022, the Houthis shelled a residential neighborhood in Taizz, killing one child and wounding 11 other.

Since the disbanding of the UN Human Rights Council-mandated monitoring body, the Group of Eminent Experts, in 2021, there has been no international monitoring of rights violations in Yemen. While nongovernmental groups and other UN bodies have partly bridged that gap, their work has not replaced an adequately resourced UN-endorsed independent investigative body. It is difficult to assess whether the harm to civilians during the truce constituted violations of international law. However, the significant number of civilian casualties may demonstrate that warring parties were not taking adequate precautionary measures, when they should not have been fighting at all.

Further, the Houthis rejected the UN Special Envoys plans for a provision in the truce to reopen roads in Taiz and other places. The main roads in and out of Taiz have been blocked by the Houthis since 2015, severely restricting the freedom of movement of civilians and critical humanitarian aid.

Parties to the conflict, and the Houthis in particular, continued to restrict humanitarian access. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded about 1205 incidents of blocking or interfering with humanitarian access during the truce, including violence against aid workers. In the three months after the start of the truce, violence against aid workers and facilities increased by 40 percent from the previous three months.

For a new truce to uphold the rights of people in Yemen, it is critical to meaningfully include Yemeni civil society actors on key issues, including the rights of women and minority groups. Parties to the conflict should also release everyone arbitrarily detained and reveal what happened to others who had been disappeared, who include human rights activists and journalists.

Parties to the conflict have damaged or destroyed Yemens critical infrastructure, severely impairing Yemenis rights, such to health, water, sanitation, and education. To recover from the conflict, the parties to the conflict should commit to surveying and clearing the large quantities of landmines and other explosive remnants of war scattered across the country and provide aid to rebuild damaged or destroyed infrastructure. Finally, parties should be held accountable for their serious violations over the course of the conflict, including ending impunity for those who carried out or oversaw likely war crimes.

Civil society has not been formally included in the truce discussions or meaningfully included in broader negotiations led by the UN special envoy.

Human Rights Watch and other groups have documented torture, enforced disappearance, and arbitrary detention by coalition forces, particularly by Saudi Arabia and UAE forces, and as well as Yemeni forces backed by the UAE. While the recent exchange of nearly 900 detainees was a significant move by both sides, many more people remain arbitrarily detained and disappeared by all warring parties. A truce should ensure their release.

Landmines  including internationally-banned anti-personnel landmines  and explosive remnants of war remain scattered across the country. During the truce, explosive remnants were the leading cause of civilian casualties, causing around 300 casualties over the course of 6 months. Children and women are particularly vulnerable, and landmines widespread use has led to displacement and the loss of livelihoods. Current clearance efforts are limited and under-resourced, leaving hundreds of thousands more landmines to be cleared.

Finally, warring parties have not been held accountable for their actions throughout the conflict  including for violating the truce. Parties to the conflict have caused at least 20,000 civilian casualties, and over 21 million Yemenis are in need of humanitarian aid. Over 4.5 million people have been displaced, and the conflict has left critical infrastructure  including medical facilities and water and food infrastructure  across the country damaged or destroyed.

Under international law, warring parties are obligated to provide reparations for violating the law. But according to Mwatana for Human Rights and Yale Law Schools Lowenstein International Human Rights Clinic, the warring parties have failed to effectively provide reparations. Human Rights Watch research has demonstrated that fair trials, as well as reparations, reconstruction, and other forms of development are needed to move society forward in a sustainable way.

Disbanding the Group of Eminent Experts has left an incredible gap in the ability of Yemeni civilians to achieve accountability and redress, Jafarnia said. A new truce should address this gap by including the establishment of an international investigative mechanism, which is the first step toward achieving accountability.

Via Human Rights Watch
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 21, 2023) - York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC Pink: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) (the "Company" or "York") is pleased to report the final assay results from its Phase 4 drilling program ("Phase 4") at the 100%-owned York Harbour Copper-Zinc Project (the "Project") in western Newfoundland, Canada. These results further confirm the presence of high-grade copper-zinc mineralization, highlighting the potential for expanding mineral resources at the Project.

In addition to these final Phase 4 assay results, the Company will provide an update on its current Phase 5 diamond drilling campaign, targeting new areas of potential high-grade Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide ("VMS") mineralization.

Figure 1: Plan View of York Harbour's Phase 4 Completed Drill Holes and Mineralized Zones within the Main Mine Area

Phase 4 played a crucial role in expanding the Company's understanding of the potential within the Main Mine area and other parts of the 4,725-hectare property, building on positive results from earlier exploration phases.

Key Highlights from the Final Outstanding Analytical Results:

Drill hole YH22-73 intersected 44.93 metres of 1.292% copper including 5.36 metres of 2.938% copper

Confirmed significant high-grade copper-zinc VMS mineralization: The final assay results from the remaining four diamond drill holes of the Phase 4 program further confirmed the presence of significant copper-zinc mineralization, supporting the potential for expanded mineral resources at the York Harbour Copper-Zinc Project.

Comprehensive understanding of project potential based on final drill assay results, combined with analytical findings from earlier exploration phases and most of the Phase 4 drilling program, provide an understanding of the Projects potential for expanding mineralization.

York's President & CEO, Bruce Durham, commented, "We are pleased to report these final assay results from our Phase 4 drilling program. The continued confirmation of significant copper-zinc mineralization reinforces our belief in the potential of the York Harbour Copper-Zinc Project. As we move forward, we remain committed to unlocking further value and advancing our exploration efforts."

Table 1: Drill Assay Results from Remaining Four Holes During Phase 4

Update on Phase 5 Drilling Program

The Phase 5 drilling campaign began on February 18th with the casing on drill hole YH23-111. Since then, the Company has completed five drill holes (YH23-111-115) tracing the A Zone mineralized structure north for approximately 120 m, and four drill holes (YH23-116-119) testing for possible gold-bearing VMS mineralization within the K zone. Following this drilling, the drill rig and equipment was readied for NQ-sized drilling of the Pinnacle Pond zone, and the drilling began on this zone with the collaring of drill hole YH23-120 on March 30th. To date, the Company has completed 2,170 m of NQ-size diamond drilling during the Phase 5 program.

Newfoundland's Mining History and Northwestern Deposits

Newfoundland has a rich history of mining, which has made significant contributions to the provincial economy. The province is known for its diverse mineral resources, including base metals, precious metals, and industrial minerals. Western Newfoundland, in particular, has a history of successful mineral exploration and mining operations, with several significant base, precious and rare earth discoveries and mines.



The exploration potential of western Newfoundland is supported by its geology, hosting several mineral-rich geological belts. These belts are characterized by Precambrian and younger rocks and favorable structures, creating an ideal environment for the formation of critical element deposits. The presence of the Dunnage Zone, a well-known geological structure in the region, has been associated with VMS-style mineralization, making it an attractive target for exploration companies like ours.



The ongoing exploration success in western Newfoundland highlights the region's potential for further discoveries and economic development. The provincial government has demonstrated support for the mining industry by offering incentives and promoting investment in mineral exploration.



With the York Harbour Copper-Zinc & its Bottom Brook Rare Earth Element Projects located in this resource-rich region, the Company is well-positioned to capitalize on the area's geological potential. These projects are strategically located with access to essential infrastructure, such as roads, power, and ports, which will facilitate future project development and mining operations.



York's President & CEO, Bruce Durham, further commented, "Newfoundland, particularly the western portion of the province, has showcased its potential for hosting significant deposits. Our two projects benefit from this geologically prospective setting, and we are dedicated to advancing our exploration efforts to unlock the full potential of our projects."

Qualified Person

Doug Blanchflower, P. Geo., a Director of York Harbour, and Qualified Person in accordance with National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and accepted the technical material contained in this news release.

About York Harbour Metals

York Harbour Metals Inc. (TSXV: YORK) (OTC Pink: YORKF) (FSE: 5DE0) is an exploration and development company focused on two high-grade projects in Newfoundland. The York Harbour Copper-Zinc-Silver Project is located approximately 27 km from Corner Brook in Newfoundland. The Company intends to continue drilling the 11 known mineralized zones and explore new massive sulphide targets.

Recently, the Company announced the acquisition of a high-grade Rare Earth Elements ("REE") project also located in Newfoundland. The Bottom Brook Critical Metals Project, covering 15,150 hectares, is located next to the Trans Canada Highway and is just 27 km from the deep-water port at Turf Point. York Harbour intends to actively identify diamond drill targets through property-wide prospecting, focused soil sampling, and geological mapping. A substantial drill program is scheduled for this year.

For further details on York Harbour Metals, please reach out via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call +1-778-302-2257. You may also visit the Company's website at www.yorkharbourmetals.com for past news releases, media interviews and opinion-editorial pieces by management.

On Behalf of The Board of Directors,

"Signed"

Bruce Durham

CEO, President, and Director

Telephone: 778-302-2257 | Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Website: www.yorkharbourmetals.com

1518 - 800 Pender Street W, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6C 2V6

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release may contain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. All information contained herein that is not historical in nature may constitute forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements herein include but are not limited to statements relating to the prospects for development of the Company's mineral properties, and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions that, while considered reasonable by management, are inherently subject to business, market and economic risks, uncertainties and contingencies that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by forward looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, April 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Future Fuel Corporation (CSE: AMPS, Frankfurt: K14, WKN: A3DQFB, OTCQB: AFFCF) (the Company, or American Future Fuel) is please to announce that, effective as of April 21, 2023, Mr. David Suda will assume appointments as both, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of the Company.

Mr. Suda brings 15 years of capital markets experience to the Company, along with strong relationships and expertise in corporate strategy, capital raising, sustainability performance and marketing. Mr. Suda is a finance professional that has previously served as Managing Director at both, Beacon Securities Limited, a global investment bank, and Paradigm Capital, a research driven investment dealer. He has been instrumental in raising over $10 billion for private and public companies across both roles. Throughout his career in the capital markets, Mr. Suda established strong relationships with institutional managers. Mr. Suda is a graduate, with honours, of York University where he earned a bachelors degree in Environmental Studies.

I am excited to lead a company that has tremendous potential and a clear path to advancing to the next level. Our Cebolleta Project is in the prolific Grants Mineral Belt that has accounted for approximately 37% of all uranium production in the United States. Cebolleta is an advanced project with substantial past uranium production and several historically delineated deposits that we believe can be efficiently converted into 43-101 compliant resources. Furthermore, several hundred historical mineralized drill holes from the southern half of the property have not been accounted for and provide a significant opportunity for growth. I look forward to working with the team on the ground, with the goal of building a significant player in the United States uranium sector, Stated Mr. Suda, CEO of the Company

Mr. Luke Montaine, the Company's current CEO will step down, effective the same date. The Board wishes to thank Mr. Montaine for his service as CEO.

ABOUT AMERICAN FUTURE FUEL

American Future Fuel Corporation is a Canadian-based resource company focused on the strategic acquisition, exploration and development of alternative energy projects. The Company holds a 100% interest in the Ceboletta Uranium Project, located in Cibola County, New Mexico, USA, and situated within the Grants Mineral Belt, a prolific mineral belt responsible for approximately 37% of all uranium produced in the United States of America. American Future Fuels Ceboletta Uranium project is an advanced exploration project.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

AMERICAN FUTURE FUEL CORPORATION

David Suda, Chief Executive Officer

For further information, contact:

David Suda at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements under applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties, uncertain capital markets; and delay or failure to receive regulatory approvals. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.
Four incidents on farms in Niagara County in the last week, including two animal thefts, have local state legislators calling for stricter burglary laws.

Senate Minority Leader Rob Ortt, R-North Tonawanda, R-North Tonawanda, proposed changing the second-degree burglary charge to include unlawfully entering or remaining on farmland with the intent to commit a crime. The move came after animal advocates held a session April 15 on an "Open Rescue Experience," which included "animal rescue, from researching facilities to winning at trial."

Niagara County sheriff warns farmers to beware of trespassers after 'Right to Rescue' animal summit The Niagara County Sheriff's Department issued a warning to farmers that at least two instances of trespassing have taken place on farmland in Newfane since a social media post encouraged people to attend an animal "right to rescue summit" last weekend in Tonawanda.

"These are not advocates, these are criminals," Ortt said at a press conference at a Niagara County farm Saturday.

Wayne Hsiung, an animal rights activist from California who said he was a facilitator at the April 15 event, said the purpose of the event was mischaracterized by the Sheriff's Office.

"This was an event about the right of every citizen in this country to give aid to sick, suffering, abandoned animals," Hsiung said, adding that he has previously presented the workshop at law schools.

Niagara County Sheriff Michael Filicetti said anyone who sees anything suspicious should call the sheriff's department, and if it is safe, photograph people and vehicles where trespassing could be occurring.

"If you have livestock of any type, I would be concerned, animals of any type, I would be concerned," Filicetti said.

Paul Strobel said he saw people on his farm last Sunday morning taking photos and they ran when he went to talk to them. "We didn't ask for any of this, we don't want any of this, but unfortunately this has been thrust on us," he said.
Smoke is seen in Khartoum, Sudan, Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Abd Algadier, a Sudanese citizen of Canada, is mere blocks from the head-quarters of the Rapid Support Forces headquarters, the paramilitary group whose lashing against the Sudans army has left him unable to return to Canada and in peril on nearly every front. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Marwan Ali
Sean Kirst Columnist Born in Dunkirk, a son, grandson and great-grandson of Buffalonians, I've been an Upstate journalist for more than 49 years. As a kid, I learned quiet lives are often monumental. I still try to honor that simple lesson, as a columnist. Follow Sean Kirst Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Chris Hytha began thinking about the project in winter of 2021, not long after graduating from architectural school at Drexel University in Philadelphia. The world was just coming out of the pandemic shutdown, and Hytha  steeped since childhood in civic statements made by great old buildings  was contemplating a journey to the heart of sprawling cities.

He wanted to travel the nation to capture high-resolution drone images of the peaks of great art deco towers, often with moody backlit skies at sunrise, understanding a kind of beautiful contradiction: These spires, built by memorable architects with elaborate ornamentation intended to move everyday people on the sidewalk, were removed by sheer distance from that audience, a gap that could be dramatically resolved by drone.

Hytha, whose streetscape images of Philadelphia had already earned him more than 70,000 followers on Instagram, set out to create what you might call headshots of these beloved deco landmarks. He preferred working in what he calls "a beautiful and particular condition," when the skies are cloudy yet allow a dash of sunlight at a building's peak.

He was inspired by such classics as the Chrysler Building in Manhattan, but  in the way large projects often go  he wandered into unexpected revelation.

To wrap together everything that makes a deco skyscraper truly matter  art and beauty and beyond all else, the aching story of a city  it is hard to find anyplace that matches the resonance of upstate New York ...

Especially Buffalo.

Ive thought a ton about it, said Hytha, 25, whose musician parents restored crumbling old houses on the side. These buildings really tell a story about society and what we value. Theyre time capsules, and they capture an undeniable pride and excitement and craftsmanship about a very different America.

I learned about Hytha and his writing partner, Mark Houser of Pittsburgh, when a reader and fellow writer, Alan Oberst, forwarded a tweet in which Hytha displayed brooding portraits of these upstate skyscrapers. Many, structurally, are emotional siblings, envisioned in a spasm of wildly optimistic last-second-at-the-brink civic planning before the great crash of 1929 shattered that economic trajectory.

Hytha brings you the rectangular peak of the 28-story Rand Building, Buffalos tallest building at the time it opened in 1929. With the Niagara rapids as a backdrop, he offers the Mayan-inspired reliefs of the Giacomo, long known as the United Office Building, a solitary Niagara Falls tower of that same year, evoking that citys before-the-struggle commercial euphoria.

Sean Kirst: Far above the streets of Buffalo, preserving Liberty Like just about every child in Buffalo, James Carpino once wondered what it might be like to stand at the foot of Liberty. Today, he

In Albany, he photographed the Alfred E. Smith State Office Building, completed in 1928, a testament to an ebullient namesake. Hytha also visited the State Tower Building in Syracuse, opened in 1928 at 22 stories, a building whose brick coloring gradually changes from the base, creating the illusion of sunlight touching it at peak, even on a cloudy day.

One of Hythas favorite landmarks, of the more than 100 he photographed nationally: The Times Square Building in Rochester  once known as the Genesee Valley Trust  including a work of sculpture that stands as monument to the feeling of that era.

Architect Ralph Walker, an art deco champion, topped it with his 42-foot Wings of Progress  a statement of optimism despite the collapsing economy of 1929.

In Buffalo, Hytha sought out the lonesome tower of the Central Terminal, opened in 1929 as a high-profile symbol of one of the nation's great railroad hubs. It now provides a soliloquy on civic history: The plunging fortunes of the railroads ended that buildings daily vitality almost 45 years ago, though Hytha was pleased to hear that $60 million in state and philanthropic investment is intended to reignite some of that light, both for the landmark and the people of the neighborhood around it.

I told Hytha how moved I was by everything the project brings together regarding not only these skyline towers, but the regional connection of the cities around them. At one point or another, I lived in most of these communities, and over the last 40 years  either formally, or otherwise - I managed to find my way to the peaks of many of these buildings.

What this 25-year-old artist from Philadelphia realized, through his camera, is that this jubilant art deco trail across Upstate makes a city-to-city statement on a distinct and irreplaceable moment in time, in many ways replete with loss.

Even so, Houser and Hytha still maintain that in the sheer aspiration and imagination of their designers, those buildings speak to the future, now.

They capture the spirit of an era of optimism, of modernism, Houser said. In 2020, he wrote a book detailing his reverence for American skyscrapers and the stories behind them: MultiStories: 55 Antique Skyscrapers & the Business Tycoons Who Built Them.

Hytha read it, and reached out. They began the collaborative and ongoing project Hytha calls Highrises, a list including 111 buildings from 30 cities. Hytha photographed them on road trips that were sometimes done with Houser, though Hytha's mother provided logistical help on the wintry trip to Buffalo.

Until that work comes together in a book, the primary commercial aspect lies in the sale of physical prints and high-resolution images. Most of the photos involve deco skyscrapers, though Hytha and Houser admit to a certain amount of crossover between styles:

The collection wraps in the 1912 Electric Tower in Buffalo, for instance, or Joseph Lyman Silsbees 1876 Syracuse Savings Bank building, which is hardly deco but is wildly and visibly eccentric  and thus a skyline statement.

"The biggest thing is the form, buildings with very distinct profiles that can be recognized from a distance," Hytha said.

That is why "Highrises" does not include the building Houser considers one of the greatest examples of all American skyscrapers: Louis Sullivan's Guaranty Building in Buffalo, which Houser calls  point-blank  the "most elegant skyscraper in the world.

I've intentionally waited, for full impact, to mention what Hytha sees as a prime moment in this effort. He made his first trip to photograph skyscrapers during the Yuletide about 17 months ago, a journey that began in Philadelphia and brought him  with growing excitement and surprise  across the large cities of the old Erie Canal corridor, from Albany to Syracuse to Rochester.

And then to Buffalo.

This community, he quickly learned, is a treasury of deco towers, with the Rand Building, the twin-statues-topped Liberty Building, the Central Terminal and more.

Still, Hytha puts it this way: He has seen many of the great art deco landmarks in the nation. He speaks with reverence of Chicagos Carbide and Carbon Building, and of Claud Beelmans Eastern Columbia Building in Los Angeles.

But if you want the building that he found most physically surprising  the one that caused one of his most visceral reactions, and the one whose image now hangs on his bedroom wall  that happened when he arrived here.

He absolutely fell in love with Buffalo City Hall, whose groundbreaking was in September 1929.

"It looks like something out of Gotham, out of the comics, like it shouldnt exist, said Hytha, who speaks of its "posture," of its burly form and the staggering and frenzied artistic details at its peak. He said nature, as if sensing the moment, offered him good fortune with his final image:

Details from City Hall's tower leap out at the viewer, illuminated by just a touch of sun piercing the dark clouds rolling off the lake, while the city itself is cloaked in snow.

Houser quickly realized Hytha brought an unusual sensibility to the work, for someone so young. He has an eye for the beauty in the broken, Houser said, meaning this 25-year-old could somehow capture the optimism and vitality that still endured, even as symbol, in cities that have suffered.

In Hytha's words, that is a "beautiful and particular condition," which the rest of us  as sunlight emerges from the clouds  might see as hope.
FILE - Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, left, speaks during a House Judiciary subcommittee hearing on Capitol Hill, Feb. 9, 2023, in Washington. House Republicans on Thursday, April 6, subpoenaed one of the former Manhattan prosecutors who had been leading a criminal investigation into Donald Trump before quitting last year in a clash over the direction of the probe. Jordan ordered Mark Pomerantz to testify before the committee by April 30. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)
Kenosha government leaders gathered Thursday to hear updates on the relocation and renovation of the Kenosha County Human Services building a project that has been in the works for several months.

The project will relocate the Human Services department to the Sun Plaza site from its current location on Sheridan Road to 52nd Street. The project is supported by a $9.85 million grant from the State of Wisconsins Neighborhood Investment Funding program, along with a partnership with Bear Development.

When Gov. Evers established the Neighborhood Investment Fund program, this is exactly what he had in mind, said Wisconsin Department of Administration Secretary Kathy Blumenfeld. You (will) have a one-stop shop for those services. That is what community government is all about: being able to make that experience accessible.

Construction on the building that had held several different grocery stores, is expected to begin this summer. Health Services, along with Bear Development, plan to add a 79,757-square-foot expansion and renovation.

We have Kenosha Unified School District right there, were going to have the county right over there and Kenosha Human Development Services here, said Kenosha Ald. Anthony Kennedy. I gives people in my community an opportunity to do things in a way thats not going to be as time-consuming. Its not going to be as inconvenient.

The site is estimated to be ready for visitors at the end of 2024, and has an estimated cost of $22,600,000, including the the state grant.There are the six most challenging neighborhood in this general vicinity, and now people can have access to those services said Kenosha County Executive Samantha Kerkman. And I think thats really important.

Local leaders react

Kenosha-area government leaders shared their observations on the collaborative project, many making note of the of the positive city-county partnership.

It is so important that governments work together, so weve been able to do a number of things together, said Kenosha Mayor John Antaramian. And well keep working on that process as we go forward.

Rep. Tip McGuire, D-Kenosha, echoed similar sentiments.

I simply want to say I think this project serves as a tremendous symbol of not just state and local collaboration in the private sector to bring this project, but also a desire of all parties involved to invest in Kenosha and invest in services that benefit regular people, McGuire said. I want to thank everybody who put this together, and certainly thank the Secretary and Gov. Evers for their investment in Kenosha.

Kenosha County Board Supervisor Andy Berg said the project will help promote business development in the area.

The Human Services building being built here is also going to add a lot of business growth to that area of the community, Berg said. This is going to help current businesses continue to grow and also bring more businesses here, so we appreciate that.
The author (Another Voice: "Helping patients end their lives cannot be justified, April 10) who is an opponent of medical aid in dying can deny all that he wants that its not about pain, but for my mom, it was definitely about the extreme pain and suffering she experienced at the end of her life. My mom was not afraid of dying, but was afraid of suffering. The suffering she endured went far beyond her pain.

My mom had the best hospice care our community could provide, and it wasnt enough. Unfortunately, our last memories as a family were not about love and saying our goodbyes, it was watching my mother suffer and beg for the right to die. Those are the memories Ill carry with me for the rest of my life.

State lawmakers had the power to give my mom the compassionate option of medical aid in dying, and theyve refused to do it. Now Im advocating so that no family has to experience what ours did.

Ethan Milich

Amherst
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This years Match Day for graduating medical students had the highest number of unfilled pediatrics residency spots in recent years. Fewer pediatricians means fewer pediatric subspecialists. Like too many of our deepest health disparities, this hurts teens the most and the current political climate may be to blame.

About 1 percent of pediatricians pursue fellowship training in adolescent medicine, a board-certified subspecialty devoted to the care of youth and young adults aged 12-25. Adolescent medicine physicians are experts in reproductive and sexual health care, eating disorders, mental health, growth disorders, substance use, and gender-affirming care. They deftly handle the medical and emotional struggles of adolescence that are increasingly common. Many chronic conditions, like diabetes and attention deficit disorder, are diagnosed in adolescence and young adulthood, which take time and a trusting relationship to investigate. They are trained to collaborate with like-minded professionals in psychology, psychiatry, social work, nutrition, education, and legal advocacy. Adolescent medicines role in medical education has been so valued that, historically, all pediatrics residency programs are required to have at least one board-certified adolescent medicine specialist to be an ACGME-certified residency training program.

Caring for societys greatest emerging assets is its own reward, but adolescent medicine physicians know that this career choice requires sacrifice. In their lifetimes, adolescent medicine physicians who pursue a three-year fellowship earn over $1 million less than a general pediatrician who enters the workforce after residency training. But money isnt why its hard to be an adolescent medicine physician now, and the fate of this field is inextricably linked to the well-being of youth.

Adolescents and young adults are in the crosshairs of a harmful political agenda engineered to appeal to extremist voters. The teen-parent-provider relationship faces unprecedented legal attack through interference in confidentiality and reproductive health, as well as criminalization of abortion services and gender-affirming care. Nearly a third of the pregnancy-capable population faces bans on reproductive health care. Disinformation dominates the discourse about LGBTQ+ youth. Due to bans on gender-affirming health care, over 30 percent of all adolescent medicine physicians face punishments ranging from licensure loss to imprisonment in their home states.

Instead of being scientists, researchers, and clinicians, adolescent medicine physicians now expend enormous energy to manage the fallout of political targeting. False claims about gender-affirming care have given tacit permission for extremists to harass and threaten pediatric providers throughout the United States. In a shocking violation of social norms, childrens hospitals across the country offering services for LGBTQ+ youth have experienced bomb threats, prompting the American Academy of Pediatrics to petition the Department of Justice to investigate. As these bans are challenged in court, this professional community will grapple with moral injury from being unable to provide standard medical care that vulnerable youth deserve.

Providers in all disciplines face record levels of burnout, but adolescent medicine providers must not be forgotten. The current political climate is causing historic levels of interference, but immediate and concrete steps can help ensure the longevity of this field.

Emphatic statements of support from all relevant medical societies are needed that denounce disinformation, the criminalization of essential health care, and harassment of providers. Such statements can inform state legislators and protect individual physicians from being the focal point of advocacy. Leaders in medicine with access to legacy media must amplify these statements and flood Americas consciousness with correct information.

Current harms in medical training should also be mitigated with a sense of urgency. The American Association of Medical Colleges and the American College of Graduate Medical Education must create alternative opportunities for medical students, residents, and fellows to rotate in geographic regions where these essential health services are protected. This will reassure trainees that political interference will not irreparably harm their education and answer their legitimate concerns. Providers of all disciplines should stand beside and defend their adolescent medicine colleagues in state legislatures when intimidating legislation sways hospital leaders to close our clinics. To do so protects all patients, because scientific disinformation somewhere is a threat to health justice everywhere.

Whether or not our society is ready, more youth than ever are coming of age. Upfront investment in youth protects their health and ensures a triple dividend of wellness. Healthy youth become healthy adults who raise and support thriving younger generations. Theyre diverse and dazzling. Up to 10 percent of high school students experience some form of gender diversity, which should be celebrated rather than attacked. First-generation students are moving into college campuses at the highest rates yet. But its not easy to come of age in todays world, and youth need skilled clinicians to walk alongside them.

Meredithe McNamara and Joseph Waters are pediatricians and adolescent medicine specialists.
News / Local

by Staff reporter

Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (CiZC) has hit back at President Emmerson Mnangagwa following his unsolicited comments some local NGOs critical to his government were "rogue" and "surrogate entities".In a keynote speech to mark Zimbabwe's 43 years of independence Tuesday, Mnangagwa accused NGOs of attempts to fan instability at the expense of Zimbabwe's hard-won independence.Mnangagwa said, "No voices, foreign or local, inclusive of rogue NGOs, should sow seeds of division and disharmony among us".His comments follow spirited maneuvers by the Zanu-PF administration to enact the Private Voluntary Organisations (PVO) Amendment Bill, a law NGOs say will allow a hostile state to pry into their affairs and further curtail their operations.CiZC spokesperson Obert Masaraure chastised the national leader for embarking on an unsolicited blame game and yet ignoring the fact that the real enemy of the country was the inequality brought by the looting of national resources by a privileged few."Massive looting of national wealth revealed in the Gold Mafia documentary and other previous publications is driving inequality," Masaraure said.He was referring to a corruption busting documentary aired recently which nailed individuals linked to the state leader as culprits in a multi-million-dollar gold smuggling and money laundering racket.He added, "Inequality is the primary source of instability as the excluded majority demand a share from the minority who have appropriated all national wealth for private gain."The Head of State, who is also fingered in the mass looting of national wealth, should work on revising the economic model of his government and create a model which benefits the many, not the few."Peace and stability are only guaranteed when national resources are equitably distributed."CiZC is a cutting-edge multi-NGO group that has caused discomfort to the Zanu-PF led government through continued scrutiny and candid condemnation for state excesses.Masaraure said Mnangagwa's comments were not divorced from his government's spirited attempt to muzzle CSOs."The enactment of the PVO bill is a desperate attempt to silence Civil Society which has played a critical role of holding duty bearers accountable," said the activist, also president of the vocal Amalgamated Rural Teachers Union of Zimbabwe (ARTUZ)."The CiZC is however unmoved by the illegal draconian piece of legislation."The Coalition will disregard the illegal act and continue doing the work of fighting for good governance in line with the national constitution."
MILAN (Reuters) - The privatisation of Italian lender Monte dei Paschi di Siena should foster the creation of several large banking groups in the country, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was quoted as telling the Milano Finanza newspaper on Saturday.

Monte dei Paschi (MPS), of which the government owns 64% following a 2017 bailout, is seen playing a pivotal role in the consolidation expected among Italy's mid-sized lenders.

After failing to clinch a sale of MPS to UniCredit in 2021, the government is expected to seek another bank interested in buying its stake in the Tuscan lender.

"We want to manage the exit of the state from the capital of MPS in an orderly manner to create the conditions for more large banking groups in Italy," Meloni was quoted as saying in an interview published on Saturday.

The government has just decided to renew Luigi Lovaglio's mandate as MPS chief executive for another term.

"We must not repeat the mistakes of the past. We confirmed Lovaglio at the helm of Monte dei Paschi, the CEO successfully led the last capital increase, and now we must work to bring Monte back to the private market," Meloni said.

The government is also working to sell ITA Airways, the successor of Alitalia, to Germany's Lufthansa with a deal expected in the coming days.

"Lufthansa will have to ensure that Italy is at the centre of its interests and present an effective, growth-oriented business plan that serves the routes of trade and tourism," Meloni said.

Regarding former phone monopoly TIM, she indicated that Rome was monitoring the group's efforts to sell its landline grid and submarine cable unit Sparkle.

"The government will not intervene, it is alert to check that there are no situations that jeopardise the national interest," Meloni told the newspaper.

TIM is now reviewing new non-binding bids for the assets it received from KKR and state lender Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), which is working with Macquarie.

(Reporting by Francesca Landini; Editing by Helen Popper)
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A passenger waits to begin her trip on a Calgary Transit Access bus on March 6, 2019. (Bryan Labby/CBC - image credit)

Alberta is one of the last provinces without accessibility legislation prompting advocates for people with disabilities to get the issue on the agenda in the upcoming provincial election.

Members of Barrier-Free Alberta have been meeting with MLAs, caucuses and cabinet ministers over the past number of years. With the election campaign starting on May 1, they are now reaching out to candidates.

Sam Mason, a community advocate with Barrier-Free Alberta, said people have expressed support for the legislation but other issues like COVID-19, health care and affordability have been more of a priority for government. The scope of the legislation is also overwhelming, she suggested.

"It just kind of gets lost in the shuffle a little bit just because it is really big legislation that would impact every facet of the government," she said.

The Canada Accessibility Act, which covers areas under federal jurisdiction, came into force in 2019.

Six provinces have laws on the books. Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have legislation in progress, leaving Alberta and Prince Edward Island as the only outliers among the provinces.

Jeremy Nixon, Alberta's minister of community and social services, said Alberta's advocate for persons with disabilities has started work on a future act. He said government plans to make a decision on next steps after receiving the advocate's report this summer.

"It does have implications that could be broad-reaching into the community," NIxon said. "So we want to make sure that anything we do as we move forward that we're broadly consulting with the sector, with the disability community itself, as well as other stakeholders."

Mason says the current legislative system involves acts that address a small part of the larger issue such as rules for service animals. This patchwork of legislation creates inconsistency and gaps.

Equity issues

Advocates say provincial legislation is a matter of equality. Chris Ryan, a lawyer in Calgary, said in a recent opinion column for CBC News that lack of accessibility legislation is his ballot box issue.

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Ryan has had problems with accessible transit services with unreliable service and high costs. When he lived in Edmonton, he said getting to work on time meant forcing his wheelchair through snowy sidewalks just to get to a bus stop.

"One time I fell out of my chair in the middle of a busy street because of the snowfall," Ryan said in an interview with CBC News. "Forcing people with disabilities to undergo these things just to participate in society isn't fair."

Mike Symington/CBC

The 2022 policy document from the UCP is silent on accessibility legislation but the party is expected to release its 2023 election platform in the next few weeks.

The Alberta Party advocates for accessibility legislation in its party policies.

The Alberta NDP caucus proposed creating accessibility legislation as part of its affordable housing policy paper. The NDP  which is responsible for making platform promises  said the party will "explore" drafting and passing legislation if they form government.

"We recognize accessibility as a human right and with an Alberta NDP government, we will take immediate steps to create a framework allowing us to identify, remove, and prevent barriers to access for all disabled Albertans," St. Albert candidate Marie Renaud said in a written statement.

Mason, from Barrier-Free Alberta, said advocates will continue to push for strong and effective legislation.

"Many people are in support, understand it's a good idea," she said. "[We're] just really trying to take the next step in getting it actually passed."
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Charles Schwab (NYSE:SCHW  Get Rating) had its price objective lowered by Piper Sandler from $83.00 to $75.00 in a research report sent to investors on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

Several other analysts have also commented on SCHW. Morgan Stanley lowered shares of Charles Schwab from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and lowered their price objective for the stock from $99.00 to $68.00 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $86.00 to $85.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their target price on shares of Charles Schwab from $89.00 to $65.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Charles Schwab from $70.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, William Blair reaffirmed an outperform rating on shares of Charles Schwab in a report on Tuesday, January 17th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating and eleven have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $69.21.

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Charles Schwab Stock Down 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE:SCHW opened at $53.80 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.38, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $96.38 billion, a P/E ratio of 14.70, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 0.88. Charles Schwab has a 12-month low of $45.00 and a 12-month high of $86.63. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $63.49 and its 200-day moving average price is $73.35.

Charles Schwab Increases Dividend

Charles Schwab ( NYSE:SCHW Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.93 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.90 by $0.03. The company had revenue of $5.12 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $5.13 billion. Charles Schwab had a return on equity of 27.36% and a net margin of 34.82%. Charles Schwabs quarterly revenue was up 9.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.77 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Charles Schwab will post 3.55 earnings per share for the current year.

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 10th were given a dividend of $0.25 per share. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.86%. This is a boost from Charles Schwabs previous quarterly dividend of $0.22. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 9th. Charles Schwabs dividend payout ratio is currently 27.32%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 121,066 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.84, for a total transaction of $9,423,777.44. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 60,223,399 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,687,789,378.16. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In related news, Chairman Charles R. Schwab sold 121,066 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $77.84, for a total transaction of $9,423,777.44. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 60,223,399 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,687,789,378.16. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider Bernard J. Clark purchased 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 17th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $54.83 per share, for a total transaction of $274,150.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now directly owns 120,653 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,615,403.99. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have acquired 81,000 shares of company stock worth $4,706,960 and have sold 676,962 shares worth $53,960,539. Corporate insiders own 6.60% of the companys stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Charles Schwab

Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. West Branch Capital LLC bought a new position in Charles Schwab in the 3rd quarter worth about $25,000. Phocas Financial Corp. bought a new position in Charles Schwab in the 4th quarter worth about $25,000. Beacon Capital Management LLC bought a new position in Charles Schwab in the 1st quarter worth about $25,000. Selway Asset Management bought a new position in Charles Schwab in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in Charles Schwab by 54.8% in the 1st quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 565 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 200 shares in the last quarter. 73.49% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About Charles Schwab

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The Charles Schwab Corp. is a savings and loan holding company, which engages in the provision of wealth management, securities brokerage, banking, asset management, custody, and financial advisory services. It operates through the Investor Services and Advisor Services segments. The Investor Services segment includes retail brokerage and banking services to individual investors, and retirement plan services, as well as other corporate brokerage services, to businesses and their employees.

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CX Institutional lifted its holdings in shares of Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) by 2.3% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 19,584 shares of the business services providers stock after buying an additional 441 shares during the quarter. CX Institutionals holdings in Waste Management were worth $3,072,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in WM. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in Waste Management by 9.1% in the 3rd quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Kokusai Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 254,407 shares of the business services providers stock worth $40,759,000 after acquiring an additional 21,213 shares during the last quarter. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 10.3% during the 3rd quarter. United Capital Financial Advisers LLC now owns 18,552 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $2,972,000 after purchasing an additional 1,728 shares in the last quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 16.4% during the 3rd quarter. Aptus Capital Advisors LLC now owns 4,884 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $783,000 after purchasing an additional 687 shares in the last quarter. Burleson & Company LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 577.3% during the 4th quarter. Burleson & Company LLC now owns 9,713 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $1,524,000 after purchasing an additional 8,279 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RFG Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Waste Management by 8.9% during the 3rd quarter. RFG Advisory LLC now owns 3,643 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $582,000 after purchasing an additional 297 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.48% of the companys stock.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on WM shares. UBS Group lowered shares of Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and cut their target price for the company from $190.00 to $165.00 in a research note on Tuesday, January 10th. Raymond James lowered their price target on shares of Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 6th. BMO Capital Markets lifted their price target on shares of Waste Management from $158.00 to $167.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Truist Financial initiated coverage on shares of Waste Management in a research report on Monday, April 17th. They set a buy rating and a $190.00 price target for the company. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft decreased their target price on shares of Waste Management from $157.00 to $151.00 and set a hold rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 6th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Waste Management presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $174.67.

Waste Management Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE WM opened at $165.15 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $156.15 and a 200 day moving average of $157.81. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. The firm has a market capitalization of $67.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.73. Waste Management, Inc. has a 12-month low of $138.89 and a 12-month high of $175.98.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The business services provider reported $1.30 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.39 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $4.94 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.97 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 11.36% and a return on equity of 32.91%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 5.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.26 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a $0.70 dividend. This is a positive change from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio is presently 51.95%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Waste Management news, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total value of $120,888.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,210 shares in the company, valued at $787,283.10. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total value of $2,357,076.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 95,461 shares of the companys stock, valued at $14,799,318.83. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total transaction of $120,888.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 5,210 shares in the company, valued at approximately $787,283.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 30,743 shares of company stock worth $4,762,320 over the last three months. 0.27% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About Waste Management

(Get Rating)

Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada.

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File photo of the Vaisakhi parade in Surrey, B.C., in 2019. Organizers say more than 700,000 people could attend this year's event. (Ben Nelms/CBC - image credit)

After three years of cancellations, Canada's largest Vaisakhi parade is set to return to Surrey, B.C., on Saturday.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, festivities would see between 300,000 to 500,000 attendees. Organizers believe this year's event could be even more popular and attract more than 700,000 celebrants.

Sikhs around the world celebrate Vaisakhi every April to mark the creation of the order of the Khalsa in 1699  a defining moment in Sikh history, which gave the faith its final form.

Organizer Moninder Singh says the parade is about bringing all communities together.

"People get a really good view of what the Sikh culture is about, and not just the food, but also our way of life, our language, our family customs and also our religious customs," he said.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. PT at the Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar Temple on 85 Avenue and is set to conclude back at the temple around 4 p.m.

The celebrations will include floats, live music and dancers, featuring more than 2,500 participants. Along the parade route, businesses and families will serve free food and treats to visitors in acts of seva and langar, two significant aspects of Sikhism.

"The Vaisakhi parade is an opportunity to reunite and reconnect with diverse communities from Surrey and beyond," said Mayor Brenda Locke, who also acknowledged that the event could see unprecedented numbers of attendees from around the world.

Ben Nelms/CBC

Road closures

There will be significant road closures in Surrey on Saturday to accommodate the celebrations, with traffic control measures in place from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Delays should be expected in the area bounded by 72 Avenue to 88 Avenue and Scott Road/120 Street to King George Highway. Access to 128 Street and roads along the parade route will also be affected.

Surrey RCMP says it will be on site to help with public safety and traffic control but also to celebrate.

Story continues

"We look forward to coming together for the Surrey Vaisakhi Day Parade and celebrating this community event alongside families and residents," said Cpl. Sarbjit Sangha.

Sangha says it's important to have a plan in place with friends and family in case anyone is separated during the festivities. During past events, Sangha says police have responded to numerous calls for missing children or older adults.

Vancouver parade

The Surrey event comes a week after South Vancouver and the Punjabi District were flooded with hundreds of thousands of celebrants for Vancouver's Vaisakhi parade, which also returned for the first time since 2019.

Ben Nelms/CBC

Among the crowds were B.C. Premier David Eby and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim.

Organizers said the return of both parades shows the unity and acceptance of the Punjabi community within Canada.

History of the Sikh diaspora

Sharanjit Kaur Sandhra, a historian with Parks Canada, says the Sikh diaspora in B.C. is one of the oldest diasporas outside of the Indian subcontinent.

She says decades ago, there were only a handful of gurdwaras in all of B.C., with each one hosting different religious events.

But as the population grew, the celebrations and number of gurdwaras increased to accommodate the demand.

"There were only three or four (gurdwaras back then, and now our community has grown so much that we can all come together in many different ways and celebrate all these religious events," she said.

Sandhra notes the interest in Vaisakhi has grown exponentially in the past few years, with more people keen to see the festivities become a full-day event.

"There is a diversity of people taking part ... We also have to understand Surrey has become the central cultural hub," she said, adding many people attend the festivities in Surrey from communities like Abbotsford and Chilliwack.

"There's a lot of Sikh people who even come from Bellingham ... or even Seattle ... It's people from all over the Pacific coastal area."
StockNews.com cut shares of KB Financial Group (NYSE:KB  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday.

Separately, Bank of America lowered their target price on shares of KB Financial Group from $55.38 to $46.15 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st.

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KB Financial Group Stock Down 1.0 %

KB Financial Group stock opened at $37.24 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $15.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 4.41, a PEG ratio of 0.63 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a current ratio of 1.69, a quick ratio of 1.73 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.83. The companys 50-day moving average price is $37.55 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $38.55. KB Financial Group has a 52 week low of $30.14 and a 52 week high of $49.67.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On KB Financial Group

KB Financial Group Company Profile

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in KB. Allworth Financial LP grew its stake in shares of KB Financial Group by 79.6% in the 1st quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 697 shares of the banks stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA grew its stake in shares of KB Financial Group by 156.1% in the 1st quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 625 shares of the banks stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 381 shares during the last quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its stake in shares of KB Financial Group by 80.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 1,737 shares of the banks stock worth $65,000 after purchasing an additional 776 shares during the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC acquired a new position in shares of KB Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $73,000. Finally, Captrust Financial Advisors grew its stake in shares of KB Financial Group by 38.4% in the 2nd quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 2,698 shares of the banks stock worth $100,000 after purchasing an additional 748 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 5.80% of the companys stock.

(Get Rating)

KB Financial Group, Inc engages in providing financial services through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Corporate Banking, Retail Banking, Other Banking Services, Credit Card, Life Insurance, Investment and Securities business. The Corporate Banking business segment provides services such as loans, overdrafts, deposits, credit facilities and other foreign currency activities.

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Navellier & Associates Inc. boosted its stake in North European Oil Royalty Trust (NYSE:NRT  Get Rating) by 9.2% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 23,878 shares of the energy companys stock after acquiring an additional 2,006 shares during the quarter. Navellier & Associates Inc. owned 0.26% of North European Oil Royalty Trust worth $303,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of North European Oil Royalty Trust by 973.9% in the third quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 6,175 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $89,000 after purchasing an additional 5,600 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA grew its holdings in shares of North European Oil Royalty Trust by 68.6% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Arbitrage SA now owns 27,744 shares of the energy companys stock worth $340,000 after buying an additional 11,287 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. grew its holdings in shares of North European Oil Royalty Trust by 30.1% during the first quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 3,646 shares of the energy companys stock worth $59,000 after buying an additional 843 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG grew its holdings in shares of North European Oil Royalty Trust by 19.6% during the third quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 3,874 shares of the energy companys stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 635 shares in the last quarter. 4.39% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, StockNews.com initiated coverage on shares of North European Oil Royalty Trust in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock.

North European Oil Royalty Trust Stock Up 1.0 %

North European Oil Royalty Trust Increases Dividend

NYSE:NRT opened at $13.87 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $127.47 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.38 and a beta of 1.17. North European Oil Royalty Trust has a twelve month low of $10.03 and a twelve month high of $20.72. The stocks 50 day moving average price is $12.37 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $14.05.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 17th were paid a dividend of $1.00 per share. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, February 16th. This is a positive change from North European Oil Royalty Trusts previous quarterly dividend of $0.74. This represents a $4.00 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 28.84%. North European Oil Royalty Trusts payout ratio is currently 155.04%.

North European Oil Royalty Trust Profile

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North European Oil Royalty Trust operates as a grantor trust, which engages in holding overriding royalty rights, covering gas and oil production in certain concessions and leases in the Federal Republic of Germany. The company was founded on September 10, 1975 and is headquartered in Keene, NJ.

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SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its stake in shares of Albertsons Companies, Inc. (NYSE:ACI  Get Rating) by 529.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 186,200 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 156,615 shares during the quarter. SG Americas Securities LLCs holdings in Albertsons Companies were worth $3,862,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in Albertsons Companies by 95.1% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 15,614,698 shares of the companys stock worth $388,181,000 after buying an additional 7,613,034 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 6.2% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 6,466,540 shares of the companys stock worth $160,757,000 after acquiring an additional 375,175 shares in the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 25.0% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 6,244,930 shares of the companys stock worth $155,250,000 after acquiring an additional 1,247,860 shares in the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC raised its position in shares of Albertsons Companies by 143.0% in the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 5,715,062 shares of the companys stock worth $142,076,000 after acquiring an additional 3,363,295 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marshall Wace LLP bought a new position in shares of Albertsons Companies in the 3rd quarter worth about $84,628,000. 65.58% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Transactions at Albertsons Companies

In other news, CAO Robert Bruce Larson sold 30,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.01, for a total value of $630,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 50,241 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,055,563.41. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In related news, CAO Robert Bruce Larson sold 30,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.01, for a total value of $630,300.00. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 50,241 shares in the company, valued at $1,055,563.41. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Omer Gajial sold 36,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.05, for a total value of $757,800.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 25,140 shares in the company, valued at approximately $529,197. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 1.10% of the companys stock.

Albertsons Companies Stock Performance

Shares of ACI opened at $20.76 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.86, a quick ratio of 0.18 and a current ratio of 0.74. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $20.45 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $21.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $11.12 billion, a P/E ratio of 9.57, a P/E/G ratio of 1.51 and a beta of 0.57. Albertsons Companies, Inc. has a 52 week low of $19.14 and a 52 week high of $32.85.

Albertsons Companies (NYSE:ACI  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 11th. The company reported $0.74 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.66 by $0.08. Albertsons Companies had a return on equity of 68.28% and a net margin of 1.95%. The firm had revenue of $18.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $18.16 billion. Equities analysts forecast that Albertsons Companies, Inc. will post 2.77 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Albertsons Companies Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, May 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, April 26th will be paid a $0.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Tuesday, April 25th. This represents a $0.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.31%. Albertsons Companiess payout ratio is presently 22.12%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently weighed in on ACI. Roth Capital reissued a neutral rating on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on Albertsons Companies from $30.00 to $22.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Telsey Advisory Group reissued a market perform rating and issued a $27.25 price objective on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Wednesday, April 12th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft boosted their target price on Albertsons Companies from $27.00 to $28.00 and gave the company a hold rating in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed an outperform rating and issued a $25.00 target price on shares of Albertsons Companies in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $26.43.

Albertsons Companies Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Albertsons Companies, Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the operation of food and drug stores in the United States. The company's food and drug retail stores offer grocery products, general merchandise, health and beauty care products, pharmacy, fuel, and other items and services. It also manufactures and processes food products for sale in stores.

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FS KKR Capital Corp. (NYSE:FSK  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 4,950,000 shares, a drop of 13.3% from the March 15th total of 5,710,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 1,100,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 4.5 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the stock are short sold.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently weighed in on FSK. Oppenheimer assumed coverage on shares of FS KKR Capital in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. They issued a market perform rating and a $21.00 price target on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of FS KKR Capital from $18.50 to $19.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of FS KKR Capital from $21.00 to $21.50 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st.

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Insider Activity

In related news, insider Brian Gerson acquired 3,000 shares of FS KKR Capital stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 7th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $19.69 per share, for a total transaction of $59,070.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 17,095 shares in the company, valued at approximately $336,600.55. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other FS KKR Capital news, Director Elizabeth Sandler purchased 2,500 shares of FS KKR Capital stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 9th. The shares were bought at an average price of $19.64 per share, for a total transaction of $49,100.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now owns 4,640 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $91,129.60. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Brian Gerson purchased 3,000 shares of FS KKR Capital stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 7th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $19.69 per share, for a total transaction of $59,070.00. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 17,095 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $336,600.55. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Company insiders own 0.20% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On FS KKR Capital

FS KKR Capital Stock Performance

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. West Michigan Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of FS KKR Capital by 1.6% during the 1st quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC now owns 289,668 shares of the companys stock worth $5,359,000 after purchasing an additional 4,517 shares during the period. Sterling Group Wealth Management LLC grew its stake in shares of FS KKR Capital by 162.3% during the 1st quarter. Sterling Group Wealth Management LLC now owns 62,739 shares of the companys stock worth $1,161,000 after purchasing an additional 38,821 shares during the period. PFG Advisors grew its stake in FS KKR Capital by 4.9% in the 1st quarter. PFG Advisors now owns 162,240 shares of the companys stock valued at $3,001,000 after acquiring an additional 7,650 shares during the period. Kovack Advisors Inc. grew its stake in FS KKR Capital by 4.0% in the 1st quarter. Kovack Advisors Inc. now owns 40,327 shares of the companys stock valued at $746,000 after acquiring an additional 1,538 shares during the period. Finally, DnB Asset Management AS grew its stake in FS KKR Capital by 76.3% in the 1st quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 85,717 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,586,000 after acquiring an additional 37,093 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.43% of the companys stock.

FSK traded up $0.10 during trading on Friday, reaching $18.70. 585,052 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,072,381. FS KKR Capital has a 1 year low of $16.70 and a 1 year high of $22.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.24, a current ratio of 1.73 and a quick ratio of 1.73. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.26 billion, a P/E ratio of 58.44 and a beta of 1.39. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $18.78 and its 200-day simple moving average is $18.76.

FS KKR Capital (NYSE:FSK  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The company reported $0.81 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.75 by $0.06. FS KKR Capital had a net margin of 5.63% and a return on equity of 11.33%. The company had revenue of $449.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $431.49 million. During the same period last year, the firm posted $0.65 EPS. FS KKR Capitals revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that FS KKR Capital will post 3.08 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

FS KKR Capital Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.70 per share. This is a boost from FS KKR Capitals previous quarterly dividend of $0.68. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $2.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 14.97%. FS KKR Capitals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 800.00%.

About FS KKR Capital

(Get Rating)

FS KKR Capital Corp investment company located in US with an EBITDA of $25 to $100 million. The fund focus on Broad range of sectors. It participates in debt and buyout capital transactions.

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Benchmark upgraded shares of Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report report published on Wednesday, MarketBeat.com reports. They currently have $45.00 price target on the aerospace companys stock.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on the company. Sanford C. Bernstein cut Spirit AeroSystems from an outperform rating to a market perform rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $46.00 to $38.00 in a research note on Wednesday, March 1st. Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Spirit AeroSystems from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and cut their price target for the stock from $38.00 to $36.00 in a report on Friday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Spirit AeroSystems from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 8th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Spirit AeroSystems from $39.00 to $42.00 in a report on Monday, January 9th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Spirit AeroSystems in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating for the company. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating and six have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $38.69.

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Spirit AeroSystems Price Performance

SPR stock opened at $30.60 on Wednesday. Spirit AeroSystems has a one year low of $21.14 and a one year high of $45.95. The companys 50 day moving average price is $33.17 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $30.15.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Spirit AeroSystems

Spirit AeroSystems ( NYSE:SPR Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The aerospace company reported ($1.46) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.31) by ($1.15). Spirit AeroSystems had a negative return on equity of 365.67% and a negative net margin of 10.85%. The business had revenue of $1.32 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.84) earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts anticipate that Spirit AeroSystems will post -0.05 earnings per share for the current year.

Several large investors have recently made changes to their positions in SPR. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Spirit AeroSystems by 0.7% during the first quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 9,384,185 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $458,793,000 after buying an additional 68,953 shares during the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD boosted its stake in Spirit AeroSystems by 5.1% in the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 6,983,690 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $206,717,000 after purchasing an additional 341,325 shares in the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. grew its position in Spirit AeroSystems by 20.1% during the 4th quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 6,695,378 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $198,183,000 after purchasing an additional 1,122,570 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. increased its stake in Spirit AeroSystems by 4.0% during the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 5,332,086 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $260,687,000 after purchasing an additional 205,899 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp raised its holdings in Spirit AeroSystems by 4.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 3,270,982 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $71,731,000 after buying an additional 140,075 shares during the last quarter. 85.82% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Spirit AeroSystems

(Get Rating)

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc engages in the design and manufacture of aero structures for commercial and defense aircraft. It operates through the following segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment designs and manufactures forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections which related to floor beams, nacelles, struts and pylons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, flaps and slats and wing structures.

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State Street (NYSE:STT  Get Rating) had its target price trimmed by Morgan Stanley from $91.00 to $83.00 in a research report report published on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently issued reports on STT. Evercore ISI cut their target price on shares of State Street from $92.00 to $87.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group assumed coverage on shares of State Street in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. They set a neutral rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on shares of State Street from $76.00 to $84.00 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Monday, January 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on shares of State Street from $97.00 to $90.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Bank of America lowered their price target on shares of State Street from $84.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $83.21.

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State Street Stock Down 1.8 %

Shares of STT stock opened at $73.63 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $81.13 and a 200-day moving average of $78.73. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. State Street has a 12-month low of $58.62 and a 12-month high of $94.74. The company has a market capitalization of $24.77 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.31, a P/E/G ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.56.

State Street Dividend Announcement

State Street ( NYSE:STT Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 20th. The asset manager reported $2.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.00 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $3.16 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.06 billion. State Street had a net margin of 18.73% and a return on equity of 11.96%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that State Street will post 7.84 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 3rd were given a $0.63 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 31st. This represents a $2.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.42%. State Streets dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 35.29%.

Insider Transactions at State Street

In other State Street news, EVP John Plansky sold 11,168 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $92.22, for a total transaction of $1,029,912.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 42,455 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,915,200.10. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, CAO Ian Appleyard sold 6,725 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.42, for a total value of $594,624.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now owns 14,493 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,281,471.06. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP John Plansky sold 11,168 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $92.22, for a total transaction of $1,029,912.96. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 42,455 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,915,200.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 32,893 shares of company stock worth $2,923,987. Company insiders own 0.25% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of State Street

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Denali Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of State Street in the 1st quarter worth about $47,000. Whittier Trust Co. lifted its holdings in shares of State Street by 97.5% in the first quarter. Whittier Trust Co. now owns 6,877 shares of the asset managers stock worth $521,000 after buying an additional 3,395 shares in the last quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of State Street by 1.2% in the first quarter. GHP Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 37,189 shares of the asset managers stock worth $2,815,000 after buying an additional 447 shares in the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its holdings in shares of State Street by 6.5% in the first quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 3,890 shares of the asset managers stock worth $294,000 after buying an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Stonegate Investment Group LLC lifted its holdings in shares of State Street by 41.0% in the first quarter. Stonegate Investment Group LLC now owns 30,900 shares of the asset managers stock worth $2,339,000 after buying an additional 8,979 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 88.41% of the companys stock.

About State Street

(Get Rating)

State Street Corp. engages in the provision of financial services to institutional investors. It operates through the Commercial and Financial, and Commercial Real Estate segments. The company was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

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Kendallville, IN (46755)

Today

Rain...mixing with snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 100%..

Tonight

Rain...mixing with snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 100%.
Auburn, IN (46706)

Today

Evening rain followed by a mix of rain and snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 100%..

Tonight

Evening rain followed by a mix of rain and snow overnight. Low 36F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 100%.
May is one of my favorite months of the year. I get to go into the schools to talk about the amazing Summer Reading program that we offer. Also, we will be another month closer to moving into the new building! In the meantime, come and check out the amazing programs that are happening at the library in May!

Anime Club will meet on May 4 and 18 at 6 p.m. Anime Club is where teens can come hang out, watch some anime, eat Japanese snacks, and discuss anime with other teens who enjoy it as well. In Japanese, anime, a term derived from the English word animation, describes all animated works, regardless of style or origin. Outside of Japan, anime refers specifically to animation produced in Japan, or to its common style, which has since been adopted by a minority of works produced in other countries. This month we will be watching an anime about a dragon who is house hunting.

The first of May is when our next Teen Book Bag is open for enrollment. If you are a teen in grades 7-12, you can sign up each month. A Book Bag is a library bag that you pick up at the Circulation Desk. Each bag contains a library book, a free book for you to keep, and other goodies, treats, activities, crafts, and book lists. When you're done reading, just return the book(s) and bag, and you keep the treats! We have a limit of 10 book bags a month, so be sure to head over to our website or Facebook page to find the link to sign up.

Every month at the library we host a Who Would Win Tournament. Teens can either come into the library and vote in the Teen Space or vote online to help decide the winner for each months tournament. April has you voting on your favorite Jedi, while May will be all about Disney Sidekicks. Make sure to come into the library or check out our Facebook page to find the link for the vote.

On Saturday, May 14 at 2 p.m., there will be another Teen Drop-In. This is a program where the teens can hang out, play games, use our virtual reality headsets, and eat some snacks.

At the end of the month will be our Teen Lock In, a fan favorite program among the teens! On May 19 from 7-10 p.m., teens can come and hang out at the library after hours! There will be plenty of food and games throughout the night. A notarized parent permission slip will be required to attend.

All of the programs that I have discussed above can be attended by any teen in grades 7-12. Make sure to stop by the Teen Space if you want to find out more information about any of these events. I look forward to seeing you all in April & May! If you have any questions, please call me at 402-562-4203 or email me at Jessica.Wilkinson@columbusne.us.
Louisiana Supreme Court Chief Justice John L. Weimer, left, seated near but not with Associate Justices James T. Genovese, center, and William J. Crain, right. listens to testimmony by Rep. Jerome Zeringue, R-Houma, on his HB307, which seeks to limit per diem payments to Louisiana Supreme Court justices and judges, Thursday, April 20, 2023 in the House Committe on House and Governmental Affairs. Weimer has written a letter defending Zeringue's bill, and the six Associate Justices have written a letter opposing it. (Photo by Travis Spradling, The Advocate)
Efforts continued on the establishment of a Downtown Business Improvement District (DBID) with a town hall held April 18 at the Columbus Innovation Center.

In a Business Improvement District, special assessments are levied against real estate located within the district. The funds collected can then be used for improvements within the districts boundaries. Other cities in Nebraska with such improvement districts include Hastings, Fremont, Grand Island, Lincoln and Omaha.

In February, the Columbus City Council approved a resolution stating the citys intent to create a DBID and appointment of a DBID Board to proceed with those efforts.

Since that February meeting, the board has met several times to consider feedback and iron out further details. During the town hall on April 18, the public had the chance to hear updates on the BIDs progress and offer further input.

Josh Johnson, chairman of the DBID Board, said the boundaries of the originally proposed district now encompass a smaller area. The new boundaries include the 11th Street alley from 23rd Avenue to 33rd Avenue, 33rd Avenue to the 13th Street alley, north on 30th Avenue to the 14th Street alley, the 14th Street alley to 23rd Avenue and 23rd Avenue to the 11th Street alley.

Owner-occupied single-family dwellings are excluded from the assessment, as are tax-exempt properties such as churches.

The feedback from the original city council meeting was this districts too big or it's not sustainable or why are all these residential houses in there, Johnson said. This was our solution to it, is to shrink it down because we only lost X amount of properties and wed gotten rid of all the residentials.

The assessments would still be based on $200 per $100,000 of assessed valuation set by the county. However, there would now be a cap of $750, so the most a property owner would pay per property is $750.

Other avenues of calculating the assessment had been considered, Johnson said, such as a base assessment but that would have generated significantly fewer dollars.

If the DBID passed, it would be in place for five years and have a sunset clause built into it so the DBID could be reviewed to make sure its working as intended.

The purpose of this Business Improvement District effort is to fund smaller projects downtown, such as new banners, signage and Christmas lighting.

The DBID Board would make a recommendation on how the funds would be spent, with the Columbus City Council giving the final approval.

City Administrator Tara Vasicek said previous BIDs had been temporary, one-time efforts that funded larger projects, such as sidewalk improvements. The current effort, she said, is meant to fund smaller projects for a longer period of time.

That's dedicated, permanent funding where business owners and property owners are deciding what that funding goes to, Vasicek said.

At public meetings held during the downtown revitalization plan process, community members had indicated they wanted these types of projects, Vasicek said, and had pointed to other cities in Nebraska whose downtowns had more features than Columbus.

All of those communities, she added, have Business Improvement Districts.

The City of Columbus would match dollar-to-dollar the funds raised in the district, to also be used for downtown improvements.

The currently proposed DBID budget included $30,000 for banners; $10,000 for billboard advertising; $5,000 for directional signage; $10,000 for Christmas lighting at Frankfort Square; $6,000 for planter boxes; $5,000 for trash receptacles; $15,000 for phased-in replacement of Christmas decorations; and $10,000 to be determined by public input.

Theres really no specific signage to drive foot traffic to downtown, Johnson said, and the Downtown Business Association (DBA) was previously in charge of the Christmas lighting and downtown banners.

We're going to take on some of the role of the DBA. Were not duplicating asking for funding for the DBA and having an assessment; were only doing one, Johnson said.

Additionally, the majority of banners downtown are outdated, falling apart and/or faded, he added.

We have to start small because we have to show directional change, Johnson said. Our No. 1 goal first and foremost is to encourage as much traffic to downtown as possible  and then beautify and then work on larger projects. We want more retail customers, we want more traffic coming down, we want more foot traffic.

A handful of property owners whose properties would be located within the DBID expressed they didnt believe the district would specifically help their businesses, including Jon Kaiser, William Kurtenbach and Joe Marksmeier.

Marksmeier noted that his taxes will increase by roughly $1,500 to $2,000 over five years.

I, as a business owner, want to see that recouped, Marksmeier said. I can think a lot of things I can do for my family or my business itself for $2,000.

Kylie Sedlacek, owner of Salon.cek Hair & Spa on 13th Street, voiced her opinion that $30,000 would be too much to budget for banners. She added she believed the marketing dollars should be used for digital efforts.

For example, Sedlacek said, Norfolk has a downtown business website.

I'd be willing with this BID instead of spending $30,000 on banners  to get a website going to feature these businesses, Sedlacek said.

Sedlacek also said she understands the need for signage but that those of her generation and younger use online resources to look for businesses and not physical signs.

Lindsay Thomson, of the DBID Board, said she agreed.

Notably, among the topics discussed, an attendee asked if thought was being given to the need for public restrooms downtown, as many visitors will use business restroom facilities.

Vasicek noted the new Columbus Community Building  which includes the Columbus Public Library, Columbus Arts Council, community rooms, city hall, a coffee shop and Columbus Area Childrens Museum  will have bathrooms that are outside of the library space that can be used by the public when events are held downtown.

The citys side of the community building, which excludes the coffee shop and childrens museum, is set to open in the summer.

There have been many ideas for improving Frankfort Square, which are all being considered, Vasicek said.

Another attendee asked if property owners who make improvements to their buildings could receive a tax break. Vasicek said municipalities cannot grant tax abatement.

Another question had been if the assessments could be lowered as time goes on, which Johnson said could be a possibility if the DBID fund gets to the point where not as many dollars will need to be generated each year.

Some of the attendees also expressed they were unaware the DBID efforts were taking place and that, if they were opposed, they would have needed to file their opposition with the city.

The DBID still needs to be passed by ordinance by the city council before becoming officially established. Affected property owners will receive notification of that meeting before then and can file an opposition against the measure if they choose to do so.

According to a City of Columbus press release, the DBID Board will take the feedback from the town hall. Its not yet set when the matter will go before the city council.
Dow products & technologies presented with all-time high nine Edison Awards

Most Edison awards ever received by any company in a single year

6th consecutive year Dow receives more awards than any other organization

MIDLAND, Mich.  April 21, 2023  Dow, (NYSE: DOW) the worlds leading materials science company, has received a record-setting nine Edison Awards for 2023  more than any company ever in a single year  with 5 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze.

This also marks the sixth consecutive year Dow has been presented more awards than any other organization. Winners were presented at a Fort Myers, Florida ceremony attended by stakeholders across business, nonprofit, academics, government, and community organizations on April 20th.

The Edison Awards are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in honor of innovation and business success. This notable award program recognizes excellence in new product and service development, marketing, human-centered design as well as innovation.

As a leading materials science company, we aim to deliver technologies and solutions that benefit everyone on the planet, said A.N. Sreeram, senior vice president, Research & Development, and chief technology officer for Dow. Dows global R&D organization remains committed to delivering sustainable, high-performing, and impactful innovations. And it is an honor to be recognized on the cusp of World Creativity and Innovation Day with nine awards representing products that utilize our materials science expertise to provide solutions across the global marketplace.

This year, Dow made its mark across the following eight categories: Artificial Intelligence (AI) Optimized Productivity, Applied Chemistry, Circular Economy, Coatings & Surfaces, Enhanced Performance, Next Generation Manufacturing, Post-Consumer Recycled Material, and Sustainability.

Dows 2023 Edison Award winners

Dow Smart Search powered by CAS, an American Chemistry Society division, received Gold in the AI Optimized Productivity category. The search tool produces instant results of global data within minutes to accelerate R&D and provides the best, most sustainable solutions for customers. Dow Smart Search revolutionizes the search process for chemicals and materials with specific properties, commercial availability, and reduced health and safety risk.

DURATRACK R-100 and AEH-100 polymer emulsions received Silver in the category of Coatings & Surfaces. Designed for two-component (2K) waterborne coatings for broad area road markings such as green bike lanes, this technology has increased the visibility of bicyclists for drivers, enhanced safety through a clearly delineated space, and improved motorist yielding behavior. The distinctive benefits of DURATRACK like superior adhesion, skid-resistance, UV durability and quicker drying times have enhanced work-zone safety through a more efficient installation process.

DOWSIL TC-3035 S thermal gel received Silver in the Next Generation Manufacturing category. TC-3035 S provides next-level cooling in high-performance electronics, decreases chip temperature, and improves power chip working efficiency. The ultra-soft properties help relieve stress and shock dampening, as well as enhance the reliability of 5G Smartphones and other various communication devices.

ELVALOY RET MF 1177 multi-functional elastomer won Gold in the Circular Economy category. Used for modified asphalt to build longer-lasting and higher-load carrying roads, ELVALOY RET is supplied as free-flowing pellets that melt into hot asphalt to create a permanently modified asphaltic (bitumen) binder. The RET-modified asphalt remains easy-to-use, but delivers improved long-term resilience and climate resistance.

Sustainable Collation Shrink Film enabled by Recycled Plastics Resins was presented with a Gold medal in the Post-Consumer Recycled Material category. Dows collaboration enabled a collation shrink film made with post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastics, without compromising performance. This sustainable collation shrink film offers product protection and consumer appeal on the store shelf.

SILASTIC MS-5002 Moldable Silicone won a Gold medal in the Sustainability category, as it offers optical matrix lens molders a novel solution to producing high-quality light guides. With less downtime for maintenance, the moldable silicone from Dow MobilityScience reduces energy outputs during manufacturing and a throughput four times higher.

PHORMANTO Packaging Technology was Dows sole Bronze winner this year, for which it was also recognized in the Sustainability category. This solution increases the shelf life of perishable foods to ensure long-lasting freshness and quality, while its recyclability satisfies an increased demand for eco-friendly packaging. The leak-proof design enables cleaner grocery store shelves and a more hygienic shopping environment for consumers. PHORMANTO reduces costs and unnecessary waste in comparison to traditional packaging options.

The worlds first silicone recyclable self-sealing tire solution received Gold in the category of Applied Chemistry. This innovation from Dow MobilityScience yields enhanced tire performance, safety and durability for drivers and their passengers.

VORATRON Adhesives for Battery Assembly was presented a Silver medal in the Enhanced Performance category. The MobilityScience technology not only offers outstanding bonding strength  it satisfies the most demanding performance and quality needs for any type of cell or battery. These powerful adhesives also enable traditional cell-to-cell bonding, cell-to-module, and cell-to-pack bonding.

Learn more about these products by heading to Dows Edison Awards hub.



About Dow

Dow (NYSE: DOW) combines global breadth; asset integration and scale; focused innovation and materials science expertise; leading business positions; and environmental, social and governance leadership to achieve profitable growth and help deliver a sustainable future. The Company's ambition is to become the most innovative, customer centric, inclusive and sustainable materials science company in the world. Dow's portfolio of plastics, industrial intermediates, coatings and silicones businesses delivers a broad range of differentiated, science-based products and solutions for its customers in high-growth market segments, such as packaging, infrastructure, mobility and consumer applications. Dow operates manufacturing sites in 31 countries and employs approximately 37,800 people. Dow delivered sales of approximately $57 billion in 2022. References to Dow or the Company mean Dow Inc. and its subsidiaries. For more information, please visit www.dow.com or follow @DowNewsroom on Twitter.



For further information, please contact:

Milan Revels

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Patna, April 22: Applications seeking geographical indication tag for 'khurma', 'tilkut' and 'balu shahi' - the famous delicacies of Bihar- have been accepted by competent authority after preliminary examinations, an official said on Saturday. Besides, similar applications for Hajipur's famous 'chiniya' variety of banana, Nalanda's popular 'bawan buti' sari and Gaya's 'Pattharkatti stone craft' have also been accepted by the GI registry, he said.

A GI tag identifies a product as originating from a particular region. Applications seeking GI tag for Bhojpur's Udwantnagar 'khurma', Gaya's 'tilkut', 'balu shahi' of Sitamarhi, Hajipur's famous 'chiniya' banana, Nalanda's popular 'bawan buti' sari and Gaya's 'Pattharkatti stone craft' have been accepted by the GI registry after crucial scrutiny and examination. Banarasi Paan, Banarasi Langda Mango, Two Other Varanasi Products Get Geographical Indication Tag, Kashi Region Now Has 22 GI Tag Products.

"These developments are very positive and encouraging. We are hopeful that all these will soon get the geographical indication tags," the official said. , NABARD-Bihar chief general manager Sunil Kumar told PTI on Saturday. Bhojpur's 'khurma' is liked by foreigners, while 'tilkut', a unique treat made from sesame seeds and jaggery, is quite popular outside the country. 'Balu shahi', a sweet delicacy of Runni Saidpur village of Sitamarhi, is also very popular in the country.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development assisted producers' associations in filing applications for GI tags for these famous delicacies and products of Bihar, he said. We also engaged experts for the purpose. The bank is playing an important role in the GI registration process and also for marketing linkages, branding, and promotion of these items," Kumar said. GI tag for these delicacies and products will help farmers, manufacturers and artisans associated with these items earn more, he said. Assamese Gamosa Bags GI Tag Certificate, Elated Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma Thanks Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal (See Pics).

Recently, GI tag was awarded to Bihar's famous 'marcha rice' which is famous for its aromatic flavour. Bhagalpur's 'Jardalu mango, 'Katarni dhaan' (paddy), Nawada's 'Maghai paan' and Muzaffarpur's 'Shahi litchi' have already been protected under GI tag.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has searched the house of Tapas Saha, a Trinamool Congress MLA, and seized documents as part of an ongoing investigation into a school recruitment scam.

In a statement, CBI said that they have conducted searches at six places in West Bengal, Karnataka etc including at the premises of an MLA of Tehatta constituency (West Bengal) and others on Friday. Documents recovered during searches are being scrutinised.

Also Read | ISRO's PSLV C55 Carrying Two Singapore Satellites Blasts Off From Sriharikota (Watch Video).

A case was registered on the orders of the High Court of Calcutta. The Complainant had alleged that the said MLA entered into a conspiracy with his PA during the period 2016 to 2021 and in pursuance thereof allegedly collected money in lieu of promising State Government Jobs in different departments of West Bengal.

The CBI investigation against Tapas Saha comes in the wake of allegations of corruption against several Trinamool Congress leaders in West Bengal.

Also Read | Death Threat to PM Narendra Modi: Kerala BJP Gets Letter Claiming Threat to Life of Prime Minister During Two-Day State Visit on April 24.

The case is still under investigation, and further details are awaited. The investigation is underway. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
The University of Virginia Alumni Associations trust that provides grant funding to initiatives within the UVa community has announced a package of what it calls flash grants to help fun student-run projects.

The Jefferson Trust announced earlier this week that it had awarded $96,350 to 14 projects. The grants are called flash grants because students who apply know within weeks if they have received funding.

Creativity is key this semester, the Jefferson Trusts director of grants, Amy Bonner, said in a statement.

Educational opportunities are the standout theme this spring, the trust said in its announcement. Whether its coming together to learn at programmatic events, such as the Darden Emerging Markets Conference, Virginia Undergraduate Investment Conference, and the Black Student Business Expo, creating a better way to study organic chemistry, or educational opportunities for incarcerated individuals, people around UVA are seeking out new ways to learn and engage.

This semesters grant recipients include:

Darden Emerging Markets Conference: $10,000

International affinity clubs at the Darden School of Business are organizing the inaugural Darden Emerging Markets Conference, bringing together thought leaders, professionals, academicians and students to discuss business and growth opportunities and challenges in global emerging markets in a post-COVID world.

Laboratory for Citizen Education and Leadership: $10,000

Funding provides student leaders across Grounds opportunities to engage and learn from mixed-reality simulations, to increase leaders understanding of and capacity for thoughtful and ethical community-engaged leadership.

Behavioral Science Across Grounds: $9,240

Funding helps to establish the first formal gathering of behavioral scientists across the university, providing an opportunity for improved collaborations, better training, engaging in strategic planning and a greater sense of community.

Creating a Cohesive and Coordinated Food Union: Food Union Banquet: $3,200

The Food Union aims to integrate all the UVa Food-related chief information officers and their goals of food-related work. This springs banquet brings together student leaders, university leadership and community members to increase awareness about sustainable and just food systems as well as strengthen relationships.

Morven Student Days: $10,000

Morven Farm will be open to all students during Morven Student Days and will provide transportation to and from Grounds. Students can study, relax, learn and explore Morven through unique programming opportunities.

Orgopoly: The Organic Chemistry Monopoly/Gameboard: $1,522

A student-created game designed to review Organic Chemistry I and II, Orgopoly aims to innovate and enliven the process of studying chemistry.

Predicting Neurodevelopmental Outcomes at the Bedside: $3,187

A student research project to understand the connection between brain activity in premature infants and abnormal social development linked to autism.

The Virginia Undergraduate Investment Conference: $10,000

The Virginia Finance Institute is hosting VUIC, a stock pitch conference, bringing students together from multiple universities to provide hands-on experience in equity analysis and investment skills, networking opportunities and professional growth.

VLPP Prison Education Program : $10,000

In partnership with the Decarceration Clinic at UVa Law and Resilience Education, funding expands the Entrepreneurial Reentry Education Program model to include law school students in developing and teaching educational course materials for incarcerated learners.

Black Economic Empowerment Society: $9,734

Through a business development program, educational events and community partnerships, BEES aims to increase financial literacy, emphasize the importance of asset ownership and empower Black UVa students to start businesses.

{in}Visible Magazine: $3,170

Funding helps to launch the first literary publication at UVa dedicated to the Asian Pacific Islander South Asian American, or APISAA, community on Grounds, creating a space for exploring and sharing unique experiences through writing and art.

Talking Trees: $1,546

With the purchase of a print press, a folio of wood prints is being created as a visual catalogue of the different species of trees from across Grounds, providing tangible education to UVa students.

Americas Disappearing Chinatowns: $5,250

This project aids in student research of Chinatowns around the U.S., exploring the emergence and endurance of Chinatowns within the larger global context and culminating in the creation of a book to document students observation and research.

UVA x Nocturnal Medicine: $9,500

In partnership with the nonprofit Nocturnal Medicine, the Student Association of Landscape Architecture and Design, also known as SALAD, is planning an event in Fall 2023 concentrating on regeneration, focus, regrounding and building community among School of Architecture students.

Different from the Jefferson Trusts annual cycle grants, flash grants are capped at $10,000 per project and are awarded monthly beginning in January of each year.
Padum, April 22: Indian Air Force (IAF) airlifted an elderly woman from Shade village in Zanskar Valley of Ladakh on Saturday. The elderly woman was in a critical medical condition. She was airlifted and taken to Leh, Ladakh for further treatment. Ladakh: IAF Rescues Israeli National Suffering From Mountain Sickness & Breathing Issue Amid Turbulence.

Taking to Twitter, Head Quarters Western Air Command, IAF said, "Today an #IAF helicopter airlifted an elderly woman in a critical medical condition, from Shade village in Zanskar Vally to Leh #Ladakh for treatment. #HarKaamDeshKeNaam" Indian Air Force Rescue Israeli National Suffering From Acute Mountain Sickness in High-Altitude Area of Marka Valley (See Pics).

Further details awaited.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Kolkata, Apr 22 (PTI) More than 120 Left-leaning intellectuals and famous personalities have written an open letter, urging Visva-Bharati University to not "harass" Nobel laureate Amartya Sen over the land issue.

The intellectuals called upon the university authorities to "desist from continued humiliation of Sen" claiming that he "rightfully possesses the entire 1.38 acres of land" at his plot in Santiniketan.

Also Read | Maternal Colorectal Cancer Linked to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes, Says Study.

The signatories also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the chancellor of Visva-Bharati, to "break his deafening silence on the continued insult of Sen".

"Sen has been living on this plot which had been given to him on inheritance Visva-Bharati is now all set to evict Professor Sen from his ancestral house. Such a move has lowered the head of every Bengali, for that matter every Indian, before the entire world," the letter, published on Friday but made available to the media on Saturday, stated.

Also Read | China New Rural Land Transfer Scheme Sparks Fears Over Mass Confiscation and Reallocation.

Signatories include educationist Pabitra Sarkar, columnist Samik Bandyopadhyay, actors Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Biplab Chatterjee, writer Bhagirath Mishra, theatre personality Ashok Mukhopadhyay and lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya.

In a recent eviction order, the university asked the renowned economist to vacate the 13 decimals of land which he had allegedly occupied in an unauthorised manner by May 6.

Noting that the institution was in urgent need of gaining control of all "encroachments" as per the Centre's advisories and CAG reports, the notice stated, "Amartya Kumar Sen and all persons concerned are liable to be evicted from the said premises, if need be, by use of such force as may be necessary."

"It is decided that 13 decimals of land in the north-west corner of the scheduled premises are to be recovered from him," the notice said.

Visva-Bharati maintained that Sen's reply to an earlier show-cause notice was "fallacious and factually incorrect" and the university was the "rightful owner of all these lands which had been encroached upon in past years including the 13 decimals of land occupied by Sen".

Sen repeatedly trashed the charge claiming that while 1.25 acres of land at his plot was leased by the university to his father for a certain period of time, the contentious 13 decimals of land were bought by his father and he has all the necessary documents to prove that.

Visva-Bharati spokesperson Mahua Banerjee told PTI, "As specified in the notice, the university had given several opportunities to Sen to reply to the show-cause even before the start of the proceedings. However, he did not respond to the issues raised in any of the aforesaid notices while his lead advocate sent a notice to express apology in all the print and electronic media for making fictitious, false and malafide remarks."

Noting that there is no challenge to the assertion that the scheduled premises belong to Visva-Bharati, of which 1.25 acres had been leased to Sen's father in the 1940s and the 13 decimals of land have been occupied by him in "unauthorised" manner, Banerjee said that the institute has the right to take any action deemed legally appropriate to free the "encroachment" by May 6.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, April 22: Muslims across India as well as different parts of the world on Saturday are celebrating the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr by offering namaz. The festival marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan.

In Delhi, people hugged each other after offering namaz at Delhi's Jama Masjid on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Fitr. Eid Ul Fitr 2023: PM Narendra Modi Greets Nation on Holy Festival; Wishes for Peoples Health, Well-Being.

People offered namaz at Mubarak Khan Shaheed Dargah in Gorakhpur:

#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | People offered namaz at Mubarak Khan Shaheed Dargah in Gorakhpur on the occasion of #EidUlFitr pic.twitter.com/Gl5iz6Fl0z  ANI UP/Uttarakhand (@ANINewsUP) April 22, 2023

While talking to ANI, a man who came to offer namaz said, "I extend my wishes to the entire country on the occasion of Eid. This is a very important occasion after the 30 days of fasting. We are happy right now and special arrangements are made for the morning namaz. Delicious food items will be made in our houses today."

People gather at Jama Masjid to offer namaz:

#WATCH | Delhi: People gather at Jama Masjid to offer namaz on the occasion of #EidAlFitr pic.twitter.com/8gQO9jRbxs  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

"Eid-Ul-Fitr sends the message of peace, brotherhood, humanity and love. I wish all evils are removed from the country and happiness spreads everywhere. I wish the nation keeps moving forward and keeps prospering," he added.

People offered namaz at Gandhi Maidan in Patna:

#WATCH | People offered namaz at Gandhi Maidan in Patna, Bihar on the occasion of #EidUlFitr. CM Nitish Kumar also visited the ground. pic.twitter.com/0dgs9Rx8Ni  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

"The nation comes first. We are known by our country. We are 'Hindustani' first," he further added. Another man, G R Siddique from Ghaziabad said, "Today is a very happy day. Namaz is being offered everywhere in India with love."

"My only message is that Hindus and Muslims in the country maintain the spirit of brotherhood and spread this message all across the globe," he added. Meanwhile, the Delhi Police were fully prepared to ensure the security of those offering namaz. Eid Ul Fitr 2023: Muslims Around the World Celebrate Eid Holiday With Feasts, Prayers.

While talking to ANI, Special Commissioner of Police Dependra Pathak said, "This is a time of joy and festivities. Delhi Police has professional excellence in crowd management, especially when it comes to festivals or celebrations. Strategic deployment, communication with people and community policing is done every year. Forces do come from outside, across Delhi."

"Thousands of Police personnel deployed in the Central District - both in uniform and civil clothes. The local population also cooperates in creating an orderly atmosphere," he added. Muslims in Mumbai offered namaz on the occassion of Eid at Mahim Dargah.

People participated in the offering of namaz at Eidgah in Jammu:

#WATCH | J&K: People participated in the offering of namaz at Eidgah in Jammu on the occasion of #EidUlFitr pic.twitter.com/lNd6OIIlWH  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

Eid Ul-Fitr in Madhya Pradesh's Bhopal was celebrated on a grand scale as people gathered at Eidgah in Bhopal to offer greetings. Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The festival is of great significance due to the moon sighting which has been part of Islamic culture for a long time. It is believed that Prophet Muhammad used to wait for news of sightings of the crescent moon as it narrated the beginning of a new month.

Ending the holy month of Ramzan and starting a new spiritual journey also marks the beginning of a new Islamic year. Eid-ul-Fitr marks the month-long Ramzan fasting and the beginning of Shawwal which is the tenth month per the Islamic calendar. Since the observance of the moon is essential for ending Ramzan month and celebrating Eid, it is celebrated in different parts on different days usually with a one-day difference.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Uttar Dinajpur (West Bengal) [India], April 22 (ANI): Amid the alleged gang-rape and murder of a Dalit girl in North Dinajpur district's Kaliagunj, SP North Dinajpur Sana Akhtar on Saturday said that the victim's post-mortem report given by doctors reveals that death was due to a poisonous substance.

This comes after a Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal. On Thursday, the locals found the body of the minor, who had gone missing. On Friday, locals staged a protest demanding justice for her.

Also Read | Ajit Pawar Capable of Becoming Maharashtra CM, Says Sanjay Raut.

Giving details about the incident, SP Dinajpur said, "We found a body of a girl, and police reached the spot. Probe began. The Main accused, and his father was detained. The case was registered based on the family's complaint. Both accused were sent to 14-day police custody"

SP also informed about the post-mortem report of the victim and said that the death was due to a poisonous substance, however, they'll ask doctors to clarify if there's any sexual injury.

Also Read | IAF To Rescue: Indian Air Force Airlifts Elderly Woman in Critical Medical Condition From Ladakh's Zanskar Valley.

"Victim's post-mortem report given by doctors reveals that death was due to a poisonous substance. No major injury. We will again ask doctors to clarify if there's any sexual injury," said SP North Dinajpur.

Earlier in the day, clashes also broke out between the locals and police in the district over the rape and murder of a minor girl.

Police and security personnel were seen on the spot. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI): The Haryana Government through its Chief Secretary has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that a ring-fenced amount of Rs 1124.64 crores for urban solid and sewage management should be set apart for the purpose of solid as well as liquid waste management in the state.

The tribunal noted that a ring-fenced amount of at least Rs 1124.64 crores should be set apart in terms of the statement of the Chief Secretary, which has been taken on record and such funds be kept as "non-lapsable".

Also Read | Parkash Singh Badal Hospitalised in Fortis Mohali With Uneasiness in Breathing.

"Such an amount may include additional requirements upto Rs 1,500 crores for the upgradation of STPs which may also be available out of taking other economic methods of sewage treatment and utilization, said the Tribunal.

The bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel in an order passed on April 20, 2023, said that "the Chief Secretary, Haryana may take further remedial measures to ensure compliance of Solid Waste Management Rules considering the statutory timelines to be sacrosanct as already directed by this Tribunal judgment.

Also Read | Bihar's Famous Delicacies 'Khurma', 'Tilkut', 'Balu Shahi' Likely To Get GI Tags, Applications Accepted.

Similarly, the timelines for ensuring the setting up of necessary sewage management systems have to be accepted as rigid timelines in view of the judgment of the Supreme Court.

The tribunal also said, "Community compost pits be properly maintained, ensuring that compost produced is fully utilized and standardized designs be executed at town and village level and progress of installation duly monitored."

Plastic waste and construction and demolition waste processing plants should be set up to ensure that bio-medical, hazardous and e-waste are not co-mingled and treated with solid waste.

"Immediate efforts be made for ensuring connectivity with STPs and proposed STPs", further directed the Tribunal.

The Tribunal said, "We hope in the light of interaction with the Chief Secretary, the State of Haryana will take further measures in the matter by an innovative approach and stringent monitoring, ensuring that legacy waste as well as unprocessed waste and liquid waste generation and treatment are bridged at the earliest, shortening the proposed timelines, adopting alternative/interim measures to the extent and wherever found viable.

"Restoration plans need to be executed at the earliest simultaneously in all districts/cities/ towns/ villages in a time-bound manner without further delay with well-laid monitoring mechanisms at State and District levels," added the Tribunal.

NGT also directed the District Magistrates to take ownership of monitoring of sewage and solid waste management and provide the report to Chief Secretary regularly.

"District Magistrates must take ownership for monitoring of sewage and solid waste management and regularly providing report to Chief Secretary on monthly basis and overall compliance be ensured by Chief Secretary for which regular meetings be conducted", said the Tribunal.

Earlier while being awarded Environment Compensation in several states, the NGT had said that "Award of compensation has become necessary under section 15 of the NGT Act to remedy the continuing damage to the environment and to comply with directions of the Supreme Court requiring this Tribunal to monitor enforcement of norms for solid and liquid waste management.

"Moreover, without fixing the quantified liability necessary for restoration, the mere passing of orders has not shown any tangible results in the last several years (for solid waste management) and five years (for liquid waste management), even after the expiry of statutory/laid down timelines. Continuing damage is required to be prevented in future and past damage is to be restored", said the bench.

The directions were passed by the Green Court while examining the issues of solid as well as liquid waste management as per orders of the Supreme Court order dated 02.09.2014 with regard to solid waste management and order dated 22.02.2017 with regard to liquid waste management. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
New Delhi, April 22: The National Commission for Women has taken cognizance of a video which purportedly showed that a minor girl was raped and murdered by a group of men in North Dinajpur's Kaliaganj, West Bengal, said an official release on Saturday. This comes after a Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in the North Dinajpur district of West Bengal. On Thursday, the locals found the body of the minor, who had gone missing. On Friday, locals staged a protest demanding justice for her.

According to the release, NCW has come across a Twitter post wherein a video has been shared alleging that a minor girl was raped and murdered by a group of men in North Dinajpur's, Kaliaganj, West Bengal. "Further, in the video police can be seen dragging the body of the victim ruthlessly and inappropriately," added the release. West Bengal Shocker: Girl Raped and Murdered by Unidentified Miscreants in Uttar Dinajpur District.

Informing about the response of NCW regarding the incident, the release said, "The Commission has taken cognizance of the reported crime. Considering the gravity of the matter, Chairperson Rekha Sharma has written to the Director General of Police, West Bengal to personally intervene in the matter and ensure that a fair and time-bound investigation is conducted into the matter. Barmer Rape Case: NCW Chairperson Rekha Sharma Writes to Rajasthan DGP to Conduct Fair, Time-Bound Investigation.

Further, the release also mentioned that the Commission has sought an FIR and asked for detailed action against the accused. "The Commission has also sought that an FIR under relevant sections must be invoked if the allegations levelled are found to be true. Also, stringent action must be taken against erring police officers for dragging the body inappropriately," read the release. "A detailed action taken must be apprised to the Commission within three days", further added the release.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Agartala, April 22: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Saturday asserted that the state BJP is determined to "gift two lotuses" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in next year's Lok Sabha elections.

The northeastern state has two Lok Sabha constituencies - West and East Tripura constituencies - which are being held by the ruling party. On the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya, I have addressed party leaders and workers of various levels in a workshop on the booth empowerment campaign in the presence of BJP national secretary Asha Lakra, Saha said in a Facebook post. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 'BJP Will Win More Than 35 Seats in West Bengal, Modi Ji Will Become PM Again With More Than 300 Seats', Says Amit Shah (Watch Video).

We are determined to gift two lotuses from Tripura to honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji by strengthening the organisation up to the booth level in the next Lok Sabha elections, the chief minister said.

He expressed hope that the party workers will play a big role in strengthening the organisation in order to achieve the goal of winning both the Lok Sabha seats. Lok Sabha Elections 2024: With Eye on General Polls, BJP Plans Massive Rallies for PM Narendra Modi in 160 Seats Lost in 2019.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has helped the party in the 2023 Assembly elections in Tripura in all possible ways. Now is the time to gift him two Lok Sabha seats of the state, Tripura BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee said at the workshop. Union minister Pratima Bhoumik, MP Biplab Kumar Deb and other senior leaders were present at the event.
Jaipur, April 22: The Rajasthan government on Saturday said it is committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens stranded in violence-hit Sudan and issued a list of helpline numbers for those in need of assistance. At least 40 Rajasthanis are currently stranded in Sudan, an official statement said.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group for over a week that has reportedly left around 300 people dead. In light of the conflict, the Bikaner House Resident Commissioner's Office has released helpline numbers for those in need of assistance or information, the statement said. Sudan Crisis: Paramilitary Group Rapid Support Forces Announces 72-Hour Ceasefire Amid Ongoing Fight.

Those who require assistance can contact the helpline numbers -- +91 83060 09838, 0141-2229111, and 011-23070807. The ACS (Coordination) cum Chief Resident Commissioner, Bikaner House, Shubhra Singh, has requested Non-Resident Rajasthanis (NRRs) to contact the helpline numbers provided on social media channels and the website of the Rajasthan Foundation, it said. According to a list provided to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), at least 40 Rajasthanis are currently stranded in Rajasthan, the statement said.

Dhiraj Srivastava, resident commissioner (Bikaner House) in Delhi and commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation, attended a meeting with MEA officials in the national capital to discuss the current situation and ensure that all Rajasthanis in Sudan receive the necessary assistance. Sudan Crisis: PM Narendra Modi To Chair High-Level Meeting, Review Security of Indians in Violence-Hit North African Country.

"The state government is committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens in the conflict zone and will work with NRR Mitras to support those affected by the conflict in Sudan," Srivastava said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday issued directions for the preparation of contingency plans to evacuate Indians from Sudan as he carried out a detailed review of the security situation in the African country at a high-level meeting.
Islamabad, Apr 22 (PTI) The basic purpose of the suo motu jurisdiction is to be exercised in the public interest instead of for an individual, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said on Saturday, amidst a raging row between the ruling coalition and the judiciary.

Relations between the judiciary and the ruling coalition have soured ever since the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)-led government has been pushing for the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023 to dilute the powers of Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to take suo motu action and form a panel of judges for hearing of cases.

Also Read | Mexico Migrant Camp Tents Torched Across Border from Texas.

It was initially passed by both houses of parliament and sent to President Arif Alvi for his assent.

However, the president, who is a member of ousted prime minister Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, sent it back, saying that the proposed law travelled beyond the competence of parliament.

Also Read | Dengue Outbreak in Argentina: Over 40 Killed in South American Country.

On April 10, the bill was passed for the second time by a joint sitting of parliament with certain amendments, amid a noisy protest by lawmakers from Khan's PTI.

On Friday, the National Assembly of Pakistan notified the law.

Talking to the media outside Lahore's Kot Lakhpat Jail, after visiting the facility and enquiring about the conditions of prisoners while talking with them, Sharif questioned how many times the court took suo motu notice of the issues pertaining to prisons and their inmates, the Dawn newspaper reported.

The Supreme Court is empowered to take suo motu notice - cognisance of a matter on its own -which it deems is in the public interest and commences proceedings on it, Sharif was quoted as saying.

Did you ask jail officials how many prisoners they have because the basic purpose of a suo motu notice is the public interest  not an individual's. How many suo motu [notices] were taken regarding issues such as justice with prisoners and their betterment," the premier said.

The premier said there were 4,000 prisoners in Lahore Central Jail, 50,000 in Punjab and hundreds of thousands across the country.

There are thousands of such prisoners who can be immediately released in accordance with the law. How much work have the courts done regarding this? These are the questions which the nation asks of me and all institutions, he said.

He reiterated that the suo motu jurisdiction was solely meant for issues pertaining to the public interest, adding that there can be no other purpose made out for the suo motu notice  neither does the Constitution allow it nor the law.

Another report in Geo News said that Sharif urged the superior judiciary to take notice of the situation to address the miseries of the suffering prisoners.

The prime minister stressed that by putting aside personal interests and taking collective actions, the country can overcome the pervading challenges, the report said.

The new law passed by Parliament also states that every cause, matter, or appeal before the apex court would be heard and disposed of by a bench, constituted by a committee made up of the chief justice and the two senior-most judges.

Previously the chief justice enjoyed sole power to take suo motu and set up benches.

There was no concept of appeal in an action taken under the suo motu notice.

However, the new law further increased the gulf between the judiciary and Parliament  the latter getting the full support of the government.

Earlier, the law was passed twice by parliament because the president returned it after it was sent back by the president without his signatures, which are required for any bill to become an act. However, if the same bill is passed without any changes, the president cannot only delay it for ten days and it becomes a law even without his endorsement.

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Washington, Apr 22 (AP) Only about half of Democrats think President Joe Biden should run again in 2024, a poll shows, but a large majority say they'd be likely to support him if he became the nominee.

The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 26 per cent of Americans overall want to see Biden run again  a slight recovery from the 22 per cent who said that in January.

Also Read | Ukraine Tightens Rules on Frontline Reporting.

Forty-seven per cent of Democrats say they want him to run, also up slightly from only 37 per cent who said that in January.

The ambivalence among Democratic voters comes as Biden is preparing to formally announce his 2024 reelection campaign as soon as next week, according to people briefed on the discussions. The president has been eyeing Tuesday, April 25  four years to the day since he entered the 2020 race  although no final decisions have been made.

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Despite the reluctance of many Democrats to see Biden run for another term, 78 per cent of them say they approve of the job he's doing as president. And a total of 81 per cent of Democrats say they would at least probably support Biden in a general election if he is the nominee  41 per cent say they definitely would and 40 per cent say they probably would.

Interviews with poll respondents suggest that the gap reflects concerns about Biden's age, as well as a clamouring from a younger generation of Democrats who say they want leadership that reflects their demographic and their values. Biden, now 80, would be 82 on Election Day 2024 and 86 years old at the end of a second presidential term. He is the oldest president in history.

Jenipher Lagana, 59, said she likes Biden, calling him an interesting man who has had an incredible political career. She praised Biden for providing a breath of fresh air and said she approves of how he's been doing his job as president.

But "my problem with him running in 2024 is that he's just so old," said Lagana, who is retired and lives in California. "I would love to see somebody younger, like (Transportation Secretary Pete) Buttigieg or (California Gov. Gavin) Newsom be able to get in there and handle things maybe a little differently just because they're a younger person.

Donna Stewart, 48, a program director for a nonprofit in New York, also pointed to Biden's age as a concern.

I voted for him. I like him as a person. I like him as a leader for the country, she said. However, I just feel that he's still lacking the up-to-date knowledge of what needs to be done.

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden appeared to hint that he would limit himself to just one term in the White House, framing his candidacy as a bridge to a new generation of Democratic leaders. But while in office, Biden has made his intentions clearer that he would run again for a second term, saying as recently as last week in Ireland that he's already made that calculus and that the announcement will happen relatively soon.

With only nominal primary challengers and a chaotic Republican field, the president and his senior aides have felt little pressure to formalize a reelection campaign.

Instead, Biden has focused on governing, holding events at the White House and travelling across the country to sell his top legislative achievements such as a bipartisan infrastructure law and a sweeping climate, health care and tax package.

The president and his senior political advisers are meeting with Democratic donors in Washington next week in an event meant to energize the party's top contributors ahead of Biden's expected reelection campaign.

Biden has also batted away questions about his age, saying that voters simply need to watch me to determine whether he's up to the job as president.

And while many Democrats remain tepid on Biden because of his age, others said it was actually an asset.

Stephen Foery, 47, said Biden's decades in Washington  first in the Senate and then as vice president  proved to be valuable in the first two years of his presidency because he's done a lot to fix the country in a very short amount of time.

I think that one of the benefits of living a long life is that you have a lot of wisdom to impart, said Foery, a creative services manager in Pennsylvania. If you gain as much experience as Biden has throughout his life, it would be a shame to simply disregard him because of his age.

Biden's job approval rating stands at 42 per cent, a slight improvement from 38 per cent in March. The March poll came after a pair of bank failures rattled an already shaky confidence in the nation's financial systems, and Biden's approval rating then was near the lowest point of his presidency. Thirty percent of Americans call the national economy good, a slight improvement from 25 per cent a month ago.

Younger Democrats remain a reluctant part of Biden's coalition  just 25 per cent of those under age 45 say they would definitely support Biden in a general election, compared with 56 per cent of older Democrats.

Still, an additional 51 per cent of younger Democrats say they would probably vote for Biden in a 2024 general election.

It's really hard to support somebody who is such a career politician, who has a vested interest in maintaining the status quo when the status quo doesn't work for me, said Otis Phillips, 20, who lives in Washington state.

Phillips, a student, said he has been pleased with some of Biden's initiatives, including his student loan forgiveness program and his focus on climate policy. But he emphasized: I don't like maintaining the status quo. And so I want things to change, and I don't think Biden's how we're going to get that in the next four years.

Both the current and former president could face resistance from the public as a whole in a general election. A total of 65 per cent of US adults say they would definitely or probably not support former President Donald Trump if he is nominated in a general election, including 53 per cent who say they definitely would not. Biden's obstacles are smaller by comparison but still substantial: 56 per cent of Americans say they would be unlikely to support Biden in a general election, including 41 per cent who say they would definitely not.

Biden has long bet that once voters are presented with a binary choice  either him or a Republican candidate, particularly if it is Trump  that a majority of the electorate will side with Democrats. He often quotes his father, Joseph R. Biden Sr., in his public remarks: Joey, don't compare me to the Almighty. Compare me to the alternative.

The only reason why I would not want him to run is because of his age. Like, that's the only thing, said Shakeen Magee, 45, a self-employed Georgia resident.

But she said that if Biden does officially become the Democratic nominee in 2024, she would definitely support him because we can't take another Trump." Magee added that if we were to get another Republican in that office, it would just undo the little progress that Biden has been able to make. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
One of the three men charged with using a burning object for racial intimidation on University of Virginia Grounds in 2017 was released after his Ohio arrest and, despite an Albemarle County prosecutors effort to revoke his bail, remains free. Dallas Medina of Ravenna, Ohio, appeared in Albemarle Circuit Court on Thursday before Judge Claude Worrell.

The thing Mr. Medina has going for him is that the [Ohio] judge asked him to go to Virginia and turn himself in, and within 72 hours he was here, said Worrell. As a result, the court declines to revoke his bond.

That decision came at the close of a roughly 25-minute hearing during which Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Lawton Tufts alleged that Medina had used racial epithets in online discussion groups and was part of a group of white nationalists who gathered at UVa carrying flaming torches and shouting racist slogans, later surrounding a small group of counterprotesters that locked arms around the statue of Thomas Jefferson in front of the Rotunda on Grounds.

They gather and encircle them and slowly start to turn in and enclose them, Tufts told the judge as he held up a photograph. This is Mr. Medina in one of the front rows in that photograph. It turns into somewhat of a melee.

This happened six years ago, countered Medinas attorney, Mike Hallahan. Hes gainfully employed. Hes not a flight risk. He came down here on his own.

Papers in Medinas file in Portage County, Ohio, show that Medina was arrested on March 31. His Ohio attorney wrote in one filing that although Medina was charged as a fugitive that the commonwealth of Virginia made no effort to retrieve him.

Mr. Medina is more than willing to self-surrender to the demanding state, wrote his Ohio lawyer, Dan Weisenburger. He is ready and able to drive himself there.

Medina appeared to have done that.

The court records indicate that, with payment of $1,000 as part of a $10,000 recognizance bond, Medina was granted bail on April 12 in Ohio.

Medina was wearing street clothes in Albemarle Circuit Court as Hallahan argued his case on Thursday, a day after Medinas 29th birthday. Hallahan said Medina works for a tree surgeon and subsequently filed a motion to modify the terms of his clients bail so that Medina could return to that job.

Medina did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Progress on Friday.

Less successful was Tyler Bradley Dykes of Bluffton, South Carolina. Like Medina, he was indicted Feb. 6, and his indictment was unsealed on April 17. Unlike Medina, when he appeared Friday before Worrell he was wearing leg irons and the striped jumpsuit of the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail, where he has been held since his arrest.

He wants to get back to his customers, said his father, Scott Dykes, testifying at the hearing. His business is going to peoples residences and helping them with computer problems.

The father said he would bring his son into the Bluffton residence he shares with his wife. Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Lawton Tufts, however, opposed any release.

I just want you to take a look at a picture, said Tufts, handing the father a surveillance photo of a man suspected by Sumter, South Carolina, Crime Stoppers of placing swastika stickers on businesses about three years ago.

Does that look like your son?

It could be, answered the father.

On the UVa Lawn, Tufts told the judge, the younger Dykes used his extinguished torch as a weapon against counter-protesters who were encircled by the larger crowd of white nationalists on Aug. 11, 2017, the night before the notorious Unite the Right rally-turned-riot in Charlottesville.

The defendant is on the front line of this, said Tufts. It is nothing short of bone-chilling to see.

Tufts said that on March 17, the day Dykes was arrested, he got bitten by a dog while hanging some sort of offensive banner.

Hes still involved in this behavior, said Tufts.

I wouldnt say that hanging banners is similar, said defense attorney Bryan Jones, adding that Dykes was 19 years old when he marched on the Lawn at UVa.

Worrell, however, alleged that the continued activities of Dykes posed a community threat and denied bail for the man, now a 25-year-old.

A third alleged torch-wielder, 45-year-old Will Zachary Smith, of Nacona, Texas, also appeared in Albemarle County Circuit Court Friday, but his attorney Cody Villalon got the judge to move the planned bail hearing to May 3. Smith also faces a charge of discharging a noxious or nauseating gas.
Washington, April 22: In another incident of mass shooting in the United States, a gunman opened fire at a southeast suburb of Washington D.C. on Friday night (local time), reported The US Sun. Initial reports stated that eight persons, including a 12-year-old girl were shot at. DC Police Department said that a black sedan, possibly a Mercedes, drove through the neighbourhood and opened fire on a group of men indiscriminately, WUSA reported.

The first calls about the shooting came in just after 10 pm, according to Officer Hugh Carew with the Metropolitan Police Department. Police initially said that seven people were shot on a residential street in the Congress Heights neighbourhood. The number of victims later increased to eight. Seven men were shot on Lebaum Street, Assistant Chief of Patrol Services South Andre Wright told WUSA9. US Gun Violence: Several Killed in Mass Shooting at Birthday Party in Alabama.

Nearby in the 2900 block of 2nd Street, a 12-year-old girl was shot. Her injuries weren't life-threatening. The Police Department believe the two shootings to be related. Multiple shell casings were found on the ground and cops are investigating two crime scenes. A few blocks away, a 12-year-old girl was shot and police believe the two instances of gunfire are related. The condition of all of the victims wasn't immediately available but at least one person was critically wounded.

DC Fire and EMS took four people to the hospital and other victims were being taken to trauma centres, police said. Assistant Chief Andre Wright provides an update on the multiple people shot in the 500 block of Lebaum St SE and the 2900 block of 2nd St SE. "To make it easier for everybody to follow the story. There are going to be two scenes involved here. One is the 500 block of Lebanon Street Southeast. This will be the primary scene and then the secondary scene. 2000 block of Second Street Southeast. And the information that I'm about to give is very preliminary," said Wright. US Mass Shooting: Two Shootings at Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County Leave Seven People Dead, Suspect Arrested.

He further stated that the investigations are on and multiple victims are involved and detectives and patrol officers are out knocking on doors. There will be a subsequent follow-up as the information unfolds. He said, "We discovered that there were multiple adult males suffering from gunshot wounds. Thankfully, none of them are life-threatening, most of them self-transported when we got on the scene. So there was some chaos because of the number of victims and loved ones. Also, while we were on this scene, we also received a call on the 29 O'Block of Second Street. Upon arriving on that scene, we discovered that there was a twelve-year-old female little girl who would also receive a gunshot wound to her lower extremities. Thank God she's also stable and non-life threatening."

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Georgetown [Guyana], April 22 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his counterpart from Saint Lucia, Alva Baptiste and said he appreciated his insights at the India-CARICOM ministerial held in Guyana on Friday.

The EAM took to his Twitter on Saturday and informed of his meeting with the Saint Lucian counterpart at breakfast this morning.

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"Good to catch up with FM of St. Lucia Alva Baptiste at breakfast this morning. Appreciated his insights at the India-CARICOM meeting yesterday. Look forward to taking our development partnership forward," the External Affairs Minister tweeted.

Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean. It is an island nation with a pair of dramatically tapered mountains, the Pitons, on its west coast. Castries, the nation's capital, is a major cruise port.

Also Read | China New Rural Land Transfer Scheme Sparks Fears Over Mass Confiscation and Reallocation.

On Friday, the External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar co-chaired the 4th India-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting with his Jamaican counterpart Kamina J Smith at the CARICOM Secretariat in Guyana, where he emphasised the need for "collective interest" in the field of renewable energy amid climate change.

Delivering opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar said, "Energy, renewable energy particularly, is our collective interest. Many of you are members of the International Solar Alliance. I think 13 members are there from the CARICOM. I believe it's been of some help in capacity building, in some cases even funding. I'll be again open to take that help. Regarding capacity building as a whole, we have for many years now, under what we call, the ITEC programs."

The foreign minister, however, noted that the offtake in programs, exchanges, and scholarships has not been as strong.

The Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) were established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was signed by Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana and Trinidad & Tobago and came into effect on August 1, 1973. Subsequently, the other eight Caribbean territories joined CARICOM, as per CARICOM's official website.

"Appreciate perspectives of FMs of Suriname -Albert Ramdin, Kitts & Nevis- Denzil Douglas, St. Lucia- Alva Baptiste, Saint Vincent & Grenadines- Keisal Peters, Barbados- Kerrie Symmonds, Trinidad- Amery Browne, Dominica- Vince Henderson, Grenada- Joseph Andall & representatives from Belize and Bahamas," the EAM tweeted.

Jaishankar on Friday also met with Carla Natalie Barnett, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in Guyana and exchanged views for intensifying India-CARICOM ties.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, "Thank Secretary General Dr Carla Natalie Barnett for the warm welcome at the @CARICOMorg."

"Congratulated her at #CARICOM50. Exchanged views for intensifying India-CARICOM ties in traditional as well as new areas of cooperation."

Earlier, he also held a meeting with Suriname counterpart Albert Ramdin in Guyana and stressed further strengthening the "age-old ties" between the two nations.

Jaishankar arrived in Guyana on Friday for a three-day visit to the country. On reaching the Guyanese capital of Georgetown, the EAM was received by Guyana's Foreign Minister Hugh Todd. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
San Francisco, Apr 22 (AP) Lyft is preparing to lay off hundreds of employees just days after new CEO David Risher began steering the ride-hailing service with a eye of driving down costs to help bring its fares more in line with its biggest rival, Uber.

Risher, a former Amazon executive, informed Lyft's workforce of more than 4,000 employees in an email posted online Friday that a significant number of them will lose their jobs. It came at end of his first week as Lyft's CEO.

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The note didn't specify how many people would be jettisoned, but The Wall Street Journal reported that at least 1,200 employees will be laid off. The report cited unidentified people familiar with the cost-cutting plans.

San Francisco-based Lyft declined to provide additional details Friday, but said more information will be released next week.

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Risher, who had been a Lyft board member before being recruited to replace co-founder Logan Green, cited expense control as one of his top priorities during a interview with The Associated Press shortly after his hiring was announced. By ensuring Lyft is super efficient, Risher said the company would be in a better position to lower its fares to lure back passengers who had shifted to using Uber more frequently because that service was offering lower prices for the same trips.

It was a theme Risher emphasized again in his Friday email explaining why he decided to slash the payroll, which doesn't include Lyft's drivers  a group that is classified as independent contractors.

We need to bring our costs down to deliver affordable rides, compelling earnings for drivers, and profitable growth, Risher wrote.

Lyft intends to start notifying employees who will be laid off on Thursday when the company plans to close its offices.

It will mark the second round of recent job cuts for Lyft after shedding 700 workers last year.

Recurring waves of layoffs are emerging as a new phenomenon in the tech industry, reversing more than a decade of mostly unbridled growth.

Both Facebook owner Meta Platforms and e-commerce giant Amazon have gone through two rounds of major layoffs during the past year, largely because the pandemic fueled booming demand for digital services and products that resulted in hiring sprees that they and other tech companies began to regret as the COVID-19 threat waned and growth tapered off.

The pandemic initially walloped Lyft by drying up demand for ride-hailing services, a blow Uber was able to soften through an aggressive expansion in food delivery. That gave people a reason to continue using Uber's app even when they were stuck at home while Lyft fell out of favour.

During the past year, it has become even clearer that consumers fell out of the Lyft habit as Uber's ridership bounced back to pre-pandemic levels and Lyft's losses mounted.

Those struggles have caused Lyft's stock price to plunge 69 per cent during the past year, prompting the decision to bring in a new CEO to shake things up.

Lyft's shares surged 6 per cent after news of its cost-cutting plans came out to close on Friday at USD 10.44. (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Brasilia, Apr 22 (AP) About two weeks after a man killed four children in a Brazilian daycare centre, authorities already have rounded up some 300 adults and minors nationwide accused of spreading hate speech or stoking school violence.

Little has been revealed about the unprecedented crackdown, which risks judicial overreach, but it underlines the determination of the country's response across federal, state and municipal levels.

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Brazil's all-hands effort to stamp out its emerging trend of school attacks stands in contrast to the U.S., where such attacks have been more frequent and more deadly for a longer period, yet where measures nowadays are incremental.

Actions adopted in the U.S. - and some of its perceived shortcomings - are informing the Brazilian response, said Renan Theodoro, a researcher with Center for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo.

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We have learned from the successes and the mistakes of other countries, especially the United States, Theodoro told The Associated Press.

Brazil has seen almost two dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000, half of them in the last 12 months, including the daycare center attack April 5.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the notion of schools as safe havens has been ruined.

His government has sought input from independent researchers and this week convened a meeting of ministers, mayors and Supreme Court justices to discuss possible solutions.

Some measures already adopted are in line with those implemented over time in the U.S., like the creation of hotlines, safety training for school administrators and teachers, federal funding for mental health, plus security equipment and infrastructure.

Other measures -- like the nationwide sweep for supposedly threatening suspects involving over 3,400 police officers, or the newly invigorated push to regulate social media platforms -- have not been enacted there.

The arrests aim to assuage fear among Brazilians, said Luis Flavio Sapori, a senior associate researcher with the Brazilian Forum for Public Security.

The priority is diminishing panic, he said.

In the weeks since the day care massacre, unconfirmed threats and rumours have circulated on social media, and stirred dread among students, educators and parents  including Vanusia Silva Lima, 42, the mother of a 5-year-old son in central Sao Paulo.

I am afraid of sending my son to school. Not only myself, my friends are too, women I met at the salon, too, Lima said.

Many Brazilian states didn't wait for the federal response.

Sao Paulo, for example, temporarily hired 550 psychologists to attend to its public schools, and hired 1,000 private security guards.

While shootings in the U.S. often ignite debate, at the federal level it usually ends in stalemate. Democrats focus on gun control while Republicans push for stronger security measures.

Brazil's push has garnered broad support in part because proposals haven't included restricting firearm access, increasingly a hot-button political issue here, as in the U.S. Anyway, Brazil's school attacks more often are carried out with other weapons, especially knives.

In the U.S., legislation rarely passes. There have been notable exceptions, however, including a bipartisan compromise approved last year after a massacre at a Texas elementary school and other mass shootings.

The bill toughened background checks and kept firearms from more domestic violence offenders, and allocated $1 billion for student mental health and school security.

Other change has come more gradually since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

In almost every state, schools are now required to have safety plans that often include shooter drills.

Many individual school districts have their own safety hotlines, and some use software to monitor social media for threats, with mixed results.

And many U.S. states have given schools money to harden buildings with metal detectors, security officers, bulletproof doors and other measures  which has stirred its own debate over the policing of America's schools.

Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Lula's far-right predecessor, was one of a few prominent voices calling for detectors and armed guards, citing some U.S. states as as examples, and put forward a bill to make them obligatory at all schools.

Lula has said his government will consider neither detectors nor backpack inspections.

Sapori said that Brazil has adopted a mixed approach, which stresses mental health care, preventive monitoring of threats and training for teachers, in addition to policing.

In Brazil, we have a clear understanding, based on the U.S. experience, that merely investing in armed security in schools does not work, that police presence in schools doesn't hinder attacks," Sapori said. It only works to transform schools into prisons.

For Brazil, the Western hemisphere's second-most populous country, scrambling for quick solutions risks introducing abuses of power.

As for the suspects arrested over a two-week period through Thursday, Theodoro noted that authorities haven't detailed the criteria for detentions, and investigations are under seal. Asked by the AP, the Justice Ministry declined to clarify how many of the 302 people taken into custody were minors.

The ministry also has empowered a national consumer agency to fine tech companies for not removing content perceived as glorifying school massacres, incentivizing violence or making threats.

And there appears to be broad support for holding social media platforms accountable. At this week's meeting in the capital, Lula, his justice minister, two Supreme Court justices, and the Senate's president voiced support for regulation of the platforms, arguing that speech that is illegal in real life cannot be permitted online.

Either we have the courage to discuss the difference between freedom of expression and stupidity, or we won't get very far, Lula said.

The Rights in Network Coalition, an umbrella group of 50 organizations focused on basic digital rights, has expressed concern over giving the government the power to decide what can be said on social media.

Some social media platforms that initially resisted compliance with takedown requests have come around and, in the prior 10 days, had removed or suspended more than 750 profiles, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said.

When a man hopped over the wall of a day care center in Santa Catarina state and killed four children with a hatchet April 5, state prosecutors called on news media to refrain from sharing images or identifying the killer, citing research that this can encourage other attackers.

Behemoth media conglomerate Grupo Globo announced it would no longer name nor portray perpetrators of such crimes in its broadcasts or publications. O Estado de S. Paulo, one of Brazil's biggest newspapers, followed suit. CNN Brasil and Band also made the change.

In the United States, such a broad shift is yet to be seen in media, though outlets have begun efforts to use shooters' names sparingly and to focus on victims' stories, largely due to advocacy by relatives of victims. Some U.S. news organizations have ceased the previously routine profiles of school shooters.

The developments in Brazil are reminiscent of a groundswell of U.S. federal support for school safety after the Columbine shooting, said Ken Trump, president of Ohio-based consultant National School Safety and Security Services.

Since then, it has become much more choppy, he said.

The success of Brazil's efforts will hinge on the ability to maintain momentum even after public attention shifts away from school violence, he added.

The bottom-line question is, will it be sustainable? (AP)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Khartoum [Sudan], April 22 (ANI): After a week of battle, there is hope that the evacuation of foreign nationals from Sudan will now be possible after both of the opposing parties vying for control of Sudan declared they are prepared to do so, according to CNN.

The Sudanese army announced in a recent statement that it had consented to assist in evacuating citizens and diplomats from several nations, including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and China.

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Evacuations are expected to begin "within the coming hours," according to the statement, CNN reported on Saturday.

In order to allow nations to evacuate their citizens, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) declared on Friday that they were prepared to reopen all airports in Sudan to air traffic partially.

Also Read | China New Rural Land Transfer Scheme Sparks Fears Over Mass Confiscation and Reallocation.

The Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan, and the paramilitary RSF, under the direction of Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, engaged in fierce fighting last Saturday in Sudan.

Although the two were once partners, tensions between them developed amid talks to incorporate the RSF into the nation's military as part of preparations to reestablish a civilian government.

Fighting continued in Khartoum on Friday, even though the Sudanese army said it had reached an understanding with the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for a three-day ceasefire to allow civilians to observe the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr. The RSF announced earlier in the day that a 72-hour ceasefire had been reached in observance of Eid.

Countries including Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the US have been unable to evacuate embassy workers since the airport in Khartoum is engulfed in violence and the skies are insecure, read a report published in Al Jazeera.

According to a Western diplomat, the Sudanese evacuation situation is among the most challenging they have ever encountered. The US is probably concentrating on achieving a truce so that its personnel may be evacuated. Washington has said that private US citizens living in Sudan shouldn't expect a coordinated evacuation by the US government. Vedant Patel, the deputy spokeswoman for the US State Department, stated that authorities were in contact with hundreds of US individuals believed to remain in Sudan.

The State Department on Friday confirmed the death of a US citizen there.

The conflict began when a coup in 2021 between Sudan's military leader and his deputy on the ruling council erupted derailing a plan for a transition to a civilian democracy after the fall of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Elections were supposed to be held by the end of 2023. (ANI)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from Syndicated News feed, LatestLY Staff may not have modified or edited the content body)
Earth Day is an annual event observed for the protection of the environment. It is observed every year on April 22. Earth Day is an important day observed worldwide for environmental protection. It was first observed in 1970 and, till today, is the largest single-day human protest. On this day, people share messages about protecting the environment with their friends and family and raise awareness about Earth Day. As you observe Earth Day 2023, we at LatestLY have bought together a collection of Earth Day 2023 images, Happy Earth Day 2023 messages, Earth Day HD wallpapers and Happy Earth Day 2023 greetings you can download and share with all your near and dear ones.

Every year, Earth Day is observed with a unique theme targeting various issues like environmental degradation. The theme for Earth Day 2023 is "Invest in Our Planet." This year, Earth Day will mark the 53rd celebration of Earth Day. Here is a collection of messages and wishes you can download and share with all your friends and family.

Happy Earth Day 2023 (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: The Earth Will Save You if You Keep the Earth. Happy 2023 Earth Day.

Happy Earth Day 2023 (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: Dear, Happy Earth Day. May You Always Be Able To Appreciate and Enjoy Nature?

Happy Earth Day 2023 (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: I Hope You All Have a Wonderful Earth Day. Please Take Care of the Soil for Your Benefit.

Happy Earth Day 2023 (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: Happy Earth Day to Everyone! We Must Safeguard and Preserve Our Only Home.

Happy Earth Day 2023 (File Image)

WhatsApp Message Reads: To You, a Happy Earth Day. Let's Create a Better Planet for Us and Our Future Generations.

Earth Day celebration was proposed at a UNESCO conference in 1969 by peace activist John McConnell in honour of the earth and as a concept of peace. It was later sanctioned and signed by General U Thant, and Senator Gaylord Nelson proposed the idea to celebrate it every year on April 22. Wishing everyone a Happy Earth Day 2023!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2023 07:09 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
New Delhi, April 22: After facing a backlash, Elon Musk-run Twitter has finally removed "government-funded media" labels on all accounts belonging to traditional publications and digital news outlets.

Twitter has also deleted its web page explaining the "government-funded media" labels, report The Verge. The micro-blogging platform earlier placed the 'publicly-funded' label to the BBC account and applied the 'government-funded' label to US-based NPR. Twitter Now Tells Advertisers To Pay for Verification or They Cant Run Ads on Micro-Blogging Platform.

Twitter later placed more 'government-funded media' labels on the accounts of global news outlets like Australian Broadcasting Company (ABC Australia), Australia's Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), New Zealand's public broadcaster RNZ, Sweden's SR Ekot and SVT, and Catalonia's TV3.cat.

ABC News said in a tweet that it is a publicly funded broadcaster, "governed by the ABC Charter which is enshrined in legislation". "For more than 90 years, the ABC has always been and remains an independent media organisation, free from political and commercial interests," it argued. Twitter Plea Against Centre's Order To Take Down 39 URLs, Block Several Accounts: Karnataka High Court Reserves Judgment.

SBS said the label might lead Twitter users to believe that the outlet is editorially controlled by the government. CBC/Radio-Canada tweeted that "our journalism is impartial and independent".

NPR decided to quit Twitter after the Musk-run platform labelled it as a government-funded organisation. After NPR, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) also left Twitter after being labelled as government-backed media.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 22, 2023 10:56 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
A former marine stationed in San Diego has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for drug smuggling. He reportedly smuggled fentanyl and other illicit drugs from Mexico into the United States for several years.

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, former marine Roberto Salazar II led a secret life as he was not only an active-duty member of the U.S. Marine Corps but also a young leader of a drug-trafficking organization.

He pleaded guilty last October to two felony counts, with U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino sentencing him to 12 years in prison on Friday.

He pleaded guilty to importing fentanyl and conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl. He was facing life imprisonment before his sentencing.

In a news conference on Friday, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said: "He was supposed to be protecting and defending our country, but instead he was bringing tremendous harm to Americans by importing fentanyl and other deadly, dangerous drugs into the United States."

READ NEXT: El Chapo's Sons, the Los Chapitos, Among 28 Sinaloa Cartel Members Charged by U.S.

Drug Trafficking U.S. Marine Was Involved in Drug Smuggling Before Joining the Marine Corps

Prosecutors said Roberto Salazar II had been smuggling drugs across the border even before joining the Marine Corps. His narco activities continued well into his service as he recruited couriers to smuggle illicit drugs across the border while stationed at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego.

The Associated Press reported that he made dozens of smuggling trips with his couriers, even as a marine. He usually obtained cars to be driven to Mexico and then loaded the engine compartments with drugs.

His hired couriers would then drive these loaded cars across the border and into the United States. According to reports, Salazar also recruited former marines as couriers for his operations and some classmates at Southwestern College in Chula Vista.

U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman noted that he "betrayed his solemn oath by recruiting other Marines to do the same." His schemes reportedly began in 2015, before he even became a Marine. His operations continued until he was caught last year.

Narco Marine Wanted to be Glorified in 'Narcocorrido' Ballad

Even though he was serving as an active-duty Marine, Roberto Salazar II even tried to get a Mexican songwriter to write a "narcocorrido," or a drug ballad about his life as a drug trafficker.

According to NBC-7 San Diego, before he was arrested and authorities discovered his double life, Salazar contacted a Mexican songwriter to commission a drug ballad about his life.

Salazar allegedly told the musician, "I wanted to study and became a soldier, but I liked the fast life better."

Salazar was exposed to drug smuggling from a young age as he began his smuggling activities at 16. He reportedly started smuggling humans and then heroin. He was caught smuggling fentanyl with two other former marines in January last year.

READ MORE: El Chapo's Son, Member of Sinaloa Cartel, Arrested After Chaotic, Messy Chase in Mexico

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

WATCH: Ex-Miramar Marine Sentenced to 12 Years for Drug Trafficking - From CBS 8 San Diego
Kerrville, TX (78028)

Today

Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 63F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly clear this evening then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 63F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph.
An arrest Friday afternoon in Bethlehem is related to a homicide last month in Allentown, authorities said.

Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin and Allentown police Chief Charles Roca said the suspect was taken into custody without incident.

The arrest is related to a homicide that occurred March 23 in the 500 block of North Fourth Street in Allentown, according to a news release from Martins office.

Darnelle Thompson, 39, of Allentown, was shot to death about 6:30 p.m. March 23 in Allentowns 500 block of North Fourth Street, authorities previously said.

Investigators did not immediately identify the person arrested Friday or say what the suspect is being charged with.

Because the complaint in this case remains sealed, no further information can be released at this time, the release states.

The investigation was conducted by Allentown police and the Lehigh County Homicide Task Force, and the arrest was made with assistance from Bethlehem police and the U.S. Marshals Service, according to the release.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
UPDATE: Coroner IDs Bethlehem man killed in Allentown shooting

Authorities are investigating a shooting that left a man dead Friday night in Allentown.

City police were dispatched for a report of shots fired about 10:51 p.m. in the 1100 block of Maple Street, according to a news release from the department.

Officers found the victim and rendered aid for gunshot wounds before he was taken to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead by the Lehigh County Coroners Office, police Capt. Thomas Anderson said in the release.

Coroner Daniel Buglio said the victim is a 29-year-old man from Bethlehem and that he was pronounced dead at 11:21 p.m. at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township. Buglio said in a news release he ruled the shooting death a homicide.

Authorities know the victims identity but were not immediately releasing it, Buglio said.

The shooting remained under investigation by Allentown police with assistance from the Lehigh County District Attorneys Homicide Task Force and the coroners office.

Investigators asked anyone with information about the shooting to call Allentown detectives at 610-437-7721 or the Police Desk at 610-437-7753, Ext. 1. Additionally, anonymous text tips can be sent via the departments Tip411 App available on the Allentown Police Facebook Page or via the Allentown Police Department website.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
The Easton Area School District will take a hard look at whether its enrollment is likely to grow or shrink.

The school board on Tuesday unanimously authorized a $12,750 enrollment study by FutureThink of Dublin, Ohio.

The study follows an April 4 review of four proposals to rebuild or renovate the high school.

Michelle Mozingo, senior interior architectural designer with Bethlehem-based architecture firm Alloy5, said she thinks enrollment is likely to grow even though the Pennsylvania Department of Education projects it will shrink.

She cites the construction of new homes as a sign of more children entering the district. The Lehigh Valley is becoming an increasingly popular destination for folks moving from New Jersey and New York. The study will either confirm or debunk Mozingos theory.

FutureThink will review:

The Easton Area School Districts last 10 years of enrollment by grade and by school.

Birth counts.

Migration patterns.

Population trends.

Building permits for single-family homes over last 10 years.

Subdivision activity.

The final report will include:

Historical enrollment trends and grade-to-grade survival ratios.

The number of districtwide people and households; average cost of households; and average household income and per capita income.

A housing profile of the district.

Projected enrollment by grade, by school.

The vote to authorize the study was unanimous. You can see the vote on the YouTube video of the April 18 meeting at the district education center in Forks Township.

Architects and engineers say the high school is structurally sound but deficient in its layout, electrical systems, technology, plumbing and windows. They say the high school is crowded and running at 109% of capacity. The pool has been running on life support since 2015 and needs to be replaced.

Options to renovate or replace the high school range from $207 million to $247 million.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com.
Two Pennsylvania representatives say Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements are shortchanging rural teaching hospitals, including two hospitals in the St. Lukes University Health Network.

U.S. Reps. Susan Wild, D - Lehigh Valley, and Dan Meuser, a Republican whose district includes parts of Schuylkill County, have unveiled the Fairness for Rural Teaching Hospitals Act, which would increase Medicaid and Medicare payments to 14 rural hospitals. It comes amid widespread hospital closures from shortages of staff and funding.

Rural hospitals are critically important to the communities they serve and often face simultaneous challenges of keeping their doors open and attracting health care providers, Wild said in a statement.

The bill would change the funding calculations of the Medicare Dependent Hospital program, which sends higher Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements to rural hospitals  including St. Lukes Miners Memorial Hospital and St. Lukes Easton Campus.

The Medicare Dependent Hospital program currently overestimates how much money its 14 teaching hospitals make in Medicare reimbursements, because it includes reimbursements the hospitals receive for teaching expenses in addition to base operating costs.

This calculation leads the program to disqualify teaching hospitals from an extra payment of hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Meusers statement on the bill. The bills updated calculations would cost $7 million per year.

Wendy Lazo, president of St. Lukes Miners Campus, voiced support for the bill.

With the significant growth of our aging population and the physician shortage already impacting our country, its even more critical that Medicare-dependent, rural hospitals offer physician training programs to secure resources for the future, Lazo said. The current GME MDH calculation not only disincentivizes hospitals from making this investment but makes it nearly impossible to do so in any sustainable way.

Congress has seen other bipartisan attempts to change Medicare funding for rural areas in recent years.

U.S. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., sponsored the Rural Hospitals Support Act, which would update the Medicare Dependent Hospital program calculations, and make the program permanent so that it doesnt need to be reauthorized by Congress. Despite the support of organizations like the American Health Association, this bill never received a vote when it was introduced last year.

The bipartisan Save Rural Hospitals Act aims to address the funding disparity in Medicaid reimbursements based on salaries, which leads to lower reimbursements for lower hospitals. Its been introduced every year since 2020 but has never passed.

The Fairness for Rural Teaching Hospitals Act is currently waiting for a vote in the Ways and Means Committee, where it must pass before it can reach the House floor.

Its imperative that our rural hospitals are not deprived of the funding needed to continue offering essential health care services in their communities, Meuser said. Rural teaching hospitals should not be penalized for providing care to those most in need while educating the next generation of health care workers.
A man who was previously jailed for possessing child pornography has avoided a further prison term after a delay in the prosecution of additional videos found in his possession.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Patrick Rogers (36) was previously jailed for 10 months by Judge Martin Nolan in 2019 for possession of 41 images and one video in 2015 and 2016.

Judge Nolan heard on Friday, April 22 that five further videos were found in 2017 but that the prosecution did not proceed at the same time as the other cases due to a mislabelling oversight.

Rogers of St Brendans Avenue, Malahide Road, Dublin 5, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography at his home, on October 16, 2017.

Detective Garda Neil Plunkett told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, that during a search in October 2017, gardai recovered a phone on which five illegal videos were found. Rogers made admissions that the phone was his and no one else had access to it when interviewed.

The court heard there had been an issue in relation to mislabelling in relation to these five videos and the delay in the prosecution had nothing to do with Rogers.

Rogers has 10 previous convictions including the prior convictions for possession of child pornography, as well making a threat to kill or cause serious harm.

Garda Plunkett agreed with Niall Nolan BL, defending, that Rogers came from a good family and his father was in court with him today. He agreed Rogers had been engaged with psychiatric services for some time and had not been arrested for anything else in the past five years.

Mr Nolan said Rogers had been adopted by his parents at a young age. He suffered difficulties from his birth and later from a significant head injury from a car accident.

He said that as a result of trauma, his client had difficulties in school and substance abuse issues.

Mr Nolan said Rogers has been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder and a depressive disorder. He is in receipt of disability payments and not in a position to work.

He said his parents are now in their 70s and suffering medical issues. He said Rogers provides significant care for them. He handed in a number of letters and reports.

Counsel said Rogers has served his sentence in relation to the earlier images and had been released in July 2020. He said he had been doing well and moved on with his life.

Mr Nolan acknowledged that the original sentence may have been somewhat increased if all the cases had been heard together, but he said the delay had been a prejudice to Rogers which he could take into account.

He said if there had been an increase in the earlier sentence due to this matter, his client would now have served the sentence and be on the path to rehabilitation, which may now be interfered with.

Passing sentence on Friday, Judge Nolan noted that the matter had occurred in 2017 and not proceeded with due expedition due to an oversight. He said as quantity goes, it was at the lower end of the scale, noting one video was explicit and the rest not quite so explicit.

Judge Nolan said the complicating factor was Rogers' prior convictions for possession of similar material. He took into account Rogers' challenges such as his learning difficulties and noted he was a good son to his parents.

The judge noted the defence submissions that the material in relation to all three offences was not at the most serious end and the prolonged nature of the prosecution had increased the stress on Rogers.

He said the defence submitted imposing a custodial sentence now would be unduly severe and unfair.

Judge Nolan said he was able to accede to this application noting, that as well as Rogers personal challenges, there had already been a prison term and probation supervision. He imposed a 16 month sentence which he suspended in full. He ordered the destruction of the images.
A plan to build a new car park in the Slieve Blooms to deal with chronic, chaotic and dangerous parking problems at Glenbarrow has edged closer to becoming a reality.

The latest update in the long process was delivered to county councillors at a meeting with officials after a motion was tabled on the matter by Cllr Seamus McDonald of Fianna Fail.

Edmond Kenny, District Engineer, replied in writing.

The Council has engaged with the owner of lands immediately beside the existing car park at Glenbarrow and are in the process of signing a long term lease agreement for the site that will allow the council to commence construction. It is expected that the lease will be signed in the coming weeks and the council will be in a position to commence works in early summer 2023, he said.

The Engineer provided further details to the Leinster Express / Laois Live. He said the contract to carry out the work would be awarded subject to the lease agreement being put in place.

Until the agreement has been finalised with the landowner, he said he could not confirm the terms relating to the length of the lease. He added that its envisaged that 74 spaces will be provided on the new site with the anticipated cost of constructing the new car park would be 75,000.

Cllr McDonald welcomed the update given at the Borris-in-Ossory Municipal District meeting. He was convinced that the project would solve problems.

I will certainly resolve the long-standing issue, especially at weekends when thousands of people visit, he said.

His Fianna Fail colleague Cllr Paddy Bracken also welcomed the progress which will mean a lot to residents.

It will alleviate the problems, especially for people living in the area who have had to endure difficulties with the traffic and obstructions to their entrances, he said.

The process of adding more car park spaces at the beauty spot has involved a lot of twists and turns but money does not seem to have been the obstacle.

Councillors were told as far back as 2018 that money had been secured for construction of an additional car park. In 2021, under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure Scheme Measure 2, 112,518 was approved for the development of an overflow car-park at the site near Rosenallis to improve accessibility to the mountains.

Environmental studies have had to be carried out to convince national agencies that it would not cause damage to the conservation area of the Slieve Blooms. Coillte has also been involved in the process.

While all of this was being addressed residents and emergency services were impacted. Residents living in the area have gone public to plead with people not to cause obstruction - a problem that was acute during Covid-19 travel restrictions.

Emergency services have also had problems reaching people injured at the falls. Gardai have also had to intervene and closed roads on a number of occasions due to the severity of the issues.
Laois residents take a deep breath, because the air is good and clean.

A new study on air quality at a rural Laois location has found it is safely below European limits for pollutants.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has praised the "lovely Laois air" after it conducted a study in conjunction with University College Cork and Laois County Council.

The organisations this week gathered on top of Cullohill Mountain in Laois to unveil a new information board on local air quality.

A study was done at Bunlacken on the mountain, to check the levels of particulate matter, an air pollutant that can have harmful effects on the heart and lungs. It has many sources including transport, residential heating, construction, sea salt and Saharan dust.

Particulate matter concentrations were measured for a 4-week period in September and October 2022 with measured levels found to be low.

As part of the unveiling of the information boards, the EPA and UCC gave a talk on air quality to Scoil Tighearnach Naofa, Cullohill (pictured below) and at Our Ladys Meadow National School, Durrow.

Kevin Delaney, EPA, pictured speaking to students about air quality

Prof John Wenger and Rosin Byrne (UCC) speaking to students about air quality





It is part of the LIFE Emerald project, with similar monitoring campaigns in Edenderry, Co Offaly and Dungarvan, Co Waterford.

The LIFE Emerald project aims to improve Irelands understanding of air quality by providing an air quality forecast and detailed historical maps of air pollutants.

The purpose of the campaign was to measure background concentrations of particulate matter (PM10) at the rural site and compare to other Irish and EU locations for the same time period.

EPA Scientific Officer is Kevin Delaney.

The results of the four-week assessment on Cullohill Mountain reveal air quality generally in line with other rural background sites in the Irish air monitoring network, which are used for EU reporting.

We also compared Cullohill to sites in Europe for the same time period including rural Norway, Switzerland and France and what we see are PM10 levels on a par with the levels measured in these countries. Overall the levels we have seen are low and below any relevant EU limit values for the timeframe considered, he said.

More information on the current air quality in Laois (Emo, Portlaoise and Mountrath) and Ireland (110 ambient air monitoring stations located across the country) can be accessed at www.airquality.ie.
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A man watches a television showing the cut signal of the France 24 channel, hours after the ruling junta in Burkina Faso decided to suspend the channel, in Ouagadougou, on March 27, 2023. OLYMPIA DE MAISMONT / AFP

Human rights defender Amnesty International on Friday, April 7, urged Burkina Faso authorities to stop "attacks and threats" against press freedom in the west African country. The call came a day after UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was deeply troubled by the increasing clampdown on the media amid wider curbs on freedoms in insurgency-hit Burkina.

"The authorities must stop the attacks and threats against the freedom of the press and expression and protect journalists," Amnesty's West Africa regional director Samira Daoud said. "The struggle against armed groups and insecurity should not be a pretext to restrict press freedom and the rights of citizens to access information," she said in a statement.

Burkina Faso last week expelled correspondents from the Liberation and Le Monde newspapers, in the latest move against French media by the junta ruling one of the world's most volatile and impoverished countries.

Burkina Faso, which witnessed two coups last year, is battling a jihadist insurgency that spilled over in 2015 from neighboring Mali, which is also run by the military. Since junta leader Ibrahim Traore seized power in September, the activities of all political parties and civil society organizations in Burkina Faso have been suspended.

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Media freedoms have been curbed, with the authorities suspending Radio France Internationale and France 24 broadcasts. Both RFI and France 24, which cover African affairs closely and are popular in French-speaking west African nations, have also been suspended in Mali.

Amnesty said the expulsions were "worrying" and denounced "threats and attacks" against several local reporters since the start of the year. "Expelling journalists for doing their job to inform and without official documents to explain why is abusive," Daoud said.

Turk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, had sounded the alarm on Thursday. "I am particularly concerned that a journalist was expelled following the reporting on a video that appears to show extrajudicial executions of children in the northern town of Ouahigouya," he said. "Protection of independent voices is more necessary than ever  to enable scrutiny, to facilitate accountability, and to allow the space for the Burkinabe people to build a resilient, stable and inclusive society together."

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Abortion rights demonstration in Washington DC, on April 15, 2023. MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

Just hours before the expiration of its self-imposed deadline to rule on the abortion pill ban, the Supreme Court of the United States decided on Friday, April 21, to maintain a current status quo on access to what has been, for many years, the most widely used abortion method in the country.

Mifepristone, one of the two agents of chemical abortion, remains available over the counter in states where it is legal and can continue to be shipped by mail, to the relief of Democrats. Chemical abortion is saved, presumably for a number of months, but the court did not rule on the substance of the issue.

US President Joe Biden made no mistake: While welcoming the announcement, he pledged to keep fighting against what he called "attacks on women's health."

The Supreme Court did not follow Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a conservative appointed by Donald Trump when he was in the White House and based in a district, Amarillo, Texas, where he is the only federal magistrate, making him a safe choice for conservatives who take to court.

Acting on a lawsuit brought by the Christian coalition Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, Kacsmaryk had ordered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to revoke the marketing authorization for mifepristone on April 7.

Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine had felt that making it available via telemedicine and mail was tantamount to circumventing abortion restrictions passed in Republican states since the Supreme Court on June 24, 2022, removed the federal protections that had surrounded abortion since the 1973 Roe vs. Wade decision.

Stockpile

US Attorney General Merrick Garland had appealed, along with New York-based Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of the drug approved in 2000 and used by some 5 million women since.

States, where abortion remains legal, began to stockpile mifepristone while the pharmaceutical industry voiced concern about the possible precedent set by a judge known for his anti-abortion activism.

On April 12, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals had not ruled on the substance but had partly supported the Texas judge's position, saying that the abortion pill could only be prescribed, by a doctor, in the presence of the person concerned, that it had to be used before the seventh week of pregnancy and not the tenth as the FDA had authorized in 2016, and that it had to be purchased in a pharmacy and not delivered by mail, a method that has become widespread since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In its decision on Friday, the Supreme Court did not put an end to the debate, which will continue with arguments before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, Louisiana, beginning on May 17. It merely stays the implementation of lower court decisions.

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GREEN leader Eamon Ryan has been urged not to change tack on his partys opposition to plans to build a gas terminal along the Shannon Estuary.

More than 150 groups and individuals have signed a letter addressed to Mr Ryan to retain his stance against the building of the 650m scheme.

A key plank of the Green Partys entry into government almost three years ago was that controversial proposals to build a liquid natural gas (LNG) plant near Ballylongford, North Kerry would not be part of the administrations policy.

The plans are currently before An Bord Pleanala for decision.

If approved, its likely it will be allowed to proceed, despite Green opposition.

Throughout last year, Mr Ryan doubled down on his partys position, but over the Easter weekend, he conceded there might need to be such a terminal here as the world changed when the Nord Stream gas pipelines were damaged as war raged in Ukraine.

Plans for an LNG terminal in North Kerry have proven controversial, with fears it will lead to the import of fracked gas, and that it could lock Ireland into fossil fuels for decades.

Supporters of the project say its crucial for Irelands energy security, and will bring about a reduction of reliance on the Russian supply.

The creation of 600 construction jobs and 60 permanent roles has also been held up as a factor in support.

The development, which has been in the mixing pot for almost 20 years, would see a gas-fired electricity generator, an LNG terminal and batteries to store up to 120 megawatts of power along the Shannon Estuary.

It would then import cooled natural gas, which would then be heated to be supplied to the power plant and national supply network.

Signatories to the open letter to Mr Ryan include development agency Trocaire, Friends of The Earth, Christian Aid Ireland and the Irish Wildlife Trust.

A number of TDs have also put their names to the communication including Ireland South MEP Mick Wallace and Green Party TD, Neasa Hourigan, who was born in Limerick.

Locally, Limerick councillor Elisa ODonovan and the city branch of People Before Profit have signed up.

FutureProof Clare and Safety Before LNG, which has long opposed the plan are also on the letter.

We call on you to confirm publicly and without delay, that you will honour the commitment you made to the Irish electorate - to implement a policy of banning fracked gas imports via any LNG terminals in Ireland, the letter states.
THE COLOURFUL and eco-friendly showboat, the Mayfly, will arrive outside the Hunt Museum as the Journey to the East makes a pit stop in the city in preparation for Riverfest.

The Eco Showboat Journey to the East is a five-month arts expedition, from Askeaton to Dublin, aboard the Mayfly which is the flagship of the Eco Showboat project.

The Eco Showboat is an art project aimed at raising awareness of climate change, supported by the Arts Council, SFI Discover, Creative Ireland, Lawpro and Waterways Ireland.

Artists Anne Cleary and Denis Connolly are navigating Irelands inland waterways meeting local artists, scientists and communities to spark discussions on climate action.

The Mayfly, a solar-powered riverboat, will set off on its journey from Askeaton this Saturday, before making a stop in the city.

Limerick City is the first port of call and the public is invited to see the colourful boat and to join the creative crew at the Hunt Museum.

Last year the Mayfly sailed from Limerick to Enniskillen, the first time such a voyage has been undertaken on a solar-powered vessel.

Anne and Denis will be stationed at the Hunt Museum on Saturday, April 29 to meet the public and talk about their two-year solar journey on the islands waterways, showing their studies and observations of nature and telling of their encounters with artists, activists and scientists who explore with them the problems and promises of the freshwater environment.

Marine biologist Rachel O'Malley shows children some of the little creatures that live in our waterways and Helena Brady tells them about endangered species, invasive species and other problems facing freshwater environments.

The Eco Showboat project has received the Arts Council Open Call Award for 2021, as well as an SFI Discover Award, the Limerick Arts Strategic Award, and is supported by Creative Ireland, Waterways Ireland, Dublin City Council, the Local Authority Waters Programme and local authorities and universities across the country.
A CITIZENS Assembly will take place next month to allocate funds to four projects which will help UL and Limerick work towards a more sustainable future.

To discuss Limericks approach to the sustainable development goals of the UN and to identify projects that will work towards a more sustainable future, the University of Limerick will host the citizens assembly on May 25.

Described as an academic cross between Strictly Come Dancing and Dragons Den, the initiative will see members of the assembly listen to 12 proposals, then pick four winners which will each receive 10,000 to fund their project.

The initiative marks the 50th anniversary of the university and is in collaboration with Limericks Public Participation Network (PPN), Comhairle na nOg, Limerick City and County Council and Limerick Community Educational Network (LCEN).

The event aims to offer a safe and respectful space for citizens to come together.

Based on county demographics and principles of inclusivity, the assembly will comprise of stakeholders and citizens from across Limerick city and county.

The proposals, which will be revealed later this month, will demonstrate how they plan to address an identified sustainable development goal, explain how they develop civic engagement, as well as demonstrate the potential positive impact for Limerick.

Director of the initiative and Head of Community Engagement at UL, Dr Maura Adshead, explained: I work in the UL engagement unit, which is responsible for developing engagement in the university. So this assembly seemed like a good way to combine engaged research, engaged teaching, engaged projects with public engagement and community collaboration. Its a fun day for the university to get closer to communities and for communities to get closer to the university.

Speaking of the aim of the event, she noted: The larger purpose is that we start to talk about sustainability, that we start to think about sustainability, and see the ways that we can make a contribution.

So many people think that climate change is such a big problem, and that there's nothing we can do. Whereas what we're going to see at the event is a number of projects where we can do something, where you can feel that we can make a difference together.

For further information, see ulcitizensassembly.ie/

Project collaborator and Facilitator of the Limerick PPN Secretariat, Patrick Fitzgerald, commented: Its lovely from the community perspective to see UL coming into Limerick.

What we've seen in the last five years is a lot more engagement from UL, a lot more coming into Limerick rather than trying to be, and this project is just another example.
COUNCILLORS in a West Limerick area have approved the granting of 14,000 funding to local community groups.

Members of the Adare-Rathkeale municipal district approved four lots of funding for different projects across their communities.

It came as part of the General Municipal Allocation fund, which is a dedicated pot of money the areas six councillors can access for projects of their choice.

At the monthly district meeting, which took place above the library in Rathkeale, Pallaskenry Tidy Towns was given a grant of 2,000.

Elsewhere, in Pallaskenry, Scoil Mhuire National School staff were given 3,000 for projects related to the educational institution.

And 1,000 is going to the villages senior citizens club.

The Ferrybridge Watersports Pontoon Club near Clarina is being given funding of 8,000 as it continues its bid to promote the River Maigue as a safe place to swim.

A pontoon is planned to be built on the opening to the waterway, with members of the metropolitan district which borders the area also granting money.

The move for the funding near Clarina was presented by district leader Cllr Stephen Keary, Fine Gael, plus Fianna Fails Kevin Sheahan and Independent Emmett OBrien.
FRUSTRATION is mounting for some current and former local healthcare workers who claim they are still waiting for their Covid bonus payment (PSRP).

They are entitled to the payment for working on the frontline during the pandemic.

The payment, announced a year ago, opened for applications last year, with some applications needing additional information, prompting a reapplication process in February 2023.

After the announcement, the payments for employees of non-HSE and non-Section 38 organisations were outsourced to Kosi Corporation, based in Newry.

According to a former non-HSE, Castletroy healthcare worker, who spoke with the Limerick Leader, their payment, and many of their colleagues payments have not yet been received, and no timeframe for payment has been given.

Another former non-HSE Newcastle West physiotherapist, who spoke with the Leader, has yet to receive their payment after working during the Covid period.

On the delays, they have been repeatedly told by their former employers that Kosi are responsible for payments.

At time of publication, neither of the local companies had responded to queries.

According to Kosi, employers are required to make PSRP payments to employees within 30 days.

Roll out of the payments have started by the HSE, with a spokesperson saying, a total of 56.02m has been paid to 61,074 employees.

This includes 5,093 serving and former members of staff at UL Hospitals Group, said a ULHG spokesperson.
GARDAI have refrained from commenting further on a European-wide operation into an organised crime group, which, according to Romanian police authorities, saw a property in Limerick being searched as part of the investigation.

Searches of two Irish properties, in a total of 19 internationally, have been conducted as part of a European investigation into crimes such as prostitution, money laundering and human trafficking.

There have been reports from Romanian police authorities that one of the two Irish properties was in Limerick. The searches were carried out by An Garda Siochana, in conjunction with colleagues in Romania and the United Kingdom (UK) in a joint day of Action.

While the Romanian authorities claim the two Irish residencies searched are located in Limerick and Galway, a spokesperson for An Garda Siochana told Limerick Live that they were not prepared to provide "any further details at this time".

The investigation is being led by the European Union Agency for Criminal Justice Cooperation, EUROJUST, and the searches of the properties in Ireland were carried out on Wednesday, April 19.

A statement released by EUROJUST reads: 12 suspects were charged, five of them were detained and four are under judicial control. A total of 19 house searches were carried out, 17 in Romania and two in Ireland.

During the house searches, various means of evidence were seized, including laptops, mobile phones and cards, while six real estate properties, six premium and luxury vehicles and over 22,500 in cash has been frozen.

Speaking about the operation, Detective Chief Superintendent, Colm Noonan of the Garda National Protective Services Bureau, said: An Garda Siochana, through the Human Trafficking Investigation and Coordination Unit, continue to proactively engage with International Law Enforcement partners to protect the most vulnerable persons in our societies.

Human Trafficking for sexual exploitation is a heinous crime, exploiting another human being for the commercial benefit of the trafficker and An Garda Siochana is determined to ensure that this type of crime is identified and investigated at every opportunity.

According to EUROJUST, this case was opened in December 2021 at the request of the Romanian authorities. A joint investigation team (JIT) was set up between the Romanian, Irish and UK authorities with the support of EUROJUST in May 2022.

Three coordination meetings were also hosted by the Agency to facilitate judicial cooperation and provide support for the coordinated investigative efforts.
HAVING your real identity globally exposed after many years of trying to conceal it, was not something one Limerick personality expected when he woke up this Saturday morning.

The New York Times has run a long profile feature on Limerick native Blindboy Boatclub, a former member of the comedy hip-hop duo The Rubberbandits, and has revealed his real name in the process.

The famous publication conducted the feature interview on Blindboy and his podcast, The Blindboy Podcast, and the article was published online this Saturday, April 22.

The inclusion in the article of the artist's real name came as somewhat of a surprise for Blindboy.

Sharing his views on the matter, the podcaster tweeted: I didn't know my real name was going to be all over this. But at this stage, I'm hardly anonymous.

I have a pen name and a pen face because I like privacy and going to Aldi. I'm diagnosed autistic and having a very quiet and simple life is important to me.

To be clear too, the journalist was lovely, I've been a fan of her articles since I started reading them, Blindboy continued on the social media platform.

It was a privilege to be profiled by her - the name thing was an editorial decision more than likely. My name is public domain, I'm not entitled to literal anonymity.

The 37-year-old from Limerick shot to fame after joining forces with a friend to form The Rubberbandits who released satirical YouTube videos and songs, the most famous being Horse Outside which was released in 2010.

To conceal their real identities, the duo famously wore plastic bags over their heads with the nose, eyes, and mouth cut out.

In the interview with The New York Times, Blindboy discusses The Blindboy Podcast, which he started in 2017, which is known for his social commentary and his eclectic, but topical podcast themes.

The New York Times journalist described it as something of a cultural phenomenon in Ireland - noting that President Michael D Higgins has previously appeared as a guest. The article pointed out that half of Blindboy's 700,000 to one million monthly listeners are from outside of Ireland.
Mankind Pharma IPO: The initial public offering (IPO) of Mankind Pharma Limited is going to hit primary market on 25th April 2023 i.e. on Tuesday this week. The public issue worth 4,326.36 crore will remain open for bidding till 27th April 2023. The public issue is completely offer for sale or OFS in nature and hence the company won't get any net proceed from this public issue. The company has fixed Mankind Pharma IPO price band at 1026 to 1080 per equity share and one lot of the upcoming IPO comprises 13 company shares.

Meanwhile, ahead of Mankind Pharma IPO opening, shares of the company have made debut in grey market. According to market observers, Mankind Pharma shares are available at a premium of 75 per equity share in grey market today.

Here we list out important Mankind Pharma IPO details in 10 points:

1] Mankind Pharma IPO GMP today: According to market observers, Mankind Pharma shares are available at a premium of 75 per equity share in grey market today.

2] Mankind Pharma IPO price: The company has fixed Mankind Pharma IPO price band at 1026 to 1080 per equity share.

3] Mankind Pharma IPO date: The public issue will open on 25h April 2023 and it will remain open till 27th April 2023.

4] Mankind Pharma IPO lot size: A bidder will be able to apply in lots and one lot will comprise 13 company shares.

5] Mankind Pharma IPO investment limit: As one lot comprises 13 company shares, minimum amount required for applying to the IPO is 14,040 ( 1080 x 13).

6] Mankind Pharma IPO allotment date: The tentative date for share allocation is 3rd May 2023.

7] Mankind Pharma IPO listing: The IPO is proposed for listing on both BSE and NSE.

8] Mankind Pharma IPO listing date: Share listing is most likely on 8th May 2023.

9] Mankind Pharma IPO registrar: Kfin Technologies Limited has been appointed as official registrar of the public offer.

10] Mankind Pharma IPO review: On whether one should apply or not for the public issue, Reliance Securities says, "On FY23 annualized financials, the IPO is valued at 32.2x P/E at the upper price band which is higher than its peers. Mankind Pharma has several leading brands across multiple categories. It is primarily focused on the domestic pharmaceutical market which has healthy growth potential. However, the company is heavily dependent on the medical representative led sales model which has come under the radar of regulatory authorities due to certain unethical practices in the industry. Introduction of stricter norms regulating marketing practices by pharmaceutical companies could affect the companys ability to effectively market its products."

Reliance Securities went on to add that the valuation at 32.2x FY23 annualized earnings leaves limited upside and risk reward is not favorable in current market situation.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Stock price of Reliance Industries (RIL) will react to the company's last quarter results of FY23 on Monday. It is likely the reaction would be positive as RIL's financial performance has been broadly in line with estimates.

The Mukesh Ambani-backed RIL garnered the highest ever quarterly profits driven by strong operating performance of mainstay O2C business, optimised feedstock cost, and supportive product margins. The retail and telecom arm also witnessed stable growth.

RIL announced its Q4 results after market hours on Friday. Hence, the stock price will fully witness the impact of the financial results on Monday next week.

On BSE, RIL stock finished at 2,348.90 apiece marginally up from Thursday's closing price of 2,345.70.

RIL Q4 Results Quote by Parul Rao, Research Analyst, SAMCO Securities said, "Reliance Industries seems to be hitting all the right nerves across its businesses during the January-March period ie. Q4FY 23. Despite being topline flat YoY, the company posted its highest-ever quarterly profits of 19,299 crores, a jump of 19% YoY. The consumer-facing business took a front seat and drove the earnings."

In Q4FY23, Ambani's oil-to-energy empire registered a PAT of 19,299 crore up by 19.11% YoY and 22.21% QoQ. EBITDA came in at 41,389 crore up by 21.8% YoY. O2C business reported a record EBITDA of 16,293 crore in Q4FY23 surging by 14.4%.

However, in Q4FY23, consolidated revenue stood at 211,887 crore up by 2.1% YoY but lower by 1.9% sequentially. Income from the value of sales and services came in at 239,082 crore up by 2.8% YoY aided by continued growth momentum in consumer businesses. Also, digital services and retail segments posted a growth of 15.4% YoY and 19.4% YoY respectively.

On the performance, Abhijeet Bora, DVP Research Analyst at Sharekhan by BNP Paribas cited that the Q4 consolidated PAT was above their estimates given the robust O2C earnings and lower tax rate of 11.6% offsetting rise in interest/depreciation cost and lower other income.

Also, Bora added, "RIL posted strong Q4FY23 performance with 7% beat in consolidated EBITDA at Rs38,440 crore (up 9% q-o-q) led by better-than-expected standalone earnings offsetting marginal miss in retail EBITDA while Jio performance was broadly in-line. Standalone EBITDA increased sharply by 20% q-o-q to Rs18,070 crore (10% above our estimate) led by strong O2C EBITDA of Rs14818 crore (up 22% q-o-q) reflecting benefit of higher gasoline cracks and feedstock optimization. Jio EBITDA was in-line with a 2% q-o-q increase to Rs12,767 crore with steady ARPU of Rs179 and net subscriber addition of 6.4 mn q-o-q. Retail EBITDA was tad lower than expectation at Rs4769 crore (up 2.4% q-o-q) due to slower revenue growth of 2.4% while margin remained stable q-o-q at 7.7%."

Furthermore, Bora said, "The company maintains a positive outlook across the O2C chain-driven business. The Oil & Gas segment is poised to be a source of significant value and sustained earnings growth in the coming years. Reliance Jio is expected to continue its leadership position with a healthy subscriber base and new offerings."

Accordingly, going ahead, Samco's analyst said, "The retail segment is positioned for strong growth as the company has been bolstering its portfolio through acquisitions and expansion. The listing of Jio Financial services will unlock new opportunities for investors."

On the valuation, Sharekhan's analyst said, "Continued strong traction in its consumer-centric business to drive strong earnings growth for RIL and likely IPO for Jio/Retail remains catalyst. RIL is our top pick and we have a Buy rating on the stock."

Avishek Datta  Research Analyst, Prabhudas Lilladher has also given a 'Buy' rating on RIL for a target price of 2,834 apiece ahead.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or broking companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
Mutual funds are one of the most favoured investment options among those investors who are in the nascent phase of one's career. It allows an investor to invest in stocks and get average return over the period of time if the investor has chosen systematic investment plan (SIP). So, mutual fund SIP is one of the good option for those who have high risk appetite and they want to accumulate wealth for their financial requirements post-retirement.

15 x 15 x 15 rule of mutual funds suggests that if an investor starts investing from 25 years of age, then starting a mutual fund SIP at the age of 25 for next 15 years with monthly SIP of 15,000, the investor can expect to get 15 per cent return on one's SIP and 1 crore maturity amount. However, if we go by tax and investment experts' views, one should increase one's monthly SIP with increase in one's income using annual step up plan. By doing this, the mutual fund investor will be able to maximise one's return as he or she would get higher compounding benefit in long term.

How to become crorepati

On how to utilise 15 x 15 x 15 rule of mutual funds, Pankaj Mathpal, MD & CEO at Optima Money Managers said, "By investing 15,000 per month in SIP mode, a mutual fund investor can expect to get 15 per cent return on one's money after 15 years and hence the maturity amount would become around 1 crore. However, my suggestion for the mutual funds investor is to increase one's monthly SIP by 15 per cent after completion of each one year, as one's annual income rise by 12 to 15 per cent and hence raising monthly SIP amount by 15 per cent won't be a hectic task. By doing this, one would be able to get more than 2 crore maturity amount after 15 years."

Mutual fund SIP calculator

Advising mutual fund investors to start 15,000 at the beginning of one's career and continue investing till one retires, SEBI registered tax and investment expert Jitendra Solanki said, "One should start 15,000 monthly SIP in equity mutual funds and continue investing till 60 years as it would enable him or her to maximise the benefit of early settlement in one's career and enhance higher maturity amount in one's retirement fund."

On how early investment would benefit mutual funds investor, Jitendra Solanki said, "If someone begins mutual fund SIP at the age of 25, he or she would be able to invest for 35 years, leading to higher compounding benefit and maturity amount."

On whether the mutual fund scheme chosen for long term would exist for that much long or not, Jitendra Solanki clarified, "If an asset management company (AMC) closes down then other AMC would take over and the scheme would continue further. At the time of takeover, new AMC gives old investors two options  to continue or exit. If the investor is convinced with the new AMC and its fund managers, it can continue with one's mutual fund SIP without any hassle. In case, he exercises the exit option, the investor can choose other good scheme and divert the maturity amount there and continue investing in SIP mode at new scheme. This will allow the investor to continue the long term investment strategy without any impact on one's investment goal."

Mutual fund calculator

Suppose a mutual funds investor starts 15,000 monthly SIP at the age of 25 and continues investing in it for next 35 years maintaining 15 per cent annual step up, the as per the SIP calculator, one would get a maturity amount of 79,16,51,398 or say around 79 crore.

Out of these 79,16,51,398, investor's net investment amount would be 15,86,10,628 and net return on one's money would be 63,30,40,770.

See mutual fund calculator below:

View Full Image Photo: piggy SIP calculator

Mutual funds to buy

On mutual fund plans that one can look at for long term, Pankaj Mathpal of Optima Money Managers listed out the following mutual funds:

1] ICICI Prudential Large & Mid-cap Fund;

2] Aditya Birla Sun Life Multi-cap Fun; and

3] Nippon India Flexi Cap Fund.

Disclaimer: The views and recommendations made above are those of individual analysts or wealth management companies, and not of Mint. We advise investors to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
A day after senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar said that his party can stake a claim to the post of Maharashtra's chief minister, Shiv Sena (UBT) Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on 22 April said Ajit Pawar was capable of becoming Maharashtra chief minister.

Earlier in Pune, when asked by an interviewer from Sakal Media Group at a programme called 'Dilkhulas Dada' if he would like to become chief minister, Pawar said, "Yes, I would 100 per cent like to be (CM)."

On being asked if the NCP will stake a claim for the chief minister's post next year when Assembly polls are due in Maharashtra, he remarked, "Why 2024, we are ready to stake a claim for the CM position now also." Though, he did not elaborate on the statement.

ALSO READ: Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has a stern warning, if Ajit Pawar joins BJP, we will

Apart from this, answering a question on why NCP has an attraction for the deputy CM's position, Pawar had replied in 2004, the NCP and the Congress fought Assembly elections in an alliance and the former had won more seats and since then there is an understanding between the two parties.

Sanjay Raut's take:

Raut, a key aide of Uddhav Thackeray, supported Ajit Pawar to become CM of the state. He said, "Who would not like to be chief minister? And Ajit Pawar is capable of becoming chief minister. He has been in politics for so many years now and has been minister several times. He holds a record for having served as deputy CM for the most number of times. Everyone thinks one should become CM."

Adding more, he said, "He (Pawar) has not expressed this desire for the first time. So my best wishes to him."

Devendra Fadnavis' take:

On Pawar's comments, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnjavis said, "I have not seen Ajit Pawar's interview. There is nothing wrong with anyone wanting to be a Chief Minister, many like it but not everyone can be a CM. We wish him (NCP's Ajit Pawar) all the best."

Adding more, he said, "I don't know what is going on within the Maha Vikas Aghadi, I have repeatedly said that they are calling themselves 'Vajra Muth' (fist) but it has many cracks, it can never be 'Vajra Muth' (fist)."

With ANI inputs.
Microsoft President Brad Smith believes that Chinese research organisations and companies will emerge as major rivals of ChatGPT. According to a report in Nikkei Asia, Smith said that as competition heats up in the development of generative AI, China will not be behind.

"We see three at the absolute forefront," Smith said in an interview in Tokyo with Nikkei Asia. One is Open AI with Microsoft, the second is Google, and "the third is the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence."

"Who's ahead and who's behind can change a bit from one part of the year to another, but one thing has been absolutely constant: the gap is almost always measured in months, not years," Smith said, calling the race to innovate enormously competitive."

Generative AI -- the technology behind ChatGPT -- is capable of producing text and images at near-human levels of sophistication. However, the technology has also sparked fears that it could displace workers by automating many jobs, it added. Other concerns include its potential for spreading misinformation, infringing on copyrights, compromising privacy and leaking sensitive information.

As per Nikkei Asia's report, Smith says that the solution to such concerns is not to stop innovation but rather to use and improve on existing products. Like other technologies, AI can be a tool as well as a weapon, he said, citing cyber attacks as an example.

"We should absolutely assume, and even expect, that certain nation states will use AI to launch cyber attacks, even stronger cyber attacks and cyber influence operations than we see today," he warned.

"What we have fundamentally found is that technology innovation, when pursued well, can actually lead to stronger defence at the expense of strong offence. That's the real lesson from the war in Ukraine," he said.

"Already, we are using AI to identify new attacks in real-time, and intercept them," he said. "We can move faster than even a human can go. ... We are using AI to detect cyber influence operations of foreign governments and disinformation campaigns," he said.

But "if we can continue to combine the best minds of people with the best technology, that is an area where we should be able to outperform the adversaries of the world's democracies," he said.

Smith also pointed out how the technology can address labour shortages - one of the biggest challenges facing Asia.

"The working-age population has to support more people who have retired and are dependent on the economic growth of people who are working. We desperately need to find new sources of productivity growth," he said. "There is no other way to grow GDP."

(With inputs from ANI)
The current COVID surge is hitting children hard and most of them are showing mild febrile illness symptoms. A new study, conducted between April 4 and16, shows that the total duration of illness is short, ranging from 1-3 days, but there are 8 to 10 symptoms that might be bothering them, including conjunctivitis, fever etc.

Vipin M Vashishtha, former convenor of Indian Academy of Pediatrics and consultant paediatrician at the Mangla Hospital and Research Centre, Bijnor, took to Twitter, to say, infants are being disproportionately affected, with even a 13-day-old neonate testing positive for the virus. Infants below one year of age are also more likely to test positive than older children.

Infants below one year had a significantly higher positivity rate than older children (40.38% versus 10.5%, p=000816)."

Speaking about the symptoms, he said, unlike the previous BA.2 Omicron wave, respiratory symptoms are predominating in young infants. Another surprising finding was the presence of itchy, non-purulent conjunctivitis, which was solely observed in infants.

Conjunctival involvement was seen in 42.8% of affected infants.

List of common covid symptoms among children

Forgot to attach the table with clinical features pic.twitter.com/7W44gZQnn4  Vipin M. Vashishtha (@vipintukur) April 21, 2023

Eric Topol, physician-scientist, also referred to a study to say, documenting the XBB.1.16-linked conjunctivitis, a distinctive feature of this variant, especially seen in infants

Documenting the XBB.1.16-linked conjunctivitis, a distinctive feature of this variant, especially seen in infantshttps://t.co/m3lNpk6OU9  Eric Topol (@EricTopol) April 21, 2023

How to protect your children amid virus surge?

Protecting children from viral infections such as RSV, flu, adenovirus, and Covid-19 is essential as they are more vulnerable due to their developing immune systems. Vaccination, regular handwashing, and mask-wearing for children over five are essential measures.

Parents should monitor their children's health closely and keep them home from school if they have any symptoms of illness. This is especially important for high-risk children with underlying health conditions like asthma, diabetes, or heart disease. By taking these precautions, we can help keep children healthy and prevent the spread of viral infections.

According to Dr. Kuldeep Kumar Grover, Head of critical care & Pulmonology at CK Birla Hospital, Gurgaon, told Hindustan Times, Covid-19 is a viral infection that has been around for some time. He advises parents to look out for symptoms like fever, cold, a bit of cough, stomach flu, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, and body pain. However, he notes that the symptoms of Covid-19 are more gradual than other viruses.
Former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has not been detained but he himself arrived at P.S. R K Puram Police station along with his supporters, Police on Saturday said.

"We have not detained former governor Satya Pal Malik. He came on his own volition, along with his supporters, to the R K Puram police station and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C said, as reported by PTI.

The Delhi Police also called it to be fake news and tweeted, "False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will."

False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov.



Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram alongwith his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will.#DelhiPoliceUpdates  Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) April 22, 2023

Malik on Friday planned to hold a meeting at an MCD park in R K Puram. However, he had neither obtained permission nor was it an appropriate place to hold a meeting. After being informed, Malik and his supporters left and he later voluntarily visited the police station, another officer said.

The CBI has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency. Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya.

(With inputs from agencies)
Five soldiers were killed in an ambush on an Army truck carrying fruits and other items for an iftar gathering in Sangiote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district on April 19. The ill-fated vehicle was headed towards the village, where an iftar event was scheduled to take place that evening. The incident has left the residents of Sangiote village in mourning, with the local Sarpanch stating that they will not celebrate Eid on April 22.

Sarpanch of the Sangiote panchayat, Mukhtiaz Khan, said that the villagers would solely perform namaz and added that the soldiers who had lost their lives were a part of the Rashtriya Rifles unit stationed in their village. Their sympathies were with the bereaved families, The Indian Express quoted Khan as saying.

Meanwhile, in Odishas Sambalpur city, curfew continues to be in force since April 14 midnight. The district administration has decided not to allow Eid congregations at the Eidgah, but believers can offer prayers in mosques.

The curfew has been relaxed by 12 hours from 6 am to 6 pm following the improvement of the situation. The district administration at a meeting requested members of the minority community to offer namaz in mosques instead of congregating at the Eidgah this year.

Members of the community agreed to the proposal and gave an assurance to the authorities that they will instead offer namaz at 10 mosques across the city. Sambalpur Superintendent of Police B Gangadhar said that a decision was taken against holding mass gathering at the Eidgah to ensure public order.

According to a senior member of the minority community, named Md. Parveez Ali Khan, they have agreed to the administration's suggestion of not holding namaz at the Eidgah. Instead, they will perform prayers in 10 mosques in the city in smaller groups. They are also cooperating with the authorities in their efforts to maintain peace.

(With agency inputs)
NEW DELHI: India has reported a sharp rise of 12,193 Covid cases and 42 deaths on Saturday taking the trajectory of active cases to 67,556. While the daily positivity rate has reached 6.17%, the weekly positivity rate remains at 5.33 %.

In the last three years of the pandemic, India has reported to more than 44.9 million cases and 5,31,300 Covid-related deaths.

The trajectory of Covid cases has increased gradually across the country with Karnataka reporting 2070 active cases while Kerala has 18,143 active cases. Maharashtra has 5,970 active cases, Gujarat with 1,997 cases, Delhi has recorded 6,496 cases, Tamil Nadu has 3,660 active cases; Himachal Pradesh with 1,717 cases, Haryana has 5,491 cases, Chhattisgarh has 3,275 cases, Rajasthan 3742, and Uttar Pradesh with 4691 cases.

With the uptick in the trend of Covid cases, scientists said that XBB.1.16 is the Covid-19 variant responsible for the present surge in Covid cases. However, scientists say that people in India have developed hybrid immunity (due to vaccination and natural infection). Therefore, the present Covid-19 variants will not cause a lot of hospitalization and severity as it is mild in nature. However, the government has suggested people wear masks in crowded places and complete their vaccination doses if not done yet.

Around 4,42,83,021 people recovered from the infection with the current recovery rate touching 98.66%.

Meanwhile, the union health ministry directed the state and union territory governments to follow a risk assessment-based approach to prevent and contain the infection. The health ministry advised the state governments to examine the situation of Covid-19 at a micro level (district and sub-districts) and maintain focus on the implementation of necessary measures for prompt and effective management of Covid-19 duly ensuring effective compliance.

The government has asked the states to follow the strategy of testing, tracking, treating, and vaccinating. Around 1,97,477 tests were conducted in a day taking the total number of tests to 92.52 crore.

Under the Covid vaccination drive, more than 220.66 crore vaccine doses have been administered to people across the country so far. In the last 24 hours, around 5,602 vaccine doses were administered.
India on Saturday recorded an additional 501 Covid cases and 14 deaths in 24 hours. According to the data from the Union Ministry of Health, India reported 12,193 fresh Covid-19 cases in a span of 24 hours.

The number of active cases has gone up to 67,556 as of 22 April 2023, according to the data by the Union Ministry of Health.

Yesterday, India's daily Covid cases stood at 11,692.

The death toll due to Covid has climbed to 5,31,300 with 42 more fatalities, including 10 reconciled by Kerala, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am.

Cumulatively, India has recorded 4,48,81,877 Covid cases so far.

The active cases account for 0.15% of the total caseload, while the national Covid-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.66%, the health ministry's website noted.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 4,42,83,021, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18%.

According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of anti-Covid vaccines have so far been administered to people across the country.

Yesterday, the central government asked eight states including Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra to maintain a strict watch and take preemptive action in any area of concern to control any emerging spread of infection.

Underlining that Covid is still not over, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan in a letter to Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Kerala, Karnataka, Haryana and Delhi urged them to remain cautious against laxity at any level saying that may nullify the gains made in pandemic management so far.

Uttar Pradesh has reported an increase in weekly cases from 279 in week ending April 13 to 696 in week ending 20 April.

While Tamil Nadu has reported an increase in weekly cases from 356 in week ending April 13 to 510 in week ending April 20.

Rajasthan reported an increase in cases from 181 (week ending April 13) to 435 (week ending April 20).

Maharashtra has reported an increase in weekly cases from 774 in week ending April 13 to 872 in the week ending April 20.

Kerala reported an increase in weekly cases from 2,139 in week ending April 13 to 2,602 in week ending April 20 while Karnataka reported a rise in weekly cases from 268 in week ending April 13 to 369 in week ending April 20.

Haryana saw an increase in weekly cases from 445 in the week ending April 13 to 910 in the week ending April 20 whereas in Delhi, there was an increase in weekly cases from 741 in the week ending April 13 to 1,471 in the week ending April 20.
New Delhi: India is set to host Asia Pacific Leaders' Conclave on Malaria Elimination coming week.

A statement from the union ministry of health and family welfare on Saturday said that the ministry will be organize the conclave in the national capital on April 24, 2023, as a precursor to World Malaria Day.

The ministry will organize the event in partnership with the Asia Pacific Leaders Malaria Alliance (APLMA).

The conclave aims to reaffirm political commitment to galvanise action for malaria elimination by 2030, the statement said.

The conclave will provide a platform for leaders from the Asia Pacific region to discuss ongoing efforts towards malaria elimination and revitalise national and regional momentum towards the goal of an Asia Pacific Free from Malaria by 2030.

Sessions will include tracking regional and national progress, reaching at-risk populations, leveraging research, innovation, and new technologies to accelerate progress, and embracing a whole-of-government approach eliminate the disease.

India has made remarkable progress towards malaria elimination in recent years and has been appreciated at the global level. Among the 11 countries that are part of the World Health Organization's 'High Burden to High Impact' initiative, only India has reported decline in malaria cases during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Malaria cases and deaths also dropped by 85.1% and 83.6% respectively, from 2015 to 2022.

The conclave will be presided by V. K. Paul, Member (Health), NITI Aayog and attended by the Minister of Health and Family Welfare of Mizoram, Rajesh Bhushan, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, World Health Organization, SEARO, Health Ministers from APLMA member nations including Culwick Togamana, Minister of Health, Solomon Islands and Atonio Lalabalavu, Minister of Health, Republic of Fiji.

Senior representatives from various government departments, development partners and corporates will also be in attendance.
The Indian Army has achieved a significant accomplishment in the field of defence under the 'Make-in-India' initiative by signing a contract to purchase more than 450 completely indigenous Nagastra-1 loitering munitions.

Solar Industries Nagpur on Friday announced that they have secured a contract to provide the Indian Army with the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) called 'Nagastra', surpassing competitors from Israel and Poland, ANI reported.

About indigenous Nagastra-1

Under the emergency procurement provisions, the Indian Army has signed the contract for the acquisition of Nagastra-1 loitering munitions, which must be delivered within one year. These emergency procurement deals can have a maximum value of 300 crores.

According to the statement, the Nagastra-1 loiter munition has advanced features such as abort, recover, and reuse capabilities, which make it superior to similar systems developed by more technologically advanced countries.

An official from Solar Industries stated that the Indian government's push for self-reliance in ammunition and defence systems has led to the creation of the first domestic Loiter Munition (LM) called Nagastra-1. This LM was developed by the company's 100% subsidiary, Economic Explosives Ltd (EEL), in collaboration with Z-Motion from Bangalore, reported PTI.

EEL officials noted that the tender for the drones was issued by the Indian Army a few months back and EEL emerged as the winner in the competition after trials and other due procedures.

Recently, a prototype of the Nagastra-1 loitering munition was showcased at the Army Commanders conference held in New Delhi.

The use of drone technology has demonstrated its effectiveness as a force multiplier in military operations. This has been demonstrated in several recent conflicts worldwide, including conflicts between Armenia and Azerbaijan, in Syria, in the strike on oilfields in Saudi Arabia, and in the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Solar Industries have taken initiatives to develop a wide array of weaponised drones to neutralise various targets using gravity drop bombs, guided missiles or using them in a Kamikaze mode. This will go a long way to boost the indigenous capability of using drones/ UAVs as war machinery," a company official said.

(With inputs from agencies)
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar continued his visit in Guyana today as India steps up its outreach to Latin America and the Caribbean. On Friday, Minister Jaishankar chaired a ministerial meeting with regional leaders and discussed issues ranging from trade and economics to climate change.

After this, EAM Jaishankar is expected to travel to Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic. This will be his first visit to these countries as Indias Foreign Minister, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. .

The India-CARICOM Joint Commission meetings saw the Foreign Minister interact with some key regional diplomats from Suriname, the Bahamas, St. Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Barbados and Jamaica among others. He also met with CARICOMs Secretary-General Carla Natalie Barnett and discussed New Delhis partnership with the organisation.

Minister Jaishankar will now move on to some crucial bilateral conversations with Guyana, a South American country with which India is looking to bolster energy security ties.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, he will be co-chairing the Joint Commission Meeting with his counterpart, H.E. Mr. Hugh Hilton Todd that will entail discussions on the whole gamut of issues between the two countries. EAMs visit to Guyana would also be an opportunity for a meeting of Foreign Ministers in the India-COFCOR (Council on Foreign and Community Relations (COFCOR); a group of 15-member Caribbean Community (CARICOM)) format and hold bilateral meetings with participating Ministers."

Indias top diplomat is accompanied by a Confederation of Indian Industry-led business delegation, which will encourage some wider conversations around business and economic opportunities in the region for Indian firms.

EAMs visit to these four countries; his bilateral engagements as well as interactions with counterparts of important regional groups: CARICOM and SICA, adds to the momentum of the India-LAC engagements. It will provide an opportunity to continue high level contacts with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean and explore new areas of cooperation in a whole host of areas; particularly in the post pandemic scenario," said the MEA in a press release.
The second-year student from the Indian Institute of Technology in Chennai, who committed suicide on Friday, would often tell his friends "No one has time for me, all are busy."

The "academically brilliant" student could not have a healthy socialising "to relieve his stress", an investigating officers told NDTV and added he thanked his friends for being nice to him in an unsigned note

The 20-year-old from Maharashtra was pursuing Chemical Engineering at the institute. On Friday, he was found hanging in his hostel room on the campus.

"He did not respond and then the hostel room's door was broken open and he was found hanging," the officer said.

Preliminary probe indicated that the deceased student may have had some issues arising out of him being in love with a woman, the officer said.

The IIT-Madras, which conveyed its condolence to the bereaved, said: "We are deeply anguished to convey the untimely passing away of an undergraduate student from the Chemical Engineering Department in the afternoon of 21 April 2023 in his hostel room. The Institute has lost one of its own, and the professional community has lost a good student. The reason for the demise is unknown. Police are investigating. The parents have been informed."

The Institute said it is taking all possible measures to proactively identify and help students under stress. "We will continue to keep strengthening these measures."

This would be the fourth case of suicide at the IIT-Madras this year.

On March 14, a third-year B-Tech student of IIT-Madras died by suicide. A post-graduate student of engineering of IIT-M also died by suicide on February 14. He too had been found dead in his hostel room. There have been similar suicides in the past.

(With inputs from agencies)
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday thanked the people of the country while vacating his official residence at 12 Tughlak Road in Delhi. In a video released by the All India Congress Committee, the leader can be seen locking doors and thanking his staff for their service. Rahul Gandhi said vacating his residence after 19 years is the "price for speaking the truth" that he was paying. Rahul Gandhi also affirmed that he was ready to pay any price.

"People of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It's the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth...," says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he finally vacates his official residence after disqualification.

#WATCH | "People of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It's the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth...," says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he finally vacates his official residence after pic.twitter.com/hYsVjmetYw  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

After Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Member of Parliament from the Lok Sabha due to his conviction in a 2019 defamation case for making a remark about the 'Modi surname', the Lok Sabha Secretariat issued a notice on March 27 requesting him to vacate the government bungalow.

Rahul Gandhi had started the process of leaving his official bungalow and moving his things to his mother Sonia Gandhi's residence at 10 Janpath, following a notice he received to do so by 22 April after being disqualified from Lok Sabha in March.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hands over his official bungalow, at Tughlak Lane, in the presence of Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi & party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal.



(Source: AICC) pic.twitter.com/m9Utx0X0F4  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

The development came as the Surat Sessions Court ruled on 20 April that it would make a decision on his request for a temporary halt to his conviction in the defamation case, prompting Rahul Gandhi to make the move.

Opposition leaders have slammed the Centre over the way a senior Congress leader was disqualified from Lok Sabha and was later served with the notice to vacate his official residence.

This country is the home of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul resides in the hearts of people. Rahul whose relation with the public is unbreakable. Some see in him their son, some brother, some their leader... Rahul belongs to everyone and everyone belongs to Rahul. This is the reason why today the country is saying- Rahul ji, my house-your house. #MeraGharAapkaGhar," the Congress wrote on its Twitter handle.

Read More: Surat court dismisses Rahul Gandhi's plea in Modi surname case, what lies ahead for him?
Russias Rosneft has offered dividend payments to ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) as against its 20% stake in Sakhalin-1, which was earlier the source of lucrative equity oil for India.

Following Russias invasion of Ukraine, Moscow seized the Sakhalin-1 asset through a presidential decree, resulting in ExxonMobil, the operator of the asset, exiting Russia. ExxonMobil owned a 30% stake in the asset that was valued at over $4 billion.

While ONGC Videsh has regained its stake in Sakhalin-1, its Russian partner is now offering dividends instead of equity oil. India, the worlds third-largest oil importer, is pushing for equity oil from Russia as sanctions-related difficulties have made it difficult to repatriate funds to India and energy security concerns.

We want equity oil because we are unable to transfer dividends. After the Presidential decree, they took over the entire asset. Then, they said whoever wants their stake back needs to appeal to the Russian government. Post that, whether ONGC Videsh will get equity oil or dividend has still not been agreed upon. India has been asking for equity oil," an Indian official said, requesting anonymity.

Rosnefts proposal to offer dividend payments comes as Indian state-run energy firms face approximately $400 million in dividend payments from Vankorneft and Taas-Yuryakh stuck in Russia, as reported by Mint earlier. Recently, Russian deputy prime minister Denis Manturov discussed investment protection with the Indian government during his visit to the country. Indian state-owned firms, including ONGC Videsh, Bharat Petroresources Ltd, Indian Oil Corp, and Oil India Ltd, have invested $16 billion in Russia to date and earned around $9 billion.

Equity oil holds importance for India, given that the Opec-plus grouping recently announced yet another round of production cut, leading to a spike in oil prices. In such a scenario, having equity oil helps India navigate the uncertain energy markets.

A Rosneft spokesperson, in a detailed emailed response, said, Since 26 April 2022, the former operator of the project, Exxon Neftegaz Ltd, began unilaterally, without consulting with the other participants, to gradually reduce production, and in May of last year, stopped the work of the project completely. In fact, the project was completely shut down, and more than 300 people of operational staff left their workplaces. At the same time, there was no reaction from Japanese and Indian participants of the project to the operators actions."

Japans Sakhalin Oil and Gas Development Co. held 30% in the project, with Rosneft units holding the remaining 20%.

In early October, in accordance with the presidential decree, a new Russian legal entity was created to manage the asset and resume full-scale operations in accordance with Russian law. At the same time, the opportunity was preserved for all existing shareholders to participate in the new project in proportion to their pre-existing interests in the Sakhalin-1 project. The only condition for continued participation was the formation of a liquidation fund for the project in the Russian Federation, previously organized by Exxon in Great Britain. The Indian partners have not fulfilled this condition for the time being," the Rosneft spokesperson said.

In the 11 months to 28 February, Indian imports of Russian oil rose to $27 billion, second only to imports from Iraq, Mint reported on Friday, citing data from the Union ministry of commerce and industry.

Due to the restrictions contained in ONGCs charter, which does not allow it to carry out trading operations, and at ONGCs request, the Indian partners of the project were given the opportunity to purchase all its products on the only condition - registration of the buyer in a jurisdiction that does not apply illegal sanctions against the Russian Federation," the Rosneft spokesperson said.

Queries emailed to the spokespeople for the Russian embassy in Delhi, Indias ministries of external affairs, petroleum and natural gas, and ONGC Videsh on 17 April remained unanswered.

Collectively in projects with the participation of Rosneft, Indian companies have earned about $9 billion, which demonstrates the high efficiency and profitability of joint work. At the same time, Rosneft strictly pays dividends to its shareholders into accounts in foreign banks indicated by the partners, and there are no debts on dividends," the Rosneft spokesperson said.
Kerala has been put on high alert following the receipt of a threatening letter at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office regarding the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi .

The letter, which included the sender's name and other information, warned of a suicide attack during Modi's planned visit to Kochi on April 24.

Although the police have identified the individual named in the threatening letter, he denies any involvement and claims that his opponents have used his name to falsely implicate him. Despite this, security measures have been heightened and central investigative agencies are seeking further information.

A letter containing security protocols from the Additional Director General of Police was leaked to the media. The leaked document outlined various serious threats, including one from the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

M Muraleedharan, Minister of State for External Affairs from Kerala, expressed concern over the security breach and referred to it as a significant failure on the part of the state police.

Modi is scheduled to visit Kochi on April 24 and Thiruvananthapuram the next day to inaugurate Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express.

"Prime Minister's visit to Kerala will give impetus to the state's development. There is a great expectation among the people of Kerala for this visit. PM Modi will hold a road show. People will come voluntarily to receive him. 'Yuvam' will be the conference that would mark the beginning of Kerala's political change. The youth who want the development of Kerala beyond party politics will participate in this," he said at a press conference.
US President Joe Biden is looking forward to traveling to India in September for the G20 Leaders Summit, the administration said on Saturday and also thanked India for its 'tremendous' work at hosting the G20 Foreign Ministerial meeting last month. The US administration affirmed that 2023 is going to be a big year" for the India-US relationship.

"This is gonna be a big year. Of course, India is hosting the G-20. This year, the United States is hosting APEC. Japan is hosting the G7. We have lots of our QUAD members who are taking on leadership roles. And it provides opportunities for all of us to bring our countries closer together," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, told news agency PTI.

The US official added that India's leadership at G20 broadens its capacity to stand as a force of good in the world.

"We are really thankful for the tremendous work India has done by hosting the G-20 Foreign Ministerial meeting last month, and we look forward to actively participating in the many future G-20 meetings coming up this year, including the New Delhi Leaders Summit in September," Lu said.

"I know our President is looking forward to traveling to India in September. That will be his first trip to India as part of the G-20 Leaders Summit. We're really excited about what's to come in the next few months," he said.

"We're only a little over three months into this new year. And we've had a number of really exciting things that happened," he said.

Previously, senior leaders from the US administration like Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo visited India and also attended India-US Forum in Delhi.

Given its position as the G20 president, India has been at the forefront of promoting a constructive agenda for the G20.

Donald Lu praised Union Minister for External Affairs Dr. S Jaishankar for his engagement with the members of the QUAD forum during the public events at Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi.

"In March Dr. Jaishankar hosted his QUAD counterparts for a ministerial meeting and extraordinary public events at the Raisina Dialogue with all four foreign ministers together. It was the first such public discussion with QUAD foreign ministers and really drove home how our four countries are coming together to support the people of the Indo-Pacific," he said.

"And then lastly, this month, the arrival of our new Ambassador Eric Garcetti. He has already received a really warm welcome from our Indian and American staff at the US Embassy. Once he presents his credentials, he is looking forward to meeting with the rest of India and I think India will find that he is young, he is enthusiastic, and he's eager to bring our relations to new heights," Mr. Lu said.

Read More: US says it will process Indian student visas whose school starts this year

(With inputs from PTI)
The Indians, who were stuck in Sudan after clashes erupted on 15 April between the Army and the paramilitary forces, have been evacuated from the violence-hit country, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said on Saturday. The Saudi government has evacuated 157 individuals, including foreign diplomats and officials, from Sudan, marking the first instance of civilians being rescued since the fighting started. The evacuees arrived in Jeddah on Saturday.

Clashes broke out between the forces loyal to Sudanese Army General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and those of his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leaving hundreds dead and thousands wounded.

In a statement, the foreign ministry said, Indians stuck in Sudan arrive in Saudi Arabia after evacuation, as well as people from other nations, arrived safely from Sudan, including diplomats and international officials."

Indians, as well as people from other nations, arrived safely from Sudan, including diplomats & international officials: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/XoqykgnF2v  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

The evacuation was carried out by the kingdom's naval forces with the support of other branches of the Army, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

A total of 157 individuals from India, Pakistan, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso were evacuated. Saudi Arabia "worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals" ahead of their departure to their respective countries, the ministry said.

The evacuation of civilians from Sudan that occurred on Saturday was the first of its kind since violence broke out in the country a week prior. Sudan's Army confirmed that its leader, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, had received phone calls from various world leaders requesting assistance in ensuring the safe evacuation of citizens and diplomatic missions.

The Army stated that the evacuations were scheduled to commence in the next few hours, with the United States, Britain, France, and China intending to use military aircraft to airlift their nationals out of Khartoum.
Amid the row over unruly passengers during flights gaining momentum, a recent incident Minnesota took place when a 61-year-old passenger -- onboard a Delta flight to Alaska --allegedly forced himself on one of the male cabin crew members.

The passenger was overdrunk and has been identified as David Alan Burk. According to The New York Post, he created a 'level 2 security threat' aboard the 10 April flight from Minnesota.

Burk, being a first-class passenger, was allowed to consume alcohol after the plane took off by the the attendant who denied him to serve due to the regulations on the flight. Later, the attendant allegedly became the victim of an assault.

ALSO READ: Air India deboards unruly passenger at Delhi airport, lodges FIR

The 61-year-old passenger allegedly stopped in the galley to compliment the flight attendant ahead of requesting a kiss.

When the attended refused, Burk allegedly grabbed his neck, then dragged the attendant towards him, and kissed his neck.

Following the incident, the attendant took refuge in the back of the cabin of Delta Airlines plane. As per details, Burk even damaged a dish on a tray which contained the food for the captain.

Soon the flight landed, the pilot contacted airport dispatch to report the incident. On being questioned, Burk denied all the claims of the flight attendant.

Now, Burk will have to appear in court on 27 April on charges of assault and criminal mischief.
Several countries, including the US, the UK, France and China, will evacuate diplomats and nationals currently trapped in Sudan by the outbreak of fighting, the Sudanese army chief has said.

A statement released by the army said Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the leader of the Sudanese armed forces (SAF) and the nations de facto ruler, had agreed to facilitate the evacuation of a number of diplomats and nationals from multiple countries. It came after a promise by his rival  the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti  to open airports for evacuations.

Here's all you need to know about the evacuation plans:

The United States

US State Department officials informed that there are staffers estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, most of whom are dual nationals.

A US State Department spokesperson told CNN that the department remains in close contact with its embassy in Khartoum and have have full accountability of our personnel."

For their safety, I cannot discuss the details of their movements or whereabouts," the spokesperson added.

The United Kingdom

The British government said it was doing everything possible" to support nationals trapped in Sudan. Rishi Sunak, the prime minister, chaired a Cobra meeting on Saturday morning with the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, and the Africa minister, Andrew Mitchell.

A UK government spokesperson said: We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan. We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies."

France

Dagalo said he spoke to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Saturday and they discussed the current situation, the reasons [that] led to the exacerbation of the situation" and the possibility of opening evacuation corridors.

The United Nations has said between 10,000 and 20,000 people have already fled to western neighbour Chad  which is already hosting hundreds of thousands of refugees.

(With inputs from agencies)
With Title 42 coming to an end and a resulting increase in migrants expected, the City of Laredos Office of Emergency Management provided a report this week on its response to the COVID-19 migrant crisis and discussed plans for how various scenarios will be handled going forward.

There were 118,215 migrants processed by Border Patrol in Laredo in 2022 who were then released into the custody of the local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of the Holding Institute and the Catholic Charities Diocese of Laredo.

The Biden Administration previously announced it plans to end the COVID-19 national emergency and public health declaration on May 11. When that ends, so will Title 42 which permitted several emergency actions by the government including the expulsion and removal of people who have been in a country recently where communicable disease was present.

Laredo Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator Guillermo Heard presented to City Council on Monday, April 17. He discussed what the expectations are for three potential phases of numbers of migrants processed per day. Heard also emphasized that much of the processing in Laredo is assisting with migrants who crossed from other sectors.

We see a lot of lateral movements in our community. We dont see a lot of the movement that they are crossing the river or at the bridge and seeking asylum, Heard said. For different reasons, we are seeing the Rio Grande Valley or Del Rio when they are crossing, because there are a lot of migrants there they are processing, they are sending them to Laredo in lateral movements to help them process here because they only have 72 hours with them.

District III Councilmember Melissa Cigarroa echoed that sentiment when discussing a recent meeting with Raul Ortiz, the Deputy Chief for the U.S. Border Patrol. According to Cigarroa, Ortiz said they are catching closer to 27,000 migrants locally, and the remaining total comes from other processing centers. Along with centers along the Texas border, it also includes migrants from Yuma, Arizona. However, according to Cigarroa, Ortiz said he intends in the future to focus just on Texas cities being assisted by Laredo.

Just to be clear that the push of immigrants that we are expected to see doesnt really come through Laredo. They come through other cities that ironically have a wall. Ill just point that out, Cigarroa said. That is where the large flow of immigrants come from. Because CBP here in Laredo does such a good job, they are asked to process these immigrants to carry on whatever their plans are.

Phase I of Laredos Immigration Response Plan presented by Heard is for when there are between zero and 1,000 immigrants being released per day from the CBP Enhance Processing Center to NGOs. Heard said the city plays a minor role in this scenario mostly providing medical triage coordination with NGOs.

We are letting them take the lead. They give us reports, Heard said. We meet with CBP and Border Patrol regularly.  They just tell us what they are seeing and how they are preparing.

In the plan submitted to the federal government for Phase I, the projected cost would be $2,206,731.60. The majority of the funds would be for covering overtime costs to the personnel assisting with triage.

Phase II of the plan would be for if 1,000 to 2,000 immigrants are released per day. In this scenario, the NGOs would be near or at capacity and would require an increase in assistance. Heard said Laredo would take a more active role with increased medical triage personnel, increased security from the Laredo Police Department, shelter preparation and more. The projected cost would be $4,785,126.

Phase III of the plan would be for if the immigrants released per day exceeds 2,000. In this scenario, NGOs would exceed capacity and the City of Laredo would need to assist in providing travel to final destinations using busing, airlines and other methods.

Also, the Emergency Operations Center would expand to being open 24 hours per day, the Laredo Fire Department would provide triage at the ECPC, the Laredo Police Department would increase its presence downtown and around NGOs, community development would create shelter operations for overflow from NGOs, and the health department would provide surveillance of immigrants at shelters for COVID-19 and other communicable diseases such as tuberculosis.

The projected cost for Phase III would be $10,983,350.99. Heard said this would again primarily be overtime costs, but it would also include equipment, shelter operations and more.

This is the plan in case it goes beyond the numbers. I know weve talked directly with the Border Patrol chief and asked them to see if they can contain it between 1,000 to 2,000. What they have told us before is they have no control of that, but they will work with us as best as possible to keep the numbers down and to keep moving those lateral movements to other communities as well.

Along with complimenting the quality of Laredos soft-sided processing facility and how it respectfully and compassionately handles the immigrant flow, Cigarroa also complimented the proactive approach presented by Heard.

We are all trying to cope with this immigrant surge as best as we can, Cigarroa said. It is so good to hear the City of Laredo is taking a very proactive role in stepping up what those services may be simply because we expect that surge. On the broader political front, we need immigration reform. We know here in Laredo, you cannot secure the border if you dont have immigration reform.
A man who was chased by police wrecked his car and was later discovered hiding in a trash can, according to the Laredo Police Department.

Francisco Fuentes was arrested Friday and taken to Webb County Jail. He was charged with Evading Arrest Detention With Vehicle (F/3), Evading Arrest Detention (C/A) and Duty on Striking Unattended Vehicle (C/B).

The 35-year-old man had multiple pending warrants for failing to appear in court. They included Assault Family/Household Member With Previous Conviction, Tamper/Fabricate Physical Evidence With Intent to Impair, Possession of a Controlled Substance. Penalty Group 1, and Possession of Marijuana >4OZ<=5LBS.

Jail records showed that Fuentes was still in custody through Friday night.

The incident in the early hours of Friday morning at just around midnight.

Police said a suspicious activity call was received at around Santa Ursula Avenue and Madison Street.

Officers discovered the vehicle, a Chrysler 300, driving north on Interstate 35 and pursued. But police said that it exited the highway on Shiloh and police had to terminate the pursuit "because of the evasive levels of the car."

However, the vehicle was later discovered near Saunders Street and Ryan Street as it had crashed into a parked car.

Police said that the suspect, Fuentes, had allegedly fled into a neighborhood as they set up a perimeter. This led to his discovery as he was found hiding inside a Willie Bote trash can.
Lauren Diamond

STAAR testing is underway at schools across Texas, and one teacher is helping her students prepare using the gift of music.

Lauren Diamond is a music teacher at the Harmony School of Excellence, and she wrote an original rap song titled "Imma Staar" to motivate students before the big day.
Police say a man accused of setting several people on fire, including himself, at a Mississippi home is now facing murder charges after two of the victims died as a result of his alleged actions
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When it comes to equestrian sport, county Longford has always punched above its weight. Local lads, Michael Kelly, Gerry Flynn and Eddie Macken have been leading lights on the show jumping scene over the past number of years.

Frank Berry who was born in Dring, Granard, Co Longford in 1950, went on to become one of Irelands top jockeys. Frank was champion jump jockey in Ireland ten times, and won the Cheltenham Gold Cup on Glencaraig Lady in 1972.

Many of our greatest triumphs, however, like the achievements of the Lynn family, were side-lined by other events and almost forgotten over the decades.

On Easter Monday 1916 a young Longford man won the Irish Grand National, his win, however was overshadowed by an even greater occurrence, in WB Yeatss immortal words All changed, changed utterly: A terrible beauty is born.

The heroic effort of John (Jackie) Lynn in winning this race was almost entirely forgotten in the euphoria that swept the country after the rising of Easter Week 107 years ago.

John Lynn was born to Bridget Dunne and John Lynn in Edgeworthstown in 1886. According to his son Johnny the family were originally from Abbeylara. In 1901 he was a stable boy on the farm of Laurence Hope in County Meath.

Longford literary followers to descend on Edgeworthstown for upcoming Maria Edgeworth Festival In a little over two weeks time one of Longfords most eagerly waited literary festivals returns to the local arena.

Jackie, as he was known, rode for Sir William Nelson in England for a few seasons, he finished third on Patlander in the Aintree Grand National in 1907.

With several winners to his credit, he was chosen to ride the Richard Cleary, trained All Sorts in the Irish Grand National on Easter Monday 1916. The betting had the midland horse at 5/1. All Sorts was owned by James Kiernan of Dysart, Co Westmeath.

The Irish Grand National at Fairyhouse was one of the great days out in Ireland, uniting all classes and creeds. Some 25,000 people gathered on April 24, 1916, at the racetrack for the biggest day of the Irish national hunt calendar.

It has often been said of the Easter Rising that the British were slow to react because most of their army officers and troops were at the races in Fairyhouse on Easter Monday, this would appear to be the case.

The focus of all the attention, until news of the Rising filtered through, was the thirty-year old Longford man, who rode a superb race to guide All Sorts to victory in the most prodigious race on the Irish circuit. The runner up was Punch, with the ominous sounding Civil War placed fourth. The jubilation that followed the win was lessened somewhat, when all involved had to leave on foot.

When news of the Rising arrived by dispatch rider, the British soldiers commandeered every mode of transport at the course, shut down the railways, leaving all those present stranded, including the horses.

With no transport to take him home All Sorts and his handlers had to walk back to the grounds of Bishopstown House in Co Westmeath, a distance of more than 100 kilometres.

In December 1925 Jackie married Katherine O'Donnell, a near neighbour from Cam. The couple had seven children, two of whom were also jockeys.

The family had more than their share of tragedies, William Lynn, Jackies brother also a jockey died when his mount Tulfarris came down, crushing him, in the Goresbridge Plate at Gowran Park in June 1919. He was survived by his wife and four young children.

In December 1945, Willie's son Johnny was also killed in a fall at Southwell, while riding Red World', he was 38 years old. He served his apprenticeship at Rathbride Manor under M Dawson and J Dawson.

Jackies own son Michael was killed in a fall at Sandown Park in April 1955, when he fell from his mount Glamorgan the 23-year-old had ridden over sixty winners in his short career, for trainers LS Elwell and Toby Balding.

Caption: Jackie Lynn's son Michael winning on Son of Marie, Michael was killed in a fall at Sandown Park in April 1955

Patrick Lynn, a brother of Michael's, was also a jockey of note. He decided on hearing of his brothers death to give up the sport. However, the call was too strong and soon after, with his mothers blessing, he resumed his career.

Jackie died of cancer at his residence, Cam, Edgeworthstown on December 7, 1938 at the age of 52, his youngest child was just two months old. He was interred in Edgeworthstown Cemetery.

Longford bred horse to run in Aintree Grand National A Longford bred horse, Minella Trump, will feature in the Randox Grand National at Aintree this Saturday.

It is fitting that we remember Jackie Lynn and his very talented family this Easter, for their great contribution to the sporting history of our county.

My thanks to Johnny Lynn for his generosity in providing and sharing the historic photo of Jackie and All Sorts after their triumph on that famous occasion and for reading, correcting, and endorsing my article.

Johnny, who is in his 96th year, tells me he is being well looked after by the excellent staff in the Manor in Edgeworthstown.
Longford gardai have launched an investigation after brazen raiders stole a car trailer and valuable tools.

The burglary occurred at Clynan, Abbeyshule, Longford in the early hours of Friday last, April 14, 2023.



It is understood that the raiders gained entry to a shed located at the back of the property via a back window.

In addition to getting away with a car trailer, a number of valuable tools were also stolen, including; chainsaw, sledge hammers, two strimmers, consaw and a leaf blower.



Garda Crime Prevention Officer for Roscommon Longford Sergeant Damien Bartley is urging the public to be vigilant, with farmers in particular being asked 'to assess and where necessary to beef up, security around their holdings in light of recent reports of theft from farms across the Longford area in recent weeks'.



Sergeant Bartley pointed out that opportunist thieves can strike at any time of the year, particularly in poorly lit rural areas.

He added, "A typical farmer will have a lot of expensive tools and machinery on their farms that can cost tens of thousands of euros to replace, if stolen. Thats before you even take into consideration the serious inconvenience that having equipment stolen will cause."



Some Crime Prevention advice

Store your tools and smaller machinery in secured buildings close to the farmhouse.

Photograph machinery and tools. Keep a detailed record of make, serial number and colour.

Mark the property with a uniquely identifiable brand in both obvious and secret locations  consider using the Garda Property App

Restrict access to your farmyard, install gates and fix them to sturdy concrete or metal posts. Keep them locked and consider appropriate signage such as private property keep out

Consider installing an alarm and CCTV in vulnerable areas out of view of the farm house. Install good lighting to illuminate areas viewed from the home or covered by CCTV

Dont leave keys in tractors or quads when not in use and do not buy machinery, tools, trailers, tractors, quads, ride on mower, etc from strangers, do not pay cash for goods  no receipt  no guarantee



Report suspicious activity to Gardai immediately by ringing 999 or 112
The following message was sent to the Lycoming College campus community on Friday, April 21.

To the Campus Community:

The past week has been a painful, unsettling, and frightening time for members of the Lycoming College community. We have been processing reports of hateful and threatening words directed toward members of our community that had planned a drag show as well as those who were going to attend. We have made clear that the reported words have no place in our community. We have stated that those words are an affront to the Colleges core values, including freedom of expression and welcoming and embracing diverse identities.

During the past week, we have also been heartened by the support extended by so many community members to those most deeply impacted. We have discussed the situation at the Faculty Meeting, a Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA) meeting and Student Senate. The administration and the Williamsport Police have also been moving forward with investigations. Finally, we have also initiated conversations with GSA leadership about rescheduling the drag show.

We have also been advised that it would be helpful if the administration explained more about why it is important to stand up for the idea of holding a drag show on campus. Drag shows are understood to be a genre or type of performance art that prompt reflection on how gender identity is shaped and formed. It is this understanding of a drag show that leads to our expressed view that the reported threatening language is also an attack on the principle of freedom of expression and our commitment to foster a culture that welcomes and embraces diverse identities.

We are now in a position to share more about the circumstances that prompted the decision to reschedule the GSA sponsored drag show. Around 6:30 pm on Saturday, April 15, Dean of Students Dan Miller received a phone call from one of Lycomings GSA student leaders reporting that another disturbing incident had taken place and that the planners and performers were frightened for their physical well-being. Dean Miller then contacted President Trachte and summarized the information that had been shared with him:

A male had approached a student in the Recreation Center while wearing a mask, asked the student if he was attending the drag show, and then said to the student you are lost.

President Trachte then spoke directly with one of the leaders of the GSA, and Dean Miller and Director of Public Safety Holly Bleam went immediately to campus. With limited time to assess the situation, Dean Miller and President Trachte made the decision that there was too much risk involved in holding the event that evening.

We can also now share more information about the reported incident in the Keiper Recreation Center that comes from Public Safetys subsequent investigation. We now know that the words were spoken to a student working at the desk just inside the main Lamade entrance. That student has now clarified that they heard the person wearing the mask say, your loss rather than youre lost. The report also notes that the person making the comment is male and was accompanied by two other males. The person working at the desk has not been able to identify either the person wearing the mask or the other persons. This investigation continues, but it does not now present as posing the same level of risk as it did at 7:00 pm on Saturday, April 15.

On Monday, April 17, Dean Miller and I provided updates, answered questions and listened to community members in three different fora: the Faculty meeting, a meeting of the GSA that was attended by more than 70 students, and Student Senate. We left those meetings with many excellent ideas about how the administration can work with students toward a more inclusive and safer community, including enhancing the security of the campus, increasing educational opportunities for all members of the campus community, and holding people accountable for hate speech and threatening words. We are committed to reviewing all the suggestions and taking both immediate and longer-term actions. We want to thank all who attended and shared their thoughts and concerns.

The College and the Williamsport Police continue to investigate the threatening and hateful words overheard in the Dining Hall last week. Specifically, the Williamsport Police spent several hours on campus on Wednesday, April 19, interviewing students who might have information that would assist in identifying the individual(s) involved in the conversation in the Dining Hall that was the subject of our previous communication.

The College has now also communicated about the incidents and stressed our commitment to freedom of expression and cultivating a culture that welcomes diverse identities with the news media; and articles have appeared in several places. The April 14 message is also posted on the Colleges website and linked to the Colleges Instagram and Facebook accounts, and this one will be posted as well.

Community members with any information about either the reported Dining Hall or the Recreation Center incidents should contact Public Safety at 570-321-4064 or Security@lycoming.edu to make a report. An anonymous report can be made using the incident report form, or the RAVE Guardian app that allows for anonymous reporting. Officer Clint Gardner is leading the Williamsport Police investigation and can be reached by email at CGardner@cityofwilliamsport.org for confidential reporting as well.

Finally, we want to share that a group of faculty members are organizing a gathering on the quad (tentatively An Hour of Pride) for next Wednesday (April 26) from 12-1 pm. Plans are still developing but the general plan is for a festive celebration in support of our LGBTQ+ community. The organizing group plans to send an invitation to attend to the campus community soon.

President Trachte

Dean Miller
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

Mostly cloudy this morning with showers developing this afternoon. High 58F. Winds SSW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 70%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 41F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
Manchester, VT (05254)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies and rain overnight. Low 39F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 90%.
DAKAR, Senegal  Suspected jihadists attacked a military camp in central Mali on Saturday, two local elected officials and a diplomatic source told AFP, referring to the site as a Russian camp.

Malis junta in 2022 began working with what it calls Russian military instructors. Opponents say these are mercenaries from the Wagner group.

We have no toll for the moment  the situation is still confused  it is jihadists who targeted the airport and the Russian camp next to it, a local elected official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Two Malian military officials also confirmed the attack had taken place in the town of Sevare, in the Mopti region.

Around 5:30 am (0530 GMT), four loud explosions could be heard, followed by automatic weapons fire, several people on the ground told AFP.

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Smoke was also seen near the airport.

It is the Russian camp and their planes that have been targeted  the camp is near the airport, another local official told AFP.

The jihadists have surrounded part of the airport.

He said that Senegalese soldiers from the UNs mission in Mali, MINUSMA, were able to slow the jihadists advance.

MINUSMAs camp covers four hectares of land next to the airport and the Malian army camp that houses the Russians.

A MINUSMA official declined to comment when contacted by AFP.

We are facing a terrorist attack in Sevare  our men are on the ground, a Malian military official told AFP.

It was a complex attack that required a booby-trapped vehicle and guerrilla techniques, another military source said.

Mali has been battling a security crisis since jihadist and separatist insurgencies broke out in the north of the country in 2012.

It has since August 2020 been ruled by a military junta, which broke a long-standing alliance with France and other Western partners in the fight against jihadism and turned militarily and politically toward Russia.

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PBBM to envoy: Taiwan, WPS statements might be misinterpreted

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said some of the pronouncements that have been made recently on various issues by the Philippines and China and many other countries might be misinterpreted as he welcomed visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Saturday.

Earlier in the day, the Philippines top diplomat expressed his concern to Qin over escalating tensions in waters around Taiwan, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

As to the conflicts, we agreed to establish more lines of communications so that any event that occurs in the West Philippine Sea that involves China and the Philippines can immediately be resolved, Mr. Marcos added in a statement from the Presidential Communications Office last night.

WELCOME TO MANILA. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. welcomes Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang to Malacanan Palace on Saturday after the envoy met his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, who expressed Manilas concern over tensions in the Taiwan Strait. PPA, DFA photos

So, we are currently working on that and are awaiting the Chinese response and we are confident that these issues would be worked out that would be mutually beneficial for both our nations, the President added.

Mr. Marcos said it was really useful that he was able to speak to Qin so we can talk directly to one another and iron things out, adding the meeting was very useful, very productive.

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We were able to talk things a little bit through, make plans for the future, continue to work on growing the relationship between the Philippines and China, not only in the economic field but in the cultural and educational and other exchanges, the President said.

Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo met Qin as the two countries seek to deepen economic ties while also managing their bitter dispute over islands in the strategic South China Sea, the DFA said in a statement after the talks.

Secretary Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines adherence to the One China Policy, while at the same time expressing concern over the escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait, DFA said.

The differences over the South China Sea should not prevent Manila and Beijing from seeking ways to manage the maritime rows Manalo added after meeting his Chinese counterpart at the Diamond Hotel in Manila.

Our leaders have agreed that our differences in the West Philippine Sea are not the sum (or) total of our relations, Manalo said.

These differences should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively, especially with respect to the enjoyment of rights of Filipinos, especially fisher folk whose livelihood and general well-being are undermined by incidents and actions in the West Philippine Sea.

Qin, who arrived in Manila Saturday morning, is on an official visit until April 23 for a bilateral meeting with Manalo and a call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control one day, by force if necessary.

Qin described China and the Philippines as close neighbors across the sea.

Amid the fluid and turbulent regional situation, a healthy and stable China-Philippines relationship is not only meeting the aspirations of our two peoples, but also in line with the common aspirations of regional countries, Qin said during the talks.

He told a forum in Shanghai on Friday that recent rhetoric accusing China of disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait could have dangerous consequences.

Such claims go against basic common sense on international relations and historical justice, he said in Shanghai.

The logic is absurd and the consequences dangerous.

China staged military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan this month that simulated targeted strikes and a blockade of the island.

This was in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

Beijing claims almost the entire waterway and has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that ruled its claims have no legal basis.

Other regional issues were also on the agenda of Saturdays talks, the DFA said.

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For more than a half-century, folks have reserved a spring spot for Trinity Lutherans roast pork dinner. Its that time again and this Saturday the tradition will continue. In its 53rd year, Trinitys organizers are planning to feed 750 and 950 people.

40 YEARS AGO

Plans progress

Development plans in Manistee came a few steps closer to reality this week as the County Planning Commission heard proposals by the city of Manistee and Arcadia Township in the Tri-Ag Building in Onekama.

The commission earlier this week approved requests for Manistee Riverwalk funding through the Resource Conservation and Development Council and for zoning amendments in Arcadia, as well as approving a Marilla Land Use Plan.

Now showing

Now playing at the Vogue Theatre is Paul Newman in Sidney Lumets The Verdict. Showtimes are Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. This weekend the Chippewa Drive-In is showing two sizzling films with An Officer and A Gentleman starring Richard Gere and Debra Winger and The Seduction starring Morgan Fairchild. An Officer and A Gentleman shows at 7:30 p.m. with Seduction at 10:00 p.m. Officer repeats late on Friday and Saturday.

60 YEARS AGO

More than 300 attend event

Families of more than 300 employees of Michigan Tool Company toured yesterday expanded machine shop facilities which have more than doubled shop capacity at the local plant and saw one of its products, the largest and most accurate hobbing machine to cut gears ever built.

Sucker dip starts

The annual sucker dip at the trout barrier on Bear Creek near Potters Bridge will get underway tomorrow night. The spawning suckers up the stream has been underway for several days but only a few fish have been making their way upstream.
No one was hurt in a house explosion on Cape Cod Thursday that was said to have caused a mushroom cloud to billow from the area, according to the Truro Fire Department.

On Thursday at 11:15 p.m., Truro Fire Department and firefighters from neighboring towns responded to a large structure fire caused by an explosion in a Truro home at 8A Hardings Way.

Truro Fire Chief Timothy Collins said the explosion was felt from as far as Brewster, a town about 25 miles away from the explosion site.

Kristin Perry, a neighbor staying in a cottage behind the home, told NBCBoston reporters the explosion produced a really big mushroom cloud.

No people were inside the home at the time of the explosion and no injuries were reported from the blast, officials said. Firefighters successfully doused the flames from the explosion and prevented the fire from spreading to nearby homes. However, the outside of several homes were damaged from the blast.

The Truro home is also a complete loss, authorities added.

The cause of the explosion and fire is being investigated by the fire marshal for the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services

This is the second explosion in a week thats led to a house fire. An explosion in Berlin on Friday, April 14, led to the death of Judith Judy Christensen, 79. Christensens daughter was rescued from the fire after being pulled from debris and treated at a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. The cause of that explosion has not been released.
AMHERST  The Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee plans to discuss next week the myriad of problems created via student use of cellphones on campus.

During several previous meetings, the committee has promised to eventually address the matter in a substantive way, with possible changes to school policy. At least one member advocates banning them, and another has said distractions and harm stemming from their use is a worsening problem that impacts social and emotional wellbeing. Some committee members have said more information is needed.

Superintendent Michael Morris placed in meeting packet for the April 25 Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee meeting three essays from the November 2022 edition of American Association of School Administrators that examined the effects of social media on wellbeing and school culture.

The articles were written by a documentary filmmaker, a former student member of a board of education in Maryland and principal of a middle school that prohibits cellphones.
Thirty years ago, the U.S. Air Force was poised to bring a fleet of its latest and greatest F-16 Falcon fighter jets to Westfield Barnes Regional Airport. U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy was on board, helping lead that charge. Despite community support, the winds of change in the politics of defense spending grounded those plans.

A little over a decade later, in 2005, as the Pentagon undertook a major restructuring of military bases nationwide, the Air National Guards 104th Fighter Wing was again designated for change. At the 11th hour, a federal commission nixed a recommendation that Barnes would become a hub for operations of the A-10 Thunderbolt II attack jets the unit had flown since 1982.

Westfields beloved Warthog jets were sent packing to Battle Creek, Michigan, and the F-15 fleet from the Air Guards 102nd Fighter Wing at Otis on Cape Cod flew west to a new home in the Pioneer Valley.

In 2008, the unit again landed on the U.S. Defense Departments radar as part of Air Force Roadmap: The Vision for the Future. That plan eyed Barnes as a possible home for the then-new-generation F-22 Raptor fighter. It failed to launch.

As that history shows, the runway to this weeks news  that Barnes may land a fleet of the latest F-35A Lightning II fighters  has been littered with challenges and upsets.

You can only hope for an announcement like this for so many times. I thought potentially this one would have dragged on forever, said retired Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice, of Southampton, who directed the Air National Guard at the Pentagon until late 2021 and previously served as the states adjutant general, as well as having been a pilot earlier in his career at the 104th.

Rice and other observers say Air Force Secretary Frank Kendalls selection of Barnes as the preferred location for the F-35s caps decades of community building and political networking.

There is no doubt in my mind what (the 104th) did in the 1980s, laying the groundwork that the community is part of the base and Barnes is part of the community brought us to this point, said Rice. Its about community service. All politics really is local; its all about relationships and what those relationships yield.

How the community, the state and the base stepped up together and did not withhold information was a key strategy to understanding, at all levels of the commonwealth, the importance of this, Rice said. It was a fantastic effort.

And surprising, perhaps, it was an effort that unified people in a blue state home to more doves than hawks when it comes to defense spending.

A coalition of leaders  including U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, former Gov. Charlie Baker and now Gov. Maura T. Healey  put aside party lines to understand the larger issue of economic stability for Western Massachusetts. They saw the military as an important economic engine, according to Rice and others.

These are not people you necessarily put into the category of strong supporters of military budgets, said Richard K. Sullivan Jr., president of the Economic Development Council of Western Massachusetts. It points out the importance of the installation to the region economically and otherwise. This is another in the significant efforts by our delegation at those moments in time to move us forward.

During his Pentagon service, Rice said he witnessed every variety of political engagement unfold - from California to Louisiana, from the Pacific Northwest to New England  as he went about dealing with delegations of municipal, state and congressional leaders seeking support for military projects in their districts. The Massachusetts delegation proved a breath of fresh air.

From Warren and Neal to Baker and adjutant general Gary W. Keefe to the state legislators and civic leaders, Rice said, all were focused on a straightforward sharing of information. They were game to work across party lines without confrontation and focus on what would be best for the community involved. That goes from the mayors office and Senator (John) Velis right up to the Statehouse and the governors office.

In this photo from April 2003, Staff Sgt. Tracy L. Oleksak, of the Air National Guard's 104th Fighter Wing and a resident of Westfield, left, talks with Maj. Gen. George W. Keefe, adjutant general of the Massachusetts National Guard, and U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., during Kennedy's visit to Barnes Air National Guard base.

It didnt hurt that Keefe, the second of three generations of his family to serve in the Guard, helped guide the coalition of supporters.

I thought General Keefe did a great job with his staff keeping everyone informed, Neal said.

Final approval of the F-35 siting plans is months away. The move must undergo assessment by the Air Force on issues ranging from environmental impacts to community support. The units record of continued high ratings for its flying operations, along with the bases existing facilities and ability to expand to accommodate new aircraft, will all come into play. The public will be able to weigh in on all issues during the review.

Sullivan, of the economic development group, has been here before. He was mayor of Westfield two decades ago amid the Base Realignment & Closure Commission process, when Barnes was placed in jeopardy.

There were well-established bases that were closed then, he said. One of the things that set us apart was an ability to talk about how symbiotic that relationship between the base and the community was. I firmly believe it mattered that we were able to stay open (in 2005).

Sullivan, along with the late U.S. Rep. John W. Olver and the late City Councilor and environmental activist Barbara Swords, were among the key leaders in the 1990s who the Guard enlisted to learn more about the unit, its mission and economic impact. (Swords first sounded the alarm in the 1980s about the lingering saga of contamination of the Barnes regional aquifer.)

We realized if we dont have support of the community, were not going to be here for long, recalled retired Maj. Gen. Richard A. Platt, who commanded the unit in the early 1990s. We (needed) to display to the community were an important part of the community. We built relationships with the mayor, the City Council, state senators and representatives and the federal delegation.

Olver, in his service on the Appropriations Committee, stepped up to the plate to secure the funding needed to expand the military presence at Barnes with its Army aviation unit, which transferred from Westover Air Reserve Base. In all, Olver earmarked $76.78 million worth of federal spending for construction and other work at Barnes and Westover - 15 projects - between 1998 and 2008.

U.S. Rep. John W. Olver, D-Amherst, speaks in 2003 at the dedication of the Army National Guard aviation and readiness support facility at Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport. (Photo by Don Treeger / The Republican)

Convincing Olver to bring that unit from Westover to Barnes virtually doubled in size the Guard footprint because he saw the wisdom of building a bigger facility, said Platt.

Olver remained a solid steward of the bases future, until redistricting put Westfield in Neals district. Neal, who took up where Olver left off, said, We felt that the Barnes story was a very good story to tell. It had broad community support.

Sullivan says Western Massachusetts gains greatly from the Guard base, as well as from the civilian operations at Barnes.

Together, the airport and its tenants have a roughly $138 million payroll and a total economic impact of $236 million per year. The airport is responsible directly and indirectly for about 2,100 jobs, some 1,100 of which are at the Guard. The 104th has 1,000 part-time traditional Guard members and approximately 500 full-time employees, making it among the regions largest employers.

Unlike an active duty military installation, where service members may live on base, Guard members live and work in civilian jobs across the entire region.

With its more than 75-year history, the 104th is embedded into the story of Westfield and its growth and development over the past century. This move with the F-35s, supporters say, could help ensure a secure economic future for the next 40 to 50 years.

A F-15 from the 104th Fighter Wing, Barnes Air National Guard Base in Westfield takes off past the tower at the Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport.

At first it was just generally accepted as a real point of pride to have a military presence at Barnes, Sullivan said. For the most part, everyone saw (the 104th) as the sound of freedom and were happy to be part of the national and regional defense. Our neighbors and relatives were people who worked there, in many cases for a couple of generations. The unit is part of the bedrock and fabric of the community.

Sullivan recalls efforts begun in 2012, during the administration of former Gov. Deval Patrick, to establish a task force focused on the future of the states military installations. That contributed to the decision on F-35s. That group worked to invest state money, alongside federal spending, for everything from runway and ramp repairs to infrastructure construction.

And he notes changes in leadership at Barnes municipal airport operations, a facility now overseen by Christopher Willenborg.

With Chris leadership you can see how the focus has become more on the airport being an economic engine, a tax base for the city and the region, while still having a close relationship with the military, Sullivan said.

Rice predicts community connections will be critical to the outcome of the decision-making process in coming months.

(The Air Force wants) an all-community-in effort, Rice said. Thats what really pushed Barnes to the top of the heap in this case.

One example: The success by state Sen. John Velis in winning passage of the SPEED Act. The law makes it easier for military spouses to expedite the transfer of professional licenses if they move to Massachusetts because a spouse is transferred to a base in the state.

Noise to come

While noise reverberates as an issue, Sullivan believes the military will, as it has in the past, address nearby residents complaints. They are trying to minimize the impacts as best they can and make a real concerted effect to minimize and mitigate noise wherever possible, he said. Theyve been good neighbors. They go right over my house ... I hear them.

Past noise studies for the F-15s estimated the noise at Marilyn T. Wardners Juniper Avenue home at 65 decibels  roughly the sound of a hair dryer or laughter  and just under the 70-decibel limit where the airport would buy the home, Wardner said Friday.

For the F-15s, her family received noise dampening insulation and windows to address their concerns.

Yes, it will be noisy, she said of the F-35s. I guess that is something you have to understand if we are living here. Takeoffs and landings are going to be noisy.

Wardner said she is interested to learn more and will await the results of the environmental review.

Platt, the former wing commander, says no one should think the new jets are a sure thing.

What it comes down to is the impact this will have on the Western Massachusetts region, the number of jobs (and) the amount of money invested if the conversion does occur, he said. To lose that would be catastrophic. This is not a done deal. There is a tremendous need for continued community and political support or the region will be devastated.

Dont take eye off the ball here, said Platt. The region needs to continue to show strong support to bed down that unit (with the F-35s).
WEST SPRINGFIELD  Wedding gown and formal wear retailer Davids Bridal warned state labor officials this week of pending layoffs at its Massachusetts locations in West Springfield, Danvers, Westwood, North Attleboro, Natick and Dartmouth.

The state said Friday the layoffs may come anywhere from now until August. No number of jobs was given.

The notice was included in the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Developments weekly Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) Act report issued Friday afternoon, a report that details upcoming location closings and mass layoffs of some businesses.

Workers at the West Springfield shop, located in the Riverdale Shops, said Friday that it will not close.

But in a similar document filed this week with Connecticut, Davids Bridal told Connecticut officials that all its locations nationwide could close.

This week, the Associated Press reported that Davids Bridal filed in New Jersey for federal bankruptcy protection, its second bankruptcy in just five years.

The company said it plans to eliminate 9,200 jobs across the United States. It has about 300 stores across dozens of states and employs more in total than 11,000 workers.

The Associated Press reported that Davids Bridal is looking to sell the company, but its stores remain open and its fulfilling orders without delay. Its online platforms also remain available to help people with their wedding planning needs.
A 30-year-old man from Randolph died after an overnight crash on Saturday in Avon, according to Massachusetts State Police.

The crash happened at 2:24 a.m. on Route 24 when a 2020 Toyota Camry rear-ended a 2018 Freightliner tractor-trailer before it went off the road and caught on fire, a preliminary investigation has found, State Police spokesperson Dave Procopio said in a statement.

Richard Maurice, 30, of Randolph, drove the Camry and police removed him from the car before it engulfed in flames, according to police.

First responders attempted life-saving measures on Mr. Maurice on scene, Procopio wrote, before they brought him to Good Samaritan Hospital Brockton, where he was pronounced dead.

After the Camry struck the tractor-trailer, it veered and crashed into the guardrail, police said. The vehicles were traveling in the middle lane headed south before the crash.

The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 44-year-old New Bedford man, had minor injuries and was brought to Good Samaritan Hospital.

State Police continue to investigate the crash.
WESTFIELD  A rare veto by the mayor and a subsequent request for an override by the Ad Hoc Charter Committee were on the agenda at the April 20 City Council meeting, as the last act of the committee before preparing the amendments to send to the state House and Senate. The override failed, and the veto was upheld.

The item that Mayor Michael McCabe vetoed had to do with what authority would set the salary for new hires in the city.
More than 30 expert canoers and kayakers lined up early Saturday to take on the upper reaches of the Westfield River in the 68th running of the Westfield River Wildwater Races. A few miles away and a little while later, some 200 boats launched for the downstream Classic Race that takes in quieter water but can get dicey in stretches.

The race is the oldest such competition in the country attracting paddlers from across the Northeast. Race Director Harry Rock, from Westfield, is a long-time paddler and has competed in the Westfield River races many times. He began lining up racers for a 9:30 a.m. start. Launches were spaced at 30-second intervals, giving racers little time to board their boats and prepare for racing.

The expert section of the racecourse runs from about 200 yards downstream from the Knightville Dam for 5 miles downstream to the turnout on Route 112 at the Huntington Health Center.

Jeffrey Parker, from Concord, pushed his kayak from starting a minute-and-a-half back to crossing the 5-mile finish line first.

This was a great race, he said as he pulled his kayak from the river. This course is world-class. It has just the right amount of rapids. I discovered this race back in 2002 and I have run it maybe eight or nine times. This is my favorite river for kayaking.

Amy Thornton from Florence and Eric Jones from Granby, Conn., started the race in their canoe first and were not far behind Parker at the finish. The pair have run the Westfield River Wildwater Races twice so far.

This a really good river for racing, Jones said. We had really clean lines, really good lines all the way down.

Christopher Morgan showed up at the expert race with a standup paddleboard, the first time anyone can remember that happening. He made it down the Class 3 course with only one minor mishap.

I hit a rock and had to step off it, but I stepped back on and was able to continue. I didnt go swimming, he said.

Morgan said he has spent time in Colorado, where white water paddleboarding is growing. Several paddleboards were registered to run the quieter 8-mile Classic Race from Huntington Center to Strathmore Park.

As of Saturday, he is the presumed holder of the standup paddleboard record of 37:50.

Even before Saturdays race kicked off, organizers provided a series of clinics to give inexperienced racers a sense of what they could expect on the water. That included race rules such as kayakers must wear helmets and all racers, kayak or canoe, must have good-quality flotation devices for each participant. They also include information about self-rescue, if needed.

Water releases from the Knightvile and Littleville dams upstream from the racecourses increased the outflow of water from each of the dams to raise water levels high enough to create up to Class 3 rapids on the Expert sections and Class 1 and Class 2 rapids on the Classic Race section. The normally placid Westfield River suddenly becomes raging. According to Army Corps of Engineers monitors on the water, water levels increased from about 100 cubic feet per second to over 1,000 CFS within a 12-hour period.

With so many people with so little experience in tippy watercraft running Class 1 and Class 2 whitewater rapids, what could go wrong? Just hang out at the Hill and Dale Rapids alongside Route 112 to find out. Brad Walker is a safety paddler whose job it is to be in the water in dangerous places and to keep an eye out for swimmers, meaning people who are no longer associated with their canoes. He said the Hill and Dale rapid dumps on average 50 canoes each race.

My primary job is to get anyone who swims at the Hill and Dale Rapids over close enough to shore to be reached by the throw bags thrown by the Chester Fire Department people. They are there to manually throw the lines and haul people into shore, he said. My secondary role is to gather up as much of their gear as possible so they can either finish the race or at least so the boats dont go over the next dam.

Race Chairman Edward P. Hamel said there has been only one death associated with the race and that happened back in the 1950s. One racer felt that he would be more comfortable and drier if he wore his fishing hip boots. He rolled his canoe and the boots filled with water dragged him down.

The throw bags Walker mentioned are weighted bags that carry up to 75 feet of rope. Once thrown the rope pays out the rear of the bundle allowing a good thrower to get as much as a 75-foot distance on their throw. Chester firefighters will be stationed along the shore area of the notorious Hill and Dale Rapids with throw bags.

Walker said he encourages swimmers to grab the line on the back of his kayak when he comes upon them, and he then drags them through the water to safety. That is if all goes as planned. Walker said there are two types of swimmers who make his job harder: the people who dont kick when they are being dragged, forcing him to make way with just his paddle, and those who refuse his help.

Our biggest concern is getting people out of the water quickly, he said The water is very cold. The air temperature may be in the 60s or 70s, but the water temperature is still down in the low 40s. My first couple of years I had folks who maybe didnt fully understand that they were in cold water and not moving toward shore and they would refuse our help, he said.

The intense cold of immersion saps body heat at a prodigious rate, bringing on hypothermia rapidly. While actual hypothermia is unlikely, the chilling of the body does bring on poor judgment and lack of coordination. It doesnt take too long for the swimmer to realize that help is needed and calls out.

Ill come back and get them. We are not going to leave someone out there on the water, Walker said.

Hamel had an unbroken string of races going back more than 30 years up until recently. Last year he served as race director which kept him rooted to the registration tent and off the water. COVID precautions shut down the race for the two years prior to that and this year, when he and his grandson had planned to race, COVID hit him again. Thats hard for a man who has loved canoeing since he, himself, was a child paddling with his grandfather.

My mother was raised on a small farm in Vermont, and we used to visit a lake and canoe. I really liked being in a canoe back then. When I was older, we used to ride our bikes to Hampden Ponds with our fishing poles and rent a canoe and spend the day on the water, he said. When I turned 16 there were two things I did, I got my drivers license and bought my first car, then I bought a canoe. It is something that has been a real joy for me.

Not long after the first competitors crossed the fish line on the Expert course, the first Classic Race boats lined up to launch. The branch of the Westfield River that flows through downtown Huntington, the starting point of the 8-mile Classic course, does not have to benefit of a water release to raise levels, many canoes scrapped across the gravel of the riverbed to get a start. That didnt seem to dampen enthusiasm.

Father and son Joe and Tony Muto carried their canoe to the water line for their first run together.

Tony is moving to Las Vegas soon, so I thought we had to do this before he goes, Joe said.

Debbie Guiel and Mike Lewis came next. Lewis has run the race many times since 1984, while it was Guiels second time.

We love it, Guiel said, The people are great.

Not an organization to fritter a good thing, the race organizers started a new category, a milder Fun Race, open to all who wish to enter. As long as the Army Corps of Engineers is releasing water, people will paddle.
In his years touring with some of the biggest names in music, Avery Sharpe has seen discouraging things.

The last 40 years  especially the last six years  things have gotten a little crazy. The country is more divisive, people are scared of each other  the racism, sexism, he said Friday. You know, everything has kind of reared its ugly head.

Sharpe started composing a work he hoped could bring people together.

On Friday, he provided the first public debut of works from that project, to an audience of about 100 members of the justice-involved population at the Hampden County Jail and House of Correction in Ludlow. Later this weekend, other free performances will share Sharpes work with listeners in Springfield.

Jazz musician Avery Sharpe and his band perform a special concert at the Hampden County Correctional Center on Friday. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

I wrote this as an artist, to kind of remind us of our humanity. We are seemingly losing it more and more, said Sharpe, a world-renowned jazz bassist.

This is his latest musical work, I Am My Neighbors Keeper, which will be soon recorded as an album of 10 pieces.

He will continue presenting free multimedia concerts throughout the weekend across Springfield, before settling into the Ghost Hit Studios in West Springfield and recording the pieces Monday.

Sharpe brought a hand-picked group of world-class musicians to join the concert in the jail gymnasium. The eight-piece band Sharpe assembled features a heavy string presence, with Sarah Briggs and Kaila Graef on violin, Gregory Diehl on viola and Dave Haughey on cello.

Zaccai Curtis is on keyboards, Yoron Israel plays drums. Tony Vacca handles African percussion.

Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi said he approved of the concert at the jail as soon as he heard about it.

Avery was looking for a place to put on this concert and, somehow, our name came into the conversation and I said, Absolutely. These men deserve to have a world-class bassist and his group come in and spend time with them, he said.

It shows them their value and shows them the kind of thing we are trying to do here, Cocchi said. These men now understand there is a skill set in this, there are hobbies that can take them away from the streets, that whole atmosphere.

Inmates invited to attend Fridays concert earned that opportunity based on their behavior. Orange-suited inmates had been convicted of a crime and are completing their sentences, while those who wore green jumpsuits are awaiting final disposition in the courts.

Together, they are the least likely people to witness a world debut of jazz compositions, Sharpe said of the attendees.

Hampden County sheriff Nick Cocchi introduces jazz musician Avery Sharpe and the band before a special concert at the Correctional Center in Ludlow on Friday. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

I was thinking about bringing the music, the compositions that I have, back into the community, he said in an interview.

Born in Georgia in 1954, Sharpe was raised in Springfield and first experienced music in his familys church and at his mothers piano.

He said he never considered music as a career until he was a student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and met jazz greats Archie Shepp, Max Roach and Reggie Workman.

Sharpe said people in the penal system dont get a chance to experience the kind of music he and others create. He said everyone needs examples and mentors.

You dont get to where you are today without somebody helping you. Maybe it was a teacher, a mentor  somebody who helped you, Sharpe said.

But we are living in a world now with what I call IGM  I got mine. If you didnt get yours, then forget you, he said. Dont get me wrong, America is a great place. Americans  we give a lot. When there is a disaster, Americans give just because they want to help, thats in us.

But we have this other political and media thing that kind of distorts what we are, he said.

Sharpe is known for his thematic approach to recording. His works include Extended Family I, II and III, and his epic 2019 album set, 400: An African American Musical Portrait.

That work traces African American culture since 1619, when the first black slaves were brought to America.

Avery Sharpe performs Friday at the Hampden County Correctional Center. (Hoang 'Leon' Nguyen / The Republican)

With the new work, armed with a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts, Sharpe set out to write a composition that addresses the political and economic divide he sees in American society. The result is, I Am My Neighbors Keeper.

He will continue his debut tour with a Saturday performance at the Macedonia Church of God on Tinkham Road from 2 to 4 p.m. and at the Community Music School at 127 State St., from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

All performances are free and open to the public.

Sharpe has toured the world playing as a sideman for a variety of jazz band leaders, then led his own bands and in 1993 started the artist-owned record label JKNM Records, where he has cut more than a dozen of his own albums.
A 5-month-old baby found unresponsive at a Waltham home last week died after being brought to the hospital, several news outlets reported.

Investigators out of the Middlesex District Attorneys Office are investigating the incident after police were called on Thursday, April 13, according to Boston 25 News. Waltham police told the outlet that the male baby was not breathing and first responders provided aid to the baby before bringing him to Newton Wellesley Hospital where he died.

The Middlesex District Attorneys Office did not immediately return a request for comment on Saturday.

The baby did not live in the home, authorities told Boston 25 News. Police were called to the house on Leitha Street at 2 p.m.

The Massachusetts State Polices Civilian Police Accountability Council and the Department of Children and Families are also investigating.
by Barbara Lippert , April 18, 2023

Photograph by David Russell/HBO



Barbara Lippert, who formerly entertained MediaPost readers with her thoughtful, witty recaps of the AMC show "Mad Men," is back. She will recap the last seven episodes of HBO's "Succession." The show is "ostensibly about wealth, but I became obsessed with once it hit me that it's more about generational trauma," she says. "Plus, with Rupert Murdoch in the news via a trial starting this week, the comparisons are irresistible." Here's her take on Season Four's fourth episode:



The Roy kids wake up to a wake and a war. Its only one day after Papa Logans shocking death, but the coronation demolition derby, as Shiv dubs it, is in full swing.

A hangdog Kendall shows up at Logans apartment bleary-eyed after a sleepless night, saved only by an early a.m. session with his new grief therapist.

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Roman, having brushed his teeth like a dental hygienist, claims that hes fine, that hes pre-grieved the death, by contrast with his naive siblings.

And Shiv seems to be nowhere, going through the motions.

In the past months, the sibs have shown incredible unity, which seems like progress. But its only because they were thrown out of the corporate mothership and teamed up against a common enemy: their dad. Now its dawning on Shiv that they might have killed the poor man by refusing to back the Waystar sale to Mattson.

They desperately need the Swedish deal to go through, and it might kill them if Mattson and crew arent cooperative.

But together at their dads apartment, theyre still feeling filial. They read newspaper obits and offer comic translations of the over-the-top encomia their dad is receiving.

Dad sounds amazing, Shiv says. I would have liked to have met Dad.

Meanwhile, Logans old guard -- Gerry, Frank, and Karl -- are in the library, at each others throats. They all want the top job, too.

Evil-stepmom Marcia is back, in black, reclaiming her turf. When Kendall notes her previous absence, she tells him she has spoken intimately on the phone with Logan every night. This seems preposterous to the kids, since Logan was busy with Kerry, his assistant/partner/advisor who was traveling with him. According to Tom, Logan refused to wear his compression socks so hed look sexy for Kerry.

One of the most beautifully acted, poignant moments happens when a hysterical Kerry shows up, wanting to go upstairs to get her stuff. Marcia goes full-gorgon, calling security, and refusing to let her into the sanctum sanctorum. An assistant comes down with a flimsy, overstuffed tote bag and Kerry spills it all over the marble floor, prescription bottles flying. Marcia orders security to take her out the back, explaining that a taxi will take her to the subway station to her little apartment.

Speaking of real estate, in no time, Mrs. Marcia has made a $63 million deal to sell the apartment to Connor. When Connors new wife Willa balks that its too early to make such decisions, Connor tells her, Its so hard to get into these good buildings.

This episode takes place on a single set: Logans duplex apartment. With no sweeping moves in planes, superyachts or helicopters, its more like a stage play -- a savage drawing-room satire filled with incredible acting and great lines.

In a switch, the use of the f word seems to have diminished, as shit talk takes over, literally. Tom, who has has been burned by Karl and the Roy kids, has turned mean girl, spilling the tea. In a stage whisper, as the eulogies to Logan from people he barely knew continue, Tom tells Greg that his great-uncle died trying to fish his iPhone out of a clogged airplane toilet. Is that bullshit?

While the internecine resentment builds, the reality is that their dads death doesnt seem to have liberated these kids at all. Theyre still fighting to be the favorite child.

So it was classic for the old man, from the great beyond, to foist mind games on them still. Frank found an undated paper in Logans safe with scribblings that suggested Logan wanted Kendall to take over as CEO.

Except, and here is the classic Succession black twist, Kendalls name was underlined -- or was it crossed out? -- in pencil. What a ridiculously ambiguous position for the Hamlet-like Kendall to be put in. To be or not to be?

Most observers thought it was a cross-out. Never mind. This piece of paper with his name on it is his amulet, all the shaky recognition that Kendall needs to grab the CEO ring.

With a board meeting happening soon, he gets Sandi and Stewie to back him in the fight. Eventually, Kendall agrees that since Roman served as COO, they could co-CEO it.

Shiv, left out, mentions that this is the sexism that surfaced with their father, too. If both are going to hold a co-role, she asks, why not make it three? A changed Roman answers that three is a bit wonky. Shiv is angry, but presses her brothers to promise that shell end up with an equal share.

Meanwhile, Shiv is spiraling. Ever since Sarah Snook announced her real-life pregnancy at the HBO Season 4 premiere in March, weve wondered whether her condition would be written into the script.

Early that morning, the character had gotten a call from her obstetrician, who tells her that after all she has been through, she is carrying a viable baby and can schedule her twenty-week scan.

Shiv responds with a barely audible OK.

Ironically, birthing a new life is a thrilling answer to death, and its own powerful form of succession. But Shiv is alone and unmoored. Perhaps, having had zero nurture from either parent, she worries that she is incapable of raising her baby.

After the idea of interim co-CEOs somehow sails through the board, Kendall and Roman huddle with comms specialists Hugo and Karolina, to go over next steps.

Hugo has a tricky two-part proposal. "Operation Embalm Lenin" would continue to praise Logan, and position the move as a natural family passage.

The number two option is to bury him: Trash Logan and say hed been losing it for a while and that the sons will provide some much-needed new blood.

Roman is outraged at option two and shuts it down. But later, Kendall finds Hugo privately, and instructs him to go the nuclear route while not telling Roman, or anyone.

Hugo doesnt want to agree. As if to prove that he has become the killer his dad always wanted, Kendall tells Hugo he has to do it, and threatens him

In one day, Kendall has become the man he thinks his father would have wanted -- a killer.

The King is dead -- or is he?

Meet the New Roys, same as the Old Roys. See you at the funeral.

.


A fire safety warning issued by local authorities attached to the front of a karaoke parlor that have been forced to close due to failing to meet new regulations in March 2023. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran

Businesses find the cost of meeting new fire safety standards exceed that of building a new factory since many of the prescribed materials have to be imported.

Tran Van Hung, the chairman of Tan Thanh Container Corp, which manufactures, sells and leases containers, said the cost of building a new factory is only VND1.2 billion (US$51,000) while the new fire safety standards cost VND1.5 billion.

"In the current economic situation we do not know where to get that money," he said at a recent company meeting that discusses the new policy.

Fan motor manufacturer Nidec Vietnam plans to renovate its 500-square-meter warehouse.

It had estimated the cost at VND800 million before the Covid-19 pandemic, but it has now gone up six times to VND5 billion to meet the new fire safety standards.

"We do not have the money," a company spokesperson said.

In the last 18 months the Ministry of Construction has issued three circulars on improving fire safety standards, and these have caused businesses great difficulty, Ly Kim Chi, deputy chairwoman of the HCMC Union of Business Association, said.

For instance, they require a factory of 3,000-5,000 square meters to have a 400 cubic-meter water tank to put out fires, which costs a lot of money, she said.

They require businesses to use fireproof materials, which are not available in Vietnam and have to be imported at high cost, she said.

Le Trong Lap, deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Export Processing Zone and Industrial Park Authority Business Association, said fireproof glass is required to be used in construction but no Vietnamese company makes them.

The requirements should be amended to fit Vietnamese manufacturing capabilities, he said.

Kieu Huynh Son, deputy chairman of the HCMC Association of Mechanical  Electrical Enterprise, said fire safety regulations should be different from sector to sector since some have lower risks of fire than others.

Even foreign companies are struggling to meet the new standards, he added.

The government earlier this month instructed local administrations bodies to mitigate the problems businesses have in complying with the new regulations.

The HCMC Police Department on April 11 gave permission to businesses to continue construction based on old norms if it was approved before the changes took effect.
The government will provide solutions and support to help investors and new projects if the proposed global minimum tax is applied.

The global minimum tax was agreed upon by G7 member states in June 2021 to prevent multinational corporation tax-evasion. However, Vietnam analysts worry the additional taxation would deter in foreign direct investors here, many of whom are attracted to Vietnams preferential tax policies.

The 15% tax would be applied to multinational firms with a consolidated revenue of at least 750 million ($800 million) in at least two of the most recent four years.

Certain regions like the U.K., Japan, South Korea and the EU expect to apply the tax starting next year. The policy is being considered in Vietnam.

At a Saturday conference with foreign investors, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said the government would help companies and investors navigate the business environment in Vietnam should the tax eventually be applied here.

Such solutions would include support with land access, costs for scientific research, human resource training and infrastructure, he said.

"Vietnam would provide a timeline to apply the global minimum tax on the basis of learning from international experience, and making sure that it is appropriate for the country's situation," Chinh explained.

Foreign businesses have said they want Vietnam to provide benefits and measures to cope with a worsening investment environment.

Nitin Kapoor, co-chair of the Vietnam Business Forum (VBF), said the government should look into the impacts of such a tax on the interests of investors and Vietnam's business environment. Solutions must make sure to compensate for businesses' interests if tax benefits are diminished or canceled due to the impacts of the global minimum tax, he added.

Dominik Meichle, general director of Bosch Vietnam, said he hopes Vietnam can create a stable and predictable business environment. He said potentially applying the global minimum tax in 2024 may affect tax benefits for investors, as well as investments' effectiveness and policy transparency.

The government should re-evaluate support packages for businesses and provide replacements to help businesses retain their presence in the country after a global minimum tax is applied, he said.

Gabor Fluit, chairman of EuroCham, said Vietnam needs bold decisions, innovations and breakthroughs to maintain its growth momentum.

"The government should provide support policies that are appropriate and competitive to attract investment," he said.

Approval procedures

FDI businesses have also reported a need to improve Vietnams investment environment in general by simplifying administrative procedures.

Hong Sun, chairman of Kocham, said several South Korean businesses investing in Vietnam are considering increasing their capital here in fields like energy and financebut only if the investment environment remains stable.

But such businesses are having trouble with the approval of work permits for foreign workers, as well as difficulties regarding the approval of fire safety infrastructure.

Kim Sung Hun, general director of Amkor Technology Vietnam, proposed that authorities make administrative procedures regarding construction and fire safety easier by increasing the number of entities for approval processes, as well as creating an online Q&A system.

Greb Testerman, chairman of Amcham, said Amcham members are worried about the lack of stability in policies regarding electricity, and want Vietnam to hasten the approval process for clean energy projects, the governmental portal reported.

The government should complete and deploy an energy development plan, as well as the DPPA mechansim to encourage renewable energy producers to participate in contracts for direct power purchases, he added.

Fluit said clean energy is a catalyst for investment and economic growth, and that European businesses depend a lot on renewable energy. Mechanisms for direct power purchases would allow renewable energy producers, especially factories in industrial complexes, to participate in such mechanisms, he added.

Michael Michalak, ASEAN managing director of the U.S.-ASEAN Business Council, said he wants the approval procedures for energy projects to be simplified and shortened.

PM Chinh said Vietnam always creates opportunities for investors because their successes are also Vietnam's.
Many teachers and students believe that converting an IELTS 4.0 score into a perfect English language score on Vietnams national high school graduation exams is inappropriate and unfair.

A new pilot policy exempting students with a 4.0 IELTS score from taking foreign language tests on their high school graduation exams has drawn criticism from educators and students alike.

This years high school graduation examination requires 12th graders to undergo four tests, three of which are compulsory: math, literature and foreign language. For the fourth test, students have a choice between natural sciences and social sciences. Students with an IELTS score of at least 4.0, or another English proficiency certificate with equivalent scores, would automatically get a maximum score for the foreign language test.

Every year, dozens of thousands of students get maximum foreign language scores this way. In HCMC last year, over 7,800 students were exempted the foreign language test. In Hanoi, the number of students who took this path increased from over 3,000 in 2019 to 10,800 in 2021.

In provincees like Nghe An, Ha Tinh, Vinh Phuc and Phu Tho, the number of students exempted from taking foreign language tests hovers in the hundreds every year. Most of them possess an IELTS score.

Le Kim Anh, deputy headmistress of the University of Languages & International Studies, said the score conversion has a solid basis. An IELTS score of 4.0 is equivalent to a Level 3 score in accordance with Vietnams official 6-level foreign language proficiency framework, which the level that any high school student must attain to graduate.

However, some people disagreed.

Nguyen Thi Huyen, an English teacher at the Le Loi high school in Hanois Ha Dong District, said the score conversion from an IELTS 4.0 score to a maximum grade for the English test in the high school graduation examination should be reconsidered. She said the conversion is not entirely accurate as the IELTS tests users on four language skills in practice (listening, speaking, reading and writing), while the Vietnam graduation exam only tests students on the theoretical side of the language (grammar, vocabulary).

"Glorifying certificates like IELTS creates unfairness, especially for students in remote areas. Moreover, it would also allow students to pay less attention to studying for their graduation exams," she said.

Duong Thi Huong, another English teacher at the Le Quy Don high school in Dien Bien, concurred with Huyen. She said many students with IELTS scores of 7.0-7.5 still fail their English graduation tests.

"The number of perfect scores in the graduation exam is not high, yet an IELTS 4.0 score is enough to become a 10 [the maximum score on Vietnams exam]," she said, adding that in 2022, among the 866,000 students who took the English exam, 425 got perfect scores.

Huyen said a 4.0 IELTS score is "actually quite low."

Tu Pham, founder of exam preparation platform Prep, said the average IELTS score of a Vietnamese student is around 6.0, citing data from the British Council. Students studying for the IELTS often aim for a score of 6.5-7.0 for either college application or studying abroad.

Universities often convert an IELTS score into an equivalent score for English proficiency, not an automatic 10. Different schools may also convert scores in different ways. Therefore, according to Pham, converting an IELTS 4.0 score into a perfect 10 for graduation purposes is not a big deal, because the graduation score is not applicable to college applications, which are more important to students than high school tests.
MyMichigan Health

Davenport University announced Friday that it is partnering with MyMichigan Health to offer a Corporate Education Scholarship to the hospital systems employees and dependents.

Were thrilled to be Davenports partner within this program, said Lydia Watson, M.D., president and CEO, MyMichigan Health. Our employees are our most valued resource and were committed to building talent from within, to not only strengthen our offerings but cultivate leaders within the health care industry to enhance the care we offer across our service region.
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MANISTEE  Earth Day, April 22 is a yearly reminder of the responsibilities people share in preserving their environment.

A festival was held in Manistee in celebration of the region's ample  yet delicate  natural resources and also in recognition of those who work to preserve them for future generations.

The Great Lakes Environmental Festival kicked off Friday in downtown Manistee with a day-long symposium held at West Shore Community College.

Scott Fraley/News Advocate

Two groups were recognized for their stewardship of the Great Lakes. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians Natural Resources Department and U.S. Coast Guards Manistee Station both received awards at the event.

Alex Weiss, executive petty officer accepted the award on behalf of station Manistee.

We do a lot of inspections on the big tanker ships  making sure that theyre not discharging any oils or waste into the Great Lakes, Weiss said. Thats one of our prime goals.

Scott Fraley/News Advocate

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians was recognized for a number of ongoing projects including the restoration of endangered or extirpated plant and animal species. This includes efforts to preserve native wild rice, sturgeon and Arctic grayling.

Frank Beaver, director of the natural resources department, accepted the first Guardian of the Great Lakes award to be given at the festival.

Established in 2008 by husband and wife, Ziggy Kozicki and Stephanie Baijasi-Kozicki, the festivals mission is to promote environmental stewardship and inspire other people to think about ecology and the value of natural resources in the Great Lakes region, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Festival website.

Scott Fraley/News Advocate

An event held in 2022 featured panel discussions and documentaries shown at the Vogue Theatre in Manistee.

John Helge, an event organizer said the now two-day event has grown both in size and importance.

We decided this year were just going to expand it, he said. And then again next year, it will be a little bit bigger and a little bit better.

Scott Fraley/News Advocate

The festival featured a lecture series including 10 speakers at the college on Friday and 17 exhibitions, including an electric car show at the Wagoner Community Center and a demonstration by the U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday.

For more information on the festival visit glef.us.
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SAN DIEGO (AP)  A former Marine who for years helped smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States and even tried to get a song written to glorify his exploits was sentenced Friday to 12 years in federal prison.

Roberto Salazar II, 26, of San Diego was sentenced for importing fentanyl and for conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, according to a statement from the U.S. attorney's office.

Salazar, who pleaded guilty last October, could have faced up to life in prison.

He was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Prosecutors said that before joining the corps and while on active duty, he and couriers he recruited made dozens of smuggling trips across the border.

Salazar would obtain cars that were driven to Mexico, where drugs were loaded into the engine compartments. Couriers would then drive them back across the border into the U.S., prosecutors said.

The scheme began around 2015, authorities said.

By the time of his arrest last year, Salazar had become so involved in drug trafficking that he was commissioning a Mexican songwriter to write a drug ballad known as a 'narcocorrido about him, the U.S. attorney's office said.

"In one line that Salazar suggested to the songwriter, he boasted: I wanted to study and became a soldier, but I liked the fast life better, the office said.

Some of the couriers recruited by Salazar were former Marines or classmates at Southwestern College in Chula Vista.

This case involved a Marine who was supposed to protect and defend our country, but instead brought great harm to Americans by trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said. He also betrayed his solemn oath by recruiting other Marines to do the same."
TOKYO (AP)  Japans defense chief on Saturday ordered troops to activate missile interceptors and get ready to shoot down fragments from a North Korean satellite that may fall on the Japanese territory.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un said earlier this week that its first military spy satellite that will be launched at an unspecified date.

North Korea has test-fired about 100 missiles since early last year, saying it was responding to joint U.S.-South Korean military drills that it calls an invasion rehearsal. Several of the missiles flew over Japan or landed off the northern Japanese coast.

Last week, North Korea test-launched a solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Saturday instructed troops to ready PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles in southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and nearby islands, in an area believed to be under a flight path of a North Korean rocket that will carry the satellite.

He also ordered the deployment of destroyers equipped with SM-3 ship-to-air missiles to coastal waters, according to a ministry statement.

We are making the necessary preparation because of a possibility of issuing an order to destroy ballistic missiles and other objects, the ministry said.

An order to fire missiles has to be approved by the prime minister.

North Korea is expected to carry out more weapons tests as the United States and South Korea continue their joint air exercise into next week.


In the blame game which followed the Zulu battle of Isandlwana, Anthony Durnford quickly emerged as the principal scapegoat.

A complex figure who arrived on the battlefield trailing a good deal of emotional baggage, Durnford had been born in Ireland in 1830 to a distinguished military family. He was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1848 and his career showed early promise, but bouts of ill-health and bad luck kept him from active service in the Crimea or with fellow Engineer Charles Gordon in China.

Instead, Durnford spent more than 20 years in routine peace-time postings. In 1854, he had married, but the relationship had crumpled under the impact of the deaths of two children in infancy. Only with a posting to the Cape garrison at the beginning of 1872 did his prospects improve. Durnford enjoyed both the country and the diverse societies he encountered there, developing a sympathy for African peoples rare among British officials at the time. In 1873, he was finally given a command under active service  but the affair had turned out disastrously.

One of Natals African groups, the amaHlubi, had tried to cross out of the colony over the uKhahlamba (Drakensberg) mountains, in order to escape a dispute with the authorities. Durnford was given command of a small detachment of Volunteer troops and ordered, quite literally, to cut them off at the pass. Everything went wrong: the maps were inadequate, movements could not be coordinated, and Durnfords party got lost on the mountain slopes overnight. A skirmish with the amaHlubi rear-guard at dawn saw Durnfords Volunteers retreat in disarray, with three dead and the commander himself wounded. News of the debacle caused a furore in settler society.

Although Durnford was cleared of professional misconduct, he remained a social outcast in Natal  and he never regained the use of his arm. The outbreak of the Zulu campaign offered him a chance to address old hurts, and Chelmsford placed considerable confidence in him, commissioning Durnford to raise the Natal Native Contingent, then giving him command of one of the defensive columns on the Zulu border.

When the invasion began Chelmsford ordered Durnford first to Rorkes Drift, later to Isandlwana, but without, in either case, telling him what he was supposed to do. This allowed Durnford to seize the initiative when confronted with reports of mysterious Zulu movements close to the camp. His detractors argued that, by leaving the camp, he both provoked the Zulu attack and fatally weakened the garrison. More than 130 years after his death, historians are still divided on the question of whether Anthony Durnford was the dashing hero of the hour, or the impetuous villain.

To read about the Anglo-Zulu War, see the latest issue of Military Times  out now
As Congress heightens its support for Taiwan amid fears that China could invade in the next few years, calls are growing for more U.S. military training for the island's forces.

Last year's defense policy bill required the Pentagon and State Department to collaborate on creating a "comprehensive training program" to enhance interoperability between the U.S. and Taiwanese militaries. The training should include, "as necessary," joint tabletop exercises, war games, full-scale military exercises and "an enduring rotational United States military presence that assists Taiwan in maintaining force readiness," according to the bill.

Asked at a House hearing this week about the timeline to conduct joint U.S.-Taiwanese military exercises, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. John Aquilino declined to answer in an unclassified setting.

Read Next: Embattled Arlington Horse Unit to Shut Down for Over a Month, but Army Pledges Funerals Unimpacted

The response left lawmakers concerned. Asked by Military.com whether he's confident the Pentagon will implement the defense bill requirement, Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., the House Armed Services Committee member who questioned Aquilino about joint exercises, said, "Not based on the response I got."

In 2021, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen confirmed in an interview with CNN that a small number of U.S. troops were on the island training Taiwanese forces. The Wall Street Journal also reported in February that that presence would grow from about 30 U.S. troops to between 100 and 200 troops.

But direct U.S. military support for Taiwan is typically kept quiet to avoid angering China and inviting accusations that the United States is straying from its "One China" policy, in which Washington does not formally recognize Taiwanese sovereignty.

Gallagher, who also chairs a separate House committee focused on China, said a closed-door war game his China committee held this week underscored the importance of joint military exercises and training.

"Another thing that came out of the war game last night -- what are the assumptions we're making about our ability to fight in coordination with our allies and partners in the region?" Gallagher said Thursday. "What is our joint warfighting structure? It doesn't really exist right now. You don't want to make that up on the fly."

Officially, the United States maintains "strategic ambiguity" on Taiwan where Washington remains purposefully vague about whether it would come to the island's defense if China invades. Still, the United States overtly provides support for Taiwan to defend itself, chiefly through arms sales, as required under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act.

And U.S. lawmakers have been getting louder in recent years about defending Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, strengthening ties with Taipei and questioning whether strategic ambiguity still makes sense.

Earlier this month, a bipartisan group of lawmakers led by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., met with Tsai in California while she "transited" through the United States -- an euphemism Washington and Taipei use to avoid calling Taiwanese trips to the United States official visits. Several lawmakers from both parties also met with Tsai earlier in her transit in New York. And House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Mike McCaul, R-Texas, led a bipartisan congressional delegation to Taiwan that met with Tsai when she returned from her transit.

Lawmakers who met with Tsai said one of her top requests was more U.S. military training.

"We will provide training to your military -- not for war, but for peace," McCaul said at an April 8 lunch hosted by Tsai. "Projecting weakness only invites aggression and conflict. Projecting strength provides deterrence and promotes peace."

The stepped-up talk of military training comes amid fears that China could invade Taiwan sooner than later. Beijing considers Taiwan a breakaway province, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has named "reunification" a top priority. The congressional overtures to Taiwan have also been met with China flexing its military muscles, including launching military drills earlier this month to practice encircling the island.

An Air Force general earlier this year predicted war with China could come as soon as 2025. Two years ago, Aquilino's predecessor at Indo-Pacific Command forecast that China could try to take Taiwan by force in 2027.

At the House hearing this week, Aquilino brushed off timeline predictions for a Chinese invasion, but vowed to lawmakers that U.S. forces are prepared for anything that may happen.

"For me, it doesn't matter what the timeline is," Aquilino said when asked about the 2027 prediction. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin "has given me this mission today. So I'm responsible to prevent this conflict today, and if deterrence were to fail, to be able to fight and win. So, the timeline, everybody will have an opinion on when it is. I think everybody is guessing."

And while Aquilino would not talk about joint exercises at the public hearing, he assured that U.S. military war games "absolutely" consider interoperability with Taiwanese forces.

Despite the congressional interest in bulking up military training for Taiwan, it's unclear whether there's more lawmakers can do to spur the Pentagon to do so.

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, one of the lawmakers who met with Tsai in New York and told Politico that the president asked for "training, training, training," told Military.com this week she is leaving it to the Pentagon to decide how to handle Taiwan's request.

Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., who was part of the delegation that met with Tsai in California, suggested Congress' role is in funding any training.

"Congress realizes that a unified, highly trained, multilateral coalition is the force required to deter and, if necessary, defeat CCP [Chinese Communist Party] aggression in the Indo-Pacific," Wittman said in an emailed statement. "To this end, Congress must support [Indo-Pacific Command's] request for $117 million for International Security Cooperation Programs [ISCP]. ISCPs increase interoperability, strengthen command and control capabilities, and promote knowledge transfers that will be integral in the event of conflict."

-- Rebecca Kheel can be reached at rebecca.kheel@military.com. Follow her on Twitter @reporterkheel.

Related: As US and China Warily Eye Each Other, Taiwan Could Be the Flashpoint
Children spray water guns during Khmer New Year celebrations at Wat Phnom in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, April 14, 2022. Photo by Reuters

Cambodias Prime Minister Hun Sen called to ban water guns after a foreign tourist suffered an eye injury during last weeks Khmer New Year festivities.

"I saw on social media that one foreigner was injured by water guns during the Khmer New Year. Dont play this game," he said.

"Water guns were not even used here until a few years back," he said on Friday as quoted by the Khmer Times newspaper.

Cambodians celebrated this years Khmer New Year April 13 to 16, and the festivities across the country saw over six million people, including foreigners, taking part by dousing each other with water as per regional tradition.

Ahead of the New Year, the PM urged all citizens to avoid splashing water on each others faces, which has become very popular during the Khmer New Year over the last decade. The festivities resemble the famous water play of the Thai New Year.

Cambodia received 13 million tourists during the three-day traditional festival, including over 55,000 foreigners, the Phnom Penh Post reported.
BRIGHTON, MI - Today may be your one and only chance this year to see one of the most rare, private car collections in the entire world. The Lingenfelters are showing off their 200 classics, exotics and customs for one day only to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

You can see the Lingenfelter Collection today, Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 7819 Lochlin Drive in Brighton. There is no set cost or ticket price to check out the collection. Visitors will be asked to make at-will donations at the door.

The donations will benefit the American Cancer Societys work to fund and conduct cancer research and provide 24/7 support and access to care for cancer patients.

We are so thankful for our longstanding partnership with the Lingenfelters and their ongoing support of our mission, said Jennifer Beamer, Sr. Exec. Dir. of the American Cancer Society in Michigan. The donations raised at this event will be put to work to save more lives from cancer, including supporting cancer patients with programs and services, funding lifesaving research and helping prevent cancer in our community and across the nation.

The Lingenfelters have been holding a one-day event each year since 2016 and have helped raised more than $300,000 for the ACS.

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ANN ARBOR, MI - Final exams are underway at the University of Michigan. Graduation is in a week.

But its still unclear when the Graduate Employees Organization strike will end. The continued protest by graduate instructors and staff assistants means final grades for students for the winter semester will be delayed, both union and university officials have said.

The sides differ, however, on how the delays will impact students.

The union characterizes the delays as mostly harmless, while university officials said some students will see negative impacts to their academic careers.

By withholding grades  and asking faculty to do the same  GEO is harming students who need those grades in order to receive financial aid, be eligible for spring and summer classes, and apply for jobs, internships and graduate school, said university spokeswoman Kim Broekhuizen.

In a document shared on social media, the union answered a series of questions about grading, saying the delays will not hurt a students GPA and will not hinder graduate school applications or financial aid requests.

The union has seen no evidence that delayed grades are going to harm students, said Amir Fleischmann, the unions contract committee chair.

Its not a big deal for grad school applications to have a blank space on your transcript, he said. That kind of just means the grade isnt ready yet, which is normally the case if youre applying for grad school in the middle of the winter term.

The unions dismissal of concerns about affects on GPA was disingenuous, Broekhuizen said.

While a missing grade does not calculate into the grade point average, its absence has the potential to do great harm if the grade the student earned could improve their GPA, she said.

University officials have said plans are in place for students to receive accurate grades for their coursework, despite delays. Outgoing seniors will also be able to participate in graduation ceremonies, officials said.

The grades being handed out right now are bulls---, Fleischmann said, accusing department chairs and faculty of inputting grades based on incomplete work in place of graduate student instructors.

It means that students are getting grades that arent connected to any feedback that would normally be given by a GSI, he said.

Students need to get answers from their individual departments on grading, rather than from a generalized document on social media, Broekhuizen said.

Grading policy is not up to the Graduate Employees Organization and it is inappropriate for the union to convey assurances to students or portray itself as a source of accurate information on these policies, she said.

The university Faculty Senate released a statement on Friday, April 21 calling on deans not to use alternate faculty to grade classes led by graduate instructors.

The Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs (SACUA) urges Provost (Laurie) McCauley, President (Santa) Ono and the Deans of the various schools to respect academic and pedagogic freedom and cease or correct any directives that require faculty or non-academic staff to enter grades in place of GSIs (and) urges faculty to reject requests to grade students they have not taught, according to the statement.

Read more: Bernie Sanders offers his support to striking University of Michigan graduate instructors

The unions strike, which started March 29, is in its third week. The current bargaining agreement with the university expires May 1.

The union is seeking, among other items on its platform, an annual wage of $38,500 for each of its members.

A judge, acting on behalf of the Michigan Employment Relations Commission, ruled April 18 that the union should end the strike after it violated the current agreements no-strike clause.

The union plans to continue striking and appeal the judges decision, said union secretary Karthik Ganapathy. The university wants to resolve the matters at the bargaining table, said university spokesman Rick Fitzgerald, while Broekhuizen added that students do not need to see grades negatively impacted in the process.

This is not a zero-sum game where in order for GEO to win, other students must lose, she said.

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Judge rules striking grad instructors are violating contract with University of Michigan

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YPSILANTI, MI -- Fans of Basil Babes popup events can now find the Thai restaurant at its permanent location in Ypsilanti.

Basil Babe opened in January at 701 W. Cross St., which was previously home to Hamburger Marys and Tower Inn.

Its pretty much like a full circle (moment) being born and raised in Ypsi and going to Eastern (Michigan University), Basil Babe Owner Haluthai Inhmathong said. Now Im taking over this place, and hopefully it becomes an Eastern staple.

Read more: Thai food restaurant, Basil Babe, to open at former Hamburger Marys location in Ypsilanti

Basil Babe operates on a rotating weekly menu which includes appetizers, curries, noodles, stir fries, desserts and Thai tea and coffee. The menu also offers vegan and gluten-free options.

Basil Babes dumplings are filled with love and are a very popular item with customers, Inhmathong said. The restaurants menu features one meat and one vegan option that often rotate weekly.

Other popular items include the Crabby Rangoons and the OG Basil Stir-Fry, which features minced pork, garlic, Thai Birds Eye chili, bell peppers, green beans and Thai basil served with jasmine rice and side of Prik Nam Pla, which is fish sauce and Thai chili.

The Thai food restaurant began in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic when Inhmathong and her mother, Vasanna, began making dumplings and delivering them to friends and family.

However, as interest grew for these dumplings, local Ann Arbor restaurants reached out to the mother-daughter duo. They then began pop-up events traveling to Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Detroit and Hazel Park.

Read more: Mother-daughter duo run dumpling pop-up in Ann Arbor

Inhmathong eventually quit her job and fully committed to Basil Babe with the help of family members and her mother, who formerly owned her own Thai restaurant called Siam Square in Ann Arbor for more than 20 years.

Being surrounded by her mothers business throughout most of her life has impacted what Basil Babe is now, Inhmathong said.

I was raised on (my moms) kitchen floor at the restaurant, and I learned as much as I could. But then as I grew older, I found my own flavor, she said. (Basil Babe serves) dishes that I grew up eating, but they are the best versions of themselves.

Inhmathong said she and her motivate each other, while finding the perfect balance of both of their ideas.

Inhmathong has some plans for the future of the business, including opening during lunch, hosting live music and block parties, as well as having late night hours accompanied by cocktails, local beers and wines, she said.

Her favorite part, Inhmathong said, is seeing the faces of people trying Basil Babes food for the first time, as well as connecting with her customers. While it may not always be easy, she said the support from her customers and family makes it all worth it.

Basil Babe, 701 W. Cross St., is open 4:30 to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 3 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Find the restaurant online, on social media or by phone at 734-487-4000.

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A note was added to the story to indicate the original Tappan Oak tree was close to 300 years when it was removed.

ANN ARBOR, MI - The historic Tappan Oak tree at the University of Michigan was thought to be lost to time. Thanks to the care of a former student and university staff, a seedling will carry on its legacy.

The original tree, estimated by university officials to be close to 300 years old, was honored in 1858 by that years graduating class in honor of former university President Henry Tappan. After 162 years, it was removed for safety reasons in fall 2021.

However, acorns from the tree were saved during a chance encounter by former student Chayce Griffith in 2016, who has planted and nurtured them into a viable seedling offspring of the historic tree.

Griffith will soon donate the seedling to university landscape staff, who will care for it until it is ready to be planted on Central Campus.

It was a pretty tremendous loss that the university had when they lost that tree, Griffith said. I feel like we lost an important piece of Michigan history -- not just the state, but the university as well.

Read more: After 162 years, the popular Tappan Oak tree is no more at University of Michigan

Griffith has two viable Tappan Oak seedlings, though he and university officials think only one will eventually grow into a replacement for the old tree. The potential replacement seedling currently is 5 feet tall with a diameter of three-quarters of an inch.

Its in great shape, Griffith said. It has a very strong central trunk that goes straight up, and it has little stubby side branches that come off it.

The plan is for Griffith to pass along the seedling to university landscape staff in the next few weeks, who will take it to a greenhouse on North Campus. Griffith will also donate the other viable seedling, which is a little behind in its growth due to animals nibbling on it early on, he said.

The replacement seedling needs to grow to around 10 feet tall before its planted on Central Campus, said Rob Doletzky, UMs landscape and grounds manager. Otherwise, students might accidentally stunt its growth by stepping on it or running into it, said Mike Rutkofske, a university forester.

Its tiny, and if we were to put it on a campus that small, unless we built a fence around it or something, it probably wouldnt survive, Doletzky said.

The North Campus greenhouse has a caged-in area to protect the seedling, and officials plan to work with MSUs soil testing facility to engineer the sandy soil required for oak trees to thrive, Rutkofske said.

Well be monitoring it, constantly watering it, he said, adding that they dont plan to use fertilizer in order to let the seedling mature naturally.

The timeline for replanting the tree on Central Campus is unclear now, Rutkofske said, adding its definitely more than a year away. The tree wont be planted in the same location as the old Tappan Oak, he said, since that soil has a fungus which led to the old trees deterioration.

Th fact the historic Tappan Oaks offspring will return to campus, though, is incredible, Rutkofske said.

When I got the call from Chayce, my jaw literally dropped, he said.

The Tappan Oak, a tree planted at University of Michigan in 1858, was removed on Nov. 23. It was planted by former UM President Henry Tappan and started a tree-planting tradition that died when Central Campus started its expansion. Photo by Austin Thomason of University of Michigan.Austin Thomason

Read more: Acorns collected by student could herald rebirth of historic Tappan Oak at University of Michigan

Planting the seeds of history

Griffith, a 2016 UM engineering graduate, walked by the Tappan Oak one winter, knelt down in the snow and scooped acorns into his backpack. It was not a conscious decision to preserve history, he said, as the blossoming arborist just wanted a keepsake from the university.

If Im gonna go to the trouble of planting acorns, I might as well plant the acorns that I think are going to turn into a super cool, old tree, said Griffith, who is now working toward a horticulture doctorate at Michigan State University.

Finding a viable seedling took a lot of TLC, Griffith said.

He kept them in foam cups in a refrigerator to simulate winter, then planted them in his parents front yard in Saline. While a handful started poking out of the soil, his dad accidentally whacked all but two off with a lawnmower, Griffith said.

One of those two surviving seedlings will be the new Tappan Oak, which Griffith hopes has the same longevity as the old one. He plans to commemorate the moment they are turned over to the university.

Im hoping we can get a nice family photo in our Michigan sweatshirts, he said.

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FLINT, MI  Students from five Genesee County schools celebrated Earth Day on Saturday by planting 300 trees along the bank of Gilkey Creek in Flint as part of a watershed restoration project.

The Flint River Watershed Coalition organized the April 22 event for the Flint River Environmental Leadership Council, which is made up of middle and high school students from the five schools.

Officials from the watershed coalitions said they chose to plant the trees along the stream bank because their roots will help hold back sediment, prevent erosion, and filter polluted stormwater runoff. The environmental changes made by planting the trees will help fish and insect populations in the creek while also making the water less murky, officials said.

Asia Mays, an 18-year-old from Flint, said it was nice to take part in the planting because it was an experience with nature she didnt have many opportunities to have while growing up in the city.

Its a great opportunity. I wish more people my age and in my community could get involved like this to help the environment, especially here in Flint, Mays said.

The trees that were planted were acquired through a grant from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources called Forest to MI Faucet.

Our real focus is getting the young people out, because they need to be the stewards of our environment. So, on Earth Day, we are showing them things they can do to help improve our watershed and our world, Kelly Sanborn, Flint River Watershed Coalition education program manager, said.

More information about The Flint River Environmental Leadership Council can be found at flintrivergreen.org or by contacting Sanborn at education@flintriver.org. Those interested in learning more about the Flint River Watershed Coalition and its efforts, can visit the website at www.flintriver.org.

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Recognizing that the solutions to many of our problems already exist in nature, the Biden-Harris administration is investing in nature to solve many of our greatest challenges. Last year, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14072, to strengthen Americas forests. EO 14072 stresses the importance of forest conservation and restoration because forest ecosystems are essential elements in U.S. efforts to address the biodiversity crisis.

The U.S. government is very actively engaged on all kinds of work to protect biodiversity around the world, said Monica Medina, Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International Environmental And Scientific Affairs and Special Envoy for Biodiversity and Water Resources. That includes the new, first-ever global agreement to take a cross-sectoral approach to protect areas of the ocean beyond national jurisdiction.

The text of the High Seas Treaty, as it is called, was finalized by United Nations member states in March. Whereas only 1.2 percent of these waters are currently under comprehensive protections from damage caused by pollution, overfishing, shipping, and deep-sea mining, once the High Seas Treaty enters into force, it will provide the ability to advance the goal of achieving the conservation or protection of at least 30 percent of the global ocean by 2030.

That's half the planet now, with the potential to be protected for the first time ever, said Assistant Secretary Medina. We are very committed in the U.S. to the 30x30 pledge, both internationally helping our partners around the world achieve that goal, but also doing it here at home.

Indeed, as part of the 30x30 initiative, the United States is increasing its investments in parks and protected natural areas, improved water quality, and land, water, and forest conservation. The 30x30 initiative is something that President Biden pledged to do during his campaign, said Assistant Secretary Medina.We are now very close to achieving 30 percent of our domestic ocean territory as protected, and on land. We're increasing the number of protected areas through the creation of some new monuments that the president just announced a few weeks ago.

Biodiversity is declining at a catastrophic rate. The importance of conserving at least 30 percent of the Earth--both ocean and landcannot be over-stated. It is vitally important to supporting nature, and so protecting its capacity to sustain people, economies, and the planet itself.
FLINT, MI  U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee has been released from the hospital after successful surgery to remove a small cancerous tumor, officials said.

Kildee, D-Flint Twp., left George Washington University Hospital in Washington, D.C. Saturday moring, April 22 after surgery for squamous cell carcinoma -- a serious but curable form of cancer -- officials from his office said.

I want to thank my great team of doctors who provided excellent care, Kildee said in a statement after his release. I continue to be grateful that I caught my cancer diagnosis early thanks to a preventative scan. After surgery and recovery, my doctors have told me my prognosis is excellent.

Kildee first disclosed he had been diagnosed with cancer in March.

Related: I am going to get through this. U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee diagnosed with cancer

I want to thank my family, including my wife Jennifer and my children Ryan, Kenneth and Katy, for their unconditional love and being by my side, Kildee said. As I continue to recover from my surgery at home, I want to thank my constituents for their continued support. And I would like to thank my talented and dedicated staff, who are continuing to serve the people of the Eighth District as I recuperate.

Kildee said he looks forward to be back voting in Congress and traveling the district soon.

Officials said the congressman does not have a timeline yet for when he will be able to get back to work. Before his surgery, Kildee said his doctors had advised him he faced a recovery period of a few weeks.

Kildee has remained active since announcing his cancer diagnosis.

He appeared with Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley and others at a news conference to announce the kickoff of a $4-million targeted demolition program in Flint on April 4.

Voters returned Kildee to Congress for a sixth term in the November general election.

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OTTAWA COUNTY, MI -- An 18-year-old from Grand Haven was seriously injured when a pickup rear-ended her car in Robinson Township, police said.

The teen was driving a Chevy Malibu on 144th Avenue, stopped and waiting for traffic to clear before making a left turn, when a Chevy Silverado struck her car from behind.

The crash happened about 3:35 p.m. on 144th Avenue at Wintergreen Drive, Ottawa County sheriffs deputies said.

The collision pushed the Malibu into the oncoming lane and it was struck again by a Hyundai Tucson.

The Malibu driver was pinned in her vehicle. Once removed from the wreckage, she was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

The Silverado driver, a 17-year-old boy from West Olive, was not injured. The Tucson driver, a 49-year-old from St. Johns, also was not injured.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - RJ Myler was counting his blessings Tuesday at a follow up appointment for a prosthetic leg, having undergone an amputation after a horrific crash in June that resulted in multiple injuries.

Myler, 32, of Holland, passed out in the heat while driving for Arrowaste when his truck crashed into an oncoming box truck h on East Beltline Avenue NE near Knapp Street.

He said he knows how lucky he is to be able to come home to his wife, Kendra, and their daughters, Haven, 7, and Highly, 5.

I know I was beyond blessed that day and that I had so many guardian angels watching over me, Myler said Tuesday, April 18, at The Hanger Clinic on Byron Center Avenue, about the fact he didnt suffer brain or spinal cord injuries.

Related: He had leg amputated, 4 tourniquets after crash: Im still here

He said he is grateful to the people who stopped at the scene and the doctors, nurses and therapists involved in his care.

In February, Myler returned to his job at Arrowaste, after spending 3 months at the former Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital, followed by three weeks at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital.

You can choose to be full of self-pity and sad but thats not going to get you anywhere, but if you have a positive attitude thats going to get you so much farther in everything you do, Myler said.

Rescuers used four tourniquets  including his seat belt immediately after the crash. He was in a drug-induced coma for nearly three days.

After being told that hed lost a leg, Myler said Thats it? Im still here, Im still talking, God is good.

Myler will speak at the annual Hanger Clinic Limb Loss Awareness 5K in Kentwood on April 29. April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month. He is determined to walk as far as he can on his prosthetic leg, which includes a computerized, microprocessor-controlled knee.

10 Prosthetic appointment for RJ Myler

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GRAND RAPIDS, MI  Too tired or busy to make a homemade meal from scratch? One restaurant in Alger Heights has you covered.

Making Thyme Kitchen, owned by Ken and Karen Bryan, offers homemade dishes ready to take home and re-heat for your family. The meals range from servings for one or up to four and come with heating instructions.

The kitchen also has a stocked deli section, with ready-to-eat items like pulled pork, chicken salad, roasted brussels sprouts, roasted red skin potatoes and kale salad.

Everything we sell is all made from scratch, Karen Bryan told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. You can preorder online, we can deliver it, or you can come in and shop our store. You take it home and pop it in your oven.

The Making Thyme Kitchen storefront, at 2409 Eastern Ave. SE, is open 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The frozen ready-to-bake meal menu changes monthly, often featuring in-season and local ingredients. Some of the frozen to-go meals for April include chicken enchiladas with salsa verde ($17.50 for two servings), penne pasta with chicken, broccoli and mozzarella ($14.50 for two servings) and panko-crusted salmon with dill and lemon ($27.50 for two servings).

We buy as many local ingredients as we can, Bryan said. Our meats all come from a local butcher in Walker and the produce we get from all over the place. When theres tomatoes, we make gazpacho and when theres cucumbers, we make Greek salad.

Though the menu rotates monthly, Bryan said some favorites stay around all year.

Theres some things that are comfort food, like our meatloaf and our mac and cheese that people love, she said. We always have a salmon dish and we do a sweet potato and chorizo empanada.

The biggest fan favorite on the menu, though, is the beef and pork pasty, made with potatoes, rutabaga, fresh parsley, butter and salt and pepper for $8.50 each. The Making Thyme Kitchen recipe for the northern Michigan staple comes from Houghton, Michigan.

I would put our pasties up against anybodys, Bryan said.

If youre looking for lighter fare, stop in around lunch for the salad sampler, where customers can choose any three ready-made salads out of the deli. Or, try the turkey, spinach and feta cheese meatballs, also in the deli. Chicken salad and pulled pork sandwiches are available at the deli too.

Of course, as Bryan says, theres always room for cookies.

Try the molasses spice cookie, the chocolate chip walnut cookie or the Michigan cherry, pecan and white chocolate cookie, all $1.65 each.

To preorder from Making Thyme Kitchen, visit makingthymekitchen.com. Orders over $75 are eligible for delivery within 20 miles of the store, which happens each Wednesday. Orders placed online for in-store pickup are available Wednesday through Friday.

Contact Making Thyme Kitchen at 616-406-8511. The new monthly menus are always posted on the kitchens website and social media pages.

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EDITORS NOTE: Due to high demand, Kleppers June 30 appearance has been moved from Chenery Auditorium to Miller Auditorium.

KALAMAZOO, MI  Kalamazoo native Jordan Klepper has spent the past week hosting The Daily Show on Comedy Central.

His Kalamazoo roots were highlighted, as Klepper did a segment in his hometown and interviewed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer over a pint of Oberon at Bells Eccentric Cafe. The two also spent some time filling in some of the citys potholes.

Related: Michigan Gov. Whitmer drinks beer, talks politics on The Daily Show

The Kalamazoo Central High School and Kalamazoo College graduate will return home again on Friday, June 30, this time for a free interactive program at Chenery Auditorium, titled Celebrating Books while they are Still Legal!

Klepper will talk about his Kalamazoo roots, his career in comedy and, in honor of the 150th anniversary of Kalamazoo Public Library, the ever-increasing importance of trusted information, according to a news release from the library.

The event will take place from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the auditorium, located at 714 S. Westnedge Ave.

The writer, producer and comedian has been known for his segments as a correspondent on The Daily Show, while Trevor Noah was still hosting. Hes also the creator and star of KLEPPER, a Comedy Central docu-series.

Prior to the June 30 program at Chenery Auditorium, Klepper will also do a book signing at the Kalamazoo Public Library, at 315 S. Rose St., in downtown Kalamazoo.

No, he has not written a book, but if you buy a book at the Friends of the KPL Bookstore (or bring your own), hell sign it! the release states.

No registration is required for the signing, but those interested in attending the free program at Chenery Auditorium are asked to pre-register by following this link.

Pre-registration does not reserve a seat, but the library is asking those interested to register so organizers have an idea how many people will be attending. The event will be first-come, first-served and general admission.

Those who require special accommodations can submit their request to the event coordinator by calling 269-553-7800 or emailing events@kpl.gov.

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FRANKENMUTH, MI  The Frankenmuth Dog Bowl, touted as the worlds largest Olympic-style festival for dogs, returns to Michigans Little Bavaria this Memorial Day weekend.

The 17th annual Frankenmuth Dog Bowl festival takes place Saturday, May 27, and Sunday, May 28, at Frankenmuth River Place Shops and includes hundreds of dogs competing in events like DockDogs and Disc Dogs of Michigan competitions, border collie sheep-herding demonstrations, a pet parade and costume contest, trick competitions and doggie fun run races, according to a Frankenmuth Dog Bowl news release.

The annual event is expected to draw more than 100,000 visitors to Frankenmuth over the holiday weekend. Memorial Day is Monday, May 29.

The festival is free to attend, but some events, such as the annual canine cruise on the Cass River, require a registration fee. Dogs are welcome as long as they are kept on a 6-foot leash.

Our events team has worked very hard to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all of our guests, whether they are humans or canines, Michael Zehnder, owner of Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn Inc., which owns and operates River Place Shops, said in a statement. We are looking forward to a doggone fun weekend and the return of Bavarian Inns signature Memorial Day weekend festivities.

Part of the festival is Balloons Over Bavarian Inn, featuring 25 hot air balloon pilots from across the country who will take to the skies for morning and evening competitions and return to River Place Shops for nightly balloon glows throughout the weekend. Visitors will have the chance to see the hot air balloons light up and interact with pilots and their crews from 9 to 10 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday as part of the Balloon Glow Village event.

The 2023 Frankenmuth Dog Bowl will conclude with the Zehnders of Frankenmuth fireworks show at 9:45 p.m. Sunday. The fireworks are visible from across Frankenmuth, and can be best viewed from the large field east of River Place Shops.

For a full schedule of events, visit dogbowlfun.com/events.

Click through the gallery above to see photos from last years event.

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BAY COUNTY, MI  Cafe One 3 in Bay Countys Kawkawlin Township is a coffee shop, bar, lounge and party store in one, and its new chicken cranberry flatbread is among the menus new and unique offerings.

The chicken cranberry flatbread so far has gotten the most buzz, said Ben McParlan, who owns the business with his wife, Megan McParlan. Its very tasty and very different.

The McParlans recently expanded the business, aiming to create a fun home away from home atmosphere for their customers.

A chill, comfortable place to just grab a couple drinks, Megan McParlan said. Wed like to be a destination spot for people.

The McParlans opened the cafe, located at 1459 S. Huron Road in Bay Countys Kawkawlin Township, in 2018 and opened the new bar and lounge in April. With the recent expansion, the McParlans also created a new menu with fresh offerings.

Ben McParlan said customers are enjoying the new set up and the new menu, which is unique in the area. The shareable chicken cranberry flatbread, made with slow-cooked chicken, bacon, cranberry, avocado, garlic aioli and parmesan, has been especially popular.

The menu also features a barbecue pulled pork sandwich, California Reuben, pork tacos, chicken sliders, sriracha honey bacon mac and cheese skillet, chipotle chicken mac and cheese skillet, Southwest breakfast pizza, loaded potato skillet and other savory dishes.

We wouldnt put anything on a menu that we ourselves would not eat, Megan McParlan said.

Cafe One 3 encompasses a coffee shop, bar and Double S Party Store, which offers hundreds of wines, beer and other beverages. The cafe flows into what used to be a pharmacy and is now a bar/lounge area. Theres also a gaming area with board games for all ages, televisions with cable, a pool table and foosball table. Customers can buy a bottle of wine in the retail shop and enjoy it in the lounge for a $10 corking fee.

Not only do we have 14 beers on tap, but, basically, we can pick from any of our beer and wine in the store to sell on premises at the bar, as well, Ben McParlan said. Weve got about 50 options in bottles and cans for beer and seltzer that customers can choose from.

For more information, find Cafe One 3 on Facebook or visit cafeone3.com.

Would you like MLive to feature your favorite restaurant in Michigans Best Local Eats? Send the details, including business name, address and best menu item, to Heather Jordan at hjordan@mlive.com.

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Michigan stands on the cusp of becoming the 20th state to enact red flag laws.

A four-bill legislative package would temporarily remove firearms from Michiganders who could be in danger of hurting themselves or others. But what goes into that determination has sharply divided Democrats and Republicans, with the latter claiming the move is an overreach on Americans Second Amendment rights.

Red flag laws are last portion of Democrats gun-reform policies announced at the top of the year. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has already signed in to law other components, safe storage and universal background check requirements.

Its expected Whitmer will also sign the red flag legislation, as soon as House lawmakers give the final OK to three of the four bills, minorly changed when the Senate passed them on April 19.

Even then, however, it will still take 90 days after lawmakers end session for the legislative year for red flag laws to actually take effect in Michigan as the bills did not receive sufficient votes to take immediate effect.

Here is what the laws could mean for residents:

Filed with courts

To attain an extreme risk protection order, a family member, current or former partner, mental health professional or other eligible petitioner would have to file a complaint using forms created by Michigans State Court Administrative Office, as ordered by the state Supreme Court.

The complaint would have to show whether the person at issue, called the respondent, can reasonably be expected within the near future to intentionally or unintentionally seriously physically injure himself, herself or another individual by possessing a firearm, per the bills final language.

It would include threats of violence referencing a firearm, regardless of whether the person actually owns or possesses a gun; any employment in law enforcement or another profession requiring a firearm; and the number and kind of firearms a person owns.

Courts would be required to notify respondents of and prioritize hearings, and respondents would have a chance to argue.

A court would issue an order if a judge determines by the preponderance of the evidence the person is reasonably  expected within the near future to intentionally or unintentionally seriously physically injure themselves or another person.

Penalties for frivolous complaints

One of the biggest criticisms of the risk protection order process is they could potentially be weaponized against lawful gun owners for myriad reasons.

Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak, is the main bill sponsor. She said in the 19 other states with risk protection orders, police agencies rarely see them used, let alone abused.

It is not something that is used egregiously, or so frequently, because it is mostly used to address suicides ... thats what we hear most frequently, she told reporters when the bills passed the upper chamber April 19. So, I think once you see this implemented in Michigan, a lot of the people who are worried about it are going to see that it does have a very narrow use case and its not used or abused as frequently as they think.

But there are provisions under SB 83 explicitly outlining fines and penalties for lying to a court when petitioning for a risk protection order.

These include:

First offense: a misdemeanor punishable by up to 93 days in jail, a fine of not more than $500 or both

Second offense: a felony, punishable by up to four years in prison, a fine of not more than $2,000 or both

Third offense: a felony, punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of not more than $20,000 or both

Factors determining necessity

A court would need to consider several factors in determining whether extreme risk protection orders are necessary to protect someones own life or the lives of others.

These would include, but are not limited to:

A history of using, attempting or threatening physical force against another person or themselves, regardless of whether it involved a firearm

Evidence of a serious mental illness or emotional disturbance that could make them a danger to themselves or others

Past risk protection orders and any violations

A pretrial release, probation or any other injunctive order as part of their legal history

Any previous convictions, pending charge or juvenile delinquency petitions for assault, threats to a person or property or other state crimes

Any offense involving animal cruelty or abuse

Any evidence of recent unlawful use of controlled substances or excessive alcohol use

Any previous unlawful position, use, display or brandishing of a deadly weapon

Any evidence of obtaining or trying to obtain, within the previous 180 days of the filing, a deadly weapon or ammunition

Any additional information a court could find reliable, such as statements from the respondent or concerned family or household members

A judge could issue a risk protection order without verbal or written notification only if the court determines by clear and convincing evidence from specific facts shown by a verified complaint one is necessary to prevent irreparable injury, loss or damage that could result from administerial delays.

Otherwise, a judge would have to make a determination within 24-hours of the requests filing. Law enforcement would serve the order, if granted, to the person deemed a danger.

Granted orders usually enforced for one year

Depending on the individual situation, the restrained person would be required to either immediately or voluntarily relinquish guns within 24-hours of a judge issuing an order.

A standard order would last one year.

During that time, a law enforcement agency would possess the persons firearms and ammunition identified in the initial risk protection order as well as any later discovered in a persons home.

Police would issue a receipt detailing all the items to the restrained person or leave it where police found the guns and ammo.

Authorities would return all the items at the end of the orders term unless the person has been prohibited from owning or possessing guns for other legal reasons.

Term of order could be increased, decreased

If a court issues a protection order, it would have to have a hearing within two weeks of the person being served.

Should the person be a concealed pistol license holder or a work in law enforcement or a similar field, such as corrections, the hearing would have to occur within five days.

No fewer than three months after a judge grants an order, a person could ask a court to or a court itself could extend the order for an additional year should enough reason exist. Conversely, a judge could end the order early if there is sufficient evidence risk protection measures are no longer needed.

Its here many Republicans have lodged complaints. They argue the ability to take away a persons guns for, ostensibly, an indefinite period of time is a violation of Second Amendment rights.

Michigans state constitution says that the right to keep and bear arms is for the defense of yourself and the state, Rep. Andrew Fink, R-Hillsdale, said upon the bills first passing the House April 13. Interfering with that right, under the Constitution, should follow high standards.

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Rain drizzled as hundreds of people gathered at a horse farm Saturday to rally against a proposed battery parts plant in Mecosta County near Big Rapids.

Signs declaring No Go on Gotion Dont Sell Us to China and Keep Green Township Green dotted the crowd. Goats named Chip and Charlie wore blankets that said GOat Home Gotion. A black stallion trotted behind a stage that featured Republican leaders like Michigan GOP Chair Kristina Karamo; U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland; and State Sen. Lana Theis, R-Brighton.

Were wanting to push back because we dont want this company here, said Lori Brock, 58, who hosted the rally at Majestic Friesians Horse Farm in Green Charter Township.

Gotion Inc. plans to build a $2.3-billion electric vehicle battery parts plant that will create 2,350 jobs.

Michigan has awarded the investment a $715-million incentive package, including a 30-year tax break valued at $540 million and grants totaling $175 million.

Residents and Michigan Republicans have mobilized against the project citing concerns about Gotions ties to China and the possible environmental impact of a 500-acre battery park in Green Charter Township and Big Rapids.

People from across Michigan sat in lawn chairs under umbrellas Saturday to oppose the development.

I dont like communism. Thats a big thing. I dont want our rivers to be polluted. I dont want our air to be polluted. This is beautiful country; I dont want it torn down, said Dick Clark, 64, who lives roughly six miles away in Barton Township.

Chris Ward, 49, from Green Charter Township, said shes concerned about the effects on the environment, the water and the politics of it all.

Hundreds of people from across Michigan showed up to Majestic Friesians Horse Farm, 21750 19 Mile Road, to rally against a Gotion electric vehicle battery parts plant on Saturday, April 22, 2023. (Photo by Rose White | MLive)

Gotion Inc. is a U.S.-owned subsidiary of Gotion High Tech  a Chinese battery company. The publicly-held company established its headquarters in the Silicon Valley area in 2014.

Ownership is a key issue for opponents who say the plant is linked to the Chinese Communist Party. National security concerns were mentioned by most speakers Saturday including Karamo, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Cella and a video message from conservative commentator Glenn Beck.

To think they (China) will set up a battery factory in our state and they will just play by the rules, that makes no sense whatsoever, Karamo said.

Chuck Thelen, Gotions vice president of North American operations, has emphasized the Chinese government will have no role in the battery plant.

Despite what any current politicians may say, there is no communist plot within Gotion to make Big Rapids a center to spread communism, he said at an April 5 informational meeting hosted by Green Charter Township.

Gotion submitted the project to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States for a review. The federal agency is tasked with assessing national security risks.

Thelen told lawmakers this week the project was not subject to further review and the company may proceed.

Lori Brock, owner of Majestic Friesians Horse Farm, printed out a zoning map for that includes her farm and the industrial site proposed for the Gotion project. (Photo by Rose White | MLive)

For Brock, she also wants to protect her 140-acre horse farm  a dream 25 years in the making  from being near a manufacturing site.

I thought I was standing alone for a long time and were not, she said pointing to the crowd on her lawn. Because if this stuff comes through and poisons everything, all my animals, we have to leave.

A map of the project site shows the battery plant will run along 18 Mile Road stretching from U.S. 131 to Northland Drive  just south of Majestic Friesians Horse Farm. About 251 acres of the 420-acre site in Green Charter Township have been zoned industrial for 20 years, according to township leaders.

Thelen has also stressed Gotion will comply with all local, state and federal environmental regulations.

Ive heard and read dozens of speculation topics and scare tactics really designed to make people believe that Gotion will destroy the environment. Nothing could be further from the truth, he said during the meeting earlier this month.

Related: Tensions with China overshadow rural Michigan battery plant

Opponents and supporters of the battery plant spoke at a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Thursday, April 20. The committee gave the final approval for the $175-million state grants with a 10-9 vote. Three Democrats joined Republican committee members in voting against the transfer.

Jerrilynn Strong, Mecosta County Board of Commissioners chair, told the committee theres a small but vocal group of opponents to the project including professional picketers.

This is a great opportunity for the people in Mecosta County and the surrounding area. The direct economic boost will stretch from Grand Rapids to Cadillac and Scottville to Mount Pleasant, she said.

Gotion expects to begin construction in July with production slated for 2025.

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Albert Nat Hyde, popularly known as Bongo Ideas has insisted that the defamatory claims against him by Kojo Forex were justified and well-grounded, refusing to retract them.

Bright Kojo Onipayede, known widely as Kojo Forex a prominent Ghanaian forex trader, has recently sued Bongo Ideas over defamatory statements published about him on social media.

According to documents sighted by Modernghana News, Kojo Forexs lawyers have served Bongo Ideas a "Notice to retract, apologise, cease and desist publication of defamatory statements about their client.

In a reply to Kojo Forexs lawyers, Bongo Ideas cited several instances where Kojo Forex had disparaged him on social media and demanded an apology from him first before anyone else.

Your client has always used unprintable words against me. In fact, he has on several occasions cast aspersions at me to a trigger point. He has not ceased from describing me as poor, incapacitated, and irrelevant. I demand an unequivocal apology from him first, Bongo Ideas stated.

Bongo Ideas also accused Kojo Forex of orchestrating the locking of his Twitter account for some hours, causing him financial losses.

He masterminded for my account to be locked for some hours, which caused me monetary losses because couldn't fulfil my obligations as a blogger, he alleged.

The defendant claimed that Kojo Forex paid some social media users to report his account, describing it as a violation of Twitters rules.

Your client paid netizens on Twitter GHC50 each to take my account down. an action that is against the politeness of the platform, the blogger stressed.

Bongo Ideas cited reports from alleged disgruntled customers of Kojo Forex who claimed he took their money without providing the promised services, saying, I have received several reports from people who have had terrible experiences with your client and said he took their money and never delivered on what he promised.

Bongo Ideas maintained that the claims against Kojo Forex were factual, insisting Nothing I've said about him was a figment of my imagination.

He demanded that Kojo Forex addresses grievances of disgruntled customers, explains the reported account take down, and tenders an apology before he considers retracting his claims.

Therefore, if he wants an apology from me, he would first need to issue an official statement to address the grievances of his disgruntled customers, explain why he paid people to take my account down, and apologize for the insults he always hurled at me.

That's the only condition I can give him before advising myself. Your 24-hour ultimatum to me is solidly hinged on that, ended his reply to Kojo Forexs legal team.

Read copies of Kojo Forexs summon and Bongo Ideas reply below;
OWYHEE  A new affordable housing development is coming to Owyhee with funding secured by Hunt Capital Partners in collaboration with the Duck Valley Housing Authority.

Duck Valley Phase II will offer 24 new single-family homes on a 12-acre parcel. The $14.4 million project includes $5.77 million in financing from Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity and $112,025 in Solar Investment Tax Credit equity.

The new three- and four-bedroom homes on the 289,819-acre Duck Valley Indian Reservation will be set aside for indigenous families earning up to 50 and 60 percent of the areas median income. Additionally, the Housing Assistance Program will provide up to $500 per unit per month to cover the operating costs of the development.

Duck Valley Phase II will use modular construction to reduce construction costs and development time. The modular units will be built by Nashua Builders in its Boise factory.

Each home will be composed of two factory-built sections that will be placed on a new, on-site foundation and stitched together. Each home will contain a two-car garage and driveway.

At the end of the 15-year federal low-income tax credit compliance period and after the Duck Valley Housing Authority exercises its right of first refusal to purchase the project, tenants will be extended the opportunity to convert renting the homes into homeownership.

Hunt Capital Partners said the project situated off State Route 225 at Sunset Drive will address the need for additional healthy and stable housing choices for the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation.

The new homes also offer much closer access to essential local amenities. A church, pharmacy, school, post office, daycare, senior center and a youth center are all within a two-mile radius. Residents will also benefit from an adjacent community center located on Phase I of the project that includes meeting space, a computer lab, internet access and a small library.

According to the National Low Income Housing Coalition, 32% of Native households on tribal lands live in poverty compared to 18% of households nationwide, said Hunt Capital Partners Executive Managing Director Dana Mayo. Housing issues, such as overcrowding, sanitary housing and lack of amenities, can be a challenge as homes on tribal lands are typically located in remote areas. We are proud to partner with the Duck Valley Housing Authority to help address these needs and provide additional affordable housing to the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes so that indigenous families can have access to high quality living environments.

Notably, the development will feature green attributes designed to reduce water and energy consumption. The affordable homes will be fitted with Energy Star rated appliances, a hybrid electric water heater, as well as an extensive solar photovoltaic system with rooftop solar panels. Additionally, low water landscaping will also be incorporated with the use of native vegetation throughout the community.

Supportive services will be offered to all residents through the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Indian Reservation. These will offer access to resources such as homeownership preparedness counseling, credit counseling, parenting classes, foster care assistance/child welfare, advocacy for sexual assault and elder abuse victims, assistance with funds for higher education, and more.

Owyhee Community Health Facility will offer physical, mental, social, and spiritual healthcare for residents, as well as comprehensive primary care, managed ambulatory care, immunization, health fairs, disease prevention, and home visits with transportation available as needed. Furthermore, residents with disabilities will also benefit from a culturally-appropriate vocational rehabilitation program to assist with employment readiness.

Hunt Capital Partners will syndicate the federal and solar tax credits through its newest multi-investor fund, Hunt Capital Partners Tax Credit Fund 49. The Duck Valley Housing Authority provided an additional $750,000 loan from the Affordable Housing Program and a $7.9 million Indian Housing Block Grant loan.
21.04.2023 LISTEN

For two consecutive years, Ministry of Finance failed to transfer five percent of the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) to the District Assembly Common Fund (DACF), despite a directive by the Supreme Court in 2019.

In 2021, the Ministry of Finance was only able to transfer 1.74% of the ABFA, and in 2022, it could only transfer 2.39%.

According to the Supreme Courts decision in the case of Kpodo and Another vs Attorney-General in 2019, the Minister of Finance is required to comply with the decision in the disbursement of funds to the DACF.

However, the Ministrys recent inability to transfer the required amount indicates a lack of commitment to development at the local level.

Furthermore, the disbursement of funds to the Industrialisation Priority Area, which received GH9.29 million representing only 0.20% of the total ABFA of GH4.41 billion, did not reflect the priority given to industrialisation in the use of ABFA.

This disbursement, which represented only 4.29% of the amount budgeted for the priority area for 2022, highlights the need for the government to invest more in industrial development.

Despite this, an amount of GH643.61 million (US$73.68 million) was transferred to the Ghana Infrastructure Investment Fund (GIIF) in 2022 to support the governments Agenda 111 Project.

This is the second consecutive year that GIIF has received funds for the project, with GH290.38 million (US$49.39 million) allocated to the Fund in 2021.

However, the Public Interest and Accountability Committee (PIAC) has recommended that disbursements intended for Agenda 111 should be directed to the Ministry of Health under the health component of the Education and Health Priority Area, in line with the projects objectives.

Additionally, GIIF should focus on investing in commercial infrastructure projects, as mandated by the GIIF Act, 2014 (Act 877) and policy guidelines of the Fund.

citinewsroom
The European Union says it is planning for a possible evacuation of EU citizens from Khartoum, when the security situation allows, as armed clashes continue to rage in the Sudanese capital.

On Friday a senior official with he European Union said the bloc is "trying to coordinate an operation to get our civilians out of the city which is now in a high-risk situation. We are working on different possibilities for taking people out.

"For the time being, the assessment of those on the ground  including the EU embassy  is that the security conditions are not in place for going ahead with an operation of this kind."

The EU and the seven member states with missions in Khartoum will be following the situation closely with a view to choosing the right moment for evacuation.

"At that moment, it's our expectation that we will be fully prepared to go ahead with the evacuation of our nationals."

This comes as Spanish military aircraft are reportedly on standby and ready to evacuate some 60 Spanish nationals and around 20 civilians from other countries from Khartoum.

However, in the absence of a sustainable ceasefire, foreign nations have been unable to evacuate their citizens from Sudan.

Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration has confirmed that a humanitarian worker was killed on Friday after his vehicle was hit by crossfire as he tried to move his family to safety.

The Sudanese man is the fourth UN employee to be killed since fighting broke out six days ago.

More than 400 people have been killed and thousands wounded since the fighting erupted last Saturday between forces loyal to Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

The rival forces were reported to be engaged in intense street battles in Khartoum on Friday, as both sides ignored appeals for an end-of-Ramadan ceasefire.
The opposition Member of Parliament (MP) for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency of the Western Region, Kofi Arko Nokoe, has commissioned an ultra-modern Community-based Health Planning Service (CHPS) compound at Akango-Duale in his constituency to save lives.

In addition, the MP commissioned a potable water project for the management of the health facility (Akango-Duale CHPs Compound).

The health facility has a general Outpatient department (O.P.D), a unit for family planning, reproductive and child health (R.C.H), consulting room, medical records room, a dispensary, two kitchens, staff accommodation, a washroom for staff and a washroom for clients.

At the ceremony to open the health facility, Kofi Arko Nokoe commended the chiefs and residents of Akango and Duale communities for providing massive support to the contractor to finish the project on time.

"In fact, I'm very proud of the Chiefs and people of Akango and Duale, they supported the contractor to complete the project on time and I can say the good people of Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira are very supportive", he acknowledged.

The MP took the opportunity to commend former NDC Evalue-Ajomoro MP, Mr. Tanikyi Kesse and former Nzema East MCE, Rev. James Ackah Cobbinah for starting the project.

He also seized the opportunity to urge the management of the facility to take proper care of it to save lives in the two communities, Akango and Daule.

"This facility is a nice one and we need maintain it so I will take this opportunity to appeal to the management of it to take proper care of it to save lives", he stated.

He promised to provide the facility with a security post to protect the staff and clients of the facility.

"I have taken note of security concern raised by the Acting Municipal Health Director, I will make sure there is a security at the facility so I will tell my Acting Municipal Health Director and her staff not to worry about it", he said.

Kofi Arko Nokoe who became the MP for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency in January 2021, seized the opportunity to pledge more CHPS Compounds in the constituency.

"So many communities in Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency here don't health facilities and it is my major concern and I'm working assiduously as an opposition MP to provide CHPS Compounds for other communities", he emphasized.

He also pledged his commitment and readiness to complete any project started by his predecessors in the constituency to benefit all.

"When I was campaigning in 2020, I said if Am elected as MP I would complete the abandoned projects started by my predecessors, I entitled it as 'I will build upon what I come to meet' and I'm on it and very soon I will commission a lot of projects in Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency", he said.

Kofi Arko Nokoe popularly known in the area as a submarine politician called on his constituents to rally behind him in prayers to develop the area.

"All of you know that I'm in opposition but I'm doing my best to develop the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency so I will ask your support and prayers, pray for me always, pray for NDC MP for Jomoro, Dorcas Afo-Toffey and NDC NDC for Ellembelle, Hon. Emmanuel Armah-Kofi Buah, our leader and also pray for His Excellency John Mahama to win the 2024 elections and if NDC comes to power in 2025, the three Nzema Constituencies will benefit a lot," he stated.

The MP advised the youth at Akango and Duale farming communities to emulate him by taking their education seriously.

"Nobody thought I, Kofi Arko Nokoe could become MP for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency because I'm young so I will the youth in these communities to learn from me because if today I'm the MP for Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira then some years to come some of our youth here can become MP. Since I'm the first youth to become MP in Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira, if I disappoint the constituency, I have disappointed you the youth so I will not disappoint you at all, take your education seriously," he counselled.

The Acting Municipal Health Director of Nzema East Municipality, Mrs Margaret Essoun commended the MP, Kofi Arko Nokoe for the project.

She said currently the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira Constituency has twenty-five CHPS compounds and pleaded with the MP for the area to try his possible best to construct more for them.

She urged the residents to patronize the facility. She also promised to post a midwife to the facility to take care of pregnant women as soon as possible.

Moreover, the Chiefs and people of Akango and Duale thanked the Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira MP, Kofi Arko Nokoe for completing and commissioning the project for them.

They pledged to rally behind the MP to succeed in his endeavors.

The Evalue-Ajomoro Gwira MP was accompanied by the Member of Parliament (MP) for Jomoro Constituency, Dorcas Afo-Toffey, NDC Western Regional Organizer, Charles Fordjoe, NDC Western Regional Women's Organizer, Gladys Egyir, NDC Western Regional Deputy Organizer, Ellembelle NDC Constituency Deputy Women's Organizer, Gifty Araba Kwofie, Jomoro NDC Constituency Chairman, Anthony Armah Benle, Jomoro NDC Constituency Organizer, Benedict Boadi, Jomoro NDC former Constituency Communications Officer, Patrick Ellonu, some NDC Constituency Executives led by their vice Chairman, the former MCE for the area Rev. James Ackah Cobbinah among others to inaugurate the health facility.
22.04.2023 LISTEN

The Greater Accra Paramount Chief of Grushie, Chief Alhaji Ibrahim Mojo has congratulated Muslims on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr and the completion of the Ramadan fasting.

The Grushie Chief called on fellow Muslims to practice the teachings of the celebration, which is sharing with poor and less privileged ones as Muslims across the world mark the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration to commemorate the end of Ramadan.

He urged Muslims to continue on the path of spirituality and peaceful co-existence. He urged them to also remain tolerant of other religious organisations in the country.

Chief Ibrahim Mojo revealed that Ramadan teaches abstinence from worldly pleasures, steadfastness in prayers, and total submission to the will of Allah in accordance with the Quran.

He appealed to all Muslims especially the youth to continue with the good deeds they exhibited during Ramadan and reflect them in their everyday life activities.

The Greater Accra Paramount Chief of Grushie uses the Eid-ul- Fitr celebration to commend his subjects, members of his council and Muslims across the country for their peaceful co-existence and commitment to the growth and development of the Grushie Community in Ghana.
Former President John Dramani Mahama has questioned the reasoning that went into President Nana Akufo-Addos decision to demolish what was a fully-fledged La General Hospital serving the La and surrounding communities in the Greater Accra.

The hospital, which was upgraded from a Polyclinic into a General Hospital by President Mahama to expand and improve access to quality healthcare to the people was surprisingly razed to the ground in 2019 for the construction of a new hospital.

Four years after the demolishing of the hospital, which was serving thousands of patients, the promised work on a new structure is yet to commence.

President Akufo-Addo, ahead of the 2020 elections, cut sod to commence work on the project. Three years later, work is still yet to start, denying the people healthcare and destroying the businesses of many who provide services in and around the facility.

Addressing supporters, branch, and constituency executives of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the La Dadekotopon and Klottey Korle Constituencies, Mr Mahama asked government why it pulled down the hospital.

If you knew you were not ready to build a new hospital, why go and pull it down? he asked.

Mr. Mahama who is gearing up to lead the NDC to the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections assured the people that the next NDC administration will continue with its expansion, improvement, and development of health infrastructure in La and other underserved and unserved communities.

Source: Classfmonline.com
22.04.2023 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament for the Obom Domeabra constituency in the Greater Accra region, Sophia Karen Edem Ackuaku has been adjudged winner of the Africa Iconic Female Parliamentarian of the year award for 2023.

She emerged as the winner of the coveted Africa Iconic Female Parliamentarian of the year category among several other women from the continent in the African Iconic Women Recognition award AIWRA 2023 after going through vigorous democratic process of nomination, screening and voting.

Ms Sophia Karen Ackuaku who made the shortlist of five remaining nominees beat off the completion of four other female lawmaker nominees, two from Nigeria, one each from Kenya and the other from South Africa to emerge victorious.

Votes

Hon Sophia Ackuaku pulled 329 votes out of a total 694 representing 47% of the total public votes cast against Senator Uche Ekwenife of Nigeria who pulled 163 votes representing 23%, Hon Nkeiruka Nyejeocha also of Nigeria who got 162 votes (23%) , Hon Busia Ruth Odinga of Kenya who had 20 votes (3%) and Rt. Hon Ms Mapisa Nqakula of South Africa also had 20 votes representing 3%.

The award

The Africa Iconic Female Parliamentarian of the year is awarded to a female parliamentarian in Africa, a woman in leadership who has initiated all manner of innovations to ensure improvement in the economy of her country and Africa as a whole.

The award vetting panel has the mandate to ensure that recipients of the award are that woman that has lived traits of kindness and commitment to service to people, exhibits a constant desire to improve the quality of life in society and create opportunities for future generations through the positions she held.

Appreciation

An elated Sophia Ackuaku in an acceptance video expressed gratitude to the organisers for the award which she noted will motivate her to do more for the development of Ghana and Africa as a whole in transforming lives.

The MP who is a social worker, a philanthropist and a politician said she is a firm believer in investing in people as a virtue that is more important than anything else.

She dedicates the award to former President John Dramani Mahama and his spouse Lordina Mahama, Speaker of Parliament, Rt Hon Alban Kingsford Bagbin who gave her the opportunity to shine, her constituents, her children and family, Dr Fazam and the Future Trends Collective Rights of Africa fraternity, OLA Girls, Mrs Kwakye and family, Ghanaian children, and her colleagues MPs and staff of parliament, all Ghanaian women and the voting public who voted for her among the several finalists.

Hon Sophia Ackuaku is expected to formally receive the award on June 1, during at the awards event to be held at Abuja, Nigeria.

Profile

Hon Sophia Ackuaku is a product of OLA Girls, Accra Workers College, School of Social Works, Ghana Institute of Journalism, Nalitary Institute, University of USA, and Kofi Annan International Peace Keeping Training Centre and holds an honorary doctorate degree from the Charisma University in the USA.

She is the founder of Womanhood Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation, as a vehicle for empowering young women and the youth in general.

Sophia Ackuaku is a member of the Ghana Association of Women Entrepreneurs, Association of African Women Entrepreneurs and National Association of Women Entrepreneurs and serves as the focal officer for these international bodies in Ghana..

She is also the ambassador for Future Trends Collective Rights of Africa in Ghana.

The Obom Domeabra lawmaker is the owner and Chief Executive Officer of a cosmetic empire, Eligreen Enterprise Ltd that deals in shea butter based products, providing jobs for women especially in northern Ghana and also owns two other companies, Amosos Ghana ltd and Donkomi.

The MP previously worked as deputy director in-charge of operations at the National Service Secretariat during the era of former President John Dramani Mahama.

Due to her quest of championing development of deprived communities, Hon Sophia Ackuaku has been installed Queen mother for two traditional areas, Adenkrebi in the Greater Accra and Anyarko in the Volta regions where she masterminded several community development projects.

Sophia Karen Ackuaku is a versatile politician who easily adapts to any new environment she finds herself. She first served as the parliamentary candidate for the National Democratic (NDC) in the Dome/Kwabenya constituency but was unsuccessful and subsequently contested on the ticket of the party for the Obom Domeabra constituency also in the Greater Accra region and won the 2016 polls and was re-elected in the 2020 elections for a second term.

Hon Sophia is on verge of making history as she moves from the Obom Domeabra constituency and is seeking to secure the parliamentary candidate ticket of the NDC to contest the Ayawaso Central constituency in the capital for a third term bid to the lawmaking house.

She is a mother of three biological sons (boys), Ransford, Richmond and Raymond as well four adopted children.

AIWRA is a prestigious annual international Democracy Heroes Awards event organize by FDN Projects (Friends of Democracy Nigeria Projects) to strictly celebrate women of notes who have consistently and committed to the development of Africa through various women and youth development initiatives.
22.04.2023 LISTEN

Hello fellow Ghanaians, I am not by the above question, trying to play the 'holier than thou' character, no! I am only trying to awaken the conscience of Ghanaians, to positively change the narrative that is preventing the rapid socio - economic advancement of Ghana, our Mother Land.

If the above question is anything to go by, are we behaving as such because, everybody is minding his or her own business, hence, we don't care a dame about the unprecedented emptying of our PUBLIC PURSE?

Or is it because, we are now like snails, that can easily be picked up without any resistance, except talking and gossiping about the unprecedented financial loss to the State? If we do not change this narrative, this tragedy, there will be no bright future for us and the next generation.

Hence, all those, who claim to be the watchdogs of the nation, the voice of the voiceless and the Shepherds of God's children, would have done great disservice to Ghana, our Mother Land.

In other to change the said narrative and tragedy, I would like to passionately appeal to all those, who see themselves as Watchdogs of our nation Ghana, the Voice of the voiceless, Civil Society Organisations and the Shepherds of God's children, to consider mobilizing Ghanaians, to pour on the streets, to put the Ruling Government on its toes, to do everything possible, to make sure that, it puts the necessary measures in place now, to retrieve the huge sums of money, considered missing.

If taxes are collected from the citizenry, and we all display aloofness and therefore, allow the said taxes to be badly abused; then what is the sense in continuing paying taxes in Ghana? Are we not fetching water with baskets? Let not this continue to be the fate of Ghanaians.

Ghana is bankrupt today because, we simply do not have anyone protecting the PUBLIC PURSE.

How can a nation that is so much blessed with huge human and natural resources, all of a sudden, become bankrupt, when we all know that, the said resources are still under management

I am very sure the huge sums of money considered missing, were taken by individuals, who are still with us.

Yes, we are all weak in one way or the other, but we should always do well to avoid excessiveness, as far as our human weaknesses are concerned.

Rev. Fr. Ignatius James Yaw Amponsah

[email protected]
The University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), has dismissed a student, Ms. Mabel Teye-Nomo, from the Chartered Institute of Marketing Ghana (CIMG) Access Course following an allegation of misconduct against her.

In a letter addressed to Ms. Teye-Nomo, the university stated that a Disciplinary Committee was constituted to investigate the said allegation and found the student guilty of abduction and an act of misconduct that brought the name of the University into disrepute.

The Vice-Chancellor, acting as the Chief Disciplinary Officer, upheld the recommendation of the Committee and directed that Ms Teye-Nomo be dismissed from the CIMG Access Course with immediate effect.

The university has also directed Ms. Teye-Nomo to hand over her key to the hostel room and the university's student ID card in her possession to the appropriate university authorities.

This action by the university follows the circulation of two viral videos in which some students of the university were seen lashing other students.

The videos caused outrage on social media, with many calling for swift action to be taken against the perpetrators.

Speaking earlier on the matter, the Registrar of the university, Dr. Koryoe Anim-Wright, stated that the university has a zero-tolerance policy for any form of misconduct and will take appropriate action to ensure that the culprit be punished and the university remains a safe and conducive environment for all students to learn.

Read a full copy of letter below;
With Turkey amid hotly contested elections, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is facing for the first time a powerful independent media. But international rights groups watchdogs accuse Erdogan of seeking to silence critical journalism as he faces his most formidable reelection bid.

Dokuz8 Haber broadcasts news programs and produces reports with its nationwide network of reporters. It is one of a growing number of independent media platforms using social media and the web to cover May's presidential elections.

Media control

In previous polls, one of President Erdogan's key advantages was his vice-like grip on media coverage but not anymore.

"It's a time of change in Turkey, and this is something that is reflected in the media," explains Gokhan Bicici, Dokuz8Haber editor-in-chief.

"There are new moves a powerful independent media is developing, such as the growth of news channels and the enlargement of their sphere of influence," continues Bicici.

"I can even say that in terms of the number of viewers on election day, the audience and the followers of independent organizations will be much more than mainstream media. Thus, the effort of the government to establish a monopoly failed; they lost," he concluded.

But the government-controlled media regulatory authority, RTUK, is stepping up its fines on independent media stations- prompting condemnation by twenty international media and freedom of expression watchdogs.

"if there is a duty of regulation, this should not be weaponized against a critical TV station before these crucial elections," said Erol Onderoglu, Turkey representative for Paris-based Reporters without Borders.

"One of the most important and concerning feet of this problem is the weaponization of high audiovisual border, which is supposed to be independent of any kind of political interference, but which is precisely one of the weapon or crackdown tools under the hand of this government," added Onderoglu.

Partisanship charges

The government denies the charge of partisanship. But for independent stations like Halk tv, it says fines are a part of doing business but warns the real threat is closure ahead of the May elections.

"In our broadcasts, they can always find a reason for a penalty, a sentence, an interview, or a statement. And that is why we are always on alert," explains Halk TV News Editor in Chief, Bengu Sap Babaeker.

"We are always in expectation. Managers and fellow journalists are responsible for keeping this channel open. We are responsible for preventing a penalty that will close this channel down," she added.

Despite the risk of closure and fines, stations like Halk during February's deadly earthquake exposed government shortcomings, drawing large audiences. Analysts say such coverage has helped build independent media's reputation ahead of elections for fair but critical coverage.

"We're facing a renaissance of the Turkish m edia. It became evident in the earthquake period because we would not hear about the incapacity of the government had there not been the new voices of the media. They really did good reporting," observed Sezin Oney, a columnist at the Politikyol news portal.

"Good reporting is enough in itself," continued Oney. "It doesn't have to be just voicing the opposition's narrative or giving a voice to opposition politicians. But it's just reflecting what's happening on the ground, and that's really important for the election night as well."

New independent media tv channels have been launched in the run-up to the polls, with many reporters who've quit the industry returning to help cover an election that all sides claim is one of the most important in the Turkish republics' history.
The Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) has announced plans to open a new fire post at the Mole National Park at Larabanga in the West Gonja Municipality.

This is contained in a press release issued by the Savannah Regional Fire Command of the Ghana National Fire Service.

The move according to the GNFS is to safeguard the popular national park to ensure the safety of tourists among other things.

The Savannah Regional Fire Command of the Ghana National Fire Service to establish a Fire Post at the Mole National Park to safeguard the facility by forestalling undesired fires that threaten the lives and safety of Tourists and the existence of the flora and fauna species at the Park, parts of the release said.

The decision was taken after the Savannah Regional Fire Commander, ACFO I Emmanuel Ofori Adjei and his team enjoyed a safari around the Park.

The Manager of the Mole National Park, Mr. Ali Mahama on his part gave the Commander and his team a brief history of the Park in terms of the size and species classification and consented to the collaboration for the Service to set up the fire post at the facility.

He expressed special thanks to the team at the facility who took the Fire Commander and his team to see the biggest elephant and other flora and fauna species at the Park on the safari.
ELKO  Elko County Commissioners hope to catch the attention of Frontier Communications over long service outages that could be life-threatening to customers in rural Elko County, especially during heavy snowstorms, health emergencies or in case of fire.

For our family it is a health issue, Pamela Bottari Johnson said, telling commissioners that she was also speaking for people living throughout rural Elko County, including Lamoille, Jiggs, Osino and Starr Valley, and for her mother, Ella May Bottari.

Johnson said she has kept records of phone outages since 2021 because her 94-year-old mothers pacemaker depends on her phone line in Lamoille for monitoring, but Frontier service has been out most of the time since January, and cell service is spotty.

Commissioners voted on April 19 to send letters of complaint about Frontiers service to the company and congressional representatives and to file a complaint with the Public Utilities Commission of Nevada after listening to concerns and reading emails outlining problems with phone service.

At a minimum, we write letters to Frontier and PUCN. They put peoples lives at risk. They were snowbound, said Commissioner Delmo Andreozzi, after Commissioner Jon Karr asked Chief Civil Deputy Elko County Attorney Rand Greenburg what can we do? What is within our legal realm?

Greenburg said he would need to do research but off the top of my head there are provisions in the law if companies are not doing things ethically.

Frontier has a franchise agreement with the City of Elko, but the county doesnt have a franchise agreement with the company, Elko County Manager Amanda Osborne said.

Chairman Rex Steninger said were kind of a conduit between our residents and these big agencies, and when the county commission acts, it creates action a lot of times.

He said Frontier could be embarrassed when it hears public comments.

Commissioner Wilde Brough said that in Clover Valley, I cant call local. I can call long-distance on my land line.

Andreozzi said that in rural areas, cell service only works where phones are in line of sight of a cell tower.

Karr said he wasnt attacking local Frontier employees but rather the company as a whole. Theyve done a horrific job in the last six, eight, 10 years. They used to be a very good company.

He wondered if the Elko County TV District could provide help improve cell service to rural areas, and Osborne told commissioners she would contact Charles Schaer, who is on the TV district board.

In an April 20 email, Osborne said she believed Karr was looking at whether the district has the funds and tower space to work with a wireless carrier to either provide tower space for their service or perhaps install a new tower.

In her comments, Johnson alleged that Frontier gets sneaky by sending tickets with numbers on them stating that the problem is fixed, but it hasnt been fixed. She said she checks with a friend who can see the box where Frontier does repairs, and no one was there.

Gloria Ortman of Lamoille told commissioners she can see the box and Frontier is absolutely not at the box when they say they are. She said an example of phone problems was a nearby fire three days ago. She tried to call 911, then tried a couple of cellphones and all those calls dropped. She was finally able to reach a volunteer firefighter.

The fire turned out to be an out-of-control controlled burn.

Its scary out there when you cant get a hold of anyone in an emergency situation, Ortman said.

She told commissioners a Frontier employee called to apologize and that she was told a new board is needed for the phone service, but it hasnt arrived and then when it does, someone from California must come to install it.

There is no fix anytime in sight. My phone has worked two-thirds of the time, if I am being generous, and I pay for 100%, Ortman said.

Johnson said she started her complaint strategy with the Better Business Bureau, which decreased Frontiers business rating, and she has compiled details on long-term service outages for different people in the county.

Paul Bottari of Wells said the Bottaris have filed a formal complaint with the PUCN.

Dawn Rivard, consumer outreach director for PUCN, said in an April 20 email that the commission cannot provide comment on pending investigations.

Kristin McQueary said in an email that she and her husband Neil McQueary were greatly affected by the great Ruby Valley telephone outage of 2023. For almost four weeks, we did not have telephone service despite many, many telephone calls to Frontier Communications and the Nevada Public Utilities Commission.

She said that at first Frontier denied there was a widespread outage because it didnt get many complaints, but how can people without phone service call to complain? The next excuse was that Frontiers snowcat was broke down. That was understandable for a day or two, but not for weeks on end.

McQueary questioned why the company didnt rent or borrow a snowcat or rent a helicopter.

If Ruby Valley had a cell tower and reliable cell service, everyone in Ruby Valley would disconnect their Frontier service. However, cell service in Ruby Valley is sporadic and dependent upon atmospheric conditions. So, the residents of Ruby Valley are stuck with Frontier, she said.

McQueary said she and many of her neighbors called the PUCN on several occasions regarding the outages, and although employees were sympathetic and professional, the outage was not fixed for weeks.

McQueary also said in the email that ironically, as she was writing to the county, she was also waiting for Frontier to fix her mothers telephone service in the City of Elko because her service quits for about a week and then mysteriously restarts the day before the repair person is supposed to come to her residence to determine what is wrong.

Commissioners should ask the Nevada Public Utilities Commission to enforce the statutory mandate for reliable service, wrote McQueary.

In public comment, Harry Botsford of Spring Creek said regulations called for phone service and phone repairs within a certain length of time, but no one is enforcing them these days.

Suzanne Haskins of North Ruby Valley wrote in an April 19 email to the county that on Feb. 11 she called Frontier to report an outage for herself and Don and Grace Duval, and Frontiers customer service representative told her there were no outages in her area. She was told that repeatedly for several days in a row.

Then it was changed to a large outage effecting 12 customers with no estimated time of repair. Then they were unable to complete the repair because their snowcat broke down and that excuse was used for two weeks. Then they were waiting for a specialized technician to come work on a repair that was good for a week, Haskins said.

At no point during the 25-day outage was there a sense of urgency. During one of the worst winters in history we were unable to conduct business, seek emergency assistance whether it was fire, medical or otherwise, she wrote.

Neil McQueary wrote an email stating that the Ruby Valley school had no land line for three weeks.

Attempts to contact a Frontier Communications representative on April 20 werent successful.
22.04.2023 LISTEN

The President of the Republic of Ghana, H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has congratulated the Muslim Ummah of Ghana for completing the fasting and prayers in the month of Ramadan.

In a message during the Eid-ul-Fitr celebration, the President prayed for Allah to listen to the prayers of all Muslims in Ghana and the world at large.

President Akufo-Addo in his short post on Facebook said his wish for Muslims in Ghana is for them to enjoy a blissful and peaceful Eid-ul-Fitr.

I congratulate the Muslim Ummah of Ghana, and, by extension, the entire Muslim population of the world, for braving the pangs of hunger and thirst for an entire month.

Besides the spiritual attainment of the month, they deserve commendation for the strict disciplinary code that they have adhered to throughout the period. I pray that Allah accepts our collective prayers, continues to shower his grace, mercies, and peace on our nation, and makes her great and strong.

I wish all Muslims blissful and peaceful Eid ul-Fitr celebrations, President Akufo-Addo said.

To conclude his statement, the President prayed that through the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations, Allah blesses Ghana and makes the country great.

May the Almighty Allah accept our worship, bless us all and our homeland Ghana, and make her great and strong, President Akufo-Addo stated.
Fresh details are emerging from the murder of a young lady in Kumasi, allegedly by her jealous lover who is also a married police officer.

According to the victim's uncle, CCTV footage captured the moment the police officer gave his niece a "Judas kiss" before shooting her.

"From the CCTV cameras, he kissed her before shooting her. One of her friends was also present at the scene and it looked like she was trying to settle the scores between them," the uncle narrated in an interview with the GHPage news portal.

The victim, identified as Maa Adwoa, was allegedly shot five times by her boyfriend, also known as Tacoon, after their romantic relationship went sour.

The incident occurred at Adum Dufie Towers, located within the central business district of Kumasi.

According to sources, the couple had been in a seemingly healthy romantic relationship until Tacoon accused Maa Adwoa of cheating.

Tacoon imposed restrictions on her movements and communication.

In anger, Maa Adwoa opted for a breakup, which reportedly infuriated her jealous lover.

Tacoon warned of dire consequences if Maa Adwoa dare break up with him but the young lady went ahead with her decision.

Tacoon allegedly tracked her down and shot her multiple times, leading to her untimely demise on Thursday, April 20.

Giving an account, another family member stated that Maa Adwoa pleaded with her boyfriend not to kill her after he pulled out the gun from his pocket.

"Whiles having the conversation, the man pulled out the gun and she screamed out and said, 'Ah Tycoon dont kill me! I dont have anything doing with the man.' He fired the first shot at her forehead, then two on her chest, and then two on her belly," the family member stated.

"You are married with kids. A whole police inspector. Even when you are married to someone, it is unjustifiable to kill your partner because she has cheated. This is even a mere relationship so what right do you have?" the family member questioned.

The incident has since sparked outrage on social media, with many users mourning the death of the young lady.

The police are currently on a manhunt for the suspect who has since gone into hiding.

Watch the familys account below;


The Presidency has jumped to the defence of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo following the damning details of the Prof. Frimpong-Boateng report, which was leaked over the week.

According to the Presidency, the report submitted to the Chief of Staff in March 2021 is only a catalogue of personal grievances of Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, who chaired the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM).

The report cites a number of government appointees for putting spokes in the wheel of the Committee, pointing out that all ministers except those of Water and Sanitation and Local Government and Rural Development abandoned the Committee at some point.

The Presidency suggested in its response to the content of the report that Prof Frimpong-Boateng should have formally handed over such a report to the Secretary of Cabinet, which set up the Committee, or the President of the Republic.

Till date, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has done neither.

It is important also to point out that, whilst Prof. Frimpong-Boateng makes serious allegations against some government appointees, as having been involved in, supporting or interfering with the fight against illegal mining, not a single piece of evidence was adduced or presented to enable the claims to be properly investigated.

Jubilee House insists: The President's commitment to fighting illegal mining is unassailable, and the Office of the President welcomes any information on illegal mining activities which provides a credible basis for investigations to be conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.

Almost all appointees have rejected the allegations as cited in the report.

Minister of Information Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, former Member of Parliament for Manso Nkwanta Constituency Joseph Albert Quarm , New Patriotic Party (NPP) member Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko and now the Presidency have all denied the allegations.

Meanwhile, a Commission of Inquiry has been recommended by panelists of TV3s The Keypoints to be set up to look into the issues.

Professor Ransford Yaw Gyampo and lawyer Martin Kpebu were among panelists who said the public Commission of Inquiry will be best placed to interrogate all the persons cited in the report.

On his part, Ningo-Prampram MP Sam George said the Special Prosecutor should have been long informed by now.

This is something that should have been referred to the Special Prosecutor by now, he stated.

-3news.com
22.04.2023 LISTEN

The National Chief Imam, Sheikh Osman Nuhu Sharubutu has urged Muslims around the world to take a cue from Ghana and tolerate people of different religious faith.

The Chief Imam made the call in an address at the National Prayer Session to mark Eid ul-Fitr at the Black Star Square in Accra.

Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated to mark the successful end of the month-long Ramadan fast by Muslims.

Sheikh Nuhu Sharubutu who spoke through an interpreter said the peaceful coexistence between Ghanaian Muslims and people of other religious beliefs must be emulated around the world.

All of us trace our origin to a common source and that is Allah and by his own design, made us races and tribes and so why the diversity? You must recognise each other and then also help each other because we all trace our origin to a common source which is Allah.

Even though there is diversity, you must acknowledge and know each other. Your diversity should not give rise to confrontations and disputes.

-citinewsroom
Beazer Homes USA, Inc. (NYSE:BZH  Get Rating) was the target of a large decrease in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,060,000 shares, a decrease of 8.6% from the March 15th total of 1,160,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 257,900 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 4.1 days. Approximately 3.8% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

BZH has been the subject of a number of research reports. Wedbush reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Beazer Homes USA in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Beazer Homes USA in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Finally, B. Riley lifted their price target on shares of Beazer Homes USA from $18.00 to $20.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, February 6th.

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Beazer Homes USA Stock Up 2.1 %

Shares of NYSE:BZH traded up $0.35 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $17.16. 211,632 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 249,372. The stock has a market cap of $537.97 million, a P/E ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 2.16. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $15.26 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $13.80. Beazer Homes USA has a 12-month low of $9.47 and a 12-month high of $17.64. The company has a current ratio of 18.44, a quick ratio of 1.79 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.02.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Beazer Homes USA

Beazer Homes USA ( NYSE:BZH Get Rating ) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, February 2nd. The construction company reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.78 by $0.02. Beazer Homes USA had a net margin of 9.11% and a return on equity of 23.62%. The firm had revenue of $444.93 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $456.06 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $1.14 EPS. The businesss revenue was down 2.0% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Beazer Homes USA will post 3.56 earnings per share for the current year.

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in BZH. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its position in shares of Beazer Homes USA by 68.4% during the third quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 32,375 shares of the construction companys stock valued at $313,000 after acquiring an additional 13,154 shares during the last quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Beazer Homes USA by 73.6% in the 3rd quarter. Counterpoint Mutual Funds LLC now owns 18,462 shares of the construction companys stock worth $179,000 after buying an additional 7,829 shares during the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd bought a new position in Beazer Homes USA during the third quarter valued at about $62,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in shares of Beazer Homes USA by 13.6% during the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 267,244 shares of the construction companys stock worth $3,410,000 after purchasing an additional 31,984 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in shares of Beazer Homes USA by 18.5% in the 3rd quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 14,363 shares of the construction companys stock worth $139,000 after purchasing an additional 2,240 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 78.95% of the companys stock.

Beazer Homes USA Company Profile

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Beazer Homes USA, Inc engages in the design and sale of single-family and multi-family homes. It operates through the following geographical segments: West, East, and Southeast. The West segment includes Arizona, California, Nevada, and Texas. The East segment consists of Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Tennessee, and Virginia.

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Saga plc (LON:SAGA  Get Rating)s share price crossed below its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of GBX 127.62 ($1.58) and traded as low as GBX 126.66 ($1.57). Saga shares last traded at GBX 128.80 ($1.59), with a volume of 115,751 shares changing hands.

Saga Trading Up 0.2 %

The stocks fifty day moving average price is GBX 146.55 and its 200 day moving average price is GBX 127.90. The stock has a market cap of 176.27 million, a P/E ratio of -67.53, a PEG ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 2.48. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 242.45.

Saga Company Profile

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Saga plc provides general insurance, package and cruise holidays, and personal finance products and services in the United Kingdom. The company operates in three segments: Insurance, Travel, and Other Businesses and Central Costs. It offers car, home, health, travel, landlord, boat, motorhome, caravan, pet, personal accident, breakdown cover, building, content, renter, holiday, and holiday home insurance.

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Secure Trust Bank PLC (LON:STB  Get Rating)s stock price passed below its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of GBX 697.77 ($8.63) and traded as low as GBX 672.82 ($8.33). Secure Trust Bank shares last traded at GBX 682 ($8.44), with a volume of 16,166 shares traded.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have commented on STB. Berenberg Bank restated a buy rating and set a GBX 1,420 ($17.57) price target on shares of Secure Trust Bank in a research note on Monday, April 3rd. Peel Hunt restated a buy rating and issued a GBX 989 ($12.24) price target on shares of Secure Trust Bank in a research note on Tuesday, April 4th. Canaccord Genuity Group reaffirmed a buy rating and set a GBX 1,766 ($21.85) price objective on shares of Secure Trust Bank in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, Shore Capital reaffirmed a buy rating on shares of Secure Trust Bank in a report on Thursday, March 30th.

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Secure Trust Bank Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of 123.42 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 431.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.11 and a beta of 0.96. The stocks 50-day moving average is GBX 717.88 and its 200 day moving average is GBX 696.91.

Secure Trust Bank Increases Dividend

Secure Trust Bank Company Profile

The company also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, May 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 27th will be given a GBX 29.10 ($0.36) dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. This represents a yield of 4.38%. This is an increase from Secure Trust Banks previous dividend of $16.00. Secure Trust Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 2,941.18%.

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Secure Trust Bank PLC provides banking and financial products and services in the United Kingdom. It operates through Real Estate Finance, Commercial Finance, Vehicle Finance, Retail Finance, and Debt Management segments. The Real Estate Finance segment provides loans for residential and commercial investment and development, as well as for mixed development projects.

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Shares of Abitibi Royalties Inc. (CVE:RZZ  Get Rating) traded down 0.6% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$26.80 and last traded at C$27.00. 4,551 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 22% from the average session volume of 3,730 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$27.15.

Abitibi Royalties Stock Down 0.6 %

The firm has a market capitalization of C$336.50 million and a PE ratio of -168.75. The companys 50-day simple moving average is C$27.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$27.00.

Abitibi Royalties Company Profile

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Abitibi Royalties Inc engages in exploring, evaluating, and promoting mineral properties and other projects in Canada. Its flagship royalty is 3% net smelter return royalty located on the eastern portion of the Canadian Malartic mine that includes the East Malartic, Odyssey, Sladen, Sheehan, Jeffrey, Barnat Extension, Gouldie Zone, and the Charlie Zone.

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Agnico Eagle Mines (TSE:AEM  Get Rating) (NYSE:AEM) had its price target lifted by National Bankshares from C$76.00 to C$95.00 in a research note released on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports.

A number of other research firms have also commented on AEM. Barclays initiated coverage on Agnico Eagle Mines in a research note on Friday, February 17th. They issued a buy rating and a C$62.00 price objective on the stock. Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their price objective on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$90.00 to C$84.00 in a research note on Thursday, March 2nd. Finally, Veritas Investment Research set a C$82.10 price objective on Agnico Eagle Mines and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 21st. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat, Agnico Eagle Mines presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average price target of C$78.71.

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Agnico Eagle Mines Price Performance

Shares of TSE:AEM opened at C$76.17 on Tuesday. Agnico Eagle Mines has a fifty-two week low of C$48.88 and a fifty-two week high of C$79.37. The business has a 50-day moving average of C$68.90 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$67.83. The stock has a market capitalization of C$34.89 billion, a P/E ratio of 37.16, a P/E/G ratio of -1.52 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.19, a current ratio of 2.30 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

Agnico Eagle Mines Cuts Dividend

Agnico Eagle Mines ( TSE:AEM Get Rating ) (NYSE:AEM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported C$0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of C$0.53 by C$0.02. Agnico Eagle Mines had a return on equity of 6.03% and a net margin of 11.67%. The company had revenue of C$1.88 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$1.91 billion. On average, equities research analysts predict that Agnico Eagle Mines will post 2.1595896 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 1st were paid a dividend of $0.532 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $2.13 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.79%. Agnico Eagle Miness dividend payout ratio is 104.39%.

Insider Activity at Agnico Eagle Mines

In other news, Senior Officer Ammar Al-Joundi purchased 8,200 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 22nd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of C$62.17 per share, for a total transaction of C$509,822.70. Corporate insiders own 0.11% of the companys stock.

About Agnico Eagle Mines

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Agnico Eagle Mines Limited engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Mexico, and Finland. It operates through Northern Business and Southern Business segments. The company primarily produces and sells gold deposits, as well as explores for silver, zinc, and copper deposits.

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American Bank Incorporated (OTCMKTS:AMBK  Get Rating) shares dropped 0.6% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $16.90 and last traded at $16.90. Approximately 1,661 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 73% from the average daily volume of 958 shares. The stock had previously closed at $17.00.

American Bank Price Performance

The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $17.06 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.05.

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American Bank Cuts Dividend

The company also recently announced a dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 19th. Investors of record on Wednesday, April 5th were paid a $0.10 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 4th. This represents a dividend yield of 2.35%.

About American Bank

American Bank, Inc is a bank holding company, which engages in the provision of personal and business banking services through its subsidiary. The firm offers credit cards, mortgages, personal loans, mobile & online banking and digital wallets. It operates through the following portfolio segments: Commercial, Commercial Mortgage, Commercial Construction, Residential Mortgage, and Consumer.

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Appreciating the significance of the Czech PMs visit to Vietnam, PM Pham Minh Chinh affirmed Vietnams consistent policy of promoting relations with traditional friends, with the Czech Republic as a priority partner.



Fiala expressed his delight at visiting Vietnam for the first time, confirming that his country attaches importance to its over-70-year friendship with Vietnam, always considers Vietnam the most important partner in Southeast Asian and hopes to develop bilateral cooperation in various fields.



The two sides agreed to increase the exchange of delegations at all levels, especially high-level ones, maintain the effective implementation of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, and discuss a new collaboration framework to create breakthroughs, and further deepen the traditional friendship between the two countries.



At the event. (Photo: VNA)

In terms of economy and trade, the leaders welcomed the rapid growth of bilateral trade turnover in recent years to reach 848 million USD in 2022. They agreed to set a target of hitting the 1 billion USD mark in the next 1-2 years by continuing to fully and effectively implement the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and improve the effectiveness of the joint committee mechanism on economic cooperation. They will encourage Czech enterprises to promote investment in Vietnam, especially in the fields of Czech strength such as automobile manufacturing, digital transformation, renewable energy, the environment, and infrastructure.



PM Pham Minh Chinh asked the Czech Republic to help push other EU countries to soon ratify the EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). PM Fiala emphasised that Vietnam is a potential economic partner, and more and more Czech businesses are interested in expanding their investment and business in Vietnam.



Regarding the European Commission (EC)s yellow card warning on Vietnam's seafood exports, the Czech leader stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between the EU and Vietnam on sustainable fisheries development, and showed backing for the commissions early removal of the yellow card.



The two leaders agreed to step up cooperation in security-defence, culture, education-training, labour, science-technology, transport, and tourism; and consider the opening of a cultural centre in each country and direct air routes to promote investment, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.



The Vietnamese Government leader thanked the Czech Government for creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese community to live stably and make positive contributions to the host countrys socio-economic development. The Czech PM appreciated the role of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, which was recognised as an ethnic minority by the Czech government in 2013.



The two PMs also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, and affirmed that the two countries will maintain close coordination and mutual support at international forums and organisations.



Regarding the East Sea issue, they reaffirmed support of the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).



After the talks, the two leaders witnessed the signing of cooperation documents in the field of mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, investment and education.



Earlier, they visited a photo exhibition on political, diplomatic, economic and cultural cooperation between the two countries, organised by the Vietnam News Agency./.
Aurora Investment Counsel lifted its position in shares of Darling Ingredients Inc. (NYSE:DAR  Get Rating) by 2.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 23,159 shares of the companys stock after buying an additional 610 shares during the quarter. Aurora Investment Counsels holdings in Darling Ingredients were worth $1,450,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new position in Darling Ingredients in the 4th quarter valued at about $31,000. Tobam acquired a new position in Darling Ingredients in the 3rd quarter valued at about $33,000. Sentry Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Darling Ingredients in the 3rd quarter valued at about $45,000. Standard Family Office LLC acquired a new position in Darling Ingredients in the 3rd quarter valued at about $53,000. Finally, Assetmark Inc. raised its stake in Darling Ingredients by 21.4% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 913 shares of the companys stock valued at $60,000 after purchasing an additional 161 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 90.90% of the companys stock.

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Insider Activity at Darling Ingredients

In other news, EVP Patrick Mcnutt acquired 900 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $54.07 per share, for a total transaction of $48,663.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 12,287 shares in the company, valued at $664,358.09. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, EVP Patrick Mcnutt bought 900 shares of Darling Ingredients stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $54.07 per share, with a total value of $48,663.00. Following the purchase, the executive vice president now owns 12,287 shares in the company, valued at $664,358.09. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Charles L. Adair acquired 500 shares of Darling Ingredients stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 16th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $54.15 per share, with a total value of $27,075.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director now owns 36,551 shares in the company, valued at $1,979,236.65. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 2.62% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Darling Ingredients Stock Down 1.1 %

Several analysts have commented on DAR shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on Darling Ingredients from $84.00 to $82.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price target on Darling Ingredients from $116.00 to $115.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, April 14th. BMO Capital Markets started coverage on Darling Ingredients in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued an outperform rating and a $80.00 price target for the company. Raymond James lowered their price target on Darling Ingredients from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, Cowen lowered their price target on Darling Ingredients from $79.00 to $73.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, nine have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $91.17.

Shares of DAR traded down $0.63 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $57.04. 1,221,902 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,112,810. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $60.15 and a 200-day simple moving average of $65.78. The company has a market cap of $9.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.68 and a beta of 1.24. The company has a quick ratio of 0.90, a current ratio of 1.53 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.85. Darling Ingredients Inc. has a 12-month low of $51.77 and a 12-month high of $87.59.

Darling Ingredients (NYSE:DAR  Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The company reported $1.08 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.28 by ($0.20). Darling Ingredients had a return on equity of 20.89% and a net margin of 11.29%. The business had revenue of $1.77 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.80 billion. Research analysts forecast that Darling Ingredients Inc. will post 5.55 EPS for the current year.

Darling Ingredients Company Profile

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Darling Ingredients, Inc engages in the development and production of natural ingredients from edible and inedible bio-nutrients. It operates through the following segments: Feed Ingredients, Food Ingredients, and Fuel Ingredients. The Feed Ingredients segment includes ingredients business such as fats and proteins used cooking oil, trap grease and food residuals collection, the Rothsay ingredients, and the ingredients and specialty products.

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Dell Technologies Inc. (NYSE:DELL  Get Rating) saw a significant decrease in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,670,000 shares, a decrease of 9.1% from the March 15th total of 7,340,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 3,950,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.7 days. Currently, 2.7% of the companys shares are short sold.

Insider Activity at Dell Technologies

In other Dell Technologies news, COO Anthony Charles Whitten sold 15,983 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $36.49, for a total value of $583,219.67. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief operating officer now owns 841,207 shares in the company, valued at $30,695,643.43. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other news, General Counsel Richard J. Rothberg sold 200,958 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.36, for a total transaction of $9,115,454.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 149,379 shares in the company, valued at $6,775,831.44. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, COO Anthony Charles Whitten sold 15,983 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.49, for a total value of $583,219.67. Following the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 841,207 shares in the company, valued at $30,695,643.43. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 522,371 shares of company stock worth $22,038,868 over the last quarter. 47.30% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Dell Technologies

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Mirador Capital Partners LP lifted its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. Mirador Capital Partners LP now owns 13,310 shares of the technology companys stock worth $535,000 after buying an additional 238 shares during the period. Ellevest Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 33.4% in the 4th quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 1,070 shares of the technology companys stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 268 shares during the period. CWM LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 7.4% in the 4th quarter. CWM LLC now owns 4,015 shares of the technology companys stock worth $161,000 after buying an additional 276 shares during the period. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc lifted its holdings in shares of Dell Technologies by 0.3% in the 4th quarter. Marks Group Wealth Management Inc now owns 92,978 shares of the technology companys stock worth $3,740,000 after buying an additional 286 shares during the period. Finally, Yousif Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of Dell Technologies by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Yousif Capital Management LLC now owns 6,090 shares of the technology companys stock worth $306,000 after acquiring an additional 302 shares in the last quarter. 26.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Dell Technologies Price Performance

Shares of Dell Technologies stock traded up $0.19 on Friday, reaching $43.11. The company had a trading volume of 4,905,007 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,279,142. The firm has a market cap of $31.52 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.39, a P/E/G ratio of 0.85 and a beta of 1.03. The firms 50-day moving average price is $40.46 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $40.18. Dell Technologies has a 1 year low of $32.90 and a 1 year high of $52.60.

Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 2nd. The technology company reported $1.55 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.17. Dell Technologies had a negative return on equity of 173.72% and a net margin of 2.39%. The company had revenue of $25.04 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.82 billion. As a group, analysts anticipate that Dell Technologies will post 4.22 EPS for the current year.

Dell Technologies Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, May 5th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 25th will be issued a dividend of $0.37 per share. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 24th. This represents a $1.48 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.43%. This is a boost from Dell Technologiess previous quarterly dividend of $0.33. Dell Technologiess payout ratio is presently 40.99%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Raymond James dropped their price objective on Dell Technologies from $50.00 to $45.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Barclays dropped their target price on Dell Technologies from $41.00 to $40.00 in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. KGI Securities raised Dell Technologies from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut Dell Technologies from an overweight rating to a neutral rating and set a $47.00 price objective on the stock. in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Dell Technologies in a research note on Monday, March 20th. They set a buy rating and a $43.00 target price on the stock. Six investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and ten have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Dell Technologies presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $47.50.

Dell Technologies Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Dell Technologies, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of information technology hardware, software, and service solutions through its subsidiaries. It operates through the following segments: Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG), Client Solutions Group (CSG), and VMware. The ISG segment includes servers, networking, and storage, as well as services and third-party software and peripherals that are closely tied to the sale of ISG hardware.

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Stifel Nicolaus upgraded shares of Deutsche Lufthansa (OTCMKTS:DLAKY  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday morning, The Fly reports.

DLAKY has been the topic of several other research reports. Barclays assumed coverage on shares of Deutsche Lufthansa in a research note on Tuesday, February 21st. They set an overweight rating on the stock. HSBC raised shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Monday, March 6th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report on Friday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley started coverage on shares of Deutsche Lufthansa in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. They set an underweight rating for the company. Finally, UBS Group raised shares of Deutsche Lufthansa from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Deutsche Lufthansa has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $7.80.

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Deutsche Lufthansa Stock Performance

Shares of DLAKY stock opened at $10.66 on Wednesday. The companys fifty day simple moving average is $10.63 and its 200-day simple moving average is $9.03. Deutsche Lufthansa has a 52 week low of $5.40 and a 52 week high of $11.67. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.58, a current ratio of 0.93 and a quick ratio of 0.89.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Deutsche Lufthansa ( OTCMKTS:DLAKY Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Friday, March 3rd. The transportation company reported $0.27 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.35 by ($0.08). Deutsche Lufthansa had a return on equity of 9.46% and a net margin of 2.19%. The firm had revenue of $9.06 billion for the quarter. On average, equities research analysts expect that Deutsche Lufthansa will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current year.

An institutional investor recently bought a new position in Deutsche Lufthansa stock. Yousif Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Deutsche Lufthansa AG (OTCMKTS:DLAKY  Get Rating) in the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 19,989 shares of the transportation companys stock, valued at approximately $115,000.

About Deutsche Lufthansa

(Get Rating)

Deutsche Lufthansa AG engages in the provision of passenger, freight, and cargo airline services. It operates through the following segments: Network Airlines, Eurowings, Logistics, Maintenance Repair Overhaul, Catering and Additional Businesses and Group Functions. The Network Airlines segment comprises Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS, and Austrian Airlines.

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Ellevest Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Copa Holdings, S.A. (NYSE:CPA  Get Rating) by 49.3% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 10,538 shares of the transportation companys stock after buying an additional 3,480 shares during the quarter. Ellevest Inc.s holdings in Copa were worth $876,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in CPA. Captrust Financial Advisors increased its position in Copa by 136.8% in the first quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 689 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $58,000 after buying an additional 398 shares in the last quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Copa by 16.2% during the 1st quarter. Advisor Group Holdings Inc. now owns 1,083 shares of the transportation companys stock valued at $92,000 after buying an additional 151 shares in the last quarter. Financial Gravity Asset Management Inc. bought a new position in Copa in the 3rd quarter worth $3,435,000. Penserra Capital Management LLC increased its stake in Copa by 96.9% in the 1st quarter. Penserra Capital Management LLC now owns 1,693 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $141,000 after buying an additional 833 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UBS Group AG increased its stake in Copa by 51.2% in the 1st quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 1,845 shares of the transportation companys stock worth $155,000 after buying an additional 625 shares in the last quarter. 75.96% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on CPA. StockNews.com started coverage on Copa in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Cowen increased their price objective on shares of Copa from $98.00 to $117.00 in a report on Friday, February 17th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised shares of Copa from a neutral rating to an overweight rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $105.00 to $132.00 in a report on Friday, January 13th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Copa presently has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of $112.13.

Copa Price Performance

Shares of CPA stock traded down $1.23 on Friday, reaching $88.46. The companys stock had a trading volume of 176,594 shares, compared to its average volume of 304,736. The company has a market capitalization of $3.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.24 and a beta of 1.31. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $90.74 and its 200-day simple moving average is $85.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.04, a quick ratio of 0.96 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.87. Copa Holdings, S.A. has a 1 year low of $55.25 and a 1 year high of $98.11.

Copa (NYSE:CPA  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The transportation company reported $4.49 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $4.09 by $0.40. The business had revenue of $890.61 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $887.42 million. Copa had a net margin of 11.74% and a return on equity of 24.49%. The businesss revenue was up 54.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.98 EPS. Analysts forecast that Copa Holdings, S.A. will post 11.9 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Copa Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Wednesday, April 5th were paid a dividend of $0.82 per share. This is a boost from Copas previous quarterly dividend of $0.80. This represents a $3.28 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.71%. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, April 4th. Copas payout ratio is presently 37.96%.

Copa Profile

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Copa Holdings SA engages in the provision of air transportation. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America; South America; Central America; and Caribbean. The firm offers international flights to Costa Rica, Jamaica, Colombia, and other cities. The company was founded on May 6, 1998 and is headquartered in Panama.

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Ellevest Inc. increased its stake in Accenture plc (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) by 24.3% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,466 shares of the information technology services providers stock after purchasing an additional 482 shares during the period. Ellevest Inc.s holdings in Accenture were worth $658,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its position in shares of Accenture by 1.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 58,473,666 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $15,045,274,000 after purchasing an additional 816,734 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 0.7% in the 3rd quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 46,363,742 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $11,929,391,000 after acquiring an additional 319,707 shares during the last quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 5.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 7,296,119 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,877,293,000 after acquiring an additional 354,513 shares during the last quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Polen Capital Management LLC now owns 5,799,259 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,492,149,000 after acquiring an additional 29,646 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Accenture by 4.1% in the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 5,598,625 shares of the information technology services providers stock worth $1,440,525,000 after acquiring an additional 219,573 shares during the last quarter. 73.97% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Accenture news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 2,954 shares of Accenture stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.05, for a total value of $827,267.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 24,459 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,849,742.95. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. In other news, CEO Julie Spellman Sweet sold 2,954 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, April 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $280.05, for a total transaction of $827,267.70. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 24,459 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,849,742.95. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, General Counsel Joel Unruch sold 556 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $280.53, for a total value of $155,974.68. Following the transaction, the general counsel now directly owns 42,991 shares in the company, valued at $12,060,265.23. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,760 shares of company stock valued at $2,733,617. Insiders own 0.08% of the companys stock.

Accenture Stock Up 0.3 %

Shares of ACN stock traded up $0.78 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $276.33. 1,600,697 shares of the companys stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 2,543,160. Accenture plc has a 12 month low of $242.80 and a 12 month high of $323.84. The company has a market cap of $174.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.44, a P/E/G ratio of 2.51 and a beta of 1.25. The companys 50-day moving average price is $272.04 and its 200-day moving average price is $275.44.

Accenture (NYSE:ACN  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 23rd. The information technology services provider reported $2.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.49 by $0.20. Accenture had a return on equity of 30.73% and a net margin of 11.00%. The company had revenue of $15.81 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $15.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $2.54 EPS. The firms revenue for the quarter was up 5.1% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Accenture plc will post 11.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Accenture Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, April 13th will be issued a $1.12 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, April 12th. This represents a $4.48 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.62%. Accentures dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 41.25%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. StockNews.com cut Accenture from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Thursday. Morgan Stanley dropped their target price on Accenture from $340.00 to $325.00 and set an overweight rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 15th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on Accenture from $310.00 to $327.00 in a report on Friday, March 24th. Piper Jaffray Companies raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $245.00 to $250.00 and gave the stock an underweight rating in a report on Monday, March 27th. Finally, Citigroup raised their price target on shares of Accenture from $300.00 to $310.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a report on Friday, March 24th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, seven have assigned a hold rating and twelve have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of Hold and a consensus price target of $314.00.

About Accenture

(Get Rating)

Accenture Plc engages in the provision of management consulting, technology, and outsourcing services. It operates through the following geographical segments: North America, Europe and Growth Markets. The company was founded in 1989 and is headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

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Equinox Gold (CVE:EQX  Get Rating) had its price objective raised by National Bank Financial from C$7.25 to C$9.00 in a report published on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Equinox Gold from C$6.50 to C$7.50 in a report on Thursday, January 26th. CIBC lifted their target price on Equinox Gold from C$4.70 to C$5.40 in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Haywood Securities dropped their target price on Equinox Gold from C$10.00 to C$9.50 in a report on Friday, February 24th. National Bankshares lifted their target price on Equinox Gold from C$6.00 to C$7.25 and gave the stock a sector perform rating in a report on Thursday, March 30th. Finally, TD Securities dropped their target price on Equinox Gold from C$8.00 to C$7.50 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating and one has issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Equinox Gold presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of C$7.65.

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Equinox Gold Trading Down 0.9 %

Shares of Equinox Gold stock opened at C$7.88 on Tuesday. Equinox Gold has a 1 year low of C$4.25 and a 1 year high of C$8.90. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 64.28, a current ratio of 1.94 and a quick ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of C$892.46 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -43.54. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of C$7.88 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$7.88.

Insider Buying and Selling at Equinox Gold

Equinox Gold Company Profile

In other Equinox Gold news, Senior Officer Doug Reddy sold 6,351 shares of Equinox Gold stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$7.03, for a total value of C$44,647.53. In other Equinox Gold news, Senior Officer Sebastian Damici sold 5,216 shares of Equinox Gold stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$5.15, for a total value of C$26,862.40. Also, Senior Officer Doug Reddy sold 6,351 shares of Equinox Gold stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$7.03, for a total value of C$44,647.53.

(Get Rating)

Equinox Gold Corp. engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral deposits. The company's principal properties include the Aurizona project covering a total land package of approximately 223,160 hectares located in Maranhao State, Brazil; and the Castle Mountain property situated in California, the United States.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of FB Financial (NYSE:FBK  Get Rating) from a sell rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Tuesday.

A number of other analysts have also recently commented on FBK. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of FB Financial from $37.00 to $30.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price target on shares of FB Financial from $40.00 to $35.00 and set a market perform rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seven have issued a hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, FB Financial presently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $38.86.

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FB Financial Trading Down 1.0 %

FB Financial stock opened at $29.92 on Tuesday. The company has a market cap of $1.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 11.16 and a beta of 1.02. FB Financial has a 1-year low of $28.85 and a 1-year high of $45.25. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $33.23 and a 200 day simple moving average of $37.10.

FB Financial Increases Dividend

FB Financial ( NYSE:FBK Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Monday, April 17th. The financial services provider reported $0.76 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.74 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $183.03 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $131.72 million. FB Financial had a net margin of 19.56% and a return on equity of 10.42%. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.74 earnings per share. On average, equities research analysts forecast that FB Financial will post 2.87 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 21st. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 7th were paid a dividend of $0.15 per share. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.01%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, February 6th. This is a boost from FB Financials previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. FB Financials dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 22.39%.

Insider Transactions at FB Financial

In other FB Financial news, major shareholder James W. Ayers acquired 6,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 18th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $29.34 per share, for a total transaction of $199,512.00. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 10,761,791 shares of the companys stock, valued at $315,750,947.94. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other FB Financial news, major shareholder James W. Ayers acquired 6,800 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 18th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $29.34 per share, for a total transaction of $199,512.00. Following the purchase, the insider now directly owns 10,761,791 shares of the companys stock, valued at $315,750,947.94. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Raja J. Jubran acquired 6,150 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Friday, March 10th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $32.39 per share, with a total value of $199,198.50. Following the purchase, the director now directly owns 29,039 shares in the company, valued at $940,573.21. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. 1.90% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of FB Financial

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FBK. Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in FB Financial by 702.9% in the 3rd quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 1,389 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $53,000 after buying an additional 1,216 shares during the period. MetLife Investment Management LLC increased its holdings in FB Financial by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. MetLife Investment Management LLC now owns 19,074 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $729,000 after buying an additional 590 shares during the period. Maryland State Retirement & Pension System bought a new position in FB Financial in the 4th quarter valued at about $525,000. Penn Capital Management Company LLC increased its holdings in FB Financial by 10.1% in the 3rd quarter. Penn Capital Management Company LLC now owns 351,504 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $13,447,000 after buying an additional 32,125 shares during the period. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in FB Financial by 46.2% in the 3rd quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 5,926 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $226,000 after buying an additional 1,873 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.98% of the companys stock.

About FB Financial

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FB Financial Corp. is a bank holding company, which provides commercial and consumer banking services to clients in select markets primarily in Tennessee, North Alabama, and North Georgia through its subsidiary. It operates through the Banking and Mortgage segments. The Banking segments deals with interest on loans and investments, loan-related fees, originations in banking footprint, investment services, and deposit-related fees.

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FMC Co. (NYSE:FMC  Get Rating) was the target of a significant growth in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,410,000 shares, a growth of 6.0% from the March 15th total of 1,330,000 shares. Currently, 1.1% of the companys stock are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 802,800 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.8 days.

FMC Price Performance

FMC stock opened at $123.22 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $123.27 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $124.19. FMC has a one year low of $98.24 and a one year high of $136.96. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a current ratio of 1.43 and a quick ratio of 1.00. The firm has a market cap of $15.42 billion, a PE ratio of 21.17, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.82.

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FMC (NYSE:FMC  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, February 8th. The basic materials company reported $2.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.32 by $0.05. The firm had revenue of $1.62 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.53 billion. FMC had a return on equity of 29.29% and a net margin of 12.69%. The companys revenue was up 14.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.16 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that FMC will post 7.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

FMC Announces Dividend

Analysts Set New Price Targets

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 20th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 31st were issued a $0.58 dividend. This represents a $2.32 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.88%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. FMCs dividend payout ratio is presently 39.86%.

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on FMC shares. Redburn Partners raised FMC from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $155.00 price target on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 17th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on FMC from $141.00 to $148.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Monday, January 9th. KeyCorp increased their target price on FMC from $140.00 to $144.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 9th. UBS Group increased their target price on FMC from $142.00 to $147.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 11th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group increased their target price on FMC from $155.00 to $159.00 and gave the stock a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $144.38.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Andrew D. Sandifer sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.77, for a total transaction of $638,850.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 39,061 shares in the company, valued at $4,990,823.97. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other FMC news, CFO Andrew D. Sandifer sold 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $127.77, for a total transaction of $638,850.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 39,061 shares of the companys stock, valued at $4,990,823.97. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Nicholas Pfeiffer sold 4,421 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.70, for a total value of $573,403.70. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 12,064 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,564,700.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 11,376 shares of company stock worth $1,465,016. Corporate insiders own 0.85% of the companys stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On FMC

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of FMC by 56.7% in the 1st quarter. Janiczek Wealth Management LLC now owns 804 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $99,000 after purchasing an additional 291 shares in the last quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of FMC by 4.9% during the 1st quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 62,844 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $7,676,000 after acquiring an additional 2,941 shares in the last quarter. DnB Asset Management AS boosted its holdings in shares of FMC by 9.4% during the 1st quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 26,822 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $3,276,000 after acquiring an additional 2,299 shares in the last quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH boosted its holdings in shares of FMC by 63.8% during the 1st quarter. MEAG MUNICH ERGO Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH now owns 106,371 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $12,991,000 after acquiring an additional 41,429 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System boosted its holdings in shares of FMC by 1.2% during the 1st quarter. Louisiana State Employees Retirement System now owns 8,200 shares of the basic materials companys stock valued at $1,001,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.28% of the companys stock.

FMC Company Profile

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FMC Corp. is an agricultural sciences company, which engages in the provision of solutions to growers and development of pipeline in crop protection, plant health, precision agriculture, and professional pest, and turf management. It offers insect control products under the Rynaxypyr and Cyazypyr brands, herbicides under the Authority, Boral, Centium, Command, and Gamit brands, insecticides under the Talstar and Hero brands, flutriafol-based fungicides, and bionematicides under the Quartzo and Presence brands.

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Humana Inc. (NYSE:HUM  Get Rating) saw a significant decrease in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,600,000 shares, a decrease of 13.5% from the March 15th total of 1,850,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 1,060,000 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 1.5 days. Approximately 1.3% of the shares of the stock are sold short.

Insider Activity at Humana

In related news, insider Joseph C. Ventura sold 2,048 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $507.97, for a total transaction of $1,040,322.56. Following the sale, the insider now owns 4,256 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,161,920.32. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In other Humana news, CEO Bruce D. Broussard sold 17,575 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $505.85, for a total transaction of $8,890,313.75. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 70,040 shares in the company, valued at $35,429,734. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Joseph C. Ventura sold 2,048 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $507.97, for a total transaction of $1,040,322.56. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,256 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,161,920.32. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 0.32% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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Institutional Trading of Humana

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Arlington Partners LLC acquired a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter worth approximately $29,000. WFA of San Diego LLC acquired a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter worth approximately $33,000. U.S. Capital Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter worth approximately $35,000. Householder Group Estate & Retirement Specialist LLC acquired a new stake in Humana in the 1st quarter worth approximately $39,000. Finally, Delta Asset Management LLC TN acquired a new stake in Humana in the 4th quarter worth approximately $46,000. 93.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Humana Stock Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE:HUM traded up $0.90 during trading on Friday, reaching $491.21. The stock had a trading volume of 1,095,818 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,051,250. Humana has a one year low of $410.87 and a one year high of $571.30. The company has a market capitalization of $61.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.29, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 0.71. The company has a current ratio of 1.52, a quick ratio of 1.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.59. The firms 50-day simple moving average is $502.10 and its 200 day simple moving average is $510.83.

Humana (NYSE:HUM  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 1st. The insurance provider reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.16. Humana had a net margin of 3.02% and a return on equity of 20.50%. The business had revenue of $22.44 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $22.45 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.24 EPS. The companys revenue was up 6.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that Humana will post 28.07 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Humana Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 28th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 30th will be issued a $0.885 dividend. This represents a $3.54 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.72%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 29th. Humanas dividend payout ratio is currently 16.06%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the stock. UBS Group cut their price objective on shares of Humana from $645.00 to $620.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Stephens cut their price target on shares of Humana from $625.00 to $590.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 3rd. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on shares of Humana from $620.00 to $637.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a report on Tuesday, April 11th. Cowen cut their price target on shares of Humana from $647.00 to $581.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 6th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group cut their price target on shares of Humana from $635.00 to $575.00 and set an outperform rating on the stock in a report on Monday, February 6th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $596.89.

About Humana

(Get Rating)

Humana Inc engages in the provision of health insurance services. It operates through the Insurance and CenterWell segments. The Insurance segment consists of Medicare benefits, marketed to individuals or directly via group Medicare accounts, as well as contract with CMS to administer the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition, or LI-NET, prescription drug plan program and contracts with various states to provide Medicaid, dual eligible demonstration, and Long-Term Support Services benefits, which refer to as state-based contracts.

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Shares of Invesco DB Base Metals Fund (NYSEARCA:DBB  Get Rating) were down 1.2% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $19.52 and last traded at $19.56. Approximately 106,048 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 53% from the average daily volume of 223,749 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.79.

Invesco DB Base Metals Fund Stock Down 1.2 %

The companys 50 day simple moving average is $19.98 and its 200 day simple moving average is $19.86.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Invesco DB Base Metals Fund

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Genesee Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in Invesco DB Base Metals Fund in the 1st quarter worth about $2,788,000. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. lifted its stake in Invesco DB Base Metals Fund by 285.2% during the first quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 6,094 shares of the companys stock valued at $119,000 after purchasing an additional 4,512 shares during the last quarter. Trust Co. of Oklahoma purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco DB Base Metals Fund in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $754,000. AE Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Invesco DB Base Metals Fund by 6.4% in the 1st quarter. AE Wealth Management LLC now owns 31,251 shares of the companys stock valued at $631,000 after acquiring an additional 1,867 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Apeiron RIA LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco DB Base Metals Fund in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $466,000.

Invesco DB Base Metals Fund Company Profile

PowerShares DB Base Metals Fund (the Fund) is a separate series of PowerShares DB Multi-Sector Commodity Trust (the Trust), a Delaware statutory trust organized in seven separate series. The Fund seeks to track changes, whether positive or negative, in the level of the DBIQ Optimum Yield Industrial Metals Index Excess Return (the Index) over time, plus the excess, if any, of the Funds interest income from its holdings of United States Treasury Obligations and other high credit quality short-term fixed income securities over the expenses of the Fund.

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Lennox International Inc. (NYSE:LII  Get Rating) was the target of a large decrease in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,430,000 shares, a decrease of 7.7% from the March 15th total of 1,550,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 302,500 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 4.7 days. Currently, 4.5% of the companys shares are short sold.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on LII. Barclays boosted their price objective on Lennox International from $240.00 to $248.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday, February 1st. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on Lennox International from $279.00 to $272.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 5th. StockNews.com started coverage on Lennox International in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock. Oppenheimer started coverage on Lennox International in a report on Monday, March 27th. They set a market perform rating on the stock. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their price target on Lennox International from $300.00 to $283.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and four have given a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $258.08.

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Lennox International Price Performance

Shares of LII traded down $0.92 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $262.61. The companys stock had a trading volume of 214,640 shares, compared to its average volume of 306,121. Lennox International has a 12-month low of $182.85 and a 12-month high of $278.84. The stock has a market cap of $9.32 billion, a PE ratio of 18.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.72 and a beta of 0.92. The companys 50 day moving average is $251.12 and its 200 day moving average is $248.52.

Lennox International Announces Dividend

Lennox International ( NYSE:LII Get Rating ) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, January 31st. The construction company reported $2.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $2.55 by $0.08. The firm had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.10 billion. Lennox International had a negative return on equity of 152.66% and a net margin of 10.53%. The businesss revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.35 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Lennox International will post 14.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, April 14th. Investors of record on Friday, March 31st were given a $1.06 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 30th. This represents a $4.24 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.61%. Lennox Internationals dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 30.53%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Daniel M. Sessa sold 2,052 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $245.80, for a total value of $504,381.60. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 44,256 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,878,124.80. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.80% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Lennox International

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Private Trust Co. NA lifted its position in Lennox International by 211.1% during the 3rd quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 112 shares of the construction companys stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 76 shares during the period. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC lifted its position in Lennox International by 38.5% during the 4th quarter. Eagle Bay Advisors LLC now owns 385 shares of the construction companys stock worth $92,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lennox International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $104,000. BI Asset Management Fondsmaeglerselskab A S acquired a new stake in Lennox International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $189,000. Finally, Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec acquired a new stake in Lennox International during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $201,000. 68.99% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Lennox International Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Lennox International, Inc engages in the design, manufacture, and marketing of products for heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration. It operates through the following business segments: Residential Heating & Cooling, Commercial Heating & Cooling, and Refrigeration. The Residential Heating & Cooling segment manufactures and markets furnaces, air conditioners, heat pumps, packaged heating and cooling systems, equipment, and accessories.

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Lloyds Banking Group (NYSE:LYG  Get Rating) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Friday.

Several other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Barclays raised shares of Lloyds Banking Group from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a report on Monday, February 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 58 ($0.72) to GBX 60 ($0.74) in a report on Wednesday, January 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 58 ($0.72) to GBX 61 ($0.75) in a report on Monday, February 27th. Finally, Berenberg Bank boosted their target price on shares of Lloyds Banking Group from GBX 55 ($0.68) to GBX 58 ($0.72) in a report on Friday, February 24th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $58.75.

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Lloyds Banking Group Price Performance

LYG stock traded down $0.06 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $2.40. The stock had a trading volume of 9,893,674 shares, compared to its average volume of 10,670,906. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.47 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78. Lloyds Banking Group has a 52 week low of $1.70 and a 52 week high of $2.63. The firm has a market capitalization of $39.97 billion, a P/E ratio of 6.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.00 and a beta of 1.27. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $2.39 and a 200 day simple moving average of $2.25.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Lloyds Banking Group ( NYSE:LYG Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.10 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.07 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $14.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.68 billion. Lloyds Banking Group had a net margin of 20.69% and a return on equity of 10.63%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Lloyds Banking Group will post 0.42 EPS for the current year.

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of LYG. Raymond James & Associates lifted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 56.7% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 1,373,751 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $3,311,000 after purchasing an additional 497,197 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 11.5% in the 1st quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 437,570 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,055,000 after purchasing an additional 44,960 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 16.1% in the 1st quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 317,152 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $764,000 after purchasing an additional 43,970 shares during the period. US Bancorp DE lifted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 5.0% in the 1st quarter. US Bancorp DE now owns 323,199 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $778,000 after purchasing an additional 15,481 shares during the period. Finally, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. lifted its position in shares of Lloyds Banking Group by 38.4% during the 1st quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 73,541 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $177,000 after acquiring an additional 20,390 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 2.15% of the companys stock.

About Lloyds Banking Group

(Get Rating)

Lloyds Banking Group Plc is a financial services company, which engages in the provision of banking and financial services. It operates through the following segments: Retail, Commercial Banking, Insurance and Wealth, and Other. The Retail segment offers broad range of financial service products, including current accounts, savings, mortgages, motor finance and unsecured consumer lending to personal, and small business customers.

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Canadian Natural Resources (TSE:CNQ  Get Rating) (NYSE:CNQ) had its price objective boosted by National Bankshares from C$100.00 to C$110.00 in a report released on Tuesday morning, BayStreet.CA reports.

A number of other brokerages have also issued reports on CNQ. ATB Capital decreased their target price on Canadian Natural Resources from C$94.00 to C$90.00 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. CSFB decreased their target price on Canadian Natural Resources from C$93.00 to C$90.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on Canadian Natural Resources from C$76.00 to C$82.00 in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Scotiabank increased their target price on Canadian Natural Resources from C$86.00 to C$87.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Stifel Firstegy reiterated a buy rating on shares of Canadian Natural Resources in a research report on Thursday, January 12th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and five have given a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$92.47.

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Canadian Natural Resources Trading Up 0.6 %

Canadian Natural Resources stock opened at C$80.99 on Tuesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 0.54 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 34.01. Canadian Natural Resources has a 12 month low of C$58.75 and a 12 month high of C$87.92. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is C$77.04 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$77.39. The firm has a market cap of C$89.09 billion, a PE ratio of 8.51, a P/E/G ratio of 0.53 and a beta of 2.01.

Canadian Natural Resources Increases Dividend

Canadian Natural Resources ( TSE:CNQ Get Rating ) (NYSE:CNQ) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported C$1.96 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of C$2.21 by C($0.25). Canadian Natural Resources had a return on equity of 29.12% and a net margin of 25.86%. The company had revenue of C$9.69 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of C$9.46 billion. Analysts anticipate that Canadian Natural Resources will post 8.4086242 earnings per share for the current year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 5th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 17th were issued a $0.90 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $3.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.44%. This is a positive change from Canadian Natural Resourcess previous quarterly dividend of $0.75. Canadian Natural Resourcess dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 37.82%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Canadian Natural Resources news, Senior Officer Trevor James Cassidy sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$81.38, for a total value of C$1,627,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 34,806 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$2,832,512.28. In other Canadian Natural Resources news, Senior Officer Trevor James Cassidy sold 20,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of C$81.38, for a total value of C$1,627,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 34,806 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately C$2,832,512.28. Also, Director Stephen W. Laut sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$80.78, for a total value of C$403,875.00. Insiders sold 255,000 shares of company stock valued at $20,747,197 in the last three months. 2.22% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Canadian Natural Resources

(Get Rating)

Canadian Natural Resources Limited acquires, explores for, develops, produces, markets, and sells crude oil, natural gas, and natural gas liquids (NGLs). The company offers synthetic crude oil (SCO), light and medium crude oil, bitumen (thermal oil), primary heavy crude oil, and Pelican Lake heavy crude oil.

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Western Pacific Wealth Management LP grew its stake in shares of Oracle Co. (NYSE:ORCL  Get Rating) by 57.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,862 shares of the enterprise software providers stock after acquiring an additional 1,041 shares during the period. Oracle accounts for 0.2% of Western Pacific Wealth Management LPs investment portfolio, making the stock its 29th biggest holding. Western Pacific Wealth Management LPs holdings in Oracle were worth $234,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also modified their holdings of ORCL. Chemistry Wealth Management LLC grew its position in shares of Oracle by 0.4% in the 4th quarter. Chemistry Wealth Management LLC now owns 33,617 shares of the enterprise software providers stock worth $2,748,000 after buying an additional 118 shares during the period. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. grew its position in Oracle by 2.3% during the 4th quarter. Steigerwald Gordon & Koch Inc. now owns 5,202 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $425,000 after purchasing an additional 119 shares during the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC grew its position in Oracle by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 18,416 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $1,505,000 after purchasing an additional 121 shares during the last quarter. American National Bank grew its position in Oracle by 0.7% during the 4th quarter. American National Bank now owns 19,225 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $1,571,000 after purchasing an additional 126 shares during the last quarter. Finally, London & Capital Asset Management Ltd grew its position in Oracle by 1.1% during the 3rd quarter. London & Capital Asset Management Ltd now owns 12,063 shares of the enterprise software providers stock valued at $737,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares during the last quarter. 40.96% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Activity at Oracle

In related news, CEO Safra Catz sold 1,837,101 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.86, for a total value of $172,430,299.86. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at $104,991,045.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In other Oracle news, Director Rona Alison Fairhead sold 8,080 shares of Oracle stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $89.82, for a total value of $725,745.60. Following the transaction, the director now owns 11,197 shares in the company, valued at $1,005,714.54. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Safra Catz sold 1,837,101 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $93.86, for a total value of $172,430,299.86. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,118,592 shares in the company, valued at approximately $104,991,045.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 1,890,181 shares of company stock worth $177,370,295 over the last three months. 43.70% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Oracle Price Performance

ORCL has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on shares of Oracle from $87.00 to $90.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a $93.00 target price on shares of Oracle and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, March 10th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Oracle from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report on Saturday, April 15th. Mizuho reissued a buy rating and issued a $116.00 target price on shares of Oracle in a report on Monday, March 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of Oracle from $95.00 to $96.00 and gave the company a market perform rating in a report on Friday, March 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have issued a hold rating and thirteen have given a buy rating to the companys stock. According to MarketBeat, Oracle has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $95.46.

Shares of NYSE:ORCL traded up $0.32 on Friday, hitting $95.15. 7,335,787 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,682,818. Oracle Co. has a 12 month low of $60.78 and a 12 month high of $96.74. The stock has a market capitalization of $256.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.40, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.96 and a beta of 1.00. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $89.89 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $83.39.

Oracle (NYSE:ORCL  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 9th. The enterprise software provider reported $1.22 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $12.40 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.42 billion. Oracle had a negative return on equity of 262.40% and a net margin of 17.46%. The firms quarterly revenue was up 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.94 earnings per share. Equities analysts forecast that Oracle Co. will post 4.01 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Oracle Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 24th. Investors of record on Tuesday, April 11th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. This is an increase from Oracles previous quarterly dividend of $0.32. This represents a $1.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.68%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, April 10th. Oracles payout ratio is presently 52.81%.

Oracle Profile

(Get Rating)

Oracle Corp. engages in the provision of products and services that address all aspects of corporate information technology environments. It operates through the following business segments: Cloud and License, Hardware, and Services. The Cloud and License segment markets, sells, and delivers applications, platform, and infrastructure technologies.

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Pampa Energia (NYSE:PAM  Get Rating) and Principal Solar (OTCMKTS:PSWW  Get Rating) are both small-cap utilities companies, but which is the better stock? We will contrast the two businesses based on the strength of their dividends, valuation, risk, earnings, profitability, institutional ownership and analyst recommendations.

Profitability

This table compares Pampa Energia and Principal Solars net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Pampa Energia 24.93% 20.65% 9.84% Principal Solar N/A N/A N/A

Risk & Volatility

Pampa Energia has a beta of 0.78, meaning that its stock price is 22% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Principal Solar has a beta of 7.86, meaning that its stock price is 686% more volatile than the S&P 500.

Analyst Ratings

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Pampa Energia 0 2 0 0 2.00 Principal Solar 0 0 0 0 N/A

This is a summary of current ratings for Pampa Energia and Principal Solar, as reported by MarketBeat.com.

Pampa Energia presently has a consensus target price of $23.00, suggesting a potential downside of 32.94%. Given Pampa Energias higher possible upside, equities research analysts plainly believe Pampa Energia is more favorable than Principal Solar.

Institutional and Insider Ownership

12.1% of Pampa Energia shares are owned by institutional investors. 55.5% of Pampa Energia shares are owned by company insiders. Comparatively, 39.2% of Principal Solar shares are owned by company insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that large money managers, endowments and hedge funds believe a company will outperform the market over the long term.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Pampa Energia and Principal Solars top-line revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio Pampa Energia $1.83 billion 1.04 $456.00 million $8.27 4.15 Principal Solar N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A

Pampa Energia has higher revenue and earnings than Principal Solar.

Summary

Pampa Energia beats Principal Solar on 7 of the 8 factors compared between the two stocks.

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.

About Principal Solar

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Principal Solar, Inc. engages in the investment and acquisition of organizations and technologies that support next-generation opportunities in the traditional, renewable, and clean energy sectors. It also focuses on undervalued petroleum-producing properties. The company was founded on February 25, 1972 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.

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Capital Investment Advisory Services LLC cut its stake in shares of Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF (NYSEARCA:FNDA  Get Rating) by 13.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 9,641 shares of the exchange traded funds stock after selling 1,500 shares during the quarter. Capital Investment Advisory Services LLCs holdings in Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF were worth $450,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its position in Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF by 20.4% in the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 14,737 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $788,000 after acquiring an additional 2,500 shares in the last quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. raised its position in Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF by 42.1% in the first quarter. Cambridge Investment Research Advisors Inc. now owns 6,748 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $361,000 after acquiring an additional 1,998 shares in the last quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC raised its position in Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF by 38.9% in the first quarter. Cetera Advisor Networks LLC now owns 5,946 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $318,000 after acquiring an additional 1,666 shares in the last quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management raised its position in Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF by 67.6% in the first quarter. Empirical Financial Services LLC d.b.a. Empirical Wealth Management now owns 14,113 shares of the exchange traded funds stock worth $754,000 after acquiring an additional 5,691 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC purchased a new position in Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF in the first quarter worth $2,364,000.

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Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF Stock Down 0.2 %

Shares of FNDA stock opened at $48.00 on Friday. Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF has a fifty-two week low of $42.35 and a fifty-two week high of $53.85. The stock has a market cap of $6.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.49 and a beta of 1.19. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $49.14 and a 200-day simple moving average of $48.49.

About Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF

The Schwab Fundamental U.S. Small Company Index ETF (FNDA) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the Russell RAFI Small Company US index. The fund tracks a fundamentally selected and weighted Russell index of small firms based on adjusted sales, retained operation cash flow, and dividends plus buybacks.

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Serengeti Resources Inc. (CVE:SIR  Get Rating) rose 2.1% on Friday . The stock traded as high as C$0.50 and last traded at C$0.49. Approximately 70,621 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 28% from the average daily volume of 97,510 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.48.

Serengeti Resources Price Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 1.44 and a quick ratio of 1.40. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of C$0.49 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of C$0.49. The stock has a market capitalization of C$54.39 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -8.60.

About Serengeti Resources

(Get Rating)

Serengeti Resources Inc acquires and explores for mineral properties in Canada. It company explores for gold, copper, and silver deposits. The company's flagship property is the Kwanika project that covers an area of 25,928 hectares located in the northern Quesnel Trough, British Columbia. It also has an option to acquire 100% interest in Top Cat project covering an area of approximately 21,600 hectares situated in central British Columbia.

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StockNews.com lowered shares of Toro (NYSE:TTC  Get Rating) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on TTC. Robert W. Baird dropped their target price on shares of Toro from $120.00 to $116.00 in a research note on Thursday, December 22nd. Northland Securities initiated coverage on shares of Toro in a research report on Monday, April 17th. They issued a market perform rating and a $110.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Raymond James raised shares of Toro from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and set a $130.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, December 23rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Toro presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $118.67.

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Toro Stock Performance

Shares of TTC stock opened at $105.15 on Tuesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $10.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.06 and a beta of 0.72. Toro has a one year low of $71.86 and a one year high of $117.66. The companys 50-day simple moving average is $108.89 and its 200-day simple moving average is $108.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.76, a quick ratio of 0.63 and a current ratio of 1.78.

Toro Dividend Announcement

Toro ( NYSE:TTC Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 9th. The company reported $0.98 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.91 by $0.07. Toro had a net margin of 10.16% and a return on equity of 36.04%. The business had revenue of $1.15 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.16 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.66 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 23.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts anticipate that Toro will post 4.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 19th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th were paid a dividend of $0.34 per share. This represents a $1.36 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.29%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, April 5th. Toros dividend payout ratio is presently 29.82%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, VP Blake M. Grams sold 11,400 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.05, for a total transaction of $1,220,370.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 37,106 shares of the companys stock, valued at $3,972,197.30. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other Toro news, VP Blake M. Grams sold 11,400 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.05, for a total transaction of $1,220,370.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now owns 37,106 shares in the company, valued at $3,972,197.30. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Richard M. Olson sold 12,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $109.40, for a total transaction of $1,312,800.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 17,913 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,959,682.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 59,634 shares of company stock valued at $6,516,758 over the last ninety days. 2.22% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Toro

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in TTC. Bank of Montreal Can raised its holdings in shares of Toro by 1.2% in the first quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 49,173 shares of the companys stock valued at $4,262,000 after purchasing an additional 563 shares during the last quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. raised its holdings in shares of Toro by 37.2% in the first quarter. APG Asset Management N.V. now owns 15,500 shares of the companys stock valued at $1,191,000 after purchasing an additional 4,200 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can raised its holdings in shares of Toro by 7.6% in the first quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 60,366 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,309,000 after purchasing an additional 4,269 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its holdings in Toro by 2.7% during the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 883,779 shares of the companys stock worth $75,558,000 after buying an additional 23,223 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Baird Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Toro by 9.2% during the first quarter. Baird Financial Group Inc. now owns 37,193 shares of the companys stock worth $3,180,000 after buying an additional 3,144 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 85.14% of the companys stock.

Toro Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Toro Co is in the business of designing, manufacturing, marketing, and selling professional turf maintenance equipment and services. It operates through the following segments: Professional and Residential. The Professional segment consists of turf and landscape equipment, rental, specialty, and underground construction equipment, snow & ice management equipment, and irrigation and lighting products.

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Tesco (LON:TSCO  Get Rating) had its price objective hoisted by JPMorgan Chase & Co. from GBX 270 ($3.34) to GBX 290 ($3.59) in a report published on Tuesday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. They currently have an overweight rating on the retailers stock.

TSCO has been the subject of a number of other reports. Shore Capital reissued a buy rating on shares of Tesco in a research note on Monday, March 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised shares of Tesco to a buy rating and boosted their target price for the company from GBX 260 ($3.22) to GBX 310 ($3.84) in a research note on Monday, March 6th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of GBX 312 ($3.86).

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Tesco Trading Up 1.6 %

LON TSCO opened at GBX 278.90 ($3.45) on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 123.29, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a current ratio of 0.72. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of GBX 258.42 and a 200-day simple moving average of GBX 238.85. The firm has a market capitalization of 20.42 billion, a PE ratio of 2,789.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.56 and a beta of 0.63. Tesco has a one year low of GBX 194.35 ($2.41) and a one year high of GBX 289 ($3.58).

Tesco Increases Dividend

Insider Activity at Tesco

The business also recently disclosed a dividend, which will be paid on Friday, June 23rd. Investors of record on Thursday, May 11th will be given a dividend of GBX 7.05 ($0.09) per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, May 11th. This is an increase from Tescos previous dividend of $3.85. This represents a yield of 2.63%. Tescos payout ratio is presently 11,000.00%.

In other Tesco news, insider Caroline Silver bought 15,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 21st. The stock was bought at an average cost of GBX 250 ($3.09) per share, with a total value of 37,500 ($46,405.15). Over the last three months, insiders have purchased 15,161 shares of company stock valued at $3,791,227. Corporate insiders own 2.06% of the companys stock.

Tesco Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Tesco PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in retailing and retail banking activities. It provides food products through approximately 4,752 stores in the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary, as well as through online. The company is also involved in the food and drink wholesaling activities.

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The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS  Get Rating) insider Kathryn H. Ruemmler sold 7,277 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $332.67, for a total transaction of $2,420,839.59. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 4,334 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,441,791.78. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

The Goldman Sachs Group Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:GS traded up $2.95 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $341.66. 2,276,967 shares of the companys stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 2,896,572. The companys 50 day simple moving average is $337.97 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $346.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $114.05 billion, a PE ratio of 12.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.41. The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $277.84 and a 12 month high of $389.58. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.06, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.16.

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The Goldman Sachs Group (NYSE:GS  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 18th. The investment management company reported $8.79 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $8.14 by $0.65. The Goldman Sachs Group had a net margin of 13.23% and a return on equity of 9.61%. The firm had revenue of $12.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.66 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $10.76 EPS. The firms quarterly revenue was down 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. will post 30.98 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The Goldman Sachs Group Announces Dividend

Hedge Funds Weigh In On The Goldman Sachs Group

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 29th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 1st will be issued a dividend of $2.50 per share. This represents a $10.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.93%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Wednesday, May 31st. The Goldman Sachs Groups dividend payout ratio is currently 35.60%.

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Congress Asset Management Co. MA lifted its holdings in The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.8% during the 1st quarter. Congress Asset Management Co. MA now owns 29,314 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $9,589,000 after purchasing an additional 241 shares during the last quarter. West Michigan Advisors LLC bought a new position in The Goldman Sachs Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $232,000. Acas LLC increased its position in The Goldman Sachs Group by 9.8% in the 1st quarter. Acas LLC now owns 1,123 shares of the investment management companys stock valued at $367,000 after acquiring an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. grew its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 8.8% during the 1st quarter. Lifestyle Asset Management Inc. now owns 681 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $223,000 after buying an additional 55 shares during the period. Finally, Wesbanco Bank Inc. grew its position in shares of The Goldman Sachs Group by 0.5% during the 1st quarter. Wesbanco Bank Inc. now owns 17,581 shares of the investment management companys stock worth $5,751,000 after buying an additional 79 shares during the period. 69.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

GS has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $370.00 to $345.00 in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Evercore ISI raised their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $360.00 to $370.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. JMP Securities raised their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $460.00 to $470.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Royal Bank of Canada raised their target price on shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from $339.00 to $375.00 and gave the company a sector perform rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group upgraded shares of The Goldman Sachs Group from a neutral rating to a buy rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 11th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $389.17.

About The Goldman Sachs Group

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The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc engages in the provision of financial services. It operates through the following business segments: Global Banking and Markets, Asset and Wealth Management, and Platform Solutions. The Global Banking and Markets segment includes investment banking, equity and debt underwriting, Fixed Income, Currency, and Commodities (FICC) intermediation and financing activities, relationship lending and acquisition financing, and investing activities.

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CIBC upgraded shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank (TSE:TD  Get Rating) (NYSE:TD) from a neutral rating to an outperform rating in a research report released on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. They currently have C$97.00 price target on the stock, down from their previous price target of C$100.00.

Other equities analysts also recently issued reports about the company. National Bankshares increased their target price on Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$100.00 to C$102.00 in a research report on Wednesday, February 22nd. Scotiabank upgraded Toronto-Dominion Bank from a sector perform rating to an outperform rating in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Barclays dropped their target price on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$102.00 to C$101.00 in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$113.00 to C$110.00 in a report on Monday, March 27th. Finally, CSFB dropped their target price on shares of Toronto-Dominion Bank from C$97.00 to C$94.00 in a report on Friday, March 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have issued a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of C$99.45.

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Toronto-Dominion Bank Stock Performance

Toronto-Dominion Bank stock opened at C$83.55 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of C$152.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.06 and a beta of 0.84. Toronto-Dominion Bank has a fifty-two week low of C$76.40 and a fifty-two week high of C$97.13. The stocks fifty day moving average is C$84.51 and its two-hundred day moving average is C$87.00.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Dividend Announcement

Toronto-Dominion Bank ( TSE:TD Get Rating ) (NYSE:TD) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported C$2.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of C$2.16 by C$0.07. The business had revenue of C$12.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$12.12 billion. Toronto-Dominion Bank had a return on equity of 14.29% and a net margin of 31.78%. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Toronto-Dominion Bank will post 9.1090513 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Sunday, April 30th. Investors of record on Thursday, April 6th will be given a $0.96 dividend. This represents a $3.84 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.60%. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, April 5th. Toronto-Dominion Banks dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.43%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Senior Officer Riaz Ahmed sold 37,832 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of C$89.01, for a total transaction of C$3,367,426.32. Company insiders own 0.10% of the companys stock.

Toronto-Dominion Bank Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The Toronto-Dominion Bank, together with its subsidiaries, provides various financial products and services in Canada, the United States, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Personal and Commercial Banking, U.S. Retail, Wealth Management and Insurance, and Wholesale Banking segments. The company offers personal deposits, such as checking, savings, and investment products; financing, investment, cash management, international trade, and day-to-day banking services to businesses; and financing options to customers at point of sale for automotive and recreational vehicle purchases.

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Barclays assumed coverage on shares of VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund (OTCMKTS:VCVOF  Get Rating) in a research report released on Wednesday, The Fly reports. The firm issued an overweight rating on the stock.

VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Stock Down 3.4 %

OTCMKTS:VCVOF opened at $5.10 on Wednesday. VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund has a 52-week low of $4.59 and a 52-week high of $6.61.

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VinaCapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Company Profile

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Vinacapital Vietnam Opportunity Fund Ltd. operates as open-end investment fund. Its investment objective is to achieve medium to long-term returns through investment. The company was incorporated on March 22, 2016 and is headquartered in St. Peter Port, the United Kingdom.

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Western Pacific Wealth Management LP decreased its holdings in Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) by 19.5% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,096 shares of the healthcare product makers stock after selling 265 shares during the period. Western Pacific Wealth Management LPs holdings in Abbott Laboratories were worth $120,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of ABT. JDM Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in Abbott Laboratories during the 4th quarter worth $26,000. WFA of San Diego LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Arcus Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $35,000. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Trifecta Capital Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Abbott Laboratories in the 4th quarter valued at about $50,000. Institutional investors own 72.93% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on ABT shares. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $140.00 to $136.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. BTIG Research upped their price target on Abbott Laboratories from $125.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Mizuho boosted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $105.00 to $110.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 24th. UBS Group boosted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $130.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on Abbott Laboratories from $117.00 to $133.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and twelve have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $122.37.

Abbott Laboratories Price Performance

NYSE:ABT traded up $1.31 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $111.66. The stock had a trading volume of 6,301,173 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,702,401. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $102.20 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $104.81. The stock has a market capitalization of $194.06 billion, a P/E ratio of 33.94, a P/E/G ratio of 4.96 and a beta of 0.67. Abbott Laboratories has a one year low of $93.25 and a one year high of $123.18. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a current ratio of 1.63.

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 19th. The healthcare product maker reported $1.03 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.98 by $0.05. The company had revenue of $9.75 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $9.64 billion. Abbott Laboratories had a return on equity of 22.48% and a net margin of 13.98%. The firms revenue for the quarter was down 18.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.73 earnings per share. As a group, analysts expect that Abbott Laboratories will post 4.37 earnings per share for the current year.

Abbott Laboratories Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, April 14th will be issued a $0.51 dividend. This represents a $2.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.83%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 13th. Abbott Laboratoriess dividend payout ratio is 62.01%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Abbott Laboratories

In related news, SVP Julie L. Tyler sold 260 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.24, for a total transaction of $26,842.40. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 40,896 shares in the company, valued at $4,222,103.04. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. In other news, SVP Julie L. Tyler sold 260 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Randel William Woodgrift sold 1,032 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $100.70, for a total value of $103,922.40. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 52,203 shares of the companys stock, valued at $5,256,842.10. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,971 shares of company stock valued at $199,140. 1.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Abbott Laboratories Profile

(Get Rating)

Abbott Laboratories engages in the discovery, development, manufacture, and sale of a broad and diversified line of health care products. It operates through the following business segments: Established Pharmaceutical Products, Diagnostic Products, Nutritional Products, and Medical Devices. The Established Pharmaceutical Products segment refers to the international sales of a line of branded generic pharmaceutical products.

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Amid boardroom drama that brewed in Singapore-based fashion tech firm Zilingo for a long time, its co-founder Ankiti Bose has filed a fresh $100 million (roughly Rs 820 crore) defamation lawsuit against investor Mahesh Murthy for accusing her of taking money from a startup illegally, according to media reports on April 22. Bose has accused Murthy of falsely casting aspersions on her in an article, "From Vulture Capital to Victim Capital : Mahesh Murthys Take on VCs in India," published in the Outlook Business magazine on March 1. According to business publication Mint, Bose claimed the article has caused damage to her name, reputation and standing, and image". Moreover, along with the Rs 820 crore in damages, she has sought an apology from Murthy. Moneycontrol could not independently verify the reports. ALSO READ: How a celebrity CEOs rule of fear helped bring down hot startup Zilingo Murthy is the managing partner at early stage venture capital firm Seedfund which has backed the likes of redbus, Chumbak and others. Moneycontrol had earlier reported that Bose was fired by Zilingo in April 2022 after suspension as a result of several claims of improper behaviour made by unnamed insiders in the organisation. Moreover, according to Mint, Murthy didn't name Bose in the article but offered various descriptive pointers. Referring to founders who took money illegally out of their startups, it mentioned "one lady" who "ran a popular fashion portal and took Sequoia's money". "She got her firm to pay her lawyer some Rs 70 crore as fees and-it is rumoured-got a lot of that amount directly back to herself as her cut," Murthy alleged. Ankiti Bose, on the other hand, told Mint, "The fact is, there was no evidence presented to me; there was no report presented to me. There were just a lot of media statements and a lot of unnamed sources saying things, but nobody (else) saying anything directly on record." Meanwhile, earlier this January, Bloomberg reported that Zilingo entered liquidation after companys board appointed EY Corporate Services Pte as provisional liquidator. The board informed major shareholders and creditors of its decision, Bloomberg said citing sources. Zilingo had been one of the highest-profile startups to emerge from Singapore. Other prominent investors included Sequoia Capital India, the regional arm of the Silicon Valley firm that backed Apple and Google. At the heart of the companys breakdown was the soured relationship between Bose, a celebrity CEO who crisscrossed the globe to speak at tech gatherings from Hong Kong to California, and her longtime supporter, Shailendra Singh, head of Sequoia India. Allies for years, they fell out as financial pressures mounted. Singh lost faith in the management skills of the young founder he had championed, while Bose believed Singh betrayed her by pushing her out of her own company.
The government will form an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) taskforce for the textiles sector to enhance its credibility in view of India's own commitment to sustainability, Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday. Talking to reporters, the Minister of Commerce & Industry and Textiles also said that the contours of the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the textile sector will soon be finalised and taken up for approval at the higher level. The ESG taskforce which will look at environmental, social and governance issues in the textile sector as credibility is becoming more and more important and exporters shared that they were getting twice the value for the same product if it is a sustainable product. "We have discussed that textile will also contribute to that and this group will come up with suggestions which will help the textile sector become more sustainable in their current operations and also look for more opportunities in sustainable textiles," said Goyal. Goyal, who also holds the portfolio of Consumer Affairs and Food & Public Distribution, said that extensive discussions have been carried out both within the government and extensive stakeholder consultations over the issue of the PLI scheme in the textile sector. Goyal was in Rajkot to attend a 'Chintan Shibir', or brainstorming session on technical textiles and also attended the "Saurashtra Tamil Sangamam" organised in Somnath. "At the Chintan Shibir, I have exchanged views about how we can expand, promote and support the industry to grow further. One of the areas of discussion was the PLI scheme, and I am quite confident that very soon we will be able to finalise the contours of the scheme and take it up for approval at the higher level," he said. He said that reduction in Indian yarn export is a good sign for the country as this will provide more opportunities to Indian startups through value addition within the country. Talking about the seven PM MITRA (Pradhan Mantri Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel) Park sites announced recently, he said that this will help realise PM Modi's conception of 5Fs -- farm to fibre, fibre to factory, factory to fashion, and fashion to foreign. He said the scheme will help resolve the problem of scattered approach of the sector by bringing together all the aspects of 5Fs at one place. Sites have been identified and MoUs will be signed with the beneficiary states and master developers selected through a transparent process for the same, he said. The seven PM Mitra Parks were selected in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra and Karnataka. "We will try for fast development to provide 5Fs available at one place with all the facilities to reduce our logistics cost, increase productivity and production in India at a large scale, and meet the demands for the country and the world," the Union minister said. Goyal said that Indian demand for yarn and finished products is growing significantly, both for domestic and export markets. If producers get a better value in the Indian market, they will prefer to sell the yarn in India which will be processed right up to the garment stage, he said. "And that value addition is good for India. So wherever possible, value addition will create jobs, and give opportunities to our entrepreneurs, our startups. And therefore, if at all yarn export reduces, it is a good sign for us," Goyal said. "Readymade garments, and finished value-added products increasing is really a strength of India which we want to encash. Similarly, our handicrafts and handlooms are also showing very good traction both in India and internationally," he said. The textiles ministry in a release stated that Goyal emphasized the need for strengthening certification systems for organic cotton and requested industry for active participation in promotion of organic cotton production amongst cotton farmers. He reviewed the progress of initiatives for cotton value chain, and advised to form a working group of experts, representatives from industry, respective Ministries & other stakeholders to have detailed plan of action to boost organic cotton production on cluster based approach.
At a certain juncture, Bengaluru's green stretch comes to an end and tall glass boxes shoot up in the sky, glimmering magnificently in the scorching blaze of early summer afternoons. Though hard to estimate, the number of glass skyscrapers in the city has increased substantially over a decade, experts say. Wrapped in a contemporary design, these glass facades house lakhs of employees working in the tech capital. However, their glaze is now under the glare. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sent a notice to Karnataka state government bodies to submit a report on the usage of glass facades that allegedly cause global warming and lead to climate change. The complaint filed by social activist Jagan Kumar points to a study conducted by the Energy & Wetlands Research Group Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science. According to the study, using glass facades leads to an increased energy consumption of 14,000 to 17,000 units (kWh) per person per year from 1,300 to 1,500 units per person per year in eco-friendly buildings, almost 10 times more. Rise of glass skyscrapers in the city In the early 2000s, the city saw a major IT boom, with several multinational companies moving into the city. Hariharan Chandra, a senior fellow at Indian Green Building Code (IGBC), Bengaluru chapter chair said the companies had principal architects from the US or other parts of the world. "They felt that the glass curtains were more acceptable for rentals and also adorned a modern outlook. And it boomed over the next decade between 2010 and 2020," Chandra said. Harsha Sridhar, principal architect, Initiative for Green Habitat added that often with high-rises, one of the major challenges is to make the structure lightweight and also earthquake-proof. "All these made it attractive for architects to quickly adopt the glass-fitted buildings for office spaces or large developments," he added. Behind the glass Dr TV Ramachandra, a scientist at the Indian Institute of Science, said this architecture is meant for European or temperate climates. "In Bengaluru, we need heat resilient buildings that have a low carbon footprint. However, glass installations take up less space and give the benefit of additional carpet area," he said. Chandra added that construction time for glass-fitted buildings is lower compared to standard buildings. "It takes 3-6 months less time and also does not involve wet work in the civil construction, which requires more workers and also is a hassle for highrise constructions," he said. Gains apart, experts say the major impact comes in the consumption of energy. Data from middle eastern consultant firm UVK Associates that analysed several industrial, IT and hospitality establishments, accessed by Moneycontrol shows, in the hotel sector, the AC and the cooling system consume 49 percent of the total energy consumption. The industrial sector consumes 24 percent and the IT sector consumes a whopping 70 percent of the total energy consumption including AC and cooling pumps. Chandra said, "On top of AC to cool the interiors, we need a cooling system  air-based or water-based. While air-based cooling systems will consume more energy, water-based systems require about 36.5 million litres of water for 1 million square feet of development annually." Additionally, the glass-fitted buildings develop heat sinks between them thus raising the ambient temperature at least by 7 degrees. Experts say this has had an indirect effect on scorching city temperatures and high rainfall for over 8 months in Bengaluru. "It all boils down to carbon footprint and global warming. We need to use efficient construction materials and also design techniques to suit the local climate," Sridhar added. National Building Code 2025 revision, other regulations During the NGT hearing, on March 30, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) submitted to the tribunal that the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has framed the draft guidelines for Environmental Guidelines or Buildings. "Use of glass be reduced by up to 40 percent to reduce the electricity consumption and load on air-conditioning. If necessary, use high-quality double glass with special reflective coating in windows," the written submission said. Additionally, Section 8 of the National Building Code speaks about glass and glazing, however, does not specify the mandates during construction. Though Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) sets minimum energy standards for new commercial buildings, however, Chandra said it is still voluntary compliance. "From IGBC, we try to ensure every building has 15-20 percent energy efficiency and 30-50 percent water efficiency. We guide the promoters or architects, however, we are a certifying body. And most importantly we need to understand the green certification relative to certain baseline parameters," Chandra added. Vijay Dahiya, architecture partner at Team3 added that most of the demand for glass facades is market driven. "We do have alternatives like low-E glass that are glazed and reflect heat. However, again this works best for shaded areas or portions that do not receive direct sunlight. High-performance glass is also available. However, it is much more expensive." "The NBC revision of 2025 will reflect contemporary technology shifts in Part 4, 8, and 9," Chandra told Moneycontrol.
Here is a collection of the most important stories this evening: ICICI Bank Q4 Results: Net profit jumps 30% to Rs 9,122 crore, beats estimates ICICI bank, the second largest private bank in India, clocked nearly 30 percent year-on-year (YoY) jump in net profit to Rs 9,121.9 crore in the quarter ended March 2023, beating Street estimates. The banks net interest income (NII) rose 40.2 percent to Rs 17,667 crore from Rs 12,605 crore in the corresponding quarter last year. More here Yes Bank's net profit drops 45% YoY in January-March on higher provisions Yes Bank reported a near 45 percent drop in net profit year-on-year for the January-March quarter as provisions for bad loans increased. Net profit fell to Rs 202 crore for the reporting quarter from Rs 367 crore in the same period a year earlier. "Increased provisions on standard assets merely as a prudent measure; do not see any specific rise in stress," said Prashant Kumar, managing director and chief executive officer of Yes Bank. More here Sovereign gold bonds  should you buy them this Akshaya Tritiya 2023? Fuelled by fears of global recession and the banking crisis in the US in recent months, gold has gained 23 percent (in US dollar terms) since November 2022, shows data from the World Gold Council. People tend to turn to gold in times of uncertainty. Given that gold fares well in periods when equity does not, it works well as a portfolio diversifier. More here Uday Kotak to transition to non-executive role after CEO tenure at Kotak Mahindra Bank Uday Kotak, the current Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO and MD) of Kotak Mahindra Bank, is set to assume a non-executive role in the bank after his tenure as CEO ends this year According to a regulatory filing on April 21, Kotak will be appointed as a non-executive, non-independent Director of the bank upon the conclusion of his term as MD and CEO. Kotak's tenure as the CEO and MD of the bank will come to a close on December 31, 2023. More here Reliance Industries monitoring OPEC+ supply cut impact on price, demand: CFO The recent oil production cut announced by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+, might impact demand if prices remain high, V Srikanth, Chief Financial Officer, Reliance Industries Ltd said on April 21 after the conglomerate announced its financial results. The challenges that we have to look out for is that if there are oil production cuts and prices go up whether it has an impact on demand. One would also look out for any increase in product exports from China, Srikanth said. More here Rahul Gandhi vacates official bungalow, says paying the price for speaking truth Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he was paying the price for speaking the truth and vowed to continue to raise people's issues as he vacated his official bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhi's residence on Saturday. Gandhi, who was disqualified from Lok Sabha last month following his conviction in a defamation case, was asked to vacate the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow by April 22. More here Bournvita controversy: How to avoid the sugars hidden in your childs food and medicines A recent controversy over Mondelezs Cadbury Bournvita, after social media influencer Revant Himatsingka (Foodpharmer) claimed that some of its ingredients could lead to diseases such as diabetes and cancer, has clouded the claims of vita-kick in milk additives. White sugar is a silent killer and as adults we know it. But how well do the young tolerate it? More here
The recent oil production cut announced by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies, known as OPEC+, might impact demand if prices remain high, V Srikanth, Chief Financial Officer, Reliance Industries Ltd said on April 21 after the conglomerate announced its financial results. On April 3, OPEC+, announced a surprise supply cut of around 1.16 million barrels per day (bpd), in addition to the earlier cuts, from May till the end of 2023. In October 2022, OPEC had agreed to cut production by 2 million bpd. Crude oil prices have been on an upward trajectory since the OPEC announcement. US benchmark Brent crude, which had slumped to $72 per barrel, is now trading around $85 per barrel. The challenges that we have to look out for is that if there are oil production cuts and prices go up whether it has an impact on demand. One would also look out for any increase in product exports from China, Srikanth said. He said that the company will also monitor potential economic contraction in EU and US as it may impact Indias downstream exports. Reliance Industries on April 21 reported 19.1 percent year-on-year (YoY) growth in consolidated profit at Rs 19,299 crore for the quarter ended March of the financial year 2022-23. Gross revenue from operations of India's most valued company came in at Rs 2.39 lakh crore, registering a year-on-year rise of 2.8 percent. Gas outlook Indian gas market outlook remains positive due to lower global prices and higher domestic gas availability, said Srikanth. Lower global prices make gas more competitive and give more choices to buyers, he said. RIL operating income from its oil and gas business was at an 8-year high with steady KG D6 production at around 19 mmscmd and higher energy prices. Gas production at KG D6 is likely to increase to 30 mmscmd in FY24 with commissioning of the MJ field, RIL added.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar co-chaired the 4th India-CARICOM ministerial meeting with his Jamaican counterpart Kaminaj Johnson Smith in Georgetown, Guyana's capital and discussed a range of issues to boost cooperation in areas like trade, agriculture, climate change and health. Jaishankar also had separate bilateral meetings on Friday with counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada, and Barbados. During the bilateral meetings, the minister touched upon various issues including expanding cooperation, trade, climate change, digital transformation, health domains, agriculture, and the International Solar Alliance (ISA). CARICOM is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states (14 nation-states and one dependency) throughout the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean. In his opening remarks, Jaishankar, on his first visit to Guyana, said that this year India has the privilege of chairing the G-20 and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very clear that "we will be there not just for ourselves but also for the countries, who are not on the G-20 table." "This is really a time when we should really be looking at global problems and our own problems and seeing how we can find a solution together," he said. During the meeting, Jaishankar proposed that India would like to offer its expertise in the field of small and medium scale industry, small and medium enterprises. "We would be open to supporting on a grant basis; projects, individual projects of up to a value of a million dollars and we would solicit proposals from you," he was quoted as saying by a statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs. "What we would like to do is to create a partner group in India which will be from our small and medium enterprises, the Foreign Ministry fronting. And see whether our capability which will include the supply of machinery, of technology, of training, whether if we can get really viable project or offers from your side; we would be very happy to look at that," he said. He also noted that there has been a lot of interest in Yoga across the world, especially after Covid. "So in the case of Yoga too, if there is some way by which we can purpose it towards a much more deeper acceptance for your tourism industry, that is something we would be keen to do, Jaishankar said. Earlier, in a series of tweets, the External Affairs Minister commented on his meetings with his counterparts from the CARICOM grouping. "Good to meet Dr Amery Browne, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Spoke about taking forward our development partnership focusing on digital transformation and health domains. Will continue our cooperation at multilateral forums," he tweeted. "So nice to meet Foreign Minister Dr Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis on the sidelines of the India-CARICOM meeting. Noted our resonance in agriculture and digital domains. Conveyed that India will always voice the concerns of the Global South," Jaishankar said in a string of tweets. "Glad to meet FM of St. Vincent and Grenadines Keisal Peters today. Appreciated SVGs interest in Millets. Also discussed our ongoing projects and further expanding of cooperation," he added in a separate tweet. "Happy to meet FM Joseph Andall of Grenada. Discussed advancing our development partnership. Also reaffirmed our belief in Reformed Multilateralism," another tweet said. "Glad to meet with Barbados Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds. Exchanged views on working together in domains of renewable energy, health and skills." The minister also had a bilateral meeting with the co-chair of the India-CARICOM meeting Kaminaj Smith and "discussed taking forward cooperation in training and development partnership", he tweeted. "Agreed on the importance of business-to-business exchanges for stronger ties," he added. The minister also met Bahamas Parliamentary Secretary Jamahl Strachen, an Indian alumnus, and discussed International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), as well as the UNSC reforms, he tweeted. Jaishankar began his nine-day trip to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic on Friday by meeting his counterpart from Surinam Albert Ramdin here. "Co-chaired 4th India-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting with Jamaican FM @kaminajsmith at @CARICOMorg HQ. Thank FM Guyana Hugh Todd for inviting us all," he tweeted. He said he appreciated the perspectives of his counterparts from the Caribbean nations of Surinam, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, and representatives from Belize and Bahamas. Earlier on Friday, Jaishankar also met Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Dr Carla Natalie Barnett and exchanged views on intensifying India-CARICOM ties in traditional as well as new areas of cooperation.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) released the annual footfall figures for Indian airports over the weekend. The data shows there has been a clear recovery from pre-Covid times in FY22-23. How did the top 10 airports perform? There are some changes in the order of the top 10 airports of the country by domestic footfalls. Hyderabad has moved up to fourth spot, pushing Kolkata down by one, and Goa moved up from ninth to eight, pushing Pune down by one. Three of the top 10 airports saw an improvement in traffic in FY22-23 compared to FY19-20. Goas Dabolim airport handled 3.1 percent more passengers, while Bengaluru processed 1.2 percent more passengers, and Delhi saw 0.5 percent additional passengers. Hyderabad and Pune handled more or less the same number of passengers as they did pre-pandemic. The largest drop was at Kolkata, where footfalls fell 17.16 percent, followed by Chennai, where footfalls dropped 16.75 percent. Guwahati and Ahmedabad, now operated by Adani Airports, saw a drop of 7 percent and 5.6 percent, respectively. Mumbai, the second busiest airport in the country, saw a 2.4 percent drop in domestic footfalls. How did airports beyond the top 10 perform? Among the major airports, Srinagar and Chandigarh have performed the best. Srinagar saw a 57 percent growth in footfalls, while Chandigarh grew 52 percent. The numbers at Srinagar are on account of the lower base since 2019-20, when Article 370 was abrogated and tourism adversely impacted. In the case of Chandigarh, the growth is an indicator of its true potential being harnessed after the new terminal came into existence, allowing more flights and increased hours of operations. At airports like Gorakhpur, Tirupati, Jodhpur, Dehradun, Amritsar, Leh, Pantnagar, Shillong, Mysore, and Agra, among others, the growth was driven by pilgrimages and tourist destinations, with traffic in FY22-23 exceeding that of 2019-20. Airports that did badly Thanks to the Regional Connectivity Scheme  UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik)  the count of airports has gone up substantially over the last few years. But even as newer airports have come up, the older ones have lost out on connectivity. Pithorgarh, Ludhiana, Pathankot, Jalgaon, Bhatinda, Adampur, Salem, and Nanded lost out on connectivity post Covid. RCS-UDAN envisioned that the routes would be commercialised in the three year exclusivity period, however that has not been the case across routes and airports. At places like Jalgaon or Salem, the only operator (TruJet) went bust leading to suspension of services, and as a result the airport became defunct. Airports which started operations post-pandemic From pre-Covid times till now, more airports have come on the map than fallen off it. This year saw the blockbuster opening of the Manohar International Airport at Mopa in Goa. In less than three months of operations the new airport has seen over 6 lakh footfalls. Greenfield airports at Hollangi in Arunachal Pradesh, Sindhudurg in Maharashtra, and Deoghar in Jharkhand also started operations in the last financial year. Operations resumed at Coochbehar, Keshod, Rupsi, Jeypore, and Ziro, among others. In sum To an extent, the footfall at airports is an indicator of economic activity. While there has been a slight increase in Covid cases of late, and the economy could see other headwinds as well, bookings are strong and the travel and hospitality industry is looking forward to this summer eagerly. How the traffic pans out in the near future will decide the fate of many airlines and will also dictate the pricing that the government can attract for the next round of airport privatisation, which is expected soon.
Every April saw the Sawants come together for a joint family chore. While the children gathered all the raw mangoes fallen in the compound of the family home, the women got down to pounding the pepper pods along with fresh mint leaves. The men in the meanwhile washed the fresh bounty under running water before boiling them. The whole process would take a few hours but it would be ready for us when we came back from playing in the sun. There was no refrigerator those days and the drink would be poured in earthern matkas to cool off, remembers Priya Sawant, a travel industry professional and Goa native. Such is the allure of the sweet and tangy aam panna that the mere mention of it is enough to send people salivating. According to food historian Pushpesh Pant, aam panna has a long history which goes way back, before the Mughals came to India. The panna in aam panna is derived from the Sanskrit word paaniya, which translates to something one drinks. The drink was devised as an oral rehydration solution by our ancestors. There is even a mention of aam panna in ancient Ayurvedic literature as well as in the writings of Kalidasa, he says. Quintessentially Indian Summers in India are treacherous with temperatures soaring upwards of 40, leading to heat waves and increasing risk of black-outs. In such a scenario cooling drinks hold a special place and prominence. But not all drinks are made equal. Among the hydrating coconut water, tantalising nimbu pani/shikanji and cooling buttermilk, the lip-smacking aam panna is the king of all summer drinks. Summers are synonymous with mangoes. We start with the tart aam panna, then dive into the luscious hapus, empty bowls of aam ras in between and end it with dussehri, says Mumbai-based Suraj Nerurkar. Aam panna in Maharashtra is called kairi panna and is made by pressure-cooking the raw mangoes with their skin intact and then peeling and blending them to a smooth puree. The edge in the drink comes from roasted cumin powder and nutmeg. Same same, but different Different parts of India has its own distinct version of the panna. While some prefer to boil the raw mangoes to extract the fleshy part, others roast them for a smoky flavour. The Bengali version called aam pora'r (pora means burnt/roasted) shorbot is made by roasting raw mangoes and adding bhaja moshla (spice mix of roasted cumin seeds and dried red chilli) to the pulp. Black salt added to the drink helps in digestion. In Gujarat, the panna is laced with cardamom and some kesar for an extra oomph. In Goa, we use the local varieties such as Malgesh, Culas, Khunt and Bispur mangoes to make the panna. Some black pepper and cumin is added for zing and fresh mint leaves are muddled for freshness, says Paul Noronha, executive chef at ITC Grand Central, Mumbai. Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand make a similar version which is called aam jhora, with fennel seeds and is just as delicious. The best part of aam panna is that you dont need a specific variety of mangoes to make it. Back in my hometown Lucknow, there was a variety of mango called "desi" that was available throughout the mango season. This mango with a high-fibre content was perfect to make the panna. Now living in the southern part of India, I've experimented with different types of raw mangoes to make panna but none of them compare to the taste of the "desi" mangoes from my hometown. This is one of the things I love about India, each region has its unique varieties of mangoes with different textures and flavours. Ultimately, it's the mangoes that you grew up eating that you enjoy the most, says Chef Mrigank Singh of the Hyderabad-based restaurant The Pink Elephant. Made of memories For most people aam panna is not just a lip-smacking summer coolant but a drink drenched in memories. As kids, my brother and I would pick raw mangoes at our family home in Panvel. Our own twist was actually adding jal-jeera masala to the panna and then putting the same spice mix on the rim of the glass. So, it became masala kairi panna! In the 32 degree Celsius heat of Mumbai, this was everything we needed after lunch, says Akash Deshpande, chef de cuisine, Nava, a newly launched restaurant in Bandra West. Making panna was all about family bonding for Singh. Plucking fresh mangoes from the tree and watching my mom prepare the aam panna with patience and care holds a special place in my heart. Savouring a glass of it is like going back to my childhood and to the moments we spent together as family. For Sarfaraz Ahmed, head chef at Tresind Mumbai, aam panna was a matter of curiosity. As a kid growing up in Lucknow and Kanpur, I was often intrigued at the sight of a large matka covered with a red cloth with mint leaves and lemon on top. I would wonder whats inside it. Is it a kulfi or sherbet? It was much later that I realised it was aam panna. Ahmed compares the theatrics of making aam panna on a cart akin to flair bartending. The ingredients including the raw mango pulp, seasonings and fresh mint are all laid out neatly on a cart. The fun part is watching him rustle up a perfect drink in quick time according to your taste. Drink with benefits Raw mangoes offer a variety of health benefits and are, therefore, used in chutneys, drinks and for flavouring curries. The Ayurvedic qualities of raw mango are sour, astringent and cooling. If you feel bloated, tired and irritable in the heat, try panna. The potassium will cool you down and the enzymes will aid digestion, says nutritionist Rujuta Diwekar. According to Shweta Shah, nutritionist and founder of Eatfit24/7, the fibre and Vitamin C and B in raw mangoes help cleanse the intestines. But instead of buying packaged aam panna, which may contain a lot of processed sugar, she suggests making it at home and having it in the late afternoons as a refreshing filler. Ways to use aam panna concentrate Mix the pulp with water and freeze it to make popsicles Use the mango concentrate as a jam. It tastes delicious on toast or brie and jam sandwiches. Use it on a grazing board alongside cheese and crackers. Looking to spice things up? Add 60 ml of vodka/tequila to the raw mango nector for a refreshing cocktail. Just add a teaspoon or two of sattu powder for a protein-rich post-workout drink.
Police on Saturday said they have not detained former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik in southwest Delhi's R K Puram area. "We have not detained former governor Satya Pal Malik. He came on his own volition, along with his supporters, to the R K Puram police station and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C said. Another officer said a meeting was scheduled to be held at an MCD park in R K Puram and Malik was supposed to take part in it. He was informed that this was not a place to hold a meeting and that he had neither taken any permission from the authorities concerned, following which Malik and his supporters left the place and subsequently, the former governor came to the police station on his own, the officer added. The Delhi Police also took to Twitter to say a false news about Malik's detention is being spread. "False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will," it said in a tweet. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency. Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya. The CBI move comes barely a week after Malik gave an interview to "The Wire", in which he made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed that some people are trying to divide the nation by pursuing politics of hate and said that she is ready to give her life but "will not allow a division of the country". Banerjee, speaking at a congregation for Eid namaz at the city's Red Road, also urged people to unite and ensure that the right-wing BJP is defeated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. "Some people are trying to divide the country and practise politics of hate  I am ready to give my life but will not allow any division of the country," she said, without naming anyone. Accusing the saffron camp of trying to change the constitution of the country, the Trinamool Congress supremo said she will not allow implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in West Bengal. It has been the TMC's stand that the NRC and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which confers citizenship rights on minorities from neighbouring countries were not needed and existing acts are sufficient. "I am ready to fight the money power (of her political opponents) and (central) agencies (which her party alleges has been unleashed on TMC with a political motive), but I will not bow my head," Banerjee said. She was accompanied by her nephew and TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee at the programme. "In one year, Lok Sabha elections will be held to decide who will come to power in our country. Let us promise that we will unite and fight against divisive forces. We must ensure that all of us together vote them out in the next polls. If we fail to protect democracy, then everything will be finished," the TMC boss said. In an apparent reference to communal tensions during Ram Navami celebrations in West Bengal, Banerjee said she only wants peace and doesn't want riots in the state. Prohibitory orders were imposed in West Bengal's Hooghly and Howrah districts, where clashes broke out between two groups when Ram Navami processions were taken out. Hitting out at the opposition CPI (M) and Congress, without naming them, Banerjee claimed that some people were trying to "divide the minority votes." "Some people are taking money from the BJP and are saying they will divide the minority votes. I want to tell them they can't divide the Muslim votes for BJP. All of us will unite to defeat them," she said. Her comment comes in the backdrop of the TMCs defeat in the Sagardighi assembly by-poll last month, where the Congress-Left alliance snatched the minority-dominated seat from her party. Banerjee has blamed the defeat on an "unholy nexus of Congress-CPI (M)-BJP" in the state. Referring to the recent developments in the Bilkis Bano case, Banerjee said everyone was released in the case, but "we will fight it out," The Centre and the Gujarat government on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that they may file a plea seeking a review of its March 27 order asking them to be ready with original files on the grant of remission to the convicts in the Bilkis Bano case. All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15 last year. Several PILs were filed in the Supreme Court against the release of the convicts. Reacting to Banerjee's remark, BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya asserted that the chief minister is trying to politicise a religious event. It is unimaginable that a democratically elected chief minister is using a religious event to serve her political interests. We condemn such divisive and narrow politics," he said.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's dig at his former party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia has triggered a war of words, with leaders from the ruling BJP calling the grand old party's Rajya Sabha member a "blot" on the country and wishing that he is born in Pakistan in his next life. Digvijaya Singh on Friday visited Ujjain city in Madhya Pradesh, where the famous Mahakaleshwar temple is located. Responding to a query about what he would seek from the deity, Singh had told reporters, "Hey Mahakal, a second Jyotiraditya Scindia should not be born in the Congress." Scindia, who was once considered to be a close aide of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, had quit the grand old party in March 2020, ending his nearly two-decade-long association with the organisation. He then joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was made a Union minister. Following Singh's swipe at him, Scindia had on Friday tweeted that Lord Mahakal should ensure an "anti-national" like Singh, who also greatly harmed Madhya Pradesh, is not born in India. When asked about the Congress veteran's remark against Scindia, BJP leader and Minister for Panchayat Mahendra Singh Sisodia said, "I pray to Lord Mahakal that a person like Digvijaya Singh, who ruined the entire Congress and Madhya Pradesh, should be born in Pakistan in his next life." Minister for Medical Education Vishvas Sarang, who also belongs to the BJP, reacted sharply to Singh's remarks as he termed him a "Pro-Pakistan" leader and accused him of insulting the country's army and soldiers. "Leaders like Digvijaya Singh are a blot on this country. Jyotiraditya ji has rightly tweeted. Such people who speak pro-Pakistan language, talk about giving protection to terrorists and dividing this country, such people have no place in India, Sarang said. The Congress government under Kamal Nath in the state, which came to power in December 2018 after 15 years of the BJP rule, collapsed in March 2020 after 22 MLAs loyal to Scindia joined the saffron party following his rebellion in the grand old party. Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held by the end of this year.
A Bengaluru couple has been forced to move out of their flat in Bellandur after their landlord decided to increase the rent by Rs 18,000. The family was given two options -- either pay up or leave -- and the family decided to shift to a smaller flat 3 km away. Anwesa Chakraborty, 36, and her family had moved into the 3-BHK flat in Bellandur amid the lockdown in August 2020 when she was pregnant. The rent was Rs 25,000 and both the parties agreed to increase the rent by Rs 1,000 every year. At the beginning of 2022, however, as the number of Covid cases in the country plummeted and companies began to ask their employees to return to work from the office, Chakraborty's landlord demanded the rent be hiked to Rs 35,000. "This was after we renewed our agreement for the year and began to pay 5 percent extra rent at Rs 27,000," Chakraborty, who works with an audio OTT platform, told Moneycontrol. "He then said the rent of the area had increased and flats like the one we were living in were being rented out for Rs 45,000." "We were asked to either pay more rent or leave," Chakraborty said. The mother of a toddler shared the flat with her husband, mother, and an ailing 75-year-old father-in-law. As the family began to look for a house in the area, they came to know that their landlord had already found new tenants who had agreed to pay Rs 45,000 rent. "He had offered it on sharing basis, so he found replacements very quickly," Chakraborty said. The family meanwhile shifted to a much smaller 2-BHK in nearby Carmelram, with a rent of Rs 18,000. Moneycontrol reached out to Chakraborty's landlord, but he refused to comment. The Chakraborty family is only one among the hundreds who have been facing the heat as residential real estate prices doubled in the city since last year. Rental market is too hot right now, Prashant Thakur, head of research at property consultancy firm Anarock told Bloomberg. Apartments had to be rented out at very low rates during Covid as many went back to their hometowns. Now that people are getting back to the office, landlords are making up for their losses with higher rents. Chakraborty, however, considers herself to be one of the lucky ones. "We ended up receiving 80 percent of our deposit money. Most of our friends in Bengaluru managed to get back only 20 percent whenever they moved houses. So that way, we've been lucky," she said. Read more: No wild animals, only 'legal husbands': Bengaluru sees a spurt in bizarre rent agreements
When Ajiths Veeram came out in 2014, it already felt anachronistic. The Tamil film was about an older brother who is determined to be a bachelor, and instructs his four younger brothers never to marry  the reason being that the brides could cause a divide amongst them. If Veeram did well despite its ludicrous premise and Sivas characteristically loud direction, its thanks to Ajiths loyal fanbase and some fun scenes that the star pulled off with his swag and comic timing. What was the need to remake this in 2023? Never mind, that was a rhetorical question. Farhad Samjis version of Veeram isnt a frame-by-frame remake but that doesnt mean it comes off as fresh or original. If Veeram had five brothers, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan has only four. This doesnt make any difference since the brothers have nothing to do other than weep at the thought of how much their older brother loves them. In Kisi Ka Bhai, the bhai is SO loving that it doesnt occur to his younger brothers that they dont even know his name until someone asks them. Everyone just calls him Bhaijaan. Is he Bhaijaan on his Aadhaar card and bank account, too? Such questions should not be asked in a movie where nothing is realistic, including Salman Khans VFX-enhanced abs. The younger brothers do have names, and they are Love (Siddharth Nigam), Ishq (Raghav Juyal) and Moh (Jassie Gill). Amazingly, they find women who are deluded enough to fall in love with them. But unless Bhaijaan allows it, they have to stay bachelors. In Veeram, Siva threw in a sentimental childhood scene about the big bhai drinking endless glasses of tea and giving all his food to his younger brothers to convince the audience that the brothers are right to obey his draconic rules. Samji amplifies the melodrama with a twist thats as old as dinosaur bones  of course, all these brothers are orphans fostered by big bhai. The poor orphan trope is so done to death that unless someone chops a kilo of onions in the theatre, nobody is going to sniffle. The actors dont look remotely convinced by anything thats happening. Kisi Ka Bhai is mostly shot in one set thats supposed to be a street in Delhi, and another set thats a sprawling bungalow in Hyderabad. Everything gives off a distinctly plastic vibe, and not for one moment do you suspend disbelief. So, when Salman Khan leaps onto the screen with long hair and the body count piles up, it looks more like a shampoo commercial than a film thats trying to draw you into the story. For that matter, Kisi Ka Bhai might well be a feature-length commercial, seeing as it is full of brand placements  from Pepsi to PVR and Salman Khans own brands, Being Human and Being Strong (I might have missed a few, being bored). Pooja Hegde is charming but she seems to be signing one dud after another. In Kisi Ki Bhai, the 32-year-old actor is required to romance the 57-year-old Khan while reciting lines from the Bhagavad Gita. Is it normal for people to get the hots for each other when reading from religious texts? In the world of Kisi Ka Bhai, its all kosher. Bollywood doesnt have a stellar record in representing South Indians, and Samji tries to hammer in every stereotype possible. Hegdes Bhagya is a South Indian (shes Telugu, to be specific), and she demonstrates this to Bhaijaan by acting like how South Indians behave when they are angry, in love, or emotional. If you thought Shah Rukh Khan eating noodles with curd in Ra.One (2011) was the pits, wait till you watch this. And oh, lest we forget the infamous Lungi Dance from Chennai Express (2013), the Yentamma song has a bunch of stars wearing the pancha/dhoti and calling it the lungi. Sigh. Also read: Kisi ka Bhai Kisi ki Jaan | Why Salman Khan's stardom never seems to fade The screenplay of Kisi Ka Bhai is one lazy scene stacked upon another, to a point when you wonder if the film is actually a spoof. Khans punch lines like Insaniyat mein bada dum, Vande Mataram or punch essays like Whenever a violent man goes after a non-violent man, a very violent man will come to the need of the non-violent man simply dont land. They float in the air and give you second-hand embarrassment. Hes better at landing punches, and its the only time when he doesnt look completely robotic. Daggubati Venkatesh plays Annayya, Bhagyas non-violent brother. In Veeram, its a non-violent father who has to be convinced about the love between the two, but in a film revolving around bhaijaan, the more bhais the better. Venkatesh gets to exercise some muscles and display his heroics, with Jagapathi Babu, the constant villain of south wali movies, pitted against him. Babu is a talented actor but is often reduced to growling and prowling on screen like hes a member of a cat species, and Kisi Ka Bhai is no different. The songs are mediocre and only serve to make an already tiring film longer than it needs to be. Characters come and go, uttering inane dialogues and leaving zero impact. Bhagyashrees cameo only serves to remind the viewer that while her career as a heroine is done and dusted, Khan continues to sing duets with women half his age. Maybe its time to stop, bhaijaan? Nobody in their right mind was expecting Kisi Ka Bhai to be logical  thats too big an ask  but the bare minimum was that a film of this genre is entertaining. And it certainly isnt. This masala is well past the sell-by date and deserves to be trashed.
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on April 21 refused to restrain Bollywood actor Salman Khan from terminating the lease of his 27,650 sqft commercial property in Mumbai, which is currently home to a Foodhall supermarket, owned by TNSI Retail Private Limited, a subsidiary of Future Retail Limited. The order was passed while hearing a plea moved by Koinonia Coffee Pvt Ltd, which runs coffee shops at Foodhall stores, and is owned by TNSI. The coffee company had approached the appellate tribunal as Salman Khan was seeking to terminate the lease agreement with effect from April 30, 2023. The lawyer representing Koinonia Coffee argued that since Kishore Biyani-owned Future Retail went into insolvency, Koinonia asked the Resolution Professional (RP) to take possession of the Foodhall supermarkets and pay their dues as per the agreement. However, the business was handed over to TNSI instead. Koinonia approached National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) with an application stating that the agreement between TNSI and Future on Foodhall is an attempt to ring-fence the Foodhall business and deprive its stakeholders of its in-going revenues/profits. NCLT reserved its orders on February 22 and is yet to deliver the same. Meanwhile, in March 2023, Salman Khan sought to terminate the agreement and take back possession of his property. The lawyer argued that despite requesting NCLT to pass orders in the case time and again, the tribunal refused to do so. Hence they have now approached NCLAT. The NCLAT, however, dismissed the case opining that it would not be appropriate to pass orders in a case where judgment is yet to be delivered by NCLT. Actor Salman Khan 2017, leased an area of 27,650 sqft spread over four floors to TNSI Retail Private Limited, a subsidiary of Future Retail Limited, in Mumbai. The lease agreement for commercial premises located on the lower ground floor, ground floor, first floor and second floor at Santacruz West in Mumbai was renewed in September 2022 between licensor Salman Khan and licensee TNSI Retail Private Limited, the documents showed. The monthly rent for the first year is Rs 89.6 lakh and Rs 94.08 lakh from the second year onwards. The company has paid a security deposit of Rs 2.68 crore, the documents showed. The chargeable area is 27,650 sqft and 23,042 sqft is the carpet area.
Note to readers: My Family and Other Globalizers is a weekly parenting column on bringing up global citizens. Touch, and personal space, are not universal in their interpretation. I grew up in the Delhi of the 1980s, where to live was to rub up against. The claims by others on ones body were constant. At bus stops, ample-bosomed matriarchs reached out to use my arm without comment or consent, to steady themselves as they heaved up into vehicles. Queues of every kind  for cinema tickets, college admission forms, onions  tended to dissolve into melees of intertwined legs and elbows. On trains, travellers divvied up their eggs and parathas with everyone in physical proximity. And it was always possible to squeeze one more person into a car, a tuk-tuk, the back of a truck. The upshot was that I lacked a strong consciousness of private space/property, a fact that dawned on me only after I moved to the UK in the late 1990s. I still smart with embarrassment remembering the sharp reaction I provoked in a college mate when I unselfconsciously helped myself to his open packet of crisps, as we sat chatting in the common room one afternoon. In my initial few months in the country, I was always crossing the lines of permissible touch. Id notice an undone shoelace and lift my foot onto the boot of a parked car so I could tie it, setting off an alarm. I was wholly unprepared for the fear that touch could generate. That you shouldnt tweak the cheeks of a cute baby without permission, or that you needed to apologise if you brushed up against someone inadvertently. Over the next two decades, I went on to live in China, Belgium, Indonesia, Japan and Spain, only to realise that every country has its own norms around touch. And nothing brings these differences into sharper focus than pregnancy and babies. There are cultures where a pregnant mother and her offspring are treated as community concerns, and there are those where ones belly and baby are off limits to anyone but the individual herself. Its the classic cultural fault line between collectivism and individualism that divides East and West. My first pregnancy was in Beijing, and as soon as I was showing, random women on the street began to hold eye contact for longer than usual, a knowing smile playing on their lips. An auntie at a subway station once reached out and patted my belly without any invitation and beamed as she gave me a thumbs up sign. The receptionist at my local gym took it upon herself to give me unsolicited advice on what foods I needed to avoid eating. Three years later, I was pregnant again. This time in Brussels, where a stranger was as likely to pat my belly, as the city was to enjoy a rainless summer. Worries about paedophilia and stranger-danger were rife among parents of young children. Children were taught about good touch and bad touch as early as kindergarten. If someone touched your child without permission, it could escalate into a matter for the police. A few years passed and we returned to Asia and the (literal) embrace of strangers. My older son, Ishaan, who was about seven at the time, was taken aback when a hijab-clad, elderly lady took such a shine to him on a bus in Jakarta, that she hugged him tightly without any warning, other than the smiles shed been flashing him ever since wed boarded. And once we had alighted, she even followed behind us a for a few minutes, blowing kisses. Being the poster boy for the sort of Eurasian look beloved in much of Asia, Ishaan would find himself in similar situations repeatedly. On a trip to rural China, for example, a line of people gathered to take photos with him. Where do I stand on this issue of touch and personal space? The fact is that Ishaan does not particularly enjoy being hugged. In Spain, where kissing is the standard form of greeting, he prefers to shake hands. Yet, even as a younger person he could detect that the attentions of the old ladies of Jakarta, and the excited village folk of China, while unasked for, were far from ill-intentioned. They were, in fact, a way of expressing appreciation. It was a matter of weighing the slight discomfort he felt at the encroachment of his personal space, against the kindness hed be doing to the strangers by acquiescing to a hug or a photograph. Our travels have given our family the cultural intelligence to know how important context is. What can come across as annoying, unacceptable, or even criminal in some cultures, can be seen as affectionate or flattering in others. In an ideal world, we would all be on the same page, but in fact, social conventions differ. Its important to talk to your children about good touch and bad touch from a young age, and most children know how to distinguish the two instinctively. It is also important to stand up for your child if they are made seriously uncomfortable by the attentions of a stranger, as opposed to just being startled by an unfamiliar way of social contact. The boundary between individual comfort and the pleasure of knowing you have avoided hurting the feelings of a well-intentioned human being who is attuned to different cultural norms, is a tricky one to navigate. As always, nuance is the key.
By Anne L. Bartlett, United Arab Emirates University In the last few days, a deadly conflict has erupted in Sudans capital, Khartoum, between rival factions of the armed forces, leaving at least 180 people dead and at least 1,800 civilians and combatants injured. The fighting, which broke out between the Sudan Armed Forces led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, saw fighter jets take to the skies over the capital and armed fighters take to the streets. Militia vs military The latest fighting comes as no surprise to many in Sudan, where a power struggle has been brewing for some time between the two generals, al-Burhan and Dagalo (also known as Hemedti). It has a historical tail of more than 20 years, right back to the early days of the Darfur conflict and the rise of the notorious Janjaweed militia. From that time, Hemedti, a leader of the Janjaweed militia group from the Abbala Rezeigat tribe in northern Darfur, came to prominence for his willingness to carry out raids on villages leading to mass killings, rapes and looting on a grand scale. What he learned very early on was that strength came from doing things that no reasonable person would do. In contrast to the army, his fighters were free range - able to roam around and kill people at will. His work had another function, too. Because he was free range and out of a direct chain of command, it meant that he could do the governments bidding, but do it with maximum deniability. It was this ruthless mindset and operational flexibility that brought him into the favour of the then-president of Sudan, General Omar al-Bashir, who needed an informal paramilitary group to protect him from enemies within his party, the National Islamic Front. This militia became the Rapid Support Forces, which is currently fighting Sudans military. It was given special status in 2017 as an independent security force, not part of the regular armed forces. It wasnt just al-Bashir who benefited from this relationship, either. In return for his assistance, Hemedti was given free rein to access gold mines in Darfur, which has made him immensely rich. Contrast this with al-Burhan of the Sudan Armed Forces. A career general, he has been involved in the army since 1991, running multiple campaigns. He was in Darfur since the early days of the conflict coordinating a counter-insurgency campaign, but he is neither as entrepreneurial as Hemedti, nor as cashed up. Yet, as former president al-Bashir was running into trouble at the start of 2019, Hemedti was the one to stab his former patron in the back by supporting the other side. This has never been forgotten by the Islamists of Sudan. Al-Bashir was subsequently ousted in a coup, but the generals have never been comfortable bedfellows. While they have worked together, there have been clear cases where Hemedti has attempted to undermine al-Burhan. The region wants more business, less war All of these developments are taking place in what are increasingly choppy geopolitical waters for Sudan, where old alliances are rapidly changing. While Hemedti managed to forge strong ties with Saudi Arabia and an alliance of countries in the Persian Gulf by sending soldiers to fight in the war in Yemen, there are now hopeful signs this eight-year-long conflict may be coming to an end. Fuelling this hope is a detente between Saudi Arabia and Iran recently brokered by the Chinese. The United Arab Emirates, who hosted al-Burhan in February, has called for restraint in Sudan and for the two sides to work towards a peaceful solution to the current crisis. Egypt, which has traditionally supported al-Burhan and the army, has also expressed its willingness to work for peace, calling for an immediate ceasefire before things spiral out of control. Russia, which has been consolidating relations with Sudan over recent years, has also called for restraint. Russia has provided arms to Sudans military. For many of the countries in the region, the overall approach to Sudan can be summed up as more business, less war. The countrys Gulf neighbours are seeking to diversify their oil-based economies and are looking to Sudan for business opportunities. Conflict disrupts those opportunities. As the generals fight for power, civilians struggle for food In Sudan itself, it is difficult to assess what the appetite is among the public for more fighting. Hemedti has declared himself to be the wronged party, and says he is against civilian killings and in favour of civilian rule. Al-Burhan sees Hemedti as a criminal and an upstart. Undoubtedly, both are aware that the longer the situation goes on, the more unsustainable their activities will become. Yet, while the generals fight it out, the economy continues to decline and the cost of living soars. Since the coup, basic household goods such as bread are ten times more expensive than before, with other items increasing by up to 300%. As one woman in the market in Khartoum pointed out in a recent Reuters report, as they fight to loot the country, we fight for food. Anne L. Bartlett, Associate Professor, United Arab Emirates University This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Also read: MC Explainer I Whats behind the crisis in Sudan? Why is the Sudanese army fighting its paramilitary force?
More than 150 people, including foreign diplomats and officials, rescued from battle-scarred Sudan arrived Saturday in Jeddah, the Saudi foreign ministry said, in the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting began. The evacuation was carried out by the kingdom's naval forces with the support of other branches of the army, the foreign ministry said in a statement. It announced the "safe arrival" of 91 Saudi citizens and around 66 nationals from 12 other countries -- Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philipines, Canada and Burkina Faso. The foreigners included "diplomats and international officials", the ministry said without giving further details. Saudi Arabia "worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals" ahead of their departure to their respective countries, the statement added. Saudi state-run Al-Ekhbariya television released several videos of warships approaching Jeddah's port on Saturday. The evacuees were received by officials and soldiers who distributed sweets on the occasion of the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, footage showed. Women and children holding Saudi flags were also seen getting off one of the ships. Among those who arrived in Jeddah on Saturday was the crew of a Saudi passenger plane that was hit by gunfire while preparing to take off from Khartoum at the start of the fighting on April 15, according to Al-Ekhbariya. The broadcaster said that the evacuees were transported in a convoy of vehicles to Port Sudan from where they boarded ships to Jeddah. It was the first evacuation of civilians from Sudan since violence erupted there a week ago. Earlier on Saturday, Sudan's army said its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had received calls from leaders of several countries to "facilitate and guarantee safety for evacuating citizens and diplomatic missions". It noted that the evacuations are expected to begin "in the coming hours", adding that the United States, Britain, France and China are planning to airlift their nationals out of Khartoum using military jets. Clashes erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to Burhan and those of his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle. The conflict -- much of which has taken place in Khartoum -- has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded. Heavy gunfire, loud explosions, and fighter jets roared in many parts of the capital Saturday morning, according to witnesses.
The Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from the United States, Britain, China and France out of the country on military airplanes, as fighting persisted in the capital, including at its main airport. The military said that army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan had spoken to leaders of various countries requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, which has been roiled by bloody fighting for the past week. Countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens amid deadly clashes that have killed over 400 people so far. With Sudan's main international airport closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to simply shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans. Burhan said that diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said that Jordan's diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way.

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When Benjamin Millepied was a teenager starting dance training in New York, he and fellow students got into ballet performances for free, but opera was another story: They had to be creative. They'd sneak into the Metropolitan Opera House during intermission, or talk their way backstage, relying on a sympathetic usher for seats.

We did these totally naughty things, he says with a laugh.

It helped Millepied, who was born and raised in France and Senegal before coming to the United States, keep his love for opera alive while climbing the ranks at New York City Ballet to principal dancer. He also maintained his passion for cinema, sparked during a childhood of watching classic films with his mother.

Millepied would go on to make a number of short films, and then in 2010, he choreographed and acted in Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan, alongside future wife Natalie Portman. Now, he's achieving a long-held dream by making his directorial debut with Carmen, starring Melissa Barrera and Paul Mescal, which opened Friday. He also cowrote the script and created numerous dance sequences  including for Barrera and Mescal, neither of whom is a trained dancer.

But this Carmen has little to do with the story many know from Georges Bizet's 1875 opera set in Spain, about a mysterious woman who is ultimately killed by a jealous lover. Millepied explains that he has neither adapted nor updated Carmen, so much as made a whole new work of art. His Carmen is a young Mexican woman who escapes death and makes it across the U.S. border with the help of a Marine who is emotionally damaged from war. The two fall in love, but tragedy finds them.

Millepied, 45, who spent two and a half years as director of the Paris Opera Ballet and for more than a decade has directed the L.A. Dance Project in Los Angeles, sat down with The Associated Press to discuss how he came to Carmen, how he chose his cast and what he tried to accomplish.

The interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

AP: You grew up in the world of dance. What brought you to filmmaking, and Carmen?

MILLEPIED: It was really in the back of my mind since I started at New York City Ballet. I had a real love for cinema (growing up in France), and saw so much American film on French TV. I had kind of a dream. I started to make short films and I was into photography. So all the ingredients were there. My interest in Carmen, part of that is personal, my close relationship with my mother. I wanted to kind of embody this woman.

AP: The story we know best from the 1875 opera now feels dated  how did you deal with that?

MILLEPIED: I had dinner with (opera and theater director) Peter Sellars in LA and told him I wanted to make Carmen and he almost got angry. He said to me, If youre really going to do it, you have to completely reinvent it. For him, it was really a 19th century story written by men who knew nothing about women. It gave me the freedom at that point to say, Well, why am I interested in it, and what do I want to do with it? Ultimately, it was to portray the freedom in this woman. And the almost magical qualities she has.

AP: What was the biggest challenge?

MILLEPIED: The experience of writing was maybe the most foreign thing to me. Everything else in a way has to do with theater performance. And photography and lights and moving people on the screen, and knowing when to move the camera and not. I stripped (plot) away and found ways to tell the story without a lot of dialogue.

AP: You gave your Carmen a completely new story, as a young woman fleeing Mexico for the United States after the murder of her mother. The film is set to an original score by Nicholas Britell. What did you save, then, from the older versions?

MILLEPIED: Whats interesting is this womans capacity to express herself. And this freedom, this larger-than-life quality and her fearlessness. I wanted her to be a woman who could love and be loved, and not just be objectified or or be a fantasy. In the (older) version, shes this thing that people want to own. I was interested in putting her against a character (played by Mescal) that actually is a deeply good person. Its really about freedom, a person who is completely free.

AP: Tell me how you went about casting the two lovers.

MILLEPIED: For Carmen, we had a big search. I saw Melissa on a tape and she was really impressive. This was long before In the Heights. She has this ability to look like a dancer without having ever danced. Its wild actually, and pretty unfair. We met, and she was really kind of bold in the meeting. We started working. With Paul, it was after I saw Normal People. I was watching Elia Kazan movies. I didnt want a man-boy. I didnt want someone who is self-conscious. I wanted somebody who could embody a Marine without posing  its not so easy. I think he just had this understanding of physicality, and how actors express themselves through their bodies.

AP: It's always a challenge to integrate dance into film. How did you achieve that?

MILLEPIED: It's not so common  a drama with dance. I wanted to tell a dark story that isnt just (makes a happy-dance gesture.) How are you going to make this work? Thats tricky. I think the challenge here was doing a dark story and using dreams. Sometimes you dont know whether you're in a dream or reality: Thats where the dance takes place.

AP: Is dance having a crossover cultural moment?

MILLEPIED: Yeah, I think theres definitely a cultural interest in dance. However, theres a lot of dance that is related to the telephone, you know? Like TikTok videos. And theres a problem with the frontal quality of it all. People dont even dance in 360 (degrees) anymore. And the way youre supposed to digest it: 15 seconds, 30 seconds. Were in a moment where I just believe more than ever that dance and theater are so important. Dance not only as performance but as a communal experience, where you dont have a telephone, is important and I really believe in it as a tool for wellbeing.
Ukrainian forces have taken up positions in the eastern (left-bank) part of occupied Kherson region, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said in an April 21 report, citing unnamed Russian sources.

"A prominent Russian milblogger claimed on April 20 that Ukrainian forces established a foothold across from Kindiyka (8km north of Oleshky) and regularly conduct sorties on the east (left) bank with Western-provided naval equipment... Another Russian milblogger claimed on April 20 that Ukrainian forces successfully landed and entrenched themselves west of the Antonivsky bridge and have established stable supply lines to these positions. A different prominent Russian milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces have a small bridgehead on an unspecified island in the Dnipro River delta close to the east (left) bank, but that the positions provide access only to floodplain swamp areas," the report notes.

At the same time, ISW notes that they have not observed visual evidence that Ukrainian forces are holding positions on the eastern (left) bank of the Dnipro River in Kherson region.

Zaporizhia Oblast Occupation Head Yevgeny Balitsky claimed that Ukrainian forces captured an unspecified section of a contested area of the front line in Zaporizhia region. ISW has not observed visual confirmation of recent marginal Ukrainian advances in Zaporizhia region.

At the same time, according to analysts, on Friday the invaders continued their offensive in the Bakhmut area of Donetsk region, on the Avdiyivka-Donetsk line and carried out a limited ground attack in the western part of Donetsk region. Russian troops also carried out limited ground attacks on the Kupiansk-Svatovo-Kreminna line in Kharkiv and Luhansk regions.

"Geolocated footage published on April 20 and 21 indicates that Wagner forces have likely captured the Bakhmut-2 railway station in central Bakhmut, advanced west of the railway line near the station, and advanced up to the railway line south of the station... Russian forces likely made marginal gains in Maryinka (27km southwest of Avdiyivka)... Ukrainian forces slowed down the pace of Russian advances in the Avdiyivka area as of April 20," the report notes.

ISW also reports that the Russian occupation authorities are expanding logistical capabilities and security measures at the Arabat Spit, likely to prepare for a possible Ukrainian counteroffensive, and that Russian subjects are forming new inter-regional volunteer formations to support ongoing force generation campaigns.

It is also reported that Russian forces have used a new batch of Shahed drones to strike Ukraine for the third consecutive day, hitting Kyiv for the first time in 25 days.
The trial of four administrators at the Trinity School of Midland charged with professional failure to make required child abuse report intentional conceal will continue into next week.

The questioning of the mother of the student who reported abuse continued in the afternoon session Friday.

With the mother there to confirm her side of the story, the prosecution reiterated the timeline of the alleged touching and meetings with Trinity administrators and the Midland Police Department. The prosecution introduced multiple email threads between the female students mother and Trinity administrators.

The meeting between the female students parents and Todd Freese, Trinitys dean of students, was discussed during the morning session. It involved the female students parents telling Freese they were outraged by the fact that Freese had not notified them when he learned about the alleged assaults and that Freese interviewed their daughter without a female staff member present.

The defense also began its questioning of the female students mother.

Attorneys for the defense posited that because the students mother was not present during the alleged events at Trinity, she wasnt in any position to speak confidently that her daughter was sexually assaulted. On Thursday, the female student testified that she was not touched on her genitals by the assailant. The defense asked the mother if she was surprised to hear that, and the mother said she was not surprised. According to the defense, the affidavit said the female student was touched on her vagina.

The defense then presented a text conversation between the mother and her friend as they discussed the case. The mother sent more than one text message saying she did not like Adrianne Clifton, one of the administrators on trial. The mother also told her friend she did not know why Clifton was being charged with a crime.

The defense questioned the mother about why she hadnt gone to police or come forward with allegations for three years after she discovered a text conversation between her daughter and her friend discussing the misconduct. The mother said her daughter did not feel comfortable enough to do so.

The mother, in a text conversation with a friend, said she attempted to get Cliftons charges dropped.

The defense said a staff member that the female student trusted was in the same meetings with Chrystal Meyers, another of the administrators being charged. They also stated that staff member knew the same information as Meyers regarding the situation and wasnt charged. The defense posited that it is because the mother likes the other staff member personally more than she does Meyers. The mother said she thought Meyers handled everything very well.

When asked her opinion on Shelby Hammer, another administrator being charged, the mother said she was ambivalent.

The court went into recess until Monday morning.

Friday morning session

The defense and prosecution briefly questioned Lucas Flores, who works in digital forensics in Kerr County and was contacted to assist in the investigation of Trinity administrators devices. He took the jury through methods in which digital forensics investigators use to gather information from devices.

After Flores, a former Trinity student was called to the stand. This person brought the female students claim of sexual assault to Freese.

The former Trinity student claimed he went to Freese in mid-September 2020 because he trusted him. He told Freese that the female student was being touched inappropriately and talked to in sexual manner by a male student. The former Trinity student said Freese told him to keep the information quiet. The defense posited this was because it was important to not spread rumors about the situation. The student agreed.

The defense wondered why the female student told this male student about her situation. The defense claimed because the two students never texted each other frequently, went to each others birthday parties or went to each others houses that they werent good friends. The male former student at Trinity disagreed, said they were close and the female student trusted him.

The former Trinity student said on Jan. 21, 2020, he went back to speak with Freese again after asking the female student if the inappropriate behavior was still happening and she responded affirmatively. During this time, the school had been interviewing classmates about the situation periodically, he said. The male student said he was not called into Freeses office but went in on his own.

Attorneys for Hammer and Clifton asked the male student if he had spoken directly to their clients about the situation. The student said he had not.

The male student said he approached Freese because it was the right thing to do given the information hed received and that he was fond of the four administrators being charged.

The male student was excused and so was the jury.

The female students mother was brought to the stand, and, without the jury present, an evidentiary hearing took place regarding a waiver of release sent to the family by Hammer after the family had heard about the alleged assaults happening at school and decided to remove their daughter from Trinity.

This waiver of release from the school included the reason for the female student leaving the school at the beginning of the year as student encountered unwanted behavior from another student, it also included a confidentiality agreement. The defense said the confidentiality agreement did not include any verbiage that would prohibit the family from speaking to police or the media about the situation. The judge ruled that the confidentiality and settlement agreement will not be permitted in this case and the jury was brought back into the courtroom.

The mother of the female student was brought back for questioning. The prosecutors asked her about her involvement in the Trinity community, her daughters childhood and early days at the school. The female students mother said she was a smart and happy child until around December of 2019 while she was in middle school. The mother routinely kept tabs on her text conversations and found a texts between her daughter and one of her friends discussing the alleged assaults, this led the mother to question her daughter about it.

The mother then brought the information to her husband, she said. After discussing their next steps, the husband sent an email to Freese saying a male classmate had slapped and pinched her rear end during school hours and informed Freese that he had instructed his daughter to defend herself the way she saw fit if it were to happen again. The father also informed Freese that he told his daughter to speak with a trusted staff member about the situation. The father did not want the alleged assailant or her daughters identity to be made public to protect their reputations.

The mother said Freese did not respond promptly to the email. She also said she received a phone call from one of her friends expressing her sadness for her daughters situation, which she did not know others knew about.

The parents decided to show up at Freeses office in person and discuss the situation with him.
FILE PHOTO: Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang attends a joint press conference with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (not pictured) at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China, April 14, 2023. Suo Takekuma/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo
Factbox 2024 - US presidential election: who is in, who is out and who is still thinking about it
Although some groups have resumed meetings, others schedules may have changed because of pandemic restrictions. It is recommended you contact the group in advance to verify details. Any changes in meeting schedules can be emailed to JJCsocial@myjournalcourier.com.



ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

217-370-4002

Jacksonville locations:

 First Baptist Church, 1701 Mound Ave. Wheelchair-accessible.

 Club HOW, 638 S. Church St.

Monday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at First Baptist Church. Bowen Group.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Tuesday

 Open discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Womens open meeting, 5:30 p.m., First Christian Churchs Fireside Room.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 7 p.m. at Grace Lutheran Church, Main and Washington streets.

 ROODHOUSE: Closed discussion, 12-step/12 traditions, 8 p.m. at Grace Center, 114 W. Palm St.

Wednesday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

Thursday

 Closed discussion, 7:30 a.m. at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW.

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. Newcomers Group.

Friday

 Closed discussion, noon at Club HOW. TGIF Group.

 Closed discussion, 5:15 p.m., Big Book Study at Club HOW.

 VIRGINIA: Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 401 E. Broadway Ave.

Saturday

 Open speaker, 8 p.m. at Club HOW.

 Open meeting, noon at Club HOW.

Sunday

 Closed discussion, 8 p.m. at Club HOW. 12 & 12 Group.

 Closed discussion, 10 a.m. at Club HOW. (Second Sunday is open)

 SPRINGFIELD: AA for Women, 10 a.m. at Discovery Club, 313 W. Cook St.



AL-ANON

Meetings are nonsmoking and open to anyone. The only requirement is that there be a problem of alcohol with a loved one or friend. 217-248-6434.

Wednesday

 Al-Anon, 7:30-8:30 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 331 E. State St. (use Morgan Street entrance)



NARCOTICS ANONYMOUS

All meetings are nonsmoking. Not affiliated with any religious organization.

Jacksonville location:

 Christ Lutheran Church for the Deaf, 104 Finley St. (enter through back door). 217-883-1975.

Monday

 Open discussion group, 7 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church for the Deaf.

Wednesday

 Open discussion group, 8 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church for the Deaf.

Friday

 Open discussion group, 7:30 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church for the Deaf.



OTHER MEETINGS

Monday

 Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. at Faith Tabernacle, 571 Sandusky St. Use side entrance to church hall.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 7-8 p.m. in the basement of Subway in Pittsfield. 1-800-323-1388.



Tuesday

 Jacksonville Sunrise Rotary, 7 a.m. Holiday Inn Express meeting room, South Jacksonville. 217-243-6895.

 Bereavement support group, 10-11 a.m. Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, Meeting Room 4.

 Jacksonville Area Landlords Association (JALA), 6 p.m. at the Morgan County Fairgrounds grandstand. Social time at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 217-243-1409 or 217-248-5416.



Wednesday

 Breastfeeding support group, 6 p.m., Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, Meeting Room 2.

 ROODHOUSE: Women with Hearts of Love (WWHOL), 6-7 p.m. at House of Restoration, 208 W. Franklin St. 217-602-1670.



Thursday

 Grief support group, 10 a.m., Jacksonville Memorial Hospital.

 Jacksonville Area Chess Club, 6-9 p.m. at Jacksonville Public Library. 217-370-0882.

 St. Johns UCC Grief Group, 7 p.m., St. Johns UCC, 216 North St., Brighton. Free | Support group for those grieving the loss of a loved one.

 Jacksonville Kiwanis Club, noon at Hamiltons.

 WHITE HALL: Addicts Victorious, noon at Hamiltons.

 PITTSFIELD: Addicts Victorious, 6 p.m. at Assembly of God, 575 Piper St. 800-323-1388.



Saturday

 Jacksonville Amateur Radio Societys Net, 9 p.m. Transmitted on K9JX repeater. K9JX.com.
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PITTSBURGH (AP)  Three Jewish congregations, resolute in their defiance of the hatred that tried to destroy them, are still waiting for justice.

But united in their horror and grief, they havent been standing still as the criminal case for the massacre that changed everything has crawled through the federal court system.

Four and a half years ago, a gunman invaded the Tree of Life synagogue on a Sabbath morning and killed 11 worshippers from the three congregations that shared the building  Dor Hadash, New Light and Tree of Life. The shooting, in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood at the heart of Jewish Pittsburgh, was the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

On Monday, jury selection is scheduled to begin in the long-delayed trial of the suspect, accused of dozens of charges including hate crimes resulting in death.

The three congregations are wary of what's to come. Some members may be called to testify, and they're bracing for graphic evidence and testimony that could revive the traumas of the Oct. 27, 2018, attack  often referred to around here as simply 10/27.

The tension can be felt in private conversations and encounters  the griefs, the anxieties, the feelings of being in a media fishbowl.

But each in their own ways, members are finding renewed purpose in honoring those lost in the attack, in the bold practice of their faith, in activism on issues like gun violence and immigration, in taking a stand against antisemitism and other forms of bigotry.

We dont want to be silenced as Jews, said Rich Weinberg, chair of the social action committee for Dor Hadash. We want to be active as Jews with an understanding of Jewish values. ... We are going to still be here. We will not be intimidated.

That was evident even in subtle details of a Passover service held earlier this month in New Light's chapel, joined by some members of Dor Hadash.

Some offering Yizkor, or remembrance, prayers were doing so in honor of slain loved ones. One prayer was read in memory of the Kedoshim of Pittsburgh, murdered al kiddush Hashem"  holy martyrs, killed while sanctifying God's name. The prayer, modeled on prayers for Jewish martyrs of medieval Europe, has been woven into the ritual fabric of Jewish Pittsburgh.

One of those leading Passover prayers was Carol Black, who survived the attack that claimed the life of her brother, Richard Gottfried, and two other New Light members, Melvin Wax and Daniel Stein. They had led much of New Light's ritual worship.

Rich and Dan and Mel were our religious heart, said Stephen Cohen, co-president of New Light. And we had some very big shoes to fill."

Members such as Black and Bruce Hyde have stepped into them. Hyde said when he once read a passage that had been read by Stein, he felt his presence: He was up there with me."

Cohen said the congregation had three priorities after the attack: to memorialize those lost, to continue their ritual life and to further religious education. New Light, like Tree of Life, is part of the moderate Conservative denomination of Judaism.

The congregation dedicated a monument honoring its three martyrs  shaped with images of Torah scrolls and prayer shawls  at its cemetery, where it also created a chapel adorned with stained glass windows and other mementos honoring the victims.

New Light Co-President Barbara Caplan said her dream for the congregation is that we have many more years of Friday night services, Saturday morning services, holidays together, where we just go on being the family that we are."

Cohen said the congregation has been overwhelmed by support from Christian, Sikh and other communities and wanted to build on those relationships. It has held Bible studies with local Black churches, and members visited the Mother Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina, drawing solace from a congregation that lost nine members to a racist gunman in 2015. Ive never been part of a group hug of a hundred people, Cohen recalled.

All three of the modest-sized congregations have been meeting in nearby synagogues since the attack closed the Tree of Life building.

Rabbi Jeffrey Myers had been leading Tree of Life Congregation for just over a year when he survived 10/27. He carries the scarred memories of the gunshots that killed seven members: Joyce Fienberg, Rose Mallinger, Cecil and David Rosenthal, Bernice and Sylvan Simon and Irving Younger. Andrea Wedner, Mallinger's daughter, was wounded in the attack.

Myers continues to speak forcefully against the bigotry behind it.

His mission is primarily to help my congregation community heal, Myers said. But beyond it is to speak up, to be a voice, to say, No, this isnt okay. Its not acceptable. It never was. And it can never be.

He'd like to think the trial will expose the dangers of rising bigotry, but it takes a concerted effort to be able to  walk a mile in someone elses shoes, he said. But it affects more than Jews. Someone who is an antisemite is most likely also the possessor of a long laundry list of personal grievances and other groups that that person does not like.

Members are each recovering in their own ways, congregation president Alan Hausman said.

Each week when he makes announcements, Hausman said he includes this one: Its OK not to be OK, and we will get through this together.

On Sunday, the day before jury selection, the Tree of Life Congregation is having a closure ceremony for its historic building. The congregation and a partner organization plan a major overhaul of the site, which will combine worship space with a memorial and antisemitism education, including about the Holocaust.

Were not really leaving, we will be back, said Hausman.

Hopefully well be once again a happy, grounded, 160-year-old congregation," added member Audrey Glickman, a survivor. Back to being a solid group of people who come together regularly and do our thing.

Dor Hadash, founded 60 years ago, is Pittsburgh's only congregation in the progressive Reconstructionist movement of Judaism. Many members are drawn to its interlocking focuses on worship, study and social activism.

It was that activism that appears to have drawn the shooting suspect  who fulminated online against HIAS, a Jewish refugee resettlement agency  to the address where Dor Hadash met. The congregation was listed on HIAS' website as a participant in a National Refugee Shabbat, which wove concern for migrants into Sabbath worship.

On 10/27, members Jerry Rabinowitz and Dan Leger were gathering for a Torah study when they heard the gunshots and ran to help. Rabinowitz was killed, and Leger seriously wounded.

But the attack has only emboldened Dor Hadash members.

They were soon organizing what became a separate group, Squirrel Hill Stands Against Gun Violence, advocating for gun safety legislation. And they redoubled their support for immigrants, refugees and their helpers such as HIAS. The congregation has sponsored a refugee family originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And they have taken a strong stand against rising antisemitism and white supremacy.

I think advocacy has been a huge part of our healing, said Dana Kellerman, communications chair for Dor Hadash. Advocacy isnt just about making myself feel better, she added. "It is about trying to move the needle so that this doesnt happen to somebody else.

The congregation has been growing since the attack, said its president, Jo Recht. The historically lay-led congregation has hired its first staff rabbi, Amy Bardack. Her formal installation is this Sunday  a date that wasn't specifically chosen in advance of the trial but that provides a welcome occasion of celebration.

There are a lot of people who are seeking some way to help so that the world is a more compassionate place," Recht said.

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Five countries propose European Commission to expand list of agricultural products from Ukraine that can be transited - media

The ministers of agriculture of Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary sent their proposals to the European Commission to solve the problem of importing agricultural products from Ukraine. This was reported by the PAP agency, referring to a corresponding letter to the European Commission.

"We believe that the proposed exclusive protection of allowing imports for transit only to the rest of the EU and the rest of the world should cover a wider range of products than wheat, corn, rapeseed and sunflower seeds. We propose to expand the scope also to sunflower oil, flour, honey, sugar, soft fruits, eggs, meat, milk and dairy products," the letter to the European Commission says.

In addition, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary are asking to extend these measures after the end of the regime for the abolition of duties on goods from Ukraine, which will be in June 2023.

"The lifting of these measures can only be considered after the restoration of market equilibrium in the border or adjacent Member States," the letter emphasizes.
Serbian, Hungarian leaders attend military display in Serbia View Photo

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  The populist leaders of Serbia and Hungary observed a Serbian military exercise Saturday, an event seen as a display of lethal firepower amid the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Balkans.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Serbia on a previously unannounced visit. He was greeted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who said he was happy to once again welcome a great friend of Serbia.

Serbian-Hungarian relations are at the highest level in the history of our countries, Vucic wrote on Instagram.

Both leaders have maintained political and economic ties with Russia despite its aggression in Ukraine. Their relations with Moscow have been a sore spot with other European nations and with the U.S.

Although Serbia formally seeks membership in the European Union, Vucic has refused to join international sanctions against Russia or publicly condemn the war in Ukraine.

And while Hungary is a member of both the EU and NATO, Orban has criticized war-related sanctions on Moscow. His government also has said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he were to enter the country despite him being the subject of an international warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Saturdays exercise at a military airport on the outskirts of Belgrade included low passes by Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets and Mil helicopters, as well as a display of a recently delivered Chinese anti-aircraft missile system and drones.

Serbias military buildup has raised concerns among some of the countrys neighbors, which fear it could threaten the fragile peace in the region that was engulfed in a bloody war in the 1990s.

Vucic said he and Serbian military commanders were watching how the war in Ukraine is being conducted and planning future purchases of military hardware accordingly.

Serbia has never had a stronger army in its history, Vucic said.

The exercise came a day before local elections in a Serb-populated northern region of Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a separate country.

The elections on Sunday have triggered ethnic tensions and fears of possible incidents. Many Serbian voters planned to boycott the votes.
Rocket and artillery units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine destroyed 31 Russian invaders and more than two dozen pieces of Russian equipment on the occupied left bank of the Dnipro River in Kheron region over the past 24 hours, the Pivden task force reported on Facebook on Friday.

In particular, a mortar, an artillery mount, an enemy anti-aircraft missile system Osa, two launchers, a radar station and a radar for illumination and guidance to the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system, an anti-aircraft missile and gun system Pantsir and more than 10 units of unidentified equipment were destroyed. Also, two enemy observation posts, a field supply point and four reconnaissance drones were destroyed.

"Over the past day, an increased activity of enemy attacks with explosive grenades from reconnaissance drones was recorded. Frankly hunting for civilians in Antonivka and Beryslav, the invaders from the left bank dropped seven grenades from such drones. Fortunately, people were able to avoid damage," the report says.

According to the Pivden task force, over the past day, the invaders continued to use aircraft, which attacked peaceful settlements on the right bank of Kherson region with guided aerial bombs. Three strikes were inflicted on Kherson and Beryslav regions. There is a hit in the recreational area and port infrastructure. Also, over the past day, the enemy carried out about six artillery attacks, as a result of which one civilian was killed, another was injured, and houses and private cars were damaged.

The last one was relatively calm for the right bank of Kherson region. "However, the residents of Antonivka and Beryslav had to go to shelter. Several private houses were damaged, without human losses," the report says.
Brazils Lula kicks off visit to European ally Portugal View Photo

LISBON (AP)  Portugals president welcomed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties with his countrys natural partner in the European Union.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Portugal is home to over 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

During his first joint press conference with Sousa, Lula avoided feeding the controversy regarding his recent comments about Western military aid fueling Ukraine and Russias conflict.

My country took the decision long ago to condemn Russia for the occupation of the space and violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the first days, and we have voted in the U.N. in this regard, he said.

The Brazilian leader reiterated his proposal that a group of nations including Brazil mediate a peaceful resolution to the war.

I never equaled both countries, because I know what an invasion is and what territorial integrity is. And all of us think Russia is wrong and we already condemned it in every UN decision, he stated.

Although Lula backed down from his comments regarding the war he made during his trip to China last week, Brazils president also said Saturday that neither Ukraine nor Russia wanted to cease the conflict. This is Lulas first trip to an European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October. While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration. The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016 when Michel Temer was Brazils president, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip.

In an event with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Lula announced the signings of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal. He affirmed the importance of maintaining commercial and humanitarian relations with Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Lulas itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honor renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraers factory near Lisbon.

___

Carla Bridi contributed from Brasilia and Raquel Redondo from Madrid.

___ The story has been corrected to show that Lula was not president during the 2016 Brazil-Portugal summit.

By HELENA ALVES

Associated Press
MERIDEN  Members of the Masjid Al-Rawdah Mosque and the Baitul Aman Mosque of Meriden gathered on Friday to celebrate the holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

About 400 people from the Masjid Al-Rawdah Mosque gathered early Friday morning at the Meriden Green to pray together. The morning was sunny and clear, so the community was able to gather for prayer and reflection on large tarps facing east. After a brief sermon, the community ended their celebration by sharing hugs, coffee, donuts, croissants and other sweet pastries.

Youssouf Kane Jr. has been a member of the mosque for three years, the same amount of time hes lived in Meriden. He attended prayer with his wife and three children while wearing a red-and-black outfit his wife brought back from his native Guinea.

When Ramadan comes, theres a different energy, he said. You see people getting together, eating, having fun.

Board President Mohamed Chaouki explained that the community gathers to celebrate Eid al-Fitr outside every year, but has been interrupted in recent years because of weather and COVID-19 restrictions.

Its good to get back to normal and be able to give each other hugs, he said.

Chaouki added that the community at Masjid Al-Rawdah is very diverse and brings together people from a lot of Muslim countries, reflected by the different kinds of traditional dress worn from community members from different cultures  including a traditional Pakistani Shalwar Kameez and beaded prayer cap worn by Hassan Jehagir. He has been part of the community all his life and said that it helped him pray better and be more flexible while kneeling.

Aya Laachfoubi is a first-year student at Trinity College studying Computer Science and Chemistry and visiting her aunt in Meriden for the holiday. She is from Morocco and wore a pale green Djellaba with neon detailing at the collar and a matching pink hijab.

Youre supposed to wear the best you have, she explained.

Later that day, another local Muslim community hosted their own Eid celebration at Vasa Park on Main Street. Members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Communitys Baitul Aman House of Peace Mosque gathered and unrolled their prayer rugs during a ceremony that also included prayer, reflection and a celebratory feast. The mosques more than 300 members and their families hail from communities throughout Connecticut and even parts of New York and Massachusetts.

Mosque spokesman Wajid Danish Ahmed described Ramadan as a time for purifying ones spirit, while also being mindful of those who are less fortunate. He described the purpose of fasting between sunrise and sunset during Ramadan as a cleansing of the mind and body. In addition to fasting, members make other sacrifices, and increase their giving toward those in need.

Even though Ramadan is over, Imam Jaaphar Abdul Hameed, from the Masjid Al-Rawdah mosque, encouraged his community to keep the guidance they received during Ramadan throughout the year.

[Ramadan] is to reform you for the rest of your life and the rest of the year, he said. The celebration is not there for you to be happy because Ramadan is over. No. Ramadan is supposed to guide you, to reform you to make you a better Muslim.

He also encouraged the community to be good neighbors, good hosts, and to continue to give charitably to the poor.

We are among people that have misinformation about us. How can we change that perception about us? he asked, and answered. We need to do that by our conduct, our behavior  your character is what represents your Islam.

Record-Journal reporter Mike Gagne contributed to this article.

lguzman@record-journal.com,Twitter: @lguzm_n

Latino Communities Reporter Lau Guzman is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms. Support RFA reporters at the Record-Journal through a donation at https://bit.ly/3Pdb0re, To learn more about RFA, visit www.reportforamerica.org.
SOUTHINGTON  Water officials are bracing for increased regulations that may require a $21 million manganese removal plant among other water treatment upgrades.

Two of the towns wells have higher manganese content than usual. Through infrequent use of those wells and mixing with water from other areas, the Southington Water Department keeps the manganese below the maximum levels recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Manganese is considered an unregulated contaminant by the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Southington Water Department leaders are anticipating those recommended limits will drop, though, requiring town action.

What is the issue with manganese?

Two Southington wells, numbers seven and eight, on the eastern side of town lie in marshy areas where manganese is naturally occurring.

Manganese, a mineral, was usually considered an aesthetic problem since it can discolor water. While important for healthy adults, the DPH said manganese can build up quicker in infants who excrete less of the mineral than adults. Adding water with excess manganese to baby formula, which already contains the mineral, can also cause increased levels.

Dangers from manganese are usually associated with metalworking professions, such as nervous system disorders among welders. According to the DPH, its unclear whether ingesting manganese could do similar harm to the nervous system.

In 2020, notices about manganese went out to water department customers in the area of wells seven and eight.

Those two wells are not normally used, according to Water Department Superintendent Douglas Arndt, and only turned on during high demand in the hottest months. When they are used, the water is mixed with that of other wells to bring down the levels of manganese.

We use these wells on a minimal basis, Arndt said. The farther the water gets out into the system, the more dilution it gets.

The EPA has concluded that water with a manganese content of less than 0.3 milligrams per liter is safe for the general population. Southingtons well seven had a manganese content of 0.5 milligrams per liter and well eight had nearly 0.8 milligrams of manganese per liter of water, according to the DPH.

That limit could drop, Arndt said, based on what hes heard from state drinking water officials.

Theres a level of uncertainty, he said. Theyve been telling us for some time.

Bringing down the manganese levels further would require new sources of water, according to Arndt, or building a manganese treatment plan. The additional treatment facility could cost $21 million.

The manganese is a very expensive project, Arndt said.

The department is studying what the towns options are, although without the new limits its unclear what the water department may have to do.

Major expense

Bob Berkmoes, chairman of the Board of Water Commissioners, said in addition to manganese theres similar rumblings about requiring removal of PFAS, a synthetic chemical, from drinking water. The chemical doesnt break down, can build up in fish and wildlife and move through soils to drinking water, according to the Center for Disease Control. Its unclear how humans are affected by PFAS, although laboratory animals given large amounts had growth and development problems.

What were trying to do is gather a lot of information, Berkmoes said. Right now, were in compliance with the state of Connecticut Department of Health.

Removing more manganese from the water would be a very major expense, Berkmoes said.

Were coming up with a plan to come up to the requirements, he said. (We want to) stay one step ahead of the problems.

Berkmoes said hes been on the water board for 20 years and that he and other board members are always looking for new, clean sources of water. Finding that new source may mean wells seven and eight could be shut down and the manganese issue avoided.

Berkmoes is a Democrat. Erika Pocock, the boards vice president and a Republican, said the board is proactive about safeguarding the safety of the towns drinking water.

Our problem is weighing where this project rates in scale, all while respecting hard-working families in Southington. They dont need a type of tax (rate) increase right now, she said.

Last year, water department leaders met U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal for a tour of the Southington facility and to impress upon him the need for help in funding local water projects.

Blumenthal said water issues are becoming more urgent all over the country, adding that he understands Southingtons needs.

jbuchanan@record-journal.com203-317-2230Twitter: @JBuchananRJ
(Natural News) A new proposal by the globalists in charge of the European Union (EU) would require that all farms be treated like industrial plants, similar to steel mills or chemical works, so they can be forcibly regulated to align with the blocs 2030 green goals.

If a farm can be reclassified as an industrial plant, then the globalists in charge can force it to cut so-called greenhouse gas emissions, thus saving the planet from global warming and climate change, we are told.

Many farmers, as you might expect, are up in arms about the plan. One of them is Greek farmer Takis Kazanas, 66, who runs a 230-acre ranch with 300 cattle in the mountains overlooking the Thessalian Plain with his four sons. Kazanas already runs his farm in a clean and sustainable way, but it is not enough to meet the EUs demands.

Right now, Kazanas captures biogas from the cow dung his animals produce. He also uses homegrown manure rather than chemical fertilizer  and yet still the EU wants to shut him down by reclassifying his farm as an industrial operation so it can meet its 55 percent emissions reductions targets by the year 2030.

Thats what the EU says, and thats what I do, Kazanas told the media about the earth-friendly measures he is already deploying at his ranch. Today, everyone blames cattle for methane production and pollution  I have a different opinion.

(Related: With the way things are headed, there is almost certainly going to be a food crisis in the near future.)

European Commissions Farm to Fork strategy deployed right after Russia invaded Ukraine, exacerbating the energy and food crisis

Even in less urgent times than where we currently find ourselves in 2023, the demands of the European Commission with its so-called Farm to Fork strategy are lofty and next to impossible to achieve.

Announced immediately following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the Farm to Fork strategy involves halving the amounts of pesticides applied to farms by 2030; drastically cutting the use of fertilizers; doubling organic production; and rewilding some farmland.

These are all laudable goals, just to be clear  just so long as they are actually viable and do not cut into the existing food chain while disenfranchising farmers and putting them out of business. Unfortunately for the farming community, the rules do just that: they make it just about impossible to continue growing food for the world.

Brussels, where the EU is headed, claims that the nitrous oxides found in fertilizer, as well as in animal urine and manure, is largely responsible for the alleged emissions problem that it is aiming to address.

The other problem is actually competing in a global marketplace under these egregious rules. Organic production can thrive on local trade, but margins are so thin globally that many farmers have no choice but to grow food the conventional way just to stay in business.

Even very small increases in feed prices can wipe out annual profits for a farmer, reported the Financial Times, as relayed by Zero Hedge.

The overall 2030 goals of the EU program include:

 Cutting the use of chemical and hazardous pesticides by 50 percent

 Reducing the use of fertilizer by 20 percent

 Increasing the amount of land devoted to organic farming to 20 percent, up from just 9.1 percent in 2020

 Forcing larger livestock farms to comply with the same clean air and water regulations as heavy industry.

Fortunately for some farmers, banding together and taking on the government has proved successful. In The Netherlands, for instance, a massive farmer backlash caused politicians to back off on their 2030 goals for agriculture, at least for the time being.

The latest news about the green takeover of farming in Europe and elsewhere can be found at GreenTyranny.news.

Sources for this article include:

ZeroHedge.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) According to a former officer at the Department of Defense (DoD), Russias capability in electronic warfare (EW) is unparalleled.

David Pyne of the EMP Task Force on National Homeland Security made this assessment, citing the recently leaked documents from U.S. intelligence. According to the papers, American-made smart bombs known as Joint Direct Attack Munitions are falling victim to Russian electronic jamming in Ukraine, causing them to miss their targets.

That is a very significant development, though not at all surprising given Russias robust capabilities in electronic warfare  particularly in long-range GPS jammers, which are second to none  and their military doctrine of establishing electronic superiority and supremacy at the beginning of any conflict, Pyne mentioned.

When asked how Ukraines planned spring offensive can be affected by Russian EW systems, Pyne indicated that they could be utilized to jam Ukrainian satellite guidance and positioning signals, making Ukrainian military forces unable to use precision-guided munitions. (Related: Russia claims it can wipe out the entire US Navy with an advanced electronic warfare weapon (and they say theyve already tested it on a US warship).

This likely helps to account for why the leaked top-secret documents indicate that the U.S. does not believe the upcoming Ukrainian spring counteroffensive in the Zaporizhzhia region will make more than modest gains, he noted.

Moscows jamming systems can also engage in cyberattacks

Pyne added that Moscows EW systems can jam not just enemy communications and radars, but also satellite guidance and positioning signal ranges. Its jamming systems can also reach 200 to 500 kilometers (124.3 to 310.7 miles), considerably longer than the jamming systems used by the West.

He mentioned that these systems can also engage in cyberattacks against the enemy by transmitting malicious codes which can infect enemy internet and communications networks, and furthermore, they are capable of transmitting false or demoralizing texts to enemy troops and civilians.

The expert added that Russia has not really showcased its full cyber and electronic warfare capabilities, which several national security analysts consider to be the best in the world.

According to Pyne, these capabilities help Russia blind early warning systems and severely disrupt or degrade military command and control systems [of potential enemies] making it difficult [for them] to conduct offensive or even defensive operations.

Meanwhile, state-owned media outlet Ria Novosti reported Russias development of an electronic warfare system that can jam satellites in geostationary orbit.

Enterprises of the Russian military-industrial complex have developed a new electronic warfare system capable of suppressing satellites in geostationary orbit with its signal. This is about 36,000 km above sea level, a source told Ria Novosti.

Without revealing any additional details, the source also said that the power of the emitter of the latest system is capable of irreparable harm to the enemys electronics when used at a shorter distance.

Head over to MilitaryTechnology.news for more news about Russias military capabilities.

Watch this video about the Russian EW team that hit the communication center of Ukraines command post.

This video is from The Prisoner channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

The New Blitzkrieg facing America is literally an electronic lightning war so decisive in its effects, our entire civilization could be overthrown in hours.

Scott Ritter explains to the Health Ranger that the West wont be able to stop Russias advanced nuclear missiles and hyperglide vehicles.

Putin to deploy tactical nuclear missiles in neighboring Belarus following increased Western provocations.

Russia has scalar technology weapons that can unleash massive destruction.

Russia claims it can wipe out the entire US Navy with an advanced electronic warfare weapon (and they say theyve already tested it on a US warship).

Sources include:

SputnikGlobe.com

EurasianTimes.com

Brighteon.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. Transport routes passing through Azerbaijan at the moment are more attractive than ever before, as the country creates all conditions to ensure safe transit as soon as possible. Azerbaijans modern transport infrastructure, both rail and automobile, and maritime, saves money and time. Not surprisingly, the volume of cargo transit through Azerbaijan in 2022 increased by more than 75 percent year-on-year.

However, Azerbaijan does not plan to stop there and takes measures to further increase its transport potential, given the growing demand for alternative routes.

Currently, the International North-South Transport Corridor is a hot topic on the global agenda. This corridor runs from Russia through Azerbaijan and from Iran to India. It is a mix of rail, road and sea transport aimed at optimizing trade between the start and end points of the route.

The North-South Corridor is a multimodal route with a length of 7,200 kilometers. This alternative route links Europe, the countries of the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal. The Western and Eastern routes of the corridor pass through Iran: the Western route provides transportation through Iran by road through Rasht checkpoint, and the Eastern one  by rail. The final destination in Iran is the port of Bandar Abbas, from which goods can be delivered to India by sea. The Western route also passes through Azerbaijan, while the Eastern one  through Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. In addition, direct sea transportation from Russia via the Caspian Sea to Iran is possible.

By 2030, the volume of cargo along the North-South Corridor is expected to almost double, from the current 17 million to 32 million tons per year.

Just yesterday, officials from Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan announced that a joint venture will be created between these countries. The purpose of this JV is to create a single logistics operator on the Eastern Route of the North-South Corridor.

The Eastern Route passes through the border between Iran and Turkmenistan  via Ak-Yayla or Sarakhs checkpoints. Hereby, the cargo is moved by rail to Kazakhstan, and then to Russia. The shortest option runs through the Ak-Yayla checkpoint.

The Ak-Yayla checkpoint, although, is considered to be shorter, it is still over 2,500 kilometers long. Thus, the route turns out to be less attractive, given that the ultimate goal is to reduce costs and transit time.

When a joint venture between Russia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan is created, it will certainly contribute to reducing transportation costs and faster movement along the corridor. However, to establish such a structure it will obviously take a lot of time, since there are still bureaucratic barriers and red tape that will hold back the process.

At the same time, the 1,450-kilometers long Western Route is, perhaps, the most widely exploited and well-developed one. Even the statistics prove that, from January 1 through March 28, 2023, the volume of transit of goods along the Western route totaled 2.15 million tons, which is a staggering increase of 84.37 percent year-on-year (1.16 million tons transported in 2022). There is only one obstacle that delays the operation of the route at full capacity - 164-kilometers long Rasht-Astara railway line. However, the agreement between Iran and Russia on the construction of this line is expected to be signed by May 21, 2023. Thus, the Western Route of the North-South Corridor will become fully operational.

In the current complex, rapidly changing world, Azerbaijan, being on the crossroads between East and West, becomes more and more attractive destination. Since, beside the North-South Corridor, Azerbaijan has also boosted the transitional capacities of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, well-known as the Middle Corridor. Basically, Azerbaijan has provided incomparable conditions for the fastest, cheapest and most convenient transportation of goods. Due to enormous effort put in the modernization of transport and logistics infrastructure, the country will maintain its key transport role despite any regional or global geopolitical upheaval.
(Natural News) Plus-sized social media influencer Jaelyn Chaney believes that airlines should give obese flyers as many free seats as needed to feel comfortable.

With this in mind, she launched a petition on Change.org calling on the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to end discrimination and discomfort for overweight passengers such as her. The appeal that aims to reach 7,500 signatures read: Air travel should be comfortable and accessible for everyone, regardless of size.

The Vancouver-based influencer recounted that during a flight from Pasco in Washington state to Denver, she and her fiance were subjected to discrimination in the form of hateful comments, disapproving looks and outright refusal to sit next to them. In another flight, Chaney was forced to occupy only one seat with immovable armrests  causing pain and bruises.

This mistreatment of plus-size passengers is unacceptable and it highlights the urgent need for better policies that protect the dignity and rights of all passengers, regardless of size, she lamented.

Chaney also urged the FAA to mandate that all airlines implement accommodations for obese passengers such as larger seats, seat belt extenders and alternative seating arrangements. Aside from this, she also recommended that airlines provide up to three seats for obese flyers. Moreover, she demanded that airlines reimburse obese passengers if they purchase two seats independently via a straightforward process that can be accessed online or through customer service.

Flying a minefield for obese people

Back in January, BuzzFeed News published an article featuring horror stories experienced by fat flyers. It recounted a 2020 incident involving film director Kevin Smith, who also plays the Silent Bob character in movies such as Clerks and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back. He boarded a Southwest Airlines flight, stowed his bags and took his seat.

However, a member of the flight crew approached Smith and informed him of his ejection from the flight as he had violated the airlines customer of size policy at the time. According to Southwest, passengers unable to lower both armrests when seated should book another seat. The policy arose from disgruntled customers complaining about the encroachment of a large seatmate.

Southwest has since rewritten its policy following the incident with Smith. As of 2022, fat passengers are required to purchase a second seat. However, the payment for this second seat can be refunded by request after their trip. (Related: Too fat to FLY? Airlines to begin weighing passengers (and charging accordingly.))

Most of the time, other passengers loudly complain of the inconvenience and discomfort of being seated next to an obese passenger. Also, flight attendants may decide that flyers are too fat to be accommodated and would escort them from the plane  leaving them stranded without warning or recourse.

Among the most persistent challenges of flying while fat is navigating the maze of airline policies about when and whether well be permitted to stay on a flight, BuzzFeed News contributor Aubrey Gordon wrote. Current policies for so-called passengers of size vary substantially from airline to airline, leaving fat passengers, especially larger fat passengers, to determine which airlines will allow us to keep our seats and which wont.

A 2020 study by Harvard University found that about 36 percent of the population  one in every three adults  is obese. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also reported in the same year that the age-adjusted prevalence of obesity in adults from 2017 to 2018 was 42.4 percent. The National Center for Biotechnology Information, which is under the National Institutes of Health, predicted that an estimated 20 percent of the worlds population will be obese by 2030.

Watch Natural News and Brighteon.com founder Mike Adams recount below how he dealt with obesity, diabetes and chronic pain prior to becoming the Health Ranger.

This video is from the EnergyMe333 channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Warren Buffett and Bill Gates profit billions off childhood obesity epidemic.

IDIOCRACY: Doctor who claims obesity cant be addressed with diet and exercise joins Biden admin.

People living in walkable, activity-friendly neighborhoods found to have lower risks of diabetes and obesity.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

Change.org

BuzzFeedNews.com

SingleCare.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) The crybabies at government-funded PBS have joined the crybabies at government-funded NPR in boycotting Twitter.

(Article by John Nolte republished from Breitbart.com)

The government funds both outlets. There is no question about that. The problem, at least for government-funded NPR (National Public Radio) and government-funded PBS (Public Broadcasting Service), is that they dont want that truth advertised.

All this left-wing crybabying from these long-disgraced outlets is because Twitter accurately labeled the NPR and PBS accounts government-funded media.

What these government-funded media outlets hope to accomplish with this is beyond me:

NPR said it will no longer post fresh content to its 52 official Twitter feeds after that news organization was labeled Government-funded Media. NPR had stopped tweeting from its main Twitter account a week ago. Twitter had originally tagged NRP as State-Affiliated Media, which includes propaganda accounts from Russia and China. It changed the wording to Government-Funded, but NPR called the description inaccurate and misleading because its a nonprofit with editorial independence.

Twitter accurately defines government-funded media as outlets where the government provides some or all of the outlets funding and may have varying degrees of government involvement over editorial content.

This is from government-funded NPRs own government-funded website:

Federal funding is essential to public radios service to the American public and its continuation is critical for both stations and program producers, including NPR. Public radio stations receive annual grants directly from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) that make up an important part of a diverse revenue mix that includes listener support, corporate sponsorship and grants. Stations, in turn, draw on this mix of public and privately sourced revenue to pay NPR and other public radio producers for their programming.

I did not emphasize the word essential. The government-funded NPR did that. Thats how essential government funding is to the government-funded NPRso essential the government-funded NPR bolded essential.

If it is indeed true thatas the government-funded NPR and PBS like to saythey only receive about one percent of funding from the government, why is it so essential? Wouldnt it be better just to go 100 percent independent?

Well, I dont believe its only one percent. All the government-funded PBS and government-funded NPR do is lie, so why wouldnt they lie about this?

But whats the goal here? What do the government-funded NPR and government-funded PBS think it will accomplish through this anti-science tantrum?

The fewer corporate and government-funded media accounts on Twitter, the better.

Im all for fewer lies, hoaxes, and conspiracy theories and less bigotry, race-baiting, and political violence.

Read more at: Breitbart.com
(Natural News) An employee of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has been caught after he forwarded to a personal email account the confidential information of approximately 256,000 consumers, along with dozens of financial firms.

A spokesperson for the CFPB confirmed the data leak. The unnamed staffer, who the CFPB has already fired, reportedly sent spreadsheets with names and transaction-specific account numbers related to 256,000 accounts at one institution to his personal email account. (Related: OPEN SECRET: 1.25M people have access to top secret documents in America.)

The spokesperson added that there is no evidence that the confidential data was shared beyond the former employees personal email account.

While most of this personal information was tied to consumers at just one institution, the emails also included information on consumers from seven other firms and confidential supervisory information on 45 financial institutions. The CFPB has not publicly identified the firms involved in the breach or the former employee who made the transfers.

CFPB leak raises security concerns

The incident has sparked concerns from lawmakers and prominent people from the financial industry alike about how secure Americans information actually is in the hands of the CFPB.

This is a major black eye for the CFPB, said Ed Groshans, a senior research and policy analyst at Compass Point Research & Trading. He added that the breach is likely to create a significant problem for the agency in terms of its internal compliance issues and public image.

These types of breaches are unacceptable, regardless of entity, said Groshans. There needs to be across-the-board stronger protections because identity theft is real.

This breach raises concerns with how the CFPB safeguards consumers personally identifiable information, said Republican Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee.

Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, chair of the Senate Banking Committee, rushed to the CFPBs defense by saying through his spokeswoman that the agency followed protocols by notifying relevant committees of the breach and has referred the incident to a government watchdog. It would be irresponsible to speculate or jump to conclusions, she added.

But GOP Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina noted that this incident has renewed the Republican Partys complaints about the CFPBs efforts to collect private consumer data on credit cards and mortgages through its disclosure rules, consumer complaint database and enforcement actions.

Why should the CFPB be trusted to collect more data, burdening financial institutions and potentially limiting services for consumers, when they themselves have demonstrated an irresponsible handling of consumers financial information, said Scott, who also serves as the GOPs ranking member on the Senate Banking Committee.

The CFPB has asked the former employee to delete the emails from his personal email account and to provide the agency with certification and attestation that each email has been deleted. As of press time, the CFPB has not reported whether or not the former employee has complied with these demands.

Learn more about leaks of private information from government agencies at PrivacyWatch.news.

Watch this clip from Fox News discussing how the Pentagon leaks reveal the incredible ties China is building with Latin American nations.

This video is from the News Clips channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

The leak was the op  White House and Congress demand new powers, think Restrict Act, in aftermath of classified intel leaks.

Leaked Pentagon documents indicate latest Chinese test of hypersonic missiles can evade all existing US defenses.

Former Trump national security official Kash Patel rips emerging Biden regime narrative on massive Pentagon leak: Extensive cover-up.

WATCHED: CDC purchased location data of 55M phone users to track them during COVID-19 lockdowns.

State Department is freely giving intelligence agencies unrestricted access to passport data of 145 million Americans.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

WSJ.com

Finextra.com

AmericanBanker.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) British mathematician and computer scientist Norman Fenton recently posted an explosive Twitter thread on the repercussions of achieving the 2050 Net Zero agenda, which aims to cut down greenhouse gas emissions to as close to zero as possible.

According to Fenton, the world is now entering a new phase of globalist control: climate lockdowns.

On April 10, he tweeted: Reminder of what Net Zero really means. This graphic is from the U.K. government FIRES project. Key points: all airports except Heathrow, Belfast & Glasgow are to close by 2030. NO FLYING at all by 2050.

This garnered various reactions from his followers. The account @FenwickProperty quickly debunked Fentons claim, saying there is absolutely no chance all airports except XYZ close by 2030. Wealthy people are and have always been in power, they wont stop flying long or short hall end of. Fenton replied by saying, the really wealthy didnt stop flying in 2020. But they stopped everybody else flying. And all the airports were (to all intents and purposes) shut down.

The mathematician added to the thread that as per the FIRES project  a collaboration between the universities of Cambridge, Oxford, Nottingham, Bath and Imperial College London  there should be no more new petrol/diesel cars by 2030. The world must only be using electric-powered vehicles and by 2050 road use would be restricted to 60 percent of todays level.

Linking a government document, he further said that Net Zero would require food, heating and energy to be restricted to 60 percent of todays level by 2050. That means either a colder, hungrier population or massive depopulation, Fenton noted.

Britains 15-minute city (FMC or 15mC), an urban planning concept in which most daily necessities and services, such as work, shopping, education, healthcare and leisure can be easily reached by a 15-minute walk or bike ride from any point in the city, has already started. Which, according to the scientist, is a form of climate lockdown.

He also cited in the 17-item Twitter strand how well-funded organizations like the C40 Cities are committed to the same United Nations/World Economic Forum globalist missions. C40 is a network of nearly 100 worlds leading city mayors committed to using an inclusive, science-based and collaborative approach to cut their fair share of emissions in half by 2030.

Fenton also linked Rosa Koires Rumble video, where she talked about her 2011 book that revealed the whole green agenda scam. (Related: There is no climate emergency: Around 1,500 scientists and professionals oppose net-zero CO2 policy.)

Green advocates: Net Zero will not make enough difference

Even green advocates are not convinced that Net Zero will make enough difference.

Dr. Chris Jones, an expert in climate change at the University of Manchester, said: This latest government energy strategy is a weak response to the U.K.s zero-carbon energy needs. The regressive measures on fossil fuels wont make any real impact on our bills and energy security, but they are enough to downgrade the U.K.s role as a leader in tackling climate change.

With these policies looking dangerously lackluster and lacking on climate action, we are poised to act if ministers have fallen short once again, said Mike Childs, head of policy at campaign group Friends of the Earth.

Follow GreenDeal.news to learn more about the real agenda behind Net Zero.

Watch the video below where journalist Jeffrey Jaxen and Highwire host Del Bigtree talk about the unscientific and unattainable Net Zero dream.

This video is from the HighWire with Del Bigtree channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Net Zero policies will leave half the worlds population with nothing to eat, researchers warn.

The Highwire with Del Bigtree: Net Zero is a deliberate attack on global food supply.

Governments deploy nudge unit to psychologically brainwash people into embracing net zero society.

Top scientist says globalist lefts net zero emissions agenda will destroy modern civilization

Sources include:

GreatGameIndia.com

Twitter.com

UKFires.org

Repository.Cam.AC.uk

Rumble.com

BBC.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A public relations (PR) expert criticized Anheuser-Busch, the company that brews Bud Light, for its inconsistent response to the backlash against Dylan Mulvaneys endorsement of the product.

Gareth Boyd, a marketing and PR expert with Forte Analytica, described the situation of Anheuser-Busch as being caught between a rock and a hard place.

They never expected the reaction that they got. Right now, if they respond and they dont get it right, theyre only going to further hurt themselves, Boyd told the Daily Mail.

I think theyre probably trying to avoid talking about it, hoping and praying that it will go away. But its probably the worst thing you could possibly do. They have a really big problem  and the longer they go on not actually releasing something concrete, its only going to get worse.

The expert also questioned whether Anheuser-Busch, which is owned by Belgium-based AB InBev, carried out proper contingency planning before launching its partnership with the transgender influencer. He lamented that the company did not have a response plan in place.

You would have thought they would have had something saying OK, in a worst-case scenario of backlash, what do we fall back to?'

The fiasco arose from Bud Light releasing special cans of its beer that featured Mulvaneys face on them. The release commemorated the transgenders 365 days of being a woman. This triggered a wave of outrage, including several personalities withdrawing support for the beer brand. (Related: Budweiser commits corporate SUICIDE by trying to shove TRANS perversion down the throats of beer drinkers.)

According to Big League Politics, Anheuser-Busch has released various contradicting statements since the outrage began. It initially defended its decision to partner with Mulvaney, saying that the special cans were released to celebrate a personal milestone.

The St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch later backtracked on its earlier remarks. It pointed its fingers at some low-level marketing staffer, and subsequently called the campaign with Mulvaney a mistake that no senior-level manager was aware of prior.

Bud Light VP wanted inclusive branding

Big League Politics pointed out that Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Lights vice president, is at the center of the controversy surrounding the beer brand. Her intent to use more inclusive branding for the product backfired spectacularly. The outrage occurred less than a year after she joined the company in July 2022.

She explained her work with Bud Light during a March 30 appearance on the Make Yourself At Home podcast. According to Heinerscheid, she had a super clear mandate to evolve and elevate this incredibly iconic brand.

To fulfill this mandate, the Bud Light VP brought her belief of inclusivity  leading to the partnership with Mulvaney. Heinerscheid expounded: Inclusivity  means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign thats truly inclusive; feels lighter and brighter and different; and appeals to women and men.

The beer executive lamented, however, that Bud Lights branding had been fratty for the longest time now. She said during the podcast: We had this hangover, I mean Bud Light had been kind of a brand of fratty, kind of out-of-touch humor  and it was really important that we had another approach.

Im a businesswoman. I had a really clear job to do when I took over Bud Light, and it was This brand is in decline, its been in a decline for a really long time. If we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light.'

Sadly, Heinerscheids attempts to make Bud Lights branding more inclusive did not work in the way she expected it. Anheuser-Buschs parent AB InBev lost more than $6 billion in market value. Several musicians such as John Rich, Travis Tritt and Kid Rock publicly denounced the brand  with the latter even shooting up cans of Bud Light to get his point across.

Wokies.news has more stories about the backlash toward Bud Lights partnership with Dylan Mulvaney.

Watch Owen Shroyer of InfoWars explain why Bud Lights partnership with Dylan Mulvaney will mark the end of the beer brand.

This video is from the InfoWars channel on Brighteon.com.

More related stories:

Merchandiser claims no one is buying Anheuser-Busch products.

Analysis: Half of the 10 most popular beers in the US support LGBT.

Budweiser sales PLUMMET after company pushed Bud Light male-in-drag trans advertising.

Sources include:

BigLeaguePolitics.com

DailyMail.co.uk

NYPost.com

Brighteon.com
(Natural News) A report came out this week about the American Red Cross, which is providing guides for illegal alien migrants to help them cross the United States-Mexico border. And Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, is looking into it.

A formal investigation has not yet been launched, but Paxton says his office is starting to gather facts and determine whether that is something we need to dedicate some of our resources to it [sic].

Back in February, it was revealed that the American Red Cross has been handing out visualized routes to migrants at the U.S. border showing them where to go and what to expect as they illegally trek into the country without permission.

The American Red Cross, by the way, sits on the board of the Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA) Food and Shelter program, which hands out millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars to nonprofit groups dedicated to supporting illegal aliens after they are released into the U.S. interior.

If you use contraceptives methods, dont forget to bring them with you, one of the Red Cross guides states. In necessary cases, some Red Cross clinics and medical brigades will give them to you for free.

(Related: Paxton is also going after the drag queen groomers and pedophiles who are sexually assaulting underage children at restaurant and library shows across the Lone Star State.)

Texas State Bar Foundation also allegedly involved in aiding and abetting illegal immigrants

Last year, Paxtons office opened a probe into the Texas State Bar Foundation, which is said to be facilitating this surge in illegal immigration at the southern border by knowingly donating money to groups that encourage, participate in, and fund illegal immigration at the Texas-Mexico border, and potentially using taxpayer dollars received from the State Bar of Texas.

In a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF), which published the latest report about the American Red Cross, Paxton said that he is concerned about these allegations.

We have the authority to oversee charitable organizations in our state and investigate them if we see any type of corruption or wrongdoing, he said. And so, were definitely open to looking at any nonprofit that we have some type of information that suggests that theyre violating federal or state law.

Responding to the allegations, the State Bar of Texas claimed that partisan political considerations play no role in determining whether to pursue a grievance or how that grievance proceeds through the system, the suggestion being that it is not doing anything illegal with these handouts.

The American Red Cross, meanwhile, has yet to respond to Paxtons probe into its handout of guides aiding the illegal migrants who are flooding into the country in record numbers and taking over towns and cities all across Texas and America.

I always used to contribute to the Red Cross, one commenter wrote in response to the news. The moment I read of a Tsunami or hurricane, I would donate. Then a couple years ago (it seems) I saw an article that showed the handouts guiding the world to our southern border. I have not donated a single penny since and will never support them again.

Another pointed out that all of the top dogs at the Red Cross are raking in the dough with salaries of well over $1 million per year plus benefits.

There is no need for such high salaries other than a rip off to donors, this person added.

I donate to my own causes now, wrote someone else, also indicating that he is done with supporting the American Red Cross.

More related news about the great replacement of America with illegal aliens can be found at InvasionUSA.news.

Sources for this article include:

DailyCallerNewsFoundation.org

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) Another manifestation of the censorship-industrial complex is being entrenched as TikTok announced it would begin directly censoring videos that dispute man-made climate change.

(Article by Paul Joseph Watson republished from Summit.news)

The changes, which will go in effect on April 21 to mark Earth Day, will crack down on misinformation (information harmful to powerful interests) about climate change and elevate authoritative information (information amplified by powerful interests invested in pushing the man-made climate change hoax).

The company announced its new censorship policy in a blog post which said the goal was about driving sustainability awareness (brainwashing children to be hysterically afraid of the climate crisis ending all life on earth).

TikTok said it believes it has an important role to play in empowering informed climate discussions, that role being to silence anyone who challenges prevailing mainstream narratives and banning their accounts.

The video platform will push, Several initiatives that will help reduce harmful climate change misinformation while elevating authoritative information year-round, states the post.

Information that will be censored includes any claim that undermines well-established scientific consensus (despite the fact that the entire premise of science is that its constantly evolving due to new ideas and criticism of old dogma).

Denying the existence of climate change or the factors that contribute to it will lead to videos being fact checked by bias organizations which routinely serve as front groups for the environmentalist lobby and governments.

The new measures represent another effort by TikTok, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, to appease western governments demand for more censorship.

Theyre obviously just copying these policies straight from Google/YouTube, writes Chris Menahan.

As a Chinese company, TikTok is responding to market incentives  which in this case is the US government threatening to ban them entirely.

TikTok is by far the most censorious major social platform in existence, arbitrarily removing right-leaning information while simultaneously allowing bizarre and dangerous challenges to go viral despite overwhelming dangers to children.

The latest example is the Benadryl Challenge, which promotes kids taking a dozen or more Benadryl pills in the hopes of hallucinating, which in one case led to the death of an Ohio teenager.

Thats fine, but calmly suggesting that the climate crisis may not be the apocalypse some are claiming will be ruthlessly forbidden.

Read more at: Summit.news
A permanent closure of the aviary at the New Jersey Zoo has been announced, and 77 birds are now available for adoption at 13 other zoos.

The World of Birds Aviary exhibit at the Cape May County Park and Zoo will permanently close on May 1 and its birds will be sent to other zoos across the nation, officials announced this week.

Relocation of 77 Birds to 13 Zoos

According to zoo veterinarian Alex Ernst, the 77 birds in the aviary are moving to aviaries as close as Bergen County or as far away as California.

The exhibit's closure was announced by officials last month, but no closing date was specified.

According to Ernst, 13 zoos will receive the birds, including those in the Bronx, Philadelphia, San Diego, Washington, D.C., the Bergen County Zoo, and Waco, Texas.

He said that the birds will be transported by ground to nearby and regional zoos. The birds that are being transported across the country, including those that are going to zoos in San Diego and Texas, will be transported by commercial airlines like American Airlines and Delta.

Despite needing special booking procedures and travel crates, animals can fly on the same aircraft as people, according to Ernst.

Some zoos capture birds they require for reproduction or to add to their exhibits.

Every zoo is acquiring birds that suit their needs, claims Ernst. Everyone is cooperating to achieve their goals.

The 52-acre Cape May County Park and Zoo, which is situated in Middle Township, has been named one of the top parks in the country by NJ Southern Shore. In the park, there were over 550 animals as of 2021. Although there is no entrance fee, the zoo does accept donations.

Also Read: Wild Animal Park in Georgia Rebuilds Week After Losing 5 Animals to Tornado

Leaving the New Jersey Zoo Aviary: May 1

The aviary's birds will go through routine medical examinations to make sure they are healthy and secure enough to travel before they are shipped out or transported, according to zoo officials.

People who want one last look should go before May 1 because that is the last day the aviary will be open to the public.

Officials from the zoo had previously announced the closure of the aviary on Facebook, citing the need for exterior maintenance.

According to the post, one of the Zoo's oldest attractions has suffered from 25 years of tropical weather, making it impossible to continue with necessary maintenance and repairs.



Ernst noted that not all of the zoo's bird species are departing. The parrots, eagles, toucans, and peacocks that are not housed in an aviary are still present at the zoo.

According to the Press of Atlantic City, the avian exhibit at the Cape May County Zoo was temporarily shut down last year as a precaution due to worries about bird flu.

In recent years, problems have also plagued other neighborhood zoos. Three park zoos in Middlesex County were set to close in 2022, but the avian flu prevented officials from removing animals from the Johnson Park Zoo in Piscataway, NJ.com True Jersey reports.

Related Article: Storm Aftermath: Endangered Hooded Vulture, 5 Exotic Birds Fled Oakland Zoo Through Torn Mesh
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 21. Chairman of the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova sent a letter to the Chairman of the Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications of the State Duma of the Russian Federation Vyacheslav Volodin regarding the biased statements of Oleg Matveychev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee of the State Duma of the Russian Federation on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications, about Azerbaijan for the Russarminfo news agency, Trend reports citing the Azerbaijani parliament.

The letter says that against the background of the dynamic development of cooperation between the two countries and parliaments, as well as the active mediation efforts of the Russian Federation in the normalization of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations, Oleg Matveychev, Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Information Policy, Information Technologies and Communications of the State Duma, on the air of the Russian-Armenian made statements to the Rusarminfo news agency, which were met with great concern in Azerbaijan.

Oleg Matveychev's accusations against Azerbaijan and Turkey, and his statements about the "ignition of the conflict by Azerbaijan" cause deep regret and are completely unacceptable. It is especially regrettable that such an "opinion" is expressed by the deputy chairman of the committee, which is responsible for information policy in the State Duma.

The letter notes that, as an official engaged in information activities, O. Matveychev should have had a clearer idea of the situation in the region, and should also have understood that such statements cast a shadow on the mediation activities of the Russian Federation. The Chairman of the Milli Majlis recalls that during the last meeting with Viacheslav Volodin, they discussed in detail the situation in the region and exchanged views on Azerbaijan's efforts to establish long-term peace, stability and security in the region, as well as on Armenia's violation of the provisions of the tripartite statement of November 10, 2020.

In a letter, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis said that, as a deputy representing the ruling United Russia party in the State Duma, O. Matveychev should adhere to the official position of deepening relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan on the basis of mutual cooperation, mutual respect for independence, state sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The letter expresses the need to evaluate the above-mentioned statement of the deputy of the State Duma. Gafarova expressed hope that in the future actions that contradict the spirit of relations between our countries and parliaments will be prevented by joint efforts.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, data processing and coding are the top skills that will be attractive for Indian employers in the next five to 10 years. For those who are looking to upskill, AI, data science, and Internet or e-commerce are the top jobs of interest, said a new Pearson Skills Outlook report.

Various reports highlight that companies are focusing on upskilling their employees now with a major focus on AI. IT CEOs said that they expect generative AI to provide more opportunities for work. The skill domains which are experiencing major demand from non-tech industries range across Big Data, 5G, AI/ML, Cybersecurity, UI/UX, DevOps, and Cloud, to name a few.

Additionally, corporates are expected to increase their upskilling budget by 12-15% this FY, said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services. IT companies too are now reskilling their employees with the latest courses. Milind Lakkad, Chief HR Officer, TCS said, We doubled down on organic talent development, obtaining over 53,000 cloud certifications during the year, bringing the total to over 110,000 employees certified on hyper scaler platforms. This places us among the top 2 partners for the largest cloud providers. TCS said with an increased focus on cloud adoption, enterprises have accelerated their modernisation journey with an emphasis on modular enterprise applications.

BENGALURU: Artificial Intelligence, machine learning, data processing and coding are the top skills that will be attractive for Indian employers in the next five to 10 years. For those who are looking to upskill, AI, data science, and Internet or e-commerce are the top jobs of interest, said a new Pearson Skills Outlook report. Various reports highlight that companies are focusing on upskilling their employees now with a major focus on AI. IT CEOs said that they expect generative AI to provide more opportunities for work. The skill domains which are experiencing major demand from non-tech industries range across Big Data, 5G, AI/ML, Cybersecurity, UI/UX, DevOps, and Cloud, to name a few. Additionally, corporates are expected to increase their upskilling budget by 12-15% this FY, said Sachin Alug, CEO, NLB Services. IT companies too are now reskilling their employees with the latest courses. Milind Lakkad, Chief HR Officer, TCS said, We doubled down on organic talent development, obtaining over 53,000 cloud certifications during the year, bringing the total to over 110,000 employees certified on hyper scaler platforms. This places us among the top 2 partners for the largest cloud providers. TCS said with an increased focus on cloud adoption, enterprises have accelerated their modernisation journey with an emphasis on modular enterprise applications. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); });
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: A 20-year-old undergraduate student of IIT Madras allegedly killed himself in his hostel room inside the campus on Friday. This is the fourth suicide in the last 75 days.

The deceased was identified as Kedar Suresh, a native of Maharashtra who was a second-year undergraduate in the Chemical Engineering Department in the institution. He was staying in a hostel room inside the campus, said the police.

"On Friday, Suresh's roommates left for class in the morning while Suresh stayed back. By afternoon, his friends noticed his absence and reached the hostel room. They found the room locked from the inside and after several knocks, there was no response," said a senior police officer.

The students informed the management and broke open the door. They found Kedar Suresh lying dead and the ambulance crew confirmed his demise, said the police. The Kotturpuram police registered a case and sent the body to the Royapettah Government Hospital for post-mortem.

ALSO READ | PhD student of IIT Madras kills self

The IIT Madras management issued a statement expressing condolences to the student.

ALSO READ | Suicide bid in IIT Madras: One student dies; another hospitalised

It can be remembered that on March 31, a 31-year-old doctorate student Sachin Kumar Jain killed himself at his residence in Velachery. On March 14, a 20-year-old B.Tech student at IIT-Madras died by suicide in his hostel room on the campus. The deceased was identified as V Vaipu Pushpak Sree Sai from Andhra Pradesh.

On February 14, an MS Research Scholar from Maharashtra, Stephen Sunny killed himself in his room, while another student was admitted to the hospital in critical condition after attempting suicide.

The ambulance crew confirmed the death, said the police. Kotturpuram police registered a case and sent the body to the Royapettah Government Hospital for post-mortem. The IIT Madras management issued a statement expressing condolences. Copycat behavior is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. This is called weather phenomenon or cluster.

To prevent suicides, we should analyse why it has happened and tell people who are suicidal or depressed that there are other ways to deal with it. Identify people who are suicidal, acknowledge the issue, and suicides can be prevented,  said Dr Lakshmi Vijaykumar, Founder, SNEHA.

(Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available in TamilNadus health helpline 104 and Snehas suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050)

(If in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call 104 for health departments helpline or 044-24640050 for Sneha suicide helpline.)

CHENNAI: A 20-year-old undergraduate student of IIT Madras allegedly killed himself in his hostel room inside the campus on Friday. This is the fourth suicide in the last 75 days. The deceased was identified as Kedar Suresh, a native of Maharashtra who was a second-year undergraduate in the Chemical Engineering Department in the institution. He was staying in a hostel room inside the campus, said the police. "On Friday, Suresh's roommates left for class in the morning while Suresh stayed back. By afternoon, his friends noticed his absence and reached the hostel room. They found the room locked from the inside and after several knocks, there was no response," said a senior police officer.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The students informed the management and broke open the door. They found Kedar Suresh lying dead and the ambulance crew confirmed his demise, said the police. The Kotturpuram police registered a case and sent the body to the Royapettah Government Hospital for post-mortem. ALSO READ | PhD student of IIT Madras kills self The IIT Madras management issued a statement expressing condolences to the student. ALSO READ | Suicide bid in IIT Madras: One student dies; another hospitalised It can be remembered that on March 31, a 31-year-old doctorate student Sachin Kumar Jain killed himself at his residence in Velachery. On March 14, a 20-year-old B.Tech student at IIT-Madras died by suicide in his hostel room on the campus. The deceased was identified as V Vaipu Pushpak Sree Sai from Andhra Pradesh. On February 14, an MS Research Scholar from Maharashtra, Stephen Sunny killed himself in his room, while another student was admitted to the hospital in critical condition after attempting suicide. The ambulance crew confirmed the death, said the police. Kotturpuram police registered a case and sent the body to the Royapettah Government Hospital for post-mortem. The IIT Madras management issued a statement expressing condolences. Copycat behavior is a serious issue that needs to be addressed. This is called weather phenomenon or cluster. To prevent suicides, we should analyse why it has happened and tell people who are suicidal or depressed that there are other ways to deal with it. Identify people who are suicidal, acknowledge the issue, and suicides can be prevented,  said Dr Lakshmi Vijaykumar, Founder, SNEHA. (Assistance for those having suicidal thoughts is available in TamilNadus health helpline 104 and Snehas suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050) (If in distress or having suicidal thoughts, call 104 for health departments helpline or 044-24640050 for Sneha suicide helpline.)
SV Krishna Chaitanya By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: After several delays, India's human space programme - Gaganyaan - is reaching its critical phase with the Indian space agency planning to launch the first unmanned test rocket in February next year.

ISROs PSLV-C55 lifts off from

the Satish Dhawan Space Station,

in Sriharikota. It later placed two

Singapore satellites in orbit

S Somanath, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said India's heaviest rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk-3), also known as LVM3, will be used for the unmanned test flight and the crew module will land in the sea.

He was speaking to reporters on Saturday in Sriharikota after the successful launch of two Singaporean satellites - TeLEOS-2 and Lumilite-4  onboard the rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).

Prior to the February launch, a safety systems test will be done in June this year, where the rocket will go up to 12-14 km. "This is basically an abort test to check the safety parameters. For this purpose, we made a test rocket. The February launch will be a full-scale unmanned mission," Somanath told TNIE.

According to ISRO, the Gaganyaan project envisages a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bringing them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters.

Various precursor missions are planned for demonstrating the Technology Preparedness Levels before carrying out the actual Human Space Flight mission. These demonstrator missions include Integrated Air Drop Test, Pad Abort Test and Test Vehicle flights. Safety and reliability of all systems will be proven in unmanned missions preceding the manned mission.

So far, ISRO has completed Cryo Stage (C25) engine qualification tests, static tests of Crew Escape System and the integrated main parachute air drop test. among several other milestones. The test vehicle for characterization of Crew Escape System is also made ready at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-shar).

CHENNAI: After several delays, India's human space programme - Gaganyaan - is reaching its critical phase with the Indian space agency planning to launch the first unmanned test rocket in February next year. ISROs PSLV-C55 lifts off from the Satish Dhawan Space Station, in Sriharikota. It later placed two Singapore satellites in orbitS Somanath, chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), said India's heaviest rocket Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV Mk-3), also known as LVM3, will be used for the unmanned test flight and the crew module will land in the sea. He was speaking to reporters on Saturday in Sriharikota after the successful launch of two Singaporean satellites - TeLEOS-2 and Lumilite-4  onboard the rocket Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV).googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Prior to the February launch, a safety systems test will be done in June this year, where the rocket will go up to 12-14 km. "This is basically an abort test to check the safety parameters. For this purpose, we made a test rocket. The February launch will be a full-scale unmanned mission," Somanath told TNIE. According to ISRO, the Gaganyaan project envisages a demonstration of human spaceflight capability by launching a crew of three members to an orbit of 400 km for a 3 days mission and bringing them back safely to earth, by landing in Indian sea waters. Various precursor missions are planned for demonstrating the Technology Preparedness Levels before carrying out the actual Human Space Flight mission. These demonstrator missions include Integrated Air Drop Test, Pad Abort Test and Test Vehicle flights. Safety and reliability of all systems will be proven in unmanned missions preceding the manned mission. So far, ISRO has completed Cryo Stage (C25) engine qualification tests, static tests of Crew Escape System and the integrated main parachute air drop test. among several other milestones. The test vehicle for characterization of Crew Escape System is also made ready at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC-shar).
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. As part of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) for 2023 between the Azerbaijan Defense Ministry and NATO, an advisory meeting of SEL exercise was held with the participation of the Azerbaijan Air Force servicemen and representatives of the Mobile Training Team of Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) at Ramstein, Trend reports via the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan.

On the first day of the meeting, participants were given administrative information and briefings on the unit's activities.

Then the meeting participants were given information about the structure, scenario, tasks, and goals of the training. The training course on "The use of helicopters during the operations" and topics related to evaluators' activities were explained by NATO's Mobile Training Team.

Afterward, various training activities were accomplished by the syndicates.

During the event held as part of the Operational Capabilities Concept (OCC), briefings on the organization of activities in the relevant units of the Air Force in accordance with NATO standards, ensuring defense and security measures, as well as other topics were presented.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Covid cases in the national capital have sort of stabilised and are likely to taper down in the coming days, said Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday. He also said that most of the Covid-related deaths recorded in the national capital in recent times have been caused by co-morbidities, and Covid was incidental.

Delhi on Thursday logged 1,603 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 26.75 per cent along with three fatalities, according to data shared by the city health department here. With the new fatalities, the death toll rose to 26,581.

Out of 7,976 Covid beds in the hospitals of Delhi, 390 are occupied, the health department data showed. A day earlier, the city reported six deaths along with 1,757 new cases with a positivity rate of 28.63 per cent. Bharadwaj said, Covid cases have sort of stabilised. Recently, it was being said that the cases were showing an upward trend. Now, it is likely to taper down in the coming days.

Asked about the fatalities being reported regularly in Delhi due to the viral disease, he said, In most of these cases, patients had serious illnesses for a long time and Covid was incidental. But, any death is unfortunate, and it should not happen.

Asked if any special arrangements are being considered for schools and children in view of the Covid cases, he said, no such step was being planned as of now. We are telling teachers that if students have cough and cold, those children should be advised to take rest. We will appeal to parents to not send their children to school if they have such symptoms, he said.

On the governments preparedness to fight Covid, Bharadwaj said, We have all our arrangements in place, including Covid beds, oxygen beds, ICU beds, oxygen supply and others.

NEW DELHI: Covid cases in the national capital have sort of stabilised and are likely to taper down in the coming days, said Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday. He also said that most of the Covid-related deaths recorded in the national capital in recent times have been caused by co-morbidities, and Covid was incidental. Delhi on Thursday logged 1,603 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 26.75 per cent along with three fatalities, according to data shared by the city health department here. With the new fatalities, the death toll rose to 26,581. Out of 7,976 Covid beds in the hospitals of Delhi, 390 are occupied, the health department data showed. A day earlier, the city reported six deaths along with 1,757 new cases with a positivity rate of 28.63 per cent. Bharadwaj said, Covid cases have sort of stabilised. Recently, it was being said that the cases were showing an upward trend. Now, it is likely to taper down in the coming days. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Asked about the fatalities being reported regularly in Delhi due to the viral disease, he said, In most of these cases, patients had serious illnesses for a long time and Covid was incidental. But, any death is unfortunate, and it should not happen. Asked if any special arrangements are being considered for schools and children in view of the Covid cases, he said, no such step was being planned as of now. We are telling teachers that if students have cough and cold, those children should be advised to take rest. We will appeal to parents to not send their children to school if they have such symptoms, he said. On the governments preparedness to fight Covid, Bharadwaj said, We have all our arrangements in place, including Covid beds, oxygen beds, ICU beds, oxygen supply and others.
Reshmi Chakravorty By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: National Geographic India is back with its series of short films titled  One For Change on Earth Day (April 22). CE speaks to Ankith Rao, a student of HPS, who is one of the change-makers featured in the series about his work and more

Love for our planet transcends all ages. All it takes is for one person, irrespective of their age, to take that one step that can have a magnifying impact on the planet. Defying the perception that only adults can bring about change, National Geographics One for Change is now celebrating the inspirational stories of six young changemakers and their love for our planet. Sparked by a formidable sense of passion and the tenacity to make a difference, these young champions aged 9-17 years, are debunking the myth that kids are too young to drive a change and have been consciously working towards planet conservation. Their inspiring stories will be amplified across the Disney Star network as a special Earth Day initiative urging millions of viewers to prioritise sustainability in their daily lives.

One of the six young inspirational changemakers who is making a tremendous difference is Ankith Suhas Rao from Hyderabad. The 17-year-old student of Hyderabad Public School, being a young speaker at COP 27 summit in Egypt, he has been long involved in initiatives linked to climate awareness in Hyderabad, including being a part of a programme called Decarbonise launched by the Centre for Global Education of Canada that allow students below 18 years to deliberate on climate change and present their findings to the world.

Talking about his initial reaction after being chosen as one of the six young changemakers, Ankith says, I got to know about this initiative through a friend of mine and right back after I landed from COP 27 summit in Egypt. I sent my application for this program and when I got selected I was so ecstatic and also so privileged to be a part of this wide variety of changemakers and teams.

I was over the moon basically. The selection process was quite nice in the sense that I had to create a small radio essay stating my climate action journey and why I would like to be a part of this programme. It was quite simple, but I was quite nervous as well because its such a huge thing to be a part of, especially One for Change, part of National Geographic. Its always been a dream of mine. Ive grown up watching National Geographic, all the wildlife documentaries and when I did receive the news, I was so proud.

As a child Ankith has always been quite curious and intrigued by his surroundings, especially the biodiversity around where he lives, watching the wildlife or the biodiversity around him fade over time. I live in Hyderabad and we have a lot of birds and other creatures. But then due to urbanisation, even simple species like the sparrows, which are found everywhere slowly disappeared from our cityscapes. So watching the biodiversity around me slowly disappear overtime urged me into getting into climate action. And it was in my school where I found out that we had a COP club, which is the Conference of Parties and I joined it in the eighth grade and with this programme, I was able to put in my efforts, carry out various sustainable activities and thats how all the various initiatives have culminated to be where I am right now.

Most of the physical activities like holding tree plantation drives or awareness rallies, awareness programmes within my school and community around our neighbourhood, happens in and around Hyderabad, he says, adding, We are a part of a programme which is called Decarbonise and its a global programme. Apart from these activities we carry out in our immediate surroundings, we also have a lot of interactions with students from all over the world regarding climate change, and what climate action means to us. So its like going from local to global.

At present Ankith has finished his 12th grade exams and is working on his entrance exams for college. Along with my degree, hopefully, I would really like to continue my climate journey. I definitely dont want to just leave that one part behind because its something that even future generations are going to be affected by. And if even a single individual can do something about it, I want to be that person to really carry out and motivate others to do, says Ankith signing off.

HYDERABAD: National Geographic India is back with its series of short films titled  One For Change on Earth Day (April 22). CE speaks to Ankith Rao, a student of HPS, who is one of the change-makers featured in the series about his work and more Love for our planet transcends all ages. All it takes is for one person, irrespective of their age, to take that one step that can have a magnifying impact on the planet. Defying the perception that only adults can bring about change, National Geographics One for Change is now celebrating the inspirational stories of six young changemakers and their love for our planet. Sparked by a formidable sense of passion and the tenacity to make a difference, these young champions aged 9-17 years, are debunking the myth that kids are too young to drive a change and have been consciously working towards planet conservation. Their inspiring stories will be amplified across the Disney Star network as a special Earth Day initiative urging millions of viewers to prioritise sustainability in their daily lives. One of the six young inspirational changemakers who is making a tremendous difference is Ankith Suhas Rao from Hyderabad. The 17-year-old student of Hyderabad Public School, being a young speaker at COP 27 summit in Egypt, he has been long involved in initiatives linked to climate awareness in Hyderabad, including being a part of a programme called Decarbonise launched by the Centre for Global Education of Canada that allow students below 18 years to deliberate on climate change and present their findings to the world.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Talking about his initial reaction after being chosen as one of the six young changemakers, Ankith says, I got to know about this initiative through a friend of mine and right back after I landed from COP 27 summit in Egypt. I sent my application for this program and when I got selected I was so ecstatic and also so privileged to be a part of this wide variety of changemakers and teams. I was over the moon basically. The selection process was quite nice in the sense that I had to create a small radio essay stating my climate action journey and why I would like to be a part of this programme. It was quite simple, but I was quite nervous as well because its such a huge thing to be a part of, especially One for Change, part of National Geographic. Its always been a dream of mine. Ive grown up watching National Geographic, all the wildlife documentaries and when I did receive the news, I was so proud. As a child Ankith has always been quite curious and intrigued by his surroundings, especially the biodiversity around where he lives, watching the wildlife or the biodiversity around him fade over time. I live in Hyderabad and we have a lot of birds and other creatures. But then due to urbanisation, even simple species like the sparrows, which are found everywhere slowly disappeared from our cityscapes. So watching the biodiversity around me slowly disappear overtime urged me into getting into climate action. And it was in my school where I found out that we had a COP club, which is the Conference of Parties and I joined it in the eighth grade and with this programme, I was able to put in my efforts, carry out various sustainable activities and thats how all the various initiatives have culminated to be where I am right now. Most of the physical activities like holding tree plantation drives or awareness rallies, awareness programmes within my school and community around our neighbourhood, happens in and around Hyderabad, he says, adding, We are a part of a programme which is called Decarbonise and its a global programme. Apart from these activities we carry out in our immediate surroundings, we also have a lot of interactions with students from all over the world regarding climate change, and what climate action means to us. So its like going from local to global. At present Ankith has finished his 12th grade exams and is working on his entrance exams for college. Along with my degree, hopefully, I would really like to continue my climate journey. I definitely dont want to just leave that one part behind because its something that even future generations are going to be affected by. And if even a single individual can do something about it, I want to be that person to really carry out and motivate others to do, says Ankith signing off.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: ADGP TK Vinodkumar's report on the security arrangements and threat perceptions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to Kerala on April 24 and 25 has triggered a row in Kerala with BJP leaders alleging a security lapse on the part of the government.

The report says the recent ban on the Popular Front of India which has a strong cadre base in Kerala poses a serious threat to the Prime Minister.

Threat from other Muslim fundamentalist organizations such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Welfare Party is to be taken care of seriously, and all their activities have to be closely watched. CPI Maoists operating in Kerala are also posing grave security threats to the visiting Prime Minister in the wake of successful operations conducted against them by central government security forces in coordination with other state governments which resulted in eliminating many Maoist cadres, claims the report.

The presence of migrant labourers, especially from Maoist or insurgent-affected states and North Eastern states also poses a security threat to the Prime Minister, alleges the report. It also says that Maoist cadres have migrated to Kerala in the garb of guest labourers.

Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode Rural, Wayanad, and Kannur are Maoist affected. Sighting of Maoists has been reported from Wayanad and other Maoist-affected districts and of late the frequency of such incidents has shown an increasing trend.

"The possibility of retaliation on the part of the Maoists against the visiting Prime Minister may be taken into account while making the security arrangements, it said.

Last week, BJP state president K Surendran received a letter written in Malayalam threatening an attempt to harm the Prime Minister by using a suicide bomber. The veracity of the letter and the person behind the letter are under inquiry and hence while preparing the security arrangements the above threat should be considered, says the report.

ALSO READ | Lapse in security arrangements over Prime Minister's arrival, BJP slams Kerala government

The report points out that some radicalized Keralite youth including women have joined various jihadist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat Nusra in the Gulf region and the arrest of suspected Muslim youths at Kanakamala in Kannur by NIA also needs to be taken seriously.

The political rivalry between the CPM and BJP-RSS activists in the state, the general unrest among the student organizations against the central government, the links of Keralites with Islamic State (IS) elements, etc should be viewed seriously, it said.

KOCHI: ADGP TK Vinodkumar's report on the security arrangements and threat perceptions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his two-day visit to Kerala on April 24 and 25 has triggered a row in Kerala with BJP leaders alleging a security lapse on the part of the government. The report says the recent ban on the Popular Front of India which has a strong cadre base in Kerala poses a serious threat to the Prime Minister. Threat from other Muslim fundamentalist organizations such as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Welfare Party is to be taken care of seriously, and all their activities have to be closely watched. CPI Maoists operating in Kerala are also posing grave security threats to the visiting Prime Minister in the wake of successful operations conducted against them by central government security forces in coordination with other state governments which resulted in eliminating many Maoist cadres, claims the report.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The presence of migrant labourers, especially from Maoist or insurgent-affected states and North Eastern states also poses a security threat to the Prime Minister, alleges the report. It also says that Maoist cadres have migrated to Kerala in the garb of guest labourers. Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode Rural, Wayanad, and Kannur are Maoist affected. Sighting of Maoists has been reported from Wayanad and other Maoist-affected districts and of late the frequency of such incidents has shown an increasing trend. "The possibility of retaliation on the part of the Maoists against the visiting Prime Minister may be taken into account while making the security arrangements, it said. Last week, BJP state president K Surendran received a letter written in Malayalam threatening an attempt to harm the Prime Minister by using a suicide bomber. The veracity of the letter and the person behind the letter are under inquiry and hence while preparing the security arrangements the above threat should be considered, says the report. ALSO READ | Lapse in security arrangements over Prime Minister's arrival, BJP slams Kerala government The report points out that some radicalized Keralite youth including women have joined various jihadist groups such as Islamic State and Jabhat Nusra in the Gulf region and the arrest of suspected Muslim youths at Kanakamala in Kannur by NIA also needs to be taken seriously. The political rivalry between the CPM and BJP-RSS activists in the state, the general unrest among the student organizations against the central government, the links of Keralites with Islamic State (IS) elements, etc should be viewed seriously, it said.
By PTI

KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted search operations at the residence of Trinamool Congress MLA from Tehatta in Nadia district, Tapas Saha, and questioned him in connection with their ongoing probe into the school recruitment scam, a senior officer said.

Accompanied by a huge team of central forces, the CBI officers on Friday seized documents from Saha's office at his residence as well as his mobile phone, he said.

"We are talking to Saha for quite some time now and may continue the questioning," the CBI official told PTI.

CBI officials also raided the residence of Saha's assistant. Saha is the fourth TMC legislator to be questioned in the ongoing probe. Incidentally, Saha was also earlier interrogated by the Anti-Corruption Branch of West Bengal police.

On Tuesday, the Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI to take over the investigation.

Earlier in the day, the CBI sleuths questioned another Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Mollah in connection with their probe into the school jobs scam, a senior officer said.

Mollah, TMC's Bhangar Block 9 president, was summoned by the central probe agency to appear before its sleuths on Friday.

The CBI officer also claimed that several important documents have been recovered from Mollah's house.

Several leaders of the ruling TMC, including former minister Chatterjee, were earlier arrested by the ED and CBI in connection with the scam since last year.

KOLKATA: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted search operations at the residence of Trinamool Congress MLA from Tehatta in Nadia district, Tapas Saha, and questioned him in connection with their ongoing probe into the school recruitment scam, a senior officer said. Accompanied by a huge team of central forces, the CBI officers on Friday seized documents from Saha's office at his residence as well as his mobile phone, he said. "We are talking to Saha for quite some time now and may continue the questioning," the CBI official told PTI.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); CBI officials also raided the residence of Saha's assistant. Saha is the fourth TMC legislator to be questioned in the ongoing probe. Incidentally, Saha was also earlier interrogated by the Anti-Corruption Branch of West Bengal police. On Tuesday, the Calcutta High Court ordered the CBI to take over the investigation. Earlier in the day, the CBI sleuths questioned another Trinamool Congress leader Shahjahan Mollah in connection with their probe into the school jobs scam, a senior officer said. Mollah, TMC's Bhangar Block 9 president, was summoned by the central probe agency to appear before its sleuths on Friday. The CBI officer also claimed that several important documents have been recovered from Mollah's house. Several leaders of the ruling TMC, including former minister Chatterjee, were earlier arrested by the ED and CBI in connection with the scam since last year.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Congress targeted the central government on Saturday over the CBI summons to former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, saying it is intended to send out a message to him and all those speaking the truth to remain silent.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that though the summons itself is not surprising, what has come as a surprise is that the "vengeful" act came 10 days after he raised relevant and pertinent questions related to national security.

"We don't know why it took 10 days for the prime minister. Normally he is very prompt in silencing his critics. What did Satya Pal Malik do? He asked some very relevant, very pertinent questions...related to national security," he told reporters.

The CBI has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday.

This is the second time in seven months that Malik will be questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

He was questioned in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and Meghalaya.

Khera said Malik had pointed to the prime minister in a telephonic conversation that the Pulwama terrorist attack on February 14, 2019 was due to a security lapse, "but the prime minister asked him to keep quiet".

"The CBI summons yesterday to Satya Pal Malik are a reiteration of the same advice which the prime minister gave to him on the evening of 14th February, 2019. Mr. Satya Pal Malik, this time, is being asked to keep quiet, however the messenger is the CBI," Khera said.

"This message is not being given to Satya Pal Malik alone, but to all those who are not paid and are neither scared of raids while raising their voice for truth...Those who have the courage to ask questions of the government and the power, such people are being threatened that if they open their mouth like Malik, they will also see the CBI come knocking at their doors," he alleged.

The Congress leader said it is ironic that the CBI is knocking at the door of the whistleblower and not the person accused by Malik of indulging in malpractices.

"We don't know whether Mr. Ram Madhav has been summoned by the CBI" after Malik alleged that he was involved in corruption, Khera said.

Madhav has strongly rejected the charge.

"The CBI has already thoroughly investigated the matter. I will be filing defamation charges against the peddlers of these false allegations very soon," the RSS leader said.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared his letter to the CBI chief asking for summoning Home Minister Amit Shah after he made a statement before the Meghalaya assembly polls suggesting that the state government was the "most corrupt"

"Satya Pal Malik has just been summoned by CBI apparently on his charges of insurance scams in J&K and on his being offered bribes to clear files. But why is CBI still not summoning Home Minister on his charge that Meghalaya was running the most corrupt government," Ramesh said on Twitter while sharing his letter to the CBI director in March.

NEW DELHI: The Congress targeted the central government on Saturday over the CBI summons to former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, saying it is intended to send out a message to him and all those speaking the truth to remain silent. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said that though the summons itself is not surprising, what has come as a surprise is that the "vengeful" act came 10 days after he raised relevant and pertinent questions related to national security. "We don't know why it took 10 days for the prime minister. Normally he is very prompt in silencing his critics. What did Satya Pal Malik do? He asked some very relevant, very pertinent questions...related to national security," he told reporters.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The CBI has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Friday. This is the second time in seven months that Malik will be questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). He was questioned in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and Meghalaya. Khera said Malik had pointed to the prime minister in a telephonic conversation that the Pulwama terrorist attack on February 14, 2019 was due to a security lapse, "but the prime minister asked him to keep quiet". "The CBI summons yesterday to Satya Pal Malik are a reiteration of the same advice which the prime minister gave to him on the evening of 14th February, 2019. Mr. Satya Pal Malik, this time, is being asked to keep quiet, however the messenger is the CBI," Khera said. "This message is not being given to Satya Pal Malik alone, but to all those who are not paid and are neither scared of raids while raising their voice for truth...Those who have the courage to ask questions of the government and the power, such people are being threatened that if they open their mouth like Malik, they will also see the CBI come knocking at their doors," he alleged. The Congress leader said it is ironic that the CBI is knocking at the door of the whistleblower and not the person accused by Malik of indulging in malpractices. "We don't know whether Mr. Ram Madhav has been summoned by the CBI" after Malik alleged that he was involved in corruption, Khera said. Madhav has strongly rejected the charge. "The CBI has already thoroughly investigated the matter. I will be filing defamation charges against the peddlers of these false allegations very soon," the RSS leader said. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh shared his letter to the CBI chief asking for summoning Home Minister Amit Shah after he made a statement before the Meghalaya assembly polls suggesting that the state government was the "most corrupt" "Satya Pal Malik has just been summoned by CBI apparently on his charges of insurance scams in J&K and on his being offered bribes to clear files. But why is CBI still not summoning Home Minister on his charge that Meghalaya was running the most corrupt government," Ramesh said on Twitter while sharing his letter to the CBI director in March.
Dilip Singh Kshatriya By

Express News Service

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has increased the cooking cost for the mid-day deal programme by 58 paisa per day for a student. The programme, which feeds approximately 43-45 lakh kids in government schools, runs under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Yojana.

Soon after the governments announcement of the hike, a controversy erupted with social activists dubbing it as making fun of underprivileged kids. According to a notification, the government provides wheat and rice to schools for mid-day meals, whereas the cost of cooking comprises pulses, vegetables, pepper, spices, fuel, edible oil and wages for grinding. The notification said the cost of cooking has been raised by 58 paise per day for students in grades 1-5, and 30 paisa per day for students in grades 6-8. The governments goal in conducting this scheme is to tackle the problem of food for children in rural, impoverished and backward areas.

In Gujarat, the government used to spend Rs 5.45 per student in grades 15. Now, it will spend Rs 6.03. It was Rs 8.17 per student in grades 68. After the increase, it will spend Rs 8.47. The government gives not much money to schools in Gujarat for mid-day meals. Many local outfits have complained to the government about the lack of funds. Finally, the government accepted their demand and increased the cooking costs, which also include the states share in providing additional oil.

Activists dismissed the governments declaration as a joke with the poor children. Gujarat government spends between Rs 5,000-Rs 7,500 per plate during major Government celebrations, said Hemant Shah, economist and activist.

What about rural areas?

Santosh Rathore, an activist, has been making presentations to the government for a long time in order to get sufficient funding for the Mid-Day Meal School, he claims, "Surprisingly, in rural areas government has also increased the cooking cost by ten per cent, but it is significantly less in villages when compared to the cooking cost they receive in the city."

According to the notification dated March 18, under the Mid-Day Meal scheme, village schools will receive Rs 3.16 for Classes I to V and Rs 4.72 for Classes VI to VIII. According to the government notification, the government provides wheat and rice to schools for midday meals, whereas, the cost of cooking includes pulses, vegetables, pepper, spices, fuel, edible oil and wages for grinding.

AHMEDABAD: The Gujarat government has increased the cooking cost for the mid-day deal programme by 58 paisa per day for a student. The programme, which feeds approximately 43-45 lakh kids in government schools, runs under the Pradhan Mantri Poshan Yojana. Soon after the governments announcement of the hike, a controversy erupted with social activists dubbing it as making fun of underprivileged kids. According to a notification, the government provides wheat and rice to schools for mid-day meals, whereas the cost of cooking comprises pulses, vegetables, pepper, spices, fuel, edible oil and wages for grinding. The notification said the cost of cooking has been raised by 58 paise per day for students in grades 1-5, and 30 paisa per day for students in grades 6-8. The governments goal in conducting this scheme is to tackle the problem of food for children in rural, impoverished and backward areas. In Gujarat, the government used to spend Rs 5.45 per student in grades 15. Now, it will spend Rs 6.03. It was Rs 8.17 per student in grades 68. After the increase, it will spend Rs 8.47. The government gives not much money to schools in Gujarat for mid-day meals. Many local outfits have complained to the government about the lack of funds. Finally, the government accepted their demand and increased the cooking costs, which also include the states share in providing additional oil.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Activists dismissed the governments declaration as a joke with the poor children. Gujarat government spends between Rs 5,000-Rs 7,500 per plate during major Government celebrations, said Hemant Shah, economist and activist. What about rural areas? Santosh Rathore, an activist, has been making presentations to the government for a long time in order to get sufficient funding for the Mid-Day Meal School, he claims, "Surprisingly, in rural areas government has also increased the cooking cost by ten per cent, but it is significantly less in villages when compared to the cooking cost they receive in the city." According to the notification dated March 18, under the Mid-Day Meal scheme, village schools will receive Rs 3.16 for Classes I to V and Rs 4.72 for Classes VI to VIII. According to the government notification, the government provides wheat and rice to schools for midday meals, whereas, the cost of cooking includes pulses, vegetables, pepper, spices, fuel, edible oil and wages for grinding.
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: India can extend support of up to $1 million for medium and small projects in the Caribbean, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar in Georgetown, Guyana, on Saturday.

"We are open to supporting small and medium scale projects of upto $1 million. My PM is very clear that we are there not just for ourselves but also for the countries who are not on the G20 table, Dr Jaishankar said while co-chairing the fourth India-Caricom (15-member Caribbean Community) ministerial meeting.

He emphasised that the focus would be on energy, particularly renewable energy, and said it was their collective interest, adding that India cared for the voice of the Global South.

ALSO READ | EAM Jaishankar discusses Sudan situation with UN chief Guterres

"Today, Id like to put forward for your collective consideration a proposal in the field of small & medium scale enterprises. We would be open to supporting on a grant basis, individual projects of up to a value of a million dollars and we would solicit proposals from you," he added.

India would like to create a partner group and see whether it can help in supporting viable project offers from the Caribbean through the supply of machinery, technology and training.

On the sidelines of the summit, Jaishankar met his counterparts from Suriname Albert Ramdin, Dr. Denzil Douglas from St. Kitts and Nevis, Joseph Andall from Grenada, Barbados foreign minister Kerrie Symmonds, Kamina Johnson Smith from Jamaica, Dr. Amery Browne from Trinidad and Tobago and Keisal Peters from St. Vincent and Grenadines. Among the other dignitaries, he met Bahamas Parliamentary Secretary Jamahl Strachen.

NEW DELHI: India can extend support of up to $1 million for medium and small projects in the Caribbean, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar in Georgetown, Guyana, on Saturday. "We are open to supporting small and medium scale projects of upto $1 million. My PM is very clear that we are there not just for ourselves but also for the countries who are not on the G20 table, Dr Jaishankar said while co-chairing the fourth India-Caricom (15-member Caribbean Community) ministerial meeting. He emphasised that the focus would be on energy, particularly renewable energy, and said it was their collective interest, adding that India cared for the voice of the Global South.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); ALSO READ | EAM Jaishankar discusses Sudan situation with UN chief Guterres "Today, Id like to put forward for your collective consideration a proposal in the field of small & medium scale enterprises. We would be open to supporting on a grant basis, individual projects of up to a value of a million dollars and we would solicit proposals from you," he added. India would like to create a partner group and see whether it can help in supporting viable project offers from the Caribbean through the supply of machinery, technology and training. On the sidelines of the summit, Jaishankar met his counterparts from Suriname Albert Ramdin, Dr. Denzil Douglas from St. Kitts and Nevis, Joseph Andall from Grenada, Barbados foreign minister Kerrie Symmonds, Kamina Johnson Smith from Jamaica, Dr. Amery Browne from Trinidad and Tobago and Keisal Peters from St. Vincent and Grenadines. Among the other dignitaries, he met Bahamas Parliamentary Secretary Jamahl Strachen.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: The BJP-led Haryana government on Friday rubbished an inference in some quarters that Congress leader Sonia Gandhis son-in-law Robert Vadra has been given a clean chit in a 2012 land deal with real estate major DLF.

A sentence in the governments affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday was read out of context, it indicated, adding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was reconstituted last month to investigate the land deal between Vadras Skylight Hospitality and DLF. The affidavit was a status report on cases against MPs/ MLAs.

The Vadra deal found mention because then chief minister B S Hooda is an accused in the case. The affidavit begins by saying, It was reported by tehsildar, Manesar, Gurugram, that M/s Skylight Hospitality sold 3.5 acres to M/s DLF Universal Limited on 18.9.2012 and no regulation/ rules have been violated in said transaction. But it goes on to say that a new SIT was constituted on March 22, 2023 comprising a DCP, two ACPs, one inspector and one ASI for further investigation, the government pointed out.

A spokesperson of the police department said that the case is still under active investigation. The focus of SITs probe is not limited to revenue loss. It aims to expose all those who are involved in the criminal conspiracy for financial gains to certain individuals, and of quid pro quo involving underhand dealings, he said. IAS officer Ashok Khemka had in 2012 cancelled the mutation of land between Skylight and DLF.

The BJP had in 2014 made the shady land deal a major poll issue. For his part, Vadra said, I am happy to see a ray of hope in the report given by the Haryana government to the court clearing that there were no wrongdoings in my business transactions.

CHANDIGARH: The BJP-led Haryana government on Friday rubbished an inference in some quarters that Congress leader Sonia Gandhis son-in-law Robert Vadra has been given a clean chit in a 2012 land deal with real estate major DLF. A sentence in the governments affidavit before the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Wednesday was read out of context, it indicated, adding a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was reconstituted last month to investigate the land deal between Vadras Skylight Hospitality and DLF. The affidavit was a status report on cases against MPs/ MLAs. The Vadra deal found mention because then chief minister B S Hooda is an accused in the case. The affidavit begins by saying, It was reported by tehsildar, Manesar, Gurugram, that M/s Skylight Hospitality sold 3.5 acres to M/s DLF Universal Limited on 18.9.2012 and no regulation/ rules have been violated in said transaction. But it goes on to say that a new SIT was constituted on March 22, 2023 comprising a DCP, two ACPs, one inspector and one ASI for further investigation, the government pointed out.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); A spokesperson of the police department said that the case is still under active investigation. The focus of SITs probe is not limited to revenue loss. It aims to expose all those who are involved in the criminal conspiracy for financial gains to certain individuals, and of quid pro quo involving underhand dealings, he said. IAS officer Ashok Khemka had in 2012 cancelled the mutation of land between Skylight and DLF. The BJP had in 2014 made the shady land deal a major poll issue. For his part, Vadra said, I am happy to see a ray of hope in the report given by the Haryana government to the court clearing that there were no wrongdoings in my business transactions.
Yeshi Seli By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Russia and Chinas Defence Ministers are expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meet in Delhi next week.

Russias defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu are expected in Delhi next week for the meeting scheduled for April 27-28. Pakistans defence minister Khawaja Asif is expected to attend it virtually.

India presently has the SCO Presidency. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the meeting.

India and Russia have been defence partners while the equation India has with China is rather precarious. However, their participation will help in further improving relations, say sources. Pakistans participation (even though virtually) will help in thawing the relationship with India  which has been at a diplomatic low.

After the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, there has been a lot of emphasis on defence and trade related to it. In this context, the meeting will be significant.

"India is seen as playing the role of a mediator, a non-aligned country which strategises its own policies without being influenced by the West. This meeting is likely to have a lot of discussions around the emerging fragility of world politics," said a source.

ALSO READ | Jolt to 8 Navy veterans languishing in Qatar jail as employer fires them

China is looking at improving relations with India as the US is trying to ally with India militarily  specially after tensions over Taiwan. The US had sent B-1B Lancers (supersonic bombers) to participate in a joint exercise in India for the first time as part of Exercise Cope India 2023 earlier this month.

The US is seen as attempting to push India to take a more aggressive stance towards China. However, India will continue with its balancing act as it doesnt want to escalate tensions with China.

Interestingly, Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris participation in the SCO Foreign Ministers meet in Goa (May 4th and 5th) has come as a surprise to many. Following Bhutto's harsh words against PM Modi in a UN Conference last December, his acceptance of the invitation could lead to a thaw, say experts.

Pakistans foreign ministry spokesperson confirming Bilawals participation said that an invite had been extended by Indias External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar which was accepted.

"We have been inviting all member states under the SCO Presidency for all meetings," the MEA spokesperson had said. For the Foreign Ministers meeting Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and Chinas FM Qin Gang are expected to attend.

The SCO has eight member countries which include India, Russia, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikstan and Uzbekistan. There are also four observer states which include Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia and six dialogue partners which include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

NEW DELHI: Russia and Chinas Defence Ministers are expected to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers meet in Delhi next week. Russias defence minister Sergei Shoigu and Chinese defence minister Li Shangfu are expected in Delhi next week for the meeting scheduled for April 27-28. Pakistans defence minister Khawaja Asif is expected to attend it virtually. India presently has the SCO Presidency. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the meeting.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); India and Russia have been defence partners while the equation India has with China is rather precarious. However, their participation will help in further improving relations, say sources. Pakistans participation (even though virtually) will help in thawing the relationship with India  which has been at a diplomatic low. After the outbreak of the conflict in Ukraine, there has been a lot of emphasis on defence and trade related to it. In this context, the meeting will be significant. "India is seen as playing the role of a mediator, a non-aligned country which strategises its own policies without being influenced by the West. This meeting is likely to have a lot of discussions around the emerging fragility of world politics," said a source. ALSO READ | Jolt to 8 Navy veterans languishing in Qatar jail as employer fires them China is looking at improving relations with India as the US is trying to ally with India militarily  specially after tensions over Taiwan. The US had sent B-1B Lancers (supersonic bombers) to participate in a joint exercise in India for the first time as part of Exercise Cope India 2023 earlier this month. The US is seen as attempting to push India to take a more aggressive stance towards China. However, India will continue with its balancing act as it doesnt want to escalate tensions with China. Interestingly, Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardaris participation in the SCO Foreign Ministers meet in Goa (May 4th and 5th) has come as a surprise to many. Following Bhutto's harsh words against PM Modi in a UN Conference last December, his acceptance of the invitation could lead to a thaw, say experts. Pakistans foreign ministry spokesperson confirming Bilawals participation said that an invite had been extended by Indias External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar which was accepted. "We have been inviting all member states under the SCO Presidency for all meetings," the MEA spokesperson had said. For the Foreign Ministers meeting Russian FM Sergey Lavrov and Chinas FM Qin Gang are expected to attend. The SCO has eight member countries which include India, Russia, China, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikstan and Uzbekistan. There are also four observer states which include Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran and Mongolia and six dialogue partners which include Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
Shruti Kakkar By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court recently dismissed a plea that alleged that a mistrial happened in MK Gandhis assassination case.

It is the most misconceived petition under Article 32 of the Constitution. The parties cannot walk into the Supreme Court with any pleading or with any prayer they want, a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said in their order.

The bench also imposed a Rs 25,000 penalty on the petitioner and directed them to deposit the same towards the SC Advocates on Record Welfare Fund within four weeks.



The plea filed by the founder of Abhinav Bharat Congress Dr Pankaj K Phadnis had also challenged the provisions of the Bombay Public Measures (Delhi Amendment) Act, 1948 on the ground that its application had led to the implication of VD Savarkar in the case.

The trial court in June 1948 had pardoned Digambar Badge, accused in the case by involving the provisions of Bombay Public Security Measures (Delhi Amendment Act).

Badge had turned into an approver and Mr Savarkar was implicated in the trial on the basis of evidence given by Badge, who was an arms dealer regularly selling weapons to the Hindu Mahasabha.

Phadnis in his plea had also sought "partial atonement of the injustice done to Veer Savarkar" by directing the government to form an empowered committee of eminent persons, including representatives of Abhinav Bharat. The petitioner wanted to give scholarships to meritorious students for postgraduate studies abroad, as envisaged by Savarkar in 1944.

"The mala fide motive in prosecuting Veer Savarkar came to light when he was acquitted as prosecutors failed to produce any evidence to corroborate the flimsy evidence given by the approver. Even after acquittal, Savarkar was arrested again in 1949 and released only after he agreed not to participate in the 1952 elections. He died in 1966 without ever having participated in elections," the petition stated.

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court recently dismissed a plea that alleged that a mistrial happened in MK Gandhis assassination case. It is the most misconceived petition under Article 32 of the Constitution. The parties cannot walk into the Supreme Court with any pleading or with any prayer they want, a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said in their order. The bench also imposed a Rs 25,000 penalty on the petitioner and directed them to deposit the same towards the SC Advocates on Record Welfare Fund within four weeks. The plea filed by the founder of Abhinav Bharat Congress Dr Pankaj K Phadnis had also challenged the provisions of the Bombay Public Measures (Delhi Amendment) Act, 1948 on the ground that its application had led to the implication of VD Savarkar in the case. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The trial court in June 1948 had pardoned Digambar Badge, accused in the case by involving the provisions of Bombay Public Security Measures (Delhi Amendment Act). Badge had turned into an approver and Mr Savarkar was implicated in the trial on the basis of evidence given by Badge, who was an arms dealer regularly selling weapons to the Hindu Mahasabha. Phadnis in his plea had also sought "partial atonement of the injustice done to Veer Savarkar" by directing the government to form an empowered committee of eminent persons, including representatives of Abhinav Bharat. The petitioner wanted to give scholarships to meritorious students for postgraduate studies abroad, as envisaged by Savarkar in 1944. "The mala fide motive in prosecuting Veer Savarkar came to light when he was acquitted as prosecutors failed to produce any evidence to corroborate the flimsy evidence given by the approver. Even after acquittal, Savarkar was arrested again in 1949 and released only after he agreed not to participate in the 1952 elections. He died in 1966 without ever having participated in elections," the petition stated.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. The Nakhchivan Main Customs Department has prevented an attempt to smuggle a large batch of drugs from Iran to Azerbaijan, the State Customs Committee of Azerbaijan told Trend.

According to the source, a customs inspection of a cargo vehicle transiting through the territory of Azerbaijan from the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Netherlands was carried out at the Julfa checkpoint.

The department has implemented a thorough inspection of the vehicle, as a result, almost 500 kilos of heroin were found in the cargo compartment of the vehicle.

An investigation is underway.
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: As many as 1,800 scientists, educators, science teachers, science popularizers, and citizens from various reputable institutions have expressed their dissatisfaction and serious concerns regarding the removal of Darwins theory of biological evolution from the class X science syllabus in NCERT book.

These concerned individuals, under the Breakthrough Science Society (BSS), jointly signed an open letter urging the government to continue teaching Darwins theory of evolution with sufficient importance in the 9th and 10th standard science books of NCERT. The chapter on the theory was initially removed as an interim measure for syllabus reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the NCERT document has since stated that it has been permanently dropped as a step in content rationalization.

The countrys scientific community believes that students thought processes will be seriously handicapped if they are deprived of exposure to this fundamental discovery of science. The cornerstones of rational thinking, including the fact that the biological world is constantly changing, that evolution is a law-governed process that does not require divine intervention, and that humans have evolved from some species of ape, have been in place since Darwin proposed his theory of natural selection.

The concerned parties condemn the NCERTs directive and demand that Darwins theory of evolution be taught with sufficient importance in the 9th and 10th standard science books. They further state that understanding evolutionary biology is not only important for any subfield of biology but also crucial to understanding the world around us.

They highlight the imperative of this chapter on Darwins theory, emphasizing that understanding the process of evolution is crucial in building a scientific temper and a rational worldview. They claim that the way Darwins painstaking observations and keen insights led him to the theory of natural selection educates students about the process of science and the importance of critical thinking.

Ex-minister criticises Darwins theory

Satya Pal Singh, former minister of state for human resource development, said Darwins theory of evolution was scientifically wrong, and It needs to be changed in curriculums. Since man has been seen on Earth, he has always been a man. Nobody saw an ape turning into a man, he said.

NEW DELHI: As many as 1,800 scientists, educators, science teachers, science popularizers, and citizens from various reputable institutions have expressed their dissatisfaction and serious concerns regarding the removal of Darwins theory of biological evolution from the class X science syllabus in NCERT book. These concerned individuals, under the Breakthrough Science Society (BSS), jointly signed an open letter urging the government to continue teaching Darwins theory of evolution with sufficient importance in the 9th and 10th standard science books of NCERT. The chapter on the theory was initially removed as an interim measure for syllabus reduction during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the NCERT document has since stated that it has been permanently dropped as a step in content rationalization. The countrys scientific community believes that students thought processes will be seriously handicapped if they are deprived of exposure to this fundamental discovery of science. The cornerstones of rational thinking, including the fact that the biological world is constantly changing, that evolution is a law-governed process that does not require divine intervention, and that humans have evolved from some species of ape, have been in place since Darwin proposed his theory of natural selection.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The concerned parties condemn the NCERTs directive and demand that Darwins theory of evolution be taught with sufficient importance in the 9th and 10th standard science books. They further state that understanding evolutionary biology is not only important for any subfield of biology but also crucial to understanding the world around us. They highlight the imperative of this chapter on Darwins theory, emphasizing that understanding the process of evolution is crucial in building a scientific temper and a rational worldview. They claim that the way Darwins painstaking observations and keen insights led him to the theory of natural selection educates students about the process of science and the importance of critical thinking. Ex-minister criticises Darwins theory Satya Pal Singh, former minister of state for human resource development, said Darwins theory of evolution was scientifically wrong, and It needs to be changed in curriculums. Since man has been seen on Earth, he has always been a man. Nobody saw an ape turning into a man, he said.
By PTI

AYODHYA: Seven passengers were killed and more than 40 injured as a bus toppled sideways after colliding with a truck and came under the loaded goods carrier on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur Highway, officials said.

The accident took place late in the evening when the private bus coming from Ayodhya was negotiating a turn on the highway to move towards Ambedkarnagar, they said.

The bus collided with the truck coming from the opposite side, the officials said, adding the impact was so intense that the truck got overturned and the bus got buried under it.

Ayodhya Chief Medical Officer Dr Ajay Raja said, "So far, seven persons have died and more than 40 persons are injured in the road accident." He added that rescue operations are still going on.

The district administration launched a rescue operation soon after the accident.

"More than a dozen ambulances have been deployed. We are evacuating those who are stuck in the crashed vehicle. The injured are being taken to the district hospital and medical college," District Magistrate Nitish Kumar told PTI.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident, his office said in a tweet in Hindi.

The chief minister also directed the district administration to take the injured to the hospital immediately and provide them with proper treatment.

AYODHYA: Seven passengers were killed and more than 40 injured as a bus toppled sideways after colliding with a truck and came under the loaded goods carrier on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur Highway, officials said. The accident took place late in the evening when the private bus coming from Ayodhya was negotiating a turn on the highway to move towards Ambedkarnagar, they said. The bus collided with the truck coming from the opposite side, the officials said, adding the impact was so intense that the truck got overturned and the bus got buried under it.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Ayodhya Chief Medical Officer Dr Ajay Raja said, "So far, seven persons have died and more than 40 persons are injured in the road accident." He added that rescue operations are still going on. The district administration launched a rescue operation soon after the accident. "More than a dozen ambulances have been deployed. We are evacuating those who are stuck in the crashed vehicle. The injured are being taken to the district hospital and medical college," District Magistrate Nitish Kumar told PTI. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives in the accident, his office said in a tweet in Hindi. The chief minister also directed the district administration to take the injured to the hospital immediately and provide them with proper treatment.
Harpreet Bajwa By

Express News Service

CHANDIGARH: Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Suresh Kashyap on Friday resigned from his post ahead of the Shimla Municipal Corporation polls, citing personal reasons and thus paving way for the appointment of the new state party chief.

The saffron party is likely to reorganize its organisational structure in the hill state following its debacle in the state assembly. Kashyap has handed over his resignation to the partys national president BJP Nadda citing personal reasons even as his term was coming to an end. It has come as a surprise when the Shimla Municipal Corporations elections are due on May 2.

After tendering his resignation, he was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi after a sudden deterioration of his health. Kashyap was appointed state party president in May 2020 as he had then succeeded Dr Rajiv Bindal who resigned from his post.

The BJP had lost the bye-elections in the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and in Arki, Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly constituencies in November 2021 and then in December last year, the party also lost the assembly polls. Kashyap a sitting Member of Parliament from Shimla was first elected to the state assembly in 2012 from Pachhad.

CHANDIGARH: Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Suresh Kashyap on Friday resigned from his post ahead of the Shimla Municipal Corporation polls, citing personal reasons and thus paving way for the appointment of the new state party chief. The saffron party is likely to reorganize its organisational structure in the hill state following its debacle in the state assembly. Kashyap has handed over his resignation to the partys national president BJP Nadda citing personal reasons even as his term was coming to an end. It has come as a surprise when the Shimla Municipal Corporations elections are due on May 2. After tendering his resignation, he was admitted to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital in Delhi after a sudden deterioration of his health. Kashyap was appointed state party president in May 2020 as he had then succeeded Dr Rajiv Bindal who resigned from his post.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The BJP had lost the bye-elections in the Mandi Lok Sabha seat and in Arki, Fatehpur and Jubbal-Kotkhai assembly constituencies in November 2021 and then in December last year, the party also lost the assembly polls. Kashyap a sitting Member of Parliament from Shimla was first elected to the state assembly in 2012 from Pachhad.
By PTI

BHOPAL: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's dig at his former party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia has triggered a war of words, with leaders from the ruling BJP calling the grand old party's Rajya Sabha member a "blot" on the country and wishing that he is born in Pakistan in his next life.

Digvijaya Singh on Friday visited Ujjain city in Madhya Pradesh, where the famous Mahakaleshwar temple is located.

Responding to a query about what he would seek from the deity, Singh had told reporters, "Hey Mahakal, a second Jyotiraditya Scindia should not be born in the Congress."

Scindia, who was once considered to be a close aide of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, quit the grand old party in March 2020, ending his nearly two-decade-long association with the organisation. He then joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was made a Union minister.

Following Singh's swipe at him, Scindia had on Friday tweeted that Lord Mahakal should ensure an "anti-national" like Singh, who also greatly harmed Madhya Pradesh, is not born in India.

When asked about the Congress veteran's remark against Scindia, BJP leader and Minister for Panchayat Mahendra Singh Sisodia said, "I pray to Lord Mahakal that a person like Digvijaya Singh, who ruined the entire Congress and Madhya Pradesh, should be born in Pakistan in his next life."

Minister for Medical Education Vishvas Sarang, who also belongs to the BJP, reacted sharply to Singh's remarks as he termed him a "Pro-Pakistan" leader and accused him of insulting the country's army and soldiers.

"Leaders like Digvijaya Singh are a blot on this country. Jyotiraditya ji has rightly tweeted. Such people who speak the pro-Pakistan language, talk about giving protection to terrorists and dividing this country, such people have no place in India," Sarang said.

The Congress government under Kamal Nath in the state, which came to power in December 2018 after 15 years of BJP rule, collapsed in March 2020 after 22 MLAs loyal to Scindia joined the saffron party following his rebellion in the grand old party.

Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held by the end of this year.

BHOPAL: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh's dig at his former party colleague Jyotiraditya Scindia has triggered a war of words, with leaders from the ruling BJP calling the grand old party's Rajya Sabha member a "blot" on the country and wishing that he is born in Pakistan in his next life. Digvijaya Singh on Friday visited Ujjain city in Madhya Pradesh, where the famous Mahakaleshwar temple is located. Responding to a query about what he would seek from the deity, Singh had told reporters, "Hey Mahakal, a second Jyotiraditya Scindia should not be born in the Congress."googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Scindia, who was once considered to be a close aide of former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, quit the grand old party in March 2020, ending his nearly two-decade-long association with the organisation. He then joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and was made a Union minister. Following Singh's swipe at him, Scindia had on Friday tweeted that Lord Mahakal should ensure an "anti-national" like Singh, who also greatly harmed Madhya Pradesh, is not born in India. When asked about the Congress veteran's remark against Scindia, BJP leader and Minister for Panchayat Mahendra Singh Sisodia said, "I pray to Lord Mahakal that a person like Digvijaya Singh, who ruined the entire Congress and Madhya Pradesh, should be born in Pakistan in his next life." Minister for Medical Education Vishvas Sarang, who also belongs to the BJP, reacted sharply to Singh's remarks as he termed him a "Pro-Pakistan" leader and accused him of insulting the country's army and soldiers. "Leaders like Digvijaya Singh are a blot on this country. Jyotiraditya ji has rightly tweeted. Such people who speak the pro-Pakistan language, talk about giving protection to terrorists and dividing this country, such people have no place in India," Sarang said. The Congress government under Kamal Nath in the state, which came to power in December 2018 after 15 years of BJP rule, collapsed in March 2020 after 22 MLAs loyal to Scindia joined the saffron party following his rebellion in the grand old party. Assembly polls in Madhya Pradesh are scheduled to be held by the end of this year.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Assam Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta, who had accused Indian Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV of mentally harassing and humiliating her, has been expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years.

Honourable Congress president has expelled Angkita Duttafrom the primary membership of the party for six years with immediate effect for her anti-party activities, Tariq Anwar, member-secretary of the Congress Disciplinary Action Committee, said.

The BJP slammed the Congress for the action against Dutta and termed the partys ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon slogan as hollow.

This is Congresss model of women empowerment! Sack the woman who alleged harassment instead of providing a platform to hear her grievances. The manner in which Angkita has been removed is uninspiring for women, BJPs IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted.

Assam CM Himanta Sarma said he had expected the Congress to resolve the matter internally but as it sought legal recourse, the police would now do their job.

Dutta on Wednesday lodged a police complaint against Srinivas BV in Guwahati accusing him of harassing her for the past six months. The complaint was lodged soon after he had sent a criminal defamation notice to her for using unparliamentary and defamatory words against him.-- PTI

GUWAHATI: Assam Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta, who had accused Indian Youth Congress chief Srinivas BV of mentally harassing and humiliating her, has been expelled from the primary membership of the party for six years. Honourable Congress president has expelled Angkita Duttafrom the primary membership of the party for six years with immediate effect for her anti-party activities, Tariq Anwar, member-secretary of the Congress Disciplinary Action Committee, said. The BJP slammed the Congress for the action against Dutta and termed the partys ladki hoon, lad sakti hoon slogan as hollow.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); This is Congresss model of women empowerment! Sack the woman who alleged harassment instead of providing a platform to hear her grievances. The manner in which Angkita has been removed is uninspiring for women, BJPs IT cell chief Amit Malviya tweeted. Assam CM Himanta Sarma said he had expected the Congress to resolve the matter internally but as it sought legal recourse, the police would now do their job. Dutta on Wednesday lodged a police complaint against Srinivas BV in Guwahati accusing him of harassing her for the past six months. The complaint was lodged soon after he had sent a criminal defamation notice to her for using unparliamentary and defamatory words against him.-- PTI
Srinivas Goli By

UNFPAs State of World Population Report 2023, released on Wednesday, triggered the population growth debate globally and in India. With an estimated population of 142.86 crore by the middle of 2023, India is projected to surpass Chinas population of 142.57 croreby an excess of 2.9 million. Given the inadequate data for India and China, especially in the absence of the 2021 Indian Census, the UN didnt reveal the exact date when China will hand over the baton of the most populous country to India. Mid-2023 is a crude approximation, yet our best guess. This change in demographic rank order will occur four years earlier than the previous prediction for 2027.

Although this debate is not new, alarmist views see this change as resulting in a dystopian future for India. Therefore, population control is widely seen as a panacea to avoid a grim future.

To understand Indias new status, we need to take a closer look at two aspects: (1) demographic conditions, i.e., rate of fertility decline, nature of population growth and its composition and (2) socio-economic, health and political environment.

India completed its fertility transition within 45 yearsone of the fastest in the world, only next to Chinas 29 years among the major countries. Currently, Indias total fertility rate is 2.0, which means that on average, two children are replacing their parents, which is also an ideal condition for population stabilisation. India has now achieved replacement-level fertility. But it continues to add significant numbers due to its young population. Indias population is growing, though slowly.

Population is often viewed only through the consumption angle. However, population is a resource that is the key to production and consumption, considered the two engines of an economy. However, the story surrounding our demographic conditions cant be understood wholly based solely on population size. It rather depends on the populations age composition.

The age structure, as provided by the UN Population Prospects 2022 for India, suggests that the country is currently passing through a window of demographic opportunity, where its working-age population (15 to 64 years) share is considerably greater compared to its dependent population (014 years and 65+ years). Currently, 68% of Indias total population is between the ages of 15 and 64. About 25% is between 014 years, and 7% is above 65 years. This is a vast demographic bonus for the country. With a considerable share of the working population, India can harness the opportunity to rise as an economic superpower, supplying more than half of Asias potential workforce over the coming decades.

However, this favourable demographic condition (a demographic dividend) will only be available until 2061. Moreover, the availability of the demographic dividend will not automatically result in an economic dividend; such a transition needs a favourable socio-economic, health and political environment.

Scientific studies suggest that the conversion of demographic dividend into economic dividend during the demographic window of opportunity is conditional on four aspects: employment, education and skills, health conditions and governance.

Employment or job creation is important to translate demographic bonuses into an economic dividend. If India can generate sufficient quality jobs for its bulging working-age population, the realisation of a demographic dividend will become a reality.

Education, skills generation and ensuring a healthy life span by preventing diseases and disabilities are important channels that translate demographic opportunity into economic gains. A skilled and healthy workforce is critical not only for better productivity in economic activity but also reduces excessive public spending, thereby aiding in greater capital creation.

Good governance, reflected through conscientious policies, is another crucial aspect for reaping the demographic dividend as it helps create a healthy environment for increasing the efficiency and productivity of the population.

A substantial demographic bonus is having a large working-age population for the next 35 years or more. Its significance is amplified as we notice that populations are shrinking globally. Over 80 countries worldwide suffer from shrinking population size due to very low fertility, and 55 have introduced pronatalist measures to increase their birth rates. These measures have proven to be largely ineffective. South Korea and China are classic examples of this inefficacy, as they now find it challenging to encourage couples to have more children.

Thus, India has an opportunity to emerge as a global production and consumption market with lesser production costs due to relatively lower labour costs. This is already evident across the IT and pharmaceutical sectors.

Our previous research has shown evidence of increasing private (postal and bank) savings due to an increase in the working-age population. We found that a 1% rise in working-age population share leads to a 5% increase in per capita income, given that the socio-economic policy environment is conducive for the demographic dividend to blossom. By 2061, favourable demographic changes alone have the potential to provide an additional 43% rise in per capita GDP. Our estimates suggest that a total fertility rate below 1.8 is not economical for India. Thus, strong-arm population control measures can lead to forced greying of the population, resulting in the country getting old before getting rich.

India needs policies to promote a conducive environment that enables quality education, good healthcare, decent employment opportunities, good infrastructure and gender empowerment. This will also allow the country to reap a demographic dividend and achieve faster economic growth. Investment in family planning and health alone have a cost-to-revenue ratio of 1:120, meaning a one-rupee investment gives a return of 120 rupees.

Discussions are abuzz that becoming the most populous country may strengthen the nations status geopolitically and reinforce Indias claims to permanent membership in the UN Security Council. This will further the opportunity to enhance international trade relations to boost our economy. If we are successful in reaping the available demographic bonus, we can ensure the prosperity of our people. However, if we fail, our demographic dividend can become a demographic disaster.

Srinivas Goli

Associate Professor, Fertility and Social Demography at International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai

(srinivasgoli@iipsindia.ac.in)

UNFPAs State of World Population Report 2023, released on Wednesday, triggered the population growth debate globally and in India. With an estimated population of 142.86 crore by the middle of 2023, India is projected to surpass Chinas population of 142.57 croreby an excess of 2.9 million. Given the inadequate data for India and China, especially in the absence of the 2021 Indian Census, the UN didnt reveal the exact date when China will hand over the baton of the most populous country to India. Mid-2023 is a crude approximation, yet our best guess. This change in demographic rank order will occur four years earlier than the previous prediction for 2027. Although this debate is not new, alarmist views see this change as resulting in a dystopian future for India. Therefore, population control is widely seen as a panacea to avoid a grim future. To understand Indias new status, we need to take a closer look at two aspects: (1) demographic conditions, i.e., rate of fertility decline, nature of population growth and its composition and (2) socio-economic, health and political environment. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); India completed its fertility transition within 45 yearsone of the fastest in the world, only next to Chinas 29 years among the major countries. Currently, Indias total fertility rate is 2.0, which means that on average, two children are replacing their parents, which is also an ideal condition for population stabilisation. India has now achieved replacement-level fertility. But it continues to add significant numbers due to its young population. Indias population is growing, though slowly. Population is often viewed only through the consumption angle. However, population is a resource that is the key to production and consumption, considered the two engines of an economy. However, the story surrounding our demographic conditions cant be understood wholly based solely on population size. It rather depends on the populations age composition. The age structure, as provided by the UN Population Prospects 2022 for India, suggests that the country is currently passing through a window of demographic opportunity, where its working-age population (15 to 64 years) share is considerably greater compared to its dependent population (014 years and 65+ years). Currently, 68% of Indias total population is between the ages of 15 and 64. About 25% is between 014 years, and 7% is above 65 years. This is a vast demographic bonus for the country. With a considerable share of the working population, India can harness the opportunity to rise as an economic superpower, supplying more than half of Asias potential workforce over the coming decades. However, this favourable demographic condition (a demographic dividend) will only be available until 2061. Moreover, the availability of the demographic dividend will not automatically result in an economic dividend; such a transition needs a favourable socio-economic, health and political environment. Scientific studies suggest that the conversion of demographic dividend into economic dividend during the demographic window of opportunity is conditional on four aspects: employment, education and skills, health conditions and governance. Employment or job creation is important to translate demographic bonuses into an economic dividend. If India can generate sufficient quality jobs for its bulging working-age population, the realisation of a demographic dividend will become a reality. Education, skills generation and ensuring a healthy life span by preventing diseases and disabilities are important channels that translate demographic opportunity into economic gains. A skilled and healthy workforce is critical not only for better productivity in economic activity but also reduces excessive public spending, thereby aiding in greater capital creation. Good governance, reflected through conscientious policies, is another crucial aspect for reaping the demographic dividend as it helps create a healthy environment for increasing the efficiency and productivity of the population. A substantial demographic bonus is having a large working-age population for the next 35 years or more. Its significance is amplified as we notice that populations are shrinking globally. Over 80 countries worldwide suffer from shrinking population size due to very low fertility, and 55 have introduced pronatalist measures to increase their birth rates. These measures have proven to be largely ineffective. South Korea and China are classic examples of this inefficacy, as they now find it challenging to encourage couples to have more children. Thus, India has an opportunity to emerge as a global production and consumption market with lesser production costs due to relatively lower labour costs. This is already evident across the IT and pharmaceutical sectors. Our previous research has shown evidence of increasing private (postal and bank) savings due to an increase in the working-age population. We found that a 1% rise in working-age population share leads to a 5% increase in per capita income, given that the socio-economic policy environment is conducive for the demographic dividend to blossom. By 2061, favourable demographic changes alone have the potential to provide an additional 43% rise in per capita GDP. Our estimates suggest that a total fertility rate below 1.8 is not economical for India. Thus, strong-arm population control measures can lead to forced greying of the population, resulting in the country getting old before getting rich. India needs policies to promote a conducive environment that enables quality education, good healthcare, decent employment opportunities, good infrastructure and gender empowerment. This will also allow the country to reap a demographic dividend and achieve faster economic growth. Investment in family planning and health alone have a cost-to-revenue ratio of 1:120, meaning a one-rupee investment gives a return of 120 rupees. Discussions are abuzz that becoming the most populous country may strengthen the nations status geopolitically and reinforce Indias claims to permanent membership in the UN Security Council. This will further the opportunity to enhance international trade relations to boost our economy. If we are successful in reaping the available demographic bonus, we can ensure the prosperity of our people. However, if we fail, our demographic dividend can become a demographic disaster. Srinivas Goli Associate Professor, Fertility and Social Demography at International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai (srinivasgoli@iipsindia.ac.in)
C P Rajendran By

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 29 has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee amid protests from the opposition benches. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, chairman of the Rajya Sabhas standing committee on Science, Technology, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has criticised the Centre for taking the path of least resistance by referring the Bill to a JPC, bypassing the Standing Committeea more representative forum comprising members from treasury and opposition benches. Probably wanting a smooth running for the Bill, the government did not want to risk critical handling of the issue.

Defining forest is the solution to many conservation-related problems. This was not attempted even in the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), which came into force on October 25, 1980. The resolution to this question came much later. The saga began in 1995 when T N Godavarman Thirumulpad lodged a writ petition to conserve the Nilgiris forest land from unlawful timber operations. The Court, however, decided to investigate all aspects of the National Forest Policy. Marked as a momentous involvement of the judiciary on an issue of immense environmental concern, the Supreme Court passed an interim order on December 12, 1996, which clarified certain clauses of the FCA and emphasised the wider scope of its implementation.

It prohibited the authorities, including the state governments (except with the prior approval of the Centre), from changing the status of forests designated as reserved or any portion thereof to be used for a non-forest purpose or from leasing out to any private or government agencies.

The Court held that the word forest must be understood according to the dictionary meaning, and the term forest land will also include any area recorded as forest in the government records. This case, popularly known as the Godavarman case, also triggered the Supreme Courts continued engagement with forest conservation issues like the Centre for Environmental Law WWF-India v. Union of India case, restraining all state governments from dereserving national parks, sanctuaries and forests.

The SCs interventions resulted in the banning of mining in Kudremukh and the Aravallis, and the establishment of the compensatory afforestation fund.

With the Acts enforcement, all non-forest activities throughout the country, without the specific approval of the Centre, came to a halt, including in mining and sawmills, etc. Unless approved by the Centre, the felling of all trees in all forests also remained suspended. Movement of cut trees and timber from any northeastern state, either by rail, road or waterways, was also banned. Railways and Defence establishments were asked to find alternatives to wood-based products. It is reported that after enforcing FCA clauses from 1980 onwards, the misuse of forest land for non-forestry purposes reduced to about 40,000 hectares of forest land from a whopping loss of 4.3 million hectares from 1951 to 1980.

The land that has been notified as a forest, under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, or under any other law for the time being in force, comes under the purview of the Act. These lands are usually reserved forests or protected forests. Now, the exemption is also applicable to forest land where upto 10 hectares, or five hectares in left-wing extremism areas, can be used for building security-related infrastructure, defence projects, paramilitary camps or public utility projects. Once these proposed amendments are enforced, the forest land alongside a rail track or public road (up to 0.10 hectares), tree plantation, or 100 km along the international border and line of control will be exempted.

To cite a likely scenario, once the amendment comes into effect, the forest in Meghalaya, situated within 100 km along the international border, for all practical purposes, risks survival. The proposed amendment to the existing FCA may impact many portions of the forests in the northeast region not far from the international borders. The Bill also says that those areas, as per the government record declared as a forest on or after October 25, 1980, will be exempted from the purview of the Act. This makes the SCs 1996 verdict ensuring legal protection for every forest type, as mentioned in government records, ineffective.

For an amendment bill that seeks to dilute the original provisions of the FCA, it curiously starts with an introductory statement of enhancing the forest coverthis sounds somewhat oxymoronic. It begins with the importance of creating a carbon sink of additional 2.5 to 3.0 billion tons of CO2 equivalent  by 2030 and the national commitment to enhancing the forest cover. The preamble is also peppered with the usual invocations to the countrys greatnessthe tradition of preserving forests and biodiversity, forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including improvement of livelihoods for forest-dependent communities.

And then, without further ado, the proposed Bill goes for the jugular, in a very subtle way, to defeat the very purpose of the provisions of the original FCA that provided legislative support for the preservation of forest land and its resources.

In 2017, the UN General Assembly endorsed the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. At the plans core is the goal of reversing the forest cover loss through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation. The new amendment Bill, if implemented, will go against this goal. India is also a party to the pledge at the Climate Summit to end deforestation by 2030. Trees and forests offer the most widely accepted and proven method to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. This strong motivation drives the global community to expand the protected areas for forests to thrive. Let us not forget that a tree is a wondrous thing that shelters, feeds and protects all living things. It even offers shade to the axmen who destroy itan axiom generally attributed to the Buddha.

(Views are personal)

C P Rajendran

Adjunct professor at National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, and a director of Consortium for Sustainable Development, Connecticut, USA

(cprajendran@gmail.com)

The Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023 introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 29 has been referred to a Joint Parliamentary Committee amid protests from the opposition benches. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, chairman of the Rajya Sabhas standing committee on Science, Technology, Environment, Forest and Climate Change, has criticised the Centre for taking the path of least resistance by referring the Bill to a JPC, bypassing the Standing Committeea more representative forum comprising members from treasury and opposition benches. Probably wanting a smooth running for the Bill, the government did not want to risk critical handling of the issue. Defining forest is the solution to many conservation-related problems. This was not attempted even in the Forest Conservation Act (FCA), which came into force on October 25, 1980. The resolution to this question came much later. The saga began in 1995 when T N Godavarman Thirumulpad lodged a writ petition to conserve the Nilgiris forest land from unlawful timber operations. The Court, however, decided to investigate all aspects of the National Forest Policy. Marked as a momentous involvement of the judiciary on an issue of immense environmental concern, the Supreme Court passed an interim order on December 12, 1996, which clarified certain clauses of the FCA and emphasised the wider scope of its implementation. It prohibited the authorities, including the state governments (except with the prior approval of the Centre), from changing the status of forests designated as reserved or any portion thereof to be used for a non-forest purpose or from leasing out to any private or government agencies.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Court held that the word forest must be understood according to the dictionary meaning, and the term forest land will also include any area recorded as forest in the government records. This case, popularly known as the Godavarman case, also triggered the Supreme Courts continued engagement with forest conservation issues like the Centre for Environmental Law WWF-India v. Union of India case, restraining all state governments from dereserving national parks, sanctuaries and forests. The SCs interventions resulted in the banning of mining in Kudremukh and the Aravallis, and the establishment of the compensatory afforestation fund. With the Acts enforcement, all non-forest activities throughout the country, without the specific approval of the Centre, came to a halt, including in mining and sawmills, etc. Unless approved by the Centre, the felling of all trees in all forests also remained suspended. Movement of cut trees and timber from any northeastern state, either by rail, road or waterways, was also banned. Railways and Defence establishments were asked to find alternatives to wood-based products. It is reported that after enforcing FCA clauses from 1980 onwards, the misuse of forest land for non-forestry purposes reduced to about 40,000 hectares of forest land from a whopping loss of 4.3 million hectares from 1951 to 1980. The land that has been notified as a forest, under the provisions of the Indian Forest Act, 1927, or under any other law for the time being in force, comes under the purview of the Act. These lands are usually reserved forests or protected forests. Now, the exemption is also applicable to forest land where upto 10 hectares, or five hectares in left-wing extremism areas, can be used for building security-related infrastructure, defence projects, paramilitary camps or public utility projects. Once these proposed amendments are enforced, the forest land alongside a rail track or public road (up to 0.10 hectares), tree plantation, or 100 km along the international border and line of control will be exempted. To cite a likely scenario, once the amendment comes into effect, the forest in Meghalaya, situated within 100 km along the international border, for all practical purposes, risks survival. The proposed amendment to the existing FCA may impact many portions of the forests in the northeast region not far from the international borders. The Bill also says that those areas, as per the government record declared as a forest on or after October 25, 1980, will be exempted from the purview of the Act. This makes the SCs 1996 verdict ensuring legal protection for every forest type, as mentioned in government records, ineffective. For an amendment bill that seeks to dilute the original provisions of the FCA, it curiously starts with an introductory statement of enhancing the forest coverthis sounds somewhat oxymoronic. It begins with the importance of creating a carbon sink of additional 2.5 to 3.0 billion tons of CO2 equivalent  by 2030 and the national commitment to enhancing the forest cover. The preamble is also peppered with the usual invocations to the countrys greatnessthe tradition of preserving forests and biodiversity, forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including improvement of livelihoods for forest-dependent communities. And then, without further ado, the proposed Bill goes for the jugular, in a very subtle way, to defeat the very purpose of the provisions of the original FCA that provided legislative support for the preservation of forest land and its resources. In 2017, the UN General Assembly endorsed the UN Strategic Plan for Forests 2030. At the plans core is the goal of reversing the forest cover loss through sustainable forest management, including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation. The new amendment Bill, if implemented, will go against this goal. India is also a party to the pledge at the Climate Summit to end deforestation by 2030. Trees and forests offer the most widely accepted and proven method to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. This strong motivation drives the global community to expand the protected areas for forests to thrive. Let us not forget that a tree is a wondrous thing that shelters, feeds and protects all living things. It even offers shade to the axmen who destroy itan axiom generally attributed to the Buddha. (Views are personal) C P Rajendran Adjunct professor at National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru, and a director of Consortium for Sustainable Development, Connecticut, USA (cprajendran@gmail.com)
By PTI

HYDERABAD: The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana is extending support to the JD(S) in Karnataka Assembly elections and it chose not to field any candidate in the May 10 polls as its friendly party is in the fray.

The BRS, previously TRS, renamed itself in December last year to make a foray into national politics and it had toyed with the idea of contesting Karnataka elections.

However, it chose not to field candidates in the Assembly polls as JD(S) is its friend and also because it lacked adequate time to plan for fielding nominees in the elections, BRS sources said on Friday.

The party was not in favour of contesting the elections without adequate preparation and planning, the sources said, pointing out the efforts being made by BRS to gain a foothold in neighbouring Maharashtra.

BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has so far addressed two rallies in Nanded region in Maharashtra and is slated to address a public meeting at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) on April 24.

Rao may consider campaigning in support of JD(S) candidates if there is a request from the latter but no decision has been taken.

BRS is also concerned about the view that its campaign may benefit the BJP in Karnataka following a split in anti-BJP votes, the sources said.

Former Karnataka chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy was in attendance in Hyderabad earlier for the events regarding the name change of TRS to BRS.

The process of filing nominations for the May 10 election in Karnataka came to an end on Thursday.

HYDERABAD: The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana is extending support to the JD(S) in Karnataka Assembly elections and it chose not to field any candidate in the May 10 polls as its friendly party is in the fray. The BRS, previously TRS, renamed itself in December last year to make a foray into national politics and it had toyed with the idea of contesting Karnataka elections. However, it chose not to field candidates in the Assembly polls as JD(S) is its friend and also because it lacked adequate time to plan for fielding nominees in the elections, BRS sources said on Friday.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The party was not in favour of contesting the elections without adequate preparation and planning, the sources said, pointing out the efforts being made by BRS to gain a foothold in neighbouring Maharashtra. BRS supremo and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has so far addressed two rallies in Nanded region in Maharashtra and is slated to address a public meeting at Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad) on April 24. Rao may consider campaigning in support of JD(S) candidates if there is a request from the latter but no decision has been taken. BRS is also concerned about the view that its campaign may benefit the BJP in Karnataka following a split in anti-BJP votes, the sources said. Former Karnataka chief minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy was in attendance in Hyderabad earlier for the events regarding the name change of TRS to BRS. The process of filing nominations for the May 10 election in Karnataka came to an end on Thursday.
Karthik KK By

Express News Service

MYSURU: To topple the coalition government led by then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in 2019, these turncoats jumped to BJP from Congress and JDS. They are back in focus not only because they are contesting again on BJP tickets, but also their assets have increased manifold as many of them enjoyed plum positions in the BJP cabinet.

According to data available with TNIE, movable assets of most of the 11 turncoats have seen a jump, while others have invested in properties. Many of them have listed their assets in their wifes names. For instance, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar, whose movable assets was Rs 1.11 crore when he contested in 2018, is Rs 2.79 crore in 2023. Similarly, his immovable assets which was around Rs 52,81,000 is now Rs 1,66,60,480. Immovable assets belonging to Sudhakars wife shows it was Rs 1,17,63,871 in 2018 and soared to Rs 16,10,04,961 in just five years.

Mahesh Kumatahallis movable assets which was Rs 18,93,217 in 2018 increased to Rs 1,33,32,819, while movable assets of Cooperation Minister ST Somashekhar which was Rs 67.83 lakh in 2018 became Rs 5.46 crore in 2023.

Many of them who had not declared their wifes assets earlier, have filed affidavits recently for the Assembly elections.

One of them, BA Basavaraju, declared that his wife has Rs 56.57 lakh worth movable assets and Rs 21.57 crore worth immovable assets. Agriculture Minister BC Patil who had immovable assets of Rs3.12 crore in 2018, now has commercial complexes and houses worth Rs 19.60 crore in 2023.

The turncoats have attributed their asset amplification to salary hike and other benefits they are entitled to as members of the cabinet, but people doubt and have called it benefits of being turncoats.

MYSURU: To topple the coalition government led by then chief minister HD Kumaraswamy in 2019, these turncoats jumped to BJP from Congress and JDS. They are back in focus not only because they are contesting again on BJP tickets, but also their assets have increased manifold as many of them enjoyed plum positions in the BJP cabinet. According to data available with TNIE, movable assets of most of the 11 turncoats have seen a jump, while others have invested in properties. Many of them have listed their assets in their wifes names. For instance, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar, whose movable assets was Rs 1.11 crore when he contested in 2018, is Rs 2.79 crore in 2023. Similarly, his immovable assets which was around Rs 52,81,000 is now Rs 1,66,60,480. Immovable assets belonging to Sudhakars wife shows it was Rs 1,17,63,871 in 2018 and soared to Rs 16,10,04,961 in just five years. Mahesh Kumatahallis movable assets which was Rs 18,93,217 in 2018 increased to Rs 1,33,32,819, while movable assets of Cooperation Minister ST Somashekhar which was Rs 67.83 lakh in 2018 became Rs 5.46 crore in 2023.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); Many of them who had not declared their wifes assets earlier, have filed affidavits recently for the Assembly elections. One of them, BA Basavaraju, declared that his wife has Rs 56.57 lakh worth movable assets and Rs 21.57 crore worth immovable assets. Agriculture Minister BC Patil who had immovable assets of Rs3.12 crore in 2018, now has commercial complexes and houses worth Rs 19.60 crore in 2023. The turncoats have attributed their asset amplification to salary hike and other benefits they are entitled to as members of the cabinet, but people doubt and have called it benefits of being turncoats.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting of senior state BJP leaders here on Friday night. Shah is said to have held the meeting in the wake of some prominent Lingayat leaders quitting the party after they were denied tickets for the Assembly polls. He is said to have discussed some damage-control measures with the state BJP leaders.

The late-night meeting was attended by CM Basavaraj Bommai, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Karnataka BJP in-charge Arun Singh and party leaders Annamalai, Shobha Karandlaje and BL Santhosh, among others.

ALSO READ | Make a Lingayat the CM, Somanna challenges Congress

With former CM Jagadish Shettar and former deputy CM Laxman Savadi quitting BJP and joining Congress, it is believed that the saffron party may lose Lingayat votes, especially in the North Karnataka region. Congress took advantage of the recent developments within the BJP and launched a campaign accusing the saffron party of being anti-Lingayat. BJP sources said Shah chose Bengaluru to undo the

damage the party suffered because of the recent exit of some prominent leaders.

Shah takes stock of poll-related rallies

Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to former minister KS Eshwarappa on Friday. Sources said Shah also discussed the rallies and events to be held in the state in the coming days in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other national leaders of the party are attending.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai welcomes Union Home Minister Amit Shah on his arrival in Bengaluru on Friday | EXPRESS

Fifty vistaraks (BJP workers from outside Karnataka) met at the party office on Friday. Shah is said to have taken details from them on the partys prospects in the constituencies assigned to them. Earlier in the day, Shahs roadshow at Devanahalli was cancelled because of rain. Due to heavy rain I could not attend the road show at Devanahalli. I bow to the people of Devanahalli for turning out in large numbers despite the adverse weather. I will visit Devanahalli soon. Their enthusiasm shows that the BJP will register a massive victory in Karnataka, Shah tweeted.

READ MORE | BJPs Lingayat base shaky after high-profile exits?

BENGALURU: Union Home Minister Amit Shah held a meeting of senior state BJP leaders here on Friday night. Shah is said to have held the meeting in the wake of some prominent Lingayat leaders quitting the party after they were denied tickets for the Assembly polls. He is said to have discussed some damage-control measures with the state BJP leaders. The late-night meeting was attended by CM Basavaraj Bommai, former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, Karnataka BJP in-charge Arun Singh and party leaders Annamalai, Shobha Karandlaje and BL Santhosh, among others. ALSO READ | Make a Lingayat the CM, Somanna challenges Congressgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); With former CM Jagadish Shettar and former deputy CM Laxman Savadi quitting BJP and joining Congress, it is believed that the saffron party may lose Lingayat votes, especially in the North Karnataka region. Congress took advantage of the recent developments within the BJP and launched a campaign accusing the saffron party of being anti-Lingayat. BJP sources said Shah chose Bengaluru to undo the damage the party suffered because of the recent exit of some prominent leaders. Shah takes stock of poll-related rallies Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to former minister KS Eshwarappa on Friday. Sources said Shah also discussed the rallies and events to be held in the state in the coming days in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other national leaders of the party are attending. Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai welcomes Union Home Minister Amit Shah on his arrival in Bengaluru on Friday | EXPRESS Fifty vistaraks (BJP workers from outside Karnataka) met at the party office on Friday. Shah is said to have taken details from them on the partys prospects in the constituencies assigned to them. Earlier in the day, Shahs roadshow at Devanahalli was cancelled because of rain. Due to heavy rain I could not attend the road show at Devanahalli. I bow to the people of Devanahalli for turning out in large numbers despite the adverse weather. I will visit Devanahalli soon. Their enthusiasm shows that the BJP will register a massive victory in Karnataka, Shah tweeted. READ MORE | BJPs Lingayat base shaky after high-profile exits?
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. Kazakhstan increased oil exports from the port of Aktau to the Caspian Sea in Baku, Azerbaijan from January through March 2023, Trend reports via Reuters.

According to the agency, the oil exports through Azerbaijan have jumped to 163,436 tons in 1Q2023 from 28,875 tons in the same period 2022.

As, Kazmortransflot, Kazakhstans transportation company, told Reuters, a total of 104,000 tons of oil were further sent to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline from January through March 2023.

In general, according to the agency, Kazakhstan has increased oil exports bypassing Russia in 1Q2023.

Meanwhile, KazTransOil, the national oil transporter of Kazakhstan, said it plans to ship 125,000 tons of oil from Kazakhstan through BTC pipeline in April 2023.

At the same time, Argus, an independent analytical company, forecasts Kazakhstans oil output in 2023 to stand at 90.5 million tons, of which 71 million tons will be exported. The refining capacity is projected at 17.9 million tons, a little down from last year's figure.
Bansy Kalappa By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: As Lingayats prepare to celebrate Basava Jayanti on Sunday, there is a concern about the Lingayat leadership within BJP. Veerashaiva Mahasabha Secretary Renuka Prasanna said, We feel some vested interests are out to destroy the Lingayat leadership within BJP. It is true that they have given Lingayats 68 seats, but what about Lingayat leadership?

Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha Principal General Secretary SM Jaamdaar said, I concur with Renuka Prasanna. While the communitys perception appears to be turning negative towards BJP, the party leaders are bending over backwards to assure the community that all is well.

They are bringing BS Yediyurappa back to the centre stage. It appears he is going everywhere helplessly, and putting up a brave face. Till the RSS-BJP follows the principle of use and throw, all Lingayat leaders should think about their future in BJP. The way the party treated Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, Laxman Savadi and BB Shivappa is for all to see. If they can do it to people who built the party from the scratch, what about lesser mortals?

READ HERE | No Shettar, Savadi: BJP defends pro-Lingayat image in Karnataka

Many social media posts talk about the Brahmanical leadership neutralising the Lingayat leadership within BJP.

A member of a Lingayat group that translates the works of slain writer MM Kalburgi to learn and understand the Lingayat identify better said, Lingayat assertion of their identity is becoming more pronounced.

Senior BJP leader and former MLC Go Madhusudhan said, BJP has recognised and put up 68 candidates, because Lingayats are the biggest community. If more people win, more are likely to be represented in the cabinet. If Congress comes to power, a Kuruba or Vokkaliga is likely to become chief minister. If JDS comes to power, a Vokkaliga may become CM. But if BJP comes to power, a Lingayat will become CM again. That is the highest level of leadership.

But Veerashaiva Mahasabha and other Lingayat groups said that while Basavaraj Bommai was made chief minister, he was not given a free reign as he was controlled by his RSS masters.

ALSO READ | Karnataka polls: BJP brass upset over Lingayat vote mess

BENGALURU: As Lingayats prepare to celebrate Basava Jayanti on Sunday, there is a concern about the Lingayat leadership within BJP. Veerashaiva Mahasabha Secretary Renuka Prasanna said, We feel some vested interests are out to destroy the Lingayat leadership within BJP. It is true that they have given Lingayats 68 seats, but what about Lingayat leadership? Jagathika Lingayat Mahasabha Principal General Secretary SM Jaamdaar said, I concur with Renuka Prasanna. While the communitys perception appears to be turning negative towards BJP, the party leaders are bending over backwards to assure the community that all is well. They are bringing BS Yediyurappa back to the centre stage. It appears he is going everywhere helplessly, and putting up a brave face. Till the RSS-BJP follows the principle of use and throw, all Lingayat leaders should think about their future in BJP. The way the party treated Yediyurappa, Jagadish Shettar, Laxman Savadi and BB Shivappa is for all to see. If they can do it to people who built the party from the scratch, what about lesser mortals? googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); READ HERE | No Shettar, Savadi: BJP defends pro-Lingayat image in Karnataka Many social media posts talk about the Brahmanical leadership neutralising the Lingayat leadership within BJP. A member of a Lingayat group that translates the works of slain writer MM Kalburgi to learn and understand the Lingayat identify better said, Lingayat assertion of their identity is becoming more pronounced. Senior BJP leader and former MLC Go Madhusudhan said, BJP has recognised and put up 68 candidates, because Lingayats are the biggest community. If more people win, more are likely to be represented in the cabinet. If Congress comes to power, a Kuruba or Vokkaliga is likely to become chief minister. If JDS comes to power, a Vokkaliga may become CM. But if BJP comes to power, a Lingayat will become CM again. That is the highest level of leadership. But Veerashaiva Mahasabha and other Lingayat groups said that while Basavaraj Bommai was made chief minister, he was not given a free reign as he was controlled by his RSS masters. ALSO READ | Karnataka polls: BJP brass upset over Lingayat vote mess
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: In a jolt to Congress ahead of Jharsuguda bypoll, Mahendra Naik, the partys candidate in the 2019 election, joined BJD on Friday.Naik formally joined BJD in the presence of Rajya Sabha member Manas Mangaraj at a mishran parva (joining ceremony) organised at the party headquarters here. He had finished third after Naba Kishore Das of BJD and Dinesh Kumar Jain of BJP in 2019 by polling 18,823 votes.

Sources said though Naik was a strong contender for a ticket for the bypoll, the party ignored him and fielded Tarun Pandey from the seat. Tarun is the son of the late Biren Pandey, who was elected to the Assembly thrice from the seat on a Congress ticket in 1980, 1985 and 1995. Political observers believe Naiks desertion will affect the prospects of the bypoll as he belongs to Gond community which has around six per cent votes in the constituency. Naik quitting the Congress ahead of the bypoll is a repeat of 2019 election when former Health and Family Welfare minister Naba Kishore Das had resigned from the party to join BJD.

Das won the seat for BJD. However, the seat fell vacant following his murder by a police ASI on January 29. President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Patnaik, however, said Naiks desertion will have no impact on Congress. These things continue in Congress. So many people resign, so many come in, he said.

BHUBANESWAR: In a jolt to Congress ahead of Jharsuguda bypoll, Mahendra Naik, the partys candidate in the 2019 election, joined BJD on Friday.Naik formally joined BJD in the presence of Rajya Sabha member Manas Mangaraj at a mishran parva (joining ceremony) organised at the party headquarters here. He had finished third after Naba Kishore Das of BJD and Dinesh Kumar Jain of BJP in 2019 by polling 18,823 votes. Sources said though Naik was a strong contender for a ticket for the bypoll, the party ignored him and fielded Tarun Pandey from the seat. Tarun is the son of the late Biren Pandey, who was elected to the Assembly thrice from the seat on a Congress ticket in 1980, 1985 and 1995. Political observers believe Naiks desertion will affect the prospects of the bypoll as he belongs to Gond community which has around six per cent votes in the constituency. Naik quitting the Congress ahead of the bypoll is a repeat of 2019 election when former Health and Family Welfare minister Naba Kishore Das had resigned from the party to join BJD. Das won the seat for BJD. However, the seat fell vacant following his murder by a police ASI on January 29. President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Sarat Patnaik, however, said Naiks desertion will have no impact on Congress. These things continue in Congress. So many people resign, so many come in, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); });
VV Balakrishna By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: The Ministry of Power has asked State governments to pass on 50% of the losses incurred by Discoms to consumers. The Ministry released its draft Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2023, by substituting two clauses in the Electricity Rules, 2005, and sought the comments of the States by May 11.

The Ministry incorporated the provision called Framework for Financial Sustainability in the draft Rules. This provision states that the gains/losses accrued to distribution licensee due to deviation from the approved Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) loss reduction trajectory shall be quantified based on the average power purchase cost and shared between the distribution licensee and consumers.

In case the Discoms earn profits, two-thirds of the gains shall be passed on to the consumers, and the rest shall be retained by the Discom. In the case of a loss, half of the loss shall be borne by the distribution licensee, and the other half shall be passed on to the consumers as tariff.

Whenever the Discoms raise loans or get funds from the Union government under various schemes, the clause for giving loans/funds is to reduce the AT&C losses. However, the Discoms have not been implementing the clause properly, and the Ministry of Power proposed to change the rules.

All the prudent costs of power procurement incurred by Discoms for ensuring 24X7 power supply to consumers and meeting requirements as per the Resource Adequacy plan prepared under the Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2022, shall be taken into account, provided that the procurement of power has been done in a transparent manner or tariff has been determined by the Appropriate Commission, the draft Rules say.

The draft Rules also propose that the prudent costs incurred by the Discom for creating assets for the development and maintenance of the distribution system should also be passed on to the consumer. The asset should be procured in a competitive and transparent manner, and assets should be geo-tagged.

Action against officials

The draft Rules stated that the officials concerned would be liable for action if the demand for subsidy was not raised. In case subsidy accounting and the raising bills for subsidy as well as payment thereof are not found in accordance with the Act or Rules or Regulations, the State Commission shall take appropriate action against the officers concerned for non-compliance as per the provisions of the Act, the draft rules said.

A quarterly report shall be issued by the State Commission for each distribution licensee, in its jurisdiction, giving findings whether demands for subsidy were raised by the distribution licensee in the relevant quarter based on accurate accounts of the energy consumed by the subsidised category and consumer category-wise per unit subsidy declared by the State government, the actual payment of subsidy in accordance with Section 65 of the Act, and the gap in subsidy due and paid as well as other relevant details, the draft rules said.The draft Rules further proposed that the quarterly report by the State Commission shall be prepared within 45 days from the end date of the respective quarter.

HYDERABAD: The Ministry of Power has asked State governments to pass on 50% of the losses incurred by Discoms to consumers. The Ministry released its draft Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2023, by substituting two clauses in the Electricity Rules, 2005, and sought the comments of the States by May 11. The Ministry incorporated the provision called Framework for Financial Sustainability in the draft Rules. This provision states that the gains/losses accrued to distribution licensee due to deviation from the approved Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) loss reduction trajectory shall be quantified based on the average power purchase cost and shared between the distribution licensee and consumers. In case the Discoms earn profits, two-thirds of the gains shall be passed on to the consumers, and the rest shall be retained by the Discom. In the case of a loss, half of the loss shall be borne by the distribution licensee, and the other half shall be passed on to the consumers as tariff. Whenever the Discoms raise loans or get funds from the Union government under various schemes, the clause for giving loans/funds is to reduce the AT&C losses. However, the Discoms have not been implementing the clause properly, and the Ministry of Power proposed to change the rules.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); All the prudent costs of power procurement incurred by Discoms for ensuring 24X7 power supply to consumers and meeting requirements as per the Resource Adequacy plan prepared under the Electricity (Amendment) Rules, 2022, shall be taken into account, provided that the procurement of power has been done in a transparent manner or tariff has been determined by the Appropriate Commission, the draft Rules say. The draft Rules also propose that the prudent costs incurred by the Discom for creating assets for the development and maintenance of the distribution system should also be passed on to the consumer. The asset should be procured in a competitive and transparent manner, and assets should be geo-tagged. Action against officials The draft Rules stated that the officials concerned would be liable for action if the demand for subsidy was not raised. In case subsidy accounting and the raising bills for subsidy as well as payment thereof are not found in accordance with the Act or Rules or Regulations, the State Commission shall take appropriate action against the officers concerned for non-compliance as per the provisions of the Act, the draft rules said. A quarterly report shall be issued by the State Commission for each distribution licensee, in its jurisdiction, giving findings whether demands for subsidy were raised by the distribution licensee in the relevant quarter based on accurate accounts of the energy consumed by the subsidised category and consumer category-wise per unit subsidy declared by the State government, the actual payment of subsidy in accordance with Section 65 of the Act, and the gap in subsidy due and paid as well as other relevant details, the draft rules said.The draft Rules further proposed that the quarterly report by the State Commission shall be prepared within 45 days from the end date of the respective quarter.
By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday alleged that the three accused in the murder of UP gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were part of a larger terror module which was inspired by Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse. He questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath why the accused were not booked under Sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

Addressing the Jalsa Youm-ul-Quran at the Mecca Masjid on the last Friday of Ramzan, Owaisi questioned how the accused, who were apparently living in below the poverty line conditions, could get their hands on automatic weapons worth Rs 16 lakh. Referring to the observations of experts, he said that the way the accused fired shots at the victims, it was clear that they might have been trained for at least a month before the murders.

These terrorists who belong to a terror cell are the successors of Nathuram Godse. Who gave them the weapons? If you dont stop this now, they will continue to perpetrate such murders. These people will make the country hollow, he said. Referring to the acquittal of 67 accused in the 2002 Naroda Gam riots case in the trial court, Owaisi questioned whether the Prime Minister will appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court. Sixteen years have passed since the Mecca Masjid bomb blast took place. Five people died in the blast and nine were killed in the police firing. The court has acquitted Aseemanand and five other accused. Modi didnt appeal it in the higher courts. You talk about Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, but there will be no insaf (justice) done by you, the MP said.

Owaisi demanded the BRS government to release the report of the Bhaskar Rao Commission, which was constituted after the Mecca Masjid bomb blast. Pointing out that Gupta and Joshi, who were accused in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast case and were also convicted in the Ajmer Dargah blast case, were released by the Rajasthan government on parole, they were welcomed by 10,000 people when they returned to Gujarat.

Whether it was the Maliana massacre in 1987 when 70 Muslims died, or the Naroda murders, everybody has been acquitted. Did the killers come from the skies, killed innocent people and went away? When in the name of religion they are targeting people, what is the truth and what is a lie, he sought to know.

Owaisi also lashed out at former J&K Governor Satyapal Malik for stating in a television interview that his advice to the PM after the Pulwama attack that soldiers needed to be flown in flights in sensitive areas was not taken. They died because of Modis mistake. You could have resigned and exposed the security issue. But you waited till the BJP came to power. You only wanted to save your chair, Owaisi charged.

HYDERABAD: AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday alleged that the three accused in the murder of UP gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were part of a larger terror module which was inspired by Mahatma Gandhis assassin Nathuram Godse. He questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath why the accused were not booked under Sections of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Addressing the Jalsa Youm-ul-Quran at the Mecca Masjid on the last Friday of Ramzan, Owaisi questioned how the accused, who were apparently living in below the poverty line conditions, could get their hands on automatic weapons worth Rs 16 lakh. Referring to the observations of experts, he said that the way the accused fired shots at the victims, it was clear that they might have been trained for at least a month before the murders. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); These terrorists who belong to a terror cell are the successors of Nathuram Godse. Who gave them the weapons? If you dont stop this now, they will continue to perpetrate such murders. These people will make the country hollow, he said. Referring to the acquittal of 67 accused in the 2002 Naroda Gam riots case in the trial court, Owaisi questioned whether the Prime Minister will appeal the verdict in the Supreme Court. Sixteen years have passed since the Mecca Masjid bomb blast took place. Five people died in the blast and nine were killed in the police firing. The court has acquitted Aseemanand and five other accused. Modi didnt appeal it in the higher courts. You talk about Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, but there will be no insaf (justice) done by you, the MP said. Owaisi demanded the BRS government to release the report of the Bhaskar Rao Commission, which was constituted after the Mecca Masjid bomb blast. Pointing out that Gupta and Joshi, who were accused in the Mecca Masjid bomb blast case and were also convicted in the Ajmer Dargah blast case, were released by the Rajasthan government on parole, they were welcomed by 10,000 people when they returned to Gujarat. Whether it was the Maliana massacre in 1987 when 70 Muslims died, or the Naroda murders, everybody has been acquitted. Did the killers come from the skies, killed innocent people and went away? When in the name of religion they are targeting people, what is the truth and what is a lie, he sought to know. Owaisi also lashed out at former J&K Governor Satyapal Malik for stating in a television interview that his advice to the PM after the Pulwama attack that soldiers needed to be flown in flights in sensitive areas was not taken. They died because of Modis mistake. You could have resigned and exposed the security issue. But you waited till the BJP came to power. You only wanted to save your chair, Owaisi charged.
Sandip Ghose By

I met Bebo many summers ago. Not in Bandra but in sultry Goa. And no, it is not the Bebo you are probably thinking about. My Bebo is an actor too -- though not in Bollywood. He is a popular theatre artist in South Goa. There ends the similarity. Bebo is not known so much for his acting. His fame comes from the sinfully divine Goan sausages -- chouricos -- he makes. As you drive up from Colva towards the restaurant Martins, Bebos house comes on the left. You have to only ask at any roadside shop and theyll at once direct you there. Non-resident Goans coming home for vacations, well-known politicians including successive Chief Ministers, the local rich and famous are among his customers for whom he makes sausages and his signature Recheado masala on prior order.

The tenderest of Salcette pork is marinated in homemade toddy vinegar and purest Kashmiri chillies, stuffed in hog intestines, tied up in small knots and hung out to dry on a clothesline in the backyard of his modest hutment. Soaking in the pre-monsoon sun and salty air, they acquire a red hue. Bebos sausages are not like the commercially produced ones -- long with chunky meat inside -- that you get in stores. His are more cocktail size with morsels that you can nibble on, extracting the last drop of juice from the meat. They dont have the sharp acetic acid tang of synthetic vinegar and the combination of Goan chillies (Goa has about six varieties of indigenous chillies) imparts a tantalising flavour. Though the secret, I suspect from the smell in his kitchen and that he exudes any time of the day, is the feni he adds in the masala on the sly.

ALSO READ | A fish called hilsa and the tale of two Bengals

The Goan chourico is a distant cousin of the Spanish chorizo that the Portuguese brought with them. I consider it to be one of the most versatile comfort foods in the world. Choris-Pao is the most popular snack in Goa. It can be the saviour for a hungry soul on a day there is no food in the fridge. One can make easy curries with chopped potato or simply mix them in rice to turn it into a meat pulao. A Goan homemaker always keeps some chouricos at home, literally, for a rainy day, which are many during the monsoons.

But sausages are only the beginning of Goan cuisine. For an uninitiated outsider, it may appear at first sight that Goan food lacks variety. A food critic once wrote that Goans have only one sauce for all their dishes. There is also a perception that Goa is not a place for vegetarians and teetotallers. It is partly true that without alcohol, meats and seafood one will miss a large part of the Goan food culture. But Portuguese-Catholic food is not the only Goan cuisine. The Hindu food of the Saraswats and Konkanis is equally interesting.

Goa has been the entry route of many spices, vegetables and fruit, if you consider tomatoes to be one. The Portuguese brought potatoes, tomatoes, pineapples, guavas and cashews from Brazil to Goa and consequently India. Most importantly, chilli pepper, which has now become an intrinsic part of Indian cuisine, was introduced by the Portuguese. Goas Harmal Chillies now have a GI tag. Even the humble pao or pav is their gift to India. Goa has over ten kinds of indigenous bread from poei to undo and sannas. Apart from imbibing some food habits of locals and passing on some of theirs, the Portuguese brought a few recipes from their other colonies as well. For example, the balchao -- a cross between pickle and curry -- probably had its origins in South East Asia, while cafreal is a clone of the peri-peri which travelled from South Africa via Portugal.

Indeed, many of the Goan fish and meat dishes have the red Recheado paste as a base. I say it provides a level-playing field for the proteins to impart their taste to the curry. The variations come from the level of spices and tanginess -- ambotik, usually made with shark or squids, is hot and sour, like a fiery pickle. In comparison, the achari mutton of the North tastes tame and insipid. The variations come from different combinations of chilli pepper, toddy vinegar and cashew feni if used. The meats, mainly pork and beef, are a different genre altogether. Though vindaloo is most popular among visitors, for Goans pork sorpotel is the real deal. The original sorpotel uses blood sausages, pork liver and sometimes offal. However, all Goan curries are not red. Cafreal mentioned earlier and xacuti are green. The latter uses a lot of coconut. The homely fish curry is often made in the Konkani style using turmeric and kokum. Beef is preferred in a roasted form and asado is its Goan version.

ALSO READ | The secret of Pahadi food? Salt and other hyperlocal ingredients that give it a unique flavour

The Hindu Goan cuisine uses kokum and tamarind in place of toddy vinegar and feni. Tomato is also a no-no for the Saraswats and Konkanis. Turmeric wins over red paste. There is a surfeit of coconut -- either as milk, grated or at times roasted -- especially in vegetables. The medium of cooking is often coconut oil. It uses spices such as asafoetida, fenugreek, curry leaves, mustard and urad dal. Onion and garlic are also used. It also includes vegetables, such as lentils, pumpkins, gourds and greens. The medium of cooking is often coconut oil while the Catholics like mustard oil. The Hindus also have dal in the form of Varan, which is not quite the favourite of Catholics. They have more of rice than bread. Rice or Poiachi Bhakri made of wheat and coconut are other specialities.

Goan sweets do not turn me on. Many go into ecstasy over bebinca -- a form of layered cake. But who needs desserts after a gluttony repast guzzling beer or feni? Many non-Goans cannot deal with the smell of cashew feni.

My friend Winston taught me the trick of drinking feni. It has to be mixed with a dash of lime cordial and soda with or without ice. I still remember that evening over three decades ago when the two of us took a strategic time-out in Panjim on our way back from a work trip to Belgaum. The month was May, I remember, just before the monsoons hit the coast. We were watching the sunset from Miramar beach when I saw a column approaching the shore. Winston laughed it off saying I was hallucinating. But before he could finish his sentence, we were bathed under a massive shower. Totally drenched, we repaired to a nearby shack on the way to Dona Paula. It was the original Martins where, as per local folklore, Remo Fernandes used to perform as a young musician. If we did not fall sick the next day, Winston vouched, it was due to the gallons of feni we had to warm us up. On the therapeutic qualities of feni, he would say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a bottle of feni a day keeps everyone away, referring, of course, to its odour.

In Goa, Martins near Colva remains the go-to place for tourists. Brittos and its copycats in Baga are overrated. Mums Kitchen in Panaji has great food and ambience. But the true pleasure of Goan food can only be experienced in shacks by the sea or local bars in the bylanes of Mapusa, Margao and Panjim.

Alas, there are not too many restaurants outside of Goa serving authentic Goan food. In Mumbai, the City Kitchen closed many years ago. Only New Martins remains in Colaba. Others like Goa Portuguesa in Mahim are poseurs in my judgement. The Goa Niwas in Delhis Chanakyapuri has good Goan food. But they dont serve liquor and that is a spoiler.

Web Scrawl | Read our series of web exclusives here

Postscript

Vindaloo recipe of Lucilles mom: The best vindaloo I have had was made by Winstons wife Lucille. She follows her mothers recipe, which is as simple as it can get. Paste deseeded Kashmiri chillies and roasted cumin seeds in a grinder with vinegar. Use malt or cane vinegar if you cannot lay your hands on palm or toddy vinegar. Take pork cut in medium pieces, with low fat and skin if you like and marinate in the paste overnight or even longer in a refrigerator. Add salt and a pinch of sugar if you like. Heat mustard oil and fry a couple of bay leaves in it with some whole Kashmiri chillies. Ginger and garlic are optional (I do not add it). Onions are avoidable. Put the pork in and cook in slow heat for at least two hours for a kilo of meat. It will cook in its own fat and water coming out from the meat. If it dries up, add some more vinegar but no water. Eat with pav and beer on the side.

(Sandip Ghose is an author and current affairs commentator. He tweets @SandipGhose.)

I met Bebo many summers ago. Not in Bandra but in sultry Goa. And no, it is not the Bebo you are probably thinking about. My Bebo is an actor too -- though not in Bollywood. He is a popular theatre artist in South Goa. There ends the similarity. Bebo is not known so much for his acting. His fame comes from the sinfully divine Goan sausages -- chouricos -- he makes. As you drive up from Colva towards the restaurant Martins, Bebos house comes on the left. You have to only ask at any roadside shop and theyll at once direct you there. Non-resident Goans coming home for vacations, well-known politicians including successive Chief Ministers, the local rich and famous are among his customers for whom he makes sausages and his signature Recheado masala on prior order. The tenderest of Salcette pork is marinated in homemade toddy vinegar and purest Kashmiri chillies, stuffed in hog intestines, tied up in small knots and hung out to dry on a clothesline in the backyard of his modest hutment. Soaking in the pre-monsoon sun and salty air, they acquire a red hue. Bebos sausages are not like the commercially produced ones -- long with chunky meat inside -- that you get in stores. His are more cocktail size with morsels that you can nibble on, extracting the last drop of juice from the meat. They dont have the sharp acetic acid tang of synthetic vinegar and the combination of Goan chillies (Goa has about six varieties of indigenous chillies) imparts a tantalising flavour. Though the secret, I suspect from the smell in his kitchen and that he exudes any time of the day, is the feni he adds in the masala on the sly. ALSO READ | A fish called hilsa and the tale of two Bengalsgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-8052921-2'); }); The Goan chourico is a distant cousin of the Spanish chorizo that the Portuguese brought with them. I consider it to be one of the most versatile comfort foods in the world. Choris-Pao is the most popular snack in Goa. It can be the saviour for a hungry soul on a day there is no food in the fridge. One can make easy curries with chopped potato or simply mix them in rice to turn it into a meat pulao. A Goan homemaker always keeps some chouricos at home, literally, for a rainy day, which are many during the monsoons. But sausages are only the beginning of Goan cuisine. For an uninitiated outsider, it may appear at first sight that Goan food lacks variety. A food critic once wrote that Goans have only one sauce for all their dishes. There is also a perception that Goa is not a place for vegetarians and teetotallers. It is partly true that without alcohol, meats and seafood one will miss a large part of the Goan food culture. But Portuguese-Catholic food is not the only Goan cuisine. The Hindu food of the Saraswats and Konkanis is equally interesting. Goa has been the entry route of many spices, vegetables and fruit, if you consider tomatoes to be one. The Portuguese brought potatoes, tomatoes, pineapples, guavas and cashews from Brazil to Goa and consequently India. Most importantly, chilli pepper, which has now become an intrinsic part of Indian cuisine, was introduced by the Portuguese. Goas Harmal Chillies now have a GI tag. Even the humble pao or pav is their gift to India. Goa has over ten kinds of indigenous bread from poei to undo and sannas. Apart from imbibing some food habits of locals and passing on some of theirs, the Portuguese brought a few recipes from their other colonies as well. For example, the balchao -- a cross between pickle and curry -- probably had its origins in South East Asia, while cafreal is a clone of the peri-peri which travelled from South Africa via Portugal. Indeed, many of the Goan fish and meat dishes have the red Recheado paste as a base. I say it provides a level-playing field for the proteins to impart their taste to the curry. The variations come from the level of spices and tanginess -- ambotik, usually made with shark or squids, is hot and sour, like a fiery pickle. In comparison, the achari mutton of the North tastes tame and insipid. The variations come from different combinations of chilli pepper, toddy vinegar and cashew feni if used. The meats, mainly pork and beef, are a different genre altogether. Though vindaloo is most popular among visitors, for Goans pork sorpotel is the real deal. The original sorpotel uses blood sausages, pork liver and sometimes offal. However, all Goan curries are not red. Cafreal mentioned earlier and xacuti are green. The latter uses a lot of coconut. The homely fish curry is often made in the Konkani style using turmeric and kokum. Beef is preferred in a roasted form and asado is its Goan version. ALSO READ | The secret of Pahadi food? Salt and other hyperlocal ingredients that give it a unique flavour The Hindu Goan cuisine uses kokum and tamarind in place of toddy vinegar and feni. Tomato is also a no-no for the Saraswats and Konkanis. Turmeric wins over red paste. There is a surfeit of coconut -- either as milk, grated or at times roasted -- especially in vegetables. The medium of cooking is often coconut oil. It uses spices such as asafoetida, fenugreek, curry leaves, mustard and urad dal. Onion and garlic are also used. It also includes vegetables, such as lentils, pumpkins, gourds and greens. The medium of cooking is often coconut oil while the Catholics like mustard oil. The Hindus also have dal in the form of Varan, which is not quite the favourite of Catholics. They have more of rice than bread. Rice or Poiachi Bhakri made of wheat and coconut are other specialities. Goan sweets do not turn me on. Many go into ecstasy over bebinca -- a form of layered cake. But who needs desserts after a gluttony repast guzzling beer or feni? Many non-Goans cannot deal with the smell of cashew feni. My friend Winston taught me the trick of drinking feni. It has to be mixed with a dash of lime cordial and soda with or without ice. I still remember that evening over three decades ago when the two of us took a strategic time-out in Panjim on our way back from a work trip to Belgaum. The month was May, I remember, just before the monsoons hit the coast. We were watching the sunset from Miramar beach when I saw a column approaching the shore. Winston laughed it off saying I was hallucinating. But before he could finish his sentence, we were bathed under a massive shower. Totally drenched, we repaired to a nearby shack on the way to Dona Paula. It was the original Martins where, as per local folklore, Remo Fernandes used to perform as a young musician. If we did not fall sick the next day, Winston vouched, it was due to the gallons of feni we had to warm us up. On the therapeutic qualities of feni, he would say that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a bottle of feni a day keeps everyone away, referring, of course, to its odour. In Goa, Martins near Colva remains the go-to place for tourists. Brittos and its copycats in Baga are overrated. Mums Kitchen in Panaji has great food and ambience. But the true pleasure of Goan food can only be experienced in shacks by the sea or local bars in the bylanes of Mapusa, Margao and Panjim. Alas, there are not too many restaurants outside of Goa serving authentic Goan food. In Mumbai, the City Kitchen closed many years ago. Only New Martins remains in Colaba. Others like Goa Portuguesa in Mahim are poseurs in my judgement. The Goa Niwas in Delhis Chanakyapuri has good Goan food. But they dont serve liquor and that is a spoiler. Web Scrawl | Read our series of web exclusives here Postscript Vindaloo recipe of Lucilles mom: The best vindaloo I have had was made by Winstons wife Lucille. She follows her mothers recipe, which is as simple as it can get. Paste deseeded Kashmiri chillies and roasted cumin seeds in a grinder with vinegar. Use malt or cane vinegar if you cannot lay your hands on palm or toddy vinegar. Take pork cut in medium pieces, with low fat and skin if you like and marinate in the paste overnight or even longer in a refrigerator. Add salt and a pinch of sugar if you like. Heat mustard oil and fry a couple of bay leaves in it with some whole Kashmiri chillies. Ginger and garlic are optional (I do not add it). Onions are avoidable. Put the pork in and cook in slow heat for at least two hours for a kilo of meat. It will cook in its own fat and water coming out from the meat. If it dries up, add some more vinegar but no water. Eat with pav and beer on the side. (Sandip Ghose is an author and current affairs commentator. He tweets @SandipGhose.)
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. Iran exported 1.27 million tons of non-oil products worth approximately $460 million to Turkmenistan, over the last Iranian year (March 21, 2022 through March 20, 2023), Trend reports via the statistics of Islamic Republic of Iran Customs Administration (IRICA).

According to the statistics, Iran's non-oil exports to Turkmenistan for the reporting period increased by 37 percent in value, while decreasing by 6.27 percent in volume compared to the preceding Iranian year (March 21, 2021 through March 20, 2022).

So, the exports amounted to 1.36 million tons worth $335 million in the preceding year.

Last year, Iran mainly exported agricultural and food products, industrial products, transformers, water conditioners, petrochemical products, etc. to Turkmenistan.

Meanwhile, the foreign trade turnover between Iran and Turkmenistan amounted to 1.3 million tons worth about $488 million for the last Iranian year, which is an increase of 32 percent in value, while a decrease of 6.4 percent in volume compared to 1.4 million tons worth approximately $369 million in the preceding year.

Overall, Iran exported more than 122 million tons of non-oil products worth approximately $53.2 billion in the last Iranian year, which increased by 10 percent in value, while did no changed in volume compared to the preceding year.

---

Follow the author on Twitter:@BaghishovElnur
Assam, Arunachal sign agreement to resolve decades-old border disputes

New Delhi/Guwahati, April 20: Assam and Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday signed an agreement to settle the long-pending disputes along their over 800 km border.

Assam, Arunachal sign agreement to resolve decades-old border disputes

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Arunachal Pradesh counterpart Pema Khandu signed the agreement in presence of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi.After signing the deal, Shah said that they all have witnessed a historic moment in the northeast to resolve the border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, pending for decades.He said that the report of the Local Commission on this dispute kept circling around for decades, but now been accepted by both the states and Thursday's agreement would prove to be a milestone in the direction of realising Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of a developed, peaceful and conflict-free northeast.Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju, the Union Home Secretary and senior officials from the Centre and both the states were also present on the occasion.Shah said that since 2018, the Centre, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, has signed several accords including for Reang refugee settlement in Tripura, and several to end violence in the northeast.He said that as a result of these peace agreements, so far more than 8,000 armed militants have shunned violence and joined the mainstream. Compared to 2014, there has been a 67 per cent reduction in incidents of violence, 60 per cent reduction in the number of deaths of security forces and 83 per cent reduction in the number of civilian deaths in the northeast, which is a big achievement of the government under the leadership of Prime Minister.The Modi government has withdrawn AFSPA from many places in the northeast, he added.Around 70 per cent police stations in Assam, 15 police stations in 6 districts in Manipur, all but 3 districts in Arunachal Pradesh, 7 districts in Nagaland, and entire Tripura and Meghalaya are now free from Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act.Shah said that due to the efforts of the Modi government, all-round development is visible in the entire northeast today and this entire region is on the path of progress.Thursday's agreement between the two states would end the dispute relating to 123 villages along the border, keeping in view the historical perspective, demographic profile, administrative convenience, proximity to the border, and the aspirations of the residents. Under the agreement, both the state governments have agreed that this agreement would be final with regards to these 123 disputed villages and neither state would make any new claim related to these areas or villages in future.After the agreement, a detailed survey would be carried out by the Survey of India in presence of representatives of both state governments to determine their boundary.IANS21 April 2023

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British food chain Pret A Manger to open first India outlet in Mumbai tomorrow

Mumbai, April 20: UK-based food and organic coffee chain Pret A Manger will on Friday launch its first shop in India in Maker Maxity, Mumbai. The firm last year announced its partnership with Reliance Brands Ltd (RBL).

British food chain Pret A Manger to open first India outlet in Mumbai tomorrow

It will be the first of many shops to open later this year. The inaugural Mumbai shop is a recreation of Pret's iconic London shops with a large dining space spread across 2,567 sq ft, a joint release by RBL and Pret A Manger said.The release said fresh food and organic coffee lovers in Mumbai can drop by to dine-in with their family and friends or grab a quick takeaway."The new Pret shop will offer customers a wide range of delicious and freshly-made sandwiches, baguettes, salads, soups, as well as a variety of organic coffee, tea, shakes and smoothie options."The release said popular options like the Pret Pickle and Posh Cheddar Granary Sandwich, Avocado and Toms- Stone Baked Baguette, Smoked Salmon Protein Box Salad and a selection of freshly baked goods constitute the food menu and "will bring to India Pret's classics without any additives to products"."All freshly made food will be hand prepared in Pret's onsite kitchen daily and never held over to the next day," it said.Darshan Mehta, Managing Director, Reliance Brands, said they are thrilled to be opening the first Pret A Manger shop in India."Freshness of ingredients, authenticity of recipes, and a curiosity in processes defines the new Indian consumer. Our partnership with Pret A Manger aims to tap into this curiosity with an offering that we can proudly say -- ensures traceability of coffee beans as much as a zero additive approach to food," Mehta said."With a commitment to provide fresh, clean and sustainable offerings, customers in India can now enjoy the same exceptional food that has made Pret A Manger a beloved and successful chain around the world," Mehta added.Pano Christou, CEO, Pret A Manger, said they have been working closely with the RBL team to create an offer for Indian consumers that reflects the Pret brand, while also adapting to local preferences and food habits"Coming to India has been a goal of ours for a long time, and the opening of our first shop in Mumbai is a landmark moment in our international expansion plans. We're confident that with the support of RBL, the Pret brand will be a hit with consumers in India, and a welcome addition to the country's growing food-to-go market," Christou said.ANI21 April 2023

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CDS General Anil Chauhan attends IAF Commanders Conference

New Delhi, April 20: The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Anil Chauhan on Thursday attended the Indian Air Force Commanders' Conference at Air Headquarters (Vayu Bhavan) in the national capital.

CDS General Anil Chauhan attends IAF Commanders' Conference

The CDS was briefed about the operational readiness of the Indian Air Force.Later, speaking to the IAF Commanders present in the Conference, the CDS highlighted the need to chart a clear path towards fleet sustenance, while simultaneously taking steps towards increasing indigenisation. He also discussed the contours of enhancing integration amongst the three services and the benefits that would accrue from the same.The theme of this year's three-day AFCC which began on 19 April 2023 is 'Beyond Boundaries Robust Foundation".The Conference which is held every year involves discussions on the year gone by and the progress made on the path planned for the future.Views of various government organs and academia are sought during the conference which is also addressed by the Chiefs of the Army and Naval Staff.ANI21 April 2023

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5K have downloaded my property docus, BJP conspiring: Ktaka Cong chief Shivakumar

Mandya, April 21: Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar on Friday said that 5,000 people have downloaded his property declaration papers, and anyone, including the BJP can play foul. I know what they are up to. In this backdrop another nomination has been filed through my brother D.K. Suresh, he stated.

5K have downloaded my property docus, BJP conspiring: K'taka Cong chief Shivakumar

Speaking to reporters, he said, "We have our own strategy... Why can't he (D.K. Suresh) file nominations? We will have our political calculations. We can't let out our secret. Everything will be clear by the day after tomorrow. We also know how to conduct politics. My property submissions are downloaded by 5,000 people. There is a BJP conspiracy behind it," Shivakumar stated.Shivakumar had declared property worth more than Rs 1,414 crore. The property details have been given in more than 108 pages. Shivakumar alone owns more than Rs 1,214 crore. As per the affidavit his wife, Usha Shivakumar owns Rs 133 crore and his son, Akash owns Rs 66 crore.He stated that he owns Rs 970 crore worth immovable assets, Rs 244 movable assets and also mentioned that he has Rs 226 crore loans. His yearly income is furnished as Rs 14 crore. Shivakumar family's revenue was Rs 252 crore in 2013 and it rose to Rs 840 crore in 2018.Shivakumar is fearing rejection of his candidature for the May 10 Assembly polls as the State Election Commission is set to verify the nomination papers on Friday.Any discrepancies in the nomination papers would lead to rejection of his candidature. Fearing rejection, Shivakumar got his brother D.K. Suresh, MP from Bengaluru Rural Lok Sabha seat, filed his nomination from Kanakapura constituency on Thursday.According to the sources, the Income Tax (I-T) authorities had summoned Shivakumar for inquiry four days ago. The I-T sleuths had collected details after Shivakumar filed his nomination from Kanakapura seat. They had also come to Kanakapura town and collected information about Shivakumar's assets and other details.The sources further revealed that the I-T authorities have been focusing on property details and tax payment details of Shivakumar for the last five years. The discrepancies have been found in this regard by the I-T sleuths. Sources explained that the details submitted to the I-T department and details in nomination papers have been found to be different.The election officers will verify the property details submitted by Shivakumar and in case of any wrong information furnished by him, they can reject his nomination papers.In case of any discrepancy, Shivakumar can also find himself in a legal soup.With these developments, he has fielded his brother Suresh in the eventuality of rejection of his nomination papers. Shivakumar is vying for the post of CM with the Opposition leader Siddaramaiah. The development is a setback for Shivakumar.IANS21 April 2023

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S.Korea voices deep disappointment over Kishidas ritual offering at war shrine

Seoul, April 21: South Korea expressed deep disappointment and regret on Friday over Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's ritual offering at a controversial war shrine in Tokyo that is regarded as a symbol of Japan's militaristic past.

S.Korea voices 'deep disappointment' over Kishida's ritual offering at war shrine

The government expresses deep disappointment and regret over the fact that the responsible leaders of Japan have once again sent offerings to and paid respects at the Yasukuni Shrine, which glorifies Japan's war of aggression and enshrines war criminals, Lim Soo-suk, spokesperson for the Seoul Foreign Ministry, said in a statement.South Korea strongly urges Japan to squarely face history and demonstrate sincere remorse for its past, Yonhap News Agency quoted the spokesperson as saying.Earlier in the day, Kishida sent a ritual offering of a masakaki tree stand to the shrine on the occasion of a two-day spring festival, according to Japanese media reports.Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo honors 2.5 million Japanese war dead, including 14 Class-A war criminals from World War II.IANS21 April 2023

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. The Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria (IGB) will be interconnected with Greek DESFA system by the end of 2023, Trend reports via Greek media.

Reportedly, natural gas exports from the Greek system are currently made through the TAP pipeline (Greece  Albania  Italy) which is also connected to the Greek system, the connection point with the Bulgarian system in Sidirokastro where there is a possibility of reverse flow (i.e. from Greece to Bulgaria) and from the Greek-Bulgarian interconnector pipeline (IGB) which was recently launched and is currently only fed by TAP. By the end of the year, the IGB will also be interconnected with the DESFA system, while the construction of the North Macedonia supply pipeline follows.

Currently, the interconnector has a maximum total capacity of 3 billion cubic meters per year. In coordination with DESFA, IGB has the opportunity to increase this capacity up to 5 billion cubic meters per year, which should happen in sync with the commissioning of the LNG terminal at the Greek city of Alexandroupolis, expected in 2024.

The Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria began commercial operation on October 1, 2022.

Since the beginning of the current heating season, the interconnector provides nearly 1/3 of the winter consumption of natural gas in Bulgaria. IGB is the first route for diversified supplies of natural gas to Bulgaria, guaranteeing increased security of supply and diversity of sources, contributing significantly to the competition in the natural gas market, which is a prerequisite for optimized prices for businesses and domestic consumers in the country.

DESFA (National Natural Gas System Operator S.A.) is a natural gas transmission system operator in Greece. In addition to the transmission system, the company also operates Greece's gas distribution networks, and the Revithoussa LNG Terminal.

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Ktaka Cong chief Shivakumars nomination accepted for May 10 polls

Bengaluru, April 21: Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar on Friday heaved a sigh of relief after the returning officer accepted his nomination from Kanakapura constituency for the May 10 Assembly polls.

K'taka Cong chief Shivakumar's nomination accepted for May 10 polls

The authorities ruled out any discrepancy in the nomination filed by Shivakumar. He feared that BJP is conspiring to push him out of the election fray.Shivakumar is vying for the post of chief minister and the development has disturbed him. Following the suspicion that the authorities would reject his nomination, he had decided to field his brother D.K. Suresh as a contestant from Kanakapura seat.Earlier in the day, Shivakumar said that 5,000 people have downloaded his property declaration papers, and anyone, including the BJP, can play foul. "I know what they are up to. Against this backdrop, another nomination has been filed through my brother D.K. Suresh," he stated.Speaking to reporters, he said, "We have our own strategy... Why can't he (D.K. Suresh) file nominations? We will have our political calculations. We can't let out our secret. Everything will be clear by the day after tomorrow. We also know how to conduct politics. My property submissions are downloaded by 5,000 people. There is a BJP conspiracy behind it," Shivakumar stated.Shivakumar had declared property worth more than Rs 1,414 crore. The property details have been given in more than 108 pages. Shivakumar alone owns more than Rs 1,214 crore. As per the affidavit his wife, Usha Shivakumar owns Rs 133 crore and his son, Akash owns Rs 66 crore.He stated that he owns Rs 970 crore worth immovable assets, Rs 244 crore movable assets and also mentioned that he has Rs 226 crore loans. His yearly income is furnished as Rs 14 crore. Shivakumar family's revenue was Rs 252 crore in 2013 and it rose to Rs 840 crore in 2018.According to the sources, the Income Tax (I-T) authorities had summoned Shivakumar for inquiry four days ago. The I-T sleuths had collected details after Shivakumar filed his nomination from Kanakapura seat. They had also come to Kanakapura town and collected information about Shivakumar's assets and other details.The sources earlier maintained that the I-T authorities have been focusing on property details and tax payment details of Shivakumar for the last five years. The discrepancies have been found in this regard by the I-T sleuths. Sources explained that the details submitted to the I-T department and details in nomination papers have been found to be different.With these developments, he has fielded his brother Suresh in the eventuality of rejection of his nomination papers. Shivakumar was planning to field his brother from Padmanabhanagar seat represented by BJP Minister R.Ashoka. Ashoka is also contesting against Shivakumar in Kanakapura constituency.IANS21 April 2023

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No clean chit in Vadra-DLF land deal: Haryana govt

Chandigarh, April 21: The Haryana government on Friday said no clean chit has given by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to investigate the transfer of land done between Robert Vadra's Skylight Hospitality and DLF Universal Ltd.

No clean chit in Vadra-DLF land deal: Haryana govt

A spokesperson for the police department said the case is still under active investigation. "The SIT is still obtaining more relevant documents and also examining a number of individuals connected with the case.""The focus of SIT's investigation is not limited to just probing the revenue loss, rather the investigation aims to expose all those who are involved in the criminal conspiracy with the motive of giving high financial gains to certain individuals, and of quid pro quo involving underhand dealings," said the spokesperson in a statement.Divulging the details about the report submitted by the Tehsildar of Manesar in Gurugram, the spokesperson said as per the report it is stated that Skylight Hospitality sold 3.5 acre (vasika no. 1435 land in question) to DLF Universal Limited on September 18, 2012, and this transfer of land has been done in accordance with the Indian Registration Act, 1908, and no regulations or rules have been violated in the transaction."This report is erroneously being presented as a 'clean chit' by some newspapers," said the spokesperson.The spokesperson further said the Punjab and Haryana High Court is closely monitoring the investigation in the cases involving MPs and MLAs. In this connection, progress reports are being regularly submitted in the court in CWP-PIL No. 29 of 2021 titled as Court on its own motion v/s State of Punjab and others.The progress report in case FIR No 288/2018, Police Station Kherki Daula, Gurugram, was also part of the comprehensive reply filed by the state in the matter and is incorrectly being construed as a "clean chit".After a thorough review of the investigation done by senior police officers, the SIT was reconstituted last month. Two experienced senior civil officers having domain knowledge of the revenue as well as town and country planning matters, have also been attached with the SIT, with the objective of expediting the investigation, added the spokesperson.IANS21 April 2023

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Tributes paid to soldiers killed in terror attack in Poonch

Jammu, April 21: Tributes were paid in a wreath laying ceremony on Friday to five army jawans who were killed in a terrorist attack on Thursday in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch district.

Tributes paid to soldiers killed in terror attack in Poonch

"To pay homage to the supreme sacrifice of the five Bravehearts of Indian Army who laid down their life in the line of duty in Poonch District on April 20, 2023, a wreath laying ceremony was organised at Rajouri with full Military traditions," army said.Senior army officers and civil administration officers were present on the solemn ceremony."The bravehearts of Indian Army, havildar Mandeep Singh, lance naik Kulwant Singh, sepoy Harkrishan Singh and sepoy Sewak Singh - all natives of Punjab and lance naik Debashish Biswal - a native of Odisha, made the supreme sacrifice in a gruesome terrorist attack on April 20, 2023," army said."The Indian Army and our proud nation expressed their solidarity with the bereaved famlies," it added.IANS22 April 2023

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Immigration services to be hit as 155,000 Canadian govt employees on strike

Toronto, April 21: Delays and disruptions can be expected in processing applications and passport services following the strike by a labour union representing over 155,000 employees that will impact most government departments, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced.

Immigration services to be hit as 155,000 Canadian govt employees on strike

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the union representing federal workers, went on strike on April 19 after they failed to reach an agreement with the government on issues related to wages and decent working conditions."During this labour disruption, certain services may be delayed or not delivered at all. As well, the public may have trouble accessing some Government of Canada buildings where services are delivered," the IRCC said in a statement.The Canadian immigration body said disruptions and delays can be expected in processing applications, immigration-related appointments, contacting IRCC via email, phone or social media, consular citizenship and passport services, citizenship ceremonies, and extending one's stay in Canada.However, some IRCC services, like applying online, mailing applications to IRCC, using one's online accounts, accessing emergency services, will remain available during the labour disruption.In addition, services offered by non-governmental organisations, including settlement services from IRCC partner organisations, healthcare through the Interim Federal Health Program, and visa application centres outside of Canada, will also remain available.The Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), which plays a key role in the country's immigration system, is also expecting disruptions to the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the collection of biometrics.IANS22 April 2023

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SC dismisses Maha govts review for 2021 verdict quashing Maratha quota

New Delhi, April 21: The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea by the Maharashtra government seeking review of its May 5, 2021 judgment, which struck down a state law providing a 12 to 13 percent quota for Maratha community.

SC dismisses Maha govt's review for 2021 verdict quashing Maratha quota

A five-judge bench comprising Justices M.R. Shah, Sanjiv Khanna, B.R. Gavai, S. Ravindra Bhat and V. Ramasubramanian declined to entertain the plea by the state government seeking a relook at the judgment.The bench, in its order, said "Permission to file the review petition is granted. Delay condoned. Applications for listing of the review petitions in the open court are rejected. Having carefully gone through the review petitions, the judgment under challenge and the papers annexed therewith, we are satisfied that there is no error apparent on the face of the record, warranting reconsideration of the judgment impugned. The review petitions are, accordingly, dismissed. Pending applications stand disposed of."The matter was considered inside the judges' chamber as per the Supreme Court Rules with regard to review petition and the top court took decision on the matter on April 11. However, the order was uploaded on the apex court website only on April 20.The apex court had earlier dismissed a plea by the Central government to reconsider the May 5, 2021 judgment. The apex court had declared that states do not have the power to prepare lists for socially and educationally backward classes.The decision had also deprived states of their power to declare OBCs for the purpose of reservation in jobs and education, and the court had conferred the President with the sole power to identify a community as backward.The top court struck down the Maharashtra Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018, for having breached the 50 per cent cap fixed by a nine-judge bench in 1992 in Indra Sawhney case (Mandal Commission).The top court had said that for allowing a 12-13 per cent quota for Marath community, it could not find any exceptional circumstances or extraordinary situation.IANS22 April 2023

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Gorkhas are integral part of greater Assamese community: Himanta Sarma

Guwahati, April 21: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted on Friday that Gorkhas are an integral part of the greater Assamese community.

Gorkhas are integral part of greater Assamese community: Himanta Sarma

While attending the Assam Gorkha Sammelan held at Garpal in Sonitpur district, Sarma said that sincere efforts have been made at fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of the members of the Gorkha community in Assam."The current dispensation in the state has put an end to the harassment faced by the Gorkhas in Assam in the name of identification of foreigners," he said.The Chief Minister also spoke about the numerous initiatives such as conferment of 'protected class' status to Gorkhas, among others, aimed at socio-economic empowerment of the community members.Sarma said that from now onwards, the Assam Gorkha Sammelan will have the authority to issue Other Backward Class (OBC) certificates to the eligible members of the community.He also said that steps shall be taken to issue 'Gorkha certificates' through dedicated portals, adding that this initiative will prove helpful for the Gorkha youth of the state in getting enrolled into the armed forces.The Chief Minister appealed to the Gorkhas of Assam not to dissociate themselves from their roots and work towards preserving their glorious saga of valour.IANS22 April 2023

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Visit to Naga hamlet Oting: Harvest of love, mutual trust amid suspicion & despair

Oting (Nagaland), April 21: Hlaing Konyak, 22, says he is a changed man since the last two years. But he hastens to add that, 'I have also befriended some strangers I never liked in the past but now share black tea with them every evening.'.

Visit to Naga hamlet Oting: Harvest of love, mutual trust amid suspicion & despair

Oting in Mon district had courted ill-fate and controversy in December 2021 when in a botched up operation 21 paratroopers from neighbouring Assam had killed innocuous coal mine workers from the hitherto little known village.To Hlaing (name changed to be precise), 'strangers' are Assam Rifles officers and jawans.To Hlaing's friends and parents the 'change' is welcome as he was a victim of alcoholism for years. On ground friendship with Assam Rifles personnel have been able to bring out the talented volleyball player in him.Now on ground Oting offers a different picture and there is a 'modest' bonhomie between Assam Rifles and the local villagers. Village Council chairman, Longwang Konyak, also endorses the neo-friendship. But he is a man with pain in his heart.'Difficult to forget what happened on Dec 4, 2021. It was a nightmare for us. But I believe in Jesus Christ and so I say, let us forgive and move ahead. The family who suffered of course cannot forget nor forgive.'A visit to the village in circa 2023 gives one a pensive experience with melancholy. The victims of the December 2021 catastrophe included a graduate too; and the sad part of the tale is that he has lost his 'thumb'.'Raasta beya asey, kopal toh besi beya asey (You are saying the road to my village is bad. It is true, but our luck is worse),' laments Village Council chairman Longwang recalling some of these nightmares.But Longwang, 61, wants the villagers to get back to normalcy. This is why he refers to the 'experience' of Hlaing.I tried to interact with a few Assam Rifles personnel posted in the small camp at the village gate. One of them --- also a tribal soldier -- agrees with the story of 'black tea (or fika cha) of Hlaing. But the soldier says Hlaing is not alone. There are many Naga youth in the Oting village now who have developed a 'taste' for black tea offered by soldiers after the regular volleyball match they play every afternoon.The soldier adds other information. 'Nagas are very hospitable people and Konyaks will probably top the list. They relish our black tea and whenever we are in the village compound for regular development projects like establishing the water tanks, we get mugs full of milk tea,' he says.On the return journey from the village, our vehicle got stuck up for a while just outside the village area -- thanks to the pathetic road with potholes and a bed of stones. One was little surprised to find two sets of people -- the Assam Rifles soldiers accompanied local boys rushing in to our 'rescue'. Some of them looked thirsty and tired, smouldering in the heat but they spotted that infectious smile Nagas are famous for.One was convinced, friendship has set in between two sets of people -- who were probably identified by each other as 'rivals if not enemies' even a few months back.However, all these did not come easily. The powerful Eastern Nagaland Public Organisation (ENPO) had given a clarion call for boycott of 'non cooperation' with all central security forces operating in Nagaland in December 2021.But in April 2022 -- that is after almost four months, the ENPO withdrew their non-cooperation policy. And yet again despite several welfare projects being taken up by Assam Rifles, the villagers 'offered land for an AR company operating base' only in December 2022.'The Government of India also admitted the major lapse in army operation during the December 4, 2021 incident. Now they say the Standard of Operations for the army has been reviewed. Home Minister Amit Shah has agreed to grant us the Autonomous Council. So, we are giving land to Assam Rifles. Moreover, Assam Rifles reports directly to Shah, we can always share our grievances to him,' says one villager on the condition of anonymity.Deputy Angh of Oting Village, Chengwang konyak, clarifies 'Do not mix up matters. The Frontier Nagaland is something we want, and about security forces what went on in December 2021, people still cannot forget the agony. Now Assam Rifles is doing some good developmental work. We did not ask for it.'Official sources say the Assam Rifles through Military Civic Action Projects under Operation Sadbhavana worth Rs 45 lakh will be taken up from time to time.'This is in addition to construction of two reinforced concrete cement reservoirs of 1,50,000 litre capacity for Rs 35 lakh,' says one AR personnel adding that a similar quantum of Rs 45-50 lakh development works are planned for the upcoming year as well.Locals say various development projects are probably not enough to bridge the gap that got engulfed recently. I posed this question to Assam Rifles personnel. Initially they did not have any answer or did not want to respond without clearance from their bosses. At the later stage one was told that the Assam Rifles choir team has befriended locals and even performed during a Sunday service.One particular Assam Rifles man's performance was unique and so impressive that at the end of the programme, several locals congratulated him warmly.The top guns in Assam Rifles in Kohima and Dimapur have also taken note of the December 4, 2021 incident and the subsequent efforts being made by one of their battalions to rebuild the bond. One Naga woman in nearby Wangla village sums up the story of Assam Rifles's friendship with locals very well.'You must be aware that Indian army people say Assam Rifles are like friends of the hill people. Now these friends are trying to re-establish the bond'.Nevertheless, local Nagas still have their complaints and apprehensions. A number of youths one interacted at district town Mon said, the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) is a draconian law and should be withdrawn from all civilian areas in Nagaland and especially from the Tuensang-Mon region.Maj Gen Vikas Lakhera, GoC - Assam Rifles in Nagaland, was out of station when a brief interaction was sought.'The Assam Rifles is investing in building new bonds with the youth of tomorrow by training selected local boys from Oting and nearby areas for various employment opportunities including those for Agniveers,' one junior official said speaking on the condition of anonymity.'The directives to us from the Defence ministry and Army headquarters are clear, even a single instance of human rights violation is totally unacceptable. Oting was a really bad thing to happen. If villagers lament it as a nightmare, for the forces the agony was deep. A few Assam Rifles jawans wept that night trying to conceal their emotions from senior officers.'In Delhi, sources have stated that the government is fully committed to uphold human rights at all times.In fact, the source went on to add, respecting human rights for Assam Rifles is not simply a moral and a legal necessity, but also a crucial strategic imperative.There is already a policy of 'Zero Tolerance' towards any instance of human rights violation, the men in uniform only ought to ensure that such a policy exists in letter and spirit, and not merely on papers.IANS22 April 2023

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US reports over 19,000 deaths from flu this season

Los Angeles, April 22: There have been at least 26 million flu illnesses, 290,000 hospitalisations, and 19,000 deaths from flu so far this season in the US, according to the latest data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

US reports over 19,000 deaths from flu this season

A total of 143 pediatric flu deaths have been reported in the country so far this season, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the CDC data.Nearly 2,000 people were hospitalised with flu in the latest week ending April 15, CDC data showed.The CDC recommends that everyone ages 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccine as long as flu activity continues.There are also prescription flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat flu illness, which need to be started as early as possible, said the CDC.IANS22 April 2023

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Swedish Minister meets MoS Gen VK Singh, discusses exchange of technologies in aviation sector

New Delhi, April 21: Swedish Minister for Infrastructure and Housing, Andreas Carlson, was on a two-day visit to discuss bilateral trade relations, sustainability, and aviation between Sweden and India.

Swedish Minister meets MoS Gen VK Singh, discusses exchange of technologies in aviation sector

On Friday, he met General VK Singh, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation, Road Transport and Highways, where they discussed how they can cooperate on air traffic management, airspace design, and ways to reduce carbon footprints, lower emissions and also strengthen competitiveness, and higher productivity.Carlson said India is, by far, a larger country and Sweden is one of the EU's wide-distance countries. However, both countries have some similar challenges when it comes to connectivity in rural areas, he noted."When India plans investments in infrastructure and aviation, it also needs smaller aeroplanes. They work very hard on it in Sweden." he said."We see those electric aeroplanes in the developing phase right now, but they will be in the market in just five years. You can have electric flights for domestic shorter short-haul flights from the beginning. They can have a range for 800 kilometres with the 25 passengers combined with electric electricity and biofuel," he said.They discussed how India and Sweden can learn from each other and work on the further development of the aviation sector. Both countries can work together to find ways forward, he noted.The aviation sector has always been an enabler of economic development, job creation and connectivity. It contributes to both social and economic cohesion and is the major facilitator of global trade, he noted."We discussed on ways to promote aviation in a sustainable way, and in a way which reduces emissions and carbon footprints. We have common goals and India is significantly investing in building new airports and increasing their capacity. We are interested in learning from each other, share best practices and engage in discussion on an EU level and on cooperation between the EU and India," he said.ANI22 April 2023

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Commonwealth Secretary-General gets UC Berkeleys Global Leadership Award

New Delhi, April 22: The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patricia Scotland KC, has become the first Black woman as well as the first Caribbean, Dominican and British person to receive the University of California (UC) Berkeley's prestigious Global Leadership Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to improving the lives through innovation and technology.

Commonwealth Secretary-General gets UC Berkeley's Global Leadership Award

Previous recipients of the award include then-President of India Pranab Mukherjee, then-President of the US Barack Obama, then-President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and then-President of the World Bank, Alden W. "Tom" Clausen.The award was presented to the Commonwealth Secretary-General during a ceremony at the Berkeley Innovation Forum in California on Friday.Presenting the award, the organisers commended the Secretary-General's decades-long commitment to fostering a culture of innovation throughout her legal and political career, particularly in her current role, adding that her leadership has to the promotion of "innovation and use of technology to expand markets around the world and empower people at the bottom of the pyramid".The award is conferred upon extraordinary global leaders who promote open innovation -- a practice which enables the exchange of ideas across organisations -- to create significant change.Secretary-General Scotland is the third woman to receive the award after Sadako Ogata, then-Minister of Japan to the United Nations, and Janet Yellen, then-Chair of the Broad of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System, won it in 1978 and 2014 respectively.In her acceptance speech, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, who is the first woman to hold the post, said "I am deeply honoured to receive the Global Leadership Award from the University of California Berkeley. This recognition is made all the more special as it coincides with the seventh anniversary of my tenure as Secretary-General."My journey has not been without obstacles, but I am proud that it has led to this point. Throughout my life and career, I have been driven by a fierce belief that things could be different, better, fairer, and more equal, and that by embracing innovation and its transformative potential, we can create meaningful change that benefits both individuals and society at large."She added "Today, I feel a great sense of pride to lead the Commonwealth Secretariat which serves more than 2.5 billion people, 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 30."By accepting this award, I encourage each one of them to never let anyone tell them that they cannot succeed. They must dare to dream and work hard to make it happen -- and always remember the timeless words of Nelson Mandela aIt always seems impossible until it's done'."Since taking up office in April 2016, Secretary-General Scotland undertook a strategic reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure the organisation transforms itself into a fit-for-purpose partner to help its member countries uphold the values of the Commonwealth Charter and realise the Sustainable Development Goals.In addition to her accomplishments in her previous roles as a lawyer, Attorney General and Minister in various UK government ministries, the award recognises the Secretary-General's achievements in championing innovation for sustainable development through an array of Commonwealth-wide initiatives and programmes, as part of the reform process.These include the Innovation Hub, Meridian debt management software, Trade Connectivity Dashboard, Innovation Awards, FinTech Toolkit and AI Learning Platform.The award ceremony was attended by more than 100 guests, including senior executives, thought leaders, policymakers, philanthropists, researchers and civil society representatives.IANS22 April 2023

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. The Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) is set to add 1.2 billion cubic meters of gas to its capacity after 2026, of which 1 billion will go to Italy and 200 million will be transported to Albania, Trend reports via Italian media.

Reportedly, the first tranche of the added capacity will be delivered from 2026 to December 2028, while the second tranche will be transported from October 2026 to September 2033. The first infrastructure upgrade will therefore be carried out by the end of 2025.

"And, of those first 1.2 billion, one billion will be directed to Italy and the remaining 200 million to Albania," said Italian media.

TAP's capacity could rise to over 20 billion cubic meters a year, without laying new pipes, only by increasing the gas compression power in Greece and Albania, and minimal interventions in Italy.

As the European section of the Southern Gas Corridor, TAP has the capacity to transport approximately 10 billion cubic meters of gas per annum (bcm/a) to several markets in Europe. The pipeline is also designed with the potential to expand its throughput capacity up to 20 bcm/a.

As a key part of the Southern Gas Corridor, TAP is strategically and economically important to Europe and essential in providing reliable access to a new source of natural gas. TAP plays a significant role in boosting Europes energy security, supply diversification, as well as decarbonisation objectives.

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Musks wealth nosedives $12.6 bn after chaos at SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter

San Francisco, April 22: Elon Musk saw his wealth plummet by more than $12 billion in just a day as he faced chaos and disappointing news from across his companies -- SpaceX, Twitter and Tesla.

Musk's wealth nosedives $12.6 bn after chaos at SpaceX, Tesla, Twitter

According to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, this was the biggest drop in Musk's wealth so far this year.Tesla's share price fell by 9.8 per cent after disappointing first quarter results.Tesla's operating income decreased 24 per cent to $2.7 billion in Q1 2023 as the Elon Musk-run EV maker continues to cut prices of its vehicles.On the same day, SpaceX's integrated Starship spacecraft experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" four minutes into its first test flight.SpaceX's giant Starship rocket exploded after its launch from the US state of Texas on Thursday.The rocket got off the launch pad in SpaceX's Starbase in South Texas but exploded minutes later. The spacecraft failed to reach orbit.Twitter also went into chaos after Musk removed legacy Blue check marks, leaving hundreds of celebrities in the doldrum.Musk still remains the world's second-richest person despite this latest tumble in net worth, behind French tycoon Bernard Arnault, reports The Verge.Musk's fortune once sat as high as $320 billion in late 2021. Later, he became the first person in history to lose over $200 billion.IANS22 April 2023

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IAFs 44 Squadron to celebrate diamond jubilee in Chandigarh

Chandigarh, April 22: The 44 Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year in Chandigarh that was previously postponed owing to the pandemic, it was announced on Saturday.

IAF's 44 Squadron to celebrate diamond jubilee in Chandigarh

The rich and glorious history of the squadron is a kaleidoscope of military history and military diplomacy of modern-day India and filled with tales of fortitude, courage, daring, devotion and professionalism which encapsulates all that IAF stands for, a statement said.The squadron was raised on April 6, 1961, and equipped with the AN-12 aircraft. It operated the AN-12 till 1985.A In March 1985, it brought the IL-76 aircraft into India, which was formally inducted into the IAF on June 16, 1985.The aircraft continues to in service today. The diamond jubilee celebrations due in 2021 had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.The harbinger of strategic airlift in the IAF, the squadron has been a part of all major military and HADR initiatives in the recent history of the nation, which not only saw the IAF and the nation evolve from a tactical to a strategic force, but also enhanced the military might of the sister services.The squadron provided succor in times of need to the citizens of the country as well as people all around the world, in keeping with the nation's belief of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam".The squadron has stayed true to its motto of aIshtam Yatnen Sadhyet' which means achieve goals through perseverance. In 1985 the squadron was renamed as the 'Mighty Jets'.Since its raising, No. Squadron Sqn has been at the forefront of the airlift activities undertaken by the IAF.The squadron continues to remain ever ready to undertake any task that is entrusted to it.IANS22 April 2023

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BKTC chief Ajendra Ajay flags off buses for Char Dham Yatra

Haridwar, April 21: Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee (BKTC) President Ajendra Ajay on Friday flagged off a batch of Char Dham Yatra buses from Maya Devi Temple premises in Haridwar.

BKTC chief Ajendra Ajay flags off buses for Char Dham Yatra

Speaking on the occasion BKTC president said that the state government is committed to ensuring smooth and easy journeys for pilgrims and devotees.Meanwhile, the portals of Yamunotri and Gangotri Dham will be opened for the devotees on April 22. While the doors of Kedarnath and Badrinath Dham will open on April 25 and 27 respectively.A large number of buses of devotees left for Char Dham Yatra from Maya Devi premises and Kalu Siddha.BKTC President Ajendra Ajay, Mahamandaleshwar Swami Lalitanand Giri Maharaj of Niranjani Akhara, Acharya Dayashankar Vidyalankar, founder of Ved Niketan, State Head of Dharma Jagran Manch Dr Rahul and BJP leader Rajpal Negi flagged off the buses filled with yatris.On this occasion, BKTC President Ajendra welcomed the pilgrims from different states and wished them a prosperous journey.He said that the state government is determined for a pleasant journey for the pilgrims. The travel arrangements are being continuously monitored by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.He said that the Chief Minister has urged everyone to have the feeling of Atithi Devo Bhava towards the passengers.He expressed hope that this year the Yatra would touch new dimensions by breaking its old records for the number of devotees.The Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand is one of the most popular Hindu pilgrimages in India. This pilgrimage is a tour of four holy sites - Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri - nestled high up in the Himalayas.ANI22 April 2023

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Kriti Sanon opts for budgeted flight, flies economy class to Indore

Mumbai, April 22: Ditching the luxury of a first class in an airplane, actress Kriti Sanon channelled her inner 'aam aadmi' as she took a budgeted flight and flew economy class to Indore.

Kriti Sanon opts for budgeted flight, flies economy class to Indore

Celebrity paparazzi Viral Bhayani posted a video of Kriti from the economy Indigo 6E flight. Kriti was seen in a white dress and a pink shawl over her shoulders.Another video showed her sitting as she played with a toddler sitting in front of her. The toddler and Kriti were seen holding hands and playing and Kriti even blew kisses to the kid.On the work front, Kriti will be seen next with Shahid Kapoor in an untitled romantic movie. She also has 'Adipurush' with Prabhas.Kriti also has 'Ganapath' with her 'Heropanti' co-star Tiger Shroff. The film is slated for release this year.IANS22 April 2023

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Kerala celebrates Eid-Ul-Fitr with religious gaiety

Thiruvananthapuram, April 22: Kerala on Saturday celebrated Eid-Ul-Fitr with devout Muslims making a bee line to mosques and specially erected Eid-Gahs at several places across the state.

Kerala celebrates Eid-Ul-Fitr with religious gaiety

As the Muslims account for 26 per cent of the 3.30 crore state population, it was a mad rush to get a spot at the open air Eid-Gahs.Leading from the front was Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan who participated at a Eid-Gah at Kollam, while superstar Mammootty who lost his mother on Friday, was spotted along with his actor son Dulqar Salman at a Eid-Gah in Kochi.Senior Muslim clerics all across the state were busy as they led the prayers at various places.Incidentally, all state government, private offices and educational institutions in Kerala are closed on account of Eid-Ul-Fitr from Friday.On Thursday late evening, the Muslim clerics announced that as the moon was not sighted that evening in Kerala, Eid will be celebrated on Saturday.IANS22 April 2023

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Single dose of HPV vax up to 98% effective: Study

New York, April 22: While the current standard for the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in women is a three-dose regimen, even a single dose is highly effective and provides up to 98 per cent protection, according to a study.

Single dose of HPV vax up to 98% effective: Study

In a randomised controlled trial of 2,275 women in Kenya, the researchers found that even after 18 months, the bivalent vaccine was 97.5 per cent effective against two strains of HPV, and the nonavalent vaccine was 97.5 per cent effective against two strains of HPV.The nonavalent vaccine was also 89 per cent effective against seven strains of HPV. Even if women tested positive for one strain of HPV, the vaccine protected them from other strains of the virus."The single-dose efficacy was the same as multiple doses, said Ruanne Barnabas, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.Barnabas was a professor of global health at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle at the time of the study.The results were published in the journal NEJM Evidence and also presented at the 35th International Papillomavirus Conference in Washington, DC, this week."These findings are a game-changer that may substantially reduce the incidence of HPV-attributable cervical cancer and positions single-dose HPV vaccination as a high-value and high-impact public health intervention that is within reach for us," said Professor Sam Kariuki, acting director general at the Kenya Medical Research Institute, where the study was conducted.However, the researchers said more studies are needed to test how long the vaccine lasts.HPV vaccines are a powerful tool to reduce cervical cancer that kills a woman every two minutes worldwide.Currently, just 15 per cent of women worldwide are vaccinated against HPV, the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). The World Health Organization aims to vaccinate 90 per cent of 15-year-old girls against HPV by 2030.IANS22 April 2023

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India being peacemaker, should get permanent seat in UNSC: Padma awardee Thurman

New Delhi, April 21: Supporting India's candidature for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council, Professor Robert AF Thurman, Co-founder and President of the Tibet House in New York, said that the five permanent members of the UNSC are unable to resolve conflicts diplomatically and engaged in wars while India has the potential to bring peace in the world.

India being peacemaker, should get permanent seat in UNSC: Padma awardee Thurman

He said, "Today in the United Nations, the five permanent security council members are the five big arms dealers on the planet so they naturally will not make peace and that has to change for example India, a huge country should be in the permanent member of the Security Council. Brazil, you know, Germany, Japan and not just the five people who think they won the world war."He asserted that India has every right to be the centre for the congregation of all the Buddhists as it has been following the principle of non-violence and shown the path of peace to the world rather than the war which some countries have been adopting to invade another country.He is also a recipient of India's Padma Shri Award.Terming India as the land of Lord Buddha, Lord Mahavira and Mahatma Gandhi, Professor Robert AF Thurman said that India has been promoting peace through Buddhism."Well, I see it in the terms that Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid out earlier yesterday where he mentioned that India has the principle of non-violence and peace rather than war or as many countries, their major effort or expense is defence and which they call it defence and then one of them invades another country for eg United States foolishly invaded Iraq the second time and Afghanistan occupied."He went on to say that attacking the enemy in another country to defend your country is admissible but to invade a country or occupy the country is "terrible".He said, "They (US) had a right to attack their enemies in Afghanistan who bombed in New York but after that to occupy a country was a terrible mistake as obviously...and now Russia has invaded Ukraine and that is really terrible,"He made the remarks as he came to attend the Global Buddhist Summit in New Delhi.The two-day summit is being hosted by the Ministry of Culture in collaboration with International Buddhist Confederation (IBC). The theme of the Global Buddhist Summit is 'Responses to Contemporary Challenges Philosophy to Praxis.'He said that India is a land where Buddha took birth and it has every right to be the centre to assemble all the Buddhists. Speaking to ANI, he said, "India has never done an invasion on anybody not perfect of course but they had to defend themselves of course on the other hand and so India has a right because of Gandhi, Buddha, Mahavira, Jains to say non-violence is the principle of the country and that makes sense. And also it happens to be the land on the subcontinent where Buddha took birth although the modern country of India ofcourse didn't exist at that time, there were many small countries. So, they have every right to be the centre to assemble all the Buddhists and to stand for the principle and even not to give up the hope that the world can be the world at peace."Speaking about the Dalai Lama's remarks at the Global Buddhist Summit, he said, "His Holiness The Dalai Lama who also blessed this conference enormously by coming today. He always says and has been saying for 30 years that the 20th century was the century of terrible violence as the world wars marked the end of colonialism worldwide and the 21st century has to be a century of peace. Unfortunately, in the first 23 years of this century, there have been terrible wars and the US is guilty to some extent and my country (US) is guilty of unprovoked wars."He said that every person in the world needs freedom and called India a free country. He said, "Freedom is a thing that people need, that is what human people need, human beings need. India is a free country, a bit chaotic like the US is, but we have to be partners in seeing that the whole planet is like that."Responding to a question regarding China following expansionist policy, he termed dictatorship dangerous as the dictator has to suppress their own people but the Chinese nationals like freedom."Well, you see that the danger of dictatorship is that the dictator has to suppress their own people because it is not true that Chinese people are not the same human beings who do not like freedom because they are. There are some theories.... that Chinese people don't want democracy and they pretend some Western... or some nonsense like that. Actually, Chinese people are just people and every people even in a family like to be free," he told ANI."They don't want to be completely under one person and also their talent can't come out unless they are free and they won't be creative...So, the point is I see that dictatorships are dangerous because their own people resent being bossed around by the dictator. So, the dictator has to push that there is an enemy out there, they try to deflect resentment of the people against them, against some foreigner and they awake a war and that is an age-old principle that people that everyone can observe in history. So, we don't need governance where people can have their say right at home and if you are free to say it, they will disagree, and there will maybe be local squabbles and fights because humans are like that. But, overall they are not estranged to an enemy, to a neighbour that's really important," he added.He emphasized that Buddhism can play a part in spreading peace and harmony in the world."Buddhism can do that, Dalai Lama has a slogan in which he says 'world peace through inner peace' which means that if people learn to control themselves and be friendly and loving and peaceful with each other. Then, they won't have violence and conflict." Professor Robert AF Thurman further said that if the world sees other people of the world as a family, then there would get along and will not have issues with each other.ANI22 April 2023

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Top 10 Chartered Accountants of 2023 to get financial advice

New Delhi, April 21: Chartered Accountancy is one of the most distinguished professions. This prestigious degree is the toughest goal to achieve, but with patience, tenacity, and unbeatable excellence, these Chartered Accountant entrepreneurs have proven themselves and today have become the most successful professionals of the year.

Top 10 Chartered Accountants of 2023 to get financial advice

Their identity is not known yet, but it deserves to be recognized and honoured by people nationwide. Fame Finders have brought the Top 10 Chartered Accountants to the front, who have excelled in the industry and established their names.The commendable capacity to thrive in adversity and the power to motivate others to grow and reach success is what makes a person an inspiration. Today, Fame Finders Media honours and brings out the motivating success journeys of the top 10 Chartered Accountants, who are the "champions" of their industries.1. CA (Dr.) Shankar Ghanshyamdas AndaniDr Shankar Ghanshyamdas Andani is a Chartered Accountant practicing in Ahmednagar-Maharashtra. His firm, M/S Saai and Company is a Chartered Accountancy firm with a registered office in Ahmednagar. For the past 16 years, he has been providing expert accounting, tax, and consultancy services to over 200 trusts, NGOs, temples, mosques, and churches. His dedication and hard work have earned his firm significant assignments from the Collector Office, District Disaster Management Office, and the Municipal Corporation.In addition to his practice, Dr Andani also has extensive teaching experience. He has served as an Assistant Professor in a Post-Graduation course in commerce, specializing in taxation. To gain in-depth knowledge of international taxation, he has also worked with various tax authorities and firms around the world.Dr Andani is committed to giving back to the community and offers free tax and accounting consultancy services to those in need. He is an inspiration to all and an example of someone who is dedicated to making a difference.2. CA Man Mohan KejriwalCA. Man Mohan Kejriwal is born and brought up in a small place called Bhiwani(Haryana). Did his Schooling and Graduation also from Bhiwani. He Joined S. R. Batliboi and Co.(ERNST and YOUNG), New Delhi to perusing CA Degree.Married to CMA. Madhu Kejriwal is also in practice in her own field. He is a senior partner in MANV and Associates, Chartered Accountants, New Delhi.Was nominated as a CO-OPTED member of the Corporate Governance and Corporate Affairs Committee Of the Institute Of Chartered Accountants Of India for 2 consecutive years, 2020-2022. Manmohan Kejriwal is actively associated with so many Social and National Organizations Like Bharat Vikas Parishad, All India Vaish Federation. Rajasthani Academy, Rajasthan Millennium Club Etc.3. CA Kapil GargKapil Garg is a certified chartered accountant from India. He is a dynamic entrepreneur and investor and is the co-founder and Managing Director At Hindon merchantile Limited, and is operating several entities (Mufin Green Finance, BimaPay, Rupeecircle, Mufinconnect, MufinPay).Hindon merchantile Limited is a Delhi-based company, that envisions to uplift lives by efficiently working towards providing working capital, insurance, and funding micro business loans.Mufin Green Finance is working towards a carbon credit project which aligns with the UN's sustainable development goals.BimaPay is a unified digital lending platform that facilitates personal loans for insurance premium payments.Rupeecircle is a P2P lending platform connecting credit-worthy borrowers with investors looking for high returns on their investments.Mufinconnect provides dedicated API integration which is easy to use, well documented, and takes care of unresolved bugs.MufinPay is in process of integration for various banks, API, and certification of Super APP, which will be used for various cross-sell products to B2B2C.4. CA Geetika ShrivastavaCA Geetika Shrivastava is an Executive Partner at Tattvam Group. Tattvam is a leading firm in indirect taxes, valuations and accounting and assurance. Tattvam represents a 100 members team of highly engaged and dedicated professionals including Advocates, Chartered Accountants and Graduates. It caters to many big Indian corporates and MNCs.C A Geetika has an experience of more than a decade in indirect tax litigation and advisory. She has also worked with the Government of India for GST implementation.5. CA Atul AgarwalCA Atul Agrawal is a qualified Chartered Accountant and a fellow member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India with more than 25 years of experience. He has gained expertise in diverse fields, including Auditing, taxation, accounting, financial analysis, and risk management. In conjunction with working on financial management, corporate negotiations, financial control, business planning, and due diligence, he is also an Associate Member of CPA Australia.To give wings to his determination and proficiency, he is now pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams with his firm M/s A A A M and CO LLP, a category I firm with expertise in internal audit, company law matters, statutory and concurrent audits of banks, direct tax laws, GST, and other related advisory services.He has also been a Vice Chairman of the ICAI's CIRC (2021-22), A member of the CIRC of the ICAI's Executive Committee (2019-22), and Chairman of the CIRC of ICAI's Research Committee (2021-22).6. CA Deendayal AgarwalCA Deendayal Agarwal is the chairman of the CSR Research Foundation (CSRRF), which focuses on corporate social responsibility in the areas of women's healthcare, cleanliness, gender sensitivity, and empowerment (awareness, affordability and availability of sanitary napkins).Under Agarwal's leadership and with the backing of several state governments, PSUs, and private groups, CSRRF has raised awareness and installed numerous free sanitary napkin vending machines in various Delhi-NCR universities and schools. It has benefited and educated over 1.5 lakh females throughout the state.Agarwal has over two decades of consulting experience in banking, media, academia, and non-governmental organizations in the areas of women's empowerment, environmental protection, poor upliftment, water conservation, and so on. He served on The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India's (ICAI) Northern India Regional Council (NIRC) for two consecutive terms, 2007-2010 and 2010-2013. For the period 2016-2019, he was nominated by the Government of India as a government nominee non-official independent director at the Bank of Maharashtra.D D Agarwal also established India's first aid awareness IVR helpline service in order to provide timely medical assistance, avert additional harm, and save lives.7. CA Parin SomaniProf. Dr. Parin Somani is a multifaceted personality with numerous degrees and a world book of record achievements. Amongst her great achievements is her qualification in Chartered Accountancy. More than two decades ago Prof. Dr Parin Somani was working for Lloyds Banking Group for over twenty-four years. Through her designation, she has helped a multitude of people in their financial affairs. Through her experiences as a chartered accountant Prof. Dr Parin Somani has facilitated individuals to manage their finances, save resources, invest wisely, and spend sensibly.Parin expertise is currently utilized within the humanitarian work she carries out for global societal betterment within governmental and non-governmental organizations. In addition, having travelled to 117 countries around the world, Prof. Dr Parin Somani is contributing to societal progression on large global platforms, to educate communities by utilizing her financial experience through educational, inspirational, and motivational speaking and writing.8. CA Pitam GoelPitam Goel is a Chartered Accountant- an alumnus of ICAI. He is a registered valuer who has a Diploma in Information System Audit. The leader's area of expertise is GST Advisory, Compliance and Audit, Valuation and financing, and Due Diligence and Compliance Review. He owns over a decade of corporate experience in the field of valuation Advisory/ compliance, Indirect Taxes, Business Financing and Due Diligence/ Business Advisory.After acquiring an extensive experience in corporate space, he decided to venture into the field with his own firm- TATTVAM and Co. At the company, he supervises providing services related to Business/Financial Planning, Leveraged Fund Raising, Asset Management and Financial Modeling. His friends- Gaurav Saraf and Tusha Aggarwal, joined in later with the company to support his motto to revamp the industry with out-of-the-box products and services.9. CA Shiv Kumar SinghalCA Shiv Kumar Singhal is a versatile, result-driven professional with significant experience of nearly 20 years in Business and Project Advisory for various national and global organizations.He is an entrepreneur by passion and has initiated multiple startups in education, skilling and employment domains. He has inspired and guided thousands of students, youth and young entrepreneurs to create success in their lives. He is continuously working to support various segments of society in many ways.He carries exceptional analytical, innovative and inter-personnel skills with a strong record of achievements and skills in delivering the subject matter.A prominent speaker at various professional and business platforms viz. ICAI, ICMAI, Corporates, and PSUs on multiple topics connected to Sustainability, Productivity and Growth.He has been awarded by many prominent personalities in India for his outstanding work and contribution to the business community.10. CA Tarun KumarA chartered accountant by profession and graduate from SRCC, Tarun Kumar is living his passion for serving the startup ecosystem. He is a Former Consultant at the Ministry of Finance and is currently running a CA firm.He is a Startup Mentor at IIT Mumbai and a Jury member at Piranha Tank, JMI, and a patron member of the MSME Development Forum.Working with government and startups on various fronts, he aims to help a maximum number of startups, thereby helping the nation attain a robust growth rate and fulfill the dream of a trillion-dollar economy in the upcoming years.Top 10 Chartered Accountants campaign has been managed by team Fame Finders Media. Many more campaigns are yet to be executed in the coming months.For more about further campaigns, Visit us at or contact us at +91 9718750379 or orThis story has been provided by SRV. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/SRV)ANI22 April 2023

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UK sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger launches in India

Mumbai, April 21: UK's much-loved sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger made its debut in India on Friday.

UK sandwich and coffee chain Pret A Manger launches in India

The international company opened its first store in Bandra's Maker Maxity in Mumbai under a master franchise partnership with Reliance Brands.The launch of Pret A Manger's Indian store comes a few days after US technology giant Apple launched its first two stores in the country.The inaugural saw the presence of Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan.Speaking to the media stationed outside the store, Sara expressed her love for coffee."Coffee is my favourite thing ever. I love coffee...I have visited the Pret store in London several times with my father and now I am excited that the chain has come to India," she said.The Mumbai shop is a recreation of Pret's iconic London shops with a large dining space spread across 2,567 sq ft.Take a look at the Pret A Manger store in MumbaiDarshan Mehta, Managing Director, Reliance Brands, shared excitement on collaboration with the UK brand."Freshness of ingredients, authenticity of recipes, and a curiosity in processes defines the new Indian consumer. Our partnership with Pret A Manger aims to tap into this curiosity with an offering that we can proudly say -- ensures traceability of coffee beans as much as a zero additive approach to food," Mehta said.Started in 1986 in London, Pret A Manger now operates around 550 shops in countries, including the UK, US, Hong Kong, France, Dubai, Switzerland, Brussels, Singapore and Germany. The chain offers coffee, sandwiches, salads and wraps freshly made each day.The 39-year-old British sandwich shop franchise chain which translates from French to 'ready-to-eat' will open a second outlet at Mumbai's Lower Parel's Palladium Mall in the coming weeks and NCR will get its first outlet at DLF Cyberhub in May.ANI22 April 2023

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Tina Datta talks about refreshing content on the small screen

Mumbai, April 22: Television actress Tina Datta is currently seen on the show 'Hum Rahe Na Rahe Hum' and spoke about how the audience today is open to new genres when it comes to the content on small screen.

Tina Datta talks about 'refreshing' content on the small screen

Tina became a household name after starring in the show 'Uttaran' which revolved around the concept of class divide as Tina's character was a daughter of a maid and her best friend was the daughter of businessman employer of her mother.Talking about whether the audience is looking for new genres on the small screen after shows on social messages and 'saas-bahu' dramas took the spotlight, Tina told IANS "I think people are looking for new genres because how much can you watch the same thing on television? We all move on with time and adapt to new things and people like watching new things.""So, this story ('Hum Rahe Na Rahe Hum') is very refreshing, it is a very new age story in today's world. Yeah, change is the only thing that is constant and the audience also looks forward to such a refreshing vibe to see that element on screen."'Hum Rahe Na Rahe Hum' airs on Sony Entertainment Television.IANS22 April 2023

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Tu cheez badi hai Musk Musk: Amitabh Bachchan thanks Elon Musk after blue tick back on his Twitter

Mumbai, April 22: Bollywood veteran actor Amitabh Bachchan took to his inimitable style to thank Twitter chief Elon Musk for restoring the blue checkmark on his social media handle.

Tu cheez badi hai Musk Musk: Amitabh Bachchan thanks Elon Musk after blue tick back on his Twitter

The Musk-owned social media platform had earlier removed blue ticks from legacy accounts, which had not purchased its paid Blue service and several celebrities including Bachchan, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli and others had lost their blue ticks."Tu cheez badi hai musk musk" posted the superstar on Friday, writing in Hindi using an eastern Uttar Pradesh dialect, after the trademark blue verification badge was back on the megastar's Twitter. Big B interchanged the lyrics of the song "Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast" from the 1994 film "Mohra" to thank "big brother" Musk ."Hey Musk brother! We thank you very much! Blue Lotus (blue tick) is added in front of my name! Now what do I tell you, brother? I feel like singing a song, Will you like to listen? Ok listen "Tu cheez badi hai musk musk... tu chiz badi hai musk"Bachchan had earlier taken to the social media platform to return his blue tick which he referred to as the "neel kamal."The 'Piku' actor also folded his hands (he used an emoticon) urging for the return of his verification badge. The megastar claimed that he had already paid for the services.Twitter had earlier announced the implementation of paid subscription service which charges USD 8 for blue verification badge on the microblogging site. Those who didn't pay up or buy the service in time lost the blue checkmark on their handles.This creativity by the Bollywood legend left his fans in splits.The blue tick served as a way of protecting well-known individuals from impersonation and tackling false information."On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks. To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue," Twitter said in a post in March.Twitter first introduced the blue check mark system in 2009 to help users identify that celebrities, politicians, companies and brands, news organizations and other accounts "of public interest" were genuine and not impostors or parody accounts. The company didn't previously charge for verification.Musk launched Twitter Blue with the check-mark badge as one of the premium perks within two weeks of the company's takeover last year.ANI22 April 2023

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India-American Ajay Banga uniquely equipped to lead World Bank at such a critical moment: US

Washington, April 22: US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel on Friday said US nominee for World Bank presidency, Indian-American Ajay Banga is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at such a critical moment.

India-American Ajay Banga uniquely equipped to lead World Bank at such a critical moment: US

During a press briefing, Patel said, Ajay Banga "is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at such a critical moment, and he's an exceptional candidate."Banga's "leadership skills and management experience, his experience in the financial sector, will help achieve the World's Bank objectives by eliminating extreme poverty, expanding prosperity, while also doing so in a very evolving and dynamic global playing field, where we're dealing with a lot of new and pressing issues and challenges, like climate change and global health challenges and other things as well," Patel addedThe World Bank recently said that Indian-American Ajay Banga is the only candidate nominated for the President's position as the nomination period closed on March 29.The World Bank announced that Ajay Banga will be considered for the position.In a press release issued on its website, the World Bank said, "The World Bank Group's Board of Executive Directors confirmed that, as announced on February 22, the period for submitting nominations for the position of the next President of the World Bank Group closed on Wednesday, March 29 at 600 pm ET."The World Bank said, "The Board received one nomination and would like to announce that Mr Ajay Banga, a US national, will be considered for the position." The World Bank said that a formal interview will be conducted with the candidate in Washington DC.It said, "In accordance with established procedures, the Board of Executive Directors will conduct a formal interview with the candidate in Washington D.C., and expect to conclude the Presidential selection in due course."In February, US President Joe Biden nominated former Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank.In a statement, Biden had noted that Ajay Banga is "uniquely" equipped to lead the World Bank at a critical moment in history.Biden's statement read, "Ajay is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at this critical moment in history. He has spent more than three decades building and managing successful, global companies that create jobs and bring investment to developing economies and guiding organizations through periods of fundamental change. He has a proven track record managing people and systems, and partnering with global leaders around the world to deliver results."ANI22 April 2023

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Maternal colorectal cancer linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes: Study

New York, April 22: Women with an earlier diagnosis of colorectal cancer could be at an increased risk as well as raise raise odds of adverse outcomes in babies, showed a study.

Maternal colorectal cancer linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes: Study

The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, analysed 207 births in women with early-onset colorectal cancer and 1,019 births in matched controls.The team discovered 2.5-fold higher odds of preeclampsia and a 79 per cent increased odds of emergency caesarean delivery in women with early-onset colorectal cancer compared to women without prior colorectal cancer.Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure.Colorectal cancer was also associated with a 2.3-fold higher odds of preterm birth, which was particularly pronounced for medically induced preterm birth."The findings of our study provide crucial evidence to support the clinical management of women with this condition during their reproductive years," said lead author Dr. Yin Cao, Associate Professor of Surgery and Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, US."Of note, we however found no increased odds of congenital malformations, or small for gestational age birth in women with colorectal cancer," added Professor Jonas F. Ludvigsson, paediatrician at Orebro University Hospital, and Professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.Early-onset colorectal cancer (diagnosed before age 50) has risen worldwide, resulting in more women at reproductive age diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Studies of pregnancy and neonatal birth outcomes in cancer survivors have been focused on adolescent and young adult cancers and cancers of the female reproductive organs, with little attention to colorectal cancer."To date, clinical guidelines for colorectal cancer have not yet included specific recommendations for managing reproductive outcomes of female survivors," Cao said."Our study underscores the importance of incorporating such considerations into cancer survivorship guidelines, particularly with respect to pregnancy and neonatal outcomes."IANS22 April 2023

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Actress Alka Kubal inaugurates Saras Maternity Room

New Delhi, April 21: Actress Alka Kubal inaugurated Sara's Maternity Room at the Shri Bhagwan Mahadev Sambare Hospital in Vikramgad on Nilesh Sambare's birthday. The free maternity ward provides medical treatment to underprivileged women who may not have access to proper healthcare facilities.

Actress Alka Kubal inaugurates Sara's Maternity Room

According to government statistics, lack of treatment results in the deaths of three children daily and one pregnant mother every 15 days in the area. With Sara's Maternity Room's opening, many disadvantaged women can now access the necessary healthcare facilities.Jijau Sanstha, the organization behind the initiative, has pledged to provide free accommodation and food for expecting mothers before delivery. Actress Alka Kubal praised Nilesh Sambare and the Jijau Sanstha for their contributions to society and their dedication to their cause. She appreciated the foundation's exceptional work to save the lives of those in need.For the past 14 years, Jijau Educational and Social Sanstha have been conducting employment-prone activities through thousands of women's self-help groups to equip better-employed women under the Women Empowerment Department. The Jijau Sanstha has benefited lakhs of women under the women empowerment department through the Asha home industry in Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri, and Sindhudurg and oriented thousands of women. Garment Factory, Incense Burner Training, Branch Making Training, Rickshaw Training, Mehendi for Women, Yoga, Sewing Machine, Beauty Parlor, Jewellery Making Training, Cooking Classes, etc., have employed women through many means.Accessible health facilities are provided at Jijau Educational and Social Sanstha, inducted by Shri. Bhagwan Mahadev Sambare Hospital, Zadpoli (T.Vikramgad, D.Palghar), to provide more good facilities to rural patients for free. Surgeries are free, from check-ups for kidney, hernia, hydrocele, all types of cancer, appendix, hemorrhoids, fistula, free dialysis, prostate, gall bladder stones, fissure, etc.The aim of the Jijau Sanstha is that no patient should die to a lack of health facilities due to financial situation. For this purpose, Shri. Bhagwan Mahadev Sambare Hospital, an accessible, well-equipped hospital, functions at Zadpoli village in Vikramgad taluka of Palghar district, where no government district hospital exists. A well-equipped 100-bed hospital with a 24-hour free surgery facility is an essential base in the area. Twenty-five eye surgeries and ten surgeries for other serious diseases are done free of charge in this hospital daily. State-of-the-art medical services, including a special ward for women and children, cardiac ambulance, X-ray, sonography, dialysis, women's maternity ward Etc. are available. Accident victims, sick and pregnant women are provided services through 10 ambulances in five districts of Konkan.Hundreds of camps are being conducted annually for women's cancer screening in both districts. Also, women and thousands of cancer patients are successfully treated through Tata Hospital and other hospitals. Financial assistance is also provided to many poor sick patients in Palghar and Thane districts. Thousands of health camps have been organized in five years, and Thousands of people have been treated with medicines. More than 400 health and 200 blood donation camps are currently organized annually. The number of blood donations is constantly increasing, as the organization's volunteers arrange blood urgently whenever needed, whether day or night.Thousands of surgeries for eye and all other diseases have been done in rural areas. Glasses were also distributed to thousands of patients. Ear machines were provided to thousands of needy patients. Efforts are being made at tribal padas, like nutritious food and guidance to eliminate malnutrition.This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)ANI22 April 2023

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Sunbird App brings unified messaging with iMessage on Android to India

Mumbai, April 21: Sunbird keeps pace with their plans to release the beta app in late summer 2023 with iMessage on Android for all users worldwide.

Sunbird App brings unified messaging with iMessage on Android to India

Sunbird Messaging, the newest unified messaging app for Android users, focuses on Indian consumers to grow its waitlist.Sunbird reported their waitlist surpassed 100K waitlist signups. "We want to meet consumers' unique messaging needs in every part of the world, starting with India," states Danny Mizrahi, CEO of Sunbird Messaging. "In addition to getting iMessage on Android phones, every country and region has unique messaging preferences, and we want to build an all-in-one app that works as universally as possible," he adds.Sunbird App is gearing up to provide the following to Android users- Put iMessage on Android mobile devices without a computer or Apple device.- Unify top messaging apps including, but not limited to, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct Messaging, SMS, Telegram, Discord, RCS, and Slack.- Allow users to text high-resolution photos and videos.- New security encryption between Android and Apple devices.To sign-up for Sunbird's waitlist, Android users must visit . The app will be available in the Google Play Store during its beta launch this summer.According to February 2023 statistics from , approximately 2.5 billion active Android users are currently in 190 countries. Sunbird is increasing its global awareness efforts in targeted regions and countries across the globe, starting with India."Any place on Earth where Android and iPhone users communicate, there is a need for Sunbird," explains Mizrahi. "We aim to solve long-standing messaging challenges between the devices once and for all, but that's just the beginning," he adds.Sunbird emphasizes a highly secure messaging environment for its users. According to Mizrahi, text messages remain encrypted--and are not stored on Sunbird's servers. "By encrypting text messaging between iPhones and Androids, Sunbird is adding a new layer of security innovation that sets us apart from other unified messaging apps."Of the 100k waitlist signups, approximately 5 per cent are alpha-testing the app. Sunbird began alpha-testing flights in late December 2022 and is tracking toward a 100 per cent success rate for getting iMessage on Android. Sunbird will continue to run alpha-testing, adding thousands of waitlist users volunteering to test the app and provide feedback through April."Alpha-testing is proving to be a success and gives our teams insights on everything from product development to growth strategy," says Mizrahi. He added, "Sunbird requires Android users to have an active Apple ID, and numerous alpha-testers are using their Apple ID to sign up for Apple TV subscriptions for the first time," Mizrahi proclaims.Sunbird aims for a late Summer 2023 beta launch of iMessage on Android devices, with a 100 per cent success rate for all users worldwide. Details on the beta launch will be announced at a later date.Sunbird introduced itself as an early-stage startup in December 2022 to U.S. consumers garnering attention from top U.S.-based tech news sites like , , , , and more.This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)ANI22 April 2023

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. Thailand is interested in the development of cooperation with Kazakhstan, Secretary General of the Thailand Board of Investment (BOI), Narit Therdsteerasukdi said at the meeting with Kazakh Ambassador to the country, Arman Issetov, Trend reports via the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The main focus of the meeting was the tools to deepen the cooperation between Thailand and Kazakhstan in the field of economy. It was noted that the growing turnover between the two countries requires government agencies to take more decisive steps to create favorable conditions for business.

Additionally, the Kazakh ambassador briefed the Thai side on the economic attractiveness of Kazakhstan and the guarantees provided by the government for the protection of foreign investments.

He also gave detailed information about the political and economic reforms in Kazakhstan aimed at the development of the country's economy and creating fair conditions for the participants in the market.

In turn, Narit Therdsteerasukdi expressed interest in the development of cooperation with Kazakhstan and spoke about the main directions his country pursues in the field of investments.

Also, the Astana International Forum, which will take place on June 8-9, was particularly noted at the meeting. The importance of this platform, designed to establish a dialogue between foreign governments, international organizations, and entrepreneurs, was emphasized.

As the ambassador noted in an interview with the Thai media, in 2022, the trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Thailand reached a historical maximum in the previous period of relations and stood at $270 million for 12 months, which was 87 percent higher compared to 2021.
Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Well tell you about a mowed-down patch of prairie in Urbana  security at our local trauma center  wholl get to park at the new south-campus parking deck  and why its so hard to keep litter out of the Second Street basin in Champaign. Oh, and you know those turquoise-colored rental bikes that seemed to be everywhere in C-U last summer? Theyre ba-a-a-ack ...
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) contribute to reduced vascular function and diminished sleep quality in young adults, according to a study at the University of Iowa. In addition, researchers found that poor sleep efficiency may contribute to vascular dysfunction with increasing ACEs exposure. Researchers will present their work this week at the American Physiology Summit, the flagship annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), in Long Beach, California.

ACEs are highly stressful and potentially traumatic events happening during the first 18 years of life, which is the critical development period in a person's life. It's already known that people who experience ACEs have a higher risk for cardiovascular disease later in life. Yet, the biological mechanisms underlying this health disparity are not fully understood. The goal of this study was to better understand how ACEs increase the risk of cardiovascular disease to aid the development of better preventive measures and treatments.

Researchers assessed 22 young men and women for ACE exposure, anxiety and depressive symptoms, using the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scales, respectively. The research team also measured the functional health of the participants' blood vessels by assessing the ability of the artery in the arm to dilate in response to an increase in blood flow.

The team found among young adults, ACEs have a negative impact on blood vessel function, while sleep efficiency has a positive effect regardless of anxiety or depression symptoms. Also, sleep efficiency appears to be a mediator of the relationship between ACEs and blood vessel function.
In the first few days after a traumatic brain injury (TBI), food is often an afterthought as clinicians focus on minimizing the damage to the brain. However, a new study suggests that getting enough calories can help boost the brain's healing process, making nutrition an important consideration for improving TBI care. Researchers will present their work this week at the American Physiology Summit, the flagship annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), in Long Beach, California.

This evidence highlights the importance of ensuring proper nutrition for TBI patients during recovery. Specifically, formulations containing fuels that are preferred by the brain, such as lactate, should be prioritized during the acute and chronic phases of recovery from TBI." Casey C. Curl, Doctoral Candidate, Exercise Physiology Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley

When a person comes to the hospital with a traumatic brain injury, many patients go for several days without eating or even receiving nutrition through a tube or intravenous line. Even then, the tools clinicians use to calculate a patient's nutritional needs are not designed for the unique circumstances of a brain injury, and recent studies suggest that most TBI patients get far fewer calories than they need.

Key to the research is a new biomarker the team developed to assess nutritional status. While it is possible to measure the amount of calories a person consumes, measuring whether the amount of calories provided to the patient to meet their energy needs is more complex. To fill this gap, the researchers created a way to measure the amount of glucose produced internally as the body processes energy inputs. This metric, called fractional gluconeogenesis, ranges from zero (fully fed) to 100% (drastically underfed).

For the study, researchers tracked how nutritional status affects fractional gluconeogenesis and protein synthesis in a rat model of TBI. They used deuterium oxide, also known as heavy water, as a tracer to assess fractional gluconeogenesis and protein synthesis in different parts of the brain and body. By comparing these dynamics in rats with different levels of caloric intake, they were able to gain insights into how nutrition affects brain healing processes.

"Our study found that after TBI, the brain responds abnormally by increasing protein synthesis in the higher brain region while decreasing it in the lower regions," said Curl.

Previous studies have shown that being underfed leads to reduced protein synthesis in skeletal muscle and liver cells. The new findings suggest a similar thing happens in the brain. "Understanding this decrease in protein turnover during the brain healing process is crucial because a caloric deficit may affect the patient's ability to heal from their injury," said Curl.

The findings suggest that providing adequate nutrition in the aftermath of a traumatic brain injury can help the brain manufacture the proteins it needs for the healing process, without having to prioritize certain brain regions over others.

In addition to feeding patients sooner as part of routine practice, Curl noted that clinicians could use fractional gluconeogenesis as a practical metric to assess whether patients are getting enough calories during TBI treatment and recovery.

This research was funded by a grant from the PAC-12 conference.
Measuring stress activity directed to the blood vessels of muscles could allow researchers to measure pain objectively, according to a new study. Researchers from the Cardiovascular Health and Autonomic Research Lab and Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain at McGill University in Canada will present their work this week at the American Physiology Summit, the flagship annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), in Long Beach, California.

Measuring and treating pain is one of the biggest societal and public health challenges, partly due to its subjective nature. Researchers worldwide struggle to find new ways to accurately measure pain because the "experience is so subjective across individuals.  Verbal pain reports are influenced by contextual factors, so they do not allow for standardization across individuals," said Laila Chaudhry, PhD student and lead author of a new study.

Chaudhry and her colleagues studied a group of young men and women between the ages of 18 and 35. The volunteers participated in a cold pressor test, a common stimulus used to evoke pain. During the test, the participants' hand and wrist were placed in cold water (around 39 degrees Fahrenheit) for up to six minutes. The research team analyzed the volunteers' stress response through measurement of muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) at multiple points during the cold pressor test. The participants also reported their pain through a numerical pain rating scale commonly used in medical care settings, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates the worst pain possible.

The researchers saw that increased incidence of MSNA bursts-;which typically indicate higher levels of physiological stress-;corresponded with higher subjective pain ratings on the pain scale.

These results open up the possibility of using MSNA to quantify pain, the research team explained.
Sauna heat therapy reduces blood pressure in middle-aged people, according to researchers at Brigham Young University in Utah. The study also revealed that its specific sauna method lowered body core temperature more than methods used in prior heat studies. Researchers will present their work this week at the American Physiology Summit, the flagship annual meeting of the American Physiological Society (APS), in Long Beach, California.

Sauna exposure is a type of passive heat therapy. It has grown in popularity as a way to improve overall cardiovascular health. High blood pressure can lead to serious health challenges, such as heart disease and stroke, eye problems and kidney disease. It could also damage your arteries, restricting blood flow and oxygen to the heart.

The current study was based on earlier work from Finland showing a trend that people who used the sauna frequently for at least 19 minutes or more were less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than those who did not. New research showed that the physiological response to a single sauna session was identical among young and middle-aged adults. To achieve these results, researchers studied 10 men and women ages 1830 and eight men and women ages 5064. Participants underwent 40 minutes of sauna exposure divided into 20-minute sessions at 176 degrees Fahrenheit. No adverse effects were observed among participants.
Googles parent Alphabet Inc chief executive Sundar Pichai received total compensation of about $226 million in 2022, more than 800 times the median employees pay, the company said in a securities filing on Friday.

Pichais compensation included stock awards of about $218 million, news agency Reuters reported citing the company filing.

The pay disparity comes at a time when Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has been cutting jobs globally. The Mountain View, California-based company announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs around the world in January, equivalent to 6% of its global workforce.

Weve decided to reduce our workforce by approximately 12,000 roles. Weve already sent a separate email to employees in the US who are affected. In other countries, this process will take longer due to local laws and practices," Pichai had said in a statement.

As tech layoffs continue unabated in 2023, reportedly the Google CEO recently hinted at more layoffs as the company continue to evaluate the business. Pichai said that the company is literally looking at every aspect of what we do" in an effort to re-engineer its cost base permanently.

Early this month, hundreds of Google employees staged a walkout at the companys London offices following a dispute over layoffs.

In March, Google employees staged a walkout at the companys Zurich offices after more than 200 workers were laid off.

Read all the Latest Business News, Tax News and Stock Market Updates here
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Georgia, Malik Murzalin, participating at the meeting of the Kazakh-Georgian Economic Union, called on the members of the Union to open joint ventures in Kazakhstan, Trend reports via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan.

The ambassador also spoke about the economic potential of Kazakhstan, government measures to improve the business and investment climate, and social and economic reforms carried out in the country.

Along with creating joint ventures, he called on Georgian businessmen to make business trips to the country's regions in order to develop regional cooperation.

Additionally, the ambassador gave detailed information about the goals and mission of the Astana International Forum to be held on June 8-9, 2023.

In turn, the members of the Kazakh-Georgian Economic Union expressed interest in the promotion of trade and economic relations between the two countries through the effective use of Kazakhstan's investment, export, and tourism opportunities.

They highly appreciated the positive transformations carried out in Kazakhstan, noting that their implementation will give a new impetus to mutually beneficial areas of bilateral relations, and expressed their readiness to contribute to the advancement and recognition of Kazakhstan's reforms and initiatives.

The Kazakh-Georgian Economic Union was established by Kazakh companies operating in Georgia and the local business community. Its main mission is to contribute to investment and trade cooperation between the countries.

Kazakhstan-Georgia trade turnover reached $600 million in 2022, a 7-fold increase over the previous year. In Kazakhstan, there are 248 legal entities, branches, and representative offices with a share of the Georgian capital, whereas in Georgia, there are 123 legal entities, branches, and representative offices with a share of Kazakh capital. They primarily work in tourism, hotel management, logistics, real estate, and construction.
When you plan a trip, you may have to pay for flights, hotels, and other expenses in advance. However, unforeseen circumstances such as illness, injury etc. of a family member may force you to cancel or cut short your trip. Travel insurance can help you recover the costs of your prepaid expenses if you need to cancel your trip for a covered reason.

One of the main reasons travellers need insurance is for medical emergencies. When you are travelling in a foreign country, you may fall ill or get injured. In such cases, you may need immediate medical attention or even hospitalisation. Medical expenses can be high in many countries, and without travel insurance, you may have to pay for these expenses out of your pocket. Travel insurance can cover the cost of medical treatment, hospitalisation, and even evacuation if required.

Why Do Travellers Need Insurance?

Ajay Shah, head- distribution, Care Health Insurance, said, A quality, hassle-free experience is every travellers dream. Post-covid, millions of travellers are making trips across the globe for business, family vacations or other leisure activities. While everyone pre plans to make their trip fruitful and memorable, what is equally important is to ensure ones safety and security while travelling. Especially when you are on foreign soil.

As per the latest studies, Indias travel insurance market was estimated to be $ 892.29 million in 2022 and is growing at a CAGR of 17.65%. Earlier, travel insurance was bought only for visa fulfilment purposes, but post-covid this has become an important inclusion in travel preparations irrespective of the country you are travelling to.

Shah added that travel insurance offers cashless hospitalisation for emergency treatment across the globe, as well as reimbursement of medical expenses as per terms mentioned in your policy.

Travel insurance not only covers your health but also provides various other travel related benefits like delay/loss of checked-in baggage, loss of passport, trip - delay, cancellation and interruption and medical evacuation among others. It further gives protection in case of a personal liability that causes injury to a third party.

If mistakenly, a traveller causes any type of damage to a third party, the insurer will be liable to compensation for the same. It is further worth noting that third-party liability can apply to both property damage and personal injury, Shah added.

Some companies also offer coverage for pre-existing ailments in case of an emergency. This is up to a specified percentage and if the ailment is disclosed by the customer at the time of policy purchase.

However, travellers must consult a professional financial and insurance advisor before taking any policy.
On April 24, 2013, a clothing factory complex near Bangladeshs capital collapsed, killing at least 1,138 workers. The disaster at Rana Plaza outside Dhaka was one of the worlds worst industrial tragedies and highlighted the failure of many top Western fashion brands to protect workers in the poorer countries where their goods are made.

It sparked outrage and calls for change, putting pressure on multinational companies to confront the human cost of their business models and abysmal working conditions.

Ten years later, global fashion companies say they have made progress  but rights groups are still calling for robust legal measures to hold them accountable.

The European Union is working on legislation which would target human and social rights abuses, as well as environmental damage by European companies in their production chain.

The blocs plans are inspired by a pioneering French law, explained Catherine Dauriac, president of Fashion Revolution France, part of an international collective founded after the disaster.

She said the catastrophe was the catalyst for the 2017 law on corporate duty of care, which compels companies to avoid grave harm to human rights, health, safety and the environment.

Rights groups have since launched legal proceedings against several firms, but there have been disappointing results so far.

A first court decision in February dismissed a case brought by several NGOs which had hoped to suspend a controversial TotalEnergies oil megaproject in Uganda and Tanzania.

Factory safety

In Bangladesh, a month after the disaster, unions and multinationals signed an agreement on monitoring safety in clothes factories.

The deal now also extends to Pakistan.

With backing from the UNs International Labour Organization, it means around 200 firms including H&M, Primark, Uniqlo and Zara must fund an independent factory inspection system, explained Nayla Ajaltouni of the group Ethics on the Label.

Since 2014, around 1,600 factories in Bangladesh have been renovated, Ajaltouni said.

But some major groups have not signed up  including Amazon, Ikea, Levis and Walmart, she said.

Zaras parent company, the Spanish group Inditex, has around 930,000 local company employees working for it.

It said it had conducted audits among suppliers before the disaster and has accelerated evaluation procedures since.

It added that, like H&M and Uniqlo, it did not have a workshop in Rana Plaza.

Swedish giant H&M Group said that since 2013 it had disclosed details of manufacturing factories, mills and yarn producers in its public supplier list to further accelerate transparency within its global supply chain".

Japans Uniqlo said that after the disaster, we immediately launched our own investigation into fire and building safety at the facilities run by our manufacturing partners in Bangladesh, working with an independent third party".

It also referred to a training program launched with the support of UN Women in 2019 for women in Bangladesh seeking to become leaders at work.

Irelands Primark said it set up a compensation programme for hundreds of its suppliers workers after the disaster and continues to provide financial support  over $14 million to date".

The company says it conducted or commissioned 2,400 audits in 2021.

Ultra-fast fashion

But a massive recourse to social audits" has limits", warned Laura Bourgeois, in charge of litigation and advocacy at the non-governmental organisation Sherpa.

She pointed to the financial link between the auditor and the multinational commissioning the audit.

She also criticised interviews between auditors and workers organised on the spot or in the presence of the manager" and even rigged audits with factories that have been set up from scratch".

She said there was also a gap between the announcement of an audit and the corrective measures actually taken.

For Ajaltouni, the emergence of ultra-fast fashion and ever lower prices is a sign of the failure of corporate social responsibility".

Shein is often cited as an illustration of the lack of regulation in fashion. Founded in China and now headquartered in Singapore, the online retailer that gives fast fashion brands a run for their money with its very cheap clothes is regularly questioned over its manufacturing conditions.

It did not respond to AFPs request for comment.

Sandra Cossart, executive director at Sherpa, criticised companies that appear to be respectful" but devote their resources to getting around legislation.

They have become aware" they have to change, but legally, it is still premature to say" that such firms are more responsible now.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
Are you tired of finding ways to bear the scorching summer heat? Well, a woman on Twitter may have just found the perfect solution to beat the heat. In a recent tweet, she shared a fascinating discovery about the significant temperature difference between standing directly under the hot sun and standing in the shade of a tree. In her tweet, she wrote, How the heat on the slab varies between the hot sun to the shade of a tree.

The tweet features a video clip of the woman measuring the temperature with a thermometer, first in direct sunlight at over 40 degrees and then moving into the shade of a nearby tree where the temperature drops to a comfortable 27 degrees. The difference in temperature is simply astounding. But it is hard to ignore what a huge difference a simple shade of a tree can make.

https://twitter.com/Neelavanam/status/1648698364790452224

The tweet has been gaining attention online as people are amazed by the simple yet effective solution to beating the heat. With temperatures rising across the globe, people are always looking for ways to stay cool and comfortable. Who knew that the shade of a tree could make such a significant difference? A Twitter user wrote, Had you gone a few steps back more, you would have seen snowfall for sure.

https://twitter.com/udayshukla08/status/1648960675346268160

Another user shared their own experience and tweeted, I just got 75% filtration shade net on my terrace. My slab temperature has dropped drastically. Inside the home, the temperature has reduced to 31 C from 37 C.

https://twitter.com/KiMoJiRa/status/1648738194685595649

Meanwhile, not everyone was totally convinced that this would hold true in the long run. I would agree that this is the case right now but starting June, Delhi & many parts of northern India are affected by the wet bulb effect wherein theres not much difference between the shady and non-shady parts of a cityscape.

https://twitter.com/barunghosh/status/1648876843037253633

Regardless, not only is this a great discovery for beating the heat, but it also highlights the importance of nature and how it can help us in unexpected ways.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
A pilot named Jorge A. Arteaga was flying over Colombia when he witnessed something truly extraordinary. Arteagas footage has been touted as the best UFO footage ever" after it went viral. He managed to capture the scene while flying a small plane and the result is simply mind-blowing, reported LADbible. The clip shared on Twitter shows the propeller of the small plane and a strange dark object flying toward the camera. As the object approached nearer, it became more distinct and had a light shade. It had a pointed front and a round back. It quickly zoomed off out of sight, leaving the viewers all stunned and curious. The tweet read, Pilot Jorge Arteaga captures what some are describing as the best UFO footage ever.

https://twitter.com/TheJRECompanion/status/1648635185422909442

The video has been shared across social media platforms and has ignited a passionate debate about the possibility of extraterrestrial life. Most remain skeptical, some are even convinced that this is not a sign of alien life but actually the plane moving super fast across what is known as Mylar Balloon. Arteagas incredible footage has also garnered attention from various people who are eager to investigate the phenomenon further. Dont be alarmed. Its the glass elevator from the chocolate factory, a user joked.

https://twitter.com/selfcasuistry/status/1648871207628931072

Thats what it looks like when you fly past a mylar balloon. The object appears to be stationary as the plane flew past, another user tweeted.

https://twitter.com/SYoungMSL/status/1648801842350964737

A tweet read, Thats a freaking Navy Drone. We have photos of them on Carriers. They went through a lot of testing, and weve got photos of that too.

https://twitter.com/GHHILL1911/status/1648675809194803202

LADbible also reported that the authenticity of the video was confirmed by Mexican ufologist Jaime Maussan, who is well-known in the field of UFO studies. According to Arteaga, the object appeared to be stationary at first, floating in the air between Medellin and Santa Fe. Arteagas co-pilot also spotted the object, and together they followed it as it moved through the sky. Arteaga is convinced that the object was not a balloon, drone, or aircraft, as it did not behave like any of these.

The clip has generated a lot of excitement in the UFO community, and Arteagas account of the sighting has only added to the intrigue. Who knows what otherworldly wonders might be waiting to be discovered in the skies above us?

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
Many food vloggers have been using social media to showcase their experiences of trying out bizarre and unusual street foods. In a recent video, a food vlogger tried the Momos Aloo Patty. A strange combo, did we hear? Well, the person came up with a similar thought. This trend has seen creative and innovative variations of popular food items like burgers, dosas, pizzas, and more.

A social media user named, Food Pandits shared the video on his Instagram, where he mentioned that the location of the Momos Patty was near the railway station in Haridwar, Uttarakhand.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Foodpandits! (@foodpandits)

Food vloggers trying out unusual and strange food combinations has been a trend for quite some time now. However, even social media users are getting tired of such content.

Some are expressing their disapproval by criticising the vloggers for promoting unhealthy food choices. In response to a video of the content creator trying the Momos Aloo Patty, a user wrote Insaan ki health ki marne ka poora jugaad, (Arrangement for causing harm to a persons health) another user added a humorous comment, Thoda sa ambuja cement daal dete toh or swad aajata, (If a little bit of Ambuja Cement had been added, it would have tasted even better).

A third wrote, I would like to apologise to aloo patty from my fellow human being for this crime. RIP aloo patty, Meanwhile, another user drew a reference from the popular Indian web series Mirzapur to express their amusement and wrote Isse dekh ke hi dialogue yaad aata hai Mirzapur ka, (This video reminds me of a dialogue from Mirzapur).

Despite the mixed reactions, some social media users were curious about the dish and expressed their interest in trying it out. One such user commented, Ummmm so yum, I wanna have it too, such different concepts you share every time. India is full of talented people

In contrast to people in Western countries attempting dangerous food challenges on TikTok, individuals in India have gained viral fame for creating unhealthy food items such as Oreo Pakoda, Fanta Maggie, Missal Idli, Mouth Freshener Dosa, Rasgulla Chaat and many others.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
Wes Andersons movies are famous for their aesthetics and whimsical characters. Now, the Grand Budapest Hotel director is a favourite on TikTok. Wondering why? TikTok users have a new goal in mind- recreating their day in Wes Anderson style. The videos show people walking in slow motion, symmetrical compositions and creators gazing into the camera with deadpan expressions as the world continues to function around them. If you are curious to see what the videos look like, then you can view a Twitter users compilation of the Wes Anderson challenge videos. All we can say is that the creators definitely understood the assignment.

For anyone who doesnt have TikTok: theres a trend at the moment where people are romanticising their lives by editing them like Wes Anderson and its honestly so creative and wholesome, the user wrote while sharing the clips.

For anyone who doesnt have TikTok: theres a trend at the moment where people are romanticising their lives by editing them like Wes Anderson and its honestly so creative and wholesome Here are a few of my favourite ones  Zoe Crowther (@zoenora6) April 18, 2023

The colours in the clips are saturated to give a nostalgic effect, just like Andersons films.

Girl on the train pic.twitter.com/SR25LuSzir Zoe Crowther (@zoenora6) April 18, 2023

And finally, Michael Barrymore just living his life pic.twitter.com/IfHGkp71Ov Zoe Crowther (@zoenora6) April 18, 2023

People also put special emphasis on mundane actions, just like the French Dispatch director does.

Man in his wood shop pic.twitter.com/cBRV7sTbTY Zoe Crowther (@zoenora6) April 18, 2023

Couple has lunch at Honest Burgers @honestburgers pic.twitter.com/Gyr0B1dnCv Zoe Crowther (@zoenora6) April 18, 2023

A content creator even speculated how Wes Anderson would shoot a movie in war-torn Ukraine.

Ukrainian refugee visits home(Check out her other videos while youre at it, shes remarkable) pic.twitter.com/WzFGrXPyiF  Zoe Crowther (@zoenora6) April 18, 2023

Twitter users reacted enthusiastically to the thread, with many claiming that the compilation was amazing. Thank you for bringing this into my life, these are amazing, a user wrote.

Thank you for bringing this into my life, these are amazing  Vickiie Oliphant (@vickiieemma) April 19, 2023

Ava Williams, who started the trend on TikTok, also commented and said she was glad people were enjoying the trend.

Im girl on the train, who started the trend and I just wanna say thank you!! My friend sent me this. Im glad everyone is enjoying it, I certainly have been too  Ava Williams (@adventureava) April 19, 2023

Some people shared similar videos they had seen.

First one I saw of this trend. Couple dining street hot dogs in Mexico City pic.twitter.com/Ha3hwjQUvp Mayi (@mayiifg) April 20, 2023

A few users said they wanted to join TikTok to view more such videos. These are Wonderful - seriously tempted to sign up for Tiktok just to see more of them, a comment read.

These are Wonderful - seriously tempted to sign up for Tiktok just to see more of them Tonia paolozzi (@toniapaolozzi) April 19, 2023

Some hailed Wes Andersons filmmaking abilities.

I saw a few of these on Instagram and they made me laugh. Wes Anderson is a genius! Keranjit Kaur MCCT (@keran77) April 19, 2023

Others claimed that Andersons movies always had a European vibe.

Oh Wes Anderson. Thats the director that always has those European vibe movies. silverwolf (@thesilverwolfgg) April 20, 2023

Quite a few accounts said the clips gave them a warm and happy feeling.

These gave me a warm and happy feeling inside. Richard Hudson (@hero606v2) April 20, 2023

Some shared GIFs from Andersons movies to perfectly express their feelings.

Wes Anderson is known for movies like The Grand Budapest Hotel, Moonrise Kingdom, The French Dispatch, The Isle of Dogs and The Royal Tenenbaums. The American director has two projects in the pipeline- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Asteroid City.

Read all the Latest Buzz News here
The Madhya Pradesh Board for classes 10th and 12th is likely to announce the results soon. This year more than 18 lakh students from classes 10th and 12th took the examination. Although there is no official confirmation from the Madhya Pradesh Board, some local media reports claim that results can be out by April end. Last year as well, the board announced the results on April 29, 2022.

Students from the Madhya Pradesh Board require at least 33 per cent marks in all subjects to pass the examination. The student has to appear in compartment exams if he or she fails to secure 33 marks in any of the subjects.

Madhya Pradesh Board candidates who took the MPBSE MP board exams for classes 10th and 12th will be able to check their results online after release on the MPBSE official website- mpbse.nic.in. Apart from the official website, the MP Board Class 10 and 12 results can be checked via a mobile app - MP Board Result 2023 app from the Google Play Store.

Meanwhile, reports also suggest that the MPBSE is expected to announce the Class 10 and 12 results together but there are chances of the MP Board 12th result being declared first for all three streams  Science, Arts, and Commerce.

From March 1 to March 27, the MP Board administered the class 10th examinations. The class 12 MP Board examination was held from March 2 to April 5, 2023. The MP Board exams for classes 10 and 12 ended in 2022 on March 10 and March 12, respectively.

Last year about 9 lakh students took the 12th exams and nearly 10 lakh appeared for class 10th board exams. The pass percentage of MP Board Class 10 was 59.54 per cent. The results were announced in a press conference on April 29. In 2022, a total of 72.72 per cent of students passed the Class 12 exam. According to reports, the pass percentage of boys was 69.94 per cent while for girls it was 70.64 per cent.

Read all the Latest Education News here
The results of Uttar Pradesh class 10 and 12 board exams 2023 are expected to be released soon by the Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksa Parishad (UPMSP). The board has not yet released any information regarding the result, but it is believed that the wait for the students will end soon. Although any formal announcement of the date and time has not yet been made, the class 10th results can be out by the first or second week of May. It is being speculated that the board will give an update on the result by the last week of April.

UP Board Results 2023 LIVE Updates

The notification of the result will be updated on the website as well as on Twitter. Students are advised not to believe in any fake news till then. The UP board exams concluded in the first week of March. The results will be uploaded on the official website- upmsp.edu.in.

A total of 31,16,487 students had registered for the UP Board 10th exam. These include 16,98,346 boys and 14,18,141 girls. UP Board Exam 2023 was held in 8753 centers determined across the state. Uttar Pradesh Secondary Education Council Class 10th examination was held between February 16 to March 04, 2023.

In the year 2022, the results of UP Board 10th were released on June 18. Whereas, in 2021 it was announced on July 31 and in 2020 it was announced on June 27. But this time the UP Board 10th result is expected to be released earlier.

UPMSP UP Board 10th Result 2023: How to Check

Step 1: After the release of the result, students will have to visit the official website upmsp.edu.in.

Step 2: Click on the link of the Class 10th result 2023 on the home page.

Step 3: Enter the necessary details like roll number, and date of birth and submit.

Step 4: The result will be displayed on your screen.

Step 5: Download it and take out its printout.

The High School (Class 10) and Intermediate (Class 12) board exams collectively attracted more than 58 lakh student registrations this year. There were 31,16,487 students enrolled for the Class 10 exam and 27,69,258 students who registered for the Class 12 exam in 2023. The Uttar Pradesh board exams for class 12 commenced on February 16 and concluded on March 4.

Read all the Latest Education News here
Ahead of assembly elections in Karnataka slated for May 10, 2023, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Shankar Dasar, has a rather peculiar detail to mention in his affidavit submitted to the Election Commission. The 39-year-old politician has mentioned having two wives", who are twin sisters. Dasar has also mentioned that he has five kids with them both.

Lavanya and Pushpavati are two twin sisters are married to Dasar and all of them live together, the AAP candidate mentioned in the affidavit. I have given real information to the Election Commission," he said in the affidavit.

According to reports, the candidate he had given similar information to the Election Commission even when he contested the Gram Panchayat elections. Dasar is a resident of Kurugodu taluk of Ballari district.

Also Read: Can a Hindu Man Marry Two Women? As Maha Twin Wedding Shocks, a Look at Marriage Laws

According to EC rules, the candidates are supposed to disclose the details of their properties and give details of their family members.

However, people are mostly interested in knowing how much a candidates assets were in the previous election and how much has it increased now. But Shankars announcement of having two wives mentioned in the affidavit left people in splits.

Meanwhile, after the scrutiny of nominations for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly election on Friday, seven nominations were rejected in Dakshina Kannada district and three in Udupi, officials said.

In Dakshina Kannada, nominations of 72 candidates were received while in Udupi, the number of papers that were complete and in accordance with the prescribed format were 39.

April 24 is the last date for the withdrawal of nominations.

Also Read: Two Women Marry The Same Guy On One Condition

Read all the Latest Politics News here
Karnataka Election 2023: With assembly elections in Karnataka just around the corner, parties have been gearing up with campaigns, roadshows, and temple visits. Meanwhile, several workers of BJP and JDS clashed in the Tumakuru area, after which many were left injured. In the aftermath of the incident, local shopkeepers alleged that JDS workers stabbed BJP workers with broken bottles and knives.

BJP claimed that two of its workers  Mubarak Pasha and Nazir  were injured. Earlier last month, Karnataka Police filed an FIR after workers of the Congress and the BJP clashed at a ground in the Read More
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. Chairman of Board of the KazMunayGas JSC Magzum Mirzagaliev has visited the port of Ceyhan (Turkiye) and got acquainted with the process of shipment of Kazakh oil for the PETROMIDIA oil refinery located in Romania and owned by KMG, a source at the KazMunayGas told Trend.

"We are attending a significant event for the domestic oil and gas industry. After all, it is no coincidence that the head of state pays such close attention to the development of new routes for the supply of Kazakh oil. In this vein, it is gratifying that our agreements with the Azerbaijani SOCAR have moved into the plane of practical implementation. This indicates good prospects for further building up our cooperation," he said.

The head of KMG also thanked the management of Tengizchevroil, who were present at the event, for the successful series of negotiations on the terms of transportation through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

The first batch of oil with a volume of 80,000 tons from the Ceyhan terminal is transported by the domestic tanker ALATAU, owned by NMSK Kazmortransflot LLP (a subsidiary of KMG), which will proceed towards the Romanian port of Constanta with unloading for the Petromidia refinery.

A five-year agreement on the transit of oil along the Aktau-Baku-Ceyhan route in the annual volume of 1.5 million tons was signed between JSC NC KazMunayGas and Azerbaijan's SOCAR at the end of last year. In March of this year, shipments of Kazakh oil began in the Aktau-Baku direction. The Kazakh and Azerbaijani fleets are involved in the transportation on a parity basis. As of April 20, 86,000 tons have been shipped from the port of Aktau.
The BJP will return to power in Karnataka with 125-130 seats in the 224-member Assembly, senior party leader and former chief minister BS Yediyurappa told News18 in an interview on Saturday, adding that the high command will take a call on demands for a Lingayat chief minister.

Predicting a grim outing for Jagadish Shettar, who switched over to the Congress recently, in the Karnataka elections, Yediyurappa said the former chief minister will face a tough time in the Hubli-Dharwad seat. He added that the Congress PayCM campaign will fail to yield electoral results.

Touching upon the prospects of his son Vijayendra in the BJP, Yediyurappa said the Karnataka BJP vice-president enjoys significant popularity among workers even beyond the Shikaripura constituency. Talking about his own campaigning schedule, the former CM said he plans to tour at least 80 important constituencies, targeting four a day.

Edited excerpts

How much are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shahs rallies going to help boost the BJPs prospects?

I have travelled across the state and I am sure that the BJP will get 125 to 130 seats. We will get absolute majority and form the government.

We saw all saw the special gesture from Amit Shah who took the bouquet from your son Vijayendra. How do you see the future of your son?

You know that he is the vice-president of the party and is touring the state. Even though he is a candidate from Shikaripura constituency, he is touring the entire state. Yesterday, he was in Varuna. Today, he is in north Karnataka. He commands a lot of respect among BJP workers in the state. I am confident he will lead by over 50,000 votes in Shikaripura seat.

How do you see the prospects of your son Vijayendra in the BJP?

That is up to the party high command. Whatever they say, we will abide by it.

As a father and mentor to Vijayendra, how do you see his role in the BJPs future, especially after seeing him work for wins in seats like KR Pete and Sira?

Because of Vijayendra, we have won elections that we previously lost. He has the backing of thousands of youth and they adore and respect him. In the constituency as well, 20,000-30,000 youth are wholeheartedly supporting Vijayendra and he is also touring the state and working hard to help build the party. Naturally, he commands his own respect, and in the future as well, according to the decision taken by the high command, he is going to get an important place.

You said Jagdish Shettar will 99% get the ticket. What went wrong in the end?

I dont want to discuss these issues. Jagdish Shettar was promised a ticket for his wife. Amit Shah also telephoned him personally, asked him to come to Delhi and become a Rajya Sabha member, and later a Union minister. He refused it. He will face the consequences. According to me, it is very difficult for Shettar to win the Hubli-Dharwad seat.

Shettar made the statement that BL Santhosh is controlling the party. How do you respond to that?

That is not true. All are equal in the party. Santhosh himself said publicly that such things do not happen in the BJP. Everybody abides by what PM Modi and Amit Shah say.

How much will the Congresss PayCM campaign impact the BJP?

It will not have any impact. They are all lies spun by the Congress. There is no reality in it. It is a false allegation and will not affect the BJP. People will teach the Congress a lesson.

What about the guarantee cards that the Congress has been promising to people?

When we are coming to power with absolute majority, of what use is their guarantee card? It does not serve the purpose.

There is a clamour to declare a Lingayat leader as the BJPs CM candidate. How do you respond?

Around 85% of the Lingayat community is supporting the BJP. There is a demand from many of our leaders that a Lingayat should become the next CM. Naturally, our central leadership will decide after the elections.

What would you like to tell the leaders who have been raising issues like hijab and halal during campaigning?

Whatever programs I have announced as the CM, I have never discriminated between Muslims, Christians, or Hindus. We have treated all of them as equals. For example, when I announced the Bhagyalakshmi Scheme, more than 70% beneficiaries were from the Muslim community. So allegations that we are communal, do not hold good.

What advice would you give to Jagdish Shettar?

I dont want to comment about him. He has left the party. I reiterate that it is very difficult for him to win the seat he is contesting from. Not a single BJP worker is with him right now. These BJP workers continue to support the party.

KS Eshwarappa received a call from PM Modi yesterday. Is that a message being sent across by the central leadership to leaders who are contemplating leaving the party because they feel side-lined or have been denied tickets?

It shows the Prime Ministers greatness. He spoke to Eshwarappa ji and said there will be some opportunity and not to worry about it. Not just Eshwarappa or Yediyurappa, but all BJP karyakartas are happy with this kind of an assurance.

It is being said that many senior BJP leaders and veterans from the Lingayat community are being asked to step aside.

Give me an example if you have one. Jagdish Shettar is a special case. So is Laxman Savadi. Of the six-year MLC term, Savadi completed just 10 months. We were ready to give him ministership after elections. When he lost the election, we made him an MLC and later deputy chief minister. What else do these people want?

What do you say about Shettar and Savadi who you say have received so much from the party and now have left it?

They have cheated the party. People will teach them a lesson.

DK Shivakumar has said that the BJP is trying to disqualify Congress candidates and their nominations.

It is all nonsense. It is the Election Commission that takes decisions on nominations. Yesterday, his nomination was accepted. He is just doing that to gain some popularity. It does not befit or help Shivakumar.

Why is there no chief ministerial face for the BJP this time?

After the election, the national leadership will decide who it would be. They do not want to decide the election. Yesterday, Amit Shah ji had a meeting with me and everybody knows Lingayat support for the BJP in Karnataka. The decision will be taken after the election.

Apart from the Modi Tsunami and Yediyurappa juggernaut that the BJP is planning in Karnataka, what are your plans to tour the state?

I will start my tour today from Shimoga district. I plan to cover 80 important constituencies and would like to cover at least four constituencies per day.

What is your advice to the 72 new faces who have been given tickets this time by the BJP?

They must work hard. They have been given a golden opportunity and 72 is not a small number. We have selected good candidates who are popular in their constituencies. According to me, more than 50% of the 72 new candidates will win. The central leadership carried surveys thrice and we also conducted surveys twice in Karnataka to decide ticket distribution.

It is being said that if the BJP comes back to power, it will affect the future of the Congress.

The Congress leadership is very disappointed. After this election, once we come to power and form the government, many Congress leaders will leave the party and join the BJP.

It is also being said that BJP may use Operation Kamala to poach MLAs. What do you have to say about it?

That will not be necessary at all as we will come to power with absolute majority. There is no question of adjustment with any other political party. That does not arise.

How do you see the future of the JD-S? Is the partys influence waning?

When we are coming to power with absolute majority, what should I discuss about the JD-S? I dont want to discuss anything about the JD-S.

Read all the Latest Politics News here
Former Infosys director and IT industry veteran Mohandas Pai has a simple solution to battle urban apathy reflected in the voter turnout of Indias Silicon Valley, Bengaluru: to make the election card and number portable. He explained that this had been an age-old problem in the IT capital  that those who live in the city are not registered here as voters and those who are in the file, live outside the state.

The voter turnout in Bengaluru was quite low in the previous assembly elections in Karnataka, as reports from the Election Commission of India indicated that there was only 55 percent polling in Bengaluru South, North, Central, and Urban. This was much lower than the voting percentage of 72.44 percent across the state in 2018.

But this time the poll body has set a target of 65 percent for the IT capital of the country and has urged the administration to ensure it is met.

Pai told News18 that governance was a mess in Karnataka with regard to the state capital, while talking about Bengalurus woes and how these impacted the upcoming assembly elections. Excerpts from the interview:

People raise a hue and cry when it comes to issues like traffic, floods, or other infrastructure-related problems. But when it is time to vote, the people of the city do not come out to vote in large numbers. Where is the mismatch?

There are many complex issues. A large number of people are not registered in Karnataka as voters, as they are registered back in their hometowns while others who are registered here dont stay in the state. That cuts down the percentage by 7 to 8 percent. We need a solution where we need to make the election card and number portable, which means the process of transfer should be easy. It should be so that a person files where they are and their vote should be transferred to that place. I am sure it is possible with Aadhaar. Particularly, in Bengaluru, despite a large number of people on file, you have fewer people who actually go out to vote. This is an old problem.

Do you see a disconnect between the elections, development, and the voter?

I do not see any disconnect. The government must build infrastructure, irrespective of who is in power as this is done out of taxpayers money. This is peoples money, not charity. By building roads in Bengaluru, they (government) are not doing the people a favour or being charitable. If you (government) are elected, it is your duty; they have a budget and they should make it happen.

How do you resolve this? There has been no election to the BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) in the last three years?

We have not had elections to the BBMP. Governance is a mess in Karnataka when it comes to Bengaluru. The BBMP is not properly staffed and many of them are transferred. There is a need for permanent staff, a full-term mayor for five years who can enable proper reforms. It has nothing to do with people voting or not. The government that sits in the Vidhana Soudha does not want reform but wants to sit there and govern Bengaluru, which is a rich city. They are scared that if Bengaluru becomes self-sufficient, the person who runs it as mayor will become powerful. The political class does not want reforms and it also diverts the funds that come to it for the development of Bengaluru to other places to win elections. It is also because Bengaluru is politically insignificant, though we make up close to 60 to 65 percent of the states taxes. In terms of political power, we have only 28 seats. It forms 16 percent of the states population but has only 12 percent of the assembly seats.

Do you think delimitation would have helped govern Bengaluru better and develop the city more efficiently?

Yes, but delimitation has not taken place. None of the politicians wants to do it.

Is there a sense of complacency that has set into the city MLAs as many have been elected more than four times and are confident they will win again?

Complacency has set in and many are in business. One persons (political leader) income has gone up by four figures. Isnt it shocking? How can it go to four figures in five years? We are also in the business and understand how money is made. Why is nobody questioning how he increased his assets? Income tax and others should ask questions. There are few people who have assets like that in India and ours is not a rich country. What we need is a strong chief minister, who will do what Prime Minister Narendra Modi is doing in Delhi. The CM should bring in good governance and improve matters.

Is there hope for Bengaluru?

We always live in hope. If there is no hope, what is left? We live in hope and have lived in hope for the past 35 years and it continues. When that hope will become a reality, no one knows. See, the Metro is running behind schedule. Why has the BMRCL (Namma Metro) CEO not released the monthly newsletter after January? Nobody knows what the progress of the Metro is. The 2-km work on the home field stretch has not been done. It could have been completed earlier. They have to push and write letters to the railway ministry and the letter travels from department to department. Why cant the CM pick up the phone and call the railway minister? It is a double-engine government.

What should be on top of a Bengaluru residents mind when they go out to cast their vote this election?

Every voter should elect a person they think is a good candidate, reasonably honest, will be responsible for their calls and work for their good. The people should be in touch with them and push for solutions to their problems and, hopefully, they will respond. If you pester MLAs, they will respond.

Many people do not vote and many say they get the government they deserve

Such statements are a disgrace. In the voting lists, many would have left the city, many new residents would still have their name in their earlier place. Transfer of voting lists should be made easier. Maybe 8-10% of people, both who have left and those who have not transferred their names here, could be the reason for low voting.

Also, many are disillusioned and have given up hope that the political system will work for their benefit. This is a sad reflection on how many political leaders are not accessible to ordinary voters. The gap between citizens and politicians is expanding in many constituencies.

But whatever is the voting percentage, it does not absolve the political leaders from discharging their duty towards the voters. Many constituencies have done well. Many have not. The key is having good, highly motivated leaders who want to serve the people and make a difference. We need more of them. We need more public assessment of their performance. There is no point blaming the voters.

Bengaluru has many tags when it comes to its traffic woes, flooding, and solid waste management.

Bengalurus biggest problem is mobility. It is a rich city and there are 65 lakh two-wheelers and 25 lakh four-wheelers. Everybody is mobile. There is a need for good public transport, which has been stuck for the last 15 years. Why cant the government allow the private sector and startups to run electric vehicles like buses? They can invite companies with a minimum of 100 electric buses to run and you can always regulate prices. We can emulate what Singapore has done, where they have three or four private bus companies and the government regulates them. Why should only BMTC (Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation) do it? The BMTC is a broken system, where absenteeism is high and they are broke. The important thing is to provide convenience to people, not to provide jobs in the public sector. If you solve the mobility problem by having big and small buses, then 50 percent of Bengalurus problems will be solved.

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Karnataka Minister Murugesh Nirani, who is contesting the Assembly election from Bilgi constituency on a BJP ticket, has been booked after 963 traditional silver lamps worth Rs 21.45 lakh were seized from the factory staff quarters under Mudhol Police Station limits on Friday.

The minister holding the Large and Medium Scale Industries portfolio has been booked under Section 171H of the IPC related to illegal payments in connection with an election." We have registered a case against Murugesh Nirani," a police officer at the Mudhol police station told PTI.

According to the Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Meena, silver items weighing 28kg were seized by the Mudhol police.

No of accused persons  one and others. To which political party connected to  BJP. Place of origin  Nirani sugar factory staff quarters," Meena told PTI.

The Minister was not available for comment.

Meanwhile, the daily bulletin shared by the CEOs office showed the cumulative seizure since March 29 when the model code of conduct came into effect for May 10 Assembly elections, reached Rs 253 crore on Friday.

On Friday, silver seized from Niranis sugar factory, Rs 1.82 crore cash, Rs 37.64 lakh freebies and drugs worth Rs 45.25 lakh.

Cumulatively, Rs 82.05 crore, freebies worth Rs 19.69 crore, liquor worth Rs 56.67 crore, drugs worth Rs 16.55 crore, 145.55 kg gold worth Rs 73.8 crore and 610 kg silver worth Rs 4.28 crore have been seized in the poll-bound state.

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Pixar Animation Studios are back at the Cannes Film Festival with their world premiere of the animated feature, Elemental. It will play out of competition and will open theatrically in the US on June 16, and in France on June 21. The India date is not yet known.

Elemental is the fourth feature from Pixar to be at Cannes  after Up, Inside Out and Soul.

In Element City, fire, water, earth and air live in perfect harmony. This is where Ember, a fearless and quick-witted young woman with a strong personality, and Wade, a sentimental, fun-loving, go-with-the-flow boy, live. Their friendship challenges Embers beliefs about the world they live in.

Pete Docter, Pixars chief creative officer, said this years return to Cannes is particularly special for the studio. As we all emerge from our pandemic cocoons and come together in story rooms, animation dailies and impromptu brainstorming sessions, its a joy and honour to have Pixar back on La Croisette. Directed by the extraordinary storyteller Peter Sohn, Elemental is so funny, full of heart and, frankly, stunning to see. It was created for audiences to experience on the big screen and I love that itll make its world premiere at Cannes.

Disney has asked actors Adele Exarchopoulos and Vincent Lacoste to lend their voices to the incredible characters of Element City, Flam (Ember) and Flack (Wade) in the French version.

Thierry Fremaux, General Delegate of the Festival contended: For many years, the Festival de Cannes has welcomed animated movies from around the world. Pixar Animation Studios, with Up, directed by Pete Docter, made Cannes history by opening the 62nd edition of the Festival in 2009. It was a wonderful event! This is an another great opportunity, to present the amazing Elemental, for the Last Screening of this 76th Festival de Cannes, and to think about our lives in such a powerful way.

Pete Docter, director Peter Sohn, producer Denise Ream and the many actors who lent their voices to the characters of the film will be at Cannes.

The Festival begins on May 16.

Read all the Latest Bollywood News and Regional Cinema News here
Ever since Sheezan Khan returned from prison in the alleged Tunisha Sharma suicide case, he has been sharing several throwback pictures from his Ali Baba days on social media. On Saturday too, the actor took to his Instagram handle and shared a never-seen-before picture with the late actress. Dressed in their respective Ali Baba characters attires, Sheezan and Tunisha were seen sharing a warm hug in the photo.

However, soon after posting the picture, Sheezan deleted the post. One of the actors fan account later re-shared the picture and penned down en emotional note. He keeps her memory alive by posting some of the best moments with her and I think thats so beautiful," the caption read. Check out the picture here:

It was just a day back that Sheezan also shared a series of throwback pictures from the time when he was shooting for Ali Baba. One of the clicks also featured Sheezan and Tunisha sharing a hearty laugh with each other.

Sheezan Khan and Tunisha Sharma used to work together on the show, Ali Baba. However, Khans life took a drastic turn on December 25, 2022, a day after Tunisha Sharma was found hanging in the makeup room of her show. He was arrested after Tunishas mother accused him of abetment to suicide and claimed that the actor used her daughter. However, Khan was granted bail in March this year.

After Sheezan walked out of jail, his sister Shafaq Naaz opened up about what all they went through as a family in the last couple of months and recalled how she could see Khan only through a glass window while he was in prison.

I dont think he even got the time to process things as everything happened in such a jiffy. He was also away from all of us in that jail. But hes such a strong boy who dealt with everything patiently. It has taken a toll on him but he is standing strong and is at peace right now at home," she said.

DISCLAIMER: This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata).

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Hemal Ashok Thakkar wears not one but many hats. Known for producing popular television shows like Teen Bahuraniyaan, Laagi Tujhse Lagan, Jeevan Saathi: Humsafar Zindagi Ke among others, Thakkar not only established himself as a producer but also an avid theatre lover. Currently on a tour with his play An Evening With Krishna, Hemal Thakkar has produced Tigmanshu Dhulias directorial political thriller series Garmi. In an exclusive interaction with News18 Showsha, Thakkar talked about joining forces with Tigmanshu Dhulia, why Garmi would resound with the viewers, the future of content creation and more.

Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Garmi is your first full-fledged OTT series in the context of being a producer, what were some things that really compelled you to come on board for this series?

As a producer right from the time i heard the idea from Tishu bhai (Tigmanshu Dhulia) and Kamal Pandey I was hooked and was sure that I wanted this to be our launch for OTT. I was sure that this content would be exciting to make and watch and biggest compelling part of this was it is helmed by Tigmanshu Dhulia the master story teller and director.

What were your equations with Tigmanshu Dhulia during the course of journey? Share your experiences regarding this collaboration and how it was an enlightening experiment for you working with him and producing a show for OTT.

I have loved this journey of page to stage with Tishu bhai, his passion is infectious he scripts and sculpts the episodes before the execution, his detail for characters and the treatment adds fragrance to the world he designs. Equation with him grew with passion as we progressed in the show to create finest version of the world which we had envisioned.

One thing that totally stands out for Garmi is the cast. With no big or leading names, the trailer still managed to pack a punch and connect with the viewers. So as opposed to producers who want prominent or known faces in their project, what made you take a chance on up and coming actors? And whether you were comfortable or nervous with that aspect?

I am too confident with that aspect. As a producer I have believed that there is lot of potential in new talent and to add to that Tishu bhai is a Guru in that aspect of it. All these kids are fortunate and lucky to be given a break with him as a director and mentor he has worked and beautifully sculpted each character in them and they are shining in its glory and to add, Mukesh Chabbra has done a fantastic job handpicking this talent for the show. And we are at top the world for these bunch of actors.

What was the most challenging and demanding task for you as a producer in Garmi?

Production is a demanding job in each aspect and its a invisible force hardly recognised which makes it for smooth running of the process of achieving the vision of the show less chaotic, smooth and keeps the entire unit focused on the objective. I would say couple of things got us more challenges were the location which he had thought off as the story demanded the realism and one more incident when due to heavy rains we had to dismantle our passionately created set for the play in the show.

Why do you think a show like Garmi would resound with the viewers? What are some of the elements of the series that you think can really make waves among the audience?

Its set in real world, its conflict are in real world. All the characters are believable, its hero Arvind Shukla is todays hero with todays problem and very very important thing which i personally love about Garmi is its language. After a long time audience will get to enjoy well written and well spoken Hindi.

For the most part, youve produced some really popular television shows. And television shows in general are quite family friendly. Compared to that, the OTT space is unregulated and has content riddled with expletives, cuss words, explicit scenes etc. So being a producer of Garmi, were you concerned about these things? That whether it will cause a backlash? And whether it will change peoples perception about you as a producer?

To understand it better TV content is more of family watching content and OTT content mostly is consumed in the personal space so obviously there is that difference in consumption plus each show is self censored by the production house and the platform itself so for audience they have a clear choice. As for content made for OTT platforms are more real in nature and so are dialogues so i guess this is bound to be but of course one should not over do it for effect, self regulation is important.

To add to that question, what are some of the differences that you encountered while producing a show for OTT as opposed to a show on television. As a producer, which platform is tougher to materialize?

Basic difference is very clear. TV content is more women led, Romantic with family drama. It doesnt go beyond that. It stays in the space and it stays in that space forever. OTT content has diversity and variety, powerful story telling having great scope for production, writing , direction, performance, it wont last beyond certain seasons , scope for creative excellence is much higher for creating content for platforms.

I am reviewing Garmi and I have watched six episodes. And I am thoroughly intrigued and invested in the series for a couple of reasons. One being that I come from Allahabad and it tells the story of Allahabad University and second, it nowhere feels rushed or unrealistic. Having said that, for those who are eagerly waiting for the series to air, what should they be expecting? What should they be gearing up for?

Exactly for same reasons the narrative is treated in a particular way the visual impact also with dialogues makes you want to hear and keeps one glued to visuals . As a viewer i have noticed that mostly concentration is only on visual impact but with this we also hear the story. Realistic characters and Realistic treatment sets the tone for such earthy youth centric content.

As an experienced producer who has been in the industry for such a long time, how do you see the viewing habits of people shaping up in the coming times? In terms of OTT, mainstream cinema and television? Where are we headed?

Across all mediums we are headed for excellence in Content creation , No more can you take audience for granted gone are the days where a star actor , director or producer could exploit their brands and make buisness . Now its about how well we understand our audiences and our content which we create will be the success and after that success we will have to come back to Zero yet again to prove our sensibilities.

Tell us something about your play An Evening With Krishna. And about the reception it has received from the tour?

An Evening with Krishna" is my realised dream. I wanted to make a musical for the longest time and what better then a Krishna story. Each time I watched a musical in London, I wished to make one and audience across the country had been wanting a change in live theatre experience and its received so well where ever its performed. In Mimbai we have performed maximum shows and we have audiences who have watched it 5 times already.

Youre a prominent name in the theatre circuit. Why do you love this medium and how has it evolved over the years from the time you started to the present times? What is the future of Indian Theatre?

I love this medium cause its ayurveda of any performing art medium . In theatre we have nothing its bare in the creative form neither do we have a fixed audience we put up a show and we wait for audiences to buy the ticket and since its realtime live production no retakes nothing and when your audiences appreciate the bare real art it fills you with gratitude . You become a better performer and even a better person with each performance.

Indian theatre has evolved a lot but yes one common complaint is we need more equipped auditoriums in the country for better tomorrow . If we look around there are so many stories and expressions which has evolved in theatre. Theatre needs support, it needs to be encouraged more right from schools. We have a fantastic rich history in Marathi, Gujrati and Bengali lot of original plays have been performed.

One very big thing has just happened in theatre is the launching of Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Theatre". This cultural center is going to be a future of dramatics. Its going to change, upgrade and support the new age theatre. I wish O was 20 now or I had something like this 20 years back. It would have been magical. NMACC is going to pioneer in the future generation theatre professionals. In few years, we will

see some magical talent coming from there.

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A regional branch of terrorist group Al Qaeda has threatened retaliatory attacks against martyrdom of Muslims killed on live television in UP, an apparent reference to the murder of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother in Prayagraj on April 15.

The Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), in its seven-page magazine released on the occasion of Eid, published a paragraph in support of Atiq Ahmed, calling him a martyr.

We shall stay the hand of the oppressor  be it in the White House or the prime ministers house in Delhi or GHQ in Rawalpindi. From Texas to Tihar to Adyala  we shall liberate all Muslim brothers and sisters from their shackles, it said.

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 the night of April 15 while police personnel were escorting them to a medical college in Prayagraj for a check-up.

The brothers, both jailed in Prayagraj, were in handcuffs when they were killed in full view of camera crews. The visuals were circulated widely on social media platforms and television channels. The last rites of Ahmads son Asad, who was gunned down in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13, were performed just hours before the shooting.

An FIR under Indian Penal Code sections 302 (murder), 307 (attempt to murder) and under the Arms Act has been registered against the three alleged assailants of Atiq and Ashraf at Shahganj police station.

Government sources told News18 that the AQIS statement, a possible psy-ops tactic, is being analysed. We are taking all precautions and hopefully this will also be solved soon, an official said.

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Last year in January, central intelligence agencies and the intel wing of the Border Security Force had raised alerts regarding movements, hideouts, and suspected stores of terrorists in the Jammu area.

The agencies have been getting an increased and high flow of information related to the Jammu zone, mainly Rajouri and Poonch.

Sources said that the area was boiling and local security forces were warned about possible attacks on security forces in Poonch. They were also advised not to leave any vehicle isolated in the region apart from following contingency plans and other standard operating procedures.

Sources said that terrorists are using a few areas, mainly away from key places, as hideouts and storage spots.

They are also using locals to store items and use them whenever they want to execute an attack.

Sources claimed that the central agencies have also mentioned in a meeting that Jammu is no more a safe zone and shared inputs on this as well.

The area has now become an equal headache for security forces due to its topography, they added.

The region has dense forests with very narrow roads and limited connectivity.

The security forces are well aware of the threat as in the last 18 months forces have noticed various worrying activities.

Since August last year, local police and the Army have recovered IEDs, AK-47s, and ammunition on different occasions during operations as well as based on tips. A woman was also detained in September carrying a large number of IEDs.

But, the nearby area has reported several cases of attacks on civilians, including a suspected sticky bomb strike on a bus going to Vaishno Devi.

In all these cases, the terrorists came from the Pir Panjal Range, it is suspected.

This January, four people were killed in an IED attack.

But the main eye-opener was the operation in which terrorists killed at least 9 jawans and officers and managed to flee.

A senior official supervising operations in J&K said, After the Indian Armys operation in the Poonch area in October 2021, security forces were alerted. The Jammu region, after the operation, has been witnessing attacks, including failed ones."

Security forces have also eliminated terrorists and recovered arms, ammunition, and IEDs from them in Jammu. But in the past few months, Jammu has seen attacks that were rare in the region, raising concerns for the security establishment.

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday praised his political rival and Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for prompt action against fugitive and pro-Khalistani leader Amritpal Singh, who came under the radar for the activities his anti-national outfit Waris Punjab De.

Addressing India Todays Karnataka Roundtable 2023, the home minister lauded Punjab Police and CM Bhagwant Mann.

The Punjab government did good work. The Centre is also cooperating, Shah said during the event. Amit Shahs party BJP and Bhagwant Manns AAP often lock horns with each other due to ideological differences.

On being asked when the Waris Punjab De chief will be arrested and the reason behind the delay, Shah told India Today, "There is no Khalistani wave in Punjab We are monitoring the situation very closely. No one can attack Indias unity and sovereignty. This may happen sometime (his arrest). Earlier, he used to roam freely, but now he cant carry on with his activities."

On the recent attack on Indian High Commission in the UK by some pro-Khalistani elements, Shah said that the Narendra Modi government will not tolerate such activities.

Last month, the Punjab Police launched a massive crackdown against Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh and the members of his Waris Punjab De outfit. While several of his associates, including his mentor-cum-aide Papalpreet Singh, have been arrested, Amritpal is still at large.

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The deadly ambush of five Army soldiers in the dense forest area of Bata Doriya has brought back the horrors of the Pulwama attack in February 2019. The casualty count of Thursdays attack is far less compared to the 40 CRPF jawans who died in the Pulwama ambush, but the impact is no less and has confirmed what was feared for long  Pakistan-backed terrorist groups have shifted focus from the Valley towards the Jammu division.

The Bata Doriya attack is the second such attack the Rajouri-Poonch area has suffered this year.

On January 1, five people were lined up and shot dead after their IDs were checked in Dangri village of Rajouri. A day later, as security forces, investigating agencies, police and media personnel trooped into the crime scene, an IED went off, killing two children. The terrorists responsible for the seven deaths are still at large.

In October 2021, nine Indian Army soldiers were killed in two separate attacks. The operation to track down the terrorists responsible has still not been called off.

The latest Bata Doriya attack, in which an Army truck moving from Bhimber Gali to Sangiot, around 90 km from the district headquarters in Poonch, was ambushed, has sparked questions whether Poonch and Rajouri are regressing to the days of Hilkaka.

Hilikaka was a Bakerwal village in Surankote, Poonch. In 2003, Pakistani terrorists converted the village into their garrison with supplies to last 500 people for months. As per official estimates, around 60 Pakistani terrorists, equipped with AK-47 and sniper rifles, PIKA guns, grenade launchers, explosives, radio sets and other communications equipment, laid siege to Hilikaka. Indian Armys operation Sarp Vinash liberated Hilkaka and ensured peace in Rajouri-Poonch for the next two decades.

What Makes Rajouri-Poonch Vulnerable

Proximity to LoC

Intelligence agencies believe this area has long been on Pakistans radar. Around 10km from the Line of Control, this area has been traditionally used by LeT and JeM terrorists to infiltrate and cross over to south Kashmir. But the new strategy seems to be to carry out attacks on this side of Pir Panjal.

The Bata Doriya forest is around 7-8 kilometres from the LoC. Agencies suspect that the April 20 attackers were a mix of foreign and local terrorists. Out of the five suspected to be behind the attack, at least three are foreign terrorists, investigating officials said. The suspicion is based on eye-witness accounts of local shopkeepers who heard the firing and may have heard the foreign sounding men too. Investigation is on to ascertain if the terrorists infiltrated into India recently and went undetected.

Easy Forest Cover

It takes 10 minutes of hacking at the bushes to move even 100 meters," a police officer on ground summed up when asked how much of a challenge the terrain was in the Bata Doriya forest.

Natural caves, heavy foliage and hilly terrain all make it easy for the terrorists to create a hideout after an attack. It also poses bigger challenge to security forces when compared to Kashmir, which being a valley, is easy to navigate. In the Valley, terrorists usually hide in orchards, which are easier to search than the forests around Bhimber Gali in Rajouri-Poonch.

More Boots on the Ground in the Valley

The ratio is 1:8," said an officer when asked about deployment of military and paramilitary in the areas of Rajouri-Poonch and in Kashmir. After the abrogation of special status and dilution of Article 370, the Union government has deployed more than 50% of CRPFs total strength in the Kashmir Valley.

Approximate numbers suggest that out of a total of 60,000 CRPF men deployed in J&K, 45,000 are in the Valley alone. The figures are similar for Rashtriya Rifles, which has around 63,000 men in Jammu and Kashmir.

Reports suggest that out of 1.3 lakh Indian Army soldiers in J&K, close to 80,000 are manning the boundary. Officials say such heavy deployment has made it impossible for terrorists to carry out Pulwama-like attacks in Kashmir, making them look for soft targets in Rajouri-Poonch.

The modus operandi in Bata Doriya, officials said, was more like jungle warfare. Ambush, attack and escape; different from the suicide attacks on Army, paramilitary convoys or military stations that the Valley has witnessed.

Dismantling of Terror Support Network in the Valley

The NIAs terror financing investigation, as per Union Home Minister Amit Shah, has dealt a body blow to terror groups in Kashmir. Officials acknowledge that the arrest of on-ground workers, Hurriyat separatist leaders, alleged hawala operators and businessmen like Zahoor Wattle has significantly dented the terror support group in the Valley.

This, officials say, has made terror outfits look for softer targets like Kashmiri Pandits and migrants. While such killings did lead to headlines, ahead of G20, the urge seemed to be to do something spectacular," an agency officer told News18.

Initial probe suggests that the Gujjars and Bakarwals, who have traditionally supported India, have also been influenced by Pakistani agencies in some pockets. Talib Shah, a journalist-turned-Lashkar commander, was arrested in June 2022 from the dhoks (hill top shelters for nomadic tribes) of Reasi.

Shah, who sported I Support NaMo as his profile picture on social media, was accused of masterminding the Rajouri blasts of March and April 2022, and attempting to derail the Amarnath Yatra that year. Mohammad Shabir and Mohammad Sadiq, residents of Draaj Village in Budhal Tehsil of Rajouri district, were arrested for the same conspiracy and five IEDs were recovered from their possession.

Alarm bells on the vulnerability of the Rajouri-Poonch area had started ringing after the Dangri Village attack. Plans to withdraw Rashtriya Rifles from J&K, which were in advance stages of discussion, were postponed. CRPF troops were redeployed from the Valley to the Rajouri area. But after the attack on the Indian Army truck ahead of the G20 meet, demands are afoot for area dominance in this belt and specific intelligence about over-ground workers who are facilitating and harbouring terrorists here.

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Cambodia to start construction of an expressway connecting with Vietnam

Cambodia is scheduled to start construction of the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway close to Vietnams Moc Bai international border gate on June 7, 2023, said Sun Chanthol. Minister of Public Works and Transport of Cambodia.





Cambodia is to start construction of the Phnom Penh-Bavet Expressway close to Vietnams Moc Bai international border gate in June 2023. (Photo: Khmer Times)



Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is expected to attend the groundbreaking ceremony, said Chanthol at an inauguration ceremony of a traffic project in Phnom Penh on April 21.



The US$1.6 billion expressway, the second of its kind in Cambodia, will have a total length of 138km and bridge across the Mekong River.



Chanthol revealed that Vietnam will also kick-start construction of the Ho Chi Minh City-Moc Bai expressway to connect with the Phnom Penh-Bavet expressway.



He expected that the two projects would be completed by the end of 2026 or early 2027 at the latest.



In 2022, Cambodia put into use its first expressway connecting the capital Phnom Penh and the port city of Preah Sihanouk. The 187km long and four-lane route had an investment cost of US$2 billion invested by a Chinese company in the form of build - operate - transfer (BOT) with an operating time of 50 years.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. It's time for the Western countries to tighten relations with some former Soviet satellites, including Armenia, which is assisting Russia in bypassing economic sanctions of West, an article in The Telegraph said, Trend reports.

As the author noted, the countries that are members of the Eurasian Economic Union of the EAEU) act as transit points through which materials and technologies for the production of weapons pass.

"The most absurd is Armenia, whose 13 percent economic expansion in only 12 months makes it a candidate for third-fastest growing economy in the world," the article said.

Moreover, as the author noted, exports from Germany to Armenia in 2022 increased from 178 million euros to 505 million euros.

"Thats from just one EU country. Exports from Armenia to the EU in the same twelve months doubled from 753 million euros to 1.3 billion euros. With a population of barely three million and a GDP per capita of less than a tenth of the average Briton, these are impossible numbers. But they are real," the article said.

"Fortunately, there has only been twelve months of this circumvention, and there is some evidence it is starting to be cauterised. At the beginning of March two American citizens were arrested for skirting US sanctions to sell sophisticated aviation equipment to Russia through third countries, including Armenia," the author concluded.

Earlier, an article in the New York Times revealed that a surge has been recorded in chips and other electronic components re-export from Armenia to Russia. As the author noted, eight particular types of those chips, crucial for the production of weapons, are delivered in Russia.

"One document marked with the seal of the U.S. Bureau of Industry and Security said that in 2022, Armenia imported 515 percent more chips and processors from the US and 212 percent more from the EU than in 2021. Armenia then exported 97 percent of those same products to Russia, the document said," the article noted.

Also, the US Departments of Commerce, the Treasury, and of Justice have issued a trilateral note on the specifications of the signs of attempts to circumvent sanctions against Russia.

According to the document, one of the most common tactics is the use of third-party intermediaries or transshipment points to avoid restrictions. It was revealed that Armenia is used to illegally redirect goods to Russia or Belarus, thus, bypassing West sanctions.
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bodyguards.

Taking to Twitter, Shah Rukh, 57, said, So lovely to see you all on this festive day!!! Now lets spread the love and may Gods blessings be upon all of us Eid Mubarak.

Salman posted on Twitter, Aap sabhi ko Eid Mubarak! On Friday night, he wished his fans Chand Mubarak by sharing a photo with his close friend Aamir Khan.

Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated across the world on different days, based on the sighting of the crescent moon, which is supposed to denote the start of the Shawwal month in the lunar Islamic calendar. It marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan.

Muslims thank Allah for the holy Quran on Eid ul-Fitr (also known as Eid al-fitr or Id ul-fitr) as the sacred book was revealed to Prophet Muhammed on Laylat al-Qadr, one of the odd-numbered nights during the last ten days of Ramadan.

News agency PTI quoted Fatehpuri Masjid Imam Mufti Mukarram Ahmed as saying that the Ruet-e-Hilal Committee of the mosque contacted many places and was informed that moon was sighted everywhere. Hence, Eid will be celebrated in the country today, April 22.

Extending Eid greetings, President Droupadi Murmu urged all to take a pledge to promote feelings of brotherhood and harmony in the society. Eid marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan. This festival spreads the feelings of love, compassion and affection. Eid gives us the message of solidarity and mutual harmony, she said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also greeted people on the occasion of Eid. Taking to Twitter, he said, Greetings on Eid-ul-Fitr. May the spirit of harmony and compassion be furthered in our society. I also pray for everyones wonderful health and well-being. Eid Mubarak.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also extended greeting to people on Eid-ul-Fitr, along with other festivals of Akshaya Tritiya and Parshuram Jayanti. He appealed to people to celebrate the festivals while taking all precautions in view of the coronavirus infection, an official statement here said.

He said the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr brings the message of happiness and strengthens social unity as well as enhances the feeling of mutual brotherhood. This festival gives the message of peace and harmony, he added. The chief minister said that everyone should take a pledge to strengthen social harmony on the occasion of Eid.

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Fresh violence broke out here on Saturday after local citizens protested the alleged rape and killing of a teenage girl a day before, said police officials.

Tear gas and force were used to disperse an unruly mob in Kaliaganj in West Bengals North Dinajpur which clashed with the police deployed in the area very near the border with Bangladesh.

Several shops and e-rickshaws were burnt by the mob which demanded the arrest of the culprits, before the situation was brought under control. Earlier in the day, BJP and ABVP organised protests against the rape and killing in various places in the state.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel were brought in to bring the situation under control, officers said, adding that some of the violent protestors were detained.

Locals also put up road blockades using burnt tyres, and pelted stones at policemen, they said.

State BJP president Sukanta Majumdar sat on a dharna outside the district police chiefs office demanding action against the culprits after meeting the victims family.

He told reporters, We think the real truth will be revealed only if a CBI inquiry is conducted in this case." A team from the National Commission for Women (NCW) has also reached the spot and sought a report from the state police on the incident within three days.

The body of the teenage girl was found floating in a canal on Friday, police said.

No one has been arrested yet in connection with the crime, they said.

The girl went missing on Thursday evening after she went to her tuition classes, and could not be traced the entire night, despite extensive searches by her family members and local people.

Protests had started on Friday afternoon but quietened down by day-end, only to restart on Saturday.

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Just days after a deadly terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch that claimed the lives of five army personnel, a suspected Pakistani drone was spotted in Samba districts Ramgarh area on Friday night.

The Border Security Forces (BSF) fired multiple rounds on the drone to push it back. The Jammu and Kashmir Police, along with BSF is carrying out searches in forward areas to rule out any possibility of dropping of weapons or narcotics through the drone.

Five soldiers were killed and one was injured on Thursday after their vehicle was attacked by unidentified terrorists and caught fire. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

The mortal remains of Havildar Mandeep Singh from Chankoian village in Ludhiana, Lance Naik Kulwant Singh from Charik village in Moga, Sepoy Harkrishan Singh from Talwandi village in Gurdaspur and Sepoy Sewak Singh from Bagha village Bathinda, all in Punjab, were sent to their native places, a PTI report said.

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Marriage is a fundamental right intrinsically linked to equality and dignity and the court must make such a declaration, the petitioners seeking recognition of gay marriages argued before the Supreme Court of India.

The bench of five judges led by CJI Chandrachud cautioned the petitioners to not venture into the domain of personal laws and limit the argument to Special Marriage Act and certain other laws like Foreign Marriage Act and Citizenship Act. The court did not want to enter the troubled waters of personal laws. But can the court afford to do that? Can this debate around recognition of same sex marriage be settled without dealing with the troublesome aspect of personal laws in the country?

The Hindu custom of Saptpadi or Muslim custom of a Nikah, a church wedding or any other customary wedding is considered a legal marriage in India. The concept of marriage is not a common law or legal proposition. Its a religion-driven concept. Religion has founded the concept of marriage that the law protected.

The exception of Special Marriage Act should be understood as an exception, a tool to deal with inter-faith marriages without having either spouse give up their parent faith or religion. Even under the Special Marriage Act, a class of forbidden relationships cannot get married  like brothers and sisters, marriage with mother or father and many others. The class of these forbidden relationships is derived from religion and has no other basis. Even the so-called secular laws around marriage derive their notions and concepts from personal practices and customs.

Simply put, the intervention of civil law in marriage is only a few decades old for Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and Parsis and unknown to the followers of the Muslim personal law. Marriage operates as an institution proscribed by religion and protected by law. No religion grants sanction to gay marriages. Not even the diverse, open religion of Hinduism.

The Supreme Court benchs suggestion that the debate for recognition of same sex marriage should keep the issue of personal laws aside will further complicate the maze of personal laws and its cumbersome relationship with Indian Constitution.

The approach is problematic and almost amounts to sweeping dust under the carpet. Here is the problem  the moment marriage is declared a fundamental right protected under Article 14 (Right to Equality), Article 19 (Freedom of Expression) and Article 21 (Right to Life), it shall be open for constitutional courts to test personal laws against this newly recognised fundamental right.

The courts eventually will have to deal with the question of personal laws. Most personal laws are codified  for example the Hindu personal law or the Christian Marriage Act. All these Acts of Parliament would be put under judicial scrutiny for violating fundamental right to marriage because they dont allow same sex couples to marry.

Barring the Muslim Personal Law, which is largely uncodified, all other personal laws codified via statutes shall countenance this question. By virtue of them being codified, the courts can test their constitutionality for discrimination based on sexual orientation. The uncodified Muslim Personal law shall remain insulated from this scrutiny.

If marriage is a fundamental right protected under the Constitution and the court decides to recognise and protect it, it must be done despite personal laws and not by keeping the issue on the backburner. Its also an artificial distinction that the court is drawing. If the court is to adjudicate on the existence of a fundamental right, it cannot be done piecemeal. A fundamental right cannot be recognised only in the world of civil law and diminished in the sphere of personal laws. If the right is fundamental to a citizen, it must be protected.

Most personal laws are archaic, yet they enjoy judicial protection. The garb of minority rights is often used to protect such practices. Either the court takes the leap of venturing into the deep waters without drawing the artificial distinction of civil laws and personal laws or does not venture into the issue at all. If marriage is a fundamental right, then each citizen is entitled to it. Each Hindu, Muslim, Christian or person from any other community is also entitled to it.

The absence of a Uniform Civil Code in India, the wide range of personal laws, along with the Sixth Schedule of Indian Constitution which protects special rights of indigenous groups, are the biggest impediments to recognition of same sex marriage at par with heterosexual couples.

The mighty court which has protected the rights of the vulnerable and heard the issues of the ignored minority cannot skirt the issue of personal laws. Personal laws must be subject to the test of fundamental rights. For decades, the feminist movement has challenged the bastion of personal laws and negotiated equality with legal and social system. The LGBTQ movement and their demand for equality should strike another blow to discriminatory personal laws. The issue should not be skirted neither by the court nor by the community.

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Indian climber Anurag Maloo has shown signs of improvement, but is still in critical condition, his brother said on Saturday, days after he was found alive by rescuers on Nepals Mount Annapurna.

Anurag, 34, a resident of Kishangarh in Rajasthan, went missing on Monday after he fell from around 6,000 meters while descending from Camp III. Mount Annapurna is the 10th highest mountain in the world.

Anurag is currently in the ICU. His health condition has improved, but is still in critical condition, his brother Ashish Maloo told PTI at a hospital near Kathmandu, where he has been admitted since Thursday.

A team of rescuers located the Indian climber in a deep crevasse between Camp III and Camp II of the worlds tenth highest peak, said Thaneshwor Guragain, information officer at Seven Summit Treks  the organiser of the expedition.

He was airlifted to Kathmandu and admitted to Medicity Hospital in the Bhaisepati area of Lalitpur district.

A helicopter and a team of six Sherpa climbers led by Chhang Dawa Sherpa were mobilised for the search and Anurag was found in a deep crevasse at some 5800-metre altitude on Thursday morning.

He was first taken to the Manipal Hospital in Pokhara and then flown to Kathmandu for further treatment. A family member said that Anurag graduated from IIT Delhi in 2010.

Anurag is on a mission to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres and the seven highest points in all seven continents to create awareness and drive action towards achieving the UN Global Goals.

He has been awarded REX Karam  Veer Chakra and became the 2041 Antarctic Youth Ambassador from India.

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The Lashkar-e-Taiba is once again in the news after intelligence sources said the Pakistan-based group was behind the Poonch terror attack on Thursday. The often-banned organisation, which has taken on many names from time to time, has had a compulsion to carry out so-called jihad in Kashmir.

Lashkar sources in Lahore, South Punjab and Rawalpindi told CNN-News18 that this compulsion stemmed from nothing but personal gains for their leadership. From capturing film halls in Lahore to extortion and forcing people to pay more zakat in the name of religion to training youth for fighting in Kashmir, the Pakistan-based groups agenda is to be the only one relevant. It wants to create a parallel army in Pakistan for its own gains and extort money from Pakistani generals as non-state actors, the sources added.

Lashkar had gone off the radar after the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) ordered it to fight alongside the Taliban in the Afghan War. Sources said the Poonch attack ahead of the high-profile G20 meeting in Jammu and Kashmir was a show of power from Lashkar even as a crisis was brewing on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

Even if Pakistans version is accepted that it had no role to play in the attack, as the country is under pressure from Saudi Arabia and UAE as well as their own domestic financial issues, these groups are not operating on their own. The question remains as to how such groups can operate from the border without state approval.

Managing finance and blackmailing Pakistan government

The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) has taken on many names: MDI, LeT, JuD, AAT, FiF, but all these were banned whenever Pakistan was facing pressure from the international community. As of 2018, their last registered organisation, Falah-i-Insaniat Foundation (FiF), was also banned. Public fundraising was a major part of their money operations to run such a large network. As Pakistan is fighting for funding from the international community, and are under pressure from the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to control terror funding, it is only right for the organisation to blackmail its founders.

A show of power

After entering the Afghan War to fight alongside the Taliban on orders from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the LeT had gone dark. Their presence in the terrorism market was becoming limited. As the condition on the Pakistan-Afghanistan border worsens and a new war looms in the future, the group is showing its strength by sabotaging such a conference as big as the G20.

Change of face

After the arrest of leader Hafiz Saeed, the organisation has faced some mishandling and a fight for a takeover between Saeeds son and son-in-law. It is time to show a new face for their Mujahideen to follow and also for new blood to take charge. Khalid bin Waleed, aka Khalid Naik, has been trying for the last seven years to take charge of the group and it seems he has succeeded in his efforts. So to show the world and the terror market, he needed to do something extraordinary.

Launch of new political party

On March 18, the LeT relaunched its political party with a new name  Pakistan Markazi Muslim League (PMML). They have tried their best to collect funds from financiers and the public but it seems their first month was not too good and they needed to do something impressive.

Taking charge of Kashmir with new PoK prime minister

With the change of prime minister in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), the charge of violence has been handed over to a reborn LeT instead of the JeM. The timing of such a big change in the PoK assembly is too shaky, especially so before the G20 summit.

Portfolio addition for Pakistan-Afghanistan war

At a time when the Pak-Afghan border is under so much stress, the ISI will need the local mujahideen to work side by side with them. The Pakistani Taliban are obviously not in their group anymore and the LeT goes after money and the ISI; hence, they had to show that they can do what the Taliban can do and launching such an attack was just an addition to their portfolio.

Retaliation against operation in Kacha

The groups in Kacha area of Punjab and Sindh in Pakistan work in partnership with the LeT, as they give them targets and receive a part of the ransom. Due to the operation of Pakistani forces in the Kacha area, Lashkar is going to get out of business. So the group cannot rely on this alone and it is now time to retaliate as Pakistan cannot afford such terror attacks.

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A 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl in West Bengals North Dinajpur district that triggered violent protests, police said.

The 17-year-old girl, whose body was found in a canal in the Kaliaganj police station area on Friday, knew the man, Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sana Akhtar said, identifying him as the prime accused.

A case has been filed under IPC section 302 (murder) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on the complaint filed by the girls mother, he said.

The preliminary post-mortem report revealed no injury to the body, Akhtar said, adding that a bottle of poison was found near the body. We are investigating the case from all angles," he said.

Violence rocked Kaliaganj, around 18 km from the Bangladesh border and 430 km north of Kolkata, as locals protested against the incident, prompting the police to use tear gas shells and charge batons to bring the situation under control, officials said.

Several shops and e-rickshaws were set on fire by the mob, which demanded the arrest of those behind the incident. Roads were also blocked and stones were hurled at the police, they said.

The RSS-backed ABVP gheraoed the Kaliaganj police station, while BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar sat on a dharna outside the SP office in Raiganj, demanding justice for the victims family.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed to bring the situation under control, police said, adding that a few protestors were also detained.

Three persons were injured in the police action and admitted to the Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital, officials said.

Majumdar, who visited the victims village along with local BJP MP Debasree Chaudhuri, demanded a CBI investigation into the incident.

We think the real truth will be revealed only if a CBI inquiry is conducted in this case," he told reporters.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also sent a team to the area and sought a report from the state police within three days.

The girl went missing on Thursday evening after she left home for going to her tuition classes. Her body was found the next day floating in a canal amid hectic searches by her family and locals.

Protests had started on Friday afternoon but quietened down by the day-end, only to restart on Saturday.

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People are likely to get relief for the next few days from the heatwave that has forced schools in parts of the country to either announce early holidays or change timings.

The reason behind the drop in temperature is a cyclonic circulation that lies over northwest Madhya Pradesh and another over interior Tamil Nadu. A trough of relatively low pressure runs from northwest Madhya Pradesh to south Tamil Nadu across Telangana, the India Meteorological Department on Saturday said.

Private forecaster Skymet Weather added another trough extends from northeast Bihar to Odisha via Jharkhand.

Weather experts say a trough usually brings cloudy conditions and rain, leading to a drop in temperatures.

According to the IMD, several parts of India had been experiencing heatwave conditions for the past few days. Even in the eastern hills, tea growers complained of relatively high temperatures and prolonged dry spell resulting in crop loss during the ongoing flush season.

On Saturday, the maximum temperature was around 35 degrees Celsius in the rest of the country, except the western Himalayan region, where the day temperature was recorded in the range of 16-25 degrees Celsius.

The IMD said Saturday that heatwave conditions abated from Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar and Odisha.

No heatwave conditions over most parts of India during the next 5 days," it added.

Hailstorms, Rain Likely in Parts of India

The weather office said hailstorms are very likely in parts of Odisha over the next three days, in Bihar for the next two days, and on Monday in Vidarbha. Heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala on Sunday and in Odisha on Monday. Duststorm is very likely at isolated places in south Haryana, northeast Rajasthan and west Uttar Pradesh on Sunday.

Skymet said scattered rainfall is expected in the entire Northeast, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telangana. Thunderstorms with patchy rain may occur over the western Himalayas, parts of Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, southeast Uttar Pradesh, southeast Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and south-interior Karnataka.

The IMD has advised farmers should undertake harvesting of matured rice, maize, groundnut and ragi in Andhra Pradesh; rice in Kerala and keep the harvested produce in safer places.

They should postpone harvesting of rice in Arunachal Pradesh and keep the already harvested produce at safer places. Farmers should use hail nets to protect orchards in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and Odisha.

Traces of Rainfall in Parts of Delhi

Traces of rainfall were witnessed in parts of Delhi on Saturday where the maximum temperature settled at 36.8 degree Celsius, a notch below the average.

The city recorded a minimum temperature of 20.6 degrees Celsius, two notches below normal.

The weatherman has forecast a generally cloudy sky with the possibility of light rain or drizzle and a dust storm accompanied by gust winds on Sunday.

The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to hover around 37 and 21 degrees Celsius respectively.

(With PTI inputs)

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A man from Silvassa in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli was arrested after a video purportedly showing him cleaning chicken with the Tricolour went viral on social media, an official said on Saturday.

An official from Silvassa police station said the man was seen insulting the national flag by using it as a piece of cloth to clean chicken at a poultry shop where he worked.

We booked the person on the basis of a complaint and arrested him under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act, 1971," the police official said.

The man was arrested on Thursday and sent to judicial custody on Friday, police said.

The official said the man was arrested under Section 2 of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act which deals with people burning, mutilating, defacing, defiling, disfiguring, destroying, or trampling upon the national flag in a public place or in any other place within public view.

If found guilty, he can be imprisoned for up to three years with a fine.

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In a move that will ease travel, those commuting from Kolkata to Agartala can now cover the distance in only 10 hours via Dhaka.

Speaking to News18, Union Minister Pratima Bhowmick said: We are very excited that by Durga Puja, the rail route will start from Kolkata to Agartala via Bangladesh. One will reach Agartala from Kolkata in just 10 hours. Work is almost complete on this historic endeavour.

Bhowmick, a central minister from Tripura, has received assurance from Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw that the route connecting Agartala with Kolkata via Bangladesh will be commissioned this year.

As of now, Bangladesh and India have four rail links  Petrapole-Benapole, Gede-Darshana, Radhikapur-Biral and Singhabad-Rohanpur. The new line will make its journey via Akhaura and connect the Dhaka-Chittagong route.

The Akhaura rail line will pass through Bangladeshs capital Dhaka instead of Assams railway link city Guwahati. The distance between the two destinations of Kolkata and Agartala will be reduced to 550 kilometres from 1,600 kilometres.

The 15-kilometer-long Agartala-Akhaura railway line will link Bangladeshs Akhaura through an international immigration station at Nischintapur along the India-Bangladesh border. With the projects completion, the travel time between Agartala and Kolkata via Dhaka will be reduced from 31 hours to 10 hours.

The proposal for the Agartala-Akhaura railway project first came in 2010. Three years later, both India and Bangladesh signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the railway project.

Sources say the top leadership of both India and Bangladesh will be present for the inauguration.

For people who travel frequently between Tripura and Kolkata, the news has spread cheer. Julee Satkar, who has family in both Tripura and Kolkata, said: This is great news. We can come and go during the weekend. The journey time will be reduced so we can visit our families more frequently.

Jaba Dasgupta, another resident of Tripura, said: We are thrilled as everybody cannot afford to go by plane. This route will be historic.

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Georgian Foreign Minister Ilia Darchiashvili will discuss support from Italy and other partners for Georgia in its quest to obtain the European Union membership candidate status by the end of this year as part of his official visit to Rome, the Georgian foreign office said on Friday, Trend reports with reference to Agenda.

In comments on the topic, the official stressed his office and other state agencies were completely focused on obtaining the status, and noted he had already met with the Italian Parliaments Speaker to discuss the legislative bodys vital support for Georgias EU integration.

The Speaker expressed his very clear support for Georgia, and I am sure the Italian Parliament and Government will be actively involved in supporting our EU aspirations, said the FM.

The official also said he would sign a new strategic document during a meeting with his Italian counterpart later on Friday to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in defence, security, politics, trade, economy, culture and education.

"The high-level dialogue format will further strengthen ties between the states and bring a new impetus to bilateral relations, Darchiashvili said.

The FM noted the meeting would also review Georgia's European integration prospects and highlighted the importance of individual cooperation with the blocs member states to ensure the countrys integration into the EU.
Two women Naxalites, collectively carrying a reward of Rs 28 lakh on their heads, were killed in an encounter with security forces in the Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, a police official said.

The face-off took place in the Kadla forest area under Garhi police station limits in the wee hours, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sameer Saurabh said.

The deceased Naxalites were identified as Sunita, an Area Committee Member (ACM) and Commander of Bhoramdev Committee, a wing of the Maoists, and Sarita Khatia Mocha, ACM and active in Vistar Dalam, he said.

Both of them were carrying a reward of Rs 14 lakh each, the official said.

Guns, cartridges, some other ammunition and Naxal literature were recovered from them, he said, adding that a search operation was underway in the area.

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AKSHAYA TRITIYA 2023: Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious day in Hindu and Jain culture, which is celebrated on the third day of the Shukla Paksha of the Vaisakha month, as per the Hindu calendar. Also known as Akha Teej, it will be celebrated on April 22 this year. It is believed that any new beginnings or investments made on this day will bring prosperity, wealth, and good fortune. Many people buy precious stones on Akshaya Tritiya as they are believed to give some benefits as per the zodiac sign of an individual.

Akshaya Tritiya is also considered to be an occasion to buy silver and gold as it is believed that buying metal items brings wealth and prosperity. Here are some suggestions as to which metal or item you can buy on Akshaya Tritiya this year according to your zodiac sign.

Aries

The zodiac sign Aries is ruled by the planet Mars. On Akshaya Tritiya, it is auspicious for people of Aries to buy copper or gold as it brings good luck. One can also purchase red lentils to gain good fortune. Taurus

Venus is the ruling planet of Taurus. Therefore, it is very auspicious for people born under the sign of Taurus to buy silver on Akshaya Tritiya. They can also purchase millet or rice as it is said to bring success. Gemini

The planet Mercury rules the zodiac sign Gemini. Therefore, buying bronze utensils on Akshaya Tritiya will bring you luck. People can also buy garments/new clothes, green moong, or coriander. Cancer

The moon is the ruling planet of Cancer. So, buying silver will be auspicious for you on Akshaya Tritiya. People belonging to this sign can also buy rice or milk as it will benefit their overall growth. Leo

The sun is the ruling planet of Leo. Thus, buying copper or gold on Akshaya Tritiya will bring success, fame, and fortune. People born under this sign can also purchase copper cookware or red colour clothes as it will be beneficial for them in the future. Virgo

The planet Mercury rules the zodiac sign Virgo. Hence, buying bronze items will bring boundless virtues. Even buying moong dal on Akshaya Tritiya is said to bring luck. Libra

Venus is the ruling planet of Libra. Anyone born under this sign should buy silver on Akshaya Tritiya to improve their creative abilities and life. People can also buy rice or sugar on this day. Scorpio

The planet Mars rules the zodiac sign Scorpio. So, it will be good to buy copper on Akshaya Tritiya as it will bring good luck and success in your ventures. Even purchasing jaggery or water will add goodness to your life. Sagittarius

The planet Jupiter rules the zodiac sign Sagittarius. Therefore, buying brass or gold is said to be auspicious on Akshaya Tritiya. People born under this sign should consume yellow rice or bananas. It will bring good fortune for them. Capricorn

The planet Saturn rules the zodiac sign Capricorn. So, buying steel or iron utensils/items on Akshaya Tritiya can bring success in career and business. People can also purchase urad dal. Aquarius

People born under the sign of Aquarius should buy steel or iron utensils to please Lord Shani. One can also buy black sesame seeds or black clothes. Pisces

Jupiter is the ruling planet of Pisces. Experts believe that buying brass or gold on Akshaya Tritiya is auspicious for Pisces. People can also buy turmeric as it will improve their fortune.

Disclaimer: Disclaimer: Information given above are based on general assumptions. Before implementing them in your life, kindly consult an expert.

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Suhana Khan is making a name for herself as a Gen-Z fashion icon. Her wardrobe has some of the best red carpet-gowns and designer sarees. However, there is no doubt, Suhana has time and again been praised for her casual and chic airport looks or her easy, breezy dresses. Her style is all about simplicity and comfort. If you are looking for some trendy summer fashion inspiration, Suhanas recent airport look is unmissable. The paparazzi spotted Suhana at the Mumbai airport recently in a comfortable printed summer dress on Thursday.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani)

Suhanas summer outfit has an abstract white and blue motif. It has a figure-hugging silhouette, a thigh-high front slit, half-length puff sleeves, a square neckline that plunges down to reveal her decolletage, a midi hem length, and a flowy skirt. The length lends a refined elegance that is ideal for formal settings, and what makes it a winner are the simple styling and seamless ease of carrying it.

Suhana accessorised the look simply with earrings, a thin chain, a sleek gold bracelet, massive white trainer shoes, and a gorgeous Chanel flap shoulder bag. Suhanas final glam options included a gloss nude lip colour, feathery brows, rouged cheeks, and a dewy base. Her airport appearance was completed by open, softly disheveled hair.

While talking about summer dresses, this white dress from Suhanas wardrobe should not go unnoticed. A few weeks ago, Suhana posed in a cotton dress for one of her outdoor photoshoots.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Suhana Khan (@suhanakhan2)

Suhanas dress was embellished with floral embroidery, a short hem, a corset fit, and a tight bodice with a midriff-baring cutout. String ties accentuated the look, along with a flowy skirt. The outfit had an exquisite and sensuous touch thanks to the semi-clear silhouette and body-hugging fit. Suhana opted to forgo all additional accessories and only go with a pair of earrings. She enhanced the summery vibe with glossy pink lip colour, winged eyeliner, delicate eye shadow, feathery brows, dazzling highlighter, rouged cheekbones, mascara on the lashes, and a dewy base. She kept her hair in a sloppy bun.

Suhana will soon make her Bollywood debut with the Netfilx film The Archies. Currently, she is also the brand ambassador for the cosmetic brand Maybelline.

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Atiq Ahmed was a former MLA and an ex-member of Parliament. He was also listed in the gang chart of UP Police as IS-227 (interstate gang number-227) with more than a hundred heinous crimes registered against him and other gang members. Atiqs entry into the world of crime began in the year 1979 with murder, followed by another brutal killing signalling his arrival in the landscape of Allahabad, currently Prayagraj. Atiq, a superfast learner, eliminated Chand Baba who, at one time, was his mentor. Atiq went brazenly ahead, committing offences pertaining to body and property, like contract killing, murders, assaulting officials, and forcibly occupying premium properties in Prayagraj, Lucknow and neighbouring areas. In less than 30 years, he had more than a hundred cases registered against him. His rise in politics was equally spectacular. He won Assembly elections four times and Parliament elections once, duly aided and abetted by the regional parties of Uttar Pradesh.

Atiq once picked up an adversary, had him skinned and threw the carcass at a crossing close by, then called the police and informed them about the dead body and arrogantly asked them to deal with it suitably. Emboldened by the active and passive support of the local administration, Atiq grew from strength to strength and became the veritable Godfather  a synonym of naked terror and plunder. No prime property was safe during his lifetime, he could pick and choose and threaten the owners to dispose of it at a pittance.

Such was his terror, that he would walk into the Bamrauli Airport of Prayagraj, which is in the restricted area of the Air Force, with his goons where the complicit and petrified airlines staff would vacate the VIP waiting lounge for him and his cronies. It is also reported that passengers were offloaded from the plane to facilitate the gangsters travel. Once inside the aircraft, only the front row would be adequate for him. He would be loud, boisterous and abusive during the flight and would assault any co-passenger who would take a few more seconds to pick up the cabin baggage.

Today, the same political parties are distancing themselves from him for convenience. It is on record that the top political leader of the state exonerated him from the Raju Pal murder case in a public meeting and went on to announce that Atiq was surrendering, not because he was guilty but at the request of this political boss! This should not come as a surprise. Atiq, at one point in time, also overpowered around a dozen policemen in his mansion and held them at ransom. There was no attempt by the compromised local administration to get the constables released. It was only after the intervention by the topmost political leader that he reluctantly agreed to release the hostages.

A stunned administration failed to react and no FIR was lodged on this to the authority of the state. This is not a solitary case. There are multiple cases of Atiq roughing up police officers at police stations. It is reported that at one time, he had his sight on prized properties in Noida. On some disagreement, he barged into the well-guarded residence of the Chief Executive Officer of Noida Authority, who is one of the senior-most IAS officers in the state. He attacked and beat the security staff and vandalised the furniture. There were occasions when he flaunted his connections with the top-most politicians very shamelessly when he took his highly pedigreed dog before the top politician and made the dog shake hands with him publicly. He also took his dog on the public rostrum, which is meant only for VIPs, but obviously, no rules applied to him and his gangsters.

Raju Pal was a sitting MLA when he was slaughtered in broad daylight on January 25, 2005. This brutal murder was done across many kilometres in the heart of the city, with sharpshooters wielding sophisticated factory-made weapons and firing indiscriminately. They eliminated Raju Pal and also pumped bullets into him when he was about to be taken to the hospital, just to be doubly sure that he did not survive.

On February 24, 2023, the most crucial witness of Raju Pals murder was done to death by Asad, Guddu Muslim and others of Atiqs gang. The police action was swift and the clear and stern exhortation of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh sent shivers down the spine of outlaws. He warned them clearly that all the gangs will be decimated and reduced to dust! Such a clear warning to the underworld created ripples in the political world and the media. The public went into an ecstasy of relief, as such a bold stance was unprecedented.

It was also reported by intelligence agencies that Atiq was in touch with Punjab gangsters, dealing with illegal arms, especially those received from Pakistan drone incursions. He was also reportedly in touch with Lashkar-e-Taiba and also Hafiz Saeed.

Much has been said about the depredations of this gang and no right-thinking person can ever even dream of supporting him. But there are those in our society who choose to address him as Atiq Ji, and call him a martyr. One person went so far as to place the national flag on his grave and his lunacy went to the next level when he recommended the highest national award for him. This is nothing but vote bank politics of appeasement.

Atiq and his brother Ashraf were murdered on the night of April 15, by three youths, Lovelesh Tiwari aged 22 years, Sunny aged 23 years and Arun Maurya, just 18 years of age. This killing leaves many questions and observations in respect of the laxity and other procedural lapses, on the part of the police. The two SITs formed will investigate and probe the matter and the three-member judicial commission will go into the details of the entire episode and fix the responsibility of the 17 police personnel in close proximity and those in charge of the escort arrangements. They will also see how all three assailants, who are from a very humble background, could manage to buy or procure sophisticated turkey-made Zigana pistols, costing almost Rs 8 lakh, some having Pakistan Ordinance Factory markings, which will have to be traced and explained.

Support for Atiq and Ashraf has come from several expected and unexpected quarters. Some called it a murder of democracy and the Constitution of India, others chose to address him as Robinhood. On earlier occasions, police were subjected to bizarre threats from politicians that Google and satellite imagery can capture any misdemeanour on the part of the escort party. Another pompous leader boasted that they will fix all those officers who are acting against this Frankenstein.

Atiqs wife, Shaista, and an important gang member, Guddu Muslim, have to be accounted for as both are absconding accused. The property looted by the gang has to be recovered and the last vestiges of the gang will have to be identified and decimated as per law. Those officials and politicians who have benefitted from loot should be made accountable, named and shamed. There are those in the media, especially like the BBC, who also have to be exposed for building him larger than life, a Robinhood of Allahabad.

The author is a former Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh Police. Views expressed are personal.

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Mumbais road tenders have been a subject of controversy since last year. While the debate over the proposed 400-km road concretisation rages on, we noticed that for over two weeks, all road and bridge works in the city have come to a halt, including other important infrastructure works and building construction. The reason being the sudden unavailability of gravel needed for these works.

Going deeper, it has come to light that apparently one gravel supplier company, formed less than three months ago, has been negotiating hard and bullying all the quarries, stone crushers and gravel suppliers to only supply through this newly formed company.

Some officials also hint at someone close to the Chief Minister standing firmly behind this company, without which, such bullying tactics wouldnt work.

The bullying tactics, as pointed out by them, are simple. The departments pertaining to either environment or revenue seem to have been used in many cases to issue closure orders, in the name of various violations, to most of these stone quarries last month. Some have even been closed without formal notices.

They have apparently been told that they would only be allowed to restart on signing exclusive supply contracts with this stone-supply company.

While the reasons for notices may be debated, it is understood that the only companies allowed to supply now have signed an exclusive contract with this company formed less than three months ago.

This has resulted in not just a two-week delay in all the infrastructure works, potentially breaching the pre-monsoon deadline of May 31, but also the cost of gravel supply going up more than double of what it cost two weeks ago.

What this means for all of us as citizens is that all the ongoing construction and infrastructure works will suck out more of our hard-earned money paid up as taxes.

We may not see the direct link of cost escalation of these projects with the taxes we pay, but surely, this company, the people behind it and some of the favourite contractors earn more at our cost, per day, in crores.

Many of the roads under repairs or under construction, that need to be brought to a safe stage before monsoons, will not meet the deadline. For example, the Delisle Road Bridge, the Gokhale Bridge and most of our bylanes will not see completion on the dates originally proposed by the BMC. The reasons given for the delay may officially vary from steel to designs, but the real reason is gravel.

The BMC, on the other hand, under the administrator and the state government directly for a year now, in the absence of elected corporators, is on its own joyride.

In August 2022, the BMC had issued tenders worth Rs 5,000 crore, for which no bidder came forth. In January 2023, the BMC issued tenders worth Rs 6,080 crore for 400 km of roads, without any clarity on which roads would be taken up, in what month and timelines.

In a democracy, that we claim to be, how can an administrator opaquely issue tenders worth Rs 6,000 crore of Mumbaikars money and award contracts in a way that has been questioned far and wide.

For the bid, the estimates were revised and increased by 20% than the earlier ones, excluding GST, and bids won by all bidders at an average of 8% above of the increased estimated price.

What makes it murkier is that five contractors (making groups of three for each bid) bid for five packets. Each won one.

Beyond this murky bid process, for the first time in Mumbai, without having traffic NOCs in hand, and for works that may not start until mid-2024, an advance mobilisation fund of Rs 650 crore was to be paid to the contractors by the BMC. Till date, there is no clarity on whether this has been paid.

The question is whether it is fair in a democracy for administrators to use taxpayers money at their own discretion, in a process that seems cartelised, for bids that seem to be highly overpriced and utopian in timelines. But this is utopia for the contractors and the ones standing firmly behind them for sure.

What pains me is the city that we love, cherish, and protect so dearly, has been a target for the government to be made to depend on the Centre and state governments for funds, which was not the case for 25 years under the Shiv Sena government.

However, this is not about politics. This is about the principles of democracy, accountability, transparency, and most importantly, the citizens, who will face troubles due to broken promises of timelines, while those who have taken the contract of destroying Maharashtras good governance enjoy.

Aditya Thackeray is Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Maharashtra MLA. He served as the states environment minister from December 2019 to June 2022. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the stand of this publication.

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After dreaded gangster Atiq Ahmed, another mafia-politician from Uttar Pradesh  Mukhtar Ansari  is in the spotlight. The focused shifted to Punjab after chief minister Bhagwant Mann refused to clear a file with a bill of Rs 55 lakh incurred on facilitating the stay of the gangster in Ropar jail.

Mann accused the previous Congress government of providing a comfortable stay to Mukhtar Ansari in the Rupnagar jail and said he is seeking advice on recovering Rs 55 lakh legal fee from the then ministers.

Local reports stated that Punjabs Aam Aadmi Party government is mulling to recover the amount from the ministers concerned in the previous Congress regime.

We are asking legal experts from whom this recovery is to be made. We will not pay from the state exchequer," Mann said at a rally in Jalandhar on Thursday.

The fresh trouble for the gangster-politician comes days after the Uttar Pradesh police consolidated a list of 65 gangsters who are under their among. Mukhtar Ansari too is on the list.

ALSO READ | Atiq Ahmeds Threat Audio Emerges as UP Cops Prep for Mega Crackdown, Mukhtar Ansari on Radar

The state police had last month demolished Mukhtar Ansaris two-storey house in Jahangirabad in Mau district. The luxurious house was under the name of the gangster and his sons Abbas Ansari and Umar Ansari. The action was initiated after it was alleged that Abbas and Umar Ansari did not get the necessary approval for the construction and neither did they get its map passed.

Uttar Pradesh Police had approached the Supreme Court to get the custody of Ansari, who remained in a jail in Rupnagar (formerly Ropar) from January 2019 to April 2021. Awarding his custody to UP Police, the top court had said it was being denied to them on trivial grounds under the guide of medical issues.

Ansari was kept in Punjab in an extortion case in Mohali and was later moved to a jail in Banda in UP.

Without naming Ansari, Mann said in a tweet in Punjabi, A UP criminal was kept in Ropar jail with facilities (He was) not produced despite issuance of warrants 48 times, expensive lawyers were engaged at a cost of Rs 55 lakh. I have returned the file of expenditure. Thinking of recovering this expenditure from the then ministers on whose orders this decision was taken." Mann said this open plundering" of taxpayers money cannot be tolerated at any cost.

Apart from ensuring a comfortable stay, the then government ensured this hardcore criminal" does not face any difficulty in the jail and escapes the legal action against him, he said in a statement later.

The benevolence of the previous rulers towards this dangerous criminal can be judged from the fact that though 48 warrants were issued against him but the government did not bother to produce him, Mann said.

This atrocious loot of public money was totally unwarranted and undesirable, he added.

While hearing the Uttar Pradesh governments plea seeking custody of Ansari in March 2021, the Supreme Court had noted that the former MLA from Mau was involved in several cases of attempt to murder, murder, cheating and conspiracy apart from offences under the Gangsters Act lodged in UP.

The court was also informed by the UP government that between February 14, 2019 and February 14, 2020, Ansaris custody was denied to the state police by the Punjab jail authorities 26 times mainly on medical grounds referring to diabetes mellitus, skin allergy, hypertension, backache and throat infection.

(With inputs from PTI)

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Kerala has been put on high alert after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state office received a letter threatening suicide attack during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to Kochi on April 24.

BJP state president K Surendran received the letter a week ago and had handed it over to ADGP (Intelligence) T K Vinod Kumar, following which the police and intelligence department sprung into action.

The letter came in spotlight on Saturday after an order from the Additional Director General of Police on security protocols during PM Modis visit was leaked on the media. The document outlined various serious threats, including one from the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

The Union Ministry of Home Affairs banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associate outfits last year amid terror threats. During NIA raids at its premises in Kerala, PFI sympathisers and cadres had protested against the action. A hartal observed had also turned violent.

Even as the police have identified the man mentioned in the letter, he has denied any involvement. Local reports stated that the man claimed that his name was used by his opponents to frame him. Security measures, meanwhile, have been tightened and the central probe agencies have sought additional details.

Raising concern over leaking of the security letter, Minister of State for external affairs M Muraleedharan said that it was a serious lapse on the part of the state police.

BJP state chief K Surendran has maintained that all scheduled functions will take place. PM Modi is expected to arrive in Kochi on April 24. He will be in Thiruvananthapuram the following day to inaugurate the states first Vande Bharat Express.

Read all the Latest Politics News here
Home for 19 years and hundreds of memories but it all ended for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he locked his official bungalow at 12, Tughlak Lane in New Delhi on Saturday, weeks after his disqualification as an MP from Lok Sabha.

It could have been an emotional moment but Rahul kept his smile intact, posed for photos with the staff members, and handed over keys to a government official. His mother Sonia Gandhi, sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Congress leader KC Venugopal were also present there.

The former Congress chief thanked the people of India for giving him this house for 19 years. It is the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth," he added.

ALSO READ: Trip Down 12, Tughlaq Lane: An Address for RaGa, Power Centre for Congress for 19 Years

Rahuls belongings have already been shifted from his official residence to his mothers residence at 10 Janpath in Delhi.

He was disqualified from Lok Sabha after a Gujarat court last month convicted him in a criminal defamation case, concerning the surname Modi and subsequently sentenced him to two years imprisonment. He moved a sessions court against the magistrates order but his plea was rejected. A relief on his conviction and disqualification could have paved the way for him to retain his official bungalow, allotted to him as a Wayanad MP. Gandhi will now move the high court against the sessions court order.

Speaking to reporters, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said, Whatever my brother is saying is true. He spoke the truth about the government for which he is suffering. But we are not afraid"

Meanwhile, Venugopal accused the Centre of indulging in political vendetta. They can give this house to anyone now. The way the Modi government and Amit Shah are targeting Rahul Gandhi is completely a political vendetta," he said.

The Congress said the government may evict" Rahul Gandhi from a house but he occupies a place in the hearts and homes of crores of Indians.

The party also launched a MeraGharAapkaGhar" campaign on social media with party leaders offering their homes to Gandhi.

The Congress said on its official Twitter handle in Hindi that this country is the home of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul who resides in the hearts of people."

Rahuls relation with the public is unbreakable. Some see in him their son, some brother, some their leader. Rahul belongs to everyone and everyone belongs to Rahul. This is the reason why today the country is saying- Rahul ji, my house-your house," the Congress said, using the hashtag #MeraGharAapkaGhar".

(with ANI, PTI inputs)

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If satire, sly remarks, and political attacks were not enough, the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have now locked horns over their own respective versions of the hit Bollywood song, Baby ko Bass Pasand Hai. Using different versions of the Salman Khan-starrer song, BJP, and Congress engaged in a slugfest on Twitter.

It all started with the Congress Twitter handle posting a photo of PM Modis face pasted on the songs still image. The picture was caption, PM Modi ko Corruption Pasand Hai (PM Modi likes corruption)." The grand old partys swipe came in the light of PM Modi dialling former minister KS Eshwarappa on Friday.

PM Modi Ko Corruption Pasand Hai pic.twitter.com/OpMOdRwrDC Congress (@INCIndia) April 21, 2023

The post triggered several different versions of the poster, that took a dig at Rahul Gandhi. Several Twitter users changed the caption with Antonio Maino ko Disco Bar Pasand Hai", Gandhi Parivar ko Corruption Pasand Hai," and others.

On Saturday, BJP rebutted to Congress initial dig, with a video clip of the song, in the saffron partys own version.

The Congress Friday accused the BJP of endorsing corruption after PM Modi reached out to ex-Karnataka minister K S Eshwarappa who was denied a party ticket in the upcoming state assembly polls.

The Opposition party said that Prime Minister Modi congratulating Eshwarappa for not rebelling despite not being given a poll ticket is unacceptable".

Eshwarappa stepped down as Karnatakas Rural Development and Panchayati Raj minister in April 2022, a PTI report said. This was the fallout of a contractor, Santosh Patil, ending his own life after accusing Eshwarappa of collecting a 40 per cent commission on public works in Belagavi.

The former minister had recently conveyed to the BJPs central leadership his wish to retire from electoral politics but is said to have sought the ticket for his son K E Kantesh. The party, however, gave the ticket to Channabasappa overlooking the senior leaders request.

The Congress on Friday said on Twitter, This man is accused of demanding 40 per cent commission and was forced to resign over corruption charges after BJP worker Santosh Patil committed suicide."

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NCP leader Ajit Pawar has said that he is ready to stake claim to the CMs post right now, without waiting for the 2024 Maharashtra elections. The statement comes four year after Sharad Pawars nephew formed the government along with BJPs Devendra Fadnavis.

The two leaders joined hands in a hush-hush ceremony in November 2019. However, it lasted for only three days. Ajit Pawars recent remark was made at a private media function in Pimpri Chinchwad near Pune, in response to a question if NCP would stake a claim to the CMs post during the 2024 assembly elections.

When Ajit was asked if any group within NCP was seeking an alliance with BJP, he said, Not at all. When asked for his opinion on the 2024 elections, Ajit Pawar said opposition parties must unite to defeat the ruling party.

Reacting to the NCP leaders statement, deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said, There is nothing wrong with anyone wanting to be a chief minister. Many like it but not everyone can be a CM. We wish him (Ajit Pawar) all the best." He, however, added that he had not seen the leaders interview.

Shiv Sena spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat has already warned that if the NCP leader joined BJP with a group of party leaders, then the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena will not be part of the government in Maharashtra.

Shirsat said Ajit Pawars displeasure is because his son Parth Pawar lost election earlier. His displeasure has no connection with the case of a plea seeking disqualification of 16 Shiv Sena MLAs pending before the Supreme Court.

Ajit Pawar not being reachable is not a new thing. But his displeasure, which is being shown by the media, and our case (pending before the Supreme Court) has no relation. Ajit Pawar is disgruntled since his son Parth Pawar had lost the election," Shirsat said.

Parth Pawar was defeated in the 2019 Lok Sabha poll from Maval constituency in Maharashtra.

The Shiv Sena spokesperson claimed, Ajit Pawar was held responsible for the oath ceremony held at dawn (in November 2019 with Devendra Fadnavis). After two-and-a-half years, Sharad Pawar said it was an experiment to revoke Presidents rule." Shirsat said Ajit Pawar has not clarified over the incident till date.

Sanjay Shirsat said Ajit Pawar is a big leader and he will not tell easily about what is going on in his mind.

Recently, the political circles were abuzz with another crisis in the state politics when Ajit suddenly went incommunicado. He later came out and slammed the media for speculations and stated that he was resting due to his ill-health".

READ FULL STORY |Missing Ajit Pawar Emerges Amid Rumours of Another Maharashtra Crisis, Issues Clarification

Elaborating on his partys CM post aspirations, Ajit Pawar said that there would have been an NCP CM in 2004 itself as it had 71 seats. But there were decisions taken at the senior level and to maintain party discipline, we accepted the deputy CMs post. Otherwise, Congress leaders were ready to have a CM from NCP. Had that been allowed, (late) RR Patil would have become CM then, a report in Times of India quoted Ajit Pawar.

Read all the Latest Politics News here
Moroccos King Mohammed VI on Saturday appointed a new second-in-command of the armed forces, a release from the royal palace said, amid tensions with neighbor Algeria over the Western Sahara, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.

Under the North African countrys constitution, the king himself commands the armed forces.

His new number two is Inspector General Mohammed Berid who replaces General Belkhir El Farouk, the announcement carried by the official MAP news agency said.

No reason for the change was given, but at the handover Farouk, 75, appeared in a wheelchair. His successor is around seven years younger and was in charge of the zone that includes disputed Western Sahara.

According to the website Global Firepower, Morocco has about 310,000 regular soldiers and 150,000 reservists.

Saturdays change comes during months of heightened tensions with Algeria after the collapse of a decades-old ceasefire in the Western Sahara and Moroccos normalization of ties with Israel in late 2020.

The Algiers-backed Polisario Front seeks independence for the Western Sahara which Rabat says is Moroccan territory.

Antagonism between the two Maghreb states is also feeding a regional arms race.

The United States has just approved the sale of 18 HIMARS precision rocket systems to Morocco, while the Algerian armed forces rely mainly on equipment from Russia.
Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMKs leader Edappadi Palaniswami laid out the bare truth this week  if theres a party to effectively play the role of opposition to the DMK government, its the AIADMK.

Palaniswami could not have uttered truer words. In some way, he dished out worldly wise political wisdom that emanates from seasoned politicians like P Chidambaram, who said something similar about the Congresss wholesome ability to check the BJP in its tracks ahead of the 2014 parliamentary polls.

A case in point was the recently concluded Erode East bypolls in Tamil Nadu. While it is true that the DMK swept handsomely (margin over 66,000 votes), it was clear from the manner of posturing in the poll run-up that the AIADMK was regarded as the principal opposition party, with the BJP seeming to be an enthusiastic irritant to the ruling DMK.

This is also plausible because the AIADMK has been the important and only contestant to the DMKs might in Tamil Nadu for over 50 years now. The Indian National Congress holds strong organisational and infrastructural field strength but the party has not been able to leverage its strength to its fullest for years now, partly attributable to the heavy infighting.

The BJPs growth story in Tamil Nadu is still ambivalent  strong in some regions but yet to snowball into any form of electoral force (2.62 per cent votes garnered out of the 20 seats it contested). Comparing vote percentages of AIADMK and DMK only enforces the point that the electorate did give a certain level of sanction for the AIADMK, despite 10 years in power  33.29 per cent from 191 seats as against 37.7 per cent from DMKs 188 seats.

And yet, all things considered, the AIADMKs response to key issues in Tamil Nadu suggests a reluctance to play the role of an opposition as it should.

In recent times, the DMK government found itself firefighting  to various degrees  on two issues. One is BJP chief K Annamalais expose of corruption by the ruling family of the DMK  Chief Minister MK Stalin, minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, son in-law Sabareesan, and others. The other being the audio of a voice purportedly belonging to finance minister P Thiagarajan released by political observer and the editor of digital political views and investigative journalism outlet Savukku. The BJP took leverage from Savukkus expose to strengthen its DMK Files corruption campaign.

On both issues, the AIADMK was speaking in a voice not clearly Opposition-like. While the AIADMK has not had much to say on the audio expose, its response on DMK Files underscored a reluctance to take the DMK head-on. Groaning under the weight of several corruption charges against its own ministers, the AIADMK responded sharply to just one angle of the DMK Files speech by Annamalai that he would not spare any party that has been in power. The AIADMK made the DMK Files campaign about itself, ignoring the fact that the target was the DMK, its principal opposition, and in many ways, the reason why it exists.

In the months to come, as more thorny issues arise for the DMK, the AIADMK will be put to test equally  on how it reacts to issues that allow it the space to play Opposition. What would Jayalalithaa have done?

Read all the Latest Politics News here
With Google I/O 2023 approaching fast, the rumor train for the next budget Pixel devicethe Pixel 7ahas picked up. While it is reportedly going to be an incremental upgrade to the Pixel 6a, the phone is expected to come with the second generation Tensor SoC, called the Tensor G2, and now, according to leaker Snoopy Tech, the Pixel 7a is going to get a key feature that was missing with the Pixel 6a: face unlocking.

We would take it with a grain of salt for now because its not confirmed yet, but it is more than likely that Google will include this feature considering the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro already ship with the face unlock feature.

However, it must be noted that despite having face unlock, the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro dont allow the use of facial unlocking when dealing with security-sensitive apps, including bank apps, and when inputting passwords. For those, you need to use the more secure in-display fingerprint scanner.

This could be the same case for the Pixel 7a, as to offer more secure face unlock, akin to something like the Pixel 4 serieswith infrared scanningthanks to the presence of a more robust face scanning hardware.

As for the rest of the specifications, the Pixel 7a is expected to get a 6.1-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate, and be offered with a dual-camera setup, including a main wide lens and a secondary ultrawide unit.

Based on the leaked renders, the phone could also offer relatively symmetrical bezels, minimizing the chinand increasing the overall screen-to-body ratio. As for the price, leaks have pointed towards a sticker price of $499, which would represent a $50 price hike, up from the $449 price of the Pixel 6a.

Read all the Latest Tech News here
Motorola is set to release a new version of its Moto Razr foldable phone series, with a teaser suggesting an evolution in refresh rate.

While the previous Razr models had a lower refresh rate, the upcoming Razr 2023 is expected to feature a 144Hz refresh rate, according to GizChina.

New Razr coming soon in China!! pic.twitter.com/jzsqpZxMRU MotoFanboy (@FanboyMoto) April 20, 2023

This higher refresh rate would make it more competitive against other clamshell foldable phones in the market.

The Motorola Razr 2023 will reportedly have a 6.7-inch 1080p panel and could feature a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, which was also used in the previous Razr model, GizChina reported.

However, there is also speculation that it could have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 SoC, making it the first clamshell foldable to use this chipset.

The phones performance will likely be on par with the Moto Razr 2022, but the increased refresh rate could make the phone more appealing to consumers.

Read all the Latest Tech News here
US President Joe Biden on Friday pledged to defend womens health from politically-driven attacks" after the Supreme Court temporarily preserved broad access to a widely used abortion pill.

The stakes could not be higher for women across America. I will continue to fight politically-driven attacks on womens health," Biden said in a statement.

.@POTUS statement on the Supreme Courts Decision in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA. pic.twitter.com/YlDRItEQsc The White House (@WhiteHouse) April 21, 2023

This statement came after the apex court in the country preserved access to a widely used abortion pill, freezing rulings by lower courts that would have banned or severely restricted the availability of the drug.

Two US justices disagreed with the decision in the most significant abortion case to reach the nine-member court since it overturned the constitutional right to the procedure 10 months ago, according to AFP.

On Friday, the US Supreme Court granted the Department of Justices emergency stay application in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v FDA, preventing a lower court decision from going into effect that would have undermined FDAs medical judgment and put womens health at risk.

BREAKING: Supreme Court stays order banning mifepristone. This means mifepristone remains 100% legal and accessible in states where it is legal.Thomas and Alito dissent.https://t.co/Fmn64gkbOS pic.twitter.com/Vv9HqB1PbB  Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) April 21, 2023

As a result of the Supreme Courts stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts. I continue to stand by FDAs evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and my Administration will continue to defend FDAs independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs," the statement added.

The Justice Department under President Joe Biden has urgently requested the Supreme Court to overturn lower court decisions that would limit or prohibit access to mifepristone.

This action comes in response to a lawsuit by anti-abortion organizations, which a US District Court judge in Texas had ruled in favor of, seeking to ban the medication.

Although an appeals court stopped the ban on the abortion pill, it imposed severe constraints on its availability, leading the case to be escalated to the Supreme Court. The US Supreme Courts verdict effectively puts a hold on the lower courts decisions until the appellate court hears the Justice Department and mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories appeal.

US Vice President Kamala Harris issued a separate statement praising the Supreme Court verdict.

We welcome the Supreme Courts decision to grant a stay.Access to mifepristone is preserved for now  and our fight to defend reproductive freedom continues. pic.twitter.com/SkHvBNUpa3  Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) April 22, 2023

We welcome the Supreme Courts decision to grant a stay in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA, and our fight to defend reproductive freedom continues. The Courts announcement preserves access to mifepristone-a safe and effective medication that was approved by the FDA more than two decades ago," she said.

The President and I will continue to fight to protect a womans freedom to make decisions about her own body and access to reproductive health care, including medication abortion. No one should stand between a woman and her doctor."

Planned Parenthood, a leading abortion provider and advocacy group, praised a US Supreme Court decision on Friday freezing rulings by lower courts that would have banned or severely restricted availability of the widely used drug mifepristone.

This is good news, but the facts remain the same: Access to mifepristone should never have been in jeopardy in the first place," the organization tweeted.

(With agency inputs)

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Waving flags and holding photographs depicting conflict atrocities, Ukrainians gathered outside the Brazilian embassy in Lisbon on Friday to protest recent remarks about the Ukraine war made by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Lula, who arrived in Portugal earlier on Friday for a five-day official visit, has angered many in the West for suggesting both Ukraine and Russia were to blame for the conflict that began when Moscow invaded its neighbour in February 2022.

He said last weekend the United States and European allies should stop supplying arms to Ukraine, saying they were prolonging the war.

In recent days, he has toned down his rhetoric, condemning the violation of Ukraines territorial integrity by Russia, while calling again for mediation to end the war, a peace initiative the Ukrainian government has criticised for treating the victim and the aggressor" the same way.

Ukrainian refugee Yana Kolomiiets, who has been in Portugal for four months, took part in the protest in Lisbon and said she felt terrible" when she heard Lulas comments.

It has made me so upset because I dont know how the president of Brazil can support Putin  this killer," said the 27-year-old.

Two Brazilian officials told Reuters on Thursday that Lula - keen to protect Brazils neutrality - was expected to avoid criticism of the Western role in the Ukraine war during his visit to Portugal. He will meet the Portuguese president and prime minister on Saturday.

Outside the embassy, protesters held signs saying Russia is a terrorist state" and Stop killing our children".

People die in Ukraine every day and we need international support," said the president of Portugals Ukrainian Association, Pavlo Sadokha, describing it as strange" that a president  who has fought for democracy all his life was now on the side of totalitarianism."

Sadokhas association delivered a letter to the Brazilian embassy to express their discontent, given to Brazils ambassador Raimundo Carreiro and government minister Marcio Macedo.

Brazil and president Lula have a vocation for peace and the president will work to unite other countries to seek an alternative to end this conflict", Macedo told reporters after receiving the letter.

On Tuesday, Ukraine invited Lula to visit, a day after Lula had met with Russias foreign minister in Brasilia.

Asked if the president would visit Ukraine, Macedo said Lulas foreign policy adviser, Celso Amorim, would go. There was still no fixed date, he said.

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A US official confirmed that President Joe Biden is looking forward to travelling to India in September for G20 Leaders Summit. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu said 2023 is going to be a big year for the India-US relationship.

Indias leadership in the G-20 further broadens its capacity to stand as a force for good in the world, the official said.

This is gonna be a big year. Of course, India is hosting the G-20. This year, the United States is hosting APEC. Japan is hosting the G7. We have lots of our QUAD members who are taking on leadership roles. And it provides opportunities for all of us to bring our countries closer together, Donald Lu told PTI in an interview on Thursday.

I know our President is looking forward to travelling to India in September. That will be his first trip to India as part of the G-20 Leaders Summit. Were really excited about whats to come in the next few months, he said.

Were only a little over three months into this new year. And weve had a number of really exciting things that happened, he said.

This includes the visit of Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to India. The India-US Forum in Delhi was attended by several senior administration officials.

India as the president of the G-20 has been taking a lead in advancing a positive agenda for the G-20.

In March Dr Jaishankar hosted his QUAD counterparts for a ministerial meeting and extraordinary public events at the Raisina Dialogue with all four foreign ministers together. It was the first such public discussion with QUAD foreign ministers and really drove home how our four countries are coming together to support the people of the Indo-Pacific, he said.

And then lastly, this month, the arrival of our new Ambassador Eric Garcetti. He has already received a really warm welcome from our Indian and American staff at the US Embassy. Once he presents his credentials, he is looking forward to meeting with the rest of India and I think India will find that he is young, he is enthusiastic, and hes eager to bring our relations to new heights, Lu said.

We are really thankful for the tremendous work India has done by hosting the G-20 Foreign Ministerial meeting last month, and we look forward to actively participating in the many future G-20 meetings coming up this year, including the New Delhi Leaders Summit in September, he said.

At the foreign ministers meeting, India created an agenda that allowed them to discuss some of the worlds most pressing challenges and deliberate to find concrete solutions.

We have seen how the G-20 brings together countries for collective action. This meeting in March was no exception. As India has already shown during the first few meetings of its presidency, the G-20 is a powerful forum where the worlds leading economies can come together to respond to global challenges: food security, health, energy insecurity, climate change and unsustainable debt, he said.

(With PTI inputs)

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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan announced on Saturday that he will review complaints raised by candidates who did not receive nomination tickets for the elections to the Punjab assembly, news agency Dawn reported.

The Dawn also reported that before the former prime minister could begin the review process, the supporters of some of the aspirants began protesting. I will begin the tickets review process from tomorrow till 26th of cases sent to me by the four Reconciliation Committees that were formed for this purpose, Khan tweeted.

The Election Commission of Pakistan extended the last date of submission of party tickets until April 26.

The Dawn said that there are disputes on 20% of the seats and 80% of the tickets were handed over to deserving candidates.

Decisions on 12 seats remain pending and Imran Khan awarded 285 tickets to candidates. The party received over 1,500 applications. The Dawn citing PTI officials said that the conflict is among candidates who submitted nomination papers for respective constituencies because they felt they were better suited to represent those areas.

Khan on several occasions said he would personally interview candidates before handing them the nomination tickets.

The final list of candidates also left out many big names like - Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Fawad Chaudhry and Hammad Azhar.

The Dawn report said that with these big players out two leaders - newly-inducted PTI president Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and Usman Buzdar - are in the pole position to become Punjab province chief minister, if voted to power.

Shahbaz Gill, whose alleged torture at the hands of the police has often been raised by Imran Khan to rouse his party workers, was also denied a ticket.

Four committees have been set up to discuss the complaints raised and recommend adjustments to the final list.

The North Punjab review committee headed by retired brigadier Musadiq Abbasi, Central Punjab review committee headed by senator Ejaz Chaudhry, West Punjab review committee headed by Hassan Nawaz and South Punjab review committee headed by Aon Abbas Bappi will engage the complainants, the Dawn reported.

Imran Khan facilitated the ex-Pakistan Muslim League (Quaid e Azam) (PML-(Q)) groups leaders and awarded tickets to 10 leaders from the party, whose one faction has now merged with the PTI.

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Indian-origin peers representing the Hindu and Sikh faiths are likely to be joined by Muslim and Jewish House of Lords representatives in carrying key pieces of Coronation emblems to add a multi-faith touch to the Christian religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, it emerged on Saturday.

According to The Times newspaper, non-Christian religions will be represented in the main ceremony by members of the House of Lords from the four major faiths.

Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel, 84, will represent the Hindu faith and is expected to carry the sovereigns ring on the day of the Coronation.

Lord Indrajit Singh, 90, will represent the Sikh faith and is expected to carry the coronation glove.

It stresses the point that [the King] has said again and again that he is defender of the Christian faith but with total respect for all other faiths, Singh told The Times. Lord Kamall, 56, a London-born Muslim peer, is expected to carry the armills or a pair of bracelets and Baroness Gillian Merron, 64, will represent the Jewish faith and is expected to carry one of the coronation robes.

These royal regalia are expected to form a key feature of the religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey next month and the items are likely to be handed over to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will be presiding over the ceremony, to be passed on to King Charles.Besides, non-Christian clerics are likely to be invited to form part of a faith procession.

However, Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm the details of the ceremony for the crowning of 74-year-old Charles as King.

The Coronation liturgy will be published in due course and we look forward to sharing more details then, said a spokesperson for Lambeth Palace, the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

It has been widely expected that Charles would like to incorporate some multi-faith aspects to the traditionally Anglican Christian Coronation ceremony, last held 70 years ago when his late mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953.

He has made several high-profile visits to temples, gurdwaras, mosques and synagogues over the years as the heir-apparent Prince of Wales. Westminster Abbey also plays host to multi-faith services quite regularly, including for the annual Commonwealth Day ceremony held in March every year.

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Japan ordered its military Saturday to prepare to shoot down a North Korean ballistic missile after Pyongyang said this week it was ready to launch its first military spy satellite.

Placing the satellite into orbit would require a long-range projectile, which North Korea is banned from launching because the United Nations views such exercises as tests of ballistic missile technology.

On Saturday Japanese minister Yasukazu Hamada told the countrys Self-Defense Forces there is a possibility of ordering destructive measures against ballistic missiles and others", according to a statement from the ministry of defence.

Hamada instructed troops to implement measures necessary to limit damage in the event of a ballistic missile falling".

He ordered preparations for the deployment of destroyers equipped with SM-3 missile interceptors, as well as military units in the southern prefecture of Okinawa that can operate Patriot PAC-3 missiles.

In 2012 and 2016, North Korea tested ballistic missiles that Pyongyang called satellite launches.

Both missiles flew over the Okinawa region.

Japanese media reported Saturday that the defence ministry issued the same preparation orders in 2012.

Pyongyang has not provided a launch date, with leader Kim Jong Un only saying the satellite will be sent up at the planned date".

On Tuesday G7 foreign ministers meeting in Japan demanded North Korea refrain from any further ballistic missile tests following a spate of launches this year.

The group of rich nations also warned Pyongyang against carrying out an expected nuclear weapons test and said there would be a robust" response if it did not comply.

A week ago Pyongyang said it had successfully tested a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, hailing it as a breakthrough for the countrys nuclear counterattack capabilities.

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A poll by the Wall Street Journal showed Donald Trump, the former US president, gained a lead over Florida governor Ron DeSantis in the GOP presidential-nomination race.

The poll shows Trump continues to build support across most of the primary electorate, signalling that DeSantis is struggling on the national level.

The poll shows that 51% of the likely Republican primary voters favour Donald Trump over DeSantis, who was favoured by 38% respondents.

DeSantis started out with a 14-point advantage in December following his re-election as Florida governor but it fell to a 13-point deficit.

Trump stood out in a potential field of 12 Republican contenders, amassing 48% support.

DeSantis took the second-place with 24% support, followed by Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor, who received 5% support. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott received support from 3% of the respondents of the poll.

The Wall Street Journal in a report pointed out that DeSantis drop could be due to several reasons. One, him not choosing to engage with Trump could be affecting his electoral chances. The Florida governor has hardly responded directly to the attacks by the former president.

Also, DeSantis calling the war in Ukraine a territorial dispute has also angered a section of the voters. It should be noted that Trumps stance is not very different from that of DeSantis as the former advocates less support - military and economic - for the regime in Kyiv.

The report by the news agency also pointed to Trump stepping up campaign activity, citing that it has helped him gain ground among Republican voters. The criminal charges filed against him have failed to dent his image among Republican voters.

The poll said that voters who identified themselves as very conservative were found to be leaning towards Trump and this group forms half of the GOP primary electorate.

Women and college graduates who vote Republican have also sided with Trump.

The polls, however, show that 84%Republican voters think DeSantis carries a more positive image than Trump and 41% of Republican primary voters also feel DeSantis would have the better chance of beating US President Joe Biden.

At least 48% of the respondents also said that DeSantis has the better temperament to be president.

Read all the Latest News here
The European Union intends to suggest introducing a ban on transit of certain goods via the territory of Russia as part of the new, the eleventh package of anti-Russian sanctions, Bloomberg news agency reports, citing sources, Trend reports citing TASS.

Restrictive measures will apply to a broad list of high-technology goods and certain vehicles that can be allegedly used by the Russia in the conflict in Ukraine, sources said.

About thirty new positions and further restrictions against certain Russian companies and organizations are expected to be comprised in the package. Rosatom, the Russian state-run nuclear corporation, is unlikely to be included into the sanctions list, the news agency said.

Ten sanctions packages have already been adopted against Russia to date.
The Philippines top diplomat has expressed his concern to Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang over escalating tensions in waters around Taiwan, Manila said on Saturday.

Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo met Qin as the two countries seek to deepen economic ties while also managing their dispute in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement after the talks.

Secretary Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines adherence to the One China Policy, while at the same time expressing concern over the escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait," the DFA said.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control one day, by force if necessary.

Qin described China and the Philippines as close neighbours across the sea".

Amid the fluid and turbulent regional situation, a healthy and stable China-Philippines relationship is not only meeting the aspirations of our two peoples, but also in line with the common aspirations of regional countries," Qin said during the talks.

He told a forum in Shanghai on Friday that recent rhetoric accusing China of disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait could have dangerous consequences.

Such claims go against basic common sense on international relations and historical justice," he said.

The logic is absurd and the consequences dangerous."

China staged military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan this month that simulated targeted strikes and a blockade of the island.

This was in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China and the Philippines are locked in a bitter maritime dispute in the strategic South China Sea.

President Ferdinand Marcos, after meeting Qin on Saturday, sought to downplay the tensions.

Some of the pronouncements that have been made recently by our two countries and many other countries might be misinterpreted," Marcos said in a statement.

The Philippine leader described the meeting as very useful" and very productive".

As to the conflicts, we agreed to establish more lines of communication," he added.

Manalo, the Philippine foreign minister, said differences in the South China Sea are not the sum total" of relations between the two nations, which have agreed to manage disagreements through dialogue and cooperation.

Beijing claims almost the entire waterway and has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that ruled its claims have no legal basis.

Other regional issues were also on the agenda of Saturdays talks, the DFA said.

Read all the Latest News here
At least 400 people were killed and over 3,500 were wounded as the fight between Sudan army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the chief of powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), Mohamed Hamdan Daglo entered day seven.

Fighting between both groups erupted last Saturday over issues of integrating the RSF into the military and now has turned into a power struggle with both parties seeking to gain control of the resource-rich African nation.

A report by news agency AFP pointed out that street fighting between the forces of two rival generals eased in parts of Sudans capital Khartoum by Friday evening. International agencies, global and regional leaders pushed both parties for an end-of-Ramadan ceasefire.

The army on Friday announced that they agreed to a three-day ceasefire to allow citizens to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and allow the flow of humanitarian services. Dagalo said he spoke to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and he remains focused on the humanitarian truce, safe passages, and protecting humanitarian workers.

Residents speaking to AFP said that there was a rare lull in the fighting Friday evening and the Sudan army complained that the RSF was violating the truce, including by indiscriminately bombing" the airport and presidential palace.

Evacuations

Several nations, including India, are making plans to evacuate their citizens from Sudan. The US, South Korea and Japan are deploying forces to nearby countries and the EU is mulling whether to take the same path but on Friday the US State Department said the fighting had made Sudan too risky for an evacuation of embassy personnel from Khartoum.

The Pentagon mobilised in the east Africa region to bring out US staff from Khartoum. The RSF agreed to partially" open all airports" in Sudan but it remains unclear which airports they control.

Some residents of Khartoum lamented that they are unable to leave the city and meet with their near and dear ones to celebrate Eid. Eid is meant to be spent with sweets and pastries, with happy children, and people greeting relatives. Instead, there has been gunfire and the stench of blood all around us, Khartoum resident Sami al-Nour told AFP.

Many people are seeking safer routes of exit but the closed bridges across the River Nile between Khartoum and its sister cities of Omdurman and Bahri.

There were no buses, people were walking on foot, with their bags and moving. There were cars passing, but they were all private cars and all of them were full, Ahmed Mubarak was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters. The Khartoum resident grew anxious after the fights erupted and left Khartoum taking with him only the clothes he was wearing.

Residents of Khartoum are leaving the city through Gezira State to the south or River Nile State to the north. Reuters reported that Khartoum residents were seen wheeling suitcases along the streets or balancing bags on their heads as they start their journeys.

Some residents, who spoke to Reuters, said that they fear their belongings and homes will not be safe if they leave Khartoum for safer areas. Some residents also said that some RSF units have embedded themselves in residential areas.

The risk of leaving our house, leaving our belongings, is just way too hard to process, Makram Waleed, a 25-year-old doctor, hoping to leave the capital but wary of the safety threats to his three younger sisters told Reuters.

Read all the Latest News here
Twitter dropped the Government-funded" and China state-affiliated" labels, which implies government involvement in editorial content, from the accounts of various global media organizations, their profiles showed on Friday.

Twitter dropped the Government-funded Media" label from the accounts of US-based National Public Radio (NPR), British Broadcasting Corp and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC).

It also dropped the China state-affiliated media" tag on the accounts of Xinhua News as well as of journalists associated with government-backed publications.

While Chinese publishers accounts, including those of their senior staff as well as of some key government officials, started getting the label in 2020, the likes of NPR and CBC were labeled only earlier this month.

That led NPR and CBC to stop posting to their Twitter accounts, arguing that the label did not accurately capture their governance structure.

In a BBC interview last week, Twitters billionaire owner Elon Musk said the social media platform was trying to be accurate" and looking into amending the label.

Our goal is simply to be as truthful and accurate as possible. Were adjusting the label to be publicly funded, which I think is perhaps not too objectionable," Musk had said.

Twitter, NPR, CBC and BBC did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the removal of the tag.

Twitter on Thursday also removed the legacy verified blue tick from the profile of thousands of people, including celebrities, journalists and prominent politicians such as Hillary Clinton.

Among those losing their badges were former US president Donald Trump, Microsoft Corp co-founder Bill Gates and reality TV star Kim Kardashian.

Read all the Latest News here
Australias shadow minister for housing Michael Sukkar on Friday said Australia has zero tolerance for violence and condemned the recent vandalisation of Hindu temples in the country.

Towards the beginning of 2023, the Indian diaspora and Hindus living in Australia were targeted by Khalistani separatists who defaced three temples in Melbourne and then attacked Indians in the citys Federation Square.

I can completely understand the concern that many in India have. We have zero-tolerance for these sorts of issues. Our view for all migrants to Australia is that you dont bring all those animosities to Australia, Sukkar said.

And in any event, acting in a violent way, we have no tolerance for. I understand that the five men have been charged in relation to those activities because we in no way, shape or form support that kind of violent conduct, Sukkar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir temple in Melbournes Mill Park was first vandalised on January 12, Shri Shiva Vishnu Temple in Carrum Downs was vandalised on January 16 and the wall of the ISKCON temple in Melbourne was defaced with Khalistan Zindabad graffiti on January 23.

Khalistani separatists attacked Indians on January 29 in Melbourne Federation Square during a rally organised by the pro-Khalistan group Sikhs For Justice.

There have been speculations that those who attacked Indians on January 29 in Melbournes Federation Square were pro-Khalistan supporters who may have entered the nation on tourist visas.

Earlier this year, former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott while speaking to CNN-News18s Zakka Jacob so-called protests in Melbourne organised by Khalistan separatists was led by mostly those who came to Australia on tourist visas under the false pretext of holidaying.

The recent protest in Melbourne was not nearly as big as it was reported to have been. It was basically initiated by people who had come into Australia on tourist visas pretending to (be on) holiday, Abbott said during an interview with CNN-News18s Zakka Jacob.

The former prime minister said that Australia has the tools to ensure that these events dont happen in the future and understands why India would be concerned about a separatist agitation being held in Australia - a country with which it has strong ties.

Meanwhile, Sukkar also said that India-Australia relationship is very important and crucial. Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modis upcoming visit to Australia for the Quad Summit, the minister said the Quad is important for the Indo-Pacific region.

He said that large nations like India have influence and that influence must be projected in their immediate area and India can exert its influence in a healthy manner.

Read all the Latest News here
he situation has somewhat calmed down in Khartoum on Friday after the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to observe a ceasefire, the Al-Hadath television channel reported, Trend reports citing TASS.

It showed live reports from the capital city, with now sounds of shooting or explosions heard. Tensions have reportedly decreased in provinces as well.

Some time ago, the Sudanese army declared its readiness to observe the humanitarian ceasefire during three days starting from Friday.

On Thursday eveing, the Rapid Support Forces (RFS) agreed to a ceasefire with the Sudanese army for the Eid al-Fitr holiday, mediated by Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. However, clashes between the army and the RSF continued on Friday, as follows from reports by Arab television channels.
Delaware's Democratic governor is not in favor of legalizing marijuana for recreational usebut he has decided to stop standing in the way. Gov. John Carney said Friday that he would allow two legalization bills to become law without his signature, the News Journal reports. Possessing up to 1 ounce of leaf marijuana for personal use will become legal in Delaware on Sunday. A second bill will create a recreational marijuana industry in the state, though it will be at least 16 months before retail sales begin. Both bills passed the state House and Senate last month and were sent to the governor last week.

Carney, who vetoed similar legislation last year, had to choose between signing the legislation, vetoing it, or doing nothing, which meant the bills would become law after 10 days. The governor said Friday that he had decided it was time for the state to "move on" and focus on more pressing issues. "I want to be clear that my views on this issue have not changed," he said. "And I understand there are those who share my views who will be disappointed in my decision not to veto this legislation." He said he doesn't support legalization of recreational marijuana because of his concerns about children and road safety, but he will respect the legislative process.

"I understand the governors personal opposition to legalization, so I especially appreciate him listening to the thousands of residents who support this effort and allowing it to become law," said Democratic state Rep. Ed Osienski, chief sponsor of both measures, per the AP. State lawmakers failed to override Carney's veto last year but after the election of several progressive Democrats in November, they would probably have had the numbers to override Carney if he had decided to reject the bills. The new laws make Delaware the 22nd state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. (Read more marijuana stories.)
The Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from the United States, Britain, China, and France out of the country on military airplanes, as fighting persisted in the capital, including at its main airport. The military said that army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan had spoken to leaders of various countries requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, the AP reports. The country has been roiled by bloody fighting for the past week that has killed over 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organization.

Foreign countries have struggled in vain to repatriate their citizens, a task deemed far too risky as clashes between the Sudanese army and a rival powerful paramilitary group have raged in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas. The main international airport, near the center of the capital, has been the target of heavy shelling as the paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces, has tried to take control of the complex, complicating evacuation plans. With Sudan's airspace closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to simply shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans.

Burhan said that some diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan, the countrys main seaport on the Red Sea.Earlier this week, the Pentagon said it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the possible evacuation of US Embassy personnel from Sudan. On Friday, the US said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of an estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan, and continued to urge Americans in Sudan to shelter in place.

(Read more Sudan stories.)
UPDATE

Apr 24, 2023 8:47 AM CDT

Ex-cop Kim Potter has been released from a prison in Minnesota, reports the AP. The state corrections department announced that Potter was freed about 4am Monday, the timing of her release having been kept under wraps "out of an abundance of caution." Potter, who is white, fatally shot Black driver Daunte Wright after a traffic stop in what she said was an accident. She served 16 months of a two-year sentence and will remain on supervised release until December.

Apr 22, 2023 8:57 AM CDT

The former Minneapolis-area police officer who killed 20-year-old Daunte Wright two years ago is getting out of prison after 16 months. Kim Potter, who claimed she mistook her handgun for her Taser when the Black motorist tried to flee a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, will be freed Monday and will serve another eight months on supervised release, NBC reports. Potter, 50, was sentenced to two years in prison early last year. Under Minnesota sentencing guidelines, inmates usually serve the last third of their sentences on supervised release.

After Potter was found guilty of manslaughter, prosecutors pushed for a sentence of more than seven years, but Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu, calling it "one of the saddest cases" she'd seen in more than 20 years on the bench, opted for a lighter sentence because Potter had intended to use a Taser on Wright. Potter applied for early release last year, saying she planned to work with domestic violence survivors and people experiencing homelessness, reports Axios, but the state Board of Pardons declined to consider the request. (After Potter was sentenced, Wright's mother said the "justice system murdered him all over again.)
Tony Award-winning comedian Barry Humphries, internationally renowned for his garish stage persona Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and imperfectly-veiled snob whose evolving character has delighted audiences over seven decades, has died. He was 89. His death was confirmed Saturday by the Sydney hospital where he spent several days with complications following hip surgery. Humphries had lived in London for decades and returned to his native Australia in December for Christmas. He told the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper last month that his physiotherapy had been "agony" following a fall and hip replacement.

"It was the most ridiculous thing, like all domestic incidents are. I was reaching for a book, my foot got caught on a rug or something, and down I went," Humphries said of his fall. The character of Dame Edna began as a dowdy Mrs. Norm Everage, who first took to the stage in Humphries hometown of Melbourne in the mid-1950s. She reflected a postwar suburban inertia and cultural blandness that Humphries found stifling. Edna is one of Humphries several enduring characters, the AP reports. The next most famous is Sir Les Patterson, an ever-drunk, disheveled and lecherous Australian cultural attache.

Humphries, a law school dropout, found major success as an actor, writer and entertainer in Britain in the 1970s, but the United States was an ambition that he found stubbornly elusive. A high point in the United States was a Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway show "Dame Edna: The Royal Tour." Humphries remained an active entertainer, touring Britain last year with his one-man show "The Man Behind the Mask." Married four times, he is survived by his wife Lizzie Spender and four children.

(Read more obituary stories.)
About two weeks after a man killed four children in a Brazilian day care center, authorities already have rounded up some 300 adults and minors nationwide accused of spreading hate speech or stoking school violence. Little has been revealed about the unprecedented crackdown, which risks judicial overreach, but it underlines the determination of the country's response across federal, state, and municipal levels. Brazil's all-hands effort to stamp out school attacks stands in contrast to the US, where such attacks have been more frequent and more deadly for a longer period, yet where measures are incremental, the AP reports. Actions adopted in the USand some of its perceived shortcomingsare informing the Brazilian response, said Renan Theodoro of the Center for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo.

"We have learned from the successes and the mistakes of other countries, especially the United States," Theodoro said. Brazil has seen almost two dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000, half of them in the last 12 months, including the day care center attack April 5. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the notion of schools as safe havens has been "ruined." His government has sought input from independent researchers and this week convened a meeting of ministers, mayors, and Supreme Court justices to discuss possible solutions. Some measures already adopted are in line with those implemented over time in the US, like the creation of hotlines, safety training for school administrators and teachers, federal funding for mental health, plus security equipment and infrastructure.

The arrests aim to assuage fear among Brazilians, said Luis Flavio Sapori of the Brazilian Forum for Public Security. "The priority is diminishing panic," he said. In the weeks since the day care massacre, unconfirmed threats and rumors have circulated on social media, and stirred dread among students, educators and parentsincluding Vanusia Silva Lima, 42, the mother of a 5-year-old son in central Sao Paulo. "I am afraid of sending my son to school. Not only myself, my friends are too, women I met at the salon, too," Lima said. Many Brazilian states didn't wait for the federal response, per the AP. Sao Paulo temporarily hired 550 psychologists to attend to its public schools, and added 1,000 private security guards.

Brazil's push has garnered broad support in part because it hasn't included firearm restrictions, increasingly a hot-button political issue, as it is in the US. And anyway, Brazil's school attacks more often are carried out with other weapons, especially knives. Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Lula's far-right predecessor, was one of a few prominent lawmakers calling for detectors and armed guards, citing examples in the US, and put forward a bill to make them obligatory at all schools. Lula has said his government will consider neither detectors nor backpack inspections. Sapori said Brazil has adopted a mixed approach that stresses mental health care, preventive monitoring of threats and training for teachers, in addition to policing. "In Brazil, we have a clear understanding, based on the US experience, that merely investing in armed security in schools does not work, that police presence in schools doesn't hinder attacks," Sapori said. "It only works to transform schools into prisons."

(Read more Brazil stories.)
Members of U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command Technical Centers Directed Energy Systems Integration Lab unload equipment for its customers on Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, on March 30. The DESIL, now officially open for business, is a 5,400-square-foot facility designed to provide the Army with a consolidated capability to support a full end-to-end directed energy system, from software simulation, to subcomponent system testing, subsystem testing and full system verification and validation testing. DESIL allows collaboration across Team Redstone, the Army and industry for crucial technology development to maintain the nations competitive edge against adversaries. (Jason Cutshaw, U.S. Army)
Russias COVID-19 case tally rose by 7,030 over the past day to 22,803,875, the anti-coronavirus crisis center reported on Saturday, Trend reports with reference to TASS

A day earlier, 7,116 daily cases were recorded.

As many as 958 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 in Russia over the past day, down 13.5% from a day earlier. The number of hospitalized patients increased in 25 regions, while in 46 regions the figure decreased. The situation remained unchanged in 14 regions. A day earlier, 1,108 people were rushed to hospitals.

Moscows COVID-19 cases surged by 927 over the past day versus 977 cases a day earlier, reaching 3,500,607, according to the anti-coronavirus crisis center. St. Petersburgs COVID-19 cases increased by 574 over the past day versus 578 a day earlier, reaching 1,934,954.

Russias COVID-19 recoveries rose by 7,414 over the past day, reaching 22,196,590, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Saturday.

A day earlier some 7,409 patients recovered.

Russias COVID-19 death toll rose by 34 over the past day, reaching 398,041, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Saturday.

A day earlier 33 COVID-19 deaths were registered.
Fairbanks, AK (99707)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies early then periods of showers late. Low near 30F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early then periods of showers late. Low near 30F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
Bahrain officials in the dock for accepting bribe, forging documents

Bahrain officials in the dock for accepting bribe, forging documents

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Court has adjourned the case of two public employees accused of corruption to May 5 to record witness testimony.

Standing accused before the court in the case are a head of the department and a supervisor at the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture.

Court files say the pair banded together to forge official documents regarding building construction approvals for accepting bribe.

However, the officials at the National Audit Office, while conducting an annual examination, detected discrepancies and reported that to higher officials.

Reportedly the pair took a bribe from a company to illegally bypass standards set for allowing utility connection to their building.
New project on way to boost mangrove cover in Bahrain, combat climate change impacts

New project on way to boost mangrove cover in Bahrain, combat climate change impacts

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune  www.newsofbahrain.com

Bahrain is moving ahead with a new project to improve the cover of mangroves in the Kingdom as part of a critical strategy that aims to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Mangrove forests are known to sequester significant amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and store it in their roots and soil, making them effective carbon sinks.

According to a tender by the Ministry of Municipalities Affairs and Agriculture, the new project aims to preserve the Kingdoms coastal biodiversity, mitigate the impact of climate change and enhance the resilience of coastal communities.

To ensure its success, the Kingdom also plans to import mangrove seeds from neighbouring countries having species and habitats similar to that of the Kingdom. The tender says the Ministry is offering a two-year contract to those interested in contributing the process.

A successful contractor should have to import mangrove seeds matching Bahrains ecology from neighbouring countries and plant them at various locations throughout the Kingdom. They should also operate nurseries in Tubli and Ras Hayan, transport the saplings to their planting locations, irrigate them with seawater, protect them from external threats, and ensure their cleanliness, maintenance, and ongoing monitoring, among other works.

Furthermore, the project also involves conducting various studies and assessments, and preparing reports to evaluate the effectiveness of the project and guide future conservation efforts.
A panel of experts set up by Japan's Finance Ministry has agreed to compile a report by around the end of this year on the feasibility of a digital yen backed by the central bank.

Europe, the United States and China are already exploring the viability of digital currencies that can be used as legal tender. The Bank of Japan began a pilot program for a digital yen this month, involving commercial banks and other private firms.

The Finance Ministry's panel of economic and legal experts met for the first time on Friday. Ministry officials said that emerging and developing nations have also begun studying the issuance of digital currencies.

Some panel members said protection of privacy will be a key concern, as digital currency transactions can be recorded in detail and the data can be used for various purposes.

Others warned against blocking innovation by private firms offering digital settlement services, or stifling competition between them.

... continue reading
A man bought airline tickets worth $250,000 for just $17,000 after the Japanese airline All Nippon Airways made a mistake with currency conversions, Bloomberg reported.

Herman Yip, who runs a travel website and lives in Hong Kong, told Bloomberg that he bought 25 tickets at heavy discounts.

Yip said that he'd bought tickets for family and friends as well as for himself. "I didn't even bother to ask them whether they were able to make it or not, as I needed to book really quickly," he told Bloomberg.

Bloomberg reported that the flights he purchased included a first-class round-trip from Jakarta, Indonesia, to Aruba via Tokyo and New York, that cost just $890  or a discount of close to 95%. After his order was confirmed, Yip was also able to change his flights for free, so he rebooked the first leg of the trip to start in Bangkok, he said. ...continue reading
Japan is one step closer to approving abortion pills for the first time after an expert panel at the health ministry gave the go-ahead on Friday.

The panel approved the use of Mefeego Pack developed by British pharmaceutical company LinePharma.

The medication consists of two types of pills. It can be used within nine weeks of pregnancy.

In a clinical trial in Japan, 93 percent of participants had a complete abortion within 24 hours.

About 60 percent of them experienced symptoms such as abdominal pain, but most cases were mild or moderate.

The ministry is expected to give formal approval soon. ...continue reading
BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 22. A gunshot was fired in front of the office building of the Turkish Justice and Development Party (AKP) in the Bahcelievler district of Istanbul, Trend reports citing Turkish media.

The incident happened at 22:15 local time. A large number of police were called to the scene.

Istanbul Governorate said in a statement that one of two people on a motorbike passing by the building fired five shots into the air, four of which hit the upper floors of the building.

The fact is being investigated.
Deep-sea explorers said Saturday they had located the wreck of a World War II Japanese transport ship, the Montevideo Maru, which was torpedoed off the Philippines killing nearly 1,000 Australians aboard.

The ship -- sunk on July 1, 1942, by a U.S. submarine whose crew did not realize it carried prisoners of war -- was found at a depth of more than four kilometers, said the maritime archaeology group Silentworld Foundation, which organized the mission.

The sinking of the Montevideo Maru was Australia's worst-ever maritime disaster, killing an estimated 979 Australian citizens including at least 850 troops.

Civilians from 13 other countries were also aboard, the foundation said, bringing the total number of prisoners killed to about 1,060.

They had been captured a few months earlier by Japanese forces in the fall of the coastal township of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. ...continue reading
In 2016, International Data Corporation (IDC) has identified robotics as one of six Innovation Accelerators that will drive digital transformation by opening new revenue streams and changing the way work is performed. IDC forecasted global spending on robotics and related services to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17% from more than $71 billion in 2015 to $135.4 billion in 2019.

In 2017, IDC projected world robotics industry growing from $91.5 billion in 2016 to more than $188 billion in 2020.

2016 91 billion 2017 109 2018 131 2019 157 2020 188

2019 is projected to be 16% higher than the prior year projection.

The projected annual growth rate in robotics has increased from 17% to 20%.

The new spending guide measures purchases of robotic systems, system hardware, software, robotics-related services, and after-market robotics hardware on a regional level across thirteen key industries and fifty-two use cases.

The market for robotics continues to experience tremendous growth, said John Santagate, research manager, Supply Chain at IDC Manufacturing Insights. This growth is really fueled by a combination of technology improvements, expanded use cases, and acceptance in the market. Innovators in the field of robotics are delivering robots that can be used to perform a broader range of tasks, which is helping to drive the adoption of robotics into a wider base of industries.

More than half of all robotics spending comes from the manufacturing with Discrete Manufacturing delivering 31% and Process Manufacturing providing 28% of the worldwide total in 2016. This situation will remain relatively unchanged throughout the forecast with the two industries investing nearly $110 billion in robotics in 2020. The leading robotics use case in Discrete Manufacturing is assembly, welding and painting, while mixing is the leading use case in Process Manufacturing.

After manufacturing, the three industries with the largest robotics spending in 2016 were Resource Industries ($8.0 billion), Consumer ($6.5 billion), and Healthcare ($4.5 billion). These industries will maintain their relative positions throughout the forecast, although Consumer spending will significantly narrow the gap with Resource Industries by 2020. Cross Industry robotics spending, which represents use cases common to all industries, such as warehouse pick and pack, will also rank among the top segments throughout the five-year forecast. The industries that will experience the fastest growth over the 2015-2020 forecast period are Consumer, Healthcare, and Retail.

From a technology perspective, purchases of robotics systems, which includes consumer, industrial, and service robots, and after-market robotic hardware will total more than $40 billion in 2016. Services-related spending, which encompasses applications management, education & training, hardware deployment, systems integration, and consulting, will come to more than $20 billion in 2016. The fastest growing segments of robotics spending are drones and after-market drone hardware, which will grow to nearly $20 billion in 2020.

On a geographic basis, the Asia/Pacific region, including Japan, will account for more than two thirds of total robotics spending throughout the forecast. Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) is the second largest region with expenditures of $14.7 billion in 2016, followed by the Americas with a 2016 spending total of $12.9 billion. Robotics spending will more than double in Asia/Pacific over the 2015-2020 forecast period, making it the fastest growing region followed by the Americas, which will edge ahead of EMEA in total spending by 2018.

IDC Asia/Pacific reports that China spending on robotics and related services will more than double, growing from $24.6 billion in 2016 to $59.4 billion in 2020.

China is the single largest and the fastest growing robotics market in the world, and will account for more than 30% of the worldwide robotics spending in 2020. Manufacturing continues to dominate China spending in robotics, with discrete and process manufacturing accounting for over 50% of spending in 2016.

With Made in China 2025 (China industrial plan), China is aiming to become one of the top technological industrial nations within just a few years. However, in order to achieve Beijings target of a robot density of 150 units by 2020, some 600,000 to 650,000 new industrial robots will have to be installed throughout China. By comparison: Around 254,000 units were sold in the global market during 2015.

If China were to become a top ten country in industrial robot density in 2025 then they would need about 13-15 million robots (if they maintained the 100 million manufacturing workforce). If the manufacturing workforce were halved to 50 million then China would need 7 to 10 million robots by 2025.

Those levels will require doubling the industrial robots every 2.5 years for the lower number. This would be about 34% annual growth in robots..
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As Sikorsky pivots to a bid to win a new scout helicopter contract from the U.S. Army, the Stratford manufacturer could get a much-needed lift if surveillance drones that could be launched in droves from those very helicopters  and at sufficiently safe distances to help pilots steer clear of any "Black Hawk Down" scenarios  prove successful.

Collins Aerospace is the lead contractor for the Pentagon's experimental "Air Launched Effects" drone program. The Raytheon Technologies subsidiary was a corporate sibling of Sikorsky at United Technologies before Lockheed Martin acquired the Stratford helicopter manufacturer in 2015, five years in advance of UTC merging with Raytheon.

Based in Charlotte, N.C., Collins remains a major Connecticut employer today in the Hartford area under Raytheon, which has its headquarters outside Boston.

Tube-launched from helicopters as they approach enemy territory, winged ALE drones are designed to scout flight routes, pin down the locations of any combatants and equipment, and neutralize them to lessen the odds of helicopters being shot down.

The Collins Aerospace systems aboard ALE drones include artificial intelligence capabilities to differentiate military threats from civilian structures and vehicles, signal-jamming systems and other unspecified "lethal and non-lethal effects" to clear flight paths for helicopters. With fuselages developed by the Area-I subsidiary of Alduril Industries, ALE drones weigh less than 30 pounds and have a range of 275 miles.

The U.S. military and other nations have been developing "area-denial" capabilities using a mix of technologies to better detect and thwart enemy aircraft and drones. The emerging strategy puts helicopters at particular risk when approaching landing zones in combat theaters to drop off troops and supplies, with a number of helicopters having been shot down in the Ukraine-Russia conflict by both adversaries.

Collins Aerospace renderings depict helicopters releasing four drones simultaneously for advanced scouting on the flight path. The Army has already tested launching the drones from Sikorsky Black Hawks at its Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.

This week, Sikorsky conceded it will not build a long-term replacement for the Black Hawk under the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program after ending its protest of the FLRAA contract to Bell and its V-280 Valor tilt-rotor design.

"On FLRAA, we're obviously disappointed  we believed that our offering was the best technology to support the multi-mission requirements at the best value," said Jay Malave, chief financial officer of Lockheed Martin, speaking Tuesday on a conference call.

Malave added that as part of a $100 million restructuring at the end of last year at its Rotary and Mission Systems division, about half that amount reflected job cuts at Sikorsky without specifying how many people were affected.

The Black Hawk has plenty of runway left in the Army, with budget documents last month showing that Sikorsky delivered nearly 1,200 of its modernized Black Hawks to the Army through last October, with the Army wanting a total fleet of more than 2,100 in all. Some of those aircraft represent older Black Hawks that are being overhauled for the latest systems Sikorsky offers to keep them battle-worthy.

And foreign militaries remain interested in Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopters, Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet said this week, highlighting a commitment by Australia. Sikorsky plans to try to interest a European consortium in its Defiant X helicopter that lost out to the Bell V-280 Valor.

But lower Black Hawk production contributed to a $75 million decline in net revenue for Sikorsky in the first quarter. Sikorsky remains busy ramping up production of the new CH-53K cargo helicopter for the U.S. Marine Corps on the heels of completing a new fleet of White House helicopters. A new rescue helicopter for the U.S. Air Force is also being assembled in Stratford.

"While we've got production  particularly the Black Hawk  stepping down slightly in 2023, it actually steps up again in 2024," Malave said Tuesday. "Then we have significant growth on the CH-53K program in '24, where we are expecting to double our deliveries. And so we're dealing with just a one-year type of trough, I would say."

Still, the Army intends the V-280 Valor to supplant the Black Hawk as the Army's all-purpose workhorse in the long run. Sikorsky remains in the running to build an armed scout helicopter under the Army's Future Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft program. For FARA, Sikorsky is again offering a helicopter with stacked sets of blades that spin in opposite directions, with its Raider X prototype promising far better maneuverability than the Black Hawk and other traditional helicopters.

Bell hopes to sell the Army on its Invictus helicopter, which has a traditional design with single overhead and rear rotor sets. The program has been pushed back to next year as GE Aviation works through unspecified issues with an engine the Army wants installed on whichever helicopter it chooses.

In a 2020 report to Congress on future weapons needs, the Army labeled the scout helicopter its No. 3 "modernization priority"  and its top need for aviation units, ahead of the Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft contract won by Bell, given a half century or more service it expects out of Black Hawks being built in Stratford and Bridgeport today.

The Army has been leaning on Boeing AH-64 Apache attack helicopters for the scout missions it envisions the FARA helicopter taking on, but wants "sweeping improvements," in its words, when it comes to agility, survivability and offensive punch.

Even as the Army moves ahead with ALE drones, it is pursuing a larger drone that can take off like a helicopter, under the Future Tactical Unmanned Aircraft System program.

Like FARA, FLRAA and ALE, the big drone is part of the Department of Defense's "Future Vertical Lift" vision. In February, the Army named five contractors to design prototypes for the FTUAS drone program, including Bell's Rhode Island-based parent Textron Systems, whose Aerosonde Hybrid Quad takes off like a helicopter.
Seventeen apartment buildings were evacuated Saturday in a Russian city near the Ukrainian border after an explosive device was found at the site where a bomb accidentally dropped by a Russian warplane caused a powerful blast this week, authorities said.

The bomb blast late Thursday rocked part of Belgorod, leaving a large crater and three people injured. The Russian Defense Ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion.

The ministry said an investigation was underway but did not elaborate on the details of the weapon, which military experts said likely was a powerful 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) bomb.

The governor of Belgorod province, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported Saturday that sappers examining the site of Thursday's blast found and decided to detonate what he called an explosive object that was in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings.

The precautionary evacuations ended later in the day, according to Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov.

The bomb was removed from the residential area. Residents are being delivered back to their homes, Demidov wrote on Telegram.

Russian authorities did not say if the detonated device was dropped by accident on Thursday and if so, if it was a remnant of or separate from the bomb that exploded in the city.

Belgorod, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the Russia-Ukraine border, has faced regular drone attacks since Russia sent troops into Ukraine last year. Russian authorities have blamed those strikes on the Ukrainian military, which refrained from directly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Late Saturday, the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said five missiles fired from the Belgorod area hit the region, including one that struck unspecified civilian infrastructure in the capital city Kharkiv.

Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has sent relations with the West into deep freeze, with frequent expulsions of diplomats on both sides.

On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that German authorities had decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany.

A ministry statement said that as a reaction to the hostile actions of Berlin, Russia decided to mirror the expulsions by Germany and significantly limit the maximum number of staff at German diplomatic missions in Russia.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia is expelling more than 20 German diplomats, Russian state media reported, but didnt give a precise number.

Germany's Foreign Ministry said it took note of the comments. It said that the German government and Russia had been in contact in recent weeks on questions regarding the staffing of the respective diplomatic missions" and that a flight on Saturday took place in that context. It didn't elaborate.

The German air force said earlier that a Russian plane flew to Berlin with diplomatic clearance on Saturday, but didn't specify who or what was on board. Special clearance is required because the European Union closed its airspace to Russian aircraft shortly after the war in Ukraine started.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war
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FALLS VILLAGE  After adopting a strategic plan for the Center on Main at 103 Main St., the centers board of directors hired Brook Martinez, a teacher and performing musician, as a part-time creative administrator.

The century-old former church with Tiffany stained-glass windows is buzzing with community activity in Falls Village, a historic village within the town of Canaan.

Ive actually always been into community events and gathering people for cool stuff, Martinez said. Im excited to sort of open this next chapter in a space like this, and with me as the administrator, I can sort of do what I want with it.

Adam Sher, chairman of the board at the center, said its core program is the Falls Village Childrens Theater, whose spring production of A Year with Frog and Toad filled the seats in March. It was the troupes first production since COVID curtailed events three years ago, he said.

Other activities at Center on Main include a drum circle and a monthly open mic night, Twelve Moons Coffeehouse. One of the goals of the new strategic plan is to schedule activities a year in advance, Sher said. That will be one of Martinezs main focuses, he said.

Martinez was a music teacher at Lee H. Kellogg School in Falls Village from 2013-19. He recently performed with his vocal ensemble, Galactic Overtones, at the David M. Hunt Library in Falls Village. He has performed and toured with several music ensembles and leads one of his own, Brooklyn Qawwali Party, according to his website, brookmartinezmusic.com.

The building, now known as Center on Main, was constructed in 1901 as the Third Falls Village Methodist Church, according to a history outlined in the strategic plan. It's also the former home of R&D Emerson Rare and Used Books, which closed at about the end of the 20th century.

In 2006, members of the Falls Village Childrens Theater and other community members began fundraising to purchase the vacant building for $150,000.

A 2008 Small Town Economic Assistance Program grant secured $200,000, which was used to plan and implement necessary changes to the building to make it suitable for public events.

Martinez said other grants and private donations may be coming, which would help to replace or repair the original cedar siding, finish the basement, install new lighting and other improvements.

Sher said the stained-glass windows need significant restoration. He said they were designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany when he was transitioning from working more with landscapes in his stained glass to geometric designs in his stained glass. This was some of the first designs in the geometric phase of his work.

Martinez gives private music lessons and said he was looking for a space to rent. He knew Sher was on the board and asked whether he could rent Center on Main. He said, Sure, but would you actually consider working for us?

Sher said, We first definitely had a sense of the kinds of skills that that we wanted in an administrator, and weve all known Brook for many years. Hes very well known in the community.

About Martinezs work at the Kellogg School, Sher said, They should make a movie about this guy. (His work is) beyond anything that you think that a school would normally do. ... Kids came alive in his classes. He just has a way of empowering people.

Sher and the rest of the board also saw that Martinez had experience in community organizing and nonprofit work.

We werent actually looking for somebody who was themselves an educator and capable of producing programming, he said. But Brook checked off the boxes of what we were looking for and then brought this extra piece where we said to ourselves, You know, once he said that he might be interested.' We felt like he was an absolutely ideal fit, kind of beyond what we were imagining."

Im kind of a mix of everything," Martinez said. "I studied music in college as a drummer, focused on jazz and contemporary music. So my professional skills are with drumming, but I also play guitar and all the other band instruments to teach for school.

He sees the future of Center on Main to be community-based, rather than event-based.

Its more like, lets get involved in processes, the process of being creative, expressing yourself individually and through group and having that experience as a community through the arts, through music, through painting, through theater, film, everything, Martinez said.

He is still working on a full schedule of events for 2023 and beyond. The center's next event is the Twelve Moons Coffeehouse, featuring live music, snacks and coffee on May 6 at 8 p.m. Donations are welcome.

Attendees may sign up for the open mic for music and poetry beginning at 6 p.m. Twelve Moons Coffeehouse takes place at the Center on Main every first Saturday.

For more information, go to https://thefvct.org/center-on-main.
A former Marine who for years helped smuggle drugs from Mexico into the United States and even tried to get a song written to glorify his exploits was sentenced Friday to 12 years in federal prison, Trend reports citing Al Arabiya.

Roberto Salazar II, 26, of San Diego was sentenced for importing fentanyl and for conspiracy to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine and fentanyl, according to a statement from the US attorneys office.

Salazar, who pleaded guilty last October, could have faced up to life in prison.

He was stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Prosecutors said that before joining the corps and while on active duty, he and couriers he recruited made dozens of smuggling trips across the border.

Salazar would obtain cars that were driven to Mexico, where drugs were loaded into the engine compartments. Couriers would then drive them back across the border into the US, prosecutors said.

The scheme began around 2015, authorities said.
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WEST HAVEN  For Tyler Reardon, fire is life  and he says as much.

"I live fire. This is my life," he said. "You name it, I'm there."

Reardon, a sophomore at the University of New Haven, said his goal in life is to become a firefighter paramedic. Already a published fire photographer, Reardon said he was introduced to the profession by his father, who he said is on the job.

"I knew I wanted to be on the job since I was a kid," he said.

Reardon's dedication to the fire service is so significant that he lives in the Allingtown Fire Department's firehouse on Admiral Street, where he serves as a volunteer firefighter for the volunteer department.

John Carew, chief of the volunteer fire commission, said six beds are available in the building for undergraduate students at a subsidized rate from what a dorm room would cost just across the street from the firehouse. He said such a program could help the volunteer association increase its number of volunteer firefighters, with the hopes they will go on to receive the proper certifications to become career firefighters.

The perk is to get the experience to go into paid service and giving back to the community," he said.

For UNH students in public safety majors especially, Carew said the volunteer service is an attractive option to keep future firefighters engaged as they earn their proper certifications; this can include training them for exterior roles during a fire, such as providing support by grabbing materials off the truck to make the job safer and more efficient for firefighters working inside burning structures.

Carew estimated that on a 24-hour shift roughly four to six volunteer firefighters are available to respond to calls if Allingtown or any other fire department requests mutual aid. He said about 15 volunteers are trained and certified to render structural interior firefighter services, a figure the volunteer department would like to increase.

He said recruitment and retention of firefighters is a national issue, and volunteer fire associations often are important feeders for career firefighters, as the certification process can be time-consuming and cumbersome. Although the volunteer fire association has a land deed restriction that essentially guarantees its autonomy and claim to a space within the Admiral Street firehouse, Carew said the collaboration between the volunteer association and the Allingtown district fire department is seamless.

Allingtown Fire Chief Michael Terenzio agreed that volunteer departments historically are an important first step into the fire service, having begun his career as a volunteer at 17 as well as his three sons who all began as volunteer firefighters before entering the service.

"Although the volunteer force cannot provide the 'predictable' level of emergency response required on a 24/7 basis, they do provide periodic additional manning and equipment resources that can and has been called upon to augment, when needed, the career on duty staffing that do provide the predictable response forces required," Terenzio said in an email. "The career full time force works closely with the volunteers, and assist occasionally in their training which further enhances a working positive relationship. Having qualified, certified capable volunteers is a benefit when additional suppression forces are needed that go beyond the available on duty staff, throughout the city."

Additionally, Terenzio said volunteers are capable of responding to more routine calls, enabling career firefighters with more certifications to remain available for urgent calls.

Growing the ranks

In order to recruit more volunteers, Carew and his volunteers are turning to the campus.

"We have Instagram and a few other social media stuff, but it's different for me: I'm a 60-year-old guy. Some of the things, I have to give the younger guys the authority, Carew said.

A number of undergraduate volunteers said they were connected to the volunteer service through a successful person-to-person recruitment campaign led by other undergraduate volunteers. Vanessa Connolly, a freshman, said she went to a few meetings of the university's fire science club where senior Sam Manuel's dogged determination convinced her to try it out. Manuel, who has been certified as an interior firefighter since completing a 12-month academy in high school, said he was deputized by Terenzio to help recruit more volunteers.

Matthew Bethea, a volunteer firefighter and UNH freshman, said he initially was struck by the amount of history behind the volunteer service and felt a sense of duty to keep it going.

"This is a second family away from home," said UNH freshman and volunteer firefighter Zachary Earnest.

Robert Healey, a lecturer in UNH's fire science and emergency management department and a former acting Milford fire chief, said volunteer departments like Allingtown's volunteer fire service give students practical applications for skills they learn about in an academic setting.

"Our kids get to test drive their career choices," he said. "Our kids go down there and get the training aspect of pulling up ladders we dont cover here.

Healey said volunteer fire departments are, in some areas, "a dying breed," and it's a challenge facing the industry to keep people engaged.

"They would have a waiting list in days gone by. There was a social aspect with dances and there was camaraderie, he said.

Today, the state of the work force has changed where more people work multiple jobs and household work schedules are more hectic, requiring parents to find child care, he said. In addition, he said a growing "professionalization" of the industry means the time commitment for certification has become bigger, increasing the burden on aspiring career firefighters.

It's hard for folks to give up time, he said.

Healey said not all community volunteer fire departments share the burden equally; some departments, such as the one in Shelton, report robust support from volunteers.

"But go a couple towns over and they're not doing as well," he said.

Despite Reardon's enthusiasm for public safety, he lives in Massachusetts when UNH is not in session. Connolly is from Maine. Manuel is from Virginia. If a hopeful benefit of having a functional volunteer fire service is to create a pipeline for career firefighters at home, Carew said there is a need to give residents information at home, in churches and in retail and restaurants environments.

"We're trying to get local people, too," Carew said.

Carew said it used to be the case in the fire service that "people would be knocking the doors down" to join.

"The door is open. But we've got to find them," he said.

As a potential retention effort, Carew is monitoring a House bill that passed the General Assembly's Public Safety and Security Committee that would aim to increase fire service recruitment and retention, which would accomplish several things, such as developing a high school curriculum and subsidizing the costs of certification courses.

The bill is cosponsored by state Rep. Dorinda Borer, D-West Haven, who said she did so after meeting with the city's fire chiefs about their legislative priorities.

"The bill has a very high price tag and is having some challenges because of that price tag, but I do expect some version of the bill to come out," she said.
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NEW YORK (AP)  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed Friday to let Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee question an ex-prosecutor about the criminal case against former President Donald Trump.

Under the agreement, committee members will be able to question Mark Pomerantz under oath next month in Washington. The deal resolves a lawsuit in which Bragg had sought to block Pomerantz from testifying, ending a legal dispute that escalated to a federal appeals court just weeks after Trump's historic indictment.

Pomerantz will be accompanied by a lawyer from Bragg's office, an accommodation the committee said it would have allowed even without Friday's agreement.

Braggs office and the Judiciary Committee reached the agreement after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay Thursday that temporarily halted enforcement of a House subpoena which had called for Pomerantz to testify.

The appeals court had been scheduled to hear oral arguments in the dispute on Tuesday.

Bragg's office said the agreement, delaying Pomerantz's testimony until May 12, preserves the district attorney's privileges and interests in his ongoing Trump prosecution.

Our successful stay of this subpoena blocked the immediate deposition and afforded us the time necessary to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that protects the District Attorneys privileges and interests, Braggs office said in a statement.

We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe. We are gratified that the Second Circuits ruling provided us with the opportunity to successfully resolve this dispute, Braggs office said.

Bragg had appealed to the 2nd Circuit after a lower court judge ruled Wednesday that there was no legal basis to block the Judiciary Committees subpoena and that Pomerantzs deposition must go forward as scheduled.

Under the agreement, Bragg withdrew his appeal.

Russell Dye, a spokesperson for committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said in a statement, Mr. Pomerantzs deposition will go forward on May 12, and we look forward to his appearance.

Pomerantz once oversaw the yearslong Trump investigation but left the job after clashing with Bragg over the direction of the case. He recently wrote a book about his work pursuing Trump and discussed the investigation in interviews on 60 Minutes and other shows.

Bragg, a Democrat, sued Jordan and the Judiciary Committee last week seeking to block the subpoena. His lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, argued that seeking Pomerantzs testimony was part of a transparent campaign to intimidate and attack Bragg and that Congress was invading a state to investigate a local prosecutor when it had no authority to do so.

Boutrous said House Republicans interest in Bragg amounted to Congress jumping in and haranguing the D.A. while the prosecution is ongoing.

The Judiciary Committee started scrutinizing Braggs investigation of the former president in the weeks that preceded his indictment. Jordan sent letters seeking interviews with Bragg and documents before subpoenaing Pomerantz. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee, said in her ruling Wednesday that she would handle any legal fights that may arise from other subpoenas in the committees investigation of Bragg.

A committee lawyer, Matthew Berry, said at that hearing that Congress has legitimate legislative reasons for wanting to question Pomerantz and examine Braggs prosecution of Trump, citing the offices use of $5,000 in federal funds to pay for Trump-related investigations.

Congress is also considering legislation, offered by Republicans in the wake of Trumps indictment, to change how criminal cases against former presidents unfold, Berry said. One bill would prohibit prosecutors from using federal funds to investigate presidents, and another would require any criminal cases involving a former president be resolved in federal court instead of at the state level.

House Republicans, Berry said, want to protect the sovereignty and autonomy of the presidency, envisioning a scenario where the commander in chief could feel obligated to make certain decisions to avoid having local prosecutors in politically unfavorable jurisdictions charge them with crimes after they leave office.

For those reasons, Berry argued, Congress is immune from judicial intervention, citing the speech and debate clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Pomerantz could refuse to answer certain questions, citing legal privilege and ethical obligations, and Jordan would rule on those assertions on a case-by-case basis, Berry said, but he shouldnt be exempt from showing up. If Jordan were to overrule Pomerantz and he still refused to answer, he could then face a criminal referral to the Justice Department for contempt of Congress, but that wouldnt happen immediately, Berry said.

Trump was indicted last month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations of extramarital sexual encounters. He has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.

__

On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Larry Neumeister at twitter.com/lneumeister and send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/
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TEL AVIV, Israel (AP)  Tens of thousands of protesters flocked to Tel Aviv and cities across Israel on Saturday to vent their opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government and its divisive plan to overhaul the country's judicial system.

The mass protest  staged weekly since the start of the year  comes just ahead of Israel's landmark 75th anniversary celebration. The holiday honoring Israel's founding in 1948, meant to be a display of national unity, has been marred by one of Israel's gravest crises in its history. Plans by Netanyahu's government to weaken the Supreme Court have outraged Israelis who see it as an assault on their country's system of checks and balances and a threat to its very democracy.

This is not about so-called judicial reform, its about democracy, said Sheila Katz, head of the National Council of Jewish Women, from the rally in central Tel Aviv  a sea of blue-and-white national flags. In order for your sacred courts to protect the rights of all people, they must remain independent from politics.

Ahead of Israel's memorial day on Tuesday, family members of slain service members held a candelight vigil in Tel Aviv to commemorate the fallen. Well defend what youve fallen for," read one banner.

Crowds of Israelis also held signs marked with 75 for Israel's birthday and banners with the words Crime Minister overlaid on Netanyahu's face.

The protests have galvanized people across Israeli society. Thousands of officers in elite reserve units of the military have said they will refuse to report for duty. High-tech business leaders and the security establishment have come out against the proposal. Trade unions have called for a general strike.

President Biden, the leader of Israels most crucial ally, has even publicly rebuffed Netanyahu, telling him that he cannot continue down this road.

Furious public protests last month brought Israeli cities to a standstill and threatened to shut down the economy, compelling Netanyahu to delay the plan in hopes of finding a compromise.

If you didnt go out to the streets, the disaster wouldve already occurred, Yair Lapid, head of the opposition, said at a rally Saturday in Hod Hasharon near Tel Aviv.

The pause has not persuaded the protesters, who continue to flood the streets shouting Shame! weeks after Netanyahu backed down, demanding that the overhaul be scrapped altogether.

The plan would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his partners in Israels most hardline coalition in its history the final say in appointing judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by Netanyahu's allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the courts ability to review laws.
CAMBRIDGE  A 30-year-old Kitchener man was killed after driving into the back of a delivery truck that was on the shoulder of the westbound side of Highway 401.

The crash happened at around 7:30 p.m. Thursday, between the Cambridge service centre and Townline Road. The westbound section of the highway was shut down at Highway 6 North for hours after the crash.

Ontario Provincial Police said the Kitchener man was driving a black sedan that collided with the back of a broken-down truck that was parked on the shoulder of the highway with its four-way flashers on.

At around 1 a.m., while the highway was shut down, a driver broke through the closure at Highway 6 North and was seen speeding down the 401 toward the first responders at the crash scene.

Once the driver broke through, units at the scene were notified and began blasting their airhorns, alerting those working on the highway.

The driver of this vehicle came to a screeching halt just prior to slamming into the side of a tow truck that was dealing with one of the broken down vehicles at the scene, said OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt in a message on Twitter.

This could have been dangerous and deadly.

The driver tried to leave a second time when he was arrested.

A 35-year-old Kitchener man is facing charges of impaired driving, dangerous driving, excess blood alcohol, and having cannabis readily available inside the vehicle. His vehicle has been impounded for seven days, and he received a 90-day licence suspension.

Police are asking any witnesses or anyone with dashcam video to contact Cambridge OPP investigators at 519-654-0150.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill is about to turn up the heat in the Canadian market.

As Canada sees month after month of unexpectedly strong job growth  35,000 new positions in March alone  the California-based fast food giant is riding the wave. Chipotle has about 30 locations in Ontario and British Columbia, with plans to open another 10 by the end of 2023. Alberta, currently bereft of Carnitas Bowls or queso and chips, will soon have its first Chipotle location.

Leading Chipotles Canadian expansion is Anat Davidzon, the former managing partner of Aroma Espresso Bar in Canada. Her transition from an Israeli-founded coffee chain to California salsa may seem unusual, but her experience translating popular overseas brands to Canadian diners could prove invaluable for Chipotles non-U.S. operations.

Davidzon spoke to the Star in mid-April from Toronto:

Whats your most frequent Chipotle order?

I tend to go with our salad bowl. That would be our mixed greens, chicken, fajitas, vegetables, our mild salsa and, of course, our guac. That would be my typical Chipotle order. And I have to say, I have a small addiction to our queso and chips  which Im not very proud of.

You managed the Aroma Espresso Bar chain for a long time. How did you find the transition from that to Chipotle?

It was very, very easy. I think Chipotles values and standards align with how I think about food and how I view the world. Even at Aroma, Chipotle has always been one of those players in the market that you always look up to. I thought I knew a lot about Chipotle when I started working there  part of being in the food industry is learning about different brands and what they stand for  but I was surprised to learn how little I knew.

Chipotle is planning to grow its restaurant presence by 30 per cent in Canada in 2023. Why is Canada a big growth market for Chipotle at the moment?

I dont think Canada is unique in terms of growth opportunities for Chipotle. There are a lot of growth opportunities, both domestically in the U.S. but also in Canada as part of our North American market, as well as internationally. We opened our first restaurant in Canada in 2008, and we saw some growth. We had about 20 restaurants up until three or four years ago, when we slowed down our development because we needed to make sure we had the ability to grow it. At that time, the Canadian market had not seen the same financial performance that we saw in the U.S.

Within the last four years, we have made some changes. We have hired a dedicated leadership team into the Canadian market, which includes restaurant support as well as operations. We really tightened and improved our operations as a whole in Canada, and started seeing the financial performance that we see in the U.S. Thats why were seeing this growth opportunity in the Canadian market. Theres a growing popularity among Canadian customers, and we see that they align with our values and purpose.

Where else are you thinking of expanding in Canada? Is it mainly going to be Ontario and B.C.?

Later this year, were planning on opening our first restaurant in Alberta. Our focus will remain in Ontario and B.C. Ideally, wed like to be present in all provinces where it makes sense operationally. As you know, Canada is large, so we need to make sure that were able to deliver the experience of great restaurants across the country. Were going to have to think about any new provinces a little bit later. Right now, Ontario, B.C. and Alberta are the three main ones.

Would you ever consider going to Quebec? Its the second-most-populated province in Canada, and it is next door to Ontario.

The short answer is yes. I cant really tell you when. But we want to make sure that were going to be able to operate in a way that will give us the ability to continue running great restaurants. At the end of the day, when it makes sense, Im sure were going to look into that market and expand.

Ive heard McDonalds had issues with their Canadian operations because they ran them exactly like their U.S. operations. They did better once they learned about the local Canadian context. Did that happen with Chipotle, too?

I think its not uncommon for some companies, whether theyre in our industry or another, to treat Canada as an extension of the U.S. when it comes to operations. Im happy to say that we havent made changes to our offerings. Our concept is the same, our values are the same, the same Food With Integrity standards. But Chipotle was managed out of the U.S. and was a little less focused on local support. That is what needed to be changed to really turn it around and improve financial performance.

How do Canadian consumers differ from Americans when it comes to ordering at Chipotle?

I think it isnt surprising that the two demographics are very similar. About 50 per cent of our orders, protein-wise, is chicken in the U.S. Canadian markets mimic that as well.

We have a bit of a change in the mix when it comes to digital versus in-restaurant purchases. Online ordering, together with our rewards program, were not available for Canadian customers until two years ago. U.S. guests were able to order Chipotle online a lot sooner than they were in Canada.

The digital percentage of sales in the U.S. is a bit higher. I think, in time, digital sales in Canada are going to grow, and will be very similar to what we see in the U.S.

Chipotle will soon be announcing a partnership with SkipTheDishes. Is that intended to support more digital growth in Canada?

Yes, its part of our big push to grow the Canadian market. Last year, we opened seven restaurants. This year, were opening 10 restaurants. Part of how we help Canadians experience Chipotle is to partner with SkipTheDishes. For us, Skip is the natural choice to partner with. We already have some other marketplace partners, UberEats and DoorDash, and SkipTheDishes is certainly one that we want to partner with for a while.

In January, Chipotle announced it would add some 15,000 jobs across all of its North American locations. The service industry says it is hard to find workers, but youre looking to grow. Are you confident youll be able to hire enough people to staff the new restaurants you want to open in Canada?

Im happy to say that 100 per cent of restaurants in Canada are fully staffed, and we currently do not see issues in staffing our restaurants. To your point, we are growing at a rate that is quite significant  a 30 per cent increase over our existing operations in Canada  which requires a lot of development and hiring of new employees. So the short answer to your question is: yes, I believe that we are not going to have an issue staffing those restaurants for several reasons.

One of them is that we really care about employees, and we provide a lot of employment opportunities and career opportunities. We invest a lot into their benefits, and make sure that were going to retain them. We see great results when it comes to retention. In fact, I feel very confident that were going to be able to continue staffing our restaurants and developing additional employees and additional managers, internally, to support our growth.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Brennan Doherty is a former staff reporter for Star Calgary and the Stars 24-hour radio room in Toronto. He is now a freelance contributor.

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FORT MCMURRAY, Alta. - The Alberta Energy Regulator says it is investigating after Suncor reported the discovery of dozens of dead birds at an oilsands tailings pond.

The regulator said in a post on its website Saturday that Suncor informed them late Friday afternoon of 32 dead waterfowl found at a tailings pond 29 km north of Fort McMurray at Suncors Base Mine Site.

The post said the energy company found the birds during an oilsands bird-contact monitoring program survey.

It noted that the state of the wildlife indicates that this may not be a recent event, but this is under review.

The post said Suncor has since advised its also found a muskrat and a vole, both dead.

The regulator said an AER inspector was immediately on site and, in addition to checking bird deterrence systems, the inspector will ensure mitigation strategies are in place.

Collaboration between the AER, Suncor, Alberta Environment and Parks, and Environment Canada and Climate Change is underway to ensure that all safety, wildlife, and environmental requirements are met during the response to the incident, the AER post stated.

We will continue to assess the situation closely and provide further updates as required.

Suncor spokeswoman Erin Rees said in an email the birds were found during one of the companys regular, required checks. She said appropriate regulatory authorities have been notified.

At the time of discovery, all bird deterrent systems at Base Plant were active. Our Bird Deterrent Program includes canons, radar and effigies. We have initiated an investigation, Rees said.

Incidents of bird deaths at oilsands tailings ponds over the years include 50 birds that landed at an Imperial Oil tailings area near its Kearl oilsands project in northern Alberta in May 2020. Imperial said at the time it believed it occurred in spite of deterrents because most of the natural water bodies in the area were still frozen.

In January 2019, Syncrude was fined more than $2.7 million after pleading guilty to environmental charges in the deaths of 31 great blue herons at one of its oilsands mines north of Fort McMurray in 2015.

Syncrude was also fined $3 million in 2010 after more than 1,600 ducks died when they landed on a tailings pond in 2008.

Earlier this week, Suncor Energy Inc. reported the release of six million litres of water from a sedimentation pond at its Fort Hills oilsands mine north of Fort McMurray that exceeded guidelines for sediment.

Suncor said it has stopped outflow from the pond and is studying the cause of the problem and how it affected water quality.

Timely notification of water releases from oilsands mines also became an issue earlier this spring.

Last May, Imperial Oil noticed discoloured water seeping from one of its tailings ponds that turned out to be groundwater contaminated by waste, but neither First Nations nor governments were notified about the problem until February after a second release from a catchment pond.

Three inquiries have since been called into that nine-month silence.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2023.

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MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Chinas foreign minister said Saturday his country is willing to work with the Philippines to resolve their differences, as tensions rise over Beijings behavior in the disputed South China Sea and Manilas deeping military cooperation with the U.S.

Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks in Manila with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, and was scheduled to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. just days before he travels to Washington for a meeting with President Joe Biden.

China has warned that a deepening security alliance between the United States and the Philippines should not harm its security and territorial interests and interfere in long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Beijing has criticized a recent agreement by the Philippines and the U.S. to grant U.S. forces access to additional local military camps.

The deal allows American forces to establish military staging grounds and surveillance outposts in the northern Philippines across the sea from Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, and in provinces facing the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety.

We are willing to work together with Philippines to implement the consensus of both leaders, keep China-Philippine ties in the right direction, safeguard the overall situation of our bilateral relationship, work together to continue our tradition of friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly resolve our differences in the spirit of credibility, consultation, and dialogue, Qin told reporters.

Manalo said he hoped the meeting will provide an opportunity to make some headway in addressing common issues and challenges.

The Philippines has filed more than 200 diplomatic protests against China since last year, including at least 77 since Marcos took office in June. Most of the complaints refer to Chinas aggressive behavior in the South China Sea, including targeting a Philippine coast guard ship with a military-grade laser in February.

Washington lays no claims to the contested waters but has challenged Beijings extensive claims, including by deploying warships and fighter jets and repeatedly warning that it would help defend the Philippines  a treaty ally  if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft are attacked. Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the seaway, which sits atop vast deposits of oil and gas.

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LISBON (AP)  Portugals president welcomed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties with his countrys natural partner in the European Union.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Portugal is home to over 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

During his first joint press conference with Sousa, Lula avoided feeding the controversy regarding his recent comments about Western military aid fueling Ukraine and Russias conflict.

My country took the decision long ago to condemn Russia for the occupation of the space and violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the first days, and we have voted in the U.N. in this regard, he said.

The Brazilian leader reiterated his proposal that a group of nations including Brazil mediate a peaceful resolution to the war.

I never equaled both countries, because I know what an invasion is and what territorial integrity is. And all of us think Russia is wrong and we already condemned it in every UN decision, he stated.

Although Lula backed down from his comments regarding the war he made during his trip to China last week, Brazils president also said Saturday that neither Ukraine nor Russia wanted to cease the conflict. This is Lulas first trip to an European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October. While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration. The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016 when Michel Temer was Brazils president, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip.

In an event with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Lula announced the signings of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal. He affirmed the importance of maintaining commercial and humanitarian relations with Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Lulas itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honor renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraers factory near Lisbon.

___

Carla Bridi contributed from Brasilia and Raquel Redondo from Madrid.

___ The story has been corrected to show that Lula was not president during the 2016 Brazil-Portugal summit.

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Opeyemi Agbaje, a public policy expert and strategist, says the incoming government needs to be decisive in tackling insecurity.

Agbaje spoke on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at a workshop for journalists organised by First City Monument Bank (FCMB) in Abuja.

Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, will be sworn in on May 29.

The constitution mandates the president to set up his cabinet within 60 days after the inauguration.

Agbaje said the outgoing administration of Muhammadu Buhari has not been clear about how what should be done to tackle the nations insecurity.

He said the incoming government must be decisive and exercise the political will to successfully tackle insecurity.

The most important change has to be the political will of a government, particularly the president. I think the outgoing president has not made himself clear in terms of what he wants regarding security. I think if he (had) made himself clear and (was) decisive about it  he would have succeeded, he said.

I dont think the Nigeria security architecture is that incompetent. I think there have been mixed signals. You cant afford to have mixed signals regarding insecurity in a complex country like Nigeria.

For me, the most important factor will be the political will and the decisiveness of the government to confront insecurity.

In his remarks, Diran Olojo, head of corporate affairs of FCMB, said capacity building helps journalists gain valuable insights to report and analyse issues accurately.

He said an informed and responsible media would contribute immensely to the growth and development of a more informed and active populace.

Knowledgeable and engaged citizens trigger economic growth, better governance, and social cohesion, among other benefits, ensuring a prosperous, cohesive, and sustainable society, Olojo said.
The Ministry of the Interior announced on Saturday the release of 1,920 inmates from rehabilitation and correctional centres after receiving a presidential pardon in honour of Eid Al-Fitr and Sinai Liberation Day.




Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has pardoned forty-three inmates serving various jail terms across the state.





Ganduje pardoned the inmates on Friday, at Goron Dutse custodial facility to commemorate Eid-el-Fitr festivities.





Represented by his Deputy, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, Ganduje said his administration has acquitted four thousand and thirteen inmates and settled fines and compensations for the inmates to the tune of four million, nine hundred and forty-nine thousand nairas, (N4,949,000).





Governor Ganduje tasked the pardoned prisoners to exhibit good character after being re-integrated into society.





State Controller of the correctional service, Suleiman Muhammad Inuwa said the gesture will assist in decongesting the facilities and ensure a peaceful atmosphere.
Garba Shehu, presidential spokesperson, says the high cost of living in Nigeria is not peculiar to the county alone.

Speaking on Friday in an interview with Channels Television, Shehu said the high cost of living is a global issue.

Shehu said the economic situation in the country would have worsened if the Buhari-led administration did not address the deficit in infrastructure after assuming office in 2015.

Asked why 133 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor despite what he claimed the administration has done, Shehu said the global economy has suffered a lot of setbacks in the past few years.

Cost of living crisis is a global phenomenon, he added.

Nigerians need to just look beyond our shores and see how national economies are going into dissolution and liquidation.

See what is happening in Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, and even in Europe. Therefore, there is a global crisis that has afflicted the entire global economy.

Earlier, President Muhammadu Buhari asked for forgiveness from Nigerians if he has in any way hurt them.

All those that I have hurt, I ask that they pardon me, Buhari said on the occasion that marks his final outing as president on the Eid-el-Fitr day before handing over on May 29.

Asked during the interview whether Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue, was included among those who Buhari was seeking forgiveness from, Shehu said the president does not hold grudges against individuals.

Shehu said there was no specific admission of wrongdoing in Buharis plea for forgiveness.

The president of Nigeria does not harbour ill will toward anyone. This is clearly demonstrated over the years by his actions, he said.

As we speak today, there is no politician in detention for things they have said against President Muhammadu Buhari.

There is no journalist in detention for things they have written against President Buhari. He does not personally hold grudges against individuals.
Former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Silekunola Naomi Ogunwusi, has ruled out any possibility of reconciling with the monarch and returning to the palace.

Recall that on Thursday, December 23, Naomi took to her social media handles to announce her break-up with Oba Ogunwusi.

''I, at this moment, announce that I shall no longer be referred to as wife to the Ooni of Ife or as Queen of Ile-Ife but as the Queen of the people and mother of my adorable Prince. Today, I announce the beginning of a new dawn and the close of a chapter. Today, I am a mother to Gods unique gift. I am no longer a slave to my thoughts of perfection, she said

In September 2022, the monarch began picking new wives and has so far picked six women as wives.

In a recent interview with Punch, Naomi who is the mother of the crowned prince, Tadenikawo, ruled out going back to the palace. She said that the monarch now has six strong women in the palace and believes she is too soft to cope there.

Naomi who recently turned 30 said her experience in the palace was bittersweet and that she will share the story when God gives her permission to share.

She said she has no regrets about her failed marriage but has taken all the lessons as they have shaped her.

On her current relationship status, Naomi says she is single and a bride waiting to be dressed''.

Read excerpts from her interview below

Lets go to your birthday message that you posted on your Instagram page. You stated, I gave the devil a punch right back in its face. Isnt that grace? What do you mean by that?

Yes, I think even the devil knows that its true it got a punch right in the face. You know the devil is actually not a person as we look at it. The devil is a bunch of evils and when you are hit in a way that; imagine somebody shoots at you but you have a bulletproof vest on. Having a bulletproof vest doesnt mean you wont have your back on the ground due to the impact of the hit, but youre going to bounce right back up, and the shooter will be wondering how did this person rise again. Thats what I meant when I said that. You know when you stand up and see your shooter, what do you do? You shoot right back.

In practical terms, can you share instances or life experiences of giving the devil a punch?

Ill speak briefly. There are certain things that happen in your life that are extremely private; they happen behind the camera. Because of the way my life has been out there for a couple of years, people assume that they know everything going on with me. But thats a lie; you only know what we put out there. Its alright even for men to cry. And you know, somehow, people know that it was a big hit when I announced my divorce, because it was breaking news all over the place. And the devil must have thought that it would be the end, but look at me. I am still here right up in the devils face. As I said, the devil is not a personality; the devil is a bunch of evils. It is huge for someone who is not even up to 30. Because I have a ministry and all, it is giving me fuel in my lamp and it keeps me going.

Is there anything you will like to share about life in the palace?

I am hesitant about speaking on my experiences in the palace. But in my usual way of talking, it was a bittersweet experience. Details, I will not be sharing, but it was a bittersweet experience. There were really sweet moments and there were really bitter moments. It is not yet time to talk about it because some things are meant to just teach you by yourself. I believe the messages are just for me at the moment, when God wants to enlarge and expand on it and make it a message for the whole world, then I will hear his words and talk about it.

Lessons learned are personal and they have helped in shaping me. I am enjoying 30 so much; 30 makes me really strong. I am too innocent; I think I entered the palace too innocent and soft, but life is not like that, you have to be strong, bold and courageous.

How does it feel to produce the crown prince of Ife?

(Sings a praise song) It feels beautiful and the greatest miracle I have experienced in three decades of my life. You cant take that away from me. Ask me to drop everything; the crown he has given me, my son is my crown, Ademide. He is not going anywhere; it is a precious gift, and my shoulder pad is high. I am holding it like a priceless, untapped, natural resource. I am very excited about it.

I feel very proud and honoured by God. I still cant tell what I did; I still cant tell why God loves me this much because I tell you, God has to love me to give me that golden child. I am the golden goose that lays the golden egg. That is how it feels. It is a special gift. I am still going to talk about that in a few years to come. I cant get over the miracle.

Why did you say the child is a miracle?

The birth of my son, the boy himself, everything about him is a miracle. I know his father used to tell me that his children were coming and he said, They chose you. He would talk about that, and I thought it was one of those things that men would say to make you happy. But, however, for that boy to have chosen meTake everything from me, you cant take away this crown. Dont call me Olori, call me Ayaba, Iya Oba. Because how can God choose this little me that does not know anything? I was a complete novice who did not even have a period calendar. If I go to the hospital and the doctor asks me, I dont know what to say.

I am a very small girl with a very big God that is always on my side. No matter how people feel about me, or they may think that, oh for some reasons they are aggrieved, their grievances cannot stand. How can you be angry with Iya Tadenikawo? You have to consider the crown (laughs).

Do you have any regrets?

Hmm.regrets? You know, even when people talk about regret, I see it differently. If I say I dont have regrets, people will think that I am proud. How can you live 30 years of your life and after everything you have been through, and you dont have regrets? But God makes it hard for me to have any regret because in the midst of the storm, I feel blessed. There is always something to look up to.

There is this song I used to sing, Lord, you have been good to me, in all circumstances, in all circumstances, in all circumstances. Im not perfect. The only thing I should regret is if I were to be God Himself.

The things that you will say I did wrongly as an under 30-year-old, you, who is 60, can you do them right? If you were to wear my shoes, can you strut the runway? Can you walk and catwalk the way I have in these very odd shoes? If you can, then talk about regret to me. So, Ive got no regrets.

But for lessons, Ill say; dont be too trusting, dont see life as black and white. There are many colours to life. Hold on firmly to God. In my experiences, I have learnt practical faith. Everything that is standing before you today is a work of faith. My journey has been the work of faith and endurance.

The things that you expect to break me cannot break me because for every mistake that I have made, there is insurance. You can run anyhow if your car has insurance, you will be doing it anyhow. But if there is no insurance, if you drive anyhow, you will know.

For my life, there is insurance; for my marriage, there is insurance. Every aspect of my life is insured. I am that girl whom God has given the grace to eat her cake and have it.

You are out of the palace at the moment. Are you single and ready to mingle?

Its a different thing to be single and it is a different thing to be ready to mingle. But what I can say for sure is that I am a bride waiting to be dressed up.

Can you clarify that?

You know, Eni ti won gbe iyawo bo wa ba ko kin garun. I dont know how God plans to do it because He is my event planner. But there is a big event waiting to happen (if you are) talking about that aspect of my life. Hmmm, you see this queen, it will take a strong king to get me; I am single.

Is there a possibility of reconciliation with the Ooni?

I am going to answer that question with a question. As I have been speaking to you for the past one hour, do I look like someone who can survive in the midst of six mature and strong women? No! She is but a soft, strong, gentle woman and I cant be a square peg in a round hole.''
The Human Rights Writers Association has asked the Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, to step down from the states governorship race, over the killing of five policemen and a couple by unknown gunmen on Friday.





It was reported that some unidentified gunmen had, on Friday morning, opened fire on five policemen, who were eating at a local restaurant, at the Okpala Junction, in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state.





The gunmen also killed a couple identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu, who owned a shop beside the scene of the crime.





HURIWAs National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, in a statement on Saturday, while condemning the killings of the policemen, asked the Imo State governor to announce his withdrawal from the governorship race and a second term in office





Onwubiko also noted the governors failure to engage in constructive dialogue with restive youths in the state, while urging the governor to set up a reconciliation commission and pay compensations to the families of the affected victims.





HURIWA condemns in strong terms the killings of the five policemen on Friday in Imo states and the serial murders of Imo youths.





We condemn the intransigence of Gov Hope Uzodimma to opt for constructive dialogues with all the restive youths of Imo State. We call on the governor to step down from being on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress for a second term in order to save Imo from continuous killings.





Gov Uzodimma, if he means well for the state, should announce that he wont be running in the November governorship poll, then set up a reconciliation commission by offering apologies to families of all those killed including security operatives and civilians.





He should also pay compensations where possible, offer amnesty and open avenues for peacebuilding through withdrawal and submission of arms by sundry armed groups. But the reconciliation must be sincere and pragmatic.





Meanwhile, the Imo State Police Command said they have launched a manhunt for the unidentified gunmen.





Police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, said the Command had deployed Operational and Tactical teams to the area, to provide security, and apprehend the gunmen.




Ahead of the May 29 swearing-in ceremony, Nigeria youths have urged President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to compromise in selecting his cabinet ministers.





The Northern Christain Youth Professionals (NCYP) National Leader, Mr Isaac Abrak, disclosed this on Friday in Kaduna while felicitating with the Muslim faithful over the Eid-el-Fitr celebration.





Abrak reminded the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, that Nigerians voted for him based on his track record as the Governor of Lagos State and urged him not to compromise his sterling leadership quality.





According to him, Tinubu transformed Lagos into one of the biggest economies in Africa because he assembled teams of people who understood his God-given call for service to humanity.





Abrak added that the cabinet that made up his administration as the then-governor of Lagos were patriotic Nigerians drawn from all ethnic and religious backgrounds based on merit.





He tasked Tinubu to, in the same vein, appoint credible and competent hands to pilot the affairs in various ministries, departments and agencies.





We strongly remind the President-elect not to compromise on this standard as he chooses his kitchen cabinet, advisers, and other government principals. This standard is what Nigerians voted for in him, and they do not expect anything less but even better, he said.





The group also tasked the President-elect to be mindful of the security and economic hardships bedevilling Nigerians while urging him to hit the ground running with policies to facilitate the difficulties.





The NCYP recognises that Tinubus presidency is coming at a time when economic and security hardships have stretched the Nigerian people to the highest limit. As such, the country cannot afford to be stretched beyond its elastic limit.





Thus, only a team with the character of selfless service and spirit of patriotism like that of Tinubus days in the Lagos government is desired.





He should hit the ground running by beginning to improve the living conditions of Nigerians, uniting the country, and setting it on the path of transforming into the great nation envisioned by our founding fathers, Abrak urged.




The Nigerian Senate has rescheduled its resumption to Tuesday, May 2, the management informed on Friday.





Clerk of the Senate, Chinedu Akubueze made the announcement in a statement he issued in Abuja.





The Red Chamber of the National Assembly (NASS) had, on April 5, adjourned plenary to April 25 for Easter and Sallah holidays.





This is to inform all distinguished senators that the resumption of the Senate has been rescheduled to Tuesday, May 2, Akubueze said.





The federal lawmakers are by the notice requested to resume sitting in plenary on Tuesday at 10:00 a.m prompt.





Meanwhile, the NASS management is set for the inauguration of members of the 10th Senate and House of Representatives.





NASS officers and the National Institude for Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, would induct the newly-elected parliamentarians.





The induction programme will be held in two batches: Batch A  from 7th to 13th of May and Batch B  from May 14th to May 20th.





The legislators will be taken through the functions of the National Assembly, its practices, procedures, the services available to them, among others.
The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the 2023 general election, Omoyole Sowore, has said there is no hiding place for wicked President Muhammadu Buhari.

Sowore said Buhari must pay for his crimes against humanity.

He was reacting to Buharis comment on relocating to Niger Republic after May 29.

Buhari had vowed to relocate to Niger Republic from Daura, Katsina State, if his peace is disturbed.

He spoke at the State House while hosting some residents of the Federal Capital Territory led by the Minister, Muhammad Musa Bello, on Eid-el-Fitr Sallah homage.

I cant wait to go home to Daura. If they make any noise to disturb me in Daura, I will leave for the Niger Republic. I deliberately arranged to be as far away as possible.

I got what I wanted and will quietly retire to my home town. In spite of technology, it will not be easy to get to Daura, he said.

Reacting, Sowore said no matter how long it takes, Buhari would be made to pay for his atrocities.

Tweeting, Sowore wrote: President @Mbuhari, sorry, there will be no hiding place for the wicked. You must pay for your crimes against humanity.

Till the end of time, your atrocities will fish you out. It doesnt matter how long it takes, it wont matter where you hide, you will answer for your crimes. #Revolutionnow.
Grammy-nominated afrobeat artist, Seun Kuti has asserted that former Head of State, Olusegun Obasanjo, while serving as Nigerias military ruler between 1975 and 1979 was a stooge of Central Intelligence Agency, CIA, and a loyalist of then-US president, Jimmy Carter.

He stated this in a recent interview.

According to him, the invasion of his late father and afrobeat pioneer, Felas Kalakuta abode on the 18th of February 1977 by Nigerian soldiers was influenced by the United States.

He explained that the attack was primarily targeted at his late grandmother, Mrs. Fumilayo Ransome Kuti because of her socialist stance during the cold war.

Kuti said his grandmother was thrown out of the window during the invasion of Kalakuta by over 1000 soldiers.

He said, I believe also like because 1977 this was in the height of the cold war. And she was Africas only surviving leading socialist at that time with any kind of real political power and clout. So, I think the attack was really 30 percent on Fela and 7 percent on her because [Olusegun] Obasanjo was really a CIA stooge. He was really a Jimmy Carters boy.

I think that woman [Fumilayo Ransome Kuti] was really the target because why would you throw a seventy-something-year-old woman? How could she be resisting that you need to throw a seventy-something-year-old woman out of the window if you have not been told by some superiors that you have to do that?.

Kuti added that his grandmother never recovered from the injuries sustained from the attack.
If youve been living under a rock and just emerged to the raucous debates between supporters of leading politicians, youd be forgiven for thinking the presidential election was just last weekend.

Nearly two months after the February 25 poll, the ripple effects continue to rip through the country. Claims of stolen mandates have remained a strong mantra among political parties that lost the election while spokespersons and stakeholders are still pitched in a battle of allegations and jibes as ferocious as before the polls.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner of the presidential poll, but other political parties have disputed the victory and filed petitions. Although Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) finished third in the race, he has largely remained at the heart of the conversation, outshining Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who was second in the election.

Obis young, social media-savvy supporters, dubbed Obidients, have remained vocal and relentless. Despite the criticism of the movement for being mob-like in its approach, it has waxed stronger. The movements significant opponents have been none other than the APC faithful and Tinubu loyalists, otherwise known as Batists.

Both groups have continued to wrestle with each other in a contest of narratives.

Obi had recently enjoined his supporters to bear the attacks they received as a sacrifice for a new Nigeria. He urged them not to yield to an alleged plot to demarket the Obidient movement. The Batists, on the other hand, appear determined to match the Obidients social media agility. This has led to fiercer political spats and a battle to dominate social media trends.

Here is a timeline of key events that have seen both sides square up against each other in the struggle for the soul of a new Nigeria.





ALLEGED CJN-TINUBU MEETING IN LONDON

Barely a month after the presidential election, both groups of supporters kicked off a campaign of allegations and the pendulum of blames swung back and forth.

On March 23, a report began circulating online that Olukayode Ariwoola, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN), had disguised himself in a wheelchair and travelled to London where he was to meet with Tinubu.

The report surfaced shortly after the president-elect had travelled to France.

On social media, allegations of foul play were tabled against the CJN ahead of the presidential election tribunal hearing.

The APC presidential campaign council was the first to refute the report of the purported meeting.

We refute emphatically that there has been no clandestine meeting between the president-elect and the respected chief justice of our country, anywhere. Its pure fabricated news, groundless in fact and authenticity, the campaign council said.

The following day, a video of Ariwoola attending Jumat service in Abuja was released. The short footage showed the CJN using a walking stick as he ambled to the praying ground.

Later that same day, the supreme court denied claims of the secret meeting, adding that the CJN travelled out of Nigeria for medical care and was accompanied by Gambo Saleh, NJCs secretary.

Many within the APC accused the opposition of coming up with the allegations to disrupt the electoral process.

In response, Jibrin Okutepa, a member of Obis legal team, said his client was not behind the news of the alleged meeting between Tinubu and CJN.

He added that those who are attributing the news which was intended to denigrate the CJN to Mr Obi camp are evil and enemies of Nigeria.





YES, DADDY

A few days after the CJN controversy, Obis camp found itself on the defensive.

On April 2, an audio clip began circulating on social media. In the recording, a voice similar to that of Obi was heard asking Bishop David Oyedepo to speak to the Christians in the south-west and Kwara to vote for him in the presidential poll, describing the election as a religious war.

APC supporters latched on to the leaked tape and claimed it was authentic  but Obidients described it as fake.

However, the conversation took a curious turn when Kenneth Okonkwo, a spokesperson of the LP campaign, insinuated that the clip was authentic.

He added that political criminals are trying to spin the conversation as if the LP candidate was making a religious comment.

Okonkwo claimed that Obi was simply urging the Bishop to help him push this message of equal stake of all Nigerians to Christians because politicians of the other party are carrying on this campaign as if it is a religious war.

But in a statement released later that day, Diran Onifade, head of the LP campaign, and Yunusa Tanko, the councils chief spokesperson, dismissed the audio as a deep fake and accused the APC of trying to demarket Obi.

In his response, Oyedepo said he has never and will not campaign for any political candidate.

However, the cleric neither confirmed nor denied that the conversation took place.

A few days later, Obi later disowned the tape as fake, adding that it was a move by APC to divert our attention from our blatantly stolen mandate.

LAI MOHAMMED: OBI, DATTI INVITING INSURRECTION

Amid the Yes, Daddy brouhaha and its fallout, the Batists took another swing at Obi and his supporters.

A few weeks prior, Datti Baba-Ahmed, vice-presidential candidate of LP, had said the country has no president-elect.

The LP vice-presidential candidate said Tinubu would lead an unconstitutional government if sworn into office because the APC candidate has not met requirements of the law.

His comments elicited widespread criticism from political stakeholders and led to a ripple of reactions.

Reacting to the outburst, Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour, accused LP of setting up a scene for rebellion against the judiciary.

The minister added that Datti was attempting to blackmail the judiciary with his interpretation of section 134 (2) 1999 constitution (as amended).

On his part, Femi Fani-Kayode, new media director of the APC presidential campaign council, accused Datti of trying to pull down democracy because his party lost the election.

APC also petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to sanction Channels Television for airing the interview, adding that it was not only divisive, subversive, but also inciting and inflammatory. The TV station would later be fined N5 million by NBC for the interview.

All these played out amid an announcement by the Department of State Services (DSS) that some key players were plotting to install an interim government and stop Tinubu from being inaugurated as president.

The security service said the plot includes embarking on violent protests nationwide to engineer the declaration of a state of emergency and securing frivolous court injunctions to stall the inauguration.

The situation made for a fertile ground for the federal government to point fingers  and soon it did.

On April 4, Lai Mohammed, minister for information, accused Peter Obi, LP presidential candidate, of inciting people to violence over the outcome of the presidential election.

Lai wielded the stick of treason to describe the conduct of the LP presidential and vice-presidential candidates. He painted them as desperate politicians seeking to incite insurrection.

This is treason. You cannot be inviting insurrection, and this is what they are doing, the minister said.

Obis statement is that of a desperate person, he is not the democrat that he claimed to be.

A democrat should not believe in democracy only when he wins the election.

However, Edwin Clark, an Ijaw national leader and convener of the Pan-Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), said Mohammed should be prosecuted for spreading fake news against Obi.

Clark who endorsed Obi before the presidential election added that it is unpatriotic and wicked for anyone to accuse the former Anambra governor of inciting insurrection.

CHIMAMANDA AND SOYINKA ON OPPOSITE SIDES The post-election acrimony spilt from the muddy waters of politics into the often tranquil ivory tower of literature. Wole Soyinka and Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, two of Nigerias literary greats, found themselves on both sides of the divide. Reacting to the aforementioned interview by Datti, Soyinka said it contained fascistic language and also described the remark as a kind of do-or-die attitude and provocation that goes contrary to democratic disposition. Soyinkas admonition struck the nerve of the Obidients, and social media soon became awash with heated criticism and slurs directed at the Nobel laureate. In a riposte, Soyinka said Obidients have worn their refusal to accept constructive criticism as a badge of honour. He maintained that the LP was sowing seeds of fascism and generating a climate of fear. The Nobel laureate also challenged Datti-Ahmed to a TV debate. In response, LP accused Soyinka of criminalising dissent and in fact weighing in on the side of fraud and injustice. The party added that Datti-Ahmed would not be debating the Nobel laureate but his preferred candidate.



On the flip side of the conversation, Adichie addressed a letter to Joe Biden, the US president, saying the process of the Nigeria presidential election was deliberately manipulated.

She said the election was full of discrepancies and irregularities, which were all shunned by INEC.

Adichie asked Biden to uphold his stance on the need for a true democracy, adding that congratulating Tinubu tarnishes Americas self-proclaimed commitment to democratic processes.

The article by the Americanah author was broadly shared on social media by Obis supporters.

As expected, the letter met resentment in Tinubus camp and before long, missives were flying across social media platforms.

Kenyamo described the article as worthless, saying that it reflects a pathetic colonial mentality.

Bayo Onanuga accused Adichie of tribalism, adding that the allegations in the piece are a figment of her imagination.

But she never walked alone; Obidents had her back every step of the way.





OBIS DETENTION AT HEATHROW AIRPORT The circle of controversy soon returned to the UK. But this time Obi and his supporters were the victims. On April 12, LP announced that Obi was harassed and detained by London immigration officials over alleged impersonation. The statement claimed that the presidential candidate was detained at Heathrow Airport after being accosted by an immigration officer. The party said Obi was questioned for a long time and that it took the intervention of Nigerians for him to be promptly released. A day later, Adamu Garba, a member of APC, posted a doctored image on Twitter and claimed that the Nigerian government was involved in the release of Obi. The image was posted with the caption: Here is how the government of APC helped to recover Peter Obi from his detention cell in the UK over allegations of travelling to the UK with fake documents. All thanks to Abike Dabiri. His campaign is fake, his manifesto fake, his motives fake, even his travel documents are fake. WHY? However, UK immigration has remained silent about the incident, and Obi, although yet to make an official statement addressing the matter, recently said he will never knowingly break the law.







TINUBU AMONG TIME 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE

On April 13, Tinubu was named in Time Magazines list of 100 most influential people for 2023.

Time Magazines annual list accords recognition to people for changing the world, regardless of the consequences of their actions.

Tinubu is one of the Nigerians on the list alongside Dimie Ogoina, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at the Niger Delta University, Bayelsa.

The inclusion of Tinubu was heavily criticised on social media  especially by Obidients.

Astha Rajvanshi, the reporter who wrote Tinubus citation in the publication, came under fire from critics of Tinubu. The journalist was forced to lock all her social media accounts after a barrage of criticism.





TINUBUS GUINEAN PASSPORT

Last weekend, a fresh report surfaced on social media that Tinubu allegedly obtained citizenship of Guinea, a West African country.

The claim added that the dual-citizenship disqualifies the president-elect from being sworn into office on May 29.

The report cited Section 137 (1)(a) of the 1999 constitution which states that: A person shall not be qualified for election to the office of President if  subject to the provisions of section 28 of this Constitution, he has voluntarily acquired the citizenship of a country other than Nigeria or, except in such cases as may be prescribed by the National Assembly, he has made a declaration of allegiance to such other country.

Speaking on the allegation, Babatunde Fashola, minister of works and housing, said he was not aware whether Tinubu has dual citizenship.

I know he carries a Nigerian passport. I dont know about dual citizenship. I know he resided abroad when he went into exile, he said.

I dont know if they gave him American citizenship. What does that have to do with the results of the election? The last time I checked, I think the Nigerian constitution allows you to have dual citizenship. Doesnt it?

Subsequently, the minister came under fire on Twitter, with critics comparing his time as Lagos governor to Obis tenure as Anambra governor.

Whats next from the camps of the Obidients and Batists? You can safely hold your breath; you wont have to wait too long.









culled: TheCable




The presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the 2023 general election, Omoyole Sowore has rejected an apology offered to Nigerians by President Muhammadu Buhari as his administration wind-up.





Buhari had on Friday asked Nigerians to pardon him, especially those he might have hurt while discharging his duties.





Reacting to Buharis apologies, Sowore in a tweet on his official handle, reeled out reasons the president may never be forgiven.





Sowore said the president did not only hurt Nigeria but dehumanized citizens of the country with some unfavourable policies.





He declared that the opportunities President Buhari crushed will continue to hunt and haunt him till the end of time.





You denied Nigerians of a decent life, you denied children, women, men -old and young- an opportunity to live and thrive.





You destroyed businesses, you took innocent lives, you destroyed the educational sector, you deprived the sick and infirm of an opportunity to be nursed to health. You unjustly detained and imprisoned many.





You encouraged violence where you couldnt carry it out yourself. You created division through religious bigotry and ethnicity. Yourself, your family members, cronies and members of your cabal perpetrated untold corruption, Sowore tweeted.
Nine months before the first 2024 US presidential primary, Donald Trump's onetime UN envoy Nikki Haley is barnstorming early-voting New Hampshire, one of several Republicans scrambling to dent the huge poll lead of the nomination front-runner.
A public affairs commentator, Deji Adeyanju, has raised the alarm that the newly elected Senators and members of the House of Representatives have started collecting bribes to choose their new leaders.

In June, the 10th National Assembly would be inaugurated for the commencement of another four years of legislative duties.

The Senate is expected to elect a new President in place of Ahmed Lawan, while the House of Assembly gets a new Speaker to replace Femi Gbajabiamila.

At the moment, there are debates over which geopolitical zones of the nation should produce the two National Assembly leaders.





The All Progressives Congress, which has the majority, is yet to speak on the zoning formula, while others in the minority are also scheming to outdo the ruling party.

As a result, ranking legislators interested in the two positions are already lobbying and seeking the support of members to clinch the seats.

But, Adeyanju expressed sadness that dollars are exchanging hands between the contestants and the voters.

He said: They are all collecting dollars to vote Senate President and Speaker. Super sad nation.




Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the demolition of three two-storey buildings in the highbrow Banana Island, Ikoyi.





Sanwo-Olu gave the order on Saturday during an assessment of the site where a seven-storey building caved in two weeks ago.





At 310 Close, the governor ordered the demolition of the structure because it was erected without approval, NAN reports.





At 306 Close, the governor ordered the removal of two buildings adjacent to each other because they were constructed under powerline and water.





The governor blamed the April 12 incident on the developers and other citizens that wanted to make quick money.





Sanwo-Olu also fingered the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and National Inland Waterways Authority, NIWA, for allegedly granting an extension of the Banana Island line.





He added that the Lagos building officers were also not doing their jobs efficiently, saying those found culpable would be sanctioned.





We have given an order to stop work, not only at this site but also in all of the construction sites in Banana Island.





You have seen the extent of unapproved extension into the water. You can see that the original line for Banana Island is not even where we are.





There are several extensions granted by both the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing and NIWA. These are the federal agencies culpable, Sanwo-Olu added.





After the latest collapse, Abiodun Oyefusi, Labour Party, LP, deputy gubernatorial candidate in Lagos, asked Sanwo-Olu to resign for incompetence.





In November 2021, a 21-storey building under construction on Gerrard Road, also in Ikoyi, collapsed and killed dozens of workers.





The Coroner, Chief Magistrate O. A. Komolafe, blamed Lagos agencies, saying the structures density and setback on the site showed a gross violation of regulations.
A 29-year-old Riverton resident was charged Thursday with killing a man found dead at a Mount Laurel hotel earlier that day, the Burlington County Prosecutors Office announced Friday.

Officers from the Mount Laurel Police Department were called to the the Rodeway Inn on Route 73 just before 10 a.m. for a report of two men fighting, the office said. When they arrived, they found the body of Michael Jefferies, 36, of Mount Laurel, on the ground outside of a second-floor room near a stairwell.

Detectives alleged Taylor Perkins stabbed Jeffries and fled on foot to a nearby BMW dealership and drove off in a SUV, investigators said. He abandoned the SUV in Evesham and stole a truck belonging to an Xfinity worker who was up on a ladder, officials alleged. He was eventually arrested at a home on Decatur Street in Camden.
Uncle Giuseppes Marketplace has arrived at the Jersey Shore.

The Italian food market opened at 990 Shrewsbury Ave. in Tinton Falls on Friday, April 21, replacing a former ACME supermarket that closed in 2019.

The renovated 56,000-square-foot Uncle Giuseppes features a deli, pizzeria, bakery and several departments, including meat, produce, seafood and gourmet cheese.

It also has a candy counter, a gelato station, a coffee bar and viewing rooms for customers to watch pasta and mozzarella being made.

Uncle Giuseppes Marketplace is a Long-Island based company with 11 stores across New York and New Jersey.

This is the third New Jersey location. The others are in Morris Plains and Ramsey.

The new Uncle Giuseppes in Tinton Falls is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. and Sundays from 7 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

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Can Americans still have a sensible and friendly political discussion across the partisan divide? The answer is yes, and we prove it every week. Julie Roginsky, a Democrat, and Mike DuHaime, a Republican, are consultants who have worked on opposite teams for their entire careers yet have remained friends throughout. Here, they discuss the weeks events with editorial page editor Tom Moran.

Q. Lets start with the nearly $800 million Fox News will pay Dominion to settle claims that it knowingly lied about the 2020 election. Will anything change at Fox? Did the revelations of extreme cynicism during discovery damage any key players, like Tucker Carlson?

Julie: Take it from someone who spent years working at Fox and knows how the sausage is made: this wont change a thing. The network was not forced to apologize on air and has barely reported on this case, so its audience is blissfully unaware that the anchors lied repeatedly about the 2020 election. Life will go on as before, Rupert Murdoch will continue to rake in the cash and our democracy will continue to be threatened by a for-profit machine that scorns its own viewers all the way to the bank.

Mike: Good for Dominion for sticking to their guns and protecting their reputation. Julie is probably right though. This is part of the cost of doing business for Fox. It will take a change in the goals of leadership to change their ways.

Fox News case: Dominion wins, America loses | Editorial https://t.co/L7HplMLeKr  NJ_Opinion (@NJ_Opinion) April 19, 2023

Q. Chris Christie met with three dozen former staffers and advisors in Washington Monday night and told them hell decide on a presidential run within a few weeks. It might not just be over yet, he said, adding that the 2024 field looks vacant compared to what I dealt with in 2016. I say hell run; do either of you have the guts to make a prediction for our loyal readers?

Julie: Christie never stopped running, so yes, he will run, if only to keep himself in the mix for a possible cabinet post or to keep his profile elevated to negotiate a more lucrative deal at ABC or elsewhere. He is a very talented politician but I continue to believe that there is no room for someone like him in todays Republican Party. You cant be half in-half out of MAGA world. Christie was all in on Trump until the 2020 election, before becoming a critic once Trump lost. That likely wont please any Republican voters.

Im not a paid assassin. When youre waking up for your 45th morning at the Hilton Garden Inn in Manchester, you better think you can win, because that walk from the bed to the shower, if you dont think you can win, its hard. https://t.co/DVY0VPi63b  Josh Dawsey (@jdawsey1) April 20, 2023

Mike: I havent shared any private conversations in this column and wont start now. If Christie runs, he will be formidable. He has incredible talent on the stage. Just ask Jon Corzine, Barbara Buono or Marco Rubio. Right now, Christie is the only one unafraid to speak truth to Trump. The others are afraid of Trump and only gingerly dance around DeSantis. Trump is afraid of Christie running. Hes not afraid of anyone else.

Q. The Bergen Record reported that Senate President Nick Scutari paid himself $270,000 from his campaign accounts, claiming it was reimbursement for campaign spending he didnt specify. His former chief of staff was paid $320,000 in the same way. Is this a problem for Scutari?

Julie: It depends on how that money was allocated. Senator Scutari has the opportunity to amend his reports to provide more clarity.

Mike: Candidates and staff often spend lots of money out of pocket on campaigns and deserve to be reimbursed for those expenditures, but when amounts are that large, they should be itemized as if the campaign spent the money directly. Thats a fair expectation. The senate president is an attorney and will abide by the rules.

Scutaris get out of jail free card | Moran https://t.co/jb94HH9QQk  NJ_Opinion (@NJ_Opinion) April 20, 2023

Q. The tentative settlement of the strike at Rutgers University lifts the salaries of the lowest-paid teachers and gives them greater job security. Will the state cover the costs, or will Rutgers cover it by raising tuition? Gov. Phil Murphy is getting praise from all sides, a big win for him, right?

Julie: Its definitely a big win for the governor but the devil is in the details. New Jersey has many public colleges where faculty will, and should, expect the same concessions. The governor got great headlines on this and will likely be able to pay for this increased cost from this years budget surplus but what happens next year and in subsequent years when the media focuses on something else and the budget surplus and COVID money dries up?

Mike: I dont agree that faculty at every school should expect the same deals. The market speaks in higher education. Students will pay more to go to any Ivy League school than a big state university, and they will pay more for a name brand large state university than a lesser known state school, so salaries are likely commensurate. Students likely pay more, and get more value, when they go to the University of Michigan than Saginaw Valley State, even though both are Michigan state schools. As for Murphy, his long-term goals will be burnished if hes seen as a problem solver, and a friend to the unions.

Q. Murphy is facing some online ridicule over spending $500,000 for antique furnishings for his office in the restored Statehouse, and a second office used by First Lady Tammy Murphy. Is the criticism fair? Will voters give a damn?

Julie: I personally dont care but voters in Iowa might. Its less about the specifics of this one expenditure than a larger narrative about a Goldman Sachs executive who flies around on private jets, has several European mansions and thinks nothing of blowing half a million dollars in taxpayer money on oriental rugs and antique furniture. If there is one thing Ive learned from years of working on campaigns, its that candidates rarely understand what triggers voters who look nothing like them.

Murphys swanky luxury, courtesy of you | Editorial https://t.co/gCx13NTxuP  NJ_Opinion (@NJ_Opinion) April 18, 2023

Mike: Lets face it; this is a big unforced error. Smaller wastes of taxpayer money are easier for voters to understand than larger wastes of money. It is far easier for voters to comprehend wasting $100,000 on an antique rug than listening to an esoteric debate on borrowing billions regarding COVID healthcare costs. People hate when tolls go up, because the amounts are tangible. Voters who go to IKEA or shop a furniture store on the highway or downtown cannot fathom spending six times the median household income in New Jersey on antiques. Very few people see that as a wise use of money. Sure, in the grand scheme of a $50 billion state budget, its not a lot, but taxpayers will believe no one cares about wasting their tax dollars in much bigger ways if expenses like this are tolerated and even celebrated.

I still want to know more about the pillows. https://t.co/pT5LU6RgFj @MatthewArco  Karin Price Mueller (@KPMueller) April 18, 2023

Q. Protesters showed up in Rep. Tom Kean Jr.s district this week, led by Working Families Party members, requesting that he hold his first town hall after 100 days in office. His predecessors, Tom Malinowski and Leonard Lance, held them regularly, but Keans team said in January that it would not be productive dialogue in this polarized political environment. What should he do?

Julie: Kean should hide, because there is no benefit to him of being asked why he is a member of a Republican conference that is led by the likes of Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Mike: Well, Malinowski and Lance were both voted out of office, so Im not sure they provide the best roadmap to holding the district. Elections in the 7th district swing on national issues, not town halls.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

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A note to readers: Mike and Julie are deeply engaged in politics and commercial advocacy in New Jersey, so both have connections to many players discussed in this column. DuHaime, the founder of MAD Global, was chief advisor to former Gov. Chris Christie, and has worked for Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, and President George W. Bush. Roginsky, a principal of Comprehensive Communications Group, has served as senior advisor to campaigns of Cory Booker, Frank Lautenberg, and Phil Murphy. We will disclose specific connections only when readers might otherwise be misled.
UPDATE: Severe thunderstorm warnings posted as strong storms with hail, gusty winds lash parts of state

The possibility of a stormy Saturday evening in New Jersey just got a little greater.

Forecasters say a strong cold front approaching from the west will bring showers and scattered thunderstorms from late Saturday afternoon into the evening.

Some of the storms could generate heavy downpours and high wind gusts, according to forecasters.

The main hazard is damaging winds, though we will have to watch the potential tornado threat as storms move through, the National Weather Services regional forecast office in Mount Holly said in its morning forecast discussion on Saturday.

Until showers come late in the day, much of the state will remain dry in the early afternoon as temperatures hover around 70 degrees, the National Weather Service said.

*model simulated* radar loop through tonight. If anything, expect showers/t-storms to arrive up to an hour earlier than shown here. This still give us a 'general' idea of when gusty downpours & locally strong t-storms will pass by later today. #pawx #mdwx #njwx #dewx pic.twitter.com/B8tzI7AzZn  NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 22, 2023

As of early Saturday, the national Storm Prediction Center shows the threat for severe thunderstorms with damaging winds is higher in the states southwestern region than it is in other parts of the state.

Forecasters say the greatest threat of locally damaging wind guts and rainfall is around 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Parts of the state impacted by rain on Saturday could see .5 to 1 inch of rain. Wind gusts are expected to be around 25-35 mph during the afternoon.

There is also a slight chance of hail with storms in the southwestern part of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

A strong cold front will approach our region from the west late in the day. It will bring showers and scattered thunderstorms from late this afternoon into this evening. Damaging wind gusts are possible along with heavy downpours. #pawx #njwx #dewx #mdwx pic.twitter.com/nY4pY5N1tC  NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) April 22, 2023

Showers and thunder are expected to quickly end into the overnight, forecasters said.

A cold front will cross into New Jersey Saturday night with temperatures dropping back mostly into the mid to upper 40s and low 50s range, forecasters said.

High temperatures on Sunday should be mostly in the 60s and lows should range from the upper 30s to the middle 40s on Sunday night, according to the National Weather Service.

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Nyah Marshall may be reached at Nmarshall@njadvancemedia.com.
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Egypts Finance Minister Mohamed Maait said Tuesday that the treasury gathered $500 million in transfers from Egyptian ex-pats under a provisional programme allowing them to import customs-free cars.

The government approved a programme in November allowing Egyptian ex-pats to obtain cars for personal use in return for a five-year certificate of deposit (CD) purchased in foreign currency equal to the amount of the customs due on the vehicle that will be redeemed in Egyptian pounds at the exchange rate at that time.

In a statement published on the cabinets Facebook page, Maait added that 100,000 people had registered to benefit from the special scheme since it was launched on 15 November.

He said 800 imported cars had been released so far under the programme.

Maait reiterated that the deadline to benefit from the special programme is 14 May and that ex-pats who want to benefit from it must transfer before that date.

The minister also explained that whoever wants to withdraw from the programme would be reimbursed within three months, according to the exchange rate at that time.

The government hoped to attract $2.5 billion worth of foreign currency from this initiative to help with the hard currency crunch, but that target seems unlikely with less than a month until the initiative expires.

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Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry agreed in a phone call on Thursday with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar to India's request that Egypt contribute to the protection of Indian nationals in Sudan amidst the ongoing fighting there, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman, Ahmed Abu-Zeid, said that during the call, Shoukry reviewed Egypt's efforts to mediate between the conflicting parties. He also informed Jaishankar of Egypt's diplomatic efforts to contact various regional and international parties to resolve the conflict in Sudan peacefully.

Shoukry emphasised the need to integrate efforts and urged the parties to the conflict in Sudan to achieve a sustainable ceasefire to protect the lives and properties of the Sudanese people, said the spokesman.

For his part, the Indian Minister praised Egypt's mediation efforts to stop the fighting in Sudan. Furthermore, he expressed his country's concern about the consequences of the ongoing military confrontations and their impact on civilians, including Sudanese citizens and foreign nationals.

Jaishankar also expressed India's desire that Egypt coordinates with India and contribute to protecting Indian nationals in Sudan, a suggestion that Shoukry welcomed.

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Lisa Ruiz at her home in Eden Isle on April 11. Ruiz is one of hundreds of homeowners who paid back a Road Home elevation grant after the state sued her and thousand of others, saying they hadn't spent the money according to program rules. The state recently dropped the lawsuits, but those who had already paid the money back won't be reimbursed.
The Egyptian diplomatic mission in Wadi Halfa is in communication with the Sudanese authorities to facilitate the return of Egyptian expats via land crossings, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

The foreign ministry is following up on conditions of Egyptians in Sudan and is working to guarantee they are safe and sound, the statement noted.

Egyptians in Sudan can contact the diplomatic mission in Wadi Halfa in northern Sudan at (00249) 0116604033 or (00249) 0118162679, it added.

Violence in Sudan erupted early on Saturday between the forces of two generals who seized power in 2021: Army Chief Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Fighting between the two forces raged for a seventh day on Friday, despite calls for an end-of-Ramadan ceasefire, according to the AFP. Around 400 civilians are estimated to have been killed so far.

On Tuesday, EgyptAir announced suspending all its flights to and from Khartoum International Airport indefinitely in light of the current fighting.

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The Pentagon has deployed forces and is developing options to assist in the possible evacuation of US Embassy personnel from Sudan.

However, the White House said Friday there are no plans for now for a broader pullout of the potentially thousands of other Americans from the African country where warring factions are in a violent conflict.

The troop moves by the US military are intended "to ensure that we provide as many options as possible, if we are called on to do something. We havent been called on to do anything yet, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a news conference in Germany.

Austin and US Army Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, held meeting meetings with defense leaders from other countries to discuss additional support for Ukraine.

An estimated 16,000 private US citizens are registered with the US Embassy in Khartoum as being in Sudan. The State Department has cautioned that that figure probably is inaccurate because there is no requirement for Americans to register nor is there a requirement to notify the embassy when they leave.

"Its absolutely imperative that US citizens in Sudan make their own arrangements to stay safe in these difficult circumstances," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in Washington.

He added that "Americans should have no expectation of a US government coordinated evacuation at this time. And we expect that thats going to remain the case.

For embassy staff, according to an American official, a small number of US troops have begun arriving in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, where the US is pre-positioning forces and equipment to assist in any potential evacuation. The official said Army soldiers are being tapped for the task.

The US troops are being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Evacuation planning for Sudan got underway in earnest on Monday after a US Embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.

The conflict between Sudans military and a rival paramilitary force is worsening. The military has ruled out negotiations and said it would only accept surrender as a temporary cease-fire ended, raising the likelihood of a renewed surge in the nearly weeklong violence that has killed hundreds.

The US official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations, said Milley discussed the situation with defense officials from Germany, Italy and Canada, among others. One topic was ensuring that any potential evacuation efforts did not conflict.

The US State Department said Friday that an American citizen had died in Sudan, but did not have further details.

We are in touch with the family and offer our deepest condolences to them on their loss. Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add, the department said in a statement.

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Sudans army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, stated on Saturday that General Khalifa Haftar of Libya is not supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by his rival Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, also known as Hemedti, with no evidence of involvement from the Russian paramilitary group Wagner.

In an interview with the Saudi channel Al-Arabiya, al-Burhan disclosed that he received a phone call from General Haftar in which he denied supporting the RSF. He added, So far, there has been no confirmation about the Wagner Group's support for the RSF.

A CNN report published on Friday claimed that the Wagner Group was supplying the RSF with missiles to aid their fight against the army. A claim that was categorically rejected by the RSF.

RSF [fighters] are deployed in residential neighbourhoods and theyre using civilians as human shields; they also attacked stores, banks and governmental institutions, Burhan told Al-Arabiya on Saturday.

"A group of RSF fighters also raided late on Friday al-Huda prison, the biggest prison in Khartoum with around 8000 inmates; they killed the guards and security personnel and freed all the prisoners," he said.

He added, "I am currently in the command centre doing my duty and will only leave it in a coffin. But nobody knows where the RSF leader is, even his forces do not know where he is.

[Fighting] inside cities prolongs the confrontation. Gunmen must leave residential neighbourhoods to end [this] war, Burhan said, adding that no one can forecast when and how the [clashes] will end.

Burhan confirmed that all the airports in Sudan are under the armys control" except for the airports in the capital, Khartoum and Nyala, the capital of the state of South Darfur.

The violence broke out on 15 April between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo.

On Friday, the army announced they "agreed to a ceasefire for three days" for the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

The World Health Organisation reported on Friday that 413 people have been killed and 3,551 injured since fighting broke out. The death toll includes at least five aid workers in a country reliant on food aid.

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Fighting in Sudan between the forces of two rival generals could have far-reaching consequences not only for the northeast African country but also for an already unstable region, experts warn.

Clashes erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, the commander of the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Violence in the capital Khartoum and in other parts of the country quickly escalated, with air strikes in the capital and tanks battling on the streets.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded across the vast country, Africa's third biggest, roughly three times the size of France.

Analysts warn the conflict could draw in foreign armed groups and regional powers, triggering a new refugee crisis.

Refugees

Between 10,000 and 20,000 people have fled fighting to Sudan's western neighbour Chad, the United Nations said Thursday.

The UN's refugee agency, UNHCR, said eastern Chad was already hosting 400,000 Sudanese refugees, and the new arrivals were placing additional strain on the country's overstretched public services and resources.

Sudan is one the world's poorest countries, and in February the UN said more than one-third of its population was facing a growing hunger crisis.

"Millions of civilians are caught in the crossfire and fast running out of basic necessities," the International Crisis Group (ICG) said Thursday.

Cameron Hudson of the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) told AFP he was "fully expecting a massive exodus of civilians" once the first lasting ceasefire takes hold.

"I am expecting millions of people to try to cross borders," he said.

Fighting Spreads

The battles spread swiftly, engulfing Khartoum and its twin city Omdurman and several regions of the country, especially Darfur.

"The combat could quickly slide into a sustained war that risks rippling through the country's restive peripheries into its neighbours," the ICG added.

"The hostilities have pushed the country toward the full-blown civil war Sudanese have dreaded for years."

Hudson said the violence was "a huge concern", especially because it had erupted across a vast area.

Many of Sudan's neighbours are already struggling after years of their own conflicts.

"The challenge is that the conflict... is spread on every corner of the country, on the border with Chad, the Central African Republic, South Sudan and Ethiopia," Hudson said.

Civil War

If the conflict drags on, more people in the extremely fragmented Sudanese society might take up arms, said British analyst Alex de Waal.

"There are two protagonists," he told AFP. "If the conflict continues, the situation will quickly become more complex."

Each side is a coalition of several different groups, de Waal noted, who may shift their alliances potentially considering "ethnic factors".

The New York-based Soufan Center warned of "meddling from external states, warlords, armed militias and a range of other violent non-state actors".

"A failure by commanders to rein in their fighters could further prolong violence," the think tank said.

Regional Powers

Other countries in the region have all officially called for a cessation of violence.

Hudson, of the CSIS, said the two generals were trying to acquire arms and reinforcements from neighbouring countries.

Russia's Wagner mercenary group is also present in Sudan, but its involvement focuses mainly on exploiting the country's gold reserves.

De Waal warned the fighting could draw in actors who provide funding, weapons "and possibly their own troops or proxies".

Libya, the Central African Republic, Chad, Ethiopia and Eritrea are likely to play some political or even military roles in the conflict, he added.

He noted that it would be the same actors who would later be involved in mediation efforts to resolve the conflict.

Mediation

"Sudan's instability is a concern for the entire world, but particularly for neighbouring countries," said Emirati political scientist Abdulkhaleq Abdulla, noting its strategic position on the Red Sea.

"Everyone will pay a price" of a lasting conflict in Sudan, he said.

Since tensions erupted, mediators from the United Nations, the African Union, regional IGAD bloc, and Western and Gulf capitals have been attempting to bring Burhan and Daglo to the negotiating table.

So far, efforts have been in vain.

Some experts said years of diplomacy with the two generals since the overthrow of long-time autocrat Omar al-Bashir in 2019 emboldened them.

The international community and major powers "are getting nothing" when they now call for a ceasefire, Hudson said.

A rapid military victory seems unlikely, experts agree, with Burhan's army more powerful, but Daglo's RSF excelling in urban guerrilla warfare.

The stage appears set for a lasting conflict.

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ArcelorMittal North America CEO John Brett, a Region resident, will address "North America's pre-eminent steel industry conference and exposition."

Brett, who's also executive vice president of ArcelorMittal, will discuss the American steel industry and its future at AISTech 2023 in Detroit.

On May 9, he will give the keynote speech during the President's Award Breakfast on one of the steel industry's greatest challenges. His talk is entitled "Decarbonization  A Path Forward."

AIST president Keith Howell, the chief operating officer of ArcelorMittal North America, also will speak at the president's breakfast at the conference for technical professionals in the steel industry like metallurgists. It's when awards like AIST's Steelmaker of the Year will be announced.

The conference will take place between May 8 and May 11 at Huntington Place in Detroit. It will feature many engineers, researchers, technical presentations and demonstrations of the latest in steelmaking machinery and processes.

Brett, a graduate of DePauw University who has an MBA from the University of Chicago, was named CEO of ArcelorMittal North America in January 2021 after ArcelorMittal sold off most of its U.S. operations, including its mills in Northwest Indiana, amid a global push to decarbonize and get away from the blast furnaces used in traditional integrated steelmaking.

He previously served as CEO of ArcelorMittal USA, when ArcelorMittal still controlled the steel mills that Cleveland-Cliffs now runs along the Lake Michigan lakeshore.

He previously worked at Inland Steel as an accountant and worked his way up to a financial analysis and systems manager in 1997. He became controller for Ispat Inland Steel in 1998 and was promoted to controller and vice president of finance and planning for Mittal Steel in 2021. In 2012, he was named executive vice president of finance, planning and procurement for ArcelorMittal USA.

ArcelorMittal North America moved its corporate headquarters to the Crossroads of the Nation intersection in Schererville after the multinational divested most of its U.S. operations, save for a mini-mill in Alabama and ArcelorMittal Global R&D in East Chicago. It also still makes steel in Canada.

Brett will address the AIST, a technical association that represents more than 15,500 professionals, academics and students around the globe. It works to advance the technical development of steel.
The Art Barn School of Art is now exhibiting its 29th annual Juried Art Exhibition, which features the work of artists from far and wide.

A total of 174 aspiring and established artists from Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, North Dakota, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin submitted 422 entries for consideration for the juried group exhibition. Art Barn, at 695 N 400 E in Valparaiso, is displaying 88 pieces a juror selected.

People can see drawings, paintings, pastels, printmaking, mixed media, photography, glass, textiles and ceramic art on display at the art school in rural Porter County.

We are proud to continue the longstanding tradition and dream of our late founder Jan Sullivan and congratulate those who were selected to be included in this year's exhibition, said Amy Davis Navardauskas, Art Barn executive director. Their work was among the 22% of selected pieces and among 85 of the 174 artists selected to participate. Due to a record number of submissions, competition was high this year."

Artist and Valparaiso University professor Aimee Tomasek served as the juror. She is a documentary photographer whose work seeks to "address the social and cultural relationships between industry and regionalism along with more personal institutions such as faith, ethnic foundations and a sense of community."

The Art Barn will distribute $5,800 in purchase and merit awards to support working artists in the Region. All proceeds from sales will go toward Art Barn's educational programming and exhibitions.

An artists' reception will take place between 5 and 8 p.m. on April 28. There will be light refreshments, a cash bar, a chance to mingle with the artists and an award presentation at 6:30 p.m.
CROWN POINT  A man who fired six fatal shots at a 24-year-old outside Fatso's Pub last month has been captured and charged with murder, according to unsealed court documents.

Martell Flippins, 35, of Gary was apprehended April 13 by the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force in the 700 block of East 90th Street in Chicago, Inspector Nicolas Gonzalez said. Charges were filed April 3; he was extradited to Lake County and booked Friday into the Lake County Jail.

Gary police said Pierre Patterson, 24, of Gary left the bar, 5060 Broadway, around 3:15 a.m. March 12 and was crossing the street when a driver in a green Chevy Equinox pulled up beside him and fired shots. Patterson was taken to Methodist Southlake in Merrillville, where he died. He was pronounced by the Lake County coroner's office and his death was ruled a homicide.

Patterson was allegedly a suspect in a 2022 murder of a man who had been linked to Flippins, which detectives believe could be a motive for the killing, according to court documents.

Video surveillance captured the Equinox parked outside the bar for about an hour and a half before the shooting, which detectives believe might imply the driver's intention to ambush Patterson. According to charging documents, detectives used the FLOCK license plate reader database and information from the Accurint Virtual Crime Center to identify Flippins as the owner of the Equinox.

Authorities attempted to apprehend Flippins at his workplace by following him in his vehicle as he left the location. However, he evaded police and eventually abandoned his vehicle in Lansing. The vehicle was impounded and detectives were granted a warrant to search the vehicle, according to court documents. Shell casings similar to those found at the scene of the killing were found in the vehicle. Detectives obtained location data from Flippins' cellphone that placed him at the scene of the killing around the time it happened.

Flippins also faces a felony charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon.

Anyone with information related to this incident can call Detective James Nielsen of the Lake County Prosecutor's Homicide Task Force at 219-755-3855.
A new state law makes it illegal for Hoosiers to attach to their firearms a "switch," or any similar device, that enables fully automatic shooting with a single pull of the trigger.

Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb approved the revised state definition of "machine gun" in House Enrolled Act 1365 on Thursday after the legislation was endorsed 71-23 by the Republican-controlled House and 45-4 in the Republican-controlled Senate.

Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer, and Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, are the only Northwest Indiana lawmakers to not support the proposal.

The statute took effect upon the governor signing it into law.

Advocates for the measure said the plastic switches, also known as Glock switches, are being purchased or 3-D printed throughout the state and increasingly used to convert regular guns into machine guns  with deadly consequences.

"It's very difficult to control a firearm with one of these devices attached to it. So our constituents' homes, businesses, cars and our constituents themselves are being caught in the crossfire," said sponsor Rep. Mitch Gore, D-Indianapolis.

"These devices allow shooters to fire off dozens of rounds in just a matter of seconds. When police respond to these shootings, they are quite literally being outgunned."

The mere possession of a switch already was illegal under federal law. The new Indiana law ensures that any person with a switch attached to their gun is subject to a variety of state penalty enhancements for the possession or use of a machine gun.

"As a career law enforcement officer and a representative of a district that has seen several instances of gun violence, I know this bill will save the lives of citizens and cops alike and make our streets safer for Hoosier families," Gore said.

In a statement, Gore thanked his Statehouse colleagues, especially the strong Second Amendment supporters, for recognizing the importance of holding accountable people who illegally convert their standard firearms into machine guns.

"The significance of passing a piece of bipartisan gun legislation in Indiana is not lost on me," he said. "I also want to thank Governor Holcomb for signing this bill and helping the General Assembly keep families safe while respecting Hoosiers and their constitutional rights."

Additional supporters include the Indiana Fraternal Order of Police, Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council.

Meet the 2023 Northwest Indiana legislative delegation State Rep. Carolyn Jackson, D-Hammond State Rep. Earl Harris Jr., D-East Chicago State Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary State Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso State Rep. Pat Boy, D-Michigan City State Rep. Chuck Moseley, D-Portage State Rep. Mike Aylesworth, R-Hebron State Rep. Mike Andrade, D-Munster State Rep. Vernon Smith, D-Gary State Rep. Hal Slager, R-Schererville State Rep. Kendell Culp, R-Rensselaer State Rep. Julie Olthoff, R-Crown Point State Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie State Sen. Dan Dernulc, R-Highland State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary State Sen. Rodney Pol Jr., D-Chesterton State Sen. Ed Charbonneau, R-Valparaiso State Sen. Rick Niemeyer, R-Lowell State Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
Natorries Brown Natorries Brown of Gary

GARY  Police have announced a suspect in a shooting that wounded a 3-year-old girl Tuesday in the 4200 block of Jackson Street.

Natorries Armoni Brown of Gary is the boyfriend of child's mother and is at large, according to Gary police. Charges have not been filed, but there is a warrant out for his arrest.

Police are working with the U.S. marshals to capture Brown, Cmdr. Edward Gonzalez said.

Brown "needs to turn himself in. He needs to be held accountable," he said. "This could have been a very tragic situation."

Police were called around 10:50 a.m. to the house and found the child sitting on the porch with her mother, Capt. Samuel Roberts said Wednesday. Upon arrival, Cpl. Anthrice Culp wrapped the child's leg in a tourniquet, stopping the bleed until Gary Fire Department medical personnel arrived.

Officers were initially given conflicting accounts of what happened, but later found out that the child was shot in an upstairs bedroom while the other occupants were watching television.

The child is hospitalized and will survive, Gonzalez said, but he hopes the community understands the importance of sharing accurate information with police during investigations. His message: If you see something, say something.

"The Police Department needs the assistance of the community," he said. "I implore the community to take their community back and stop protecting these criminals."

Lisette Guillen, host and executive producer for "Case Files Chicago," spoke to the public at a news conference Friday and encouraged residents to put the lives of children first.

"People need to stop protecting the criminal, and start protecting the child," Guillen said.

Guillen and Andrew Holmes, founder of the Lock It Down foundation, distributed gun locks to people in the neighborhood and reminded them of the importance of gun safety, especially if a child is in the home.

"This is not an accidental shooting," Holmes said. "This is negligence."

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Detective Cpl. John Suttles at 219-881-1210.
The Ministry of the Interior announced on Saturday the release of 1,920 inmates from rehabilitation and correctional centres after receiving a presidential pardon in honour of Eid Al-Fitr and Sinai Liberation Day.

The ministrys social protection department determined 1,920 prisoners who conformed to the presidential pardons conditions, the ministry said.

The ministry added that it also held Eid Al-Fitr prayers inside the 10th of Ramadan correctional and rehabilitation correctional centre.

Last week, Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a decree pardoning several prisoners in honour of Eid Al-Fitr and Sinai Liberation Day, which respectively fall on this weekend and 25 April.

The Egyptian constitution allows the president to issue pardons for prisoners who have received final court rulings. Presidential pardons are typically issued several times a year in conjunction with national and religious holidays.

Egypt has released thousands of inmates as per presidential pardon decisions in recent years on different national and religious occasions.

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Republican Todd Young's second term in the U.S. Senate is starting out pretty sweet.

The Hoosier is now seated at the "candy desk" in the chamber and responsible for ensuring that the back row, aisle desk on the Republican side is well-stocked with goodies for lawmakers of both political parties whenever they need a sugar fix.

Young announced this week that he plans to stock the Senate's candy desk with confections from Indiana candy makers, including Albanese gummy products from Merrillville and sour punch straws from The Sweet Tooth in Munster.

"The candy desk is a popular destination for senators from both sides of the aisle, and Im excited to share Hoosier candies with my colleagues," he said. "Perhaps a taste of Hoosier hospitality will sweeten the sometimes-bitter divide in Washington."

The Senate has maintained a candy desk for its members since the 1960s, and its location, near the chamber's most popular entrance, makes it easy for senators to grab a little snack on their way in to keep up their energy during long periods of floor debate.

The originator of the candy desk, California Sen. George Murphy, started out merely sharing candy-flavored throat lozenges with his colleagues.

Senators subsequently seated at the designated desk initially upgraded the offerings to mints and hard candies, then eventually to a robust selection of treats from the senator's home state  a tradition Young believes is important to continue.

"Candy manufacturers across Indiana are producing amazing treats, and my goal is to spotlight these unique products made and distributed by Hoosiers," he said.

In addition to the Region-based delights, Young plans to stock DeBrand chocolate bars from Fort Wayne, Red Hots from Jeffersonville, Toxic Waste sour candy and rock crystal candies from New Albany, Kraft caramels from Kendallville, jelly beans from Wakarusa, buckeyes from Metamora, and Endangered Species mini chocolates from Indianapolis.

Young is taking over the candy desk from Sen. Pat Toomey, whose home state of Pennsylvania is home to Hershey, Reese's and other longstanding candy brands.

Albanese doesn't (yet) have its own theme park, like Hershey. But who knows what the future holds once America's 100 senators take a ride on the 12 flavors of the Merrillville company's "world's best" gummy bears.

Young actually is the second Hoosier senator to preside over the candy desk. Dick Lugar, who represented Indiana for 36 years, made available a selection of hard candies from 1977 to 79 when he served as the Senate's candy king.

The keeper of the candy won a second six-year term serving Hoosiers at the Capitol by defeating Democratic Hammond Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. in last year's election.

McDermott made news this week touting a different kind of gummy  marijuana edibles  from a home in Michigan where the drug is legal, in contrast to Indiana where cannabis is not.

PHOTOS: Sen. Todd Young visits Valparaiso University
MICHIGAN CITY  Residents of the citys East Side, West Side and Midtown neighborhoods offered ideas on ways to improve the quality of life in their own areas as the city drafts a three-year improvement plan.

The plan is being developed by the Brookings Institution and Local Initiatives Support Corp. Michigan City, Seymour and Warsaw, all in Indiana, are the first small cities nationwide for this effort, said Josh Anderson, of Anderson and Bohlander, who facilitated Thursday nights session.

Were the guinea pigs, he said.

Youll be receiving national attention through this process, Anderson added.

The station block building coming to Michigan City with the Double Track NWI project incorporates a new train station and parking garage but also residential and commercial uses. That project is lighting an economic development fuse that promises to bring hundreds of millions of dollars of private investment downtown. That includes the $240 million SoLa  for South of the Lake  mixed-use development adjacent to City Hall.

Were really looking at the more disinvested communities around there, Anderson said, to make sure they arent left out, he said.

Indiana is preparing for a second round of READI  Regional Economic Acceleration and Development Initiative  grants. They want you to be competitive in that, Anderson said.

The team looking at Michigan City has already dived into demographic data. The East Side, West Side and Midtown neighborhoods have 26% of the citys jobs, but unemployment is higher.

Anderson encouraged attendees to list strengths, weaknesses and ideas. They eagerly responded.

We dont have an inpatient mental health facility, pointed out Brenda Stellema. She placed a Post-It note on the Franciscan Health property on Homer Street to flag a possible location.

Nila Williams grew up in the West Side neighborhood. Attending the meeting at the H.O.P.E. Center brought back memories for her. The building was the former Park Elementary School, which she attended. Park is one of several schools closed after enrollment declined.

I would love to see something else going on in this building, Williams said, adding youth-oriented programs, the arts and black history lessons to what already goes on there.

I dont like the prison, obviously, but we grew up with that, Williams said. She would like to see the prison removed and affordable housing put up in its place.

Theres a food desert over here, Williams added. She wants residents to have easy access to healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables without having to drive to the citys south side, where the large supermarkets are.

Realtor Erica Miller, an East Side resident, agreed about the need for fresh produce on her side of the city. Theres so much that we lack on the East Side, she said. We lack vibrant businesses and walkability, she said. Crossing Franklin Street downtown is easy, but Michigan Boulevard is harder to cross.

Miller hopes the new Dunkin Donuts will attract other businesses to her neighborhood.

Tommy Kulaviks ideas included adding an I-94 interchange at County Line Road.

Another resident suggested an independent study program in conjunction with the AK Smith Career Center and Ivy Tech Community College for students to learn shoe repair and other trades that seem to be in decline.

I think one of the barriers is transportation, a resident said, with bus service ending too early for a lot of people to ride to and from work.

Mayor Duane Parry was pleased with the event. Its overdue, he said. Its needed if were going to go forward.

Events like this help him keep in touch with people in the community, he added.

Michigan City Economic Development Corp. Executive Director Clarence Hulse is excited about the program. You dont know how fortunate I feel to have two major nonprofits in our backyard, he said.

Weve got some of the highest poverty around downtown, he said, and he doesnt want people pushed out of their homes.
DOLTON  Police responding to a report of a domestic dispute have fatally shot a man reportedly carrying a gun in suburban Chicago.

The shooting happened around 5 a.m. Friday as uniformed officers arrived at a home south of Chicago in Dolton, WGN-TV reported, citing police. Police shot the man after he refused multiple orders to drop the weapon.

The officers wore working body cameras, the TV station reported. It was not immediately reported how many officers fired shots. It also was not immediately known if the man fired any shots.

Dolton police have asked state law enforcement to investigate the shooting since it involved local Dolton officers.

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A former prosecutor who once helped lead an investigation of Donald J. Trump will testify before Congress next month, ending for now a legal dispute between Republican lawmakers and Alvin L. Bragg, the Manhattan district attorney, who had sought to block the testimony.

The former prosecutor, Mark F. Pomerantz, is now scheduled to testify under oath to representatives of the House Judiciary Committee in a closed-door deposition on May 12. Mr. Pomerantz worked for the Manhattan district attorneys office for about a year, but resigned more than a year before Mr. Trump was indicted, and wrote a book that described his frustration with Mr. Braggs approach to the investigation.

Representative Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, subpoenaed Mr. Pomerantz this month, shortly after Mr. Bragg unveiled charges against Mr. Trump, accusing him of orchestrating the cover-up of a hush-money payment made to a porn star in 2016.

Mr. Bragg then sued Mr. Jordan, the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, accusing him of meddling in the affairs of the district attorneys office after its indictment of Mr. Trump. The lawsuit sought to block the questioning of Mr. Pomerantz.
On Tuesday, when we proudly walked into the Delaware Superior Court, we were going to trial. We knew our case was incredibly strong, and I still believe that at the end of the six-week trial, the jury most likely would have agreed.

We had reviewed more than a million internal Fox documents and deposed dozens of people, and Foxs legal team had reviewed more than a million of ours. Then, in a summary judgment ruling on March 31, the court allowed the case to proceed and dismantled many of Foxs legal defenses, ruling its claims about Dominion were clearly false and it could not seek refuge in arguments about the lies newsworthiness.

At trial, we werent expecting any more shocking revelations; we frankly didnt need any more. From the earliest days of discovery, we knew our employees, our customers and the American public needed to see what we had found, and that is exactly what we presented in our pretrial filings and exhibits.

With that goal now met, we were focused on our obligations to our people  many of whom were set to testify, when they would recount trauma caused by the threats, violence and hate surfaced by lies about Dominion. Id already seen some of them suffer emotionally during their depositions, and I worried deeply that a trial and associated media attention would cause only more lasting pain.

The settlement we negotiated accomplished two critical goals: allowing our employees and customers to move forward and hitting Fox where it hurt most  its bank account.
At her first full-time job since leaving influencing, the erstwhile smoothie-bowl virtuoso Lee Tilghman stunned a new co-worker with her enthusiasm for the 9-to-5 grind.

She had once had what he wanted: flexible hours, no boss, a devoted audience so rabid for her recommendations that she could command as much as $20,000 for a single branded Instagram post advertising alternative nut flours or frozen sweet potato fries on her 400,000 follower account, @LeeFromAmerica. She had earned north of $300,000 a year  and then dropped more than 150,000 followers, her entire management team, and most of her savings to become an I.R.L. person.

The corporate gig, as a social media director for a tech platform, was a revelation. I could just show up to work and do work, Ms. Tilghman said. After she was done, she could leave. She didnt have to be a brand. Theres no comments section at an office job.

Ms. Tilghman, 33, recalled the encounter late last month during a 90-minute, $40 Zoom workshop she held to guide other creators through the process of leaving influencing. The existence of the workshop  a small counterweight to the classes, seminars and boot camps that promise to teach civilians how to become influencers  indicates a new disillusionment on the part of even the most prominent content creators.
At Mother of Junk, a thrift emporium in Brooklyn, Emma Choi examined a rubber triceratops and invented a back story for a Miss Piggy figurine. We should go before I buy something, she said.

Ms. Choi, 23, has built a career out of riffing on weird stuff. Still a few weeks away from her graduation from Harvard, she has already experienced the kind of peaks and valleys of a life in media that once unfolded over decades but have become increasingly common for many young people. She became NPRs first Gen Z podcast host, having started as an intern at Wait Wait  Dont Tell Me!, NPRs comedy news quiz show. Less than a year later she was named the host of its spinoff podcast, Everyone & Their Mom.

In March, amid a faltering podcast industry, NPR announced that it would lay off 10 percent of its staff and stop production of four podcasts to address a $30 million budget shortfall. Ms. Choi was told in a Zoom call that the podcast would end, and with it her role as host. Two producers of Everyone & Their Mom were also being laid off.

Although her sense of humor is intact, some of her optimism about working in media has faded.

I feel like Ive aged a lot, she said. She said she felt proud to have made a show intended in part to usher in the next generation of NPR listeners. But now that it has ended, she has taken some time to reflect on the personal costs of helping an organization break new ground.
A Supreme Court decision Friday to keep available  for now  the widely used abortion pill mifepristone was met with relief from one side of the debate, disappointment from the other and a vow from both to keep fighting.

This is good news, but the facts remain the same: Access to mifepristone should never have been in jeopardy in the first place, Planned Parenthood tweeted after the court issued a stay on two lower court rulings that would have limited access to the pills.

The court temporarily halted two separate rulings while an appeal is being considered: one from a Texas federal judge who suspended the F.D.A.s approval of the drug, and another from an appeals court that said the pill could no longer be delivered by mail. Those rulings would have impacted the availability of the drug even in states where abortion is legal.

Gov. Maura Healey of Massachusetts called the courts decision a victory for abortion patients and providers.
The family of a Virginia man who was fatally shot by U.S. Park Police in 2017 has agreed to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit against the government for $5 million, according to a court filing on Friday.

The expected settlement, which awaits final approval by a judge, came nearly six years after Bijan Ghaisar, 25, of McLean, Va., was shot five times by two U.S. Park Police officers who had chased his car on George Washington Memorial Parkway after a fender-bender.

Mr. Ghaisars parents, James and Kelly Ghaisar, will receive $3.75 million, and their lawyers will get $1.25 million, according to court records.

Mr. Ghaisars parents could not be reached for comment on Friday evening, and their lawyers did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
WASHINGTON  The acting administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration, Billy Nolen, on Friday said he will depart this summer, worsening a leadership void at the agency.

The departure of Mr. Nolen, a former pilot and airline industry group executive, was announced in a letter to F.A.A. employees. The move puts added heat on the White House to find a permanent leader for the agency, which is facing an array of safety concerns and staffing challenges.

The aviation regulator has been without permanent leadership since Stephen Dickson, a former Delta Air Lines executive who was appointed by President Donald J. Trump, stepped down a year ago.

Last month, President Bidens pick to lead the F.A.A., Phillip A. Washington, withdrew his name from consideration after a series of attacks from Republicans on his qualifications to hold the post. They had argued that Mr. Washington, the chief executive of Denver International Airport, lacked sufficient aviation experience, and raised questions about his connection to a corruption investigation in Los Angeles.
Egypt is coordinating with the Sudanese authorities to prepare for the evacuation of Egyptian expats who are looking to return home amid violence in the country "as soon as it's feasible," the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Saturday.

The egyptian foreign ministry said it is coordinating around the clock with the Sudanese authorities as well as the Egyptian Embassy in Khartoum and the Egyptian consulates in Port Sudan and Wadi Halfa to follow up on the conditions of the Egyptian community in Sudan.

The foreign ministry called on all Egyptian nationals in Sudan to stay in their residences and steer clear of areas of tension and turmoil.

The ministry also urged nationals to remain calm and maintain communications with the Egyptian diplomatic and consular representatives in Sudan until instructions related to evacuation are issued.

Egyptians in Sudan can contact the diplomatic mission in Wadi Halfa in northern Sudan at (00249) 0116604033 or (00249) 0118162679.

There are 10,000 Egyptian citizens in Sudan, half of whom are students.

The Sudanese army, which has been embroiled in deadly clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since last week, said they are coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from the country.

On saturday, a boat carrying 50 Saudi citizens and other nationals from several countries arrived in Jeddah, according to the Saudi state-run Al-Ekhbariya TV, in the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting began.

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The Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents to a small group of gamers had been posting sensitive information months earlier than previously known and to a much larger chat group, according to online postings reviewed by The New York Times.

In February 2022, soon after the invasion of Ukraine, a user profile matching that of Airman Jack Teixeira began posting secret intelligence on the Russian war effort on a previously undisclosed chat group on Discord, a social media platform popular among gamers. The chat group contained about 600 members.

The case against Airman Teixeira, 21, who was arrested on April 13, pertains to the leaking of classified documents on another Discord group of about 50 members, called Thug Shaker Central. There, he began posting sensitive information in October 2022, members of the group told The Times. His job as an information technology specialist at an Air Force base in Massachusetts gave him top secret clearance.

It is not clear whether authorities are aware of the classified material posted on this additional Discord chat group.
If the ruling by the judge in Texas, which revoked the F.D.A.s approval of the pill after more than two decades, were to stand, it could pave the way for all sorts of challenges to the agencys approval of other medications and enable medical providers anywhere to contest government policy that might affect a patient.

The Biden administration had asked the Supreme Court to intervene after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit let stand a number of restrictions in the Texas ruling, even as it said it would allow the pill to remain on the market.

In Fridays order, Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito Jr. dissented.

Justice Thomas gave no reasons, but Justice Alito noted that the Fifth Circuit had already narrowed the most far-reaching aspects of the Texas ruling. The F.D.A. and the manufacturer of the branded version of mifepristone, Danco Laboratories, had not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm as the case proceeds through the appeals court, he added.

Justice Alito expressed skepticism of the F.D.A.s claims that regulatory chaos would ensue if the lower court ruling went into effect. In a nod to a competing case filed by Democratic state attorneys general in Washington State, which is seen as a direct challenge to the case in Texas, he accused the F.D.A. of leveraging the court system to carry out a desired policy while evading both necessary agency procedures and judicial review.

This is most likely not the final word from the justices. After the Fifth Circuit hears the appeal, the matter is likely to make its way back to the Supreme Court.
Nebraskas legislature advanced a six-week abortion ban this month  but a Republican co-signer of the bill recently proposed an amendment to shift the ban to 12 weeks.

Republicans in conservative states have sought to balance pressure from their base to place more restrictions on abortion with broader support for the right to end a pregnancy.

Public support for legal abortion has climbed to 65 percent this year from 55 percent in 2010, according to recent polling from the Public Religion Research Institute. Majorities of residents in 43 states say that abortion should be legal in most cases. Around 63 percent of Republicans said abortion should be illegal in most or all cases, according to the PRRI poll.

Some Republican state leaders  particularly those with national ambitions  have sought to walk a delicate line on an issue that was once a party touchstone.

This just puts the issue front and center again, and in most states and most places, it inarguably helped Democrats in 2022, said Mike DuHaime, a former political director of the Republican National Committee. What Republicans need to do is get to a place where they talk less about the extremes.
ATLANTA  Former President Donald J. Trump took part in a discussion about plans to access voting system software in Michigan and Georgia as part of the effort to challenge his 2020 election loss, according to testimony from former Trump advisers. The testimony, delivered to the House Jan. 6 committee, was highlighted on Friday in a letter to federal officials from a liberal-leaning legal advocacy group.

Allies of Mr. Trump ultimately succeeded in copying the elections software in those two states, and the breach of voting data in Georgia is being examined by prosecutors as part of a broader criminal investigation into whether Mr. Trump and his allies interfered in the presidential election there. The former presidents participation in the discussion of the Georgia plan could increase his risk of possible legal exposure there.

A number of Trump aides and allies have recounted a lengthy and acrimonious meeting in the Oval Office on Dec. 18, 2020, which one member of the House Jan. 6 committee would later call the craziest meeting of the Trump presidency. During the meeting, then-President Trump presided as his advisers argued about whether they should seek to have federal agents seize voting machines to analyze them for fraud.

Testimony to the Jan. 6 committee from one aide who attended the meeting, Derek Lyons, a former White House staff secretary and counselor, was highlighted on Friday in a letter to the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation from Free Speech for People, a liberal nonprofit legal advocacy group. Mr. Lyons recounted that during the meeting, Rudolph W. Giuliani, then Mr. Trumps personal attorney, opposed seizing voting machines and spoke of how the Trump campaign was instead going to be able to secure access to voting machines in Georgia through means other than seizure, and that the access would be voluntary.
She added that when Chambers told listeners last April, in an episode called Intrapersonally Speaking, that he had been diagnosed with autism, that had helped her adapt to an A.D.H.D. diagnosis she had recently received. Ive been inspired by him to be open, she said, adding that she now posts regularly about her experience of A.D.H.D. on TikTok.

Issues like these are still relatively under-discussed in the Irish news media and society, and Chamberss fans seem to welcome his candor. He gets thousands and thousands of social media messages about mental health, he said, but he could never deal with interactions like those in person. If I didnt have the bag, Chambers said, Id stop talking about mental health.

On other episodes, Chambers talks frankly about an economic climate that he says has infantilized his generation. Ireland is in the grips of a rental crisis caused by a severe housing shortage; Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said last month that the country of five million people had 250,000 too few homes. And it is Irelands millennials who are worst affected, Chambers said. The media will call a 40-year-old a young person. Im in my late 30s and I refuse: Im middle-aged, he added. If you call it middle-aged people cant get housing, its obvious there is a problem.

Chambers said he saw a generational divide, too, in the way that the news media in the Republic of Ireland talks about Northern Irish politics. On the podcast, Chambers addresses millennial perspectives that he says news outlets in the South fail to reflect.

Sinn Fein, a political party that fields candidates on both sides of the border, has had a recent resurgence of popularity in the South, where it was once unpopular because it was associated with the Irish Republican Army. Chambers said the Irish news media continued to draw links between the party and terrorism. But for people born after the 1998 Good Friday Agreement that brokered peace in the North, he said, Sinn Fein lawmakers were the ones who are doing something different. (He added that he did not endorse any political parties.)

Several popular Instagram accounts attest to this growing interest in Northern Irish politics among young people in the Republic. One of these, called Tanistry, posts plainly illustrated slides explaining historical events such as the Good Friday Agreement, or the Bloody Sunday massacre of 1972, and relating them to contemporary politics. Andrew Clarke, a 27-year-old college student from Belfast who runs the account, said that there had been a culture of mystification around Northern Irish politics and that he was trying to make it digestible, adding that more than half of the accounts followers were aged 24 to 35, with the highest concentrations in Dublin and Belfast.
Decarb bros believe its all going to be OK.

They believe that I.P.A.s go best with party chat about smart-grid management and electric vehicle infrastructure. They believe in trading memes on Twitter and in messaging groups, formed around their zeal for technology as the answer to a lower-emissions future.

And the bros, a loose affiliation of mostly young researchers, climate tech workers, policymakers and people following along online, believe in making fun of themselves, at least a little. See: Decarb bros, a term they have embraced regardless of gender identity or weight-lifting ability.

What they do not believe in is wallowing.

We are against doomerism, said Billy Casagrande, who works at Scale Microgrids, a climate tech start-up. He was referring to a pessimistic view that humanity has passed the point of being able to do anything about climate change.

The consensus among young people seems to be that we are screwed as it relates to climate, the self-described decarb bro, who is 25, continued. Mr. Casagrande, one of dozens at a monthly meet-up in Brooklyns Williamsburg neighborhood for clean energy enthusiasts, believes there is another way.
Gail Christian, who broke barriers as a Black on-air correspondent and rose to national prominence at NBC News and PBS, died on April 12 in Los Angeles. She was 83.

The cause was complications of recent intestinal surgery, said her spouse, Lucy DeBardelaben.

Ms. Christian overcame a troubled youth, including a prison stint for armed robbery, to carve out a career as a prominent television journalist and news executive in the 1970s and 80s, an era when the industry was dominated by white men.

She became a visible presence in American living rooms with her coverage for NBC News of the trial of Patricia Hearst, the newspaper heiress who was kidnapped in 1974 by a band of leftist revolutionaries called the Symbionese Liberation Army, and who was convicted two years later for participating in a bank robbery with the group.

But for Ms. Christian, it was not enough simply to gain exposure as a rare Black face on the evening news.
In her early studies, hand-held clickers were distributed to groups of undergraduate students and people over 25 to track how many classmates or others they interacted with, however minimally, over several days. Those who interacted with more weak ties reported greater happiness, and a greater sense of well-being and belonging, than those with fewer interactions.

The researchers found within-person differences, too, showing that the effects were not a result of personalities. The same individuals reported being happier on days they had more interactions. Other studies found similar benefits when people smiled and undertook brief conversations with baristas at a Starbucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, or greeted university shuttle bus drivers in Ankara, Turkey.

Most of these participants were quite young, but one study, published in 2020, followed an older sample of more than 800 adults in metropolitan Detroit over 23 years.

The researchers asked subjects (average age at the start: 62) to draw three concentric circles, with you in the center, and to arrange people in their lives by degree of closeness. Those in the innermost circle of close ties were almost always family, said Toni Antonucci, a psychologist at the University of Michigan and senior author of the study. The weak ties in the outermost circle included friends, co-workers and neighbors.
Missouri this month became the first state in the country to severely restrict gender treatments for people of all ages, following a series of quieter moves across the country that have been chipping away at transgender adults access to medical care.

Last year, Florida joined six other states in banning Medicaid from covering some form of gender care for transgender people of all ages. These bans affect an estimated 38,000 beneficiaries of the public insurance program, according to the Williams Institute, a research center at U.C.L.A.s law school.

And in at least five states, Republican legislators have proposed bills that would abolish gender care for minors as well as young adults. Some are attempting to ban it for anyone under 21, and others for those under 26.

Missouris sweeping new policy took a different approach. Citing consumer protection laws meant to regulate fraud, the state attorney general, Andrew Bailey, issued an emergency rule prohibiting doctors from providing gender treatments to patients  of any age  unless they adhere to a slew of significant restrictions, including 18 months of psychological assessment. The rule also said that patients should not receive gender treatments until any mental health issues are resolved.
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together.

In early 2022, Ethan Hauser, my editor on the Styles desk at The New York Times, approached me with a question that neither of us knew would grow into a yearlong reporting project. It was a few months after the model Linda Evangelista shared publicly that she had been disfigured by a side effect of CoolSculpting, a cosmetic treatment that promises to freeze away fat cells.

The company that manufactures CoolSculpting, Allergan Aesthetics, a unit of the pharmaceutical giant AbbVie, has repeatedly said that the side effect, known as paradoxical adipose hyperplasia, is incredibly rare, occurring in just one in every 3,000 treatments. P.A.H. results in enlarged, hardened masses of fat on the body  almost the opposite of what CoolSculpting patients are hoping for.

Ethans question sounded simple: If this side effect was as rare as the company estimated, wasnt it strange a famous supermodel got it? The answer was anything but.

While many publications covered the news about Ms. Evangelista, we wanted to go deeper, digging into the studies that led the Food and Drug Administration to clear the treatment, combing through Securities and Exchange Commission filings and speaking with dozens of doctors and patients. Last week, after more than a year of reporting, we published our examination of CoolSculpting. Our reporting indicates that the risk of P.A.H. to patients may be considerably higher than previously known.
At least 10 people were killed and dozens injured on Saturday in a complex attack near a military base in central Mali, said the army.

A car bomb exploded near the camp in the town of Sevare in the Mopti region destroying houses and killing people, Col. Souleymane Dembele, spokesman for the Malian army, told The Associated Press.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but jihadis are known to operate in the area and have been ravaging the country for a decade. While this military base has been targeted before, this is the largest attack on it this year.

The base also hosts fighters from the Wagner Group, a shadowy Russian military contractor, that's been fighting alongside the Malian army for more than a year.

Residents of Sevare said they were going to morning prayers at the mosque when they heard a loud explosion. "We heard gunfire. It was total confusion, said Ousmane Diallo, a villager in the area.

Days before the attack, a senior Malian official and three other people were killed in an ambush in an area of the countrys southwest. On Friday, the al-Qaida linked group known as JNIM claimed responsibility for that attack in it's media outlet, al-Zallaqa Media Foundation.

In another incident in Mali's capital, Bamako, on Saturday, a military helicopter crashed in a residential neighborhood while returning from a mission. It is unclear if there are any casualties, and the army said the situation is being assessed.

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The New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations criticized the shift as disheartening and unacceptable. New York City is home to more than half a million Muslims, and advocates for religious freedom said the dispute reflected broader challenges some Muslim youth face.

At the end of the day, Stuyvesant has the responsibility to accommodate its students, said Sophia Dasser, 17, a junior at the school who is Muslim and who wrote the article about the change for the student newspaper. Theres this idea that Muslim girls can find another way. But no, some cant. And that needs to be addressed.

Several Muslim students said they felt their academic goals had been pitted against their religion. It shouldnt matter whether Im Muslim, Jewish, Christian, if I personally do not feel comfortable, Ms. Dasser said.

After the outcry, which was also reported by the New York Post, Education Department officials said this week that students who need accommodations would soon be able to receive full honors through classes on other life skills.

Just a handful of high schools statewide require swim tests. The mandates were once prevalent, particularly at the nations colleges and universities: Decades ago, more than one in three treated swimming as an essential life skill that students had to demonstrate to graduate.
Though Elizabeths name was listed first as author, a letter of acknowledgment calling the couples work truly magnificent referred to them as Dr. and Mrs. Reed.

Reed was quite aware that her husband was receiving more credit, her son William said, but she never let it embitter her. In 1950, however, she published a paper on sexism in the sciences based on her study of 70 women working in the field. It found that marriage and childbirth decreased their productivity and sometimes even dissuaded them from continuing their careers. It led her to mentor women in the field through the advocacy group Graduate Women in Science.

She was a scientist before it was popular for women to become scientists, Nancy Segal, a psychologist at California State University known for her study of twins, said in an interview, and she was a great role model for so many of us women postdocs at the time.

In writing American Women in Science Before the Civil War, Reed corresponded with archivists and scoured card catalogs, journals and proceedings of associations and societies. In addition to recognizing Eunice Footes work almost two decades before other scientists did, the book included biographies of, among others, the astronomer Maria Mitchell; Ellen Smith Tupper, who was known as the Queen Bee of Iowa for her study of that insect; and the entomologist Mary Townsend.

Reed wrote that it was a testimony to the strengths of these women that they pursued science despite the fact that they were often denied entry to colleges and unable to attain professional status.
In most of the world, going to the wrong house is not a deadly risk.

But in the United States it is, because were awash in an estimated 450 million guns and suffer from a mass delusion that a gun in the home makes us safer.

Were caught in a spiral in which perceptions of rising crime lead more people to purchase firearms  about 60 million guns have been sold in the United States just since 2020  and this in turn leads to more gun violence, which leads to more fear and gun purchases . You get the idea.

So we have recent tragedies:

 In Kansas City, Mo., a Black 16-year-old was shot twice, in the forehead and an arm, when he went to the wrong house to pick up his younger brothers; he is recovering from a traumatic brain injury. The 84-year-old white man who, according to the prosecutor, shot him through a glass front door has been charged with first-degree assault; the man said he thought the boy was breaking into his home.

 In upstate New York, a 20-year-old woman was killed when she and several friends drove to the wrong address. As their car was turning around to leave, the homeowner allegedly fired his gun and struck her.

 In Texas, two cheerleaders were shot after one of them mistakenly got into the wrong car in a parking lot. One of the girls, age 18, was hit in the back and a leg and taken by helicopter to a hospital; she was initially reported to be in critical condition.

Elsewhere, brutes send their victims to the E.R.; in America, they send them to their graves.

Foreigners admire our popular culture, our technology, our lifestyle, but are bewildered by our refusal to rein in guns.
Only 47 percent of Democrats want to see Joe Biden on the ballot in 2024, according to the latest Associated Press poll. Thats not because they think hes done a bad job in office. Democrats tend to like President Biden and continue to give him good marks on handling the economy and foreign policy.

But many Democrats, particularly younger ones, are worried that he will simply be too old to be effective in a second term, which would end when he is 86. My problem with him running in 2024 is that hes just so old, one Democrat told pollsters.

That may be deeply unfair  people age at different rates  and in Mr. Bidens case, its impossible to deny that politics and conspiracy theories, rather than facts, fuel at least some of the concern. But candidates shouldnt pretend, as Mr. Biden often does, that advanced age isnt an issue. Mr. Biden is 80 now, the oldest American to serve as president, and even supporters, including the political strategist David Axelrod, have expressed deep worries that his age will be both a political liability in 2024 and a barrier to a successful second term. If Mr. Biden runs again, as he recently said he intends to, questions will persist about his age until he does more to assure voters that he is up to the job.

Mr. Bidens age makes him an outlier even in an era when the nations political leadership is getting older. The current Senate, where the average age is 63.9 years, is the second oldest since 1789. The House, where the average age is 57.5 years, is the third oldest. By comparison, the average age in the United States is 38.8 years.
Despite all the dazzling digital advances, the trillions of dollars spent on computer technology have done almost nothing to make the world a more productive place. The economist Robert Solow, who identified this problem, called it the productivity paradox. In 1987, a decade into the computer revolution, he observed that productivity growth had actually slowed down. You can see the computer age everywhere, he wrote, but in the productivity statistics.

Economists and historians have spent a lot of time scratching their heads about why this might be. But you already know the answer: Software is supposed to make us faster, but often it makes us slower. We spend a half-hour clumsily filling out PDF files that we could have done with pencil and paper in a minute. We spend an hour bouncing emails back and forth to clarify a point that could have been nailed down in 30 seconds on the phone. The digital era has made a lot of everyday work more complicated and less efficient than it was 30 years ago.

The huge productivity gains of the industrial age didnt happen just because someone invented a new technology; they happened because people also figured out how best to reorganize work around that technology. A steam engine, for example, would have been no use to textile manufacturing if textile workers had remained a scattered network of independent farmers, as opposed to a group of employees gathered under a single factory roof. And conveyor belts were nothing new when Henry Ford put them to use in his factory; the revolution was how he arranged for workers to use them, breaking the complex work of automobile manufacture into repetitive, specific tasks. Fords breakthrough was as much organizational as technological.

Computers have failed to produce a huge surge in productivity, but the problem isnt the computers. Its that we havent let workers tap into the computers true power  automation. We still use them like typewriters or calculators.
To describe what is problematic about permitting this kind of claim to prop open the courthouse door, Ill quote a widely circulated blog post by Adam Unikowsky. As a former law clerk to Justice Antonin Scalia who now practices before the Supreme Court, his credentials for raising the alarm are no doubt better than mine:

Id think that most doctors  even staunchly pro-life doctors  wouldnt think its a conscience violation if they had to save the life of a woman who showed up in the emergency room. Emergency room doctors have to help patients who have been in lots of different life situations, including life situations that the doctors might not approve of. If treating a patient makes you feel complicit in whatever the patient did to come to the emergency room, being an emergency room doctor is not the job for you. I find it remarkable that these physicians seek to police the activities of all women and all doctors based on these idiosyncratic convictions.

And, Ill add, its remarkable that three federal appellate judges gave these plaintiffs a green light. (Judge Haynes would have stayed the district courts entire order for a brief period and left that issue to the oral argument merits panel which receives this case on appeal. But she agreed with her two colleagues to deny the motion to dismiss the appeal.)

This latest abortion case is not the only recent decision to raise the question of whether, in the eyes of the group now ascendant on the federal bench, there can ever be a religious claim that goes too far. Last month, another federal judge in Texas, one with a long history of antipathy toward the Affordable Care Act, invalidated many of the preventive health care measures that the law has required private insurance policies to cover at no cost to patients. The principal basis for Judge Reed OConnors ruling, which the Biden administration is appealing, was his conclusion that the expert advisory panel that devised the list of covered services was not constitutionally appointed. That portion of the opinion applies across the board, eradicating some of Obamacares most important benefits just as the law is gaining popular and political support in red states.

But another portion of the opinion is a specific and special gift to employers who claim that their opposition to Obamacares mandatory coverage provision is motivated by religion. The case, Braidwood Management v. Becerra, was filed in 2020 by a group of plaintiffs led by Steven Hotze, a physician and prominent Texas Republican donor who described himself in the complaint as a Christian who operates his business according to Christian principles and teaching.

At that time, the H.I.V. prevention drug regimen known as PrEP was about to be added to the list of medications that insurers had to cover. Dr. Hotzes company, Braidwood Management Inc., was self-insured, and he asserted that he could not permit his insurance plan to cover the PrEP drugs for his approximately 70 employees because these drugs facilitate behavior such as homosexual sodomy, prostitution and intravenous drug use, all of which, he said, were contrary to his sincere religious beliefs. He was unwilling to allow his health plan to encourage these behaviors by paying for preventive care needed by those who choose to engage in this conduct.

Judge OConnor bought the argument, first in a ruling last September and then in the decision last month that amplified his discussion of the religious claim. The Affordable Care Act forces these plaintiffs to choose between purchasing health insurance that violates their religious beliefs and foregoing conventional health insurance altogether, he wrote. Relying on the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the federal law that the Supreme Court invoked nine years ago to undercut the Affordable Care Acts original contraceptive mandate, the judge said the government had failed to show why requiring coverage of the PrEP drugs served the publics compelling interest.
LONDON  When Dr. Imran Haq was a medical student in 2014, he had a chance encounter with King Charles III at an event.

I was struck by how normal he was, said Dr. Haq, a surgeon for Britains National Health Service in Sheffield, England.

About a decade later, the monarch became Dr. Haqs muse. After the death of Queen Elizabeth II last year, Dr. Haq said his fondness for the British royal family inspired him to take up a hobby: designing cereal boxes as merchandise to commemorate Charless coronation on May 6.

The boxes of his Coronation Flakes feature a cartoon rendering of the king on the front, along with the tagline: They taste royally good. On the back, there are puzzles and a cutout mask of Charless face.
I had this other teacher who in my art history class would say, We have Lyora Pissarro here, and she will explain everything about Impressionism, and I didnt know anything. (She got a D in the class.)

I felt a lot of pressure from people who are like, She is going to be the fifth generation, and she is going to continue the legacy, she said. I would look at my paintings and be like, I dont know if I could do that.

For Ms. Pissarro, teaching art classes keeps her grounded. It returns her, she said, to the essence of making art: to use her imagination and have fun. I love what is possible when crazy adults make things, she said, noting thats why she loves going to Burning Man.

Teaching is also a family tradition. Pissarro was a teacher, she said of her great-great-grandfather. All the impressionists even had classes with each other.

Ms. Pissarro grew up in London with two siblings. She received two undergraduate degrees in fine art: one from Hunter College and one from Manchester University in England; it was at the latter that she would host figure drawing classes in her off-campus housing. I would Google nude models, and they would come, she said. At the time, she lived with a group of guys, so she would often make sure they behaved themselves and knew it was about art.
In what could be a plot from an episode of The X-Files, the authorities are investigating the mysterious deaths in three Texas counties of six cattle that were found with their tongues missing.

Ranchers found the mutilated remains of a 6-year-old longhorn-cross cow on their property, the Madison County Sheriffs Office said on Facebook Wednesday.

The office did not say when the cow was discovered but said a straight, clean cut, with apparent precision, had been made to remove the hide around its mouth on one side.

The meat under the removed hide was untouched, and the cows tongue was gone with no blood spilled, the office said.
Having been stored at an insufficient temperature, the body had horrifically decomposed, the lawsuit said, preventing his family from having an open casket at his wake and funeral.

For her trauma, Ms. Jones, who had been married to her husband for 55 years, and her family are seeking a jury trial and at least $1 million in damages.

In a statement, Celebrity Cruises declined to comment, citing the sensitivity of the alleged facts and out of respect for the family.

The lawsuit, which was reported by Miami New Times, said members of the ships crew told Ms. Jones that there was a 50/50 shot if she got off the ship in San Juan that the coroners office there would take possession of her husbands body for an autopsy before releasing it to a funeral home. She was told she would have to stay in Puerto Rico with his body and make arrangements on her own to get it, and herself, back to Florida.

Assured that the Equinox was equipped to safely transport her husbands body back to Fort Lauderdale, Ms. Jones, who was 78 at the time and suddenly traveling alone, gave the crew permission to store his body in the ships morgue and agreed to remain on board for the rest of the cruise, the lawsuit says.
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Libya Abdoulaye Bathily late on Friday called on Libyans to unite in order to achieve lasting peace, stability and prosperity.

"On this occasion, I call upon all Libyans ... to come together in a spirit of compromise for the sake of establishing a clear and unified pathway towards lasting peace, stability, and prosperity," Bathily said in a statement on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.

"I also call on women and youth to seize the occasion of this celebration to renew their commitment to participate fully in the electoral process as a meaningful contribution to rebuilding peace, security, stability and prosperity in their motherland," the statement said.

He also called for the release of those arbitrarily detained all over Libya as a critical foundation for confidence-building and for establishing a comprehensive, rights-based reconciliation.

Bathily said there is an opportunity to encourage all stakeholders to rally behind the UN's comprehensive approach to enable national elections this year.

Ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi's regime in 2011, Libya has been struggling to make a democratic transition amid escalating violence and political division.

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Bob Vander Plaats, a socially conservative leader in Iowa whose organization is expected to host a gathering with presidential candidates this summer, said, Theres a lot of ways to determine a persons bona fides when it comes to the sanctity of human life, but I guarantee you the Texas ruling will be discussed.

The issue of abortion, he said, will be a cornerstone issue in the Iowa caucuses. It will be a cornerstone issue in the Republican primary.

On Thursday, Ronna McDaniel, the chair of the Republican National Committee, tried to help her candidates navigate the subject, suggesting that opposing abortion after 15 weeks of pregnancy was a strong position politically, somewhat mirroring polling she has been showing to members of her party.

In 2022, a lot of Republican candidates took their D.C. consultants bad advice to ignore the subject, she said in a speech. Noting the onslaught of Democratic ads on the subject, she said, most Republicans had no response.

She urged Republicans to cast Democrats as extreme on the issue, a message echoed by some working on House and Senate races who say Democrats should be pressed on what limitations they support.

Nicole McCleskey, a Republican pollster who worked for the successful re-election campaign of Gov. Kim Reynolds of Iowa last year, pointed to Ms. Reynolds, Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio and Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia as examples of leaders who embraced tight abortion restrictions but were not defined by that issue alone. All three swept to comfortable victories in states that often lean right, but are not the nations most conservative states.

This last election saw some candidates who were unclear or changed their position, lacked conviction and were unprepared to talk about this issue, she said. If you have those things  if you have conviction, if you have empathy, if you are prepared and you know how to define yourself and your opposition, she added, we can successfully navigate this issue.
I cant go on television and say, Lets not talk about this, lets pivot to the real issues, because people think age is a real issue, James Carville, 78, the Democratic strategist, said last month.

It was top of mind for several people who milled around a community center recently as a canasta game ended in Plantation, Fla.

Doreen W., 78, a Democrat who declined to share her last name on the record, citing fear of causing problems for her husband at work, said she hoped Mr. Biden would run again. But she worried about whether he was up to it.

I know how tiring it is for me, and Im not doing anything but retire, she said. Im aware of his age and Im concerned about that.

Informed that Mr. Biden was not 78, as she had thought, but 80, she groaned, Oh, God.

If I could just keep him at age 80 and active the way he is, Id be more than happy, she said.
WASHINGTON  It was an interim ruling, and the majority gave no reasons. But the Supreme Courts order on Friday night maintaining the availability of a commonly used abortion pill nonetheless sent a powerful message from a chastened court.

Legal sanity prevailed, proving that, at least for now, disrupting the national market for an F.D.A.-approved drug is a bridge too far, even for this court, said David S. Cohen, a law professor at Drexel University.

Ten months ago, five conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating a constitutional right to abortion that had been in place for half a century. They did so almost as soon as a third Trump appointee arrived, tilting the balance on the bench sharply to the right. All three of the Trump justices were in the majority.

Cynics might be forgiven for thinking that the decision last June, in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization, was a product of raw power. The public reaction was certainly negative, as the courts approval ratings sank and the decision itself proved deeply unpopular and a political windfall for Democrats.
Western allies this week delivered some of the most powerful weapons that Ukraine says it will need for a looming counteroffensive against Russia: a Patriot air-defense system from Germany and the Netherlands. Fighter jets from Slovakia. More 155-millimeter artillery from the United States.

And on Friday, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III announced that Ukrainians would soon begin training, for the first time, on American M1 Abrams tanks  an important step to getting the sophisticated weapon to the battlefield.

But the reinforcements still fall short of what even American military planners have assessed that Ukraine needs to make the most of an offensive expected to begin in coming weeks to retake more territory captured by the Russians.

Classified military assessments dating to February and March, from leaked documents, show dire gaps in what allies had pledged to Ukraine and what, at least by then, had been delivered.
Distractions are everywhere. Were so often summoned by smartphone notifications, emails and other obligations that sitting still can seem like a fantasy. But research shows that meditating regularly, for even a few minutes a day, can reduce anxiety and help us recognize and interrupt negative thought patterns.

If youre interested in learning to meditate, you might look for a book. But, with so many options, its easy to reach for titles that arent meant for beginners, said Sara Lazar, director of the Lazar Lab for Meditation Research at Massachusetts General Hospital. And that is how people tend to get into trouble, she said.

So we asked half a dozen meditation experts  teachers, spiritual leaders and scientists  about their favorite beginner-friendly books. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list, but these titles might help you cultivate a practice.

1. Mindfulness in Plain English by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana

This straightforward and accessible guide, written by the Sri Lankan Buddhist monk playfully nicknamed Bhante G, is a favorite among meditation teachers and scientists alike. Written in 1994, the book presents a clear picture of mindfulness and meditation and provides insights on how to begin a practice. 
The United States military airlifted embassy officials out of Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, amid continuing violence as rival military leaders battled for control of Africas third-largest country, President Biden said late on Saturday.

Today, on my orders, the United States military conducted an operation to extract U.S. government personnel from Khartoum, Mr. Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

In a briefing for reporters, officials said that just over 100 special operations troops were involved in evacuating under 100 people  mostly U.S. Embassy employees  using helicopters that flew in from the nation of Djibouti, about 800 miles away.

The operation was fast and clean, with service members spending less than an hour on the ground in Khartoum, said Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, the director for operations at the Joint Staff. As we speak, the evacuees are safe and secure.
The wreck of a Japanese ship that sank in 1942 after it was torpedoed by an American submarine has been found, the Australian government said on Saturday. The ship was carrying hundreds of prisoners of war, most of them Australian, who all died, and the discovery resolves a painful episode in that countrys wartime history.

A U.S. Navy submarine attacked the ship, the Montevideo Maru, in July 1942 as it traveled unescorted from Rabaul, a port in the Australian territory of New Guinea that had been captured by Japan earlier that year, to Chinas Hainan Island, which Japan had invaded in 1939.

The ship had no markings indicating that it was carrying prisoners of war and sank carrying more than 1,000 prisoners from about 16 nations, most of them Australian service members. It is the largest loss of life of Australians at sea.

The wreck was spotted this month on the seafloor northwest of Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, according to Fugro, a company based in the Netherlands that provided the survey ship. The mission took five years to plan, and an autonomous underwater vehicle found the wreck after 12 days of searching, Fugro said.
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER, Ontario  When Brian Maracle returned in his mid-40s to the Mohawk community near Toronto that he had left when he was just 5, he didnt have a job and knew almost no one there.

But perhaps the biggest challenge facing him was that he neither spoke nor understood much Kanyenkeha, the Mohawk language. More than a century of attempts by Canadas government to stamp out Indigenous cultures had left Mr. Maracle and many other Indigenous people without their languages.

Now, 30 years later, Mr. Maracle has become a champion of Mohawk, and is helping revive it and other Indigenous languages, both in Canada and elsewhere, through his transformation of teaching methods.

I never studied linguistics, dont have any teacher training, my parents werent speakers, he said in his office at an adult language school he founded about two decades ago in his community, the Six Nations of the Grand River territory, southwest of Toronto. Yet, linguistics academic conferences now feature him as a speaker.
Elisabeth Kopp, who in 1984 overcame accusations involving her husband to become the first woman elected to Switzerlands governing Federal Council  but who could not overcome another scandal a few years later, also related to her husband, and resigned when she had seemed likely to be the countrys first female president  died on April 7 in Zumikon, southeast of Zurich. She was 86.

Her death was announced on April 14 by the federal chancellery, The Associated Press reported. The cause was not specified.

Mrs. Kopp had been mayor of Zumikon for a decade and had served two terms in Parliament when a retirement opened up a seat on the seven-member Federal Council, which runs the main government departments and whose members take turns serving a one-year term as the countrys president.

Mrs. Kopp was one of the more left-leaning members of the conservative Radical Democratic Party, known for her work on environmental issues as well as for advancing womens causes, and polls showed her to be popular. But the effort to elevate her to the council prompted her political enemies to stir up dirt on her husband, Hans Kopp, a lawyer.
Although the judge had steeled himself for a grueling fight, the cannabis case was over in mere minutes.

The defendant had been caught in his parents house with 7.5 ounces of marijuana, and the judge was getting ready for the prosecution to try him as an adult since he was just 18, and technically could be held responsible under the adult laws.

But the district attorney said he planned to try the case under Germanys youth laws.

That gave Judge Andreas Muller an opening. Presiding over the courtroom in the traditional black robe and white tie, he immediately threw out the case, citing a youth court statute that encourages rehabilitation rather than punishment.

Maybe one day, when youve had the chance to learn to become an able businessman, you can become a cannabis entrepreneur, Mr. Muller told the defendant, eliciting chuckles in the courtroom in Bernau bei Berlin, a small, picturesque community north of the German capital. The defendant, Justin H., whose surname is protected by Germanys strict privacy laws, was too stunned to react other than to nod.
More than 2,000 years ago, the Gallo-Roman town of Lutetia lay where the Notre Dame cathedral stands today, on Paris Ile de la Cite. The settlement stretched out onto the south bank of the river Seine, with paved roadways, impressive monuments and necropolises. Today, remains of that period can still be found in the French capital, as recent preventive excavations carried out ahead of a planned train-station expansion have shown.

In the heart of Paris, three meters beneath the surface, archaeologists located 50 second-century graves in March  a discovery that will offer further insight into the funeral practices of the Parisii, the Gallic tribe that inhabited Lutetia. In the process, we will also get to know a little bit more about how they lived.

The skeletons found belong to men, women and children. Drawing on their funeral rites, we can reach a kind of general vision of the people who lived in Paris in the second century, Dominique Garcia, president of Frances National Institute of Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP), told the French broadcaster Europe 1. The area of land excavated is some 200m2 in size, but the cemetery in which the graves were buried, the Saint-Jacques necropolis, was much bigger. At Lutetias zenith, when the towns population rose to as high as 10,000, it grew to a size of around four hectares.

Gallo-Roman grave, featuring offerings, found close to Notre Dame. Inrap

The Saint-Jacques necropolis was discovered in the 19th century. At that time, archaeologists found that the Parisii, who lived under Roman rule, burned their dead, sometimes placing them on gurneys or in coffins made of wood. The cemetery, it was concluded, was used regularly between the first and third centuries. But scientists in the 19th century were chiefly interested in objects of value, and ignored the skeletons they found, as well as other items that could provide information about the context of the time. The newly-discovered grave site was reconcealed and forgotten about.

Located by the Port-Royal station, the 50 graves have brought Paris ancient history back into focus. Whats so exceptional about this is that we have a window into our past, which is quite rare in this city, Garcia stresses. The burial sites were preserved despite the construction of numerous pieces of infrastructure in the 1970s, such as a local railway line.

The skeletons found were all burned in wooden coffins, of which only the nails and some small traces of wood remain, INRAP said in a statement. Almost half of the graves were found with objects constituting offerings. In one, for example, a black ceramic vase had been placed between the knees of the deceased. In another, ceramic receptacles had been positioned at the feet of the dead person. Researchers have found cups, plates and jugs, plus glassware. They have also discovered coins, which had been placed inside coffins or in the mouth of the deceased  an offering known as Charons obol. In Greek mythology, Charon is the ferryman who carried souls across the river Styx to the world of the dead.

Ceramic objects found in the Lutetia cemetery. Inrap

In some graves, nails from the soles of shoes have survived, while other objects found include fibulas  pins that were used to hold garments together  and jewels, belts and even hairpins. At that time, the feeling was that there was another life after death, so people placed things in the grave that would help the dead person to survive in the afterlife, Garcia says. Thats why objects from everyday life have been found, as well as pitchers that very likely contained food.

Archaeologists also discovered the skeleton of a pig and another smaller animal, in a grave additionally containing two receptacles. These are likewise believed to be offerings aimed at ensuring the deceaseds survival in the afterlife.

In addition to seeking an understanding of the daily lives of the Parisii through their funeral practices, researchers also plan to send their findings to a laboratory, where DNA testing will offer information about peoples health during the period.

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Soon after his airplane took off from Moscow last fall, a Russian energy official who had just resigned took his phone and typed up the emotions he had kept bottled inside since the invasion of Ukraine.

I am tired of feeling constant fear for myself, for my loved ones, for the future of my country and of my own, Arseny Pogosyan wrote on his social media page as he flew into a hurried exile. I am against this inhumane war.

The outburst in September did not receive much attention, gathering eight likes and one brief comment. After all, Mr. Pogosyan, 30, was among the hundreds of thousands of young Russian men fleeing the mobilization announced days earlier by President Vladimir V. Putin to replenish his battered military.

But among his colleagues in the energy ministry, where he worked as a press officer, his decision to leave his job was rare.
A loud siren-like sound will blare from cellphones for up to 10 seconds across Britain on Sunday as part of a test for a new emergency alert system launched by the British government.

Governments and institutions across the world use similar alert systems in life-threatening situations such as terror attacks and dangerous weather. The alerts, which in many cases are sent as notifications or text messages, warn people in the path of danger to take shelter or to get to safety.

In Britain, the test of the warning service has prompted a backlash among some, with some officials and organizations encouraging people to turn off the service.

Heres what to know.

Whats happening?

People with smartphones across Britain, including visiting tourists, will receive an alert that the government described as a loud, siren-like sound accompanied by a vibration, on Sunday at 3 p.m.
President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine has signed two laws that strictly reinforce his countrys national identity, banning Russian place names and making knowledge of Ukrainian language and history a requirement for citizenship.

The moves late Friday were Ukraines latest steps to distance itself from a long legacy of Russian domination, an increasingly emotional subject since Russias full-scale invasion of Ukraine began last year. They also show how forceful Kyivs government has become about protecting its cultural identity in a conflict shaped by President Vladimir V. Putins efforts to wipe it out.

Already, countless streets across Ukraine have been renamed and statues of Russian figures like Catherine the Great have come toppling down in what officials have called decolonization or de-Russification projects. While such efforts to scrub away old Russian names have been going on since the fall of the Soviet Union, they have picked up pace since the war began in February 2022.

A law that Mr. Zelensky signed on Friday prohibits using place names that perpetuate, promote or symbolize the occupying state or its notable, memorable, historical and cultural places, cities, dates, events, and its figures who carried out military aggression against Ukraine.
India will soon pass China as the worlds most populous country, according to U.N. data released this week. When was the last time China was not in the top spot?
2 DANCO LABORATORIES, LLC v. ALLIANCE FOR HIPPOCRATIC MEDICINE ALITO, J., dissenting Whole (2021) op., at 2). In another, we were criticized for ruling on a stay application while "barely bother[ing] to explain [our] conclusion," a disposition that was labeled as emblematic of too much of this Court's shadow-docket decisionmaking which every day becomes more unreasoned." Woman's Health v. Jackson, 594 U. S. (KAGAN, J., dissenting from denial of application for injunctive relief) (slip op., at 1-2). And in a third case in which a stay was granted, we were condemned for not exhibiting the "restraint" that was supposedly exercised in the past and for not "resisting" the Government's effort to shortcut" normal process. Barr v. East Bay Sanctuary Covenant, 588 U. S. (2019) (SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting) (slip op., at 5). Cf. Does 1-3 v. Mills, 595 U. S. (2021) (BARRETT, J., concurring in denial of application for injunctive relief) (slip op., at 1) (warning that the Court should not act "on a short fuse without benefit of full briefing and oral argument" in a case that is "first to address the questions presented"). I did not agree with these criticisms at the time, but if they were warranted in the cases in which they were made, they are emphatically true here. As narrowed by the Court of Appeals, the stay that would apply if we failed to broaden it would not remove mifepristone from the market. It would simply restore the circumstances that existed (and that the Government defended) from 2000 to 2016 under three Presidential administrations. In addition, because the applicants' Fifth Circuit appeal has been put on a fast track, with oral argument scheduled to take place in 26 days, there is reason to believe that they would get the relief they now seek from either the Court of Appeals or this Court-in the near future if their arguments on the merits are persuasive. At present, the applicants are not entitled to a stay because they have not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the interim. The applicants claim that
A MAN who assaulted a manager of a licensed premises in Tullamore has been given the opportunity to pay 2,000 to the victim.

Derek Heffernan (44), Royal Canal Way, Cushinstown, Killucan, Co Westmeath admitted committing the assault on December 22 last at the Bridge House Hotel, Bridge Street, Tullamore.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan told Tullamore District Court that at 2.20am on December 10 last at the Bridge bar the accused headbutted a manager of the premises who was escorting him out.

The injured party received a cut to the eye which required glue and stitches. The accused man had said he was looking for his coat.

When Mr Heffernan pleaded guilty Judge Andrew Cody expressed concern about his lack of legal representation but the accused said he could not afford a solicitor.

When Judge Cody told him he may be entitled to legal aid, Mr Heffernan repeated that he did not require a solicitor.

Mr Heffernan said the assault was not something he would do. He said he was very drunk at the time and he apologised.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said the accused was very apologetic and remorseful when he was making his statement to the gardai.

Judge Cody indicated to the accused that if he paid 2,000 to the victim by July 26 next he would consider striking out the charge.

Mr Heffernan said he would not be able to pay that amount by then so Judge Cody ordered him to pay 1,000 by July 26 and he would then adjourn sentence for payment of the balance.
A woman stole a hair straightener while in Portlaoise visiting a prisoner, a sitting of Portlaoise District Court was told.

Suzanne McKeever, 32, of 4 Rochford House, Patrick Street, Dublin 8 admitted stealing the GHD Straightener from a salon in Portlaoise on March 3 last.

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said the defendant walked into Company Hair Salon and picked up a hair straightener valued at 159 before walking out.

Staff followed her and held Ms McKeever until Gardai arrived, he said.

Sgt Kirby said the defendant has nine previous convictions, seven of which were for theft.

Solicitor Barry Fitzgerald said his client has significant underlying issues and is in receipt of disability allowance.

She had an egregious addiction to benzodiazepine which she detoxed from, he said. He said she also suffers from PTSD and epilepsy.

It was opportunistic and there is no excusing the behaviour, said Mr Fitzgerald.

He said his client was taking the matter very seriously.

There is a letter of sincere apology, he said.

She was visiting a family member in the Midlands Prison, Mr Fitzgerald explained in relation to why the defendant was in Portlaoise.

He said the woman was entering a guilty plea and appears to be on the right track now.

Judge Andrew Cody sentenced the woman to six months in prison, suspended for two years. He granted legal aid.
Russia has accidentally bombed its own city, injuring two people.

Residents of Belgorod, a city of 340,000 near Ukraine, first thought it was a Ukrainian attack but the Russian military quickly acknowledged one of its warplanes accidentally released the weapon.

Belgorod has faced regular drone attacks that Russian authorities have blamed on Ukraine, but the explosion late on Thursday was far more powerful than anything its residents had heard before.

Witnesses reported a low hissing sound followed by a blast that made nearby apartment buildings tremble and threw a car on a shop roof.

The bomb left a 66ft-wide crater in the middle of a tree-lined boulevard flanked by apartment buildings, shattering their windows, damaging several cars and injuring two residents.

A third person was later admitted to hospital with hypertension.

Immediately after the blast, Russian commentators and military bloggers were abuzz with theories about what weapon Ukraine had used for the attack.

Many called for a powerful retribution.

But about an hour later, the Russian Defence Ministry acknowledged that the explosion was caused by a weapon accidentally dropped by one of its own Su-34 bombers.

Russia's campaign to degrade Ukraine's energy grid has likely failed. Ukraine is rebuilding its network with help from international allies. Sourcing replacement transformers, generators and other critical components. Ukraine remains resilient. #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/LLWqUhP7BZ  Ministry of Defence (@DefenceHQ) April 20, 2023

It did not offer any further details but military experts said the weapon was likely a powerful 500kg bomb.

In Thursdays explosion, the weapon was apparently set to explode with a small delay after impact in order to hit underground facilities.

Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said local authorities decided to temporarily resettle residents of a nine-storey apartment building near the blast while it was inspected to make sure it had not suffered structural damage that rendered it unsafe to live in.

In an editorial gaffe, an anchor on Russian state television followed the news about local authorities dealing with the explosions aftermath by declaring modern weapons allow Russian units to eliminate extremists in the area of the special military operation from a minimal distance.

The anchor looked visibly puzzled by the text that he had just read.

Russian commentators questioned why the warplane flew over Belgorod and urged the military to avoid such risky overflights in the future.

Some alleged that the bomb that was accidentally dropped could be one of a batch of modified munitions equipped with wings and a GPS-guided targeting system that allows them to glide to targets dozens of miles away.

The Russian air force has started using such gliding bombs only recently and some experts say they could be prone to glitches.

The explosion in Belgorod followed the crash of a Russian warplane next to a residential building in the port city of Yeysk on the Sea of Azov that killed 15 people.

Yeysk hosts a big Russian air base with warplanes flying missions over Ukraine.

Military experts have noted that as the number of Russian military flights have increased sharply during the fighting, so have crashes and accidents.

In another deadly incident in the Belgorod region, two volunteer soldiers fired at Russian troops at a military firing range, killing 11 and wounding 15 others before being shot dead.
German photographer Boris Eldagsen with his work 'Pseudomnesia: The Electrician', created by artificial intelligence. Alex Schwander (via REUTERS)

German artist Boris Eldagsen has sent shockwaves throughout the world of photography by entering the prestigious annual Sony World Photography Awards with an image that was not what it seemed. He submitted what the judges thought was an old-fashioned, sepia-toned, black-and-white photograph, of two women of different generations. The photo looked like it was taken in the early 20th century, and it won the creative category. But neither of the models posed for him, nor did he measure the light in his studio. As he himself revealed when he declined the award, it was an image created using artificial intelligence (AI).

My goal was to open a discussion, and I succeeded, Eldagsen, a 52-year-old photographer from Berlin told EL PAIS. Last fall, he considered testing the photo contests to see if they had done their homework and if they were aware that people could start submitting images generated using AI tools, he explains. The best way was to compete himself with one of his creations, entitled The Electrician, from the Pseudomnesia series. The term that means false memory, which might have given the judges a clue.

Eldagsen, a member of the German Academy of Photography, is satisfied with the result of his experiment. He believes there is an urgent need to address the fact that the realism of AI-generated images is such that it is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate an original from an image created by algorithms. Its something we need to figure out as a community. AI is not photography and should not compete in the same category, he says.

AI-generated image from Boris Eldagsen's 'Traumaporn' collection.

The dilemma Eldagsen wants to pose to his colleagues is whether it makes sense for the photography world to welcome AI-generated images under its umbrella or whether it would be wiser to exclude them. Its a complex question and no one wanted to address it, he says. When I gave up the award everyone kind of froze. Like a rabbit looking at the fox, and the rabbit is the world of photography and the fox is AI-generators. While Eldagsen himself is not clear about the answer, he is clear about the need for debate.

I love photography. I have been a photographer for 30 years and now I work with AI on a daily basis. They are related. AI uses the language of photography and the result is similar, but the images have been produced in a different way and are something else, he insists. What is his solution? For the time being, give these creations another name, so that they are at least labeled differently. Call them promptography. The prompt is the text used to describe the image you want to generate to talk to the AI.

Photography is one of the arts that is most affected by the arrival of artificial intelligence, because it allows almost anyone to create hyper-realistic images simply by giving instructions to a computer. But Eldagsen rejects the predictions by harbingers of doom who claim it kills creativity. Not at all. What I like about AI is that it works with knowledge and experience. It is an immaterial material. And there is a big difference between the use of a 50-year-old, who has been an artist and photographer for 30 of those years, and a 15-year-old. The kid will create an American superhero. I wont. The fascinating thing about this technology, Eldagsen says, is that it allows you to use everything you have previously learned. So, for the older generations, its a technological revolution that you have to know how to take advantage of.

Those responsible for the award, the World Photography Organization  Sony only sponsors it  claim that Eldagsen had not made it clear to what extent artificial intelligence had played a role in his work, suggesting that they believed it might be a retouched photograph or that he was using it as a prop. For his part, Eldagsen is very upset that the organization tried to cover up the issue, he says, without entering into the debate that he considers urgent and unavoidable.

All mentions of the award that the German photographer won have disappeared from the organizations website and it is no longer on display at Londons Somerset House. Eldagsen even went as far as to travel to the venue to take to the stage during the awards ceremony last week and explain what happened. He also released an open letter saying, Thank you for selecting my image and making this a historic moment, because it is the first AI-generated image to win a prestigious international photography competition. How many of you knew or suspected that it was AI-generated? Something doesnt feel right, does it?

Image created with artificial intelligence from the 'Traumaporn' collection, by Eldagsen.

In addition to winning in the creative category, he had also won in the general category, which guaranteed him a prize of 5,000 ($5,495) and Sony photographic equipment that he planned to donate to a photography festival in Odessa (Ukraine). The names of the winners were announced in March, and at the beginning of April, several specialized publications reported that Eldagsens image was generated by AI. One of the pieces was called The woman who never was. The controversy exploded on the day of the awards ceremony with the photographers rejection and his open letter of explanation on April 14th.

The organization was always aware that this image included elements of AI throughout the evaluation process, a spokesman for the World Photography Organization affirmed. While some elements of AI practices are relevant in artistic image-making contexts, the awards have always been and will continue to be a platform to champion the excellence and skill of photographers and artists working in this medium, he adds. If they have not responded to the German photographers calls for discussion, it is because his deliberate attempts to mislead have caused them to believe they cannot establish a constructive dialogue with him.

Eldagsen says that on previous occasions he had sent photographs to this contest but they had not been selected. He was surprised that this year they were, especially with an AI image, and he suspects it was helped by the prominence of an attractive young woman as the central figure.

The artist does not believe that AI is a threat to photographers and artists, but he is aware of the challenge this technology poses to society. It is absolutely necessary for our democracies to clearly distinguish which image in the media is real and which is not, he says. In this regard, he mentions a proposal from the German freelance photographers association, which suggests labeling images with the letters A, M and G: A for authentic, M for manipulated and G for generated. I think it would make a lot of sense to do it that way, but Im afraid it would be complicated to implement. Is there money to fund the necessary staff and equipment?

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8 programs in 7 cities: PM to travel about 5,300 km in 36 hours

India

oi-Prakash KL

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a packed schedule on April 24 as he has to attend eight programmes in seven cities in one and a half day.

The PM will be travelling over 5,000 kms in 26 hours starting from April 24, according to a report in ANI. Starting from Delhi, he will travel to Madhya Pradesh first, will head to Kerala and then to Daman before reaching Surat.

"PM will start the journey in the morning of April 24. He will travel from Delhi to Khajuraho, covering a distance of around 500 kilometres. From Khajuraho, he will travel to Rewa where he will participate in the National Panchayati Raj Day programme. After this, he will come back to Khajuraho, covering a distance of around 280 km in the to-and-fro journey. From Khajuraho, he will travel to Kochi, covering an aerial distance of about 1700 kilometres, to participate in the Yuvam Conclave," the news agency quoted sources as saying.

The next stop for the PM is Thiruvananthapuram.

Kerala on high-alert ahead of PM Modis visit

"Next morning, the PM will travel from Kochi to Thiruvananthapuram, covering a distance of about 190 Km. Here, he will flag off Vande Bharat Express and also dedicate and lay the foundation stone of various projects. From here, he will travel to Silvassa via Surat, covering about 1570 kilometres. There, he will visit NAMO medical college and will dedicate and lay the foundation stone of various projects," the sources added.

Then, the Prime Minister will reach Daman for the inauguration of Devka seafront after which he will land in Surat, covering 110 kms.

"From Surat, he will travel back to Delhi, adding another 940 km to his travel schedule," they said.

All in all, the PM will be travelling about 5300 kms in a span of 36 hours. "To put this figure in perspective, one can look at the length of India from North to South, which is about 3200 kilometres. Adding to the distance is the time factor - all this travel is jam-packed in only 36 hours," the officials said.

With inputs from ANI

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 14:28 [IST]
Akshaya Tritiya 2022: What you should do and don't do? Explained

Significance of Akshaya Tritiya, 'shubh muhurat' to buy gold, silver et al.

India

oi-Prakash KL

Every human desires to be successful to improve their lives or for a better quality of life that brings happiness.

While working towards achieving goals is considered important, there are also some occasions which are considered to be auspicious to make investments that will bring more joy and peace to your life. One such occasion is 'Akshaya Trtiya', an auspicious day in the Hindu calendar that falls on the third lunar day of the bright half of the Hindu month of Vaisakha (April-May).

The word 'akshaya' in Sanskrit means "never diminishing" and 'tritiya' means "third phase of the moon". It is said that buying gold, silver or any other ornaments is considered auspicious on this day as it signifies wealth and prosperity. Also, starting a new venture, buying new vehicles or making investments can bring success to your life, the Hindus believe.

According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna gave Draupadi a 'patra' (copper vessel) which helped her prepare an abundance of food for Pandavas and her guests during their 'agyatvas' (exile).

Every year, it is observed on the Shukla Paksha of the Vaisakha month in the Hindu calendar and it is celebrated this year on April 22.

'Akshaya Tritiya Muhurat' and Auspicious Time to Buy Gold, Silver

According to Drik Panchang, the 'Akshaya Tritiya tithi' begins at 7:49 am and ends on April 23 at at 7:47 am.

However, the pooja timings is between 7.49 am and 12.37 pm on Saturday in most cities in India. However, the auspicious time to buy ornaments is between 7.49 am Saturday to 6.16 am on Sunday.

Quotes to Share

As people celebrate this occasion, we bring you quotes, messages and greetings to share with your well-wishers on this special day:

May Goddess Lakshmi bless you with wealth, prosperity and peace. Happy Akshaya Tritiya!

May This Akshaya Tritiya be a new beginning for you and your loved ones. Happy Akshaya Tritiya!

May this Akshaya Tritiya bring you and your family good fortune! On the day of Akshaya Tritiya, may Lord Vishnu bless you with wealth and prosperity.

May this Akshaya Tritiya fill your life with joy, happiness, and love. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Akshaya Tritiya!

I pray to the Gods that you and your family members have the blessings of Lord Kubera to have abudance of prosperity and peace.
'Mafia who had a free run in 2017 are now begging for life': UP CM

SC seeks status report from UP Govt on steps taken after killing of Atiq Ahmed

Atiq Ahmed lawyer booked for criminal conspiracy in Umesh Pal murder case

India

pti-PTI

Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed's lawyer Khan Shoulat Hanif has been booked for criminal conspiracy in the Umesh Pal murder case, an official said on Saturday.

Speaking to PTI, Deputy Commissioner of Police (City) Deepak Bhukar said Hanif's name was added under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code to the FIR registered at Dhoomanganj police station in the Umesh Pal murder case.

"We came to know that Hanif shared pictures of Umesh Pal with Ahmed's son Asad days before he was attacked," Bhukar told PTI.

Asad, the third of Ahmed's five sons, was killed in a police encounter in Jhansi on April 13. Sources said the police might soon file a remand application in court to interrogate Hanif, who is currently lodged in Naini Central Prison after being sentenced to life imprisonment in the Umesh Pal kidnapping case. Umesh Pal, a key witness in the murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, and his two security personnel were shot dead on February 24.

Atiq Ahmed about to reveal some secrets, that's why opposition got him killed: UP minister

On February 25, the police registered a case against Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, wife Shaista Parveen, two sons, aides Guddu Muslim and Ghulam, and nine other accomplices at Dhoomanganj police station.

A special court here on March 28 convicted Ahmed, Hanif and Dinesh Pasi and sentenced them to life in prison in the 17-year-old kidnapping case. Hanif and Pasi were detained in Naini Central Prison while Ahmed was sent to Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat's Ahmedabad.

Ahmad, a former Samajwadi Party MP, and Ashraf were shot dead on April 15 by three assailants when they were being taken by the police for a medical examination. They were brought here in connection with the Umesh Pal murder case.
YC leader kicked out for accusing national chief of sexual harassment

India

oi-Prakash KL

Days after Assam Congress leader Angkita Dutta accused the organisation's national president Srinivas B V of harassment, she has been suspended from the party for six years.

"Hon'ble Congress President has expelled Dr. Angkita Dutta, President Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect," the INC Sandesh, the official Twitter handle of Congress to make announcement, tweeted on Saturday.

"Despite my complaints, no inquiry has been initiated against Srinivas... I have kept quiet for months waiting for them to take action against him yet no one seems interested. Srinivas in the guise of his PR is getting away with all kinds of wrongdoings," she stated.

Assam, Arunachal sign pact to resolve decades old border disputes

Earlier, Dutta, in a series of tweets tagging Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, tweeted, "How can a sexist and chauvinistic leader @IYC torture and demean a woman every single time. What happened to @priyankagandhi ladki hoon ladk Shakti Hoon (sic)".

She alleged that Srinivas continually harassed her and was "discriminating on the basis of my gender". "My values and education doesn't allow me anymore. The leadership has played deaf ears despite bring front of them MANY TIMES @RahulGandhi @kcvenugopalmp @priyankagandhi (sic)," Dutta said.

She also claimed that despite complaints, no enquiry committee has been initiated against Srinivas. "Is this the safe space @RahulGandhi talks about women @priyankagandhi," she said in another tweet.

Responding to the allegations of joining the BJP and being in constant touch with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, she wrote, "Honestly I am aware this could lead to an end of my political career. If this is the price I have to pay ,so be it . About me meeting some BJP leader, one is welcome to check cctv footage of home & office where you will probably see me reading trolls my colleagues are spreading."

Angkita is the daughter of former Assam minister Anjan Dutta and held the positin of Assam president of Indian Youth Congress.

Taj Mahal, not a symbol of love, demolish it says Assam BJP MLA

On the other hand, Srinivas B V has sent a criminal defamation case against Angkita Dutta for using "unparliamentary and defamatory" language against him.

"Dr Dutta has resorted to using utterly unparliamentary, undignified, defamatory, malicious words against Srinivas BV and has levelled totally sexist, chauvinistic, false, frivolous allegations against him. The IYC legal cell has taken a strong, stringent legal action and therefore IYC National President Srinivas BV has sent a Criminal Defamation notice to Dr Angkita Dutta in view of the same," the press release stated.

with inputs from PTI
Drama done: D K Shivakumars nomination accepted from Kanakapura seat

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

All speculations have been set aside and the nomination of Congress leader D K Shivakumar has been accepted by the returning officer for the Kanakapura assembly seat.

This has paved the way for the high-profile battle between Shivakumar and BJP strongman, R Ashok from the seat. Polling will be held on May 10 in Karnataka, while the results will be out on May 13.

Shivakumar who is a chief ministerial candidate was worried that his nomination could be rejected on legal grounds. He had accused the BJP of conspiring to push him out of the electoral battle. As a fall back option, his brother, D K suresh had also filed the papers from the same seat. Suresh is a Congress Member of Parliament.

Not just Shivakumar, but the nominations of other politicians, who had asked their family members to file the papers have been accepted. This includes K J George and Satish Jarkiholli of the Congress.

The returning officer of Kanakapura had ruled out a discrepancy in the nomination filed by Shivakumar during the scrutiny. This comes in the wake of the Karnataka High Court rejecting a plea filed by Shivakumar in a disproportionate assets case.

Will win with a majority says Amit Shah in Karnataka

The last date for the withdrawal of nominations is April 24.

The battle in Karnataka is a closely fought one. The fight is between the ruling BJP, opposition Congress and Janata Dal (S). The BJP is battling anti-incumbency and heavy rebellion. The Congress on the other hand is witnessing a close fight within the party between Shivakumar and Siddaramaiah, both of whom are aspiring to become chief ministers.

Shivakumar on the other hand has vowed that he will fight until his last breath.
Ex-JK guv Satya Pal Malik, Khap leaders protest at Delhi police station

India

pti-PTI

Former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, who has been called by the CBI over an alleged insurance 'scam', and some Khap leaders held a protest at a police station in New Delhi on Saturday after not being allowed to hold a meeting at a south Delhi park as they lacked requisite permission, according to officials, who rejected reports that he was detained.

Questioning the police action, Malik said he and his supporters had gone to the R K Puram Police Station to protest as he was stopped from giving food to Khap leaders at the park. According to police, they all left the police station around 2.30 pm.

Senior Haryana-based farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the meeting was called by Malik and a group of khap leaders, but nobody was scheduled to speak at the venue. "Where is violation of rules in this?" he asked.

The meeting was scheduled to be held at the MCD park in R K Puram and Malik was supposed to take part, a police officer said.

He said the former Jammu and Kashmir governor was informed this was not a place to hold a meeting and also that he has not taken a permission from the authorities concerned. After that he and his supporters left the place and arrived at the R K Puram police station, the officer added.

Ex-J&K governor Satya Pal Malik summoned by CBI over insurance scam

The Delhi Police issued a statement, saying he had gone to the police station "of his own volition", refuting reports that Malik had been detained. "We have not detained former governor Satya Pal Malik. He came on his own volition, along with his supporters, to the R K Puram police station and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said in a statement.

Speaking to the mediapersons before going to the police station, Malik said he wanted to give food to the Khap leaders who were at the park. "I don't have much space in my house, so I decided to give them food here (at the park). They (police) have orders from somewhere not to allow the gathering and let me give them the food. I told them 'arrest me and I am coming with you'."

When asked what the police told him, he said, "(they said) will not allow." "Why should we go to an alternative place? We will go to the police station and offer a satyagrah there...I am going to R K Puram police station and I will protest there," he said.

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni told PTI, "I fail to understand why we were not allowed by police to hold the meeting as there was no scheduled speech of any farmer leaders there. Malik ji wanted to serve food to farmer leaders at the park. Where is violation of rules in this."

Asked whether the said meeting was scheduled in wake of the CBI asking Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir, Chaduni said, "It (meeting) was already scheduled to be held on Saturday."

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police took to Twitter to say that reports about Malik's detention was false. "False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will," it said in a tweet.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency.

Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya. The CBI move comes barely a week after Malik gave an interview to "The Wire", in which he made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.
Fabricated: Tamil Nadu minister reacts to audio tape shared by BJP on MK Stalin

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan on Saturday responded to an audio tape released by the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), which claimed that he purportedly spoke about the alleged corruption inside the DMK with a journalist. PTR claimed the audo tape was fabricated.

BJP state president K Annamalai had shared the clip on his Twitter page recently, claiming Rajan made some 'revelation' about the assets of DMK president and Chief Minister M K Stalin's son Udhaynidhi and son-in-law Sabareesan.

In a two-page statement uploaded on his Twitter handle, PTR, as Rajan is addressed, described the audio clip as ''malicious, fabricated,'' and asserted anyone could make such clips with the help of technology.

My statement on the 26-second malicious fabricated audio clip pic.twitter.com/KM85dogIgh  Dr P Thiaga Rajan (PTR) (@ptrmadurai) April 22, 2023

Describing him as a ''strong proponent'' of free speech'', PTR said he hasn't responded to many accusations but that he was forced to do this time. ''So I am forced to react at this juncture because one social media post has now been re-broadcast to lamentable positions; it has been repeated and amplified by unscrupulous political players....'' he said.

''Please note that publicly available technical analysis of the alleged clip clearly shows it is not authentic,'' PTR added. ''With the ability to create fabricated and/or machine-generated clips using advanced technology that is easily accessible, we should not be surprised to see more audio and even video clips in the coming days and months with ever-more malicious content,'' he said as reported by PTI.

He stated that if the threshold of ''slander'' were to be crossed, ''I will be forced to take action.'' Rajan credited Stalin for whatever he was and has done in public life and asserted ''no malicious attempts to divide us will ever succeed.''

(with PTI inputs)
Suspense over as Mukul Roy says, I want to be in BJP

Fresh violence in Bengal over alleged rape, murder of minor girl

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Fresh violence was reported from Kaliyaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal on Saturday after a minor tribal girl was allegedly raped and murdered. Videos showed police personnel dragging the victim's body through the street.

A minor girl was allegedly raped and murdered by unidentified miscreants, a senior police officer was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

Local people found the body of the minor girl, who was missing since Thursday evening, floating in the waters of a canal.

The girl, a resident of Gangua village of the district, went missing since Thursday evening after she went for her tuition classes and could not be traced the entire night, despite extensive searches by her family members and local people.

A missing complaint was lodged by her family members. The local people resisted the police when they went to recover the girl's body demanding immediate arrest of the culprits, the police officer said.

HC asks CBI to probe teacher recruitment scam in West Bengal

The local people also put up road blockades, burning tyres and allegedly pelted stones at police, he said.

"We had to lathi-charge and fire tear gas shells to control the mob. We are trying to bring the situation under control. A probe into the matter is on," the officer added.

BJP demands Mamata Banerjee's resignation

Slamming the West Bengal government, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Locket Chatterjee demanded the resignation of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and claimed the Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo is not doing justice to her post, news agency ANI reported.

"Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is not doing justice to her post, she should resign. West Bengal government wants to hide the evidence. There should be a CBI investigation in this case," ANI quoted the senior BJP leader as saying.

Slamming the police over the handling of the matter, BJP leader Bharati Ghosh, as quoted by ANI, said, "Police overlooked all rules that they must follow when any crime is committed. They dragged the body in a very insensitive manner. Police have become an active participant in the whole process of crime. They are trying to cover up the crime scene, destroy evidence and save the culprits. I demand CBI investigation into this incident."

(with PTI inputs)

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 18:56 [IST]
NIA scanner on foreign terrorists involved in Poonch attack: Sources

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The National Investigation Agency has taken over the probe into the Poonch attack in which five soldiers were martyred.

A team of the NIA visited the spot and collected samples, official sources tell OneIndia. The team according to the source scanned the entire area and looked for clues to find out the direction from where the terrorists have opened fire. There is however no clarity on whether it was the Jaish-e-Mohammad or Lashkar-e-Tayiba which carried out the attack.

Preliminary reports suggest that there were foreign terrorists involved in the attack. There were around five to seven terrorists, the source said of which foreign militants were also involved the source said. The source also said that 3 among the attackers were foreigners. Currently we are verifying if the claim by the Jaish-e-Mohammad that it carried out the attack is right or not, the source said.

A Jaish-e-Mohammad backed group called asa the People's Anti-Fascist Front has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Villagers to skip Eid after Army trucks was ambushed in Poonch

Official said that the attack was timed in such a manner that Pakistan wanted to create havoc and panic amidst the ongoing G20 summit in India. The attack took place on the same day that Pakistan announced that its foreign minister, Bilawal Bhutto would visit India for the G20 meeting.

Pakistan has known to derail peace talks with India, each time New Delhi has taken an initiative. The Mumbai 26/11 attacks were staged to derails peace talks and so were the attacks in Pathankot.

The Poonch attack was not small by any nature and the action will be strong another official said. We are awaiting for the initial report by the NIA, following which the next course of action will be taken, the official added.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 11:31 [IST]
In the space of just two years, they went from being a group of activists who could fit on a single bus, to representing the backbone of Portugals new democracy. Not even an inveterate optimist like Mario Soares  the nations former prime minister and president, and the father of modern Portuguese socialism  could have imagined how much they would achieve. However, Portugals Socialist Party (PS) celebrates its 50th anniversary at a time of acute adversity, amid constant demonstrations over the Portuguese middle classes deteriorating quality of life. The governing party has a comfortable majority in the countrys parliament, but its mistakes are causing it to come under fire on an almost daily basis. That has included clips around the ear from the president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who had enjoyed a harmonious relationship with the prime minister, Antonio Costa, but now roundly criticizes many of his decisions, such as the measures he has adopted on housing.

In just a year, the Portuguese government has racked up several scandals brought about by failed appointments, and right now is in the eye of the storm over its management of TAP, Portugals flag carrier, following the airlines nationalization. A parliamentary inquiry was launched in February. After seven years in government, [the PS] is showing signs of wear and tear, says Antonio Costa Pinto, a sociologist and historian at the University of Lisbon, in an email. But it is still the party that is at the heart of Portugals democracy, particularly because now, with the growth of Chega, a far-fight populist party, the chief center-right party, the PSD, also has a considerable challenge on its hands.

So much has changed since the PS was founded in 1973, at a home in the small Rhineland town of Bad Munstereifel. Germanys Friedrich Ebert Foundation played a key role in the partys creation, carried out in complete secrecy to avoid reprisals from Portugals dictatorship, which had banned political parties in 1933 and, 40 years later, maintained that prohibition. The Germans paid the travel costs of the small group of Portuguese activists, who met to decide whether to turn the Portuguese Socialist Action, a movement founded by Soares in Geneva in 1964, into a political party. Those who had come from Lisbon opposed the move  including Soares wife, Maria Barroso, who voted against her husband. Soares, who had gone into self-imposed exile in Paris after receiving death threats for publicly opposing Portugals colonial wars, was almost alone in insisting that the dictatorship of Marcelo Caetano, who had succeeded Antonio de Oliveira Salazar in 1968, would fall imminently. Soares side of the vote won out, and he was named the PS first secretary-general.

Until a socialist party appeared, the dictatorship would say between us and the communists, theres nothing, and the communists would say between us and the fascists, theres nothing, explains Jose Manuel dos Santos, a former advisor to Soares who coordinated the events marking the partys 50th birthday. Thats a terrible state of affairs, because it strengthened the dictatorship. After the Second World War, the West as a whole closed its eyes to the two dictatorships in the Iberian Peninsula, because the major source of fear during the Cold War was communism. Soares saw that the only way to break that vicious cycle was to create a new organization, which started out as the Socialist Action and then became the Socialist Party.

What Soares couldnt predict was the exact moment of the regimes downfall. On the day of the Carnation Revolution, he was in Bonn to meet Willy Brandt, the German social-democrat who was a major source of support to Soares and Spains Felipe Gonzalez, another Iberian socialist leader who emerged to capitalize on regime change at the ballot box. After returning to Paris, Soares then boarded the train that became known as the Comboio da Liberdade (Freedom Train)  and, on 28 April 1974, he arrived back in Lisbon. We called for immediate elections and proposed Mario as our member of parliament. We only expected to get one, recalls Antonio Campos, one of the Socialist Partys founders, in the television documentary 50 years of the PS: German roots, which was aired by Portugals state broadcaster RTP. Constituent elections were held two years later, and the PS was the most-voted party, winning 116 seats  one more than its total number of founding members in 1973.

The socialist leader Mario Soares talks from the Santa Apolonia station in Lisbon, after his return from exile three days after the Carnation Revolution. ARCHIVO HISTORICO DEL PARTIDO SOCIALISTA PORTUGUES

The world, the country and the party have changed radically over the past 50 years. Despite their divisions, such as the conflict witnessed between Jorge Sampaio and Antonio Guterres, Portugals socialists have resisted the crisis of social democracy better than other European counterparts, and the partys governments have spent a combined total of 25 years in power  half of the countrys period of democracy. The Portuguese Socialist Party has always had a Communist Party to its left with greater electoral clout than most European democracies and, since the start of the 21st century, it has also had the radical-left Bloco de Esquerda, the Portuguese equivalent to Spains Podemos, Costa Pinto observes. Despite being at the center of the biggest case of corruption in Portugals democracy, with the accusations against the former prime minister, Jose Socrates, the party has still done well electorally.

In the wake of the Socrates scandal, the Socialist Party moved into opposition, before returning to power against all expectations. In 2015, PS leader Costa agreed a deal with the partys rivals on the left to table a motion of no confidence that removed the conservative prime minister, Pedro Passos Coelho, who had been elected by only a slim margin. And in 2022, again defying the odds, Costa achieved a historic absolute majority that gave his party greater executive power than any other within the European social-democratic family right now. Of the seven governments in which the left is represented, only two have an absolute majority: Malta and Portugals. In the five other countries  Germany, Denmark, Slovenia, Romania and Spain  they are part of coalition administrations. Europes political map is dominated by the center-right, with populism and extremism making increasing inroads.

Barrier against extremism

In Portugal, the Socialist Party presents itself as the chief barrier against the extremism of Andre Ventura, the leader of Chega. And that, in the opinion of analysts, was one of the chief factors behind the PS landslide election win last year. Its a mission that Costa pointed to when he spoke at Wednesdays 50th-anniversary event in Lisbon. The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, was in attendance, as was former Spanish prime minister Gonzalez, who was alongside Soares for the moment when Spain and Portugal joined the European Economic Community. Today, there may be a different war, different battle lines drawn, but well always be faced with a war, Costa said, in a speech in which he touted the legacy of socialist policies in Portugal (such as the national health service, state education and welfare assistance). Today there is no dictatorship, but there is a growth in populism that we must fight.

The celebrations, however, have also fanned the flames of internal discontent. Former socialist chiefs have in recent days criticized Costas leadership, accusing him of moving away from the founders values of solidarity and freedom. Perhaps the headline that best sums up the complex times the PS finds itself in was written by Ana Sa Lopes of the Portuguese newspaper Publico: 50th-birthday blues.

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If Cong comes to power, Karnataka will be beset with riots: Amit Shah

Congress for FIR against Shah for his 'riots if it comes to power' remark

On Amritpal Singh, a praise for Punjab government from Amit Shah

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Union Home Minister Amit Shah was all praise for the Punjab government for its action on radical Sikh leader, Amritpal Singh. Shah said that the government had done a good job on this matter.

Speaking at the India Today's Karnataka Roundtable 2023, Shah sad that the Centre is also cooperation, while adding that the Punjab government did good work.

When questioned why Singh is yet to be arrested, Shah said, "there is no Khalistan wave in Punjab. We are monitoring the situation very closely. None can attack India's unity. His arrest may happen sometime. Earlier he would roam freely, but now he can't carry on with his activities."

The Punjab police had on March 18 launched a huge manhunt for Singh. While many of his associates had been arrested, Singh continues to remain on the run. Several of his aides including mentor, Pabalpreet Singh have been arrested.

On Thursday, the radical preachers's wife, Kirandeep Kaur was stopped from boarding a flight to the United Kingdom. She was questioned by the immigration for nearly three hours and thereafter asked to return. Singh had married Kaur on February 10.

Will win with a majority says Amit Shah in Karnataka

Singh is known for his pro-Khalistan views.

Shah also had said that the Narendra Modi government will not tolerate the attacks on the Indian high commissions.

"We have made the NIA capable that it can carry out a probe if there is any conspiracy on Indian and foreign soil. The Delhi police has registered a case and launched a probe into the attack on the Indian high commission. Based on the report that we have received, a probe has been launched," Shah also said.
CISCE ISC, ICSE Board Result 2023: When to expect? How to check, official website, and more

Rahul Gandhi vacates official Delhi bungalow he held since 2005

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as MP after conviction in a defamation case, vacated 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow on Saturday, news agency ANI reported. Gandhi was supposed to hand over the keys to the official bungalow to the Lok Sabha secretariat today, news agency PTI quoted sources as saying.

In a video shared by ANI's official Twitter handle, a truck will Rahul's belongings can be seen moving out of his residence.

#WATCH | Delhi: Furniture shifted out of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's residence after he vacated his official bungalow. pic.twitter.com/dhXKru8lrC  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

The former Congress president was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification after the conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court for his 'Modi surname' remark. The Lok Sabha Housing Committee, headed by BJP MP CR Patil, had sent him a letter asking him to vacate his 12 Tughlaq Lane bungalow, which he has been occupying since 2005, by April 22.

Plea to stay conviction rejected, what next for Rahul Gandhi

The former Congress chief had on April 14 shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi's official residence.

Gandhi moved out his remaining articles on Friday evening from the bungalow which was allotted to him as an MP.

A Surat court on March 23 had convicted Gandhi of defamation and given him two-year sentence, leading to his disqualification. He had challenged the magisterial court order in the sessions court in Surat which rejected his appeal to set aside the conviction which would have paved the way for his reinstatement as MP.

The party has said the sessions court order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court next week. A day after his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had sent Gandhi a notice to vacate the premises by April 22. Sources said Rahul Gandhi has been on a hunt for a space to set up his independent office.

Fact Check: Did Rahul visit Amul store and promoted its products?

A few years ago, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also asked to vacate her Lodhi Estate bungalow after her SPG security cover was removed. Rahul Gandhi first got elected as an MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 2004 and shifted his constituency to Wayanad in 2019.

(with PTI inputs)
Ready for Maharashtra Chief Minister's post now: Ajit Pawar

India

oi-PTI

Amid speculation over his next political move, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar on Friday said his outfit can stake a claim to the post of Maharashtra's Chief Minister "now" instead of waiting for 2024 when assembly polls are due in the state. The Leader of Opposition in the Assembly also said that he will "100 per cent" like to be Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

In an interview to Sakal Media Group in Pune, Pawar said he had heard that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, before his rebellion against the Shiv Sena leadership in June 2022, was unhappy and something was going in his mind.

Pawar revealed his colleague late RR Patil would have become Chief Minister in 2004 when the NCP had won more Assembly seats than its ally Congress, but a message came from Delhi that his party will get the Deputy Chief Minister's post.

Asked whether the NCP will stake a claim for the Chief Minister's post next year when assembly polls are due in Maharashtra, he remarked, "Why 2024, we are ready to stake a claim for the Chief Minister position now also." He, however, did not elaborate on the statement.

Amid rumours of leaving NCP, Ajit Pawar skips party meet in Mumbai

Pawar on Friday skipped a meeting of his party's Mumbai unit, raising eyebrows in political circles as speculation about his next political move refuses to die down.

He played down the buzz saying he was unable to attend the NCP convention as he had to attend some other programmes happening at the same time. He insisted nothing much should be read into this.

During the interview, Pawar was asked whether he would like to become Chief Minister. To this, he promptly replied, "Yes, I would 100 per cent like to be." Asked why the NCP has an affinity for the Deputy Chief Minister's position as the party has got that post on multiple occasions in the last 20 years, the veteran politician said in 2004, the NCP and the Congress fought Assembly elections in an alliance and the former had won more seats.

"We got 71 seats, while the Congress won 69. Everyone, including the Congress, thought Chief Minister would be from the NCP. However, some decisions were taken at the highest level and a message came from Delhi that the NCP will get the Deputy Chief Minister position and the Chief Minister post went to Congress," he said.

Pawar said his colleague Patil was chosen as the Leader of the House (Assembly), and he would have become Chief Minister in 2004 if the top post was given to the NCP.

In the subsequent Assembly polls, the Congress Scored more seats than the NCP and naturally kept the Chief Minister's post with itself, he said.

Asked whether he liked working with Congress Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan or Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who held the top post from November 2019 to June 2022, Pawar said they worked with the latter "happily", but working with the former was out of choice.

On Shinde's revolt and subsequent split in the Shiv Sena, the former deputy Chief Minister said they used to hear that Shinde, then his Cabinet colleague in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, was unhappy and sensed something was going in his mind.

"We had alerted Pawar saheb (NCP president Sharad Pawar) and Thackeray was also apprised about it. The BJP had been trying to pull down the MVA government since the first day of its formation. The wife of a key politician confessed later that her husband used to go out in disguise, and later some ministers said Shinde and a particular leader used to meet," Pawar said without taking any names.

On Ajit Pawars likely move towards BJP, a warning from Shiv Sena

He said during the MVA government, Thackeray had given full control of Thane district to Shinde, then a Cabinet Minister, and some officials appointed by him had helped rebel Shiv Sena MLAs to sneak out of Mumbai and reach Surat on June 20.

Queried about him being soft on senior BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis, Pawar said the two had political and ideological differences but weren't enemies, and cited the example of Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena founder late Bal Thackeray who attacked each other during rallies and speeches but were good friends.

Pawar went on to add that a commonality between him and Fadnavis was that they were both born on July 22. Pawar was born in 1959 and Fadnavis in 1970.

Speaking about the rise of the BJP over the last few years, Pawar said it was all due to the charisma of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who managed to lead the party to a majority in consecutive Lok Sabha polls in 2014 and 2019, a feat which even veterans like former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani could not manage.

"However, today when the question is asked who after Modi, then no name comes to the fore, and we know going forward there will be coalition governments at the national level," the NCP leader added.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 14:07 [IST]
Ready to sacrifice life, won't allow division in society: Mamata on Eid

India

oi-Prakash KL

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday took a swipe at the BJP, accusing the saffron party of dividing the society and said that she wants peace in Bengal .

Addressing a gathering for Eid-ul-Fitr namaz in Kolkata, the West Bengal CM, without taking names, said some people are trying to divide the society by pursuing politics of hate. She also sent her message to people that she is ready to give her life but "will not allow a division of the country".

"We want peace in Bengal. We don't want riots. We want peace. We don't want divisions in the country. Some people are trying to divide the country and practise politics of hate ... I am ready to give my life but will not allow any division of the country," Hindustan Times quoted Banerjee as saying.

She also urged people to unite and ensure that the BJP is defeated in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The CM said that "she will not allow implementation of NRC in West Bengal."

From the day one, the TMC has been firm on her stand on the National Register of Citizens and the citizen's amendment act.

'Opposition will come like a Tornado': Mamata Banerjee warns BJP

"I am ready to fight the money power (of her political opponents), and (central) agencies (which her party alleges has been unleashed on TMC with a political motive), but I will not bow my head," she said.

"In one year's time, elections will be held to decide who will come to power in our country. Let us promise that we will unite and fight against divisive forces. We must ensure that all of us together vote them out in the next polls. If we fail to protect democracy, then everything will be finished," she claimed.

However, her statement comes after the Ram Navami violence in Bengal a few weeks ago. While the BJP has accused the Banerjee's government of turning blind eye on the attack on the Hindus, the ruling party has accused the saffron party of engineering violence.

With inputs from PTI
Ready to pay any price for speaking the truth: Rahul says as he vacates his bungalow

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

As Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday vacated his official bungalow in Delhi following his disqualification from Parliament, he said he is ready to pay any price for speaking the truth.

''People of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It's the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth...,'' Gandhi said as he officially handed over the keys of his Tuglaq lane bungalow.

As per PTI, the former Congress President had on April 14 shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi's official residence.

Gandhi moved out his remaining articles on Friday evening from the bungalow, PTI reported citing sources. A truck was seen moving out of the building with his belongings.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hands over his official bungalow, at Tughlak Lane, in the presence of Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi & party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal. pic.twitter.com/FAPifisfPU  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

Rahul Gandhi vacates official Delhi bungalow he held since 2005

Rahul Gandhi has been living in the bungalow for nearly two decades. PTI Sources said that after shifting his office, he started living with his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence.

The former Congress president was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification after the conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court for his 'Modi surname' remark.

A Surat court on March 23 had convicted Gandhi of defamation and given him two-year sentence, leading to his disqualification. He had challenged the magisterial court order in the sessions court in Surat which rejected his appeal to set aside the conviction which would have paved the way for his reinstatement as MP.

The party has said the sessions court order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court next week. A day after his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had sent Gandhi a notice to vacate the premises by April 22. PTI Sources said Rahul Gandhi has been on a hunt for a space to set up his independent office.

A few years ago, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also asked to vacate her Lodhi Estate bungalow after her SPG security cover was removed. Rahul Gandhi first got elected as an MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 2004 and shifted his constituency to Wayanad in 2019.

(with PTI inputs)
Satyapal Malik not arrested, Cops say 'came on his own, can leave'

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

The Delhi Police on Saturday afternoon clarified that they have not detained nor arrested former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik in southwest Delhi's R K Puram area.

"We have not detained former governor Satya Pal Malik. He came on his own volition, along with his supporters, to the R K Puram police station and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C was quoted as saying by PTI.

Another officer said a meeting was scheduled to be held at an MCD park in R K Puram and Malik was supposed to take part in it. He was informed that this was not a place to hold a meeting and that he had neither taken any permission from the authorities concerned, following which Malik and his supporters left the place and subsequently, the former governor came to the police station on his own, the officer added.

Ex-J&K governor Satya Pal Malik summoned by CBI over insurance scam

The Delhi Police also took to micro-blogging site Twitter and wrote,"False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram alongwith his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will."

False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov.



Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram alongwith his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will.#DelhiPoliceUpdates  Delhi Police (@DelhiPolice) April 22, 2023

On Friday, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had summoned Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir.

This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency. Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya.

The development comes barely a week after Malik gave an interview to Karan Thapar, in which he made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 17:13 [IST]
Operation Kaveri: Among those rescued from Sudan, one is aged 102

Indians among those safely evacuated from Sudan, says Saudi Arabia

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry on Saturday announced the evacuation of Indian nationals and citizens of other countries from Sudan. In a statement, Saudi Foreign Ministry said,''Indians, as well as people from other nations, arrived safely from Sudan, including diplomats & international officials.''

"The number of citizens who were evacuated reached 91 citizens, while the number of people who were evacuated from brotherly and friendly countries reached approximately 66, representing the following nationalities (Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso). The Kingdom worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals in preparation for their departure to their countries," Saudi Arabia informed in a release.

Indians, as well as people from other nations, arrived safely from Sudan, including diplomats & international officials: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia pic.twitter.com/XoqykgnF2v  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

Earlier, Sudan's army said it had agreed to help evacuate foreign nationals as gunfire and air strikes echoed across Khartoum. A statement from the Sudan Army chief Fattah al-Burhan said the United States, Britain, France and China would evacuate diplomats and other nationals from Khartoum "in the coming hours on board military transport planes from the capital, Khartoum.

Prepare contingency plan to evacuate Indians stuck in Sudan: PM

The development comes after Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaireda high-level meeting online to review the security situation in Sudan, during which he "assessed the most recent developments in the crisis-hit African nation, and received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground, focusing on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens currently in the country."

External affairs minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and discussed the situation in Sudan. "Focus understandably was on Sudan. India strongly supports efforts towards an early ceasefire, leading to the creation of safe corridors. Will continue to work closely with the UN and other partners in this regard," Jaishankar tweeted.

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.

Current tensions between the army and the paramilitary stem from a disagreement over how the RSF 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.

However, the army-RSF rivalry dates back to the rule of autocratic President Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in 2019.

(with PTI inputs)
Villagers to skip Eid after Army trucks was ambushed in Poonch

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

A village in Jammu and Kashmir has decided to give the Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations a miss.

The reason for the same is because an Army truck in Sangiote village was ambushed by terrorists in which five jawans lost their lives. The truck was carrying fruits and other items for an Iftar gathering meant to be held in Sangiote later on Thursday evening.

An Indian Express report said that the truck transported materials from the Basooni headquarters of the Rashtriya Rifles located in Balakote. Also, the vehicle had collected additional items during its journey from Bhimber Gali, where the Rashtriya Rifles has a significant presence due to the movement of Army convoys between Poonch and Rajouri.

Did Pakistans ISI stage Poonch attack to derail Bhuttos India visit?

Kya iftar jab hamare paanch jawan uss unfortunate haadse mein shaheed ho gaye (what iftar fast, when five of our jawans were mattered in an unfortunate incident), Sarpanch of the Sangiote panchayat Mukhtiaz Khan said.

Khan also said, " as soon as we got information about the terror attack. A pall of gloom descended on the village."

The attack took place on a day when Pakistan announced the its foreign minister, Bilwala Bhutto would be visiting India for the G20 summit. India's Intelligence agencies say that the attack was planned by the ISI to derail the visit. Pakistan has very often in the past carried out such attacks to derail bi-lateral ties. The Pathankot attack and Mumbai 26/11 attack are examples of this.

NIA in Poonch, drones deployed to probe attack on Army truck: 10 points

On Friday, at least 12 persons had been detained for questioning in connection with the Poonch attack. These persons are being questioned at various levels. Further the security agencies have pressed in drones, sniffer dogs to hunt for the terrorists, who they suspect are hiding in the dense forests of Jammu and Kashmir.

A team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is also present at the spot. The central agencies is likely to take over the probe soon.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 9:57 [IST]
SC seeks status report from UP Govt on steps taken after killing of Atiq Ahmed

When Atiq Ahmed tried to grab property of Sonia Gandhi's relative

India

oi-Prakash KL

Yet another story of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed's land-grabbing act has come to light. He was once accused of trying to snatch a property of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi's relative in Prayagraj.

The incident occurred in 2017 when Atiq set his eyes on the property of Veera Gandhi, a relative of Sonia's father-in-law Feroz Gandhi, according to a report in The Times of India.

Atiq Ahmed was an MP from Samajwadi Party from Phulpur constituency and had tried to grab a property behind Palace Theater which was located on MG Marg in Civil Lines area of Prayagraj.

3 arrested for training Atiq Ahmed's killers to pose as media persons

Reportedly, the gangster-turned-politician had purchased land from one one Asthana family and forcibly acquired Veera Gandhi's property through his henchmen.

Sources told the daily that Veera Gandhi approached local administration to get his property back but it was of no help as they could not take action against Atiq Ahmed. Finally, she approached Sonia for help.

Sonia Gandhi was the chairperson of the UPA then and she directed Rita Bahuguna Joshi, Congress' leader in Prayagraj, who intervened and helped Veera Gandhi to get back his property.

"Atiq was extremely greedy when it came to real estate. He had grabbed several properties in the city but had to pull back in the case of Veera Gandhi," the daily quoted IG, Lalji Shukla, who was the SP City in Prayagraj in 2001-03, as saying.

However, Veera Gandhi sold his properties and shifted to Mumbai. "Sonia Gandhi did call me up and asked to intervene following which I called the district administration and consequently Atiq pulled back in that case," Rita Bahuguna Joshi said.

Hunt for slain gangster Atiq Ahmeds sister Ayesha Noori intensifies

Last Saturday, Atiq and his brother Ashraf were killed at point-blank range while in police custody by three men posing as journalists. It came two days after his son Azad Ahmed was killed in an encounter in Jhansi.

Meanwhile, Shaista Parveen, Atiq's wife and known as the godmother in his gang, is on a run and she carries a reward of Rs 50,000 on her head.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 10:19 [IST]
Karnataka polls: Battle for Varuna may not be a cakewalk for Siddu

Will Tipu Jayanti be celebrated in Karnataka? Siddaramaiah responds

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Former Karnataka chief minster, Siddaramaiah and Congress strongman said that the decision on whether Tipu Jayanti would make a comeback in Karnataka will be taken by the new government if the Congress is back in power.

He was speaking at India Today's Karnataka Roundtable 2023.

"I cannot say. I am not a dictator. I am a democrat. We will have to take the opinion of all the ministers and then decide in the Cabinet," Siddaramaiah said.

When Siddaramaiah was in power following the 2013 elections, the government started observing Tipu Jayanti. The celebrations which began in 2015 ended in 2019 after the BJP government came to power. When the decision was taken to celebrate Tipu Jayanti, it was met with strong opposition by the BJP and other right-wing organisations.

The Tipu Sultan issue has been a hot one in Karnataka. This time around the BJP raked up a debate when some of its leaders claimed that two Vokkaligas Uri Gowda and Nanje Gowda had killed Tipu. This was met with protests from the Vokkaligas, who could not verify the antecedents of the two personalities.

Jaishankar, Siddaramaiah in Twitter duel over tribals stranded in Sudan

Tipu Sultan was the ruler of the erstwhile kingdom of Mysore.

While the BJP sees Tipu as a religious bigot, and a brutal killer, some Kannada outfits have called him 'anti-Kannada, citing that he had promoted Persian as the cost of the local language.

Siddaramaiah on the other hand defended Tipu Sultan and said that it was a political allegation by the BJP that the rulers was anti-Hindu. "Did he not fight the British? Several Mysore wars took place and he had fought the British," Siddaramaiah said.

Tipu Sultan has been an election issue in the 2018 elections as well.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 15:30 [IST]
This is the story of two men at odds for 30 years: Martin Mestre has relentlessly pursued his daughters murderer, while Jaime Saade has tenaciously evaded jail and the father of the young woman he killed in 1994. Mestre spent years chasing a ghost  the earth had swallowed Saade on the night of the crime. Until 2020, when Mestre found Saade in Brazil after a decades-long, made-for-the-movies search.

I was like Forrest Gump sitting at the bus stop, telling his story to whoever would listen, said Mester. I have tried to keep Nancys story alive all this time. I have told it to all the detectives and police commissioners who have come and gone.

Mestre collapses on the sofa in his Barranquilla (northeast Colombia) home and looks at his phone vibrating on the table. Brazils Supreme Court had overturned a previous ruling 24 hours earlier and ordered Saades extradition to Colombia. Never has this cold case been so close to resolution. Now everyone wants to talk to Mestre, a reluctant champion in a race against the slow-turning wheels of justice before the statute of limitations expires. It was also a personal race against mortality  Mestre just turned 81. The phone buzzes all day long. Im exhausted, he admits, tired of talking about the same thing for over 29 years.

For Mestre, yesterday is always January 1, 1994, a day forever engraved in his memory. He remembers every detail, even the smell of gasoline, when he drove out at dawn to look for his daughter. The story begins with a father searching early on New Years Day in the nightclubs of Barranquilla for his missing daughter, Nancy. By the end of the day, the story turned into a quest to find her killer. He found Nancy a few hours later in a clinic, unconscious from a bullet wound to the head. But Saade disappeared for the next 26 years. He had changed his name to Henrique dos Santos Abdala, and was living quietly with his wife and two children in Belo Horizonte (Brazil), as if nothing had happened.

Martin Mestre points to a newspaper clipping from his file on Jaime Saade, who murdered his daughter Nancy. CARLOS PARRA RIOS

Finding Saade was always the goal, and when Interpol finally arrested him, Mestre thought the rest would be simple. All Colombia needed to do was request his extradition, and Brazil would hand him over. But then Brazils Supreme Court astounded everyone by denying the extradition. Two justices voted in favor of extradition and two determined that the statute of limitations had expired; the fifth justice was absent that day. The Supreme Court decided a tie vote should benefit the accused. Saade was free once again, and Mestre thought it was all over.

Martin Mestre and his wife, Lina, live in a home overlooking the Magdalena River, full of religious icons and images. A Virgin Mary statuette, an image of Jesus Christ and a red rosary lie on the bedside table, perhaps bringing peace to Mestre throughout his ordeal. He believes that angels have been helping him persevere and never give up. The most recent angel is a Barranquilla native named Margarita R. Sanchez, an attorney with the Miller & Chevalier law firm in Washington, DC, who learned about the case through a friend.

Sanchez and her law firm agreed to start a pro bono legal battle on Mestres behalf to persuade the Brazilian Supreme Court to overturn its decision and order Saades extradition. It had never happened before. Sanchez argued that the tie-breaker rule did not apply in a case like this and that the statute of limitations had not, in fact, expired. The Court not only agreed to hear the appeal, it overturned its first ruling and order Saades extradition to Colombia.

Mestre followed the hearing online, with his son on the phone from Miami and Sanchez in Washington, DC. Bruno Barreto, a Brazilian lawyer, represented them before the Supreme Court. Since the Mestres did not understand a word of Portuguese, they watched the judges faces closely for any signs. They thought they had lost again until Sanchez told them no  the Court had ruled in their favor. The couple was overjoyed, but Mestre has learned to be cautious.

Mestre is happy, but also worried. Saade has been free since the first Supreme Court ruling and another escape is on everyones mind. After all, he had gotten away with murder since New Years Eve in 1993, when he went out to celebrate with Nancy. After dinner in his home with the young couple, Mestre walked them to the door and told Saade, Take good care of her.

Martin Mestre holds a photo of his daughter, Nancy. CARLOS PARRA RIOS

The parents went to bed and left the hallway light on for Nancy. Shortly before dawn, Martin woke up, startled to see the hallway light was still on. Only Saade knows what happened after he left the Mestre home with Nancy. He was never seen again in Barranquilla.

Mestre went looking for Nancy in all the nightclubs and then went to Saades house, where he found his mother strangely mopping the floor at dawn. She told him that Nancy had been hurt and was being treated in a nearby clinic. Mestre raced over there and ran into Jaimes father, who told him Nancy had attempted suicide. The young woman died nine days later. Jaime Saade was sentenced in absentia to 27 years in prison for the rape and murder of Nancy Mestre.

Martin Mestre always wanted a big family with lots of children and grandchildren. The Mestres had four children, but only one is still alive. The first  Maria Paulina  was stillborn. The second, Martin, lives in Miami and has a daughter. The third was Nancy and the fourth, Juan Rafael, died when he was 15 days old from liver failure. If Saade had not fled, Mestre believes he might have properly mourned his daughter and closed the chapter. But he couldnt. Its not an obsession  Im not obsessive. I just want him to suffer the consequences, pay the penalty and not make a mockery of my family and daughter.

The search for Jaime Saade has dominated Mestres later years. After retiring from military service, he took intelligence collection courses and became an internet expert. Helped by a Colombian police officer, he created several fake profiles on social media and eventually penetrated Saades world. He discovered clues that pointed to Brazil, where one of Jaimes brothers lived.

Time has also worked against this case. The 27-year in absentia conviction expires in July. Saades lawyer now argues that the statute of limitations expired after a change in the law reduced the sentence to 24 years. Mestres lawyers countered this by claiming that the statute of limitations was suspended until Saades arrest in 2020  Brazils Supreme Court agreed.

All these details are overwhelming for Mestre, so he shrugs his shoulders fatalistically and waits for Saades extradition to Colombia. If he escapes, then Ill go looking for him again  Im used to that.

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If Cong comes to power, Karnataka will be beset with riots: Amit Shah

Congress for FIR against Shah for his 'riots if it comes to power' remark

Will win with a majority says Amit Shah in Karnataka

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday exuded confidence that the BJP will return to power in Karnataka.

"Purna bahumat se jeetenge," Shah said at India Today's Karnataka Roundtable 2023 event in Bengaluru. Shah said that the schemes and initiatives introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have benefitted the common man.

The one crore people believe that the BJP is working for them, Shah also said.

"It is important for a state to choose a party that believes in the unity of society and the welfare of all the people," he also said. The Home Minister said that the BJP is the only party which works on such ideologies.

Karnataka elections 2023: NCP releases first list of 9 candidates

Shah also added that the Congress had illegally kept four per cent reservation for Muslims in the state.

"The Constitution of India does not allow reservations based on religion. Hence the BJP government in Karnataka ended this practice and worked for the OBC reservation," Shah also said.

He also said that for the past 75 years several political parties had divided the country.

"For the past 75 years several political parties had divided the country into two different nations. Once the Narendra Modi government took over, the farmers benefitted. We have covered medical benefits up to Rs 5 lakh and have provided clean drinking water," the Home Minister also said.

Why is JDS backing 7 candidates of other parties in Karnataka?

Speaking about the 40 per cent commission allegation that has been levelled by the Congress, Shah said that there is no truth in the same.

"FIRs and complaints have been lodged, but the allegations have never been proven. It was an effort by the Congress to shift focus the corruption blame on to us," Shah also said.

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Story first published: Saturday, April 22, 2023, 13:06 [IST]
Stephen Lawrence was a black British teenager from Plumstead, southeast London, who was murdered in a racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Well Hall Road, Eltham on the evening of 22 April 1993, when he was 18 years old. The case became a cause celebre: its fallout included changes of attitudes on racism and the police, and to the law and police practice. It also led to the partial revocation of the rule against double jeopardy. Two of the perpetrators were convicted of murder on 3 January 2012.
Only 35 per cent of 120,000 striking federal workers cast ballots in the vote to strike, according to a ruling filed Thursday by the federal labour board.
A Canadian trapped in the middle of an escalating war in Sudan blamed his home government on Saturday for his harrowing three-day journey out of the war-torn country, saying Ottawa has failed to provide stranded residents with a clear evacuation plan.
Since the beginning of the war last year, Russian authorities have blamed Ukraine for a string of covert attacks. Not this time.
The first anti-Semitic terrorist attack in France was, for decades, one of its biggest unsolved crimes. But some, including Amnesty called it an injustice.
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Comedians and politicians are among many who have paid tribute to comedy great Barry Humphries after his death on Saturday.
Muslims around the world are celebrating Eid - the festival that marks the end of Ramadan.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, his wife Fernanda Tadeu, Lula da Silva and his wife Rosangela da Silva at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon.

Portugals president welcomed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties with his countrys natural partner in the European Union.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Portugal is home to over 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

The trip is Lulas first to a European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October. While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration.

Lula annoyed leaders in the EU and the United States last weekend by stating that Ukraine and Russia had both chosen to go to war and that Western military aid was fueling the conflict. He also welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Brasilia on Monday.

Lula has proposed that a group of nations including Brazil and China mediate a peaceful resolution to the war. After his comments sparked sharp criticism from the White House, he condemned the violation of Ukraines territorial integrity.

Lula was expected to use his four-day visit to Portugal to ease tensions. The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip.

The event will be the setting for the signing of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Lulas itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honor renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraers factory near Lisbon.

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As violence escalates in Sudan, students in Toronto, worried about their families back home, have stepped into action to send much-needed medical supplies.
The UK will evacuate diplomats and nationals from Sudan, the head of the Sudanese army says.
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Olivier Dubois, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross for Mexico and Central America, in Mexico City, on April 14, 2023.

Olivier Dubois has taken the reins at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for Mexico and Central America during a year in which there has been an alarming increase in migrants who are looking to reach the United States. There has been a 43% increase in crossings by those hailing from Mexico and a 974% increase in those hailing from Honduras.

This massive flow of people  who cross Central America and Mexico  are trapped in a difficult situation. They face violence from criminal groups, including kidnappings, extortion and forced disappearances. In addition, the Mexican authorities have militarized the borders and maintain a heavy-handed policy that has generated unfortunate scenes, such as the violent crackdown against migrants at checkpoints, or horrific events, such as the fire in a detention center in Ciudad Juarez, where 40 people died.

Dubois, 52, assures EL PAIS that the ICRC maintains an active dialogue with the Mexican immigration authorities to achieve changes that will guarantee a more humane treatment of migrants.

What is urgent is that the authorities have training, equipment and clear orders in terms of the use of force to avoid the risk of abuse, the Belgian national affirms.

Question. How does the ICRC deal with a situation as tragic as the one that has occurred in Ciudad Juarez, with the death of 40 migrants?

Answer. We offered our support to the authorities and they asked us for about 50 bags to protect the corpses of the [burned] victims in a dignified manner, before repatriating them to their places of origin. We were in contact with relatives of the deceased and we supported them with psychosocial support we also [facilitated] contact with the respective authorities. In this case, we can say that there was good coordination between Mexico and the countries of origin to provide the information needed to quickly identify and repatriate the deceased.

Q. These migrants were detained and locked up in those cells without being charged with any crime. How do you assess the use of force by the authorities against migrants?

A. The immigration issue is quite complicated and there are different ways to deal with it. What we do is visit these immigration centers and [inspect] the conditions inside. We also have a dialogue with the authorities to ensure [that migrants] are treated with dignity and respect. The position of the International Committee is that the deprivation of liberty of migrants simply for being migrants  without being recognized as the perpetrators of crimes  should be a rare occurrence. What we can see now, after this tragedy, is that there is a healthy debate about the use of [incarceration] against migrants.

Q. It seems that the Mexican authorities are interested in criminalizing migrants.

A. I cant say so for certain. What seems important to me is to open all possibilities to ensure that migrants are not seen as criminals  that they can have dignity and security, as well as opportunities. And its not so easy, because the number of people who arrived in Mexico grew a lot last year, including [the number of] those who arrived irregularly. What complicates the matter now is that theres a wide variety of countries of origin.

Q. You mention that part of the work that the Committee does is to examine the conditions of the places where the migrants are detained. What conclusions do you draw? Do these facilities have the humanitarian conditions necessary to receive migrants?

A. Our body does not make public assessments or public complaints when theres a condition that is not in accordance with international humanitarian standards. The way in which we work is to have this position to access places of detention, whether for migrants or other people deprived of their liberty. Its a privilege. And then, we take advantage of that privileged position to have a direct discussion with [the inmates] and maintain a dialogue with the authorities in charge. Its not a discussion only to highlight bad practices, but also to encourage good practices that should be replicated within the institutions.

Olivier Dubois poses for a photo during his interview with EL PAIS. Gladys Serrano

Q. But have you been able to verify that the minimum requirements are met to guarantee a decent stay for the migrants in these places?

A. The idea is not to qualify and say whether or not it meets these types of requirements, but rather for us to be able to say that the authorities have offered us a space for dialogue. I think about the feedback weve had: they thank us for proposing solutions and also giving them the chance to react. The world isnt perfect, but what we find is a willingness to listen and respond to our observations.

Q. What measures should immigration authorities take to prevent tragedies like the one in Ciudad Juarez from occurring?

A. The most basic thing is to review the security protocols in these places, to be able to react in case of an emergency. And then there must be a reflection on how Mexico and other countries  such as those in Central America  should adapt to the different changes in the migratory situation.

Another important issue is to continue to clearly inform all migrants about the possibility of having access to services  of learning about immigration procedures in this country (Mexico), or in the United States. Many want to have the information quickly, because 2020 was a year of changes in migration policies and procedures. Theres a lot of misinformation, which really prevents migrants from making good decisions.

Q. Is the Committee concerned about the fact that the issue of migration has been militarized? In other words, weve seen an enormous deployment of the National Guard to limit the entry of migrants into Mexico.

A. Whats important to remember here is that  whatever the authorities have deployed  [they must] have the training, the equipment and clear orders in terms of the use of force to avoid the risk of abuse. The important issue is to take all precautions to safeguard dignity and have a use of force that is aligned with international standards.

Q. A few years ago, the head of the Red Cross mission was expelled from Nicaragua without the Nicaraguan government giving any explanations. What is the relationship you have at this moment with the government of Nicaragua?

A. Were still there. We have a colleague who does her job. We have visited penitentiary centers and we have trained officials about the rules, on the ways of treating prisoners. We also support the Nicaraguan Red Cross in carrying out its work. In this sense, we had the chance to directly support them when Hurricane Julia hit last year. We have an agreement to enter penal centers and, at the same time, we have a more confidential space for dialogue with the authorities. Thats why we dont communicate so much about the matter, because we think that we should favor this confidential dialogue to achieve some changes.

Q. Have you been able to negotiate the return of a representative of the Committee to Managua?

A. Theres a manager who is present, who has been able to continue working since last year. On the other hand, I went to Nicaragua twice and I will probably go again, because its necessary to have a dialogue with the authorities and continue the work.

Q. The Government of Nicaragua released more than 200 people who were considered political prisoners. The opposition claims that there are still at least 30 people detained, whom they consider to be political prisoners. Have you been able to have access to them? Have you been able to speak to them? Have you seen their living conditions?

A. Its not my role right now to talk about particular cases, but rather to highlight the fact that weve had the opportunity to visit different prisons and have this private conversation with 108 people. Of course, what were looking for is to also speak to people who are vulnerable, but Im not going to go into detail regarding personal cases.

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The U.S. government is launching a new program to combat the scourge of derelict crab and lobster traps. When abandoned, the gear can dilute harvests and kill other fish in waters from Maine to Alaska. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has chosen William & Marys Virginia Institute of Marine Science to anchor the program. Abandoned fishing equipment is a worldwide problem thats been referred to as ghost nets or land mines of the sea. The lost equipment is often dislodged by storms or passing boats, but it still will attract and kill marine life.
The CEO of National Bank NA-T says hes worried about the impact remote work is having on the vitality of downtown Montreal, but plans to maintain a flexible approach toward his employees working in the office. Laurent Ferreira said in an interview hes worried about the effect the widespread



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The West has committed to support Ukraine's battle against the Russian invasion, but what can Ukraine realistically expect to achieve with its forthcoming offensive?
The Sudanese army said it was coordinating efforts to evacuate diplomats from the U.S., Britain, China and France out of the country on military airplanes, as fighting persisted in the capital.
Fighting continues in eastern Ukraine as regional and international defense officials meet in Germany to coordinate delivery of weapons and other equipment to Ukraine.
A British-Sudanese woman has described her "harrowing" ordeal over the last seven days in the capital Khartoum during clashes that have resulted in hundreds of deaths.
As clashes break out again in Sudan, the crisis in this African country unleashed a week ago over the reform of the security forces is triggering fears of a regional contagion and that forces from other countries may decide to intervene or support one of the sides. Fighting between military rivals vying for power resumed Saturday in the capital, Khartoum, in the vicinity of the presidential palace and the armys General Command. In addition, a shell hit the Mansura residential area of Um Durman, near Khartoum, killing six people, humanitarian sources and witnesses told Efe news agency. Explosions have also been heard north of the presidential palace, and fighter jets are flying over the city, despite the cease-fire planned between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (FAR).

The truce proposed by the UN for three days was not respected. Despite this, the leader of the army, Abdelfata al Burhan, announced that the evacuation of the nationals of several countries, including the United States, France, China and the United Kingdom, will begin in the next few hours.

Food distribution in northern Khartoum on Saturday. MOHAMED NURELDIN ABDALLAH (REUTERS)

A first indication of the risks of third party involvement in an already unstable region came on April 15, when fighting broke out in Khartoum. Another important battle was fought 300 kilometers to the north, which went more unnoticed and took place at a strategic air base located at the airport in the town of Merowe, more famous for the Nubian pyramids. The base was captured with relative ease by the paramilitaries, who were quick to disseminate a video of the site on social networks. In it, it was clear that they wanted to show not just who was holding control, but something more: Egyptian fighter jets stationed at the base and detained soldiers, some of whom were wearing Egyptian military uniforms.

Earlier this week, the Sudanese army recaptured Merowe without resistance from the paramilitaries, according to local media. By then, most of the Egyptian fighters had already been destroyed, satellite images show. But when they left, the paramilitaries took Egyptian soldiers to Khartoum, as they admitted in a statement that felt like blackmail to Cairo, which has close ties with Sudans military. Egypt then gave FAR leader Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo a 72-hour ultimatum, an Egyptian media reported. And shortly thereafter the handover of the uniformed men to the Red Cross was confirmed. By Thursday, all the Egyptian troops involved had returned, according to the army.

The episode of the Egyptian soldiers points to the danger to the future of the fighting in Sudan posed by the possible intervention of regional actors. The hostilities, which have already killed more than 400 people and injured 3,500, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), were sparked by an internal power struggle, not foreign interference. But as the clashes drag on, analysts fear that forces from the area will intrude and further aggravate the conflict, as has happened in neighboring countries such as Libya.

The Libyan predecent

So far there is no solid evidence that any actor from outside Sudan is providing support to one of the warring parties. But mistrust runs deep, especially towards non-state groups with which the FAR already had a relationship before the conflict. One of them is the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA), strong in eastern Libya on the border with Sudan, which has already had to deny that it has assisted the Sudanese paramilitaries after being accused of having sent them military support.

Another hypothetical actor is the Russian mercenary group Wagner, which already operates in neighboring countries such as Libya and the Central African Republic and has been active for years in Sudan, where it has woven good relations with Dagalo, mostly linked to gold trafficking, according to the U.S. Treasury, but also to security. The Wagner group has been present in Sudan for years.

FAR has some pre-existing links, including with General [Khalifa] Hafter in Libya, and also with the United Arab Emirates, but this does not necessarily mean that either is actively arming or resourcing it now, although the situation demands scrutiny, says scholar Sharath Srinivasan, author of the book When Peace Kills Politics: International Intervention and Endless Wars in the Sudans.

Alleged meddling by non-state groups such as the ENL and Wagner is not considered sufficient to tip the balance in Sudan, as their capacity is limited. But there are fears that, should it occur, it could be enough to maintain the disorder.

When we talk about involvement of other countries, its not necessarily governments, but rebel forces and militias, explains Cameron Hudson, a former CIA member with experience in Sudan and an analyst at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. If it were to start happening in a serious way, its easy for governments to get dragged in, he warns.

One key country is the United Arab Emirates, which has been weaving a complex web of intermediaries, companies and mercenaries for years to advance its interests in the region and includes, among others, Hafter in Libya, Dagalo in Sudan and the Wagner group, says Kings College London researcher Andreas Krieg, who has been following Emirati operations in the area for years.

What you end up with is a kind of triangle of non-state actors using networks closely linked to the Emirates, Krieg says. What we see now in Sudan is also an extension of the networks that the Emiratis had established in Libya, he argues.

Further south, Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed also came out on Friday to deny rumors of an alleged deployment of his countrys troops in Fashaga, a fertile border area with Sudan that the two countries have long disputed and which has generated cyclical spikes in violence in recent years.

Egypts backyard

At the other extreme, Egypts military authorities have a long-standing relationship with Sudans military leadership, but their primary objective is to maintain security on the southern border. Egypt considers Sudan its backyard and what happens is a matter of national security, notes Krieg, but the Egyptian military is very risk averse.

Despite reports of Hafters limited military supplies from Libya, Egyptian aircraft in Sudan and Wagners offer of weapons for FAR, no foreign government has so far taken a position of support for one of the two belligerents, which is a hopeful sign, believes Gerrit Kurtz, a research fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. External actors must admit that neither side can be assured of a quick victory, even with their additional support, he adds.

Parallel to the fears of foreign intervention in Sudan, there are also concerns about the consequences of further instability in Sudan for the Horn of Africa, where there are already open wounds in countries such as Ethiopia, South Sudan and Somalia that have left thousands dead and millions displaced.

In the Sahel zone, the Defense Ministry reported Monday that the army had disarmed 320 Sudanese soldiers who had crossed its border. And according to the UN refugee agency, between 10,000 and 20,000 civilians from eastern Darfur have already sought refuge in Chad since the fighting began.

This turbulent regional context also presents an obstacle to finding the most effective way to mediate between the army and the FAR, as so far no neighboring country or regional body has been able to set itself up as an arbiter. Chad, South Sudan, Eritrea and Ethiopia all have interests and some have preferences between the army and the FAR, Srinivasan notes.

In addition to possible foreign interference, the future of the fighting in Sudan will also be strongly shaped by what happens inside the country. For now, some of the most intense clashes have been concentrated in Khartoum, but they have also spread alarmingly to Darfur.

A prolongation of the conflict in Darfur, the paramilitary stronghold, could also provoke internal fissures in the two sides. At the top and among the ranks of the army, there are members linked to the Islamist movement that supported former dictator Omar Al Bashir - ousted in 2019 after 30 years in power - with strong influence vis-a-vis its commander, Abdefata Al Burhan, and who repudiate Dagalo. On the other hand, the paramilitaries have never been a cohesive regular force with a strong chain of command, particularly in Darfur, where tribal divisions and rivalry with other chiefs and militiamen also come into play.

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ViewThe Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.



Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British,...
eCOGRA Designated as Inspection Body in the Netherlands: Latest Update

Published April 22, 2023 by OCR Editor

eCOGRA, a leading liberated testing laboratory, has been selected by the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security as an inspection body for online gambling systems in the country.

eCOGRA Granted Designated Inspection Body Status by Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security

eCOGRA, a leading independent testing laboratory, has authorized the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security to offer online gambling operators and suppliers a full suite of regulatory assessment services as required by Kansspelautoriteit. The company has been officially designated as an inspection body in the country, joining a small group of independent organizations authorized to conduct inspections in the Netherlands.

After March 31st, 2023, any independent inspections of online gambling systems in the Netherlands are required to be carried out by a designated inspection body that the Ministry has approved. With this approval, eCOGRA can offer various assessment services to clients in the Dutch jurisdiction.

Bradley Khoury, eCOGRA's Chief Technical Officer, expressed his satisfaction at the designation, stating that it resulted from a collaborative effort by eCOGRA, relevant legal representatives, the Irish National Accreditation.

Body, and the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security. "Our designation is the result of a remarkable and collaborative effort by eCOGRA and close liaison with the Irish National Accreditation Body, our relevant legal representatives, and the Netherlands Ministry of Justice and Security," he said.

eCOGRA is renowned for its testing and certification of online gambling games, having tested and certified thousands of games for online gambling jurisdictions across the globe. With this new designation, eCOGRA can offer an even more extensive range of services to clients operating in the Netherlands.

The company has a long-standing reputation for its compliance and regulatory services, and as a designated inspection body, it is committed to continuing this tradition. The company's services will be particularly important for online gambling operators and suppliers who require regulatory assessments per the Kansspelautoriteit.

eCOGRA's services will ensure that online gambling operators and suppliers are compliant with the Netherlands' relevant regulations and will help enhance the integrity and safety of online gambling in the country.

The company is welcoming new clients who require assessment services in the Dutch jurisdiction to reach out to them to discuss how they can be of service. eCOGRA aims to provide compliance without compromise, and this new designation will enable the company to offer an even more extensive range of services to clients operating in the Netherlands.
Ahead of Earth Day, Climate change campaigners gathered outside Britain's parliament building to urge action on global warming, while volunteers worldwide geared up to plant trees and clear trash to mark the 54th annual celebration of the environment.

Earth Day this year, officially on Saturday, follows weeks of extreme weather with temperatures soaring to record highs in Thailand and a punishing heatwave in India, where at least 13 people died of heatstroke at a ceremony last weekend.

Average global temperatures could hit all-time highs in 2023 or 2024, climate scientists have warned.

"Climate impacts are here," Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, said on Friday as climate change activists walked down the street outside parliament, some dressed in green costumes and green paint.

Hamid said when she now visits her hometown of Delhi, it feels like "putting your head in the oven" and that London's 2022 heatwave was like "a dystopian film".

Activists led by the Extinction Rebellion group have gathered in London to kick off a four-day action, billed "The Big One", to coincide with Earth Day.

About 30,000 people have signed up for family-friendly rallies and marches, marking a change in strategy for a group known for its disruptive tactics, including blocking roads, throwing paint and smashing windows.

Globally, there has been a flurry of activity in the run-up to Earth Day, with events being planned in Rome and Boston and major clean-up campaigns at Lake Dal in India's Srinagar and Florida's hurricane-hit Cape Coral.

Peru's shamans perform a traditional ritual and make an offer to 'Pachamama' (Mother Earth) on the eve of 'Earth Day', in Lima, Peru. Photo: Reuters/Sebastian Castaneda

In Peru, shamans on Friday made an offering to the "Pachamama", or Mother Earth. Holding yellow flowers and rattles, the shamans walked around a papier-mache globe as they performed a cleansing ritual.

The ancestral rituals - whose origins lie in the Indigenous cultures of Peru - are done to thank the Earth and build awareness of the planet, said Walter Alarcon, the president of the Healing Shamans of Peru International Organization.

Earlier in the week, U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to increase funding to help developing countries fight climate change and curb deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest during a meeting with top world leaders.

Governments have fallen far short of pledges in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit heating of the climate by shifting off fossil fuels, amid crises including COVID-19, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, food shortages and strained ties between China and the U.S., the top two greenhouse gas emitters.

A report by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the planet is on track to warm beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times - a key threshold for even more damaging impacts - between 2030 and 2035.

"There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all," the IPCC has said. "The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years."
Retired Indian naval officer Abhilash Tomy is on an incredible journey around the world. He is sailing on a yacht barely 10 metres long and fighting the waves of the mighty oceans all alone. Abhilash is competing in the Golden Globe Race, the toughest race on the seas, and is currently in the second position.

Constantly in command of the boat and isolated in vast expanses of the ocean, days and nights have passed through Abhilash's realms of consciousness for the past 229 days.

Abhilash Tomy. Photo: File image

After starting the race from Le Sables-dOlonne in France, Abhilash and other competitors of Golden Globe, which is considered one of the biggest challenges of human endurance, have to circumnavigate the globe across the oceans solo without stopping at any shore and return to the starting point to complete the race. Moreover, participants should only depend on the equipment used during the first edition of the race which took place in 1968.

Abhilash started his trip for the ongoing Golden Globe race in September 2022 on his yacht Bayanat, sponsored by a UAE firm. Incidentally, he had taken part in the 2018 edition of the race also, but could not complete it as a storm in the Indian Ocean had wrecked his yacht. Abhilash was severely injured and could not even walk. Saved by a French fishing vessel, he was subjected to surgery on his vertebral column. A titanium rod was inserted into his vertebra to enable Abhilash to stand up. Gradually, he began walking again.

However, Abhilash had such a firm resolve that he started planning his next Golden Globe Race even while lying motionless on his yacht, waiting for rescue teams to arrive. In Abhilashs own words, the 2018 race was an unfinished business that he had to complete at any cost. Now, Abhilashs dream is all set to come true within 10 days at Le Sables-dOlonne.

Abhilash in Golden Globe Race. Photo: Twitter/ggr2022

Malayala Manorama had received special permission to speak to Abhilash every week over the satellite phone and here are excerpts from the conversations:

You are on the verge of completing an unfinished business as your yacht is expected to reach the finishing point by the end of April. How do you feel?

Saying that I am happy would be simplifying the situation. Anyhow, I am yet to finish the race and can reply to the question only afterward.

Are you satisfied with the race so far?

Certainly! The race started in the Atlantic Ocean, covered the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean and again entered the Atlantic.

Abhilash had taken part in the 2018 edition of the race also, but could not complete it as a storm in the Indian Ocean had wrecked his yacht. Photo: File image

Earlier, I had circumnavigated the globe solo in the Indian Navys INSV 'Mhadei' yacht as part of the Sagar Parikrama-2 expedition. However, that yacht was bigger and had the latest equipment. I completed the trip in 151 days. However, it would take more than 230 days to cover the distance in the present Golden Globe race.

What changes did you notice in the seas when you travelled along the route another time solo?

The impact of climate change is visible in the sea. For instance, the number of Albatross birds has decreased. During the last trip, cold weather was experienced at many spots. But, this time, I felt warm in the same areas.

Another change is garbage seen even in deep seas, far away from land. I felt it was a grave issue. Plastic waste is reaching oceans in big quantities and is noticed even in lonely parts of the seas.

Abhilash, you will be creating history by finishing the Golden Globe Race!

I already hold the record of the first Indian to circumnavigate the globe solo and non-stop. I achieved the feat as part of the Indian Navys Sagar Parikrama-2 expedition.

What all factors make the Golden Globe Race different?

The main feature of the Golden Globe race is the unique set of conditions. The 2022 edition started on the same model as the first event held in 1968. Participants should use technology from 50 years ago and the boats too have to be built based on the designs of that time. The latest communication equipment should not be used for the race. It is a tough event and of the 16 entrants, only three remain.

So far, as few as 200 people have circumnavigated the globe without stopping anywhere. More people have even conquered Everest. Consider somebody attempting to scale Everest with the same tools used by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, the first persons to set foot on the tallest peak in the world. We are engaged in a similar task on the seas.

The winner of the first Golden Globe race in 1968 was a British sailor, Sir Robin Knox-Johnston. There are big challenges in using the technology of that time for a race now.

Many of those who started the race had to give up midway following misfortune and bad weather. I too was forced to stop the race midway in 2018.

Did you take the accident of 2018 as a challenge?

Absolutely! As a sailor and a former Indian Navy person, it was an unfinished business that I had to complete anyhow.

Could you meet any Keralites on the route?

During the present race, I spoke to Alfaz, belonging to Ernakulam. He is an officer in a cargo ship travelling from Santos in Brazil to Singapore and we met in the South Atlantic.

In the 2018 Golden GlobeRace, I could speak to Martin Markose from Pulluvazhy in Muvattupuzha.

You created news this time by repairing the damage to your boat by yourself. This was referred to as the Abhilash Model for all sailors to emulate.

My wind vane was damaged and I ran out of replacements. Finally, I sawed out a piece of the toilet door to make a wind vane. I also informed the organisers of the trip about this repair and maybe people are referring to it as the Abhilash model.

Earlier, during the Sagar Parikrama trip, I spent time with the yacht, INSV 'Mhadei', from the time it was taken to the water and was familiar with virtually every nut and bolt! That knowledge came in handy during the journey.

However, I did not get so much time with 'Bayanat', my yacht for the present race. Still, I spent maximum time with the vessel before the race and that too has helped.

Is there any difference between the big oceans?

Many people ask me about the differences between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In reality, there are no differences. This is because the same climate exists in the oceans everywhere around the equator.

When you travel northwards or southwards from the equator, the impact of changes in the temperature would be similar. For instance, the same condition exists at 20 degrees south of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. This offers many interesting sights like flying fish. These fish fly out of the water and land at another place. Such fish could be sighted near the equator. Fish fly out of water when bigger fish try to catch them! It is a means to escape from the enemy.

What are your plans after reaching land?

I have so many tasks lined up! My wife Urmimala and children Vedaant and Abhraneil are in our house in Goa and they are not coming to Paris. My parents, retired Lieutenant Commander in the Indian Navy V C Tomy and Valsamma, live at Kandanad in Kochi. So, my first plan is to complete this unfinished business as soon as possible and rush home!
Riyadh: Saudi Arabia on Saturday evacuated 157, including Indians, from battle-scarred Sudan.

The Saudi foreign ministry reported that 91 of its citizens and 66 from friendly nations, arrived in Jeddah in the first announced evacuation of civilians since fighting began in the northeast African nation.



The evacuation was carried out by the kingdom's naval forces with the support of other branches of the army, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

At least 13 nationalities, including Saudis, have landed in Jeddah. Besides Indians, the citizens of Kuwait, Qatar, UAE, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, Canada, the Philippines and Burkina Faso were among those evacuated on the day.

The foreigners included "diplomats and international officials", the ministry said without giving further details.

Saudi Arabia "worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals" ahead of their departure to their respective countries, the statement added.

Saudi state-run Al-Ekhbariya television released several videos of warships approaching Jeddah's port on Saturday.

The evacuees were received by officials and soldiers who distributed sweets on the occasion of the Islamic Eid al-Fitr holiday which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan, footage showed.

Women and children holding Saudi flags were also seen getting off one of the ships.

Among those who arrived in Jeddah on Saturday was the crew of a Saudi passenger plane that was hit by gunfire while preparing to take off from Khartoum at the start of the fighting on April 15, according to Al-Ekhbariya.

The broadcaster said that the evacuees were transported in a convoy of vehicles to Port Sudan from where they boarded ships to Jeddah.

It was the first evacuation of civilians from Sudan since violence erupted there a week ago.

Earlier on Saturday, Sudan's army said its chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan had received calls from leaders of several countries to "facilitate and guarantee safety for evacuating citizens and diplomatic missions".

It noted that the evacuations are expected to begin "in the coming hours", adding that the United States, Britain, France and China are planning to airlift their nationals out of Khartoum using military jets.

Clashes erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to Burhan and those of his deputy-turned-rival Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The former allies seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle.

The conflict -- much of which has taken place in Khartoum -- has left hundreds dead and thousands wounded.

Heavy gunfire, loud explosions, and fighter jets roared in many parts of the capital Saturday morning, according to witnesses.

(With AFP inputs)
The current understanding of the earth's magnetic field does not explain how turtles, butterflies, salmon, or the entire wildlife kingdom get back to their homes - or does it? A new look at the earth's magnetism opens a new door to our understanding of nature.

Nature is so amazing that we are still trying to understand how it works. One of the great complexities of nature is how wildlife returns to their place of their birth for reproduction, or to repeat their life cycle, year after year.

These complex relationships cannot be explained by the classic theory of earth's magnetism by itself. I have studied engineering and physics for many years, and my wife has followed nature for many years. In our conversations, I have long been perplexed by this phenomenon, where many different forms of life can return to nearly the exact same locations.

An Internal Compass for Wildlife?

For example, fish and birds return to the place of their birth. Different fish and birds return to different locations. Surely, their memories from birth are inadequate to navigate the ocean.

Salmon travel through the Pacific Ocean and return to Alaska every year to spawn (Figure 1, "How do salmon know where their home is when they return from the ocean?", click here).

Turtles travel through the Atlantic Ocean, and return to South Carolina beaches every year to lay their eggs (Figure 2, "Sea turtle migration", .seeturtles.org/sea-turtle-migration).

Butterflies die in their travels, and their offspring return to the same location (Figure 3). Butterflies fly north and south in North America, where Monarch butterflies return to Mexico every year. More importantly, some butterflies were released on the eastern coast of the US, and "know" how to not only travel south, but they travelled west to get to Mexico ("Monarch butterfly migration and overwintering", click here).

How can this fish and game return? A compass, as we know, only shows one direction, and a compass alone cannot find a destination.

After years of confusion on my part, and no map to follow, I have discovered a 'magnetic code' that can be used for wildlife to follow back to their homes. Is there an internal compass?



Figure 1: Monarch butterfly migration

(Image by US government) Details DMCA





Figure 2: Sea turtles

(Image by US government) Details DMCA





Figure 3: One Type of Salmon - Pacific Salmon and Steelhead

(Image by US government) Details DMCA



A New Magnetic Code

A new magnetic code can be used as an internal compass, even though new research must follow this initial discovery. Let me explain this new magnetic code. This new code is based on the fact that for each side - or each half - of our planet, every single location has a unique magnetic field strength and direction.

Figure 4 clarifies this statement. Two points are shown in this figure at a distance nearly half-way around the world. Point A and point B have the same magnetic field strength and direction. Each and every location between points A and B is uniquely identified by its own magnitude and direction with respect to the magnetic energy on the face of the earth.

Using these unique identifiers, a code can be established for any form of wildlife to return to its place of origin.

Historically, we were taught that magnetic field lines around the earth were parallel lines, similar to a simple bar magnet. But this simplified assumption is incorrect. The magnetic field varies in intensity and direction all over the globe. These variations permit unique identifications on each side of the globe.

This statement is demonstrated by a consideration of the earth's magnetic field lines (Figure 5). Note that the magnetic field varies from true North for different latitudes and longitudes, which provides discrete identifiers at different locations. Also, note that the magnetic field changes over time, which further complicates the use of this new code over long periods of time.



Figure 4: Magnetic field strength for one-quarter of our planet.

(Image by US government) Details DMCA





Figure 5: Magnetic field lines on the earth.

(Image by US goverrnment) Details DMCA



A Missing Link

The missing link for this new theory is how each form of life can use this newly interpreted information to get home. At this point, I make a theoretical leap of faith that needs to be experimentally established. I assume that there is an anatomical part of different forms of life that physically aligns with specific magnetic code locations.

To study this theory, I suggest that salmon from different river locations - or other fish and game - should be examined with detailed MRI scans and electron microcopy to determine anatomical differences that indicate directionally oriented anatomical parts of the fish or game. Such differences would further open the door to understanding migration patterns of fish and wildlife. More importantly, the magnetic direction finder in life forms is probably biologically microscopic.

In such a case, tests should subject migrating organisms to a magnetic field. By changing the magnetic field direction, the organism should change its direction of movement. For example, a series of temporary electromagnets can be installed in a wider part of a migratory river for salmon to change the direction of swimming salmon, Then, salmon cells from different geological locations should be investigated with electron microscopes.

These first steps will lead to a better understanding of magnetic coding in other creatures as well.

Once these steps are complete, further analysis can be performed with respect to magnetic directions. Evaluations would include, but would not be limited to: orientations of DNA (Figure 6), chemical concentrations, DNA density, genetic time scales for DNA mutations, time scales for magnetic field changes, and other biologically related chemicals. Note that DNA orientation can be imprinted by local magnetic forces on DNA structures. The issues will be complex, but technology will move forward.



Figure 6: Electron microscope photo of DNA orientation.

(Image by Qimono) Details DMCA



Whales?

Since solar storms are a form of electromagnetic energy, whales may be affected by both solar storms and electromagnetic radar communications, assuming that magnetic sensors are the basis for whale navigation, ("Left stranded: US military sonar linked to whale beachings in Pacific, say scientists", click here; "There's a Peculiar Link Between Whales Beaching Themselves And Solar Storms", click here).

Note that some people believe that sonar is the problem for misdirecting whales, and some people believe that sonar is the problem, where sonar is a form of sound and radar is a form of electromagnetism. Both forms of energy are used by people for underwater activities.

The evidence presented here concludes that radar interferes with navigation by whales. We have many questions with respect to whales, electromagnetics, and the earth's magnetic field at this point in time (Figure 7).

Again the issues are complicated, where genetics may be involved in imprinting local magnetic conditions on DNA at the moment of the conception of life for different species.



Figure 7: A beached whale from an unknown cause.

(Image by Goodfreephotos) Details DMCA



Navigation On Our Planet

This new discovery is also pertinent to navigation of vehicles. Computer programming of the earth's magnetic field will enable global positioning without the use of satellite global-positioning systems. Targeting a magnetic field coordinate on one side of our planet can directly aim a vehicle or weapon at that specific point on the planet surface.

Where Is This Technology Headed?

Yes, this research is new and not fully explained, but new discoveries must start somewhere. This initial research presents solid scientific evidence to carve the start of a technological path for others to work with.

There may be many interrelationships between this new magnetic code and other wildlife behavior. Together, we can accomplish much more than we can accomplish alone.

(Article changed on Apr 23, 2023 at 6:33 AM EDT)
Multnomah County grand juries indicted two people on Thursday suspected of critically injuring a man in a shooting last month in downtown Portland.

The victim has since been released from the hospital and is recovering from his injuries, Portland police said. They have not released his name.

Dwayne Rayshon Driver, 28, of Portland was indicted in Multnomah County Circuit Court on charges of second-degree murder, first-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon and of being a felon in possession of a gun.

He was previously convicted of attempted murder with a gun and first-degree burglary in 2015, court records show.

A grand jury also indicted Avis Shermice Moore, 49, of Portland, accused of being the getaway driver. Moore pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges of second-degree murder, first-degree assault and unlawful use of a weapon, according to court records.

Officers were patrolling the area of West Burnside Street and Southwest 4th Avenue on March 18 when they heard gunshots about 1:45 p.m. Police found a man with three gunshot wounds collapsed behind Dantes at 350 W. Burnside St., according to a probable cause affidavit.

Security footage shows the shooting occurred in the Chevron parking lot across the street from Dantes, according to the affidavit.

The video shows a silver Audi SUV pull into the parking lot at 1:41 a.m. A man steps out of the car and puts what appears to be a gun in his pocket. The man walks toward a party bus, and after getting on and off the bus a few times, he steps inside and begins firing multiple times, the affidavit said. He then is seen getting into the SUV and driving away.

A witness told police he watched the bus drive from the Chevron to Dantes parking lot, where a man stumbled out and collapsed onto the ground, according to the document.

While investigating, officers heard more gunfire near Southwest Third Avenue and Ankeny Street, about a block south of Dantes.

Officers found evidence of gunfire but no victims or suspects. Police said many people were leaving the scene when they arrived.

Detectives identified Driver as the suspect and executed a search warrant at his home in North Portlands Overlook neighborhood on April 3. They found a gun inside his home and a silver Audi SUV parked in front, according to the affidavit.

Officers arrested Driver on April 13 and booked him into the Multnomah County Detention Center.

Prosecutors asked that Driver be held without bail due to the violent nature of the crime and possible public safety risk, according to the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office.

-- Catalina Gaitan, cgaitan@oregonian.com, @catalingaitan_

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Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated one suspects gender.
The first time Kathy Bode visited a food pantry, she remembers looking around to make sure nobody recognized her.

Bode was in her late 30s, newly divorced, and was struggling to keep food on the table while she studied at Clatsop Community College and worked three part-time jobs to provide for her two children.

Two decades later, its now Bodes job to help students trying to make ends meet. She is Clatsops first benefits navigator hired under a 2021 bill that paid for Oregons colleges and universities to add a staff member to help students access benefits like food stamps and housing assistance programs that can help them get by while theyre going to school.

I try and connect with my students, Bode said on a recent Friday. I found myself in situations I didnt think Id ever be in and you have to realize youre not alone.

Since last April, Oregons new benefits navigators have reached more than 11,000 students, said Zoe Cooper-Caroselli, who helps coordinate the statewide navigator network. Oregon lawmakers are now considering a bill that would provide increased funding for the network. While anecdotal evidence abounds, the state has not yet collected comprehensive data on whether the program helps students better succeed in school.

In her decades in Astoria, Bode has seen rent prices soar. Clatsop County has one of the states highest rates of homelessness, according to county nonprofit Friends of the Unsheltered, and 67% of students who responded to a campus survey last year told Bode they were facing hunger. Parenting students are struggling to find child care after two of the towns daycare centers shuddered during the pandemic, Bode said.

Bode visits with around 30 students each month who need help meeting their basic needs, and shes seen demand increase recently after food stamp allotments decreased.

In the hectic first week of spring term, Bode helped a student pay for a textbook and art supplies through a school emergency fund, referred a student who lost work hours to a program that can reduce their phone and internet costs and sent rental listings to a set of parents desperate to find their son a safe, affordable apartment while he studies at Clatsop.

If someone comes to me with a need and I cannot figure it out, I will call somebody who might be able to, Bode said.

New Clatsop student Ari Corrigan had an intake appointment with Bode earlier this month. Corrigan, 22, is a single mother with an almost 2-year-old. She cut back on her work hours at a local shoe store to enroll at Clatsop in pursuit of an eventual nursing degree, she told Bode. She was looking for any help she could get to ease her strained budget.

I want to give my daughter a better life, Corrigan said.

Theyre the greatest motivators, Bode replied.

Bode began to walk through her mental checklist with Corrigan. While Corrigan had already applied for food stamps, Bode told her about the campus food pantry, which gets fresh produce deliveries from a local co-op. Corrigan has housing taken care of, and a sister who helps her with child care, but was glad to accept Bodes offer of a $50 Fred Meyer gas card to help her get around.

Corrigans tank was almost empty, she said, and with a car payment looming, her options had been to ask someone for money, or avoid driving.

Im very happy that Im in college, Corrigan said. I want to stay on this path, but it scares me that I could be thrown off any second.

Bode knows how easy it can be to get derailed.

The first time she enrolled in Clatsop, as a single parent back in 2001, she left before earning her associate degree, drawn away by a full-time job that paid her enough to support her family. It wasnt until years later that Bode returned to finish her studies, then got bachelors and masters degrees and eventually a license to work as a drug and alcohol counselor.

When students come to Bode now on the verge of dropping out, she works to make sure theyve explored all possible options to help them stay.

People have to kind of find their own way. I cant tell them not to quit, she said. But I can tell them I have faith that theyre gonna get through it.

Kathy Bode, the first benefits navigator hired at Clatsop Community College in Astoria, poses inside the colleges food pantry. Shes expanded the pantrys hours since coming on board and also installed new snack stations around campus with free fruit, nuts and instant noodles. Sami Edge/The Oregonian

THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE

Each of Oregons 24 community colleges and public universities have at least one benefits navigator to help students connect with public assistance or other supports offered by the schools. The navigators share lessons and tips with one another during monthly consortium meetings run by Cooper-Caroselli. This summer, they will publish a report on the students theyve helped so far.

Basic needs programs are growing on college campuses, but research is still emerging on how they impact student outcomes. A 2020 study out of California, found that students connected to food stamps benefits through a University of California Santa Cruz program were more likely to stay in school than other needy students.

However, needy students helped by the Santa Cruz program were overall less likely to stay in school than the campus average, which is not surprising given that the program reaches the students who are experiencing hardships, the study found.

During the pandemic, a national survey by the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice found that 34% of college students struggled to find enough food and 48% did not always have a safe, affordable or consistent place to live.

Local data suggests Oregon students needs were profound even before the pandemic. On a 2019 Hope Center survey, 41% of the states community college students self-reported food insecurity and more than half said they had struggled to find housing in the past year.

The amount of demand or need among our students is pretty catastrophic, said Faren Leader, the benefits navigator at Linn-Benton Community College.

Most students Leader has worked with at the 6,000-student Albany campus are struggling with housing, utilities and food, she said.

Her job is to help  but her efforts only go so far when existing community resources cant always meet students needs, Leader said, and demand is already more than she can handle. In the first three weeks of spring term, nearly 120 students contacted her for some sort of help.

Leader struggles to find solutions for homeless students due to a shortage of shelter beds and transitional living options in the Albany area, she said. Waitlists for low-income housing stretch for years, Leader said, and an organization that helps people pay utility bills sometimes closes applications for months when it runs out of grant funding.

Hiring benefits navigators to help students connect with resources is not enough, Leader said; there needs to be more resources.

We now have a really clear picture of what the basic needs landscape looks like at our colleges  and were realizing, Oh, crap, the house is on fire, she said.

Leader has leaned on federal pandemic relief money that Linn-Benton set aside for students and has used that money to provide up to $1,500 to students facing problems like eviction and car troubles. Those funds expire in June.

Katie Reynolds was one of the recipients. Reynolds, a mother of three, lost her job at a titanium foundry during the pandemic. She decided to enroll in school with the help of the federal Trade Act to study business while her wife stayed home with the couples new baby. This winter, as costs mounted, Reynolds turned to Leader for help. A $1,500 grant kept the familys heat and water running and helped Reynolds avoid repossession on the car she needs to get to class.

Theres a lot of issues out there for anybody trying to go back to school, Reynolds said. Rent and grocery prices have risen, while food stamps have decreased, and colleges are hiking tuition, she said. Students are having to make a choice between keeping a roof over their head or going to school.

Leader said shes encouraged by proposals this legislative session that could help improve the basic needs landscape. House Bill 2262 would expand the benefits navigator program and House Bill 3089 would set aside $5 million for the Higher Education Coordinating Commission to award to campuses working to solve student food insecurity.

This is the future of our workforce were talking about, Leader said. If we want people to learn how to be nurses and welders and certified auto mechanics and so many other roles that make our communities functional  we need to make sure those students are actually able to complete that education and that theyre not homeless or going hungry while theyre doing it.

Basic Needs CenterOregon State Student Laura Montgomery restocks a refrigerator with eggs at OSUs Basic Needs Center during a Healthy Beaver Bag distribution in March 2023.Photo courtesy of Karl Maasdam/Oregon State University

STUDENTS LEAD AT OREGON STATE

Oregon State University hired a professional benefits navigator in 2018 who helped inspire the 2021 law that required them statewide, the schools Basic Needs Center Director Nicole Hindes said. But during the pandemic, she rethought that dynamic. .

The staff navigator sometimes had a month-long waiting list, Hindes said. When a student shared that she had helped her friends with the tips shed learned from the Basic Needs Centers Instagram account, Hindes considered whether students themselves should take on the benefits navigator role.

Low-income communities have always looked out for each other, passing around tips and tricks, Hindes said.

Today, 20 students work as peer navigators on Oregon States campus and serve far more people than a single staff member could reach. More than 2,900 students have come to the campus Basic Needs Center for some kind of support since January, Hindes said. Just last month, more than 3,000 people visited the centers food pantry.

Oregon States model aims to build student leadership. Peer navigators help plan and run events like cooking classes and a spring jamboree. A handful of professional staff also work at the student-fee funded Basic Needs Center and help if student navigators are facing a particularly tricky challenge, Hindes said.

In a lot of ways we have agency to direct the mission and values and direction of the Basic Needs Center, student employee Hunter Calvert said. It sort of leverages the student voice in solving these issues that are impacting students.

Peer navigators are trained to put student help seekers in the drivers seat by introducing them to resources available, but leaving it up to the student to make a plan.

The process leaves students in need with the confidence that they can solve problems and that they know where to find resources to help, said graduate student Raven Merritt-Shorb, who mentors the peer navigators.

Representatives from colleges in Oregon and out of state have come to Oregon State this year to check out the peer navigator model, Hindes said. The navigator consortium is also building a toolkit for campuses that want to adopt the student-navigator model.

The peer-to-peer dynamic breaks down stigma, Hindes said, and helps Oregon State students feel like they belong.

Its easier to ask for help, she said.

This story was brought to you through a partnership between The Oregonian/OregonLive and Report for America. Learn how to support this crucial work.

Sami Edge covers higher education for The Oregonian. You can reach her at sedge@oregonian.com or (503) 260-3430.
Barbara Cooper, head of the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education, was forced to resign after state officials found the department was distributing teacher training materials that included so-called woke concepts.

According to a statement released Friday by Gov. Kay Iveys office, state officials were alerted last week about a pre-K educator resource book that they said contained content that is simply not in line with what the Ivey Administration or the people of Alabama stand for or believe.

The resource in question was the fourth edition of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Developmentally Appropriate Practice Book, Iveys spokeswoman Gina Maiola confirmed Friday.

In the news release, Maiola said Ivey was concerned that the book tells teachers there are larger systemic forces that perpetuate systems of White privilege and that the United States is built on systemic and structural racism. She was concerned, too, Maiola said, with the directions that LGBTQIA+ need to hear and see messages that promote equality, dignity and worth.

Additionally, Maiola said the books glossary includes equally disturbing concepts that the Ivey Administration and the people of Alabama in no way, shape or form believe should be used to influence school children, let alone four-year-olds.

AL.com has not independently verified Maiolas claims that the book contains those concepts. There is also no indication that young children were reading the training manual.

According to its website, NAEYC is a national accrediting board that works to provide high-quality early learning materials for children up to age eight. Cooper was elected to the associations national governing board in 2022 and her term ends in 2026.

For nearly four decades, and in partnership with hundreds of thousands of families and educators, Developmentally Appropriate Practice has served as the foundation for high-quality early childhood education across all states and communities, NAEYC said in a statement to AL.com Friday evening. While not a curriculum, it is a responsive, educator-developed, educator-informed, and research-based resource that has been honed over multiple generations to support teachers in helping all children thrive and reach their full potential. Building on the good work that is happening in states and communities, NAEYC looks forward to continuing its partnership with families, educators, and policymakers to further our shared goals of offering joyful learning environments that see, support, and reflect all children and their families.

Cooper could not be reached for comment.

Following the investigation, Ivey directed Cooper to send a memo to disavow the book and discontinue its use. The governor then made the decision to have a change in leadership at the department and accepted Coopers resignation immediately, according to the news release.

Maiola told AL.com that she has been told all of the books have been collected.

Cooper was appointed by Ivey as Secretary of Early Childhood Education in 2020, after spending two years to administer the nationally recognized Alabama First Class Pre-K program. She resigned Friday, according to Maiola.

Governor Ivey remains appreciative for her service to the state and passion for early childhood education, the statement read. In addition to expanding service to the number of four-year-olds, Dr. Cooper has helped put an increased focus on students in lower-performing areas and has even been a champion for computer science education in the state. However, Governor Ivey strongly believes that woke concepts have no place at any level of education in the state of Alabama and should not be taking away from the overall mission of improving educational outcomes for students.

In the news release, Ivey said she believed the materials were divisive and inappropriate for young learners.

The education of Alabamas children is my top priority as governor, and there is absolutely no room to distract or take away from this mission, she said in the statement. Let me be crystal clear: Woke concepts that have zero to do with a proper education and that are divisive at the core have no place in Alabama classrooms at any age level, let alone with our youngest learners. We want our children to be focused on the fundamentals, such as reading and math.

Alabamas First Class Pre-K is the best in the country, and those children are at too critical of a juncture in their educational journeys and development to get it wrong. I remain confident in the wonderful teachers we have in pre-K classrooms around our state and in the necessity of our children receiving a strong start to their educational journeys in our First Class Pre-K program. I thank Dr. Cooper for her service, but I believe it is best we continue this historically strong program on its forward trajectory under new leadership.

Jan Hume will serve as the interim secretary of the ADECE while Ivey makes a decision on a permanent secretary to lead the department.
Hundreds of Portland students and residents took to the streets Friday to demand that Gov. Tina Kotek do more to address climate change in Oregon.

Youth activists walked out of 27 schools to meet at the Oregon Convention Center and march just days after Koteks 100th day in office.
Nowadays, everyone accepts that for millions of years nature has cherry-picked those who are best suited to their environments. But it is more challenging to understand why, alongside this merit-based natural selection process, there is another that favors the most attractive, though they may not be much more than that. A century and a half ago, Charles Darwin, baffled by the peacocks enormous tail, wrote about this selection of traits that facilitate copulation, even at the cost of their own survival. In Darwins hypothesis on sexual selection, males compete with each other for females, while females, who hold the key to reproduction, act in a finicky way by screening. The first part of the hypothesis was swiftly accepted, but for many years the second part was dismissed as preposterous.

This week, Science magazine published an article explaining how, at least in one species of fish, females fashion the groups they inhabit according to their tastes. Guppy fish (Poecilia reticulata) originate from tropical regions of Latin America and are extremely popular in aquariums all over the world. They are small (males less than 3 cm and females up to 5 cm) and reproduce rapidly, something that makes them an interesting species to observe closely. They also engage in internal fertilization - they copulate, and this allows the female to choose who she mates with. The authors of the study, under the leadership of Tomos Potter of Florida State University (USA), monitored more than 7,000 specimens in a stream on the Caribbean island of Trinidad, documenting their movements and analyzing their genomes across 10 generations. Their results show that the females prefer males with a different appearance, even though they derive no direct advantage from them.

A female guppy watches a colorful male guppy mating. Paul Bentzen

The female preference for unusual kinds could be interpreted as a way of preventing inbreeding, however, the analyses surprisingly found that the offspring of these breeders did not show lower levels of inbreeding. Yet these males had 36% more mates and 38% more offspring, while in the case of females, the reason appears to be for the benefit of their own offspring. Though these rare male types do not give them more offspring or even provide them with better genes, their offspring nevertheless benefit from being just as extraordinary as their fathers and they become prolific progenitors, bearing their mothers many grandchildren.

One of the intriguing results observed in the study is that females tend to favor males with unusual physical features, but also those who come from outside, though they may have a normal appearance and are not going to bear exotic offspring. The authors suggest that this perceived pitfall is the result of the females preference stemming from boredom with familiar-looking males, and that this is detected by scent. Although this preference yields them a benefit through the perceived success of their diverse offspring, it also leads them to mistakenly partner with males who seem unusual because they have not come across them before. However, these males will produce offspring that are as dull as other males in their environment. This serves as yet another reminder that evolutionary impulses can trigger patterns of behavior that are not necessarily beneficial to some individuals or even to their offspring.

The origin of this preference may stem from a non-adaptive cognitive bias, which has short-term advantages, because the offspring benefit and will bear many grandchildren resembling their father. Yet this advantage will be lost in the grandchildren, who will no longer be so rare, says Diego Gil, a specialist in evolutionary ecology at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid. If you look at this bias in a commercial perspective, if you sell something that everyone else is selling, youre not going to be successful, Gil adds. As a result, things that used to grab attention because they were fresh, become uninteresting when they are copied.

In many species, females have been observed to be attracted to exaggerated, eye-catching traits. This preference is partly explained because, for these features to develop, it is necessary for the male to possess a strong immune system, for instance. To some extent, this would be a sign of true capacity. One of the most compelling aspects of this study is that in this highly polymorphic color pattern system of guppies, choosing the most unusual patterns brings about a unique advantage in terms of appeal, explains Juan Gabriel Martinez, professor of zoology at the University of Granada. A further interesting point, according to Martinez, is that it helps explain how sexual selection by females can exist while maintaining male diversity. This is instead of all males acquiring the desired characteristics, meaning that there is no sense in the females selection because all males are of equal value.

Study leader Tomos Potter says that this fondness for odd features, which has been observed in many species, from birds to beetles, fish to flies, serves to maintain genetic diversity as it saves rare genetic types from extinction. For Potter, the big question was, What is the advantage for females who find unusual features attractive? Our study demonstrates that attractiveness may be arbitrary, provided that the offspring of attractive males are also like this, concludes the researcher.

The model for humans?

Animal studies have always been useful in understanding basic biological mechanisms that have emerged over millions of years of evolution and that have also existed in humans. Nevertheless, although numerous analogies have been drawn between the sexual behavior of animals and humans, such comparisons are always complex. With humans we move onto a slippery slope and into arguments that could almost be regarded as racist, says Gil. On a pub conversation level, you could say that a dark-skinned man in Sweden attracts more attention than a typical Scandinavian does in Spain, but it would be difficult to gauge how that affects sexual preference. This could have an advantage in terms of being seen, in terms of surprising, he speculates. Though he clarifies that features such as skin color in humans are mixed and not intact when passed on to the next generation, as is the case with the Mendelian traits of guppy fish.

Martinez points out that the sexual selection process as such is the same or quite similar in all animals, also in humans. This involves a selection of characteristics that facilitates contact with individuals of the opposite sex. Some of these allow direct competition, such as with horns or fangs, but other traits are selected because they might simply appear more sexually attractive, he continues. Such pressure has existed in humans, but culture ensures that these mechanisms do not have the same influence as in other animals, he concludes. This view is echoed by Potter, who does not believe it is possible to say whether an effect of this kind is likely in humans, because [our] sexual preferences and their consequences are much more complex than those of guppy fish.

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At least one Portland Street Response worker has resigned since Portland Fire Chief Sara Boone announced a controversial change to the citys mental health crisis response team last week.

On April 11, Boone announced the team must respond to homeless sweeps to assist campers when asked by city contractors or leaders at Portland Mayor Ted Wheelers new emergency command center. Prior to Boones move, the teams protocol advised crisis workers not to respond to sweeps.

At least one Portland Street Response employee, the union representing those employees and the authors of a study evaluating its work are pushing back, saying the teams mission is to help people in crisis  not create it.

Jenni Lovell, who submitted her two-week notice on April 16, said she could not live with herself if she were to cause unhoused Portlanders additional trauma.

You are forcing mental health crisis responders to create trauma and then turn around and solve the trauma we caused, Lovell said. She said that the sweeps directive on top of Commissioner Rene Gonzalezs decision to withhold tents from unhoused people just days before a February snowstorm pushed her over the edge.

An independent research team from Portland State University paid to evaluate the programs effectiveness cautioned that integrating Portland Street Responses mental health workers into sweeps is antithetical to its success. But experts and mental health workers were not involved in the decision to change the teams strategy.

Jenni Lovell said that even if Portland Street Response workers arent the ones initiating the sweeps, their visual presence acts as another layer of enforcement, especially if police are also present. Pictured: A sweep of houseless encampment at Laurelhurst Park on November 23, 2020Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

Following Boones directive, Lovell told her supervisor she would refuse to respond to sweeps. Lovell was told that would be an act of insubordination and she would be terminated if she did that  so she decided to leave.

Boone said since Portland Street Response is a city program, it must align with city direction.

In November 2022, the city council established its intention to end unsanctioned camping and transition thoseto temporary alternative shelter sites, Boone said in a statement. The directive issued from my office will not involve Portland Street Response in sweeps  Rather, my directive ensures that, when a member of the citys (sweeps team) recognizes someone in crisis that would benefit from PSRs services, PSR will provide its services to that individual.

But Lovell said that even if Portland Street Response workers arent the ones initiating the sweeps, their visual presence acts as another layer of enforcement. And in numerous interviews as the program has grown, the teams members say they take great pains to separate themselves from enforcement to build trust and allow people to feel safe asking the team for help.

We were always told to tell dispatch, to tell law enforcement that No, Portland Street Response does not participate or assist in tent sweeps, Lovell said. Now the program is heading in the opposite direction it was intended for.

The union representing the teams workers echoed that sentiment.

Responding to a person in crisis requires establishing trust, through a careful and respectful approach. It takes time and space that may not be inherent or easily accommodated in a sweep environment, Rachel Whiteside, a representative with the PROTEC17 union, wrote in an email on Friday. Union members welcome the opportunity to partner with the city in developing policy that ensures workers are safe and the Portland Street Response program is not derailed off its mission and into enforcement roles.

Jenni Lovell said, "we are a life-saving resource to people who others step around or over. If we dont show up for the vulnerable community, they will suffer. Pictured is on of the initial Portland Street Response teams that launched in the Lents neighborhood.

Lovell said she was disappointed that Boone and Gonzalez, who oversees the fire bureau, did not include Portland Street Response staff or supervisors in discussions prior to the announcement.

The Oregonian/OregonLive sent questions to Portland Street Response manager Robyn Burek and communications director Caryn Brooks asking if they felt the program was moving in the right direction, if they were included in the decision-making process, if these changes align with the programs initial intent and how the overworked team would handle the additional work.

But Brooks said they had to defer to Gonzalez. Gonzalezs spokesperson Ben DuPree deferred to Boone who issued the directive.

Lovell said that other team members are also disappointed by the change, but that theyre afraid theyll be fired if they speak up.

The tent ban and sweeps demand might not be the only change coming. On Tuesday, Ryan Gillespie, Portland Fire & Rescues community health division chief, emailed staff to say continued orders of food, clothing and sleeping bags -- that Portland Street Response distributes -- will be halted until they receive approval from Gonzalez.

Portland Street Response hands out such supplies to both build relationships with the most vulnerable community members and to help them survive. Some people they connect with might be waiting for housing or fearful of shelter based on prior negative experiences.

Lovell worries Portland Street Response, which already has limited resources, will help fewer people in crisis if they must help manage sweeps. The team is still working to hire more staff and has yet to expand to 24-hour service, which they are slated to do this year.

Boone said she does not believe the new directive will substantially increase calls, though the city often conducts multiple sweeps a day, according to city data. Boone said if there is an increase, they will work to meet the demand.

Aside from assisting people experiencing a mental health crisis, Lovell and her team have also connected people to medical care and to housing opportunities.

One individual had a severe infection in his legs that could have led to amputation. But Lovell got him to go to the hospital and hes now on antibiotics. The team also helped a homeless client who was schizophrenic and using drugs and incapable of caring for himself.

We were able to connect that individual with family members he hadnt spoken to in over a year, she said. We were able to connect him to his state appointed guardian and start that conversation about how to get him back into housing.

The teams priority was to respond to individuals who appear to be unresponsive, Lovell said. But with the new directive, she said they were told to prioritize sweeps over those high-needs calls. However, the policy has not yet been finalized.

We are a life-saving resource to people who others step around or over, she said, if we dont show up for the vulnerable community, they will suffer.

Nicole Hayden reports on homelessness for The Oregonian/OregonLive. She can be reached at nhayden@oregonian.com or on Twitter @Nicole_A_Hayden.
A ban on dozens of semi-automatic rifles cleared the Washington state Legislature last week, and the governor is expected to sign it into law.

The ban comes after multiple failed attempts in the states Legislature, and amid the most mass shootings during the first 100 days of a calendar year since 2009.

The Washington law would block the sale, distribution, manufacture and importation of more than 50 gun models, including AR-15s, AK-47s and similar style rifles. These guns fire one bullet per trigger pull and automatically reload for a subsequent shot. Some exemptions are included for sales to law enforcement agencies and the military in Washington.

The measure does not bar the possession of the weapons by people who already have them. The law would go into effect immediately once its signed by Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee, who has long advocated for such a ban.

The legislation defines assault weapon as any of the following firearms regardless of which company produced or manufactured them:

AK-47 in all forms

AK-74 in all forms

Algimec AGM-1 type semiautomatic

American Arms Spectre da semiautomatic carbine

AR15, M16, or M4 in all forms

AR 180 type semiautomatic

Argentine L.S.R. semiautomatic

Australian Automatic

Auto-Ordnance Thompson M1 and 1927 semiautomatics

Barrett .50 cal light semiautomatic

Barrett .50 cal M87

Barrett .50 cal M107A1

Barrett REC7

Beretta AR70/S70 type semiautomatic

Bushmaster Carbon 15

Bushmaster ACR 16 Bushmaster XM-15

Bushmaster MOE

Calico models M100 and M900

CETME Sporter

CIS SR 88 type semiautomatic

Colt CAR 15

Daewoo K-1

Daewoo K-2

Dragunov semiautomatic

Fabrique Nationale FAL in all forms

Fabrique Nationale F2000

Fabrique Nationale L1A1 Sporter

Fabrique Nationale M249S

Fabrique Nationale PS90

Fabrique Nationale SCAR

FAMAS .223 semiautomatic

Galil

Heckler & Koch G3 in all forms

Heckler & Koch HK-41/91

Heckler & Koch HK-43/93

Heckler & Koch HK94A2/3

Heckler & Koch MP-5 in all forms

Heckler & Koch PSG-1

Heckler & Koch SL8

Heckler & Koch UMP

Manchester Arms Commando MK-45

Manchester Arms MK-9

SAR-4800

SIG AMT SG510 in all forms

SIG SG550 in all forms

SKS 15 Spectre M4

Springfield Armory BM-59

Springfield Armory G3

Springfield Armory SAR-8

Springfield Armory SAR-48

Springfield Armory SAR-3

Springfield Armory M-21 sniper

Springfield Armory M1A

Smith & Wesson M&P 15

Sterling Mk 1

Sterling Mk 6/7

Steyr AUG

TNW M230

FAMAS F11

Uzi 9mm carbine/rifle

The legislation goes on to further define additional assault weapons affected by the ban. Read the full text here.
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Most people know the U.S. Coast Guard watches over sailors and boaters on the Great Lakes as part of its responsibilities as the maritime security, search-and-rescue and law enforcement branch of the armed forces.

The modern Coast Guard was the result of the merger of the Revenue Cutter Service, an armed customs enforcement agency, and the United States Life-Saving Service, which consisted of professionals who risked their lives to rescue fishermen and those who lived along America's seashores and lakeshores.

Much like modern-day firefighters, their lives centered around their jobs, which required discipline and constant training. According to the U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association, service members saved more than 186,000 lives.

Sunday, April 23 marks the 143rd anniversary of the worst tragedy suffered by members of the service in the line of duty. Six crewmembers, known as surfmen, perished in the waters off Pointe Aux Barques during a rescue attempt, not far from where the historic Life-Saving Station stands near Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse today.

Robert McGreevy/Courtesy image

A simple job

Members of the U.S. Life-Saving Service came from all walks of life. Some were single men looking for work to supplement their income from other jobs. Some were married men with families who relied on the housing provided by the USLSS in the form of tiny cottages located close to the life-saving stations where they worked. The men were obligated to live at the station during shipping season, which ran from April through December, said maritime artist and historian Robert McGreevy.

The job of a "surfman," the rank given to rank-and-file members of the USLSS, was a difficult one, requiring the men to literally stand watch for hours at a time in the observation platform on top of the station, or walk a miles-long stretch of shoreline during the blackness of night, scanning the waters of Lake Huron for signs of ships in distress.

Robert McGreevy/Courtesy image

If someone needed rescuing, the crew would venture out into the lake, winter or summer, and contend with the elements as well as their heavy, now-antiquated gear. Then they would row, sometimes battered back toward the shore by the powerful waves, until the point of exhaustion.

In April of 1880, the commander of the Life-Saving Station at Pointe Aux Barques was a man named Jerome Kiah. Captain Kiah had a reputation for his sturdiness and dedication to saving lives out on the water. McGreevy said Kiah once transported the station's boat from Pointe Aux Barques to Grindstone City by horse-drawn wagon after a ship broke up during a storm, "flawlessly" managing to rescue 44 people.

Under Kiah's command were six surfmen: William J. Sayers, Robert Morrison, James Pottenger, Dennis Deegan, James Nantau and Walter Petherbridge. Since they had no law enforcement duties, the crew carried no weapons, their job was simple  to save lives.

"They were held in such high esteem by this community," McGreevy said. "They were the first responders of their day."

Robert McGreevy/Courtesy image

'Poor boys ... they're all gone'

On the morning of April 23, 1880, a two-masted scow schooner registered in Port Huron as the J.H. Magruder was carrying a load of lumber south to Detroit when it ran into trouble in the waters of Pointe Aux Barques. The Magruder, which was carrying the captain, his wife, two children and four crewmen, ran aground on a shoal.

McGreevy believes the captain of the Magruder panicked because his family was on board. He sent a signal for help by hanging a red lantern in the ship's rigging and hung his flag upside down and at half-mast. Nantau had spotted the signal and alerted Kiah to the situation.

As the crew from the Life-Saving Station prepared to head out onto the water, fate conspired against them.

The surfmen, led by Kiah, faced heavy waves, but not the heaviest they had ever seen, Kiah would later report. The crew's goring confidence in their mission was shattered when a large wave smashed into the stern, filling the surfboat with lake water. The small vessel overturned, sending the men into the cold waters of Lake Huron. They fought for more than half an hour to right their overturned boat, succeeding several times only to have the waves overturn it again.

Robert McGreevy/Courtesy image

The crew, exhausted by their exertion as well as their duties preceding the rescue attempt, quickly became weighed down as water soaked into their wool uniforms and cork life vests. One by one, they slipped underneath the water to their deaths.

As it turned out, the ship was eventually able to break free when some of its lumber was offloaded.

"They floated free and headed on their way," McGreevy said. "In the meantime, this tragedy had occurred and they weren't even aware of it. He assumed that it returned to the station, not realizing the crew had all been lost."

United States Coast Guard

'You have to go out, but you don't have to come back'

Kiah, the only survivor, made it back to shore, where he was found in a state of shock by two local men.

"He said, 'Poor boys ... they're all gone," McGreevy said.

For his efforts on April 23, Kiah would receive the highest honor bestowed by the USLSS, the Gold Life-Saving Medal. He would eventually be promoted and retire to Sand Beach, now known as Harbor Beach.

The historic Life-Saving Station currently sits immediately east of the Pointe Aux Barques Lighthouse. Few of the 19th century structures still stand today, McGreevy said.

A plaque at the base of the flag at Lighthouse Park was dedicated almost 20 years ago that honors the memory of those who perished on April 23, 1880. It reads:

"You have to go out, but you don't have to come back. This flag is dedicated to the men of the United States Life Saving Service, Station 2-10th District, Pointe Aux Barques Lifesaving Station, Port Hope, MI. Seven Surfman rowed out in an attempt to save those in peril  only one survived."

Read more about the United States Life-Saving Service in an upcoming article in the Huron Daily Tribune.
MANISTEE COUNTY  The Manistee County Council on Aging is set to host a number of events and other activities aimed at keeping older residents healthy, happy and active.

Here is a list of what is planned for the week of April 24 and beyond.

Congregate meals

The congregate meal site at the Wagoner Community Center is serving lunch Monday through Friday at noon. Remember to call and reserve your lunch by noon the day before.

The congregate meal site in Wellston serves lunches on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Onekama meal site at the Farr Center is currently closed.

The Marilla meal site serves lunches Wednesday at noon, and the Pleasant Valley Community Center in Arcadia serves meals Tuesdays and Fridays at 12:30 p.m. The meal site in Maple Grove Township serves meals Thursdays at noon.

Keep in mind that the menu is subject to change, as certain food shortages can affect the kitchen.

Food bank

The senior center food bank takes place on the third Friday of the month from 9-11 a.m. People from Manistee County who are 60 years of age and older are eligible to participate.

If you are picking up for another senior, be sure you have a proxy note, along with their name, address, birthdate and household information.

Monetary and non-perishable food item donations are always appreciated.

Senior nutrition menu Monday: Sweet & sour meatballs, Oriental blend vegetables, steamed broccoli, pineapple tidbits Tuesday: Turkey & cheese sandwich on WG bread, potato salad, beets, craisins Wednesday : Salisbury steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, sliced peaches, roll Thursday: Macaroni & cheese, steamed peas, sliced carrots, applesauce, pretzel roll Friday: Chicken cordon bleu, garlic diced potatoes, hubbard squash, Michigan sweet cherries Remember, menus are subject to change. See More Collapse

Next food bank is May 19 from 9-11 a.m. at 260 St. Mary's Parkway in Manistee.

Emergency food assistance

If you are a Manistee County senior and are in need of emergency food assistance, call the senior center at 231-723-6477 and speak to a staff member. The senior center has an emergency food pantry that is used to help prevent food insecurity in the senior population during these times.

Senior reimbursement program

The Manistee County Council on Aging has a program designed to help seniors remain independent, by reimbursing qualifying expenses. If you are an older adult from Manistee County, you could receive reimbursement for payments you have made for house cleaning, yard work, snow removal services.

For current clients in the Senior Reimbursement Program, take note, all receipts must be current, no more than 30 days old. Income requirements apply. New clients must fill out a registration form.

Mail all receipts to 260 St. Mary's Parkway, Manistee MI 49660. Call the senior center at 231-723-6477 ext. 214, for more information. Once a senior has moved out of their home, they are no longer qualified for the reimbursement program.

Exercise opportunities

Sit and Get Fit, Tuesday and Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Wagoner Community Center, Monday and Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. at the Farr Center in Onekama.

Tai Chi Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9 a.m.

Indoor walking group, during business hours, Monday through Friday.

Chair yoga Tuesdays at 3:30 p.m. Pound Fitness class is Thursday at 3:45 p.m.

All classes are free to all seniors, and donations accepted for those under 60.

Dementia support group

The dementia support group will meet the second Thursday of the month. The group is a supportive, friendly gathering for caregivers, family members or anyone interested in learning more about and supporting senior dementia community.

The next meeting will be May 11 at 3 p.m. Contact Jacki Krolczyk at 231-883-1341 for more information.

Parkinson's support group

The Parkinson's support group meets at 11 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month. The next support group meeting will be on April 20 at the Wagoner Community Center. Please call Marcia Holbrook 614-937-4442 for more information.

Upcoming events

April 24

 9 a.m. Tai Chi

 11 a.m. Social Security Q&A with Fran

 1 p.m. Pinochle

 1 p.m. Mah Jongg

April 25

 10 a.m. Library day

 11 a.m. Toe Tapping Tuesday

 12:30 p.m. Bridge

 1 p.m. Pinochle

 1 p.m. Tech class

 2 p.m. Knit Crochet circle

 3:30 p.m. Chair Yoga

April 26

 9 a.m. Tai Chi

 10:30 a.m. TOPS

 11 a.m. Fun Bingo

 11 a.m. Celebrate April birthdays

 1 p.m. Sign Language

April 27

 10 a.m. Cribbage

 1 p.m. Chess

 4 p.m. Pound Fit class

April 28

 9 a.m. Tai Chi

 12 p.m. Piano with Suzanne

 1 p.m. Euchre
It's almost impossible to completely delete yourself from the web, but there are some strategies to remove your online content and erase your digital footprint. Andranik Hakobyan (Getty / iStockphoto)

Searching up your name online can set off alarm bells. You may find old photos of yourself, information from inactive social media accounts, comments under blog posts clearly, the internet doesnt forget. Once something is published online, control over that information is completely lost.

When personal and professional circumstances change, the out-of-control information on the web can become a double-edged sword. Nobody knows this better than political candidates, who often undergo a heavy revision and cleanup of their digital content when running for office.

Its becoming more and more common for people to want to completely disappear from the digital world. They yearn to be able to type in their name and find that absolutely nothing appears. This may be due to a sudden awareness about privacy or labor issues. But is it really a good thing for there to be no trace of someone on the internet?

Today, not having a digital footprint is counterproductive it generates a certain amount of mistrust, explains Daniel Lopez, CEO and co-founder of Youforget.me, a platform dedicated to managing user privacy on the internet. This expert recommends managing our digital selves so that the information available online is consistent with a persons profile and inspires trust.

Is it possible to completely disappear from the internet? I would say no, explains Alejandro Abascal, founder of the Remove Group  a company dedicated precisely to deleting personal information from the web. There are many environments on the internet that are impossible to control, such as the dark web, he adds. However, you can remove the vast majority of traffic related to yourself. This expert affirms that, for instance, new legislation at the European level is evolving to respond to privacy needs, such as the right to be forgotten, the right to dignity on the internet, or the data protection law. The EUs new legislation protects a citizen unless [they] are a notorious person of public interest, in which case it conflicts with freedom of information.

Theres a fine line between the right to privacy and the right to information  one that is subject to interpretation. It generates an important controversy, generating one of the great debates, says the expert, referring to ongoing discussions about privacy in the internet age.

Deleting inactive accounts

To delete all traces of yourself online, you should start with the simplest action: deleting inactive accounts for services that you dont use. Unfortunately  unless you have a detailed record of everything  the only way to pull up these pages is to do your own search on Google to identify traces of your digital footprint. The bad news is that its not always easy to remove personal information. In fact, there are some sites that make it nearly impossible to remove your info.

The JustDelete.me webpage offers information deletion instructions for the main web sites, along with traffic light colors, indicating their level of difficulty. While scrolling through them, you can see that some have the impossible label, due to the amount of difficulties presented by the respective service provider.

Deleting social media profiles

Social media has become a massive repository of personal information, in which  with a little time and patience  you can draw up a profile of a person and their activity simply by examining their posts. Anyone wishing to erase their online presence and control their personal information should consider completely deleting their accounts. You may remember when Facebook was in the eye of the hurricane and became the target of a campaign that invited its users to delete their accounts, due to a massive data leak that took place at the hands of Cambridge Analytica. Personal data belonging to millions of Facebook users was collected  without their consent  by the British consulting firm.

The issue isnt simply that what is published on social media offers significant personal information about a user. The bigger problem is that this information is also never deleted. Our memory will continue to be present once weve died, warns Daniel Lopez, and its essential to manage social media accounts, eliminating those that are in disuse or that dont represent us.

Requesting the removal of information

Immediate satisfaction rules on the internet: you sign up for a service and enjoy it instantly. But does the same thing apply when you want to unsubscribe from it? It depends on the service although generally, the answer is no. Getting out of an online service can be tortuous, if not impossible. But theres no other choice but to go through the process. The first thing that someone who wants to completely disappear from the internet (or, at least, be irrelevant to search engines) should do is perform a Google search of themselves and identify the sites where they appear.

In these cases, its best to use a hyperlink storage service  such as Pocket or Instapaper  to store the different websites in which our name appears. For what purpose? To request, one by one, the deletion of data. Service providers have a period of 30 days to resolve a demand for data deletion, Alejandro Abascal points out. If its a large platform, the response period is 15 days longer.

In the event of no response from the services that host our personal information, the next step is to request [its] removal from the search engines themselves, Abascal recommends. In theory, when the water tap is closed, the flood ends but not really.

The search engines only have the obligation to eliminate your name, Absacal warns. Photos, videos and other memories will remain visible online and present on the servers of the companies that refuse to delete your account.

Sabotage those who refuse

As online services dont always respond to requests for the deletion of the data, in this case, the saying if you cant beat em, join em applies to its full extent. The next objective will be to confuse internet searchers, in a tactic that is known as infosuicide. A desperate user can fill the web with empty references to themselves.

What does this consist of? Well, you can create pages (filled with neutral content) that bear your name. Or, alternatively, you can modify your name and make it unintelligible to the rogue services that deny people the right to disappear from the online world.

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Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - A police probe into the activities of a religious cult in Kenya's coastal region of Kilifi has unearthed mass graves with 58 bodies
Photo: (Photo : Getty Images/John Moore)

Two asylum seekers residing in Rhode Island challenge the US government policies that separated them from their kids after their family crossed into the country. They claimed that the separation caused crippling impacts on their emotional and mental health.

A father living in Central Falls and a mother living in Providence, identified only through their initials, accused the federal government of "child abduction, negligence, abuse of process and intentional infliction of emotional distress," as per a lawsuit brought in the U.S. District Court by law firm Ropes & Gray LLP.

They asserted that the government "forcibly" separated them for weeks from their children in the summer of 2018 with only limited communication and subjected them to "dangerous and unhealthy conditions," allegedly "for the express purpose of inflicting as much pain and suffering on the families as possible," Providence Journal reported.

These two families demand unspecified damages under a federal law that allows financial awards for personal injury or death caused by the "negligent or wrongful act of a government employee acting within the scope of their job."

Mother from Guatemala

The mother, 33-year-old M.M.C., tried comforting her then six-year-old daughter by telling her they would see each other soon while a federal agent "ripped" the girl away from her. For the first two weeks of the separation, she had no idea about her daughter's whereabouts nor of any chances that they would be reunited again.

On the 52 days that they were kept apart, she was only able to talk to her after through very minimal short calls.

Further, during the separation, the mother found out that she was pregnant from being raped by her abusive former partner in Guatemala, the reason she was escaping to the US.

According to the lawsuit, she was "shackled, malnourished, taunted, and forced to sleep in squalor without adequate prenatal care or potable water." The separation and the nasty condition she and her daughter were in caused the latter to be deeply traumatized and her baby to have a deficiency in vitamins and delays in early childhood development, according to Yahoo News.

Her daughter, who was once outgoing and passionate about singing and dancing, now has a fear of talking to strangers, struggles in her education, and only eats cereal and specific fruits. The baby, on the other hand, requires two "vitamin injections" every day and "will have lifelong health issues due to the government's failure to provide adequate care for [the mother] in custody."

Read More: Migrant Parents Sending Children Unaccompanied to Cross International Border Into South Texas out of Desperation

Father from Honduras

The father, 25-year-old N.A.B., is a native of Honduras. He stated he went to the border with his 7-year-old son, who was "dragged" from him as the boy yelled, "Papi, Papi, Papi!"

They were separated for 45 days. During the separation, he had nothing to eat but rotten foods, was injured yet denied medical attention, and slept in an overly crowded room with one dirty toilet.

He was even sent on a plane for deportation without his boy but was taken out of it at the last moment.

The hopelessness pushed him to attempt suicide, which he survived. When he was able to see his son again, the boy accused him of abandonment. Currently, his son suffers from emotional challenges and severe anxiety.

"This lawsuit is a tragic reminder of the devastating cruelty of the Trump administration's family separation policy. The damaging effects it has had on thousands of families will ripple for years. This episode was, and remains, a shameful blot on our country's treatment of immigrants. While the damage cannot be undone, one can only hope the courts will provide at least some level of relief," executive director of the Rhode Island ACLU affiliate, Steven Brown, declared.

The lawsuit claims that the government "tore" around 4,000 children from their parents from May 5 to June 26, 2018. Amid the reunification efforts that have been happening, there are still more than a thousand kids who are still away from their parents - a depth of the "government's failure."

Related Article: Families Separated by Trump Reunite, Thanks to the Biden Administration
Elephant seals are sleepyheads whenever they take a break on land: they can doze for up to 14 hours a day. But when theyre out in the sea, they are the mammal that sleeps the least of those that have ever been studied. They hardly spend two hours a day sleeping and they dont get all theat sleep in one shot. Instead, elephant seals nap in 10-minute intervals.

A recent study that examined hundreds of these mammals using a range of advanced technologies has shown that this extreme sleep pattern is the safest way that elephant seals have found to feed and rest, while simultaneously avoiding their only two notable predators: orcas and great white sharks.

Although its not entirely clear why we sleep, what does seem to be clear is that its a universal need within the animal kingdom. Practically all animals sleep. Some  such as the koala bear or the sloth  can sleep for more than 20 hours a day. It also seems clear that its impossible to live without sleep. And everything indicates that those hours of rest have a restorative effect, strengthening the immune system and helping the brain put things in order. Hence, biologists have great interest in understanding how much other species sleep. This knowledge can help them get to know animals better and learn more about this physiological obligation.

Until now, it wasnt known how and when marine mammals sleep in the sea and how our activities as humans might affect their ability to sleep, says Jessica Kendall-Bar, a marine biologist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. Previous studies only analyzed their sleep in captivity, but its clear that this doesnt accurately represent how they sleep in nature, adds the scientist. Kendall-Barr is lead author of the latest research on this subject, which was recently published in the journal Science.

Less than 60 miles from Californian cities such as San Francisco or San Jose, you can find one of the largest communities of northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris). Every year, more than 10,000 of these creatures arrive on the beaches of Ano Nuevo State Park to mate and breed. From the phocid family, these seals are enormous, with the males weighing up to seven tons, rivalling elephants in size. Much is known about their behavior on land, but these mammals spend most of the year  up to eight months  on long sea voyages throughout the northern Pacific Ocean in search of food. Elephant seals spend most of this time diving, going deep into the sea to catch squid and fish, including small sharks. They only come to the surface for a minute or two to breathe and recharge their lungs. And, until recently, it wasnt known how, when or where they slept.

Normally, each adult female dive lasts about 30 minutes, although the [babies] have shorter dives, Kendall-Bar explains. Depending on the age of the animal, they sleep for about 10 minutes. Their naps are proportionally scaled, such that the average underwater sleep duration for juveniles was 5 to 10 minutes, while adult females had 10-minute-long naps with approximately another 10 minutes for descent and 10 minutes for ascent. In a daily cycle, elephant seals sleep less than two hours a day, while young females sleep for even less.

To find all of this out, Kendall-Bar and her colleagues devised a complex tracking and monitoring system. They designed neoprene helmets, capable of performing both electroencephalograms  recordings of brain activity  and electrocardiograms, to track the heart rate. They also fitted some 340 adult seals with devices to record their position, depth or orientation. In this way, they were able to estimate what sleep was like in those short periods of time. Like humans and the vast majority of animals, these seals have polyphasic sleep. That is, they have at least two phases of sleep: a first called slow wave sleep (SWS) and a second, called rapid eye movement sleep (or REM phase).

The technology carried by the elephant seals made it possible to observe that, in some of the dives, they entered the SWS phase while descending, maintaining their position. But, after a while, they begin to fall in a spiral, slowly, like leaves falling from the tree, before finally ending up face up, or floating on the seabed. There, they enter REM sleep, the deepest sleep. After two or three refreshing minutes, they suddenly wake up and slowly rise to the surface to breathe.

A southern elephant seal yawns on beach in Argentina's Patagonia. DEA / P. JACCOD (De Agostini via Getty Images)

They sleep at a depth of up to 1,200 feet below the surface. Generally, these naps begin around 200 to 300 feet below the photic zone (where sunlight reaches). Although killer whales and sharks can theoretically dive to these depths, they usually spend most of their time hunting marine mammals near the surface of the ocean, where they can see them best. Therefore, the dark depths  where elephant seals sleep  are likely to be safer.

Daniel Costa, a biologist at the University of California at Santa Cruz and senior author of the study, notes that, in addition to security concerns, the seals need to nap after eating.

In previous work, we saw that the same areas where elephant seals sleep are where they make the most successful dives to feed. Many of their sleeping dives are associated with taking time to digest their prey. During sleep drift dives, the seal is able to focus the flow of blood and oxygen into its gastrointestinal tract to process food, rather than using it to propel itself through the water in search of prey. These animals have a finite amount of oxygen in their bodies on each dive  they need to distribute it to be more efficient.

Another piece of information highlights the role of predators in these sleep patterns. Using GPS, the researchers were able to see that the elephant seals slept less the closer they were to their base on Ano Nuevo and the closer to shore their dives were. As they got further away, their sleep became longer and more frequent. We suspect that its because there are more predators in the coastal zone. Great white sharks are more common near the Ano Nuevo colony. In the middle of the Pacific, the risk of encountering a shark or an orca is much lower. The elephant seals are safer out there, Costa explains.

The elephant seals beat (or at least tie) the animal that, until now, was believed to sleep least: the land elephant. Despite sharing a name, both species have little in common, beyond being mammals. The elephant seal bears the name because of its enormous size and because it has a kind of trunk. As for sleeping, there have been studies looking at elephants since the 1930s, but almost all of these observations have been of elephants in captivity. When captured, the data shows that the animals tend to sleep more. However, in 2017, a study followed two matriarchs from Botswanas Chobe National Park. On average, it was found that, when able to roam free, they sleep for about two hours each day.

The work explains that the short sleep of elephants is due to the high risk of being attacked by lions, but also because of their enormous size and need to feed. Paul Manger, a professor of Anatomical Science at South Africas University of the Witwatersrand and author of the elephant study, emphasizes the size factor: Theres a clear relationship between body size and sleep. The larger the body, the less the daily amount of sleep. Both elephant seals and African elephants are large animals, so they tend to sleep less, he tells EL PAIS via email. As for which creature sleeps less, Manger is clear: the land elephants.

When the elephant seals are in the sea, these creatures sleep for two hours a day but when theyre on land, they sleep for more than 10 hours! Its very different from the African elephant, who only sleeps two hours a day overall.

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Protestant apologist Jason Engwer wrote the article, Attempts To Make A Biblical Case For Prayers To The Dead (Trialblogue, 6-9-08). His words will be in blue.

*****

The Biblical record gives us a lot of information about how the people of God in past ages lived in a large variety of circumstances, and prayer to God is mentioned often, whereas prayer to the deceased isnt mentioned at all. There are hundreds of passages on prayer in the Bible, covering thousands of years of history. In all of that context, were never encouraged to pray to the dead.

Thats not true. The rich man in Hades prayed to the long-dead Abraham (Luke 16), and Saul made an petition to the dead prophet Samuel (1 Sam 28:14-20). Though it was in the context of a sinful occultic seance of sorts, nevertheless, the text provides no hint that this was not the actual Samuel (rather than an impersonating demon, which is the usual Protestant reply). The text says, Saul knew that it was Samuel (28:14, RSV), and the narrator refers to Samuel four times (28:12, 15-16, 20). Moreover, Samuel gave a true prophecy, which came true the next day. Demons dont do that; they lie and deceive.

To the contrary, scripture condemns any attempt to contact the deceased (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, Isaiah 8:19, 19:3).

Thats necromancy and occultic practices which are condemned, not the communion of saints.

The evidence from the earliest patristic sources is against the practice as well. Tertullian, Origen, and Cyprian wrote treatises on the subject of prayer without encouraging prayers to the dead. Instead, they either state or imply that prayer is to be offered only to God. Origen in particular is emphatic on the point (Against Celsus, 5:4-5, 5:11, 8:26; On Prayer, 10).

Some of the Church fathers didnt get it, which is the case with just about every doctrine. There are always slow learners and late learners. The great majority of the fathers, however, did get it. So if were gonna count patristic heads, Catholics win.

In this post, I want to address some of the few New Testament passages commonly cited in support of the practice. As you think about these passages, ask yourself why advocates of praying to the dead have to resort to such argumentation.

Well, Ive explained many times why I resort to these arguments. Its because they are biblical! What Ive asked myself is why Protestants continue to reject practices that are explicitly biblical (taught right from the lips of Jesus) and the consensus of the Church fathers.

Sometimes the Mount of Transfiguration will be cited, as if Moses and Elijah are recipients of prayers to the dead. But Moses and Elijah had returned to life on earth. No prayer is involved.

I agree, but I would also ask, why did God will for these dead men to appear on the earth, if in fact He desires no contact at all between the living and the departed?

And the only one who spoke with them was Jesus. Peter, James, and John didnt speak to them.

The text doesnt rule out possible discourse with the disciples. It simply doesnt mention it. Since the dead man Samuel talked to a man on the earth, and received a petition from him (which he refused, as it was against Gods will), and the dead Abraham talked to a man in Hades, and received two petitions from him (which he refused, as they were against Gods will), its entirely permissible and possible.

Even if we were to conclude, without good reason, that Jesus had been praying to Moses and Elijah, Jesus isnt merely human. Hes also God.

God has no reason to pray to men. The texts say that He was talking to them.

Another passage commonly cited in support of praying to the dead is Revelation 5:8. But the elders in that passage are referred to as carrying the prayers, not as the recipients of the prayers. (The earliest patristic commentators on Revelation 5:8 refer to the prayers in that passage as being offered to God, not to the elders.

Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and with golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints;

The question Ive asked over and over (and have never seen a Protestant answer yet) is: what in the world are dead men in heaven doing with the prayers of the saints ? If they have nothing whatsoever to do with the process and practice of prayer, why do they possess prayers of other people (the saints)? This makes no sense at all from a Protestant perspective. They simply would never have them. All those prayers would have gone to God and no one else would have been involved, because God wouldnt have allowed it: so says Protestants. If folks prayed to or invoked saints, God would make them deaf to the prayers or intercessory requests. Thats what Protestants believe: even though the Bible clearly teaches that saints in heaven are fully aware of earthly events (Hebrews 12:1: see my commentary).

But in the Catholic and Orthodox views, its easily explained: people on earth ask saints to intercede for them to God; therefore, the dead saints are intermediaries, have the requests, and present them to God to be either fulfilled or denied, according to His will. Its consistent with our position, and utterly inconsistent with the Protestant one. In all such cases, I follow the inspired, inerrant Bible, not a false Protestant belief that contradicts the Bible.

Revelation 8:4, which uses similar imagery, refers to the prayers going to God.

Yes, of course. Hes the ultimate recipient of all prayers precisely because He is God.

Revelation 8:3-4 And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer; and he was given much incense to mingle with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar before the throne; [4] and the smoke of the incense rose with the prayers of the saints from the hand of the angel before God.

But the problem is precisely the same as with Revelation 5:8: why do these angels have anything to do with prayers of the saints? All this shows is that we can invoke angels and ask them to intercede, too. Its no help for the Protestant unbiblical and anti-traditional position at all.

Just as the harps in Revelation 5:8 are likely used to play music to God, the prayers mentioned in the same passage most likely are directed to God, not to the elders.

Were not denying that. This is why we refer to the intercession of the saints. Were asking them to pray for us to God because their prayers have much more power (Jas 5:16). We say, for example, Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us . . . Thats not an ultimate recipient of prayer; its an example of an intercessor; a prayer warrior.

The elders are presenters of the prayers, not recipients of them.

Exactly! Now Jason is starting to get it! And why are they presenting the prayers of others? And how is this not a form of intercession or intermediary effort on their part? Id love to hear an answer, but Jason has decided to never respond to my critiques (though he actually slipped and did recently, without mentioning my name as the one whose argument he was replying to).

In 6:9-10, we see the martyred saints asking God for justice.

Yep. They are praying for those on earth. Since they are doing that, and since saints in heaven are quite aware and interested in what happens on the earth (the implication of Hebrews 12:1) it follows straightforwardly that we can and ought to ask for their intercession to God on our behalf or the sake of others.

And we ought to ask, given that millions of prayers are offered to the dead every day among Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, for example, how likely is it that, if the practice was accepted in Biblical times, all that we would be able to find to reflect that fact in the Biblical record would be possible allusions in passages like the Mount of Transfiguration and Revelation 5:8? If praying to the dead had been an accepted practice in Biblical times, we would expect it to be mentioned many times in many contexts, explicitly. But it isnt.

It is, twice, and is strongly  if not explicitly  implied in these passages in Revelation, twice. See my early responses above.

Catholics and Orthodox who discuss this subject often try to shift the topic of discussion and confuse categories. Theyll enter a discussion about prayers to the dead and begin discussing prayers for the dead. Theyll cite passages in the Bible and the church fathers regarding whether the deceased pray for us, even though the issue is whether we should pray to them.

Sure, sometimes people are sloppy in logic. I havent done any of these things, myself.

Theyll cite passages about angels in a discussion about the deceased, as if the two are indistinguishable.

They are in the sense that both can be asked to intercede, per the Bible. Hence, Lot petitioned angels and his request was granted:

Genesis 19:13, 15, 18-21 for we are about to destroy this place, because the outcry against its people has become great before the LORD, and the LORD has sent us to destroy it. . . . [15] When morning dawned, the angels urged Lot, saying, Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.. . . [18] And Lot said to them, Oh, no, my lords; [19] behold, your servant has found favor in your sight, and you have shown me great kindness in saving my life; but I cannot flee to the hills, lest the disaster overtake me, and I die. [20] Behold, yonder city is near enough to flee to, and it is a little one. Let me escape there  is it not a little one?  and my life will be saved! [21] He said to him, Behold, I grant you this favor also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.

Note how God used angels as intermediaries to accomplish His will of destroying Sodom and Gomorrah. Likewise, He uses them as intercessors (and even in some sense, He allows them to answer the prayer and grant the favor. In this passage, both things are taking place. The Bible taught this; dont blame me!

Theyll assume that Biblical passages associating an angel or deceased person with prayer in some way, such as Revelation 5, must involve prayer thats directed to that angel or deceased person as a recipient, even though the passage doesnt make that association.

It strongly implies it. I want to hear a Protestant alt-explanation thats more plausible than how I interpret those passages. It never comes. Therefore, I continue to hold my view until such tome as I hear a more feasible explanation.

Theyll assume that if a passage of scripture tells us that the deceased know about some events on earth, then all deceased believers must know about other events on earth as well, such as prayers that are offered to them.

Hebrews 12:1 strongly implies that knowledge of earthly events and concern about them is a general characteristic of departed saints. If God wants them to receive intercessory requests, He is certainly able to do so. As far as I know, evangelicals havent denied Gods omnipotence and omniscience yet.

*** Practical Matters: Perhaps some of my 4,200+ free online articles (the most comprehensive one-stop Catholic apologetics site) or fifty-one books have helped you (by Gods grace) to decide to become Catholic or to return to the Church, or better understand some doctrines and why we believe them. Or you may believe my work is worthy to support for the purpose of apologetics and evangelism in general. If so, please seriously consider a much-needed financial contribution. Im always in need of more funds: especially monthly support. The laborer is worthy of his wages (1 Tim 5:18, NKJV). 1 December 2021 was my 20th anniversary as a full-time Catholic apologist, and February 2022 marked the 25th anniversary of my blog. PayPal donations are the easiest: just send to my email address: apologistdave@gmail.com. Youll see the term Catholic Used Book Service, which is my old side-business. To learn about the different methods of contributing, including 100% tax deduction, etc., see my page: About Catholic Apologist Dave Armstrong / Donation Information. Thanks a million from the bottom of my heart!

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Integrated marketing and Communications Company, Global Media Alliance has announced its preparedness to host the 7th edition of the prestigious Ghana Beverage Awards (GBA) scheduled to come off on Friday, April 21 2023 at the plush Kempinski Gold Coast City Accra.



According to the organizers, the awards night promises patrons a night full of captivating experiences whiles rewarding ingenuity and effort of players of the beverage industry.



Speaking ahead of the event, Chief Executive Officer for Global Media Alliance, Ernest Boateng, lauded the participating beverage companies for their high level of participation in all activities that were earmarked to herald the awards night.



As organizers, we followed with keen interest the high levels of energy and enthusiasm that was channeled into the various activities held to herald the main event and I must say that years participation has been exceptional. We would like to express our sincerest gratitude for your commitment, and we make a solemn promise to innovate and make GBA always worth looking forward to.



Since inception, the awards scheme has grown on all levels including the number of votes, entries and categories; a true reflection of your growing acceptance of the scheme which we never take for granted. As always, we will continue to welcome and acknowledge your feedback, as part of efforts to cement the schemes position as a reference point for excelling beverage companies who have demonstrated commitment to satisfying the ever-changing needs of consumers, he said.



He noted that his outfit is committed to providing an unforgettable experience for patrons and well wishers of the beverage industry.



Our theme which seeks to inspire excellence is the benchmark of the experience we seek to give patrons of the night. Trust our team of event managers to exceed expectations of patrons.



GBA is proudly supported by the Food and Beverage Association of Ghana (FABAG), Consumer Protection Agency (CPA), Food Research Institute (FRI) under CSIR, Silverbird Cinemas, Perception Management International (PMI) ,Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture and the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA).Its media partners are: Citi FM, Happy FM, YFM, Neesim FM Bolga Neesim FM Tamale, eTV Ghana, Mx 24, Business and Financial Times, Nyjdlive.com, Daily Guide and Ghanaweb.



Source: Peacefmonline.com









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Residents of Sudan's capital say parts of Khartoum feel like a ghost town, in stark contrast to the joyful mood usually seen during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.



After a week of fighting between two factions of the country's military leadership at least 400 people have been killed.



Witnesses say bombing, shelling and gunfire continue in Khartoum.



It means a three-day truce called by the UN, US and others has failed.



People in Khartoum and its twin city of Omdurman tell the BBC they are still feeling a mixture of shock and anger.



Two women crying at the entrance to a mosque explain they have lost several family members - including two children.



Eid is the Muslim festival marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan - and Sudanese people usually relish it as a time for visiting family and eating together with their neighbours, while children play and enjoy sweets.



Prayer services would normally be packed on Eid, but on Friday many mosques in Khartoum and Omdurman are almost empty as people shelter at home.



Others meanwhile have fled the capital for their home regions.



Two previous attempted ceasefires failed to take effect.



Diplomatic pressure is being stepped up to end the fighting - with numerous countries and international bodies calling for an immediate ceasefire and offering to mediate.



At its heart, this is a power struggle between two powerful military men over the roadmap for returning the country to civilian rule.



As part of that plan the country's current military government - made up of the army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) led by Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo - were supposed to merge their forces.



But the RSF has resisted this change, and began to mobilise its troops which escalated into full-blown fighting between the two sides on Saturday.



The UN has warned that between 10,000 and 20,000 people - mostly women and children - have fled Sudan, to seek safety in neighbouring Chad.



US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday appealed to the warring military leaders separately to join a ceasefire at least until Sunday - warning of the risk to civilians as well as humanitarian and diplomatic workers.



A Sudanese army statement said Gen Burhan had received calls from the Turkish, South Sudanese and Ethiopian leaders, as well as Mr Blinken and the Saudi and Qatari foreign ministers.

Source: BBC









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The AfCFTA business forum has just ended and it assembled some of the most accomplished and pathbreaking businessmen and women on the continent.



Speaking on the panel of logistics, the CEO of the Mcdan group challenged successful African entrepreneurs to pull together to create continental mega-companies to rival global conglomerates.



He lamented that for a continent with a combined GDP of $3.3T and the fastest growing economies, no African corporation is large enough to compete with the established entities of the world in the areas of transport and logistics and other businesses.



Dr. Mckorley stressed that the Mcdan group has demonstrated its commitment to helping drive the AfCFTA agenda and its adoption of a working memoranda and other ongoing interventions to promote seamless trade on the continent are just examples of how companies on the continent can come to the table.



He further stressed that the potential outturn of AfCFTA is promising for all big players involved and accordingly there is no need for unproductive competitive behavior between African players hence his call for joint venture partnership initiatives to shore up capacity to deliver under AfCFTA.



The conference gathered a wide variety of business actors and stakeholders including policymakers, government officials, regulatory agencies, business leaders, consulting experts, and academics and the event was held in Cape Town, South Africa.

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The Attorney General, Godfred Yeboah Dame, has filed an appeal against the decision of an Accra High Court to restart the trial of former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Dr. Stephen Opuni and Seidu Agongo, all over again, arguing that the decision violates the principles of fair trial.



Mr. Dame, in a notice of appeal filed at the Court of Appeal, argues that the trial judge, Justice Kwasi Anokye Gyimah, misdirected himself in the application of the principles regarding the adoption of evidence in a trial.



Dr. Opuni and private businessman, Seidu Agongo, are accused of causing over GH217 million financial loss to the state and have been on trial at an Accra High Court since March 2018, charged with 27 offences.



The prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Yvonne Atakora Obuobisa, called seven witnesses to prove the charges against the accused persons who were extensively cross-examined by defence lawyers, some spanning about six months.



The prosecution closed its case on March 30, 2021 and Dr. Opuni has since opened his defence and called seven out of the eleven witnesses he intended to rely on to prove his innocence.



But the case had to be reassigned to another judge following the retirement of Justice Honyenuga (rtd) and the expiration of the six months extension granted him by the Chief Justice in accordance with the 1992 Constitution.



Justice Gyimah, in a ruling on whether to adopt the old proceedings or start the trial afresh, had held that it would be unfair for the court to ignore the allegations made against the previous judge and adopt the previous proceedings as they were.



He said the law requires fairness towards an accused person and the principle of presumption of innocence until proven guilty should not be overlooked by the court.



The judge also pointed out that in order for the court to have first-hand information in the trial and pay attention to the demeanour of witnesses, the court will start the trial from scratch.



Appeal



The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Mr. Dame, has filed a notice of appeal and avers that the trial judge exercised his discretion wrongly in arriving at a conclusion that he will be saddled with the same suspicions and allegations of unfairness levelled against the current state of proceedings, which have already been dealt with by the Supreme Court.



The AG argues that the judge ignored the point that the only motion pending before the trial court was an application for the previous judge to recuse himself, which had been rendered moot by the judges retirement and subsequent placement of the case before the new judge.



Again, the notice of appeal avers that the new judge in relying on irrelevant factors already disposed of by Superior Courts, unfairly gave the accused persons a second bite at the cherry.



The decision of the court to start the trial de novo (afresh) has occasioned a miscarriage of justice as it will hinder an efficient trial of the accused persons in the instant case, the AG avers.



Again, the notice of appeal also argues that the ruling of the court was contrary to the principles of fair trial contained in Article 19 of the 1992 Constitution and as decided by the Supreme Court in the Republic vs Eugene Baffoe-Bonnie case in 2020.



The learned Judge erred, in the circumstances of the instant case, in placing an undue premium on the need to assess the demeanour of the witnesses called at the trial, he pointed out.



The notice of appeal is, therefore, seeking an order setting aside the ruling directing that the trial be started afresh.



The notice of appeal is also asking for an order that the evidence led at the trial so far be adopted by the trial judge.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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Minister of Roads and Highways, Kwasi Amoako-Atta has stated that the $135m Obetsebi-Lamptey interchange project in the national capital, Accra, has not been abandoned.



He stated that the project, which is part of a number of initiatives being undertaken by the government to improve urban transportation in Accras western areas, has been temporarily halted for project re-alignment.



Speaking to journalists after inspection tours of some road projects in Accra on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, the Minister indicated that any such impression was erroneous.



Similarly, he stated that the beach road project had been halted because we are re-aligning the projects and putting a few issues together.



Each of them, if you go to the site you will find skeletal staff there. So the projects have not been abandoned, he insisted.



Mr. Amoako-Atta stated that work on all key projects, including the Obetsebi Lamptey Junction and the Beach Road, would resume in the next four weeks.



The construction of the $135 million Obetsebi-Lamptey interchange road commenced in August 2021, after President Akufo-Addo broke ground.



M/S Queiroz Galvao-UK International is undertaking the Obetsebi-Lamptey road project, which is identical to the Tema Motorway Roundabout project, as a design and build contract.



The project involves construction of a three-tier interchange at the Obetsebi-Lamptey Circle, with a re-modelled roundabout at the ground level.



The second tier will consist of an east-west flyover connecting the Graphic Road to the Kaneshie-Mallam road, while the third tier will consist of a north-south flyover on the Ring Road West connecting the Ring Road from the Royal Chapel Church to the Central Mosque at AbosseyOkai.



Mr. Amoako-Atta stated that around 90 per cent of the work had been completed and that it would take three months for all works to be completed in order for it to be ready for commission.



Inspection



The minister inspected ongoing road projects like the Flowerpot roundabout flyover, the School Junction-Motorway route (5.8km), the Tema Roundabout, and the proposed Burma Hills roundabout location.



He expressed delight at the progress of work by the contractors, Messrs Oswal Investments Limited and China Railway No.5 Engineering Ghana Limited.



He entreated the contractors to maintain high safety standards and take into consideration the inconveniences arising out of the project in order to reduce them as much as possible.



I know you are professionals. There are some contractors that when they are undertaking road construction think they are doing the people a favour.



We are not doing anybody any favour in this country. They have given us a job to do. So road construction, whether it is within built-up areas or on the highway, we must ensure that we maintain high safety standards, he stressed.



I am pleased and happy with what I have seen while visiting this site. I, the Minister representing the employer, want to part you on your shoulders, he submitted.



The Flowerpot project, which consists of one mainline bridge (802m), two ramp bridges (220m), four auxiliary roads (2.5km) and ancillary works, comes after the construction of the East Legon vehicular underpass failed to reduce congestion.



The physical progress of work done is 42%, and the relocation of GWCL 33 water mains across the East Legon underpass, and the provision and maintenance of traffic management systems throughout construction, has been difficult.



For the School Junction project, it has come on stream as a result of Ghanas hosting of the 13th African Games this year.



As part of the preparation, a new Olympic-sized stadium is being built at Borteyman and an access road to the stadium had to be constructed as the route was un-engineered.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Social networks are facing a colossal cliff in the US. Their business model has been singled out by a tsunami of lawsuits from individuals, educational institutions and public prosecutors. They accuse the platforms of consciously damaging the mental health of young people. And not just because of the content they help disseminate: the very design of the product, the claimants argue, seeks addiction in order to ensnare the user. The more time people spend hooked to the screen, the greater the economic benefits from advertising. This vicious circle, the lawsuits argue, is having terrible effects on children and teenagers, who suffer from depression, eating disorders or even suicidal tendencies.

A 16-year-old Utah girl becomes so obsessed with her body image after getting hooked on Instagram that she develops anorexia and bulimia. A nine-year-old Michigan boy spends so many nights watching YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat videos that he ends up uploading a nude photo of himself that goes viral. An 11-year-old Connecticut girl deals for two years with an extreme addiction to Instagram and Snapchat before spiraling into insomnia and depression that leads her to take her own life. These harrowing cases, reported last year by Bloomberg, are among hundreds of private lawsuits filed against social networks in recent months.

Two hundred of them have joined together in a class-action lawsuit. Filed in the Northern District of California in March, the lawsuit charges that Meta (for Facebook and Instagram), Snap (for Snapchat), ByteDance (the company that owns TikTok) and Google (for YouTube) are seriously harming the mental health of young Americans. The process is currently in the pleadings phase. The U.S. Supreme Court is due to decide in June whether the lawsuit goes forward or is dismissed.

This newspaper has contacted the four technology companies to inquire about their position on the process. All of them have declined to comment specifically on the lawsuit, beyond assuring that they are taking steps to strengthen content control. We have developed more than 30 tools to support teens and their families, including features that allow parents to decide when and for how long their children can use Instagram, notes, for example, Antigone Davis, global director of Meta Security. The company led by Mark Zuckerberg has just reached an out-of-court settlement to compensate users of Facebook whose data was leaked to Cambridge Analytica with 725 million dollars.

Our case doesnt just look at the content of the platforms, the issue is deeper than that. We allude to the very design of the social networks: from the age verification systems, or the lack of them, to different features of the platform itself that, we argue, were specifically designed to be addictive, Joseph VanZandt, of the Beasley Allen firm, explains to EL PAIS by videoconference. VanZandt leads the legal counsel coordinating the class action lawsuit, which involves two other law firms and several private lawyers.

Former Facebook employee Frances Haugen appeared in October 2021 before a U.S. Senate subcommittee in the wake of the tech company's document leak. Pool (Getty Images)

Everything from the way videos and posts are displayed and arranged, to the design and placement of buttons, is designed to foster addiction and keep users coming back to the platform again and again, VanZandt argues. In addition to the design of social networks themselves, the demand impacts how the platforms algorithms work. They are designed to give more traction to content that increases interactions and engagement on the platform. All with the aim of increasing advertising revenue, he stresses. To test this, we are working with a wide network of experts who argue how these springs work, as well as the impact they have on young people. We are confident in our ability to be able to prove that our customers are being harmed by these products.

A tsunami of lawsuits

The first case accepted by VanZadts team was that of Brianna Murden, a 21-year-old who started using social networks at the age of 10. After years of exposure to content from various platforms selected by algorithms, subjected to a torrent of notifications 24 hours a day, [the networks] have caused her depression, insomnia and eating disorders, among others. In August last year, they filed a lawsuit against Meta and other platforms. A few weeks later, they had dozens of similar petitions. The same thing happened in other offices. The torrent of lawsuits soon became a tsunami. Hence, they decided to file a class action lawsuit.

Californias is not the only lawsuit filed against social networks over this issue. In January of this year, Seattle Public Schools sued TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Snapchat, pointing to them as responsible for ruining the mental health of teenagers. It was the first time a public institution took legal action against social networks. After the Seattle school institution came those of New Jersey, Florida or Pennsylvania. Similar proceedings have also been initiated by the attorneys general of Indiana or Arkansas, among others. At this rate, it seems that social networks will face lawsuits in every state in the country, said Jim Steyer, president of Common Sense Media, a well-known NGO that evaluates the impact of technology and media on children.

The brief from the Seattle schools, which represent more than 100 schools with some 50,000 students, argues that the algorithms of these platforms are showing young Americans potentially harmful content and causing harmful emotional impacts. It is also said that victims of social networks with severe addiction can be affected by mental and physical problems. The lawsuit claims that schools are unable to properly educate children because of social media addiction and related consequences.

A group of female students at a high school in Austin, Texas, operate their tablets in class. Bob Daemmrich (Corbis via Getty Images)

We want these companies to be held accountable for their actions and the damage they are causing. Not only to the students, but also to Seattle Public Schools, which has to bear the operational burden and increasing costs attributable to this mental health crisis, Greg C. Narver, head of the legal department of the educational institution, tells this newspaper. Those costs include hiring psychologists, specific training for faculty, updating textbooks, and restitution of property damaged by emotionally disturbed students.

We cannot give a concrete figure of how many students currently have mental problems. However, we have experienced a sharp increase in requests from schools and students for mental health-related services, Narver adds.

The elephant in the room of social media

Several studies attest to the worsening mental health of young Americans. A recent report by the countrys national public health agency certifies that the mental health of students continues to worsen, and that many feel so bad or hopeless that they cannot carry out their daily activities normally. The class action lawsuit and those filed by educational institutions cite dozens of scientific articles that accredit the relationship between the intensive use of social networks and certain mental problems: from anxiety, depression, insomnia, eating disorders or cyberbullying to self-harm and suicide. A UK court ruled last year for the first time that social networks were behind a young woman taking her own life. The State of Utah, governed by Republican Spencer Cox, has decided to restrict the use of social networks among minors, who will need parental consent to use them and will not have them active from 10.30 pm to 6.30 am.

For years, the effect of platforms on mental health was ignored. It was an elephant in the room that is suddenly out in the open. This was helped by Frances Haugen, the former Facebook employee who leaked hundreds of official documents to The Wall Street Journal and fueled one of the biggest journalistic investigations in recent times, published throughout September 2021. The papers showed that the tech executives were aware that Facebook and Instagram algorithms were spreading among teenagers, especially girls, the goodness of anorexia or even suicidal thoughts. According to the technology companys own research, 6% of American teenagers and 13% of British teenagers who said they had considered suicide were prompted to do so by Instagram.

We expect our case to be justified, in no small part, by the defendants own documents and by the testimony of employees and former employees of the platforms, Narver acknowledges, alluding to Haugens papers. She was the trigger. Her revelations helped us understand how big the problem really is. Many families then understood what was happening to their children, stresses VanZandt.

For the U.S. lawyer, the wave of lawsuits against social networks resembles the lawsuits suffered by tobacco companies in the 1990s. The analogy is appropriate because of their procedural similarities, but also because the documents revealed by Haugen suggest that Facebook executives knew the extent to which their products could be harmful.

A complex process

Will the lawsuits filed against the big networks prosper? I dont know if it has any legal standing, but what I do know is that it is a wake-up call. Until now, the design of social networks was left entirely in the hands of private companies. Now we see that they can have consequences on mental health and, therefore, we have to correct the course, says Sergio Juan-Creix, a lawyer and expert in digital law and professor at the UOC.

One of the keys to the case will be to see if the Supreme Court considers that the platforms can avail themselves of section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, which exempts technology companies, with few exceptions, from liability for content published on them by third parties. The plaintiff will have to prove that there is a link between the features of the platform, the activities they enable and the harm to the mental health of young people. I dont think it will be easy to prove, considers Rodrigo Cetina, professor of law at the Barcelona School of Management, the business school of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

To date, the courts have stopped several lawsuits against social networks when they relied on Section 230. One case, Gonzalez V. Google, is due to be resolved in June or July, which will test the Supreme Courts interpretation of this article. The suit was brought by the family of an American woman killed in the Bataclan attack in Paris. The plaintiffs allege that exposure to YouTube radicalized the terrorists, ultimately redounding in the attack that led to the young womans death.

The Gonzalez V. Google ruling will be important in our process, but not definitive, because we go beyond content: we argue that, like slot machines, social networks are designed to be addictive. And that this entails a series of harms of which their creators are aware, says VanZandt.

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The Public Utilities Workers Union (PUWU) of the Trades Union Congress TUC and some staff of the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) are protesting the nomination of a Deputy Managing Director, Finance and Administration, Collins Nuntwiri to the company.



Clad in red, the union and the staff bemoan that Mr. Nuntwiri does not have the required qualification for the job and thus should not be considered for the position.



Addressing the media, the first Vice Trustee of the Public Utilities Workers Union, Samuel Amo-Kakabaah, called on the appointing authority to consider someone from the company with expertise other than an unqualified one.



We are here to register our position on the nomination of a Deputy Managing Director-Finance and Administration for Ghana Water. Our position is spelt out in the petition we have written to the Chief of Staff, we have copied the director of SIGA, board chairman of Ghana Water, Managing Director and the Minister. Our position is very clear and simple, we want to state on record that we are not against the appointment of heads of entity by the presidency, but our concern is that the position of the Managing Director is an appointee of the presidency, but the Deputy Managing Directors position is a position we feel should be filled with people with both the technical and institutional knowledge of our operations.



We believe that the technical people will also help the Managing Director who is a political appointee to do his work appropriately. The profile of the purported nominee indicates that he lacks the requisite professional qualification to be a Deputy MD. We want the appointing authority to consider that.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The KGL Foundation, in partnership with the Road 2 Jannah Foundation, has embarked on a charitable initiative to donate food items to various organizations in Ghana, in preparation for the upcoming Ramadan festivities. The office of the National Chief Imam, Akropong School for the Blind, Fadama, Weija Leprosarium, Abossey Okai Zongo, and Rahma Orphanage Home are among the beneficiaries of this noble gesture.



The KGL Foundation, known for its philanthropic activities and commitment to community development, has once again stepped forward to extend its support to those in need. Ramadan, the holy month of fasting and reflection for Muslims, is a time of giving and sharing with those who are less fortunate. In this spirit of compassion, the KGL Foundation has joined hands with the Road 2 Jannah Foundation to provide essential food items to various institutions and communities in Ghana.



The beneficiaries of this initiative include The National Chief Imam, who leads the Muslim community in Ghana and plays a significant role in promoting peace and unity among all religious groups in the country. The Akropong School for the Blind, a renowned institution dedicated to the education and well-being of visually impaired students, will also receive support from the KGL Foundation and the Road 2 Jannah Foundation. In addition, the Fadama community, known for its vibrant Muslim population, will benefit from this donation, along with the Weija Leprosarium, a facility that provides care and support to individuals affected by leprosy.



The Abossey Okai Zongo, a predominantly Muslim community known for its rich cultural heritage, will also receive assistance from the KGL Foundation and the Road 2 Jannah Foundation. Lastly, the Rahma Orphanage Home, a charitable organization that provides shelter and care to orphaned and vulnerable children, will also benefit from this generous donation.



Speaking about this initiative, Mr. Elliot Dadey, CEO of KGL Foundation, expressed his gratitude to the Road 2 Jannah Foundation for their partnership in this endeavor. He emphasized the importance of giving back to the community, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, and reiterated the KGL Foundation's commitment to supporting those in need.



The Road 2 Jannah Foundation, a non-profit organization that aims to promote Islamic values and provide humanitarian aid, expressed its appreciation for the collaboration with the KGL Foundation. They acknowledged the KGL Foundation's consistent efforts in making a positive impact on communities and individuals across Ghana.



The food items donated by the KGL Foundation and the Road 2 Jannah Foundation include rice, cooking oil, sugar, canned goods, and other essential items that will help ensure that the beneficiaries can observe the Ramadan fast in a dignified manner. The organizations receiving the donations expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the support, which will go a long way in alleviating the hardships faced by the less privileged during this auspicious month.



The KGL Foundation and the Road 2 Jannah Foundation's joint effort to donate food items for the Ramadan festivities reflect their commitment to giving back to the community and promoting compassion, solidarity, and inclusivity. Their generosity and philanthropic spirit serve as an inspiration to others and highlight the importance of collective efforts in creating a positive impact in society.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Former NDC Central Regional Chairman, Bernard Allotey Jacobs has warned political parties against making statements that potentially stoke violence and chaos.



Allotey Jacobs, who has ceased joining the NDC, bemoaned the political theatrics and strategy by politicians to charge up their supporters and incite them to action.



He noted that their kind of politics needs a major transformation.



"We have maligned people in this country. We've character assassinated people in this country but we have reached a stage where there should be clean politics," he snapped while making his submissions on Peace FM's show "Kokrokoo" Wednesday morning.



He feared politicians are leaving a bad imprint on the youth and generations to come, hence emphasizing that "we have reached a stage where our politics should be clean. Clean politics, not politics of deceit but truthful politics. Let us digest the truth and tell the people the truth".



Allotey Jacobs made these comments in relation to the Ghana Police Service engagement with the two largest political parties, the New Patriotic Party and National Democratic Congress on Monday, April 17 where the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Dr. George Akufo Dampare assured them of their impartiality to enforce law and order.



The IGP also cautioned the parties against interfering in the work of the Police and further briefed them on some initiatives the Police Service has implemented under its Police Transformation Agenda to enhance security in all elections.



Watch video below





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The National Democratic Congress (NDC) while confirming a meeting with the Ghana Police Service has expressed their disagreement with some of the issues raised.



The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Monday, April 17, met the Inspector General of Police, Dr. George Dampare where he assured them of the Police impartiality in maintaining law and order and further warned them to desist from interfering with their work.



He also briefed both parties on some initiatives by the Police to secure the nation.



However, in a statement, the NDC claims they "disagreed with the Police on a number of critical issues"



"Representatives of the party at the said meeting further expressed dissatisfaction over the inaction of the Police in investigating the killing of some Ghanaians during the 2020 General Election in the Techiman South and Ablekuma Central Constituencies. In this regard, the party vehemently rejected the Polices claim that it was unable to identify the Military Officers and other people in uniform, who shot and killed these innocent Ghanaian citizens.



"The party made the point forcefully, that the said military officers were under the Command of the Military High Command, and were deployed to these locations on that fateful day under strict instructions. It could not therefore be said that their identities were unknown. In any case, some of these incidents were captured on camera and several videos in circulation, which could provide a lead to the Police in their investigations. The party therefore charged the Police to expedite action on these serious murder cases.



"The party expressed displeasure at the inhumane and degrading treatment that was meted out to a young activist of the party called Mohammed Nasir, who was arrested in connection with disturbances at the recent NDC National Youth and Women conference in Cape Coast. Mohammed Nazir was beaten and tortured for four days continuously while in Police custody," portions of a statement signed by the party's National Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi read.



Read the full statement below



RE: POLICE MEET LEADERSHIP OF NPP AND NDC OVER HAPPENINGS ON THE POLITICAL FRONT.



The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has taken notice of a recent statement authored by the Ghana Police Service under the above caption, dated 17th April, 2023.



The party would like to confirm that indeed, upon the invitation of the Inspector General of Police, the leadership of the NDC participated in a meeting with the top brass of the Ghana Police Service on 17th April, 2023, to discuss some pertinent issues of concern to us.



While commending the Police for the cordial nature of the discussions, and for their initiative in establishing a Police Election Security Secretariat to work with Political Parties to enhance election security and other politically-related matters, the NDC at the said meeting disagreed with the Police on a number of critical issues as follows:



1. The leadership of the party disagreed with the position of the Police that the inflammatory and incendiary comments made By Bryan Acheampong to the effect that, the New Patriotic Party will not hand-over power to the NDC in 2025, did not pass the test of criminality. We made the point, and still stand by same, that the statement by Bryan Acheampong breaches Section 207 of the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), to wit, offensive conduct conducive to the breach of the peace.



We contended and still maintain, that the said comments by Bryan Acheampong was intended, and did actually incite supporters of the ruling NPP to act in a manner that has the tendency and likelihood to breach public peace in the aftermath of the 2024 General Elections.



2. The leadership of the NDC registered our displeasure over the handling of Police investigations into the murder of Silas Wulochamey, a 28-year-old teacher trainee graduate, who met his untimely death after he was stabbed by bandits associated with the New Patriotic Party at Banda Kabrono during the 2020 Voter Registration Exercise



Following this dastardly act, seven persons were arrested by the Police in connection with the heinous crime. Regrettably, the party noted, that nearly three years on, investigations into this serious matter have stalled, as the suspects have been unceremoniously granted bail without justifiable basis, while the Police claims to be unable to obtain a pathologist report. The party found these excuses untenable and unsatisfactory, and condemned the Polices handling of this important matter.



3. Representatives of the party at the said meeting further expressed dissatisfaction over the inaction of the Police in investigating the killing of some Ghanaians during the 2020 General Election in the Techiman South and Ablekuma Central Constituencies. In this regard, the party vehemently rejected the Polices claim that it was unable to identify the Military Officers and other people in uniform, who shot and killed these innocent Ghanaian citizens.



The party made the point forcefully, that the said military officers were under the Command of the Military High Command, and were deployed to these locations on that fateful day under strict instructions. It could not therefore be said that their identities were unknown. In any case, some of these incidents were captured on camera and several videos in circulation, which could provide a lead to the Police in their investigations. The party therefore charged the Police to expedite action on these serious murder cases.



4. The party expressed displeasure at the inhumane and degrading treatment that was meted out to a young activist of the party called Mohammed Nasir, who was arrested in connection with disturbances at the recent NDC National Youth and Women conference in Cape Coast. Mohammed Nazir was beaten and tortured for four days continuously while in Police custody.



The National Democratic Congress hereby wishes to reiterate these concerns, and to once again remind the Ghana Police Service to take a relook particularly at their stance on Bryan Acheampongs incendiary comments, consistent with their position on similar recent events. We expect the Police to act on this matter with the speed and urgency with which they acted in apprehending and prosecuting other political actors for making similar statements in recent time.



The party further expects the Police to act with dispatch in addressing the other concerns above-stated.



We believe that, this is the only way, the Police can engender the confidence of the Ghanaian people in the new interventions they have introduced.



Signed.

SAMMY GYAMFI ESQ.

NATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER







Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Seasoned Journalist, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. has called out critics speaking against former Minister for Science and Technology, Professor Kwabena Frimpong Boateng following his expose on illegal mining (galamsey) in the country.



A report authored by former Professor Frimpong-Boateng has indicted some New Patriotic Party officials at the Jubilee House of being actively involved in galamsey.



The 37-page report disclosed that some NPP bigwigs engaged the services of Chinese nationals to engage in galamsey on their behalf.



Throughout our struggle with illegalities in the small-scale mining sector, what baffled me was the total disregard of the Presidents commitment to protect the environment. I can state without any equivocation that many party officials from the National to the unit committee level had their friends, PAs, agents, relatives, financiers or relatives engaged in illegal mining.



Most of them engaged Chinese working for them. I am not referring to party people who had their legitimate concession and were mining sustainably as they were instructed to do. There are appointees in the Jubilee House that are doing or supporting illegal mining or interfering with the fight against the menace, parts of the report read.



Also, Professor Frimpong Boateng accused a former NPP Member of Parliament of using his position as a member of the Minerals Commission to acquire dozens of large-scale concessions in his district, ostensibly for community mining purposes but only for him to end up selling these concessions to private individuals for GHC 200,000 per concession.



This infuriated the party in the constituency so during the 2020 primaries to select a candidate the electorate voted against the sitting MP, who was more resourced than other candidates. Although there were allegations that he camped delegates and attempted to bribe them, he lost to a lesser known individual who did not have any financial muscle, the report further said.



Tackling the matter during Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Kwesi Pratt asked the critics to be fair to Professor Frimpong Boateng.



He wondered why the President did nothing about the report which, he disclosed, was sent to his office two years ago but only got his attention recently after Prof. Frimpong Boateng accused officials at the Jubilee House of their involvement in the illegal mining.



"We have to be fair to Professor Frimpong Boateng . . . at the same time we have to fair to those he accuses," he told host Nana Yaw Kesseh and, to him, "the only way to be fair to both parties is to insist that proper investigations are carried out".



Watch video below





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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The Office of the President has rubbished claims made by former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Chairperson of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, in a report on illegal small scale mining also known as galamsey in Ghana.



"At the outset, it must be pointed out that the document being discussed was not an official report formally delivered to the Office of the President. On the contrary, it can only be rightly referred to as a catalogue of personal grievances and claims made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, intended to respond to some issues he faced as Chairperson of the IMCIM," the statement posted on the Presidency's website said.



According to the Presidency, the document was handed to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President on March 19th 2021, in an informal meeting, where Prof. Frimpong-Boateng complained about public attacks and criticisms made about his tenure as Chairperson of the IMCIM.



"Indeed, the allegations contained in the document are at best hearsay. It is instructive that since Prof. Frimpong-Boatengs meeting with the Chief of Staff in March 2021, he has taken no step nor acted in furtherance of the matters contained in the document," it added.



Read full statement below



Press Statement On Prof. Frimpong-Boatengs Report



The attention of the Office of the President has been drawn to a publication in the media ostensibly quoting from a document authored by the former Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and Chairperson of the erstwhile Inter-Ministerial Committee on Illegal Mining (IMCIM), Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, which, allegedly, imputes wrongdoing on the part of some government appointees in the fight against Galamsey.



At the outset, it must be pointed out that the document being discussed was not an official report formally delivered to the Office of the President. On the contrary, it can only be rightly referred to as a catalogue of personal grievances and claims made by Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, intended to respond to some issues he faced as Chairperson of the IMCIM.



The document was handed to the Chief of Staff at the Office of the President on March 19th 2021, in an informal meeting, where Prof. Frimpong-Boateng complained about public attacks and criticisms made about his tenure as Chairperson of the IMCIM.



This was after Prof. Frimpong-Boatengs tenure as Minister had not been renewed by the President of the Republic in his second term. The document did not have a transmittal or cover letter nor, indeed, an addressee, such as to suggest that it was submitted to the Chief of Staff for action. It is noteworthy that the IMCIM was a creature of Cabinet, and any formal report on its activities would, normally, be submitted to Cabinet through the Cabinet Secretary, or directly to the President of the Republic as Chairperson of Cabinet. Till date, Prof. Frimpong-Boateng has done neither.



It is important also to point out that, whilst Prof. Frimpong-Boateng makes serious allegations against some government appointees, as having been involved in, supporting or interfering with the fight against illegal mining, not a single piece of evidence was adduced or presented to enable the claims to be properly investigated.



Indeed, the allegations contained in the document are at best hearsay. It is instructive that since Prof. Frimpong-Boatengs meeting with the Chief of Staff in March 2021, he has taken no step nor acted in furtherance of the matters contained in the document.



The Presidents commitment to fighting illegal mining is unassailable, and the Office of the President welcomes any information on illegal mining activities which provides a credible basis for investigations to be conducted by the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service.



We continue to count on the co-operation of the general public.

Source: Peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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By ROD McGUIRK, The Associated Press

CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Tony Award-winning comedian Barry Humphries, internationally renowned for his garish stage persona Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and imperfectly-veiled snob whose evolving character has delighted audiences over seven decades, has died. He was 89.
SYDNEY (AP)  A team of explorers announced it found a sunken Japanese ship that was transporting Allied prisoners of war when it was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines in 1942, resulting in Australias largest maritime wartime loss with a total of 1,080 lives.

The wreck of the Montevideo Maru was located after a 12-day search at a depth of more than 4,000 meters (13,120 feet)  deeper than the Titanic  off Luzon island in the South China Sea, using an autonomous underwater vehicle with in-built sonar.

There will be no efforts to remove artifacts or human remains out of respect for the families of those who died, said a statement Saturday from the Sydney-based Silentworld Foundation, a not-for-profit dedicated to maritime archaeology and history. It took part in the mission together with Dutch deep-sea survey specialists Fugro and Australias Defense Department.

The extraordinary effort behind this discovery speaks for the enduring truth of Australias solemn national promise to always remember and honour those who served our country, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. This is the heart and the spirit of Lest We Forget.

The Montevideo Maru was transporting prisoners and civilians who were captured after the fall of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea. The ship was not marked as carrying POWs, and on July 1, 1942, the American submarine Sturgeon, after stalking the ship through the night, fired four torpedoes, which found their target, sinking the vessel in less than 10 minutes.

Those killed included 1,080 people from 14 nations, including 979 Australians.

Families waited years for news of their missing loved ones, before learning of the tragic outcome of the sinking, said Silentworld director John Mullen. Some never fully came to accept that their loved ones were among the victims. Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster.

More: A family waited generations for their soldier to return from WWII. The wait is over
Police arrested two men within an hour of an armed robbery, with some help from technology, New Cumberland police said Friday.

Officers were called to the 400 block of Sixteenth Street just before 1:30 a.m., for reports of a robbery, police said.

Police learned that two people used handguns at the New Cumberland home during the robbery, and took several items including an iPhone and Honda Civic.

Using the Find My Phone app, police told WGAL that investigators were able to track down the robbers.

An officer asked the victim to use an app to see if it could locate the stolen cell phone, and the phone showed as being in York, WGAL reported.

Jaylen J. Goldsmith, 19 and Zemoy Q. Reid, 21 were both arrested within the hour by York police officers. Following the arrest, investigators recovered several pieces of the victims property, plus two loaded firearms, police said..

The pair are charged with robbery, theft, possession of an instrument of a crime, illegal firearms possession and criminal conspiracy, according to police. Goldsmith was also charged with terroristic threats, and Reid was charged with unlawful restraint and simple assault.

Goldsmith and Reid were arraigned and are being held at Cumberland County Prison on $150,000 bail each.

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The Supreme Courts action Friday regarding a key drug used in medication abortions may leave many women wondering: What does this mean for me?

On Friday, the court preserved access to mifepristone, which is used in the most common form of abortion in the U.S., by rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues.

The courts action stands to leave access to mifepristone unchanged at least into next year, as appeals play out. Meanwhile, doctors, clinics and telehealth providers are taking steps to ensure theyll still be able to offer abortion care in the future.

For patients, theres been confusion about whether or not they can access their appointments, said Dr. Becca Simon, a family medicine doctor in Pennsylvania who provides abortions. Were trying to just calm people.

IS THE USUAL TWO-DRUG TREATMENT STILL AVAILABLE?

Yes. People can still get medication abortions using mifepristone from doctors and clinics in states where it was available before the rulings.

Medication abortion, which accounts for more than half of all abortions in the U.S., typically involves two drugs: mifepristone, which blocks progesterone, and misoprostol, which wasnt affected by the various rulings. The two-drug combination is also used to treat miscarriages.

There are no new restrictions on mifepristone at the moment.

Still, abortion providers have been devising backup plans in case mifepristone is eventually taken off the market. That could include switching to a slightly less effective one-drug regimen using only misoprostol.

HOW SAFE IS MIFEPRISTONE?

Doctors and clinic operators worry that the decision earlier this month by a federal judge in Texas blocking the Food and Drug Administrations approval of the medication  and media coverage about it  have led some people to question the drugs safety.

The language in the opinion that was used is very, very disturbing, said Texas OB-GYN Dr. Ghazaleh Moayedi.

Mifepristone, approved by the FDA in 2000, had been used by more than 5.6 million women in the U.S. as of June 2022, according to the agency. Medical groups say complications occur at a lower rate than with routine medical procedures such as wisdom teeth removal and colonoscopies.

In an amicus brief filed in the Texas case, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Medical Association and other medical organizations said when mifepristone is used as part of the two-drug regimen, serious side effects occur in less than 1% of patients. Major problems such as significant infection or hospitalization occur in less than 0.3% of patients.

Mifepristone is one of the most studied medications prescribed in the U.S. and has a safety profile comparable to (the over-the-counter pain drug) ibuprofen, they wrote.

As with any drug, there can be side effects. The most common ones include nausea, weakness, fever, chills and headache. Patients are also told to call their health care providers right away if they have heavy bleeding or abdominal pain.

HOW CAN YOU GET MIFEPRISTONE PILLS FOR AN ABORTION?

From clinics and doctors in places abortions are allowed.

Medication abortions are not available in places where all abortions are banned. Thirteen states effectively ban it at all stages of pregnancy, and one when cardiac activity can be detected. Courts have blocked bans throughout pregnancy in five other states, and one, Georgia, where abortion is forbidden once cardiac activity can be detected.

If abortion is banned in a state, patients seeking one cant legally get the pills there through telehealth from any state or through the mail, said David Cohen, a Drexel University law professor. They can, however, travel across state lines to visit abortion providers in person or have telehealth appointments from within states where abortion is allowed.

Telehealth rules also vary. Six states that have not banned abortion  Arizona, Indiana, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Dakota and South Carolina  have requirements for at least one trip to the clinic, according to a February report from KFF.

WHAT ABOUT THE ONE-DRUG ABORTION OPTION?

Many abortion providers say they are considering a misoprostol-only protocol if mifepristone becomes unavailable at some point. Medical experts say its a safe option, and can also be used to treat miscarriages.

But many doctors say its not ideal. The two-drug combination is about 95% to 99% effective in ending a pregnancy. Used alone, misoprostol is less effective. Some research rates it around 85% effective, although other studies say its closer to that of the two-drug combination. Some doctors said misoprostol-only abortions can sometimes be more painful than abortions done with both drugs.

In-office abortion procedures also remain an option.

Simon, the Pennsylvania doctor, suggested people keep checking in with their clinics  which will still have options for them regardless.
Unprecedented extreme hot temperatures coupled with extensive and widespread drought characterized the European climate in 2022. These are two of the manifestations of a climate crisis that is striking this continent particularly hard, with 2022 being the second warmest year on record. When focusing only on the summer, the situation becomes even more extreme, as it was the hottest one since reliable records began in the 20th century. Concurrently, the concentration of greenhouse gases - the main drivers of climate change- in the atmosphere has also hit its highest level since these data have been recorded.

Temperatures in Europe are soaring at twice the global average, faster than on any other continent, warns the 2022 State of Europes Climate Report, which is compiled by the Copernicus Climate Change Service under the European Commission. One of the causes of this phenomenon is that a significant part of the continent is located in the subarctic and arctic, which are the fastest warming regions on the planet. Additionally, the continent includes a large proportion of land, which warms up more than the water surface. This is compounded by changes in climate change feedbacks, like jet streams.

The Cijara reservoir, in Villarta de los Montes (Badajoz), during the drought of August last year. THOMAS COEX (AFP)

On the basis of average temperatures over the last five years, global warming stands at around 1.2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels (1850-1990). In Europe, this temperature increase has already reached 2.2 degrees Celsius in comparison with the pre-industrial era, when humans began to burn fossil fuels that produce greenhouse gases on a huge scale.

However, climate change not only represents an escalation in average temperatures, but also an increase in extreme conditions, such as a succession of heat waves like those experienced at an early stage in Spain in 2022. Another example is the severe drought that struck a third of Europe at its peak last year, according to the Copernicus report. Furthermore, European river flows were the second lowest ever recorded, representing the sixth consecutive year of below-average levels. 2022 was the driest year since records began and 63% of European rivers saw below-average flows, explains this European agency.

Spain also emerged as one of the black spots regarding drought. The country is expected to continue to endure water shortages, according to Samantha Burgess, deputy director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. This specialist believes it is likely that there will be water availability problems in the summer if the situation does not change, which is something that scientific models do not suggest. Predictions indicate the opposite - dry conditions are expected to persist in southern Europe in the spring and summer, Burgess adds. This will have consequences for reduced agricultural production, among other things, predicts the Copernicus expert.

Our climate is changing, summarizes Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service. The solution to prevent this crisis from escalating to the most catastrophic levels has already been outlined by scientists. Buontempo stresses that, on the one hand, it is essential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. On the other hand, we must implement adaptation measures to anticipate the negative effects of rising temperatures and extreme meteorological conditions. Because this climate crisis carries serious consequences for ecosystems, societies and the economy, warns this specialist.

Thermal stress

Experts stress that last summer was not only the hottest ever on record in Europe - with temperatures 1.4 degrees above average - but that the previous summer (2021) had previously been recorded as the warmest. In other words, the records have been stacking up over the last decade and these are not incidental, but reflect the warming tendency that Europe is experiencing, like the rest of the world.

The southern part of the continent was particularly badly hit. It saw a record number of days with severe heat stress. Generally, there is an upward trend across Europe in the number of summer days with strong or severe heat stress, and in southern Europe the same applies to extreme heat stress, the Copernicus report states.

The study also contains a section detailing the impact of weather conditions on the production of renewable energies, which are increasingly seen as the main substitutes for fossil fuels in combating climate change. Solar energy was the most positively affected, with Europe receiving the highest amount of surface solar radiation in the last 40 years, in 2022. This resulted in above-average solar PV generation capacity in most parts of the continent, a trend that has been ongoing for the past four decades.

The immediate future: from La Nina to El Nino

Scientists expect to see the return of the El Nino phenomenon from this summer - this involves an increase in temperature in certain areas of the Pacific Ocean. This in turn sparks an increase in global temperatures and the aggravation of extreme conditions. On the opposite side of the spectrum lies La Nina, which entails a mellowing of temperatures over a large part of the planet, and this has been occurring in the last few years.

The dry riverbed of the Po, Italy's longest river, passing through Boretto on June 22, 2022, in the worst drought the country has experienced in 70 years. GUGLIELMO MANGIAPANE (Reuters)

The effects of El Nino take several months to manifest themselves on a global scale, but, according to Buontempo, they will ultimately push up global temperatures. The question is whether this will occur in 2023 or 2024. The last time period dominated by El Nino (between 2014 and 2017) saw the globes warmest year since reliable records first began in the 19th century - that was 2016.

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A womans death from a crash involving a Rabbit Transit bus has been ruled accidental, the York County Coroners Office announced Friday.

The crash occurred around 10 a.m. in the area of West College Avenue and Alpha Drive in West Manchester Township, the coroners office said.

A 55-year-old woman, who was not identified by authorities, was driving her vehicle eastbound on College Avenue when she hit the side of the westbound Rabbit Transit bus, the coroners office said.

The woman, who was wearing a seatbelt, died from multiple blunt force trauma, the coroners office said.

Three people on the bus were injured in the crash, according to Ted Czech with York County 911. Their conditions Friday evening were not released.

The coroners office ruled the womans death accidental. No autopsy will be done, but routine toxicology tests were ordered.

The womans identity will be released upon notification of her family, the coroners office said.

West Manchester Township police had not released any information on the crash as of Friday evening.

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As part of a joint military exercise with the Philippines, the U.S. Navy is slated to sink a mock warship on April 26, 2023, in the South China Sea.

The live-fire drill is not a response to increased tensions with China over Taiwan, both the U.S. and the Philippines have stressed. But, either way, Beijing isnt happy  responding by holding its own staged military event involving actual warships and fighter jets deployed around Taiwan, a self-governed island that Beijing claims as its own.

The tit-for-tat war games underscore a reality that U.S. presidents have increasingly had to contend with as the 21st century has drawn on. More than a century after President Theodore Roosevelt made the United States the preeminent maritime power in the Pacific, that position is under threat. China is seeking to displace it.

As a scholar of East Asian security and maritime disputes, I believe that the growing rivalry between the U.S. and China over dominance of the Pacific has the potential to define geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific region for the next half-century.

Already, ongoing maritime disputes pit China against several Asian countries. For example, China regularly challenges the maritime rights of Vietnam, the Philippines and Malaysia in the South China Sea and Japan in the East China Sea.

But the disputed waters are also of huge strategic importance to the U.S. It is where China is flexing its growing military might in the face of U.S. allies and partners, notably Taiwan, which the U.S. has committed to defend. If a war between China and the U.S. is going to happen, I believe the South China Sea is likely to be a major theater, with Chinese aggression toward Taiwan the spark.

The scramble over the South China Sea

For centuries, the dozens of islands, shoals, reefs, banks and rocks in the South China Sea were regarded as little more than hazards to navigation.

But with the discovery of large reserves of oil and gas in the 1970s and billions of dollars worth of fisheries, the previously largely ignored sea has gained significant attention from the countries whose shorelines meet it.

It led to a revival of elapsed conflicting claims of ownership over the sea.

China currently claims legal rights to the vast majority of the South China Sea, extending well beyond the boundaries established by the 1982 U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

This claim by China, designated on maps by a nine-dash line, overlaps with the legally recognized maritime and territorial rights of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.

Over the past decade, China has consistently engaged in low-level coercive activities called gray zone tactics, such as small-scale deployment of the Chinese Coast Guard in disputed waters and the manning of fishing vessels with civilians trained by the Chinese military. The purpose is to harass others and assert Chinese maritime rights outside legal Chinese waters, as recognized under UNCLOS.

Since 2013, China has also built up several reefs and shoals into artificial islands, building military bases with runways, radar technology and missile-launching capabilities.

In 2016, an UNCLOS Annex VII arbitration panel ruled that Chinas nine-dash line claims were illegal and rejected Chinas rights to maritime features in the legal waters of the Philippines.

But despite the legally binding nature of the ruling, China has continued to militarize its artificially built-up islands and harass neighboring countries military and fishing vessels. It has also denied passage to U.S. Navy ships legally sailing through waters in the South China Sea.

Successive U.S. administrations have aired concern over developments in the sea. In 2020, then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a U.S. position on the South China Sea, rejecting Chinas maritime claims and its bullying tactics as unlawful. His successor, Antony Blinken, in 2021 declared: Nowhere is the rules-based maritime order under greater threat than in the South China Sea.

But why does the South China Sea matter so much to the U.S.? The answer lies in economics and power politics.

A source of trade, natural resources

About one-third of the worlds shipping transits the South China Sea. In all, more than US$3.4 trillion worth of products  everything from rubber ducks to cars  is transported through its waters every year.

The sea connects the Pacific Ocean to the Indian Ocean, allowing trade from East Asian countries to flow to and from billions of people in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. It is also where 14% of all U.S. maritime trade passes through. It is a crucial route for outgoing U.S. goods as well as getting products to the U.S. Without it, the transport of products we use every day would slow down, and these products would cost more.

And then there are oil and gas. Around 30% of all global crude oil transits through the South China Sea. Furthermore, there is an estimated $11 billion worth of oil and 190 trillion cubic feet of proven deposits of natural gas in the sea, as well as undiscovered oil and gas.

Meanwhile, more than half of all fishing vessels in the world operate in the South China Sea.

For economic reasons alone, the U.S. and the rest of the world need open trade routes and sea lanes in the South China Sea. Preventing one country  especially a hostile China  from controlling these trade routes and resources is a crucial policy concern for Washington.

Power politics at sea

Although economics plays a part, Chinas actions in the South China Sea are part of a much broader aggressive campaign. Beijing views territorial and maritime control in the region through the lens of its national security. It seeks to project its power in the region and defend the Chinese mainland.

Ultimately, as acknowledged by the U.S. government, China is looking to overturn the status quo, replacing the U.S. as the superpower.

This battle for power is already taking shape in the South China Sea, with regular confrontations between U.S. naval vessels and Chinas maritime militia and navy.

The artificial islands in the South China Sea provide China with military capabilities far beyond the mainland alone. These outposts can be used to help counter and fight the U.S. and its allies, for example, in a war over Taiwan.

While the U.S. is not itself a claimant in the South China Sea disputes, the waters there remain a significant priority for the national security interests of Washington, too.

It is why the U.S. and its allies conduct freedom of navigation missions through the South China Sea and engage in naval exercises such as the one taking place in April 2023 with the Philippines.

With China playing by a different set of rules than the U.S. and its allies in the region, the risk of clashes at sea is very real. It could even lead to conflict between the two most powerful countries in the world today.

The next time a warship is blown up in the South China Sea, I fear that it may not be just a drill.

Krista Wiegand, Professor of Political Science, University of Tennessee

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
By Mark S. Singel

Recently, in McCurtain County, Okla., a County Commissioner and several other elected officials were caught on tape talking about the good old days. Commissioner Mark Jennings openly discussed killing reporters and lynching black people. Commissioner Jennings, under pressure from the governors office, resigned.

The reality is that this kind of racism and hatred lurks just beneath the surface for many Americans. While most of us were raised to respect each others race, religion, and ethnicity, there was always a drunk uncle or an unrepentant bigot in the family who tossed out racist remarks like he was casting a fishing line.

Fortunately, most families had the benefit of sound parenting and values learned in church or in school that allowed us to squelch that kind of outrageous behavior.

But current events indicate that shameful talk and actions have percolated to a boil and some political leaders are content to keep turning up the gas flame. Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing in New York City last week. His Democratic counterpart, Rep. Jerry Nadler, (D-NY), said at the outset: Dont be fooled, this is not a serious exercise, this is a political stunt. Indeed, the hearing was called to cast aspersions on the Manhattan District Attorney who had the temerity to indict former President Donald Trump.

No, said Jordan, the Congressmen were there to uncover the crime wave that has swamped New York City lately. The hearing backfired dramatically when city officials provided the facts: violent crime rate is actually declining in Manhattan, with murders down 14 percent, shootings down 17 percent, and robberies down 8 percent.

One witness actually pointed out that, in terms of per capita crime, New York is actually safer than Rep. Jordans own state.

That did not stop an inquisition into crime in New York. Why? Because the extremists in the Republican Party have bought in to the narrative that urban areas, often led by African American elected officials, are cesspools. It is nothing short of pandering to racism.

Antisemitism also continues to simmer. At the annual Holocaust memorial event in Harrisburg last week, Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Debra Bogen worried that we are forgetting the lessons of the past. In fact, a mass killing of Jews in America occurred at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh just five years ago. Bogen noted that antisemitism is on the rise and that FBI data showed more than 10,000 incidents of hate crimes in 2021 alone.

Racism, antisemitism, and hatreds of all kinds come in various shades. It may take the form of a Congressional hearing disguised as a review of big city crime. It may issue from the mouths of elected officials who dont know they are being recorded. It may be seen in the intolerance of our neighbors religious beliefs and cultural differences.

What accounts for this surge in malice?

At least some of it can be traced directly to political leaders who benefit from a strategy of division. There is little subtlety in an election campaign that begins with Mexicans are rapists and murderers. There is no attempt to hide biases when immigrants are called an infestation. Then there is the continuing attack on urban areas because they are woke or progressive or governed by leaders who are not white.

We know what prejudice looks like in any form it takes. This kind of rhetoric inflames the base of voters who choose to be driven by their grievances rather than their aspirations.

At the Holocaust remembrance, one speaker quoted Elie Wiesel who said: In any society, fanatics who hate dont only hate me  they hate you, too. They hate everybody.

Here are two thoughts that could help get us out of the quicksand of our own biases.

First, hate is not a family value. If children are raised in an atmosphere of anger and hate, it seeps into society when they come of age. Teaching tolerance and kindness is the preferred path for a society that intends to continue its role as a world leader.

Second, fear is not a legitimate campaign strategy. Beware of any candidate who wants you to believe that outsiders are coming for your job. Avoid those who undermine our sacred foundations like free and fair elections. Truth and tolerance are the antidotes to fear and hate. Its about time for candidates in both parties and from every ideological perspective to understand that and to act accordingly.

Mark S. Singel is a former Democratic Lieutenant Governor and Acting Governor of Pennsylvania.
Sea Otter Classic 2023 is in full swing. We check out a new downhill bike from Pole, a set of super lightweight Duke wheels, a signature cockpit from Deity plus lots more.
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Its been a long journey for the freshman Senator from Pennsylvania, and hes only a few months into his first term.

Four days before his May 2022 primary win, then Lt. Governor and Democratic candidate for the Senate John Fetterman suffered a stroke.

While his campaign at first downplayed the severity of his stroke, he ultimately brought the same spirit of fight for which he is known in Pennsylvania to his recovery and was eventually able to do interviews and live debates, after a summer of limited campaign engagements. A lot was riding on those first national appearances.

Fettermans debate and interview performance sparked criticisms due to his use of closed captioning to assist with auditory functioning delays due to his stroke, even though the campaign released cognitive test results that showed normal functioning for a person his age. An interview with NBC News amplified a Republican ableist smear against Fetterman, after which disability expert and PoliticusUSAs Jason Easley explained:



The NBC News interview was discriminatory to John Fetterman and the disabled community. Dascha Burns, the interviewer, was not interested in Fettermans policy positions but instead wanted to talk about the candidates temporary disability and use it as a factor that should give voters concern.

But in the end, Fetterman rallied, his supporters never wavered, and he eventually won his election against Republican Mehmet Oz, who is from New Jersey and has ever so kindly disappeared after his brutal loss.

Then, almost as soon as he had arrived in the Senate, the Democratic Senator checked in to George Washington University hospital after feeling lightheaded. Later, he spent six weeks hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for depression, after which he returned to his home in Braddock, Pennsylvania outside of Pittsburgh.

Although Fetterman had depression on and off before his stroke, about a third of people whove had a stroke suffer from some form of clinical depression. Fettermans case was severe. He spent several weeks at home before returning to the Senate this week for the first time since mid-February.

While political opponents continue to lambaste Fetterman over his health issues, suggesting his stroke made him unfit for office, Fetterman used his first week back to advocate for issues that sent him to D.C., like introducing legislation to ban Members from stock trading and holding a hearing on SNAP benefits.

Fetterman ran on issues like holding Congress accountable with a ban on stock trading, and he began his first week back making good on that promise.

On Tuesday, Fetterman, Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Martin Heinrich (D-NM), along with House colleagues Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) and Michael Cloud (R-TX), introduced the ETHICS Act (Ending Trading and Holdings in Congressional Stocks, Act)  a bipartisan bill that would ban members of Congress, their spouses, and dependent minors from owning or trading stocks, commodities, or futures.

Lawmakers should not be able to profit off the same companies that they are regulating. Letting members of Congress trade stocks opens the door to corruption. Lawmakers should be focused on getting results for their constituents  not lining their own pockets, Fetterman said at the press conference introducing the bill.

Lest anyone think its just Democrats and scattering of Republicans who support this, Republican Senator Josh Hawley is also pushing a bill to ban Members from trading, which he, with the petty spirit of an always finger-pointing Republican, named after Democratic Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi.

Just imagine focusing that much on Nancy Pelosi as the source for unethical behavior after four years of the Trump family grift in the White House and then Trumps attempted self-coup attack on the Capitol, about which Hawley seemed pretty supportive  that is, when he wasnt running away in fear.

At any rate, Hawleys bill would require members found in violation to return their profits to American taxpayers, which is a pretty great concept that will never happen, name-calling childishness aside.

But Fettermans bill is co-sponsored by 20 other Senators and is more realistic in scope, although it seems unlikely that a Republican-led House would pass anything related to upholding ethics.

A stock trading ban is desperately needed. It was just reported that when SVB collapsed and, as Stephanie Ruhle put it, Congress had loads of information that NO ONE else did, members on both sides of the aisle &/or their spouses became active bank stock traders!

The @nytimes reports that congressional lawmakers sold bank stocks amid the banking crisis. @katekelly, who broke the story, has the details. pic.twitter.com/5oOc0ANN2t  Last Call (@LastCallCNBC) April 19, 2023

The ETHICS Act is not Fettermans first bill. His first piece of legislation was the Railway Accountability Act, after the horrific train derailment and explosion in East Palestine, Ohio.

Fetterman has also been a consistent and strong supporter of womens medical freedom in the post Roe world, for example he met with advocates from Planned Parenthood of Pennsylvania to discuss access to sexual and reproductive healthcare at the end of January.

After the Trump judge tried to ban the abortion pill, Fetterman issued a blunt statement, This ruling by a hard-right Trump appointed judge is simply bullshit.This is nothing more than another attempt by the GOP to take away the rights of women and implement a nationwide abortion ban. Mifepristone remains safe and legal in Pennsylvania. We will fight this, and we will win.

On Wednesday, Fetterman led his first hearing as Chair of the Senate Committee on Agricultures Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research, focused on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) and TEFAP (The Emergency Food Assistance Program), which was rather timely given the Republican demand to cut funding to SNAP.

Fettermans comments on SNAP are the kind of messaging politicians try to buy but cant seem to carry off:

Its time to come together and stop playing political games with Americans access to food.

Cut SNAP for families and kids while pushing tax cuts for billionaires? Not on my watch.

This is the Fetterman that Pennsylvanians know. He is, at this political moment in history, both an antidote to Trumpism and also a successful product of post-Trump populism. Trump is the one who made it a sign of authenticity to swear, after all.

Fetterman has had a rocky start due to health challenges, but he has also shown up in the important ways. He has pushed through to hold up his end of the bargain with voters to be the fighter they elected.

Fetterman has also unwittingly become a symbol of what it can mean to stop judging people based on their disability and or mental health challenges, and instead judge them on what they do.

This man, while imperfect and flawed as all of us are, represents so much hope for change and true care for the people. We are just holding our breath, hoping he continues his fight for a nation that desperately needs more elected officials like him.
I know of few people who are happy with their sex lives, and not just currently but in general. They give unfavorable reports of their working lives, sorry, their sex lives. Almost all of them would have liked to have more sex, with more people, to be more uninhibited, to not have had so many complexes about their bodies, which now, when looking at photos of their youth, they see as spectacular. A small minority, who have made the most of their sexuality, intone that they no longer can, although deep inside they yearn for more weight and depth in their relationships, because having sex is an activity that tires them out.

I see people in their 50s and 60s who dont have partners and have little hope of finding one. Many think its too late for Tinder and quench their desire with Netflix or Pornhub instead. Still, its hard to silence their erotic inner voice, which reminds them of how little they do for their frustrated sex lives as time goes by. There are more middle-aged, and even young, sexless couples. They get along well and love each other, but the bed is used only for sleeping. They remain together, aware that every night is another missed opportunity, until, perhaps, one day they go to therapy to unravel the causes of this mysterious phenomenon.

Frustration. The dictionary defines it as the impossibility of satisfying a need or desire. The feeling of sadness, disappointment and disillusionment that this impossibility causes. We can feel frustrated in many areas of our lives (work, finances, family, relationships), but sexual dissatisfaction is the hardest, because it hurts the most to not be able to play and enjoy oneself, to have to be content to watch others from the sidelines. I would say that there is more sexual frustration now than there was in our parents or grandparents day, says Xud Zubieta, a clinical psychologist, sexologist and director of the Zubieta Center for Psychology and Sexology in Valencia, Spain. Obviously, we have more freedom, but there is also more information, from a very early age and its not always well managed, which creates very high expectations. When we are unable to meet them, if the dissatisfaction is sustained over time, frustration sets in.

Very few people see a sexologist because they feel sexually frustrated, but, as Miren Larrazabal, a clinical psychologist, sexologist and president of the International Society of Sexology Specialists, argues, dissatisfaction and frustration are two emotions that usually go hand in hand and are difficult to treat in therapy because they also modify and alter the dysfunction. In these cases, she continues, there is also anxiety, which makes the approach not only sexual but also psychological. This is often the most complicated part, working on the emotional aspect of the dysfunction, which has a lot to do with low self-esteem or is rooted in a series of insecurities.

According to Francisca Molero, a gynecologist, sexologist, director of the Ibero-American Institute of Sexology and president of the Spanish Federation of Sexology Societies, sexual dissatisfaction ends up affecting ones sexual response. One begins to control everything cognitively but during a sexual relationship we need less control, because otherwise we will stop feeling, she argues. By blocking the sexual response, we tend to perform compensatory maneuvers, which will only make the situation worse. One anticipates problems to avoid unwanted scenarios and premature attention, which is the number one enemy of pleasure.

In this day and age, continued dissatisfaction leads to frustration. praetorianphoto (Getty Images)

As Buddhists say, Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. In sexual matters, as in so many other areas, the most difficult thing is not dealing with a problem, but rather eliminating the drama that we have constructed around it over time. These days, not being able to find a partner is a common dissatisfaction that often leads to frustration, an anguish that increases over the years. After failed attempts at finding a mate, a person may even end up developing a certain aversion to the sex that they desire. At the same time, society has a host of cliches, insults and prejudice that it applies to the partner who never existed, from the menopausal madwoman to the heteropatriarchal sexist. Theres even the trope that many serial killers were lonely and failed in their sexual lives! Dont laugh; there are a number of serious studies that link sexual frustration to violence, aggression and crime, including one published in the Journal of Criminal Justice in 2021.

The lack of opportunity to be with another person or failed relationships trigger  anger, resentment and rancor. But rather than projecting all of this onto the other person, the smartest thing to do here is to be introspective, Larrazabal notes. It is essential to have a good relationship with oneself, to work on the personal self and not fill an existential void with a relationship that is not likely to work, because of our shortcomings, says Zubieta.

Molero says that increasingly more people are adrift in the world of dating apps. There is the idea that they work, that they allow you to meet a lot of people and that many people have found a partner there. So, awkwardness in this area already seems inexcusable. Even if sex is something relatively easy, it is also frustrating because it is not fulfilling sex, but rather [sex that] leaves a void. I always give them the same advice: go back to the analog world, use your social network, friends, who can introduce you to new people, or join groups where strangers do pleasurable activities together (hiking, dancing, sports).

There is a no-fail recipe to stop worrying about something: take action and get busy. Even if we dont see immediate results, knowing that we are addressing the problem immediately alleviates frustration. Silence, waiting for someone else to take the first step, abnegation or looking the other way will only feed dissatisfaction. That is apparent in couples in which one or both partners are dissatisfied with their sex life. They have no choice but to talk about it and reach an agreement or, if they cannot find solutions on their own, seek help.

Is gender neutrality among the top ten problems that frustrate us sexually? Larrazabal and Zubieta argue that reaching this state depends, above all, on an individuals personality. Rigid, self-demanding people who tend to see the glass as half empty are likely to torment themselves if their expectations arent met. Without discarding the previous thesis, Molero believes that gender stereotypes are still very much in effect. Thats why men are so obsessedwith their members functionality, because we still have the idea that an erection is directly related to masculinity. And that happens among both heterosexuals and homosexuals alike. However, the role of women is less obvious. If a woman has little desire or does not reach orgasm, she can disguise it. Womens sexual function is not as directly tied to femininity as men[s sexuality is linked to masculinity], she says.

Of course, this isnt a solution for female sexual frustration, since misunderstood equality between the sexes also imposes on them the responsibilities and traumas of the opposite sex. According to Zubieta, women have become empowered, but they have also assumed male responsibilities. That creates new tasks to perform: being perfect, giving 100%, not being [allowed] to fail, always being ready.

Larrazabal emphasizes that in neoliberal society, the sexual response model is that men must always be in the mood and perform at their best. Meanwhile, women must enjoy themselves and be multi-orgasmic. The specter of female frustration is not enjoying sex as one should. That clashes with reality for many women, who do not fully understand their sexual response, as well as for some male partners, who do not know that  [a woman] requires more foreplay. Why is it that I am with someone I like but I am not feeling the excitement that I should? That question torments most women and can lead to frustration. In this context, many people venture to try new relationships (polyamory, open relationships), not so much out of curiosity or the desire to experience new things, but rather as an attempt to make things work, and thats not how it should be. One shouldnt resort to these models out of frustration with monogamy, but rather for the opportunity to visit other areas of pleasure, Larrazabal says.

Rita Abundancia is a journalist and sexologist and the creator of the website RitaReport.net.

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I have to say it: Thank God for Twilight.

No one is surprised that the fad franchise about teenage vampires didn't age well, but we have Stephanie Myers and her My Chemical Romance fan-fiction-turned-novel-turned-movie (a genre that also includes 50 Shades of Grey, which was in fact conceived as a Twilight fanfiction  there's too much to unpack there, so I won't do it) for launching the careers of R-Patz and K-Stew.

For a while, it was looking pretty grim for the both of them. Robert Pattinson spent all his press tours scowling and actively hating the movies that propelled him to superstardom, and Kristen Stewart spent years the subject of a meme about having an inexpressive face.

Turns out that was just a character choice she made for Bella Swan, and Kristen Stewart does have the range.

The Twilight actors have all landed on their feet. Robert Pattinson will be Batman (if they can ever film that movie and if his quarantine pasta doesn't kill him), and even Anna Kendrick went from Bella's forgotten sidekick to a leading lady in her own string of terrible films  somehow managing to be cast as a romantic interest for both Zac Efron and Chace Crawford  hard to see other people living your dreams.

Kristen Stewart has taken a similar route to post-Hunger Games Jennifer Lawrence: appearing in a string of indie movies to shake off the teen-star moniker and prove herself a serious actress.

And it's kind of worked. Add to that her now signature cool-girl platinum blonde hair and queer icon status and you could almost forget she became a household name for falling in love with a vampire.

Recently, the first images of Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in the new biopic, Spencer, were released to the public. We don't know much about the film. We know it is directed by Pablo Larrain, written by Steven Knight of Peaky Blinders, and set to release in 2022, which is the 25th anniversary of Princess Diana's death. The project dramatizes the weekend when, after spending Christmas with the Royals, Diana decides to leave Prince Charles.

The first image released from Spencer shows Stewart veiled and looking forlorn as a pretty convincing Diana, but some on the internet wonder if she can pull the role off.

It's a valid concern. Not all her recent work has been great. Happiest Seasonwas an even messier, even whiter version of The Family Stone that even Aubrey Plaza couldn't save (though she gave a valiant effort), and I've closed my eyes to the Charlie's Angels reboot, which I saw at home on, like, HBO but still wish I could get my money back.

Yet, there are some gems, mostly indie features, that give us hope for Kristen Stewart's portrayal of The People's Princess Diana.

As another biopic, Seberg is the closest comparison to what I imagine Spencer will be. The film shows Kristen Stewart at her most vulnerable as Jean Seberg, a French-American actress in the 1960s who became a target of the FBI due to her political and romantic involvement with one of the Black Panthers.

While it would be a very big stretch to say that the greatest victim of the FBI's surveillance on The Black Panther Party was a white woman, the film does provide an interesting perspective on what it meant, and still means, to be an ally  especially as a public figure.

Stewart renders Seberg's emotional back and forth between love, triumph, paranoia, and fear with convincing grace and empathy. Seberg isn't perfect and Stewart lets her stumble. In many ways, Seberg and Diana are alike, so I wouldn't be surprised if Stewart carries a similar cadence into Spencer.

We'll have to excuse the wigs, because otherwise Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, alongside Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie, were the gems of their 2010 The Runaways film.

While parts of the movie were a little melodramatic, and other parts felt like deleted scenes of Almost Famous, the Stewart and Fanning pairing brings an endearing energy to the film. You root for them, you ache for them, you want to be them  isn't that everything?

And Stewart makes a great, brooding Joan Jett, moody and mysterious, playing "Bad Reputation" with an equally bad attitude in a way you can't help but love.

To be frank, this wasn't a great movie. The plot felt too familiar, the intensity built to consistently unsatisfying ends, and the pacing was too slow to maintain either the tension or audience interest.

But, the cast was great. With Kristen Stewart at the helm of a motley crew of engineers who encounter hostile life at their underwater drilling station, so much of the film depends on the relationship between the characters. On that front, it delivers.

Stewart is charming as the leader of the gang, then equally compelling as the stakes rise and things start to fall apart. Gone are the days where she lacked emotional expression on screen. Sparing no drama nor close ups, Underwater puts its characters and actors through the ringer and they rise to meet it.

Julianne Moore stars as Alice in this drama about a professor who is suddenly diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer's. Kristen Stewart plays one of her three adult children as they attempt to help their mother adjust to her new life and as they adjust to it, too.

The film is a master class by Julianne Moore, but Stewart holds her own by radiating equal parts fear and compassion in every scene.

Where Stewart shines, it seems, is always in her convincing portrayal of close relationships and her palpable empathy, giving her characters the depth and nuance they need to make mistakes, but be forgiven.

So we can forgive her too, I guess, for the travesty of the Twilight Saga, and let the girl move on.
A real estate developer who spoke to the Aiken City Council on March 27 and asked for an ordinance approving a concept plan for a Parker's Kitchen to be located at the intersection of Whiskey Road and Stratford Drive to return on the council's agenda for the April 24 meeting will get his wish.

On the agenda for the 7 p.m. council meeting is the first reading of an ordinance approving a concept plan for a 5,175-square-foot gas station and convenience store to be located between a Lulu's Car Wash that's being built and Stratford Drive.

Parker's Kitchen is a Savannah-based gas station chain with over 70 stores mainly located in the Savannah/Hilton Head Island and Charleston areas. The Whiskey Road/Statford Drive store would be the company's third in Aiken. The first location is planned for the former Dick Smith dealership near the intersection of Jefferson Davis Highway (U.S. 1/78) and the bypass and the second is planned for the intersection of East Pine Log Road and Levels Church Road.

Aiken City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh said in a memorandum to city council the concept plan calls for eight pump islands facing Whiskey Road and access via Stratford Drive and Mammoth Pass. He added the Mammoth Pass access would be right in, right out only.

The Aiken Planning Commission voted 5-2 in January to recommend the council approve the concept plan for the Whiskey Road Parker's Kitchen. It was slated to be on the Feb. 13 city council agenda but was postponed to allow the developers to obtain a traffic study.

Daniel Ben-Yisrael, real estate development manager for the Drayton Parker Companies and Parker's Kitchen, said March 27 the traffic study had been completed and submitted to the city council March 23.

He added the traffic study was not required  Mayor Rick Osbon said Ben-Yisrael wouldn't have liked the council's vote on the ordinance without it  and that the developers had met with concerned residents between the Planning Commission meeting and the Feb. 13 Aiken City Council meeting. Ben-Yisrael said the developers had been told approval of the study from the city and the South Carolina Department of Transportation would be necessary.

He said the company respectfully asked for the ordinance to return to the council agenda April 24 because the developers were facing a contractual deadline to acquire the property and needed some indication from the council before proceeding with the contract.

Bedenbaugh added SCDOT approval could take up to 90 days which is beyond the developer's deadline.

Also on the agenda for the meeting are the first reading of ordinances:

 Rezoning property located at 791 York St. from light industrial to general business to allow for a healthcare business to move into the site;

 Rezoning property located at 206 Edgefield Ave. N.E. from limited professional to residential multifamily to allow for the construction of a single-family home on the property;

 Granting an easement across city-owned property in Verenes Industrial Park to Bear Mountain for use as a driveway; and

 Annexing and zoning a single-family home on Two Notch Road.

The council is expected to consider requests to provide water and sewer service to a 7-Eleven to be constructed near the intersection of Interstate 20 and Columbia Highway (U.S. Route 1) and a warehouse to be constructed near Verenes Industrial Park and a memorandum of understanding with Security Federal Bank for the EQUIP program.

The council is expected to consider a proclamation recognizing the 50th anniversary of Helping Hands, the reappointments of Cody Anderson to the Arts Commission and Kenna Black to the Accommodations Tax Committee and the appointment of Cathy Health to the Senior Commission.

The council will meet at 5 p.m. for a second work session on the 2023-2024 budget.

The meeting will be held in Room 309 of the Municipal Building located at 111 Chesterfield St. S.W.
S.C. Circuit Judge Casey Mannings secret order releasing a murderer 16 years early was irregular not just because he issued it without holding a hearing so police and victims could object. It also was irregular because he issued it without receiving the motion from a prosecutor that state law requires.

As 5th Circuit Solicitor Byron Gipson finally revealed two days after The Post and Courier uncovered the apparently illegal and possibly unconstitutional decision to slash Jeroid Prices sentence nearly in half, the judge had already signed the order before he had a chance to file that motion, so he didn't.

I suppose it's easy enough to understand why Judge Manning was in such a hurry: His order was signed on Dec. 30  the day before he retired and ceased to be a judge. And since Dec. 31 was a Saturday, it was his last working day on the bench.

But as irregular as Casey Mannings premature emancipation was, it wasnt the first time a S.C. Circuit Court judge was on his way out the door when he got a sketchy request from an attorney to issue a hasty order that so clearly violated state law and potentially the state constitution that it was overturned by a unanimous state Supreme Court as soon as it was discovered.

In fact, the earlier order was even worse than Judge Manning's, and the high courts reaction was far more dramatic than the one-paragraph order the court issued on Thursday endorsing what by that point was a kumbaya request from Mr. Gipson and S.C. House Democratic Leader Todd Rutherford, the lawyer-legislator who represents Mr. Price, to unseal an order that obviously one of them had asked to be sealed. Not so kumbayaish was Attorney General Alan Wilsons motion to have Mr. Price re-arrested, which Mr. Rutherford ridiculously labeled playing politics.

And while I'm on a tangent, I should note that Judge Manning's order would be my new top pick for South Carolinas FOI violation of the month if our courts were covered by the Freedom of Information Act. What they are covered by is the state constitution, which says they must be open to the public, which they certainly weren't on Mr. Manning's last day on the job.

A judicial lifeline

The more extraordinary order came nearly a quarter century ago, and it was signed just minutes before Circuit Judge Gerald Smoak swore in his successor.

It was 1:28 p.m. on June 30, 2000, when Brent Kiker filed a lawsuit at the Jasper County courthouse asking for poker baron Henry Ingram to be exempt from the law that took effect at midnight outlawing video gambling machines. The lawsuit didnt raise any issues the Supreme Court hadnt already rejected in three opinions over the previous year, but 47 minutes later, without making any effort to loop in SLED (the named defendant) or the attorney generals office, Judge Smoak signed an ex parte emergency order allowing Mr. Ingram to ignore the law.

The order was so sloppy that it didnt even pretend to include the mandatory finding that the plaintiff was likely to prevail on the merits. Because of course he wasnt, since the high court already had rejected the arguments he made. This, by the way, was standard operating procedure for South Carolinas video gambling industry, which was one of the many reasons we had to eradicate it.

Four minutes after he signed the order, Judge Smoak swore in his successor. Mr. Kiker put a copy of the order in the mail to the attorney general's office, where it would arrive five days later. And Mr. Ingram, because this was his way, had to brag about what he did, so he called up a local reporter. Who tipped off SLED Chief Robert Stewart and the attorney generals office when he in turn called them around 5 p.m. for comment. Which calls to mind William Shakespeares line about being hoisted with ones own petard.

And thus began one of the most dramatic episodes in S.C. Supreme Court history.

Kitchen table court

Chief Stewart called Jean Toal, who was in her fourth month as S.C. chief justice, to ask if the court could consider a motion to overturn the injunction that day; she said it could if it had a copy of the order.

Bob Cook, now South Carolina's solicitor general, started drafting motions to make to the court; around 9 p.m., a SLED agent got an answer at Mr. Kikers office, and someone faxed a copy of the order to SLED at 9:19 p.m.

Chief Stewart drove to Justice Toal's Columbia home with the order. The chief justice asked Justice Costa Pleicones, who lived five blocks away, to come over; she got Justice James Moore on the phone and convened the court at her kitchen table. She tried unsuccessfully to reach Mr. Kiker. Mr. Cook joined Chief Stewart by phone, and both asked the court to overturn the injunction. Given the facts and the law, it was impossible to do otherwise, and at 10:15 p.m., with just an hour and 45 minutes to spare before the poker ban was to take effect, Justice Toal handed Chief Stewart a two-page, handwritten order reversing Judge Smoaks final order.

Of course, Judge Mannings order lasted much longer, because Mr. Rutherford and his client had more sense than to brag to reporters about their manipulation of our court system. But once The Post and Couriers Glenn Smith and Caitlin Ashworth revealed its results to the world on Monday, it took just three days for the high court to take the first step toward reversing it  unsealing the until-then-secret order.

The fate of Mr. Price will be, at least initially, up to another Circuit Court judge. And Judge Manning? Well, the delay in learning about his final act gave the Legislature time to adopt a resolution ordering the S.C. Transportation Department to immortalize his legacy by christening a bridge in downtown Columbia "The Honorable L. Casey Manning Bridge Respected Judge and Trailblazing Gamecock."

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WASHINGTON  The U.S. Supreme Court stayed a decision from Texas that would have taken the abortion drug mifepristone off the market across the country, which was welcome news to advocates in the Southeast.

The justices granted emergency requests from the Biden administration and New York-based Danco Laboratories, maker of the drug. They are appealing a lower court ruling that would roll back Food and Drug Administration approval of mifepristone.

The drug has been approved for use in the U.S. since 2000 and more than 5 million people have used it. Mifepristone is used in combination with a second drug, misoprostol, in more than half of all abortions in the United States.

The courts action Friday almost certainly will leave access to mifepristone unchanged at least into next year, as appeals play out, including a potential appeal to the high court.

Justices Samuel Alito, the author of last years decision overturning Roe v. Wade, and Clarence Thomas voted to allow restrictions to take effect. No other justices commented.

Mifepristone is a safe and effective way to end a pregnancy and tonight this option for abortion care remains available to people across Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, said Jenny Black, president & CEO of Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. We are relieved to be able to offer our patients the most effective option for medication abortion care but it never should have come this close to being completely taken off the market.

Mifepristone is commonly used in medication abortions as part of a two-drug regimen: it stops the pregnancy and another drug, misoprostol, opens the cervix for release. Both are also used in the management of miscarriages but can be used to treat other conditions. Mifepristone, for example, can be prescribed for Cushings syndrome, a somewhat rare condition where the body produces too much of the stress hormone cortisol, which can lead to heart attacks, strokes and blood clots, according to the National Institutes of Health. Misoprostol is often used to treat ulcers, the NIH noted.

In the days before the decision came down, the Planned Parenthood clinics in Charleston and Columbia were busy. The clinics had been preparing to use just misoprostol to continue medical abortions, which make up about 60 percent of their abortions in North Carolina and South Carolina. Medication abortions accounted for 54 percent of all abortions in 2020, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

The two drug-regimen is the most effective and has the least side effects but misoprostol alone is also safe and effective, said Molly Rivera, a spokeswoman for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic. Its not as effective as (with) mifepristone but it is still very effective.

The difference might be more side effects, such as severe cramping, bleeding and nausea, she said.

In opposing the approval by the Food and Drug Administration, the Catholic Medical Association, a co-founder of the physicians group that sued the FDA, contended that pregnancy is not an illness, and chemical abortion drugs dont provide a therapeutic benefit. They can pose serious and life-threatening complications to the mother, in addition to ending a babys life. The FDA never had the authority to approve these hazardous drugs or to remove important safeguards.

Even with the stay and the drug legal and available now, the uncertainty has had an impact on patients, Rivera said.

The anxiety levels of our patients have increased even more, particularly people who have traveled really long distances, across state lines, she said. And people remain confused. The court decisions are confusing. (The courts) have the power to change medicine overnight and doctors are often not able to do much about it. Its very confusing for patients and providers.

President Joe Biden praised the high court for keeping mifepristone available while the court fight continues.

The stakes could not be higher for women across America. I will continue to fight politically-driven attacks on womens health. But lets be clear  the American people must continue to use their vote as their voice, and elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v. Wade, Biden said in a statement.

The justices weighed arguments that allowing restrictions contained in lower-court rulings to take effect would severely disrupt the availability of mifepristone.

The Supreme Court had initially said it would decide by Wednesday whether the restrictions could take effect while the case continues. A one-sentence order signed by Alito on Wednesday gave the justices two additional days, without explanation.

The challenge to mifepristone, brought by abortion foes, is the first abortion controversy to reach the nations highest court since its conservative majority overturned Roe v. Wade 10 months ago and allowed more than a dozen states to effectively ban abortion outright.

In his majority opinion last June, Alito said one reason for overturning Roe was to remove federal courts from the abortion fight. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives, he wrote.

But even with their court victory, abortion opponents returned to federal court with a new target: medication abortions, which make up more than half of all abortions in the United States.

Women seeking to end their pregnancies in the first 10 weeks without more invasive surgical abortion can take mifepristone, along with misoprostol. The FDA has eased the terms of mifepristones use over the years, including allowing it to be sent through the mail in states that allow access.

The abortion opponents filed suit in Texas in November, asserting that the FDAs original approval of mifepristone 23 years ago and subsequent changes were flawed.

They won a ruling on April 7 by U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, an appointee of former President Donald Trump, revoking FDA approval of mifepristone. The judge gave the Biden administration and Danco Laboratories a week to appeal and seek to keep his ruling on hold.

Responding to a quick appeal, two more Trump appointees on the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the FDAs original approval would stand for now. But Judges Andrew Oldham and Kurt Englehardt said most of the rest of Kacsmaryks ruling could take effect while the case winds through federal courts.

Their ruling would effectively nullify changes made by the FDA starting in 2016, including extending from seven to 10 weeks of pregnancy when mifepristone can be safely used. The court also said that the drug cant be mailed or dispensed as a generic and that patients who seek it need to make three in-person visits with a doctor. Women also might be required to take a higher dosage of the drug than the FDA says is necessary.

The administration and Danco have said that chaos would ensue if those restrictions were to take effect while the case proceeds. Potentially adding to the confusion, a federal judge in Washington has ordered the FDA to preserve access to mifepristone under the current rules in 17 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia that filed a separate lawsuit.

The Biden administration has said the rulings conflict and create an untenable situation for the FDA.

And a new legal wrinkle threatened even more complications. GenBioPro, which makes the generic version of mifepristone, filed a lawsuit Wednesday to preemptively block the FDA from removing its drug from the market, in the event that the Supreme Court doesnt intervene.

The Supreme Court was only being asked to block the lower-court rulings through the end of the legal case.

The New Orleans-based 5th Circuit already has ordered an accelerated schedule for hearing the case, with arguments set for May 17. The court gave no timetable for a ruling.

Any appeal to the Supreme Court would follow within three months of a ruling, but with no deadline for the justices to decide whether to review the case.

Tom Corwin of the Post and Courier contributed to this story. The Associated Press contributed to this story.
A new luxury apartment development is coming to Charleston after a North Carolina developer paid $6 million for 19 acres near Daniel Island.

Raleigh-based Aventon Companies bought the land for about $316,000 an acre April 13 at 2150 Clements Ferry Road, just south of apparel maker Gildan's distribution center, which was built in the 1990s for tabletop products distributor Mikasa Inc.

The previous land owner was McAlister-Togant Clements Ferry LLC and Bennett Cainhoy I and II LLC, according to Berkeley County land records.

Aventon Mikasa Apartments, which recently broke ground, will include 336 rental units in four buildings, slightly more than the 320 originally proposed when plans were first presented to the city of Charleston in early 2022.

Amenities will include a clubhouse with a remote working lounge, game room, fitness center and resort-style pool. Leasing is expected to begin in the fall of 2024.

With the debut of Aventon Mikasa, we look forward to deepening our footprint here in Charleston, a high-end and rapidly growing, yet still-underserved, community, said Ron Perera, senior managing director for the developer.

The project is a second in the Charleston area for the company.

Aventon broke ground in January on a 394-unit multifamily community called Aventon Bees Ferry on a 30-acre site on Bees Ferry Road near Savannah Highway and Main Road. The developer paid $5.125 million, or about $171,000 an acre, for the property in December, according to Charleston County land records.

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Acquisition

A Mount Pleasant-based company recently added a retail site in South Carolina near Charlotte to its portfolio of commercial real estate holdings.

Ziff Real Estate Partners acquired the 16,450-square-foot Carolina Crossing neighborhood shopping center on U.S. Highway 521 in Indian Land for $3.8 million on April 5, according to Lancaster County land records.

The new owner plans to upgrade the fully occupied retail center on the 1.62-acre site in an area Ziff said has experienced "significant residential growth" over the past decade.

Founded in 1991, Ziff's majority holdings include retail, self-storage and light-industrial properties.

Breaking ground

A Charleston-based contractor is building a large project for a Pepsi-Cola franchiser in North Carolina.

Frampton Construction Co. recently broke ground on a new 223,375-square-foot, build-to-suit project for the family-owned Minges Bottling Group in Ayden, south of Greenville, N.C. The Keith Corp., a Charlotte-based developer, is the owners representative for the 19-acre project next to Minges' existing operations on N.C. Highway 11.

The new facility will feature warehouse space, with a vending repair area, a three-bay fleet maintenance shop, and over 20,000 square feet of office space.
COLUMBIA  Hoping to make a name for Columbia and South Carolina as a hub of quantum computing, an area nonprofit is asking state lawmakers for $15 million to create a program for workforce development, research and education built around the emerging technology.

The proposal by the South Carolina Quantum Association mirrors similar efforts in others cities, such as Chicago and Chattanooga, Tenn. It seeks to spark interest from high school students to pursue careers using the technology by introducing it as part of their curriculum, creating a curriculum around the technology for college and graduate students who will be able to work with it as it continues to mature, and encouraging research into new commercial uses for the technology.

"This is the first step in creating a 'technology hub' that will attract entrepreneurs, academic researchers and business innovators to the region," the group writes in its proposal. "As a result of investing in this type of technology now, South Carolina will make its mark in the economy of the future."

The nonprofit is backed by the same entrepreneurial leaders  Joe Queenan, who has been the founder of multiple startup ventures, and Mapquest co-founder Chris Heivly  who are behind Columbia's GrowCo organization, a conglomeration of technology startups trying to increase the number of high tech companies that call the Capital City home. The effort is being championed by state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, D-Columbia, and has the backing of Mayor Daniel Rickenmann, who sees its potential as an economic development engine for the area and has voiced his support in meetings with the governor's office.

"This is an investment in our intellectual capital," Harpootlian said, allowing kids with an interest in the technology to learn it early, have continued access to it through college, and stay in South Carolina to continue working with the technology after graduation.

Rickenmann looks to cities like Durham, N.C., and the development it has been able to draw because of its technology sector. He believes a quantum computing center could serve as a similar base for Columbia to attract new tech companies and the type of investment the city "couldn't even fathom in the past," while also helping to revitalize the Five Points neighborhood where the S.C. Quantum Association will be housed.

"This is a great opportunity as a community for us to separate ourselves," he said.

The Governor's Office expressed concerns that the earmark will be duplicative of another quantum project at the University of South Carolina.

S.C. Quantum Association plans to partner with Benedict College on its curriculum development efforts, as well as Clemson University for a graduate school curriculum. Queenan said the group thought working with Benedict, a historically Black college, was important as a way to increase diversity in the tech field. The group also suggests USC as a partner for at least one commercial research project, coming up with a solution for a business need using the technology.

"We know Boeing and BMW and others are already investing in this area," Queenan said. "Could we do a couple of projects that collaborate with some of the universities, with their students solving real world problems?"

Leaders at Benedict have already met with U.S. Department of Energy officials, and the partners expect to be able to leverage the $15 million in state funding to attract further federal research dollars, Queenan said.

The group points to $1.25 billion in federal funds distributed to date as part of the National Quantum Initiative Act and more to come over the next five years.

The Chicago Quantum Exchange has been able to bring in $300 million in federal funding, the University of California Berkley and the Berkley National Lab have netted upwards of $100 million, and Duke University is set to open the Duke Quantum Center.

"South Carolina could take the lead on a regional effort and establish a group like this for the Southeast," the S.C. Quantum Association proposal reads.

"While government and industries around the world are investing billions of dollars in companies applying this transformational technology, no region in the United States has emerged as a destination. ... Much like Silicon Valley became a destination for internet and web technology companies, we believe South Carolina can and should be a destination for quantum research and commercialization."

Quantum computers have the power to make calculations far faster than even today's supercomputers. When it comes to loading shipping containers at the port, for example, quantum computers can take in many more variables to make sure it's done as efficiently as possible.

"It's really complex problem for conventional computers because the computation has to consider so many different targets and constraints, including revenue and delivery and industry standards and weight restrictions," Queenan said. "That's where the divergence is between a classical computer and a quantum computer."

And South Carolina needs people capable of applying the technology as it develops.

"We'll have, at the very least, a lot more people who understand this space and how industry can benefit from it," Queenan said.

The effort is different from a proposal that Gov. Henry McMaster vetoed last legislative session, when the S.C. Quantum Association had sought a $25 million earmark in the budget to purchase its own quantum computer, which it would have rented time on to entrepreneurs and researchers as a way to generate revenue.

For this effort, the association would use a portion of the earmarked funding to rent time on someone else's computer. The money would also pay for consultants and professional service providers who would help with curriculum development, specialized training for those involved, and development of online courses that could be accessed statewide, as well as special events and a pair of demonstration projects with private industry partners.

Queenan said leasing, rather than owning, gives dedicated access to the best, most current type of computer. The association and the hub allowing remote access to the quantum computer would be housed inside the Boyd Foundation Community Innovation Center in FivePoints, where GrowCo is headquartered.

In addition to students and researchers, area entrepreneurs would be able to use the quantum computing access point, as well as attend special quantum computing events put on by the center and receive tailored business support offered by GrowCo.

"This is a technology that's going to dominate the world in another few years," Harpootlian said. "So we've got to get ahead of the curve. ... We, Columbia, South Carolina, could be a center for this kind of innovation."

Harpootlian said he takes responsibility for the failure of prior quantum computing efforts, adding that he did not do as much as he should have to advocate for them with lawmakers and the Governor's Office. By having the support of Columbia's mayor and doing more to disseminate information about the proposal to state lawmakers this time around, Harpootlian and the S.C. Quantum Association are more hopeful of success.

"It stands a good chance of getting approval this year," said state Senate Finance Committee Chairman Harvey Peeler, R-Gaffney.

Peeler said Harpootlian has "done his homework."

"He's convinced me it's a good thing for Columbia and the state," Peeler said.

Seanna Adcox contributed to this report.
The Rev. Mike Evans stood among the rubble where a family had perished.

The week following Easter Sunday, the United Methodist pastor from Edgefield and 15 UMC volunteers arrived in the small, rural town of Black Hawk, Miss.

About two weeks prior, on March 24, a tornado ripped through the tiny community, leveling homes, splitting trees and leaving almost nothing in its wake save for the town's Dollar General, which had become a hub for essential items.

It was part of a storm that had killed several dozen people in the state before another series of tornadoes a week later ripped through Southern and Midwestern states, killing at least 32 more individuals, according to news reports.

Evans, one of the conference's disaster response coordinators, is used to leading teams into communities touched by catastrophe. Volunteers do manual labor, like placing tarps on roofs or using chain saws to cut trees to provide families, emergency personnel and insurance adjustors access to homes.

What Evans and his team aren't as accustomed to is standing in spaces where known fatalities have occurred, he said. And yet there they were, searching the debris for household items belonging to four members of a family who had been killed by the March 24 storm.

Upon arrival to the unincorporated Mississippi community, the volunteers met the 14-year-old son of that particular family. The teenager was in the house when the storm tore through his neighborhood and killed his mom, dad, twin brother and pet dog. He was the only survivor from his household. The family's double-wide trailer had been destroyed.

Other relatives greeted the team at the scene, hoping the volunteers could provide some peace and closure by securing family photos and other beloved household items.

It was an eerie experience. For two days, church volunteers sifted through the piles as the silence of the morning was punctured by chirping birds. Volunteers gathered pictures of the dead to give to the surviving relatives.

Church members also talked with the survivors. Usually when the denomination's disaster response volunteers enter areas devastated by fires, hurricanes, tornados and other calamities, they begin by allowing victims to share their stories. That's because data indicates that victims of trauma must share their experiences seven times before the healing process can actually begin, Evans said.

But this task, comforting individuals in the same space where their loved ones breathed their last breaths, was much more difficult. Volunteers didn't have many words to say, or explanations to offer.

"The family looked for closure about what happened, but we didn't have answers," Evans said. "We were there for support."

Though the religious leaders couldn't provide answers as to why the tragedy occurred, United Methodists from South Carolina provided support by helping survivors recover meaningful family relics.

These church members were just a few of the dozens of volunteers deployed by faith organizations and nonprofits from the Palmetto State. Many South Carolinians left their families and friends behind over the past two weeks to respond to natural disasters across the country.

Volunteers headed into lands of destruction to do emergency response work, such as patching up people's physical wounds, cleaning up debris, manning shelters, distributing food and other essential items, and providing emotional support to survivors still dealing with the unimaginable.

The Red Cross of South Carolina deployed 27 disaster-trained volunteers, and three emergency response vehicles to support disaster relief operations across 14 states in the South, Midwest and California, where violent tornadoes and floods have ruptured communities.

Storms in the Midwest and South have destroyed or caused significant damage to 2,100 homes, according to the Red Cross. The humanitarian organization has worked with nonprofits and government officials to provide 255,000 meals and to serve more than 10,800 households with relief supplies that include cleanup kits, home tarps, work gloves, rakes and shovels.

Red Cross volunteer Terry Hevener had spent the last two weeks providing health care to people in and around Greenwood, Miss., a city of about 14,000. The retired Army nurse tended to people's wounds, traveling to shelters daily to make sure needed health care attention was provided. Tears begin to form in her eyes when she thinks about the youth harmed by the disaster.

Neighborhoods had been obliterated, she said. She recalled how sheets of metal from damaged homes dangled from trees. Hevener arrived in Mississippi on April 9 and returned April 19 to her home in Columbia, where she would carry with her the memories of those she met who are still in need.

Hevener emphasized that she was just one of many volunteers who came to Mississippi to lend a helping hand.

It renews my faith in humankind," she said.

Many of South Carolina's disaster relief workers said what inspires them to help those in need is that someone once helped them during desperate times.

James Island resident Jerry Pullen recalled how several decades ago a neighbor buried his deceased pet dog. Pullen did the same for the Black Hawk, Miss., family, whose furry friend was thrown about 50 yards during the violent tornado. He also remembered how, after Hurricane Hugo in 1989, volunteers came from out of state and stayed at his home for a week to help clean up debris.

"The things people do for you over the course of your life, you try to do that for other people when you have the opportunity," he said.
GEORGETOWN  Three men have been charged with killing a Georgetown man in the Kingstree area on April 11, one day before someone driving his car led authorities on a high-speed chase in the Georgetown area.

Charged with murder in Daniel Altman's shooting death are Javon Armel Chattine, 20, of Georgetown; Jakiel Treyvon Chattine, 19, of Georgetown; and Marquise Tyron Mitchum, 18, of Andrews.

Each of the three is charged with multiple additional crimes. A woman, 18-year-old Serenity Octavia Jackson of Hartsville, has been arrested on charges stemming from the use of Altmans vehicle.

Altman, 25, was reported missing April 13 by his mother who had last seen him April 7 and noted that he was not showing up at work at his job at Texas Roadhouse in Murrells Inlet and had missed a court date.

Altman's roommate at Wedgefield Plantation said he had last seen Altman at about 12:30 a.m., April 11 when Altman left home after work wearing blue jeans, a white shirt and a red, white and black Nike headband.

A joint investigation by several agencies, including the State Law Enforcement Division, determined Altman was lured to an abandoned residence on (McAllister) Road on April 11, 2023, ambushed and shot.

The subjects then disposed of and burned the victim's body in a nearby wooded area on (McAllister) Road before stealing the victim's vehicle and personal belongings, according to the Williamsburg County Sheriffs Office.

Altman was not named in an April 20 press release from the Williamsburg County Sheriffs Office, but spokesman Jason Lesley of the Georgetown County Sheriffs Office confirmed the victim involved is Altman.

The investigation also revealed Mitchum gave Altmans debit card to Javon Chattine, the Sheriff's Office said, leading to additional charges of identity fraud against Mitchum and Chattine.

The day before Altman was reported missing, in the early morning hours of April 12, a black 2013 Nissan Altima displaying the stolen license plate of a 59-year-old Spartanburg man led authorities on a pursuit that reached speeds of up to 115 mph as it stretched through Georgetown's Historic District, Maryville and North Santee.

Lesley said the Altima involved in the chase was Altman's, though Altman himself was not in the vehicle.

The chase ended in the area of Meria Drive and Mount Zion Avenue, about 10 miles southwest of Georgetown city limits. Jackson, who was driving, and Javon Chattine were arrested, the Sheriff's Office said.

After making bail, Javon Chattine was arrested by the Williamsburg County Sheriffs Office again on April 18, while Mitchum turned himself in on April 19, the same day Williamsburg County investigators said they located skeletal remains in the area of McAllister Road. The remains will be sent for autopsy by the Williamsburg County Coroner's Office.

A press release did not make clear when Jakiel Chattine was arrested but noted that he was arrested by the Williamsburg County Sheriffs Office.

Jackson will be extradited from Georgetown County to Williamsburg County at a later date.

Those with information about the incident are encouraged to call the Williamsburg County Sheriff's Office's Criminal Investigation Division at 843-355-6381.
Customers shop for handguns at the Des Moines Fairgrounds Gun Show at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. March 11, 2023

Bullets sprayed out from a speeding car in Connecticuts capital, killing an innocent 12-year-old bystander and wounding three other people who have have rap sheets that include gun crimes, authorities said Friday.

The suspects in the drive-by shooting appeared to target three males who were standing on a sidewalk on a residential street not far from downtown Hartford shortly after 8:30 p.m. Thursday, city police said.

Secret Pierce, a seventh grader at Milner Middle School, became Hartfords seventh homicide victim of the year. She was sitting in a parked car when she was shot in the head, police said. She died Friday morning. The three other victims, males ages 16, 18 and 23, were expected to survive.

This is a painful day in our community, Mayor Luke Bronin said at a morning news conference outside police headquarters. I dont have the words. I want to say to Secrets mom and loved ones that we all are so deeply sorry. That we are with them today in grief, in prayer and with love. ... A tragedy like this ripples outward in a community and affects so many.

Police Lt. Aaron Boisvert said Secret was an innocent bystander. Very tragic. Very unfortunate. Sickening, he said.

Investigators searched for the suspects Friday. The shooting was captured on surveillance video, but the footage was grainy and police were trying to identify the suspected vehicle, Boisvert said. Authorities believe there were two people in the car.

It was not immediately clear why the three males were targeted.

Bronin said all three were known to police because they had extensive criminal histories that included firearms arrests. He said it appeared one of the surviving victims was on probation, and another was awaiting adjudication for a firearm offense.

The mayor urged the three victims to cooperate with police.

I believe they know who fired the bullets that killed a 12-year-old girl, Bronin said. And it is not acceptable not to cooperate with investigators. ... Thats not fair to her family. Thats not fair to her loved ones. Its not fair to her memory, Its not fair to our community.

City schools Superintendent Leslie Torres-Rodriguez said at the news conference that counseling and other support services were being offered at Secrets school and other schools across the district.

When a tragedy happens such as this one, it does have wide ripples, she said. And to us, Secret was one of our beautiful and very capable students. And we have activated all of our crisis support teams.

Trauma is not foreign to us in Hartford and in Hartford public schools, Torres-Rodriguez said. So its really hard for us to compartmentalize or separate when events happen. And so while we are going to galvanize all of our support and our partners, dealing with the trauma is an extended process.

Several children, nearly all of them teens, have been fatally shot in Hartford over the past several years. Two years ago, 3-year-old Randell Jones was shot to death while in a car with family members during a drive-by shooting. Police believe a man in Randells car was the intended target. The court cases of two teens charged in Randells death remain pending.

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GREENVILLE  Bob Jones University President Steve Pettit's tenure will end May 5 after the board of trustees announced it had accepted his resignation.

Pettit said on March 30 he would resign. Afterward, a letter became public that he sent to the board on March 21 listing grievances with the leadership of then-board Chairman John Lewis. In the letter, he said he would resign if Lewis remained chair.

Lewis subsequently resigned on April 6, leaving an open question of whether that move changed Pettit's status. The board elected a new chairman, Sam Dawson, on April 14.

A statement from the board released by the university April 21 removed all doubt.

The Bob Jones University Board of Trustees has received the resignation of President Steve Pettit effective May 5, 2023," the release read. "The board is thankful for his presidency of nine years and his love for faculty, staff, and students.

"The Board is currently making plans for the future leadership of BJU so the university can continue to provide a first-class Christian education with a biblical worldview."

Pettit became the university's fifth president in 2014, and the first not related to university founder Bob Jones Sr. He earned his undergraduate degree at The Citadel before obtaining a master's in pastoral studies from Bob Jones.

Lewis served on the board for 32 years and was chair for seven. Dawson has served on the board since 2001 and was treasurer and secretary prior to being named chair.

The private evangelical university was founded in 1927 as Bob Jones College in Bay County, Fla. It moved to Cleveland, Tenn., in 1933, then to Greenville in 1947. It currently has about 3,000 students.

Reporter Conor Hughes contributed to this story.
GREENVILLE  After almost two years of a bitter rift between the Greenville County Republican Party and the South Carolina GOP, the feud will soon come to a head and a central question be answered.

Will the county party shift back to its more-traditional GOP leadership, or will the insurgent "MAGA" group that overtook it two summers ago tighten its grip?

On April 24, hundreds will gather at the Greenville Convention Center for the county party's biennial convention, during which delegates will vote for who will lead the county party ahead of the state party convention in May.

The current leadership took power in summer 2021, after campaigning as a "MAGA slate" that centered around allegiance to former president Donald Trump. They managed to oust the chair, vice chair and executive committeeman elected just months before during the county convention. They resigned citing intimidation tactics and rancor with populist newcomers fueled by the outcome of the November 2020 presidential election.

In the time since, state party leadership has portrayed the county party as a combative, chaotic group that hasn't followed party rules and has no clear vision on how to win elections.

This past February, the state party seized control of the county party's precinct reorganization process, which culminates with the convention. The move was made in large part out of fear that county party's leadership would alienate potential new party members, state party executive director Hope Walker told The Post and Courier.

The county party's current chairman, Jeff Davis, has railed against the takeover as a dirty trick by what he called RINOs  "Republicans In Name Only"  to maintain power despite not having the votes.

Now Davis is running for Greenville County's seat at the state party's executive committee table  the same committee that ejected him from a meeting in December 2021 after a shouting match.

Davis called into question the integrity of the state party's intentions and the reorganization process.

"We're playing their sport on their field with their referees," Davis told The Post and Courier in a recent interview.

Davis said he believes in the end his camp will overwhelmingly win representation. Greenville County sends the largest portion of delegates than any county to the state convention.

There, he hopes to unseat current state chairman Drew McKissick.

Davis cited recent county party wins by likeminded "America First" candidates in places like York and Anderson counties.

However, Nate Leupp, the former Greenville County GOP chairman who left the county apparatus around the time of the takeover, said that while the America First group has found success in some counties it is unlikely to have enough to effect leadership change at the state level.

After his departure, Leupp helped form the Fourth District Republican Club, which attracted many party members pushed away by the takeover and has hosted several high-profile elected Republicans.

Leupp told The Post and Courier he hoped for a smooth convention.

It may be a wild night, but hopefully the delegates, no matter on what side, want to come and do the work and get back to work Tuesday, he said.
BEAUFORT  When Rhonda and Bill Anderson's Cane Island home was featured on the 2021 Historic Beaufort Foundation Spring Architects' Tour, the 5,000-square-foot residence was still under construction.

The annual tour highlights the best in contemporary residential design, said Cynthia Jenkins, executive director of the Historic Beaufort Foundation.

The Cane Island home generated so much interest in 2021 that it was selected for the 2023 tour to give architecture enthusiasts a chance to see its fully finished form.

It did not disappoint.

Situated on the Beaufort River with a view of the McTeer Bridge about a mile to the north, the Anderson's home is on a wooded lot that is characteristic of the 227-acre island.

Frederick + Frederick, the architectural firm hired by the Andersons to design and build the home, set out to create a house that was energy-efficient, well-suited for the environment and infused with design elements endemic to the Lowcountry.

"A lot of the net-zero homes are more modern than this one," said architect Michael Frederick, design principal of Frederick + Frederick. "We were able to incorporate new technology into a traditional form."

Beaufort or Beaufort

It was a nearly unbelievable dollop of serendipity that led the Andersons to what would eventually become their new home.

The avid sailors had docked their sailboat near San Diego when they felt it was time for a move to the opposite coast. A little research and conversation among friends pointed them toward Beaufort because of its active sailing community and deep-water harbor that could accommodate their boat. They set out for a visit.

Arriving in Beaufort, they were drawn to the town's charm, though they couldn't find evidence of the sailing community they'd heard so much about. A call back to San Diego revealed the problem. The town they discussed was Beaufort... North Carolina. They were in the wrong state.

"I was like, 'There's another one?'" Rhonda Anderson said of the mix-up.

A little embarrassed by the mistake, the couple packed up and headed north. But by then, they were smitten. They returned to South Carolina and began the search for a place to call home.

Creating the design

When the Andersons approached architects Jane and Michael Frederick, they did so with only vague notions of what they wanted their house to be.

They had a photo of a home in Savannah, Ga., that had caught their eye. In addition to the Lowcountry aesthetic, Rhonda Anderson wanted the building to exude a Zen-like calm. And, the home needed to be built to withstand the worst weather the Lowcountry could throw at it.

"I don't want to worry about not having a house left every time a hurricane comes through," Rhonda Anderson said.

Aside from that, the Andersons gave only minimal direction. The home should allow a lot of natural light. Every bedroom should accommodate a king bed with an en suite. Bill Anderson asked for an outdoor shower.

With the single photo and a few simple directions, the Fredericks set out to create a design.

Michael Frederick had, coincidentally, designed a home for the same lot nearly 15 years ago. While the home was never built, he was very familiar with the land. The design for the Andersons was, he said, completely different from the prior project, and it was an immediate hit with the Andersons.

"It was perfect," Rhonda Anderson said. "I don't think we made any structural changes after that initial walkthrough."

Working within the environment

The design started with an understanding of the architectural elements that predated the advent of air conditioning.

"It gives us a real head start if we look at those principles and apply them to a modern building that we're trying to make net-zero," Michael Frederick explained.

Starting from the top down, the home has 13 kilowatts of solar panels and a Tesla battery system that will run the house for up to three days if necessary. The battery eliminates the need for an emergency generator, and excess electricity can be sold back to the utility provider.

Underneath the solar panels is a standing-seam metal roof that's made of aluminum to better withstand the salt-air environment. The metal roof simplified the installation of the solar panels, and its paint reflects heat, keeping the roof cooler.

"It's what the old houses used," Michael Frederick said. "It's the appropriate thing."

The house is heated and cooled by an highly efficient geothermal heat pump.

The house is raised such that even the basement is above the flood plain. This protects against a possible tidal surge and has the added benefit of positioning the house to capture the breeze that comes off the river.

The design aimed to preserve as many of the trees on the property as possible. While an arborist was brought in to trim them to optimize the amount of light reaching the solar panels, the trees on the west side of the house protect it from harsh afternoon light.

The trees also add to the calming feel that the couple was after.

"I think that's where the Zen part comes in for me, because I love the outdoors," Rhonda Anderson said.

The plan comes together

Patrick McMichael of Broad River Construction was one of two builders on the 25-month-long construction project. Architect Tom Rhodes from Frederick + Frederick served as the project manager, and the two met weekly.

McMichael said that some builders bristle at having an architect so involved in the construction phase, but the partnership on the Anderson's home worked well for everyone.

Getting a large home to run on the power it generates requires energy-efficient design and construction, McMichael explained. A blower door test was done to detect leaks around door and windows.

"We can find the tiniest little spots where air is getting through and make it tight," he said. "Not everybody does that."

Much of the construction took place during the peak of the pandemic, and supply issues were sometimes problematic. At one point, all construction ceased for weeks, waiting for the arrival of needed supplies.

And while McMichael said he lost a fair amount of sleep during the project, he'd do it again.

The Andersons were in their Salt Lake City home during most of the construction. They said the project was streamlined and easy.

With family in Utah, the couple plans to split their time between the two locations, but Cane Island is becoming their primary residence.

Rhonda Anderson called the home a retreat, and she attributed the success of the project completely to the Fredericks and the team they assembled.

"I knew we were in good hands," she said. "It's what you get when you have complete faith and trust in your architects, your builders and your project manager."
A Kingstree man has been arrested in connection with a November 2022 shooting that left one dead, according to the Williamsburg County Sheriffs Office. Read moreKingstree man charged in connection with deadly 2022 shooting incident
CAMDEN  Its a rare day that the remains of 14 Revolutionary War fighters receive ceremonial military tribute in South Carolina.

But on April 22, the bones of soldiers who died in the Battle of Camden just north of the Midlands city were returned to the battlefield where they fell. Hundreds gathered to honor the fallen.

At least 12 of the men can be considered among the United States first veterans. One was Native American, perhaps from North Carolina and likely fighting on the Loyalist side against the Continentals. Another was a British Highlander of the 71st Regiment of Foot.

A team of archaeologists from the University of South Carolina will continue its work at the Camden battlefield, preparing it for public access and identifying an appropriate place to create a cemetery where 13 of the 14 remains soon will be reinterred.

The team is working with Catawba and Lumbee tribal officials to determine how and when the remains of their ancestor will be reburied.

During the course of an archaeological project at the battlefield, the remains were discovered, carefully removed from their shallow graves, analyzed in a laboratory, then laid in custom-made pine coffins sealed with hand-wrought nails.

After this extraordinary tribute, the coffins will remain temporarily stored at a funeral home until the reburial can proceed.

In downtown Camden on April 22, hundreds gathered at Bethesda Presbyterian Church for an outdoor funeral service that included Revolutionary War reenactors, Army musicians and civilian and military dignitaries. DeKalb Street was closed to make room for the uniformed reenactors and spectators. The 79th Fighter Squadron from Shaw Air Force Base darted across the sky in a flyover.

Hundreds again congregated in the afternoon under the loblolly pines where a stage adorned with banners was set upon the old battlefield. It was probably not since the 1780 confrontation between the Continentals and the British that so many had gathered at this site.

The Army Band played; the caskets were carried in. I didnt know whether to cry or pray, Gov. Henry McMaster told the crowd. Let us take these moments to rededicate ourselves to securing the light of Liberty in our land understanding that if we fail untold consequences will echo throughout the ages.

A lone Army bugler played taps. Three Apache helicopters flew over, perhaps 50 feet above the treetops. American flags were folded and distributed to honorary pallbearers. Gratitude was expressed for the service of all veterans.

The battlefield ceremony was the culmination of three days of events honoring these soldiers. It all began April 20 with a caravan of Humvees transporting the coffins from the Richland County Coroners Office, where the lab work was performed, to the Camden Military Academy. Stops were made at the Statehouse and Fort Jackson in Columbia as well as 11 schools along the way in Elgin, Lugoff and Camden. The remains of the dead then lay in repose at the Kershaw Cornwallis House until the morning of the ceremony.

On the evening of April 21, the Army Band performed in concert.

Bones of the dead

During the months between disinterment and reburial, the bones were analyzed by Richland County forensic anthropologists. Bill Stevens, deputy coroner, led the effort. He said samples were gathered for DNA and isotope testing that could assist genealogical evaluations.

Working with colleague Carlina Maria de la Cova, who also is an anthropology professor at the University of South Carolina, they will try to identify any signs of parasites, teeth and bone signatures and other information that might help them determine place of origin. The 12 Continental fighters likely were from Maryland and Delaware.

They are also documenting blunt-force injuries likely caused by musketballs or buckshot, Stevens said.

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Thin bones, such as ribs, did not survive the centuries in the makeshift shallow graves, so any bayonet strikes are unlikely to be found, he said.

The new pine caskets were derived from older trees that almost certainly stood when these men were alive in the late 1700s.

At least three of the fallen were teenagers, according to Steven Smith, a research professor at USC's Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology who oversaw the fieldwork. Scientists can tell because of growth plates that are present in young people, but which close by age 17 in boys. This means the three soldiers were between 14 and 17 years old when they fell.

Aug. 16, 1780, was a hot day. The Battle of Camden was a brutal confrontation, and a terrible defeat for the Continental forces. About 3,700 Patriots and 2,230 British fighters and American Loyalists faced off. The bodies of the dead  members of the 1st and 2nd Maryland Brigades, the Delaware Continental Army, Armands Legion and the Virginia and North Carolina militias  were hastily buried, even as wild hogs roamed nearby.

Every battleground is a cemetery. Normally, any remains encountered during archaeological study are left in place, Doug Bostick, director of the S.C. Battleground Preservation Trust. But this time, the bones had been discovered by others. The team felt the need to protect them, study them, then provide a proper reburial, he said.

Hands over hearts

The project began in 2019. The USC Institute of Archaeology staff knew of a number of human remains at the site, but the prospect of removing or securing them seemed daunting. The S.C. Battleground Preservation Trust determined that doing so was a duty, Bostick said.

We decided to do the right thing, and expected to receive support, he said.

That support came  from the university, the Richland County Coroners Office, the state Department of Natural Resources, the S.C. American Revolution 250th commission and others.

When we started planning this, some of these things were pie-in-the-sky, Bostick said, recalling how he wondered whether a procession in Humvees would appeal to students, whether the S.C. Highway Patrol would agree to assist, whether the Camden Military Academy and Fort Jackson would rally their people.

Every school turned out the entire student body, he said. Kids were holding flags, saluting, holding their hands over their hearts. ... The minute the Highway Patrol pulled into the school yard, followed by the Humvee, you could hear a pin drop.

As they left, the students burst into applause.

In the car, as part of the convoy, I couldnt even speak, Bostick said. I just wept.

The fighters honored  12 Patriots, one British, one Native American  came to represent the hundreds of others who also died in the Battle of Camden, their bones left behind in the sandy soil. The processions, church service, musical performances and battlefield ceremony, then, were meant to pay tribute to all of them, Bostick said.

Until now, the Trusts mission was to safeguard the properties associated with the American Revolution and to interpret the history of that war.

Now, were not just preserving the ground, were honoring the men who fell in these battles, Bostick said. Its completely changed my perspective of the work that we do.
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH  State and national GOP leaders, including former President Donald Trump, backed the party's current leaders during the party's annual convention on April 22, legitimizing the new administration after months of party infighting.

This comes during an ongoing custody battle over party property within the Horry County GOP between former Chairman Roger Slagle and current party leaders led by Chairman Reese Boyd.

But talk about the split was set aside during the county part convention where U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, R-Surfside Beach, S.C. GOP Chairman Drew McKissick and local party leaders all emphasized unifying the party and working together to oppose the Democratic agenda.

We have been devoid of leadership in this county, from a county party perspective, for too long so it is good to see a packed room, Fry said in addressing hundreds of attending county party delegates. Fry defeated incumbent GOP congressman Tom Rice, who was one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach Trump after the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, in 2022.

Trump who is running for president in 2024, sent in a video message where he expressed support for Fry, McKissick and the Horry County GOP.

We have tremendous people that are at the convention, Trump said in the message. Horry County is a very special place. I hope were going to go out and fight very hard for our country.

Trump's S.C. team confirmed that the former president supports McKissick and who the state party chairman has deemed the official leadership of the Horry County GOP led by Boyd, Vice Chairman Rob Visconti and State Executive Committeeman Mike Connett, who all won reelection at the convention.

McKissick said it was important to unify the party because that was the way to recruit more Republicans.

"We win by adding and multiplying and at the end of the day, thats why were here, to win campaigns," McKissick said. "Im so proud to have all of you in this room to help bring this country forward."

Boyd emphasized moving the party forward.

"We just hope that everybody will see this for what it is, which is, it is the Republican Party of Horry County," Boyd said. "We're going to grow the party and engage more people to get more people involved. That's really what it's all about."

This comes after months of political infighting within the Horry County Republican Party, one of South Carolinas top GOP strongholds.

In January, Boyd and his team successfully sued former leaders Slagle and two of his lieutenants, who all resigned from the county party leadership last fall, in court to reclaim $5,000 worth of party records, supplies, memorabilia and social media passwords.

The reclaimed supplies included 70 folding chairs, meeting tables and a computer printer, and the memorabilia included antique yard signs, campaign posters and campaign buttons, per court documents.

That lawsuit did not include the party's bank account  which is said to contain at least $30,000  because the value exceeded the $7,500 limit handled in magistrate court.

The party's money largely came from membership dues and fundraising, Boyd said.

"That may be a situation that we pursue in the near future," Boyd said, regarding reclaiming custody of the party's account. "We've been trying to determine how best to proceed with that."

Slagle and his administration resigned in September over accusations that state party leaders were meddling in county party politics. Slagle tried to rescind his resignation later that month after the state party already accepted it.

Slagle has since refused to step down as chairman, accusing the leaders of ousting him in a "coup."

Attempts to reach Slagle's team for comment were unsuccessful April 22.

Members of Slagles faction did not attend the April 22 convention. Party officials confirmed Slagle and his supporters within the GOP were allowed to attend the convention and other events.
Ours has been a rural nation for most of its nearly 250 years, and while a far smaller percentage of us now actively work on farms or ranches, these agricultural operations remain critically important, not only to our historical identity but also because they provide our food, contribute to  Read moreEditorial: SC farms are disappearing. The Legislature should try to slow that.
The most promising effort weve ever seen to slash South Carolinas alarmingly high DUI death rate is the ignition interlock device  a simple little contraption that makes it impossible for anyone with even a trace of alcohol in their breath to start a car. Last year alone, these devices stopped South Carolinians from starting their cars nearly 25,000 times.

Unfortunately, they're only required for repeat DUI offenders and drivers whose blood-alcohol content was nearly twice the legal limit. But even some people who make a living defending drunk drivers support expanding the number of people who are required to use the device in order to drive.

For years, the nearly unanimous S.C. Senate has been trying to require everybody convicted of DUI to use the devices. And for years, the Senates bill has gone to the House Judiciary Committee to die without a vote.

This year could be different, although a hearing on Thursday served as a reminder that even though the committees new chairman, Rep. Weston Newton, is a sponsor of the companion bill, it still wont be easy to get it past the lawyer-legislators who hold such disproportionate sway on the panel.

The first time the Criminal Laws Subcommittee held a public hearing on S.36, parents and other relatives who lost loved ones to drunk drivers dominated the testimony. One criminal defense attorney showed up to complain that it just wasnt fair to require his clients to install the ignition interlock device or else lose the right to drive if they refuse to take a breath test. But Rep. Newton was there to push back.

By Thursday, the tide had turned. Rep. Newton wasnt there, and although a few victims and their supporters showed up, the drunk drivers attorneys were well-represented  both in the audience and on the subcommittee, which systematically dismantled the parts of the legislation the witnesses found most objectionable.

State law automatically strips people of their drivers license if theyre pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving and refuse to take a breath test. But the dirty little secret is that all these drivers have to do is go down to the DMV the next day and get a temporary license, which allows them to keep driving as long as their attorney can keep delaying their trial on the underlying DUI charge. The bill the Senate passed 37-1 requires them to have an ignition interlock device installed before they can get that temporary license.

So the first thing the House subcommittee did on Thursday was strip that provision out of S.36, as the attorneys who testified recommended.

The panel followed up with an amendment that requires the interlock device to prevent the car from starting when the driver blows 0.05% rather than the current 0.02%, since the DUI law says drivers who test at less than 0.05% cant be considered under the influence of alcohol. Of course, that overlooks the fact that the interlock is supposed to be a fail-safe device to prevent even the possibility that people with a documented history of driving drunk can do so again.

A later amendment more reasonably said efforts to start the car with an alcohol level of less than 0.05% cant be counted toward a maximum number of failed attempts before the car simply won't start again. But its easy to see that first amendment as a foretaste of the battle ahead when the full Judiciary Committee takes up the bill, likely on Tuesday.

Rep. Spencer Wetmore argued that even with the amendments, the bill still would mark a huge step forward, since everyone convicted of DUI would have to install the device, instead of the limited number who must use it now. And she's right about that. That doesnt make those amendments OK, but it should be lawmakers guiding principle at least in the next few days.

House members who care about saving innocent lives certainly should try to defeat efforts to further weaken S.36, but their priority should be getting the bill  even a watered-down version  to the full House, where criminal defense attorneys dont have such disproportionate sway. After years of frustrating losses, there is a real chance that we could be just days or weeks away from a law that will keep thousands more drunk drivers off our roads, and save hundreds of innocent lives every ear. We can't think of anything more important the House can do in the final three weeks of this legislative session.

Click here for more opinion content from The Post and Courier.
The opening phase of the Republican presidential primary has largely centered on the escalating collision between former president Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

But a new wave of GOP White House hopefuls will begin entering the 2024 race as soon as this coming week after a monthslong lull. They include former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who will formally launch his campaign Wednesday.

Former Vice President Mike Pence has said he will finalize his plans in weeks, not months. He has kept a busy schedule of early state visits and policy speeches as aides have discussed details of an announcement including dates as early as May, but more likely in June. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who has formed a presidential exploratory committee, is expected to join the race in a similar time frame.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been meeting with former aides and he returned to New Hampshire this past week, where he said at a town hall in the first-in-the-nation primary state, Tonight is the beginning of the case against Donald Trump. Christie has said he will make a decision in the next couple of weeks.

The contenders will enter the race at a critical moment as DeSantis, who hasnt officially announced a campaign, has struggled to live up to sky-high expectations among some early backers. He has been losing support among elected Republicans in his own state to Trump and is prompting concern among some in the party that his positions on abortion and LGBTQ rights, among other issues, could render him unelectable in a general election.

Trump in recent weeks has solidified his status as the early front-runner, even after he was indicted in New York. He remains the subject of intensifying investigations in Atlanta and Washington and persistent concerns about his electability after losing to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

Would-be rivals hope that dynamic leaves an opening for one of the fresh entrants to emerge as an alternative to the current polling leaders. Some strategists hope Trump and DeSantis will attack one another so viciously that they will turn off voters, who will search for an alternative.

Its not uncommon for a third candidate whos not involved in the kerfuffle to rise, said Bryan Lanza, a former Trump adviser, who has been informally advising Larry Elder, the conservative talk radio host who announced his campaign Thursday.

Lanza said he expects a robust race to be the leader of the second tier of candidates currently polling at under 10%.

Beyond Trump and Elder, the current field of official GOP presidential candidates includes Trumps U.N. ambassador, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Both announced their bids in February.

Biden is expected to announce his 2024 campaign as soon as this coming week. He faces minimal competition for the Democratic nomination.

Among Republicans, the early debates that are slated to begin this summer could be crucial in determining who builds momentum, particularly given DeSantis expectations.

That means candidates may need to cement their planning soon, even if they would prefer to wait longer. The Republican National Committee has scheduled the first debate for August and is expected to set strict benchmarks that candidates must satisfy to participate, including amassing tens of thousands of individual donors.

That takes a little time to do and so if youre gong to be serious about this  and I think you have to be on the stage to be serious about it  then you probably have to make the decision by May, Christie said this past week during an interview with the media outlet Semafor.

Candidates-in-waiting have seen little reason to jump in sooner, particularly given Trumps propensity to attack. Instead, they have been biding their time, visiting early voting states, delivering speeches and wooing donors as they assess the field. Pence, for instance, was in California this past week meeting with potential backers and will host another donor retreat for his nonprofit group in late May.

If I was in their shoes, I would wait as long as possible, said former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who was considered an early favorite for the Republican nomination when he ran against Trump in 2016. He remembers realizing, in those early weeks, how dramatically Trump had upended the race, dominating everything.

There was no way around it then, he said. And right now, anybody who thinks theyre somehow going to go in and change that is missing the reality.

The rivalry between Trump and DeSantis has been turning uglier by the day, with political groups supporting both men already spending millions on attack ads.

While DeSantis has largely ignored Trumps jabs questioning his commitment to Social Security, his relationship with young girls as a teacher decades ago and even his sexuality, a pro-DeSantis super political action committee, Never Back Down, began to respond in its first round of paid ads last weekend.

Trump should fight Democrats, not lie about Gov. DeSantis, the narrator says in an ad that ran on Fox News. What happened to Donald Trump?

The spot ran in conjunction with an online ad, which described Trump as a coward and a gun grabber, that was aimed at those attending an RNC donor retreat in Indiana.

Trumps super PAC, MAGA Inc., has been airing its spots on cable news channels highlighting DeSantis votes to cut Social Security and Medicare and raise the retirement age.

The more you learn about DeSantis, the more you see he doesnt share our values. Hes just not ready to be president, said the narrator in one. Another, seizing on a report that DeSantis once ate pudding with his fingers, urged the governor to keep his pudding fingers off our money.

Trump and his campaign have long seen DeSantis as his only serious challenger and believed the more crowded the field, the better for Trump, as candidates split the anti-Trump vote. But a repeat of 2016s massive field hasnt materialized, with potential candidates such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan passing on campaigns.

There are still plenty of unknown dynamics, including whether governors such as Kristi Noem of South Dakota or Chris Sununu of New Hampshire will enter the contest. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin have not explicitly ruled out running.

Mike DuHaime, a Republican strategist and longtime Christie adviser, believes that Trump is the favorite but nonetheless beatable. He cautioned that races are complicated, with unexpected outcomes.

I do think that DeSantis is right now firmly the alternative to Trump, but I dont know if it stays that way. Theres still way too long to go, he said, arguing that a debate moment or news story could change the trajectory.

Somebodys just got to get momentum, he said. Its just so wide open even with Trump being the prohibitive favorite.

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COMPANY FULLY FUNDED FOR 2023 EXPLORATION PROGRAMTHIS NEWS RELEASE IS NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATESVANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / April 21, 2023 / Gama Explorations Inc. (CSE:GAMA)(FSE:N79) (OTCQB:GMMAF) ("Gama" or the "Company") announces that it has closed a non-brokered private placement, (the "Private Placement") for gross proceeds of approximately $1 Million."The closing of this flow-through placement fully funds Gama's exploration plans for 2023 on the Muskox Lithium Project in the Northwest Territories and on the Tyee Nickel Project in Quebec," stated Mick Carew, CEO of Gama. "In addition to completing an oversubscribed, $5.4 Million private placement on February 7, 2023, the Company is operating with a strong cash balance, and we look forward to unlocking value in our diversified portfolio of battery metals projects through diligent exploration in 2023."Under the Private Placement, the Company issued 568,182 flow-through shares ("FT Shares") that will qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) at a price of $0.88 per FT Share for gross proceeds of $500,000.16, and 543,478 flow-through shares (the "Quebec FT Shares") that will qualify as "flow-through shares" (within the meaning of subsection 66(15) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and section 359.1 of the Taxation Act (Quebec) at a price of $0.92 per Quebec FT Share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $499,999.76.In connection with the Private Placement, the Company paid finder's fees of $60,000 and issued 66,699 finder's warrants. Each finder's warrant is exercisable into one common share of the Company at a price of $0.88 for 24 months. All securities issued pursuant to this private placement are subject to a statutory four month hold and one day period in accordance with applicable Canadian Securities Laws.The gross proceeds from the issuance of the FT Shares and the Quebec FT Shares will be used for Canadian exploration expenses and will qualify as "flow-through mining expenditures", as defined in subsection 127(9) of the Income Tax Act (Canada) and under section 359.1 of the Taxation Act (Quebec), which will be incurred on or before December 31, 2024 and renounced to the subscribers with an effective date no later than December 31, 2023.About Gama Explorations Inc.Gama is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE:GAMA), on the OTCQB market in the United States (OTCQB:GMMAF), and on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (FSE:N79). The Company is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties containing metals used in green technologies and the renewable energy sector. The company currently has the right to acquire 100% interest in the Muskox Lithium Pegmatite Project located within the Yellowknife Pegmatite Province in the Northwest Territories and owns 100% of the Tyee Nickel-Copper Massive Sulphide Project located in North-Eastern Quebec.ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD,Mick Carew, PhD|CEO and DirectorEmail: mick@ gamaexplorations.com For further information please contact:Focus CommunicationsTel: +1 647 689 6041Email: info@ fcir.ca The securities being offered under the private placement have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from U.S. registration requirements and applicable U.S. state securities laws.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains certain forward-looking statements as well as historical information. Readers should not rely on information in this summary for any purpose other than for gaining general knowledge of the Company. The words "expected", "will" and similar expressions are intended to be among the statements that identify forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes that its expectations as reflected in any forward-looking statements, are reasonable, such statements involve risks and uncertainties and no assurance can be given that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates, opinions or other factors should change.The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed this press release and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.SOURCE: Gama Explorations Inc.
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SAN FRANCISCO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2023 / Hagens Berman urges Catalent, Inc. (NYSE:CTLT) investors who suffered substantial losses submit your losses now.Class Period: Aug. 30, 2021- Oct. 31, 2022Lead Plaintiff Deadline: Apr. 25, 2023Visit: https://www.hbsslaw.com/investor-fraud/CTLT Contact An Attorney Now: CTLT@ hbsslaw.com 844-916-0895Catalent, Inc. (CTLT) Securities Fraud Class Action:The litigation focuses on Catalent's repeated claims that its drug product development and manufacturing were done under rigorous quality and operational standards, that its vaccines for COVID would be a sustaining and enduring source of revenue, and that its financial statements complied with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP").According to the complaint, Defendants made misleading statements and failed to disclose that Catalent: (1) materially overstated its revenue and earnings by prematurely recognizing revenue in violation of GAAP; (2) had material weaknesses in its internal control over financial reporting related to revenue recognition; (3) falsely represented demand for its products while knowingly selling more products to its direct customers than could be sold to healthcare providers and end consumers; and (4) disregarded regulatory rules at key production facilities in order to rapidly produce excess inventory that was used to pad its financial results through premature revenue recognition in violation of GAAP and/or channel stuffing its direct customers with this excess inventory.Investors began to learn the truth through a series of partial disclosures beginning on Aug. 29, 2022, when Catalent revealed that demand for its COVID-related products was facing substantial headwinds.On Sept. 20, 2022, the Washington Post reported that the release of Catalent's COVID-19 vaccines had been delayed by regulators because of improper sterilization at one of the company's key facilities.Then, on Nov. 1, 2022, Catalent announced that its quarterly earnings had fallen to $0, slashed its financial guidance, and revealed that regulatory issues at its key facilities were negatively impacting financial results.Most recently, Catalent warned on Apr. 14, 2023 that productivity and cost issues at three of its facilities will adversely affect its Q3 2023 financial results and disclosed the abrupt departure of its CFO (Thomas Castellano).These events sent the price of Catalent shares sharply lower."We're focused on investors' losses and proving Catalent cooked its books," said Reed Kathrein, the Hagens Berman partner leading the investigation.If you invested in Catalent and have substantial losses, or have knowledge that may assist the firm's investigation, click here to discuss your legal rights with Hagens Berman.Whistleblowers: Persons with non-public information regarding Catalent should consider their options to help in the investigation or take advantage of the SEC Whistleblower program. Under the new program, whistleblowers who provide original information may receive rewards totaling up to 30 percent of any successful recovery made by the SEC. For more information, call Reed Kathrein at 844-916-0895 or email CTLT@ hbsslaw.com # # #About Hagens BermanHagens Berman is a global plaintiffs' rights complex litigation law firm focusing on corporate accountability through class-action law. The firm is home to a robust securities litigation practice and represents investors as well as whistleblowers, workers, consumers and others in cases achieving real results for those harmed by corporate negligence and fraud. More about the firm and its successes can be found at hbsslaw.com . Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.Contact:Reed Kathrein, 844-916-0895SOURCE: Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP
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Employment disputes can be a complex issue that significantly affects the life and career of an employee.ENCINO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 21, 2023 / In today's world, employment has become essential to every individual's life. Almost everyone is either employed or seeking employment opportunities. Unfortunately, not all employment experiences turn out to be positive, and sometimes disputes may arise. This is where employment attorneys come in. Hershey Law, a reputable law firm in California, provides valuable insights into why everyone needs an employment attorney.At Hershey Law, the attorneys understand the importance of maintaining a positive and productive work environment. Their goal is to help individuals resolve employment-related disputes while ensuring their rights are protected. They emphasize the benefits of hiring an employment attorney and how it can positively impact individuals' lives.Why Everyone Should Retain an Employment AttorneyProtect Employee RightsAn employment attorney can help protect an employee's rights. They can assist employees in understanding their legal rights, including their right to fair pay, reasonable working conditions, and protection from discrimination and harassment.Assistance with Workplace IssuesWorkplace issues can be challenging to navigate, and knowing what to do in certain situations is not always easy. An employment attorney can help provide legal advice and guidance on workplace issues such as discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination."Employment disputes can be challenging and time-consuming," explains Brennan Hershey, the firm's founder and managing partner. "It can be difficult for an individual to handle them alone. It is essential to seek legal representation from a qualified employment attorney to protect your rights and interests. Employment law can be complex, requiring specialized knowledge and experience to navigate it." When Workers Definitely Need a LawyerAn experienced employment attorney can help individuals with various employment-related issues, including discrimination. Discrimination is a term that describes the unfair treatment of individuals or groups based on certain characteristics. Discrimination can take many forms, and it is essential to understand the different types of discrimination to identify and address them appropriately.Direct DiscriminationDirect discrimination is when someone is treated unfairly because of a particular characteristic, such as race, gender, or religion. For example, if an employer refuses to hire a qualified applicant because of their race, it would be considered direct discrimination.Indirect DiscriminationIndirect discrimination occurs when a policy or practice that seems neutral on the surface has a negative impact on a particular group of people. For instance, requiring job applicants to have a certain height might disproportionately exclude women or people with disabilities, even if the requirement is not explicitly discriminatory.Most labor attorneys have experience with all forms of discrimination, but some discrimination lawyers can be referred to by their specialties, including:Disability Discrimination LawyersAge Discrimination LawyersRacial Discrimination LawyersGender Discrimination LawyersPregnancy Discrimination LawyersLGBT Discrimination LawyersReligious Discrimination Lawyers"It is best to hire an employment attorney as soon as possible if you believe your rights have been violated," notes Hershey. "The sooner you hire an attorney, the better your chances of a positive outcome." Other issues that should lead workers to retain a lawyer include sexual harassment and wrongful termination.About Hershey LawHershey Law fights for the rights of employees in California. Their firm represents employees individually or in class action lawsuits against employers throughout the state. In just over five years of practice, Hershey Law has obtained millions of dollars in compensation for employees across the entire state of California. Through the team's strategic and well-thought-out approach, the firm has earned a reputation for getting the desired results."Here at Hershey Law, we are not afraid to go up against the largest corporations for our clients," proclaims the firm's website. "The shark in our logo symbolizes our drive and desire to fight for individuals who deserve justice, no matter who or what may stand in our way. If you're looking for strong legal representation and a firm that truly cares about your rights as an employee, we are the team to call." Hershey Law serves Los Angeles, Orange County, and the surrounding areas. They have been able to assist hundreds of clients successfully.Contact InformationCalifornia workers can contact Hershey Law by calling (818) 649-2253 or visiting the firm's website for further options.Business Name: Hershey Law, P.C.Website: https://hersheylaw.com Phone Number: 310-929-2190Email: intake@ hersheylaw.com SOURCE: Hershey Law
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Palau President vows support of Hawaii's eco-initiativesHONOLULU, HI / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2023 / Organized by the nonprofit Kanu Hawaii, Volunteer Week Hawaii expands this year to encompass volunteer opportunities, events and initiatives all April long. The month-long celebration of volunteerism includes more than 800 opportunities in the works and 400 events that the public can participate in and has brought international leadership to participate and endorse Hawaii's efforts for Earth Day.Taking inspiration from the Palau Pledge, a world-first tourism initiative, Kanu Hawaii led the creation of Hawaii's version; committed to the respect and care of Hawaii. On April 21, business leaders, dignitaries and government officials including the President of Palau, Hawaii Governor Josh Green and Oahu Mayor Rick Blangiardi came together to sign the pledge and urge for its adoption in all sectors. In attendance was the President of Palau, Surangel Whipps Jr., who spoke on the genesis and impact of the Palau Pledge, which the Hawaii Pledge was modeled after. The Palau passport pledge requires the signature of all those entering its country to be environmentally conscious while a guest of the island nation. It has garnered international attention since its kick-off at the United Nations in 2017. More about the Palau Pledge: https://vimeo.com/251574951 Hawaii is the last place in the U.S. in which the sun will rise on Earth Day. More than 100 countries are anticipated to join in celebration of a moment of peace. Kanu Hawaii will host E Ala E, a Hawaiian chant that will unite voices from across the Hawaiian islands on Earth Day. This year they will be joined by spiritual leaders from more than 100 countries including Palau, Mexico and India who will share a global moment of peace at sunrise in their time zone. Groups across Hawaii will gather from the highest peaks of Maui's Haleakala to the shores of Oahu's eastern coast and at sea, as canoes venture out of Hilo Bay. They will congregate in sacred Hawaiian spaces and places, urban centers and along the coastlines. Hawaii participants will share a chant that will begin at 6:07 am sunrise in paradise.Later that morning on Earth Day, Hawaii aims to set the stage with the largest statewide dive cleanup in partnership with PADI and Aqualung, which include hundreds of divers at more than 10 coastal areas of every major Hawaiian island. The goal is to remove thousands of pounds of trash littering the ocean and coastal waters of the islands. An estimated 15 to 20 tons of marine trash are being washed up on the shores of Hawai'i every year, 96 percent of which is made from plastic material.For images and video of 2023 Earth Day Events in Hawaii by noon HST: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/rpjbqrjzez3bmui/AABbDT-7BfdPar3EdgD_LcPia?dl=0 Contact InformationJacque VaughnPresidentjacque@ transcendencepacific.com 6199615553SOURCE: Kanu Hawaii
Former President Donald Trump appears in court for his arraignment, April 4, 2023, in New York.

Former President Donald Trumps behavior toward women, long a source of flashpoints in his political career, now faces a new level of scrutiny: a trial in a lawsuit accusing him of rape.

Jury selection is set to start Tuesday in the case filed by former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped her in a luxury New York department store dressing room in the 1990s.

Trump, who is unlikely to attend the trial, has called the accusations a complete con job. Carroll, who is seeking unspecified damages, casts the case as a #MeToo-inspired quest for accountability from the epitome of prominent men.

Im filing this lawsuit not just for myself but for every woman in America who has been grabbed, groped, harassed, sexually assaulted and has spoken up and still has been disgraced, shamed or fired, Carroll said early on.

The lawsuit is putting Trumps history with women under a microscope as he runs to return to the White House. But if a trial over a rape accusation would be a crisis for most candidates, with Trump, it remains to be seen.

To the extent that the chaos around Trump is his biggest challenge, this reinforces that narrative, said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who worked on Marco Rubios 2016 presidential campaign. The No. 1 thing I hear in focus groups of Republican voters is that theyre tired of the constant drama that comes with Trump.

Trumps political rise was riddled with criticism of his attitudes and conduct toward women. There were his insulting remarks about onetime Republican rival Carly Fiorinas appearance, his misogynistic comments about former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, his double-down on denigrating a former Miss Universe whom he had pilloried about her weight and more  including, most notoriously, the crass Access Hollywood hot-mic recording that nearly derailed his 2016 campaign and elicited rare contrition for what he called locker room banter.

Then there were the dozen-plus women, including Carroll, who came forward during his campaign and presidency to accuse him of sexual assault and harassment. He denied all the claims. Other lawsuits over them were dropped or dismissed, but Carrolls has endured.

If Trump prevails in the case, he will likely tout it as another example of him beating what he sees as spurious claims about him, Conant said. If Trump loses, the impact could depend on the circumstances of the judgment. Carroll is seeking unspecified damages and a retraction of Trumps denials of her allegations.

Trump has aimed to use his other legal troubles  including a recent, unrelated indictment and ongoing investigations into other matters  to bolster his support among fellow Republicans, painting the various probes as a politically motivated witch hunt and a broad attempt to interfere with the 2024 election. Its unclear whether the voters he seeks to reach will sympathize with his portrayal of Carrolls lawsuit as a pile-on, see it as a growing distraction or ignore it altogether.

His campaign saw a spike in donations after his indictment, which accuses him of fudging his companys records to try to conceal payments made to suppress stories about his alleged marital infidelity; he denies the charges and the sexual encounters.

His favorability ratings have held steady at 34% among U.S. adults overall and 68% among Republicans, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Beyond its political ramifications, the trial marks a #MeToo milestone, even after closely watched civil and criminal cases against disgraced movie honcho Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men. The case also is drawing national attention to a New York law that allows for lawsuits over decades-old sex crime claims.

The time frame for pursuing criminal charges over the allegations, which Carroll never reported to police, has long since passed. If she prevails in the lawsuit, it could cost Trump money but not his freedom.

A former magazine journalist, talk show host and Saturday Night Live writer, Carroll was best known  at least until her lawsuit  for the eponymous advice column she wrote for Elle magazine from 1993 through 2019.

According to Carroll, she crossed paths with Trump at Bergdorf Goodman sometime in 1995 or 1996, when he was a real estate mogul and man about town. Recognizing her as that advice lady, he asked her to help him browse for a womens gift, bantered with Carroll about a bodysuit and steered her to a fitting room, she says. Then, in her telling, he suddenly forced himself on her while she tried to push him off.

That rape changed my life, which is shocking for me to now understand, she said in a deposition, a legal term for pretrial questioning under oath.

According to Carroll, she immediately lost interest in dating and desire, then lost her job after she told her story in a 2019 memoir and Trump responded that she was totally lying. Elle has said her contract wasnt renewed for unrelated reasons.

Trump says he never encountered Carroll at Bergdorf Goodman and had no idea who she was when she publicly accused him. He has asserted that she invented the story to sell her book.

Its a false accusation. Never happened, never would happen, he said during a caustic 5 1/2-hour deposition, which can be played for jurors.

In snippets released to date, he called Carroll a nut job, her attorney a disgrace and the case a big, fat hoax. He reiterated his description of Carroll as not my type  and misidentified her in a 1987 photo as Marla Maples, his wife from 1993 to 1999.

Besides Carroll, two Trump accusers who never sued are set to testify in Carrolls case.

Jessica Leeds has said Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt when they were seatmates on a flight three decades ago. People magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff has said Trump forcibly kissed her against her will while showing her around his Florida home for a 2005 article.

Jurors also are expected to hear the Access Hollywood recording.

The trial will unfold at a federal courthouse a block from the state court where Trump was arraigned earlier this month on his indictment.

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RADNOR, PA / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2023 / The law firm of Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP ( www.ktmc.com) informs investors that securities class action complaints have been filed against Credit Suisse Group AG ("Credit Suisse") (NYSE:CS). The complaints charge Credit Suisse with violations of the federal securities laws, including omissions and fraudulent misrepresentations relating to the company's business, operations, and prospects. As a result of Credit Suisse's materially misleading statements and omissions to the public, Credit Suisse's investors have suffered significant losses.CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT YOUR CREDIT SUISSE LOSSES. YOU CAN ALSO CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK OR COPY AND PASTE IN YOUR BROWSER: https://www.ktmc.com/new-cases/credit-suisse-group-ag?utm_source=PR&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=cs&mktm=r CANNOT VIEW THIS VIDEO? PLEASE CLICK HERELEAD PLAINTIFF DEADLINE:MAY 8, 2023CLASS PERIOD: MARCH 10, 2022 THROUGH MARCH 20, 2023CONTACT AN ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS YOUR RIGHTS:Jonathan Naji, Esq. at (484) 270-1453 or via email at info@ ktmc.com Kessler Topaz is one of the world's foremost advocates in protecting the public against corporate fraud and other wrongdoing. Our securities fraud litigators are regularly recognized as leaders in the field individually and our firm is both feared and respected among the defense bar and the insurance bar. We are proud to have recovered billions of dollars for our clients and the classes of shareholders we represent.CREDIT SUISSE'S ALLEGED MISCONDUCTOn March 10, 2022, Credit Suisse filed with the SEC its 2021 annual report on a Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2021. The 2021 annual report failed to identify any material weaknesses with Credit Suisse's internal controls.On December 1, 2022, Credit Suisse's Chairman, Axel P. Lehmann ("Lehmann") stated in an interview with Financial Times that customer outflows had not only "completely flattened out," but had, in fact, "partially reversed." The following day, in an interview with Bloomberg Television, Lehmann reiterated his previous statements, reassuring investors that as of November 11, 2022, customer outflows had "basically stopped." Following Lehmann's statements, Credit Suisse's American Depository Share ("ADS") price rose $0.29 per ADS, or 9.36%, to close at $3.38 per ADS on December 2, 2022.Then on February 9, 2023, Credit Suisse issued a press release announcing its 2022 financial results. The press release revealed that, contrary to Lehmann's prior statements, large customer outflows had continued through year-end 2022. Specifically, the press release reported customer outflows of 110.5 billion Swiss francs in the final three months of 2022, a figure which far exceeded market expectations. Following this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell $0.56 per ADS, or 15.64%, to close at $3.02 per ADS on February 9, 2023.On February 21, 2023, Reuters reported that the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority was reviewing Lehmann's previous comments regarding customer outflows. Following this news, Credit Suisse's ADS price fell another $0.10 per ADS, or 3.31%, to close at $2.92 per ADS on February 21, 2023.Then on Tuesday, March 14, 2023, Credit Suisse issued its annual 2022 report and revealed that it had identified "certain material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting" for the years 2021 and 2022. Additionally, on Wednesday, March 15, 2023, the chairman of Credit Suisse's largest shareholder, Saudi National Bank, which holds 9.88% of Credit Suisse, announced that it won't provide further financial support to Credit Suisse and that it would not buy more shares on regulatory grounds.Following this news, the price of Credit Suisse ADSs fell 13.94% to close at $2.16 per ADS on March 15, 2023.Finally, on March 20, 2023, Credit Suisse issued an announcement on Form 6-K of its merger agreement with Union Bank of Switzerland and that Union Bank of Switzerland would be the surviving entity upon closing of the merger transaction.Following this news, the price of Credit Suisse ADSs fell 52.99% to close at $0.9450 per ADS on March 20, 2023.WHAT CAN I DO?Credit Suisse investors may, no later than May 8, 2023, move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff for the class, through Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPor other counsel, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member. Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP encourages Credit Suisse investors who have suffered significant losses to contact the firm directly to acquire more information. The first class action complaint against Credit Suisse, Calhoun v. Credit Suisse Group AG, et al. Case No. 23-cv-01297, is filed in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey before the Honorable Karen McGlashan Williams.CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE CASEWHO CAN BE A LEAD PLAINTIFF?A lead plaintiff is a representative party who acts on behalf of all class members in directing the litigation. The lead plaintiff is usually the investor or small group of investors who have the largest financial interest and who are also adequate and typical of the proposed class of investors. The lead plaintiff selects counsel to represent the lead plaintiff and the class and these attorneys, if approved by the court, are lead or class counsel. Your ability to share in any recovery is not affected by the decision of whether or not to serve as a lead plaintiff.ABOUT KESSLER TOPAZ MELTZER & CHECK, LLPKessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP prosecutes class actions in state and federal courts throughout the country and around the world. The firm has developed a global reputation for excellence and has recovered billions of dollars for victims of fraud and other corporate misconduct. All of our work is driven by a common goal: to protect investors, consumers, employees and others from fraud, abuse, misconduct and negligence by businesses and fiduciaries. The complaints were not filed by Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP. For more information about Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP please visit www.ktmc.com CONTACT:Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLPJonathan Naji, Esq.280 King of Prussia RoadRadnor, PA 19087(484) 270-1453info@ ktmc.com SOURCE: Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check, LLP
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Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access 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/Mid-and-Long-Term-Vascular-Access-Market/request-for-sample-report The global mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access 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 Mid and Long Term Vascular Access Market ReportThe global mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access 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 ReportMid and Long Term Vascular Access Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into peripherally inserted, implantable, other.The market by application is segmented into hospital, clinic, other.Regions Covered in the Global Mid and Long Term Vascular Access 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 mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the mid and long term vascular access 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 mid and long term vascular access market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Mid and Long Term Vascular Access Market Research Report:AngioDynamics, Argon Medical, B.Braun, BD, Cook, Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, NIPRO Medical, Smiths Medical, Teleflex, Terumo, VygonContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 21, 2023 / WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds purchasers of common stock of Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE:NSC) between October 28, 2020 and March 3, 2023, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"), of the important May 15, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you purchased Norfolk Southern securities 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 Norfolk Southern class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12322 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@ rosenlegal.com or cases@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 15, 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 litigate 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: During the Class Period, defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) the Company's Precision Scheduled Railroading ("PSR"), including its use of longer, heavier trains staffed by fewer personnel, had led to the Company suffering increased train derailments and a materially increased risk of future derailments; (2) the Company's PSR, including its use of longer, heavier trains staffed by fewer personnel, was part of a culture of increased risk-taking at the expense of reasonable safety precautions due to the Company's near-term focus solely on profits; (3) the Company's PSR, including its use of longer, heavier trains staffed by fewer personnel, rendered the Company more vulnerable to train derailments and train derailments with potentially more severe human, financial, legal, and environmental consequences; (4) the Company's capital spending and replacement programs were designed to prioritize profits over the Company's ability to provide safe, efficient, and reliable rail transportation services; (5) the Company's lobbying efforts had undermined the Company's ability to provide safe, efficient, and reliable rail transportation services; (6) the Company's commitment to reducing operating expenses as part of its PSR goals undermined worker safety and the Company's purported "commitment to an injury free workplace" because the Company's PSR plan prioritized reducing expenses through fewer personnel, longer trains, and less spending on safety training, technology, and equipment such as hot bearing wayside detectors (a/k/a "hotboxes") and acoustic sensors; (7) the Company's rail services were, as a result of its adoption of PSR principles, more susceptible to accidents that could cause serious economic and bodily harm to the Company, the Company's workers, the Company's customers, third parties, and the environment; (8) the Company had failed to put in place responsive practices and procedures to minimize the threat to communities in the event that these communities suffered the derailment of a Norfolk Southern train carrying hazardous and toxic materials; and (9) as a result, defendants' Class Period statements detailed above regarding the safety of Norfolk Southern's operations were materially false and/or misleading.To join the Norfolk Southern class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12322 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@ rosenlegal.com or cases@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.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 FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827lrosen@ rosenlegal.com pkim@ rosenlegal.com cases@ rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
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Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains 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/Mediceal-Drains-Market/request-for-sample-report The global mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains 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 Mediceal Drains Market ReportThe global mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains 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 ReportMediceal Drains Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into wound drains, urinary drains.The market by application is segmented into hospital, clinic, other.Regions Covered in the Global Mediceal Drains 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 mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the mediceal drains 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 mediceal drains market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Mediceal Drains Market Research Report:Cardinal Health, Degania Silicone, Intermountain Healthcare, Plasti-Med, Polymed Medical Devices, Redax, Smiths Medical, Well Lead Medical, Zimmer BiometContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com
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Dhirtek Business Research and Consulting recently released their most comprehensive study on the global ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system industry, allowing clients to make well-informed business decisions. The report reveals key insights about the global ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system 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/Ultrasonic-Dissection-System-Market/request-for-sample-report The global ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system 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 Ultrasonic Dissection System Market ReportThe global ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system 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 ReportUltrasonic Dissection System Market SegmentsThe market by product type is segmented into color display modes, black and white display modes.The market by application is segmented into hospital, clinic, other.Regions Covered in the Global Ultrasonic Dissection System 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 ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system market and its expected trajectory.It is clear that the ultrasonic dissection system 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 ultrasonic dissection system market.The following Companies as the Key Players in the Global Ultrasonic Dissection System Market Research Report:CHISON Medical Technologies, EKF Diagnostics, Hamilton, Johnson & Johnson, Kalamed GmbH, Medtronic, Mindray, SonoScape Medical Corp, Wandong MedicalContact UsDhirtek Business Research and Consulting Private LimitedContact No: +91 7580990088Email Id: sales@ dhirtekbusinessresearch.com
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NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2022 / WHY: Rosen Law Firm, a global investor rights law firm, reminds investors in BlockFi Interest Accounts ("BIAs") between March 4, 2019 and November 28, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"), against Zac Prince, Flori Marquez, Amit Cheela, David Olsson, and Samia Bayou (together, "Defendants"), of the important May 1, 2023 lead plaintiff deadline.SO WHAT: If you invested in BlockFi Interest Accounts ("BIAs") 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 BlockFi class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12656 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@ rosenlegal.com or cases@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than May 1, 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 litigate 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, the Defendants made false and misleading statements to promote BlockFi Interest Accounts ("BIAs"), including that BIAs were a secure method of collecting interest. In addition, the Complaint alleges, among other things, that the defendants omitted and concealed material information concerning the risks associated with BIAs, including through BlockFi's exposure to FTX Trading, Ltd. ("FTX") and Sam Bankman-Fried's trading firm Alameda Research ("Alameda"), both of which collapsed in the wake of revelations that FTX and Alameda were engaging in fraud on a massive scale. In the wake of the FTX collapse, the lawsuit alleges that BlockFi froze withdrawals in BIAs, harming BIA investors. Further, investors in BIAs were not aware of conflicts of interest and self-dealing between BlockFi and other entities, such as Gemini Trust LLC, controlled by Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss. The Complaint further alleges BlockFi and the Individual Defendants engaged in the unlawful offer and sale of securities in violation of Sections 5, 11, 12(a)(2), and 15 of the Securities Act of 1933 by selling BIAs to investors. The lawsuit also alleges claims for violations of Section 10(b) and 20 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Massachusetts General Law Chapter 110A.To join the BlockFi class action, go to https://rosenlegal.com/submit-form/?case_id=12656 or call Phillip Kim, Esq. toll-free at 866-767-3653 or email pkim@ rosenlegal.com or cases@ rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.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 FloorNew York, NY 10016Tel: (212) 686-1060Toll Free: (866) 767-3653Fax: (212) 202-3827lrosen@ rosenlegal.com pkim@ rosenlegal.com cases@ rosenlegal.com SOURCE: The Rosen Law Firm, P.A.
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A Nigerian lawyer, Godwin Obla, has donated a kidney centre worth N400 million to the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo, Benue State.

The facility, which is named: Judith Ogwa Obla Kidney Centre, was facilitated by Godwin Obla Foundation, in honour of the lawyers wife who died in 2022.

Mr Obla said his wife, Judith, died in the United States of America as a result of complications arising from diabetes, leading to kidney failure.

The donor, who lamented the dearth of (health) facilities in Nigeria, said the donation was not just to immortalise his wife, but to also contribute to efforts aimed at helping Nigerians suffering such critical health challenges.

Kidney centre

Speaking at the inauguration of the facility at the university in Otukpo on Monday, Mr Obla said it was in fulfilment of his pledge to build a top-notch kidney centre within one year of his wifes passing.

Equipped with six units of brand-new dialysis machines, an intensive care unit, a laboratory, conference room, among other state-of-the-art equipment, Mr Obla noted that the centre would contribute to addressing the gaps in Nigerias healthcare services.

The kidney centre is housed at the General Hospital, Otukpo, which has just been converted to the universitys teaching hospital.

Management structure

To forestall the problems of poor maintenance associated with public facilities, Mr Obla demanded a clinical governance structure/agreement from the university management.

He explained that the agreement would define parties obligations to the project, adding that the agreement would tackle needles government bureaucracy that may impact on equipment maintenance, consumables procurements issues that may determine the success or failure of this project.

He advised the universitys Vice-Chancellor, Innocent Ujah, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, to set up a team of eminent medical professionals to fashion out a proper clinical governance structure.

To ensure staff discipline, Mr Obla said Close Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras would be installed at the centre to capture medical personnel activities as they relate to patients care.

He explained that the facility would serve as a research and training centre to assist the government in planning, policy and decision-making.

Mr Obla decried the absence of a functional renal centre in Benue State, describing the situation as embarrassing.

It is a sad commentary on the state of our leadership that a Foundation can commence a centre in December 2022 and deliver the same in April, he said.

He called for a leadership reorientationin providing facilities for the citizenryin the health sector.

Endowment fund

Meanwhile, determined to encourage research and academic excellence amongst medical students of the university, the Foundation signed an agreement with the institution for an endowment of N40 million.

The first prize of N10 million has been instituted in honour of the late Mrs Obla for the best-graduating student in Nephrology with every annual winner receiving N1 million.

The second prize of an endowment of N10 million for the best-graduating student in Internal Medicine, with a reward of N1 million for every winner, the donor said is in honour of his deceased father, Joseph Obla.

He also instituted the Godwin Odumu Obla SAN N10 million endowment for the best-graduating student in Urology.

Meanwhile, he also announced Dr Idoko Edwin Obe N10 million endowment for the best overall graduating student, which he noted is in memory of the first medical doctor in the Idoma-speaking area of Benue State.

Mr Obla described the late Obe as a legend and a great humanist whose services he said cannot be forgotten in our land.

Foundation DG speaks

Earlier in a welcome address, the Director General of the Foundation, Uba Obande, said the centre was set up to fill the yawning gap in a specific aspect of our health care delivery  nephrology.

He explained that the facility would cater for persons with end-stage renal failure requiring dialysis before possible transplantation.

Itemising other areas of public interventions, Mr Obande disclosed that the Foundation signed a N10 million endowment agreement with the New Vision Institute of Technology in Otukpo to help cover tuition fees for indigent students of Idoma extraction.

VC hails intervention

Commending the interventions, the Vice Chancellor, Mr Ujah, thanked Mr Obla for his contributions to societal development.

He said: We are very delighted at this life-saving philanthropy of Godwin Obla, through the Godwin Obla Foundation to Nigerians.

By this singular act, (Mr) Obla has stimulated unparalleled contributions to the lives of not only his people but other Nigerians who may be afflicted by kidney diseases that will require highly specialised treatment and care, Mr Ujah noted.

Calling for more donations to the young university, the vice-chancellor said the institution and the teaching hospital are experiencing several challenges of pioneering-ship.

Speaking on the endowment funds, Mr Ujah said it will enhance the universitys efforts towards creating an enabling environment for a world-class institution that will bring about innovation for improved healthcare in Nigeria.

It will also act as a stimulant for healthy competition among medical students of the university, he added.

The university was established about three years ago as a specialised health institution for the training of medical doctors and other healthcare practitioners.

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Some members of the House of Representatives have denied the allegation by Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) that two candidates seeking to become Senate President and Speaker are offering to bribe their fellow lawmakers with as much as $1 million each to get elected.

Governors elected on the platform of Nigerias ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC), had claimed in a memo to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, that two aspirants to the positions were offering bribe.

PREMIUM TIMES exclusively reported that PGF had in a memo called for the intervention of Mr Tinubu on the zoning of the principal offices of the federal parliament. The governors recommended a zoning formula for the offices.

However, two members of the House of Representatives Akin Alabi (APC, Oyo) and Rolland Igbakpa (PDP, Delta) denied the allegation, noting that none of the lawmakers has that type of money.

Messrs Alabi and Igbakpa stated this on Wednesday while appearing on PT Twitter Space. The space titled: How should 10th National Assembly Leadership be zoned?

Mr Alabi, who represents Egbeda/Ona-Ara federal constituency of Oyo State, said lobby and campaigning by different candidates are ongoing in the two chambers, however, no one has offered any lawmaker money to vote in any particular direction.

He recalled that in 2019, lawmakers did not only vote for the current Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, they spent their money to assist with logistics.

In 2019, we did not collect N1 to go into that hall (Chamber) and vote Femi Gbajabiamila, and he had about 200 plus votes, he said.

When someone asked me, I said where them dey share the money make I go collect my own?, he said in pidgin English.

He added that I have been in various caucusesSouth-west meeting, new members caucus and minority caucus. We have held meetings about our joint task that I talked about earlier and with the number of meetings we have held, I have not seen anything like that. It must be a lie, at least for the House of Representatives.

But Mr Alabi conceded that leadership election is expensive, particularly in terms of logistics. He said aspirants for the position have to move around the country to visit governors.

They travelled round, we talked about seeing governors. You are not going to wait till the governors come down to Abuja. You need them to talk to the members in their states, he said.

Mr Alabi disclosed that aspirants sometimes have to hire private jets in making these rounds.

You know how much it costs to hire a private jet? It is about $10,000 per hour. Imagine doing that consistently, he said.

Mr Igbakpa, on his part, denied the governors claim, adding that they may have exaggerated the matter.

For the governors to say someone is bringing out like a million dollars, I think they over.nobody has that kind of money in the parliament, especially in the House of Representatives.

It is quite expensive. But nobody is going to dole out that kind of money. Are you telling me somebody is going to bring out 360 million dollars? Convert that to Naira. Where is the person getting the money from? he stated.

He also stated that campaigning for the leadership of the National Assembly is expensive.

It is quite expensive. When we talk about elections, it is not the money you give to an individuallogistics, people have to fly from one part of the country to another. They have to reach out to the people. Most timeswhere I come from in Delta State, you cannot visit anybody that you are contesting without a bottle of wine, he said.

About 10 members of the House are jostling for the speakership position while eight senators and senators-elect are eyeing the senate presidency.

The 10th National Assembly will be inaugurated on 13 June and elections for Senate President, Speaker, Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker will hold after members have been inaugurated.

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Notorious banditry kingpin, Dogo Gide, has released four of the remaining 11 female pupils of Federal Government College Yauri after a six-day negotiation with their parents.

The four pupils released are Bilha Musa, Faiza Ahmed, Rahma Abdullahi and Hafsa Murtala.

PREMIUM TIMES gathered from one of the parents and the chairman of the parents association that Mr Gide released the four students on Friday around 8:37 p.m. after collecting N80 million naira.

The four pupils were taken out of Mr Gides camp by three motorcycles and taken to a community around Koko Local Government in Kebbi State after which another set of waiting party took over the students to Birnin Kebbi, the state capital.

Mr Gide had in June, 2021 invaded FGC Yauri in Kebbi State and abducted over 100 students and teachers. While some of the students escaped and returned, most of them were released after ransoms were allegedly paid. Some others were believed to have been released in exchange of some of Mr Gides fighters who were arrested by the authorities.

However, the terrorists held the 11 female students.

A parent, Sani Muhammad, told PREMIUM TIMES over the phone that the students were released after payment of 80 million naira.

He said Mr Gide himself selected the four students to be released.

For now, he has released four. He promised to release all the eleven students the last time we spoke with him over the phone. He said if the money is given to him, hell release all of them. My daughter has not been released but were hoping that theyll be released soon, he said.

The retired civil servant said it took them six days of begging and negotiating with the terorrists before he agreed to listen to them.

You know he insisted on one hundred million naira, but one day he called and while we were talking I told him the situation was hard and he said he would reduce twenty million, so continued gathering the money until we realized the eighty million naira, he said.

The negotiations, PREMIUM TIMES gathered, are being led by one Abubakar, who is both trusted by Mr Gide and the parents.

Mr Muhammad said the terrorists changed about three negotiators because of mistrust, but he trusts Abubakar and we dont have an option than to trust him too.

Salim Kaoje, the chairman of the parents group confirmed that the negotiator and two other parents are still in the forest pleading with Mr Gide to release the remaining students.

Yes, its true we have reached an agreement with him (Mr Gide) to release the children and he has released four. This is purely our efforts. It has nothing to do with government. We sold off our properties and and got assistance from Nigerians to get the money, he said.

Mr Kaoje, whose younger sister, Farida Kaoje, was not among those released, said they would continue to press Mr Gide until the remaining girls are all released.

He said some of the parents and the negotiator spent days in the forest talking with Mr Gide before he eventually agreed but instead of releasing the 11 students, he released four.

Thats why two stayed behind to continue talking to him while we took the four home, he said.

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The Nigerian government has raised some trade concerns with the government of the Republic of China over allegations bordering on importation of substandard products to Africa and Nigeria in particular, as against what is reportedly exported to developed nations.

The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), Evelyn Ngige, raised this concern at the China (Changsha)-Nigeria Investment, Economic and Trade Promotion Conference, which was held recently in Abuja, Nigerias capital city.

The Permanent Secretary, represented by the ministrys Director of Trade, Suleiman Audu, noted that the conference was in preparation for the next China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE), which she noted has been scheduled to hold in Changsha, Hunan, China in the coming months.

Trade Concerns

Raising concerns about Chinas trade relationship with Africa and visa tenure, the Nigerian government official accused China of producing substandard products for Africa and issuing short visa tenures to Nigerians, factors stakeholders believe need to be urgently addressed to avoid hindering both countries trade relationships.

The official expressed displeasure with the Asian giant over what he described as the different malpractices in the different trade policies that could obstruct bilateral trade.

The permanent secretary stated that in certain circumstances, preferences are given to developed countries on the basis of the specifications.

She said from experience, products that go into the developed market are different from those that come to Africa, including Nigeria, noting that trade is a trade and should not have that type of territorial differentiation.

Whatever we consume affects our health and to that extent, we must maintain the normal standard regardless of the countries of export, the official said.

The permanent secretary also noted that on the basis of the strategic relationships between Nigeria and China, we can look at more favourable types of trade and also favourable treatment in terms of areas of legitimate trade concerns.

Launching export trading house

Meanwhile, towards fostering stronger ties and business relationships with China, the Nigerian government through the Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC) said it has launched the Export Trading House in China.

The permanent secretary, Mrs Ngige, who confirmed this, also emphasised that the upcoming China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) is crucial for Africa and Asia to strengthen collaborations and deepen economic relationships, noting that economic and trade alliances are strategic for long-term prosperity.

She said: The choice of China was deliberate, as China is one of the worlds top strategic trading partners. Through the Export Trading House, the volume of export and the feasibility of seeing Nigerias products and market share with countries will be enhanced.

Resolving logistic issues

The permanent secretary noted that in order to eliminate logistic challenges faced by exporters, NEPC, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, has launched a Domestic Warehouse Initiative, which is a one-stop facility or terminal, for storage of products, packaging and branding in preparation for ultimate transportation to ports.

Also speaking at the event, Kang Zhenlin, Deputy Mayor of Changsha Municipal Peoples Government and Chairman of Changsha Federation of Industry and Commerce, said Nigeria is one of Hunan Provinces top three African trading partners.

He said in 2022, the trade volume between Hunan and Nigeria was $1.086 billion, an increase of 66.12 per cent year on year.

Mr Zhenlin noted that the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo is important to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between China and African countries, and an important platform for China and Africa to deepen cooperation in a comprehensive manner.

Meanwhile, the ministry said currently, the Export Trading House has been launched in Egypt, Kenya and Togo.

ACF speaks

In an interview with PREMIUM TIMES reporter on the sideline of the event, the Chairman of Arewa Consultative Forum, Kano Chapter, Faruk Umar, noted that China needs to improve its ease of doing business with Nigerians, especially in the area of visa issuance.

He said: In order to enhance the trade relationship, visa tenure is very important. Many countries are increasing the number of years of visas they give to Nigerians. Once you have to apply for a visa every year, it discourages you from travelling to that country.

Mr Umar appealed to the Chinese government to give 10 years or a minimum of five years visas to Nigerians to deepen their trade relationship.

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KYODO NEWS - Apr 22, 2023 - 20:19 | All, Japan

A man in his 50s, believed to be the owner of a ramen noodle shop in Kobe, western Japan, was apparently fatally shot there on Saturday, said police, who are investigating it as a murder case.

A female worker of the shop found him lying on the floor in the kitchen, bleeding from mouth and nose, and called for an ambulance at around 11 a.m. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.

According to the police, a CT scan revealed what appears to be a bullet lodged in the man's head. Investigative sources said the man could be linked with a yakuza crime syndicate and a feud between rival gangs.

There were no customers in the ramen shop in Kobe's Nagata Ward at the time of the incident.
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Four out of the 11 remaining students of Federal Government College (FGC), Birnin-Yauri, Kebbi State, have regained their freedom from captors.

Those released are Faiza Ahmed, Bilha Musa, Hafsat Murtala and Rahama Abdullahi.

Salim Ka,one, the Chairman of Committee for the 11 abducted FGC, Binrin Yauri, made this known to reporters in Birnin Kebbi on Saturday.

As you are aware for the past three months, we have made an appeal fund for us to gather money to get our children back

As it is now, we used the money that we have gotten from the people in addition to what we had to secure the release of these four students.

This means we have been able to secure the release of only four out of the 11 students remaining in captivity.

The joy is that these four students are right now in Kebbi Government House very safe and sound, he said.

Kaoje also revealed that the parents of the remaining seven students were still in the bush making negotiations with the bandits for their release too.

Munira Bala-Ngaski, a mother to one of the released students, expressed her gratitude to God for the release of her daughter by the abductors.

She however made a passionate appeal to all and sundry to assist in securing the release of the remaining seven students.

I spent three months having sleepless nights when Faiza Ahmed was in captivity in the hands of the bandits.

My prayer is that all the remaining students will by Gods grace, be released in time and in good health back to their parents, she prayed.

The Public Relations Officer of the Kebbi Police Command (PPRO), Nafiu Abubakar, also confirmed the development to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Birnin Kebbi. (NAN)

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Some members of the House of Representatives have criticised the zoning formula of leadership for the 10th National Assembly proposed by governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The governors under the umbrella of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), in a memo exclusively obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, had recommended the zoning of the Senate President to either the South-east or the South-south regions and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to either the North-west or the North-central regions while the deputy speakership should be zoned to South-easn or South-south.

The memo was sent to the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, for his consideration.

The ruling APC, which will also form majority in 10th Senate and House billed to be inaugurated on 13 June, has yet to zone the four positions.

But, two members of the House of Representatives Akin Alabi (APC, Oyo) and Rolland Igbakpa (PDP, Delta) criticised the recommendations, saying it may not be easy for the ruling party to zone principal positions to the Northern region considering that the President-elect, Mr Tinubu, and his Vice, Kashim Shettima ran on Muslim/Muslim Ticket.

Messrs Alabi and Igbakpa stated their positions while speaking on a Twitter Space organised by PREMIUM TIMES and titled, How should 10th National Assembly Leadership be zoned?

Mr Alabi, who represents Egbeda/Ona-Ara federal constituency of Oyo State said he is not sure if the ruling APC can afford to zone the Senate President to a Muslim aspirant.

It is definitely a question that is going to be raised and it is something that our party must look at. There is no question about that. Look, we have the same faith ticket for the election. Yes, there are many reasons for that and the most obvious being that the presidential candidate is from the South and he is a Muslim and Islam is a minority religion in the South, he said.

In the entire South, Islam is a minority religion. If he chooses a Christian running mate, Christian is a minority religion in the North. So the ticket is not all that strong when you look at the religious factor. And whether you like it or not, no matter how educated you are, we are talking about Nigeria, not just competence. There are still millions of people that will still look at the issue of religion and as a good leader you still have to carry people along.

We now have the president-elect. We are now talking about the number three. Can we get away with Muslim/Muslim? If we do Muslim/Muslim, questions are going to be raised. Maybe the president-elect and leadership of the party will feel, okay. I think we need a Christian, maybe Christian southerner. So that brings to the table South-east, South-south but that automatically knocks out North-east guys and then North-east was very valuable in this last election to our party. They gave us the highest number of votes.

So they are going to be asking for the number three position but, can we afford another Muslim/Muslim? I am not sure we can afford it. But I believe that after Sallah, everything is going to be clear and leadership will come up with a position. But no one is going to be surprised if that goes to the South-east or South-south.

Mr Igbakaba, a PDP, lawmaker, however recommended that the National Assembly leadership should consider lawmakers from the South-east because of the agitation that people from the region believe they are being sidelined in national politics.

There shouldnt be a factor because you must agree that in the South-east, there is a candidate whether we like it or not. Like I said the country has never been so divided and everybody seems to be looking after their region. But now a president has emerged, a Nigerian president not an APC president. The earlier we start thinking nationalistic, having a global review of Nigeria as a country, the better for all of us.

What if tomorrow, you give the South-east or whatever the representation they are looking for and they become number one in this election, this is what we call patronage. I am not from the South-east and I dont want to sound this ethnic record but the South-east people feel they are not being looked upon as part of the country. They feel that they are not carried along like other regions. I think doing it for them will help the next election, he said.

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The Seme Command of Nigeria Customs Service said it intercepted 553 parcels of cannabis sativa worth N10 million , with four suspects arrested alongside.

The Customs Area Controller of Seme Customs, Comptroller Dera Nnadi disclosed this in a statement on Friday in Seme.

According to the controller, on April 21, at about 4:03p.m, officers of the command, while on routine patrol along the Abidjan  Lagos Corridor, intercepted a Ford Bus with registration number, EPE 622 YC at Gbatrome, Badagry.

Upon search of the bus, seven large sacks containing 553 parcels of cannabis sativa, also known as Indian hemp, were discovered.

Also, four male occupants of the vehicle, comprising of two civilians and two members of one of the sister security agencies conveying the contraband items were arrested.

The contraband narcotics worth about N10 million and the means of conveyance were taken to the station at Seme and detained, pending further investigations.

Also taken to the station are the four male suspects who have volunteered statements.

However, the two members of one of the sister security agency were handed over to their agency for further necessary action.

Preliminary investigation following the questioning of the suspects revealed that the Indian hemp was destined for Kaduna State, he said.

Mr Nnadi condemned the nefarious means of earning a living by some members of the society, who had no consideration for the damaging effects of hard drugs which contributed to crime in the country.

He urged members of the society who traversed the Seme corridor to take advantage of the trade facilitation effort of the Nigeria Customs Service and engage in legitimate business.

The controller charged all stakeholders, officers and men of the command and sister border agencies along the corridor to remain vigilant and alert during the Salah celebration as smugglers might wish to take advantage of the public holidays to engage in their reprehensible acts.

He also directed them to ensure that all facilities and critical government infrastructure in the area of responsibilities were protected during this period as always.

(NAN)

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The management of Godfrey Okoye University Enugu (GO-UNI), has banned staff and students of the institution from wearing shorts to work as well as to attend lectures.

The institution also stated that fixing fingernails, eyelashes, and other artificial materials on the body will no longer be allowed in the university.

GO-UNI is a private university owned by the Catholic Diocese of Enugu.

The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Christian Anieke, announced this while addressing staff and students and its group of institutions, according to a report by the Nation newspaper.

Mr Anieke, a Christian cleric, warned that the management would not tolerate staff or students who wear tights and other materials that expose sensitive parts of their bodies, stressing that such acts distract other members of the university.

The vice-chancellor said only black and brown hair would be allowed on campus and gave the staff and students one month to adjust to the new rules or face disciplinary action.

He maintained that going forward, students will be expected to wear their faculty uniforms from Tuesdays to Fridays, pointing out that the directive follows the approval for students to wear cultural attires on Fridays.

No pornographic materials

Mr Anieke also banned exchange of pornographic materials, saying such act is a taboo in the institution.

The vice-chancellor advised the staff of the institution to be proactive and cover their lectures as the management would not accept any excuse in case of disruption of the universitys academic programmes.

He warned final-year students against plagiarism, stressing that the university librarian had been directed to carry out plagiarism tests on all research works by the students and staff of the institution.

He asked the students to report any staff of the institution who frustrate them in the completion of their research works.

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The Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, has donated 100 hectares of land to the Nigeria Peace Corps (NPC) for the construction of its South-West zonal training school.

The monarch said this at his palace during a familiarisation visit by the Commandant General of NPC, Mustapha Abubakar, on Friday in Ife, Osun State.

According to the traditional ruler, the land is along Ilesa road, Abayagani, Ile-Ife.

Mr Ogunwusi said the corps role is needed nationwide, particularly with the trend of kidnapping, banditry and other security threats .

He said that the corps must continue to demonstrate commitment aimed at making the society safe and peaceful for citizens to live and stay .

The monarch further said his love for the corps made him to donate the training ground for the southwest zone .

Mr Ogunwusi thanked the corps for making him its grand patron and promised not to let them down in all areas where his attention is needed.

I have decided to support you in providing vehicles for easy movement in the zone and also provision of housing for officers and the 100 hectares of land .

Any other things that you forgot to mention please let me know and I will do such at my level best.

In his remarks, Mr Abubakar thanked the Ooni for his support and show of love.

According to him, he has decided to station the training school in Ife due to the tireless efforts and contribution of Osun citizens in the service of humanity, especially to the growth of the corps.

He also said that 700 officers across the southwest were expected for passing-out -parade in the state.

He said the visit was also to strengthen the ties with the Ooni as the source of the Yoruba and major stakeholder in the history of Nigeria, especially in the areas of security.

ALSO READ: Ooni makes acting debut in new Hollywood movie

Mr Abubakar also appreciated Osun Govenor, Ademola Adeleke, whom he said also showed interest in supporting the corps in achieving its set mandate.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the traditional ruler was given an award as Grand Patron of the corps for his contributions to the upliftment of Nigerian youths, among others.

The National Assembly has resent a bill for the Nigeria Peace Corps to become an agency of the federal government to President Muhammadu Buhari, who has earlier in his first term declined assent to the same bill. (NAN)

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The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed sadness over the demise of a member-elect from Taraba State, Yushau Maihanci.

The speaker, in a statement by his spokesperson, Lanre Lasisi on Saturday, said the 37 years old politician was ready to serve the country.

from the little that I was told about the late Maihanci, the Taraba politician was one Nigerian who was ready to serve his people diligently, he said.

Meanwhile, Muktar Betara (APC, Borno), the Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation, in a statement, said he was with Mr Maihanchi before traveling to Saudi Arabia.

I was with him shortly before I departed to Saudi Arabia for the Lesser Hajj.

The news of his death came as a huge shock to me, knowing full well the depth of his knowledge and vision for a prosperous Nigeria, which we collectively share, he said.

Also, the Deputy Speaker, Idris Wase, in a statement by his aide, Umar Puma, expressed expressed grief over the passing of Mr Maihanchi.

The deputy speaker expressed his heartfelt condolences to the government and people of Taraba State over his death.

Mr Maihanchi, a member of the PDP, was elected to represent Jalingo, Yerro, and Zing Federal Constituency of Taraba State after he defeated the incumbent, Kasimu Maigatari. He died on Friday.

Before his election, he was special adviser to Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, MD/CEO Maihanci Integrated Solutions Nigeria Limited and MD/CEO Maihanci Multi-Links Resources Limited.

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A human rights group, the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) has asked Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State to step down from the states governorship race over the recent killing of five police officers and a couple in the state.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how gunmen, Friday morning, killed the five officers who had stopped by to eat at a local restaurant in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of the state.

The attackers also killed a couple identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu, who owned a nearby shop, where two of the officers ran to for safety.

Group reacts

In a statement on Saturday by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, HURIWA condemned the killing of the officers and the couple during the attack, the Punch newspaper reported.

The group asked Mr Uzodinma, who is seeking a re-election in the 11 November governorship election in the state, to announce his withdrawal from the governorship race.

The governor recently picked the governorship ticket of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), ahead of the election.

HURIWA accused the governor of failing to engage in constructive dialogue with restive youths to address growing insecurity in the state.

The group urged the governor to set up a reconciliation commission and pay compensations to the families of the affected victims.

We call on the governor to step down from being on the ticket of the APC for a second term in order to save Imo from continuous killings, HURIWA said.

Governor Uzodinma, if he means well for the state, should announce that he wont be running in the November governorship poll, then set up a reconciliation commission by offering apologies to families of all those killed including security operatives and civilians.

He should also pay compensations where possible, offer amnesty and open avenues for peacebuilding through withdrawal and submission of arms by sundry armed groups. But the reconciliation must be sincere and pragmatic, the group added.

Police launch manhunt for killers

Meanwhile, the police in Imo State said they had launched a manhunt for the gunmen who killed the officers and the couple in the state.

The police spokesperson in the state, Henry Okoye, said the police had deployed operational and tactical teams to the area, to track down the hoodlums and forestall breakdown of law and order in the area.

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President Muhammadu Buhari and the incoming President, Bola Tinubu Friday morning exchanged Eid greetings in a phone call to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The presidents media aide, Garba Shehu, confirmed this in a statement in Abuja.

The statement said both leaders thanked God Almighty for seeing this day and prayed for the stability and the wellbeing of the nation.

He said Mr Buhari expressed his readiness to welcome Mr Tinubu to the State House as President on 29 May.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on 1 March declared Mr Tinubu of the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the 25 February presidential election.

Although, the declaration is being challenged in court by five parties, the president-elect, who is currently in Europe, will be inaugurated on 29 May when Mr Buharis second four-year term will end.

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The African Union Development Agency  New Partnership for Africas Development (AUDA-NEPAD) has urged rural farmers to embrace climate smart agricultural practices, to improve their yields and ensure food security in the country.

The National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, Princess Akobundu, gave the advice at a one-week workshop on Climate Smart Agriculture, organised for farmers in Edo.

In a statement signed by Marcel Anyatonwu, Media Officer of the agency on Friday, Akobundu called on farmers to use the knowledge acquired for their personal, community and national benefit.

Ms Akobundu, who was represented by Zacchaeus Maxwell, Director, Planning, Development and Implementation, AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, said the workshop was apt, adding that no nation could develop adequately if her citizens were hungry and poor.

Agriculture has been used as an important instrument in eradicating hunger, poverty and all forms of malnutrition.

It will be a key determinant for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals Agenda 2030 and African Union Agenda 2063, she said.

Also speaking, Olotu Yahaya, a guest lecturer from the Department of Agricultural Technology, Auchi Polytechnic, Edo said: it is it important to educate and equip farmers with modern and climate smart agricultural practices, considering the effects of climate change on agriculture.

Mr Yahaya, who spoke on the topic, Climate Smart Agriculture and Food Security, added that when the practices are properly applied, farmers would witness great improvement in their yields as well as their income.

He added that it was important for them to drift from some old methods of farming as climate change had altered some variables, making such practices unproductive.

Also speaking, Abiodun Amoo, a lecturer with the Agricultural Technology Department, Auchi Polytechnic, added that climate change had also affected acquaculture practices in the country.

He added that shortage of water, flooding, water pollution, excess heat, among others, had been a result of climate change effect in acquaculture practices.

Mr Amoo added that for farmers not to face loses, it is important for them to diversify their income by embracing fish farming and poultry production.

He urged participants to desist from selling farm inputs given to them by government.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that farmers were shown practical demonstration of how to use simple and cost effective methods to improve their farm produce.

(NAN)

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Nigeria is currently unable to evacuate thousands of its citizens stuck in troubled Sudan due to the dangers posed to air travel in the North African country, an official has said. The West African country has, however, put in place necessary arrangements to ensure the evacuation is done as soon as possible, the official said.

The Chairperson of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in a tweet on Friday said while @nemanigeria and the Nigerian Mission in Sudan have put in place necessary arrangements, any flight now is gravely risky. Airlines on ground at the airport were all burnt today, there is a curfew in place and no flights can operate.

She added that humanitarian groups are making efforts to distribute food, water and medicals, while all efforts are being put in place to get the warring parties to ceasefire.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our citizens there, and the whole country, Mrs Dabiri-Erewa said.

One week after fighting erupted between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), over 300 people have died and at least 3,200 people injured.

There have been at least four failed attempts to reach a ceasefire agreement between the warring parties and open a humanitarian corridor.

Both the army and RSF on Friday agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. However, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Many countries including Nigeria have announced plans to evacuate their nationals from the troubled country.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how some Nigerian students studying in Sudan appealed to the Nigerian government for help.

The Sudanese army on Saturday, according to Aljazeera, said it would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan, while Saudi Arabia and Jordan were already evacuating via Port Sudan on the Red Sea.

READ ALSO: Nigeria calls for ceasefire in Sudan

It said airports in Khartoum and Darfurs biggest city Nyala were problematic.

By late Saturday afternoon, Saudi Arabia said it had evacuated 157 Saudis and people of other nationalities, broadcasting footage of people on a naval ship, and Kuwait said some of its citizens had arrived in Jeddah. Jordan said it had started evacuating 300 citizens, Aljazeera reported.

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KYODO NEWS - Apr 22, 2023 - 10:26 | All, Japan

Two more Self-Defense Forces aircraft have left for Djibouti, the Defense Ministry said Saturday, as Japan prepares to evacuate its nationals from Sudan where military clashes are ongoing.

A total of 63 Japanese citizens, including embassy staff, were in Sudan as of Wednesday, a government official said earlier.

A C-2 transport aircraft and a KC-767 aerial refueling plane will join a C-130 transport airplane that left Japan on Friday to stand by in Djibouti, where the SDF has a base as part of an anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden.

The ministry has formed a task force to carry out the evacuation consisting of around 370 personnel from the Ground and Air Self-Defense forces.

Related coverage:

SDF plane leaves for Djibouti to evacuate nationals in Sudan

Japan to send SDF to rescue nationals in Sudan: gov't
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.

On the resolve of the Buhari government to appeal the judgment, due process must be allowed take its course, while the status quo ante remains. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice should swing into action, file a stay of execution, and an appeal, as well as get the court acquainted with the fact that Ararume was nominated but not inaugurated as a non-executive chairman, which might have been shielded from the court.

The judicial pronouncement of a Federal High Court in Abuja, annulling a presidential nomination and appointment of the non-executive Chairman of the Board of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has, no doubt, stoked outrage and rapid-fire reactions and condemnation from Nigerians and stakeholders in the nations oil and gas industry.

Again, the nations media space was awash with news of a judgment from the court, intervening or interfering in a purely executive arm of governments constitutional duty and the prerogative of nominating a person into the board of the NNPCL as a non-executive Chairman for the Senates consideration, confirmation and possible appointment or removal.

In the annals of political appointments and administration, even after inauguration, appointees continued stay in office is at the mercy or pleasure of Mr President, the appointor, and this is not subject to any legal tussle.

The president, in forwarding the nomination to the lawmakers as in the case of Senator Ararume, derived authority from the 1999 Constitution in the following sections:

5(1) Subject to the provisions of this Constitution, the executive powers of the Federation  (a) shall be vested in the President and may, subject as aforesaid and to the provisions of any law made by the National Assembly, be exercised by him either directly or through the Vice-President and Ministers of the Government of the Federation or officers in the Public Service of the Federation.

Also, the cabinet and the larger administrative team, except where specifically established by the constitution, hold their appointments at the pleasure of Mr. President.

Section 147 provides that (1) There shall be such offices of Ministers of the Government of the Federation as may be established by the President.

Sub-section (2) restates the exclusivity of the presidents power to hire minister (and other appointees) by stating that any appointment to the office of Minister of the Government of the Federation shall, if the nomination of any person to such office is confirmed by the Senate, be made by the President.

Also, the Petroleum Industry Act of 2022 (PIA) unambiguously states in Section 14 the presidents powers to suspend or remove members of the NNPCL board and the conditions that could result in such removal or suspension.

The role of the president is clear to, among others, ensure the stability and corporate governance of the company, as well as give it a free hand to operate a full-fledged CAMA company to attract investments and loans for its operations; declare profits and possibly loss and be accountable to stakeholders in line with international best practices.

It is, therefore, incensing and nauseating for a nominee to take his appointor or nominator to court over his removal or the withdrawal of his nomination from the Senate, before screening and confirmation.

In US for example, the president nominates someone, sends his name to the Senate, and if successfully screened and confirmed, then he becomes appointable. In our own case in Nigeria, the president can at any time remove anybody or appointee. Again, it is not everybody who the president nominates that the Senate approves for appointment.

The question then is, if somebody is rejected by the Senate, will he or she now go to court for being rejected?

The Ararume case is giving an impression of instability and sending wrong messages to NNPCLs international partners and those that want to work with it. It is sending a wrong signal to the international community because NNPCL is now a commercially-driven company and no longer a state-run oil firm.

A wistful look at Senator Ifeanyi Ararumes defiance of President Muhammadu Buharis authority and the good gesture of considering his nomination, in the first place, for the plum job of non-executive chair of the NNPC Ltd Board, has raised some germane questions:

How sensible, logical or lawful is it for a nominee to go to court after the president changes his mind and nominates another person for consideration in the Senate as his replacement?

Does the president not have the powers under the 1999 Constitution to nominate, appoint and remove his appointees?

Did Ararumes nomination scale through the Senate and was he inaugurated by the president to function in the capacity of the Chairman of NNPCL board?

If his nomination was nullified in the presidents wisdom and replaced by another person, has the president committed any infraction against the constitution and Ararume?

Does Ararume have good grounds for challenging his replacement when he was yet to assume office nor had the oath of office and allegiance been administered on him?

On what grounds did the court award N5 billion damages in his favour against the Federal Government?

Does the ruling not amount to an erosion of the executive powers of the president and meddlesomeness on the part of the court in the exercise of the presidents functions?

These are germane questions on the lips of Nigerians as they continue to express disapproval and discontent with the judgment.

Justice Inyang Ekwo had ruled in a N100 billion suit filed by Ararume against the president challenging his replacement on the board by President Buhari in January 2022.

Last week, the court awarded N5 billion as damages to Ararume, while sacking the current board chair, Senator Margery Chuba Okadigbo and directing Ararumes reinstatement.

Reactions, to say the least, to the development can be described as appropriate outbursts of public indignation against the judicial pronouncement, which many believed might have been designed to embarrass the president.

In short, the judgment smacks of the judiciary prying, intruding, and meddling in a purely executive matter in recruiting some hands to help the president in the performance of his duties.

The verdict, which has been pilloried by the media and stakeholders, as well as civil society groups, is equally a usurpation of the powers of another arm of government, an aberration and a total stupefaction, as well as a recipe for anarchy and break down of the rule of law.

As evidently pointed out about the constitutional powers of the president on appointments, no arm of government should intrude or tend to superintend or supervise another. In a constitutional democracy, the legislative, the executive headed by the president and the judiciary should work harmoniously and not at cross-purposes; they should not seek to revoke or cancel what the other one has done but interrelate, in a manner interdependent on one another, while giving room for overlaps in the discharge of their functions as one government and not three distinct federal governments, for the common goal of providing good governance, dividends of democracy and a good political economy.

For instance, the legislative arm makes laws and also considers bills for legislation from the executive; the executive executes policies, laws and projects; while the judiciary interprets laws, and gives sound judgments that will help the political economy framework and not to put spanners in the wheel of governance of which they are part and parcel of.

Largely, judicial interventions should come when there is a disagreement or face-off between the executive and the legislature, and cases of the violations of the constitution and the rights of citizens as an arbiter. There must also be checks and balances across the branches of government. But for the court to pry into a matter between the president and a nominee, whose nomination was withdrawn, is unwholesome. In dispensing justice, it must meet some standards of reasonableness.

The essence of any judicial intervention is to ensure orderliness and good conduct in governments affairs.

Evidently from the foregoing, President Buhari, who also doubles as the minister of Petroleum, wields enormous powers to formulate, monitor, and administer government policies and, therefore, Ararume removal cant be adjudged as illegal and should not warrant the courts compelling restoration of him as chair of the oil company.

For instance, in the disputes between the Federal Government and ASUU over non-payment of salaries for about nine months of strike, the court exercised discretion and restraint and tried to play the role of a neutral arbiter.

The Ararume saga is aptly captured by a mans post on the social media as he made a jocular remark thus: When a man says his masquerader will dance and decides to withdraw him from dancing in the public, what offence has he committed?

Interestingly and speedily too, the Federal Government, while reacting to the court order, has indicated its readiness to appeal the judicial sack of Senator Margery Chuba Okadigbo and the reinstatement of Ararume.

In a counter-narrative, the judgment must be viewed against the backdrop of its implications and effects on the industry and the nations economy.

First, it is capable of setting the hands of the clock of the reforms in the industry backwards and cast a slur on Nigerias image in the international community.

It is a glaring and incontrovertible fact that the oil sector is still suffering from serious hemorrhagic strokes of oil bunkering, theft, vandalism and gas flaring and, therefore, everything should be done to stabilise the industry and ensure the fructification of Buharis reforms of the sector.

Other implications are the likely disruption of the foreign investment drives of the NNPCL and erosion of investors confidence.

NNPCL as a CAMA company is expected to operate without political or judicial interference in whatever form.

A marked difference between the NNPC of old and the new company is the compelling high level of corporate governance compliance required of it and its management, as it operates within the framework of the Petroleum Industry Act 2022.

On the resolve of the Buhari government to appeal the judgment, due process must be allowed take its course, while the status quo ante remains. The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice should swing into action, file a stay of execution, and an appeal, as well as get the court acquainted with the fact that Ararume was nominated but not inaugurated as a non-executive chairman, which might have been shielded from the court.

Ararumes journey started with his nomination and it ended at nomination stage. He was not screened or confirmed by the Senate. Quo erat demonstrandum (Q.E.D). Awarding N5 billion of tax payers money for services not rendered or a job not done is outrageous and defies logic and common sense. Undoubtedly, the president must have good reason(s) for withdrawing Ararumes nomination.

However, in the overall national interest, efforts must be geared towards giving a fillip to the team appointed by Buhari, including the GCEO of NNPCL, technocrat Mele Kyari and Senator Margery Cuba Okadigbo, whose pedigree and profile as a lawyer with over 40 years experience and leadership in some critical spheres of life, to consolidate on the unprecedented and stellar achievements so far recorded as the Chairman of the NNPCL board. Nothing should be done to distract them but to keep their eyes on the ball in the task of keeping the oil and gas industry afloat and on an even keel as the mainstay of the nations economy.

As a clincher, it is hereby submitted that the judiciary in a democracy is expected and should rather play a complementary role by operating within its powers and not take on the authority of the president or the executive by delivering obnoxious and embarrassing judgments.

Of course, uncompromisingly, where there are brazen abuses of power, tranny and impunity and violations of the rule of law, the judiciary should stamp its authority and save the nations democracy from sliding into dictatorship.

Dele Akinsola is a veteran journalist and former deputy editor of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

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But young people everywhere in the world are known to be notoriously inpatient and historically rebellious. Its not just a Nigerian thing. And contrary to all the calculated attempts to tar this movement with an ethno-religious brush, no other movement in our recent history has been as Pan-Nigerian as the Obidient movement.

In the immediate aftermath of the 2004 presidential election in Ukraine, the nations capital of Kiev became the centre of a series of civil disobedience campaigns, sit-ins, and general strikes. The protests were sparked by reports of massive corruption, voter intimidation, and electoral fraud from several election monitors, both domestic and foreign. There was also a widespread public perception that the results of the run-off vote of 21 November, 2004, between leading candidates Viktor Yushchenko and Viktor Yanukovych, were rigged in favour of the latter, who was supported by the government in power. Sounds familiar?

The protests continued for three months until 26 December 2004, when Ukraines Supreme Court declared the election results invalid due to widespread fraud and ordered a new election to be held. The re-run election resulted in a clear victory for Yushchenko, who received about 52% of the vote, compared to Yanukovychs 45%. Yushchenko was declared the official winner, ending the series of protests and political events dubbed the Orange Revolution that took place in Ukraine from late November 2004 to January 2005.

The Orange Revolution was largely driven by young people who played a significant role in organising the protests and mobilising support through social media and other online platforms. It was considered a pivotal moment in Ukrainian history, paving the way for further democratic reforms and a more transparent government in Ukraine.

Before Ukraine, there was Chinas May Fourth Movement of 1919. Thousands of students and young people gathered in Beijing to protest the Treaty of Versailles, which had given Japan control over German concessions in China. The protest quickly spread to other cities, with demands for political and social reforms to modernise China. This marked the emergence of a new generation of leaders and contributed to the establishment of the Peoples Republic of China.

All over the world, there have been several examples of youth-led political movements that focused on changing corrupt political leadership in different countries, just like in Ukraine and China. More recently, other notable examples include the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon in 2005. It called for the withdrawal of Syrian forces from Lebanon and demanded political and economic reforms. Another significant example is the Arab Spring in December 2010, which ushered in a wave of regime changes across the Middle East.

In Nigeria, the #EndSARS movement, a youth-led protest movement aimed at ending police brutality, began on 8 October, 2020. Despite the governments high-handedness and concerted effort to suppress the rebellion, the protest movement quickly gained momentum and grew into a nationwide uprising against police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and corruption.

Although the Nigerian government disbanded the notorious SARS unit on 11 October, 2020, protests continued as demonstrators demanded broader reforms to the Nigerian Police Force and better governance. Some of the leaders of the #EndSARS movement later found inspiration in Mr Peter Obi, whom they saw as the avatar of a new Nigeria that would work for all. With that mindset, they rallied solidly behind him and his presidential ambition, giving birth to what is known today as the Obidient movement.

The Obidients have been described as intemperate, rude, lame, and branded as sheepish followers of a lost cause. Some have also labelled them as misguided youths who are too idealistic to be taken seriously. Of course, Peter Obi himself is no saint and neither are his followers. It will be a great disservice to his person to make him out as one. Obidients for sure, can be loud, unruly, and even unnecessarily aggressive at times.

But young people everywhere in the world are known to be notoriously inpatient and historically rebellious. Its not just a Nigerian thing. And contrary to all the calculated attempts to tar this movement with an ethno-religious brush, no other movement in our recent history has been as Pan-Nigerian as the Obidient movement.

Despite whatever shortcoming we think they have, there are very few among us who can match the zeal, hard work, and dedication of the Obidients to effecting positive changes that Nigeria so desperately needs today. They were the ones that waited out INEC from dawn to dusk on Election Day, rented generators when the lights went out and insisted that results must be uploaded on the IReV platform, armed only with smart phones and watchful eyes. Many of them were hounded, injured and some even got killed in certain parts of the country by goons working for the establishment. What is also true is that passion (which Obidients have in abundance), not guns, is the key to winning a protracted war against elite conspiracy.

The people worked countless hours without pay, still effectively organising and making significant sacrifices towards creating a better Nigeria. The Obidients receive little or no support from anyone. Instead, those who should provide them with logistics, direction and guidance are busy calling them names, while cavorting with the caterpillars of the commonwealth and further dragging the country deeper into the abyss.

Lately we have heared arguments on why the opposition parties should just sheath their swords and accept the outcome of the 2023 presidential election as an act of God. This self-serving narrative is being pushed by the same motley crew of desperados that orchestrated election rigging and their collaborators. They are constantly reminding us about the effect of war in the East African countries of Somalia and Sudan as cautionary tales. After all, by their magnanimity, they quipped, we were allowed to win a few slots. We should either take what they willingly offered or else they will make the place worse than the hell we have now.

What they are telling us in simple term is to get used to a few powerful people deciding the fate of over 200 million Nigerians at every election cycle; that no matter how horrible a government is, Nigerians cant do anything about it. The grave implication of such a toxic mindset to the overall health of the republic, is what these sleazebags do not even pretend to care about. As long as they can foist upon us, whoever will keep their leprous hands perpetually in the cookie jar, they are good to go.

Throughout history, a select group of individuals or organisations with immense power and influence have conspired to maintain or expand their control over society. In Nigeria, this sinister cabal comprises the fantastically corrupt political class and their uber-wealthy cohorts in the business world.

To their benefit, a handpicked few in the media have transformed from mere enablers  shielding these criminals with gossamer-thin veils of innocence  to becoming their fierce foot soldiers. Armed and intimidating, they seek to subjugate and silence the masses. Among these politicians, none has enjoyed more favour from these cheerleaders than Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Bayo Onanuga and Dele Alake, two veteran journalists, were notable for their roles as pro-democracy activists early in their careers. Dele later became part of the National Democratic Coalition (NADECO), which demanded the de-annulment of the June 12, 1993 election in Nigeria. Prior to that, both men were hounded, faced death threats and their media outfits were repeatedly targeted by the military junta for their fiery columns critical of both the Babangida and Abacha regimes.

Today, the powerful do are Mr Tinubus staunch supporters. They stepped out with guns blazing, pulling no stops and taking no prisoners. Of course, its their inalienable right to align with whomever they wish and no one is here to contest that. But it appears that Mr Onanuga, who served as the director of Media and Publicity for the Tinubu Presidential Campaign Council, has undergone such a complete make over to the point of becoming indistinguishable from the same demon that he fought early in his 30s. He now has friends in high places and like the Babangidas and Abachas of those days, its his turn (insert emi lokan) to wield the big stick against his recalcitrant colleagues.

It has been alleged that Mr Tinubu stood solidly by many journalists during those critical years of June 12 struggle, providing them both financial and moral support. Now, it seems that payback time has arrived, and this may help to explain why a good many activists of yesteryears suddenly lost their mojo in any matter that is remotely connected to a presidential candidate who is as deeply flawed as the sham called the 2023 presidential election. It may also explain why the integrity of a highly venerated figure and a Nobel Prize laureate has been called to question lately. As far as Mr Tinubu is concerned, they see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil.

Standing on principle can be such an enormous challenge, particularly when doing so conflicts with ones personal interests or emotions. Consider the unenviable position of a judge who sends every criminal he convicts to the hangmans noose, only to discover that his own brother  who raised him  is one of the condemned.

Such a situation would pose an excruciating dilemma, forcing the man to choose between betraying his principles and position to save his brother or upholding the law and justice even if it means sacrificing his own desires and relationships. Its a difficult situation to be in and we can all empathise in such cases.

But in the end, a truly principled individual recognises that duty to society and the law outweighs personal feelings and relationships. Upholding values even in the face of difficult challenges, is a testament to ones integrity and moral fortitude.

Osmund Agbo writes from Houston, Texas. Email: Eagleosmund@yahoo.com

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There could be more implications of this push for digitisation of life itself. Some good, some bad. On the good side is the fact that a lot of things could be obtained easily and without moving an inch. You no longer need to visit bookstores, grocery stores, restaurants, movie shops, music shops, or indeed anywhere. In fact, you dont need to move a muscle! But did we all sign up for this? Or are we being led by the nose into some sort of perdition?

The other day, I expressed my surprise about how much of Economics my 19-years old medical student son knew. I discovered on a random day, trying to drop him off after he had come home from school. I was pleasantly shocked that he had immersed himself so deeply in the arguments that some of our so-called intellectuals would rather avoid today; arguments that challenge what we already know and that take us to uncharted territories. I should have known that he could get up to such prowess even outside his medical field because from time to time, I walk into his room and find some of my best books  some which I havent even found time to read. I found out he has read perhaps dozens of my books on sundry subjects. As I concluded this article, I walked into his room and found the following books of mine: SuperFreakonomics by Dubner and Levitt, The origin of Financial Crises by George Cooper, The Art of War by Sun Tzu, World History; 50 Key Milestones by Ian Crofton, 50 Economic Ideas by Edmund Conway, Homers The Odyssey and The Iliad, Turing and the Computer by Paul Stathern, The Prince by Nicollo Machiavelli, The Godfather by Mario Puzo, and Ten Great Works of Philosophy by Robert Paul Wolfe.

Growing up, I recall myself and my brother bingeing on my dads books too. He had kept them in our room downstairs after we moved back home from Lagos to Akure. I particularly liked to read Readers Digest and had come across some of the best long articles every written, including the original story of Theodore Bundy when it broke in the late 1970s. There were many great stories told in the Digest those days. Thinking back today, theres a possibility that I picked up my penchant for long, comprehensive writing from those features in Readers Digest. But I also read a great many more books belonging to my dad back then, including some Dickens, Shakespeare, some Russian literature, Homers Iliad and Odyssey, and what have you. As youngsters I reckon there was little else to do back then, unlike now when young people grow up not knowing what to watch between their thousands of online resources and social media platforms.

Later on in life, I would start collecting movies alongside my books  many of which are on contemporary issues around economics and societies. My favourite shops abroad were HMV (now dead), and Virgin Megastore, where I would collect the latest movies and even music CDs. Some of these stores also stocked general interest books, which I used to combine with the movies and music compact discs.

Then more innovations came, and the hyper inventors of the world decided that everything should transit to the cloud. They will store our memories for us, they promised. The quest to take books out entirely in the physical form, called the paperless revolution, such that only e-books will be available, has failed for now. But the push for the digitisation of everything is still on. I personally dont like e-books. I cannot imagine myself flipping on a screen all day. But many youngsters today are very comfortable with that. Movies have also transited largely to streaming services like Netflix, HBO, Apple TV, Amazon Prime, and so on. As for music, you have to subscribe to all sorts of new sites and apps to get the latest, from Spotify, to Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music Unlimited, Qobuz, and so on. We have been commodified. Our memories have been hijacked from us. We cannot even pass down our likes and dislikes to whoever will come after us in physical form, once we all sign on to these digital things where only we and the companies providing these services can see our own footprints, likes and dislikes.

In truth, a lot of these ideas came up because smart guys around the world wanted to make a whole lot more money. Many of them figured out that theyd rather have the whole world on their customer base. Netflix and others today have more than 1.8 billion subscribers. Even for folks like me who are minimalists, as I pay about N3,600 monthly for my subscriptions (maybe $7), 1.8 billion customers will give video streaming companies $12.6 billion in turnover every month. I usually subscribe but rarely use Netflix anyway. Many times, the internet speed messes me up such that I give up entirely and look for an old DVD to rewatch. And when I do have time to sit on it, I reckon I get drowned with too many options on offer. Some of us dont like too many options. I know what sections I used to visit when I bought my movies physically. As per music, I feel totally disconnected from these new apps and websites for the same reason. One has got to be a teenager to effectively navigate all the new stuff that guys have created to ensure nobody has time for anything else but to buy stuff from them.

When we look at other sources of history, the digitisation movement seeks to usurp them all and become the only reference point. And capitalism  the quest for profits in all situations  is on hand to encourage this. The monopolisation of history itself goes against the preachments of capitalism, which is underpinned by competition.

My main concerns with this new regime of the commodification of man and the commercialisation of memory are:

When we are fully logged on, we will no longer be able to pass down our memories to our children. The moment we started adopting these digital options, we lost control of our histories and autobiographies, howbeit gradually, then totally. If you dont keep physical copies of the books you read, the movies you watched, the music you listened to, your children may have to hack your subscriptions to see through your eyes when youre gone. In other words, children have become disconnected from their parents and vice versa. The only links are these electronic channels, which have started charging folks for these services. From the foregoing, it looks like the upshot of it all is to disconnect humans from humans. Fathers are disconnected from sons, mothers from daughters. People will come to this world, keep all their memories and life work online, and when they are gone, there is nothing physical to show for their sojourn here on earth. This phenomenon has just started. In time, it will get very acute, and we would have created cyborgs. Parents will see children as dispensable commodities  that is if people bother to have children at all. Children, once had, will quickly learn to ignore their parents and bury themselves in these online resources  or whatever is available at that time. This is if children are not produced in laboratories. There is the concentration of power, money, goods and services, and now memory in the hands of a few companies who are powerful enough to be global repositories of everything. COVID-19 showed that there was a serious push in that direction, whereby because people were locked at home, they did all their shopping online. Nigerias recent cashless experiment is also in that direction. Having to use cash means you have to get up and go somewhere. Cashless societies mean you sit in one place and order from those who sell. Asides from the likelihood of an obesity pandemic, there is need for consumer protection because online shopping could even be more compulsive for most people and these large companies have many tricks in their bags to make one buy things one does not need. They already have that problem in developed countries, but it shall soon go global. In time, it will be easier for Nigerians to order their groceries from TESCO or Walmart, for overnight delivery, than to get up and walk to the nearest corner-shop run by a Nigerian. Apart from the crowding out effect on smaller ventures, large companies also have undue advantage and can discriminate at will. Right now, there is an argument online about how Netflix derives more value from Nigeria, but spends much less on developing this market, as compared with the South African market. Too many options requiring too much time to navigate is a problem. This is a hijack of ones entire life. They say time is money. But electronic interactions can be thieves of time. Most families are finding out that nobody has time for anybody, even when everybody is under the same roof. Everybody is busy online doing something. Also, because one subscribes monthly to these apps and websites, one is obliged to always try and use these subscriptions. This means that you are not doing stuff at your own time and by your own choice. People who live in Western societies are used to this anyway, but it also comes with a drowning feeling. I recall when I studied in London, I had to subscribe to all sorts of things. My postpaid mobile phone subscription with 02 was impossible to end and I kept paying nine months after I had left the UK. These large companies abroad have since perfected the art of skimping small sums from the accounts of millions of people, and getting rich, whether their services are used or not. But this is oppression and even if people in Western societies are used to the choking effects, in truth it is an oppressed way to live. When we look at other sources of history, the digitisation movement seeks to usurp them all and become the only reference point. And capitalism  the quest for profits in all situations  is on hand to encourage this. The monopolisation of history itself goes against the preachments of capitalism, which is underpinned by competition.

There could be more implications of this push for digitisation of life itself. Some good, some bad. On the good side is the fact that a lot of things could be obtained easily and without moving an inch. You no longer need to visit bookstores, grocery stores, restaurants, movie shops, music shops, or indeed anywhere. In fact, you dont need to move a muscle! But did we all sign up for this? Or are we being led by the nose into some sort of perdition?

Tope Fasua, an economist, author, blogger, entrepreneur, and recent presidential candidate of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party (ANRP), can be reached through topsyfash@yahoo.com.

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Nigerias electoral commission, INEC, has said it is unaware of the whereabouts of its Resident Electoral Commission (REC) in Adamawa State, Hudu Ari. Mr Ari was the official who illegally declared Aishatu Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the winner of the Adamawa State governorship election last Sunday.

Both INEC and President Buhari have authorised Mr Aris suspension from office and his investigation and possible prosecution by the police.

The commission said Mr Ari has not responded to calls made to his phone and flouted the directive to present himself to the headquarters on Monday.

The INEC spokesperson, Festus Okoye, disclosed this during a Friday interview with Channels Television.

Up till this moment, he has not reported and we dont know his whereabouts, Mr Okoye said.

The Illegality

Two hours before the resumption of the collation of results as adjourned by the Returning Officer for the governorship election in Adamawa State, Mr Ari went into the collation centre to declare Mrs Dahiru, popularly called Binani, the winner of the elections.

At the time, the collation of results was yet to be concluded to determine the winner. Also, Mr Ari is not the official empowered by law to declare results as he is not the Returning Officer for the election.

This immediately led to a controversy that saw the commissions headquarters in Abuja quickly releasing a statement, describing Mr Aris actions as a usurpation of the power of the returning officers. It said the declaration by Mr Ari was null, void and of no effect.

INEC ordered the suspension of the collation of results and summoned both the REC and Returning Officer to the commissions headquarters.

The commission would later bar Mr Ari from its offices and ask the Administrative Secretary in the state to take over the affairs of the commission. It also wrote the Inspector General of Police to probe and prosecute Mr Ari for his actions.

President Muhammadu Buhari has also approved Mr Aris suspension.

Aris whereabouts unknown

However, since the Sunday declaration, Mr Aris whereabouts have been unknown to INEC. He has not responded to phone calls by the commission and failed to obey the directive to present himself at the commissions headquarters, Mr Okoye said on the television programme.

We dont know where he is because, after this particular incident, the commission wrote him and also called him on the phone. He never returned any of the calls, he never answered any of the calls, he said. We asked him to report to the commission on Sunday we didnt see him, we asked him to report on Monday we didnt see him. So up till this moment, he has not reported and we dont know his whereabouts.

Mr Okoye said the commission has written the police to probe and prosecute Mr Ari, making it the responsibility of the police to declare Mr Ari wanted if need be.

If they feel that his presence is absolutely needed during the investigation and he is nowhere to be found, it is their prerogative and discretion to declare him wanted, he said.

We wrote to the inspector-general of police and secretary to the government of the federation. We have received a response from the inspector-general of police and they have already commenced investigation.

Our understanding is that the moment the inspector-general of police concludes the investigation relating to REC and every other individual who is involved and a prima facie case is established against the REC, the file will be made available to the commission and the commission will initiate the prosecution of the REC.

Meanwhile, the Returning Officer, Muhammad Mele, a professor, later continued the collation of results and announced the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of the election.

He said Mr Fintiri polled a total of 430,861 votes to defeat his closest challenger and candidate of the APC, Binani, who scored 398,788 votes.

Mr Finitiri and his deputy governor-elect have also been presented with certificates of return.

However, a day after her illegal declaration, Binani approached a Federal High Court in the Federal Capital Territory, seeking an order to restrict INEC from nullifying Mr Aris declaration.

Justice Inyang Ekwo, however, asked Binanis counsel to address him on the point of law that empower the court to hear the application. He then adjourned the suit until 26 April.

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ATLANTA, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Black Women's Health Imperative (BWHI) issues the following statement on SCOTUS decision to preserve access to safe medication abortion.

"This morning Black women across America have one less worry," said Linda Goler Blount, MPH, President of Black Women's Health Imperative.

"This morning Black women across America have one less worry," said BWHI President, Linda Goler Blount, MPH. Tweet this The preservation of the right to FDA proven medication used to support womens overall reproductive health means Black women can make healthcare decisions without fear of arrest or incarceration,

Late last night the Supreme Court issued a decision to pause a lower court ruling in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA. A ruling that challenged the FDA's 23-year-old approval of mifepristone, part of a two-drug protocol for medication abortion, the most common form of abortion in the US.

"The preservation of the right to drugs used to support women's overall reproductive health means Black women can make healthcare decisions without fear of arrest or incarceration," said Blount. "Since the dismantling of Roe, BWHI has worried about the health and safety of Black women in the face of unabashed legal maneuvers flagrantly designed to prevent Black women from making the most basic health care decisions. This morning, we are less worried, but we remain vigilant. Our fight for complete rights to bodily autonomy continues."

BWHI will continue to stand with our partners in this fight and remain steadfast in our mission to protect and promote the health equity needs of Black women.

About the Black Women's Health Imperative:

The Black Women's Health Imperative is the first and only national non-profit organization created for and by Black women dedicated to improving the health and wellness of our nation's 22 million Black women and girls -- physically, emotionally, and financially. Our core mission is advancing health equity and social justice for Black women, across their lifespan, through policy, advocacy, education, research, and leadership development. www.bwhi.org

Media Contact:

BWHI Communications

[email protected]

888.834.8451

SOURCE Black Women's Health Imperative
NEW ORLEANS, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 1, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Dutch Bros Inc. ("Dutch" or the "Company") (NYSE: BROS), if they purchased the Company's securities between March 1, 2022 and May 11, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Get Help

Dutch Bros investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-bros/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Dutch Bros and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On May 11, 2022, the Company disclosed dismal 1Q2022 financial results including a net loss of $16.3 million, compared to a net loss of $4.8 million for the first quarter of 2021 and an adjusted net loss of $2.5 million (a loss of $0.02 per share), which fell below analysts' expectations, due to its failure to "perceive the speed and magnitude of cost escalation within the quarter," among other things.

On this news, shares of Dutch fell $9.26, or 26.9%, to close at $25.11 per share on May 12, 2022.

The case is Peacock v. Dutch Bros Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-01797.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
Harbour Air showcasing the future of sustainable flight

VANCOUVER, BC, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Harbour Air's ePlane will be making its first appearance in Downtown Vancouver for Earth Day. This marks a significant milestone in the testing and approval process for the certification of electric flying in Canada.

The all-electric, Canadian-built de Havilland Beaver departed from the Harbour Air terminal on the Fraser River, adjacent to YVR, and landed at their Downtown Vancouver terminal.

"We are thrilled to be making our first appearance in Downtown Vancouver on Earth Day" said Bert van der Stege, CEO of Harbour Air. "On this Earth Day 2023, we acknowledge the immense effort required to make a meaningful difference in our environmental impact. Our commitment to sustainability has inspired us to invest significantly in reducing our carbon footprint. As we celebrate this year's theme of "Invest In Our Planet," we are excited to continue our work towards a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future."

Harbour Air began its ePlane project in 2019 and has since been the global leader in electrifying and testing zero-emission aircraft. The e-plane has successfully completed 25 hours of flight time among 72 flights.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Harbour Air's exciting Spring ePlane Tour, showcasing the future of sustainable flight throughout British Columbia. The tour kicks off with an appearance in downtown Vancouver on April 22, followed by stops on Salt Spring Island for Electrify Salt Spring on May 5th and 6th, and Victoria Harbour on May 7th and 8th (subject to suitable weather conditions).

Shareable Assets:

ePlane Photos and Video: https://harbourair.barberstock.com/collection/harbourair/harbour-air-eplane

Social Media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/harbourairltd

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/harbourair/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/harbourair

About Harbour Air Seaplanes

Harbour Air is North America's largest seaplane airline  and the first airline globally to be fully carbon-neutral. The company's international seaplane service, which originally began as a service for the forestry industry in B.C., is now a quintessential west coast experience. With a fleet of more than 40 aircraft, Harbour Air offers up to 300 daily flights to 12 destinations across B.C. and to Seattle, US. For more information, visit harbourair.com.

SOURCE Harbour Air Ltd.
NEW ORLEANS, April 21, 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 FIGS, Inc. (NYSE: FIGS).

In May 2022, the Company released disappointing 1Q2022 financial results and full year outlook for 2022, disclosing declines in expected 2022 net revenues, adjusted gross EBITDA margin, and expected gross margin, due to a "significant increase in the Company's use of air freight to help mitigate supply chain challenges." The Company further disclosed that "[f]or the rest of the year, we plan to significantly increase our use of airfreight to reduce our exposure to these unpredictable transit times," contrary to the Company's prior reassurances regarding its ability to maintain an efficient and steady supply chain.

Thereafter, the Company and certain of its executives were also sued in a securities class action lawsuit, charging them with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period in violation of federal securities laws, which remains pending.

KSF's investigation is focusing on whether FIGS' 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 FIGS 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-figs/ 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 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
KYODO NEWS - Apr 22, 2023 - 22:31 | World, All

The Philippines on Saturday expressed concern over "escalating tensions" across the Taiwan Strait, while upholding the one-China policy that recognizes the government in Beijing as the sole legitimate government of China.

Enrique Manalo, the Philippines' foreign minister, also conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Qin Gang that Manila is taking an independent approach to foreign relations, an implicit way of saying it is siding with neither the United States nor China.

Their meeting came after China's recent criticism of the Philippines for interfering in Taiwan's affairs.

China's ambassador to the Philippines criticized Manila last week for "stoking the fire" of regional tensions by allowing the United States' use of additional military bases in the Southeast Asian country. He had also urged the Philippines to "unequivocally oppose Taiwan's independence."

Manalo also touched on the respective positions of the Philippines and China over the South China Sea, where their countries have overlapping claims. The area, which is rich in minerals and a critical trade route, is also being claimed in whole or in part by Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan.

"Our leaders have agreed that our differences in the West Philippine Sea are not the sum total of our relations," Manalo said, referring to a meeting between Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the former's visit to Beijing in January.

He added, "These differences should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively, especially with respect to the enjoyment of rights of Filipinos, especially fisherfolk whose livelihood and general well-being are undermined by incidents and actions in the West Philippine Sea."

The West Philippine Sea is the local name for parts of the South China Sea within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

Qin said, in response, that "amid the fluid and turbulent regional situation, a healthy and stable China-Philippines relationship" meets the aspirations of their people as well as that of countries in the region, according to the Chinese Embassy in Manila.

Qin's visit took place as the United States and the Philippines conduct a large-scale military exercise in areas facing the South China Sea and Taiwan.

Qin, who is on a three-day visit to Manila until Sunday, also met with Marcos.

Marcos described his meeting with Qin as "really useful" in clearing things up, saying some recent pronouncements made by the Philippines and China might have been "misinterpreted."

Marcos is set to meet with U.S. President Joe Biden on May 1 in Washington, where Biden is expected to reaffirm Washington's commitment to Manila, a defense treaty ally.
ATLANTA, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation presented 15 awards recognizing the best of preservation in Georgia during its 46th annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Atlanta.

Cherry Grove Schoolhouse received the Marguerite Williams Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation, presented annually to the project that has had the greatest impact on preservation in the state.

Cherry Grove Schoolhouse in Washington, Ga. is a rare surviving example of an early 20th century rural African American school building in Georgia. Constructed circa 1910 and in use until 1956, the schoolhouse suffered a long period of deterioration before becoming the center of a preservation initiative. Since its designation as a Place in Peril in 2021, this historic building has been successfully rehabilitated, once again shining brightly in its community.

The historic Fire Hall in Macon, which is now the headquarters for the Historic Macon Foundation, received the Chairman's Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation, presented by the chairman of the Georgia Trust to a person or project of great preservation significance.

Hotel Forty Five in Macon received the Michael L. Starr Award, presented to a project that best exemplifies the highest standards of historic rehabilitation and has a significant impact on the downtown of the city in which it is located.

The Trust presented the Mary Gregory Jewett Award for Lifetime Preservation Service to Susan Kidd of Atlanta for her lifelong career in preservation. The Camille W. Yow Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Christine Lambert of Madison. State Senator John F. Kennedy of Macon received the Senator George Hooks Award, which recognizes excellence in public leadership.

The Trust also presented one award for Excellence in Preservation Service, five awards for Excellence in Rehabilitation, and three awards for Excellence in Stewardship.

Atlanta architect Thomas F. Little, AIA received an award for Excellence in Preservation Service, which recognizes persons, groups, businesses and/or government entities that demonstrate exemplary activities and promotion of awareness in the field of historic preservation.

Excellence in Rehabilitation winners were: 788 Lake Avenue, Atlanta; Capitol View Apartments, Atlanta; Oconee Schoolhouse, Athens; Revival Lofts, Atlanta; and the Zuber-Jarrell House, Atlanta.

Excellence in Stewardship winners included: Burge Club, Mansfield; the Lamar-Wallace-Hill House, Augusta; and Westview Abbey and Mausoleum, Atlanta.

"This year's winners represent a tremendous dedication to restoring and revitalizing Georgia's historic buildings and communities," said Mark C. McDonald, president and CEO of the Georgia Trust. "We are proud to honor such deserving projects and individuals."

For over 45 years, the Trust has recognized preservation projects and individuals throughout Georgia who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. Awards are presented on the basis of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state and on compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country's leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia's diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.

The Georgia Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia's "Places in Peril." The Trust recognizes preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards and honors students and young professionals with the Neel Reid Prize and Liz Lyon Fellowship. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children, provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts, and manages two house museums in Atlanta (Rhodes Hall) and Macon (Hay House).

To learn more about the Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards, visit www.georgiatrust.org.

EDITOR'S NOTE: More details about each award winner, including hi-res images, can be found at https://www.georgiatrust.org/our-programs/preservation-awards/#awards. Hi-res images of the recipients at the awards ceremony will be available April 24. Contact Traci Rothwell at [email protected] or 404-885-7802.

Contact:

Traci Clark Rothwell

404.885.7802

[email protected]

SOURCE The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
QINGDAO, China, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Earth Day's purpose is to engage people, institutions, and businesses to recognize their responsibility to accelerate the transition to an equitable, prosperous green economy for all. Hisense, a leading global home appliance and consumer electronics brand, has always viewed sustainable business practices as one of its top priorities, and is committed to achieving, and helping bring about lower energy consumption, and environmental sustainability.

The global consumer electronics giant, best known for its TV, Laser TV and white goods, has recently taken an array of steps to reduce its own impact on the planet, ensuring its manufacturing, supply chain and the products it produces are more efficient and sustainable.

With self-developed technologies, like its self-adaptive backlight control algorithm, digitalized power control algorithm, high-voltage LED light and drive technology, Hisense has managed to reduce energy consumption of each TV by 25%. Moreover, in amending the design of its televisions, the company has reduced the amount of plastic that is required to dissipate heat, saving 4,626 tons of plastic per-year, the equivalent of 514million plastic bags.

Hisense's refrigeration category has solicited praise from the United Nations Development Program for its use of foaming technology to improve the efficiency of its fridges; a development which is believed to have saved nearly 6,000 tons of carbon emissions.

The company is also improving the footprint of its factories, increasing solar power generation in the plants it operates. It expects the total installed capacity to reach 60MW by the end of 2023, and the annual power generation capacity will reach 53 million kWh. The proportion of solar power generation in Hisense's total electricity consumption is now at more than 10%.

Hisense is also keen to bring about a more sustainable world beyond its own operations, and to mark Earth Day it has launched a new tree planting initiative to promote the importance of safeguarding the environment.

To find out more about Hisense's commitment to take us Towards a Greener Future, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcqzEepU98g

About Hisense:

Hisense is a leading global home appliance and consumer electronics brand. Hisense's business covers multimedia products (with a focus on Smart TVs), home appliances, and IT intelligent information. Recently, Hisense has grown rapidly and is now operating in more than 160 countries.

SOURCE Hisense
NEW YORK, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Technavio has been monitoring the HVAC equipment market in Europe , and it is expected to grow by USD 9.49 billion between 2022 and 2027. The market will progress at a CAGR of 5.16% during the forecast period. This report aids business leaders with an up-to-date analysis that includes the study of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers that are likely to influence the market growth, and the overall market environment. Download Latest Sample PDF Report!

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled HVAC Equipment Market in Europe

The increasing use of renewable energy sources for HVAC systems is identified as the key trend in the market. The use of renewable energy for HVAC systems is gaining prominence in both residential and commercial spaces. End-users are adopting renewable energy sources such as solar-powered space heating systems to cut down on the fuel costs incurred in heating. The system works in conjunction with the existing building heating system, such as an oil or gas-fired heater, or independently to provide heated air for indoor heating spaces. This hybrid system can also contribute to large-scale, cost-effective reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. With the growing concerns over the ecological damage caused by greenhouse gases, the demand for such systems will increase over the forecast period. All these factors will positively influence market growth.

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Carrier Global Corp., Daikin Industries Ltd., Danfoss AS, FlaktGroup Holding GmbH, Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Ingersoll Rand Inc., Johnson and Johnson, LG Electronics Inc., LUVE Spa, MIDEA Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Nortek Inc., OSTBERG GROUP AB, Panasonic Holdings Corp., Regal Rexnord Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Systemair AB, and Zehnder Group AG are some of the major market participants.

Although the growth in data centers fueling market growth will offer immense growth opportunities, the lack of skilled HVAC technicians will challenge the growth of market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

The market is driven by the growth of data centers. Over the years, the number of data centers has increased substantially worldwide. Factors such as the ongoing migration of data from private servers to cloud-based solutions, industrial development, increased demand for colocation facilities, especially from SMEs, and rising investments in technologies increased the number of data centers. Data centers comprise highly sensitive electronic components that require stable operating temperature, humidity, airflow, and cleanliness to prevent equipment failure. Thus, with the growing number of data centers, the demand for HVAC equipment will grow significantly over the forecast period.

HVAC Equipment Market in Europe 2023-2027: Segmentation

Product

Air Conditioning Equipment



Heating Equipment



Ventilation Equipment

End-user

Non-residential



Residential

The market growth in the air conditioning equipment segment will be significant over the forecast period. Air conditioning equipment plays an important role in changing the indoor environment, especially in hot and dry climates, and is a vital part of the infrastructure that supports modern spaces. The demand for air conditioning equipment is increasing, with the expanding construction industry, deregulation in the real estate and construction sector, and increasing air conditioning maintenance requirements.

To learn more about the global market trends impacting the future of market research,

download a sample report.

HVAC Equipment Market in Europe 2023-2027: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our HVAC equipment market in Europe report covers the following areas:

HVAC Equipment Market in Europe 2023-2027: Major Challenge

The lack of skilled HVAC technicians will challenge the growth of the HVAC equipment market in Europe. The market is currently witnessing a growing shortage of skilled manpower among HVAC contractors, and this is expected to continue over the forecast period. The expanding gap in the supply of skilled workers has led countries such as Germany to ease their migration laws to make it easier for skilled workers from outside the European Union to move to Germany. However, the inability of workers to understand and operate advanced electronics and new technology prevents companies from achieving the desired results. Such challenges will reduce the growth potential of the market.

HVAC Equipment Market in Europe 2023-2027: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the HVAC equipment market in Europe, including some of the key vendors. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the HVAC equipment market in Europe is designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Carrier Global Corp. - The company offers HVAC equipment that includes air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, ductless systems, and evaporator coils.

- The company offers HVAC equipment that includes air conditioners, furnaces, heat pumps, ductless systems, and evaporator coils. Daikin Industries Ltd. - The company offers HVAC equipment that includes air conditioning and refrigeration systems that are efficient, energy-saving, and cost-saving operations with advanced inverter and heat pump technologies.

- The company offers HVAC equipment that includes air conditioning and refrigeration systems that are efficient, energy-saving, and cost-saving operations with advanced inverter and heat pump technologies. Danfoss AS - The company offers HVAC equipment that enhances air quality and indoor comfort levels, improves control and energy-saving possibilities, ensures better asset protection, reduces maintenance costs, and increases reliability.

- The company offers HVAC equipment that enhances air quality and indoor comfort levels, improves control and energy-saving possibilities, ensures better asset protection, reduces maintenance costs, and increases reliability. Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd. - The company offers HVAC equipment that is used for chiller plant optimization, cooling tower optimization, boiler control, and airflow control.

- The company offers HVAC equipment that is used for chiller plant optimization, cooling tower optimization, boiler control, and airflow control. FlaktGroup Holding GmbH

Honeywell International Inc.

Ingersoll Rand Inc.

Johnson and Johnson

LUVE Spa

MIDEA Group

Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Nortek Inc.

OSTBERG GROUP AB

Panasonic Holdings Corp.

Regal Rexnord Corp.

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HVAC Equipment Market in Europe 2023-2027: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2023-2027

Detailed information on factors that will assist HVAC equipment market growth in Europe during the next five years

during the next five years Estimation of the HVAC equipment market size in Europe and its contribution to the parent market

and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the HVAC equipment market in Europe

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of HVAC equipment market vendors in Europe

Related Reports:

The HVAC systems market in India is expected to grow by USD 2.77 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 9.97%. The market is segmented by product (split AC, window AC, and others) and application (non-residential and residential).

The HVAC equipment market in North America is expected to grow by USD 10.22 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will accelerate at a CAGR of 5.15%. The market is segmented by product (air conditioning equipment, heating equipment, and ventilation equipment) and end-user (non-residential and residential).

HVAC Equipment Market in Europe: Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 5.16% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 9.49 billion Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022- 2023 (%) 4.52 Key countries Germany, UK, France, Italy, and Rest of Europe Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Carrier Global Corp., Daikin Industries Ltd., Danfoss AS, FlaktGroup Holding GmbH, Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Ingersoll Rand Inc., Johnson and Johnson, LG Electronics Inc., LUVE Spa, MIDEA Group, Mitsubishi Electric Corp., Nortek Inc., OSTBERG GROUP AB, Panasonic Holdings Corp., Regal Rexnord Corp., Robert Bosch GmbH, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Systemair AB, and Zehnder Group AG Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse through Technavio's Industrials Market Reports

Table of contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Country Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Product



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by End-user



Exhibit 07: Executive Summary  Chart on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 08: Executive Summary  Data Table on Incremental Growth



Exhibit 09: Executive Summary  Chart on Vendor Market Positioning

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

Exhibit 10: Parent market



Exhibit 11: Market Characteristics

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

Exhibit 12: Offerings of vendors included in the market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

Exhibit 13: Market segments

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

Exhibit 14: Chart on Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 15: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Europe : Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 17: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 HVAC equipment market in Europe 2017 - 2021

2017 - 2021 Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on HVAC equipment market in Europe 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.2 By Product Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  By Product Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.3 By end-user Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  By end-user Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ billion)

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 22: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 23: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 24: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 25: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 26: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 27: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027

5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 28: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027

6 Market Segmentation by Product

6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 29: Chart on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Product - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

6.2 Comparison by Product

Exhibit 31: Chart on Comparison by Product



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Comparison by Product

6.3 Air conditioning equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 33: Chart on Air conditioning equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Air conditioning equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 35: Chart on Air conditioning equipment - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Air conditioning equipment - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.4 Heating equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 37: Chart on Heating equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Heating equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 39: Chart on Heating equipment - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on Heating equipment - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.5 Ventilation equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 41: Chart on Ventilation equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 42: Data Table on Ventilation equipment - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 43: Chart on Ventilation equipment - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on Ventilation equipment - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

6.6 Market opportunity by Product

Exhibit 45: Market opportunity by Product ($ billion)



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Market opportunity by Product ($ billion)

7 Market Segmentation by End-user

7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 47: Chart on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on End-user - Market share 2022-2027 (%)

7.2 Comparison by End-user

Exhibit 49: Chart on Comparison by End-user



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Comparison by End-user

7.3 Non-residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on Non-residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on Non-residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 53: Chart on Non-residential - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on Non-residential - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.4 Residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on Residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Residential - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Residential - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Residential - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

7.5 Market opportunity by End-user

Exhibit 59: Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Market opportunity by End-user ($ billion)

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 61: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 62: Chart on Market share by geography - 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 63: Data Table on Market share by geography - 2022-2027 (%)

9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 64: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 65: Data Table on Geographic comparison

9.3 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 66: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 67: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 68: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 69: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.4 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 70: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 71: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)



Exhibit 72: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 73: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.5 France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 74: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 75: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 76: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 77: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.6 Italy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 78: Chart on Italy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on Italy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 80: Chart on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.7 Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 82: Chart on Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 83: Data Table on Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ billion)

Exhibit 84: Chart on Rest of Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 85: Data Table on Rest of Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

9.8 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 86: Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)



Exhibit 87: Data Table on Market opportunity by geography ($ billion)

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

Exhibit 88: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 89: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation

11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 90: Overview on factors of disruption

11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 91: Impact of key risks on business

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 92: Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 93: Matrix on vendor position and classification

12.3 Carrier Global Corp.

Exhibit 94: Carrier Global Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 95: Carrier Global Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 96: Carrier Global Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 97: Carrier Global Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 98: Carrier Global Corp. - Segment focus

12.4 Daikin Industries Ltd.

Exhibit 99: Daikin Industries Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 100: Daikin Industries Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 101: Daikin Industries Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 102: Daikin Industries Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 103: Daikin Industries Ltd. - Segment focus

12.5 Danfoss AS

Exhibit 104: Danfoss AS - Overview



Exhibit 105: Danfoss AS - Business segments



Exhibit 106: Danfoss AS - Key news



Exhibit 107: Danfoss AS - Key offerings



Exhibit 108: Danfoss AS - Segment focus

12.6 Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 109: Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 110: Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 111: Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 112: Haier Smart Home Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

12.7 Honeywell International Inc.

Exhibit 113: Honeywell International Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 114: Honeywell International Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 115: Honeywell International Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 116: Honeywell International Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 117: Honeywell International Inc. - Segment focus

12.8 Ingersoll Rand Inc.

Exhibit 118: Ingersoll Rand Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 119: Ingersoll Rand Inc. - Business segments



Exhibit 120: Ingersoll Rand Inc. - Key offerings



Exhibit 121: Ingersoll Rand Inc. - Segment focus

12.9 Johnson and Johnson

Exhibit 122: Johnson and Johnson - Overview



Exhibit 123: Johnson and Johnson - Business segments



Exhibit 124: Johnson and Johnson - Key news



Exhibit 125: Johnson and Johnson - Key offerings



Exhibit 126: Johnson and Johnson - Segment focus

12.10 LG Electronics Inc.

Exhibit 127: LG Electronics Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 128: LG Electronics Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 129: LG Electronics Inc. - Key offerings

12.11 Mitsubishi Electric Corp.

Exhibit 130: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 131: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 132: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 133: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 134: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. - Segment focus

12.12 OSTBERG GROUP AB

Exhibit 135: OSTBERG GROUP AB - Overview



Exhibit 136: OSTBERG GROUP AB - Product / Service



Exhibit 137: OSTBERG GROUP AB - Key offerings

12.13 Panasonic Holdings Corp.

Exhibit 138: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Overview



Exhibit 139: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Business segments



Exhibit 140: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Key news



Exhibit 141: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Key offerings



Exhibit 142: Panasonic Holdings Corp. - Segment focus

12.14 Robert Bosch GmbH

Exhibit 143: Robert Bosch GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 144: Robert Bosch GmbH - Business segments



Exhibit 145: Robert Bosch GmbH - Key news



Exhibit 146: Robert Bosch GmbH - Key offerings



Exhibit 147: Robert Bosch GmbH - Segment focus

12.15 Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Exhibit 148: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 149: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Business segments



Exhibit 150: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 151: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Key offerings



Exhibit 152: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. - Segment focus

12.16 Systemair AB

Exhibit 153: Systemair AB - Overview



Exhibit 154: Systemair AB - Business segments



Exhibit 155: Systemair AB - Key offerings



Exhibit 156: Systemair AB - Segment focus

12.17 Zehnder Group AG

Exhibit 157: Zehnder Group AG - Overview



Exhibit 158: Zehnder Group AG - Business segments



Exhibit 159: Zehnder Group AG - Key offerings



Exhibit 160: Zehnder Group AG - Segment focus

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 161: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 162: Exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 163: Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 164: Research methodology



Exhibit 165: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 166: Information sources

13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 167: List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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SOURCE Technavio
Legendary Blues Guitarist RONNIE EARL is a four-time winner of "Guitar Player of the Year" (1997, 1999, 2014, 2018) at the Blues Music Awards and has been Nominated a stunning 23 times! In 2022, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters celebrated 35 years as a band and their last 8 albums all debuted in the Top 10 on Billboard Blues Chart and received wide critical acclaim. RONNIE EARL & THE BROADCASTERS perform at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on Saturday May 27 at 7:30 P.M. Tickets for the Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster.com and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.

PORTSMOUTH, N.H., April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club Features 2x-GRAMMY Award Nominee, 4x-Blues Music Award-Winner & 43x-Blues Music Award Nominated Guitarist RONNIE EARL & THE BROADCASTERS on Saturday May 27 at 7:30 P.M. Ronnie Earl was born Ronald Horvath in Queens, New York, on March 10, 1953. After picking up his first guitar twenty years later, he went on to stretch the boundaries of electric blues guitar playing, lifting hearts and souls a little higher as he did. To many, Ronnie Earl is one of the greatest blues guitarists to ever pick up the instrument.

"Ronnie Earl can still take your breath away," says GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE. Tweet this Legendary Blues Guitarist RONNIE EARL & THE BROADCASTERS perform at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Saturday May 27 at 7:30 P.M. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com and www.jimmysoncongress.com.

"He is one of the most serious blues guitarists you can find today. He makes me proud."

 B.B. KING

"Ronnie Earl is the John Coltrane of the guitar."

 ELMORE MAGAZINE

"A genuine virtuoso...Pretty much any Ronnie Earl album is an essential purchase."

 BLUES BLAST MAGAZINE

"Ronnie Earl can still take your breath away."

 GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE

"When it's time for spiritual rejuvenation, it's time for a visit from Ronnie Earl, pastor of the church of tone."

 VINTAGE GUITAR MAGAZINE

In 2015, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters released the album Father's Day which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Blues Chart and peaked at #20 the Billboard Heatseekers Album Chart. The album was named in honor of Ronnie's father, Jerry Akos Horvath, after he and Ronnie found healing and peace before his father died. Both Jerry, and Ronnie's mother Rose Horvath were Holocaust survivors, and both passed away in 2014. Blues Blast Magazine said: "Father's Day is a tour de force of great guitar play, outstanding songs, strong, supporting musicians and seamless production. On that level alone, Ronnie has produced a masterpiece."

In 2016, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters released Maxwell Street, an album named in honor of brother David Maxwell, Ronnie's dear friend, soul brother and an accomplished blues pianist. Maxwell Street is also a nod to Chicago's Maxwell Street where blues musicians gathered to play outside for the Sunday market crowds. Maxwell Street debuted at #6 on the Billboard Blues Chart. In 2019, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters released the album Beyond The Blue Door which debuted at #9 on the Billboard Blues Chart.

In 2020, Ronnie Earl & The Broadcasters released the album Rise Up to critical acclaim. Ronnie's 27th album, it debuted at #4 on the Billboard Blues Chart.

The Broadcasters include Dave Limina (Hammond B3 & Piano), Diane Blue (Vocals), Forrest Padgett (Drums), and Paul Kochanski (Electric & Upright Bass).

Ronnie Earl has played alongside such greats as B. B. King, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, the Allman Brothers Band, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, Muddy Waters, Big Joe Turner, Otis Rush, Earl King, Koko Taylor, Etta James, and Big Mama Thornton, as well as gifted young blues guitarists who he just might pull up on stage at a moment's notice.

RONNIE EARL Tickets & Current Schedule of Shows

Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club's 2023 Schedule of Shows included 7 NEA Jazz Masters, 37 GRAMMY Award-Winning Artists, 30 Blues Music Award-Winners, and a comprehensive list of talented musicians with 350+ GRAMMY Award Nominations amongst them. Tickets for RONNIE EARL & THE BROADCASTERS at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club on Saturday May 27 at 7:30 P.M., as well as the current list of 2023 shows, can be found on Ticketmaster and Jimmy's Online Event Calendar at: http://www.jimmysoncongress.com/events.

ABOUT JIMMY'S JAZZ & BLUES CLUB

The mission of Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is to provide guests a one-of-a-kind, world-class experience featuring serious jazz and blues music served with exceptional cuisine. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club features a spectacular and visually breathtaking environment engineered to deliver the highest quality acoustics while utilizing state-of-the-art production, sound and lighting technologies. Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club is located within a beautifully restored 1905 building at 135 Congress Street in the heart of historic downtown Portsmouth, New Hampshire. For more information visit www.jimmysoncongress.com or follow us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/JimmysJazzBlues and on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/jimmysjazzblues/. Sign-up for Jimmy's Email Newsletter to stay informed on Upcoming Shows, New Artist Announcements, Promotional Offers, Ticket On-Sale Dates, Special Performances, and Jimmy's Sunday Jazz Brunch.

PRIVATE EVENTS AT JIMMY'S

An architecturally breathtaking center of arts and culture in the heart of historic Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club offers a rare and spectacular venue to host important corporate functions, weddings, intimate or large-scale social gatherings, private parties, and memorable celebrations. The team at Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club put heart and soul into creating a stunning full-service event space with new state-of-the-art production, sound & lighting technologies delivered with outstanding next-level culinary experiences. Our high-touch approach with professional and experienced event staff ensures that everything is tailored to exceed your expectations. To start a conversation about hosting your event at Jimmy's Jazz and Blues Club, please call us at 888-603-5299, or fill out Jimmy's Private Event Request Form.

Website:

http://www.jimmysoncongress.com

Contact:

Suzanne Bresette

[email protected]

888-603-JAZZ

SOURCE Jimmy's Jazz & Blues Club
For every bottle of Lemon Perfect sold, the brand will fund the removal of the one-bottle equivalent of plastic waste from the environment

ATLANTA, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Because every day should be Earth Day, Lemon Perfect , the fastest-growing brand in the enhanced water category*, has officially announced that it is certified Plastic Neutral in partnership with rePurpose Global , the world's leading plastic action platform. This collaboration will fund the recovery of nature- and ocean-bound plastic waste while contributing to systemic change through the financing of infrastructure and plastic waste supply chain development, as well as positive socioeconomic change and improved working conditions for waste workers.

Through its partnership with rePurpose Global, Lemon Perfect advances its commitment to people and the planet by focusing on the removal of multi-layered plastic (MLP), which typically goes uncollected because the material has no commercial value and lacks collection infrastructure.

In 2023 alone, Lemon Perfect has committed to removing 3.5 million pounds of plastic waste as just one part of the company's investment in building a circular supply chain.

The initiative marks the next step in Lemon Perfect's ongoing sustainability efforts. In addition to its Plastic Neutral certification, Lemon Perfect is carbon-neutral and utilizes 100% recyclable polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) sourced from previously recycled plastic bottles in its packaging.

"Being a leader in sustainability is core to Lemon Perfect's mission," said Lemon Perfect Founder and CEO Yanni Hufnagel. "As we reduce our plastic footprint to net zero in partnership with rePurpose Global, continue to maintain our carbon neutrality, and pledge that all of our bottles will be made from 100% recycled plastic by 2026, we are committed to producing a bottled water that is better for the planet."

Lemon Perfect's partnership with rePurpose Global will aid in the removal and recovery of plastic waste from regions across India, including the districts of Udupi, Hyderabad, and Aurangabad. The partnership will support the collection and ethical processing of low-value packaging that would otherwise be dumped in overflowing and hazardous landfills or water sources.

"Our partnership with Lemon Perfect represents a shared commitment to creating a better future for our planet. We are inspired by their dedication to sustainability and their drive and commitment to plastic action. Together, we hope to set an example for other businesses and drive positive change in our industry," Svanika Balasubramanian, rePurpose Global CEO and Co-Founder, shared in a statement.

Learn more about Lemon Perfect's partnership with rePurpose Global here .

About Lemon Perfect:

Lemon Perfect is a delicious and refreshing flavored lemon water with zero sugar and no artificial flavors or sweeteners. Powered by half a squeezed organic lemon in every bottle, Lemon Perfect contains only 5 calories, is high in immune-boosting vitamin C, and is proudly Certified Plastic Neutral.

Lemon Perfect is the fastest-growing brand in the enhanced water category* and is widely considered to be one of the most scalable, exciting, and innovative emerging beverages in the marketplace. The company's mission is to sustainably reimagine bottled water by promoting healthy, great-tasting hydrationanytime, anywhere, and for everyone. Lemon Perfect is available at retailers nationwide and on Amazon and lemonperfect.com . The Lemon Perfect company is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

About rePurpose Global:

rePurpose Global is the world's leading Plastic Action Platform, dedicated to bringing together brands, innovators, and policymakers under one roof to collectively combat the plastic waste crisis.

Through its ecosystem of solutions across the entire circular economy value chain, rePurpose has helped more than 300 purposeful brands and organizations tangibly reduce their plastic footprints, while driving collaboration and action at a global scale.

Since inception, rePurpose has partnered with thousands of local waste workers and micro-entrepreneurs and empowered them to deliver critically lacking waste management services to marginalized communities worldwide. In doing so, the organization has successfully enabled the recovery of over 13.5 million kilograms of plastic waste from the environment in India, Indonesia, United States, Colombia, Ghana, Kenya, and the Dominican Republic to date.

*Source: Nielsen Total FMCG + Convenience L52 period ending 2/25/2023

Media Contact:

Katie Rubino | Autumn Communications

[email protected]

Yulu PR

[email protected]

604.558.1656

SOURCE Lemon Perfect
The ENRICH Trial Demonstrates Surgery with NICO Corporation's Technologies is Superior to Standard of Care (SOC) for Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ICH)

Currently, up to 50% of people die within 30 days of an ICH, Highlighting the Need for New Options1

LOS ANGELES, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- NICO Corporation, a pioneer and leader in minimally invasive neurosurgery, today announced initial positive results from the completed ENRICH (Early MiNimally-invasive Removal of ICH) trial at the 2023 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) annual scientific meeting. ENRICH2 was designed to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and economic outcomes for ICH, or hemorrhagic stroke, comparing early minimally invasive parafascicular surgery (MIPS) using NICO's complete technology solution including BrainPath and Myriad versus standard of care, which is medical management (MM) based on American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines. Two million people suffer hemorrhagic strokes each year and up to 50% of people will die within 30 days.1 For survivors, up to 88% will be dependent on others for activities of daily living six months later and only 25% will return to functional independence.

At six months, functional outcomes in ENRICH were assessed using the utility-weighted modified Rankin Scale (UWmRS) with differences greater than zero corresponding to improved outcomes. The mean UWmRS score was 0.458 in the MIPS group and 0.374 in those receiving MM, the difference showing a 98.1% posterior probability of superiority. These results met the primary endpoint demonstrating the MIPS group achieved a statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvement in UWmRS versus MM. The ENRICH study also found MIPS was safe and overall mortality at six months was 21.7% (20% for MIPS, 23.3% in the MM group). In the MIPS group, the median hematoma evacuation was 88% with a median end-of treatment volume (EOTV) of 7.2mL. Overall, 73% achieved the EOTV goal of <15mL, which is considered the surgical standard in clot evacuation.3

"The results of the ENRICH trial are revolutionary and represent an advancement for improving outcomes for the millions of people who suffer hemorrhagic strokes," said Jim Pearson, president and CEO, NICO Corporation. "For more than a decade, NICO has been committed to delivering the science and innovative tools behind minimally invasive neurosurgery for the ICH population and ENRICH is the culmination of our mission. We are thrilled to bring these results to the physicians, patients and caregivers of the hemorrhagic stroke community."

The ENRICH trial is a randomized, multi-center, adaptive, clinical trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness, safety and economics of a standardized early MIPS approach (within 24 hours) in 300 patients with spontaneous hemorrhagic stroke  92 patients with a hemorrhage in the anterior basal ganglia (ABG) location and 208 in the lobar location. The primary intention-to-treat analysis evaluated whether the UWmRS, a standardized measure of global disability, at 180 days in the treatment group was superior to that of the control group. The safety endpoints were mortality at 30 days, change in hemorrhage volume between index and 24-hour CT scan while the economic endpoints were quality-adjusted life years (QALY) at 90-, 120- and 180-days post hemorrhage. The randomized trial enrolled patients at 37 stroke centers across the U.S.2

"ENRICH is the first, randomized clinical trial to meet its primary endpoint demonstrating early MIPS with BrainPath and Myriad improves outcomes for these deadly strokes," said Gustavo Pradilla, M.D., co-lead investigator for ENRICH, associate professor of neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine and chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta. "I believe this trial will change how we treat hemorrhagic stroke moving forward and I look forward to sharing the further details of the ENRICH trial, which will be published soon."

Dan Barrow, the Pamela R. Rollins Chairman and Professor of Neurosurgery at Emory University adds, "We are grateful to NICO for their support of our research and our colleagues at the 37 participating sites that so carefully randomized and expertly managed the enrolled patients. Principally, we thank our brave patients and their families for entrusting us with their care and agreeing to participate in a trial to advance scientific knowledge for the benefit of others. Their selfless behavior is necessary to advance the scientific basis of medical care."

An ICH is bleeding close to the surface, or deep areas of the brain caused by the rupture of a damaged blood vessel in the head. As the amount of blood increases, the buildup of pressure can lead to brain damage, unconsciousness or even death. These types of strokes affect more than two million people each year and have high morbidity and mortality rates. Up to 50% of people will die 30 days post-hemorrhage.1 Hemorrhagic strokes cost the U.S. healthcare system more than $12 billion annually4 with incidence expected to increase due to an aging population and increased use of anticoagulants.1

About NICO BrainPath and NICO Myriad System

NICO's technological system solution is comprised of two technologies which are patented, the NICO BrainPath   the world's first and only technology that achieves minimally-disruptive access using a trans-sulcal and parafascicular surgical approach. And, the NICO Myriad  that provides automated non-ablative tumor removal and hemorrhage evacuation with the Automated Preservation System (APS) enabling intra-operative collection and biological preservation of tissue.

About NICO Corporation

NICO is the first market leader and only company in the world to develop and patent technologies to create an entirely new minimally invasive surgical market in neurosurgery for subcortical and skull base lesions. NICO technologies have been featured in more than 180 peer-reviewed publications with over 550 unique authors from major academic centers. Data from these publications suggest improved clinical outcomes in Minimally Invasive Parafascicular Surgery (MIPS). For more information, visit NICOneuro.com, and follow the latest news on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Media Contact:

Morgan Reese

Clyde Group

[email protected]

(201) 452-1346

References

1 Macellari F, Paciaroni M, Agnelli G, Caso V. Neuroimaging in intracerebral hemorrhage. Stroke. (2014) 45:9038. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.113.00370

2 Ratcliff, Jonathan J., et al. "Early Minimally Invasive Removal of Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ENRICH): Study Protocol for a Multi-Centered Two-Arm Randomized Adaptive Trial." Frontiers in Neurology, vol. 14, 16 Mar. 2023, https://doi.org/10.3389/fneur.2023.1126958. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.

3Pradilla G., Ratcliff J, Hall A, Saville B, Allen J, Frankel M, Wright D, Barrow D, and for the ENRICH Investigators. "Efficacy and Safety of Early Minimally Invasive Removal of Intracerebral Hemorrhage (ENRICH): a Multicenter Randomized Adaptive Trial." April 2023

4 Greenberg, Steven M., et al. "2022 Guideline for the Management of Patients with Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage: A Guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association." Stroke, vol. 53, no. 7, 17 May 2022, https://doi.org/10.1161/str.0000000000000407

SOURCE NICO Corporation
NEW ORLEANS, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 15, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Norfolk Southern Corporation (NYSE: NSC), if they purchased the Company's shares between October 28, 2020 and March 3, 2023, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Get Help

Norfolk Southern investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-nsc/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Norfolk Southern and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

The alleged false and misleading statements and omissions include, but are not limited to, that the Company's "Precision Scheduled Railroading" ("PSR") strategy designed to increase revenues and decrease operating costs through fewer personnel, longer trains, and less spending on safety training, technology, and equipment would be likely to result in the Company suffering increased train derailments and a materially increased risk of future derailments, and as a result of the above, the Company's statements regarding the safety of its operations were materially false and/or misleading.

The truth began to emerge on February 3, 2023, when a Norfolk Southern freight train, including 11 tank cars carrying hazardous materials, derailed in East Palestine, Ohio and subsequently ignited requiring the immediate evacuation of those within a one-two mile area. Then, on March 4, 2023, another Norfolk Southern freight train derailed near Springfield, Ohio.

On this news, shares of Norfolk Southern fell on March 6 and March 7, 2023, closing at $215.18 per share, down $13.21 from a closing price of $228.39 on March 3, 2023.

The case is Bucks County Employees Retirement System v. Norfolk Southern Corporation, et al., No. 23-cv-00982.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
DUBLIN, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) - A Global Market Overview" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

Owing to unique properties, the global polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) market is projected to reach 2.8M MTs, valued at $8.3 billion by 2028.

PMMA offers unique properties such as outstanding light transmission, inherently stable to UV-light, and excellent scratch and impact resistance. These properties make PMMA the ideal material for several applications in sectors like transportation, architecture, electronics and medical. Building & construction, automotive and electrical & electronics are the three largest markets for PMMA with a combined share of around 77% in 2022.

The report explores the end-use applications market for Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) comprising Appliances, Automotive & Transportation, Building & Construction, Electrical & Electronics, Lighting, Sings & Displays and Others including medical, optical, consumer goods and packaging.

This report analyzes and projects the PMMA market for global and the regional markets including the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America and Rest of World for the period 2019-2028 in terms of volume consumption in metric tons as well as value market in US$. These regional markets further analyzed for 18 independent countries across North America - The United States, Canada and Mexico; Europe - France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Spain and the United Kingdom; Asia-Pacific - China, India, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand; and South America - Argentina and Brazil.

This 237-page global market research report on PMMA comprises 200 charts (includes a data table and graphical representation for each chart), supported with a meaningful and easy to understand graphical presentation, of the market. The statistical tables represent the data for the global market by geographic region and end-use application. This report profiles 14 key global players and also provides the listing of the companies engaged in the manufacturing and supply of Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA). The global list of companies covers addresses, contact numbers and the website addresses of 31 companies.

Research Findings & Coverage

Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA) global market is analyzed in this report with respect to end-use applications

The study exclusively analyzes the production capacities for PMMA by major players and key regions for the recent and immediate future

COVID-19 impact analysis has been covered for each major application area

Key business trends focusing on product innovations/developments, M&As, JVs and other recent industry developments

Major companies profiled - 14

The industry guide includes the contact details for 31 companies

Product Outline

The market for end-use applications of PMMA studied in this report comprise the following:

Automotive & Transportation

Electrical & Electronics

Building & Construction

Lighting

Signs & Displays

Appliances

Others

Geographic Coverage

North America ( The United States , Canada and Mexico )

( , and ) Europe ( France , Germany , Italy , The Netherlands , Russia , Spain , The United Kingdom and Rest of Europe )

( , , , , , , The and Rest of ) Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , India , South Korea , Taiwan , Thailand and Rest of Asia-Pacific )

( , , , , , and Rest of ) South America ( Argentina , Brazil and Rest of South America )

( , and Rest of ) Rest of World ( Middle East and Africa )

Key Topics Covered:





PART A: GLOBAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

1. INTRODUCTION

2. INDUSTRY LANDSCAPE

3. KEY BUSINESS AND PRODUCT TRENDS

4. GLOBAL MARKET OVERVIEW

PART B: REGIONAL MARKET PERSPECTIVE

Companies Mentioned

3A Composites Holding AG

Asahi Kasei Corporation

Chimei Corporation

Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd.

Heilongjiang Zhongmeng Longxin Chemical Co. Ltd.

Kuraray Co. Ltd.

Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation

Plaskolite, Inc.

Rabigh Refining & Petrochemical Co.

Rohm GmbH

Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC)

Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd.

Trinseo LLC

Wanhua Chemical Group Co. Ltd.

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ul6gj4

About ResearchAndMarkets.com

ResearchAndMarkets.com is the world's leading source for international market research reports and market data. We provide you with the latest data on international and regional markets, key industries, the top companies, new products and the latest trends.

Media Contact:



Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/539438/Research_and_Markets_Logo.jpg

SOURCE Research and Markets
DUBAI, UAE, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Portugal has a lot of different immigration options available, from its residency by investment route (the golden visa), its passive income option (the D7 visa), to its newly christened digital nomad visa.

However, there is one option that is tailor-made for businesses that often goes unnoticed - the Portuguese D2 visa.

Overview

The D2 visa is a temporary two-year residency permit available for self-employed people, freelancers, and independent services providers. It allows them and their families to reside, study, and work in Portugal.

It's based on company formation, meaning a person will have to establish a company and actively manage it to maintain their residence. Alternatively, they can also invest in an existing Portuguese company on the condition they take up an active management role.

The D2 visa has no minimum investment amount, but a person should have enough to register a company, make a sensible influx of capital to get it running, and enough money to support themselves for the duration of the visa.

Registering a company in Portugal can cost between 600-1,800, depending on the company type and location. This includes registering the company in the Chamber of Commerce, registering its official name, issuing a tax number, and opening a corporate bank account.

As for the company's capital, the law requires different minimums depending on the type of company. A limited liability company or LDA, is the most popular company type, and it requires a capital share of no less than 5,000.

In terms of maintenance funds, an applicant must show that they have sufficient cash to maintain themselves in Portugal without recourse to public funds for the duration of the D2 visa. As the visa is issued for a year, they will need to prove they have at least 9120 for the applicant, another 4,560 for the spouse, and an additional 2,736 per child. This can be shown in a bank statement to at least cover a period of 12 months.

The D2 is renewed for three years depending on the business's activity and the income it derives, and if that income covers the maintenance fund requirement, then there is no need to show savings upon renewal. However, if the business does not yet make the required income amount, an applicant can simply show savings as proof of funds again.

The low investment threshold for the D2 visa makes it an excellent option for those looking to expand their business into Portugal and, by default, the EU.

The process is as follows:

Register a business in Portugal .

. Open a bank account.

Collect relevant documents, fill out the application, and draft a business plan.

The application and business plan are submitted to the local Portuguese embassy.

Once approved, an applicant gets a 4-month landing visa and travels to Portugal to collect their residence permit.

to collect their residence permit. As long as the business remains active, the visa can be renewed.

Drafting a business plan for an immigration program differs a bit from a traditional one, and a qualified immigration firm can handle the matter on one's behalf. The most important things to consider when drafting a business plan for immigration purposes are the following:

Feasibility and scalability of the business.

Who is financing the business (foreign financing is preferred).

Why Portugal is the destination of choice.

is the destination of choice. An expansion plan.

Added economic value. This is the most important part, as it will highlight how the business will benefit the Portuguese economy and can be done by showing one or more of the following:

How many jobs for locals will the business create?

Export activity of the business.

How the business will attract new businesses to Portugal .

. Whether the business will serve an underdeveloped region.

If the business will increase R&D or innovation.

If the business or the business owner brings specialised knowledge to the Portuguese market.

Whether the business will introduce a new product or service into the Portuguese market.

Achieving at least one of the added economic value criteria would go a long way in helping the applicant get approval.

Once approved, an applicant only needs to highlight the continuity of the business and their role in it to renew their visa. However, to do so, they must reside for at least six months a year in Portugal. After five years of continuous residence, they can apply for permanent residence or citizenship, and their status will then no longer be linked to their business.

An excellent option for Dubai entrepreneurs

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up 94% of all enterprises within Dubai; they also make up a staggering 97% of all enterprises in Portugal and are responsible for about 58% of all turnover and 82% of investment volumes.

Both Dubai and Portugal offer SMEs governmental financial support, the former through its National SME Program, and the latter directly through its government.

Trade between the UAE and the EU is also a major attraction for entrepreneurs, the trade balance between the two economic behemoths averaged almost $53 billion in the past few years.

The D2 provides an excellent financial advantage as an entry point into the EU, as average operating costs in Portugal is lower than other countries in the EU. In fact, it is 38% lower than that in the French market, and this allows for greater financial savings.

The low operating costs also allow Dubai entrepreneurs to shift some of their operations to Portugal, as the average salary for highly skilled workers in Dubai (71,743 per year) is much higher than that of Portugal (39,200 per year), almost 46% higher to give the matter some more context.

The UAE and Portugal already have a double taxation treaty in place, and an entrepreneur can structure their taxes in the most beneficial way to save money for their company.

To know more about the D2 or other immigration routes to Portugal, visit www.savoryandpartners.com or email [email protected].

Savory & Partners is an accredited agent for multiple governments where citizenship by investment is offered with coverage in over 20 jurisdictions including Europe and was the first firm to obtain all five authorised agent licenses for the governments of the Caribbean Islands. To date it has processed second passports for over 4,000 citizens with a 100 percent success rate.

Contact:

For more information, please send an email to [email protected]. You can also call +971 04 430 1717 or send a WhatsApp message to +971 54 440 2955.

SOURCE Savory & Partners
NEW ORLEANS, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 23, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE: SWK), if they purchased the Company's shares between October 28, 2021 and July 28, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Connecticut.

Get Help

Stanley investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-swk/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Stanley and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On July 28, 2022, the Company released its Q2 2022 results disclosing that "significantly slower demand in late May and Junedrove the majority of the challenges we faced this quarter" including that net income for the quarter had plummeted from $459.5M in the year-earlier quarter to $87.6M, and that it was cutting its 2022 earnings per share guidance by nearly half.

On this news, shares of Stanley plummeted over 16%, from a closing price of $117.45 per share the evening prior, to a closing price of $98.58 per share on July 28, 2022 on heavy trading volume.

The case is Rammohan v. Stanley Black & Decker, Inc., et al., No. 23-cv-00369.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
KYODO NEWS - Apr 22, 2023 - 16:37 | All, Japan, World

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada ordered Japan's Self-Defense Forces Saturday to be at higher readiness for the possibility of a North Korean rocket falling over Japanese territory, with one set to be launched carrying Pyongyang's first reconnaissance satellite.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un ordered his country's space agency to make final preparations for the satellite's launch, its state media reported earlier this week, although the precise schedule was not mentioned.

The SDF will work to deploy ground-based Patriot Advanced Capability-3 interceptor missiles and Aegis-equipped destroyer warships carrying sea-based Standard Missile-3 interceptor projectiles, government sources said.

Japan is considering stationing the PAC-3 system to the Nansei Islands, stretching southwest from Kyushu toward Taiwan. It was previously deployed on the same islands in 2012 and 2016, the sources said.

The PAC-3 is designed to shoot down approaching missiles that evade sea-based interceptors fired from the Maritime Self-Defense Force's Aegis destroyers.

"We will make preparations to be able to respond to any circumstance that could cause damage to Japan," one of the sources said.

North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency also said on Wednesday that Kim had ordered the deployment of "several reconnaissance satellites" in the future and said that "possessing and operating military reconnaissance means" is important in the face of strengthening U.S.-South Korea ties.

"If (North Korea) uses technology associated with ballistic missiles to launch a so-called satellite, it will be a clear violation of U.N. Security Council resolutions," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference following the KCNA report.

The order by Japan's Defense Ministry comes ahead of a summit next week between U.S. President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in Washington, where the two are slated to discuss measures against North Korea's missile and nuclear threats.

In December, KCNA reported that North Korea's National Aerospace Development Administration said it will complete preparations for its first military reconnaissance satellite by April 2023.

Related coverage:

North Korean leader orders final preparations for spy satellite launch
NEW ORLEANS, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until May 30, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Target Corporation (NYSE: TGT), if they purchased the Company's shares between August 18, 2021 and May 17, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota.

Get Help

Target investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-tgt-1/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

About the Lawsuit

Target and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

On May 18, 2022, the Company announced its Q1 2022 financial results, disclosing among other things, a decrease in operating income to $1.3 billion from $2.4 billion in the prior year, a 40% drop in adjusted earnings, and a decrease in gross margin of nearly 4.3%, with approximately 3% of that due to "the combined impact of impairments, markdowns, and other actions taken to rightsize our inventory position in categories that were too heavy," as well as a decrease in full-year 2022 operating margin guidance to "a range centered around 6%" from a margin rate of 8% or higher.

On this news, shares of Target plummeted nearly 25% or $53.67 per share, or from a closing price of $215.28 per share on May 17, 2022, to a closing price of $161.61 per share on May 18, 2022.

The case is Perez v. Target Corporation, et al., No. 23-cv-00769.

About ClaimsFiler

ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

SOURCE ClaimsFiler
- Huawei and its global partners hosted a media roundtable at HAS2023

SHENZHEN, China, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- At a media roundtable held yesterday at Huawei Global Analyst Summit 2023, Huawei and its global partners shared the latest TECH4ALL practices and discussed how digital technology enables a more inclusive and sustainable digital world.

During the session, several of Huawei's global TECH4ALL partners also made updates on projects that are currently running across the globe. A key message was that for each project, the powerful combination of technology and partnerships has been fundamental to driving positive outcomes.

Huawei and partners held TECH4ALL roundtable on Day 2 at HAS 2023

"All our efforts in TECH4ALL initiatives have only been possible due to the combination of technology and partnerships," said Jeffrey Zhou, President of ICT Marketing for Huawei in his opening remarks at the roundtable.

Since the initiative's launch in 2019, Huawei has worked closely with governments, customers, international organizations, research institutes, and NGOs to make the social value of digital technology as far-reaching as possible.

Driving Equity and Quality in Education

To drive inclusion and help build sustainable futures, TECH4ALL education projects have so far reached 220,000 beneficiaries globally. Priority beneficiaries are remote and rural communities and underserved groups, including women and girls, unemployed youth, people with disabilities, the elderly, and K12 students and teachers.

During the roundtable, YouChange China Social Entrepreneur Foundation shared its vision underlining how technology-based support platforms empower early-career teachers in rural areas by providing online training to develop their professional capabilities and confidence.

"The greatest development is the development of human beings. In the future, we would love to continue working with Huawei, enhancing rural education through technology," said Hui Ling, Secretary General for YouChange China Social Entrepreneur Foundation.

Conserving Nature with Technology

In the area of sustainability and nature conservation, TECH4ALL projects have helped conserve biodiversity efficiently and manage natural resources sustainably in 46 protected areas across the globe, including 5 pilot projects under the Tech4Nature partnership set up in 2020 between Huawei and International Union for Conservation of Nature.

"When we talk about biodiversity and area-based conservation, technology can really help us in assisting in monitoring and strengthening reporting on biodiversity, climate and area-based conservation targets," said Khalid Pasha, Asia Coordinator, IUCN Asia Regional Office.

During the roundtable, TECH4ALL partner C Minds shared on the Mexico Tech4Nature project. Launched in May 2022 with IUCN, C Minds and other local partners, the project is harnessing the power of AI and community centered approaches to safeguard biodiversity in the Dzilam State Reserve, including the endangered North American jaguar.

"The use of technologies provides the ability to scale up conservation action to unprecedented levels and ensure shorter time frames, which we achieved in this case, that the results of years of manual tagging and data interpretation were achieved in less than 1 year of working together with technology and partnerships. It also provides the ability to create transparent and measurable impact," said Regina Cervera Pacheco, Project Coordinator for C Minds.

Using ICT to Boost Rural Development

ITU-D also attended the session to update on the Smart Village Pakistan project. Launched in January 2023, this project model accelerates the impact of multiple SDGs by increasing last-mile access and provides remote villages with access to a range of digital services, including e-health, e-education, and e-commerce with a view to improving the quality of life and economic opportunities.

"Pakistan is ITU's first smart village programme in Asia Pacific under the Smart Villages and Smart Islands initiative. We are very proud of partnering with the Government of Pakistan and Huawei in this. These kinds of pilots also bring in new partners, who can bring about even bigger changes. I'd like to thank all those who have stepped in to make this a success." said Ashish Narayan, Program Coordinator at the ITU Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific.

With the TECH4ALL partners at the media roundtable clearly showing what working together with common goals can achieve in practice, Huawei hopes to continue enabling inclusion and sustainability through innovative technologies and long-term partnerships.

About Huawei TECH4ALL

TECH4ALL is Huawei's long-term digital inclusion initiative and action plan. Enabled by innovative technologies and partnerships, TECH4ALL is designed to help promote inclusion and sustainability in the digital world.

For more information, please visit Huawei TECH4ALL website at https://www.huawei.com/en/tech4all

Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/HUAWEI_TECH4ALL

SOURCE Huawei
SAN DIEGO, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The law firm of Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP announces that it has filed a class action lawsuit seeking to represent purchasers or acquirers of Teleperformance SE (OTC: TLPFY) American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") between July 29, 2020 and November 9, 2022, both dates inclusive (the "Class Period"). Captioned City of Warren General Employees' Retirement System v. Teleperformance SE, No. 23-cv-0181 (D. Idaho), the Teleperformance class action lawsuit charges Teleperformance and certain of its top executives with violations of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

If you suffered substantial losses and wish to serve as lead plaintiff, please provide your information here:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/cases-teleperformance-se-class-action-lawsuit-tlpfy.html

You can also contact attorney J.C. Sanchez of Robbins Geller by calling 800/449-4900 or via e-mail at [email protected]. Lead plaintiff motions for the Teleperformance class action lawsuit must be filed with the court no later than June 20, 2023.

CASE ALLEGATIONS: Teleperformance is a provider of outsourced omnichannel customer experience management services and related digital services. Teleperformance's services include content moderation for social media platforms, such as TikTok.

As the Teleperformance class action lawsuit alleges, defendants throughout the Class Period made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Teleperformance's growth in Core Services and Digital Integrated Business Services, which included content moderation services, had been achieved, in part, by requiring its content moderators to engage in inappropriate, traumatic, abusive, and potentially criminal activities; (ii) certain Teleperformance social content moderators had been trained with materials which included illicit images of child sexual exploitation; (iii) contraband images had been included in Teleperformance Daily Required Reading reports for its content moderation staff; (iv) Teleperformance had failed to safeguard child sexual abuse material and had potentially violated strict rules governing the handling of such materials, including rules relating to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children; (v) Teleperformance had failed to provide adequate training or emotional and psychological support to content moderators exposed to egregious materials, including those exposed to extreme graphic violence and sexual images; (vi) Teleperformance had imposed unreasonable time and performance targets that compounded the occupational trauma suffered by its content moderators; and (vii) Teleperformance had failed to implement or maintain the working conditions represented to investors, including by subjecting Teleperformance's content moderation workers to widespread occupational trauma without psychological support, and with paltry pay, punitive salary deductions, extensive surveillance, and aggressive union-busting tactics.

On August 4, 2022, Forbes published an article entitled "TikTok Moderators Are Being Trained Using Graphic Images Of Child Sexual Abuse," revealing that Teleperformance had subjected its workers to unconscionable working conditions, including being "shown uncensored, sexually explicit images of children." On this news, the price of Teleperformance ADRs fell by nearly 5%.

Then, on November 9, 2022, Time reported that "Colombia's Ministry of Labor has launched an investigation into TikTok subcontractor Teleperformance, relating to alleged union-busting, traumatic working conditions and low pay." On this news, the price of Teleperformance ADRs declined nearly 19%, further damaging investors.

The plaintiff is represented by Robbins Geller, which has extensive experience in prosecuting investor class actions including actions involving financial fraud. You can view a copy of the complaint by clicking here.

THE LEAD PLAINTIFF PROCESS: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 permits any investor who purchased or acquired Teleperformance ADRs during the Class Period to seek appointment as lead plaintiff of the Teleperformance class action lawsuit. A lead plaintiff is generally the movant with the greatest financial interest in the relief sought by the putative class who is also typical and adequate of the putative class. A lead plaintiff acts on behalf of all other class members in directing the Teleperformance class action lawsuit. The lead plaintiff can select a law firm of its choice to litigate the Teleperformance class action lawsuit. An investor's ability to share in any potential future recovery of the Teleperformance class action lawsuit is not dependent upon serving as lead plaintiff.

ABOUT ROBBINS GELLER: Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP is one of the world's leading complex class action firms representing plaintiffs in securities fraud cases. The Firm is ranked #1 on the most recent ISS Securities Class Action Services Top 50 Report for recovering more than $1.75 billion for investors in 2022  the third year in a row Robbins Geller tops the list. And in those three years alone, Robbins Geller recovered nearly $5.3 billion for investors, more than double the amount recovered by any other plaintiffs' firm. With 200 lawyers in 9 offices, Robbins Geller is one of the largest plaintiffs' firms in the world and the Firm's attorneys have obtained many of the largest securities class action recoveries in history, including the largest securities class action recovery ever  $7.2 billion  in In re Enron Corp. Sec. Litig. Please visit the following page for more information:

https://www.rgrdlaw.com/services-litigation-securities-fraud.html

Attorney advertising.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Services may be performed by attorneys in any of our offices.

Contact:

Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP

655 W. Broadway, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101

J.C. Sanchez, 800-449-4900

[email protected]

SOURCE Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP
Mexico City, April 22 : Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said his government will not accept US "intervention" to fight organised crime, noting his country is capable of combatting it by itself.

In a speech at the 109th anniversary of the defence of the Port of Veracruz against the US invasion in 1914, Lopez Obrador said, "From the port of Veracruz, we say, and let it be heard clearly and far away: we do not accept any intervention." The President's remarks came amid an initiative proposed by US lawmakers to allow the country's armed forces to fight drug cartels, which they consider "terrorists", on Mexican soil, Xinhua news agency reported.

"We do not want intervention, we do not want 'help' from anyone, it has cost us a lot to assert our sovereignty ... these are matters that only correspond to Mexicans," he stressed.

Lopez Obrador added that his government seeks "cooperation and not subordination," especially with regard to combating the illegal trafficking of fentanyl, which is consumed at a high rate in the US.
Ottawa, April 22 : Canada is providing a new military aid package for Ukraine, the Department of National Defence has announced.

In a news release on Friday, the department said this 39 million Canadian dollars ($31 million) assistance includes 3.3 million litres of much-needed fuel supplies, modular floatation bridge assets to enable wet-gap crossing, medical first aid kits, as well as sniper rifles and ammunition.

This donation comes from the remaining funds across the government of Canada's various funding envelopes for military assistance to Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the news release.

According to the release, all eight Leopard 2 main battle tanks committed by Canada to Ukraine have been delivered to Poland, and Canada has deployed three Leopard Gunnery Skills Trainers to assist with efforts to train Ukrainian tank crews on the operation and tactics of the Leopard 2 tanks.

Since February 2022, Canada has committed over 1 billion Canadian dollars in military assistance to Ukraine, which includes eight Leopard 2 main battle tanks, a National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System, 39 armoured combat support vehicles, anti-tank weapons, and high-resolution drone cameras.
New Delhi, April 22 : The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patricia Scotland KC, has become the first Black woman as well as the first Caribbean, Dominican and British person to receive the University of California (UC) Berkeley's prestigious Global Leadership Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to improving the lives through innovation and technology.

Previous recipients of the award include then-President of India Pranab Mukherjee, then-President of the US Barack Obama, then-President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and then-President of the World Bank, Alden W. "Tom" Clausen.

The award was presented to the Commonwealth Secretary-General during a ceremony at the Berkeley Innovation Forum in California on Friday.

Presenting the award, the organisers commended the Secretary-General's decades-long commitment to fostering a culture of innovation throughout her legal and political career, particularly in her current role, adding that her leadership has to the promotion of "innovation and use of technology to expand markets around the world and empower people at the bottom of the pyramid".

The award is conferred upon extraordinary global leaders who promote open innovation -- a practice which enables the exchange of ideas across organisations -- to create significant change.

Secretary-General Scotland is the third woman to receive the award after Sadako Ogata, then-Minister of Japan to the United Nations, and Janet Yellen, then-Chair of the Broad of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System, won it in 1978 and 2014 respectively.

In her acceptance speech, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, who is the first woman to hold the post, said: "I am deeply honoured to receive the Global Leadership Award from the University of California Berkeley. This recognition is made all the more special as it coincides with the seventh anniversary of my tenure as Secretary-General.

"My journey has not been without obstacles, but I am proud that it has led to this point. Throughout my life and career, I have been driven by a fierce belief that things could be different, better, fairer, and more equal, and that by embracing innovation and its transformative potential, we can create meaningful change that benefits both individuals and society at large." She added: "Today, I feel a great sense of pride to lead the Commonwealth Secretariat which serves more than 2.5 billion people, 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 30.

"By accepting this award, I encourage each one of them to never let anyone tell them that they cannot succeed. They must dare to dream and work hard to make it happen -- and always remember the timeless words of Nelson Mandela: aIt always seems impossible until it's done'." Since taking up office in April 2016, Secretary-General Scotland undertook a strategic reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure the organisation transforms itself into a fit-for-purpose partner to help its member countries uphold the values of the Commonwealth Charter and realise the Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition to her accomplishments in her previous roles as a lawyer, Attorney General and Minister in various UK government ministries, the award recognises the Secretary-General's achievements in championing innovation for sustainable development through an array of Commonwealth-wide initiatives and programmes, as part of the reform process.

These include the Innovation Hub, Meridian debt management software, Trade Connectivity Dashboard, Innovation Awards, FinTech Toolkit and AI Learning Platform.

The award ceremony was attended by more than 100 guests, including senior executives, thought leaders, policymakers, philanthropists, researchers and civil society representatives.
London, April 22 : Denying accusations of "bullying" civil servants, Indian-origin COP26 president and UK's former Business Secretary Alok Sharma said he was never made aware of any informal complaints or otherwise from the staff, media reports said.

According to a Bloomberg report, four senior officials had accused Sharma of being "difficult, unpredictable and quick to lose his temper", which included berating, using profanities, and reducing a junior official to tears.

Of the four staff members, who worked alongside Sharma between 2020 and 2022, two said that during the pandemic he would contact junior civil servants on Microsoft Teams to criticise their work.

Concerns were raised with senior managers about Sharma's behaviour on at least four occasions in 2020, but no formal complaints were made, the staff claimed.

One of them told Bloomberg that he had resorted to antidepressants and mental-health support to cope with the pressure of working under the minister.

In response to the reports, Sharma told Bloomberg: "I have never been made aware of any ainformal complaints' or otherwise from staff. The Cabinet Office has confirmed that there are no records of any informal or formal complaints across government about me. I refute strongly these allegations.

"I have worked with hundreds of officials as a government minister and always felt I maintained a good relationship with them, exemplified by seven of my (Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) private office team, those officials working most closely with me, choosing to join my (COP26) private office alongside those I had worked with in previous ministerial roles." The report on Sharma's bullying claims came days before Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab resigned from the government on Friday after an independent report found he had bullied officials.

Agra-born Sharma, who moved to the UK when he just five years old, was honoured by King Charles III last year for his contribution to combating climate change through his role as the President of 26th UN Climate Change Conference.
Chennai, April 22 : Tamil Nadu Governor, R.N. Ravi extended Eid greetings to the people of the state.

In a tweet, the Governor said: "Eid Ul Fitr greetings to all our Muslim brothers and sisters who observed a month-long fasting among the five duties of Islam and celebrate the festival of brotherhood by offering alms to those in need." Muslims across India are celebrating Eid-ul-Fitr on Saturday after the moon was sighted on Friday evening.
It is a field dealing with significant questions on human existence, knowledge, values, ethics, and so on, but philosophy is generally seen more as an abstruse and impenetrable academic exercise than a helpful endeavour. However, this is not always the case, especially when some of its flamboyant practitioners apply it to examine issues like ecology, poverty, modern politics, and terrorism.

That too, in a clear, even colloquial and 'colourful' language - eschewing the esoteric jargon that most philosophers, chiefly Central European, tend to create or revel in.

And it also helps when they use examples from popular culture, like this bearded and burly Slovenian philosopher, whose frame of reference spans Hollywood films from Charlie Chaplin to "The Matrix" and literature from Shakespeare to Stephen King, as well as a wide section of cutting-edge science, from biogenetics to quantum theory.

For good measure, Slavoj Zizek (pronounced 'Slah-voy Zhi-zek', born in Ljubljana in 1949) is characterised by an unconventional approach and appearances (the latest a cameo in Owen Wilson-Salma Hayek drama "Bliss", 2021) and can be counted for a slew of polemics and provocations - describing most people as "boring idiots".

Along with global political and economic issues, he offers trenchant opinions on topics from modern advertising to consumerism to reality shows, and so on.

This is not only a bid to disrupt the expected academic method, but also of the idea of the philosopher as an unworldly, sacrosanct figure beyond criticism or reproach, and remote from life.

Termed the most "dangerous", "rockstar" or the "hippest" philosopher", as many other names - most of them uncomplimentary - and which he abhors, and pilloried from both the left (as "court jester of capitalism") and the right (as a "communist"), what does Zizek actually espouse? His thought combines two "discredited" systems - Marxism and psychoanalysis - which he seeks to meld to offer a different view of our world. This is not a new approach - The Frankfurt School did the same for most of the mid-20th century, but he takes it to a new level. Also, his view of Marxism is in context of the German idealism's tradition, especially G.W.F. Hegel, while he draws on theories of Sigmund Freud -- as re-interpreted by French psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan.

Zizek's primary focus is politics - as he contests the view that we live in a post-ideological era, or that the supremacy of capitalism, the end of history, or the war on terror are here for the long term, or that, market forces are the panacea for ills A foe of right-wing and capitalism, he is no friend of neo-liberalism or political correctness either. He frequently refers to Lenin, Stalin, and Hitler - with some engaging insights and comparisons.

Take, "Lenin is best remembered for his famous retort,' Freedom- yes, but for WHOM? To do WHAT?'" or "...Hitler did not 'have the balls' to really change things; he did not really act, all his actions were fundamentally reactions, i.e., he acted so that nothing would really change, he stages a big spectacle of Revolution so that the capitalist order could survive. In this precise sense of violence, Gandhi was more violent than Hitler: Gandhi's movement effectively endeavoured to interrupt the basic functioning of the British colonial state." Zizek is a committed Marxist, but not a Stalinist and Maoist - or even the Leninist makeover. His Marxism is more of a recognition of its communitarian basis, its economic subtext, and capacity for "emancipatory politics", not "dreams of revolutions around the corner".

Another key archstone is his idea of truth, where he opposes the liberal notion that it is relative.

Truth, he says, is not a metaphysical construct or a set of universal principles governing meaning, but "an understanding of the real power relations that control society" and the ideologies curbing social and political freedom.

He abominates political correctness. "Also, I really hate all of this politically correct, cultural studies bull****. If you mention the phrase "postcolonialism," I say, "F*** it!" Postcolonialism is the invention of some rich guys from India who saw that they could make a good career in top Western universities by playing on the guilt of white liberals," he said in an interview.

Zizek also decries the "sentimental, spiritual" idea of nature -- the belief that a balanced world, disturbed by humans, can be restored -- contending this ignores what is needed: a radical approach to fight the ruthless market forces actually responsible as well as the acquiescent politicians.

The same misguided sentimentality, he argues, curbs eradication of worldwide poverty, where charity and "ethical" products represent pure cultural capitalism which offers "redemption" from performing a consumerist act, and forestalls hope of an anti-capitalistic alliance between socially-conscious liberals and the radical left.

On terror, Zizek dismisses "McWorld vs Jihad" -- the perceived opposition between Western "liberalism" and Islamic "fundamentalism" -- as an American geo-strategic ploy. He also holds the concept of "clash of civilisations" is rooted in West's increasing interest in global affairs, noting how Afghanistan, till the mid-1970s' superpower meddling, was one of the most vibrant and open Muslim societies.

There is a similar treatment of other major issues of the day, including the immigrant influx into the West, where he is also at his provocative best.

Where can we get to know Zizek more? He has over 100 books in English and Slovene (and other languages), ranging from rather polemic theory, to academic works, and essay collections.

Recommended "general" books are his first English work: "The Sublime Object of Ideology" (1989), and then "Trouble in Paradise: From the End of History to the End of Capitalism" (2014), "Refugees, Terror and Other Troubles with the Neighbours: Against the Double Blackmail" (2016), "The Courage of Hopelessness" (2017), "Pandemic!: COVID-19 Shakes the World" (2020), and "Surplus-Enjoyment: A Guide For The Non-Perplexed" (2022).

In a visual format, you can check his take on some iconic Hollywood films in documentaries like "The Pervert's Guide to Cinema" (2006) and its sequel "The Pervert's Guide to Ideology" (2012).

Both are worthwhile.

(Vikas Datta can be contacted at vikas.d@ians.in)
New Delhi, April 22: When Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud spoke over the phone on Friday, they did not just discuss topical bilateral topics and issues such as fixing oil prices in the world market. Also on the agenda was Riyadh's possible role in the powerful Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) grouping.

Stating that the telephone conversation was held at the initiative of the Saudi side, the Kremlin revealed that "prospects for cooperation" between Saudi Arabia and the BRICS association were also discussed between the two leaders.

Over the past few years, there has been a strong demand from emerging market countries to deepen interaction with BRICS which brings together five major emerging economies comprising more than 40 per cent of the world population, 25 per cent of the global economy and more than 18 per cent share in the world trade.

BRICS members have intensified discussions on an expansion process, setting a course for the further development of cooperation between the 'five' and interested developing countries in the 'outreach' and 'BRICS Plus' formats.

Even though the grouping still has to decide regarding the actual launch of the expansion, Saudi Arabia's growing interest in BRICS is already signalling a major change in the geopolitical architecture of the region.

Iran, another country having major natural gas reserves, has already made its intentions clear on joining BRICS, saying the economic bloc has been able to shape new trends in the world by providing appropriate models and initiatives.

"Conflicting global trends, unilateralism, nationalistic partialities, and challenges such as sanctions and coercive economic action underscore the importance of creating and strengthening new institutions alongside the United Nations, while respecting the sovereignty and national interests of nations, in order to take important steps towards the realization of a society with a common future," said Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a speech at the 2022 summit of the BRICS Business Forum, attended by the group's top leaders.

South Africa, which currently holds the BRICS presidency and was the last country among the five to join the grouping in 2011, has kept 'BRICS and Africa: Partnership for Mutually Accelerated Growth, Sustainable Development, and Inclusive Multilateralism' as the theme of its chairship.

The expansion of BRICS membership is expected to be a major point of discussion during the 15th BRICS Summit that will take place in Durban, later this year.

After returning from a state visit to the Saudi Kingdom last October, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned Saudi Arabia's keenness in joining the BRICS group.

"The Crown Prince did express Saudi Arabia's desire to be part of BRICS... A number of countries are making approaches to BRICS members, and we have given them the same answer, that it will be discussed by the BRICS partners and thereafter a decision will be made," Ramaphosa was quoted as saying by the local media.

Both Iran and Saudi Arabia could also play a big role in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) - another significant multilateral organisation the presidency of which is currently held by India.

While Iran became a permanent SCO member after the Samarkand Summit last year, Riyadh also decided to join the organisation as a dialogue partner last month.

Established regional leaders, with a huge following among Sunnis and Shias, the presence of the two countries in non-western groupings could majorly impact the balance of power between the emerging and Western economies, with significant geopolitical consequences.

(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative
KYODO NEWS - Apr 22, 2023 - 18:22 | All, Japan

The body of a missing brother suspected of attacking his two elderly sisters with an ax was found by a river in Tokyo on Saturday, a day after the assault, local police said.

The body of the man in his 70s was discovered at around 9:05 a.m. on the banks of Tama River in Tachikawa, western Tokyo. There were no external wounds, and his body and his clothes were wet.

The sisters, also in their 70s, were taken to hospital on Friday night with injuries to their neck and back after the sudden attack at their home in the neighboring Hino, but they were not life-threatening.

The police had been searching for the brother, who had been living with his sisters. They are investigating the case as attempted murder.

Related coverage:

Man attacks 2 women with ax at home in western Tokyo
Chandigarh, April 22 : The 44 Squadron of the Indian Air Force (IAF) is celebrating its diamond jubilee this year in Chandigarh that was previously postponed owing to the pandemic, it was announced on Saturday.

The rich and glorious history of the squadron is a kaleidoscope of military history and military diplomacy of modern-day India and filled with tales of fortitude, courage, daring, devotion and professionalism which encapsulates all that IAF stands for, a statement said.

The squadron was raised on April 6, 1961, and equipped with the AN-12 aircraft. It operated the AN-12 till 1985.A In March 1985, it brought the IL-76 aircraft into India, which was formally inducted into the IAF on June 16, 1985.

The aircraft continues to in service today. The diamond jubilee celebrations due in 2021 had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The harbinger of strategic airlift in the IAF, the squadron has been a part of all major military and HADR initiatives in the recent history of the nation, which not only saw the IAF and the nation evolve from a tactical to a strategic force, but also enhanced the military might of the sister services.

The squadron provided succor in times of need to the citizens of the country as well as people all around the world, in keeping with the nation's belief of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam".

The squadron has stayed true to its motto of aIshtam Yatnen Sadhyet' which means achieve goals through perseverance. In 1985 the squadron was renamed as the 'Mighty Jets'.

Since its raising, No. Squadron Sqn has been at the forefront of the airlift activities undertaken by the IAF.

The squadron continues to remain ever ready to undertake any task that is entrusted to it.
New Delhi, April 22 : As robot-assisted, minimally invasive surgeries gain ground the world over, robotic surgery has the potential to improve healthcare in India by increasing access to high-quality medical care and reducing costs, Dr Mahendra Bhandari, CEO of US-based Vattikuti Foundation and an Indian-origin pioneer in the field, said on Saturday.

Dr Bhandari, a Padma Shri awardee and also director, robotic research and education, Vattikuti Urology Institute, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit (Michigan), told IANS that although the initial investment in robotic surgical equipment can be expensive, robotic surgery may ultimately result in lower overall healthcare costs due to shorter hospital stays, faster recovery times, and potentially fewer complications.

"It is important to note that the cost-effectiveness of robotic surgery depends on several factors, including the type of procedure, the patient's medical history, and the availability of skilled robotic surgeons," he noted.

Dr Bhandari stressed that while robotic surgery has the potential to improve healthcare in India by increasing access to medical care and potentially reducing costs, it is important to ensure that the technology is used appropriately and that patients receive high-quality care from fully trained surgeons.

"One of the missions of the Vattikuti Foundation is to train high-quality robotic surgeons through its fellowship programmes,a he told IANS.

In robotic surgery, the surgeon uses a computer-controlled robotic system to control surgical instruments, which are inserted into the patient's body through small incisions.

Robotic surgery has several potential advantages over traditional surgery, including reduced trauma to the patient, increased precision, shorter hospital stays and reduced risk of infection.

However, it is important to note that there are potential risks associated with any surgical procedure, including robotic surgery.

These risks can include complications related to anesthesia, bleeding, infection, and other surgical complications.

Additionally, there may be a risk of equipment failure or malfunction during the procedure.

Robotic surgery was pioneered at the Vattikuti Urology Institute at the Henry Ford Hospital Detroit where Dr Mani Menon started the very successful Robotic Radical Prostatectomy programme in the world in 2001, and subsequently other urological procedures such as kidney, urinary bladder and adrenal surgery.

Vattikuti Urology Institute was the first institute established by the Vattikuti Foundation with a generous grant by Raj and Padma Vattikuti of $20 million.

"Current da Vinci robot is a master slave system and the robot is totally under the control of the surgeon and does not do anything on its own," informed Dr Bhandari, a medical graduate from Rajasthan University who completed his urology residency at Christian Medical College, Vellore.

Robotic surgery has now been found useful in several specialties such as urology, abdominal surgery, colorectal surgery, thoracic surgery, head and neck surgery.

In brief, all the procedures done through conventional laparoscopic surgery could be performed with the assistance of robots.

The cost of robotics surgery is generally higher than that of traditional surgery methods due to the high cost of robotic surgical equipment and the specialised training required for surgeons and surgical teams.

As a result, currently robotics surgery may not be accessible to the average person in India except for those who could get access to government institutions.

"However, it is important to note that the cost of robotics surgery can vary depending on several factors, such as the type of procedure, the surgeon's experience, and the location of the hospital or surgical centre," Dr Bhandari told IANS.

Responding to a question on is there any stigma around robotic surgery, he said if there is anything like this, "it could be lack of information or disinformation campaigns".

Overall, the adoption of robotics surgery in India faces several challenges, including high costs, limited access, training and expertise, integration with existing systems, regulatory issues, and patient awareness and acceptance.

"Addressing these challenges will require a concerted effort from healthcare providers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to ensure that patients have access to high-quality surgical care," Dr Bhandari noted.

According to Dr Rooma Sinha, Clinical Lead for Gynecological Robotic Surgery, Apollo Group of Hospitals, she is in full control of the surgical field by zooming in and zooming out the camera, 3D vision from inside the patient's abdomen and pelvis that can be magnified several fold.

"I also have an extra pair of hands in the form of a third instrument. In fact, all instruments come with a tremor filtration feature and offer wrist-like manoeuvrability," she added.

"A surgeon's expertise, enhanced by a robot delivers better outcomes", adds Dr Sinha who has been practicing robotic surgery for over a decade.

(Meenakshi Iyer can be reached at meenakshi.i@ians.in)
Mumbai, April 22 : Ditching the luxury of a first class in an airplane, actress Kriti Sanon channelled her inner 'aam aadmi' as she took a budgeted flight and flew economy class to Indore.

Celebrity paparazzi Viral Bhayani posted a video of Kriti from the economy Indigo 6E flight. Kriti was seen in a white dress and a pink shawl over her shoulders.

Another video showed her sitting as she played with a toddler sitting in front of her. The toddler and Kriti were seen holding hands and playing and Kriti even blew kisses to the kid.

On the work front, Kriti will be seen next with Shahid Kapoor in an untitled romantic movie. She also has 'Adipurush' with Prabhas.

Kriti also has 'Ganapath' with her 'Heropanti' co-star Tiger Shroff. The film is slated for release this year.
Bengaluru, April 22 : Karnataka High Court has rejected Chinese firm Xiaomi's plea against the seizure of Rs 5,551.27 crore from its bank accounts by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

A single-judge bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna, on Friday, though dismissed the petition, upheld its maintainability.

The Chinese technology company is facing charges of violations of the provisions of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA).

The bench observed that challenge to the Constitutional validity of Section 37A of the Act by the petitioner is held to be maintainable, on the fulcrum of the allegation that it is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. As Article 14 is person centric whereas Fundamental Rights under Article 19 are citizen centric.

Appearing for the central government and the ED, Additional Solicitor General M.B. Nargund Amaintained that Xiaomi is a foreign entity and can not maintain writ petition.

Earlier, counsels for Xiaomi India had argued that the firm was being targetted as it is a Chinese company and other companies are allowed to make payments of technology royalty.

They have also brought to the notice of the court that banks are not allowing Xiaomi to make remittances in foreign exchange for imports.

They argued that the company is required to make payments for foreign companies in connection with manufacturing and marketing smartphones.

Contesting this Additional Solicitor General Nargund had explained that the authorities had no complaints if Xiaomi is agreeable to keep the seized amount in the bank and use remaining amount.

He brought to the notice of the court that on April 24 and 29, before the ED passed the order to seize Xiaomi's bank accounts, there was a transfer of around Rs 1,500 crore from the company's bank accounts as per the available information.

However, Xiomi is maintaining that royalty payments made to three companies abroad would not violate the FEMA Act. The company further maintained that the IT department itself had allowed it as a value added activity.
New Delhi, April 22 : Google has updated its AI chatbot called Bard to help people with programming and software development tasks, including code generation, code debugging and explanation.

The company is launching these capabilities in more than 20 programming languages including C++, Go, Java, Javascript, Python and Typescript.

"You can easily export Python code to Google Colab -- no copy and paste required. Bard can also assist with writing functions for Google Sheets," said the tech giant.

In addition to generating code, Bard can also help explain code snippets for people, especially those who are learning about programming for the first time.

If Bard gives you an error message or code that doesn't do what you intended, just tell Bard "this code didn't work, please fix it", and Bard can help you debug, said the company.

Bard is still an early experiment, and may sometimes provide inaccurate, misleading or false information while presenting it confidently, Google admitted.

However, when it comes to coding, Bard may give you working code that doesn't produce the expected output, or provide you with code that is not optimal or incomplete.

"Always double-check Bard's responses and carefully test and review code for errors, bugs and vulnerabilities before relying on it," the company explained.

Bard is already helping people with everyday tasks, from crafting presentations and writing lesson plans to inventing new recipes or planning a workout routine.

Alarmed at the success of Microsoft-owned OpenAI's ChatGPT, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has created a unit that will help the company build more capable AI systems safely and responsibly.

This group, called 'Google DeepMind', will bring together two leading research groups in the AI field: the Brain team from Google Research, and DeepMind.
Guwahati, April 22 : Assam youth Congress chief Angkita Dutta was, on Saturday, expelled from the party for six years for her "anti-party" activities.

An official statement of the All India Congress Committed mentioned, "Hon'ble Congress President has expelled Angkita Dutta, President of Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect." Two days ago, Dutta had alleged in a series of Tweets that national president of youth Congress, Srinivas B.V. has been causing harassment and heckling her on more than one occasion based on her gender.

She also claimed that she apprised Rahul Gandhi about Srinivas' "wrongdoings" and sought his intervention in the matter.

She wrote, "I had a lot of faith in Rahul Gandhi and went to Jammu during Bharat Jodo to apprise him of Srinivas' harassment and demeaning use of language towards me. It's April now and still no inquiry against him." Dutta claimed that she kept quiet for months waiting for the party top brass to take action against Srinivas. However, no inquiry committee was set up despite her complaints.

In her tweets, the Assam Congress leader asked Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, "I am a woman leader. If I undergo such harassment, how am I supposed to encourage other women to join the Congress party?" Replying to her allegation, the Indian Youth Congress legal cell has sent a defamation notice to Dutta. Assam Pradesh Congress also issued a show-cause notice to her.

Angkita Dutta also lodged a police complaint in Guwahati's Dispur police station against Srinivas B.V. accusing him of mental harassment and further recorded her statement before the court on Friday.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, "The incident is Congress party's internal matter. I don't want to get involved in this. However, if they fail to address the issue of an Assam woman leader, police would take action as there was a complaint lodged before the police. Even the National Commission for Women (NCW) has also written to the Assam DGP."
Chennai, April 22 : The powerful Dalit political party, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi(VCK) has come out strongly against the DMK government for passing the bill amending Factories Act, 1948 which would lead to the factory workers on duty for 12 hours instead of the present right hours.

The MDMK, AIADMK, CPI(M), CPI and the BJP had protested in the Assembly on Friday against the bill with the Congress staging a walkout.

VCK founder leader and Member of Parliament, Thol Thirumavalan in a statement on Saturday said, "The Tamil Nadu government has passed the factories amendment Bill, 2023 amid opposition from coalition partners. This is against the labour welfare polices that the DMK has been following for many years." He said that the basis of May Day was eight-hour work for workers and added that to take away the right to clauses of eight hours of work which was such a historic symbol of victory born of worker's blood and to raise it to twelve hours, was an act against the working class.

The powerful Dalit leader said that this would lead to further exploitation of labour and will severly affect the credibility of the state government.

He called upon the Tamil Nadu government to immediately withdraw the Factories amendment bill immediately.

It may be recalled that the Tamil Nadu minister, for Labour Welfare and Skill Development, S.V. Ganeshan while piloting the bill has said that there was no change in the clauses of 8 hour work, weekly holiday and additional wages and added that the bill was to make industries friendly.

CITU state president Sounerrajan said that while western countries were reducing working hours to 6-7 hours a day and a five day work week, the Tamil Nadu government was doing a historical blunder.
Patna, April 22 : After CBI served a notice to former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik in the Reliance insurance scam case, JD(U) president Lalan Singh on Saturday came out in his support and called the Centre a "coward".

Those questioning the Centre are being targetted, he added.

In a Twitter post, Singh said: "Malik Saheb is fighting but the 'cowards' are using government power to target their opponents. They do not know that the people of the country are watching them. There was an apprehension of action being taken against you on a day when you have disclosed the fact (Related to Pulwama incident)." "Sarfaroshi ki tamannah ab hamare dil me hai, dekhna hai zor kitna baju-e-katil meine hai," he said.

Targetting the Centre, the Congress has also uploaded a tweet. It said: "Finally, PM Modi was not able to restrain. Satyapal Malik exposed him in front of entire countrymen and hence CBI has called him. It was expected." Earlier, the former governor himself claimed that the CBI has asked him to appear before it as per his convenience on April 27 or 28. The CBI wants some clarification on the corruption cases.

Malik had served as governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 23, 2018 to October 30, 2019.
Bengaluru, April 22 : Karnataka Congress President D.K. Shivakumar and Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, who are vying for the post of chief minister if Congress voted to power, have passed on a message of unity to party workers.

In a rare gesture at a private function, both leaders showed affection to each other and posed for photographs on Saturday.

The leaders posed for photos by putting their arms around each other. The general perception is that they are not on good terms.

Hitting out at Congress, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai stated on Saturday, "Shivakumar does not know how they have finished off Siddaramaiah. In the previous election, they finished him politically in the Chamundeshwari constituency and this time it will happen in the Varuna constituency. The people are aware of it." Recently, a video showing Siddaramaiah giving a rude reply to Shivakumar at the party headquarters appeared in social media and showed everything was not alright between the two. The gesture of the two leaders is intended to pass on a message of goodwill and harmony between the two leaders.

Rahul Gandhi during his recent visit to Karnataka had stressed that what makes him happy was the unity shown by the party leaders in Karnataka.

However, sources state that knives are out to finish off each other and eliminate the competition for the post of chief minister, if Congress is voted to power.
Chennai, April 22 : AIADMK general secretary and former Tamil Nadu chief minister, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), will meet senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister, Amit Shah in New Delhi on April 26, sources in the AIADMK said.

It is to be noted that the meeting of AIADMK leader with the BJP leader assumes significance as the two NDA allies have been engaged in a bitter political feud in the past couple of months. The BJP state president and former IPS officer, K. Annamalai had time and again come out against the Dravidan major leading to tough positioning from the AIADMK.

AIADMK leader and former minister, D. Jayakumar had earlier clearly said that the final decision on the alliance clearly rests with the AIADMK. He had also told media persons that the allocation of seats for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in the NDA of Tamil Nadu would be decided by the AIADMK as it was heading the front.

On Wednesday, the AIADMK general secretary, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) announced that it will contest one seat in the Karnataka assembly polls to be held on May 10.

The AIADMK has fielded party leader in Karnataka, D. Anbaresan from the Pulikeshi Nagar constituency of Bengaluru. BJP leader Murali is also a candidate from the Pulikeshi Nagar constituency fighting against the AIADMK candidate.

The AIADMK had earlier stated that the party would not field a candidate in Karnataka assembly elections and will support the BJP.

In this context, the meeting between AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami and Union Home minister Amit Shah assumes significance.

On many occasions, Annamalai spoke against its alliance partner AIADMK, creating major damage to the BJP in Tamil Nadu.

In the politics of Tamil Nadu, the BJP may not be in a position to win seats on its own in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as it was in alliance with AIADMK that fetched rich dividends to the party during the 2021 assembly elections.

The BJP had won four seats in the 2021 assembly elections and it is expecting to win a few Lok Sabha seats in an alliance with the AIADMK but statement after statement from Annamalai has spoiled the relationship with the AIADMK. Now, it has to be seen whether Amit Shah will be able to settle the issue and continue the alliance as earlier in Tamil Nadu.
Students join the live talk of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship's taikonauts conducted from China's space station via video link in Yangon, Myanmar, April 20, 2023. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

YANGON, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Twenty Myanmar students from Yangon wearing their white and green school uniform on Thursday joined the live talk of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship's taikonauts conducted from China's space station.

Thiha Thu, a 10th grader from a high school in Yangon's Mingaladon township, is one of the 20 Myanmar students who joined the event titled: "Talk with Taikonauts" via video link.

"I feel proud to join the event. From the event, we have come to know the lifestyle of astronauts in space. We have also witnessed the technological development of China," Thiha Thu told Xinhua.

Eindra Myint Mo, an 11th grader who wants to become a pilot, also got a chance to join the live talk of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship's taikonauts from China's Tiangong space station.

"I am very interested in space and the event," she said.

"Before that, I only knew there is no gravity in space. Now, I have come to know what can be eaten and what can't be eaten in a spaceship and how to drink in space," Eindra said.

Soe Yati Tun and friends from a high school in Yangon's Dagon township also joined the special event beamed from China's Tiangong space station.

"Going to space is risky and it is an honorable job," she said.

Daw Maw Maw, a teacher who moderated the Myanmar students during the event, told Xinhua that the students will get inspiration and motivation by attending an event like that.

"For Myanmar students, it is the first time being invited by the Shanghai Cooperation Organization," she said.

The 20 Myanmar students joining the event have been selected from four high schools in the four districts of Yangon, she added.

The Ministry of Education of Myanmar and the Chinese Embassy in Myanmar jointly organized the Yangon event. 

Students watch an event about a dialogue with Chinese taikonauts on board the orbiting Chinese Tiangong space station via video link in Yangon, Myanmar, April 20, 2023. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

Students join the live talk of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship's taikonauts conducted from China's space station via video link in Yangon, Myanmar, April 20, 2023. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)

Students join the live talk of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship's taikonauts conducted from China's space station via video link in Yangon, Myanmar, April 20, 2023. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)
Guwahati, April 22 : A batch of petitions seeking legalisation of same-sex marriage in India being heard in the Supreme Court, are being closely monitored by many sections in the country. In Assam, too, people have been discussing whether same-sex marriage should get a legal nod or not.

The legal fraternity has been arguing on this matter in private conversations, and it seems that opinion is divided on this issue among the councillors.

While almost all of them have asserted that decriminalising same-sex relationship was a welcome step, the larger chunk of advocates to whom IANS spoke argued that marriage should be seen as de-relating the relationship between two consenting persons.

Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, a senior advocate of the Guwahati High Court, asserted that marriage should not be seen only as the approval of a relationship.

"Any adult can have a love relationship with another person, irrespective of gender. There is no offence in it, and legally, it is absolutely fine. But when we talk about marriage, it involves many other perspectives. In drafting the rules of marriage, the constitution mentioned that it should occur between two opposite sexes," he said.

Choudhury said that having children is another important aspect of a marriage.

He asserted, "Marriage between two persons generally occurs with the aim of having children and extending the generation, and that is why marriage is often seen from a larger angle in society. This has no room in same-sex marriage." According to him, laws must be drafted with an eye to the societal system so that they can have greater acceptance.

Dharmananda Deb, another senior lawyer, echoed Choudhury.

He said, "In my personal opinion, marriage as an institution must be as per Indian philosophy. It is not even a contract or just for individual enjoyment. If two individuals have other choices, it cannot be called marriage as per the social-cultural tradition of our country. As such, all personal laws of our country clearly recognise marriage as a union between a man and woman." "Hence, I do not support same-sex marriage," Deb added.

However, advocate Tuhina Sharma differs from both Choudhury and Deb.

She said, "The goal of marriage is not just about procreation. It is very much necessary to also have emotional stability, bonding, mutual understanding, and the continuation of relationships. In recent years, divorces have increased tenfold among heterosexual couples because of a lack of these requirements of a marital relationship." Sharma also cited some cases where a homosexual couple has been enjoying a good life.

"We have already accepted and rejoiced in the decriminalisation of homosexual relationships in 2018. And our many observations say that such couples are happily getting along because of their emotional dependence on each other and mental support too. If it is so, I agree with the legalisation of marriages in the LGBTQ community," she added.

Sharma argued, "In an overpopulated country like ours, if a small percentage of people are bound together in a legal marriage without procreation, there is no harm in it."
New Delhi, April 22 : The CBI has lodged an abetment to suicide case in connection with death of Ananya Dixit, a medical student who was found dead under mysterious circumstances in a medical college in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.

Three days after her admission in Shri Ram Murti Smarak Institute Of Medical Sciences (SRMS-IMS) college, she was found dead under mysterious circumstances on September 11, 2017.

As parents of the girl were not satisfied with the probe of local police, they had moved the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the matter to the CBI.

The local police had also filed a chargesheet against two persons under sections 306/201 of the IPC. The matter was then handed over to the Crime Branch team which filed a closure report.

The local Metropolitan Magistrate had by then taken cognizance of the chargesheet and the case was transferred to Sessions court.

"A young girl child has died an unnatural death while pursuing medical studies and two investigating agencies have given reports, one in the form of charge-sheet arraigning two individuals as accused and the other filing closure report. In view of the fact that there appears to be contradiction in the two reports filed by two investigating agencies and also considering the nature of these cases, we are of the opinion that further investigation ought to be undertaken by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)," the apex court had said in its order.

Ananya's father Anadi Dixit had alleged that she was subjected to "mental torture" in the name of ragging. He had alleged that the college administration did not wait for the police and broke open the door and kept few things with them, which raised doubts.

Her father alleged that college administrator did not inform him and he got to know about the death of her daughter from someone else.

In last three years, she was the third student in the college who allegedly committed suicide.

Earlier, one Priyana Singh, a girl from Bhivani, Haryana, committed suicide in 2015 while one Yash Kumar Khatwani took the extreme step in 2016.

Dixit parent's had said that in three years, three brilliant students ended their lives which proved something was "serious".
Kolkata, April 22 : The leader of opposition in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, has replied through his advocate to the legal notice sent to him by Trinamool Congress for comments accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of seeking Union Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention for the restoration of the national party status of Trinamool Congress.

In his reply to the legal notice sent by Trinamool's Rajya Sabha MP Derek O Brien, Adhikari's counsel Suryanil Das has challenged its authenticity.

Indirectly referring to the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision to withdraw the national party status of Trinamool, Das said in the reply that currently there is no political party by the name of 'All India Trinamool Congress', and what exists is a regional party called just 'Trinamool Congress'.

Adhikari's counsel argued that since a non-existent entity does not have any authority to send a legal notice, it should be withdrawn with immediate effect. Das also said that his client will take necessary legal steps if the legal notice is not withdrawn.

In the notice sent by Derek O Brien, a copy of which was also sent to Amit Shah, it was said that Adhikari's comments at a public rally were libellous and an attempt to malign the image of the Trinamool.

The notice also asked Adhikari to withdraw his comments or face legal action.

The Trinamool leadership, meanwhile, has described the reply by the leader of opposition as Adhikari's lack of common sense, pointing out that even if Trinamool's national party status is withdrawn, there is no bar in using the name All India Trinamool Congress.
New Delhi, April 22 : To celebrate Earth Day, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations and the United Kingdom on Saturday launched AIM4Forests, a five-year programme designed to accelerate countries' capabilities in forest monitoring as a part of global efforts to stop deforestation and forest degradation, and restore forests.

More than 420 million hectares of forest have disappeared since 1990. And although deforestation rates have slowed down significantly, 10 million hectares are still being lost every year.

Through the pledges made at the UN's climate talks in Glasgow in 2021, world leaders committed to working collectively to halt and reverse forest loss and land degradation by 2030, sustainable land use, and to the conservation, protection, sustainable management and restoration of forests, and other terrestrial ecosystems.

One barrier to progress has been a lack of information. Those that are responsible for forests need accurate data to inform the right course of action. In this regard, countries urgently need national forest monitoring systems (NFMS) embedded in government institutions that deliver high-quality data, and provide the critical information needed for domestic forest-related priorities and policies, including on land-use decisions.

Well-designed NFMS enable governments to report emission reductions internationally through Measurement, Reporting and Verification (MRV) processes. This is a key step towards accessing climate finance and raising levels of ambition of international commitments under the Paris Agreement.

To address such challenges, the AIM4Forests programme (Accelerating Innovative Monitoring for Forests) will support domestic forest monitoring based on modern technologies and technical innovation, and also leveraging the UK expertise in academia, research and development and in the use of space data and remote sensing.

"FAO welcomes the partnership with the United Kingdom, which will be fundamental in supporting member countries' efforts to sustainable forest management and restoration, supporting the achievement of their commitments such as nationally determined contributions (NDCs). Forest and land use data are critical for overall land use planning in an integrated manner, to transition to sustainable production, address biodiversity loss and climate change," said FAO Deputy Director-General Maria Helena Semedo.

She added, "This contribution from the United Kingdom will support key areas of FAO's strategies on climate change and biodiversity." The role of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLC) in forest management and conservation is increasingly recognised. The programme therefore supports IPLC efforts to monitor forest areas, further strengthening their role as forest stewards.

The new 24.5 million pound programme is part of the UK's International Climate Finance commitment to spend 11.6 billion pounds between 2021-22 and 2025-26, including at least 3 billion pounds on solutions that protect and restore nature.

The programme will run until 2028 and work with 20 countries across Africa, the Asia-Pacific region and Latin America. The new programme will be implemented by the National Forest Monitoring team of FAO's Forestry Division working in collaboration with UN-REDD and GFOI to coordinate country technical assistance on MRV and NFMS.
Islamabad, April 22 : The Pakistan government faced difficulties in obtaining funds from international partners and lenders during the first three quarters of the current financial year, mainly because of unresolved issues with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a media report said.

According to statistics issued by the Economic Affairs Division, the country received foreign loans worth $7.76 billion during July-March of fiscal 2022-23 (July 2022-June 2023), which is nearly $5 billion short of the $12.7 billion it received in the same period of the previous fiscal, The Express Tribune reported.

The fall is attributed to non-renewal of the IMF programme, according to sources. Because of the delay in finalising the deal with the global lender, Pakistan faced difficulties in obtaining international loans, they said, The Express Tribune reported.

According to the Economic Affairs Division's monthly report on loans, the country received $4.2 billion in loans from the international financial institutions in the first nine months of the fiscal year. This includes $358.7 million received in March.

The government expected to receive a total $22 billion dollars in foreign loans this fiscal year. However, the amount received so far is one-third of the expected funds, with only three months remaining in the fiscal year, The Express Tribune reported.

The Economic Affairs Division's report stated that the Asian Development Bank (ADB) provided a loan of $1.94 billion, the World Bank gave a loan of over $1.1 billion and the IMF provided more than $1.16 billion.

Besides, according to the report, Saudi Arabia has been the major contributor to Pakistan's borrowing. Riyadh gave a loan of over $880 million, another $780 million for oil facility and $100 million in project financing to Islamabad, the report said.

It said that Pakistan received a loan of $900 million from commercial banks, while more than $610 million were raised through the Naya Pakistan Certificate, The Express Tribune reported.
Chennai, April 22 : A teachers' association of Tamil Nadu has come out against the Education Department conducting an online meeting for teachers on Eid-ul-Fitr on Saturday.

Second Grade Seniority Teachers Association (SSTA) J. Robert in a statement said that state school education department conducting training classes for teachers on a public holdiay is highly condemnable.

He said that teachers, who were trained for the School education department's 'Ennum Ezhuthum' scheme, were called for online training on a holiday.

SSTA general secretary in the statement said, "Teachers were compelled to attend an online training programme on Eid-ul-Fitr, which is highly condemnable." The statement also said that in future, if teachers were forced to work on festivals and on national holidays, the organisation would conduct protest marches.
New Delhi/Guwahati, April 22 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday voiced his displeasure at the way the Congress handled the entire episode related to Assam unit youth Congress chief Angkita Dutta, who has accused national president of the Indian Youth Congress Srinivas B.V. of harassment.

"The way Assam Congress has handled this matter is sad. They ought to have established an inquiry committee and worked things out among themselves. I had believed that the Congress should be dealing with this internally," he told reporters in the national capital.

He said the Congress' handling of the situation was dismal, adding since a case has now been filed, the law will follow its own course of action.

According to him, if the party had taken care of Dutta's complaint, the police or CID would not have been required to get involved.

However, the Chief Minister turned down the possibility of Angkita Dutta joining the BJP anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhupen Borah claimed that Sarma has 'influenced' Dutta to lodge a police complaint.

"I met her (Dutta) and assured her full support. I asked her to tell me about what had happened and she narrated the entire saga at length. I requested her to keep quiet for sometime and not to issue any public statement. I would look into the matter and would find out a good way to solve it.

"But Dutta acted differently the next morning due to the Assam Chief Minister's provocation," Borah said.
New York, April 22 : Women with an earlier diagnosis of colorectal cancer could be at an increased risk as well as raise raise odds of adverse outcomes in babies, showed a study.

The study, published in eClinicalMedicine, analysed 207 births in women with early-onset colorectal cancer and 1,019 births in matched controls.

The team discovered 2.5-fold higher odds of preeclampsia and a 79 per cent increased odds of emergency caesarean delivery in women with early-onset colorectal cancer compared to women without prior colorectal cancer.

Preeclampsia is a potentially dangerous pregnancy complication characterised by high blood pressure.

Colorectal cancer was also associated with a 2.3-fold higher odds of preterm birth, which was particularly pronounced for medically induced preterm birth.

"The findings of our study provide crucial evidence to support the clinical management of women with this condition during their reproductive years," said lead author Dr. Yin Cao, Associate Professor of Surgery and Medicine from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, US.

"Of note, we however found no increased odds of congenital malformations, or small for gestational age birth in women with colorectal cancer," added Professor Jonas F. Ludvigsson, paediatrician at Orebro University Hospital, and Professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.

Early-onset colorectal cancer (diagnosed before age 50) has risen worldwide, resulting in more women at reproductive age diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Studies of pregnancy and neonatal birth outcomes in cancer survivors have been focused on adolescent and young adult cancers and cancers of the female reproductive organs, with little attention to colorectal cancer.

"To date, clinical guidelines for colorectal cancer have not yet included specific recommendations for managing reproductive outcomes of female survivors," Cao said.

"Our study underscores the importance of incorporating such considerations into cancer survivorship guidelines, particularly with respect to pregnancy and neonatal outcomes."
Mumbai, April 22 : TV actress Monica Khanna, who is known for working in shows such as 'Crime Patrol', 'Afsar Bitiya', 'Aasman Se Aagey', 'Thapki Pyar Ki', 'Ishq Ka Rang Safed', 'Chikoo Ki Mummy Durr Kei', and currently in 'Durga Aur Charu', is all set to make her OTT debut with 'Surkh'.

The actress says that she feels blessed to have gotten such an important role in the web series.

"This is my first web series and I am going to play a cop. A female officer who is very honest and strict. So basically, whenever you put on the uniform, you have that confidence and your lifestyle changes according to it. It's really an incredible experience of playing a cop because some cases tease you up to the neck which creates an urge in you to finish the case. That momentary or temporary life that I am living right now is mesmerising. It feels really great and courageous when you put on that uniform, with all the responsibilities. I feel we actors are blessed to have been portraying and living such roles," she says.

She adds: "My OTT debut could not have come at a better time. I feel whatever happens, it happens for the good. And the moment Durga and Charu got over, I got this opportunity and I couldn't say no.

"OTT has given tough competition to TV," she says, adding: "But both the industries have their own points. OTT is done very naturally in the flow with inspiring experiences wherein on TV, it has to be quick because of the telecast, scripts reasons. In OTT, we have a bound script and we know the series, once started, has an end also. You are very well aware of the characters and the script. But in television, everything is spontaneous with so many sudden changes. But honestly, I love both of them." This is not the first time Monika is playing the role of a cop. "I have played a pivotal role of a cop in one of my Spanish films, Alex's Strip. I wasn't wearing the uniform, but in this situation I had the opportunity to do so and represent a UP officer. The feeling of wearing the uniform is unparalleled, the pride that you feel, the respect that it commando" she says.

The series is being shot at Lucknow.

"Lucknow has always been very close to my heart because it is my maternal home. So, I've got an opportunity to come here and shoot. The food, the place is amazing. We were shooting in the outskirts of Lucknow. Weather changes were very real which also affected our health but it doesn't matter because the show must always go on. The whole experience is so beautiful when you're shooting in the real location. The vibe is always very different and it feels all very real," she says.

Talking about working with Sharad Malhotra and Manish Raisinghan, she says: "Both are amazing actors and they are both good in their own way. When it comes to Manish, he is just like a kid, he can never sit at one place, brushing up with his photography skills and he is very energetic. When it comes to Sharad, he is a very professional, focussed and a lovely human being and we have made a very good bond. Both of them are very good at their craft. They are very fun loving. I am so glad that I got to work with them."
Kolkata, April 22 : In an attempt to track the movement of Royal Bengal tigers reportedly frequenting the forest zones in north Bengal, the state forest department has decided to install 1,500 camera traps in three reserve forest zones in the region.

The three reserve forest zones are Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary in Darjeeling district, Neora Valley National Park in Kalimpong district and Buxa Tiger Reserve in Alipurduar district.

"The installation of camera traps will also give some idea as to whether these tigers are just frequenting these forest zones in search of prey or a few of them have made these areas their permanent habitat," a forest official said.

The forest department believes that tigers are frequenting these forest zones due to three developments. The first is of course occasional capture of tigers by the existing camera-traps. The second is occasional spotting of tiger excreta and pugmarks in these areas. The third is recovery of body parts of large herbivorous animals like bisons, which are not possible for the leopards in these zones to kill.

"So, the forest department has decided to install 1,500 additional camera traps in these three reserve forest zones to get more information about the big cats. Unlike the ones already installed there, the new camera traps will all be imported high-end ones," the forest official said.

The forest department has already outlined an ambitious plan to reestablish the Buxa Tiger Reserve as an ideal abode for Royal Bengal tigers. An agreement has been signed with the Assam government to bring a couple of tigers from there and release them in the Buxa Tiger Reserve to increase the big cat population.

Since 1998, there has been no evidence confirming the presence of tigers in the BTR. But in December 2021, a tiger was spotted in the forest reserve zone. It was, however, later confirmed that the big cat had migrated to the zone temporarily.
ADDIS ABABA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Some 12 million children in Eastern and Southern Africa missed out entirely or partially on routine immunization from 2019 to 2021, the United Nations Children's Fund, or UNICEF, has disclosed.

UNICEF, in its report entitled "State of the World's Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination - Regional Brief: Eastern and Southern Africa" issued late Thursday, said immunization is "one of humanity's most remarkable success stories. It has saved countless lives."

Figures from UNICEF show that globally, an estimated 67 million children missed out entirely or partially on routine immunization from 2019 to 2021. In Eastern and Southern Africa, this figure is 12 million children.

"As these children pass the age when vaccines are routinely given, it will require a dedicated effort to ensure that they catch up with their vaccinations," UNICEF said.

Noting that immunization allows children everywhere to live lives free of many forms of disability and illness, UNICEF said immunization has led to the eradication of smallpox, a disfiguring and often fatal disease that in the 20th century alone claimed an estimated 300 million lives.

"There has been remarkable progress, too, towards eradicating polio. The power of immunization was demonstrated again in the COVID-19 pandemic," the report said.

It said the backsliding in immunization highlighted that the story of zero-dose and under-vaccinated children is overwhelmingly a story of inequities.

"The children who are not vaccinated are also often the children of mothers who have not been able to go to school and who are given little say in family and spending decisions," UNICEF said.

It said immunization is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to "ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages." It is also linked to 13 of the other SDGs.

"In that sense, immunization is at the heart of our collective commitment to achieve a better and more sustainable future for us all," UNICEF said. 
Patna, April 22 : Former Union minister and BJP veteran Subramanian Swamy claimed on Saturday that the Congress top brass, including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, will go to jail in the National Herald case.

The case was brought by Swamy, who accused the Gandhis of misusing party funds to buy a firm that published the now-defunct National Herald newspaper.

Attending a conclave of law students here, the ace lawyer-turned-politician said, "Today, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are out on bail. I used to say so many things to Rahul Gandhi but no one sent me to jail." When asked if Nitish Kumar will be the prime ministerial candidate of the joint Opposition in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Swami said: "Nitish Kumar is my good friend since the JP movement days, but he never said that he is a prime ministerial candidate. I will meet him today and will talk to him in this regard," Swamy said.

When asked about India becoming the most populous country in the world and should there be a population control act, Swamy said that he does not believe in such an act, adding that population will be under control if economic growth takes place in the country.

"To reduce population growth, we have to increase economic growth 10 per cent per annum," said Swamy.

When asked about slogans raised in Patna in favour of slain gangster Atiq Ahmad, Swamy said that India is a democratic country and anyone can say anything. However, those who are raising slogans in favour of Atiq Ahmad are only hurting themselves, he said.
Panaji, April 22 : Former Goa Chief Minister and ex-Congress leader Churchill Alemao on Saturday said that "the Congress is finished in the coastal state", and predicted that the two Lok Sabha seats will be won by the BJP in the next year's general elections.

Alemao, who joined the Trinamool Congress ahead of the 2022 Goa assembly polls, has praised the work done by the BJP in the country and in Goa.

Addressing a press conference in South Goa, Alemao said that Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has done a lot of developmental work in his tenure, which Congress would not have done even if given the next 40 years.

"Congress is finished in Goa. It has no chance (of winning elections). They are nowhere. BJP has done development work. It will win both the seats of Lok Sabha in Goa," Alemao said.

Alemao, known as a mass leader, lost to Aam Aadmi Party candidate Venzy Viegas from Benaulim constituency in the 2022 assembly election.

"After Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, peace has come into the nation. Earlier bomb blasts were taking place. Innocent people died in these blasts. Now bomb blasts are not taking place. Peace is important in life, which the BJP has given and I praise them for the same," Alemao said, adding India is now known as a peaceful country.

He said that though Congress won South Goa Lok Sabha seat in 2019, no developmental work has been done by the current MP from the constituency.
Guwahati, April 22 : A team of Assam Police on Saturday left for Karnataka to apprehend the national president of Indian Youth Congress Srinivas B.V. based on the harassment complaint lodged against him by the suspended Assam unit youth Congress chief Angkita Dutta, an official said.

A case has been registered against Srinivas B.V. in Dispur police station under Sections 509, 294, 341, 352, 354, 354A, and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) along with Section 67 of the Information Technology Act.

According to sources, a four-member team of Assam Police has been sent to Karnataka to apprehend Srinivas.

Assam DGP G.P. Singh has confirmed the development. However, he refused to divulge any further details.

Earlier, on the sidelines of a programme in the national capital, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that Congress' handling of the situation was dismal and said that the law will take its own course on this issue.

"The way Assam Congress has handled this matter is sad. They ought to have established an inquiry committee and worked things out among themselves," he said.
Patna, April 22 : Former Union minister and BJP veteran Subramanian Swamy said on Saturday that the Centre should take whatever former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik had said in connection with the Pulwama terror attack seriously.

Malik had recently claimed that after the February 14, 2019 terrorist attack in Pulwama in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed, he, as the J&K Governor at that time, had flagged certain lapses but was asked to stay silent.

"I know Satya Pal Malik since 1977, and he is a very senior leader. He was a former MP, Union minister and Governor as well. His political status is very high. I never heard him telling lies. Hence, the Centre should take what he said about the Pulwama attack seriously," Swamy said on the sidelines of a conclave of law students here.

"The probe agencies agency can ask him respectfully about the evidence he has to support his claims so that they could take action in the matter. There should be no threat to him or raids at his house. The Pulwama attack was a very painful incident and if it happened due to some lapses on our part, action should be taken in the matter. So whatever he said needs to be looked into," Swamy said.

Swamy also backed the liquor ban in the state, saying that just cigarette smoking causes cancer, the mind gets disturbed after consuming liquor, terming those who sell liquor as traitors.

Incidentally, ever since Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar imposed a ban on sale and consumption of liquor in April 2016, a large number of people have lost their lives in the state after consuming illicit liquor.

"I have never touched cigarette or liquor in my entire life. People should quit drinking, and drink 'rasam' instead. It's wrong for people to believe that drinking is symbol of being a man. Drinking is not part of our culture," Swami said.

When asked about Nitish Kumar, Swamy said: "Nitish Kumar and NDA have the same DNA. I am wondering if he will return to NDA. He may change his mind after meeting me."
New Delhi, April 22 : Delhi Police said on Saturday that they neither arrested nor detained former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik after several messages were seen circulating on social media claiming his alleged detention.

However, a total of 24 persons, including some farmer leaders from Haryana, were detained before they were released after a few hours, an officer said.

The Special Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), Sagarpreet Hooda, said that at about 10 a.m. on Saturday, an information was received by the local police that a tent had been put at an MCD park in R.K. Puram, following which local SHO along with a police team reached the spot.

"On inquiry, the police found that a 'khap' meeting was organised there under the leadership of Malik. The police told the organisers that it was a public park in a residential area, and they should rather organise such a gathering at Jantar Mantar," Hooda said.

"They (the organisers) did not take any permission, nor did they inform the local police about the gathering. The police tried to persuade the organisers to vacate the park. But they refused to leave," the officer said.

Following this, 24 persons, who refused to vacate the site, were detained and sent to the Jafarpur Kalan police station, he added.

"Menwhile, Malik came to the park and he was also informed about the protoclos. After this, Malik on his own volition reached the R.K. Puram police station along with 20 of his supporters at around 12:30 p.m.," the officer said.

Malik remained at the police station for about two hours.

"At around 3 p.m., 24 of his supporters who were detained were released from the Jafarpur Kalan police station," the officer said.

"False information is being spread on social media about Satya Pal Malik's detention. He himself had arrived at the R.K. Puram police station along with his supporters. He was informed that he was at his liberty to leave at his own will," Delhi Police had tweeted earlier in the day.
Moscow, April 22 : The Russian Foreign Ministry said on Saturday that it has decided to "mirror" Germany's "hostile" actions and expel German diplomats from the country.

"The German authorities have decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in that country. We strongly condemn these actions of Berlin, which continues to defiantly destroy the entire array of Russian-German relations," the ministry said in a statement, Xinhua news agency reported.

The maximum number of employees in German diplomatic missions in Russia will also be "significantly" limited, it said, adding that on April 5, the Russian Foreign Ministry officially had notified the German Ambassador to Russia, Geza Andreas von Geyr, of this decision.

The German Foreign Ministry has not made any official announcement on this matter.

In April last year, Germany had announced the expulsion of 40 Russian diplomats, and Russia declared a tit-for-tat move.
Itanagar, April 22 : The Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, is likely to visit Arunachal Pradesh in October-November this year, Chief Minister Pema Khandu said on Saturday.

The Chief Minister tweeted: "Blessed to have audience with the apostle of peace, embodiment of compassion, ocean of wisdom, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama along with my family members today morning. "Happy that His Holiness has reiterated his assurance to visit Arunachal by October-November this year. Sought His blessings for the state & its people." Khandu, however, did not mention the venue where he met the 87-year-old spiritual leader.

Meanwhile, local people organised a demonstration in Tawang on Saturday to protest against a "malicious propaganda" unleashed against the Dalai Lama over a video which was shared on social media recently.

In April 2017, the Dalai Lama was on a 12-day visit to Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. His visit was opposed by China.

Beijing had recently fumed over Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh on April 10-11 to launch the 'Vibrant Villages Programme' (VVP) in Kibithoo village in Anjaw district, which shares borders with China and Myanmar.

Indian ministers and political leaders had sharply criticised China for its opposition to Shah's visit to Arunachal Pradesh.
Tehran, April 23 : Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and his counterpart of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan have agreed to expand cooperation in various fields.

During a phone call, Iran's Amir-Abdollahian and UAE's Sheikh Abdullah agreed to expand cooperation in various fields, including the private sector, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.

Amir-Abdollahian said the bilateral relations are improving, and active meetings and exchanges between the two countries' officials are underway, stressing that Iran has no limits to all-out expansion of its relations with the UAE.

Sheikh Abdullah, for his part, said promoting bilateral relations in various fields bears on the two countries' common interests, adding there are diverse opportunities to enhance cooperation.

The top UAE diplomat said he noticed an array of regional countries have seen strengthened bilateral ties lately, including the normalisation between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the development in Syria.

In early April, Iran appointed its first ambassador to UAE since 2016 amid thawing relations. The UAE reinstated its ambassador in Tehran in September, 2022.

In 2016, the UAE downgraded its relations with Iran after Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran.
Bengaluru, April 23 : Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy was admitted to a private hospital in Bengaluru on Saturday night following fever and fatigue.

In a media release, Kumarswamy stated that there is "no need for the panic" and he will resume campaigning after taking rest. The doctors have said that he developed symptoms of fever after being "tirelessly" involved in election campaigning.

The JD(S) leader was "single-handedly" leading the party's campaign across the state for the May 10 Assembly elections.

He has also developed a minor lung infection and is said to be affected by dust allergy. The former Chief Minister was advised hospitalisation following symptoms of fever. His supporters and party workers are being asked not to come to the premises of the hospital.

Sources close to him have said that he might be discharged by Sunday evening.

Party workers and family members are concerned about Kumaraswamy's health as he had undergone heart surgery earlier.
Kamiraba Airport, Kamiraba, Papua New Guinea [ KJU / ]

If you are planning to travel to Kamiraba or any other city in Papua New Guinea, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Kamiraba Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Kamiraba Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Papua New Guinea. Kamiraba Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Kamiraba Airport Info:

Kamiraba Airport IATA Code: KJU Kamiraba Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : -2.88333 Longitude : 151.25 City : Kamiraba Country : Papua New Guinea World Area Code : 804 Airport Type : Small Timezone : Pacific/Port_Moresby Kamiraba Airport Timezone : GMT +10:00 hours Current time and date at Kamiraba Airport is 13:23:07 PM (+10) on Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Looking for information on Kamiraba Airport, Kamiraba, Papua New Guinea? Know about Kamiraba Airport in detail. Find out the location of Kamiraba Airport on Papua New Guinea map and also find out airports near to Kamiraba. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Kamiraba Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Kamiraba Airport, airlines operating to Kamiraba Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Papua New Guinea. Scroll down to know more about Kamiraba Airport or Kamiraba Airport, Papua New Guinea.

Kamiraba Airport Map - Location of Kamiraba Airport Load Map Papua New Guinea - General Information Country Formal Name Independent State of Papua New Guinea Country Code PG Capital Port Moresby Currency Kina (PGK)

 1 PGK = 0.284 USD

 1 USD = 3.519 PGK

 1 PGK = 0.259 EUR

 1 EUR = 3.867 PGK

 More PGK convertion rates Tel Code +675 Top Level Domain .pg

This page provides all the information you need to know about Kamiraba Airport, Papua New Guinea. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Papua New Guinea or traveling to Kamiraba Airport. Details about Kamiraba Airport given here include Kamiraba Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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KJU - Kamiraba Airport IATA Code
ATHENS, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis requested on Saturday the dissolution of the parliament ahead of the May 21 general elections.

He announced the news in a televised address to the nation, after making the formal request during a visit to President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.

The relevant presidential decree will be issued within the day and Greece will officially enter pre-election period, Greek national broadcaster ERT reported.

On Sunday, Calliope Spanou, professor of Administrative Science at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, who has served as Greek Ombudsman in the past, will be sworn in as the new interior minister, the government has announced.

A caretaker minister is appointed ahead of general elections, as the interior ministry is responsible for conducting the elections.

Moreover, government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou was replaced by State Minister Akis Skertsos.

The ruling conservative New Democracy party won the elections in July 2019, and is leading in all recent opinion polls.

However, most political analysts agree that due to the way the Greek electoral system works, it will be difficult to secure a parliamentary majority in the first ballot.

If a second election round is required, it would be held in early July at the latest, Mitsotakis said earlier this spring.

The second round would be held under a different electoral law, which provides for extra seats for the winning party. 
Timbunke Airport, Timbunke, Papua New Guinea [ TBE / ]

If you are planning to travel to Timbunke or any other city in Papua New Guinea, this airport locator will be a very useful tool. This page gives complete information about the Timbunke Airport along with the airport location map, Time Zone, lattitude and longitude, Current time and date, hotels near the airport etc... Timbunke Airport Map showing the location of this airport in Papua New Guinea. Timbunke Airport IATA Code, ICAO Code, exchange rate etc... is also provided.

Timbunke Airport Info:

Timbunke Airport IATA Code: TBE Timbunke Airport ICAO Code: Latitude : -4.19566 Longitude : 143.519 City : Timbunke Country : Papua New Guinea World Area Code : 804 Airport Type : Small Timbunke Airport Address / Contact Details :

Timbunke (TBE), Papua New Guinea Timezone : Pacific/Port_Moresby Timbunke Airport Timezone : GMT +10:00 hours Current time and date at Timbunke Airport is 13:23:08 PM (+10) on Tuesday, May 2, 2023

Looking for information on Timbunke Airport, Timbunke, Papua New Guinea? Know about Timbunke Airport in detail. Find out the location of Timbunke Airport on Papua New Guinea map and also find out airports near to Timbunke. This airport locator is a very useful tool for travelers to know where is Timbunke Airport located and also provide information like hotels near Timbunke Airport, airlines operating to Timbunke Airport etc... IATA Code and ICAO Code of all airports in Papua New Guinea. Scroll down to know more about Timbunke Airport or Timbunke Airport, Papua New Guinea.

Timbunke Airport Map - Location of Timbunke Airport Load Map Papua New Guinea - General Information Country Formal Name Independent State of Papua New Guinea Country Code PG Capital Port Moresby Currency Kina (PGK)

 1 PGK = 0.284 USD

 1 USD = 3.519 PGK

 1 PGK = 0.259 EUR

 1 EUR = 3.867 PGK

 More PGK convertion rates Tel Code +675 Top Level Domain .pg

This page provides all the information you need to know about Timbunke Airport, Papua New Guinea. This page is created with the aim of helping travelers and tourists visiting Papua New Guinea or traveling to Timbunke Airport. Details about Timbunke Airport given here include Timbunke Airport Code - IATA Code (3 letter airport codes) and ICAO Code (4 letter airport codes)

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General information about Papua New Guinea where Timbunke Airport is located in the city of Timbunke. General information include capital of Papua New Guinea, currency and conversion rate of Papua New Guinea currency, Telephone Country code, exchange rate against US Dollar and Euro in case of major world currencies etc...

TBE - Timbunke Airport IATA Code
"Our mantra is simple: comprehensively anticipate and address the needs of Coasts diverse and growing customer base while advancing our position as a thought leader for animal fats in the food industry."

The palette never lies, a truism that applies in spades as Coast Packing, the largest supplier of animal fat shortenings in the Western U.S., today formally rolls out its evolving, interactive TasteMap -- a national initiative built on more than five years of pointing consumers to places where they can taste the difference lard and beef tallow make in all kinds of food.

Designed in association with New York-based Lounge Lizard, Coast Packings TasteMap lists some 1500+ establishments across the country, and growing. Originally an outgrowth of Coasts participation in the NMCA and PDRA drag racing circuits, TasteMap combines all past editions -- some 30-odd maps -- into one interactive destination, which can be accessed and sorted on various parameters. TasteMap pinpoints providers that include butchers, farms and farmers markets, food halls, grocery stores, meat markets, and restaurants, among others. Slicing and dicing, the database extends to observances like Cinco de Mayo, National Beef Tallow Day (with the accent on French fries), Pi (pie) Day, and December holidays (where tamales reign supreme). To enhance the experience for hungry diners, TasteMap includes a QR code pegged to establishments and their menus. Much like a terrestrial map, the Coast TasteMap is dynamic; diners are encouraged to submit their favorite spot (https://coastpacking.com/community/tastemaps/).

TasteMap is the definitive go-to site online to see whos serving what may be the most flavorful comfort food anywhere in America, said Eric R. Gustafson, Coast CEO. With this robust online map, improved interactivity is just where it starts. Our mantra is simple: comprehensively anticipate and address the needs of Coasts diverse and growing customer base while advancing our position as a thought leader for animal fats in the food industry.

About Coast Packing Company

Now marking its 101 st year in business, Coast Packing Company (http://www.coastpacking.com), a closely held corporation, is the number one supplier of animal fat shortenings  particularly lard and beef tallow -- in the Western United States. The company sells to major manufacturers, CPG companies, QSR and fast-food restaurant chains, broadline food service distributors, retailers, smaller food service operations, and leading bakeries. The company participates actively in diverse ethnic markets  from Hispanic retail chains, with its VIVA brand, to various Asian specialty markets.

Based in Vernon, Calif., Coast Packing Company is regional, national and, increasingly, global. In some cases, relationships are multigenerational, extending back 50 years and more. Coast is a founding member of the Healthy Fats Coalition (http://www.healthyfatscoalition.org/).

For more information about Coast Packing Company, visit: http://www.coastpacking.com.

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Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against ACCO Engineered Systems, Inc., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

The Los Angeles employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against ACCO Engineered Systems, Inc. alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against ACCO Engineered Systems, Inc. is currently pending in the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 23STCV07134. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here.

According to the lawsuit filed, ACCO Engineered Systems, Inc. allegedly failed to pay employees for all the time they were under the employer's control. This, allegedly, includes the time Plaintiff and other California Class Members had to submit to mandatory COVID-19 screening prior to clocking in for the day. To the extent that the time worked off the clock did not qualify for overtime premium payment, Defendant allegedly failed to pay minimum and overtime wages for the time worked off-the-clock.

Additionally, Defendant's policy allegedly restricted employees from unconstrained walks. The applicable California Wage Order requires employers to provide employees with off-duty rest periods, which the California Supreme Court defined as time during which an employee is relieved from all work related duties and free from employer control. Employers cannot impose controls that prohibit an employee from taking a brief walk - five minutes out, five minutes back.

For more information about the class action lawsuit against ACCO Engineered Systems, Inc., call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County, and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination, and other types of illegal workplace conduct.

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RIYADH, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday the evacuation of Saudi citizens and other nationals from Sudan as fierce fighting continues in the country.

A total of 158 people, including Saudi nationals and people from other countries, have been evacuated from Sudan and transferred to Saudi Arabia's Jeddah ports by boat, the Saudi state television said.

The move came when armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in the capital Khartoum enters the second week.

The Sudanese army on Saturday said its General Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan received calls from leaders of a number of countries requesting the evacuation of their nationals and diplomats.

"Al-Burhan agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure this," the army said in a statement.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.

Until Friday, the clashes left over 400 people dead and about 3,500 wounded, according to the Sudanese health ministry. 
Space engineer Elio Morillo immigrated to the U.S. from Ecuador as a child and grew up to work on NASAs Mars 2020 mission. He spoke with PW about the trajectory he charts in his memoir, The Boy Who Reached for the Stars (HarperOne, June).

What kind of work have you done as a space engineer?

While working the Mars mission, I helped put together the Earth version of the rover. You want to keep the version that goes to space as pristine as possible, ready for the challenges of space travel. The Earth versionyou want to break it. Thats how you learn to fix any problems it may encounter. You use this version to update software, develop new features, test and test again. When the one on Mars runs into trouble, you use the Earth version to replicate what happened on Mars and then develop a workaround.

You write about wanting to hold the doors wide open for the next generations. Can you talk a bit about that?

The U.S. population right now is 20% Hispanic, but only about 8% of engineers in STEM fields are Hispanic, so theres a clear gap. Engineering jobs are some of the most financially safe jobs that exist as well as some of the most rewarding and difficult, and were underrepresented. Ive been very fortunate, despite my low-income background, and part of my mission in telling my story is creating awareness and access to resources for people who are interested in pursuing careers in STEM. Theres a bunch of us on social media right now, talking about the day-to-day of our STEM careers. We need more of that.

What connections do you see between your career and your upbringing?

My mother was a model of resilience, of caring for others. Her love for me was selfless. The mission that I worked on couldnt have been named any betterPerseverance. The rover traveled through space for many months, and that work requires a lot of patience, a lot of grit, effort, teamwork, and trust. In the process we learned so much about ourselves, about our opportunities for growth. There are a lot of parallels. One of the beautiful exercises of writing this book has been reflecting on my life and how these decisions got me here.

What was it like seeing Perseverance take off?

I made sure I was surrounded by friends and family. It was July 2020, the middle of the pandemic, and I hadnt seen my mom in several months. A bunch of us took the risk of flying, still a scary thing to do, and stayed at a friends house in Orlando. My closest friends from high school and college, my mom, and my brothers family were all there and able to share it. It couldnt have been a more beautiful day. It was a moment of relief to see that rocket take off with our baby on board after all our hard work and effort. That was just the start of the journey. Rocket launches are scary; things can go wrong. We watched the rocket rise, hoping everything would go well. The mission ops team was narrating everything that was going on. My mom was next to me on the beach.

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S.A. Cosby lost his faith in a single afternoon. Growing up in Mathews County, Va.a community of 8,000 served by 23 churchesthe crime writer attended regular services at a 19th-century Pentecostal congregation founded by his great-grandfather. In the 1980s, when Cosby was 11, his motherwhod suffered from spinal stenosis for his entire lifetook him to a faith-healing tent revival. On the way in, the pair spotted some men smoking cigarettes with their backs to attendees; when the service began, the same men donned crutches and feigned blindness before hitting the stage to be healed.

In that moment, my mother said to me, Theyre not healing nobody here. Theyre just healing their pockets,  recalls Cosby during a Zoom call from his home in Southeastern Virginia. And that shaped my own relationship with religion and spirituality.

Cosbys latest novel, All the Sinners Bleed (Flatiron, June), weaves a similar crisis of faith into a gruesome murder mystery. Titus Crown, a semi-disgraced former FBI agent, returns home to the fictional Charon County (named for the ferryman who ushers souls across the River Styx) in Virginia to become the regions first Black sheriff. In the middle of a school day, a friends son shoots a beloved history teacher and is subsequently gunned down by Tituss deputies. While investigating that shooting, Titus uncovers the work of a local serial killer whos donned a mask and filmed biblically influenced executions of at least seven Black children over several years. As more bodies pile up, Tituswho left the church shortly after his mothers deathtraverses what Flannery OConnor might call the Christ-haunted South in pursuit of the killer.

Sinners wasnt always going to be so God focused. After his bestselling, blood-splattered 2021 epic Razorblade Tears won acclaim from Barack Obama and the New York Times, Cosby felt compelled to tackle something timely in its follow-up. With the murder of George Floyd fresh on his mind, he got to work on a project titled Black as Sackcloth that zeroed in on police brutality. Before long, though, he found his own feelings on the subject too potent to wrestle into fiction. Nobody wants a 300-page sermon, and it was shaping up to be that, Cosby admits.

So for about six months, he wrote nothing. Then a conversation with a colleague about the four pillars of Southern fictionrace, class, religion, and sexshook something loose. Hed tackled them all, in some form, in his previous novels (including 2018s My Darkest Prayer and 2020s Blacktop Wasteland), but hed yet to go deep on religion. I wanted to talk about the way religion is used as a cudgel and a comfort in the South, how it divides and brings people together, Cosby says. And also how it can be used for really, really dark, nefarious purposes.

Thus, Sackcloth morphed into Sinners, drawing less from the headlines and more from moody modern procedurals with gothic twists, like the HBO series True Detective and Gillian Flynns Sharp Objects. The novel opens with, and is punctuated by, atmospheric chapters that appear to emerge from the consciousness of the setting itself; after twin epigraphs from Joseph Conrad and the Book of Revelation, the books first sentence is, Charon County was founded in bloodshed and darkness.

All that Old Testament feeling never completely subsumed Cosbys initial fascinations, though. I gave up on the idea of tackling the larger, macro idea of policing in America, but I still wanted to talk about the idea of being an African American police officer, he emphasizes. As he reformulated the books plot, he interviewed friends and acquaintances whod worked in law enforcement, giving special weight to one who served as the first Black sheriff of a neighboring county.

My previous books were about outlaws, Cosby says. Thats fun, but to a certain extent, its also a little easier, because you dont have to play by the rules. Titus is constrained by the rules of his office, and I really wanted to examine that. How does that inform him as a character? Can he still be a hero? I didnt want the book to be copaganda; I wanted it to be a character study of this man who really, really wants to do the right thing.

Readers who only know Cosby through his hard-edged fiction might be surprised that hes a self-proclaimed big softie (even though, he admits, hes been in more than one bar fight). A giddy, gregarious conversationalist, hes prone to smiling so wide his eyes almost disappear. His bookshelves are full of Cormac McCarthy, yes, but also Samuel Beckett and cozy mysteries, and hes a big fan of French new wave films. It always cracks me up when I talk about stuff like that, Cosby says with a laugh. The look I get from people is like, Oh, gosh, we thought you just spent all your days chopping up bad guys in woodchippers. 

That disarming charm helped Cosby land his agent, HG Literarys Josh Getzler. After 63 rejections for his first novel (yes, thats a precise figure: he counted the emails), Cosby parted ways with the agent who was representing him and sank into a rut. Urged by his wife to attend the 2018 Bouchercon mystery convention in St. Petersburg, Fla., he wound up on a panel there after someone else canceled at the last minute. In the q&a portion, a white woman chided the panelists for being too hard on white people, defending the manners and etiquette of the antebellum period.

Everybody in the room kind of gasped, and the panelists looked at each other to see who was going to say anything, recalls Getzler, who was in the audience. [Cosby] sort of nodded his head and smiled, and in the space of a minute, took the woman to task in a manner that was not rude and nasty in the way that she had been, but really spoke to the facility with language and respect for humanity that he has.

After the panel wrapped, Getzler chased Cosby down a hotel corridor. A few weeks later, Getzler was representing him.

Cosbys life has changed considerably since he was a young Holy Roller in rural Virginia attending tent revivals with his mother. Hes teamed up with Questlove to pen a middle grade time-travel series; each of his adult novels has been optioned for film. Its pretty heady stuff, and were still trying to get him to enhance his Wi-Fi, Getzler jokes.

Whats stayed steady, though, is Cosbys identification with the downtrodden. Even as he has abandoned what he calls big-C Church hes found an unexpected spiritual outlet in crime fiction. I think theres no better genre to talk about the human condition, he says, calling it the gospel of the dispossessed. He adds, Not everybody is going to be a professor from the Upper West Side, like a character in a Philip Roth book, or a minister from the Midwest, like in Jonathan Franzens Crossroads. But I think everybodys felt desperate, and everybodys felt that their back is against the wall.

It calls to mind a passage from early on in Sinners: Twenty years removed from the last time he willingly attended a church service, and he still found himself using the jargon of the devout, Cosby writes of Titus. It never left you, not completely. The cadence, the syncopation, the King James syntax. It was all there waiting to reemerge like seventeen-year cicadas.
After several years of only being able to do virtual events because of the pandemic, many authors are starting to plan book releases and readings in person again. Release events and other readings are a great way to build excitement for your book and increase sales.

In-person events are also a wonderful opportunity to build relationships with fans of your books and get or keep them invested in your work. But can indie authors really do book events?

The answer is, yes! Although many people associate book tours with traditionally published authors, in-person events are something that indie authors can organize for themselves. You might be surprised to know that, even for traditionally published authors, organizing a book event often falls on them.

As an author who is both traditionally published and has indie-released books, I have never let self-publishing a book mean that it cant have a book release. Over the past 15 years, I have organized book tours across the United States and Canada with my traditionally published and self-published books, as well as a tour across Europe with my first indie-published novel.

Building relationships with venues

The key to organizing successful book events in your city or while traveling is building connections and relationships with other people in the book world. Literary friendships and collaborations with other writers are a great way to learn about bookstores and other venues that might be interested in hosting a reading or book release.

Although historically self-published authors had some difficulty getting their books into bookstores, thats not universally the case, and booksellers are becoming more welcoming to stocking self-published authors. Personally, I havent found it more difficult to get stores to shelve my self-published titles than my books published through small traditional publishers.

When you go to a bookstore, and especially if you attend any literary events, introduce yourself to the staff. If you notice the store has your book in stock, introduce yourself to the store manager, owner, or other staff working that day.

Libraries and bookstores are the obvious choice for where to go on a book tour, but these arent the only venues that host authors and book release events. Cafes, gift shops and other stores that stock books or are related to the theme of your book are all great options for book release or event venues.

Financing book events

In most cases, if youre hosting a book reading at a bookstore, you will not have to pay anything, as the event will be in collaboration with them. However, bookstores might ask you to supply them with books that they will sell on consignment if they dont have large numbers of your book in stock.

 One of the best ways to make sure that people come to your reading is to collaborate with other authors in your area or your tour locations. 

Some other venues like restaurants and some community centers may charge space rental fees and will allow you to charge a door fee and sell books yourself. Dont be afraid to check with multiple venues to find the best deal.

Book tours that involve traveling have a larger financial component: youll need to finance transportation, hotels, and other associated costs. If you want to go on tour with your book, you may be able to coordinate paid gigs. Ive had great success with getting paid events as a visiting artist with colleges and universities, which often have budgets for such events.

Libraries also frequently support visiting authors, as do some book clubs. There may also be artist grants available to you that can help cover costs. When it comes to financing, try to get creative with targeting your niche audience. For example, if youve written a book about a certain theme, consider trying to collaborate with a community organization that is focused on that topic.

Finding an audience

One of the big challenges with putting together any kind of in-person release event or book tour is making sure that you can fill the venue with audience members. This is both for your own self-esteem and to show the venue that investing in organizing an event with you is worthwhile.

One of the best ways to make sure that people come to your reading is to collaborate with other authors in your area or your tour locations. Use your network of other authors youre connected with on social media or have met through writing events and conferences to find others who might want to read with you. It can feel intimidating to ask someone to be part of your event, but its a normal part of literary life. Just think of how flattered you would be to be asked to read. The worst that can happen is they will say no because they have another booking or otherwise arent available.

Getting the word out

Once youve set a venue and secured other authors to read with you its time to start promoting your event. Its likely that your chosen venue will have a mailing list or calendar of events where your event can be included. But its important not to rely on their mailing list to get people to attend.

Create promotional materials to share on social media, and ask any other authors involved in the event to share information about it with their followers. If you have a mailing list, send information about the reading to your followers. You can also print out physical flyers to drum up attention.

Organizing book releases, tours, and other in-person events can be a lot of work, but they are also useful and rewarding. Theres nothing like meeting readers in person and hearing how your work has resonated with them.

Sassafras Lowrey writes fiction and nonfiction and was the recipient of the 2013 Lambda Literary Award for emerging LGBTQ writers.
Not Faking It

Abby Jimenez tops our trade paper list and has the #2 bestselling title in the country with Yours Truly, a poignant and often hilarious romance between ER doctors, per our review. Though the plot involves the doctors faking a relationship, theres nothing made up about the trajectory the authors been on. Yours Truly came out of the gate selling more than double the print copies 2022s Part of Your World did in its first week. Each of Jimenezs books, in fact, have had stronger debut showings than the previous.

All in the Family

Its fairly common to see the name Patterson appear multiple times on our weekly bestseller charts, though this week the formulas changed up a little. Things I Wish I Told My Mother, in at #3 on our hardcover fiction list, is by Susan Patterson, with an assist from humor columnist Susan DiLallo and Pattersons husband, perennial bestseller James. The novel, about a mother and daughters emotionally fraught jaunt across Europe, is a feel-good story that makes a convincing case for the importance of familial love, according to PWs review.

Live Your Best Life

Two titles new to our nonfiction list take different approaches to getting past obstacles and finding happiness. In the #10 slot is Life Worth Living, by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz, based on the wildly popular multidisciplinary class of the same name the trio teach at Yale. Two places below, renowned meditation teacher Sharon Salzbergs Real Life draws on Buddhist principles as it explains the virtues of creating an expansion mindset.

NEW & NOTABLE

DARK ANGEL

John Sandford

#1 Hardcover Fiction, #4 Overall

Investigator Letty Davenport returns in the sequel to 2022s The Investigator. Sandford keeps his foot on the gas throughout, without stretching plausibility too far, per PWs review.

THE ONLY SURVIVORS

Megan Miranda

#11 Hardcover Fiction

The survivors of a horrific accident meet up at a secluded beach house 10 years afterward, and things go very badly. Our review called this one an an evocative excursion into darkness.
Amid political division, a pandemic, and natural disasters aplenty, its no wonder readers are looking to the stars. Ive found a lot of comfort in thinking about space in these last several years, says Norton editor Jessica Yao. When life on Earth feels constrained and limited, space still feels open and possible. Shes not alone: PW spoke with editors and authors whose forthcoming books depict the science and wonder of exploring a vast, ever-changing universe.

Boldly going where no telescope has gone before

Nearly every editor interviewed for this piece mentioned the James Webb telescope, whose infrared images of galaxies billions of light-years away have served as a gateway drug for the astronomy-curious. The fact that weve put such an advanced telescope into space is huge, says Abigail Johnson, associate editor for the physical sciences at Princeton University Press. When viewing from the ground, we can only see the part of the sky that the Earth is facing at nighttime, but a telescope in space gives us a wider field of view and can move aroundits a completely different vantage point.

The Little Book of Exoplanets (July) by Joshua Winn, professor of astrophysical sciences at Princeton University and a co-investigator in NASAs ongoing Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission, is the latest in a series of titles from Princeton University Press that survey emerging areas of physics and astronomy. Winns guide to planets outside of Earths solar system gives readers a sense of our place in the universe, Johnson says. We used to think Earth was all there was, until we found out that were part of a whole system of planets, that our system is one of hundreds of thousands. With each discovery we learn how the Earth is and isnt unique; weve even found Earth-like planets with the Kepler 2009 and TESS missions.

In For the Love of Mars (Univ. of Chicago, May), National Air and Space Museum curator Matthew Shindell describes efforts to understand a celestial body closer to home, tracing the red planets evolution in the popular imagination. Mars played a part in Mayan religious ceremonies and seasonal calendars, for example, and was the source of Victorian astronomers musings about life on other worlds.

Today, Shindell explains, the cultural and social dimensions of what we do in space reflect back on global political maneuverings: U.S. and Russian astronauts live cheek by jowl on the International Space Station, in a show of strength and leadership even as the two countries are at odds 250 miles below them. You cant operate as a modern nation without that investment in space infrastructure, he says.

Spatial relations

Are we alone in the universe? Maybe not, according to forthcoming books that give serious scientific consideration to the question. This fascination is evergreen, says John Glynn, senior editor at Hanover Square Press. As long as thereve been stars in the sky and people to look up at them, weve always wondered whats out there. Glynn edited The Possibility of Life (Apr.) by Jaime Greene, series editor of the Best American Science and Nature Writing. Her forthcoming book considers, per its subtitle, our quest for kinship in the cosmos, and interrogates the question of what the discovery of alien life might mean for life on Earth.

Ariel Waldman covers similar territory in Out There (Running Press, Aug.), which looks at the scientific fact underpinning an array of science fiction themes, including the likelihood of our encountering alien life. (See On- and Off-World,, for our q&a with Waldman.)

Mariner executive editor Matt Harper, who edited Interstellar by Avi Loeb (Aug.), says that although science fiction has dominated our view of life on other planets, Its far less likely that aliens will show up on the White House lawn than that well encounter some space junk. Loeb, chair of the astronomy department at Harvard, is also the author of the thought-provoking (per PWs review) 2021 title Extraterrestrial, which posited a 2017 visit by alien technology to our solar system. The idea, long the province of tin-foil haberdashers rather than Ivy League astronomers, is gaining credence in academia, and from there, the mainstream. Loeb asks in his new book: if we have indeed discovered proof of extraterrestrial life, what do we do on day two?

This years model

Other new titles look at how computer simulations aid in the study of cosmology and galaxy formation, including Simulating the Cosmos by University of Edinburgh physics chair Romeel Dave, a July release from Reaktion Books. This modeling, says Reaktion publisher and commissioning editor Michael R. Leaman, facilitates an understanding beyond what scientists can observe or make sense of through experimentation.

The further out you go, the less there is that we can measure, Leaman says. Modeling is the avenue we take to try and work out what the universe might look like many trillions of light-years away. Its a way of imagining what cant be seen: new galaxies, the distance between them, new planets, and so on.

In an earlier era, says Riverhead executive editor Courtney Young, scientists fashioned mini galaxies with hundreds of light bulbs, which they moved around to simulate interstellar collisions. Today, physicists translate their theories into code and run simulations on supercomputers. In her acquisition The Universe in a Box (June), cosmologist Andrew Pontzen describes how the process works and what has and hasnt been revealedyet. Anytime we see something new, Young says, it reminds us that theres more out there that we havent found.

Young also edits Carlo Rovelli, a theoretical physicist whose previous books include Seven Brief Lessons on Physics (194,000 print copies sold). In White Holes (Riverhead, Oct.), he discusses one of the great questions of cosmology: what happens inside a black hole? Were trying to understand the flow of time, Young says. The book is very personalit talks about the experience of coming up with these ideas, the

collaboration with other scientists, the trepidation around an idea with which many others will likely disagree.

High flyers

Several editors brought up the privatization of space travel, and frequent news items about SpaceX and Blue Origin, as capturing public interest and raising important questions.

Space is no longer just the stomping ground of the federal government, says Hanover Squares Glynn.

Ecco associate publisher Miriam Parker agrees. It was the same for a very long time, she says. Governments paid to go, the space shuttle went up, astronauts manned them. In the last eight to 10 years, because of Astra, RocketLabs, SpaceX, this shift happened. People like Jeff Bezos going to space makes people think its more attainable. Its not a government thing anymore; its a corporate thing.

Bloomberg Businessweek journalist Ashlee Vance delves into the ramifications of cosmic capitalism in When the Heavens Went on Sale (Ecco, May), which PWs starred review called a fresh look at the new space race. Vance, author of 2015s Elon Musk (428,000 print copies sold), writes that the Russian invasion of Ukraine is the first true Space War; the Ukrainian military has used the commercial satellite system to monitor Russian troop movements. There are currently 2,500 satellites circling the Earth, and Vance estimates that that number will grow to 100,000 within the next 10 years.

The public is now thinking about our future in space, editors say, and about who gets to define that future. In Worlds Without End, an April release from MIT Press, University of Arizona astronomy professor Chris Impey ponders the ethics of exploring space and what such ventures mean for life on Earth.

He addresses questions of land grabbing and how, historically, human exploration has skewed this way, says Jermey Matthews, senior acquisition editor, physical science, engineering, and mathematics, at MIT Press. Were seeing the challenges of humans fighting over space, of access to space travel ending up in the hands of billionaires.

Philip Plait, known to some 610,000 Twitter followers as Bad Astronomer, takes a conversational approach to space travel in Under Alien Skies (Norton, Apr.), aimed at what his editor Jessica Yao describes as a joyfully nerdy crowd. Writing in the second person, Plait provides accessible overviews of the strange and exciting science involved in the otherworldly scenes, per PWs starred review, making for an awe-inspiring tour of the cosmos.

For the joyful nerds, the armchair astronomers, and those who want to be astronauts when they grow upgood news, these authors say: the stars are getting closer with every revolution of the Earth.

Liz Scheier is a writer, editor, and product strategist living in Washington, D.C. She is the author of the memoir Never Simple.

Corrections: This article has been edited to clarify information about the Kepler 2009 and TESS missions. A previous version of this article misspelled MIT senior acquisition editor Jermey Mathews's name.

Read more from our Popular Science Books feature:

Effort, Teamwork, and Trust: PW Talks with Elio Morillo

In 'The Boy Who Reached for the Stars' (HarperOne, June), self-described space mechanic Morillo charts his path to NASA and beyond.

On- and Off-World: PW Talks with Ariel Waldman

The 'Offworld' podcaster and former advisory chair to NASAs Innovative Advanced Concepts program explores the facts behind science fiction in 'Out There' (Running Press, Aug.).

StarsThey're Just Like Us: New Books About Space

New memoirs bring celestial pursuits down to earth.
Science fiction not only reflects our reality but often foretells it; famously, the automatic doors on Star Treks original Enterprise predated (and, some fans say, inspired) their real-life counterparts. Ariel Waldman, former advisory chair to NASAs Innovative Advanced Concepts program, spoke with PW about exploring the facts behind science fiction in her new book, Out There (Running Press, Aug.).

How does your background inform this book?

I started out in art school pursuing a career in graphic design. A few years in, I was at home watching a documentary series about the early days of NASA. I found it really inspiring, and when a friend mentioned shed just met a NASA employee at a conference, I asked for his email and sent a shot-in-the-dark offer to volunteer. Instead, I got a job. My role was to bridge the gap between communications inside and outside of NASA, which gave me access to astronauts and researchers. Over time, I picked up on the interplay between science fiction and science, and started a podcast called Offworld, which discussed all things space and pop culture, a lot of the same subjects covered in Out There.

What led you to spend five weeks filming a documentary in Antarctica?

It was at NASA that I learned about people working in Antarctica, and I got hooked on the idea of working with those research teams in a place that can be very Mars-like. Antarctica has a lot to teach us about space exploration, how it might feel when youre on another world. When we look at the planets in our solar system, for example, we see planets that dont have vegetation. In Antarctica, the life thats there has had to invent unique ways to adapt, such as surviving inside of rocks. The Dry Valleys are said to be one of most Mars-like areas on Earth because of the incredible dryness and the incredible cold; its like going to space while staying on Earth.

In one section of the book you talk about whether spaceships should be sentient. What do you make of the recent fascination with AI?

Its great that this topic has now entered a phase where everyone has opinions about it. From a pop culture perspective, its

exciting to see it be something everyone can discuss, not just highly technical people. In the book I talk about spaceships becoming sentient because thats a natural next discussion after ChatGPT and stable diffusion, what AI could look like in our homes and our living environment, what it means to have living systems powered by AI.

What subjects intrigue you most in science fiction?

Exploration of the line between human and not-human is classic; that debate will play out for the rest of time. I love how nuanced and fascinating you can make it when you put technical innovation into a world and have people interact with it. Im interested in the fraught topicsthere are researchers working to see if we can put people in suspended animation to travel elsewhere. Theres a lot of debate about it, and there are really big implications when you take something that profound from science fiction and try to make it reality. Its exciting that we can talk about it, but also terrifying because if we get it wrong, were playing with peoples lives.

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Tanzanian Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa on Thursday pledged the government's full support for the construction of a modern commercial and logistics center invested by a Chinese company in Dar es Salaam, the economic hub of Tanzania.

The mega project, known as East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center, is aimed at transforming Tanzania's economy. It is being developed by the East Africa Commercial and Logistics Center (EACLC), whose holding company is Weihai Huatan Supply Chain Management Company Ltd.

"I have been impressed with the progress made toward the construction of the project, and I urge Tanzanians to support the project that will create 15,000 direct jobs, over 50,000 indirect jobs, and stimulate the country's economic development," said Majaliwa shortly after he had inspected the construction progress of the project.

Majaliwa also commended China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) for what he described as "a good start with the construction work." He assured both local and foreign investors that the government will continue improving the investment environment to attract more investors.

Suo Peng, charge d'affaires ad interim of the Chinese embassy in Tanzania, said he was optimistic that the government of Tanzania will continue to give stronger support to Chinese investors and provide a more stable, transparent and convenient business environment.

Suo added the Chinese embassy will encourage more Chinese enterprises to invest in Tanzania, import more agricultural products from Tanzania, and promote Tanzania's industrialization drive.

The center will have a combined floor space of 75,000 square meters upon completion and begin trial operation in July 2024, according to a corporate brochure.





Produced by Xinhua Global Service
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 what communities are doing to deliver environmental justice; how expiring pandemic-era policies could affect mental health care access; why America should stick with its European commitments; getting students to and through advanced math; what China might do to demonstrate its rise in power; and the value of a good nights sleep.

Photo by Evan Banks/RAND Corporation What Does Environmental Justice Look Like? Many U.S. communities of color experience disproportionate exposure to environmental hazards, including pollution and climate-related disasters, as well as lack of investments in green spaces, tree cover, and other neighborhood amenities. These injustices are not accidental. They are the result of a long history of racist policies and practices like redlining, as well as norms that privilege white majorities at the expense of people of color. In the lead-up to Earth Day this weekend, RAND released two short films showing how community engagement and data-driven solutions have led to more-equitable environmental policies and programs. The films highlight two communities: Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Chollas Creek in San Diego, California. In Elizabeth, community leaders are implementing holistic, grassroots solutions to improve air quality and access to urban agriculture. In Chollas Creek, decades of community organizing helped to revitalize a watershed and increase equitable access to public parks. These and other efforts across the country demonstrate that delivering environmental justice to communities is possible when the government, nonprofit organizations, and residents work together.

Photo by golibo/Getty Images How Expiring Pandemic-Era Policies Could Affect Mental Health Care Before the pandemic, more than 95 percent of outpatient mental health services in the United States were in-person. Today, that figure has declined to about 50 percent for conditions like depression and anxiety. If policies that expanded telehealth access expire when the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends next month, then the benefits of mental health care could begin to disappear for millions of Americans. Such a backslide would be deeply concerning, says RAND's Ryan McBain.

Photo by Kacper Pempel/Reuters America Should Stick with Europe Some experts argue that the United States should curb its European commitments and focus all its resources on the threat that China poses in the Indo-Pacific. This would be self-defeating, says RAND's Michael Mazarr. America's chief competitive advantage in the contest with China is its dominant global network of friends and alliesin Europe and elsewhere. Now is the time to strengthen those coveted ties, he says.

Getting Students to and Through Advanced Math Students who take advanced math, such as precalculus and calculus, get a leg up when it comes to securing college admission, scholarships, and careers in STEM fields. But a new RAND study finds that students in small high schools, high schools in rural areas, and high schools serving mostly marginalized populations have fewer opportunities to take these courses. Closing this gap will require increased funding, improved curriculum materials, and other creative solutions.

Photo by Thomas Peter/Reuters Will China Be Tempted into a 'Splendid Little War'? Over a century ago, the United States started what was called a splendid little war against Spain. The goal: demonstrate America's rise through a brief, victorious conflict. As China's global strength grows, could it be contemplating a similar showcase of power? It's conceivable, says RAND's Scott Savitz, and India or Vietnam could be targets. Beijing may believe that a quick, decisive victory would establish China as not only a top economic power, but also a military one.

Photo by amenic181/Getty Images What Is a Good Night Sleep Worth to You? Insomniawhich affects about one in 10 peoplehas serious consequences for mental and physical health, relationships, and productivity. The effects are so profound, in fact, that the average person would trade 14 percent of their annual salary to be insomnia-free. That's according to a recent RAND Europe study. Notably, the authors say that reducing the effects of insomnia isn't just about getting more sleep: Quality and quantity should be parallel goals.
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H.E.R. is getting closer to an EGOT. The 25-year-old musician, born Gabriella Wilson, has signed on to be a producer for the Broadway music Here Lies Love. The immersive musical tells the story of former Philippines leader Imelda Marcos and her rise to power along with her subsequent fall.

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Wilson says she's excited to join the production, citing her ethnic background.

"Filipinos are a global people," Wilson said on Twitter.

Her mother is Filipino while her father is African American.

"We come in all colors and build bridges across cultures. I am beyond excited to produce my first Broadway musical and forge a unique and meaningful partnership with Here Lies Love."

Conceived by former Talking Heads frontman David Byrne, Here Lies Love began as an album collaboration with Fatboy Slim. Byrne wrote lyrics and they combined talents on the music for the stage production. Here Lies Love provides theatergoers with an intimate experience as part of the show is set in a club where actors will interact with the audience.

The now 93-year-old Marcos was the first lady of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. She and her late husband Ferdinand Marcos were alleged to have amassed a personal fortune of upwards of $5 billion, much of it pilfered from government funds.

When her lavish wardrobe was discovered upon her exile, she became an international symbol of greed and excess. Though Ferdinand died in Hawaii while the Marcos' were still living in exile, Imelda and her children eventually returned to the Philippines. Her son is now the country's president.

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Wilson is one award away from the exclusive EGOT club. Jennifer Hudson John Legend , and Whoopi Goldberg are among the other members. Wilson has already earned five Grammys. She won an Oscar for "Fight for You" from Judas and the Black Messiah and an Emmy for We The People, the Outstanding Short Program in the children's and family category.

In a statement, Byrne said, "Thrilled to have H.E.R. as part of the team. See you dancing at the revolution!"
BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met separately with Mohcine Jazouli, Moroccan delegate-minister to the head of government of investment, convergence and the evaluation of public policies, and Frano Matusic, state secretary of the ministry of foreign and European affairs of Croatia, in Beijing on Friday.

Liu exchanged views with them on bilateral relations as well as international and regional issues of common interest. 
The recent sell-off in IT stocks such as Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has resulted in a sharp decline in the IT sector weighting in the Nifty50 index.

Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters

The sectors weighting in the index has slipped to a five-year low of 12.2 per cent, down from the 17.7 per cent at the end of March 2022.

The top IT companies  TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Technologies, and Tech Mahindra  accounted for 13.6 per cent of the index at the end of March this year.

The combined market capitalisation of the big five IT companies is down 8.2 per cent since the start of 2023 compared to a 2.7 per cent decline in the Nifty50 index during the period.

The five ended Thursday with a combined m-cap of Rs 22.2 trillion, down from the Rs 24.2 trillion at the end of December and the Rs 23.7 trillion at the end of March this year.

The combined m-cap is down 28.3 per cent in the past 15 months from a record high of Rs 31 trillion at the end of December 2021.

For comparison, the benchmark index is up 1.6 per cent during the period.

With the recent decline, the IT sector has given way to FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) companies and is now the third-biggest component of the benchmark index, slightly ahead of the oil and gas sector.

FMCG companies such as Hindustan Unilever, ITC, Asian Paints, Nestle, and Britannia together have a 12.6 weighting in the Nifty 50, up 270 basis points since March 2022.

Banks, non-banking financial companies, and insurance companies (BFSI) remain at the top with 37.3 per cent, up from the 34.5 per cent at the end of March 2022.

Other big sectors to gain in the past one year include automobiles, and construction and infrastructure.

The IT sector has now given up most of the gains in market capitalisation in the post-pandemic period and has become one of the biggest laggards on the bourses.

However, the sector remains an out-performer on a longer-term basis.

The combined market capitalisation of its top five is up 110 per cent since the end of December 2017 compared to a 67.4 per cent rise in the Nifty 50 index during the period.

The near-term outlook of IT companies has worsened due to a lower than expected revenue and earnings growth reported by Tata Consultancy Services and Infosys in Q4FY23.

This forced many brokerages to cut the earnings and share price targets of these two companies for FY24.

Infosys reported a weak Q4FY23 revenue of $4.55 billion, down 3.2 per cent Q-o-Q, significantly below our estimate of 0.6 per cent Q-o-Q growth.

"We expect the big revenue miss and elevated uncertainty to adversely impact the stocks short-term performance.

"We have lowered our FY24/FY25 EPS estimates by 4 and 5 per cent respectively to factor in the Q4FY23 miss and FY24 guidance, write analysts at Motilal Oswal Financial Services after Infosys results for Q4FY23.

Its the same for Tata Consultancy Services.

TCS reported operating performance that was slightly below estimates.

"The long-term demand story remains intact led by cloud adoption and data analytics across enterprises.

"However, clients remain cautious and are taking longer time for decision making and are slowing down discretionary IT projects and this would result in lower revenue growth in FY24, write analysts at YES Securities after TCSs Q4FY23 results.
Kerala police and central agencies have launched an investigation into a letter threatening a suicide bomb attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be visiting the state on April 24 and 25 to take part in various programmes.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to the people during a roadshow. Photograph: ANI Photo

The letter in Malayalam, purportedly written by a Kochi resident, was received at the office of Bharatiya Janata Party state president K Surendran who in turn had handed it over to the police last week.

The news of the threat letter came out today after a report by ADGP (Intelligence) was telecast in the media. As the news was out, Surendran met the media and said he had handed over the threat letter a week ago to the state police chief.

"Last week, President, BJP state committee, Kerala had received a letter written in Malayalam threatening the life of Hon. Prime Minister of India by using suicide bomber," the intelligence report read.

The report also said the veracity of the letter and the person behind it were under investigation.

Surendran alleged that the "leak of the intelligence report" from the police was a grave mistake and it should be probed. The 49-page report gives details of the names of the officials on duty, their roles, the detailed programme chart of the Prime Minister among other matters.

Union Minister of State V Muraleedharan also slammed the alleged leak of the ADGP (Intelligence) report and said it was a serious matter.

"The Chief Minister should explain how a report on the security detail of the Prime Minister was leaked and going viral on WhatsApp. This means the state home department is in shambles," Muraleedharan alleged.

Meanwhile, Kochi resident N J Johny, whose name and number were there in the alleged threat letter, today said he was innocent.

"Police have questioned me. I have given them all the details. They crosschecked the handwriting and everything," he told the media.

His family said they suspect another person from the locality, who has some issues with them over some matter related to a church, behind the letter.

As per the report, nearly 2,000 police personnal have been deployed each in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi cities.
Muslims across the country celebrated Eid-ul-Fitr with religious fervour and festivities.

Cutting across age and economic barriers, hundreds of faithful thronged mosques and specially arranged Eidgahs to offer prayers.

IMAGE: A child offers Eid-ul-Fitr prayers in Jammu. All photographs: PTI Photo

IMAGE: Children greet each other during Eid celebrations in Jabalpur.

IMAGE: A girl shows her hands decorated with henna on Eid at Dharmanagar in north Tripura.

IMAGE: Children pose for a photograph on Eid at the Taj Mahal.

IMAGE: Eid hugs at the Jama Masjid in Delhi, here and below.

IMAGE: Muslims offer Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the Jama Masjid, New Delhi, here and below.

IMAGE: Eid prayers at the Ali Masjid in Srinagar.

IMAGE: Eid prayers at the Eidgah in Jammu.

IMAGE: Eid prayers in Agartala.

IMAGE: Police personnel greet Muslims after Eid namaaz at the Idgah Masjid in Thane.

IMAGE: A selfie during Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations in Malda.

IMAGE: Muslims offer Eid prayers at the Taj Mahal.

IMAGE: A father and children on Eid in Patiala.

IMAGE: Eid prayers at the Khairuddin Jama Masjid in Amritsar.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Mahipal Soni/Rediff.com
Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Centre over the recent terror attack on an Army vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir, the Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were busy in political work and terrorists took advantage of it.

IMAGE: Security personnel during a cordon and search operation after a terror attack in which five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured on Thursday, at the Bata-Doriya area in Poonch district. Photograph: ANI Photo

The party in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana said even after the revocation of Article 370, which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir, violence continues in the Kashmir Valley and there is still no peace there.

"The prime minister, home minister and defence minister are busy in their political work (a reference to Karnataka polls) and terrorists have taken advantage of this and flung a bomb at an Army vehicle in Jammu-Kashmir," the editorial said.

Assembly polls in BJP-ruled Karnataka will be held on May 10.

Five Army personnel were killed on Thursday after their vehicle caught fire following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

The PM speaks the language of war with Pakistan and he remembers Gautam Buddha's teachings of peace when it comes to China, the editorial said.

Taking a dig at the PM and home minister, the editorial said that terrorists dare to attack when there is a "strong prime minister and a firm home minister" in the country. So there is definitely something wrong with it, it said.

The central agencies are the weapons of Modi-Shah and terrorists do not seem to be scared of them, it added.

Banned terror group People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy wing of terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the Poonch attack.

There are reports suggesting that it was a handiwork of banned Lashker-e-Taiba group also.
On Thursday, April 20,2023, five army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured after their vehicle caught fire following a terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch.

The deceased soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations, the Army said.

IMAGE: Security personnel lay a wreath near the mortal remains of the 5 soldiers who were killed in a terrorist attack in Poonch district. Photograph: PTI Photo

IMAGE: The mortal remains of the five soldiers are placed for officers and men to pay their last respects in Rajouri. Photograph: ANI Photo

IMAGE: An officer lays a wreath near the mortal remains. Photograph: PTI Photo

IMAGE: Tributes are paid to the soldiers during a wreath laying ceremony. Photograph: PTI Photo

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he was paying the price for speaking the truth and vowed to continue to raise people's issues as he vacated his official bungalow in Lutyens' Delhi and shifted to his mother Sonia Gandhi's residence on Saturday.

IMAGE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi speaks with the media as he leaves from 12, Tughlak Lane bungalow after vacating it following his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP, in New Delhi on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

Gandhi, who was disqualified from Lok Sabha last month following his conviction in a defamation case, was asked to vacate the 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow by April 22.

"I have paid the price for speaking the truth, I am ready to pay any price," he said, adding he would continue to raise issues of price rise and corruption with double the force.

Saturday morning, Gandhi moved out all his belongings from the bungalow where he had been staying for almost two decades.

Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra visited the bungalow in the morning. He handed over keys of the vacated house to officials of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).

He also shook hands with CPWD officials and thanked them.

Talking to reporters while leaving the bungalow, he said, "I have no problem even if it has been snatched away from me. This house was given to me by the people of India. I will stay with the former Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) at 10, Janpath for some time and then find some other way."

IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi greet an official. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

Asked that he could have requested for more time to vacate the bungalow, Gandhi said, "I do not want to stay in this house."

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said her brother was very courageous and "not scared of anyone and he will continue his struggle".

All this is happening because he spoke the truth about this government, she said.

The Congress said the government may "evict" Gandhi from a house but he occupies a place in the hearts and homes of crores of Indians.

The party also launched a "MeraGharAapkaGhar" campaign on social media with party leaders offering their homes to Gandhi.

The Congress said on its official Twitter handle in Hindi that "this country is the home of Rahul Gandhi. Rahul who resides in the hearts of people."

"Rahul's relation with the public is unbreakable. Some see in him their son, some brother, some their leader.... Rahul belongs to everyone and everyone belongs to Rahul. This is the reason why today the country is saying- Rahul ji, my house-your house," the Congress said, using the hashtag "#MeraGharAapkaGhar".

IMAGE: Rahul and Priyanka at 12, Tughlak Lane bungalow. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

AICC general secretary K C Venugopal said, "They may evict you from a house, but you will always have a place in all our homes and hearts, Rahul ji. We know that such episodes won't deter you from raising the voice of the people and speaking truth to power."

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said Rahul Gandhi is neither worried about the post nor about the government house. "He did not compromise on his principles even after risking everything," he said.

He also took a swipe at former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who continues to be at his official residence allotted to him as the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, saying Rahul Gandhi is not a "Ghulam".

Another Congress spokesperson, Supriya Shrinate, said, "A house is not made of four walls and a cement roof. Home is a feeling - of peace, of love. And when crores of people open the doors of their hearts and homes for you, then it is even better."

"Rahul ji vacated his official residence today - his goal and destination is much higher than a house, much higher. No one can scare or silence this satyagrahi of truth because he is ready to pay any cost. #MeraGharAapkaGhar A small proof of this country's love for you Rahul ji," Shrinate said on Twitter.

IMAGE: Rahul Gandhi hands over the keys of 12, Tughlak Lane bungalow to a CPWD official. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

"Today Rahul Gandhi vacates his home at Tughlaq Lane in response to the LokSabha Secretariat's order. The Court gave him 30 days to appeal and the HC or SC could still reinstate him, but his exemplary gesture to move out shows his respect for the rules," said party MP Shashi Tharoor in a tweet.

Gandhi, the former Congress chief, was disqualified from Parliament after a Surat court convicted and awarded a two-year sentence to him in a defamation case over his Modi surname remarks made in Kolar in Karnataka in 2019.

He moved a sessions court against the magistrate's order but his plea was rejected. A relief on his conviction and disqualification could have paved the way for him to retain his official bungalow, allotted to him as a Wayanad MP.

Gandhi will now move the high court against the sessions court order.
CHONGQING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Thanks to a series of protection measures, the Dabry's sturgeon, an endangered species under China's first-class national protection, can again now be spotted in the Yangtze River.

The Dabry's sturgeon is also known as the Yangtze sturgeon, named after its habitat, the upper Yangtze River. It had lost its natural ability to reproduce since 2000 due to overfishing and water pollution, among other factors. The International Union for Conservation of Nature declared the species extinct in the wild in July last year.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, underwater cameras have recently captured the natural spawning of the Yangtze sturgeon and the eggs being hatched into seedlings. This proved that mature individuals in the artificial Yangtze sturgeon population have the ability to reproduce in the wild.

Overfishing was once a serious challenge that imperiled the Yangtze sturgeon and other rare and endemic fish species in the Yangtze River. To restore the biodiversity along the river, China implemented a full fishing ban in 332 conservation areas of the Yangtze River basin in January 2020. A year later, on Jan. 1, 2021, a 10-year fishing ban took effect in pivotal waters of the Yangtze.

Surprisingly, many fishermen have now become guardians of fish in the Yangtze River, as they make the most of their knowledge about fish and expertise in steering ships.

Zhang Song, who had relied on fishing for a living since 2000, volunteered to become a member of the fish protection team in Wanzhou District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, patrolling the Yangtze River and busting poaching and illegal fishing activities.

"I have to admit that my work is kind of strenuous, but I volunteered to shoulder the responsibility in a bid to ensure that our descendants can live along a Yangtze River with a good environment," Zhang said.

The Yangtze River Protection Law, China's first legislation on a specific river basin, came into force on March 1, 2021, strengthening oversight as well as the prevention and control of water pollution in the river basin. With this law, Zhang's work was bolstered and became easier.

"The 10-year fishing ban is conducive to biodiversity in the Yangtze River," said Mou Hongmin, deputy director of the fisheries research institute of Wanzhou District.

For most commercially viable fish species in the Yangtze River, 10 years will witness two to three generations of fish breeding. That's why the ban can restore fishery resources and enhance fish spawning, Mou said.

In addition, researchers have invested efforts in the artificial breeding of the Yangtze sturgeon and other critically endangered species. A school of Yangtze sturgeons swim freely at a rare fish breeding base in Wanzhou District, as Mou carefully observes their growth states.

"Till now, we have successfully cultivated more than 100 parent Yangtze River sturgeons and are now working on artificial breeding technological breakthroughs," Mou said. "The release of the captive-bred Yangtze sturgeons into natural waters will help restore its population."

In recent years, illegal docks and sand excavation activities that jeopardize the spawning sites of rare fish species have also been cleaned up in line with the Yangtze River Protection Law.

Once badly damaged by sand excavation activities, the bank of a section of the Yangtze River in Jiangjin District, Chongqing, has seen obvious environmental restoration over the past few years.

This section is likely to become a spawning site for Yangtze sturgeons and other rare fish species in the future, and full preparations are being made to welcome them home, according to a research team at Southwest University. 
Former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, who has been called by the Central Bureau of Investigation over an alleged insurance 'scam', and some Khap leaders held a protest at a police station in New Delhi on Saturday after not being allowed to hold a meeting at a south Delhi park as they lacked requisite permission, according to officials, who rejected reports that he was detained.

IMAGE: Former J&K governor Satya Pal Malik with his supporters at RK Puram police station, in New Delhi on Saturday, April 22, 2023. Photograph: Arun Sharma/PTI Photo

Questioning the police action, Malik said he and his supporters had gone to the R K Puram Police Station to protest as he was stopped from giving food to Khap leaders at the park. According to police, they all left the police station around 2.30 pm.

Senior Haryana-based farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the meeting was called by Malik and a group of khap leaders, but nobody was scheduled to speak at the venue. "Where is violation of rules in this?" he asked.

The meeting was scheduled to be held at the MCD park in R K Puram and Malik was supposed to take part, a police officer said.

He said the former Jammu and Kashmir governor was informed this was not a place to hold a meeting and also that he has not taken a permission from the authorities concerned.

After that he and his supporters left the place and arrived at the R K Puram police station, the officer added.

The Delhi Police issued a statement, saying he had gone to the police station "of his own volition", refuting reports that Malik had been detained.

"We have not detained former governor Satya Pal Malik. He came on his own volition, along with his supporters, to the R K Puram police station and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said in a statement.

Speaking to the mediapersons before going to the police station, Malik said he wanted to give food to the Khap leaders who were at the park.

"I don't have much space in my house, so I decided to give them food here (at the park). They (police) have orders from somewhere not to allow the gathering and let me give them the food. I told them 'arrest me and I am coming with you'."

When asked what the police told him, he said, "(they said) will not allow."

"Why should we go to an alternative place? We will go to the police station and offer a satyagrah there...I am going to R K Puram police station and I will protest there," he said.

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni told PTI, "I fail to understand why we were not allowed by police to hold the meeting as there was no scheduled speech of any farmer leaders there. Malik ji wanted to serve food to farmer leaders at the park. Where is violation of rules in this."

Asked whether the said meeting was scheduled in wake of the CBI asking Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir, Chaduni said, "It (meeting) was already scheduled to be held on Saturday."

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police took to Twitter to say that reports about Malik's detention was false.

"False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will," it said in a tweet.

The CBI has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir.

This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency. Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya.

The CBI move comes barely a week after Malik gave an interview to The Wire, in which he made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.
A 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district that triggered violent protests, police said.

IMAGE: Security personnel try to control the situation after violent protests by locals over the death of a minor girl, in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal, Saturday, April 22, 2023. Photograph: PTI Photo

The 17-year-old girl, whose body was found in a canal in Kaliaganj police station area on Friday, knew the man, Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sana Akhtar said, identifying him as the prime accused.

A case has been filed under IPC section 302 (murder) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on the complaint filed by the girl's mother, he said.

The preliminary post-mortem report revealed no injury to the body, Akhtar said, adding that a bottle of poison was found near the body.

"We are investigating the case from all angles," he said.

Violence rocked Kaliaganj, around 18 km from the Bangladesh border and 430 km north of Kolkata, as locals protested against the incident, prompting the police to use tear gas shells and charge batons to bring the situation under control, officials said.

Several shops and e-rickshaws were set on fire by the mob, which demanded the arrest of those behind the incident. Roads were also blocked and stones were hurled at the police, they said.

The RSS-backed ABVP gheraoed the Kaliaganj police station, while BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar sat on a dharna outside the SP office in Raiganj, demanding justice for the victim's family.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed to bring the situation under control, police said, adding that a few protestors were also detained.

Three persons were injured in the police action and admitted to the Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital, officials said.

Majumdar, who visited the victim's village along with local BJP MP Debasree Chaudhuri, demanded a CBI investigation into the incident.

"We think the real truth will be revealed only if a CBI inquiry is conducted in this case," he told reporters.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also sent a team to the area, and sought a report from the state police within three days.

The girl went missing on Thursday evening after she left home for going to her tuition classes. Her body was found the next day floating in a canal amid hectic searches by her family and locals.

Protests had started on Friday afternoon but quietened down by the day-end, only to restart on Saturday.
A person rests on a path along the Datong Lake in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province, on April 20, 2023. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

This aerial photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows a view of Datong Lake aquatic plants industrial demonstration park in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

Workers collect aquatic plants at Datong Lake aquatic plants industrial demonstration park in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province, April 20, 2023. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

This aerial photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows a view of Datong Lake aquatic plants industrial demonstration park in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

This photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows water lilies at Datong Lake aquatic plants industrial demonstration park in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

A worker collects aquatic plants at Datong Lake aquatic plants industrial demonstration park in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province, April 20, 2023. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

This photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows a view of Datong Lake aquatic plants industrial demonstration park in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

This aerial photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows workers collecting aquatic plants at Datong Lake aquatic plants industrial demonstration park in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

Workers collect aquatic plants at Datong Lake aquatic plants industrial demonstration park in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province, April 20, 2023. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)

This aerial photo taken on April 20, 2023 shows a view of Datong Lake in Yiyang, central China's Hunan Province. Datong Lake, covering an area of 124,000 mu (about 8,266 hectares), was once heavily polluted due to disorderly aquaculture development.

After the start of the ecological restoration work in 2018, Datong Lake has since then witnessed significant improvement in its water quality and economic returns. (Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai)
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.
by Xinhua writer Wang Zhuolun

JERUSALEM, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Muslim holy month of Ramadan ended quietly on Friday with no escalation of Israeli-Palestinian violence despite the tense situation earlier in the month. Analysts attributed it to the belief held by both sides that no one would benefit from further escalation.

Everyone's nerves were on edge when Israeli police clashed with Palestinian worshippers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem on April 5, the flashpoint holy site in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The violence sparked rocket attacks from Gaza Strip, Lebanon and Syria, for which Israel retaliated with airstrikes.

In the West Bank, several Palestinians were killed by the Israeli military forces in different locations, and two British-Israeli sisters and their mother were shot dead in a Palestinian drive-by attack. Over 200 Palestinian protesters were injured on April 10 during clashes near the West Bank City of Nablus, after seven Israeli ministers and over 17,000 settlers organized a march toward an unpermitted outpost to demand legalizing it.

These clashes fueled fears about further escalation of violence during the holy Muslim month of fasting, which overlapped the Jewish holiday of Passover. Yet, such fears were gradually eased in the following days.

On April 7, the Home Front Command of the Israeli Defense Forces announced the lifting of restrictions on the residents of towns close to the border with the Gaza Strip. Israeli media reported that "unless more projectiles are launched at Israel, the current round of fighting might be over."

For the embattled Israeli government, mired in a 15-week standoff with the public over the controversial judicial overhaul, further escalation of the Israel-Palestinian conflict will only aggravate the situation, Israeli analysts said.

Orna Mizrahi, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, said that the strong military power of Israel also constitutes a deterrent to its enemies.

Israelis and Palestinians are probably on a "new normal," characterized by tit-for-tat violence that does not constitute a gigantic eruption but a new constant grind of reciprocal brutality, wrote Hussein Ibish, a senior resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington D.C., in an opinion piece on The National, a newspaper published in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Michael Milshtein, head of the Palestinian Studies Forum at the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, believed that Lebanon and Syria "have small or no interest in the escalation of violence.

"There is a tight connection between the strategic regional developments and the Israel-Palestinian situation," Milshtein told Xinhua, referring to the recent regional rapprochement in the Middle East marked by the reconciliatory steps taken by regional rivals, notably Iran and Saudi Arabia, to restore diplomatic ties.

The trend reflects the growing confidence of relevant regional countries, and Israel's enemies are keeping an eye on the possible escalation of tension "to examine Israel's deterrence and resiliency," he said.

"The normalization of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran is a turning point for regional political landscape and there is no interest of countries to support the escalation of Israel-Palestinian conflicts," Assaf Meydani, president of the Israeli Political Science Association and dean of the School of Government and Society at the Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo, told Xinhua.

For the Israeli government which expected to reach diplomatic breakthroughs with more Arab countries, a new round of large-scale military actions will only backfire, analysts said.

Nimrod Goren, president of the Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, told Xinhua that the current geopolitical landscape for Israel is becoming more complex as cooperation in various fields among Middle Eastern countries keeps expanding.

"Now we also see the increasing exchanges between Israel and some regional countries, out of strategic considerations that have gone beyond economic gains," Goren said. "Though political differences are still in place, cooperation based on common interests is gaining momentum." Enditem

(Nick Kolyohin also contributed to the story.)
GREENWICH  An educator who was charged with multiple felonies in Greenwich for sexual crimes involving a minor has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for similar offenses involving a young person in New York state.

John Mueser, 72, pleaded guilty in January to federal charges stemming from what federal prosecutors called enticement of a 7-year-old to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse images.

According to the Southern District of New York, Mueser, of Yonkers, N.Y., was working as a private tutor in 2019 when he committed the acts involving a young person in New York. He was 68 at the time.

The federal authorities thanked the Greenwich Police Department in connection with the investigation in New York that resulted in the lengthy prison sentence handed down in federal court in White Plains, N.Y., Wednesday.

Judge Vincent Briccetti called the defendants criminal conduct truly reprehensible" during the sentencing. He said that the sentence he imposed might amount to a life sentence, and that does not trouble me at all, according to a statement on the case from the SDNY. Federal prosecutors said other victims were involved in New York.

Mueser is facing charges in Connecticut where the criminal case against him is still pending, though it remains unlikely that he will be tried in Connecticut given the 25-year sentence he received in New York. His status is formally listed as "on the trial list, to be scheduled" on the state Superior Court calendar for the felony charges against him by Greenwich police in 2020. Mueser was cited in Connecticut for risk of injury to a minor, first-degree possession of child pornography, risk of injury to a minor and voyeurism. Greenwich police did not release specifics about the case resulting in his arrest in 2020.

Mueser had been working at Riverdale Country School in the Bronx, N.Y., while also doing work as a private tutor for families in the region when he was arrested. He was later dismissed from his position as an educator at the private school.

U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said at the court proceeding this week, "As todays sentencing underscores, we will continue to use every tool available to law enforcement to prosecute and punish those who exploit children.

Mueser had a postal address in the village of Tuckahoe, N.Y., while his residence listed in court papers lies within the city of Yonkers.
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VERNON  The impaired driver who turned into the path of an oncoming police car initially blamed his fiancee for the crash that caused her death, according to the warrant for his arrest.

Phillip A. Vargas was arraigned Friday on second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle and other charges in state Superior Court in Rockville.

With help from two relatives and leaning heavily on his crutches, Vargas struggled to rise from his seat in court, grimacing in pain, when his name was called and slowly approached the defense table. The former Marine, who wore a cervical collar and braces on his leg and foot, had posted $75,000 bail Thursday night with the help of his family, according to his lawyer, James Sulick.

His case was continued to June 30.

Vargas, 33, of Nye Street in Vernon, was arrested on a warrant Thursday in Bridgeport, the hometown of his fiancee, Bianca Colon Hernandez, who was killed in the violent collision on April 2. Colon Hernandez, 25, was a teacher at Springfield Preparatory Charter School. Their 1  -year-old son Damian was strapped into a safety seat in the back of the car during the crash and was treated for minor injuries.

Vargas suffered life-threatening injuries in the crash. Police Officer Andre Lisee, who was not wearing his seatbelt, was treated for injuries that police described as non-life-threatening.

According to his arrest warrant, Vargas told a Vernon police sergeant in the ambulance that someone else was driving the car and provided a false name for the person, the warrant stated. Police said the false information caused a delay in positively identifying Colon Hernandez. Vargas later claimed Colon Hernandez was behind the wheel when the crash occurred, according to the warrant.

In addition to second-degree manslaughter with a motor vehicle, Vargas was charged with operating while under the influence, second-degree reckless endangerment, operating a motor vehicle containing a passenger younger than 18 while under the influence, risk of injury to a minor and failure to grant right of way when turning left, according to Manchester Police Chief William Darby. Manchester police led the investigation by Metro Traffic Services, a regional traffic team, to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest.

According to the warrant for Vargas arrest, Lisee was driving east between 86 and 90 mph at the time of impact with the Nissan Sentra as the Nissan began to turn left from Hartford Turnpike to Bolton Road. Vargas' green arrow traffic signal had expired, the warrant said.

The officer was on his way to a domestic violence incident after a fellow officer asked for help, police said. In addition to the call for backup, Lisee told investigators he heard popping sounds on his police radio that he thought was gunfire.

"I believed these 'pops' were gunshots and that Officer Zawadski and Officer Sutherland were involved in a shooting," Lisee said, according to the warrant.

He also said that when he approached the intersection, "the traffic light for the intersection was solid green for eastbound and westbound traffic, therefore, the left turn signal for westbound traffic would not have been on," the warrant said.

Despite the officers speed, the warrant concluded that Vargas would have been able to see the approaching police car  which had both its lights and sirens activated, the warrant said.

An analysis by traffic investigators showed Vargas had a clear and unobstructed view of (the police SUV), with its emergency lights and sirens activated, 461 feet prior to the collision. It took 3.6 seconds for the SUV to travel that distance, according to the warrant.

Vargas blood-alcohol content was 0.10, above the legal limit of 0.08, the warrant stated. He tested positive for cannabinoids or synthetic THC, alcohol and naloxone, the drug that is used to revive people when they overdose on opioids. His blood tested negative for opiates, however, according to the warrant. Police said medical staff may have administered naloxone when Vargas was being treated at the scene or hospital.

Lab technicians told police it appeared he had used a THC vape or ingested an edible the day of the crash, the warrant said, and the level of cannabinoids "within his system indicates he was experiencing the psychoactive effects of delta-8 THC."

There were two Fireball nip alcohol containers near the Nissan Sentra and 27 nip bottles, some opened, inside the car, the warrant said. Also inside the car were two open Guinness beer bottles, according to the warrant.

Investigators wrote in the warrant that there was no way to know if Vargas was using a cellphone at the time of the crash because he did not give police his PIN access code when asked.

Another piece of evidence police lack is dashboard camera footage. There is no dash cam in the patrol vehicle, a 2022 hybrid Ford Explorer. None of Vernons police vehicles have dash cams, which is a violation of state law. The cameras are on order, Police Chief John Kelley said.

However, the Nissan Sentra did have a dashboard camera, but the VanTrue dash camera and memory card contained no video images or usable files, according to the warrant.

Colon Hernandez was described in her obituary as a vibrant and caring person, "a force to be reckoned with."

A 2019 graduate of Fairfield University, she spent her high school years attending Bullard-Havens Technical High School in Bridgeport, graduating in 2015. She was a multi-sport high school athlete and a member of the National Honor Society, said Kerry Markey, director of communications for the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System.

Before getting her teaching job in Springfield, she taught in Bridgeport Public Schools.

Even though she lived in Vernon and worked in Massachusetts, Colon Hernandez traveled to Stratford every other weekend to work at the House of Pho restaurant, according to its owner, Loi Le.

"She didnt work here because she needed to, she worked here because she wanted to," Le said after her death. "Shes family here."
Connecticut State Police / Contributed Photo

A 52-year-old Danielson man died from injuries he received after he crashed into the back of a pickup truck on the Montville Connector, or Route 32, to Interstate 395 in Waterford on Friday, according to state police.

State police identified the man as David R. Mcelroy. He suffered facial and torso lacerations from the incident and was taken to Backus Hospital in Norwich where he was later pronounced dead.
"The Fates Will Find Their Way," "We Are Too Many: A Memoir [Kind of]" and "Listen to Me" by Hannah Pittard. (Ecco / Henry Holt and Co. )

This week Im going to break a couple of the guidelines I try to hold myself to here.

One is that I try not to write about books that arent already released and available to the public. Having been greatly irritated by reviews that tout a book that wont be out for a number of weeks (or even months), I have no wish to visit that irritation on anyone else.

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However, I am breaking my own rule because I am so excited about this book, which will not be out until May 2, and want to be one of the first on record about its greatness.

The book? We Are Too Many by Hannah Pittard.

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The book is billed as a memoir in which Pittard digs through her past and present in the aftermath of discovering that her husband is having an affair with her best friend, a discovery she makes as she is heading to New York on the eve of the release of her third novel (Listen to Me) where she is to meet up with her husband and best friend.

While that hook is undeniably powerful, this inciting incident serves as a jumping-off point from which Pittard examines and interrogates the very stuff of love, marriage, relationships, grieving, and trying to be a whole and contented person in the world. The shock is a kind of crucible through which Pittard emerges, bringing, dare I say it, wisdom.

The other guideline Im going to break is giving any credence to a books jacket copy, which is often larded with hyperbole, an advertisement not to be trusted. But in this case, that copy calls the book, Clever and bold and radically honest to an unthinkable degree, and my only response is that I couldnt have said it better myself.

As stunning as the book is, I was not entirely surprised. I have been a Pittard fan since her 2011 debut, The Fates Will Find Their Way, a novel about a missing girl and the people marked by her absence. The book offers a rawness mixed with elegance, and shows an acuity of insight into the complexities of human feeling that is truly special. Its a book Ive recommended often.

Her follow-up, Reunion, is equally powerful, another story of absence, as the plot revolves around the sudden death of the narrators father and the family secrets that are revealed as they gather to lay the man to rest.

Listen to Me is a gripping road trip horror novel that serves as the backdrop for a story of a crumbling marriage, a relationship that we find out in We Are Too Many significantly resembles Pittards own.

We Are Too Many opens with a series of dialogues  some real, some remembered and some invented  which often mix humor and sadness in the span of several lines. In some ways, they read like an interrogation Pittard is conducting of her husband and her best friend, but Pittard is just as likely to turn the lens on herself as she wrestles with loving the two people who betrayed her.

In the second half of the book, Pittard takes the wreckage and holds it up to the world around us, wondering if anything other than what happened is even possible, if happiness and contentment are simply not in the cards for creatures as complex as humans.

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Pittards attempt to make sense of the senseless draws the reader toward the same questions. In the end, we are not only drawn into an intimacy with the author, but we may come to know ourselves better as well.

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

John Warner tells you what to read based on the last five books youve read.

1. Theyre Going to Love You by Meg Howrey

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2. The Rabbit Hutch by Tess Gunty

3. Foster by Claire Keegan

4. Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer

5. Im Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

 Mary G., Los Angeles

Mary is a good fit for a novel that mixes drama, humor, mystery and Irishness into an epic coming-of-age story: Skippy Dies by Paul Murray.

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1. Eat the Document by Dana Spiotta

2. Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

3. The Sense of Beauty by George Santayana

4. The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

5. Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

 Bill T., San Francisco

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My Biblioracle senses immediately said, Louise Erdrich, so the tougher part is picking among a number of choice candidates. Im going with The Round House.

1. Book Lovers by Emily Henry

2. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

3. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

4. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

5. The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

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 Lisa P., Northbrook

Ive got nothing against celebrity book clubs because Im all for anything that gets people reading, but I think just about all of these are part of those clubs, so Im going to recommend a book that is not on those lists, but is one that I think will be a good fit for Lisa, Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin.

Get a reading from the Biblioracle

Send a list of the last five books youve read and your hometown to biblioracle@gmail.com
KHARTOUM, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Sudanese army on Saturday said it would help to secure the evacuation of foreign diplomats and nationals amid Sudan's deadly clashes between the army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

According to a Sudanese army statement, its General Commander Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan received calls from leaders of a number of countries requesting the evacuation of their nationals and diplomats.

"Al-Burhan agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure this," the statement said.

The army said the United States, Britain and France said they would "immediately" evacuate their diplomats and nationals from the Sudanese capital Khartoum.

The Saudi diplomatic mission has earlier left Sudan and headed back to the kingdom, and the Jordanian diplomats would be evacuated later, the statement said.

Sporadic clashes took place on Saturday morning around the Republican Palace and in areas south of Khartoum, despite a truce declared by the two conflicting sides, according to eyewitnesses.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly armed clashes between the Sudanese army and the RSF in Khartoum and other areas since April 15, with the two sides accusing each other of initiating the conflict.

Until Friday, the clashes left over 400 people dead and about 3,500 wounded, according to the Sudanese health ministry. 
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday met his counterpart from Surinam Albert Ramdin here in Guyana's capital and discussed development partnership, cultural cooperation, security and climate issues.

Jaishankar began his nine-day trip to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic on Friday.

"Began the morning in Guyana by meeting FM Albert Ramdin of Suriname. Recalled President @CSantokhi 's visit for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas this January which has further deepened our age-old ties," he tweeted.

"Discussed development partnership, cultural cooperation, security, climate and International Big Cat Alliance. Welcomed his appreciation of the International Year of Millets," he said.

The year 2023 has been designated as the International Year of Millets' (IYM) after a proposal for it was brought forward by India and endorsed by Members of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Governing Bodies, as well as by the 75th Session of the UN General Assembly.

Grown in more than 130 countries at present, millet is considered traditional food for more than half a billion people across Asia and Africa.

Jaishankar also met Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Dr Carla Natalie Barnett and exchanged views on intensifying India-CARICOM ties in traditional as well as new areas of cooperation.
A 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district that triggered violent protests, police said.

The 17-year-old girl, whose body was found in a canal in Kaliachak police station area on Friday, knew the man, Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sana Akhtar said, identifying him as the prime accused.

#WATCH | West Bengal: Clashes erupt in Uttar Dinajpur over the alleged rape and murder of a minor girl. Police and security personnel on the spot. pic.twitter.com/GeGEaVMxP2  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

A case has been filed under IPC section 302 (murder) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on the complaint filed by the girl's mother, he said.

The preliminary post-mortem report revealed no injury to the body, Akhtar said, adding that a bottle of poison was found near the body. "We are investigating the case from all angles," he said.

Uttar Dinajpur minor girl death case | WB: We found a deadbody of a girl, police reached the spot. Probe began. Main accused, his father were detained. Case was registred based on family's complaint. Both accused sent to 14-day police custody: SP Uttar Dinajpur pic.twitter.com/qDCVouaY3M  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

Violence rocked Kaliachak, around 18 km from the Bangladesh border and 320 km north of Kolkata, as locals protested against the incident, prompting the police to use tear gas shells and charge batons to bring the situation under control, officials said.

Several shops and e-rickshaws were set on fire by the mob, which demanded the arrest of those behind the incident. Roads were also blocked and stones were hurled at the police, they said.

The RSS-backed ABVP gheraoed the Kaliaganj police station, while BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar sat on a dharna outside the SP office in Raiganj, demanding justice for the victim's family.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed to bring the situation under control, police said, adding that a few protestors were also detained.

Three persons were injured in the police action and admitted to the Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital, officials said.

Majumdar, who visited the victim's village along with local BJP MP Debasree Chaudhuri, demanded a CBI investigation into the incident.

"We think the real truth will be revealed only if a CBI inquiry is conducted in this case," he told reporters.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also sent a team to the area, and sought a report from the state police within three days.

The girl went missing on Thursday evening after she left home for going to her tuition classes. Her body was found the next day floating in a canal amid hectic searches by her family and locals. Protests had started on Friday afternoon but quietened down by the day-end, only to restart on Saturday.
A recent assessment by the Military Intelligence of the Netherlands (MIVD) has asserted that China has tried to get over export limitations and attempted to purchase equipment and know-how from the Netherlands aerospace industry. Beijing has however refuted the allegations.

The Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands rejected the claims as unfounded, inaccurate, and unfair. Jan Swillens, chief of the MIVD military intelligence organisation, stated: "The Netherlands remains an attractive espionage target for China... especially in the domain of semiconductor industry, quantum technology, and the aerospace and maritime industry."

In his annual report, Jan Swillens, the chief of the MIVD, stated that his organisation "detected and prevented various Chinese attempts to acquire (military) technology" in the previous year. MIVD remarked that China made many attempts in 2022 to acquire military technology outside of the export limits. Employees of the agency also found a number of front firms that had been used in the process.

Dutch entities are 'being targeted on a large scale'

"Dutch firms, knowledge institutes and scientists are being targeted on a large scale. China is rapidly developing advanced weapons with advanced technologies (including) different types of anti-satellite weapons -- highly destructive in nature." China is working hard to accelerate satellite launches and hopes to perform as many as 100 a year, up from 40 by 2020, according to MIVD.

The MIVD asserted that China wants to become a worldwide leader in space by creating cutting-edge quantum communication networks. China poses "the greatest threat to Dutch economic security," according to the Dutch general intelligence agency AIVD, which issued this warning on Monday.

The Dutch intelligence agency claimed Beijing had used "legitimate investments, corporate takeovers, and academic cooperation, as well as illegal espionage, insiders," among other tactics in the European nation, reported the Global Times.

The Netherlands is a pioneer in the production of chips, which are essential parts for products like smartphones and linked cars but also for military gear. The Hague placed additional export limits on computer chip manufacturing technology in March in response to lobbying from Washington in an effort to prevent access of the technology to the Chinese.

(With ANI inputs)
Two people died and ten others sustained injuries after a restaurant caught on fire in Spain. According to The Sun, the incident took place on Friday night and the flames tore through the Burro Canaglia Bar and Resto in Madrid, Spain. As per the report by the news outlet, the fire reportedly started while a waiter was Flambeing a desert. The police identified the deceased as men aged between 25 and 30.

After the incident took place, customers struggled to escape the site as fire rapidly engulfed the walls that were decorated with plastic plants. One of the victims has already been identified as a worker at the restaurant, which is located in the upmarket Salamanca neighbourhood in Madrid. According to the British news outlet, six of the injured people were taken to the local hospitals after the fire broke out at 11 pm on Friday.

The injured are in serious condition

The condition of all the injured is 'serious'. Eyewitnesses told the authorities that the fire broke out after the waiter set fire to a dessert. However, the matter is still under investigation. A fire in a restaurant in Manuel Becerra Square has resulted in the deaths of two people. Six people hurt have been taken to different hospitals in serious condition. Four other people suffered minor injuries, a spokesperson from the Emergency services coordinator of Emergencies Madrid told the local media, as per the report by The Sun. Twelve firefighter crews have put out the fire that spread quickly across the restaurant ceiling. They also rescued several people, clients and employees, the spokesperson added.

Firefighter chief Carlos Marin made it clear that his crew reported to the incident site immediately. People came running to the fire station which is only about 400 metres from the restaurant. Our response was very quick because half of us responded by running to the scene on foot and the other half in vehicles, Marin asserted. People were trapped inside when we arrived and after extinguishing the flames, we performed 12 rescues. They were trapped because the flames were preventing them from reaching the exit, he added.
Portugal's president welcomed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties with his country's natural partner in the European Union.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Portugal is home to over 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

The trip is Lula's first to a European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October. While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration.

Lula annoyed leaders in the EU and the United States last weekend by stating that Ukraine and Russia had both chosen to go to war and that Western military aid was fueling the conflict. He also welcomed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Brasilia on Monday.

Lula has proposed that a group of nations including Brazil and China mediate a peaceful resolution to the war. After his comments sparked sharp criticism from the White House, he condemned the violation of Ukraines territorial integrity.

Lula was expected to use his four-day visit to Portugal to ease tensions. The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016 during Lula's second term, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip.

The event will be the setting for the signing of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Lulas itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honor renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraer's factory near Lisbon.
The populist leaders of Serbia and Hungary observed a Serbian military exercise Saturday, an event seen as a display of lethal firepower amid the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Balkans.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Serbia on a previously unannounced visit. He was greeted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who said he was happy to once again welcome a great friend of Serbia.

Serbian-Hungarian relations are at the highest level in the history of our countries, Vucic wrote on Instagram.

Both leaders have maintained political and economic ties with Russia despite its aggression in Ukraine. Their relations with Moscow have been a sore spot with other European nations and with the U.S.

Although Serbia formally seeks membership in the European Union, Vucic has refused to join international sanctions against Russia or publicly condemn the war in Ukraine.

And while Hungary is a member of both the EU and NATO, Orban has criticised war-related sanctions on Moscow. His government also has said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he were to enter the country despite him being the subject of an international warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Saturday's exercise at a military airport on the outskirts of Belgrade included low passes by Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets and Mil helicopters, as well as a display of a recently delivered Chinese anti-aircraft missile system and drones.

Serbias military buildup has raised concerns among some of the countrys neighbors, which fear it could threaten the fragile peace in the region that was engulfed in a bloody war in the 1990s.

Vucic said he and Serbian military commanders were watching how the war in Ukraine is being conducted and planning future purchases of military hardware accordingly.

Serbia has never had a stronger army in its history, Vucic said.

The exercise came a day before local elections in a Serb-populated northern region of Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as a separate country.

The elections on Sunday have triggered ethnic tensions and fears of possible incidents. Many Serbian voters planned to boycott the votes.
At least seven people, including four children, were killed on Saturday when an over-speeding trailer crashed into roadside huts in Pakistan's Punjab province, a media report said.

The accident, which also injured four others, occurred when the speeding trailer skidded off the road and rammed into huts located along the road in Dunyapur city of Lodhran district, ARY news channel reported.

According to rescue officials, seven people were killed on the spot, of which four were children and two women, the report said.

Police and rescue teams rushed to the accident site and shifted the injured and the dead bodies to the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital.

The deputy commissioner and the district police announced Rs 50,000 ex gratia assistance to the families of each of the deceased, the report said.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar co-chaired the 4th India-CARICOM ministerial meeting with his Jamaican counterpart Kaminaj Smith here in Guyana's capital and discussed a range of issues, including trade, climate change and counterterrorism.

Jaishankar also had separate bilateral meetings on Friday with counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada, and Barbados.

During the bilateral meetings, the minister touched upon various issues including expanding cooperation, trade, climate change, digital transformation, health domains, agriculture, and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).

"Good to meet Dr Amery Browne, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Spoke about taking forward our development partnership focusing on digital transformation and health domains. Will continue our cooperation at multilateral forums," the minister tweeted.

"So nice to meet Foreign Minister Dr Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis on the sidelines of the India-CARICOM meeting. Noted our resonance in agriculture and digital domains. Conveyed that India will always voice the concerns of the Global South," Jaishankar said in a string of tweets.

Good to meet Dr. Amery Browne, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago.



Spoke on taking forward our development partnership focusing on digital transformation and health domains.



Will continue our cooperation at multilateral forums. pic.twitter.com/8Vv4c6tmTE  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 22, 2023

"Glad to meet FM of St. Vincent and Grenadines Keisal Peters today (Friday). Appreciated SVGs interest in Millets. Also discussed our ongoing projects and further expanding of cooperation," he added in a separate tweet.

"Happy to meet FM Joseph Andall of Grenada. Discussed advancing our development partnership. Also reaffirmed our belief in Reformed Multilateralism," another tweet said.

"Glad to meet with Barbados Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds. Exchanged views on working together in domains of renewable energy, health and skills." The minister also had a bilateral meeting with the co-chair of the India-CARICOM meeting Kaminaj Smith and "discussed taking forward cooperation in training and development partnership", he tweeted.

"Agreed on the importance of business-to-business exchanges for stronger ties," he added.

The minister also met Bahamas Parliamentary Secretary Jamahl Strachen, an Indian alumnus, and discussed International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), as well as the UNSC reforms, he tweeted.

Jaishankar began his nine-day trip to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic on Friday by meeting his counterpart from Surinam Albert Ramdin here.

"Co-chaired 4th India-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting with Jamaican FM @kaminajsmith at @CARICOMorg HQ. Thank FM Guyana Hugh Todd for inviting us all," he tweeted.

He said he appreciated the perspectives of his counterparts from the Caribbean nations of Surinam, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, and representatives from Belize and Bahamas.

"Discussed our wide-ranging sectoral cooperation, including in Trade & Economy; Agriculture & Food Security; Health & Pharma; Energy & Renewables; Infrastructure, ICT & eGovernance; Development Partnership & Capacity Building; Higher Education; Culture and P2P domains," he tweeted.

"Also exchanged views on vital issues of Climate Change & Disaster Resilience; Counter Terrorism; Reformed Multilateralism and closer cooperation at multilateral forums. Agreed on follow-up steps, including holding the second Joint Commission Meeting this year," Jaishankar said.

Earlier on Friday, Jaishankar also met Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Dr Carla Natalie Barnett and exchanged views on intensifying India-CARICOM ties in traditional as well as new areas of cooperation.

CARICOM is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states (14 nation-states and one dependency) throughout the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean.
It appears that India, at least on the international stage, is determined to be the voice of the voiceless. India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is in the South American nation of Guyana. In the capital city of Guyana, Georgetown, Jaishankar planted a tree and expressed his hope that may the tree grow, reflecting the vitality of India-Guyana relationship. So, what exactly is the basis of this relationship?

Let's hear it from the horse's mouth, so to say. After landing in Guyana, Jaishankar said that India will represent countries that are not on the G20 table. He was speaking in the context of India's G20 Presidency. The EAM was speaking during the 4th Caricom - India ministerial meeting in Guyana.

"This year we have the privelege of chairing the G20 and my PM is very clear that we are not there just for ourselves but also for the countries who are not on the G20 table. Therefore, we did a round of consultations on what we call the Voice of Global South process", he said.

This is the basis of India's relationship with Guyana and many other countries in the Global South. Most multilateral institutions are dominated by OECD nations. India seeks to represent the nations whose voices are often ignored in these multilateral institutions.

Celebrated Earth day in Georgetown by planting a Simarupa tree in this beautiful country.



May this sapling grow and prosper reflecting the strength and vitality of India-Guyana relationship.



: https://t.co/JaZe6bq6DW pic.twitter.com/GdCkBnnPBJ  Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) April 22, 2023

So, what exactly is the Global South that Jaishankar was referring to and why does India want to represent this Global South? The term "Global South" is a geopolitical concept that refers to a group of countries primarily located in the Southern Hemisphere and encompassing regions such as Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The Global South is often characterized by its historical and ongoing economic, social, and political challenges, including issues such as colonial legacies and marginalization in the global order.

Representing the Global South

India, as one of the major countries in the Global South, has expressed an interest in representing this region in international forums for various reasons. One key motivation for India to seek representation of the Global South is to promote its national interests and influence in global governance structures. India, with its large population, growing economy, and significant geopolitical weight, sees itself as a prominent player in shaping global policies and decisions. Representing the Global South allows India to leverage its status as a major developing country and assert its influence on the international stage, particularly in multilateral institutions like the G20, United Nations (UN), etc.

Furthermore, India's pursuit of representing the Global South is rooted in its historical legacy of colonialism and the associated struggle for independence. Many countries in the Global South, including India, have a shared history of colonization by European powers, which has left deep social, economic, and political imprints. As such, representing the Global South is seen as a means for India to stand up against historical injustices, assert its sovereignty, and address the legacies of colonialism by advocating for the interests and aspirations of developing countries in global forums.

India also views representing the Global South as an opportunity to address the economic disparities and inequalities that persist between the Global South and the Global North, which primarily comprises developed countries in the Northern Hemisphere. India, along with other countries in the Global South, often advocates for issues such as development assistance, technology transfer, trade and investment, and equitable access to global resources, with the aim of addressing the developmental gaps and promoting inclusive growth in developing countries.

Moreover, India's pursuit of representing the Global South aligns with its foreign policy doctrine of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," which means "the world is one family" in Sanskrit. This philosophy underscores India's commitment to promoting global solidarity, cooperation, and mutual understanding among nations, particularly those in the Global South. India's representation of the Global South is seen as a manifestation of its commitment to the principles of South-South cooperation, which emphasizes solidarity, mutual respect, and shared interests among developing countries in addressing global challenges.

Here is what you need to know about India and Guyana's ties

The bilateral relationship between India and Guyana is characterized by historical, cultural, and economic ties that span decades. The two countries share a common colonial past, as both were former British colonies, and have since developed strong diplomatic relations based on mutual respect, friendship, and cooperation.

Historically, the Indian community in Guyana has played a significant role in shaping the relationship between the two countries. Indian indentured laborers were brought to Guyana in the 19th century to work in sugar plantations, and their descendants, known as Indo-Guyanese, form a significant portion of Guyana's population today. Hinduism makes up nearly 24 percent of Guyana's population. The Indo-Guyanese community has preserved its Indian cultural heritage, including language, religion, music, dance, and cuisine, which has served as a bridge of cultural affinity between India and Guyana.

The cultural connections between India and Guyana are further strengthened by cultural festivals, and other cultural events organized by the Indian High Commission in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. These cultural exchanges have helped foster people-to-people contacts, mutual understanding, and appreciation of each other's culture and traditions, thereby deepening the cultural ties between the two countries.

In recent years, the economic relationship between India and Guyana has gained momentum. Both countries have explored avenues for trade, investment, and economic cooperation to leverage their respective strengths and promote economic development. India has provided developmental assistance to Guyana in various forms, including lines of credit for infrastructure projects, technical assistance, and capacity building programs. This has helped to strengthen economic ties between the two countries and promote sustainable development in Guyana.

One key area of economic cooperation between India and Guyana is agriculture. Given their shared agricultural heritage, both countries have explored collaboration in areas such as agri-business, agro-processing, and technology transfer. India has provided agricultural machinery and equipment to Guyana, and there have been exchanges of agricultural experts and scientists to share best practices and knowledge. This collaboration has the potential to boost agricultural productivity, enhance food security, and generate rural employment in Guyana.

Energy cooperation is another significant area of engagement between India and Guyana. Guyana has discovered substantial oil reserves in its offshore waters, and India has expressed interest in partnering with Guyana in the oil and gas sector. India's state-owned oil companies have participated in the bidding process for oil exploration and production in Guyana, and there is potential for further collaboration in this field, including technology transfer, skill development, and joint ventures.

In addition to agriculture and energy, there are also opportunities for collaboration in other sectors such as information technology, pharmaceuticals, tourism, and education. India has been offering scholarships and training programs for Guyanese students to study in India, which has contributed to the educational and human resource development of Guyana.

Beyond bilateral ties, India and Guyana also cooperate in multilateral forums, such as the United Nations (UN) and the Commonwealth of Nations, where both countries share common interests in promoting global peace, security, and sustainable development. They have also supported each other's candidatures and positions in international organizations, further enhancing their diplomatic cooperation.
About two weeks after a man killed four children in a Brazilian daycare centre, authorities already have rounded up some 300 adults and minors nationwide accused of spreading hate speech or stoking school violence.

Little has been revealed about the unprecedented crackdown, which risks judicial overreach, but it underlines the determination of the countrys response across federal, state, and municipal levels. Brazils all-hands effort to stamp out its emerging trend of school attacks stands in contrast to the U.S., where such attacks have been more frequent and more deadly for a longer period, yet where measures nowadays are incremental.

Actions adopted in the U.S. - and some of its perceived shortcomings - are informing the Brazilian response, said Renan Theodoro, a researcher with the Centre for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo.

We have learned from the successes and the mistakes of other countries, especially the United States, Theodoro told The Associated Press.

Brazil has seen almost two dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000, half of them in the last 12 months, including the daycare center attack on April 5.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the notion of schools as safe havens have been ruined. His government has sought input from independent researchers and this week convened a meeting of ministers, mayors, and Supreme Court justices to discuss possible solutions.

Some measures already adopted are in line with those implemented over time in the U.S., like the creation of hotlines, safety training for school administrators and teachers, federal funding for mental health, plus security equipment and infrastructure.

Other measures -- like the nationwide sweep for supposedly threatening suspects involving over 3,400 police officers or the newly invigorated push to regulate social media platforms -- have not been enacted there.

The arrests aim to assuage fear among Brazilians, said Luis Flavio Sapori, a senior associate researcher with the Brazilian Forum for Public Security. The priority is diminishing panic, he said.

In the weeks since the daycare massacre, unconfirmed threats and rumors have circulated on social media and stirred dread among students, educators, and parents  including Vanusia Silva Lima, 42, the mother of a 5-year-old son in central Sao Paulo.

I am afraid of sending my son to school. Not only myself, but my friends are also too, women I met at the salon, too, Lima said.

Many Brazilian states didnt wait for the federal response. Sao Paulo, for example, temporarily hired 550 psychologists to attend its public schools and hired 1,000 private security guards.

While shootings in the U.S. often ignite debate, at the federal level it usually ends in stalemate. Democrats focus on gun control while Republicans push for stronger security measures.

Brazils push has garnered broad support in part because proposals havent included restricting firearm access, increasingly a hot-button political issue here, as in the U.S. Anyway, Brazil's school attacks more often are carried out with other weapons, especially knives.

In the U.S., legislation rarely passes. There have been notable exceptions, however, including a bipartisan compromise approved last year after a massacre at a Texas elementary school and other mass shootings. The bill toughened background checks and kept firearms from more domestic violence offenders, and allocated $1 billion for student mental health and school security.

Another change has come more gradually since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In almost every state, schools are now required to have safety plans that often include shooter drills. Many individual school districts have their own safety hotlines, and some use software to monitor social media for threats, with mixed results.

And many U.S. states have given schools money to harden buildings with metal detectors, security officers, bulletproof doors, and other measures  which has stirred its own debate over the policing of Americas schools.

Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Lulas far-right predecessor, was one of a few prominent voices calling for detectors and armed guards, citing some U.S. states as examples, and put forward a bill to make them obligatory at all schools.

Lula has said his government will consider neither detectors nor backpack inspections.

Sapori said that Brazil has adopted a mixed approach, which stresses mental health care, preventive monitoring of threats, and training for teachers, in addition to policing.

In Brazil, we have a clear understanding, based on the U.S. experience, that merely investing in armed security in schools does not work, that police presence in schools doesnt hinder attacks," Sapori said. It only works to transform schools into prisons.

For Brazil, the Western hemispheres second-most populous country, scrambling for quick solutions risks introducing abuses of power.

As for the suspects arrested over a two-week period through Thursday, Theodoro noted that authorities haven't detailed the criteria for detentions, and investigations are under seal. Asked by the AP, the Justice Ministry declined to clarify how many of the 302 people taken into custody were minors.

The ministry also has empowered a national consumer agency to fine tech companies for not removing content perceived as glorifying school massacres, incentivising violence, or making threats.

And there appears to be broad support for holding social media platforms accountable. At this week's meeting in the capital, Lula, his justice minister, two Supreme Court justices, and the Senates president voiced support for regulation of the platforms, arguing that speech that is illegal in real life cannot be permitted online.

Either we have the courage to discuss the difference between freedom of expression and stupidity, or we wont get very far, Lula said.

The Rights in Network Coalition, an umbrella group of 50 organizations focused on basic digital rights, has expressed concern over giving the government the power to decide what can be said on social media.

Some social media platforms that initially resisted compliance with takedown requests have come around and, in the prior 10 days, had removed or suspended more than 750 profiles, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said.

When a man hopped over the wall of a daycare center in Santa Catarina state and killed four children with a hatchet on April 5, state prosecutors called on news media to refrain from sharing images or identifying the killer, citing research that this can encourage other attackers.

Behemoth media conglomerate Grupo Globo announced it would no longer name nor portray perpetrators of such crimes in its broadcasts or publications. O Estado de S. Paulo, one of Brazils biggest newspapers, followed suit. CNN Brasil and Band also made the change.

In the United States, such a broad shift is yet to be seen in media, though outlets have begun efforts to use shooters names sparingly and to focus on victims stories, largely due to advocacy by relatives of victims. Some U.S. news organizations have ceased the previously routine profiles of school shooters.

The developments in Brazil are reminiscent of a groundswell of U.S. federal support for school safety after the Columbine shooting, said Ken Trump, president of Ohio-based consultant National School Safety and Security Services.

Since then, it has become much more choppy, he said.

The success of Brazil's efforts will hinge on the ability to maintain momentum even after public attention shifts away from school violence, he added.

The bottom-line question is, will it be sustainable?
This photo taken on April 12, 2023 shows the exterior of the Art Nouveau-style historic building Casa Botter in Istanbul, Turkiye. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)

Istanbul's first Art Nouveau-style historic building Casa Botter was recently saved from the brink of collapse through a year-long restoration process and transformed into a distinctive culture and design center.



by Zeynep Cermen

ISTANBUL, April 22 (Xinhua) -- "Ribbons hang from the facade of the building, like stripes descending from the sky... Like foaming waves, the iron decorations on its small balconies flow with the structure... A female head sculpture looks down at passersby with pride."

Ayse Ovur, a Turkish writer, used these words to describe the exterior of Istanbul's first Art Nouveau-style historic building in her novel "Botter's House."

Built under the blueprints of the renowned Italian architect Raimondo D'Aronco in 1900, Casa Botter, or Botter's House, was recently saved from the brink of collapse through a year-long restoration process led by a group of experts, who have transformed it into a distinctive culture and design center.

This photo taken on April 12, 2023 shows the Art Nouveau-style historic building Casa Botter in Istanbul, Turkiye. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)

According to Ovur's novel, D'Aronco's inspiration for the building came from his deep affection for a young Turkish woman he fell in love with during his stay in Istanbul. The building bore traces of this love, including the woman's head sculpture on the facade, depicting her profile for eternity.

A face-shaped statue is seen carved on the facade of the Art Nouveau-style historic building Casa Botter in Istanbul, Turkiye on April 12, 2023. The statue was in memory of a woman the architect loved. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)

The completion of the construction saw the building dedicated to Jean Botter, the official tailor of the Ottoman palace and a Dutchman, during the reign of Sultan Abdulhamid II. The Sultan, impressed by Botter's designs, sought to honor him with this grand building, hence the name "Casa Botter."

Botter turned the ground floor into a fashion house, the first of its kind in the city, where he showcased his unique designs of pure silk evening dresses. He and his family lived on the upper floors for many years, leaving their mark on the building's history.

"The building is a legacy left to us by two international people, D'Aronco and Botter, who once lived in Istanbul and then departed but left their imprints here. It is very precious for us," said Mahir Polat, deputy secretary-general of the Istanbul Municipality, during a press briefing in the building, where he is also leading the restoration process.

Polat further highlighted that Istanbul is a cultural melting pot where artists from different geographies have produced many amazing works for centuries, all adding value to each other's pieces. "Casa Botter is one of the most iconic artworks in the city, revealing how beautiful creations could be yielded when lives coincide," Polat added, underscoring the significance of this restored gem.

However, time took its toll on Casa Botter, and it was at risk of collapse. But Polat and his colleagues' efforts have saved it from ruin, with its iconic Art-Nouveau facade brought to light again.

The building is now hosting its first art show, "Reveries, Truths," with the participation of several prominent Turkish artists.

"I'm fortunate to be in this 123-year-old historic building. It is precious to touch the structure, feel the spirit, and be a part of it," Melike Bayik, the curator of the show, told reporters. "It is a building that may have fallen asleep for a while, perhaps resisted to the death, and woke up today."

People visit the art pieces at the exhibition in the Art Nouveau-style historic building Casa Botter in Istanbul, Turkiye on April 12, 2023. (Photo by Omer Kuscu/Xinhua)

The upper floors of the building will host a screening center, design workshops, the Istanbul Documentary Film Archive, and artist offices.

Istanbul municipality organized a grand opening ceremony for the Casa Botter on Friday evening open to the public. A classical music concert was held on the magnificent main balcony of the building, luring a splendid interest of Istanbulites and tourists.

According to Istanbul municipality's cultural heritage department, there are over 3,500 abandoned buildings, primarily historic structures, waiting to be saved in Istanbul. 
The scheme is linked to food security policies and could pave the way for the mass reallocation of farmland

A farmer carries plant seedlings in Dongfeng village, Hunan province, China. Rural land in China is typically leased to farmers through 30-year contracts, while ownership stays with the government.

New rules governing the transfer of rural land in China have sparked concerns that the ruling Communist Party may be gearing up for the mass confiscation and reallocation of farmland in the name of "stabilizing the grain supply," Radio Free Asia has learned.

The Ministry of Agriculture announced this week it will roll out a pilot scheme to "standardize" the transfer of rural property rights, as well as "strengthening supervision and management" over the use of rural land in China, which is typically leased to farmers on 30-year "household responsibility" contracts, with the ownership remaining with the government.

The move comes after the administration of supreme party leader Xi Jinping made it easier in 2016 for farmers to be bought out of household responsibility leases, to encourage farmers to relocate to urban areas to reduce rural poverty.

China declared in November 2020 that it had eliminated extreme poverty, with analysts attributing the change in statistics to the mass relocation of younger migrant workers to cities, under strong official encouragement.

Under the new land rules, officials are expected to "give full play to government leadership" via controversial "agricultural management" enforcement officials, who critics fear will send the country back to Mao-era collective farming and micromanagement of people's daily lives.

Analysts and farmers said that the main point of the additional controls is the tightening of state control over the supply of grain and to facilitate the transfer of rural land away from farmers if needed.

Food security

The move comes amid an ongoing government campaign to "stabilize the grain supply" and other moves to ensure food security, including revamping moribund Mao-era food co-ops and ordering the construction of state-run canteens.

The rules insist on "disciplined transactions" including supervision of contract-signing and "certification," and could pave the way for the mass reallocation of farmland in future, analysts said.

A rural resident of the eastern province of Shandong who gave only the surname Zhang for fear of reprisals said he had recently found that farmers in his hometown now need a permit to farm land already leased to them.

"I went back home and the neighbors told me that you now need a permit to till the land," Zhang said.

He blamed the "national food crisis" for the move, saying it effectively means that rural residents can no longer have friends and neighbors take care of their land when they migrate into the cities to look for work.

A farmer collects corn in Gaocheng, Hebei province, China. Analysts and farmers say a key goal of the new land rules is to tighten state control over the supply of grain. Credit: Reuters file photo





"When my relatives and friends would go to look for work, they would have others till their land for them, with no need for any kind of contract," Zhang said. "Then, they could just pick it up again immediately if their work ended and they went back to live in the countryside."

"That's no longer possible due to the serious nature of the national food crisis," he said.

Another major land reform

Financial commentator Cai Shenkun said the scope of the pilot scheme is unprecedented.

"This is another major land reform [following on from 2016], and it's worth observing whether the next step will be to roll it out to all rural land governed by household responsibility contracts," Cai said.

"Given the involvement of the agricultural management officials who are now empowered to enforce the law, I think it has something to do with the next step, which will be the confiscation and reallocation of land," he said.

Agricultural management officials are among a slew of local officials empowered in a July 2021 directive to enforce laws and regulations without the involvement of the police.

There are growing signs of unease around the new breed of rural "enforcer."

Netease and Sina Weibo's news channels reported on Wednesday that a team of agricultural management officials seized two truck-loads of live pigs and sent the animals for slaughter on the grounds that quarantine regulations hadn't been followed.

After that, the farmers complained that they had received no money for the carcases, and that the trucks hadn't been returned to them.

Photos of the equipment issued to the "enforcers" showed first-aid kits, mobile phone signal jammers and stab-proof vests.

A new devil

The reports prompted comments complaining of intrusive management of farmers' lives, and asking if the agricultural enforcers were "a new devil for the New Era," in a satirical reference to one of supreme leader Xi Jinping's ideological buzzwords.

A farmer from the southwestern province of Sichuan who gave only the surname Sen said the enforcers were also active in his part of the country.

"They are bringing in this policy now, which is evil," Sen said. "The agricultural management teams have so much power."

"They are descending on the countryside and making life hell for ordinary people with all this rectification."

Cai's perception of the new rural management teams was similar to Sen's and to comments seen online by Radio Free Asia, and he likened them to the widely hated urban management enforcement teams, or chengguan, who are often filmed beating up street vendors in the name of civic pride.

"Now they are sending these so-called agricultural management teams into countless households, and into the fields," he said.

"They came into being, like the urban management officials before them, because when farmers aren't cooperating, local township and village officials don't want to show their faces, or get involved in beating people up or demolishing stuff," he said.

Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Edited by Malcolm Foster.






Sources say the unit takes heads as trophies to strike fear into the hearts of the juntas enemies.

Local residents watch the cremation of Peoples Defense Force leader Bo Sin Yine, who was captured and killed by the Myanmar juntas Ogre commandos in Myaung township, Sagaing region, April 11, 2023.

Eds Note: Some readers may find the content of this article disturbing.

They lop off peoples heads and mutilate bodies to instill terror. They torture victims to death.

They seem fearless in battle, surging forward when under fire.

Officially, they make up part of the 99th Light Infantry Battalion of the Myanmar military. But to most people, they are known as the Ogre column, a unit of killers notorious for their cruelty in a military already known for its brutality.

And they have been criss-crossing Myanmars heartland, killing rebel fighters and massacring villagers believed to be supporting them, terrorizing everyone in their path.

What makes this column different is that they are specially trained to kill people, said Nway Oo, a member of a resistance group in Myaung township. They chop off the heads and ears of victims in cold blood.

They appear ghostly in battles, too, he said. They move forward in battles no matter how risky the situation is or how much they are under attack.

Myanmars military has faced stiff resistance from ordinary men and women who have taken up arms to form Peoples Defense Force bands to fight junta troops since the militarys coup two years ago.

The Ogres atrocities are meant to terrorize their foes, who often have little combat training and arent usually well-armed.

Its all part of psychological warfare that was developed by the countrys generals known as Sit Oo Bi Lu, the First wave of brutal attack, or Yakkha Byu Har  The Ogre Strategy, a former military captain who defected to the rebel side since the juntas takeover.

Brutal acts by the junta troops, such as beheading people and burning down civilian properties, are intended to frighten the people, said the captain, who goes by Nat Thar.

This is a psychological tactic to scare the people into thinking that they dont want to be the one beheaded when the juntas 99th Division enters their village, to make them fear head-on conflict, although they belong to a population of tens of thousands, he said.

Battleground Sagaing

Some of the fiercest resistance against the military has been in the northern Sagaing region, and in recent weeks the Ogre battalion has been attacking dozens of villages and rebel bases there in townships such as Ye-U, Khin-U, Taze, Myinmu and Myaung.

On March 30, the column raided a PDF base under the command of Capt. Bo Sin Yine near the village of Swae Lwe Oh.

The junta troops soon overwhelmed the rebel fighters, and soldiers then took Bo Sin Yine, a 31-year-old former corporal in the townships Fire Brigade, and his fighters captive.

Footage taken by a drone operated by the Civilians Defense and Security Organization of Myaung, CDSOM, captured a junta soldier beheading Bo Sin Yine, whose name means wild elephant, and carrying his head away on his shoulder.

A few days later, Bo Sin Yines wife and a team of villagers discovered his body abandoned near the jungle. In addition to beheading him, junta soldiers had lopped off his arms and legs.

They beheaded him and took away his head, but it wasn't just him. They took away the heads of many people in other townships, too, she said of her husband, who became the deputy battalion commander of the PDF No.1 in Sagaing.

Prior to entering Myaung township, the column raided Myinmus Let Ka Pin village, where it killed 10 civilians and disemboweled local PDF leader Kyaw Zaw before chopping off his head and limbs, residents said. The column also killed 16 civilians it had taken as human shields to protect against landmines after raiding Sagaing townships Tar Tai village.

Among the columns members are soldiers the CDSOM has identified as Capt. Aung Hein Oo, Lt. Capt. Zaw Naing, Sgts. Zaw Set Win, Myint Zaw, Maung Naing, Soe Hlaing, Tun Zaw Myo, and Thein Tun; Lt. Sgts. Ye Yint Paing and Thiha Soe; Engineer Trooper Nay Lin, and Troopers Pyae Sone Aung, Min Thu, and Thant Zin.

They told us to pass a message

In mid-March, the Ogre column crossed the Chindwin River from Sagaing into Magway region and made its way south to Yesagyo township, one of several areas under martial law as a hotbed of anti-junta resistance.

Early on the morning of March 19, the unit blocked all of the exits from Mee Laung Kyung Ywar Thit village and arrested some 140 residents who didnt have time to flee.

By the end of the day, Ogre fighters had shot and killed a man in his 50s named Han, who worked as a cook feeding refugees of conflict, tortured a 47-year-old mentally disabled man named Sandra to death, and wounded a 16-year-old boy as he tried to escape, villagers told RFA.

Villagers in Myinmu township, Sagaing region, move the bodies of people killed by Myanmar military troops on Nyaung Yin island, March 3, 2023. Credit: Citizen journalist

Those captured in Mee Laung Kyaung Ywar Thit were added to prisoners from Sagaings Myaung township, where the unit had conducted its last raid, including inhabitants of Za Yat Ni, Min Hla, Thar Khaung Lay, Shwe Hlan, Myay Sun, and Sin Chay Yar villages.

Around 200 women were divided into two groups and held at the Taung Kuang Monastery on the outskirts of Mee Laung Kyun village, while another group of 40 men and teenage boys were placed under guard in civilian homes, sources who escaped the unit said.

A man who escaped after three days said that Ogre fighters confiscated his jewelry and interrogated him about the local PDF, claiming they had already crushed more than 20 of the groups bases.

We didnt know if they would take us to the battlefront and force us to step on landmines or kill us before they left the village, said the man, who declined to be named out of fear of reprisal.

They told us to pass a message to our relatives to give up fighting, bury their weapons, and end their support for the PDF. But despite their threats, we will continue to fight against the regime until the end.

Attempts to reach Aye Hlaing, the juntas spokesman for Sagaing region, and junta Deputy Information Minister Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for comment on the reported actions of the Ogre column went unanswered, as did efforts to contact the juntas information team.

Than Soe Naing, a political analyst, told RFA that the tactics of the Ogre column represent the next level in the juntas violence against the people of Myanmar and must be stopped.

Such inhumane actions against individuals can be regarded as international war crimes, he said, suggesting that the perpetrators should be held accountable by an international court of law.

Seeking justice for victims

Kyaw Win, executive director of the U.K.-based Myanmar Human Rights Network, said his organization is systematically documenting the juntas atrocities for just such a case.

The junta is committing horrible and disheartening war crimes, in violation of existing  laws, he said.

Before long, we will be able to prosecute the perpetrators, who are officials at all levels in the military.

In the meantime, the wife of Bo Sin Yine, who was decapitated by the Ogre column in Myaung township last month, said that she will not be able to rest until her husband and other victims receive justice.

I need justice for him  the crime they committed was cruel and savage, she said. These days, the whole country knows about the atrocious brutality of [junta chief] Min Aung Hlaing.

Translated by Myo Min Aung. Edited by Joshua Lipes and Malcolm Foster.
National Clean Air Day was not a cause for celebration this year in Tehran, where many residents were shuttered in their homes for their own safety to avoid exposure to the Iranian capital's infamous and deadly smog.

In the run-up to January 19, the day Iran dedicates to promoting air quality, students were prevented from attending universities and schools in the city of nearly 9 million people, the standard procedure when air pollution levels exceed safe levels.

Local officials decried the fact that there had only been two days of clean air recorded over the previous 10 months and called for more to be done to address the crisis.

And amid the criticism, which targeted the authorities' use of dirty mazut fuel oil to provide heat and power during a brutal cold snap, the national government presented a draft budget that would cut expenditures for combating air pollution by half.

Conflicting Approaches

The government's response highlighted the conflicting approaches and decades of misguided environmental policies that have contributed to Iran's air-pollution crisis, rendering toothless strict regulations passed in 2017 with the aim of tackling the issue.

As debates raged over government inaction, the Interior Ministry and Education Ministry backed the idea of lowering the air pollution index threshold that keeps students out of school.

Parliament passed the new budget in February, cutting funding for implementing the country's Clean Air Act from a mere $8 million to $4 million while emphasizing economic growth.

And answering calls for the Clean Air Act's strict standards to be enforced, the Tehran Prosecutor's Office pressed criminal charges against five unidentified bureaucrats who were in step with the government's pursuit of increased development and industrial production.

The management-level personnel, who work for various ministries that oversee Iran's environmental protection efforts and lucrative petroleum sector, stand accused of failing to adhere to standards set in the country's Clean Air Act on vehicle emissions and gasoline quality, and for failing to limit pollution from mazut-fueled industrial plants.

'Denying People A Breath'

Tehran and other major Iranian cities have long been among the world's worst when it comes to air pollution. Iran overall ranks sixth in the world in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Global Carbon Atlas, having more than doubled CO2 emissions in the past two decades.

"Tehran is one of the most polluted cities in the world, and air pollution is estimated to contribute to thousands of premature deaths each year" across the country, Iran environmental expert Shirin Hakim told RFE/RL in written comments. "Air pollution has led to the closing of businesses and schools, impacting economic productivity, and has contributed to a variety of health conditions, including respiratory conditions and cancers."

Iranian media and officials have decried the steadily rising levels of deadly sulfur dioxide recorded over Tehran in recent years, while experts at the air pollution research center at Tehran University have estimated that 40,000 premature deaths per year can be attributed to the smog and dust that fouls Iran's air.

Lawmaker Mohammad Reza Sabaghian put it simply in comments ahead of Clean Air Day, saying: "We are denying the people a breath."

Outdated cars and motorcycles burning low-quality fuels are frequently singled out as the major reasons for the air pollution that has plagued Tehran and other major cities, but they are far from the only ones.

"The overexploitation of water resources and climate change are contributing to the desertification of farmland and the drying up of bodies of water, which has contributed to dust and sandstorms that also diminish air quality," said Hakim, senior fellow at the Berlin-based Center for Middle East and Global Order (CMEG) and fellow at the Atlantic Council's GeoEconomics Center.

Accelerated development and industrial activity outside urban centers have also contributed to increased emissions, Hakim said, as well as the rising migration of people to cities, which adds to the use of vehicles, dirty fuels, and acid rain and other pollutants.

Clean Air On Paper

The Clean Air Act, introduced in 2017 under then-President Hassan Rohani, was supposed to be the road map for solving Iran's environmental problems.

Among other things, the law targeted the use of mazut by greatly lowering the limits of sulfur allowed in fuel oil. It also called for the country's aging transportation network to be overhauled and required the Oil Ministry to produce higher standard and cleaner-burning "Euro 4" gasoline, diesel fuel, kerosene, and other petroleum products.

Punishments and fines were set for industries and individuals that violated the regulations. But when natural gas shortages hit during the hard winter months this year, the Clean Air Act

was cast aside.

Faced with public anger over natural gas shortages that left many homes without heat and factories without power, officials gave the green light to burning more mazut to fuel thermal stations and industrial plants. The move sent plumes of noxious smoke into the air in Isfahan and other major cities, as well as in Tehran, despite official insistence that mazut was not used.

Officials in Isfahan demanded details of the government's decision, according to state news agency IRNA, declaring the burning of mazut a "serious danger" to human health. United Nations special rapporteur on human rights and the environment David Boyd called on Iran to halt the practice, declaring it a human rights violation.

Official Oil Ministry reports viewed by RFE/RL's Radio Farda showed that the country intensified its use of mazut in December to 38.5 million liters per day, a 22 percent increase, and 42 million liters per day in January. The report also showed that the production of mazut with a sulfur content of 3.5 percent -- up to seven times higher than the level allowed under the Clean Air Act -- rose significantly, and that only one-third of the gasoline produced in the country was of the required Euro 4 standard.

In response to the outcry, Iranian officials said the air pollution problem would be alleviated in the future by the increased production of natural gas and improvements to infrastructure, which have been stymied by international sanctions that have denied Iran access to foreign technologies.

Ali Salajegheh, the head of Irans Department of Environment, also remained bullish about the Clean Air Act, telling IRNA in January that the implementation of the legislation would be accelerated by the increase of "green tax" allocations separate from the state budget. Salajagheh did not provide a specific figure, only saying that 20 percent of the green taxes would be earmarked. Green taxes are those levied on activities that are deemed harmful to the environment.

The environment was seen as one of the biggest challenges faced by President Ebrahim Raisi when he took office in 2021. During his campaign, Raisi presented an "environmental charter" promising sustainable development and environmentally friendly policies as key components to Iranians' right to a "healthy environment, clean climate, and pollution free life."

But such promises have fallen short. Iran has increasingly turned to oil and gas production to pull it out of its extended economic crises. In addition to the increased production of mazut and other dirty fuels, Tehran has exempted some automotive manufacturers from installing air filters until international sanctions imposed over Iran's nuclear program are lifted.

Raisi's presidency has been marked by protests in areas of the country hit hard by drought and the scarcity of water needed to sustain agriculture, despite the continued and contentious construction of new dam projects.

Failed water governance has fueled such unrest in the past, according to Hakim, and "is contributing to desertification and the drying up of rivers and lakes that have contributed to economic and social ramifications."

The government has also failed to submit a carbon-cutting plan related to the Paris Agreement on climate change since 2015. Officials have said that Iran will not ratify the accord until international sanctions are lifted, arguing that access to modern foreign technology is key to reducing emissions.

Raisi stated that the goal of the governments new budget was economic growth, reducing unemployment, and lowering skyrocketing inflation. The budget, 40 percent bigger than the last, is dependent on the export of 1.4 million barrels of oil per day despite international sanctions that hamper the country's ability to trade.

The cuts to expenditures on fighting air pollution "may have been driven by heightened social and economic tensions in the country," said Hakim. "The Islamic republic has routinely prioritized economic gains over social and environmental concerns."
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said the "main battles" of the war against invading Russian forces lie ahead as Russia replaced its highest-ranking general in charge of logistics before a widely expected counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces.

Zelenskiy took part on April 30 in events marking the Day of the Border Guard of Ukraine, presenting awards and thanking border guards for firmly defending the state.

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.

"It is an honor for me to congratulate you today on...the Day of the Border Guard of Ukraine -- the steel and indomitable border guard of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said.



The president noted that border guard units are helping to defend Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, Maryinka, and other cities and villages of Donbas region and said more battles lie ahead.



"We must free our land and our people from Russian slavery. We have to restore the full line of our state border both on land and at sea," he said, according to a statement issued by his office.



Bakhmut has been the focus of a prolonged Russian assault, and each side on April 30 made claims about its status.

"Fierce fighting continues in the city of Bakhmut. The enemy is unable to take control over the city, despite throwing all its forces into the battle and having some success," said Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar. But she added that the defense of Bakhmut "is coping with its military tasks."

The Russian Defense Ministry said earlier its forces had taken four blocks of Bakhmut on April 30. Neither claim could be independently verified.



Malyar and other Ukrainian leaders have hinted that preparations for a counteroffensive are under way.



Kyrylo Budanov, the chief of the Intelligence Directorate of Ukraine's Defense Ministry, said earlier on April 30 that the preparation for the counteroffensive "is going according to plan" but would not elaborate.



A Ukrainian official commenting on April 29 about an explosion and fire at a fuel storage depot in Sevastopol tied the incident to the expected counteroffensive.



"This work is preparatory to the large-scale full-scale offensive that everyone expects," Nataliya Humenyuk, a spokeswoman for Ukraines southern military command, said in comments published by the UNIAN news agency.

There was no independent confirmation of Humenyuks comments, and Kyiv has not formally claimed responsibility for the attack. Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-appointed head of the region, blamed Ukraine, saying drones carried out the strike.

The Russian Defense Ministry announced on April 30 that Colonel General Mikhail Mizintsev had been replaced as head of logistics by Aleksei Kuzmenkov, a former official of the National Guard.



The statement did not say why Mizintsev, who was appointed to the logistics post in September days after President Vladimir Putin announced a mobilization, was replaced.

The announcement came as Zelenskiy had a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron in which he informed Macron about the situation on the front line and the outlook for developments in May and June.



"We discussed cooperation in working with other international partners to consolidate their support for the Ukrainian peace formula," Zelenskiy said on Telegram. "We coordinated our positions on the eve of important international events and agreed on the next concrete steps within the bilateral dialogue."



Zelenskiy said he thanked Macron for "comprehensive and effective support of Ukraine," and again emphasized the priority needs of Ukrainian forces, saying the "speed and specificity of the response is very important."



Later on April 30, Pope Francis told reporters that the Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict.

The pope said he spoke about the situation in Ukraine with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and with Metropolitan Hilarion, the Russian Orthodox Church's representative in Budapest, during his weekend visit to Hungary.

"In these meetings we did not just talk about Little Red Riding Hood. We spoke of all these things. Everyone is interested in the road to peace," he said during an impromptu news conference on his flight back to Rome.

Francis also told reporters that the Vatican was willing to help facilitate the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia during the war. Representatives of the Vatican have already helped mediate some prisoner exchanges and would do all that is humanly possible to reunite families, he said.

With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and AP
TBILISI -- It's already counseled thousands of Russians eager to avoid what its founder calls "the buzz saw" of war in Ukraine, legally or otherwise.

Georgia-based NGO Idite Lesom (Go by the Forest) has led one of the most brazen campaigns from abroad to help young Russians dodge the draft.

"We helped them become deserters," the group boasts of its work. The name, Go by the Forest, is a play on words, a reference to the covert nature of its work but also a popular Russian idiom understood across the former Soviet Union to mean "Get lost!"

Last week, Go by the Forest says it was once again swamped with new inquiries from concerned Russians as reports emerged of a new Kremlin-backed law to streamline conscription.

Hundreds of thousands of Russian nationals have fled their homeland since President Vladimir Putin announced a "partial mobilization" in September 2022 to provide 300,000 troops for the war effort. Many of them, including longtime anti-homelessness activist and Go by the Forest founder Grigory Sverdlin, have settled in neighboring Georgia.

The group claims to have helped nearly 6,800 Russians since its founding a half-year ago, including more than 5,100 it says would otherwise have been sent to the fighting. It says its stated aim is to help ensure that "as few people as possible pull a trigger" in Europe's first full-scale military invasion since World War II, an effort it calls "nonviolent civic resistance."

"The main purpose of this [Russian] bill is to force people to go to war," Sverdlin told RFE/RL's Georgian Service last week, after reports emerged of new legislation to prepare young Russians across the country for possible mobilization. "[The authorities] can take as many [people] as they need at any time."

Sverdlin and another Russian opposed to the war, Daria Berg, are the public faces of Go by the Forest. But they lead a network of an unspecified number of employees and "hundreds" of volunteers living outside Russia, who maintain anonymity to avoid legal or other retribution in order to provide psychological and legal counseling, in addition to practical advice on how to avoid conscription or active duty.

Over the course of three days last week, when the law's existence was disclosed and it was signed into law by Putin, nearly 2,000 Russians appealed to Sverdlin's organization for assistance.

The new legislation is aimed at beefing up national conscription as Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds through its second year, with politicians and military analysts warning of a protracted war. It introduces an electronic registry and allows for digital draft notices and a state e-services portal, in addition to prohibiting those targeted for conscription from leaving the country.

Go by the Forest has declined to describe in detail the assistance it gives to draft-dodging Russians, but its advice has included changing residences or finding shelter inside Russia to stay a step ahead of the authorities. The group communicates via the Telegram messaging app and Instagram and solicits support via donations.

Sverdlin left Russia for Georgia in March 2022, weeks after tens of thousands of Russian troops rolled across the Ukrainian border after a massive, monthslong buildup that prompted U.S. officials to warn of an imminent invasion. Sverdlin's former organization, Nochlezhka (Nightlight), offered assistance to homeless people in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

After Putin's announcement of the partial mobilization six months later, Sverdlin has described "dropping out for a few days," before deciding to launch Go by the Forest to help Russians who didn't want to fight. He said he had never seen the kind of outpouring that greeted the newly founded group as "100 volunteers for the project in the morning" multiplied to "350 by the evening."

Some of the fleeing Russians' most popular destinations -- places like Kazakhstan, Turkey, and even Argentina -- have already tightened laws on residency permits for Russians or reduced visa-free visits. Not so with Georgia, whose government has resisted sanctions against Russia and kept trade and other channels open with Moscow even as Russian troops occupy around one-fifth of the country since a lightning war in 2008.

Reliable figures are difficult to find, but official data shows that more than 1 million Russians crossed the border into Georgia between March and November 2022, according to local Jam News, spurred by a wave at the start of the invasion and then again after the mobilization order in September.

In its latest figures, the Georgian Interior Ministry said there were around 113,000 Russian nationals still in the country. Last week, Sverdlin said a repeat of the long lines at the Zemo Lars border crossing are unlikely to reach the scale of last year.

"Most of those who could leave [Russia] have already left," he told RFE/RL's Georgian Service.

But Sverdlin, whose activism has already contributed to the flight of many war-wary Russians, added that he was certain a new wave of Russian emigration was on the way for Georgia and some of Russia's other neighbors.

Written by Andy Heil based on reporting by Sandro Gvindadze of RFE/RL's Georgian Service
Dive into Wuhan's vibrant nightlife as the city hosts the second China (Wuhan) Culture and Tourism Expo! From dazzling light shows to lively carnivals, experience the magic and allure of Wuhan after dark.
Ukraine says its military has fended off dozens of Russian attacks over the past day, as Kyiv's Western allies discussed fortifying its air defenses ahead of a spring counteroffensive by Ukrainian forces.

The Ukrainian military "repelled 53 Russian attacks on the Bakhmut, Avdiyivka, Maryinka, and Shakhtar areas" in the country's east, Ukraine's General Staff said on April 22.

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.

Russian forces launched 30 air strikes and three missile strikes, and carried out 50 attacks from multiple-rocket launchers over the past 24 hours, it added.

Russia's Defense Ministry on April 22 said that "assault troops" had captured three more western districts in Bakhmut, the devastated Ukrainian city that has been the focus of Moscow's offensive in recent months.

"Airborne troops were restraining Ukrainian units on the flanks and supported the actions of the assault squads to capture the city," the ministry said. Russian commanders often refer to Wagner mercenary fighters as "assault troops."

Meanwhile, five Russian missiles struck the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and surrounding districts late on the night of April 22, causing some damage to civilian buildings, the regional governor, Oleh Synyehubov, wrote on his Telegram channel.

Battlefield claims by either side are difficult to immediately verify.

The fighting comes as dozens of countries that have supported Kyiv in its fight against invading Russian forces gathered in Germany on April 21 to discuss further military aid for Ukraine.

General Mark Milley, the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a news conference that beefing up Ukraine's air-defense system was "the critical military task right now," adding that the goal is to make sure that it is robust and rigorous.

Milley said air defense was the theme all day of the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, speaking alongside Milley at the news conference, said Kyiv's allies in the contact group believe that what Ukraine needs most urgently is ground-based air defense capability.

"That is what has enabled them to prevent the Russian air forces from having a meaningful impact in this fight," Austin said.

The Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting consisted of representatives from some 50 countries that are providing military aid to Ukraine.

The Russian Foreign Ministry responded to the Ramstein meeting by warning of an "uncontrollable" arms race and said Moscow needed to build up its tactical missile capabilities, including those on its Kaliningrad territory bordering Poland and Lithuania, the RIA state news agency said.

Austin confirmed that the United States plans to deliver Abrams tanks to Germany in the coming weeks, saying Ukrainian soldiers will be trained on how to use them.

The training is to take place at a military training area in southern Germany and last around 10 weeks, according to earlier news reports about the delivery of the tanks.

In Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy signed a law on April 21 that prohibits naming geographical sites in Ukraine after Russian figures or historical events and dates associated with Russian aggression.

The law bans toponymics that "glorify, perpetuate, promote, or symbolize" Russia or its "prominent, memorable, historical and cultural places, cities, dates, events, and figures who carried out military aggression against Ukraine and other sovereign countries."

The move is part of broader "de-Russification" efforts in Ukraine amid Moscow's invasion.

With reporting by Reuters, dpa, AP, AFP
NANNING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- With romantic songs, bamboo stick dances and five-color glutinous rice, ethnic groups in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are ushering in a particularly lively "March 3 Festival" this year.

More than 1,000 festive activities from folk song choirs to TV variety shows will take place across the region in the coming month, stretching beyond the three-day holiday that began on Friday this year, according to the regional government.

In Guangxi, March 3 of the lunar calendar, or "Sanyuesan," has been an important occasion to sing in the antiphonal (call-and-answer) style to find love, to worship ancestors and pray for a good harvest. It has been observed by many of the region's ethnic groups including Zhuang, Yao, Miao, Dong and Mulao.

Listed as a national intangible cultural heritage and a statutory holiday in Guangxi in 2014, the Sanyuesan Festival usually ushers in a tourist high season with its showcasing of colorful ethnic diversity.

"All seven rooms of my home inn had been fully booked a week before the holiday. We expect a particularly busy holiday so we also hired three other villagers as helpers," said Wu Junyi, a Mulao ethnic villager in Mianhua Village, Luocheng Mulao Autonomous County.

Boasting well-preserved Mulao traditions and architectures, the village has shaken off poverty since 2018 with the take-off of tourism. Solar street lamps and cliff swimming pools are now juxtaposed with corn fields and grape trellises to give the village a touch of modernity combined with antiquity.

The village received more than 80,000 tourists in the first quarter of 2023, and locals now anticipate the annual figure to exceed 300,000 amid an accelerated recovery in tourism.

In Chenshuang Village, co-inhabited by 11 ethnic groups, workshops displaying traditional craftsmanship of wax dyeing, weaving and painting have just finished construction, while fishing and camping facilities have also been developed, to allow villagers to reap benefits from burgeoning cultural tourism.

"We are staging a reed-pipe performance of the Miao, Kam Grand Choir of the Dong and the folk song singing of the Zhuang. Our little village square is now crowded with visitors," said Wei Binglu, Party chief of the Chenshuang Village.

Tourism practitioners said this year's Sanyuesan Festival has met strong enthusiasm from nationwide tourists, who are particularly interested in trips featuring local ethnic cultures.

"Our company's travel bookings during the festival jumped by at least 50 percent compared with the same period in 2019," said Chen Niankun, chairman of a travel agency based in the coastal city of Beihai.

"You can hardly find an empty room on the Weizhou Island now, as many tourists had booked ferry tickets and accommodation long before the holiday," Chen said.

The regional government of Guangxi has been actively promoting tourism and consumption to build on the momentum of economic recovery since the start of this year. Prior to the Sanyuesan Festival, the capital city Nanning launched a shopping festival with more than 800 promotional events to "offset the impact of COVID-19," according to the region's department of commerce. 
TIANJIN, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The fast growth of China's economy provides a welcome lift for the whole world at a time when global economic challenges are intensifying, according to experts and scholars from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Representative Office in China and the School of Finance of the Tianjin-based Nankai University.

The forum held in north China's Tianjin Municipality on Friday focused on the discussion of the latest World Economic Outlook published by the IMF.

According to the IMF forecast, the world economy will grow 2.8 percent in 2023, 0.1 percentage point lower than its January forecast, while China's economic growth will improve from 3 percent in 2022 to 5.2 percent in 2023.

Amid a rocky recovery of the world economy, China becomes a bright spot.

China's contribution to global economic growth will stand at over one third, said Steven Barnett, IMF senior resident representative in China, at the forum.

"Our research shows that every one percentage point of growth in China boosts 0.3 percentage points of growth in other countries," he said.

Chen Yulu, president of Nankai University, said China is currently promoting the Chinese path to modernization with high-quality economic development, which would strongly support the stable and sustainable growth of the Chinese economy.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday that China's gross domestic product grew 4.5 percent year on year in the first three months. Many key data, including consumption, investment and imports and exports of goods, indicate a promising start for the Chinese economy.

"China's economic data in the first quarter proved even a bit stronger than we had been forecasting. Consumption was the key driver of the growth, as we expected. Meanwhile, export was also stronger than we thought," Barnett said.

Xia Tian, assistant professor of the School of Finance of Nankai University, said maintaining the trend of globalization promotes the positive interaction between Chinese and global economic recovery. 
Fact Check Report

Rozana Spokesman in its investigation found that this viral video is.....

RSFC (Team Mohali) - The Aam Aadmi Party remains a topic of discussion regarding the money laundering case related to Excise Policy on Manish Sisodia (Former Deputy CM of the country's capital Delhi). In the midst of these, many claims about the party are going viral on social media. This time a video clip of Anna Hazare is also going viral, in which he can be heard speaking harsh words about the supremo. Users on social media are sharing this video as recent and targetting Arvind Kejriwal.

Twitter user "Prateek Khare" shared the video and wrote, "It is my misfortune that Arvind stayed with me for many years and then he formed a party in which corrupt people joined and today 3 of his 6 ministers are in jail due to corruption." -Anna Hazare"

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Rozana Spokesman in its investigation found that this viral video is old. Now old video of Hazare speaking harsh to Arvind Kejriwal are being made viral by linking them to recent cases.

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Spokesman's Investigation;

While starting the investigation, we first listened to this video carefully. Anna is speaking in the video, "It is my misfortune that Arvind stayed with me for many years and then he formed a party in which corrupt people joined and today 3 of his 6 ministers are in jail for corruption."

Now keeping this information in mind, we started searching for information about the case through keyword search.

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Viral Video Is Old

We found this viral video uploaded on 24 September 2016 on a YouTube channel named "Movie Talkies". This video contains excerpts from the interview of the viral video. It can be seen in the video that first the journalist asks Anna Hazar that Arvind Kejriwal formed his own party and became the Chief Minister. What would you like to say on the current situation in Delhi? Now that his ministers are surrounded by various cases, what do you want to say seeing them?

Anna Hazare

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In response to this, Anna Hazare gave this viral statement.

It was clear that the old video was being shared by linking it to the recent situation.



CONCLUSION- Rozana Spokesman in its investigation found that this viral video is old. Now old video of Hazare speaking harsh to Arvind Kejriwal are being made viral by linking them to recent cases.


ISRO

Rocket was launched under a dedicated commercial mission by NSIL

AMARAVATI: The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) successfully launched two Singaporean satellites, TeLEOS-2 and LUMELITE-4, by PSLV-C55 rocket on Saturday afternoon. These satellites were placed in low Earth orbit from the Satish Dhawan Space Center in Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh.

The Rocket was launched under a dedicated commercial mission by New Space India Limited (NSIL). The rocket took off with 'TeLEOS-2' as the primary satellite and 'LUMELITE-4' as the co-passenger satellite. Both the satellites were installed in low earth orbit. POEM will also fly with these two satellites. POEM will conduct some tests in the vacuum of space. This was the 57th flight of PSLV.

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Notably, this mission has been named TeLEOS-2 mission. With this launch, the total number of foreign satellites sent into orbit has gone up to 424.

What is POEM?

The full form of POEM is the PSLV Orbital Experimental Module. PSLV is a four stage rocket. Its three states fall into the ocean. The final, fourth stage, also known as PS4, leaves the space junk after the satellite is placed in its orbit. Now POEM will be used to experiment on top of this. This is being done for the fourth time.

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What is LUMELITE-4?

Created in partnership with the University of Singapore's Center for Satellite Technology and Research. It aims to enhance Singapore's e-Navigation maritime safety and benefit the global shipping community. It is 16 kg.

What is TeLEOS-2?

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It is a telecommunication satellite. The Singapore government designed it with the help of engineering students. Its weight is 741 kg. It is worth noting here that it will provide information related to disaster management.
BSF Recovered Heroin

The International price of the Heroin is said to be around Rs 35 Crores

AMRITSAR: The Border Security Force personnel have recovered a shipment of about 5 kg of heroin. The international price of which is said to be around Rs 35 crore. It is feared that this consignment has also been dropped by Pakistani drones. In an another case, a farmer has found a drone in the fields in Amritsar district.

According to the information received, farmers were harvesting wheat in their fields near the barbed wire in Bachiwind village under Lopoke in Amritsar sector late on Friday evening. The farmer suddenly found a drone. A packet was also attached to the drone.

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The farmers immediately informed the police. The police team reached the spot and took possession of the drone. Along with this, samples of the consignment have also been sent for forensic examination.
BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Earlier this month, the foreign ministers of China, Saudi Arabia, and Iran shook hands in Beijing, marking a historic moment in Riyadh-Tehran relations. The two countries' resumption of diplomatic ties under China's mediation signals the possibility that humanity can rise above conflict and achieve reconciliation for common good.

The historic thaw came almost a year after Chinese President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Security Initiative (GSI), which aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, encourage joint international efforts to bring more stability and certainty to a volatile and changing era, and promote durable peace and development in the world.

DIALOGUE MATTERS, AND IT WORKS

In the wake of the Riyadh-Tehran rapprochement, reconciliatory steps have taken place successively to break diplomatic impasses and end the long-running feud over several hotspots in the Middle East.

For example, Saudi Arabia is planning to invite Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad to the Arab League Summit which will be hosted by Riyadh in May. Such a move would formally end Syria's isolation in the region. In addition, Qatar and Bahrain recently announced the resumption of formal diplomatic ties. Turkiye and Egypt also pledged to raise their relations to the ambassadorial level.

This "wave of reconciliation" as described by many media and experts can testify to the irreplaceable role of dialogues and consultations in promoting peace and stability.

"War and sanctions are no fundamental solution to disputes; only dialogue and consultation are effective in resolving differences," according to a GSI concept paper released in February.

In fact, consensus worldwide on solving the protracted Ukraine crisis via talks and other peaceful means are gradually building up.

While visiting China earlier this month, French President Emmanuel Macron told Xi in their talks that France calls for the resumption of political negotiations and a settlement of the crisis through diplomatic means to achieve lasting peace in Europe, adding that his country hopes to increase communication and make joint efforts with China toward peace.

Back in March, Xi and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, also stressed in a joint statement that the Ukraine crisis should be solved through dialogues during the Chinese leader's Russia visit.

While the Western security schemes are largely in favor of resolving disputes through military intervention, China's approach is pro-peace and pro-global security, said Gibson Nyikadzino, a Zimbabwean international relations analyst.

TWO DIVERGED PATHS

Mounting global security challenges now stand as a constant reminder that the world community faces a momentous and urgent choice between a vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security or the Cold-War style paradigm that merely caters to the hegemony of one and absolute security of a few.

History lessons abound. NATO promised at the end of the Cold War that it would not add new members, yet the U.S.-led military bloc has expanded eastward five times since 1999, advancing more than 1,000 km to the Russian border.

The deep cause of the Ukraine crisis is the expansion of NATO, and "the Russians are reacting to the West's attempt to make Ukraine a western bulwark on Russia's border," John Mearsheimer, political science professor at the University of Chicago, commented.

Yet it seems that Washington and some of its Western allies are still not learning their lesson. In the Asia-Pacific, they are not only trying to extend NATO into the region, but also pushing for such ideologically driven groupings as the Quad and AUKUS alliance.

Concerns for worsening regional situation are on the rise. Joseph Matthews, a senior professor at the BELTEI International University in Phnom Penh, argued that AUKUS is posing a major security threat to ASEAN and the whole Asian region.

Leaders of regional countries like Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also cautioned the danger of being forced to pick sides in the bloc confrontation being forced upon the region by Washington.

Advocating a new path to security featuring dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance, and win-win over zero-sum, the GSI has so far elicited a positive traction from more than 80 countries and regional organizations.

In the concept paper, China expounds the core ideas and principles of the initiative, reaffirming its commitments to abiding by the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, taking the legitimate security concerns of all countries seriously, and peacefully resolving differences and disputes between countries through dialogue and consultation, among other pledges.

Unlike such Western theories as the theory of alliance, Thucydides trap and "clash of civilizations" that eventually resulted in instability and conflicts, the Chinese initiative provides a new way for all countries, especially the developing ones, to maintain peace and development and receive equal treatment, said Muthanna Mishaan al-Mazrouei, a professor of political geography at Iraq's Tikrit University.

"We are witnessing the transition from a unipolar world to a multi-level one," he observed. "The Global Security Initiative meets the needs of the international community."

CHINA IN ACTION

China's words on peace are its bonds. As the full escalation of the Ukraine crisis reached its one-year mark in late February, China issued a document of its position on the political settlement of the crisis, calling for respecting the sovereignty of all countries, abandoning the Cold War mentality and resuming peace talks.

Earlier this month, China released a paper stating its position on the Afghan issue, voicing support for moderate and prudent governance in Afghanistan, and for peace and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

The points listed in the paper highlighted China's peace-building philosophy behind the GSI, said Shakeel Ahmad Ramay, chief executive officer of the Asian Institute of Eco-civilization Research and Development, adding that it shows China is really serious to solve the issues.

"So China lets the Afghan people decide about that governance system and supports them with economic and development opportunities. I think it will bring sustainable peace to Afghanistan, which will be beneficial for that region and the world," he said.

In addition to its involvement in traditional security matters, China has taken an active role in international cooperation in non-traditional security fields including counter-terrorism, digital governance, and climate change. Through providing a diverse range of public goods, it has made significant contributions towards addressing various security challenges.

For example, China is a significant contributor of troops and the second-largest financial contributor to UN peacekeeping missions. And China has dispatched medical teams totaling 30,000 members to 76 countries and regions over the past six decades, providing 290 million diagnoses and treatments for local people.

The GSI guarantees true peace and security for the international community, said Najib al-Jubouri, a law professor at the al-Iraqia University in Iraq.

It is a laudable initiative that respects the sovereignty of every country, recognizes equality among all countries, abstains from external interference, and calls for the settlement of disputes through dialogue instead of war, he added.

SHARED FUTURE

"It is our common aspiration to achieve lasting world peace, so that all countries can enjoy a peaceful and stable external environment and their people can live a happy life with their rights fully guaranteed," the GSI concept paper said.

Security is a precondition for development, while development is a master key to addressing major problems. Regional analysts opined that surge of reconciliation in the Middle East is being driven not only by political and security concerns of the countries but also by their growing focus on development.

In a March piece published in the Ghanaian Times, Paul Frimpong, the founder and executive director of the Africa-China Centre for Policy & Advisory, said "it's safe to say that the GSI could and will become a catalyst for the world to chart a new path to building sustainable peace, stability and development."

Deeming China's commitment to world peace and stability "commendable," Dawie Roodt, a senior economist at South African wealth management company Efficient Group, said "the majority of people, I believe, will concur, need more economic development, peace, and stability in the world. Anyone who supports peace is unlikely to oppose this strategy, which the world desperately requires." 
National Citys new police chief, Jose Tellez, during a swearing-in ceremony on March 19. His wife Michelle Tellez pinned on his uniform his Chief of Police badge.

When Jose Tellez began his career with the National City Police Department in 1988, it was a different time.

The department had a reputation as an overly aggressive police force  a judgment driven by a slew of complaints of police brutality  at a time when its focus was to crack down on high crime rates.

Community-oriented policing was barely an incipient concept.

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It wasnt ingrained in us, Tellez said.

Yet early on, as the culture gradually changed within the Police Department, Tellez made impactful connections with the community that shaped his career as he rose through the ranks.

Now Tellez, 55, has ascended yet another rank, stepping into the top position.

The former assistant chief, who last week was sworn in as the top cop, runs a department with a $21 million budget and 100-plus employees, including more than 80 sworn officers. Under a three-year contract, he will earn an annual base salary of $197,000.

Unequivocally, hes the one, said police Capt. David Espiritu, who completed the San Diego County Sheriffs Academy at Southwestern College alongside Tellez in 1988.

Tellez has taken over the police force at a time when violent crimes appear to be on the rise, in the midst of a new era of transparency in law enforcement and less than a year since the Police Department was embroiled in controversy as critics pushed the department to be transparent about the in-custody death of Earl McNeil.

McNeil stopped breathing and suffered a heart attack after he was arrested by police and taken to San Diego County jail on May 26. A combination of a struggle with officers, drugs in his system and being held in a restraint device with two spit socks over his head led to his death, authorities said.

District Attorney Summer Stephan determined that neither officers nor sheriffs deputies were criminally liable for his death.

With a new police chief in charge, residents said they want a Police Department that keeps its officers accountable.

The challenge that I have perceived is the complete lack of transparency and how they have no one holding them accountable, said one resident who did not want to be named.

While the Police Department has made great strides since the late 80s and early 90s, Tasha Williamson said she feels the department has a long way to go.

(Tellez) has a lot of culture change that he has to do in his Police Department, said Williamson, who was among a core group that protested against the department in response to McNeils death.

Williamson, a community activist, said she met Tellez last year when she and McNeils family sat down with the Police Departments top brass. She said she appreciated his calm demeanor.

Tellez said he understands the push  in National City and statewide  for less secrecy surrounding police officers conduct. He is receptive for the most part to new state laws intended to make public certain records and footage.

He vowed to be open to meaningful dialogue with residents.

I think its incumbent on me to keep those lines of communication open, he said.

Its a task Tellez, who in 2001 became the first official spokesman for the department, has not shied away from throughout his career.

As a rookie police officer, one conversation in particular left a profound impact on him. At a time when crime was rampant, a mother made him aware of a harsh reality: She told Tellez she dared not venture outside with her children past nightfall because she perceived the streets as dangerous.

It was then that Tellez witnessed first-hand the effects of crime on the larger community and registered the impacts officers can have on the day-to-day lives of residents.

Outside the patrol unit, Tellezs first assignment was on campuses as a school resource officer  a role that led to relationships with children, parents, teachers and administrators.

Alma Sarmiento was a parent volunteer at Sweetwater High School when she met Tellez around that time.

What stood out about him in my mind was that he was very calm in his dealings with the teenagers, which helped him to earn their respect, said Sarmiento, now a National School District board member.

Ive seen (that) hes gained the respect of everyone that hes come to know, Sarmiento added.

Beyond earning respect, she said, Tellez showed dedication.

She was left flabbergasted when he showed up to work the morning his son had been born. She recalls that he showed her a small photo that had been taken at a hospital hours earlier.

She remembers Tellez admitted: Theres nothing for me to do there so I decided to come to work.

Tellez and his wife have two children, ages 24 and 26.

Another day, in 1991, a Sweetwater High School teacher, David Ybarra, asked Tellez to visit his government classes to talk about a controversial topic in the news: the beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers. The discussion opened the door to hard-hitting questions from students, Tellez said.

He, in turn, for the most part listened to the students and assured them he understood the basis of the outrage.

For every incident that happens, Tellez said in a recent interview, theres an opportunity to connect with our community somehow.

As chief, Tellez hopes to build stronger bridges between the Police Department and the community to reduce crime and address public safety issues across National City, a working-class community of more than 60,000 predominately Latino residents where the violent crime rate has been on the rise despite an overall decline in crimes.

In mid-2018, the citys violent crime rate was the third-highest in San Diego County, trailing only Lemon Grove and Valley Center, according to a report by the San Diego Association of Governments, a regional planning agency.

Tellez said he plans to reshape the gang enforcement unit into a neighborhood policing team designed to tackle area-specific issues  whether gang-related or not  with a focus on long-term solutions.

Tellez also intends to create a homeless outreach team in response to a high volume of police calls related to homelessness, mental health and drug addiction.

Were dealing with those three aspects more and more, Tellez said.

He said patrol officers oftentimes are swamped with other calls and, regardless, arent exactly suited to address the underlying causes or provide long-term solutions.

While some consider him a natural successor to former police Chief Manuel Rodriguez, it wasnt long ago  around early 2017 near the 30-year mark in his career  that Tellez, a captain at the time, contemplated the idea of retirement.

Tellez said he felt it was the right time to cap his career and leave open his position to give interested lieutenants the opportunity to move up the chain of command. At the time, he shared his thoughts with City Manager Leslie Deese, who didnt want the Police Department to lose his wealth of knowledge and wisdom.

Hes so well-regarded inside and outside the department, Deese said. I thought, It would be a shame to lose his philosophy.

So Deese and Rodriguez devised a plan so that Tellez could mentor lower-ranking officers. The end result was a succession plan that gave lieutenants, sergeants and some corporals the chance to rise one rank in an acting capacity, allowing them to gain experience.

As a byproduct of the succession planning, Tellez stayed with the Police Department  long enough not only to see Rodriguez announce his retirement but also to succeed him.

During an emotion-filled ceremony in which Tellez was sworn-in on March 19, the consensus  among officers, city leaders and community members  was a palpable sense of pride in Tellez, a product of the department hes taken over.

Deese, a champion of internal promotions, reminded Tellez of the words she shared with him when he was promoted in 2017 to assistant police chief.

Keep leading from the heart and you will go far, she reiterated.

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
Deogratius Mosha, the co-founder of Mainstream Media Limited, a company founded in 2015 dealing with digital innovations and software development, receives an interview in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 18, 2023. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Pilika Nwaka Mwamsaku, a first-year student at the Catholic University College in Mbeya region, believes that his studies have been made smooth through the use of a digital innovation called Smart University Initiative, or SmartUni in short.

"Through the SmartUni platform, I get all the study materials that I need after lectures. I am also using this platform to exchange ideas with students from other universities that are connected with this application," Mwamsaku, who is pursuing a degree in business administration, told Xinhua in a recent interview.

He added that through SmartUni, students can access subject notes by using the application instead of spending the little money they have to pay for photocopying the notes, adding that the application is also used for showing class timetables.

Mwamsaku is among tens of thousands of Tanzanian university students who are using the SmartUni application, thanks to Deogratius Mosha, the co-founder of Mainstream Media Limited, a company founded in 2015 dealing with digital innovations and software development.

At the age of 35, Mosha has already broken the glass ceiling by innovating SmartUni, a digital solution digitizing the education system at the university level, a solution aimed at reducing the use of paper and print handouts for both students and lecturers.

"SmartUni is a digital solution designed to transform the lives of students at universities and colleges by providing them access to studying materials via mobile phones and the web," Mosha told Xinhua in the port city of Dar es Salaam.

He said his company did research and discovered that most of the students in colleges substitute the cost of getting study materials for the cost of living or buying food, adding that the average spending for a student to get study materials is between 10 U.S. dollars and 14 U.S. dollars per month.

He added: "Most of the universities in Tanzania have not leveraged on using technology to provide study materials to students. So we saw that as a need and an opportunity that we can create a platform where study materials can be uploaded easily by the students or by the lecturers."

He said at the moment there are five universities where there are active users of the SmartUni platform, adding that the target is to reach all 22 universities in Tanzania by the end of 2023.

"We started this innovation in July 2022, we made the first trial in September 2022, we did our second trial in January 2023, and in February 2023 we started rolling out to the universities," said Mosha.

He said some higher learning institutions and colleges in Kenya have asked how they might adopt the SmartUni digital platform to their colleges after they have learned that the innovation was helpful to students in Tanzania.

Mosha said another innovation he has made is a digital health service called Afya Tap, a solution that links up medical doctors, patients and other health workers.

"This innovation came out when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in the country in 2020. We came to realize that most of the people were afraid of going to pharmacies, they were afraid of going to hospitals when they experienced symptoms of COVID-19," he said.

Mosha added: "Through that platform my team and I also realized that there was a need to connect doctors with these people who were locked at their homes afraid of going out because of the COVID-19 outbreak."

Emmanuel Lazari, a medical doctor who graduated from the Hubert Kairuki Memorial University in Dar es Salaam in 2019, said he joined the Afya Tap application during the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Four medical doctor colleagues and I used to attend between 10 and 15 patients a day, mostly those suffering from non-communicable diseases, including diabetes," said Lazari.

Mosha's innovative journey started when he was in high school as he began to be very inquisitive about anything that came across him.

Mosha, a graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Science (Information and Technology), won the 2022 Forty Under 40 Africa Awards in the science, technology and innovation category.

The awards are organized by Exodus Communications Company of Ghana and they were given in Cape Town in South Africa on March 24, 2023.

The main innovations that made him and his company stand out were the SmartUni and Afya Tap digital platforms, said Mosha.

"Everyone felt that the two solutions can be replicated in developing countries in Africa. Both problems we are solving in Tanzania are found in other African countries," he said.

Mosha thanked the government of Tanzania for supporting innovation initiatives by creating an enabling environment for innovations. 

Deogratius Mosha, the co-founder of Mainstream Media Limited, a company founded in 2015 dealing with digital innovations and software development, shows his app in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 18, 2023. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)

Staff of Mainstream Media Limited work at their office in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, on April 18, 2023. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua)
A Ghanaian student performs traditional Chinese tea art at a Chinese language contest held by the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana, in Accra, Ghana, on April 21, 2023. Interest in Chinese language studies has been increasing among Ghanaian students, an education official said Friday. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)

ACCRA, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Interest in Chinese language studies has been increasing among Ghanaian students, an education official said Friday.

Emelia Agyei-Mensah, a registrar of the University of Ghana, made the remarks during a Chinese language contest held at the Confucius Institute at the university.

The trend is visible as there are a high number of students opting to major in the Chinese language at the undergraduate level in the premier university in the country, Agyei-Mensah said.

"Here at the University of Ghana, efforts have been made to augment the study of Chinese by creating more combined major programs which include Chinese as a subject," she said.

"Currently, undergraduate student enrollment in the Chinese language is well over 1,000. I know that similar efforts are underway in other public universities in the country with the establishment of more Confucius Institutes," she added.

The registrar described as "impressive" the proficiency the contestants showed in the competition.

"I am impressed how our students have picked up the Chinese language and culture and performed as if they were born in China or were Chinese. I was wondering how they could do it and I am so impressed," she said.

During the competition, the Chinese major students also delivered splendid performances, including singing, choreography, and martial arts, setting the audience agog.

Herbert Appiatu-Danquah, who performed martial arts in addition to his speech, said the study of the Chinese language also increased the prospects for the learners and helped improve cultural cooperation between Ghana and China.

Julia Duncan, another Chinese major, told Xinhua, "I chose the Chinese language because I wanted to pursue international relations and Chinese is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world."

She said her confidence in the future of Chinese majors has been bolstered as China develops rapidly and the China-Africa cooperation deepens. 

A Ghanaian student performs traditional Chinese dance at a Chinese language contest held by the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana, in Accra, Ghana, on April 21, 2023. Interest in Chinese language studies has been increasing among Ghanaian students, an education official said Friday. (Photo by Seth/Xinhua)
In the world of computing, we typically think of information as being stored as ones and zeros -- also known as binary encoding. However, in our daily life we use ten digits to represent all possible numbers. In binary the number 9 is written as 1001 for example, requiring three additional digits to represent the same thing.

The quantum computers of today grew out of this binary paradigm, but in fact the physical systems that encode their quantum bits (qubit) often have the potential to also encode quantum digits (qudits), as recently demonstrated by a team led by Martin Ringbauer at the Department of Experimental Physics at the University of Innsbruck. According to experimental physicist Pavel Hrmo at ETH Zurich: "The challenge for qudit-based quantum computers has been to efficiently create entanglement between the high-dimensional information carriers."

In a study published in the journal Nature Communications the team at the University of Innsbruck now reports, how two qudits can be fully entangled with each other with unprecedented performance, paving the way for more efficient and powerful quantum computers.

Thinking like a quantum computer

The example of the number 9 shows that, while humans are able calculate 9 x 9 = 81 in one single step, a classical computer (or calculator) has to take 1001 x 1001 and perform many steps of binary multiplication behind the scenes before it is able to display 81 on the screen. Classically, we can afford to do this, but in the quantum world where computations are inherently sensitive to noise and external disturbances, we need to reduce the number of operations required to make the most of available quantum computers.

Crucial to any calculation on a quantum computer is quantum entanglement. Entanglement is one of the unique quantum features that underpin the potential for quantum to greatly outperform classical computers in certain tasks. Yet, exploiting this potential requires the generation of robust and accurate higher-dimensional entanglement.

The natural language of quantum systems

The researchers at the University of Innsbruck were now able to fully entangle two qudits, each encoded in up to 5 states of individual Calcium ions. This gives both theoretical and experimental physicists a new tool to move beyond binary information processing, which could lead to faster and more robust quantum computers.

Martin Ringbauer explains: "Quantum systems have many available states waiting to be used for quantum computing, rather than limiting them to work with qubits." Many of today's most challenging problems, in fields as diverse as chemistry, physics or optimisation, can benefit from this more natural language of quantum computing.

The research was financially supported by the Austrian Science Fund FWF, the Austrian Research Promotion Agency FFG, the European Research Council ERC, the European Union and the Federation of Austrian Industries Tyrol, among others.
Chinese tourists pose for a photo with local people at the Kilimanjaro International Airport in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, on April 22, 2023.

A group of 28 Chinese tourists aboard Ethiopian Airlines touched down Saturday afternoon at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which is located in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania.

They are the first batch of tourists from China after the pandemic to Tanzania, one of the world's leading tourist attractions.(Photo by Nurdin Pallangyo/Xinhua)

DAR ES SALAAM, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A group of 28 Chinese tourists aboard Ethiopian Airlines touched down Saturday afternoon at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which is located in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania.

They are the first batch of tourists from China after the pandemic to Tanzania, one of the world's leading tourist attractions.

The Chinese tourists were welcomed by the Director General of the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB), Damasi Mfugale, who assured the visitors that their journey to the east African nation will be worth it.

"Tanzania is a land of great beauty, abundant wildlife, and rich cultural heritage, and we are delighted to have the opportunity to share it with you," said Mfugale.

"As you explore our country, we hope that you will take the time to learn about our history, our customs, and our way of life," said Mfugale, adding: "We also encourage you to share your own experiences and perspectives with us, so that we can continue to build bridges of understanding and friendship between our two nations."

Mfugale said the Chinese tourists' visit to Tanzania marks a significant milestone in ongoing efforts to strengthen the cultural and economic ties between the two nations.

Wang Zhenhai, leader of the group and general manager of Shaanxi Continental Culture Company, said the Chinese tourists came from different parts of China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, and Chengdu.

Wang said the group will spend nine days in Tanzania, including two days in the Arusha National Park, three days in the Serengeti National Park, one day in the Ngorongoro conservation area, one day in Lake Victoria, and two days in Zanzibar.

"We are all fans of the Serengeti," said Wang, adding: "I think Tanzania will be the right destination for Chinese tourists because Tanzania has beautiful hotels, professional guides, and tour drivers, and people are lovely and friendly."

The visit by the Chinese tourists has been organized jointly by Shaanxi Continental Culture Company of China and Tanzania Fashion Tourism, the first Chinese tourist company in Tanzania founded in 2007. 

Chinese tourists are welcomed at the Kilimanjaro International Airport in Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania, on April 22, 2023.

A group of 28 Chinese tourists aboard Ethiopian Airlines touched down Saturday afternoon at the Kilimanjaro International Airport (KIA), which is located in Hai District, Kilimanjaro Region, Tanzania.

They are the first batch of tourists from China after the pandemic to Tanzania, one of the world's leading tourist attractions.(Photo by Nurdin Pallangyo/Xinhua)
Soudan: les premiers civils etrangers evacues, les combats se poursuivent

Les evacuations de civils etrangers au Soudan ont debute samedi pendant que les combats meurtriers entre l'armee reguliere et les paramilitaires se sont poursuivis, entrant dans leur deuxieme semaine apres une breve accalmie.





Si la nuit a ete relativement calme a Khartoum privee en grande partie d'electricite et d'eau courante, de fortes explosions ont secoue la capitale dans la journee et des echanges de tirs ont ete entendus dans differents quartiers, selon des temoignages rapportes a l'AFP.





La premiere grande operation d'evacuation de civils depuis le debut des combats a ete annoncee samedi par l'Arabie saoudite qui a rapatrie ses citoyens et des ressortissants d'autres pays.





"Cinquante citoyens saoudiens et d'autres ressortissants evacues du Soudan" sont arrives a Jeddah, ville portuaire au bord de la mer Rouge, a indique la chaine de television d'Etat saoudienne Al-Ekhbariyah. Plus tot, l'armee soudanaise avait fait etat du depart de "diplomates saoudiens par voie terrestre vers Port-Soudan".





Cent huit autres personnes originaires de onze pays devraient arriver plus tard dans la journee a bord de quatre autres navires qui doivent accoster a Jeddah, a ajoute la chaine saoudienne.





- Evacuations d'Occidentaux -





De son cote, l'armee soudanaise a annonce que "les Etats-Unis, le Royaume-Uni, la France et la Chine evacueraient leurs diplomates et leurs ressortissants avec leurs avions militaires".





Depuis plusieurs jours, les Etats-Unis, la Coree du Sud et le Japon ont deploye des forces dans les pays voisins, et l'Union europeenne envisage de prendre de mesures similaires en vue d'evacuer leurs diplomates et ressortissants du Soudan.





Les violences y ont eclate le 15 avril entre l'armee du general Abdel Fattah al-Burhane , dirigeant de facto du Soudan depuis le putsch de 2021, et son adjoint devenu rival, le general Mohamed Hamdane Daglo , qui commande les Forces de soutien rapide (FSR), des paramilitaires redoutes.





Vendredi, l'armee a annonce avoir "accepte un cessez-le-feu de trois jours" pour l'Aid al-Fitr, qui marque la fin du mois sacre du jeune musulman. Auparavant, l'ONU, les Etats-Unis et d'autres pays avaient appele a l'arret des combats.





Mais une nouvelle fois, l'armee et les FSR et l'armee n'ont pas respecte leurs engagements de faire une pause pour permettre aux civils de fuir et aux pays etrangers de rapatrier leurs ressortissants. Le bilan encore tres provisoire s'eleve a 413 morts et 3.551 blesses, selon l'Organisation mondiale de la Sante (OMS).





Les FSR du general Daglo ont indique etre "pretes a ouvrir tous les aeroports du Soudan" pour evacuer les etrangers. Le general Burhane a lui declare samedi que l'armee reguliere "controlait tous les aeroports a l'exception de ceux de Kartoum et de Nyala", le chef-lieu du Darfour-Sud.





Alors que les deux camps se livrent aussi a une bataille de communication, il est impossible de savoir qui controle les aeroports du pays et dans quel etat ils se trouvent apres avoir ete le theatre de violents combats depuis le premier jour du conflit.





Les deux generaux qui avaient pris le pouvoir lors du coup d'Etat de 2021 sont desormais engages dans une lutte sans merci. Ils ont ete incapables de s'accorder sur l'integration des paramilitaires du general Daglo aux troupes regulieres du general Burhane, apres des semaines de negociations politiques sous egide internationale.





- "Situation catastrophique" -





A Khartoum, ville de cinq millions d'habitants, de nombreux civils se sont aventures a l'exterieur uniquement pour obtenir des denrees alimentaires d'urgence ou pour fuir la ville. La fin du mois de jeune du ramadan se fete habituellement "avec des patisseries et des cadeaux pour les enfants", mais cette annee, ce sont "des coups de feu et l'odeur de la mort", se lamente aupres de l'AFP Sami al-Nour, un habitant de Khartoum.





Les conditions de vie sont probablement pires au Darfour, ou personne ne peut se rendre dans l'immediat. Sur place, un docteur de Medecins sans frontieres (MSF) evoque une "situation catastrophique".





Au Soudan, troisieme producteur d'or d'Afrique et pourtant l'un des pays les plus pauvres au monde, les services de sante sont a genoux depuis des decennies et un tiers des 45 millions d'habitants souffre de la faim.





L'arret des operations de la plupart des humanitaires, apres la mort d'au moins quatre d'entre depuis une semaine, va aggraver la situation. Et le conflit menace desormais de gagner du terrain au-dela des frontieres du Soudan, selon des experts.





Maintenant que les armes ont parle, il faut agir rapidement pour eviter une "guerre civile a part entiere", previent l'International Crisis Group (IGC).





AFP
HARARE, April 22 (Xinhua) -- One year after the Global Security Initiative (GSI) was put forward, the Chinese proposal has promoted world peace and security, injecting stability and positive energy into the world, Zimbabwean experts have said.

China has been an indispensable player in preserving global peace and security at a time when the world has gone through profound changes, said Gibson Nyikadzino, an international relations analyst.

In April 2022, China proposed the GSI, which aims to create a new path to security featuring dialogue over confrontation, partnership over alliance, and win-win over zero-sum. It provides a new course and approach to addressing the root causes of international conflicts and solving security challenges facing humanity.

"The Chinese are not militaristic in terms of their foreign policy as opposed to the West. China has not shown any incentive driven by militarism," Nyikadzino told Xinhua.

While the Western security initiatives are largely in favor of military intervention to resolve disputes, China's proposal is pro-peace and contributes to maintaining global security, said Nyikadzino.

He lamented the West's militaristic foreign policy which has caused suffering in many countries, such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, and Libya, saying that such foreign policy was meant to "benefit the military-industrial complex and has made the world much more unsafe."

Although the GSI is essential in addressing the urgent needs and difficulties of the world, the West is still "trying to frame China as an aggressor instead of a peace-maker or peace-builder," said Nyikadzino.

"Unfortunately, as the United States and the West think in military terms, they see China's initiative as one that is asserting its hegemony in the world. Yet China has no plans to dominate the world but create win-win situations," the expert said.

Nyikadzino's view was echoed by Zimbabwean economist Paul Musodza, who told Xinhua that the GSI has boosted world peace and sustainable development.

Musodza, also chairman of the Zimbabwe Students in China Association, said the initiative stresses the need to bring the global community together in a peaceful environment.

"The good significance of China's initiative is that global peace is only possible when all world economies are growing and benefiting world citizens," Musodza said.

Besides the GSI, China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, the Global Development Initiative, and the Global Civilization Initiative on different occasions. All those have enriched the Chinese vision for a community with a shared future for mankind and provided practical pathways toward it.

Musodza said these initiatives are good, as the world, and Africa in particular, can benefit from the Chinese wisdom.

"The Chinese way of life and doing things must be understood by the world. That is, how it has grown its economy" into the world's second-largest one, Musodza said.

"So, African countries will be engaged too. It will be good for Africa," he said. 
We just got back from a long road trip, San Francisco to Southern California. Its the California thing to do: a road trip to visit family. For better or worse, California is built around the highways. So we took Highway 101 both ways, including an overnight stop in Ventura in a hotel overlooking the ocean, with the mysterious Channel Islands in the distance. Then to family in Thousand Oaks.

It took two long freeway days down and back. The numbers sound daunting: 393 miles each way, 362 freeway exits, three pit stops, no bad experiences, unless you count a wrong turn searching for a restaurant.

But theres always a kind of thrill seeing your hometown in the rear view mirror on the way out and seeing the familiar streets on the last homeward home lap. My companion, the Sailor Girl, and I missed the open road during the pandemic and the long rainy winter. So we were ready to go.

We took 101 because it always seems more interesting than the long haul on Interstate 5 down the west side of the San Joaquin Valley. More scenery, fewer trucks.

We cheated a bit by taking Interstate 280 south down the Peninsula, then cutting over toward Morgan Hill on Highway 85, joining the 101 freeway on the edge of San Jose, an hour into the trip. In March there had been snow on the horizon and on Mount Hamilton, reminders of winter.

But now it was deep springtime, green hills and along the freeway acres and acres of new cars and trucks for sale. And then, just past Gilroy, the urban sprawl started to thin out, fields, pastures, a farmhouse or two. At the end of a slight grade, a kind of watershed at the San Benito County line. The freeway crosses a small bridge over the Pajaro River there.

The county line and the bridge are hardly noticeable, but I have come to think of that spot as the southern frontier of the Bay Area, that remarkable region of 7 million people.

We headed south, through kind of transition country, past the unlovely city of Prunedale, and to the outskirts of Salinas.

Remember outskirts? In my old Ford V-8 youth when we hit the road for fun, the highways went right through towns so we could get a look at these exotic places. Now we judge the importance of a place by the number of freeway exits. Salinas has a dozen.

And its the border of another region  the great Salinas Valley, farmland, with a mountain range on either side. The Santa Lucia range to the west, with low clouds the day we drove south. The Gabilan range to the east. Heading north we noticed the spiky peaks of the Pinnacles peaking above the gentle crests of the Gabilans.

I always think of John Steinbeck when I drive down what he called The Long Valley. I notice the names of the towns: Chualar, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield, King City. They are mostly Latino towns these days, farmworkers. A different California from the places Steinbeck knew.

When I was a soldier I drove this road often: an hour from Salinas to King City, an hour to Paso Robles. There was a construction traffic jam at King City. Here the Salinas river curves under the bridge. It looked wide and important here, a reminder of how the river had flooded in the winter.

The valley gradually rises, through Paso Robles, past the brewery which produces 805 Beer, named for the local telephone area code. Then past Atascadero, past Templeton, past Santa Margarita, then up the Cuesta Summit and serious hills.

Down steeply into San Luis Obispo where the land changes completely as if it were a different state. I remember interviewing Cal Poly Professor Daniel Krieger, who insisted the central coast was a distinct region of California, not San Francisco, not Los Angeles, and certainly not the Central Valley. He called it The Middle Kingdom.

Highway 101 is its main street. It runs north and south and a bit east through Pismo Beach, Arroyo Grande and others of the so-called Five Cities, away from the coast through the long empty valleys, some planted in grapes, some green open oak land. In April the countryside is an intense green  like a green carpet, the Sailor Girl said.

The highway curves westerly and begins to drop through the rugged Santa Ynez mountains, and there, just around a curve, there is the Pacific Ocean, fringed with palm trees and steep hills. The ocean fills the windshield of the car suddenly, as if it were a curtain going up in a stage play.

The highway runs along the ocean where the most scenic stretch begins at a place with one of the loveliest names in California: Mariposa Reina. This is the Gaviota Coast, 76 miles of the last bit of undeveloped rural coastline in the southern half of California. The Portola party camped here in 1776 on its way to be the first Europeans to see what is now San Francisco.

The Gaviota region is still the California people imagine: the ocean on one side, calm and blue, steep hills on the other, strewn with brilliant yellow wild mustard and poppies, all in spring bloom.

That all ends soon enough when you hit Goleta and the start of the afternoon traffic jam in Santa Barbara. A slow drag through this pretty city and then another clogged stretch for construction south to the Ventura county line. But thats the California we all know: the bad comes with the good. The northbound ride from Thousand Oaks, just over the hill from Los Angeles to the south and Malibu to the west, was on a Sunday morning. A breeze.

But San Francisco responsibilities beckoned. Next time well stop along the way and take a longer look.
The march to wean California off natural gas seemed unstoppable as more and more cities passed laws banning gas hookups in new homes.

Bay Area pollution regulators weighed in too, barring the installation of new gas-powered furnaces and water heaters in the coming years. And state air quality regulators are poised to draft similar rules that would prohibit sales of gas heaters by 2030.

Related: Bay Area will end sales of gas furnaces and water heaters. Heres what it means for you

But that momentum hit a setback last week when a federal appeals court panel decided Berkeley exceeded its authority when it enacted first-in-the-nation rules essentially requiring only electric appliances in most newly constructed homes.

Some groups, including the California Restaurant Association, celebrated the decision by the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; the association had sued Berkeley over the ordinance, which was passed in 2019. But the courts interpretation of a 1975 law passed during the energy crisis has spurred debate over the fate of dozens of local decarbonization policies across the state and nation.

The courts decision is not obviously wrong, said Dan Farber, an environmental law professor at UC Berkeley, who disagreed with the decision. But I dont think its crystal clear.

Tension has been brewing for years over local efforts to cut greenhouse gasses by decarbonizing buildings  a key source of emissions fueling climate change.

On one side, leaders in more than 70 California cities and in other places like New York and Seattle have used local authority in setting building codes to encourage and require new construction to include electric appliances instead of gas-powered ones.

But political leaders elsewhere are taking stands to safeguard access to familiar home appliances  and protect economic interests tied to oil and gas.

At least 20 states have either passed or are considering rules blocking cities from setting policies for energy systems in new buildings  including ones like Berkeleys that prohibited gas hookups, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Barry Rabe, a political scientist at the University of Michigans Gerald Ford School of Public Policy, said these opposing views bring up an increasingly important question: What levels of government have the authority to set energy and climate policies?

Rabe and others said the Ninth Circuits interpretation of the U.S. Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975 is tenuous and no doubt will be challenged.

Federal lawmakers passed the act when the country was reeling from a major oil shortage and needed to increase energy supplies. Among its main provisions, the law created the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and established fuel economy standards for vehicles. The law also gave the federal government control over appliance efficiency standards, primarily so that manufacturers had unified standards to adhere to instead of dozens of conflicting ones.

The idea was to give the federal government more power to make sure energy moved smoothly around the country, Rabe said. Now you have the law pulled out to look at the question of gas bans, which Im sure was not on anyones radar in 1975.

The question is whether the law means local jurisdictions cant establish rules that impact energy sources for home appliances.

Cities and counties have broad authority to establish building codes  mostly safety standards to prevent disasters and protect health. And thats the avenue most municipalities have taken to start decarbonizing its buildings.

Residential and commercial buildings churn out about one quarter of all greenhouse gasses emitted in the state, according to the California Energy Commission.

Berkeleys ordinance barred most new residential and commercial buildings, with some exceptions, from having gas pipelines.

The restaurant association argued the city was unlawfully, and circuitously, tinkering with energy efficiency standards overseen by the federal government.

In its opinion published Monday, the Ninth Circuit agreed. The panel that issued the decision said that the 1975 federal statute prevents Berkeley from even indirectly banning certain household appliances.

Faber, the UC Berkeley law professor, said the courts ruling may not hold up to further scrutiny.

Its a setback, Faber said. And I think theres also some possibility it will get reversed.

He compared the issue to local water restrictions. Cities have for decades limited water use by, for example, prohibiting residents from using city water to wash cars or water lawns, especially during times of drought.

If you can tell people not to use water for washing cars, why cant you tell them not to use gas for gas stoves? Faber said.

One of the Ninth Circuit judges acknowledged that there was confusion in laws governing when federal authority trumps local control. Judge Diarmuid OScannlain said he agreed with the majority opinion because of prior Ninth Circuit decisions, but said the legal standards for federal pre-emption are troubling and confused.

A key question is whether the courts reasoning could impede other California efforts to phase out natural gas appliances, beyond the bans on gas hookups in new construction.

Last month, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District voted to ban sales and installation of certain appliances that emit nitrogen oxides  rules that effectively ban gas-powered water heaters and furnaces in the coming years.

The California Air Resources Board is poised to draft similar rules that, by focusing on emission sources, would ban sales of gas furnaces and water heaters starting in 2030.

Both agencies are studying the Ninth Circuits opinion to determine whether it might impact them. A spokesperson for the Bay Area air district said the agency has been regulating nitrogen oxides emissions since 1979  and although those regulations are very different from city building codes, the agency is analyzing the Ninth Circuits decision.

A spokesperson for the Air Resources Board said the agency is currently reviewing the appellate courts decision.

Faber said he believes that the Bay Area and state efforts to ban gas heaters are different because they focus on the pollution gas devices emit, rather than a ban on hookups. Still, he said, we cant be positive the courts decision wont be used more broadly.

Carrie Manning, general counsel for the League of California Cities, said in an email that her organization doesnt agree with the courts finding and believes federal lawmakers did not intend to override a city building ordinance adopted to protect health and safety.

Rabe, the political scientist from Michigan, said the simplest resolution would come from Congress. But he doubts federal lawmakers will delve back into the 1975 law to clarify and update its meaning. So the problem, he said, will continue playing out in local jurisdictions where officials decide to make a stand.

This is just the initial legal volley in a bigger battle, Rabe said.
A gray whale that has lingered in San Francisco Bay since February, in a detour from its normal northern migration, and has spent far more time in the bay than any other whale scientists have watched.

The previous record for a gray whale in the bay was 46 days. Now, with this gray, its 67 days.

Bekah Lane, cetacean field research specialist at the Marine Mammal Center, said gray whales seem to be moving deeper into the bay, even close to Oakland and Alameda, and spending more time in the bay than they have in years past.

Since the migration season arrived, scientists from the Marine Mammal Center in Sausalito have identified at least eight gray whales and one humpback in the bay, including the gray whale thats been in residence since Feb. 9.

San Francisco kayaker RJ Andrews spotted a whale on a paddle out of Crane Cove Friday morning for the first time after years of kayaking in the area, which he called exhilarating.

I cant say I want to see it because its not good for the whales, said Andrews, 38, who is not sure if it was a humpback or gray whale. But when I do its a pretty exciting thing.

The whales behavior is concerning to scientists.

Hanging around in the bay, a relatively new phenomenon, is not part of what we know as a normal gray whales migration, Lane said.

Humpback whales started coming to San Francisco Bay in 2016 and gray whales followed in 2019. For gray whales, it means a stop in their normal migration route from breeding grounds in Baja California to feeding areas in Alaska, usually passing the bay between mid-February and mid-May. For humpback whales, the new behavior is likely because one of their favorite types of prey, anchovies, began moving closer to the coast after a marine heat wave in the mid-2010s.

While humpbacks usually come into the bay briefly to feed, gray whales often stay much longer because they are tired or hungry  scientists dont quite understand why. But they cant find enough to eat in the bay, which doesnt have the same high-quality of food they can find in Alaska. Overall, the whales body conditions have gone down since they began coming to the bay in 2019, Lane said.

Whales can be identified by particular markings on their flukes, like fingerprints. In photos over time, including when it was last sighted on April 17, the record-breaking gray whale showed signs of deterioration, including losing weight and harboring a lot of sea lice, an indicator of bigger health issues, Lane said.

Whales new patterns have put them in harms way, with frequent whale deaths attributed to ship strikes. Two gray whales have washed up dead on shore this month, one in Bolinas and one in San Leandro, and both were likely killed by a ship, according to the Marine Mammal Center.

Andrews, a former rower in college, does a 3-mile loop out of Crane Cove several times a week and almost always sees a sea lion or seal. On Friday, he first saw what he thought was a whale spray near Oracle Park, and then paddled south and finally saw the whale itself.

It was this big black mass, he said, and thought to himself: This whale is moving a lot faster than I could follow.

Even though he had a new high-performance carbon fiber paddle, he never got closer to the whale than 300 yards. Soon it had ventured out toward Oakland.

Andrews worried about the whale afterward because of all the traffic in the bay, and he contacted the Marine Mammal Center.

Watching all these boats going so fast, he said, they dont know theres a whale going underneath them.

To report a whale sighting, call the Marine Mammal Centers 24-hour hotline at 415-289-7325 or go to https://www.marinemammalcenter.org
A loud boom broke the March afternoon silence in Bekah Chances South Lake Tahoe neighborhood. She wondered whether the sound came from the mountain above the town, where the Heavenly ski resort occasionally detonates explosives to temper avalanche danger.

In fact, a house down the street had exploded. Winter storms had buried the unoccupied home in a thick blanket of snow, and as the ice melted and refroze over several weeks, it cracked at least one gas line. All it took for the house to blow up was a wayward spark.

Thirty minutes later, a real estate agent arrived to show two prospective home buyers the neighborhood. Confused and unable to find the house she was supposed to show, the agent drove by Chance  who had gone outside after hearing the blast  and asked for directions. Chance responded that the home she was looking for had just been destroyed.

I told her, I dont think youll be showing anything today,  Chance recalled with a chuckle.

With April warmth hitting the mountains, South Lake Tahoe and other nearby communities are finally crawling out of their most extreme winter in memory, confronting the damage from having too much of a good thing.

Heavy snowfall is typically welcome in Tahoe: Not only does it excite the towns core of outdoor enthusiasts and drive the tourism economy, but a deep and lasting snowpack soothes anxieties about wildfire and drought. The first gusts of frigid air that blow flakes across the peaks each fall carry palpable anticipation of winters arrival.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Everyone has that notion of, Lets have the biggest snow year on record! We cant wait,  said Sean Hutchinson, senior manager of lift operations at Heavenly Mountain Resort, who moved to South Lake five years ago to work at the ski area and is excited about deep snow, though even for him the circumstances have been extreme. When youre finally in it, its like, Oh s, what did we ask for? 

More than 50 feet of snow fell on South Lake Tahoe this past winter, burying the town of 21,000 in a frozen white crust that is just beginning to thaw. The tally is grim: Two exploded homes, 10 collapsed buildings and an unknown number of residents displaced from damaged or inaccessible homes. Mangled street signs, potholed streets and buried cars are everywhere.

At least 20 buildings, including a vacant Kmart, have been red-tagged as unsafe for occupancy. A block away from Hutchinsons home, the roof of a gas station collapsed before the whole facility went up in flames.

Theres carnage everywhere, said Kim George, fire marshal and battalion chief for South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue.

Even locals who have lived in the basin for decades have been stunned by some of the freakish calamities that have befallen the town over the past five months. And the more they dig, the more damage theyre likely to uncover.

All the snow we wished for has been a nightmare for some people, Hutchinson said.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Left: A collapsed warehouse in South Lake Tahoe. Right: A car is lodged under the roof of a collapsed warehouse. Photos by Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Top: A collapsed warehouse in South Lake Tahoe. Above: A car is lodged under the roof of a collapsed warehouse. Photos by Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Like a swimming pool fell through the ceiling

Roof collapses, new this winter, came to symbolize the unprecedented burden weighing on residents.

South Lake officials recommended that people clear their roofs when more than 3 feet of snow piled up. But high snow loads built up on the many empty and unattended second homes and vacation rentals around town and, in some instances, caused decks to cave in or bowed roof eaves.

In one striking case, a warehouse that belonged to a beach cleanup company pancaked under the weight of snow on its roof. Fortunately, no one was inside at the time. Visiting the site recently, George pointed to cars and machinery visible beneath the rubble. No one will be allowed to go into the wreckage until after the snow has melted, she said.

We dont normally train on building collapses. Theyre very unusual, George said.

Across the California-Nevada border, similar issues have plagued the casino town of Stateline. There have been 10 roof collapses and numerous gas leaks, said Michelle Turner, a spokesperson for the Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District. Between 15 and 20 buildings there have been red-tagged as well, she said, some showing signs of potential collapse.

At a Raleys grocery store in Stateline, it looks like a swimming pool fell through the ceiling, George said. Soon, the place started giving off a stink of rotting food, which officials worried would attract bears and other animals. So the grocery store hired a crew of specialists to retrieve anything perishable. The store will not reopen, said Chelsea Minor, a Raleys spokesperson.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Perhaps surprisingly, South Lake hasnt recorded any deaths directly attributable to storms or heavy snow, George said. However, officials have seen a rash of hospitalizations as people tumble off their roofs while trying to clear them of stubborn frozen formations known as ice dams. In one case, a giant slab slid off a gabled roof and pinned a man standing below, crushing his legs, she said.

Snow removal companies are working at full tilt, responding to so much demand that Tahoe authorities are warning residents about price gouging. In at least one case, a company reportedly quoted a homeowner $20,000 to clear a roof.

A constant fear

The unceasing weather has taken a toll on locals. South Lakes social networks have been awash in requests for assistance  shoveling snow, carpooling, running errands. Its outdoors-loving populace was largely sequestered inside, fighting cabin fever.

Maintaining a lifeline to the world meant digging and grinding out a narrow path from ones front door multiple times a day  backbreaking work. As snow piled up, the footpaths came to resemble icy box canyons.

If youre having to shovel out every day, and not getting those breaks in the storms to go out and enjoy the snow, it starts taxing you mentally, said Dane Henry, a 21-year resident of South Lake Tahoe.

Henry lives with his wife, 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter in a cabin-like home with a steep-sloped roof among the pines off Pioneer Trail. While strenuously shoveling out his home parking spot one night in January, he slipped a disk in his back, an injury that shifted the burden of daily digging to his wife and still bothers him today.

Later, a block of ice slipped off Henrys roof and smashed through his redwood deck, leaving a gaping hole in the planks. Another falling ice dam took the roof gutter with it. Henrys driveway is still crusted over. He knows itll need repair.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Left: Cars abandoned for the winter remain embedded in dirt-caked snow and ice. Right: A snowdrift reaches nearly up to the top of a street sign. Photos by Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Top: Cars abandoned for the winter remain embedded in dirt-caked snow and ice. Above: A snowdrift reaches nearly up to the top of a street sign. Photos by Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Simple errands like dropping kids off at school or going on grocery runs became grueling, even risky endeavors. Parking lots grew into towering snow banks. For drivers, basic left turns across traffic became white-knuckle maneuvers with views obstructed in all directions.

Many residents described feeling trapped or anxious, overwhelmed and battling depression. In casual conversation, neighbors wondered to each other whether theyd be forced to evacuate. Some decamped altogether, seeking relief.

I see a lot of locals saying, Were over it. Were sick of it,  Hutchinson said. My neighbor told me, Im going away for the next three months. Can you just check on my house to make sure its not collapsed? 

The melt arrives

On a sunny April afternoon, cars, homes, fire hydrants and other infrastructure remained encased in crunchy, dirt-caked ice. Snow walls 10 feet high lined neighborhood streets. Cars abandoned for winter began to re-emerge, even as telephone poles and tall pines stayed half-buried.

Its kind of a running joke: those certain cars, now coming back from the dead, George said.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Left: Neighbors Marianne Daniels (left) and Bekah Chance clink mimosa glasses near driveways flanked by snowdrifts. Right: Finn Budgell, 9, jumps with a pogo stick. Photos by Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle Top: Neighbors Marianne Daniels (left) and Bekah Chance clink mimosa glasses near driveways flanked by snowdrifts. Above: Finn Budgell, 9, jumps with a pogo stick. Photos by Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Chance and a couple of her neighbors sipped mimosas on one of their driveways, watching their kids jump on pogo sticks. The adults reflected on both the challenges of the past couple of years  the Caldor Fire that burned into town, the pandemic, and now this winter  and the sense of camaraderie in their communities.

Everyone is in good spirits, said Mark Budgell, Chances neighbor. Its the first day where it feels like the snow is finally melting.

Once the spring thaw is properly under way, authorities worry about another hazard: the abundance of meltwater. So far, it hasnt caused any flooding problems, George said. But the Upper Truckee River, which flows through town into the lake, is already running high and could swell above its banks and flood Highway 50, the towns main thoroughfare. That would essentially cut the town in half and thwart fire and rescue crews.

Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

Some South Lake locals are formulating exit strategies in the event of another banner snow year.

Its not that were scared off of winter. But we are going to build into our budget, how can we take a break and go somewhere else for a month? said Briana Gokay, who lives with her partner off Pioneer Trail.

Dane Henry, whose redwood deck was punctured by falling ice, said this year was a good reminder that you live in the mountains. For his children, it was a good toughen-em-up learning tool.

Those were the positives, Henry said. But Im definitely psyched for spring to come.
When Stevie Stacionis organized an aperitivo party at the Napa location of her wine shop Bay Grape, she figured it would be a hit. But by the time last Saturdays event rolled around, shed sold just 10 tickets.

Stacionis was dumbfounded. For a few years now, aperitifs, a category of aromatic, low-alcohol drinks, have been booming in the U.S. A bevy of new aperitif brands have entered the category, and in 2022, Campari Group, which also owns Aperol, reported 16.4% organic sales growth in the U.S., led by aperitifs.

I thought Id sell 100 tickets, said Stacionis. I see this emergent culture of low-ABV (beverages) and the European lifestyle. It feels like everyone is talking about them.

So why didnt anyone show up?

Bay Area producers say aperitifs have what could be called an American problem thats preventing the category from going mainstream. Aperitifs are often bitter or herbal in flavor and are meant to be sipped before a meal to stimulate the appetite, like a liquid appetizer. They have a centuries-old tradition in European drinking culture  aperitifs like Aperol and Lillet are household names  but are still relatively new to U.S. consumers.

A wave of small producers, like Mommenpop, Veso and the now-defunct Haus, have jumped onto the scene, riding the coattails of the low-ABV movement and Aperol Spritz mania. Aperitifs come in a range of flavors, like grapefruit, orange and lemon, and can be sipped in a multitude of ways: on their own or over ice; as a spritz with soda water and/or sparkling wine; and mixed in a cocktail, like a negroni or martini.

Thats part of the problem, said Stacionis. Theres a huge diversity in style. Some are very clean and neutral, some are a whole experience. Some are fruit dominant, others herbal or botanical dominant.

As a result, Bay Area producers have discovered that selling aperitifs to Americans requires a lot of education. We have to drag them off the street and convince them to try it, and then we educate them, said Corinne Martinez, co-owner of LApero les Trois, an aperitif tasting room that opened in Winters (Yolo County) last year. They like it, but they dont know what to do with it when they take it home.

The word vermouth, specifically, seems to be a deterrent. This fortified wine infused with herbs, fruits and spices, is legally interchangeable with aperitif, according to the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. But it doesnt have the same effect with consumers. Getting liquid to lips is so important for vermouth, said Chris Beyer, owner of Veso, an aperitif brand produced on San Franciscos Treasure Island. People have been brainwashed into thinking vermouth is disgusting.

Kelsey McClellan Photo / Styling by Anna Raben

When people hear the word vermouth, said Holly Corr, a sales manager for Italian wine importer Oliver McCrum, they literally turn around and walk away. She went on, I think a lot of people who have had vermouth got it from their grandmas back bar, from a bottle thats been open for six years and hasnt been stored in a refrigerator, she said.

Mommenpop, based out of Napa, even changed its product label from vermouth to aperitif because it sounds more friendly, said founder Samantha Sheehan.

But the term aperitif still poses its own challenges. While the leisurely aperitivo hour is commonplace throughout Europe  especially France and Italy  Americans are more accustomed to happy hour. Italians make it really sexy, said Sheehan, who has considered other categorizations for Mommenpop, like wine cocktail.

Here, happy hour is two-for-one gin and tonics. Youre trying to get as wasted as you can on as little amount of money.

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Several Bay Area producers said that aperitif sales are most successful through bars and restaurants, while the wine world largely rejects them. Wine bars are especially difficult to get into, said Sheehan, as most dont have ice to serve aperitifs on the rocks or as a spritz. Her products sell best when mixed into a popular cocktail, like a margarita, she said

Yet most cocktail recipes call for a small amount of vermouth, about a quarter of an ounce, which means bars go through bottles slowly, limiting sales volume. Small producers also have to compete with larger, imported and recognized brands like Aperol or Martini & Rossi. Both Corr and Sheehan said that the bar industry often operates on a pay to play model; large brands will pay tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars for placement at popular bars or restaurants, and small brands dont have the capital to buy in.

Theres an additional barrier when selling through bars: Its challenging for producers to build brand recognition. The brand name isnt typically posted on the cocktail menu, which may simply list vermouth as an ingredient. If offering them on their own, many restaurants tend to bury aperitifs low on the menu alongside after-dinner beverages, like digestifs, said Beyer, who owns Veso.

Since 2021, Mommenpop has grown its production from 1,000 9-liter cases to 4,000. Sheehan still believes its only a matter of time before aperitifs break out in America. She compared aperitifs to natural wines, which for years, toiled away as an oft-misunderstood, underground faction, before finally and suddenly exploding into the mainstream. For so long, only insiders drank (natural wines), she said, but then very quickly, they took over.

To Sheehan, its not a matter of if the American aperitivo hour will finally roll around. Its when.
When the first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970, the central issue wasnt conservation, nuclear waste, species extinction or any of the other issues we typically associate with the burgeoning environmental movement of the era. Instead, front and center was something called population stabilization  balancing the number of births with the number of deaths, such that population size could remain relatively constant.

The urgency surrounding that issue largely stemmed from the success of one book: The Population Bomb. Written by Stanford Professor Paul R. Ehrlich and Anne H. Ehrlich (his spouse and virtual co-author) and published in 1968, the books primary thesis was that the rapidly growing human population was resulting in increasingly unsupportable demand for limited resources. Throughout its pages, the Ehrlichs wrote that the date for an apocalyptic demand versus resources crunch, with associated global famine and perhaps even civilizational collapse, was only nine years away  sometime in the late 1970s.

The books foreshortened perspective arose largely in reaction to a newfound heightened awareness of widespread environmental damage and to the increasingly heated questioning of industry and government over prominent environmental menaces  be that dense smog in Los Angeles and New York, the Torrey Canyon oil spill in the Atlantic or Rachel Carsons expose of DDT and the chemical industry in her book Silent Spring.

Written in just three weeks, The Population Bomb was more broadside and activist manifesto than a popular science book. David Brower, head of the Sierra Club, praised Bomb as a first-rate battle tract. Today we might call it a hot take.

When the book hit the stands in 1968, it made little headway in critical reviews or sales. Between its first publication and the first Earth Day, however, a bumper crop of environmental disasters hit, including the Santa Barbara oil spill and Ohios Cuyahoga River actually catching fire because it was so polluted. Population Bombs innovative technique of mixing the scientific revelatory and end-time catastrophic meanings of apocalypse began to strike a chord. In February 1970, Tonight Show host Johnny Carson invited Paul Ehrlich onto the program for an interview, and the world changed. Ehrlich proved to be a hit. Supportive letters flooded into the network. Population Bomb climbed the bestseller lists.

Carson invited Ehrlich back onto the show again shortly before Earth Day and interviewed him for over an hour in front of a television audience of many millions. Ehrlich went on to appear on Carsons show more than 20 times and Bomb ultimately became the bestselling book of the early environmental movement.

With the books newfound prominence also came criticism. Paul Ehrlich was lambasted for focusing too much on overpopulation numbers and too little on total consumption. In other words, he failed to emphasize that the impact of the number of people on the planet was in many ways inseparable from the resources those people cumulatively consumed.

Ehrlichs anti-urbanism ideas in Bomb arguably contributed to the idea that governments ought to deconcentrate human populations by discouraging further growth of large metropolitan areas and instead encourage people and industry to move to smaller cities and towns  an expansion of the human footprint that most ecologists today see as wrong-headed.

A strong supporter of birth control, Ehrlich and his overpopulation ideas almost certainly played a role in furthering the emerging abortion rights movement and the larger issue of contraception in America. But the book was also blamed for contributing to the brutal and discriminatory population control measures instituted by several governments during the 1970s  such as Chinas one-child policy and the forced abortions that accompanied it.

Looking back on Bomb and the first Earth Day from more than 50 years out, we now recognize that the Ehrlichs seriously overestimated the short-term risks of rapid population growth, while today we largely fail to account for the self-evident long-term risks of overpopulation, from the climate emergency to environmental degradation and habitat loss  and the mass extinctions that accompany them.

Unfortunately, many environmental misunderstandings of The Population Bomb era  especially the objection to dense urban growth  continue to hold sway in some environmental circles. Development patterns born from the misguided intention that we could save the environment by spreading out population growth more widely on the landscape still persist, particularly in California, making it harder to develop policies that might help contain the deleterious environmental impacts of long-term overpopulation.

One could argue that the history of the first Earth Day provides a cautionary tale of the dangers of allowing activist passion to guide science rather than the other way around. Now, however, the science is undeniably in. With a human population of 8 billion, compared to 3.5 billion in 1968, its more imperative than ever that we get things right.
Chicago police were looking for the hit-and-run motorist who killed a 45-year-old construction worker on North DuSable Lake Shore Drive late Friday.

About 10:50 p.m., Kenneth M. Hernandez had been standing in a closed lane near a construction or street sweeping vehicle when a black car rammed into him and left the scene, according to the Cook County medical examiners office and police.

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Hernandez, of the 6200 block of South Mulligan Avenue on the Southwest Side, was dead on the scene of multiple injuries from an automobile striking construction worker, the medical examiners office office said. His death was ruled an accident.

A two months-long project to resurface N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive had been set to begin last Sunday, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. Construction had been slated to resume at 8 p.m. Saturday between LaSalle Drive and Irving Park Road, which includes the site where the crash occurred.

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Police said Hernandez was not an Illinois Department of Transportation worker and the CDOT did not immediately respond to questions about the crash Saturday afternoon.

The police department is investigating the fatal hit-and-run and the driver of the black sedan is not in custody, police added. The department did not have more details about the car to share late Saturday afternoon.
ADDIS ABABA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Long haul public land transportation has restarted in Ethiopia's conflict affected northernmost Tigray region, local media outlets reported on Saturday.

The Tigray region interim administration affiliated media outlet Dimtsi Woyane reported land transportation between Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa and Tigray's regional capital Mekelle, which is located 783 kilometers north of Addis Ababa, started earlier on Saturday.

Accordingly, Dimtsi Woyane reported private bus operators have started transporting passengers from Mekelle to Addis Ababa and vice versa.

In December, Ethiopia's national flag carrier Ethiopian Airlines resumed flights between Addis Ababa and Mekelle.

On Wednesday, authorities in Tigray region disclosed classes are set to resume in schools across the region after three years of interruption.

The gradual resumption of basic services, which include telecommunication, banking and transportation, has come after a permanent cessation of hostilities agreement was signed on Nov. 2 between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), which controls most parts of the northernmost region.

The peace deal which ended a brutal two-year long war included provisions on the restoration of law and order, resumption of basic services and unhindered access to humanitarian supplies. 
Annette Carlson doesnt like to talk about the time leading up to April 18, 1974, because recounting the years she was happy dredges up too much pain. She doesnt like to talk about the difficult years afterward, either, and she insists that all information about her current life remain private out of fear for her safety.

But the other day, she met with me  at a location I wont disclose, at her request  to convey the horror of what happened on Kansas Street nearly a half century ago in one of San Franciscos worst crimes.

Annette cannot forget, and shes determined the public remember as well. On Tuesday, Californias parole board is scheduled to consider whether to recommend the release of Angelo Pavageau, the man convicted of brutally killing Carlsons husband, Frank, as she looked on  then raping her over several hours, beating her and setting her bedroom on fire.

Miraculously, Annette survived. But the nightmare plays in her mind on a loop, no more vividly than in the months leading up to each parole hearing. And, in a remarkable and cruel breach of justice, Tuesdays will mark No. 17. Even though state psychologists in 1991 determined Pavageau is a sadistic sexual psychopath who cannot benefit from treatment. Even though hes cooked up wild lies about the case, hasnt shown remorse and hasnt explained why he chose to inflict such pain on strangers.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Annette talked haltingly during our conversation, her hands fidgeting with a piece of paper on which shed written notes.

Its never just another one  its always terrifying, she said of the unending hearings, at first held annually and now usually convened every three years. Im put in a state, when I find out theres a parole hearing, of reliving it over and over and over again almost constantly. It becomes much of my reality.

I told her she could tell me as little or as much as she wanted to about that day  whatever she wanted the parole board and the public to know.

Im doing the interview because I want him to stay in prison forever, she said. I want them to know everything.

A legal twist

Its important for the parole board, made up of 21 full-time commissioners appointed by the governor to staggered three-year terms, to understand the gravity of the Pavageau case. Their predecessors have had the opportunity to provide respite for the Carlson family, but havent taken it.

A jury sentenced Pavageau to death plus 54 years after San Francisco homicide inspectors tied him to the crime, recovering jewelry hed stolen from Annette and securing her eyewitness identification of the attacker. At that time, she didnt know her ordeal was just beginning.

Clem Albers/The Chronicle

In a twist of fate, the California Supreme Court ruled in 1976 that the states capital punishment statute was unconstitutional, necessitating changes that the Legislature enacted the next year. In the interim, sentences were eased for 70 Death Row inmates, including Pavageau.

Crucially, the state at that time did not impose sentences of life in prison without the possibility of parole. So, in July 1977, Pavageaus sentence shifted to life with the chance of parole. Just one month later, the Legislature amended the states penal code to allow for life without the possibility of parole in first-degree murder cases. But by then Pavageaus sentence could not be altered.

At first, the state parole board considered Pavageaus release every year, then every two years. Pavageau, seeking to inflict yet more senseless damage, spun a tale that he and Frank Carlson had been lovers, and that hed reacted in a fit of rage after Frank broke up with him. He finally acknowledged in 2020 hed made the story up.

In the 2000s, the hearings moved to every three to five years, the longest span previously allowed under state law. But Marsys Law, passed by California voters in 2008 to expand victims rights, gave the parole board an alternative: Commissioners could deny release for up to 15 years if there was no likelihood the person would actually be paroled.

That option seems like common sense here and would give the Carlsons longer periods of respite, but it hasnt materialized. For three hearings in a row, Pavageau waived his right to go in front of the parole board. Then, in 2020, knowing he couldnt waive his right a fourth time, he didnt show up for the hearing, stipulating he wasnt suitable for release for another three years.

Annettes lawyer of 30 years, Michael Agoglia, argued that the board could have pushed off the next hearing for 15 years. But the commissioners stuck with three.

Mary Xjimenez, a spokesperson for the state corrections department, which includes the parole board, did not respond to specific questions about the Pavageau case, including why the board did not delay the next hearing for 15 years.

Pavageau has been represented over the years by a succession of state-appointed lawyers. I couldnt locate his attorney this time around, and Xjimenez said she has no record of whos representing him Tuesday. Previous attorneys have argued for his release from the California Medical Facility in Vacaville, saying hes admitted to the crime, has shown remorse and has been rehabilitated.

As California has made laudable strides toward ending mass incarceration, it has adopted laws that could strengthen Pavageaus bid for freedom this time around.

Under a 2018 law, incarcerated people are to be shown more leniency if they committed their crimes before age 26, and Pavageau was two months shy of that age. Meanwhile, a state law that went into effect in 2021 allows incarcerated people older than 50 whove served 20 years in prison and show a low risk of recidivism to be released. Pavageau is 74.

But Agoglia said Pavageau is an anomaly: a dangerous, untreatable predator who should not benefit yet again from changes in state law. Releasing him, Angoglia argued, would be so extreme as to set back the prison reform movement.

I dont want Annettes case to get wrapped up in these broad movements, Agoglia told me. He cannot even admit to the basic facts of the crime.

Annette hopes the parole board will, using Marsys Law, make this the last parole hearing until 2038.

My understanding is sociopaths cannot change, she said, her hands constantly folding her notes. Fifteen years is what it should be.

San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, whose staff prosecutor Linda Moore is due to attend the hearing on behalf of the Carlson family, said she supports a 15-year delay.

Every hearing in this case re-traumatizes the victim who has already suffered so much, Jenkins said. We should honor her wishes.

A young life

Here are some of the facts the parole board should know about the Carlson family and the case that not only destroyed it but rocked a city, even during a dark decade in which serial killings, cults and assassinations dominated San Francisco headlines.

Frank Carlson grew up in the Richmond District, graduated from Washington High and studied journalism at San Francisco State, his brother told me. Eric Carlson, who was nine years younger, said Frank and Annette met as teenagers at church and married in 1971. Eric, then just 13, served as best man.

Eric Carlson

The couple frequently hosted Eric at their Victorian on Potrero Hill, taking him for pizza in North Beach or roast beef at Tommys Joynt on Geary Boulevard before visits to R-rated films at local movie houses.

I was always admonished afterward, Dont tell Mom and Dad we went to see that movie!  Eric recalled with a laugh in a phone interview from his home in San Juan Capistrano (Orange County). Annette was kind and sweet and outgoing and joyous. I still love her very much.

Frank worked at Safeway while trying to break into journalism, Eric said. He was just 25 when Pavageau killed him.

He had a job and a mortgage and a car payment and a lovely wife and a future, Eric said. And then this thing happened.

It all came out of nowhere. Frank was working at the couples kitchen table around midnight as Annette, then 24, slept in their bedroom upstairs. She woke with a jolt.

I couldnt breathe, she recalled during our meeting. There was a pillow over my face, and I was being smothered.

Pushing the pillow off, she saw that a man held a knife to her chest. She screamed, bringing Frank upstairs, where Pavageau held the couple at knife-point before ordering them back to the kitchen. They gave him all their cash and offered him their car, but he wouldnt leave.

He cut an electrical cord from a lamp, tied Frank to a chair and beat him over the head with a heavy cutting board, a hammer and a jar filled with coins. Annette said Frank only made one sound  a sob  during the attack.

I was screaming the whole time, and he would hold the knife against me and say, Shut up or Ill kill you,  Annette remembered. I couldnt shut up. I kept screaming, but I put my hands over my mouth. I was paralyzed, just stiff. I couldnt move.

Then Frank fell over in the chair, and I could tell he had died, she said. Thats the thing that goes through my head most. I couldnt save him.

But the horror was far from over. Pavageau held the knife against Annette and ordered her to go to her bedroom.

Thats when he raped me, Annette said.

Pavageau, she said, wrapped a glass paperweight in a towel and repeatedly swung it at her head. Then he picked up a small wooden rocking chair  her grandmother had crafted a needlepoint seat for her when she was little  and beat her until it broke.

During all of this, she said, he meticulously wiped everything that he touched and showed no emotion, no sympathy, no reaction to suffering.

Annette was bleeding profusely from her head and feared she was dying. Then the intruder slit her wrist.

I still live with the scars on my slit wrist and scars on my head, she said, noting a section of her scalp where her hair never grew back. I was lying there, and he left the room and came back and poured a flammable liquid on the bed and started a fire. He walked out of the room and closed the door behind him.

Annette, fading in and out of consciousness and struggling with her vision, managed to open her bedroom window and crawl out to the roof of her kitchen. There, neighbors spotted her and sent help, and she spent the ensuing weeks slowly recovering at San Francisco General Hospital. Physically anyway.

Tracking jewelry Pavageau had stolen from her bedroom, city homicide inspector Frank Falzon and his colleagues broke the case. Falzon, in a letter to the parole board urging it to keep the killer behind bars, wrote that he investigated more than 300 homicides in his career, but none compared to the cruelty, the infliction of pain, and sheer disregard for human life as the one on Kansas Street.

When does the suffering for these good people stop? Falzon wrote. In the name of God, please put an end to all future hearings and keep Pavageau behind bars until his death.

More than 800 other people have written letters to the parole commissioners urging them to keep Pavageau behind bars. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein wrote a letter. So did a firefighter and police sergeant who responded to the Kansas Street scene  and described the savagery they found.

Janet Nichols, a former member of the Board of Prison Terms who chaired a prior parole hearing for Pavageau, wrote: Pavageau revealed himself to be one of the most dangerous, cunning and intelligent, calculated and unremorseful killers that I have ever met.

Evil incarnate

Eric Carlson learned his brother had died after hearing a scream as he was getting ready for school. His mother had heard the news of her sons slaying on a local radio station.

Soon, the family visited Annette in the hospital. Afterward, they sent Eric to fetch burgers at Bills on Clement Street, which is where he spotted the afternoon edition of The Chronicle in its yellow news rack, the front page showing a photo of his brothers house under a lurid headline.

I said to myself, This is going to change my life,  he recalled. And thats exactly what happened.

Allison Zaucha/Special to The Chronicle

His parents attended numerous parole hearings in person over the decades  including, incredibly, 10 hearings from 1980 to 1991  always urging that their sons killer be kept behind bars. At his mothers deathbed, in 2010, Eric promised her he would keep up the fight.

Since the pandemic, the hearings have been held virtually, and Eric already has his Zoom link and password for Tuesdays session. He doesnt know whether hell see the face of the man who killed his brother, but hes prepared for the possibility.

The mans a cipher. Hes like something from another world. Evil incarnate, Eric said. Hes never attempted any kind of apology or accountability or atonement.

Annette wont attend on Tuesday. She never has. She cant bear it, instead sending a statement through her lawyer while holing up at home for weeks or months in advance, terrified.

It doesnt get easier. It gets harder, she told me as she anxiously folded her notes again, nearly to the size of a toothpick. It gets harder and harder to be thrown back, to relive what happened, to grieve so intensely, over and over and over again.

I still have horrible nightmares and wake up in the middle of the night yelling, she continued, her voice slow and soft. Im older. I would like closure before I die.
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Lyfts new CEO is preparing mass layoffs that could reportedly hit almost 30% of its workforce, one of the deepest cuts by any tech company during the pandemic.

We will significantly reduce the size of the team as part of a restructuring to focus on better meeting the needs of riders and drivers, said CEO David Risher in a memo to employees that was made public Friday. Risher succeeded Lyfts cofounders Logan Green and John Zimmer to lead the San Francisco ride-hailing company last month.
UPDATE: The Big Melt has begun. Now Californias gushing rivers pose mortal danger

The colossal snowpack atop the Sierra Nevada will begin to melt more quickly as soon as this weekend as above-average temperatures persist into next week, according to weather experts.

The Big Melt is now officially arriving  this weekend, UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain tweeted Thursday afternoon.

Residents across the Sierra Nevada are likely to experience daytime temperatures in the upper 50s to lower 60s this weekend, with places like Mammoth Lakes, the Yosemite foothills and South Lake Tahoe probably seeing an uptick in nighttime temperatures as well, according to Gerry Diaz, The Chronicles newsroom meteorologist.

That raises concerns about some of the snowpacks ability to retain itself, not only during the day but also overnight: If temperatures stay at or just above freezing for consecutive nights, there will be more melting than if temperatures went below freezing overnight, Diaz said.

The rate of snowmelt could rapidly accelerate over the next few days as temperatures warm considerably for a sustained period, Swain told The Chronicle. More than 90% of the snowpack atop the Sierra Nevada has yet to melt, Swain said.

It hadnt been melting very quickly yet, but now thats going to start to happen imminently, essentially, starting today and moving forward, Swain said.

Benjamin Hatchett, atmospheric sciences professor with the Desert Research Institute, is more optimistic about conditions for this weekend, as he thinks overnight temperatures will remain cool enough and there will be enough cloud cover to prevent rapid snowmelt.

The most conducive conditions for melting snow are when its both warm and sunny  which is more so the case later into next week, Hatchett said.

By the middle or later next week, thats where some of the alarm bells might start going off where snowmelt really could accelerate, Hatchett said.

With snowmelt, the regions most susceptible to flooding are those along rivers coming out of the western slope of the Sierra Nevada  especially out of the southern Sierra, which has the largest snowpack on record, Swain said.

In the Bay Area and in Los Angeles, theres essentially no flood risk because theres no snowpack in these regions, Swain said.

Much of the focus with flooding so far has been in the San Joaquin Valley and the Tulare Lake Basin; other regions that could flood throughout the snowmelt season include Owens Valley and other rivers south of Yosemite, Swain said.

The California Nevada River Forecast Center has forecast that both the Merced River and the west fork of the Carson River could reach flood stage in the latter half of next week.

During the next week, the amount of water flow in the Merced River could quadruple from what the river has right now, said California Nevada River Forecast Center hydrologic forecaster Brett Whitin.

That snow in that 6,000-to-8,000-foot band, it is melting now and will really start melting a lot more. Thats contributing to the higher flows on some of these Sierra rivers over the weekend and into the next week, Whitin said.

Snow above 8,000 feet is expected to melt later in May and even into early June, according to an email to The Chronicle from Jason Ince, Department of Water Resources public affairs officer.

Nicholas Pinter, UC Davis associate director of the Center for Watershed Sciences, cautioned against short-term predictions of catastrophic damages. Snowmelt may begin to speed up, but because much of the melt has yet to occur, its too soon to predict what the snowmelt season will look like, Pinter said.

The best case is that water meters out of the Sierras slowly as its supposed to, Pinter said. The worst-case scenario is a really warm rain onto that snowpack, which would get down much more rapidly than we want.

So far, no rain-on-snow events are in the forecast, Diaz said.

California measured 235% of the average snowpack on April 1  the most in 70 years. The southern Sierra has three times as much snow as usual, a record amount.

The problem is theres just so much water up there that it has to melt. Its not going anywhere else other than downhill into the watersheds, Swain said.

This years snowmelt  and the flooding that could accompany it  is going to be a very prolonged event, Swain said.

This is not going to last a few days and be over. This is going to last at a minimum a month or two, and very possibly a lot longer than that. We could be talking about some parts of the Tulare Basin that are still flooded from this winter as we head into next winter, Swain said.

Chronicle newsroom meteorologist Gerry Diaz contributed to this report.
A tweet showing a badly damaged Walmart has racked up more than 1 million views on Twitter. It has no context other than a caption that reads, Fairfield, California Walmart. Guess who? #DemocratsAreDestroyingAmerica.

But the tweet doesnt show an incident in Fairfield, local police say, and theyve been desperately trying to get Twitter to intervene.

This account is not a reputable source of information. This is absolutely untrue, the Fairfield Police Department account tweeted. There has been no such incident in Fairfield, California. #MisinformationIsADangerousThing.

A spokesperson from the department told KPIX that theyve been receiving 911 calls about the tweet.

One of the biggest things is instilling fear in the community, which results in them calling us again, Officer Jennifer Brantley told KPIX.  That line can get tied up if were inundated with calls and people who have an actual emergency will have to wait.

Although the implication of the tweet is that Bay Area looters have trashed the store, the video shows a layer of standing water on the floor, which suggests the footage could be from a natural disaster. A search for recently damaged Walmart stores shows that old clips from 2020 have been circulating on social media, represented as looting happening right now.

The problem is so bad that Fairfield PD attempted to get Elon Musks attention in his preferred language: memes.

Hello @elonmusk @TwitterSafety @TwitterSupport can you address this guy sharing misleading #tweets. That would be great, the department tweeted, accompanied by an edited photo of a Fairfield police cruiser shooting up into the sky like a SpaceX launch.

As of publication time, the tweet has not been removed, although a tagline has been added. Readers added context they thought people might want to know, it reads. Fairfield CA Police deny any such incident occurred.
Screen shot via Google Maps

Another Bay Area company is moving its headquarters to Texas, but this time its not a tech company.

Paint retailer and manufacturer Kelly-Moore Paint Co., headquartered in San Carlos, will move its corporate offices to Irving, Texas after an economic incentives package for the company was approved, as first reported by the San Francisco Business Times.
A Canton woman was sentenced Wednesday to one month in prison for defrauding a federal rental assistance program, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Donna Carney, 67, received benefits under the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's housing choice voucher program, otherwise known as Section 8, since 1995. However, from about 2004 to 2019, Carney didn't report that she was married to her landlord and "therefore had an interest in the home in which she lived," U.S. Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery said in a news release.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP)  Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Saturday that he will ask the Biden administration to declare Broward County a disaster area due to flooding earlier this month after record rainfall.

If granted, the declaration would make Broward residents who incurred damage to their homes and other property eligible for a wide range of loans and other assistance. Local governments would also be eligible.
It may be a case of be careful what you wish for.

Seven months ago, dozens of elite law schools and medical schools announced that they were boycotting the U.S. News & World Report rankings and refusing to give the publication any data. The rankings, they said, were unreliable and skewed educational priorities.

Last week, U.S. News previewed its first rankings since the boycott  for the top dozen or so law and medical schools only  and now, it seems, many of these same schools care quite a lot about their portrayal in the publications pecking order.

In fact, their complaints about the methodology were so forceful that U.S. News announced Wednesday that it had indefinitely postponed the rankings official publication.

The level of interest in our rankings, including from those schools that decline to participate in our survey, has been beyond anything we have experienced in the past, U.S. News wrote on its website, explaining why it was delaying the release.

Yale Law School, the instigator of the boycott, is among those that see the rankings as incorrigible. What we are seeing unfold with U.S. News on a weekly basis is exactly why so many schools no longer participate, said Debra Kroszner, an associate dean and chief of staff at the law school. Its a deeply flawed system.

This latest skirmish  which comes as students are committing themselves to schools, often with U.S. News as a guide  demonstrates that even a boycott enveloped in the ivy of Yale and Harvard may be no match for the influence of the U.S. News rankings system.

Yale exited in November, followed shortly thereafter by Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, among others. Harvard was the first medical school to depart, followed by schools such as Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania.

Facing a revolt, U.S. News went on a listening tour of more than 100 schools and conducted what it said was the most significant revision of its methodology. To fill in the missing data from boycotting schools, it used public numbers from sources such as the American Bar Association.

When the rankings preview was released, not much changed. Yale Law School was still No. 1 (although now tied with Stanford). Harvard was still the top medical school. UCLAs law school bumped Georgetown out of the Top 14.

But boycotting schools were still upset over some of the data, especially the way that U.S. News counted after-graduation employment.

U.S. News had said that it would change its methodology and count students on fellowships as employed, with the caveat that the fellowships were long term and required passage of the bar exam (or, at the very least, that a law degree gave an advantage to the fellowships).

Factoring in the fellowships, Yale expected its employment rate to rise to nearly 100% from 90%. Instead, it dropped to 80%, at least from what Yale said it had gathered from hearing about the data through media reports. (Yale said it had not purchased access to the data or been in touch with U.S. News.)

If this is the employment metric that theyre using for Yale Law School, its entirely incorrect and flatly inconsistent with the methodologies outlined on their website, Kroszner said.

The University of California, Berkeley, had similar complaints, saying that students in its joint law and doctoral program, who take longer to graduate, were being counted as unemployed. The law schools dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, said he had complained to U.S. News but not yet heard back.

Chemerinsky, however, batted back any idea that he cared about the ratings.

The problem is not that schools suddenly have become believers in the value of the rankings, he said. Rather, they believe that if U.S. News is going to produce rankings regardless of a schools cooperation, the data should at least be correct.

I hope that by making this choice we have undermined the credibility of U.S. News, because it has far too much influence over education, Chemerinsky said. But Im a realist. I know theyre doing rankings. I want to make sure that whatever the data is, it is done accurately.

To some university officials, the dust-up reveals the hypocrisy of the high-minded schools.

Peter Rutledge, dean of the University of Georgia law school, which did not boycott the rankings, said he thought the changes in methodology were a legitimate attempt to incorporate what U.S. News had learned from its listening tour. His school had one question about the data, and it was answered, he said.

In my estimation, U.S. News has done its level best to engage deans in a dialogue, he said. The radical change in methodology was not something that U.S. News waved its magic wand and plucked out of a hat.

Rutledge said he was respecting the embargo and would not say whether Georgia, which last year placed 29th, rose or fell in the rankings.

To other observers, however, the haggling reveals the arbitrariness of the data that can be disrupted by a simple change in metrics.

Michael Thaddeus, a math professor at Columbia who has criticized the rankings for being too easily manipulated by the schools, said it did not inspire confidence that U.S. News was renegotiating rankings on the eve of their release.

Its sort of like the Wizard of Oz saying, Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, Thaddeus said.

Although many organizations rank colleges and universities, U.S. News is probably the most prominent of them. Students across the country use its rankings as a guide to the most prestigious schools, and as a tool for deciding where to enroll. The rankings also affect how prospective employers evaluate graduates.

Schools invest time and money in enhancing the metrics that U.S. News values  for instance, admissions test scores, faculty-to-student ratios, class size and post-graduation employment.

Now, it appears that the changes in some of those metrics have had unanticipated consequences for some of the elite schools that demanded them.

When you think about everything else going on in the world, theres a side of it that sort of looks like a tempest in a teapot, Rutledge said. Then you realize that this is an industry where the incumbents have for 30 years built their model around a relatively predictable and unchanged regimen for how to produce a highly ranked law school.

Paul Caron, dean of the Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, which ranked 52nd last year, suggested that the word boycott in this context is a kind of gaslighting. In a recent headline on his blog, he noted that U.S. News had again delayed the release of its rankings because of inquiries, including from schools that are ostensibly boycotting the rankings.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
CANBERRA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The wreck of the ship at the center of the worst maritime disaster in Australian history has been discovered more than 80 years after it sank.

Japanese transport ship the SS Montevideo Maru was carrying more than 1,000 prisoners of war, including more than 900 Australian troops and civilians, when it was torpedoed by a U.S. submarine on July 1, 1942.

The location of its wreck, one of Australia's largest war graves, had remained a mystery ever since until its discovery was announced on Saturday.

After 12 days of searching in the South China Sea, a team of experts found the wreckage more than 4,000 meters below the surface.

The site will be recorded but no remains or artifacts will be removed.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he hoped the discovery would offer comfort to the families of the victims.

"We hope today's news brings a measure of comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil," he said in a media release on Saturday. 
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About two weeks after a man killed four children in a Brazilian daycare center, authorities already have rounded up some 300 adults and minors nationwide accused of spreading hate speech or stoking school violence.

Little has been revealed about the unprecedented crackdown, which risks judicial overreach, but it underlines the determination of the countrys response across federal, state and municipal levels. Brazils all-hands effort to stamp out its emerging trend of school attacks stands in contrast to the U.S., where such attacks have been more frequent and more deadly for a longer period, yet where measures nowadays are incremental.

Actions adopted in the U.S. - and some of its perceived shortcomings - are informing the Brazilian response, said Renan Theodoro, a researcher with Center for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo.

We have learned from the successes and the mistakes of other countries, especially the United States, Theodoro told The Associated Press.

Brazil has seen almost two dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000, half of them in the last 12 months, including the daycare center attack April 5.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the notion of schools as safe havens has been ruined. His government has sought input from independent researchers and this week convened a meeting of ministers, mayors and Supreme Court justices to discuss possible solutions.

Some measures already adopted are in line with those implemented over time in the U.S., like the creation of hotlines, safety training for school administrators and teachers, federal funding for mental health, plus security equipment and infrastructure.

Other measures -- like the nationwide sweep for supposedly threatening suspects involving over 3,400 police officers, or the newly invigorated push to regulate social media platforms -- have not been enacted there.

The arrests aim to assuage fear among Brazilians, said Luis Flavio Sapori, a senior associate researcher with the Brazilian Forum for Public Security. The priority is diminishing panic, he said.

In the weeks since the day care massacre, unconfirmed threats and rumors have circulated on social media, and stirred dread among students, educators and parents  including Vanusia Silva Lima, 42, the mother of a 5-year-old son in central Sao Paulo.

I am afraid of sending my son to school. Not only myself, my friends are too, women I met at the salon, too, Lima said.

Many Brazilian states didnt wait for the federal response. Sao Paulo, for example, temporarily hired 550 psychologists to attend to its public schools, and hired 1,000 private security guards.

While shootings in the U.S. often ignite debate, at the federal level it usually ends in stalemate. Democrats focus on gun control while Republicans push for stronger security measures.

Brazils push has garnered broad support in part because proposals havent included restricting firearm access, increasingly a hot-button political issue here, as in the U.S. Anyway, Brazil's school attacks more often are carried out with other weapons, especially knives.

In the U.S., legislation rarely passes. There have been notable exceptions, however, including a bipartisan compromise approved last year after a massacre at a Texas elementary school and other mass shootings. The bill toughened background checks and kept firearms from more domestic violence offenders, and allocated $1 billion for student mental health and school security.

Other change has come more gradually since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In almost every state, schools are now required to have safety plans that often include shooter drills. Many individual school districts have their own safety hotlines, and some use software to monitor social media for threats, with mixed results.

And many U.S. states have given schools money to harden buildings with metal detectors, security officers, bulletproof doors and other measures  which has stirred its own debate over the policing of Americas schools.

Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Lulas far-right predecessor, was one of a few prominent voices calling for detectors and armed guards, citing some U.S. states as as examples, and put forward a bill to make them obligatory at all schools.

Lula has said his government will consider neither detectors nor backpack inspections.

Sapori said that Brazil has adopted a mixed approach, which stresses mental health care, preventive monitoring of threats and training for teachers, in addition to policing.

In Brazil, we have a clear understanding, based on the U.S. experience, that merely investing in armed security in schools does not work, that police presence in schools doesnt hinder attacks," Sapori said. It only works to transform schools into prisons.

For Brazil, the Western hemispheres second-most populous country, scrambling for quick solutions risks introducing abuses of power.

As for the suspects arrested over a two-week period through Thursday, Theodoro noted that authorities haven't detailed the criteria for detentions, and investigations are under seal. Asked by the AP, the Justice Ministry declined to clarify how many of the 302 people taken into custody were minors.

The ministry also has empowered a national consumer agency to fine tech companies for not removing content perceived as glorifying school massacres, incentivizing violence or making threats.

And there appears to be broad support for holding social media platforms accountable. At this week's meeting in the capital, Lula, his justice minister, two Supreme Court justices, and the Senates president voiced support for regulation of the platforms, arguing that speech that is illegal in real life cannot be permitted online.

Either we have the courage to discuss the difference between freedom of expression and stupidity, or we wont get very far, Lula said.

The Rights in Network Coalition, an umbrella group of 50 organizations focused on basic digital rights, has expressed concern over giving the government the power to decide what can be said on social media.

Some social media platforms that initially resisted compliance with takedown requests have come around and, in the prior 10 days, had removed or suspended more than 750 profiles, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said.

When a man hopped over the wall of a day care center in Santa Catarina state and killed four children with a hatchet April 5, state prosecutors called on news media to refrain from sharing images or identifying the killer, citing research that this can encourage other attackers.

Behemoth media conglomerate Grupo Globo announced it would no longer name nor portray perpetrators of such crimes in its broadcasts or publications. O Estado de S. Paulo, one of Brazils biggest newspapers, followed suit. CNN Brasil and Band also made the change.

In the United States, such a broad shift is yet to be seen in media, though outlets have begun efforts to use shooters names sparingly and to focus on victims stories, largely due to advocacy by relatives of victims. Some U.S. news organizations have ceased the previously routine profiles of school shooters.

The developments in Brazil are reminiscent of a groundswell of U.S. federal support for school safety after the Columbine shooting, said Ken Trump, president of Ohio-based consultant National School Safety and Security Services.

Since then, it has become much more choppy, he said.

The success of Brazil's efforts will hinge on the ability to maintain momentum even after public attention shifts away from school violence, he added.

The bottom-line question is, will it be sustainable?

___ Binkley reported from Washington, D.C. AP journalists Eleonore Hughes, Maurcio Savarese and Carla Bridi contributed from Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia.
FULTON, Mo. (AP)  A passenger in a car was killed and three people aboard a Missouri school bus were treated for minor injuries after the vehicles collided, authorities say.

The car slid into the Fulton Public School bus Friday afternoon, KMIZ-TV reported.
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)  A child's remains were found during a search in a rural part of central Indiana, Indianapolis police said Friday.

The remains were found about 27 miles (43 kilometers) south of Indianapolis, police said.

Police could not confirm the age, sex or identity of the child, nor disclose exactly where the remains were found.

We can confirm IMPD detectives located the remains of a child in Morgan County, Indiana, Lt. Shane Foley of the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department told The Indianapolis Star. IMPD is the lead investigating agency.

What led detectives to find the childs remains was not immediately released, Foley said.
WILTON  A local man is among 10 people charged with participating in a massive fraud scheme that bilked a leading cargo airline out of tens of millions of dollars over more than a decade, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York.

Abilash Kurien, 45, of Wilton, was arrested on April 12, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Kurien and three other defendants  Lars Winkelbauer, Carlton Llewellyn and Robert Schirmer  served as senior executives for the airline, Polar Air Cargo Worldwide, Inc., at the time the fraud was committed, an indictment alleged. Each was charged with wire fraud; honest services wire fraud; conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the U.S. attorneys office said.

Todays charges are the opening salvo against a decade-long scam by a small group of Polars executives and others that allegedly tainted every aspect of its business operations, Thomas Fattorusso, special agent in charge of the New York field office of the IRSs Criminal Investigation branch, said in a statement on April 12. These arrests and charges today will hopefully begin the process of righting the alleged wrongs of those charged and put the company on a path to integrity, which its hardworking employees and legitimate customers deserve.

Kurien was hired by Polar in or around 2008 to serve as the companys senior director of business development and excellence, a position he held through roughly 2014, according to the indictment. That year, the indictment said, Kurien succeeded Winkelbauer as vice president of marketing, revenue management and network planning.

Starting around 2009, Kurien and the other senior executives agreed to accept millions of dollars in kickbacks from some of the vendors who did business with Polar  including Skye Xu, Benjamin Wei, Alvaro Lopez, Fabiola Cino, Orlando Wong and Patrick Lau  in exchange for ensuring that the vendors received favorable business arrangements with Polar, according to the indictment. In addition to receiving kickbacks, the indictment said, Kurien and the other senior executives also reaped substantial financial benefits as a result of holding secret ownership interests in certain vendors.

Wei, Lopez, Cino, Wong and Lau were also arrested on April 12 in connection with the scheme; Xu remained at large at the time, according to the U.S. attorneys office. Each was charged with wire fraud; conspiracy to commit wire fraud and honest services wire fraud; and conspiracy to commit money laundering, the U.S. attorneys office said.

For more than a decade, the defendants allegedly utilized a complex set of schemes at the expense of Polar Air to line their own pockets, Michael J. Driscoll, assistant director in charge of the FBI's New York field office, said in a statement. The indictments today serve as a reminder to any unscrupulous actors attempting complex frauds  the FBI will hold you accountable in the criminal justice system.

The scheme ran from at least in or about 2009 through in or about July 2021, according to the indictment. In that time, a financial analysis later determined, Polar suffered at least approximately $52 million in losses, the indictment said. Soon after Polar discovered documentary evidence of the fraud in summer 2021, the indictment said, the company fired Kurien and the other senior executives implicated in the scheme and reported their conduct to authorities. Per the indictment, Polar has cooperated with authorities throughout the investigation.

The probe revealed that the senior executives and two co-conspirators received in excess of approximately $23 million in payments or disbursements, according to the indictment. To conceal evidence of the fraud, the indictment said, the senior executives often directed funds to innocuously named limited liability companies they controlled, and the defendants primarily discussed the scheme via personal rather than professional email accounts. The identities of the two alleged co-conspirators, who also served as senior executives for Polar, were not disclosed.

Of the defendants, the indictment said, The fraud they perpetrated led to pervasive corruption of Polars business, touching nearly every aspect of the companys operations, for over a decade.

Kurien, Llewellyn, Schirmer and Lau were scheduled to appear in federal court in Manhattan on the afternoon of April 12, according to the U.S. attorneys office.
NEW YORK (AP)  House Republicans reach deal with Manhattan DA, clearing way for an ex-prosecutors testimony in inquiry over Trump case.
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JACKSON, Miss. (AP)  The NAACP warns that separate and unequal policing will return to Mississippis majority-Black capital under a state-run police department, and the civil rights organization is suing the governor and other officials over it.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves says violent crime in Jackson has made it necessary to expand where the Capitol Police can patrol and to authorize some appointed rather than elected judges.

But the NAACP said in its lawsuit filed late Friday that these are serious violations of the principle of self-government because they take control of the police and some courts out of the hands of residents.

In certain areas of Jackson, a citizen can be arrested by a police department led by a State-appointed official, be charged by a State-appointed prosecutor, be tried before a State-appointed judge, and be sentenced to imprisonment in a State penitentiary regardless of the severity of the act, the lawsuit says.

Derrick Johnson, the national president of the NAACP, is himself a resident of Jackson. At a community meeting earlier this month, he said the policing law would treat Black people as second-class citizens.

The legislation was passed by a majority-white and Republican-controlled state House and Senate. Jackson is governed by Democrats and about 83% of residents are Black, the largest percentage of any major U.S. city.

The governor said this week that the Jackson Police Department is severely understaffed and he believes the state-run Capitol Police can provide stability. The city of 150,000 residents has had more than 100 homicides in each of the past three years.

Were working to address it, Reeves said in a statement Friday. And when we do, were met with overwhelming false cries of racism and mainstream media who falsely call our actions Jim Crow.

According to one of the bills Reeves signed into law Friday, Capitol Police will have concurrent" jurisdiction with Jackson Police Department in the city. The expanded jurisdiction for the Capitol Police would begin July 1.

Another law will create a temporary court within a Capitol Complex Improvement District covering a portion of Jackson. The court will have the same power as municipal courts, which handle misdemeanor cases, traffic violations and initial appearances for some criminal charges. The new law says people convicted in the Capitol Complex Improvement District Court may be put in a state prison rather than in a city or county jail.

The judge of the new court is not required to live in Jackson and will be appointed by the Mississippi Supreme Court chief justice. The current chief justice is a conservative white man.
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NEW YORK (AP)  The opening phase of the Republican presidential primary has largely centered on the escalating collision between former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

But a new wave of GOP White House hopefuls will begin entering the 2024 race as soon as this coming week after a monthslong lull. They include former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who will formally launch his campaign Wednesday.

Former Vice President Mike Pence has said he will finalize his plans in weeks, not months. He has kept a busy schedule of early state visits and policy speeches as aides have discussed details of an announcement including dates as early as May, but more likely in June. South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who has formed a presidential exploratory committee, is expected to join the race in a similar time frame.

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has been meeting with former aides and he returned to New Hampshire this past week, where he said at a town hall in the first-in-the-nation primary state, Tonight is the beginning of the case against Donald Trump." Christie has said he will make a decision in the next couple of weeks."

The contenders will enter the race at a critical moment as DeSantis, who hasn't officially announced a campaign, has struggled to live up to sky-high expectations among some early backers. He has been losing support among elected Republicans in his own state to Trump and is prompting concern among some in the party that his positions on abortion and LGBTQ rights, among other issues, could render him unelectable in a general election.

Trump in recent weeks has solidified his status as the early front-runner, even after he was indicted in New York. He remains the subject of intensifying investigations in Atlanta and Washington and persistent concerns about his electability after losing to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020.

Would-be rivals hope that dynamic leaves an opening for one of the fresh entrants to emerge as an alternative to the current polling leaders. Some strategists hope Trump and DeSantis will attack one another so viciously that they will turn off voters, who will search for an alternative.

Its not uncommon for a third candidate whos not involved in the kerfuffle to rise, said Bryan Lanza, a former Trump adviser, who has been informally advising Larry Elder, the conservative talk radio host who announced his campaign Thursday.

Lanza said he expects a robust race to be the leader of the second tier of candidates currently polling at under 10%.

Beyond Trump and Elder, the current field of official GOP presidential candidates includes Trump's U.N. ambassador, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy. Both announced their bids in February.

Biden is expected to announce his 2024 campaign as soon as this coming week. He faces minimal competition for the Democratic nomination.

Among Republicans, the early debates that are slated to begin this summer could be crucial in determining who builds momentum, particularly given DeSantis' expectations.

That means candidates may need to cement their planning soon, even if they would prefer to wait longer. The Republican National Committee has scheduled the first debate for August and is expected to set strict benchmarks that candidates must satisfy to participate, including amassing tens of thousands of individual donors.

That takes a little time to do and so if you're gong to be serious about this  and I think you have to be on the stage to be serious about it  then you probably have to make the decision by May," Christie said this past week during an interview with the media outlet Semafor.

Candidates-in-waiting have seen little reason to jump in sooner, particularly given Trump's propensity to attack. Instead, they have been biding their time, visiting early voting states, delivering speeches and wooing donors as they assess the field. Pence, for instance, was in California this past week meeting with potential backers and will host another donor retreat for his nonprofit group in late May.

If I was in their shoes, I would wait as long as possible," said former Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, who was considered an early favorite for the Republican nomination when he ran against Trump in 2016. He remembers realizing, in those early weeks, how dramatically Trump had upended the race, dominating everything.

There was no way around it then," he said. And right now, anybody who thinks they're somehow going to go in and change that is missing the reality.

The rivalry between Trump and DeSantis has been turning uglier by the day, with political groups supporting both men already spending millions on attack ads.

While DeSantis has largely ignored Trump's jabs questioning his commitment to Social Security, his relationship with young girls as a teacher decades ago and even his sexuality, a pro-DeSantis super political action committee, Never Back Down, began to respond in its first round of paid ads last weekend.

Trump should fight Democrats, not lie about Gov. DeSantis, the narrator says in an ad that ran on Fox News. What happened to Donald Trump?

The spot ran in conjunction with an online ad, which described Trump as a coward and a gun grabber, that was aimed at those attending an RNC donor retreat in Indiana.

Trump's super PAC, MAGA Inc., has been airing its spots on cable news channels highlighting DeSantis' votes to cut Social Security and Medicare and raise the retirement age.

The more you learn about DeSantis, the more you see he doesnt share our values. Hes just not ready to be president," said the narrator in one. Another, seizing on a report that DeSantis once ate pudding with his fingers, urged the governor to keep his pudding fingers off our money.

Trump and his campaign have long seen DeSantis as his only serious challenger and believed the more crowded the field, the better for Trump, as candidates split the anti-Trump vote. But a repeat of 2016's massive field hasn't materialized, with potential candidates such as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan passing on campaigns.

There are still plenty of unknown dynamics, including whether governors such as Kristi Noem of South Dakota or Chris Sununu of New Hampshire will enter the contest. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin have not explicitly ruled out running.

Mike DuHaime, a Republican strategist and longtime Christie adviser, believes that Trump is the favorite but nonetheless beatable. He cautioned that races are complicated, with unexpected outcomes.

I do think that DeSantis is right now firmly the alternative to Trump, but I dont know if it stays that way. Theres still way too long to go," he said, arguing that a debate moment or news story could change the trajectory.

Somebodys just got to get momentum," he said. It's just so wide open even with Trump being the prohibitive favorite.

___

Associated Press writers Steve Peoples in New York and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
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BELGRADE, Serbia (AP)  The populist leaders of Serbia and Hungary observed a Serbian military exercise Saturday, an event seen as a display of lethal firepower amid the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Balkans.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Serbia on a previously unannounced visit. He was greeted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who said he was happy to once again welcome a great friend of Serbia.

Serbian-Hungarian relations are at the highest level in the history of our countries, Vucic wrote on Instagram.

Both leaders have maintained political and economic ties with Russia despite its aggression in Ukraine. Their relations with Moscow have been a sore spot with other European nations and with the U.S.

Although Serbia formally seeks membership in the European Union, Vucic has refused to join international sanctions against Russia or publicly condemn the war in Ukraine.

And while Hungary is a member of both the EU and NATO, Orban has criticized war-related sanctions on Moscow. His government also has said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he were to enter the country despite him being the subject of an international warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Saturday's exercise at a military airport on the outskirts of Belgrade included low passes by Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets and Mil helicopters, as well as a display of a recently delivered Chinese anti-aircraft missile system and drones.

Serbias military buildup has raised concerns among some of the countrys neighbors, which fear it could threaten the fragile peace in the region that was engulfed in a bloody war in the 1990s.

Vucic said he and Serbian military commanders were watching how the war in Ukraine is being conducted and planning future purchases of military hardware accordingly.

Serbia has never had a stronger army in its history, Vucic said.

The exercise came a day before local elections in a Serb-populated northern region of Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a separate country.

The elections on Sunday have triggered ethnic tensions and fears of possible incidents. Many Serbian voters planned to boycott the votes.
This photo taken on April 21, 2023 shows the signing ceremony of an agreement to jointly build the South Asia commercial and logistics hub in Colombo Port attended by representatives of Sri Lanka Ports Authority, a local civil engineering enterprise, and China Merchants Port Holdings in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The project will establish a state-of-art logistics center, and help promote Colombo Port as a more prestigious and competitive port in the region, said Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva when attending the signing ceremony.

China Merchants Group will further strengthen cooperation with local enterprises and contribute more to Sri Lanka's economic development, said Miao Jianmin, chairman of China Merchants Group.

The project, with a total investment of 392 million dollars, will provide a superior logistics and warehousing facility and attract more container volumes, strengthening the position of Colombo Port, the largest port in the country, as an important hub in the region. (Xinhua/Che Hongliang)

COLOMBO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka Ports Authority, a local civil engineering enterprise and China Merchants Port Holdings signed an agreement here on Friday to jointly build the South Asia commercial and logistics hub in Colombo Port.

The project will establish a state-of-art logistics center, and help promote Colombo Port as a more prestigious and competitive port in the region, said Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation Nimal Siripala de Silva when attending the signing ceremony.

China Merchants Group will further strengthen cooperation with local enterprises and contribute more to Sri Lanka's economic development, said Miao Jianmin, chairman of China Merchants Group.

The project, with a total investment of 392 million dollars, will provide a superior logistics and warehousing facility and attract more container volumes, strengthening the position of Colombo Port, the largest port in the country, as an important hub in the region. 
BANGKOK (AP)  Extreme heat has sent temperatures soaring in Thailand as authorities warned people to stay indoors.

The Meteorological Departments forecast on Saturday said the highest temperature in the next 24 hours could reach 43 degrees Celsius (107 degrees Fahrenheit) in countrys north and could hit 40 C (104 F) in the capital, Bangkok. The highest temperature on Saturday was in the northern province of Phetchabun at 42.5 C (109 F).

"Even if I turn the air conditioning to 20 degrees, I still sweat, said 37-year-old Supichaya Jittaleela, who attended an outdoor political rally despite the heat.

People should be wary of extremely high temperatures as well as sudden summer storms until at least next week, the weather department said. A police officer directing traffic in Samut Prakarn, a province just south of Bangkok, collapsed and died of heart stroke, media reported this week.

Saturdays highest heat index -- which measures what the temperature feels like due to humidity -- was forecast to be 53.8 C (129 F) in the eastern province of Chonburi. On Sunday, the southern resort island of Phuket could feel hotter than 54 C.

The heat was a problem for the 2,000 or so people at the political rally in Bangkok. Even though the shade from a shopping mall shielded them from the direct glare of the sun, many could be seen trying to cool down, with battery-driven and old-fashioned hand fans.

Its hot, much hotter. Thats why I have my fan with me, said 63-year-old Rungtip Sangvittayothai. Thailand holds a general election next month.
MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-Ne/MediaNews Group via Getty Images

The San Francisco Police Department and the office of San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins are partnering with the California National Guard and the California Highway Patrol in an effort to stymie the citys ongoing struggles with fentanyl.



California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who toured the Tenderloin with San Francisco Mayor London Breed and state Attorney General Rob Bonta earlier this week, announced the plan Friday.



Two truths can co-exist at the same time: San Franciscos violent crime rate is below comparably sized cities like Jacksonville and Fort Worth  and there is also more we must do to address public safety concerns, especially the fentanyl crisis, he said in a news release. Were taking action. Through this new collaborative partnership, we are providing more law enforcement resources and personnel to crack down on crime linked to the fentanyl crisis, holding the poison peddlers accountable, and increasing law enforcement presence to improve public safety and public confidence in San Francisco.

The release said the new partnership means that the states highway patrol will assist the police department with technical assistance, training and drug trafficking enforcement within key areas of the city, including the Tenderloin. The California National Guard, meanwhile, will dedicate personnel and resources toward dismantling fentanyl distribution rings.
They just don't make 'em like this anymore.

The historical, oceanfront home in Dana Point, CA, belonging to actor Anthony Edwards has come on the market.

But it will cost you: $6.5 million.

Beachfront home Realtor.com

The primo property is one of the original homes built by the Doheny family, for whom Doheny State Beach is named in Dana Point.

Anyone who's ever been to Southern California has probably heard the name Doheny, as in Edward L. Doheny, who basically started L.A.'s oil boom in 1892.

In fact, his story loosely inspired the Upton Sinclair novel "Oil!" and the film adaptation "There Will Be Blood," starring Daniel Day-Lewis.

Historic home

The Doheny family began developing real estate in Dana Point, including Edwards' beachside home.

"An original Doheny, this quintessential Southern California beach house is a once-in-a-lifetime offering, due to both its historical significance and expansive 10,000-square-foot private lot on the sand," says listing agent Justin Alexander, of Compass.

Beachfront lawn Realtor.com

"The home's history dates back to the 19th century when the Doheny family entered into the development of Dana Point," he continues. "This home was one of their reserved beach houses, which was also highlighted as the original model of what Dana Point beach houses looked like, similar to the houses in Beverly Hills: a classic Spanish-Colonial Revival."

Restored residence

Edwards, who bought the property in 1998 for $1,525,000, has done a remarkable job of restoring and updating it.

The Spanish Colonial Revival is located in the Capistrano Beach community. The 2,166-square-foot home has five bedrooms and five baths, in addition to an elegant courtyard and decks, verandas, and balconies.

Courtyard Realtor.com

Bedroom Realtor.com

Patio Realtor.com

Unassuming from the street, as so many beachside properties are, the interior is truly remarkable. The ceilings are high and vaulted, and many of the windows and French doors are arched. The roof is made of terra-cotta tile, and some of the original brick walls are exposed. It is a work of architectural art.

Exposed brick fireplace Realtor.com

Terra-cotta roof Realtor.com

Street view Realtor.com

The detailed tilework is notable, especially in the kitchen and the bathrooms.

Kitchen Realtor.com

Bathroom Realtor.com

Edwards is perhaps best known for playing Goose in the original "Top Gun" film. He also played Dr. Mark Greene on the first eight seasons of the hit medical drama "ER."

More recently, the 60-year-old actor has starred in the critically acclaimed TV series "Designated Survivor," "Inventing Anna," and "WeCrashed."

The post Actor Anthony Edwards' Glamorous, Historic Beach House Is On the Market for $6.5M appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
Is marijuana giving local housing markets a buzz?

Not exactly. As more states have legalized weed, it's not giving real estate values the same sort of high they received a decade ago when homebuyers were moving to states like Colorado eager to start cannabis businesses and legally toke up. But it doesn't appear to be hurting home values either, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors.

And as more states are legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical use, landlords appear to be loosening up restrictions, allowing more renters to growand in some cases, smokeit in their apartments.

The report is based on a survey of about 3,300 real estate agents that was sent out in March. There were 21 states and Washington, DC, where marijuana is legal for both medical and recreational use in March. Sixteen states have legalized marijuana solely for medical use.

About 27% of Realtors in states where both medical and recreational marijuana have been legal for more than five years have seen lease addendums restricting growing cannabis. That's down from 44% in 2021, the last time the survey was conducted.

However, in the same states, many property managers are buzzkills. About two-thirds have seen lease addendums restricting smoking on properties, although that's down from 76% two years ago. For states that legalized marijuana within the past five years, 56% saw smoking addendums, down slightly from 59% in 2021.

Yet when asked if they perceived an increase in crime near marijuana dispensaries, 69% of respondents either were unaware of any such increase or said there was no change. While 28% said they did perceive an increase in crime, actual crime increased only 18%.

That might suggest a lingering stigma over the use of marijuana, says Matt Christopherson, NAR senior research survey analyst.

There is not a perceived or actual change in states where only medical marijuana is allowed, he says. In states where its allowed for recreation, theres a higher perception of crime.

In states where marijuana has been legal the longest, just 13% of real estate professionals saw a decrease in residential property values near dispensaries. However, 5% reported an increase.

A previous Realtor.com analysis found that legal weed got home prices high in places like Colorado. Colorado tied with Washington to become the first states in the nation to legalize recreational use in 2012. That gave real estate prices a boost.

And far more respondents said theyd had no trouble selling a property that had been used as a grow houseranging from 69% to 75%, depending on the statecompared with those who said it had been difficult to do so.

Those responses ring true for Amy Cesario, a Denver-based real estate agent with Compass.

"If legal marijuana has an impact on the housing market, it's hard to see that in Denver, she says. We have a strong economy, and housing has been in demand here for years. Of course, homeowners and tenants who grow and use marijuana need to be careful of its impact on the property, just as they would with tobacco and other substances, but that's rarely an issue."

In fact, the smell is one of the biggest downsides of growing or using marijuana, says Christopherson, adding that it's completely fair for owners and landlords to enact restrictions to protect their properties.

But it also makes it crucial for would-be buyers or tenants to know what will be allowed and what wont before signing a contract or a lease.

The post Is Legal Marijuana Giving Local Housing Markets in 2023 a Buzz? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
In this weeks news, Southwest Airlines passengers got a stark reminder of Decembers operational meltdown when the carrier briefly halted all flight departures due to IT problems; United plans to add new nonstop routes, more flights and larger aircraft later this year in a big capacity expansion to Australia and New Zealand, including service from San Francisco; more international route news comes from United, Taiwans Starlux Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Hawaiian Airlines; JetBlue revives San Jose-New York JFK/Boston service and details cuts to its northeast network this summer; the transition to JetBlues revamped TrueBlue loyalty program is set for next month; Alaska Airlines removes self-check-in kiosks at Portland International as part of an ongoing overhaul of its airport check-in process; a leading food magazine rates SFOs airport dining selections as the nations best; San Jose studies a high-tech plan to move passengers between its airport and train station; and Delta opens a big Sky Club at Minneapolis-St. Paul International.

Passengers flying on Southwest Airlines on Tuesday, April 18, might have had a sinking feeling of deja vu when all the carriers departures were halted by the Federal Aviation Administration  a move that the FAA said was requested by Southwest. The agency said in a Tweet that it ordered the ground stop after Southwest experienced a technical issue with one of their internal systems. Flights resumed after about an hour, although the late departures caused delays to cascade through Southwests network that day. The incident served as a stark reminder of Southwests massive operational disruption during the last week of December, when it canceled almost 17,000 flights during the height of the holiday travel season. As Dennis Schaal, airline reporter at the industry news site Skift put it, Every tech issue or flight stoppage at Southwest will be under intense scrutiny because of its Christmas holidays disruption last year, and reports that the airline had under-invested in technology.

So what exactly happened? Southwest said it needed the pause in flight activity to work through data connection issues resulting from a firewall failure. Early this morning, a vendor-supplied firewall went down and connection to some operational data was unexpectedly lost. Capt. Tom Nekouei of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said in a CNBC interview that the problem involved dispatch software that we use to generate required paperwork for every flight. He said this is a program that goes down intermittently quite often, maybe on a weekly basis. This one just happened to be longer. He said it wasnt related to the December meltdown, but its just a chronic underinvestment in the IT infrastructure  something that Southwest management pledged to correct after the December problems.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

United Airlines has unveiled plans for a major expansion in service to Australia and New Zealand this fall, claiming it will have more flights from the U.S. to more destinations in those two countries than any other carrier. The news includes a new nonstop route from San Francisco to Christchurch, New Zealand, on the countrys South Island  a route not currently served by any airline. United already has nonstop year-round service between SFO and Auckland, New Zealand, on the North Island. The SFO-Christchurch route is set to begin Dec. 1, with three weekly 787-8 flights. United said it will introduce four weekly Los Angeles-Auckland 787-9 flights Oct. 28. Overall, next winter, the airline will be nearly 70% larger in New Zealand than in 2019, United said.

As for Australia, United plans a big capacity increase from San Francisco International. On Oct. 28, it plans to increase its SFO-Brisbane schedule from three flights a week to daily service with 787-9s and boost SFO-Sydney from 10 flights a week to 14 with larger 777-300ERs  the largest aircraft in its fleet. The 777-300ER is also set to be deployed on Uniteds daily SFO-Melbourne flight effective Oct. 28, replacing a 787-9 and adding almost 100 more seats per day in that market. At LAX, United said it will introduce nonstop Brisbane flights three days a week starting Nov. 29. United already offers daily flights from LAX to Sydney and Melbourne. United noted that through its partnerships with Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia, customers will be able to book easy one-stop connections  to more than 50 destinations in the region.

In other international route news, on April 23, United is due to boost service between San Francisco and Japans Osaka Kansai International from three weekly flights to daily frequencies, using a 777-200ER. Effective April 26, Taiwans Starlux Airlines is set to begin its first U.S. route with service from Taipei to Los Angeles International, initially operating five flights a week but increasing to daily frequencies June 5. The LAX-Taipei route is also served by EVA and China Airlines. Starlux is a full-service airline and will fly to LAX with an Airbus A350 that has first class, business class, premium economy and regular economy seating. Japans All Nippon Airways this week introduced a big capacity boost from Honolulu to Tokyo Narita, increasing its schedule from five weekly Airbus A380 flights to 10 departures per week with an A380 and four more with a 787-9. Hawaiian Airlines plans to resume service April 28 from Honolulu to Fukuoka, Japan, with three weekly A330 flights.

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On the domestic side, San Jose Mineta International Airport reports that JetBlue has resumed daily service from SJC to New York JFK and to Boston Logan. A look at JetBlues reservations system shows the SJC-JFK flight as a redeye with a 10:05 p.m. departure, and the Boston service as a continuation of the SJC-JFK flight after a stopover at JFK. Meanwhile, Simple Flying this week elaborated on JetBlues plan to reduce service in the northeast this summer to help the FAA cope with a shortage of air traffic controllers in the region. It said JetBlue will drop more than 1,500 departures from 107 routes during July and August, including the elimination of all 89 weekly flights that had been scheduled between Newark and Boston. Most of the cuts are flights from Newark and New York LaGuardia, although schedules from Boston and Orlando are also impacted.

In December, JetBlue announced an upcoming overhaul of its TrueBlue loyalty program, and now it has set May 10 for the transition. The revamped TrueBlue introduces a new loyalty metric called tiles based on total spending  not just on flights but also ancillary fees and related travel services booked through JetBlue affiliates like hotels, rental cars, activities, and so on, as well as spending on JetBlue credit cards. The new program also splits the TrueBlue Mosaic elite status into four levels and lets TrueBlue members start to earn customizable perks and benefits even before they qualify for Mosaic status. While still earning points redeemable for award travel, TrueBlue members will also earn tiles based on their combination of travel spending and credit card spending. Members will earn one tile for every $100 in spending, including packages and travel arrangements through JetBlue Vacations or the airlines Paisly booking service and flights operated by JetBlue partner American Airlines, as well as one tile for every $1,000 in qualifying spending on all JetBlue credit cards.

Alaska Airlines is eliminating passenger self-check-in kiosks at Portland International Airport  its largest station yet to make that move as the company transitions to a new streamlined airport process aimed at moving travelers through check-in faster. Alaska has already removed boarding pass printer kiosks at Las Vegas, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Missoula and Boise. Alaska is telling passengers at the affected airports to check in and print boarding passes at home or to download an electronic boarding pass to their phone through the airlines mobile app, although during the transition it will have employees on hand to print out boarding passes at no cost if needed.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Alaska said this week it will spend $2.5 billion over the next three years to improve the airport experience within our hubs and focus cities including Seattle, Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Anchorage. Besides eliminating self-check-in kiosks, Alaska will deploy new self-service baggage stations where youll pay for and tag checked bags using iPad tablets, the airline said. Airports have already begun changing to the new tablets and guests are adapting  with three out of four guests arriving with a boarding pass in hand to airports with the new technology. Most airports will transition to the new bag tag stations by the end of 2023. And beginning in 2024, the airline said, lobbies in its hub airports will have new technology for dropping off passengers tagged bags. The machine will scan your face, government-issued I.D., and bags. From there, it will take your bag(s) on a belt to be loaded onto the aircraft. The process takes less than a couple minutes and will have you on your way to security.

Which U.S. airport has the best food? SFO, according to a reader poll conducted by Food & Wine. The magazine said SFOs four terminals offer nearly 70 dining options that are representative of the Bay Areas vibrant culinary scene. Among the favorite options at SFO, the magazine said, are Boudin Bakery, an airport branch of the oldest continually operating business in the city; the Mediterranean-inspired Cat Coras Kitchen; an airport location of Napa Valleys Mustards Grill; the seafood specialist Yankee Pier; two airport locations of San Franciscos Koi Palace, with dim sum and other Chinese cuisine; Roasting Plant Coffee, offering custom-tailored beverages for each customer; and Napa Farms Market, providing a variety of regional offerings.

San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

San Jose officials are moving ahead with a plan to shuttle passengers between San Jose Mineta Airport and the citys Diridon rail station using driverless vehicles. According to the San Jose Mercury News, the city council voted this week to study the plan with a startup called Glydways, which has proposed using its four-passenger automated shuttle vehicles to carry travelers on a designated driveway along the 3.5-mile route between the two transportation hubs. The shuttles would travel at 31 mph for a journey time of eight minutes, initially stopping at the airports Terminal B. The $500 million project could begin service by 2028 if the city ultimately approves it, the newspaper said, with funding from both public and private sources.

In other airport news, Delta this week cut the ribbon on the third Sky Club at its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub  the airports largest lounge at 21,000 square feet, seating more than 450 members. In the airports Concourse G, the new MSP-G Sky Club is the first at the airport to provide a year-round, all-weather Sky Deck with seating for 110 guests, Delta said. The new lounge also has self-check-in kiosks, a full buffet, two bars and a few soundproofed booths for quiet work. Meanwhile, The Points Guy reports that two of Deltas busiest Sky Clubs will open new grab-and-go lounges next month: the Concourse B club at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport and the Concourse B club at New York JFKs Terminal 4. Club members who are in a hurry or who may be facing long lines to enter the regular club will be able to make a quick stop to take away various sandwiches, fruit, snacks and beverages.
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Albany NY

648 PM EDT Sat Apr 22 2023

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of southeastern Ulster

and southwestern Dutchess Counties through 715 PM EDT...

At 647 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Fishkill, or over Beacon, moving north at 45 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...

Poughkeepsie, Beacon, New Paltz, Hyde Park, Plattekill, Pleasant

Valley, Wappingers Falls, Highland, Fishkill, Fairview, Hopewell

Junction, Marlboro, Red Oaks Mill, Myers Corner, Tillson, East

Fishkill, Lloyd, Tuckers Corner, Salt Point and Knapps Corner.

This includes Interstate 87 near exit 18.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4145 7400 4152 7400 4154 7399 4158 7395

4159 7395 4158 7405 4160 7407 4160 7408

4182 7413 4183 7376 4150 7378 4149 7394

4144 7398

TIME...MOT...LOC 2247Z 177DEG 37KT 4151 7392

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN

MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH

The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a

* Tornado Warning for...

South central Delaware County in central New York...

Northwestern Sullivan County in central New York...

* Until 715 PM EDT.

* At 649 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado

was located near Hazel, or 10 miles northwest of Liberty, moving

north at 40 mph.

HAZARD...Tornado and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated rotation.

IMPACT...Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without

shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed.

Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree

damage is likely.

* This dangerous storm will be near...

Hazel around 655 PM EDT.

Roscoe around 700 PM EDT.

Corbett around 705 PM EDT.

Downsville around 710 PM EDT.

TAKE COVER NOW! Move to a basement or an interior room on the lowest

floor of a sturdy building. Avoid windows. If you are outdoors, in a

mobile home, or in a vehicle, move to the closest substantial shelter

and protect yourself from flying debris.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO ALBANY Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Albany NY

713 PM EDT Sat Apr 22 2023

...A strong thunderstorm will impact portions of northeastern Ulster,

northwestern Dutchess and southwestern Columbia Counties through 745

PM EDT...

At 712 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm over

Hyde Park, or near Poughkeepsie, moving north at 40 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...

Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Saugerties, Rhinebeck, Hyde Park, Pleasant

Valley, Livingston, Highland, Clermont, Red Hook, Saugerties South,

Port Ewen, Fairview, Lake Katrine, Staatsburg, Lloyd, Esopus,

Veteran, Milan and Germantown.

This includes Interstate 87 between exits 19 and 20.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4213 7406 4218 7404 4217 7371 4171 7378

4171 7402

TIME...MOT...LOC 2312Z 181DEG 35KT 4179 7391

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.25 IN

MAX WIND GUST...30 MPH

The National Weather Service in Upton NY has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Northwestern Orange County in southeastern New York...

* Until 800 PM EDT.

* At 713 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Highland Lake to near Hainesville, moving

northeast at 45 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Minor hail damage to vehicles is possible. Expect wind

damage to trees and power lines.

* Locations impacted include...

Port Jervis, Cuddebackville, Otisville, Huguenot and Deerpark.

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 these storms. 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.

...THE TORNADO WARNING FOR SOUTH CENTRAL DELAWARE AND NORTHWESTERN

SULLIVAN COUNTIES WILL EXPIRE AT 715 PM EDT...

The tornado threat has diminished and the Tornado Warning has been

cancelled. However, large hail and damaging winds remain likely and

a Severe Thunderstorm Warning remains in effect for the area until

730 PM.

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT

FOR NORTHEASTERN LEWIS COUNTY...

At 715 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located 12 miles northeast

of Lowville, or 18 miles northwest of Old Forge, moving northeast at

40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

IMPACT...Expect damage to trees and power lines.

New Bremen, Watson, Harrisville, Croghan, Castorland, Belfort, Soft

Maple Reservoir, Lake Bonaparte, Kirschnerville and Beaver Falls.

FOR SULLIVAN COUNTY...

At 716 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from near Jeffersonville to near Smallwood to Millrift,

moving northeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage to

roofs, siding, and trees.

Fallsburg, Monticello, Liberty, Bethel, Neversink, South Fallsburg,

Wurtsboro, Woodridge, Bloomingburg and Jeffersonville.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT

Special Weather Statement

National Weather Service Binghamton NY

528 PM EDT Sat Apr 22 2023

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of southwestern Oneida,

Broome, Madison, eastern Cortland, eastern Onondaga and Chenango

Counties through 615 PM EDT...

At 527 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along

a line extending from near Liverpool to East Freetown to Conklin.

Movement was east at 35 mph.

HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 50 mph.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around

unsecured objects.

Locations impacted include...

Onondaga, Syracuse, Clay, Binghamton, Rome, Cicero, De Witt,

Sullivan, Oneida and Lenox.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

LAT...LON 4346 7572 4244 7538 4232 7542 4205 7543

4200 7537 4200 7586 4323 7631 4321 7626

4322 7626 4324 7627 4320 7622 4322 7620

4327 7621 4320 7608 4315 7589 4333 7588

4348 7581

TIME...MOT...LOC 2127Z 263DEG 30KT 4317 7623 4256 7599 4203 7581

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN

MAX WIND GUST...50 MPH

The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Southwestern Sullivan County in central New York...

East central Wayne County in northeastern Pennsylvania...

Pike County in northeastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 615 PM EDT.

* At 529 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Bushkill, or

14 miles east of Mount Pocono, moving north at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

* Locations impacted include...

Bushkill, Monticello, Lackawaxen, Blooming Grove, Bethel, Damascus,

Callicoon, Shohola, Tusten and Cochecton.

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

Heavy rainfall is occurring with this storm, and may lead to flash

flooding. Do not drive your vehicle through flooded roadways.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
This photo taken with mobile phone on April 21, 2023 shows properties damaged by a tornado in Lewe township of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar. Six people were killed and 109 others injured after a deadly tornado hit central Myanmar on Friday, local authorities said. (Str/Xinhua)

YANGON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Six people were killed and 109 others injured after a deadly tornado hit central Myanmar on Friday, local authorities said.

The tornado struck the villages in Lewe township of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory at around 6:45 p.m. local time (GMT 1215) on Friday, the Myanmar Fire Services Department said.

"Six died on the spot and 109 others were injured due to the heavy winds. 16 of the injured were in critical condition," a local police officer told Xinhua on Saturday, adding that no more deaths were reported until this morning.

The death toll included two males and four females, the fire services department said, adding that more than 200 houses were also damaged due to the tornado.

The injured are being treated at the hospitals in Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, the fire services department said, adding that rescue operations are underway. 

This photo taken with mobile phone on April 21, 2023 shows properties damaged by a tornado in Lewe township of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar. Six people were killed and 109 others injured after a deadly tornado hit central Myanmar on Friday, local authorities said. (Str/Xinhua)

This photo taken with mobile phone on April 21, 2023 shows a woman walking by damaged houses after a tornado hits Lewe township of Nay Pyi Taw Union Territory, Myanmar. Six people were killed and 109 others injured after a deadly tornado hit central Myanmar on Friday, local authorities said. (Str/Xinhua)
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

Severe Weather Statement

National Weather Service Binghamton NY

550 PM EDT Sat Apr 22 2023

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT

FOR SOUTHWESTERN SULLIVAN...EAST CENTRAL WAYNE AND PIKE COUNTIES...

At 549 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Pecks Pond, or

13 miles west of Montague, moving north at 20 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Bushkill, Monticello, Lackawaxen, Blooming Grove, Bethel, Damascus,

Callicoon, Shohola, Tusten and Cochecton.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

To report severe weather contact your nearest law enforcement agency.

They will send your report to the National Weather Service office in

Binghamton.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

South central Delaware County in central New York...

Northwestern Sullivan County in central New York...

* Until 730 PM EDT.

* At 643 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near

Jeffersonville, or 10 miles west of Liberty, moving north at 35

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...

Rockland, Callicoon, Tusten, Cochecton, Fremont, Jeffersonville,

Hazel, Lava, Fosterdale and White Sulphur Springs.

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 700 PM EDT

FOR SOUTHEASTERN BROOME...SOUTHWESTERN DELAWARE AND NORTHWESTERN

WAYNE COUNTIES...

At 645 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located near Hancock, or 7

miles southeast of Deposit, moving northeast at 30 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and penny size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Expect damage to roofs, siding, and trees.

Locations impacted include...

Deposit, Hancock, Starrucca, Hiawatha, Shehawken, Starlight,

Starruca, Pleasant Mount, Equinunk and Sherman.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO BINGHAMTON Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Sullivan County in central New York...

Northeastern Wayne County in northeastern Pennsylvania...

Northeastern Pike County in northeastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 800 PM EDT.

* At 656 PM EDT, severe thunderstorms were located along a line

extending from Callicoon to near Eldred to near Milford, moving

northeast at 30 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...

Fallsburg, Monticello, Lackawaxen, Liberty, Bethel, Damascus,

Neversink, South Fallsburg, Callicoon and Shohola.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo has issued a

Central Lewis County in central New York...

* At 657 PM EDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Lowville, or

21 miles north of Boonville, moving northeast at 40 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts.

IMPACT...Expect damage to trees and power lines.

Lowville, Whetstone Gulf State Park, Denmark, New Bremen, Watson,

Martinsburg, Harrisville, Croghan, Castorland and Belfort.

...Strong thunderstorms will impact portions of Northwest Orange

County through 745 PM EDT...

At 657 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking strong thunderstorms along

a line extending from Lava to Crandon Lakes. Movement was northeast

at 25 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...

Port Jervis, Huguenot, Unionville and Deerpark.

If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building.

Frequent cloud to ground lightning is occurring with these storms.

Lightning can strike 10 miles away from a thunderstorm. Seek a safe

shelter inside a building or vehicle.

LAT...LON 4149 7476 4150 7462 4129 7454 4136 7470

4137 7469 4138 7471 4139 7471 4140 7474

4143 7474 4143 7476 4146 7476 4146 7475

TIME...MOT...LOC 2257Z 223DEG 23KT 4163 7499 4114 7481

MAX HAIL SIZE...0.50 IN

MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
WFO SAN ANGELO Warnings, Watches and Advisories for Saturday, April 22, 2023

_____

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING

The National Weather Service in San Angelo has issued a

* Severe Thunderstorm Warning for...

Central Runnels County in west central Texas...

* Until 400 PM CDT.

* At 312 PM CDT, a severe thunderstorm was located over Norton,

moving east at 25 mph.

HAZARD...60 mph wind gusts and quarter size hail.

SOURCE...Radar indicated.

IMPACT...Hail damage to vehicles is expected. Expect wind damage

to roofs, siding, and trees.

* This severe thunderstorm will be near...

Ballinger around 335 PM CDT.

Hatchel around 340 PM CDT.

Benoit around 355 PM CDT.

Crews around 400 PM CDT.

Other locations impacted by this severe thunderstorm include Lake

Winters Lake and Ballinger Lake.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

For your protection move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a

building.

_____

Copyright 2023 AccuWeather
SAN FRANCISCO, April 21 (Xinhua) -- Leading U.S. ride-hailing company Lyft's chief executive officer David Risher said on Friday that the company will significantly reduce its workforce as part of a restructuring effort.

Risher said in an email to the employees that the restructuring is part of Lyft's plan to "better meeting the needs of riders and drivers."

The layoffs will be directed at the company's more than 4,000 full-time employees, who will learn whether they have a job or not via an email that will be sent out April 27.

A Wall Street Journal report cited unnamed sources that about 1,200 workers, 30 percent of its total workforce, would be affected.

"We need to be a faster, flatter company where everyone is closer to our riders and drivers. And we need to bring our costs down to deliver affordable rides, compelling earnings for drivers, and profitable growth," said Risher.

"We intend to use these savings to invest in competitive pricing, faster pick-up times, and better driver earnings. All of these require us to reduce our size and restructure how we're organized," he added. 
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  Saturday Night Live is on a two-week break, but it already has its next host-musical guest combo lined up  and fans of the show will be pretty thrilled with whats on tap.

Former SNL cast member Pete Davidson is set to host Saturday Night Live on May 6. The born-and-raised Staten Islander was on SNL for eight years  he joined in 2014 at the ripe age of 20  before tapping out at the end of last season. He was best known for his Weekend Update appearances alongside fellow Staten Islander Colin Jost, and his reoccurring character, Chad.

Davidson will be joined by musical guest Lil Uzi Vert.

***

SUBSCRIBE TO PEACOCK

***

The timing of Davidsons hosting gig makes sense: The actors new Peacock show, Bupkis, is set to premiere on May 4. The semi-autobiographical show was spotted filming across Staten Island and other parts of New York City in 2022. In October, production took over Marina Cafe in Great Kills, and in November, Davidson and a filming crew were spotted at Laceys Bridge Tavern in Elm Park.

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. On April 15, final show of April, actress Ana De Armas made her hosting debut, while Karol G took on musical guest duties.

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.

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 Country star Miranda Lambert to her former NYPD hubby Brendan McLoughlin: Ill be lovin you. Everyday.
Pretoria: More than 100 asylum seekers who had been camped out in front of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees offices in Pretoria for more than three years have been evicted by South African police.

After a wave of xenophobic violence in 2019, a large number of asylum seekers started living in temporary tents outside the UNHCR offices and requesting to be relocated to other nations. Last week, the Pretoria Municipality obtained a high court order to have them removed.

The Lindela Repatriation Centre is a temporary holding facility for undocumented migrants who are scheduled for deportation to their home countries or origins. According to court documents, the refugees will be evicted and transported there.

Also Read: Four are behind bars for a planned attack on the Champs Elysees

With the assistance of immigration and other officers, a large number of police officers under the direction of the sheriff's department carried out the eviction.

State attorney Kobus Meijer used a loudspeaker to warn the migrants that if they resisted being taken away, they "will be arrested" and "detained." While some families left on their own volition, others protested. One refugee yelled, "I am not going in Lindela! It's better for me to die here!"

The obviously distressed woman is from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and a dressing gown is wrapped around her waist. According to Laura Padoan, a spokeswoman for UNHCR, "they are asking that we transport them to a refugee camp in another country, but this is outside of our mandate."

Also Read: US Supreme Court maintains widespread access to abortion medication

Those in charge of evicting families were urged by the UNHCR to do so "peacefully and that families are treated humanely, with dignity and respect," according to Padoan. Foreigners are permitted to apply for refugee status and work under South Africa's progressive asylum laws.

Also Read: Thefts force the US to recall Kia and Hyundai vehicles

But according to rights organisations, the system for processing applications is flawed and backlogged, leaving many asylum seekers in limbo for years. South Africa's economy, which is the most developed on the continent, attracts economic migrants, which has fueled sporadic acts of xenophobic violence and inflamed resentment among the country's unemployed residents.
A 9-year-old boy from New York City was shot and killed in an apparent botched robbery in the Dominican Republic earlier this week, according to multiple media reports.

The boy, Gioser Luis Feliz, and his father, Sergio Luis Feliz, of the Bronx, had just flown in from New York on Wednesday and were driving to a relatives house when incident occurred, Univision reported.

The suspects allegedly followed the family from the airport and opened fire when the familys driver refused to pull over after going through a toll booth, authorities told the media outlet. Gioser was shot in the head and was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

It was reported that six men have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting, including a family friend, Tomas Pena Morel, 32. Authorities told Diario Libre that Morel allegedly knew the familys travel route and was behind the attack.

Since I found out about the death of the child Gioser Luis Feliz, I have been following up on the case. I have been informed by the Director of the National Police about the arrest of the 5 criminals who committed this horrendous crime. Now justice must be ensured in the courts, Dominican Republic President Luis Abinader wrote in a tweet Thursday.

The family told CBSNews that a funeral will be held for Gioser in the Bronx next week.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the North Shore anticipates an all mens shelter opening this summer in Stapleton, community members and the shelter administrators are clear on one thing: maintaining open lines of communication is imperative to coexisting in the neighborhood.

Administrators from Samaritan Daytop Village and officials from New York Citys Department of Homeless Services (DHS) and Department of Social Service (DSS) joined Community Board 1s Clifton/Concord/Stapleton Area Committee virtual meeting on Thursday to share details and answer community members questions about the new 100-bed mens shelter slated to open at 119 Tompkins Avenue sometime in July.

Samaritan Daytop Village -- a human services agency that operates more than 60 locations across the five boroughs and greater New York City area, including a clinic on Forest Ave. in Graniteville -- will manage the shelter in partnership with Homeless Services and Social Services. New York Foundling will remain owner of the property.

The shelters clients will be general population, which Alyssa Sanchez, assistant vice president of transitional housing at Samaritan Daytop Village, described as individuals who can live on their own, who can be eligible for employment.

Each client will be assigned to a case manager and will also have access to social services and employment services. The goal, Samaritan Daytop Village said, is to help the clients establish stable employment and transition into permanent housing within a year.

Civic leaders at the meeting reiterated several times that they are displeased with the placement of the shelter. However, given that it is a done-deal, the leaders are focused on moving forward and ensuring that the shelter does not disrupt the surrounding community.

The 119 Tompkins Ave. shelter is one of three facilities that were sited on Staten Islands North Shore under former Mayor Bill de Blasios administration without prior input from community and also finalized despite staunch opposition from Staten Islanders.

CONCERNS ABOUT SCHOOLS CLOSE BY

One of community members highest concerns with 119 Tompkins Ave., which they have voiced since the siting was announced in 2021, is there are three schools  P.S. 78, I.S. 49 and Bayley Seton Prep  less than a block away from the shelter location.

Larry Beslow, chair of Community Board 1s Clifton/Concord/Stapleton Area Committee, kicked off the questions asking about the nearby school concerns.

You have three major schools in the area, one directly across the street. You [will] have 100 men in your location, which are very well taken care of inside your location. My concern is the area, Beslow said. What are you guys going to do to mediate the potential problems that could arise at those schools and the playgrounds across the street?

Jerry Heaney, vice president of transitional housing at Samaritan Daytop Village, noted that the organization is maintaining contact with the nearby schools administrators to address concerns and described the organizations plans.

If there are issues with loitering, let us know immediately and we will handle that. We will have direct communication if the principals of the schools need our number to call us off hours, on hours, on the weekend. ... Weve done meetings with them already for these very same concerns, Heaney said.

SAFETY AND SECURITY MEASURES

During the presentation, Heaney touched on some of the buildings security measures, including 75 cameras both in and outside with central access, 24/7 security with three guards per shift, an 11 p.m. curfew, and staff periodically walking around the area to make sure the residents are not loitering.

Yvonne Ballard, associate commissioner of Homeless Services, pointed out that all of the agencys shelters have a good neighbor policy.

If theres a problem, one of the residents arent being good neighbors, were going to talk to them. Theyre going to be engaged, and if that behavior continues, Samaritan Village has the right to speak with DHS and we will move that individual, Ballard explained.

Sanchez chimed in, suggesting that community members call the police if they feel a client is exhibiting illegal behavior.

We cant predict what someones going to do, but well do our best to mediate. We will continue to have conversations with them about staying away from the schools. And Ive had to say to people, if someone is breaking the law, theyre breaking the law. And if you need to call the police, then thats what you need to do, she said.

The Samaritan Day Village administrator also mentioned that clients are screened before placement.

Every client will be working with a case manager. We have social workers. And during the intake process ... would be the time for us to determine if that is the right setting for that individual.

Lynchell Addison, a Stapleton resident, asked the agencies if they will be screening out sex offenders during their intake and placement process.

We cant discriminate against people who have criminal backgrounds. So, if a parolee was a sex offender and they have resident restriction, they will not be allowed to come to Tompkins, and clearly because you have the schools there. If they have what we call SARA restricted, they will not be assigned to the site, Ballard replied.

SARA, New York States Sexual Assault Reform Act, prohibits certain sex offenders who are on parole or were conditionally released from residing with 1,000 feet from a school.

Board Member George Doyle, who worked security for Project Hospitality challenged some of the agencies safety plans. Curfews do not work. The clients come and go as they please, he said.

Heaney admitted that the plan is not foolproof. The clients are not in the penal system, which means if they want to get up and walk out, we physically cannot stop them. And if they show up after curfew, we dont want them wandering the community because their bed was not made available. Theyll have to sit in the waiting room. And if their bed is available, obviously we would rather put them in it than put them back in the community.

In terms of other measures to mitigate loitering, Heaney highlighted the propertys recreational space, particularly the ample open backyard.

PLEASE HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE

Peter Lisi, a board member and president of the Van Duzer Civic Association, reminded the agencies that the local community largely disapproves of where the shelter is located, noting that their issue is not with those who are homeless.

Our members are not against the homeless, were not against helping people. But we are going to still stand strong on these locations are not the correct locations. We were given these and told, Hey, theyre coming. You have no input,Lisi said.

Both Lisi and other civic leaders welcomed the agencies to attend more of their meetings, emphasizing the need to keep them in the loop.

Definitely hold us accountable. Thats why were in these meetings. ...Thats why were going to share the best contact information; because the community should be holding us accountable and making sure that we have a program that is servicing both the community and our vulnerable clients as well, Hailey Nolasco, assistant deputy commissioner of DSS, said.

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FOLLOW GIAVANNI ALVES ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Just in time for Earth Day, the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) on Saturday morning announced the launch of the 2023 Open Streets program, with locations throughout the five boroughs, including three on Staten Island.

Spring has sprung -- and I invite New Yorkers to celebrate the warm weather on our collective front yard: Our streets. Were thrilled to continue building on the success of the Open Streets program ..., said DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez. As we celebrate Earth Week, Open Streets is a shining example of how we can make our streets more vibrant and welcoming by supporting safe and sustainable transportation options.

Since its inception in 2020, New York City has worked with hundreds of community-based organizations, educational institutions and businesses to offer funding, materials, programming support and operational assistance for Open Streets programming.

Staten Islands three Open Street locations are full-closure sites, meaning they will allow for a range of car-free activities that can include dining, community programming and more. This years locations are:

-- Water Street, from Beach Street to Canal Street, in Stapleton. Operated by the Van Duzer Street Civic Association, the roadway will be closed to traffic Saturdays, from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

-- Minthorne Steet, from Bay Street to Victory Boulevard, in Tompkinsville. Operated by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce Foundation and The Angiuli Group, the roadway will be closed to traffic Fridays, from 4 p.m. to midnight, and Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to midnight.

-- Ninth Street, from New Dorp Lane to Rose Avenue, in New Dorp. Operated by the New Dorp Lane Management Assoc., the roadway will be closed to traffic on Fridays, from 7 to 11 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays, from 6 to 11 p.m.

This years Open Streets program will initially feature nearly 160 locations stretching almost 300 blocks. The DOT said dozens of more locations throughout the city are currently being finalized, with anticipated launch on or after July 1.

Open Streets are safe, popular, and lively places for New Yorkers to gather. When we reclaim spaces from cars and open them to people, great things happen ...,, said Juan Restrepo, director of organizing for Transportation Alternatives.

You can find the full list of 2023 Open Streets on the DOTs website.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.  With the click of a few buttons, you can have everything from groceries and medication, to laundry and alcohol delivered to your front door  so why not weed?

Thats the simplistic answer as to how Drop Delivery  an all-in-one delivery management app  was born.

CEO and co-founder Vanessa Gabriel and her team have been in the cannabis space since 2016, initially creating an app that allowed users in Los Angeles to place a pickup order at a dispensary, removing the wait time.

Gabriel, 30, quickly realized there was a big opportunity for technology to enhance the experience of buying cannabis for businesses and customers alike. For this reason, the already successful app will soon is available to New Yorkers.

Vanessa Gabriel, 30, is the CEO and co-founder of Drop Delivery, an all-in-one delivery management app for cannabis. (Photo courtesy of Vanessa Gabriel)

When we did some market research and spoke to business owners, we realized what was out there as far as software service providers was a really fragmented experience for business owners, Gabriel told the Advance/SILive.com.

Businesses were having to use and manage anywhere from four to six different service providers to run the day-to-day operations. That was a really big lightbulb moment for us. We were like There must be a better way, Gabriel said.

PARTNERSHIP WITH DUTCHIE

The Drop Delivery platform was built in 2019 and launched in January 2020, right before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit.

By 2021, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act, legalizing recreational adult-use cannabis in New York. By the time New Yorks first legal adult-use recreational dispensary opened in Manhattan, Drop Delivery had partnered with Dutchie, the company selected by the state to be the exclusive technology point-of-sale provider for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary license holders.

In addition to point-of-sale technology, Dutchies technology helps dispensaries manage inventory and report all compliance information to the Office of Cannabis Management per state regulations.

The partnership between Dutchie and Drop Delivery allows Drop Delivery to position themselves as the preferred fleet service provider, Gabriel explained.

New York was always so exciting because it has the potential to be a bigger market than California for cannabis  and everything is delivered in New York, she said. Thats initially what got me and my co-founder into technology and building mobile apps and software; we were so amazed by how technology really impacts your life in New York and how much you rely on apps and delivery for daily stuff.

UBER EATS OF WEED DELIVERY FOR CUSTOMERS, BUT BETTER

Gabriel explained the biggest difference between a delivery app like Uber Eats, DoorDash, or GrubHub and Drop Delivery is that Drop Delivery isnt a marketplace -- unlike the aforementioned apps  its more like G Suite, a platform thats used to run a business coupled with a customer experience app.

We provide you tools to market more efficiently to your customers by sending personalized deals and promotions based on past order history, as well as SMS marketing, digital loyalty and rewards, she said.

Other marketplace apps charge commissions, often times at a hefty price, that can ultimately hurt businesses  especially coming out of the pandemic when businesses were already struggling to make ends meet.

Because weed is regulated by the state, Drop Delivery isnt permitted to take a percentage of the sales profit from the consumer and prices for products cant be increased because consumers are ordering on a mobile app instead of in-store.

We have a service fee or a tech fee of 99 cents, and what I think is really cool is our clients have the option of paying the fee themselves or they can choose to pass it on to the customer. They also have the option to create custom fees and charge the customers more  like for delivery driver insurance. But if they dont want to pass any fees along to their customer, they can just have that turned off and pay us the 99 cents per order, she explained.

But weve never increased our subscription prices, she said.

Additionally, other marketplace and delivery apps hold on to customer data obtained through orders and dont share it with the restaurant or business.

When customers use Drop Delivery to order cannabis, that consumer information is shared directly with the business while simultaneously allowing Drop Deliverys app to generate targeted customer deals.

LEGAL WEED IN NEW YORK

Its been four months since the first legal adult-use weed dispensary, Housing Works Cannabis Co., located at 750 Broadway in Manhattan, opened its doors on Dec. 29, 2022. Seven additional dispensaries have opened for business since then.

Robert DiPisa, co-chair of the Cannabis Law Group at Cole Schotz, previously told the Advance/SILive.com that finding real estate in New York, especially urban areas in the five boroughs, was one of the biggest obstacles for CAURD license holders to open their dispensaries.

But before the first dispensary even opened its doors, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) announced that CAURD license holders who had a warehouse from which they could fulfill delivery orders could do so while waiting for a retail location to become available.

While many CAURD licenses have been awarded to New Yorkers, a lot of them are in the same boat  without a warehouse and still searching for a retail location that fits the states guidelines.

We have one customer who has a license and is just waiting for a warehouse, Gabriel said.

She said Drop Delivery has a few other clients in the pipeline, but is not yet delivering in New York City. She hopes New Yorkers will be able to use the app in the near future.

Everybody is still in the early phases of having a license and trying to figure things out. But were here and were just really excited to be a partner with Dutchie and help support this rollout and transition of legal cannabis and cannabis delivery in New York, she said.

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FOLLOW KRISTIN F. DALTON ON TWITTER.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Spotted lanternflies, the pests that invaded Staten Island and the rest of the Tristate area last year, are expected to arrive early in New York this spring, according to a recent report.

Experts at the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets recently told News Channel 4 New York that the spotted lanternfly timeline could be accelerated, due to the warmer temperatures during the early weeks of spring and as temperatures continue to climb.

In fact, with the warmer weather New York State is facing, we expect that SLF [spotted lanternfly] may hatch earlier this year, within the next month or even sooner, in NYC, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley, Chris Logue, director of plant industry, told the media outlet.

The insects spend the winter as eggs and hatch in the early spring, so now is the time for residents to look for egg masses around their property and in parks, Logue told the Advance/SILive.com earlier this month.

Since the lanternflies, native to southeast Asia, have already established a population on the Island, and the insects seemed to be producing at an alarming rate in recent years, removing egg masses will keep the numbers down when the eggs hatch, Logue said.

Brian Eshenaur, who studies invasive species at Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and New York State Integrated Pest Management, told News 4 that the hatching of spotted lanternfly eggs could be bumped up to early May.

With that jumpstart, it also means they could become adult spotted lanternflies (the stage we all recognize) sooner. So, they may occur earlier than we would normally see them, which is about the third week in July, said Eshenaur to News 4.

In their early stage, the invasive pests are often mistaken for ticks. They have spots and dont develop their signature red wings until fall, according to the Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Science in Ithaca, N.Y.

In fact, though its common to see photos of lanternflies in flight with wings spread, showing off the colorful crimson, it is much more common to see them resting on tree bark, blending in with their surroundings, with black-spotted, pinkish-tan wings folded over their back.

And though they dont sting or bite, homeowners should be cautious of the damage they do to trees when they feed off them. Lanternflies can only survive for 48 hours without feeding on a plant, so ready-made traps are effective at reducing their numbers.

A recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports' found that the spread of the destructive, annoying insects is largely due to human-mediated dispersal. In short, theyre hitching a ride on our cars, trucks and buses.

With that in mind, residents should also check their vehicle when traveling into and out of areas that have an established population, Logue said.

Removing any eggs or lanternflies from vehicles will help control the spread, experts advised.

State agencies will also be involved in controlling the spread, Logue said. The Department of Agriculture and Markets works with the state Department of Transportation and other partners to monitor commercial tractor trailers and the states railways and ports, he said.

MORE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY NEWS:

What is a spotted lantern fly? Heres what to do if you see one in NYC.

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Disgustingly-amazing image shows spotted lanternfly transforming into adult on Staten Island
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Pop quiz: who is the current federal small business minister? Do you know without checking?

Since the end of last year, the small business sector has been out of the headlines thanks to a duchessing which turned into a decapitation.

Illustration: Reg Lynch Credit:

In September, Alexi Boyd, then head of the Council of Small Business Organisations Australia (COSBOA) signed a memorandum of understanding with the head of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. The small businesses represented by COSBOA were none too impressed. Their industry-specific peak bodies were livid at the idea that they were being signed up to support multi-employer bargaining and a raft of measures floated at the Jobs and Skills Summit that would be impractical for small businesses to implement.

Boyd, it was said, had been duchessed. Former COSBOA head Peter Strong describes duchessing as treating a person as a very special and worthy human being so that they feel obliged to a government (or opposition).
But fast-forward a generation and the politics of clean energy  and motoring  have changed. The world is ramping up efforts to rapidly decarbonise as the impacts of climate change bite harder, and car makers are facing increased pressure to rapidly reduce the emissions of their fleets. Loading This month, the United States, where road transport is responsible for 27 per cent of emissions, announced it would significantly toughen fuel-efficiency standards for passenger vehicles (the standards were introduced in the 1970s). This week, Australias Climate Change and Energy Minister, Chris Bowen, announced the nation would finally join the rest of the developed world by introducing its first such standards, launching a six-week period of discussion over the standards design. Meanwhile, 12 US states and dozens of countries  including China  have announced outright bans on the sale of new light vehicles with internal combustion engines, beginning later this decade or early in the next. You might think that as we enter this new era of clean driving, Toyota might be a leader. Youd be wrong.

Instead, Toyota stands accused of using its lobbying might around the world, and in Australia, to delay the transition. Its a charge Toyota vehemently rejects. We havent sought to delay anything, says Sean Hanley, Toyota Australias vice president of sales and marketing. Earlier this year, the activist group, Brandalism, boasted it had attacked 400 Toyota and BMW billboards across Belgium, France, Germany and Britain, while in California, the company that was the darling of green Hollywood is now viewed by some as a pariah. Activists defaced 400 billboards advertising BMW and Toyota across Europe. In 2019, Toyota startled some of its fans by backing the Trump administrations efforts to wind back Obama-era standards supported by California that would require car makers to build vehicles that reach an average of 23 kilometres a litre by 2025, eliminating about 6 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere over the vehicles lifetime. At the time, The New York Times quoted Costanza Rampini, an assistant professor of environmental studies at San Jose State University, who wrote on Twitter that she was furious with Toyota for supporting Trump.

You are on the wrong side of history Toyota, she wrote, before telling the Times that the move was really a punch in the gut for all of the Toyota customers that have been supporting the company as a champion at the avant-garde of low-emission cars. Influence Map, an independent think tank that monitors lobbying activity around the world, reports: Despite consistently stating support for the Paris Agreement, and limited support for some measures to decarbonise the transport sector, Toyota has mostly negative engagement globally on policy mandating the full electrification of the automotive sector, instead promoting an extended role for ICE-powered vehicles, including hybrids. The Prius became a hit: Takeshi Uchiyamada poses with the hybrid cars in 2013 to celebrate sales exceeding 5 million. Credit: Getty Images Toyota has also opposed numerous policies mandating the long-term phase-out of internal combustion engine-powered vehicles and the introduction of zero-emission vehicle targets in multiple regions in 2021-23. In 2021, Toyota declined to join a pledge signed by six major car makers, including General Motors and Ford, to phase out fossil-fuel cars by 2040, saying not all parts of the world would be ready to transition by then.

As part of its lobbying for the electrification of Australian transport, Greenpeace Australia has launched a campaign directly attacking Toyota for what it says is the companys deliberate undermining of climate policy. The Greenpeace East Asia Auto Environmental Guide ranks Toyota as the worst on decarbonisation in a comparative analysis of top car makers, showing how the company has significantly fallen behind other major manufacturers on climate policy and the adoption of electric vehicles, Greenpeaces report says. Toyata launches the first Australian-made hybrid Camry in 2009. Credit: Paul Rovere North American and European pension funds have signalled their concern about Toyota lobbying against a transition to EVs, too. We are extremely concerned that Toyotas lobbying activities are misaligned with its climate goals and its electric vehicle strategy, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said in a statement before last years Toyota AGM. As Reuters reported at the time, Lander oversees a pension system with $US253 billion ($378 billion) in assets under management, including around $140 million worth of Toyota shares.

According to the Financial Times, AkademikerPension, the $20 billion Danish fund; Swedens largest pension fund AP7, the $120 billion Nordic asset manager; and the Church of England, which held a combined $300 million shares in Toyota as of 2021, have all voiced their concerns about Toyotas lobbying. Asked why the firm has attracted so much criticism from around the world, Hanley says: Its a very good question, one that we asked ourselves to be quite honest, many times, because we havent sought to slow down the adoption of electrification or the adoption of carbon-neutral technologies going forward. Jeremy Clarkson was no fan of the Prius. All weve said is that we believe theres more than one way to get there. And like every other group, weve expressed our opinion and our view on how we can get to carbon-neutral. We categorically reject the premise that we prevented or stopped, or actively lobbied to stop [transition]. How Toyota fell from environmental grace

Most critics believe that Toyota became the prisoner of Prius. Having successfully developed hybrid technology, the company continued to invest and improve it over the following years, and as a result, it missed the electric vehicle revolution led by Tesla. This could present Toyota with a problem as the world adopts and slowly tightens fuel-efficiency standards. Green Hollywood embraced Toyota: Leonardo DiCaprio driving a Prius in 2004. Credit: Getty Typically, these standards operate fairly similarly. Governments mandate that average emissions targets must be met across a carmakers range of vehicles sold. Each year the standards become stricter. The Biden administration announced this month that it planned to restrict the amount of greenhouse gas emissions an average passenger vehicle can emit from 103 grams per kilometre today to between 30 and 44 grams in 2032. By that time, the European Union standard will be 26 grams, according to a comparison of policies by Australias Electric Vehicle Council.

To meet them, makers ramp up sales of clean cars to offset emissions from their more polluting models. Loading As a result, those companies with a broad range of battery-only vehicles  such as Chinese, European and increasingly US car makers  have a distinct advantage over Toyota, with its range of hybrids. This is also the reason, critics say, that Australian consumers have been starved of popular EV models, which have instead been supplied to markets with these rules in place. Toyota is now in a position where it stands to lose market advantage to pure electric car players until it can ramp up its range, which might take years, says Behyad Jafari, chief executive of the Electric Vehicle Council, which lobbies for the electric car industry in Australia.

He says that as the biggest player in the Australian industry, Toyota, which sells one in five new cars in Australia, has outsized influence at the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries, the sectors peak body, and has been instrumental in shaping its position on emissions standards. The chambers chief executive, Tony Weber, rejects the suggestion as D-grade bullshit, but acknowledges the groups larger members cross-subsidise its smaller ones. He said that Toyota Australia president and chief executive Matthew Callachor serves as chair of the chamber because he was elected to that position by the board. Weber says Toyota has led the market on low-carbon technology, and the chamber not only supports mandatory fuel-efficiency standards, but last year introduced its own voluntary standard. He says that any standard adopted in Australia should reflect Australian conditions, where some drivers cover long distances and where low population density makes the deployment of battery-charging infrastructure more expensive.

Hanley says Toyota also takes the view that any standards adopted in Australia should reflect the peculiarities of the domestic market, just as those introduced in the EU and US did. In Australia, that could reflect preferences for utes and light vehicles and the long distances travelled in this country. But he said Toyota understood that because Australia was adopting standards later than other markets, our rate of improvement will need to be relatively aggressive on the path towards net zero. Toyota and the FCAI say Australian emissions standards should reflect Australian conditions and car preferences. We stand by to see what the government does announce and Toyota will come into line with whatever that announcement is. Thats what we do in the markets that we operate. A briefing note prepared by the Department of Transport for its secretary, Jim Betts, ahead of a meeting with Callachor last year, released under Freedom of Information, notes that: While Toyota and FCAI [have] been calling for government to implement a mandatory fuel-efficiency standard, the level of emissions reduction supported by Toyota and the FCAI may be lower than government is contemplating, and is clearly lower than climate and EV groups consider necessary to support the governments 2030 and 2050 emissions-reduction targets.
It is time to retire the T word from the vocabulary of multiculturalism. I do not

want anyone to say that they tolerate me. It is patronising and condescending.

Tolerance denotes a reluctant acceptance, a begrudging recognition of something unpleasant that will not go away. Why be so negative about one of the greatest assets we have  our diversity?

Smilingly encouraging tolerance for those who used to be described as New Australians is actually a backhander, a well-meaning but confused commentary on our almost universally shared commitment to social cohesion.

We were once encouraged to show tolerance for new Australians. Credit: Getty Images

It is usually invoked by established figures comfortable about their place in our nation, but uttered rarely by anyone insecure or struggling.
Dhaka: Shoppers throng the perfume stalls at the largest attar market in the vicinity of the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque in the heart of Dhaka in search of the perfect scent to wear for this year's Eid Al-Fitr.

Most of them will recall one specific fragrance that was created in the Middle East, a region that has long been known for its perfumes.

Since the development of sophisticated distillation methods by Arab perfume makers in the tenth century, which allowed for the mass production of essential oils, its olfactory influence has been felt in South Asia.

Also Read: 'Homosexuals should be killed..', this country has made a law

Since the Islamic tradition encourages people to smell nice when they meet others, Bangladeshians refer to the alcohol-free oils by their original Arabic name, attar. This word's social significance increases particularly during religious celebrations and holidays in the Muslim-majority nation.

Typically, Ramadan and Eid bring about strong sales. According to Milon Mahmud, who sells attar at the market, imported goods are in high demand here, according to Arab News.

"People like them because of their high quality, variety, and scents and fragrances. They are widely used because of this. Mahmud offers alcohol-free attars from the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

When he sells approximately 5 millilitres of attar for 200 taka ($2), he predicts that sales during Ramadan could reach $4,000 ($1.50).

Comparatively, the same quantity of locally produced perfume oils would cost roughly ten times less. However, attar sellers claim that there is a sizable quality gap.

The Baitul Mukkarram Market's Alhaj Faruk Islam, who operates a perfume stall there like Mahmud does, declared: "Our local products are not comparable with attar from Saudi Arabia... Our local fragrances don't last as long as this attar does.

Also Read: Four are behind bars for a planned attack on the Champs Elysees

"Unlike our homegrown products, which are tainted, this attar is pure in quality."

Those who visit the market to purchase scents are well-informed about what they want. They are familiar with various brands and varieties of oil, with the majority preferring scents from the Gulf.

Before Eid, a customer named Hafej Mohammad Mahbub said, "I like attar of various scents, especially the perfume Sultan because it smells like roses.

"While perfumes from other regions are not pure enough, attars from Saudi Arabia and the UAE are free from adulteration. People adore attar from these nations for this reason.

Abdul Hannan claimed that the scents brought back pleasant memories of his youth, which was forty years ago.

Attar scents are something I adore. I remember watching my father use attar as a child on every occasion. He was the one who pushed me to follow suit, he continued.

The tradition Hannan picked up from his father also has a spiritual component, in Hannan's opinion.

Also Read: US Supreme Court maintains widespread access to abortion medication

"I prefer to use attar during special occasions, specifically during any religious festivals," he declared. When I stand to offer prayers, the attar brings complete tranquilly to my mind.

"I sense something heavenly; I am surrounded by a sense of purity. It occasionally transports me back to my youth as well.
A disability service that has operated for four decades will shut at the end of the month because it fell through the cracks when the NSW and federal governments could not agree on who was responsible for its $1 million funding.

Assistive Technology Australia, formerly known as the Independent Living Centre NSW, will close on April 28, after the previous state government withdrew its financial support, believing it should be funded by the federal National Disability Insurance Scheme as the service was not an advocacy group.

Assistive Technology Australia employees Peter Simpson and Rebecca Hilton say the closure of the service will leave a gap for people with a disability. Credit: Wolter Peeters

However, the federal minister for the scheme has deemed the service, which has operated since 1981, ineligible for NDIS funding because it offers free consultations for people living at home with disabilities, which it considers to be advocacy work.

We have fallen through the cracks, said the organisations CEO Robyn Chapman, expressing concern about laying off the services seven staff members, three of whom live with a physical disability, as it faced a million-dollar shortfall.
One of the victims of the deadliest crash on Victorian roads in more than a decade has been remembered as a loving person and proud mum.

Family and friends have paid tribute to abattoir worker Debbie Markey, 62, who was killed in the horror crash near the New South Wales border on Thursday.

Debbie Markey, who died in a crash in Strathmerton along with four others, pictured with her son Daniel. Credit: Facebook

Markey was driving four of her JBS abattoir colleagues  all from overseas  home about 2.20pm when her Nissan Navara was hit by a Mercedes at the Labuan Road intersection at Strathmerton. The Nissan was spun into the path of a truck on the Murray Valley Highway, killing all five.

Markeys son, Daniel, described her as a very proud mum and hard-working member of the Cobram community.
The 37-year-old partner of a young woman who was allegedly murdered in what has been labelled a horrific domestic violence incident has appeared in court, charged with her murder.

Emmerich Lasakar, 35, was allegedly fatally attacked by Steven Dean in front of her children, aged 10 and 15, at a home in Kewdale on April 17. Police were called to the home around 7.45pm.

Emmerich Lasakar, 35, was allegedly killed at her Kewdale home on Monday. Credit: Facebook

Dean has remained in Royal Perth Hospital under police guard since he was arrested on Berwick St in St James after crashing his car less than an hour after he allegedly inflicted the fatal wounds.

Lasakar was also taken to Royal Perth Hospital, but later died from her injuries.
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 Thousands of naive young men mad for adventure came marching along Australias dusty roads and piled down city streets in quest of recruiting stations as World War I rolled from 1914 into 1915. But none set out on such an epic and gruelling trip as Jack Fahey. Fahey, one of Australias great wanderers, was in the remote northern outpost of Darwin as the war got under way. When word of what Fahey called the magnificent but tragic landing at Gallipoli reached Darwin in mid-1915, he decided he must sign up. Jack Fahey came across a cameleer on his epic journey through central Australia. Port Darwin, however, had no recruiting station, and boats travelling south touched the northern port infrequently. Fourteen months previously, I had cycled from Melbourne to Darwin and I resolved to again undertake the overland trip to Adelaide and enlist, wrote Fahey.

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Blithe words, though Fahey had a pretty vivid understanding of what harsh challenges lay ahead on his 3000-kilometre bicycle trip through the Never Never. Underground battle Nothing, however, could prepare him for the abomination that awaited him over the sea. He never got to Gallipoli, but was sent to a vastly grimmer place: the Western Front in northern France and Belgium. Loading There, this outback adventurer and lover of landscapes without end was sent underground to burrow into sand and sucking clay as explosive shells fell from the sky and poison gas settled on battlefields, torturing men caught in the open. Fahey was in Darwin in 1915 because he and another long-distance cyclist, Ted Ryko Reichenbach, had teamed up in 1914 in a famous attempt to break the record for the trip north from Adelaide to Darwin. Ryko completed the journey in an astounding 28 days, breaking the record by more than 15 hours.

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Fahey, however, toppled over a three-metre cliff into a creek bed while riding in the dark near Oodnadatta, injuring an ankle badly. After recuperating at a desolate cattle station, he reached Darwin 10 days after his companion. Now, to sign up for war, he would ride the same 3000 kilometres, this time from north to south, alone. Reichenbach, though born of Australian-born parents in Jeparit, on Victorias Wimmera-Mallee border, was burdened with a German surname - problematic in the paranoia of wartime, when enemy aliens were being rounded up and detained. Jack Fahey with his bicycle. Ryko, who had built a successful photographic business, fled Darwin with his camera for Arnhem Land and other remote regions, building an important collection of images of Indigenous people and their ceremonies, later stolen. Before leaving, Ryko gave his record-breaking bike to Fahey. The velvety darkness of the tropical night was merging into the first grey streaks of dawn when I left Darwin Post Office on the second of August, 1915, Fahey recorded. A filmy mist hung over the land and the cool calm air was heavy with the scent of the bush.

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And so, on a hard-worn bicycle, Fahey, aged 30, pedalled south, his machine shod with heavy thornproof tyres and weighed down with essential supplies, water containers and an acetylene lamp for night riding. An arduous ride He pedalled, time losing its meaning, along deep sandy tracks, through country where grass grew taller than his head, obscuring all chance of finding a path, and over endless gibber plains. He dragged the bike over sand dunes and sometimes, with no track to follow, he walked or bumped painfully along rough beds of railway sleepers. He sweated through suffocating humidity, fried beneath a pitiless sun, almost perished from thirst, shivered through desert nights and, trying to keep warm between two campfires one night, burnt his mosquito net to a crisp. Jack Fahey, centre in back row, with fellow recruits in training before being sent to the Western Front. Travelling through high grass about halfway between Darwin and the South Australian border, he smashed into a termite mound, breaking off one of his bikes cranks, forcing him to walk for two days, an insignificant mite creeping over the vastness, before undertaking a patch-up job at Banka Banka Station on the Barkly Tablelands.

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And yet, he rejoiced in the wild beauty of the land and the freedom of his isolation, and wrote long dreamy tracts about it all. Alone at midnight south of Alice Springs, a campfire burning, he wrote: With the canopy of heaven overhead and the boundless plains all around, ones mind dwelt on the infinity of space, the immensity of the starry firmament, the insignificance of mortal things, and the limitations of human comprehension. This then was a man transported by open spaces. War would rob him of such pleasure. In what seems a bad cosmic joke, when he had completed his lonely ride through the free sweep of central Australia, he was assigned to a tunnelling company in the most dangerous place in the world. One may as well be in a box In a letter home from the Western Front, written in late 1916 and published in the Northern Territory News and Gazette in January 1917, all the romance seemed stripped from his soul. This is not war; it is scientific killing; the individual man has not a stray dogs chance, he wrote as the northern winter approached.

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Cashed-up downsizers have bought a Ryde sub-penthouse with panoramic city views for $2,508,000, breaking a complex record.

They were one of four downsizers, all from nearby suburbs, who registered to bid on the four-bedroom, three-bathroom unit above Top Ryde Shopping Centre.

The 290-square-metre unit at 1210C/5 Pope Street, was guided at $2.45 million. It was bought off the plan for $1.9 million in 2013 and was an amalgamation of two two-bedroom units, made after the vendors asked the developer for more bedrooms.

The auction opened at $2 million, and bidding hit $2.2 million on the second bid, before climbing in increments ranging from $50,000 down to $10,000,
Ramkarpal Singh was only 10 years old when Australians Kevin Barlow and Brian Chambers were executed in 1986 at Kuala Lumpurs Pudu prison but he remembers the terrible saga well.

His late father, Karpal Singh, as Barlows lawyer, fought tooth and nail to spare the life of the 28-year-old welder from Perth, who had been condemned to death with Chambers, 29, for trafficking heroin.

Ramkarpal Singh (left) with his father, Karpal Singh, who died in a car crash in 2014. Credit: Twitter

I remember vividly how my father was very actively involved in the case. I even knew the mother of Mr Barlow who came to Malaysia from Perth. She was staying in Malaysia for a very long period of time hoping for a miracle to happen, Singh, who is now Malaysias deputy law minister, told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

I remember my father going in and out of prison to visit Mr Barlow, even trying to halt his execution at the very last minute with every legal trick in the book.
Paris: A Paris court has convicted a Lebanese-Canadian professor in absentia on terrorism charges and sentenced him to life in prison over a deadly Paris synagogue bombing in 1980 that was for decades one of Frances biggest unsolved crimes.

The court issued an arrest warrant for suspect Hassan Diab, who lives and teaches in Ottawa, Canada, and denies wrongdoing. He was convicted of terrorist murder for an attack that killed four and wounded 46.

William Bourdon lawyer of Hassan Diab, who is the lone suspect in a 1980 bombing, arrives at a Paris courthouse. Credit: AP

For victims, the Friday ruling means justice at last, more than four decades after a bombing described as the first anti-Semitic terrorist attack in France since World War II.

But for Diab and his supporters, the decision is a shock and a judicial error. His lawyers say he was in Lebanon studying for university exams at the time of the attack and is a victim of mistaken identity, a scapegoat for a justice system determined to find a culprit.
Geneva: Global sea levels are rising at more than double the pace they did in the first decade of measurements and hit a new record high last year, the World Meteorological Organisation said on Friday, warning that the trend would continue for millennia.

Extreme glacier melt and record ocean heat levels  which cause water to expand  contributed to an average rise in sea levels of 4.62 millimetres a year between 2013-2022, the United Nations agency said in a major report detailing the havoc of climate change. That is about double the pace of the first decade on record, 1993-2002, leading to a total increase of more than 10 centimetres since the early 1990s.

A glacier near the remote Kharnak village in the cold desert region of Ladakh, India, in september. In the Himalayan region, glaciers are melting fast while still villagers largely depend on glacial runoff for water. Credit: AP

We have already lost this melting of glaciers game and sea level rise game so thats bad news, WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas told a press conference. That is because such high levels of greenhouse gases have already been emitted that waters would continue to rise for thousands of years.

Rising sea levels threaten some coastal cities and the very existence of low-lying states such as the island of Tuvalu  which plans to build a digital version of itself in case it is submerged.
Gold Terra Announces Additional Drilling Results including 3.06 g/t Gold over 6 Metres on Yellorex North Zone, Con Mine Option Property

Gold Terra Resource Corp. (TSX-V: YGT; Frankfurt: TX0; OTC QX: YGTFF) (aGold Terraa or the aCompanya  https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/gold-terra-resource-corp/ ) is pleased to announce additional assay results from drill holes GTCM23-043 to 48, drilled on the Yellorex North zone during the Phase 1 winter drilling program on the Con Mine Option (aCMOa) Property in Yellowknife, NWT.A The drilling program was designed to expand the Yellorex North gold zone between surface and 300 metres below surface (see February 24, 2023 press release ). The CMO property is under option from subsidiaries of Newmont Corporation and is acquirable by the Company upon fulfillment of certain conditions set out in the CMO agreement, as reported in the Company\-s news release datedA November 22, 2021

Chairman and CEO, Gerald Panneton, commented, \The drilling results indicate a well-developed gold system in the Yellorex North zone and the expansion of the zone at depth which is open in all directions.A The zone will require additional drilling and will be part of our next drill program.A All ten completed holes on Yellorex North hit the targeted Campbell Shear and the results are highly encouraging and supporting additional drilling. The Campbell Shear structure is our highest priority target as the Con Mine produced historically more than 5 million ounces of high-grade gold (16 g/t Au). \

Highlights

Alteration, veining, and mineralization suggest a well-developed gold system in each drilled hole with an indication of both an upper zone (in hole GTCM23-045) and a deeper zone (in holes GTCM22-039 and GTCM23-048) of mineralization.

Hole GTCM23-045 intersected: 1.7 g/t Au over 4.34 metres from 172-176.34 metres including 3.96 g/t Au over 1.36 metres from 173.5-174.86 metres.A GTCM23-045 showed smoky quartz veining with strong sericite alteration, significant pyrite and needle-like arsenopyrite mineralization, and successfully expanded the shallower portion of Yellorex North zone.

GTCM23-048 intersected 4.31 g/t Au over 2 metres from 383-385 metres and 3.06 g/t Au over 6 metres from 392-398 metres. GTCM23-048 contained abundant quartz veining and exhibited strong mineralization consisting of pyrite, arsenopyrite, stibnite and trace sphalerite. This hole successfully expanded the deeper portion of Yellorex North to depth and shows that the strong mineralization system continues at depth and remains open in three (3) directions.

Holes GTCM23-045 and 048 represent distinct lenses of mineralization within the Campbell Shear at Yellorex North. As it appears that the southern extend of Yellorex North is truncated by the oblique-angled Pud Fault, it is evident that an additional exploration target exists ~300 metres to the south-southeast along the primarily strike-slip fault, where it is postulated that the southern portion of Yellorex North has been off-set to. It means that the zone is open on the other side and will be tested again in the near future.A A long section showing 2023 drilling is presented in Figure 1.A A A A cross-section showing holes GTCM23-045 and 048 is shown in Figure 2.

Three holes, GTCM23-043, 046 and 047 intersected zones of anomalous gold mineralization.A A Hole GTCM23-043 intersected anomalous gold such as 0.51 g/t Au over 9 metres from 256-265 metres and 1.65 g/t Au over 1.0 metre from 277-278 metres indicating the hole represents a narrow gap between the two mineralized horizons within the Campbell Shear.A GTCM23-046 and 047 were designed to explore the northern extents of Yellorex North in an area that has seen little historical drilling. Both holes successfully encountered the Campbell Shear and returned 17.5 metres and 20 metres respectively of anomalous low-grade gold. These broad anomalous zones are interpreted to be the marginal, low-grade halos of high-grade zones.

GTCM23-044 was afaulteda and intersected the footwall zone of the Campbell Shear as the hole was targeting the Yellorex North zone nearby the Pud Fault. The upper portion of the Campbell Shear was offset some 300 metres to the east along the Pud Fault.

The Pud Fault is a post-mineralization feature and was intersected as a 15-centimetre-wide fault gouge at 318 metres. As this program has defined high-grade gold adjacent to the Pud Fault, the faulted-offset of the Yellorex North zone nearby to the east has emerged as a strong target for future exploration.A This target is notably located in an area that has seen little historical drilling.

In addition, GTCM23-042 intersected 5.3 g/t Au over 6.43 metres and was designed to verify and add depth extension to historical high-grade mineralization encountered in the Yellorex North zone of the Campbell Shear. See March 3, 2023 press release).

Ten near surface drill holes have been completed on Yellorex North. The zone is only 1 kilometer south of existing infrastructure, the C1 shaft, and above the level 2300. It was previously tested only by one hole in 2022, GTCM22-039, (see August 3, 2022 press release) which returned two mineralized zones returning 3.31 g/t Au over 6.00 metres from 306.0 to 312.0 metres and including 5.39 g/t Au over 2.0 metres from 309.00 to 311.00 metres, and 2.18 g/t Au over 5.0 metres from 324.00 metres to 329.00 metres.

Gerald Panneton, Chairman & CEO

gpanneton@goldterracorp.com

Mara Strazdins, Manager of Investor Relations

Phone: 1-778-897-1590 | 604-689-1749 ext 102

strazdins@goldterracorp.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Information Concerning Estimates of Mineral Resources Mineral Resources that are not Mineral Reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Therefore, investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an Inferred Mineral Resource could ever be mined economically. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of aMeasured Mineral Resources,a aIndicated Mineral Resources,a or aInferred Mineral Resourcesa will ever be upgraded to a higher category. The Mineral Resource estimates contained herein may be subject to legal, political, environmental or other risks that could materially affect the potential development of such mineral resources. Refer to the Technical Report, once filed, for more information with respect to the key assumptions, parameters, methods and risks of determination associated with the foregoing.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors

The Company prepares its disclosure in accordance with the requirements of securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Terms relating to Mineral Resources in this news release are defined in accordance with NI 43-101 under the guidelines set out in CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves, adopted by the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Council on May 19, 2014, as amended (\CIM Standards\). The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the \SEC\) has adopted amendments effective February 25, 2019 (the \SEC Modernization Rules\) to its disclosure rules to modernize the mineral property disclosure requirements for issuers whose securities are registered with the SEC under the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As a result of the adoption of the SEC Modernization Rules, the SEC will now recognize estimates of \Measured Mineral Resources\, \Indicated Mineral Resources\ and \Inferred Mineral Resources\, which are defined in substantially similar terms to the corresponding CIM Standards. In addition, the SEC has amended its definitions of \Proven Mineral Reserves\ and \Probable Mineral Reserves\ to be substantially similar to the corresponding CIM Standards.

U.S. investors are cautioned that while the foregoing terms are \substantially similar\ to corresponding definitions under the CIM Standards, there are differences in the definitions under the SEC Modernization Rules and the CIM Standards. Accordingly, there is no assurance any Mineral Resources that the Company may report as \Measured Mineral Resources\, \Indicated Mineral Resources\ and \Inferred Mineral Resources\ under NI 43-101 would be the same had the Company prepared the Mineral Resource estimates under the standards adopted under the SEC Modernization Rules. In accordance with Canadian securities laws, estimates of \Inferred Mineral Resources\ cannot form the basis of feasibility or other economic studies, except in limited circumstances where permitted under NI 43-101.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute \forward-looking information\ within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (\forward-looking information\). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as \plans\, \expects\ or \does not expect\, \is expected\, \budget\, \scheduled\, \estimates\, \forecasts\, \intends\, \anticipates\ or \does not anticipate\, or \believes\, or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results \will\, \may\, \could\, \would\, \might\ or \will be taken\, \occur\ or \be achieved\ or the negative connotations thereof.

All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding the current drilling on the Campbell Shear, potentially adding ounces to the Companya?s current YCG mineral resource, and the Company\-s objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company\-s actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the \Risk Factors\ section in the Company\-s most recent MD&A and annual information form available under the Company\-s profile at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.
Washinton: The administration of President Joe Biden won a victory on Friday as it defended broad access to the drug in the most recent bitter legal conflict over reproductive rights in the United States. The US Supreme Court prevented new restrictions on an abortion pill that had been imposed by lower courts.

A preliminary injunction issued by US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk in Texas on April 7 was put on hold after the Justices granted urgent requests from the Justice Department and the pill's manufacturer Danco Laboratories. Mifepristone's accessibility would be significantly constrained by the judge's ruling while the federal regulatory approval of the drug is being challenged in court by anti-abortion groups.

"Mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use as a result of the Supreme Court's stay, while we continue this fight in the courts," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.

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"For women in America, the stakes could not be higher. I'll keep defending women's health against political assaults, Biden continued.

The decision was opposed publicly by conservative justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito. In a succinct opinion, Justice Alito stated that the administration and Danco "are not entitled to a stay because they have not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the interim."

Mifepristone was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a US government body that certifies the safety of food, drugs, and medical devices. The current case might undermine the federal government's ability to regulate drug safety.

Also Read: Google is launching an all-out assault in the race for generative AI to make up for its slow start

Since the Supreme Court overturned the important 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which had legalised the procedure nationwide, in June 2022, Republican-led states have enacted an increasing number of abortion bans and restrictions. The Biden administration is attempting to defend mifepristone in the face of these laws. It was written by Alito.

More than half of all abortions performed in the US are medication abortions, which involve the administration of mifepristone along with the drug misoprostol. The medication can also be used for other purposes, such as miscarriage management.

In November, four anti-abortion doctors and anti-abortion organisations led by the recently established Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine filed a lawsuit against the FDA. The plaintiffs assert that the agency approved the drug using an illegal procedure because they believe it to be dangerous.

Mifepristone has been used by millions of Americans for decades, and the FDA has determined that it is safe and effective, noting that side effects are extremely uncommon.

If the restrictions had been permitted to go into effect, the FDA's recent efforts to make it simpler to obtain mifepristone after establishing the drug's safety and effectiveness would have been undone. These actions include approving its use up to 10 weeks of pregnancy instead of seven weeks, lowering the dosage needed, and reducing the number of in-person doctor visits from three to one in 2021 and 2016.

The Justice Department and Danco had stated that it could have taken months to change the current mifepristone drug labels to reflect the reinstated usage restrictions.

The restrictions would have also prevented GenBioPro Inc.'s generic version of the pill, which makes up two-thirds of the mifepristone used for medication abortions in the United States, from receiving approval. GenBioPro, a Nevada-based company, filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in an effort to maintain its ability to market its drug despite ongoing legal issues.

Before the US Senate confirmed Kacsmaryk to a lifetime appointment as a federal judge in 2019, the former Christian legal activist had a long history of opposing abortion.

Also Read: The global economy is under a cloud of doom

Since the Supreme Court's ruling last year, 12 US states have outright bans in place, and many more forbid abortions after a certain point in a pregnancy. The most recent action by Republicans was taken in Florida, where Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new law on April 13 that outlaws the majority of abortions after six weeks of pregnancy.

In contrast to an order issued on April 7 in a different case from Washington state, Kacsmaryk's decision required the FDA to maintain mifepristone availability in 17 states and the District of Columbia.
Thousands greet climate activists after Swiss march



Geneva, Switzerland, April 22 (AFP) Apr 22, 2023



Several thousand people crowded a Bern square Saturday to welcome four climate activists as they completed a 224-kilometre (140-mile) march across Switzerland to demand more ambitious climate action.

The four women -- university professor Julia Steinberger, lawyer Irene Wettstein, infectiologist Valerie d'Acremont and political scientist Bastienne Joerchel -- had set off from Geneva on their "Marche Bleu", or "Blue March", on April 1.

The purpose of the march, which saw them make stops in a number of Swiss towns and cities, was to call on Switzerland to do more to adhere to the 2015 Paris Agreement.

In an online petition, they are demanding that the wealthy Alpine country "make it an absolute priority to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by half before 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050".

Dozens and sometimes hundreds of mostly women accompanied them on the different legs of their march, with around 150 people walking with them during the last part of the journey Saturday, the ATS news agency reported.

Nearly 4,000 people showed up to welcome them to Bern and to rally in the square in front of the Swiss government and parliament buildings, the news agency said.

"Our political demands are urgent," Steinberger told the RTS broadcaster, lamenting that "Switzerland is very, very far behind, and has even gone backwards" on lists of how well countries are adhering to the Paris climate agreement.

"Climate action is everyone's business."
NORWALK  The city's first recreational cannabis dispensary, Fine Fettle, received approval from the Planning & Zoning Commission to begin operating in Norwalk.

The vote, which was unanimous with one member abstaining at Wednesday's meeting, means Fine Fettle can add a Norwalk location to its portfolio of four other locations around Connecticut, including in Stamford. It wasn't immediately clear when the dispensary, planned for 191 Main St., will open.

The company will look to hire Norwalk residents to work at the dispensary, Ben Zachs, chief operating officer for Fine Fettle, said during the meeting.

"Everywhere we are, we recruit locally," Zachs said. "Our goal is to recruit 50 percent within areas of disproportionate impact areas, which are the areas that were most affected by the war on drugs. And to have a minority and LGBT hiring of above 50 percent. And we've been able to do that across our locations, and then to also focus our hiring locally."

The company proposed an 800-square-foot addition to the existing property, which was approved by the commission. Operating procedures for the dispensary have been approved by the state Department of Consumer Protection, officials said.

During the meeting, Zachs and local officials answered questions from Norwalk residents and committee members about the proposed cannabis dispensary.

Consumption will not be allowed on the property  not even in the parking lot, Zachs said. The company hasn't had many issues at other locations where employees have had to refuse service to a customer, he said.

"This is not a consumption lounge," he said. "It will not be a consumption lounge. Those aren't allowed in the state of Connecticut. We have no plans of making that available in any future where it would be. And so it's clearly against the law and against our policies."

The new dispensary will have a retail area, a check-in area and an area for employees, according to plans presented to the commission. Zachs and Adam Blank, a lawyer speaking on behalf of the company at the meeting, said they weren't concerned that there would be an increase to traffic because of the dispensary.

About 80 percent of Fine Fettle customers order online and pickup at stores, Zachs said. Most customers take less than five minutes in the store at a time, he said.

But some commission members expressed concerns with the project, even as it was approved.

"I am very pleased that the use of marijuana has been decriminalized," commission member Louis Schulman said. "Sorry that it wasn't done many, many years ago, because it's destroyed so many lives. Nonetheless, on the one hand this is not necessarily a business that I personally would support. On the other hand, we passed a regulation that permits it. So, frankly, I don't feel I have any choice, so I'm going to vote yes."

The commission also has a proposal from Shangri-La Dispensaries for another cannabis dispensary on its next agenda.
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STAMFORD  A word to the wise from the city's commuters: if you're new to using the Stamford Transportation Center, get there with time to spare.

Orange caution signs are scattered about the building that skirts Interstate 95. A center platform, several escalators and an elevator are temporarily out of commission as workers continue to work on repairs. Along nearby State Street, construction crews are still piecing together a new parking garage with nearly 1,000 spots to replace the crumbling edifice south of the city's main train station.

Juan Gutierrez rides the train between Stamford and Hartford three times aweek. Finding the right platform was a process at first, he said.

"I've traveled within the station so much that I've just become so familiar with it. But the first few times, it was really difficult to get any sort of guidance from even the signs," Gutierrez said.

Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

Officials and riders alike agree that upgrades to the transit hub are badly needed. Connecticuts busiest passenger rail station has received an influx in funds to make repairs in recent years. Spokespeople from the state's Department of Transportation say the garage is nearing completion and other projects are coming along.

CTDOT spokesperson Shannon King Burnham said the $81.7 million, 928-spot commuter garage will be finished by the end of summer. When it opens, she said, it will operate under the same parking pass structure as the previous garage.

"People won't need to make any changes," King Burnham said.

Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

Finicky escalators and elevators have been another ongoing problem at the train station. The platform serving tracks three and five is closed while crews upgrade the elevators and escalators that service it; once it's finished, work will commence on the utilities serving tracks two and four, closing that platform.

King Burnham said the entire project will be completed by the end of summer 2024. Previously, officials said it would be done this August. Commuters say the track closure has led to crowding during the peak morning hours. On Thursday, an older woman attempting to find a working elevator or escalator for her two suitcases appeared to be lost, asking people how to safely get to the street to catch an Uber.

The current closures began in February, but they are part of an ongoing renovation project first announced by Gov. Dannel Malloy in 2018. Around the same time, crews finished building another escalator on the building's north side  a five-year project. That escalator was out of service Thursday as well.

Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

Some commuters said they are wary of Hartford's promises.

The perpetual nature of infrastructure problems at the train station has irked Jeff Maron for years. Maron commutes to New York; he's also vice chair of the Connecticut Commuter Rail Council, an advocacy group for train riders.

"The lack of understanding about what's open and what's closed, when it's open and when it's going to close, just frustrates the hell out of people," Maron said.

Maron said he is happy that investments are being made, but said "it'd be nice to know how far into the future before (commuters) can take advantage of it.

"Normally when an elevator or escalator goes out, everybody goes to the next one," Maron said. "But if there's no next one because it's been out of service for months, it makes it very difficult for people to do what we're supposed to do, which is take public transportation."

Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

Officials have said they plan to keep investing in long-term fixes based on passengers' wants. Last year, the Connecticut Department of Transportation started soliciting public input for a master plan to guide future improvements to the complex. One change discussed was the creation of designated waiting spaces for rideshares like Lyft and Uber in an effort to reduce congestion on Station Place.

But according to a state-run website, the initiative's most recent public meeting was more than a year ago.

In the next couple years, King Burnham said, construction on roads and railways will continue with newly designated increased infrastructure funds.

"We would just encourage people to be patient and know that any work we're doing is to make our transportation safer and more accessible," King Burnham said.

Tyler Sizemore/Hearst Connecticut Media

Until then, however, riders say they're making do  although some wouldn't mind seeing the pace of progress speed up a bit.

Aurelie Saurin has commuted to Manhattan from Stamford for about 10 years, parking in the old garage daily. She said she hopes officials work to modernize the parking system when the new structure is open.

"My gosh, there's so many automated payment systems now. It's cash and checks, but it could just all be on an app," Saurin said. "It's just it's all archaic."
Stamford Police / Contributed

STAMFORD  A 49-year-old Guatemalan national has been sentenced to more than two years in prison for illegally reentering the country after being deported, officials said.

Julio Bayron-Arriola, who was residing in Stamford at the time of his arrest, was ordered by U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arterton in New Haven on Thursday to serve 27 months behind bars, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Connecticut.
Japanese man opens free cafe for Kharkiv citizens after living underground with them for 9 months 22 April, 01:55 PM The Japanese helps the people of Kharkiv (Photo: )

A 75-year-old Japanese citizen opened the Fumi cafe in Kharkiv that offers free hot meals to all comers, Ukraines TSN visited the cafe on April 19.

Fuminori Tsuchiko was travelling through Ukraine when the Russian full-scale war started and decided to stay to help Ukrainians. In June, he moved to the Kharkiv Metro to support locals who were hiding there from Russian shelling.

After the Ukrainian army liberated Kharkiv and the Kharkiv Metro resumed its work, the Japanese man found another way to help Ukrainians  by offering them free hot meals.

Video of day

Read also: Japanese news photographer wounded in Kyiv attack en route home

Tsuchiko knows most of his visitors personally, as he spent nine months living in the underground with them while hiding from Russian missiles and drones.

"Everyone has to eat every day. And at least once a day I want to feed people, because most of them have difficulties with money," Tsuchiko said.

The cooks were found through ads. They serve three-course meals and tea with sweets.

While Tsuchiko doesnt speak English well, and few locals understand Japanese, they manage to find a common language.

He launched the cafe with his own money that he received from the sale of his apartment in Japan. Friends, charities, and social media followers pitch in.

The Fumi cafe is located near his apartment in Saltivka, near Northen Saltivlka, the most damaged district of Kharkiv.

Tsuchiko doesnt plan on returning to Japan just yet and wants to stay in Ukraine as long as the people need his help.

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T he widow of an Army officer killed on a Cyprus RAF base when he was hit by a car driven by a US serviceman is appealing for a new inquest to look into discrepancies in witness accounts of his death.

Colour Sergeant Anthony Oxley, who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan, died while on deployment in June 2016 after a crash at the RAF Akrotiri base.

The 40-year-old, from Ryhill, near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was riding a motorbike when he was involved in a crash with a Toyota Corolla driven by an American serviceman. He left behind a daughter and three stepchildren.

A 2018 inquest in Wakefield recorded a narrative verdict, that CSgt Sgt Oxleys death had been caused by multiple blunt force injuries to his head, as a result of a road traffic collision.

His widow, Sally Oxley, has since been pushing for a new inquest, saying she has been left in the dark about the details of how her husband died.

This week, her legal team submitted a request to the attorney general for England and Wales, seeking permission to go to the High Court and appeal for a fresh inquest.

Mrs Oxley is also travelling to Cyprus for a hearing on Tuesday, where she will apply for the inquest there to be adjourned until new evidence has been agreed.

KRW Law, which represent Mrs Oxley, said the US Air Force took charge of the investigation and few details were made public, even though Mr Oxleys death happened within British sovereign territory.

Mrs Oxley, 45, said she was told during a meeting with an American general that the US serviceman involved in the accident would face no charges and that was the end of the matter.

She said she has been left with many unanswered questions after the cursory inquest in 2018.

Christopher Stanley, of KRW Law, said there were discrepancies in the evidence between witnesses and a new inquest was in the interests of justice.

Mr Stanley told the PA news agency: We have identified at least 20 witnesses who could be called and two documents we need disclosing to the Cypriot court, including the USAF investigation report.

Sally just wants the truth. If her husband was unlawfully killed because the driver made a mistake, thats all she wants to know.

Mrs Oxley, from Barnsley, said: Its very frustrating for myself and my family.

I know the outcomes never going to be changed but my husband didnt serve 21 years for them just to say he died by blunt force. Its not good enough.
T hree more men have been charged in connection with the murder of a 17-year-old in Tottenham.

On Wednesday, police investigating the death of Tyler McDermott arrested Damaris McBeth, 19, of Lucern Close, Cheshunt and Rhys Antwi, 19, of Prentis Rd, SW16 on suspicion of murder in the Northamptonshire area.

A day later, Alfred Coker, 20, of Bowen Drive was arrested in London also on suspicion of murder.

On April 22, the three were charged and remanded in custody due to appear later at Croydon Magistrates Court.

Tyler was shot in the early hours of April 13 on Norman Road.

He was taken to hospital for treatment but died later in the afternoon.

On Wednesday, officers charged 20-year-old Tyrese Matthews, of Black Prince Road, Kennington, in connection with the murder.

Matthews appeared at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court later that day.

Two other men, Tyrese Barnett, 19, of no fixed address, was charged with attempted murder and possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, and Leo Reid, 19, of Tulse Hill, was charged with possession of an offensive weapon.

They appeared in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates Court on Monday.
E xtinction Rebellion activists will continue their four-day campaign in central London on Saturday.

More than 30,000 people have said they will attend the protests, branded The Big One which began on Friday.

On the second day, the group will mark Earth Day and will mark it with a unite for nature rally".

The rally is set to be staged in Abingdon Street, near the Houses of Parliament from 1pm, with speeches from Chris Packham, Dave Goulson, Jyoti Fernandes of the Land Workers Alliance, and Delia Mattis of Black Lives Matter.

The four-day campaign will be XRs first major action since announcing it would move away from more controversial methods of protest and prioritise attendance over arrest and relationships over roadblocks.

In the first day, groups of protesters chanted and danced outside Government departments in Westminster on Friday as they called for more action to tackle the climate crisis.

Protesters also held signs calling for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to scrap plans to develop Rosebank oil and gas field that lies west of Shetland.
S udan will be evacuated of British embassy staff as soon as feasible due to safety fears following increasing attacks on diplomatic missions, a UK Government source has said.

Ministers are keen to help UK officials to exit the African country, which is currently into a second week of bloody internal fighting between the Sudanese army and a powerful paramilitary group known as the Rapid Support Forces.

But a UK Government source said any evacuation would be incredibly limited and focused on the small number of British civil servants based in the capital Khartoum.

Any military effort to help airlift people out of the country is not expected to be on the same scale as seen in Afghanistan in 2021, especially given the UK does not have a substantial diplomatic or military footprint in Sudan.

Its likely any evacuation will be incredibly limited due to the small number of UK staff in the country

Britons in the warring nation are continuing to be advised to ensure they have registered their presence with the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) and to stay indoors.

Due to the increasing attacks on diplomatic missions, we will be evacuating our HMG staff as soon as feasible, a UK Government source said.

Its likely any evacuation will be incredibly limited due to the small number of UK staff in the country, and British nationals should remain in a place of shelter.

There is currently no suggestion British nationals are being actively targeted by armed factions.

The source said UK options were likely to be extremely limited for the foreseeable.

They added: We do not expect any major change in our travel advice to Sudan for British nationals in the coming days.

The comments come after the Sudanese army said it is co-ordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, including Britons, Americans, French and Chinese.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) would not confirm whether it was assisting with the suggested plans.

A source in the department said it was planning for a wide range of scenarios, alongside the Foreign Office, on how it could assist in Sudan.

With reports suggesting the British Army is on standby to help with a potential evacuation, the MoD pointed out that a high-readied armed forces unit is always on hand to be deployed should they be required.

Prospects of airlifting people out of Sudan have been complicated by the fact most major airports in the country have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven dangerous.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Saturday chaired the fourth emergency Cobra meeting on the Sudan situation.

He was joined by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Africa minister Andrew Mitchell for the discussions.

A UK Government spokesman said: We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan.

We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies.

Battles continue to rage in and around Khartoum between the Sudanese army led by Army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Burhan and his rival paramilitary group.

The clashes have killed more than 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organisation.

Even as the warring sides said on Friday that they had agreed to a ceasefire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday.

Two ceasefire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

Britain has historic ties to Sudan. In an unusual arrangement, Britain and Egypt jointly ruled Sudan from 1899 until it gained independence in 1956, but Sudan is not among the group of 56 Commonwealth nations.
A former senior civil servant who worked with Dominic Raab says he has seen no evidence to support the ex-deputy prime ministers accusation that Civil Service activists were working against him.

Lord McDonald, who was permanent secretary of the Foreign Office for five years, said there was no Civil Service agenda and the ministers behaviour was the issue.

Mr Raab resigned on Friday as deputy prime minister and justice secretary after an investigation into bullying accusations found he acted in an intimidating and aggressive way with officials in behaviour that could have amounted to bullying.

After announcing his decision to quit, the senior Conservative lashed out at what he called activist civil servants who were able to block reforms or changes through a rather passive-aggressive approach when dealing with ministers.

But Lord McDonald, who gave evidence to Adam Tolley KCs bullying investigation to provide background context for complaints against Mr Raab, said he saw no evidence of what he was alleging.

The peer told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: I disagree strongly with Mr Raab. I think all the civil servants I saw working for Dominic Raab worked very hard for him in the way they are required to do.

There is no Civil Service activism, there is no Civil Service passive aggression, there is no separate Civil Service agenda.

Simon McDonald / Getty Images

I saw no evidence of a small group of activists trying to undermine a minister. The issue is a ministers behaviour.

Mr Tolley led a five-month investigation into eight formal complaints about Mr Raabs conduct as Brexit secretary and foreign secretary, and in his previous tenure leading the Ministry of Justice.

The lawyer concluded Mr Raab engaged in an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates while he was foreign secretary.

Mr Raabs conduct in the department had a significant adverse effect on one colleague and he was also found to have been intimidating to staff by criticising utterly useless and woeful work while justice secretary.

Though he stopped short of describing the conduct as bullying, Mr Tolleys findings were consistent with what he said would amount to the offence under the Ministerial Code.

Lord McDonald, permanent secretary between 2015 and 2020, said he had to speak to Mr Raab about his tough taskmaster approach with staff more than once at the Foreign Office.

The retired mandarin said Mr Raab disputed the characterisation put to him.

A union chief has called on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to intervene after Mr Raabs attack on the Civil Service, saying it is causing the UK Government to enter quite dangerous territory.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA  a union representing senior civil servants including some of the complainants against Mr Raab  told Times Radio that Mr Sunaks former deputy had no evidence to support spurious claims about activism in the Civil Service.

Mr Raabs allies such as former business secretary Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was unnecessary for him to have stood down.

While under investigation, Mr Raab had committed to resigning if any complaints against him were upheld.

Lord Swire, a former minister and member of Mr Raabs 2019 Tory leadership campaign team, said the report into the politicians behaviour did not seem to conclude he had bullied staff.

The former MP for East Devon, after quoting a passage from Mr Tolleys report which said he did not find Mr Raab had intended to upset or humiliate staff, said: That does not show to me bullying.

Im actually struggling to work out why Mr Raab has actually gone. The fact is, this is a question of style.

Lord Swire, referencing a row over negotiations about Spains role in post-Brexit Gibraltar which is mentioned in the 47-page document, said Mr Raab had been entitled to get extremely cross about civil servants allegedly overstepping their mandate.

Mr Tolley had viewed Mr Raabs decision to refer to the Civil Service Code during the dispute with an official as a form of intimidating behaviour, adding that the then foreign secretary ought to have realised that bringing up the code could well have been understood as a threat.

But Tory MP Sir Bill Wiggin, another Raab ally, suggested to Times Radio that there is now a real danger that civil servants who disagree with a ministers policies or approach will scream bullying.

Oliver Dowden, who was promoted to Deputy Prime Minister by Mr Sunak after Mr Raabs exit, is due to represent the Government on Sunday broadcast programmes for the first time since being handed his new role.

Mr Raabs former Justice Secretary post was filled by Alex Chalk.

Lord Swire said he thought Mr Raab was too big a talent not to be back in Government in some capacity, suggesting his resignation was only a temporary halt to his political career.
I rish President Michael D Higgins and his wife Sabina have expressed sadness following the death of one of their dogs.

Brod, a Bernese mountain dog, has charmed world leaders among the scores of visitors over his decade living at Aras An Uachtarain in Dublin.

Last week he, and the presidents other dog Misneach, appeared reluctant to greet US president Joe Biden during his historic visit to Ireland.

However they have given previous visitors, including the Princess of Wales, warmer welcomes.

In a statement, the presidents office said he and his wife Sabina are sad to confirm Brod  whose name means pride  has passed away at the age of 11 years.

They said Brod was 11 years and two months at the presidents home, Aras an Uachtarain, having arrived as a eight-week-old puppy.

Brod was a very much loved dog by all that met him and he enjoyed meeting with the thousands of members of the public who came to Aras an Uachtarain over the years and he was probably one of the most photographed dogs in Ireland, they said.

The spokesperson said Brod will be missed by the president, Sabina and all at the Aras, particularly their remaining dog Misneach.

They said the two-and-a-half years old has shared his space with Brod over recent months and was his constant companion, aware of Brods situation and very attentive to him.
S ome 25 people have been arrested after animal rights protesters stormed the track at Ayr Racecourse in a bid to stop the Scottish Grand National.

The protesters from Animal Rising climbed under and over fences at around 3.20pm, ahead of the 200,000 race, and invaded the track.

The group, which last week delayed the start of the Grand National at Aintree, said activists were attempting to attach themselves to jumps and gates to stop the race, which Jack Tudor-ridden Kittys Light went on to win.

The protest also failed to delay the event, with the off time in the 18-horse race recorded as 3.38pm.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim Mairs said that a prompt and professional response by stewards and Police Scotland officers prevented this group from causing any disruption and that after there was a further attempt to disrupt a later race involving a smaller group of protesters.

Mr Mairs said: Both incidents resulted in people being safely removed and no injuries have been reported.

Overall, there have been 25 arrests so far across the day and inquiries are continuing.

The protest comes just seven days after the group managed to make their way onto the track at Aintree, delaying the Grand National by about 15 minutes.

Sarah McCaffrey, of Animal Rising, said last weeks protest started a crucial conversation about our relationship with animals and nature.

Today we continue that conversation. As a society, we love animals, but we have to find a way to care for them without harming them, the protester said.

This conversation is particularly important in Scotland where we have so much potential for nature and wildlife to thrive.

We can all build a world that we are proud to be part of. An end to horse racing, as well as a transition to a plant-based food system, are key elements of this kinder, safer future.

There was an increased security presence due to the protest at Aintree where 118 arrests were made by Merseyside Police.

But on Saturday it was just a handful who took part, and Ayrs managing director David Brown praised the swift action of the police and security teams on course.

The race went off to time, there was no notable delay and the professionalism of the team up here in Scotland was a credit to them, they dealt with it in a very efficient manner, he said after the Scottish Grand National.

What a great race it was and a great story, for (trainer) Christian Williams to win it for the second year in a row with Kittys Light, after he finished second last year. I think for me this is Scotlands showpiece race and it all ran to time.
R ishi Sunak has chaired a COBRA meeting to disucss the extremely concerning situation in Sudan.

Amid the violence in the country over the last week, the Prime Minister held the third such meeting in two days with UK nationals and diplomats still in the country.

A UK Government spokesman: "We recognise that the situation is extremely concerning for British nationals trapped by the fighting in Sudan.

"We are doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum, and the Ministry of Defence is working with the Foreign Office to prepare for a number of contingencies."

Earlier on Saturday, the head of the Sudanese army, General Abdel Fattah Burhan said UK, US, French and Chinese nationals will be evacuated from the country which has been ravaged by violence in the past week.

A statement by the Sudanese military citing army chief Abdel Fatteh al Burhan said: It is expected that the process of evacuation will begin in the coming few hours, as the United States, Britain, France and China will evacuate their diplomats and nationals by air with military transport planes belonging to their armed forces from Khartoum, and it is expected to start immediately.

The army and the paramilitary RSF, which are waging a deadly power struggle across the country, had both issued statements saying they would uphold a three-day ceasefire from Friday for Islam's Eid al-Fitr holiday.

Countries have struggled to bring out their citizens amid deadly clashes that have killed more than 400 people so far.

With Sudan's main international airport closed, foreign countries have ordered their citizens to shelter in place until they can figure out evacuation plans.

General Burhan said diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been taken out of Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom.

He said Jordan's diplomats will soon be evacuated in the same way.

Previously it had been reported that UK ministers have put forces on standby should an airlift operation be required to allow British embassy staff and other citizens based in the country to escape.
U K nationals are to be evacuated from war torn Sudan by air as fighting around the capital Khartoum intensifies.

Sudan army chief Fattah al-Burhan agreed to faciliate safe passage out of the war zone.

He is locked in a bitter power struggle with the leader of a rival paramilitary faction, the Rapid Support Forces.

Britons have been appealing for emergency diplomatic help having been forced to hole-up amid the battle.

US, French and and Chinese nationals are also among those being flown out of the country to safety under the plans to fly them out from the airport in Khartoum. Fattah al-Burhan agreed to facilitate and secure their evacuation in the coming hours, according to a statment from the Sudanese army.

Saudi Arabia confirmed it had evacuated over 150 people from Sudan on Saturday. Among those scooped to safety were diplomats and international officials, the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry said.

It said it had safely transported 91 Saudi Arabian citizens, as well as 66 others from various other countries including Qatar, Pakistan, the UAE and Canada. They were evacuated by sea, state TV channel Al-Ekhbariyah reported. It is unclear where in Sudan they were evacuated from.

Meanwhile, the UK government said it was preparing for a number of contingencies and doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum.

It said its defence ministry was working with the foreign office to prepare for a number of provisions, without specifying whether immediate evacuations were among those plans.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired a Cobra meeting - an emergency response committee - on Saturday morning about the situation in Sudan.

Previously it had been reported that UK ministers have put forces on standby should an airlift operation be required to allow British embassy staff and other citizens based in the country to escape.

A British citizen in Khartoum told the BBC she felt completely abandoned by the British government, adding that she had not been given much information at all about possible plans to be evacuated.

She said: It remains very depressing, worrying and confusing to be a Brit on the ground here. Were still very much in the dark.

We dont have a plan, we dont even have a kind of plan for a plan. We understand that this is a fast-evolving situation but to be honest weve just in many senses been completely abandoned here.

Meanwhile Spains defence minister said six planes were being sent to Djibouti as part of the countrys efforts to evacuate Spanish nationals and others.

Khartoums international airport has been closed amid the fighting with foreign embassies unable to bring their citizens home up to this point.

The conflict has entered its second week despite both sides - the army and the RSF - agreeing to a three-day ceasefire to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, starting from Friday. But fighting continued on Saturday.

A former foreign minister, Mariam al-Mahdi, who is sheltering in Khartoum said the ceasefire was not taking at all.

She said: We are out of electricity for the last 24 hours. We are out of water for the last six days...There are rotting bodies of our youth in the streets.
Portugal to donate five armoured rescue and personnel carriers to Ukraine 22 April, 12:10 PM Flag of Portugal (Photo:b1-foto / pixabay)

Portugal has committed to sending Ukraine three armored medical evacuation vehicles and two personnel carriers, the Ministry of Defense announced on Twitter on April 21 following the Ramstein format meeting.

"Portugal will send five armoured rescue and medical vehicles to Ukraine  three M113s and two M577s," the message reads.

The 11th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting was held at the Ramstein Air Base, Germany on April 21.

Read also: Portugal to send Ukraine three Leopard 2 tanks in March

Read also: Portugal announces further military aid to Ukraine

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T V chef and author Ken Hom said he wants to give the UK 10 times what it gave him in love, devoting his time to charity work.

Hom was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2010 which came as a shock because he was fit and healthy, staying practically the same weight for 30 years.

The 73-year-old received innovative treatment in Japan over two months, where he discovered Japanese whiskey, sake and Kobe beef, and has remained cancer free since.

Ive been so lucky, Hom told the PA news agency.

Ive been given so much by people who have helped me not only in my career, in my personal life, and part of what I want to do is to give back.

Give back to society, especially the UK, who has been so generous and loving to me, have embraced me, and given me such a success.

And now I want to give it back as much as I can, 10 times what they gave me in love, I want to give them 10 times back, more and more.

The Chinese-American chef, who is an ambassador for Prostate Cancer UK, spoke about leaving a gift in his will for the charity to fund life-saving research into better tests and treatments for the disease.

He told PA: Ive been working since I was 11 and Ive achieved success.

Ive saved up quite a lot and some of it will go to my family, but the bulk of it will go to charities that I sincerely believe in, and one of them is Prostate Cancer UK, simply because of their work.

If they can use their work to save other people, that would be fantastic and that would be a nice legacy.

Since his diagnosis, Hom has been an advocate for Prostate Cancer UK and stated that he wanted to get men tested  comparing the procedure to brushing your teeth.

Speaking about his passion for advocacy, he told PA: Im always quite philosophical about life, maybe because Im Chinese and my mother was a Buddhist.

You come into this world with nothing, and youre going to leave with nothing.

I decided to take this bad thing and turn it into a good thingbecause I was lucky.

Of course this is a very private matter, but I decided to talk about itbecause if you could save one person, I thought it would be worth it.

Hom was made a CBE in the Queens Birthday Honours list, ahead of the Platinum Jubilee, for his dedication to charity work.

He told PA: When I got the news, I almost fell over. I thought when I got my OBE, I hit the jackpot.

But then I was notified that I got the CBE, I said Youre joking, and it was one of the last honours signed by the Queen.

When she passed away, I almost fell apart because shes such a symbol of the nation and goodness and shes an example to all of us.

Its like having your mum pass away. But I felt incredibly honoured and above all, humbled by the honour.

And Im going to use it to raise more money, he added.

One in eight men will get prostate cancer, but it is a disease that is very treatable if caught early.

More than a million people have used Prostate Cancer UKs online risk checker. Check your risk at https://prostatecanceruk.org/risk-checker
T he Scottish Government spent more than 300,000 on TikTok ahead of it being banned due to security concerns.

Former deputy first minister John Swinney announced before he left office that the video sharing app would be removed from Government phones, following a similar decision by the UK Government and Scottish Parliament amid cybersecurity fears.

Concerns had been raised that the Chinese government could access sensitive data from users on the app  a claim that has been rubbished by Beijings embassy in the UK.

A response from current Deputy First Minister Shona Robison to a question from the Scottish Liberal Democrats reveals the extent of Government spending on the app, which does not charge to create an account or post videos.

Spending began in 2020 when the Scottish Government shelled out 71,179 on the app, rising to 127,372 the following year and 112,508 in 2022.

In the months before the ban was announced on March 23, the Government had spent a further 27,474  resulting in a total of 338,533 in just over three years.

It is understood the money was spent on marketing campaigns on the app, but that no further spending by the Scottish Government has been planned.

Scottish Lib Dem leader Alex Cole-Hamilton, who lodged the question on the spending, said: There are real fears that platforms like TikTok could be exploited in such a way as to threaten national security.

John Swinney said that there was limited use of TikTok within Government, but this level of expenditure shows that the Scottish Government were actually enthusiastic partners.

Banning TikTok on Government phones is a welcome starting point, but now its clear that we need a commitment that the Scottish Government will not be spending any more money on this app and a strategic audit of the reach of Chinas interests and influence in Scotland.
Pastor Chris Harris Sr. of Bright Star Church speaks during a Juneteenth rally in Chicago's Grant Park on June 19, 2020. Harris will be marching with a coalition of pastors for peace on Saturday in downtown Chicago. (Stacey Wescott / Chicago Tribune)

A coalition of pastors plans to march Saturday through downtown Chicago in response to the mayhem that erupted in the citys downtown tourist district last weekend.

The march is set to take place from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, around the same time young people are reportedly set to once again meet up in large groups at Millennium Park.

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We are not walking against our children, said organizer Charlie Dates, senior pastor of Salem Baptist Church of Chicago and Progressive Baptist Church. Our children are brilliant, but we are not absolving them of responsibility for the events that took place last weekend.

The march is set to start at the intersection of Roosevelt Road and Michigan Avenue, at the southwest corner of Grant Park, Dates news release said. He called on at least 500 men to join the effort.

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Chaos broke out last Saturday as young people gathered in groups near Millennium Park. Some blocked traffic, jumped onto a CTA bus and attacked passersby during the mayhem, and two teen boys were shot as they stood in the crowd.

Amid reports that similar gatherings were being planned this weekend, Chicago police officers had scaled up their presence in the area Friday night and said they would enforce a 4 p.m. youth curfew.

Many of the pastors set to participate in the Saturday march also marched in demonstrations after Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd in May 2020, said Chris Harris Sr., pastor of Bronzevilles Bright Star Church and West Pullmans St. James Church.

The organizers believe the local faith community needs to be present to address violence and trauma, and that men need to participate, Harris said. The marchers will direct young people to programs and resources, including jobs, he added.

We need our young people to know that men in our city care about them enough to not only get involved and be present, but also to mentor them, guide them in the right path and hold them accountable, said Harris, who also leads Bright Star Community Outreach.

Harris said the marchers dont intend to come downtown to police young people, but instead to be present for them. The city belongs to young people in the same way it belongs to everyone else, he said.

We want them downtown, just not misbehaving, Harris said.

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The pastor noted that many young white people break laws at the annual Lollapalooza music festival in Grant Park. Bad behavior isnt a thing done by youths of any one race, but criticism of bad behavior often targets Black and Latino children, he said.

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Most of the young people who were downtown last Saturday were not misbehaving, he added. He also cited a video he made that stated there are over 800,000 Chicagoans under 25 years old and argued that most didnt contribute to the chaos.

Its not that we should ignore it, but it shouldnt be the only thing that is highlighted, Harris said.

The pastor said part of the problem is people only caring about violence in Chicago when it happens in wealthy areas. Young people shouldnt be tearing up any pubic places or businesses, but more people need to get involved to address deeper-rooted issues, he said.

Harris pointed to people who were finally appalled and disturbed by Chicago violence and trauma because it came downtown and occurred outside of Black and brown areas.

Those people have a problem. You didnt care until it touched you, he said.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com
Six Spanish Leopard tanks to arrive in Ukraine within days, Foreign Minister says 22 April, 05:21 PM Leopard tank (Photo:REUTERS/Ints Kalnins)

Spain plans to transfer Ukraine six of ten promised Leopard tanks in the coming days, Spanish Foreign Affair Minister Jose Manuel Albares told Funke news on April 21.

"After the second will follow with four more tanks," Tagesschau quoted him as saying.

The minister pledged Spain's support for Ukraine as long as it takes.

This includes humanitarian aid, refugee admissions, and weapons supply," he said.

Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers completed a four-week-long training on the Leopard 2A4 tanks in Spain on March 13.

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A total of 40 crew members and 15 mechanics have undergone training ata military base in Zaragoza.

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Niagara has lost a man who spent much of his life working to improve the lives of people in need, promoting the talents of Niagara artists, and entertaining radio audiences with his quick wit and charm.

Bill Auchterlonie died April 5. He was 73 years old.

He was a busy guy. He had a lot of irons in the fire all the time, said former Rodman Hall Arts Centre executive director Terry Graff, who now lives in New Brunswick.

Graff said he first met Auchterlonie shortly after moving to Niagara in 2000, when the Niagara-on-the-Lake resident was a Rodman Hall board member.

He came into my office and he was just personable, helpful, Graff said.

I think he was the best board member that I ever had. Ive been the director of four public galleries across the country and he went out of his way to support me as the director.

It was the beginning of a friendship that would last far beyond the three years Graff spent working at the art gallery in St. Catharines.

He was just very good-natured, kind and generous and just a real gem of a guy, he said. I enjoyed being with him.

We just hit it off. We stayed in touch over all those years. It was a lasting friendship right up until he passed away.

Graff said Auchterlonie was a real advocate for Rodman Hall as well as artists throughout the region.

Bill saw the value and put his heart and soul into everything he did.

He said they worked together on several projects, including an effort to catalogue art that Niagara residents have in their personal collections called Niagara Collects.

He jumped on it. He was so enthusiastic, Graff said. Over the course of a couple months or more, we would contact people in the community and tell them what we were up to and go and visit them in their homes and see their art.

We just discovered so much great art from historic to contemporary.

Graff said they found a Group of Seven painting as well as a drawing by John Lennon among the works they discovered.

It was great to work with him on some of these projects, he said.

Auchterlonies career also included establishing a Niagara-on-the-Lake gallery called Inuksuk On-the-Lake, working to bring the King Tut exhibition to the Art Gallery of Ontario in 1979 while working as curator of exhibitions there, as well as helping facilitate the creation of the Les Drysdales sculpture of Nikola Tesla in Niagara Falls in 2006.

Graff said he and Auchterlonie continued working together over the years after Graff left Niagara, adding Auchterlonie wrote a really fine essay about his work that is being published posthumously as part of a book on Canadian art.

He took an avid interest in what I was doing and would always comment on the images I posted of my own artwork, Graff said. We had good discussions about art.

Along with his passion for art, Auchterlonie was also passionate about helping people struggling in the community.

He served as executive director at the United Way of South Niagara in the mid-2000s and worked with the Niagara district Kidney Foundation, as well as Women's Addiction Recovery Mediation and Bethlehem Place, an affordable supported housing program.

Karen Walsh, the United Way of South Niagaras campaign manager from 2004 to 2008, said Auchterlonie really cared about the community.

During his time with the organization, she said they worked to provide funding for additional programs such as a dental program at Niagara College and family meals provided by churches.

We also worked with some of the larger companies that would adopt a family at Christmas, and he really took on that project, working with companies and agencies, she said.

Walsh said her former boss was a very fair and very understanding person to work for, with a great sense of humour.

He kept the mood light all the time, which is really good, she said.

Walsh said Auchterlonie was also passionate about astrology, and still has a chart he created for her based on the alignment of planets on the day of her birth.

I still have it. I knew he had that passion, she said.

Auchterlonies interest in astrology remained with him throughout his life, and he recently wrote columns for a Niagara-on-the-Lake newspaper and produced a podcast on the topic.

He also worked at several radio stations throughout southern Ontario, both behind the scenes and on air  including as a morning talk show host at CKTB in St. Catharines and at CJRN in Niagara Falls.

In addition to his professional interests, Graff said Auchterlonie was also devoted to his wife Heather Hall, his three stepchildren and seven grandchildren.

He and Heather were married for more than 30 years, he said. He really enjoyed his family.

Graff shared his memories of Auchterlonie on Facebook after learning of his friends death, and received several messages from people sharing their own cherished memories of him.

I didnt know them, but they have a whole history with Bill as well through things they were involved in. I think its just testifying to how social and amiable and personable he was, and the multiple connections he had with different people from different walks of life and in different capacities. He had many interests.

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A familiar face at St. Catharines Farmers Market is looking forward to a fruitful season.

Joe Hozjan of Town and Country Farms said he started his farm 31 years ago and has been a vendor at the downtown St. Catharines market for about 20 years.

Born in Slovenia, Hozjan came to Canada and started working in the garment industry in Montreal, making shirts and servicing sewing machines.

When that work dried up, he came to Niagara, where his brother was living and purchased his farm in Fonthill.

He jokes that at first, he couldnt even figure out how to turn the key on his tractor.

Now, his farm grows 22 varieties of apples, as well as blueberries, raspberries, Saskatoon berries, gooseberries, peaches, pears, plums, and more.

Hozjan is a regular at the King Street market and can often be found there both days it's open - Thursdays and Saturdays - especially in the summer when his harvest is bountiful.

On the off seasons, Hozjan said theyre able to keep some of their fruits and vegetables tasting fresh by using a controlled atmosphere.

The thing that keeps him coming back are the people, he said.

I like the nice people, he said. You talk to the people, you don't stay only at home. Theres so many nice people at the market. Whatever we grow, well sell it here.

UPDATED - April 24, 2023: This article has been updated from a previously published version to correct the market days in St. Catharines.

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To mark Earth Week, Niagara this Week spoke with Pelham native Adam Shoalts about his life as an explorer and his thoughts on the current state of the environment and humankinds effect on it.

Q: What first inspired you to start your exploration?

A: Growing up, I was always fascinated by my local forests in Fenwick and spent as much time exploring them as I could. At first, I mostly wanted to learn how to make fire without matches, which wild plants were safe to eat and which were poisonous, how to build shelters, track wildlife and that sort of thing. But that led me to a deeper appreciation of the natural world and eventually into doing bigger expeditions to some of Canadas most remote wilderness areas.

Q: Of all your travels, what has been the one that has left the greatest impression on you?

A: I'd have to say its a tie between my journey alone across Canadas Arctic and my solo journey last summer from southern Ontario to the Arctic. The journey across Canadas Arctic from west to east was almost 4,000 kilometres and four months in duration, so I got to experience the utter solitude, wildness and adventure of the far north. But travelling last year from Lake Erie to the Arctic let me see things from a different perspective as I paddled by cities such as Toronto and Montreal. It made me appreciate the wild on our doorsteps and the connections between wilderness and our own backyards.

Q: In your speaking engagements, is there something that audiences are generally surprised by?

A: People often ask me what food I crave the most on long wilderness journeys or the first thing I eat when I get back and expect me to say pizza or steak or something like that. When I tell them its usually a yogurt, theyre often surprised. But months of limited food and repetitive rations at that have a strange effect on tastebuds, so something totally different like a nice blueberry yogurt becomes irresistible.

Q: What do you view as the biggest threat to the environment?

A: The destruction of forests and natural habitats worldwide. Virtually every other environmental problem (loss of biodiversity, global warming, pollution, etc.) ultimately stems from this initial one. Collectively, humans need to do a much better job preserving wild places worldwide if we are to make any progress on tackling environmental problems.

Q: With that in mind, what can people do to mitigate that?

A: In just the last few years, weve lost a lot of tree cover in Niagara. Some of this was out of our hands, as many mature trees have been killed by invasive species, notably beech and ash. But a lot of other mature trees and forests have been rather needlessly chopped down for development that could have been avoided with better planning choices. I would say it takes every level of government  municipal, regional, provincial and federal  doing a better job of making the preservation of trees and other wild places a priority. Of course, we can do our part to make sure politicians get that message. On a more individual level, property owners can strive to preserve their existing tree cover and plant more native tree species for the future. Municipalities, too, in some cases, actually own land that would be ideal for reforestation that we could and should restore for the benefit of everyone.

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While Niagara Falls did not make the list of dopest cities in Ontario in a recent study, visitors to the Niagara Falls 420 Expo questioned the validity of the ranking.

Niagara is definitely the dopest, said Jan Van Essery, who travelled from Burlington with friends on Saturday to attend the annual event at the Niagara Falls Convention Centre.

Uber Eats released a study last week in recognition of 4/20 which looked at cannabis ordering trends in Ontario.

The top five dopest cities that order cannabis the most, according to the online food ordering and delivery platform, were Toronto, Orillia, Pickering, Barrie and Oshawa.

Niagara should definitely be on that list, Van Essery said.

They should really check their numbers because Im sure its more popular here than somewhere like Orillia.

The 23-year-old was among thousands of people who packed the Stanley Avenue convention centre to check out what was billed as North Americas largest celebration of all things cannabis.

Organizers expected more than 4,000 people to walk through the doors.

Think of it as a Comic Con but with a pure focus on cannabis, said expo co-organizer Chris Dabrowski.

Its an untapped market here in Niagara Falls in terms of having a dedicated consumer show for cannabis.

The daylong event featured vendors, educational seminars, guest speakers and appearances by musician Afroman, best known for his 90s hit single Because I Got High, and actor Jordan Prentice from Howard the Duck and Harold & Kumar.

Among the vendors was Colton Hess.

The 17-year-old Saint Paul High School student offered custom T-shirt, hats, and other merchandise.

He started his own business, Chess Teez, as a way to earn money following the pandemic.

I was having trouble finding a job after a two-year break so my dad gave me the idea to start my own business.

The Niagara Herbalist, the first cannabis retail store to open in the region, has participated in the expo since its inception.

Its local and were local, said Jessica Bonilla, co-owner of the St. Catharines business. We should all support one another.

According to Uber Eats, the top cannabis-related items ordered in Ontario are pre-rolls, chocolate bars and gummies.

There are more than 50 recreational cannabis shops in Niagara.

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The David Suzuki Foundation has long opposed Highway 413 on environmental grounds. The expressway will pave hundreds of acres of Greenbelt and thousands of acres of farmland and imperil dozens of at-risk species.

But heres another reason to oppose this monstrosity: it steals money from things Ontarians desperately need.

How much will the province pay for Highway 413? No one knows precisely. But media stories suggest capital costs will be about $8 billion.

We recently launched an advertising campaign on the TTC that poses a question. The ad says Highway 413 will cost $8 billion and asks, What else could that money buy?

Our research indicates quite a lot.

Take nursing. A submission from the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario to the provincial budget consultation says that for $1.15 billion we could hire 11,000 registered nurses and for $650 million we could hire 9,000 registered practical nurses for a year.

In other words, for $1.8 billion we could hire 20,000 nurses and for the cost of Highway 413 we could keep those nurses working for more than four years  right across the province.

Or consider housing. Homelessness in Ontario is a mark of shame. But if we redirected dollars from Highway 413 we could be on our way to solving this crisis.

We discovered that with $2 billion we could build 10,000 affordable housing units. In 2021, the City of Toronto estimated it had 7,347 homeless residents. Even if that number is now 10,000, we could house Torontos homeless population for one-quarter the cost of Highway 413.

Theres more. In 2021, Ontarios Financial Accountability Office estimated that more than 16,000 Ontarians were homeless on a given night. Even if that number is now 20,000, we could build affordable housing for all these folks for about $4 billion  or half the cost of Highway 413.

Imagine that: for a fraction of what Queens Park will spend on an unnecessary highway we could take real strides toward eradicating homelessness provincewide.

Alternatively, we could redirect this money to hospitals. The province is now constructing one in Brampton at a cost of about $700 million. For the cash its wasting on Highway 413 we could build 11 hospitals across Ontario comparable to the new Peel Memorial.

Of course, if we cancel 413 we need another way to move the regions residents. That other way is public transit. A report by Environmental Defence and its partners suggests the province could expand current GO train service, build a new GO train to Bolton and provide bus rapid transit and light rail for just $6.9 billion. But heres the kicker: transit would move about three times as many commuters as the highway!

Devastating to the planet, harmful to people, the 413 is indefensible. Lets liberate the billions of dollars it would waste and use them to reduce environmental degradation and human suffering.

Gideon Forman is a transportation policy analyst at the David Suzuki Foundation.

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Wyclef Jean, member of the hip hop group The Fugees, is a collector of high speed, exotic cars. Not content with collecting and driving them, hes now investing in making a supercar. An incredibly light one.

The 53-year-old native of Haiti recently revealed his entrance into the automotive manufacturing market with the Attucks Apex AP0. Producing 650 horsepower, it is being promoted as the lightest electric vehicle EV supercar, and is said to be capable of accelerating from 0-60 mph (100 kilometres per hour) in 2.3 seconds.

In an interview with Wheels.ca, Jean said he has been involved in buying exotic cars, and, as he now has a collection of almost 40, the decision to get involved in making one is a natural one.

I have been investing in blue-chip automotive assets since I bought the first ever McLaren F1 three-seater in the mid-1990s, the rap star said. It is only natural that I invest in my own brand of supercar with the electric age that is now upon us.

Ive owned very important cars, like the Pagani Zonda C12 (and) McLaren F1  Lamborghinis and Ferraris, as well, but, for me, owning one of my own creations is by far the most important collector piece in my collection.

Jean said his supercar will be different from others, because it is an extremely lightweight EV. Guy Colborne, formerly with McLaren, designed it in the U.K.

Most EV cars in supercars are very heavy, due to batteries, said Jean. In the Apex AP0, the batteries are more or less half the normal battery weight, which makes it very agile and very manoeuverable, (creating) a very interactive driving experience.

He said the decision to build a supercar powered by an electric battery, not gasoline, is part of progressive car manufacturing.

We are looking at a very important time in history, (where) the transition from internal combustion engines to EV is imminent, said Jean.

With Tesla already far ahead, weve decided to make an EV company, as we believe that our kids and our grandkids would only understand EV technology.

He named the car in honour of Crispus Attucks, the first person to die in The American Revolution fighting for independence from the British sovereignty. Attucks was of African and Native American descent.

This resonates with the struggle for freedom from the traditional car manufacturers and conglomerate corporate business, said Jean.

The supercar will come with a price tag of $350,000 U.S.

Only 125 cars will be tested for the North American market, with 99 to be sold to the public, Jean said. The rest of the other cars are already spoken for by other peers of mine and also car collectors that have shown interest in purchasing the collectors series. Customers can, at this moment, put their name down to be considered as a potential buyer, with a very small deposit, after which they will be notified when production starts in early 2024.

The first cars are due to roll out by early 2025.

To buy the supercar, customers should have the passion for such a car as his, Jean said.

It is very important for us to understand our customers, as the cars will be built within the next 12 months, so understanding the clients needs is very, very important.

The company HQ will be in Little Haiti, Miami, in a renovated building.

We should have it opened by the summer so people can come in and see the car in person, Jean said.

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(Bloomberg) -- Quanta Computer Inc., Apples major contract manufacturer for MacBooks, will set up a $120-million plant in Vietnams northern province of Nam Dinh, Vietnam Finance reported, citing information from a Friday signing ceremony between the company and the provincial government.

Most Read from Bloomberg

The plant, covering 22.5 hectares of the My Thuan Industrial Park for the first phase, will be Taiwan-based Quantas ninth factory globally, according to a provincial government publication. The report didnt provide details on when the plant will be completed.

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A group of Afghans who worked directly for the Canadian government in Kabul are turning to this countrys Federal Court for help escaping from the Taliban after unreasonable delays in Ottawas evacuation effort.

The 25 Afghan nationals  a security guard at the Canadian embassy for a decade and two dozen employees of a law firm it retained for local legal work  all emailed, per the rules, in the summer and fall of 2021 to express interest in the Canadas Special Immigration Measures (SIM) program for Afghans.

Today, the individuals, who all met the significant and enduring relationship with Canada criteria for the resettlement program, have been threatened and targeted by the Taliban, and are hiding with their families in Afghanistan or in a third country.

They sent further emails. They applied to the web portal. They had people on their behalf calling the hotline hundreds of times and they were met with no actual responses, Maureen Silcoff, a lawyer for the group, said on Friday.

Days rolled by. Weeks rolled by. Months rolled by. And theyre in hiding with targets on their back from the Taliban. So they decided that they had no choice but to file a case in court.

In whats known as a mandamus application to compel immigration officials to act on their files, the Afghans claim the delay is beyond legitimate expectations and procedural fairness, and hence unlawful.

The long wait, they say, violates their right to life, liberty and security under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The mandamus application was filed last September but has only been unsealed this month with personal information redacted for the safety of the applicants in Afghanistan.

You have a program like this, which was rolled out on an emergency basis to evacuate individuals at risk of attack or assassination in the face of the imminent fall of the government of Afghanistan, said Sujit Choudhry, co-counsel with Silcoff for the Afghans.

So a reasonable time frame is a very compressed one because of the risk our clients face because of us, because of their relationship to Canada.

In July 2021, under pressure from Canadian veterans, Ottawa launched the resettlement program to bring home its former employees, including translators, drivers, cleaners and cooks, who risked their lives to support Canada during the war in Afghanistan as NATO forces were withdrawing.

On eve of the fall of Kabul on Aug. 15, 2021, the Liberal government announced it was expanding Canadas resettlement program to welcome 20,000 Afghans, intended to help groups that are vulnerable to Talibans persecution, including female leaders, human-rights defenders, journalists, persecuted minorities and LGBTQ members.

The security guard, identified in court documents as A.A., emailed about the program on the very day Kabul fell, seeking to be evacuated to Canada. He worked at the Canadian embassy between 2011 and until the last day the Afghan government fell.

While awaiting for a response from Canada, he and his family received death threats from the Taliban and went into hiding. Last August, a year after his email, immigration officials issued them an invitation to take the next step and fill out detailed application forms to apply to the program, but the family has not been informed of the processing time nor is that information public.

I was under the impression that as a former worker at the embassy I would quickly be approved under the SIM program, because I had directly and recently served Canadas mission in Afghanistan and was at extreme risk, A.A. said in an affidavit.

My family and I have faced prolonged risk of physical harm and have suffered mental distress due to the delay in processing my SIMs and permanent resident status applications. I cannot work because it is dangerous for me to tell people about my old job at the embassy.

The law firm that employed the other applicants, Shajjan and Associates, had been retained by Canada since 2013 and its connection with the country is widely known in Afghanistan. The risks and threats that came with that were corroborated by an official at Canadas Justice Department and a former consul at the embassy.

The 24 law-firm employees did not get an invitation to apply until last September, after the legal action was initiated  though the firms owner Saeeq Shajjan and his family had been approved and arrived in Canada back in September 2021. Shajjan has since been actively advocating for his former colleagues.

However, their lawyers said the groups resettlement bids have since been stalled again.

Its unacceptable. Their lives are increasingly at risk because the Talibans power has solidified and their abuse of human rights has escalated, said Silcoff.

The Taliban have already looked for them, have gone to their homes, have gone to their family members, have searched the offices of the firm.

Choudhry said this legal action may well be a global test case, for the NATO countries who left Afghanistan after two decades, to make good on their commitments to evacuate those who were at risk because of their presence in that country.

Theres a certain irony to Canadas law firm in Afghanistan being forced to sue in a Canadian court to compel the Canadian government to obey its own laws, after two decades of Canada investing in rule of law reform in Afghanistan, said Choudhry. Its a disgrace to our government.

Fridays deadline for all the filings in the case having passed, the Federal Court must now decide whether to grant leave to the Afghan applicants for a judicial review of the claims.

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PORT MOODY, B.C. - Police in Port Moody, B.C., say five suspects are in custody after an alleged kidnapping in the city.

The Port Moody Police Department says it received multiple 911 calls after a man was reportedly pulled into a vehicle in the citys brewery district on Murray Street around 10 a.m. on Wednesday.

It says in a statement that the arrests were made Friday and the suspects are expected to face kidnapping charges, but police did not provide a potential motive.

Police say the victim, who is in his 40s, was rescued around Mission, B.C., adding there was never an ongoing danger to the public.

The department says investigators from Port Moody and Vancouver executed multiple search warrants in the Lower Mainland Saturday morning.

It says officers do not believe any other suspects are outstanding but their investigation is ongoing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2023.

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About two weeks after a man killed four children in a Brazilian daycare center, authorities already have rounded up some 300 adults and minors nationwide accused of spreading hate speech or stoking school violence.

Little has been revealed about the unprecedented crackdown, which risks judicial overreach, but it underlines the determination of the countrys response across federal, state and municipal levels. Brazils all-hands effort to stamp out its emerging trend of school attacks stands in contrast to the U.S., where such attacks have been more frequent and more deadly for a longer period, yet where measures nowadays are incremental.

Actions adopted in the U.S. - and some of its perceived shortcomings - are informing the Brazilian response, said Renan Theodoro, a researcher with Center for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo.

We have learned from the successes and the mistakes of other countries, especially the United States, Theodoro told The Associated Press.

Brazil has seen almost two dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000, half of them in the last 12 months, including the daycare center attack April 5.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the notion of schools as safe havens has been ruined. His government has sought input from independent researchers and this week convened a meeting of ministers, mayors and Supreme Court justices to discuss possible solutions.

Some measures already adopted are in line with those implemented over time in the U.S., like the creation of hotlines, safety training for school administrators and teachers, federal funding for mental health, plus security equipment and infrastructure.

Other measures -- like the nationwide sweep for supposedly threatening suspects involving over 3,400 police officers, or the newly invigorated push to regulate social media platforms -- have not been enacted there.

The arrests aim to assuage fear among Brazilians, said Luis Flavio Sapori, a senior associate researcher with the Brazilian Forum for Public Security. The priority is diminishing panic, he said.

In the weeks since the day care massacre, unconfirmed threats and rumors have circulated on social media, and stirred dread among students, educators and parents  including Vanusia Silva Lima, 42, the mother of a 5-year-old son in central Sao Paulo.

I am afraid of sending my son to school. Not only myself, my friends are too, women I met at the salon, too, Lima said.

Many Brazilian states didnt wait for the federal response. Sao Paulo, for example, temporarily hired 550 psychologists to attend to its public schools, and hired 1,000 private security guards.

While shootings in the U.S. often ignite debate, at the federal level it usually ends in stalemate. Democrats focus on gun control while Republicans push for stronger security measures.

Brazils push has garnered broad support in part because proposals havent included restricting firearm access, increasingly a hot-button political issue here, as in the U.S. Anyway, Brazils school attacks more often are carried out with other weapons, especially knives.

In the U.S., legislation rarely passes. There have been notable exceptions, however, including a bipartisan compromise approved last year after a massacre at a Texas elementary school and other mass shootings. The bill toughened background checks and kept firearms from more domestic violence offenders, and allocated $1 billion for student mental health and school security.

Other change has come more gradually since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In almost every state, schools are now required to have safety plans that often include shooter drills. Many individual school districts have their own safety hotlines, and some use software to monitor social media for threats, with mixed results.

And many U.S. states have given schools money to harden buildings with metal detectors, security officers, bulletproof doors and other measures  which has stirred its own debate over the policing of Americas schools.

Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Lulas far-right predecessor, was one of a few prominent voices calling for detectors and armed guards, citing some U.S. states as as examples, and put forward a bill to make them obligatory at all schools.

Lula has said his government will consider neither detectors nor backpack inspections.

Sapori said that Brazil has adopted a mixed approach, which stresses mental health care, preventive monitoring of threats and training for teachers, in addition to policing.

In Brazil, we have a clear understanding, based on the U.S. experience, that merely investing in armed security in schools does not work, that police presence in schools doesnt hinder attacks, Sapori said. It only works to transform schools into prisons.

For Brazil, the Western hemispheres second-most populous country, scrambling for quick solutions risks introducing abuses of power.

As for the suspects arrested over a two-week period through Thursday, Theodoro noted that authorities havent detailed the criteria for detentions, and investigations are under seal. Asked by the AP, the Justice Ministry declined to clarify how many of the 302 people taken into custody were minors.

The ministry also has empowered a national consumer agency to fine tech companies for not removing content perceived as glorifying school massacres, incentivizing violence or making threats.

And there appears to be broad support for holding social media platforms accountable. At this weeks meeting in the capital, Lula, his justice minister, two Supreme Court justices, and the Senates president voiced support for regulation of the platforms, arguing that speech that is illegal in real life cannot be permitted online.

Either we have the courage to discuss the difference between freedom of expression and stupidity, or we wont get very far, Lula said.

The Rights in Network Coalition, an umbrella group of 50 organizations focused on basic digital rights, has expressed concern over giving the government the power to decide what can be said on social media.

Some social media platforms that initially resisted compliance with takedown requests have come around and, in the prior 10 days, had removed or suspended more than 750 profiles, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said.

When a man hopped over the wall of a day care center in Santa Catarina state and killed four children with a hatchet April 5, state prosecutors called on news media to refrain from sharing images or identifying the killer, citing research that this can encourage other attackers.

Behemoth media conglomerate Grupo Globo announced it would no longer name nor portray perpetrators of such crimes in its broadcasts or publications. O Estado de S. Paulo, one of Brazils biggest newspapers, followed suit. CNN Brasil and Band also made the change.

In the United States, such a broad shift is yet to be seen in media, though outlets have begun efforts to use shooters names sparingly and to focus on victims stories, largely due to advocacy by relatives of victims. Some U.S. news organizations have ceased the previously routine profiles of school shooters.

The developments in Brazil are reminiscent of a groundswell of U.S. federal support for school safety after the Columbine shooting, said Ken Trump, president of Ohio-based consultant National School Safety and Security Services.

Since then, it has become much more choppy, he said.

The success of Brazils efforts will hinge on the ability to maintain momentum even after public attention shifts away from school violence, he added.

The bottom-line question is, will it be sustainable?

___ Binkley reported from Washington, D.C. AP journalists Eleonore Hughes, Maurcio Savarese and Carla Bridi contributed from Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia.

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TOKYO (AP)  Japans defense chief on Saturday ordered troops to activate missile interceptors and get ready to shoot down fragments from a North Korean satellite that may fall on the Japanese territory.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un said earlier this week that its first military spy satellite that will be launched at an unspecified date.

North Korea has test-fired about 100 missiles since early last year, saying it was responding to joint U.S.-South Korean military drills that it calls an invasion rehearsal. Several of the missiles flew over Japan or landed off the northern Japanese coast.

Last week, North Korea test-launched a solid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Saturday instructed troops to ready PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles in southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and nearby islands, in an area believed to be under a flight path of a North Korean rocket that will carry the satellite.

He also ordered the deployment of destroyers equipped with SM-3 ship-to-air missiles to coastal waters, according to a ministry statement.

We are making the necessary preparation because of a possibility of issuing an order to destroy ballistic missiles and other objects, the ministry said.

An order to fire missiles has to be approved by the prime minister.

North Korea is expected to carry out more weapons tests as the United States and South Korea continue their joint air exercise into next week.

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Approximately 600 dogs from several countries were registered at the international exhibition Satu Mare Dog Show, during the days of Saturday and Sunday being a total of five canine beauty competitions.

The official opening of the competition took place on Saturday, with two national competitions, two international competitions and a Caucasian club exhibition.

The mayor of Satu Mare, Kereskenyi Gabor, said that the local administration supports this event because it is a quality one, according to agerpres.ro.

"It is a quality event and that is why the municipality's partnership is never in question. We are with you in all the steps you take because we need to present our values, the races that are in these lands and for the children to see and those interested in what happens in such an important and qualitative event," the mayor declared.

The chairman of the Romanian Kennel Association, Cristian Stefanescu, stated that there are dogs from several countries and a body of international judges.

"The town hall, the local authority is with the organizers, a gratifying and very rare fact in our country, that's why I want to congratulate the local authority and the organizers. I understood that such events are actually some means of educating the population in the love of nature and love towards the dog, man's closest friend in the animal world, the first animal domesticated by man, moreover. The dog brings us, humans, extremely many services, so to speak, but the most important of them is presence in the family, close to us, close to those who love this animal. Whoever loves the dog has a good soul, also loves people. The children we try to educate in this direction, and we ask the parents to instill this passion in them, they will later be balanced adults. They will know that if they help an animal in need, they will do the same for their fellow adults. That's why this sport is very beautiful, a classy sport, of a certain style," said Cristian Stefanescu .

The exhibition is open until Sunday, when the most beautiful dogs from both days will be awarded, but the most beautiful dog from Satu Mare county will also be designated.
The Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, sent to the military, on Saturday, in a message on the occasion of the Day of the Land Forces, that the dignity and courage with which they constantly do their duty must and will be rewarded with the gratitude and respect of the Romanians.

"I convey with great joy, with great respect and admiration, on the occasion of the celebration of the Day of the Romanian Land Forces, marked, by tradition, on the day when Orthodox Christians celebrate the Saint Great Martyr George the Bearer of Victory, the spiritual patron and protector of the Land Forces, the congratulations to all those who have served or are currently serving their homeland among this important category of forces of the Romanian Army. Our thoughts go, at the anniversary hour, first of all to the heroes of our nation, fallen in the line of duty in all the wars fought by the Romanian Army, most of them being from the Land Forces. We will keep their memory alive and we will forever honor their deeds of bravery," stated Angel Tilvar, in the message sent.

Minister Tilvar highlighted that by allocating, in the last six years, at least two percent of the GDP for Defense, the Romanian Land Forces, along with the other categories of forces, know a fast period of modernization and re-technology to the most modern standards, told Agerpres.

"The Piranha 5 transporters, the HIMARS artillery systems, as well as other important procurement programs started or in preparation outline the new position of the Land Forces within the Romanian Army. Raising the budget allocations to 2.5% of the GDP will allow the acceleration of these modernization efforts , in accordance with the increasing level of security challenges in our region", the minister added.

Tilvar recalled the presence of the Romanian military in theaters of operations abroad.

"Accomplished as professionals in international missions, executed, in the last three decades, in the theaters of operations in the Western Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and on the African continent, as well as in other large-scale multinational missions or exercises carried out abroad or at home, together with the forces of the most advanced armies of the world, you, the soldiers of the Romanian Land Forces, have demonstrated day by day, through the impeccable results of your work, that you are the most valuable resource of this category of forces and that you deserve the reputation of elite soldiers," Tilvar pointed out.

The Minister of Defense considers that "there is no more important duty" (...) than that of activating all solutions so that the military can benefit from the best working and living conditions.

"The dignity and courage with which you permanently do your duty must and will be rewarded with our gratitude and respect, the Romanians. I use this opportunity to convey to all Romanians, military or civilian, who bear the name of the Great Martyr George, 'Happy Anniversary " on the occasion of the name day celebration. Happy birthday to all the soldiers of the Romanian Land Forces!," the Minister of Defense said.
Goran Bregovic, one of the most famous musicians from the Balkans, guitarist and composer originally from Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Eros Ramazzoti, one of the most successful artists, with songs that marked the history of Italian music, will perform on Saturday and Sunday, respectively at the Hall of the Palace in the Capital.

Goran Bregovic & Wedding and Funeral Band come to Sala Palatului on Saturday, from 7:30 p.m., with a "Best Of" show, which will include all the songs that made the artist famous, informs the Salapalatului website. ro.

Goran had to fend for himself since he was a teenager, when he started playing popular music in a bar in the town of Konjic. In 1971, Goran and another aspiring artist, Zoran Redzia, started playing in a band called "Jutro". In this formula, the musician had a lot of shows and began to taste success to the full. On January 1, 1974, the band changed its name to "Bijelo Dugme" ("White Button"), according to agerpres.ro.

In 1975, he gave up his vocation as a teacher and became the idol of the youth and the most important rock star of his country. He retired from Bielo Dugme in the 90s, having 13 albums sold in six million copies. After ten years of rock music, Bregovic gave up this genre to dedicate himself to the style that made him known all over the world: a combination of traditional Balkan rhythms with rock sounds. The artist's latest album, "Three Letters From Sarajevo" enjoyed enormous international success.

Eros Ramazzotti will be able to be seen and heard at Sala Palatului on Sunday, from 19:00, in a show that is part of the promotional tour of his upcoming album "Battito Infinito".

Songs from the new album will also be heard in the show in Bucharest. It contains the songs "Battito Infinito", "Madona de Guadalupe", "Figli della Terra", "Sono", "Magia", "Ti Dedico", "Ama", "Ritornare a Ballare", "Eccezionali", "Gli Ultimi Romantics", "Nessuno a Parte Noi", "Ogni Volta che Respiro".

After the concert in Bucharest, the Italian artist has scheduled shows in Sofia, Bulgaria - April 25, Jesolo, Italy - April 28, both concerts being sold out, Lodz, Poland - May 2, Copenhagen, Denmark - May 4, according to the website /ramazzotti.com/battito-infinito-world-tour/.
President Klaus Iohannis drew attention, on Saturday, in a message on the occasion of Earth Day, that the degradation of the environment attracts huge human and material costs, which is why we must find time and resources to prevent it.

"Earth Day, marked on April 22 globally, represents a new opportunity to sound the alarm to prioritize environmental challenges, a topic directly related to our well-being and health. Our planet is facing accelerating climate change , loss of biodiversity, unsustainable development in urban centers, air pollution and plastic pollution. Environmental degradation incurs huge human and material costs, and therefore, despite the multiple crises and challenges we face, we must find time and resources to prevent it," according to a press release sent to AGERPRES by the Presidential Administration.

Klaus Iohannis emphasized that at the level of the European Union, the proposed goal is to achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

"As president of Romania, I contributed directly to the negotiations within the European Council, as a result of which Romania received substantial funds dedicated to environmental protection and the green transition. There is a need to accelerate the efforts of the Romanian authorities to use this funding and, therefore, I appeal to all central and local public institutions to mobilize so that Romanians can benefit fully and on time from European green funding, by accessing European funds and the appropriate implementation of projects related to waste water, afforestation, green energy or energy efficiency we will contribute to a healthier environment, increased comfort in our homes, public health and access to energy. Moreover, we can invest in production facilities for essential goods and services in the climate transition and generate new jobs," the head of state added.

According to the president, an essential investment for an increased degree of environmental protection and a successful green transition is in education regarding climate change and the environment.

"In the last year, Romania has made a series of progress in this regard by implementing some measures that we supported: the adoption of the 'National Strategy on Education for the Environment and Climate Change 2023 - 2030', the introduction of 'Green Week' in the structure of the year school, as well as the development of a digital platform with activities and educational resources regarding the environment and climate change. In the coming period, taking full advantage of the European Year of Skills 2023, we must accelerate the process of preparing human resources for the green and digital transition," the quoted source mentions.

The head of state highlights that limiting and adapting to climate change and effectively combating environmental degradation require a global effort that requires international cooperation, exchange of best practices and mutual support.

He recalled that, at his initiative, Romania organized at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27) in Egypt the round table "Promoting education on climate change" attended by heads of state and government, a first at the COP, marking thus the importance that education plays as an essential tool for achieving climate objectives.

Iohannis points out that this year is also characterized by the intensification of bilateral diplomatic relations between Romania and countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

"The discussions I had with the counterparts from these countries show the global nature of concerns related to environmental protection. Romania will cooperate more closely with partner states in areas such as limiting and adapting to climate change, renewable energy, efficient management of drought and forest fires amplified by climate change, protection of forests and biodiversity, research and development of industries that support the climate transition. Also, a priority field of cooperation in this context is education on climate change and the environment," Klaus Iohannis said.

The head of state observed that "many of the Romanian citizens contribute to the improvement of the quality of the environment, either through professional activity or through voluntary actions, and probably most through small gestures, but with a big impact, day by day".

"Thank you all for taking care of our planet, Earth!", concluded President Iohannis in his message sent on the occasion of Earth Day, according to agerpres.ro.
President Klaus Iohannis declared on Saturday that he agreed with his Chilean counterpart, Gabriel Boric, the development of cooperation between Romania and Chile in areas such as trade, investments, green energy, environment and climate change, civil protection, education, culture, research, innovation and digitization.

"There are promising prospects for the expansion of our bilateral relations on multiple levels and we have agreed that in the coming period we will develop cooperation in important fields for both Romania and Chile. I am referring to the development of trade exchanges and investments, green energy, environment and climate change, to civil protection, education, culture, research, innovation and digitalization. I am convinced that we will continue to work together to encourage businessmen from Chile and Romania to start joint projects both bilaterally and on the markets third", said the head of state, at La Moneda Palace, after the meeting with his Chilean counterpart, Gabriel Boric.

He stated that the development of partnerships between local authorities in Romania and Chile is also encouraged.

President Iohannis pointed out that Chile is one of Romania's traditional friends in the Latin American region and an economic partner with an important potential. He mentioned that 100 years of bilateral relations will be celebrated in 2025, told Agerpres.

The head of state is making an official visit to Chile on Saturday, the first of this level in the last ten years. The visit to Chile is the second stage of the tour that the President of Romania is carrying out in South America until April 26.
A silhouette in the City

Senior politicians who advise the King have warned the Confederation of British Industry may never regain credibility and have called its Royal Charter into question.

Members of the influential Privy Council, which advises the sovereign, warned that the CBI may no longer meet the requirements for the Charters status, in the wake of rape allegations which resulted in the business lobby being mothballed on Friday night.

It would be the first time any body granted the privilege has lost the status since the reign of Charles II.

It came as business leaders said the CBI had run its course and a rival lobby began courting former CBI members.

It increases the likelihood the CBI will struggle to recover when it resumes activities in June, following police investigations into two accusations of rape and the separate sacking of its Director General Tony Danker over harassment allegations.

Former Chancellor Lord Lamont of Lerwick, said: The CBI needs to put its house in order very quickly if its to survive, and thats looking slightly questionable. If it doesnt, the Royal Charter is obviously going to be in question.

Royal Charters are granted by the King to bodies that work in the public interest which can demonstrate pre-eminence, stability and permanence in their particular field.

The CBI, which represented the interests of 190,000 British businesses, was forced to shut down until the summer after a cohort of some of the Citys most powerful business women led an exodus of its largest members on Friday.

This followed fresh allegations first published in The Guardian that a female employee was raped by two male colleagues in 2018.

The latest allegations came from a female employee who told The Guardian she woke up after a night of drinking with two male colleagues with physical signs she had been raped.

She said she was later presented with a picture of herself, apparently unconscious, with a penis in her mouth, which she said she believed was taken on the same night.

Story continues

The City of London police is already investigating previous reports of a seperate rape and other harassment.

The Privy Council Office is not aware of any charter being revoked since the time of Charles II and the King would need primary legislation to enable such a move.

Jacob Rees-Mogg, Conservative MP and former Business Secretary, said: Given that it is a very difficult one to take away, I wouldnt be advocating a great constitutional fight over a body that looks as if the pallbearers are gathering, ready to lift up the coffin.

Former Chancellor Lord Hammond of Runnymede said: The focus should be on trying to fix the problem. If it proves to be unfixable, that [its Royal Charter status] is another question.

Their comments came after Andy Wood, chief executive of Adnams Brewery, a former CBI member, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme the organisation had probably run its course.

Mr Wood said: Were are an organisation that takes its culture and its values really seriously, and its just totally untenable and unsustainable to remain members.

Baroness Patience Wheatcroft, a former non-executive director of Barclays, told Times Radio the CBI probably needs to disband. She added: Its very hard to see that it has a positive future, Im afraid.

WPI Strategy, a public affairs firm, is already preparing to launch a temporary body called BizUK in an attempt to fill the lobbying void for businesses, ahead of a general election expected in 18 months.

Nick Faith, director of WPI Strategy, said he began approaching businesses after the news that Mr Danker had been sacked. He plans to get 50 or 60 companies together and launch a years lobbying campaign in September ahead of the upcoming election.

Mr Faith said: There is a gap in the market, because the CBI have their own issues to deal with. Businesses have no collective voice to make their arguments."

The CBI board has expressed shock and revulsion at the events revealed in recent weeks and on Friday announced it would suspend all activity until June, when it will put forward proposals for reform and members can vote on its future at an extraordinary general meeting.

In a statement it said: We are taking steps to address our failings but recognise these are not yet sufficient to sustain the confidence of our colleagues, members and of the broader business community.
President Klaus Iohannis is making, on Saturday, an official visit to Chile, the first of this level in the last 10 years.

The official visit to Chile is the second stage of the tour that the Romanian president is carrying out in South America, according to agerpres.ro.

Klaus Iohannis will be received by his Chilean counterpart, Gabriel Boric, at La Moneda Palace, where the two presidents will have one-on-one and official talks, followed by joint press statements.

On the occasion of the visit, a memorandum on cooperation in the field of emergency situations will be signed between the responsible institutions of the two countries.

President Iohannis will also attend an official lunch.

According to the Presidential Administration, the official visit to the Republic of Chile is aimed at boosting political collaboration, economic exchanges, strengthening sectoral cooperation between the two countries and encouraging people-to-people contacts.

On the agenda of the official discussions between the two presidents will be the status and perspectives of the intensification of bilateral cooperation, possibilities for stimulating sectoral projects, with an emphasis on the development of commercial exchanges and the mutual attraction of investments, in the IT, energy, environment and agriculture sectors. Emergency situations and the response to disasters generated by climate change will also be on the agenda.

Multilateral cooperation, aspects related to the security climate in the neighbourhood of the two countries, the consolidation of democracy at the global level, the defense of human rights and the fight against climate change, including climate education, are topics that will be addressed in the discussions between the two presidents.

In October, Romania will open the first Romanian language lectureship in Latin America, at the Universidad de Chile, with the support of the Romanian Language Institute.

On the occasion of the visit, president Klaus Iohannis will donate to the Museum of Memory and Human Rights in Santiago de Chile a set of archival diplomatic documents regarding the rescue of a large number of Jews by the Chilean consul Samuel del Campo, active in Bucharest during the World War II. Also, copies of the documents related to the Chilean refugees evacuated by the Romanian authorities and received in Romania, after the 1973 coup d'etat, which was followed by a bloody stage in the history of Chile, will be donated.

President Klaus Iohannis is on a tour of Latin America until April 26. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Romanian president paid a visit to the Federative Republic of Brazil, the first at the president level in the last 23 years. On this occasion, he met in Brasilia with his counterpart Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, and in Rio de Janeiro with representatives of the local authorities.

The president will end his South American tour with an official visit to the Republic of Argentina, the first of this level in the last 30 years.
Hell on earth, "the city where there is no living place" or "the hottest place in the world", this is how Bakhmut is described, the city in eastern Ukraine where the fiercest battles are taking place between the Ukrainian troops, who are trying to defend their country, and the Russian troops, interested in seizing new territories.

The descriptions belong to some young Ukrainian soldiers who lived, for no less than three months, the terror of the confrontations in Bakhmut.No matter if it was day or night, frost or mud, cold or hot, rain or snow, holiday or ordinary day, Monday or Sunday, they were continuously on the battlefield, within the range of the Russian artillery.They saw death through their eyes, but even worse, they saw their comrades killed by the enemy. With low morale and depleted powers, they find their last resources to withstand the invasion from the East.





Such moments were experienced by Oleh Sapig, a young lieutenant in the Ukrainian army. He is 36 years old, and the last three months have been a never ending nightmare.



"Our mission was to defend the positions in Bakhmut, to pursue the enemy and not allow the enemy to occupy new positions. The city practically no longer exists, it is destroyed, the enemy constantly attacks neighbourhood after neighbourhood, destroys all the infrastructure, the local population practically no longer exists, those who remain are forced to seek shelter in basements and, when the Russians destroy the buildings in the basement of which they found shelter, they have to leave the city. The situation is very complicated. The saddest moments are related to death to my comrades. The wounded and the dead. This is the most difficult for me. Second is the difficulty of evacuating the wounded soldiers, because it is very hard to evacuate a wounded one. (...) It is difficult to convey in words what Bakhmut means. There is no living place there. Every position is completely destroyed, from the very foundations. There is nothing left, the whole earth is burning, because of the artillery fire, because of the occupying troops," Oleh, who left the first front line during Friday, told AGERPRES.



The young lieutenant, who comes from the Khmelnytsky region, lives with the hope that the victory will belong to Ukraine.



Also on Friday, Laki, a 30-year-old non-commissioned officer, for whom Bakhmut was a great test of life, left the front line. He says that, during the time he was on the front line, he witnessed atrocities committed by the Russian side.



"Bakhmut is, first of all, a fortress. We resisted and resisted until the end. A lot of forces were used to be able to resist. It is an example for the whole world of what can happen to civilians, to the military. Bakhmut is a example of the atrocities committed by the Russians, who are our aggressors. We saw how they behave with our soldiers, but also with their soldiers, how they behave with the peaceful population. The hardest thing is to watch how you lose those around you, to see how the city is destroyed, how they wipe it off the face of the earth, how it completely disappears. We don't understand what those people are fighting for, what they came to us for, they are not fighting for territory, I don't know what they are fighting for. What they are doing, how they make fun of their own dead soldiers. We had cases when we found that to provoke us they hung the bodies of their dead soldiers from trees at night and we could see it through the night vision devices. Then they created their positions under their bodies and from there they were shooting at us, so that we could engage in battle," Laki confessed.





A Ukrainian officer tried to make the robot portrait of the Ukrainian military who fought in Bakhmut. One of the characteristics of this soldier is that he would return to the battlefield only out of the desire to defeat the Russian enemy.



"First of all, I want to say that our returning soldiers are extremely tired, they are overwhelmed by emotions, by what they saw there, by the death of their comrades. They feel all these things, but they definitely want to get there again, to fulfill the missions which they are sent for, to expel the enemies from our territories. If there is hell on earth, it is there," Lieutenant Colonel Yahedka said.



The city of Bakhmut, located 55 kilometers east of Kramatorsk, is considered the hottest point on the military map of Ukraine, a symbol of Ukrainian resistance to the assaults of the Russian Federation. The city is considered strategic, its remaining under Ukrainian control blocking the approach of Russian troops to the cities of Kramatorsk and Slovyansk, cities that had over 200,000 and 120,000 inhabitants, respectively.





"Any city, town or small locality is important for Ukrainian defenders. We notice that our soldiers repel attacks, stop the advance of the enemy, and the border guards make special efforts. Of course, it is difficult. As soldiers, we all understand that it is a war, but it was very difficult in the contemporary world to understand that we have as neighbours an aggressor country that, through barbaric methods, will wage a war of extermination against us," the press officer of the border troops from the east of Ukraine, lieutenant colonel Ihor Lazogub, assessed.



At the moment, almost 80 per cent of Bakhmut is under the control of the Russian army, and Ukrainian troops are making efforts to keep at least part of the city.



The civilian population was completely evacuated, and most of the blocks of flats and houses of this city were destroyed as a result of the urban fighting.





Hundreds of people die every day in the perimeter of Bakhmut, both from the Russian and Ukrainian battle groups, and hundreds of other soldiers are injured.
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Upon entering the home of Larry Stephens and John Goerlich, visitors might wonder if they are in a home or an art gallery. After 30 years together purchasing paintings, drawings, Asian rugs, antique furniture and statuary, the walls and tabletops are a testimony to the love the couple shares of creativity.

It is not just the images they enjoy, which range from contemporary to abstract with a concentration on human figures. They personally have met and supported the artists wherever they have been living. We think it makes every acquisition that much more special, Goerlich says.

A favorite portion of their collection are works by the late abstract artist Andrew Bucci (1922-2014), whose prolific career spanned nearly eight decades. Out of the hundreds of paintings on their walls, perhaps 25 are the work of Bucci, which is also the honorary name given to the couples labradoodle.

Interestingly, the art has previously hung in a variety of single family homes they have lived in, and renovated. Included were a midcentury modern residence and a Georgian colonial home in Memphis, Tennessee, and a Mediterranean in Jackson, Mississippi.

We have every piece of art we have ever purchased, Stephens says.

The source for other decor such as ceramic art, statuary and lamps has always been auctions and estate sales. Nothing has been purchased new, and the men are proud of their ability to recycle the antique chests and tables that complete the decor.

When they decided to return to St. Louis in July 2019 to be closer to Goerlich's family in Quincy, Illinois, they decided to live in the Central West End. A real estate agent showed Goerlich the unit for sale in the St. Regis, and he made arrangements to purchase it the same day, even though Stephens had not seen it and was out of town.

As soon as I walked in and saw the 9 foot ceilings, the spacious entry parlor with four Ionic columns that matched two Ionic columns on the fireplace mantel and an abundance of windows, I was sold, Goerlich remembers. The fact that we could buy and not rent and keep our equity sealed the deal.

Living on the eighth and top floor also affords the men the luxury of having a wood-burning fireplace in the heart of the Central West End. Their view overlooks the swimming pool and Starlight Room of the Chase Park Plaza, and in summer they enjoy opening the windows and listening to the music wafting up from the Chase pool.

In fact, windows are another defining characteristic of the residence. There are 50 windows in our unit, Goerlich says. We love the abundance of light.

The nearby Chase hotel often overshadows the St. Regis. When I was living in the Central West End and attending Washington University before I met John, I was aware St. Regis was here, and yet I never really paid any attention to it, Stephens recalls.

Designed and built in 1909 by architect Claude Elliot Vrooman, it was inspired by his visits to the elegant St. Regis Hotel in New York City.

The exterior conceals the length Vrooman went to to make it a truly luxurious address. Constructed of three building wings, there are eight floors with a total of 48 residences. However, the entire floor of each wing contains only two apartments, each with a generous 2,700 square feet of living space.

Early residents included David R. Francis, mayor of St. Louis and governor of Missouri and the primary promoter of the 1904 Worlds Fair in St. Louis. John Poelker, another St. Louis mayor, and Firmin Desloge were also residents.

The building was built without a supporting wall inside each residence, so in theory each can be completely open, John says. One neighbor is currently taking down every wall and redesigning the floor plan to their specifications.

Additionally, architect Vrooman made the building virtually fireproof. Studs are steel, floors and ceilings are concrete, and any wood used in construction was wrapped with a metal coating.

The freedom to define their own space has led to several changes the men have made. Walls have been removed, and the ceilings in several rooms that had been lowered by a previous owner have been returned to their original 9-foot height.

When we moved in there were so many rooms and closets we said this was a home with a thousand doors, Goerlich says.

One bath has been updated, and the second is in the planning stage, as is a kitchen remodel. They have also identified a wall that is concealing a window they want to uncover.

We love it here and something inside me wants me to really share the history of the St. Regis with everyone and how great it is to live here, Goerlich says. Then my next thought is that we should keep it a secret.

Larry Stephens and John Goerlich

Ages  Both are 50

Occupations  Goerlich is a financial analysis manager at Express Scripts. Stephens is a certified registered nurse anesthetist at South County Outpatient Endoscopy Services.

Home  Central West End

Family  Married since 2016, they have been together for 30 years. Bucci is a 4-year-old labradoodle appearing as an oversized stuffed toy roaming the residence with a found sock, or his leash in his mouth.

Photo: At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich in the Central West End of St. Louis At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich Video: At Home with Larry Stephens and John Goerlich
Bill McClellan Bill McClellan is a columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Bill McClellan Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

People misplace things. It happens all the time. It has nothing to do with age. That is what I told myself when I misplaced a W-2 form a couple of weeks ago.

I had all of my tax stuff on a table in the basement. Its not a lot of stuff. I have no exotic investments. I have two part-time gigs  this is one of them  and so I have two sets of W-2s. I could only find one. The confounding thing was that I had seen both sets of forms on the table earlier. I had actually looked at them. Im sure of it. Well, I think Im sure.

What could I have done with the missing set? There is no reason I would have carried it away from the table. But I must have. Wouldnt I remember that? I looked everywhere. I couldnt find the forms.

Sometimes I have the sense that I am being gaslighted. Somebody is trying to make me feel like I am losing my grip on reality.

I have felt like that ever since I heard that Everything Everywhere All at Once won the Oscar for best picture. I tried to watch it. I realized very quickly that it was made for people who multitask. They can eat dinner, talk with friends, play a game on the phone, listen to music and watch a movie. Simultaneously. Apparently, those people thought Everything Everywhere All at Once made sense.

I asked my wife if she had messed with the papers on the table in the basement.

No, she said. Did you lose something?

I do not suspect my wife of gaslighting me, but if she were, she wouldnt admit it, would she?

No, I said. Everythings good.

I had a couple of errands to run. One was in Crestwood. I headed south on Big Bend Boulevard toward Laclede Station Road, but I inexplicably made a left turn onto Manchester. What was wrong with me? I figured it was just reflexes kicking in, muscle memory. When I used to take my grandson to piano lessons, I made a left turn onto Manchester. So that explained it. I also knew my mind was still locked on those missing W-2 forms. Youre better than this, I assured myself.

I noticed flashing lights in my rearview mirror. In my younger days, I would have pulled over and then followed the squad car. Maybe it was headed toward something interesting.

But my present self stopped. So did the squad car. Right behind me. A Maplewood police officer approached my car.

I clocked you at 37, he said.

I thought about explaining that there was a traffic light a block away and it was red, probably soon to turn green, and had I proceeded at the proper speed, I would have been almost at the intersection when the light turned yellow. If I sped through it, Id be running the light. If I hit the brakes, I might get rear-ended. So I must have stepped it up a little bit for safetys sake.

Perhaps I should have asked the officer if he remembered the Great Tsunami of 2004. A primitive tribe lived on an island off the coast of Sumatra. Its villages were near the ocean. The scientists figured the tribe had been wiped out and were shocked to discover that the tribe was fine. The people had moved inland to higher ground shortly before the tsunami struck. There had not been a tsunami in generations. How had the primitives known?

An anthropologist who had lived with them said they had senses that modern people no longer possess. They can tell the depth of the water by the feel of their oars as they paddle, he said. They are in tune with nature.

Old drivers are in tune with traffic lights.

I looked at the officer. He probably didnt remember the Great Tsunami of 2004.

I didnt realize I was going so fast, I said.

He took my license back to his squad car. He returned with a ticket. Twelve miles over the limit. The fine was $103.

Stay safe, I said. These are strange times.

I proceeded with my errand and headed home. Slowly. Then I decided to just take care of business. I would pay the ticket. Get that over with. I pulled over and read the back of the ticket. If I wanted to pay by mail or in person, I was directed to the Maplewood Municipal Court offices at 7447 Dale Avenue.

Wait a minute. Maplewood City Hall and the municipal court are on Manchester. I have been there many times as a reporter. I remember when Maplewood wanted to use eminent domain for a redevelopment project just east of Big Bend. Among the properties to be gobbled up was Tiffanys Diner. How could officials be so tone-deaf to the treasures of their own community? On the night the city council debated the proposed development, the crowd opposed to the development spilled out of City Hall and stood on the sidewalks. Motorists passing on Manchester honked in support of the protesters. The city officials relented. It was one of democracys finest hours.

Some time later, I wrote about a custody dispute. The night manager of Tiffanys was fighting with his ex-girlfriend over custody of a dog named Tilly. The ex-girlfriend said to me, How can I get justice when I am up against the night manager of Tiffanys? I wrote that I liked a world in which the night manager of a diner was a man of great influence. He won, by the way, and his influence had nothing to do with it. Neighbors testified it was his dog.

I was momentarily sidetracked by these memories. Why was I being directed to Dale Avenue for a ticket from Maplewood?

The address on Dale turned out to be the Public Safety building for Richmond Heights. That seemed odd. I went to the traffic window and said I wanted to pay a ticket. Richmond Heights or Maplewood? asked the clerk, Maplewood, I said.

From behind a plexiglass window, she pushed a drawer toward me. I put my ticket and a credit card inside, and she retrieved them. She looked at me. You just got this, she said accusingly.

A few minutes ago, I acknowledged.

She pushed the drawer back toward me. It wont be in the system for seven to 10 days, she said.

A young person might have objected. I had the ticket. Neatly typed, computer-generated. Shouldnt it automatically be in the system?

I knew better. I remember 2001: A Space Odyssey. I saw it in 1968 right before I flunked out of the University of Illinios, which was, incidentally, where the villainous computer HAL was supposedly created. That was a movie with a message: Computers are not our friends. I have never forgotten.

Does anybody think that Everything Everywhere All at Once had a message, especially a message that would be recalled decades later?

I went home. I looked  one last time, I told myself  for the missing W-2 forms. They were on the table in the basement.
ST. LOUIS  More than 20 people on Saturday applied to work for St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardners office during a job fair held by her office.

Applicants were vying for non-attorney roles such as investigators, clerks and victim services positions.

Gardners office has struggled for years to hire and retain attorneys, employing now about half the number of prosecutors as when she took office. The embattled prosecutor has for years faced criticism over dysfunction and understaffing in her office, and that criticism came to a head in February when Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey sued to remove her from office.

Staffing levels for non-attorney positions in Gardners office have not been as widely documented as attorney positions, but a former prosecutor noted in her resignation letter earlier this month that the office has struggled with hiring and retaining support staff too.

These vindictive attacks ... didnt just start. I would say its a crescendo of efforts to force her out office or to put the office in such a space where people would leave because of the negative connotations that are associated with what we have been doing and the misreporting and misinformation about the office, Khatib Waheed, director of community engagement and strategic partnerships for Gardners office, told the Post-Dispatch on Saturday.

Waheed oversaw the job fair on the first floor of the Carnahan Courthouse in downtown St. Louis and said no applicants had asked about the pending litigation against the office. But Waheed said he believes without a doubt the offices staffing shortages can be largely attributed to the criticism Gardner has faced during her six years in office.

He also noted the post-COVID labor market in general has created staffing challenges for everyone, from St. Louis police to Amazon.

So we are not the only agency or company in the country experiencing this, Waheed said. Let me put it like this: We are not going to lay down to the challenges in the labor market or the relentless vindictive political attacks on our office.

Lisa Davis, of St. Louis, recently lost her job and attended Saturdays job fair. She told the Post-Dispatch residents voted for Gardner and she believes they need her to stay in office.

We want her to stay here and do her job, she said, noting her son has been incarcerated for 10 years, an his case is being reviewed by the Conviction Integrity Unit, a unit established by Gardner to revisit guilty verdicts to determine if mistakes were made. Gardner established the unit after receiving a federal grant in conjunction with the Midwest Innocence Project.

Davis said she wants to work with victims so she can make their voices heard and advocate for them, ensuring the truth comes out and justice is served correctly.

Theres a lot going on in St. Louis, and I just want to help out the community, she said.

Another attendee, Arnita Norman, said she was ready to put her criminal justice degree to use after years as a housekeeping manager. She said Baileys lawsuit didnt factor into her decision to apply on Saturday.

I am just trying to get in my field for what I went to school for, she said.

Another applicant told the Post-Dispatch hes been busy studying to take the bar exam and wasnt aware of the criticism faced by the circuit attorneys office.

We really want people, whether they are attorneys or support staff, who care about people, who are willing to do the just and right things in spite of any political pressure or adverse circumstances, Waheed said.
ST. LOUIS  St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kimberly M. Gardner responded Friday to a judges threat to hold her in contempt of court by blaming an attorney for not telling her office he had a trial slated to begin while he was on leave.

The filing says prosecutor Alex Polta, who has been on approved leave since early April, failed to warn Gardners office about a murder trial that was set to begin last Monday.

No one attended the first day of trial in Poltas place, and Judge Scott A. Millikan filed an order for Gardners office to show cause for why she should not be held in criminal contempt, arguing: This conduct thwarts and defeats the authority of the Circuit Court of the City of St. Louis.

Despite Gardners claim, the court sends weekly notices for upcoming trials to judges, attorneys and the circuit attorneys office, among others. Mondays trial was not included in an earlier version of the notice, but it was added to the most recent one, sent on April 12.

Gardners filing says her chief warrant officer did not expect the list to be supplemented with new filings for this past Monday.

The embattled prosecutors office has faced years of criticism for organizational dysfunction and understaffing. Cases have been regularly dropped and refiled because prosecutors arent ready for trial, and Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey filed suit in February to remove Gardner from office.

Last week, a trial date was tentatively scheduled for late September in Baileys removal lawsuit.

A court hearing is set for Monday morning on the contempt accusation.

In Gardners contempt response, filed late Friday, she calls for Polta to attend Mondays hearing. Since Gardner was not prosecuting the case herself, the filing argues, she should not be held in contempt of court.

She argues that inaccurate and uncorrected statements from Polta were the primary cause of the CAO not timely realizing this matter was set for trial on April 17 and not having an attorney (either Mr. Polta or someone else) appear for or seek to continue that trial.

Jonathon Jones, 18, was slated to face trial on charges he fatally shot a man in 2021 near the Gateway Arch. The victim, 29-year-old Brandon Scott, was found dead inside a vehicle on the steps leading to the Arch grounds, according to court documents.

Polta told the prosecutors office he was taking leave in early April, but it is unclear whether it was sick or vacation time. He said he had no trials or depositions coming up, according to text messages between Gardner and Chris Hinckley, chief warrant officer for the circuit attorneys office. The texts are included in Gardners response.

Hinckley determined that Polta did have upcoming trials, according to the filing, and contacted him for clarification. Polta provided information about some of the cases but did not mention Jones trial. As far as the circuit attorneys office knew, according to the filing, that trial had been continued.

No one appeared for trial, the filing reads, because, with the possible exception of Mr. Polta, no one in CAO was aware that the trial was still scheduled for Monday. Had anyone known, it says, they would have appeared, designated someone else to appear, or otherwise taken steps to address that trial setting in an appropriate fashion.

Polta declined to comment Saturday afternoon. According to the filing, he plans to be at Mondays contempt hearing.
Children injured or killed by gunfire in the St. Louis area in 2023

Below is the St. Louis Post-Dispatch coverage of children who have been injured or killed by gunfire across the St. Louis metropolitan area in 2023. The children are 17 years old or younger.

Through April 28, reporters have covered at least 19 shootings involving children; nine were fatal.

These are not all the homicides involving children. For more details on local homicides, check the homicide tracker.
ST. LOUIS  Family and friends of a man who died after a police chase on Tuesday held a vigil in Forest Park near the crash on Friday.

Jordan Brown-Garner was honored by his family and friends, who sported his favorite color of red in shirts, pants and shoes and balloons in Forest Park near Jefferson Lake. They remembered the 25-year-old as a beloved father, son and brother who often joked around, but they also called attention to the circumstances of his death.

On Tuesday night, Brown-Garner was driving a Jeep in the 5800 block of Theodosia Avenue. Police say he was driving recklessly and continued to speed away from officers. Two men jumped out of the vehicle; one got away and the other was arrested. The driver, Brown-Garner, later tried to get out of the vehicle while it was moving and was run over near Forest Park Parkway and Union Boulevard, police say. By Wednesday morning, police learned he died at a hospital.

However, his family says they arent buying that story.

It just doesnt make sense. We need the truth, said Brown-Garners mother, Crystal Crump, who noted shes heard different accounts from others about how the crash happened, how police responded and his cause of death. Police say he was hospitalized with a head injury.

The family is awaiting an autopsy and may seek their own to know Brown-Garners cause of death. Meanwhile, family members said they have not been contacted by police. Theyve set his funeral for April 29.

Another question they have, which the citys NAACP also supports seeking answers to, is whether the chase of Brown-Garner was within the departments policy. St. Louis NAACP President Adolphus Pruitt, with whom Crump works, said the vehicle was not stolen, and he wondered why police put out spike strips and summoned helicopters to catch the violators of a traffic offense.

During the chase, a police helicopter tracked the Jeep to Martin Luther King Drive and Union Boulevard, where officers put down spike strips. The Jeep kept going until the two passengers jumped out at the 4100 block of Laclede Avenue to run away, while Brown-Garner kept driving until his crash.

The Post-Dispatch has submitted public records requests for police body camera and police vehicle dashboard footage. Police have denied requests, citing they cannot release them because the investigation is pending.

Kim Bell of the Post-Dispatch contributed to this report.
Insiders who bought Centamin plc (LON:CEY) in the last 12 months may probably not pay attention to the stock's recent 4.7% drop. After accounting for the recent loss, the US$442k worth of shares they purchased is now worth US$485k, suggesting a good return on their investment.

Although we don't think shareholders should simply follow insider transactions, we would consider it foolish to ignore insider transactions altogether.

See our latest analysis for Centamin

Centamin Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The CEO & Executive Director Martin Horgan made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for UK100k worth of shares at a price of UK1.01 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of UK1.04. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. While we always like to see insider buying, it's less meaningful if the purchases were made at much lower prices, as the opportunity they saw may have passed. Happily, the Centamin insiders decided to buy shares at close to current prices.

In the last twelve months Centamin insiders were buying shares, but not selling. You can see a visual depiction of insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last 12 months, below. If you want to know exactly who sold, for how much, and when, simply click on the graph below!

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

Insiders At Centamin Have Bought Stock Recently

Over the last three months, we've seen significant insider buying at Centamin. Overall, two insiders shelled out UK306k for shares in the company -- and none sold. This makes one think the business has some good points.

Insider Ownership

Looking at the total insider shareholdings in a company can help to inform your view of whether they are well aligned with common shareholders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Centamin insiders own about UK11m worth of shares. That equates to 0.9% of the company. While this is a strong but not outstanding level of insider ownership, it's enough to indicate some alignment between management and smaller shareholders.

Story continues

So What Do The Centamin Insider Transactions Indicate?

It is good to see recent purchasing. And the longer term insider transactions also give us confidence. When combined with notable insider ownership, these factors suggest Centamin insiders are well aligned, and that they may think the share price is too low. In addition to knowing about insider transactions going on, it's beneficial to identify the risks facing Centamin. For example - Centamin has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Stop me if youve heard this one: A liberal, a conservative and a populist walk into a bar. The liberal orders a white-wine spritzer and begins ruminating on the sorry state of Americas social safety net. The conservative orders a dry martini and grumbles about his tax bill. The populist orders a Bud Light  then throws it in the bartenders face.

If you dont get it, you must have missed the controversy over Bud Lights marketing campaign featuring transgender activist Dylan Mulvaney. Maybe you were focused on less-important issues like health care or tax policy or the war in Ukraine or some other minutia that isnt nearly as urgent to Fox News Nation as the outrageous decision of a brewer to market its beer by appealing to the inclusive instincts of younger customers.

In any case, a lot of people who call themselves conservatives are coming unglued about woke Bud Light (having apparently moved on from being unglued about woke M&Ms). Its the latest evidence that the old liberal-versus-conservative construct is insufficient to todays political conversation. A third category is needed  one to encompass those who couldnt care less about your civil rights or your entrepreneurial freedom, but who care a great deal about fighting culture-war battles and confronting anything they see as political elitism.

This isnt conservatism, its right-wing populism being served up in a similar mug. And its about as far from Ronald Reagan as Joe Biden is.

Many of todays Republicans, perhaps most of them, arent conservative any more by any standard definition of the word. Conservatism as a political philosophy supports unfettered free enterprise, respect for constitutionalism and federalism, and traditional family values. Please tell me how any of that aligns with crusades like this one, designed to punish corporations for their marketing strategies, or Missouris constitutionally deranged new law presuming to opt out of federal gun restrictions, or Americas porn-star-paying ex-president and current Republican presidential frontrunner.

There are plenty of applicable words for this particular brew of reactionary extremism. Conservative isnt among them.

Ive looked far and wide, and I cant find any traditional definition of conservative that would encompass a political leader who subjects public libraries to a Politburo-like censorship process, as Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft has done. Or a governor who goes on a scorched-earth vendetta against a free-market icon like Disney for opposing his policies, as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has done. Or a political party that attempts to micromanage the medical decisions of millions of Americans, as the Republican Party is currently doing here and around the country regarding abortion rights.

Even in those instances where todays Republican policies appear to line up with actual conservative principles  say, the small-government, hands-off approach Missouri currently takes regarding gun regulation  its conservatism applied selectively. Theres nothing hands-off about what those same Missouri politicians are doing regarding school curriculum, womens health care or transgender issues. Apparently, the principle of keeping government out of peoples lives only applies to people who want to pack heat with no questions asked.

I guess Missouris decades-long failure to adequately fund the states roads and bridges could, in some twisted way, qualify as limited government. If you define that phrase as government not doing its job.

But where is limited government when a state official like Ashcroft uses the power of his elective office to unilaterally substitute his judgment for that of local librarians around the state? This is the same official who launched his gubernatorial bid this month by condemning the recent Missouri gas-tax hike that is the states first serious attempt in a generation to confront its infrastructure crisis. When it comes to governmental priorities, do any regular Missourians  even genuine conservatives  really think that scouring library shelves for objectionable material is more urgent than paving highways?

Theres a second punchline to the Bud Light joke: In response to the right-wing boycott movement that arose over the brewers transgender ad, Donald Trump Jr., of all people, has stepped up to defend the company. No, he wasnt seized with some sudden fit of reasonableness and compassion. He just looked at the numbers and discovered that Anheuser-Busch is a major Republican donor. The National Republican Congressional Committee, facing the same realization, quietly deleted a sneering tweet in which it had declared (in a rare burst of accuracy) that Bud Light tastes like water.

The boycotters are pushing back, maintaining their principled stance of prejudice, apparently having missed the central takeaway from the recent Fox News libel suit: The Republican establishment views its right-wing populists as useful idiots, good for stoking electoral anger but not to the point of impacting the partys bottom line. Some in the GOP, it seems, appear to understand that populism is a watery substitute for conservatism.

Kevin McDermott is a Post-Dispatch columnist and Editorial Board member. On Twitter: @kevinmcdermott. Email: kmcdermott@post-dispatch.com
What happens behind closed doors when officials are meeting unlawfully has long been a concern of this newspaper, particularly because of how rare it is for those officials to face serious consequences for breaking the law. In Oklahoma, a journalist got lots more than he bargained for after deliberately leaving behind a recorder in a public meeting to verify that officials werent following the states open-meetings law. The more-than three-hour recording included talk of lynching Blacks and discussion of ways to contact hit men to kill and bury the journalist.

The journalist is Bruce Wallingham, publisher and editor of the Gazette-News in McCurtain County, Oklahoma. He was covering an open meeting of several county officials but, because of past experience with officials apparently continuing to meet after their public session had adjourned, Wallingham decided to leave his recorder running just to verify. He says he checked with a lawyer to ensure it was legal. When he checked the recording afterward, thats when he heard the shocking back-and-forth among them.

Bizarrely, the officials arent disputing their racist remarks and discussion of killing Wallingham and his son. Rather, theyre upset at being recorded without their consent.

Across the country, people in official capacities have felt emboldened in recent years to say abhorrent things without fear of political repercussions, primarily because Republican commentators and leaders all the way up to former President Donald Trump have made it acceptable, even laudable, to do so. The more they talk this way, the more others feel free do it, which could explain why racially motivated mass shootings, anti-Semitic attacks and other acts of outrage are on the rise.

In the Oklahoma case, McCurtain County Commissioner Mark Jennings was in a public meeting with the county sheriff and two other senior law enforcers. State open meetings law forbids closed-door discussions outside of an official meeting unless the topic is covered under executive-session rules that closely resemble those in Missouri.

The law doesnt list discussion of lynching Blacks or the killing and disposal of journalists as legal topics to justify executive sessions.

In the recording, Jennings says: I know where two deep holes are dug if you ever need them, in reference to Wallingham and his son, reporter Chris Wallingham. The sheriff chimes in about securing an excavator for burial. Jennings says he knows of two or three hit men in Louisiana. They also lament not being able to lynch Black people anymore, with Jennings complaining, They got more rights than we got.

Jennings has resigned. The sheriffs office, however, posted on Facebook that the recording constitutes criminal activity because it was made without the participants consent. Multiple agencies are assisting in this ongoing investigation, the office said, hinting that Wallingham could face felony charges  for exposing the planning of his own murder and the racist views of the officials holding an unlawful meeting.

Only in America.
Ashcrofts logic on trans choices should apply to abortion

Regarding Missouri secretary of state predicts transgender restrictions wont stand (April 19): I couldnt help but notice the inconsistencies in Secretary of State Jay Ashcrofts logic when he shared his assessment about transgender restrictions. According to the article, he said: If you are an adult, you have the capacity to make your own decisions.

With that logic, it stands to reason that Ashcroft would agree that my reproductive health should left up to me as an adult woman  not a matter for politicians determine. After all, they dont know me, my circumstances, or my medical history.

Whether it is reproductive health or transgender medical care, I would like to the politicians to stay out of it. Medical treatment and care decisions are intensely personal matters  matters that are best left to the individual, their loved ones, and their God.

Margaret Welch  St. Louis

The only way Gardner can get a positive outcome is to resign

Regarding the letter to the editor Gardner could turn controversy into a teachable moment (April 18): The writers defense of embattled St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner was unmerited. He states that there are innumerable reasons why jobs dont work out, and the fact that they should not tarnish the person who is involved. But Gardner has been elected twice by the voters of St. Louis and has had plenty of time to work out her problems.

She has unequivocally tarnished her own reputation by her incompetence, inefficiency and ineffectiveness. She has been arguably the worst circuit attorney in the citys history, and the sooner she is replaced, in my opinion, the better all of the citys residents will be.

As for how to turn a negative experience into a positive one: The answer is to simply resign immediately and save the state the expense of taking legal action to force her out. I would then suggest that in the future she get into a new line of work.

Gene Carton  Clayton

Democrat congresswoman reference carries a partisan edge

Regarding Joe Hollemans Political Fix column Campaign report data shows Cori Bush still employing husband (April 19): Holleman referred to U.S. Rep. Bush as a Democrat congresswoman (as opposed to Democratic). I know that Democrat is sometimes used as an adjective, but in todays hyper-partisan climate, it makes Holleman sound like a right-wing member of Congress.

Mike Curran  Florissant

Supreme Court justices should all be asked about banning gifts

When my wife worked for the government, she refused all gifts that were offered to her office on ethical grounds. While I would have enjoyed the Cardinals tickets, I understood and approved of her high standards.

In contrast, it appears some U.S. Supreme Court justices dont share those high standards. In one case, the behavior exceeds the mere appearance of impropriety and borders on outright corruption. Yet news reports suggest there is no interest on the court in establishing ethics requirements.

I propose that each justice be asked to state for the record whether he or she would accept a requirement to abide by the same standards applied to all other judges. If a majority agree, those standards should be immediately implemented. If there is no majority, at least the public would know which justices preferred to keep their ethics secret.

Bob Rose  Ladue

MetroLink understands criticism and shares the frustration

Regarding the letter to the editor Metrolink is in jeopardy of joining other St. Louis failures (April 13): As president and chief executive of Bi-State Development, Id like to say that we hear you and we agree. MetroLink has faced major challenges since last July. Our team shares the frustration of not being able to deliver more frequent service you have come to appreciate.

We will restore MetroLink service to pre-flood schedules. The flash flooding caused $52 million in damage and occurred at a critical location, where the Red and Blue Lines split. Our teams are working around the clock to keep trains moving through the damaged section. Critical communications and signal equipment, fiber optics, elevators, and platform audio announcement systems destroyed in the flooding are in the process of being rebuilt (offsite) to be shipped to St. Louis for installation this summer.

We have been providing public transit for 60 years and are committed to providing a safe, comfortable and on-time experience for years to come. Theres more riding on Metro than people. Metro is important to growing our local economy. MetroLink connects residents to life  work, school, medical appointments and other important and fun destinations.

Despite these challenges, we will continue to modify and improve service. We are changing the fundamental security surrounding MetroLink through the Secure Platform Plan, adding fare gates and doubling cameras on the system. Additional infrastructure work to improve system reliability, new state-of-the-art trains, customer communication systems, a ticketing system with expanded retail network and revitalized stations is underway.

The criticism is fair. But we are moving toward change and improvement  and these efforts will help restore our great region.

Taulby Roach  St. Louis

Read letters online at STLToday.com
MINNEAPOLIS, April 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evangelist Nick Hall will share the Gospel at FTS, the largest university outreach event in history, on April 29. The evangelist, speaker, and founder of Pulse will speak in front of an at-capacity stadium crowd of 60,000 or more.

This is the first time a stadium event of this magnitude will be held at a university campus, and it all started when two University of Oklahoma students named Josh Robinson and Nathan Wong co-founded FTS and dreamed of holding the event many months ago. The student leadership team asked Nick Hall to be the main speaker at the outreach.

Revival started at Asbury University earlier this year, and now were seeing a movement forming again in Oklahoma City with the next generation as they look for hope in a dark world, says Hall. FTS is a place where an entire community can come together in one stadium to hear the Gospel message.

Chance the Rapper will headline this unprecedented event as he crosses the divide between popular culture and a stadium-capacity evangelistic outreach. Kari Jobe, the Grammy-nominated worship artist behind the songs The Blessing and Forever, along with Grammy-winner Chandler Moore from Maverick City, will also perform.

The free event, known as FTS for Fill the Stadium", takes place at the Gaylord FamilyOklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.

Following this stadium outreach in April, Hall will share insights about how to reach the next generation at a high-profile TEDx event to be held in Fargo, North Dakota on July 20. The event will take place at the Fargo Civic Center where Nick will have the opportunity to share the Gospel during an 18-minute TED Talk presentation.

Other speakers at the TEDx event in Fargo include venture capitalist Molly Wood, Harvard student Penelope Hartogensis, and filmmaker William Greenfield.

Hall sees TEDx as a catalyst for another ambitious plan: to reach the entire state of North Dakota with the Gospel, starting with his TEDx talk and into 2024.

Pulse launched in North Dakota back in 2004 through my English paper at NDSU, he says. Before that, my life was impacted through Luis Palaus Mission North Dakota back in 2000. People have been asking us to lead a statewide effort for years, and we are asking if now is the time?

To request interviews with Nick Hall, contact John Brandon at [email protected]

###

About Pulse

Founder and President Nick Hall started Pulse in 2006 on his college campus. Since then, Pulse has seen 318 million people impacted by the Gospel and two million people have responded to Jesus through their initiatives. Pulse is a prayer and evangelism movement on mission to empower the Church and Make Jesus Known. Since Pulses founding, they have linked arms with hundreds of ministries and churches around the world to fuel evangelistic movements. Whether hosting a big outreach event or providing the evangelistic voice at another organizations event, training evangelists on American college campuses, or overseas in Africa, the common goal of everything they do is to share the hope of Jesus. Learn more at www.pulse.org.

About Nick Hall

Nick Hall is on earth to tell people about Jesus. He started a grassroots movement as a college student and has spent the last 20 years traveling the world to meet people where they are and tell them that they matter. As a student at North Dakota State University, Nicks life was changed when he wrote a paper titled Pulse for his English class hoping to combat the depression, substance abuse, and suicide that was impacting his friends and their campus. That paper unleashed one of the largest student-led efforts in American history, launching a nonprofit that exists today. Through Pulse events, Nick has shared a message of hope with over 300 million people around the globe. Everywhere Nick goes, he talks to people about faith and the deeper issues of life, because he knows what it feels like to make mistakes, experience heartbreak, and be alone. One of the goals of Nicks life is to come alongside students who desire to impact their high school or college campus, because thats where this all began. Nick lives in Minneapolis with his wife Tiffany and three children.

John Brandon Pulse / FTS 218-731-4201 [email protected]

Source: FTS
Evangelist Nick Hall will lead FTS, the largest university outreach in history, at the University of Oklahoma on April 29, followed by a speaking engagement at TEDxFARGO on July 20 and plans to reach the state of North Dakota with the Gospel in 2024

MINNEAPOLIS, April 21, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Evangelist Nick Hall will share the Gospel at FTS, the largest university outreach event in history, on April 29. The evangelist, speaker, and founder of Pulse will speak in front of an at-capacity stadium crowd of 60,000 or more.

This is the first time a stadium event of this magnitude will be held at a university campus, and it all started when two University of Oklahoma students named Josh Robinson and Nathan Wong co-founded FTS and dreamed of holding the event many months ago. The student leadership team asked Nick Hall to be the main speaker at the outreach.

Revival started at Asbury University earlier this year, and now were seeing a movement forming again in Oklahoma City with the next generation as they look for hope in a dark world, says Hall. FTS is a place where an entire community can come together in one stadium to hear the Gospel message.

Chance the Rapper will headline this unprecedented event as he crosses the divide between popular culture and a stadium-capacity evangelistic outreach. Kari Jobe, the Grammy-nominated worship artist behind the songs The Blessing and Forever, along with Grammy-winner Chandler Moore from Maverick City, will also perform.

The free event, known as FTS for Fill the Stadium", takes place at the Gaylord FamilyOklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.

Following this stadium outreach in April, Hall will share insights about how to reach the next generation at a high-profile TEDx event to be held in Fargo, North Dakota on July 20. The event will take place at the Fargo Civic Center where Nick will have the opportunity to share the Gospel during an 18-minute TED Talk presentation.

Other speakers at the TEDx event in Fargo include venture capitalist Molly Wood, Harvard student Penelope Hartogensis, and filmmaker William Greenfield.

Hall sees TEDx as a catalyst for another ambitious plan: to reach the entire state of North Dakota with the Gospel, starting with his TEDx talk and into 2024.

Pulse launched in North Dakota back in 2004 through my English paper at NDSU, he says. Before that, my life was impacted through Luis Palaus Mission North Dakota back in 2000. People have been asking us to lead a statewide effort for years, and we are asking if now is the time?

To request interviews with Nick Hall, contact John Brandon at [email protected]

###

About Pulse

Founder and President Nick Hall started Pulse in 2006 on his college campus. Since then, Pulse has seen 318 million people impacted by the Gospel and two million people have responded to Jesus through their initiatives. Pulse is a prayer and evangelism movement on mission to empower the Church and Make Jesus Known. Since Pulses founding, they have linked arms with hundreds of ministries and churches around the world to fuel evangelistic movements. Whether hosting a big outreach event or providing the evangelistic voice at another organizations event, training evangelists on American college campuses, or overseas in Africa, the common goal of everything they do is to share the hope of Jesus. Learn more at www.pulse.org.

About Nick Hall

Nick Hall is on earth to tell people about Jesus. He started a grassroots movement as a college student and has spent the last 20 years traveling the world to meet people where they are and tell them that they matter. As a student at North Dakota State University, Nicks life was changed when he wrote a paper titled Pulse for his English class hoping to combat the depression, substance abuse, and suicide that was impacting his friends and their campus. That paper unleashed one of the largest student-led efforts in American history, launching a nonprofit that exists today. Through Pulse events, Nick has shared a message of hope with over 300 million people around the globe. Everywhere Nick goes, he talks to people about faith and the deeper issues of life, because he knows what it feels like to make mistakes, experience heartbreak, and be alone. One of the goals of Nicks life is to come alongside students who desire to impact their high school or college campus, because thats where this all began. Nick lives in Minneapolis with his wife Tiffany and three children.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - April 21, 2023) - American Aires Inc. (CSE: WIFI) (OTC Pink: AAIRF) (the "Company" or "Aires"), a provider of scientifically-proven EMF modulation technology, announces the resignation of Jacinto Vieira effective immediately.

About American Aires Inc.

American Aires Inc. is a Canadian-based nanotechnology company which has developed proprietary silicon-based microprocessors that reduce the harmful effects of electromagnetic radiation (EMR). The technology was developed by a team of highly accredited scientists and confirmed by independent third-party validation including peer-reviewed studies and publications in scientific journals. Aires' Lifetune products specifically target EMR emitted by consumer electronic devices such as cellphones, computers, baby monitors, and Wi-Fi radiation, including the rapidly expanding next-generation high-speed 5G networks. Aires is listed on the CSE under the ticker 'WIFI' and on the OTCQB under the symbol 'AAIRF'. Learn more at www.airestech.com.

On behalf of the board of directors

Company Contact:

Josh Bruni, CEO

Website: www.airestech.com

Email: [email protected]

Telephone: (415) 707-0102

Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company's application to amend the warrants as herein described. Such forward-looking information reflects management's current beliefs and is based on information currently available to management. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "predicts", "intends", "targets", "aims", "anticipates" or "believes" or variations (including negative variations) of such words and phrases or may be identified by statements to the effect that certain actions "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. A number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause the actual results or performance to materially differ from any future results or performance expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company including, but not limited to regulatory approvals. Certain material assumptions regarding such forward-looking statements may be discussed in this news release. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by securities laws.

No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this news release. The Shares have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States, or to or for the account or benefit of any person in the United States, absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any common shares in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. We seek safe harbour.

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/163425
Paid press release content from The Financial Capital. The StreetInsider.com news staff was not involved in its creation.

Jumpstart aims to make real estate investment more accessible for everyone.



Jumpstart, a company founded in 2017, is proud to announce its new service to help investors run their Airbnb business by leveraging its Airbnb automation. Jumpstart aims to revolutionize how people invest in real estate by offering an all-inclusive solution that automates the entire process of owning Airbnb listings.

Airbnb has become a popular choice for travelers seeking alternative accommodation and hosts seeking an extra source of income. However, owning an Airbnb business can take time and effort. That is why Jumpstart has created its unique Airbnb automation service. With its innovative approach, Jumpstart handles all the day-to-day operations of owning Airbnb listings, including sourcing properties, furnishing properties, and managing bookings.

Jumpstart's service is perfect for anyone looking to invest in real estate and run the business on autopilot. The company's experienced team handles everything, from finding the perfect property to set it up for guests. Investors can sit back and relax while Jumpstart manages their Airbnb business, ensuring maximum returns on investment.

"We are excited to offer our revolutionary service to investors looking to generate passive monthly income through Airbnb automation," said Jumpstart's CEO Travis Arthur. "Our mission is to make real estate investment easy, accessible, and profitable for everyone. With Jumpstart, investors can enjoy the benefits of owning an Airbnb business without the hassle of managing it themselves."

Jumpstart's service is designed to help investors save time, money, and effort. By automating the entire process, investors can focus on other important aspects of their lives while still running their businesses through automation. Jumpstart's service is also cost-effective, with no hidden fees or charges. Investors can rest assured that their investment is in safe hands.

Jumpstart's innovative approach to real estate investment is a game-changer for anyone looking to generate passive monthly income through Airbnb automation. With its all-inclusive solution, investors can relax while Jumpstart takes care of everything. If anyone is looking to invest in real estate and run it on autopilot, Jumpstart is the way to go.

For more information about Jumpstart and its services, visit: https://www.jumpstarrt.com, or contact Travis Arthur at [email protected]

Contact Info:

Name: Travis Arthur

Email: Send Email

Organization: Jumpstart

Website: http://jumpstarrt.com



Release ID: 89095400

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 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- A meeting presided over by Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed the principal role of enterprises in innovation and reaffirmed the government's support for the private sector.

The first meeting of the commission for deepening overall reform of the 20th CPC Central Committee was held in Beijing . Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered a speech at the meeting.

Greater support for enterprises' innovation

The meeting called for strengthening the principal position of enterprises in sci-tech innovation, which it said is a crucial move to deepen structural scientific and technological reform and achieve high-standard self-reliance and strength in science and technology.

It noted that there should be greater support for enterprises' innovation with a focus on national strategies and major demands of industrial development.

These points underpinned what was proposed in Xi's report to the 19th CPC National Congress, which called for developing a market-oriented system for technological innovation where enterprises are the main players and synergy is created through the joint efforts of enterprises, universities and research institutes.

In his report to the 20th CPC National Congress, Xi has once again stressed the principal position of innovation in China's modernization drive.

Deepening reform of state-owned enterprises

Friday's meeting also stressed deepening the reform of state-owned enterprises to build a management system of the state-owned economy with top-level coordination, well-defined rights and obligations, efficient operation and effective supervision.

China's reform of state-owned enterprises has entered a brand new phase after the CPC Central Committee completed a series of major tasks since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, including the recent conclusion of the three-year project.

A document approved by the meeting has established the historical mission and functional position of the state-owned economy in the new era, clarifying the upcoming objectives for the reform of state-owned enterprises.

Energizing the private economy

Noting that the support for the private economy is a consistent principle of the CPC Central Committee, the meeting pledged to optimize the private sector's development environment, remove the institutional barriers that restrict the fair participation of private enterprises in the market competition, and guide private enterprises to find their right positioning in high-quality development through their own reform and development, compliance operation, transformation and upgrading.

It also approved documents on strengthening enterprises' principal position in sci-tech innovation, as well as working rules for the central commission for deepening overall reform and key tasks of the commission in 2023.

This was not the first time that private enterprises and high-quality development were encouraged. During the Two Sessions, when Xi was visiting members of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, he motivated private entrepreneurs to "be bold and shake off the baggage."

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2023-04-22/China-stresses-innovation-reaffirms-support-for-private-sector-1jdmHw7my88/index.html

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cgtn-china-stresses-enterprises-role-in-innovation-reaffirms-support-for-private-sector-301804753.html

SOURCE CGTN
TOKYO , April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- GA technologies Co.,Ltd. Headquarters: Minato-Ku, Tokyo ; CEO: Ryo Higuchi , securities code: 3491; hereinafter referred to as the Companyannounced that the Company has successfully reduced the use of 11.77 million pieces of paper in the past year (April 1st, 2022~ March 31st, 2023 ) 1along with the celebration of Earth day this year2. GA technologies group has been working hard on pushing the digital transformation throughout its workflow as well as for the whole real estate industry in Japan , and as a company that cares about the environment. We also committed ourselves to the goals of sustainability through our daily work. To contribute to the protection of the Earth and its resources is one of our goals.

Key Highlights

GA technologies group saved up to 11.77 million pieces of paper2 in the past year by pushing the progress of digital transformation actively

Along with the enactment of the revisions of laws regarding the digital transformation of contract system in May 2022 announced by Japanese government; The amount of paper saved during our workflow has increased 48% compared to last year.

announced by Japanese government; The amount of paper saved during our workflow has increased 48% compared to last year. The electronictization of applications as well as the digital transformation movement taking place in the real estate industry of Japan is speeding up

1Earth Day (4/22) is a holiday for the purpose of celebrating how humans can take actions to protect our environment and the progress that have been made https://www.earthday.org/earth-day-2023/)

2The number has been calculated based on the corporations those installed our SaaS and the number of pieces of paper they saved by moving the workflow online

Our business value is "Bringing an impression through our service to people and creating a world-leading company by the power of technology & innovation". GA technologies is committed to such a mission and the values of sustainability, and is achieving such goals through our work. By providing BtoB SaaS products to both management companies and real estate brokers in Japan , we are able to facilitate the process of digital transformation of the industry in Japan , making the workflow more efficient and tech-smart.

A good News that is helping push the digital transformation of the Japanese real estate industry is the enactment of the revisions regarding the real estate laws of Japan in May 2022 . Along with the enactment of the laws, all steps regarding a real estate transaction are able to be completed online without the involvement of paper documents nor actual seal signatures. With the strategies we have been taking in our business, we are able to reduce the use of paper significantly. It is a 48% increase compared to last year, which is 11.77 million pieces of paper saved for this year.

We are planning to bring technology into other fields besides real estate in the future. We want to solve not only the issue of the scarce resources of the earth's resources but all kinds of issues exist in this world.

About GA group's businesses and examples

1. About "RENOSY Online Real Estate Marketplace Business"

"RENOSY '' is an online real estate service platform provided by GA technologies that incorporates AI and other cutting-edge technology into its service. It is a one-stop online platform that walks through the entire process of a real estate transaction with the users. Starting from information research to the aftercare after purchasing, RENOSY makes real estate investment easier for our customers. What is more, we have been putting more effort on the acceleration of the digital transformation of the selling step, which allows a total online transaction to be realized.

RENOSY official website: https://www.renosy.com/

2. BtoB SaaS: "Online application reception" system + "Electronic contract" system

We provide BtoB SaaS to both management companies and real estate agencies in Japan developed by our in-house engineering team. Along with the revisions of the real estate laws in Japan which speeds up the digitalization of the real estate transaction process. Thanks to that, the in-house developed online application package provided by ITANDI has contracted successfully with about 500 companies in the industry in Japan in the past 7 monthsBy Janurary, 2023. We are doing the best we could to contribute to the paper free movement in the real estate industry in Japan.

Online application reception system: https://lp.itandibb.com/moushikomi-uketsuke/

Electronic contract system: https://lp.itandibb.com/denshi-keiyaku/

3. Rental management services that reduce the burden on tenants and owners by digitizing occupancy management

RENOSY provides a range of services to both renters and property owners about real estate as a one-stop solution corporation. It is working on the digitization of all kinds of administration processes and procedures, starting from real estate contracts, procedures on both tenants' and owners' sides, procedures on both management companies' and real estate agencies' sides etc. .

Service website: https://www.renosy.com/asset/service/management

4. Shenjumiausuan: The biggest online platform with Japanese properties listings in the Chinese cultural regions3

GA technologies group also owns an online platform targeting overseas investors mainly living in Mainland China, Hong Kong , and Taiwan who are interested in Japanese real estate. The website is the biggest Japanese properties listings website in Mainland China with approximately 4.5 million times of page views, approximately 1.1 million of unique users visits in 2022. It is a service that receives attention from Chinese investors that facilitates the borderless trades between Japan and other countries. It also facilitates the online transformation of real estate companies in Japan.

Service website: https://www.shenjumiaosuan.com/

3Researched by "Shenjumiausuan"

5. Modern Standard: Luxury real estate service

"Modern Standard '' is a service that targets the wealthy class in Japan and provides luxury real estate properties for both rental and selling purposes. It has about 12,500 listings on the website. It is a popular website among investors in Japan . Currently, Modern Standard is speeding its process of digital transformation focusing on the rental property sector.

Service website: https://www.m-standard.co.jp/

Our progress on contributing to the goals of sustainability

GA technologies is committed to the following 6 aspects extended from sustainability values: "Care for the environment", "Contribute to the development of sustainable cities and communities", "Create a save and trustworthy transaction environment", "Create a motivated work environment", "Giving back to the society through sports", and "Strengthen governance , regulatory compliance". We are announcing the progress we have made on paper free movement by the digitalization strategies we have taken, along with the celebration of " Earth Day " on April 22 this year as usual. This is also a regular action we take to celebrate the holiday as a citizen on this plant.

About how GA technologies sustainability goals commitment: https://www.ga-tech.co.jp/sustainability/

About GA technologies Co.,Ltd

Company name: GA technologies Co.,Ltd.

Representative: Ryo Higuchi

Webite link: https://www.ga-tech.co.jp/

Headquarter: 40F of Sumitomo real estate Roppongi Grand Tower , Roppongi 3-2-1, Minato-Ku, Tokyo

Year of founding: March, 2013

Capital fund: 7,243,894,458 yenBy Janurary 2023

Services provided:

Internet real estate marketplace business: RENOSY

BtoB PropTech SaaS development

Group partners: GA technologies group: ITANDI , RENOSY PLUS, Shenjumiausuan and 12 other group companies

Award History:

2020 ~ 2022: Selected as one of the fast-growing enterprise in "FT 1000: High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific" award ; Launch by Financial Times and Statista

and Statista 2022: Ranked in as No. 23 in the "FT 1000: High-Growth Companies Asia-Pacific" award; Launch by Financial Times and Statista

and Statista 2020 ~ 2022: Selected for 3 years consecutively for "Asia Digital Transformation" recognition; Launch by Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Tokyo Stock Exchange (Japan Exchange Group)

and Tokyo Stock Exchange (Japan Exchange Group) 2020~2022: "No.1 Sales performance in the national pre-owned real estate properties sector" researched conducted by Tokyo Shoko Research Ltd

2020 ~ 2021: Selected as best workplaces (middle size corporations) in the Japanese version of "Great Place To Work" Certification; launch by Great Place To Work  Institute Japan

Judy Yu

[email protected]

+81-3-6230-9180

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ga-technologies-group-saved-up-to-11-77-million-pieces-of-paper-in-the-past-year-by-pushing-the-progress-of-digital-transformation-actively-301803923.html

SOURCE GA technologies Co., Ltd.
ATLANTA , April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation presented 15 awards recognizing the best of preservation in Georgia during its 46th annual Preservation Awards ceremony in Atlanta .

Cherry Grove Schoolhouse received the Marguerite Williams Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation, presented annually to the project that has had the greatest impact on preservation in the state.

Cherry Grove Schoolhouse in Washington, Ga. is a rare surviving example of an early 20th century rural African American school building in Georgia . Constructed circa 1910 and in use until 1956, the schoolhouse suffered a long period of deterioration before becoming the center of a preservation initiative. Since its designation as a Place in Peril in 2021, this historic building has been successfully rehabilitated, once again shining brightly in its community.

The historic Fire Hall in Macon , which is now the headquarters for the Historic Macon Foundation, received the Chairman's Award for Excellence in Rehabilitation, presented by the chairman of the Georgia Trust to a person or project of great preservation significance.

Hotel Forty Five in Macon received the Michael L. Starr Award, presented to a project that best exemplifies the highest standards of historic rehabilitation and has a significant impact on the downtown of the city in which it is located.

The Trust presented the Mary Gregory Jewett Award for Lifetime Preservation Service to Susan Kidd of Atlanta for her lifelong career in preservation. The Camille W. Yow Volunteer of the Year Award was given to Christine Lambert of Madison . State Senator John F. Kennedy of Macon received the Senator George Hooks Award, which recognizes excellence in public leadership.

The Trust also presented one award for Excellence in Preservation Service, five awards for Excellence in Rehabilitation, and three awards for Excellence in Stewardship.

Atlanta architect Thomas F. Little , AIA received an award for Excellence in Preservation Service, which recognizes persons, groups, businesses and/or government entities that demonstrate exemplary activities and promotion of awareness in the field of historic preservation.

Excellence in Rehabilitation winners were: 788 Lake Avenue , Atlanta ; Capitol View Apartments , Atlanta ; Oconee Schoolhouse , Athens ; Revival Lofts, Atlanta ; and the Zuber-Jarrell House, Atlanta .

Excellence in Stewardship winners included: Burge Club, Mansfield ; the Lamar -Wallace-Hill House, Augusta; and Westview Abbey and Mausoleum, Atlanta .

"This year's winners represent a tremendous dedication to restoring and revitalizing Georgia's historic buildings and communities," said Mark C. McDonald , president and CEO of the Georgia Trust. "We are proud to honor such deserving projects and individuals."

For over 45 years, the Trust has recognized preservation projects and individuals throughout Georgia who have made significant contributions to the field of historic preservation. Awards are presented on the basis of the contributions of the person or project to the community and/or state and on compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.

Founded in 1973, the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation is one of the country's leading statewide, nonprofit preservation organizations. The Trust works for the preservation and revitalization of Georgia's diverse historic resources and advocates their appreciation, protection and use.

The Georgia Trust generates community revitalization by finding buyers for endangered properties acquired by its Revolving Fund and raises awareness of other endangered historic resources through an annual listing of Georgia's "Places in Peril." The Trust recognizes preservation projects and individuals with its annual Preservation Awards and honors students and young professionals with the Neel Reid Prize and Liz Lyon Fellowship. The Trust offers a variety of educational programs for adults and children, provides technical assistance to property owners and historic communities, advocates for funding, tax incentives and other laws aiding preservation efforts, and manages two house museums in Atlanta ( Rhodes Hall ) and Macon (Hay House).

To learn more about the Georgia Trust and the Preservation Awards, visit www.georgiatrust.org.

EDITOR'S NOTE: More details about each award winner, including hi-res images, can be found at https://www.georgiatrust.org/our-programs/preservation-awards/#awards. Hi-res images of the recipients at the awards ceremony will be available April 24 . Contact Traci Rothwell at [email protected] or 404-885-7802.

Contact:

Traci Clark Rothwell

404.885.7802

[email protected]

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/georgia-trust-for-historic-preservation-presents-15-statewide-preservation-awards-at-ceremony-in-atlanta-301804501.html

SOURCE The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation
Artificial intelligence is hot right now, and crypto scams haven't slowed a bit. And allegedly, some scammers are mashing them up to deceive and swindle would-be investors, including creating a fake AI-generated CEO to try and dupe people.

This week, the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) announced its latest efforts to protect residents from crypto scams, sending cease and desist letters to five companies it claims attempted to profit from the AI hype train.

The agencys latest targets are Maxpread Technologies, Harvest Keeper, Visque Capital, Coinbot, and QuantFundwho the DFPI accused of each offering unqualified securities and making false promises to investors. The DFPI accused the companies of making exaggerated claims about generating high returns using AI for crypto trading, and layered in multi-level marketing tactics to lure in unsuspecting victims.

Scammers like to deceive investors by using phony CEOs, sham algorithms, & Ponzi schemes. Today, we've issued desist and refrain orders to five entities/individuals who violated CA securities laws. For more information: https://t.co/gj13z2OE4G#investing #hyip #Cryptonews pic.twitter.com/MXHPYwVIny  CA Department of Financial Protection & Innovation (@CaliforniaDFPI) April 19, 2023

In addition to trying to scam investors out of money, Maxpread Technologies is alleged to have attempted to trick investors about the identity of the CEO using a fake, AI-generated avatar programmed to recite a script.

Story continues

In a YouTube video posted to its official Maxpread account on April 8, a claimed CEO named Michael Vanes gives an address about the companys launch. But the agency claims that its not a real person; Maxpreads real CEO is actually Jan Gregory, who the company had called its chief marketing officer and corporate brand manager.

A screenshot showing Maxpread's alleged fake, AI-generated CEO. Image: California DFPI

Another company, Harvest Keeper, allegedly hired an actor to play its CEOno AI-generated leaders in sight in that case, although the firm did claim to use AI to maximize crypto trading returns.

Scammers are taking advantage of the recent buzz around artificial intelligence to entice investors into bogus schemes, DFPI Commissioner Clothilde Hewlett said in a statement. We will continue our efforts to protect California consumers and investors by going after these unscrupulous actors.

Labeling them Ponzi schemes, the California regulator said that investors were told that if they invested funds, the companies would use their knowledge, skill, experience, and AI assistance to trade crypto assets and generate incredible profits for investors.

F1 Legend Michael Schumachers Family Threatens Lawsuit Over Faked AI Interview

In each case, these claims are false, the DFPI wrote, saying the companies promised between 0.6% and 4.81% daily returns on investments.

The cease and desist letters are the latest in California regulators actions to stamp out crypto crime in the state. Following the collapse of FTX, the DFPI joined other state regulators in opening an investigation into the cryptocurrency exchange and its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried. In December, the DFPI ordered MyConstant to cease offering select crypto products, as the DFPI prohibited the sale of securities, including its primary lending platform and interest-bearing accounts.

The entities named have been ordered to stop operating in California because they have violated securities law, a DFPI spokesperson told Decrypt. This means no selling or even offering investments like these to California residents.

Although it was targeted by the California agency, the Maxpread Technologies website claims that it and its affiliates do not target customers or operate in the United States. Maxpread, Harvest Keeper, Visque Capital, Coinbot, and QuantFund did not immediately respond to Decrypts requests for comment.
- Unveiling of Exclusive Educational Resources Including Online Community and On-Demand Key Experts To Advance the Orthodontic Community -

BREA, Calif. , April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- With over 60 years of distinguished history in providing the orthodontic community with a breadth of high-quality, innovative products, solutions, and education, today Ormco announces the launch of the Ultima Journey. Focused on driving the success of Damon Ultima treatments, the Ultima Journey takes doctors' efficiency and skills to the next level. The official unveiling will take place at AAO (American Association of Orthodontists) in Chicago, IL , April 21-24, 2023 .

Focused on driving the success of Damon Ultima, the Ultima Journey takes doctors' efficiency & skills to the next level

"Ormco has led numerous industry breakthrough products and features by investing in R&D and innovation. The first true full expression system, Damon Ultima, transforms smiles with virtually no play and faster, more precise finishing.* The Ultima Journey will support doctors to maximize the Damon Ultima benefits for their practices. Ongoing education to improve skills and create beautiful smiles along with creating an online community for orthodontists will only help advance and grow their practices," said Eric Conley , SVP, Orthodontics for Envista.

Advanced modules and resources include:

On-Demand, educational modules led by key experts

Staff training for Damon Ultima proficiency

Key techniques to achieve earlier control and full expression

Tips for streamlining workflows, decreasing chair time, and finishing faster

Insights to differentiate the product to ultimately grow practice

Exclusive discounts on in-person Ormco educational events

FREE peripheral package of Ormco products suggested by Key Experts

Key Experts include:

Dr. Matias Anghileri

Dr. Michael Bicknell

Dr. Todd Bovenizer

Dr. Stuart Frost

"Ormco's Ultima Journey is an exclusive community that encourages doctors to rethink all they know about passive self-ligating (PSL) systems and optimize their practices with Damon Ultima," said Dr. Stuart Frost of Frost & Nichols Orthodontics in Mesa, AZ. "Ormco's continuous investment in advancing how doctors use the world-renowned Damon Ultima System is the reason why I am participating as a key expert showing colleagues how to unlock their Ultima success," he continued.

Along with the Damon Ultima System for self-ligation, Ormco's portfolio includes the Spark Clear Aligner System, Titanium Orthos, Symetri Clear, AOA Lab, Mini Twin, and OrthoPulse Light Accelerated Orthodontics. In addition, as part of the Envista family of companies, Ormco provides doctors with DEXIS IS scanning solutions and Metrex infection prevention solutions. With a portfolio encompassing wire and bracket systems, clear aligners, light accelerated technologies, 2D and 3D imaging, infection prevention, custom appliances, and more  Ormco provides a full gamut of innovations that help doctors improve patients' smiles by leveraging the future of orthodontics.

Learn more at https://ultimajourney.com

About Ormco

Part of the Envista portfolio of brands, Ormco, headquartered in Brea, Calif. , is a global leader and innovator of orthodontic products and solutions to help enhance the lives of its customers and their patients. For 60 years, Ormco has partnered with the orthodontic community to help create over 20 million smiles in over 140 countries. Distinguished products range from twin brackets (Symetri Clear, Titanium Orthos and Mini Diamond) to pioneering self-ligating appliances with the Damon System (including Damon Ultima System and Damon Clear2). The Spark Clear Aligner System is designed to meet the needs of the orthodontist with the TruGEN material and 3D Approver software. Ormco's Insignia Advanced Smile Design provides an all-inclusive customized indirect bonding solution for efficiency through personalization. From personalized service to professional education programs and marketing support, Ormco is committed to helping orthodontists achieve their clinical and practice management objectives. Connect on Facebook at www.facebook.com/myormco and LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/ormco.

*Data on File. OrthoPulse is a registered trademark of Biolux Technology GmbH. Ormco is a distributor of OrthoPulse.

ABOUT ENVISTA HOLDINGS CORPORATION

Envista is a global family of more than 30 trusted dental brands, including Nobel Biocare, Ormco, DEXIS, and Kerr, united by a shared purpose: to partner with professionals to improve lives. Envista helps its customers deliver the best possible patient care through industry-leading dental consumables, solutions, technology, and services. Our comprehensive portfolio, including dental implants and treatment options, orthodontics, and digital imaging technologies, covers a wide range of dentists' clinical needs for diagnosing, treating, and preventing dental conditions as well as improving the aesthetics of the human smile. With a foundation comprised of the proven Envista Business System (EBS) methodology, an experienced leadership team, and a strong culture grounded in continuous improvement, commitment to innovation, and deep customer focus, Envista is well-equipped to meet the end-to-end needs of dental professionals worldwide. Envista is one of the largest global dental products companies, with significant market positions in some of the most attractive segments of the dental products industry. For more information, please visit www.envistaco.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ormco-announces-the-launch-of-the-ultima-journey-301804652.html

SOURCE Ormco Corporation
DUBAI, UAE , April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Portugal has a lot of different immigration options available, from its residency by investment route (the golden visa), its passive income option (the D7 visa), to its newly christened digital nomad visa.

However, there is one option that is tailor-made for businesses that often goes unnoticed - the Portuguese D2 visa.

Overview

The D2 visa is a temporary two-year residency permit available for self-employed people, freelancers, and independent services providers. It allows them and their families to reside, study, and work in Portugal .

It's based on company formation, meaning a person will have to establish a company and actively manage it to maintain their residence. Alternatively, they can also invest in an existing Portuguese company on the condition they take up an active management role.

The D2 visa has no minimum investment amount, but a person should have enough to register a company, make a sensible influx of capital to get it running, and enough money to support themselves for the duration of the visa.

Registering a company in Portugal can cost between 600-1,800, depending on the company type and location. This includes registering the company in the Chamber of Commerce, registering its official name, issuing a tax number, and opening a corporate bank account.

As for the company's capital, the law requires different minimums depending on the type of company. A limited liability company or LDA, is the most popular company type, and it requires a capital share of no less than 5,000.

In terms of maintenance funds, an applicant must show that they have sufficient cash to maintain themselves in Portugal without recourse to public funds for the duration of the D2 visa. As the visa is issued for a year, they will need to prove they have at least 9120 for the applicant, another 4,560 for the spouse, and an additional 2,736 per child. This can be shown in a bank statement to at least cover a period of 12 months.

The D2 is renewed for three years depending on the business's activity and the income it derives, and if that income covers the maintenance fund requirement, then there is no need to show savings upon renewal. However, if the business does not yet make the required income amount, an applicant can simply show savings as proof of funds again.

The low investment threshold for the D2 visa makes it an excellent option for those looking to expand their business into Portugal and, by default, the EU.

The process is as follows:

Register a business in Portugal .

. Open a bank account.

Collect relevant documents, fill out the application, and draft a business plan.

The application and business plan are submitted to the local Portuguese embassy.

Once approved, an applicant gets a 4-month landing visa and travels to Portugal to collect their residence permit.

to collect their residence permit. As long as the business remains active, the visa can be renewed.

Drafting a business plan for an immigration program differs a bit from a traditional one, and a qualified immigration firm can handle the matter on one's behalf. The most important things to consider when drafting a business plan for immigration purposes are the following:

Feasibility and scalability of the business.

Who is financing the business (foreign financing is preferred).

Why Portugal is the destination of choice.

is the destination of choice. An expansion plan.

Added economic value. This is the most important part, as it will highlight how the business will benefit the Portuguese economy and can be done by showing one or more of the following:

How many jobs for locals will the business create?

Export activity of the business.

How the business will attract new businesses to Portugal .

. Whether the business will serve an underdeveloped region.

If the business will increase R&D or innovation.

If the business or the business owner brings specialised knowledge to the Portuguese market.

Whether the business will introduce a new product or service into the Portuguese market.

Achieving at least one of the added economic value criteria would go a long way in helping the applicant get approval.

Once approved, an applicant only needs to highlight the continuity of the business and their role in it to renew their visa. However, to do so, they must reside for at least six months a year in Portugal . After five years of continuous residence, they can apply for permanent residence or citizenship, and their status will then no longer be linked to their business.

An excellent option for Dubai entrepreneurs

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) make up 94% of all enterprises within Dubai ; they also make up a staggering 97% of all enterprises in Portugal and are responsible for about 58% of all turnover and 82% of investment volumes.

Both Dubai and Portugal offer SMEs governmental financial support, the former through its National SME Program, and the latter directly through its government.

Trade between the UAE and the EU is also a major attraction for entrepreneurs, the trade balance between the two economic behemoths averaged almost $53 billion in the past few years.

The D2 provides an excellent financial advantage as an entry point into the EU, as average operating costs in Portugal is lower than other countries in the EU. In fact, it is 38% lower than that in the French market, and this allows for greater financial savings.

The low operating costs also allow Dubai entrepreneurs to shift some of their operations to Portugal , as the average salary for highly skilled workers in Dubai (71,743 per year) is much higher than that of Portugal (39,200 per year), almost 46% higher to give the matter some more context.

The UAE and Portugal already have a double taxation treaty in place, and an entrepreneur can structure their taxes in the most beneficial way to save money for their company.

To know more about the D2 or other immigration routes to Portugal , visit www.savoryandpartners.com or email [email protected].

Savory & Partners is an accredited agent for multiple governments where citizenship by investment is offered with coverage in over 20 jurisdictions including Europe and was the first firm to obtain all five authorised agent licenses for the governments of the Caribbean Islands . To date it has processed second passports for over 4,000 citizens with a 100 percent success rate.

Contact:

For more information, please send an email to [email protected]. You can also call +971 04 430 1717 or send a WhatsApp message to +971 54 440 2955.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/savory-and-partners-the-portuguese-d2-visa---allowing-uae-entrepreneurs-to-expand-into-the-eu-seamlessly-301794561.html

SOURCE Savory & Partners
BAMAKO (Reuters) -At least nine people were killed and more than 60 wounded when a triple suicide bomb attack destroyed about 20 buildings in the central Mali town of Sevare early on Saturday, a spokesperson for the regional governor said.

All of those killed and wounded in Saturday's blasts were civilians, Yacouba Maiga, the spokesperson, told Reuters by phone. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.

Mali is the epicentre of a violent insurgency that took root in its arid north following a Tuareg separatist rebellion in 2012, and Sevare is home to a major Mali military base and troops from the U.N. mission in Mali.

Since the rebellion, militants with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State have spread to countries in the Sahel region south of the Sahara and more recently to coastal states, seizing territory, killing thousands and uprooting millions in the process.

Images shared on social media showed several buildings including a petrol station destroyed by the blast, as well as injured people being given assistance. Reuters could not independently verify the images.

The attack comes two days after the chief of staff of Mali's interim president, and three others were killed in an ambush.

Earlier on Saturday, the West African country's government said in a statement read on national television that "a terrorist attack" had been stopped by the army in Sevare.

"Three vehicles filled with explosives were destroyed by army drone fire," the statement said, without giving further details on casualties.

Separately on Saturday, the Malian army said in a statement that a military helicopter returning from a mission had crashed in a residential neighbourhood in the capital, Bamako, and that it was assessing the crash site.

(Reporting by Tiemoko Diallo Writing by Bate FelixEditing by Mark Heinrich and Helen Popper)
Tara Tahbaz, daughter of Iranian-American environmentalist Morad Tahbaz, who is held in Irans Evin prison and also has British nationality, looks on before an interview with Reuters in Madrid, Spain, April 22, 2023. REUTERS/Juan Medina

MADRID (Reuters) - The daughter of an environmentalist imprisoned by Iran said on Saturday she had lost confidence in U.S. President Joe Biden's efforts to free her father.

Morad Tahbaz, an Iranian-American who also holds British citizenship, has served five years of a 10-year sentence after being convicted of spying.

He was briefly released to house arrest with an electronic tag in March 2022 when two other dual nationals, including British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, were allowed to leave Iran.

In July his lawyer was quoted as saying he had been granted bail, but his daughter said he was now back in jail.

"I think being told since Biden has taken office that our loved ones are a priority, and then seeing no action - it is hard to hold hope," Tara Tahbaz told Reuters in Madrid while she was visiting from the United States to see relatives.

She said her family and the relatives of two other U.S. prisoners in Iran hoped Biden would grant them time to explain their stories at a meeting in Washington scheduled for next month.

She said her father, now 67, suffered from prostate cancer and had had COVID-19 three times in jail.

The United States has urged Iran to release Tahbaz and two other citizens, Emad Shargi and Siamak Namazi, who are all imprisoned on espionage charges that Washington says are baseless.

U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel tweeted on Saturday: "We once again call on Iran to cease unjustly imprisoning foreign nationals for use as political leverage and to release U.S. citizens Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, and Siamak Namazi."

Namazi, an oil executive, was jailed for 10 years in 2016 on charges of spying and cooperating with the U.S. government. Shargi was convicted in 2021 and also sentenced to 10 years.

(Reporting by Graham Keeley, Catherine MacDonald, Guillermo Martinez; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
FILE PHOTO: A Chinese Coast Guard vessel is pictured near the Philippine-occupied Thitu Island, in the disputed Spratly Islands, South China Sea, March 9, 2023. REUTERS/Eloisa Lopez

By Neil Jerome Morales

MANILA (Reuters) -Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr and his foreign secretary met Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Saturday with Manila and Beijing pledging to work together to resolve their maritime differences in the South China Sea.

Talks between the countries' key officials in Manila mark the latest in a series of high-level meetings of the Philippines with leaders of the United States and China as the two superpowers battle for strategic advantage in the Indo-Pacific.

"As to the conflicts, we agreed to establish more lines of communications so that any event that occurs in the West Philippine Sea that involves China and the Philippines can immediately be resolved," Marcos said in a statement. Manila refers to the part of the South China Sea that it claims as the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos said Qin's visit was helpful in talking things through and continuing work on growing the relationship between the two neighbours.

Both sides must ensure that bilateral relations continue to develop along a healthy and stable track, Qin told Marcos, according to a Chinese foreign ministry statement.

"Interferences" must be eliminated, Qin said.

Qin and his counterpart, Philippines' Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, discussed views on strategic and regional issues during bilateral talks that started earlier on Saturday.

China's ambassador to the Philippines last week caused a stir when he accused the Southeast Asian nation of "stoking the fire" of regional tensions by offering expanded military base access to the United States, which he accused of interfering.

The Philippines this month announced the location of four additional U.S. military bases, three of which are facing north towards Taiwan, which China claims as its own.

Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines' adherence to the One China Policy, while at the same time expressing concern over the escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait.

Manila's foreign minister said relations with Beijing are more than just their differences over the South China Sea, which sees the passage of about $3 trillion worth of ship-borne goods annually and is believed to be rich in minerals and oil-and-gas deposits.

"These differences should not prevent us from seeking ways of managing them effectively, especially with respect to enjoyment of rights of Filipinos, especially fishermen," Manalo said, adding that their livelihoods are undermined by incidents and actions in the waterway.

Since Marcos took office in June, the Philippines has filed dozens of diplomatic protests at the presence of Chinese fishing vessels and what it calls China's "aggressive actions" in the strategic waterway.

Marcos is set to meet U.S. President Joe Biden in Washington in May, days after more than 17,000 Philippine and U.S. soldiers complete their largest ever joint military drills in the Southeast Asian country, drawing criticism from Beijing.

(Reporting by Neil Jerome Morales; additional reporting by Ryan Woo in Beijing; Editing by Kanupriya Kapoor, William Mallard and Clelia Oziel)
Internally displaced Congolese Muslim women attend Eid al-Fitr prayers in the Munigi camp site near Goma in the North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, April 21, 2023. REUTERS/Arlette Bashizi

By Djaffar Al Katanty

GOMA (Reuters) - Young Muslims go from tent to tent at a camp for displaced people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, their arms laden with bags of rice, beans and fish, gifts to mark the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

More than a million people have fled fighting between rebels from the M23 armed group and government forces in North Kivu province since March 2022. At the Munigi camp in the compound of a mosque outside the city of Goma, hundreds live in makeshift tents crowned by rugs or plastic sheets to keep out the rain.

Maisara Abdu, a 26-year-old displaced Muslim woman had given up celebrating the Eid holiday with her five children for lack of funds. But last week's food donations changed that. Eid marks the end of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during sunlight hours, when Muslims fast during sunlight hours.

"We were waiting for a miracle from God. We were waiting for his will to be done; and now look, they are bringing us food. We are happy, we thank God," she said.

In other parts of Congo, including the north-east, relations between Christians and Muslims have deteriorated following an increase in attacks by the Ugandan ADF rebel force, affiliated with the Islamic State group. But in the Munigi camp people of both religions live side by side.

Francine Mapendo, Abdu's neighbour, is Catholic, but she received the same gift for Eid.

"Even we Christians have benefited and we thank them very much. May God bless them abundantly," she said.

(Writing by Sonia Rolley; Editing by Edward McAllister and Aurora Ellis)
VILNIUS (Reuters) -A first batch of Russian fertilizer which Latvia seized last year is being shipped to Kenya by the United Nations' World Food Programme, Latvia's Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

Russia has cited the seizure as a key stumbling block to its continued participation in a Black Sea grains deal that allows Ukraine to export grains.

A vessel left the port of Riga on Friday with part of the 200,000 tonnes of seized fertilizer, the ministry said.

Several more vessels are due to transport the rest of the fertilizer which was seized in March 2022, a ministry spokesperson said.

Russia has indicated that it will not allow the Black Sea export deal which was brokered by the U.N. and Turkey in July, 2022, to continue beyond May 18 because a list of demands to facilitate its own grain and fertilizer exports have not been met.

Russia's foreign ministry has repeatedly named fertilizers stuck in Baltic Sea ports as one of the key stumbling blocks to continuing the deal.

The Latvian government described the shipments as a "donation" which it facilitated as "support for the countries that have been affected by the food crisis triggered by Russias war on Ukraine".

It was not immediately clear if Russia was satisfied with the shipment, or if it would boost chances of an extension of the grains deal.

The move comes ahead of a meeting in New York next week between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to discuss the grains deal, among other issues.

Lavrov has said nothing has been done to address Russia's concerns.

Most of the fertilizer seized in Latvia is owned by Uralchem and Uralkali, according to market sources and data seen by Reuters.

The companies used to be controlled by Russian oligarch Dmitry Mazepin, who gave up control last year after the European Union sanctioned him in March 2022 as "a member of the closest circle of Vladimir Putin".

The Uralchem-Uralkali Group said in February it intended to donate more than 34,000 tonnes of fertilizer stored in Latvia to Kenya.

(Reporting by Andrius Sytas in Vilnius and Dmitry Zhdannikov; editing by Jason Neely)
People gather to get bread during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum North, Sudan, April 22, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah

By Khalid Abdelaziz, Nafisa Eltahir and Aidan Lewis

KHARTOUM (Reuters) - The U.S. military evacuated American government personnel from Khartoum, President Joe Biden said on Saturday, adding that Washington is suspending operations at its embassy there as fighting between Sudan's rival commanders continued.

"This tragic violence in Sudan has already cost the lives of hundreds of innocent civilians," Biden said in a statement. "It's unconscionable and it must stop."

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement that "all U.S. personnel and their dependents" have been safely evacuated and that the U.S. will continue to assist Americans in Sudan in planning for their own safety.

All U.S. government personnel and a small number of diplomatic personnel from other countries were evacuated in the operation, which removed fewer than 100 people, U.S. officials said.

Just over 100 U.S. special operations forces were involved in the evacuation, entering and exiting Sudan without being fired upon by the warring factions on the ground, U.S. military officials said.

Other foreign nationals began evacuating from a Red Sea port in Sudan on Saturday. Japan's TBS news reported that the United Nations staff members including Japanese nationals and their families would be evacuated from Sudan as early as Sunday.

The bloody onslaught of urban warfare has trapped large numbers in the Sudanese capital, disabling the airport and rendering some roads impassable.

The U.N. and foreign states have urged rival military leaders to honour declared ceasefires that have mostly been ignored, and to open safe passage for fleeing civilians and the supply of badly needed aid.

Sudan's sudden collapse into warfare dashed plans to restore civilian rule, brought an already impoverished country to the brink of humanitarian disaster and threatened a wider conflict that could draw in outside powers, four years after the overthrow of long-ruling autocrat Omar al-Bashir in a popular uprising.

With the airport closed and skies unsafe, thousands of foreigners - including embassy staff, aid workers and students in Khartoum and elsewhere in Africa's third largest country - have also been unable to get out.

Saudi Arabia has evacuated Gulf citizens from Port Sudan on the Red Sea, 650 km (400 miles) from Khartoum. Jordan will use the same route for its nationals.

'HOURS OF TERROR'

Western countries are expected to send planes for their citizens from Djibouti, though the Sudanese army has said airports in Khartoum and Darfur's biggest city, Nyala, are problematic and it was not clear when that might be possible.

The army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the rival RSF, headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, have failed to observe ceasefires agreed almost daily since hostilities broke out on April 15.

Saturday's fighting breached what was meant to be a three-day truce from Friday to allow citizens to reach safety and visit family during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Each side accused the other of not respecting the truce.

"I don't have a problem with the ceasefire," Hemedti told Al Arabiya TV late on Saturday. The army "did not respect it. If they respect it, so will we."

Any let-up in fighting could accelerate a desperate rush to flee by many Khartoum residents, after days trapped in homes or districts under bombardment and with fighters roaming the streets.

Residents of Khartoum and the adjoining cities of Omdurman and Bahri reported air strikes near the state broadcaster and battles in several areas including near the army headquarters.

One Bahri resident said there had been no water or electricity for a week and frequent air strikes. "We are waiting for the big fight. We are terrified of what's coming," she said, messaging later: "It's started."

TV feeds showed a huge cloud of black smoke rising from Khartoum airport.

Medecins Sans Frontieres appealed for safe passage. "We need ports of entry where we can bring specialist trauma staff and medical supplies," said Abdalla Hussein, Sudan operations manager for the medical charity.

The Sudanese doctors union said more than two-thirds of hospitals in conflict areas were out of service, with 32 forcibly evacuated by soldiers or caught in crossfire.

HUMANITARIAN RISK

Beyond Khartoum, reports of the worst violence have come from Darfur, a western region that suffered a conflict which escalated from 2003 leaving 300,000 people dead and 2.7 million displaced.

A U.N. update on Saturday said looters had taken at least 10 World Food Programme vehicles and six other food trucks after overrunning the agency's offices and warehouses in Nyala, south Darfur.

There has been no sign that either side can secure a quick victory or is ready to talk. The army has air power but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas.

Burhan said on Saturday that "we all need to sit as Sudanese and find the right way out to return hope and life," his most conciliatory comments since fighting began.

Earlier in the clashes, he declared the RSF a rebel force, ordered it to be disbanded, and said a military solution was the only option. Hemedti said on Saturday he could not negotiate with Burhan.

Since Bashir's overthrow and after a 2021 coup, Burhan and Hemedti held the top positions on a ruling council that was meant to hand over to civilian rule and merge the RSF into the army.

The World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people had been killed and 3,551 injured since fighting broke out. The death toll includes at least five aid workers in a country reliant on food aid.

(Reporting by Khalid Abdelaziz in Khartoum, Nafisa Eltahir, Ahmed Tolba, Hatem Maher and Aidan Lewis in Cairo, Giulia Paravicini in Nairobi and Daphne Psaledakis in Washington; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel, Frances Kerry and Jonathan Oatis)
A man swims in a canal as temperatures hit a record 45.4 degrees Celsius (113.7 Fahrenheit) in Bangkok, Thailand, April 22, 2023. REUTERS/Chalinee Thirasupa

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai authorities on Saturday warned residents across large swathes of country, including the capital Bangkok, to avoid going outdoors due to extreme heat.

Parts of Asia are reporting extreme heat this month, with record-breaking temperatures seen in some countries. In Bangladesh and parts of India, extreme heat is leading to surge in power demand, causing power cuts and shortages for millions of people.

In the Bagna district of Bangkok, the temperature reached 42 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit), while the heat index - which includes relative humidity and measures what the temperature feels like - hit a record 54 C (129 F), according to the meteorological department.

Authorities warned residents to avoid outdoor activities and be wary of the danger of heat stroke.

"Sometimes, I take refuge in the 7-11 convenience store... to escape the heat," Amporn Supasert, 67, a grilled chicken vendor in Bangkok, said.

Thailand's department of disaster prevention and mitigation said that temperatures will exceed 40 C in at least 28 provinces on Saturday.

Recent extreme heat has smashed electricity consumption records, with the country consuming more than 39,000 megawatts on April 6, surpassing the previous record of 32,000 megawatts in April last year, government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri said.

"What is happening right now is caused by climate change, influencing abnormal (weather) and a phenomenon that is called extreme weather," Mathinee Yucharoen, a researcher of coastal oceanography and climate change at Prince of Songkhla University, told Reuters.

(This story has been corrected to fix temperature and heat index values in paragraph 3)

(Reporting by Panu Wongcha-um, Juarawee Kittisilpa and Napat Wesshasartar; Editing by Kim Coghill)
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Zuercher Kantonalbank (ZKB) bank is seen at its headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland September 24, 2020. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

(Reuters) -Swiss lender Zuercher Kantonalbank, known locally as ZKB, has held takeover talks with GAM Holding AG, the Financial Times reported on Saturday, citing people familiar with the matter.

ZKB is one of several companies considering a purchase of Zurich-headquartered asset manager GAM, the newspaper said. London-listed Liontrust Asset Management said earlier this week it was discussing a potential merger of its investment management unit with GAM.

In an emailed statement, ZKB declined to comment on whether takeover talks had taken place with GAM, but said the company was "constantly examining opportunities within its business development strategy".

GAM, which has lost over 95% of its value following a bond fund scandal in 2018, is now looking for a buyer.

It has delayed its 2022 results presentation until April 25 to give it more time to prepare an update on a strategic review, which it is due to give on the same day.

According to the Financial Times report, Z Capital Group, a New York-based investment firm, is also interested in buying GAM.

GAM and Z Capital did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

(Reporting by Gokul Pisharody in BengaluruEditing by Helen Popper and Jason Neely)
Burdened with a staggering amount of student debt and limited job skills, more people in the U.S. believe getting a college degree may no longer be the hallowed cornerstone of the American dream that it once was.

In fact, 42% of Americans with a four-year degree said it wasnt worth it, according to a recent Wall Street Journal poll. This is 10 percentage points higher than previous years.

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Here's how much money the average middle-class American household makes  how do you stack up?

If you owe $25K+ in student loans, there are ways to pay them off faster

So, with more Americans feeling more skeptical over the benefits of higher education, their next might be diving straight into the job market.

But how do you compete with other prospective employees who do have those academic credentials?

Americans are skeptical about the importance of higher education

The survey also revealed that 56% of Americans think earning a college degree is a bad bet, since graduates often find themselves floundering in the aftermath without specific job skills and a large amount of debt to pay off.

This skepticism seems to be strongest among those aged 18 to 34, which could signal an important turning point in the sustainability of higher education for future generations.

Undergraduate college enrollment dropped 5.7% from fall 2019 to fall 2022, according to a 2023 report from the National Student Clearinghouse.

Ted Mitchell, the president of the American Council on Education, told the Wall Street Journal the surveys findings indicate higher education institutions need to adapt to the changing labor landscape.

These findings are indeed sobering for all of us in higher education, and in some ways, a wake-up call.

He points to the $1.7 trillion owed in student debt for causing this general shift in attitude. Borrowers also typically take 20 years on average to pay off their student loans, according to research group Education Data Initiative.

Story continues

The 64% graduation rate at four-year colleges might be giving Americans some pause as well  not everyone who attends college actually finishes their degree.

In addition, some employers are doing away with the four-year degree requirements altogether in their job descriptions to cope with the tight labor market. Even big businesses like Google and IBM have been focusing on skills and experience rather than college credentials in some of their entry-level job postings.

Heres how to use your skills and experience to stand out.

Read more: This millionaire YouTube star says making $200K should be easy 'if you are smart about it'  3 simple ways to actually boost your income

How to get the job without a degree

1. Polish up your resume

Your first step is to clean up your resume to impress recruiters. Update your LinkedIn profile, and tailor your resume with key words and highlight relevant experience to best meet the job posting youre applying for.

And while toiling away at college for four years might not be your thing, look into certificate programs, vocational education and trade schools and any other resources that may be available.

Consider getting some volunteer experience in the industry of your choosing as well  youll gain some useful skills and perhaps some industry contacts to build your network too.

2. Start networking

Another important step toward securing your dream job is to build your network of contacts.

If you are a veteran of your industry, make full use of the contacts you have if you find yourself back in the job market.

Networking will expose you to potential opportunities, enhance your visibility to potential employers and help you gain useful insight into the industry or role you are interested in.

This could be as simple as sending someone a LinkedIn invite, or attending industry events and job fairs.

And sustain your relationships with former employers, mentors and coworkers. This can be incredibly useful if youre in need of a reference or recommendation.

3. Do some job shadowing

One of the best ways to learn is, of course, on-the-job. Reach out to an industry professional or a company youre interested in working at, and politely request to shadow an employee for a short period of time.

Some companies may feature a job shadowing application form on their website, or you can find a company representative to email.

And dont be afraid to ask questions as you shadow the employee  like asking them to describe their typical day at work, what they like or dislike about the job or what opportunities for growth are available.

What to read next

This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
NAIROBI - Over recent years, Russia's paramilitary Wagner Group has established close ties with Sudan's security forces and sought to exploit these connections to advance Moscow's economic and military interests, including lucrative gold mining concessions and arms deals.

Inside Sudan, Wagner has previously provided equipment and training to the security forces, advised government leaders, and conducted information operations, according to a leaked U.S. intelligence document seen by The Washington Post.

But the outbreak of intense fighting last weekend between forces led by rival Sudanese generals, which has rocked the country and killed at least 400 people, has presented Moscow and its Kremlin-backed mercenaries with an urgent dilemma. They have a great deal to lose if they back the wrong side.

And even if they sit out the conflict, Sudan's collapse could represent a major setback for them. At stake is a reliable alliance, between two countries at odds with the West, that has not only yielded gold business and arms deals but also the prospect of a strategic Russian naval base on the Red Sea at Port Sudan. During a visit to the Sudanese capital Khartoum in February, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov discussed the base with Sudan's leaders and the goal of completing it by the end of 2023, according to a U.S. intelligence document, part of the Discord document trove allegedly leaked online by a member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard.

So far, there are no confirmed reports that Wagner personnel are directly involved in the fighting. But several sources say that a Libyan militia with close ties to Wagner sent supplies to Sudanese forces led by Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo - widely known by his nickname, Hemedti - who heads the heavily armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, or RSF. The RSF denied having any ties with Wagner in a tweet on Saturday, saying the army was linked to the group.

The conflict pits Hemedti against Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is the head of Sudan's military and de facto head of state. Hemedti and Burhan had joined forces in 2021 in a coup that brought down a joint civilian-military government. But their rivalries have festered, inflamed by disagreements over power sharing and a timeline to integrate Hemedti's forces into the national army.

In recent days, Hemedti's RSF has received at least 30 tankers of fuel and at least one shipment of military supplies from one of Libyan warlord Khalifa Hifter's sons, according to Libyan and diplomatic officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information. Hifter's forces have denied making these shipments.

If military supplies were going to the RSF, Wagner would know, because Hifter relies on Wagner personnel to help tightly control his equipment and ammunition to avoid pilfering or looting, said Anas El Gomati, who founded Libyan think tank the Sadeq Institute.

Both the RSF and Wagner have a long history with Hifter's militia, Gomati said. Hemedti has previously sent his RSF forces to Libya to fight on behalf of Hifter, along with Wagner mercenaries. And in 2021 and 2022, Wagner personnel based in Libyan territory controlled by Hifter conducted live ammunition training with RSF forces, he said, citing reports from witnesses in the area. Wagner values its ties with the RSF, in part, to secure a route through Sudan for the company's growing logistics hub in Libya, which links Middle East and Europe with Africa battlefields in Mali and the Central African Republic, he said.

But now, lending support to the RSF could come with a high price for both Russia and Hifter.

Within the leadership of the Hifter's Libyan National Army, there is growing concern that such support could jeopardize its relations with Egypt, a longtime backer of both Hifter and the Sudanese military chief Burhan. On Thursday, Hifter spoke by telephone with a general from the Egyptian military intelligence agency and pledged that support for the RSF would stop immediately, said a Libyan official briefed on the events.

Russia also has much to lose if it arms the wrong side, according to a Western diplomat who follows the subject closely. At the moment, the RSF looks to be weaker than the military, which has air power that Hemedti's forces lack, the diplomat said.

Wagner's founder, Russian oligarch Yevgeniy Prigozhin, said in a statement posted on Telegram that no one linked to Wagner had been present in Sudan for two years and Wagner had had no contact with either of the two warring leaders "for a long time." Prigozhin also offered to mediate the Sudanese crisis, saying he has long-standing ties with the country and communicates with all the decision-makers.

"I'm always ready to help Sudan," he said in a letter posted on Telegram. "The U.N. and many others want Sudanese blood, and I want peace for the Sudanese people. . . . What is happening now in Sudan is not what we trained the Sudanese to hold arms for. We trained them to defend their borders."

Wagner operatives have been present in Sudan since 2017, according to Suliman Baldo, founder of Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker. The group had originally come to provide military training and dealt with both the military and the RSF, Baldo said.

Before long, a Sudanese company connected to Prigozhin gained gold mining concessions and government approval for a gold processing facility in central Sudan, and Hemedti's forces provided security for the operations. In 2020, the U.S. government imposed sanctions on two companies based in Sudan, M Invest and its subsidiary Meroe Gold, which ran the gold processing facility, saying the firms helped Prigozhin "evade sanctions and transact in U.S. dollars despite being blocked from the U.S. financial system." Meroe Gold could not be reached for comment.

Prigozhin has dismissed questions about Wagner benefiting from gold in Sudan as nonsense, saying "There is no industrially interesting gold in Sudan" and no large profits to be made.

Hemedti further cultivated his relationship with Russia. He visited Moscow on the eve of the invasion of Ukraine and then upon returning to Sudan promoted bilateral ties between the two countries and specifically the development of the Russian naval base in Port Sudan. The base was to house 300 people and would accommodate four navy ships, including nuclear-powered vessels, the Associated Press reported. In return, Russia would supply Sudan with weapons and other military equipment.

Burhan and Hemedti both discussed the base with Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, in February during his Khartoum visit. Port Sudan is now firmly in the hands of Sudan's military.

- - -

Bennett reported from Washington and Dixon from Riga, Lativa. The Washington Post's Natalia Abbakumova in Riga and Hafiz Haroun in Nairobi contributed to this report.
One of only two remaining survivors of the sinking of the USS Arizona on Dec. 7, 1941, died Friday in Provo, Utah, the National Park Service announced that day.

Howard Ken Potts had turned 102 last week.

His death leaves Lou Conter, 101, the only remaining survivor out of the 335 men who escaped the inferno that enveloped the battleship that sank to the bottom of Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, during the surprise attack.

The attack took the lives of 1,177 sailors and Marines on the Arizona, the single greatest loss of life on any U.S. warship. The submerged shipwreck is now the site of the USS Arizona Memorial, which draws almost 2 million visitors each year.

The Park Service said in a news release Friday that it had authorized the flag over the memorial to be flown at half-staff through April 28 to honor Potts.

Potts was born and raised in Honey Bend, Ill., from where at age 18 he enlisted in the Navy on Oct. 4, 1939. He was assigned to the USS Arizona  his first and only ship during his enlistment  on Dec. 31, 1939, working as a crane operator.

Potts was ashore on nearby Ford Island when the attack commenced just before 8 a.m. that Sunday morning in 1941.

Attempting to navigate through the flaming harbor, Potts and other crewmen pulled men from the water and took them to shore on Ford Island, the Park Service news release said.

My best day in the Navy is when I survived December 7th, 1941; it was also my worst day, Potts told photographer D. Clarke Evans in a 2014 interview.

When the officer gave the command to abandon ship, some went hand-over-hand on those lines to Ford Island and others swam, Potts said in the interview. The fact that Ford Island was there, saved a lot of lives.

All the guns and ammunition were locked up when we were in port. I learned one thing on Dec. 7: a gun is no good without ammunition and you cant do much fighting. When I was on Ford Island, I found a Colt .45 pistol and I carried it with me until the end of the war.

Potts was subsequently assigned to the port directors office, where he served until the end of the war.

In civilian life he worked as an auto salesman. He had lived in Provo the past 56 years with his wife, Doris, who survives him, the Park Service said.
LISBON  Portugal's president welcomed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties with his country's natural partner in the European Union.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Portugal is home to over 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

During his first joint press conference with Sousa, Lula avoided feeding the controversy regarding his recent comments about Western military aid fueling Ukraine and Russia's conflict.

"My country took the decision long ago to condemn Russia for the occupation of the space and violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the first days, and we have voted in the U.N. in this regard," he said.

The Brazilian leader reiterated his proposal that a group of nations including Brazil mediate a peaceful resolution to the war.

"I never equaled both countries, because I know what an invasion is and what territorial integrity is. And all of us think Russia is wrong and we already condemned it in every UN decision", he stated. The trip is Lula's first to a European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October. While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration. The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016 when Michel Temer was Brazil's president, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip. The event will be the setting for the signing of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Lula's itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honor renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraer's factory near Lisbon.

Carla Bridi contributed from Brasilia and Raquel Redondo from Madrid.
BELGRADE, Serbia  The populist leaders of Serbia and Hungary observed a Serbian military exercise Saturday, an event seen as a display of lethal firepower amid the war in Ukraine and tensions in the Balkans.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Serbia on a previously unannounced visit. He was greeted by Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, who said he was happy "to once again welcome a great friend of Serbia."

"Serbian-Hungarian relations are at the highest level in the history of our countries," Vucic wrote on Instagram.

Both leaders have maintained political and economic ties with Russia despite its aggression in Ukraine. Their relations with Moscow have been a sore spot with other European nations and with the U.S.

Although Serbia formally seeks membership in the European Union, Vucic has refused to join international sanctions against Russia or publicly condemn the war in Ukraine.

And while Hungary is a member of both the EU and NATO, Orban has criticized war-related sanctions on Moscow. His government also has said it would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin if he were to enter the country despite him being the subject of an international warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine.

Saturday's exercise at a military airport on the outskirts of Belgrade included low passes by Russian-made MiG-29 fighter jets and Mil helicopters, as well as a display of a recently delivered Chinese anti-aircraft missile system and drones.

Serbia's military buildup has raised concerns among some of the country's neighbors, which fear it could threaten the fragile peace in the region that was engulfed in a bloody war in the 1990's.

Vucic said he and Serbian military commanders were watching how the war in Ukraine is being conducted and planning future purchases of military hardware accordingly.

"Serbia has never had a stronger army in its history," Vucic said.

The exercise came a day before local elections in a Serb-populated northern region of Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as a separate country.

The elections on Sunday have triggered ethnic tensions and fears of possible incidents. Many Serbian voters planned to boycott the votes.
(Tribune News Service)  The second man on the moon is getting a promotion.

Retired U.S. Air Force Col. Buzz Aldrin, who joined Neil Armstrong as the first two men to step foot on the lunar surface during 1969s Apollo 11 mission, will receive an honorary appointment to brigadier general during a ceremony on May 5 at Los Angeles Air Force Base, according to a press release from the U.S. Space Forces Space Systems Command.

Always honored to serve our country, Aldrin, 93, posted soon after the announcement to his Twitter account. He also wrote, I will bear true faith and allegiance, which is spoken as part of the oath taken by both enlisted and commissioned officers in the U.S. military.

Aldrin thanked U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Calif., along with the Air Force and Department of Defense for the honor.

The private ceremony will see Space Systems Command commander Lt. Gen. Michael A. Guetlein leading the promotion for Aldrin, the oldest of the surviving four men to walk on the moon.

Born in New Jersey, Aldrin is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy West Point and served as a fighter pilot from 1952 to 1959 flying F-86 Sabres in 66 combat missions. He shot down two MIG-15s while part of the 16th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Suwon Air Base, South Korea, according to the release. He also served as an F-100 Super Sabre flight commander in the 22nd Fighter Squadron at Bitburg Air Base in Germany.

He later attended graduate school at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, receiving a doctorate in astronautics that included a thesis on Manned Orbital Rendezvous, the release said.

He was chosen in 1963 as one of 14 members of NASAs Astronaut Group 3, and flew on Gemini 12 in 1966 becoming the first man to perform what the Space Force called a completely successful spacewalk setting a record at the time for 5 1/2 hours outside the spacecraft, although NASA astronaut Ed White and Soviet Cosmonaut Alexei Leonov both performed short spacewalks in 1965.

On Apollo 11, Aldrin served as the pilot of the Eagle lunar module joining Armstrong as the first two of 12 men who landed on the moon during the four-year run of the Apollo program that ended with Apollo 17 in 1972. NASA looks to return humans including the first woman to the moon with the Artemis III mission slated for no earlier than December 2025. Aldrin would be coming up on 96 years old if that schedule holds.

With 21 years of active service, Aldrin received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, three Air Medals and other awards, the release said.

The Apollo 11 crew received the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011 and he was honored during the 2019 State of The Union in Washington receiving a standing ovation, the release said.

On his 93rd birthday, Aldrin married Anca Faur in a small ceremony in Los Angeles.

Aldrin continues to promote humanitys return to the moon and a future landing on Mars.

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WASHINGTON  It's April 22, 2027, and 72 hours into a first-strike Chinese attack on Taiwan and the U.S. military response. Already, the toll on all sides is staggering.

It was a war game, but one with a serious purpose and high-profile players: members of the House select committee on China. The conflict unfolded on Risk board game-style tabletop maps and markers under a giant gold chandelier in the House Ways and Means Committee room.

The exercise explored American diplomatic, economic and military options if the United States and China were to reach the brink of war over Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. The exercise played out one night last week and was observed by The Associated Press. It was part of the committee's in-depth review of U.S. policies toward China as lawmakers, especially in the Republican-led House, focus on tensions with President Xi Jinping's government.

In the war game, Beijing's missiles and rockets cascade down on Taiwan and on U.S. forces as far away as Japan and Guam. Initial casualties include hundreds, possibly thousands, of U.S. troops. Taiwan's and China's losses are even higher.

Discouragingly for Washington, alarmed and alienated allies in the war game leave Americans to fight almost entirely alone in support of Taiwan.

And forget about a U.S. hotline call to Xi or one of his top generals to calm things down  not happening, at least not under this role-playing scenario.

The war game wasn't about planning a war, lawmakers said. It was about figuring out how to strengthen U.S. deterrence, to keep a war involving the U.S., China and Taiwan from ever starting.

Ideally, the members of Congress would walk out of the war game with two convictions, the committee chairman, Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., told colleagues at the outset: "One is a sense of urgency."

The second: "A sense ... that there are meaningful things we can do in this Congress through legislative action to improve the prospect of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Gallagher said.

In reality, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the committee's top Democrat, told lawmakers, "we cannot have a situation where we are faced with what we are going to be facing tonight."

The "only way to do that is to deter aggression and to prevent a conflict from arising," said Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.

The U.S. doesn't formally recognize the Taiwan government but is Taipei's most vital provider of weapons and other security assistance. Xi has directed his military to be ready to reclaim Taiwan in 2027, by force if necessary.

Asked about lawmakers' war game, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, said China wants peaceful reunification with Taiwan but reserves "the option of taking all necessary measures."

"The U.S. side's so-called 'war game' is meant to support and embolden 'Taiwan independence' separatists and further fuel tensions in the Taiwan Strait, which we firmly oppose," Liu said.

In the war game, lawmakers played the blue team, in the role of National Security Council advisers. Their directive from their (imaginary) president: Deter a Chinese takeover of Taiwan if possible, defeat it if not.

Experts for the Center for a New American Security think tank, whose research includes war-gaming possible conflicts using realistic scenarios and unclassified information, played the red team.

In the exercise, it all kicks off with opposition lawmakers in Taiwan talking about independence.

With the think tank's defense program director Stacie Pettyjohn narrating, angry Chinese officials respond by heaping unacceptable demands on Taiwan. Meanwhile, China's military moves invasion-capable forces into position. Steps such as bringing in blood supplies for treating troops suggest this is no ordinary military exercise.

Ultimately, China imposes a de facto blockade on Taiwan, intolerable for an island that produces more than 60 percent of the world's semiconductors, as well as other high-tech gear.

While the U.S. military readies for a possible fight, U.S. presidential advisers  House committee members who are surrounding and studying the wooden tables with the map and troop markers spread out  assemble.

They lob questions at a retired general, Mike Holmes, playing the role of the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, before deciding courses of action.

What are the economic consequences if the U.S. goes maximalist on financial punishments, one lawmaker asks.

"Catastrophic" is the response, for both the United States and China. China will hit back at the U.S. economy as well.

"Who's going to tell the president that he has to say to the American people, 'Say goodbye to your iPhones?"' Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, asks.

Do American leaders have any way to communicate with their Chinese counterparts, lawmakers ask. No, China's leaders have a history of shunning U.S. hotline calls, and that's a problem, the exercise leaders tell them.

In the war game, U.S. officials are left trying to pass messages to their Chinese counterparts through China-based American business leaders, whose Dell, Apple, HP and other product operations China all subsequently seizes as one of its first moves in the attack.

Are potential military targets in China "near major metropolitan areas that are going to include millions and millions of people?" asks Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.

Has Taiwan done all it can to try to calm the situation? All it can and will, lawmakers are told.

"It's not clear to me we've exhausted all our diplomatic options," Gallagher notes.

Then, on paper, U.S. and Chinese satellites, space weapons, drones, submarines, ground forces, warships, fighter squadrons, cyber warriors, communications experts, bankers, Treasury officials and diplomats all go to war.

At the end, before the lessons-learned part, the war-game operators reveal the toll of the first wave of fighting. Lawmakers study the tabletop map, wincing as they hear of particularly hard setbacks among U.S. successes.

U.S. stockpiles of very long-range missiles? Gone.

Global financial markets? Shaking.

U.S. allies? As it turns out, China's diplomats did their advance work to keep American allies on the sidelines. And anyway, it seems the all-out U.S. economic measures against China's economy have put allies off. They're sitting this one out.

In the "hot-wash" debrief at the end, lawmakers point to a few key military weaknesses that the war game highlighted.

"Running out of long-missiles is bad," said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.

But the most glaring shortfalls appeared in diplomacy and in nonmilitary planning.

Becca Wasser, a think tank senior fellow who role-played a convincingly menacing Chinese official, pointed to lawmakers' recurring frustration in the war game at the lack of direct, immediate leader-to-leader crisis communication. It's something Beijing and Washington in the real world have never managed to consistently make happen.

"In peacetime, we should have those lines of communication," Wasser said.

The exercise also underscored the risks of neglecting to put together a package of well-thought out economic penalties, and of failing to build consensus among allies, lawmakers said.

"As we get closer to 2027, they're going to be trying to isolate us," Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said of Xi's government.

Holmes, in the role of Joint Chiefs chairman, reassured lawmakers, after the first three days of fighting.

"We survived," he said.
Pakistani authorities Saturday hoped that Islamabad would sign a deal for additional deposits of $2 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) after Eid ul Fitr.

The deposits are crucial for the struggling economy as the federal government is desperate to seek external financing to shore up the foreign exchange reserves, which sit at a mere $4.3 billion as of April 14.

A top government official told The News that the State Bank of Pakistan would sign a deal with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) soon after Eid for an additional $2 billion deposit.

He added the KSA had confirmed bilateral assistance support to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was also acknowledged by the lender's staff.

This agreement is the follow-up on the confirmation of additional financial support of $2 billion and $1 billion from KSA and the UAE, he added.

Official sources clarified that Pakistan neither made any fresh request for more support from the KSA nor the UAE, except for the already confirmed $2 billion and $1 billion by these countries, respectively.

Saudi Arabia had already rolled over $3 billion in deposits for one year, which matured on December 5, 2022. This $3 billion deposit is part of foreign exchange reserves of $4.43 billion, lying with the State Bank of Pakistan.

This $3 billion deposit and $1.2 billion oil facility on deferred payment were provided by the KSA in November 2021 during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led government.

When Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif visited the KSA after assuming power last year, Pakistani authorities had requested for rollover of $3 billion deposits and a $1.2 billion oil facility for one year as well as for additional deposits.

Saudi Arabia has so far provided $782.82 million in the shape of an oil facility during the first nine months (July-March) of the current fiscal year 2022-23.

The KSA has been providing approximately $100 million for procuring oil facilities on a monthly basis. The KSA also disbursed a $100 million loan in the shape of project financing during the current financial year.
WILMINGTON, DE / ACCESSWIRE / April 22, 2023 / Transparency Market Research Inc. - The global electrophysiology devices market was valued at USD 6.7 Bn in 2021 and is expected to reach USD 14.8 Bn by 2031, expanding at a CAGR of 8.2% between 2022 and 2031.

Transparency Market Research inc., Saturday, April 22, 2023, Press release picture

Developing countries, including South Africa, China, India, Russia, and Brazil, are working to improve their healthcare systems. Electrophysiological devices are sold in huge quantities in these markets, where a sizable portion of the population suffers from cardiovascular problems.

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Increase in unmet medical needs and rise in health consciousness in countries in Latin America are anticipated to boost the adoption of these devices in the near future. This is expected to draw a number of prominent companies, including Abbott, Siemens, and Medtronic, to expand their operations in developing countries. However, stringent regulatory guidelines and absence of reimbursement policies are expected to hamper market development during the forecast period.

The global market is projected to experience moderate growth from 2022 to 2031 owing to technological improvements, rise in prevalence of cardiac arrhythmias, increase in the elderly population, and expansion of healthcare infrastructure in developing countries. Two of the most populous countries, India and China, have large patient populations and high per capita incomes. The Government of India is funding preliminary research and development to create cutting-edge medical solutions.

Key Findings of Market Report

In terms of product type, the electrophysiology ablation catheters segment dominated the global industry in 2021. The segment is anticipated to expand rapidly between 2022 and 2031. The number of patients is likely to increase across the world due to increase in the geriatric population. Consequently, the electrophysiology ablation catheters segment is anticipated to grow significantly in the near future.

Based on indication, the atrial fibrillation (AF) segment accounted for the largest market share in 2021. The trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period. Rise in prevalence of risk factors for AF, including cardiomyopathy, coronary artery disease, hypertension, and valvular heart disease, is expected to drive the segment in the next few years.

In terms of end-user, the hospitals segment accounted for considerable market share in 2021. Hospitals are consolidating in industrialized countries. Hence, patients are increasingly favoring hospitals. Hospitals provide free online advice and support for electrophysiology devices. This has increased patient preference for hospitals to undergo medical procedures. The hospitals segment is driven by surge in healthcare organizations' and governments' attempts to enhance healthcare services in different countries.

Story continues

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Global Electrophysiology Devices Market: Key Players

Microport Scientific Corporation

Nihon Kohden Corporation

Koninklijke Philips N.V.

Biosense Webster, Inc.

Biotronik SE & Co. KG

Acutus Medical, Inc.

Global Electrophysiology Devices Market: Growth Drivers

Arrhythmias are a major indication for an electrophysiological assessment. The global market for electrophysiology devices is driven by rise in prevalence of various arrhythmias, including atrial tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, atrial flutter, and atrial fibrillation. Arrhythmias are more likely to occur in the elderly population, as well as in those suffering from obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and various cardiovascular illnesses. Thus, the global industry is expected to witness considerable market development in the near future.

Access to a range of medical diagnostic and therapeutic services has been enhanced as a result of beneficial healthcare reforms in a number of countries. As a result, life expectancy has grown. The elderly population is prone to a number of illnesses, including cardiovascular diseases and stomach issues. As such, these problems are diagnosed in the older population using electrophysiological equipment.

Global Electrophysiology Devices Market: Regional Landscape

North America held the largest share of the global market in 2021. The trend is anticipated to continue from 2022 to 2031. Rise in novel product approvals, growing preference for electrophysiological devices, and regional expansion by local players in Canada and the U.S. are expected to drive market demand.

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Global Electrophysiology Devices Market: Segmentation

Product Type Electrophysiology Ablation Catheters

Electrophysiology Diagnostic Catheters

Electrophysiology Laboratory Devices

Access Devices Indication Atrial Fibrillation (AF)

Atrioventricular Nodal Reentry Tachycardia (AVNRT)

Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW)

Atrial Flutter End-user Hospitals

Diagnostic Centers

Clinics Regions North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Middle East & Africa

Latin America

About Transparency Market Research

Transparency Market Research, a global market research company registered at Wilmington, Delaware, United States, provides custom research and consulting services. The firm scrutinizes factors shaping the dynamics of demand in various markets. The insights and perspectives on the markets evaluate opportunities in various segments. The opportunities in the segments based on source, application, demographics, sales channel, and end-use are analysed, which will determine growth in the markets over the next decade.

Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insights for thousands of decision-makers, made possible by experienced teams of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants. The proprietary data sources and various tools & techniques we use always reflect the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in all of its business reports.

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Mr Kane, of St Attracta Road, Cabra, pleaded guilty to assault and trespassing in a manner likely to cause fear at Innisfallen Parade, Phibsborough, on September 5, 2021.

A BAREFOOT home intruder found in a young womans bedroom claimed to be a garda, then bit her housemate on the bicep when the man came to help her.

Jason Kane (29) left the man with an open wound and the woman so frightened she felt unsafe afterwards and moved out, a court heard.

His case was adjourned at Dublin District Court for victim impact evidence when he admitted the offences.

Mr Kane, of St Attracta Road, Cabra, pleaded guilty to assault and trespassing in a manner likely to cause fear at Innisfallen Parade, Phibsborough, on September 5, 2021.

The DPP consented to the case being dealt with at district court level and Garda Sergeant Michelle Lynch gave an outline of the prosecution evidence.

She told Judge Bryan Smyth one of the residents, a young woman, awoke at 4.30am to find the accused sitting in her bedroom, saying: lady, lady.

Her housemate came in and the accused claimed to be a garda, and that someone was in the washroom out the back.

He was barefoot, appeared to be under the influence of something and it was not known how he got in.

He had to be detained by her housemate and a struggle ensued, during which Kane threw bottles which struck one resident on the hand. He bit the male housemate rather severely on the bicep.

The bite resulted in the skin being broken and the wound was open. Kane was subdued and gardai were called.

The judge accepted jurisdiction for the case to remain in the district court and Kanes solicitor Sandra Frayne said he was pleading guilty.

Sgt Lynch said the man who was bitten had made a full recovery but was left with a small scar on his bicep.

The woman had moved address because she now feels unsafe, the court heard.

She had indicated she would be willing to make a victim impact statement.

Kane had 19 previous convictions, the court heard.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Patrick Rogers (36) was previously jailed for 10 months by Judge Martin Nolan in 2019 for possession of 41 images and one video in 2015 and 2016

A man who was previously jailed for possessing child pornography has avoided a further prison term after a delay in the prosecution of additional videos found in his possession.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Patrick Rogers (36) was previously jailed for 10 months by Judge Martin Nolan in 2019 for possession of 41 images and one video in 2015 and 2016.

Judge Nolan today heard that five further videos were found in 2017 but that the prosecution did not proceed at the same time as the other cases due to a mislabelling oversight.

Rogers of St Brendans Avenue, Malahide Road, Dublin 5, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography at his home, on October 16, 2017.

Detective Garda Neil Plunkett told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, that during a search in October 2017, gardai recovered a phone on which five illegal videos were found. Rogers made admissions that the phone was his and no one else had access to it when interviewed.

The court heard there had been an issue in relation to mislabelling in relation to these five videos and the delay in the prosecution had nothing to do with Rogers.

Rogers has 10 previous convictions including the prior convictions for possession of child pornography, as well making a threat to kill or cause serious harm.

Gda Plunkett agreed with Niall Nolan BL, defending, that Rogers came from a good family and his father was in court with him today. He agreed Rogers had been engaged with psychiatric services for some time and had not been arrested for anything else in the past five years.

Mr Nolan said Rogers had been adopted by his parents at a young age. He suffered difficulties from his birth and later from a significant head injury from a car accident.

He said that as a result of trauma, his client had difficulties in school and substance abuse issues.

Mr Nolan said Rogers has been diagnosed with emotionally unstable personality disorder and a depressive disorder. He is in receipt of disability payments and not in a position to work.

He said his parents are now in their 70s and suffering medical issues. He said Rogers provides significant care for them. He handed in a number of letters and reports.

Counsel said Rogers has served his sentence in relation to the earlier images and had been released in July 2020. He said he had been doing well and moved on with his life.

Mr Nolan acknowledged that the original sentence may have been somewhat increased if all the cases had been heard together, but he said the delay had been a prejudice to Rogers which he could take into account.

He said if there had been an increase in the earlier sentence due to this matter, his client would now have served the sentence and be on the path to rehabilitation, which may now be interfered with.

Passing sentence today, Judge Nolan noted that the matter had occurred in 2017 and not proceeded with due expedition due to an oversight. He said as quantity goes, it was at the lower end of the scale, noting one video was explicit and the rest not quite so explicit.

Judge Nolan said the complicating factor was Rogers' prior convictions for possession of similar material. He took into account Rogers' challenges such as his learning difficulties and noted he was a good son to his parents.

The judge noted the defence submissions that the material in relation to all three offences was not at the most serious end and the prolonged nature of the prosecution had increased the stress on Rogers. He said the defence submitted imposing a custodial sentence now would be unduly severe and unfair.

Judge Nolan said he was able to accede to this application noting, that as well as Rogers personal challenges, there had already been a prison term and probation supervision. He imposed a 16 month sentence which he suspended in full. He ordered the destruction of the images.
The accused was remanded in custody to Cloverhill until his next court appearance on Thursday

A man who appeared in court on Saturday charged with the murder of a 47-year-old father told gardai: you are wrong. I didnt murder a man.

Damien Szatkowski (37) of Peachville, Kilshane, Dublin 11 appeared before a special sitting of Naas District Court charged with the murder of Marcel Kusenda (47) in Newbridge on 8 March 2023.

Mr Kusenda, who is originally from Slovakia, died following a suspected assault in the Piercetown area of the town.

Gardai arrested Szatkowski on Friday in connection with the murder and charged him on Saturday.

Detective Paddy Regan told Judge Desmond Zaidan that Szatkowski replied: You are wrong. I didnt murder a man, when he was charged with the offence.

The accused was remanded in custody to Cloverhill until his next court appearance on Thursday.

He shouted something in an Eastern European language as he was being brought out of court after the short court hearing.

Victim Marcel Kusenda (47)

Mr Kusenda was originally from Slovakia and had been living in Ireland for more than 20 years.

Taking to Facebook in March, Mr Kusendas grieving son, who is also named Marcel, paid tribute to his father and thanked him for the role he played in his life.

My daddy, rest in peace, Marcel wrote. Thank you for everything you have done for me. You gave me a lot of advice in life, you helped me a lot in everything you could

Every time I tried something, you tried it with me so we could overcome. I hope you find your peace. You are already in heaven together with your father, whom I loved very much as well as you. I love you so much.
Nicola Tallant introduces this four-part story about blood bonds, bitter feuds and shocking betrayal

How Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch became one of the most infamous names in Irish criminal history

THIS is the story of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, from his early days as a young hoodlum through to his astonishing acquittal in the Special Criminal Court for the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel.

How did this quiet-spoken man from Dublin's north inner-city become one of the most notorious figures in Irish criminal history?

And how did he end up on trial for murder and why did he walk free?

This is a four-part story about blood bonds, bitter feuds and shocking betrayal. It's a story about the changing face of Dublin, and the pursuit of justice - in the courts and on the streets.

Crime World Podcast can be found on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Soundcloud.

MORE EPISODES 
Sources described the passing of Thompsons mother as sudden and said it came as a complete shock to her killer son.

Lisa Thompson will be laid to rest on Monday

JAILED gangster Fat Freddie Thompson flew into a grief-stricken rage last weekend after learning of the death of his mother causing hundreds of euro worth of damage to property on Portlaoise Prisons A-Block.

Thompson, who is serving life in prison for the Kinahan cartel murder of Dublin shop-keeper David Daithi Douglas in 2016, was told of mum Lisas passing shortly after the discovery of her death on Sunday morning last.

Sources described the passing of Thompsons mother as sudden and said it came as a complete shock to her killer son.

Lisa Thompson will be laid to rest on Monday

He wrecked the landing when he was given the news, a source told the Sunday World.

It was a complete rampage. He broke up a TV and toaster and smashed the landing microwave off the wall. Its fair to say took it very badly.

Thompson, who was taken under armed prison escort to pay his respects to his late mother on Friday, has since been subject to official P19 disciplinary proceedings over the incident.

Because of the unexpected nature of the death of Lisa Thompson  who was in her 70s and who intermittently required the use of an oxygen tank  a post-mortem examination is required to determine the cause. For this reason, her funeral will not take place until tomorrow.

There is a backlog at present in the city morgue, mainly caused by Covid, so its taking longer than normal to get a post-mortem done, a source told this newspaper.

Fat Freddie Thompson

Thompson was driven under armed guard from Portlaoise Prison on Friday morning to Masseys Funeral Home in the Coombe area of the capital to say his final goodbyes.

Its understood his request for temporary release was granted late on Thursday night.

Sources said the death of Lisa was the first of two shocks this week for Thompson.

A source described both Thompson and fellow cartel Liam Brannigan as being in a state of disbelief following Mondays acquittal of Gerry Hutch in the Special Criminal Court for the Regency Hotel murder of Thompsons first cousin, David Byrne.

Dean Howe left and Liam Brannigan

Both David and his older brother, notorious gangster Liam Byrne, were very close to Thompson and all three were major criminals by the time they were in their late teens, with huge involvement in the drugs trade and then the bitter Crumlin/Drimnagh feud, which claimed more than 15 lives.

All became key members of the Kinahan cartel, leading to David Byrnes feud murder over six years ago.

Thompson and Brannigan couldnt believe the verdict, the source said.

They have it in their heads that everyone who is trialled there is found guilty.

Brannigan is serving an eight-year sentence for his part in a Kinahan cartel orchestrated conspiracy to murder Dubliner Gary Hanley.
Harbour Air showcasing the future of sustainable flight

VANCOUVER, BC, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ - Harbour Air's ePlane will be making its first appearance in Downtown Vancouver for Earth Day. This marks a significant milestone in the testing and approval process for the certification of electric flying in Canada.

The all-electric, Canadian-built de Havilland Beaver departed from the Harbour Air terminal on the Fraser River, adjacent to YVR, and landed at their Downtown Vancouver terminal.

"We are thrilled to be making our first appearance in Downtown Vancouver on Earth Day" said Bert van der Stege, CEO of Harbour Air. "On this Earth Day 2023, we acknowledge the immense effort required to make a meaningful difference in our environmental impact. Our commitment to sustainability has inspired us to invest significantly in reducing our carbon footprint. As we celebrate this year's theme of "Invest In Our Planet," we are excited to continue our work towards a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable future."

Harbour Air began its ePlane project in 2019 and has since been the global leader in electrifying and testing zero-emission aircraft. The e-plane has successfully completed 25 hours of flight time among 72 flights.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of Harbour Air's exciting Spring ePlane Tour, showcasing the future of sustainable flight throughout British Columbia. The tour kicks off with an appearance in downtown Vancouver on April 22, followed by stops on Salt Spring Island for Electrify Salt Spring on May 5th and 6th, and Victoria Harbour on May 7th and 8th (subject to suitable weather conditions).

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About Harbour Air Seaplanes

Harbour Air is North America's largest seaplane airline  and the first airline globally to be fully carbon-neutral. The company's international seaplane service, which originally began as a service for the forestry industry in B.C., is now a quintessential west coast experience. With a fleet of more than 40 aircraft, Harbour Air offers up to 300 daily flights to 12 destinations across B.C. and to Seattle, US. For more information, visit harbourair.com.

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SOURCE Harbour Air Ltd.
The idea was met with varying views with some councillors deeming it not necessary.

An example of the proposed breastfeeding bench for Dublin's Dodder Valley Park

A Dublin councillor has called for a breastfeeding bench to be installed in a south Dublin park to offer space and comfort for new mothers.

The specially designed ergonomic bench, with soft padding and a raised back, was proposed in Dodder Valley Park.

However, the idea was met with varying views this week, with some councillors deeming it not necessary.

The local authority said any typical park bench can be used by breastfeeding mothers and these provide a safe and comfortable space for mothers to nurse their infants.

Councillor Lyn Hagin Meade, who proposed the motion at this weeks area meeting, said: For those new to breastfeeding it can feel not comfortable sitting on a bench with strangers.

Cllr Meade said the bench would offer signposting for people to be mindful of feeding children and offer comfort to mothers.

Councillor Carly Bailey said that while feeding her own children she experienced massive problems with not having appropriate chairs while out in public.

I actually got to a point where I developed postnatal depression and I avoided going outside because I was having difficulty with breastfeeding, she said.

She added that many park benches do not have backs which makes it difficult to breastfeed and that Ireland has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe.

Its something that is very common amongst new parents who are trying to breastfeed where they feel very isolated and uncomfortable, she said.

However, there was a difference of opinion with some councillors deeming a specific bench as not necessary.

Councillor Pamela Kearns said: I dont see how this will work.

If you have a bench in a park and its earmarked for mothers to breastfeed there is nothing to prevent anyone else going onto that bench.

I dont think they are necessary, she added.

Councillor Emma Murphy said the benches would be susceptible for vandalism as they stick out like a sore thumb.

I would be a little bit hesitant to actually have that focus, she said, adding that the bench could be attracting the wrong attention towards something that is supposed to be so positive.

In a reply, the local authority said it understands the importance of creating a safe, comfortable, and inclusive space for all park visitors and this includes breastfeeding mothers.

However, it said there are currently multiple benches available for public use within the park.

There are a number of benches that look onto each play space in Dodder Valley Park and this enables parents to sit and supervise their children when using the play equipment.

Any typical park bench can be used by breastfeeding mothers and these provide a safe and comfortable space for mothers to nurse their infants.

The council is committed to providing additional park benches in Dodder Valley Park when required as part of the park management plan to promote an inclusive, welcoming family-friendly environment, it added.
The Louth senator said AI could pose a major threat to our democracy.

Future Irish elections will be targeted by malicious actors using artificial intelligence (AI) and preventative measures need to be taken as a result, a Fine Gael Senator has said.

Senator John McGahon from Louth, said AI has great potential, but also poses a major threat to our democracy if left unchecked.

We have seen what has occurred internationally in the past with elections and referendums targeted by advancing technology. It will be no different with the advent of AI, Mr McGahon said.

It comes as the family of Michael Schumacher are pursuing a German Magazine for creating a fake AI interview with the severely injured former F1 driver.

Mr McGahon said: AI has real potential to reshape our economies by improving growth and productivity but at the same time poses a real danger to society if not countenanced.

Tech moves at lightning speed and governments have been incredibly slow to try and check this new balance of power.

The Cambridge Analytica scandal, where data from 50m Facebook users was used to try and sway the outcome of the 2016 US Presidential election and the UKs Brexit referendum in the same year, is an example of where governments failed through regulation to protect citizens against big tech.

AI will be the next frontier where this could happen, it certainly is the future and it must be approached in a measured manner that ensures proper regulation and safeguards are included.

Our own elections here are vulnerable to being targeted by those who have no regard for democracy. We cannot allow it to happen.

The fake Michael Schumacher interview may seem trivial, but it is a small example of the danger posed by AI, Mr McGahon said.

The Louth senator said AI capabilities can create credible looking deepfakes and this presents a financial risk and reputational damage to those targeted by it.

He said a taskforce must be set up to determine how European Union nations are going to deal with the potential threats posed by AI.

All of this can be used to manipulate elections and undermine the credibility of our democratic institutions.

There are credible concerns from scientists that AI could be used to create autonomous weapons, remove thousands of manual jobs alongside concerns about the security threats, the invasion of privacy and social grading.

Time is of the essence here. There should be a taskforce established by leading governments and the European Union about how we are going to approach this.

Meanwhile, while governments are figuring out what to do next, AI is still expanding at lightning speed, Mr McGahon said.
The officer has previously been involved in several major investigations into potential garda misconduct

Gerry Hutch walks free through the doors of the Criminal Courts of Justice. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin   Colin Keegan

An investigator with the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) has resigned after he told people he had attended a party which Gerard Hutch was at on Monday night, it was reported this evening.

Mr Hutch walked free from the Special Criminal Court that day after being found not guilty of the murder of David Byrne.

The Department of Justice confirmed tonight it is aware of the incident, according to RTE.

The officer  who has been involved in several major investigations into potential garda misconduct, told a number of people that he had been at a house party which Mr Hutch attended.

The claim came to the attention of other members of staff in GSOC and was reported to senior management.

A formal process commenced.

Stock image

RTE reported that the investigator who has worked with GSOC for the past number of years was due to be suspended, and would have to surrender his phone and identity card.

He took the decision to resign instead and his resignation has been accepted.

It is not clear whether the GSOC investigator actually attended a party or just said he had attend a party which was also attended by Mr Hutch.

The officer was involved in a number of highly sensitive investigations into An Garda Siochana, including the investigation into the death of Superintendent Colm Fox, who took his own life in Ballymun Garda Station in 2019.

Superintendent Fox was the lead detective in the investigation into the murder of Byrne at the Regency Hotel during the time Patrick Hutch Junior was charged and appeared in court. The case against Patrick Hutch Junior collapsed following the death of Supt Fox.

Garda headquarters tonight said it was aware of the incident, RTE stated.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Minister for Justice said he and the Department were notified by GSOC of an issue with a staff member this afternoon, and that it would not be appropriate to comment on individual cases.

In a statement provided to Independent.ie, GSOC said it became aware in recent days of a potential conflict of interest involving a staff member.

GSOC immediately commenced an internal investigation into the matter.

The officer concerned has now submitted their resignation and GSOCs investigation is ongoing.

GSOC has no further comment at this time.

The incident was first reported this evening on the Irish Mirrors website.
Gardai suspect Mr Kusenda was the victim of an assault over the course of a number of hours.

A man in his 30s has been arrested in connection with a fatal attack in Newbridge, Co Kildare in March.

Marcel Kusenda died following a suspected assault in the Piercetown area of the town on 8 March 2023.

Mr Kusenda was originally from Slovakia and had been living in Ireland for more than 20 years.

Yesterday, officers investigating Mr Kusendas death arrested a man, who is in his 30s, as part of the probe.

A garda spokesman said: "Gardai who are investigating the fatal assault of a man (aged in his 40s) outside a residence in Newbridge, Co. Kildare on Wednesday 8th March 2023 have arrested a male as part of the investigation.

The man (aged in his 30s) was arrested yesterday, Friday 21st April 2023, and is currently detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Co. Kildare.

Gardai suspect Mr Kusenda was the victim of an assault over the course of a number of hours.

Taking to Facebook in March, Mr Kusendas grieving son, who is also named Marcel, paid tribute to his father and thanked him for the role he played in his life.

My daddy, rest in peace, Marcel wrote. Thank you for everything you have done for me. You gave me a lot of advice in life, you helped me a lot in everything you could

Every time I tried something, you tried it with me so we could overcome. I hope you find your peace. You are already in heaven together with your father, whom I loved very much as well as you. I love you so much.
In many cases the victims were tortured before being summarily executed and their bodies dumped on a remote border road.

Freddie Scappaticci falsely accused many of his victims of being touts in order to protect his role as a British agent.

The agent named Stakeknife was head of the IRAs internal security unit the nutting squad which carried out dozens of executions of alleged informants.

In many cases the victims were tortured before being summarily executed and their bodies dumped on a remote border road.

Their families were left with the stigma of loved ones being branded as touts  the worst possible allegation to be levelled at a republican. In many cases they were condemned to death because of their suspicions about Scap.

Good republicans died because they got too close to outing him as a tout, one source told the Sunday World.

They deserve to have their names cleared.

Estimates of the number of deaths directly attributable to Scap vary from a dozen to as many as 30.

In July 1979 Michael Kearney (20), from Belfast, was found dead on the Concession Road in Clones. The IRA later apologised to his family that he had been executed.

Freddie Scappaticci at Ruby Davison's funeral

In February 1981 Patrick Trainor (28), from Belfast, was shot dead at Upton Cottages in Belfast.

The following year John Torbitt (28) was shot dead at his Lenadoon home in the city. Two months later Seamus Morgan (24), from Dungannon, was found dead in the south Armagh village of Forkhill.

Patrick Scott (27), from west Belfast, was found shot dead in west Belfast in 1982.

Damien McCroy (20) was shot in the head in the Drumrallagh Estate in Strabane, Co Tyrone.

Patrick Murray (30) was shot dead and his body found in west Belfast in 1986, in the shadow of Clonard Catholic monastery.

Eamon Maguire (33), from Finglas in Dublin, was accused by republicans of being a Garda informer.

His body was found on the main Dundalk to Castleblayney Road a quarter of a mile north of the border.

John McAnulty (48), from Warrenpoint in Co Down, was abducted in summer 1989 from a pub in Armagh. His body was recovered in Crossmaglen in south Armagh.

Rory Finnis (21), from Derry, was found dead in June 1991 at Central Drive in the citys Creggan estate. His hands had been tied behind his back and his eyes taped closed. He was shot in the head.

Thomas Oliver (33), from Riverstown in Dundalk, Co Louth, was discovered in July 1991, days after his birthday. His body was found in a field in Belleeks in Co Armagh.

In the same area, on the Mountain Road, John Dignam (32) was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head on the first day of July, 1992. He was from Portadown in Co Armagh.

Two other alleged informers from Portadown were found dead the same day. Gregory Burns was 33. His remains were recovered on the Cullaville Road, close to the border. Aiden Starrs (29) was also shot in the head. His body was found on the Dundalk Road in Newtownhamilton.

Two more, Robin Hill (22), from Coalisland in Co Tyrone, and John Holmes (35), from Derry, were found dead in similar circumstances before the end of 1992.

In June 1993 the remains of Joseph Mulhern, from Belfast, were discovered at Ballymongan in Castlederg, Co Tyrone, six days before his 24th birthday.

executions

Josephs father Frank  who died last month  revealed that he met Scappaticci days after his son had been murdered and Scappaticci seemed to revel in revealing sick details of the execution.

Frank said: Scap said that the first shot had hit my son in the back of the neck and he told the guy whoever shot him to shoot again, so the second shot hit him in the back of the head and apparently thats what killed him.

The law firm which represents some victims of the IRAs internal security unit, said that the news of Scappaticcis death would frustrate many families who had been waiting for the publication of the Operation Kenova report.

The news will frustrate many families who have been waiting for over six years on the imminent publication of Mr Boutchers independent report known as Operation Kenova, the law firm said.

There is a significant volume of litigation ongoing all of which is linked to the deceased. That includes over 35 high court civil actions alleging collusion against him and state agencies together with judicial review challenges touching upon his status as a protected State intelligence asset.

We have seen it before so many times previously with agents and informants dying before legal processes played out and robbing victims of some semblance of justice. Unfortunately, we may now be seeing that again.
Im from a small town myself, a little town called Boyle, so I know what its like to walk down the street and pretty much everyone knows you.

He first shot to fame in The IT Crowdbefore stealing hearts everywhere as the loveable, straight-talking Irish cop in Bridesmaids.

Now Chris ODowd is bringing his trademark charisma back to our screens in The Big Door Prize, an offbeat new sci-fi comedy with a unique premise.

The series is set in a small town, where residents lives are transformed by the arrival of a mysterious machine that promises to reveal to people their true potential. This has the effect of making people rethink their lives, relationships and careers.

Chris ODowd with screen wife Gabrielle Dennis

For Chris, who plays a middle-aged man named Dusty whose life is completely upended by the process, growing up in the Roscommon town of Boyle gave him a sense of how such a development would impact a smaller community.

Im from a small town myself, a little town called Boyle, so I know what its like to walk down the street and pretty much everyone knows you and you know just about everyone by name. It makes it hard to fall out with anyone when you live in a small town like that, he laughs.

But I think like Dusty, Im also similarly confused in terms of the changes going on around him and how everyone else is seemingly getting on in a way he isnt. Hes the guy standing there questioning it all and going, What in the hell is going on? This is crazy. That, I suppose, is a little similar to me.

Chris as Dusty in The Big Door Prize

The Big Door Prize, now streaming on Apple TV+, is a dramedy that feels hugely relevant, given how many of us have been reevaluating our lives in recent years, and marks the latest hit for the actor and funnyman.

Having first starred in Irish TV drama series such as The Clinic, 43-year-old Chris started to build a fanbase when he played slacker-geek Roy Trenneman in Channel 4 hit The IT Crowd, over four years between 2006 and 2010.

The cultish series grew legs, and proved so popular that it put Chris and his co-stars  including Richard Ayoade  on the radar of international producers and casting agents.

That success led indirectly to him being cast as one of the most likeable characters in one of the biggest rom-coms of the past 20 years. He charmed fans as Officer Rhodes in Bridesmaids, the zeitgeist hit that heralded a new era of female-orientated comedies, making instant stars of ODowd and his co-stars, including Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy and Maya Rudolph.

Chris having fun with co-stars Gabrielle Dennis and Djouliet Amara   ?? `??_/O????????

Suddenly a star in the US, Chris followed up that high-profile role with shows like Moone Boy, Girls and the movie This Is 40.

His latest outing offers him another opportunity to flex his funny bone, this time with sci-fi elements.

Its set in a very normal, small American town called Deerfield where, literally overnight, a magical and mysterious machine turns up in the local shop, he explains.

You sit in this machine, a bit like a driving game in the arcade, but then it takes your finger prints and produces a little card that tells you what your future potential is, or the very best you could potentially be in life. Its a great sci-fi concept show that asks a lot of big questions and has a lot of laughs, a lot of drama and a lot of heart.

I play a guy called Dusty who has just turned 40 and who goes from a normal guy who is pretty happy with his life to being caught up in this crazy situation that makes him and everyone around him question everything. He is in a situation where he honestly feels that through his family and his settled job as a teacher, he has reached his full potential in life anyway, so he is pretty cynical about the weird stuff that is going on.

Chris in The IT Crowd with Katherine Parkinson and Richard Ayoade   n/c

But then it starts working out for everyone else and through what you might call the fear of missing out, he goes along with the crowd, despite his better judgement, which leads to just about everything in his world slowly starting to disintegrate.

If such a machine existed in real life, does the dad-of-two reckon he would use it? Actually, it was my wifes birthday recently and we had a tarot reader woman round along with some magicians for the kids. She was there in the kitchen doing tarot readings but I just couldnt do it, in the same way Dusty struggles with the machine.

The Roscommon man has always had an interest in the offbeat, and signed up for the show after reading the zany premise in the script. Its a big story that asks big questions, that just happens to be set in a small American town with a very small community. Its very funny and very smart  just the kind of material I am drawn to.

Dusty is a quirky type who likes to move about on his scooter as he whistles a tune.

The scooter took a tiny bit of practice but the whistling was a no problem. Im pretty good with my lips but I cant really tell you why, he laughs. I do most of my own whistling in this, Im proud to say.

There were a few scenes where we shot it with me with my lips like this (puckers lips) trusting they would put the whistling sound on later. Otherwise Id look like a right idiot!
It was a six-year-olds understanding of war and why her grandfather went to war.

I think Da faced a lot of shooting for us, says the simple-but-insightful, one-sentence ANZAC tribute penned for the grandad she calls Da.

Da is Major Gordon William Benfell  aka General. And yes, he did face a lot of shooting.

I have been in combat situations on 33 occasions. And I was scared to hellabsolutely!

He spent more than half a century in an army uniform. He is a Vietnam vet, an east Timor vet and an Afghanistan vet. He is a decorated sharp shooter. The Armys best. And when he retired, the now 74-year-old was the Armys sole remaining Vietnam vet.

Gordon Benfell with his M60 machine gun, while training Army of the Republic of Vietnam soldiers. Photo: Courtesy of http://www.v4coy.com

I am blown away by the quality of life we lead in New Zealand. And I am proud to have contributed.

This was all before the mokopuna, 11-year-old Ryder and six-year-old Indiana Benfell were born, but they are the beneficiaries of Das service.

Thats why Da faced a lot of shooting  he served so they could enjoy.

Very proud

This month the Major was proudly back in uniform for The Weekend Suns ANZAC day cover photo shoot, and the gongs for his military deeds and exploits during 52 years were emblazoned proudly on his chest. Ten medals all told  including the New Zealand Order of Merit, an operational service medal. Theres the General Service Medal (Warlike), which means the operational tour you were on involved war. The Queens medal for shooting  the armys top shot and the Vietnam Star.

Very proud. Proud of the country, proud to have served it.

Ryder and Indiana got a sense of it when they saw him in uniform for the first time.

They were in awe, Da in uniform. It was something new and very special.

ANZAC Day  on Tuesday, April 25  commemorates the landing of Australian and New Zealand troops at Gallipoli in 1915. We remember not only the 2779 New Zealanders who died in that campaign, but we also honour all those who have served their country in times of war. And so today we honour Major Gordon Benfell  Section Commander in V Company of the 6th Royal Australian Regiment and New Zealand ANZAC Battalion.

A patriotic Benfell was recruited before his 15th birthday to ensure all was ready for the January 1964 intake.

Sounds corny, but I did want to serve my country.

Gordon Benfell standing before a C130 Hercules at Whenuapai Airbase in 2017 prior to his release after 53 years in the army. Whenuapai was memorable for its emotional deployments and returns home. Photo: Courtesy of http://www.v4coy.com

There were sacrifices. He was married for just a few weeks when deployed to Vietnam. And he never saw son Andy until he arrived home on the eve of his first birthday.

Scary moments

There were the scary moments. One day they were ambushed three times.

They were simply chaotic exercises in survival, to get away from the total physical and mental disorientation of high explosives and all manner of small arms fire coming in from 10 to 15 metres.

They are perhaps stories for Ryder and Indiana when they are a little older.

He considers an ambush to be the worst combat experience of all. Apart from the command to fix bayonets. He heard it just once.

And it chills me even now.

By the time New Zealand forces withdrew from Vietnam in 1971, public opinion had turned against the war and the vets. There were no victory parades, no welcome home rallies. And while Benfell felt good to have survived Vietnam and be going home, there was a sense of guilt about those left behind.

For 10 or 20 years there wasnt much respect for the uniform.

But increasing numbers of young people are now supporting ANZAC Day and New Zealand soldiers.

They walk up and tug your uniform and thank you for your service. That never used to happen.

Why

Gordon remembers being on ANZAC day duty at the Puekahu National War Memorial in Wellington when a little old lady approached him.

She reached out with a tear in her eye and said: Thank you so much for what you have given. I was close to tears too. Thats why we were doing it.

Gordon Benfell, second from left, corporal and section commander with his men. The photo was taken at V Company base at Nui Dat, Phuoc Tuy Province in Vietnam, 1969. Photo: Courtesy of http://www.v4coy.com

The Benfell family is steeped in soldiers and service.

We go back to the New Zealand wars  my great grandfather was a commanding officer with the British regiment.

One of Gordons sons served in the Bougainville peace-keeping force at the end of a bloody, decade-long civil war. Another son served in East Timor and in Afghanistan with the British parachute regiment. This year Dad and two sons will be on ANZAC parade somewhere. We salute them.
Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has welcomed Australias historic decision to provide a new direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders living in Australia, saying it will bring the two countries closer together.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese made the announcement this morning, in the 50th anniversary year of the trans-Tasman travel arrangement, which allows each countrys people to live and work in the other country.

This is the biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation and restores most of the rights Kiwis had in Australia before they were revoked in 2001, says Hipkins.

Successive New Zealand Prime Ministers have advocated for this change for two decades. Its pleasing that the close relationship between leaders of two like-minded governments was instrumental in reaching this outcome.

Todays announcement brings our nations closer together. It underscores the strength and breadth of the bonds between our countries ahead of my visit this weekend.

These changes will make a real and meaningful difference to the lives of many New Zealanders and their children by giving those who decide to take up Australian citizenship similar rights to Australians living in New Zealand."

Hipkins says Kiwis taking up Australian citizenship will still retain their New Zealand citizenship.

"These dual citizens are not lost to New Zealand  but draw us closer together," says Hipkins.

It will apply to Kiwis on temporary, special category, visas who have arrived since 2001 and lived in Australia for four years and meet the standard criteria for citizenship including character checks and intention to reside in Australia.

Children born in Australia since 1 July 2022 to a New Zealand parent living there will also automatically be entitled to citizenship. This will make critical services available to them.

Most of us know someone whos moved across the Tasman. They work hard, pay taxes and deserve a fair go. These changes deliver that and reverse erosions that have taken place over 20 years.

The announcement delivers on Prime Minister Albaneses commitment that no New Zealander should be left permanently temporary in Australia.

I acknowledge and thank Prime Minister Albanese for his instrumental role in prioritising these improvements," says Hipkins.

This visit was deliberately timed to be on the closest weekend to Anzac Day to reinforce our two countries unique Anzac bonds.

I will be officially celebrating the new policy alongside Prime Minister Albanese at a citizenship ceremony in Brisbane tomorrow, followed by a community barbecue.

Prime Minister Albanese and I will also visit a cemetery in Brisbane to attend the unveiling of plaques for the previously unmarked graves of soldiers who served during the two World Wars.

The unveiling is the result of a joint project between the New Zealand Remembrance Army and the Australian Remembrance Army and is a poignant and fitting way to mark our Anzac Day connection during the visit.

The graves of New Zealand soldiers have been identified at the ceremony and brass plaques installed so that their service contribution is remembered.

New Zealand will hold a parallel event in Havelock, Marlborough, on Anzac Day to unveil the grave of an Australian Infantry Force private.

The pathway to citizenship:

 Rights come into effect on July 1, 2023.

 Applies to Kiwis on temporary, special category, visas who have lived in Australia for four years, and meet the standard Australian citizenship criteria (e.g. pass a character check, adequate knowledge of Australia, a basic English competency, will continue to reside in or have a connection with Australia) and attend a citizenship ceremony.

 Is retrospective. Those in Australia since 2001 will be able to apply directly for citizenship without gaining permanent residence first.

 Is affordable (the fee is A$490).

 Has no minimum income requirement or health requirement.

 Gives Kiwis access to services and benefits, once they become citizens.

 Allows Kiwi children born in Australia to become citizens at birth (rather than waiting till they turn 10, as they do now).

This applies to New Zealand citizens, including New Zealand citizens from the states and territories within the Realm of New Zealand (the Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau).
Theyre sought-after. Theyre a step ahead. Theyre NZ Cadet Forces.

When a cadet meets a prospective boss, theyre at an advantage, says Squadron Leader Tony Young, area support officer for the Bay of Plenty Cadet Unit. Bosses love them.

Pilimilose Sanalio can vouch. Because that was exactly his experience.

They saw cadets on my CV, says the 18-year-old cadet staff sergeant. They asked about it, liked it and I got the job.

He does precast concrete work with Preco at Tauriko. His fingerprints are all over those huge beams on the Bayfair overpass.

Tony says there are good reasons employers like cadets.

They know the cadet will be self-motived, confident and disciplined. They will bring people and time management skills, theyll be well presented, they will be respectful and the employer knows they will turn up on time.

Pilimilose  Lose, pronounced Loss-eh for short  ticked that box by arriving exactly two minutes early for his interview with The Weekend Sun.

They are skills a lot of kids have, but through cadet training, they are developed to a greater degree and earlier, says Tony.

There are 74 cadet personnel across the corps in Bay of Plenty  TS Chatham, the sea cadets, Western Bay of Plenty Cadet Unit, the army cadets and No. 16 (City of Tauranga) Air Training Corps; the air cadets.

Opportunities

Covid-19 affected recruitment, so there are now opportunities for 13-to-18-year-olds to experience a range of outdoor activities and develop leadership qualities, says Tony.

A military-flavoured development programme cadets can use in life while having fun. So this is a membership pitch.

Theres the drill  the dress and bearing skills required to stand tall in public. There is bush craft and survival skills, first aid, skills in presenting yourself and speaking in public, navigation and firearms training and marksmanship, and recreational and physical training. And, of course, there is the corps specific training  sea, land and air.

You actually watch these skills evolving, says Tony. Its very rewarding, very humbling.

Some kids arrive at cadets and may be shy, withdrawn and lacking confidence.

I was that person, says Lose, the cadet staff sergeant. Now I can stand up in front of a group of strangers and talk to them like I know them. Thats pretty good.

A career in the military is not a pre-requisite. HoweverI have always wanted to join the army, says the young cadet staff sergeant.

By day: Pilimilose Sanalio, the concrete worker. Photo: Supplied.

He devoured war movies as a kid, and aged 14 joined the cadets to get a sense of military life.

It just made me love the army idea even more.

Hes thinking armoured  the LAVs or Light Armoured Vehicles, part of the crew.

And a trade on the side.

Building, so I have something when I come out of the army."

At just 18, cadet staff sergeant Pilimilose, aka Lose, Sanalio, pretty much has a template for life.

Different ambulance

A former judge once described the Youth Court as an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff waiting to deal the worst child offenders when they turn 14  the ram-raiders, smash-and-grabbers, burglars, thieves and violent offenders. However, at the top of the cliff with its klaxon blaring and emergency lights flashing is another ambulance  the NZ Cadet Forces.

Were not geared to deal with the really bad asses but we can provide an opportunity to those wishing to change, to turn their lives around. We can provide an alternative to the dark path, says Tony. And some of those bad asses have been saved by cadets.

And from the dark path, there are stories of redemption and success.

One local guy experienced family violence, and there were gang connections. He joined cadets, responded to the direction and discipline and is now in the military.

It could have easily been very different for him.

Another young guy from the suburbs with gang associations joined cadets and is now a prominent businessman.

We will partly lay claim to that success, says Tony. We gave him an opportunity, introduced him to discipline and self-improvement. We gave him a pathway, set boundaries and he responded.

Tony says every kid starts out a good kid  its their environment that provides them the challenges. Cadets is a way out for these kids.

If I met one of those people, Id simply ask him what he was doing Thursday night, says Lose.

Thursday night being parade night, 6pm-9pm at the Army Hall at the intersection of 11th Ave and Devonport Rd. 

Wed look after them, give them some tools. You never know, they might like some discipline and direction, some character development.

Inclusivity

And theres a small matter of inclusivity.

Yes, there are LGBTQIA+ cadets. They join for much the same reason as any other kid. They want to have fun with peers, push their boundaries, learn self-discipline. There may be challenges but nothing that is insurmountable.

And they are well accepted and supported by heterosexual cadets.

It is a very positive aspect of youth society  they are a lot more accepting than their parents and grandparents generations.

And after all, they all wear the same uniform.

Lessons learned in cadets are lessons not forgotten. Like respect.

You will catch up with a cadet later in life and they will still call you Sir. I remind them they are out of cadets now and my name is Tony. And they will reply Okay Sir; thats cool! They still respect what you and the cadets have done for them.

If aged 13 to 15 and interested in joining any of the three corps, contact them via the following emails.

Sea Cadets: ts.chatham@cadetforces.org.nz

Army Cadets: wbpcu@cadetforces.org.nz

Air Cadets: 16sqn@cadetforces.org.nz

Units will then organise an introduction evening for parents and prospective cadets.
It might seem bad, but the worst that can happen when you buy a stock (without leverage) is that its share price goes to zero. But in contrast you can make much more than 100% if the company does well. For instance the Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) share price is 143% higher than it was three years ago. That sort of return is as solid as granite. But it's down 5.7% in the last week. But note that the broader market is down 0.2% since last week, and this may have impacted Ford Motor's share price.

While the stock has fallen 5.7% this week, it's worth focusing on the longer term and seeing if the stocks historical returns have been driven by the underlying fundamentals.

Check out our latest analysis for Ford Motor

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

Ford Motor was able to grow its EPS at 73% per year over three years, sending the share price higher. However, extraordinary items have impacted recent EPS numbers. The average annual share price increase of 34% is actually lower than the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

We know that Ford Motor has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? This free interactive report on Ford Motor's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, Ford Motor's TSR for the last 3 years was 168%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

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A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Ford Motor shareholders are down 15% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 3.6%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 5% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Ford Motor that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Syracuse, N.Y.  A 22-year-old Syracuse man has been hospitalized in critical condition Saturday after a fall from a fourth-floor window at the Skyline Apartments in Syracuse, police said.

Syracuse police responded shortly after 7 a.m. after a witness reported the incident to a security guard, said Sgt. Thomas Blake, a spokesperson for the Syracuse Police Department.

Police are still investigating the incident, and dont know yet how the man fell from the window. The man has significant injuries and is at Upstate University Hospital, police said. He was found in the parking lot of the 12-story high-rise at 753 James St.

On Tuesday, another person jumped out a window at Skyline, falling four floors. That person survived the fall.

Skyline Apartments and two other James Street complexes are to be sold to a Chicago-based investment group of troubled properties. The buyer, Clear Investment Group, of Chicago, will take over management of the Skyline; Chestnut Crossing Apartments, 923 James St.; and the James, at 600 James St., by April 1.

Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com
Phoenix, N.Y.  A Central New York teen was honored Friday for his role in helping rescue a man from a burning car after a crash in 2022.

Aiden Carter, 14, of Oswego, received the New York State Senate Liberty Award -- the highest award the Senate can give a citizen -- for his actions on Route 481 near Phoenix on Sept. 1, 2022, according to a news release from state Sen. John Mannion (D-Geddes).

Aiden, who was 13 at the time, and his father Joshua Carter were driving home to Fulton from Hancock Field Air National Guard Base when they saw a car swerve and crash into a bridge embankment in front of them.

The two stopped and jumped into action. Carter, a Lt. Col. in the New York Air National Guard, told his son to call 911 while he went to see if anyone was hurt.

Aiden -- who had never had to call 911 before -- told dispatchers what happened and how to get to their location. Aiden said that he doesnt know how he was able to remain calm but was happy he could make sure help was on the way.

While Adien was on the phone, Carter broke a window in the car -- that had already started burning -- and began pulling the driver and sole occupant out of the car.

Aiden noticed the fire growing and warned his dad to move their own car out of harms way, he said. While his father moved the car, Aiden stayed with the driver and made sure he wasnt too seriously injured.

As the fire grew larger and hotter, Aiden moved the man further from the blaze several times to make sure he was a safe distance away.

Finally, police and EMTs arrive to help the man. It did not appear the man was too seriously injured.

I was relieved that the guy was going to be okay, Aiden said, and also kind of worried there was a giant flaming car on the way back to my house.

On Friday, Aiden received the award from Mannion at the Fulton Public Library.

Aiden said that he wasnt sure he deserved such a high honor but was very grateful for the recognition.

State Sen. John Mannion presents Aiden Carter of Oswego with the Liberty Award during a ceremony in Fulton on Friday, April 21, 2023. (Photo provided by New York State Senate)

Staff writer Anne Hayes covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? You can reach her at ahayes@syracuse.com.
GCHQ-linked fund backs UK quantum start-up in race against China

A government fund with close links to GCHQ has taken a stake in a Cambridge quantum computing start-up, as a global technological arms race gathers pace.

The National Security Strategic Investment Fund (NSSIF) has invested in Riverlane as part of a 15m funding deal, the Telegraph can disclose.

The Cambridge-headquartered company is developing technology that makes experimental quantum computers more usable, describing its technology as an operating system for the advanced machines.

The NSSIF was launched in 2018 and is operated by the state-owned British Business Bank. The 85m fund gives companies access to the Governments top national security experts and has drawn parallels to In-Q-Tel, a US fund launched by the CIA.

Quantum computers are governed by the laws of quantum physics and are expected to be exponentially more powerful than todays devices. The technology could herald potentially transformational breakthroughs in fields such as medicine and artificial intelligence.

However, the machines will also be far more adept at codebreaking, raising fears about hacking and espionage.

The powerful potential of quantum computing has prompted an arms race between China, the US, and the European Union, with billions of dollars pouring into investment.

Technology minister Michelle Donelan last month launched Britains first national quantum strategy in response, pledging 2.5bn over the next decade to challenge the dominance of the US and China.

The Government admitted in its strategy: The UK is working within a changing geopolitical context with other governments ramping up investment into their national research programmes.

Steve Brierley, founder and chief executive of Riverlane, said the Government had identified quantum as a critical technology the UK has leadership in  so they want to continue to back companies who are ahead in the marketplace.

Britains universities are seen as having leading expertise in quantum computers, which use lasers and extremely cold temperatures to manipulate particles and unlock their quantum properties. Several start-ups are developing quantum computers in the UK, with a view to commercialising the technology.

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The NSSIF also has a stake in Quantum Motion, which is developing semiconductor technology for the advanced computers, as officials attempt to foster the nascent sector.

While quantum computers promise to be far more powerful than modern classical machines, the newer devices currently have a high error rate that makes them difficult to use reliably.

Riverlane, which works with companies including Rolls Royce and AstraZeneca, has developed hardware decoders and software that can root out these errors and correct them, meaning quantum computers can run more smoothly.

The company plans to develop a quantum semiconductor chip that can perform a similar function by 2025.

The fresh investment has roughly tripled Riverlanes valuation to around 150m, The Telegraph understands.

The new funding round was led by London-listed fund Molten Ventures, along with investment from US-listed computing company Altair. Current investors Amadeus Capital and Cambridge Innovation Capital also joined the deal.

A British Business Bank spokesman said: The investment in Riverlane recognises the companys role as part of the UKs world-leading quantum technology sector.

The Future Fund, the taxpayer-backed pandemic rescue vehicle launched by Rishi Sunak, has stakes in quantum security companies Arqit and Kets Quantum, and a shareholding in computer maker Oxford Quantum Circuits.
V.Narayan Distinguished - BHPian

Join Date: Aug 2014 Location: Delhi-NCR Posts: 3,676 Thanked: 52,575 Times

Re: Air India plane cockpit turns living room : Captain orders alcohol snacks pillow for lady friend Quote: Brumby Originally Posted by For me, every employee of a company must strictly adhere to the values, and objectives of the group



All,



Sorry for this off-topic post. In response to what @Brumby wrote and as anecdotal experiences are the order of the day on the thread permit me to share one of my many {of all shades} experiences with Tata's. I have been an employee of, customer of and vendor to the Tata group at different points in life. For a particular set of significant technical services in my field we had a 20-year vendor relationship with Tata's. Good paymasters, acceptable rates, decent behaviour, slow decision making and often enervating with their bureaucracy. At one point they decided to set up their own unit and in source the work so our contract was given notice. That was okay as this is business after all. But RNT personally instructed, knowing the time, effort and going beyond the letter of the contract we had so often performed, that we should be paid our base fee for another year as a gesture of goodwill - one year, mind you. And he sent us a letter to that effect. Of course, we went and thanked him profusely, retained our goodwill, and did not accede to his generosity. This happened in 2002. Such gestures at least I never saw from any other group, India or abroad. The only exception being the Aditya Birla group.



I don't put them on a pedestal but compared to several other industrial groups in India, Middle East, USA & Europe to whom we were vendors I'd rate Boeing, Aditya Birla and Tata as the three best to deal with consistently over years and years. Dear @Brumby, You, like each of us are entitled to your opinion. In each of our cases on every subject on planet Earth our opinions, while passionately held, are merely expressions of our own personal experiences or readings/listenings either first hand or second hand on the subject. Though of course being human beings we assume our opinions have universal applicability. In my 7th decade going around the sun I have not learnt several things but one thing I have is that any opinion of mine, no matter how convinced I maybe of it being the one truth, is merely, merely 1/8000th million of humanity's sum total opinion on that very topic. A sanguine thought in these days of social media and its publicly expressed rabid views.All,Sorry for this off-topic post. In response to what @Brumby wrote and as anecdotal experiences are the order of the day on the thread permit me to share one of my many {of all shades} experiences with Tata's. I have been an employee of, customer of and vendor to the Tata group at different points in life. For a particular set of significant technical services in my field we had a 20-year vendor relationship with Tata's. Good paymasters, acceptable rates, decent behaviour, slow decision making and often enervating with their bureaucracy. At one point they decided to set up their own unit and in source the work so our contract was given notice. That was okay as this is business after all. But RNT personally instructed, knowing the time, effort and going beyond the letter of the contract we had so often performed, that we should be paid our base fee for another year as a gesture of goodwill - one year, mind you. And he sent us a letter to that effect. Of course, we went and thanked him profusely, retained our goodwill, and did not accede to his generosity. This happened in 2002. Such gestures at least I never saw from any other group, India or abroad. The only exception being the Aditya Birla group.I don't put them on a pedestal but compared to several other industrial groups in India, Middle East, USA & Europe to whom we were vendors I'd rate Boeing, Aditya Birla and Tata as the three best to deal with consistently over years and years. Last edited by libranof1987 : 22nd April 2023 at 15:15 . Reason: Quoted post edited. Thanks!
The lawsuit against Tesla from Los Angeles back in 2020 has finally seen its conclusion now and its sides with the electric vehicle company amidst the scrutiny against its Autopilot tech. The jury's final deliberation was not moved or convinced by the victim's claims regarding the past incident from 2019, hence siding with Tesla on this case.

Tesla is facing multiple cases and probes behind the capabilities and technology of the Autopilot, as well as the Full-Self Driving tech for their issues and accidents that took place.

(Photo : Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

Tesla Defends Autopilot Lawsuit from 2020, Emerges the Winner

In a recent landmark decision, Tesla emerged victorious in a lawsuit that was filed against the company in Los Angeles in 2020.

The case involved a harrowing incident that took place in 2019 when a Tesla owner, Justine Hsu, experienced a life-threatening crash while using the Autopilot feature, resulting in serious injuries. However, after careful deliberation, the jury ultimately sided with Tesla, ruling in favor of the electric car manufacturer, says Reuters in a report.

The incident in question occurred when Hsu was driving her Tesla Model S on a winding road in Los Angeles, relying on the Autopilot feature to assist with navigation. Unexpectedly, the Autopilot malfunctioned and steered the vehicle off the road, sending it down a cliff. The airbags also deployed improperly, causing Hsu to sustain severe injuries, including a broken jaw, lost teeth, facial injuries, hand injuries, and leg injuries.

Read Also: Tesla Crashes Now Under Investigation by NHTSA-Autopilot, FSD the Culprits?

The jury did not Believe Victim's Claims says Report

Hsu sought as much as $3 million from Tesla for the damages that occurred in 2019, but the court ultimately rejected this as Tesla also argued that the plaintiff used the Autopilot on city streets. Moreover, the jury did not believe that the airbags of the Model S "failed" to deploy properly, with Tesla also disclosing the facts of the accident with its data.

Additionally, Tesla presented compelling evidence that the Autopilot system was designed to operate as a driver-assist feature and not as a fully autonomous driving system.

Tesla and its Autopilot Issues

In the past years, there have been growing reports regarding the company's autonomous driving systems malfunctioning or being faulty, resulting in accidents and problems.

While Musk and the Tesla team claim that its Autopilot and FSD are still the safest driving systems available in the world, the NHTSA also claims that these technologies from the company are "less likely to crash."

As autonomous driving technology continues to evolve, it is essential for drivers to understand the capabilities and limitations of these features and to use them responsibly. With the continued advancement of autonomous driving technology, further legal cases and debates around responsibility and liability will likely arise.

Tesla's recent legal victory in the lawsuit filed by Justine Hsu in Los Angeles is a stellar win for the company, with its findings giving both sides a fair chance in what truly happened before, and deliberating based on what transpired in court.

Related Article: Fatal 2021 Texas Crash: Investigators Find No Sign of Tesla Autopilot Usage

 2023 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The view looking south of Lake Shore Drive traffic, including parks and the cityscape, as seen from the Horizon House on North Sheridan Road in Chicago in 2019. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Impostors posing as Chicago government officials, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot, posted a series of tweets early Friday morning falsely claiming that North Jean Baptiste Point DuSable Lake Shore Drive is being permanently closed.

The accounts posting the false tweets claimed to be Lightfoot, the Chicago Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation. Their posts were seen by well over 100,000 people early in the day, according to Twitter data.

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The impersonation effort came just a day after Twitter removed verification from accounts that had been previously verified for the purpose of credibility. Twitter CEO Elon Musks controversial decision to remove the legacy verifications took away the authenticated status of all three of the impersonated accounts.

Were excited to announce that beginning 5/1/23, N. DuSable Lake Shore Drive will be closed to private vehicles between Grand and Hollywood, the account falsely posing as CDOT wrote.

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The accounts falsely impersonating IDOT and Lightfoot also shared the message.

My administration is proud to announce the single largest decarbonization effort in the history of Chicago. This will eliminate more than 50 million metric tons of CO2 within the next year, the account falsely impersonating Lightfoot wrote.

After a Tribune reporter first flagged the impersonations in a tweet, mayoral spokesperson Ryan Johnson shared that the Lightfoot administration was aware of the fake accounts and working with Twitter to resolve the matter.

People can verify official city accounts by visiting chi.gov/social, he added.

We are aware of the fake Twitter accounts, and our team is working with Twitter to resolve this matter.



Users can verify official City accounts by visiting: https://t.co/eUXDsKNkbn. https://t.co/IwTbFHeJOU  Ryan Johnson (@Ryan_Johnson) April 21, 2023

Shortly after Johnsons post flagging the deceit was shared, another fake account emerged, impersonating him. It falsely claimed again that the closure of North DuSable Lake Shore Drive was in fact real, directly refuting the Tribune reporter who had written that the claims were false.

The impostor accounts had all been suspended by Friday afternoon. It was not immediately clear who was behind the falsehoods.

Each fake account had used slight variations from the spelling of the account it attempted to impersonate or listed otherwise believable usernames. They made posts with serious tones that did not clearly signal the accounts were satirical.

Johnson told the Tribune on Friday that despite Twitters recent layoffs, company employees were pretty responsive in quickly addressing the impostor accounts.

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He acknowledged that such fake posts had the potential to alarm residents, though he declined to speculate on what the consequences might be if other false information posted by impostors is able to remain on the platform in the future.

Today just showed us that we have to be vigilant and move swiftly, Johnson said.

Before Friday, the usernames of the true mayoral account, CDOT account and IDOT account had all previously appeared alongside a blue check mark signaling that the accounts had been proved to actually represent the authorities they claimed to represent. However, those check marks were taken away Thursday because of Musks decision.

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 >

As a result of the decision, dozens of celebrities, politicians and other notable people lost their verified status. Many journalists, including dozens of Tribune reporters, who had been previously verified in an effort to signal their trustworthiness also lost their verified status Thursday.

Twitter users now have the option to pay $8 each month to receive an apparently identical blue check mark. However, that check mark no longer means the user is verified for credibility and instead signals that the users phone number has been verified, they have paid for verification and their account is older than 30 days, according to Twitter.

Organizations must now pay $1,000 per month to be verified, though some governmental accounts, including President Joe Bidens, have received a different gray checkmark to signal that they are credible governmental accounts.

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The social media platform says on its website that verified accounts must be nondeceptive.

CDOT and IDOT are in fact currently working on an effort to re-imagine North DuSable Lake Shore Drive with the Redefine the Drive study.

The effort could lead to an overhaul of the iconic road, including possibly building sprawling parks alongside and above it. The agencies are currently soliciting public feedback for the effort.

jsheridan@chicagotribune.com
QINGDAO, China, April 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Earth Day's purpose is to engage people, institutions, and businesses to recognize their responsibility to accelerate the transition to an equitable, prosperous green economy for all. Hisense, a leading global home appliance and consumer electronics brand, has always viewed sustainable business practices as one of its top priorities, and is committed to achieving, and helping bring about lower energy consumption, and environmental sustainability.

The global consumer electronics giant, best known for its TV, Laser TV and white goods, has recently taken an array of steps to reduce its own impact on the planet, ensuring its manufacturing, supply chain and the products it produces are more efficient and sustainable.

With self-developed technologies, like its self-adaptive backlight control algorithm, digitalized power control algorithm, high-voltage LED light and drive technology, Hisense has managed to reduce energy consumption of each TV by 25%. Moreover, in amending the design of its televisions, the company has reduced the amount of plastic that is required to dissipate heat, saving 4,626 tons of plastic per-year, the equivalent of 514million plastic bags.

Hisense's refrigeration category has solicited praise from the United Nations Development Program for its use of foaming technology to improve the efficiency of its fridges; a development which is believed to have saved nearly 6,000 tons of carbon emissions.

The company is also improving the footprint of its factories, increasing solar power generation in the plants it operates. It expects the total installed capacity to reach 60MW by the end of 2023, and the annual power generation capacity will reach 53 million kWh. The proportion of solar power generation in Hisense's total electricity consumption is now at more than 10%.

Hisense is also keen to bring about a more sustainable world beyond its own operations, and to mark Earth Day it has launched a new tree planting initiative to promote the importance of safeguarding the environment.

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To find out more about Hisense's commitment to take us Towards a Greener Future, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcqzEepU98g

About Hisense:

Hisense is a leading global home appliance and consumer electronics brand. Hisense's business covers multimedia products (with a focus on Smart TVs), home appliances, and IT intelligent information. Recently, Hisense has grown rapidly and is now operating in more than 160 countries.

Cision

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hisense-prioritises-sustainable-growth-to-build-a-greener-future-301804697.html

SOURCE Hisense
[On the occasion of the coronation of Charles III] Discover the unpublished story dedicated to William the Conqueror, told by Virginie Girod. William the Conqueror was the natural son of Robert the Magnificent, Duke of Normandy, and Arlette, daughter of a tanner. His illegitimate birth, in 1027 in Falaise in Normandy, earned him the nickname of William the Bastard. In 1035, when he was only 8 years old, he succeeded his father, who died on his return from his pilgrimage to Jerusalem. A period of unrest and conspiracies weakened the Duchy of Normandy, but the young duke managed to impose his power. In 1064 in England, King Edward was heirless. Very attached to Normandy where he found refuge for 30 years, he naturally turned to William to plan his succession to the throne. But William is not the only one to covet the crown of England. Virginie Girod tells you the story of William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England, who is also a distant ancestor of Charles III.
NEW YORK, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Technavio has been monitoring the insurance technology market in Europe , and it is expected to grow by USD 14,523.99 million between 2022 and 2027. As per the latest report, the market will progress at a CAGR of 34.58% during the forecast period. This report aid business leaders with an up-to-date analysis that includes the study of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers that are likely to influence the market growth, and the overall market environment. Download the Latest Sample Report!

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Europe Insurance Technology Market 2023-2027

The increasing collaborations between investors and insurance technology vendors are identified as the key trend in the market. The market is witnessing an increased number of collaborations between investors and insurance technology firms. These players are focused on developing sophisticated and customized insurance products and personalized services to cater to growing consumer demand. In addition, the trend of purchasing insurance over an application has also increased investors' collaboration with insurance technology firms. For instance, in December 2020, simplesurance GmbH, a Berlin-based insurance technology company, received USD 18 million as a convertible loan from Allianz X. Such investments will foster the growth of the market during the forecast period.

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Akur8, Alan SA, Anorak Technologies Ltd., Charles Taylor Ltd., Descartes Underwriting SAS, Digital Fineprint Ltd., F2X Group Ltd., FRISS, Getsafe Digital GmbH, INZMO Europe GmbH, Majesco, Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group, Qidenus Group GmbH, Qover SA, Quantemplate Technologies Inc., Shift Technology, simplesurance GmbH, wefox Insurance AG, Xempus AG, and Duck Creek Technologies Inc. are some of the major market participants.

Although the increased adoption of cloud-based solutions will offer immense growth opportunities, changing skill requirements will challenge the growth of the market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

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The market is driven by the increased adoption of cloud-based solutions. Cloud-based solutions provide organizations the flexibility to scale up or down depending on their requirements. Cloud-based solutions also ensure high-speed deployment and low upfront costs. Also, it allows organizations to access data and services remotely through a web browser without installing and managing the application software. Many such benefits are increasing the adoption of cloud-based among end-users, which is driving the growth of the market.

Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Segmentation

Type

Technology

The market growth in the solution segment will be significant over the forecast period. The growth of the segment is driven by the digital transformation of insurance, coupled with the increasing demand for improved, customer-centric solutions. In addition, the development of new products to meet the changing needs of customers and improve transparency are driving the growth of the segment.

To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download

a sample report

Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our insurance technology market in Europe report covers the following areas:

Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Major Challenge

Changing skill requirements will challenge the growth of the market. Technological innovations have enabled vendors to provide customer-centric applications in the market. The incorporation of data analytics has enabled insurance companies to derive insights, detect fraud, and predict claim patterns. Similarly, blockchain technology and cloud insurance solutions have become more efficient and secure. However, the market faces a shortage of skilled professionals to implement digital technologies. This is hindering the adoption of technology among insurance companies, which is negatively affecting the growth of the market.

Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the insurance technology market in Europe, including some of the key vendors. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the insurance technology market in Europe is designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

Anorak Technologies Ltd. - The company offers insurance technology solutions such as the Adviser platform and the Consumer platform.

Charles Taylor Ltd. - The company offers insurance technology solutions such as InHub.

Descartes Underwriting SAS - The company offers insurance technology solutions for parametric insurance.

FRISS - The company offers insurance technology solutions such as Create Insurance, Distribute Insurance, Manage your Insurance, and Insurance Reporting.

Alan SA

Digital Fineprint Ltd.

F2X Group Ltd.

Getsafe Digital GmbH

INZMO Europe GmbH

Majesco

Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group

Qidenus Group GmbH

Qover SA

Quantemplate Technologies Inc.

Shift Technology

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Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2023-2027

Detailed information on factors that will assist insurance technology market growth in Europe during the next five years

Estimation of the insurance technology market size in Europe and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the insurance technology market in Europe

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of insurance technology market vendors in Europe

Related Reports:

The insurance software market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.22% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecasted to increase by USD 6,453.98 million. The market is segmented by deployment (on-premises and cloud-based), type (life insurance, accident and health insurance, property and casualty insurance, and others), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America).

The insurtech market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 44.05% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecasted to increase by USD 6,1756.27 million. The market is segmented by deployment (on-premise and cloud), management (marketing and distribution, it support, policy administration and management, claim management, and others), and geography (North America, Europe, Apac, middle east and Africa, and South America).

Insurance Technology Market in Europe: Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 34.58% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 14523.99 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022- 2023 (%) 24.0 Key countries UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Rest of Europe Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Akur8, Alan SA, Anorak Technologies Ltd., Charles Taylor Ltd., Descartes Underwriting SAS, Digital Fineprint Ltd., F2X Group Ltd., FRISS, Getsafe Digital GmbH, INZMO Europe GmbH, Majesco, Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group, Qidenus Group GmbH, Qover SA, Quantemplate Technologies Inc., Shift Technology, simplesurance GmbH, wefox Insurance AG, Xempus AG, and Duck Creek Technologies Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse through Technavio's Information Technology Market Reports

Table of contents:

1 Executive Summary

1.1 Market overview

2 Market Landscape

2.1 Market ecosystem

3 Market Sizing

3.1 Market definition

3.2 Market segment analysis

3.3 Market size 2022

3.4 Market outlook: Forecast for 2022-2027

4 Historic Market Size

4.1 Insurance technology market in Europe 2017 - 2021

4.2 Type Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

4.3 Technology Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

5 Five Forces Analysis

5.1 Five forces summary

5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

5.4 Threat of new entrants

5.5 Threat of substitutes

5.6 Threat of rivalry

5.7 Market condition

6 Market Segmentation by Type

6.1 Market segments

6.2 Comparison by Type

6.3 Solution - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

6.4 Service - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

6.5 Market opportunity by Type

7 Market Segmentation by Technology

7.1 Market segments

7.2 Comparison by Technology

7.3 Cloud computing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.4 IoT - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.5 Big data and business analytics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.6 Blockchain - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

7.8 Market opportunity by Technology

8 Customer Landscape

8.1 Customer landscape overview

9 Geographic Landscape

9.1 Geographic segmentation

9.2 Geographic comparison

9.3 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.4 France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.5 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.6 Italy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.7 Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

9.8 Market opportunity by geography

10 Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

10.1 Market drivers

10.2 Market challenges

10.3 Impact of drivers and challenges

10.4 Market trends

11 Vendor Landscape

11.1 Overview

11.2 Vendor landscape

11.3 Landscape disruption

11.4 Industry risks

12 Vendor Analysis

12.1 Vendors covered

12.2 Market positioning of vendors

12.3 Akur8

12.4 Anorak Technologies Ltd.

12.5 Charles Taylor Ltd.

12.6 Descartes Underwriting SAS

12.7 Duck Creek Technologies Inc.

12.8 F2X Group Ltd.

12.9 FRISS

12.10 Getsafe Digital GmbH

12.11 INZMO Europe GmbH

12.12 Majesco

12.13 Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group

12.14 Qover SA

12.15 Quantemplate Technologies Inc.

12.16 Shift Technology

12.17 simplesurance GmbH

13 Appendix

13.1 Scope of the report

13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

13.4 Research methodology

13.5 List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios.

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Europe Insurance Technology Market 2023-2027

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Sokoto Caliphate was the largest African kingdom

Largest African kingdom was the Sokoto Caliphate over 2.6 billion acres in size and population of over 30 million people lasting from 1804 to 1902.

The largest African kingdom in terms of geographical area and population was the Sokoto Caliphate, pronounced So-KOH-toh Kal-uh-feyt.

The Sokoto Caliphate was a well-organized state with a system of government based on Islamic law and principles. It was divided into emirates, each of which was ruled by an emir who was responsible for local administration, justice, and security. The emirs were appointed by the caliph and were expected to rule in accordance with Islamic principles.

Under the Sokoto Caliphate, trade, agriculture, and crafts flourished. The caliphate controlled important trade routes and had a large and productive agricultural sector. The caliphate also developed a thriving handicraft industry, producing textiles, leather goods, and metalwork.

Sokoto Caliphate remained a powerful state until 1902 when it came under pressure from European colonial powers. The British took over the Sokoto Caliphate and other regions in Nigeria as part of their efforts to expand their colonial empire in Africa in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The British had established a trading presence on the coast of West Africa in the early 19th century, but they did not begin to explore and colonize the interior of the continent until the latter part of the century.

In the case of Nigeria, the British were particularly interested in the region's resources, including its agricultural and mineral wealth. They also saw the region as an important market for British goods and a potential source of labor for British industries. The British initially established trading relationships with the Sokoto Caliphate and other states in the region, but conflicts eventually arose over trade and other issues.

The British saw the caliphate as a potential threat to their interests in the region and to their efforts to extend their control over the interior of West Africa. As a result, they launched a military campaign against the caliphate, which ultimately led to its defeat and incorporation into the British colony of Nigeria.The British ultimately defeated the caliphate in 1903, and it was incorporated into the British colony of Nigeria.

After the British defeated the Sokoto Caliphate in 1903, the leaders and people of the caliphate were subjected to British colonial rule. The caliphate was incorporated into the British colony of Nigeria, and the British authorities appointed new rulers and administrators to govern the region. Many of the former leaders of the Sokoto Caliphate were killed, exiled or imprisoned.

The British empire also imposed a new system of government, which was based on Western-style institutions and principles. The British also introduced new economic policies and systems of land ownership, which had a significant impact on the traditional agricultural economy of the region.

The British also introduced Christianity to the region and established Christian missions, which led to tensions between the Christian and Muslim communities. Today, northern Nigeria remains a predominantly Muslim region, and Islamic law and customs continue to play an important role in the daily lives of many people in the region.

Definition of kingdom.

African kingdoms are historical political entities in Africa that were ruled by a monarch, such as a king, queen, caliph or emperor. These kingdoms were typically organized around a centralized authority, with a hierarchy of officials, administrators, and military leaders. Every African kingdom had their own unique cultures, languages, and customs, and played a significant role in the development of African societies and civilizations.
John Wood Group (LON:WG.) Full Year 2022 Results

Key Financial Results

Revenue: US$5.43b (up 4.3% from FY 2021).

Net loss: US$710.0m (loss widened by 226% from FY 2021).

US$1.04 loss per share (further deteriorated from US$0.32 loss in FY 2021).

All figures shown in the chart above are for the trailing 12 month (TTM) period

John Wood Group Revenues Beat Expectations, EPS Falls Short

Revenue exceeded analyst estimates by 1.0%. Earnings per share (EPS) missed analyst estimates.

Looking ahead, revenue is forecast to grow 4.8% p.a. on average during the next 3 years, compared to a 8.0% growth forecast for the Energy Services industry in the United Kingdom.

Performance of the British Energy Services industry.

The company's shares are up 6.0% from a week ago.

Risk Analysis

We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for John Wood Group that you should be aware of before investing here.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has led a torrent of tributes following the death of Australian comedian Barry Humphries on Saturday.

For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone, but the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry, the prime minister wrote on social media.

A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton paid tribute too, sharing an image of Humphries in his civvies rather than in drag.
For months, Anthony Morgan and his partner, Hayley Thornley, have driven their five young children past the block where their new family home is being built.

Their kids, aged between two and 11 and who all have disabilities, were excited as the concrete foundations were laid at the block in Lara, outside Geelong, and when the timber arrived last week for the next stage of the build.

Hayley Thorley and Anthony Morgan with their children (l-r) Jasper, Riley, Bella, Zeke and Blade at their block in Lara. Credit: Chris Hopkins

But the future of their dream home is now unclear after they received an email on Friday night informing them that construction company Mahercorp, which includes housing construction brands Urbanedge Homes and Eight Homes, had gone into voluntary administration.

Work on more than 700 Victorian homes has been halted for five weeks while administrators consider restructuring the business.
With its glittering seaside views nestled on the Great Ocean Road, Point Grey in Lorne is one of the regions best parcels of coastal real estate that has long been earmarked for rejuvenation.

The site hosts the popular but ageing Lorne Aquatic and Angling Club house, which needs an overhaul, while the operator of the long-running seafood restaurant has now left Point Grey. The fishing co-op, which adjoins the former restaurant building, closed more than five years ago.

The confirmation of an extra $2 million in government funding earlier this year, bringing the total to almost $13 million, should have been a clear win for the community.

Committee for Lorne chairman Ian Stewart at Point Grey. Credit: Joe Armao

But the 1.7 hectare site of mostly Crown land, located beside the Lorne Pier, is languishing and there is growing frustration with redevelopment plans stretching back well over 10 years.
Victorias public servants were gifted items or hospitality totalling at least $34,000 over more than 150 separate occasions last financial year, including by private firms that are government contractors.

Lyn Allison from the Accountability Round Table is among those who want to see timely disclosures. Credit: Eddie Jim

A Sunday Age analysis of the most recent disclosure logs by public servants across government departments shows bureaucrats regularly accept tickets to sporting events, lunches and dinners  some worth hundreds of dollars each  paid for by external organisations.

It comes as integrity experts call on the Andrews government to strengthen rules around the disclosure of gifts to public servants to ensure detailed registers are published quarterly instead of annually. That would bring them in line with disclosure requirements for local government workers.

An Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC) report into corruption risks associated with donations and lobbying, released last week, also recommended that the Andrews government crack down on lobbying by external organisations.
(Bloomberg) -- Crypto entrepreneur Do Kwons lawyers say a US regulators lawsuit accusing him and Terraform Labs Pte of securities fraud is unfounded, in part, because the stable coin at issue is a currency, not a security.

Most Read from Bloomberg

US law prohibits regulators from using federal securities law to assert jurisdiction over the digital assets in this case, Kwons lawyers said Friday in a request to a judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission sued Kwon and the company he co-founded, Terraform Labs, in February, accusing them of fraud related to the collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin.

The agency said the company illegally offered unregistered securities and carried out a scheme that wiped out at least $40 billion worth of market value.

Kwons lawyers say the lawsuit is an improper attempt by the SEC to regulate cryptocurrencies using antiquated laws, even though Congress, the executive branch and the agency itself cant agree on what qualifies as a security.

The SECs improper assertion of power here by trying to shoehorn all cryptocurrencies into its definition of a security fails, the lawyers said in their filing.

Kwon was arrested in late March in Montenegro. The US and South Korea, where he also faces fraud charges, are both seeking his extradition. A court in Montenegros capital of Podgorica on Friday approved Kwons continued detention after he was indicted by local prosecutors, accused of forging travel documents to fly to Dubai.

The case is Securities and Exchange Commission v Terraform Labs, PTE. LTD and Do Hyeong Kwon, 1:23-cv-01346, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2023 Bloomberg L.P.
Its not all happy meals these days in the land of Ronald McDonald.



Restaurant operators are pushing back against McDonalds recent efforts to extend more control over its franchisees while refusing certain joint employer obligations.

Read more

We want our independence. If McDonalds does not want to be considered a Joint Employer, they need to stop acting like one, said the National Owners Association (NOA), a group representing over 1,000 McDonalds operators across the US, in a statement dated Apr. 19.

Last June, the fast food chain announced plans to tighten its franchising rules in the US, where an estimated 95% of stores are operated by independent owners. The changes included a new grading system, more frequent inspections, and a revamp of how it grants 20-year franchise licenses that emphasizes they are earned, not given.

A McDonald's golden arches sign that reads

Restaurant owners raised concerns that the new performance-based standards would put additional pressure on workers and operations. The National Franchisee Leadership Alliance, another group representing US McDonalds operators, asked that the new rules be postponed until June 2023 rather than Jan. 1. McDonalds rejected the request.

In March, NOA encouraged its members to write to the US Federal Trade Commission regarding their concerns about McDonalds new franchising rules.

But not all franchise owners oppose the policy updates. Ten franchisee advisory councils leaders called out NOA in a statement: Were disappointed that a small but vocal group is pushing this counterproductive agenda, which threatens our business model and the livelihoods of future generations of franchisees.

McDonalds joint employer dispute

As McDonalds extends more control over its franchisees, it also rejects that its a joint employer, absolving it of a great deal of legal liability over franchise owners actions. The assertion has legal backing.

Story continues

According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), McDonalds does not hold responsibility for labor violations at its franchisesa decision that emerged from one of the biggest cases in the agencys history.

It began in 2012 when franchise workers filed a complaint with the NLRB, claiming they were fired for their involvement in union organizing. McDonalds maintained it was not liable because it could not be considered a joint employer, a definition that was expanded in 2015 under the Obama administration. The pro-worker move was intended to hold corporate owners accountable for labor practices at franchises, and mandated they engage in union bargaining.

The joint employer threshold was rolled back in 2018 under the Trump administration in a victory for corporate owners. It helped McDonalds score a big win in 2019 when the NLRB ruled it was not responsible for unfair labor practices at independently-run restaurants, and could settle its dispute with franchise workers. The Fast Food Workers Committee appealed the decision in 2021, but the settlement was upheld in April 2022. Under the ruling, McDonalds has not been held responsible for use of child labor at a franchise.

Related stories

 McDonalds ex-CEO is paying an extra $400,000 for obscuring the reason behind his termination

 Fast food wages are way past the Fight for $15

 How McDonalds latest ad got everyone talking about an everyday facial expression

More from Quartz

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Click here to read the full article.
It's easy to match the overall market return by buying an index fund. When you buy individual stocks, you can make higher profits, but you also face the risk of under-performance. For example, the abrdn European Logistics Income plc (LON:ASLI) share price is down 35% in the last year. That's well below the market decline of 3.0%. However, the longer term returns haven't been so bad, with the stock down 14% in the last three years.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

See our latest analysis for abrdn European Logistics Income

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During the last year abrdn European Logistics Income saw its earnings per share drop below zero. While this may prove temporary, we'd consider it a negative, so it doesn't surprise us that the stock price is down. However, there may be an opportunity for investors if the company can recover.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on abrdn European Logistics Income's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for abrdn European Logistics Income the TSR over the last 1 year was -31%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

Story continues

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 3.0% in the last year, abrdn European Logistics Income shareholders lost 31% (even including dividends). Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 3% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand abrdn European Logistics Income better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with abrdn European Logistics Income .

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on British exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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sizewell c nuclear - Chris Radburn - WPA Pool/Getty Images

The Governments push to find investors for the 20bn Sizewell C nuclear power station has suffered a significant blow as Britains biggest fund managers have snubbed the scheme.

Jeremy Hunt, the Chancellor, sought to make the project more attractive to green-focused asset managers in his Spring Budget by proposing to give it sustainable status under UK financing rules.

Ministers have also reformed the funding model for nuclear plants to hand investors more up-front rewards.

But senior sources in the asset management industry and two of the countrys biggest fund managers have dismissed the changes as irrelevant and insisted it would not persuade them to back Sizewell C.

Nuclear power is seen as vital to Britains energy security in the wake of the Ukraine war, with ministers calling for it to generate 25pc of the countrys electricity needs by 2050.

But despite introducing new funding models and classifying it as green to attract investors, the Government has struggled to persuade sceptical pension funds and asset managers to get behind Sizewell C.

Legal & General  Britains biggest money manager with 1.3 trillion of assets  said Mr Hunts announcement will have no bearing on its opposition to large nuclear energy schemes, as it is focused on supporting alternatives such as wind and solar.

A spokesman for Legal & General Capital told The Telegraph: Our stance hasnt changed: we are focused on investing in and supporting other innovative, viable, and cost-effective clean energy solutions that are already delivering results.

Aviva, another major fund manager and Britains biggest provider of life insurance, also appeared to snub Mr Hunts announcement.

A spokesman said the company had nothing to add to a statement last year by chairman George Culmer, who said there was ongoing debate over the issue due to environmental concerns around nuclear waste.

Previously, the BT Pension Scheme and NatWest have told campaign group Stop Sizewell C that they will also not back the project.

Story continues

A senior industry source told the Telegraph that the Government would struggle to find backers for Sizewell C because many asset managers remained extremely sceptical.

Big infrastructure projects of this kind are enormously risky and require a lot of cash up front, the source added. They also have a track record for going massively over-budget and over-schedule.

And whether the Chancellor calls it green or not, people know what they think about nuclear  it is very hard to describe something as sustainable when it involves burying toxic waste in the ground.

There are other, cheaper ways to generate electricity.

Mr Hunt has said nuclear power is needed to provide a reliable source of electricity in future, alongside renewables, because the wind doesnt always blow and the sun doesnt always shine.

But only one nuclear power plant, Hinkley Point C in Somerset, is currently under construction and will not open until 2027 at the earliest, with all but one of Britains existing power stations due to have shut by then.

A second scheme, Sizewell C in Suffolk, is also being progressed by Hinkley developer EDF and the Government at an estimated cost of 20bn to 30bn, but the exact split of private and public funding being sought has not been confirmed.

Bosses at Sizewell C have previously claimed the plant will generate vast amounts of very low-carbon energy with a small footprint compared to other sources of sustainable energy, while creating thousands of jobs and bringing significant investment into Suffolk.

So far the Government has invested around 800m in the project and shares ownership equally with EDF, but it is hoping to bring in new backers after forcing China General Nuclear out over security concerns.

Ministers hope further financing can be attracted through the newly-introduced regulated asset base (RAB) model.

Funded by a levy on household energy bills, the RAB model would guarantee investors a fixed income from the project during construction, reducing their exposure to risk. The Government has claimed it would only add 1 per month to household bills.

The Government has vowed to take a final investment decision before the end of this parliament.

Barclays has been brought in to run the financing process but this has not yet begun, prompting concerns it could be held up by a potential general election next year.

A Department for Energy Security and Net Zero spokesman said: New nuclear is key to our long-term energy security  thats why the Government made a historic 700m investment to help develop Sizewell C and become a project shareholder.

We are working closely with the project company to attract new finance.

We know many investors are prepared to support infrastructure delivering energy security and net zero, including new nuclear power, and we are confident that investors will take assurance from the Governments clear commitment to the nuclear sector.

The UK's biggest asset managers have also cast doubt over Jeremy Hunt's ambition to make pension funds more powerful and profitable by consolidating the sector and boosting investment in fast-growing British businesses.

The Chancellor and City minister Andrew Griffith met bosses at the UK's biggest fund managers last month to discuss overhauling Britain's retirement regime.

The roundtable included executives from Schroders, Aviva, L&G and GSK as well as Lord Mayor Nicholas Lyons, who is calling for a 50bn growth fund to provide new investment in fintech, biotech, life sciences and green technology.

Many of the biggest money managers laid out concerns in a separate industry meeting this month that UK pension funds lack the size and scale to be able to match their Canadian and Australian rivals. Others said a shortage of specialist fund managers may thwart plans to catalyse investment into UK science and technology.

Some believe it could take decades to achieve anything like the "true levels of scale" required to invest in high growth companies. Many noted that even the UK's existing "master trusts" lacked the economies of scale to make better investment in productive assets.

The UK's 36 biggest funds manage the pensions savings of more than 20 million people, but their combined pool of assets is just 105.3bn. By comparison, the Ontario teachers' fund alone manages $190bn (153bn) of assets.

Most of the 550bn invested in defined contribution (DC) pension schemes is spread across around 20,000 micro schemes that have fewer than a dozen members.

Ben Gold, head of investment at XPS Pensions Group which advises 50 DC schemes managing 6bn of assets, added that many funds were unlikely to invest in illiquid investments because most platforms had been set up so that workers can switch their investments on demand.

"All the platforms have been set up to enable members to be able to switch from equities to bonds to infrastructure to whatever they want on a daily basis, he said. So there's a fundamental mismatch between that and the idea of investing in long term assets.
Abrupt About Face From California Lawmakers, Fentanyl Bills to Be Heard April 27

Pressure from the public following a press conference in Sacramento earlier this month protesting the Assembly Public Safety Committees shelving of a series of bipartisan fentanyl bills has led the committee to reconsider its decisions, with a special hearing now scheduled for April 27.

I was so incredibly happy and relieved, Pamela Smith, mother of 27-year-old fentanyl overdose victim Jackson Smith, told The Epoch Times upon hearing the news. I believe that exposure to the committees behavior, that came to light [at our] press conference, brought such attention and pressure on the Assembly they are finally going to work with us and stop their stall tactics.

Family members, advocacy groups, prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and state representatives met in front of the state Capitol April 18 in hope of bringing attention to the committees dismissal of recent fentanyl bill legislation.

At issue are propositions by several assemblymembers and senators addressing the fentanyl issue with a variety of approaches.

Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains (D-Bakersfield) introduced Assembly Bill 33, which would establish a fentanyl addiction and overdose task force.

Assembly Bill 367, led by Assemblyman Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego), targets fentanyl dealers by adding sentencing enhancements to those who cause injury or death distributing the drug.

In efforts to stem violent crime, Assemblymember Esmeralda Sorias (D-Fresno) Assembly Bill 675 would prohibit those in possession of fentanyl from carrying firearms.

With investigations revealing that many young fentanyl overdose victims purchased the drug that killed them via social media, Assemblymember Cottie Petrie-Norris (D-Irvine) led the introduction of Assembly Bill 955, increasing penalties for fentanyl dealers who distribute on social media.

Assemblymember Jim Patterson (R-Fresno) authored Assembly Bill 1058, specifically targeting fentanyl dealers by increasing penalties for possession of more than 28.35 grams of the drug.

The committee had previously decided not to hear the bills, with chair Assemblyman Reginald Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles) using his authority to sideline the legislation.

A request for comment from Jones-Sawyer was not returned on deadline.

Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer attends MedMen Red Jacket Preparation Launch with Brotherhood Crusade in Culver City, Calif., on Nov. 7, 2019. (Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for MedMen)

Assembly Republicans signaled their intent to demand a vote on the bills on April 20, to [force] lawmakers to pick a side between protecting Californians from fentanyl poisoning or protecting drug dealers who profit off the overdose epidemic, according to a caucus press release April 19.

Patterson, the assemblymember from Fresno, said he was equally pleased at the turn of events.

The voice of the people, the heart and soul of the people, got through this building and to the hearts of those that wanted to obstruct, and were going to have a hearing, Patterson said in a video statement released April 20. I have been in this assembly for 10 years, and Ive never seen anything like this.

Patterson additionally thanked Californians for responding to the pleas from victims families and voicing their concerns.

The voice of the people broke through the obstruction and bias against holding fentanyl drug dealers accountable, he said.

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death nationwide for ages 1845, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The drug is responsible for approximately 500 deaths every month in California, based on the most recent data released by the California Department of Public Health.

I am thankful the hearts and minds of the highest levels of leadership in this assembly saw the light, and were going to have the light turned on in that hearing room, and were going to hear and see the death toll and the heartbreak, and were going to do something about it, Patterson said.
ANALYSIS: The Rise of Cai Qi, 5th in the Partys Politburo Standing Committee

Cai Qi, Beijing Communist Party Secretary, stands as he is introduced as a member of the Communist Party of China's Politburo Standing Committee, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 23, 2022. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

In March of this year, former Beijing party boss Cai Qi was given an additional positiondirector of the partys General Office, which magnified his power to discipline all Chinese Communist Party (CCP), regime, and military officials except those in the Politburo Standing Committee.

Cais new role is reminiscent of Kang Sheng (1898-1975), a merciless official during the Mao Zedong era. When it comes to Kang, most Chinese born after 1970 do not know much about him, as the regimes media outlets rarely mention his name. As a prominent internal security cadre within the CCP, Kang was irreplaceable in assisting Maos political campaigns, especially initiating and implementing the Cultural Revolution (1966 to 1976).

As history often repeats itself, the analogy between Cai and Kang may help us predict and interpret political dramas that are about to unfold in communist China.

Cai was born in Yongan of Fujian Province in 1955. When he was 17, he became one of the urban educated youths who were sent down to the countryside to receive re-education during the Cultural Revolution.

In the late 1970s, he was recommended to study in the Department of Political Education at Fujian Normal University. After graduating from college in 1978, he stayed at the university to work as a party cadre. In 1983, he was transferred to the office of the Fujian Provincial Committee and officially embarked on his political career.

He had a 20-year relationship with Xi Jinping as a subordinate in his hometown of Fujian Province and neighboring Zhejiang Province. His career has been exceptionally smooth since Xi came to power in 2012.

During his tenure in Zhejiang, Cai visited Taiwan in the name of visiting his uncle in July 2012. On his seven-day trip, he discussed promoting cross-strait integration and unification with the Kuomintangs top officials, Lien Chan, and Hung Hsiu-chu.

In November 2013, Cai became vice governor of Zhejiang Province. Four months later, he was transferred to the newly established Central National Security Commission (CNSC) of the CCP Central Committee as deputy director of the general office. The newly established body was above all powerful departments of the CCP, including the police system and special agents system.

At that time, a faction aligned with former CCP leader Jiang Zemin was still very strong, and Xi was in a precarious situation. The establishment of the CNSC played an important role in helping Xi stabilize his power, and Cai earned more trust from Xi as a result. Since then, he gradually became involved in the CCPs national security affairs.

In 2017, at the age of 61, Cai served as mayor of Beijing until May 27, when he was then named Secretary of the Beijing CCP Municipal Committee. As Cai was an ordinary party member, he was the first non-central committee member to become Beijings party boss in the CCPs history.

The then Beijing Party secretary Cai Qi attends a meeting of the Beijing Committee of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference on Jan. 12, 2017. (Reuters)

After the 19th National Congress held in 2017, Cai was promoted to become a member of the Political Bureau, which was an unconventional promotion in the CCP system. By then, he had ascended to the ranks of Chinas top leaders.

As a CCP cadre with mediocre performance and a poor reputation among the public, Cai has been promoted repeatedly and often beyond his original rank and qualifications. His political path has been very rare since the establishment of the CCP regime.

One of Cais most notorious political achievements that had caused public uproar was to evict the low-end population in Beijing. In November 2017, Cai ordered public security officials to evict tens of thousands of migrant workers living in Beijings suburbs, forcing them to leave their homes in the cold.

In an internal speech, Cai said that party cadres should be on the front line to supervise the battle and that the expulsion of Beijings low-end population should be a true stab with visible blood, which meant his order must be fully implemented, regardless of how defiant the victims might be.

Although Cai had already earned Xis trust, he relentlessly advocated Xi and Xis ideology publicly. In June 2022, as Beijings party boss, Cai said in front of the CCP Party Congress, We were deeply inspired by the extraordinary talent and vision, as well as leadership demeanor of the general secretary.

History Repeats Itself

Cai and Kang Sheng are somewhat similar; both are ruthless, and both rely on political tactics to win the trust and favor of those in power, allowing them to climb the ranks, despite their poor political performance.

During several Maos political campaigns, Kang controlled the secret service agencies whose main functions were counterintelligence and internal cleansing. Cais new role as the director of the CCPs General Office is very similar, as the main function of this organization is to monitor the political trends of top cadres, according to CCPs official statement.

Kang Sheng in Yanan sometime in the 1940s. (Public domain)

In October 1939, the Central Committee of the CCP established the Central Socialist Department in Yanan, northern Shaanxi, to be responsible for intelligence and counter-intelligence work, with Kang Sheng as the first director. Three years later, in 1942, Mao initiated a major purge within the party, known as the Yanan Rectification, where Kang used his Central Socialist Department to assist Mao to wage his rectification.

As mentioned in the editorial series Nine Comments of the Chinese Communist Party by The Epoch Times, the Yanan Rectification Campaign created a horrifying pattern of mass cleansing.

The rectification movement in Yanan was the largest, darkest, and most ferocious power game ever played out in the human world. In the name of cleansing petty bourgeoisie toxins, the Party washed away morality, independent thought, freedom of action, tolerance, and dignity, the commentary said.

A survivor of the Yanan Rectification recalled: At that time, we were dragged [to interrogation rooms] and forced to take confessions. Under extreme pressure, many had to betray their conscience and make up lies to frame others.

According to scholarly studies, the Yanan Rectification caused more than 10,000 deaths.

During the Cultural Revolution initiated by Mao, Kang again used his secret servicethis time it was the Central Investigation Department of the CCPto cooperate with Maos power struggles.

Kang Sheng (top right) during the Cultural Revolution, with Jiang Qing and Zhou Enlai. (Public domain)

Kang became an advisor to the Central Cultural Revolution Group in May 1966 when the Cultural Revolution first broke out and became a member of the Standing Committee of the CCPs Politburo in August of the same year, entering the core of power. At that time, he ranked seventh in the party.

The Cultural Revolution caused the unnatural death of about 20 million Chinese people. The victims included civilians, Red Guards, and Chinese communist soldiers.

Deng Xiaoping once told a foreign journalist, The real number of people who died in the Cultural Revolution must be an astronomical figure that can never be calculated.

It was not by luck or coincidence that Kang was appointed as the chief of the secret service during the two major political movements, acting as a vanguard and a hitman, but because he was the chosen one by the CCP leader.

After the CCPs 20th National Congress, Cai replaced Wang Huning to take charge of the CCPs ideology. It is reasonable to speculate that he will likely become the first minister of the Central Social Work Department and will further integrate and lead this special services body focusing on internal party affairs. In that case, his role would be closer to that of Kang.

Chinas leader Xi Jinping (L) walks with (2nd L to R) Li Qiang, Li Xi, Zhao Leji, Ding Xuexiang, Wang Huning, and Cai Qi, members of the Chinese Communist Partys new Politburo Standing Committee in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Oct. 23, 2022. (Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images)

Currently, Cai ranks fifth in the Politburo Standing Committee, behind Xi, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, and Wang Huning. Still, in some ways, his power has been magnified by Xi to the point where he can deter all key officials outside the Politburo Standing Committee, including party, regime, and military officials, and also including the Zeng Qinghong faction, which has been quite hostile to Xi.

The multiple party agencies under Cais leadership are responsible for preventing coups and monitoring party and government officials. Cais power has now surpassed Kangs, suggesting that China is again at a crucial juncture in history.
Arizona Revokes Unconscionable Permits for Saudi Firm to Drill Deep-Water Wells

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has announced the revocation of drilling permits for new deep-water wells on land leased to a Saudi-owned company, saying that their approval eight months ago was unconscionable because the state is on the verge of a water crisis.

Fondomonte, which is owned by a major dairy company in Saudi Arabia, has been growing water-intensive alfalfa in Arizona for export in order to feed cows in the Middle East. Its illegal to grow the crop in Saudi Arabia because it takes up too much water.

But anyone who buys or leases land in Arizona can, after putting in a well, pump unlimited amounts of water because there are no regulations limiting how much water can be extracted. Thats despite the fact that Arizona is facing cuts to its surface water supply from the Colorado River system, which is critically low.

Eight months ago, the Arizona State Land Department (ASLD) approved two applications for new deep-water wells on the Butler Valley state trust land in La Paz County, some of which is leased to Fondomonte.

The newly-elected Mayes, who made canceling the leases part of her recent election campaign, said that the two leases to Fondomonte have been canceled.

I can tell you that todayjust before Earth Daythats not happening, Mayes said in a post on Twitter. Those drill permits have been revoked.

The Epoch Times was unable to reach a representative of Fondomonte Arizona LLC for comment when calling outside of normal working hours.

Cusp of a Water Crisis

Foreign-owned or leased farms in Arizona that are growing water-intensive crops have been the subject of controversy for some time.

In 2014, Fondomonte Arizona, a subsidiary of the Saudi company Almarai, bought over 9,800 acres of farmland in western Arizona, in order to secure its supply of alfalfa to Saudi Arabia, per a press release (pdf).

Later, Fondomonte leased land in the unincorporated township of Bouse, La Paz County, which lies on top of the Butler Valley Basin, an unrestricted basin that allows for continuous pumping.

Since then, Fondomonte has been pumping unlimited amounts of groundwater to irrigate the alfalfa crops, raising concerns that this would stress the Butler Valley aquifer.

At the current rate of pumping, it is estimated the depletion of water in the Butler Valley Basin COULD occur within 2530 years. If not before, La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin said in a letter to former Arizona state Rep. Regina Cobb, in which Irwin called on the attorney general to investigate.

Irwin said that Fondomonte was leasing land at a discounted amount of $25 an acre, or around one-sixth of market value, which was depriving La Paz County of potential revenue that could be used for things like education.

Mayes, who ran on the promise of challenging Arizonas lease agreement with Fondomonte and assumed office several months ago, said in an April 17 letter to the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources that there have been reports of residential and commercial wells running dry in the area of the Fondomonte alfalfa farms.

That should concern all of us, especially as it pertains to the approval of any new deep water wells in La Paz County, she wrote in the letter (pdf).

She said in the letter that ASLD had formally requested to withdraw approval for the two Fondomonte wells.

In a statement on April 20, Mayes said that the drill permits have been revoked thanks to the intervention.

It is unconscionable that as recently as eight months ago, the state of Arizona was approving new deep-water wells designed to pump thousands of gallons of water per-minute out from under La Paz County, Mayes stated. It is long-past time for the state of Arizona to wake up and address this growing crisis head-on before it is too late.

Mayes also renewed her calls for stricter oversight by state regulators of Arizonas water resources due to a historic long-term drought facing the state.

Arizona is on the cusp of a water crisis that could have devastating impacts for all Arizonans, Mayes said in a statement.

For too long, our state leaders have been asleep at the wheel while this crisis has only grown, she continued. Now is the time for the state government to get serious about regulating groundwater across Arizona and fulfill existing statutory duties so Arizona as we know it can continue to exist.

Former Republican gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake has gone a step further, calling not only to cancel Fondomonte leases but to examine all existing leases to ensure Arizonas water and natural resources primarily benefit Arizonans, not overseas corporations, according to her communications director Ross Trumble.

During her election campaign, Mayes pledged to be a watchdog over things like the leases and called for a cessation of the leases.
Australian State Coy on New Age of Criminal Responsibility

Raising the age of criminal responsibility in Victoria to 12 rather than 14 would make no sense and ignore best practice, human rights, children and Indigenous advocates say.

Currently, children as young as 10 can be arrested, held on remand and jailed across the nation for committing crimes.

Australian states and territories have agreed to develop a plan to raise the age to 12, but a draft report last year recommended raising the age to 14 without exception.

The Victorian government could be poised to adopt the lower figure, with an announcement likely as early as next week.

Attorneys-general are scheduled to meet in Darwin on April 28 after Premier Daniel Andrews earlier this year flagged Victoria would soon go it alone if a national consensus couldnt be reached.

The Northern Territory and ACT governments have committed to raising the age to 12 and 14, respectively, while Tasmania plans to raise the minimum age of detention to 14 but keep criminal responsibility at 10.

The Victorian Justice Department has been working on proposals to raise the age to either 12 or 14, reports AAP.

A spokeswoman for Victorian Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes declined to confirm if proposals to raise the age would be put to state cabinet on April 17.

Victoria continues to work with other jurisdictions to consider the details involved in any increase to the age of criminal responsibility, but reserves the right to make further announcements in this space, Symes said.

Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People Meena Singh cautioned against a two-stage approach, by raising the age to 12 and then 14.

There is no reason the Victorian government cant commit to raising the age to 14, Singh told AAP on April 21.

It looks to us like its a decision that isnt based on evidence  it just doesnt make sense.

Young children who become involved with the criminal justice system are more likely to remain in it, Singh warned.

The medical evidence says their brains are still developing, Singh said.

Id say to government we need to stop treating children and young people, many of whom have experienced trauma and harm, as if they were adults and able to make adult decisions.

Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service chief executive Nerita Waight said the state should be leading the country on the issue instead of being dragged to a compromise no one wants or asked for.

Over 30 countries have an age of criminal responsibility that is 14 years or older. Those places dont have greater issues with the behaviour of children, Waight said.

Liberty Victoria said Victoria would be ignoring the United Nations minimum benchmark of 14, while the Human Rights Law Centre argued anything less than 14 or with exceptions would be an abject failure.

Daniel Andrews cannot call Victoria the most progressive state or territory in the country if the Victorian government continues to lock 12-year-old children behind bars, the centres Amala Ramarathinam said.

Aboriginal children make up almost 65 percent of young people behind bars across Australia, acting Victorian Greens leader Tim Read noted.

To change this, we need strong action, not a timid gesture, Read said.

No children aged 10, 11 or 12 were in Victorian youth justice centres as of April 19, but 11 between the ages of 13 and 14 were being held, none of whom identify as Aboriginal.

Shadow treasurer Brad Rowswell said the opposition would consider any legislative proposal to raise the age through the prism of community safety.
The US Supreme Court issued an emergency order Friday that, for now, effectively maintains women's legal access to the abortion medication mifepristone.

The order, granting a stay of a district court's order that sought to temporarily block access, as well as an appellate court's subsequent order that temporarily revived access on a limited basis, comes a week after the court received urgent requests from the Biden administration and mifepristone manufacturer Danco, asking it to intervene in those disputes over the FDA's approval of the drug.

"The April 7 order issued by the US District Court for the Northern District of Texas is stayed pending disposition of the appeal in the US Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit," the high court wrote in the order. The court, which voted 7-2 to issue the stay, said the pause would survive an appeal of the district court order, if a timely appeal is made, as well as an appeal to the Supreme Court, should the court agree to hear such a potential case.

Associate Justice Samuel Alito, who submitted the matter to the full court, dissented from the court's decision. Associate Justice Clarence Thomas also disagreed with the pause, saying he would instead deny the applications for stays.

Todays Supreme Court ruling keeps mifepristone available. We urge the Fifth Circuit to overturn the order as this case goes to an appeal," GenBioPro, the generic maker of mifepristone, said in a statement.

Demonstrators rally in support of abortion rights at the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, April 15, 2023.

On April 17, Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Alito extended a temporary stay first issued on Wednesday permitting mifepristone to remain on the market.

In the US, two companies are FDA-approved to produce and sell mifepristone: Mifeprex brand manufacturer Danco, and generic manufacturer GenBioPro. The drug is the first of two separate medications taken to terminate pregnancy in a medical abortion and to treat miscarriage. Misoprostol, which is also used to treat ulcers and other ailments, is used in the second step of the two-pill regimen.

Story continues

Access to the drug came under pressure this month, after a US district court judge in Amarillo, Texas, on April 7 ordered a temporary suspension of the US Food and Drug Administration's 23-year-old approval, and after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans tailored the suspension to restore access, but according to outdated and more restrictive FDA rules.

The respective orders sought to limit access pending resolution of a lawsuit filed in the Amarillo federal district court. That suit, filed by anti-abortion groups and individual doctors, challenges the validity of the the FDA's original 2000 approval of Danco's brand name mifepristone, Mifeprex, along with its later approval of a generic version in 2019, and relaxed regulations that took effect in 2016 and 2021.

The district court's order, which never took effect, would have effectively blocked access to mifepristone.

Instead, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals partially granted requests from the administration and Danco to temporarily reinstate the FDA's authorization. However, that order reverted FDA mifepristone regulation back to 2016, which prohibited mail-order prescriptions, restricted use beyond seven weeks of pregnancy, required patients to make three in-person office visits. The new rules allowed non-doctors to prescribe and administer the drug and eliminated a requirement for prescribers to report non-fatal adverse reactions to the medication.

A patient prepares to take the first of two combination pills, mifepristone, for a medication abortion during a visit to a clinic in Kansas City, Kan., on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)

The FDA said in a court filing that its regulatory regime would be "scrambled" unless the Supreme Court stops both of the lower court's orders from taking effect.

"Every extant package of Mifeprex would instantly become misbranded and could not be lawfully introduced into interstate commerce," the agency argued in response to the appellate court ruling. The generic version of the drug, it said, which was approved in 2019 and accounts for most of the market, "would cease to be approved altogether."

In a separate reply brief filed by Danco, the company characterized the lower court orders as "first-in-a-century judicial second-guessing of FDAs scientific judgment" that prompted "immediate chaos and nationwide confusion."

The district court's stay was issued by US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk  a Trump appointee serving in the Northern District of Texas.

Boxes of the drug mifepristone sit on a shelf at the West Alabama Women's Center in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on March 16, 2022. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed, File)

Mifepristone is now used for a majority of abortions in the US and nearly all medical abortions. According to the FDA, the drug has been FDA-approved for 23 years and prescribed 5.6 million times since 2000. It is also associated with 28 patient deaths  which forms one of the central arguments for the anti-abortion group's lawsuit, Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.

The group argued that the agency unlawfully fast-tracked the drug's approval absent safeguards against potential life-threatening conditions that can occur, for example, if taken during ectopic pregnancy.

Since the Supreme Court last year in Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization overturned the Constitutional right to abortion, the procedure has been fully banned in 13 states and banned after a certain duration of pregnancy in five US states.

The Texas district court case one of two similar cases playing out in separate jurisdictions, and with orders in direct conflict.

In another district court case brought in Washington state by eighteen state attorneys general, US District Judge Thomas O. Rice conversely ruled that no changes to mifepristone access could be made until the conclusion of litigation challenging FDA restrictions on the medication.

The states in the Washington case claim that the FDA should be required to do away with special regulatory steps concerning mifepristone known as "REMS" or Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy.

GenBioPro, as well as a coalition of 24 state attorneys general filed separate amicus briefs urging the Supreme Court to stay the appellate court ruling until the case is decided on appeal.

Alexis Keenan is a legal reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow Alexis on Twitter @alexiskweed.

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CHICAGOThose expecting the enchanting, and charming 1989 Disney version, as well as the many other theatrical presentations of The Little Mermaid, will be sorely disappointed by the Joffrey Ballets production that just closed its 67th season in Chicago. While Hans Christian Andersens 1837 fairytale still propels the ballets narrative, the modern dance is a very dark, rather eerie, and depressing work.

The well-known story follows the journey of a young mermaid who falls in love with a handsome prince (here a sea captain) and saves him from drowning. When he awakens, the first face he sees is that of another woman, whom he mistakenly believes has saved him, and with whom he falls in love. Although the mermaid has sacrificed everything for him, her love becomes as painful as the legs she has exchanged for a tail.

The ballet interpretation by John Neumeier (who also designed the costumes, set, lighting, and choreographed the production) is going to jar those who grew up with the popular fable, and might confuse and frighten children.

This Production

While Andersons fantasy remains basically the same, there is a difference in that an extra character, that of a PoetAndersenwho acts as the creator of the adaptation.

The Joffrey Ballet has added a character, a Poet, to their production of Hans Christian Andersens The Little Mermaid. (Kirin West)

The Mermaids heroic journey between sea and land is presented with undulating white and blue lines representing sea waves against a bright, blue-lit stage; theres not much contrast between the sea world and that of the land. Indeed, sometimes its not easy to know when the performers are in the depths of the deep or grounded on terra firma. The costumes, however, do identify the sea captain and sailors, dressed in white, and the Mermaid in body-clinging blue silk and skin-tight tan.

Although Scott Speck, the music director of the Joffrey, provides fine orchestration, its not enough to make the music engaging. Theres not a melodic romantic note to Lera Auerbachs discordant score and the unnatural movements of Neumeierss choreography is disjointed and jerky. Its almost painful to watch the contortions that the performers are put through.

The entire production lacks the elegance and grace we typically associate with grand ballets in the style of Tchaikovskys Swan Lake and the Nutcracker.

Furthermore, while some scenes are easy to decipher, such as the one in which the ballet dancers sway back and forth as if they were a school of fish, there are other moments that are confusing, such as the one in which the Mermaid looks to be swimming as she is being held up by three men sporting black samurai dress. What do Japanese warriors have to do with a swimming mermaid? Or is this a scene from Bunraku theatertraditional Japanese puppet theater, in which handlers move a nearly life-size puppet? If so, why is the mermaid a puppet?

A scene from The Little Mermaid with Victoria Jaiani as the mermaid. (Cheryl Mann)

In addition, while the ballerinas and the danseurs dont really get a chance to demonstrate their physical prowess and dance talents with grand poetry-in-motion pas de deux, pirouettes, leaps, and high kicks, the ballet dance troupe does bring elements of discipline, control, and physicality to their body movements.

The highlight performers include Stefan Goncalvez as the black-suited, introverted Poet; Yoshihisa Arai as the evil sea witch; Dylan Gutierrez as the handsome, captain-of-the-ship prince whom the Mermaid loves; and Anais Bueno as the girl who gets the prince.

Plus, as the featured Mermaid, Victoria Jaiani stands out, especially in the moment when her shaking legs convey the pain of her transition from the watery underworld to the human realm.

There are some strong themes in The Little Mermaid, which still stand out in the show. That includes sacrificing for an unrequited love; the unfairness of life; and the pain of stepping into a world in which one does not fit.

These moral lessons continue to make The Little Mermaid a generational favorite for both kids and adults. Thats why over the years, plays, musicals, movies, and ballets have been crafted from Andersens literary fiction. Most of those versions, though, have been inspirational and entertaining. That is, with the exception of Neumeierss Mermaid.

The ballet, which premiered in 2005 for the Royal Danish Ballet as a homage to Andersens 200th birthday, is, unfortunately, not the best homage to the popular author. Indeed, its the least appealing revival of the many Mermaid productions.

The Little Mermaid

The Joffrey Ballet at the Lyric Opera of Chicago

20 N. Wacker Dr., Chicago

Tickets: 312-386-8905 or Joffrey.org

Runs: 2 hours, 30 minutes

Closes: April 30
California to Provide 100 Percent Water Allocation From the States Water Project

A person fishes along the dam at the Castaic Lake reservoir in Castaic, Calif., on May 3, 2022. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will be increasing water supplies to 100 percent for Californians from the State Water Project, the DWR announced Thursday.

The increased water supply comes after record winter storms with heavy amounts of rainfall hit the state and filled up reservoirs, which saw an increase from 75 percent to 100 percent improvement. This increase is the most its been during the states drought since 2006, according to DWR.

California has experienced long periods of drought since 2006, with allocation dropping to a mere 5 percent last year due to the drought and the lack of meltwater refilling reservoirs.

However, the winter storms seen earlier this year quickly lifted the state out of the drought. Reservoirs across the state quickly filled up to above-average levels with record snowpack amounts, leaving no place dry.

A sign calls for solving Californias water crisis on the outskirts of Buttonwillow in Californias Kern County on April 2, 2021. (Frederic Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

DWR Director Karla Nemeth explained how the company is committed to providing more water supplies to residents after the winter storms in the announcement on Thursday.

Water supply conditions and careful management of reservoir operations during this extreme winter allows DWR to maximize water deliveries while enhancing protections for the environment, Nemeth said in a statement. DWR is moving and storing as much water as possible to the benefit of communities, agriculture, and the environment.

The DWR also noted that the San Luis Reservoir in Merced County is now completely full, with the largest, Oroville, expected to be at capacity by the end of May due to meltwater coming down from the mountains, the announcement states.

The State Water Project is a 705-mile-long system of canals, pipelines, reservoirs, and hydroelectric power facilities that deliver clean water to 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland, according to DWR.

In March, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that all state water restrictions would end with the SWP allocating 75 percent of all requests.

Were all in this together, and this state has taken extraordinary actions to get us to this point. The weather whiplash weve experienced in the past few months makes it crystal clear that Californians and our water system have to adapt to increasingly extreme swings between drought and flood. As we welcome this relief from the drought, we must remain focused on continuing our all-of-the-above approach to future-proofing Californias water supply, Newsom said in a statement.

Jose Gutierrez, the interim general manager for the Westlands Water District, a Central Valley Project contractor serving rural communities around the Central Valley, says the increased water supplies will help farmers in the region.

Following two years of 0% allocations, this announcement will provide much-needed water to support the [Westlands Water] Districts communities, family-owned farms, and hardworking families in the San Joaquin Valley, Jose Gutierrez said in a press release. This water supply will assist growers in Westlands with putting the land to work to grow the food that feeds the world.

Californians mainly rely on groundwater supplies as the sole source of water, along with the Colorado River Basin, which is a critical water supply source for Southern California and remains in the midst of a 23-year drought, according to DWR.

Between the water in reservoirs now and the water we expect to get from the mountains for the rest of the year, its looking like a good, wet year for California, Jack Wesley, a water systems consultant for farms and multi-family homes, told the Globe. Yeah, people should still be careful about using water, but urban and agricultural areas that have been parched for years are going to see ample water for the first time in a long time.

The DWR urged people to continue using water cautiously, as drought conditions could return due to climate change and unpredictable California weather.

We arent out of the woods yet, and again, people should still be careful, but the state really got a reprieve from all that rain coming down, and we should make the most of it. Along with developing better water use strategies and figuring out new sources like desalinization, we need to look at more dams, more water storage, and better water transport so we can send it where it needs to go during downtimes, Wesley said.
Chicago Employees Fired for Not Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine Must Be Reinstated: Judge

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot speaks at an election night rally at Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council in Chicago on Feb. 28, 2023. (Kamil Krzaczynski/Getty Images)

Workers in Chicago who were fired for not complying with the citys COVID-19 vaccine mandate must get their jobs back, a judge said in a new ruling.

City officials violated multiple parts of the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act by imposing the mandate without negotiating with unions representing the workers over the effects of the mandate, including consequences for not getting vaccinated, Administrative Law Judge Anna Hamburg-Gal said in a 78-page ruling dated April 19.

The mandate itself was not subject to bargaining because the vaccination requirements were integral to [the citys] ability to maintain a functional workforce that was capable of carrying out public services during a global pandemic, Hamburg-Gal said. But that didnt remove the need to bargain over aspects of the mandate.

Even where an employers decision to implement a management policy is not subject to negotiations, the Act requires good-faith collective bargaining over the effects of that policy decision on the terms and conditions of employment of bargaining unit employees, the judge said.

Effects that should have been negotiated included sick leave availability for workers who were injured by a vaccine and discipline for failing to report vaccination status or failing to get vaccinated, according to the ruling.

No emergency removed the bargaining requirements for the mandate, which was imposed on Oct. 8, 2021, the judge said.

By that date, the pandemic had been in existence for well over a year and a vaccine had been available to the public for over ten months under Emergency Use Authorization, the ruling noted.

The city also violated the law by not providing unions with information they requested that was relevant to negotiations and by eliminating a testing alternative to vaccination.

The city was ordered to bargain with the unions, including the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME); provide the information that had been withheld, and rescind the vaccination requirements.

City officials were also ordered to reinstate any workers terminated as a result of the mandate, rescind any discipline for workers who were not terminated, and expunge the records of both sets of workers as it relates to actions taken due to the mandate.

Employees who lost pay or benefits due to the improper changes to sick leave made as part of the mandate must be compensated, the judge also said.

A spokesperson for AFSCME told news outlets: We think its a strong decision and favorable for worker rights generally.

A spokesperson for the mayors office said the ruling was an erroneous decision that does not follow the law, facts nor importantly the science and that the city was considering its next steps.
For a food writer, one of the best things about going on vacation is not having to cook every day, all day. Then again, because your world revolves around testing recipes, vacation also can mean work because if you go somewhere new and exciting, youre bound to eat a dish or two youll want to re-create when you get home.

At least thats what happened to me on a recent trip to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Midweek during our trip, my husband and I braved the snowy Teton Pass into Idaho in my sisters SUV so we could spend a few hours snowshoeing at the Grand Targhee Resort. Famished after clomping atop the (very deep and very packed!) snow, we stopped at The Provision Kitchen in the tiny town of Driggs for a little well-earned apres ski before heading back up the pass to Wyoming. I love anything with salsa verde, so the restaurants chilaquiles immediately caught my eye.

If youve never had it, chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast offering in which totoposcorn tortillas that have been cut into quarters and friedare smothered in green or red salsa, then topped with garnishes such as queso fresco, black or refried beans, onion, fried or scrambled eggs and sliced avocado. Its hearty, incredibly flavorful, pretty to look at and for the cook, super easy to make.

A cross between nachos and enchiladas, the dish is thought to date back to the time of the Aztecs, though an actual recipe didnt appear until 1898, in Encarnacion Pinedos The Spanish Cook. Its a great way to use up leftover tortillas or tortilla chips that would otherwise go to waste.

Served at The Provision Kitchen as a breakfast dish, mine came with a couple crispy pieces of bacon and an over-easy egg. Chorizo or pulled chicken or pork or beef barbacoa are other common toppings.

If you prefer red sauce, substitute about 1 1/2 pounds of tomatoes for the tomatillos, and add 1 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth after theyve been boiled and pureed. Then fry it in a couple tablespoons of oil for a few minutes to thicken.

Chilaquiles Verde

PG tested

Ingredients

For Sauce

1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed (about 10 medium-large)

2 or 3 jalapenos, stemmed and seeded

1/2 medium white onion

Large handful fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

2 cloves garlic

Juice 1/2 lime

Kosher salt

For Bowl

12 corn tortillas

4 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

For Serving

1/2 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup sour cream, thinned with a little lime juice

1/2 cup queso fresco

4 fried or sunny-side up eggs

1/2 red onion, thinly sliced

8 sliced crispy fried bacon

1 avocado, seeded and thinly sliced

Directions

Make sauce: Place tomatillos, jalapenos and onion in a large saucepan or Dutch oven and add enough water to completely cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are cooked through and soft, around 8-10 minutes. (Tomatillos will change color from bright to pale green.)

Transfer tomatillos, jalapenos and onion to a blender using a slotted spoon. Add cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and a generous pinch of salt and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if desired. Set aside.

Stack tortillas on top of each other and cut into eighths. Heat oil in a large frying pan, then fry wedges until brown and crispy. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, then place back into the pan.

Pour salsa verde on top, and toss gently to combine.

Portion tortillas into four bowls and top each with equal amounts of black beans. Drizzle sour cream on top, followed by equal amounts of queso fresco. Garnish each bowl with a fried or sunny-side up egg, sliced onion, 2 slices bacon and sliced avocado.

Serve immediately.

Serves 4.

 Gretchen McKay, Post-Gazette

Copyright 2023 the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Visit the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at www.post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
DeSantis Seeks Federal Aid for Fort Lauderdale Flood Victims

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis asked the Biden administration on Saturday to declare Broward County a disaster area due to flooding earlier this month after record rainfall.

If granted, the declaration would make Broward residents who incurred damage to their homes and other property eligible for a wide range of loans and other assistance. Local governments would also be eligible.

More than 2 feet (0.6 meters) of rain fell in some parts of the county April 12. The 1-in-a-1,000-year deluge left some parts of the county with up to 3 feet (0.9 meters) of water. About 1,000 homes were severely damaged, according to the state.

The flooding also closed the airport for almost two days. Gas deliveries to the port were also slowed, causing long lines at the pump.

The Republican governor is expected to soon announce that he will seek his partys nomination for the 2024 presidential election.

While frequently sniping at each other, President Joe Biden and the governor have seen their administrations work together after disasters. That includes last years Hurricane Ian, which killed more than 140 people and left thousands homeless, and the 2021 collapse of a condo tower in Surfside, which killed 98.
DeSantis Seeks Major Disaster Declaration From White House

Receding floodwaters surround a home on Las Olas (Spanish for "The Waves") Boulevard in the Sailboat Bend neighborhood in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will ask the Biden administration to declare a major disaster for Broward County.

Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced he will request a Major Disaster Declaration for Broward County due to the catastrophic impacts of unprecedented flooding in Southeast Florida, DeSantiss office said in a statement. If granted by the White House, a Major Disaster Declaration will provide a wide range of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure damaged by the floods.

Historic Flooding in Southeast Florida

More than 2 feet of rain fell in some parts of the county on April 12. The 1-in-1,000-year deluge left some parts of the county with up to 3 feet of water.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport shut down on the evening of April 12. Airport officials resumed operations at 9 a.m. on April 14 after they completed final inspections. Airport operations were slowly returning to normal afterward, but the almost two-day closure was still affecting some passengers.

Gas deliveries to the port were also slowed, causing long lines at the pump.

Planes sit at their gates after the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was closed due to the runways being flooded in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Florida and federal officials have been conducting damage assessments in impacted flood areas since Wednesday and are expected to finish physical assessments this weekend.

In less than three days, teams have assessed over 1,300 homes and identified over 1,000 with major damages, the governors office said.

Fort Lauderdale, a city on Floridas southeastern coast, declared a state of emergency after the heavy rain.

Flooding conditions remain impactful in the southern areas of the City this morning. An active emergency declaration is in effect, the City of Fort Lauderdale stated in live updates. Emergency Management crews worked continuously through the night to attend rescue calls.

Trucks and a resident on foot make their way through receding floodwaters in the Sailboat Bend neighborhood of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on April 13, 2023. (Rebecca Blackwell/AP Photo)

The city said Saturday that debris removal trucks are operating in all areas that were affected by the flooding and the efforts may last four to six weeks.

DeSantis activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program on Thursday for affected businesses.

A small business in the flooding areas may be eligible for loans up to $50,000 under the program.

The Epoch Times reached out to the White House for comment.
DeSantis to Visit Japan, South Korea, Israel, UK Amid 2024 Speculation

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced a multi-country tourwith stops in Japan, South Korea, Israel, and the United Kingdomto promote economic ties between his state and the foreign nations.

The trade mission, organized in conjunction with Enterprise Florida, will take off next week.

Florida has the 15th largest economy in the world, and that is because our state has worked to create partnerships with other countries to create jobs and boost the economy, DeSantis said of the travel plans. This trade mission will give us the opportunity to strengthen economic relationships and continue to demonstrate Floridas position as an economic leader.

The international trip comes in the wake of DeSantis having toured the country in recent weeks to promote his new book The Courage To Be Free and to present his record as Floridas governor since 2019 as a model for other states to follow.

DeSantiss busy travel schedule also comes amid widespread speculation that he is preparing to launch a run for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. His tour has already brought him to the key state of Iowa, which will kick off the 2024 Republican primary race.

The multi-country tour could further raise DeSantiss profile and allow the Florida governor to emphasize his states economy on a bigger stage. During the tour, DeSantis plans to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, and U.K. Foreign Minister James Cleverly.

The governors office said bilateral trade between Florida and Japan exceeds $6.6 billion and Japan is Floridas second-largest bilateral merchandise trade partner in the Asia-Pacific region and the states seventh-largest partner overall.

Merchandise trade between Florida and South Korea also exceeds $1.3 billion, making it Floridas seventh-largest bilateral trade partner in the Asia and Middle East region.

Florida and Israel reached $651 million in bilateral trade in 2022 and the governors office estimates Israel is the 19th-largest foreign investor in the state of Florida. The DeSantis administration highlighted Israeli medical-device company INSIGHTEC having partnered with several Florida universities to study Alzheimers disease. DeSantiss office also noted that Florida has a non-stop flight from Miami International Airport to Tel Aviv, which sustains business travel and tourism between the two destinations.

The UK is Floridas eighth-largest trade partner, according to DeSantiss office, with bilateral trade between Florida and the UK reaching $5.8 billion in 2022. British travelers have also been a boon to Floridas tourism industry, and reportedly comprise the second-largest group of international visitors to Florida annually. Florida also has nine direct flights to England and Scotland through three international airports.

The DeSantis 2024 Question

It remains to be seen if DeSantiss international trip is simply an opportunity to bring international business to his state or if he hopes the trip will serve as a springboard for a 2024 campaign.

Former President Donald Trump has also led in the majority of Republican 2024 primary polls. Though he hasnt officially announced, DeSantis has consistently polled ahead of other candidates in the Republican 2024 field, but he still falls behind Trump.

In recent weeks, Trump has expanded his polling lead over DeSantis amid a surge in support after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg indicted him on allegations of falsifying business records.

DeSantis led Trump 45 to 41 in a head-to-head match-up in the Yahoo News/YouGov poll in early February. By mid-March, a match-up (pdf) by the same pollsters had the two Republicans relatively close, but with Trump leading DeSantis 47 to 39. In the days surrounding Trumps Manhattan criminal indictment, his lead over DeSantis reached 57 to 31 in the Yahoo News/YouGov poll. Trumps lead over DeSantis has since slipped slightly in the same poll, with Trump ahead 52 to 36 in the pollsters latest match-up between April 14 and 17.

Under Floridas current laws, DeSantis would also have to consider a resign-to-run provision that would require him to step aside from the Florida governorship in order to seek federal office.

From NTD News
Early Morning Fire Destroys Wing of Idaho High School

Firefighters work on the scene of an early morning fire at a large high school in Pocatello, Idaho, on April 21, 2023, in a still from video. (KIFI Local News 8 via AP)

POCATELLO, IdahoAn early morning fire destroyed part of a large high school in the southern Idaho city of Pocatello on Friday.

No one was injured in the fire, but Pocatello Fire Department Assistant Chief Shane Grow said one wing of Highland High School was completely destroyed. The wing housed the schools cafeteria, gymnasium, choir and band rooms, and it had severe structural damage including a collapsed roof.

Still, the Pocatello School District said in a memo to parents that it appears the fire doors between the other wings of the school operated properly, preventing the fire from spreading.

Its not yet clear how much smoke and water damage occurred to the rest of the school, but at least two other wings have significant water on the floor surface, the district said.

We wish we could have saved the entire school but feel good that weve kept the fire from spreading to the other wings, Grow said.

The fire was reported just before 4 a.m., and when firefighters arrived they found flames showing above the building amid heavy snowfall. Grow said an investigation into the cause of the fire would begin once the smoke clears.

The school has roughly 1,500 students, making it one of the largest in Idaho. School district officials canceled classes until Tuesday and said they would switch to remote learning then until classes can resume in-person. Standardized testing set for next week has been postponed and Idaho State University is now hosting the schools prom, set for Saturday.

Officials are working with the districts insurance company to replace any personal property that was destroyed in the fire, and trying to come up with plans to handle school lunches for the rest of the year, the district said in a memo to parents.

Grow said he does not expect any part of the school to reopen before the current school year ends in June.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he was working with Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield and local officials to determine the districts needs.
Eric Adams Says Migrant Crisis Has Destroyed New York City

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said Friday that the illegal immigration crisis under the Biden administration has destroyed his city and made an an appeal for federal help to deal with the problem.

Adams made the remarks during a panel discussion hosted by the African American Mayors Association in Washington, D.C., on April 21.

The city is being destroyed by the migrant crisis, Adams said.

Adams made the remarks a day after signing an executive order that extended for another five days the state of emergency in New York City related to the influx of illegal immigrants.

The City now faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis that requires it to take extraordinary measures, Adams said in the order.

Over 55,000 foreigners claiming to be seeking asylum due to the threat of violence and persecution in their home countries have arrived in New York City over the past year, according to City Hall.

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said in an April 7 report that the city has had to scale up its shelter provision by over 75 percent due to the influx. As of early March, the city was providing shelter to over 30,900 asylum seekers.

The Mayors Office of Management and Budget has estimated the full cost of providing shelter and other services to people claiming refugee status at around $1.4 billion in 2023 and another $2.8 billion the following year.

New York State and (to a lesser extent) the federal government have begun to offer some assistance, though less than their appropriate share. But even with federal and state support, the current approach is beyond what the City of New York can reasonably sustain, Lander wrote in the report.

Illegal immigrants speak with NYC Homeless Outreach members as they camp out in front of the Watson Hotel after being evicted in New York City on Jan. 30, 2023. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

Adams Takes Aim at Biden Admin

Adams on Wednesday criticized President Joe Biden for insufficient federal help to help New York City handle the influx of illegal immigrants.

The national government has turned its back on New York City, Adams said during a press conference at City Hall.

Were here today telling the White House we have been extremely patient. Weve allowed the coordination of all of our agencies to come together to deal with this response, Adams said. This is in the lap of the president of the United States.

Adams claimed that most asylum seekers had come to New York to work and support themselves but are prohibited from doing so legally for the first six months of their stay.

The president of the United States can give us the ability to allow people to work. This is in the lap of the executive branch, and thats what were calling for, he said.

Adams also expressed concern about the potential lifting of Title 42, a Trump-era policy that allowed for the rapid expulsion of people who had crossed the border illegally.

Lifting of the policy would exacerbate New York Citys migrant crisis, Adams said, warning that 52,000 [asylum seekers] could jump to 100,000 if we dont get this under control.

Adams administration has proposed measures that include providing access to humanitarian parole for illegal immigrants, including expediting work authorization.

New York officials have said that theyve received around $8 million from state and federal sources, which pales in comparison to the over $4 billion in related expenses the city is expected to incur through 2024 due to the migrant influx.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Adams criticism.

In the face of a surge of illegal immigrants bussed to New York City last fall, Adams in October 2022 issued a state of emergency that he has extended repeatedly as the problem has not been resolved.

In his April 20 executive order, Adams said that thousands of asylum seekers have been arriving in New York City over the past several months, without having any immediate plans for shelter and the city faces an unprecedented humanitarian crisis.
Former Obama administration White House stenographer Mike McCormick joins us to discuss then-Vice President Joe Biden. He offers us an insider view into Bidens alleged kickback schemes.

Biden is mandating all federal agencies put environmental justice into their missions. But some Republicans call that another attempt to spread what they call woke ideology in the federal government.

A new contender in the Republican primary: Larry Elder announces his bid for president. What does he say about why hes joining the race?

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is in the midst of another high-stakes votethis one around raising the national debt. Some lawmakers support his plan, while others tell us why theyre skeptical.

The Biden campaign allegedly pushed to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story when it first came out. How are lawmakers reacting to these allegations?

An attorney and former D.C. Democratic Party chairman joins us to discuss former President Donald Trumps indictment. He also explores the probe into Hunter Bidens business dealings.
Key Insights

Swiss Life Holding will host its Annual General Meeting on 28th of April

CEO Patrick Frost's total compensation includes salary of CHF1.50m

The total compensation is similar to the average for the industry

Swiss Life Holding's total shareholder return over the past three years was 114% while its EPS grew by 10% over the past three years

It would be hard to discount the role that CEO Patrick Frost has played in delivering the impressive results at Swiss Life Holding AG (VTX:SLHN) recently. Coming up to the next AGM on 28th of April, shareholders would be keeping this in mind. It is likely that the focus will be on company strategy going forward as shareholders hear from the board and cast their votes on resolutions such as executive remuneration and other matters. We think the CEO has done a pretty decent job and we discuss why the CEO compensation is appropriate.

Check out our latest analysis for Swiss Life Holding

How Does Total Compensation For Patrick Frost Compare With Other Companies In The Industry?

Our data indicates that Swiss Life Holding AG has a market capitalization of CHF18b, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as CHF4.3m for the year to December 2022. This means that the compensation hasn't changed much from last year. While we always look at total compensation first, our analysis shows that the salary component is less, at CHF1.5m.

On comparing similar companies in the Swiss Insurance industry with market capitalizations above CHF7.1b, we found that the median total CEO compensation was CHF3.8m. So it looks like Swiss Life Holding compensates Patrick Frost in line with the median for the industry. What's more, Patrick Frost holds CHF20m worth of shares in the company in their own name, indicating that they have a lot of skin in the game.

Component 2022 2021 Proportion (2022) Salary CHF1.5m CHF1.5m 35% Other CHF2.8m CHF2.8m 65% Total Compensation CHF4.3m CHF4.3m 100%

Speaking on an industry level, nearly 38% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 62% is other remuneration. Although there is a difference in how total compensation is set, Swiss Life Holding more or less reflects the market in terms of setting the salary. If non-salary compensation dominates total pay, it's an indicator that the executive's salary is tied to company performance.

Story continues

Swiss Life Holding AG's Growth

Swiss Life Holding AG's earnings per share (EPS) grew 10% per year over the last three years. Its revenue is down 3.9% over the previous year.

Shareholders would be glad to know that the company has improved itself over the last few years. It's always a tough situation when revenues are not growing, but ultimately profits are more important. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings..

Has Swiss Life Holding AG Been A Good Investment?

Boasting a total shareholder return of 114% over three years, Swiss Life Holding AG has done well by shareholders. As a result, some may believe the CEO should be paid more than is normal for companies of similar size.

To Conclude...

The company's solid performance might have made most shareholders happy, possibly making CEO remuneration the least of the matters to be discussed in the AGM. In fact, strategic decisions that could impact the future of the business might be a far more interesting topic for investors as it would help them set their longer-term expectations.

While CEO pay is an important factor to be aware of, there are other areas that investors should be mindful of as well. We did our research and spotted 1 warning sign for Swiss Life Holding that investors should look into moving forward.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a different set of stocks. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.



This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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Former San Diego-Based Marine Sentenced to 12 Years for Drug Trafficking

Bags of heroin, some laced with fentanyl, are displayed at the office of the New York Attorney General in New York City on Sept. 23, 2016. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

SAN DIEGOA former San Diego-based U.S. Marine who coordinated the trafficking of fentanyl and other drugs into the United States was sentenced Friday to 12 years in federal prison.

While stationed at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Roberto Salazar II recruited people to work as couriersincluding fellow former Marinesto transport drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Along with fentanyl, prosecutors say Salazar directed the movement of heroin, methamphetamine, and cocaine, and sometimes transported those drugs personally.

According to Salazars plea agreement, these activities stretched from around 2015 until early last year. Prosecutors say dozens of smuggling incidents occurred over that time period under Salazars direction.

His plea agreement outlined a few of these events, including one occasion where Salazar paid a classmate at Southwestern Community College to drive a car loaded with drugs across the border, then deliver the product to various locations for further distribution.

One ex-Marine recruited by Salazar smuggled drugs into the country on five separate occasions, while another ex-Marine moved drugs both into and within the United States multiple times until being arrested at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, where just under 15 pounds of fentanyl were found hidden in the engine compartment of the car the former Marine was driving, according to the plea agreement.

During Salazars sentencing hearing in San Diego federal court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Miller said Salazars movement of drugs such as fentanyl into the U.S. contributed to the poisoning [of] our citizens, the very citizens he was sworn to protect.

Defense attorney Andrew Nietor argued for a sentence of just over eight years and said his client was extremely remorseful and ashamed of his conduct.

Nietor told U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino that Salazar fell into criminal activity in his youth but was able to pull away from that life, become a U.S. Marine, and father to a young daughter.

Financial troubles later plagued him and while trying to find a way to support his child as a single father, he fell back into his former life, the attorney said.

Salazar told the judge, I know I made a mistake. I got out of this before. I tried to stay on the right path.

Following the hearing, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said Salazars prosecution and prison sentence represented the dismantling of another link in the supply chain for fentanyl and deadly drugs into the United States.

Grossman said that while serving as a Marine, Salazar was leading a secret life as a drug trafficker. He was supposed to be protecting and defending our country, but instead he was bringing tremendous harm to Americans by importing fentanyl and other deadly and dangerous drugs into the United States.
Former Sheriff: Politically Driven California Bill Would Undermine Democracy

Then Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva speaks at a press conference in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Proposed California legislation supported by Black Lives Matter and other social justice groups that would allow county boards of supervisors to remove elected sheriffs from public office is politically driven and would undermine democracy, says former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva.

This is all about power. It has nothing to do with elected sheriffs doing something wrong, Villanueva told The Epoch Times.

The legislation, Assembly Bill (AB) 1090, would authorize any county board of supervisors to remove an elected sheriff from office for cause by a 45 vote.

Causes for removal are defined as a violation of a law related to the performance of a sheriffs duties; flagrant or repeated neglect of a sheriffs duties; and misappropriation of public funds or properties committed by a sheriff or their direct reports in the course and scope of their duties.

Causes also include willful falsification of a relevant official statement or document committed by a sheriff in the course and scope of their duties; and obstruction of an investigation into the conduct of a sheriff or a sheriffs department by a governmental agency, office, or commission with jurisdiction to conduct an investigation.

Several law enforcement associations oppose it, according to the Assembly Public Safety Committee bill analysis.

Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer attends an event in Culver City, Calif., on Nov. 7, 2019. (Joshua Blanchard/Getty Images for MedMen)

The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), states that after being served with a written statement of the alleged grounds for removal, the accused sheriff would be provided a reasonable opportunity to be heard regarding an explanation or defense at a removal proceeding.

No government official should have unchecked power, Jones-Sawyer wrote in the bills analysis. Regardless of the office or role, public officials take an oath to support and respect the rights of their constituents and represent the common good. But when a Sheriff abuses their power, our tools for meaningful accountability are tragically far and few.

While the legislation may sound reasonable, it isnt, Villanueva said.

If you look at the language, its scary, he told The Epoch Times.

Oh, hes going to be heard, Villanueva said in jest. How about you need to have some facts and some evidence that will stand up to scrutiny in court?

Removing an Elected Officer

Existing California law already allows the removal of public officers for willful or corrupt misconduct in office, according to the bill. After an accusation is made, the law currently requires that the court pronounce judgment that the officer be removed from office upon a conviction and at the time appointed by the court.

The California Statewide Law Enforcement Association argues that like county boards of supervisors, sheriffs are elected and are also held accountable by voters.

The Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting hall in Santa Ana, Calif., on Aug. 25, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Shifting power and accountability from the voters to the Board risks injecting politics and petty disagreements into the removal of a Sheriff, overriding the will of the voters, the association states in its opposition arguments in the bill analysis. By nullifying the will of the voters, the Board of Supervisors will become the judge, jury, and executioner for the Office of the Sheriff. We believe these decisions are best left to the voters.

The Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, California Fraternal Order of Police, California State Sheriffs Association, Deputy Sheriffs Association of San Diego County, Long Beach Police Officers Association, Sacramento County Deputy Sheriffs Association, and San Bernardino County Sheriffs Employees Benefit Association also oppose the bill.

Many of the same police organizations oppose another bill, AB 797 proposed by Assemblywoman Akilah Weber (D-San Diego), which would require the governing body of each city and county to create an independent community-based commission on law enforcement officer practices by Jan. 15, 2025.

AB 1185, a law introduced by Assemblyman Kevin McCarty (D-Sacramento) and enacted in 2020, already authorizes counties to create a sheriffs oversight board and an office of inspector general.

Activist groups such as Black Lives MatterLos Angeles (BLM), Initiate Justice, Oakland Privacy, and Secure Justice support AB 1090.

The fact that BLM is backing the bill is all anyone needs to know, Villanueva said, adding that the groups calls to defund police are backfiring massively with crime rates soaring across the county.

He suggested the legislation is based on a double standard, with the state and some boards of supervisors wanting to put limits on the power of local sheriffsrestrictions they arent advocating for their own positions.

These people act with impunity, thinking theres no consequences to their actions, and everybody is just going to follow suit. But when youre independently elected, you actually get to pump the brakes and say: Timeout! Were not doing that. And that drives the supervisors nuts because they think that theyre all-supreme and powerful, he said.

A man wearing a protective face mask walks past a sign requiring face masks posted on a storefront in Los Angeles on March 2, 2022. (Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)

Local Policy Disputes

Many Democrat-controlled boards of supervisors dont want Republican sheriffs countering their political narratives or refusing to enforce unconstitutional laws, Villanueva said.

Its a way to purge all the sheriffs from being Republican and to put in place puppets, he said. This is what one-party rule looks like in California.

While Villanueva is a registered Democrat and appealed to some of the partys progressive values, he also gained notoriety for conservative policies during his four-year term as sheriff. He lost his re-election bid to former Long Beach Police Chief Robert Luna in 2022.

Outside of deep-blue counties such as Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco, almost all the sheriffs in the remaining 55 counties in California are Republican, he said.

Villanueva said that during his tenure as sheriff, the board of supervisors did everything they could to discredit him.

They defunded me; they defamed me, he said.

He claims the proposed legislation is designed to shield the county supervisors from accountability, and that one of Lunas first official actions as sheriff was to dismantle the Public Corruption Unit.

At the time, the unit was investigating an elected official for suspected corruption in the wake of a separate FBI investigation that led to the conviction of former Los Angeles city councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas on federal corruption charges in March.

Villanueva is mentioned twice in the bill analysis accompanying AB 1090 in statements provided by the organization Oakland Privacy. According to the group, one of the reasons for supporting the bill is that some sheriffs refused to enforce local mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Then-Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva speaks at a press conference in downtown Los Angeles on Nov. 2, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

But Villanueva scoffed at the idea of police arresting people for not wearing masks on beaches and in open outdoor spaces.

Really? We didnt have the bodies to go out there and chase real crime and were going to spend our time doing that? he questioned. Theyve been busy spending all their time demonizing law enforcement and think were going to go chase around people on the sand that werent wearing a mask when we know that no matter what we do the [district attorney] wont prosecute anybody? Why  would we do that? That is just supreme stupidity.

While Oakland Privacy acknowledged the remedy for such situations is an electoral one in its comments, meaning voters can oust sheriff candidates in elections, the group argues that such remedies are not always available to the voters, since the majority of sheriff elections have only one candidate running.

The group also alleged that Villanueva obstructed an investigation into an in-custody death and threatened criminal charges against a reporter, before walking that back.

However, Villanueva denies the allegations.

There was no obstruction. There was no in-custody death [investigation] that was not completed, he said.

Los Angeles County supervisors Janice Hahn, Holly Mitchell, Lindsey Horvath, Hilda Solis, and Kathryn Barger didnt respond to requests for comment.

The Assembly Public Safety Committee voted 62 on April 11 to pass AB 1090, moving the bill further along in the legislative process.
German Court Says It Wont Hear Case Against Madeleine McCann Suspect

BERLINA German court said Thursday that it has decided not to hear a sex offenses case against a man who also is a suspect in the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann, arguing that the region where it is located isnt the last place he lived in Germany and so it isnt responsible.

Prosecutors in the northern city of Braunschweig in October charged the German suspect in his mid-40s in several separate cases involving sexual offenses allegedly committed in Portugal between 2000 and 2017.

The suspect hasnt been charged in the McCann case, in which he is under investigation on suspicion of murder. He spent many years in Portugal, including in the resort of Praia da Luz around the time of Madeleines disappearance there in 2007. He has denied any involvement in her disappearance.

The suspect, who has been identified by media as Christian Brueckner, is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for a rape he committed in Portugal in 2005.

In the German legal system, a court must decide after it receives an indictment from prosecutors whether to take a case to trial.

The Braunschweig state court said its supposed responsibility for the case being in the area had been based on his last residence before going abroad and then to prison. But it said that isnt valid, because the suspect produced evidence of a later residence in the neighboring state of Saxony-Anhalt, where he was registered as the owner of a property that he kept after going abroad.

The court said that, as a result of its decision, it has lifted a new arrest warrant it issued for the suspect in November. It said in a statement that this has no influence on the suspects serving of his current sentence.

It said that its decision can be appealed to a higher court in Braunschweig. Prosecutors said later Thursday that they will examine the reasons for the decision carefully and then likely appeal.
Google Delays Mega Campus Project in San Jose as Company Struggles Financially

The Google logo outside the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., on May 8, 2019. (Paresh Dave/Reuters)

Tech giant Google has paused building a mega campus in San Jose, California, after construction began, sources close to the company confirmed to CNBC on Friday.

According to the company, the project was slated to span 80 acres and bring 4,000 living units and 25,000 jobs to the South Bay area over a 10-year construction plan.

Were working to ensure our real estate investments match the future needs of our hybrid workforce, our business, and our communities. While were assessing how to best move forward with Downtown West, were still committed to San Jose for the long term and believe in the importance of the development, a Google spokesperson told CNBC in an email statement.

The Epoch Times reached out to Google for comments but did not hear back before this article was published.

The Google logo is pictured atop an office building in Irvine, Calif., on Aug. 7, 2017. (Mike Blake/Reuters)

According to the package details, San Jose approved Googles project as part of a $200 million benefits package, planned to provide housing for thousands of families, 15 acres of public parks, and more.

In January, Google announced that it was laying off 6 percent of its workforce, which is 12,000 workers. CEO Sundar Pichai said the layoffs came after a rigorous review of Googles operations.

The fact that these changes will impact the lives of Googlers weighs heavily on me, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us here. Over the past two years, weve seen periods of dramatic growth. To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today, Pichai said in the announcement.

Google has no current plan to restore construction in the foreseeable future as it trims its costs.

Were assessing how to best move forward with Downtown West, Sheela Jivan, Googles Downtown West Development Director, said in an email statement to Mercury News.

The tech industry has struggled to adapt to a more hybrid model and be less centered around large campuses post-COVID. Google says it is doing its best to manage the changing business landscape.

Were working to ensure our real estate investments match the future needs of our hybrid workforce, our business, and our communities, a Google spokesperson said in an emailed statement to CNBC. While were assessing how to best move forward with Downtown West, were still committed to San Jose for the long term and believe in the importance of the development.

Google has adapted well to a hybrid work strategy that lets staff work from home and not report to the office, which means less office space is needed for the operations.

Google also promised to build 15,000 residential units in Silicon Valley, with 25 percent of them considered affordable, a critical issue in an area with one of the highest homeless populations in the country, according to government statistics (pdf).

San Jose councilmember Omar Torres, who represents the downtown area, expected the building process to take some time due to the financial strain.

We all originally knew that its going to be a long-term plan, Torres told San Jose Spotlight in February. But yes, its definitely concerning that a lot of the money is coming when the cranes are in the air.

San Jose Councilmember Dev Davis said she was not surprised by Googles announcement but is optimistic the Downtown West project will resume in the near future.

We always knew that there was uncertainty about the community benefits and that the community benefits were in large part tied to the actual project, Davis told San Jose Spotlight. The great thing is that we know that Google is committed to San Jose, and they fronted community benefits to us, and we have dollars in hand that we are able to use.
GOP Lawmaker Sees Potential Biden Impeachment as Hunter Biden Probe Intensifies

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), a member of the House Oversight Committee, has stated that information presented by an IRS whistleblower might bring President Joe Biden to the point of impeachment.

This is just the very tip of the iceberg. This very brave IRS agent coming forward, I think, will just start it, Burchett said in an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo. Theyre talking about impeaching Biden. How could we not impeach Biden if this does, in fact, reach him?

The whistleblower, who claimed to be with the IRS for more than 10 years, sent a letter to Congress on Tuesday seeking legal protection in exchange for information showing how preferential treatment and politics have been infecting the probe into alleged tax violations by Bidens son Hunter.

The letter, delivered by attorney Mark Lytle, also claimed that the whistleblower has proof that would contradict sworn testimony to Congress by a senior political appointee and involve a failure to mitigate clear conflicts of interest in the ultimate disposition of the case. There has been speculation that the senior political appointee was Attorney General Merrick Garland.

While the letter didnt mention Hunter Biden by name, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), chairman of the House Oversight Committee, said in a statement that he was deeply concerned that the Biden administration may be obstructing justice by blocking efforts to charge Hunter Biden for tax violations, and that his colleagues have been wondering all along about the apparent inaction of the DOJ and IRS.

The IRS whistleblower came out after former CIA official Michael Morell testified to the House Judiciary Committee that, in the weeks leading up to the 2020 presidential election, then-Biden campaign adviser Antony Blinken orchestrated a letter signed by 51 former intelligence officials dismissing the explosive Hunter Biden laptop story as mere Russian propaganda.

Morell himself was one of the signatories, who wrote that their experience makes us deeply suspicious that the Russian government played a significant role in this case.

If I was [among] those 51 people, Id be lawyering up right now because theyre going to be asked in public at some point what they knew and if they knew that all this other stuff was going on because it is very damning, Burchett said.

At the time, the Biden campaign and mainstream media used the letter to discredit the New York Posts reporting on the information retrieved from the laptop, including an email suggesting Biden, as U.S. vice president, had been involved in some of his sons business deals in Ukraine and China.

If this cover-up shows whats going on, that we all assume is going on, and that the 51 folks were basically lied to and showed false documentation, how can you not [impeach Biden]? said Burchett. I mean, this is just going on too much.

Like I said, the documentation that Ive seen, I cant comment on all of it, the congressman continued. But what I can comment on is that it is bad, and it is getting worse, and it is showing illegal monies from Chinese communists flowing into this White House via Hunter Biden and his lawyers.

How could we not impeach Biden if this does, in fact, reach him? he added.

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), who heads both the House Judiciary Committee and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, has demanded that State Secretary Antony Blinken provide information regarding Morrells accusation by May 4.
According to the Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation, a male is diagnosed with testicular cancer every hour. It can affect men at any age, but unlike other cancers, its much more prevalent in young people.

Testicular Cancer Bears the Greatest Risk for Young Men

The odds of getting testicular cancer are about 1 in 270.

However, its most common among men 20 to 40 years old and is the second-most common malignancy in young men from 15 to 19, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Worldwide, the risk of testicular cancer is highest in the United States and Europe.

In fact, the most common age range for men to be diagnosed with testicular cancer is between 15 and 35 years old, Dr. Christopher Hartman, chief of urology at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills, part of Northwell Health in New York, told The Epoch Times.

There are two primary types of testicular cancer: seminoma and non-seminoma. Seminoma cancer typically grows more slowly than the non-seminoma type and usually happens to men between 25 and 45. Non-seminoma cancers frequently occur earlier in lifeteens to early 30sand can spread faster.

4 Early Signs and Symptoms

Testicular cancer typically presents with several early signs and symptoms, which include:

A lump or swelling in one or both testicles. Pain or discomfort in the testicles or scrotum. Heaviness or aching in the lower abdomen or groin area. Enlargement or tenderness of the breasts due to hormone changes.

Its important to note that other conditions can cause these symptoms, and not all testicular cancers cause symptoms. Therefore, seeing a health care provider is crucial if you experience any unusual symptoms or changes in your testicles.

Men are often embarrassed to discuss their reproductive health, including abnormalities they may encounter on self-examination. Additionally, men often believe or hope that abnormalities, including testicular masses, that they encounter upon examination will go away.

When these abnormalities persist and they seek evaluation, said Hartman, it is often weeks to months later, resulting in a delay in diagnosis and treatment.

Survival Rate 99 Percent, 3 Ways to Detect Early

Detected early, testicular cancer is often more easily treated and cured, said Hartman. Overall cure rates for testicular cancer are very high.

The five-year relative survival rate is 95 percent overall, and 99 percent in men diagnosed early.

One of the most common ways testicular cancer is detected is through a physical exam, which a health care provider usually does.

During the exam, the provider will feel the testicles to check for any lumps, swelling, or other abnormalities. They will also check the scrotum for signs of fluid accumulation, which can be a sign of testicular cancer.

If a lump or other abnormality is found during a physical exam, the health care provider may order additional tests, such as an ultrasound, to get a closer look at the testicles. Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of the inside of the body and can help to determine whether a lump is cancerous or benign.

In some cases, blood tests may also help detect testicular cancer.

These tests measure the levels of specific proteins, such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), which are often elevated in men with testicular cancer.

While blood tests alone are insufficient for diagnosing testicular cancer, they can provide vital information to help guide further testing and treatment.

In rare cases, a biopsy may be needed to confirm a diagnosis of testicular cancer. During a biopsy, a small piece of tissue is removed from the testicle and examined under a microscope to determine if its cancerous. Men must be aware of the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer and seek medical attention if they notice any changes in the size, shape, or consistency of the testicles, or experience pain or discomfort in the scrotum or groin area.

Consequences of Late Detection

The consequences of not treating testicular cancer can be both physically and emotionally significant.

If left untreated, testicular cancer can spread (metastasize) to other parts of the body, including the lymph nodes, lungs, and liver. In some cases, the cancer can even be fatal.

In addition to the risk of cancer spreading and becoming more challenging to treat, men with untreated testicular cancer may experience pain and discomfort in the affected testicle, as well as other symptoms. These include swelling, lumps, and changes in the size or shape of the testicle.

The stress and anxiety of living with an untreated cancer diagnosis can also take a significant toll on a persons mental health and well-being.

Risk Factors

Certain things may increase the risk of testicular cancer in men, explained Hartman. First, men with a family history of testicular cancer, particularly in a close relative such as a father or brother, have a higher likelihood of developing testicular cancer.

Additionally, men with an undescended testicle, also called cryptorchidism, have a much higher likelihood of developing testicular cancer. An undescended testicle can be surgically corrected, and the earlier this is done may help to reduce the risk of developing testicular cancer.

By bringing the testicle into the scrotum, it allows both men and their doctors to evaluate for earlier signs of testicular cancer, said Hartman.

Furthermore, white men are about four to five times more likely to develop testicular cancer than other races, such as black and Asian men.

Treatment Involves Surgery

Once a testicular mass is confirmed, a computerized tomography (CT) scan may be utilized to assess whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Then, surgery is routinely performed to remove the cancerous organ.

The testicle is entirely, or in some instances, partially removed, by a procedure requiring a small groin incision. This can often be performed as a simple outpatient procedure.

Depending on the type of testicular cancer, this may be the only treatment necessary for men diagnosed early and whose cancer hasnt spread. Men with more aggressive disease, or disease not detected before metastasis, could require radiation, chemotherapy, or more extensive surgery to treat the disease sites.

These treatments are typically more debilitating, though still allow for a very high cure rate of testicular cancer, Hartman noted.

While it is difficult to mitigate the risk of developing testicular cancer entirely, certain things may help to reduce the risk of developing testicular cancer.

Hartman recommends that men maintain a healthy lifestyle by avoiding tobacco products and keeping a healthy weight, which may reduce their risk.

Importantly, men can improve their chances of cure should they develop testicular cancer by performing self-testicular exams on a monthly basis, he added. This allows for earlier diagnosis and shorter, more manageable treatment options should a man develop testicular cancer.
If youve tried meditation and found that it didnt work for you, it may be that what you practiced was more of a relaxation exercise than a true, traditional meditation, according to Deborah Collins-Perrica, a board-certified psychiatric clinical nurse specialist in Hartford, Connecticut.

Traditional meditation has mind, body, and spiritual requirements.

Traditional Meditation Is the Real Meditation

Meditation isnt just sitting there and relaxing, Collins-Perrica told The Epoch Times. The real, traditional meditations were always originally based in religion, where there was a moral fiber to it.

For example, most traditional meditations in the Buddhist tradition require one to follow the principles of being a good person, letting go of wants and longings, and having a freer and more open mind.

If your mind is filled with anger and resentment, fighting and arguing all the time, and competing with people in selfishness, youre not going to get a good nights sleep. You cant have good relationships. You cant even have a healthy body, said Collins-Perrica, who has more than 15 years of experience treating mental illness.

Currently, there are multiple types of meditation being taught and practiced, including mindfulness meditation, focused meditation, transcendental meditation, and kindness meditation. Although many also have a spiritual element, theyre not necessarily traditional meditation.

Traditional meditation is most often handed down as a spiritual or religious tradition and taught by a master or teacher, is recognized in a legitimate school of practice, and is simply a practice of sitting in a full lotus position with a mind free of any intention. Its formalized and structured, Collins-Perrica explained. A full lotus position requires sitting cross-legged, with each foot placed over the opposite thigh.

Some traditional meditation schools teach guidance by using mantras; some are movement-based, such as Tai Chi, and others are body positioning-based, such as yoga. Some visual forms of meditation use focusing intention toward an image.

There are many unorthodox forms of meditation in the world today, and they are loosely defined as ways of thinking, pondering, contemplating, [or] reflecting intensely that aim to help people relax and improve concentration abilities, she said.

These teachings have much more in common with mindfulness relaxation techniques than they do with true meditation.

Mindfulness is a popular technique in mental health today. It asks followers to focus on what is happening in the present moment with attentiveness, openness, and acceptance to attain peace of mind with a noncritical attitude. Mindfulness is widely referred to as a type of meditation.

When you lie down on the floor, clear your mind, and count your breathing, that is not meditation, Collins-Perrica said. Thats a breathing exercise. Thats a relaxation exercise.

Traditional Meditation Improves Health

Collins-Perrica acknowledged the benefits of mindfulness and other meditation practices. But real, traditional meditation may help people when those methods dont work.

One of her patients, a combat pilot in the U.S. Air Force, was exposed to chemicals during warfare, and a few years later he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).

The diagnosis was indisputable. All of the tests came back positive, Collins-Perrica said.

The patient saw many neurologists, and they all told him the disease was progressive. They told him it was going to get worse and eventually he may be completely paralyzed and bedridden.

MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system. It causes unpredictable symptoms such as numbness, tingling, mood changes, memory problems, pain, and sometimes even blindness and paralysis.

The distraught patient visited Collins-Perrica about twice a month at the Department of Defense, where she worked for many years.

Our conversation started to turn more towards existential topics because he was facing imminent demise and death, Collins-Perrica said. So she introduced him to meditation and ancient Chinese Qigong.

The method she introduced was Falun Gong or Falun Dafa, a spiritual practice rooted in the Buddhist tradition. Besides meditation, the practice encourages practitioners to strive to attune their lives to three principles: truthfulness, compassion, and forbearance.

A 2016 observational study found that many Falun Gong practitioners had regained health from terminal illnesses. Another study showed that Falun Gong practitioners had enhanced immunity compared with nonpractitioners.

Her patient was skeptical at first but realized the practice was different from the relaxation techniques he had previously learned. The practice of Falun Gong includes meditation and some gentle exercises.

He followed the directions on the website Collins-Perrica provided and started exercising every day. Slowly, he could sit longer, and eventually, he began to put one leg up, then two legs up, and then he was finally able to sit in a full lotus position.

About a year later, he went back to the MS specialist, who was confounded by his current state of health, which was expected to deteriorate but had not, Collins-Perrica said.

That was four or five years ago. Hes now working full-time. Hes very happy. Hes full of energy. And hes perfectly healthy, she said.

Developing Inner Strength Through Self-Discipline

Traditional meditation methods have postural requirementsmost require sitting in a full lotus positioncontrary to many modern practices that ask you to make yourself comfortable, often while walking around or lying down.

The lotus position has been widely seen in Buddhist and Taoist traditions and in some ancient Indian traditions such as yoga.

In Buddhist meditation, you always see the Buddha sitting in a full lotus position with the back very straight, the head and the neck very straight, the eyes closed, and the mouth closed. These are traditions that are thousands of years old, Collins-Perrica said.

Tian Tan Buddha, the worlds tallest outdoor seated bronze Buddha, is in Hong Kong Colin Monastery. (Shutterstock)

Sitting in a lotus position for a prolonged period of time can be very uncomfortable. It requires a good amount of flexibility of the hips, knees, and ankles. Most people are unable to do it initially, and to prevent injury, beginners shouldnt do it forcefully.

Collins-Perrica suggested a step-by-step approach and encouraged people to sit for as long as they can tolerate it. The longer you sit, the stronger your willpower becomes, and the more serene your mind.

A 2017 controlled trial found that yoga practitioners sitting in a lotus position (Padmasana in Sanskrit) showed increases in subtle energy levels in all acupuncture meridians, while the group sitting in a chair produced universal decreases. Interestingly, the positive effect on the bodys subtle energies could only be seen after sitting in a lotus posture for more than 20 minutes.

Your legs ache and your mind wanders. You have to make an effort to stay focused. Then in the process of staying focused, in the process of tolerating that discomfort, your willpower gets very strong, so your mind can overcome anything, Collins-Perrica said.

When you can sit in meditation for a longer period of time, your willpower is like a mountain.

Its majestic, she said.

With such strong willpower, real meditation can help you overcome all of these negative things, pains, distraught, bad feelings, and bad thoughts.

Looking at the Mind, Body, and Spirit Together

Traditional meditation can benefit people tremendously. However, Collins-Perrica explained that to have a more wholesome, genuine life, meditation is not the first step; rather, its an option that most people find helpful.

In my practice, the first step with the patient really is the assessment of looking at the mind, the body, and the spirit together. So its not just about meditation.

Usually, people come to psychiatric professionals with all kinds of problems: relationship difficulties, addictions, grief from loss of all types, or suicidal inclinations.

If you have a problem with someone, or youre arguing, or someones mad at you, or youre mad at them, you really need to look inside and ask yourself the question, What did I do to cause this problem? Collins-Perrica said.

Almost every time, youll discover that you did something to cause the problem with the other person.

Looking inside, a principle from Falun Dafa, is something Collins-Perrica talks about with her patients every day, and they find it helpful.

Its aboutwhats going on in the mind? Whats going on in your body? Can you look inside? Or can you learn to look inside? And when you do, youre naturally going to find that part of your longing is a fit for this: to be really good, to be really truthful, and to be really good and kind, and to focus this way, to hold these values.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Epoch Health welcomes professional discussion and friendly debate. To submit an opinion piece, please follow these guidelines and submit through our form here.
Hongkongers Protest in UK for Withheld Pension, as Treasury Secretary Makes First Visit Since National Security Law Enforced

Human Right NGO: HSBC and other banks work with HKGov to steal Hongkongers' life savings

Hong Kong Political Prisoner Concern Group and many Hongkongers protested against the Hong Kong Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau Christopher Hui Ching-yu, who is attending the Innovate Finance Global Summit at the London City Hall (Guildhall), on April 17, 2023. (Audrey Lee/The Epoch Times)

On April 17, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, Christopher Hui Ching-yu, attended the Innovate Finance Global Summit (IFGS) 2023 in London, United Kingdom.

Hui is the first chief-ranking official who visited the UK since former Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng Yeuk-wah visited during the Hong Kong anti-extradition protests in 2019.

Hui is also the first Hong Kong government official to visit the UK since the UK government announced the Chinese Communist Party breached the Sino-British Joint Declaration and post-implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law.

Political Prisoners Concern Group and many Hongkongers gathered and demonstrated outside the summit venue.

Chief Executive of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Luke de Pulford, Hong Kong Campaign Coordinator of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, Glacier Kwong Chung-ching, and Co-founder and CEO of Hong Kong Watch, Benedict Rogers, attended the demonstration.

Hongkongers Protest in London

Hui was a guest sharing crypto assets and Web 3.0 at the summit. His arrival led to UK-Hongkonger organizations and Hongkongers protesting against Huis visit outside the London City Hall (Guildhall).

The UK-Hong Kong demonstrators believed the UK government should not have granted Hui entry.

At the beginning of the demonstration, a rally host made clear that the event was to convey to the UK government that they should never establish relationships with Hong Kong officials.

The disgruntled migrated Hongkongers protested that the Hong Kong government refused to return their hard-earned pension, the MPF Funds.

Hongkongers who moved permanently to the UK could not withdraw the funds from Hong Kong banks after Beijing deemed the BNO Visa as an invalid and unrecognized travel document on Jan. 31, 2021.

They believed that the MPF Funds had become an aid to help the regimes moving cash flow.

What is MPF

The Mandatory Provident Fund is a compulsory saving scheme, a pension fund for employers and their employees to contribute monthly based on salaries. Both parties usually deposit the funds to approved private banks or insurance companies for when Hongkongers retire.

Hong Kong residents are entitled to withdraw their MPF funds if departing Hong Kong permanently.

During his speech, Benedict Rogers of Hong Kong Watch said that it was ridiculous for

the British government to allow Christopher Hui to enter the country and that Hui should immediately go home.

Rogers said Hui represents the regime that destroyed Hong Kongs freedom, openness, and the rule of law and undermined the Sino-British Joint Declaration.

He also stated that the HKGov had turned Hong Kong into a city controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, believed the UK should have sanctioned Hui, and refused his entry to the late Queens soil.

Rogers was denied entry to Hong Kong a few years ago by the Hong Kong authorities.

Benedict Rogers of Hong Kong Watch said that its latest research shows that the Hong Kong government has stolen [withheld] more than HK$21.38 billion (US$2.73 billion)in pension funds from Hongkongers.

Foreign Travel Document Cancelled By Beijing

Rogers affirmed BNO visa holders should be able to withdraw their pension, just as anyone else moving away from Hong Kong.

He urged the British government to pressure the Secretary for Treasure and the Hong Kong government to revert the decision.

He also named several global financial institutions operating the MPF, such as HSBC, Standard Chartered, and Manulife, conspiring and cooperating with the Hong Kong government to steal Hongkongers pension funds.

The Hong Kong Watchs report on MPF estimates that over 160,000 UK-migrated Hongkongers with BNO have been denied their pension totaling 2.2 billion pounds.

Luke De Pulford pointed out that it was utterly unacceptable to welcome the person into the public organizations in the UK who had caused Hongkongers to leave their homes.

The Human rights activist said Christopher Hui should be sanctioned, not welcomed.

He continued that as British residents, Hongkongers are allowed to express themselves. Additionally, the British government should not become a place to welcome someone who is a thief and violates human rights.

IPAC: Banks Should Stop Working with HKGov to Withhold MPF

Glacier Kwong Chung-ching, Hong Kong campaign coordinator at the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), told The Epoch Times that foreign governments are accountable and capable of pressuring overseas finance institutions managing MPF, such as HSBC and Prudential, and stop them from becoming accomplices of human rights violation.

Several British members of Parliament wrote to the UK government and questioned why it would allow Hong Kong government officials to visit the UK, particularly in Hui in this case. The members also challenged if the UK government had considered the human rights situation in Hong Kong.

However, they received no official responses from the authorities.

Kwong said the IPAC would continue to follow up on the issue. Meanwhile, the IPAC would take action in response to consular visitation and other rights of political prisoners with dual nationality in Hong Kong.

Coming Soon: Crowdfunding Restrictions in Hong Kong

During his overseas visit, Hui spoke on crowdfunding through a National Security Education Day video conference on April 15, 2023. Hui said, Crowdfunding endangers national security and carries other risks.

The public consultation for regulating crowdfunding activities ended in March 2023 in Hong Kong and received 60 submissions and responses.

The Hong Kong authorities are considering the collected opinions to move forward with legislation against crowdfunding.

HKGovs Nightmare: Crowdfunding

Crowdfunding became the primary source of gathering financial support to aid media companies, arrested protests, democratic parties, and other humanitarian funds during the anti-extradition movement in 2019.

Groups such as The 612 Humanitarian Relief Funds were one of the primary not-for-profit organizations that aided arrested protesters and affected families, providing free legal aid, counseling, and medical assistance.

The regime seized the non-profit groups assets and arrested and convicted its trustees, including Cardinal Joseph Zen, after the National Security Law went into effect.

The 612 Humanitarian Funds ceased its operation in August 2021.

Since 2020, to cut off Hongkongers capital chain against the totalitarian, the Hong Kong government suppressed crowdfunding projects, prosecuting organizations and fundraisers with charges such as money laundering.
How the PSAC Strike Could End, and How It Compares to Previous Strikes

As the strike by 155,000 workers of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) enters its third day, Canadians from coast to coast are wondering how long the strike might last, and how it could end.

Two PSAC groupsa larger Treasury Board group of more than 120,000 workers across several government departments and a smaller group of more than 35,000 workers at the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA)have been striking nationwide since the federal government and PSAC failed to reach a deal before an April 18 evening deadline. Board workers set up picket lines at more than 250 locations across Canada, including eight in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

The union is asking for a large raise because of the rising cost of living, arguing that its workers stepped up during the pandemic and deserve compensation. It also wants employees to be able to work from home full-time, while the Treasury Board has pushed for a hybrid model.

During a media availability on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said the federal government offered the striking workers a fair deal that wouldnt burden the treasury with necessarily high wage costs in a time of economic uncertainty.

Ottawa has warned that the strike could impact a number of federal services, including taxes, border services, employment insurance, veteran support, and passport applications.

On Thursday, the second day of the 2023 PSAC national strike, National President Chris Aylward said it was up to the federal government to decide how long the strike goes on. But he also alluded to the potential for similar forms of cross-country disruption seen during PSACs 1991 strike.

Were not taking over the streets. Were not shutting down airports or borders yet. Were not inconveniencing the public today. But the longer were out here, the public is going to see more and more inconvenience. We dont want to do that, he said.

1991 PSAC Strike

In 1991, PSAC went on strike after Conservative Finance Minister Michael Wilson attempted to save $585 million in the federal budget by freezing the wages of 214,000 public servants.

Then-Prime Minister Brian Mulroney further inflamed tensions when he said he wouldnt be bamboozled by a bunch of self-centred, boggy-brained public servants.

On Sept. 10 that year, the striking workers set up picket lines in cities across Canada. It was, at the time, the largest-ever national strike by a single union in Canada.

On the first day of the strike, protestors in Ottawa managed to knock a metal barricade onto the ground and marched toward Parliament. The crowds push forward ended at the doors of the House of Commons, which had been slammed shut.

That same day, the strikers caused a traffic jam in downtown Ottawa and in Gatineau, and closed the Portage Bridge connecting Ontario and Quebec for 90 minutes. Throughout the course of the strike, traffic jams were seen in cities across Canada as strikers blocked cars at key intersections.

In Toronto, flights were delayed at Pearson International after striking public servants blocked air traffic controllers from getting to their jobs, which created a ripple effect and also delayed flights at Montreals Dorval Airport. Protestors also blocked the airport in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

All 24 locks along the Rideau Canal between Ottawa and Kingston were closed by the strike, leaving managers working to clear the waterway of stranded boats. And in British Columbia, federal grain inspectors, weighers, and samplers established picket lines at the Vancouver terminals, blocking shipments of grain.

After 13 days of strikes, on Oct. 1, 1991, the federal government drafted back-to-work legislation that ended the strike and forced workers to return to their jobs. The Treasury Board did not back down from its proposal to freeze public servants wages in 1991 and kept the 1992 increase to 3 percent.

That strike cost PSAC nearly $16 million, and it had to borrow money from other unions and banks to make up for the amount. Union members were also faced with a $60-a-year due increase to rebuild the PSACs strike fund, and the union suspended hundreds of members who crossed picket lines.

PSAC was more successful with its 2004 strike, which lasted only one day. More than 120,000 workers went on strike on Oct. 11 after the federal government refused to meet its demand of a 10 percent raise over the next four years. Parks Canada workers temporarily shut down many national parks and the Rideau Canal. By Oct. 12, the federal government had reached a deal with 25,000 striking workers to give them a 10 percent raise.

Potential for Back-to-Work Legislation

On Wednesday, MPs in Parliament also brought up the potential for back-to-work legislation to end the strike. When NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh asked if he would commit to not bringing forth back-to-work legislation, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded that negotiators were putting forth proposals that respect the hard work of public service workers over the last few years.

When criticized by the Conservatives for letting the strike happen, Trudeau also criticized the Conservatives by saying that if they were in power, they would be implementing back-to-work legislation even before the picket lines were brought up, as they have done before.

The Conservative government under Stephen Harper implemented back-to-work legislation in 2007 to end a Canadian National Railway Company strike, and almost did so in 2009 to end a strike by CN Rail workers.

But the Liberals have enacted back-to-work legislation twice since being elected in 2015. The first time, in November 2018, the government did so to end a weeks-long strike by Canada Post workers. And in April 2021, the Liberal government passed back-to-work legislation for the second time to end a strike at the Port of Montreal.

In 2021, the Liberals were under pressure to use back-to-work legislation to end a brief strike between CP Rail and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, but the strike ended shortly after it began.

For now, Liberals have dodged questions on whether they would put forth back-to-work legislation to end the strike, as have the Conservatives on whether they would vote for the legislation. But the NDPs Singhwhose party backs the Liberals on key items through a supply-and-confidence agreementsaid he would not support such legislation.

We envision that there might be a scenario where the government would bring it back-to-work legislation, Singh said on Wednesday. Theyve done it in the past and I said really clearly to them that we will never support that.
IN-DEPTH: Florida Leads Conservative Legislative Wave With Flurry of Bills

State lawmakers say they are protecting children and parents with 'common sense'

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis displays the signed Parental Rights in Education bill flanked by elementary school students during a news conference at Classical Preparatory school in Shady Hills, Fla., on March 28, 2022. (Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times via AP)

After passing a flurry of conservative bills, Floridas Republican-controlled legislature appears to lead the nation in conservative-values legislation.

On April 19, state house Republicans passed a measure to stop drag performances in front of childrena priority of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The bill would punish those who allow children to attend lewd performances.

The state can pull the license of any establishment that allows a child to attend a performance. Or it can issue a $5,000 fine for a first offense, and a $10,000 fine for a second offense and beyond.

The Republican, elected to his second term in November 2022, is expected to announce a presidential run after the Florida legislative session ends on May 5.

DeSantis and Floridas lawmakers have led the conservative way on many parental rights issues and protection for children, even as Republicans in red states such as Texas are wrestling to pass school choice and gender-modification bans.

Florida Speaker of the House Paul Renner told The Epoch Times that red state leaders must have the courage to stand up against threats to children.

I think were facing a cultural revolution right now that needs to be addressed, and we need to win that battle, Renner said. The victims of that cultural revolution, first and foremost, are our children.

Renner said he believes that Florida will pass more conservative bills this year than in the past.

I think its just all about stepping out with the courage of your convictions, knowing that the prevailing winds are certainly hostile and promoting this kind of cultural revolution thats taking place, he said.

And we have to be able to say that this is a departure from common sense, he said.

The Florida Legislature passed a universal school choice bill on March 23, creating Education Savings Accounts for families.

The Florida law gives parents $8,000 for expenses such as tuition for private schools, tutoring, textbooks, and even homeschooling.

The Center for Education Reform, a pro-school choice group that issues an index ranking states based on parental rights, listed Florida as No. 1 and the only red state to receive an A based on the latest report.

In his State of the State address in March, DeSantis pointed out Floridas strength in pushing back against a woke ideology that has swept across the nations schools.

Part of his parental rights platform involves parents ability to opt out of gender ideology in schools, which are required to inform parents on issues such as gender dysphoria.

He has also spoken against the sexualization of children and drag shows.

We ranked No. 1 in the nation for education freedom. We ranked No. 1 in the nation for parental involvement in education, DeSantis said during his address.

The Florida Legislature has been instrumental in pushing back against radical gender and race ideology that critics call cultural Marxism.

In a testament to that, the Human Rights Campaign, a Left-wing organization, spotlighted Florida as the right-wing test market for anti-LGBT policies, such as laws limiting gender instruction for K3 grades.

On April 19, the Florida Legislature passed The Protection of Children Act (SB1438), which now heads to the governor for his signature, where it will become law immediately.

The bill prohibits children from being exposed to live adult performances that include lewd or sexual behavior. Businesses allowing drag performances could see licenses revoked or fines for thousands of dollars.

LGBT advocates contend banning drag performances could impact gay pride events.

But Republicans questioned why drag show proponents were determined to expose children to sexuality.

Two other bills to protect children made it through the House on April 19 aimed at gender ideology and the sexualization of children.

The Treatments for Sex Reassignment bill (SB 254), would make it a felony to provide minors with hormone blockers or sex-change procedures.

The bill gives courts temporary emergency jurisdiction over a minor if the child has been subjected to, or is threatened with, sex-reassignment prescriptions or procedures. The legislation must go through another vote in the Senate before heading to the governor.

Democrats debated the bill targeting transgender people, saying they were already marginalized in society and decisions on gender modification should be left to the parents and children.

But Republicans said they felt it was necessary to protect children from medical procedures before they could understand the consequences, which could result in adverse medical outcomes, including infertility.

Sen. Clay Yarborough (R), who sponsored the bill banning child sex reassignment and drag shows for children, told The Epoch Times in an email that the bills are a response to Florida parents concerned about the radical, prurient agenda targeting young children.

As lawmakers, we have to draw the line when drastic, life-altering gender dysphoria therapies and surgeries are mutilating young children, he said.

We also have a responsibility to protect children from viewing lewd conduct that is patently offensive to prevailing standards in our communities, he added.

Yarborough said lawmakers must stand against a troubling social agenda that seeks to indoctrinate young children and replace the role of parents.

That includes stopping businesses that knowingly admit children to view performances meant for an adult audience, or schools that allow pornographic instructional materials that promote promiscuity, he said.

This legislation sends a strong message that Florida is a safe place to raise children. As the father of four young boys, I know that childhood is as special as it is short, he said.

Another bill passed by the House called the Safety and Private Spaces Act (HB 1521), would regulate restrooms and changing facilities based on biological sex.

If a person of the opposite biological sex doesnt leave when asked, the person could face misdemeanor charges. The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Renner said the bill is about common sense. Predatory men could claim to be women to access a girls restroom, for example.

Also on April 19, the Florida Board of Education expanded the Parental Rights in Education bill by prohibiting teaching students about sexual orientation and gender ideology in all K12 public schools.

The Florida Board of Education approved a rule that extends the Parental Rights in Education bill beyond the K3 grades to include grades 412 in most cases.

DeSantis who says he is a champion of parental rights even involved himself at the local level by endorsing conservative school board candidates, initially signed the bill into law last year barring gender identity and sexual orientation in K3.

The bill was dubbed the Dont Say Gay law by opponents, although it contained no such language.

The same law sparked a feud between DeSantis and Disney after the company put out a statement saying it would work against the parental rights law. Disney lost its status as a special district as a result.

The rapid-fire passage of legislation protecting children from sexualization and extreme gender ideology drew sharp criticism from the Left.

Democratic Rep. Rita Harris of Orlando became emotional when the bathroom bill was up for a vote.

Thats what this bill is going to do. Its going to hurt people, she sobbed while holding a tissue as another woman hugged and patted her back.

Left-wing protesters surrounded, cursed, and shouted at several Moms for Liberty members who showed up supporting the parental rights bills.

In the video released by the group, one woman with a shaved haircut kept yelling profanities demanding for police to let them by as others chanted.

Protesters at an LGBT rally at the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee on March 13, 2023, hold signs that read Every Student Protected, Every Family Respected and Free States Dont Ban Medical Care. (Dan M. Berger/The Epoch Times)

A video posted on social media showed protesters, including children, tossing white underwear from the legislative balcony onto lawmakers to protest a ban on gender modification for children.

The incident was reminiscent of three lawmakers who recently led a disruption of the Tennessee Legislature. As a result, two of the three legislative members were expelled from the legislature.

They were later reinstated.

The incident in Florida did not involve lawmakers, Renner said.

It was pre-planned, Renner said of the protest. And if people want to stop the governance process after they lose an election, as they attempted to do, really in Tennessee, thats not acceptable.

At least one person was arrested for disturbing a peaceful or lawful assembly. According to Renners office, two juveniles were also cited for trespassing and are not allowed back at the capital for a year.

Derek Cohen, vice president of policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, told The Epoch Times that different legislative structures could make it seem like some red states are leading the way.

Cohen said the string of conservative bills in Florida owes some of their success to a 60-day legislative session every year.

Meanwhile, states like Texas only convene every other year for 140 days and are prohibited from passing legislation during the first 60 days.

Texas Sen. Bryan Hughes proposed bills banning drag shows for children. (Courtesy of Texas Senate)

Its a bit of an artifact from a time when you had to take your horse into Austin, he said of the 60-day delay in Texas.

But Texas lawmakers use those first 60 days to wheel and deal before the bills go up for a vote, he said.

But on school choice, Florida has an advantage because it already has something in place where Texas must start from scratch.

The Texas Senate passed a school choice bill but on the House side, 20 Republicans voted not to fund it, although it was a legislative priority for the Republican Party of Texas.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick also support school choice.

Cohen says theres healthy competition between Texas and Florida regarding conservative leadership.

I think between the two states, these good ideas are only transferable, he said.

Florida attorney Jeff Childers in his Gainesville office on Oct. 12, 2021. (Amber Dorn for The Epoch Times)

Renner said Floridas success this legislative session could be attributed to a close collaboration between the House, Senate, and governors office.

Weve passed more major conservative reforms in the first half of the session than we typically pass in an entire session or two, he said.

A conservative Florida attorney, Jeff Childers, said protecting children should not be a political issue.

He said Florida has demonstrated that most people arent buying what a small percentage of far-Left agitators are selling.

In Florida, weve drawn a red line at the kids. The other states need to find their red line, he said.
Elon Musk is the CEO of both Twitter and Tesla, in addition to leading Boring Company and helping run SpaceX. Getty Images

Tesla investors called for Elon Musk to be reined in an open letter, citing the CEO's many commitments.

The 17 investors want a CEO that "dedicates adequate time and attention to the company."

Investor Courtney Wicks told Insider that Musk's other opportunities don't allow him to "focus on Tesla."

A group of Tesla investors is calling for Elon Musk to be reined in, saying the CEO has been distracted by commitments to his other companies like Twitter.

In an open letter reviewed by Insider and addressed to chairwoman Robyn Denholm and director Ira Ehrenpreis, 17 shareholders  representing about $1.5 billion in Tesla shares  are asking the electric car maker's board to meet and find remedies by May 25.

"The Board allowed the CEO to be overcommitted at a time when the company faces critical challenges," the letter stated. "Corporate boards can and should intervene if a chief executive appears to be distracted or overly focused on other ventures," it continued.

They want a CEO that "dedicates adequate time and attention to the company" and "overhaul the composition of the Board, including rolling off directors with close ties to the CEO."

"Without a fulltime CEO and a Board willing to provide meaningful oversight, we are concerned that Tesla will not be prepared to effectively navigate the increasingly competitive environment for EV sales, the evolving global regulatory landscape, shifting consumer preferences, ongoing supply chain challenges, and investors' expectations," the letter said.

The investors say the board has "failed to ensure" Musk was "appropriately" focused on Tesla, due to his other companies including SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink, and Twitter. The makeup of Tesla's board has faced criticism in the past. In 2018, a Tesla shareholder sued the company over Musk's $55 billion compensation plan, alleging the CEO had influence over the carmaker's board, which includes his brother and some of his close friends. A judge has yet to issue a ruling on the case.

Story continues

Amalgamated Bank, Investor Advocates for Social Justice, and Sisters of the Good Shepherd are among the investors who signed the open letter Friday and who want the board to get some more control over Musk. Amalgamated Bank and Sisters of the Good Shepherd did not immediately respond to Insider's request for additional comment ahead of publication.

The letter also mentioned what the investors view as multiple issues facing the company, such as the treatment of its employees, including the litigation with a California civil rights regulator over the allegations that Tesla's Fremont Factory is a "racially segregated workplace where Black workers are subjected to racial slurs and discriminated against."

Courtney Wicks, executive director of Investor Advocates for Social Justice, told Insider: "It's unprecedented for a CEO to have the kind of outside business activities Elon Musk has and it's certainly hurting Tesla."

Wicks said that Musk's outside opportunities don't allow him to "focus on Tesla." She also said that the company has not been responsive to similar open letters in the past.

Tesla and Musk didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from Insider ahead of publication.

Ross Gerber, the president and CEO at Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management and a Tesla investor, tweeted on Thursday that the company "needs a Steve Jobs badly," before saying, "or just a full time CEO!" Gerber's name is not listed on the open letter.

This isn't the first time Tesla shareholders have voiced their concerns over Musk's commitment to the company. After Musk acquired Twitter in October last year, Leo Koguan, one of the largest individual shareholders, tweeted on December 14 that Musk had abandoned the electric car maker.

"Tesla needs and deserves to have working full time CEO," Koguan said at the time.

On Thursday, Tesla's stock slid after the company revealed its aggressive price cuts eroded its profit margins in its first-quarter earnings. Tesla aggressively reduced the price of its top-selling cars including the Model 3 and Model Y last quarter, in a bid to boost its market share.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Japan Prepares to Shoot Down North Korea Satellite If It Falls on Japan

The Japanese flag flies in a park in Osaka, Japan, on Oct. 30, 2018. (Thomas White/Reuters)

TOKYOJapans Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Saturday ordered the countrys military to prepare to shoot down a North Korean spy satellite should it fall within Japans territory.

Hamada ordered the Self-Defense Forces to make necessary preparations as he could potentially order the destruction of ballistic missiles, the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Japans Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada attends a photo session with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and other cabinet ministers at Kishidas residence in Tokyo, Japan, on Aug. 10, 2022. (Issei Kato/Pool/Reuters)

Preparations included making arrangements to deploy troops to the southern prefecture of Okinawa to minimise damage should a ballistic missile fall.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said preparations for the planned launch of the countrys first spy satellite should proceed to counter perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, state media reported on Wednesday.
Jordan Accuses Biden of Political Operation in Covering Up Hunter Biden Laptop News

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) attends the first public hearing of the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on March 8, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) has claimed that then-presidential candidate Joe Biden misled Americans regarding the letter signed by 51 intelligence officials that alleged that Hunter Bidens laptop contained Russian disinformation.

Jordan, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, offered context about the events surrounding the story during an April 20 interview on Fox News The Ingraham Angle, after news broke that a special agent whistleblower from the IRS had information about the laptop investigation.

The lawmaker spoke about testimony before his committee by former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell, who was among the 51 signatories of the open letter (pdf) that said the explosive contents of a laptop purportedly belonging to Hunter Biden bore classic earmarks of a Russian information operation.

Subsequent reporting confirmed that the laptop wasnt part of a Russian disinformation campaign but had been abandoned at a computer repair shop in Delaware.

Jordan recounted the timeline of events, starting by saying that the story about the laptop came out on Oct. 14, 2020, and included facts about the Biden business operation and whether then-presidential candidate Joe Biden was involved.

Then quickly it turns into this political operation, he said. That letter that became the basis for suppressing the story and keeping it from the American people [was released] just days before the most important election we have.

[On] the 14th, the [New York] Post has a story. The 17th, Tony Blinken  contacts Mike Morell and gets him interested in this. Mike Morell looks at it the next day, organizes on the 18th all these other people to sign the letter. The 19th, the letter goes out.

Morell has since testified before Jordans committee and the House Intelligence Committee that Antony Blinken, then a Biden campaign adviser, was the impetus behind the creation of the October 2020 letter.

Jordan noted that Morell played a key role in gathering signatures for the letter before Oct. 22, 2020, which was the date of the NBC presidential debate. It gave Biden a ready answer when, as expected, then-President Donald Trump brought up the laptop issue.

It was a total political operation, and the most important fact is [the letter] was false, Jordan said. [The laptop] wasnt Russian disinformation. The laptop story looks to be true.

Along with Morell, signatories included Obama-era CIA Director John Brennan, Bush-era CIA Director Michael Hayden, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former CIA Chief of Staff Jeremy Bash, and former National Intelligence Council Chair Thomas Fingar.

A State Department spokesperson responded at an April 21 briefing to The Epoch Times question on the subject, saying this is not a State Department issue and that the department wouldnt comment.

White House spokesperson for oversight and investigations Ian Sams responded to The Epoch Times request for comment on Jordans assertions by saying House Republicans are weaponizing their power to go after their political opponents and [trying to] re-litigate the 2020 election with misleading claims instead of dealing with issues more important to the American people.

The American people see these House GOP attacks for what they are: political stunts intended to hurt President Biden, Sams said. And House Republicans would be wise to instead focus on doing their job, raising the debt ceiling to avoid an economic catastrophe, and working together with the president to make actual progress on important issues.

Tom Ozimek and Jackson Richman contributed to this report.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Unveils $1.3 Billion Homelessness Budget

Karen Bass speaks at her mayoral inauguration ceremony at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles on Dec. 11, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass unveiled her $13 billion budget proposal for 20232024 on April 18, the first of her tenure.

The budget prioritizes the citys sprawling homelessness problem with a record-high $1.3 billion allocated for more housing, purchasing hotels and motels, substance abuse treatment beds, and establishing a new agency of homeless solutions in her office. The new fiscal year begins on July 1.

The move was met with optimism and concern from some Angelenos, as the citys budget to address homelessness swelled from $100 million in 2015 to $1 billion in 2021, while the homeless population and tent encampments keep rising.

The last homeless count in 2022 recorded nearly 42,000 homeless people living on the streets of Los Angeles, up almost 2 percent since 2020. About five homeless people die every day across the county, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

Were hopeful, but we want to reserve judgment and wait and see how it goes, Jennifer Windh, founder of Unsafe Streetsa local think tank that tracks deaths caused by homeless people in Los Angeles since 2022told The Epoch Times. Obviously, residents of LA, people who care about public safety, have been disappointed a lot of times before. Weve mostly seen things continue to get worse.

A homeless help desk sits empty in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan 27, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Windh said one of her main concerns about the budget is whether the city will enforce mandatory treatment, since the citys Housing First strategy prioritizes housing over substance abuse treatments and other mental rehabilitation.

Whats being done to make sure people start treatment so that they dont just go inside and overdose or attack other people in the building because their psychosis is still untreated? she asked.

Countywide, 27 percent of the homeless reported long-term substance abuse and 25 percent had serious mental illness, according to a 2022 report by the Los Angeles Centers for Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

Rev. Andy Bales, CEO of the Union Rescue Missiona faith-based Skid Row housing provider with wraparound services for the homelesstold The Epoch Times that Bass mentioned recovery in her speech, as well as the unfortunate overdose deaths.

So, I believe shes going to be making changes to the housing, he said.

Bales said that in one-on-one conversations with Bass, she promised to fund faith-based nonprofits that offer services to the homeless, but it isnt outlined in the budget. Faith-based nonprofits currently arent eligible to receive public funding in the city, he said.

Bales added that without additional addiction recovery services and mental health services, building more housing alone will not solve the issue.

Venice Beach resident Soledad Ursuawho was chased by a homeless woman who lived in an RV parked outside of her neighbors house after asking her to movetold The Epoch Times shes become used to experiences like this living in Los Angeles and is worried the new record-high budget allocation for homelessness will place a burden on taxpayers.

A homeless individual in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan 27, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Theyre never going to fix the issue because they refuse to call it what it is, she said. This is a crisis of drug addiction and mental illness.

Roxanne Hoge, spokesperson for the Los Angeles GOP, told The Epoch Times that this crisis is not a partisan issue and doesnt just impact homeless people, but the everyday Angeleno who cant take their kids to the park because of dangerous encampments and drug dealing.

But we all know that the problem that Los Angeles, the city, the county, and California as a state is facing has to do with enabling drug addiction that masks mental illness, and that is not going to be solved by apartments or tiny homes, hotels, or any purchases, she said.

In the Budget

Bass, who was elected in November 2022, faces a visible challenge in Los Angeles, with homelessness evident in virtually every neighborhood. However, she asserts her approach will be successful.

We are removing the barriers that have been in place for far too long, Bass said during her April 17 State of the City speech at City Hall. We have finally dispelled the myth that people do not want to come inside.

Bass said Gov. Gavin Newsom has also pledged to provide 500 units of temporary housing to the city, and the Biden administration has sent more than $200 million in funding for homeless programs to both the city and county this year.

A view of housing units at the Tarzana Tiny Home Village, which offers temporary housing for homeless people, is seen in the Tarzana neighborhood of Los Angeles on July 9, 2021. (Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images)

Outlined in the mayors budget to combat the crisis is $250 million to expand the Inside Safe initiative, which launched in late December 2022. Earlier that month, she declared a local state of emergency to bring in additional state and federal funds to get people off the streets and into interim housing.

So far, more than 1,000 homeless people have accepted Inside Safe vouchers across the city to move into hotels and motels since the program launched. However, in Basss speech, she said that nearly 2,000 housing vouchers are going unused due to red tape in the process.

Bass said she is adding emergency staff to the housing authority to accelerate the voucher process.

New permanent supportive housing units are also being prepared for emergency use in 3,300 existing city-owned properties, and 500 tiny homes funded by the state are being prepared. Bass also plans to use $40 million to acquire more hotels and motels.

The budget will further utilize Proposition HHH, with $266 million in investments, to create 4,500 new units. Proposition HHH is a $1.2 billion bond passed by voters in 2016 to build 10,000 units of housing in 10 years.

Measure ULA, a new policy passed by voters in the last general election, introduces a transfer tax of 4 percent on the sale of properties valued over $5 million, and 5.5 percent on properties valued over $10 million. The budget proposed by Bass includes an allocation of $150 million from the projected total collections of Measure ULA, which went into effect on April 1.

City Hall in Los Angeles, Calif., on Jan 27, 2023. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

A smaller portion of Basss budget, about $24 million, will be used for substance abuse treatment beds for Inside Safe residents.

And $4 million will be allocated toward the formation of four medical teams to provide health care services to 5,600 homeless individuals, according to the budget summary. Half of this funding has been secured through a Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention grant.

The mayors office didnt respond to a request for comment by press deadline.
Man Claiming to Be a Woman Exposed Himself to High School Girls: Letter

An adult man claiming to be a woman went into a girls locker room and exposed himself to four minors, according to a new letter.

The alleged incident violated the girls right to privacy, the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) said in the letter, sent on April 19 to the Sun Prairie Area School District.

After taking part in a physical education class at Sun Prairie East High School on March 3, four girls went into the girls locker room to shower and change for the rest of the day, the institute said. When they entered, they encountered an 18-year-old man who is a senior at the school.

While the girls were surprised to see him in the locker room, they had a general idea that this student identifies as transgender and has used girls bathrooms before. While they were uncomfortable, they proceeded to the shower area without interacting with the student, the letter says.

The girls entered the shower area with their swimsuits on, which was their common practice as they rinsed off. As they began to shower, the male student approached them, entered the shower area, announced Im trans, by the way, and then undressed fully and showered completely naked right next to one of the girls. He was initially turned towards the wall but eventually turned and fully exposed his male genitalia to the four girls. Understandably, the girls were caught off guard and shocked, closed their eyes, and tried to hurry up and leave the showers as quickly as possible.

Another student who heard of what happened told an associate principal but instead of complying with federal law and reporting the incident to the schools Title IX coordinator, the official said the girls could approach her.

No one from the District contacted any of the girls parents at that time, and no one investigated. To be clear, that means that the Districts initial response to this incident violated Title IX, WILL stated.

A mother of one of the girls later spoke to Renee Coleman, the schools principal, who also failed to adhere to federal law, according to the letter.

An in-person meeting between the girls parents and school officials finally took place on April 5 but officials allegedly would not say what they would be doing in response to the exposure. There was no indication that the District intends to address this matter in any way or change any policy, WILL said.

On April 10, Coleman apologized in an email to one of the parents and said that the situation should not have happened. The school would continue to work to ensure no one has a similar experience, Coleman said, without identifying any specific steps that had or would be taken.

The principal also sent a one-page document from the school district that stated male students can use the girls locker room.

If a transgender student makes any request regarding the use of locker rooms or any similar type of changing area, the request shall be assessed on a case-by-case basis with the goals of: (a) facilitating the transgender students access to the Districts physical education curriculum and other relevant programs; (b) ensuring adequate student privacy and safety; and (c) minimizing stigmatization of the transgender student, the document states. The physical layout of the facility and the degree of undress required when changing for the applicable activity are examples of factors that will be considered in making the arrangements. There is no absolute rule that, in all cases, will require a transgender student to access and use only the locker rooms and other changing areas that correspond to the biological sex the student was assigned at birth.

The document does not say what happens if the male does not make a request.

School officials failed to protect the girls rights under Title IX, WILL lawyers say. Four freshman girls taking a shower in their swimsuits in what is supposed to be a private and safe space, were exposed to the male genitals of a senior student against their will, they said.

Because the male in question is an adult, he may have violated state law that forbids exposing a child to genitals.

The school district said in a statement to news outlets that the letter provides neither an accurate nor complete account of the events that occurred, adding: The district had previously addressed this incident when it was brought to our attention. Steps have been taken to ensure that it does not recur.

WILL is asking the district for documents including emails and texts between Superintendent Brad Saron and Coleman regarding the incident, as well as documents relating to when the districts locker room and restroom guidance was put into place.

School districts need to think through what loosening boundaries for single-sex spaces could mean for girls. Parents are understandably concerned about whether school districtslike the Sun Prairie Area School Districtare doing everything required to protect girls in bathrooms and locker rooms, Libby Sobic, WILLs director of education policy, said in a statement. WILL is calling on the district to act promptly to restore a sense of safety and privacy in its schools.
Mississippi Governor Signs Culture of Life Legislation Giving Pregnant Mothers Alternatives to Abortion

Pro-life activists celebrate outside the Supreme Court after the top court ruled to erase a federal right to an abortion and sent abortion law to the states to decide, on June 24, 2022. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed a series of Culture of Life bills on Wednesday giving pregnant mothers alternatives to abortion.

Mississippi will always protect life, Reeves said in a press release. Our state will continue to be a beacon on the hill, a symbol of hope for the country, and a model for the nation.

Reeves said the legislation was written to fortify the states adoption system and pregnancy resource centers.

In addition, it establishes a foster parents bill of rights, creates a task force set up to improve the adoption and foster care system, and increases the budget for the Department of Child Protection Services.

Following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, Reeves told Fox News Sunday that the state must prove that being pro-life isnt only about being anti-abortion; it has to enact policies that support pro-life decisions.

Were going to convince those moms that yes, those lives are precious, and there are people in this world and there are people in the state of Mississippi who love not only the moms but also the babies, he said. Were looking to do everything we can to help create a forever home for every single baby in Mississippi and we believe we will save lives by doing so.

Culture of Life Bills

House Bill 510 revises the foster care placement program and sets up a foster parents bill of rights that calls for more accountability in the foster care system while preventing potential child exploitation and human trafficking.

The legislation increases transparency for foster parents, expands communication opportunities with professionals, and makes the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services personnel more readily available for foster parents, Reeves said. Additionally, it helps ensure that the educational needs of foster children are being met and provides access to available resources for parents.

House Bill 1671 increases the tax credit for pregnancy resource centers from $3.5 million to $10 million.

House Bill 1625 gives the Mississippi Department of Child Protection what Reeves described as the largest budget in its history.

This equips the agency with the resources needed to effectively carry out its mission and better support Mississippi children, Reeves said.

Reeves said House Bill 1318 gives more opportunities to parents who want to adopt by authorizing safe haven baby boxes across Mississippi.

The legislation increases the age that children can be dropped off at these boxes, authorizes safety devices to be sponsored by emergency medical service providers, and authorizes any city or county to sponsor a baby safety device, Reeves said.

Senate Bill 2384 creates the Mississippi Task Force on Foster Care and Adoption, a task force that Reeves said will study state laws on adoption and foster care to improve state laws by working with the legislature.

Mississippi will be relentless in its commitment to life, Reeves said. We will be relentless in our support of mothers and children. And we will be relentless in our efforts to advance the New Pro-life Agenda. The legislation I signed today is further proof that when it comes to protecting life, Mississippi isnt just talking the talk  were walking the walk.

Frank Fang contributed to this report.
Missouri Chiropractor Accused of Fraudulent Promotion of Vitamins During Pandemic

Vows to continue fighting despite government settlement offers

Missouri chiropractor Dr. Eric Napute is facing civil penalties totaling more than $500 billion in a government case claiming he fraudulently profited from selling and promoting Vitamin D3 and zinc during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Courtesy of Dr. Eric Napute)

A licensed Missouri chiropractor facing more than $500 billion in penalties for alleged false advertising of health supplements during the COVID pandemic says he plans to go to trial in August despite settlement offers from the government.

I dont care what amount of money they offer. Im not interested in that at all, Dr. Eric Nepute said. The reality is the American government committed fraud against me.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) seeks $508 billion in legal penalties after accusing Nepute of promoting vitamin D and zinc as a treatment or prophylactic for COVID-19, violating the COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act of 2020.

In the governments 27-page complaint, the FTC alleges Nepute illegally promoted and profited from the online sale of vitamin D and zinc during a COVID-19 public health emergency.

The governments case includes more than 10 million alleged COVID-19 Consumer Protection Act violations and carries a $43,792 civil penalty for each alleged infringement.

That comes to well over $508 billionan amount Neputes legal defense claims is worth more than multiple nations combined gross domestic product.

Nepute is the owner of Nepute Wellness Center in St. Louis.

The FTC complaint adds that Nepute used social media and internet advertising to promote and sell Wellness Warrior Vita D, a product the government claims Nepute billed as a treatment against COVID-19.

Nepute said many doctors and health care professionals now recommend vitamin D and zinc to strengthen natural immunity.

Medical Choice

However, Nepute said he clarified that people should get the COVID-19 vaccine or take supplements to boost immunity if they decide to do so.

Nepute said he plans to file a countersuit against the FTC for the same amount in punitive damages.

All I want is my name cleared. I want to be made whole financially for the millions of dollars Ive spent on legal fees and the $30 million in lost revenue in the past three years, Nepute told The Epoch Times.

I want a public apology, and I want a letter clearing my name so I can go back to the insurance companies, so I can go back to the banks that closed my accounts, so I can go to all these brokers on television who wont let me on because [the FTC] blacklisted me.

Since the FTC filed its case in a St. Louis Federal court, Nepute said his trial has been postponed several timesfirst in November, then in March, and rescheduled for Aug. 21.

Before then, Nepute said the government desperately has been trying to settle this case with me.

The last thing is they want this case to go to trial. Weve won this thing. They cant beat us on merit. They cant beat us on facts.

Many foods can supply the recommended daily requirement for zinc. (Evan Lorne/Shutterstock)

He said that one settlement offer was a cash amount and a gag order that would prevent Nepute from discussing the case further in public.

Nepute said he could not reveal the amount offered in the settlement based on legal advice.

Let me tell you, its not as much as Elon Musk has, but its a lot more than the average millionaire has, Nepute said.

FTC Public Affairs spokesman Mitchell Katz said the agency had no comment regarding Neputes case or settlement offers.

He added that the FTC does not comment on cases currently in litigation.

Nepute estimates hes spent about $4.5 million on his legal defense and lost two businesses due to the governments intervention.

No Case From the Start

Im pushing for sanctions against the lawyers in this case. We believe theyre bringing a [political] case before a federal judge that is not in good faith, Nepute said.

In the meantime, FTC career staff reportedly have lost significant confidence in senior management since President Joe Biden appointed Lina Khan as chair in early 2021.

Since Khans appointment, two Republican FTC members have resigned to protest her leadership and politics.

Nepute said the government offered to negotiate a settlement through arbitration in March, an offer he refused.

I turned down multiple settlement offers from the government because the big thing is they want to gag me. I want to go to trial. I have wanted to go to trial since the beginning. Ive paid the price of admission. Hopefully, we get our day in court, Nepute said.

Ive been falsely accused of fraud. What matters more to me than money is my reputation. I stand up for whats right; the government cant understand that. Im clearing my nameno matter what it takes.
North Korean Youth Risk Harsh Punishment to Access Outside Media

A TV screen shows a file image of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (R) and his daughter, reportedly named Kim Ju Ae, during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Feb. 18. 2023. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Young North Koreans are quietly defying censorship laws by consuming foreign music and other media, offering hope for change in one of the worlds most secretive and repressive nations, emissaries of the South Korean government say.

They shared that assessment during a forum on human rights in North Korea held in Washington on April 20, emphasizing both the bleak picture of life in that country and asking for Western support for young change agents.

The South Korean Ministry of Unification published the 2023 North Korean Human Rights Report in March, which documented the situation in that country based on eyewitness reports of more than 500 defectors, according to Cho Hyun-dong, ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the United States.

Pedestrians walk past banners near the U.S. embassy in Seoul, South Korea, on May 20, 2022. (Jung Yeon-je/AFP via Getty Images)

The report makes it clear that the DPRK regime is denying civil and political rights through torture and inhumane treatment, arbitrary arrest, and disregard for the right to privacy and free movement, Cho said, using the acronym for North Koreas formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

They are denying economic, social, and cultural rights by depriving people of proper health care and access to food and education, rather than protecting the most vulnerable.

Censorship Laws

The ruling regime is also tightening its ideological hold on its people through a series of censorship laws, according to Park Jin, foreign minister of the Republic of Korea, who addressed the forum by video.

In recent years, [North Korea] has adopted a series of laws such as the Reactionary Ideology and Culture Rejection Act and the Pyongyang Cultural Language Protection Act. These laws strictly forbid contact with a proliferation of outside information, Park said.

Penalties for violating those codes are harsh, according to Lee Shin-wha, South Koreas ambassador-at-large for international cooperation on North Korean human rights.

The regime blocks the flow of information through strict laws and harsh punishment, including the death penalty, for simply watching and distributing so-called illegal content, Lee said.

That content includes South Korean movies and music and the use of South Korean dialect.

However, the laws are much less effective in controlling the younger generation, who question the need for cultural protection, according to Lee.

They are not like their parents, even though they have been hardened by crackdowns and controls, she said.

Their reaction to censorship is, I just need to be more careful.

Younger North Koreans simply continue consuming foreign media but hide it from friends to avoid exposure.

The K-pop boy band BTS visit the Today show in New York on Feb. 21, 2020. (Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

The tight control imposed by these laws is clear evidence that capitalist culture is already deeply rooted in North Korean society. It shows that the region considers information flow to be the most serious security threat, Lee said.

Change Agents

At the same time, conditions in the country are worsening, experts say. This is, in part, due to the effect of COVID-19, but the pandemic has also been used as leverage to further isolate the country.

Hunger is widespread, and the nations food gap is estimated at 850,000 metric tons, according to U.S. government figures, meaning that the country must import 15 to 25 percent of its food supply each year.

Citizens dont have the right to leave the country freely, and those who are permitted to work in other countries are required to give up to 90 percent of their earnings to the government, Lee told the forum audience.

Despite the hardships, shes hopeful that the next generation can bring change to their country. She insists that Westerners not see North Koreans only as victims.

These young people have the power to use their voice, and these people can have a future designed differently, Lee said.

The international community should let North Korea know we are here to help them improve their basic right to food, right to know, and freedom to choose. But at the very same time, I would like to let them know they have the capacity to change.
On National Security, Ottawa Has Its Priorities Backwards

Commentary

Defending the security and integrity of the Canadian state from external and internal threats is a key federal responsibility. But it seems the federal government has its priorities backwards.

Ottawa unleashed the Emergencies Act on the fictional premise that the truckers Freedom Convoy protest was an existential threat to Canadas security. But when it comes to threats from hostile regimes like China, the Liberals have been dragging their feet.

Witness the recently divulged statement by U.S. sources in which the prime minister is quoted saying that Canada will never meet its NATO defense spending target commitment of 2 percent of GDP. Considering Russian behaviour and their desire to challenge Canadas Arctic sovereignty, it is an irresponsible stance. The statement compromises Canadas security in that it alienates our security partners and simultaneously but unwisely invites the predatory Russians and the Chinese regime into a vacuum of defence.

Adding to the increased potential for undermining national security from without, the government has also ignored security threats from within. It has failed to react promptly, and in the right measure, to hostile actions from the communist regime in Beijing.

China has aggressively increased its influence in international organizations like the U.N. and the WHO, and it is actively undermining Western states wherever it sees weakness. And weakness they have found in the Trudeau government, not least the prime ministers declared fondness for the political efficiency of the Chinese dictatorship.

Paradoxically, Canadians know very little of these exploited security weaknesses because the government regularly invokes national security to obstruct Parliament from asking questions and to cover up its mismanagement in security affairs.

Canadians remain in the dark, four years later, about events at the high-security National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg. Chinese scientists were escorted off the premises in 2019 and later fired. The federal government has refused to answer questions about apparent breaches in national security and repeatedly blocked parliamentarians bids to learn what happened. The expelled researchers also had links to the Wuhan Lab in China, where SARS-CoV-2, the virus that caused COVID-19, is suspected to have originated.

The same national security excuse is used to prevent Canadians from knowing more about, and learning why, Chinese police stations operate extraterritorially in Canada. Canadas sovereignty is at stake when hostile foreign enforcers act with impunity inside its borders, intimidating individuals.

Whether those being targeted are exclusively Chinese nationals is irrelevant. The protection of the Charter of Rights applies to all living within Canadian borders. So the federal failure to account for foreign police actions on Canadian soil is an affront to the countrys sovereignty. Ottawa ignored reports of these foreign police stations until recently, when the Mounties were embarrassed into action as American authorities prosecute similar activity on U.S. soil.

Finally, the infamous cases of election interference sponsored by Beijing since at least 2019 have been personally obfuscated by the prime minister. For months, Trudeau refused admitting knowledge of Chinese meddling in Canadas elections, only to acknowledge recently that Beijing interference was regularly discussed inside his government. Still, he seems to have ignored it because the meddling benefited the Liberal Party.

There is more. A gush of nearly uniform election-time donations from B.C. residents to the PMs constituency office in Montreal give the impression of third-party involvement, added to the huge donation to the Trudeau Foundation from a source linked to the Chinese Communist Party. All questions surrounding these activities remain unanswered under the excuse of a national security shield.

Given the Trudeau governments propensity for secrecy, it is not difficult to imagine that there may be more of these situations.

With all the threats facing Canada, Canadians should demand change.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Oversight Board Urges Meta to Be More Transparent About COVID-19 Censorship

The logo of Meta Platforms in Davos, Switzerland, on May 22, 2022. (Arnd Wiegmann/Reuters)

Metas Oversight Board, an independent panel that the parent company of Facebook and Instagram selected to deliberate its content decisions, has asked the tech firm to increase transparency around government requests regarding suppressing COVID-19 content.

The Oversight Board noted that concerns were raised about Meta reviewing COVID-19-related content at the behest of governments during the height of the pandemic, it said in a statement published on April 20.

This is particularly problematic where governments make requests to crack down on peaceful protesters or human rights defenders, to control conversations about the origins of the pandemic and to silence those criticizing or questioning government responses to the public health crisis, it said. The United Nations has raised concerns that some governments have used the pandemic as a pretext to erode the tenets of democracy.

The Oversight Boards observations come as the Biden administration is caught up in a lawsuit alleging collusion between Big Tech and the government to censor disfavored viewpoints and users related to the COVID-19 issue.

In the lawsuit, the states of Missouri and Louisiana claim that at least 67 Biden administration officials and agencies urged companies such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google to suppress alleged misinformation.

The proof of this sprawling federal Censorship Enterprise is voluminous and overwhelming, the March 6 court filing said. This enterprise is highly effectiveit has stifled debate and criticism of government policy on social media about some of the most pressing issues of our time.

The Biden administration filed a motion to dismiss the case, claiming that the states lacked standing to bring the claims. However, a federal court in Louisiana denied the motion last month.

In January, Louisianas Republican Attorney General Jeff Landry released a document to support his claim that the White House pressured Facebook to take action against Fox News host Tucker Carlson due to the anchors position that COVID-19 vaccines dont work.

Transparency and Fairness

In the blog post, the Oversight Board asked Meta to be transparent about the matter and regularly report on state requests that ask for reviewing content under the companys Misinformation about health during public health emergencies policy.

Per policy, Meta removes content it identifies as misinformation during public health emergencies provided public health officials affirm that the content is false and may potentially contribute to the risk of imminent physical harm.

Between March 2020 and July 2022, Meta removed 27 million pieces of COVID-19 content from Facebook and Instagram, alleging misinformation. The company later restored 1.3 million pieces of content following appeals.

The Oversight Board asked Facebook to increase fairness, clarity, and consistency around the removal of COVID-19 misinformation. The company must explain why it deems a claim is false as well as create a record of any changes made to the list of claims that it removes.

Facebook Censorship

According to Facebook policies, the platform will remove any content it deems as false information regarding COVID-19, including content that undermine the severity of COVID-19.

Content that downplays the severity of the pandemic includes discouraging vaccination or questioning the efficacy of vaccines, insisting that COVID-19 is no more dangerous to human beings than cold or common flu, promoting the idea that getting a flu vaccine is more likely to kill a person than COVID-19, or claiming that the number of COVID-19 caused deaths are much lower than the official figure.

Content stating that wearing face masks or observing social distancing doesnt help in preventing the spread of COVID-19 may be removed from the platform.

Claims that COVID-19 vaccines kill or seriously harm people could be removed as well.
Pasadena Man Who Bought Maserati With COVID Relief Money Gets 10 Years in Prison

A Pasadena man was sentenced on April 20 to 10 years behind bars for using stolen identities to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits under the coronavirus federal relief act, which he later used to purchase a Maserati luxury SUV.

Robert Mateer, 32, was also ordered to pay $937,173 in restitution, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Mateer pleaded guilty last year in Los Angeles to federal charges of use of unauthorized access devices, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and being a felon in possession of ammunition.

During a traffic stop in October 2020, Pasadena Police Department officers arrested Mateer and found inside his Maserati unemployment benefits debit cards, several other credit and debit cards, about $197,711 in cash, more than 85 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded Glock-type pistol with no serial number, prosecutors said.

Evidence gathered during the investigation determined that at least 14 of the 17 debit cards were loaded with at least $133,000 in unemployment insurance benefits, later determined to have been issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, and had been issued in the names of third parties, including identity theft victims.

The California Employment Development Department distributes unemployment insurance benefits under the CARES Act, which expanded unemployment benefits to cover those who were previously ineligible, including business owners, self-employed workers, and independent contractors who were put out of business or significantly reduced their services because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mateer admitted to obtaining the unemployment benefits debit cards by using thousands of identity profiles in his possession, that each debit card was loaded with $14,500, and that he used the fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits to purchase the Maserati, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

Mateer also admitted that he withdrew the $197,711 in cash found in his Maserati from ATMs across the Los Angeles area. Mateer also withdrew $13,840 from the EDD debit cards in his possession.
The sounds of gunfire echo through the once-bustling University of Khartoum campus in Sudan, as students huddle fearfully within the librarys hallowed walls. The same halls that once cradled dreams of a brighter future now serve as a precarious sanctuary from the unyielding onslaught tearing the country apart. Amid dwindling food and water supplies, these young souls bear witness to the ruthless conflict between the Sudanese military and paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces (RSF)  both groups once implicated in alleged crimes against humanity in Darfur.

As the struggle for power rages on, innocent people throughout Sudan are paying the ultimate price. Now, more than ever, the international community must seize this pivotal moment to restore peace and protect the vulnerable in the beleaguered nation.

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The United States cannot afford to stand by as civilians in Sudan suffer. It has the capacity and the moral responsibility to leverage its influence and resources for peace. By engaging with regional actors and implementing targeted economic strategies, the U.S. can apply pressure on the warring factions, forge incentives for peace and safeguard the human rights of ordinary people.

In particular, the Biden administration would be wise to collaborate with the regional organization the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), bolstering its role as a mediator in a unified peace initiative. Though it may not be as well known outside Eastern Africa, IGAD is uniquely positioned to bring the warring parties to the table and facilitate dialogue in Sudan. As a group that encompasses eight Horn of Africa countries, it bears some resemblance to the European Economic Community, the precursor to the European Union, in its developmental focus and its perception of neutrality within local dynamics. In the past decade, the IGAD-led peace processes in South Sudan and Somalia have also solidified the organizations mandate in mediating complex conflicts.

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[ Elizabeth Shackelford: Why the Wagner Groups influence in West Africa is growing ]

The U.S., conversely, has a more complicated history with Sudan. Local communities have in the past perceived the U.S. decadeslong trade embargo, implemented in response to terrorism in the country, as hurtful to the Sudanese population. This fostered feelings of antagonism toward the U.S. that have lingered. Furthermore, since the conflict erupted last week, an American diplomatic convoy has been attacked in Khartoum, despite the vehicles displaying U.S. markings such as flags and diplomatic license plates.

The status quo presents an opportunity for the U.S. to augment its influence and credibility in Africa, which will yield dividends. The U.S. can help strengthen IGADs logistical capacity by implementing confidence-building measures between warring factions in Sudan. This would create a more conducive environment for negotiations. The U.S. can provide the technologies and expertise that empower IGAD to set up monitoring and verification teams to maintain cease-fires and establish a reliable communication channel between the Sudanese military and the RSF, reducing the risk of misunderstandings.

The U.S. can also mobilize humanitarian resources, including food, water and medicine, more efficiently than IGAD member states such as Somalia, which is facing its own fragile political and security situation. The U.S. can also harness its influence outside the region to garner international diplomatic support, pressing the warring parties.

Some of these pressures could center on economic actions. The U.S. influence among European and Asian allies can enable the mediators to make a credible threat of economic sanctions against the leaders of the Sudanese military and the RSF, deterring them from attacking civilians or breaking cease-fire agreements. These sanctions should be tailor-made to avoid harming the Sudanese public and instead isolate military leaders from the international financial system and hinder their ability to fund their operations. Additionally, the U.S. can restrict arms sales to the warring factions, reducing their capacity to perpetrate violence and commit human rights abuses.

Conditional financial assistance offers another avenue for the U.S. to promote peace in Sudan. By providing financial support to Sudan, contingent on its commitment to implementing a cease-fire, allowing humanitarian access and engaging in peace negotiations, the U.S. and its allies can create incentives for the authorities to take concrete steps toward peace. This assistance could take various forms, such as funding for hospitals and other lifesaving facilities, or support for capacity-building programs.

While the world observes the unfolding events from a distance, my heart aches for the countless innocent civilians who are caught in the crossfire. Merely two weeks before the violence erupted, I was eager to learn about life in Africa and became engrossed in the blog of an international student studying Arabic in Khartoum. His initial posts showcased the vibrant local culture, highlighting the distinctive cuisine and his dormitory experiences. However, as the situation deteriorated, his accounts shifted to chilling tales of ferocious firefights mere kilometers from his dorm, and the heart-wrenching news of his female classmates residential building being hit by a rocket. This stark transformation in his narrative has humanized the devastating impact of the conflict for me.

As Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Fitr, which ends the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, millions of innocent civilians in Sudan are yearning to come together in peace and unity. By securing humanitarian cease-fires and fostering peace talks, the U.S. can ensure that this Eid al-Fitr becomes a turning point for peace and stability for Sudan and the Horn of Africa region.

Bincheng Mao is an agenda contributor at the World Economic Forum. He writes on human rights and economic justice.

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(Bloomberg) -- General Mark Milley, Americas top uniformed military officer, says theres no silver bullet the US and its allies can give to Ukraine to ensure it defeats Russia. Milley spoke Friday alongside US defense chief Lloyd Austin, who said Ukraines most pressing need is for ground-based air defenses. The pair held a meeting of military donors to Ukraine at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.

Most Read from Bloomberg

A shipment of Russian fertilizer held in Latvia since Moscows invasion of Ukraine has departed for Kenya, a potential boost to UN efforts to extend the safe-transit deal for Ukrainian grain exports from Black Sea ports.

Russia will expel more than 20 German diplomats in a tit-for-tat response to what Moscow called a recent massive expulsion of Russian diplomats from Germany, its foreign ministry spokeswoman said.

Key Developments

US Expands Hunt for Russia Sanctions Evaders to Distant Places

Russia Accidentally Bombs Own City Near Ukraine, Injuring Three

Russias Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Discuss OPEC+ Cooperation

Russian Arms Sales to India Stall Due to Fears Over US Sanctions

Nord Stream Mystery Brings Infrastructure Fears to Surface

(All times CET)

France to Help Ukraine Restore Transport Infrastructure (6 p.m.)

France will increase cooperation with Ukraine to supply bridges and support the national railway operator Ukrzaliznytsya, said Ukraines Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov. Agreements have been reached to supply railway tracks and new locomotives.

The countries signed a memorandum of understanding and will also cooperate in the areas of public transport, logistics, aerial and sea transport and road construction, with a focus on environmentally clean technologies.

Story continues

EU Set to Propose Banning Many Goods From Transiting Via Russia (4:30 p.m.)

The European Union is set to propose a ban on many goods transiting through Russia as the bloc attempts to tighten the screws on the enforcement of sanctions imposed over the past year.

The transit ban would extend to numerous technologies and other goods, including several types of vehicles, but not all items would be barred from traveling via Russia en route to third countries, according to people familiar with the proposals.

Read more: EU Set to Propose Banning Many Goods From Transiting Via Russia

Brazils Lula Urges Russia, Ukraine to Talk (2:58 p.m.)

Brazil wants Russia and Ukraine to sit and talk, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said at a press conference in Lisbon, his latest commentary after saying a week ago that the US should stop encouraging war.

I never made the two countries equal because I know what an invasion is, I know what territorial integrity is, Lula said. All of us in Brazil think that Russia was wrong and we have already condemned it. But now I think we need to stop the war. And to stop the war there has to be someone who talks.

The war isnt doing good to humanity with Europe facing problems with energy, fertilizers, food and Brazil, as a fertilizer importer, also harmed, he said. I dont want to please anyone, I want to build a way of putting the two at the table.

Russia to Expel More Than 20 German Diplomats (2 p.m.)

Russia will cut staff limits for German diplomatic missions and expel more than 20 diplomats in a tit-for-tat move following what Moscow called the recent massive expulsion of Russian diplomats from Germany, spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on the defense ministrys TV channel, Zvezda. Germanys Bild tabloid put the number of explusions at 34 out of about 90.

Russia has decided on the mirror expulsion of German diplomats from Russia, as well as on significantly limiting the maximum number of employees of German diplomatic missions in our country, the ministry said earlier in a statement.

According to the statement, Germanys ambassador, Geza Andreas von Geyr, was informed about the plan on April 5. Over 20 Russians were expelled in Berlins recent action, Russias state news agency RIA reported.

Minister Urges G-7 to Help De-Mine Farmland (12:42 p.m.)

Ukraine needs international help to demine its farmland, said Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi, according to a government website.

Solskyi addressed Group of Seven agriculture ministers meeting this weekend in Miyazaki, Japan, via video link. Only 57,000 hectares (140,000 acres) agriculture lands has been inspected for mines. leaving some 470,000 hectare that need to be cleaned and checked, he said - even as Ukraines spring planting season moves ahead.

Some 124 civilians including six children have been killed by landmines do date, Ruslan Berehulya, the defense ministry official responsible for national demining effort, said on television. Potentially mine-contaminated areas cover 174,000 square kilometers including sea territories.

Latvia Allows Russian Russian Fertilizer to Leave Riga for Kenya (11 a.m.)

Latvia allowed a shipment of Russian fertilizer to leave Riga, part of an effort by the UN World Food Program to ease disruptions of grain and minerals supplies. The cargo has been held since Russia invaded Ukraine 14 months ago.

The WFP cargo departed for Kenya on Friday, the first of some 200,000 tons of Russian fertilizer owned by companies subject to EU sanctions and stored in Latvia, the Baltic nations foreign ministry said in a statement on Saturday.

While fertilizers are exempt from sanctions against Russia, Latvia has been reluctant to unblock shipments. The move may help UN efforts to extend the safe-transit deal that allows exports of Ukrainian grain from Black Sea ports. Russia has threatened to pull out of the agreement in mid-May if issues regarding its own grain and fertilizer exports arent resolved.

Russian Bloggers Say Kyiv Troops Now on Dnipro East Bank: ISW (10:30 a.m.)

A widely-followed Russian military blogger wrote this week that Ukrainian forces have established positions on the east, or left, bank of the Dnipro River in the Kherson region, the Institute for the Study of War said in an update. The assertion hasnt been confirmed by Ukraine.

The milblogger claimed that Ukrainian forces are now able to cross the Dnipro River during the day whereas they previously conducted such crossings only at night, the US-based military analysts said. A second blogger wrote that Kyivs troops now have a small bridgehead on an unspecified island in the Dnipro River delta close to the east bank.

One of the bloggers speculated that Ukrainian forces may be conducting river crossings as a distraction ahead of Kyivs potential upcoming counteroffensive.

Poland Leads Push on Ukraine Farm Product Import Ban (10:30 a.m.)

Eastern Europe is looking to widen recently-imposed bans on the domestic sale of Ukraines grains to other agricultural products from their war-torn neighbor, including sunflower oil, meat, eggs, milk, and soft fruits.

The agriculture ministers of Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary and Bulgaria will meet on Monday to discuss further steps, Polands Robert Telus said Saturday. They already sent letter to European Commission asking for more action to protect local markets, days after EU gave its initial nod for local bans for grain, he said.

Read more: Poland Leads Push to Widen Ukrainian Farm Product Import Ban

Turkey Remains Biggest Obstacle to Swedish NATO Entry (10 a.m.)

Turkey, rather than Hungary, is the main impediment to Swedens accession to NATO, Finlands President Sauli Niinisto told YLE TV1. Asked which of the two countries represents the bigger hurdle, Niinisto said I believe its Turkey, adding that the chain is pretty clear.

Niinisto also said a decision by the Swedish parliament on passing the countrys new anti-terror law, and whether that elicits a positive response from Turkey, will be key. Finland became a member of NATO this month after Turkey lifted its block on the membership of Russias neighbor, leaving Sweden waiting.

Read more: Why Turkey Is Still Blocking Swedens NATO Accession: QuickTake

Milley Says No Silver Bullet for Ukraine (7:30 a.m.)

Americas top uniformed military officer said theres no silver bullet the US and its allies can give Ukraine to ensure it defeats Russia, even as the Ukrainian troops prepare to train on the M1 Abrams battle tank.

I do think the M1 tank, when its delivered, will make a difference, General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in Ramstein, Germany. Theres no silver bullet.

Milley spoke alongside Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who said that Ukraines most pressing need is for ground-based air defenses. Ukraine has requested fighter jets to aid in its fight against Russia, a request the US has so far resisted.

Read more: Milley Says Theres No Silver Bullet for Ukraine Against Russia

Holtec to Help Build 20 Small Module Reactors in Ukraine (7 a.m.)

Energoatom, Ukraines nuclear operator, and Holtec International have agreed on cooperation to build small modular reactors SMR-160 in Ukraine, Energoatom said on Facebook.

Up to 20 small module reactors will be built in Ukraine to help decentralize power generation and compensate for generating capacities destroyed by Russian strikes over recent months. The first pilot project is planned to be completed in 2029.

Italy Freezes Assets of Russian Who Dodged US Sanctions Charges (7 a.m.)

Italy froze the financial assets of Artem Uss, a politically connected Russian who escaped from house arrest in Milan while awaiting extradition on US charges of sanctions evasion and money laundering.

The Finance Ministry in Rome late Friday approved a decree freezing the assets, which include a stake in a company, a villa and a bank account.

Read more: Italy Freezes Assets of Russian Who Dodged US Sanctions Charges

US Expands Hunt for Russia Sanctions Evaders to Distant Places (3:20 p.m.)

The US Justice Department is looking for new ways to cut off Russian sanctions evasion by focusing on overseas investment advisers, hedge funds, law firms and private equity managers that have previously escaped scrutiny.

People who are sitting in banks where they dont care about US sanctions or money laundering or frankly fraud concerns, fit the bill when I say we are prioritizing facilitators, Andrew Adams, head of the departments Task Force Kleptocapture, told Bloomberg in an interview.

His remarks can be seen as a warning shot about the expanding US campaign to flush out sanctions evaders. They also underscore a perennial problem: law enforcement has struggled to crimp the ability of wealthy Russians and companies to conceal their money.

Russia Accidentally Strikes City Near Ukraine Border (8:30 a.m.)

A Russian warplane accidentally fired on the city of Belgorod, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of the Ukrainian border, Tass reported, citing the defense ministry.

As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod, there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition, Tass reported, citing the defense ministry.

An unspecified number of buildings were damaged, the state-run Tass news service reported, citing the ministry. Local authorities reported at least three injuries. The regional governor said on Telegram said the bomb left a 20-meter-wide (66 feet) crater on a main street.

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Rare Big Tornado Near Burma Capital Kills 8

Burma villagers check a house that collapsed due to strong winds in a suburb of Yangon, Burma, on June 29, 2007. (Khin Maung Win/AFP via Getty Images)

BANGKOKA tornado that tore through two villages in central Burma, also known as Myanmar, near the current capital Naypyitaw killed eight people and destroyed more than 200 houses, a rescue worker said Saturday.

The tornado hit Aung Myin Kone and Tadau villages on Naypyitaws southern outskirts at around 6:10 p.m. on Friday, Thet Paing Soe, a leading member of the Doh Lewe charity organization, told The Associated Press.

He said local charity organizations had transported 128 people to hospitals, and 232 houses in the two villages were destroyed.

The tornado blew for approximately 40 minutes. Almost all the houses in the villages are quite badly damaged. The restoration will take months, Thet Paing Soe said.

Major tornadoes are rare in Burma.

However, tornadoes of a size that rarely cause death and serious damage often occur in the summer and pre-monsoon periods when the temperature rises, said Kyaw Moe Oo, a director-general at the Department of Meteorology and Hydrology.

During this period, there are frequent tornadoes in the lower parts of Myanmar, but there are few casualties. These kinds of fatalities in central Myanmar are rare, he told AP.

Burma experiences extreme weather virtually every year during monsoon season. In 2008, Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 people.

State-run MRTV television reported that Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Burmas military-installed government, visited the disaster area on Saturday and provided aid to the residents. The report said that two Buddhist monasteries and a small clinic were among the structures destroyed.
Bragg Drops Case Against Jordan, Allowing House GOP to Depose Ex-Manhattan Prosecutor

L: Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg outside the Manhattan Federal Court in New York on April 4, 2023. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) R: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) in Washington on July 21, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has dropped his effort to quash a congressional subpoena to a former prosecutor who worked in his office, a congressional aide told The Epoch Times in a statement on April 21.

This evening, the Manhattan District Attorneys Office withdrew its appeal in Bragg v. Jordan. Mr. Pomerantzs deposition will go forward on May 12, and we look forward to his appearance, Russel Dye, spokesperson for Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote in a statement to The Epoch Times.

Bragg caved. Jim Jordan won, the House Judiciary Committee wrote in a statement on Twitter on April 21.

The development wrapped up a legal clash between Bragg and House Judiciary Republicans in which Bragg had attempted to stop the lawmakers from requesting testimony from Mark Pomerantz, a former prosecutor who investigated former President Donald Trumps finances. Pomerantz left Braggs office in February 2022 in protest of Braggs initial unwillingness to bring an indictment against Trump.

A grand jury, encouraged by Bragg, brought an indictment against Trump in late March, prompting Jordan to initiate a probe into what he calls a politically motivated prosecution against a former president. Jordan subpoenaed Pomerantz to seek his testimony as a part of that probe. In response, Bragg sued the House Judiciary Committee and Pomerantz to prevent the ex-prosecutor from testifying.

That lawsuit led to a hearing on April 19 in the Southern District Court of New York, and a subsequent decision by District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee, ruled that the congressional panel has the authority to become involved in the investigation of Trump and declined Braggs request for a court injunction on the congressional subpoena.

Bragg wrote in a court filing that he intended to appeal the lower courts decision to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on April 19. On the same day, the court issued a temporary administrative hold on the return date of the House Judiciary Committees congressional subpoena of Pomerantz. This administrative hold didnt reflect the courts opinion on the merit of Braggs case, the court indicated in an April 19 filing, but served as a short pause as the court considered whether to extend the freeze on the subpoena as Bragg appealed the case.

A three-judge panel was originally scheduled to decide early next week on this matter.

On April 21, Bragg dropped the appeal, wrapping up the legal contention between him and the House lawmakers.

Our successful stay of this subpoena blocked the immediate deposition and afforded us the time necessary to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that protects the District Attorneys privileges and interests. We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe. We are gratified that the Second Circuits ruling provided us with the opportunity to successfully resolve this dispute, Braggs office wrote in an April 21 statement on Twitter.

Judges Comments

During the district court hearing on April 19, the court affirmed the congressional lawmakers position that requesting Pomerantzs testimony serves a valid legislative interest and that Pomerantz, because of his own conduct, isnt protected by confidentiality privileges.

In her order, Vyskocil agreed with the congressional lawmakers reasoning that testimony by Pomerantz can help inform current and pending legislation. This includes a bill that, if enacted into law, would bar the use of federal funds to investigate a sitting or former president (the Accountability for Lawless Violence In our Neighborhoods, or ALVIN, Act) and another that would allow Congress to remove an action or prosecution against a former president (H.R. 2553).

It is not the role of the federal judiciary to dictate what legislation Congress may consider or how it should conduct its deliberations in that connection, the judge wrote, noting that the U.S. Constitution protects lawmakers from litigation when their actions serve a valid legislative interest.

She rejected Braggs attempt to use a Supreme Court decision (Trump v. Mazars) to justify his case. In that decision, the highest court ruled in Trumps favor and stated that the congressional committees couldnt subpoena Trumps financial statements because doing so would violate the separation of power between the executive and legislative branches.

During the April 19 hearing, Braggs attorneys said the reasoning in Trump v. Mazars applies to this case and that the committees subpoena is an unconstitutional intrusion of the legislative branch into a state executive branch prosecution. Vyskocil disagreed.

The congressional subpoena in Mazars was directed at materials pertaining to the sitting President of the United States, Vyskocil wrote in her ruling, noting that Trump clearly represented the executive branch then.

In contrast, here, the subpoena was issued to a private citizen who is no longer employed by any state government and who has written a book and spoken extensively about the subject matter of the congressional inquiry. The Court is not persuaded that Mazars applies to this case.

In her ruling, Vyskocil also rejected Braggs reasoning that Pomerantz enjoys confidentiality privileges and thus must not be compelled to reveal information about his former employment at the Manhattan DAs office. Vyskocil noted that because she cant predict what Congress would ask and what Pomerantz would say, it isnt logical to say that such hypothetical statements would violate privilege.

Braggs throw-everything-at-the-wall approach to privilege is unpersuasive, Vyskocil wrote. This Court will not quash a subpoena based solely on Braggs seemingly endless string of what ifs.'

Pomerantz, in an April 17 court filing, wrote that he would be put in an impossible position if he were to testify in Congress because he could face criminal prosecution if he testifiesviolating confidentiality lawsor if he refuses to testifybeing in contempt of Congress.

The judge dismissed this concern.

The Court notes that Pomerantz is in this situation because he decided to inject himself into the public debate by authoring a book that he has described as appropriate and in the public interest,' Vyskocil wrote in her April 19 order.

[Bragg] cannot seriously claim that any information already published in Pomerantzs book and discussed on prime-time television in front of millions of people is protected from disclosure as attorney work product (or otherwise).

Alan Cheung contributed to this report.
Sen. Sanders Asks Insulin Manufacturers to Testify Before Senate HELP Panel

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) speaks during a rally in support of the Biden administration's student debt relief plan in front of the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington on Feb. 28, 2023. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders has called the executives of top insulin manufacturers to testify before his panel.

In an April 21 statement, Sanders (I-Vt.) announced a May 10 hearing of the HELP panel, entitled The Need to Make Insulin Affordable for All Americans.

He also announced that the CEOs of Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofithe largest three insulin manufacturers in the United Stateswill testify.

As a result of public outrage and strong grassroots efforts, major pharmaceutical companies recently announced that they would be substantially reducing the price of insulin, Sanders said.

That was in part due to an information mix-up following billionaire Elon Musks acquisition of Twitter. Musk temporarily made blue check marks, which indicate that an account represents a recognized brand or person, available to all users for a small monthly fee.

One user exploited the program to falsely portray their account as that of Eli Lilly. In a post purporting to be the company, the unknown user announced that all insulin would be free moving forward.

After the post gained massive traction, tanking Eli Lillys stock value, the company agreed to cut the cost of insulin.

Sanders called that an important step forward.

But he added, We must make certain  that those price reductions go into effect in a way that results in every American getting the insulin they need at an affordable price. But thats not all. We have got to substantially lower the price of all prescription drugs. The United States cannot continue to pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, while drug companies  make billions in profits. Thats what this hearing is all about.

After it was announced that Sanders would take over the HELP Committee, which was previously chaired by Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), he made clear that pharmaceutical companies would be a top priority for the panel.

When insulin was discovered by Sir Frederick G. Banting in 1921, he sold off the rights to the drug for $1pennies of what it was worth.

Banting explained his decision to give away the patent. Insulin does not belong to me, it belongs to the world, he said.

Prior to the discovery of insulin, diabetes was a death sentence. But since Bantings discovery of the miracle chemical, its price has risen far beyond that dreamed of by Banting.

To pull this coup off, pharmaceutical companies realized that, while the drug itself could not be patented, the dispenser could. Without the specialized dispensers, insulin must be constantly cooled to avoid the chemical breaking down; the dispensers also do away with the need for large, painful needles to deliver the drug.

Data compiled by GoodRX shows a massive difference in cost for the insulin itself and the dispensers: On average, the price of an insulin unit does not exceed $0.40; however, some dispensers can go for nearly $400.

In May 2020, President Donald Trump announced an executive action that would cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month out of pocket for many seniors on Medicare. President Joe Biden reversed the order not long after taking office as part of a larger effort to reverse almost all of Trumps executive orders.

Now, progressive Democrats say that capping the cost of insulin at around $35 a month is a top priority.
Sentencing of US Residents Family Member Over Faith Reveals True Nature of the CCP: Congressman

Zhou Deyong and You Ling in Monument Valley in Navajo County, Ariz., in January 2020. (Courtesy of Zhou You)

The sentencing of a family member of two Florida residents because of his faith has revealed the true nature of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), according to Rep. Bill Posey (R-Fla.).

No one should be jailed for exercising their faith. This is the true nature of the CCPand its why we must continue working hard to confront their bad actions, counter their influence in our own country and reduce our dependence on them, Posey told The Epoch Times.

Zhou Deyong, a geological engineer working for Chinas second-largest oil field, was handed an eight-year jail term on April 20 along with a 100,000 yuan ($14,506) fine, following two years of detention, during which his wife and son in Florida had little information about his well-being.

The harsh treatment of Zhou is part of the Chinese communist regimes bloody persecution campaign in atheist China against the spiritual discipline Falun Gong, which has continued for nearly 24 years.

Featuring teachings centered on the values of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, along with a set of meditative exercises, the self-refinement practice saw wide popularity during the 1990s, with an estimated 70 million to 100 million practitioners by the end of the decade. The regime perceived Falun Gongs rapid growth as a threat to its hold on power, and in 1999 began a nationwide campaign to repress its adherents.

Zhou Deyong in Monument Valley in Navajo County, Ariz., in January 2020. (Courtesy of Zhou You)

The news of Zhous heavy sentence weighs on his son, who hasnt seen him since his fathers visit to the United States in early 2021. Zhou was arrested not long after returning to China to care for his elderly parents.

My father is an innocent, kind-hearted man, but these people are going after him like this? Zhou You told The Epoch Times. He said he feels pained to think about his father and the legal authorities who have willingly turned themselves into a tool to aid the regimes abuse.

The sentencing ignited outrage among Florida lawmakers who have protested Zhous detention and called on the State Department to employ the tools available to sanction Chinese officials complicit in the horrific human rights abuses targeting Falun Gong practitioners.

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), whose office has been in close contact with the Zhou family, said that the persecution and the sentencing were undeserved.

The CCPs unjustified persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has led to the absurd sentencing of Zhou Deyong, he told The Epoch Times, adding, We will not remain silent as Chinas genocidal regime continues its war on religious freedom in an effort to destroy faith.

Zhou Deyong and his wife, You Ling, in Death Valley National Park in California in January 2021. (Courtesy of Zhou You)

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), co-chairman of the International Religious Freedom Caucus, said that he was truly heartbroken to learn of the eight-year sentence Zhou Deyong has been given for merely practicing his faith.

Bilirakis and Rubio both support the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act, legislation thats designed to curb the regimes killing of Falun Gong practitioners and other prisoners of conscience for their organs. A version of the bill was overwhelmingly approved by the House on March 27 as the first nonsymbolic U.S. legislative measure to address the issue.

Related Coverage House Overwhelmingly Passes 1st Ever US Bill to Punish CCPs Forced Organ Harvesting

Like Rubio, Bilirakis said he wanted to make sure victims of the regimes suppression, such as Zhou, arent forgotten.

The international community has an obligation to speak out on behalf of those whose voices, like Zhous, have been silenced for far too long, for if we stay silent in the face of these transgressions, we do so at the peril of civil society, he told The Epoch Times. We must continue to apply pressure to force the CCPs hand in granting its people fundamental human rights, including the right to worship.

In condemning the regimes ongoing suppression of faith, Rep. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) suggested that corporate America shares some of the blame for the abuses.

The Chinese Communist Party continues to show its true bigotrythat there is no room for worship if it doesnt involve the communist ideology, he told The Epoch Times. Despite their horrid record on religious freedom, corporate America will continue to preach social justice in America yet ignore these actions in China because theyre so drunk on cashflow.
Steve Hutton enjoyed Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, in Auckland, New Zealand, on April 21, 2023. (NTD)

AUCKLAND, New ZealandSteve Hutton felt uplifted by a unique pure energy when he saw Shen Yun Performing Arts at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre for the first time.

I felt the energy coming from the stageit was a unique pure energy, he said on April 21. It is the only way I can describe itit was a unique pure energy that just really lifted the whole theatre. You just saw standing ovations in there.

I feel very privileged to have seen the show.

Mr. Hutton, a business professional with a focus in news media, has won awards at the International Newspaper and Marketing Association (INMA) World Congress of News Media awards, for New Zealands most-read website Stuff.

Shen Yun, founded in 2006, seeks to reclaim and renew the divinely inspired cultural heritage of humanity by showcasing Chinas myths and legends, traditions and values on the world stage.

There were so many moments throughout the show where it was breathtakingly beautiful, Mr. Hutton said of Shen Yun.

It was so well balanced, between the music, the dance, and the technology as well. I have not seen anything like it anywhere in the world. I feel inspired coming out [of the performance]. The colours, the beauty, the culturejust wonderful!

According to Shen Yun, those who join the company share a commitment to renewing the classical arts. But what most distinguishes Shen Yun artists is that they take to heart an ancient Chinese concept that true art comes first from a beautiful inner self. In embodying virtue, Shen Yun artists believe they can move the audience on a deeper level.

There was a pureness to their performance, Mr. Hutton said. And I think I interpreted that pureness as I was feeling inspired and uplifted.

This year, the New York-based company declares it is depicting China before communism.

How beautiful China is. How beautiful the culture is, he said of his impression of Chinese culture after seeing Shen Yun, adding that theres a vibrancy in the culture.

What an absolute shame that such a wonderful creative group of people cannot do this performances in their homeland, he added. It is just such a huge huge waste, and it is just really sad actually.

Shen Yuns artists hail from all over the world. But they cannot perform in China today, and there is no other performance like Shen Yun in China today.

This is because of the Chinese Communist Partys systematic attempts to extinguish true Chinese culture. It is also because Shen Yun seeks to portray on stage the modern-day human rights abuses by the CCP against the Chinese people.

It is just a shame that the orchestra and the performers cannot take this show to Chinait is just so sad, Mr. Hutton said.

He said Shen Yun artists efforts to revive Chinese culture are commendable.

When you understand the past to understand the present and where we should be going in the future, I think it is commendable to bringing back the Chinese culture and bringing it alive, so it is more than just what we see coming out of China, it is actually their history.

Many Life Lessons For Human Beings: New Zealand Medal of Merit Recipient

New Zealand Medal of Merit recipient Valeti Finau (L) and Ana Palu watched Shen Yuns second performance at Aucklands Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, in New Zealand on the evening of April 21, 2023 (Ren Xue/The Epoch Times)

Mrs. Valeti Finau, who attended Shen Yun with her husband, her brother and his wife, said the performance conveyed many life lessons for human beings.

We are so happy we made it. So happy we made it, she said of the familys planned weekend outing to see Shen Yun.

Mrs. Finau is the founder and director of Laulotaha, a mentoring programme that helps Pacific Island students. She has also had a significant involvement in tertiary education in New Zealand and throughout the Pacific.

She received the New Year Honour in 2018 Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to education and the Pacific community.

[Shen Yun] is a mix of of joy and reiterating many life lessons for human beings, said Mrs. Finau.

Especially, it was awesome to see how we came to existence as humans  we enjoyed that, she said, commenting on Shen Yuns opening dance, which depicts the story of how humankind came to be on earth

She added. It was a wonderful experience to see the rich history, culturemore than 5,000 years, up to today. With all todays happenings  we could be thinking of bringing back good old days.

Its a different culture, different tradition, but still dignified. Amazing.

Mrs. Finau reflected on how Shen Yun reiterated traditional values.

Its richness and its peace and joy  its our own doings that brings all these disasters and all the changes to family life in our culture and tradition brought by technology. But the message is, you do good, you will end up good. And we have to pay for our sins.

It was good to come [see Shen Yun], said Mrs. Finau.

She commented on Shen Yuns final act, which over the years has signaled hope for many audience members.

The finale [shows] the hope for tomorrow and our world will be saved by the good karma.

Reporting by NTD, Ren Xue, and Mimi Nguyen Ly.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
PURCHASE, N.Y.When the curtains opened on Shen Yun Performing Arts, Vincent Amato could only describe the feeling as gripping.

The effects with the mist and the costumes on the dancers; almost made them look like they were floating on air. I thought that was a tremendous effect, said Mr. Amato, who attended the April 21 performance at The Performing Arts Center, Purchase College with his wife, Rose. It makes it all come to life.

New York-based Shen Yuns mission is just that: as the worlds premier classical Chinese dance company, it seeks to revive 5,000 years of Chinese civilization through the arts.

Tommy Turner, a senior vice president, had heard much about Shen Yun and decided he needed to see it for himself in person to judge.

I enjoy it immensely. I think the dancing is exquisite, said Mr. Turner.

The China he saw Shen Yun present was a vastly different one from the China the current communist regime presents, he added,it was a civilization that believed in God.

This particular culture goes back for centuries, and its very educational and very interesting to be aware of all cultures and their interpretations of life, he said.

This has added to the spectrum for me of the diversity of cultures that are out there and the practices that the various people have and live by.

From a theatrical standpoint, its marvelous. I mean, its exquisite. The choreography is obviously outstanding, he said. The vocalist was too, he said, adding that the lyrics had been what he could describe as religious, which he felt important to present in a world that shied away from such topics.

For five millennia, China was known as the Land of the Divine or the Celestial Empire, these nicknames stem from the fact that the Chinese people believed their culture to be a gift from the heavens. This worldview was present throughout the performance for Mr. Turner, which he felt refreshing.

I do think the message is relevant in todays world, he said. Unfortunately, times have changed, and Im not so sure for the good. Weve lost a lot, not just in the Chinese culture, but throughout the world, the understanding of why were all here.

If you believe in the Christian philosophy, I do believe there was a Maker, and were here by His grace. And I think, unfortunately, as time passestheres less of an appreciation for that by the younger generation. So I hope its not gone forever. Id love to see it return to where people have respect for religion, respect for their country, and respect for freedom, which we enjoy here.

Reporting by Weiyong Zhu and Sally Sun.

The Epoch Times is a proud sponsor of Shen Yun Performing Arts. We have covered audience reactions since Shen Yuns inception in 2006.
Ship Found 80 Years After Australian Maritime Disaster

A supplied image obtained on April 22, 2023, shows the wreckage of the Montevideo Maru, a Japanese transport ship that sank on July 1, 1942 during World War II. (AAP Image/Supplied by Silentworld Foundation)

The wreck of a ship caught up in Australias worst ever maritime disaster has been found 4000 metres under the sea, 80 years after it was torpedoed by an American submarine.

The Montevideo Maru, discovered off the coast of the Philippines, sank with about 980 Australian troops and civilians aboardalmost twice as many Australians killed than during the Vietnam War.

The United States Ship Sturgeon torpedoed the Japanese transport on July 1, 1942 during World War II, not knowing it was carrying prisoners of war and captured civilians.

About 1060 prisoners died ranging from a 15-year-old boy to men in their 60s.

The prisoners had been captured in the fall of Rabaul months earlier.

An expedition set out to find the wreck in the South China Sea, northwest of Luzon, on April 6 and discovered it after 12 days, with help from state-of-the-art technology including an autonomous underwater vehicle.

The group of maritime archaeologists, conservators, operations and research specialists and ex-naval officers took a number of days to verify the wreck was indeed the Montevideo Maru.

The mission was put together by Sydneys Silentworld Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to maritime archaeology and history, along with Dutch deep-sea survey specialists Fugro.

The Department of Defence also supported the project to find the wreck, which Silentworld director John Mullen said closed a terrible chapter in Australian military and maritime history.

Families waited years for news of their missing loved ones, before learning of the tragic outcome of the sinking, the maritime history philanthropist and explorer said.

Some never fully came to accept that their loved ones were among the victims. Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster.

Andrea Williams, an Australian whose grandfather and great-uncle died in the disaster, was among those present when the wreck was discovered.

Williams is a founding member of the Rabaul and Montevideo Maru Society formed in 2009, which represents descendants.

Williams described the discovery as marking an extraordinarily momentous day for Australians connected with the disaster.

Having had a grandfather and great-uncle as civilian internees on Montevideo Maru always meant the story was important to me, as it is to so many generations of families whose men perished.

I could never understand why it was not a more powerful part of our Australian WWII history.

The wreck will be left undisturbed, with no human remains or artefacts removed from it and the site recorded for research purposes out of respect for families.

The Montevideo Maru lies at a depth deeper than the Titanic.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hoped the news of its discovery would bring comfort to loved ones who had kept a long vigil.

The extraordinary effort behind this discovery speaks for the enduring truth of Australias solemn national promise to always remember and honour those who served our country, Albanese said.

This is the heart and the spirit of Lest We Forget.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the Australians lost on the Montevideo Maru were never forgotten and the wrecks discovery was a reflection of Australia as a nation.

Australian Army chief Lieutenant General Simon Stuart said soldiers who fought to defend Rabaul met a terrible fate.

Today we remember their service, and the loss of all those aboard, including the 20 Japanese guards and crew, the Norwegian sailors and the hundreds of civilians from many nations, Stuart said.

The expedition to find the wreck was years in the making, with Silentworld planning the discovery mission for five years and the Montevideo Maru Society putting in two decades of dedication to assemble the expedition team.
Spaceport Slated for Australian State Attracts Global Interest

A supplied concept image obtained on April 21, 2023, of a new spaceport to be build near the far north Queensland town of Weipa. (AAP Image/Supplied by Space Centre Australia)

Imagine a major international airport with rockets and satellites instead of planes and a commute 10 hours from the nearest major city.



Thats the vision put forward by Space Centre Australias James Palmer as representatives from NASA and the Australian Space Agency gather in far north Queensland.

Planning is underway for Australias next spaceport at a site near the mining town of Weipa, about 800 kilometres north of Cairns on the Cape York Peninsula.

Geographic location was important and helped determine the type of missions that could be launched, Palmer told reporters at an industry forum on April 21.

Weve got an advantage where we are, which is very close to the equator, Palmer said.

The remote location offered plenty of open airspace and extremely low population density, and the project had the potential to support Weipa long after its mining lifespan, the company said in a statement.

It is hoped the spaceport would be capable of launching large satellites right through to deep space activities, Palmer said.

You can imagine this spaceport like a very large international airport, its got the ability to cater for small, medium and large launch missions, Palmer said.

That is for domestic and international organisations such as the European Space Agency, NASA, the British government and so on.

Small-scale launch missions are expected to take off by the end of 2026 before large-scale operations begin by 2029.

The project is in the design and environmental analysis phase, and consultation is underway with traditional owners in the region.

The centre is estimated to create up to 300 permanent jobs once operational and inject $100 million (US$66.9 million) a year into the far norths economy.

The project has been completely self-funded to date and negotiations are underway with the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility.

Those negotiations have been ongoing for quite some time now and theyre very positive, Palmer said.

As someone who started as a sceptic and is now an absolute disciple, federal MP Warren Entsch said the project would sell itself.

It is going to be quite unique in Australia, there are other launching facilities but this one here being equatorial and the type of work theyre going to be doing is very very different, the deputy chair of the joint select committee on Northern Australia said.

We talk about sovereign capability, this is what we need.
Foreign States Start Evacuations From Sudan as Battle Rages

People gather to get bread during clashes between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces and the army in Khartoum, North Sudan, on April 22, 2023. (Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters)

KHARTOUMSome foreign nationals began evacuating from Sudan on Saturday after a week of strife that has killed hundreds of civilians, even as the army used air strikes against a rival paramilitary force during battles in central Khartoum.

The bloody onslaught of urban warfare has trapped large numbers in the Sudanese capital. The airport has been repeatedly targeted and many residents have been unable to leave their homes or get out of the city to safer areas.

The United Nations and foreign states have urged rival military leaders to honor declared ceasefires that have mostly been ignored, and to open safe passage both for fleeing civilians and for the supply of badly needed aid.

With the airport closed and skies unsafe, thousands of foreignersincluding embassy staff, aid workers, and students in Khartoum and elsewhere in Africas third-largest countryhave also been unable to get out.

The army said early on Saturday it would provide safe pathways to evacuate nationals from the United States, Britain, France, and China, while Saudi Arabia and Jordan were already evacuating via Port Sudan on the Red Sea. It said airports in Khartoum and Darfurs biggest city Nyala were problematic.

By late Saturday afternoon, Saudi Arabia said it had evacuated 157 Saudis and people of other nationalities, broadcasting footage of people on a naval ship, and Kuwait said some of its citizens had arrived in Jeddah. Jordan said it had started evacuating 300 citizens.

One foreign diplomat who asked not to be identified said some diplomatic staff in Khartoum were hoping for evacuation by air from Port Sudan in the next two days. The U.S. Embassy warned Americans that there was incomplete information about convoys heading out of Khartoum and travel would be at individuals own risk.

The army, under Abdel Fatteh al-Burhan, and the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF), headed by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, have so far failed to observe ceasefires agreed almost daily since hostilities broke out on April 15.

Saturdays fighting breached what was meant to be a three-day truce from Friday to allow citizens to reach safety and visit family during the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Both sides accused the other of breaching the truce.

Bombardment

Any let-up in fighting on Saturday could accelerate a desperate rush to flee by many Khartoum residents, after days trapped in their homes or local districts under bombardment and with fighters roaming the streets.

Residents of Khartoum and the adjoining sister cities of Omdurman and Bahri said fighting intensified on Saturday morning, with air strikes near the state broadcaster and gun battles in several areas including near the army headquarters.

A resident of the Kafouri district of Bahri said there had been no water or electricity for a week and frequent air strikes as the warring sides faced off. We are waiting for the big fight. We are terrified of whats coming, he said.

Live television feeds showed a huge cloud of black smoke rising from Khartoum airport and the sound of shooting and artillery booms.

These horrible planes are back. I never want to hear another airplane again, said a Khartoum resident, referring to the fighter jets aiming strikes at paramilitary positions.

The RSF said it was ready to partially open all airports to allow evacuations. However, the status of Sudans airports is unclear. Khartoum Airport said on Twitter that Sudans airspace would stay closed to traffic.

International medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) appealed for safe passage to supply hospitals and allow medical staff to work freely.

We need a space where we can supply different locations  we need ports of entry where we can bring specialist trauma staff and medical supplies, said MSF Sudan operations manager Abdalla Hussein.

The Sudanese doctors union said on Saturday that more than two-thirds of hospitals in conflict areas were out of service, with 32 forcibly evacuated by soldiers or caught in crossfire.

Outside Khartoum, the reports of the worst violence have come from Darfur, a western desert region that borders Chad and that suffered warfare from 2003 that has killed as many as 300,000 people and displaced 2.7 million, dragging on after successive peace deals.

A U.N. humanitarian update on Saturday said looters had taken at least 10 World Food Programme vehicles and six other food trucks after overrunning the agencys offices and warehouses in Nyala, in south Darfur.

Sudden Collapse

Sudans sudden collapse into warfare dashed plans to restore civilian rule, brought an already impoverished country to the brink of humanitarian catastrophe, and threatened a wider conflict that could draw in outside powers.

There has been no sign yet that either side in the deadly power struggle can secure a quick victory or is ready to back down and talk. The army has air power but the RSF is widely embedded in urban areas.

However, Burhan said on Saturday that we all need to sit as Sudanese and find the right way out to return hope and life, his most conciliatory comments since fighting began.

After a 2021 coup, Burhan and Hemedti had held the top two positions on a ruling council that was meant to hand over to civilian rule and merge the RSF into the army.

The World Health Organization reported on Friday that 413 people had been killed and 3,551 injured since fighting broke out. The death toll includes at least five aid workers in a country reliant on food aid.

By Khalid Abdelaziz and Nafisa Eltahir
Supreme Court Decides Abortion Pill to Remain Amid Ongoing Legal Battle

Mifepristone (Mifeprex) and Misoprostol, the two drugs used in a chemical abortion, are seen at the Women's Reproductive Clinic, in Santa Teresa, N.M., on June 17, 2022. (Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

The U.S. Supreme Court decided Friday that mifepristone, an abortion pill, will be broadly accessible amid an ongoing legal battle over its regulatory approval.

Mifepristone, approved in 2000 by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is part of a chemical abortion process, and is generally taken with another drug called misoprostol to kill an unborn child in pregnancies up to 10 weeks. It is also sometimes used for women who have miscarriages.

Chemical abortion, also referred to as medication abortion, comprises more than half of total U.S. abortions.

In a brief order, the majority of the Supreme Court justices on Friday granted emergency requests by the Biden administrations Justice Department and Danco Laboratories, a manufacturer of the drug. The decision puts on hold a preliminary injunction issued on April 7 by a Trump-appointed Texas federal judge, Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, which had frozen the drugs FDA approval.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito publicly dissented from the decision. In a brief opinion, Alito wrote that the administration and Danco are not entitled to a stay because they have not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the interim. No other justices commented.

Lawsuit Challenges Mifepristones FDA Approval

The high courts latest decision comes in a lawsuit filed in November 2022, challenging the FDAs approval of mifepristone back in 2000. The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine and four doctors alleged the approval was flawed and unlawful because it did not adequately review the drugs safety risks when used by girls under age 18 to terminate a pregnancy.

Prior to the Friday decision, the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on April 12 partially overturned Kacsmaryks decision. It decided that mifepristone will remain available nationwide while the case plays out, but with more restrictions, including requiring the woman to make multiple in-person visits to the doctor before she can obtain the abortion pill.

The Supreme Court had faced a self-imposed deadline to act by 11:59 p.m. EDT before the restrictions on access to mifepristone would take effect. Alito, who handles emergency matters in states including Texas, last week issued a temporary pause of Kacsmaryks injunction until Wednesday and then extended it two more days, without explanation.

The administration and Danco had told the justices in their filings that access to the drug might be blocked for months if the restrictions were allowed to take effect. They added that the current drug labels would have had to be adjusted, in a process that would have taken months, to account for the restored limits on its use.

Arguments in Legal Case Set for May 17

Mifepristone was sold under the brand name Mifeprex up until 2019, when the FDA approved GenBioPro Inc.s application for generic mifepristone. The generic version accounts for two-thirds of the mifepristone used in the United States.

GenBioPro on Wednesday filed a lawsuit seeking to preemptively block the FDA from removing its drug from the market amid the ongoing legal challenges, in the event that the Supreme Court doesnt intervene.

The 5th Circuit Appeals Court has already ordered an accelerated schedule for hearing the case, with arguments set for May 17. The court gave no timetable for a ruling.

Any appeal to the Supreme Court would follow within three months of a ruling, but with no deadline for the justices to decide whether to review the case.

Kacsmaryks decision had conflicted with an order also issued on April 7 in a separate case, in which Washington, D.C., had sued alongside 17 other Democrat-governed states to have the FDA preserve access to mifepristone. A federal Obama-appointed judge in the Eastern District of Washington, Thomas Rice, ruled in favor of the request and reiterated his ruling on April 14.
As more companies mandate employees return to the office, many workers with autism may feel left behind after years of remote work lessened the social pressures of in-office work.

A small study from Poland shows that a group of autistic workers benefited from remote work by limiting sensory overload and intensive interpersonal interactions and communications, offering flexible work hours, and eliminating the need to travel to work.

Return-to-office requirements may have an impact on productivity and job satisfaction for many of these workers, experts say, who already find it difficult to obtain and retain employment. Employers, though, can step in.

As long as autistic workers can still be productive, what does it matter where they do their work? said Joy F. Johnson, who's an adjunct professor at the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and founded Spectrum Support three years ago to support people like her who are on the autism spectrum.

(Photo: Getty Creative)

Space to produce at the level of their peers

Johnson feels she can work without judgment when she works from home, an arrangement that grew in popularity during the pandemic. Remote work allows workers with autism to avoid comparing themselves to their neurotypical co-workers.

Remote work gives workers space to produce at the level of their peers, Johnson said. They dont have to navigate in a world that wasnt meant for them.

Workers with autism can also optimize their workspaces; for instance, Johnson can better cope with sensory issues at home.

Im sensitive to light, Johnson said. So with remote work, I can be in the dark under my weighted blanket and still get my work done.

Those remote work benefits, though, are fading. The share of workers with a hybrid schedule was higher in February than those who worked remotely, a reversal from a year ago, according to a Pew Research Center survey.

Thats a big deal for those with autism  about five million people in the U.S. who have been diagnosed with the developmental condition and who historically have found it more difficult to find employment.

Story continues

A study from the Drexel Institute finds that only 58% of young adults on the autism spectrum find full-time employment. The Autism Society, an autism advocacy organization, found that up to 85% of autistic college graduates are unemployed.

(Photo: Getty Creative)

The obstacles can appear at the start of a job search.

While people on the autism spectrum are unique and there is no uniform experience, there are some common factors that can impede their progress in finding jobs, such as the interview process.

I just felt discouraged after so many failed interviews, said Justin Jungst, 27, a quality assurance manager with Aspiritech, an organization in his native Chicago that trains neurodiverse people to be quality assurance software testers.

Many workers on the autism spectrum also feel stress from having to make direct eye contact during an interview, which can feel invasive. Johnson noted that in job interviews, she often felt she had to hide her autism and who she really is.

Im not overly enthusiastic, so employers would ask me, are you OK? Johnson said. I dont want to be fake and act too excited for interviews.

Even if a person with autism gets a job, it may be difficult for them to keep it because they may miss social cues or have trouble communicating with co-workers, something remote work helped to reduce.

Many offices also have open space designs and can be too loud for employees on the autism spectrum who may need quieter and more private workspaces. There is often an emphasis on socializing in offices, too, that may be overwhelming to neurodiverse employees.

Most of the time, I just want to be on the computer and have my weighted blanket around me, so I can focus on my work, Johnson said. I cant do that in an office.

While people with autism may encounter problems at work, they have many qualities that make them valuable employees. Brad Cohen, chief marketing officer of Aspiritech, told Yahoo Finance these workers have many attributes that employers want.

Employees with autism can focus for long periods of time, dont get bored with repetitive tasks, and have greater attention to detail, Cohen said.

While not every worker with autism is able to do complex software testing like the employees at Aspiritech, they can bring their dedication to whatever job they get. Jungst noted that since he loves QA testing and feels fortunate to have found meaningful employment, he really dedicates himself to his work.

Ive had a lot of jobs where I was just looking at the clock, Jungst said. Now Im constantly busy, using my head to come up with solutions.

Corporations can empower autistic workers returning to the office

(Photo: Getty Creative)

While remote work can be an option for autistic workers, Jungst noted that some workers with autism like him want the community that comes with working with other people in offices. And there are ways that companies can make the office space more welcoming for these workers if they must come in.

This isnt hard, said Kristyn Roth, chief marketing officer of the Autism Society. Decreasing lights for workers with light sensitivity can help. Different interview techniques that dont require intense eye contact can meet individuals where they are.

Cohen noted that Aspiritech is open at odd hours to accommodate autistic workers who still want to collaborate with other workers and work in the office.

We kept the doors open to autistic workers, even safely during the height of the pandemic, Cohen said.

Jungst said that Aspiritech and other employers can add simple accommodations to help autistic workers if they have to work in the office. They simply need to engage those employees.

Employers need to find and listen to autistic employees. Employers can let workers have headphones to block out noise or have soundproof rooms, Jungst said.

Johnson said that workers with autism can also ask for considerations, so they dont have to hide their self-soothing behaviors.

I dont tell workers with autism not to stim [self-stimulate] and flap their arms when they need to soothe themselves, Johnson said. I tell them to ask for accommodations where they can stim in another room if they need to.

Roth agreed that its incumbent on corporations to make small changes to the workspaces to accommodate all of their employees if its so important to call people back to the office.

Its not enough to be aware of people with autism, we have to practice acceptance that actively includes them in all the opportunities to live a full life, Roth said. We want workers with autism to have the option to earn a living, gain confidence, and build a greater community.

Ella Vincent is the personal finance reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter @bookgirlchicago.

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Tennessee Legislature Rejects Republican Governors Call for Red Flag Legislation

State Sen. Jeff Yarbro debates a proposal allowing faith-based adoption agencies to decline to place children with same-sex couples because of their religious belief, in Nashville, Tenn., on Jan. 14, 2020. (Mark Humphrey/AP Photo)

Calls by Tennessee Republican Gov. Bill Lee for an extreme risk protection order law were dead on arrival in the Tennessee General Assembly as they attempted to wrap up the 2023 legislative session on Friday without being taken up in either chamber.

The states GOP caucus posted on Twitter earlier this week that any call for such legislation, which some have referred to as a red flag law, was a non-starter.

Any red flag law is a non-starter for House Republicans, the caucus stated. Our caucus is focused on finding solutions that prevent dangerous individuals from harming the public and preserve the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. We have always been open to working with Governor Lee on measures that fit within that framework.

Lee called on the state legislature to bring forth and pass an enhanced order of protection law, which some Republicans and gun rights groups have said equates to a red flag law. The governors office circulated samples of legislation to debate, which lawmakers mentioned in comments throughout the week.

Red flag laws are enacted to take guns away from those deemed a risk to themselves or others, but objections to such a law revolve around the due process rights of citizens. Lee tried to soften those qualms by stating any Tennessee law would ensure due process and involve local law enforcement in any decision to take away firearms from any individual.

Senate Opposes Calls to Take Up Bill

On the state Senate floor Thursday, Democrat state Sen. Jeff Yarbro attempted to recall from a judiciary committee a previous bill that did not move through that process directly to the floor. The bill was delayed repeatedly until the chairman of that committee tabled all gun-related bills until 2024.

We have moms that have been here for days on end, moms that are here for the first time. I think I see Evelyns mom here with us today, Yarbro said, invoking the mother of Evelyn Dieckhaus, who was one of three 9-year-olds killed in the Covenant School shooting in March.

He went on to speak of other moms who have called for common sense gun laws.

How do we not feel shame for failing to do anything, he said. Mr. Speaker, I do not want to hug another mom, knowing that we could have done more, knowing that we could have at least tried to do more.

Evelyn Dieckhaus in an undated photo. (Handout via AP)

Republican Rules Committee Chair state Sen. Bo Watson objected based on the precedent of not bringing bills directly to the Senate floor.

At some point in time, all of us have had pieces of legislation that we would have loved to call directly to the floor for a vote, Watson said. There has never been an incident when this body recalled a piece of legislation from a standing committee  no motion to recall has ever been successfully achieved.

His attempt failed mostly along party lines, with one Republican joining the six Democrats in the chamber voting to bring the legislation up for debate.

House Follows Senate

After the legislation failed to move forward in the Senate, Democrat state Rep. Bob Freeman appeared to be dissuaded from bringing any legislation to the floor for a voteinstead calling on the governor and House speaker to call a special session dedicated directly to the topic of the murder problem.

I was gonna stand and ask for us to bring back a bill from the delayed bills committee, make a motion on the floor, and as Ive thought about it, I think we need real actionnot some political grandstanding of trying to make a symbolic effort, he said. Everybody in this room, I would assume, has had somebody from Voices for a Safer Tennessee come by and talk to them about what we need to do about gun violence. If they havent come to see you, youve seen them in the halls as you walk in this chamber, and they are begging for us to do something.

Freeman also noted Evelyn Dieckhauss mother was in the House chamber.

In the chamber gallery, we have Evelyns mother, and shes down here asking, begging for us to do something to make a difference, he said. Im not going to put us all in a situation where we have what can even be viewed as political grandstanding. But what I am gonna do is call on  a special session. Lets come back where we can spend some real time and address gun violence in our state.

He added, Not in two months, but called on a special session to be almost immediate.

Earlier in the day, state Rep. Jason Powell, another Nashville Democrat, called on the legislature to pass Medicaid expansion to tackle the mental health issues leading to mass shootings and to take care of the mental health of victims.

Action was not taken on either of those calls by Democrats.

Previous Action

Shortly after the Christian school massacre, Lee alongside his Republican colleagues, announced budgetary changes to increase security in schools.

The flag atop the Tennessee State Capitol in Nashville flew at half-staff, on April 19. (Chase Smith/The Epoch Times)

The budget items included funding for a school resource officer at every school in the state, along with having a Homeland Security agent in every county. As the House passed the budgetary items this week, they noted the agents would be regionalbut each county would still be covered.

Another bill that would have armed teachers was supposed to be taken up on Monday but was essentially put in limbo to be called at any time and is essentially dead for this session.

The Epoch Times reached out to Lees office for comment but has received no reply.
Trains Run Deep Under Sydney Harbour in Railway First

A supplied video screenshot shows a train making the first railway crossing below Sydney Harbour in Sydney, April 21, 2023. (AAP Image/Supplied by the NSW Minister for Transport)

For the first time in Sydneys history, trains have burrowed deep under the harbour, as they streak toward delivering a city-wide metro service.

The new metro trains travelled across the 15.5 kilometre twin metro railway tunnels up to 40 metres below the surface as the Sydney Metro City and Southwest Line project enters its next stage.

Transport officials and engineers oversaw the trial run in the early hours of Friday morning with testing wrapping up about 7am.

The $20.5 billion (US$14.4 billion) project extends the Metro North West Line from Chatswood Station to Sydenham Station and is the largest rail line to be constructed under central Sydney since the City Circle underground railway was completed in the 1950s.

Transport Minister Jo Haylen said the harbour crossing was an important milestone and delivered a critical connection into the CBD from Sydneys north.

Having a train travel under our harbour is an exciting and historic first step but more importantly, it means that more people can catch a train through the city and it will improve the broader rail network once the City Metro is ready to take passengers next year, Haylen said.

Next year, metro trains are expected to move more people across the harbour in peak hour than the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Harbour Tunnel combined.

Haylen said it would take significant pressure off Sydneys roads and existing rail network.

Sydney Metro CEO Peter Regan said train testing and commissioning would continue throughout 2023, ahead of passenger services starting through the Sydney CBD in 2024.

The first stage of testing is completed at low speed, with trains manually driven at a maximum speed of 25km/ph, Regan said.

Gradually, we see the trains move into high-speed testing, where the trains reach a maximum speed of 110km/ph.

Each train would undergo acceleration and brake testing on the newly built track and complete a series of system checks.
Was Nashville Shooter a Pagan on Testosterone?

Officials have identified the suspect in the March 27 Nashville Christian school shooting incident as 28-year-old Audrey Hale as Nashville Police released surveillance footage, seen above, on March 28, 2023. (Nashville Police Department)

Commentary

NASHVILLE, Tenn.Several weeks out from the horrific murder of three children and three adults at Nashvilles Coventry School, important information, including but far from limited to the perpetrators manifesto, is still being hidden from the public.

Some of this is due to the reluctanceor is it fear?of the Nashville Police Department, which had behaved so heroically initially to save lives at the height of the event.

And some is undoubtedly due to our FBI, an organization that, to put it mildly, hasnt built a reputation for honesty. In fact, presidential candidates are now calling for it to be drastically reformed or, in at least one case (Vivek Ramaswamy), entirely torn down and replaced.

But it isnt just law enforcement thats causing the trouble; members of the Nashville community on both sides of our political divide are reluctant, for differing reasons, to have the truth exposed, even though having it exposed is the best, arguably the only, means of making sure, to the extent possible, that such events dont happen again.

That these murders were the proximate cause of truly asinine events in and outside of the Tennessee state Assembly that made the national newsthe expulsion and then immediate reinstatement of two profiteering progressive assemblymen, both named Justin. They used these deaths to, of all things, further brainwash some of Americas already brainwashed youth, making a little honesty about what actually happened all the more imperative.

And now, these two profiteers are being welcomed to the White House to further distract, in the grand tradition of left-wing exploitation, from the facts of the case.

Unfortunately, rather than real transparency, just as nature abhors a vacuum, bits and pieces of supposed truth are beginning to leak out with questionable accuracy.

On April 20, The Tennessee Conservative, a local website, had an article that amounted to gossip about the shooters motivation because it had only one sourcea no-no in journalistic circlesan alderwoman who heard something from somebody.

The article has since been taken down, but in essence, it ascribed the shootings to a lovers quarrel.

Besides being contradicted by a number of other sources, including some that say the shooter was contemplating a mass killing at a local mall, this particular explanation veers to the illogical, or the very least, insufficient.

If we calculated the number of jilted lovers since time immemorial, that total would likely be in the billions and, in most cases, include half the people we know. The number of those who were so upset by this that they shot six people and would have shot more had the police not intervened is negligible, almost nonexistent on a percentage basis. This is mighty thin gruel when it comes to a true motivation.

A lot is being hiddenand that would include, rather importantly, the toxicology report. What was this female-to-male person taking? Was it testosterone and, if so, what was the dose?

We are unlikely to find out much, if anything, about this because the FBI, as is its wont, is sitting on the information to shield one of the Democratic Partys key protected classesthe transgendered.

And if you doubt this class is truly protected in an overtly political fashion, consider that House Democrats voted unanimously against a bill that would have banned male-to-female transgendered athletes from womens sports, an extraordinary thing to do for the party that once trumpeted itself as the protector of womens rights.

This firewall of protection is truly dangerous, not just to the future of womens sports but to all of us personally, wherever we are.

In a superb cautionary Front Page articleDressed to Killnovelist and journalist Bruce Bawer does an excellent job of detailing the many cases of rage violence from the transgendered in the past few years.

Heres just one example that came shortly after the Nashville killings:

Thirteen days later, on April 9 (Easter Sunday), a Portland, Oregon, cab driver named Reese McDowell Lawhon was stabbed to death in the neck by a passenger who had stepped into his cab wearing a tiara. As the Portland-based independent journalist Andy Ngo noted, the police made an arrest but, unusually, waited a day before releasing any information about the suspect.  Ngo also discovered that Lopez, age 30, identifies as a transgender woman.

But this was far from all:

A sampling: in September 2018, a man named Snochia Moseley, who was taking female hormones at the time, took four lives in Aberdeen, Maryland. Likewise, Devon Erickson was undergoing a transition from male to female when he and an accomplice killed one student and injured eight at a school near Denver in May 2019. Anderson Lee Aldrich, who last November killed five people and injured 25 at a Colorado Springs nightclub, Club Q, identifies as non-binary. Douglas Perry, a.k.a. Donna Perry, killed three women in Washington State before undergoing gender-reassignment surgery in 2000. Brooklyn octogenarian Harvey Marcelin was already a double murderer under his birth name when, last year, now identifying as a trans woman, he took a third victim. In Scotland, Daniel Eastwood strangled a man to death before transitioning in 2017; he now identifies not as a woman but (no kidding) as a baby.

And:

This past Sunday, [The] Epoch Times reported on [an] Ashlee Renczkowski, a middle-school teacher in Florida whos undergoing a male-to-female transition and whod spoken about shooting students and then committing suicide. Not until Florida officials intervened was Renczkowski removed from his job.

Sorry to go on for so long, but thats Brawers point, and now mine. Its hard to see this confluence as accidental.

As much as anything else, transgenderism engenders rage and, too often, rage killings.

Is it the drugs? Is it the surgery? Is it both? We need to know.

Somethings wrong, and not fully revealing what happened in Nashville only encourages more of this. The Nashville Police Department and the FBI, in their silence, are essentially accessories to future crime.

The two assemblymen taking bows in the White House probably werent thinking much about this, but they too are accessories.

Off all the writing Ive encountered about the Nashville event, the most profound Ive seen yet, the one that gives the deepest explanation, is from Liel Leibovitz in his Commentary article The Return of Paganism.

Its far too long to do it justice here, but the basic idea is that acts such as Audrey Hales and similar proliferating amoral and immoral behaviors demonstrate that our culture has lost its Judeo-Christian values of right and wrong and is returning to paganism. This is especially true as those acts are often more excused than condemned, almost as if they had become normal.

In 1990, Leibovitz wrote, scholars from Trinity College set out to learn just how many of their fellow Americans practiced some form of pagan religion. The numbers were unsurprisingly small: about 8,000, or enough to pack your average Journey reunion concert. But the researchers asked again in 2008, and this time, 340,000 Americans said yes to paganism. A decade later, the Pew survey posed the same question, and, if it is to [be] believed, there are now about 1.5 million Americans professing an array of pagan persuasions, from Wicca to the Viking lore, making paganism one of the nations fastest-growing persuasions.

Everything will be allowed. Nothing will be censured.

Was Hale just another pagan on testosterone?

The author of this article, a resident of Nashville, would very much like to know why Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee and other officials of the state of Tennessee havent demanded the release of the manifesto and other materials in the case from the Nashville Police Department and the FBI for the benefit of their citizens.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Washington Lawmakers Pass Bill to Ban Harmful Chemicals in Cosmetics

Recent studies have discovered that many cosmetics, even "green and cruelty free" products are testing positive to toxins. (Shutterstock)

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee is expected to sign into law the strongest regulations on toxic chemicals in beauty and personal care products in the country.

The Toxic-Free Cosmetics Act was passed through state legislatures last week. The bill, sponsored by Democrat state Rep. Sharlett Mena, would protect consumers from skin irritations and damage as a result of chemicals mixed into cosmetic products and contribute to regulations that would hold manufacturers responsible for making their cosmetics and personal care products safer for consumers to use.

The chemical ban on cosmetic and personal care products would include PFAS, phthalates, formaldehyde, and formaldehyde-releasing agents, according to the bill.

(L-R) California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and British Columbia Premier John Horgan meet before a press conference in San Francisco, on Oct. 6, 2022. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Mena says that even though the exposure to these chemicals may be minimal, consumers shouldnt have to worry about allergic reactions when using cosmetics.

You shouldnt have to be a toxicologist to shop for your cosmetics. When we go to the store, we assume that a product on the shelf is safe, but that isnt always the truth. When we find these toxins in certain cosmetics, it doesnt mean that everybody is getting just a little bit of exposure. A lot of us go back to the same products and the same brands, so functionally, some of us are getting more exposure than others, the lawmaker said in a statement.

Mena warns of the harmful side effects that chemicals found in cosmetics can cause, such as reproductive issues and even cancer.

The chemicals were talking about, nine chemicals and classes of toxic chemicals, are things that we know are bad because weve studied them we know them, we know they have harmful effects, Mena added.

The Department of Ecology is required to perform a hazard assessment for chemicals in cosmetic products in order to detect and restrict chemicals during the production of cosmetics, the bill states.

Earlier this year, the Washington State Department of Ecology tested products used by consumers and found high levels of formaldehyde in cosmetics and personal care products marketed to people of color, the report states.

Laurie Valeriano, executive director of Toxic-Free Future, expressed her gratitude towards Washington lawmakers for passing a bill that shes advocated for.

We are thrilled that the Senate passed this bill, which brings us another step closer towards safer cosmetics and personal care products for Washington state and beyond, Valeriano said in a statement.

Valeriano believes Washington is setting an example for the rest of the U.S. to pass more regulated laws to prevent harmful products from getting into the hands of beauty shoppers nationwide.

It is outrageous that we have to worry about PFAS and other hazardous chemicals in products we apply to our bodies that are then washed down the drain and wind up in our waterways. This bill will set a national precedent in protecting us from unnecessary exposures to dangerous chemicals like PFAS, lead, and formaldehyde and will increase the availability of safer products, Valeriano added.

Manufacturers would be banned from selling or distributing any cosmetic product that contains intentionally added lead in cosmetic products in any amount and could be fined up to $5,000 per violation for a first offense or $10,000 per violation for each repeat offense.

Major beauty retailer Sephora has already made efforts to reduce dozens of toxic chemicals in brand-name formulated products and has achieved a 39.5 percent reduction in brand-name products with one or more toxic chemicals, according to the companys retailer report card.

It was an exciting moment when Sephora first launched its Clean at Sephora program last year, banning 13 toxic ingredients from products bearing their clean seal. Just over a year later, Sephora is already refining what clean means to them by expanding their no-no list to 50 ingredients that all Clean at Sephora products must be formulated without! the company states on their website.

The Epoch Times reached out to the Personal Care Products Council (PCPC), one of the main objectors of the bill, for comment.

PCPC is a leading national trade association representing 600 global cosmetics and personal care products companies.
Where Were You When Saddam Husseins Statue Came Down?

Commentary

Saddam Husseins statue was pulled down on April 9, 2003. I doubt many civilians old enough to remember it could say where they were when they first saw those images. But for those in the military at the time, even 20 years later, I bet that you do. Before I tell you where I was, Im going to tell you how I got there.

At the time, I was an Operating Room (OR) nurse in the Air Force (AF) stationed at Elmendorf Air Force Base (AFB), Alaska. My previous duty assignment had been a small, outpatient OR at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana (see A Deck of Many Things: Reflections on Colin Powell and Iraq, 20 Years Later.) Prior to that, Id been a civilian OR nurse working at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. And underwriting all of this was the drive to emulate my enigmatic father in a way that was also acceptable to him and my family. Since the 1980s, dad had been a part of Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), gone more than he was home, and seemed a part of every contingency and operation from the invasion of Grenada through Desert Storm and into the Global War on Terror.

In my youngest daughters article What Moving as a Military Dependent Taught Me About Relationships, she writes: Its human nature to cling to what is most familiar, and nothing is more familiar than being in nine different places with the same four people, my mom, dad, sister, and brother.

The same was true for the family I grew up in. By age 10, my mom, dad, sister, and I had moved six times that I actually remember, with that final PCS (permanent change of station) to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in 1982. Up until JSOC came along, moving around was our way of life. But those four innocuous letters eventually transformed our family of four, bound together as each others only constants, into a trio of suburban transplants, trapped in Fayetteville, North Carolina like flies in amber. Previously, wed lived in places like Casteau, Belgium  Munich, Germany  Monterey, California  and Fayetteville was a dumpster fire by comparison.

After that first year, I yearned to move again as we had done so many times before. It was what I knew. Moreover, I wanted dad back in our family. But our once free-roaming, nomadic lives were held hostage by JSOC, which had also taken one of the only constants in my 11-year-old life. What made it worse was that fad wanted it. We could sense his excitement for whatever secret things he was doing. When I asked if he could get another job he told me his truth: I like being where the action is. And that wasnt with us. Mixed with his love and affection was enthusiasm for his job. He loved us but not quite enough to want to be with us. The message 10-year-old me internalized? When push came to shove: You dont matter. And I wanted so badly for us to matter to him. The Army, particularly JSOC, was the most important thing in our familys life. Military service was the only way I knew to compete with JSOC. The hard truth was that dad chose JSOC over his family for 30 years. (See In the Shadow of JSOC.)

The Army was ubiquitous and defined our familys existence, yet dad had also steered me away from following in his footsteps. Dont join the military. Why would you want to learn to kill people? Theres no future in that. Dont enlist. Ok, if you insist on joining, get a degreebe an officer. Youre going to be a nurse? Great, thats marketable. The Armys RIFing their nurses so youre joining the Air Force? Thats good because the AF is easier than the Army. His example contradicted his words. The Army was both the creator and destroyer of our family. Growing up the mixed messages were: I love you, but not more than I love the Army. But the Armys also not for youyou cant be a part of the thing that I love more than you.

The psychological definition of ambivalence is: The coexistence within an individual of positive and negative feelings toward the same person, object, or action, simultaneously drawing him or her in opposite directions. Ambivalence was baked into my bones as a childon all three counts. Life didnt make sense. Like splitting atoms, the paradox ripped me apartI was an exploding star. By age 13, I experienced debilitating panic attacks and seriously contemplated suicide. By age 18, I learned to force these conflicting energies together into a painful quasi-equilibrium I could live with. The pressure was constant but all-consuming fusion was preferable to self-destructive, life-threatening fission. Once a supernova subsides, the dust and gas form a nebula where new stars can form. Thats what I did. I became a burning star.

An Army AH-64 Apache helicopter sits on the flightline at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, as a shooting star falls in the distance, on April 13, 2019. (Capt. Keith Kraker/DoD photo)

At age 28, Mom essentially became the single parent to her 10-year-old son and 8-year-old daughter. She was our only constant and the center of our universe. Without her, there was no family. Take care of your mom while Im gone, dad would say before leaving. Many times we never knew where he was going, and sometimes we didnt know when hed be back. We never spoke of his work. OPSEC (Operational Security) was a way of life in my house. I took dads tasking seriously, I did my best. But it was never enough. Mixed with Moms genuine love and affection were sewn threads of anger and resentmentmore contradictions. I sensed her profound loneliness. It was always there. Mom was in pain and wanted her husband back. Nothing I could do would change that. But I was there and I saw what it did to her. I think it helps explain why, when I had my own family, she was ambivalent too.

My wife (Jen), our two-year-old daughter, and I arrived at Elmendorf AFB on Nov. 1, 2001. Jen got pregnant that very next month. It was a shock to the system. Wed left the humid heat and swamps of Louisiana, for the frozen tundra of Alaska. We also arrived in the winter with very little sunlightsomething I never acclimated to in the more than three years I was stationed there. Unlike the OR Id just left, this OR was overworked and understaffed. In fact, one of the former RIFd (Reduction in Force) Army OR nurses Id worked with at Barksdale AFB, whod previously complained how slack the AF was, warned me that this OR was as tough as any Army MEDCEN (Medical Center). We took a lot of calls and in addition to the emergent appendectomies, cholecystectomies, fractures, and occasional trauma, we did a LOT of C-sections. I soon learned to hate the sound of a pager.

9/11 was fresh and I volunteered to be a member of an MFST (Mobile Forward Surgical Team). I wanted to deploy. At the time you could feel America spinning up into a great war machine. As part of the training pipeline, I spent the month of February 2002 at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Maryland. I loved it. In addition to soaking up normal sunlit days, we worked 12-hour shifts doing nothing but trauma. And best of all  there was no call. I had set hours and for the first time since 1998, got to do neurosurgical caseswhich had been my specialty as a civilian prior to joining the AF. I went with three other guys from the unit and we all shared an apartment during the four-week training. When we were off duty, we drank like fish. It was like college all over again. It was a blast.

With a second baby on the way, Jen, a certified ophthalmic technician at the time, was going to have to quit working. Daycare costs were so high in Alaska, anything she earned would have gone to paying for daycare. I worked long hours and wanted Jen, not a daycare, raising our kids. She was due in September, and that spring friends of ours threw a baby shower for us. No one came. Yes, wed only been in Alaska for six months or so. Yes, the OR was understaffed and people were busy. But it stung. In October of 1999, when our daughter, Alyssa, was born in Louisiana, no one from my family came to visit. This felt a lot like that. So when our son, Andrew, was born in September 2002, and again no one from my family visited it was as if an icicle had been pounded into my heart. It drove the point home. You dont matter.

Coupled with this was the fight with superiors to take leave to be with Jen, who needed help with our almost 3-year-old daughter and newborn son. As I said, we were short-staffed, the mission came first (they werent going to run one less OR), and paternity leave didnt exist. More than anything I wanted a close-knit family. Yes, it was expensive to fly from North Carolina to Alaska, but Jens parents came and they were by no means affluent. Though we bumped heads at times, it meant a lot. We needed the support and they were there for us. Having children didnt seem to matter to my family in North Carolina, and I wanted so badly to matter to them. Yet my mother was active in my sisters childrens lives. More contradictions. What was more important? Military service. Though it wasnt the Army, by my twisted mental calculus, when I started doing things that mattered in the AF, we might start to matter to them too.

My training pipeline was completed after finishing the Expeditionary Medical Support (EMEDS) course in October of 2002 at Randolph, AFB, Texas. I was good to go. The U.S. was gearing up for invading Iraq and I was itching to deploy. So when I heard there was going to be a six-month deployment to an undisclosed location in February of 2003, I had to go. At that time, AF deployments were three months long, so this was highly unusual. This was it. Iraq. Jen wasnt eager for me to go, but she understood how important it was to me.

Except I wasnt tapped to go, someone else was. I asked if I could go in his place. To this day, I clearly remember him saying, Yeah, Ill let you have this one. I was supercharged. I thanked him and we made the arrangements. Ill also never forget the moment I signed the temporary NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). Afterward, the NCO told me: Youre going to Guam.

What? Why? I asked. I was incredulous.

The tasking fell under Operation Enduring Freedom, not Operation Iraqi Freedom, and supported a buildup of B-1 and B-52 bombers deploying to Andersen AFB in Guam. It was a show of force in case North Korea acted up while we were invading Iraq. The existing medical footprint couldnt handle an influx of 2,000 troops, so the 7th Expeditionary Medical Group deployed to provide medical support.

So where was I when Saddam Husseins statue was pulled down? Though the six-month deployment was terminated at the three-month point, I watched Saddams statue topple while sitting in a dining facility at Andersen AFB, Guam. North Korea had behaved itself and I was glad to be going home before June instead of September. The deployment was part of Operation Enduring Freedom yet Guam was 5,000 miles from Afghanistan. Iraq was 6,300 miles away. Any way you sliced it, we were on the sidelines.

And in my mind, we hadnt mattered.

This article first appeared in The Havok Journal.

The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
White House Rules Out Negotiating With GOP Over Debt Ceiling Spending Cut Proposal

Incoming chief of staff Jeffrey Zients listens as U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks during an event to welcome Zients in the East Room of the White House in Washington on Feb. 1, 2023. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients said the Biden administration would not negotiate with GOP over its debt ceiling spending cut proposal.

The administration is insisting that talks over raising the U.S. debt limit be kept separate from talks about federal spending.

Zients told NPR White House correspondent Asma Khalid, in an April 20 interview, that President Joe Biden would refuse to negotiate over spending cuts with House Republicans in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.

Zients said that Republicans are irresponsible for tying two things together that should never be tied together, referring to the debt limit and budget discussions.

The White House official made his statements after Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) released a legislative framework that would raise the debt limit for a year while cutting spending to 2022 levels.

Top-line, [the] impact is really bad, Zients said. The White House estimates non-defense discretionary spending would be cut by 22 percent, he said, describing McCarthys proposal.

House Speaker Kevin McCarthy delivers a speech on the economy at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York on April 17, 2023. (Timothy A. Clary /AFP via Getty Images)

Debt Ceiling Impasse

McCarthy has been asking that the White House negotiate with Congressional Republicans to avoid defaulting on the debt, which could happen in early summer unless there is an agreement to raise the limit.

The impact of a U.S. government default would send shockwaves through the global economy.

Zients said that the danger of brinksmanship would have major impacts on the economy, on families across the country. And were not doing that again.

He said, I think the off-ramps very clear. Its the same off-ramp that was taken with no dramawhen President Trump was in the White House, take default off the table, like we have every time.

Dont play games with the full faith and credit of the United States. Its unacceptable. Its not up for negotiation. And then have the separate discussion around different visions for the future of the country and budgets.

The U.S. Capitol in Washington, on March 22, 2023. (Richard Moore/The Epoch Times)

He said that Biden would again oppose Congressional Republicans based on experience from 2011 when he was vice-president during the Obama administration, which was the last debt limit debate.

Khalid asked Zients why the administration was so unwilling to negotiate with Congress over the debt ceiling since the Obama White House did negotiate with House Republicans over spending cuts back in 2011 when debt limit proposals were on the table.

Zients explained that times were different, saying, if youre going back a decade, I think the lesson learned was that playing brinkmanship with the full faith and credit of the U.S., of our country and getting close to a period of default had major impacts on the economy, on families across the country and were not doing that again.

White House Refuses to Negotiate

Zients sidestepped the question of whether the White House would talk with McCarthy now that the speaker had laid out his plan.

Both parties had agreed to resume talks over the debt ceiling after they had offered their budget frameworks.

Biden released his budget proposal on March 9 after McCarthy offered his earlier on Feb. 1.

Im ready to meet with the speaker anytimetomorrow, if he has his budget, said Biden, adding, lay it down. Tell me what you want to do. Ill show you what I want to do. See what we can agree on.

The president has not kept his promise to meet with the House Speaker since then, despite their mutual agreement.

President Joe Biden talks about his proposed FY2024 federal budget during an event at the Finishing Trades Institute in Philadelphia, Pa., on March 9, 2023. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Biden attacked McCarthys plan in a speech on April 13, describing it as massive cuts in programs you count on, massive benefits protected for those at the top, saying it would mean major cuts to funding for child care, government housing assistance, opioid treatment and food stamps.

Take default off the table, and lets have a real serious detailed conversation about how to grow the economy, lower costs and reduce the deficit, Biden demanded.

McCarthys House Republicans have a slim majority, making their hold tenuous, but if the speaker can keep his caucus on line, it could pressure the Democratic-controlled Senate and the White House to negotiate more on his terms.

Pandemic Relief Fund

The White House official also told NPR that the administration opposes McCarthys plan to claw back unspent pandemic relief funds as part of its fiscal reform package in exchange for raising the debt ceiling.

Zients, who was Bidens COVID response coordinator before becoming chief of staff, said it was not a prudent thing to do or a fair thing to do.

He explained that the relief money includes funding to help transport older Americans, those with disabilities who live in rural communities.

Its a false notion that theres a large amount of unspent COVID relief funds that can just be painlessly clawed back, Zients said.
Wife of Missing Chinese Human Rights Lawyer Implores US Lawmakers for Assistance

Geng He, the wife of abused Chinese rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng, speaks to the press on Capitol Hill on Jan. 18, 2011. (Tim Sloan/AFP/Getty Images)

It has been more than five years and Geng He still doesnt know whether her husband in China is still alive.

Her husband, Gao Zhisheng, a renowned human rights lawyer, went missing from his home in northern Chinas Shaanxi Province in August 2017. At that time, Gao had already been subjected to torture by Chinese police during his previous disappearances.

Geng was one of the witnesses testifying before a hearing held by a subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on April 20, which marks Gaos 59th birthday. The hearing was titled Chinas Political Prisoners: Wheres Gao Zhisheng? to raise awareness of the fact that Gaos whereabouts remain unknown.

There has not been any information about my husband for the last 2,067 days, which is equivalent to about five years and eight months, Geng told NTD, sister media to The Epoch Times, following the hearing. I am very sad.

Geng, who fled China to the United States with their two children in 2009, said Chinese authorities have prevented her family members from leaving their place of residence in China to look for Gao.

Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng in a file photo. (Verna Yu/AFP/Getty Images)

Nobel Peace Prize Nominee

During her testimony, Geng spoke about her husbands aspiration to see China one day become a free, democratic, and constitutional country like the United States. She added, This dream has motivated him to strive for 20 years.

Gao, a self-taught lawyer and a devoted Christian, has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize three times. He began practicing law in 1996, defending victims of government land seizures; families of miners, who were seeking compensation after their loved ones died in coal mining accidents; as well as persecuted Christians and adherents of Falun Gong.

Before his disappearance, Gao was placed under house arrest, after being released from prison in August 2014, having served prison time for his conviction of inciting subversion of state power in 2006. The subversion charge is a catch-all charge the Chinese regime often uses against dissidents.

Geng emphasized that Gao has not violated any of Chinas laws but he is being persecuted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

I implore you to help me, Geng told the subcommittee. She expressed her desire to see U.S. embassy officials in China to visit Gao and asked the U.S. Congress to urge China to allow Gao to be put on a public trial and grant Gaos family visitation rights.

If these cannot be achieved, its okay to have Gao Zhisheng give me a call and tell me hes still alive, just knowing hes alive is enough, Geng said during her testimony.

When speaking to NTD, Geng elaborated that it would send China a powerful message if U.S. embassy officials visit her family in China.

Decouple From China

Another witness at the hearing, Sophie Luo, pointed to Gaos case, as well as the recent sentencings of her husband Ding Jiaxi and legal scholar Xu Zhiyong in China, to highlight what the Chinese regime really is.

The CCP is a barbaric government that does not respect any rule of law, Luo said during her testimony.

As a photo of her husband Chinese human rights activist Ding Jiaxi is on display in the background, Sophie Luo testifies during a hearing before The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) at Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 3, 2022. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Xu and Ding, both human rights lawyers and prominent figures in the New Citizens Movement, were sentenced to 14 and 12 years respectively at a Chinese court on April 10, after being convicted of subversion of state power.

The New Citizens Movement campaigns for great transparency regarding the wealth of CCP officials; it is dedicated to the promotion of civic rights and seeks the peaceful transition of China toward constitutionalism.

Xu and Ding were detained after they organized and attended a private gathering to discuss civil society and political reforms with other like-minded friends in Xiamen, a city in southern Chinas Fujian Province, in December 2019. About half a year later, they were put on closed-door trials.

During the months in detention, Luo told the subcommittee that the two were subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including prolonged sleep deprivation, interrogation while being forced to sit on a restraining device called the tiger chair, food and water restrictions, and deprived of access to showers.

The authorities have been handling these two cases completely against the Chinese Constitution and criminal laws from the beginning to the end, Luo said in her testimony.

Both the U.S. and Canadian governments have issued statements calling for Xu and Dings unconditional release.

She urged members of Congress, the Biden administration, American companies, and civil societies not to work with Beijing, saying that doing so is the only way to stop any more human rights abuses in China.

In an interview with NTD following the hearing, Luo elaborated on her recommendation, saying that the United States should decouple economically from China in order to prevent the Chinese regime from committing more human rights violations.

I am going to try to pitch this idea [of decoupling from China] at different institutions, Luo said, emphasizing that she wanted to convince business leaders that human rights issues must come first when doing any business in China.

Renewed Attention

Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.), chairman of the House subcommittee, said it was important to bring renewed attention to whats happening in China, in an interview with NTD following the hearing.

All of us need to become much more aware of the brutality, that every day is being forced upon wonderful Chinese men and women and children, either because of their faith or because of their political, or because of their ethnicity, Smith said.

He named the Tibetans, Uyghurs, Falun Gong practitioners, and Christians, as victims of Chinas persecution.

And so this hearing was to bring renewed attention to two wonderful political prisoners, men who have just stood up for everyone elses rights, and now their rights have been completely abridged by the Chinese Communist Party, and to push for their release, Smith added.

Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Chris Smith (R-N.J.) (3rd L) greets President of the China Aid Association Bob Fu (4th L), Geng He (5th L), wife of Chinese human rights attorney and dissident Gao Zhisheng, Sophie Luo (6th L), wife of Chinese human rights lawyer Ding Jiaxi, and President of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation Andrew Bremberg (R) prior to a hearing before the Global Health, Global Human Rights, and International Organizations Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee at Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on April 20, 2023. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Bob Fu, president of Texas-based China Aid Association and another witness at the hearing, said the U.S. President, Vice President, and Secretary of State should publicly meet with prisoners of conscience, starting with Geng and Luo.

They are in the United States. The White House doesnt have any legal or any other hurdles from scheduling a meeting with [Geng and Luo], Fu added. Leaders actions matter. The CCP are [sic] watching. [Chinese leader] Xi Jinping himself is watching, whether those human rights and prisoners of conscience matter to our foreign policy.

In response to Fus suggestion, Smith said, We will follow up on that and make an official request with the White House to meet with them, and maybe a few others.

Rep. Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), a member of the subcommittee, told NTD following the hearing that Americans should know about Chinas human rights records.

Its so interesting to talk about the egregious things that happen in America, we have no concept of whats happening around the rest of the world, McCormick said. This stuff is real life and death, they have no idea if their family members are alive or dead, they cannot communicate with them, they can be killed, they can be starved to death.

Forced Organ Harvesting

Chinas state-sanctioned practice of forced organ harvesting also came up during the hearing.

The CCPs long practice of forced organ harvesting that frequently targets political prisoners and prisoners of conscience continues without condemnation, Andrew Bremberg, president of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, said during the hearing.

Bremberg applauded the House for passing the Stop Forced Organ Harvesting Act of 2023 and urged the Senate to quickly take up this bill, pass it, and send it to the President.

The House bill, passed by a vote of 4132 on March 27, would sanction anyone involved in the act and require annual government reporting on the illicit activity in foreign countries.

Bremberg cited the findings by the China Tribunal, an independent peoples tribunal chaired by Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, in his written testimony (pdf).

The tribunal has concluded unanimously, and sure beyond reasonable doubtthat in China, forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience has been practiced for a substantial period of time involving a very substantial number of victims, he wrote, citing the tribunals 2018 interim judgment (pdf).

The tribunal also concluded that the Chinese regime had been harvesting organs from prisoners of conscience for years on a significant scale, with Falun Gong practitioners being the primary source of the organs.

Falun Gong practitioners walk in a parade in Brooklyn, N.Y., highlighting the Chinese regimes persecution of their faith, on Feb. 26, 2023. (Chung I Ho/The Epoch Times)

Falun Gong, or Falun Dafa, is a spiritual practice that combines meditative exercises and moral teachings. According to estimates, there were 70 million to 100 million adherents in China by 1999, seven years after the practice was introduced to the public.

Deeming the practices popularity a threat to its rule, the Chinese regime launched a brutal campaign to eradicate the practice in July 1999, targeting innocents in a violent, deadly suppression that experts have described as a genocide.

Many human rights lawyers, including Gao, have defended Falun Gong practitioners in courts in China. Nevertheless, at least 633 Falun Gong practitioners were sentenced for their faith in 2022, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website that tracks the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Smith expressed confidence that the Senate will pass the measures companion version.

That bill, I believe, will pass the Senate and well get to the White House, Smith said at the hearing. Weve worked with the State Department. Its a collaborative bill, and its totally bipartisan.

We need to stop this horrible practice.
Worlds Await at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California

The Blackhawk Museum is a subsidiary of the Behring Global Educational Foundation founded by Kenneth E. Behring. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

A world of wonders awaits at the Blackhawk Museum in Danville, California. Five galleries, each more compelling than the last, entice visitors to stay and marvel.

The exhibits are so rich in detail that a person could spend his or her whole visit exploring just one gallery. Take, for instance, the Classic Car Collection.

The Classic Car Collection

The Blackhawk Museum opened in September 1988 with the Classic Car Collection. Co-founders Ken Behring and Don Williams designed it to showcase the automobile as an art form.

As I walked through the gallery, there was no doubt in my mind that they succeeded.

The Classic Car Collection includes a rotating selection of rare and classic automobiles. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Over 50 cars from six different countries, featuring a range of over 130 years from oldest to newest, are displayed in a specially built room. The tiled floor and the rooms lighting system highlight the polished chrome and colors of each car.

An advanced HVAC filtration system removes all traces of dust. Youve never seen cars this shiny and beautiful.

A 1929 Cunningham Series V-7 All Weather Cabriolet. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

The Classic Car exhibit includes some manufacturers that are still in business; but others, like the Delahaye automobiles and the Cords, Packards, and Duesenbergs, went out of business decades ago.

A 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Phaeton that was once owned by vaudeville and movie entertainer Al Jolson. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

A sign gives more details about Al Jolsons Supercharged Phaeton. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

The American-made Duesenberg automobile was popular among celebrities in the 1930s. It had a limited production, was one of the most expensive cars of its time, and could be custom-built to the buyers specifications.

While most Model A Fords cost less than $500, the Duesenberg cost around $7500 just for the chassis (load-bearing part of the frame), car frame, and engine. Add in the custom body work, and the final price could be as high as $20,000 (around $450,000 today).

A 1930 Duesenberg SJ Rollston Convertible Victoria that was once owned by big-band leader Paul Whiteman. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

According to long-time museum volunteer Brad Hock, who supplied much of the above information, the Duesenbergs main claim to fame was its engine. In the 1930s, the typical car engine had a horsepower of 120140 hp. The Duesenberg had a horsepower of 250 hp.

In fact, the companys marketing slogan was The only thing that passes a Duesenberg on the highway is another Duesenberg.

Art of Africa

As difficult as it might be to tear yourself away from the Classic Car Collection, other galleries await, such as the Art of Africa Exhibit.

Unlike other museums that might display ancient African artifacts, the Blackhawk museum chose to showcase not only original artifacts, but also contemporary works of art. Much of the art was made by African artists who were trained in methods passed down from father to son.

The result is a gallery brimming with amazing traditional art.

Contemporary artists made these traditional masks hailing from sub-Saharan Africa. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Three main displays include Makonde wooden sculptures that were carved by artisans originally from Mozambique, but now living in Tanzania; ceremonial masks that express religious and spiritual beliefs; and musical instruments that are used to celebrate various rites of daily life. Percussive music plays in the background, fully immersing the visitor in the sounds of sub-Saharan African culture.

A Mangbetu harp from the Democratic Republic of Congo, 19th century. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Into China

The Into China exhibit showcases beautiful works of art and authentic reproductions that are rarely found outside China.

Museum co-founder Ken Behrings international philanthropic activities, such as his Wheelchair Foundation, helped him make valuable contacts overseas. As a result, Behring was able to import extraordinary artifacts for the Blackhawk Museum.

The head of a wooden 24-foot-long imperial dragon holds a pearl of potentiality. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

A close-up of a dragon vase carved from shells. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

The Terracotta Warriors

Perhaps the most surprising display is the wonderful collection of authentic replicas of original terracotta warriors from Lishan, near the city of Xian in Chinas Shaanxi Province.

Authentic replicas cast from the original terracotta warriors in Xian, China. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

In 1974, farmers discovered some of the terracotta warriors while they were digging a well. Subsequent excavations by archaeologists revealed that the warriors8,000 in allwere located in a huge underground tomb dating from 221 B.C. and belonging to Qin Shi Huangdi, the first emperor of China.

Every terracotta warrior appears unique due to the different details carved in each face. Though the original warriors were brightly painted, their colors have faded over time, as can be seen in the replicas at the Blackhawk Museum.

A Scale Model of the Forbidden City

Within the Into China exhibit is a wooden 19-by-23-foot scale model of the Forbidden City in Beijing.

Construction on the original Forbidden City was begun in 1406 on the orders of Yongel, the emperor of the Ming Dynasty. Entrance to the Forbidden City was barred to most of the emperors subjects.

Today, the Forbidden City is a world heritage site that can be visited by tourists, or you can visit the Blackhawk Museum to see its detailed scale model.

An accurate scale model of the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Spirit of the Old West

The Spirit of the Old West exhibit tells the story of both Native Americans and western settlers of the American West. The exhibit includes authentic Native American artifacts as well as tools and objects once owned by frontier settlers.

Detailed dioramas and thousands of miniatures by collector Jerry Fick of Cody, Wyoming, are also on display throughout the gallery.

The Spirit of the Old West is a popular destination for children on field trips. Many of the second- and third-grade students are learning about the old West from textbooks. However, as volunteer Brad Hock said, When you see a teepee  its a lot better than reading about it in a textbook.

A bison highlights the entry into the Spirit of the Old West gallery. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

World of Nature

Visitors enter the World of Nature through a small upstairs gallery representing the undersea world, before heading downstairs to view large dioramas of African and Australian wildlife.

In the upper part of the exhibit, they feel like they are in a fantastic undersea world. Shifting lights on a blue background mimic sunlight streaming through the water. Mounted sea creatures engage the eye while a computer screen beckons people to learn more about individual species.

A great white shark dives through a wave in the undersea portion of the World of Nature gallery. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

Below, visitors can hear ambient recordings of the sounds of nature from Africa and Australia. More than 600 species are displayed in realistic settings. It is truly a marvelous exhibit.

Below the sea lies the African portion of the World of Nature exhibit. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)

For More Information

The Blackhawk Museum is open to the public Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the week, they offer school field trips and private tours.

For more information, please visit their website at https://blackhawkmuseum.org/ or call (925) 736-2280.

A hammerhead shark glides through the World of Nature undersea exhibit. (Courtesy of Karen Gough)
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany  The Pentagon has deployed forces and is developing options to assist in the possible evacuation of U.S. Embassy personnel from Sudan, but the White House said Friday there are no plans for now for a broader pullout of the potentially thousands of other Americans from the African country where warring factions are in a violent conflict.

The troop moves by the U.S. military are intended "to ensure that we provide as many options as possible, if we are called on to do something. We haven't been called on to do anything yet," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said at a news conference in Germany. Austin and U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, held meeting meetings with defense leaders from other countries to discuss additional support for Ukraine.

An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum as being in Sudan. The State Department has cautioned that that figure probably is inaccurate because there is no requirement for Americans to register nor is there a requirement to notify the embassy when they leave.

"It's absolutely imperative that U.S. citizens in Sudan make their own arrangements to stay safe in these difficult circumstances," White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said in Washington.

He added that "Americans should have no expectation of a U.S. government coordinated evacuation at this time. And we expect that that's going to remain the case."

For embassy staff, according to an American official, a small number of U.S. troops have begun arriving in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, where the U.S. is pre-positioning forces and equipment to assist in any potential evacuation. The official said Army soldiers are being tapped for the task.

The U.S. troops are being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti. Evacuation planning for Sudan got underway in earnest on Monday after a U.S. Embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital.

The conflict between Sudan's military and a rival paramilitary force is worsening. The military has ruled out negotiations and said it would only accept surrender as a temporary cease-fire ended, raising the likelihood of a renewed surge in the nearly weeklong violence that has killed hundreds.

The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe private deliberations, said Milley discussed the situation with defense officials from Germany, Italy and Canada, among others. One topic was ensuring that any potential evacuation efforts did not conflict.

The U.S. State Department said Friday that an American citizen had died in Sudan, but did not have further details.

"We are in touch with the family and offer our deepest condolences to them on their loss. Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add," the department said in a statement.
AI pilot allows friend into cockpit, probe on





NEW DELHI :

regulator DGCA is probing the incident of an Air India pilot allowing a female friend into the cockpit during a Dubai-Delhi flight on February 27, and the airline is also investigating after taking serious note of the matter, according to officials. An Air India spokesperson on Friday said the airline has zero tolerance in aspects related to the safety and wellbeing of passengers and will take requisite action about the incident.

The incident is said to have happened on February 27 and a complaint was filed by a cabin member of that Dubai-Delhi flight to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). A DGCA official on Friday said the regulator is conducting an investigation into the matter. The investigation team will examine the relevant facts from the technical and safety standpoint, the official added. The pilot of the flight hadallowed a female friend intothe cockpit. Unauthorised people are notallowed to enter the cockpit and any such entry could be inviolation of norms. We have taken serious noteof the reported incident andinvestigations are underway inAir India. The matter isreported to the DGCA and weare cooperating with the regulators investigation as well,the airline spokesperson saidin a statement.
Evacuate Indians from Sudan: PM Modi





 Delhi Bureau & Agencies

NEW DELHI,

PM Modi reviews security situation with a specific focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located in Sudan

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi on Friday issued directions for the preparation of contingency plans to evacuate Indians from Sudan as he carried out a detailed review of the security situation in the violence-hit country at a high-level meeting. The Prime Minister received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground, with a specific focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located throughout that country, the PMO said in a statement. It said the Prime Minister instructed officials to prepare contingency evacuation plans, accounting for the rapidly shifting security landscape in Sudan and the viability of various options. The Prime Minister also directed all relevant officials to remain vigilant, closely monitor developments and continuously evaluate the safety of Indian nationals in Sudan while extending them all possible assistance.

The Prime Minister expressed his condolences on the passing away of an Indian national who tragically fell victim to a stray bullet last week, it said. The meeting that took place via video-conferencing was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari, Navy Chief Admiral R Hari Kumar, the Indian ambassador to Sudan and numerous other senior officials. Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the countrys army and a paramilitary group for the last eight days that has reportedly left around 300 people dead.
INDIA PIPS CHINA IN POPULATION





BY ANJAN ROY :

The developed world is seeing slower or shrinking population. Japan is the prime example of this trend where the overall population is shrinking at a extremely rapid pace. Several western European countries are also seen to demonstrate the same trends. But for the rest, population is rising, such that there is net addition to global population size

F EW will now remember there was a time when family planning and population control were highly visible policy platforms. Of all people, highly respected industrialist, JRD Tata, then heading the Tata group, was one of the leading figures to talk about the need for population control. India had established a body to spearhead family planning and population control right after independence in 1951. The Family Planning Foundation was later renamed Population Foundation of India, pushed on mainly by JRD. Even as recently as 1992- 93, during the time of Narasimha Raos coalition Government, a high power group was set up under the chairmanship of Dr M.S. Swaminathan, to draft a national population policy. The report was submitted to Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in 1994 and duly has not been taken up for implementation since. Earlier, Indira Gandhis son, Sanjay Gandhi had made some ill-conceived attempts at containing population, mainly by sending teams to forcibly undertake vasectomy and tubectomy which had hurt the efforts at population beyond repair. But there were clear signs among the informed that the way Indias population was rising was a clear path to disaster. It is miracle of sorts that attitudes and perceptions could change drastically to issues. Today, the earlier concern about population growth has turned into unbounded enthusiasm about it. Population is feted and we are now drum-beating about India becoming the most populous country in the world.

The proudly proclaimed theme for discussion is Indias Demographic Dividend. What a change in perspective on one of the most vital issues affecting our national life. Is it for real that a bulging population is such a national dividend. And yet, it is the booming global population that is the biggest contributor to global warming, environmental disasters and limited change. The plant earth is obviously not able to support a population of over 8 billion. The world is longer split between the developed north and under-developed or undeveloped rest. Every country is aspiring to reach the western benchmarks of consumption. That is, every country is seeking growth and elevating the standards of living of their people. Hence, consumption of resources is rising, particularly fossil fuel usage, which directly feeds into the warming cycles. Admittedly, the developed world is seeing slower or shrinking population. Japan is the prime example of this trend where the overall population is shrinking at a extremely rapid pace. Several western European countries are also seen to demonstrate the same trends. But for the rest, population is rising, such that there is net addition to global population size. This will have several serious consequences. Indias population is soaring, but its land size and resources are fixed.

The huge population size, in itself is leaving its adverse environment footprint. Indias water resources are shrinking and groundwater levels are dropping scarily over vast stretches of the country. Every child born today will demand and consume at least certain minimum quantity of water for the next 75 years. The increasing size of population will raise water consumption levels to unsustainable levels. Noted demographer and one of the most respected population scientist in the country, late Professor Ashis Bose, has written way back in 2000: Water can catch fire. Supplying safe drinking water to every Indian is a huge task. Efforts have been made and some success recently have been achieved. But the task is yet to be completed, if ever. With climate change already upon us, we are hearing of drinking water shortages in our cities. The frequent quarrels between our States over sharing of common rivers waters is only to be remembered. On top, we have looming water disputes. We have serious differences with Pakistan on spring of Indus waters, and simmering disagreements with Bangladesh on sharing waters of common rivers. Not to mention, another severe point of friction between India an China in future would be the diversion of water resources from a number of upstream source rivers in the Tibetan plateau. China is building dams for diversion of waters which flow into the Brahmaputra river systems.

Any such moves will create serious environmental and existential threats to our north eastern States. China is taking such disastrous steps for the sake of meeting its insatiable demands for water for its already large population as well as humongous economic activities for sustaining employment for its masses. The second impact would be on social cohesion. Every economist worth his salt is saying that unless properly harnessed, the so-called demographic dividend could turn into demographic disaster. This is mainly because our population is rising and adding more to the working age cohort. These additional hands have to be given employment. (IPA)

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Massive manhunt in J&K after terror attack





POONCH :

DRONES and sniffer dogs were used and a MI chopper conducted a recee of the dense forest area of Bata-Doriya in Poonch on Friday in a massive manhunt for the terrorists who killed five Army personnel and injured one the day before. Meanwhile, at least 12 people were detained for questioning. Officials said that those detained were being questioned at various levels by the security forces to ascertain the identity of the terror group, which is believed to be active in the area for more than a year and probably comprises a snipper too. An NIA team visited the ambush spot and conducted full inspection of the area and the vehicle targeted in the attack. Top police and Army officers including DGP Dilbag Singh, ADGP Mukesh Singh and GoC reviewed the search operation, officials said.

The entire area of TotaGali-Bata Doriya, which has dense forests, has been cordoned off. The five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured on Thursday after their vehicle caught fire following the attack. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations. Sources said, the attack is suspected to have been carried out by a group ofthreetofourterroristswho used some explosive, possibleastickybomborgrenade, due to which the vehicle caught fire. Those who executed the attack are believed to have been present in Rajouri and Poonch from more than one year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain which is quite tough, they said.

Banned terror group Peoples Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy wing of terror group Jaish-eMohammed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are reports suggesting that it was a handiwork of banned Lashker-e-Toiba group also. TheArmy said,the vehicle the soldiers were travelling in came under fire and it caught fire because of the likely use of grenades. The Army found bullet marksonthe vehicle andthe body of a jawan. Top Army andpoliceofficialsonFriday laid wreaths and paid homage to the soldiers. Meanwhile, Jammu witnessed several protests by BJP, VHP, Rastriya Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Dogra Front andJammuStatehoodorganisation among others.
Powermen busy restoring electricity ascitizens face harrowing time post rains





Staff Reporter :

THOUGH thunderstorms are not unusual in city, the Thursday evening squall would be remembered for a long time as citizens faced harrowing time. Many localities went without power for nearly 24 hours post thunderstorm. As per meteorological office, the city was hit with wind that had velocity of 30 to 40 kms, yet the damage to the green cover was quite unusual as uprooting of trees was reported from nearly 50 places.

The immediate and major impact was on the power network in second capital of the State that led to snapping of electric supply due to breaking of overhead wires. The importance of power in daily lives of urban dwellers was never felt so hard as on ThursdayFriday as prolonged power cuts disrupted their lives totally. The daily morning routine for every household is running motor to lift the water from underground sumps. In many localities ofWest Nagpur and South Nagpur, like Central Excise Colony, Surendra Nagar, Ajni, Narendra Nagar and adjoining localities, the non availability of power supply put citizens in a tight spot. The damage to overhead wires due to falling of trees and big branches was so widespread that it took nearly 24 hours for the MSEDCL teams to restore normalcy in the city. For the entire machinery it was quite hectic and right from lineman to Executive Engineer were on streets entire night trying to map out the post damage restoration policy, said Pravin Sthool, Public Relations Officer (PRO). Normally, such disruption in power supply is seen during pre-monsoon time.

Yet even during those time, it hardly takes few hours to bring back the system on line. However, this time the damages was quite widespread and even combined efforts of Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) and Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) proved inadequate to provide immediate relief to citizens. Due to heavy rains, though there was coolness in air and citizens adjusted to it for the time begin as it was night, but in morning the absence of power made lives unbearable for the people. Abhay Kumar, a resident of Deo Nagar, said throughout the night we tried calling every helpline, but that failed to provide any results.

Even the app of MSEDCL was not functioning and the helpline number to failed to provide any respite to citizens who never felt so helpless. In fact, at Narendra Nagar sub-station the irate citizens vent their ire and restored to violence, damaging the public property. The area being densely populated, people were fed-up with long hours of power cuts. Though the wind speed of 30 to 40 km is considered normal, yet one was left amazed at the level of destruction of the green cover, it is the pride of heritage of city, is somewhat disturbing. The Fire Brigade was jammed with calls of uprooting of trees and it was mostly concentrated in West Nagpur part where green cover is quite thick.
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NORWALK  City resident Ryan Foley has embarked on an extreme athletic quest totaling 600 miles in 10 days to raise awareness and money for Feeding America.

I wanted to do something really big to test myself that I could, at the same time, use to rally awareness and fundraising around a super important cause like access to health food with Feeding America, Foley said while running outside of Albany, N.Y. I knew it had to be big and it had to be challenging in order to make the project as powerful as possible.

Foleys challenge, The Out and Back Project, is to bike 300 miles from Manhattan to Syracuse, N.Y., and then run the 300 miles back in only 10 days. He completed the biking portions in two days by riding about 11 hours each day.

Now, Foley is completing the running portion in eight days, averaging 37.5 miles a day.

Ive never done something like this before, Foley said. I have never done a multi-day event before, so this has been a really big leap for me.

Foley is aiming to raise $100,000 for Feeding America, which equates to 1 million meals.

When I look at some of the opportunities that I have been so lucky to have in just living an active and healthy life, Ive never really thought twice about having access to healthy food or having access to food at all, Foley said.

Feeding America is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, with over 200 food banks and 21 statewide food associations.

They have been around a really long time and have grown into this huge national effort, Foley said. Its because of the hard work of all these individual food banks and in order to operate and continue to deliver food at scale they need funding, they need volunteers, and they need resources."

Foley's passion for nutrition led him to partner with Feeding America.

Our goal is to get as many healthy meals into schools and households as possible, Foley said.

Along his run back, he has been stopping a Feeding America food banks.

Foley explains the concept for his challenge is derived from how he normally plans his running routes, out and backs.

What if I did something really, really long out and back across a really long stretch of land? he said. Thats where the route came up.

After living in New York City for eight years Foley and his wife Kinsey moved to Norwalk. They have been planning this challenge for over a year.

The training is interesting, you are never certain that your body is ready for something like this, Foley remarked.

Foley says most of the challenges he has faced along his journey have been little things like trail closures or looking for a place to park the RV with all their supplies.

When you prepare for these things, you try and think of all the things that might go wrong or things that you perceive to be issues, both physically and logistically, then other stuff pops up and proves to be the problem of the day, he said.

Foley is on track to finish his 600-mile out and back journey in Manhattan on Sunday at City Harvest on 6 East 32nd Street.

Foley said he does not plan to repeat the challenge but is embracing a new challenge, fatherhood. He and his wife are expecting their first child in June.
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CANBERRA, Australia (AP)  Tony Award-winning comedian Barry Humphries, internationally renowned for his garish stage persona Dame Edna Everage, a condescending and imperfectly-veiled snob whose evolving character has delighted audiences over seven decades, has died. He was 89.

His death in the Sydney hospital, where he spent several days with complications following hip surgery, was confirmed by his family.

He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit, a family statement said.

With over 70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be," they added.

Humphries had lived in London for decades and returned to native Australia in December for Christmas.

He told The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper last month that his physiotherapy had been agony following his fall and hip replacement.

It was the most ridiculous thing, like all domestic incidents are. I was reaching for a book, my foot got caught on a rug or something, and down I went, Humphries said of his fall.

Humphries has remained an active entertainer, touring Britain last year with his one-man show The Man Behind the Mask.

The character of Dame Edna began as a dowdy Mrs. Norm Everage, who first took to the stage in Humphries hometown of Melbourne in the mid-1950s. She reflected a postwar suburban inertia and cultural blandness that Humphries found stifling.

Edna is one of Humphries several enduring characters. The next most famous is Sir Les Patterson, an ever-drunk, disheveled and lecherous Australian cultural attache.

Patterson reflected a perception of Australia as a Western cultural wasteland that drove Humphries along with many leading Australian intellectuals to London.

Humphries, a law school dropout, found major success as an actor, writer and entertainer in Britain in the 1970s, but the United States was an ambition that he found stubbornly elusive.

A high point in the United States was a Tony Award in 2000 for his Broadway show Dame Edna: The Royal Tour.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute to the celebrated comedian.

For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone, Albanese tweeted, referring to the melancholic and rambling Stone, one of Humphries most enduring characters. But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift.

British comedian Ricky Gervais tweeted: Farewell, Barry Humphries, you comedy genius.

Piers Morgan, British television personality, tweeted: One of the funniest people Ive ever met.

A wondrously intelligent, entertaining, daring, provocative, mischievous comedy Genius, Morgan added.

The multi-talented Humphries was also a respected character actor with many stage and screen credits, an author of novels and an autobiography, and an accomplished landscape painter.

John Barry Humphries was born in Melbourne on Feb. 17, 1934. His parents were comfortable, loving and strait-laced, and must have wondered about their eldest son, whom they called Sunny Sam. His mother used to tell him to stop drawing attention to himself.

Before hed finished at the prestigious Melbourne Grammar School, Humphries was more interested in art and secondhand bookshops than football. At 16, his favorite author was Kafka and later said he felt a little foreign.

He spent two years at Melbourne University, where he embraced Dadaism -- the subversive, anarchic and absurdist European art movement.

His contributions included Pus In Boots," waterproof rubber boots filled with custard, and, on the performance art side, getting on a tram with an apparently blind accomplice whom Humphries would kick in the shins while yelling Get out of my way, you disgusting blind person.

In 1959, he settled in London and was soon working in Peter Cooks comedy venue The Establishment. He played Sowerberry in the original London production of Oliver! in 1960 and repeated the role on Broadway. He appeared with Spike Milligan and William Rushton in Treasure Island.

Humphries, with New Zealand artist Nicholas Garland, created the Barry McKenzie comic strip for the satirical magazine Private Eye in 1964.

When the strips came out as a book, the Australian government banned it because it relied on indecency for its humor." Humphries professed delight at the publicity and implored authorities not to lift the ban.

By then Humphries drinking was out of control. In Melbourne in late 1970, he was charged with being drunk and disorderly. He finally admitted himself to a hospital specialising in alcoholism for the treatment that would turn him into a lifelong abstainer.

In 1972 came the first Barry McKenzie film  financially supported by the Australian government, despite the earlier ban. It was savaged by the critics, largely because they trembled at what the worlds first film to feature beer induced vomiting would do to Australias image overseas.

But it was a popular success and a sequel two years later included then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam knighting Edna, who was McKenzies aunt.

Married four times, he is survived by his wife Lizzie Spender, four children and 10 grandchildren.
COLLINSVILLE  Collinsville High School Student Council has been recognized as a 2023 National Gold Council of Excellence by the National Student Council (NatStuCo).

The National Council of Excellence is a national award program created by NatStuCo to recognize student councils that maintain strong year-round programs and work to improve their schools and communities through their leadership activities.

"Only student councils that are very active on the local, district, state and national levels can achieve this award and Collinsville High School is thrilled to be one of them again this year," CHS StuCo advisor Kyle Gordon said in a press release.



The award is founded on the four tenets of NatStuCo  Leadership, Service, Engagement and Student Voice  and provides broad recognition for worthy efforts of NatStuCo member councils.



NatStuCo wrote: "On behalf of National Student Council, it is our pleasure to recognize the Collinsville High School Student Council as a 2023 National Gold Council of Excellence.



"Winning the National Gold Council of Excellence Award is testament to the highest standards of quality that your council consistently demonstrates in its operation, and its projects and activities. NatStuCo Gold Councils of Excellence are the models of quality for which other student councils should strive to become."

History of excellence

This marks the 18th consecutive year CHS StuCo has received the designation.



"There are approximately 15 schools in the entire nation that have been a Gold Council of Excellence every year since the award was created in 2006. Collinsville High School is proud to be one of them," Gordon said.

The NatStuCo program is supported by its parent organization, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP).

Exceptional student councils are a hallmark of exceptional schools, said NASSP CEO Ronn Nozoe. The Collinsville High School council has taken student leadership to the next level, creating a culture promoting scholarship and citizenship that resonates far beyond their team.

"Im delighted to recognize their hard work with the National Gold Council of Excellence Award for their commitment to service, leadership and uplifting the voices of their peers.



A student council must meet a variety of criteria to earn the National Council of Excellence Award. In addition to basic requirements such as a written constitution, regular meetings and a democratic election process, the councils must have demonstrated successful sponsorship and

participation in activities such as leadership development and service to the school and community.



Only six Illinois student councils were recognized as 2023 National Councils of Excellence. Other than Collinsville, they are:

Adlai E. Stevenson High School of Lincolnshire

Central A&M High School of Moweaqua

Marion High School

New Trier High School  Winnetka

St. Charles North High School

Collinsville StuCo is well-known and respected on the state and national levels. This summer, Collinsville High School will host the 2023 Vision National Student Leadership Conference.

From June 26 -28, hundreds of student-leaders from across the country will convene in Collinsville for Destination Leadership: Where Dreams Come True.
COLLINSVILLE  Collinsville High School teacher Heather Johnson was honored with a 2022-23 Smart/Maher Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Citizenship Education Teacher Award from Caseyville VFW Post 1117 and VFW Illinois District 14.



According to a press release, the purpose of the award is "...to identify and recognize Americas best educators who instill a sense of national pride in students."

VFW annually recognizes the nations top classroom teachers who teach citizenship education topics regularly and promote Americas history and traditions effectively.

"This award is very special to me because both of my grandfathers fought in World War II. Also, my dad and father-in-law served in Vietnam. My daughter and son-in-law are veterans of the USAF," said Johnson.



"It is important to me that my students learn about the sacrifices and selfless service of our veterans. I incorporate the Medal of Honor curriculum in both my U.S. history and government classes. Hearing the stories of our heroes is something I hope our students will remember for years to come," Johnson added.



Johnson was nominated by CHS Counseling Department Chair Karen Olsen, who described her as "student-centered, innovative, civic-minded, patriotic and extremely hardworking."

Excerpt from Johnson's nomination

...In addition to these school-wide initiatives, you will find the same passion inside her classroom as she teaches the rules of government, the constitutional principles and the impact of United States and Illinois history on our current world," Olsen wrote. "She uses a very interactive- and inquiry-based approach. She truly believes knowledge is power and tries to make history and civics personal to each student. She believes that if students are successful in school both academically and personally, it builds the foundation for contributing civic-minded citizens.

"She is the founder and sponsor for our Youth and Government chapter. Through this experience, students learn about the process of state government through direct experience in different roles (page, lobbyist, legislator, etc.). Students have learned a lot through this experience and look forward to it every year. She has also helped with the dedication of our veterans memorial, the federal naturalization court proceeding we hosted at CHS last year, multiple voting registration drives, etc. She has made CHS a more civic-minded school.



Johnson's achievement was recognized by the local VFW and at the district level, making her a finalist for the state award.



"I attended the VFW meetings to receive my award and I really enjoyed talking with all of the veterans and listening to their service stories. They are so appreciative of what teachers do in the classroom every day.

"They thanked me repeatedly for what I do; however, they are the true heroes," said Johnson.
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MARYVILLE  For Carrie and Michael Cushing, family and community are key elements in starting and growing a successful small business.

The Cushings are the owners and operators of CMC Electric, which currently has its office at 2714 Maryville Road in Maryville. The company is in the process of moving to a new location on East Main Street in Maryville.

We strive for customer satisfaction, and thrive on being active in the community, Carrie said. Besides our memberships in the area Chambers of Commerce, we like to give back to the community by supporting various school and youth organizations such as the Collinsville Triad Maryville CEO program.

We also give our time and talents to volunteering for local event committees such as Collinsvilles Italian Fest and Fall Festival. You will also regularly find us participating in community and charitable events like Collinsvilles Christmas Parade and Festival of Trees.

Meet Your Neighbor Every Saturday, the Intelligencer publishes a Meet Your Neighbor story on local residents who deserve to be recognized for their work in the community. To make a nomination, email Scott Marion at smarion@edwpub.net. See More Collapse

"We are from this community, our families are here, and we love to be involved and give back.

Almost high school sweethearts

For Carrie and Michael, their connection began long before they started a business together.

Michael and I went to high school together at Collinsville, Carrie said. We were just friends back then, although we did go to the prom together. We lost touch after high school. I went off to college and he went right to work in the electrical field.

We reconnected in 2004 at the Maryville Homecoming and started dating that fall.

Carrie and Michael got married in the summer of 2007 and Michael was looking to move on from his job in St. Louis. At that point, they decided to open their own electrical business.

The economy was horrible in 2007 and 2008, yet we chose that time to start a business. At the time, I was working as a massage therapist in Edwardsville, Carrie said. Our first customer was my boss, who had just bought a house and was rehabbing it.

We incorporated in December of 2007 and officially opened for business in January of 2008. Our first office was in the basement of our house in Collinsville. Michael did it all the first year, the bookkeeping and invoicing plus all the work in the field.

Carrie and Michael hired their first employee, Stephen Scott, in November of 2008 and he is still with the company today as the head commercial electrician.

We moved to Troy in 2009 and our office went with us, but we didnt have a shop at that point, Carrie said. Michaels brother had a shop, so the guys worked out of a box trailer that we had parked there.

Working out of our basement and working from home had challenges, especially when we had our three kids, who are now 13, 11 and 9. I joke that I never got maternity leave because I had to come home from the hospital and do payroll.

Expansions over the years

In 2015, Carrie and Michael moved to their current location on Maryville Road, which enabled them to hire a full-time office manager to answer phone calls and perform other duties, including scheduling of appointments.

It was a game-changer for us, Carrie said of the move to the Maryville Road location. We regularly get comments from customers that call around looking for an electrician saying that we were the only place that answered the phone or promptly returned a message.

CMC Electric now has 12 employees and is looking to add more experienced electricians.

The company has outgrown the Maryville Road building. A year and a half ago, Carrie and Michael brought the property on East Main Street in Maryville that will allow them to expand the business.

We needed more office space and more shop space. Our shop is already set up over there and our electricians are working out of that location, Carrie said. We still must build an office and once that has been finished, well move over there completely.

We wanted to be there already, but hopefully well be there by the end of this year, Michael added.

Pride in what they do

After 15 years in business with deep roots in the community, CMC Electrics customer base continues to grow.

CMC stands for Carrie and Michael Cushing, so our name is on the business, Michael said. We take pride in our work and our reputation reflects that. Word of mouth is our biggest form of advertising, and the most effective.

They have been recognized for their work, including earning the Best Electrician plaque at the Edwardsville Intelligencers 2022 Best of the Best ceremony.

CMC Electric performs a variety of residential and commercial electrical services. Business hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

We do new construction including new builds of homes for contractors and homeowners that are serving as their own contractor, Carrie said. We pride ourselves on service work and troubleshooting calls. We do many electric service upgrades and also install backup generators and solar systems.

If someone wants to remodel their kitchen or finish their basement, we can take care of their electrical needs. From changing one outlet to a whole house rewire, we can do it all.

The companys commercial division, meanwhile, is headed by Scott, also a Collinsville High School graduate.

We do ground-up commercial work, tenant finishes and remodels, Carrie said. Weve done gas stations, multi-family apartment buildings and many other commercial projects.

We work within about an hours radius of our office, especially for the bigger jobs. Were licensed in St. Louis City and St. Louis County as well as the municipalities in Illinois that require licensing, including Granite City and Belleville.

From short bust to big boon

Like so many other companies across the nation, CMC Electric was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic  negatively at first but a boon for business in the long run.

When COVID first hit, we slowed down quite a bit for a month, Michael said. After that, the last couple years have been our busiest ever. With people being home, they realized that they needed a home office, needed to redo their basement or their kitchen, or they decided to build a new house.

New residential construction was running rampant. The big downfall, which we still deal with today, is material shortages, and its crazy the amount of lead times we have for some items. A lot of our equipment is 40-plus weeks out.

For more information about CMC Electric, visit www.cmcelectricinc.com, call 618-345-2008 or email info@cmcelectricinc.com.
Jason Peter, M: 402-672-1996, jpeter@npdodge.com, www.thepeterteam.com - Trademark Homes new "Siena" plan being built in Newport Vista neighborhood. This beautiful home is loaded with amazing finishes and features plus a great open floor plan. Entering the home you will be greeted with a 2 story entry, LVT floors, oversized kitchen island, and quartz countertops. Coming in from the garage you will see a drop zone area that opens to a huge walk through pantry. The 2nd floor features 4 bedrooms, including the spacious primary bedroom with a luxury tiled walk-in shower. The laundry room is located on the 2nd floor with access from the primary closet and hallway. This home sits on a nice south facing lot with a covered patio. Close to Bennington Schools, walking trails, and parks. Come see why Trademark Homes is different than the rest. For more information visit our model home located at 17019 Abigail St. Open 12-4 Sat and Sun.
In this weeks episode of Segue, Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilles weekly radio program exploring the lives and work of the people on campus and beyond, College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Kevin Leonard, PhD, interviews Lisa Baurda, a junior journalism major in the Department of Mass Communications.

Lisa hails from Odesa, Ukraine. To mark the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lisa recently shared Unissued Diplomas, an international exhibit honoring the stories of Ukrainian students who did not graduate due to the Russian invasion.

This episode of Segue airs at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 23. Listeners can tune into WSIE 88.7 FM The Sound or siue.edu/wsie.

Lets begin by having you tell us a little more about yourself. Where did you grow up and how did you end up coming to SIUE to study journalism? asks Dean Leonard.

I am a junior right now, says Lisa. I was born in Odesa, a coastal city. After school I decided I wanted to move cities, so I moved 12 hours away from my hometown. Just before the invasion started, I saw this exchange program and I was always interested in the American educational system, to be honest. When I was in high school, I had this little American dream. I applied and thats how I got here.

When did you decide that you wanted to study journalism? asks Leonard.

It is an interesting story, notes Lisa. I was only 16 years old when I needed to decide what university to apply to and what major to pursue. I really just was thinking about what I was doing when I was a kid. I was really creative. I sang and danced. I was also all about making a change in my community. Journalism felt like my go-to option because it can be creative and change things in your community. Thats how I chose it.

Are there important people who have encouraged and supported you as you have pursued your degree and career?

I would say my parents, who have always supported me, says Lisa. I am thankful that I have their support all the way through. Also, my professors from my home university. They have been very supportive. I do not think I would be here without them because a lot of times I can just talk to them and feel better. Here at SIUE I also have professors who support me and this encourages me to move forward, do more and be better.

How would you describe your experience as a Ukrainian student at SIUE? asks Leonard.

Basically, I am the only Ukrainian student here this semester, says Lisa. At first it was somewhat weird because this was my first time being that far from home as the only person from my country. On campus we have two Ukrainians who are professors, but they came to the United States a long time ago.

"I really love SIUE and my experience here. But I was surprised I did not see much support toward Ukraine following its invasion. I was a little bit disappointed. Thats why I decided that I needed to speak up and do something about that. Students at SIUE are educated about whats happening, but I think they are not comfortable asking questions and knowing more. I always tell everyone that I am open to answering questions.

Tune in at 9 a.m. Sunday, April 23, 2023, to WSIE 88.7 The Sound to hear the entire conversation.
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Linkedin Yvette Tanamal (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sat, March 11, 2023 11:53 51 d5259e4d93052b0e76bee70b052771f5 1 Asia and Pacific defense,conflict,geopolitics,ASEAN,Indo-Pacific,security,US-China-tension,Taiwan,South-China-Sea Free

In addition to economic woes and the climate crisis, the possibility of war has been weighing on the minds of many Southeast Asians, according to a 2023 report on the state of the region by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Recent reports of growing defense budgets, increased procurement of arms and buzzing military activity in major sea lanes around the region have added to the concerns, as well as the war in Ukraine, which has sent ripples around the globe.

International relations analysts believe ASEAN and its member states would be far from ready to respond effectively if an open conflict were to break out in the Indo-Pacific today.

Red tape, a lack of coordination and minimal experience in joint operations would hamper the 10-nations of the bloc, which are currently walking a tightrope amid the great powers rivalry in the region, the analysts said.

And while they felt the chances of actual war in the region remained slim, the experts warned against miscalculating and underestimating existing threats.

In recent years, the increasing military assertiveness of China has prompted counteractions from the West, translating into heightened tensions in the Indo-Pacific, the focus of the struggle for influence between Beijing and Washington.

Border disputes in the region, such as in the South China Sea, have worsened amid increased territorial prodding.

Amid this polarization, ASEAN has struggled to safeguard regional security and stability.

Last month, Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi warned of the danger of open conflict in the region, while her Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan separately noted the increasingly destabilized nature of ASEAN.

Dialogues about security or defense cooperation in the region are relatively taboo, threatening, even. They are associated with conflict and war, which are not things ASEAN is necessarily comfortable with, I Made Andi Arsana, an expert on the South China Sea dispute at Gadjah Mada University (UGM), told The Jakarta Post.

It comes from a positive place, that ASEAN should be a peaceful region, [that] there is no need to talk about arms. So a formal alliance in defense is not a feasible option. We are not ready for conflicts, Andi said.

Divided loyalties

Dewi Fortuna Anwar, a senior international relations expert from the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), said China attempting to seize Taiwan would be the most likely cause of an open conflict.

The South China Sea dispute, the analyst said, had predominantly involved coast guard vessels so far, with little to no military contact.

In the Taiwan case, the United States is also involved. Depending on the treaties in place, Washington may also draw in Japan and South Korea, Dewi said.

If that were to occur, she added, ASEAN would likely attempt to seal Southeast Asia off from the conflict to avoid escalation.

We would definitely be affected since China and Japan are among our top trade partners. [...] If it were to spread to the Malacca Strait, then it would be even more disastrous, Dewi said.

Trillions of dollars worth of goods pass through sea lanes in the South China Sea every year, meaning a disruption to the body of water would have far-reaching consequences.

US-China tensions have been high since the US shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon over its territory last month, prompting US President Joe Biden to cancel a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.

Some US intelligence officials have also claimed that China could attempt to invade Taiwan before 2027.

UGMs Andi said the security measures in place, such as the hotline mechanism for the South China Sea, left much to be desired, with bureaucratic obstacles likely to slow response times.

I think the hotline mechanism specifically would not be translated swiftly enough in any real emergencies. There needs to be serious streamlining in the process, he said.

In 2015, the defense ministers of the ASEAN member states agreed to establish a hotline enabling them to communicate quickly and securely in a crisis situation.

They have since introduced more confidence-building measures, such as the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) and the ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure (ADI).

Then there is the issue of loyalties.



Yohanes Sulaiman, a security analyst at Jenderal Achmad Yani University (UNJANI) said some countries in ASEAN that were economically dependent on China could quickly renounce their claims of neutrality to side with Beijing in the event of open conflict.

It is not impossible that some countries may not side with ASEAN in such cases, he said.

And even if ASEAN were to remain united, there was still the problem of leadership.

The most important aspect in any open conflict is leadership. Who will call the shots? Singapore may not necessarily abide by Malaysian or Indonesian orders. Indonesia will also likely hesitate if expected to receive commands from a Malaysian general, he said.

Treading carefully

For the next couple of years at least, experts said, increasing tensions would not likely break out into war.

With the current level of international economic interdependence, it would be foolish for any state to escalate the rivalry to the point of physical conflict, Dewi said.

Both Andi and Yohanes agreed, though they warned that the relative safety might not extend indefinitely.

Im one of the optimists who think that war will not happen. But if we look at history, all large-scale conflicts were caused by miscalculation and the downplaying of threats, said Andi.

And these miscalculations almost always turn deadly.
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Khartoum  Sat, April 22, 2023 12:33 9 003a0fdfeebb1025ab3702947b26aac3 2 Middle East and Africa Sudan,conflict,#IdulFitri,Insurgencies Free

Street fighting between the forces of two rival generals eased in parts of Sudan's capital by Friday evening, witnesses reported, after repeated calls for an end-of-Ramadan ceasefire to the nearly week-long conflict.

More than 400 people have been killed and thousands wounded since the fighting erupted Saturday between forces loyal to army chief Abdel Fattah al Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the powerful paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and is commonly known as Hemeti.

The army announced Friday that it had "agreed to a ceasefire for three days" to "enable citizens to celebrate Idul Fitri and allow the flow of humanitarian services", which United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken had called for a day earlier.

Daglo said in a statement posted online that he had "discussed the current crisis" with Guterres, and was "focused on the humanitarian truce, safe passages, and protecting humanitarian workers".

Blinken welcomed both the army's announcement and an earlier one by the RSF, a powerful force formed from members of the Janjaweed militia involved in years of violence in the western Darfur region.

"It is clear, however, that fighting is continuing and there is serious mistrust between the two forces," Blinken said, urging both sides to "pause the fighting" and "permit full and unimpeded humanitarian access".

Witnesses in several areas of Khartoum reported a rare lull in the fighting Friday evening, after explosions had rocked the city for the seventh straight day.

Idul Fitri is meant to be spent "with sweets and pastries, with happy children, and people greeting relatives", resident Sami al Nour told AFP. Instead, there has been "gunfire and the stench of blood all around us".

Soldiers and paramilitaries fought fierce street battles in densely populated districts of Khartoum, with witnesses reporting blasts near the army headquarters in the city of five million people.

On Friday evening, the army accused the RSF of violating the truce, including by "indiscriminately bombing" the airport and presidential palace.

Two previous ceasefires earlier in the week had failed to take hold.

Plans are being made to evacuate foreign nationals, with the United States, South Korea and Japan deploying forces to nearby countries and the European Union weighing a similar move.

On Friday, the US State Department said the fighting had made Sudan too risky for an evacuation of embassy personnel from Khartoum.

The Pentagon has mobilized in the east Africa region to bring out US staff from the Sudan capital.

Later, the RSF said it was ready to "partially" open "all airports" in Sudan for neighboring countries to evacuate their citizens.

It could not be independently verified which airports were under RSF control.

'Nightmare scenario'

The World Health Organization (WHO) said 413 people had been killed and 3,551 wounded in the fighting across Sudan, but the actual death toll is thought to be higher, with many wounded unable to reach hospitals.

The International Committee of the Red Cross urged "immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access", saying it was a "legal obligation under international humanitarian law".

Analysts have warned that the conflict could affect countries across the region, with the UN saying up to 20,000 people have already fled to neighboring Chad.

On Friday, for the first time since hostilities began, Burhan appeared on television.

"For Idul Fitri this year, our country is bleeding: destruction, desolation and the sound of bullets have taken precedence over joy," he said in a prerecorded message.

"We hope that we will come out of this ordeal more united [...] a single army, a single people [...] towards a civilian power."

The International Crisis Group (ICG) said urgent steps were needed to stop a descent into "full-blown civil war", warning that "the nightmare scenario that many feared in Sudan is unfolding".

The World Food Program said the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people -- one-third of the population -- need aid.

It has suspended its Sudan operations after three WFP workers were killed a week ago.

On Friday, the UN migration agency said one of its employees died after his vehicle was caught in crossfire.

Burhan and Daglo's dispute centered on the planned integration of the RSF into the regular army, a key condition for a deal aimed at restoring Sudan's democratic transition.

"What's taking place was inevitable," said Khartoum resident Ibrahim Awad. "A country ruled by two leaders cannot move forward, there can't be two armies."

'They don't care'

Civilians are becoming increasingly desperate, with thousands risking the dangerous streets to flee Khartoum.

More than two-thirds of hospitals in Khartoum and neighboring states are now "out of service", the doctors' union said. At least four hospitals in North Kordofan state were shelled.

The WHO added early Saturday that it had "verified 11 attacks on healthcare since the start of the conflict", with facilities in affected areas "nearly non-functional due to staff fatigue and lack of supplies".

In El Fasher in Darfur, around 800 kilometers southwest of Khartoum, Doctors Without Borders (MSF) said the situation was "catastrophic".

"There are so many patients that they are being treated on the floor," said MSF project coordinator Cyrus Paye.

The military toppled autocratic president Omar al Bashir in April 2019 following massive protests against his three decades of iron-fisted rule.

In October 2021, Burhan and Daglo joined forces to oust a civilian government installed after Bashir's downfall, derailing an internationally backed transition to democracy.

"With neither Burhan nor Hemeti appearing ready to back down, the situation could get much worse," the ICG think tank said.

"Even if the army eventually does secure the capital, and Hemeti retreats to Darfur, a civil war could well follow, with potentially destabilizing impact in neighboring Chad, the Central African Republic, Libya and South Sudan."
Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (OTCMKTS:AIPUY  Get Rating) shares traded down 2.3% during trading on Friday . The company traded as low as $19.86 and last traded at $19.86. 951 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 53% from the average session volume of 2,014 shares. The stock had previously closed at $20.32.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Separately, Citigroup downgraded Airports of Thailand Public from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research report on Thursday, December 29th.

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Airports of Thailand Public Trading Down 2.3 %

The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $20.52 and a 200 day simple moving average of $20.55.

Airports of Thailand Public Company Profile

Airports of Thailand Public Co Ltd. engages in the operation of airport and hotel. It operates through the Airport Business and Hotel Business segments. It also manages Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK), Don Mueang Airport (DMK), Chiang Mai (CNX), Hat Yai (HDY), Phuket (HKT), and Mae Fah Luang  Chiang Rai.

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Local Bounti (NYSE:LOCL  Get Rating) is one of 33 public companies in the Agricultural production  crops industry, but how does it weigh in compared to its competitors? We will compare Local Bounti to related companies based on the strength of its earnings, profitability, institutional ownership, analyst recommendations, valuation, risk and dividends.

Profitability

This table compares Local Bounti and its competitors net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

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Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets Local Bounti -570.35% -95.94% -47.68% Local Bounti Competitors -339.13% -25.58% -15.99%

Volatility and Risk

Local Bounti has a beta of 1.75, indicating that its stock price is 75% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Local Bountis competitors have a beta of -24.13, indicating that their average stock price is 2,513% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

Analyst Ratings

65.3% of Local Bounti shares are owned by institutional investors. Comparatively, 25.5% of shares of all Agricultural production  crops companies are owned by institutional investors. 41.5% of Local Bounti shares are owned by insiders. Comparatively, 17.7% of shares of all Agricultural production  crops companies are owned by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

This is a summary of recent ratings for Local Bounti and its competitors, as reported by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score Local Bounti 0 1 4 0 2.80 Local Bounti Competitors 102 171 490 23 2.55

Local Bounti presently has a consensus price target of $2.85, suggesting a potential upside of 452.11%. As a group, Agricultural production  crops companies have a potential upside of 62.09%. Given Local Bountis stronger consensus rating and higher probable upside, research analysts plainly believe Local Bounti is more favorable than its competitors.

Earnings and Valuation

This table compares Local Bounti and its competitors gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

Gross Revenue Net Income Price/Earnings Ratio Local Bounti $19.47 million -$111.07 million -0.40 Local Bounti Competitors $1.63 billion $21.77 million -0.08

Local Bountis competitors have higher revenue and earnings than Local Bounti. Local Bounti 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.

Summary

Local Bounti competitors beat Local Bounti on 7 of the 13 factors compared.

Local Bounti Company Profile

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Local Bounti Corporation grows fresh greens and herbs in the United States. It produces lettuce, herbs, and loose-leaf lettuce. The company sells its products to food retailers and food service distributors. Local Bounti Corporation was founded in 2018 and is headquartered in Hamilton, Montana.

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The St. Joe Company (NYSE:JOE  Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 1,360,000 shares, a decline of 13.4% from the March 15th total of 1,570,000 shares. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 167,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 8.1 days. Currently, 2.4% of the companys shares are sold short.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other St. Joe news, Director Bruce R. Berkowitz sold 131,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.54, for a total transaction of $5,703,740.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 21,138,791 shares in the company, valued at $920,382,960.14. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, Director Bruce R. Berkowitz sold 131,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $43.54, for a total transaction of $5,703,740.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,138,791 shares of the companys stock, valued at $920,382,960.14. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Bruce R. Berkowitz sold 1,200 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Monday, February 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $43.11, for a total transaction of $51,732.00. Following the transaction, the director now directly owns 21,137,591 shares in the company, valued at $911,241,548.01. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 42.00% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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Institutional Trading of St. Joe

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of JOE. Raymond James & Associates raised its holdings in shares of St. Joe by 23.1% during the first quarter. Raymond James & Associates now owns 39,765 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,356,000 after purchasing an additional 7,471 shares during the period. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of St. Joe by 2.6% during the first quarter. Raymond James Financial Services Advisors Inc. now owns 26,725 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $1,583,000 after purchasing an additional 669 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp raised its holdings in shares of St. Joe by 4.7% during the first quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 341,731 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $20,245,000 after purchasing an additional 15,416 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. raised its holdings in shares of St. Joe by 7.3% during the first quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 5,548 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $329,000 after purchasing an additional 376 shares during the period. Finally, HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of St. Joe during the first quarter worth $269,000. 86.49% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

St. Joe Price Performance

Separately, StockNews.com cut shares of St. Joe from a hold rating to a sell rating in a report on Wednesday, April 5th.

JOE traded down $0.06 during trading on Friday, hitting $41.27. The company had a trading volume of 81,469 shares, compared to its average volume of 160,126. The company has a market cap of $2.41 billion, a PE ratio of 34.11 and a beta of 1.28. The business has a 50-day moving average of $41.69 and a 200-day moving average of $39.55. St. Joe has a 1-year low of $31.11 and a 1-year high of $58.11.

St. Joe (NYSE:JOE  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The financial services provider reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter. The firm had revenue of $61.60 million for the quarter. St. Joe had a net margin of 28.10% and a return on equity of 11.03%.

St. Joe Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, March 28th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 6th were issued a dividend of $0.10 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 0.97%. St. Joes dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 33.06%.

St. Joe Company Profile

(Get Rating)

The St. Joe Co engages in real estate development and asset management. It operates through the following segments: Residential, Hospitality, and Commercial. The Residential segment is involved in planning and developing residential communities of various sizes across a wide range of price points and selling home sites to builders and retail consumers.

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The raging debate about what LGBTQ and sex education books are available in the Fremont Keene Memorial Library has yet to reach the Fremont Public Schools despite some of the same contested titles being offered at district campus libraries.

Several residents contacted the Fremont Tribune, alleging that This Book is Gay and other controversial LGBTQ-themed books being contested in the citys public library are also available to students in libraries at FPS campuses.

On Monday, April 17, the Keene Memorial Library Advisory Board voted unanimously to relocate This Book is Gay to the adult section of the city library, with board president Linda McClain calling the book, adult content.

The book is one of more than 100 LGBTQ titles or books in the citys library that many local residents object to, alleging the books are, in their opinion, pornographic, obscene or contain inappropriate and possibly unscientific commentary regarding transgender issues and ideology.

Following the Monday meeting and decision by the city library board to relocate This Book is Gay, several residents alleged the book  and other LGBTQ+ tomes they feel are inappropriate  were available in libraries at assorted campuses within the Fremont Public School district.

In response to the tips about the books, the Tribune contacted FPS district officials to inquire about what books under the keywords LGBT or LGBTQ were available in district libraries.

The Tribune also specifically inquired about the alleged availability of This Book is Gay, by author Juno Dawson at any district campus.

On Thursday, April 20, district Superintendent Mark Shepard provided a list of all books the districts library staff could locate related to LGBTQ+ themes or topics.

Shepard also said to his knowledge dating back about two years, no parents have filed official complaints about LGBTQ+ books with individual school administrators, the district or the districts board of education to have any books or material removed or reconsidered.

Only two books have been complained about in the past several years according to district officials, with both being informal requests that were not heard by the board of education.

One was about the book All are Welcome, which was briefly used on an informal basis at Washington Elementary School before its use was halted; and Anyas Ghost by Vera Brogsal at Johnson Crossing Academic Center.

We have only had one question raised regarding a books appropriateness since Jan. 15, 2023. It was at (Johnson Crossing Academic Center) and handled with the principal and parent to the satisfaction of the parent. The book in question was Anyas Ghost by Vera Brogsal, Shepard wrote in an email. The book was placed in the JCAC media collection by mistake. It was purchased for the Middle School media center. The agreed upon outcome was to move the book to the middle school media center as originally intended. The parent did not file a formal complaint.

230 LGBT themed books in entire district

Statistics provided by the district revealed books under the keyword category LGBT or LGBTQ were present to some degree at the districts elementary schools, the Johnson Crossing Academic Center, the Fremont Middle School and at Fremont High School.

At the elementary school level, which includes the campuses of Bell Field, Clarmar, Grant, Howard, Linden, Milliken Park and Washington elementary schools, there are a combined total of 66,323 books or e-books available in the seven campus libraries.

In those seven elementary school libraries, according to FPS statistics, there are only two books that meet the keywords LGBT or LGBTQ.

At JCAC, there are 8,928 books or e-books available in the campus library, with only six books or e-books classifying as LGBT or LGBTQ in nature or topic.

For Fremont Middle School, the district listed 13,285 books or e-books available in the school library, with 19 books described as LGBT or LGBTQ.

The Fremont High School library had the most books that fit the classification of LGBT or LGBTQ, according to the data provided by Shepard and other district officials. Of the 22,710 books or e-books at the high school, a total of 203 books or e-books qualified as LGBT or LGBTQ in content or topic.

3 very controversial books available at high school

Of those 203 books, at least one tome  This Book is Gay  matches books targeted by Fremont residents for removal from the city library. This Book is Gay, which is described as a LGBTQIA how-to or instructional guide, is available in the high school library only in the e-book format.

Two other books present at the high school library have sparked controversy in libraries and schools across the nation: Flamer by Mike Curato, and All Boys arent Blue: a Memoir-Manifesto, by George M. Johnson.

Flamer has drawn intense criticism in many states, and has led to protests at school board meetings and even a parent contacting the local sheriff to report the book as pornographic and obscene.

The tome by Curato is a graphic novel with cartoonish drawings, telling the story of a summer camp during which the author discovers his sexual identity.

In an interview about the book with Amazon.com, Curato explained why he wrote the graphic novel and explained in his opinion why it was important.

Often those who are bullied dont fit into typical social circles. Sometimes theyre loners who dont have anyone to share their experiences with, and no one to turn to for advice or understanding, Curato said in the interview. Having books in which they can see themselves reminds them they have a right to exist and take up space in this world. Its important to have a book in which you, the outsider, finally feel centered.

The book, All Boys arent Blue: a Memoir-Manifesto has been possibly more controversial than Flamer, with the George M. Johnson novel coming in as the third-most challenged or banned book in the nation in 2021 according to the American Library Association.

The ALA website states the book has generated controversy; Banned and challenged for LGBTQIA+ content, profanity, and because it was considered to be sexually explicit.

In an October 2022 interview with National Public Radio, Johnson explained to NPR reporters Reena Advani and Rachel Treisman why he thought the book is important for youth.

Students ... have publicly said on record that works like mine have saved their lives, works like mine have helped them name their abusers, works like mine have helped them come to terms with who they are and feel validated in the fact that there is somebody else that exists in the world like them, Johnson said in the NPR interview. And you want to remove that from them. I just think its sad.

No official complaints in past two years

In response to the question about whether or not any parents had filed complaint forms with the district about any of the 230 books at district libraries classified as LGBT or LGBTQ, Shepard said he was not aware of any official forms being filed with the district since April 2021.

To contest a book or educational material used or available in FPS schools, parents or guardians must fill out a form obtained from the campus where the contested material is located. The form must at first also be returned to that schools administrator.

After a complaint, according to district policy, a schools administrative staff and the teacher using the contested material will work with the parents or guardians to determine whether or not the contested material is not used for the particular student or a wider removal or response is sought.

If that initial effort is unsuccessful, a second complaint form must be filed by the parents or guardians. Following receipt of the second complaint form, a conference between the administrator and parents is mandatory, and if that meeting does not solve the dispute, the complaint then goes to a schoolwide review committee for consideration. At this phase, district officials  including the superintendent  are told of the complaint.

Following that school-level review, if the complainant is still unsatisfied with the response, then the complaint is heard by a district-level committee who will review and make a determination on the request.

If that district level review and response does not satisfy or is disagreed with by the complainants, then the issue reverts to the six-member FPS Board of Education, which has final authority on the issue.
Union Bank of Nigeria Plc is reportedly to be facing its worst financial nightmare following a judgment by a Nigerian court which awarded N1.49trn against the bank.

Though, the bank is hopefully awaiting the Supreme Court to reverse the judgment made by the court of appeal.

However, in the Union Banks assessment of contingent liabilities contained in its 2022 financial report, the bank admitted the matter was considered to be a key audit matter due to the size of the potential liability.

The bank said no provision was made for the N1.49trn judgment liability which is more than half of the lenders N2.79trn total asset.

Union Bank said, The Bank is involved in various legal actions in the ordinary course of business, which has resulted in contingent liabilities amounting to N1.497 trillion as of 31 December 2022 (2021: N1.98 trillion).

The most significant is a case with a total claim of N1.495 trillion (2021: N1.54 trillion) in which judgment had been awarded against the Bank and other co-defendants by a Federal High Court in prior years. The Bank appealed against the judgment, which is currently pending before the supreme court.

It was also reported that Union Bank is facing $15bn judgment debt awarded against it by a Federal High Court.

According to reports, the court had in 2014 awarded the sum of 2.550 billion with 15 per cent interest yearly to Petro Union Oil and Gas Company Limited (Petro Union).

It was learnt that the case began in 1994 when Petro Union procured a cheque from a branch of Barclays Bank in the UK with a value of 2.556 billion and presented it at one of Union Banks branches in Lagos.

Petro Union claimed that it planned to construct some refineries and establish a bank with the money.

Union Bank, however, took the cheque and purportedly refused to give Petro Union the money.

The bank said, In the case of Petro Union, while the Banks appeal was pending before the Supreme Court, its application for leave to amend its notice of appeal, to appeal on grounds of mixed law and fact, and to extend the time to apply for leave was dismissed.

The Bank subsequently filed another application seeking the leave of the Supreme Court to appeal the judgment of the lower court. On 22 December 2021, the Supreme Court unanimously granted leave to the Bank to appeal the judgment of the Court of Appeal and to file its Notice of Appeal. The Bank filed an appeal on the 5th May 2022, but the Court is yet to fix a date for hearing after initial adjournment.
The Federal Government has expressed difficulty in evacuating Nigerians who are currently trapped in Sudan internal conflict.

The Nigerian government said evacuation is not possible at the moment as the situation in Sudan is still tense.

Recall there is ongoing fierce military confrontation between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force.

It was learnt that more than 300 people have been killed since the fighting erupted on Saturday between forces loyal to Sudans army chief, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Speaking on evacuation exercise, the Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa said while the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have put in place arrangements to evacuate Nigerian students and other Nigerian citizens stranded in Sudan, the tensed situation makes it gravely risky and impossible for any flights at this point in time.

In a statement released on Friday which was signed by Gabriel Odu of Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit, NIDCOM, Dabiri-Erewa was quoted noting that Aircraft parked at the Airport in the country were burnt on Friday morning.

She said Humanitarian Groups were seeking ways of getting food, water and medicals across to people.

The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon Abike Dabiri-Erewa has said while the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), have put in place arrangements to evacuate Nigerian students and other Nigerian citizens stranded in Sudan, the tensed situation makes it gravely risky and impossible for any flights at this point in time., noting that Aircrafts parked at the Airport in the country were burnt yesterday morning.

She therefore appealed to the fighting Parties to consider the Juba Peace Agreement enunciated by Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), as fundamental mechanism for the restoration of peace and tranquility in the country.
Concerns have been raised by banks and their customers over the Central Bank of Nigerias proposed plan to mop up funds from dormant accounts. While the proposal is not new, stakeholders argue that it could potentially have unintended consequences on the banking sector, reports by a correspondent Oluwakemi Abimbola.

The CBN had released an exposure draft guideline proposing that banks and other financial institutions should transfer funds in accounts that have been dormant for up to 10 years into a trust fund account.

A circular, signed by the Director of the Financial Policy and Regulation Department of the apex bank, Chibuzor Efobi, which accompanied the exposure draft, stated that the proposed guidelines were in response to requests from banks and other stakeholders for the CBN to clarify the procedures for the management of dormant and inactive accounts by banks in the country. The circular, which was dated April 6, 2023, also called for inputs, which should be sent within three weeks.

The draft guidelines said, The Central Bank of Nigeria shall open and maintain an account earmarked for the purpose of warehousing unclaimed balances in eligible accounts. The account shall be called the Unclaimed Balances Trust Fund Pool Account.

The eligible accounts and financial assets are current, savings and term deposits in local currency; domiciliary accounts; deposits towards the purchase of shares and mutual investments; prepaid card accounts and wallets; proceeds of uncleared and unpresented financial instruments belonging to customers or non-customers of FIs; unclaimed salaries and wages, commissions, and bonuses.

However, exempted from the proposed unclaimed fund trust fund are government-owned accounts; accounts that are subject to litigation; accounts under investigation by a regulatory authority or law enforcement agency; and encumbered accounts including, but not limited to collaterals and liens.

This is not the first time that the state is attempting to take over unclaimed funds. In the signed Finance Act 2020, the Federal Government revealed plans to borrow unclaimed dividends and funds in dormant account balances banks. This was disclosed under Part XII of the Companies and Allied Matters Act in the Finance Act. This led to an outcry against the move.

A non-governmental organisation, Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project filed a lawsuit against the Federal Government in this regard.

The Finance Act of 2020, which also set up the Unclaimed Dividends Trust Fund, got reactions from capital market stakeholders, who felt that the government was aiming to reap where it had not sown and insisted that unclaimed dividends should be returned to the companies that generated the dividends in the first place.

The shareholders argued that it was overreaching and unacceptable for the government to seek to expropriate the unclaimed dividends under the subterfuge of any revenue.

They noted that companies and individuals had a right to private property and assets; which unclaimed dividends funds fell into.

Reacting to the latest move by the CBN, the Chairman of the Bank Customers Association of Nigeria, Dr Uju Ogubunka, said that it was not okay for the central banker to take over individual funds under any guise.

He said, CBN cannot appropriate peoples money just like that. I dont think it is the right thing to do. Maybe, what is right is for CBN to seek individual approval from those people that have those accounts.

Ogubunka also expressed concern about the effect of pulling out the funds in dormant accounts from the deposit portfolio of banks and other financial institutions, arguing that some banks may become distressed if the move is approved.

I can bet that in some banks, with this kind of definition of a dormant account, (there may be) huge amounts involved. If you take such amounts out of a bank, that bank may likely go distressed because you are going to create holes in the deposit portfolio of the bank and this bank has given credits that people have not yet paid back, he noted.

Ogubunkas stance was corroborated by a banker, who spoke anonymously with the correspondent.

He also slammed the CBN for creating unnecessary panic in the banking system, which had not yet recovered from the naira redesign crisis.

The banker said, A lot of monies that are in those old banks; the owners are late. You know those days when marriages are concerned, people dont disclose what they have in banks to their spouses, not like now. A lot of those old banks are strong today because of the money of those dead people. We have the issue of dividends from the stock market too.

At my bank on Tuesday, I know the billions of naira they told us are in dormant accounts. It will cause a lot of trouble if you pull out such funds. It will cause a lot of trouble, and distress in the banks.

I have been in this banking sector for 22 years and I see that CBN as our regulator has tried to get involved in the business of customer relations. I have my money in the bank. I can decide not to come to the bank for one year. There are a lot of people who do that. You know, if you dont come to the bank for one year, the account goes dormant. Some people in the villages just decide to keep their monies in the bank, some people are abroad.

They are just creating unnecessary panic in the system. Some people intentionally kept their accounts dormant in Nigeria. There are a lot of policies that the CBN needs to do for the benefit of Nigerians. It is not this kind of policy, where the CBN wants to poke its nose into what the banks are doing, and what the customers are doing, he averred.

The banker also blamed the demand for Bank Verification Numbers as one of the reasons for the increase in dormant accounts as well as family disputes following the death of a relative.

He explained, What led to the high number of dormant accounts recently is the issue of Bank Verification Numbers. A lot of Nigerians abroad, dont have means of doing BVN. Even the few centres aboard, for you to go and do BVN there, you have to spend a lot of money. So, a lot of them over there have refused to do BVN. They are sending money home and their accounts are dormant and they are okay with it. They know that anytime they come home, they will do BVN and start running the account.

This is a policy that is counterproductive. I dont see it working.
As concerned Nigerians who are very uncomfortable with the fate of Nigerians trapped in Sudan due to ongoing war and killings, we feel duty bound to unequivocally state our final stand on this bloodshed and arson.

We therefore wish to state, for the records, as follows:

1. It is totally unacceptable that while several countries were evacuating their citizens from Sudan, ours is the only African nation giving excuses.

2. With thousands of Nigerians in Sudan, especially male and female Northern students being the majority, we reject the lame excuse given in a letter by the Nigeria Embassy about the difficulty of evacuating our sons and daughters. No Northerner in this country is at peace since the killings and arson started in Sudan.

3. We are aware that the Sudanese government had already warned that the situation would escalate, and gave 72 hours ultimatum for countries whose citizens are either doing business or schooling in that country to be evacuated. We cannot fathom why all we get at the moment is the excuse by our Embassy that doing so would be difficult. What held us from taking advantage of the 72 hours ultimatum in the first place?

4. It is abundantly clear that lives are now at stake, especially for our Northern brothers and sisters schooling in Sudan, considering the escalation of this war, that involves the use of heavy-duty incendiary.

5. As a group, we wish to make it categorically clear that if our innocent Northern brothers and sisters schooling in Sudan get killed in this war, we shall hold the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan accountable.

6. We wish to emphasize that on no account should these young and innocent Nigerians be left to their own devices, because they have a fatherland that has the constitutional and legal responsibility to protect the lives of citizens anywhere they are on this planet.

*Signed*

Alh. Yerima Shettima

National President

For: AYCF


Coyotes continue to be a problem for Niagara residents, including currently in the north end of Niagara Falls.

North-end resident and Coun. Mike Strange said neighbours have been dealing with a pretty big coyote problem.

We had four coyotes that basically walk around, and theyve been gone for the winter, but theyve come back now and everyones pretty afraid because theyre  walking down the street and theyre huge and it doesnt seem like anything is bothering them, he said during a meeting this week.

Theyre out walking right past you. I talked to (a resident) who has a small dog, and he was really scared and its getting to the point where people are actually bringing weapons and knives, just in case, because they dont know what to do if one of these things attack.

Strange said there are three elementary schools in the area, and some cats have gone missing.

Im just looking for some kind of direction or help. I would just be afraid if something happened, if they went after a small child, he said.

Some of the residents  theyre seeing (the coyotes) even during the day now.

Mike Brown, who lives in the area and regularly walks his dogs, said he has had some close encounters with coyotes.

Last week, coming down Appleford  10:30 in the morning, a coyote actually came running out of Rousseau (Place) and it came charging at myself and my 15-pound dog, he said.

It got about 15 feet away and I actually bought one of those portable air horns back in the fall when they really were out all the time and that day, I did not have it with me, so I just started making myself big and screaming at it, loud noises, and it (took) off, but it was scary.

Brown said coyotes are rampant in the area and theyre not scared anymore.

Theyre out in broad daylight, he said, adding hes not worried so much about himself, but for pets.

Theres a big field on Olden (Avenue), its a hydro field  you can see them. Theres a bazillion rabbits out this way, too, so theyre being fed.

Reports of the presence of coyotes have been received from across Niagara in recent years.

In the fall there were reports from Thorold and in 2021, there were similar reports from Port Dalhousie.

Coyote Watch Canada, a volunteer-run non-profit wildlife organization, provides several recommendations for people who encounter coyotes. They include picking up small children and pets when a coyote is spotted, and never run from or turn your back on a coyote or other canines, including domestic dogs.

Be big and loud, the organizations website advises. Yell, Go away! Never scream. A strong voice and assertive gestures send a clear message.

More information is available online at Coyote Watch Canada

Strange said in an interview that when the problem began last spring and summer, he contacted city staff and Coyote Watch. Residents were told to keep authorities informed of where the coyotes are seen.

He said coyotes have been spotted in areas around Harriman Street, Appleford Avenue and Rolling Acres Drive.

I dont want to see any animal hurt. They might feel misplaced, I guess, from development and stuff, Im not sure.

During the council meeting, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said he remembers similar concerns in the past around Father Hennepin elementary school and in other areas of the city.

He said Coyote Watch discovered the problem was people feeding the coyotes as well as bird feeders.

Bird feeders attract squirrels and birds and coyotes eat squirrels and theyre creating this food chain, said Diodati.

People were setting up their wildlife cameras to catch the coyotes eating the food they were putting out. We put newsletters in everybodys mailboxes.

Diodati said he has seen coyotes along the Haulage Trail and the hydro corridor.

Thats their buffet  they come up and down and look to eat things and then when they run out of rabbits, they look for (cats) and things like that.

Erik Nickel, Niagara Falls director of municipal works, said staff will investigate.

We might want to look at increasing the strength of our bylaws around bird feeders and things like that to get to the root of the problem, he said.

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A group of Tesla Inc. investors has accused the company of mismanagement and is seeking a meeting with its board to discuss the performance of chief executive officer Elon Musk.

The 17 shareholders, who hold more than $1.5 billion of Tesla stock, said Musk is distracted by his commitments to other companies and must be reined in, according to an open letter they sent to Chairwoman Robyn Denholm and Director Ira Ehrenpreis Friday. They want the board to come up with a plan to do so and seek to remove directors too closely tied to the CEO.

There is collective frustration, said Ivan Frishberg, the chief sustainability officer for Amalgamated Bank, a union-owned bank that has 722,070 shares in Tesla across its various funds. Over the last year, it became quite clear that Tesla suffers from a governance problem.

Tesla didnt respond to a request for comment about the letter.

While governance complaints are nothing new for Tesla, they only add to the list of challenges facing the EV maker.

Earlier this week, the company reported lacklustre first-quarter earnings after aggressive price cuts it undertook to fend off competitors squeezed profits.

Musk said he plans to slash prices further, even if it hurts margins, sending the stock plunging more than 10% on Thursday.

Amalgamated Bank, New York City pension funds and other signatories to the letter want Musk to focus so he can navigate the increasingly competitive EV market and regulatory scrutiny. The company is facing probes by the US Department of Justice, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Californias Department of Motor Vehicles over its autopilot system.

While Teslas stock plummeted Thursday, the billionaire CEO was watching a rocket from another company he founded and runs  SpaceX  explode above Boca Chica, Texas, shortly after liftoff.

The Austin, Texas-based carmaker is now worth half its $1.2 trillion market cap on April 4, 2022, when Musk first disclosed his stake in Twitter Inc., the investors pointed out. He ultimately bought the social media company and has run it since October.

It is unprecedented to be a CEO and also be running two other companies at the same time, said Courtney Wicks, executive director of Investor Advocates for Social Justice, which represents several faith-based investors. I cant imagine any other board allowing a CEO to have as many outside business activities.

Earlier this year, another Tesla investor  who isnt associated with the letter  filed a resolution asking the company to create a plan to address its reliance on Musk.

Teslas board has recommended shareholders vote against the proposal at the companys May 16 annual meeting. While those types of resolutions face a tough road to success, the carmakers poor recent stock performance may rankle investors otherwise inclined to side with the company.

Some of the shareholders who signed onto the letter have brought resolutions to the companys annual meeting in the past. This years proxy contains just one resolution, down from eight in 2022  in large part because news Tesla was rescheduling the meeting was buried in a regulatory filing.

The letter goes on to a list of series of other issues the investors argue put the company at risk.

Among them: the companys litigation with the State of California over the treatment of Black employees at Teslas Fremont factory, the use of mandatory arbitration and the termination of employees who were involved in a union organizing effort in Buffalo, New York.

The group also criticized Tesla for opening a showroom in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. Activists and politicians have accused China of committing human rights abuses in the area.

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Youre guilty until proven innocent.

Thats the message the federal government is sending to airlines as it unveils new legislation to deal with passenger complaints.

In a news conference Monday, federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra said the government had a simple goal as it put together changes to the Transportation Act: give airlines less wiggle room for getting out of compensating passengers.

Its clear there are some loopholes that needed to be closed, said Alghabra as he discussed the changes, which are in an omnibus budget bill that received first reading in the House of Commons last Thursday.

Among the targets? A widely criticized loophole that has allowed airlines to avoid paying compensation by claiming the cause of a delay or cancellation was outside their control, and necessary for safety purposes.

Previously, passengers had to make their case that a delay or cancellation was within the airlines control. Now, the burden of proof will shift to the airlines if the legislation is passed.

It is presumed to be within the carriers control and not required for safety reasons unless the carrier proves the contrary, said the legislation, which also envisions a shorter, 90-day time frame for resolving passenger complaints. The current complaints process with the Canadian Transportation Agency, at least on paper, is supposed to take 120 days.

Shifting the burden of proof from passengers to airlines is a matter of fairness, Alghabra said in an interview with the Star.

The idea here is to rebalance the asymmetry of power between the airline and the customer, Alghabra said.

While that principle will take effect once the budget bill is passed, likely before parliaments summer break, the precise definition of whats within an airlines control wont be known until regulatory changes come into effect, something Alghabra hopes to see by the end of the year.

But in the interview, Alghabra made it clear hes trying to end the wiggle room.

The airlines cant say that because of staff shortage, its outside of their control. Airlines should be preparing the human resources needed to fly an airplane ahead of time, said Alghabra. To leave a passenger stranded at the last minute because suddenly they discover that they didnt have enough resources? They should have planned better.

The legislation also increases the maximum fines the CTA can levy on airlines to $250,000 from $25,000.

The association representing Canadas major airlines criticized the legislation, saying it wont make anything better for passengers.

The best passenger protection regime is a system in which travel disruptions are minimized  nothing in these legislative changes will accomplish that, Jeff Morrison, president and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada, said in an emailed statement.

Still, Morrison and airline officials were encouraged that Alghabra broached the idea of shared accountability for delays and cancellations, suggesting airlines could seek compensation from other stakeholders, including airports.

We know were the point of contact with passengers, and we accept that.  But we need the accountability to be able to recover those costs, said Andy Gibbons, vice-president of external affairs at WestJet.

The legislation also revealed more details proposed by the federal government in its March budget, including shifting the CTA complaints process into a mediation structure instead of its current quasi-judicial form.

The government had come under heavy pressure to respond to the chaos that unfolded in airports as COVID-19 travel restrictions were gradually lifted. Backlogs of complaints about delays and cancellations, lost or damaged bags and other passenger concerns swamped the CTA.

With the proposed changes, the government is on the right track, at least in theory, argued John Gradek, a former Air Canada executive and head of McGill Universitys Global Aviation Leadership program.

This is something that the airlines have been pushing back against hard, said Gradek, adding that the changes would bring Canadas Air Passenger Protection Regulations more in line with stricter European regulations. This brings us closer to Europe, no question.

Still, Gradek said passengers shouldnt get their hopes up that the new complaints process will be much quicker. There doesnt appear to be consequences if time lines arent met, Gradek said.

Theres no accountability there, which is disappointing, Gradek said.

NDP transportation critic Taylor Bachrach agreed.

I dont see anything in there that would hold the CTA accountable if they dont meet those time lines, said Bachrach. Were going to be likely to see more passengers sleeping on floors and out thousands of dollars.

Bachrach said airlines will still be able to get off the hook for compensating passengers.

Im not confident this is going to make a significant difference for Canadian air passengers, said Bachrach, who said the government should have followed the approach in his private members bill, which he argues gives the airlines even less wiggle room.

Canadians have been frustrated by this process at every turn. The government should be standing with passengers, not with big airlines, Bachrach said.

Passenger rights advocate Gabor Lukacs was even harsher, calling the proposed changes smoke and mirrors.

This is the government wanting to be seen doing something rather than actually doing something, said Lukacs, adding that he had no confidence that the new process will be quicker than the current one.

Ninety days is the time line on paper. But right now the time lines are 120 days, and people are waiting 18 months, said Lukacs.

The proposed new CTA complaints system also clamps down on how much information is released during the process, and doesnt really define criteria for evidence or proof.

To call this a kangaroo court would be doing a disservice to kangaroos, said Lukacs. Id still recommend people go to small claims court for their complaints. This is smoke and mirrors.

In his interview, Alghabra insisted the backlog of complaints would shrink with the new system, and with $75.9 million in new funding from the federal government for the CTA.

My understanding is that the majority of that will go to front-line staff, Alghabra said.

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James B. Milliken, a Fremont native and chancellor of The University of Texas System, has been elected as a new member to the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Sciences for 2023.

Founded in 1780, the Academy honors individuals for excellence, innovation and leadership in academia, the arts, industry, public policy, research and science. Milliken is one of 269 individuals elected for this years class in five categories: Leadership, Policy and Communications, which includes educational and academic leadership; Humanities and Arts; Social and Behavioral Sciences; Biological Sciences; and Mathematical and Physical Sciences.

Among the more recognizable names in this years class are Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor and producer Lawrence J. Fishburne, III; award-winning novelist Zadie Smith; acclaimed actor and playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yoeh; financial journalist and author Michael Lewis; and University of Texas social psychologist James E. Pennebaker.

Im honored by the company I get to be associated with as a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, including incoming members Lin-Manuel Miranda and Michelle Yeoh, and other illustrious former members like Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton, Milliken said in a press release. The word humbling comes to mind; cliche, yes, but totally genuine in this case.

Milliken, who was the first Nebraskan and alumnus to serve as president of the University of Nebraska, has led the UT System as chancellor since 2018 and has been a national leader in public higher education for more than 30 years. As chancellor, he oversees one of the largest public university systems in the United States with 13 academic and health institutions, more than 243,000 students and 116,000 faculty, health care professionals, researchers, support staff and student workers.

Prior to joining the UT System, Milliken served as chancellor of The City University of New York (CUNY), the largest urban university system in the country. He also served as the vice president of the 16-campus University of North Carolina.

The first members elected to the Academy included George Washington, John Adams, John Hancock and other Founding Fathers of the United States. Among the more than 14,000 Academy members elected in the last 243 years are such eminent figures as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Charles Darwin, Winston Churchill, Albert Einstein, Margaret Mead, Martin Luther King Jr., Joan Baez, Pablo Picasso, Nelson Mandala, Milton Friedman, Stephen Hawking, Edward R. Murrow and Duke Ellington. Membership includes more than 250 Nobel laureates and more than 60 Pulitzer Prize winners.
Erica Draven never expected to be banned by her auto dealer for complaining about her new car.

But when she went to the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council (OMVIC) with a list of grievances after buying a compact crossover hybrid  including a complaint that her dealer pressured her into purchasing a rustproofing system that invalidated her warranty  she was barred from the property.

Joel Altman had such a stressful run-in with OMVIC and his dealer after purchasing a used SUV, he began clenching his teeth  so badly even his dentist took note.

Im getting a mouth guard to help mitigate OMVIC jaw, Altman said wryly.

After disputes with their dealers, both turned to OMVIC, which acts as a mediator between dealers and consumers. Both felt OMVIC was slow to react and unhelpful, putting too much burden on them and doing too little to hold the dealerships to account.

One eventually received a resolution and one did not  essentially mirroring the overall success rate Ontarians have had dealing with the watchdog agency.

The Ontario government established OMVIC in 1997 to regulate auto retailers and protect consumers who enter into transactions with new and used car dealers. The organization is predicated on the notion of industry self-regulation, which enables the sector to monitor its dealers adherence to legal, financial and ethical standards, rather than rely on government enforcement.

OMVIC administers the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act on behalf of the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery. Part of its mandate is to ensure all dealers and salespeople are registered, and its empowered to conduct its own dealer investigations.

But that mandate to protect consumers has come under increased scrutiny from both the government and industry watchers, following an auditor general report that found OMVIC underperforms in its key responsibilities, is too close to the auto dealers it is supposed to be policing, and often fails to find timely resolutions for car buyers.

Among the findings in the auditors 2021 value for money report: roughly one-half of the 5,400 complaints against automobile dealers handled by OMVIC between 2016 and 2020 resulted in no resolution at all. Buyers were left to pursue their dispute in court, although theres no indication how many did so.

'Significant concerns' A 2021 auditor general report on the Ontario Motor Vehicle Industry Council found OMVIC underperforms in its key responsibilities. 5,400 Approximate number of disputes OMVIC mediated between 2016-2020. 50% Percentage of these complaints against motor vehicle dealers that resulted in no resolution for consumers. 80% Percentage of cases in a review of a sample of complaints where the dealer appeared to have breached the law in which the complaint file was closed without a referral for enforcement action. 7% Percentage of complaints OMVIC handlers referred for enforcement action between 2016-2020. Source: Value-For-Money audit, Office of the Auditor General of Ontario

Since then, critics have charged that the organization has been slow to adopt the 30 recommendations in the report, especially a key recommendation that the agency change the composition of its board of directors, which is heavily represented by motor vehicle dealers, even though OMVIC is a consumer protection agency, according to the auditor.

In an email response to the Star, OMVIC said it has made significant inroads over the past year instituting the reports recommendations. The organization says it has completed about 70 per cent of the 48 action items according to its updated plan, such as developing a risk framework for dealers and ensuring consumer support is appropriately staffed.

OMVIC also noted that it is restricted in what it can do in some confrontational interactions between dealers and consumers, as the Motor Vehicle Dealers Act doesnt address all such situations. It also cant adjudicate in complaints involving repair-related issues, it said, since mechanics, service technicians and service representatives are not registered under the Act.

It starts at the board

As of 2021, it certainly looked like the board that controls OMVIC was slanted more toward car dealerships than consumers: nine of the 12 members were automobile dealers, while a tenth, Rod Jackson, is the son of a car dealer.

Mohamed Bouchama, a consumer advocate and former host of CP24s AutoShop, believes that board composition is at the root of the problem. It starts at the board, he said. They ask the big questions and set the budget.

Bouchama should know: he sat on OMVICs consumer advocacy committee for years, and spent two years on the board of directors until, he said, he was let go for asking too many questions. Bouchama now charges the dealer-heavy board overwhelmingly represents the industry view in disputes and is there mostly to keep the dealers happy.

OMVIC needed new blood  many of the previous members had served for 10 to 14 years. And it requires people who understand consumer issues; after all, consumers are paying into it, Bouchama said, citing the $10 OMVIC fee every new and used-vehicle buyer pays as part of the transaction price.

In an email response, OMVIC did not address specific allegations made by Bouchama, but admitted board changes are needed to enhance consumer protection, and enhance accountability for the sector.

In its report, the auditor general recommended term limits and revised selection criteria for board members to highlight qualifications that best serve consumer interests. And just days ago, OMVIC was directed to do just that.

Ineffective resolution The 2021 audit found that most OMVIC investigations do not result in enforcement action against dealers. 1,547 Number of investigations of motor vehicle dealers OMVIC completed between 2016-2020. 67% Percentage of these cases in which OMVIC did not take any enforcement action where non-compliance with the law was detected. 220days Average number of days it took OMVIC to complete an investigation in the five-year period studied. 73% Percentage of Ontarians surveyed by OMVIC between 2016-2020 who were not aware of OMVIC and the protections it offered to vehicle purchasers. Source: Value-For-Money audit, Office of the Auditor General of Ontario

On April 19, the chair of OMVICs board of directors received a letter from Kaleed Rasheed, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, outlining five ministers orders.

The orders instruct the board to decrease the number of members to nine from 12, ensure all members possess a positive orientation for proactive consumer protection initiatives, and ensure that no more than 34 per cent of board members are drawn from the auto industry.

The letter also ordered OMVIC to establish a nominations committee with requirements around board composition, eligibility criteria and terms, as well as ordering it to establish an advisory council comprised of members representing the interests of vehicle dealers and salespersons.

OMVIC in action

Before Draven picked up her new vehicle in late 2018, she paid almost $1,000 for what she thought was spray-on rustproofing. But what the dealer sold her was electronic rustproofing, which involved installing a module that sends a small current through the metal body to repel rust.

They never explained what I was getting, Draven said. We rely on sales professionals to advise us on these options. She said the dealer aggressively pushed the rustproofing, but did not make it a mandatory option  high-profit add-ons buyers are increasingly forced to pay for these days.

Unfortunately for Draven, electronic rustproofing is incompatible with her hybrid model.

Another dealer pointed out that the electronic module may void the warranty on hybrid models due to all the electrical wiring, Draven said.

When Draven confronted her dealer about the module, it cascaded into a list of grievances related to the servicing of her vehicle, including damage done to the leather seats and paint finish. Frustrated, Draven reached out to OMVIC for help and sent all the documentation outlining her issues with the dealer.

When OMVIC offered to have her car partially repaired, the dealer failed to follow through, Draven said.

OMVIC told me that they cant compel or force the dealer to do anything. Theyre not a court of law, Draven recounted. She turned to its compensation fund, asking for the maximum restitution of $45,000  but the trustees could not come to a decision.

When asked about Dravens complaint, OMVIC said it cannot comment on specific incidents unless they result in an action, which is then made publicly available on the organizations website. But the head of OMVIC did address the general situation Draven found herself in.

When a claim is deferred, there is no appeal process for that claimant, Maureen Harquail, OMVICs CEO and registrar, said in an email to the Star. The board are not in a position to consider reimbursing consumers for the purchase of their vehicle if a dealer fails to provide repairs. That is a civil matter.

Like so many other consumers who have reached out to OMVIC, Draven was directed to go to court.

So she has, seeking rescission of the vehicle purchase. At the same time, she is resubmitting her application to OMVICs compensation fund because of new information she is using to bolster her case, including the fact that the aftermarket rust module has severely compromised my warranty, Draven said.

Success, after 70-plus emails

When Joel Altman bought a used 2009 Hyundai SUV last fall from a car dealer, he discovered that the headlights were too dim. He called OMVIC, which advised him to contact the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) since it was a safety issue.

MTO recommended a second safety inspection be done, which uncovered nine mechanical issues, including a leaking exhaust system, worn suspension strut and nonfunctioning emergency brakes. An MTO investigator deemed the Hyundai unfit and removed the licence plates. Altman called the dealer, who was incredulous at the suggestion that there were issues with a vehicle he sold.

Altman sought OMVICs help and was assigned a resolution agent who provided incorrect information and lost part of the file, he said. Eventually, OMVIC and MTO began swapping information and the dealer agreed to take the Hyundai back and refund the purchase price.

Altman said it took enormous diligence on his part  he counts 70 to 100 email exchanges  to motivate OMVIC to pursue his case. He believes he was successful partly because of the involvement of MTO.

What were left with is oversight entities who dont want to get involved, but were specifically empowered to do so. And a leadership team at OMVIC that doesnt seem to be held accountable for much, Altman said. That does not bode well for the Ontario consumer.

OMVIC frustrates, frustrates and frustrates some more, until car buyers throw up their hands and walk away, Draven said, summing up her own experience.

Window dressing

Bouchama said over the past few years OMVIC has let go of some good staff who had car buyers interests at heart  and it happened during a worldwide vehicle shortage that saw buyers forced to pay high markups padded with lofty administration fees and mandatory dealer add-ons.

Bouchama said while OMVIC may appear to be working to address the auditors report  with the effort scheduled to be completed in 2024  he doesnt think much has really changed.

In my opinion, there are no significant improvements. There are a number of car dealers who are breaking the all-in pricing laws  other dealers are reporting them to me  and consumers are paying the price. (All-in pricing requires the advertised price of a new or used vehicle to include all fees and charges, such as freight, predelivery inspection and fuel.)

Bouchama is leery of the ministers orders released on April 19. While the changes to the board appear to be steps in the right direction, hes concerned the new advisory council will continue representing the interests of motor vehicle dealers, and shows that OMVIC has not fundamentally shifted its allegiance.

Im not optimistic. The ministers orders are not much more than window dressing, said Bouchama. The advisory body is a bargaining chip the minister introduced to appease the dealers so that they could continue their influence.

If the government was genuinely interested in helping consumers, it would make real legislative changes to protect car buyers, such as introducing a cooling-off period so that shoppers can get out of a vehicle sales contract after sleeping on it, concluded Bouchama.

If youre not going to do anything, then drop the OMVIC fee.

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The mystery of how a $20-million gold heist unfolded at Toronto Pearson Airport this week is reminiscent of a movie plot that cinephiles would flock to see in theatres  or on their favourite streaming platforms.

Until police and investigators crack the case, here are some of the most popular heist movies to tide you over.

The Bling Ring (2013)

Inspired by a true story, The Bling Ring follows a group of teens in California who use their internet stalking skills to track celebrities locations. More than merely curious about what the stars are up to, the teens (played by Emma Watson, Katie Chang and others) use the locations to burgle the celebs homes.

Stealing roughly $3 million in handbags, jewelry, cash and cars from celebrities like Lindsay Lohan, Orlando Bloom and Paris Hilton, the real-life teens were arrested in 2010 and convicted of their crimes. They have since developed careers ranging from personal trainers to screenplay writers.

Tower Heist (2011)

After the workers at a luxury Central Park condominium discover the penthouse billionaire has stolen their retirement, they plot the ultimate revenge: a heist to reclaim what he took from them.

Cheated out of their pensions by their boss at a Manhattan condo, workers in Tower Heist enlist some help to break into his apartment and steal back their money.

Starring Ben Stiller, Eddie Murphy, Casey Affleck, Alan Alda and Matthew Broderick, Tower Heist is equal parts heist and comedy, and features a surprise car made of solid-gold parts and worth about $45 million.

Oceans (1960-2018)

Oceans, one of the most famous series of heist films, released its first Oceans 11 in 1960 starring the famed Rat Pack. The remake and newer movies were released throughout the 2000s and feature George Clooney (Danny Ocean), Matt Damon (Linus Caldwell) and Brad Pitt (Rusty Ryan).

Most of the plots feature elaborate schemes in casinos, while Oceans 8 (2018) has a female-led ensemble cast that sees the characters plan and execute a heist at the Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

The Italian Job (2003)

A movie that inspired a roller-coaster ride at Canadas Wonderland  Backlot Stunt Coaster  The Italian Job (2003) follows the story of John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) and Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) as they and their team plan to steal $35 million in gold bars from a safe in Venice.

After the heist, one team member (Edward Norton) plots to take the gold for himself, and returns to Los Angeles with it in hand.

What follows next is a plot of revenge by the other team members through the streets and subway system of Los Angeles  along with explosives and hacking.

Drive (2011)

Driver is a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can't help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene, a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard. After a heist intended to pay off Standard's protection money spins unpredictably out of control, Driver finds himself driving defense for the girl he loves, tailgated by a syndicate of deadly serious criminals. But when he realizes that the gangsters are after more than the bag of cash in his trunk - that they're coming straight for Irene and her son - Driver is forced to shift gears and go on offense.

Drive, an action-drama based on James Salliss 2005 novel of the same name, stars Ryan Gosling as an unnamed stunt driver by day  and a getaway car driver by night  in Hollywood.

After falling in love with his neighbour (Carey Mulligan), the unnamed man and his neighbours husband plot a million-dollar heist and unleash uncertainty and violence on all.

While incredibly stylized for an action and crime film, it also features a moody soundtrack with the Chromatics, Cliff Martinez and Kavinsky.

Heat (1995)

Trailer for Michael Mann's film starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight, Tom Sizemore, Diane Venora, Amy Brenneman, Ashley Judd, Mykelti Williamson, Wes Studi, Ted Levine, Natalie Portman, Dennis Haysbert, William Fichtner, Tom Noonan, Kevin Gage, Danny Trejo, Hank Azaria, Bud Cort, Jeremy Piven, Xander Berkeley

Like The Bling Ring, the true story that inspired Heat is also based in California. But instead of celebrity stalking and robbing, it follows a LAPD detective (Al Pacino) and a serial criminal (Robert De Niro) who is planning his last heist.

Among the chaos, details of their personal lives emerge and mutual understanding evolves.

What movies has the Star missed? Let us know in the comments.

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Canadians are reportedly losing faith in the public health care system, years after the pandemic ravaged hospitals and shuttered emergency rooms, a new survey suggests.

The findings, published Friday by public opinion research firm Research Co., found the number of Canadians confident the health care system will support them dropped 10 per cent from 18 months ago.

I think the drop in confidence is really surprising, said Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. ... You have essentially a third of Canadians who say, I dont want to get sick because I dont think the system is going to be there for me.

According to the online survey, distributed to 1,000 Canadians earlier this month, 67 per cent of respondents said they were very confident or moderately confident theyll get the help they need should they fall ill or have an accident.

Thats a significant drop from the 77 per cent of people who reported confidence in October of 2021, Canseco said  and the lowest confidence level hes seen since starting the survey in 2018. Before the pandemic, Canadians health care confidence rarely dipped below 80 per cent, he explained

There has also been an uptick in support for private health care; 33 per cent of respondents said they strongly agree or moderately agree health care would be better if run by the private sector. Thats an increase of six per cent from 2021.

Meanwhile, 50 per cent of 2023 respondents said they were against privatization  a drop of six per cent from 2021. Before the pandemic, that figure hovered around 60 per cent, Canseco said.

Its not a majority (supporting privatization). We dont have a lot of people clamouring for a private system or saying that everything should be dismantled  but its certainly a drop that is noteworthy, he continued.

Canseco noted that 78 per cent of people disagreed with Canada making cuts to health care to reduce government debt  a decrease of four per cent from the previous year and another indicator of a trend toward privatization.

There is a political component to this that is quite evident, Canseco said. For example, 21 and 33 per cent of NDP and Liberal voters, respectively, supported privatization. In contrast, 43 per cent of Conservative voters said theyd prefer private health care.

Its not the entirety of their base, but it could be a way in which (Conservatives) can try to attract voters dissatisfied about health care, Canseco said.

The drivers of this shift in confidence are the people 55 and older, Canseco said, suggesting its because they remember a time when things were better.

The more you spend time dealing with the system, the more dissatisfied you become. And thats going to be problematic for the government.

20 per cent of Canadians think Canadas health care system works well, while the majority  56 per cent  said there are some good things about the system; 17 per cent think theres so much wrong with health care we need to rebuild the entire system, a five per cent increase from 2021.

Respondents were also divided on the biggest issue facing health care; 34 per cent believe a shortage of doctors and nurses is the problem, while 23 per cent cited long wait times. Bureaucracy and poor management were named as the biggest problems by 17 per cent, with the remainder split between a lack of services for patients, too little focus on preventative care and poor standards of hygiene.

Despite the downward trend in opinions, Canadians still have a better view of health care compared to the U.S. or EU, Canseco said  and the vast majority are still against privatization.

People are getting more dissatisfied, he said, but theyre not necessarily looking at privatization as the option thats going to make everything better.

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Ottawas inaction on the importation of items thought to be made through forced labour in Chinas Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region is a growing concern in the United States, say advocates there and in Canada.

This week, during a committee hearing in Washington, D.C., witnesses said there is concern Canada has only seized one shipment of such goods and that this country risks becoming a dumping ground for items denied entry into the U.S.

Canadas inaction seems to be getting some attention in the U.S. Capitol, Mehmet Tohti of the Uyghur Rights Advocacy Project said. There is also growing concern the U.S. cannot do it alone unless the neighbouring countries like Mexico and Canada take the necessary action.

Tohti said there are also fears shipments of goods denied entry to the U.S. over concerns they were made from Uyghur forced labour are being bounced across the border to Canada, where they are then sent back to the states and getting through customs.

The rights of Uyghur and other Turkic minorities in China have been under scrutiny in recent years. China has conducted a campaign of massive surveillance and incarceration of the mostly Muslim population of the region.

Part of it has included sending what is estimated to be more than 1 million people to internment camps. The government insists they were vocational training centres.

Allegations of forced labour, physical and sexual abuse have been made by those who have spent time in the camps, including to a Canadian parliamentary subcommittee. In 2021 Canadas Parliament, with cabinet abstaining from the vote, declared the actions a genocide with a non-binding motion.

Concerns about inaction on the part of Ottawa came up during a hearing in Washington earlier this week on the implementation of the countrys Uyghur Forced Labour Prevention Act (UFLPA).

The law, passed by the U.S. Senate in December 2021, prohibits goods made in the Xinjiang region from being imported to the United States. The hearings, through the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, are examining how the legislation has worked so far and how to apply it in future.

During the hearing Tuesday, Anasuya Syam of the Human Trafficking Legal Centre in Washington raised concerns Canada is seriously lagging behind on enforcement. Canada amended its customs tariff in 2020 to target forced labour but has seized only one shipment, which was later released.

We are concerned by the slow implementation from our neighbour, Syam said. Mexico, on the other hand, did announce its import ban in February 2023 and will begin implementing it in May.

By contrast the U.S. has denied 490 shipments under the UFLPA, according to the countrys Customs and Border Protection dashboard.

Syam called for all three countries to take a regionwide approach to the forced labour issue, pointing out under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) all three countries are obligated to track cross border movement of goods made using forced labour.

Trade ministers from the three nations need to get together to discuss the issue, Syam said, as it is currently not clear if the three countries have a strategy to stop such shipments.

Concern over goods made from forced Uyghur Labour has hung over Canadas border enforcement efforts.

A 2021 investigation by the Toronto Star and Guelph Mercury Tribune found hundreds of shipping containers full of goods on a U.S. list of suspected Chinese companies using forced labour had come into Canada, including 500 tonnes of clothing.

Media relations manager Guillaume Berube said in an email the Canadian government is committed to eradicating forced labour from the countrys supply chains through working with partners. But Berube also pointed out the responsibility also rests with companies.

The Government of Canada expects companies to take every step possible to ensure that their supply chains conform to Canadian law, Berube wrote. It is the responsibility of the importer to exercise due diligence to ensure forced labour is not directly or indirectly used in the production of the goods it imports.

Tohti said, despite the claims, there is little movement on preventing such goods from getting through Canadas customs.

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This months announcement, wherein the government of British Columbia declared it would become the first province in Canada to legislate a minimum nurse-patient-ratio left a lot of the nations besieged nurses smiling.

While not a complete panacea for an understaffed, overworked and increasingly burned out workforce, the mandated ratio goes a long way to mitigating working conditions that, at this point, have more than half of the countrys nurses looking longingly at the exit door.

Those ratios assure that each nurse will be dealing with a manageable number of patients.

Though the B.C. numbers are still being crunched, right now, that means one nurse for each ventilated critical care patient; one nurse for every two non-ventilated critical care patients, mental health patients or high acuity patients; one nurse for every three special care patients and one nurse for every four in-patients or for those in palliative care. Ratios for operating rooms and emergency rooms are still being developed.

That hits at the heart of the nursing crisis  too many patients, not enough nurses and a dissatisfaction amongst those nurses with the quality of care they are able to provide.

Down the coast, California  the first, and so far only state to legislate a similar ratio  hails its 1999 legislation as a qualified success and provides a tentative glimpse of the future of nursing in B.C.

In 1999, the state established a nurse-to-patient ratio, to be implemented in 2004. Of note is that it did so under state legislation, after years of lobbying, as opposed to the collective bargaining agreement in B.C.

Hospitals in California didnt wait for the 2004 deadline; instead, spurred by the fear that there wouldnt be enough nurses to meet the ratio demands, they started aggressively recruiting even before they knew exactly how many nurses theyd need. According to the California Employment Development Department, that hiring rush peaked in 2002, a year before the actual ratios were announced.

Employers wanted to get the nurses in and get them on board before the deadline, because that way they got their choice of who they got to hire, said Deborah Burger, president of the National Nurse Union.

The fears of a lack of supply of nurses turned out to be unfounded, said Burger, as nurses who had left the profession came back to it, nurses who had cut their hours to part-time ramped up to full-time and nurses still in the health care industry but not involved in direct patient care came back to it.

A study conducted 15 years after California introduced the nurse-to-patient ratios concluded that not only did the employment of RNs grow significantly faster in California than in other states following the introduction, but the wages of RNs there grew significantly faster relative to other occupations in other states.

(B.C. has) got a lot to look forward to as far as having an easier time recruiting nurses to positions that are vacant. That was the biggest thing in California  we had a lot of traveller (nurses)  but that isnt a replacement for somebody thats got rapport with the doctor and the staff in that community. One of the things that did happen is that once travellers came to California, a number of them end up staying in California.

Further studies found that when staffing in line with the California ratios was implemented, nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction were lower and nurses reported consistently better quality of care, all of which are outcomes predictive of better nurse retention.

In one fell swoop, said Burger, California no longer had any problems with nurse recruitment or retention.

One unexpected effect of the ratios, though, was that on-the-job injuries to nurses decreased radically once they were implemented.

A study conducted 10 years after the legislation took effect reported that occupational injuries for nurses in California were 31.6 per cent lower than expected without the law, a function, Burger said, of having enough staff to do the job safely.

While the research on the effects of the nurse-to-patient ratios on overall patient outcomes in California are still inconclusive, researchers have found, using data before the introduction of the ratios, that higher nurse staffing levels are associated with lower patient mortality.

Anecdotally, Burger said that when the ratios changed the workload, patient education increased. Nurses began to have more time to spend with patients, making sure they got the right medicines and treatment, and educating patients and family about their conditions so when they were discharged, fewer of them were returning to hospitals.

RELATED STORIES Canada Is this the most wanted worker in Canada? Why provinces are rolling out the red carpet for nurses

On the other side of the globe, nurse-to-patient ratios have also been established in Australia, beginning with Victoria in 2000, and spreading to other states and territories from there.

An independent study by the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, examining the results of a trial nurse-patient-ratio program established in 2016 in 27 hospitals in Queensland seems to back up the idea of better patient outcomes.

A reduction of one patient per nurse meant a nine per cent less chance of a patient dying in a hospital, a six per cent less chance of readmission within seven days, and a three per cent reduction in length of stay. It also meant a seven per cent reduction in nurse burnout.

The study also found the ratios saved 145 patient lives in the first year, helped avoid 255 readmissions and 29,200 hospital days, and created an estimated savings of between $55.2 to $83.4 million (AUD). ($50  $75.5 million CDN).)

Back in the U.S., an attempt to establish a federal nurse-to-patient ratio is underway as the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act was introduced to both the House and Senate on March 30.

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Samantha Bulchand is at a crossroads in her life.

Shell be graduating from the U of T nursing school in June, and as she stands on the cusp of her career and scans the state of the profession, two things become abundantly clear.

First: She and her classmates are very, very much in demand.

Theyve been schooled on this.The pandemic brought into sharp focus what some had long been saying: that there was a critical shortage of nurses and that both nurses and patients would suffer because of it. With COVID-19s brutal lessons mostly behind them, every province and territory in the country has since come out swinging in terms of their efforts to attract nurses.

Second: Some places are swinging for the fences. They are much further along the path of providing attractive working environments for nurses, both new and mid-career, than others.

And that means jurisdictions such as Ontario, that are currently seen as lagging, are going to have to step up their efforts or potentially see their nursing crises devolve into drawn-out battles of attrition, with workers in some cases seeking better options elsewhere.

No one really wants to put themselves in a position where they think that theyll struggle with burnout or anything like that, says Bulchand, 25, currently finishing up a placement at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. And the world of nursing is really great in the sense that we can really work anywhere. And a lot of the hospitals and outpatient clinics are really in need.

That need creates choice for new nurses. And as they prepare to enter the workforce, Bulchand and her classmates can, for the most part, have their pick of their profession.

Most provinces are offering tens of thousands of dollars as recruiting incentives for nurses. Some are offering student loan forgiveness. Ontario is recognizing nursing credentials from every other province and territory in the country. A few  New Brunswick, for example  are conducting nurse-recruiting events in multiple other provinces.

But from her crossroads, Bulchand can look east to Nova Scotia, where the government last month poured some $300 million into recruitment and retention bonuses for nurses  $10,000 immediately to each nurse in the province as a thank you and $10,000 to each nurse who commits to staying in the province for two years.

She can turn to the west and see that British Columbia has implemented mandatory minimum nurse-to-patient ratios, long touted by nursing experts as one of the most effective ways to mitigate a nursing crisis by making working conditions more palatable.

It raises an interesting scenario. In anteing up $300 million in bonuses for nurses, Nova Scotia sweetened the pot in the nurse-recruitment poker game significantly  not, incidentally, without raising the ire of some of its neighbours.

But by tossing a staffing ratio into that pot, B.C. not only raised the stakes dramatically, it put pressure on the rest of Canada to match it or concede the hand.

Most provinces and territories have previously offered nurses some kind of cash incentives. But B.C. is the first to directly take on the staffing issue with a minimum nurse-to-patient ratio, mandating that, no matter what, there will have to be X number of nurses on staff to care for Y number of patients.This new staffing model will transform the way people are cared for by nurses as they will spend more dedicated time with patients, said B.C. Premier David Eby.

And addressing the staffing issue is a high priority. According to a 2022 national survey, 94 per cent of nurses were showing some signs of burnout, and more than half were considering leaving their job within the next year.

For those nurses who are planning to leave, or have already left the profession, and for new grads such as Bulchand, picking a working environment is about more than the money.

I really value things like good unit culture, units that really prioritize excellent patient care, says Bulchand.

One of the things shes looking for in her employer is a mentor-based focus on the training and education of new graduates, something thats important, she says, not only for patient safety, but also in terms of preventing nurse burnout.

I understand that the pressures of systemic forces kind of get in the way of things like this  were 25,000 nurses short in Ontario or something like that. But I think when units are able to implement this, it really makes it attractive for me. Not only me, but I think nursing students in general.

It would be sheer speculation at this point to say how nurses, both new and mid-career, will react to Nova Scotias and B.C.s hard recruitment pushes  there are more factors at play than money and staffing that go into job decisions.

But history  as written in California and Australia, both of which have implemented nurse-to-patient ratios  suggests that where those ratios exist, nurse recruitment and retention ceases to be a concern, hospital costs decrease and patient outcomes, overall, are better.

Those all translate to better working situations for nurses, and it is not beyond the pale to suggest that more nurses, given the choice, would migrate to more favourable working situations.

Right now, were looking at both ends of our country, where theyre showing exemplary action, says Linda Silas, president of the Canadian Federation of Nurses Unions (CFNU).

Its just sending a strong message to the other provinces and territories that they have to step up. If youre a nurse graduating in Ontario right now  which has the most regressive laws of the land in regards to retention and recruitment  why wouldnt you go to B. C.?

Shes referring in part to Ontarios wage restraint law, Bill 124, which capped salary increases for public sector workers, such as nurses, at one per cent a year for three years. That law was ruled unconstitutional by the provinces top court, but the Ford government is appealing the decision.

Based on Canadian Institute for Health Information and Statistics Canada data, Ontario trails the nation both in terms of registered nurses per 100,000 people (668) and in terms of the total number of regulated nurses per 100,000 people (1,029).

On both fronts, B.C. rates second-worst. But it seems that province is making significant moves to remedy that situation.

B.C. is giving us hope that governments are thinking, OK, we cant just keep on throwing money at the situation, either a bonus or a salary increase. We have to fix the way nursing is delivering care, and thats through nurse-to-patient ratios, Silas says.

That said, from a CFNU perspective, the goal is not to have provinces competing with each other for nurses, she says. Rather, the challenge is to have every province at the same level in terms of sustaining a nursing workforce for their population.

But right now, she says, B.C. has a leg up on the rest of the country and, given that every nurses union in the country has a nurse-to-patient ratio on its ask list, all the other provinces and territories will have to consider changing the way they do things.

In Nova Scotia, which Silas predicts will be the next to adopt a nurse-to-patient ratio, Janet Hazelton, chair of the Nova Scotia Nurses Union, is at the very beginning of talks with the province on a new contract. Shes been closely watching the B.C. situation unfold.

Its going to strengthen everybodys case in every province, every union. To say, Well, they figured it out. You can, too.

They have the exact same problems as we have. And if theyre able to figure it out, its going to put tremendous pressure on the other provinces to figure it out, too, she says.

Its important to also note that the B.C. nurse-to-patient ratio did not occur in isolation. It was backed by $750 million in funding and a three-year timeline for implementation. That, says Hazelton, means better working situations and better wages for nurses in B.C., and an attractive destination for nurses outside of it.

They did a full on attack all in hopes of enticing (nurses). And we all know if we get nurses out there, theyre not coming back.

You know, B.C. is not a bad place to live.

For Bulchand, and for many of her colleagues at the start of their careers, however, other factors weigh into their decisions, factors that may outweigh the enticements of B.C., Nova Scotia or elsewhere.

Bulchand says her top priority is to be able to be passionate about her work and to look forward to going to work every day. Her passion is for obstetrics, and right now that passion outweighs both the enticements of both coasts and the expense of downtown Toronto. She likes the work shes done in that field, and the place where shes been doing it.

But shes still keeping an open mind, she says.

When units are able to prioritize the well-being of nurses, that makes it, that makes that specific unit, really attractive to us, because everyone knows nursing isnt easy.

And the staffing ratio  to me, that just really feels like theyre listening to our needs. And I know thats not always been the case in Ontario.

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Seventeen apartment buildings were evacuated Saturday in a Russian city near the Ukrainian border after an explosive device was found at the site where a bomb accidentally dropped by a Russian warplane caused a powerful blast this week, authorities said.

The bomb blast late Thursday rocked part of Belgorod, leaving a large crater and three people injured. The Russian Defense Ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion.

The ministry said an investigation was underway but did not elaborate on the details of the weapon, which military experts said likely was a powerful 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) bomb.

The governor of Belgorod province, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported Saturday that sappers examining the site of Thursdays blast found and decided to detonate what he called an explosive object that was in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings.

The precautionary evacuations ended later in the day, according to Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov.

The bomb was removed from the residential area. Residents are being delivered back to their homes, Demidov wrote on Telegram.

Russian authorities did not say if the detonated device was dropped by accident on Thursday and if so, if it was a remnant of or separate from the bomb that exploded in the city.

The bomb blast late Thursday rocked part of Belgorod, leaving a large crater and three people injured. The Russian Defense Ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion.

Belgorod, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the Russia-Ukraine border, has faced regular drone attacks since Russia sent troops into Ukraine last year. Russian authorities have blamed those strikes on the Ukrainian military, which refrained from directly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Late Saturday, the governor of the Kharkiv region, Oleh Syniehubov, said five missiles fired from the Belgorod area hit the region, including one that struck unspecified civilian infrastructure in the capital city Kharkiv.

Moscows invasion of Ukraine has sent relations with the West into deep freeze, with frequent expulsions of diplomats on both sides.

On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that German authorities had decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany.

A ministry statement said that as a reaction to the hostile actions of Berlin, Russia decided to mirror the expulsions by Germany and significantly limit the maximum number of staff at German diplomatic missions in Russia.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia is expelling more than 20 German diplomats, Russian state media reported, but didnt give a precise number.

Germanys Foreign Ministry said it took note of the comments. It said that the German government and Russia had been in contact in recent weeks on questions regarding the staffing of the respective diplomatic missions and that a flight on Saturday took place in that context. It didnt elaborate.

The German air force said earlier that a Russian plane flew to Berlin with diplomatic clearance on Saturday, but didnt specify who or what was on board. Special clearance is required because the European Union closed its airspace to Russian aircraft shortly after the war in Ukraine started.

___

Follow APs coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine-war

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NEW YORK (AP)  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed Friday to let Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee question an ex-prosecutor about the criminal case against former President Donald Trump.

Under the agreement, committee members will be able to question Mark Pomerantz under oath next month in Washington. The deal resolves a lawsuit in which Bragg had sought to block Pomerantz from testifying, ending a legal dispute that escalated to a federal appeals court just weeks after Trump's historic indictment.

Pomerantz will be accompanied by a lawyer from Braggs office, an accommodation the committee said it would have allowed even without Fridays agreement.

Braggs office and the Judiciary Committee reached the agreement after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay Thursday that temporarily halted enforcement of a House subpoena which had called for Pomerantz to testify.

The appeals court had been scheduled to hear oral arguments in the dispute on Tuesday.

Braggs office said the agreement, delaying Pomerantzs testimony until May 12, preserves the district attorneys privileges and interests in his ongoing Trump prosecution.

Our successful stay of this subpoena blocked the immediate deposition and afforded us the time necessary to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that protects the District Attorneys privileges and interests, Braggs office said in a statement.

We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe. We are gratified that the Second Circuits ruling provided us with the opportunity to successfully resolve this dispute, Braggs office said.

Bragg had appealed to the 2nd Circuit after a lower court judge ruled Wednesday that there was no legal basis to block the Judiciary Committees subpoena and that Pomerantzs deposition must go forward as scheduled.

Under the agreement, Bragg withdrew his appeal.

Russell Dye, a spokesperson for committee chair Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said in a statement, Mr. Pomerantzs deposition will go forward on May 12, and we look forward to his appearance.

Pomerantz once oversaw the yearslong Trump investigation but left the job after clashing with Bragg over the direction of the case. He recently wrote a book about his work pursuing Trump and discussed the investigation in interviews on 60 Minutes and other shows.

Bragg, a Democrat, sued Jordan and the Judiciary Committee last week seeking to block the subpoena. His lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, argued that seeking Pomerantzs testimony was part of a transparent campaign to intimidate and attack Bragg and that Congress was invading a state to investigate a local prosecutor when it had no authority to do so.

Boutrous said House Republicans interest in Bragg amounted to Congress jumping in and haranguing the D.A. while the prosecution is ongoing.

The Judiciary Committee started scrutinizing Braggs investigation of the former president in the weeks that preceded his indictment. Jordan sent letters seeking interviews with Bragg and documents before subpoenaing Pomerantz. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee, said in her ruling Wednesday that she would handle any legal fights that may arise from other subpoenas in the committees investigation of Bragg.

A committee lawyer, Matthew Berry, said at that hearing that Congress has legitimate legislative reasons for wanting to question Pomerantz and examine Braggs prosecution of Trump, citing the offices use of $5,000 in federal funds to pay for Trump-related investigations.

Congress is also considering legislation, offered by Republicans in the wake of Trumps indictment, to change how criminal cases against former presidents unfold, Berry said. One bill would prohibit prosecutors from using federal funds to investigate presidents, and another would require any criminal cases involving a former president be resolved in federal court instead of at the state level.

House Republicans, Berry said, want to protect the sovereignty and autonomy of the presidency, envisioning a scenario where the commander in chief could feel obligated to make certain decisions to avoid having local prosecutors in politically unfavorable jurisdictions charge them with crimes after they leave office.

For those reasons, Berry argued, Congress is immune from judicial intervention, citing the speech and debate clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Pomerantz could refuse to answer certain questions, citing legal privilege and ethical obligations, and Jordan would rule on those assertions on a case-by-case basis, Berry said, but he shouldnt be exempt from showing up. If Jordan were to overrule Pomerantz and he still refused to answer, he could then face a criminal referral to the Justice Department for contempt of Congress, but that wouldnt happen immediately, Berry said.

Trump was indicted last month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations of extramarital sexual encounters. He has denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.

__

On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Larry Neumeister at twitter.com/lneumeister and send confidential tips by visiting https://www.ap.org/tips/

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A Canadian trapped in the middle of an escalating war in Sudan blamed his home government on Saturday for his harrowing three-day journey out of the war-torn country, saying Ottawa has failed to provide stranded residents with a clear evacuation plan.

Hisham Mohamed, 49, was due to fly home to Welland, Ont., on April 18 but saw his flight cancelled amid growing violence between Sudans army and the rival paramilitary force known as the Rapid Support Forces.

He decided to make the dangerous trek out of the Sudanese capital of Khartoum after facing the prospect of running out of food and water.

Mohamed said he signed up with the Global Affairs registry of Canadian citizens the same day the fighting started one week ago, but didnt hear anything further. After calling Global Affairs Canada daily for three or four days, he was only advised to seek shelter.

After the fourth call with them, I decided theyre not gonna do anything, Mohamed said in a telephone interview from the border between Sudan and Egypt. Thats when I made my decision to make a move and try to get out of Khartoum and eventually out of Sudan.

The ride to Egypt is typically seven hours but took Mohamed three days. He said the journey involved buses, pickup trucks and small vehicles, as well as an overnight stay in one location.

Whatever you get, you just take it, Mohamed said. But thank God, safely I made it.

The Sudanese army said Saturday it was co-ordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats from four countries as fighting spilled into a second week.

Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help. The White House did not immediately confirm the militarys report.

Several foreign countries, including Canada, have struggled to repatriate their citizens  many of whom are trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

Global Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment on whether Canadians would receive evacuation help from Sudan, and Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly has previously said Canada had no way of helping trapped citizens escape the fighting. Flights have been grounded for days, and most major airports have become dangerous battlegrounds.

Mohamed, a married father of four from Ontarios Niagara region, said even his family discouraged him from making the trip.

But I said, OK, if Im gonna die, let me try dying while Im trying to escape instead of here trying to get water and they shoot me or something, he said. Might as well just try to get out and maybe Im lucky, thats how I came to this decision.

Meanwhile, the head of a Sudanese Canadian community organization said his group is calling on the federal government to create a program for community members seeking to sponsor family who are either stuck in Sudan or have fled to nearby bordering countries.

Ashraf alTahir, president of the Sudanese Canadian Communities Association, says the umbrella organization of groups based across the country wrote to Joly and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. He said members of the diaspora are prepared to pay any associated costs, but need the government to put a program in place. They also called for an evacuation plan and humanitarian aid.

As we speak right now there is no safe place, AlTahir said. No one can tell the exact number of deaths right now, the death toll is increasing in astronomical numbers.

Estimates from the World Health Organization put the number of casualties at more than 400 so far.

AlTahir said his organization has heard from Canadians who are rationing water to stop from going outside and are trying to stay safe. Others are making an effort to flee.

But up until now there is no action plan in place, no one is clear, alTahir said. So people, they started to take this stuff on their shoulders to flee to nearby countries.

AlTahir said he fears the situation in Sudan could turn into another genocide like the one Rwanda saw in 1994, adding western governments must not abandon the people of Sudan.

We are asking the Canadian government and the international community to take their responsibility in protecting and defending the civilians, alTahir said.

The federal government announced late Friday it had sent members of its Global Affairs Standing Rapid Deployment Team to Djibouti due to the volatile and rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan. Joly said Canadas embassy in Khartoum has temporarily suspended in-person operations, but the team can provide emergency response, co-ordination, consular assistance and logistical support.

The federal government said the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are also planning for contingencies but gave no further details.

Global Affairs Canada said Saturday there are 1,596 Canadians known to be in Sudan, but the number is only an estimate as registration is voluntary. AlTahir said his organization is also gathering data on community members stuck in the country to help with any evacuation efforts.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2023.

 with files from The Associated Press.

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Paige Bunn, a member of the North Bend FFA Chapter, was one of seven FFA members announced to the 2023-24 Nebraska State Officer Team at the final session of the 95th Nebraska FFA Convention.

The new state officer team will spend the next year traveling across Nebraska, different parts of the country, and even internationally to promote the agriculture industry, agriculture education, and FFA. They will get to host leadership training for FFA members, assist with contests, visit FFA Chapters, go on industry tours, and much more.
OTTAWA - The federal government says it has deployed members of its Global Affairs Standing Rapid Deployment Team to Djibouti due to the volatile and rapidly deteriorating situation in Sudan.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly says Canadas embassy in Sudans capital Khartoum has temporarily suspended in-person operations.

Joly says the Rapid Deployment Team can provide emergency response, co-ordination, consular assistance and logistical support.

The government says the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces are also planning for contingencies but gave no further details.

On Thursday, Joly said Canada has no means of evacuating citizens from Sudan, where violence has drastically escalated between the countrys army and its rival paramilitary force.

The Global Affairs Department has said it knows of roughly 1,500 Canadians registered as being in Sudan.

The situation in Sudan is volatile and deteriorating rapidly, Joly said in a release Friday. Canada continues to call for an end to violence and stands with the Sudanese people as they strive for peace.

We are actively monitoring the situation in Sudan and working with neighbouring countries, as well as with like-minded governments and the international community to co-ordinate the response to this crisis.

Joly said consular services remain available to Canadians in Sudan, but due to the security situation, these could be limited.

She said officials in Ottawa are in regular contact with Canadians there, providing them with information and advice as the situation develops.

The United States and other countries anticipate the violence to escalate and have been preparing to evacuate their citizens in Sudan.

Some of the heaviest fighting has been over airports.

The Pentagon has moved a small number troops to a base in Djibouti to support an evacuation.

The U.S. joint chiefs of staff chairman, Gen. Mark Milley, discussed the situation with defence officials from Germany, Italy and Canada at a gathering in Germany on Friday, a U.S. official said.

One topic was ensuring that any potential evacuation efforts did not conflict. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the deliberations.

-- With a file from The Associated Press

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2023.

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OTTAWA - Talks between the federal government and the union representing 155,000 striking public servants appeared mired in communication issues on Saturday as both sides accused the other of obstructing negotiations and being too slow to respond to key developments.

The head of the Public Service Alliance of Canada held a news conference to blast Ottawas Treasury Board for its failure to respond to a revised contract offer and called on the prime minister to help hasten the pace of contract talks.

But the office of Treasury Board President Mona Fortier fired back an hour later, saying efforts to meet with the union went unanswered on Friday, and a Saturday afternoon meeting was cancelled nine minutes after being arranged.

The unions president, Chris Aylward, said he was still waiting for a response to new proposals tabled on Thursday evening. Fortiers office acknowledged the new offer but challenged Aylwards timeline.

It said the union was unreachable at the common issues table all day on Friday. It reached out again through a mediator on Saturday with plans to put forward a revised offer of its own at 1 p.m., but accused the union of thwarting those plans.

The union took three hours to respond to the request, initially accepting the meeting at 12:31pm and then at 12:40pm advised they were no longer available at that time, the boards statement read. While our negotiators and our offer waited, Mr. Aylward chose instead to go on television to complain he had not received it.

For his part, Aylward focused most of his criticisms on Fortier during Saturdays bargaining update.

This screams of the incompetence of Mona Fortier . . . and her team, Aylward told reporters outside an Ottawa hotel. The prime minister has done nothing to move these negotiations along. Our members are fed up.

Fortiers office also accused the union of inflexibility, a trait it said was evident in Thursdays offer, but noted both sides returned to the table after the news conference.

Aylward said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should take a role in the negotiations and exert his influence to ensure the talks progress more quickly.

Trudeau said last week the government believes in collective bargaining, adding there have been advances at the bargaining table. He acknowledged the importance of supporting those working in the public service, given the rising cost of inflation.

More than 100,000 union members walked off the job Wednesday as contract talks broke down after months of negotiations.

On Saturday, Aylward offered encouragement to union members on the picket lines.

Stay strong, he said. We are not going to let them wear us down or wear us out. We will stay here until we get the fair deal that our members deserve.

The union has said almost a third of all federal public servants are involved in the job action.

Salaries have been top of mind at the table, with the union pushing for annual raises of 4.5 per cent over the next three years. Treasury Board said it has offered the union a nine per cent raise over three years on the recommendation of the third-party Public Interest Commission.

Aylward said the union will strike for as long as it takes, but a limited strike fund suggests that may be difficult to accomplish.

According to its most recent available financial statements, the union had about $43 million at the end of 2021. It is offering $75 per day in base strike pay to workers who show up to the picket line.

Aylward said hes not concerned about money running out, saying the union has other sources of funding but declining to elaborate.

On Thursday, the federal labour board issued a decision saying there was significant concern about the recent strike vote because of a low turnout and irregularities. The board found the union failed to properly alert members that it had shortened the voting period by eight days, moving the deadline from April 19 to April 11.

Only about 35 per cent of members of the bargaining unit, or 38,207 people, cast a ballot  and 80 per cent of them were in favour of a strike mandate.

The labour board decided against overturning the vote, finding it was unlikely there would have been a different result even if the union had been more forthcoming with its members.

Aylward has said it was regrettable that union members say they didnt get a fair chance to participate, noting strike votes were publicized by email, social media, digital ads and word of mouth.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada is the largest federal public service union, representing more than 230,000 workers across the country.

The strike affects about 155,000 union members, including 35,000 with the Canada Revenue Agency. It has caused widespread disruptions to a variety of government services and threatens to bring the personal tax filing season to a halt.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2023.

 With files from Michael MacDonald in Halifax

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It is actually the picture of a first-world problem: two political leaders fighting over whose rich friends are the worst.

But that was the state of Canadian political debate this week, with Justin Trudeau and Pierre Poilievre essentially accusing each other of flirting with the wrong type of wealthy people.

My friends might buy me a cup of coffee or a beer, but not an $80,000 gifted vacation that obviously comes with an IOU, Poilievre taunted Trudeau, after a CBC/Radio-Canada report on the prime ministers expensive Jamaica vacation over the holidays.

I do not think Canadians are worried about the leader of the oppositions friends who buy him a cup of coffee, Trudeau replied. Canadians are worried about his billionaire friends that he is using to attack local news for Canadians right across the country.

Trudeau was taking a poke at the way in which the Conservative leader had urged Twitter owner Elon Musk to label the CBC as government-funded media. (Musk obliged, CBC hit pause on Twitter, but the label was gone by the end of the week. For now.)

The two controversies are different, and serious in their own right  despite that somewhat petty exchange over whose friends carry the least benefits. But its fascinating to see how all of the political parties are using wealth as a political wedge against each other in the current climate. You can be many things in politics, but too many dealings with millionaires and billionaires will get you in trouble, every time.

Its not your imagination  Canadian political culture has definitely taken a turn against people of means in the past eight years.

Once upon a time, it used to be mainly the New Democrats who waged this kind of class war, and they still are  witness NDP Leader Jagmeet Singhs campaign against Loblaws outgoing CEO Galen Weston. But now everyone is getting into the act.

The Open Parliament website allows you to track the usage of the words traded back and forth in the halls of debate in Ottawa since just before the turn of this century. It shows there has been a marked surge since 2015 in how often politicians have been talking about millionaires and billionaires.

From 1994  thats as far back as Open Parliament has tracked  until 2015, the word billionaire only came up in the political conversation 199 times. After 2015, when Trudeau came to power, that number nearly quadrupled  to 794 as of this week.

A similar, but less pronounced spike is seen with the word millionaire  480 times in the 30 years before the Liberals took power, 624 and counting ever since. Meanwhile, Canadian politicians have been throwing around the term wealthy almost as much during Trudeaus time in office as the total mentions of that word in the three decades before  roughly 2,500 times from 1994 to 2015, but 2,193 and counting since then.

The big talkers about billionaires are of course, the opposition parties, with Conservatives logging the most mentions, followed closely by the NDP. The two politicians who have used the word the most are the NDPs Peter Julian, with 76 utterances and then Poilievre, with 66.

But when it comes to talking about millionaires, Liberals give almost as much as they get. Thats thanks largely to one of their big talking points, on how past Conservative governments used to send child benefit cheques to millionaires and so on.

All of this wealth-bashing is obviously rooted in the issue of income inequality, which made a huge impact on the global political debate after the economic crises of 2008-09 and helped prompt the rise of the Occupy movements.

Trudeau and his Liberals borrowed heavily from the Occupy rhetoric when crafting their winning 2015 election platform, and lets not forget that Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was recruited to politics a decade ago after writing her bestselling book, Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else.

Bill Morneau, Freelands predecessor, was asked in a recent podcast interview with Paul Wells whether his political fortunes were damaged by his own personal fortunes. (Morneau came to office in 2015 owning $40 million worth of shares in his familys company, Morneau Shepell, and he is married to a member of the venerable McCain food-company dynasty.)

I was very fortunate, and am very fortunate, and so that translates into me being, you know, different, like everyones different from everyone else, but me being different in one particular dimension, Morneau told Wells. So I tried my best but continued to be, obviously, someone who had a different life experience than many people that I met.

It is undeniably true as well that Canadian politicians have felt a lot more free to take a whack at wealthy people ever since strict limits were introduced in the early 2000s on corporate and individual contributions to political parties. Wealthy donors generally just dont hold the sway  or respect  they used to in Liberal and Conservative circles.

But I suspect that all this eat-the-rich talk in Canadian politics is also rooted somewhere in the idea that wealth generally is no longer seen as a reward for hard work or good citizenship  that the more people see wealth (or even comfortable retirement) as unattainable, the more easy it becomes to see riches as ill-gotten and unfair.

It wasnt that long ago, after all, that Paul Martin was seen as a rock of the Liberal firmament and a prime ministerial candidate from the beginning precisely because he was wealthy, earning his fortune through Canada Steamship Lines.

These days, the current Liberal finance minister can fall into extreme public disfavour merely by talking about her family subscription to the Disney Channel. A Canadian Press story earlier this week showed that Freelands office was inundated with critical outcry after she said she was cutting her Disney subscription to save on the cost, with people calling her smug, elitist, clueless and entitled.

To be clear, no political party is likely to stop beating up billionaires in the near future. No one is likely to kick off a campaign to end discrimination against the rich either. But its a telling sign when the worst that politicians can say about their opponents is that they hang around rich people too much.

Susan Delacourt is an Ottawa-based columnist covering national politics for the Star. Reach her via email: sdelacourt@thestar.ca or follow her on Twitter: @susandelacourt

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#GTAHomeHunt is a weekly series from the Star that gets into the details of real estate listings in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area. Have a tip? Email us at social@torstar.ca

Listed price: $799,000

Neighbourhood: Clairlea-Birchmount

X-factor: At 28 Clapperton Ave., this three-bedroom, two-bathroom semi-detached bungalow is nestled in an attractive location.

The home is steps away from Warden Station, making commuting by public transit easy. Surrounded by tons of parks and greenspaces, the property is also in proximity to plenty of schools, beauty salons and barber shops, restaurants and religious centres.

Its also near Warden Woods hiking trail, and a short drive from the Scarborough Bluffs.

The home features spacious rooms with high ceilings and hardwood floors, a basement with a separate entrance, an expansive backyard and a long, three-car driveway.

With an old-fashioned interior, this bungalow sold above asking price for $920,000 on April 20. The property was built in 1956 and could use a refresh. Some of the current design choices such as the kitchen backsplash and bathroom tiling suggest it hasnt had a renovation in a while. We spoke to realtor Othneil Litchmore for a better understand this sale.

Whos the right buyer for this?

Located in a somewhat quiet and up and coming neighbourhood, Litchmore said the home could be suitable for a young family who wants to move outside of the downtown core, but not stray too far.

This home is for someone who wants to stay within the city limits. Since its close to a subway station, they can get downtown pretty quickly, he said

As it stands, the property is livable sans renovations, but Litchmore also said he could see an investor scooping this property up, with a vision of taking advantage of the basement space and modifying the home into a duplex.

Why is it priced this way?

The property being listed at $799,000 isnt uncommon especially in this neighbourhood, Litchmore said, and it being sold for $120,000 over asking isnt a surprise either.

37 Clapperton Ave., a similar home just a few doors down on the same street, was sold in March for $932,000. Though originally listed for $899,000 with practically the same build as 28 Clapperton Ave., Litchmore explains that the price tag is justified not only due to its updated finishes and renovated basement, but because that seems to be where the market is currently at.

According to HouseSigma, the median price of semi-detached homes in the Clairlea-Birchmount community during March 2023 was $900,000, and Litchmore confirms the figure.

Any active buyer looking in this market should have a budget for about $900,000, he said. In this market as it stands right now, sellers are pricing low as a marketing tactic to attract attention and more offers. The listing price is not really an indication of what the seller actually wants.

Is it a good deal?

Litchmore said the type of property and age, about 70 years in this case, are pretty standard for the Clairlea-Birchmount neighbourhood.

It is older, but thats what youre going to get within the citys limits. Its sort of unavoidable. Youre going to get 60-plus-year-old homes because thats when they were all built.

However, Litchmore also said affordability is a factor at play, especially for a potential buyer who wants the downtown Toronto lifestyle without the downtown prices.

I think, the person thats going to buy this home wants to be in the city or within the citys limits, but theyre coming to Scarborough because its probably more affordable, he said.

A similar home closer to downtown or even in the west end is probably going to be over $1 million. By coming to the east end, even though these homes might need a little work, you can keep it in the $900s. Thats the tradeoff to consider.

Any tips for someone looking into a property like this?

Overall, Litchmore said aging properties like this are habitable and usually decently maintained but if the traditional look isnt your style, then potential buyers should be prepared to fork over some extra dollars to achieve a more modern appearance.

Whoever buys this home has to be mindful of what has and hasnt been done, he warned.

For instance, one of the washrooms looks like its been like that since the 1970s or 1980s. the flooring looks old, as if there was carpet over it before. Its like half done and half dated  its a rough home. If someone wants to move into this, theyll probably have some work to do.

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Monkey neutering resumed in Phuket following complaints by residents

PHUKET: Public complaints about the perpetual disturbance from wild monkeys in Rassada have pushed local officials to resume their catch-and-neuter campaign on the eastern outskirts of Phuket Town.

wildlifehealthSafetytourismanimals

By The Phuket News

Saturday 22 April 2023, 10:54AM

The new round of the campaign started on Thursday (Apr 20) when wildlife officials came to Soi King Kaew 9 in Rassada to install traps and catch at least some of the local pigtail macaques known in Thai as Ling Kai Tai, or just southern monkeys.

Local wildlife officials were led by Pongchart Chouehorm, Chief of the Nature and Wildlife Education Centre at Khao Phra Thaew, who had been overseeing the previous rounds of the mass sterilisation campaign continuing since 2018.

Joining Mr Pongchart and his team were wildlife experts from Phanthai Norasing Non-Hunting Area in Samut Sakhon Province, Mr Pongchart explained in a publication on Facebook.

Mr Pongchart said that Soi King Kaew residents had been complaining of macaques continuously coming to annoy people and demolish property of the villagers in many small alleys of the King Kaew Uthit community.

Previously Mr Pongchart had already listed the said community among the seven key areas where big groups of monkeys are found in Phuket. They were named as follows: Khao Rang Hill, Khao Toh Sae (Monkey Hill), Soi Thachean, King Kaew Soi 9, Koh Siray, Bang Rong Pier and Yamu Village.

This mass sterilisation is a project by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Office [PPAO, or OrBorJor] in order to reduce the number of wild monkeys and to protect local people and tourists from problems that could made by monkeys and communicable disease from monkeys to humans, Mr Pongchart also added during the 2020 round of the campaign.

Mr Pongchart didnt elaborate on how long the current offensive on Phuket macaques will last, or how many animals the officials are aiming to catch and neuter.

The most recent round of the campaign in 2020 saw nearly 200 macaques trapped, neutered and released back into the wild at the Khao Phra Thaew nature reserve in Thalang in just three days (Sept 19-21).

However, the most well known episode in the ongoing money wars in Phuket took place in 2018 when two whole troupes of neutered monkeys were relocated to the uninhabited islands of Koh Thanan and Koh Payu, both off Phukets east coast. Nothing has been reported about them since.
Navy moves to close luxury resort built on its land

CHON BURI: The Royal Thai Navy is preparing to pursue civil charges against the operators of a luxury resort that was constructed on its land in Chon Buri province.

militarytourism

By Bangkok Post

Saturday 22 April 2023, 10:15AM

The Star Over Sea resort in Sattahip district of Chon Buri consisted of six luxury villas fashioned from shipping containers, with room rates starting at 15,000 baht a night. Photo: Chaiyot Pupattanapong / Bangkok Post

The owner of the Star Over Sea resort had approval to rent the state-owned land on a mountaintop in Sattahip district for residential or agricultural purposes only, navy spokesman Adm Pokkrong Monthatphalin said on Friday (Apr 21). The navy had already filed a report and on March 12 it set a 30-day deadline for the resort buildings to be demolished but no action was taken, prompting it to initiate further action, he said, reported the Bangkok Post. The Sattahip Naval Station will now ask the Office of the Judge Advocate General of the Royal Thai Navy to begin eviction proceedings and initiate civil action against the resort, Adm Pokkrong said. Sattahip police have been tasked with initiating criminal procedures against Star Over Sea, he added. Meanwhile, the Facebook page of the resort has been temporarily closed since Mar 9.
Understanding Phukets haze season

PHUKET: A meteorologist with 17 years experience with the Belgian air force has come forward with his understanding of the natural phenomenon of haze that has plagued Phuket since last week, and has only just started to clear.

weatherpollutionhealthtourism

By The Phuket News

Saturday 22 April 2023, 09:00AM

Frederic Pierson has been living in Phuket for 13 years, and the haze phenomenon, as officials like to call it, has been an annual event, with some years much more noticeable than others.

It is not a natural phenomenon, Frederic says plainly. It is from human causes.

The smog is the result of human-caused pollutants, namely heavy burning in the north, along with all the usual air-polluting activities by humans, including vehicle emissions and factory pollution, he says.

The part that is natural, and which is the only part that Phuket officials are admitting, is that wind patterns and a weak northeast monsoon is what has left the haze smothering not only Phuket, but the whole region, for the past week.

The area affected is larger than the island. Its all over Southeast Asia, all over Thailand, Frederic says.

The PM 2.5 readings were very high last week in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Bangkok. The northeast monsoon that brings this to Phuket has been weak, while the weather has been very warm, he adds.

So the accumulation of the burn particles and smog cannot evacuate, and that is why we have had this heavy smog over Phuket. Last week there was no wind and all the [wind] patterns stayed the same, causing the pollution to stay in the same place, Frederic explains.

Frederick pointed to a report published by the Environmental Research Institute at Chulalongkorn University that he says is well documented and also explains very well how the phenomenon of warm weather and weak prevailing winds exacerbates the problem of air pollution to the extent that people see today.

The report, called Stay Safe In the PM 2.5, explains, PM 2.5 level increase usually occurs during transition between winter to summer season. Approaching the end of winter, high pressure areas or a cold air mass spreads from China to Thailand, resulting in strong monsoons covering the Northeast part of Thailand.

At this time, the upper part of Thailand will experience lower temperatures, ranging from cool to cold, and potentially very cold in some areas. However, this may not occur if high pressure covering the area becomes less, which in effect will reduce the northeast monsoon season to a calm wind.

Temperature inversions in the lower parts of the atmosphere result in floating dust and distribution at a low level with poor air circulation and ventilation contributing to the accumulation of dust, smog and smoke in the atmosphere, the report explains.

While that may explain why the PM 2.5 pollution is in higher concentrations during this time of year, the fact remains that the AQI (air quality index) for Phuket during the peak period over the past week has been four times the recommended maximum set by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Frederic notes.

In Europe, several days of PM 2.5 readings of 25-30 would automatically trigger health warnings. But not here I am concerned when I cannot see the hills in Phuket Town from Saphan Hin, where I go for a run, and I can feel the rasp in my breath, he adds.

The fact remains that it is pollution that is being trapped over Phuket by the wind, and there is very little people in Phuket can do about it as it is generated more than 1,000km from here.

They know the problem. We all know what the causes of pollution are, Frederic says.

The government is not tackling the real issue. There are no real measures to reduce PM 2.5 and PM 10 particle pollution. They know what they need to do, but they are not doing it, he concludes.
Back on Feb. 18, Flash From the Past dipped into the Waterloo Historical Societys collection for a half-dozen colour photographs of Elmira and area taken by Charles Gates just before he moved to the United States in 1956. I flippantly suggested that perhaps he was the similarly named wealthy Colorado philanthropist Charles Cassius Gates. Quickly, I was put straight and numerous readers filled in Gates family details.

Mary Ferguson Cressman has childhood memories of the outgoing and fun Gates family  Charles, Dot and daughter Valerie. Marys uncle, Ralph Ferguson, worked with Charles at Elmiras Naugatuck Chemical plant and in later years the Gateses often returned to visit the Ferguson cottage at Fenelon Falls, Ont. David Frank of Ottawa says his mother recalls babysitting Valerie around mid-century. Del Gingrich grew up two doors from the Gates home on Hampton Street. Their families often gathered in nearby Gore Park. Joyce Bell recalls Dot Gates conducting the Wesley United Church choir and leading the Elmira Brownies.

Waterloos Brian Kirkham was a major connection to the current Gates family in the United States. Brian insisted that Charles Gates was Charlie to everyone. Brian and wife Jean were longtime friends of Valerie Gates and her husband, Fred Wintsch. Freds father, Dr. Harry Wintsch, had been Charlies manager at Naugatuck. In the mid-1950s, both Harry and Charlie were transferred to the companys main plant in Naugatuck, Conn.

Charlie and Dots grandson, Jonathan Gates Wintsch, (son of Valerie) remembers long trips between Connecticut and Elmira in the 1950s and 60s. He rode in the cargo area of their station wagon on the way to visit his Wintsch grandparents who had returned to Elmira after retirement. Charlie Gates retired in Connecticut.

Another grandchild, Elizabeth Wintsch Shoudy, also recalled those long Connecticut-to-Elmira trips. A third grandchild of Charlie and Dot wrote in from Davidson College in North Carolina. As befits a professor of English, Suzanne Wintsch Churchills notes were very detailed and precise. I liked her opening:

The photographer Charles William Gates was no relation to Charles Cassius Gates Jr. or Bill Gates both of whom made far bigger financial fortunes. But my Granddaddy Charlie Gates nevertheless led a rich, full life.

Her mother Valerie had lived in Elmira for over a decade, completing her Grade 13 at Elmira District High School. Suzanne confirmed that Valerie died in 2015 just a few years after donating the colour photographs that Charlie had taken in 1956. Suzanne, like her siblings, retains strong memories of those treks to Elmira  and of swimming in the same pool her grandfathers photo showed. Valeries husband, Fred Wintsch, father of the previous three correspondents, still lives in the United States.

Kitcheners Blue Top Brewery, was the Flash focus on March 25 and April 8. Despite Blue Top garnering numerous replies, I was going to leave it be, until a note came from John Israel in Florida. A K-W friend had emailed him the Blue Top stories:

My great-grandfather John Spalinger and grandfather John (Jack) Spalinger Jr. were the Master Brewers for Blue Top brewery and its predecessor (Huether Brewing Ltd.) My mother, Doreen, was John Jr.s daughter. Life was good for all until that skunky batch of beer got out. It cost my grandfather his job  only to find out later that it was the night person who decided to open a large window to smoke a cigarette and that let in fumes from the rubber factory next door, spoiling the batch of Blue Top.

The senior Spalinger had journeyed here from Toledo, Ohio, via brief employment at a brewery in Beaufort, Que. Soon after arriving in pre-World War One Berlin, he was working for C.N. Huethers Berlin Lion Brewery. Collectively, the two Spalingers were brewmasters for more than 35 years at Lion/Huether/Blue Top. A future Flash From the Past will backtrack to look at early Huether brewing operations.

The black-and-white photo this week has nothing to do with the Gates family or Blue Top. Many people know the back roads of Waterloo County/Region better than I, so can someone tell me where this was taken? It is a timeless view that could represent the 1820s, 1920s or 2020s.

rychmills@golden.net

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Its all about the sum of its parts.

Cambridges Municipal Heritage Advisory Committee (MHAC) voted 4-3 on April 20 to recommend Forbes Park, 16 Kribs St., to city council for a Part IV designation.

While questions arose about just designating some of the structures inside the park, Jeremy Parsons, the citys senior heritage planner, said staff took a holistic approach to designating the whole park as a landscape with multiple components instead of designating individual features.

Cory de Villiers, chair of the Hespeler BIA, was against the designation, speaking as a property owner backing onto the park. While in favour of heritage in Hespeler  he owns a designated heritage building in the downtown  he felt the designation would cause unnecessary red tape in making changes and enhancements to the park. He also felt designations should be made on buildings that deserved to be saved, while the park doesnt have any great archeological or heritage assets besides its community use due to the proximity to the downtown.

I dont think it is at risk at all from losing any of its characters or what makes it special for our community, de Villiers said.

JUST THE FACTS

 The application for designation was made on Feb. 27 by a representative for the Hespeler Village Music Festival. The plan is to honour the designation, if it is granted, at the festival on July 8.

 The layout of the park hasnt changed since 1915 when the land was donated by George Duthie Forbes, and contains five of the nine criteria necessary by the province for a heritage designation and four criteria under the citys Cultural Heritage Value Evaluation. Only two must be satisfied in each category to qualify for designation.

 The key elements for the designation were summarized as: the location of the park within the centre of Hespeler; the general historic layout of the park, including the original bisecting pedestrian pathways; the wooden bandstand structure donated by the Hespeler Womens Institute in 1924, commemorating veterans of the First World War; and the historic angled concrete bridge constructed in 1919 to cross Spring Creek.

 While currently not under the designated area in the park, the adjacent Hespeler Scout House is scheduled for demolition, with the intention to merge that parcel of land into the park. Parsons stated he wasnt sure if anything will be built on that land.

 The park has hosted several Old Boys reunions and has hosted the Hespeler Village Music Festival since 1997, when it was known as the Forbes Park Music Festival.

Is something happening in your community that you want to know more about? Email the newsroom at newsroom@cambridgetimes.ca.



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SAN DIEGO  As an ambassador for rats, it's never easy to win over the public. There's that hairless tail, after all.

But Runa at the San Diego Zoo is doing her best to counter the bad press. She is one of a handful of such so-called ambassadors showing off the virtues of rats at three U.S. zoos. The rats were provided by a Tanzania-based organization that is training African giant pouched rats to combat wildlife trafficking, detect diseases and perform other useful tasks.

At least twice the size of the common brown rats found in cities, African giant pouched rats like Runa are best known for ferreting out landmines and other explosive material on old battlefields in Angola, Mozambique and Cambodia, earning them the nickname "hero-rats." Efforts are underway to expand the use of their keen sense of smell to finding people trapped in collapsed buildings, detecting diseases in laboratory samples and alerting officials to illegal goods at ports and airports.

Six African rats completed their first trial working in the field in March, spending a month at a port in Tanzania where they were tasked with detecting smuggled goods, including Pangolins. The scaly anteater is coveted by poachers and is among the most trafficked animals in the world. Its meat is considered a delicacy in Vietnam and some parts of China, and its scales are used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Wildlife contraband is concealed among vast numbers of shipping containers that annually leave Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and other African ports.

Runa initially was trained to find landmines, but she often got distracted on the job. She has been excelling, however, as an ambassador, said Cari Inserra, lead wildlife care specialist at the San Diego Zoo.

On a recent day, her trainers hid small vessels of chamomile tea under the dirt in a box. As soon as she was released from her cage, Runa's tiny nose was abuzz with twitching as she set out to work. Within seconds she had found all the vessels, and was racing over to suck on a syringe filled with a pellet-and-banana smoothie.

"One of the most fun things to see is how she changes the perceptions of people," Inserra said.

Nicki Boyd, of the San Diego Zoo and Wildlife Alliance, said rats offer an important tool to combat wildlife trafficking, which the zoo wants to highlight since the illegal animal trade "is very destructive to the species that we are actively trying to save and protect in the wild."

"I do think there is the ability to scale this up," she said.

But rats still have a ways to go in winning over everyone. Last week, New York Mayor Eric Adams introduced Kathleen Corradi, a former elementary school teacher and anti-rat activist, as his new "rat czar" whose job is to battle potentially millions of rats lurking about the city.

The city's help-wanted ad for the post stated it was seeking applicants who are "bloodthirsty," possess "killer instincts" and could commit to the "wholesale slaughter" of rats. At her first news conference in her job, Corradi, standing next to Adams, stated her hatred of rats and vowed to use "science" to rid the city of them.

Rats can spread disease like leptospirosis, which on rare occasions can lead to meningitis and cause the kidneys and liver to fail.

Izzy Szott, a behavioral research scientist at the Tanzania-based organization APOPO, which is training the rats to work for governments, said she was not surprised to hear rats had been named enemy No. 1, but she wants people to know the full picture. Her hope is having ambassador rats at renowned zoos, like San Diego's, will lead to more understanding and support for rat research.

New York City spokesman Fabien Levy called his city's rats "dirty, diseased" and a public health risk that the city is intent on ridding itself of using humane techniques where possible. But he added: "Our priority remains our city's residents, not its rodents."

Rats in general, Szott said, "actually are quite clean animals," adding that they groom themselves constantly and often affectionately lick their trainers' arms after getting a good scratching.

Szott said rats often "get a bad rap," but that it's important to "consider our responsibility towards the wildlife around us and that we share the planet with."

"We need to understand the capabilities that these animals have and see them in a humane way and treat them in a humane way," she added.

African giant pouched rats have sniffed out more than 150,000 landmines to date, according to her organization. They've also helped health clinics in Africa diagnose people with tuberculosis, detecting the bacteria in the sputum samples of 25,000 patients.

At their facility in Morogoro, Tanzania, Szott and the other researchers are also working on training the rats to someday aid in the detection of contaminated soil or help rescuers in finding people trapped under the rubble after earthquakes and explosions. The rats, which can be dispatched into hard-to-reach areas, have been outfitted with tiny vests with a pendant they can pull to send an alert to their handlers when they find a person. So far they have succeeded in alerting their handler when given such a task in a mock disaster setting, Szott said.

And Szott said she believes someday they could be a regular fixture at some ports and airports, offering a cheaper option to drug-and-explosive-sniffing dogs. One of her program's rats has already shown they can sniff out multiple species, she said, adding that they could be used to stop the trafficking of elephant ivory and rhino horn.

New York City's common brown rats share the same traits, but their shorter lifespan makes them unlikely candidates for such trainings, Szott said. African rats can live up to a decade, whereas small brown rats only live for a few years.

"We think they make great zoo additions," she said of the African rats, adding that the ambassadors will broaden people's understanding of "just how smart they are and how we can co-exist with them."

Rat ambassadors show off abilities
Celebrated throughout April, Canadas Filipino restaurant month aims to showcase Filipino cuisine and culture.

Filipino cuisine (features) a natural fusion of food due the history of the Philippines with flavours influenced from different cultures, said Ylynne Rosales who spoke to the Chronicle on behalf of the Enriquez family, the team behind Sari-Sari Filipino Cuisine on Lancaster Street West in Kitchener.

Its a unique mixture of sweet, salty and sour flavours, she adds.

As part of the celebration, the food spot is offering a special platter, which includes mini pork lumpia (spring rolls), lechon kawali (crispy pork belly), inihaw na liempo (grilled pork) and mini barbecue sticks that come with steamed white rice. Every purchase of this platter enters customers into a draw.

The special platter along with Sari-Saris other bestsellers were showcased during a recently held luncheon with members of the Philippine Consulate and Waterloo region politicians at the Kitchener Filipino spot.

Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe, Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic, Waterloo MP Bardish Chagger, Kitchener-Conestoga MP Tim Louis, Kitchener Ward 10 Coun. Aislinn Clancy, along with Philippine Consul Mary Grace Villamayor and other guests sampled Filipino favourites like lumpia, pancit (stir-fried noodles) and kaldereta (beef stew).

WANT TO TRY FILIPINO FOOD?

Rosales recommends trying the pork barbecue or lumpia first for those new to the cuisine. Those two dishes, among the places bestselling items, are common foods people will find when travelling to the Philippines, she shared.

Use the dip, she said adding most Filipino dishes are served with sauces that compliment the flavours of the dish.

(Filipino) stews are also best eaten over white steamed rice.

Aside from their signature barbecue and lumpia dishes, Rosales lists pancit, lechon kawali and inihaw na liempo as among their bestsellers.

Their non-Filipino customers though, like trying their Bicol express (slightly spicy pork bits cooked in coconut milk) and chicken adobo (meat cooked in soy sauce and spices). They are best shared with friends and family, she said.

Filipino food binds people together, Rosales explained. It gives you a feeling of home and togetherness."

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KITCHENER  Two youths have been charged in connection to a robbery in Kitchener.

Waterloo Regional Police said the incident occurred Thursday at about 5:30 p.m. when a male youth was assaulted by several other youths and robbed in the area of Westmount Road East and Ottawa Street South.

Officers found and arrested two male youths, who have been charged with robbery with intent. The victim suffered minor injuries.

The investigation is ongoing and police are looking for a third suspect.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 519-570-9777. To provide anonymous information, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit online at www.waterloocrimestoppers.com.

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You dont need to sit in traffic: The Ministry of Transportation has scheduled three closures in Waterloo on April 22, 2023 for roadwork on Highway 6.

Highway 6 northbound between Wellington Road 34 / County Road 34 and Maltby Road / Concession 4: one alternating lane closed until April 21 at 3 p.m.

Highway 6 northbound between Wellington Road 34 / County Road 34 and Maltby Road / Concession 4: one right lane closed from April 24 at 9 a.m. until April 28 at 3 p.m.

Highway 6 southbound between Currie Drive / Telfer Glen and Highway 5 / Clappisons Corners: one alternating lane closed from April 23 at 8 p.m. until April 28 at 5 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.

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WATERLOO REGION  Ontario says it is in the process of appointing a facilitator to review local governments to see how best to implement so-called strong mayors in this region.

A provincial spokesperson would not provide a timeline for the plan announced last November, and said the effort is narrower than the last regional review the province undertook and abandoned four years ago.

Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark continues to reject calls to release the expert report on regional government he commissioned in 2019 from two advisers, former regional chair Ken Seiling and former deputy minister Michael Fenn.

Unlike the previous regional government review, (the current process is) intended to assess the role and structure of regional governments and local municipalities in the context of the expansion of strong mayor powers to growing municipalities, said Victoria Podbielski, spokesperson for Clark.

Previous work on regional government was broader in scope and submitted as confidential advice to cabinet and is therefore subject to cabinet confidentiality.

Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe is anxious for the province to appoint a facilitator so municipalities can pursue the direction to build more homes.

The sooner the better, she said. Lets get moving on this so we can put it to bed and move on with the business of building our communities. We need that clarity.

McCabe is curious to know what Seiling and Fenn recommended four years ago in their report on regional government. It would be interesting to see whats in there, she said. Im curious because Im curious.

She understands that four years later the context has changed because legislation has changed.

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Hamilton police are investigating a targeted shooting in Glanbrook that left at least one man injured early Saturday morning.

In a media release, police said just after 5:15 a.m. on April 22, officers were called to the area of Dolomiti Court, a residential street located just south of Rymal Road East, for reports of a shooting.

Officers found a 35-year-old man suffering from gunshot wounds to both his arm and leg. He was transported to hospital in stable condition.

Police believe the shooting was targeted.

Investigators are asking area residents to check their surveillance footage for any video capturing vehicles and people fleeing the neighbourhood between 5:15 and 5:40 a.m. Police have not released any suspect or vehicle descriptions.

Investigators believe there may be additional victims and are encouraging those individuals to come forward, according to a press release.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police by calling 905-546-4067.

To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit online tips at crimestoppershamilton.com.

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City councillors have told staff to go back to the drawing board on renter-protection measures after a report fell short of expectations and left Hamilton tenants whod hoped for a renovictions bylaw disappointed.

Apologetic senior staff were at a loss to explain how direction from the past council to examine the ways and means to enact such a bylaw instead resulted in an analysis that dismissed it.

Council said were asking you to tell us how to do it; not if we want to do it, Coun. Brad Clark, recalling his December 2021 motion, told The Spectator. And there is a distinct difference in that.

But the expectations are now clear after renewed direction to staff to report back in August on a bylaw, Coun. Cameron Kroetsch said.

I think everyone here was impeccably clear about what were looking for in an renovictions bylaw, he said after Thursdays emergency and community services committee meeting. So I think were on the right path.

There has been staff turnover in key positions on the file since last terms motion, the timing of which also coincided a wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Angie Burden, who became general manager of healthy and safe communities in early 2022, told councillors.

I can give you a whole bunch of reasons why this did not turn out the way it should have, Burden added, as tenants and advocates calling for bold action watched in the gallery at city hall.

People listen to a speaker at a press conference by Hamilton ACORN ahead of a council meeting regarding renovictions. John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator

Instead, she apologized for not being able today to bring forward the solutions that were anticipated.

In addition to reporting back on the renovictions bylaw, staff are also expected to make recommendations on a full suite of options to halt renovictions, including changes to existing bylaws, rental-replacement policies, use of building permits and a city-wide licensing program.

The committees decision awaits a final vote at full council next week.

In Ontario, landlords are able to evict tenants for renovations that require building permits, but tenant groups and housing experts have condemned the practice as a main driver of displacement and hiked rental rates that are eroding affordable market stock.

Under provincial legislation, once units are vacant, landlords are no longer limited by annually capped increases and can charge new tenants whatever they want.

In a letter to councillors, the Hamilton and District Apartment Association asserted that despite the negative connotation toward renovictions, they in many cases are necessary, pointing out the citys very old rental stock is in desperate need of repairs and renovations.

Renovictions are essentially a big win for tenants who end up with a better home and at the same rent they were paying before.

Thats far from the case, says tenants, including those affiliated with Hamilton ACORN, who since 2019 have pushed the city to emulate policies in New Westminster, B.C., to protect renters from renovictions.

Those measures, which provincial legislation has since superseded, obliged landlords to apply to the city if units needed to be vacated for renovations and required them to provide accommodations to displaced tenants.

Karl Andrus of Hamilton Community Benefits Newtowrk speaks at a press conference by Hamilton ACORN ahead of a council meeting to discuss renovictions. John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator

Thursdays staff report, presented in tandem with a public affairs consultants paper, pointed to substantial differences between Ontario and British Columbia legislation that establish municipal powers.

In B.C., city councils can create bylaws to protect persons and property relating to rental units, but Ontarios Municipal Act provides no direct reference. Moreover, the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) has clear exclusivity when it comes to evictions.

That take, however, clashes with other legal opinions, including one provided to Hamilton ACORN.

If properly drafted, such a by-law would be unlikely to run afoul of the Citys authority within the Municipal Act, lawyer Claire Michela of RavenLaw wrote in her analysis.

Likewise, Karen Andrews, a lawyer with the Advocacy Centre for Tenants Ontario, told councillors she disputed that Hamilton couldnt create a renovictions bylaw under Ontario legislation.

Be bold. Take it out for a spin, added Andrews, who also teaches at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University. You are the City of Hamilton and people are suffering.

Andrews was among dozens of speakers who urged councillors to pursue the bylaw and other policies to rein in renovictions during the emergency and community services committee and an earlier rally in front of city hall.

Tenants recounted how landlords applied a variety of pressure tactics to push them out of their units for renovations, ranging from cash buyouts to poor maintenance and interrupted basic services like hot water.

They also underscored that while a tenants right to return to units at the same rate once renovations are done exists in law, in practice, its frustrated by landlords who simply deny it and scant options for temporary accommodations.

Darlene Wesley, an old-age pensioner with a lung condition, told councillors shes couch-surfing after losing her apartment of 18 years on Strathearne Avenue in January.

Renovictions are having a devastating impact on affordable rentals in Hamilton, Wesley added.

Evan Pettitt said he and other tenants have managed to stave off their landlords attempt to evict them from a sixplex on Cannon Street East after they hired a paralegal drawing on financial assistance from the citys tenant defence fund.

Pettitt, who lost a leg to cancer and receives a disability pension, said his landlord initially offered him about $2,500 to move out, but as of Thursday, that incentive was jacked to $27,000.

Evan Pettitt has managed to stave off his landlord's attempt to evict him after he hired a paralegal drawing on financial assistance from the city's tenant defence fund. John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator

Even that wont last long in Hamiltons escalated rental market, he said. Where would I move to? Id be homeless in a year or two.

David Galvin, who lives in one of seven units still occupied in a mostly vacant and derelict building on Main Street East across from Gage Park where tenants went without running water for 86 days, said the city utterly failed them on a number of fronts.

In turn, Coun. Nrinder Nann apologized to Galvin and his 1083 Main St. E. neighbours, not only for the citys response to the water debacle, but also for the years they had to file complaints over and over again about property standards.

The committee also voted to give immediate $50,000 boost to the depleted tenant defence fund and tasked staff with looking at expanding its scope.

Karl Andrus, one of the delegates and lead at the Hamilton Community Benefits Network, told The Spectator hes hopeful about councillors pushback on the staff report but awaits what comes back in August.

Theres progress being made in that council pushed back against what was a poorly received staff report with some clear timelines for delivery, but at the end of the day renovictions are happening every day.

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WASHINGTON  President Joe Biden said late Saturday that U.S. military completed the evacuation of U.S. Embassy personnel in Sudan and he called for an end to the unconscionable violence.

He thanked U.S. troops who carried out the mission, as Washington shuttered the U.S. mission in Khartoum indefinitely.

The staffers were airlifted to an undisclosed location in Ethiopia, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the mission, as fighting between two armed Sudanese rivals entered a second week.

I am proud of the extraordinary commitment of our Embassy staff, who performed their duties with courage and professionalism and embodied Americas friendship and connection with the people of Sudan, Biden said in a statement. I am grateful for the unmatched skill of our service members who successfully brought them to safety.

He also thanked Djibouti, Ethiopia and Saudi Arabia, which he said played a critical role in the success of our operation.

Biden ordered the embassy evacuation after a recommendation from his national security team, according to an official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The order was believed to apply to about 70 Americans.

According to the World Health Organization, the fighting killed more than 400 people since erupting April 15 between two factions whose leaders are vying for control over the country. The violence included an unprovoked attack on an American diplomatic convoy and numerous incidents in which foreign diplomats and aid workers were killed, injured or assaulted.

The White House said it has no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of American citizens trapped in Sudan. An estimated 16,000 private U.S. citizens are registered with the embassy as being in the country, though the State Department cautioned that figure probably is inaccurate because there is no requirement for Americans to register or notify the embassy when they leave.

The embassy issued an alert earlier Saturday cautioning that "due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens." The U.S. evacuation planning got underway in earnest Monday after the embassy convoy was attacked in Khartoum. The Pentagon confirmed Friday that U.S. troops were being moved to Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti ahead of a possible evacuation.

The Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate foreign citizens and diplomats on military aircraft.

Army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that requested help. Most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, is intensely dangerous.

Battles between the Sudanese army led by Burhan and a rival powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas. Foreign countries struggled to repatriate their citizens  many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese military's announcement. "We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants," the National Security Council said.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals traveled by land to Port Sudan, the country's main seaport on the Red Sea. He said Jordan's diplomats would be evacuated in the same way.

Before it was closed, the U.S. Embassy warned it had "incomplete information about significant convoys departing Khartoum traveling towards Port Sudan" and the situation remained dangerous. "Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk," it said.

Burhan told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel on Saturday that flights in and out of Khartoum remained risky due to clashes. He claimed the military regained control over all the other airports in the country, except for one in the southwestern city of Nyala.

"We share the international community's concern about foreign nationals," he said.

The fighting, and collapse of three recent cease-fire attempts, dealt a blow to hopes for the country's transition to a civilian-led democracy and raised concerns the chaos could draw in its neighbors, including Chad, Egypt and Libya.

Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, chief of the paramilitary group fighting the army, known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, claimed he would work toward "opening humanitarian corridors, to facilitate the movement of citizens and enable all countries to evacuate their nationals to safe places."

The current explosion of violence came after Burhan and Dagalo fell out over a recent internationally brokered deal with democracy activists meant to incorporate the RSF into the military and eventually lead to civilian rule.

The rival generals rose to power after popular uprisings led to the ouster of Sudan's longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019. Two years later, they joined forces to seize power in a coup that ousted the civilian leaders.
At first glance, Lynda Lukasik almost looks out of place in her new, still-spartan office on the seventh floor of city hall.

Maybe, because residents are more likely to recognize Lukasik  arguably the citys best-known eco activist  from photos of her pointing out polluting smokestacks, testing air quality from her bicycle or wading hip-deep in murky storm sewer outlets as part of her former job at Environment Hamilton.

Regardless, the citys new director of climate change initiatives is working hard to personalize that municipal office, with nearly a dozen little pots of native tree plantings now lining the window.

The 56-year-old is trying to spread the tiny, green Kentucky coffee tree seedlings throughout the bureaucratic building  or to any group that asks her to present the citys new climate plan, which is something that is happening a lot.

I like to say they are a lot like Hamiltonians, she said with a chuckle, turning a banana-sized seed pod from the native Carolinian species in her hand. Theyre tough and pollution tolerant survivors, with a lot of potential inside.

Lukasik has been a pitch-person for tree planting since her days as a student and Green party activist in the 1980s right through her decades of leadership with advocacy agency Environment Hamilton.

Its still part of her job, she notes, because tree-planting is a small but important part of a bigger city plan to fight climate change and protect citizens  particularly the most vulnerable  from the consequences of global warming. (Her office window provides an unavoidable reminder of that responsibility, too, via a birds-eye view of a growing tent encampment behind city hall.)

Still, her new gig as a bureaucrat might surprise some, if only because she is known for some high-profile past environmental showdowns with her new employer.

A successful citizen push to shut down a polluting trash incinerator on Kenora Avenue. A long but ultimately losing battle against construction of the Red Hill Valley Parkway. A rare private prosecution against the city for allowing toxic dump juice to leak into Red Hill Creek  with the resulting fines helping kick-start citizen group Environment Hamilton.

Lukasik agrees she has had a respectfully scrappy relationship with the city, but argues shes also happily worked with the municipality on everything from tree-planting to air quality.

Her new job also fits a lifetime pattern of standing up for the environment in the face of long odds. Fighting city hall and winning is tough, for sure. But global climate change?

Its the biggest emergency of our lifetime. Its a truly existential threat, said Lukasik, who spent her last year as head of Environment Hamilton urging the city to speed up its climate plan.

Now, part of her job is to press fast-forward.

Lynda Lukasik, city's new director of climate change initiatives, is growing green Kentucky coffee tree seedlings in her office, hoping to share the native Carolinian species with colleagues. Cathie Coward/The Hamilton Spectator

Part of the reason Lukasik left her beloved Environment Hamilton job  not without getting a little teary  was that sense of urgency combined with a council commitment to provide real resources to the battle.

The city hired Lukasik last December and is looking now to add new staffers to the climate office team. Around $2.5 million is expected to be added annually to a climate change reserve.

They will oversee implementation of a climate strategy aimed at both meeting a 2050 net zero emissions goal for the community, and work on mitigation strategies for the unavoidable fallout of a warming climate, like extreme flooding or killer heat waves.

Moving faster is a relative term when you talk about an 8,000-employee bureaucracy.

But the larger challenge might be bringing everyone into the same tent to support Hamiltons decarbonization goals, said Geoffrey Knapper, a past manager with Ontarios environment ministry who now heads the Hamilton Industrial Environmental Association.

Industry and commerce have such a large part in the transition that needs to happen, he said. (Thats probably an understatement  industry accounted for more than half of Hamiltons 9.4-megatonne carbon footprint in 2020, according to the Atmospheric Fund.)

Lynda will have to make that transition from activist to government policy person  But she is a pragmatist, and ... that is a valuable part of the skill set. Knapper also praised Lukasik for her breadth of knowledge and understanding of how government works.

For years, the longtime activist has sat on obscure technical panels on industrial air quality, taken training courses on how to identify smokestack pollution violations and successfully used the provincial Environmental Bill of Rights to force policy change.

Lukasiks authoritative voice and endless energy will be missed by Environment Hamilton and all activists working outside government for change, said Don McLean, a board member and co-founder of the agency.

When many people think of Environment Hamilton, they think of Lynda, said McLean. Her optimism has been a driving force for change.

But the veteran activist added he is heartened by her new role. You know, she has been pushing and pestering the city for decades, and now they take her on as a ... director? That suggests they are getting serious about addressing climate change, he said.

That said, McLean believes shell have her hands full. The Hamilton 350 climate group leader has already delegated to the new council about potential weaknesses he sees in the citys plan.

For example, around how or if the city supports an ArcelorMittal Dofasco green steel transition that the company insists requires a new natural gas pipeline built through Hamilton.

Or a city plan to offer low-interest loans to spur home energy retrofits  a proposal McLean supports, but also argues could leave out tenants who are often most in need of help dealing with the risks of a warming planet. We need to ensure there is equity in our plan, he said.

Lukasik said she hopes to address some of those concerns in May, when updates on a proposed retrofit program and a strategy to make Hamilton a decarbonization hub are expected to hit council. Here are some of the 2023 climate office priorities she recently outlined for council:

Governance and communications

The city has a new steering committee of departmental leaders to try to ensure they use a climate lens for future purchases and projects. The city is also about to recruit for a community climate change advisory committee;

Creating a carbon budget

This is the idea of effectively setting an annual emissions cap for the city or its various departments, which ideally would shrink over time;

Climate-friendly buildings

Creating a pilot home energy retrofit program that would involve low-interest loans upfront to residents. Lukasik said the program could help residents switch from gas heating to the use of high-efficiency heat pumps  which also double as an air conditioner alternative in the summer.

Urban greening

Another goal is to eventually see 50,000 new trees planted every year. Thats a tall order for the city itself, which set out to plant a record number of new street or replacement trees  around 14,000  in 2021.

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As the first Hamilton Police Service Indigenous liaison officer Stacey Hill says she wants to be a bridge between both of her worlds.

Growing up on Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, being a police officer was something I wanted to be since I was a little girl, Hill said in an interview with The Spectator. It was like a calling.

As both Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe, she knows there is a long history in Indigenous communities of not trusting police, stemming from residential schools and the Sixties Scoop. But she also draws inspiration from her families to serve as an officer. Her Haudenosaunee side of the family is Bear Clan, known as protectors and guardians, she said. On her Anishinaabe side she is Marten Clan, who are hunters and warriors.

Hamilton police Indigenous liaison officer Const. Stacey Hill at a ceremony welcoming her to her new job Friday at Pier 4 Park. John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator

Hill said she didnt want to police her home community, but was interested in an urban setting where there are not many Indigenous officers. In her work in Hamilton she has tried to incorporate a holistic and Indigenous way of doing things, including educating colleagues and trying to recruit more Indigenous officers.

It is these teachings and her more than 25-year policing career that Hill brings as Hamiltons first Indigenous liaison officer.

Hill, wearing a handmade jingle dress, was welcomed by the community in a ceremony at Pier 4 Friday, including songs, welcoming talks and a sacred fire. Hill was presented with an eagle feather, a significant honour in the Indigenous community meant to represent the good work she has done and will do moving forward.

The liaison position is meant to open up better communication between Indigenous communities and the police service. It has long been a wish of the community, but it came to the forefront as part of the demands after a Hamilton officer was captured on video stomping on the head of an Indigenous man during a violent arrest.

Hamilton police Chief Frank Bergen talks to Indigenous liaison officer Const. Stacey Hill while taking tobacco from her at the ceremony welcoming her to her new job Friday at Pier 4 Park. John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator

The police service was quick to condemn the actions and acted swiftly, suspending and then charging the officer. At the time, the hiring of an Indigenous liaison officer was already in the works. Const. Brian Wren was charged criminally and, earlier this year, pleaded guilty to assaulting Patrick Tomchuk.

In an interview, Lyndon George, Indigenous justice co-ordinator at the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, said what happened to Tomchuk and his and his familys bravery to push for it to be exposed was the catalyst that propelled Hamiltons Indigenous community into action, organizing to demand changes after 20 years of asking for a liaison officer.

We know that Hamilton Police Service would better exist in their relationship with the Indigenous community if we were able to provide them with a good solid group of community leaders and advocates with whom they can come and consult when these things happen, said George, whose spirit name is NaWalka Geeshy Meegwun (Longfeather). And then work on how do we prevent these things from happening.

The community has also created an Indigenous Consultation Circle, which includes Hill, that will be a resource for police to address issues, educate and work on strategies to prevent conflict.

George said that since the Tomchuk incident he has heard from a number of Indigenous community members about their own bad experiences with police or other agencies that were not captured on video. There are also community members who have been victims of crime, but are scared to come forward and report to police. The hope is that the consultation circle and the Indigenous liaison officer mark the beginning of a better relationship with police and better communication.

Elaine Lee presents an eagle feather to Hamilton police's Indigenous liaison officer Stacey Hill, right, at a ceremony welcoming her to her new job Friday at Pier 4 Park. An eagle feather is a significant honour in the Indigenous community meant to represent the good work Hill has done and will do moving forward. John Rennison/The Hamilton Spectator

Laura Workman, executive director of the Native Womens Centre and fellow consultation circle member, said what is at issue is the construct of power and needing to involve Indigenous voices.

People say the system is broken, but its not broken, its doing what its supposed to do, destroy us, she said in an interview, adding that Indigenous people are finally saying enough.

Indigenous people represent high numbers in all the places we dont want to be, she said, pointing to overrepresentation in jails, violence against women, child apprehensions. This stems from colonialism where they took our world and flipped it upside down.

We are trying very, very slowly to try to set things back ... we need to get back to our original ways of knowing and being, she said.

The hope is that Hill, with a foot in both worlds, will help. That is why it was important to have the welcoming ceremony, so that Hamiltons Indigenous community can see her and know they can come to her, George said.

Police Chief Frank Bergen, who spoke at the welcoming ceremony, acknowledged the challenges of the past and said what is happening now is honest conversation rooted in trust, respect and wisdom.

I am confident today that we have stepped on our first path of that long, long journey, he said.

Community members wanting to get in touch with Hill can reach her at shill@hamiltonpolice.ca.

Nicole OReilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com

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Multiple road closures are in effect in Toronto this weekend and through next week due to planned construction work, the city said Friday.

St. Clair Avenue West

The eastbound lanes on St. Clair Avenue West, between Deer Park Crescent and Yonge Street, will close between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday for a crane hoist.

The city said traffic control workers will be on scene to help redirect eastbound traffic.

Lake Shore Boulevard construction and closures

Lanes on Lake Shore Boulevard, from York Street to Yonge Street, will reopen Saturday, April 22 at 11 a.m. as construction is completed there.

Eastbound and westbound lanes on Lake Shore Boulevard, from Cherry Street to Bathurst Street, will be affected starting Wednesday until Saturday, May 6 due to gas pipeline replacement work by Enbridge.

Two westbound Lake Shore Boulevard lanes leading up to Rees Street will close starting Wednesday at 7 a.m. until Saturday April 29 at 5 a.m.

Two eastbound Lake Shore Boulevard lanes leading up to Rees Street will close on Monday, May 1 at 6 a.m. until May 6 at 11 a.m.

The city said Enbridge will replace 4.5 kilometres of pipeline along Lake Shore Boulevard.

Traffic agents will be present to monitor traffic during the closures.

MB Marissa Birnie is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marissabirnie

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A 16-year-old Mississauga boy is facing an aggravated assault charge after allegedly stabbing a man in an apparent road rage incident, police say.

In a press release Friday, Peel Regional Police said officers responded to reports of a stabbing at a plaza parking lot near Eglinton Avenue West and Ridgeway Drive on Wednesday evening.

Police found a man with stab wounds; he was taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.

The stabbing was the result of a brief road rage incident in the parking lot, according to the release.

Police said the teenager and the man did not know each other.

The teenager, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, turned himself in to police on Thursday.

He appeared in court for a bail hearing in Brampton.

Police are asking anyone with cellphone or dash cam video of the incident to contact them.

MB Marissa Birnie is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marissabirnie

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TORONTO - Five years ago, after a man deliberately drove a van down a busy Toronto sidewalk in one of Canadas worst mass murders, the country was confronted with a previously obscure extremist movement, which experts say remains a growing threat.

The attacker, Alek Minassian, had claimed to be angered by women who wouldnt sleep with him and inspired byincels, or involuntary celibates.

While Minassian later cited various motivations for the violence and the presiding judge at his trial ultimately found he carried out the attack to achieve notoriety, his rampage on April 23, 2018 forced renewed attention on the capacity of misogynist movements to inspire violence.

Arie Perliger, the director of security studies at the University of Massachusetts - Lowell, said law enforcement agencies now see incels and groups with misogynist ideology as a rising concern.

The threat is growing, he said. It will continue to be a problem.

Canada has not seen a wave of incel-inspired violence since Minassian perpetrated the deadliest attack in Torontos history, but isolated cases have occurred.

In May 2020, a 17-year-old boy  who cannot be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act  faced terrorism charges after a stabbing at a Toronto massage parlour that killed Ashley Noelle and seriously injured another woman. Public Safety Canada said evidence suggested the attack was motivated by incel ideology.

In Sudbury, Ont., Alexander Stavropoulos pleaded guilty to two counts of attempted murder in 2020 after he tried to kill a baby and her mother out of hatred for women. Stavropoulos, who was later sentenced to life in prison, was an admitted incel adherent and told police he was inspired by Minassian.

Perliger, who co-wrote a study on extremist misogyny for the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism this year, said the threat extends beyond incels and includes various groups that use anti-women ideology to radicalize men.

These groups understand that these kind of messages are very attractive and very effective, he said.

They always focus on encouraging strong masculinity, emphasizing that they are reactionary organizations against what they perceived as liberal efforts to oppress men, to marginalize men, he said.

Perliger cited The Proud Boys  a far-right extremist group whose members participated in the January 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol  as an example of an organization that recruits through misogyny.

Some far right organizations also are focusing more on traditional lifestyles or traditional gender roles, so its part of a broader ideology focusing on conserving what they see as a traditional way of life, traditional lifestyles, traditional families, he said.

For many of these young males, this is exactly the type of language that connects with them.

Proud Boys Canada announced last year it was dissolving after the Liberal government listed it as a terrorist organization, but experts warned that local Proud Boys chapters continue to operate in Canada.

Jacob Ware, a terrorism researcher at the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations who studies incels, said the group clearly conforms to every objective definition of terrorism but countering it is complicated because incel violence is usually committed by lone attackers.

A lot of the measures that we might have to try to interdict an act of violence, like tracking group activity, finding where they meet, looking at finances, communication, those might not be there, he said.

What youre really dealing with is a network of people who typically use a lot of violent rhetoric, typically make a lot of threats, but youre not necessarily clear which one of them is being serious.

Perliger of UMass-Lowell said U.S. and Canadian law enforcement have devoted more research, training and intelligence collection to confronting misogyny in recent years, but more work is needed.

He emphasized underlying causes that may be pushing young men towards incel and aligned groups.

The statistics show that men are more likely to suffer from mental health issues. Men are more likely to conduct a suicide or to attempt suicide. Men are more likely to be incarcerated or to end up in prison. Men are more likely to be victims of violent crimes. he said.

Young men are dealing with some significant challenges and we need to think how we can help them and how we can address those challenges.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2023.

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A Mississauga woman has been charged in relation to a multi-vehicle crash that took the life of a 10-year-old Beamsville boy last month, Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) said Friday.

The OPP tweeted that the unnamed 31-year-old female driver had been charged with dangerous driving causing death and dangerous driving causing bodily harm, in relation to a collision that took place on the Queen Elizabeth Way highway at around 5:30 p.m. on March 30.

The crash happened on the Niagara-bound lanes of the QEW near Tufford Road in Lincoln.

OPP Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said the female driver hit the back of a white SUV driven by a 44-year-old Beamsville woman, with two 10-year-old brothers in the back seat.

Their car was pushed forward into another car with a 37-year-old female driver and a 10-year-old girl inside, both from Milton, who went to hospital with minor injuries.

One of the brothers had to be extricated from the car and later died in hospital, Schmidt said.

The 44-year-old driver, whom Schmidt named as the mother of the boys, and the other 10-year-old both went to hospital with minor injuries.

The 31-year-old driver was not injured in the crash and remained at the scene.

Police did not say when the driver is expected to appear in court.

With files from Ana Pereira

MB Marissa Birnie is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Stars radio room in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @marissabirnie

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Seven months after Metrolinx announced the Eglinton Crosstown LRT would once again fail to meet its target date, the public knows virtually nothing about how the project is going or when the line will finally open.

Asked by the Star this week when the light rail transit line, which has been under construction since 2011 and was once expected to be complete in 2020, might be done, Metrolinx said it did not have new details to offer, and put the blame on Crosslinx Transit Solutions (CTS), the construction consortium building the project.

Metrolinx has been clear that we will not declare an opening date until we have a credible project schedule from CTS, Metrolinx media relations wrote in a statement. Crosslinx did not respond to requests for comment.

We are working through the most important phase right now, which includes testing, commissioning, certification and documentation to affirm that we can open a safe and reliable transit system, Metrolinx said.

What is Metrolinx testing and commissioning? The Star asked. No response. What is the outstanding work that still needs to be done? No response. Is the project still on budget? No response.

And, a reporters final plea: Would it be possible to answer my questions?

Eglinton LRT costs and timeline have grown way past initial estimates

As the Eglinton Crosstown LRT has spiralled beyond its initial estimates, both in cost and in timeline, details made public have become few and far between, raising questions about transparency and accountability at the provincial transit agency responsible for overseeing the project, as well as other multibillion-dollar transit projects across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Even as reporters, city officials and Metrolinxs board members press for answers, few are forthcoming. But internal emails viewed by the Star give an indication as to who is managing the messaging and why answers to basic questions are so hard to come by.

According to communications the Star obtained through a freedom of information request, Metrolinx has at times wanted to give the public more information about the Eglinton LRT, but the provincial government directed staff at the transit agency not to.

Documents show close links between Doug Ford government and Metrolinx

The documents, which span from July to October of last year, show how information about the Eglinton LRT flows from Metrolinx to the public, and the close relationship between the provincial transit agency and Doug Fords government. Critics say it is the latest example of political interference by the province with Metrolinx, which was designed as an arms-length agency in order to be able to implement the best transit policy based on evidence.

Instead, it has become one more layer of bureaucracy that conceals updates on the Eglinton LRTs progress  or lack of it.

This is an enormous project, and youve got no effective oversight, and no effective transparency and no effective accountability, said Mark Winfield, professor of environmental and urban change at York University, referring to the Eglinton Crosstown LRT as a $13-billion black hole.

As of September 2022, the approved budget for the project was $12.8 billion.

Because Metrolinx does not have a regulator that it must publicly report to, it operates in a vacuum, Winfield said, adding there needs to be an effective third-party authority to oversee the provinces transit planning and development. The government does not have the capacity, expertise, or impartiality to oversee such an enormous entity as Metrolinx, Winfield added.

The interventions you get from the ministers office  are completely for the purposes of political management.

Eglinton LRT raises questions about Ontario Line

Winfield said the Eglinton Crosstown LRTs track record does not inspire faith in Metrolinxs other projects  notably, the Ontario Line, which has already doubled in cost to more than $17 billion and which will necessitate heavy construction downtown for the next decade.

The Star previously reported that Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroneys office directed Metrolinx to leave two Toronto New Democrat MPPs off a notice sent to city and federal politicians about tree removals in their jurisdictions  against the transit agencys advice.

As a crown agency, naturally the Ministers office works closely with Metrolinx, which has been the process for over a decade, Ministry of Transportation spokesperson Dakota Brasier wrote in response to questions from the Star.

Our focus is to ensure the Eglinton Crosstown LRT is operational as soon as possible, Brasier added, before nearly repeating what Metrolinx said: Metrolinx is working through the most important phase right now, which includes testing, commissioning, certification and documentation and we will not compromise the safety and reliability of the system at any point, as we get much-needed transportation infrastructure built.

When completed, the Eglinton Crosstown LRT will run for 19 kilometres, between Kennedy in the east and Mount Dennis in the west, connecting with 54 bus routes, three TTC stations and GO lines, according to Metrolinx. But its construction has meant more than a decade of disruption for residents, commuters and local businesses  some of which have been forced to shutter as a result.

Metrolinx emails raise transparency questions

Something really stinks here. I dont know why we dont have the transparency we deserve, said Joel Harden, NDP transit critic and MPP for Ottawa Centre. These delays are expensive and costly, and we need to know why theyre happening.

When Crosslinx was awarded the contract to build the LRT in 2015, its projected completion date was September 2021. But the years since have seen legal battles and additional payments made to Crosslinx to keep the project on track after the pandemic ramped up costs. In December 2021, Metrolinx said the transit line would be complete by September 2022 and ready for service in 2023. But in September, the Star reported the line was delayed again, this time with no new end date on record.

Eglinton LRT delays a mystery

Very little has been said publicly about whats behind the current delays.

Metrolinx has previously cited defects in old infrastructure under the TTC Eglinton station as a reason for the delays, and recent comments by Metrolinxs chief capital officer for rapid transit suggest there is still outstanding work to be done in that part of the line.

At a Metrolinx board meeting in February, Andrew Hope said Crosslinx has some work to finish, most notably at Yonge and Eglinton, which is the flagship station of the line, where there is very good progress happening at the station, but still some utility and road restoration work to happen in that location which we expect to be finished later this year.

Neither Metrolinx nor the Ministry of Transportation answered a question from the Star this week about where the work at Yonge and Eglinton stands now. On Friday, the TTC announced there would be no subway service this weekend between York Mills and St. Clair stations (including Eglinton) due to Metrolinx construction of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

Metrolinx CEO video quashed

Last fall, Metrolinx had planned to give the public a closer look at the construction, including a specific update focused on Eglinton station. According to a draft communications plan from September viewed by the Star, Metrolinx intended to produce a video with Metrolinx CEO Phil Verster, TTC CEO Rick Leary and Crosslinx CEO Bill Gifford offering project construction and operational updates to create a visual status update.

The portion of the video featuring Verster was filmed  but it never saw the light of day.

On Sept. 9, Mike DeRuyter, assistant director of strategic communications for the Ministry of Transportation, circulated the draft communications plan with ministry staff. One week later, Mulroneys then-issues director Jordanna Colwill wrote to DeRuyter: Can we confirm with Metrolinx that they havent made any movement on the proposed video update yet? Just want to ensure the plan is (Premiers office) approved before they start any co-ordination on that front. According to a response from DeRuyter, Metrolinx confirmed the video of Verster had been filmed.

On Sept. 22, Colwill wrote to Steven Hobbs, Metrolinxs chief of staff: I understand you spoke with Mike Beaton (Mulroneys chief of staff) about a potential new approach for Metrolinx (Eglinton Crosstown LRT) comms. Here is the new statement, which we propose comes from Phil (Verster). What followed was the statement that Metrolinx ended up posting on its blog the next day.

That statement had been workshopped the day before by staff at the Ministry of Transportation and the Premiers office, according to internal emails.

The first version of the proposed statement shared by Colwill included the line: We have made significant progress; however it is taking longer than expected to finalize testing and operational readiness for the project.

Doug Fords office weighs in on LRT messaging

Ivana Yelich, then Fords executive director of media relations, responded: This is misleading. Testing and operational readiness is not the reason for delay.

The next morning, on Sept. 22, Yelich sent the final statement, which blamed Crosslinx for the delay. Unfortunately, while progress has been made, Crosslinx Transit Solutions have fallen behind schedule, are unable to finalize construction and testing, and therefore the system will not be operational on this timeline, part of the statement read.

The 124-word statement that was posted on Metrolinxs blog on Sept. 23 is the last the public has heard from the agency about the Eglinton Crosstown LRT.

In the days after, reporters asked Metrolinx repeatedly for more information, but documents suggest the direction from the province was to say nothing more.

On Sept. 26, Metrolinx communications manager Lyndsay Miller emailed Ministry of Transportation staff looking for direction on how to respond to media requests from CP24 and CBCs Metro Morning.

Prior direction was to decline all interviews, however as we are receiving a lot of media requests this morning (boldface in the original) for more information, Media Relations recommendation is to have Phil speak to CBC Metro Morning to reiterate his statement, talk directly to the public about concerns and answer questions related to Crosstown, Miller wrote. The ministrys response is not included in the documents that were sent to the Star.

Metrolinx directed to give no response to reporters inquiries

In another example, on Sept. 29, Metrolinx shared a call log with ministry staff containing requests from reporters from City News and CP24 asking for more details about the delay and its impacts. In those logs, Metrolinx wrote as directed, no response provided.

Former Metrolinx employees told the Star the way the Crosstown delay was handled in the fall is part of a broader strategy by the province to keep the transit agencys communications tightly controlled, even as its mandate grows. In 2020, the Star reported the Ford government had issued a written directive to Metrolinx prohibiting the agency from communicating with the public on key issues without ministry approval. The employees said the provinces muzzling of Metrolinx has gotten worse since Ford was re-elected last spring.

The government is very comfortable running things that way. Theyve seen success running things that way. I dont see it changing, said one employee. Its a really bad place to be for the Metrolinx team.

Everything blows up, even when it doesnt need to blow up, said another. The Star is not reporting these employees names because they are speaking about sensitive issues within their former workplace.

Coun. Mike Colle has asked for a public inquiry in the Eglinton LRT

Its really unconscionable that a public agency like Metrolinx, totally taxpayer funded under the provincial government, is refusing to basically explain to taxpayers what is going on with this project, said Mike Colle, city councillor for Ward 8 (Eglinton-Lawrence).

In December, Colle asked city council to request that the province launch a public inquiry into what was happening with the Eglinton Crosstown. His motion passed under the stipulation, brought forth by Coun. Stephen Holyday (Ward 2Etobicoke Centre), that the inquiry only begin after the project is completed.

Crosslinx has no credible plan to finish, says Metrolinx

In December, media outlets including the Star obtained a copy of an internal Metrolinx performance report from September, which provided the fullest picture yet of the challenges with the Eglinton Crosstown LRT. In it, the transit agency flagged issues with the work Crosslinx had completed, including but not limited to failure of waterproofing/water ingress leading to leakages and mold; and damaged public-exposed concrete, and cast doubt on the consortiums projected completion date of March 2023. Crosslinx did not have a credible plan to finish the LRT, Metrolinx said.

As of February, it seems that credible plan still did not exist. At Metrolinxs board meeting that month, one board member asked the perennial question: When will the Eglinton Crosstown LRT open?

One of the things that we are very very focused on right now with our contractor is getting a robust, credible schedule to get through not the construction so much anymore  we can see the end in sight on the construction  but its the testing and commissioning activities that are absolutely critical. said Hope, chief capital officer for rapid transit.

Its not something we can shortcut.

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One of the officers embroiled in a high-profile Toronto police promotional cheating scandal has pleaded guilty at a disciplinary tribunal, admitting he got a leg up from a senior officer directly involved in the process who gave him confidential interview questions in advance.

Documents filed Friday at Const. Horace Harveys guilty plea to one count of discreditable conduct shed new light on a case that rocked Toronto police headquarters last year  allegedly reaching up to high levels within the force via a trail-blazing senior officer, Supt. Stacy Clarke.

According to an agreed statement of fact, Clarke had been a mentor to Harvey, an Intelligence Services officer who was seeking promotion from constable to sergeant. The competitive and months-long process requires candidates to pass a written exam and be questioned by a panel of senior officers.

In the document, Harvey admitted hed communicated with Clarke in the days leading up to his December 2021 interview  after Toronto police officially notified applicants they could no longer be in touch with mentors.

Over a 10-day period, Harvey and Clarke exchanged messages on WhatsApp and met up in person three times to discuss the interview process, the tribunal document says. On Dec. 5, 2021, the agreed statement of facts said Clarke  whod already sat on interview panels for three days  conducted a mock interview with Harvey while using the questions other candidates had been asked. She also sent photos of interview questions to Harvey, something that was unprompted by Harvey, the document states.

Two days later, Harvey was interviewed for the promotion, with Clarke sitting on the panel.

Neither P.C. Harvey nor Supt. Clarke made known the nature of their relationship or the conflict of interest. In fact, P.C. Harvey had had a personal and familial relationship with Supt. Clarke for over 20 years, the agreed statement of facts says.

Clarke is separately charged with seven counts of professional misconduct under Ontarios Police Services Act for allegedly sending confidential interview questions to six constables seeking promotion. A disciplinary hearing in her case is scheduled for later this year.

Clarke has not spoken publicly about the allegations and Joe Markson, Clarkes lawyer, declined to comment Friday while her matter was before the tribunal. Markson has previously told the tribunal that he is seeking expert reports that will give very relevant and necessary dimension to inform this matter.

The agreed statement of facts notes Harveys cellphone was seized as part of the investigation into promotional cheating, and that officers found deleted audio recordings alongside photos of interview questions.

David Butt, Harveys lawyer, put forward a joint penalty submission along police prosecutor Alexandra Miller arguing that a six-month rank demotion from first- to second-class constable was sufficient.

Butt argued in his submissions that Harvey deserved a lighter penalty because he had not been pushing for favours but was victimized by a senior officer. He lamented an informal police culture where senior officers believe they are above the rules, he later said in an interview.

People who judge my client for cheating should keep at the front of their mind that this case is fundamentally about an abuse of power by a superintendent, Butt said, adding that given Clarkes high rank and standing, his client and others realistically had no choice but to go along with her corrupt activity.

Markson, Clarkes lawyer, declined to comment on Butts statement, saying he wanted to respect the process.

The promotional scandal has prompted a range of responses within the policing community and beyond, inspiring a strong contingent of supporters of Clarke, who in early 2021 became the first Black woman to reach the rank of superintendent at Toronto police.

Prior to being charged with misconduct, Clarke  who has been touted as a possible candidate for chief  had spoken publicly about the need for Toronto police to increase racial diversity in its leadership ranks, noting she was not seeing myself represented in those positions.

Speaking to the Star last fall, David Betty, president of the Jamaican Canadian Association, said he supported Clarke and believed that if she had broken any rules, it may have been to correct a larger systemic issue within Toronto police.

This could be a case of the system itself forcing activities or actions to create some equity where there is none, he said.

Jon Reid, Toronto Police Association president, has said that if the charges against Clarke are proven, it would most certainly undermine the current promotional process as it stands.

These promotional processes require a significant investment of our members personal time, and they must have confidence in that process, Reid said.

The hearing officer on Harveys case, Supt. Shane Branton, reserved his decision on penalty to a later date. An outside adjudicator, retired South Simcoe Police deputy chief Robin McElary-Downer, has been brought in to oversee Clarkes hearing in June.

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

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KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP)  American embassy staffers were airlifted from Sudan early Sunday, as forces loyal to rival generals battled for control of Africas third-largest nation for a ninth day amid fading hopes for deescalation.

The warring sides said they were helping coordinate the evacuation of foreigners, though continued exchanges of fire in Sudans capital undermined those claims.

A senior Biden administration official said U.S. troops are carrying out the precarious evacuation of U.S. Embassy staffers. The troops who airlifted the staff out of Khartoum have safely left Sudanese airspace, a second U.S. official confirmed.

The Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, which has been battling the Sudanese army, said the U.S. rescue mission involved six aircraft and that it had coordinated evacuation efforts with the U.S.

But the U.S. denied the group did anything to help the evacuation.

You may have seen some assertions in social media in recent hours, that the Rapid Security Forces somehow coordinated with us and supported this operation. That was not the case, said Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation.

The RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamad Dagolo, said it is cooperating with all diplomatic missions and that it is committed to a three-day cease-fire that was declared at sundown Friday.

Earlier, army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said Sunday that France was organizing the evacuation of its embassy staff, French citizens in Sudan and citizens of allied countries. She said France was organizing the operation in connection with all the involved parties, as well as with our European partners and allies.

However, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven intensely dangerous. The two rivals have dug in, signaling they would resume the fighting after the declared three-day truce.

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudans main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors. As battles between the Sudanese army and the powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens  many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese militarys announcement. We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants, the National Security Council said. On Friday, the U.S. said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of the estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first traveled by land to Port Sudan, the countrys main seaport on the Red Sea. He said that Jordans diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudans far east, some 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Khartoum.

President Joe Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier Saturday from his national security team with no end in sight to the fighting, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the mission.

The evacuation order was believed to apply to about 70 Americans. U.S. forces were flying them from a landing zone at the embassy to an unspecified location.

With the U.S. focused on evacuating diplomats first, the Pentagon said it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the effort.

Burhan told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel on Saturday that flights in and out of Khartoum remained risky because of the ongoing clashes. He claimed that the military had regained control over all the other airports in the country, except for one in the southwestern city of Nyala.

We share the international communitys concern about foreign nationals, he said, promising Sudan would provide necessary airports and safe passageways for foreigners trapped in the fighting, without elaborating.

Two cease-fire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed. The turmoil has dealt a perhaps fatal blow to hopes for the countrys transition to a civilian-led democracy and raised concerns the chaos could draw in its neighbors, including Chad, Egypt and Libya.

The war has been continuous since day one. It has not stopped for one moment, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties.

The clashes have killed over 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organization. The bombardments, gunbattles and sniper fire in densely populated areas have hit civilian infrastructure, including many hospitals. Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org said Sunday there was a near-total collapse of internet connectivity.

The international airport near the center of the capital has come under heavy shelling as the RSF has tried to take control of the compound. In an apparent effort to oust the RSF fighters, the Sudanese army has pounded the airport with airstrikes, gutting at least one runway and leaving wrecked planes scattered on the tarmac. The full extent of damage at the airfield remains unclear.

The conflict has opened a dangerous new chapter in Sudans history, thrusting the country into uncertainty.

No one can predict when and how this war will end, Burhan told the Al-Hadath news channel. I am currently in the command center and will only leave it in a coffin.

The current explosion of violence came after Burhan and Dagalo fell out over a recent internationally brokered deal with democracy activists that was meant to incorporate the RSF into the military and eventually lead to civilian rule.

The rival generals rose to power in the tumultuous aftermath of popular uprisings that led to the ouster of Sudans longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019. Two years later, they joined forces to seize power in a coup that ousted the civilian leaders.

Both the military and RSF have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of atrocities in crushing a rebellion in Sudans western Darfur region in the early 2000s.

Many Sudanese fear that despite the generals repeated promises, the violence will only escalate as tens of thousands of foreign citizens try to leave.

We are sure both sides of fighting are more careful about foreign lives than the lives of Sudanese citizens, Atiya said.

___

Associated press writers Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem, Fay Abuelgasim in Beirut, Angela Charlton in Paris, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee and Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.

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KARACHI, Pakistan (AP)  An ailing elephant who underwent a critical medical procedure by a team of international veterinarians earlier this month has died at a Pakistani zoo, officials said Saturday.

Noor Jehan, 17 years old, was brought to Karachi with three other elephants more than a dozen years ago. She died after an accident just days after the procedure performed by a team of experts based in Austria to assess her condition, said Kanwar Ayub, a top official at the Karachi zoo.

Syed Saifur Rehman, the top local government official in Karachi, said city and zoo administrators did all they could to comfort the long-ailing elephant after the procedure this month.

Sadly we could not save Noor Jehan despite making all efforts including bringing in a team of foreign experts for her treatment, he said.

Videos of Noor Jehan leaning her head against a tree and struggling to stand caused alarm in Pakistan and around the world.

An eight-member team from the Austrian animal welfare organization Four Paws was brought in and performed a complex procedure to assess several medical issues the elephant was facing. The procedure was done with the help of a crane and a fire truck.

The team included veterinarians from Egypt and Bulgaria and an elephant husbandry expert from Germany. It was headed by Dr. Amir Khalil of Egypt.

The experts did an ultrasound and found a large hematoma in Noors abdomen, which was affecting her organs. Noor Jehans pelvis was broken due to trauma and there was an abscess growing in that area.

After the procedure, Khalil was hopeful for her recovery. We nearly lost her when we gave her sedation, but luckily we had all the necessary preparations, and Noor Jehan stood up again, he said at the time.

Khalil said her death came after an accident April 13 in her enclosure that left her unable to leave the pool in her enclosure for hours. A local team was able to pull her out under the remote supervision of Four Paws veterinarians, who had already left Pakistan. But the animal was unable to stand up on her own despite multiple attempts to help her.

Khalil said that because Noor Jehan was already weakened from her condition, the elephant did not have the strength to stand up again. After fighting for nine days, she died, he said.

It is now more urgent than ever that the remaining elephant at Karachi Zoo, Madhubala, who is mourning her long-time companion, is transferred to a more species-appropriate location as soon as possible, to prevent another potential tragedy, said Khalil.

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Thank you LeAnn Rathke

I attended the Library Board meeting on April 17 and I wish to publicly commend and thank board member LeAnn Rathke for standing up for her Christian values representing many of us in the community, but we are not on the front lines of the criticism she no doubt receives. Shame on those of you that have been very nasty to her and Sandra Murray for pointing out the books that are so offensive to Christian values.
AKRON, Ohio (AP)  Authorities in an Ohio city have agreed to temporarily bar the use of tear gas, pepper spray and other types of nonlethal force against nonviolent protesters, a move that comes after it was sued following a protest over a grand jurys decision to not indict police officers who shot and killed a Black motorist.

Akron officials and lawyers for the Akron Bail Fund  a group that supports protesters  reached the agreement late Friday after a federal court session that lasted for several hours. Bail fund officials had sought a temporary restraining order to block the use of nonlethal force, but the two sides instead agreed to a 14-day restriction that allows the litigation and negotiations to continue.

The legal action came about after a protest Wednesday in which police used tear gas and pepper spray to disperse protesters after the gathering was deemed an unlawful assembly.

Akron has seen a few protests after a state grand jury on Monday declined to indict eight police officers who fired 94 shots in the death of Jayland Walker, a 25-year-old Black man who fired at least one round at officers during a car and foot chase last summer,.

Walker was shot 46 times in a hail of gunfire that lasted just under seven seconds and roiled yet another city amid heightened tensions with police over the killing of a Black man that started with a routine traffic stop.

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Doug Fords vision for Ontario Place puts people last. Heres what could actually work, April 13

Martin Regg Cohn sees a profound failure of imagination. I see a lost opportunity for truth and reconciliation.

Why not offer this underused public land to the First Nations communities whose traditional territory is the Toronto region? Assuming theyre interested  and theyd have decision-making power and sufficient funding  the possibilities are endless.

Imagine year-round public events featuring Indigenous artists and musicians and elders. An education centre where non-Indigenous children and adults cannot only learn the truth about colonialism but also benefit from the wealth of knowledge held by Indigenous communities. A healing lodge. A space for ceremonies and community gatherings.

Measured against possibilities like these, anything else seems uninspired and a tragic waste of potential.

Doug Ford has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to contribute to truth and reconciliation and leave a meaningful legacy for future generations. Lets encourage him to take it.

Diane Hill, Scarborough

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If Pierre Poilievre decided to hire me as his campaign manager  which for some odd reason he hasnt  I would tell him to do the following: recreate your brilliant ad from a year ago in which you stood, aghast, outside a small shabby $5 million dollar Vancouver house and decried the sorry state of the housing market for young people in Canada. The video was a brilliant piece of political theatre because much of it was and still is true.

There are, as the federal Conservative leader asserts in the ad, local gatekeepers in government who prevent the construction of new homes, thus pushing young people out of cities and placing the dream of home ownership even further out of reach.

One doesnt have to be a Conservative or a Liberal, or a political person at all, to understand that this is true and to be ticked off about it. If I were Poilievres campaign manager Id tell him to stand in front of a hugely crappy yet hugely expensive house in every major Canadian city and recreate that same video.

In other words, I would tell him to feed off the frustrations of millions of the ordinary Canadians he claims to admire so much.

Instead, it appears hes chosen to feed off the frustrations of a vocal minority within his base who care more about sticking it to the woke folks at the CBC than they do about the cost of housing.

Consider the fact that Poilievre has in recent days been embroiled in a virtual feud involving the CBC and Twitter owner billionaire Elon Musk. After Musk recently labelled reputable news outlets, such as NPR and the BBC, government-funded media and state-affiliated media on the site (designations that under previous Twitter ownership would have been reserved for state media organizations in authoritarian regimes) Pierre Poilievre publicly asked Musk to apply the same label to the CBC.

In the interest of transparency, I believe that Twitter should apply the Government-funded Media label to the CBC  he wrote in a letter to Twitter that he shared on the site.

Soon after, the billionaire did just that. When the Canadian broadcaster balked at its new label, Musk amended it to read 69% government funded media. This tale is too stupid for words so Ill summarize: what Poilievre did by injecting himself and the CBC into Musks media trolling project is egregious because while the CBC does receive substantial public funding, that funding does not compromise its editorial independence  as Musks label suggests.

Theres a difference between media having a lefty bias because most journalists are  lets face it  lefties in glasses who ride bikes, and journalists suppressing information and acting as a mouthpiece of the state as they do in actual authoritarian regimes.

Of course, Poilievre knows this. Hes a smart guy. Yet hes chosen an unwise path in taking up with Musk. Ironically, in doing so Poilievre has made the same mistake lefty journalists make everyday: he has assumed that Twitter is real life.

He has assumed that the average undecided voter cares one way or another about what happens on Twitter. Its a bold assumption and it is likely wrong.

According to research from Toronto Metropolitan Universitys Social Media Lab, Twitter is the sixth most popular social media platform in Canada as 42 per cent of online adults report having an account on the platform.

I predict this move will have been a miscalculation on Poilievres part, not just his assumption that Twitter matters to voters, but his attack on the CBC, a tactic attempted by both of his leadership predecessors. A reminder: they lost. Recent history shows that Canadian voters dont tend to reward leaders who stray into American culture war territory. Pierre has now aligned himself with the guy waging the war.

He is shaking his fists on the internet. He should be shaking them on the front porch of a $2 million dollar gut-job in Leslieville.

Emma Teitel is a Toronto-based columnist and member of the Stars Editorial Board. @emmaroseteitel

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Amid one of the largest strikes in Canadian history, the federal labour board has dismissed a complaint made by a government worker represented by the Public Service Alliance of Canada who alleged the union improperly prevented him from voting on whether or not to strike.

But the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board expressed significant concerns about irregularities with the weeks-long strike vote PSAC organized for the more than 100,000 Treasury Board employees the union represents.

However, the board refused to invalidate the vote because it said there was no evidence the charges raised by the complainant would have significantly altered the result of the tally, which showed a strong majority in support of a strike if a deal with the government couldnt be reached.

The decision, rendered Thursday, revealed that 42,421  or about 35 per cent  of the 120,000 eligible workers from across numerous federal departments and agencies had cast a ballot on whether or not to grant the union a strike mandate.

Among those who voted, more than 80 per cent supported a work stoppage.

In an emailed statement on Friday, PSAC National President Chris Aylward emphasized the resounding support for a strike, though he acknowledged voter turnout is an issue PSAC grapples with.

The broad support for our strike mandate amongst the membership can be seen in real time on hundreds of picket lines throughout the whole country this week as over 100,000 members showed up to pressure this government to reach a fair contract for Canadas public service workers, Aylward said.

Along with more than 35,000 Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) employees, who are represented by an arm of PSAC known as the Union of Taxation Employees (PSAC-UTE), tens of thousands of workers employed by the Treasury Board launched a strike on Wednesday in search of higher wages and the ability to work remotely, among other demands.

(According to the government, about 46,000 Treasury Board workers and 1,400 CRA workers have been deemed essential, barring them from leaving their posts.)

On Friday, PSAC told the Star about 45 per cent of eligible CRA employees took part in a separate strike vote, with 92 per cent giving the union a mandate to strike.

Both Ottawa and PSAC have warned that a strike of this magnitude will cause a myriad of disruptions across federal government services, including a pause on most domestic passport processing and CRA delays at the tail end of tax season.

On Friday evening, PSAC released a statement that acknowledged progress in its negotiations with the government. However, the union said there are several key issues still outstanding and that talks would continue into the weekend.

Voting period shortened

In an application filed April 11, the last day Treasury Board employees could vote on whether or not to strike, David Paterson  a member of a PSAC bargaining unit, though not a member of the union itself  claimed PSAC failed to adequately communicate it had shortened the voting period by eight days, which he said contributed to him being unable to cast a ballot.

In order to vote, the union had also required workers attend a mandatory information session that detailed outstanding bargaining issues, and why the union felt a strike vote was necessary. Throughout the voting period, which ultimately ran from Feb. 22 to April 11, about 100 sessions were held both in person at locations across the country and online.

However, PSAC had capped the number of attendees in online sessions at 5,000. By the time Paterson had attempted to register for a session on the final day of voting  the same day he realized the voting period had been shortened  he couldnt secure a spot and was unable to cast a ballot.

Something is definitely wrong if the online capacity is such that it deprives bargaining unit members of their right to vote, the ruling read. This irregularity is aggravated in a situation in which voting dates have been shortened.

After changing the voting deadline in early March, PSAC released material that indicated the new date, including buying hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of digital advertising that directed members to content that included the new deadline.

Still, the labour board said the union made no discernible effort to announce its reduction of the voting period.

Aylward took issue with the boards findings, saying it had given members ample opportunity to vote, and advertised mandatory information sessions though various channels, including though mail, email, social media, digital ads and by word-of-mouth.

We completely disagree with the claim that there were irregularities. This was one complaint, launched by one member, Aylward said in his statement. Its always regrettable when any member of our union believes they didnt get a fair chance to participate, but clearly tens of thousands of members did.

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With about three weeks to go for Turkeys General Election, scheduled for 14 May, there is consensus among pundits and pollsters alike that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is on a sticky wicket. In 2018, Mr Erdogan, after winning a referendum the previous year, was elected as president to oversee the transition of the countrys decades-old parliamentary system to a presidential one. Critics of the regime have maintained that the new system has few check and balances, giving President Erdogan almost unfettered rights which he has used to usher in an autocratic style of governance. His supporters, on the other hand, have iterated that the Opposition and civil society groups opposed to the regime ~ supported by the good old foreign hand ~ do not want an effective government which the presidential system provides and are being churlish because their eco-system of patronage has been dismantled.

Further, Mr Erdogan is portrayed by them as the only leader who can make Turkey great again. The results of the poll will be consequential given the polarisation in Turkey. To be elected, a candidate must receive more than half the ballots cast. If no candidate receives a majority, then the top two candidates proceed to a second round of voting. Voters will also elect a new parliament, albeit a weakened one whose task in the new system has been limited to rubber-stamping Mr Erdogans legislative agenda, write Turkey-watchers Kemal Kirisci and Berk Esen. According to them, the hyper-centralised system Mr Erdogan has put in place has left him exposed and vulnerable as never before in his political career.

Because he has concentrated all power in the presidency, voters have a clear target for their ire given the Turkish economy is in the doldrums with widening trade and current accounts deficits, growing public debt, a wildly fluctuating currency, and an Annualised Consumer Price Index running at over 50 per cent officially (but more than double that according to an independent research institution.) The huge damage caused by the earthquake in February, even his most ardent admirers now concede, has brought out the institutional decay and corruption in a system that Mr Erdogan had promised would bring stability and prosperity. Yet, the Oppositions six-party National Alliance headed by the Peoples Republican Party (CHP) was forged last year because individually each party knew it had no chance of beating Mr Erdogan.

On the Oppositions agenda is a return to a parliamentary system which it promises to strengthen. The National Alliance covers the gamut of political forces in Turkey, ranging from the secular left and right to Turkish nationalist and conservative parties. While it is holding together, the Opposition alliance is not as cohesive as the ruling Justice and Development Party. In fact, even if justified in large measure, by portraying the president as autocratic and promising to return Turkey to the worlds league of democracies, the Opposition may be playing into his hands.

Especially, as that is also the narrative emanating from Western critics. To accuse an alpha and unashamedly nationalist leader, who still has significant support for his Islamist welfare agenda outside of urban centres, of being too powerful may not be the smartest thing to do
For Periyar, abolition of untouchability and liberation of all non-Brahmin castes was non-negotiable. He and his associates welcomed the recommendations of the Simon Commission (1928) as it accepted representation of all castes. He even accepted, strategically, the under-representation of adi-dravidas as it was a principled acceptance of their political rights.

Again, at the Second Round Table Conference (RTC) held from 7 September to 1 December 1931, when Gandhi proclaimed unilaterally that he was the sole representative of adi-dravidas and rejected Ambedkars claim to represent them, the self-respecters were outraged. The opposition of the self-respecters and their massive demonstrations protesting Gandhis position were organized throughout the Madras Presidency. Periyar saw Gandhis move as an attempt to install a rule by the Brahmins and the upper castes.

The proceedings of the RTC confirmed Periyars reservations as he commented just as how Mr Malaviya was concerned about protecting Brahminism so are Dr Ambedkar and Mr Rettanmalai Srinivasan committed to its destruction.

He was critical of Gandhis denial of Ambedkar and Srinivasans legitimate claim to represent the depressed classes. Periyar was vehemently critical of Gandhis fast which eventually led to the Poona Pact (1932). Proportional representation for Periyar was justified both politically and economically. Since democratic representation ought to provide a proper equitable representational mechanism, it was of utmost need in a rigidly stratified society like India. After the advent of the Congress, it was the Brahmins who gained immensely from the jobs and benefits in education.

It was a fact that lower castes did not have access to quality education. To maintain their hold on disproportionate share of power the Brahmins and upper castes espoused patriotism and nationalism. Proportional representation was the only means to reduce this imbalance as that would ensure rough parity for the underprivileged.

Periyar argued for proportional representation in view of the continuing importance of social identities as he was aware that erosion of these would take a long time. The Brahmin monopoly of power brought with it unwarranted social prestige and the means for domination. It also accrued to them financial advantages as they cornered the more coveted jobs. With the emphasis on the need for universal education, Periyar rejected the argument of birth and caste as the basis of higher intelligence and ability.

He also rejected the enforced caste-based division of labour and dreamt of a future where professions would be interchangeable with Brahmins serving even as domestic helps and as farm labourers. He developed his argument within the Gandhian framework of equalitarian economic order. Initially he supported spinning and khadi but later he shifted his position and became a strong critic of Gandhian economic programmes both in the context of rural and industrial prescription.

Periyar considered the Civil Disobedience Movement as subversive of law and order and more reprehensible was the growth of an attitude of defiance of authority and indiscipline in the minds of the people. His other argument was a familiar one that in India caste was class; a shard had no right to possess property and even if a shard had property the Brahmins have every right to take it away from him by force. This was sanctioned by scriptures.

He alleged that Gandhis support of the varnashrama dharma reinforced this structured inequality as he had argued that the poor villagers would not seek to hoard wealth like the Bombay bania, and should continue to labour honourably grazing cows, making footwear. He virulently opposed Gandhis concept of Ram Rajya. It was a big leap for Periyar as he moved from one of total support to Gandhis khadi programme to being its virulent critic. For him, khadi instead of being an instrument of economic regeneration had become merely a symbol of a new superstition.

Gandhi himself accepted in the late 1930s that the propagation of khadi was in practice symbolic. Periyar also took up Gandhis rejection of technology and unnecessary glorification of an imagined golden past.

Varnashrama dharma itself was inimical to the dignity of labour. He was outraged at the defence of fixity of labour where the privileged did not perform manual work and survived on the work and surplus of others. He rejected the doctrine of bread labour as impractical and cosmetic There are several similarities between Periyars criticisms and those of Tagore. These criticisms received a fresh impetus with the announcement of Gandhis Wardha Scheme of Education in 1937.

The insistence on vocational education preferably within the ordained caste category was unacceptable to Periyar. Periyar elaborated his argument in Caste Worker and the Wage Worker (1940) in which he argued that the division of labour between high and low wage earners was preserved by a rigid communal affiliation and marriage.

As this rigid separateness was the basis of social and economic existence it was nurtured by varnashrama order. The ethics of work also reflected communal rather than individual existence. Brahmins restricted themselves to white collar jobs and avoided manual labour by perpetuating the myth of non-Brahmins as hardworking.

He felt that this rigid structural division was of crucial significance while considering vital questions of both equality and justice. Social ownership of wealth was a mathematical problem while self-respect was an existential problem.

He alleged, according to Geetha and Rajadurai that the socialists and communists were oblivious to the deceptions of religion and the power of caste whereas his own movement was committed to ending the influence of either. Periyar got acquainted with several radical ideas when he visited Europe and the former Soviet Union in 1932.

But the immediate task for him was the adi-dravidas as after the Poona Pact, the Congress leadership proclaimed a satisfactory solution to the caste problem. He was not convinced when Gandhi announced his temporary withdrawal from politics and established the Harijan Sevak Sangh. He realised that a meticulous multipronged rebuttal was necessary for which a consolidated opposition movement by entering the political arena through electoral contest was essential. He was sure, like Subhas Bose, that the Congress would compromise with British imperialism and Gandhis suspension of the civil disobedience movement was a clear indicator of that.

The self-respecters were critical of the Congress and Gandhis silence over the execution of Bhagat Singh and his associates as Bhagat Singhs socialism meant the end of poverty. The self-respecters stress on abolishing untouchability had a similar equalitarian impulse. Periyar rejected the 1932 Karachi Congress resolution on rights which stipulated non-interference by the state in religious matters as inimical to the interests of non-Brahmins for it would not end untouchability, womens subordination nor reform the caste system. He considered Gandhi as a proponent of Brahminism.

Periyar also elaborated his reasons for rejecting the Gandhian method of satyagraha. For him war of truth had no meaning as the opposite side might argue the opposite, considering truth itself was relative. Criticizing the philosophy of moral righteousness of satyagraha, he pointed out that truth was a contested concept liable to several interpretations. For instance, Malaviyas truth did not match the truth of self-respecters. He also pointed out since the doctrine of satyagraha was an individualized experience, the premise of judging its utility was faulty.

Periyars nationalism was based on a rational foundation without any compromise to citizens dignity and sensibilities. A nations existence was dependent on an all-round growth of knowledge, spread of education, the cultivation of rational thought, work, industry, equality, unity, initiative and honesty and the abolition of poverty, injustice and untouchability. Periyar found contemporary social stratification revolting as it was totally degrading and devoid of any sense of human equality. He proposed a rights-based order with equality for all citizens.

His association with the Congress was short-lived. Even in this brief period, his disillusionment set in early when he could perceive the predominantly upper caste basis of the Congress leadership in Madras Presidency; and their allegiance to Gandhis radical social reform programme being tactical rather than principled. But the decisive break came with Gandhi endorsing the varnashrama dharma in 1927.

He rejected Gandhis defence based on functionalism and duty since he regarded reason, common-sense and acquisition of rights as of paramount importance. It was this emphasis on rights on which the entire edifice of the self-respect movement was based. Periyar found that a firm commitment to individual rights eluded the Gandhian Congress and it was this ideological differentiation that provided the sustenance to the enormously successful social transformation in Tamil Nadu. These reforms echo even today

(The writers are, respectively, a retired Professor of Political Science, University of Delhi and Professor of Political Science, Jesus and Mary College, Delhi)
A team of CBI officials, accompanied by central forces personnel, raided the house of Trinamul Congress MLA Tapas Saha at Tehatta in Nadia in connection with a recruitment corruption case, today. The raid took place after the Calcutta High Court ordered a CBI investigation against the MLA on 18 April. Saha has been accused of extorting money from individuals by promising them employment in exchange for bribes.

On last Friday, another Trinamul MLA, Jibankrishna Saha of Andi in Murshidabad, had his house raided by the CBI. He was later arrested. Today, the CBI officials reached Karuigachi in Tehatta at around noon and searched various parts of Sahas house, including cupboards and documents. The MLAs mobile phone was also taken into custody for further examination.

It is reported that around eight to nine CBI officials were present at the scene, and jawans were deployed to prevent anyone from entering or leaving the premises. Prior to the raid, CBI officers had also examined documents at Sahas legislative office. The MLA was then taken to his house, which is located next to his office, before being brought back to the office.

The raid has caused a stir in the area, with local residents gathering in front of Sahas house. Saha has been accused of promising employment in exchange for money, including in the fields of teaching, fire department, and ration dealership.

However, the Trinamul MLA has denied any involvement in corruption and claimed that he has not given jobs to anyone, even as a legislator. He has also alleged that he has been framed and has tried unsuccessfully to meet with Abhishek Banerjee.

According to reports, Saha has been accused of cheating in the name of providing jobs and withdrawing approximately Rs 16 crore by promising government jobs.

The investigation into these allegations was initially initiated by the CID, but later, on the orders of Calcutta High Court Justice Rajashekhar Mantha, the CBI also began investigating the matter. Saha briefly spoke to the media while being taken from his office, stating, The high court ordered the CBI to investigate. So they came.

However, he did not have the opportunity to provide further comments. The CBI investigation against Tapas Saha comes in the wake of allegations of corruption against several Trinamul Congress leaders in West Bengal.

The case is still under investigation, and further details are awaited as the CBI continues its search at Sahas house and interrogates the MLA
Three more Covid-19 deaths were reported in the city amidst regular spurt in the number of novel coronavirusaffected patients in the state. The government is yet to release any official bulletin giving daily figures in connection with positive cases and deaths caused by the viral disease.

Last time, when the Swasthya Bhaban had released an official Covid-19 bulletin was on 28 January. Three patients Subir Kumar Kar (80) of Dum Dum, Sundari Ghosh (93) of Patuli and Arati Das (92) of Khardah in North 24-Parganas died of Covid on Thursday at the state-run Infectious Disease (ID) Hospital at Beliaghata. With the three deaths, Covid-19 claimed five lives so far during the past three weeks.

While speaking to reporters at the state secretariat Nabanna, chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that 150 Covid positive cases were recorded daily on Saturday and Sunday respectively. Daily infection rate has already touched 150 on Tuesday when nearly 200 Covid positive cases were reported in the state.

There has been an alarming spike in the number of positive cases. According to a senior official, dealing in public health affairs at Swasthya Bhaban, felt the positivity rate in the state should have been higher than the existing daily figures if a large number of suspects showing fever, cough and cold and breathing distress undergo nasal swab sample tests as much as possible. But most suspects are reluctant to go for coronavirus confirmatory tests.

The state government should take initiatives so that people suffering from Covid-like symptoms undergo tests otherwise it would be difficult to get a proper picture of Covid situation, said a senior member of the Covid advisory committee. This time, xbb.1.5, new sub-variant of Omicron, a Covid-19 variant, is less virulent in Bengal and as a result of which most of the positive patients do not require admissions to hospitals.

We are concerned with elderly people with co-morbidities like highly diabetic and ailments in heart, lungs, liver and kidneys as they are vulnerable to infection with the virus, he said requesting anonymity
The lawyer of the victim in the firing incident in Delhis Saket court has claimed that his client had been receiving death threats from the accused, who opened fire on the premises, despite she being granted a protection order by the High Court.

The victim identified as M Radha was brought to the court on Friday when the accused in the firing incident Kameshwar Singh shot at her. Both have been undergoing trial in a case pertaining to some financial transaction, Radhas lawyer claimed. Singh, who opened fire at the Saket court premises, has been arrested, Delhi Police Crime Branch earlier said.

Two persons, including a woman, suffered bullet injuries after being shot at.

Speaking to ANI, M Radhas lawyer Rajendra Jha claimed that the accused practised with a woman lawyer and was later suspended for two years after she complained about receiving threats from him.

Kameshwar used to practice with a woman lawyer at Patiala House Court, during which time he had illegally occupied her flat. He had threatened her many times, after which the woman complained to the Bar Council and Kameshwar was suspended for two years from September 2022, Jha claimed.

The woman lawyer also lodged an FIR under section 420 at Mehrauli police station.

On the day of the incident, M Radha was produced in a case and as soon as Radha came down from my chamber, Kameshwar Singh shot her. The trial of a case has been going on involving Radha and Kameshwar pertaining to some financial transaction, he claimed.

Radha was produced in that case on the day of the incident. Radha had been granted bail on March 17 with conditions after being in judicial custody for about two and a half to three months, he further added.

Alleging that there was a threat to his clients life he claimed that Kameshwar had threatened her several times after which approached the High Court and the court granted her a protection order.

Despite the protection, he kept threatening to kill her. The police were approached but they did not take any action. He had threatened to kill her several times, the lawyer claimed.

Earlier on Friday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) South Chandan Chowdhary said, An incident of firing was reported from Saket court today. A man fired four rounds out of which three bullets hit the woman and a lawyer.

They were taken to the hospital and their condition is now stable. Both of them have been discharged from the hospital.

Police said that the woman, Radha was shot at by the accused with whom she was undergoing a legal battle in a case of cheating.
Rich Guidice sits during an interview with the Chicago Tribune on April 21, 2023. Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson has selected City Hall veteran Guidice to be his chief of staff. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

The two top staff members of Mayor-elect Brandon Johnsons administration are a pragmatic City Hall veteran and a progressive-minded state legislator, a dynamic they say will be a strength in executing their bosss bold agenda.

In an interview with the Tribune on Friday, incoming chief of staff Richard Guidice and deputy chief of staff Cristina Pacione-Zayas acknowledged they make an unlikely leadership team, given Guidices history with former Mayor Richard M. Daleys administration and his more recent job as head of the citys Office of Emergency Management and Communications, and Pacione-Zayas background as a relatively new state senator with a heavy focus on policy.

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Guidice said their differences make for a good balance that sets the stage for how they will build their working relationship, though how their exact roles have yet to be fully defined. Pacione-Zayas concurred, saying, Well definitely be leaning on each other to complement the skills that we bring to work.

The two agreed that public safety is the administrations top priority, though differences in their approach became clear when discussing how to tackle an issue that dominated much of the mayoral race between Johnson and Paul Vallas.

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Public safety is something that we have to continue to work to increase peoples confidence in not only coming downtown, but throughout all of our neighborhoods, throughout the city, so public safety is circled for attention, certainly, Guidice said.

While listing safety as one of our most urgent, pressing concerns, Pacione-Zayas stressed the holistic approach on fighting crime that Johnson touted on the campaign trail.

Were going to have to do the deep work on the root causes and, of course, the mayor-elect has always spoken about investing in people, particularly in the area around employment, Pacione-Zayas said. So were going to have to build out that kind of work to have a robust and systemic approach to how we address some of the root causes.

Johnsons victory was seen as proof that his message of moving away from traditional policing methods resonated with many Chicago voters. But his approach also was a cause of concern for leaders in the political establishment and business community, who feared a progressive shake-up in City Hall was the wrong direction after a trying pandemic and an increase in violent crime.

News of Guidices appointment reassured many that Johnsons City Hall will make use of the institutional knowledge of previous administrations.

One potential difference between Guidice and Johnson on the subject of policing has already emerged  over restoring public access to live police scanner transmissions. Under Mayor Lori Lightfoot and Guidice at OEMC, the city moved to encrypt all scanners to keep the public from listening in real time, instead releasing communications on a time delay.

Members of the public and media have said the move has the potential to jeopardize public safety while also reducing transparency around critical incidents. During the campaign, Johnson joined other mayoral challengers in vowing to restore real-time access to the scanners for media.

I was in favor and am in favor of encrypted radios, Guidice said. I think its an officer safety issue.

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Guidice added that he has not yet discussed the issue with the mayor-elect, who will have the final say.

I will engage with conversation with the mayor on it and hear his perspective on it, Guidice said. And certainly, he is our chief policymaker. So I look forward to those conversations with him, and I also look forward to letting him know my personal perspective on it as well.

State Sen. Cristina Pacione-Zayas appears at an interview with the Chicago Tribune on April 21, 2023. Pacione-Zayas will be deputy chief of staff. (Antonio Perez / Chicago Tribune)

Pacione-Zayas said the mayors team must learn to navigate its way toward achieving consensus.

We may not be able to agree on everything, but we do have to come to some kind of common ground, build some consensus, she said. Because at the core, one of the things that is incredibly important that drives us is we love Chicago, and we want Chicago to succeed.

At the same time, Pacione-Zayas earlier in the week commended Johnson for standing firm on his convictions since winning the race, despite pressure from critics to move to the center.

Following the mayor-elects Wednesday visit to the Illinois Capitol, where he floated a host of progressive priorities in Springfield, Pacione-Zayas told the Tribune: One thing I think well learn about the mayor-elect is that its you see what you get, right? And its not anything hidden. Its nothing different than what hes been saying all along.

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Guidice has worked under three mayors: Daley, Rahm Emanuel and Lightfoot. He said all of them, including his new boss, Johnson, brought good ideas to the table. But not all of their initiatives could be tackled on day one, if at all.

Each one of those mayors and administrations have come in with good ideas. A lot of good ideas, a lot of good programs, Guidice said. Were going to take a look at all of them and see which ones we think should be continued, and which ones should be pivoted and put into a different direction.

As for his most valuable assets, Guidice singled out his experience presiding over large, sometimes-hectic events and emergencies as executive director of OEMC. He said he brings with him lessons learned on building relationships both inside and outside City Hall to ensure that annual traditions such as Lollapalooza, as well as one-time events like the 2024 Democratic National Convention, are successes.

Those are all big events, and certainly the city is looking forward to those, Guidice said. Were looking forward to shining the spotlight once again on the city of Chicago and in a positive manner. So were certainly up for those opportunities.

Pacione-Zayas, whose work in the state Senate centered on education and early childhood development, said her path to politics will inform her upcoming work.

I come from a lineage of social workers, and obviously my background is education, she said. Its a team sport. This is a game of addition and multiplication.

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What was their motivation for signing onto what figure to be a challenging four years under a new mayor? Guidice looked back at his long-standing ties in city government, while Pacione-Zayas spoke about re-imagining Chicagos future.

Guidice had announced his retirement from OEMC shortly after the April 4 election, but he said now that he just cant picture relaxing at this juncture.

Ive worked for the city for 33 and a half years, and along the way Ive met so many great, wonderful people  who really have inspired me along the way to do a good job and to continue to work hard, and walking away from that was very difficult, he said.

Pacione-Zayas took her seat in the state Senate in December 2020 as a special appointee following then-Sen. Iris Martinezs successful bid to become the Cook County Circuit Court clerk. She was elected to a full term last November, but was persuaded to leave because she wanted to work under a mayor who, as a former teacher and Chicago Teachers Union organizer, was on the front lines of the citys most important issues, she said.

This is one of those once-in-a-generational opportunities to work with a mayor who has this kind of unique skill set, she said. We have a really unique opportunity to change the trajectory of the city.

ayin@chicagotribune.com

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gpratt@chicagotribune.com
Last week, I had the opportunity to travel home to Nebraska and visit with many of you in the state. Its always a delight to be back home interacting with fellow Nebraskans, and Im thankful I was able to participate in some great events.

On Tuesday, I visited The Grocery Kart in Broken Bow, a member of the Nebraska Grocery Industry Association. It was great to explore the store and hear from its owners about their business and their concerns. Small businesses like The Grocery Kart source a number of their products locally  including Nebraska honey, popcorn, and even salad dressing. I am impressed by the work of the grocery industry in Nebraska and how well it provides for the needs of people across our state, especially in rural communities. We spoke about issues spanning from meat labeling to national security, and I appreciated hearing their questions and thoughts.

Later in the week, I had the privilege of visiting Plattsmouth High School, where I received a tour of the Career Technical Education building from a few exceptional students. This facility offers students phenomenal educational opportunities and is very unique in Nebraska. I love hearing from young Nebraskans eager to think about the issues and create change for the better in our state and our country. Visiting with our young leaders fills me with hope for the future.

While in Plattsmouth, I attended a business and community roundtable with Mayor Paul Lambert. I heard updates from the communitys business and industry leaders about their challenges and opportunities. Plattsmouth is a hub of thriving small businesses and a close-knit community. I was thankful for the opportunity to listen to and meet with some of its residents.

Another exciting event I attended was the grand opening of Graepel North Americas expanded campus. Graepel is an innovative manufacturing company that focuses on perforated sheet metal products. Those products boost industries from trucking to agriculture, helping our economy grow. I shared my thanks with Graepel for the good work it does for Nebraska, America, and the world by providing vital jobs and well-made products. I am proud that Omaha continues to host Graepel and its expansion in North America.

I also spoke at the State Capitol in Lincoln on Friday. I previously voted to pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which supported the creation of a state-level infrastructure grant distributed by the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. The Natural Gas Distribution Infrastructure Safety and Modernization Grant will help the two grant recipients, the Metropolitan Utilities District and the Village of Stuart, update their aging gas distribution pipes so they are safe and up to date. At the grant presentation, I talked about my history advocating for modernized infrastructure, from my time in the Nebraska Unicameral to my current role in the U.S. Senate. I look forward to seeing the benefits of these infrastructure investments.

This weekend, I was also honored to speak at a Nebraska Army National Guard sendoff ceremony in Lincoln. The brave young men and women of the 2nd Battalion, 134th Infantry Regiment (Airborne) are departing on the units first overseas deployment to the Horn of Africa. I was able to thank them for their dedication and service to our nation, protecting our freedoms and way of life. I am inspired by the fortitude of the soldiers and the commitment and sacrifice of their families as they prepare for this yearlong deployment.

I am grateful to have spent time back home in Nebraska this week as I gear up for more legislative work in Washington. As I write, work, and vote, I always keep my conversations with Nebraskans in mind, and I am proud to serve the great state of Nebraska.

Thank you for participating in the democratic process. I look forward to visiting with you again next week.
As a precursor to the meeting of the G20Education Working Group to be held in the city on 27 AND 28 April, a Mock G20 conclave involving students from various institutions was held at Siksha O Anusandhan (SOA) Deemed to be University on Friday.

The Mock G20 on the theme of Future of Work which was organised in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (MOE),Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Indian Institute of Democratic Leadership (IIDL), Mumbai, was attended by students who represented the member countries and international organizations.

It has been organised to create an awareness in students as to how the G20 functions. The students are thestakeholders in the field of education and skill development,Ms. Usha Titus, Chairperson and Managing Director of Additional Skill Acquisition Programme, Kerala, said while addressing the inaugural session of the conclave.

Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of SOA and Mr. Devendra Pai, Course Director, IIDL, also addressed the inaugural programme. Ms. Titus said thatCovid-19 had disrupted our thinking and brought in technology into our lives in a big way.Technology needs to be harnessed to take education forward and the need was to adopt the best practices and collaborate for future progress, she said. Prof. Nanda said Future of Work is important and the youth have a stake in it, he said.

Mr. Pai said it was expected that the Mock G20 would act as a stimulus which would encourage and orient students to think and participate in politics and policy making and think about international relations.As part of the mock exercise, the students delivered talks as delegates representing different countries and international organizations.

Ms.Areesha Fatma, Senior Consultant, International Cooperation, Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and Ms. Archana Mayaram, Economic12Advisor, MSDE also addressed the inaugural session.
Mithun Chakrabortys son Mimoh Chakraborty is now excited to feature in the upcoming Nawazuddin Siddique starrer film Jogira Sara Ra Ra. He says that he will be seen in a different avatar in the family comedy.

While talking about his character and how he prepared for it, Mimoh says: I am quite excited for everyone to see me in my upcoming film Jogira Sara Ra Ra as I had to physically transform myself for this film. It will see me in a completely new and unique avatar for which I have had to work on my body language as well.

Mimoh is known for his roles in Haunted-3D, Jimmy, Loot, Enemmy, among others. He further elaborated about his character in the movie and said that the exciting part about it is that it is completely different.

My character is extremely different from whatever I have done in the past and thats what made it all the more exciting. The film is releasing on the 12th of May and I am so excited for all to see it, he concluded.

The film has been written by Ghalib Asad Bhopali and directed by Kushan Nandy. Produced by Naeem A. Siddiqui, with Kiran Shyam Shroff as the creative producer, the film has been shot at places like Lucknow, Barabanki, Rahimabad, Varanasi and Mumbai.
The national capital witnessed a unique exhibition this week at the Bikaner House, focusing on the responsibility of humankind to protect and restore the environment.

Featuring the works of Indian and Greek artists  Eleni Stoelinga Tsiapara (Greece), Pankaj Guru (India) and Priyanka Gupta (India)  the Plastic Shapes Our Lives exhibition was curated by Georgina Maddox.

Greek artist  Eleni Stoelinga-Tsiapara is the wife of Alphonsus Stoelinga, Former Ambassador of the Netherlands to India (2012  2018).

The trios plastic sculptures that have been reclaimed and treated with various processes are an expression of their styles, which point to everyones responsibility to care for the environment.

What brings these artists together, beyond their friendship, their mutual respect for each others art and ideas, is their shared experience of a planet in crisis, literally swimming in discarded plastic, which is harming not just the environment but animal and human health as well. Their focus is on the responsibility of mankind to protect and restore the environment, the curator said.

While it may be impossible to eliminate plastic from our lives completely, we can strive to find ways to use it in a more balanced and sustainable way. By reflecting on our relationship with plastic and exploring creative solutions, we can take meaningful steps toward reducing its impact on the environment, the three artists said.

Commenting about her work, Eleni Stoelinga-Tsiapara said, As an artist, my work is a reflection of my deep concern for the environment and sustainability. My latest creation, a sitting abstract sculpture made from recycled plastic pipe, embodies this passion. Through this piece, I seek to highlight the beauty and potential of materials that are often overlooked and discarded.

By using recycled plastic pipes, I aim to challenge our assumptions about what can be considered art and what can be considered waste. This sculpture serves as a reminder of the importance of reducing our impact on the planet and finding innovative ways to reuse and repurpose materials, she said.

Through my art, I hope to inspire others to join me in the quest for a more sustainable future. I believe that by raising awareness of our impact on the environment and promoting sustainable practices, we can create a brighter and healthier world for ourselves and future generations, she said.

The show comes as a continuation of the investigation of the subject by the three artists in their exposition in October last year at the Museum of Archeology of Olympia, Greece  where the first Olympic Games were held (in 776 BC).

Eleni Stoelinga-Tsiapara has also experimented with her Pipes shaped into Humans with the objective to highlight the air pollution from exhaust pipes and industrial chimneys.

Pankaj Guru works in three-dimensional art for the development of knowledge, imagination, and perception of nature, of life in its various forms. In his works, human faces merge with abstract bodies and the glimmering of geometric shapes that capture the viewers attention with their charm.

At the same time, Priyanka Guptas work is an expression of different forms and the thoughts that lie behind it. For this exhibition, she has produced work that presents itself as tall spiraling work that appears as thin columnar structures done in plastic. In fact, thin, long sculptures of a considerable height seem to be a recurring motif in her works. It perhaps reaches into spaces and explores topography in a manner that goes beyond human limitations.

By highlighting the beauty and potential of recycled plastic, one artist encourages us to rethink the value of this material while also raising awareness of its impact on the environment.

Another artist explores the dichotomy of plastic, creating thought-provoking abstract paintings that challenge us to reflect on our own consumption habits and the need for more sustainable alternatives.

The third artist uses plastic objects in our daily lives to create large-scale installations, emphasising the ubiquitous presence of plastic and encouraging us to find a balance between its convenience and environmental impact.

The artist trio has worked with plastic materials. The sculptural works are transformative and are coloured in metallic shades, abstract and beautiful in many ways.

Through their works, the artists remind us that plastic has become an essential part of our modern way of life, but they also acknowledge the urgent need to use it more responsibly.

Commenting about his work titled The Imprint of Plastics, Pankaj Guru said, My relief sculptures, crafted from recycled plastic and paper sheets, are a commentary on the paradoxical nature of plastic as a versatile material that comes at a great cost to the environment. While plastic can mimic the physical characteristics of many materials, its cheap production and excessive use have contributed significantly to pollution and waste.

Commenting about her work titled Plastic Dreams, Priyanka Gupta said, My hanging sculpture made of recycled plastic and paper depicts a mesmerising birds murmuration, while also highlighting the pervasive presence of plastic in our lives. Plastic has become an integral part of our existence, but its overuse and waste have caused immense harm to the environment and its inhabitants.
Environmental degradation and climate change are a global phenomena where actions in one part of the world impact ecosystems and populations across the globe.

To create awareness about the environment ecosystem, the World Earth Day is celebrated, which honours the achievements of the environmental movement and underscores the importance of long-term ecological sustainability.

The World Earth Day is seen and celebrated as a day of education about environmental issues. According to the UN, the International Mother Earth is celebrated as a reminder that the earth and its ecosystems provide us with life and sustenance.

In 1990, Hayes organized a global Earth Day, with more than 200 million participants in more than 140 countries. Earth Day now brings together citizens and activists from around the world to raise awareness and take action regarding such environmental concerns as global warming and renewable energy.

The theme of this years World Earth Day is Invest In Our Planet, which means subsidizing the efforts to save the earth. The host country of this years Earth Day is Cote dIvoire and is supported by the Netherlands and will focus on solutions to plastic pollution.

Indias contributions in protecting earth

India is also celebrating Earth Day with its foot forward by doing its best to save the planet earth. Environmentalism is very much associated with the common people of our country. In India, the Green Generation Campaign started on Earth Day that insists on a global day of action and civic participation, to make a carbon-free future based on renewable energy that will end the dependency on fossil fuels.

It also focuses on an individuals commitment to responsible, sustainable consumption and creation of a new green economy that lifts people out of poverty by creating millions of quality green jobs that transforms the global education system into a green one.

India has emerged as a major country supporting the sustainable development initiatives. India has already reached its renewable target which was announced at the Paris agreement in 2016, as the country is obtaining 40 per cent of the energy by non-fossil fuel sources.

In India major stress on the environment is seen on Soil health, temperature changes, humidity, greenhouse gases, loss biodiversity. The decreased life span of humans in polluted cities, continued tornadoes, desertification, changes in weather systems are the few examples which are the major problems faced by people in a country due to climate changes and deterioration of earths atmosphere.

To overcome all these environmental problems India is doing its best, recently Prime Minister Narendra Modi committed to make India a net zero carbon emitter by 2070. Not only this in the areas of biodiversity conservation, wetlands conservation, hazardous materials reduction and land degradation, India is doing well.

Under the Green India Mission afforestation program has been taken up to absorb additional 300 crore than carbon dioxide. India is the first country in the world to bring monitoring of sustainable development goals at the national level.

The World Earth Day is creating huge differences in protecting Earth and Indians are playing a significant role in it. In the Glasgow summit, Prime Minister Modi gave the slogan for one word movement named LIFE (Lifestyle for Environment) is now becoming a mass movement, which is the biggest tribute to our planet earth.
A day after the father of ruling Aam Aadmi Partys partys legislator from Jalalabad Jagdeep Goldy Kamboj was arrested for extortion, the Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Singh Badal on Saturday demanded an independent judicial probe in the case.

Speaking to reporters, the SAD chief said the AAP governments patronage to families of leaders of the ruling party allegedly involved in the infamous flesh trade is  the darkest spot on Punjabs fair and proud face.

Badal demanded an independent judicial probe to establish if the entire flesh trade racket and abuse of women involving family members of AAP legislator Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy did not have his blessings. Goldys father Surinder Kamboj (67) was arrested for allegedly blackmailing a property dealer and demanding Rs 10 lakh from him for settling a rape allegation against him.

Goldy, who quit the Congress to join the AAP, defeated SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal in the 2022 Assembly elections.

This shameful episode involving AAPs golden boy has embarrassed every household in Punjab. There is credible and irrefutable evidence that Goldy and his father have been thick as thieves in everything. The legislators claim that he had been estranged from his father rings hollow, Badal said.

He said first, AAPs leaders from other states had faced serious charges of exploiting the daughters of Punjab during the 2017 elections. But now, the lid is off on the conduct of AAPs elected leaders from the state.

Badal also alleged harassment and humiliation heaped on Bibi Kirandeep Kaur, wife of pro Khalistan leader Amritpal Singh by the Punjab Police and Central forces.

The Akali leader said the AAP government was indulging in state-repression against innocent Sikhs including women, children and the elders on the pretext of acting against the accused unlawful people.

Let law take its course about those who face any charges but there is no justification for harassing and humiliating the innocent members of their families, especially women. The government in Punjab is violating the Constitution in everything, he added.

Lashing out against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Badal said You (Badal) are indulging in double standards by claiming that Goldy cannot be punished for the wrong doings of his father but punishing Bibi Kirandeep Kaur just because she belongs to someone the government can not lay its hands on.

The SAD president described the Jalandhar Lok Sabha by-election as a fight between a party of Punjabis versus the outsiders.
Decades old fight over controlling the illegal sand mining in Bihar is still rampant in a more brutal way. The thriving cash rich business still remains under the control of powerful contractors enjoying political patronage, besides money and muscle power.

Now sand mining mafias have started attacking mining officials during their routine inspection drive. Last Monday, when a team of mining officials including a woman were chased allegedly by the goons of sand mafias who thrashed them with sticks and threw stones at them at the outskirts of Patna under Bihar police station. The video which went viral has created ripples in the cross section of society.

This gory incident has forced the state government to re-look the nexus of criminals contractors politicians in the thriving illegal sand mining business in various parts of the state.

it a fight for controlling the multi billion sand mining business between a couple of millionaire political leaders cutting across the party lines. At least dozens of powerful wealthy politicians including some in ruling party members are products of Bihars rich sand mining business, said a senior bureaucrat of Bihar on the condition of anonymity.

Hundreds of people have been killed in sand wars between different criminal gangs backed by their political bosses in recent times, particularly sand rich areas of Patna, Bhojpur, Saran, Nawada, Lakhisarai, Naugachhia, Sheikhpura , Kaimur and Rohtas.

A senior police official admitted that the fight over illegal sand mining is also locked in the war over the control of the bus stand contract, the combined earning from which, together, is estimated in several hundred crores annually.

According to official sources, the government collects the major share of revenue from the high quality sand of river beds in Patna, Saran, Bhojpur, Nawada and Lakhisarai districts.

After protests by the various political parties, the district police made the arrest of 44 people in which mostly innocent people and lodged three FIRs.

Sensing the gravity of the situation, a high level meeting was convened under the chairmanship of Bihars Chief Secretary Amir Subhani in which it was decided to create a separate river police station in these sand rich districts with an aim to check the illegal mining operations. The concerned district magistrates have been asked to send a proposal in this regard.

A separate mining police force to be created. In the beginning it was decided to create a separate police force with a strength of 400 dedicated cadres to check the illegal operation in the sand rich region of Bihar.

The government is in the process of making separate rules and regulations of the river police stations and also for a separate mining police force.

Finally it will be placed before the cabinet for its approval.

It was also decided to review activities in sand mining regions of five districts  Patna, Saran, Bhojpur, Rohtas and Kaimur on a monthly basis. A permanent check post would also be created in all sand rich regions.

In order to control the activities of criminals, the Home Department will review all the FIRs related to sand mining lodged in different parts of the state and accordingly suitable action will be taken against the culprit.


Interacting with the TB patients under the Nikshay Yojana through audio-conferencing today, the CM said a portal- Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday called upon non-government organisations and corporates to adopt TB patients to nurture them.Interacting with the TB patients under the Nikshay Yojana through audio-conferencing today, the CM said a portal- https://communitysupport. nikshay.in/ has been created for organizations, companies etc, who want to help TB patients in the state.

Various organisations and individuals who want to provide nutritional support to TB patients can visit this portal and register themselves by creating a login ID. They are called Nikshay Mitra. So far around 1,500 such Nikshay Mitras are registered on this portal, he added.

The CM said he has also adopted five TB patients under this scheme. He said the state government is determined to make the state Tuberculosis (TB) free by the year 2025. With the determination that TB will lose and the country will win, the state government is taking meaningful steps, the CM said.

He urged the TB patients to take benefits of free TB testing and treatment services available in government health institutions and spread awareness about TB.

Khattar expressed gratitude to President Droupadi Murmu for launching the Nikshay Yojana in September, 2022 for the nutrition of TB patients. The CM said this scheme was also launched in Haryana on September 15, 2022. Under this, nutrition kits are being given to TB patients by adopting them by the Governor, Health Minister and eminent citizens, he added.

The CM said nutrition kits have so far been distributed to 8,000 patients in the state under the Nikshay Yojana. These nutrition kits include wheat, rice, groundnut edible oil and pulses, etc. This initiative has boosted the morale of TB patients and helped them to become free from the disease, he added.

Khattar urged the TB patients to contact the district TB Officer in case of help needed for nutritious food. He said co-operation is being taken from private and corporate hospitals to expand the services of TB treatment.

Many companies have come forward and cooperated extensively in this work. Various corporate companies have adopted 13 districts to make them TB free. Medanta Hospital is conducting an intensive campaign by mobile vans to check TB patients in Yamunanagar and Karnal. In Rewari district too, new TB patients are being screened by a company with the help of a mobile van, which has been named as Sankalp Project, he said.

Khattar said a nutritional allowance of Rs 500 is also being given to TB patients every month during their treatment. So far, about Rs 80 Crore has been given directly to the bank accounts of TB patients in the form of nutritional allowance. Including these, Rs 91.39 crore has so far been given to TB patients under various schemes of the national TB eradication programme, he added.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has made operational about 350 cough test centres, 80 molecular laboratories and two culture laboratories for free TB test. He said 75,730 TB patients were identified in the state in 2022, out of which 40,276 patients are still under treatment.
Even as the hunt to nab absconding Khalistan sympathiser Amritpal Singh continues, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that there is no Khalistan wave in Punjab and the Centre is keeping a close watch on the situation.

The Home Minister pointed out that Punjab government had done good work and that the Centre had cooperated. There is no wave (of Khalistan). Many times, some people try, but the governments have done their job. The Punjab government has done a good job, the Centre has supported. We are monitoring the situation closely, Shah said while speaking at a media conclave in Benguluru.

Asked about Amritpal Singhs arrest and that he has been absconding for long , the Union Minister said, It may happen some time. Earlier he used to roam freely, but now he cannot carry on with his activities, he said.

The Union Home Minister also said that the BJP government led by PM Narendra Modi will not tolerate any attack on the Indian High Commissions and that strict action will be taken in accordance with Indian laws.

Amit Shah was referring to the attack on the Indian High Commission in London last month and and the consulate in UK and San Francisco.

We have made the NIA so capable that they can probe if there is any conspiracy against India on foreign soil. Delhi Police registered a case and launched a probe and a report from the Indian High Commission was also received. Based on that, we have handed the probe to the NIA, the home minister said in the media conclave held in Bengaluru.

On March 19 this year, protesters holding Khalistan banners staged a demonstration outside the High Commission in London. One of the protestors climbed up its balcony and pulled down the Indian national flag of India. The protest was being held to denounce the recent police action in Punjab.

In a video of the incident, which has since gone viral on social media, a protestor is seen on the balcony attempting to bring down the Indian flag. At the end of the video, another man is seen reaching the balcony and wresting the Tricolour back from the Khalistan supporter.

Khalistan supporters also allegedly attacked Indian Consulate in San Francisco (SFO). Videos of supporters breaking the doors and barging into the office surfaced on social media.

Meanwhile, speaking at the media conclave in Bengaluru today, the Home Minister further pointed out that the Popular Front of India is also an important issue in Karnataka which goes to Assembly polls on May 10, and said that people feel secure after the Centres clampdown against the now-banned outfit.

PFI is an important issue as well. Congress kept PFI safe and supported it in Karnataka. The BJP government has put a ban on PFI and clamped against the propagating separatist organisation in South India. If there is one state which will benefit the most, it is Karnataka, he said.

Asked if people would cast their votes for the BJP on the issue of the PFI ban, the Home Minister said that it is not an issue, the security of the people is.

PFI might not be the issue, security could be. The way violence was being unleashed under PFIOur worker Praveen was killed in daylight. The strictness with which we have worked (against PFI), there is definitely an appreciation in the people of Karnataka. They are feeling secure, he said.

The Union Home Ministry had in September last year declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates an Unlawful Association

It had said that PFI and its associates or affiliates or fronts have been found to be involved in serious offences, including terrorism and its financing, targeted gruesome killings, disregarding the constitutional set-up of the country, disturbing public order etc. which are prejudicial to the integrity, security and sovereignty of the country.

The Home Ministry said it found it necessary to curb the nefarious activities of the organization. It declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) along with its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), National Womens Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala as unlawful association under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address elected representatives and functionaries of Panchayati Raj Institutions, as well as Special Gram Sabhas, across the country from Rewa, Madhya Pradesh on 24th April, on the occasion of the National Panchayati Raj Day.

The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, in collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh is celebrating the National Panchayati Raj Day as a major event as part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav (AKAM)  Samaaveshi Vikaas (Inclusive Development), adopting Whole-of-the-Government approach.

The Prime Minister will be the Chief Guest at the national function to be organised at the Special Armed Forces Ground, Rewa. This years National Panchayati Raj Day holds a special significance as it will mark 30 years of Panchayati Raj in the country.

The National Panchayati Raj is celebrated on 24th April of every year as on this day in 1992, the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act, 1992 came into force, institutionalising Panchayati Raj as a major step towards decentralization of power at the grassroots level.

Since 2014, the Central Government has intensified its efforts to support the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) in the best manner possible to ensure that the basic objectives of the Panchayati Raj are achieved in true letter and spirit. There has been a quantum leap in the allocation of fiscal resources to the PRIs to support various infrastructure requirements and developmental activities in rural areas.

The Prime Minister will inaugurate on the occasion an integrated e-GramSwaraj and GeM portal to enable Panchayats to procure their goods and services through GeM, leveraging the e-GramSwaraj platform.

The launch of the e-GramSwaraj  GeM Integration will encourage panchayats to usher in the digital revolution where they will have access to an easy-to-use procurement and payment platform.

While the panchayats and local sellers adopt this initiative, it will help an entire buyer-seller ecosystem to flourish, thereby boosting rural economy and entrepreneurship, along with strengthening the Digital India Programme.

The Prime Minister will also hand over SVAMITVA property cards to select beneficiaries, symbolizing attainment of the milestone of 1.25 crore property cards distribution under the SVAMITVA Scheme in the country.

The SVAMITVA-Meri Sampatti, Mera Haq campaign under Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav  Samaaveshi Vikas  Inclusive Development aims to generate 1.50 crore Records of Rights/Property Cards under SVAMITVA Scheme by August 2023.

SVAMITVA (Survey of Villages and Mapping with Improvised Technology in Village Areas) is a Central Sector Scheme launched by the Prime Minister on 24th April 2020 on the occasion of the National Panchayati Raj Day.

It aims to provide Records of Rights/Property Cards to rural household owners of the inhabited area of the village. The scheme covers multifarious aspects viz. facilitating monetisation of properties and enabling bank loans; reducing property-related disputes; comprehensive village-level planning.

It will further enhance the socio-economic profile of the panchayats, making them self-sustainable. The Property Card generated under the Scheme provides the right of the property to the household in the rural abadi area. The Scheme covers each section of society including SCs, STs, differently-abled, minorities, women and other vulnerable groups.

As on 31st March 2023, drone flying has been completed in 2.39 lakh villages which make up 63 per cent of the overall target of 3.72 lakh villages, and drone survey is completed in the state of Madhya Pradesh, UTs of Lakshadweep, Delhi, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu.

Property Cards of all inhabited villages of Haryana followed by Uttarakhand, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Goa have been prepared. With close coordination between the States and the Survey of India, a milestone of preparation of over 1.24 crore property Cards for nearly 74,000 villages is achieved.

The Prime Minister will also perform the Griha Pravesh (ceremony on entering ones new house) of more than four lakh beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas YojanaGramin (PMAYG). At present 4.11 lakh houses are ready for the Griha Pravesh programme.

He will attend the ground-breaking ceremony of projects worth about Rs 7,000 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission. Bhoomi Poojan of various works under Jal Jeevan Mission in Rewa District will be performed on this occasion. The Prime Minister will flag-off the Rewa-Itwari train and dedicate other railway projects to the nation.
The Delhi Police on Saturday said it has not detained former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, adding that false information was being spread on social media handles regarding his alleged detention.

It was stated by the Delhi Police after several messages were seen circulating on social media about Maliks alleged detention.

The Delhi Police further said that the former Jammu and Kashmir Governor himself had arrived at RK Puram police station alongwith his supporters. Malik has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will, the Delhi Police said.

False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram alongwith his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will, the Delhi Police said in a tweet.

We have not detained former Governor Malik; he has come on his own volition along with his supporters to the RK Puram police station and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will, said Manoj C, Deputy Commissioner, Southwest Delhi Police.

Earlier, Congress leader Alka Lamba had tweeted about Malik being detained by the Delhi Police.

Former Governor Satya Pal Malik was taken into custody from his residence in Som Vihar and taken to the R.K. Puram police station. Do you still think there is no pressure on constitutional institutions? she said in a tweet in Hindi.

According to sources, a Khap meeting was being organised in the area for which there was no permission from the Delhi Police or the MCD and Malik had taken part in it.

After CBI served a notice to former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik in the Reliance Insurance scam case, JD(U) president Lalan Singh on Saturday came out in his support and called the Centre a coward.

Those questioning the Centre are being targetted, he added.

In a Twitter post, Singh said: Malik Saheb is fighting but the cowards are using government power to target their opponents. They do not know that the people of the country are watching them. There was an apprehension of action being taken against you on a day when you have disclosed the fact (Related to Pulwama incident).

Sarfaroshi ki tamannah ab hamare dil me hai, dekhna hai zor kitna baju-e-katil meine hai, he said.

Targetting the Centre, the Congress has also uploaded a tweet. It said: Finally, PM Modi was not able to restrain. Satya Pal Malik exposed him in front of entire countrymen and hence CBI has called him. It was expected.

Earlier, the former Governor himself claimed that the CBI has asked him to appear before it as per his convenience on April 27 or 28. The CBI wants some clarification on the corruption cases.

Malik had served as governor of Jammu and Kashmir from August 23, 2018 to October 30, 2019.
Dear Colleagues,

College and university rankings are a big business and a point of institutional pride among faculty, staff, students, alumni, and corporations. Many families pay attention to national rankings and perceptions when choosing where to attend. Most large corporations  including many in Washington  use college rankings as part of their decision-making about which institutions to recruit their workforce. Prospective graduate students often consider a universitys reputation when selecting where to pursue a professional or graduate degree. New and prospective faculty members pay attention to rankings when determining where to take a faculty position. In short, university rankings impact our ability to recruit and retain faculty, staff, and students.

Over the last few months, many in the WSU community have expressed concerns regarding the decline in some of our national rankings, particularly in U.S. News & World Reports Best Colleges rankings. Other members of the university community have called into question the validity of chasing rankings whose methodology may run counter to our land-grant mission. While I do not believe rankings should drive how we educate or serve our communities, we need to ensure that we are doing everything practically possible to improve our national reputation and improve WSUs rankings.

WSU is recognized as a top-tier research institution with a talented faculty in several different measures. Generally, WSU does well in quantitative rankings that are not heavily dependent on institutional reputation. For example, in fiscal year 2021, WSU was ranked 78th out of 909 public and private institutions for total Research and Development Expenditures, placing us in the top 10% of institutions nationally (National Science Foundation (NSF) Higher Education Research and Development funding). This ranking reaffirms what we know to be true about our university community  that WSU researchers are leaders in their respective fields.

In assessing the methodologies of rankings where WSU has fallen short of expectations, it is apparent that they rely heavily on subjective measurements. U.S. News & World Report, for example, bases 20% of its analysis  the largest single variable in their ranking criteria  on results from a peer assessment survey intended to evaluate undergraduate academic reputation. In this survey, university leaders across the United States are given a list of institutions and asked to rank their perception of those institutions reputations. This methodology has adversely affected our placement in national rankings. While I dont believe this evaluation to be particularly helpful or reflective of the academic experience at WSU, I recognize that our reputation needs improvement, and reputation matters to our stakeholders, including current and potential students, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors.

Its worth noting that, in specific areas, WSU performs well in U.S. News & World Reports rankings. As an example, several of our online offerings were ranked among the best in the nation for 2023. WSU Global Campus ranked 18th in the Best Online Bachelors Programs category, with business and psychology undergraduate programs coming in at 12th and 16th, respectively. Several of our online graduate programs also received distinction: WSUs online MBA program from the Carson College of Business was ranked 27th in the nations Best Online MBA programs, and the online graduate engineering programs offered by the Voiland College of Engineering and Architecture were ranked 31st in the Best Online Engineering Programs category.

One of the other challenges that has impacted our national reputation has been the lack of a comprehensive and sustainable marketing campaign for Washington State University over the past 15 years. During the Great Recession of 2008, WSU was forced to reduce its marketing budget when state funding decreased precipitously. There has been no substantial recurring investment since that time, which has affected our ability to convey the many success stories surrounding Washington State University impacts and achievements.

So, what are we doing to address and enhance our national reputation?

First, we have invested nearly $1.2M in discretionary, one-time resources toward the establishment of a comprehensive marketing campaign focused on telling the WSU story within the higher education community and within the state of Washington.

These funds have allowed WSU to secure a contract with BVK, a nationally-recognized brand marketing firm with experience in higher education, to assist the university in rebuilding its marketing program. University Marketing & Communications will work with BVK to conduct quantitative market research to benchmark the universitys reputation and develop a long-term plan to bolster brand awareness and reputation.

Second, we want to be sure we are providing the best possible data and information to national ranking organizations, including U.S. News & World Report, to ensure WSU is appropriately recognized. To achieve this, Provost Elizabeth Chilton and I have formed a task force that will conduct a sensitivity analysis on the ranking factors used by U.S. News & World Report. The Office of Strategy, Planning, and Analysis (OSPA) will purchase a one-year subscription to gain access to their undergraduate rankings data, reports, and methodology. Through the task force, members of the OSPA team will work with Faculty Senate representatives and others to evaluate the results and provide subsequent recommendations. I anticipate the completion of their work early in the fall semester.

Third, we are contracting with The Chronicle of Higher Education and Inside Higher Education to tell the WSU story to the broader higher education community. You should start to see more of a digital WSU presence beginning next month.

I want to be clear that our strategy is to tell our stories of success broadly and professionally on a state and national level. Rather than chase rankings, we are looking to improve in key strategic areas that will enhance the visibility and perception of the work we are doing at every corner of our system. WSU remains fully committed to providing excellent teaching, conducting cutting-edge research, and offering valuable services to our communities. While improved rankings may result from our cumulative efforts, our primary goal is always to fulfill our mission and values.

Thank you for all that you do. I will keep you informed as we begin to see returns on the initiatives described above. In the meantime, please feel free to reach out with any questions or suggestions you have on other ways we can work together to improve WSUs reputation.

As always, Go Cougs!

Kirk H. Schulz

System President

Washington State University
A letter received at the Kerala BJP state committee office in Thiruvananthapuram some days back, threatening to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Kerala visit, has put the police and all security agencies on their toes.

The letter contains a threat to attack Prime Minister Modi during his scheduled two-day visit to the state this Monday. It has threatened a suicide attack during Modis visit to Kochi scheduled for 24 April

The police have registered a case and started an investigation. The Kerala Police and the intelligence agencies have intensified their probe into the threat letter. The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has reportedly taken note of the letter and has directed concerned authorities to maintain vigil and ensure security of the Prime Minister.

The letter purportedly written by a Kaloor native hinted at a suicide attack against the PM during his Kerala visit. The police have identified the man mentioned in the letter, but he has denied any involvement claiming that his name was used by his opponents to frame him.

The wife of a Kaloor native who allegedly wrote the letter, reportedly claimed that her husbands handwriting is different. It does not match that of her husband, she said. His daughter said that she knew the culprit behind the threat.

The letter was received at the BJP office a week ago and BJP state president K Surendran subsequently handed it over to the Kerala police chief. The matter came to light on Saturday.

There are reports that international terrorist organizations and their suspected sleeper cells in the state are posing a threat to the prime minister during his visit in Kerala.

The presence of Maoist groups and the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), and the alleged extremist tendencies of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP are also being viewed by intelligence agencies as potential threats to the security of the Prime Minister during his visit in the state.

It has been reported that there was a serious security breach on the part of the Kerala police in connection with Prime Minister Modis visit in the state on Saturday. The security scheme prepared by ADGP Intelligence was leaked.

The details of the officers in charge of security were also leaked. The 49-page report contains comprehensive information on VVIP security. It was handed over only to senior police officers in the districts where the Prime Minister is visiting.

ADGP, Intelligence, TK Vinod Kumar has launched an inquiry into how this was leaked. The Ministry of Home Affairs has sought a report from the state government on the matter.

Prime Minister Modi will reach Kochi on 24 April evening and will take part in a road show. The PM will proceed to Sacred Heart College ground after the roadshow for the Yuvam youth conference, where he will address youth from across the state.

After that,the Prime Minister is expected to hold discussions with Christian religious leaders of various denominations, including bishops

After staying the night in Kochi, the next morning, he will proceed to Thiruvananthapuram and will flag off Keralas first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station.

The Prime Minister then will proceed to the Central Stadium where he will inaugurate a few projects. He will then leave for Gujarat.

In light of the threat to attack Prime Minister Modi during his Kerala visit, the Kochi Police Commissioner said that all the security arrangements made for the PM are fool-proof.
Eid was celebrated across the Union Territories (UTs) of J&K and Ladakh on Saturday with traditional fervour and gaiety as the largest congregation of devotees was witnessed at the Hazratbal shrine on the banks of the Dal Lake in Srinagar.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah were among the notable persons to offer prayers at the Hazratbal shrine.

Eid prayers were also offered in the Jammu division and Kargil district of Ladakh where Muslims in large numbers gathered.

However, authorities did not allow Eid prayers at Srinagars Jamia Masjid in the old city, a day after allowing Friday congregational prayers. The Masjid management said officials directed them to conduct the Eid prayers at 7.30 am instead of 9 am.
Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday strongly hit out at the TMC-led West Bengal government over the alleged gang-rape and murder of a Dalit girl in North Dinajpur districts Kaliagunj.

The Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the police didnt allow the BJP MLAs to meet the victims family. He also accused the police of diluting the evidence. Taking to Twitter, Adhikari said, The @BJP4Bengal MLAs werent allowed to visit the victims family & were involuntarily taken to a Police Station & made to sit there forcefully, because how else would @WBPolice suppress information & dilute evidence. Theyre dragging the victims body in such undignified manner.

The Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped and murdered in North Dinajpur district of West Bengal. On Thursday, the locals found the body of the minor, who had gone missing. On Friday, locals staged a protest demanding justice for her.

SP Dinajpur Sana Akhtar told ANI that the victims body was found in Kaliyaganj, after which the police swung into action and arrested the two accused.

We received information that a girl was missing since Thursday night. We started conducting searches at all railway stations, and bus stands. Later, a body was found in Kailyaganj. Two people have been arrested based on the complaint given by the deceaseds family.

The police also fired tear gas shells and restored to lathi-charge against the protesters who were demonstrating over the incident.

Police had to use tear gas at the protesters to recover the victims body from them to ensure an early post-mortem so that important evidence is not lost. We have also formed a medical board to investigate the matter properly. The incident will be properly investigated, the SP added.

Further investigation is underway in the case.

Earlier in the day, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also took cognisance of the matter and said it would send a fact-finding team to conduct an inquiry.

Taking to Twitter, NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said, The NCPCR has taken cognizance of News Reports of gang rape and murder of a Dalit girl child in Raiganj, Uttar Dinajpur of West Bengal. A fact-finding team will be visiting there to conduct an inquiry.

A statement issued by the NCPCR chief office read, We have received information about the gang-rape incident and murder of a girl child in North Dinajpur in West Bengal. We have received a lot of information from many sources. It is a heinous murder and we are going to investigate it. I myself will go to North Dinajpur with my team.

It added, Our team will reach there tomorrow. We will investigate this incident by going there tomorrow evening. We are trying to contact the government through the governors house to cooperate with us in the investigation. This is a case of murder of a girl child and getting her justice.

NCPCR also alleged that the Chief Secretary of the state and the North Dinajpur Collector are not responding despite the body informing them about the incident.

The statement further stated that punishing the culprits is the only way to stop such incidents in West Bengal.
The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patricia Scotland KC, has become the first Black woman as well as the first Caribbean, Dominican and British person to receive the University of California (UC) Berkeleys prestigious Global Leadership Award in recognition of her exceptional contributions to improving the lives through innovation and technology.

Previous recipients of the award include then-President of India Pranab Mukherjee, then-President of the US Barack Obama, then-President of Pakistan Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and then-President of the World Bank, Alden W. Tom Clausen.

The award was presented to the Commonwealth Secretary-General during a ceremony at the Berkeley Innovation Forum in California on Friday.

Presenting the award, the organisers commended the Secretary-Generals decades-long commitment to fostering a culture of innovation throughout her legal and political career, particularly in her current role, adding that her leadership has to the promotion of innovation and use of technology to expand markets around the world and empower people at the bottom of the pyramid.

The award is conferred upon extraordinary global leaders who promote open innovation  a practice which enables the exchange of ideas across organisations  to create significant change.

Secretary-General Scotland is the third woman to receive the award after Sadako Ogata, then-Minister of Japan to the United Nations, and Janet Yellen, then-Chair of the Broad of Governors of the US Federal Reserve System, won it in 1978 and 2014 respectively.

In her acceptance speech, Secretary-General Patricia Scotland, who is the first woman to hold the post, said: I am deeply honoured to receive the Global Leadership Award from the University of California Berkeley. This recognition is made all the more special as it coincides with the seventh anniversary of my tenure as Secretary-General.

My journey has not been without obstacles, but I am proud that it has led to this point. Throughout my life and career, I have been driven by a fierce belief that things could be different, better, fairer, and more equal, and that by embracing innovation and its transformative potential, we can create meaningful change that benefits both individuals and society at large.

She added: Today, I feel a great sense of pride to lead the Commonwealth Secretariat which serves more than 2.5 billion people, 60 per cent of whom are under the age of 30.

By accepting this award, I encourage each one of them to never let anyone tell them that they cannot succeed. They must dare to dream and work hard to make it happen  and always remember the timeless words of Nelson Mandela: aIt always seems impossible until its done.

Since taking up office in April 2016, Secretary-General Scotland undertook a strategic reform of the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure the organisation transforms itself into a fit-for-purpose partner to help its member countries uphold the values of the Commonwealth Charter and realise the Sustainable Development Goals.

In addition to her accomplishments in her previous roles as a lawyer, Attorney General and Minister in various UK government ministries, the award recognises the Secretary-Generals achievements in championing innovation for sustainable development through an array of Commonwealth-wide initiatives and programmes, as part of the reform process.

These include the Innovation Hub, Meridian debt management software, Trade Connectivity Dashboard, Innovation Awards, FinTech Toolkit and AI Learning Platform.

The award ceremony was attended by more than 100 guests, including senior executives, thought leaders, policymakers, philanthropists, researchers and civil society representatives.
South Korea and the Indo-Pacific partners of the NATO discussed expanding cooperation to counter North Koreas escalating provocations, Seouls Foreign Ministry said on Saturday.

The NATO-Indo Pacific Partners Conference in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Thursday and Friday, brought together senior officials from NATO member states and Asia-Pacific partners, including South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand, reports Yonhap News Agency.

During the meeting, Park Yong-min, deputy foreign minister for multilateral and global affairs, stressed the need to take a stern joint response against the Norths missiles and nuclear provocations, pointing out that it is a global issue threatening the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime.

Separately, Park also met Lithuanian Vice Foreign Minister Mantas Adomenas and pledged to continue providing support for the restoration of peace in Ukraine.
Some 12 million children in Eastern and Southern Africa missed out entirely or partially on routine immunisation from 2019 to 2021, the United Nations Childrens Fund, or Unicef, has disclosed.

Unicef, in its report entitled State of the Worlds Children 2023: For Every Child, Vaccination  Regional Brief: Eastern and Southern Africa issued late Thursday, said immunisation is one of humanitys most remarkable success stories. It has saved countless lives.

Figures from Unicef show that globally, an estimated 67 million children missed out entirely or partially on routine immunisation from 2019 to 2021. In Eastern and Southern Africa, this figure is 12 million children, Xinhua news agency reported.

As these children pass the age when vaccines are routinely given, it will require a dedicated effort to ensure that they catch up with their vaccinations, Unicef said.

Noting that immunisation allows children everywhere to live lives free of many forms of disability and illness, Unicef said immunisation has led to the eradication of smallpox, a disfiguring and often fatal disease that in the 20th century alone claimed an estimated 300 million lives.

There has been remarkable progress, too, towards eradicating polio. The power of immunisation was demonstrated again in the Covid-19 pandemic, the report said.

It said the backsliding in immunisation highlighted that the story of zero-dose and under-vaccinated children is overwhelmingly a story of inequities.

The children who are not vaccinated are also often the children of mothers who have not been able to go to school and who are given little say in family and spending decisions, Unicef said.

It said immunisation is key to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3, which aims to ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. It is also linked to 13 of the other SDGs.

In that sense, immunization is at the heart of our collective commitment to achieve a better and more sustainable future for us all, Unicef said.
Saint-Laurent, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Partly cloudy skies during the evening giving way to a few showers after midnight. Low 42F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies during the evening giving way to a few showers after midnight. Low 42F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.
Man with gun in custody after standoff near Mall of America

Police say a man with a shotgun was taken into custody after a standoff in a parking lot at the Mall of America
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LISBON (AP)  Portugal's president welcomed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva of Brazil on an official visit Saturday, as the Brazilian leader looks to strengthen ties with his country's natural partner in the European Union.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa received Lula and Brazilian first lady Rosangela da Silva in an official ceremony at the Jeronimos Monastery in Lisbon. Portugal is home to over 250,000 Brazilians, and some were on hand to cheer the visiting president.

During his first joint press conference with Sousa, Lula avoided feeding the controversy regarding his recent comments about Western military aid fueling Ukraine and Russias conflict.

My country took the decision long ago to condemn Russia for the occupation of the space and violating the territorial integrity of Ukraine, in the first days, and we have voted in the U.N. in this regard, he said.

The Brazilian leader reiterated his proposal that a group of nations including Brazil mediate a peaceful resolution to the war.

I never equaled both countries, because I know what an invasion is and what territorial integrity is. And all of us think Russia is wrong and we already condemned it in every UN decision", he stated. The trip is Lula's first to a European country since he defeated incumbent Jair Bolsonaro and won a third non-consecutive term in October. While in Portugal, the left-wing leader aims to secure about a dozen agreements on trade and migration. The relaunch of a Portugal-Brazil summit, which was last held in 2016 when Michel Temer was Brazil's president, was planned as the diplomatic highlight of the trip. The event will be the setting for the signing of 13 bilateral agreements, including a cooperation deal between the space agencies of Brazil and Portugal.

Before departing for Spain on Tuesday, Lulas itinerary includes a prize-giving ceremony on Monday to honor renowned Brazilian musician Chico Buarque and a visit to Brazilian airline manufacturer Embraer's factory near Lisbon.

___

Carla Bridi contributed from Brasilia and Raquel Redondo from Madrid.

___ The story has been corrected to show that Lula was not president during the 2016 Brazil-Portugal summit.
WASHINGTON (AP)  The roster of Republican presidential hopefuls who flocked to the National Rifle Association's annual convention reflects the political potency of gun rights, despite the group's eroding revenues and an opposition movement that's growing increasingly vocal as the drumbeat of mass shootings marches on.

Even amid internal turmoil and legal woes, the gun ownership culture and movement that the NRA helped build remains formidable. And the landmark Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment last summer has given new strength to gun-rights activists seeking to invalidate firearm restrictions across the country.

On the one hand, the gun-rights movement has never been stronger, said Adam Winkler, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles who wrote Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America." But one of the interesting things about this moment is the NRA, in some ways, has never faced more organizational incoherence and disarray.

This year's convention came just days after mass shootings at a school in Nashville, Tennessee and at a bank last week in Louisville, Kentucky, the latter of which marked the 15th mass killing of the year in the U.S. in which four or more people were killed other than the perpetrator, according to a mass killings database maintained by The Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University. That was the most during the first 100 days of a calendar year since 2009, when 16 incidents had occurred by April 10.

No one wants to see the violence you see in schools and stuff today, Randy Conner, a pistol and rifle instructor for the NRA from Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, told The Associated Press during the event. But I dont think taking the guns away from ordinary citizens is going to change any of that at all.

The Indianapolis gathering drew a slew of Republicans, including former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence, potential rivals for the GOP's 2024 presidential nomination. They vowed to defend the Second Amendment and dismissed the idea that gun restrictions are the answer to violence on the streets.

It also came as the NRA grapples with the fallout of infighting and lawsuits.

A judge last year ruled that the New York attorney generals lawsuit accusing some top NRA executives of financial improprieties can move forward, even though the judge rebuffed Attorney General Letitia James' bid to put the group out of business. The NRA filed for bankruptcy in 2021, but a judge dismissed that case, ruling it was not filed in good faith.

Five years ago, the NRA had a $36 million deficit because of lavish spending, followed by lawsuits from its own members as well as the attorneys general in New York and Washington, D.C.

In the years since, the group appears to have pulled itself out of a financial hole, but not because of an influx of cash, said Brian Mittendorf, an accounting professor at Ohio State University who has studied the groups finances. Revenue fell by 4% in 2020, and by 18% the following year, he found. The group cut back on spending on longstanding programs, including education and training, recreational shooting and law enforcement initiatives, Mittendorf said.

Their primary source of revenue has always been membership dues, but that base has also declined in recent years, and cuts to programs could make it harder to draw in new members, Mittendorf said.

Despite the fact that theyve reduced their footprint, theyre still not getting enough revenues to cover their costs. So it suggests something has to give for this organization, he said.

Still, a bigger piece of the NRA's influence has been its ability to mobilize people to oppose gun control by creating a social identity around gun ownership, said Matt Lacombe, a Case Western Reserve University political science professor and author of Firepower: How the NRA Turned Gun Owners into a Political Force. And people are motivated to oppose efforts that feel like a threat to part of their identity, he said.

The NRA was responsible for creating that identity, but it is now a thing that exists in the world somewhat independently of the National Rifle Association as an organization, he said. So if the NRA were to fold tomorrow or to go out of business, its not as though this constituency of people who own guns and who largely view politics through this lens of being a gun owner is going to go anywhere, at least overnight.

An NRA spokesperson said the organization is financially strong and as effective as ever in its mission to protect the Second Amendment, despite the effects of a pandemic, weak economy and other factors that have affected so many corporations and organizations.

The demise of the NRA is a desperate and false narrative - one weve heard every year for decades," spokesperson Andrew Arulanandam said in an emailed statement. "And yet, the strength of this organization was on full display this past week, as nearly 80,000 people gathered in Indianapolis to celebrate the Association and listen to almost every pro-Second Amendment presidential candidate.

Gun sales in the U.S. rose to unprecedented levels during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Florida just became the latest state to do away with requirements that people get a permit to carry a concealed weapon.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court's Bruen decision in June  in a case brought by an NRA-affiliate  has prompted gun rights activists to file a flurry of challenges to firearm restrictions across the country. Judges already have pointed to the ruling, which changed the test that lower courts long used to evaluate gun laws, to declare unconstitutional measures designed to keep weapons out of the hands of domestic abusers and defendants under felony indictment, among other laws.

Yet, the last decade also has seen a growing counterweight in the gun-control movement.

Kissing the NRAs ring may help GOP presidential hopefuls win a primary, but it will be the kiss of death in a general election where a clear majority of voters favor common-sense gun safety laws," John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in an emailed statement.

Congress passed its first major gun legislation in decades over the summer, stepping up FBI background checks for buyers under 21 and sending millions of new dollars to mental health services for children and schools.

The Biden administration has also tightened regulations on so-called ghost guns and stabilizing braces, an accessory used in at least two mass shootings. President Joe Biden has also signed executive orders expanding background checks on gun sales, and has called for reinstating a ban on so-called assault weapons," or certain semi-automatic rifles.

Still, the political prospects for that step look bleak at best. And NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre made clear during his Friday speech that the gun-rights group will mobilize supporters to fight such efforts.

Gun-hating politicians should never go to bed unafraid of what this association, and all of our millions of members, can do to their political careers, he said.

Richer reported from Boston. Associated Press data journalist Larry Fenn contributed to this report. Arleigh Rodgers also contributed. She is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
A BTech student of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, died by suicide on Friday. This is the fourth case of suicide on the campus since February.

Twenty-year-old Kedhar Suresh, hailing from Madhya Pradesh, was found dead in his room in Cauvery hostel of the institute. His friends had noticed that the room was locked from the inside for a long time and alerted the authorities. When they opened the door, Suresh was found dead.

A case has been registered an investigation is underway. Indian Express reported that the police found a suicide note from the room which said he is taking extreme step due to personal reasons.

We are deeply anguished to convey the untimely passing away of an undergraduate student from the Chemical Engineering Department in the afternoon of 21 April 2023 in his hostel room. The Institute has lost one of its own, and the professional community has lost a good student. The reason for the demise is unknown. Police are investigating. The parents have been informed," a statement from IIT Madras read, reports The News Minute.

"The Institute expresses its heartfelt condolence and shares the grief of the friends and family of the deceased student. The Institute requests everyone to respect the privacy of the student's family at this difficult juncture. IIT Madras is taking all possible measures to proactively identify and help students under stress. We will continue to keep strengthening these measures. May the departed soul rest in peace, it further said.
At least 12 people were detained on Friday for questioning in connection with the deadly ambush of five army soldiers in the dense forest area of Bata Doriya here even as a MI helicopter, drones and sniffer dogs were pressed into service in a massive manhunt for the perpetrators of last afternoon's attack.

Officials said that those detained were being questioned at various levels by the security forces to ascertain the identity of the terror group, which is believed to be active in the area for more than a year and probably comprises a snipper too.

A day after the attack, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh along with the Additional Director General Police Mukesh Singh were camping in neighbouring Rajouri district to oversee the investigation. The two officers also visited the site.

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team headed by a DIG-rank officer was also present as the agency is likely to take over the case.

Initial reports suggest the presence of around five terrorists and the army truck is believed to have been attacked from three different sides. After the ambush, the terrorists possibly used grenades as well as sticky bombs that set the vehicle ablaze.

Vehicular traffic was suspended on the national highway between Bhimber Gali and Jarran Wali Gali for the second consecutive day.

The officials said those who executed the attack are believed to have been present in Rajouri and Poonch for more than one year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain which is quite tough, they said.

The area is a hot bed of Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) as its 'commander' Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi, who is a resident of the area, they added. At present, three to four terrorist groups are active in the region of Rajouri and Poonch, the sources said.

Banned terror group People's Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a proxy wing of terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed, has claimed responsibility for the attack. There are reports suggesting that it was a handiwork of banned Lashker-e-Taiba group also.

The entire area of Tota-Gali-Bata Doriya, which has dense forests, has been cordoned off. Officials said drones and sniffer dogs are being used to trace the terrorists, adding the army also conducted a recce of the area with a MI-chopper.

The five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured on Thursday after their vehicle caught fire following the attack. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

Top army and police officials on Friday laid wreaths and paid homage to the soldiers -- Havildar Mandeep Singh of Chankoian village of Ludhiana (Punjab), Lance Naik Kulwant Singh of Charik village of Moga district (Punjab), Sepoy Harkrishan Singh of village Talwandi of Gurdaspur district (Punjab) and Sepoy Sewak Singh of Bagha village of Bathinda district (Punjab).

The mortal remains were sent to their native places, they said.

Officials said a high alert has been sounded in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch amid heightened vigil along the Line of Control.

Meanwhile, Jammu witnessed several protests by BJP, VHP, Rastriya Bajrang Dal, Shiv Sena, Dogra Front and Jammu Statehood organisation among others.

In a tweet, the Army said, "Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande and all ranks of Indian Army salute the supreme sacrifice of five Indian Army bravehearts, Hav Mandeep Singh, L/Nk Debashish Baswal, L/Nk Kulwant Singh, Sep Harkrishan Singh and Sep Sewak Singh who laid down their lives in the line of duty at Poonch Sector yesterday."

Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said he was anguished at the loss of lives of the brave soldiers. "Their rich service to the nation will never be forgotten. My thoughts are with the bereaved families," he said in a tweet.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) expelled Assam Youth Congress president Angkita Dutta from the party for six years citing anti-party activities on Saturday. The move comes days after Dutta raised harassment and sexism allegations against IYC national president Srinivas B.V.

"Hon'ble Congress President has expelled Dr Angkita Dutta, President Congress Assam Pradesh Youth Congress, from the primary membership of the party, for six years, for her anti-party activities, with immediate effect," read the statement released by the AICC.

Taking to twitter, Dutta had alleged that IYC president Srinivas B.V. has harassed her and was discriminating on the basis of her gender. "The leadership has played deaf ears despite bring front of them many times," Dutta tweeted.

She had said that despite her complaints, no enquiry committee has been initiated against Srinivas. Dutta claimed that she had informed the matter to Rahul Gandhi as well.

In a series of tweets, she also said that she had proof of his harassment of the last six months.

She filed a complaint at the Dispur police station on Wednesday allleging harassment and torture against Srinivas. He was also accused of threatening her with dire consequences if she kept on complaining against him to senior party leaders.

Assam Pradesh Congress Committee chief Bhupen Kumar Borah served a show-cause notice to Dutta on why she had gone public with her allegations without informing the party leadership.

Angkita Dutta had submitted her reply to the show-cause notice for raising allegations of harassment and gender discrimination against the Indian Youth Congress president in the public before informing the party leadership.

Her reply was forwarded to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Friday.

In connection with the complaint she filed, Dutta was called to the CID office here on Friday.

After she raised allegations againt Srinivas had issued a notice to Dutta demanding an apology for her statements against him.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has taken suo motu cognisance of Dutta's allegations and has written to the police to take necessary action.
Karnataka Congress chief D.K. Shivakumar has alleged that BJP's legal teams are trying to ensure that the nominations of Congress candidates are disqualified ahead of the high-stakes assembly polls on May 10. Shivakumar alleged that Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai himself calls up officials, and urged the Election Commission to check the CM's call register.



They tried to disqualify my application also. CM office itself is participating in malpractice to tell returning officials to accept their applicants' applications, Shivakumar told media.

The election commission began the scrutiny of nominations on Friday. According to reports, the nomination of Shivakumar, who had expressed apprehensions about the possibility of his papers getting rejected, has been accepted.

In a surprise move, hours before the deadline for filing nomination, Congress MP from Bangalore Rural D K Suresh on Thursday had filed nomination from Kanakapura segment, from where his elder brother Shivakumar is the party's candidate. Suresh has filed his papers, as a "backup plan" in the event of nomination of Shivakumar getting rejected.

The development coincided with the Karnataka High Court rejecting Shivakumar's plea challenging the government's granting permission to the CBI to prosecute him in a disproportionate assets case.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje has demanded action against Shivakumar for allegedly seeking bribe while issuing B-Forms to his party candidates ahead of filing nominations for election. Lashing out at BJP leaders on Saturday, Shivakumar denied the allegations.

He also added that many more BJP leaders will join the Congress. Vishwanath Patil, a three-time former MLA is also joining us. Chittapur is an important constituency. Arvind Chauhan is also joining us, he said. Patil and Chauhan, BJP youth wing leader, had resigned from the BJP after they were denied a ticket for the Karnataka polls.
Colorados jobless rate edged down by one-tenth of a percentage point to 2.8% in March, which continues an 11-month steak of rates below 3% that were common before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported Friday.

The latest seasonally adjusted unemployment rate brings Colorado closer to matching its record low of 2.4% that was set three times in 2017, Labor and Employment Department figures show.

The number of unemployed Coloradans dropped to 91,000 in March, down 1,700 from February, according to a survey of households that determines the unemployment rate.

The latest numbers exacerbated Colorados extremely tight labor market, which has been sustained for almost a year, said Ryan Gedney, the Labor and Employment Departments principal economist.

Youre basically at a point where anyone who wants a job can find a job, Gedney said during a conference call.

And workers are.

The number of Coloradans employed rose by 11,900 in March, as did the rate of state residents participating in the workforce, which ticked up to 68.5% from 68.3% in February.

The U.S. labor force participation rate was 62.6% in March, up one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month.

You can see that the states rate is a lot higher than the U.S. Gedney said of workforce participation. I havent looked at the rankings just yet. But for February, both metrics ranked top four nationally, so I dont think that will change  if anything (it) will probably improve.

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Colorados low unemployment trend mirrors that of the U.S. and tied Iowa and Minnesota for the nations 15th lowest jobless rate in March.

But Colorados survey of businesses, known as the establishment survey, showed a somewhat different picture and a weaker labor market.

The state lost 6,200 private sector payroll jobs from February to March, according to the establishment survey.

I think Im probably leaning more towards the household survey being a more accurate reflection of what the states labor market economy looks like, Gedney said. It follows more with what we see with the U.S.

Job losses of that magnitude havent been seen since December 2020, when a wave of COVID-19 business restrictions were put in place and followed shutdowns earlier that year, Gedney said.

Some explanations for the job losses shown in the establishment survey might have to do with its timing; it took place later in the month than usual, Gedney said. Another reason might be because employers are changing their hiring habits, he said.

It is odd to see that large of a loss, Gedney said, later adding, its something were looking into, its possible this could be a blip.
Fresh violence erupted at Kaliaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district of West Bengal on Saturday over the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl even as the prime accused has been arrested in the case. Police fired tear gas shells to bring the situation under control and have deployed more forces in the area.

Several shops and e-rickshaws were set on fire by the mob, which demanded the arrest of all those behind the incident. Roads were also blocked and stones were hurled at the police, they said.

Police arrested the 20-year-old man on Saturday and identified him as the prime accused in the case. A case has been filed under IPC section 302 (murder) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

The 17-year-old girl, a resident of Gangua village of the district, went missing on Thursday evening after she went for her tuition classes and could not be traced the entire night, despite extensive searches by her family members and local people. Her body was recovered from a canal on Friday morning.

Media reports claimed that the police dragged the body of the girl while sending it for postmortem, triggering a massive outrage. The National Commission for Women has asked the West Bengal DGP to ensure a fair and time-bound investigation in the case and also to take stringent action against the erring police officers who allegedly dragged the body.

Meanwhile, a political blame game has also erupted with the opposition BJP targeting the state government and demanding a CBI probe into the incident.

Police have changed the case, they are not listening to the villagers. They termed the case as a suicide. But several pieces of evidence were received that prove a rape was committed. We want a CBI investigation in this case and we also demand justice for the victim, BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said.

On Friday, Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari alleged "lawlessness" in the state and held the state police "responsible" for the crime.

Posting a video of locals guarding a body covered by a white sheet, the senior BJP leader also alleged that the police were busy in making security arrangements for the proposed trip of Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to the district next month.

State Minister for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, Dr Shashi Panja hit out at the BJP leadership, accusing them trying to instigate the people by misleading them.

"The BJP is trying to play dirty politics. That the Leader of Opposition (LoP) has divulged the identity of the victim girl through his tweets is itself a crime. How can he do that? They are playing dead body politics (sic)," Panja said.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who vacated his official bungalow on Saturday following his disqualification as a member of parliament, said he had paid the price for speaking the truth. The former Wayanad MP said he would continue to raise issues of price rise and corruption with double the force.

"I have paid the price for speaking the truth, I am ready to pay any price," Rahul said.

The Gandhi scion had been directed by the Lok Sabha secretariat to vacate his official 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow by April 22 after he was disqualified as MP following his conviction by a Gujarat court in a defamation case last month. On Saturday, two days after the Surat session court rejected his review petition, Rahul vacated the housewhere he stayed for almost two decades and moved to his mother and former party chief Sonia Gandhi's residence.

Rahul handed over the keys of the bungalow to officials of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). Both Sonia Gandhi and his sister and party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra had arrived at the Tughlaq Lane bungalow in the morning.

"I have no problem even if it has been snatched away from me. This house was given to me by the people of India. I will stay with the former Congress president (Sonia Gandhi) at 10, Janpath for some time and then find some other way, Rahul said.

Priyanka Gandhi said his brother was very courageous and "not scared of anyone and he will continue his struggle". All this is happening because he spoke the truth about this government, she said.

Meanwhile, the Congress has launched a "MeraGharAapkaGhar" campaign on social media with several party leaders offering their homes to Rahul.

"Rahul's relation with the public is unbreakable. Some see in him their son, some brother, some their leader.... Rahul belongs to everyone and everyone belongs to Rahul. This is the reason why today the country is saying- Rahul ji, my house-your house," the party said in a tweet.

Rahul was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in a defamation case over his Modi surname remarks made in Kolar in Karnataka in 2019. With the sessions court rejecting his review petition, the Congress leader will now move the Gujarat High Court.
The highly penetrative and ricocheting steel core bullets used by terrorists in Thursdays attack on Rashtriya Rifles soldiers travelling in a solitary army vehicle in Kashmirs Poonch could also be of US origin.

As opposed to the regular lead bullet, the standard bullet used by NATO forcesincluding the US-led forces in Afghanistan is the SS 109 (5.56 mm X 45), where SS stands for stainless steel and 109 being the NATO nomenclature.

A highly-placed source in the security establishment told THE WEEK: With investigations at a preliminary stage, we are not ruling out anything. It will be investigated whether the bullets could also be from the stock the US left behind in Afghanistan.

The attack took place at about 3pm on Thursday (April 20) near Bhatta Durian on the Bhimber Gali-Surankote highway, just about 8-9km aerial distance away from the Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan.

The meticulously-planned attack took the soldiers by surprise and local villagers were the first to reach the incident site.

Interestingly, the latest report by US SIGAR (Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction), released on February 28, says: Taliban could sell a portion of the captured arms and equipment to augment its revenue flow. Alternatively, the Taliban may not have control over the entire ANDSF arsenal, which could mean that equipment could be acquired by smugglers or gun dealers and sold on the open market.

Al Qaeda, the Islamic State Khorasan Province, as well as Pakistani and central Asian militant groups that operate in Afghanistan and the region could seek to acquire these weapons.

According to the New York Times, US-made equipment, including US-made pistols, rifles, grenades, binoculars, and night-vision goggles, has found its way into the hands of Afghan gun dealers.

An industry expert told THE WEEK: Use of steel core bullets has a lot of implications on the armour protection aspect of our soldiers and security forces. With such bullets being used, the level of bullet proof (BP) jackets has to be enhanced to Level 4. At present, they are using Level 3 which is meant for protection against lead bullets.

Most modern armies across the world use Level 4 BP jackets which although much heavier, would save lives.

Level 3 is mainly used by law and order enforcement agencies where the chances of encountering steel core ammunition are less.

Besides the bullets, what would be of interest to the forensics team of the security establishment investigating the incident would be the bullet casings left behind at the site of the encounter which would reveal a lot about the origin, the expert added.

Steel core bullets have been used by terrorists in Kashmir only in the recent past, and they were mostly of Chinese origin.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP last month following his conviction over 'Modi surname' remarks, vacated his official bungalow at 12, Tughlaq Lane, Delhi on Saturday.

Since it was public holiday, Eid al-Fitr, Gandhi was not able to hand over the keys of the bungalow to the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

Several Congress leaders extended support to the former party president with a hashtag 'MeraGharAapkaGhar' on social media.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that Gandhi vacating the bungalow was an "exemplary gesture".

"Today @RahulGandhi vacates his home at TughlaqLane in response to the LokSabha Secretariats order. The Court gave him 30 days to appeal & the HC or SC could still reinstate him, but his exemplary gesture to move out shows his respect for the rules," Tharoor tweeted.

Rahul Gandhi was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court over 'Modi surname' remarks.

On April 14, Gandhi had shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi's residence.

He has been living in the bungalow for nearly two decades.

Recently, the sessions court in Surat rejected Rahul's appeal to set aside the conviction. The magisterial court order convicting Gandhi of defamation and two-year sentence led his disqualification as MP.

The party had said that the session court order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court next week.

A day after his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had sent Gandhi a notice to vacate the premises by April 22.

After contesting from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, Gandhi shifted his constituency to Wayanad in 2019.
Former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik, who has been called by the CBI over an alleged insurance 'scam', and some Khap leaders held a protest at a police station in Delhi on Saturday after not being allowed to hold a meeting at a south Delhi park as they lacked requisite permission, according to officials, who rejected reports that he was detained.

Questioning the police action, Malik said he and his supporters had gone to the R K Puram Police Station to protest as he was stopped from giving food to Khap leaders at the park. According to police, they all left the police station around 2.30 pm.

Senior Haryana-based farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni said the meeting was called by Malik and a group of khap leaders, but nobody was scheduled to speak at the venue. "Where is violation of rules in this?" he asked.

The meeting was scheduled to be held at the MCD park in R K Puram and Malik was supposed to take part, a police officer said.

He said the former Jammu and Kashmir governor was informed this was not a place to hold a meeting and also that he has not taken a permission from the authorities concerned.

After that he and his supporters left the place and arrived at the R K Puram police station, the officer added.

The Delhi Police issued a statement, saying he had gone to the police station "of his own volition", refuting reports that Malik had been detained.

"We have not detained former governor Satya Pal Malik. He came on his own volition, along with his supporters, to the R K Puram police station and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will," Deputy Commissioner of Police (Southwest) Manoj C said in a statement.

Speaking to the mediapersons before going to the police station, Malik said he wanted to give food to the Khap leaders who were at the park.

"I don't have much space in my house, so I decided to give them food here (at the park). They (police) have orders from somewhere not to allow the gathering and let me give them the food. I told them 'arrest me and I am coming with you'."

When asked what the police told him, he said, "(they said) will not allow."

"Why should we go to an alternative place? We will go to the police station and offer a satyagrah there...I am going to R K Puram police station and I will protest there," he said.

Farmer leader Gurnam Singh Chaduni told PTI, "I fail to understand why we were not allowed by police to hold the meeting as there was no scheduled speech of any farmer leaders there. Malik ji wanted to serve food to farmer leaders at the park. Where is violation of rules in this."

Asked whether the said meeting was scheduled in wake of the CBI asking Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir, Chaduni said, "It (meeting) was already scheduled to be held on Saturday."

Earlier in the day, the Delhi Police took to Twitter to say that reports about Malik's detention was false.

"False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at P.S. R K Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will," it said in a tweet.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir.

This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency. Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya.

The CBI move comes barely a week after Malik gave an interview to "The Wire", in which he made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.
Eleven people have been detained for questioning by police for the well-planned militant attack at Bhatta Durian, Mendher in Poonch in which five soldiers lost their lives on Thursday.

The soldiers, who belonged to the armys Rashtriya Rifles unit involved in counterinsurgency, lost their lives after militants ambushed the truck they were travelling in. The militants sprayed the truck with a volley of bullets and lobbed grenades that resulted in the bursting of the fuel tank of the vehicle sparking a blaze that engulfed the truck.

It is the second attack on the army after the October 2021 attack in which nine soldiers including two junior commissioned officers were killed. The militants remained untraced after they escaped into the nearby forests.

After Thursdays attack, senior police and army officials visited the spot. A massive search operation was launched in the area to trace the perpetrators. The security forces also deployed drones, helicopters and sniffer dogs to track down the perpetrators. On Friday, teams of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), State Investigation Agency (SIA), Intelligence Bureau (IB) and top police officials including DGP Dilbag Singh and Additional DGP Mukesh Singh visited the spot for investigations and reviewed the situation with top Army officials.

After the initial investigation, it emerged that militants used steel core bullets for maximum impact. Such bullets were also used by militants in the Upper Dhangri attack in which seven civilians, including minors, were killed. The steel core bullets were first used by militants in a 'fidayeen' attack during a December 31, 2017, 'fidayeen' attack on a CRPF camp at Lethpora, Pampore in Pulwama in which four CRPF men were killed.

The security forces also believe that the attack was carried out by a group of three to four well-trained militants. Though the responsibility for the attack has been taken by a lesser-known Peoples Anti-Fascist Front, security forces believe the attack is the handiwork of Lashkar-e-Toiba(LeT) or Jaish-e-Muhammad(JeM).

The security forces are also looking at the possibility of whether the militants used magnetic or sticky bombs in the attack.

The security forces believe that the attackers were present in the area for some time and have good knowledge of the area. There are three to four militant groups, including the Ghaznavi Force, in the area. The NIA will likely take over the investigations into the attack to find out who carried out the deadly strike.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar co-chaired the 4th India-CARICOM ministerial meeting with his Jamaican counterpart Kaminaj Smith here in Guyana's capital and discussed a range of issues, including trade, climate change and counterterrorism.



Jaishankar also had separate bilateral meetings on Friday with counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Grenada, and Barbados.



During the bilateral meetings, the minister touched upon various issues including expanding cooperation, trade, climate change, digital transformation, health domains, agriculture, and the International Solar Alliance (ISA).



"Good to meet Dr Amery Browne, Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Spoke about taking forward our development partnership focusing on digital transformation and health domains. Will continue our cooperation at multilateral forums," the minister tweeted.



"So nice to meet Foreign Minister Dr Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis on the sidelines of the India-CARICOM meeting. Noted our resonance in agriculture and digital domains. Conveyed that India will always voice the concerns of the Global South," Jaishankar said in a string of tweets.



"Glad to meet FM of St. Vincent and Grenadines Keisal Peters today (Friday). Appreciated SVG's interest in Millets. Also discussed our ongoing projects and further expanding of cooperation," he added in a separate tweet.



"Happy to meet FM Joseph Andall of Grenada. Discussed advancing our development partnership. Also reaffirmed our belief in Reformed Multilateralism," another tweet said.



"Glad to meet with Barbados Foreign Minister Kerrie Symmonds. Exchanged views on working together in domains of renewable energy, health and skills."



The minister also had a bilateral meeting with the co-chair of the India-CARICOM meeting Kaminaj Smith and "discussed taking forward cooperation in training and development partnership", he tweeted.



"Agreed on the importance of business-to-business exchanges for stronger ties," he added.



The minister also met Bahamas Parliamentary Secretary Jamahl Strachen, an Indian alumnus, and discussed International Solar Alliance (ISA), Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI), as well as the UNSC reforms, he tweeted.



Jaishankar began his nine-day trip to Guyana, Panama, Colombia and the Dominican Republic on Friday by meeting his counterpart from Surinam Albert Ramdin here.



"Co-chaired 4th India-CARICOM Ministerial Meeting with Jamaican FM @kaminajsmith at @CARICOMorg HQ. Thank FM Guyana Hugh Todd for inviting us all," he tweeted.



He said he appreciated the perspectives of his counterparts from the Caribbean nations of Surinam, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Grenada, and representatives from Belize and Bahamas.



"Discussed our wide-ranging sectoral cooperation, including in Trade & Economy; Agriculture & Food Security; Health & Pharma; Energy & Renewables; Infrastructure, ICT & eGovernance; Development Partnership & Capacity Building; Higher Education; Culture and P2P domains," he tweeted.



"Also exchanged views on vital issues of Climate Change & Disaster Resilience; Counter Terrorism; Reformed Multilateralism and closer cooperation at multilateral forums. Agreed on follow-up steps, including holding the second Joint Commission Meeting this year," Jaishankar said.



Earlier on Friday, Jaishankar also met Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Dr Carla Natalie Barnett and exchanged views on intensifying India-CARICOM ties in traditional as well as new areas of cooperation.



CARICOM is an intergovernmental organisation that is a political and economic union of 15 member states (14 nation-states and one dependency) throughout the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean.
Japan's defence minister on Saturday ordered self-defence forces to activate missile interceptors and prepare to shoot down debris of a North Korean spy satellite that fall on Japan's territory, expected to be launched using ballistic missile technology.

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un said earlier this week that its first military spy satellite will be launched at an unspecified date.

North Korea has test-fired about 100 missiles since early last year, saying it was responding to joint US-South Korean military drills that it calls an invasion rehearsal. Several of the missiles flew over Japan or landed off the northern Japanese coast. NHK news reported in 2012 and 2016, North Korea launched ballistic missiles which it said were satellites. The missiles apparently flew over areas near the Sakishima Islands in the Southern Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, the publication reported.

Last week, North Korea test-launched a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile for the first time.

Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Saturday instructed troops to ready PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles in southwestern Japan, including Okinawa and nearby islands, in an area believed to be under a flight path of a North Korean rocket that will carry the satellite.

He also ordered the deployment of destroyers equipped with SM-3 ship-to-air missiles to coastal waters, according to a ministry statement. We are making the necessary preparation because of a possibility of issuing an order to destroy ballistic missiles and other objects, the ministry said.

An order to fire missiles has to be approved by the prime minister. North Korea is expected to carry out more weapons tests as the United States and South Korea continue their joint air exercise into next week.

The defence minister also ordered ground forces to take necessary measures to minimize damage from falling objects that could land in Okinawa, NHK reported.

(With PTI inputs.)
As the clashes in Sudan intensifies, countries are planning for safe evacuation of its citizens. Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley discussed the safety of the US citizens with Sudan's army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, as it considers the possible evacuation of its embassy.

"The two leaders discussed the safety of Americans and the developing situation in Sudan," Milley's office said in a statement on Friday.

Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin also said that the US military is preparing evacuation options of the US Embassy in Sudan, reported Al Jazeera.

Responding to the call for ceasefire, Sudan's paramilitary group Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has announced that it will shortly begin a ceasefire. In a statement released, RSF said that it would observe a 72-hour ceasefire, which would come into effect on Friday, which marks Eid al-Fitr.

However, reportedly some places witnessed an ease in the fighting. Witness accounts to the media reveal that the truce is not implemented with consistency.

Also, with the Khartoum airport caught in the power struggle, nations including Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain and the US have been unable to evacuate the embassy staff and citizens.

India is also planning to begin the evacuation process. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had chaired a high-level meeting on Friday and assessed the situation in Sudan. According to reports, over 3,000 Indians are located across the country.

Modi instructed all officials to be vigilant and closely monitor the developments. He also directed the preparation of contingency evacuation plans, accounting for the rapidly shifting security landscape and the viability of various options.

Over 400 people were killed and 3,500 were injured in the clashes that broke out between the Army's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the RSF led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had appealed for a ceasefire to allow the citizens to reach to safety on Eid al-Fitr. After meeting with the heads of the African Union, the Arab League and the other organisations on Thursday, Guterres said that "There was a strong consensus on condemning ongoing fighting in Sudan and calling for the cessation of hostilities as an immediate priority."
If my friends were not acting right? It was slow ghost. You know, the slow ghost, where you do not cut them off right away, but you just become less available. Michelle Obama former US first lady

I think it is because of the calmness of my father along with the grit of my mother. I have always believed that niceness should not be taken as weakness. If I am nice, polite and humble, it does not mean that I am not confident. I am just displaying my upbringing. Sachin Tendulkar former cricketer, on his behaviour

Life may not be a bed of roses. Roses have thorns, after all. But if you can make your bed with care and dedication, and a little love, you may find that it is a good bed and good lifeoften the best years of your life. Ruskin Bond author

If Hindi cinema can stop calling themselves Bollywood, then people will stop identifying Indian cinema as Bollywood. I am not a fan of the woods. Like Bollywood, Kollywood. We need to see it as Indian cinema on the whole. Mani Ratnam filmmaker
Is the United States like the Byzantine Empire? Is our nation about to lose its position as the most powerful and influential country in the world, just as the Byzantine Empire did in 1453 when Constantinople (now Istanbul) was conquered by the Turkish army?

Victor Davis Hanson, a historian who contributes occasional opinion columns to The Gazette, made that argument in these pages a while ago. He argued that, because of thousands of immigrants coming over the U.S. southern border, homelessness and drug addiction ruining our downtowns, and China growing in military power, the United States will soon no longer be the leader of the present world civilization.

Hanson implied this U.S.-led civilization, growing steadily in power and influence since the end of World War II, will fall  and that will result in worldwide chaos and disorder.

Heres a second opinion. We are calling in Arnold J. Toynbee, the British historian of the mid-20th century, who predicted that the United States was building a world civilization that would eliminate major competition and would remain in power for 300 to 400 years.

Toynbee argued that our world civilization began with the Renaissance in Western Europe. At the beginning, there were many nations and many centers of power. As military techniques improved, Toynbee contended, a few of the more populous and wealthy nations competed with each other to be the world civilization leader.

At the end of World War II, the United States and the Soviet Union were the last two powerful contenders for world leadership. With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States in the 1990s emerged as what was called the world's last great superpower.

Toynbee shared Hanson's concerns about the fall of civilizations. Toynbees life work was the study of more than 20 civilizations that emerged and created a period (in their region of the world) of order, discipline, well-being, and relative peace. But every one of these previous civilizations, after a few hundred years or so in power, eventually was overthrown by outside powers or inside revolutionaries, or both.

And in every case, the fall of the world civilization resulted in a return to international discord, to increased warfare, and a general decline in personal well-being. A typical example was the disruptive Middle Ages that followed the fall of the Roman Empire.

But our world civilization is different from all the others in several important ways, Toynbee noted. First has been the development of British and United States-style democracy, often guaranteed by written constitutions, in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Previous world civilizations were either monarchies or dictatorships. The average citizen had no say and virtually no stake in the governing of the civilization. Our world civilization, with its emphasis on democratic forms of government and the resulting enhancement of the position and power of the individual, is unique in human history.

It is also important to note the emphasis on independent, self-governing nations in our world civilization. The ideas of the American Revolution, that peoples should be allowed to govern themselves rather than being controlled by a foreign power, are found throughout the civilization.

The United States has not built an empire and sent out governors from Washington, D.C., to rule over it. We have built, instead, a world civilization of independent nations and have sought to bring order through treaties and trade agreements rather than dictates from a world power center.

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Instead of an empire, the United States has built a confederacy of independent nations joined together through voluntary mutual agreements, the two most important being the charter of the United Nations and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization).

Toynbee also was impressed with the material affluence of our emerging world civilization. He called it industrialization, the modern ability of people to use machines to produce great quantities of consumer goods that are widely distributed throughout the population.

The result has been to begin the formation of a worldwide middle class. Middle class is defined as having nice homes to live in, good schools for children to go to, thriving economies that create widespread employment, and available medical care.

A recent study made the point that about half the world's population now has enough in the way of material goods that we can portray them as middle class. No previous civilization has come anywhere near being able to do this, and we can expect more people on planet Earth over the next few years to gain this middle-class status.

Toynbee argued that more people today should appreciate that they live in a thriving world civilization. There have been no major, global wars since the end of World War II. Trade agreements enable average persons to have a choice of goods to buy that were manufactured in many different nations. Jet airplanes and bank credit cards enable much of the world to safely travel to other nations and pay for goods and services consumed.

According to Toynbee, only about 1 in 6 humans who have ever lived have had the privilege of living in a world civilization rather than in a period of discord and suffering such as the Middle Ages.

Hanson predicts the fall of the world civilization built by the United States could be imminent. Toynbees view differs. He sees our civilization as unique, with democracy, constitutionalism, national independence, and material benefits not found in any previous world empire.

Hanson points to problematic issues that call out for remedy; yet we are more in agreement with a recent Economist magazine feature story, Riding High (April 15, 2023), that celebrates America's impressive economic record. The United States today accounts for 58% of the G7's GDP, compared with 40% in 1990. The five biggest corporate sources of research and development are American. Laptop computers, iPhones and AI developments mostly occurred here.

America is notable as the most desirable country for international students and intellectual immigrants.

China is plainly a major economic rival; yet it is likely China will, in the future as in the past, be an economic partner more than a competing rival civilization.

There is still too much poverty and intolerance here; yet the aspirations of the American Experiment are strongly embraced. American prosperity is riding high  despite Hansen's gloomy outlook.
New Delhi, Apr 21 (PTI) The government on Friday launched the fifth round of the regional air connectivity scheme to further enhance the connectivity to remote and regional areas.

Under UDAN 5.0, viability gap funding (VGF) will be capped at 600 kilometres stage length for both priority and non-priority areas, which was earlier capped at 500 km.

Besides, no pre-determined routes would be offered. Only network and individual route proposals by airlines will be considered, the civil aviation ministry said in a release.

Under the fifth round of Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) or Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS), the focus will be on Category-2 (20-80 seats) and Category-3 (more than 80 seats).

The release said the earlier stage length cap of 600 kilometres is waived and there is no restriction on the distance between the origin and destination of the flight.

Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said this new and stronger version of the scheme will raise the momentum, connecting new routes and bring us closer to the target of operationalising 1,000 routes and 50 additional airports, heliports and water aerodromes in the near future.

According to the release, under UDAN 5.0, airlines would be required to submit an action/business plan after two months from the issuance of LoA (Letter of Acceptance), wherein they submit details about their aircraft acquisition plan/availability of aircraft, crew and slots at the time of the technical proposal.

The same route will not be awarded to a single airline more than once, whether in different networks or in the same network, it added.

Further, exclusivity will be withdrawn if the average quarterly PLF (Passenger Load Factor) is higher than 75 per cent for four continuous quarters to prevent exploitation of the monopoly on a route.

Airlines would be required to commence operations within four months of the award of the route. Earlier, this deadline was six months.

The ministry said that 25 per cent of the performance guarantee amount will be encashed for each month of delay up to four months to further incentivise quick operationalisation of routes.

UDAN 5.0 is here with "game-changing features to fly into the future", the ministry said in a series of tweets.

The scheme was launched in 2017.
London, Apr 21 (PTI) A cross-party Parliament committee in charge of scrutinising the UK governments trade affairs on Friday strongly criticised the lack of information provided around Britain's ongoing negotiations with India for a free trade agreement (FTA).

The House of Commons International Trade Committee, which is set to be dissolved next week to make way for a new Business and Trade Committee in keeping with the creation of the new merged department by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, said in many cases it gleaned more detail on the talks from reports in the Indian media  often citing unnamed Indian government officials.

India and the UK are negotiating an FTA to enhance the bilateral trading relationship worth 34 billion pounds in 2022, with the eighth round of negotiations concluding in New Delhi at the end of last month and the next round expected in the coming weeks.

Parliament must be kept more fully informed about the negotiations. It cannot be right that we have obtained more details from the Indian media than we have from the UK government, said Scottish National Party MP Angus Brendan MacNeil, Chair of the International Trade Committee.

A trade deal with India is an opportunity to enhance our trading relationship with the fifth-largest economy in the world. But this agreement must not come at any cost.

"As our report highlights, there are important issues at stake, including potential impacts on NHS drug costs, human and labour rights, gender equality and pesticide standards, he said.

In its report entitled UK trade negotiations: Agreement with India, the committee welcomed the Sunak-led governments decision to not set any new deadline for the deal after former prime minister Boris Johnsons widely trailed deadline to get a deal with India done by Diwali" last year.

We welcome the fact that the government is no longer putting arbitrary deadlines on trade negotiations. While the Diwali date was unrealistic, it is positive that government has adopted an approach that evaluates the benefit of the trade deal before finalising any agreement, the report notes.

One issue highlighted in the report is the need to reconcile the UK governments wish to see Indias patent laws tightened to benefit UK drug companies with the need to maintain the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) access to cheap generic drugs produced in India.

The Committee also notes possible implications from the deal for standards and checks regarding the quality and safety of goods, including food products and medicines.

Its report suggests the possibility of attaching to any trade liberalisation in the deal the condition that India implement UN and International Labour Organisation human rights conventions, and showing that goods meet environmental sustainability and animal welfare requirements.

The Committee said that its analysis of the UK-India talks is being placed on the record by the member MPs for both the government and the successor Business and Trade Committee to pick up and implement.
Moga, Apr 21 (PTI) To provide sand and gravel at affordable prices to people, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday dedicated 20 more public mines to people in five districts of the state.

Speaking at Sanghera village in Moga, he said under the third phase of public mining sites, 20 new sites, including in Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Moga, Hoshiarpur and SBS Nagar districts, have been made operational on Friday, increasing the total number of operational sites to 55 across the state.

Mann said the government will soon operationalise a total of 150 public mines across Punjab, ensuring they will get sand at Rs 5.50 per cubic feet.

The state government has eradicated the sand mafia which prevailed during the previous regimes to ensure that people get sand at cheaper rate, a statement said.

The state government will permit manual excavation of sand in these public mining sites and will prohibit mechanical excavation. "Till now, 5.82 lakh metric tonne of sand has been used by people from 35 public mines," he said, according to an official statement.

Apart from providing sand at cheaper rate, these public mines will also offer direct and indirect employment to several youths.

According to the chief minister, sand from public mining sites will only be sold for use in construction of non-commercial projects.

The chief minister said that the sale will be conducted till sunset only and a government official will always be present to regulate the extraction of sand at each public mining site.

Further, he said that crackdown has been launched against the sand mafia, which was allegedly patronised by the previous regimes.

"Previous governments were hand in glove with every mafia that plundered the state during their tyrant and long misrule," he said, adding that "not even a single tainted person will be allowed to mint the money illegally from any source under our government".

Stern action will be taken against anyone who is found indulging in corrupt practices, Mann added.
Kolkata, Apr 22 (PTI) India has enough domestic resources to fund its growth without relying on foreign capital, but it needs to allocate savings more prudently rather than unproductive assets like gold, a market expert said.

Kotak Mahindra AMC managing director Nilesh Shah advocated greater public-private partnerships for state-owned firms to unlock wealth that will fuel India's growth.

Do we have money to fund our growth? The answer is yes. The day we can allocate our savings more properly we can obviate foreign capital, though we would require foreign technology, Shah said at an interactive session at the MCCI Capital Market Conclave.

He cited net gold imports worth USD 373 billion in the last 21 years while explaining the unproductive use of domestic capital.

Shah also supported "public-private partnerships for state-owned firms to unlock value" and cited the example of Hindustan Zinc, where productivity jumped 17 times and over Rs 10,000 crore was contributed to the government exchequer since the management control was handed over to the private sector.

We didn't privatise Air India when it was a monopoly. Now, when it had to be divested, the government had to absorb a loss of Rs 70,000 crore, Shah said.

On free trade agreements, he said India should leverage more on its digital infrastructure, services and labour, which the country has in surplus.

Another noted capital market expert Saurabh Mukherjea, founder and chief investment officer of Marcellus Investment Managers, said that some powerful silent changes that had happened in the last few years were game changers for long-term growth for India.

These are physical infrastructure, taxation and banking reforms and strengthening digital infrastructure.

He pointed out that 80 per cent of the corporate profit is driven by just 20 companies in India and this trend will continue.

Shah also called for a conducive regulatory environment to enable growth.
New Delhi (India), April 22: Ekam Yoga Online, a community of expert yoga trainers, has been helping people worldwide achieve their fitness goals during the pandemic. With over 200+ community of yoga trainers, Ekam Yoga offers more than 26+ groups and personalized sessions tailored to meet the unique needs and goals of individuals of all ages and body types. From facial yoga to evening yoga, yoga for weight loss, and maintaining hormonal balance for women, Ekam Yoga provides almost every type of yoga, including Hatha, Ashtanga-Vinyasa flow, Pranayama expert, and asanas in yoga, all designed for different ailments.







Founder Er Samprati Singhvi is a serial entrepreneur whose passion is to bring yoga trainers and yoga practitioners on the same platform. The concept behind Ekam Yoga is to employ expert yoga trainers from small cities where the scope of the yoga studio is not sustainable. In a batch, approximately 70-100 yoga practitioners are there, and all sessions are headed by expert and internationally accredited yoga trainers.



Ekam Yoga became a ray of hope for individuals who were looking to enhance their mental and physical well-being during the pandemic without having to step out of their homes. As a yoga academy, it is their social responsibility to care for the fitness of every human, which inspired them to work on the online concept. Cost affordability, quality of sessions, expert trainers, result-oriented sessions, the flexibility of location and device, offering for all age groups kids, youth, working professionals, elderly couples, and many more reasons have made Ekam Yoga a popular choice for fitness enthusiasts worldwide.



The courses offered by Ekam Yoga are categorized in a way that caters to the unique needs of each individual. The competent instructors on the platform have imparted knowledge to numerous people, motivating them to pursue a career as certified yoga professional. The cost of joining Ekam Yoga is affordable, with subscriptions starting at just 99/- per month, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.



The vision of Ekam Yoga is to make yoga accessible and affordable to anyone, anywhere, at any time, and to create a supportive community of individuals committed to improving their physical and mental well-being. The mission is to make every human do yoga and to create a disease-free world and natural healing of any ailments. Building a stronger sense of community is also one of Ekam Yoga's goals. The community is designed to foster connection, support, and growth and to provide students with resources and tools that they can use to deepen their practice.



To achieve its goals, Ekam Yoga will focus on building a stronger sense of community among its students by offering more opportunities for interaction and collaboration. This could include virtual workshops, group challenges, and online discussion forums, aiming to provide holistic well-being to humans across the globe. Ekam Yoga will expand its wings across all continents, offering sessions almost the whole day. Ekam Yoga is working for anytime anywhere Yoga and the target is to cover all time zones of the globe.



Ekam Yoga does not offer any free trial sessions, as the founders believe that without an investment of money, one cannot be serious about the result. However, the subscription charges are kept to a minimum, starting at just 99/- per month, making it affordable for everyone. When compared to other yoga studios that charge a minimum of 500/- per month, Ekam Yoga's cost is much more reasonable. Additionally, visiting a studio incurs logistics expenses for one day, which can add up.



Ekam Yoga Online has become a popular choice for fitness enthusiasts worldwide. Tailored to fit the specific requirements and objectives of people of diverse ages and body types, the group of proficient yoga trainers provides customized sessions. The cost is affordable, with subscriptions starting at just 99/- per month, making it accessible to anyone, anywhere, at any time.



Before onboarding any yoga trainer to take session they need to pass examination and then training on how to take group session. Instruction while taking session are in so fractional way that one feel that trainer is physically appeared in front of user and correcting their asanas.



https://ekamyoga.com/yoga-starts-99



https://www.instagram.com/ekamyoga_online/



(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
Rajkot, Apr 22 (PTI) Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday said he condemns people who spread negativity and try to hinder the progress of the nation, alluding to critical remarks made by former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik about the BJP-led central government.

Goyal asserted that they are positive-thinking people.

"Unfortunately, some people always think negatively and all the time try to stall the country's progress by misleading people. I completely condemn such people," he told reporters here.

He was replying to a question about Malik in a media interview making critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency.

Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya.

The CBI move comes barely a week after Malik gave an interview to "The Wire", in which he made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.

Malik and some Khap leaders held a protest at a police station in New Delhi on Saturday after not being allowed to hold a meeting at a south Delhi park as they lacked requisite permission, according to officials, who rejected reports that he was detained.
Islamabad, Apr 22 (PTI) Cash-starved Pakistan is likely to ink a deal for additional deposits of USD 2 billion from Saudi Arabia after Eid, authorities said on Saturday, a move that will help the country secure the much-required bailout from the IMF.

In March, Pakistan sought Saudi Arabia's confirmation for funds to ink an IMF deal. Earlier this month Pakistan got Riyadh's nod for additional funding.

The assistance from Saudi Arabia comes at a crucial time as the IMF programme, signed in 2019, will expire on June 30, 2023, and under the set guidelines, the programme cannot be extended beyond the deadline.

The Washington-based crisis lender has imposed the condition on Pakistan that it should secure USD 3 billion from other countries for the revival of its USD 7 billion bailout package.

A top government official told The News International that the State Bank of Pakistan would sign a deal with the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD) soon after Eid for an additional USD 2 billion deposit.

The official added that Saudi Arabia has confirmed the bilateral assistance support to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was also acknowledged by the lender's staff, the report said.

This agreement is the follow-up on the confirmation of additional financial support of USD 2 billion and USD 1 billion from the Kingdom and the UAE, the official added.

Official sources clarified that Pakistan neither made any fresh request for more support from Saudi Arabia nor the UAE, except for the already confirmed USD 2 billion and USD 1 billion by these countries, respectively.

Saudi Arabia had already rolled over USD 3 billion in deposits for one year, which matured on December 5, 2022. This USD 3 billion deposit is part of foreign exchange reserves of USD 4.43 billion, lying with the State Bank of Pakistan.

In March, Pakistan received a rollover of USD 2 billion in deposits for a period of one year from its all-weather ally China.

Pakistan, currently in the throes of a major economic crisis, is grappling with high external debt, a weak local currency and dwindling foreign exchange reserves.
Mumbai, Apr 22 (PTI) Superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan on Saturday greeted hundreds of fans gathered outsides their residences on the festival of Eid.

Dressed in a casuals, a white T-shirt and cargo pants, Shah Rukh waved at his fans from the raised platform constructed in the compound of his Bandra bungalow Mannat.

The "Pathaan" star greeted his admirers with folded hands and blew kisses as the crowd cheered in excitement.

"So lovely to see you all on this festive day!!! Now lets spread the love and may Gods blessings be upon all of us Eid Mubarak," Shah Rukh, 57, tweeted alongside his pictures.

Salman, whose film "Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan" released in theatres on Friday, came on the balcony of his house in Galaxy Apartments. The 57-year-old actor was accompanied by father, veteran writer Salim Khan, and a few bodyguards.

Salman waved to the crowd and wished everyone Eid Mubarak.

"Aap sabhi ko Eid Mubarak!" he posted on Twitter.

On Friday night, the actor wished his fans "Chand Mubarak" by sharing a photo with close friend and contemporary Aamir Khan.

Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated across the world on different days, based on the sighting of the crescent moon, which is supposed to denote the start of the Shawwal month in the lunar Islamic calendar.

It marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan.
Santiago (Chile), Apr 22 (AP) The Chilean government's newly announced plan to have the state take a majority stake in the lithium industry disconcerted business leaders, though analysts cautioned that the proposal appears to try to strike a middle ground between competing interests.

President Gabriel Boric announced in a national broadcast on Thursday night that private companies will have to partner with the government in exploiting Chile's lithium, a metal used to make rechargeable batteries.

Boric said the state would take a controlling interest in each partnership, leading some to call it a nationalisation of the industry, while others disagreed.

Phrasing it as nationalisation is too strong  it's a quasi-nationalisation in that the playing field will now be levelled in favour of the state, said Nicolas Saldias, senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean. There is no level playing field for the private sector in Chile.

Chile is the second largest producer of lithium and holds the world's third largest reserves of the metal. Demand for lithium is expected to soar amid the transition to renewable energy around the world and the growth in electric vehicles that are powered by lithium batteries.

The South American country has recently been losing ground to others in the race to exploit the metal so there was much anticipation over what Boric, a leftist, would announce as the country's strategy for the industry.

There were no great surprises, which doesn't mean that it isn't a very important change in the model, said Mariano Machado, principal analyst for the Americas at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk intelligence firm.

Under the plan, all companies wanting to work in Chile's lithium sector will have to take on the yet-to-be created National Lithium Company as a partner and the state will have control, Boric said on Thursday.

Existing contracts will be honoured, but Boric expressed optimism they could find a way to boost state participation in their operations before they expire.

It's not a theft of the concessions, it's a changing of the rules rather than abruptly breaking them, said Emily Hersh, CEO of Luna Lithium, a lithium exploration company with projects in the Americas.

Two companies currently mine lithium in Chile, Albemarle Corp. of the United States and local company SQM with concessions set to expire in 2043 and 2030, respectively. Shares in the two companies plunged Friday following Boric's announcement.

Creation of the new company would require approval from Congress, which has already shot down several of Boric's key initiatives.

Until then, two other state-owned companies, Codelco, the world's largest copper producer, and state mining company Enami will figure out how the private-public partnerships will operate.

Chile's president travelled Friday to Antofagasta, some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the Chilean capital to deliver more details about his proposal to local authorities.

We're calling for a dialogue and participation process to gather visions and knowledge regarding the new governance of lithium and salt flats, Boric said.

But Chile's business sector expressed concern.

We were quite disconcerted by Boric's announcement, said Ricardo Mewes, head of the Confederation of Production and Trade, an association that represents Chile's business community.

Mewes said business leaders had expected there would be a great private sector participation in the lithium sector and now the state will be the one that will control the industry.

Several analysts said those concerns may go too far.

Saldias, at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said the proposal actually provides the private sector more opportunity than the existing framework because  there would be more ability to partake in projects than currently exists.

He cautioned, though, that environmental restrictions on the way lithium is produced and the push for more consultation with local communities could lead to an increase in the costs of doing business in Chile.

Machado at Verisk Maplecroft said that Chile appears to have gone for a model that is in the middle in which the state has the upper hand, given that it's a resource that is considered strategic.

That is a different model from neighbouring Bolivia, in which the state has full control of the sector, and Argentina, in which the state simply grants concessions for companies to operate.

Finance Minister Mario Marcel called for calm in the business community. He said that under the plan, private companies will contribute capital, technological knowledge and experience, while the state provides financing and at the same time safeguards environmental conditions of the salt flats and the relationship with the Indigenous peoples of the affected area.

It remains unclear whether the government would contribute capital in direct proportion to its ownership stake.

Boric also said the government will go beyond just being involved in mining lithium, saying it will promote the development of lithium products with added value as it strives to become the world's leading lithium producer.

Boric's plan is in line with the direction that the world is going, said Hersh at Luna Lithium.

The push to have more added value where minerals are produced and to have a grater share of revenues from the mining activities are understandable long term trends, she said.

For Hersh the real concern isn't necessarily Chile, a country with a robust mining industry and existing lithium production. She worries about what message this sends to others in the region that are trying to build up nascent industries, considering Mexico already nationalized its lithium sector.

You kind of have a rush to the party, you can't be seen as the uncool president who isn't doing it, Hersh said. (AP) PY

PY
Washington, Apr 22 (PTI) US President Joe Biden is looking forward to travelling to India in September, his administrations point person for South and Central Asia has said, observing that 2024 is going to be a big year for the India-US relationship.

India's leadership in the G-20 further broadens its capacity to stand as a force for good in the world, the official said.

This is gonna be a big year. Of course, India is hosting the G-20. This year, the United States is hosting APEC. Japan is hosting the G7. We have lots of our QUAD members who are taking on leadership roles. And it provides opportunities for all of us to bring our countries closer together, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, told PTI in an interview on Thursday.

I know our President is looking forward to travelling to India in September. That will be his first trip to India as part of the G-20 Leaders Summit. We're really excited about what's to come in the next few months, he said.

We're only a little over three months into this new year. And we've had a number of really exciting things that happened, he said.

This includes the visit of Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to India. The India-US Forum in Delhi was attended by several senior administration officials.

India as the president of the G-20 has been taking a lead in advancing a positive agenda for the G-20.

In March Dr Jaishankar hosted his QUAD counterparts for a ministerial meeting and extraordinary public events at the Raisina Dialogue with all four foreign ministers together. It was the first such public discussion with QUAD foreign ministers and really drove home how our four countries are coming together to support the people of the Indo-Pacific, he said.

And then lastly, this month, the arrival of our new Ambassador Eric Garcetti. He has already received a really warm welcome from our Indian and American staff at the US Embassy. Once he presents his credentials, he is looking forward to meeting with the rest of India and I think India will find that he is young, he is enthusiastic, and he's eager to bring our relations to new heights, Lu said.

We are really thankful for the tremendous work India has done by hosting the G-20 Foreign Ministerial meeting last month, and we look forward to actively participating in the many future G-20 meetings coming up this year, including the New Delhi Leaders Summit in September, he said.

At the foreign ministers' meeting, India created an agenda that allowed them to discuss some of the world's most pressing challenges and deliberate to find concrete solutions.

We have seen how the G-20 brings together countries for collective action. This meeting in March was no exception. As India has already shown during the first few meetings of its presidency, the G-20 is a powerful forum where the world's leading economies can come together to respond to global challenges: food security, health, energy insecurity, climate change and unsustainable debt, he said.
Yemi Mobolade and Wayne Williams are facing off in a Colorado Springs mayoral election runoff after earning the top two spots among a crowded field in the municipal election in early April.

Mobolade and Williams have each gained endorsements in recent days.

Ballots were sent Monday to voters, who will be able to drop off ballots through May 16.

Here are the endorsements for each candidate.

Mobolade endorsments

- Mobolade on Thursday gained the endorsement of Sallie Clark, a former city councilmember and county commissioner as well as a fellow small business owner, who was a close third in the mayoral race April 4.

"It's an honor to have Sallie's endorsement," Mobolade said. "She's a fighter who has stood up for our community, our families and neighborhood. Her experience in this community is evident through her broad coalition of support."

Clark said she met Mobolade many times on the campaign trail and found his campaign based on "facts, optimism and solutions" refreshing, and that his priorities of reducing crime, addressing homelessness and advocating for affordable housing with a neighborhood-centric approach "most mirror" hers, had she been elected mayor.

As a fellow small business entrepreneur, Yemi is the only one in this race that will look at government with a fresh perspective that I trust will address the issues impacting our families," Clark said. "(He) has the strong leadership skills and willingness to challenge the status quo."

Clark and Mobolade both emphasized the desire to boost law enforcement recruitment and retention as a main issue where they found common ground.

"He and I share wanting to look for some new ways to really make the city of Colorado Springs the place that new police officers want to come," Clark told The Gazette Thursday.

- Earlier, former El Paso County Sheriff Bill Elder gave his endorsement of Mobolade.

- Among his other public supporters, Mobolade earlier earned an endorsement from outgoing Colorado Springs City Council President Tom Strand, who also ran for mayor in the April 4 regular election.

"Yemi is a proven leader with a wealth of experience in the business, nonprofit and government sectors, and someone I trust to continue championing our public safety professionals. With Yemi, we can have confidence in a mayor who will not only put our families first but has the proven leadership to create a better future for our neighborhoods," Strand said in a news release issued by Mobolade's campaign this week.

- Mobolade has also touted on social media endorsements from Amy Folsom, past El Paso County administrator and former county attorney; Pat Rigdon, retired deputy chief of Colorado Springs Police Department; and Elaine Knight, retired brigadier general with the Air Force.

Williams endorsements

- On Thursday, the Williams campaign announced endorsements from five current City Council members: Randy Helms, Lynette Crow-Iverson, Dave Donelson, Mike OMalley and David Leinweber.

It is a great honor to announce that I have been endorsed by the majority of the current Colorado Springs City Councilmembers, including all four council leaders, Williams said in a news release. I am grateful to have the support of the same people that I will work closely with should the voters choose me as their next mayor.

Wayne Williams has encouraged and inspired me in many ways, Helms, council president, said in a news release. His leadership is evident in all that he does. Wayne took the lead on the water ordinance, police force growth, public safety fee process and the resolution against the SB213 land use bill. I look forward to working with Wayne as our next mayor.

- Williams, who has been endorsed by outgoing Mayor John Suthers, the Colorado Springs Police Protective Association and Colorado Springs Professional Firefighters Local 5, among others, announced his campaign hired Jody Richie to serve as his field director. Richie has previously worked as campaign manager for Sallie Clark.

"Wayne is the only candidate remaining in the race with the leadership experience and knowledge of city government that is necessary to be a highly effective mayor for Colorado Springs," Richie said in a news release from Williams' campaign.

- On Friday, Williams' campaign announced the Fraternal Order of Police Pikes Peak Lodge 9 executive board also gave him their endorsement.

"As members of this community, public safety and smart economic growth are critical to our members and their families. Wayne Williams is the clear choice to address those issues. We are proud to stand with our public safety partners in supporting Wayne Williams for mayor," the organization said in a statement Friday.

Williams has earned endorsements from every major Colorado Springs area public safety employee organization, his campaign said in a statement.
Los Angeles, Apr 22 (AP) The United States on Friday returned several Peruvian antiquities, including the intricate knotwork artifacts known as khipus, in a ceremony at the Los Angeles consulate.

The brief event came amid a push in recent years to have museums, universities and governments worldwide return cultural pieces to their home countries and tribal nations. Indigenous and African communities, in particular, have pressed institutions to reckon with their colonialist pasts and repatriate stolen or looted antiquities.

The items returned to the Peruvian consul general included two khipus, intricately knotted and coloured sets of cords that experts believe were used by the Incas to count and keep records.

The repatriated khipus were turned over to federal investigators two years ago by a private art gallery. They may have been donated to the gallery or abandoned there sometime between 2005 and 2012, authorities said.

Also repatriated were several sculptures that Los Angeles-based agents from the US Department of Homeland Security had seized in a since-closed investigation dating back 15 years.

The FBI last year repatriated several Peruvian artifacts that had been voluntarily surrendered to federal agents. Those antiquities included historical documents and a 17th century painting stolen from a Peruvian church in 1992. They also included a painting stolen from a different church in 2002 that was hand-carried into the United States by an art dealer, sold to an art gallerist in Santa Fe and later sold in 2016 to a buyer in California.

In 2021, the San Francisco Asian Art Museum returned two hand-carved religious artifacts  sandstone lintels dating back to the 9th and 10th centuries  to the Thai government.

The antiquities had been stolen and exported from Thailand  a violation of Thai law  about 50 years ago and donated to the city of San Francisco, which owns the art museum. (AP) PY

PY
Washington, Apr 22 (PTI) The success of the world in combating the climate crisis will in part depend on decisions taken by India, a senior US official has said, as he vowed to work with New Delhi and other countries in achieving the ambitious targets.

These remarks were made by US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Donald Lu, who in an interview with PTI said that the US is determined to support that effort through technology and through financing.

I would say none (of the issues) is more important than the climate crisis. The success of the world in facing the climate crisis will in part depend on decisions taken by India, Lu said.

"And we have so much respect for the Prime Minister's pledge to create 500 gigawatts of non-fossil fuel capacity in India by 2030, he said, referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ambitious energy transition goal.

Our teams are working every day on this challenge together and I have great confidence that working together not only between the United States and India, but India and the rest of the world that we will reach these really ambitious targets, he said.

Responding to a question, Lu said the future of the planet in part depends on the ability of India to lead the way in green energy.

I love some of the things that leading industrialists in India are saying today, which is that India will not only produce enough green energy for itself, India wants to be the biggest green energy exporter for the world, he said.

That's something that we should be fully behind as people who care about this climate crisis, Lu said.

India and the US have a strong bilateral partnership in the energy sector. In April 2021, the US and India launched the US-India Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 Partnership, with two tracks i.e. Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP); and Climate Action and Finance Mobilization Dialogue (CAFMD).

The SCEP Ministerial Meeting twice so far, most recently in October 2022 led by the US Energy Secretary and Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. The SCEP has five pillars: 1) Power & Energy Efficiency, 2) Renewable Energy, 3) Responsible Oil & Gas, 4) Sustainable Growth, and 5) Emerging Fuels and Technologies (hydrogen biofuels and waste to energy).

An Energy Storage Task Force was launched to support the large-scale integration of renewable energy needed to support the clean energy transition.

Further, a US-India Natural Gas Task Force was set up to support Indias vision for transitioning into a natural gas-based economy, MoU on Strategic Petroleum Reserves for cooperation on Strategic Petroleum Reserves operation and maintenance was signed. A public-private Hydrogen Task Force enables the scaling of technologies to produce hydrogen from renewable energy.

The inaugural CAFMD meeting was held on 13 September 2021 in Delhi chaired by Special Envoy on Climate John Kerry and Ministers of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. Both sides agreed to proceed with three pillars of cooperation, viz, Climate Track, Finance Mobilization and Adaptation and Resilience.

The US joined the International Solar Alliance in November 2021 and ratified the ISA Agreement in September 2022.
Colombo, Apr 22 (PTI) The ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party announced on Saturday that Prof Uthurawala Dhammarathana, a Buddhist monk and scholar will be its new Chairman, replacing former senior minister GL Peiris.

Prof Uthurawala Dhammarathana was nominated to the position of party chairman, SLPP general secretary Sagara Kariyawasam told reporters after the party's General Meeting early Saturday.

The meeting was the first since the powerful Rajapaksa family-led SLPP ran into chaos last year when the island nation was struck by a catastrophic economic and humanitarian crisis sparked by years of mismanagement and the raging pandemic.

The ruling party also suffered defections when a large number of members chose to remain independent in Parliament.

Peiris, its founder chair and former foreign minister, now sits in opposition. He was sacked by the party in March from his post, the Colombo Gazette news portal reported.

With GL Peiris no longer in the party, we had to appoint someone to replace him, Kariyawasam said, adding that Dhammarathana had long been an associate of the party.

Sri Lankas Buddhist clergy holds power and influence on the country's politics.

The SLPP also announced that Indian High Commissioner in Colombo, Gopal Baglay, called on party leader Mahinda Rajapaksa on Thursday to discuss Indo-Lanka relations and the economic assistance New Delhi extended to the crisis-struck island nation.

India provided nearly USD 4 billion worth of assistance to Sri Lanka after the island nation was hit by an unprecedented financial crisis in 2022, the worst since its independence from Britain in 1948, due to a severe paucity of foreign exchange reserves, sparking a major political and humanitarian crisis.

In May last year, the party leader, then-Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, was forced to resign after months-long public protests over the ruling party's bungling in governance since 2019 struck the country.

Two months later, his younger brother, then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, was also forced to resign and flee the country after massive demonstrations surrounded his offices.

The SLPP party voted for Ranil Wickremesinghe, the leader of the United National Party (UNP), as the president in July last year. Wickremesinghe replaced Gotabaya Rajapaksa as the islands president and currently heads a cabinet of SLPP ministers.
London, Apr 22 (PTI) Indian-origin peers representing the Hindu and Sikh faiths are likely to be joined by Muslim and Jewish House of Lords representatives in carrying key pieces of Coronation emblems to add a multi-faith touch to the Christian religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6, it emerged on Saturday.

According to The Times newspaper, non-Christian religions will be represented in the main ceremony by members of the House of Lords from the four major faiths.

Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel, 84, will represent the Hindu faith and is expected to carry the sovereigns ring on the day of the Coronation.

Lord Indrajit Singh, 90, will represent the Sikh faith and is expected to carry the coronation glove.

It stresses the point that [the King] has said again and again that he is defender of the Christian faith but with total respect for all other faiths, Singh told The Times.

Lord Kamall, 56, a London-born Muslim peer, is expected to carry the armills or a pair of bracelets and Baroness Gillian Merron, 64, will represent the Jewish faith and is expected to carry one of the coronation robes.

These royal regalia are expected to form a key feature of the religious ceremony at Westminster Abbey next month and the items are likely to be handed over to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will be presiding over the ceremony, to be passed on to King Charles.Besides, non-Christian clerics are likely to be invited to form part of a faith procession.

However, Buckingham Palace is yet to confirm the details of the ceremony for the crowning of 74-year-old Charles as King.

The Coronation liturgy will be published in due course and we look forward to sharing more details then, said a spokesperson for Lambeth Palace, the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

It has been widely expected that Charles would like to incorporate some multi-faith aspects to the traditionally Anglican Christian Coronation ceremony, last held 70 years ago when his late mother Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in June 1953.

He has made several high-profile visits to temples, gurdwaras, mosques and synagogues over the years as the heir-apparent Prince of Wales. Westminster Abbey also plays host to multi-faith services quite regularly, including for the annual Commonwealth Day ceremony held in March every year.
Manila, Apr 22 (AP) China's foreign minister said Saturday his country is willing to work with the Philippines to resolve their differences, as tensions rise over Beijing's behaviour in the disputed South China Sea and Manila's deeping military cooperation with the US.

Foreign Minister Qin Gang held talks in Manila with his Philippine counterpart, Enrique Manalo, and was scheduled to meet with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. just days before he travels to Washington for a meeting with President Joe Biden.

China has warned that a deepening security alliance between the United States and the Philippines should not harm its security and territorial interests and interfere in long-simmering territorial disputes in the South China Sea. Beijing has criticised a recent agreement by the Philippines and the US to grant US forces access to additional local military camps.

The deal allows American forces to establish military staging grounds and surveillance outposts in the northern Philippines across the sea from Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory, and in provinces facing the South China Sea, which Beijing claims virtually in its entirety.

We are willing to work together with Philippines to implement the consensus of both leaders, keep China-Philippine ties in the right direction, safeguard the overall situation of our bilateral relationship, work together to continue our tradition of friendship, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and properly resolve our differences in the spirit of credibility, consultation, and dialogue, Qin told reporters.

Manalo said he hoped the meeting will provide an opportunity to make some headway in addressing common issues and challenges.

The Philippines has filed more than 200 diplomatic protests against China since last year, including at least 77 since Marcos took office in June. Most of the complaints refer to China's aggressive behaviour in the South China Sea, including targeting a Philippine coast guard ship with a military-grade laser in February.

Washington lays no claims to the contested waters but has challenged Beijing's extensive claims, including by deploying warships and fighter jets and repeatedly warning that it would help defend the Philippines  a treaty ally  if Philippine forces, ships and aircraft are attacked.

Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also have overlapping claims in the seaway, which sits atop vast deposits of oil and gas. (AP)



GRS
Kyiv, Apr 22 (AP) Seventeen apartment buildings were evacuated Saturday in a Russian city near the Ukrainian border after an explosive device was found at the site where a bomb accidentally dropped by a Russian warplane caused a powerful blast this week, authorities said.

The bomb blast late Thursday rocked part of Belgorod, leaving a large crater and three people injured.

The Russian Defense Ministry quickly acknowledged that a weapon accidentally released by one of its own Su-34 bombers caused the explosion.

The ministry said an investigation was underway but did not elaborate on the details of the weapon, which military experts said likely was a powerful 500-kilogram (1,100-pound) bomb.

The governor of Belgorod province, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported Saturday that sappers examining the site of Thursday's blast found and decided to detonate what he called an explosive object that was in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings.

The precautionary evacuations ended later in the day, according to Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov.

The bomb was removed from the residential area. Residents are being delivered back to their homes, Demidov wrote on Telegram.

Russian authorities did not say if the detonated device was dropped by accident on Thursday and if so, if it was a remnant of or separate from the bomb that exploded in the city.

Belgorod, located about 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of the Russia-Ukraine border, has faced regular drone attacks since Russia sent troops into Ukraine last year.

Russian authorities have blamed those strikes on the Ukrainian military, which refrained from directly claiming responsibility for the attacks.

Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has sent relations with the West into deep freeze, with frequent expulsions of diplomats on both sides.

On Saturday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said that German authorities had decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany.

A ministry statement said that as a reaction to the hostile actions of Berlin, Russia decided to mirror the expulsions by Germany and significantly limit the maximum number of staff at German diplomatic missions in Russia.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said Russia is expelling more than 20 German diplomats, Russian state media reported, but didn't give a precise number.

Germany's Foreign Ministry said it took note of the comments. It said that the German government and Russia had been in contact in recent weeks on questions regarding the staffing of the respective diplomatic missions" and that a flight on Saturday took place in that context. It didn't elaborate.

The German air force said earlier that a Russian plane flew to Berlin with diplomatic clearance on Saturday, but didn't specify who or what was on board.

Special clearance is required because the European Union closed its airspace to Russian aircraft shortly after the war in Ukraine started. (AP)

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Kathmandu, April 22 (PTI) Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda is making elaborate preparations ahead of his much-publicised trip to India next month, saying he needs to do home-work before embarking on the visit.

The official date of his visit to India is yet to be announced.

Prachanda could be travelling to New Delhi during the first or the second week of May, a Prime Ministers aide said.

This will be his first foreign trip since he became Nepals Prime Minister in December last year.

Boosting bilateral ties and talks on trade, energy, agriculture, culture, and air service will prominently feature in his talks with Indian leaders.

I am preparing for my upcoming visit to India, which is taking place soon Prachanda said at an event here.

We need to do proper home-work before the visit, the 68-year-old Maoist leader said.

Foreign ministry officials have begun the groundwork for his visit.

Earlier this year, Prachanda announced that he would visit India on his first foreign trip after assuming the post.

In July last year, Prachanda visited India at the invitation of BJP National President J P Nadda.

In addition to the BJP president, he had at the time met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval.

Prachanda was sworn in as the Prime Minister for the third time on December 26 last year after he dramatically walked out of the pre-poll alliance led by the Nepali Congress and joined hands with opposition leader K P Sharma Oli.
Mumbai, Apr 22 (PTI) Eid-ul-Fitr celebrations began in Mumbai and adjoining areas on Saturday after thousands of people offered prayers at various mosques.

Large crowds were seen offering namaz at places like Mohammad Ali Road, Bandra, Govandi and Kurla which have a sizeable population of Muslims. After offering namaz, people visited qabristaan (burial grounds) to offer prayers.

People greeted each other after the prayers and took part in the festivities.

Like every year, Mumbai police deployed extra personnel near mosques and on streets to ensure a smooth celebration of the festival, an official said.

Several traffic policemen are also on the city roads to streamline vehicular movement for the benefit of those celebrating the festival, he said.

No untoward incident has been reported so far, added the official.

Eid-ul-Fitr is celebrated across the world on different days, based on the sighting of the crescent moon, which is supposed to denote the start of the Shawwal month in the lunar Islamic calendar.

It marks the end of the fasting month of Ramzan and people prepare various dishes, including Sheer-Khurma, and welcome guests.

Santacruz resident Aarif Qureshi said, We wait for the whole month to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr. On this day, we do a lot of charity after offering namaz. Later, we invite people to our homes to have food.
Nagpur, Apr 22 (PTI) Two men robbed a 47-year-old employee of a firm of Rs 8.5 lakh cash at gunpoint in Nagpur city of Maharashtra on Saturday evening, police said.

The incident occurred under the limits of Ambazari police station when the employee was headed to the company's office in a car.

The car was intercepted by two men who tried to smash its windshield with a stone and threatened the employee and his driver with a gun, a police officer said.

As the employee tried to run with the cash bag, the duo chased him on a motorcycle, snatched the bag, and sped away.



After receiving information about the incident, a police team rushed to the spot. A case has been registered under the Indian Penal Code and the Arms Act. Further investigation is underway, the officer added.
Mumbai, Apr 22 (PTI) The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) has failed to deliver on its promise of inducting by March-end 20 air-conditioned double-decker electric buses into its fleet, which at present comprises only two such vehicles, sparking outrage among activists and bus enthusiasts who demand that the number be raised immediately in view of the rising mercury levels.

At the induction function of the first double decker e-bus on February 14 this year, BEST general manager Lokesh Chandra had announced that the fleet would go up to 20 by March-end. However, in the last more than two months only two buses were handed over to the BEST by Switch Mobility, a subsidiary of automobile manufacturer Ashok Leyland.

He also announced that a total of 200 double decker e-buses would be inducted into the BEST fleet by the end of this year.

During the presentation of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) 2023-24 budget, civic commissioner and administrator Iqbal Singh Chahal also said that the total number of e-buses in the BEST fleet would grow to 3,400 by December-end.



BEST officials say the public transport body currently has around 400 AC e-buses in its total fleet of 3,400 buses, while an order for 200 double-decker e-buses has been placed with Switch Mobility.



They said the delivery of 2,100 regular (single-decker) e-buses, however, is yet to happen as the matter is pending in the Supreme Court. The BEST has also invited bids for additional 700 double decker e-buses after the earlier agency failed to provide a prototype bus within the stipulated time-frame.



Some former members of the BEST committee, the policy-making body of the public transport body, allege that its general manager painted a rosy picture about e-buses. They said his promise of inducting 20 such buses in two months turned out to be hollow.



Since the BEST panel was dissolved in March last year, the transport body's general manager is its only decision-making authority right now.

The activists also accuse the BEST administration of hiding crucial information about the introduction of new e-buses, which they say is causing distress among citizens as they grapple with mismanagement due to inadequate number of AC e-buses during the scorching summer.



"Mumbaikars are being misled. BEST general manager is giving false information to people through the media about the arrival of new buses," former BEST committee member Sunil Ganacharya said, adding the administration should provide factual information.

The delay in the arrival of AC double-decker e-buses has led to widespread anger among commuters, who are struggling to cope with the rising mercury levels that touched almost 40 degrees Celsius in the city.



Ravi Raja, another former BEST panel member, said citizens were suffering due to wrong planning on the part of the general manager.

"BEST is in dire straits today. This is happening because of the wrong planning and novel but wrong ideas of the general manager," he said, adding that the passengers have to wait for 30 minutes for the buses that would arrive in 15 minutes.



The activists say that although the BEST's current fleet comprises 3,400 buses, most of them are mini or midi buses with seating capacity of less than 35 passengers. They say the city urgently requires high-capacity buses, like the double-decker ones.

"As a regular commuter and a bus enthusiast, it is very disappointing to see the delay in inducting new full-size or double decker buses (AC/non-AC) in the fleet. It is not convenient to travel in the midi buses, especially on long routes," bus enthusiast Harshad Joshi said.



Despite repeated attempts to contact him, the BEST general manager Chandra was not available for comments on the issue.



More than 30 lakh passengers use the BEST buses for commuting on a daily basis.
This story has been updated to correct Linda Aldrich's rank.

One of the first female missileers, retired Col. Linda Aldrich, was 30 when she decided to call a recruiter to ask about joining the Air Force.

He thought it was a prank call and then he told her: Lady, it would take a four-star general before I would waste time talking to you, she recalled.

So Aldrich went out and found a four-star general.

Her former boss at a car dealership in Abilene, Texas, happened to be friends with Gen. Robert Dutch Huyser, who called her up. The general told her she could either be a civilian or a missileer, and he wanted her to serve longer than four years.

As an English major, Aldrich didnt know what the world of nuclear weapons would entail. But she excelled, serving almost 30 years in the Air Force. As a single parent following a divorce, it was the new direction as well as an education she would have never gotten in the civilian world.

They gave me a career. They gave me a life, she said.

Aldrich was one of two pioneering female missileers traveling on an Honor Flight to Washington this weekend to honor female veterans. Aldrich enlisted later than the World War II, Korean and Vietnam War-era veterans and so she traveled as a volunteer, but she experienced many similar issues as one of the first women in her field.

Missileers serve in pairs in underground capsules on 24-hour shifts. There was concern when women first started out as missileers about inappropriate relationships.

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In the beginning, women could only pull shifts together, which posed several problems. For example, the rookies couldnt learn from each other, she said. If one woman was sick, the whole shift would have to be covered by another team. The teams must be constantly ready to launch a missile if called on.

I am very blessed, indeed, that I survived in the long term, Aldrich said.

Her meticulous personality helped in her new career, but luck played a role, as well, because she was assigned to serve as an instructor and she was allowed to teach with an experienced male colleague that she could learn from.

One of the toughest parts about her career was the impact it had on her daughter, who heard some of the remarks at her junior high that when women integrated into the missileer crews they would break up marriages.

People can be very mean when its a new situation, she said.

Aldrichs daughter ended up following her into the Air Force and is now a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve.

For women, the military is a calling that takes a good sense of humor, toughness and patriotism, Aldrich said.

We will take care of the country just like the guys would, she said.
Balaghat (MP), Apr 22 (PTI) Two women Naxalites, collectively carrying a reward of Rs 28 lakh on their heads, were killed in an encounter with security forces in Balaghat district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, a police official said.

The face-off took place in Kadla forest area under Garhi police station limits in the wee hours, Superintendent of Police (SP) Sameer Saurabh said.

The deceased Naxalites were identified as Sunita, an Area Committee Member (ACM) and Commander of Bhoramdev Committee, a wing of the Maoists, and Sarita Khatia Mocha, ACM and active in Vistar Dalam, he said.

Both of them were carrying a reward of Rs 14 lakh each, the official said.

Guns, cartridges, some other ammunition and Naxal literature were recovered from them, he said, adding that a search operation was underway in the area.
Kolkata, Apr 22 (PTI) More than 120 Left-leaning intellectuals and famous personalities have written an open letter, urging Visva-Bharati University to not "harass" Nobel laureate Amartya Sen over the land issue.

The intellectuals called upon the university authorities to "desist from continued humiliation of Sen" claiming that he "rightfully possesses the entire 1.38 acres of land" at his plot in Santiniketan.

The signatories also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is also the chancellor of Visva-Bharati, to "break his deafening silence on the continued insult of Sen".

"Sen has been living on this plot which had been given to him on inheritance Visva-Bharati is now all set to evict Professor Sen from his ancestral house. Such a move has lowered the head of every Bengali, for that matter every Indian, before the entire world," the letter, published on Friday but made available to the media on Saturday, stated.

Signatories include educationist Pabitra Sarkar, columnist Samik Bandyopadhyay, actors Sabyasachi Chakraborty and Biplab Chatterjee, writer Bhagirath Mishra, theatre personality Ashok Mukhopadhyay and lawyer Bikash Bhattacharya.

In a recent eviction order, the university asked the renowned economist to vacate the 13 decimals of land which he had allegedly occupied in an unauthorised manner by May 6.

Noting that the institution was in urgent need of gaining control of all "encroachments" as per the Centre's advisories and CAG reports, the notice stated, "Amartya Kumar Sen and all persons concerned are liable to be evicted from the said premises, if need be, by use of such force as may be necessary."

"It is decided that 13 decimals of land in the north-west corner of the scheduled premises are to be recovered from him," the notice said.

Visva-Bharati maintained that Sen's reply to an earlier show-cause notice was "fallacious and factually incorrect" and the university was the "rightful owner of all these lands which had been encroached upon in past years including the 13 decimals of land occupied by Sen".

Sen repeatedly trashed the charge claiming that while 1.25 acres of land at his plot was leased by the university to his father for a certain period of time, the contentious 13 decimals of land were bought by his father and he has all the necessary documents to prove that.

Visva-Bharati spokesperson Mahua Banerjee told PTI, "As specified in the notice, the university had given several opportunities to Sen to reply to the show-cause even before the start of the proceedings. However, he did not respond to the issues raised in any of the aforesaid notices while his lead advocate sent a notice to express apology in all the print and electronic media for making fictitious, false and malafide remarks."

Noting that there is no challenge to the assertion that the scheduled premises belong to Visva-Bharati, of which 1.25 acres had been leased to Sen's father in the 1940s and the 13 decimals of land have been occupied by him in "unauthorised" manner, Banerjee said that the institute has the right to take any action deemed legally appropriate to free the "encroachment" by May 6.
Bhubaneswar, Apr 22 (PTI) The Odisha unit of BJP on Saturday wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, requesting him to take steps for an inquiry by NIA into the violence in Sambalpur during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations.

In a letter signed by BJP's state unit president Manmohan Samal and several party MPs and MLAs, they urged the Centre to direct the state government to take necessary measures to "restore law and order in Sambalpur" and ensure "communal harmony" in the western Odisha city.

"We strongly condemn the heinous act of communal violence and demand an impartial investigation by the NIA to unravel the conspiracy behind the incident, and strict action against the perpetrators," the party said in the letter.

The BJP's state leadership also urged the Centre to ask the state government to take immediate steps to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in Odisha in future.

BJP leaders also alleged that the law and order situation has "deteriorated" in Sambalpur following clashes "due to the orchestrated violent attack" on a motorcycle rally two days before the Hanuman Jayanti on April 14.

"The coordinated attack on the bike rally on April 12 had left several persons, including some policemen, grievously injured. The incident also led to torching of shops, vehicles and private properties in Sambalpur," the letter said.

The western Odisha city had witnessed a clash between two communities during a motorcycle rally in the run-up to Hanuman Jayanti.

As the clash spilled over to the streets, many vehicles were damaged and some shops were set on fire.

A total of ten police personnel and around 12 Hanuman Jayanti coordination committee members, were injured in a stone pelting incident during the clash.

The saffron party also claimed that a tribal youth was killed and several others were injured in another attack by a mob in Sambalpur on April 14, the day Hanuman Jayanti was celebrated.

The administration has clamped the curfew in Sambalpur soon after the incidents and suspended internet services in the locality.

The violence and arson in Sambalpur during the Hanuman Jayanti procession and a day before has "exposed the poor intelligence network of the Odisha Police and the lack of foresight on its part to ascertain the consequences of "inadequate security arrangement during the festival", the BJP leaders said in the letter.

The Odisha Police has miserably failed to follow the advisory issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs for smooth organisation of Hanuman Jayanti processions," the letter said.

As per an FIR lodged by the police, around 200 people of a particular community armed with swords, iron rods and sticks attacked the motorcycle rally on April 12. The police have admitted that the communal riot was pre-planned. The attackers also raised certain objectionable and anti-national slogans to incite communal violence.

"Such sloganeering by the mob is not acceptable and amounts to crime that needs to deal with strict laws," the BJP said in the letter.
Kohima, Apr 22 (PTI) Union Minister L Murugan on Saturday became the first central minister to visit Avangkhu, a village along the India-Myanmar border in Nagaland's Phek district, and announced projects to strengthen infrastructure there.

Speaking at a public interaction programme held at the International Trade Centre in Avangkhu, Murugan, the minister of state for information and broadcasting, recalled the Centre's commitment towards developing the north-east, including the border areas of the region.

He announced that work for the already-sanctioned two-lane road up to the Avangkhu border will start soon and this will pave the way for the development of border regions, an official release said.

Murugan, also the minister of state for fisheries, veterinary and dairying, expressed hope that the International Trade Centre will witness increased business activities due to "growing trade volume and better connectivity".

Dwelling on the piggery development in Nagaland, he said National Livestock Mission has been supporting entrepreneurs of the state and strengthening farm infrastructure and technology.

He said that in the last nine years, financial assistance of around Rs 1,770 lakh has been provided to the state government under the NLM in the piggery sector.

The MoS along with other officials also visited the India-Myanmar border to take stock of the situation there.

Murugan also visited Chesezu village in Phek district where freedom fighter Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose camped during World War II, the statement said.

The minister also announced that a grant of Rs 14.99 lakh has been allocated to the Phek district administration for an exhibition of childrens films.

Later in the day, he also interacted with officials of public relations, fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying departments and units of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting based in Kohima.

The minister will leave for Delhi on Sunday.
Srinagar, Apr 22 (PTI) National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said security forces should not harass innocent people during their operation against the perpetrators of the Poonch terror attack that killed five Indian Army soldiers.

"They have started operation in Pooch. They should not arrest innocent people. It was their mistake, they should not harass innocent people. It is wrong and it should be avoided, " Abdullah told reporters after offering Eid prayers at the Hazratbal shrine here.

Five Army personnel were killed and another was seriously injured after their vehicle was attacked by terrorists in Poonch district Thursday. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

Abdullah also expressed surprise that Eid prayers were not allowed at the Jamia Masjid.

"It is unfortunate that Eid prayers were not allowed at Jamia Masjid. I thought they were allowing the prayers there. The government is saying that situation is peaceful. Then why are they not allowing the prayers," he said.

The former chief minister said Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who is the chief priest of Kashmir, should have been allowed to take part in the prayers.
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) A piece of land and the building of an educational trust worth Rs 5.62 crore in Uttarakhand's Haridwar town have been attached under the anti-money laundering law as part of a probe into an alleged SC/ST scholarship scam in the state, the Enforcement Directorate said Saturday.

The assets belong to the Seth Bimal Prasad Jain educational trust which runs the Phonics Group of Institutions in Roorkee, the federal agency said in a statement.

It alleged that the Phonics Group of Institutions "fraudulently" received a huge amount of scholarship in the name of SC/ST students from the social welfare department, Haridwar, for the period 2011-12 to 2014-2015.

"The institution made false claims to obtain this scholarship amount which was embezzled and siphoned off by the Phonics Group of institutions, Roorkee, run by Seth Bimal Prasad Jain Educational Trust, through its trustees and caused huge financial loss to the public exchequer with wrongful gain to themselves," the Enforcement Directorate said.

This money was further diverted to either the bank accounts of the educational trust or to other accounts of the college and was utilised for the expenses of the trust and "withdrawn in cash", it alleged.

The money laundering case of the ED stems from an FIR filed in this case by the Uttarakhand Police.

Earlier, the ED had attached property worth Rs1.45 crore (land situated in Haridwar) belonging to Wali Gram Udhyog Vikas Sansthan, Roorkee which runs Techword Wali Gram Udhyog Vikas Sansthan group of institutions in the same case, it said.
Bengaluru, Apr 22 (PTI) Home Minister Amit Shah expressed confidence on Saturday that the BJP will win 15-20 seats more than the halfway mark in Karnataka assembly polls and asserted that its support base remains intact despite defection by some party leaders, noting that historically its rebels have not won and "this will prove true this time also".

With the Congress targeting the central government over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a defamation case, Shah told India Today in an interview that "no family is above the law in India and the law is above all".

Gandhi vacated his government bungalow on Saturday after he was served a notice for eviction and claimed that he is paying the price for speaking the truth.

Replying to a question on Gandhi playing "victim", he said, We never asked Rahul Gandhi to disrespect the OBC community. He himself decided not to apologise.

"The law under which he was convicted was made by the Congress government. Then prime minister Manmohan Singh tried to withdraw that law but Rahul Gandhi himself tore down the ordinance. Now he should not play the victim. No one should think that any family is above the law.

The ordinance, if passed by Parliament, would have spared any convicted MP from immediate disqualification.

To a question about the allegation that the CBI summoning former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik is linked to his recent criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government, the home minister said such a charge is not true as he was called by the probe agency earlier too.

"I can say with complete conviction that the BJP has done nothing that needs to be covered up. If someone is levelling allegations after parting ways with us, then it should be evaluated accordingly by the media and people," he said.

On Karnataka assembly polls scheduled for May 10, he said the BJP will get 15-20 seats more than the halfway mark of 112 seats in the 224-member legislature.

He rejected the Congress' allegations of corruption against the BJP government in Karnataka as "baseless".

They are not substantiated by any court and have been fabricated by the Congress to cover up corruption during its own regime, Shah claimed, accusing the opposition party of using Karnataka as its "ATM" when it was in power.

The Congress has no answers to its apathy towards Karnataka during its regime, he said, adding that when the Congress-led UPA was in power during 2009-14, the Centre released Rs 94,224 crores to the state.

Prime Minister Modi increased the amount to over Rs 2.26 lakh crore during 2014-19. The tax devolution and grant-in aid was Rs 22,000 crore but has been increased to Rs 75,000 crore, he added.

Attacking the Congress, he said its government violated the Constitution by providing four per cent reservation for Muslims in the state.

The Constitution does not allow any kind of reservation on the basis of religious identity, he noted.

The BJP government has scrapped this reservation and increased the quota for the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Vokkaligas and Lingayats, he said.

While the Congress "protected and nurtured" the PFI, a radical Islamic organisation now banned by the Modi government, he said its cadres used to commit murders in broad daylight in the state.

PM Modi banned it and provided security to the people of the state, he said.

On the recent terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, We will give a befitting reply to any attack on India.

He added that violence against the foreign embassies of India will not be taken lightly by the Modi government.

On the "personal attacks" launched on Modi, he said, "Personal attacks on Modi ji are not new and began long back by Sonia Gandhi who had called him 'Maut Ka Saudagar'. But whenever he faced such attacks he emerged stronger".
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Chinese Defence Minister Li Shangfu and his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu are expected to attend a key meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to be hosted by India next week under its presidency of the grouping, people familiar with the development said on Saturday.

There is no confirmation yet on in-person participation of Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif in the SCO defence ministerial meeting scheduled for April 27 and 28, they said, adding he is likely to join the deliberations virtually.

The people said defence ministers of China, Russia and other SCO member countries except Pakistan have confirmed their in-person attendance.

However, there was no official announcement on the participation at the defence ministerial meeting by the SCO member states.

The visit by Li, if it takes place, would come amid the three-year border standoff in eastern Ladakh. The SCO defence ministerial meeting in New Delhi would be followed by the foreign ministerial meeting of the grouping in Goa on May 4 and 5.

Foreign ministers of all SCO countries, including Pakistan's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, are scheduled to attend the meeting. Pakistan has already announced that Bhutto Zardari would travel to India to attend the meeting.

The SCO defence ministers' meeting is set to delve into various issues relating to regional security, including the threat of terrorism and the situation in Afghanistan. The meeting will be chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

The SCO member countries are India, Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.

The SCO was founded at a summit in Shanghai in 2001 by the presidents of Russia, China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.

Over the years, it has emerged as one of the largest trans-regional international organisations. India and Pakistan became its permanent members in 2017.
Jaipur, Apr 22 (PTI) The Rajasthan government on Saturday said it is committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens stranded in violence-hit Sudan and issued a list of helpline numbers for those in need of assistance.

At least 40 Rajasthanis are currently stranded in Sudan, an official statement said.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly fighting between the country's army and a paramilitary group for over a week that has reportedly left around 300 people dead.

In light of the conflict, the Bikaner House Resident Commissioner's Office has released helpline numbers for those in need of assistance or information, the statement said.

Those who require assistance can contact the helpline numbers -- +91 83060 09838, 0141-2229111, and 011-23070807. The ACS (Coordination) cum Chief Resident Commissioner, Bikaner House, Shubhra Singh, has requested Non-Resident Rajasthanis (NRRs) to contact the helpline numbers provided on social media channels and the website of the Rajasthan Foundation, it said.

According to a list provided to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), at least 40 Rajasthanis are currently stranded in Rajasthan, the statement said.

Dhiraj Srivastava, resident commissioner (Bikaner House) in Delhi and commissioner, Rajasthan Foundation, attended a meeting with MEA officials in the national capital to discuss the current situation and ensure that all Rajasthanis in Sudan receive the necessary assistance.

"The state government is committed to ensuring the safety of its citizens in the conflict zone and will work with NRR Mitras to support those affected by the conflict in Sudan," Srivastava said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday issued directions for the preparation of contingency plans to evacuate Indians from Sudan as he carried out a detailed review of the security situation in the African country at a high-level meeting.
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) The Delhi Police has arrested a man from Punjab for allegedly posting morphed pictures of a woman on social media and harassing her by stalking her online, officials on Saturday.

The accused has been identified as Kuldeep, a resident of Punjabs Ludhiana, they said.

According to police, a 24-year-old woman lodged a complaint on March 15, alleging that a person was posting morphed pictures of her on Instagram and also stalking her online.

The complainant told that she received a friend request from an unknown person on Instagram under the name of Simran. She accepted the request as there were many mutual friends, police said.

After some time, she found out that the account had used her photograph in the display picture and also posted objectionable morphed photos and comments on Instagram, a senior police officer said.

The alleged person started inducing the complainant for undue favours through Instagram and WhatsApp to harass her. He also started stalking her online, the officer said.

On the basis of technical surveillance, the suspects location was traced in Ludhiana. A team of Delhi Police along with the local police arrested Kuldeep, Deputy Commissioner of Police (northwest) Jitendra Meena said.

A mobile phone used in the crime was recovered from his possession, police said.

He made a profile over social media in the name of a woman and used to send friend requests to people and later harassed them by using their morphed pictures, the DCP said.

He further disclosed that he wanted to make a girlfriend and when his proposals got rejected, he used to post their morphed photographs with objectionable comments to take revenge from them, police added.
Pioneering female veterans from Colorado gathered Friday around bronze Vietnam nurses and their patient in Washington, D.C.  a frozen moment of loss representing years of conflict many of the travelers lived.

Vietnam War-era nurse Rosey Dudden, 81, was one of three who laid a wreath at the foot of the Vietnam Women's Memorial along the National Mall as her fellow travelers and veterans saluted.

It was for all the women there that wish they could have done more to save lives, said Dudden, one of the nurses on the trip.

The groundbreaking group  including women who manned missiles, trained troops, and translated Vietnamese  traveled together to Washington this week on a trip dedicated to recognizing their contributions.

Many served during Vietnam, when the country was enmeshed in a slow, bloody conflict that took a heavy toll on trauma nurses. At the same time the military was ever so slowly opening up new career fields for women, to those willing to incrementally push the Department of Defense toward equal opportunity for women, a decades-long process.

In an environment where no one wants you there, its really tough, said Linda Aldrich, one of the first female missileers.

The goal was to make sure we failed, and instead we succeeded.

Southern Colorado Honor Flight set aside the trip for female veterans because, in the past, they have been hesitant to sign up for trips honoring those who served during the World War II, Korean and Vietnam eras since they didnt serve in combat roles, said Barbara Harris, a board member. It was first for the group, but probably will be held again, she said.

The absence of direct combat doesnt mean women were sheltered from the wreckage of war.

Dudden, a labor and delivery nurse in the Army, was sent to Vietnam weeks after getting married to serve in a field hospital for a year, where she would see overwhelming rushes of wounded that she likened to a movie scene.

You did what you could. We tried to make them as comfortable as we could, she said, about the year she served from 1965 to 1966.

When she returned home to Denver, two hotels refused her and her husband because she was in her uniform, a memory that brought tears to her eyes on Friday.

Still, she tried to pick up a civilian life, despite bringing back a case of malaria and post-traumatic stress disorder that gave her nightmares and led her to withdraw from her family, including six children, for a time before she sought help from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Professionally, she went on to work as a hospice nurse for about 12 years.

I felt like I could work with people and they could have a choice in how they died. That it wasn't life just grabbed from them in an instant, she said.

Those who survived in field hospitals where Dudden worked could be taken out for additional care on C-130s to Saigon or elsewhere. Duddens fellow Honor Flight traveler, Air Force veteran Mary Littlejohn, worked on those planes with a team of five that could care for 30 people at a time, stacked six high on litters.

Littlejohn volunteered to go to Vietnam and described it as a tremendous learning experience she carried through her career. But just as important was learning to interact with her patients, she said.

To be able to interact with these guys coming off the field, just let them know, you know: We're here for you.  Was as important as changing the dressing, she said.

Honor Flight Southern Colorado Honor Flight is nonprofit that organizes free trips for veterans from the World War II, Korean and Vietnam eras to visit Washington D.C. This was the group's 16th flight. The group has a waitlist of 110 veterans and is hoping to organize a trip for 50 veterans in the fall. For more info or to apply visit honorflightsoco.net.

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As the group toured the war memorials and other sights, Friday and Saturday, strangers, including an entire group of firefighters, stopped to thank them and the star of those thanks was Madeleine Bobbitt, a World War II veteran, who last visited the nations capital in 1939.

Bobbitt was a tiny bit too short to enlist but stretched that extra half-inch to enlist in the Navy WAVES, short for Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, aimed at freeing up men for other duties.

Now 100, Bobbitt trained as an aviation machinist before she was sent to Oklahoma where she worked in administration and the Navy trained all the little boys that thought they could be pirates, she said.

In Oklahoma, she met her husband, who also served in the Navy and survived the sinking of the USS Yorktown during the battle of Midway.

She noted her parents met during World War I and all her siblings served, demonstrating a propensity for military service that is fading as several military branches, including the Navy, struggle to recruit.

They just dont want to serve today, she said.

Bobbitt, was apparently taken aback by all the recognition, including a standing ovation at the Military Womens Memorial by her fellow travelers that seemed to choke her up.

Several women on the trip described Bobbitt and other women of her era as helping to make their own service in new fields possible.

Army veteran Cindy Anderson, one of the early female drill sergeants, joined the Womens Army Corps, first created during WWII, right before the Army started integrating more roles in 1973.

At the time, basic training was still segregated and so she had to attend make-up class, but was not qualified on an M-16, the weapon her platoon would be issued.

When she showed up as the first woman in an all-male signal corps unit, dedicated to communications, she didnt have fatigues and wasnt qualified on her weapon.

The next week, her platoon sergeant took her out to qualify on an M-16.

He said, Well you did all right with that.  you just shot expert.'

I was raised on a farm, Anderson recalled telling him.

She went on to train women and men together in basic training as a drill sergeant.

I would say the most challenging part of that program was getting higher-ranking enlisted personnel and officers to accept the fact that women can do these things, she said.

Underscoring Andersons point, Chief Master Sergeant JoAnne Bass, the first woman to serve as the highest ranking noncommissioned officer in the Air Force, met the Colorado veterans at the Air Force Memorial on Saturday to thank them and presented Bobbitt with her coin, a sign of honor and respect.

A volunteer on the trip, Cindy Norman, one of the early female graduates of the Air Force Academy who served for 20 years, noted that the progress toward equality took an intergenerational effort represented by those on the trip.

We stand on their shoulders because they were there first and they helped boost us up and we are helping todays generation, she said.
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday laid the foundation stone of a new Assam House here and said the new premises will serve the patients and students of the state.

Sarma said the construction of the new Assam House in Dwarka  the third state guest house in the national capital  will be completed within 18 months.

The new Assam House will cater to the needs of patients and students while the other two will be used by officials, he said at the event.

A large number of patients from Assam visit Delhi regularly for treatment for various ailments while a sizeable number of students belonging to the state also study in the national capital.

The new Assam House will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 21.66 crore on a plot measuring 1,000 square metres and will consist of three basements and ground plus four floors.

It will have one VVIP suite, 18 guest rooms, 13 dormitory beds, one 2 BHK unit and two one BHK units for resident staff.

It will have facilities like a cafeteria, reception and lounge, kitchen, common toilets, car parking, passenger lifts and car lifts, according to an official release by the Assam government.

The old Assam House and the Assam Bhavan are located in Chanakyapuri.

The old Assam House on Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi Marg was reconstructed a few years ago while the Assam Bhavan on Sardar Patel Marg is being demolished and in its place a new one will come up. It's construction will start in June.

The chief minister said the state government has created assets in major metropolitan cities and Assam Houses will come up in Vellore and Bangalore while the existing one in Kolkata is being demolished and a new one will be constructed in its place.

A new Assam House was constructed in Chennai sometime ago.

Sarma said the state government has acquired land in Mumbai for a project to showcase Assam's cultural heritage such as Kamakhya temple, Batadrava than, Rangghar, namghar while it is searching for a suitable plot of land in the national capital for such a project.

He said the days of agitation and protests in Assam are over with the state moving ahead with several infrastructure projects like roads, flyovers and bridges under various stages of construction.

He said the state government has decided to construct 24 medical colleges out of which 12 have been already completed.
Varanasi (UP), Apr 22 (PTI) The Vishva Hindu Parishad on Saturday said the "haste" with which the Supreme Court is disposing of the petitions for legal recognition to same-sex marriages is not appropriate and it should have sought the opinion of religious leaders and experts from diverse fields.

VHP Joint General Secretary Surendra Jain expressed apprehension the top court's actions could lead to "new disputes".

A five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud is hearing a batch of pleas seeking legal sanction for same-sex marriage. It began hearing the matter on Tuesday and the arguments remained inconclusive on the third consecutive day on Thursday. The arguments will resume on April 24.

On Thursday, the top court said it may be redefining the "evolving notion of marriage" as the next step after decriminalising consensual homosexual relationship, which implicitly recognised that same-sex people could live in a stable marriage-like relationship.

"The haste with which the honourable Supreme Court is disposing off the petitions for recognition of same-sex marriage is not appropriate in any way. This will give rise to new disputes and will also prove to be dangerous for the culture of India," Jain said.

"Hence, before proceeding ahead on this subject, the honourable Supreme Court should have taken the opinion of the religious leaders, people from the field of medicine, social scientists and academicians by forming a committee," he told reporters here.

Jain said the subject of marriage is governed by different civil codes.

"None of the civil codes prevailing in India gives permission for this (same-sex marriage). Does the Supreme Court want to make a change in these?" he said.

Ram Narayan Dwivedi of Kashi Vidvat Parishad, Govind Sharma of Ganga Mahasabha and Mahant Balak Das of Dharma Parishad also spoke at the press conference.

During Thursday's hearing, the Supreme Court did not agree to the contention that unlike heterosexuals, same-sex couples cannot take proper care of their children.

Referring to its 2018 judgment that decriminalised consensual gay sex, the court said it led to a situation where two consenting homosexual adults can live in a marriage-like relationship and the next step could be to validate their relationship as marriage.

"Therefore, by decriminalising homosexuality we have not just recognised the relationship between consenting adults of the same gender, we have also recognised implicitly the fact that the people who are of same sex could be in a stable relationship, it said.
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) Sri Lankan envoy Milinda Moragoda gifted to India two paintings depicting the arrival of Emperor Ashoka's son and daughter in the country, officials here said on Saturday.

The paintings, replicas of the original paintings at a temple located close to the Sri Lankan capital Colombo, will be housed at the National Gallery of Modern Art (NGMA), they said.

Union Minister of State for Culture and External Affairs Meenakshi Lekhi received the paintings at the NGMA, a senior official said.

Sri Lankan High Commissioner Milinda Moragoda accompanied a group of senior monks from the country, led by Most Venerable Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Mahanayake Thero, to hand over the two paintings depicting the arrival of Ashoka's son Mahendra and his daughter Sangamitra in Sri Lanka, she said.

The NGMA, located in Jaipur House near India Gate, comes under the purview of the Union Ministry of Culture.

The handover ceremony took place on the sidelines of the two-day Global Buddhist Summit that ended on Friday.

The Sri Lankan delegation to the Global Buddhist Summit was present, along with Mahabodhi Society representatives.

The minister later hosted them over lunch and 'Theravada meal' was served to the delegates at her office, the officials said.

Lekhi mentioned the close historical, cultural and traditional relationship between Sri Lanka and India, especially in the context of Buddhism.

While highlighting the ancient linkage between the two countries, Lekhi emphasised that this relationship should be "further strengthened by future generations over centuries".

She described the pictures in detail, explaining how the king in Sri Lanka received Ashoka's son and daughter. Lekhi thanked the Sri Lankan delegation and the high commissioner for their contribution to the NGMA. Some of the monks gifted books on Buddhism to Lekhi, said the officials.

The delegation was "elated" over the minister's decision to do "something more concrete" on the Buddhist network between Sri Lanka and India in the coming months and years, the official said.

Lekhi also tweeted about the paintings being gifted and also shared some pictures.

"Happy to unveil the beautiful murals painted by Solias Mendis and presented by @SLinIndia on the sidelines of the Global Buddhist Summit," she tweeted.

"The murals showcase historical events marking the advent of Buddhism in Sri Lanka and reflects the strong civilisational bonds between our two countries," she added.

"The paintings as part of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka depicts the arrival of King Ashokas son, Mahendra, and his daughter, Sangamitra, to Sri Lanka," she added in her tweet.

Ashoka, also referred to as Ashoka the Great, was an emperor of the Mauryan Empire whose capital was located in ancient Pataliputra (current day Patna). He had sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sangamitra to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism.
New Delhi, Apr 22 (PTI) A fire broke out on Saturday morning at Vikas Bhawan near ITO in central Delhi, officials said.

According to a fire official, the department received information regarding the fire around 8.30 am.

Four fire tenders were rushed to the spot to douse the flames, he said.
Thane, Apr 22 (PTI) Police have arrested two female agents at Kalyan in Maharashtra's Thane district for allegedly pushing women into flesh trade, an official said on Saturday.

The arrest was made following a raid conducted at a local lodge on April 20, said Mahesh Patil, senior inspector at the Anti-Human Trafficking Cell of the city police.

"The police raided the lodge based on a tip-off and arrested the two women agents. During the operation, the police rescued a woman and a teenager," he said.

The case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and others was registered against the accused women at the Mahatma Phule Chowk police station in Kalyan.
Nagpur, Apr 22 (PTI) A 22-year-old woman was killed after being hit by a truck in Beltarodi area of Nagpur city on Saturday morning, police said.

Puja Mahesh Pethe, resident of Khapri area, was heading for MIHAN on her two-wheeler when a speeding truck hit her on the stretch of road between Khapti Chowk and Panjari around 8.30 am.

She was rushed to the Government Medical College and Hospital where the doctors declared her dead on arrival, said a police official.

A case of rash and negligent driving was registered against the truck driver who was yet to be arrested.
CHAIA ELWELL, Chariho, Girls Lacrosse, Junior; Elwell, a junior, scored the 100th goal of her career in a loss to North Kingstown. Elwell also had seven goals in a win against Smithfield.

CAM ELENTENY, Stonington, Boys Lacrosse, Senior; Elenteny scored seven goals and had six assists in a pair of Stonington wins. Stonington is unbeaten this season with a 7-0 record.

ZACH MINER, Westerly, Baseball, Sophomore; Miner pitched out of two jams to help the Bulldogs get past Narragansett. Miner allowed one run after entering the game with the bases loaded and no outs in the fourth inning. In the seventh, he ended the game with a strikeout with two runners on base.

ADDIE STANLEY, Wheeler, Softball, Sophomore; Stanley homered, doubled and drove in a pair of runs in a Wheeler win against Tourtellotte. Stanley was 3 for 3 for the Lions.

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The UK car market is going to look very different in the next few years as an influx of new brands - primarily from China and the US - begin selling electric vehicles to British customers.

But have you heard of any of them?

Less than half of potential car buyers are aware of new up-and-coming brands, some of which are already here in the UK and selling thousands of cars a year, a report has found.

Companies including BYD, GWM Ora and Polestar are among those that have established themselves in Britain but many motorists are oblivious to - and a wave of fresh badges are set to enter the market in the coming months that drivers might want to know more about.

We've given you a brief rundown of each marque so you know what's coming...

Have you heard of these electric vehicle newcomers breaking into the UK market? More than half of car-buying Britons don't know they exist - here's your chance to find out more about each one

What Car? has polled 1,033 'in-market' buyers in recent weeks and found that 53 per cent had never heard of any of the ten new car makers.

The brands put in front of drivers to identify included Aiways, BYD, Chery, Lucid, Lynk & Co, Nio, Ora, Polestar, Rivian and Fisker.

The best-known brand among the ten surveyed was Polestar, which 44.5 per cent of respondents had heard of.

Polestar should top the standings, and understandably expect more motorists to know of them.

The Volvo spin-off brand - which is also owned by Chinese mega company Geely - has been selling vehicles in Britain since 2018. Its Polestar2 family saloon was the seventh most-bought electric car in the UK last year, with 7,345 registrations in total.

Order books have also opened for its Polestar3 SUV and the company has this week confirmed its new Polestar4 crossover, which has no rear windscreen and is the fastest EV it has brought to market yet.

Of the 10 new brands either selling cars in Britain already or due to do so shortly, US firm Fisker was the next company the highest proportion of survey respondents knew (12.5 per cent).

Its first EV, the Fisker Ocean, is due to go on sale in Britain before the end of the year, with starting prices for the impressive battery-powered electric family car expected to start from just under 35,000.

The next best-known new brand - with just 10.7 per cent of drivers aware of it - is American firm Rivian, which is already taking its domestic market by storm with its battery powered SUV and pick-up models.

The 10 little-known new electric car brands: Percentage of drivers who have heard of each Aiways: 0.9% BYD: 8.2% Chery: 1.6% Lucid: 4.8% Lynk & Co: 3.3% Nio: 7.1% Ora: 6.4% Polestar: 44.5% Rivian: 10.7% Fisker: 12.6% None of the above: 53.0% Source: What Car? poll of 1,033 in-market car buyers

China's BYD, which already sells more EVs globally than Tesla and recently opened orders for the Atto 3 in the UK, was familiar to just 8.2 per cent of respondents.

Similarly, just 6.4 per cent of those taking part in the poll said they had heard of Ora before, which launched the Funky Cat supermini earlier this year in the UK.

The marque is a sub-brand of China's Great Wall Motor group, which has recently signed a partnership deal with Mini to produce its next-generation electric hatchback in Baoding, China.

Aiways, which has announced plans to sell vehicles in the UK shortly, was the least-known brand, with less than 1 per cent of the car-buying public recognising its name.

With so many fresh marques set to flood the British market in the run-up to 2030, when a the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars comes in, What Car? also wanted to gauge public opinion on whether they would want to buy from a little-known brand.

While 62 per cent had no preference, more than a third (36 per cent) said they'd prefer to buy from a traditional manufacturer, and just 2.3 per cent from a relative newcomer.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: 'Our data highlights just how hard it will be for new entrants to break into the new car market in the UK, as they have to build up a strong brand reputation as well as convincing buyers of the quality and value of their products.

'However, some of the cars we have tested from emerging brands such as Polestar and BYD have shown considerable quality. Canny buyers will continue to survey third-party reviews to ascertain which of the newcomers has the potential to spring a surprise and shake-up the established order.'

THE UK'S 10 ELECTRIC CAR NEWCOMERS

Aiways

Nationality: China

Coming to Britain: This year

Aiways already has its European headquarters in Germany. Bosses have spoken in recent months about launching in the UK in 2023, with the U5 SUV (pictured) likely to be sold first

Chinese firm Aiways said last year that it intends to enter the UK market in 2023, having already established itself in Germany, which is the location for its European headquarters.

Backed by technology companies Foxconn and Tencent, its factory in Shangrao, China, has the capacity to produce around 300,000 vehicles per year and the firm already has its own R&D centre and battery plant.

The first model that is likely to be seen on UK roads is its U5.

The SUV has been one of its best-selling cars in China since 2018, with a 63kWh battery and range of around 250 miles.

BYD

Nationality: China

Coming to Britain: Arrived this year

The Atto 3 is the first model from BYD to go on sale in Britain earlier this year - and first deliveries began arriving in March

The newest kid on the EV block in Britain is China's BYD.

It is among the biggest global car companies that has entered the UK market this year with the impressive Atto 3 family SUV.

Deliveries to UK customers started last month, with the 'face' of the new car - and others in the range set to follow - deliberately modelled on that of a Chinese dragon.

The initials BYD stand, rather unselfconsciously, for 'Build Your Dreams', which is emblazoned across the rear hatchback.

But BYD is not just a car company. It is a huge industrial conglomerate, set up in 1995, which now builds everything from buses to trains, has a turnover of more than 51billion and employs more than 600,000 people.

Chery

Nationality: China

Coming to Britain: 2024

The Omoda 5 SUV is expected to be the first Chery model sold in the UK, and it could be coming as early as next year

Another EV newcomer newcomer expected to emerge on the UK scene in the next few months is Chery.

The Chinese car giant is expected to launch the Omoda 5 crossover in Britain from early 2024, which will be the first in a line of style-focused EV models it has planned for our roads.

However, it will not exclusively be an electric car, with expectations that it will also be sold with a petrol engine.

While you have likely not heard of it, Chery is a serious global player. It sells around half a million cars to markets including Asia, Australia, Africa, Latin American and the Middle East.

British car maker, Jaguar Land Rover, partners with Chery currently, with the Chinese manufacturer responsible for making a range of its cars for its domestic market. That includes the Evoque and Discovery Sport SUVs.

Lucid

Nationality: USA

Coming to Britain: This year

Lucid is set to start shipping the new Air luxury electric saloon to the European market, with Germany getting cars ahead of us Britons

The Lucid Air made its UK debut last year and set plenty of tongues wagging in the process.

The sleek all-electric luxury saloon car - the first model from the American brand - was driven on the hill course at the 2022 Goodwood Festival of Speed. Piloted by Top Gear's former Stig, Ben Collins, it whooshed up the course in 50.78 seconds and was beaten only by racing machines rather than family motors you can buy for the road.

First examples for the European market are on sale in Germany, with right-hand drive examples expected for UK customers sometime this year.

It will be priced from around 60,000 and go into direct competition with the Tesla Model S and Mercedes EQS and offer plenty of performance incentives to make motorists consider it.

That includes a range of up to 520 miles and cars packing up to 1,100bhp that will be able to sprint to 60mph in around 2.5 seconds.

Lynk & Co

Nationality: Sweden/China

Coming to Britain: 2024

The first model available from Chinese-owned Lynk & Co is the 01 SUV pictured. It is already available in some European countries with 95% of customers using the brand's monthly subscription services rather than purchasing outright

Lynk & Co is a Swedish-founded brand under the Chinese Geely's banner, which is the parent group of Volvo, Polestar and the rejuvenated Lotus marque.

Its first car likely to go on sale will not be fully electric though. The 01 SUV is a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid that's already on sale in seven European countries, including Germany, Spain and Sweden. The firm says it should enter the UK market next year.

What makes the business different is not its cars but how you own them - or not, as the case is. While you can buy its vehicles outright, around 95 per cent of its cars are on subscription, costing around 500 (402) a month. This includes insurance, tax and maintenance and covers the driver for up to 1,250 kilometres (776 miles) each month.

It is flexible too, with customers able to cancel the subscription on a monthly basis. It is also unlikely to have any dealership either, with an online-only service.

NIO

Nationality: China

Coming to Britain: This year

NIO is a Chinese electric car maker that's already selling vehicles in Norway - and has recently broken into the top 25 most popular brands there

Another Chinese car brand that is likely to arrive on the UK scene very shortly is NIO.

The exclusively-electric vehicle manufacturer already has a line-up of premium models, including the ET5 and EL7 saloons and ET7 and ES8 SUV - some of which have already gone on sale in Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.

In fact, NIO has recently broken into the top 25 best-selling brands in Norway.

It has said it will have three Tesla-rivalling models available in the UK in 2023, all of them available on subscription.

Based on the price in Norway, Britons would expect to have to fork out between 50,000 and 60,000 for the two models already on sale there.

The company is extensively exploring battery-swap network, with plans for dedicated battery stations where owners can drive up and switch their depleted packs for one that is fully charged. By 2025, it wants to have 4,000 of these stations worldwide.

GWM Ora (Great Wall Motor)

Nationality: China

Coming to Britain: Arrived last year

The Ora Funky Cat is a compact electric hatchback is already available to order in the UK. Ora is the first brand under the Chinese Great Wall group sold in Britain

Great Wall Motor is one of the expanding automotive groups from China that is already selling cars in the UK - and its first model has a pretty special name.

It is from its Ora brand and is called the Funky Cat. The compact electric hatchback costs from 31,995 and has already signed a dealership network deal with major players including Lookers and Peter Vardy.

By the end of March, official figures show it has shifted just 214 examples so far this year.

Only 'First Edition' models are currently on sale with a 48kWh battery offering an official range up to 193 miles. They are compatible with 80kW charging devices meaning they can be replenished to 80 per cent capacity in around 50 minutes. A 63kWh battery model with a range of up to 261 miles is expected to follow.

The UK side of the business is said to be trying to establish a nationwide network of retailers that will scale up as the brand grows. In the meantime, customers can order via its website - a feature that will remain even when it has a dealer network.

Polestar

Nationality: Sweden/China

Coming to Britain: Arrived in 2019

Polestar - Volvo's EV spin-off brand - first entered the UK market in 2019 with the high-performance Polestar1. But it is the Polestar2 saloon (pictured) that has seen it become a growing success in Britain in the last two years

Polestar was originally the performance arm of Volvo, but the name has been rebranded into the Swedish firm's EV subsidiary.

Under the watchful eye of parent group Geely, it has hit the UK market running with the Polestar 2 - its compact executive saloon to rival the Tesla Model 3.

It first entered Britain's market in 2019 with the Polestar 1 - and ultra-exclusive (just 1,500 available) sporty plug-in hybrid with a premium price tag of 139,000.

The '2' was the UK's seventh most-bought EV in 2022 with just over 7,300 registrations, which is some achievement for a relative newcomer.

So far this year, another 3,522 have been bought, which is putting the brand on course for a record year of sales.

The addition of the Polestar 3 SUV and just-unveiled Polestar 4 crossover should help cement the company's name in the UK.

Rivian

Nationality: USA

Coming to Britain: TBC

Rivian has spoken openly about bringing its all-electric off-roaders to the UK market. It currently sells the R1T pick-up and R1S SUV (pictured) in the US and will soon break into the European market

Rivian is an all-electric brand that has just started a serious assault on its home market in the US.

It sells an all-electric pick-up called the R1T and a passenger SUV version called the R1S. Both have a claimed range of around 315 miles. They are not cheap, with prices starting around $67,500 for the R1T, which at current exchange rates is around 54,500.

With trucks big business in America, the relative newcomer has gazumped the Tesla Cybertruck and joins the Ford F150 Lightning as a battery-only workhorse. However, there might not be the same level of demand in the UK, where pick-ups remain relatively niche.

Plan are to sell in Europe soon and bosses previously said they intend to come to the UK with right-hand-drive cars in 2022, though those intentions appear to have been delayed, for the meantime at least.

Fisker

Nationality: USA

Coming to Britain: This year

The Fisker Ocean is an American-designed electric SUV due to hit the UK market shortly. It will be a cut-price alternative to a Tesla Model Y and is packed with tech and smart features

Californian-based car maker Fisker wants to take the UK by storm in 2023 when it introduces its first fully-electric family model to our shores with a pretty reasonable price tag.

The Fisker Ocean SUV will go into direct competition with the Tesla Model Y when it arrives here early in 2023, offering a starting price just under 35,000 - around 10,000 less than Elon Musk's compact crossover.

Like Lynk & Co, the Ocean will be available for outright purchase via Fisker, or ran on a subscription basis through Onto, which is already available in the UK and offers a pay-monthly service covering charging, insurance, servicing and other running costs.

The cheapest Ocean with a claimed range of 275 miles will cost 34,990, though there are two other specifications likely available to UK customers with prices up to 60,000 and boosting range to 390 miles.

Standing it apart from rivals is the option of two different battery materials - lithium-ion for the entry model and nickel-manganese-cobalt cells for the longer-range all-wheel drive examples. It is also the first car to be sold in Britain with a 'Doggie Window' - a rear windscreen panel that can be dropped down like a side window to give pooches in the boot some fresh air.

Models produced for our market are being built at Magnas factory in Graz, Austria.
Shepperton Studios is home to some of the UK's best-known films and TV series  from Downton Abbey to Anatomy Of A Scandal. Used by film-makers across the globe, as well as streaming giants such as Netflix and Amazon, Shepperton has just completed a 500 million expansion project, transforming it into the second-largest production site in the world.

The project highlights Britain's growing stature in high-end film and TV production, an industry worth more than 6 billion last year, with further increases projected for some time to come.

Steel group Billington Holdings was instrumental in making the Shepperton upgrade happen. Based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, Billington turns raw steel into finished products used by top contractors across the UK. The shares are 4.15 and should head higher under no-nonsense chief executive Mark Smith.

Studio hit: Anatomy Of A Scandal, with Sienna Miller and Rupert Friend, and Shepperton

Billington was formed just after the Second World War with the opening of a single steel fabrication shop.

Since then, the company has become recognised for its engineering expertise and high-quality workmanship, making complex steel structures, as well as specialist coatings, safety barriers and hoardings.

The building trade is a cyclical business and some areas have been pretty depressed of late. Smith has steered Billington into high-growth fields, including renewable energy, data centres, online warehouses and media production.

Having supplied the steel for Shepperton, the company is involved in a major new project for production giant Sunset Studios. Traditionally based in Hollywood, Sunset is spending around 700 million on a studio in Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, a site expected to bring thousands of jobs to the area  and plenty of work for Billington too.

Other Billington customers include the likes of Amazon, Google and Microsoft  American tech giants all spending heavily on state-of-the-art facilities over here.

Smith has also tilted Billington in a green direction, building energy-from-waste plants, including Newhurst, a pioneering site near Leicester, expected to take 350,000 tons of household waste a year and turn it into energy for some 80,000 homes.

All these activities helped Billington deliver sparkling results for 2022, unveiled last week. Revenues rose 5 per cent to 87 million but profits soared more than fourfold from 1.3 million to 5.8 million, while the dividend was increased more than five-fold, from 3p to 15.5p.

Smith is optimistic about the future too. Billington's order book has doubled since last year, with the pipeline virtually full for 2023 and the first half of 2024 filling up fast.

Keen to expand still further, Smith has undertaken an 11.5 million, three-year investment programme, taking full advantage of the Government's super-deduction tax incentive scheme, designed to encourage businesses to invest in growth.

Once complete, the programme will allow Billington to deliver goods more speedily and effectively than ever before, with top-notch machinery and equipment. At the same time, the company is expanding its workforce, up 10 per cent last year to 450 people and likely to increase again from here on in.

Recent years have been tough for Billington. The pandemic hit business activity hard. The Ukraine war sent costs soaring and upended steel supplies, as much of the UK construction industry relied on raw material from the now Russian-occupied city of Mariupol.

Reputation: Shepperton has just completed a 500 million expansion project, transforming it into the second-largest production site in the world

Smith and his team have steered through these challenges with a blend of nous, ingenuity and true grit. Alternative sources for steel have been identified, cost pressures have been addressed and a training school is planned to equip young people with the skills that Billington needs.

Brokers expect a 30 per cent increase in sales to 115 million in 2023, with profits up to 8 million and a chunky hike in the dividend to 20p. Further growth should follow and the group is actively looking for acquisitions, to complement existing business lines.

Midas verdict: Billington is a well-run, highly regarded business, specialising in robust sectors of the economy. At 4.15, the shares should go far  and the dividend provides an attractive income stream too.

Traded on: AIM Ticker: BILN Contact: billington-holdings.plc.uk or 01226 340 666
A raft of big British companies have quit the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) following fresh criminal allegations involving the business lobby group.

FTSE 100 insurance giants Aviva and Phoenix Group, as well as the industry's body, the Association of British Insurers (ABI), have stopped their membership 'with immediate effect', while accounting group PwC 'suspended all activity' with the CBI.

A spokesperson for Aviva, whose chief executive Amanda Blanc faced sexist remarks from shareholders last year, said the group had terminated its membership as it believed the CBI was no longer able to represent British businesses.

Deepening crisis: The CBI is facing a raft of membership cancellations after serious allegations

It follows fresh reports in the Guardian that a second woman has come forward with claims she was raped by two male colleagues while working at the CBI.

The ABI, which counts around 200 members across the UK, retirement giant Phoenix and 20billion pension scheme the People's Partnership also said they had quit the CBI with 'immediate effect'.

A spokesperson for ABI said it had become 'untenable' to retain its membership 'in light of further serious allegations'.

A spokesman for savings and retirement giant Phoenix said: 'Further to the allegations reported this morning, we have taken the decision to resign our membership of the CBI with immediate effect.'

Earlier this week, the British Insurance Brokers' Association, which represents 1,800 insurance brokers and intermediaries, also announced it had ripped up its CBI membership card.

But insurers are not the only firms to have quit the CBI - telecoms group Virgin Media O2 and payments giant Mastercard also said they had cut ties with the lobby group.

Banking giant NatWest, which had previously paused its activity with the CBI and is run by Alison Rose, announced it had also terminated its membership.

Accounting company EY quit too, while PwC said it had 'suspended all activity' with the CBI after the 'multiple horrific allegations hanging over its head'.

John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, said: 'Due to the further very serious and ongoing allegations made relating to the CBI, we have decided to end our membership with immediate effect.'

Britain's biggest retailer Tesco said last week it would wait for the findings from the law firm conducting an internal investigation - set to be published later today - before commenting, a plan echoed by asset manager Abrdn on Friday.

'Like other members, we await the outcome of the current review, and look forward to understanding the CBI's plans for dealing with the issues that have emerged,' an abrdn spokesperson said.

Aviva, whose chief executive Amanda Blanc (pictured) faced sexist remarks from shareholders at last year's annual general meeting, said the insurance group had terminated its membership

Supermarkets Lidl and Asda are also 'pausing engagement' and reviewing their CBI membership, according to The Times, while oil giant Shell, banking group Lloyds and consumer giant Reckitt are among other firms to have reportedly put their membership on hold.

The crisis at the scandal-hit CBI deepened yesterday as it passed fresh information to police and warned 'further serious allegations' are set to come to light.

City of London Police were already investigating the previous rape allegation, alongside a series of other misconduct allegations from around a dozen workers.

It came a day after a row between its leaders and sacked former boss Tony Danker burst into the open.

In response to the latest allegations, the CBI president Brian McBride said: 'The latest allegations put to us by The Guardian are abhorrent and our hearts go out to any women who have been victims of the behaviour described.

'While the CBI was not previously aware of the most serious allegations, it is vital that they are thoroughly investigated now and we are liaising closely with the police to help ensure any perpetrators are brought to justice.

'We recognise the substance of the harassment report outlined as relating to an allegation made and investigated in January 2018.

'The finding of harassment was upheld and a sanction was imposed.

'However, the CBI does not recognise many of the most serious elements of The Guardian story relating to harassment, including the assertion that the individual had told the CBI of feelings of a sexual and violent nature towards the victim; and that he had followed her home.'
In late March, a Colorado woman emptied ashes out of her fireplace and set them on the side of her barn. They smoldered for a few days, and when the wind picked up the still-hot embers ignited, and 1,559 acres went up in flames in what became the 403 fire.

A couple of weeks later, an 83-year-old man in the same neck of the woods for some unknown reason decided to get up and burn weeds with a propane burner, said Park County Sheriff Tom McGraw.

The man did that despite there being an area fire ban prohibiting open flames, ashes or heat sources.

The octogenarian now is facing a felony arson charge, as his actions sparked a 41-acre wildfire in the Badger Creek area near Hartsel, which burned a residents truck and injured a firefighter with a superficial burn, McGraw said.

They were trying to stop the fire from reaching the neighbors house, which they did save, McGraw said.

We had 65 firefighters  federal, state and local  a helicopter dumping water, two tankers making dumps, multi-mission aircraft telling us which direction the fire was going, and thousands and thousands of dollars spent, he said.

Wildfire town hall on Tuesday The Colorado Springs Fire Department will host a Living with Wildfire town hall from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Pulpit Rock Church, 301 Austin Bluffs Parkway. Residents living in the wildland urban interface will discuss wildfire risk in their neighborhood and learn how to mitigate their homes, what to do to prepare for evacuation and other prevention and safety tips. The educational session will focus on residents of Sunset Mesa, Falcon Estates, Woodman Valley, Pulpit Rock, Pine Creek Estates, Rockrimmon, Thunderbird Estates, Cragmor, Garden Ranch, Palmer Park and Rustic Hills. Meetings for other neighborhoods also are scheduled. Go to www.coswildfireready.org/town-hall-series to find other dates and locations.

Also this month, authorities reported that a hunters campfire was the source of a wildfire near the Beulah Valley west of Pueblo, which burned 50 acres.

The origins of other recent fires in Colorado have yet to be announced, but theres a good chance they began unintentionally or intentionally at human hands.

Whether through apathy, ignorance or plain old stupidity, humans are the cause of 85% to 90% of wildfires in the United States, according to the U.S. Forest Service and the National Interagency Fire Center.

Its frustrating, said Colorado Springs Fire Marshal Brett Lacey.

When I speak to the public, what Ill typically say is the top three causes of our wildfires are men, women and children, he said.

While Im adding a little levity, the fact is it comes down to improper behavior.

People are negligent when building campfires, handling barbecue grills, discarding cigarette butts, disposing of ashes, letting metal drag from vehicles, welding outdoors and just plain messing around with fire, Lacey said.

We're in a populated area, and we have people that are careless with fire and tons of combustible fuel sources, he said.

When dry, hot, windy weather conditions persist, as over the past month, fire is on every Coloradans mind.

The nation saw 66,255 wildfires in 2022, which burned 7.6 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Of those fires, the agency lists 61,429 as human caused.

In Colorado, about half of the states 5.8 million residents are said to live in areas at risk for wildfire.

Thats why it's important to mitigate personal property and take precautions, to give firefighters a fighting chance to defend structures, said U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell.

She and other fire officials went on a three-city tour last week to advocate for wildfire prevention and release a new report on the nations challenges.

We have a wildfire problem, Moore-Merrell said.

Not much can be done about lightning or coal-seam fires that burn underground and can become wildfire sources in forests and on treed land that interfaces with developed urban property, said McGraw.

But human-caused fires are preventable, he said.

We put a lot of resources into these fires, and the final thing is that our beautiful forests are burnt, he said. If youve ever looked at the aftermath of a wildfire, its just devastating.

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Anyone who starts a fire or violates a fire ban can be criminally charged with a misdemeanor or felony offense, depending on the amount of property damage and injuries.

Were going to go after everybody who has a violation, McGraw said.

So, if while camping this summer, you light a campfire, a strong wind rises and suddenly the forest is ablaze, youve committed arson, he said.

Courts also can impose the monetary amount it cost to fight the fire, in terms of manpower and apparatus used.

Whether people actually pay is another matter, McGraw said. But we try to get local firefighting reimbursed. An individual who started a fire (in Park County) three years ago is still paying restitution.

Whoever started the Waldo Canyon fire, which began 11 years ago in June and burned 346 homes, has yet to be found.

But Colorado Springs police havent given up. Tips continue to come into the police department, said spokesman Robert Tornabene.

This is still an active and open homicide investigation, he said.

Two people died while trying to evacuate their home during the fire, which authorities believe was started by a human.

There is always hope to solve this investigation, as all it takes is one tip with good information, Tornabene said.

The Black Forest fire, which will mark its 10th anniversary on June 11, also was determined to be human caused, with no suspect identified.

People need to be cautious, McGraw said. If we have a fire ban, theres a reason for it.

His county issued $30,000 in fire ban tickets in 2021, which carry a charge of $500 for a first-time violation, $750 for a second and $1,000 after that for the same person or incident.

We were very aggressive on it, that year was a dry season, McGraw said.

This summer's forecast is difficult to predict, said Kyle Mozley, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

After three years of a La Nina weather pattern, which typically brings drier, hotter air, the nation is entering an El Nino trend, which usually results in wetter conditions, he said.

The atmosphere globally is in a rapid change right now, switching to the El Nino phase, and during that transition, there can be some uncertainty as far as how things look into the future because other patterns may influence it, he said.

March came in like a lion, though, and the beast has stuck around.

In recent weeks, the number of red-flag warning days for certain parts of the state, including El Paso, Teller and Park counties, has been as high as the above-normal temperatures and wind gusts. When coupled with low moisture and humidity, the alert means wildfires can spread quickly.

The red-flag alert indicates weather and fuel conditions are critical for fire danger.

Weve been in a pretty persistent pattern, Mozley said.

Not all of Colorado is in the same pattern, though. The San Luis Valleys Sangre de Cristo Range and Wet Mountains and the plains of Colorado are very dry, he said. While the Continental Divide, San Juans and Sawatch mountains are snow-packed, Mozley noted.

Some are counting on El Nino to look with favor on Colorado this summer.

With El Nino coming, were going to miss the superhigh temperatures  but we may also miss some of the moisture," said Lacey, the fire marshal.

Our bigger concern is we have such unhealthy and overgrown forests that fires that do start will behave much more erratically than in the past.
The boss of a former member of the Confederation of British Industry claims the business organisation has 'probably run its course' after a second rape allegation was made.

Adnams Brewery chief executive Andy Wood said continued membership of the CBI was 'untenable and unsustainable' after a string of companies and trade bodies withdrew on Friday.

Last night, the CBI said it would 'suspend all policy and membership activity' and would put forward proposals for a 'refocused' industry body at a meeting in June.

Speaking out: Adnams Brewery chief executive Andy Wood said continued membership of the CBI was 'untenable and unsustainable'

It came after a second unnamed employee of the organisation alleged in a Guardian article on Friday that she had been raped by a colleague.

Mr Wood told BBC Radio 4s Today programme: 'Theres a human story here and we greatly regret the experience that these young and vulnerable people have had with these alleged events that went on, it sounds truly horrific.

'I think business has said, and Adnams has said, enough is enough, and a tsunami of resignations, suspensions and terminations yesterday I think is evidence of that.

'Were are an organisation that takes its culture and its values really seriously, and its just totally untenable and unsustainable to remain members.'

He added: 'I think there are lessons to all leaders to (ask): "when people arent looking, how does your organisation behave? We have to all take note of whats happening here".'

Mr Wood credited the CBI with being 'right at the heart' of the furlough scheme which saved millions of jobs during the pandemic, but added that as an organisation 'conceived in the 1960s' it had 'probably run its course.'

This week, NatWest, the John Lewis Partnership, Vodafone, BMW, Aviva, and Virgin Media O2 were among the companies announced they were terminating their membership of the business group.

Other major employers, including Tesco, Meta, Sainsburys, Asda, Lloyds Banking Group, Unilever, and Shell, announced they were suspending all activity with the lobbying group.

Update: On Friday the CBI said it would 'suspend all policy and membership activity' until June

Earlier this month, the Government said it would pause all engagement with the CBI after initial reports of misconduct at the group.

Baroness Patience Wheatcroft, a former non-executive director of Barclays, told Times Radio: 'Its very hard to see that it has a positive future, Im afraid.

'This organisation has presided over the most extraordinary culture by the sound of it.

'Its very hard to imagine an organisation where not one but two allegations of rape are now being investigated, and I think it makes it nigh-on impossible for the CBI to do the job that its there to do.'

She added: 'I think its time for a total rethink, not just by the CBI of what it does but a rethink of how business is represented and lobbies government.

'The CBI is having to accept itself that it was clearly deeply flawed and now its looking for a new sense of direction they probably need to disband.'

In the Guardian report, a woman claimed the alleged rape took place while she was unconscious following a night out while working at a CBI office abroad.

It is the second rape claim made by a woman at the organisation.

Previously, a member of staff alleged that she was attacked by a manager on a summer boat party in 2019.

Details of the new rape allegation have been passed to police.

City of London Police were already investigating the previous allegation, alongside a series of other misconduct claims from about a dozen workers.

Separately, former CBI director-general Tony Danker was sacked last week after being accused of making unwanted contact with a woman who works for the organisation.

On Wednesday, he said his reputation had been 'totally destroyed' by the allegation and claimed he had been made a 'fall guy' for a wider crisis.

Mr Danker told the BBC his name had been wrongly associated with separate claims, including the rapes which allegedly happened before he joined the CBI.

After initial allegations, the business group also suspended three other employees and hired law firm Fox Williams to carry out an internal investigation.

In a statement on Friday, the CBI board said: 'We want to properly understand from our colleagues, members, experts and stakeholders how they envisage our future role and purpose.

'As a result, we have taken the difficult but necessary decision to suspend all policy and membership activity until an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in June.

'At the EGM we will put forward proposals for a refocused CBI to our membership for them to decide on the future role and purpose of the organisation.

'This work and the cultural reform will be the entire and urgent focus of the organisation over the coming weeks.'
Enviva Inc. (NYSE:EVA  Get Rating) saw a large increase in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 6,300,000 shares, an increase of 8.1% from the March 15th total of 5,830,000 shares. Approximately 17.5% of the companys stock are sold short. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 697,700 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 9.0 days.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Enviva news, Director Gerrit Livingston Jr. Lansing bought 2,000 shares of Enviva stock in a transaction on Friday, March 24th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $27.38 per share, for a total transaction of $54,760.00. Following the acquisition, the director now directly owns 8,477 shares in the company, valued at $232,100.26. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. 13.30% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

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Hedge Funds Weigh In On Enviva

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bank of New York Mellon Corp acquired a new position in Enviva during the first quarter worth approximately $2,229,000. HighTower Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Enviva in the first quarter worth $518,000. Citigroup Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Enviva in the first quarter worth $103,000. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Enviva in the first quarter valued at $29,740,000. Finally, Raymond James Trust N.A. boosted its stake in shares of Enviva by 15.2% in the first quarter. Raymond James Trust N.A. now owns 3,575 shares of the energy companys stock valued at $283,000 after purchasing an additional 473 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 83.41% of the companys stock.

Enviva Stock Down 2.2 %

EVA stock opened at $22.22 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $1.50 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.55 and a beta of 0.99. Enviva has a 52 week low of $22.02 and a 52 week high of $88.04. The companys 50-day moving average price is $32.43 and its 200 day moving average price is $46.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.46 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 5.48.

Enviva (NYSE:EVA  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, March 1st. The energy company reported ($0.76) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.66 by ($1.42). Enviva had a negative return on equity of 20.29% and a negative net margin of 15.38%. The company had revenue of $239.31 million for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $443.54 million. On average, research analysts expect that Enviva will post -0.06 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Enviva Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, February 24th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, February 21st were given a $0.905 dividend. This represents a $3.62 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 16.29%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, February 17th. Envivas dividend payout ratio is presently -139.23%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

EVA has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Truist Financial dropped their price objective on shares of Enviva from $70.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on shares of Enviva from $61.00 to $44.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 3rd. Citigroup dropped their target price on shares of Enviva from $62.00 to $32.00 and set a buy rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Royal Bank of Canada dropped their target price on shares of Enviva from $63.00 to $32.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, Raymond James dropped their target price on shares of Enviva from $65.00 to $55.00 and set a strong-buy rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, two have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Enviva currently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $40.60.

About Enviva

(Get Rating)

Enviva, Inc engages in the production, process, and distribution of wood biomass to power generators. It offers wood pellets and wood chips which are used in coal-fired power generation and power plants. The company was founded on November 12, 2013 and is headquartered in Bethesda, MD.

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Flowers Foods, Inc. (NYSE:FLO  Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest in the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 7,150,000 shares, a drop of 5.8% from the March 15th total of 7,590,000 shares. Currently, 3.7% of the companys shares are short sold. Based on an average daily trading volume, of 2,240,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 3.2 days.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have recently issued reports on FLO shares. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price objective on Flowers Foods from $27.00 to $26.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 20th. StockNews.com began coverage on Flowers Foods in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock.

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Flowers Foods Stock Up 0.4 %

Shares of NYSE FLO opened at $27.16 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $27.47 and a 200-day moving average of $27.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.13, a current ratio of 1.43 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Flowers Foods has a 52-week low of $24.15 and a 52-week high of $30.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.74 billion, a PE ratio of 25.38 and a beta of 0.40.

Flowers Foods Announces Dividend

Flowers Foods ( NYSE:FLO Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Friday, February 10th. The company reported $0.23 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts consensus estimates of $0.23. The business had revenue of $1.08 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.10 billion. Flowers Foods had a net margin of 4.75% and a return on equity of 18.77%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 10.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.20 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Flowers Foods will post 1.25 EPS for the current year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 3rd were issued a $0.22 dividend. This represents a $0.88 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.24%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 2nd. Flowers Foodss dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 82.24%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Romano Brothers AND Company purchased a new stake in shares of Flowers Foods in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Spire Wealth Management lifted its position in Flowers Foods by 246.3% in the 4th quarter. Spire Wealth Management now owns 1,039 shares of the companys stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 739 shares in the last quarter. Fortis Capital Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in Flowers Foods in the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Ellevest Inc. lifted its position in Flowers Foods by 350.8% in the 3rd quarter. Ellevest Inc. now owns 1,722 shares of the companys stock worth $43,000 after buying an additional 1,340 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Altshuler Shaham Ltd purchased a new stake in Flowers Foods in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $45,000. 66.81% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Flowers Foods Company Profile

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Flowers Foods, Inc engages in the manufacture and sale of bakery products. The firm offers bakery foods for retail and food service customers in the United States. Its brands include Natures Own, Daves Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, Tastykake and Mrs. Freshleys. The company was founded by William Howard Flowers, Sr.

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Cellnex Telecom, S.A. (OTCMKTS:CLNXF  Get Rating) was the target of a significant drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,094,700 shares, a drop of 5.9% from the March 15th total of 3,289,400 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 50,100 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 61.8 days.

Cellnex Telecom Stock Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS:CLNXF opened at $42.37 on Friday. Cellnex Telecom has a 12-month low of $28.06 and a 12-month high of $51.11. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $39.45 and a 200 day simple moving average of $36.36.

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Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Royal Bank of Canada cut shares of Cellnex Telecom from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research report on Monday, January 23rd.

About Cellnex Telecom

Cellnex Telecom SA engages in the operation of wireless telecommunications and broadcasting infrastructures. Its business activities include rental of sites for telecom operators, broadcast infrastructure activity, and other network services. It operates through the following segments: Telecom Infrastructure Services, Broadcasting Infrastructure and Other Network Services.

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China Hongqiao Group Limited (OTCMKTS:CHHQF  Get Rating) was the recipient of a large decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 27,382,300 shares, a decline of 5.9% from the March 15th total of 29,101,200 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently ? days.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Separately, HSBC raised China Hongqiao Group from a reduce rating to a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th.

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China Hongqiao Group Price Performance

Shares of CHHQF stock opened at $1.03 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $0.93. China Hongqiao Group has a one year low of $0.93 and a one year high of $1.03.

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Echelon Wealth Partners reiterated their buy rating on shares of Dream Industrial REIT (TSE:DIR  Get Rating) in a research note released on Tuesday, PriceTargets.com reports. Echelon Wealth Partners also issued estimates for Dream Industrial REITs Q1 2023 earnings at $0.24 EPS, Q2 2023 earnings at $0.24 EPS, Q3 2023 earnings at $0.24 EPS, Q4 2023 earnings at $0.25 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $0.97 EPS, Q1 2024 earnings at $0.25 EPS, Q2 2024 earnings at $0.25 EPS, Q3 2024 earnings at $0.26 EPS, Q4 2024 earnings at $0.26 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $1.03 EPS.

Dream Industrial REIT Price Performance

Dream Industrial REIT has a 12-month low of C$8.08 and a 12-month high of C$9.49.

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Dream Industrial REIT (TSE:DIR  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 14th. The company reported C($0.12) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of C$0.23 by C($0.35). The business had revenue of C$98.87 million during the quarter.

Dream Industrial REIT Dividend Announcement

Dream Industrial REIT Company Profile

The business also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, April 28th will be paid a $0.058 dividend. This represents a $0.70 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of ?. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 27th.

(Get Rating)

Dream Industrial Real Estate Investment Trust is an open-ended investment trust. The Trusts objective is managing its business to provide growing cash flow and stable and sustainable returns, through adapting its strategy and tactics to changes in the real estate industry and the economy; building and maintaining a diversified, growth-oriented portfolio of light industrial properties in Canadian markets based on an established platform; providing predictable and sustainable cash distributions to unitholders while prudently managing its capital structure over time, and maintaining a REIT that satisfies the REIT exception under the specified investment flow-through (SIFT) legislation in order to provide certainty to unitholders with respect to taxation of distributions.

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Duke Energy Co. (NYSE:DUK  Get Rating)  Analysts at KeyCorp decreased their FY2026 earnings per share estimates for Duke Energy in a research report issued on Monday, April 17th. KeyCorp analyst S. Karp now expects that the utilities provider will post earnings of $6.70 per share for the year, down from their previous forecast of $6.78. The consensus estimate for Duke Energys current full-year earnings is $5.61 per share.

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Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 9th. The utilities provider reported $1.11 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.06 by $0.05. Duke Energy had a return on equity of 8.45% and a net margin of 9.11%. The business had revenue of $7.35 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $5.27 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $0.94 earnings per share. The businesss revenue was up 17.8% on a year-over-year basis.

Duke Energy Price Performance

DUK has been the topic of several other reports. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Duke Energy in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a hold rating on the stock. BMO Capital Markets lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $107.00 to $110.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, January 4th. Seaport Res Ptn raised Duke Energy from a sell rating to a neutral rating in a report on Friday, March 17th. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Duke Energy from $99.00 to $108.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on Duke Energy from $116.00 to $112.00 and set a sector perform rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 16th. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and two have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $105.60.

Shares of Duke Energy stock opened at $98.36 on Thursday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is $96.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $97.63. Duke Energy has a 52 week low of $83.76 and a 52 week high of $115.83. The company has a market capitalization of $75.80 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 29.63, a PEG ratio of 3.19 and a beta of 0.43. The company has a quick ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.34.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP Louis E. Renjel sold 1,900 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $99.90, for a total transaction of $189,810.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 9,967 shares of the companys stock, valued at $995,703.30. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 0.10% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of DUK. Fairfield Bush & CO. bought a new position in shares of Duke Energy during the first quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Cibc World Market Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 1.2% in the first quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. now owns 47,250 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,276,000 after purchasing an additional 581 shares during the period. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 29.5% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 9,751 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,089,000 after purchasing an additional 2,223 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 447.8% in the first quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 1,260 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $141,000 after purchasing an additional 1,030 shares during the period. Finally, Mather Group LLC. boosted its holdings in shares of Duke Energy by 5.2% in the first quarter. Mather Group LLC. now owns 6,505 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $726,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 63.22% of the companys stock.

About Duke Energy

(Get Rating)

Duke Energy Corp. engages in the distribution of natural gas and energy related services. It operates through the following segments: Electric Utilities and Infrastructure, Gas Utilities & Infrastructure and Commercial Renewables. The Electric Utilities and Infrastructure segment conducts operations in regulated electric utilities in the Carolinas, Florida and the Midwest.

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Benchmark upgraded shares of Spirit AeroSystems (NYSE:SPR  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Wednesday morning, MarketBeat reports. Benchmark currently has $45.00 target price on the aerospace companys stock.

Several other research analysts also recently weighed in on SPR. StockNews.com started coverage on shares of Spirit AeroSystems in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada lowered shares of Spirit AeroSystems from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating and cut their price target for the stock from $38.00 to $36.00 in a research note on Friday, February 3rd. Truist Financial raised their target price on shares of Spirit AeroSystems from $39.00 to $42.00 in a report on Monday, January 9th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Spirit AeroSystems from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price target on shares of Spirit AeroSystems from $40.00 to $44.00 and gave the company a positive rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, four have issued a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Spirit AeroSystems presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $38.69.

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Spirit AeroSystems Stock Performance

NYSE SPR opened at $30.60 on Wednesday. Spirit AeroSystems has a 12 month low of $21.14 and a 12 month high of $45.95. The companys 50 day moving average is $33.17 and its two-hundred day moving average is $30.15.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Spirit AeroSystems

Spirit AeroSystems ( NYSE:SPR Get Rating ) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 7th. The aerospace company reported ($1.46) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of ($0.31) by ($1.15). Spirit AeroSystems had a negative net margin of 10.85% and a negative return on equity of 365.67%. The firm had revenue of $1.32 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.43 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned ($0.84) earnings per share. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 23.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that Spirit AeroSystems will post -0.05 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. grew its position in shares of Spirit AeroSystems by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. now owns 35,474 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $1,225,000 after buying an additional 2,088 shares during the last quarter. Penn Davis Mcfarland Inc. raised its holdings in Spirit AeroSystems by 9.1% during the first quarter. Penn Davis Mcfarland Inc. now owns 567,559 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $19,598,000 after purchasing an additional 47,273 shares in the last quarter. Scott & Selber Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Spirit AeroSystems in the first quarter valued at $2,384,000. Park Avenue Securities LLC lifted its holdings in Spirit AeroSystems by 12.8% in the 1st quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 12,095 shares of the aerospace companys stock valued at $418,000 after acquiring an additional 1,377 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. grew its position in Spirit AeroSystems by 35.5% in the first quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 7,795 shares of the aerospace companys stock worth $231,000 after buying an additional 2,041 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 85.82% of the companys stock.

About Spirit AeroSystems

(Get Rating)

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc engages in the design and manufacture of aero structures for commercial and defense aircraft. It operates through the following segments: Commercial, Defense & Space, and Aftermarket. The Commercial segment designs and manufactures forward, mid, and rear fuselage sections which related to floor beams, nacelles, struts and pylons, horizontal and vertical stabilizers, flaps and slats and wing structures.

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The North West Company Inc. (TSE:NWC  Get Rating) Director Anna Lisa King sold 400 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, April 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of C$38.75, for a total value of C$15,500.00.

North West Trading Up 1.9 %

Shares of NWC opened at C$39.65 on Friday. The North West Company Inc. has a 52-week low of C$30.55 and a 52-week high of C$40.49. The businesss fifty day moving average is C$36.97 and its 200-day moving average is C$36.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 62.13, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a current ratio of 1.91. The firm has a market cap of C$1.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.80, a PEG ratio of 1.11 and a beta of 0.61.

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North West Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 27th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 17th will be paid a $0.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, April 14th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.83%. North Wests payout ratio is 60.56%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

North West Company Profile

A number of equities analysts have commented on the company. BMO Capital Markets raised their price objective on North West from C$40.00 to C$41.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. CIBC raised their price objective on North West from C$37.00 to C$39.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 6th. Finally, TD Securities raised their price objective on North West from C$39.00 to C$41.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Thursday, April 6th.

(Get Rating)

The North West Company Inc, through its subsidiaries, engages in the retail of food and everyday products and services to rural communities and urban neighborhood markets in northern Canada, rural Alaska, the South Pacific, and the Caribbean. The company's Canadian operations comprise 118 Northern stores, which offers food, financial services, and general merchandise; 5 NorthMart stores that provides fresh foods, apparel, and health products and services; 26 Quickstop convenience stores that provides ready-to-eat foods, and fuel and related services; 5 Giant Tiger junior discount stores, which offers family fashion, household products, and food; 2 Valu Lots discount center and direct-to-customer food distribution outlet; 1 solo market, a store in remote market; 3 Pharmacy and Convenience stores; and 1 North West Company motorsports dealership offering sales, service, parts and accessories for Ski-doo, Honda, Can-am and other premier brands.

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Cembra Money Bank AG (OTCMKTS:CMBNF  Get Rating) saw a large drop in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 67,100 shares, a drop of 9.2% from the March 15th total of 73,900 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 0 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently ? days.

Cembra Money Bank Stock Performance

Shares of Cembra Money Bank stock opened at C$70.00 on Friday. Cembra Money Bank has a 52-week low of C$70.00 and a 52-week high of C$70.00. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is C$70.00 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$70.00.

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Cembra Money Bank Company Profile

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Cembra Money Bank AG provides consumer finance products and services in Switzerland. The company offers savings products, including medium-term notes and deposit accounts; loans comprising cash, consumer, personal, business, and auto loans; credit card receivables; and leasing services for new and used vehicles, including cars, light commercial vehicles, motorcycles, and caravans, as well as corporate leasing services.

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Testimony in the murder trial of Letecia Stauch resumed Friday in Colorado Springs, with the prosecution continuing to lay groundwork it hopes will convince a jury the 39-year-old woman not only killed her 11-year-old stepson, Gannon Stauch, but knew what she was doing and tried to cover up the crime.

Stauchs team isnt focusing its defense on disputing the evidence, and instead maintains she had no idea what she was doing during the time forensic data shows the fifth grader was stabbed 18 times and shot in the head, his body stuffed in a suitcase and transported 1,400 miles cross-country to the Florida panhandle.

Day 12 of the trial began with a replayed phone call from early 2020 between Letecia Stauch and her then-husband, Gannons father, Albert Stauch, recorded in the weeks after Gannon was reported missing.

Albert Stauch was deployed on an out-of-town exercise with the National Guard at the time his son disappeared from the family home in Lorson Ranch, a popular neighborhood for military families south of Colorado Springs.

During the call, Letecia Stauch could be heard repeatedly attempting to redirect the conversation when her now-ex husband asked pointed questions about his sons whereabouts.

She also offered up an alternate suspect, one of a number she posed in the days after questions and police pressure began to mount: a pregnant woman wearing a fake baby bump stuffed with cash, who she claimed threatened her while she was driving with her stepson soon before the boy went missing.

I need you to quit thinking its someone made up, Letecia Stauch implored her then-husband during the recorded call.

Most of Fridays day in court, however, was taken up by the presentation of excerpts from a five-hour video interview conducted by now-former Denver-based FBI agent Jonathan Grusing recorded after Letecia Stauch was arrested March 2 in South Carolina, roughly two weeks before the suitcase containing her stepsons remains was discovered by a road construction crew in Florida.

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Grusing begins the interview trying to genially bond with Letecia Stauch, in part over the unexpected struggles of parenting, in what Grusing later explained during questioning was meant as a bid to get Stauch to relax and give her the chance to come clean.

I think something bad happened to Gannon, Grusing says in the recorded interview, an opinion he went on to repeat several times during the lengthy interview.

More than once in that interview, Grusing intimates that Stauch knew more about Gannons disappearance than what she was sharing with investigators, and questions the motivations behind her subsequent actions. If she truly knew who abducted her stepson, why not be forthcoming about that information?

Grusing also confronted Stauch about information investigators had culled from her internet search history, including phrases such as blood spurting from arterial bleed, and I dont like my stepson.

Testimony from blood spatter experts this week set out to show the amount of blood found in Gannon's bedroom was inconsistent with the description and explanation for his wounds given by Letecia Stauch.

Grusing told Stauch during that initial interview that she could still be a hero in this story, if she helped lead investigators to find Gannon's body, and help authorities find his killer.

Im far from a hero, Letecia Stauch responded.

The trial resumes at 9 a.m. Monday.
ProShare Advisors LLC reduced its holdings in shares of Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW  Get Rating) by 12.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 235,926 shares of the auto parts companys stock after selling 35,006 shares during the quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC owned approximately 1.03% of Douglas Dynamics worth $8,531,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in PLOW. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can purchased a new position in Douglas Dynamics during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new stake in shares of Douglas Dynamics during the third quarter worth about $31,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. grew its holdings in shares of Douglas Dynamics by 366.7% during the third quarter. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. now owns 1,372 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $38,000 after buying an additional 1,078 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in shares of Douglas Dynamics during the second quarter worth about $46,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of Douglas Dynamics by 211.4% during the third quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,825 shares of the auto parts companys stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 1,239 shares in the last quarter. 91.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Douglas Dynamics

In other Douglas Dynamics news, CEO Robert L. Mccormick sold 10,341 shares of Douglas Dynamics stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.61, for a total transaction of $378,584.01. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 55,106 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,017,430.66. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. In other Douglas Dynamics news, CFO Sarah C. Lauber sold 3,757 shares of Douglas Dynamics stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.66, for a total transaction of $137,731.62. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 32,202 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,180,525.32. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, CEO Robert L. Mccormick sold 10,341 shares of Douglas Dynamics stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $36.61, for a total transaction of $378,584.01. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 55,106 shares in the company, valued at $2,017,430.66. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 14,416 shares of company stock valued at $528,098 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 2.50% of the companys stock.

Douglas Dynamics Price Performance

Douglas Dynamics stock opened at $29.69 on Friday. Douglas Dynamics, Inc. has a 1 year low of $27.76 and a 1 year high of $41.40. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $33.60 and a 200 day moving average price of $35.52. The company has a market cap of $679.60 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.33, a PEG ratio of 1.35 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.82, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a current ratio of 2.52.

Douglas Dynamics (NYSE:PLOW  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Monday, February 20th. The auto parts company reported $0.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.56 by ($0.08). Douglas Dynamics had a net margin of 6.27% and a return on equity of 19.05%. The company had revenue of $159.81 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $164.30 million. Sell-side analysts predict that Douglas Dynamics, Inc. will post 1.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Douglas Dynamics Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.295 per share. This represents a $1.18 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.97%. This is a boost from Douglas Dynamicss previous quarterly dividend of $0.29. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. Douglas Dynamicss payout ratio is 72.84%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on PLOW shares. DA Davidson lowered their price target on shares of Douglas Dynamics from $46.00 to $40.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Robert W. Baird lowered their price target on shares of Douglas Dynamics from $48.00 to $46.00 in a report on Tuesday. Finally, StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Douglas Dynamics in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a buy rating for the company.

About Douglas Dynamics

(Get Rating)

Douglas Dynamics, Inc engages in the manufacture of commercial work truck attachments and equipment. It operates through the following segments: Work Truck Attachments and Work Truck Solutions. The Work Truck Attachments segments include manufactured snow and ice control attachments sold under FISHER, HENDERSON, SNOWEX and WESTERN brands.

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Want to see what other hedge funds are holding PLOW? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Douglas Dynamics, Inc. (NYSE:PLOW  Get Rating).

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Nisa Investment Advisors LLC trimmed its holdings in shares of OGE Energy Corp. (NYSE:OGE  Get Rating) by 4.5% during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 253,225 shares of the utilities providers stock after selling 11,800 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in OGE Energy were worth $10,015,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 56.9% during the 1st quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 52,482 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,140,000 after buying an additional 19,035 shares during the period. Citigroup Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 24.4% during the 1st quarter. Citigroup Inc. now owns 56,516 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $2,305,000 after buying an additional 11,082 shares during the period. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 14.9% during the 1st quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can now owns 120,197 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $5,036,000 after buying an additional 15,620 shares during the period. Sei Investments Co. lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 16.1% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 38,387 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $1,606,000 after buying an additional 5,317 shares during the period. Finally, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board lifted its holdings in shares of OGE Energy by 371.2% during the 1st quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board now owns 452,349 shares of the utilities providers stock valued at $18,447,000 after buying an additional 356,349 shares during the period. 67.78% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on OGE shares. TheStreet cut OGE Energy from a b rating to a c+ rating in a report on Monday, March 27th. Mizuho lowered their price target on OGE Energy from $40.00 to $36.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 23rd. UBS Group cut OGE Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $41.00 to $39.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 28th. Guggenheim cut OGE Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and raised their target price for the stock from $39.00 to $40.00 in a report on Monday, January 23rd. Finally, Bank of America cut OGE Energy from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the stock from $41.00 to $39.00 in a report on Friday, February 24th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of $38.75.

OGE Energy Trading Up 0.6 %

Shares of OGE stock opened at $37.62 on Friday. OGE Energy Corp. has a 52-week low of $33.28 and a 52-week high of $42.91. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.80, a quick ratio of 0.58 and a current ratio of 0.74. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.53 billion, a PE ratio of 11.37, a PEG ratio of 1.81 and a beta of 0.73. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.89 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $37.86.

OGE Energy (NYSE:OGE  Get Rating) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 23rd. The utilities provider reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of ($0.05) by $0.30. OGE Energy had a return on equity of 15.33% and a net margin of 19.72%. The business had revenue of $711.90 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.06 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.27 EPS. OGE Energys revenue for the quarter was up 22.5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that OGE Energy Corp. will post 2.03 EPS for the current fiscal year.

OGE Energy Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, April 28th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be given a dividend of $0.4141 per share. This is a positive change from OGE Energys previous quarterly dividend of $0.41. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. This represents a $1.66 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.40%. OGE Energys dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 50.15%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David L. Hauser acquired 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $35.09 per share, for a total transaction of $35,090.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $105,270. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. In other news, Director David L. Hauser acquired 1,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 14th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $35.09 per share, for a total transaction of $35,090.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 3,000 shares in the company, valued at approximately $105,270. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director David E. Rainbolt acquired 5,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $36.65 per share, with a total value of $183,250.00. Following the transaction, the director now owns 15,000 shares of the companys stock, valued at $549,750. The disclosure for this purchase can be found here. Insiders bought a total of 6,100 shares of company stock worth $221,925 over the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 12.90% of the companys stock.

About OGE Energy

(Get Rating)

OGE Energy Corp. is a holding company with investments in energy and energy service providers, offering physical delivery and related services for electricity in Oklahoma and western Arkansas and natural gas, crude oil and NGLs across the U.S. OGE Energy conducts these activities through two business segments: Electric Utility and Natural Gas Midstream Operations.

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Profund Advisors LLC grew its position in Waste Management, Inc. (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) by 11.6% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,823 shares of the business services providers stock after acquiring an additional 396 shares during the quarter. Profund Advisors LLCs holdings in Waste Management were worth $600,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. McClarren Financial Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in Waste Management during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Twin Lakes Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Waste Management in the third quarter worth about $31,000. TD Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in Waste Management during the third quarter worth about $33,000. Tortoise Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in Waste Management by 232.1% in the 3rd quarter. Tortoise Investment Management LLC now owns 269 shares of the business services providers stock valued at $43,000 after acquiring an additional 188 shares during the last quarter. Finally, HBC Financial Services PLLC purchased a new position in Waste Management in the 4th quarter worth approximately $47,000. 78.48% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insider Activity at Waste Management

In other Waste Management news, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total transaction of $2,357,076.12. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 95,461 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,799,318.83. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Leslie K. Nagy sold 800 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $151.11, for a total transaction of $120,888.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 5,210 shares in the company, valued at $787,283.10. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, EVP John J. Morris sold 15,204 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $155.03, for a total value of $2,357,076.12. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 95,461 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,799,318.83. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders sold 30,743 shares of company stock worth $4,762,320. Company insiders own 0.27% of the companys stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Waste Management Price Performance

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on WM shares. Truist Financial assumed coverage on Waste Management in a research note on Monday, April 17th. They set a buy rating and a $190.00 price objective on the stock. Raymond James cut their price objective on shares of Waste Management from $167.00 to $166.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research report on Monday, February 6th. UBS Group lowered shares of Waste Management from a buy rating to a neutral rating and decreased their target price for the company from $190.00 to $165.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reduced their price target on shares of Waste Management from $157.00 to $151.00 and set a hold rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, February 6th. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on Waste Management from $183.00 to $180.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 2nd. Six 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 has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $174.67.

WM opened at $165.15 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $67.18 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.64, a PEG ratio of 2.54 and a beta of 0.73. The company has a current ratio of 0.81, a quick ratio of 0.77 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.12. The stocks 50-day moving average price is $156.15 and its 200 day moving average price is $157.81. Waste Management, Inc. has a 12-month low of $138.89 and a 12-month high of $175.98.

Waste Management (NYSE:WM  Get Rating) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 1st. The business services provider reported $1.30 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.39 by ($0.09). The business had revenue of $4.94 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.97 billion. Waste Management had a net margin of 11.36% and a return on equity of 32.91%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $1.26 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Waste Management, Inc. will post 6 earnings per share for the current year.

Waste Management Increases Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 24th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th were paid a $0.70 dividend. This is a boost from Waste Managements previous quarterly dividend of $0.65. This represents a $2.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.70%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. Waste Managements dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.95%.

Waste Management Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Waste Management, Inc is a holding company, which engages in the provision of waste management environmental services. It operates through the following segments: East Tier, West Tier, and Other. The East Tier segment consists of Eastern U.S., the Great Lakes Region, and Canada. The West Tier segment includes the upper Midwest region and British Columbia, Canada.

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Mission Wealth Management LP bought a new position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG  Get Rating) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund bought 1,106 shares of the financial services providers stock, valued at approximately $209,000.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 1.0% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 25,783,678 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $4,414,680,000 after acquiring an additional 266,711 shares during the period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA boosted its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 5.7% during the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 5,534,252 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $947,576,000 after acquiring an additional 300,053 shares during the period. WCM Investment Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $435,911,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp boosted its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 3.7% during the 3rd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 1,876,042 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $321,216,000 after acquiring an additional 66,267 shares during the period. Finally, UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. by 0.6% during the 3rd quarter. UBS Asset Management Americas Inc. now owns 1,546,085 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $264,721,000 after acquiring an additional 9,285 shares during the period. 82.07% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, CFO Douglas K. Howell sold 2,850 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.98, for a total value of $515,793.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 90,715 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,417,600.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. In other Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. news, CFO Douglas K. Howell sold 2,850 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, March 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.98, for a total value of $515,793.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now owns 90,715 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,417,600.70. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director David S. Johnson sold 1,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $189.62, for a total value of $189,620.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 46,508 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,818,846.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 27,783 shares of company stock valued at $5,262,891 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.40% of the companys stock.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Price Performance

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. stock opened at $207.77 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.61, a quick ratio of 1.04 and a current ratio of 1.04. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has a 52 week low of $148.24 and a 52 week high of $208.20. The stock has a market capitalization of $44.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 39.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.13 and a beta of 0.69. The stock has a fifty day moving average of $190.09 and a 200-day moving average of $189.56.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE:AJG  Get Rating) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, January 26th. The financial services provider reported $1.54 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.50 by $0.04. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. had a return on equity of 18.64% and a net margin of 13.08%. The business had revenue of $2 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $0.98 EPS. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 2.8% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. will post 8.72 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 17th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 3rd were issued a $0.55 dividend. This represents a $2.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.06%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 2nd. This is a boost from Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s previous quarterly dividend of $0.51. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.31%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AJG has been the subject of several recent research reports. Royal Bank of Canada restated an outperform rating and issued a $225.00 price target on shares of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in a research note on Friday, March 17th. Truist Financial boosted their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $220.00 to $230.00 and gave the company a buy rating in a research note on Monday, January 30th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $215.00 to $233.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Citigroup boosted their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $228.00 to $232.00 in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Piper Sandler boosted their price target on Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. from $195.00 to $215.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $214.00.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Profile

(Get Rating)

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co engages in the provision of insurance brokerage, consulting, and third-party claims settlement and administration services. It operates through the following business segments: Brokerage, Risk Management, and Corporate. The Brokerage segment consists of retail and wholesale insurance brokerage operations.

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Bailard Inc. cut its holdings in shares of The Kroger Co. (NYSE:KR  Get Rating) by 7.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 7,879 shares of the companys stock after selling 623 shares during the quarter. Bailard Inc.s holdings in Kroger were worth $351,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 4.4% during the 4th quarter. 180 Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,465 shares of the companys stock valued at $421,000 after purchasing an additional 398 shares during the last quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Kroger by 1.7% during the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 112,963 shares of the companys stock valued at $5,036,000 after purchasing an additional 1,854 shares during the last quarter. Profund Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 7.1% during the 4th quarter. Profund Advisors LLC now owns 10,398 shares of the companys stock worth $464,000 after acquiring an additional 692 shares during the period. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. grew its stake in shares of Kroger by 2.1% during the 4th quarter. Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co. now owns 38,275 shares of the companys stock worth $1,706,000 after acquiring an additional 790 shares during the period. Finally, Farmers & Merchants Investments Inc. bought a new position in shares of Kroger during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. 78.03% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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Kroger Stock Performance

Shares of KR opened at $47.92 on Friday. The company has a market cap of $34.38 billion, a PE ratio of 15.61, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.77 and a beta of 0.47. The company has a current ratio of 0.74, a quick ratio of 0.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.21. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $46.77 and a 200-day moving average price of $46.04. The Kroger Co. has a 12-month low of $41.81 and a 12-month high of $58.97.

Kroger Announces Dividend

Kroger ( NYSE:KR Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 2nd. The company reported $0.99 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.90 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $34.82 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $34.89 billion. Kroger had a return on equity of 31.84% and a net margin of 1.51%. The companys revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.91 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that The Kroger Co. will post 4.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 1st. Investors of record on Monday, May 15th will be issued a dividend of $0.26 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 12th. This represents a $1.04 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.17%. Krogers dividend payout ratio is 33.88%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on KR shares. Roth Capital reiterated a neutral rating on shares of Kroger in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on Kroger from $46.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Telsey Advisory Group cut their price target on Kroger from $64.00 to $55.00 and set an outperform rating for the company in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft increased their price target on Kroger from $51.00 to $53.00 and gave the stock a hold rating in a research note on Friday, March 3rd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on Kroger from $47.00 to $42.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 4th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have given a hold rating, eight have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $52.31.

Insider Activity at Kroger

In related news, CFO Gary Millerchip sold 30,182 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.88, for a total transaction of $1,475,296.16. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 185,423 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,063,476.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. In related news, CFO Gary Millerchip sold 30,182 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $48.88, for a total transaction of $1,475,296.16. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 185,423 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $9,063,476.24. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, SVP Valerie L. Jabbar sold 62,414 shares of the firms stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.47, for a total value of $2,900,378.58. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 63,079 shares in the company, valued at $2,931,281.13. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 178,505 shares of company stock valued at $8,519,747. Corporate insiders own 1.35% of the companys stock.

Kroger Profile

(Get Rating)

The Kroger Co engages in the operation of supermarkets and multi-department stores. Its brands include Big K, Check This Out?, Heritage Farm, Simple Truth, and Simple Truth Organic. The company was founded by Barney Kroger in 1883 and is headquartered in Cincinnati, OH.

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Simplicity Solutions LLC increased its stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (BATS:QUAL  Get Rating) by 15.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 5,027 shares of the companys stock after acquiring an additional 687 shares during the period. Simplicity Solutions LLCs holdings in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF were worth $573,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. Provident Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 0.8% during the third quarter. Provident Investment Management Inc. now owns 12,018 shares of the companys stock worth $1,249,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Colony Group LLC lifted its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Colony Group LLC now owns 5,251 shares of the companys stock valued at $587,000 after acquiring an additional 98 shares during the period. Donoghue Forlines LLC raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 4.8% during the 3rd quarter. Donoghue Forlines LLC now owns 2,229 shares of the companys stock worth $232,000 after purchasing an additional 102 shares during the last quarter. Level Financial Advisors Inc. raised its position in shares of iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Level Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 24,352 shares of the companys stock worth $2,531,000 after purchasing an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Private Portfolio Partners LLC grew its stake in iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF by 2.4% in the 3rd quarter. Private Portfolio Partners LLC now owns 4,760 shares of the companys stock worth $495,000 after acquiring an additional 110 shares during the period.

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iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF Stock Performance

QUAL stock opened at $124.86 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.30 and a beta of 1.02. iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF has a one year low of $71.96 and a one year high of $88.63. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $121.50 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $117.53.

About iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF

The iShares MSCI USA Quality Factor ETF (QUAL) is an exchange-traded fund that is based on the MSCI USA Sector Neutral Quality index. The fund tracks an index of US large- and mid-cap stocks, selected and weighted by high ROE, stable earnings growth and low debt\u002Fequity, relative to peers in each sector.

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Simplicity Solutions LLC grew its position in Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:A  Get Rating) by 18.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,718 shares of the medical research companys stock after purchasing an additional 592 shares during the period. Simplicity Solutions LLCs holdings in Agilent Technologies were worth $556,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 1.1% during the 4th quarter. Pinnacle Associates Ltd. now owns 5,965 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $893,000 after acquiring an additional 67 shares in the last quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 8.8% during the 4th quarter. Whittier Trust Co. of Nevada Inc. now owns 837 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $125,000 after acquiring an additional 68 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 34.8% during the 3rd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 298 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 77 shares in the last quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp boosted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. King Luther Capital Management Corp now owns 24,625 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $2,993,000 after acquiring an additional 78 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bell Investment Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Agilent Technologies by 2.1% during the 3rd quarter. Bell Investment Advisors Inc now owns 4,153 shares of the medical research companys stock worth $505,000 after acquiring an additional 86 shares in the last quarter.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the company. SVB Leerink increased their target price on Agilent Technologies from $160.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 6th. Robert W. Baird upped their price target on Agilent Technologies from $170.00 to $174.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Wells Fargo & Company raised Agilent Technologies from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and upped their price target for the company from $150.00 to $170.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 10th. Credit Suisse Group upped their price target on Agilent Technologies from $165.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, March 1st. Finally, StockNews.com cut Agilent Technologies from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a report on Wednesday, March 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average price target of $163.31.

Agilent Technologies Trading Up 2.2 %

A stock opened at $138.50 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $139.84 and a 200 day moving average price of $144.15. Agilent Technologies, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $112.52 and a fifty-two week high of $160.26. The stock has a market capitalization of $40.95 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 31.26, a P/E/G ratio of 2.04 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49, a current ratio of 2.11 and a quick ratio of 1.53.

Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A  Get Rating) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 28th. The medical research company reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $1.31 by $0.06. Agilent Technologies had a return on equity of 30.35% and a net margin of 19.09%. The firm had revenue of $1.76 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.70 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $1.21 EPS. The businesss revenue was up 4.9% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that Agilent Technologies, Inc. will post 5.68 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Agilent Technologies Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 26th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, April 4th will be given a $0.225 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, April 3rd. This represents a $0.90 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.65%. Agilent Technologiess payout ratio is 20.32%.

Agilent Technologies declared that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback plan on Monday, January 9th that permits the company to repurchase $2.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the medical research company to purchase up to 4.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the companys board believes its shares are undervalued.

Agilent Technologies Profile

(Get Rating)

Agilent Technologies, Inc engages in the provision of application focused solutions for life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets. It operates through the following segments: Life Sciences and Applied Markets, Diagnostics and Genomics, and Agilent CrossLab. The Life Sciences and Applied Markets segment offers application-focused solutions that include instruments and software that identify, quantify, and analyze the physical and biological properties of substances and products, as well as the clinical and life sciences research areas to interrogate samples at the molecular and cellular level.

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Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its holdings in First Horizon Co. (NYSE:FHN  Get Rating) by 7.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 37,766 shares of the financial services providers stock after acquiring an additional 2,702 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A.s holdings in First Horizon were worth $925,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the business. ProShare Advisors LLC raised its holdings in First Horizon by 13.3% in the 4th quarter. ProShare Advisors LLC now owns 74,054 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $1,814,000 after acquiring an additional 8,693 shares during the last quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. increased its holdings in shares of First Horizon by 13.9% during the 4th quarter. Argent Advisors Inc. now owns 17,185 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $421,000 after buying an additional 2,094 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Montreal Can increased its holdings in shares of First Horizon by 8.6% during the 4th quarter. Bank of Montreal Can now owns 1,392,591 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $34,118,000 after buying an additional 110,444 shares during the last quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D increased its holdings in shares of First Horizon by 7.3% during the 4th quarter. State of New Jersey Common Pension Fund D now owns 323,559 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $7,927,000 after buying an additional 21,946 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank increased its holdings in shares of First Horizon by 56.0% during the 4th quarter. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank now owns 105,553 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $2,586,000 after buying an additional 37,876 shares during the last quarter. 77.41% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on FHN shares. StockNews.com started coverage on First Horizon in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a sell rating for the company. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and set a $25.00 price target on shares of First Horizon in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company raised shares of First Horizon from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating and set a $25.00 price target for the company in a research report on Friday, March 24th.

Insider Buying and Selling at First Horizon

First Horizon Stock Down 1.1 %

In other news, EVP Terry Lawson Akins sold 4,694 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.67, for a total value of $115,800.98. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 145,691 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,594,196.97. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . In other news, EVP Terry Lawson Akins sold 4,694 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.67, for a total value of $115,800.98. Following the sale, the executive vice president now owns 145,691 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,594,196.97. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website . Also, CEO D Bryan Jordan sold 93,157 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $24.80, for a total transaction of $2,310,293.60. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,396,259 shares in the company, valued at approximately $34,627,223.20. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Shares of First Horizon stock opened at $18.25 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 0.94, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $19.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $22.74. The stock has a market cap of $9.81 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.27, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.88. First Horizon Co. has a twelve month low of $13.40 and a twelve month high of $24.92.

First Horizon (NYSE:FHN  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, April 18th. The financial services provider reported $0.45 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $0.46 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $863.00 million during the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $871.36 million. First Horizon had a net margin of 24.76% and a return on equity of 13.53%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 22.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.38 earnings per share. Equities research analysts forecast that First Horizon Co. will post 1.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

First Horizon Dividend Announcement

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 3rd. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 17th were given a $0.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $0.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.29%. First Horizons payout ratio is currently 37.04%.

About First Horizon

(Get Rating)

First Horizon Corp. (Tennessee) operates as a financial holding company, which engages in the provision of checking accounts, savings products, mortgage banking, lending, and financing to individuals and businesses. It operates the business through three segments: Regional Banking, Specialty Banking, and Corporate.

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Raymond James Trust N.A. raised its holdings in Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE:OXY  Get Rating) by 2.8% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 13,271 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after buying an additional 364 shares during the period. Raymond James Trust N.A.s holdings in Occidental Petroleum were worth $836,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in OXY. Point72 Asset Management L.P. acquired a new stake in Occidental Petroleum in the 3rd quarter valued at $96,636,000. First Trust Advisors LP increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 87.9% in the 1st quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 3,276,078 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $185,885,000 after buying an additional 1,532,100 shares during the last quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 117.2% in the 3rd quarter. Alliancebernstein L.P. now owns 2,424,556 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $148,989,000 after buying an additional 1,308,043 shares during the last quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC increased its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 32.8% in the 3rd quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 3,494,359 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $214,728,000 after buying an additional 862,354 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Clean Energy Transition LLP acquired a new stake in Occidental Petroleum in the 1st quarter valued at $46,838,000. 78.45% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Analysts Set New Price Targets

OXY has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $64.00 to $65.00 in a research report on Friday, April 7th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $83.00 to $79.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Bank of America raised shares of Occidental Petroleum from a neutral rating to a buy rating and set a $80.00 price objective for the company in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price objective on shares of Occidental Petroleum from $63.00 to $66.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have assigned a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $72.84.

Insider Activity

Occidental Petroleum Stock Performance

In other news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought 1,518,001 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 15th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $56.70 per share, for a total transaction of $86,070,656.70. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 208,040,405 shares of the companys stock, valued at $11,795,890,963.50. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink . In the last ninety days, insiders bought 12,371,716 shares of company stock worth $735,557,715. 0.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

NYSE OXY opened at $61.87 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.88, a current ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97. The company has a market capitalization of $55.57 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.00, a P/E/G ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.78. Occidental Petroleum Co. has a 12-month low of $51.53 and a 12-month high of $77.13. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $61.49 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $65.00.

Occidental Petroleum (NYSE:OXY  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 27th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.61 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.83 by ($0.22). The business had revenue of $8.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.21 billion. Occidental Petroleum had a net margin of 35.87% and a return on equity of 52.68%. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 97.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.48 EPS. Analysts anticipate that Occidental Petroleum Co. will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Occidental Petroleum Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 10th were given a $0.18 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This is a boost from Occidental Petroleums previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.16%. Occidental Petroleums payout ratio is presently 5.82%.

Occidental Petroleum Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Occidental Petroleum Corp. engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Oil and Gas, Chemical, and Midstream and Marketing. The Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops and produces oil and condensate, natural gas liquids and natural gas.

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Toews Corp ADV lessened its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK  Get Rating) by 48.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,000 shares of the companys stock after selling 6,700 shares during the quarter. Toews Corp ADVs holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $777,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Marion Wealth Management grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 18.5% during the 4th quarter. Marion Wealth Management now owns 21,538 shares of the companys stock worth $2,390,000 after purchasing an additional 3,366 shares in the last quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 3.1% during the 4th quarter. Ascent Wealth Partners LLC now owns 17,520 shares of the companys stock worth $1,944,000 after buying an additional 533 shares during the period. Crescent Sterling Ltd. bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $806,000. Alaska Wealth Advisors bought a new position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. during the 4th quarter worth approximately $228,000. Finally, Drive Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 181.8% during the 4th quarter. Drive Wealth Management LLC now owns 10,775 shares of the companys stock worth $1,204,000 after buying an additional 6,952 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.89% of the companys stock.

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Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

MRK has been the subject of several analyst reports. Bank of America upgraded Merck & Co., Inc. from a neutral rating to a buy rating and raised their target price for the stock from $110.00 to $130.00 in a research report on Wednesday, January 4th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Monday, March 6th. They issued a buy rating and a $125.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com assumed coverage on Merck & Co., Inc. in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Credit Suisse Group boosted their price target on Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $126.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Finally, Mizuho reissued a buy rating and set a $130.00 price target on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $120.65.

Insider Activity

Merck & Co., Inc. Price Performance

In other news, EVP Steven Mizell sold 4,436 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.25, for a total value of $462,453.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 39,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,159,575. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . In other news, EVP Steven Mizell sold 4,436 shares of Merck & Co., Inc. stock in a transaction on Monday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.25, for a total value of $462,453.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 39,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,159,575. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website . Also, insider Joseph Romanelli sold 5,000 shares of the firms stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.22, for a total value of $541,100.00. Following the sale, the insider now directly owns 20,284 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,195,134.48. The disclosure for this sale can be found here . In the last quarter, insiders have sold 150,306 shares of company stock worth $17,162,278. Insiders own 0.29% of the companys stock.

Merck & Co., Inc. stock opened at $115.37 on Friday. The stocks fifty day moving average price is $108.99 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $106.02. Merck & Co., Inc. has a one year low of $83.05 and a one year high of $116.44. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a current ratio of 1.47 and a quick ratio of 1.23. The firm has a market cap of $292.88 billion, a PE ratio of 20.20, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.34.

Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK  Get Rating) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported $1.62 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.56 by $0.06. Merck & Co., Inc. had a return on equity of 43.47% and a net margin of 24.49%. The firm had revenue of $13.83 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $13.66 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.80 EPS. The companys revenue was up 2.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts expect that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 6.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a $0.73 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $2.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.53%. Merck & Co., Inc.s payout ratio is 51.14%.

About Merck & Co., Inc.

(Get Rating)

Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.

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Colorados attorney general, Phil Weiser, has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case about the constitutionality of a federal law prohibiting gun possession by people with domestic violence restraining orders against them. Weiser joined a group of 25 state attorneys general asking the countrys highest court to affirm the law, and overturn a federal appeals court ruling from Texas that found the federal law invalid.

Almost every state, including Colorado, also has a law limiting access to guns by people with such orders against them, according to a news release.

We know from our work leading the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board that most domestic violence-related murders involve firearms, Weiser said in a statement. Consequently, when it comes to protecting domestic violence victims from being harmed or killed by their abusers, its clear that gun safety protections make a difference and saves lives.

Zackey Rahimi was under a restraining order in Texas after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend. He reportedly afterward was involved in several shootings, and police charged him with violating the federal law barring people subject to domestic violence protection orders from having guns. Earlier this year, a panel of judges from the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, decided the law is unconstitutional.

Judge Cory Wilson wrote that the panel struck down the law in light of the Supreme Courts decision last year in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Bruen, in which the 6-to-3 conservative majority of justices found people have a broad right to carry guns outside their homes and invalidated a New York law requiring them to show cause to get open-carry permits.

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Wilson wrote that since the Bruen decision, a government bears the responsibility of showing that its firearms regulation is part of the historical tradition that delimits the outer bounds of the right to keep and bear arms.

He noted the courts analysis wasnt about the worthiness of prohibiting access to firearms by perpetrators of domestic violence as a policy goal.

The decision from the Fifth Circuit marked a reversal of course from when the court initially denied Rahimis request for an appeal, shortly before the Supreme Court made its Bruen ruling in June 2022.

But the petition by Weiser and other attorneys general argues the ruling puts domestic violence survivors at greater risk of harm or death at the hands of their abusers. A firearm in the home increases the likelihood of an abuser killing their intimate partner by five times, according to Weisers news release.

Attorney General Merrick Garland also indicated in February the Department of Justice would ask the Supreme Court to review the Fifth Circuits decision in Rahimis case.

Other attorneys general who signed onto the "friend of the court" brief include those from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin.
Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Occidental Petroleum Co. (NYSE:OXY  Get Rating) by 1.3% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 153,547 shares of the oil and gas producers stock after acquiring an additional 2,042 shares during the quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLCs holdings in Occidental Petroleum were worth $9,672,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Carnegie Capital Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Occidental Petroleum by 7.4% during the 4th quarter. Carnegie Capital Asset Management LLC now owns 29,430 shares of the oil and gas producers stock valued at $1,854,000 after purchasing an additional 2,020 shares during the period. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale lifted its position in shares of Occidental Petroleum by 5.0% in the 3rd quarter. DekaBank Deutsche Girozentrale now owns 193,166 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $12,055,000 after acquiring an additional 9,134 shares during the period. Ieq Capital LLC lifted its position in shares of Occidental Petroleum by 102.2% in the 3rd quarter. Ieq Capital LLC now owns 31,636 shares of the oil and gas producers stock worth $1,944,000 after acquiring an additional 15,992 shares during the period. Orser Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of Occidental Petroleum in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,702,000. Finally, Flow Traders U.S. LLC bought a new stake in shares of Occidental Petroleum in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $718,000. Institutional investors own 78.45% of the companys stock.

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Occidental Petroleum Stock Performance

Shares of Occidental Petroleum stock opened at $61.87 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $55.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 5.00, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.49 and a beta of 1.78. The stocks 50-day moving average is $61.49 and its 200-day moving average is $65.00. Occidental Petroleum Co. has a one year low of $51.53 and a one year high of $77.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 1.15 and a quick ratio of 0.88.

Occidental Petroleum Increases Dividend

Occidental Petroleum ( NYSE:OXY Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Monday, February 27th. The oil and gas producer reported $1.61 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.83 by ($0.22). Occidental Petroleum had a net margin of 35.87% and a return on equity of 52.68%. The firm had revenue of $8.22 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.21 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.48 earnings per share. The businesss revenue for the quarter was up 97.6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that Occidental Petroleum Co. will post 5.8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 17th. Investors of record on Friday, March 10th were issued a dividend of $0.18 per share. This represents a $0.72 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 9th. This is a positive change from Occidental Petroleums previous quarterly dividend of $0.13. Occidental Petroleums dividend payout ratio is presently 5.82%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on OXY. Mizuho reduced their price objective on Occidental Petroleum from $83.00 to $79.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 10th. Barclays increased their target price on Occidental Petroleum from $70.00 to $78.00 in a report on Friday, March 17th. Raymond James dropped their price target on Occidental Petroleum from $80.00 to $75.00 and set a strong-buy rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 31st. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on Occidental Petroleum from $62.00 to $63.00 and gave the company an equal weight rating in a report on Wednesday. Finally, StockNews.com began coverage on Occidental Petroleum in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, eleven have issued a hold rating, seven have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Occidental Petroleum presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $72.84.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, major shareholder Berkshire Hathaway Inc bought 1,789,529 shares of the companys stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 27th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $59.32 per share, for a total transaction of $106,154,860.28. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider now owns 211,707,119 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $12,558,466,299.08. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Over the last quarter, insiders have purchased 12,371,716 shares of company stock worth $735,557,715. Corporate insiders own 0.31% of the companys stock.

About Occidental Petroleum

(Get Rating)

Occidental Petroleum Corp. engages in the exploration and production of oil and natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Oil and Gas, Chemical, and Midstream and Marketing. The Oil and Gas segment explores for, develops and produces oil and condensate, natural gas liquids and natural gas.

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Pettyjohn Wood & White Inc. decreased its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK  Get Rating) by 0.4% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 33,384 shares of the companys stock after selling 150 shares during the period. Pettyjohn Wood & White Inc.s holdings in Merck & Co., Inc. were worth $3,704,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in MRK. Renaissance Technologies LLC grew its holdings in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 2,671.4% during the first quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 5,099,334 shares of the companys stock valued at $418,400,000 after buying an additional 4,915,334 shares during the last quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 256.3% in the first quarter. Caisse DE Depot ET Placement DU Quebec now owns 4,882,173 shares of the companys stock valued at $400,582,000 after acquiring an additional 3,511,900 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Merck & Co., Inc. by 1.4% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 224,134,448 shares of the companys stock valued at $19,302,459,000 after acquiring an additional 3,081,402 shares during the last quarter. Great West Life Assurance Co. Can bought a new stake in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in the third quarter valued at approximately $243,240,000. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its position in shares of Merck & Co., Inc. by 254.9% in the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 2,647,130 shares of the companys stock valued at $227,971,000 after purchasing an additional 1,901,328 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.89% of the companys stock.

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Merck & Co., Inc. Stock Up 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE:MRK opened at $115.37 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $292.88 billion, a PE ratio of 20.20, a P/E/G ratio of 2.30 and a beta of 0.34. The company has a current ratio of 1.47, a quick ratio of 1.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. Merck & Co., Inc. has a twelve month low of $83.05 and a twelve month high of $116.44. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $108.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $106.02.

Merck & Co., Inc. Dividend Announcement

Merck & Co., Inc. ( NYSE:MRK Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 2nd. The company reported $1.62 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.56 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $13.83 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $13.66 billion. Merck & Co., Inc. had a net margin of 24.49% and a return on equity of 43.47%. The companys revenue was up 2.3% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $1.80 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that Merck & Co., Inc. will post 6.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 10th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.73 per share. The ex-dividend date was Tuesday, March 14th. This represents a $2.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.53%. Merck & Co., Inc.s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 51.14%.

Insider Transactions at Merck & Co., Inc.

In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Sanat Chattopadhyay sold 134,055 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total value of $15,425,708.85. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In other Merck & Co., Inc. news, insider Sanat Chattopadhyay sold 134,055 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $115.07, for a total value of $15,425,708.85. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Steven Mizell sold 5,000 shares of the companys stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $107.00, for a total transaction of $535,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 34,900 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $3,734,300. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 150,306 shares of company stock valued at $17,162,278 in the last ninety days. 0.29% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. SVB Leerink upped their target price on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $122.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Friday, February 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $120.00 to $125.00 and gave the company an overweight rating in a research note on Thursday, February 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company cut shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from an overweight rating to an equal weight rating and dropped their price target for the company from $120.00 to $115.00 in a research report on Monday, March 13th. StockNews.com began coverage on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating for the company. Finally, Credit Suisse Group upped their price objective on shares of Merck & Co., Inc. from $125.00 to $126.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a report on Tuesday, March 7th. Seven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have given a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus target price of $120.65.

Merck & Co., Inc. Profile

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Merck & Co, Inc is a health care company, which engages in the provision of health solutions through its prescription medicines, vaccines, biologic therapies, animal health, and consumer care products. It operates through the following segments: Pharmaceutical, Animal Health, and Other. The Pharmaceutical segment includes human health pharmaceutical and vaccine products.

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Simplicity Solutions LLC boosted its stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (NYSE:ADM  Get Rating) by 12.7% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,182 shares of the companys stock after purchasing an additional 699 shares during the quarter. Simplicity Solutions LLCs holdings in Archer-Daniels-Midland were worth $574,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in ADM. Selective Wealth Management Inc. boosted its stake in Archer-Daniels-Midland by 681.8% in the 3rd quarter. Selective Wealth Management Inc. now owns 344 shares of the companys stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. Kistler Tiffany Companies LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Glassy Mountain Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 4th quarter valued at about $32,000. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC raised its holdings in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland by 655.8% in the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 393 shares of the companys stock valued at $36,000 after acquiring an additional 341 shares in the last quarter. Finally, RFP Financial Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland in the 4th quarter valued at about $36,000. Institutional investors own 78.23% of the companys stock.

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Archer-Daniels-Midland Price Performance

Shares of Archer-Daniels-Midland stock opened at $80.50 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $43.99 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.44, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.92 and a beta of 0.80. Archer-Daniels-Midland Company has a one year low of $70.02 and a one year high of $98.28. The businesss 50 day simple moving average is $79.75 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $86.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 1.46 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Increases Dividend

Archer-Daniels-Midland ( NYSE:ADM Get Rating ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, January 26th. The company reported $1.93 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $1.64 by $0.29. The firm had revenue of $26.23 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $25.37 billion. Archer-Daniels-Midland had a return on equity of 18.32% and a net margin of 4.26%. The businesss quarterly revenue was up 13.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.50 EPS. Analysts forecast that Archer-Daniels-Midland Company will post 6.72 EPS for the current year.

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, February 9th were given a dividend of $0.45 per share. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 8th. This is a positive change from Archer-Daniels-Midlands previous quarterly dividend of $0.40. This represents a $1.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.24%. Archer-Daniels-Midlands payout ratio is currently 23.35%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on ADM. StockNews.com initiated coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a buy rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $94.00 to $85.00 and set an equal weight rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $87.00 to $85.00 and set a neutral rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, April 12th. Stifel Nicolaus raised their price objective on Archer-Daniels-Midland from $114.00 to $116.00 in a report on Tuesday, January 3rd. Finally, BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on Archer-Daniels-Midland in a report on Thursday, April 13th. They set an outperform rating and a $100.00 price objective on the stock. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have given a 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 $100.30.

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company Profile

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Archer-Daniels-Midland Co engages in the production of oilseeds, corn, wheat, cocoa, and other agricultural commodities. It operates through the following segments: Ag Services and Oilseeds, Carbohydrate Solutions, Nutrition, and Other. The Ag Services and Oilseeds segment includes activities related to the origination, merchandising, transportation, and storage of agricultural raw materials, and the crushing and further processing of oilseeds such as soybeans and soft seeds cottonseed, sunflower seed, canola, rapeseed, and flaxseed into vegetable oils and protein meals.

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In order to help Jefferson County Sheriff's investigators find the killer of a 20-year-old Arvada woman, rewards have been offered by Crime Stoppers and the company she worked for.

Eric Peterson said Alexa Bartell was working at Commercial Flooring Services in Denver as the Scheduling and Safety Coordinator.

The company is putting up $15,000 in reward money for information leading to the arrest of the suspect, or suspects, who threw a heavy rock into Bartell's moving Chevy Spark, killing her. That's in addition to the $2,000 reward from Crime Stoppers.

"We want to get the people who did this caught," Peterson said. "We need to get these idiots off the streets."

Peterson said he'd known Bartell since she was a child. Her mother, Kelly Bartell, is the Senior Accountant and the Secretary/Treasurer of the company, having worked there for over ten years. Alexa was the single mother's only child, he said.

Kelly Bartell went to the field where her daughter was found and laid flowers there Friday.

"She wanted to learn more and more. She was goofy and funny," Peterson said. "We were creating a position for her."

The best lead Jefferson County Sheriff's investigators had into the bizarre rock-killing death of Bartell disintegrated overnight.

The sheriff's office tweeted just after 10 p.m. Thursday night that a previously published truck of interest and its owner were not involved in Bartell's death.

Jefferson County Sheriff's investigators had tracked down that truck and its owner and released photos of the vehicle, but as of Thursday night that lead went cold. The hunt for suspects continued Friday.

Sheriff's officials said Alexa Bartell was talking to a friend on the phone in her yellow Chevy Spark when she suddenly went silent.

Bartell's friend tracked down her phone and drove to the location on Indiana Street and found Bartell dead inside her car, which was off the roadway in a field.

Jefferson County spokesperson Karlyn Tilley told The Denver Gazette once they identify a suspect, they will recommend murder charges.

Bartell's death is believed to be part of a larger overnight crime spree involving rock hurtling, Tilley said. She indicated that the rocks were the type that is used in landscaping.

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The rock hurtling began at around 10 p.m. Wednesday night, ended just after midnight Thursday morning and included five vehicles. Other drivers whose vehicles were hit had minor injuries.

Bartell's was the fourth of the five known incidents.

Around 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, Bartell was driving northbound near the 10600 block of Indiana Street near Rocky Flats Wildlife Refuge when she was hit by the rock. According to JCSO, the rock was thrown possibly from a vehicle or the side of the road.

According to Facebook posts, Bartell, 20, went to Arvada West High School. Her friends are said to be devastated over her tragic death.

Jefferson County deputies provided the following timeline of events.

10:04 p.m.  Westminster - 100th Ave. & Simms St.  rock through a windshield. Driver not injured.

10:36 p.m.  Boulder County - McCaslin Boulevard and South Indiana Street (entrance to Rock Creek neighborhood) rock through a windshield. Minor injuries to the driver.

10:37 p.m.  Boulder County  McCaslin Boulevard and South Indiana Street (entrance to Rock Creek neighborhood) - rock hit a Toyota 4-Runner. Body damage to a vehicle, driver not injured.

10:45 p.m.  Jefferson County  10600 block of Indiana Street  rock through a windshield of yellow Chevy Spark  homicide.

April 20 at 12:24 a.m.  Arvada - Highway 93 at Highway 72  rock through a windshield  minor injuries to the driver.

The sheriff's office said they're working with Boulder County Sheriffs Office, Arvada Police and Westminster Police to gather information. They believe there may be additional victims.

Investigators are asking for any other possible victims to call the JCSO tip line at 303-271-5612.

They are also looking for anyone who might have home security or dash cameras that may have caught the vehicle driving by.

This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
Four crew members aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down off Floridas Gulf coast on Saturday, returning safely from a five-month science mission on the International Space Station.

The SpaceX capsule, dubbed Endurance, parachuted into waters off the coast of Tampa just after 9 p.m. EST (0200 GMT) carrying two NASA astronauts, a Japanese astronaut and one Russian cosmonaut after a roughly nine-hour flight from the orbital research lab, a NASA-SpaceX webcast showed.

The Crew-5 team launched from Florida on Oct. 6 to conduct routine science aboard the station. It included cosmonaut Anna Kikina, 38, who became the first Russian to fly on an American spacecraft in 20 years, and NASA flight commander Nicole Aunapu Mann, 45, the first Native American woman sent into orbit.

NASA pilot Josh Cassada, 49, and Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata, 59, a veteran of four previous spaceflights, were also aboard.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft, a gumdrop-shaped pod designed to launch atop SpaceXs Falcon 9 rockets, undocked from the space station early on Saturday morning and re-entered Earths atmosphere around 8:11 p.m. EST (0111 GMT Sunday), enduring frictional heat that sent temperatures outside the capsule soaring to 3,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,930 degrees Celsius).

Two sets of parachutes deployed to brake the capsules descent to 15 miles per hour (24 kilometers per hour) just before splashdown.

The mission was SpaceXs sixth crewed flight for NASA since its Crew Dragon spacecraft first flew humans in May 2020, when it restored crewed launches from American soil after nearly a decade of U.S. dependence on Russias Soyuz program for space station flights.

Kikina, the only woman in Russias cosmonaut corps, was the first Russian to fly on an American spacecraft under a renewed agreement signed in 2022 between NASA and Russias space agency to conduct joint flights. NASA astronaut Frank Rubio, currently on the station, launched there on a Soyuz rocket in September.

SOURCE:_ REUTERS
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser joined officials from 17 other states in urging the federal government to recall millions of Kia and Hyundai cars because they are too easy to steal, a response to a sharp increase in thefts fueled by a viral social media challenge.

Some Kia and Hyundai cars sold in the United States over the last decade do not have engine immobilizers, a standard feature on most cars that prevents the engine from starting unless the key is present.

Its clear that Kia and Hyundai arent doing enough to take responsibility for their failure to prevent these thefts in the first place, said Weiser. We need the federal government to step in and take action to help consumers, support law enforcement, and protect the public from this dangerous rise in Kia and Hyundai thefts.

Videos circulating on the social media service TikTok have shown how people can start Kia and Hyundai models by using only a screwdriver and a USB cable. In Los Angeles, thefts of Hyundai and Kia cars increased by about 85% in 2022, now accounting for 20% of all car thefts in the city, according to the California attorney general's office.

In Colorado, thieves stole 10,319 Kias and Hyundais in 2022 alone, Weiser said.

These social media-inspired thefts have often ended in tragedy, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration blaming the stolen car trend for 14 reported crashes and eight deaths. In October, a police commissioner said that a car crash in Buffalo, N.Y., that left four teenagers dead may have been linked to the TikTok challenge. In the incident, a total of six teenagers were in a speeding Kia that crashed, Buffalo police said. The car had been reported stolen.

The bottom line is, Kia's and Hyundai's failure to install standard safety features on many of their vehicles have put vehicle owners and the public at risk, California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a news release. Instead of taking responsibility with appropriate corrective action, these carmakers have chosen instead to pass this risk onto consumers and our communities.

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Bonta and the other attorneys general sent a letter on Thursday to NHTSA requesting a nationwide recall. The letter also was signed by attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and the District of Columbia.

Kia said in a statement that it is focused on the issue, and we continue to take action to address the concerns these attorneys general have raised. The automaker says more than 165,000 customers have had the software installed, and over 2 million owners have been contacted about it. The company says the vehicles comply with federal safety standards, so a recall isnt necessary.

Hyundai also said its vehicles comply with federal anti-theft requirements. The company says it rolled out the software upgrade to prevent the thefts two months ahead of schedule, but it did not answer a question about how many vehicles have received it. We are communicating with NHTSA on our many actions to assist our customers, the company statement said.

The letter adds to the growing pressure on the South Korea-based automakers. Multiple cities, including St. Louis, Cleveland, Milwaukee, San Diego, Seattle and Columbus, Ohio, have already sued the automakers.

In September, the Highway Loss Data Institute, a unit of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, found that Hyundai and Kia cars without immobilizers had a vehicle theft claim rate of 2.18 per 1,000 insured vehicle years. The rest of the industry combined had a rate of 1.21.

Hyundai and Kia announced in February that they would provide software updates for vehicles that require the key to be in the ignition switch to turn the car on. The change also updates the cars' theft alarm software to extend the length of an alarm from 30 seconds to 1 minute. About 3.8 million Hyundai cars and 4.5 million Kia cars are eligible for the software update.

But the service campaign by the affiliated Korean automakers is not a recall, which comes with reporting requirements and is monitored closely by NHTSA.
Phil Masturzo/AP

AKRON, Ohio (AP)  Authorities in an Ohio city have agreed to temporarily bar the use of tear gas, pepper spray and other types of nonlethal force against nonviolent protesters, a move that comes after it was sued following a protest over a grand jury's decision to not indict police officers who shot and killed a Black motorist.

Akron officials and lawyers for the Akron Bail Fund  a group that supports protesters  reached the agreement late Friday after a federal court session that lasted for several hours. Bail fund officials had sought a temporary restraining order to block the use of nonlethal force, but the two sides instead agreed to a 14-day restriction that allows the litigation and negotiations to continue.
ALBANY  A Watervliet woman pleaded guilty Friday to defrauding the U.S. Department of Labor worker's compensation program, authorities said.

Eunice Ting, 69, admitted to filling out forms between December 2013 and March 2020 seeking reimbursement for travel that never occurred, according to the office of the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Specifically, Ting falsely claimed workers compensation benefits for medically related travel to and from a local YMCA for purported aquatic therapy when she had not received any such therapy and did not travel to the YMCA as claimed. In total, she received a total of $26,983 from the Department of Labor because of her fraudulent submissions, officials said.

Ting is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 24. She faces a maximum of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of up to three years. Ting has also agreed to pay full restitution.
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CLIVE, Iowa (AP)  Donald Trump, stinging from a rebuke by the nation's leading anti-abortion group, used a speech Saturday before influential evangelicals in Iowa to spotlight his actions as president to try to restrict abortion rights.

Chief among the accomplishments Trump listed were his nominations of three conservative judges to the U.S. Supreme Court. The appointments paved the way for the overturning last year of the landmark Roe. v. Wade ruling, which had affirmed a federal right to abortion.

Those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life. Nobody thought it was going to happen, Trump said, appearing via video to a gathering of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. "They thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for exactly that period of time, 50 years."

Trump has often avoided talking about abortion as he campaigns again for the White House, sidestepping the issue less than a year after the court overturned Roe.

But his position that abortion restrictions should be left up to the states, not the federal government, drew a sharp rebuke Thursday from the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, which called it a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate."

Trump didn't take a stance Saturday on a national ban. Instead, he ticked through a record as president that aimed to satisfy abortion opponents that form the core of evangelical Christians, who hold sway in the GOP primary contest and particularly Iowas first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses.

Trump won applause noting he was the first president to attend the annual March for Life abortion opposition rally.

Likewise, the crowd of roughly 1,000 gathered in the suburban Des Moines event hall cheered when Trump noted his relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a symbol many evangelical Christians see as fulfilling biblical prophecy.

Every promise to you I made as a candidate, I fulfilled as president, he said.

Trump's former vice president Mike Pence, who appeared in person before the group, used his speech earlier in the evening to celebrate Trump's efforts to restrict abortion and take some bit of credit for himself.

Pence, long known for his conservative values, called the appointments the "most important of all the accomplishments of the Trump administration, drawing loud applause and cheers from the crowd.

We did that, Iowa, he said. I couldnt be more proud to have been a small part of an administration that did just that.

The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual spring fundraiser marks the unofficial start of the state's 2024 caucus campaign. The event featured a slate of Republican candidates and potential contenders, including U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is expected to enter the race.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered a top rival to Trump, did not attend.

The event gives the presidential prospects the chance to make their pitch to evangelicals in a state where Republicans will kick off the nominating process next year. It's also a shot at making an impression on activists who may be open to an alternative to Trump at a time when he is mired in legal problems and was recently charged in New York in a hush money scheme involving a porn actor.

The gathering comes as abortion rights have reemerged as a pivotal issue in elections after conservatives last year achieved their long-sought goal of overturning the Roe. v. Wade ruling.

The Republican presidential field is trying to get a handle on how far to go in supporting restrictions on the procedure to satisfy the conservative base in the primary but not to further alienate general election voters, most of whom support keeping abortion legal.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has said it will not support any White House candidate who does not at a minimum back a 15-week federal abortion ban.

Distinguishing himself from Trump, Pence told reporters during a stop in Jefferson, Iowa, earlier Saturday that the Supreme Court's ruling does not preclude federal restrictions.

Ill certainly support efforts to create a threshold of support for the unborn even at the national level, Pence said, adding he would support the minimum of a 15-week ban.

Pences advocacy group has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks.

Despite the credit Trump received for his judicial nominations, he was criticized after last year's elections for saying that Republicans' underperformance was due to abortion foes' opposition to exceptions for women who became pregnant by rape or incest or whose life was at risk.

All the Republicans in the race or moving toward running have supported state bans on abortion. Most have been much more cautious about staking a position on a nationwide ban.

Scott has said he would support a federal law to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The senator has issued calls for uniting the nation around Christian faith and spoke Saturday about the religion's values being embedded in the foundation of America.

If you believe, like l do, that America should celebrate our founding fathers and not cancel them, let me hear you say Amen, Scott shouted at the start of a call-and-response with the audience.

He, along with Pence, has visited regularly with evangelical pastors during his early trips to Iowa, with the aim of building rapport with clergy who can be influential in their churches among politically active social conservatives.

Also appearing Saturday night were Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, radio host Larry Elder, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson.

In his closing remark, Johnson made reference to the Florida governor's absence from the event.

I think DeSantis is making a huge mistake for not being here," Johnson said. "But to each his own.
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HELENA, Mont. (AP)  The latest high-profile example of statehouses deciding who can be heard during legislative debate is playing out in Montana, where a transgender lawmaker on Monday challenged in court a decision to remove her from the House floor for the remainder of the session.

Leaders in the GOP-controlled statehouse have not allowed Rep. Zooey Zephyr to speak during debates since April 18, after she told colleagues who supported a ban on gender-affirming care for youth that they would have blood on their hands.

The remark provoked outrage from Republicans who said the language was belittling and an affront to civil discourse. Zephyr rebuffed demands from legislative leaders to apologize.

The silencing of Zephyr's microphone drew hundreds of protesters last week to the Montana Capitol. From the House gallery they erupted in chants of Let her speak! and forced the House to temporarily adjourn. Police in riot gear forcibly cleared the gallery, seven protesters were arrested on trespassing charges and Zephyr was banished from the House floor.

Zephyr's attorneys are asking a state district court in Helena to issue an injunction that would allow her to return to the House floor for the final few days remaining in the legislative session.

The standoff between Zephyr and House Republicans originated in a dispute over gender-affirming care for minors. It's evolved to dovetail with a nationwide debate over the robustness of democracy in politically polarizing times.

Here's what you need to know:

WHO IS THE TRANSGENDER LAWMAKER AT THE CENTER OF THIS?

Last year, Zephyr became the first openly transgender woman elected to the Montana Legislature  putting her among a record number of transgender lawmakers who began serving across the U.S.

The 34-year-old Democrat is from the left-leaning college town Missoula, where she's a former administrator at the University of Montana. She has spent much of her adult life advocating for LGBTQ+ rights and worked behind the scenes during the 2021 legislative session to help block efforts to ban gender-affirming health care.

Following her November election, she said she wanted to enlist moderate Republicans to push back on what she called extreme and dangerous attacks and help people understand transgender adults like her.

Instead, she and fellow members of the Democratic minority have been powerless to stop Republicans from passing proposals focused on transgender kids. In addition to banning gender-affirming care for minors, lawmakers also passed legislation that says misgendering or deadnaming students is not illegal discrimination unless it rises to the level of bullying.

Deadnaming refers to using the name a transgender person used prior to transitioning.

Zephyr has likened gender-affirming care bans like the one that passed in Montana to eradication, echoing fears raised throughout the transgender community that stripping transgender youth of access to care endangers their lives and mental health.

WHAT STARTED THIS DISPUTE?

As the House debated the governor's proposed amendments to a measure banning gender-affirming care for minors, Zephyr spoke against the bill while making a reference to the body's opening prayer.

I hope the next time theres an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands, she said.

The words have been used numerous times by others in American politics without consequence, including in recent years by the governor of Texas, a GOP congressman in Florida and a city councilwoman in Denver.

But a group of conservative lawmakers known as the Montana Freedom Caucus demanded that Zephyr be disciplined and she was stopped from speaking on the floor by the House speaker.

The group's members have deliberately referred to Zephyr using male pronouns. Thats known as misgendering  using pronouns that dont match a persons gender identity and the caucus' chairwoman has indicated it will continue.

Following last week's protests the House voted to banish Zephyr from the floor of the House of Representatives and the House gallery. The legislative session could end as early as this week. Zephyr has been casting votes remotely, including on Monday from a statehouse snack bar while she awaited a ruling in her lawsuit against Regier and House Sergeant-at-Arms Brad Murfitt.

WHO HAS LED THE CHARGE TO SILENCE ZEPHYR?

Zephyrs punishment has thrust leaders in Montanas Republican-majority Legislature into the spotlight, including Regier, who was elected House Speaker in January.

Throughout his tenure, Regier, a real estate investor from a northwestern Montana political family, has spearheaded legislation to restrict local governments from enacting gun control measures. His proposal to ban the type of abortion most commonly used after 15 weeks passed the Legislature this year. Gianforte hasnt acted on the bill.

Although Montana has long leaned Republican, for years voters crossed party lines and elected Democrats to the U.S. Senate and governors mansion. But the state has recently shifted rightward. Republicans now command control of state government, which theyve used to push legislation restricting abortion and loosening gun laws.

One reflection of such a shift is the newly influential Montana Freedom Caucus, which includes at least 21 of the Legislature's 102 GOP lawmakers.

Its ideological leader is U.S. Rep Matt Rosendale, a hardline conservative who backed former President Donald Trumps false statements about fraud in the 2020 election and was among a core group of Republicans who opposed electing U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy as speaker of the House.

Efforts to punish Zephyr originated in the caucus, whose members said Zephyr's comments displayed a hateful rhetoric and called for a commitment to civil discourse  similar to criticisms leveled against Democrats expelled from the Tennessee statehouse for joining in gun control demonstrations.

The caucus later issued a statement calling the protest and arrests an insurrection and accused Zephyr of encouraging it. No property damage or threats to lawmakers were reported, and the GOP rhetoric mirrored other cases where Republicans have tried to equate nonviolent protests with insurrection.

IS THIS RELATED TO THE TENNESSEE LAWMAKERS BEING EXPELLED?

Not directly, but the dispute reflects tensions and harsh rhetoric around culturally divisive issues  including firearms, racial justice and rights for the LGBTQ+ community  that currently dominate much of America's political discourse.

The Tennessee expulsions stemmed from a dispute over gun control. It drew accusations of racism after Republicans removed two Black lawmakers following their participation in a protest but retained a third lawmaker involved who was white.

Zephyr has connected the fight over her words to the struggles facing marginalized groups throughout the country, including those who have the audacity to stand up and say this legislation gets us killed and have been met with punishment.

Last week, Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson, who was expelled and reinstated as an interim lawmaker, called the Montana standoff anti-democratic. We will not let our democracy die without fighting for every voice. We are in this fight from Memphis to Montana! he tweeted.

___

Metz reported from Salt Lake City and Brown reported from Billings.
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP)  New Mexico officials identified on Friday dozens of cases of potential abuse and neglect after completing wellness checks on thousands of developmentally disabled people around the state.

The state Health Department announced that it has checked on all 6,815 clients receiving services through a wavier program. The wellness checks were prompted by abuse claims that were made public in March and resulted in the state terminating contracts with four providers in the Albuquerque area.

Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and top health officials had warned that any caregivers who mistreat and abuse developmentally disabled or otherwise vulnerable people would be held accountable. Republican legislative leaders also requested that the federal government investigate, saying an independent inquiry would ensure transparency and might prompt the state to take necessary steps to prevent such cases in the future.

State Health Secretary Patrick Allen said in a statement Friday that in-person visits to developmentally disabled clients over such a short period of time was a huge and necessary undertaking.

The visits identified a total of 111 sites with possible concerns. Every one of these incidents is being fully investigated, Allen said.

Home repairs and other environmental concerns were found at 50 sites, while 61 site visits resulted in reports of potential abuse, neglect and exploitation.

The governor had announced in March that the state would be embarking on a forensic review of the entire Developmental Disabilities Waiver program, which is meant to offer an alternative to institutional care.

Critics have said the incidents of neglect and abuse seem to be related to system failures of various home and community-based programs that fall under the purview of the Developmental Disabilities Supports Division and Division of Health Improvement, which report to the Health Department.

The Health Department has said it would cooperate with federal officials should they choose to investigate and that the department has contracts with a law firm to recommend improvements in the system.

State officials said anyone found to be in an abusive situation or in danger of immediate harm would be removed and that referrals to law enforcement would be made as appropriate.

Allen said the state has responsibility to make sure developmentally disabled clients are being well cared for.

Most (developmentally disabled) waiver providers do, he said. Our job is to make sure that they all do.

Details on the case of abuse that triggered the in-person wellness checks still have not been made public.
A Fountain woman was taken into custody Friday after pleading guilty to three charges in the death of her 4-year-old daughter, Acelynn Staton-Contreras, who fatally overdosed on fentanyl in July.

Emma Staton, 25, appeared in court out of custody and pleaded guilty to the charge of child abuse knowingly or recklessly causing death, a second-degree felony, and two drug possession charges.

I had the fentanyl pills in my possession or in the vicinity of where my child was, and that was wrong, Staton said when asked to explain her plea to the court.

Staton was originally expected to enter a plea on March 8, but both the prosecution and defense requested a continuance to allow for more time to negotiate a plea deal. If a deal had not been reached by Friday, Staton would have been required to plead not guilty and stand trial, according to previous reporting by The Gazette.

However, instead of entering into a plea agreement  in which case penalties are agreed upon in advance  with the prosecution, Staton opted to plead open, letting the decision of penalties fall on Judge Chad Miller at a future sentencing hearing.

According to Miller, Staton could face between 16 and 48 years in the Department of Corrections for the child abuse charge, and by pleading open, she risks facing more than the 30- to 40-year range proposed by the prosecution. Alternatively, Miller could opt for a shorter sentence.

Staton's case was bound over for trial by Miller at a preliminary hearing in October after the prosecution presented testimony showing that there was sufficient evidence to continue pursuing charges against Staton.

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Two detectives with the Fountain Police Department testified during the preliminary hearing that Staton knew her daughter had ingested the drug the evening of July 12, but didn't take her to the hospital for three hours, instead administering two doses of Narcan.

Staton called 911 before quickly hanging up, according to one of the detectives. Deputies from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office 20 minutes later arrived at her home to investigate the call, and Staton told them everything was OK.

An hour later, Staton and a friend attempted to drive Acelynn to the hospital, but her condition "worsened significantly" and the pair pulled over and called 911, according to one of the detectives.

Acelynn was pronounced dead at a gas station in Fountain after life-saving measures were attempted by police at the scene.

A follow-up investigation found upward of 40 fentanyl pills and methamphetamines in the car of Staton, the detective testified.

Statons sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 3, when Miller will announce Statons penalties as well as allow parties with both the defense and prosecution to address the court. Miller told family members present at Fridays hearing that they will only be allowed to address him, given outbursts at previous hearings.

I understand this is a highly emotional case on both sides  neither side will be addressing parties on the other side of the courtroom, Miller said.
[April 21, 2023] Rocket Companies to Announce First Quarter 2023 Results on May 4

DETROIT, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Rocket Companies, Inc. (NYSE: RKT) ("Rocket Companies" or the "Company"), a Detroit-based fintech platform company consisting of tech-driven mortgage, real estate and financial services businesses  including Rocket Mortgage, Rocket Homes, Rocket Loans and Rocket Money  today announced the Company will issue its first quarter 2023 earnings on May 4, 2023. Leadership will host a conference call to discuss results at 4:30 p.m. ET on this date, and a press release detailing the Company's results will be issued prior to the call.



A live webcast of the event will be available on the "Events & Presentations" section of the Company's Investor Relations website at ir.rocketcompanies.com . A replay of the webcast will be available on the Investor Relations website following the conclusion of the event.

About Rocket Companies Founded in 1985, Rocket Companies is a Detroit-based fintech platform company consisting of personal finance and consumer technology brands including Rocket Mortgage, Rocket Homes, Amrock, Rocket Money, Rocket Loans, Rocket Mortgage Canada, Lendesk, Core Digital Media, Rocket Central and Rock Connections. Rocket Companies' mission is to be the best at creating certainty in life's most complex moments so that its clients can live their dreams. The Company helps clients achieve the dream of home ownership and financial freedom through industry-leading client experiences powered by its simple, fast and trusted digital solutions. Rocket Companies ranked #11 on Fortune's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2023 and has placed in the top third of the list for 20 consecutive years. For more information, please visit our Corporate Website or Investor Relations Website. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/rocket-companies-to-announce-first-quarter-2023-results-on-may-4-301804644.html SOURCE Rocket Companies, Inc.

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[April 21, 2023] CATALENT 96 HOUR DEADLINE ALERT: Former Louisiana Attorney General and Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Remind Investors With Losses in Excess of $100,000 of Deadline in Class Action Lawsuit Against Catalent, Inc. - CTLT

Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") and KSF partner, the former Attorney General of Louisiana, Charles C. Foti, Jr., remind investors that they have until April 25, 2023 to file lead plaintiff applications in a securities class action lawsuit against Catalent, Inc. (the "Company") (NYSE: CTLT), if they purchased the Company's securities between August 30, 2021 and October 31, 2022, inclusive (the "Class Period"). This action is pending in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. What You May Do If you purchased securities of Catalent and would like to discuss your legal rights and how this case might affect you and your right to recover for your economic loss, you may, without obligation or cost to you, contact KSF Managing Partner Lewis Kahn toll-free at 1-877-515-1850 or via email ([email protected]), or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-ctlt/ to learn more. If you wish to serve as a lead plaintiff in this class action by overseeing lead counsel with the goal of obtaining a fair and just resolution, you must request this position by application to the Court by April 25, 2023.



About the Lawsuit Catalent and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws. On November 1, 2022, the Company reported its financial results for 1Q2023 ending September 30, 2022, disclosing that its earnings had fallen to zero, a slashed fiscal year 2023 revenue guidance from $4.975B to $5.225B to the range of $4.625B to $4.875B, and that it was anticipating "negative P&L [profit and loss] effects," due to regulatory issues. On this news, shares of Catalent plummeted by 31.7% over two trading sessions, to close at $44.90 per share on November 2, 2022.

The case is City of Warwick Retirement System v. Catalent, Inc., No. 23-cv-1108. 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. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230421005402/en/

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[April 21, 2023] Insurance technology market size in Europe to grow by USD 14,523.99 million between 2022 and 2027; Increasing collaborations between investors and insurance technology vendors to be a key trend - Technavio

NEW YORK, April 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Technavio has been monitoring the insurance technology market in Europe , and it is expected to grow by USD 14,523.99 million between 2022 and 2027. As per the latest report, the market will progress at a CAGR of 34.58% during the forecast period. This report aid business leaders with an up-to-date analysis that includes the study of the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers that are likely to influence the market growth, and the overall market environment. Download the Latest Sample Report! The increasing collaborations between investors and insurance technology vendors are identified as the key trend in the market. The market is witnessing an increased number of collaborations between investors and insurance technology firms. These players are focused on developing sophisticated and customized insurance products and personalized services to cater to growing consumer demand. In addition, the trend of purchasing insurance over an application has also increased investors' collaboration with insurance technology firms. For instance, in December 2020, simplesurance GmbH, a Berlin-based insurance technology company, received USD 18 million as a convertible loan from Allianz X. Such investments will foster the growth of the market during the forecast period. The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Akur8, Alan SA, Anorak Technologies Ltd., Charles Taylor Ltd., Descartes Underwriting SAS, Digital Fineprint Ltd., F2X Group Ltd., FRISS, Getsafe Digital GmbH, INZMO Europe GmbH, Majesco, Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group, Qidenus Group GmbH, Qover SA, Quantemplate Technologies Inc., Shift Technology, simplesurance GmbH, wefox Insurance AG, Xempus AG, and Duck Creek Technologies Inc. are some of the major market participants. Although the increased adoption of cloud-based solutions will offer immense growth opportunities, changing skill requirements will challenge the growth of the market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. The market is driven by the increased adoption of cloud-based solutions. Cloud-based solutions provide organizations the flexibility to scale up or down depending on their requirements. Cloud-based solutions also ensure high-speed deployment and low upfront costs. Also, it allows organizations to access data and services remotely through a web browser without installing and managing the application software. Many such benefits are increasing the adoption of cloud-based among end-users, which is driving the growth of the market. Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Segmentation Type

Solution



Service

Technology

Cloud Computing



IoT



Big Data and Business Analytics



Blockchain



Others The market growth in the solution segment will be significant over the forecast period. The growth of the segment is driven by the digital transformation of insurance, coupled with the increasing demand for improved, customer-centric solutions. In addition, the development of new products to meet the changing needs of customers and improve transparency are driving the growth of the segment. To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download

a sample report Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our insurance technology market in Europe report covers the following areas: Insurance Technology Market Size

Insurance Technology Market Trends

Insurance Technology Market Analysis

Insurance Technology Market Five Forces Analysis

Insurance Technology Market Competitive Landscape Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Major Challenge Changing skill requirements will challenge the growth of the market. Technological innovations have enabled vendors to provide customer-centric applications in the market. The incorporation of data analytics has enabled insurance companies to derive insights, detect fraud, and predict claim patterns. Similarly, blockchain technology and cloud insurance solutions have become more efficient and secure. However, the market faces a shortage of skilled professionals to implement digital technologies. This is hindering the adoption of technology among insurance companies, which is negatively affecting the growth of the market. Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the insurance technology market in Europe, including some of the key vendors. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research report on the insurance technology market in Europe is designed to provide entry support, customer profile, and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Anorak Technologies Ltd. - The company offers insurance technology solutions such as the Adviser platform and the Consumer platform.

- The company offers insurance technology solutions such as the Adviser platform and the Consumer platform. Charles Taylor Ltd. - The company offers insurance technology solutions such as InHub.

- The company offers insurance technology solutions such as InHub. Descartes Underwriting SAS - The company offers insurance technology solutions for parametric insurance.

- The company offers insurance technology solutions for parametric insurance. FRISS - The company offers insurance technology solutions such as Create Insurance, Distribute Insurance, Manage your Insurance, and Insurance Reporting.

- The company offers insurance technology solutions such as Create Insurance, Distribute Insurance, Manage your Insurance, and Insurance Reporting. Alan SA

Digital Fineprint Ltd.

F2X Group Ltd.

Getsafe Digital GmbH

INZMO Europe GmbH

Majesco

Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group

Qidenus Group GmbH

Qover SA

Quantemplate Technologies Inc.

Shift Technology Gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports.

Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION Platform Insurance Technology Market in Europe 2023-2027: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2023-2027

Detailed information on factors that will assist insurance technology market growth in Europe during the next five years

during the next five years Estimation of the insurance technology market size in Europe and its contribution to the parent market

and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the insurance technology market in Europe

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of insurance technology market vendors in Europe Related Reports: The insurance software market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 7.22% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecasted to increase by USD 6,453.98 million. The market is segmented by deployment (on-premises and cloud-based), type (life insurance, accident and health insurance, property and casualty insurance, and others), and geography (North America, APAC, Europe, Middle East and Africa, and South America). The insurtech market is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 44.05% between 2022 and 2027. The size of the market is forecasted to increase by USD 6,1756.27 million. The market is segmented by deployment (on-premise and cloud), management (marketing and distribution, it support, policy administration and management, claim management, and others), and geography (North America, Europe, Apac, middle east and Africa, and South America).







Insurance Technology Market in Europe: Scope Report Coverage Details Base year 2022 Historic period 2017-2021 Forecast period 2023-2027 Growth momentum & CAGR Accelerate at a CAGR of 34.58% Market growth 2023-2027 USD 14523.99 million Market structure Fragmented YoY growth 2022- 2023 (%) 24.0 Key countries UK, France, Germany, Italy, and Rest of Europe Competitive landscape Leading Vendors, Market Positioning of Vendors, Competitive Strategies, and Industry Risks Key companies profiled Akur8, Alan SA, Anorak Technologies Ltd., Charles Taylor Ltd., Descartes Underwriting SAS, Digital Fineprint Ltd., F2X Group Ltd., FRISS, Getsafe Digital GmbH, INZMO Europe GmbH, Majesco, Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group, Qidenus Group GmbH, Qover SA, Quantemplate Technologies Inc., Shift Technology, simplesurance GmbH, wefox Insurance AG, Xempus AG, and Duck Creek Technologies Inc. Market dynamics Parent market analysis, market growth inducers and obstacles, fast-growing and slow-growing segment analysis, COVID-19 impact and recovery analysis and future consumer dynamics, and market condition analysis for the forecast period. Customization purview If our report has not included the data that you are looking for, you can reach out to our analysts and get segments customized.

Browse through Technavio's Information Technology Market Reports Table of contents: 1 Executive Summary 1.1 Market overview

Exhibit 01: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Overview



Exhibit 02: Executive Summary  Data Table on Market Overview



Exhibit 03: Executive Summary  Chart on Country Market Characteristics



Exhibit 04: Executive Summary  Chart on Market by Geography



Exhibit 05: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Type



Exhibit 06: Executive Summary  Chart on Market Segmentation by Technology



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 Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 15: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 16: Chart on Europe : Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

: Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 17: Data Table on Regional - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million) 4 Historic Market Size 4.1 Insurance technology market in Europe 2017 - 2021

2017 - 2021 Exhibit 18: Historic Market Size  Data Table on Insurance technology market in Europe 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.2 Type Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 19: Historic Market Size  Type Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.3 Technology Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 20: Historic Market Size  Technology Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 4.4 Geography Segment Analysis 2017 - 2021

Exhibit 21: Historic Market Size  Geography Segment 2017 - 2021 ($ million) 5 Five Forces Analysis 5.1 Five forces summary

Exhibit 22: Five forces analysis - Comparison between 2022 and 2027 5.2 Bargaining power of buyers

Exhibit 23: Chart on Bargaining power of buyers  Impact of key factors 2022 and 2027 5.3 Bargaining power of suppliers

Exhibit 24: Bargaining power of suppliers  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.4 Threat of new entrants

Exhibit 25: Threat of new entrants  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.5 Threat of substitutes

Exhibit 26: Threat of substitutes  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.6 Threat of rivalry

Exhibit 27: Threat of rivalry  Impact of key factors in 2022 and 2027 5.7 Market condition

Exhibit 28: Chart on Market condition - Five forces 2022 and 2027 6 Market Segmentation by Type 6.1 Market segments

Exhibit 29: Chart on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 30: Data Table on Type - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 6.2 Comparison by Type

Exhibit 31: Chart on Comparison by Type



Exhibit 32: Data Table on Comparison by Type 6.3 Solution - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 33: Chart on Solution - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 34: Data Table on Solution - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 35: Chart on Solution - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 36: Data Table on Solution - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.4 Service - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 37: Chart on Service - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 38: Data Table on Service - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 39: Chart on Service - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 40: Data Table on Service - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 6.5 Market opportunity by Type

Exhibit 41: Market opportunity by Type ($ million)



Exhibit 42: Data Table on Market opportunity by Type ($ million) 7 Market Segmentation by Technology 7.1 Market segments

Exhibit 43: Chart on Technology - Market share 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 44: Data Table on Technology - Market share 2022-2027 (%) 7.2 Comparison by Technology

Exhibit 45: Chart on Comparison by Technology



Exhibit 46: Data Table on Comparison by Technology 7.3 Cloud computing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 47: Chart on Cloud computing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 48: Data Table on Cloud computing - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 49: Chart on Cloud computing - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 50: Data Table on Cloud computing - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.4 IoT - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 51: Chart on IoT - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 52: Data Table on IoT - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 53: Chart on IoT - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 54: Data Table on IoT - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.5 Big data and business analytics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 55: Chart on Big data and business analytics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 56: Data Table on Big data and business analytics - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 57: Chart on Big data and business analytics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 58: Data Table on Big data and business analytics - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.6 Blockchain - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 59: Chart on Blockchain - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 60: Data Table on Blockchain - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 61: Chart on Blockchain - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 62: Data Table on Blockchain - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.7 Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 63: Chart on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 64: Data Table on Others - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 65: Chart on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 66: Data Table on Others - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 7.8 Market opportunity by Technology

Exhibit 67: Market opportunity by Technology ($ million)



Exhibit 68: Data Table on Market opportunity by Technology ($ million) 8 Customer Landscape 8.1 Customer landscape overview

Exhibit 69: Analysis of price sensitivity, lifecycle, customer purchase basket, adoption rates, and purchase criteria 9 Geographic Landscape 9.1 Geographic segmentation

Exhibit 70: Chart on Market share by geography - 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 71: Data Table on Market share by geography - 2022-2027 (%) 9.2 Geographic comparison

Exhibit 72: Chart on Geographic comparison



Exhibit 73: Data Table on Geographic comparison 9.3 UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

Exhibit 74: Chart on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 75: Data Table on UK - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)



Exhibit 76: Chart on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)



Exhibit 77: Data Table on UK - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.4 France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 78: Chart on France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 79: Data Table on France - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 80: Chart on France - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 81: Data Table on France - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.5 Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 82: Chart on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 83: Data Table on Germany - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 84: Chart on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 85: Data Table on Germany - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.6 Italy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 86: Chart on Italy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 87: Data Table on Italy - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 88: Chart on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 89: Data Table on Italy - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.7 Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 Exhibit 90: Chart on Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 91: Data Table on Rest of Europe - Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

- Market size and forecast 2022-2027 ($ million)

Exhibit 92: Chart on Rest of Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

- Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%)

Exhibit 93: Data Table on Rest of Europe - Year-over-year growth 2022-2027 (%) 9.8 Market opportunity by geography

Exhibit 94: Market opportunity by geography ($ million)



Exhibit 95: Data Table 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 96: Impact of drivers and challenges in 2022 and 2027 10.4 Market trends 11 Vendor Landscape 11.1 Overview 11.2 Vendor landscape

Exhibit 97: Overview on Criticality of inputs and Factors of differentiation 11.3 Landscape disruption

Exhibit 98: Overview on factors of disruption 11.4 Industry risks

Exhibit 99: Impact of key risks on business 12 Vendor Analysis 12.1 Vendors covered

Exhibit 100: Vendors covered 12.2 Market positioning of vendors

Exhibit 101: Matrix on vendor position and classification 12.3 Akur8

Exhibit 102: Akur8 - Overview



Exhibit 103: Akur8 - Product / Service



Exhibit 104: Akur8 - Key offerings 12.4 Anorak Technologies Ltd.

Exhibit 105: Anorak Technologies Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 106: Anorak Technologies Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 107: Anorak Technologies Ltd. - Key offerings 12.5 Charles Taylor Ltd.

Exhibit 108: Charles Taylor Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 109: Charles Taylor Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 110: Charles Taylor Ltd. - Key news



Exhibit 111: Charles Taylor Ltd. - Key offerings 12.6 Descartes Underwriting SAS

Exhibit 112: Descartes Underwriting SAS - Overview



Exhibit 113: Descartes Underwriting SAS - Product / Service



Exhibit 114: Descartes Underwriting SAS - Key offerings 12.7 Duck Creek Technologies Inc.

Exhibit 115: Duck Creek Technologies Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 116: Duck Creek Technologies Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 117: Duck Creek Technologies Inc. - Key news



Exhibit 118: Duck Creek Technologies Inc. - Key offerings 12.8 F2X Group Ltd.

Exhibit 119: F2X Group Ltd. - Overview



Exhibit 120: F2X Group Ltd. - Product / Service



Exhibit 121: F2X Group Ltd. - Key offerings 12.9 FRISS

Exhibit 122: FRISS - Overview



Exhibit 123: FRISS - Product / Service



Exhibit 124: FRISS - Key offerings 12.10 Getsafe Digital GmbH

Exhibit 125: Getsafe Digital GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 126: Getsafe Digital GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 127: Getsafe Digital GmbH - Key offerings 12.11 INZMO Europe GmbH

Exhibit 128: INZMO Europe GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 129: INZMO Europe GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 130: INZMO Europe GmbH - Key offerings 12.12 Majesco

Exhibit 131: Majesco - Overview



Exhibit 132: Majesco - Product / Service



Exhibit 133: Majesco - Key news



Exhibit 134: Majesco - Key offerings 12.13 Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group

Exhibit 135: Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group - Overview



Exhibit 136: Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group - Business segments



Exhibit 137: Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group - Key offerings



Exhibit 138: Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen Spolka Akcyjna Group - Segment focus 12.14 Qover SA

Exhibit 139: Qover SA - Overview



Exhibit 140: Qover SA - Product / Service



Exhibit 141: Qover SA - Key offerings 12.15 Quantemplate Technologies Inc.

Exhibit 142: Quantemplate Technologies Inc. - Overview



Exhibit 143: Quantemplate Technologies Inc. - Product / Service



Exhibit 144: Quantemplate Technologies Inc. - Key offerings 12.16 Shift Technology

Exhibit 145: Shift Technology - Overview



Exhibit 146: Shift Technology - Product / Service



Exhibit 147: Shift Technology - Key offerings 12.17 simplesurance GmbH

Exhibit 148: simplesurance GmbH - Overview



Exhibit 149: simplesurance GmbH - Product / Service



Exhibit 150: simplesurance GmbH - Key offerings 13 Appendix 13.1 Scope of the report 13.2 Inclusions and exclusions checklist

Exhibit 151: Inclusions checklist



Exhibit 152: Exclusions checklist 13.3 Currency conversion rates for US$

Exhibit 153: Currency conversion rates for US$ 13.4 Research methodology

Exhibit 154: Research methodology



Exhibit 155: Validation techniques employed for market sizing



Exhibit 156: Information sources 13.5 List of abbreviations

Exhibit 157: List of abbreviations About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provide actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. Contact Technavio Research

Jesse Maida

Media & Marketing Executive

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UK: +44 203 893 3200

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/insurance-technology-market-size-in-europe-to-grow-by-usd-14-523-99-million-between-2022-and-2027-increasing-collaborations-between-investors-and-insurance-technology-vendors-to-be-a-key-trend---technavio-301803119.html SOURCE Technavio

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Amidst the beginning of a new age dominated by digital devices and applications, one cannot overlook the importance of mobile network technology. Mobile is a necessary part of both enterprises' and consumers' daily lives, providing access to tablets, watches, laptops, iPods, netbooks, and many other connected devices.







With approximately 4.32 billion active mobile Internet users, and 58.43 percent of website traffic coming from mobile devices, the time is ripe for enterprises around the world to begin emphasizing the security of their mobile network.

Mobile networks are enticing targets for would-be cyber attackers because they are susceptible to browser-based and web-borne attacks. Browser-based and web-borne attacks are tricky for individual subscribers and organizations to defend against, as they exploit vulnerabilities, such as outdated browsers, plug-ins, and other components, injecting malicious code into website components. These types of attacks can be devastating, costing organizations, on average, $3.2M per breach. What makes these attacks even more terrifying is how common they are, as 85 percent of all current malware is spread via web browsers.

The Ukrainian mobile operator community has taken many impactful steps to defend its mobile networks and ensure their resilience. One such action taken has been to adopt and leverage some of the cyber security solutions that are becoming available with every passing day, which can help provide the most up-to-date cyber security protocols.

DefensX, a developer of zero-trust cybersecurity applications, recently announced it has partnered with lifecell, a Ukrainian telecom operator and a subsidiary of Turkcell (News - Alert), to provide mobile communication and data transfer services based on high-speed Internet to provide next-level protection against growing, web-borne cyber attacks.

"We are proud to bring an array of solutions to lifecell as digital attacks continue to rise in war-torn Ukraine," said Halis Osman Erkan, founder and CEO of DefensX, which is a platform designed for service providers, enabling effective, easy-to-install, and manage, and cost-effective browser-based, pure cloud cyber protection at a fraction of the price of legacy solutions. "Given our complementary architectures and shared vision for cloud and Internet-based communications applications, DefensX and lifecell are a perfect fit, especially as cloud telco digital transformation accelerates."

Eighty percent of cyber-attacks involve web browsers, and DefensX Secure Web Browser protects individuals and organizations from being infected by malware on malicious websites, phishing attacks designed to steal credentials, and increasingly sophisticated Adware. Adware is a form of malware that displays unwanted advertisements on smartphones and computers, commonly activated unknowingly when users are trying to install legitimate applications that the Adware is bundled with.

The DefensX Secure Web Browser made by lifecell is available to all its subscribers who seek privacy and protection of their personal data online. DefensX can be activated in minutes on one to five devices using a USSD code or SMS.

Subscribers simply start using the DefensX browser, which identifies malicious websites and blocks them to protect individuals and businesses from various types of web threats.

Specific features include:

Zero Trust Web Protection

There are many risky websites on the Internet, and subscribers may find themselves visiting one of the malicious websites without knowing what is waiting for them there. DefensX identifies malicious websites and blocks accessing these sites to protect users from various types of web threats.

Zero Trust Credentials Protection

Phishing attacks pretending to be legitimate websites trick end-users into entering their usernames/passwords to steal valuable, personal, and sensitive data. DefensX uses Artificial Intelligence to identify phishing web pages and prevents users from entering their passwords, stopping cybercriminals in their tracks.

Adware Protection

DefensX detects potential ADware attack surfaces within web pages and removes those risk elements in the web pages. DefensX not only protects end-users and businesses from harmful ADware but does so without slowing down or otherwise preventing a smooth user experience.

"DefensX also brings lifecell an immediate solution addressing the alarming growth of zero-day attacks, so much so that we refer to our solution as zero-hour," Erkan said. "Our phishing protection/credential protection feature has AI capabilities that can detect computer-software vulnerabilities previously unknown to those needing real-time mediation, including providers of the target software. Until the vulnerability is mitigated, hackers can exploit it to adversely affect programs, data, additional computers, or a network, leading to potentially severely damaging devices, networks, and applications."

lifecell provides mobile communication and data transfer services based on high-speed Internet in Ukraine. The company has developed an innovative ecosystem across the telecommunications industry, implementing Smart City and Smart Region projects, improving citizens' security, and developing IoT networks. As of the end of Q4 2022, lifecell 3-month active subscriber base was 8.5 million users.

Lifecell is owned by Turkcell, Turkey's largest provider of converged telecom and technology services. Turkcell is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Borsa Istanbul (BIST). More information about lifecell can be found here.

According to SaaS Alerts, 2022 saw a 61% increase in the rate of phishing attacks, a number all industry analysts expect to grow even further this year.



Equally troubling, the report found a 29% increase in the number of guest user accounts, which can have access to sensitive data and open access points for bad actors. Of the over 979,840 SaaS (News - Alert) accounts monitored by SaaS Alerts in 2022, 54% were from guest user accounts versus licensed users.

Adware alone accounts for 48% of all malware. When Adware reaches smartphones, without proper protection, it can unlock access to a single end-user while potentially providing easy access to corporate information and systems.

Edited by Erik Linask
Like it or not, things aren't looking good for Kansas City at the outset of beautiful, warmer weather.

A stat that deserves to be repeated:

Right now KCMO has recorded 51 homicides and that's more than 15% more than 2020 - The deadliest year in our history.

A few other facts that don't bode well for the days ahead:

- We're still down 300 police officers and police union leaders have warned us about the strain put on the rank & file trying to keep up with a tougher work load and divisive political climate.

- A worsening economy looms as recession numbers take hold and poverty has always served to spark social unrest & crime.

- Clearly, the cultural divide in Kansas City has become wider in the aftermath of the George Floyd riots/uprising and the current dispute over the Ralph Yarl shooting.

Now . . .

We're not quitters on this blog . . . We don't believe in fate or destiny without decisions, work and choice. That's why we'd rather pound on this keyboard in (my mom's) basement than work at a low-rent insurance company in order to keep a wife unhappy before she inevitably moved on to greener pastures.

But I digress . . .

The point here is actually more than a bit serious . . .

ONCE AGAIN KANSAS CITY IS AT THE PRECIPICE OF WORSENING VIOLENCE AND WE FEAR THAT OUR SO MANY OF OUR ELECTED LEADERS AREN'T SERIOUS ABOUT PROTECTING PUBLIC SAFETY!!!

There's some election chatter on this sordid topic . . . The politicking will pick up in June but by then it might be too late.

We all know that 30-MILLION-BUCKS worth of no-show jobs for the politically connected isn't going to fix the problem.



In fact . . . A great deal of this crisis has to do with a lack of confidence that was demonstrated with embarrassingly low turnout to recent elections.

And so we share this passage seems relevant and offers a glimpse at the far reaching crisis of rising crime . . . Check-it:



"Whether or not crime actually is up in central city business districts, widespread fear of crimedriven in no small part by relentless media coveragecertainly is. This is forcing urban leaders to simultaneously confront rising public safety concerns while grappling with the numerous economic, social, and civic aftershocks of an enormously disruptive three years. Unfortunately, many of these aftershockssuch as emptier streets and vacant storefrontsare the very same issues that negatively impact perceptions of safety in the first place."

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com links . . .

The geography of crime in four U.S. cities: Perceptions and reality Chicago's recent mayoral primary-in which "tough-on-crime" candidate Paul Vallas beat incumbent Lori Lightfoot to advance to an unprecedented runoff-divided many on the left and prompted some to declare the election as a new referendum on the politics of crime. Indeed, Chicago is far from the only U.S.

Ousted Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot urges Dems to 'speak the truth' on violent crime amid spike FIRST ON FOX: Ousted Chicago called on Democrat mayors to "speak the truth" on violent crime in their cities amid the crime spike in Chicago. While speaking on a panel at the African American Mayors Association Conference in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Lightfoot called on Democrat mayors to address the growing crime in their cities.

Crime: Most Voters Say It's Getting Worse If it's in the News, it's in our Polls. Public opinion polling since 2003. A majority of voters continue to believe America's crime problem is getting worse, even as President Joe Biden's rating on the issue improves. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S.

Developing . . .
A statement from the department is the best place to start this scary local story and then more info from local news:



"The City of Overland Park is aware of serious allegations related to an Overland Park Police Department officers off-duty conduct. The City has terminated this individuals employment, and he is no longer a member of the Overland Park Police Department or an employee of the City."



SUSPECT remained in custody as of Friday morning on a $250,000 surety bond.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

Former Overland Park police officer charged with rape, sexual battery KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A now-former Overland Park police officer is facing rape and sexual battery charges from an incident reported last month. Omar Diosdado, 35, is facing one county of rape, two counts of sexual battery, one count of criminal restraint and one count of battery in connection to an incident that took place around March 16-17, 2023, in Wyandotte County.

Former Overland Park police officer charged with rape, other crimes KANSAS CITY, Kan. - A former Overland Park police officer is charged with rape and other related crimes. Omar Diosdado, 35, is charged in Wyandotte County. According to the charging document, Diosdado raped someone on March 16th or 17th.

Developing . . .
Deaths in Colorado related to domestic violence jumped in 2021, according to a review board that classifies these fatalities.

A new report from the Colorado Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board suggests abusers access to guns and the COVID-19 pandemic likely contributed to the spike. But underlying patterns in predominantly female victims and male perpetrators persist.

Ninety-one people died in 61 incidents in 2021, the highest number classified as domestic violence-related fatalities by the review board  chaired by Attorney General Phil Weiser  since its creation in 2016. Of those, 45 were the primary victims of the domestic violence identified, 32 were the perpetrators and 14 were collateral victims. Four were children.

Although no studies to date have addressed DVF (domestic violence fatality) rates during the pandemic, research indicates a significant increase in the incidence of nonfatal DV during the pandemic, and it is likely the factors contributing to this increase are also impacting DVF rates, says the report.

The board recorded 63 domestic violence fatalities in 2020. However, the report acknowledges that factors such as the difficulty of in-person data collection and limitations of homicide investigations by police during the pandemic might mean local domestic violence fatality review boards did not record all deaths.

Gunshots caused 81% of domestic violence fatalities in 2021, according to the report. It references the Mothers Day shooting in Colorado Springs when a man killed his girlfriend and five of her family members before turning the gun on himself. Access to guns by an abuser increases the likelihood of death by 1,000%, according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

This data reflects the dangers associated with DV perpetrators access to firearms, says the report.

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As a result, the board includes a recommendation for more investment in firearm relinquishment processes for domestic violence perpetrators.

Eighty-eight percent of 2021 victims classified by the report were female, and 90% of perpetrators were male. Nine percent of cases had female perpetrators and male victims, while 2% involved female perpetrators and victims.

This pattern reflects the overall trend that DV more broadly is a very gendered crime, says the report, but notes the data underscores DV is an issue that crosses genders and needs to be addressed in all relationships.

The fatality review boards classifications cast a net broader than deaths of people killed by their intimate partners to include people who have died in the context of domestic violence. Its reviews include collateral victims such as new partners, family members, law enforcement officers or bystanders killed by perpetrators of domestic violence, children killed by abusers in revenge against their victim and suicides of victims or perpetrators.

Among the reports recommendations, the board supports creating a mechanism for law enforcement agencies to report domestic violence fatalities directly to the attorney generals office. While some data is collected from local domestic violence fatality review boards  the state report identifies four in Colorado  the board has to rely on publicly available sources such as media reports and arrest affidavits for data on deaths that have not been reviewed by a local board.

The board also suggests better domestic violence training for judges. An investigation by The Gazette last fall found skepticism by judges of abuse allegations in custody cases sometimes led to children being placed in dangerous arrangements where abuse by a parent continued or even led to death.
Very much like hottie Faye needed to explore her wild side during the early 2000s . . . We need coffee to run this dump of a blog and realize that this place doesn't really get going until we've fulfilled our caffeine obligation.



Accordingly . . .

We've compiled this quick bit of recent local coffee news links dedicated to our colleagues who are also committed to the java arts . . .

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .

KC mom's goal for her daughters' brewing coffee business: Making history, served Blakk Germaneke Drone is steeping her daughters' entrepreneurial vision with her own lived experience to turn the kids' idea into the Kansas City-based, dairy-free mobile coffee cafe of their dreams, the Blakk Brew founder said. Growing up with a Vietnamese grandmother, Kai, 8, and Keanu, 6, were introduced to coffee and tea culture at an early age.

Four Inane Questions with Coffee Lunch Coffee's Alana Muller Courtesy photo Alana Muller has been blessed with the gift of gab. The entrepreneurial executive leader can power through hosting a breakfast networking meeting and then facilitate a motivational corporate workshop mere hours later. Muller is the former president of KauffmanFastTrac. Her goal now? "To connect, inspire, and empower the community," she says.

Foodie Find: The Roasterie's 30th Anniversary Coffee Gives Back to the KC Community - In Kansas City The Roasterie is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a coffee blend that gives back to the community the air-roasted coffee chain has thrived in. Ten percent of sales from the Give Back Blend will be donated to Kansas City nonprofits. "A lot has changed in Kansas City in the last three decades, and we are...

Developing . . .
A quick collection of crime reporting, police action and news of local violence as the weekend takes hold.

Check TKC news gathering . . .

20-year-old woman, believed to be innocent bystander, dies week after shooting in KCK The Kansas City, Kansas, Police Department says a woman has died days after a shooting.Police said 20-year-old Jadah M. Clark was believed to be an innocent bystander, not the intended target, of a shooting that happened near 13th Street and Washington Boulevard in KCK.Clark was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries following the shooting Friday, April 14.

Police investigating homicide after body found in RV fire in Blue Springs BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. - Police said a homicide investigation is now underway after a body was discovered in a burning RV outside a Blue Springs home. Around 12:30 a.m. Friday morning, crews from the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District received a call from a neighbor about a fire at a home near S.W.

Man charged, police investigate group suspected of cloning keys to steal cars KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Law enforcement agencies are investigating suspects who are using a device and software to clone keys to steal cars in several states, including in the Kansas City metro. Jackson County prosecutors charged Deavalique Hyler with three felony counts of tampering with a motor vehicle.

Man accused in shooting that injured 3 KCK officers accidentally released from Platte County KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - The United States Marshals Service is looking for Jae'veon Marquice Mitchell-Locke after the Platte County Detention Center inadvertently released him. Mitchell-Locke is charged, along with two others, in a high-profile shooting on April 6 that injured three Kansas City, Kansas, police officers.

Former Missouri hospital worker accused in 2 deaths takes plea deal PLATTSBURG, Mo. - There's been a plea deal in the case of Jennifer Hall, the former Chillicothe respiratory therapist accused of killing two patients while she worked at the Hedrick Medical Center 21 years ago. Hall plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter instead of murder charges Friday.

Kansas City woman pregnant with twins has car stolen during hospital trip A woman expecting twins drove from St. Joseph to St. Luke's Hospital on the Plaza in Kansas City to get treated for premature labor pains when she had another surprise.Her car was stolen.Tylessa Bonnett arrived at the hospital Sunday."No later than an hour after the sun went down, my car was stolen.

Why wasn't Andrew Lester charged with hate crime? Experts point to gap in Missouri law In explaining his decision not to file a hate crime charge against the 84-year-old man accused of shooting Ralph Yarl, Clay County Prosecutor Zachary Thompson said Monday he did not want to risk double jeopardy.

Kansas City, Missouri police searching for missing 22-year-old in need of medical attention The Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department is asking for help to find a 22-year-old they say is in need of medical attention. Police said the department's missing persons section is looking for 22-year-old Alex G. Gardner.Police said Gardner was last seen near Northwest 59th Terrace and Kirkwood Avenue on Thursday.

Developing . . .
On second thought . . .

Maybe we do need at age-check for guns at the top end??

And whilst we thought this story was going to be sexier given that a dude desperately demanding meat sounds like the reverse scenario of TKC fantasies about delivering pizza to poverty stricken Victoria's Secret super models . . . Here's a recent example of gun play food fighting gone horribly wrong . . .



The employee said he received a call from the meat department about a man packing his own meat. The employee approached SUSPECT and told him that he could not be there. SUSPECT got upset and said he was going to keep doing what he was doing. The employee said he was not going to help him with the meat.



Once he held the gun to my throat  pushed it into my throat  I decided to comply, the employee told police.

Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com link . . .
Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it.





I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends.





More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it.





The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity.





About me:

I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS.

Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line).

Age: 42

Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed.





I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it).
Todays meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in the Ramstein format indicates that international support for Ukraine is growing.

The relevant statement was made by United Kingdom Secretary of State for Defence Ben Wallace, an Ukrinform correspondent reports, referring to Sky News.

The message from Ramstein is clear. International support for Ukraine is growing. More countries than ever are attending. Donations are increasing and their delivery is accelerating. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes, Wallace said.

Additionally, Wallace called on his fellow defence ministers to accelerate the delivery of military aid packages in a demonstration of continuing international support for Ukraine.

In his words, the United Kingdom can be proud of their support for Ukraine.

We are providing countless brave Ukrainians with the battle-winning training, equipment and ammunition urgently needed to repel Russias barbaric invasion, Wallace stressed.

To date, the United Kingdom has sent more than 10,000 anti-tank missiles, 200,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, hundreds of anti-aircraft guns, self-propelled artillery, and more than 200,000 pieces of non-lethal equipment to Ukraine.

A reminder that, on April 21, 2023, the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group is taking place at the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has said that Ukraine is now ready to liberate more territories amid preparations for a future counteroffensive against Russian forces.

Stoltenberg said this on the sidelines of a meeting at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany on April 21, Ukrinform reports, citing Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

"I'm confident that they will now be in a position to be able to liberate even more land," Stoltenberg told journalists.

He noted that one of the main issues during the meeting was accounting for "all the different capabilities, systems, supplies that the Ukrainians need to be able to retake more land.

According to Stoltenberg, Germany and the United States delivered multiple Patriot air-defense batteries, which he said are "operational in Ukraine." He declined to provide other details or the exact number of Patriot systems that had been already delivered.

The NATO Secretary General said that the alliance's current focus is to ensure Ukraine prevails against Russia's unprovoked invasion, and once the war ends, that Kyiv has "the deterrence to prevent new attacks."

As Ukrinform reported, on April 21, the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was held at the Ramstein Air Base, Germany. At the meeting, the issues of air defense, ammunition, and means of support were discussed.
Portugal will hand over five armored rescue and medical aid vehicles to Ukraine.

"Portugal will send five armored rescue and medical aid vehicles to Ukraine  three of the M113 type and two of the M577 type," Minister of National Defense of Portugal Helena Carreiras announced following the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting, Ukrinform reports.

As reported, Minister of Defense of Latvia Inara Murniece announced at the Contact Group meeting the decision to provide Ukraine with all the Stinger man-portable air-defense systems available to the Latvian side.
A Colorado Springs police officer was injured in a scuffle with a man who allegedly grabbed the officer's gun and pulled the trigger while resisting being detained Thursday on Colorado Springs' northeast side.

Neither the officer nor the suspect was struck by the bullet, but both sustained minor injuries in what police described as a fight that occurred after the officer responded to the 3600 block of Betty Drive, where a tow truck driver was towing a vehicle parked on private property.

The officer found 26-year-old Bryton Johnson in the vehicle and attempted to detain him. However, police said Johnson resisted and allegedly assaulted the officer, at one point allegedly pulling the trigger of the officer's firearm, which did not strike anyone, police said.

Johnson and the officer were taken to the hospital with minor injuries after the fight, which was resolved when additional police units arrived on the scene, according to police. Both have since been released, and Johnson is in custody at the El Paso County jail.

He was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault on an officer, second-degree assault and attempting to disarm an officer.
The Czech Republic plans to prepare more modernized tanks for Ukraine.

Ukraine has already received 37 modernized T-72 tanks as part of the military aid financed by the USA and the Netherlands, while currently the Czech Ministry of Defense proposes to include in the project dozens more tanks.

This is reported by army.cz following the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Support Contact Group held at the U.S. Ramstein Air Base in Germany on April 21, Ukrinform saw.

"We propose to add dozens more to the production rate if the partners are interested in financing the project," said Ales Vytecka, chief of the Agency for Intergovernmental Defense Cooperation (AMOS).

"In the Czech Republic, we combine the maximum number of donations from the Czech Army's reserves, purchases from state reserves, crowdfunding, and commercial supplies," explained Deputy Defense Minister Daniel Blazkovec.

According to the official, thanks to cooperation with Ukrainian and foreign partners, the Czech Republic still has specific projects that can be quickly implemented and which are a priority for Ukraine."

Currently, the Czech Republic is mainly focused on the BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicle, tanks, large-caliber ammunition, e-warfare, ISR (Intelligence Surveillance Reconnaissance), and air defense.

As part of a tripartite project with the United States and the Netherlands to supply more than 90 tanks, the Sternberg-based Excalibur can deliver about five such tanks per month. As tanks often arrive at the factory in a derelict state, once upgraded, they receive increased engine power, new communication systems, digital diagnostics, better targeting systems, additional dynamic armor, etc.

In addition, the Czech Republic is ready to run negotiations on setting up a center for maintenance, repair, and overhaul of heavy equipment within the framework of state-run VOP and several private businesses.

The Czech Republic also trains Ukrainian fighters, with plans to train up to 4,000 recruits by year-end. The third group, a total of 650 servicemen, is currently being trained in Libava.

Other forms of assistance are also being provided. In particular, 15 military policemen together with representatives of the Netherlands will investigate war crimes in Ukraine under the auspices of the International Criminal Court.

Since the invasion, the Czech Republic has been one of the largest providers of military aid to Ukraine, holding weekly consultations on Ukraines current needs.
The 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group brought Russias accountability closer.

Ramstein 11 results: russia is getting closer to Nuremberg II. Each meeting in this format not only provides more useful gifts for the Ukrainian army, but also aims to bring criminals to justice, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov posted on Twitter following the Ramstein format meeting.

As reported, on April 21, the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group was held at the U.S. Air Force base "Ramstein" in Germany. During the meeting, in particular, the issues of air defense, ammunition, and logistics were discussed.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said on Friday that the format members had already provided the Armed Forces of Ukraine with more than 230 tanks, thousands of units of other combat equipment and ammunition, and $55 billion in security assistance.
The ministers of defense of Ukraine and Estonia signed a memorandum of cooperation between their agencies.

"We signed a memorandum on cooperation between Ukraines MoD & Estonias MoD. We are deepening our cooperation on the basis of shared goals - peace and security for our countries and the entire continent," Minister of Defense of Ukraine Oleksii Reznikov posted on Twitter.

He emphasized that Estonia has been a staunch ally of Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion and thanked the Estonian people and Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur for "outstanding contribution to strengthening our defense and for supporting Ukraines European and Euro-Atlantic outlook."

As reported, 600 Ukrainian infantry soldiers were trained in Estonia.

Photo: Oleksii Reznikov, Twitter
The Government of Germany and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) signed an agreement on Germanys 3 million contribution to the project "Development of industrial potential, policy and diagnostics for green recovery of Ukraine".

"Ukraine is grateful to Germany for the contribution of 3 million to finance the UNIDO project. We should start rebuilding Ukraine right now, without waiting for the end of Russia's war of aggression against our country," Yevhenii Tsymbaliuk, Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the International Organizations in Vienna, told Ukrinform, commenting on the signing of the agreement in Vienna on Friday.

The signing ceremony was attended by Fatou Haidara, Deputy to the UNIDO Director General, permanent representatives of Ukraine and Germany, as well as the Organization's secretariat staff.

According to Tsymbaliuk, many countries have already declared their readiness to provide financial support for the reconstruction and restoration of energy, transport infrastructure, and industrial facilities damaged or completely destroyed as a result of Russian attacks.

The UNIDO project provides for conducting research and diagnostics in industry, preparing recommendations for possible improvement and planning, in particular in the areas of energy efficiency, circular economy, green energy, improvement of quality standards, etc.

The project will help identify the necessary technologies that will be used during reconstruction and will become the basis for the future global UNIDO Program for green recovery and post-war construction for inclusive and sustainable industrial development in Ukraine.

As reported, Jochen Flasbarth, State Secretary in the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, German Federal Government's Commissioner for the Reconstruction of Ukraine, said that in its efforts for the reconstruction of Ukraine, Germany focuses not on certain regions or sectors of the economy but on the priorities of the Ukrainian government and the reconstruction of destroyed infrastructure, taking into account the fact that it will later become part of the European one.
The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a draft law on financial support for the rail supply project of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia within the framework of an agreement between Ukraine and France.

According to Ukrinform, Taras Melnychuk, permanent representative of the Cabinet of Ministers in the Verkhovna Rada, announced this on Telegram.

"The draft Law On the Ratification of the Framework Agreement between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the French Republic regarding financial support for the rail supply project of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia" was approved, the report says.

The ratification of the Framework Agreement will allow attracting funds on preferential terms from the government of the French Republic, necessary for the supply of rails for the needs of JSC Ukrzaliznytsia, which arose due to the Russia military aggression. The loan is provided in an amount not exceeding EUR 37.6 million.

Read also: Ukrzaliznytsia completes test run on European gauge line from Poland

As reported by Ukrinform, Ukraine and France signed a number of agreements on cooperation in various fields following the results of a bilateral business conference on the sustainability and recovery of Ukraine, which was held in in Paris on December 13, 2022. One of them is an agreement on a soft loan worth EUR 37.6 million for the supply of 20,000 tonnes of rails produced be France-based Saarstahl company, which will enable the repair of more than 150 km of track.
Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food Mykola Solskyi of Ukraine and his Bulgarian counterpart Yavor Hecheva, agreed on unblocking and unloading the trucks carrying foodstuffs.

This was reported by the Ukrainian Cabinet press service, Ukrinform saw.

"There was a meeting of two ministers: Mykola Solskyi of Ukraines Agrarian Policy and Food and Yavor Hecheva of Bulgarias Agriculture.

The parties discussed the current situation, agreed to wait for the decision of the European Commission and then continue negotiations. Also, the ministers agreed to unblock trucks at the border and unload them," the statement reads.

Read also: Five countries urge European Commission to expand list of banned Ukrainian products

As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Bulgarian government on Wednesday, April 19, introduced a temporary ban on the import of food products from Ukraine, with the exception of transit goods.

Currently, Ukraine is negotiating with Bulgaria regarding the prospects for a positive solution to the grain issue.
The Government of Japan has announced a grant contribution of $471 million to the World Banks Ukraine Relief, Recovery, Reconstruction and Reform Trust Fund (URTF).

Thats according to the World Bank press service, Ukrinform reports.

This contribution is part of a $5.5 billion pledge Japan made in February to help restore destroyed infrastructure and help the people of Ukraine rebuild their lives.

Japan continues to stand by Ukraine and the Ukrainian people. We have been working closely with the World Bank in providing support for Ukraine. () We expect our contributions to be efficiently and effectively used to meet Ukraines most urgent needs such as repairing critical infrastructure. We look forward to further deepening our cooperation with the World Bank Group, said Kentaro Ogata, Deputy Vice Minister for International Affairs of Japans Ministry of Finance.

The grant contribution more than doubles the URTFs funds, bringing the total to over $850 million in resources to support pressing repairs needed for energy infrastructure, roads, bridges, housing, schools, and clinics.

The URTF is currently supporting the Restoration Project of Winterization and Energy Resources, the Repairing Essential Logistics Infrastructure and Network Connectivity (RELINC) project and the Health Enhancement and Lifesaving in Ukraine (HEAL) project.

The URTF is a multi-donor trust fund facility, established in December 2022, supporting the World Banks emergency operations in Ukraine across key sectors including transport, health, and energy. These projects reflect the countrys relief needs outlined in the updated Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA) released last month and are designed to be adaptable to on-the-ground events while making impacts and disbursing rapidly.

Strategic guidance on URTF activities is provided by the Partnership Council. It is co-chaired by the World Bank Group and the Government of Ukraine, with the development partners as members. Contributors to the URTF include Austria, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland. The Program Management Team is responsible for the day-to-day management of URTFs trustee funds.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has responded to an invitation to visit Ukraine. Instead of himself, he decided to send his envoy to Kyiv.

According to Folha, Celso Amorim, special assistant to the Brazilian president for international affairs, will travel to Ukraine on behalf of the Brazilian leader, the head of the general secretariat of the Brazilian presidents administration, Marcio Macedo, announced.

"The president approved a decision and instructed me to inform that the special assistant for international affairs, the ex-expert of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, who has already been to Russia, will visit Ukraine," Marcio Macedo said.

He made such a statement after a meeting with representatives of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal, where the Brazilian president arrived yesterday on a visit.

As Ukrinform reported, the day before, Brazilian President Lula da Silva accused the United States of "encouraging war in Ukraine." The White House responded by saying that Brazil was thus repeating Russian and Chinese propaganda. After that, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil Mauro Vieira stated at a press conference that he did not agree with Washington's position.

At the same time, Ukraines Ministry for Foreign Affairs said that the Brazilian president's approach does not correspond to the real state of affairs" and invited him to visit Ukraine to understand the true essence of Russian aggression.

Photo: AA
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says he does not want to "please anyone" with his stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

That's according to Reuters, Ukrinform reports.

The statement comes amid criticism the leader provoked in the West for suggesting Kyiv was partly to blame for the war.

Speaking in Lisbon at the start of his first presidential visit to Europe on Saturday, Lula said he aimed to "build a way to bring both of them (Russia and Ukraine - ed.) to the table."

Lula da Silva earlier accused the United States of "encouraging war in Ukraine." The White House responded by saying that Brazil was thus "parroting" Russian and Chinese propaganda. After that, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Brazil Mauro Vieira stated at a press conference that he did not agree with Washington's position.

At the same time, Ukraines Ministry for Foreign Affairs said the Brazilian president's approach does not correspond to the real state of affairs," and invited him to visit Ukraine to understand the true essence of Russian aggression.

Lula da Silva has responded to the invitation by deciding to send his envoy.
Modular hospitals will be deployed in the frontline regions of Ukraine in the coming months with the support of the French government.

Thats according to Ukraines Ministry of Health, Ukrinform reports.

"With the support of the French government, modular hospitals will be deployed in the coming months. This will help ensure health care to patients in regions where active hostilities are ongoing and in the areas that suffered large-scale destructions," the statement reads.

In addition, a plan for the reconstruction of destroyed or damaged healthcare facilities in Chernihiv region is being agreed upon. Currently, the mission of the French side, which is supposed to assess the cost and scale of the reconstruction project, has already completed its work in the region.

Separately, in the continuation of the agreements reached between Ukraines First Lady Olena Zelenska and her French counterpart Brigitte Macron, a hospital reconstruction project would be launched in the town of Izium, Kharkiv region.

During a meeting with the Minister of Health, Viktor Liashko, the special envoy of the French president on aid and reconstruction of Ukraine, Pierre Heilbronn, emphasized that health care is one of the priority sectors of France's aid to Ukraine. In the near future, another package will be formed, which will include macro-financial assistance, expert, joint short-term projects, and cooperation in the field of restoration of destroyed or damaged healthcare facilities.

Also, during the meeting, Liashko and Heilbronn discussed urgent issues that will be addressed in short-term projects, and more strategic directions, which were designated as priorities in the recently signed declaration on cooperation in the field of health and prevention.

"I thank the French people for their clear position and large-scale systematic support of Ukraine amid the war with the Russian aggressor. This applies to both macro-financial aid and a huge amount of humanitarian aid  medicines and medical products. All this allowed our health care system to survive and continue to save the lives of Ukrainians. France has always been a reliable partner for our country. The recent visit of the Minister of Health and Prevention of France, Mr. Francois Bron, is a confirmation of that. I hope for further productive dialogue and interaction," said Liashko.

Read also: France planning to build rehabilitation center for Ukrainian defenders in Chernihiv region

As Ukrinform reported earlier, referring to the World Bank estimates, the damage that the Russian forces inflicted on Ukraines health care could reach $2.5 billion.
The murder trial for Joshua Johnson, accused of killing 17-year-old Riley Whitelaw in a Colorado Springs Walgreens last year, was put on hold after Judge Eric Bentley ordered a competency evaluation just 17 days before the trial was to begin.

Johnson's defense counsel motioned Wednesday for the evaluation to be ordered after interactions they have had with the 29-year-old defendant leading up to the trial. Prosecutors criticized the motion as a "delay tactic."

Details of the motion are sealed, but Bentley said he found its contents to be filed in good faith before ordering the evaluation, effectively halting the trial that was set to begin on May 8.

A hearing has been scheduled for May 19, when the court expects the evaluation to be completed. If found competent and Johnson does not dispute that finding, a new trial date will be set. However, if Johnson is found incompetent to stand trial, he will be sent to the Department of Human Services indefinitely until his competency is restored, after which a trial could proceed.

During Friday's proceedings, Johnson asked the judge about filing a complaint for violation of his religious beliefs in light of the trial delay. Johnson said he did not want the trial to be delayed and wanted everything "done quickly so I can get out of here."

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Bentley said this complaint may indicate a conflict between Johnson and his attorneys, but it will not be addressed until after the results of the competency evaluation are returned.

Johnson pleaded not guilty to a first-degree murder charge in the killing of Whitelaw, his co-worker, in a Walgreens breakroom on June 11, 2022. An autopsy report by the El Paso County coroner found Whitelaw had died of multiple sharp force injuries.

It was reported after her death that Whitelaw made complaints to her manager about Johnson, who had made her uncomfortable, and requested different hours so she would no longer have to work with him, according to police. However, when Whitelaw asked for additional hours, she was told it would require her to work with Johnson.

Johnson was arrested a day after Whitelaws death by Colorado State Patrol while walking along Interstate 25 outside Trinidad.
Awad Abdelgadir (left) and Kathleen Fite pose for a picture with a product from Nile Valley Herb Inc., Sunday, May 22, 2022, at Abdelgadir's home in Austin, Texas.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Athens, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Apr, 2023 ) :Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for the dissolution of parliament on Saturday, kicking off the countdown to general elections set for May 21.

Mitsotakis, whose four-year term would have ended in July and holds a slim lead in polls, is seeking re-election on pledges of safety improvements after the nation's worst rail disaster, and strengthening the economy.

He met with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou to submit the proposal from cabinet, with a signed presidential decree expected later in the day.

"The government has practically exhausted its term of office. I hope we have a fruitful debate free from toxicity," Mitsotakis said in a statement calling for widespread participation in the coming elections.

"I especially call on young people who must be involved in decisions about their future," he added.

Later, in televised statement, Mitsotakis added that "the country needs political stability to... regain investment grade status meaning cheaper borrowing for the country but also for businesses and households".

- Narrow lead - Credit rating agency Standard and Poors refrained from granting investment grade to Greece's economy on Friday, affirming its rating at "BB+" that is one notch below investment grade, attributed to the uncertainty of the upcoming general election.

The latest polls have shown the prime minister's conservative New Democracy party holding a slim lead of around four points over the leftist Syriza party of former premier Alexis Tsipras.

The ruling party has been embroiled by a wiretap scandal which erupted last year when the head of the Greek socialist party was revealed to have been spied on by state intelligence.

The head of Greece's intelligence agency resigned over the scandal, as did a senior prime ministerial aide who is Mitsotakis' nephew.

Members of the prime minister's own cabinet, prominent businessmen and journalists were also under surveillance in a separate operation involving illegal spying software called Predator, according to reports.

Mitsotakis has called the reports "an incredible lie" and in January survived a no-confidence vote on the scandal.

The May 21 ballot will be held under a proportional representation system that most analysts believe is unlikely to produce a clear winner.

If needed, follow-up polls will be held by early July at the latest, Mitsotakis said Tuesday.

A new law would apply to a July ballot, giving the winning party between 20 and 50 additional seats in parliament, depending on its final result.
(Reuters) -Climate change campaigners gathered in New York's Times Square on Earth Day to urge action on global warming and cuts in plastics use while volunteers worldwide planted trees and cleared trash to mark the 54th annual celebration of the environment.

Earth Day this year, officially on Saturday, follows weeks of extreme weather with temperatures soaring to record highs in Thailand and a punishing heatwave in India, where at least 13 people died of heatstroke at a ceremony last weekend.

Average global temperatures could hit all-time highs in 2023 or 2024, climate scientists have warned.

Pope Francis, who has championed green causes since his election in 2013, urged people to look after the environment.

"The Book of Genesis tells us that the Lord entrusted human beings with the responsibility of being stewards of creation (Gen 2:15). Care for the Earth, then, is a moral obligation for all men and women as children of God #EarthDay," he tweeted on Saturday.

"Climate impacts are here," Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, said on Friday as climate change activists walked down the street outside parliament in London, some dressed in green costumes and green paint.

Hamid said when she now visits her hometown of Delhi, it feels like "putting your head in the oven" and that London's 2022 heatwave was like "a dystopian film".

"We can't afford that anymore."

Activists led by the Extinction Rebellion group have gathered in London to kick off a four-day action, billed "The Big One", to coincide with Earth Day.

About 30,000 people have signed up for family-friendly rallies and marches, marking a change in strategy for a group known for its disruptive tactics, including blocking roads, throwing paint and smashing windows.

CLEAN-UPS AND RITUALS

Globally, there was a flurry of activity in the run-up to Earth Day, with events being planned in Rome and Boston and major clean-up campaigns at Lake Dal in India's Srinagar and Florida's hurricane-hit Cape Coral.

In Peru, shamans on Friday made an offering to the "Pachamama", or Mother Earth. Holding yellow flowers and rattles, the shamans walked around a papier-mache globe as they performed a cleansing ritual.

The ancestral rituals - whose origins lie in the Indigenous cultures of Peru - are done to thank the Earth and build awareness of the planet, said Walter Alarcon, the president of the Healing Shamans of Peru International Organization.

New York City banned cars on streets in at least 31 locations for five hours on Saturday and held concerts in Times Square. In Washington, the Climate Justice Alliance marched, calling for an end of the fossil fuel era, accompanied by a brass jazz band.

Earlier in the week, U.S. President Joe Biden pledged to increase funding to help developing countries fight climate change and curb deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest during a meeting with top world leaders. Domestically, he ordered a number of new measures that would protect communities overburdened by pollution, including creating a new White House office of environmental justice and launching a national strategy to prevent plastic pollution.

Governments have fallen far short of pledges in the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit heating of the climate by shifting off fossil fuels, amid crises including COVID-19, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, food shortages and strained ties between China and the U.S., the top two greenhouse gas emitters.

A report by the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) says the planet is on track to warm beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times - a key threshold for even more damaging impacts - between 2030 and 2035.

"There is a rapidly closing window of opportunity to secure a liveable and sustainable future for all," the IPCC has said. "The choices and actions implemented in this decade will have impacts now and for thousands of years."

(Reporting by Reuters bureaus; Writing by Himani Sarkar and Timothy Gardner; Editing by William Mallard, Helen Popper and Jonathan Oatis)
(@FahadShabbir)

Moscow, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Apr, 2023 ) :The Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman on Saturday announced the expulsion of "more than 20" German diplomats as a retaliatory measure for "mass expulsion" of Russian embassy staff from Berlin.

Maria Zakharova told state-run television Zvezda that Moscow had decided to expel "more than 20" diplomats.

Her statement came shortly after her ministry denounced "another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany." The German foreign ministry said it took note of the Russian statements.

It told AFP that "the Federal government and the Russian side have been contact in recent weeks on personnel matters in their respective representations abroad.

" "Today's flight is part of that process," it said, though without specifically talking about any expulsion.

Moscow accused Berlin of "continuing to demonstratively destroy the entire range of Russia-Germany relations.""As a response to Berlin's hostile actions, the Russian side has decided to mirror the decision and expel German diplomats from Russia," the foreign ministry said.

Moscow will also limit the maximum number of employees in German diplomatic missions in the country, and said Germany's ambassador Geza Andreas von Geyr was notified of the measures on April 5.
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd April, 2023) Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada has instructed the country's Self-Defense Forces to be at enhanced readiness over a possible launch of a rocket carrying North Korea's first military reconnaissance satellite over the Japanese territory, the Kyodo news agency reported on Saturday, citing government sources.

Earlier in the week, the state North Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said that the country's leader Kim Jong Un had ordered the country's first military reconnaissance satellite, which had been already completed, to be launched on a carrier rocket at the planned date. KCNA provided no details regarding the exact date of the launch.

Japan's forces are expected to deploy the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 system and destroyer warships equipped with Aegis and Standard Missile-3 systems to intercept North Korea's rocket if necessary, according to Kyodo.

"We will make preparations to be able to respond to any circumstance that could cause damage to Japan," government sources told the news agency.

Last week, North Korea tested a new Hwansong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile, which was launched toward the Sea of Japan, flying about 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) and landing outside Japan's exclusive economic zone. Japan, in turn, requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council and on Monday took part in missile defense exercises in the East Sea international waters together with the US and South Korea.
Myanmar's government in exile is working to establish air defense warning systems for the public after the bombing of a village in the central part of the country killed nearly 200 civilians, including 38 children, 10 days ago, a top official of that government told VOA this week.

"It is essential for us to find ways to stop the Myanmar junta's deadly airstrikes on civilians," National Unity Government Human Rights Minister Aung Myo Min told VOA.

"We will work to establish air defense warning systems for the public," Aung Myo Min said.

"We have to convey the importance of this to the international community. We must have an 'air signal system' that can warn people. The Burma Act under the 2023 NDAA [U.S. National Defense Authorization Act] calls for nonlethal assistance, so we need to include such things."

About 300 people had gathered outside the village of Pazigyi, Kanbalu township, in Sagaing region, early on the morning of April 11 to commemorate the opening of a small local NUG administrative office when Myanmar army aircraft bombed the location, witnesses told VOA.

There were more than 200 houses in the village. Villagers, mainly poor subsistence farmers, also pan for gold in nearby rivers. Like much of Sagaing, Pazigyi was not under military junta control and villagers strongly supported the NUG.

"At least 170 people, including 24 women and 38 children, were killed after the military junta bombed Pazigyi village on April 11," Bala Gyi, a first responder of a local aid group, told VOA three days after the attack. VOA could not independently verify the numbers of dead from the bombing.

In addition, 30 people were wounded, 20 of whom remain in serious condition, including a pregnant woman and an 8-year-old child. Of those who died, 171 bodies have now been cremated, Bala Gyi said.

He also said it was the first airstrike in Kanbalu township. He said that since there had not been previous strikes in the area, Pazigyi villagers did not think they were in danger of being bombarded.

"From my experience with recovering dead bodies," he said, "the condition of these bodies was very bad.  There were bodies blown to pieces. In some cases, the bodies had been completely crushed. We collected the bodies and pieces and burned them over the next three days."

Junta spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun confirmed the attack but blamed opposition forces for the deadly outcome.

UN demands accountability

The United Nations and Western governments, as well as the foreign ministers of the Group of Seven leading industrialized countries, have all expressed outrage over these latest attacks on civilians, condemning Myanmar's ruling junta for carrying out the air raid, and demanding accountability for those responsible.

Washington said it was "deeply concerned" about the airstrikes. "These violent attacks further underscore the regime's disregard for human life and its responsibility for the dire political and humanitarian crisis in Burma following the February 2021 coup," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement, using the country's former name.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly condemns the attack by the Myanmar Armed Forces," according to a statement by his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. Guterres "reiterates his call for the military to end the campaign of violence against the Myanmar population throughout the country," the spokesperson noted.

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said on April 11 he was "horrified" by the deadly airstrike, which he said killed schoolchildren who were in the middle of a dance performance.

Aftermath of attacks

Ye Naing, a 31-year-old man who lost seven of his relatives, including his parents and his youngest daughter, recounted his horrific experience to VOA by phone April 14, three days after the attack.

"I was volunteering for an opening event for the NUG office in the administrator's new house. My family was outside, and I went into the office alone for a while around 8 a.m. I was on my phone when I heard a loud noise at around 8:15. I didn't know what had happened. The whole area was covered in smoke. I couldn't see anything at all.

"I began running around hysterically looking for my youngest daughter and my mother and father. Everything was a big pile of ashes. There were dismembered bodies everywhere. I saw my father's body cut in half. His lower body was still there, but the upper half was missing. I couldn't find my mother and daughter at all. The bombs killed almost everyone. There were so many dead bodies.

"While we were frantically searching for family members among the dead bodies, a military helicopter flew over and fired at us with a machine gun from above. We tried to run and hide under a bridge. With my own eyes, I saw a woman who could not run away in time as her chest exploded from the gunfire.

"My daughter, Hnin Yu Wei, was only 3 years old," Ye Naing said. "She had gone outside to eat with her grandmother. They still haven't found their bodies.

Zaw Min Tun had accused local People's Defense Forces, or PDF, of having landmines, but Ye Naing denied that was the case.

"There were no weapons in the building," Ye Naing said. "The bombs fell and exploded, killing the people, including so many children. If weapons in the office had caused the explosion, as the military said, I would have died first. There were no landmines. There were no bombs. We didn't have any weapons."

According to Bala Gyi, there are local defense groups in Pazigyi village but their weapons are handmade hammers; there is no well-armed force. He said there was never a case of landmines being used when the columns entered the villages. There are no mines at all.

Zaw Min Tun justified the Pazigyi airstrike, saying the explosions were "not because of our attacks. Around there, terrorist NUG and its armed group, PDF, were operating. We received specific information that the weapons we fired hit the area where the PDF teams were storing weapons and ammunition which exploded, causing the deaths."

Administrators killed

At least three members of the NUG-appointed administration were targeted and killed in the attacks," including U Maung Oo, the chief administrator for Pazagyi village," said first responder Bala Gyi. VOA could not independently verify this.

"I think there were informants that tipped off the army about the meeting," he said.

After the military coup the junta appointed an administrator for the village who was later killed by local defense forces in March 2022. "This area had never fully been under the control of the junta, that is another reason why they attacked here," Bala Gyi said.

"Attacking a place like this with the most powerful weapons in a country's military is surely intended to mass murder an entire population," Nyi Thuta, a military captain who defected, told VOA via Zoom.

"The weapons used now are weapons used in conventional warfare. Normally, a bomb will affect an area of around 200 to 400 square meters," Nyi Thuta said. "Now, the area where the incident occurred in Pazigyi village is an area of about 400 meters. The people there were in no position to escape from being hit by the bomb. Should such strong weapons be used against the public? It is not an act in accordance with the honor of the military."

Calling for help

Survivor Ye Naing called for international action, a sentiment echoed by first responder Bala Gyi.

"I want the international community, including the [U.N.] Security Council, to take effective action," Bala Gyi said. "I am 28 years old. I have never seen such brutal killing. Women, children, even 6-month-old baby are being killed. How long will the people be oppressed? I want to ask the world how long it will take to make them stop committing war crimes."

The NUG's Aung Myo Min said the outside world also must go beyond its current sanctions against the junta, including a jet fuel embargo against the Myanmar junta by the U.S., the EU, and Britain.

This sort of attack shows that the sanctions are not enough, he said.

"We must ask the international community to cut off the supply lines that are supporting the junta so that these terrorists cannot continue to carry out such horrific attacks," he told VOA.
China on Friday did not reciprocate U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellens appeal for the worlds two biggest economies to resume official communications. In a speech detailing the Biden administrations economic priorities on China a day earlier, Yellen said the U.S. seeks constructive and fair economic ties with China without compromising its national security.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin responded by accusing the U.S. of now using technology and trade issues between the two economies as a tool and weapon in the name of national security.

The U.S. has been building small yards with high fences and pushing for decoupling and fragmenting industrial and supply chains, Wang said at a daily briefing Friday. The true intention of the U.S. is to take away the right to development from China and maintain U.S. supremacy for its selfish interests.

In recent years Washington has focused on increasing controls over technology trade with China, arguing that some advanced technology such as 5G, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing with substantial military applications should only be purchased from allied nations. Even more ordinary technology like the popular TikTok app is under scrutiny because of suspicions Chinas government uses it for surveillance or other purposes.

Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said Beijings unenthusiastic reaction to Yellins statement is not a surprise.

From the Chinese standpoint, they see the U.S. definition of national security as quite expansive and they don't quite know what it will cover, he told VOA Mandarin. Their concern is that a lot of the national security measures do, in fact, limit their technology and limit their prospects for growth.

David Dollar, an economist at the Brookings Institution, told VOA that China will be cautious in responding positively to the U.S. as there are still a lot of hostile voices in the U.S., but it is likely that sometime soon high-level dialogue between the two countries will resume.

Earlier this month, senior officials from the Department of Commerce traveled to Beijing and Shanghai to lay the groundwork for a potential trip by Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo later this year.

A call to resume dialogue

U.S.-China relations entered a downward spiral in recent years, with each side increasingly seeing the other as its top strategic and economic threat. President Joe Biden met with Chinese President Xi Jinping last November in an effort to stabilize the relationship, but any progress was sidelined in February when the U.S. shot down an alleged Chinese spy balloon over American territory. The incident led to the cancellation of Secretary of State Antony Blinkens trip to China, and delayed Yellens planned visit to Beijing.

In her Thursday speech at Johns Hopkins Universitys School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, Yellen said that the U.S. does not seek to decouple our economy from Chinas.

A full separation of our economies would be disastrous for both countries. It would be destabilizing for the rest of the world. Rather, we know that the health of the Chinese and U.S. economies is closely linked. A growing China that plays by the rules can be beneficial for the United States, she said.

She added that she plans to travel to China at the appropriate time.

The Brookings Institutions Dollar said Yellens softer tone shows the administrations willingness to resume dialogue with Beijing on global issues.

The U.S. wants to reestablish dialogue on economic issues, especially global concerns such as climate change, developing country debt problems, and macroeconomic policy coordination, he told VOA Mandarin.

Hufbauer with PIIE described Yellens speech as having a friendly tone without much substance.

It basically amounts to an invitation to China to talk with her, he told VOA.

Edward Alden, a senior fellow specializing in U.S. economic competitiveness at the Council on Foreign Relations, told VOA that the speech was also geared toward U.S. policymakers.

I think this speech was an effort to reconcile the two contradictory elements at the heart of the current U.S. policy towards China, which sees China as a security rival but potentially as an economic partner or a worst competitor, he told VOA.

Some have criticized Yellens soft tone with China. U.S. Senator Tom Cotton, a Republican, described Yellens wish to resume conversation with China as out of touch with reality.

There can be no healthy relationship with communists who want America to fail, he tweeted.
France is trying to limit the diplomatic fallout after President Emmanuel Macron said Europe should reduce its dependence on the U.S. and avoid getting caught up in crises that are not ours, following a state visit to China earlier this month.

Critics said Macron's remarks undermined the transatlantic relationship at a time of dangerous geopolitical tensions.



Macron was in Beijing April 5-8, alongside European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, partly to seek Chinas help in ending Russias invasion of Ukraine. They were accompanied by dozens of European business leaders, who signed a series of commercial deals during the visit.



So far, China has refused to condemn Russias February 2022 invasion of Ukraine. President Xi Jinping again refrained from criticizing Moscow during Macrons visit. Nevertheless, Macron later wrote on Twitter: Long live the friendship between China and France!

In an official statement, China described the visit as successful and rewarding with fruitful outcomes.

Beijing has since vowed not to send any weapons to Russia. China will not provide weapons to relevant parties of the conflict and will manage and control the exports of dual-use items in accordance with laws and regulations, Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang said at an April 14 news conference, alongside his visiting German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock.



Taiwan focus



Just two days after Macron and von der Leyens visit to Beijing, the Chinese military conducted live fire exercises encircling Taiwan, which Beijing claims as part of its territory.



On the flight home to Paris, Macron gave interviews to journalists from Les Echos and Politico, in which he reportedly said the great risk Europe faces is that it gets caught up in crises that are not ours, which prevents it from building its strategic autonomy.



The question Europeans need to answer  is it in our interest to accelerate [a crisis] on Taiwan? No. The worst thing would be to think that we Europeans must become followers on this topic and take our cue from the U.S. agenda and a Chinese overreaction, Macron was reported as telling Politico.

Macron was questioned about his remarks during a visit to The Hague on April 12.



France is for the status quo in Taiwan. France supports the 'One China' policy and the search for a peaceful settlement of the situation. This is, moreover, the position of the Europeans, and it is a position which has always been compatible with the role of ally, Macron told reporters.



"But it is precisely here that I insist on the importance of strategic autonomy. Being allies does not mean being a vassal. It is not the case that because we are allies, because we do the things together that we decide to do, that we no longer have the right to think alone." he added.



Fierce pushback



There has been a strong backlash on both sides of the Atlantic.



Marcin Przydacz, a foreign policy adviser to Polish President Andrzej Duda, said Warsaw was not in favor of any shift away from Washington. We believe that more America is needed in Europe.  Today, the United States is more of a guarantee of safety in Europe than France, Przydacz told Polish broadcaster Radio Zet.



In Washington, Republicans on Capitol Hill also strongly criticized Macrons remarks. In a video posted on Twitter, Senator Marco Rubio said if Europe refuses to pick sides between the U.S. and China over Taiwan, then maybe we shouldn't be picking sides either [on Ukraine].



Timing questioned



Macrons timing was unwise, said Gerard Araud, a former French ambassador to the United States and the United Nations and now an analyst with the Atlantic Council.



We are just right now fighting  all of us, together, behind the Americans  we are fighting the Russian aggression in Ukraine. And I do understand that for a lot of our partners, it was not the right moment, frankly, to raise the issue of our transatlantic alliance, Araud told VOA in an interview Tuesday.



Others fear the fallout could be more damaging, as Macrons comments undermine the transatlantic alliance just as the West tries to counter Russian aggression and stand up to an increasingly assertive China.



The way Macron framed it made it sound as if it is a project of equidistance  of having sort of the same distance to the United States and to China," said Liana Fix, a fellow with the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington. "And it also created the impression that it is the United States which is pushing confrontation, and not China. The feedback from China was very positive, because it confirmed Chinese thinking that it's possible to drive a wedge between the United States and Europe.

From the perspective of central and eastern Europeans, these remarks basically confirmed their most fundamental fears: that Macrons pledge for European strategic autonomy or more independence is just a pledge for more French power in Europe. Its a pledge to decouple from the United States, Fix told VOA on Monday.



Mending ties



In the wake of a growing diplomatic storm, a delegation from the French parliament visited Taiwan last week to reassure them of French support.



This is very important for us to be here and just saying to all the people from Taiwan, we stand to you, we are close to you, the head of the delegation, Eric Bothorel, told reporters in Taiwan.



Analyst Renaud Foucart of Britains Lancaster University argued that Macron was simply trying to avert wider confrontation.



China is asking for a multilateral world. And Macron is coming and saying, OK, if you don't arm Russia, we can be France and claim that we are not a vassal to the U.S., we can claim that we are all different blocs, that we have our own sensitivities to the 'One China' policy of Taiwan, and all those things.

But if you start yourself, China, to create a bloc with Russia  to start to arm Russia then we cannot be the multilateral world. We need to be together with the U.S. And this is going to be our natural allies in that in that framework.



It is disingenuous to suggest that Macron supports China over Taiwan, Foucart asserted.



At the same time that Macron was making these comments about China and Taiwan  there were military boats of France cruising the Taiwan Strait at the same time as the Chinese were having their [military] training, he said. So, the French have their own interest in the Indo-Pacific.



US election



The United States is set to hold presidential elections in 2024. That could usher in a new administration less keen than Joe Biden to spend money arming Ukraine or defending Europe, said Araud, the former French ambassador to the U.S.



For the moment, as long as the U.S. administration is strongly supporting the defense of Europe, there will be no question about strategic autonomy on European defense," said Araud. "If [Donald] Trump is elected president, I think that the debate would be reopened by force. The Europeans who want to sleep under the American flag will be obliged to wake up.
Detainees who remain at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay facility in Cuba are showing symptoms of accelerating ageing, according to a senior official of the International Committee of the Red Cross who was alarmed by the detainees physical and living conditions during a recent visit.

I was particularly struck by how those who are still detained today are experiencing the symptoms of accelerated ageing, worsened by the cumulative effects of their experiences and years spent in detention, Patrick Hamilton, the ICRC head of delegation for the U.S. and Canada, said in a statement. His last visit before the most recent one was in 2003.

There is a need for a more comprehensive approach if the U.S. is to continue holding detainees over the years to come, Hamilton said.

He called for the detainees to receive access to adequate health care that accounts for both deteriorating mental and physical conditions. In addition, he said the infrastructure of the facility should be adapted for the detainees evolving needs and disabilities.

A comprehensive approach is also needed, he said, to improve the quality of contact the detainees have with their families.

Hamilton said the ICRC is calling on the Biden administration and Congress to work together to find adequate and sustainable solutions to the detainees issues.

If there is a likelihood that even a small number of people are going to be held longer at this facility, the planning for an ageing population cannot afford to wait, he said.

Guantanamo Bay holds Muslim militants and suspected terrorists apprehended by U.S. forces following the September 11, 2001, attacks on the U.S.
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dropped his challenge to the subpoena of a former New York County prosecutor, offering House Republicans a win in their investigation of criminal charges against former President Donald Trump.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office on Friday withdrew its appeal of the subpoena, which sought testimony from former New York County prosecutor Mark Pomerantz regarding his involvement in Trump's case. Bragg initially sued to block the subpoena, accusing House Republicans of interfering with a local investigation.

APPEALS COURT DELAYS EX-PROSECUTOR DEPOSITION IN GOP INVESTIGATION OVER TRUMP CHARGES

The withdrawal comes one day after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit granted an administrative stay to block the subpoena until further notice. Bragg later dropped the appeal, noting the stay allowed his office to communicate with the House Judiciary Committee on how to carry out the deposition in a way that won't interfere with the investigation.

"We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe," a Manhattan DA spokesperson said in a statement. "We are gratified that the Second Circuit's ruling provided us with the opportunity to successfully resolve this dispute."

Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) subpoenaed Pomerantz on April 6 due to his involvement in the investigation into Trump's finances and his alleged hush money payments to porn star Stormy Daniels. Pomerantz led that inquiry before resigning last year over Bragg's initial reluctance to move forward with the case.

Pomerantz was originally called to be deposed earlier this week but is now scheduled to appear before the panel on May 12.

House Republicans praised the withdrawal, claiming it as a victory over Bragg.

"Bragg caved. Jim Jordan won," the House Judiciary GOP said in a tweet.

Jordan issued the subpoena after requesting Pomerantz and former Manhattan Special Assistant District Attorney Carey Dunne testify before the Judiciary Committee voluntarily, which the former attorney declined. In addition to his testimony, Jordan is also seeking access to any documents related to Pomerantz's work while in office.

The committee chairman is seeking Pomerantz's testimony because he said he proves the charges against Trump are politically motivated. Jordan accused Pomerantz of resigning as an act of protest to pressure Bragg to reopen the case, which the chairman argued was politically motivated.

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Jordan also referenced a newly published book written by Pomerantz that details his decision to resign and why he believes Trump should be convicted. The Ohio Republican pressed Pomerantz to comply with his request to testify, noting he has "no basis to decline" because he has already been public about several details of the case.

The House Judiciary Committee opened an investigation into Trump's indictment after the former president was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records. The charges were unsealed during a court appearance earlier this month and mark the first time a former president faces criminal charges.

Original Location: Alvin Bragg drops challenge to House GOP subpoena of former prosecutor

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An Iranian city prosecutor has announced an agreement between the judiciary, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and the so-called morality police to form a special force to deal with women who refuse to comply with compulsory veiling.

"Based on the memorandum of understanding between the judiciary, the Revolutionary Guards, and the morality police of Isfahan province, teams will be formed to deal with the people who refuse to wear the hijab in public," said Mohammad Mousaviyan, the city prosecutor of Isfahan, in announcing the agreement.

In a ceremony in Isfahan on Saturday, the prosecutor obliged trade unions to enforce compulsory veiling.

"Severe action will be taken against trade unions in the event of non-compliance by female employees or if they serve customers who do not wear hijab," he said.

According to Iranian state media, he emphasized that "managers of institutions and organizations should be held accountable for providing services to violators who do not wear hijab."

"This is considered an act of abandoning their job," he said, indicating the judiciary had been "dealing with some offending managers and a judicial case has been filed against them."

Many women in Iran have publicly opposed the mandatory hijab since the death last September of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old Kurdish woman who died while in the custody of the morality police. Amini had been detained for allegedly violating the hijab rule.

Security forces violently put down the protests following her death. According to a report by the Human Rights Activists News Agency in early January, 516 protesters have been killed, including 70 children.

The latest figures from the U.S.-based human rights monitor put the number of people arrested at more than 19,200, among them 687 students.

Even though women can be arrested if they are not wearing a hijab in public, they are widely seen without a head covering in malls, restaurants, shops and streets around the country. Videos of unveiled women resisting the morality police have flooded social media.

Many women and girls continue to discard their veils in public and publish their photos and videos despite previous police threats.

Last week, the morality police, which is under the leader's supervision, in a statement admitting the failure of the previous methods to impose the mandatory hijab, accused the parliament of laxity in legislation.
Tens of thousands of protesters flocked to Tel Aviv and cities across Israel on Saturday to vent their opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government and its divisive plan to overhaul the country's judicial system.

The mass protest  which has raged weekly since the start of the year  comes just ahead of Israel's landmark 75th anniversary celebration. The holiday honoring Israel's founding in 1948, typically meant to be a display of national unity, has been marred by one of Israel's gravest crises in its history. Plans by Netanyahu's government to weaken the Supreme Court have outraged Israelis who see it as an assault on their country's system of checks and balances and a threat to its very democracy.

"This is not about so-called judicial reform, it's about democracy," said Sheila Katz, head of the National Council of Jewish Women, from the rally in central Tel Aviv  a sea of blue-and-white national flags. "In order for your sacred courts to protect the rights of all people, they must remain independent from politics."

Crowds of Israelis held signs marked with 75 for Israel's birthday and banners with the words "Crime Minister" overlaid on Netanyahu's face.

The protests have galvanized people across Israeli society. Thousands of officers in elite reserve units of the military have said they will refuse to report for duty. High-tech business leaders and the security establishment have come out against the proposal. Trade unions have called for a general strike.

U.S. President Joe Biden, the leader of Israel's most crucial ally, has even publicly rebuffed Netanyahu, telling him that he "cannot continue down this road."

Furious public protests last month brought Israeli cities to a standstill and threatened to shut down the economy, compelling Netanyahu to delay the plan in hopes of finding a compromise.

But protesters have been undeterred. Crowds of Israelis chanting "Shame!" have flooded the streets in the weeks after Netanyahu backed down, demanding that the overhaul be scrapped altogether.

The plan would give Netanyahu, who is on trial on corruption charges, and his partners in Israel's most hard-line coalition in its history the final say in appointing judges. It would also give parliament, which is controlled by his allies, authority to overturn Supreme Court decisions and limit the court's ability to review laws.
A prominent Kurdish leader has added a new wrinkle to Turkeys tense election campaign from his prison cell, suggesting the defeat of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could open the door to a resolution of the nations decades-old struggle against a Kurdish militant group.

Selahattin Demirtas, the former co-leader of Turkeys pro-Kurdish Peoples Democratic Party (HDP), is pledging to use his influence to get the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) to give up its armed resistance to Turkish rule if a new administration takes office in Ankara after parliamentary and presidential elections on May 14.

As a promise to our people, we will do everything we can to ensure that the PKK will lay down arms in Turkey after the Erdogan regime that feeds on conflict, Demirtas said in a tweet thread posted via his lawyers last week.

Demirtas has been held in Edirne Prison since 2016 on terror charges. Last week, a Turkish prosecutor asked for an aggravated life sentence for him in a case related to what is known as the Kobani protests in 2014 in Turkeys Kurdish-populated southeast.

In his tweets, Demirtas said a peaceful resolution to the conflict between the PKK and Turkey would come from the Turkish parliament within the framework of the law and added that this could have been done earlier.

However, Erdogan imprisoned those who wanted peace, put them in prisons, tried to shut down their parties, appointed trustees to their municipalities, and tried to scare the people to gain votes through the discourse of terror by fueling the conflict with provocations, Demirtas said, referring to the cases against the HDP.

Erdogan accuses the HDP, the third-largest party in the Turkish parliament, of having links to the militant PKK, which has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union and Turkey. The HDP denies any links to terrorism.

Disarmament

Demirtas statements have resonated with some experts who argue that conditions are suitable for the PKK to disarm and leave it for civilian politicians to defend Kurdish rights in Turkey.

I dont think it is difficult for the PKK to lay down its arms in Turkey. The conditions are favorable for this, said Reha Ruhavioglu, director of the Diyarbakir-based Kurdish Studies Center.

"Our research shows that [Kurdish people] want to see civilian actors like the HDP and Demirtas as the bearer of the Kurdish issue in Turkey, Ruhavioglu told VOA. In other words, the Kurdish people in Turkey also prioritize disarmament and say that the problems should be discussed through civilian politics, not weapons.

Long conflict

Founded by Abdullah Ocalan in 1978, the PKK aims to establish a confederation of semiautonomous Kurdish regions spanning parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria and Turkey.

The almost four-decade conflict ceased once with a peace process between the PKK and Turkey in 2013, but violence resumed in July 2015. According to data collected by the International Crisis Group, at least 6,561 people, including 611 civilians, have died in clashes or terror attacks from July 2015 until the end of last month.

In a report last year, Human Rights Watch stated that clashes between the military and the PKK have greatly decreased in rural areas of Turkeys eastern and southeastern regions.

But it said, Turkey has concentrated its military campaign against the PKK, including with drone strikes in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq where PKK bases are located, and increasingly in northeast Syria against the Kurdish-led, U.S.- and U.K.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

The PKK announced a suspension of militant activity shortly after the 7.8 and 7.6 magnitude earthquakes that jolted southern Turkey in February and later extended the pause until after next months Turkish elections.

The PKK has not publicly responded to Demirtas promise to press it to disarm.

In a written interview with VOA Turkish from his prison cell, Demirtas acknowledged the limits of his influence over the group.

The issue is not whether the [PKK] listens to me or not," he wrote. "If I make a call, they will not pay attention, it is obvious. But if some steps are taken for a possible solution in the parliament within an open, transparent and legal framework, of course, the actors will have to take this into account.

Demirtas told VOA in messages relayed by his lawyers that he is proposing to work on creating the political, legal and social basis of a solution to the long-running conflict.

And of course, we will do this," he wrote. "We will create the appropriate environment and create the process where the weapons will be laid down. I want to emphasize that this is not difficult or impossible.

This story originated in VOAs Turkish Service. Yildiz Yazicioglu contributed from Ankara.
New developments:

At least five Russian missiles hit the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and surrounding districts Saturday night.

Russia struggles to justify the war in Ukraine to its citizens.

Russia claims to have captured three more districts in Bakhmut.

Russian billionaires wealth rises to more than half a trillion dollars, despite Western sanctions, Forbes reports.

Ukraine announced new sanctions against individuals or legal entities who support or invest in Russian aggression. In his nightly video address on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv has sanctioned 322 companies that manufacture weapons and military components for Russias military against Ukraine.

Additional sanctions have been imposed against individuals and legal entities that help circumvent sanctions against Russia, he said.

The task is to remove any opportunity for Russia to circumvent sanctions, he added, the tougher the sanctions against the Russian war economy, the faster the end of the aggression will be.

So far, Western sanctions against Russia have not dampened the wealth of Russian billionaires.

According to Forbes Worlds Billionaires list, the wealth of Russias billionaires rose to about half a trillion dollars in 2023. The overall wealth of Russian billionaires jumped from $353 billion in 2022 to $505 billion in 2023, and 22 people were added to the number of super-rich Russians, raising the total to 110. That number does not include the ultra-wealthy Russians who have renounced their Russian citizenship. The data fly in the face of significant Western sanctions and a troubled Russian economy that shrank 2.1% last year, Forbes says.

Missiles strike



Reuters reports that at least five Russian missiles struck the eastern Ukrainian city of Kharkiv and adjacent areas late Saturday night, damaging some civilian buildings, according to local officials.



Regional governor Oleh Sinegubov wrote on Telegram that one missile destroyed a house in the village of Kotliary, just south of Kharkiv, and another caused a large fire in the city.

Just about an hours drive away, across the border in Russia, at least 3,000 evacuees returned to their homes Saturday in the city of Belgorod. They had evacuated while military experts disposed of a bomb.



A Russian Sukhoi-34 supersonic warplane accidentally fired on Belgorod on Thursday, and the blast injured three people, Russian officials said.



Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram that operational headquarters decided to evacuate 17 apartment buildings within a radius of 200 meters before explosive experts began their work.

Russia expels German diplomats

Russia announced Saturday it was expelling more than 20 German diplomats. According to Russia's state-run RIA Novosti news agency, the Kremlins decision was made in response to Germanys expulsion of more than 20 Russian diplomats.

A German Foreign Ministry official said the two countries had been looking to reduce their staffing, with Germany interested in reducing Russias intelligence presence, according to Reuters.

"Today's departure of Russian embassy staff is related to this," the official told Reuters. The German ministry declined to say how many Russian diplomats had left.

"The German authorities have decided on another mass expulsion of employees of Russian diplomatic missions in Germany," the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "We strongly condemn these actions by Berlin, which continues to demonstratively destroy the entire array of Russian-German relations," it said.

Relations between the two countries have been frosty since Russias invasion of Ukraine. Before the invasion, Germany was Russias biggest oil and gas importer.

Russias war justification faltering

In its daily intelligence update on Ukraine, the British Defense Ministry said Saturday that Russia is struggling to maintain consistency in a core narrative it uses to justify the war in Ukraine. The narrative is that the invasion of Ukraine is similar to the Soviet experience in World War II.

Earlier this month, Russia cited safety issues as the reason for canceling the annual observance of the Immortal Regiment Great Patriotic War remembrance marches. In reality, the ministry said, the authorities were highly likely concerned that participants would highlight the scope of recent Russian losses.

The Russian military downplays the number of Russian soldiers killed in battle. According to RFE/RL of the 400 soldiers killed by a Ukrainian strike in the eastern city of Makiyivka four months ago, only 89 were documented. The governments lack of transparency has led many Russians to desperately seek answers about their missing relatives at the war front, the article says.

"Maybe in 10 years we will learn the truth," said a woman whose brother was killed in Makiyivka.

Another part of the Russian saga justifying its invasion against Ukraine, is its alleged de-Nazification operation there. But even Yevgeny Prigozhin, the chief of the Wagner Group and a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has publicly questioned the existence of Nazis in Ukraine, contradicting Russias justification for the invasion, the British ministry said.

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Saturday that Russian assault troops had captured three more districts in the western part of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Reuters reports. Russia's regular forces and fighters from the Wagner private military company are launching nonstop assaults on the ravaged city Ukrainian commanders on the front lines told CNN.

Kyiv said Friday that while Russian forces had made some advances in the eastern city, the situation was still in play.

"The situation is tense, but under control," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on Telegram.

Malyar made the comments after Russia's Defense Ministry said in a briefing Friday that assault troops were fighting in western parts of Bakhmut, the last part of the embattled Ukrainian city still held by Kyiv's forces.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
Malawi President Lazarus Chakwera is appealing for additional humanitarian assistance for thousands of Malawians displaced by Cyclone Freddy, which has killed more than 500 people in the country.

Chakwera made the urgent request to Malawis parliament on Wednesday, when he was presenting an assessment of the impact of the cyclone, which also hit Mozambique.

Though the country is receiving a lot of local and international assistance for the victims, he said, more aid is needed.



So many have responded positively to our appeal, and I have personally committed to acknowledge every support, for the situation is so grave that we simply cannot take any contribution for granted," he told lawmakers. "However, the supplies we are deploying are far from enough for the magnitude of the need.



Malawis Disaster Management Affairs Department says there are more than 500,000 people who have been displaced living at 534 camps.



Chakwera told the lawmakers to bury their political differences and work together to address the devastation caused by the powerful storm.



This is one of the darkest hours in the history of our nation," he said. "And if we are to emerge in this dark hour and see the joy of a new dawn in the future, we must all roll up our sleeves and get to work. If we are going to see the light of a new dawn again, we must take the necessary steps now for safeguarding a brighter tomorrow for Malawians.



Chakwera announced the government will soon introduce legislation aimed at helping to safeguard people from natural disasters.

Kondwani Nankhumwa, leader of opposition political parties in the Malawi Parliament, welcomed the plan to have legislation for disaster management and emphasized the government must deal with sanitation issues at evacuation camps to avoid the outbreak of diseases.



Our water resources have been depleted, boreholes have been washed away, taps have been washed away," said Nankhumwa. "Let me register a call that the government should look into this with other partners, because if we allow these people to continue drinking unprotected water from unprotected wells, then there will be an outbreak of other diseases in camp.



Cyclone Freddy hit Malawi amid its deadliest cholera outbreak of the past two decades, which so far has killed at least 1,600 people.



The Malawi Health Ministry warned this week that the cyclone has increased the risk of the spread of other communicable diseases, such as typhoid and dysentery.
A military helicopter crashed Saturday in a residential neighborhood of Mali's capital, Bamako, after returning from what the Malian army say was an "operational mission."

The crash was confirmed in a statement on the Malian army's official Facebook page. The "attack helicopter" crashed at 1:10 p.m., "in a residential area of Bamako," according to the statement.

Unverified videos circulating on social media show heavy smoke rising from a residential neighborhood, one showing a piece of a military aircraft marked "army."

Military aircraft could be seen flying above Bamako in the hours before the crash.

Mali has been battling an Islamist insurgency since 2012, which has since spread from Mali's north into the center and south of the country.

France intervened in 2013 after northern Mali was taken over by militants but withdrew in 2022 over concerns about Mali's military government working with Russian Wagner Group mercenaries.

Mali has been under military rule since a 2020 coup.

On Thursday, interim President Assimi Goita's chief of staff, Oumar Traore, was killed along with three others in an ambush in Nara, in the southwest of the country.

Saturday morning, a military base in central Mali was attacked by suspected Islamists.

The army has not yet released the number of dead or injured in Saturday's crash.
A different approach to teaching kids how to read is on the rise in American schools.

For decades, two schools of thought have clashed on how to best teach children to read, with passionate backers on each side of the so-called reading wars. The battle has reached into homes via commercials for Hooked on Phonics materials and through shoebox dioramas assigned by teachers seeking to instill a love of literature.

But momentum has shifted lately in favor of the "science of reading." The term refers to decades of research in fields including brain science that point to effective strategies for teaching kids to read.

The science of reading is especially crucial for struggling readers, but school curricula and programs that train teachers have been slow to embrace it. The approach began to catch on before schools went online in spring 2020. But a push to teach all students this way has intensified as schools look for ways to regain ground lost during the pandemic  and as parents of kids who can't read demand swift change.

A history lesson

One historical approach to teaching reading was known as "whole language." (Close cousins of this approach are "whole word" and "look-say.") It focused on learning entire words, placing the emphasis on meaning. A famous example is the "Dick and Jane" series, which, like many modern-day books for early readers, repeated words frequently so students could memorize them.

The other approach involved phonics, with supporters arguing students need detailed instruction on the building blocks of reading. That meant lots of time on letter sounds and how to combine them into words.

In 2000, a government-formed National Reading Panel released the findings of its exhaustive examination of the research. It declared phonics instruction was crucial to teaching young readers, along with several related concepts.

Whole language had lost.

What emerged, though, was an informal truce that came to be known as "balanced literacy" and borrowed from both approaches. The goal: Get kids into books they found enjoyable as quickly as possible.

But in practice, phonics elements often received short shrift, said Michael Kamil, professor emeritus of education at Stanford University.

"It wasn't a true compromise," said Kamil, who had sat on the national reading panel. The approach often led to students learning how to guess words, instead of how to sound them out.

Now, as schools look to address low reading scores, phonics and other elements of the science of reading are getting fresh attention, fueled in part by a series of stories and podcasts by APM Reports. Textbook makers are adding more phonics, and schools have dumped some popular programs that lacked that approach.

Focusing on the brain

While "the science of reading" doesn't have a universal definition, it refers broadly to research in a variety of fields that relates to how a child's brain learns to read. Neuroscientists, for instance, have used MRIs to study the brains of struggling readers.

In practice, this science calls for schools to focus on the building blocks of words. Kindergartners might play rhyming games and clap out the individual syllables in a word to learn to manipulate sounds. Experts call this phonemic awareness.

Students later will learn explicitly how to make letter sounds and blend letters. To make sure students aren't just guessing at words, teachers might ask them to sound out so-called nonsense words, like "nant" or "zim."

Gone is rote memorization of word spellings. Instead, students learn the elements that make up a word. In a lesson using the word "unhappy," students would learn how the prefix "un-" changed the meaning of the base word.

Why does it matter?

For some kids, reading happens almost magically. Bedtime stories and perhaps a little "Sesame Street" are enough.

But 30% to 40% of kids will need the more explicit instruction that is part of the science of reading, said Timothy Shanahan, a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Other kids fall somewhere in between.

"They're going to learn to read," said Shanahan, also one of the members of the 2000 panel and the former director of reading for Chicago Public Schools. "They're just not going to read as well as they could be or should be."

Complicating the situation, colleges of education often have stuck with balanced literacy despite concerns about its effectiveness. That means teachers graduate with little background on research-backed instructional methods.

The upshot: Parents often pick up the slack, paying for tutors or workbooks when their children struggle, Shanahan said. Extra help can be costly, contributing to racial and income-based disparities.

As a result, a growing number of NAACP chapters are pushing for wider adoption of the science of reading, describing literacy as a civil rights issue.

Dyslexia's role

Parents of children with dyslexia have led the push to use the science of reading. For them, the issue has special urgency. Kids with dyslexia can learn to read, but they need systematic instruction. When the wrong approach is used, they often flounder.

"I can't even tell you how many screaming fits we had," recalled Sheila Salmond, whose youngest child has dyslexia. "My daughter would come home and say, 'Mom, I'm not learning.' And then it became, 'Mom, I'm stupid.'"

Salmond found herself testifying before Missouri lawmakers, taking a graduate class so she could tutor her daughter and eventually moving her from a suburban Kansas City district to a parochial school. She now is making progress.

What is changing?

Just a decade ago, it was rare for a state to have laws that mentioned dyslexia or the science of reading.

Now every state has passed some form of legislation. The laws variously define what dyslexia is, require that students are screened for reading problems and mandate that teachers are trained in the most effective strategies, said Mary Wennersten of the International Dyslexia Association.

States often look to duplicate what has happened in Mississippi, which has credited reading gains to a curriculum revamp that started a decade ago. The multimillion-dollar effort includes training teachers in the science of reading.

The changes have put some curriculum programs in the crosshairs.

Some Colorado districts, for instance, have ditched instructional materials that didn't pass muster under a state law that requires schools to use scientifically based reading programs. New York City, whose mayor often talks about his personal struggle with dyslexia, is making changes in its schools as well.

What parents must do

Should parents be researching the tenets of the science of reading? Do they need to help their children form letters out of Play-Doh? What about drilling their kids on nonsense words? Flashcards?

Only if they want to, said Amelia Malone, director of research and innovation at the National Center for Learning Disabilities.

What parents must do, she said, is read to their kids. Otherwise, she recommends helping teachers when they ask for it and pushing for evidence-based practices in their children's schools.

"Parents can be part of the solution," she said, "if we educate them on why this is kind of the movement we need."
Here are some Native American-related news stories that made headlines this week:

South Dakota passes controversial social studies standards

South Dakotas board of education Monday passed new standards for teaching social studies following four public hearings and years of controversy.

Today is a wonderful day for the students in South Dakota. They are our future, said Governor Kristi Noem. Now, they will be taught the best social studies education in the country, one that is a true accounting of our history.

But 880 pages of comments from current and former educators, parents and members of the public show widespread opposition to the standards, including complaining that the material is far too advanced for grade levels.

While the standards reference Native Americans in general, tribal leaders object to the lack of any specificity about Indigenous social studies.

We are 24% of the population in South Dakota, and I think the standards should address Dakota, Lakota and Nakota specifically, or else the Oceti Sakowin, which are the Seven Council Fires, which is the collective name for all three, Sherry Johnson, education director for the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate [tribe], told VOA.

Read more:

NY to schools: Drop the Native American mascots or face funding cuts

The New York Board of Regents Tuesday unanimously voted to ban the use of Indigenous names, mascots and imagery in all public schools after the end of the 2024-2025 school year.

The National Congress of American Indians, which tracks mascots across the United States, counts 113 schools in 55 districts across New York that will have to change or risk losing state funding. NCAI says the use of Native American mascots and imagery is racist and demeaning.

The warrior savage myth has plagued this countrys relationships with the Indian people, as it reinforces the racist view that Indians are uncivilized and uneducated.

Some school districts are pushing back, saying the change will be costly and will erase schools histories. Republican Representative Elise Stefanik blasted the decision as the product of a woke agenda.

Upstate New York and the North Country take pride in our history, and forcing them to replace these historical mascots is prioritizing the far-left mob at the expense of our students education, she said.

Read more:

Illinois lawmaker seeks to incorporate Indigenous history into the classroom

Illinois State Senator Suzy Glowiak Hilton has introduced legislation to make all public schools incorporate Native American history into their curricula.

Native American history is American history, and it has been overlooked for far too long, said Glowiak Hilton. We need to give our students the opportunities to better understand the discrimination and persecution Native Americans faced throughout history.

House Bill 1633 would require teaching for grades six through 12 to include the study of the genocide of and discrimination against Native Americans, including the concept of tribal sovereignty, treaties made between tribes and the federal government, and federal policies of forced Native American relocation.

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Mixed signals: Will the Boy Scouts stop playing Indian?

Last month, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) sent out a 20-question survey asking present and former members, among other things, whether the organization should keep or eliminate Native American traditions from its pageants, rituals and ceremonies.

As VOA has previously reported, Native Americans have long criticized BSA for misappropriating generic Indian culture, donning headdresses and taking on Indian names. In this video, BSA Order of the Arrow members dance and drum as part of summer camp activities.

With so many fine traditions of their own, why do the Boy Scouts have to steal ours? Native rights advocate Suzan Shown Harjo (Cheyenne and Muscogee) asked in a 2019 statement to VOA. They can learn, teach and promote survival and life skills without playing Indian.

BSA told NBC News it has no plans to eliminate Native American traditions from its programs.

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Bad Press documents tribal reporters fight for free speech

In 2018, the Muscogee Nation in Oklahoma revoked press freedoms it guaranteed the tribes media outlet Mvskoke Media just three years earlier. The action sparked outrage among the papers staff, many of whom walked out.

Former Mvskoke Media reporter Rebecca Landsberry-Baker teamed up with Hollywood filmmaker Joe Peeler to document the struggle to regain lost freedoms. The film debuted at the Sundance Film Festival in January and highlights the struggle tribal newspaper editors face across Indian Country, where fewer than 1% of the 574 federally recognized tribes have laws protecting press freedoms.

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Lakota playwright opens on Broadway

Sicangu Lakota playwright Larissa FastHorse made her Broadway debut this week with The Thanksgiving Play. The last and only other Native American to have a play produced on Broadway was Cherokee citizen Lynn Riggs, whose play Green Grow the Lilacs, opened in 1931. [[ HYPERLINK: https://www.newyorker.com/culture/q-and-a/larissa-fasthorse-becomes-the-first-native-american-woman-to-bring-a-show-to-broadway]]

The comedy takes place in a schoolroom, where four teachers struggle to put on a culturally sensitive pageant honoring both Native Americans and the first Thanksgiving at Plymouth.

Watch a clip from the plays 2018 debut below:
The United States is deploying more troops at its base in Djibouti as it considers whether to evacuate diplomats from Sudan, where a power struggle between two military factions has led to days of violence that has killed more than 330 people.

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, spoke Friday with VOA's White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara about the ongoing fighting in Sudan. He also previewed next week's White House state visit by President Yoon Suk Yeol of South Korea.

This transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

VOA WHITE HOUSE BUREAU CHIEF PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: I'd like to start with Sudan. What's the latest on the evacuation of American diplomats and the deployment of troops to the base in Djibouti?

NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS JOHN KIRBY: There's been no decision to evacuate our diplomats. We're still focused right now on pre-positioning appropriate military capabilities nearby in the region, not in Sudan, just in case there is a decision made to evacuate our embassy.

The bottom line is the situation on the ground in Khartoum is not good. The violence continues, the fighting continues despite both sides calling or urging the other to abide by cease-fires. There's still a lot of violence inside Khartoum, and so it's a very tenuous, very dangerous situation. And as we've said, if you are an American citizen, and you didn't take our warning to leave Sudan and particularly Khartoum, you need to take care of your own safety and security, shelter in place, find a place to stay where you can stay safe and not be moving around.

VOA: So there's no evacuation for American citizens at this point?

KIRBY: There is no expectation that there's going to be a U.S. government evacuation of American citizens. That remains the case right now.

VOA: Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken has called the leaders of both warring parties to push for a cease-fire. Obviously, that hasn't happened. The U.S. has very limited leverage because we have pulled U.S. assistance since the coup in Sudan in 2021. Which countries in the region are you reaching out to, to help push for a cease-fire?

KIRBY: We're talking to the African Union, we're talking to the Arab League. Clearly, we're talking bilaterally with other nations around Sudan in the region who obviously have a stake in making sure that peace and security, stability has a chance there in Sudan. And yes, we are reaching out directly. You've mentioned Secretary Blinken, but there are other lines of communication reaching out directly with the leaders on both sides there, General [Abdel Fattah] Burhan of the Sudanese Armed Forces and General [Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo] "Hemedti" of the RSF and to urge them to put down their arms, actually put in place a sustainable cease-fire so that humanitarian aid and assistance can get to the people that need it.

VOA: Would the U.S. administration consider any kind of punitive measures to push for a cease-fire?

KIRBY: I don't have any muscle movements to speak to right now. We are focused right now on communicating to both sides they need to put their arms down, they need to stop the fighting. We need to get the ability for people to get access to food and water and medicine and again, to have a discussion about a transition to civilian authority.

VOA: And how concerned are you that this would turn into a proxy war, where outside groups such as the Wagner Group that's already in the region might take opportunity from the chaos?

KIRBY: Obviously, we don't want to see this conflict expand or broaden, and we certainly wouldn't want to see additional firepower brought to bear; that will just continue the violence and continue to escalate the tensions.

VOA: I want to move on to the South Korean president's visit next week. One of the leaks showed that there is concern from the South Koreans that President [Joe] Biden might push President Yoon [Suk Yeol] to supply military weapons, munitions particularly to Ukraine. Has this leak complicated the visit at all?

KIRBY: We are very excited about having our second state visit be the Republic of Korea. President Biden and President Yoon have a terrific relationship. We as a nation have a great relationship with the Republic of Korea, our South Korean allies. And it is an alliance. We have actual alliance commitments with South Korea. And there's an awful lot on the agenda and it won't just be Ukraine.

But there's an awful lot of other things on the agenda, everything from high technology to climate change to certainly threats inside the Indo-Pacific region. Obviously, North Korea will be on the agenda. There's a lot to talk about. And this is a terrific relationship.

VOA: President Yoon said he may be open to providing military support to Ukraine under some circumstances. Is this something that President Biden will push President Yoon for?

KIRBY: This isn't about pushing South Korea at all. It's about having a meaningful conversation about items of mutual shared concern and interest and certainly the war in Ukraine is something that South Korea shares that concern with. I'll let President Yoon speak to what he is or isn't willing to do.

We have said from the very beginning that what a nation decides to do with respect to supporting Ukraine is up to them to decide. It's a sovereign decision. The whole idea of supporting Ukraine, this whole fight is about sovereignty. It's about independence. And how ironic and hypocritical would it be for the United States to dictate terms to a sovereign nation about what they should or shouldn't do.

VOA: Can we expect any kind of announcements in terms of extended deterrence, increasing U.S. strategic assets, any kind of joint operations of nuclear scenarios in the region?

KIRBY: We routinely talk to the South Koreans about the extended deterrence. I'm not going to get ahead of the president or any specific announcements or anything going forward.

VOA: On semiconductors, now that China cannot access U.S. technology but also Japanese and Netherlands technology for semiconductors, they are reaching out to South Korean companies. Is this something that the president will also discuss?

KIRBY: I have no doubt that they'll talk about high technology and the need to keep improving, preserving, maintaining resilient supply chains when it comes to semiconductors. But I won't get ahead of the conversation.

VOA: You mentioned today's meeting in Ramstein, Germany, which marks one year that the Defense Contact Group has been meeting. Secretary [of Defense Lloyd] Austin said this morning that the focus will be on air defense, ammunition and logistics. What does that say in terms of where we are in the war right now and the strategy going forward?

KIRBY: We have evolved the capabilities that we are providing Ukraine ... as the war itself has evolved over time. Here we are past a year. And we know that in the spring when the weather improves, and it's already starting to improve, that we can expect the Russians to want to go on the offensive in some areas, and we don't know exactly where or how they'll do that. But we want to make sure that the Ukrainians are able to better defend themselves against that and if they choose offensive operations of their own, that they've got the capabilities to conduct those.

And you heard Secretary Austin talk about air defense, talk about armor capabilities because we believe that one of the things and they say they need to be better at is combined arms warfare, which is maneuver warfare in open terrain. That means, that requires armor, that requires artillery, that requires some air defense. But he also talked about logistics because that's really the lifeblood of any army in the field, is how do you keep it in the field? How do you sustain it? How do you get him spare parts and food and water and fuel, the kinds of things that they need to maintain operations in a continuous way? So that's got to be front and center as well.

VOA: Last question, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg this week said that Ukraine's rightful place is in the Euro-Atlantic family. At this point, do you see Ukraine to be closer toward becoming a NATO member?

KIRBY: Nothing's changed about our support for the Open Door Policy of NATO. Nothing's changed about that. We continue to support an open door for NATO. But we've also said that any conversation about coming into the alliance has got to be a conversation between the nation in question and the alliance itself.

VOA: But do you see that Ukraine itself has improved on the criteria that it must meet?

KIRBY: Our focus right now with respect to Ukraine is making sure that they can beat back the Russian aggression. That they can be successful on the battlefield so that President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy, if and when he's ready to negotiate, he can be successful at the table. That's our focus. We'll let the secretary-general speak for the alliance.
The reclusive Taliban chief said Friday that he would not allow foreign interference in his Islamic governance in Afghanistan, come what may.



Hibatullah Akhundzada spoke to worshippers in a mosque in the southern city of Kandahar at the start of the three-day Eid al-Fitr festival to mark the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.



Akhundzada hailed the establishment of what he described as an Islamic "Sharia-based" government in Afghanistan after the Taliban reclaimed power in August 2021.



"It is the success and good fortune of the Afghan nation that Allah has blessed them with an Islamic Sharia system," he said. "I have promised Allah that so long as I am alive, not a single law of infidelity will find a place in Afghanistan."



Akhundzada, officially referred to as the leader of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and commander of the faithful, said that he would forbid "any action that threatens or negates Islam and is against Islamic principles."



Media was, as usual, not allowed to cover the speech of the unseen Taliban leader, an Islamic scholar who rarely leaves Kandahar, the Taliban heartland. His spokesman officially released audio of the sermon late Friday.

Taliban not recognized as legitimate



The Taliban waged a deadly insurgency for almost two decades. They seized control of the country 20 months ago from the then-internationally backed Afghan government as the United States and NATO troops withdrew after two decades of involvement in the war.



Akhundzada has since issued a series of edicts, banning girls' education beyond the sixth grade and barring most Afghan women from public life and work across Afghanistan. The ban has recently been extended to nongovernmental organizations and the United Nations despite severe global criticism and demands to end restrictions on women.



The international community has refused to recognize the Taliban as the legitimate rulers, citing bans on women's access to education and work, among other human rights concerns.



Friday's defiant speech by the Taliban leader came as U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres plans to host a meeting of envoys on Afghanistan from countries around the world in Qatar early next month to discuss the way forward in the wake of intensifying restrictions on Afghan women.



The United States has rejected any discussions about recognizing the Taliban at the U.N.-hosted meeting scheduled for May 1-2.

"The intent of  purpose of this meeting was never to discuss recognition of the Taliban, and any discussion at this meeting about recognition would be unacceptable to us," Vedant Patel, the principal deputy spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, told reporters on Thursday.



The rebuttal came after U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed shared details of the planned meeting in the Gulf state, suggesting the recognition issue would also be on the agenda.



"We hope that we will find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition  of the Taliban  in other words, there are conditions," Mohammed told a seminar at Princeton University on Monday.



That discussion must happen because Taliban authorities demand diplomatic recognition, and "that's the leverage we have," she stressed.

Taliban demands UN 'fulfill its responsibility'



U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq, speaking to reporters in New York on Thursday, attempted to downplay Mohammed's remarks, saying the deliberations at the meeting in Qatar's capital, Doha, would not focus on recognition of the Taliban.



"The point of the discussion, which will be held in a closed, private setting, is to build a more unified consensus on the challenges at hand," Haq said.



"There's a need to reinvigorate international engagement around the sort of common objectives that the international community has on Afghanistan. We consider it a priority to advance an approach based on pragmatism and principles to have a constructive engagement on the issue," he said.



Taliban chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has demanded that the U.N. "fulfill its responsibility" toward the people of Afghanistan.



"Islamic Emirate wants the recognition process to be completed soon. It will build mutual trust with world countries and help resolve all issues that can benefit regional security and stability," Mujahid told VOA. He used the official title of the Taliban government.
By Steve Holland and David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - At a summit next week with South Korean leader Yoon Suk Yeol U.S. President Joe Biden will pledge "substantial" steps to underscore the U.S. commitment to deter a North Korean nuclear attack on South Korea, a senior U.S. official said on Friday.

"We are working extraordinarily and intensively with the South Koreans to take the necessary steps to buttress both public perception and the reality of our commitments," the official told Reuters ahead of Yoon's summit with Biden next Wednesday.

The official said it ranked as one of the greatest U.S. achievements that a number of Indo-Pacific countries that could have built nuclear weapons had chosen not to because of the protection of the so-called U.S. nuclear umbrella.

"We have been very clear that our commitment to that nuclear deterrent stands, is ironclad for South Korea," said the official, who did not want to be identified by name.

"President Biden will ... be talking substantial steps to underscore that, to update it, to make clear that everyone has little doubt of our commitment to standing with South Korea, even in the face of provocation from North Korea, saber rattling from Russia, and frankly ambitions for a nuclear buildup on the part of China," he said.

Yoon's week-long state visit from Monday comes at a time when more South Koreans say their country should develop its nuclear arsenal to guard against attack by nuclear-armed North Korea and its expanding arsenal of missiles and bombs.

The official did not elaborate except to say the moves would involve "a variety of things from certain kinds of computations, more with respect to our actual activities, and some high-level engagements between the United States and South Korea."

In a poll released on April 6 by the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul, 64.3% of South Koreans supported developing nuclear weapons with 33.3% opposed.

The survey showed 52.9% of South Koreans were confident the United States would use nuclear weapons to defend South Korea in the event of a nuclear attack by North Korea. But the number dropped to 43.1% when respondents were asked if they thought the U.S. would risk its safety to defend South Korea, with 54.2% saying the U.S. would not take such risks.

A second official said the United States welcomed the role South Korea had played in supporting Ukraine and would "welcome additional steps (It) might be willing to take."

"But we also recognize like every country they have to make those decisions based on their own calculations," he said.

The official said North Korea's human rights situation, which Yoon has made a focus would likely be a subject of discussion at the summit.

Yoon, in an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, signaled for the first time a softening in his position on providing weapons to Ukraine, saying his government might not "insist only on humanitarian or financial support" in the event of a large-scale attack on civilians or a "situation the international community cannot condone".

The first official said the summit, only the second state visit under the Biden administration, reflected Biden's appreciation of Yoon's strong leadership and his rapprochement with Japan, the other key U.S. ally in northeast Asia.

Biden will also commend huge South Korean tech investment in the United States since he took office, which was now approaching $100 million, the official said.

(This story has been refiled to correct the spelling of Asan Institute for Policy Studies in paragraph 8)

(Reporting by David Brunnstrom, Steve Holland and Costas Pitas; Additional reporting by Choi Soo-hyang in Seoul; Editing by David Gregorio)
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday preserved access to the abortion drug mifepristone while a lawsuit challenging the use of the drug plays out in lower courts.

The high court issued a brief on Friday evening granting emergency requests from the Biden administration and the drug's manufacturer, Danco Laboratories, to continue to allow women to access the drug. The ruling puts on hold a preliminary injunction from a federal judge in Texas, who earlier this month ordered restrictions on the abortion drug.

Two justices on the nine-member court  conservatives Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito  dissented from the decision.

The court had set a deadline for itself of midnight Friday to either approve the Biden administration's request  to keep the drug available while the administration challenges a lower court ruling  or allow limited access to the drug to take effect.

The lower court ruling in question was issued April 7 by a federal judge in Texas after a coalition of anti-abortion groups and doctors argued the U.S. drug regulator, the Food and Drug Administration, improperly approved mifepristone in 2000 and did not fully assess its risks and benefits.

The ruling, which strictly limits availability of the drug, was appealed, and while an appeals court halted a portion of the ruling that would have invalidated the FDA approval, it left the limits on the drug's availability in place.

The case is expected to be further appealed and could eventually end up being decided by the Supreme Court. Friday's high court ruling makes it likely that access to mifepristone will continue at least into next year as the appeals play out.

Used in half of all abortions in US

Mifepristone is used in about half of all abortions nationwide. It has been used by as many as 5 million women since it was first approved in 2000, and major medical organizations say it has a strong safety record. The drug is also commonly used to help manage miscarriages.

Currently, the drug can be used by women to end pregnancies in the first 10 weeks, without a surgical procedure. It is available through the mail without an in-person visit to a doctor.

At the time the lower court ruling was made restricting access to the drug, President Joe Biden said in a statement the judge substituted his own judgment for that of the FDA, the expert agency responsible for approving drugs.

Biden said if the ruling is allowed to stand, "there will be virtually no prescription approved by the FDA that would be safe from these kinds of political, ideological attacks."

Fight follows reversal of Roe v. Wade

The judge who made the ruling, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, was appointed by former President Donald Trump, as were the judges on the appeals court that maintained limits on the availability of the drug.

The fight over mifepristone comes after the conservative majority on the Supreme Court last year overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. The court ruled it is now up to individual states to decide whether abortion should be legal or not.

The FDA has in recent years made it easier to use mifepristone, including in 2016 approving its use to 10 weeks of pregnancy, up from seven, and in 2021 allowing it to be distributed by mail in states that allow access.

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.
Editor's note: Here is a look at immigration-related news around the U.S. this week. Questions? Tips? Comments? Email the VOA immigration team: ImmigrationUnit@voanews.com.

US-Mexico Border Encounters Increase in March

The number of migrants encountered at the United States-Mexico border increased 25% from February (130,024 encounters) to March (162,317), according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Yet the March encounters are 23% lower than in March 2022 (211,181 encounters) and the month-over-month change is the lowest seasonal increase in two years, the agency said in its monthly border enforcement report. It added that the increase in encounters from February to March is typical as the weather gets warmer. Story by VOAs immigration reporter Aline Barros.

Biden Hosting Colombian Leader Petro

U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed Colombian President Gustavo Petro to the White House for talks Thursday that were expected to cover migration, climate change and efforts to counter drug trafficking. The meeting came just over a week after the United States, Colombia and Panama announced an agreement on a two-month campaign to try to stop migrants from passing through the Darien Gap, a key route used by migrants traveling from South America to the southern U.S. border. VOA News reports.

Immigration around the world

Refugees Trapped Amid Fighting in Sudan Say, 'Please Be Our Voice'

As the conflict in Sudan escalated this week, refugees, many of whom had fled violence in neighboring countries, found themselves trapped in Khartoum and other cities. In interviews with VOA, many said they fear for their lives and are in need of help, but nobody seemed to be listening to their pleas.

Aster Tariku, an Ethiopian refugee and a mother of two children, described the chaos in Khartoum: "The city is in havoc. There are airstrikes. It's terrifying. We've shut our doors and are hiding in the house. The children scream if I open the doors; they scream. They are in shock." Story by Salem Solomon, an editor with the Voice of Americas Africa Division.

Syrian Families Stranded in Sudans Capital Amid Clashes

Ongoing clashes between Sudans military and a powerful paramilitary group have left thousands of residents stranded in their homes in the capital, Khartoum, including many Syrian nationals. Story by Zana Omer and Sirwan Kajjo for VOAs Kurdish service.

Residents, Aid Workers Surprised by Closure of Iraqi Camp

Iraq on Tuesday shut down a camp housing internally displaced Iraqis with alleged ties to the Islamic State group, the Migration and Displacement Ministry announced. The statement said the camp's closure came as part of a government program aiming to "end the displacement file" in the country, where 1.2 million Iraqis remain internally displaced after years of conflict. Story by the Associated Press.

News Brief

 The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has extended the temporary suspension of the biometrics submission requirement for certain visa holders.
New developments:

The Wagner Group founder is concerned about a Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The United States will be training Ukrainian soldiers on Abrams tanks, while Germany will build a tank repair hub in Poland.

Ukraine grain exports are still banned by European countries.

In its daily intelligence update on Ukraine, then British Defense Ministry said Saturday that Russia is struggling to maintain consistency in a core narrative it uses to justify the war in Ukraine. The narrative is that the invasion of Ukraine is similar to the Soviet experience in World War II.

Earlier this month, Russia cited safety issues as the reason for canceling the annual observance of the Immortal Regiment Great Patriotic War remembrance marches. In reality, the ministry said, the authorities were highly likely concerned that participants would highlight the scope of recent Russian losses.

Another part of the Russian narrative is the rallying cry that there are Nazis in Ukraine. But now, however, Yevgeny Prigozhin, who is the chief of the Wagner Group and also a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has publicly questioned the existence of Nazis in Ukraine, contradicting Russias justification for the invasion, the British ministry said.

In his nightly video address Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was readying for a counteroffensive.

"The front line is priority No. 1," he said Friday. We are also actively preparing new brigades and units that will show themselves at the front."

Zelenskyy thanked the allies for their commitment to Ukraine's defense.

A U.S.-hosted meeting Friday at Ramstein Air Base in Germany focused on air defense and ammunition in Ukraine. The United States said it would soon start training Ukrainian troops to operate Abrams tanks, while Germany announced that it was building a tank repair hub in Poland for tanks deployed in Ukraine.



During the meeting, allies also reassured Kyiv of their unconditional support and backed Ukraine's bid to join NATO in the future.

Ukraine pressed its allies for long-range weapons, jets and ammunition ahead of the counteroffensive against Russian troops, which is expected in the coming weeks or months.

Prigozhin concerned

Following Zelenskyy's remarks Friday, Yevgeni Prigozhin, chief of the Russian paramilitary Wagner Group, expressed concerns about an imminent Ukrainian counteroffensive with highly trained Ukrainian forces.

"Today we are killing those who were trained in Ukraine, but the ones coming from Germany will be technologically educated," he said in an audio recording released on his Telegram channel.

He was referring to those Ukrainian soldiers who will train in Germany to use U.S. Abrams tanks.

Prigozhin predicted that Ukraine would counterattack after the spring rains, when the ground is firm.

"They will attack ... they will come and try to tear us apart, and we must resist," he said.

Russia relies heavily on the Wagner forces in Bakhmut, where fighting is still raging.

Kyiv said Friday that while Russian forces had made some advances in the eastern city, the situation was still in play. "The situation is tense, but under control," Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Hanna Malyar wrote on the Telegram messaging app.

Malyar made the comments after Russia's Defense Ministry said in a briefing Friday that assault troops were fighting in western parts of Bakhmut, the last part of the embattled Ukrainian city still held by Kyiv's forces.

EU-Ukraine grain

Four European Union member states have banned Ukraines food exports to protect their own markets. Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Bulgaria say that an influx of Ukrainian food imports is harming their own farmers, who cant compete with Ukraines low prices. The Polish government approved $2.4 billion in aid for its agricultural sector, criticizing the European Commission on Friday for not doing enough to help resolve the problem.

"What the EU is offered with a delay, it is too little, a drop in the ocean of needs," Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference.

The European Commission has offered $110 million of aid for central European farmers, in addition to an earlier $61.5 million package. It has also said it will take emergency preventive measures for other products  like wheat, corn and sunflower seeds  but the central European states want this list to be broadened to include honey and some meats, Reuters reported.

Ukraines economy is heavily dependent upon agriculture, and the European ban will put a significant dent in its sales, Bloomberg reported, citing UkrAgroConsult.

Romania has for now decided not to participate in the ban, while allowing transit of Ukraine exports through its Black Sea port of Constanta.

Several central European countries became the gateway to a glut of Ukraines food exports after Ukrainian grain was stranded in Black Sea ports blockaded by Russia. The Black Sea Initiative brokered by the United Nations and Turkey has allowed safe transit of grain shipments through that corridor, though Russia is threatening not to renew after the deal expires on May 18.



Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Thursday that the renewal of the deal depended on whether the West would lift restrictions affecting Russias agricultural exports. The Kremlin said Friday that it was monitoring reports of a possible ban on Russian exports and that new Western sanctions would damage the global economy.

"We are aware that both the U.S. and the EU are actively considering new sanctions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. "We believe that both the current sanctions against the Russian Federation and the new additional steps that the U.S. and the EU may be thinking about now will, of course, also hit the global economy."

Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse and Reuters.
As fighting between two clashing military factions continued Saturday, Sudan's army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, said in a statement that his troops would facilitate the evacuation of diplomats and citizens from Britain, China, France and the United States, "in the coming hours."

With fighting reported around the Khartoum International Airport, though, it is still unclear how any major evacuation could unfold. The area around the airport has seen some of the most intense gun battles and shelling over the past week.

A State Department spokesperson could not firm reports an evacuation of U.S. government personnel is imminent. A State Department spokesperson told VOA early Saturday Washington time, "We continue to remain in close contact with our embassy in Khartoum and have full accountability of our personnel. For their safety, I cannot discuss the details of their movements or whereabouts."

The U.S. Embassy in Sudan said in a security alert Saturday that "due to the uncertain security situation in Khartoum and closure of the airport, it is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens." The embassy also said, "There is incomplete information about significant convoys departing Khartoum traveling toward Port Sudan. The embassy is unable to assist convoys. Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk."

Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired an emergency response committee meeting Saturday regarding the situation in Sudan.

VOA reached out to the United Nations to see if there are plans to evacuate any of their 800 international staff. A spokesperson said, "We are exploring all options. Nothing to confirm as of now."

Sudan's military said army chief General Burhan had spoken to leaders of various countries requesting safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan, which has seen bloody clashes over the past week that have left more than 400 people dead.

Burhan said that diplomats from Saudi Arabia already had been evacuated from Port Sudan and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said that Jordan's diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. Saudi State TV reported the first evacuation vessel from Sudan arrived Saturday in the port city of Jeddah, carrying 50 Saudi citizens and nationals from friendly countries. Egypt also has evacuated some of its personnel, while Japan is preparing to evacuate.

The State Department has said there are some 70 U.S. Embassy staff members in Khartoum, and it has been working to gather them in one location. State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel had a warning Friday for non-government U.S. citizens in Sudan.

"We have advised Americans to not travel to Sudan since August 2021, and the U.S. Embassy in Khartoum's security alert on April 16 stated that due to the uncertain security situations in Khartoum and closure of the airport, Americans should have no expectation of a U.S. government-coordinated evacuation at this time," Patel said. "It is imperative that U.S. citizens in Sudan make their own arrangements to stay safe in these difficult circumstances."

Patel said U.S. authorities were in touch with several hundred U.S. citizens understood to be in Sudan. The State Department confirmed the death of one U.S. citizen in the country. The person was not a U.S. government employee.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has been working the phones in the crisis, reaching out repeatedly to both General Burhan, the commander of the Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, and General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, the commander of the rival Rapid Support Forces, RSF, known as Hemedti.

Blinken called on both generals to uphold the nationwide cease-fire through at least the end of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr on Sunday, April 23. Blinken also participated in a special ministerial session Thursday under the leadership of African Union Commission Chairperson Moussa Faki, with all participating leaders unanimous on the urgent need for a cease-fire.

The two generals are former allies who seized power in a 2021 coup but later fell out in a bitter power struggle.

The sudden fighting that broke out one week ago has brought the city of 5 million people to the brink of collapse, with residents hunkering down inside their homes with no electricity amid bombardment, and with marauding fighters roaming the streets, looting homes.

Sudan borders seven countries and sits between Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia and Africa's volatile Sahel region. The violence broke out as an internationally backed transition plan to form a new civilian government was scheduled to take effect, four years after the fall of Omar-al-Bashir. Both the government and the paramilitary forces accuse each other of thwarting the transition.

The U.S. has some military forces stationed in the neighboring country of Djibouti, which experts say would likely be used for any evacuation operation. Experts say the Biden administration does not want a repeat of the hasty U.S. departure from Afghanistan.

Cameron Hudson, a senior associate with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told VOA that "I think we can't sell short the comparison to Afghanistan, especially if we're contemplating the visuals of Americans leaving a besieged city, when civilians are begging for their own lives, begging to be evacuated along with Americans and international staff. I think that's a terrible optic for the United States to be sending in Africa right now."

VOA United Nations Correspondent Margaret Besheer contributed to this story.
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Robert Francis Kennedy Jr., son of former Attorney General Bob Kennedy and nephew of President John Fritzgerald Kennedy, is running against incumbent Joe Biden for the Democratic Partys 2024 presidential nomination.

Trump is currently beating Biden in the polls.

Robert Kennedy Jr. is an environmental lawyer, notably winning a groundbreaking lawsuit against Monsanto. He spearheaded a science-based indictment against Dr. Anthony Fauci and the pharmaceutical industry during the Covid pandemic [1].

Like Bernie Sanders in 2020, this left-wing figure, who has consistently stood up against the leaders of the woke Democratic Party, is trying to take it over the way that Jacksonian Donald Trump took over the Republican Party. The battle cry of Kennedys campaign will be the struggle against the corruption of institutions and against the power of transnational corporations.

He embodies a non-sectarian left, turned towards the Common Good.

In July 2021, Robert Kennedy Jr. participated in the ReAwaken America Tour, described by the press as a far-right Christian movement. He was photographed alongside General Michael Flynn and electoral strategist Roger Stone.

Republican Roger Stone, who participated in the campaigns of Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, and led that of Donald Trump, assures us that, whatever the differences between Trump and Kennedy (especially on weapons and abortion), a national unity candidacy of the two men would offer a solution in response to the countrys division and go a long way to preserving the integrity of the United States. For his part, Steve Bannon encouraged Robert Kennedy to throw his hat in the ring.
MADRID (Reuters) - The daughter of an environmentalist imprisoned by Iran said on Saturday she had lost confidence in U.S. President Joe Biden's efforts to free her father.

Morad Tahbaz, an Iranian-American who also holds British citizenship, has served five years of a 10-year sentence after being convicted of spying.

He was briefly released to house arrest with an electronic tag in March 2022 when two other dual nationals, including British-Iranian aid worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, were allowed to leave Iran.

In July his lawyer was quoted as saying he had been granted bail, but his daughter said he was now back in jail.

"I think being told since Biden has taken office that our loved ones are a priority, and then seeing no action - it is hard to hold hope," Tara Tahbaz told Reuters in Madrid while she was visiting from the United States to see relatives.

She said her family and the relatives of two other U.S. prisoners in Iran hoped Biden would grant them time to explain their stories at a meeting in Washington scheduled for next month.

She said her father, now 67, suffered from prostate cancer and had had COVID-19 three times in jail.

The United States has urged Iran to release Tahbaz and two other citizens, Emad Shargi and Siamak Namazi, who are all imprisoned on espionage charges that Washington says are baseless.

U.S. State Department spokesman Vedant Patel tweeted on Saturday: "We once again call on Iran to cease unjustly imprisoning foreign nationals for use as political leverage and to release U.S. citizens Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, and Siamak Namazi."

Namazi, an oil executive, was jailed for 10 years in 2016 on charges of spying and cooperating with the U.S. government. Shargi was convicted in 2021 and also sentenced to 10 years.

(Reporting by Graham Keeley, Catherine MacDonald, Guillermo Martinez; Editing by Kevin Liffey)
Featuring fake K-pop bands like Only1, BF2000, Gottawakka, and Ki55, whose tagline is we are 55 boys and we love you. Photo: A24

Beau Is Afraid is a zany three-hour road trip through the most neurotic recesses of the male mind, and a project that writer-director Ari Aster has been carrying around with him for nearly a decade. The film went through several iterations before making it onto movie screens in its final, 180-minute form, giving Aster plenty of time to fill it with what Aster refers to as chicken fat, a term former MAD Magazine editor Will Elder coined to describe the jokes crammed into every page of the satirical magazine.

Some of the films details  an attic full of abominations; a guy crouched in the corner of Beaus bathroom ceiling, dripping sweat onto a naked Joaquin Phoenix in the tub  feel almost like parodies of similar images in Asters breakout horror film, Hereditary (2018). Except that the first draft of Beau Is Afraid was written four years before Aster made that film. And Aster is famously reluctant to connect the dots between the psychologically loaded imagery in his films and his own life in interviews.

So well just have to assume all the funny signs, cheeky parodies, and off-kilter references in Beau Is Afraid are all simply dumb jokes that Ari Aster put into the movie to amuse himself. And there are a lot of dumb jokes to unpack.

Beaus Neighborhood

The city block where Beau lives is home to a soup truck, the convenience store Cheapo Depot, and a pair of peep-show parlors called Asstral Projection and Erection Injection. Erection Injection is downstairs from Beaus apartment, so we get a better look at the front of the place, with signs advertising such carnal delights as Knife Dick (Stab Other Man), Pussy Open the Bottle, and Pussy Inside Out. A few scenes later, Beau sits on a fire escape with a mural behind him that reads, Jesus Sees Your Abominations.

Beaus Apartment

Amidst the obscene graffiti on the walls of Beaus apartment building are posters for two shows: One for a double bill of Death by Anal and Murder by Fuck, and another for a band called Clit Shitter. Clit Shitter is an Ari Aster deep cut: Its the vagina-havers equivalent to Tinos Dick Fart, a fake product for which Aster made a crude infomercial back in 2011.

Beaus building is also papered with flyers warning residents of the presence of a brown recluse spider, one of three North American spider species with what Wikipedia calls medically significant venom. (Yikes!) The poster has a quote: The price of greatness is responsibilityWinston Churchill. That has nothing to do with spiders, but it does add to the movies overall vibe of oppressive guilt and failure.

Early on in the film, Beau eats an OLoha  Hawaii and Ireland meal from the frozen-foods division of MW, the super-business empire founded and run by Beaus mom. (MW = Mona Wasserman.) At his apartment, Beau also watches a TV news report warning citizens of the Birthday Boy Stab Man, with a teaser for an upcoming segment called Dead And Pregnant?

Beaus Phone

When the film cuts to a closeup shot of the recent calls screen on Beaus phone, we see that he really only calls three people: His mother, his therapist, and Moviefone, the once-ubiquitous phone number for movie showtimes (its even mentioned in an episode of Seinfeld) that shut down in 2014. The movie is set in 2021, so either Beau keeps calling the number in a pathetic attempt to connect, he makes phone calls less than once a year, or Mr. Moviefone is still gainfully employed in the Ari Aster-verse.

And although we see it on his busted computer monitor, not his phone, a screenshot of Beaus plane ticket shows that hes flying from Corinna, CRa reference to the 1994 Whoopi Goldberg-Ray Liotta dramedy Corinna, Corinna. Hes flying to Wasserton, where his mother, Mona Wasserman, lives. (Wasser is German for water, as Vultures Bilge Ebiri explores in his analysis of the films ending.) This woman is truly inescapable.

Grace and Rogers House

After Beau is stabbed in the side and palm (just like Jesus), hes run over by a truck and wakes up in whats clearly a teenage girls bedroom. On the walls are satirical posters for made-up movies (Professor Marvelous: Final Exam and Confessions of a Teenage Llama Queen), as well as fake K-pop bands like Only1, BF2000, Gottawakka, and Ki55, whose tagline is we are 55 boys and we love you.

The house belongs to Grace (Amy Ryan) and Roger (Nathan Lane), the drivers of the aforementioned soup truck, and the bedroom belongs to Toni (Kylie Rogers), Grace and Rogers unrelentingly hostile teenage daughter. The rest of the familys suburban home is decorated with generic Live Laugh Love-style signage in cursive script, and photos of their dead son, Nate, who died in an imaginary war between the U.S. and Venezuela. Theres even a puzzle with Nates picture on it, just to give it that extra morbid edge. (The posters in Nates room are all for real bands, like PUP, Owen, and Texas prog-rockers Polyphia.)

Beau watches more TV at Grace and Rogers house, seeing the UPS guy who discovered his moms dead body (his face is turned from the camera, but its definitely Bill Hader). He also stumbles on footage of himself from surveillance cameras tuned to the defunct UHF frequency Channel 78. Grace passes Beau a napkin that reads, stop incriminating yourself  a hint that Mona may still be alive and watching her son, as well as another drop in the films overflowing bucket of paranoia.

Beaus Cruise

In the flashback sequence where a young Beau goes on a cruise with his overbearing, pseudo-incestuous mother, hes reading a book called Big Mistake! The Treehouse Gang Comes Home  a cheeky parody of a Hardy Boys book that also reflects Beaus intense anxiety about going back to his hometown to see his mother(s headless corpse).

The Orphans Play

When Beau first walks into the woodland settlement occupied by the Orphans of the Forest, he passes a series of wooden signs nailed to trees, each of them painted with banal phrases like know thyself and nothing to excess that are all taken from the lyrics to Broadway musicals.

The play-within-the-film, known as the Hero Beau sequence in the films credits, was created by Chilean filmmakers Cristobal Leon and Joaquin Cosina. Aster is a big fan of the duos 2018 stop-motion animated film The Wolf House, which Aster calls a brilliant Chilean stop-motion monstrosity that was really one of the most amazing things that I had ever seen.

The Wolf House is a dark and psychologically fraught fairy tale inspired by the true story of a German colony in Chile infamous for the torture and murder of dissidents during the Pinochet regime, so the Ari Aster appeal is pretty self-evident. As well as working with them on Beau Is Afraid, Aster also executive produced the duos new stop-motion short Los Huesos (The Bones), which premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2021.

Beaus Moms House

When Beau first walks up to his moms house, he sees a van for a catering company called Shiva Steves Grub for the Grieved parked out front. The caterers are packing up; the funeral is over.

Beau goes inside the house and walks down a spiral staircase surrounding a pillar decorated with photos of Beau throughout his life  including, most curiously, a screenshot from a surveillance camera, showing Beau talking on the phone with his mom at the beginning of the film. At the bottom of the stairs, Beaus mother has set up a sort of shrine to MWs many subsidiaries, including framed print ads for ADHD and allergy meds, frozen meals, safety razors, and pimple creams  all featuring a young Beau. MW, as it turns out, also built Beaus apartment as part of some nightmarish, urban blight-themed housing complex, and was preparing to roll out a security company when Mona died. MWs tagline? Perfectly Safe.

Beau also looks at a photo collage of MW employees, among them Roger and the heavily tattooed man who chased Beau into his apartment early on in the film. (RIP  the spider got him.) The camera focuses on a photo of Beaus childhood crush Elaine, played as an adult by Parker Posey.

A few scenes later, Elaine comes back into Beaus life in the flesh, and the two have sex (finally  Beaus been waiting for decades) as Always Be My Baby by Mariah Carey plays in the background. According to Aster, the song was in the script: There was never another option, he told The Daily Beast. It would not be Always Be My Baby if there was another option, because it was expensive. (Carey, delightfully, showed up to the premiere.)

Thats not the last of Beaus, lets say, unconventional musical choices: The CD he gives to his mother two years in a row for her birthday is For the Boys: Music from the Motion Picture, the soundtrack to the 1991 movie starring Bette Midler and James Caan.
A Cannes prizewinner banned (and then unbanned) in its home country, Saim Sadiqs sublime Joyland finally comes to the U.S. Photo: Joyland

In November, the Pakistani government banned the public release of writer-director Saim Sadiqs Joyland, a Cannes prizewinning drama that the countrys Ministry of Information and Broadcasting declared in violation of decency and morality. The film follows an intimate love triangle among a man from a deeply patriarchal family, his wife, and a transgender dancer he falls for while working at a burlesque. Four days later, the government reversed the ban on the condition that minor cuts were made  laughably random ones, Sadiq later told the New York Times  though at least one province, Punjab, still moved to ban the film within its jurisdiction. The back and forth has clouded an otherwise celebratory time for Sadiq: Joyland was Pakistans official submission to this years Oscars and the first-ever Pakistani film to compete at Cannes. It won Best International Film at the Independent Spirit Awards and is now playing in select U.S. theaters.

The ban came as a surprise, Sadiq tells Vulture. I wasnt alone when I found out. I was with all the producers on a call. Then everyone started gathering at my house  the actors, the casting director, the crew. Suddenly, there were 20 to 30 people there, and we decided that we wouldnt stay silent. They launched a hashtag, #ReleaseJoyland, which helped bring media attention to the ban at home and overseas. There was a bit of an assumption that we would cry about this and then just get over it because there is a long history of films being banned in Pakistan. But we decided we were going to try to set a new precedent. We were going to change things.

Pakistan has banned 34 movies based on cultural and content criteria ranging from negative portrayals of Pakistan to depictions of black magic. But Joyland was the first to be banned solely for its depiction of queer and trans relationships  and the first to be unbanned as a result of public outcry. Art is inherently political, says Sadiq. There are psychological, theoretical, and philosophical ways of looking at everything in the film, but I strongly believe every act in it has a political nature. However, I didnt expect that the politics would step out of the art and suddenly become something bigger. I almost felt like I had to turn into a politician for a couple of days.

Joyland is a first for Pakistani cinema in many ways, including how it challenges and interrogates taboos around gender and sexual diversity and their impact on Pakistani family lifestyles. In depicting a culture in which family members often struggle to speak honestly with one another and much can be expressed without saying anything at all, Sadiq finds unique ways to translate the weight of those silences for the screen.

I see queerness everywhere in the movie, even in the straight relationships.

In telling the story of Haider Rana (Ali Junejo)  a newly hired background dancer at the burlesque theater where Biba (Alina Khan) dances  and Mumtaz (Rasti Farooq), Haiders wife who is forced to quit her job to care for the Rana household, Sadiq expands the films scope to their entire community: Haiders widowed father, his elderly neighbor, his brother, and their families.

The morning after the Rana familys neighbor, Auntie Fayyaz, unexpectedly sleeps with Haiders father, both widows families sit around the breakfast table in a collective, deafening silence. Fayyaz and Haiders father have broken the strict cultural rules that forbid sex between unmarried people, though both deny anything of the sort occurred. Sadiq lingers on each family members face  Haider, his father, his brother, his brothers wife, Fayyaz, Fayyazs son, and Mumtaz  for long seconds at a time, wordlessly communicating the ripple effects of the night before on each character.

Sadiq studied film at Columbia University, where he says he was taught to emphasize characters individuality in his scripts. But while writing Joyland, his first feature, the 32-year-old found that lesson limiting. I started to understand that the three-act structure comes from an American societys understanding of how families function, and it is very individualistic, whereas our society is just not, he says. He wanted his film to be about a family rather than a single protagonist, and he wanted it to emphasize how every individuals decision has an actual impact on the other characters.

My whole film is about the fact that individualism is kind of a hoax  I cant just fly off into the sunset after my nice coming of age, Sadiq says. When Haider retreats to the beach in Karachi after a grave and sudden loss, it is not a flowery, cute moment of self-actualization, it is a heavy, guilty moment. That Joyland authentically captures a cultural sense of linked identity is a credit to its nearly all-Pakistani cast and crew, Sadiq says. They understood and identified with that.

Transgender people in Pakistan, known as khwaja sira in Urdu, have long been subject to institutional persecution, societal exclusion, and physical violence. A record number of 20 transgender Pakistani people were killed in 2021. (According to the Trans Murder Monitoring project, the country averages ten homicides of transgender people per year.) Joyland is one of few Pakistani films to feature a transgender lead. While it doesnt ignore the realities of hate against trans Pakistanis, it also envisions a life where transgender people fall in love, get married, and experience joy. Still, Sadiq initially hesitated to call Joyland a queer film.

Saim Sadiq and the Joyland cast accept the Best International Film trophy at the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards. Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Theres a lot of queerness in the movie, but queerness is not exclusively an identity, he says. Its a term that encapsulates far more than just your sexuality and who youre attracted to. The essence of queerness is a big challenge to patriarchy. Its a big challenge to set roles that go far beyond just sexuality and gender. I see queerness everywhere in the movie, even in the straight relationships.

Sadiq worked with consultants from a community-based organization in Lahore called the Khwaja Sira Society while writing, casting, and shooting the film. All of the actors who played khwaja sira are khwaja sira, he says. He asked them to make their own choices while filming, independent of the script. I needed them to be comfortable because if they had an enjoyable experience onscreen, then we would enjoy watching them too.

Joylands most vocal conservative critics admitted early on that they had not actually seen it. Among them was Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, a senior member of the nonruling conservative political party Jamaat-e-Islami who appeared on Pakistans Neo TV Network to deliver a charged and emotional outburst against the film. Sadiq admits that part of his reluctance to call Joyland a queer film in those early days of controversy in Pakistan was because we live there and we know what its like. But now Im at a stage where Im quite happy about it. It gives me a great sense of joy when somebody who identifies as queer watches the film and connects to it.

Khan, the 24-year-old transgender star of Joyland, told The Guardian that her family initially rejected her and called her a derogatory slur when she came out to them. But she says their attitudes changed following the films release, once they saw her in a light she had struggled her entire life to show to others: They accepted me finally.

Joyland kicked off its U.S. run at Film Forum last Friday, notching the theaters biggest opening weekend for a foreign-language film in almost a decade. Its journey to the screen has been fraught  in November, there were threats of arson against Pakistani theaters that dared to show it  in a way that Sadiq says has forced him to grow up a little bit more in a way that perhaps one shouldnt have to.

Then again, if the film hadnt sparked such an uproar, would it have made the difference it set out to make? We did lead to a first step in a very important conversation in Pakistan, Sadiq says. This conversation about trans rights and queerness is not a ghost conversation anymore. 
Photo-Illustration: Vulture.

A tape recorder speaking out eerie incantations. A book wrapped with barbed wire and bound in human flesh. A lone cabin in the woods hosting a group of unsuspecting college kids. These set the story of The Evil Dead, a film about a cursed ancient book and a grinning unlikely hero. Since its release more than five decades ago, director Sam Raimis creation has enjoyed enduring acclaim and a cult following for its blend of gruesome horror, unnerving special effects, and slapstick humor. To quote Ash (Bruce Campbell), its groovy.

Evil Dead is unlike other franchises because of its commitment to unapologetic carnage (like limitless blood spills) and its turns at reinvention (in which terror is traded for spoof). But at its core, it has always been a wink and a nudge to the audience, largely pushed by our enduring Everyman, Ash. Hes a fearless survivor-cum-savior who cracks bad jokes as often as he saws off ligaments. The Evil Dead has continued to be reimagined by Raimi and others and spawned an even bloodier 1987 sequel, a recent reboot, and a successful TV series (as well as a theatrical production and many comic books). Now, with the release of Evil Dead Rise  another reboot that sees a woman take up the fight against the evil dead spirit  Evil Dead is enlivened again. Here, we size up the many screen entries to help you square this recent addition with the storied series. Lets rev up our chain saws and get to it.

7. Within the Woods (1978)

In 1978, Raimi was a struggling college student with grand ambitions to be a Hollywood filmmaker. He made practice movies on a Super 8 camera and charged high-schoolers small change to watch them. The horror genre was a private obsession, one he studied religiously, watching movie after movie to hone his craft. Then came a proposal to make a rough cut proof of concept movie to secure funding for a planned horrifying feature-length film (which later became The Evil Dead).

Within the Woods was the result. It follows Bruce (Campbell), who is vacationing with a group of friends at a secluded house when he awakens an evil spirit after desecrating a sacred burial site. Though the short film is grainy and unpolished, it bears early hints of Raimis comedic appetite to play inside the horror genre, as when Bruce says, Youre only cursed if you violate the graves of the dead  were eating hot dogs! Elsewhere, theres pleasure in seeing Raimi find his footing with his now-famous moviemaking moves, such as the eerie roaming first-person camera view and the iconic shots of a lulling empty porch swing. Ultimately, though, given its grittiness and sparseness, this one is really just for the franchise purists. Raimi would essentially remake Within the Woods twice more over the next decade, getting more funding (and adding more gore and comedy) with each retake. Skip this and start with the real thing.

6. Evil Dead (2013)

The 2013 Evil Dead is both a reboot and a remake that dials up the horror and erases the comedic beats of the 1981 original. It follows a group of college kids headed to a remote cabin to help a friend go cold turkey from a drug addiction. But soon enough, they summon the evils of the Book of the Dead. The results are torture-porn levels of gruesome, as the film unapologetically capitalizes, in spades, on the booming horror tendencies of the time.

Raimis wickedly dark humor  which usually serves as a counterbalance for all the horror  has simply been replaced with even more flayings, dismemberments, and other perverse acts. Its all a paint-by-numbers exercise (like reusing all the trademark wide-angle tracking tricks) that becomes a cheap facsimile, drawing the most scares from grievous bodily harm. Gone is the fun of rooting for anyone to survive  especially our everyday hero vanquishing this terrifying evil. Where comedic relief once offset the bloodshed caused by summoning the spirit, more slaughter and bloodletting flow freely in this remake. In the end, the irony is that, with all its bloodshed, Evil Dead saps all it can from Raimis masterpiece and lets itself figuratively bleed out.

5. Army of Darkness (1993)

A sequel to a requel, Army of Darkness isnt another take on the same basic demons attack teens in a cabin story as Raimis two previous films, The Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, are. Instead, its a full-throttled fantasy-comedy spin on the Deadites (the demonic spirits), with the gauche, unwitting Ash as our funnyman and tour guide.

After the events of Evil Dead II, the cursed book sucks Ash and his chain saw into a time vortex, sending both back to the age of King Arthur. Wielding a double-barred shotgun as his own Excalibur, Ash serves camp (few can forget him calling a witch a she-bitch) and cheesiness on his quest to return home. The evil dead spirit is far more mischievous this time, as Army of Darkness trades the comparatively modest bloodletting and beheadings of the first films for even more ridiculous sights like a devilish body double, bumbling skeleton warriors, and naughty books that bite back. Its clear Raimi enjoyed the excesses of a Hollywood budget here ($11 million compared with about $3.5 million for Evil Dead II), with the medieval battle scenes and special effects delivered in laudable high quality.

Its all very silly, though, which may or may not be enough for you. Eventually, Army of Darkness becomes less a sequel and more a cheesy spinoff project that sits somewhere between fantasy and spoof. Raimi is partly pulling our leg, indulging in ridiculous combat scenes between skeletons and adding a rigid romance with a young female royal to delight us and celebrate the Evil Dead mythology. Even if it has diminishing returns despite the increased budget and ambition, Army of Darkness is still well worth watching, if only for how it plays with action-hero myth-making, its exploding skeleton sequences, and Campbells devilish grin.

4. Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Although the 2013 Evil Dead swapped Campbell for a female protagonist, Rise is the first in the series to actually build an Evil Dead story around women, rather than just slotting one into a familiar narrative. After discovering shes pregnant, Beth (Lily Sullivan) makes a surprise visit to Los Angeles to see her estranged sister, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), and Ellies children. But the unrelenting dark force locked within the Book of the Dead has awakened again. With reverent nods to the original Evil Dead films  including sly practical scares and a re-created tree rape scene (shot in an elevator, no less)  this latest addition focuses on motherhood as both a blessing and a curse. The demon ferociously takes hold of Ellie, and Beth is challenged to guard the brood against its unrelenting pull. The spirit soon cracks eggs into a sizzling pan in quick succession, a metaphor for the corrupting hold it has over mother Ellie.

Know that director Lee Cronin wanted to keep the original black humor alive and well here  especially after the unfunny 2013 film. A beheaded doll named Staph-anie stuck on a stick becomes a lifesaving scepter, while endless horror-movie references (such as an elevator emptying an Olympic-size swimming pool of blood) cheekily enliven the storys macabre turns. In the end, Evil Dead Rise shows theres still vitality to be found in the Book of the Deads many skin-bound pages.

3. Ash vs. Evil Dead (20152018)

Ash took some well-earned time off after Army of Darkness but picked his boomstick back up in 2015 for the Starz TV series Ash vs. Evil Dead. Campbells unending gusto for the role is on full display, but this time, the series remakes him as a middle-aged accidental action star  a beer-guzzling Everyman with a bulging belly and a tendency to crack a dad joke. Set 30 years after the end of Army of Darkness, the show sees Ash back at his low-paid job at a budget superstore, stacking shelves with his one good arm (the chain saw sits at home). The evils of the Book of the Dead just wont die, however, and soon Ash has to battle Deadites as well as his own inner demons.

Ash vs. Evil Dead grapples with issues like PTSD and survivors guilt, all the while feeding our fix for bloodshed and gore, embracing Raimis black humor, and serving some well-constructed action sequences. Its self-referential nods are fun and giddy, as when a small doll attacks Ashs face and a ridiculous twisting shuffle ensues that recalls his own hand fight in Evil Dead II. The series proves to be a fresh and welcome comedic crescendo, embracing screwball, camp, and self-referential humor to reanimate Evil Dead for a new generation.

2. The Evil Dead (1981)

Evil awakens and beckons, Join us, as Ash, his girlfriend, Linda (Betsy Baker), and their friends enter a lone ramshackle cabin for a vacation. Though The Evil Dead is partly a remake of Raimis Within the Woods proof of concept, its a true original and works like magic.

As demonic possession soon envelops those in the cabin, an eerie, unrelenting fog descends  bringing with it complete abject bodily decay. Skin hardens and cracks, dark fluid weeps out of sores, eyes turn blazing red, and we can only watch in visceral horror as the demon takes hold. One girl is attacked and raped by wild trees in one of the films most infamous scenes, while another is totally engulfed by the nefarious spirit and forced into a grim early burial. The only way to kill this spirit is to dismember the host body. Heads roll in quick succession as endless amounts of blood spray out all over the cabin. The fact that we never see the spirit in bodily form makes it all the more terrifying.

The Evil Dead is Raimis rough diamond of gonzo horror that shows his talent to conjure an unrelenting evil unlike anything seen in horror movies before. From the swooping, omnipresent shots pacing to the cabin, to the supernatural force of the haunting light sockets that bleed, the film may be bound together a little less securely than the flesh-encased book, but it shows an imaginative filmmaker determined to terrify us with the unseen  and maybe throw in the odd slapstick joke to break the tension. A thrilling, if sometimes unvarnished, ride.

1. Evil Dead II (1987)

Theres a dispute over whether Evil Dead II is a reboot, a sequel, or a combination of the two  that is, a requel. Whatever the ultimate moniker, the second (or third?) Evil Dead is the richest, most stylized version, featuring more blood, gore, and comedic beats. It starts with a five-minute recap of the events of the previous film, in which Ash returns as the lone survivor of a terrorizing evil spirit he unleashed from the Book of the Dead. He once again finds himself holed up in a remote cabin with other clueless guests as the forces return  but hes not without a sawed-off rifle to assist him.

Evil Dead II dials up the slapstick comedy  such as Ashs fight against a decapitated head or the way he mocks his own possessed hand as he cuts it off  and the results are outrageously witty and laugh-out-loud funny. But theres a greater realism and intensity at work here too, as Raimi wants us to squirm just as much as we chuckle. There are nauseating lens tricks alongside chasing camera work, making for an exhilarating ride with just enough gory carnage and corny dialogue (Swallow this! Ash screams to a flailing head) to see Raimis vision for comedic horror/horrifying comedy be synthesized and served just right. The film even revisits many of the notorious hallmarks of the original  such as the wild tree rape scene and the undulating haunted recordings  but with a more polished touch.

Perhaps what best exemplifies the difference between the two movies is how Ash, originally a panicked, doubting survivor, becomes an assured, fearless hero in Evil Dead II. Its like a quiet metaphor for Raimis own journey with Evil Dead, confirming that his vision has finally been realized. This film is a masterstroke.
(Reuters) - A former prosecutor who led the Manhattan district attorney's criminal probe into former U.S. President Donald Trump will go ahead with testimony in May before a congressional committee after an effort to block his appearance was dropped, the panel said on Friday.

Former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz will testify May 12, a spokesperson for the chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee said.

The committee subpoenaed him in connection with the probe that led to Trump becoming the first ex-president to be criminally charged.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, sued Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the committee, to block the subpoena.

On Friday, both sides said the appeal had been dropped, paving the way for the deposition to take place.

"We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe," a spokesperson for the a Manhattan District Attorney said.

Trump, the Republican front-runner in the 2024 presidential nominating campaign, pleaded not guilty on April 4 to 34 felony charges. They related to a hush money payment before the 2016 election to a porn star to prevent her from discussing a sexual encounter she said they had. He denies the liaison took place.

(Reporting by Karen Freifeld and Kanishka Singh; writing by Costas Pitas; editing by Eric Beech and Cynthia Osterman)
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 On a trip to India 10 years ago with his partner Ben, David Sequeira spent time at the historic Jantar Mantar observatory in Jaipur. Amid its many creamy-gold towering astronomical instruments, they gazed into the sky. At the time, the Rihanna song Diamonds was big and they often heard her singing the line You and I, were like diamonds in the sky. It was very romantic, Sequeira says. But it was also a reminder that Ben and I are part of histories, cultures, timelines and geographies that will always be much bigger than ourselves. The outdoor observatory, built for the Rajput king who founded the northern city, was completed in 1734. Sequeira, who was born in India but raised in Australia since he was three, visits it every time he is in Jaipur (as well as a similar site in Delhi). For one of his two new works for the ninth TarraWarra Biennial, Sequeira has used images of the Jantar Mantar in a large wall covering titled Looking to the stars for answers. Screen printed in large sections at Spacecraft studio in Footscray, the midnight blue and black work graces a 13-by-five metre wall at TarraWarra. A second work is arranged across its surface: with Rihannas lyrics as its title, this comprises 16 small paintings studded with constellations of Swarovski crystals. In the style of Indian miniatures, these are painted in gouache on board and feature Sequeira and his partner together or solo. Crystal-studded miniatures by David Sequeira depict the artist and his partner, Ben. Sequeiras deep interest in the Jantar Mantar observatory arises from his heritage, as well as his enduring interest in colour, geometry and connections between the personal and the universal. What is at the heart of these and Sequeiras previous large-scale and colour-rich artworks is the intersection of the infinite and the minuscule, of big ideas and small details, nuance and breadth. The Jantar Mantar is such a beautiful, poetic construction. Its only purpose is to look up at the heavens, up at the stars, he says, noting that the historic site seems to be a confluence of the celestial and the terrestrial. There is this sense of the micro and the macro, this singular experience of being inside of something way bigger and more enveloping than you could ever imagine it to be.

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And why I love those constructions so much: there is something so modernist about them, something minimalist, and yet what they represent is far from minimalism. Their intention is to consider our relationship to the cosmos. This connects beautifully with the theme of the biennial, which features 15 artists and has a focus on the interconnectedness between Australia, Asia and local oceanic regions. The biennials curator, Leuli Eshraghi, developed the theme while living in the Northern Territory during extended border closures at the height of the pandemic, all the while contemplating the idea of neighbourliness. The Jantar Mantar observatory in Jaipur. Credit:iStock In particular I was thinking about how do we human beings begin to move away from thinking about ourselves only, to considering the needs of the environment around us and the importance of those connections? Eshraghi says. For Sequeira, a new connectedness manifested in the mid-1990s when he approached artists who worked in the Indian miniature tradition, plying their trade out of tiny shops in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The tradition emerged in the eighth century but began to reach its golden age from the 16th century, with artists creating small paintings on silk or paper that were displayed in bound folios rather than on walls. This meant they were shared on a more intimate level, in the manner of literature, poetry and books. This art form was, and remains, a very personal experience, Sequeira says. I like to imagine people in the 17th century looking at these images by candlelight, physically holding them in their lap. I cant think of inanimate objects other than books that human beings have such intense relationships with. Thats why I work with these miniaturists  they come from that tradition. They are not celebrated artists, and they work largely for a tourist market, but they create entire worlds in their tiny paintings. Working with them really honours what they do for a living and at the same time it has created something that opened up the door to articulate my experiences of being part of the India diaspora. Yes, I am Australian, but when I was growing up, [I was] not quite Australian, and not quite Indian. Now I ask: what does it mean to be an artist in 2023 and to come from two countries colonised by Britain and to be part of an artistic academic community exploring these questions?

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Sequeiras meditations on colour have long been admired  hes been making art and working in museums for more than 30 years and is now the director of the Fiona and Sidney Myer Gallery at the Victorian College of the Arts, where he also teaches. David Sequeira working on his wallpaper inspired by Jaipurs Jantar Mantar observatory. Credit:Scott McNaughton Last year he exhibited three large-scale installations at Bunjil Place in Narre Warren. All the things I should have said that I never said included a room lined with hundreds of thrift-store vases arranged into colour sets from across the spectrum. There was also a choreographed catwalk show with dozens of men sporting colourfully printed kurtas (traditional Indian shirts). Sequeira was among the models. I looked like a walking fridge, he says, remembering his stress on the night. But visitors applauded his adventurous engagement with Indian culture. Loading With his new work at TarraWarra and his Song paintings  340 small colour works on music sheets  simultaneously opening at Sydneys The National 4 Australian Art Now, Sequeira continues to assess how art might influence the way we live in the world. I love the idea of complexity, he says. When there is a multiplicity of ideas and histories, we can see that nothing is linear or simple. How do you know when art is good? I cant answer that question any other away than to say that when I encounter a work of art that has me experience something bigger than myself, where something is revealed to me about the world, then that is really a rich moment.

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Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he hopes the discovery of a ship that sank off the coast of the Philippines more than 80 years ago will bring a measure of comfort to loved ones of the 979 Australian troops and civilians on board.

The search for the wreckage from the worst maritime disaster in Australias history ended this week when a team of researchers and defence personnel found the Japanese transport ship SS Montevideo Maru at the bottom of the sea.

The Montevideo Maru was sunk by a US submarine, which was unaware of the almost 1000 Australians on board.

The ship sank on July 1, 1942, after being torpedoed by an American submarine, which was unaware it was carrying prisoners of war and civilians captured in the former Australian territory of New Guinea.

In total, it was carrying about 1060 prisoners from around 16 countries, including 850 Australian service members, who had been taken after the fall of Rabaul months earlier.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is seemingly on his own in regards to Democrats criticizing the Biden administration, claiming the Big Apple is "being destroyed by the migrant crisis."

Adams's critique of President Joe Biden comes after he criticized the Biden administration for refusing to provide New York City with additional financial relief, despite how the city has been forced to house more than 56,000 migrants across over 100 taxpayer-funded shelters. New York Democrats, such as Sen. Chuck Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, have remained notably quiet regarding the Biden administration's handling of funding regarding immigrants, according to the New York Post.

SOFT-ON-CRIME NEW YORK JUDGE SEEKING PROMOTION GETS PUNISHMENT INSTEAD

"He's trying to throw the weight off him onto the president, whom he's criticized before, and it's very unlikely that big city mayors or the federal officials want to join him," political consultant Hank Sheinkopf told the New York Post regarding Adams. "They cannot criticize an incumbent president, which is what Adams has done this week. They're thinking: You never come back from attacking the president of your own party."

New York Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell, left, joined by Mayor Eric Adams, center, and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, speaks to reporters during a news conference at police headquarters, Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Mary Altaffer/AP

Adams, who visited Washington, D.C., on Friday to ask the administration again for federal aid, claimed none of his fellow city officials "came to Washington, D.C., to fight for the resources," though New York City public advocate Jumaane Williams had visited D.C. two days earlier to ask for additional aid.

On Wednesday, Adams accused the White House of abandoning the city, starting "one of the largest humanitarian crises that this city has ever experienced."

"The national government has turned its back on New York City," Adams said. "Every service in this city is going to be impacted by the asylum seeker crisis."

In January, Adams issued a statement praising Biden's announcement on new measures to manage the flow of asylum seekers from the southern border. However, he added that the country still needed a long-term and proactive strategy to manage the crisis.

"President Biden's announcement today to expand the humanitarian program to allow more asylum seekers to travel to the United States safely, legally, and in a more controlled manner, is an important, positive step in ensuring our federal partners can better address this humanitarian crisis," the statement read.

In 2017, Adams criticized former President Donald Trump's handling of immigration, saying the United States was "founded on the belief of religious pluralism and equality."

"In this great city of immigrants, we will remain true to our values and always welcome all who yearn to breathe free," Adams wrote.

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The migrant crisis in New York City comes as Democrats in the House and the Senate have introduced the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which, among other proposals, proposes making it easier to release immigrants who qualify as a "vulnerable person." The qualifications of being a "vulnerable person" include someone who is under 21 years of age, pregnant, identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or intersex, has a serious mental or physical illness or disability, has limited English language proficiency, or is a survivor of torture or gender-based violence.

"In the case of an alien subject to a custody determination under this subsection who is a vulnerable person or a primary caregiver, the alien may not be detained unless the Secretary of Homeland Security demonstrates, in addition to the requirements under paragraph (3), that it is unreasonable or not practicable to place the alien in a community-based supervision program," the lawmakers wrote in the text of the bill.

Original Location: New York Democrats in Congress aren't backing Adams blasting Biden for migrant surge

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Credit: iStock The US's attractions for solo travellers are similar to those of Ireland. Of course, you have the approachability of an English-speaking country, if that's a language you're familiar with. You also have an instantly recognisable country, given the frequency with which we see the US depicted on our TV and movie screens. And then there's the incredible friendliness of Americans, particularly towards Australians. Yes, this is a troubled country in some ways, and there are no shortage of bad news stories coming out of the States  however, on the ground, you are more than likely to be bowled over by the kindness of strangers. Thailand Credit: iStock

If your idea of a good time on your solo travels is meeting plenty of like-minded souls in social environments, then Thailand is the place for you. This is a backpacker-friendly country with plenty of hideaways, both coastal and rural, in which to kick back for a week or so and meet fellow travellers from around the world. Were talking the legendary likes of Koh Pha-Ngan, Koh Phi Phi, Krabi, Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, and even Kanchanaburi. Solo travellers will unfortunately have a few would-be scammers to fend off in touristy areas of Bangkok and Phuket, but mostly this country is safe and welcoming. Uruguay Credit: iStock Uruguay is the little country that could, particularly for solo travellers who want to experience South America in an environment that feels safe and predictable. Uruguay ticks all the boxes, with a high degree of stability, not to mention attractions both on the coast and out in the pampas, as well as a cracking food scene.

The capital, Montevideo, is a city on the up, an approachable, friendly place with a great nightlife scene, and plenty of affordable accommodation options for those on their own. Indonesia Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Obviously, we're talking about Bali here. There are other parts of Indonesia that will be perfect for those with experience and an adventurous spirit  try Sumatra, Lombok, or Flores Island  but for most, Bali will make the most sense as a jumping-off point for solo enjoyment. You can stick with the crowds in Bali around Seminyak and Ubud, or choose to strike out to the quieter likes of Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan. Either way, you'll have a ball.

Japan Credit: iStock There are very few downsides to solo travel in Japan. To begin with, this is one of the safest destinations on the planet, where you will very rarely need to concern yourself with personal safety, even as you move about on your own. Japan is also very easy to navigate, with a sprawling public transport network, and no one will ever bat an eyelid at you if you choose to dine out alone. You will also meet plenty of people in Japan  just go to an izakaya (a casual Japanese bar) and order a beer, and new friends will appear. The only thing to be aware of is that accommodation here can be expensive, and you will need to stick to hostels or budget "business hotels" to make this work.

Canada Credit: iStock If Canadians aren't the friendliest people on the planet, they're certainly close. This is a nation of overwhelmingly polite citizens, a country that is by and large safe and enjoyable for those travelling solo. Take the usual precautions, and you are very likely to have an incident-free and enjoyable stay here. And what a stay it will be, ranging from the free-wheeling joy of Montreal to the beauty of British Columbia, the Arctic encounters of Manitoba, and the maritime history of the east coast. Australians tend to love Canada, and with good reason. Iceland
London: Australian soldiers, sailors and aviators will join military representatives from more than 30 Commonwealth countries next month as part of ceremonial duties for the coronation of King Charles III and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort.

About 40 armed forces personnel from the navy, air force and army, represented by Australias Federation Guard, will travel to London to join more than 6000 armed forces members for the historic event on May 6, which is expected to be the largest military ceremonial operation in 70 years.

A Commonwealth contingent, including the Australian Defence Force, Canadian Armed Forces, and New Zealand Defence Force, will form part of King Charles IIIs coronation procession.

Charles and Camilla will be crowned at Londons Westminster Abbey in a ceremony resplendent with pomp, pageantry and traditions dating back 1000 years. Gun salutes will sound out across the four corners of the United Kingdom to mark the moment the King is crowned, before military personnel conduct a flypast of more than 60 aircraft.

Formed in 2000 for the centenary celebrations of Australian Federation, the guard is the first purely ceremonial unit in the history of the armed forces, and has since represented Australia in various roles at home and abroad, including providing the guard at Buckingham Palace in 2000.
Moscow: A Russian warplane accidentally dropped a bomb on one of its own cities, the Russian Defence Ministry has confirmed. The blast, which videos showed hit near an apartment block, wounded three people and spread panic in a major city along the border with Ukraine.

Reports first came in on Thursday night that an explosion had ripped through central Belgorod, a southern Russian city of 400,000 just across the border with Ukraine. Widely circulated video footage showed a burst of smoke and flames near an intersection that cars were passing through, sending one parked vehicle twirling through the air.

A damaged apartment building near the crater after an explosion in Belgorod, Russia, on Friday. Credit: Belgorod Governor/Telegram/AP

Suspicion initially fell on Ukraine. Since the beginning of the war last year, Russian authorities have blamed Kyiv for a string of covert attacks on railway bridges and other strategic targets in Belgorod. The attacks have put Belgorod on edge; some residents have said that they are worried the Ukrainians might even invade.

But the Russian Defence Ministry has now released a statement saying the explosion was caused by an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition by a Russian fighter jet flying over Belgorod around 10pm on Thursday. The jet was identified as an Su-34, considered one of the most advanced Russian aircraft.
Over a dozen apartment buildings in Belgorod, Russia, were evacuated on Saturday following an alert regarding an explosive device in the same area where a Russian warplane accidentally dropped a bomb over the city.

The governor of Belgorod province, Vyacheslav Gladkov, reported that combat engineers had been examining the site of Thursday's blast when they found an "explosive object" that was "in the immediate vicinity of residential buildings," which they decided to detonate. In response, 17 apartment buildings were evacuated, with Belgorod Mayor Valentin Demidov stating that evacuations ended later on in the day, according to the Associated Press.

UN MONITORS AT UKRAINIAN NUCLEAR PLANT FORCED TO 'SHELTER AT THE SITE'

This handout photo released by telegram channel of Belgorod region governor Vyacheslav Gladkov shows the side damaged apartments building near the crater after an explosion in Belgorod, Russia, Friday, April 21, 2023. A large explosion hit Belgorod late Thursday, and the Defense Ministry said one of its Su-34 warplanes accidentally discharged ammunition over the city about 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Belgorod regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said the blast injured at least two people, damaged homes and left a crater about 20 meters (65 feet) across. (Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov via AP) AP

"The bomb was removed from the residential area. Residents are being delivered back to their homes," Demidov wrote on Telegram.

The first explosion on Thursday night occurred when a Russian Su-34 plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces was performing a flight over Belgorod, which is roughly 25 miles north of the border with Ukraine. The plane dropped a munition over the city, with the explosion leaving a crater with a radius of about 20 yards and at least three people injured.

This handout photo released by Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov shows the site of the crater after an explosion in Belgorod, Russia, Friday, April 21, 2023. A large explosion hit Belgorod late Thursday, and the Defense Ministry said one of its Su-34 warplanes accidentally discharged ammunition over the city about 25 km (15 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Belgorod Regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said the blast injured at least two people, damaged homes and left a crater about 20 meters (65 feet) across. (Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov via AP) AP

"At around 22:15 Moscow time on April 20, when a Su-34 plane of the Russian Aerospace Forces was performing a flight above the city of Belgorod, an emergency release of an air ordnance occurred," the Russian Defense Ministry, per Russian state media, Tass said.

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The explosion took place as Russia continues the war in Ukraine, which started in February of last year. On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Western states to accelerate the delivery of weapons necessary to conduct a long-expected counteroffensive against Russia's invading forces.

"Some things have to be pushed [ahead] to have relevant armaments to strengthen our army come to our country sooner," Zelensky said Thursday during a joint press conference with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "Even, probably, sooner than it was scheduled."

This handout photo released by Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov shows the site of the crater after an explosion in Belgorod, Russia, Friday, April 21, 2023. A large explosion hit Belgorod late Thursday, and the Defense Ministry said one of its Su-34 warplanes accidentally discharged ammunition over the city about 25 kms. (15 miles) from the Ukrainian border. Belgorod Regional Gov. Vyacheslav Gladkov said the blast injured at least two people, damaged homes and left a crater about 20 meters (65 feet) across.(Telegram Channel of Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov via AP) AP

Original Location: Russian apartments evacuated for explosive threat days after city was bombed by its own troops

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A Japanese World War II ship from 1942 has been discovered off of Luzon island in the South China Sea.

The ship, Montevideo Maru, was found after a 12-day search in the ocean at a depth of over 4000 meter, which is equal to 13,120 feet, making the wreckage of Maru deeper than the Titanic. The ship was being used to take Allied prisoners from World War II before it was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines in 1942 and taking 1,080 lives, the largest maritime wartime loss for Australia, according to Associated Press.

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"The extraordinary effort behind this discovery speaks for the enduring truth of Australia's solemn national promise to always remember and honour those who served our country," said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. "This is the heart and the spirit of Lest We Forget."

This photo provided by the Australian War Memorial shows the Montevideo Maru. A team of explorers announced it found the sunken Japanese ship that was transporting Allied prisoners of war when it was torpedoed off the coast of the Philippines in 1942, resulting in Australia's largest maritime wartime loss with a total of 1,080 lives. (Australian War Memorial via AP) Australian War Memorial via AP

Silentworld Foundation, a not-for-profit based in Sydney, Australia involved in the search for this ship, announced that no artifacts or human remains will be removed by the wreckage out of respect for the families and relatives of the prisoners of war aboard the ship.

A total of 979 Australian POWs had been onboard the ship before it sank, making up a little more than half of the POWs. The POWs on board were from 14 different nations.

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The Montevideo Maru sank on July 1, 1942 when a submarine for the United States named Sturgeon had fired four torpedoes at the ship, which sank in under 10 minutes of being struck.

"Families waited years for news of their missing loved ones, before learning of the tragic outcome of the sinking," said Silentworld director John Mullen. "Some never fully came to accept that their loved ones were among the victims. Today, by finding the vessel, we hope to bring closure to the many families devastated by this terrible disaster."

Original Location: World War II ship sunk with over 1,000 Allied POWs found in South China Sea

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NWS Weather Alert NOTE: This information is provided by the National Weather Service. Forecast may differ from local information provided by our own 69News Meteorologists

...A line of showers with strong wind gusts up to 45 mph will impact portions of northeastern New Castle, Ocean, Camden, Mercer, Somerset, north central Atlantic, central Salem, southern Hunterdon, southeastern Morris, Gloucester, Burlington, central Monmouth, Middlesex, Montgomery, southeastern Lehigh, Bucks, eastern Chester, Philadelphia and Delaware Counties through 1145 PM EDT... At 1058 PM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a line of showers with strong winds along a line extending from Pipersville to Woodbury Heights. Movement was northeast at 50 mph. HAZARD...Wind gusts up to 45 mph. SOURCE...Radar indicated. IMPACT...Gusty winds could knock down tree limbs and blow around unsecured objects. Locations impacted include... Philadelphia, Toms River, Trenton, Camden, Wilmington, New Brunswick, Perth Amboy, West Chester, Somerville, Gloucester City, Somerset, Edison, Lakewood, Cherry Hill, Old Bridge, Bensalem, Jackson, Howell, East Brunswick and Evesham. This includes the following highways... New Jersey Turnpike between exits 1 and 12. Pennsylvania Turnpike between mile markers 317 and 359. Northeast Extension between mile markers 21 and 46. Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 0 and 40. Interstate 95 in Delaware between mile markers 11 and 23. Interstate 76 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 327 and 351. Interstate 76 in New Jersey between mile markers 0 and 3. Interstate 78 in New Jersey between mile markers 26 and 43. Interstate 195 in New Jersey between mile markers 0 and 31. Interstate 295 in New Jersey between mile markers 0 and 76. Interstate 287 in New Jersey between mile markers 0 and 27. Interstate 676 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 0 and 1. Interstate 676 in New Jersey between mile markers 0 and 4. Interstate 476 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 0 and 19. Garden State Parkway between mile markers 67 and 91, and between mile markers 116 and 133. Atlantic City Expressway between mile markers 31 and 44. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... If outdoors, consider seeking shelter inside a building. && MAX HAIL SIZE...0.00 IN; MAX WIND GUST...40 MPH
Reading, PA (19601)

Today

Some sun to start, then increasing clouds with a few scattered rain showers still possible, but not nearly as wet as the weekend. It will also be breezy and cool. .

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with some occasional showers moving through.
Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Some sun to start, then increasing clouds with a few scattered rain showers still possible, but not nearly as wet as the weekend. It will also be breezy and cool. .

Tonight

Mostly cloudy with some occasional showers moving through.
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. (AP)  A man with a shotgun was taken into custody Friday after a standoff in a parking lot at the Mall of America, authorities said.

The Bloomington Police Department said on social media that crisis negotiators were brought to the scene and the man was taken into custody in the area of American Boulevard and 24th Avenue in the Minneapolis suburb.

The standoff began shortly after 4 p.m. A 911 caller said the man had a large gun in the parking lot and entered a tent for the Royal Canadian International Circus, which is set up in the lot, the Star Tribune reported.

The Bloomington police said officers arrived to find a man in the parking lot with a shotgun, which he refused to drop when told to do so by police.

People in the tent and a nearby hotel were evacuated. Officers reached the man's family members, who said he was having a mental health crisis.

Crisis negotiators tried to get him to surrender, but at about 6:15 p.m. he went to his vehicle and wouldn't get out, police said. The Star Tribune reported that about a half hour later the man got out of his SUV and two shots rang out he fell to the ground and yelled.

Officers handcuffed the man, who was alive and moving. The man, who was not immediately identified, was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis, the Star Tribune reported.

Shoppers couldn't enter the parking lot during the standoff and nearby roads were closed, but reopened after the standoff ended.

Mall of America spokesperson Laura Utecht said one mall entrance was closed while police engaged with the man but the mall remained open.
In just over six weeks, Denver voters will elect the city's 46th mayor.

They'll choose between Mike Johnston and Kelly Brough, who led the field of 16 candidates in the first round of voting on April 4. Since none of the contenders topped 50% of the vote, those two are headed to a runoff election, with ballots due on June 6.

In the 10 mayoral elections since Denver entered its modern mayoral era  in 1983, when voters turned out the beloved machine politician who'd been running the city pretty much the same way as his predecessors had been for decades  voters have faced seven runoffs on the way to electing and reelecting just four mayors: Federico Pena, Wellington Webb, John Hickenlooper and the term-limited incumbent, Michael Hancock.

Johnston, a former two-term state senator from Northeast Denver, most recently served as president and CEO at Gary Community Ventures, a major local philanthropic organization. The former public school teacher and principal ran for governor in 2018, finishing third in the Democratic primary, and mounted a campaign for U.S. Senate in 2020 but withdrew after Hickenlooper  who served two terms as governor after his run as mayor  jumped in the primary.

Brough was president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce for a dozen years before her most recent gig as chief strategy officer at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Prior to running the business group, she held top positions at city hall, including as director of human resources and as Hickenlooper's chief of staff.

Voters should have plenty of time to sort out the differences between the two. Instead of the usual five weeks between the first round and the runoff in previous elections, this year's interim lasts nine weeks, after the city changed the election calendar to allow for more time to deliver runoff ballots to military and overseas voters.

Different from recent runoffs, neither Johnston nor Brough can be pegged as the outsider  both Johnston and Brough are consummate insiders, though they come from different sectors  and neither appears to have a clear advantage heading into the final round.

Brough outraised Johnston in the first round, but the independent expenditure outfit supporting him raised and spent more than the group supporting her. Neither candidate nor their supporters are expected to lack for resources this time around.

Johnston finished a few percentage points ahead of Brough in the general election, and according the only poll that's been released in the runoff so far  a survey conducted by a business-minded group of civiv leaders  that's where they stand just over three weeks before ballots go out for the final round, with just under one-third of the likely electorate undecided.

In the seven runoffs since Pena took over from three-term Mayor Bill McNichols Jr. in 1983, Denver's final rounds have stubbornly refused to fall into a routine.

If you're looking for the kind of rules of thumb that often show up in election after election, you won't find many in the most recent 40-year run of Denver runoffs.

Some runoffs have been whisker-close and some have been blow-outs. Sometimes the turnout has gone up in the runoff, and sometimes it's dropped.

The initial first-place finishers have lost runoffs as often as they've won, as have the candidates with the most money.

About as many runoffs have stayed on the high road  with both candidates striving to keep it civil and running largely positive campaigns  as the number that have turned into slug-fests.

Although a few discernible patterns have emerged over the decades, they appear to be more akin to built-in features than reliable characteristics.

For instance, it's always a crowded free-for-all when Denver is set to elect a new mayor to an open seat, but that's mostly because it's such a coveted office and the barriers to getting on the ballot are low. That's what happened this year, when a record 17 hopefuls qualified for the April 4 ballot, though one dropped out before votes were counted.

While the office of mayor has been hemmed in by Denver's city council in recent years, it's still the most powerful elected position in Colorado by a long shot  one reason it was a genuine question whether Hickenlooper really wanted to run for governor in 2010 when he almost certainly could have counted on another five years as hizzoner, if he'd chosen to stay put and seek a third term.

The contest between Johnston and Brough may echo some aspects of earlier bouts, but as Denver's candidates  and voters  have demonstrated, it'll be up to all involved to write the story of this year's runoff.

Seeking his fourth full term in 1983, McNichols  the city's former public works director, he was the son of a former Denver auditor and the brother of three-term Gov. Stephen McNichols  faced a restive electorate still peeved over the city's bungled response to the 1982 Christmas blizzard. He finished third in the first round, behind Pena, a young state lawmaker, and Dale Tooley, who stepped down as district attorney to make his third run for mayor.

Calling on Denver to "Imagine a Great City," Pena harnessed previously marginalized voters and the growing city's newcomers to eke out a 4,000-vote win over Tooley in a remarkably cordial runoff, buffeted by the 6,000 new voters his campaign urged to register in the three days between the first round and the registration deadline.

Pena brought a fresh vision to city hall but struggled to manage the municipal apparatus during his first term  "Feddy and the Dreamers," critics dubbed his team  and faced a tough challenge in his bid for a second term in 1987. Don Bain, a 17th Street lawyer and former head of the state GOP, hammered the incumbent and came out on top in the first round but trailed Pena by 2 percentage points  the same margin as his first win  in a hard-fought runoff.

After Pena declined to seek a third term in 1991  he was later appointed secretary of Transportation in President Bill Clinton's cabinet  a wide field of aspirants yielded a runoff between Norm Early, the district attorney who had been appointed years earlier to replace Tooley, and city auditor Wellington Webb, a former state lawmaker and member of the Carter administration. Webb wrote the book on come-from-behind campaigning on a shoe string and shoe leather, walking the city in his famous pair of sneakers on the way to a 14-point win in what was essentially a friendly runoff.

Four years later, beset with problems opening the new Denver International Airport and charges of cronyism, Webb faced a difficult reelection bid against City Council member Mary DeGroot, who won the first round by just 97 votes. Webb turned up the heat in the runoff, however, and won by a comfortable, 8-point margin.

The next mayoral runoff was for the open seat in 2003 after Webb's third term, and again a blizzard figured in the run-up to the election. While frontrunners Ari Zavaris, a former police chief, and Don Mares, the city's auditor, tore into each other, Hickenlooper introduced himself to voters who were stuck at home, buried under feet of snow, in a pair of humorous, quirky TV ads. By the time the snow melted, the geologist-turned-brewpub owner was on a trajectory and nearly avoided a runoff. He prevailed over Mares in the final round by nearly 2-to-1 margin.

Hancock, a member of city council, won his first term in 2011 by keeping it positive in the face of a barrage of attacks from runoff opponent Chris Romer, a former state senator and the son of former three-term Gov. Roy Romer, and his supporters, winning by 16 points.

In his bid for a third term in 2019, Hancock was met with spirited opposition from first-time candidate Jamie Giellis, an urban planner, in a runoff that turned nasty from the start. Both candidates hurled accusations  at one point they each compared their rival to Donald Trump  but Hancock eventually won by about 13 points.

Ernest Luning has covered politics for Colorado Politics and its predecessor publication, The Colorado Statesman, since 2009. He's analyzed the exploits, foibles and history of state campaigns and politicians since 2018 in the weekly Trail Mix column.
Shares of Erdene Resource Development Co. (TSE:ERD  Get Rating) crossed above its fifty day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$0.37 and traded as high as C$0.39. Erdene Resource Development shares last traded at C$0.38, with a volume of 148,690 shares traded.

Erdene Resource Development Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of C$132.56 million, a PE ratio of -19.25 and a beta of 1.26. The stocks 50 day simple moving average is C$0.37 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is C$0.32. The company has a quick ratio of 4.27, a current ratio of 10.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.16.

Erdene Resource Development Company Profile

(Get Rating)

Erdene Resource Development Corporation focuses on the acquisition, exploration, and development of precious and base mineral deposits in Mongolia. It explores for copper, molybdenum, gold, silver, lead, and zinc deposits. The company principally holds a 100% interest in the Bayan Khundii Gold Project comprising 2,309 hectares located in the Bayankhongor province in Mongolia; and the Altan Nar Gold-Polymetallic project located in located in the Bayankhongor Aimag.

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The state's largest marijuana trade association on Thursday endorsed Kelly Brough in Denver's mayoral runoff, her campaign announced.

The endorsement by the Wheat Ridge-based Marijuana Industry Group  which represents businesses holding more than 500 marijuana licenses in Colorado  marks the first time the state's pot industry has backed a candidate, Brough's campaign said.

Tiffany Goldman, the trade group's board chair and a co-owner of The Health Center, which operates two recreational marijuana stores in Denver and one in Boulder, cited Brough's background in business in a statement.

Kelly brings a refreshing openness to our issues, and as a successful businessperson, she truly understands the hardships and financial issues the cannabis industry is facing," Goldman said.

"She will champion the cannabis patients, customers, employees and small businesses as important voices that help make Denver great and prosperous, and we believe she has the leadership skills to get this city on the right track.

Brough, a former CEO of the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce, finished second in the April 4 municipal election. She faces former state Sen. Mike Johnston in the June 6 runoff.

Brough noted in a release that she worked closely with the marijuana industry at the chamber of commerce.

And as mayor, I will continue to support them, as I will for all businesses in Denver," she said. "With my executive experience, I know we can fast-track community planning, permitting and inspections, which will help all businesses."

Brough struck a personal note in her statement.

My girls lost their dad to suicide after a long struggle with addiction," she said. "As such, I have personal reservations about any and all substance use. That said, cannabis is legal in Colorado and my priority as mayor would be to faithfully uphold the laws and create a business-friendly atmosphere that will allow Denvers economy to grow and thrive.

Recreational marijuana sales in Denver and statewide have been down since their peak in 2020. In Denver, sales fell in February from $31.7 million for the same month a year earlier to $27.4 million this year, the Colorado Department of Revenue reported.

Amid tumbling sales  statewide, year-over-year sales were down more than 30% since 2021 in January, according to department reports  the industry has shed more 10,000 jobs in Colorado in the last year, leaving 27,856 workers employed by the state's legal cannabis businesses, High Times reported last week.
Golden Minerals (NYSEAMERICAN:AUMN  Get Rating) (TSE:AUM)s stock price passed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $0.26 and traded as high as $0.26. Golden Minerals shares last traded at $0.25, with a volume of 510,788 shares trading hands.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on AUMN. Fundamental Research set a $0.77 price objective on shares of Golden Minerals and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. HC Wainwright restated a buy rating and issued a $0.60 price objective on shares of Golden Minerals in a research report on Wednesday, March 15th. Finally, StockNews.com initiated coverage on Golden Minerals in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. They issued a hold rating on the stock.

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Golden Minerals Price Performance

The businesss 50-day moving average price is $0.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $0.26. The company has a market capitalization of $40.72 million, a P/E ratio of -4.00 and a beta of 0.86.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Golden Minerals

Golden Minerals ( NYSEAMERICAN:AUMN Get Rating ) (TSE:AUM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, March 22nd. The basic materials company reported ($0.02) EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $4.59 million for the quarter. Golden Minerals had a negative return on equity of 94.48% and a negative net margin of 42.54%.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Millennium Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Golden Minerals by 275.2% during the second quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 148,408 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $53,000 after acquiring an additional 108,858 shares during the period. Citadel Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Golden Minerals by 126.3% during the third quarter. Citadel Advisors LLC now owns 274,079 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 152,974 shares in the last quarter. Virtu Financial LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Golden Minerals by 264.2% during the first quarter. Virtu Financial LLC now owns 153,867 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $77,000 after buying an additional 111,616 shares in the last quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Golden Minerals by 49.5% during the third quarter. Renaissance Technologies LLC now owns 341,788 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $88,000 after buying an additional 113,100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, State Street Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Golden Minerals by 62.4% during the first quarter. State Street Corp now owns 255,615 shares of the basic materials companys stock worth $128,000 after buying an additional 98,236 shares in the last quarter. 9.73% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Golden Minerals

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Golden Minerals Co engages in the exploration of gold and silver resource properties. It focuses on a portfolio of precious metals projects which include Velardena Properties and the Rodeo gold project in Durango State, Mexico, the El Quevar silver project in Salta province of Argentina, the Yoquivo gold-silver district-scale project in Chihuahua, Mexico, the Sand Canyon gold-silver project in northwestern Nevada, and additional traditional silver-producing projects in Mexico.

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Agnico Eagle Mines (TSE:AEM  Get Rating) (NYSE:AEM) had its price objective upped by National Bank Financial from C$76.00 to C$95.00 in a report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports. National Bank Financial also issued estimates for Agnico Eagle Mines Q1 2023 earnings at $0.66 EPS, FY2023 earnings at $3.05 EPS and FY2024 earnings at $3.77 EPS.

Several other equities analysts also recently commented on the company. Veritas Investment Research set a C$82.10 target price on Agnico Eagle Mines and gave the company a buy rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 21st. National Bankshares increased their target price on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$76.00 to C$95.00 in a research report on Tuesday. Barclays started coverage on Agnico Eagle Mines in a research report on Friday, February 17th. They issued a buy rating and a C$62.00 target price for the company. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group dropped their target price on Agnico Eagle Mines from C$90.00 to C$84.00 in a research report on Thursday, March 2nd. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating, Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of Buy and an average target price of C$78.71.

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Agnico Eagle Mines Stock Performance

TSE:AEM opened at C$76.17 on Tuesday. The stocks 50-day simple moving average is C$68.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is C$67.83. The firm has a market capitalization of C$34.89 billion, a PE ratio of 37.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -1.52 and a beta of 0.80. The company has a quick ratio of 0.89, a current ratio of 2.30 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 9.19. Agnico Eagle Mines has a twelve month low of C$48.88 and a twelve month high of C$79.37.

Agnico Eagle Mines Cuts Dividend

Agnico Eagle Mines ( TSE:AEM Get Rating ) (NYSE:AEM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, February 16th. The company reported C$0.55 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.53 by C$0.02. The business had revenue of C$1.88 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of C$1.91 billion. Agnico Eagle Mines had a return on equity of 6.03% and a net margin of 11.67%. On average, analysts anticipate that Agnico Eagle Mines will post 2.1595896 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, March 15th. Stockholders of record on Wednesday, March 1st were given a dividend of $0.532 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, February 28th. This represents a $2.13 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.79%. Agnico Eagle Miness dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 104.39%.

Insider Transactions at Agnico Eagle Mines

In related news, Senior Officer Ammar Al-Joundi acquired 8,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of C$62.17 per share, for a total transaction of C$509,822.70. 0.11% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Agnico Eagle Mines Company Profile

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Agnico Eagle Mines Limited engages in the exploration, development, and production of mineral properties in Canada, Mexico, and Finland. It operates through Northern Business and Southern Business segments. The company primarily produces and sells gold deposits, as well as explores for silver, zinc, and copper deposits.

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Desjardins lowered shares of Copper Mountain Mining (OTCMKTS:CPPMF  Get Rating) to a buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports.

CPPMF has been the topic of a number of other reports. Scotiabank lowered shares of Copper Mountain Mining from an outperform rating to a sector perform rating in a research note on Tuesday. Stifel Nicolaus upped their target price on shares of Copper Mountain Mining from C$2.20 to C$2.60 in a research report on Friday, April 14th. National Bank Financial lowered their target price on shares of Copper Mountain Mining from C$2.73 to C$2.65 in a research report on Tuesday. BMO Capital Markets lowered shares of Copper Mountain Mining from an outperform rating to a market perform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, TD Securities lowered shares of Copper Mountain Mining to a buy rating in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have issued a buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, Copper Mountain Mining presently has an average rating of Hold and an average target price of $2.88.

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Copper Mountain Mining Price Performance

Copper Mountain Mining stock opened at $1.92 on Tuesday. Copper Mountain Mining has a 12-month low of $0.92 and a 12-month high of $2.75. The stock has a market cap of $410.57 million, a P/E ratio of 18.24 and a beta of 1.99. The company has a current ratio of 1.72, a quick ratio of 1.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $1.58 and a 200-day simple moving average of $1.45.

Copper Mountain Mining Company Profile

Copper Mountain Mining ( OTCMKTS:CPPMF Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, March 27th. The company reported ($0.07) EPS for the quarter. The business had revenue of $66.50 million during the quarter. Copper Mountain Mining had a net margin of 9.14% and a negative return on equity of 10.38%.

(Get Rating)

Copper Mountain Mining Corp. engages in the exploration, development and operation of mineral deposits. It holds interest in Copper Mountain Mine, Eva Copper, New Ingerbelle, and Cameron Copper Projects. The company was founded on April 20, 2006 and is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada.

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First Mexican Gold Corp (CVE:FMG  Get Rating) traded down 2.5% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as C$0.39 and last traded at C$0.40. 58,211 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 55% from the average session volume of 37,447 shares. The stock had previously closed at C$0.41.

First Mexican Gold Price Performance

The company has a 50 day moving average price of C$0.39 and a 200-day moving average price of C$0.40. The company has a quick ratio of 0.05, a current ratio of 0.05 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 20.62. The company has a market cap of C$17.52 million and a price-to-earnings ratio of -131.67.

First Mexican Gold Company Profile

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First Mexican Gold Corp. through its subsidiary, Cornelius exploration S. de R.L. de C.V., engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Mexico. It explores for gold and silver deposits. The company holds interests in the Hilda Properties comprising the Hilda 30 property; the Hilda 37/38 property with two mining exploration concessions; and the Hilda 31/32 property with three mining exploration concessions comprising a total area of 1,350 hectares in the Yecora District, State of Sonora, Mexico.

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Freehold Royalties (TSE:FRU  Get Rating) had its price objective cut by National Bankshares from C$20.00 to C$19.00 in a research report released on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports.

A number of other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Raymond James reduced their price target on Freehold Royalties from C$21.00 to C$20.00 in a research report on Tuesday, April 11th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price target on Freehold Royalties from C$18.00 to C$17.00 in a research report on Monday, March 27th. CIBC reduced their price target on Freehold Royalties from C$19.00 to C$18.00 in a research report on Friday, April 14th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group reduced their price target on Freehold Royalties from C$21.00 to C$20.75 in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of C$19.84.

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Freehold Royalties Price Performance

Shares of FRU opened at C$15.09 on Tuesday. Freehold Royalties has a 52-week low of C$11.66 and a 52-week high of C$17.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 16.48, a quick ratio of 1.50 and a current ratio of 1.56. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of C$15.06 and a 200 day simple moving average of C$15.75. The firm has a market capitalization of C$2.27 billion, a PE ratio of 10.86, a P/E/G ratio of -0.92 and a beta of 2.10.

Freehold Royalties Announces Dividend

Freehold Royalties Company Profile

The business also recently disclosed a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, May 15th will be paid a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $1.08 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 7.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. Freehold Royaltiess dividend payout ratio is currently 77.70%.

(Get Rating)

Freehold Royalties Ltd., an oil and gas royalty company, owns working interests in oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids, and potash properties in Western Canada and the United States. The company holds approximately 6.2 million gross acres of land in Canada and 0.8 million gross drilling unit acres in the United States.

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Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO  Get Rating) insider Joshua Harris sold 286,157 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.09, for a total transaction of $18,625,959.13. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 36,754,201 shares of the companys stock, valued at $2,392,330,943.09. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link.

Joshua Harris also recently made the following trade(s):

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On Wednesday, April 19th, Joshua Harris sold 193,537 shares of Apollo Global Management stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $65.65, for a total transaction of $12,705,704.05.

Apollo Global Management Stock Down 1.2 %

Shares of APO stock opened at $63.54 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.97, a current ratio of 0.86 and a quick ratio of 0.86. Apollo Global Management, Inc. has a one year low of $45.62 and a one year high of $74.63. The companys fifty day moving average price is $64.97 and its 200-day moving average price is $63.39. The company has a market capitalization of $36.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -11.39, a PEG ratio of 0.71 and a beta of 1.68.

Apollo Global Management Dividend Announcement

Apollo Global Management ( NYSE:APO Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 9th. The financial services provider reported $1.29 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts consensus estimates of $1.43 by ($0.14). Apollo Global Management had a negative net margin of 29.29% and a positive return on equity of 116.88%. The business had revenue of $728.60 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $704.24 million. Sell-side analysts expect that Apollo Global Management, Inc. will post 6.17 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, February 28th. Investors of record on Tuesday, February 21st were issued a $0.40 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, February 17th. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.52%. Apollo Global Managements dividend payout ratio is presently -28.67%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on the company. StockNews.com began coverage on Apollo Global Management in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They issued a sell rating on the stock. Barclays cut their target price on Apollo Global Management from $80.00 to $74.00 and set an overweight rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 22nd. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised Apollo Global Management from a market perform rating to an outperform rating and lifted their price target for the stock from $84.00 to $88.00 in a research report on Friday, February 10th. Oppenheimer increased their price objective on shares of Apollo Global Management from $73.00 to $79.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a research report on Thursday, April 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their target price on shares of Apollo Global Management from $69.00 to $68.00 and set an equal weight rating for the company in a report on Monday, February 13th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating and six have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and a consensus price target of $73.06.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its holdings in shares of Apollo Global Management by 7,183.3% in the first quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 437 shares of the financial services providers stock worth $27,000 after buying an additional 431 shares in the last quarter. MADDEN SECURITIES Corp purchased a new stake in Apollo Global Management in the 4th quarter worth $30,000. Zions Bancorporation N.A. bought a new position in shares of Apollo Global Management during the 1st quarter valued at about $30,000. Pinnacle Holdings LLC purchased a new position in shares of Apollo Global Management in the third quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Ronald Blue Trust Inc. raised its position in shares of Apollo Global Management by 274.8% during the 1st quarter. Ronald Blue Trust Inc. now owns 491 shares of the financial services providers stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 360 shares in the last quarter. 68.98% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Apollo Global Management Company Profile

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Apollo Global Management, Inc provides asset management services. It offers its clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade to private equity with a focus on three business strategies: yield, hybrid, and equity. The company was founded by Marc Rowan in 1990 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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Invesco Mortgage Capital Inc. (NYSE:IVR  Get Rating) saw a significant decline in short interest during the month of March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 3,380,000 shares, a decline of 8.4% from the March 15th total of 3,690,000 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 961,200 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is currently 3.5 days. Approximately 8.8% of the companys shares are short sold.

Invesco Mortgage Capital Price Performance

Invesco Mortgage Capital stock traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $10.59. 415,135 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 954,788. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $11.56 and a 200-day simple moving average of $12.38. The firm has a market cap of $409.94 million, a PE ratio of -0.84 and a beta of 1.64. Invesco Mortgage Capital has a 12 month low of $9.60 and a 12 month high of $18.80.

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Invesco Mortgage Capital Cuts Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 27th. Shareholders of record on Monday, April 10th will be issued a $0.40 dividend. This represents a $1.60 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 15.11%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, April 6th. Invesco Mortgage Capitals dividend payout ratio is presently -12.64%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Invesco Mortgage Capital

IVR has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Barclays dropped their price objective on Invesco Mortgage Capital from $12.00 to $11.00 and set an underweight rating for the company in a report on Thursday, April 13th. StockNews.com started coverage on Invesco Mortgage Capital in a research note on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating on the stock.

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of IVR. Russell Investments Group Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Captrust Financial Advisors acquired a new stake in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital in the 2nd quarter valued at $25,000. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital by 1,879.1% in the 3rd quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 3,978 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 3,777 shares in the last quarter. Point72 Middle East FZE acquired a new stake in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital during the 4th quarter valued at $55,000. Finally, Tower Research Capital LLC TRC boosted its holdings in shares of Invesco Mortgage Capital by 196.3% during the 3rd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 5,242 shares of the real estate investment trusts stock valued at $58,000 after acquiring an additional 3,473 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 53.54% of the companys stock.

About Invesco Mortgage Capital

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Invesco Mortgage Capital, Inc is a real estate investment trust. It engages in the business of investing, financing, and managing mortgage-backed securities and other mortgage-related assets. The company was founded on June 5, 2008 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

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Metro AG (ETR:B4B3  Get Rating)s stock price traded down 0.7% on Friday . The company traded as low as 7.30 ($7.93) and last traded at 7.40 ($8.04). 193 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 93% from the average session volume of 2,620 shares. The stock had previously closed at 7.45 ($8.10).

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank Of America (Bofa) set a 8.10 ($8.80) price target on Metro in a research report on Friday, January 6th. Baader Bank set a 8.75 ($9.51) price target on Metro in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Jefferies Financial Group set a 5.00 ($5.43) price target on Metro in a research report on Thursday, February 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. set a 9.00 ($9.78) price target on Metro in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th.

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Metro Stock Performance

The firm has a fifty day moving average of 7.78 and a 200-day moving average of 7.86. The firm has a market cap of $22.05 million, a P/E ratio of -370.00 and a beta of 0.66. The company has a quick ratio of 0.23, a current ratio of 0.85 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 166.72.

About Metro

Metro AG engages in the food wholesale business. It operates 748 wholesale stores and supply depots under the METRO, MAKRO, Aviludo, Classic Fine Foods, Davigel Spain, Pro a Pro, and Rungis Express brand names serving hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, catering companies, small grocery stores, kiosks, independent retailers, service providers, and authorities in Europe, Russia, and Asia, as well as online marketplace METRO MARKETS.

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Lundin Mining (TSE:LUN  Get Rating) had its price target boosted by National Bankshares from C$8.75 to C$10.50 in a research note released on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports. National Bankshares currently has a sector perform rating on the mining companys stock.

LUN has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft lowered their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$8.50 to C$8.00 in a research report on Tuesday, January 17th. CIBC lifted their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$8.00 to C$9.50 in a research report on Wednesday, February 8th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$9.50 to C$10.00 in a research report on Wednesday, April 5th. Scotiabank lowered their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$9.00 to C$8.50 in a research report on Friday, February 24th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lifted their price objective on Lundin Mining from C$16.00 to C$17.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 1st. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of Hold and an average price target of C$13.67.

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Lundin Mining Stock Performance

Lundin Mining stock opened at C$10.24 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 3.64, a quick ratio of 0.90 and a current ratio of 1.28. The stock has a fifty day moving average of C$8.86 and a two-hundred day moving average of C$8.49. The company has a market capitalization of C$7.90 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.65, a PEG ratio of -0.26 and a beta of 1.70. Lundin Mining has a fifty-two week low of C$6.24 and a fifty-two week high of C$12.92.

Lundin Mining Dividend Announcement

Lundin Mining ( TSE:LUN Get Rating ) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The mining company reported C$0.34 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of C$0.12 by C$0.22. The company had revenue of C$1.10 billion during the quarter. Lundin Mining had a return on equity of 8.90% and a net margin of 14.03%. On average, analysts anticipate that Lundin Mining will post 0.6318408 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 12th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 24th were paid a dividend of $0.09 per share. This represents a $0.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.52%. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 23rd. Lundin Minings dividend payout ratio is presently 48.00%.

About Lundin Mining

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Lundin Mining Corporation, a diversified base metals mining company, engages in the exploration, development, and mining of mineral properties in Brazil, Chile, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States. It primarily produces copper, zinc, nickel, and gold, as well as lead, silver, and other metals. The company holds 100% interests in the Chapada mine located in Brazil; the Neves-Corvo mine located in Portugal; the Eagle mine located in the United States; and the Zinkgruvan mine located in Sweden.

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NOV (NYSE:NOV  Get Rating) had its price target trimmed by Morgan Stanley from $24.00 to $22.00 in a report published on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

Several other research firms have also commented on NOV. Susquehanna dropped their target price on NOV from $29.00 to $26.00 in a report on Monday, April 3rd. Cowen increased their target price on NOV from $26.00 to $27.00 and gave the company an outperform rating in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Benchmark began coverage on NOV in a report on Thursday, January 19th. They set a buy rating and a $28.00 price objective on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reaffirmed a sector perform rating and set a $27.00 price objective on shares of NOV in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed a neutral rating and set a $22.00 price objective on shares of NOV in a report on Wednesday, February 8th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, six have assigned a hold rating and nine have issued a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $24.40.

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NOV Stock Down 1.0 %

NOV stock opened at $18.28 on Tuesday. NOV has a twelve month low of $13.98 and a twelve month high of $24.83. The stocks fifty day simple moving average is $19.87 and its 200-day simple moving average is $21.04. The company has a current ratio of 2.25, a quick ratio of 1.51 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The firm has a market capitalization of $7.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 46.87 and a beta of 1.89.

NOV Announces Dividend

NOV ( NYSE:NOV Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, February 6th. The oil and gas exploration company reported $0.26 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $0.23 by $0.03. NOV had a return on equity of 3.09% and a net margin of 2.14%. The business had revenue of $2.07 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.96 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned ($0.06) earnings per share. The companys revenue was up 36.7% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts expect that NOV will post 1.17 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 31st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 17th were given a dividend of $0.05 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 16th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.09%. NOVs payout ratio is 51.28%.

Insider Transactions at NOV

In other news, CAO Christy Lynn Novak sold 9,607 shares of the firms stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.86, for a total transaction of $210,009.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 84,600 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,849,356. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In other NOV news, CAO Christy Lynn Novak sold 9,607 shares of NOV stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.86, for a total value of $210,009.02. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer now directly owns 84,600 shares of the companys stock, valued at approximately $1,849,356. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Eric L. Mattson sold 20,681 shares of NOV stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.90, for a total transaction of $452,913.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director now directly owns 46,600 shares of the companys stock, valued at $1,020,540. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Corporate insiders own 1.59% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of NOV

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans lifted its holdings in shares of NOV by 155.8% during the 3rd quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans now owns 7,660,956 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $123,955,000 after acquiring an additional 4,665,986 shares in the last quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of NOV by 48.2% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 11,822,009 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $246,962,000 after acquiring an additional 3,843,096 shares in the last quarter. Invesco Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of NOV by 88.0% during the 1st quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 5,810,818 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock valued at $113,950,000 after acquiring an additional 2,720,566 shares in the last quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC lifted its holdings in NOV by 374.3% in the 3rd quarter. Balyasny Asset Management LLC now owns 2,854,978 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $46,194,000 after buying an additional 2,253,101 shares in the last quarter. Finally, BlackRock Inc. lifted its holdings in NOV by 6.5% in the 1st quarter. BlackRock Inc. now owns 36,323,702 shares of the oil and gas exploration companys stock worth $712,308,000 after buying an additional 2,227,845 shares in the last quarter. 94.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About NOV

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NOV, Inc provides equipment and technology to the upstream oil and gas industry. It operates through the following segments: Rig Technologies, Wellbore Technologies, and Completion and Production Solutions. The Rig Technologies segment focuses on the engineering, manufacturing, and support of advanced drilling equipment packages and related capital equipment for oil and gas wells.

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Barclays upgraded shares of Orange (NYSE:ORAN  Get Rating) from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report released on Tuesday, The Fly reports.

A number of other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the stock. Morgan Stanley raised shares of Orange from an equal weight rating to an overweight rating in a research report on Monday, March 27th. StockNews.com downgraded shares of Orange from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report on Friday, March 24th.

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Orange Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of ORAN stock opened at $12.66 on Tuesday. Orange has a 52-week low of $8.81 and a 52-week high of $12.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.92, a quick ratio of 0.88 and a current ratio of 0.92. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $11.74 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.55. The company has a market capitalization of $33.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.45 and a beta of 0.22.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Orange Company Profile

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of ORAN. Community Bank N.A. lifted its stake in shares of Orange by 300.0% during the 3rd quarter. Community Bank N.A. now owns 4,000 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $36,000 after buying an additional 3,000 shares in the last quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co raised its position in shares of Orange by 162.2% during the 3rd quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 4,720 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $42,000 after buying an additional 2,920 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Orange during the 3rd quarter valued at $46,000. Dividend Assets Capital LLC raised its position in shares of Orange by 100.0% during the 4th quarter. Dividend Assets Capital LLC now owns 4,660 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $46,000 after buying an additional 2,330 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Money Concepts Capital Corp raised its position in shares of Orange by 2,553.0% during the 4th quarter. Money Concepts Capital Corp now owns 5,306 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $52,000 after buying an additional 5,106 shares in the last quarter. 1.09% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Orange SA engages as a telecommunication services company, which operates mobile and internet services. It provides telecommunication services to multinational companies, under the brand Orange Business Services. The company was founded in January 1, 1991 and is headquartered in Paris, France.

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StockNews.com upgraded shares of Saga Communications (NYSE:SGA  Get Rating) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report published on Tuesday morning.

Saga Communications Trading Down 1.4 %

Shares of NYSE SGA opened at $22.90 on Tuesday. Saga Communications has a 12 month low of $21.70 and a 12 month high of $29.75.

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About Saga Communications

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Saga Communications, Inc operates as a broadcasting company, which engages in the acquisition, development, and operation of broadcast properties. The company was founded by Edward K. Christian in 1986 and is headquartered in Grosse Pointe Farms, MI.

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Invesco Ltd. (NYSE:IVZ  Get Rating) was the recipient of a significant decline in short interest in March. As of March 31st, there was short interest totalling 12,340,000 shares, a decline of 13.2% from the March 15th total of 14,210,000 shares. Based on an average daily volume of 5,180,000 shares, the short-interest ratio is presently 2.4 days. Approximately 2.8% of the companys stock are sold short.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on the stock. StockNews.com assumed coverage on shares of Invesco in a research report on Thursday, March 16th. They set a hold rating for the company. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of Invesco from $18.00 to $18.50 and gave the stock a neutral rating in a research report on Friday, April 14th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their target price on shares of Invesco from $15.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a market perform rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 25th. Morgan Stanley boosted their target price on shares of Invesco from $14.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock an equal weight rating in a research report on Thursday, January 19th. Finally, Credit Suisse Group raised shares of Invesco from an underperform rating to a neutral rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $14.50 to $15.00 in a research report on Wednesday, March 29th. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and one has given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of Hold and an average target price of $18.50.

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Insider Buying and Selling at Invesco

In other Invesco news, major shareholder Trian Fund Management, L.P. sold 2,367,477 shares of Invesco stock in a transaction on Friday, January 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.42, for a total value of $43,608,926.34. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 46,205,566 shares of the companys stock, valued at $851,106,525.72. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 4,164,939 shares of company stock valued at $76,615,951. Corporate insiders own 2.00% of the companys stock.

Institutional Trading of Invesco

Invesco Stock Performance

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Invesco by 19.0% during the 1st quarter. Retirement Planning Co of New England Inc. now owns 18,050 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $296,000 after buying an additional 2,876 shares in the last quarter. Forsta AP Fonden lifted its stake in shares of Invesco by 11.7% during the 1st quarter. Forsta AP Fonden now owns 268,000 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $4,395,000 after buying an additional 28,100 shares in the last quarter. Empire Financial Management Company LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $467,000. DnB Asset Management AS boosted its stake in shares of Invesco by 47.7% in the 1st quarter. DnB Asset Management AS now owns 98,654 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $1,618,000 after purchasing an additional 31,848 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Proficio Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Invesco in the 1st quarter valued at $30,000. 69.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

IVZ traded down $0.13 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $17.07. The company had a trading volume of 3,060,483 shares, compared to its average volume of 5,051,842. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68, a quick ratio of 4.44 and a current ratio of 4.44. The stock has a market cap of $7.76 billion, a PE ratio of 11.54, a P/E/G ratio of 1.76 and a beta of 1.34. Invesco has a 12-month low of $13.20 and a 12-month high of $21.24. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $16.86 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $17.42.

Invesco (NYSE:IVZ  Get Rating) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, January 24th. The asset manager reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts consensus estimates of $0.36 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $1.11 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts expectations of $1.09 billion. Invesco had a net margin of 15.22% and a return on equity of 8.58%. The companys quarterly revenue was down .2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.86 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts expect that Invesco will post 1.63 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Invesco Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 2nd. Investors of record on Thursday, February 16th were paid a dividend of $0.188 per share. This represents a $0.75 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.41%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, February 15th. Invescos payout ratio is currently 50.34%.

About Invesco

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Invesco Ltd. engages in the investment management business. Its product includes mutual funds, unit trusts, exchange-traded funds, closed-end funds, and retirement plans. The company was founded in December 1935 and is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.

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Nokia Oyj (NYSE:NOK  Get Rating) was downgraded by equities research analysts at StockNews.com from a strong-buy rating to a buy rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday.

NOK has been the subject of a number of other reports. Raymond James upped their target price on shares of Nokia Oyj from $6.50 to $7.00 and gave the stock an outperform rating in a research note on Friday, January 27th. DNB Markets lowered shares of Nokia Oyj from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 17th. UBS Group lowered shares of Nokia Oyj from a buy rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 31st. Finally, TheStreet raised shares of Nokia Oyj from a c+ rating to a b- rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 8th. Six research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and eight have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of Moderate Buy and an average target price of $5.88.

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Nokia Oyj Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of NOK stock traded up $0.02 on Friday, hitting $4.22. The stock had a trading volume of 29,368,198 shares, compared to its average volume of 18,267,248. Nokia Oyj has a twelve month low of $4.08 and a twelve month high of $5.34. The firm has a market cap of $23.77 billion, a P/E ratio of 5.41, a PEG ratio of 5.68 and a beta of 0.97. The company has a current ratio of 1.59, a quick ratio of 1.33 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.20. The company has a fifty day moving average price of $4.71 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $4.68.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Nokia Oyj

Nokia Oyj ( NYSE:NOK Get Rating ) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 20th. The technology company reported $0.06 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.09 by ($0.03). The firm had revenue of $5.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $5.74 billion. Nokia Oyj had a net margin of 16.73% and a return on equity of 12.31%. Nokia Oyjs quarterly revenue was up 9.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.08 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Nokia Oyj will post 0.46 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. RFP Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nokia Oyj in the 4th quarter valued at about $25,000. O Dell Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Nokia Oyj in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Bessemer Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Nokia Oyj by 62.1% in the 3rd quarter. Bessemer Group Inc. now owns 6,904 shares of the technology companys stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 2,644 shares during the period. Advisors Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Nokia Oyj in the 4th quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, Romano Brothers AND Company acquired a new position in Nokia Oyj in the 4th quarter valued at about $39,000. 7.57% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Nokia Oyj Company Profile

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Nokia Oyj engages in the provision of network infrastructure, technology, and software services. It operates through the following segments: Mobile Networks, Network Infrastructure, Cloud and Network Services, and Nokia Technologies. The Mobile Networks segment offers technologies for Radio Access Networks (RAN) as well as Microwave Radio Links (MWR) for transport networks.

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Sweet Earth Holdings Co. (OTCMKTS:SEHCF  Get Rating) shares are going to reverse split on Monday, April 24th. The 1-8 reverse split was announced on Monday, April 24th. The number of shares owned by shareholders will be adjusted after the closing bell on Monday, April 24th.

Sweet Earth Price Performance

Shares of OTCMKTS SEHCF opened at $0.02 on Friday. Sweet Earth has a one year low of $0.01 and a one year high of $0.14. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $0.02 and a 200 day moving average of $0.03.

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Sweet Earth Company Profile

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Further Reading

Sweet Earth Holdings Corporation cultivates, processes, and sells hemp cannabidiol (CBD) products in the United States and Spain. The company offers CBD and hemp infused facial products, including CBD hydration creams, oat and honey cleansers, and soothing CBD lip balms; and botanicals and essential oils, such as balancing CBD jasmine oils, soothing CBD bath salt soaks, invigorating CBD neem and turmeric scrubs, and aloe-infused CBD hand sanitizers for body and skin care.

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State Street (NYSE:STT  Get Rating) had its target price trimmed by Wells Fargo & Company from $97.00 to $90.00 in a research report released on Tuesday morning, The Fly reports.

A number of other equities research analysts have also issued reports on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada reduced their target price on shares of State Street from $85.00 to $80.00 in a report on Friday, March 24th. Bank of America decreased their price objective on shares of State Street from $84.00 to $80.00 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on State Street in a report on Wednesday, January 4th. They issued a neutral rating on the stock. Credit Suisse Group raised their price target on State Street from $76.00 to $84.00 and gave the company a neutral rating in a research note on Monday, January 23rd. Finally, UBS Group lowered their price objective on State Street from $100.00 to $95.00 and set a buy rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 4th. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the companys stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, State Street presently has a consensus rating of Hold and a consensus target price of $83.21.

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State Street Price Performance

State Street stock opened at $73.63 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $24.77 billion, a PE ratio of 10.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.22 and a beta of 1.56. State Street has a 52-week low of $58.62 and a 52-week high of $94.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 0.52 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.72. The companys 50 day moving average is $81.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.73.

State Street Announces Dividend

State Street ( NYSE:STT Get Rating ) last released its earnings results on Friday, January 20th. The asset manager reported $2.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts consensus estimates of $2.00 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $3.16 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.06 billion. State Street had a net margin of 18.73% and a return on equity of 11.96%. On average, research analysts expect that State Street will post 7.84 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, April 13th. Stockholders of record on Monday, April 3rd were issued a $0.63 dividend. This represents a $2.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.42%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 31st. State Streets payout ratio is currently 35.29%.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP David C. Phelan sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.63, for a total transaction of $1,299,450.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president now owns 72,491 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,279,895.33. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, CAO Ian Appleyard sold 6,725 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.42, for a total value of $594,624.50. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer now owns 14,493 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,281,471.06. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP David C. Phelan sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $86.63, for a total value of $1,299,450.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president now directly owns 72,491 shares of the companys stock, valued at $6,279,895.33. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 32,893 shares of company stock valued at $2,923,987 in the last ninety days. 0.25% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On State Street

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in shares of State Street by 3.2% in the 3rd quarter. Nomura Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 88,280 shares of the asset managers stock worth $5,368,000 after acquiring an additional 2,719 shares during the period. Ballentine Partners LLC boosted its holdings in State Street by 124.6% in the 4th quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 9,351 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $725,000 after purchasing an additional 5,188 shares in the last quarter. Pathstone Family Office LLC boosted its holdings in State Street by 36.1% in the 3rd quarter. Pathstone Family Office LLC now owns 15,008 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $924,000 after purchasing an additional 3,978 shares in the last quarter. Crumly & Associates Inc. boosted its holdings in State Street by 14.9% in the 3rd quarter. Crumly & Associates Inc. now owns 4,499 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $274,000 after purchasing an additional 583 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Everence Capital Management Inc. boosted its holdings in State Street by 57.6% in the 4th quarter. Everence Capital Management Inc. now owns 10,420 shares of the asset managers stock valued at $808,000 after purchasing an additional 3,810 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 88.41% of the companys stock.

State Street Company Profile

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State Street Corp. engages in the provision of financial services to institutional investors. It operates through the Commercial and Financial, and Commercial Real Estate segments. The company was founded in 1792 and is headquartered in Boston, MA.

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Whitecap Resources (TSE:WCP  Get Rating) had its price target lifted by National Bankshares from C$15.50 to C$16.50 in a research note issued to investors on Tuesday, BayStreet.CA reports.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on WCP. Barclays set a C$14.00 price target on shares of Whitecap Resources and gave the company an overweight rating in a research report on Wednesday, January 18th. ATB Capital cut their price target on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$16.00 to C$15.00 in a research report on Monday, April 17th. Canaccord Genuity Group lowered their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$15.00 to C$14.50 in a research note on Wednesday, March 29th. TD Securities upped their price objective on shares of 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. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus upped their price objective on shares of Whitecap Resources from C$13.50 to C$14.00 in a research note on Friday, February 24th. Six analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of Buy and an average target price of C$14.91.

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Whitecap Resources Stock Up 0.6 %

Shares of TSE:WCP opened at C$10.72 on Tuesday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of C$10.51 and a 200 day moving average of C$10.49. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 37.10, a quick ratio of 0.67 and a current ratio of 1.29. Whitecap Resources has a 52-week low of C$7.70 and a 52-week high of C$12.71. The firm has a market capitalization of C$6.53 billion, a PE ratio of 3.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of -0.33 and a beta of 2.91.

Whitecap Resources Cuts Dividend

Whitecap Resources ( TSE:WCP Get Rating ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 22nd. The company reported C$0.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of C$0.42 by C$0.10. Whitecap Resources had a net margin of 42.77% and a return on equity of 38.14%. The business had revenue of C$1.12 billion during the quarter. As a group, research analysts anticipate that Whitecap Resources will post 1.3843236 EPS for the current fiscal year.

The company also recently declared a monthly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, May 15th. Stockholders of record on Sunday, April 30th will be issued a dividend of $0.048 per share. This represents a $0.58 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 5.37%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, April 27th. Whitecap Resourcess payout ratio is 21.40%.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Grant Bradley Fagerheim purchased 10,000 shares of the businesss stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 13th. The shares were purchased at an average price of C$10.14 per share, for a total transaction of C$101,400.00. Insiders have bought a total of 17,660 shares of company stock worth $178,651 over the last 90 days. 0.74% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About Whitecap Resources

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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.

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Yamaguchi Financial Group, Inc. (OTCMKTS:YFGSF  Get Rating) shares hit a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $5.62 and last traded at $5.62, with a volume of 0 shares. The stock had previously closed at $5.62.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Separately, Daiwa Capital Markets downgraded Yamaguchi Financial Group from an outperform rating to a neutral rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 5th.

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Yamaguchi Financial Group Stock Performance

The business has a fifty day moving average price of $5.62 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $5.62.

Yamaguchi Financial Group Company Profile

Yamaguchi Financial Group, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services in Japan. It provides securities brokerage, credit card, leasing, consulting, and other services. The company was incorporated in 2006 and is headquartered in Shimonoseki, Japan.

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Yesterday, Spains Socialist Party (PSOE)-Podemos government announced its first dispatch of Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine. Six Leopard 2A4 tanks have arrived at northern Spains Santander Port this week on their journey to NATOs Ukraine front line. The tanks, along with other armoured vehicles from Madrid, are expected to be deployed by the end of April. Another four tanks are being repaired in Seville and will be sent at a later date.

A Leopard 2 tank is pictured during a demonstration event held for the media by the German Bundeswehr in Munster near Hannover, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011. [AP Photo/Michael Sohn]

The tanks will be manned by 40 crew members and 15 mechanics who have undergone training at a military base in Zaragoza.

Spains contribution is part of a nine-country plan to transfer over 150 Leopard tanks to Ukraine as part of a comprehensive escalation of the war by the NATO powers. Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands committed to refurbishing at least 100 Leopard 1s.

With the tank deliveries, the imperialist powers are pursuing the goal of strengthening its proxy Ukrainian army against Russian troops on the front in eastern Ukraine and possibly even going on a widely media-hyped counteroffensive.

The recent leaked Pentagon documents, however, have revealed that any military push by Kiev could be disastrous. In addition to having a severely weakened air force, the Ukrainian military is short on ammunition and artillery that the US and its European allies cannot admittedly provide.

Whether NATO goes ahead with the offensive, Washington and the European NATO powers are preparing an even deeper involvement in the conflict. They are determined to subjugate Russia, plunder its abundant resources and thereby tighten the military-strategic encirclement of China. NATO is currently planning a massive deployment of forces to the NATO member states bordering Russia, following the accession of Finland into the alliance.

The deployment of tanks also intensifies the risk of direct Spanish and NATO involvement in fighting against Russia, and a massive military escalation. Since Kievs ability to repair the tanks is limited, NATO will have to increase its presence on the ground, developing supply lines and repair operations, which will likely become targets of Russian attacks on the weapons systems flowing into Ukraine.

Despite the PSOE-Podemos governments lack of transparency about its war contribution, according to the Ukraine Support Tracker, which lists and quantifies military, financial and humanitarian aid promised by governments to Ukraine, the PSOE-Podemos government has so far sent 320 million in military aid.

This includes rifles, machine gun cartridges, grenade launchers, Hawk missile launchers, Aspide anti-aircraft missile systems, winter clothes and equipment, fuel, bulletproof helmets, armoured personnel carriers, howitzers and light vehicles. Many of these have been sent to the neo-Nazi Azov battalion. Madrid has also trained over 850 Ukrainian soldiers on Spanish soil.

The PSOE-Podemos government has also contributed over 350 million in financial support to the Ukrainian state to continue serving as a proxy for imperialist war with Russia.

It is clear that the NATO powers can only achieve their goal if they continue to increase their war effort. In this explosive context, US President Joe Biden is set to meet Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez at the White House on May 12.

Last week, White House Spokesman Karine Jean-Pierre announced that they will discuss our unwavering support for Ukraine and our efforts to impose costs on the Kremlin as Russia continues its brutal war of aggression.

Madrid plans to sign an agreement to host two extra US destroyers at Spains Rota Naval Base. The two warships will join the other four that the US has stationed at the base to complete NATOs anti-missile shield in southern Europe.

Last January, the PSOE-Podemos government authorised reinforced defence cooperation with Washington. This is transforming the Iberian Peninsula into a giant base for US operations in the Mediterranean, Africa and the Middle East.

Biden is set to meet with Sanchez as Madrid assumes the rotating six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union in July. The meeting will take place amid escalating inter-imperialist tensions that are leading to fierce clashes between the imperialist powers themselvesbetween the US and Europe, and between rival European powers, particularly France, Germany and Britain.

It will be held just weeks after French President Emmanuel Macrons trip to China revealed tensions with Washington over the offensive against China. On his return flight, the French President sharply distanced himself from the USs China policy. Europe is in the process of creating elements of genuine strategic autonomy and should not fall into a kind of panic reflex and follow American policy, he said. Europe should not become a vassal to the US, and should instead be a third pole.

In February, Sanchez announced before a large audience of government representatives from the 27 European states and 50 companies that the future Spanish presidency of the EU will seek greater strategic autonomy amid a changing international order.

Sanchez said, We must respond to this challenge and we must do so forcefully and with confidence. Knowing that, although we have serious vulnerabilities, we Europeans also occupy a geopolitical position of great strength. Key to this will be the meeting of the European Council in October in the Spanish city of Granada to discuss the future of Open Strategic Autonomy and other EU strategic priorities.

While flirting with the idea of strategic autonomy, Sanchez does not want to break ties with Washington. Sanchez distanced himself from Macron, warning about the danger of overreacting and recalled that international fragmentation would not benefit anyone.

Above all, this reckless war policy shared by all factions of the Spanish ruling class once again exposes the pro-imperialist, anti-worker character of Podemos and its sister pseudo-left parties internationally. These include those like the German Left Parties, Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France, and the Democratic Socialists of America. All of these pseudo-left groups represent a privileged upper-middle-class stratum which forms a social basis of support for imperialist war.

Last year, Podemos recognised that sending tanks would fuel the military escalation and threaten to trigger a nuclear conflagration, but pledged to continue to support the war effort. Podemos protestations were empty rhetoric, seeking to obscure its role as a member of an imperialist government at the forefront of the NATO war on Russia. This time, however, Podemos has kept completely silent.

It is yet another political exposure of Podemos, which has joined in the entire Spanish political establishments policy of imperialist war abroad and war on the working class at home. This government has implemented ruthless austerity for three years, implemented a profits-over-lives policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to over 160,000 deaths, murdered migrants on its borders, launched violent crackdowns on strikes and supported NATOs escalation of war with Russia in Ukraine.

Stopping a catastrophic military escalation requires mobilising the working class against Podemos and similar pseudo-left parties across NATO and internationally. May Day 2023 will be a vital step in the building of this movement. On Sunday, April 30, 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.
US and NATO officials met at Ramstein Air Base in Germany yesterday to coordinate new arms deliveries to Ukraine ahead of a planned Ukrainian spring offensive, a day after NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg went to Kiev and said Ukraine should join NATO.

These provocative actions all point to the growing risk of an escalation in which the leading NATO imperialist powers would intervene in the war to directly attack Russia. Indeed, were Ukraine admitted into the NATO alliance today, it could invoke Article 5 of the alliance treaty to demand that all NATO member states declare war on Russia. The immediate actions decided by NATO, to set up supply lines to deliver battle tanks and other heavy arms to Ukraine, also raise the risk of a clash between Russian and NATO forces.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg answers reporter's questions during a press statement prior to the meeting of the 'Ukraine Defense Contact Group' at Ramstein Air Base in Ramstein, Germany, Friday, April 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Ukraines future is in NATO. All allies agree on that, Stoltenberg said on Thursday in Kiev. He added that Ukraines NATO membership would be high on the agenda of NATOs July summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, and that NATO has already spent 150 billion on arming Ukraine. Allies are now delivering more jets, tanks and armored vehicles, he said. NATO stands with you today, tomorrow and for as long as it takes.

Russian government spokesman Dmitri Peskov replied that Ukraines joining NATO would pose a serious and significant danger to our country, to the security of our country.

Arriving in Ramstein for the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting yesterday, Stoltenberg pledged to ensure that Ukraine prevails in the war. He confirmed that Ukraine functions militarily as part of NATO in all but name, saying: I also expect NATO allies to agree a multi-year program to help Ukraine transition from Soviet-era equipment, standards, doctrines to NATO standards and doctrines, and to ensure full interoperability between Ukrainian forces and NATO forces.

Significantly, Stoltenberg suggested NATO is not confident that Ukraines spring offensive will end the war, and is planning a broader conflict. He said, Hopefully, the Ukrainians are able to make a lot of progress and you can have a just and an enduring peace soon. But no one can say that with certainty. So we need to be prepared for the long haul.

He made clear that already massive arms deliveries will be escalated: Maybe it sounds a bit more boring, but  this is now a battle of attrition, and a battle of attrition becomes a war of logistics.

Stoltenberg said NATO must ensure that Ukraine has the military strength, the capabilities, the deterrence to prevent new attacks, because you have to remember that the war didn't start in February last year. The war started in 2014, when Russia illegally annexed Crimea, and when Russia for the first time moved into eastern Donbas. And then we had the full-scale invasion in February [2022].

After the meeting, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley gave a press conference. Austin denounced Russias reckless and lawless invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and said: In just a few short months, the Contact Group has delivered more than 230 tanks, more than 1,550 armored vehicles and other equipment and munitions to support more than nine new armored brigades.

Austin and Milley were repeatedly questioned by NATO reporters on the state of the Ukrainian armed forces and whether the planned spring offensive could start. Milley said that, beyond tanks and artillery ammunition, for Ukraine the most critical thing right now, is that air defense system, to make sure that it is robust, it's rigorous, it's deep  That's the most important, critical military task right now. That was the theme of this entire day, was air defense, air defense, air defense, to make sure that Ukraine can defend its airspace.

He also said that US Abrams tanks, on which Ukrainian troops will begin training in two weeks, theyll be very effective. But I would also caution, theres no silver bullet in war.

One of the principal technical difficulties facing NATO tank deliveries to Ukraine is the massive logistics chain of parts and supplies necessary to keep Abrams or Leopard tanks in combat. Yesterday, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius announced that Germany, Poland and Ukraine have signed an agreement to build a hub in Poland to repair Leopard tanks sent to the war in Ukraine. The cost of building the hub is estimated at around 200 million.

NATO officials and media are presenting their utterly reckless policy of NATO military escalation against Russia based on relentless propaganda lies. Russian President Vladimir Putins invasion of Ukraine last year is based on a reactionary Russian-nationalist strategy that enormously escalated the fighting in the region. But this invasion was not a sudden, unprovoked act of aggression; nor was the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014.

The war in Ukraine is the product of decades of imperialist war and intrigues made possible by the Stalinist bureaucracys dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. This not only paved the way for decades of NATO wars near the former USSRs southern and western borders, in Yugoslavia, the Middle East and Central Asia. It also let US and NATO officials spend billions of euros on building up far-right, anti-Russian Ukrainian-nationalist groups who ultimately carried out a NATO-backed putsch in Kiev in 2014.

The vote to rejoin Russia in Crimea, which is overwhelmingly Russian-speaking, came after the newly-installed NATO-backed regime in Kiev sent far-right militias to attack Russian-speaking areas in southern and eastern Ukraine. The areas of Donetsk and Luhansk in the largely Russian-speaking Donbas seceded amid fighting between local militias and far-right Ukrainian militias like the neo-Nazi Azov Battalion. Fighting continued in the region until the Russian invasion last year.

Now, NATO officials are investing enormous resources in the planned spring offensive to retake parts of southern and eastern Ukraine held by Russian troops. This aims above all to fill the gaps in Ukrainian forces left by catastrophic losses they suffered fighting Russian troops around Bakhmut, after which Ukrainian losses are estimated to run into the hundreds of thousands.

While the spring offensive itself poses an enormous risk of escalation into direct Russia-NATO clash if it is successful, many indications suggest that it could lead to a debacle for Ukraine. The only way to avoid a complete Ukrainian collapse would then be for NATO powers to directly intervene in the conflict against Russia.

After the publication two weeks ago of leaked US military documents suggesting that Ukraine is in a far weaker position than the US press has admitted, many reports indicate that the Ukrainian forces may be heading for a bloody defeat.

El Paisa daily close to Spains ruling social-democrats, who have aggressively participated in the NATO war, arming the neo-Nazi Azov Battalionadmitted that Russian forces outgun Ukrainian forces 10 to 1 in heavy artillery. While Ukraine is straining to receive hundreds of NATO tanks, Russia is thought to still have several thousand operational tanks and nearly 10,000 tanks in reserve despite losses suffered in the war.

Moreover, it added that Ukrainian forces, many newly-recruited and given brief training on complex weapon systems, are walking into the largest defensive works built in Europe since World War II.

It wrote, Nothing like it has been seen in Europe since 1945:  800 kilometers of trenches, anti-tank ditches, dragons teeth (reinforced concrete obstacles to hinder armored vehicles), concrete machine-gun nests and bunkers today form a defensive line protecting the territory occupied by Russia in Ukraine. Since last summer, the invading forces have been constructing a massive defensive barrier to hold off the expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

The response of the NATO powers to fears of a looming Ukrainian debacle is to threaten escalation. Polish officials have repeatedly stated that they would be prepared to enter the conflict, with Polish Ambassador to France Jan Emeryk Rosciszewski telling the French LCI station: If Ukraine does not defend its independence, we will have no other choice, we will be forced to enter the conflict.

These events point to the imminent danger of the eruption of a Third World War across Europe, and the urgent necessity of mobilizing the working class and youth in a movement against imperialist war.
The Department of Justice has indicted four American and three Russian citizens on Tuesday on charges of conducting a multi-year foreign malign influence campaign in the United States, to sow discord and spread pro-Russian propaganda.

Matthew Olsen [Photo: Department of Justice]

Making clear the explicitly anti-democratic nature of the allegations the Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen of the Justice Departments National Security Division said in a statement that Russias foreign intelligence service allegedly weaponized our First Amendment rightsfreedoms Russia denies its own citizensto divide Americans and interfere in elections in the United States.

They might as well have written, Americans have freedom of speech, as long as they are saying what we want them to.

The DOJ accused Moscow of recruiting and funding US political groups, claiming they were acting as unregistered illegal agents of the Russian government. All seven people indicted could face prison terms ranging from five to ten years in prison if convicted.

The accusations take place as the Biden administration is further escalating the proxy war with Russia in Ukraine in the direction of deployment of NATO troops amid staggering battlefield losses for the Ukrainian military. Having already sunk $114 billion into the war, and propose a record $1 trillion military budget, and staked US imperialisms whole reputation on the war, the administration is moving to silence domestic opposition towards the war.

The ruling class also seeks to use the war as a weapon against the developing strike movement in the United States, which includes most recently strikes among university workers, chemical workers, and teachers, as part of the international upsurge in the class struggle driven by attacks on living standards linked to the US-instigated war.

The DOJ claims that two Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) agents Aleksey Borisovich Sukhodolov and Yegor Sergeyevich Popov supervised a campaign to recruit, fund, and direct US political groups including the African Peoples Socialist Party (APSP) and the Uhuru Movement in Florida, another black nationalist group. No evidence is provided for this.

All four indicted AmericansOmali Yeshitela, Penny Joanne Hess, Jesse Nevel and Augustus C. Romain Jr.have residences in St. Petersburg, Florida and are tied to the APSP and the Uhuru Movement. Both leaderships of the respective movements have denied the allegations in the past.

The APSP headquarters were previously raided by heavily armed FBI agents as part of a 25-page indictment against Aleksandr Viktorivitch Ionov, a Russian citizen accused of the vague charge of conspiracy to commit offense against the United States, which amounted to a political frame-up. That indictment has been superseded by the current slightly longer indictment running at 37 pages.

The indictment again makes the claim that Ionov, as an agent of the FSB, funded the APSP and Uhuru Movement, and controlled them.

Underscoring the pro-war nature of the campaign being waged by the DOJ, the prosecutors claim that one objective of Ionovs supposed influence operation was to create the appearance of American popular support for Russias annexation of territories in Ukraine. The DOJ points to an alleged email between Ionov and Nevel which it claimed contained pro-Russian talking points, while Yeshitela and another APSP member made statements of solidarity with the Russian government, according to the news release.

It also claims that the alleged election interference plot extended beyond the 2019 local election cycle in St. Petersburg, Florida, to include the 2020 presidential election.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Whelch, a Democrat, supported the reactionary charges, saying Petersburg does not support, condone or tolerate any foreign government engaging in activities to undermine or influence our elections.

The indictments follow baseless and to this day unproven allegations by sections of the government aligned with the Democratic Party that Russia interfered in US elections in 2016 in order to get Donald Trump elected. These formed the basis for the special counsel investigation that produced the Mueller Report, which failed to find any evidence of collusion between Trump and Moscow.

Acting Assistant Director Kurt Ronnow of the FBIs Counterintelligence Division said on the release of the indictment, Todays announcement paints a harrowing picture of Russian government actions and the lengths to which the FSB will go to interfere with our elections, sow discord in our nation and ultimately recruit U.S. citizens to their efforts. He continued, All Americans should be deeply concerned by the tactics employed by the FSB and remain vigilant to any attempt to undermine our democracy.

No foreign government is necessary to undermine what little remains of democracy in the US. The US government silences those who expose its crimes and has absolutely no moral grounds to excoriate anyone on the issue of democratic rights. It has relentlessly pursued journalist Julian Assange, locking him away in a UK prison and torturing him for more than a decade, and whistleblower Edward Snowden for exposing US war crimes and spying operations. Snowden was forced to flee to Russia to escape a similar fate.

The Biden administration supports witchhunting COVID-19 researchers in support of its war preparations against China, arrests journalists who report on anti-police violence protests, and those attempting to cover the crimes of US capitalism as in the case of the poisoning of residents by Norfolk Southern in the aftermath of the Palestine, Ohio, derailment. It could also be added that among Washingtons allies number bloodthirsty regimes that murder journalists, such as the Saudi regime. These are just a fraction of the outrages perpetrated by Washington.
On Friday evening, the US Supreme Court granted an emergency request from the Biden Justice Department to leave in place Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and expanded access to a widely used abortion pill, pending the outcome of litigation over a ruling by a far-right, anti-abortion judge banning the pill.

Following the initial ruling on April 7 banning the pill mifepristone by US District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a religious bigot and anti-abortion fanatic appointed by Trump, the Biden administration and the manufacturer of the drug, Danko Laboratories, filed an emergency appeal with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Kacsmaryks decision, the first-ever ruling by a judge overturning the approval of a drug by the FDA, marked a new milestone in the assault on democratic rights in the US. It was a naked assertion of religious dogma over medical science aimed at depriving millions of women access to the most widely used and safest means of terminating pregnancy in its early stages. The use of mifepristone followed by a second drug, misoprostol, has become the most common form of abortion in the US. More than 500,000 women used the drug regimen last year.

The U.S Supreme Court building is seen at dusk in Washington on Oct. 22, 2021. [AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite]

The ruling opened the way for right-wing forces to challenge other FDA- approved treatments, including vaccines against COVID-19 and other deadly diseases. Four hundred CEOs of pharmaceutical companies signed a letter warning that the ruling would throw the entire system of developing and approving drugs into chaos. The ruling also gave a green light to the banning of all forms of birth control.

The same day as Kacsmaryks ruling, a federal judge in Washington state issued an opposed ruling rejecting any restrictions on access to mifepristone in a suit brought by the Democratic attorneys general of 17 states and the District of Columbia. The conflicting rulings all but guarantee that the issue will end up in the US Supreme Court for a final resolution.

On April 12, a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Kacsmaryks court in Amarillo, Texas, issued a 2-1 ruling clearly sympathetic to the trial judge and accepting all of his religion-based arguments. It rejected only Kasmaryks claim that overturning FDA approval of the abortion pill 23 years after it was granted did not violate the statute of limitations.

On this basis the panel overturned the blanket ban on the pill, but also overturned measures taken by the FDA since 2016 significantly increasing access to the medication, including extending its use to the tenth week of pregnancy instead of the seventh, requiring only one visit to a medical practitioner instead of three, allowing the pill to be prescribed by a medical assistant rather than a doctor and allowing the pill to be accessed by mail.

At that point, the Biden Justice Department applied to Justice Samuel Alito, the Fifth Circuits interlocutor on the high court, for emergency relief to maintain the status quo for the pill until the issue was adjudicated. On April 14, Alito put a stay on the lower court decisions until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, April 19, and then extended the deadline two additional days to this Friday at midnight.

The one-paragraph order was unsigned. There were two public dissents: Justices Alito and Clarence Thomas.

In a brief statement Alito said he would have left in place the ruling issued last week by the three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit, significantly restricting access to the abortion pill. Thomas gave no explanation for his opposition to the Justice Departments request.

These two justices are arguably the most consistently anti-democratic and reactionary on a court that is dominated by a six-person bloc of right-wing Republicans, including three Trump appointees. Alito authored last Junes decision overturning Roe v. Wade, the first-ever Supreme Court decision revoking a constitutionally guaranteed democratic right, the right to abortion.

Thomas is at the center of an expanding corruption scandal exposing his illegal receipt of millions of dollars in gifts from billionaire Republican donor and Hitler-admirer Harlan Crow. Both Alito and Thomas are implicated in the failed attempt by Donald Trump to overturn the 2020 election and remain in power as dictator.

It is not known if other Republican justices on the court voted against temporarily keeping access to mifepristone in place, since the individual votes were not revealed.

The process of adjudicating the original April 7 ruling by Judge Kacsmaryk will now move back to the Fifth Circuit Court in New Orleans, where the Justice Departments appeal will be heard by the entire court. Opening arguments are scheduled for May 17.

President Biden praised the Supreme Courts action and then followed the Democratic Party line of seeking to use the strong majority public support for abortion rights to hustle votes in the 2024 elections.

He issued a statement declaring: The stakes could not be higher for women across America. I will continue to fight politically-driven attacks on womens health. But lets be clearthe American people must continue to use their vote as their voice, and elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v Wade.

This is a fraud. The Democratic Party has done nothing to counter the attack on abortion rights or any other democratic right. And the Supreme Courts decision holding in abeyance the sweeping and completely arbitrary attack on abortion pills that have been tested and proven safe over decades must not be taken as a signal that the far-right offensive is flagging.

As the World Socialist Web Site explained in its Perspective statement published on April 10:

The response of the White House has been to comply with these judicial outrages, rather than challenging them and exposing the process as illegitimate. Biden and the Democratic Party have no concern over the hundreds of thousands of working class women who will be denied the simplest and least risky procedure for accessing abortion, and who may soon be denied any access at all. The privileged upper middle class layer that constitutes the social basis of the Democratic Party, along with Wall Street and the Pentagon, will be able to access abortion services, through private resources or travel to another country if necessary, regardless of the legal counterrevolution being pursued by the ultra-right in the United States.

The mantra of Biden since his inauguration in the aftermath of the fascist storming of Congress instigated by Trump and his Republican allies in Congress has been to foster a strong Republican Party and bipartisan unity. The living standards of the working class, the legal rights of immigrants and the right to abortion have all been sacrificed to assure bipartisan support for the war against Russia in Ukraine and the war preparations against China. Trillions more have been spent to prop up the banks and super-rich in the latest financial crisis.

Meanwhile, most abortions are now banned in 13 states following the Supreme Courts decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. Georgia bans abortion at about six weeks of pregnancy, before many women know they are pregnant, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a similar law.

Half of the states are expected to seek to enact bans on abortion or gestational limits on the procedure. Abortions are now banned in Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, West Virginia and Wisconsin. Gestational limits have been imposed in Georgia, Arizona, Florida, Utah and North Carolina.

This is in direct defiance of the overwhelming will of the population. The Wall Street Journal reported Friday that a poll it conducted this month showed voters by a large margin were opposed to overturning FDA approval of mifepristone. Some 66 percent said they did not want to see approval of the pill reversed, compared to only 25 percent who supported reversal. Even among Republican voters, support for banning the pill polled only a narrow majority of 46 percent to 39 percent.

Democratic rights can be secured only through the mass independent mobilization of the working class against the Biden administration, both big business parties and the capitalist oligarchy they serve.
Picket line at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey on April 20, 2023. [Photo: WSWS]

Last weekend, three unions affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), working closely with New Jerseys Democratic Governor Phil Murphy, undemocratically suspended the powerful strike by 9,000 academic workers at Rutgers University, ordering workers back to work without having even reached tentative agreements.

This act of betrayal by the union bureaucracies and the Democratic Party has produced an outpouring of anger and opposition by graduate students, adjuncts, researchers and clinicians, who rightfully see their struggle as having been sold out.

In the week following the shutdown of the strike, union leaders have only feigned frustration over the fact that their suspension did nothing but completely weaken their negotiating position at a time in which workers had the most power withholding their labor at the end of the semester.

In an interview with Politico, Rutgers AAUP-AFT Vice President Todd Wolfson pathetically stated, We got back to New Brunswick, and its been the same tricks ... slow bargaining, not responding to critical demands, playing whatever foolish stupid games theyve been playing. So yes, we are pissed off.

As of this writing, none of the three unions has negotiated a tentative agreement.

On Thursday, reporters from the World Socialist Web Site spoke with Sarah, an English Department Ph.D. candidate, at a New Brunswick picket outside the Rutgers Board of Governors meeting. Sharing her thoughts on the suspension of the strike, Sarah stated, To be frank, I was disappointed. I think that we had a lot of traction, we had a lot of great press, we had the support of our undergraduate students, we had an amazing coalition.  We could have kept fighting and gotten more of our demands.

She added, I think part of the thing that was great about this strike in particular was how large and pervasive it was and how much it was following up on the energy of some of the other university strikes that were going on this year and last year. I think we could have gone a lot farther than we did. I think that a lot of us over the weekend felt nothing short of betrayed by the executive committee that voted on this.  The suspension was rough.

Indeed, the sellout at Rutgers set the stage for the betrayals of three strikes by faculty and staff at Chicago-area universities, as well as smaller strikes at campuses in Rhode Island and Vermont. The strike by 1,300 graduate student workers at the University of Michigan is now the only continuing strike on a university campus in the US, when one week prior there were seven taking place simultaneously in five different states.

Sarah also spoke on the role played by the AFT in collaboration with Governor Murphy, noting, I think there is a general sentiment here among grad students and part-time lecturers, at least that Ive spoken to, that the leadership of the unions were very hasty to proclaim victory. Also, the position of Governor Murphy was a little bit unclear to a lot of us in terms of whose side, exactly, he was gunning for and whether his intervention was actually helpful to us or not.

Especially last weekend, with everyone proclaiming victory and Governor Murphy getting invited to give a talk at some Democratic progressive conference, it felt like theres going to be a hasty proclamation of victory and claims that this is a pro-union state, and were not sure that this is actually reflective. I dont know how much of this is a sort of surface win for the AFT. We all feel like they could be doing a lot more.

The idea of forming a rank-and-file organization independent of the union bureaucracy, in order to take back power into workers hands, was raised with Sarah. In terms of breaking off, yeah, thats something people are thinking about, and I hope thats been made clear to the AFT because theyve fractured us a bit.

Cindy, an undergraduate studying Civil Engineering, told the WSWS on Friday, Everyone I spoke to was pretty shocked that there was so much energy and support for the strike and then, all of a sudden, it was suspended. Some of my friends assumed it was over and were saying, all that for nothing. Cindy expressed support for a continuation of the strike if the demands of the rank and file are not met.

Another undergraduate, Mike, also expressed his support Friday for a resumption of the strike, stating, Yes, I feel the overwhelming majority of students are in support of the strike and better benefits for the teachers. Its just something that needs to been done.

Oppositional comments to the shutdown of the strike have also exploded on social media.

One Rutgers grad student worker posted a photo on Twitter of the AAUP-AFTs Zoom session where the union announced the suspension of the strike, showing dozens of hands raised. The ugly truth of historic success of Rutgers union. They Ignored all these raised hands and want to be heroes.

Significantly, a University of California grad worker retweeted the post, commenting, This is what happened with #UAW2865: leadership refused to listen to rank and file workers, shoe-horning in a terrible contract. We are suffering because of it: still havent been paid our paltry raise we were supposed to get 90 days after ratification. Meanwhile several of the leaders who threw us under the bus now have cushy career union positions: they dont even have to live under the contract they forced on us. Rutgers: Solidarity! Its YOUR union and YOU, the workers, decide when to stop striking.

In response to Democratic Senator Bernie Sanders congratulating Rutgers unions on their successful strike on Twitterstating, When workers stand together & fight for justice theres nothing they cannot accomplisha Rutgers worker responded, This isnt a win. Union leadership scabbed & decided to break the strike without letting rank & file members vote. There is no agreement, only a framework, & many workers are still left out of the deal if it even goes through. The union sold out its workers.

AAUP-AFT tweeted about a Suspension de-stress event involving acupuncture, to which a grad student responded, Acupuncture? So like, come on down and get stabbed in the back?

Reddit threads on the strike suspension have elicited hundreds of comments opposing the unions betrayal.

One user wrote:

The graduate workers have been betrayed by our union, by the state government, and as usual, by Rutgers University. This framework is not a legally binding agreement like what would typically be reached during bargaining. This framework is not something that the entirety of the union has seen or voted on. Additionally, just cause Holloway is Holloway, he has worded this as if the strike is over. A suspended strike is not ended, but its going to cause so much confusion that it might as well be. The union made an incredibly stupid or incredibly malicious decision by agreeing to suspend the strike without any clear idea of what that means at all. There will be more bargaining this coming week, so why has the strike stopped? We have so many demands that still need to be bargained over, not even just graduate worker-related issues. As a grad fellow, my sibling grad workers and I are distraught.  How do we have any power without the strike? Grad workers are here because we want to improve our lives and the lives of others. Rutgers makes us and our loved ones suffer through years of exploitation before we have the chance to succeed.

Speaking about the supposed victory, other grad workers said:

A lot of us grad students will be gone by the time the salary gets to 40k. We need to be able to afford to live in NJ now, not in 4 years.

The point is for grads to get a living wage, not get toward a living wage.

We should go protest again, but instead of in front of Holloways mansion it should be in front of the Unions offices. Backstabbing comrades aint the way, grads deserve a living wage.

There was no democratic process involved with accepting the terms of this framework, or ending the strike, and that is unacceptable.

I hope that the rank and file get a chance to assert themselves somehow, would really be a shame for all this preparation and agitation to go to waste due to the actions of a treacherous union leadership.

The International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) issued a statement Thursday stressing that the struggle at Rutgers is not over. To carry out a real fight, rank-and-file workers must not allow the union bureaucracy to continue to betray them but take power into their own hands by forming an independent rank-and-file committee and turning out to the broader working class. We urge all academic workers at Rutgers to contact us today to form a rank-and-file committee by filling out the form below.
Wednesday evening police in Akron, Ohio, dressed in full riot gear and a SWAT team attacked over 100 peaceful protesters who were voicing their anger over the June 27, 2022 police murder of 25-year-old Jayland Walker and the decision not to prosecute the eight officers involved.

Akron police officer pepper spraying protesters [Photo: @ComradeOhio]

Protesters had assembled at the high school from which Walker graduated and were marching throughout the neighborhood chanting slogans demanding justice and against the ongoing police brutality throughout the city and across the US.

No doubt, the police have been emboldened by the decision not to prosecute the officers who killed Walker in a hail of bullets. They know that they can attack the protesters with impunity and they are seeking to further terrorize those who challenge the decision and the community as a whole.

By all accounts, the protesters remained peaceful as they marched Wednesday. However, a little before 8:00 p.m. police in full riot gear and equipped with gas masks set up a line to block the protesters from continuing their march. The police line included a SWAT team. Video shows one woman from the march walking up to the police line in what appears to be an attempt to question what is happening.

Without warning, police began firing tear gas at the crowd. The woman who attempted to speak with the police is completely engulfed in the gas. At the same time police began advancing on the marchers releasing pepper spray as they went. Marchers, people that moved to the sidewalk and bystanders who were watching from the side were all gassed indiscriminately.

At least two reporters who were reporting on the protest were attacked and gassed as well.

Social media has been full of people speaking out and expressing their outrage over the attack.

One Twitter user wrote, Mind blown.... How can you just launch an attack on people who are clearly not out to hurt anybody. Another noted, Its so hard to remain peaceful when the police are agitating you, Im so proud of all these folks.

Walker was gunned down by police in the early morning hours of June 27 after he led them on a short car chase. Police bodycam video shows Walker was killed after he exited his car and ran at most 10 paces. Video of the shooting shows that Walker had stopped running and appeared to be raising his arms in surrender when police opened fire on him.

Police have not released how many shots were fired by the eight officers that had encircled him, nor have they publicly identified the officers. The autopsy report shows that Walker was shot 46 times. Several of the police emptied their entire magazines and can be seen on video reloading. Police continued firing bullets into Walker even after he fallen onto the ground. Even after the shooting stopped, police handcuffed Walker rather than attempt any medical assistance.

On Monday afternoon, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced that a grand jury had decided that no criminal charges would be filed against the police who murdered Walker. Citing as justification for not indicting the officers, Yost stated that the officers feared for their lives and were therefore justified in carrying out this act of brutality.

Yost went on to say that since Walker disobeyed a police order to surrender and that he raised his hands, police were justified in thinking he had a gun.

Walker did not have a gun on him when he was shot. Several police body cam videos taken from several different angles clearly show both his hands, neither of which were holding a gun.

Far from not obeying police orders to surrender, Walker can be seen stopping, turning around, and raising his arms in surrender. Yost presented a still shot, as Walker was raising his arms to say he was pointing at the police.

This of course could be the justification used for every police killing, since it necessary to raise ones hands to obey an order to surrender.

Every day since Yosts announcement there have been protests in different areas of Akron which have drawn residents from throughout the city and the surrounding communities. Each protest has been met with escalating police harassment and violence, culminating on Wednesday with the gassing of the protesters.

In another form of harassment, people arrested at the protests were taken not to the Summit County Jail but to the Stark County Jail, nearly 30 miles away, outside of Canton, Ohio. This was done to prevent supporters from protesting outside and making it harder for people to have bail posted and return home.

On Thursday, the Akron Bail Fund filed a suit in federal court seeking a temporary restraining order issued against the police preventing them from using pepper spray and tear gas on protesters. It is also seeking a declaration from the judge that the police violated residents constitutional rights.

This gross abuse of police power began nine months ago, and this week Akron continued its unconstitutional violence and censorship against these peaceful protesters and their message, civil rights attorney Sarah Gelsomino said in a statement. We must stop Akron and its police department from further violating First Amendment rights, and this motion for an emergency order will allow demonstrators to exercise this right.

The suit noted that since protests erupted over Walkers murder, the city, Democratic mayor Dan Horrigan and the police force have worked to prevent the free expression of speech and attack, arrest and harass those involved.

Beginning on the Fourth of July and in the days that followed, the lawsuit said. Mayor Horrigan implemented an unconstitutional curfew order quashing protest speech; Akron police indiscriminately assaulted and teargassed protestors; and City officials arrested, charged, and initiated prosecution against protesters en masse in retaliation for their protected speech and expressive conduct.

Supporting the lawsuit, three members of the Akron Bail Fund who witnessed Wednesdays attack on the protest filed affidavits in which they asserted that the police attack was completely unprovoked and directed indiscriminately against protesters, supporters, and bystanders. They document children as young as six years old being sprayed with tear gas and pepper spray.

The lawsuit notes that before Mondays announcement, city officials and the police deemed public areas off limits for protesting and blocked other public areas in violation of peoples First Amendment rights to free speech.

On Monday evening following the announcement that no charges would be filed against the police officers, protesters marched throughout the downtown area and near the courthouse. About 70 people followed the protesters in their cars honking their horns and showing support. Around 7:30 p.m. police began handing out tickets and arrested six of the protesters for various traffic violations.

The city has no justification for its preemptive suppression of speech or its ongoing retaliation against speech, the lawsuit said. Whats more, this misconduct by Akron is a continuation of the same misconduct it used to censor the same message from many of the same demonstrators when police killed Jayland Walker last year.

In the weeks following the murder of Walker, tens of thousands took part in protest against the police. These were part of a general uprising of opposition to police killings over the past few years. The police, with the full backing of Mayor Horrigan, conducted a campaign of terror against protesters, imposing a curfew, using tear gas and pepper spray to break up protests and arresting dozens of people. Many of those arrested were jailed for over 36 hours without access to their medications.

The arrests were part of the citys campaign of terror against the protesters. The vast majority of those arrested have either had the charges dropped or were acquitted. A few are still awaiting trial. No one has been convicted.

Calls for reform of the police fall on deaf ears. Both Democrats and Republicans are supporting the growing power of the police, including providing police with military-level equipment. Each year more than 1,000 people are murdered at the hands of police. Last year, 2022, saw 1,190 killed, the highest number in the past decade.

Police brutality and murder can only be fought as part of a movement of the working class against the capitalist system and the inequality it creates.
Several animal confinement owners were recently fined by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for failing to promptly submit reports related to their manure disposal and one was fined for a spill of about 1,000 gallons of manure.

The spill happened near Parnell in eastern Iowa in December. A manure wagon driven by Jon Gingerich  who operates two hog confinements with a total of about 4,900 swine  got stuck and spilled manure into a roadway ditch, according to DNR.

Gingerich removed the manure and contaminated soil from the ditch, but the DNR discovered that Gingerichs manure applicator certification had expired about a year before the incident.

Manure applicators are required to obtain training and certifications to ensure they are properly trained, a recent DNR administrative order said. Applying manure without the proper training and certification increases the risk (of) a manure-related discharge during application.

The DNR fined Gingerich $2,000.

Other producers cited for reporting violations

Others were cited for failing to submit required reports for how they handle the manure generated by their facilities:

 Rick Nikkel, of Sully in central Iowa, was fined $2,000 for untimely submittals of manure management plans from 2017 to 2022. Those plans are important to ensure the field application of manure doesnt saturate the ground with too many nutrients that can pollute the states waterways, according to DNR. Nikkel operates an animal confinement with 3,200 swine and an open feedlot with 450 cattle.

 Hy-Line North America LLC was fined $3,000 for untimely submittals of manure management plans between 2017 and 2023. It has a facility near Clarion in northern Iowa that has about 228,000 chickens.

 Doghouse Pork LLC was fined $4,500 for untimely filings of manure management plans from 2020 to 2022. Its facilities near Remsen in northwest Iowa have a total of about 4,400 swine.

Over-the-counter Naloxone and its potential impact on the opioid crisis in Iowa Over-the-counter Naloxone and its potential impact on the opioid crisis in Iowa
CLINTON  A Clinton man accused of fatally shooting a Clinton resident last summer has pleaded guilty to the lesser offense of second-degree murder.

Kyler Andresen, 18, pleaded guilty to the charge Thursday in Clinton County District Court in connection with the death of Zachary McDivitt, whose body was found in the 100 block of North Fifth Street around 10:30 p.m. July 20.

McDivitt, 35, was transported to MercyOne Clinton and pronounced dead. Andresen was charged the next day in connection with the death. Court records indicate Clinton police obtained a search warrant for 430 Locust Place in Clinton, which was where Andresen resided. Andresen was located at the residence, as was a handgun.

Court records state that during a police interview, Andresen admitted he had shot McDivitt and also provided officers with the location of the gun, which he had hid inside 430 Locust Place, court documents state.

While 17 at the time of the shooting, Andresen was charged with first-degree murder as an adult, a Class A felony that carries a mandatory prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole, upon conviction.

Under Iowa law, second-degree murder is a Class B felony, punishable by up to 50 years in prison. As part of the plea agreement, if it is accepted at his May 11 sentencing, he will be sent to prison but the state will not request a mandatory minimum sentence. He also will have to pay restitution of $150,000 to McDivitt's estate.

The plea agreement recommendations could be withdrawn at sentencing if Andresen's criminal history is shown to be more extensive than that revealed in the pleading, if he fails to cooperate with correctional services in preparing the presentence investigation or if he is arrested on further offenses, according to the court filing.

If the plea agreement is not accepted, Andresen can withdraw his guilty plea.

Sentencing is set for 9 a.m. May 11 at the Clinton County Courthouse.

Over-the-counter Naloxone and its potential impact on the opioid crisis in Iowa Over-the-counter Naloxone and its potential impact on the opioid crisis in Iowa
SIOUX CITY -- A Sergeant Bluff man has pleaded not guilty of forcing himself on an underage girl and sexually assaulting her.

Leuanglong Thongvilay, 37, entered his written plea Thursday in Woodbury County District Court to charges of third-degree sexual abuse and distribution of a controlled substance to a person under age 18.

Thongvilay was arrested April 13, a day after Sergeant Bluff police responded to a disturbance call at Thongvilay's mobile home in the 100 block of West Eighth Street involving Thongvilay, the alleged victim's mother and others. During their investigation, officers learned of an assault of the minor female at the home on March 24.

According to court documents, Thongvilay offered the girl marijuana, then pushed her into his room and onto his bed and sexually assaulted her while pinning her arms. He later offered the girl $100 to remain quiet about the alleged assault, court documents said.

During a police interview, Thongvilay admitted to having sex with the girl, court documents said.

Thongvilay is charged in O'Brien County with two counts each of second-degree sexual abuse and indecent contact with a child for allegedly sexually assaulting and inappropriately touching a girl several times when she was age 7-12 from approximately January 2015 to August 2020.

Thongvilay, who was living in Sheldon at the time, was arrested in May. He's scheduled to stand trial June 20 in O'Brien County District Court.

Best public elementary schools in Iowa Best public elementary schools in Iowa
[Source]

The creator and stars of the hit Netflix series Beef have broken their silence about the recent criticism of one of the shows cast members, David Choe.

Choe, who plays the cousin of Steven Yeuns character Danny in the show, came under fire earlier this week after a controversial podcast interview he gave in 2014 resurfaced on Twitter.

In the DVDASA podcast interview, he said that he had been a successful rapist during a massage, leading to outrage and calls for a boycott of the show.

Like it's not an "he said she said". David Choe in his own words claims to be a "successful rapist" on his podcast after detailing the assault of a Black massage therapist. Steven Yuen, Ali Wong and Netflix have been suppressing information instead of condemning him. pic.twitter.com/NZxZhP0Gfm More from NextShark: Taiwanese woman suffers severe burns after being doused with hot soup over $652 debt  Taylor Goethe | Comms Open (@InspectorNerd) April 17, 2023

Im getting turned on just telling this story, he told co-host Asa Akira. I just take her hand and I put it on my d*ck. She just holds it there.

More from NextShark: NY State Sen. John Liu Endorses Andrew Yang for NYC Mayor

After sharing numerous sexual acts he purportedly engaged in, he concluded the story with: The thrill of possibly going to jail, thats what achieved the erection quest.

Ew, youre basically telling us that youre a rapist now and that the only way to get your d*ck really hard is rape, Akira said.

After responding by saying yeah, Choe later said that he was, indeed, a "successful rapist.

More from NextShark: Boy in China spends dying fathers cancer treatment money on mobile games

Choe reportedly recently filed DMCA notices to have the resurfaced videos removed from Twitter.

Story continues

In a joint statement released on Friday, series creator Lee Sung Jin and stars Yeun and Ali Wong called Choes rape story fabricated but undeniably hurtful and extremely disturbing.

The statement emphasized that he has apologized in the past and has worked to better himself over the last decade.

More from NextShark: Pittsburgh Doctor Charges Only $35 Per Visit and Refuses Health Insurance

The story David Choe fabricated nine years ago is undeniably hurtful and extremely disturbing. We do not condone this story in any way, and we understand why this has been so upsetting and triggering. Were aware David has apologized in the past for making up this horrific story, and weve seen him put in the work to get the mental health support he needed over the last decade to better himself and learn from his mistakes.

After facing immediate backlash when the interview was first released, Choe previously stated that the podcast was simply an extension of my art as a storyteller.

In 2017, he apologized and revealed that he had undergone three years of rehabilitation and recovery, maintaining that he has never sexually assaulted anyone.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by DAVID CHOE (@davidchoe)

The controversy may have not significantly hurt the popularity of Beef, which has climbed to No. 2 on Netflixs Top 10 list of English-language shows with most hours viewed since its release on April 6.
An estimated $1 million internal investigation into ACLU allegations that Central Bucks School District is a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students found no evidence that the district has discriminated against those students and staff.

In a two hour presentation Thursday an attorney who led the investigation largely blamed the current U.S. Educations Office of Civil Rights investigation into the district on the actions of a middle-school teacher who is suing the district and its superintendent for alleged retaliation.

As part of his recommendations, Duane Morris attorney Michael Rinaldi said the district should suspend former Lenape Middle School teacher Andrew Burgess again and without pay.

From left, students, Julien Jones, Rowan Hopwood, Cameron Davis, and Oscar Morpurgo, march with a dozen others students outside Lenape Middle School in Doylestown Borough, on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, protesting the recent suspension of Lenape Middle School teacher, Andrew Burgess. The rally drew a small group of students from Lenape and other area schools, chanting phrases like, "Protect trans youth" and "Bring back Burgess."

By his conduct Mr. Burgess has demonstrated that he currently should not be entrusted with the care or education of children, according to the 157-page report, which school board members received a few hours before the start of the meeting.

Burgess, a social studies teacher and teacher union vice president, was suspended with pay for three months last year after he says the district learned he helped a bullied LGBTQ student file a complaint with the OCR.

This school year Burgess was transferred to Unami Middle School, where he is teaching a different grade and more students, which he alleges is among the districts retaliatory actions taken against him detailed in his lawsuit filed earlier this month.

The ACLU issued a statement following the Thursday night meeting calling the districts probe a dishonest investigation from the beginning," and called it an attempt by the board majority "to defend the status quo, and that is exactly what the report does."

This was a political defense of the districts discriminatory practices, not an unbiased investigation into the ACLUs allegations that the district maintains a hostile environment for LGBTQ+ students that violates federal civil rights laws, said Witold Walczak, legal director for the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

Story continues

Walczak added that the ACLU expects when the federal OCR investigation concludes that it will find Central Bucks is systematically and intentionally violating students civil rights.

The ACLU has alleged that LGBTQ students have faced worsening treatment in the district as a result of homophobic and transphobic actions taken by the Republican-majority board who took control last year and upper level administrators.

In recent months, LGBTQ students and their allies have appeared at school board meetings and claimed the district has ignored their concerns, denounced a board policy banning Pride flags as political symbols and complained that they feel unsafe at school.

During public comment Thursday, Lily Freedman, a transgender student, recounted how she and other LGBTQ students met with Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh last year and told him about their experiences of discrimination and harassment.

The superintendent promised to talk to the board and not sweep the matter under the rug. But nothing has changed, she said.

Lilys mother, Mindy Freedman, added that she has asked for help, reported mistreatment to administration, wrote letters to the board and met with the director of pupil services, but nothing has improved.

Whatever the findings of this report today, our family knows the truth, Freedman said. Because we are the truth.

Did "activists" pushed "false narratives" to intimidate Central Bucks school board majority?

District officials denied accusations that recently enacted policies and actions are anti-LGBTQ+ or an attempt at silencing students and their allies. They maintain the district has zero tolerance for discrimination, harassment and bullying.

In his presentation, Rinaldi alleged that Burgess and community activists who were also unhappy with the newly elected Republican-majority school board and its direction, pushed a false narrative in an attempt to derail policies they disagreed with.

Duane Morris attorney Michael Rinaldi gave a presentation on the $1 million ACLU complaint investigation

Former U.S. Attorney William McSwain was a lead investigator of the ACLU complaints against the Central Bucks School District

The evidence and circumstances suggest that Mr. Burgess believed that, if he brought to light supposed widespread unaddressed bullying and harassment of LGBTQ students and convinced a federal agency to investigate such matters, the school board would cave to the inevitable criticism and bad press, Rinaldi said.

But the three-month investigation found no evidence supporting the allegations that the school district is awash in anti-LGBTQ bullying, harassment or discrimination or that the district has allowed such behavior to persist, Rinaldi said.

Principals and other staff responded appropriately to allegations of bullying, threats and harassment, but there is very little, if any, alleged bullying targeting LGBTQ students, and the district has formal and informal processes to address it which comply with state and federal law, he said.

The Duane Morris investigation was based on 45 interviews including the 23 district principals, Burgess, teachers, guidance counselors, an LGBTQ student club moderator, the founder of the Rainbow Room, and the mother of the student on whose behalf Burgess filed the OCR complaint.

The investigation also included a review of more than 123,000 documents and electronic records including social media and emails, Rinaldi said.

None of the seven LGBTQ students or their families in the ACLU complaint were interviewed by the district's investigators. Rinaldi said the ACLU and OCR refused to provide the district an unredacted copy of the complaint including the student names.

The investigators also did not review copies of the four active complaints because the OCR has only provided summaries of the allegations, Rinaldi said.

Special CBSD School Board Meeting April 20 2023 from Central Bucks School District on Vimeo.

For most of his two-hour presentation Rinaldi focused on discrediting Burgess and his version of the events surrounding his suspension and allegations of district retaliation, which formed the basis for two of the four OCR complaints.

Rinaldi said that the investigation showed Burgess directed an LGBTQ student to only report alleged bullying and harassment he experienced to him, and told the boy and his mother the administration would not help.

The incidents that Burgess collected and recorded from the boy occurred in 2021 and early 2022, and involved a dozen Lenape students, according to emails. The information was used to create a complaint to the OCR filed in 2022, and the conduct was never reported to administration, Rinaldi said.

Burgess also allegedly received additional reports of LGBTQ student mistreatment from parents and he failed to report those to administration.

His suspension was based on Burgess failure to make those reports to administrators a violation of district policy, and using his union position to interfere between teachers and the school principal over district efforts to review the appropriateness of certain books in classroom libraries, Rinaldi said the investigation found.

Was Central Bucks internal investigation a "$1 million PR stunt?"

Rinaldi also accused board member Karen Smith of instigating the OCR investigation last July when she sent an email to the U.S. Secretary and Education and OCR head expressing concerns that the board actions were negatively impacting LGBTQ students.

The Republican board members claimed they did not know Smith had written to the agency about her concerns and expressed anger that she did not inform the rest of the board.

I am deeply disturbed that Mrs. Smith seems to be the reason some of these complaints have been investigated, Board President Dana Hunter said.

Smith thanked Rinaldi for sharing her email and added that she never received a response from either the U.S. Department of Education or OCR about the concerns she raised.

Rinaldi also accused Marlene Pray, founder of the Rainbow Room, an LGBTQ+ program for young people located in Doylestown, of conspiring with Burgess to organize a four-day walk-out protest at Lenape and filing a separate complaint with OCR about bullying allegations.

Rinaldi also said there was no evidence the district engaged in sex discrimination and retaliation against LGBTQ students who walked out during protests about Burgess suspension to reenter Lenape Middle School, as alleged in one of the complaints.

The students alleged they were not allowed back into the building, but the investigation found the students were told they had to follow security protocol and enter through the front door and check in at the front office, Rinaldi said.

During public comment before the presentation, Pray, who was interviewed for the investigation, called the probe a $1 million PR stunt that was never intended to be impartial.

The board got what it paid for, she said.

More Central Bucks School news Concerns cited in Central Bucks' 61 book challenges fall outside policy. We have the files

Did CBSD board member use Nazi slur? Did Central Bucks board member call superintendent, colleague Nazis. What the email says

CBSD teacher sues alleges retaliation Central Bucks teacher alleges suspension, retaliation for standing up for LGBTQ students

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Central Bucks investigation finds no LGBTQ discrimination, but others raise questions
I am not a Fox News fan, so I was curious what the conservative media companys viewers made of this weeks massive $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems over broadcasting lies that the 2020 presidential election had been stolen.

On Monday, I reached out to some of the conservatives who had responded to a Twitter survey I sent out in 2019 asking how they thought I should cover the upcoming election. Given that they were interested enough at the time to tell me how they thought I should do my job for the L.A. Times back then, I was curious about how they interpreted Fox News decision to settle with Dominion.

I was surprised at a couple of the responses I got back.

I am much less of a Fox News viewer now than when you sent the survey [in 2019] for the specific reason that whereas they had set the agenda for Republicans  politicians took cues from their narratives and topics  now its the opposite, one conservative wrote back to me in an email. What the lawsuit showed through discovery is that the network no longer controls the narrative. Instead its driven by the base of the party and rather than dictate terms of the political agenda the network is simply following the partys base.

Another Fox News viewer wrote back to me with a similar rebuke for the channel: Yes, it has affected my view of FOX. Negatively. FOX has enough money to fight a court case. Instead, they chose to settle. To me that means they felt there was a significant possibility they would lose in court once the facts of the case were litigated. Unfortunately I am now persuaded that I can trust NONE of the mainstream media. It seems they are all interested in only one thing  views. Views translate to income through advertising. They will get views at any cost, including untruthful reporting.

Theres nothing more tantalizing to a journalist than apostates. But what also interested me in both of these responses was how they played off and inverted a classic left-wing criticism of for-profit media. Its worth exploring to understand what, exactly, just happened at Fox News.

Here goes: The mass media serve a bamboozling role on behalf of a powerful, controlling elite in the propaganda model theory given by Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky in their 1988 book Manufacturing Consent. Money and power are able to filter out the news fit to print, marginalize dissent, and allow the government and dominant private interests to get their messages across to the public, they write. In this telling, journalists who think theyre practicing objectivity are just fooling themselves. Its all just propaganda for the ruling class.

But in the closing days of the Trump administration, the way things actually played out at Fox News  the quintessential profiteering media giant, owned by tycoon Rupert Murdoch and fused at the hip with the ruling Republican Party  was so much simpler. No cabal needed here: Fox News was less afraid of Murdoch or of Trump than its own audience and what might happen if the masses stopped watching. The real boss was the ratings, the true master the quarterly earnings.

Take what Dominion learned in the trials discovery process about the supposedly all-powerful Murdoch, one of the worlds wealthiest people. Murdoch called Trumps stolen election claims a myth and acknowledged that he could have stopped election fibbers like Rudy Giuliani from going on the air and didnt. Yet he was afraid of antagonizing the networks viewers. His son Lachlan, Fox Corp.s chief executive, said Fox News ratings kept him up at night.

Or take firebrand host Tucker Carlson, who wrote to fellow hosts Laura Ingraham and Sean Hannity in a text chain about a coworker who tweeted fact-checks of Trumps election lies: Please get her fired. Seriously ... What the f? Im actually shocked... It needs to stop immediately, like tonight. Its measurably hurting the company. The stock price is down. Not a joke.

As the trial loomed, evidence abounded that, apart from some apparent true believers, few of the most powerful people inside Fox News actually believed the presidents lies that the election had been stolen. But the source of the profits  the audience  did. This is legally significant, because Americas very broad libel protections for journalists dont cover actual malice, where you say things you either know or have reason to believe arent true. Fox News still faces formidable legal challenges from voting machine company Smartmatic and its own shareholders.

Smaller competitors Newsmax and One America News, which originally benefited from gaining some far-right viewers dissatisfied even with Foxs coverage of the election, are also still in Dominion and Smartmatics legal sights over election lies. (Newsmax published a particularly jittery defense of itself after Foxs settlement, stating that the facts at issue in Dominions case against it are materially different from those that may have driven Fox to settle, and no conclusion about Newsmax should be drawn from that settlement.)

The scope of the completely avoidable disaster at Fox News revives old questions about who actually wields the power of the media. Whats the point of being a massive media company like Fox, a big billionaire like Murdoch or a top TV host like Carlson if youre still too scared to tell the truth when you really need to?

This question brings me back to my estranged Fox News viewers, who understood all too keenly that the network had sold itself out to its own audience  viewers just like them  and they resented it. They came to Fox News because they wanted agenda setting. But the channel, by chasing profits, had become too much of an engine reflecting fractious mass politics instead of elite opinion. This is the inversion of Chomsky.

My second respondent, Chuck Thompson, 79, from the northern Dallas suburb of Addison, told me in a follow-up phone interview that he used to like watching Fox News commentators like Carlson, Greg Gutfeld and The Five in clips on YouTube. A self-described conservative independent who usually votes for Republicans, Thompson knew that what he was getting from Fox News was commentary. But he was watching with the presumption that the opinions he was hearing were being based on solid reporting from elsewhere on the network. Thompson was, in short, expecting intellectual honesty.

Basically I was of the opinion that the liberal media was just lying all the time because they hated Trump, and that rolled into lying all the time about everything that developed after that  the war in Ukraine, any kind of a scandal that came up, Thompson said. I had not questioned conservative media in the same way, because I believed what they were saying was more in line with the truth.

But doubts began to creep into his mind when he noticed that, the same way the liberal media didnt seem to think Trump could do any right, conservative media didnt seem to think Trump couldnt do any wrong  which didnt feel right.

Those doubts coalesced this week when Fox News settled the Dominion lawsuit; Thompson said hed been keeping an open mind about the case and wanted to see how things played out. That settlement indicated to me that Fox knew they were going to get killed in court, which means they knew they were lying, Thompson said.

Now, instead of just questioning the trustworthiness of liberal media, Thompson told me he now questioned the trustworthiness of all media. And he doesnt know where to go from here. If youre conservative minded and you dont believe in liberal news, and then suddenly you dont believe in conservative news, you dont have news, he said.

Yet I expect viewers like Thompson are probably in the minority. At the moment, it doesnt seem realistic to expect Fox News to seriously change its ways. The channel could barely bring itself to disclose to viewers the brutal beating it had just taken in the Dominion lawsuit. The company seems to have enough financial reserves to pay out the settlement and then some. Murdochs media empire is, after all, used to paying lots of big settlements after flouting the law, and it doesnt seem to have been all that bad for business. (Viewers straying over to Newsmax, though  thats bad for business.) When the money spigot stays on, everybody stays paid, the rank and file stays in line. Inside the prison of profit, the meals are hot, the blankets are soft and few tunnel to escape.

____

ABOUT THE WRITER

Matt Pearce is a reporter for the Los Angeles Times covering internet culture and podcasting.
The Secret City will host vintage car enthusiasts from across the nation May 1-3 at the 2023 Southeastern Divisional Tour, hosted by the East Tennessee Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America (AACA).

The three-day event will feature 100 vehicles that are 25 years or older.

Vintage cars from the earliest era of automobiles to more modern "antiques" will roll into town.

Vintage cars will be on display May 3 in Bissell Park.

The 2023 Southeastern Divisional Tour of the AACA will come to Oak Ridge May 1-3.

The three-day event will feature 100 vehicles that are 25 years or older.

"We are thrilled to host this prestigious event and showcase this beautiful city to the rest of the country," AACA region president R.G. Lewallen said in a press release. "Oak Ridge has a unique history that we are proud to share with fellow automobile enthusiasts. This tour will provide a unique opportunity to see historic sites, drive through the beautiful countryside, and enjoy the camaraderie of fellow car enthusiasts."

Drivers will meet Sunday evening, April 30, for a preview of the tour presented by Oak Ridge Historian D. Ray Smith, along with other East Tennessee Region members. The agenda includes visiting landmarks that define The Secret City, and soaking up the natural beauty of the East Tennessee countryside. The tour will also feature stops at three museums dedicated to the history of Oak Ridge, its role in ending World War II, and the cutting-edge nuclear technology that is still being developed in the region today.

Toward the end of the tour, on May 3, participants will be treated to an ice cream social and car display in Bissell Park in Oak Ridge.

The public is welcome to come out from 3-5 p.m. and enjoy an assortment of antique cars from all around the United States. The car display is free.

Tennessee author and humorist Sam Venable will headline a banquet concluding the event, according to the news release.

This article originally appeared on Oakridger: Antique Automobile Club of America rolling into Oak Ridge Tennessee
CANTON  The public is invited to a free Community Resource Fair, coordinated by Goodwill Industries, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 27, at The Ken Weber Community Campus at Goodwill, 408 Ninth St. SW.

The community event will offer information about all types of valuable services. There will be giveaways, and a food truck will be on site.

More than 30 local agencies will take part in the event, including Access Health Stark County; Alzheimer's Association; AmeriCorps Seniors - RSVP Program of Stark County; AmeriCorps Seniors / Senior Companions & Foster Grandparents; American Red Cross; BookWorks; Canton City Public Health; Canton Ex-Newsboys Association; CareSource; CLEAN Foundation Inc.; Coleman Crisis Services; CommQuest Services; Community Legal Aid; COMPASS; Domestic Violence Project, Inc.; First Christian; Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio; Lifecare Family Health & Dental Center; Margaret B. Shipley Child Health Clinic ; OhioMeansJobs  Stark and Tuscarawas counties; PCs for People; Phoenix Rising; Project REBUILD; Queer in Canton; Refuge of Hope Ministries; SARTA; SPARK Ohio (Early Childhood Resource Center); Stark County Board of DD; Stark County Community Action Pathways HUB; Stark County CSEA; Stark County District Library; Stark County Family Council; Stark County Fatherhood Coalition; Stark County Hunger Task Force; Stark County Job & Family Services; Stark County TASC; Stark Metropolitan Housing Authority; The Salvation Army; VANTAGE Aging; and Veterans In Recovery Group.

Free professional headshots, courtesy of Live Shots, will be available to any attendee. Attendees will also be able to get free childrens books as part of Goodwills BookWorks program. Books are available in reading levels for infants through young adults.

Toasted food truck will be on site for attendees to purchase food during the event. The event is sponsored by CareSource and Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Goodwill's Community Resource Fair is April 27
Fremont City Schoolsl is asking voters to renew a 1.25% income tax levy in the May 2 primary.

During the 1992-93 school year Fremont City Schools found itself at a crossroads. The district was unable to successfully pass a property tax increase to adequately fund the school district's operational costs, the district's carryover of funds was running out, and educational programming, to include extracurricular activities, was severely at risk.

Superintendent Kent Watkins, in conjunction with the school board, decided to try an income tax to see if that method of funding would be more palatable to Fremont's citizens. Superintendent Watkins led a skillful campaign, and the voters responded with a positive vote for a 0.75% income tax which kept the district solvent for the next 10 years.

In 2003, the tax was raised to 1.25 % where it has remained for the last 20 years. It was hoped the State Legislature would address the funding of public education in a positive way at some point, and the tax would no longer be necessary. That is why it was established for five-year periods as opposed to a permanent tax.

Unfortunately, the legislature has not responded to school funding inadequacies even after having been ordered to do so five times by the State Supreme Court.

The School District Income Tax had been successfully renewed each time it has been on the ballot since 1998, five years after initial passage. In November of 2022 it was not renewed, causing the operations of the school district, as well as its many fine programs, to be in jeopardy. The 1.25% income tax generates 19% of the school district's budget for operations, which amounts to approximately $9,000,000. There is no other funding source that can be used to compensate for the potential loss of that amount of income. The bond issues, which the community generously supported for the construction of the four new elementary schools, the middle school and the high school, cannot be used for the actual operation of the schools. Those funds can only be used for construction and maintenance.

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Fremont's school system has done a miraculous job over the years operating the schools within budgetary frameworks while consistently finding ways to produce dynamic curricula, offer outstanding extracurricular activities, keep pace with advances in technology, and provide much-needed services to meet the diverse needs of the community's student body. We say miraculous because there hasn't been an increase in local funding as it pertains to operations for the past 20 years, an accomplishment unheard of in this day and age.

One of the more abhorrent things a school district has to do is ask its community to consider another levy. Most of the time these requests are made to increase funding for operations. This particular levy will not raise taxes or increase revenue. It is a renewal of the existing income tax that was approved in 2003, 10 years after the tax was originally approved in 1993.

As we said, the hope has always been that the Ohio Statehouse would finally come to grips with public education funding so the need to ask voters to approve levies would disappear. The State Legislature has not only not addressed the problem, it has made it worse by removing funding sources such as the Tangible Personal Property tax which has cost Ohio's school districts millions of dollars. Whenever a state funding source has been removed there is always a promise that "school districts will be made whole." At best that is wishful thinking. At worst it is delusional. It never happens.

So, once again the Fremont City Schools sits at a crossroads as it did 30 years ago. The school system has been blessed with great community support over those thirty years, and the community has been rewarded with schools of which to be extremely proud. It has always been a student-centered district, with the needs of each child of paramount importance. The community has invested mightily to provide itself with state of the art and safe schools, highly qualified staff, and a caring and able administration. It has also voted in board members who have the needs of the student body first and foremost in their hearts.

Can any of us function with our income of 1993? Of course not. Absent meaningful financial intervention from the State Legislature, it becomes our duty to fund our schools appropriately. As responsible citizens we must take care of our schools and the children they serve. Our taxes will not increase, and the schools will not receive "extra." It is simply to maintain what the district now has without turmoil or interruption. Let's go to the polls May 2 and do our duty. Vote "FOR" the renewal.

Alex Gorobetz is a former member of the Fremont City Schools Board of Education and the retired director of special education and student services for the district.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Guest Column: Vote 'Yes' for Schools on May 2
Following confirmation Friday that Alec Baldwin will no longer face criminal charges in the death of Halyna Hutchins, the family of the Rust cinematographer will press ahead with a civil suit against Baldwin, who was holding the prop gun that fired the bullet killing Hutchins on set in October 2021.

Lawyer Gloria Allred, who represents Hutchins mother Olga Solovey, her father Anatolii Androsovych, and sister Svetlana Zemko, said Friday her clients remain hopeful, asserting: Mr Baldwin may pretend that he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and ejecting a live bullet which ended Halynas life. He can run to Montana and pretend that he is just an actor in a wild west movie but, in real life, he cannot escape from the fact that he had a major role in a tragedy which had real life consequences.

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Baldwins lawyers called their action misguided and unlikely to survive legal scrutiny. Baldwin, as both star and producer of the film, previously reached a deal with Hutchins widower, the details of which remain private, but which include the latter becoming a named exec producer on the film, which has now resumed production in Montana.

Director Joel Souza made a statement, calling the move bittersweet and vowed to finish the film on Halynas behalf. No working firearms or ammunition are allowed on set for the film, expected to wrap in May.

Baldwin had been due to appear in court May 3 for a preliminary hearing, but the charges were formally withdrawn on Friday, following prosecutors receipt of other information. The films armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, remains charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

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Ashley Newman, who works for the Kansas City Royals, was unaware that a small guest had inadvertently come along on her commute to work at Kauffman Stadium

gofundme

It turned out to be a "royal" rescue for a puppy who accidentally rode miles from Johnson County, Kansas, to the home of MLB's Kansas City Royals inside a car's engine bay.

"The absolute craziest thing happened to me today," Royals digital reporter and host Carrie Gillaspie said in a video she shared on social media on Thursday.

"I heard yelping sounds coming a few rows back in the parking lot. I went over to investigate and quickly learned that there was a small dog stuck in the engine of this car. She looked so happy to see us, but we still had no way to get her out."

me: getting to work early yesterday to catch up on some things.



this little dog: lets do this instead! pic.twitter.com/qcO7HQ4rxn  Carrie Lippert Gillaspie (@CarrieGillaspie) April 20, 2023

The owner of the car, Ashley Newman, who is the coordinator for Royals Charities, which supports various communities in and around the Kansas City area, was surprised to receive the news.

"Oh, my goodness! In my car?'" Newman said, according to Fox Weather.

Related:A 'Puppy Bus' in Alaska Is Delighting the Internet: 'I Can't Believe We Do This for a Living'

The dog was found under the hood of the car. "Two eyeballs just looking right up at us," Newman said to Fox Weather. "She was in there pretty good."

The dog, a 4-month-old Pomeranian Shih Tzu mix named BonBon, was released through the bottom of the car with help from other Royals employees.

"With a little bit of teamwork and effort, BonBon, she kind of fell right out," Newman told Fox Weather.

She admitted she had no idea how the pup had wormed its way into the engine bay nor survived the 30-minute trip from her home to Kauffman Stadium.

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BobBon went missing for four days before she was found under the hood of the car, according to a GoFundMe posted by her owner, Thatiana Chavez. Newman was able to locate her Chavez through a lost pets page on Facebook in order to reunite her with her pet.

Related:'Brave and Friendly' Golden Retriever Puppy Training to Become Avalanche Rescue Dog in Alaska

In her GoFundMe, Chavez is requesting assistance with the vet bills incurred from the pup's adventure, which resulted in a few injuries.

"Unfortunately, she ran away and went missing for 4 days. Thankfully someone found her underneath the hood of the vehicle," Chavez noted. "We're not sure how her paw and tail got injured, But I took her to see a veterinarian and they gave us some news and said, they would have to amputate her tail, and as of right now they're trying to figure out if they can save her toes."

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As of Friday evening, the campaign had netted more than $1,000.

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Read the original article on People.
Courtesy of Netflix

Spoilers below for season 1 of The Diplomat.

Keri Russells eyes say it all: The ending of the first season of Netflixs The Diplomat is outrageous, and also the ideal argument for the series continuing existence. Showrunner Debora Cahn has crafted that elusive not-prestige-but-not-not-prestige political thriller, one that marries the addicting silliness Netflix has staked its claim upon with the sobriety of those other streamers-that-shall-not-be-named. By the time Cahns name flashes onto the screen of episode 8, The James Bond Clause, the stakes feel both ridiculous and real. Which is, of course, the perfect formula for a cliffhanger finale.

The episode opens with Kate Wyler (Russell) staring into the distance, fretting over the ways she believes shes failed as a U.S. ambassador and might fail still. Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) is furious over her inability to sway President Rayburn (Michael McKean) into supporting the so-called Libya plan, in which the Brits would attack the Russian Lenkov Group in Libya as retaliation for the (supposedly) Russian-backed bombing of the British airplane carrier HMS Courageous. The new plan is one Trowbridge suddenly supports the next day: British Special Forces will arrest leader Roman Lenkov himself in France, where hes visiting his secret family in Cap dAntibes. Trowbridge, who previously thought the plan cowardly, is suddenly its biggest fan.

U.S. Secretary of State Miguel Ganon (Miguel Sandoval), British Foreign Secretary Austin Dennison (David Gyasi), Deputy Chief of Mission Stuart Heyford (Ato Essandoh) and Kate fly to Paris. There, Kate is expected to ask the French minister of the interior, Brielle Fournier (Micky Sebastian), for permission to use British Special Forces in the Lenkov arrest. But she has some issues at home: Her husband, Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell), is scheming behind the scenes. In her own act of marital diplomacy, Kate has offered for him to join her in Paris; he turns her down, accepting another olive branch in place of the trip. Since Kate will be abroad, hell deliver a speech in her stead at the international relations think tank Chatham House.

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The speech, like so much of Hals schmoozing, is a roaring success. He waives the so-called Chatham House Rule, which designates that speeches can be cited broadly but not credited to a specific orator. Hal wants to be seen, heard, and spread widely. In other words, hes campaigningand not subtlyfor the role of secretary of state, a job that Hals former colleague revealed might be, uh, vacated imminently.

Courtesy of Netflix

Even from afar, Kate knows her husband well enough to recognize when hes manipulating relationships behind her back. At Chatham House, Hal meets a British MP named Merritt Grove, who urges they meet for dinner that evening. Although Hal tries to politely decline, he offers to connect Merritt instead to Billie Appiah (Nana Mensah), the White House Chief of Staff. Such a move is an enormous overreach, given that Hal is not currently an acting U.S. ambassador. Its exactly this overreach that clues Kate into Hals ulterior motives. Shes livid, and once again decides their marriage must end.

Demanding that Hal cancel the meeting (and refusing to further help her husband oust Ganon as secretary of state), Kate leans instead on Dennison, who provides comfort and counsel as they speed-walk along the Seine. I feel like the stand-up thing to do is to give a relationship every possible chance, right? she says. I mean, its the whole fucking definition of my lifes work.

Perhaps youre just a decent person in a time when decency has lost its hold on the public imagination, Dennison replies, which just might be the most romantic thing Kates heard in a good long while.

Meanwhile, Stuart and assistant Ronnie (Jess Chanliau) go into Hal Crisis Management Mode. They tell Mr. Wyler theyll take the Grove meeting, so as to prove to the world that the White House is not a fee-for-services organization, but Halangered by the implication that hes selling accessinsists on a five-minute handover.

In Paris, Kates version of HCMM is slipping into the kind of red silk gown thatll drop Dennisons jaw, even if her real mission for the evening at the Louvre is convincing Fournier of the British Special Forces stipulation. Ultimately, she succeeds: Fournier grants permission, but tacks on another tidbit. One must register surprise that the present U.S. administration, after pointedly proclaiming a break with the past, would so strongly lobby for an extrajudicial assassination, she tells Kate, to the latters great confusion and shock. Translation: Trowbridge has no intention of arresting Lenkov; hes going to have him killed.

Alex Bailey/Netflix

Kate flees the party, certain that Dennison has taken advantage of their flirtation and deceived her about Trowbridges true plans. He follows her outside to the street, where she whirls on him, demanding the truth. But Dennison is just as floored by the assassination news as Kate herself. Trowbridge wouldnt, he says. It would bring down his government. By the time he says this, Kate has already connected the dots in her mind, and so she snatches Dennisons phone, switching on loud music and tossing the device to their bodyguard so as to ensure their conversation isnt overheard.

Listen to me, she says, grabbing Dennisons shoulder and staring at him, pleading for him to understand. A dead Lenkov is only good for the people who hired him. If Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge wants him dead

Finally, Dennison gets it. Nicol Trowbridge hired him, he says.

Their realization comes too late; the plot is already underway. Stuart pulls up to the site of the Grove meeting, unable to get in touch with CIA chief Eidra Park (Ali Ahn), now his ex-girlfriend. (To summarize, Eidra learned of his plans to follow Kate to D.C. should she become the next VP, even after Stuart told Eidra herself to reject a job in Cairo...so they could be together in London. Not cool.) Ronnie runs inside to alert Grove of his new guests while Stuart battles it out with Hal on the phone. Grove is pissed about the ambush, insisting he meet specifically with Hal. As he attempts to get into his car and departwith Ronnie, Stuart and Hal all colliding with him outside the restaurantthe vehicle explodes.

Outside the Louvre, Kate and Dennison learn of the attack. Kates eyes fill with tears as the camera spins around her, echoing her terror and disorientation. Watching, we know shes asking the same question we are, even if she doesnt vocalize it: Are Stuart, Hal and Ronnie alive?

The answer is, likely, yes. Theres little to no chance The Diplomat will kill off two of its central characters that quickly, especially as the conflicts around them have finally crystallized into something robust and compelling. Sewells Hal is not only a source of comic relief and charisma, but hes often the mechanism spurring Kate forward, even if shed care not to admit it. And Stuart is a kingmaker-in-the-making, with far too much potential as Kates right hand for Cahn to squander it on shock factor.

As for Ronniewell, sadly, that seems a far more likely loss. Not only was Stuarts assistant directly in range of the blast, but theyre enough of a side character for a hypothetical death to resonate emotionally without stripping the plot of its propulsion. Grove is almost certainly dead, too. And if thats the case, Kate will be after not just recovery but retaliationor her form of it, which is intelligence.

So, who ordered the car bombing? It seems possible that Grove, part of Trowbridges Conservative Party, somehow had information about Trowbridges involvement in the HMS Courageous attack and wanted to tell someone he could trust: a diplomat like Hal. But if Trowbridge caught word of this deception, he could have stopped the leak by orchestrating a hit on his own MP. And perhaps he didnt exactly plan for three Americans to get caught in the crossfire.

So, why did Trowbridge order an attack on his own people in the first place? Remember, hes trying to win a by-election. If he could make it appear as though Iran had sparked a war with the U.K.and then bravely enact vengeance upon themhed maybe win over the nationalist voters he needs. In one fell swoop, hed mimic the post-9/11 battle cry of the early aughts.

Thats a potent premise in an era of Brexit nationalism and xenophobia, especially when Kate herself was initially drawn under Trowbridges spell. Moving into an all-but-certain second season, the question is not only who will survive, but who theyll choose to trust when they meet again.

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Thunder Over Louisville, the Kentucky Derby Festival's largest event returned for its 34th year Saturday and even weather fit for February  not April  did not keep thousands away from the waterfront.

"Through the Decades" was the theme of the 2023 Thunder Over Louisville, one of the largest annual fireworks shows and top airshows in North America.

"We have all become a little more nostalgic over the last few years because of those special events we have missed, and now we have an even greater appreciation for those traditions," Matt Gibson, Kentucky Derby Festival president and CEO, said previously. "We wanted the theme for this year's show to pay tribute to those favorite Thunder memories our Festival Fans have experienced across the decades."

You may like: When is Thunder Over Louisville in 2023? Your guide to the Kentucky Derby Festival event

While fireworks have played a role in The Kentucky Derby Festival since the 1960s, the spark of the idea to create a pyrotechnics spectacular launched in 1991 when the first Thunder was held downtown over the Ohio River.

Did you miss Thunder or do you just want to relive the day? Check out our live blog and hundreds of photos from Thunder Over Louisville.

10 p.m.: And just like that, it's over

Roger and Adele M. were married in Louisville 21 years ago. They returned from Maryland for this year's Thunder Over Louisville

That's it. The fireworks are over and 2023 Thunder Over Louisville is officially finished.

Roger and Adele M. got married in Louisville 21 years ago. They came to Thunder five years ago when their son was 1 years old.

They came back from Maryland to celebrate their anniversary and watch the show.

And now they join thousands of others in the race to get home, to a hotel or an Airbnb.

9:30 p.m.: Finally time for fireworks -- then a "false start"

Viewers of the WAVE3 broadcast of the Thunder Over Louisville fireworks saw something people downtown might not have noticed: a false start.

The soundtrack for the program started, but no fireworks were exploding.

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"The soundtrack came on and we heard a couple of the fireworks which appeared to be off the 2nd Street Bridge explode or ignite but none of the barges," WAVE hosts said. "Theyre checking all their conditions now.

That was followed by a live shot from inside the control room of people looking frantic as they appeared to be diagnosing the problem.

The fireworks started a few seconds later and the soundtrack was reset.

The Thunder Over Louisville fireworks finally started.

And while people downtown might not have noticed, Twitter did. Of course:

The fireworks delay almost got the Griswold treatment  pic.twitter.com/XgC75j4zA2  Terry (@PhillyTeez30) April 23, 2023

The National Guard at #ThunderOverLouisville while the fireworks failed to launch and nothing else was happening: pic.twitter.com/O1A1YgGqm0  Kyle Parks (@kyleparks77) April 23, 2023

Kim Broyles and her daughters Presley and Lincoln enjoy the fireworks at the Galt House.

Kim Broyles and her daughters Presley and Lincoln enjoyed the festivities by running between outside and their room inside the Galt House, so they weren't about to miss the fireworks, even if Presleys bare feet were cold inside her Crocs.

She hoped to see a heart-shaped firework. Kim had brought gloves for the girls. They sat on a bench as police car lights illuminated their faces. Kim said a few fireworks that had gone off throughout the day had made her pause to check if it was the sound of fireworks or gunfire.Your reaction is still fresh, she said.

9:00 p.m.: Mystery tour lands couple in Louisville

Don and Linda Pickering ended up in Louisville as part of a mystery tour, run out of Athens, Georgia.

Don and Linda Pickering had no idea they were coming to Louisville. They showed up yesterday being told only that where they were going was between 50-70 degrees. But they decided to brave the cold anyways because they heard so much about the Thunder Over Louisville fireworks show.

They watched the air show and then went in search of sweatshirts. Linda convinced Don to stand outside for nearly 30 minutes before the show, despite him wearing shorts.They are on Hucks mystery tour, run by Darrell Huckaby of Athens, Georgia. The tour route is a mystery and this is the sixth time the couple has had an amazing adventure.

They were at Churchill Downs yesterday.

We have loved everything so far, Don said. Except were from Georgia. Its not this cold.

8:45 p.m.: Spectacle vs. cold

Norma Torres and Rafael Torres moved to Indiana from Mexico four years ago and it's their third year coming to Thunder Over Louisville.

The pair have stayed for the fireworks the last two years, but this year they are leaving early because of the cold.

The spectacle is really beautiful, but we want to go back because of the cold, Norma Torres said.

They said this is a great place to be with family and Norma Torres was thankful for the security and said the event was really organized.

It seems all big events end up with a popular accessory: ponchos, sunscreen, hats, etc. But this year at Thunder the must-have accessory is a blanket.

8 p.m.: Dan Wilson finally made it to Thunder

Dan Wilson, of Northern Indiana, at the 2023 Thunder Over Louisville on April 22, 2023.

Dan Wilson always wanted to come to Thunder, but every time, he missed it. This year, the man from Northern Indiana finally made it.

And he made sure to bring binoculars to see the show.

Most air shows, it's one after the other, after the other, after the other it's more fast-paced. But this is more of a social event," Wilson said. "And it's kind of neat that it's different than the air shows just stretched over time so you can hang out., have fun, talk.

He used to fly planes and wanted to join the Air Force, but was taller than the limit.

He isn't sure if he, his youngest son and his daughters boyfriend  who made the trip with him  will stay until the fireworks. His son wants to, but we're freezing.

7:35 p.m.: 'Love it, love it'

71-year-old Opal Lynch Burkhart's smile grew every time a plane passed by her at Thunder Over Louisville on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Love it, love it, said 71-year-old Opal Lynch Burkhart from Jeffersonville about the loud noise from the airplanes passing. Every time a F53 plane passed by, her smile grew.

Burkhart has been to Thunder Over Louisville for more than 10 years and says I love Thunder, I love those aircrafts.

Jessica Davis lives in Louisville, but came to Indiana to watch the show with her husband and two children since she thought the Kentucky side was really crowded. Even though she was born in Indiana, this is her first Thunder Over Louisville.

About the airshow, she said I thought it was really cool, actually. And they are staying until the fireworks, despite the notice of cold weather head  but they came prepared and brought blankets and quilts.

7:15 p.m.: Weather forces some to leave Waterfront Park early

Crowds continue to fill Waterfront Park for Thunder Over Louisville airshow and fireworks on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

A group of three people were leaving Waterfront Park ahead of sunset and the fireworks show.

When asked why, a man bundled in a hoodie said, "It's cold."

"They need to do this in the summertime," another added as they kept walking, hands tucked in their pockets and shoulders shrugged to their ears.

Travis Hall, his wife and two daughters were done fighting the cold as well.

Travis Hall, his wife and two daughters leave Thunder Over Louisville airshow ahead of fireworks because of cold weather on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Its just miserable, Hall said. The wind sucks.

His oldest daughter raised her tiny bare hands and complained that they were hurting due to the cold. Her little sister shivered and nodded in agreement as the family walked away from the waterfront.

7:00 p.m.: Thunder Over Louisville enters fourth hour

Crowds seem to be growing around Riverside Drive in Indiana as the Thunder Over Louisville airshow enters its fourth hour on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Crowds continue to grow  a vast difference from earlier Saturday  but there is still space along the sidewalks for people to watch the airshow and set up ahead of the fireworks. Under the I-64 bridge it is becoming packed with people. Food trucks are parked nearby still serving at a reasonable pace.

Brian, Amanda and Briana May love Thunder Over Louisville airshow and fireworks  no matter the weather. They had a front row seat with the river too. So they had no wind blockage

Brian, Amanda and Briana May come over every year to the Kentucky side of the river because they love the airshow and fireworks  even if it means wearing three shirts, jackets and hoodies, a comforter and braving the wind.Weve stayed for worse weather, Amanda said. Remember that year it was cold and raining? We stayed.

6:15 p.m.: The silent part of downtown, honoring Louisville mass shooting victims

Walking past the steps of the Old National Bank in downtown Louisville, people grew silent to pay respects to the victims who died. People came to downtown to attend the Thunder Over Louisville events on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

The bouquets of flowers lay dry across the steps of Old National Bank. The corner of Preston and East Main was the quietest part of downtown, as groups of people grew silent while walking past the site of a mass shooting that happened 12 days ago. No one seemed to walk by without glancing at the steps. A woman wearing jockey silks earrings wiped at her eyes. A girl with braids tapped her boyfriend and pointed at the crosses. One man grabbed his wife and pulled her close. Many bowed their heads. At the edge of the building, a woman stood against the marble with her eyes squeezed shut as tears steamed down her face.

Diana Garcia also paused to pay respect. Garcia works at a law firm and often comes downtown with her bosses. Her cousin called her from Texas in a panic on April 10. Buried in work, she didn't hear the news at the time.

Carol Brueggemeyer and Gretchen Wrolstad heard about the shooting from news stations and social media in Cincinnati. They came down to visit family for the Thunder Over Louisville event.

I was scared to death, Brueggemeyer said about waiting for a text from her son to know he was OK.Wrolstad said, And I thought, 'Oh my God, another one.'

5:00 p.m.: 'Nowhere near as loud as it use to be'

Richard and Fred Fuchs sit at Waterfront Park to watch Thunder Over Louisville airshow on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Richard and Fred Fuchs have sat through snow, sleet and rain to watch Thunder Over Louisville for at least the last 20 years. However, this year has been a disappointment for them.

From the original time we saw it until now, its a 3 or 4 out of 10," Richard said. Theres not any stealth fighters and bombers. Its really quiet and nowhere near as loud as it used to be since theres less jets.

Lutitia Patterson watches a plane fly over the Ohio River from Waterfront Park during Thunder Over Louisville airshow on April 22, 2023.

Lutitia Patterson said she usually watches Thunder Over Louisville from her television in her Newburgh home, but decided come out and watch from the riverfront with her son  who now lives out of town. It doesnt seem like a whole lot going on, she said. Maybe its because the edits on TV, but there are more breaks.

Gavin Pigman, of Charlestown, Indiana, takes video of the planes at Thunder Over Louisville airshow on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Gavin Pigman, of Charlestown, Indiana, and Christian Chan came to watch the 123rd Special Tactics Squadron Parachute team because they had a friend on the team.

Since he was young, Chan has always watched Thunder Over Louisville, and while he's felt as though there aren't as many planes flying back to back this year, he said he can't imagine the coordination that takes place to schedule all the different entities of the airshow.

The planes are cool though," Chan said. And definitely the fireworks are the best Ive ever seen.

3:45 p.m.: 'We came down for the airshow'

A parachutist floats down to the Ohio River during the airshow at Thunder Over Louisville. April 22, 2023.

Kali and Terence Bell and their two children were among the crowd in southern Indiana for Thunder Over Louisville. Kali told the Courier Journal it was her first time at the event as she just moved to the area.

"We came down for the airshow," she said. The family was filling up on fare from local food trucks, including sampling corn dogs, chicken tenders and funnel cake.

3:30 p.m.: Thunder Over Louisville airshow is underway

Saturday's Thunder Over Louisville airshow is underway. Some of the first airshow acts included The Golden Knights demonstration team and a parachutist who floated down toward the Ohio River.

3: p.m.: Last-minute tickets still available for spots in Indiana

Mike O'Donnell, general manager of Upland Brewing Co., on the riverfront in Jeffersonville said the brewery still has a few $100 tickets for a spot in its beer garden that includes food, music from DJ Tank, and a fire truck provided by the Bachman Brigade with a beer draft system, a TV and seats for tailgating.

Mike O'Donnell, general manager of Upland Brewing Co., on the riverfront in Jeffersonville said the brewery still has a few $100 tickets for a spot in its beer garden that includes food, music from DJ Tank, and a fire truck provided by the Bachman Brigade with a beer draft system, a TV and seats for tailgating.

People can bring chairs and blankets for the space, as well.

You may like: The full Thunder Over Louisville air show lineup is here! Check out who's coming in 2023

2:45 p.m.: 'The best available' spot to what Thunder Over Louisville

William Rodriguez, who just moved to Indiana, said Saturday was his first time attending Thunder Over Louisville. He came to The Jefferson, 715 W Riverside Dr., with his wife to watch the show because it was "the best available" spot that offered live music, access to cash bars and food vendors, plus porta-potties, which can be at a premium at Thunder.Rodriguez said he was excited to see the airshow and fireworks.

1:50 p.m.: 'A Memory to take home'

Families sit for caricature drawings under the bridge at Thunder Over Louisville, on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Families sit for caricature drawings under the bridge at Thunder Over Louisville. As they tried to walk past the booth, the artists convinced them to stop and get a memory to take home.

1:15 p.m.: A chance to win some prizes

Grace Coleman, 14, and her family come to Thunder every year and bring their camper, parking it across the street from Waterfront Park. Her favorite part of Thunder, she said, are the different armed forces stations. She took on the pull-up challenge at the U.S. Marine Corps station.

Grace Coleman, 14, and her family come to Thunder every year and bring their camper, parking it across the street from Waterfront Park.

Her favorite part of Thunder, she said, is the different armed forces stations. She took on the pull-up challenge at the U.S. Marine Corps station.

"Depending on the performance and how you do on stuff, you can win prizes," she said.

#ThunderOverLouisville has more to offer attendees than just an airshow and fireworks. Over at the Meijer Family Fun Zone, there are a variety of childrens rides and carnival games. pic.twitter.com/wCpPXrTma4  Olivia Evans (@oliviamevans_) April 22, 2023

12:30 p.m.: Ready for the 'pretty' fireworks

Two young girls, Desi and Sophia Ghiloni, hang out with their mom, Amanda, at the "UPS Flight Deck" and play catch ahead of Thunder Over Louisville. April 22, 2023

Two young girls, Desi and Sophia Ghiloni, hang out with their mom, Amanda, at the "UPS Flight Deck" and play catch.Desi said she was excited about the fireworks because theyre "pretty" and her sister Sophia said she likes to watch the planes fly.The Ghiloni girls, who have been to Thunder Over Louisville before, could hardly stay still, bouncing around from doodling on the sidewalk with chalk to playing catch to just running around.

You may like: Here's what to know about road closures in downtown during Thunder Over Louisville

12:15 p.m.: 'UPS Flight Deck' shares history of UPS, Kentucky Derby Festival

The "UPS Flight Deck" at the Kentucky Derby Festival's Thunder Over Louisville at Waterfront Park gives spectators a chance to win prizes, and apply for jobs.

Over on the "UPS Flight Deck," the logistics employer has a tent set up that displays the history of UPS and Thunder Over Louisville. People can stop at the UPS tent to play corn hole, spin a wheel to win prizes and apply for jobs.

Lee Nelson, a talent acquisition specialist with UPS, said it was important for UPS to be out at an event like Thunder Over Louisville because "we impact the community so much. Not just jobs ... but we offer so much education to students," among other things.

"We support Louisville a lot. Of course, UPS is not going anywhere and we always have jobs available, whether it's days, nights, or part-time," she said. "We're here to support Louisville in any way we can."

12 p.m.: An inside look at the Thunder Over Louisville Command Center

Courier Journal photographer Michael Clevenger sent in this behind-the-scenes video of the Thunder Over Louisville Command Center inside The Galt House Hotel downtown. Wayne Hettinger, who produces the Thunder show and is the owner of Visual Presentations, can be seen hard at work.

You may like: Thunder Over Louisville weather: Forecast has improved, but expect chilly temperatures

11:50 a.m.: Happy Thunder!

Walking down Witherspoon Street, a young boy shouted "Grandpa I found the prize basket!" as they walk by a toy stand. Eventually, after a bit of begging, the grandpa caves and buys the child a small toy.

"Happy Thunder," the grandpa said as the two held hands and crossed the street.

11:30 a.m.: Food trucks set up at Waterfront Park for Thunder

Jessie McCoy, her sister, mom and dad all came to downtown Louisville for Thunder with the goal of helping her brother grow his new business.Recently, her brother bought a food truck, The Hangry Chicken, with hopes of going to events and selling food to hungry customers.This is The Hangry Chicken's first Thunder as a food vendor, and its second event ever."We're hoping to figure out how to be a food truck and sell really good food and engage with customers and be a really friendly business to the community," McCoy told the Courier Journal.

10:40 a.m.: Clear skies at Waterfront Park ahead of airshow

It's all clear skies at Waterfront Park and over the Ohio River in downtown Louisville this morning. The Kentucky Derby Festival took some time this morning to thank its sponsors, including UPS, which will fly its UPS Airlines Airbus 300 over Louisville right around 3:45 p.m. Check out the airshow lineup here.

You may like: From rooftop parties to Slugger Field, 12+ places to watch Thunder Over Louisville

10 a.m.: Do you know where to park for Thunder Over Louisville?

Heading downtown for Thunder Over Louisville? What to know in advance about parking https://t.co/wftxc4pBYW  Courier Journal (@courierjournal) April 17, 2023

Each year, Louisville and Indiana traffic officials pledge to get you home after one of the biggest fireworks shows in the country ... eventually.

If you're heading downtown, it's best to know where you can and can't go, which roads will be closed, and where you can park. We hope you've pre-planned your route according to the area you intend to travel to after the show.

Check out our handy parking guide before you head downtown so you can get in and out of Thunder with ease.

9:25 a.m.: How to keep your pets safe during Thunder

Keep your four-legged family members safe this year with these tips from the Kentucky Humane Society.

https://t.co/MTB0OunYLP  Courier Journal (@courierjournal) April 21, 2023

Thunder Over Louisville will be loud  thunder, after all, is part of the name. Saturday's spectacle is one of the largest firework show in America, which means animals may be frightened during the evening portion of the event, according to the Kentucky Humane Society, which means they can get stressed or run away during the show.

Read the tips above to keep your pets safe this year.

9 a.m.: Waterfront Park's North Great Lawn opens

If you're heading down to Waterfront Park's North Great Lawn today, which opens as early as 9 a.m., keep in mind that public viewing areas stretch from 8th Street to Clay Street north of Main Street in Kentucky, and along Riverside Drive from Ashland Park in Clarksville to Spring Street in Jeffersonville, Indiana, according to kdf.org. The Chow Wagon and more than 100 food and drink vendors and fun family activities kick off by 11 a.m.

The massive airshow gets underway around 3 p.m. and will continue to delight fans until dusk. The firework show begins at 9:30 p.m. and lasts until 10 p.m.

You may like: 7 things you can or can't bring to Thunder Over Louisville 2023 at Waterfront Park

Also, remember that phone service isn't always great when 500,000 of your closest friends are all packed into one space for Thunder Over Louisville. So we've created a printable/downloadable guide with everything you need to know about the event. You can download it here.

8:45 a.m.: A chilly start to Thunder morning

A USAF F-35 drops flares while practicing Friday, April 21 before Saturday's 2023 Thunder Over Louisville.

Louisvillians woke up to a frost advisory this morning and overcast skies. Temperatures are supposed to hit 60 degrees today, with only a 2% chance of rain. That means it will be slightly cool, but dry at Waterfront Park's North Great Lawn.

More Thunder Over Louisville coverage

The 2023 Kentucky Derby Festival's Thunder Over Louisville airshow featured dozens of civilian and military aircraft on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Thunder Over Louisville 2023: Live from Kentucky Derby Festival event
The Maine man who police say confessed to killing his parents and their two friends before going on a shooting rampage on a nearby interstate had been released from prison just days prior  when he'd been picked up by his mother.

Joseph Eaton, 34, appeared briefly in court on Thursday morning and faces four murder charges, with more charges pending. Police arrested him shortly after discovering the bodies of his parents and their friends in a home near Portland on Tuesday morning.

As police searched for Eton on Tuesday, he fled in his parents' rental car and started shooting at passing vehicles, injuring three members of an area family who were driving past.

The shooting spree stunned Mainers, and Mike Sauschuck, commissioner of Maine Public Safety, called the shootings an attack on the soul of our state. It's one of the worst incidents of violence in Maine history, police said.

Killed in the attack were Cynthia Eaton, 63, and her husband, David, 65, a Navy veteran, and friends Patricia and Robert Eger. The Eatons were staying with the Egans while they picked up their son from prison. Their bodies were discovered Tuesday morning by Patricia Eagan's sister who grew worried when no one answered the phone, police said.

The three people injured in the interstate shooting were Sean Halsey, 51, and his children Justin Halsey, 29, and Paige Halsey, 25. Police on Wednesday said Eaton confessed after being arrested.

Shooting in Maine on 295: Man fired on motorists after killing 4, including his parents

What do court records reveal ?

The Eatons, who lived in Kansas, had gone to Maine to pick up their son, who was released from prison on April 14 after serving a 2015 sentence for domestic violence. Cynthia Eaton met her son at the Maine Correctional Facility in Windham, according to the Maine State Police.

They were good people, said Cynthias stepfather, Kenneth W. Fagan Jr., who lives in Ocala, Florida, where the Eatons once lived. They loved their kids. They were the best parents."

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He said the Eatons had lived in Auburndale, in Florida's Polk County, until a few months ago. They sold their home and moved to Kansas City, Kansas, to be with another son who lives there. They later may have moved to Wichita, Fagan said.

An arrest affidavit for Joseph Eaton said Patricia Eagan's sister saw blood on the front steps and entered the home.

Lisa opened the door and yelled but no one answered. Lisa said she entered the home and could see broken glass and blood on the floor. She observed a body in the area of the kitchen covered by a towel, the affidavit says.

She said she also saw several firearms lying about the house and saw drag marks. She left the home to call police, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit said crime scene investigators found a note that said, someone had been molested and that there was nothing done about it. The note mentioned someone being freed of pain and that the writer of the note wanted a new life. The note was not written to anyone nor was it signed by anyone.

Mourners started assembling a makeshift memorial, Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at a Bowdoin, Maine, home where police say four people were killed. A Maine man who police say killed four people in a home and then shot three others randomly on a busy highway had been released days earlier from prison, a state official said Wednesday, and he posted on social media about the need for forgiveness.

Prison terms in Maine and Florida

Joseph Eaton has a long, troubled past, according to media reports and public records. In 2014, his parents tried to persuade Maine authorities to release him to their custody to serve out his probation for a Maine crime. However, that plan did not work out because his father refused to give up his guns. Not having access to firearms was a condition of probation, the Bangor Daily News reported, quoting court documents.

Joseph Eaton eventually moved to Florida to be with his parents in 2017 after being released from prison for violating his probation on a domestic violence charge, the Daily News reported.

In January 2018, he was imprisoned in Florida for three years on aggravated assault on a law enforcement or rescue worker, according to the state Department of Corrections website. He was returned to Maine in 2021.

In a video posted to Facebook before the shootings, a man who appears to be Joseph Eaton left a rambling Facebook Live post asking for forgiveness and talking about people who pretend to be Christians.

Joseph Eaton, the suspect in a shooting spree in Maine, appears in court in West Bath, Maine on Thursday. Eaton, who police say confessed to killing four people in a home and then shot three others randomly on a busy highway Tuesday, had been released days earlier from prison.

Prayers for the dead

News of the slayings touched others in Central Florida who knew the Eatons.

I want to ask the group for prayers to my friend David Eaton and his wife and their two friends and the friends family dog as they were recently murdered in Maine two days ago. David was a longtime Harley owner (over 40 years) and longtime HOG member and officer, Kim Paige, with New Smyrna Beach HOG Chapter 530701, wrote on Facebook.

David and I served together in the Navy in the early 80's in Jacksonville where we were Flight Engineer instructors. I talked to him and his wife at a Navy reunion in 2021 in Maine, we talked about getting together for a ride, he wrote.

Contributing: Frank Stanfield for the Ocala Star-Banner

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Main shooting suspect charged with killing parents, friends in spree
Moby has shared the orchestral rework of South Side, featuring Kaiser Chiefs Ricky Wilson. The song It is taken from the anticipated release of Mobys 20th studio album, Resound NYC on May 12, 2023, through Deutsche Grammophon.

The accompanying stop motion video was directed by Moby and animated by Moby and Lindsay Hicks, with additional animation by Paul Essenhigh and edited by Mike Formanski. You can check it out below.

South Side was originally released as the seventh single from Mobys seminal album Play on October 10, 2000 and featured Gwen Stefani. The track was inspired by Mobys visits to Chicago and his love for its house music scene. The orchestral rework features a funk bass line with the brass section taking the lead as it builds into the euphoric chorus.

On working with Moby, Ricky Wilson said, Moby asked me to sing on one of his songs and I said yes. If you told me a few years ago I would be on Mobys radar enough for him to ask me to sing on a song I would be gobsmacked. I still am a bit gobsmacked to be honest, so it was a pretty easy yes. I dont often agree to do this sort of thing cos I dont want people thinking Im big headed enough to believe that I can do it justice, but if Moby does then thats good enough for me.

On Resound NYC Moby reimagines and orchestrates fifteen of his most iconic tracks written or recorded in New York from the years 1994 to 2010. In February he launched Resound NYC with "In This World" featuring Marisha Wallace, which was followed by "Walk With Me," featuring Lady Blackbird, and most recently "Extreme Ways" featuring Dougy Mandagi (Temper Trap). Other guest vocalists include Gregory Porter, Margo Timmons, and Amythyst Kiah.

Resound NYC is the follow up to Mobys acclaimed album Reprise (May, 2021), which featured guests including Kris Kristofferson, Mark Lanegan, Jim James, and Skylar Grey.

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While many of the vocalists on Resound NYC are well known names, others are less familiar: Moby discovered P.T. Banks singing in a wedding band in Texas, while the elderly father of mesmerizingly soulful Danielle Ponder joins her on the remake of "Run On."

Pre-order Resound NYC.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.
House lawmakers Thursday took aim at one of the headaches of apartment hunting  rental application fees  voting to ban the charges as they passed the first piece of House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi's housing affordability agenda.

The rental application fee ban, introduced by Pawtucket Democrat Cherie Cruz, was a top priority of tenants' rights groups, progressive organizers and the Black, Latino, Indigenous, Asian-American and Pacific Islander Caucus. It passed unanimously and with no debate.

Now it moves to the Senate, where no hearings on the topic have been scheduled. Gov. Dan McKee has said he supports the legislation.

"These fees bankrupt working-class Rhode Islanders already struggling to find an affordable and safe place to live," Shana Crandell, lead tenant organizer for Reclaim Rhode Island, wrote after passage of the bill. "We look forward to the legislature taking further action to bring down the cost of housing and strengthen tenant rights."

Advocates for the homeless protest the state's housing crunch on Dec. 1 during the annual State House Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting.

In a world of complicated housing legislation, the Cruz bill is fairly simple. It says landlords, sub-lessors, brokers and property managers "shall not be allowed to require or demand any prospective tenant to pay ... a rental application fee."

However, the bill's length more than doubled with the addition of an amendment that allows would-be tenants to provide their own credit and background checks to landlords that require them, freeing the applicants of the expense of having to pay for new checks each time they apply for an apartment.

As long as the credit or background check is no more than 90 days old, the language added to the bill says, landlords have to accept them and not charge applicants for fresh checks. It also says if landlords charge prospective tenants for a background or credit check, they have to provide a copy of that report so it can be used in other applications.

The amendment was offered by Rep. David Morales, a Providence Democrat who had introduced similar legislation to ban rental application fees earlier this year.

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In committee testimony on the fee-ban bill, dozens of residents submitted form letters saying Rhode Islanders looking for a place to live often apply to dozens of apartments before they find a place, which can result in application fees totaling $500 to $750.

Chelsea Fernando, senior political organizer for the Rhode Island Working Families Party, wrote in committee testimony that application fees "have become a predatory tool that corporate slumlords and real estate agencies combine with month-to-month leases and regular evictions in order to maintain huge and unethical profit streams."

"The revenue generated from application fees acts as a disincentive for landlords to fill vacant apartments, further entrenching vulnerable Rhode Islanders in a cycle of housing instability and homelessness," she wrote.

There is no exact duplicate of Cruz' bill in the Senate, but Sen. Melissa Murray, D-Woonsocket, has sponsored one that is nearly identical to the Morales bill.

More measures meant to ease the housing crunch

While the rental application fee is the first bill in Shekarchi's 14-bill housing package to pass, others are on the way.

On Wednesday, the House Housing and Municipal Government Committee passed a bill that would make it easier to convert commercial buildings into residences, and another bill with incentives for developers to build near mass-transit hubs. Those bills are expected to come to the full House for a vote next week.

The revised version of the residential conversion bill passed by the Housing Committee on Wednesday would block cities and towns from requiring that residential conversion projects have more than one parking space per unit, even if they do not include below-market-rate units. In the initial version, cities and towns could still require more than one space per unit if a project didn't have affordable housing.

However, to qualify for a "density bonus" with more units than typically allowed under local zoning, a conversion would need to have at least 20% of its units qualify as affordable.

The new version of the bill would go into effect Jan. 1, 2024.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: RI House votes to ban rental housing application fees
RALEIGH  When the North Carolina House of Representatives approved its state budget plan a couple of weeks ago, the proposed pay raises for public employees, tax relief, and policy changes found within the budget bill commanded the lions share of public attention.

No surprise there. Still, please allow me to offer at least a kitty cats share of attention to another item in the House version of the budget: a transfer of $4.2 billion over the next two years from the states General Fund to the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund. This represents a wise investment in North Carolinas growth and quality of life.

Yes, I know capital budgeting is unlikely to produce big headlines or fuel passionate arguments on social media. But its important. Bear with me and Ill do my best to explain why.

To a large extent, state agencies, regional authorities, and local governments are in the property-management business. They own and administer a vast array of buildings, facilities, public lands, and other infrastructure. Managed well, these assets provide ongoing returns to taxpayers in the form of revenue, population inflows, and services rendered. Managed poorly, such properties become distractions and money pits.

The temptation to defer routine maintenance and costly repairs is universal. Ive done it. I bet you have, too. We delay getting our vehicles oil changed or tires replaced. We keep putting off that dirty job or expensive retrofit, telling ourselves it can wait until its more convenient or we have more money in the bank, only to regret it after a catastrophic failure.

For public decisionmakers, the temptation can be much stronger. At least I must confront the reality that if I let problems fester on property I own, I must foot the bill for the resulting catastrophe. Government assets are owned by everybody  which means, in a practical sense, by nobody. Theres less incentive to plan ahead and economize. Todays managers wont necessarily be around to have to deal with tomorrows catastrophic failure. And because future costs are spread across a large base of taxpayers, there isnt much of an incentive for an individual to worry about them.

This is a classic collective-action problem requiring an institutional remedy. In some cases, the right answer might be to sell public assets to private owners who will then face stronger financial incentives to manage them more efficiently. For such properties as school buildings, university classrooms, maintenance facilities, and critical infrastructure, however, a more palatable and practical remedy is to require governments to set aside dedicated funds for repair and replacement.

Thats one of the reasons the North Carolina General Assembly voted several years ago to create the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund (SCIF). By statute, it automatically receives a portion of state revenues and unspent money from a previous years budget. That comes to $1.4 billion for FY 2023-24 and $1.5 billion for 2024-25. The House has voted to transfer an additional $1.3 billion into the SCIF over the next two years.

Now, just to be clear, SCIF funds go to more than repairs and renovations. Theyve been used to pay down North Carolinas bonded debt by hundreds of millions of dollars as well as construct new public buildings and facilities. While it makes sense to finance some long-lived assets with borrowing  especially during periods when construction costs are surging  paying cash has benefits, too. It minimizes future interest payments and forces policymakers to be more disciplined about which capital investments to make, and when.

That having been said, the repairs and renovations financed by SCIF represent prudent government at its best. I know why North Carolinians might just prefer to pocket state budget surpluses as personal income, either as pay raises for public employees or higher take-home pay for taxpayers. But by ensuring the proper upkeep of state assets  and constructing new ones with cash instead of debt  well keep long-term capital costs lower while delivering better-quality services.

To that, I offer a loud meow.
Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, speaks during a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions confirmation hearing for Julie Su to be the Labor Secretary, on Capitol Hill, Thursday, April 20, 2023, in Washington. | Alex Brandon, Associated Press

At her confirmation hearing Thursday, Sen. Mitt Romney said Julie Su, the Biden administrations pick for Labor secretary, was biased and that promoting her makes no sense.

Su may have trouble clearing the Senate nomination process, as several swing senators still havent said whether theyll support her nomination, including Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Jon Tester of Montana, and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

As head of Californias labor department at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Su oversaw the department at a time when applications for unemployment increased significantly, as did fraud.

A state audit found there were more than $30 billion in fraudulent claims paid out in 2021, much of the money for which came from the federal government.

Your record there is so severely lacking, I dont know how in the world it makes sense for the president to nominate you to take over this department, Romney said at the hearing.

Romney said the sum was about as much as we provided in military aid to Ukraine, and he laid the blame for the fraud on Su.

The buck stops at the top. Youre the person running UI. Youre the person that decided to waive the guardrails, he said. The idea of promoting a person whos had that experience to a position of leadership of the entire Department of Labor makes no sense at all.

Su said that most of the fraud occurred in the pandemic unemployment insurance program, which did not have the safeguards that regular unemployment insurance does.

It is hard to believe that Julie Suwhose public calendar shows standing meetings with unions and only very recent engagements with businesseswould be an unbiased, neutral arbiter when negotiating agreements. Her lack of experience and competency makes her unfit to lead @USDOL. pic.twitter.com/98yZzR4nbN  Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) April 20, 2023

Su is currently the acting secretary, and was previously the deputy secretary, and she oversaw the federal department at a time when reports of child labor law violations increased significantly, primarily because of issues related to undocumented children.

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A New York Times report said 250,000 migrant children have come into the U.S. over the past two years, with thousands ending up in unsafe or difficult jobs.

At the confirmation hearing, Romney asked Su about the trafficking of unaccompanied minors in illegal labor markets across the country.

Your department wrote last year that violations have increased by some 70% since 2018. Was that communicated to the White House prior to this year? he asked.

I dont know the answer to that question, Su replied.

Business groups have raised concerns over Sus positions on freelance workers and franchisees, including the International Franchise Association, according to Bloomberg. At the hearing, Su said she was the daughter of immigrants who owned a pizza franchise. Before her government service, Su was a civil rights attorney.

Su has received significant support from unions. The Wall Street Journal reported that labor giant AFL-CIO spent six figures on ads to promote her.

At the hearing, Romney criticized Su for meeting regularly with union officials, but rarely with business associations.

During your last two years at the Department, the public calendar shows that you had a standing meeting with unions on a regular basis, but until six weeks ago, youd not met with any business associations, he said. I guess its really hard to understand how when we think about putting two groups together, getting to the compromise and negotiating, how we could have any confidence that youd be seen as an unbiased, neutral arbiter.

In 2021, when Su was appointed to the deputy labor secretary position, Romney did not vote to confirm her either in committee or on the Senate floor, his spokesperson said.
Glen Campbell gave thousands of interviews in his epic career. Were taking a long look through the archives to choose 20 quotes that illustrate the incredible life and times of the man born in Delight, Arkansas on April 22, 1936.

The following selection includes several interviews that have been largely unseen for many years. We hope they give an insight into the life and times of an artist who grew up dirt poor, paid his dues on the live circuit and then made his name in the industry, as one of the top session guitarists of all time. We then follow his route to worldwide stardom, his personal problems and recovery to marital and spiritual fulfilment. This is the Rhinestone Cowboy in his own words.

We didnt have electricity when we were kids. Daddy used to put the radio on the cook-stove to get a couple more days out of the batteries. We were really out in the sticks. So I heard country and western, Sinatra, everything. Picking up the guitar came natural. It was all I did. There wasnt a lot else to do on the farm (Mojo, 2003)

I was this little kid living in the middle of nowhere in Arkansas. I found out really quickly that I didnt want to look at the south end of a northbound mule. Because of music, its led to this incredible life (San Francisco Chronicle, 2011)

On his guitar inspirations:

Django Reinhardt. Best guitar player that ever lived. He and Stephane Grappelli gave us some of the best playing Ive ever heard, and they did that in the 30s. He was a mad player. It inspired me. It really did make me want to play like that (Guitar Player, 2008)

I played my country music in clubs around the South till 1961, and then I got lucky and started to pick up session work. I played with some of the biggest in the business...Elvis, Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Sammy Davis, Dean Martin. In one year alone, I played on no less than 586 recording sessions (NME, 1970)

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Doing all those session dates brought me a lot of money, but they stopped me concentrating on my singing career, which should have been more important to me. The trouble was, at that time I had no confidence in myself. None of those singing stars I backed even knew my name. I was just the guy at the end of the line, picking guitar (NME, 1970)

On playing the club circuit in the western US:

They should have had Fightin And Dancin Nightly advertised outside some of those clubs. I was playing at a place called the Hitching Post, and some of the guys I worked with in the daytime, they would come out and dance. Some cowboy would smart off to them, and they would jump right in. I would take my guitar and hide it. Protect it. If a flying bottle hit it, man, you couldnt replace it. I never thought of shielding myself, the first thing I thought of was, get the guitar out of the way (The Guardian, 2000)

All I ever did ever since I can remember was eat, live and breathe singing and playing guitar. I worked at a service station for a week, almost took my hand off, changing a flat tyre. Well, I quit that, because I wanted to play my guitar, and I couldnt do that with smashed fingers (The Guardian, 2000)

On working with Phil Spector:

Obviously he was a good producer. I never got to know him that well. He was quiet. He probably didnt weigh 125lbs. But he was a chip-on-the-shoulder kinda guy. I remember playing on Ronnie and the Ronettes, the Crystals, Darlene Love, the Righteous Brothers (Mojo, 2003)

On joining the Beach Boys touring group:

It was in 1965. Id played on all the Beach Boys recording sessions and I knew their songs. So one day they called me and asked if Id play a concert in Dallas with them because Brian Wilson was sick. I said sure. I went to Dallas and made about two million mistakes, but nobody could hear them over the screamin and hollerin of 17,000 kids (NME, 1970)

On his new-found stardom:

I want to get back to Delight [Arkansas], where momma and poppa are living, and I want to build them a house with central heating, so they wont have to go out and chop firewood anymore (New York Times, 1968)

Jimmy Webb is a likeable easy going country boy. One of the nicest fellows Ive ever met, Jimmy has a power of very deep understanding. He cares about people, not politics, and what happens between people is extremely important to him in his writing (Record Mirror, 1969)

On how his success was changing his life:

You cant sit around and talk to mum and dad and brothers and sisters. Theres always somebody dropping by the house. Easter Sunday, something like 127 people came by the house, somebody kept count. It wasnt that way before, I could go home and visit and maybe a couple of friends would come by to see you. Or you go fishing, youve got four or five boats following you around the lake, if they know youre there (CBC, 1969)

I heard that over at Jimmys house, and we went straight off to record it that day. We loaded Jimmys organ onto a truck cos I wanted to capture that exact sound. It had that longing, haunting type melody (Mojo, 2003)

On how his initial hits were helping to change country music:

A change has come over country music lately. Theyre not shuckin it right off the cob anymore. Roger Miller opened a lot of peoples eyes to the possibilities of country music, and its making more impact now because its earthy material, stories, and things that happen to everyday people. I call it People Music (New York Times, 1968)

On meeting his wife Kim:

Ever since I ran into Kim, the whole world turned around. She was an honest woman. But Id been dishonest before, too, so who am I to gripe? Id sat down and prayed for God to send me a wife. I just couldnt get along. Ive been so happy since I married Kim (Spin, 2008)

Im a child Christian now, is what it is. Im discovering who I am and what has actually been given me. To be where I am in this life, the credit goes to God. Im not that brilliant, Im not that smart (700 Club, 1984)

On his live audience at the turn of the 21 st century:

''I'd say [its] 9 to 90. I get people out there who bring their parents. The kids who saw me on TV when they were ten are coming to concerts now. Of course I do By the Time I Get to Phoenix and Wichita Lineman and Galveston, because thats what they come to hear. But there will be some new things, too (New York Times, 2000)

On his Alzheimers diagnosis:

I dont know anything about it because I don't feel any different. The stuff I cant remember is great because its a lot of stuff I dont want to remember anyway (San Francisco Chronicle, 2011)

Does it get harder breathing new life into those old songs? No, every night is different. I got to know Sinatra quite well, and thats what he tried to do. Every song was a unique performance. I still love Gentle On My Mind, and By The Time I Get To Phoenix still makes me real homesick (Mojo, 2003)

Ive been very lucky in my career. For my whole life I felt like I was at the right place at the right time. It seemed like fate was always leading me to the right door

Listen to the best of Glen Campbell on Apple Music and Spotify.

For the latest music news and exclusive features, check out uDiscover Music.

uDiscover Music is operated by Universal Music Group (UMG). Some recording artists included in uDiscover Music articles are affiliated with UMG.
The model is set to wed music executive Elliot Grainge in Antibes, France, on Saturday

Sofia Richie/Instagram

Sofia Richie is kicking off her wedding day with a good meal and lots of love!

The model and daughter of Lionel Richie, 24, enjoyed an intimate bridal breakfast to kick off her wedding to music executive Elliot Grainge at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, on Saturday morning.

"The big day," she captioned a photo on her Instagram Story of a table set for 10 on an outdoor patio, which was decorated with pink, yellow and blue balloons.

Richie also reposted photos from attending guests that showed off more wedding details, including white and blue monogrammed silk robes for her bridesmaids and welcome gifts put in each guest's room that included monogrammed sweatshirts, hats, water bottles and the weekend's itinerary.

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Sofia Richie/Instagram

Related:Sofia Richie Celebrates Day 1 of Her Wedding Weekend with 'a Little Pool Hang' with Friends

The bride-to-be has been documenting the days ahead of her Saturday nuptials since she and Grainge arrived in France.

"Here's the plan for today's pool day hang," Richie posted on TikTok Friday, showing off her "cute little mini dress" by Proenza, which she paired with "bedazzly, sparkly Chanel slides, and a "colorful, fun little" bag.

Sofia Richie/Instagram

"I knew when I bought this dress it was going to be my welcome dress," she then told her followers, adding, "I'm going to wear these fun Oscar earrings. I feel like it is so South of France and festive."

"Let me know what you guys think," Richie capped off her video. "I'm really trying to hit the bridal mark this morning, so let me know if you think I've done it. Wish me luck!"

Later in the day, the star was photographed looking glam at what appeared to be her rehearsal dinner.

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Related:Sofia Richie Joins TikTok  with Her Married Name!  Just in Time to Show Off Her Wedding Prep

Sofia Richie/Instagram

Grainge proposed to Richie during a tropical getaway last April, getting down on one knee in front of a stunning backdrop while surrounded by candles and flowers.

"Forever isn't long enough," Richie captioned images from their engagement on Instagram.

Shortly after their announcement, Richie's father  who is a frequent collaborator and friend of Grainge's father  told Access Hollywood, "I love Elliot. I've known him since he was 12  It was one of those things where I don't have to go back and check out the kid. I know who it is."

"They make each other really happy," a source close to the couple told PEOPLE days after their engagement. "He's very mature and hard-working. He has his own house, and she moved in with him a while ago. All of her friends are thrilled that she found true love. They're a great match for each other."

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The two sisters, daughters of Lionel Richie, took some shots prior to Sofia's marriage to Elliot Grainge in Antibes, France

EliotPress/MEGA

Sofia and Nicole Richie are sharing some sisterly love ahead of Sofia's marriage to Elliot Grainge in France.

The two siblings posed in advance of the celebration of Sofia's marriage to the music executive at Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France on Friday.

Nicole, 41, wore a leaf-green full-length dress as she placed an arm around 24-year-old model bride Sofia, dressed in a high-necked traditional white gown.

EliotPress/MEGA

Grainge proposed to Richie during a tropical getaway last April, getting down on one knee in front of a stunning backdrop, surrounded by candles and flowers.

"Forever isn't long enough," Richie captioned images from their engagement on Instagram.

Mediapunch/Shutterstock

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Shortly after their engagement announcement, Richie's father  who is a frequent collaborator and friend of Grainge's father  told Access Hollywood, "I love Elliot. I've known him since he was 12  It was one of those things where I don't have to go back and check out the kid. I know who it is."

Related:Sofia Richie Looks Positively Bridal in Her All-White Outfit Ahead of Her Wedding to Elliot Grainge

"They make each other really happy," a source close to the couple told PEOPLE days after their engagement. "He's very mature and hard-working. He has his own house, and she moved in with him a while ago. All of her friends are thrilled that she found true love. They're a great match for each other."

Nicole has been married to her husband Joel Madden since 2010, and shares daughter Harlow, 15, and son Sparrow, 13, with him.

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Read the original article on People.
The Senate bill prohibiting academic boycotts of Israel and other nations would still allow for boycotts of countries that are deemed state sponsors of terrorism.

The Texas Senate Committee on Education approved a bill that would prohibit academic boycotts of Israel and other nations at Texas public colleges and universities if they would keep students or faculty members from studying, conducting research or interacting with a foreign country's scholars or representatives.

Senate Bill 1517, filed by Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, would require the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to adopt rules and policies to prohibit the boycotts for each governing board overseeing public higher education institutions in Texas.

The bill, however, would allow academic boycotts of a foreign country that is a state sponsor of terrorism, based on the U.S. Department of State's definition. The state department currently has four countries identified as sponsors of terrorism: Cuba, North Korea, Iran and Syria.

The committee approved the bill Wednesday, and it will move to the Texas Senate for consideration.

More: Texas Senate OKs critical race theory bill for colleges. Heres what's proposed.

King's bill comes after the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission submitted its first study on antisemitism in Texas to the Legislature in December. The study proposed eight recommendations to raise awareness and fight hate against Jewish people in Texas, including asking the Legislature to consider a ban on academic boycotts similar to what is being proposed in SB 1517.

"Such a measure would focus on the actions of state institutions and would not infringe on the free expression of individual Texans," the study wrote. "It would bolster existing state law around BDS (Boycott, Divestments and Sanctions) and align with other state efforts to fight hatred of Israel, which is often fueled by antisemitism."

Under House Bill 793, which the Legislature passed in 2019, government agencies in Texas cannot enter into a contract worth more than $10,000 with any company with more than 10 employees unless the company states that it will not boycott Israel during the terms of the contract.

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SB 1517 "does not seek to infringe on the rights of individual citizens but rather to align state law related to (the BDS movement) on public university campuses with our existing Texas anti-BDS laws," Sen. Mayes Middleton, R-Galveston, said last week when the Senate Subcommittee on Higher Education first considered the bill.

More: Some Texas Republicans want to end tenure in public colleges, universities. Heres why.

The BDS movement is an effort to promote boycotts, divestments and economic sanctions against Israel to pressure the country to change its policies toward Palestinians. The commission previously reported that some college students in Texas have been targeted and harassed for their support of Israel, occasionally by backers of the BDS movement.

'Act now,' proponent warns

The House Committee on Higher Education considered SB 1517's companion, House Bill 3851, filed by Rep. Dennis Paul, R-Houston, during its meeting Monday but has not advanced it out of committee.

During the meeting, Rep. Travis Clardy, R-Nacogdoches, said he appreciated the bill but thought it "may be a little bit of overkill" and could "have a counterproductive effect" due to a perception that it may chill speech on campus.

Sandra Parker, a commissioner of the Texas Holocaust, Genocide, and Antisemitism Advisory Commission, said during the House committee meeting that the bill would prohibit universities from, for example, ending student exchange programs with other foreign nations.

She said universities aren't currently engaging in academic boycotts of Israel or other nations, but the bill seeks to prevent them from doing so amid an "increasing drumbeat" from college students asking their universities to cut off any formal relationships with Israel.

Texas should "act now to protect and preserve the liberty of our colleges and their students to pursue true academic freedom," Parker said. "Texas should respond in strength by passing this bill, which will be an eternal guideposts to our institutions of higher learning, and those that matriculate within them, that valid intellectual discourse and equal access to educational opportunities should not be mutually exclusive."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Legislature: Senate panel OKs ban on Israel boycotts in colleges
In law enforcement and media accounts, two of the four people killed earlier this week in a high-profile case in Maine were listed as Ocala residents. But Cynthia Eaton, 63, and her husband, David, 66, had moved to Auburndale some time ago, and more recently to Kansas, according to public records, family and friends.

The accused killer is their son Joseph, 34. He has been accused of killing his parents and two others before wounding three people on a highway in a case that has attracted national attention. Joseph Eaton remains jailed in Maine.

The shooting spree stunned people in Maine, including the little town of Bowdoin, where the bodies of the Eatons and their friends Patricia and Robert Eger were discovered by Patricias sister on April 18. Mike Sauschuck, commissioner of Maine Public Safety, called the shootings an attack on the soul of our state.

Shooting in Maine on I-295: Man fired on motorists after killing 4, including his parents

Earlier coverage: Live updates on shooting on I-295 in Maine

The Eatons had gone to Maine to pick up their son, who was released from prison on April 14 after serving a 2015 sentence for domestic violence. Cynthia Eaton met her son at the Maine Correctional Facility in Windham, according to the Maine State Police.

They were good people, said Cynthias stepfather, Kenneth W. Fagan Jr., who lives in Ocala. They loved their kids. They were the best parents." Cynthia was his oldest stepdaughter.

He said the Eatons had lived in Auburndale, in Polk County, until a few months ago. They sold their home and moved to Kansas City, Kansas, to be with another son who lives there. They later may have moved to Wichita, Fagan said.

Property records show the Eatons bought the home Auburndale in 2011, paid it off by 2015 and sold it in July for $459,000.

Why did authorities list the Eatons as Ocala residents? Because that's the address on file, possibly from a driver's license, at a car rental operation at the Portland, Maine airport. David Eaton had rented a car there, according to the arrest affidavit in this case.

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Joseph Eaton, the suspect in a shooting spree in Maine, appears in court in West Bath, Maine, on April 20. Eaton, who police say confessed to killing four people in a home and then shot three others randomly on a busy highway on April 18, had been released days earlier from prison.

Police say that's the car Joseph Eaton was driving when he shot a family of three on Interstate 295. At that time  after the shooting deaths of his parents and their two friends  Joseph Eaton apparently thought police were trying to follow him.

Prison terms in Maine and Florida

Joseph Eaton has a long, troubled past. In 2014, his parents tried to persuade Maine authorities to release him to their custody to serve out his probation for a Maine crime. However, that plan did not work out because his father refused to give up his guns. Not having access to firearms was a condition of probation, the Bangor Daily News reported, quoting court documents.

Joseph Eaton eventually did move to Florida to be with his parents in 2017 after being released from prison for violating his probation on a domestic violence charge, the Daily News reported.

In January 2018, he was imprisoned in Florida for three years on aggravated assault on a law enforcement or rescue worker, according to the state Department of Corrections website. He was returned to Maine in 2021.

'What a crazy world we live in today'

News of the slayings touched others in Central Florida who knew the Eatons.

I want to ask the group for prayers to my friend David Eaton and his wife and their two friends and the friends family dog as they were recently murdered in Maine two days ago. David was a longtime Harley owner (over 40 years) and longtime HOG member and officer, Kim Paige, with New Smyrna Beach HOG Chapter 530701, wrote on Facebook.

David and I served together in the Navy in the early 80's in Jacksonville where we were Flight Engineer instructors. I talked to him and his wife at a Navy reunion in 2021 in Maine, we talked about getting together for a ride, he wrote.

What a crazy world we live in today.

The discovery of the bodies

Lisa Shea, Patti Egers sister, called police on April 18 at 9:21 a.m.

She observed two drops of blood on the front steps, according to the arrest affidavit.

Lisa opened the door and yelled but no one answered. Lisa said she entered the home and could see broken glass and blood on the floor. She observed a body in the area of the kitchen covered by a towel, the affidavit says.

She said she also saw several firearms lying about the house and saw drag marks. She left the home to call police.

The arrest affidavit said crime scene investigators found a note that stated, someone had been molested and that there was nothing done about it. The note mentioned someone being freed of pain and that the writer of the note wanted a new life. The note was not written to anyone nor was it signed by anyone.

Joseph Eaton left a rambling Facebook Live post asking for forgiveness and talking about people who pretend to be Christians.

The Sun Journal newspaper in Lewiston said the two couples had been friends for years, and that Patti had recently visited the Eatons in Florida.

Several cars were hit by gunfire on I-295. The three people injured were Sean Halsey, 51, Justin Halsey, 29, and Paige Halsey, 25.

This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Ocala connection to Maine shooting: Two of the victims once lived here
As the violent struggle for power over Sudan reaches the one-week mark, the Biden administration is sticking firmly to its warning for private citizens: dont expect to be rescued.

While the administration says it is working towards evacuating American embassy staff still stranded in the country, it makes no promises about other Americans who could get let behind.

"It is not our standard procedure to evacuate American citizens living abroad," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Friday.

PHOTO: White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during the daily press briefing in the James S. Brady Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, D.C., on April 21, 2023. (Bonnie Cash/UPI via Shutterstock)

Principal Deputy State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said that officials had been in touch with several hundred of the estimated 16,000 U.S. citizens in Sudan concerning security measures and other precautions they can take on their own.

MORE: Sudan fighting persists on Eid holiday despite 72-hour cease-fire announcement

However, Patel noted that the State Department has listed Sudan under its highest-level travel advisory for months, which warns Americans not to journey to the country and advises that if they do, the U.S. government may not be able to provide help in a crisis.

"We have not parsed our words or been ignorant or naive about the delicate and fragile security situation in Sudan," Patel claimed.

PHOTO: In this photo provided by Maheen S., smoke fills the sky in Khartoum, Sudan, near Doha International Hospital on April 21, 2023. (Maheen S via AP)

But while mass evacuations of private citizens may not be standard practice for the American government, theyre not unheard of.

During the turbulent U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August of 2021, the Biden administration airlifted tens of thousands of embassy personnel, private American citizens, Special Immigrant Visa holders and applicants, as well as others. Still, numerous Americans and Afghan allies were left behind at the end of August 2021 -- and Jean-Pierre argued that that withdrawal, a result of the Taliban taking over the country, was unique.

"The Afghanistan evacuation was not the norm," she said. "In Libya, Yemen and Syria we do not provide large scale evacuations for American citizens and legal permanent residents even as those government collapsed."

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MORE: Dead bodies line the streets amid fighting in Sudan; American confirmed among fatalities

A more direct comparison to the situation in Sudan might be the mass evacuation of nearly 15,000 U.S. citizens from Lebanon in 2006 when an ongoing conflict between Israel and the militant group Hezbollah unexpectedly and rapidly intensified.

During the crisis, the Department of State and Department of Defense worked in tandem across the course of several weeks to transport Americans out of Lebanon on helicopters, military ships and contracted commercial boats.

But Sudans capital city, Khartoum, is hundreds of miles from an accessible waterway, and the intense fighting has made traveling through the country treacherous.

PHOTO: In this screen grab from a video, smoke rises over Khartoum, Sudan, on April 21, 2023. (Alaa Eissa)

The unrest in Sudan also extends to its airspace. Khartoums primary airport is closed and badly damaged, and airlines have suspended travel after a jet came under fire.

MORE: Thieves steal $14.8 million in gold, goods from Toronto airport

Even a limited operation to evacuate embassy staff by air would be perilous due in part to the threat posed by combatants anti-aircraft weaponry.

On Friday, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby discussed the challenges of evacuating the embassy, saying its "not as simple as jumping in a taxicab" and that all U.S. government personnel had not yet been consolidated in a single location.

For those wondering what will trigger President Biden to ultimately approve a full withdrawal of government personnel from the Embassy -- Kirby was not willing to draw a red line or describe which conditions might prompt that move, and he declined to say if or when the president would approve a rescue mission for embassy staff.

"I don't think it would be wise for me to walk through all the sort of the contingency thinking that the Department of Defense and the State Department are working through right now," he said. "The military continues to pre-position capabilities nearby. In case they're needed, but there has not been a decision made that they will be making sure that we're ready for it."

So far, at least 330 people have been reported dead and 3,200 injured from the fighting between the Sudanese military and Rapid Support Forces, though the true figures are likely higher, according to the World Health Organization

ABCs Sarah Kolinovsky, Ayat Al-Tawy and Ellie Kaufman contributed to this report.

White House warns American citizens not to count on evacuation from Sudan originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Holland America Line just announced the 2025 Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole itinerary, which will sail to five continents over four months.

Courtesy of Holland America

What are your plans in 2025? If you have about 100 days of PTO, then this new world cruise might be for you. Holland America Line has just announced a new 133-day Grand Voyage embarking on January 25, 2025, on the Volendam, which will sail to destinations from Antarctica to the Arctic.

The Grand Voyage: Pole-to-Pole embarks and disembarks in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, calling at 68 ports in 28 countries on five continents. The adventure begins in a southerly direction, traveling through the Panama Canal, then down the west coast of South America. From there, the ship will spend four days sailing around Antarctica (there won't be any land excursions, however, just scenic sailing).

Courtesy of Holland America

Next is a transatlantic crossing to Africa, followed by a northward journey to Europe, eventually crossing the Arctic Circle off the coast of Norway. Then, there's the return transatlantic crossing via Iceland and Greenland, followed by a trip down the East Coast and back to Fort Lauderdale.

The itinerary also includes overnights in a handful of ports for deeper immersion: Fuerte Amador, Panama; Callao, Peru; Buenos Aires; Rio de Janeiro; Barcelona; Lisbon; and Reykjavik.

"Detailed planning went into this voyage to ensure we're visiting destinations when the weather is favorable, and we included locations that are sought after like the Amazon River, Greenland, and Iceland, in addition to Antarctica and the Arctic," said Paul Grigsby, vice president for deployment and itinerary planning for Holland America Line, in a statement released to Travel + Leisure.

At the same time as this north-south cruise, Holland America will also be sailing an east-west Grand Voyage. "We've created two voyages that linger in ports for memorable moments and several overnight stays. We even timed it so the two voyages will meet-up to share an overnight experience in Barcelona," Grigsby said.

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Holland America hasn't announced the pricing for the two Grand Voyages yet, but early bookers can receive perks like complimentary Wi-Fi and a $500 air credit. Interested parties can call the cruise line's reservation department at 1-800-522-3399 for more information.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Akron-Canton health systems have moved to a mask-optional policy for most of their patients and visitors at their hospitals and outpatient facilities, ending mask mandates that began in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most Northeast Ohio health systems have moved to a mask-optional policy for most of their patients and visitors at their hospitals and outpatient facilities, ending mask mandates that began in 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, some hospitals are still requiring mask-wearing by patients and employees in some situations.

The move comes as health officials cite falling COVID-19 and influenza-related illnesses and increasing immunity in the region.

More: Another COVID booster is now approved for older people and those at high risk

Effective Thursday, Cleveland Clinic became the latest health system to go mask-optional. The Cleveland-based health system that operates Akron General, Medina Hospital, Mercy Hospital in Canton and Union Hospital in Dover announced in a press release that it would no longer require masks for caregivers or patients.

Summa Health, Akron Childrens Hospital, Western Reserve Hospital and Crystal Clinic all said they were no longer requiring masks, most having changed their policies recently.

Canton-based Aultman, which operates Aultman Hospital in Canton, Aultman Alliance Community Hospital and other regional sites, said it is still recommending and encouraging masks for patients, visitors and staff in the acute-care hospital setting and post-acute care areas.

University Hospitals, which operates UH Portage Medical Center, on Friday announced that it would be going mask-optional in non patient-care areas on Monday.

How many new COVID-19 cases and deaths are being reported in Stark County and Ohio?

COVID-19 illnesses and deaths are still occurring, but at a slower rate. According to the Ohio Department of Health COVID-19 dashboard, there have been a total of 3.43 million cases since the pandemic began in 2020, including 139,828 hospitalizations and 42,073 deaths in the state.

Numbers have been dropping. In the last month, Ohio had 18,745 cases, 15,180 hospitalizations and 58 deaths. At the height of the pandemic, the state reported more than 18,000 new cases in a day.

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So far this month in Stark County, there have been 248 cases, including 401 hospitalizations and no deaths, according the state health department.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday recommended a second bivalent COVID-19 booster for adults over 65 years old and those at high risk at least four months after their last vaccine. The CDC on Wednesday approved the recommendation.

More: Cincinnati health systems remove COVID-19 mask mandates for guests at hospitals

Heres what area health systems are doing:

Akron Children's Hospital

Akron Childrens policy of making masks optional for employees, patient families and visitors went into effect on March 15. Parents and visitors are encouraged to wear a mask if they have respiratory or flu-like symptoms, and a family member may request staff or providers wear a mask while providing direct patient care to their child.

Aultman

The hospital system still recommends masking for patients, visitors and staff in the acute-care hospital setting and post-acute care areas.

"Colleagues are required to wear masks upon entry to any patient room or providing direct patient care within six feet of a patient, and when the colleague interacts with or provides care to a patient who is symptomatic, exposed or requiring droplet or airborne isolation," Aultman said in an email.

"Masking is encouraged but optional in outpatient care settings. If the patient prefers that their nurse or provider wears a mask, they will do so. We will continue to adjust our policies to provide the greatest degree of safety for our patients and community."

Cleveland Clinic

Beginning Thursday, masking became optional for patients, visitors and caregivers at Cleveland Clinic's U.S. facilities. Masking may still be required on certain units dedicated to the care of particularly vulnerable patients and is highly encouraged for those with respiratory symptoms or who have been in close contact with someone with COVID-19, the health system said. Masks will continue to be available at facilities.

We are able to safely make this change as COVID-19 cases have decreased, and the proportion of patients needing hospitalization for COVID-19 has dropped significantly. This is likely because a large population has at least some immunity from vaccination and/or prior infection, and we now have more tools available to treat COVID-19. However, if a patient prefers that their provider wear a mask, the caregiver will do so, the health system said.

The Cleveland Clinic said it will continue to adjust policies. "This may include requiring masking again in the fall, to help limit the spread of influenza and other respiratory viruses among patients and caregivers.

More: Mask mandate at all 4 Columbus-area health systems to end due to falling COVID, flu rates

Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center

Crystal Clinic has been mask optional for quite some time for caregivers and patients, a spokeswoman said. Masks were first optional for patients and vaccinated staff around September 2022. Masking was reinstated in winter of 2022 and then lifted in January.

Summa Health

Summa Health updated its COVID-19 policy on March 31 and made masking optional for patients, visitors and employees. Summit County's Community level of COVID transmission is currently 'low,' therefore masks can be worn based on personal preference or personal level of risk, the health system said.

Masks are still required for the following situations:

For employees who have new onset of respiratory symptoms (cough, runny nose, and/or sore throat).

For employees with greater than 15 minutes exposure without the use of a mask to someone diagnosed with COVID-19.

In clinical areas as per standard and transmission-based precautions.

As per Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services mandate for unvaccinated health care personnel with the exception of employees who work remotely or off-site, non-clinical locations.

Western Reserve Hospital

Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls recently made masks optional for patients and visitors only. An exact date was not provided. Patients and visitors are still strongly encouraged to wear a mask, the hospital said. "Visitors may be required to wear PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) dependent upon patient isolation/precautionary status. All those in patient-facing roles who are providing care to patients are required to wear a mask.

University Hospitals

University Hospitals on Friday said that effective Monday masks will be required only in patient-care areas. These areas include patient rooms, during direct patient interactions with health care givers in patient care areas, and in waiting rooms reserved for patients (such as outpatient waiting rooms).

Masks will no longer be required in common areas of buildings not used for patient care, including cafeterias, elevators, or parking structures, the health system, which has operations in Cleveland, Portage County and outpatient offices in Summit County said.

Includes reporting by the Canton Repository.

Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or blinfisher@thebeaconjournal.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron-Canton hospitals update policies to make masks optional
Courtesy of Netflix

Much of the action in Netflix's new show The Diplomat revolves around Winfield House, the U.S. ambassador to the UK's residence in London. In the first episode, Ambassador Kate Wyler (Keri Russell) and Hal Wyler (Rufus Sewell) move into Winfield House upon their arrival to the city, and in episode three, U.S. President Rayburn (Michael McKean) meets Prime Minister Nicol Trowbridge (Rory Kinnear) at the residence.

Here, a brief history of Winfield House, the "official residence of the Ambassador of the United States of America to the Court of St. Jamess."

St. Dunstan's Villa was built in 1825.

Sepia Times - Getty Images

Until the 19th century, the land on which Winfield House is now locatedRegents Parkwas rural countryside, used as hunting grounds for King Henry VIII. John Nash, an architect to the crown and friend of the then-Prince of Wales, the future King George IV, laid out plans to develop the area. Nash's plans included 56 villas and a zoo; however, only 8 villas were builtone of which included St. Dunstan's, also called Hertford Villa.

St. Dunstan's was commissioned by the Francis Seymour-Conway, 3rd Marquess of Hertford and designed by Decimus Burton. Per the U.S. Embassy to the UK, "It was actually two buildings connected by a single-storied hall, 'the tent room' spacious enough for 'magnificent receptions.' On the wall adjacent to the tent room the Marquess installed a huge clock with the life-size figures Gog and Magog striking the hours. Burton had rescued it from the demolished St. Dunstans Church in Fleet Street and he now gave this name to the house in Regents Park. (The clock with Gog and Magog striking the hours has since been returned to a completely rebuilt St. Dunstan's [Church].)"

American heiress Barbara Hutton purchased the property in 1935.

Bettmann - Getty Images

By the 1920s, many of the Regent's Park villas had fallen into disrepair. St. Dunstant's Villa, then owned by newspaper magnate Harold Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Rothermere (he developed the Daily Mail), was sold to Barbara Hutton, an American heiress (her grandfather, Frank Winfield Woolworth, founded the Woolworth store chain). Hutton, at the time, was married to Count Kurt Haugwitz-Reventlow. They purchased the villa, tore it down, and rebuilt a Georgian-style house designed by Leonard Rome Guthrie in its place. They moved in in 1937 and named their house Winfield House, after Barbara's grandfather.

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Bettmann - Getty Images

Winfield House was damaged during World War II.

In 1939, with Europe on the brink of World War II and Barbara and Kurt having recently divorced, Barbara and her son, Lance Reventlow, move to California. (Where she meets Cary Grant, a story for another day...) During World War II, Winfield is commandeered by a RAF unit, and used as an Air Crew Reception Center. The house was damaged during the German bombing of London.

Post war, Hutton donated Winfield House to the U.S. Government.

Here's how the Embassy explains what went happened: "A year after the war, Barbara Hutton came back to visit Winfield House. She found buckled floorboards, peeling walls, broken windows and dangling wires. The next day she telephoned her New York lawyer and told him she wanted to give the house to the U.S. Government to be repaired and used as the official residence of the American Ambassador to the Court of St. Jamess. Her 'most generous and patriotic offer' was accepted in a personal letter from President Harry Truman. For the token price of an American dollar, Winfield House passed into official American ownership."

In 1955, Winthrop Aldrich, then the U.S. Ambassador to the UK, was the first to use the house as a residence. It has served as the residence ever since.

Winfield House in the present day.

JEWEL SAMAD - Getty Images

Winfield House is a Grade II listed building on Historic England, as "an exceptional ambassador's residence and as a notable Neo-Georgian town house containing numerous features of note."

Over the years, there have been many notable visitors, including Queen Elizabeth II, Princess Diana and her sons, Princes William and Harry, and many U.S. presidents.

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It is called the Bahia de los Suenosthe Bay of Dreamsand it doesnt take long to understand why. We arrive at dawn when the water laps the shores softly, when the wind blows gently, when the tide is delicate, and when the fishermen are already halfway there. Here, in Baja California, lies one of the areas with the greatest marine diversity in Mexicoand preserving it is more urgent than ever.

You might think that protecting this bay is merely a local concern, but the women of Orgcas make it clear to me that is not the case. This non-profit organizationfounded and led by women of different ages, nationalities, and educational backgroundshas been working for the conservation of marine life since 2021, although the stories of its members and their different efforts go back much further. We came together as a group of stakeholders with different backgrounds seeing that there were many goals being neglected, Porfiria Gomez, director of Orgcas, tells me.

We meet in Ensenada de los Muertos, an hour from La Paz, the capital of the state of Baja California Sur. We talk about the sea, marine conservation, and the intimate relationship of each of them with the bigger ocean. Orgcas arose out of a series of chances and coincidences, I learn. Our purpose is to conserve and protect, to analyze problems, and look for solutions, says Gomez. Perhaps the path to getting here was not as straightforward as the mission itself, but what is certain is that the women all work for a common cause: shark conservation.

Mujer parte de Orgcas Photographed by Diego Vourakis

Porfiria Gomez en Baja California Sur Photographed by Diego Vourakis

The shark is a species in collapse, adds Gomez. Currently, at least 36 percent of the 1,200 species of sharks and rays are at risk of extinction, according to data from the World Wild Fund (WWF). Among the Orgcasa term they coined themselvesa focus on data is as important as the actions they make. Conservation needs trained people, says Gomez, whose family background is in marine conservation. The reason for the scientific communitys fascination with this animal is obvious, Gomez explains. Sharks are a keystone species that play an important role in their ecosystem, they keep other species in balance, she says.

Warnings about the dangers that sharks face are far from new, with the scientific community having sounded the alarm for decades. This led Orgcas to take an educational approach to combatting these threats, with a particular emphasis on responsible tourism. One of the main dangers to the sea is the fishing industry, says Gomex. But it is important to differentiate between commercial and artisanal fishing. In Mexico, small-scale shark fishing continues to be a custom of native communities; for decades, it has been the main source of income for entire families. Yet while the Gulf of California is considered one of the most important fishing areas in Mexico, new shark fishing permits have been reduced over the years, leaving in place mostly those whose practice dates back generations.

Baja California Sur baja-california-ensenada-de-los-muertos.jpg Photographed by Diego Vourakis

The goal, then, was to take Proyecto Tiburonor Project Sharkto these fishermen. Orgcas reached out to the last shark fishermen in the area to propose a transition to sustainable tourism. A combination of things worked in our favor; a need combined with a vision on our part, Gomez says. With the decline of shark populations due to industrial overfishing evidentsharks and rays are slow-growing animals, and dont reproduce until they are quite oldthe regions fishermen had begun to notice an instability in this source of income from season to season.

For many, fishing can be traced back as far as five generations. Its the source of income weve had all our lives, says Salvador Rios, a fisherman from the area. I spent more than 20 years fishing shark. Since they started with Proyecto Tiburon, this community has largely turned from shark fishing to tourism as a source of income. Meanwhile, Orgcas is now securing funds to sponsor pangaslocal fishing boatsfor commercial tourism uses.

Elena Herran de Orgcas Photographed by Diego Vourakis

Martina Cocquio de Orgcas Photographed by Diego Vourakis

But progress on this front has required building trust. In the past, when research teams collected data among these communities, the results sometimes raised concerns that then led to the revocation of fishing permits without any notice. Many locals thus viewed researchers with suspicion, and there was a reluctance to cooperate with the Orgcas initially. After a lengthy dialogue, they have been able to work out a solution that will ensure the sustainability of both the sharks and the families in the area. Tourism is a great alternative to bring people into this project, says Gomez. Today, whoever is not aware that the sea is threatened for various reasons is part of the problem. We need to be aware that the sea needs us and that there are things we can all do. Proyecto Tiburon has obtained funds to donate at least two pangas to the fishermen of this community to help them transition to an economy based on sustainable tourism.

Grupo de mujeres Photographed by Diego Vourakis

Martina Cocquio leans against La Uva (The Grape), the newest panga that ORGCAS will donate to local fishermen. Why the color purple, I ask? We wanted it to look different when it is out at sea, she tells me. This newly built panga has purple stripes along its bottom and is covered by a roof that shelters tourists from the elements while on their outings. Originally hailing from Italy, Cocquio credits her time in Mexico as having awakened a passion in her for preserving marine life. The rest is history, she tells me. In charge of content creation and social media management, Cocquio is also a travel guide. Like all the Orgcas, her goal is that fishermen not only become involved with tourism, but are also able to learn about and share knowledge of the regions many species and its biodiversity.

Martina Cocquio de Orgcas Photographed by Diego Vourakis

When you talk to the Orgcas, you understand how intertwined their stories are. I remember a conversation the prior day: It has been a process of coming together, said Elena Herran, project coordinator and communications specialist. What began as a five-person project has been growing, changing, and evolving. There is a lack of communication about science, says Mariana Velez, the Colombian tourism director and communications specialist. Scientists do research, publish incredible and important information about ecosystems, environmental threats, and so on, but people dont understand it because science has long been confined to the academy. Now we realize how important it is for science to be accessible to everyone.

Orgcas mujeres por la conservacion del tiburon Photographed by Diego Vourakis

Orgcas works around four pillars: science, education, tourism, and communication. Its here that conservation becomes the most important issue. In addition to the academic component, this group of women aims to open up spaces that make this scientific knowledge accessible. Orgcas is breaking paradigms, adds Frida Lara, Orgcass science director who has a PhD in marine biology. I come from that old school where conservation was understood as telling people what to do and that is why many conservation initiatives have failed. Lara has dedicated her life to studying marine life and is aware of the work that remains to be done: These communities are ambassadors for our vision.

Frida Lara de Orgcas Photographed by Diego Vourakis

Gador Muntaner, oceanologa tiburones Photographed by Diego Vourakis

Proyecto Tiburon is one of the current focuses of Orgcas, but it is not the only one. Different initiatives have joined the program to contribute to its documentation, research, and preservation efforts. If someone stands here today and asks for money to save the whales, everyone donates, says Gador Muntaner, a Spanish oceanologist specializing in sharks. If you ask for help to save the sharks, nobody does.

Dynamite fishing, underwater mining, and unchecked tourism and development are other major threats to the sea and these species. One of Orgcass most ambitious goals is the creation of a nature reserve along the areas Pacific Coast and the Gulf of California. With the help of the fishermen, we are trying to promote the protection of this area and thus regulate activity, prohibit underwater mining, limit industrial shipping to certain areas, and protect more and more of this area, says Porfiria Gomez. After a few days with the Orgcas, its clear that the Bay of Dreams is more than a just name. With their pioneering work to care for and protect the ocean, for the Orgcas, the dream is to preserve the place that brought all of them togetherand ensure that future generations of women can follow in their footsteps.

Mariana Velez de Orgcas Photographed by Diego Vourakis

El grupo Orgcas Photographed by Diego Vourakis

La playa de Baja California Photographed by Diego Vourakis

In this story: photographer, Diego Vourakis; creative directors, Karla Acosta and Juan Duque; video producer & director, Rene Hope; video director of photography, Ernesto Madrigal; Orgcas team: Porfiria Gomez, Frida Lara, Mariana Velez, Martina Cocquio, Gador Muntaner, Elena Herran, Lissandra Amezcua, Maru Brito, Gabriela Gomez y Sofia Martinez; translation, John Newton.

Originally Appeared on Vogue

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The Missing in America Project (MIAP) held a ceremony Wednesday at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center to pay respects to three veterans discovered among Amarillo's unclaimed remains.

Ronald Bemino and John Burke Halford, both Vietnam-era U.S. Army veterans, along with Douglas Wood, also a U.S. Army veteran, were honored at the ceremony as their remains were placed by members of the Patriot Guard Riders. The Tascosa U.S. Navy JROTC Color Guard from Tascosa High School was on hand for the presentation of the colors, followed by a national anthem rendition from the Randall High School Chorale Show Choir.

A flag honoring the three unclaimed veterans is presented to Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

The Randall High School Show Choir sings "The Lord Bless You and Keep You" Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony honoring three unclaimed veterans at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

Following an invocation by Chaplain Danny Logan, CJ Rowel, president and Texas State Coordinator for MIAP, spoke to the crowd of about 100 people gathered to honor these veterans about the mission of the organization to give unclaimed veterans a proper military resting place. Also speaking at the ceremony was retired U.S. Army Major Doug Messer, who is the unit commander for Volleys for Veterans.

Taps is bugled Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony honoring three unclaimed veterans at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

The ceremony included the reading of the names, with a rifle volley, taps and a flag presentation, in which the flag was presented to Potter County Judge Nancy Tanner for her part in getting these veterans identified.

According to Tanner, the city of Amarillo got involved in this project in 2015 when Joel Caver, the Panhandle representative for MIAP, came to her about identifying these unclaimed veterans who might be housed in the basement of the district court building.

A U.S. flag is prepared for presentation to Judge Nancy Tanner Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony honoring three unclaimed veterans at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

This has been going on since I first got into the office, when Joel came to me about wanting to look at the books on all the unclaimed cremates in the county, Tanner said. These men died alone, homeless after serving this country. This is the least we can do for them, is to pay them respect and to give them full military honors.

She said that she is honored to be able to play a part in paying tribute to these veterans service. To date, she has been presented with nine U.S. flags for the nine ceremonies she has taken part in. "This warms my heart to be a part of this," she said.

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Tanner said that this is a timely process that the project works diligently to be able to identify unclaimed veterans.

"It is so humbling to know that I had a small part in this; all I did was sign off on the search of the records, Tanner said. "To receive this flag in their honor means the world to me."

The urns of three unclaimed U.S. Army veterans were honored Wednesday evening at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

The mission of the Missing in America Project is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of American veterans, to provide honor and respect to those who have honorably served, and to secure a final resting place for these forgotten heroes.

Members of Volleys for Veterans fire its third volley of shots Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony honoring three unclaimed veterans at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

Carver spoke about the project and its mission to identify these unclaimed veterans. He said that the work starts with asking questions to county courthouses, cemeteries or funeral homes whether they have unclaimed cremains in storage. A lengthy process is started to gather information on the deceased individuals, running their names through databases that identify honorably serving veterans.

During the process, birthdates, death dates, Social Security numbers and other distinguishing information is analyzed. Carver said that a big part of the process is the willingness of these entities to work with them to give them access.

Members of the Patriot Guard Riders transport the remains of U.S. Army veteran Douglas Wood Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony honoring three unclaimed veterans at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

Veterans stand and salute Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony honoring three unclaimed veterans at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

"The hard part of the process is gathering information from willing county judges, funeral homeowners, cemetery administrators and others, to do this research to get these names," Carver added.

According to Carver, one of the unclaimed remains that is being transported to San Antonio was discovered in an abandoned storage unit where it had resided for years.

The first time I approached Judge Tanner was right after she was elected judge, and I told her what the mission of our project was, Carver said. She had shared with me that many families do not claim the cremains of the county's hundreds in their basement.

At the time, Carver said that there were 350 unclaimed remains to go through, of which he originally researched 100 as to make his way through the unclaimed.

The Tascosa High School Navy ROTC color guard transports the colors Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony honoring three unclaimed veterans at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

That first year, we found six unclaimed veterans, of which one family came forward to claim their loved one, which is what we would like to have with a return to the family, Carver said. At the bottom of the steps of the Potter County Courthouse, we held our first ceremony for those first five veterans with a small group.

A third shell casing is placed in the folds of a U.S. flag Wednesday evening during the Missing in America's Project ceremony honoring three unclaimed veterans at the Texas Panhandle War Memorial Center in Amarillo.

Carver said since then, his group has found more than 61 veterans who have been honorably buried, along with 20 veterans' remains which were returned to their families in the Texas Panhandle.

These three veterans remains will be transported alongside eight from Lubbock and one in San Antonio to the Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio on Friday for their final resting place. The Patriot Guard Riders will travel with the remains to their final destination.

For more information on the Missing in America Project, visit https://www.miap.us/ .

This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Missing In America Project honors 3 unclaimed Amarillo veterans
On Monday, an air cargo container carrying over $15 million in gold and other expensive valuables was stolen from Torontos Pearson International Airport, according to police.

Authorities reported the theft on Thursday, stating that the aircraft was unloaded and the cargo was taken to a holding facility per normal procedure. From there, Stephen Duivesteyn of Peel Regional Police (pictured above) said in a news conference at the airport that the high-value container was removed by illegal means from the holding facility.

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Police would not say whether security cameras captured the incident, according to CNN, which airliner was used to transport the container, or who the cargos owner was. What I can say is that the container contained a high-value shipment, it did contain gold but was not exclusive to gold and contained other items of monetary value, Duivesteyn said. The contents from the missing cargo container, described as being five to six square feet in size, are estimated to be worth more than $15 million, or $20 million Canadian dollars.

Officers did not speculate on whether this was a professional job during the conference, saying it is too early in the investigation to tell. Were three days in, so our investigators have their eyes open to all avenues, Duivesteyn said. So, we dont want to make an error and sort of focus on one particular area, were kind of keeping a broad outlook on it, so were looking on all angles on how this item was stolen.

Other thefts in the luxury sector this year include million-dollar wine heists and the theft of Rolex and Patek Philippe watches in broad daylight, the latter of which prompted select police forces to launch special task forces to combat the issue. Other methods of prevention and security such as Richemonts new online database, Enquirus, were launched to aid authorities in combating watch and jewelry theft worldwide.

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Police believe the $15 million cargo theft was an isolated incident. This is very rare, Duivesteyn said. As authorities continue to investigate the missing shipment, they are not expected to disrupt any operations at the Canadian airport.

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From jazz to rock and country to pop, theres something for everyone when it comes to live music across the region.

Roger Ho

Music is an inherent part of Southern cultureit weaves its way into many of our core memories, from first dances to road trips singing along to your favorite song. Many of us can easily pinpoint the first time we heard Willie Nelson or sang along to John Denver's Take Me Home, Country Roads, but theres just something about experiencing live music that tugs a different heartstring, especially when its outside on a grassy lawn with friends, a refreshing beverage, and good food.

In the South, music festivals are about more than who's on the lineup: It's a cultural experience, from food and drinks to the arts, and even your surroundings. While there are far more festivals worth attending than this short list covers, like Darius Ruckers new Riverfront Revival, the Savannah Music Festival, or Wildwood Revival outside of Athens, Georgia, these are the Souths best music festivals from iconic, long-standing festivals to new-and-notable music gatherings that you should add to your bucket list.

Austin City Limits

Jackie Lee Young/ACL Music Fest

Austin isnt short on reasons to visit, especially for music loversfrom South By SouthWest each spring to two back-to-back three-day weekends of ACL Music Fest in Zilker Park every fall. Since its humble beginnings in 2002, the festival has been such a hit, it expanded to two consecutive weekends, doubling your reasons to attend. The top of the bill boasts artists across rock, folk, country, indie, hip-hop, and electronics genres with iconic names and local legends like Red Hot Chili Peppers, George Strait, Stevie Nicks, and The Chicks. While many artists play both weekends, be sure to check the lineup to catch your favorites on the right one.

When: The first two weekends in October

Where: Austin, Texas

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

Getty/Erika Goldring

Bonnaroo is one of the Souths best-known music festivals for a reason: The list of performers who have graced the What Stage, Which Stage, Who Stage, This Tent, That Tent, and The Other Tent is a long one. From its start as a jam-band festival in 2002, Widespread Panic, String Cheese Incident, Umphreys McGee, and Moe. were among those on the stage. Todays diverse lineup of 150+ acts touches just about every genre. Youll find names like Tyler Childers, Sheryl Crow, and Chris Stapleton alongside Foo Fighters, My Morning Jacket, and Billy Strings, plus an array of up-and-coming artists. The 700-acre farm in middle Tennessee that is home to the four-day shindig offers adventure beyond music, including food, silent discos, a ferris wheel, and hundreds of other activities and activations, plus tent and RV campgrounds so you dont miss a minute.

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When: Mid-June

Where: Manchester, Tennessee

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Facebook/New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival; Photo: Josh Brasted

What started in 1970 as a way to showcase New Orleans' culture to a small crowd has since become a beloved Southern institution that now attracts nearly half a million people, of all ages, identities, cultures, and musical tastes, to the city with world famous and local headliners alike. The cultural and musical excitement spans over two long weekends and 12+ stages at the New Orleans Fairgrounds during the last week in April and first one in May. Around every corner are the sounds of jazz, R&B, rock, gospel, funk, folk, and more, plus plenty of local bites, from jambalaya to beignets. Get a complete guide to Jazz Fest here.

When: Late April/Early May

Where: New Orleans, Louisiana

Pilgramage Music & Cultural Festival

Getty/Mickey Bernal

The family-friendly festival, started by local resident and musician, Kevin Griffin, is one-of-a-kind thanks to its 230-acre farm backdrop in the rolling hills of East Tennessee and a diverse lineup of rock and roll, bluegrass, indie, country, jazz, gospel, blues, and more with 60+ artists across six stages each year. Beyond music, it has a strong cultural focus that brings together hundreds of local artisans, chefs, brewers, and makers from across the region. Pilgrimage celebrates nine years in 2023, and its stages have seen the likes of Chris Stapleton, Dave Matthews Band, Keith Urban, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Eddie Vedder.

When: Late September

Where: Franklin, Tennessee

Moon River Music Festival

Charles Reagan/Moon River Festival

Founded in 2014 by musician Drew Holcomb, Moon River got its start in Holcomb's hometown of Memphis, but moved to Chattanooga in 2018 when it quickly outgrew its original venue. The family-friendly festival that highlights the culture of the region with local food and beverage vendors can now be found in Coolidge Park on the banks of the Tennessee River. Each year, the Saturday and Sunday festival rooted in Americana music hosts about 20-30 artists across two stages. Among performers like Leon Bridges, St Paul & The Broken Bones, Brandi Carlile and Marcus King Band are some Southern Living favorites including The Avett Brothers, Margo Price, Holly Williams, and Madeline Edwards.

When: The second weekend in September

Where: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Shaky Knees Music Festival

Roger Ho/Shaky Knees Music Festival

Since its start in 2013, the festival has remained true to its indie-rock roots with a unique lineup of over 60 bands from The Killers and Futurebirds to Alabama Shakes and The Lumineers. While you might come for the headliners, youre bound to leave the weekend having discovered your new favorite artist on the rise. In Atlantas Central Park, you also wont go hungry with offerings from the citys favorite spots and fan-favorite food trucks throughout the Southeast.

When: The first weekend in May

Where: Atlanta, Georgia

Bourbon & Beyond

Getty/Stephen J. Cohen

As a relatively new festival in the South, Bourbon & Beyond has quickly made a name for itself, starting strong with headliners Stevie Nicks, Eddie Vedder, and Steve Miller Band in 2017. Expand your taste when it comes to music and bourbon with four jam-packed days of fun, from a glass of Angels Envy to the rhythm of Ryan Bingham. As Americas biggest bourbon experience, you wont be short on libationsor tunes from bands like Brandi Carlile, Midland, The Black Crowes, and Boy Named Banjo.

When: Mid-September

Where: Louisville, Kentucky

High Water Festival

Charles Reagan/High Water Festival

Husband-and-wife musical duo Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst of Shovels & Rope, curated High Water to bring a big live music event to their hometown. For two days in mid-April, youll find the sounds of Americana folk and rock acts and delicious smells of Lowcountry food drifting out of Riverfront Park, where oak trees draped in Spanish moss wait to greet you. While youll always see Shovels & Rope on the lineup, big-name past performers include My Morning Jacket, Drive-by-Truckers, Mavis Staples, and Wilco.

When: Mid-April

Where: North Charleston, South Carolina

Bear Shadow

Bain Stewart Media/Bear Shadow

With its debut in 2021 as the sister festival to Highlands Food & Wine, which takes place in November, Bear Shadow is quickly on the rise. This springtime gathering celebrates the changing of seasons with daytime adventure offerings including fishing, hiking, and outdoor yoga throughout the Highlands Plateau area until the music kicks off in the early evening. Among those on the 2023 lineup are The Head And The Heart, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Neal Francis, and Woody Platt & Shannon Whitworth.

When: Late April

Where: Highlands, North Carolina

Riverbend Festival

Riverbend Festival

Chattanooga's first and oldest music festival is named for the bend in the Tennessee River where it's held. Riverbend first graced the town in 1982 as a five-night celebration, but today you'll find three nights of music at Rosss Landing downtown, which the locals refer to as Scenic Citys front porch. With 40 years of music covering almost every genre, icons like Willie Nelson, The B52s, Styx, Lionel Richie, and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue have performed, as well as some country favorites, like Maren Morris, Martina McBride, Little Big Town, Trisha Yearwood, Darius Rucker, and Thomas Rhett.

When: The first weekend of June

Where: Chattanooga, Tennessee

MerleFest

Suzie Guerrant/MerleFest

Grammy award-winning guitarist Doc Watson founded MerleFest in 1988 in honor of his son Merle. The festival celebrates traditional plus music they played togethera marriage of traditional Appalachian music, along with any other style that struck the father-son duo's mood. For 35 years, the four-day festival that doubles as a fundraising event for Wilkes Community College has kept its roots in welcoming unexpected collaborations and sounds. The 2023 lineup features The Avett Brothers, Maren Morris, John Paul White, and Jerry Douglas, among an array of newcomers.

When: Late April

Where: Wilkesboro, North Carolina



Moon Crush

Getty/Erika Goldring

New to Florida's coast in 2020, Moon Crush is designed to be a music vacation where the festivities dont kick off until the sun starts to set, allowing you to fully enjoy your days on the beach or by the pool. Kick off the summer with four nights of music at Pink Moon in April and close the sunny season in September with Blue Moon for three nights of family-friendly tunes.

When: Late April and early September

Where: Miramar Beach, Florida

Rock The South

Getty/Rick Diamond

What was intended as a one-time event is now celebrating over ten years of performanecs by some of the top names in country music, from Alan Jackson and Chris Stapleton to Luke Bryan and Brett Eldridge. First hosted in 2012 to celebrate how the region came together after the tornadoes that tore across Alabama in April 2011, today Rock The South continues to raise money for community partners across the state.

When: Mid-July

Where: Cullman, Alabama

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

The Birthplace of Country Music/Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion

Held in the Birthplace of Country Music, the three-day annual music festival celebrates the citys music heritage and influence on today's soundtracks. On State Street in Bristols historic downtown, youll find 20 indoor venues and outdoor stages hosting over 100 artists that showcase the best of Appalachian music and beyond. Since 2001, the gathering on the Tennessee-Virginia border has hosted Doc Watson, The SteelDrivers, and Wynonna Judd. While there, visit the Birthplace of Country Music Museum.

When: Early September

Where: Bristol, Tennessee-Virginia

CMA Fest

Fredrick Breedon IV/Getty Images Luke Bryan plays CMA Fest in Nashville.

The CMA Fest began in 1972 as the ultimate music experience for country music lovers and has since become Nashvilles signature country music event hosting fans from across the world. Through the CMA Foundation, a portion of the proceeds goes towards supporting music education programs across the country. Celebrating over 50 years as the longest-running country music festival, the four-day extravaganza now hosts over 250 artists on nine stages across the city. Youll discover new artists and catch performances from big names in country music like Alan Jackson, Kelsea Ballerini, Luke Bryan, and Zac Brown Band.

When: Mid-June

Where: Nashville, Tennessee

FORMAT Festival

Pooneh Ghana/FORMAT Festival

This out-of-the-box phenomenon truly covers it allart, music, and technology. In 2022, C3 Presents, alongside the Walton family, who have a large influence over Bentonville, launched FORMAT Festival. Working with visual artists and architects, they've curated a truly one-of-a-kind experience, including a variety of unconventional stages like the Drag Me To The Disco barn and The Cube, in addition to two traditional stages. Because the festival offers everything from watching renowned artists create or simply soaking in the music, everyone can customize their own experience based on their interests. The 2023 lineup has headliners like LCD Soundsystem, Alanis Morrisette, and Leon Bridges, who will respectively cap off each night of the Friday through Sunday festival.

When: Late September

Where: Bentonville, Arkansas

Beale Street Music Festival

Courtesy of Memphis in May International Festival

The three-day musical extravaganza, which first took place in 1977 at the corner of Beale Street and Third, became part of the Memphis in May International Festival the following year. It now takes place in Tom Lee Park, situated between the Mississippi River and downtown Memphiss skyline alongside the World Champion Barbecue Cooking Contest, making a weekend trip to the iconic city well worth your while. This year, find The Lumineers, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Greta Van Fleet, and The Roots among the 60+ musical guests.

When: The first weekend of May

Where: Memphis, Tennessee

Double Decker Arts Festival

Visit Oxford

Inspired by a double-decker bus that was imported from England in 1994 by the city of Oxford, the two-day festival celebrates 26 years of the arts in 2023. Live music Friday evening kicks off the weekend and extends throughout the day into the following night. During the day on Saturday, youll find over a hundred art vendors and live demonstrations, plus local food vendors offering favorites from fried catfish to snow cones throughout the historic Courthouse Square.

When: Late April

Where: Oxford, Mississippi

FloydFest

Roger Gupta/FloydFest

Theres nothing quite like this five-day festival of music and adventure with the Blue Ridge Mountains as the backdrop. The diverse Americana musical event which has strong Appalachian roots in Floyd, Virginia, is celebrating 20 years by moving a few miles down the road for 2024. FloydFests lineup of folk-rockers, bluegrass, jam bands, and blues icons even ranges to hip-hop pioneers and New Orleans-style funk.

When: Late July

Where: Check, Virginia

Big Ears Festival

Billie Wheeler/Big Ears Festival

Since the festival's first appearance in 2009, Big Ears has brought together generations, from legendary voices of Grammy Award-winning artists and Pulitzer Prize recipients to new performers across genres including jazz, rock, folk, pop, and more. The Oxford American has described it as one of the most quietly earth-shattering, subtly luminous festivals. The performances are scattered throughout downtown Knoxville in unique clubs, historic theaters and churches, parks, art galleries, and more, so the experience celebrates more than just music. The four-day festival, hosted by a nonprofit organization, is a cultural experience with interactive workshops, vocal performances, installations, among many other surprises.

When: Late March/Early April

Where: Knoxville, Tennessee

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Planning a camping trip this summer? This state also has the third highest number of hiking trails of any state.

Alan Majchrowicz/Getty Images

Though it feels as though spring has just begun, summer vacation is around the corner. For many, that means it's time to start plotting out the perfect camping trip. And, according to Adventures on the Rock, a website dedicated to helping travelers find adventure vehicles, this year, it's all about camping in Wyoming.

The company recently shared its rankings for the best states to go camping in the U.S., analyzing 10 factors to score each state using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Park Service, the CDC, AAA Gas prices, the National Climatic Data Center, and more. Those factors included the number of national parks and landmarks relative to the state area, a state's available hiking trails, campsites relative to the state population, and the diversity of plants and animals. The company also considered a state's average yearly rainfall and current fuel costs.

"This data provides a fascinating insight into which states offer nature lovers the most well-rounded camping experiences," said a spokesperson for the company in a statement provided to Travel + Leisure. "One of the key reasons people plan camping trips is for the adventure component. Exploring the great outdoors, observing different wildlife, and hiking trails are all part of the allure."

R. Tyler Gross/Getty Images

As for why Wyoming rose to the top, scoring 72.12 out of 100, the company shared that it won thanks to having the highest number of RV parks out of every state, and the highest number of paid or free campsites  relative to the state's population. The team also noted that Wyoming has the third highest number of hiking trails of any state.

As for where else campers should look, the company ranked Montana in the No. 2 spot as it had the highest number of hiking trails of any state and is home to the second-highest number of free and paid campsites.

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New Mexico placed third, because the state is home to 4,583 species of plants and animals.

Rounding out the top five is Idaho in the fourth slot, thanks to its high number of hiking trails and low number of rainy days, and Vermont at No. 5. Need more inspiration? Check out T+L's list of the best place to camp in each of the 50 states.

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Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.
Everyones been therethat phase in an early relationship or situationship when the person youre seeing consumes every waking thought. You start your mornings checking for a text, and you end the night making up rom-com-esque scenarios in your head just to fall asleep. But heres the thing: Its probably not love (and no, not temporary insanity either). Youve likely just caught a case of infatuation.

Though it might feel a lot like falling head over heels in love, if things are still fresh and new, its probably just a potent combo of excitement, thrill, and lust. Infatuation tends to happen very quickly, and it is often more focused on a strong attraction, admiration, or some form of fantasy of how perfect someone is, says Leanna Stockard, LMFT, a licensed family and marriage therapist in Massachusetts and Illinois. Due to this, infatuation is not long-lasting, because once you get to know the person for who they truly are, those feelings tend to go away.

Now, thats not to say this person isnt your soulmate, twin flame, whatever you want to call it. Infatuation can turn into love, but its equally important to note that the two arent mutually exclusive, either. The latter requires a deeper experience of care, emotional attachment, and interest in a mate, says Cortney Warren, PhD, ABPP, a Harvard-trained board-certified psychologist in California. It [love] evolves over time as you develop a meaningful, intimate relationship with someone.

Meet the Experts:

Leanna Stockard, LMFT is a family and marriage therapist in Massachusetts and Illinois.



Cortney Warren, PhD, ABPP is a Harvard-trained, board-certified psychologist in California.

Ahead, experts will break down the difference between love and infatuationand where the two intersect.

What's the main difference between love and infatuation?

Put simply, infatuation is that hot and heavy, sparks flying feeling you get around someone you like. It's not based on reality or a real connection, but rather the fantasy of that person youve built up in your head. According to Warren, its possible to be infatuated with someone you just met, someone that catches your eye from across the room, that cutie you follow on social media, or someone youve just started to date.

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Love, however, grows over time and with intimacy. The biggest difference is really about how well you know someone and how bonded the relationship is, she says. When youre really in love, its generally with someone youre actually developing a relationship with in a meaningful way. A shared connection with someone youre passionate about.

What are the signs of infatuation?

Differentiating between love and infatuation can be difficult, especially if you grew up watching Disney movies and early-aughts romantic comedies. These feelings may seem like two sides of the same coin, but love is deep and built as the result of time and trust, while infatuation is a faster burn that resembles an intense crush. It can still be hard to differentiate between the two, though.

Struggling to determine what you're experiencing? It's probably infatuation and not love if...

1. Youre obsessed with a love interest you dont know very well.

Love at first sight may or may not exist, but according to Warren, if youre feeling those intense ~feels~ early on with a romantic interest (specifically, when there isnt a meaningful or established relationship yet), its a sign of infatuation. Generally, when were infatuated with someone, we dont actually know them very well as a person, she says. We are focused on their physical appearance, and arent attached to them in a meaningful way.

An example of this is feeling like you need to be around that person rather than simply wanting to be with them, Stockard adds.

2. You're experiencing physical symptoms of anxiety.

That ache in your gut and sweat in your palms isnt an excuse to panic-search WebMD for some mysterious disease you dont have. Having physical symptoms when you see or think about the persongetting butterflies in your stomach, blushing, starting to sweat, feeling giddy and excited are all the result of infatuation, Warren says.

3. You feel like they can do no wrong.

Infatuation is more along the lines of obsession [than love], Stockard says. Maybe youre viewing your romantic interest from behind rose-colored glasses, or maybe you just havent even spent enough time together for them to reveal their flawseither way, putting your crush on a pedestal is a sign that youre in the throes of infatuation.

Love, on the other hand, is "realizing that your partner is not perfect, and that you accept them for their flaws," Stockard says.

4. Your conversations are surface-level.

Infatuation, by nature, involves a surface-level connectionwhich means your conversations probably havent delved any deeper, says Stockard. You may have a hard time having a strong emotional connection, she adds, not only because the relationship is new, but because youre afraid (subconsciously or consciously) to destroy the idea of this person youve built up in your mind.

What are the signs of love?

Youve probably heard the whole when you know, you know spiel, but thats not always the case. (Clearly.) Lets dive into the topic a little deeperbecause remember, love is all about getting deeper, right?

Its probably love and *not* just infatuation if

1. Your connection feels like it's growing slowly and steadily.

Youve likely heard this before, but your relationship might just be the real thing if it doesnt burn hot and fast, but is instead forged methodically on a foundation of compatibility, trust, and emotional vulnerability.

Love tends to develop more over time, Stockard says. You slowly get to know someone on a deeper level, and instead of seeing them as an ideal self, you see someones imperfections, insecurities, and vulnerabilities, and you accept them for who they are. Love is longer-lasting than the short, passionate phase of infatuation.

2. You have deep, emotional conversations.

Love happens when you get to know a person on a more intimate level. The shallowness fades away, and the connection is built on what actually matters. You have more emotional conversations with this person and attempt to get to know them on a deeper level, as opposed to the superficial facts that might lead to infatuation, Stockard adds.

Heres what that looks like: really hearing out your partner, discussing tough topics like finances and the future, sharing your vulnerabilities and insecurities, and finding mutual acceptance about all of these things.

3. If you break up, it's hard to move on.

The thing about infatuation is that no matter how intense those feelings may feel, once youre out of it, you'll be able to bounce back relatively quickly. You might even become infatuated with someone else. The same cant be said for love.

Its very hard to fall out of love, Warren says. If were in love with someone and then break up, it can be very hard to move on, which is not characteristic of simple infatuation.

4. You feel safe and secure when you're around them.

When you are able to build a deeper connection (via those intimate conversations and an established foundation of trust), youre also able to feel safe and securewhich, ding, ding, ding, often equates to love.

If the relationship stays together after the honeymoon phase, it often will move into a stage of attached togetherness characterized by a safe and secure bond based in mutual love and care, Warren adds.

Can infatuation turn into love?

The answer isnt a simple yes or no. Really, its like a flip of the coin. Infatuation isnt built on fact, but rather fantasyso whether one can turn into the other depends on whats below the surface.

If two people are both infatuated with one another and are interested in exploring a relationship, its possible that they could transition into a stage of falling in love or being in a meaningful relationship, Warren says. To make that happen, both people [need] to make an effort to know one another  and get away from their fantasy view of who the person is and what their life could look like.

Stockard recommends reminding yourself of your crush's humanity and imperfections, and not letting yourself fully succumb to that infatuation. Nobody is perfect, and to set yourself up in a relationship imagining that a person is perfect may keep the relationship from progressing into love, she says. Then, over time, "you will be able to see if your connection to this person is authentic, if you feel like you are compatible with them, and can accept their insecurities or flaws."

Look, infatuation can be funand in the early stages of a relationship, it might be inevitable. But if you want to find lasting, real love, infatuation might actually be standing in your way. Since the latter is (or at least, should be) the goal, Warren suggests challenging those idealized thoughts about your partner, while having real conversations and learning more about that person. This can look like regular dinner dates, or even inviting them to join in on hobbies that matter to you. Just use that time to crack things open a little deeper, and you might land with love in your lap.

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Rodney and Temecia Jackson

Last week, we told you the heartbreaking story of an infant girl in Texas, removed from her family home when they ignored their pediatricians recommendation to admit her to the hospital for jaundice. Now, after spending three weeks in foster care, baby Mila is going home.

In an April 20 news release, the Afiya Center, a Dallas-based birth and reproductive justice organization, announced that the Dallas Countys District Attorney decided to reunite Mila with her parents and two older brothers.

Read more

Temecia and Rodney Jacksons daughter Mila was born at home with the assistance of a midwife on March 21. But at a newborn checkup, the family pediatrician, Dr. Anand Bhatt, discovered the baby had developed jaundice. And while the condition is fairly common among infants, Dr. Bhatt believed Milas case was serious enough to require medical intervention.

However, the Jacksons opted to take their midwifes advice instead and treat the condition at home. A decision that prompted Dr. Bhatt to contact Child Protective Services, and led to Milas ultimate removal from her home. At an April 6 press conference, the Jacksons pled their case and called Milas removal a kidnapping.

But while Mila is going home, the Afiya Center hopes to shine a spotlight on the racial disparity that exists in the child welfare system and see changes made.

Mila isnt the first Black baby to be unjustly ripped away from her family, and she wont be the last oneunless fundamental changes are made to the child welfare and criminal justice systems, said DAndra Willis, Birth Justice Coordinator at The Afiya Center in a statement. We need people to understand reproductive justice and freedom also means families have a right to choose when and how they want to parent. This includes informed decision making, culturally sensitive care and choosing birth and postpartum support plans that meet their specific needs.

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And the Jacksons midwife is looking forward to caring for the baby girl she delivered in her home. Im just happy that justice prevailed, and I am grateful for the Afiya Center and everyone involved in the return of this baby, midwife Cheryl Edinbyrd told CBS News. I look forward to actually giving her her first postpartum visit and celebrating her being home with her parents.

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BRUSSELS (AP)  The guardians of Champagne will let no one take the name of the bubbly beverage in vain, not even a U.S. beer behemoth.

For years, Miller High Life has used the Champagne of Beers slogan. This week, that appropriation became impossible to swallow.

At the request of the trade body defending the interests of houses and growers of the northeastern French sparkling wine, Belgian customs crushed more than 2,000 cans of Miller High Life advertised as such.

The Comite Champagne asked for the destruction of a shipment of 2,352 cans on the grounds that the century-old motto used by the American brewery infringes on the protected designation of origin Champagne.

The consignment was intercepted in the Belgian port of Antwerp in early February, a spokesperson at the Belgian Customs Administration said on Friday, and was destined for Germany.

Molson Coors Beverage Co., which owns the Miller High Life brand, does not currently export it to the EU, and Belgian customs declined to say who had ordered the beers.

The buyer in Germany was informed and did not contest the decision, the trade organization said in a statement.

More: The 5 breweries that made Milwaukee famous: Miller, Schlitz, Pabst, Gettelman and Blatz

Miller High Life cans carry "The Champagne of Beers" slogan, but the Champagne region in France isn't impressed

Miller's slogan goes back more than 100 years

Frederick Miller, a German immigrant to the US, founded the Miller Brewing Company in the 1850s. Miller High Life, its oldest brand, was launched as its flagship in 1903.

According to the Milwaukee-based brands website, the company started to use the Champagne of Bottle Beers nickname three years later. It was shortened to The Champagne of Beers in 1969. The beer has also been available in champagne-style 750-milliliter bottles during festive seasons.

With its elegant, clear-glass bottle and crisp taste, Miller High Life has proudly worn the nickname The Champagne of Beers for almost 120 years, Molson Coors Beverage Co. said in a statement to The Associated Press.

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No matter how popular the slogan is in the United States, it is incompatible with European Union rules, which make clear that goods infringing a protected designation of origin can be treated as counterfeit.

The 27-nation bloc has a system of protected geographical designations created to guarantee the true origin and quality of artisanal food, wine and spirits, and protect them from imitation. That market is worth nearly 75 billion euros ($87 billion) annually  half of it in wines, according to a 2020 study by the EUs executive arm.

Charles Goemaere, the managing director of the Comite Champagne, said the destruction of the beers confirms the importance that the European Union attaches to designations of origin and rewards the determination of the Champagne producers to protect their designation.

Molson Coors Beverage Co. said it respects local restrictions around the word Champagne.

But we remain proud of Miller High Life, its nickname and its Milwaukee, Wisconsin provenance, the company said. We invite our friends in Europe to the U.S. any time to toast the High Life together.

Belgian customs said the destruction of the cans was paid for by the Comite Champagne. According to their joint statement, it was carried out with the utmost respect for environmental concerns by ensuring that the entire batch, both contents and container, was recycled in an environmentally responsible manner.

Mark D. Carlson of the Associated Press contributed to this report from Brussels.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Miller High Life's Champagne of Beers slogan gets cans crushed in EU
EDITORS NOTE: THIS STORY WAS UPDATED AFTER THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ON SUNDAY, APRIL 24, 2023, CONFIRMED THAT AN EF-0 TORNADO FORMED ON LAKE NORMAN IN SOUTHERN IREDELL COUNTY ON SATURDAY, APRIL 23, 2023.

An 80-mph tornado formed over Lake Norman Saturday morning, crossed Interstate 77 and narrowly missed Mooresville Middle School as it snapped trees along a nearly 8-mile path, according to the National Weather Service.

The EF-0 tornado emerged at 7:27 a.m. in a line of severe thunderstorms with hail that smacked Gaston, Lincoln, northern Mecklenburg and southern Iredell counties, meteorologists in the NWS office in Greer, South Carolina, told The Charlotte Observer.

EF-0 is the weakest of six tornado classifications on NOAAs Enhanced Fujita Scale for tornado intensity and damage. NOAA is short for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

After forming 3 miles northwest of Davidson in southern Iredell County, the tornado barreled onshore at the Davidson College lake campus, hurled picnic tables into the lake and downed large trees, an NWS damage survey team found Sunday.

Numerous spots along the shore between the Lake Campus and Interstate 77 saw snapped tree trunks or large branches, according to a report by the team. One large poplar tree was uprooted and damaged other large trees as it fell.

A fence and a well head also were damaged.

The tornado crossed I-77 at about 7:30 a.m. and leveled numerous large, healthy tree branches between Langtree Road and Blackwelder Farm Drive, according to the report.,

Near Mooresville Middle School, a fence collapsed and a tree was uprooted, NWS meteorologists said. The team found uprooted trees between Linwood Road and Teeter Road and determined that the tornado dissipated at 7:39 a.m. in Rowan County.

The tornado traveled 7.79 miles and was 30 yards wide, according to the NWS report.

No injuries were reported from the storms.

Storm damage reports

On Saturday, the NWS received a report of trees felled on Newbury Drive, off Faith Road, NWS meteorologist Jake Wimberley told the Observer.

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Thats just east of N.C. 115 and unincorporated Mount Mourne at the lake and along the path of the tornado confirmed Sunday.

About eight and a half miles to the northwest, the NWS received a report of a structure collapse on Preston Road, Wimberley said. Thats off Cornelius Road in Mooresville on the lake.

The whole house was shaking, and hail was just a flying, Mark Davis, who lives in that general area, said on NextDoor Saturday morning. Thank the good lord that we are safe, but I also want to say I hope all the neighbors are as well. Prayers sent to everyone around me.

The NWS urged anyone who saw tornadic-like weather to fill out an online StormReport.

Another round of storms emerged just before 1:30 p.m. Saturday. The NWS first warned of hail and 40-mph winds in Shelby and Boiling Springs in Cleveland County and Cherryville in Gaston County.

An hour later, half-inch hail and 40-mph winds were possible in Cornelius, Mooresville and Gastonia, NWS forecasters said. Winds and showers returned to Mooresville just before 3 p.m., after a day of sunshine. Storms were expected until 3:15 p.m., according to the NWS.

Lake Norman tornado warning

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning for the Lake Norman area Saturday morning, including the towns of Davidson, Cornelius and Mooresville.

A tornado warning means a tornado is imminent and people should seek shelter in a sturdy structure.

The warning area extended from just west of the towns and Interstate 77 on the lake all the way east to Interstate 85 and China Grove in Rowan County..

The warning lasted until 8 a.m.

Just after 7:30 a.m., winds from a thunderstorm leveled a structure in the 200 block of Preston Road in Mooresville, WBTV reported.

The Charlotte Fire Department on Twitter urged residents to secure items outside, bring pets inside, charge cell phones and use only battery powered flash lights. Stay away from windows during heavy winds.

SEVERE WEATHER ADVISORY: Severe weather is approaching. Please follow local news for updates. Secure items outside, bring pets inside, charge cell phones and use only battery powered flash lights. Stay away from windows during heavy winds. pic.twitter.com/F5Du2R4Sng  Charlotte Fire Dept (@CharlotteFD) April 22, 2023

Severe thunderstorms moved into the Lake Norman area with heavy downpours just before 7:30 a.m. Pea-sized hail was reported, NWS meteorologists said.

Statesville, Concord, Kannapolis and Salisbury remained under a threat of strong winds until 8:30 a.m.

Storms raced in from Gaston and Lincoln counties. The NWS placed Charlotte, Concord and Gastonia under the threat of strong winds with possible 40-mph gusts until 7:30 a.m.

Showers and scattered thunderstorms will cross the area through early afternoon, NWS meteorologists said in a hazardous weather bulletin at 4 a.m. A few of the storms may become strong to severe with damaging winds and large hail the main threats.

Few power outages reported

Duke Energy reported only limited outages in the Charlotte area from the storms, with just 213 customers in Mecklenburg County without electricity at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Across the Carolinas, about 3,113 customers were without power at 11:30 a.m.. Duke Energy expected power back by about noon in most areas.

By 1 p.m., those numbers fell to 199 in Mecklenburg County and 1,128 in the Carolinas.

Flight delays reported

At least 482 flights were delayed at Charlotte Douglas International Airport by 5:30 p.m. Saturday, according to tracking site FlightAware.com.

Delays included at least 267 departures and 215 inbound planes, FlightAware reported.

Just before 8 p.m., the number jumped to at least 544 delayed flights for the day and evening, including 309 from Charlotte and 233 incoming, according to FlightAware.

At 8:45 a.m., the FAA lifted an earlier ground stop at the airport, WSOC reported.

Charlotte forecast

All sunshine is predicted Sunday and Monday, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast at 1 p.m. Saturday.

Tuesday could grow cloudy, and Wednesday has a 50% chance of rain, according to the NWS. Rain is likely late Wednesday and early Thursday, with the chance at 60%, NWS forecasters said.

Rain chances fall to 40% by Friday, the forecast showed.

After an expected high of 72 Saturday, highs in Charlotte are forecast to drop from 71 Sunday, 68 Monday and 69 Tuesday to 61 Wednesday. Highs are then expected to climb to 66 Thursday and 67 Friday.

Tornado Warning including Mooresville NC, Cornelius NC and Davidson NC until 8:00 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/dTDmvy1AHR  NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) April 22, 2023

A line of showers and thunderstorms will move east of the area early this morning. Additional showers and isolated thunderstorms, especially for the I-77 corridor, into early afternoon. Clearing skies and breezy conditions with mild temps by mid-afternoon. #ncwx #scwx #gawx pic.twitter.com/EpS1hrR6LR  NWS GSP (@NWSGSP) April 22, 2023

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Late-stage testing on Moderna's and Pfizer's work, as of mid-November 2020, has been exceedingly promising. Both the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines have proven better than 90 percent effective. Moderna, which enrolled 30,000 adult U.S. participants, reported that just five of the 95 total COVID-19 cases occurred among the vaccinated  the other 90 infections were from the placebo group. That equates to a 94.5 percent efficacy rate. None of the infected patients who received the vaccine developed severe COVID-19. Pfizer saw similar results in its phase 3 trial.

In the trials the vaccines also seemed to do more than simply ward off COVID-19. They have shown that they may reduce the rate of infection, too, keeping those with the virus from spewing it to others around them.

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Both companies are expected to apply for something called an Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If granted, they'll ramp up production on the vaccines. Millions of doses might be available by the end of 2020 and, if everything goes right, several billion could be ready by the first half of 2021.

Hurdles remain. Manufacturing must increase at levels never before attempted. (Most vaccine candidates now in late-stage trials take two doses to be effective.) Shipping and storing these mRNA vaccines must be ironed out. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine requires it be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius), and it degrades after about five days at temperatures of just above freezing. Moderna's however, supposedly can be stored at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 8 degrees Celsius) for up to 30 days, and remain stable at -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) for up to six months. Determining who's first in line  what countries, which people  is, in many places, still to be determined.

In the meantime, other companies are deep in research and development using mRNA and more traditional methods to bring vaccines to market. Some 54 vaccines are in clinical trials in humans, according to The New York Times, and at least 87 are in preclinical trials in animals.

"The mRNA methods, now that we have the efficacy numbers, are now in the lead," Richardson says. "But there are many different candidates. There will likely be multiple vaccines that are licensed and available to the public. Who knows what the landscape will be in a year? We may have five or six or more to choose from, just like flu vaccines. And because you need so much, you need multiple manufacturers."

The pace has been breathtaking. Faced with one of the deadliest outbreaks of disease in many lifetimes, the government and private sector have joined forces to come up with a possible answer in record time. And what we've learned may help us handle the next virus that comes along.

"The speed, the number of vaccine development corollary effects  bioprocessing, knowing how to scale up, the coordination with the regulatory bodies like FDA and other organizations across the world  I think those will pay benefits for years to come," Richardson says.

Now That's Interesting The first vaccine is believed to have been developed for smallpox somewhere around 1500 or 1600, though some believe it was much earlier. The Chinese may have begun the practice by taking a scraping of a smallpox sore and either rubbing the infected matter into the arm or blowing it into the nostril of a healthy person.
An Arizona correctional officer for a private prison who also serves in the Army National Guard was charged with multiple felonies after authorities found he was smuggling 23 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of heroin inside his car's gas tank while traveling with his wife and three children on Tuesday.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday that a California Highway Patrol officer stopped 34-year-old Fernando Urrutiaguillen of Chandler on Interstate 5 in Irvine and had a K-9 unit search the vehicle after growing suspicious of him. Not long after, the K-9 unit found the drugs inside the vehicle's gas tank, which authorities say Urrutiaguillen stashed in Mexico and smuggled into the United States.

It was not immediately clear why the officer was suspicious of Urrutiaguillen or the reason for the vehicle stop.

Authorities don't believe Urrutiaguillen's family were aware of the smuggling.

Urrutiaguillen has been charged with the following:

Two felony counts of possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

Two felony counts of sale or transport of a controlled substance.

Two felony enhancements of a controlled substance in excess of 20 kilograms.

Two felony enhancements of possession of a substance exceeding one kilogram.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office said Urrutiaguillen faces up to 21 years and four months in prison if convicted on all counts. He has pleaded not guilty.

"This individual not only put his wife and three young children in incredible danger, he put another black mark on every upstanding law enforcement officer who works tirelessly to protect Americans from the very drug dealers he was doing business with," Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a written statement.

It was not immediately clear which prison Urrutiaguillen worked at.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ corrections officer arrested on drug smuggling charges in California
On Thursday, April 13, 2023, school was canceled in the Portsmouth School District due to the threat of violence that was made in the late afternoon on Wednesday, April 12. A threat was made on video on Snapchat with the suspect saying, Imma gonna shoot up the school," while holding a handgun with his right hand and filming on his phone in his left from a vehicle in front of a school. He later responded to police that this video, was a joke." This joke" led to 2,500-plus students and staff getting a frightening call late in the night that school would be canceled district wide the next day to investigate and find him. More disturbing, once found and in police custody, was the amount of weapons, including large assortments of handguns, ammunition, tactical gear and an assault rifle that were in his possession.

Erin Bakkom

Students and teachers district wide woke up to this news, given the late hour of notification, knowing that in April this wasnt a snow storm, this wasnt a health/pandemic related issue  we in Portsmouth were experiencing what so many others throughout the country and for over two decades have experienced: the impact of the threat of gun violence to schools in our community.

I was a young second-year teacher in 1999 in California when I was home sick on April 20 and watched in horror the footage of the Columbine shootings. In each and every classroom I have worked in during the past 24 years, I look to see where I could hide students in the event of a shooter in school. Twenty-four years  and the impact of school shootings has only risen with more frequency nationwide.

Each year, nearly every public school in the country teaches children in age appropriate ways what we need to do in the event of a shooter in the school. I grew up with fire drills, and in California, earthquake drills; each and every student currently in the Portsmouth School Department has grown up needing to drill for an active shooter in their school building. Ask yourself: in your line of work, do you create protocols for what happens if someone enters your workplace with the intent to harm you? Schools have no choice but to create detailed protocols to drill with all students in the event of an active shooter in school. Our reality is that since 1999, the increase of school shootings has continued to grow. Our students and teachers are the targets of gun violence nationwide each and every day in America in schools.

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On Thursday, teachers and students were relieved to hear that the suspect was in police custody, but as continued reporting went on, we learned more about the details, including the arsenal of firearms that he had in his possession. This creates a reality on how close this really could have been to a tragedy in our community. What makes Portsmouth different from Nashville, Uvalde, Sandy Hook and Parkland? It becomes very easy to embrace a sense of false security that, this cant happen here." But that security came toppling down on Thursday and Friday as the details of this crime were released. This could have easily happened here as it did in the countless numbers of communities across the country who have faced active shooter tragedies in their schools. That loss of false security is eye opening. It took someone spotting this video, reporting the threat, and the investigation and swift response from our local law enforcement to apprehend the suspect as quickly as possible, to make returning to school on Friday possible.

As of 2020, the leading cause of death for children ages 1-19 is firearms, twice as high as it is for the rest of the population in the United States. Our students face their greatest risk of death by attending school. When you look at events in U.S. history like the attacks of 9/11 or even the recent COVID pandemic, we have collectively taken actions to prevent the recurrence of the threat. But in regards to schools being safe from active shooters, we are unable as a country or as a state to make changes that positively impact the lives of all children and teachers with safety from gun violence in school. Since becoming New Hampshire governor, Chris Sununu has opposed efforts to keep gun free zones in and around schools, which then allows weapons into our schools for events such as local voting. Since then, Sununu has said the state does not need to update its gun laws. The events of April 13 in Portsmouth lay out a pretty convincing case that this is wrong and that we have a desperate need for stronger gun laws relating to schools and the protection of students and staff.

When the district shut down last Thursday, it was not just a day of education that was lost. Our families lost the meals that we provide, the mental health services that we partner with our community to offer, the connection with peers that we recognize is so critical, and the ability to feel safe in our learning community were ripped away. Given to us was a cruel reminder that Portsmouth is not more special or safe than any other school community with the risk of active shooters. We tirelessly practice our ALICE drills, have age appropriate conversations to convey safety with our students, but we will never be able to teach with any sense of certainty that this cant happen to us. In the 24 years since the Columbine school shootings, we have not been able to come to agreement on what we must do to make schools safe for students and teachers against gun violence. We continue to fight tirelessly about the role of guns in our countrys history, but without any outcome that creates safety for our educational community of teachers and students.

I dont think any of us should be content to offer the safety of our youngest and smallest children entering our system, or the seniors who will be donning their caps and gowns to head off as adults into the world in a few short weeks, to the luck of the draw, that we narrowly avoided a tragedy that has happened in so many other communities.

We can and must do better. These threats will never be a joke to those whose safety is at the mercy of them.

Erin Bakkom is president of the Association of Portsmouth Teachers.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Bakkom: We have desperate need for stronger gun laws for our schools
Boises deputy chief of police faces a lawsuit in California alleging that he oversaw a department knowing that officers were repeatedly violating the civil rights of local residents, at the same time they were sending other racist, misogynistic and vulgar text messages.

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday in the Northern District Court of California, alleges that Tammany Brooks  chief of police in Antioch, California, from 2017 until 2021  was aware of racism, excessive force and unconstitutional actions in the department, and that he failed to take any remedial measures, and tolerated, encouraged and ratified the repeated and widespread pattern and practice of unconstitutional actions, according to the complaint.

The allegations stem from a joint investigation by the Contra Costa District Attorney and the FBI. It was disclosed earlier this month as part of a criminal investigation into possible crimes of moral turpitude. The disclosure included text messages from Antioch police officers that date to 2019.

The lawsuit was filed by residents who say they experienced malicious treatment by Antioch officers during the period the text messages were sent. It also was filed on behalf of a plaintiff who was killed in a police shooting in 2021.

Before coming to Boise, Brooks spent his entire career in Antioch. He began working at the department in 1995, left in 2021 and was hired in Boise in January 2022.

From 2019-2022, Antioch police officers and sergeants exchanged hundreds of salacious text messages riddled with vile and offensive language about community members, according to the complaint. In those threads, officers bragged about using excessive force and beating arrest subjects so severely that the officers themselves hurt their hands and feet.

The lawsuit lists interactions between Antioch officers and residents, including an arrest that involved an alleged beating and an officer-involved shooting.

After the arrest of one defendant, Trent Allen, officers texted about trying to knock Allen unconscious and called him racial and homophobic slurs. One officer also sent other texts which the complaint alleges boasted about violating civil rights and only stopping (people) cuz they black (sic).

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The release of the report has led to protests in Antioch, an East Bay city of about 115,000 with a large minority population. The current police chief, Steven Ford, told CNN that he condemns racially abhorrent content and incomprehensible behavior being attributed to members of the Antioch Police Department in media reports.

Brooks became Antiochs police chief in 2017 and was heralded as the first Black individual to lead the citys department.

The lawsuit does not accuse Brooks of engaging in the text messages, but it claims that he had the power to stop them  and showed deliberate indifference. The lawsuit says he and others tacitly authorized, encouraged, or condoned the behavior of the officers.

The lawsuit also says the harm to Antioch residents who had the interactions with police were the proximate result of said customs, policies, patterns, and/or practices instituted by Brooks, the city and other leaders.

In January 2021, officers at the department texted about how police officers in nearby Oakland had been required to relinquish their cellphones as part of an internal investigation. In response, one Antioch officer texted, I think Chief (Tammany Brooks) knew something we dont when he sent that email about his new work phone number and talking about PRA requests.

PRA likely stands for Public Records Act.

A spokesperson for the Boise Police Department, Haley Williams, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the Antioch Police Department declined to comment.

Mayor Lauren McLean told the Idaho Statesman on Friday that she had not seen the lawsuit.

The joint probe is also investigating officers in the nearby city of Pittsburg, California.

A second federal lawsuit, filed in December in California, accuses Antioch officers of mistreating people who were protesting Brooks retirement in 2021. The lawsuit says that officers engaged in misconduct at the direction of Brooks.

In February, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas S. Hixon dismissed the claims against Brooks, ruling that they had no factual basis and were based only on legal conclusions and speculation.
Yet another week has gone by without any action by Congress to resolve the mine permitting problem. The process takes a long time, and even then there's no assurance that a mining company will get a permit to open a new mine in the United States. Think about our growing reliance on China and Russia for critically important minerals and metals used in producing not only consumer products like laptops and smartphones but also weapons systems and batteries for clean energy technologies  and how pleasing this dependence must be to the rulers of those countries.

Ucore Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michael Schrider announces Thursday that Alexandria will be home to the first rare earth elements processing center in North America. Work on the $75 million plant should begin this year.

Without a moment's notice, China could cut off shipments of battery minerals like rare earths. A decade ago it did just that to Japan during a dispute over fishing rights to the South China Sea. Today the U.S. depends heavily on China for not only rare earths but other minerals, including lithium, cobalt, manganese and phosphate, which are needed for batteries in electric cars and the transmission of wind and solar power.

Hear more Tennessee voices: Get the weekly opinion newsletter for insightful and thought-provoking columns.

For its part, Russia could shut off shipments of the uranium needed at nuclear power plants, which supply 20% of our nation's electricity. Although the U.S. has vast uranium resources, there is only one domestic uranium mine, whereas there were dozens of mines years ago. Today more than 90% of the uranium used in the U.S. is imported, of which nearly half comes from Russia and two former Soviet states, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. With Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, depending on Russia and two of its closest allies for uranium is foolhardy.

One abiding problem is that the U.S. has yet to seize on its own enormous mineral wealth, not only in uranium but in other raw materials. Beneath the ground are minerals and metals estimated to be worth trillions of dollars. But instead of making the country safer by boosting domestic mining, we rely on imports to meet our needs. In its annual report on minerals, the United States Geological Survey reported that U.S. reliance on other countries has reached a record level, the highest in the nation's history. China is the largest source of minerals, which is terrible news, since no nation that depends on China for critically important minerals wants to remain so, because China uses its global dominance of mineral production for geopolitical leverage.

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G. Ivan Maldonado

Now is the time to ask: What are the most useful things Congress could do to bolster U.S. defense against a possible minerals embargo? High on the list would be to pass a bill that would bolster U.S. mining. Introduced by Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), head of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the bill, which has bipartisan support, would streamline the mine permitting process so opening a new mine could be completed in less than half the time it now takes. With a revival of domestic mining, there would be increased U.S. production of minerals and metals and less risk of an embargo or supply shortage. Hasten that day.

Reducing foreign dependence is a slow process, but Manchin has made a start with a comprehensive bill that would help reshore mining in America. The case for improving the mine permitting process is overwhelming. The dangers of an embargo make it vital, for we are fundamentally dealing with the security of this nation.

Dr. G. Ivan Maldonado is a professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Opinion: The case for bolstering U.S. mining is rock solid
AFP

Heavy fighting again rocked Sudan's capital Sunday as tens of thousands have fled the bloody turmoil and a former prime minister warned of the "nightmare" risk of a descent into full-scale civil war.Army forces clashed with paramilitaries in downtown Khartoum as deadly hostilities have entered a third week despite the latest ceasefire, which was formally set to expire at the end of Sunday. "There has been very heavy fighting and loud gunfire every few minutes since the early morning on my street," one southern Khartoum resident told AFP by phone.Clashes were reported around the army headquarters in central Khartoum, and the army also carried out airstrikes in the capital's twin city of Omdurman across the Nile River. Foreign nations have scrambled to evacuate thousands of their citizens by air, road and sea since the fighting plunged the poverty-stricken country into deadly turmoil on April 15.Millions of Sudanese have endured crippling shortages of water, food and other basic supplies, while tens of thousands have fled to neighbouring countries, with more on their way.Satellite images showed long bus convoys at the Egyptian border, while the UN said tens of thousands had escaped to Chad, South Sudan, Ethiopia and the Central African Republic. The turmoil could deepen further in the power struggle between army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).Sudan's former prime minister Abdalla Hamdok warned that the conflict could deteriorate into one of the world's worst civil wars if not stopped early."God forbid if Sudan is to reach a point of civil war proper... Syria, Yemen, Libya will be a small play," Hamdok told an event in Nairobi. "I think it would be a nightmare for the world."- Risk of famine -The violence has killed at least 528 people and wounded about 4,600, the health ministry said Saturday, but those figures are likely to be incomplete.The fighting has affected 12 out 18 states across Sudan, including the Darfur region, the ministry said.The UN World Food Programme has warned the violence could plunge millions more into hunger in a country where 15 million people already need aid to stave off famine.The warring sides have agreed to multiple truces but none has taken hold, as chaos and lawlessness have gripped Khartoum, a city of five million, and other regions. The latest three-day ceasefire -- due to expire at midnight (2200 GMT) Sunday -- was agreed Thursday after mediation led by the United States, Saudi Arabia, the African Union and the United Nations.As the battles have raged regardless, the rival generals have taken aim at each other in the media.Burhan again branded the RSF a militia that aims "to destroy Sudan" while Daglo called the army chief "a traitor".Sudan was ruled for decades by Islamist-backed strongman Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted by the military in 2019 after mass pro-democracy protests.The coup brought Burhan and Daglo to power, and they seized full control in another coup, in 2021, before turning on each three weeks ago.- Tens of thousands flee -UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has urged negotiations to end the bloodshed."There is no right to go on fighting for power when the country is falling apart," he told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya television on Saturday."My appeal is for everything to be done to support an African-led initiative for peace in Sudan."Guterres also said on Twitter that "the UN is scaling up efforts to help people seeking safety in neighbouring countries".About 75,000 have been displaced by the fighting, the UN said.At least 20,000 have escaped to Chad, 4,000 to South Sudan, 3,500 to Ethiopia and 3,000 to the Central African Republic, it said. The fighting has also triggered a mass exodus of foreigners and international staff.Saudi Arabia said it had taken almost 4,880 people to safety on ships across the Red Sea.A US-organised road convoy arrived in Port Sudan Saturday to join the exodus, the State Department said.And the UK Foreign Office said just under 1,900 Britons had been taken out on 21 flights, following similar mass airlifts by France, Germany and other nations.Fighting, looting and lawlessness have raged in the Darfur region. In West Darfur state, at least 96 people were reported killed in the city of El Geneina, the UN said."What's happening in Darfur is terrible, the society is falling apart, we see tribes that now try to arm themselves," Guterres said.Darfur is still scarred by a war that erupted in 2003 when then Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia, mainly recruited from Arab pastoralist tribes, against ethnic-minority rebels.The scorched-earth campaign left at least 300,000 people dead and close to 2.5 million displaced, according to UN figures. Bashir was charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide by the International Criminal Court. The Janjaweed later evolved into the RSF, which was formally created in 2013. bur-fz/
New UAW President Shawn Fain, in a wide-ranging talk Friday, discussed the need to secure better wages at vehicle battery plants, a fractured relationship with one automaker in particular and the necessity for the union to be seen once again as a leader in the fight for worker benefits. He also committed to running for reelection when the time comes.

Fain, who was sworn in just last month following the United Auto Workers first direct election of top leaders, answered questions from journalists and others in an Automotive Press Association fireside chat moderated by WWJ-AM reporter Jeff Gilbert. He sat for the interview, which was handled via Zoom, at the union's Solidarity House headquarters in Detroit.

The discussion came as the union gears up for contract talks later this year with Ford, General Motors and Jeep- and Chrysler-parent Stellantis that have already sparked speculation about the potential for a strike.

The hourlong talk hit many of the themes Fain has stressed in past discussions about the need for workers to get their fair share and for autoworkers to regain concessions they made during the auto industrys darker days, but he offered more details and addressed some new topics as well, as he has begun to settle into his new role.

In his comments, Fain was particularly critical of the way joint ventures have been introduced by the automakers, referencing those announced by Stellantis in Kokomo, Indiana, and General Motors in northeast Ohio, as theyve sought to ramp up their transition to electric vehicle production. He said, for instance, that the wages are lower at the GM and LG Energy Solution Ultium Cells joint venture in Ohio compared with other auto production jobs even though the work is potentially dangerous and requires significant training.

More: Unity ahead of bargaining battles is key theme on Day 3 of UAW special bargaining convention

Automakers forming joint ventures for technological reasons is fine, Fain said, but they cant be formed just to circumvent the commitments made to union members.

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There is no reason they cant form a joint venture with us, Fain said, pointing out that if a transmission plant were to close in a city like Kokomo that secured a battery plant, the higher number of adversely affected workers at the transmission plant would have nowhere to fall.

He was also critical of Ford's decision to close its Romeo Engine Plant in Michigan, while opting to invest $11 billion in its EV projects in Tennessee and Kentucky.

The EV transformation is crucial for the future of the industry and its workers, and the union expects its members not to get lost in the transition, Fain said, noting that jobs are needed that raise people up, not take us back.

More: UAW to bring militant negotiations like Detroit Three haven't seen in years, experts say

Fain said the unions expectation for fair treatment of autoworkers has been conveyed during meetings with leadership at the Detroit Three. He noted critically, however, that one leader in particular, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, had not found the time to meet with the union.

When the CEO of the company can fly over here and threaten members about future product and absenteeism but cant take the time to reach out to us and have a discussion with us, thats a problem, Fain said.

The companys decision announced in December to idle its Belvidere Assembly Plant, where the Jeep Cherokee had been made, has been a particular sore spot for the union.

Fain called the actions a flat-out black-and-white violation, saying there should be plant closing moratoriums in place because of the language in the contracts with the automakers.

He said the relationship with Stellantis, which is based in the Netherlands and also owns the Ram, Dodge and Fiat brands, is fractured.

When they take action like that that hurts our members, things arent going to be good, so thats, I guess, as blunt as I can be about it, and we have been with all three, Fain said.

He didnt offer specifics on union strategy but indicated the union is prepared to be as aggressive as it feels it needs to be in upcoming negotiations and in other fights ahead, saying that corporations and their allies have been pursuing policies that hurt workers. He said that unions need to work together because of the global nature of corporations, and he said he has already had conversations with Unifor National President Lana Payne. Unifor, which represents Canadian autoworkers, will also be bargaining with GM, Ford and Stellantis this year.

More: Bob King once led the UAW, but he hasn't stopped thinking about its future

Every tool we have in the tool chest were going to use, Fain said. Our members expect their fair share and if they dont get it, were going to do what we have to do.

On a question that suggested the UAW would need to work with automakers to keep labor costs down in light of lower costs at plants that are not unionized, Fain pushed back: Wages, pensions and benefits represent a "small part of the cost of manufacturing," he said, noting that "no one's talking about CEOs" making tens of millions of dollars in compensation per year.

The chat came a little more than three weeks following the end of the UAW's special bargaining convention in Detroit.

The convention was Fain's first major public event as the new UAW president, following his election victory over Ray Curry. The contest in the runoff phase took weeks to decide because of counting delays prompted by challenged ballots. Fain's campaign was powered by the frustration many members felt with the corruption scandal that sent former union leaders and auto executives to prison and by the belief the union needs to fight harder at the bargaining table.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Fain says UAW needs to lead on worker benefits fight, criticizes CEO
Jim Jordan has good reasons

In response to Susan B. Wests April 16 letter Jim Jordan The Intimidator," I really must say that anyone who finds issue with the way Jim Jordan brings to light the inequities of conduct of opposing politicians simply isnt paying attention.

Letters: Jim Jordan is Ohio's embarrassment. Frank LaRose's Householder excuse is hilarious

In a rational political environment citizens should be thankful for people like Jordan.

Yes, admittedly Jordan may appear to be defending the right side of the aisle far more often than the left, but this is out of necessity, not choice. It seems that everything the left does goes unchallenged, no matter the degree of deceit or criminality, but if a politician or the right, ( for example Donald Trump) as much as makes a simple recorded telephone call, committing no crime whatsoever, the left pursues him to the point of impeachment. Someone must point out these inequities.

New Yorker: My city is expensive, at times smelly, but Jordan is wrong to call it crime ridden

They are the unfair double standards that exist in Washington and therefore must be challenged openly and publicly.

Feb 22, 2023; East Palestine, Ohio, USA; Pam Coleman holds a flag while waiting to see former President Donald Trump arrive in a motorcade. Mandatory Credit: Brooke LaValley/Columbus Dispatch

West must surely see there is no shortage of farcical and unfounded attacks against Trump, or anyone across the aisle for any trivial reason, purely to cast doubt, divide and damage the credibility of anyone who would attempt to block their efforts to reshape America according to their agenda.

Rather than condemn Jordan we should ask why he feels he must always defend his party.

John Booth, Columbus

Poor Frank LaRose

Re "Corrupt mastermind's plot shows frailty of our state's constitution," April 12: Poor Secretary of State Frank LaRose, shouldnt we pity him?

Last year he was for cutting out an August primary.

Ex-Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder enters the courthouse Wednesday. He is expected to take the stand in his own defense

Now this year he is against that change.

He makes a boogeyman out of Larry Householder and hopes to frighten us on something that might have happened. But he says nothing about the actual specter of the Ohio Redistricting Commission, of which he was a member, defying the state supreme court with the result of gerrymandered legislative districts.

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With him having such a bad case of being for it before he is against it, will he hope to change back again next year?

Who knows?

But stay tuned to see what comes next. The chase to stymie other initiatives is such an interesting story to be watching as it unfolds.

George W. Bain, Athens

More: How to submit a letter to the editor for The Columbus Dispatch

We've changed

Re "This must stop" April 16: I agree with the thrust of the editorial. However, once again we are looking for solutions in the wrong corner of the room.

Consider: the Colt revolver, the first weapon to fire multiple times without reloading, was invented in 1836; the first semiautomatic rifle in 1885; the clip-fed M1 rifle in 1942. Yet it is only in the recent past that the mass killings have proliferated. Why? What has changed?

Not the weaponry.

We  society  have changed. Our means of communication, our methods of relating to others, our sense of social conscience, our identification as a member of our community, have all changed.

Our view: 'Bullets slice through flesh and shatter bone... People die.' This must stop

So, why do we continually look to change the one constant factor, and not toanalyze and correct the factors which have changed? Because it is easier. Because it is something "they" (legislators, law enforcement) have to do, not something we, you and I, have to do.

Until we act on the true cause, any change to the means is meaningless.

John Platt, Arlington

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jim Jordan defending the right 'out of necessity, not choice'
Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno announced he's running for U.S. Senate again.

Ohio inched closer this week to a special August election that would ask voters whether they want to make it harder to amend the state constitution. The state House introduced its budget, and another Republican entered the 2024 U.S. Senate race.

We break down what it all means In this week's episode of Ohio Politics Explained. A podcast created by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau to catch you up on the state's political news in 15 minutes or less.

This week, host Anna Staver was joined by reporter Haley BeMiller.

1) Constitutional consternation

Republicans in Ohio's House and Senate want to make it harder to change the state constitution, raising the bar for voter-approved amendments from 50% plus one vote to 60%.

"The constitution is not meant to be a policy document," Sen. Rob McColley, R-Napoleon. "The constitution is meant to inform us as to how the government is supposed to be run and to enshrine rights for all Ohioans."

But Democrats found the timing of all this suspicious. The GOP wants to call a special election in Augustthree months before voters are expected to decide whether to put abortion access protections into our founding document.

And they disagree with the premise pushed by Republicans that amending the state's constitution is too easy.

The Senate approved both the resolution and the August election on Wednesday, but it remains unclear whether there are enough votes to pass it in the House.

2) Bernie's back

Cleveland businessman Bernie Moreno is running for U.S. Senate again.

Moreno tried to capture the Republican nomination for the open seat in 2022, but he dropped out of the race after a conversation with former President Donald Trump.

State Sen. Matt Dolan, R-Chagrin Falls announced he was running again in January after placing third in last year's primary. And it's rumored that Secretary of State Frank LaRose and U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson, R-Troy, are both considering jumping in.

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But unlike last year's election, the winner of this Republican primary will face Democratic U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown.

3) Teacher raises and TikTok bans

The Ohio House dropped its version of the two-year state budget this week, and it included a raise in the base salary for teachers, tax cuts and a new start date for deer hunting season.

The 5,300-page bill lays out how the state will spend more than $80 billion dollars on everything from public education to prisons. It included more money for in-home healthcare workers than what Gov. Mike DeWine proposed, but less money than he requested to train elementary educators to teach phonics.

The budget also includes a plan to move Ohio's presidential primary from March to May, ban the use of TikTok on government devices, and eliminate the sales tax on baby products like diapers and wipes.

A vote is expected by the full House next week. Then, the budget will go to the Senate.

4) Parental consent for abortion

Opponents of abortion access in Ohio are already up on the airwaves with an ad claiming that the proposed constitutional amendment would nullify a state law that requires parents to give consent for their minor children to have the procedure.

But law professors interviewed by the USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau said that was highly unlikely for two reasons.

"It would have zero effect on parental consent," said Dan Kobil, a professor of constitutional law at Capital University. "The amendment doesnt say anything about children having the same rights that adults do with respect to reproductive decisions."

Second, to overturn the parental consent law, someone would have to sue, and then the Republican majority on the Ohio Supreme Court would determine whether it qualified as a restriction that furthered patient health and safety.

"Its equally plausible that Ohios parental involvement law would stick around, especially given who would be tasked with deciding the question, which is the Ohio state Supreme Court, said Mary Ziegler, a law professor at the University of California at Davis.

Listen to "Ohio Politics Explained" on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts and TuneIn Radio. The episode is also available by clicking the link in this article.

The USA TODAY Network Ohio Bureau serves The Columbus Dispatch, Cincinnati Enquirer, Akron Beacon Journal and 18 other affiliated news organizations across Ohio.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio politics podcast: Budget talks, new challenger for Sherrod Brown
GOP candidates greet the crowd and media before their debate at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in September 2015. Another debate will be held at the library, a Republican leader announced Thursday.

The second Republican presidential primary debate for the 2024 elections will be held at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley, a party leader announced Thursday.

Ronna McDaniel, chair of the Republican National Committee, made the announcement while speaking at the Reagan library. Its unclear when the event will be held but it will follow the opening Republican primary debate set for Milwaukee in August.

The first debate will be hosted by the party and Fox News. The organizations partnering in the Reagan debate have not been announced.

It will be the librarys fifth Republican presidential debate with the most recent in September 2015 when soon-to-be President Donald Trump and 10 other candidates sparred in the Air Force One Pavilion.

David Trulio, new CEO for the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute, responded to McDaniel's announcement in a Tweet.

Our debate continues President Reagans vision for a dynamic intellectual forum where leaders debate the future, he said, using Reagan's words.

Its too early to know who will appear in the library debate. Announced Republican candidates for president include Trump, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson and talk radio host Larry Elder.

Other Republicans who could run include Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence and South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.

Local news: Auschwitz survivor tells 1,000 students of horrors 'that can never be erased'

Announced Democratic candidates include self-help author Marianne Williamson and anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. They are expected to be joined in the race by President Joe Biden.

The news of the debate stoked excitement in Republican circles.

"The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is such a treasure for Ventura County. I am looking forward to having America's Republican presidential candidates here," said John Andersen, chair of the Ventura County Republican Party.

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Steven Auclair, chair of the Ventura County Democratic Party, said the Republican debate will show the contrast between the two parties. He said the Reagan Library location is not unexpected.

"Its no surprise that the Republican party will narrow in on some of the past areas theyve come to," he said.

Tom Kisken covers health care and other news for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at tom.kisken@vcstar.com or 805-437-0255.

SUPPORT LOCAL JOURNALISM: To see more stories like this, subscribe here.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: GOP presidential debate to return to Ronald Reagan Library
A member of the Ukrainian White Angels Special Police Team walks looks at the debris of a residential building, destroyed following an air strike in the frontline town of Avdiivka, Donetsk region on April 10, 2023, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Genya Savilov/AFP via Getty Images

Russia is modifying regular bombs to have guidance systems, a report says.

They are a cheap and effective substitute for expensive guided missiles, which Russia's stock of is low.

Ukraine has been calling for Western fighter jets in order to counter Russia's bombardment.

Russia is modifying simple bombs to equip them with guidance systems, turning them into cheap and effective substitutes for expensive guided missiles.

The regular bombs appear to be being converted to smart ones using UMPK (unified module for gliding and guidance) systems, according to Illia Ponomarenko of the Kyiv Independent.

Ponomarenko wrote that the upgraded guided or gliding bombs pose "an especially serious threat to Ukraine" that can "deliver devastating hits upon Ukrainian lines and the rear front."

This system can be used to equip old Soviet FAB-500-62 gravity bombs, which Russia has an abundant supply of, with a simple satellite guidance system and "wings," according to the outlet.

In March, Russia effectively used the modified bombs to bombard Ukrainian defenses of Avdiivka in Donetsk.

The kit costs less than 2 million roubles, around $24,000, to produce, making it far cheaper than missiles and other weapons purchased from overseas, according to Russian media.

By comparison, a single Kalibr cruise missile, which Russia had been using widely in its invasion of Ukraine, is worth nearly $6.5 million.

The system is similar to the JDAM-ER kits that the US has sent to Ukraine, which converts existing unguided bombs into precision-guided munitions.

Although Russia has not admitted to be serially producing the UMPK kits, this would be a convenient alternative to expensive cruise and ballistic missiles, its stock of which is now largely depleted.

These munitions can have an effective range of over 50 kilometers, or around 31 miles, according to Ukrainian air force estimates, the Kyiv Independent said.

Ukraine's air force estimates that up to 20 guided bomb hits are registered daily all along the front line, carried by Russian Su-34 and Sukhoi Su-35 jets and launched from upper altitudes, according to the paper.

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The Sukhoi Su-34 jet fighter-bomber of Russian Air Force. aviation-images.com/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

In order to combat the Russian bombardment, Ukraine needs to defend against the jets using air defense systems such as the S-300.

The recently leaked Pentagon documents warned that Kyiv's stock of S-300 is depleted and could run out in May.

Several Patriot missile defense systems arrived in Ukraine on Wednesday, sent from Western allies. Ukraine has also been scrambling to find more ammunition for its air-defense weapons, which have been vital to defend against Russias aircraft.

Ukraine has also been calling for its Western allies to send fighter jets to defend against Russia's attacks, as its Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 are outdated and lack modern longer, range air-to-air missiles.

Germany this week approved Poland's request to transfer five MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A pair of big city transplants are bringing new life to a dusty old ballroom above Last Chance Gulch.

Abbey Cook and her husband, Stephen Riggs, traded in their hectic New York City lives and moved to Helena in 2020. The couple officially reopened The Windsor Ballroom on the fourth floor of the Iron Front Hotel building, 415 Last Chance Gulch, in December and immediately loaded its event calendar with unique-themed parties and youthful touring acts.

"We want Helena to think of us as their cool big sister who throws fun parties," Cook said. "We want to be a contributor to the downtown community, we want to be a contributor to the community at large, and making people feel like we're not defaulting to Helena, we're choosing Helena."

She said she wants The Windsor's offerings to drive people downtown after 5 p.m. and on the weekends.

"We also are very committed to creating space for people to enjoy being in Helena that's not 'I can go to the brewery until 8 p.m.," she said. "There's life after dark and it doesn't just have to be in a big city and it also doesn't just have to be if you're 21 and up."

The all-ages productions are a critical component of the business, according to Cook, and the plan is to present as such offerings as possible.

"There's not a ton of access to live music in town for all ages," she said. "And that is sad to me because those were my formative concert experiences when I was 16, 17 years old.

"I think it's important to foster that, otherwise you're never going to have a music community in town that's growing and thriving and building and constantly creating if you're not allowing young people to be a part of it in a meaningful way."

The Windsor recently hosted Matty Wood$, a St. Louis rapper, and the show was open to all ages and sponsored by Gulch neighbor Creep Skate Co.

Minneapolis-based indie pop outfit Yam Haus played an all-ages show March 27, the first touring band to roll through.

"(I)t's amazing to see passionate people work their (butts) off to make safe and beautiful music experiences happen for their local community," the band said on its social media following the performance. "(V)ery impressed and very proud to have been a small part."

The Windsor hosted Dolly Night earlier this month, a Dolly Parton-themed get together complete with Dolly songs, movies and costumes.

"We need to be unique in a certain way," Cook said. "We want to be very personable, very authentic, very genuine."

The Windsor is not the first Gulch business aiming to foster a sense of community, and Cook said her business will fit in alongside those others.

"I love walking into the (General) Merc(antile) and feeling like I know everybody, I can sit at the counter. I can be having a good day or a bad day, and I'm welcome just the same," she said.

The General Mercantile is located in the first floor of the building, and Manager Indigo Starr said they have welcomed their new neighbors with open arms.

"What they're bringing to downtown is super important and needed," Starr said. "We love what they're doing, and we love making them coffee every morning."

The coffee was surely needed as Cook, her husband and about a half dozen employees spent more than two months sprucing up the old ballroom, which still boasts its original hardwood, spring-loaded dance floor installed in the late 1880s, Cook's favorite part of the space.

She said they painted about 9,000 square feet of walls, repaired dry wall, replaced bathroom flooring.

People have taken notice.

The Montana Democrats staged their Mansfield Metcalf after-party in the ballroom.

The Helena Business Improvement District is also applauding their efforts.

"Were always excited to see businesses really going for it and succeeding in downtown Helena," HBID Executive Director John Dendy said in an email. "The Windsor is making some cool stuff happen, and that increases the vibrancy and liveliness of downtown."
Dan Finnegan discusses an assignment with Kimberly Grawberg, an eighth grade student at Lakewood Middle School in Salina. Out-of-state transfers like Finnegan could soon have an easier path to teacher licensure following Kansas' entry into the Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact.

Kansas will be one of the inaugural members of the Interstate Teaching Mobility Compact  if the agreement can get more traction in at least six other states.

Gov. Laura Kelly on Thursday signed Senate Bill 66, which commits Kansas to recognizing the out-of-state teacher licenses from other state signatories of the potential compact.

Teacher shortages have been a challenge across the country, but it has been particularly tough on our rural communities, Kelly said in a statement on her signature. This bill addresses the teacher shortage here in Kansas by helping to fill vacancies with qualified educators who want to move to our state. Thats good for our students, for our rural communities, and for our growing economy.

The compact was a creation of the Council of State Governments, with heavy backing from the U.S. Department of Defense, which wanted to create an easier pathway to teacher licensure for military personnel and their spouses as they move around the country. Schools have also championed the compact as a way to help with teacher shortages felt keenly but unevenly across the U.S.

More: Kansas will pilot a teacher apprenticeship program. Could it solve educator shortages?

The measure had met some controversy on the Kansas State Board of Education, which sets licensing regulations and criteria for the state's educator workforce, before the bill was even introduced into the Kansas Legislature. The Kansas chapter of the National Education Association teachers' union had also opposed the bill, which they said had the potential to allow underqualified educators become the teachers of record in Kansas classrooms.

The board had initially declined to take any action on joining the interstate compact. It ultimately passed a resolution in support of SB 66 after it became clear that the bill had gained bipartisan traction in the Legislature and after legal staff concluded that only the Legislature could take any action to join an interstate compact.

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Sen. Pat Pettey, a Kansas City Democrat and retired educator who had sponsored the bill, said she was proud to play a part in creating an alternative licensure path for teachers moving into Kansas.

"Not only does this create an agreed-upon regulatory framework for teacher reciprocity, it also speeds up the application process for relocating licensees, reduces time and resources spent by licensing agencies, and adds one more tool to the State Board of Education Licensure tool box," Pettey said in a statement.

Despite Thursday's signature, the compact might not take effect for a year or two, if at all  10 states are required to formally enact the compact, and only Utah, Colorado and Kentucky have signed the compact into law. Legislation is pending in about a dozen other states, though.

Rafael Garcia is an education reporter for the Topeka Capital-Journal. He can be reached at rgarcia@cjonline.com or by phone at 785-289-5325. Follow him on Twitter at @byRafaelGarcia.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas joins Interstate Teacher Mobility license compact
Former President Donald Trump touted his lead over Gov. Ron DeSantis in polls, took credit for the governors 2018 victory, jabbed at DeSantis on Social Security and Medicare and said without him DeSantis would just be a lawyer hustling for business, needling the governor on his home turf during a speech Friday in Southwest Florida.

Trump also highlighted the recent stampede by Floridas GOP congressional delegation to endorse him over DeSantis, calling out by name most of the lawmakers who endorsed him in front of 840 people gathered for a sold-out Lee County Republican Party fundraising dinner.

The endorsements are an effort to put DeSantis on the defensive in his home state, and Trump kept the pressure on during the event at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center in Fort Myers.

'Misery and despair': Trump team says DeSantis' Florida 'among the worst' states to work, retire or raise a family

Hot button issue: DeSantis 'trapped' on abortion issue as he navigates GOP base, general election concerns

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Lee County Republican dinner in Fort Myers, Fla., Friday, April 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Chris Tilley)

In addition to poking at DeSantis, Trump touted his record as president, complained about the legal investigations into his conduct and slammed President Joe Biden, drawing big applause from the crowd.

Trump received another enthusiastic reception after the speech when he stopped at a pizza restaurant handing out slices as diners applauded, screamed and chanted USA, USA, USA.

Former President Donald Trump eats a slice of pizza at Downtown House of Pizza after speaking at the Lee County Republican dinner in Fort Myers Friday.

Trump stopped at Downtown House of Pizza in Fort Myers. Posed for pictures, ate a slice, handed out slices. One guy who got a slice from Trump said hes taking it home to preserve it. Another effort to contrast with DeSantis by showing a personal touch? pic.twitter.com/po9UIww9E2  Zac Anderson (@zacjanderson) April 22, 2023

With many at the GOP fundraising dinner strongly supportive of DeSantis record in Florida, Trumps jabs at the governor werent as aggressive as some of his recent social media comments or a scathing email sent out by his campaign Friday.

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The Trump campaign email declared Florida is among the worst states to raise a family, work and retire under DeSantis and said: The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair.

Those comments drew a sharp rebuttal from Never Back Down, a pro-DeSantis super PAC, which released a statement criticizing Trump.

Never Back Down CEO Chris Jankowski said Trump has "deeply disparaged the state of Florida" and offered to pay for him to move to California, saying "Florida will be better off when Trump takes his... dumpster fire of a campaign to San Francisco, where it will fit right in.

Jankowski's statement may be the most pointed effort yet by DeSantis allies to pushback on the Trump campaign's relentless criticism.

While Trump's comments at Friday's dinner were milder than his campaign email, he didnt shy away from poking at DeSantis in his back yard, painting the governor as beholden to the former president.

Sir, Id love to have your support sir, Id love to have your support, Trump said, imitating DeSantis begging for his endorsement in 2018.

Carolyn P. Smith of Fort Myers Beach. a supporter of form President Donald Trump, awaits for his arrival Friday in downtown Fort Myers. Trump spoke at the Lee County Republican Party's 2023 Lincoln Reagan Dinner. a sold-out fundraiser at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center. Supporters and protestors gathered outside before and during the event.

Trumps endorsement helped DeSantis vault past his 2018 GOP primary opponent Adam Putnam, and the former president was happy to point that out Friday, saying DeSantis took off "like a rocket ship after getting Trumps blessing.

Otherwise right now youd have a lawyer some place looking for business, Trump said of DeSantis, an attorney.

Trump also alluded to his criticism of votes DeSantis took while in Congress on Social Security and Medicare.

I will always protect Social Security and Medicare, Trump said, adding: Gee, I wonder who voted for hurting Social Security and I wonder who voted for partially dismantling Medicare? Who is it?"

Trumps campaign is running an ad slamming DeSantis entitlement votes.

DeSantis is widely viewed as Trumps strongest opponent in a GOP presidential primary, having endeared himself to conservative voters during battles against COVID-19 restrictions and on culture war issues.

Trump has been surging in the polls lately, though, with DeSantis peaking in GOP presidential primary surveys shortly after his blowout re-election win in Florida. DeSantis was beating Trump in some polls earlier this year, but has struggled lately.

Former President Donald Trump takes the stage to speak at the Lee County Republican dinner in Fort Myers Friday.

Trump delighted Friday in his improving poll numbers over DeSantis.

Pointing to a series of slides projected on a large screen, he touted poll after poll showing him well ahead.

One of the slides declared: Trump Posts Biggest Lead Yet Over DeSantis.

While Trump mentioned DeSantis in passing multiple times, he mostly aimed his fire at Biden. The crowd erupted when Trump mocked Biden as senile, imitating Biden fumbling around, unaware of his surroundings, saying: Where am I?

The biggest applause, though, came when Trump declared he will be the 47th president, with the crowd rising for a standing ovation.

Fort Myers resident Tom Donahue holds a sign in disapproval of former President Donald J. Trump. Trump visited downtown Fort Myers Friday for the Lee County Republican Party's 2023 Lincoln Reagan Dinner at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center. Supporters and protestors gathered outside before and during the event.

While DeSantis hasnt announced a campaign for president, he is widely expected to challenge Trump and has been laying the groundwork to run. An announcement isnt likely until after Floridas legislative session ends in May.

Republicans attending Fridays dinner said they like both Trump and DeSantis.

Gina Petraglia, a physical therapist from Fort Myers, said shes waiting to see how the race plays out before choosing a candidate.

I love Trump, Petraglia said. I think hes absolutely able to fix whats going wrong these days but I also love DeSantis.

Petraglia said she takes Trumps attacks on DeSantis with a grain of salt, believing they are a sign he views the governor as his biggest threat.

I think hes trying to establish an early lead, I think thats part of his personality, Petraglia said of Trumps criticisms. I dont hear him going after (Nikki) Haley as much or the others if DeSantis runs (Trump) knows where his competition is going to be.

Trumps efforts to undercut DeSantis before he even gets into the presidential race have taken many forms. His big endorsement push over the last week with Florida lawmakers has received a lot of attention.

Trump called lawmakers to ask for their endorsement and hosted a dinner with them at his Mar-a-Lago club Thursday. DeSantis also has been courting Floridas congressional delegation, but only one member has endorsed him.

Trump's style of personally connecting with lawmakers to discuss their endorsements contrasts with DeSantis, who had aides reach out to members of Florida's congressional delegation, according to NBC.

DeSantis often is described as shirking some of the glad-handing that comes with politics.

Trump seems to be making an effort to highlight his personal touch, which was on display Friday when he stopped at Downtown House of Pizza.

Crowds inside and outside the restaurant screamed as Trump arrived downtown on a busy Friday night. He posed for pictures with diners and staff, ate a slice of pizza and handed slices to the crowd.

A man said he was taking the slice he received from Trump home to preserve it. A woman turned to the man next to her and asked if he shook Trumps hand.

I did! he said.

The woman started jumping up and down, screaming with excitement.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Donald Trump jabs at Ron DeSantis on social security, Medicare in SWFL
A Russian court has arrested Ukrainian Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov in absentia.

The head of Ukraines Defense Intelligence Directorate (GUR) reacted humorously Friday to a Moscow courts decision to arrest him in absentia in connection with the Oct. 8 attack on the Kerch Bridge.

Its a pleasure for me, Maj. Gen. Kyrylo Budanov told The War Zone Friday. It shows that I work in the right way and in the future, Ill work harder and with higher quality - to show that Moscows court was right.

For Russian President Vladimir Putin, the attack on the bridge was particularly galling. The $4 billion span, linking Russia with the Crimean peninsula it has occupied since 2014 has been a huge source of pride as well as a critical logistics artery.

The Lefortovo Court of Moscow on Friday arrested Budanov in absentia for what it called "the terrorist attack" on the bridge, the Russian official TASS news agency reported Friday.

"The court granted the petition of the investigation and chose a preventive measure for Budanov K.A., suspected under part 1 of article 205.4 'Creation of a terrorist community,'" the court said, without specifying the essence of the case, TASS reported.

Budanov "was put on the international wanted list," according to TASS. "The period of arrest is calculated from the moment of extradition to the territory of the Russian Federation or detention on Russian territory.

The Kerch Bridge, Russian President Vladimir Putin's prized $4 billion span linking the occupied Crimean peninsula with Russia, was attacked last fall. A Moscow court accused Ukraine's Defense Intelligence chief of orchestrating the attack. (Twitter) A satellite view of the damage caused by the attack. (Satellite image 2023 Maxar Technologies)

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The Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation charged Budanov in absentia "under four articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, including an attempted terrorist attack," TASS reported.

Barring some very unique circumstances, the likelihood that Budanov will be apprehended is unlikely. Asked if he is concerned that he will be actually arrested, Budanov told The War Zone, absolutely no.

As for whether he ordered the attack, Budanov was mum.

No comment, he said succinctly, and certainly less coy than the last time we asked him about it.

"So I've already answered this question also to your colleagues [in the media]," he told us in an exclusive interview back in October. "And when they asked me about it, I asked them back. Why is that? Why did they think that Ukraine is the only possible actor that could do that? There were multiple cases before when the Russians have blown out their own constructions and buildings, and just to unbind their hands for doing something else."

A court in Moscow arrested in absentia Kyrylo Budanov, head of @DI_Ukraine pic.twitter.com/Vyd5NdmVhB  Anton Gerashchenko (@Gerashchenko_en) April 21, 2023

Budanov has been a particular thorn in Putin's side even before the all-out war was launched. This likely won't be Moscow's last attempt to get back at him.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
Crime and Courts Reporter

Donald W. Meyers is a multimedia journalist at the Yakima Herald-Republic covering crime and courts. He is also the writer behind It Happened Here, a weekly history column. Before coming to Yakima, Meyers covered a wide variety of beats at The Salt Lake Tribune, Daily Herald, and daily and weekly newspapers across New Jersey. He is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists, serving as a regional officer in the organization as well as on the national Freedom of Information Committee.
National Guard and military vehicles take part in an operation to transfer two of the four U.S. citizens kidnapped in Mexico back to Brownsville, Texas, after the other two were found dead in Matamoros, Mexico, on March 7.
Charles S. Johnson memorial

A bill to commemorate journalist Charles S. Johnson in the Montana Capitol has passed the Legislature.

House Bill 855 from Rep. Laura Smith, D-Helena, passed the Senate on Friday with a vote of 37-13. It allows a plaque or other tribute commemorating Johnson to be placed in the Capitol.

Johnson, who died at his Helena home on March 4, has been referred to as the dean of Montana political journalism in tributes published in the weeks since his death. Beginning in the run-up to the states 1972 constitutional convention, he served as a statehouse reporter for a career spanning nearly five decades.

It previously passed the House on a vote of 74-25.

Constitutional carry

A proposed amendment to the state Constitution allowing the carrying of concealed firearms without a permit appears poised to come up short on the votes needed to advance.

House Bill 551 from Rep. Casey Knudsen, R-Malta, received an initial vote of 31-19 in the Senate on Friday. It got 65 votes in the House, meaning if more senators do not change their votes on a third and final reading, it will fail to meet the 100-vote threshold needed to advance to the ballot.

The bill would remove language restricting concealed carry in the Constitution, a proposal applauded by firearm advocates but that also saw opposition.

Taxing environmental nonprofits

A bill that would tax nonprofits suing the state over violations of environmental law was tabled by a legislative committee.

Senate Bill 524 from Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, was tabled in the House Taxation Committee. It had previously passed through the Senate along party lines.

The bill saw support from industry as a means of curbing environmental litigation, but opposition from nonprofits and environmental interests over its targeting of a single area of law.

Water court tabled

A bill creating a permanent water court has been tabled by a legislative committee.

The House Judiciary Committee tabled Senate Bill 72 from Sen. Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls. The bill, which was backed by Gov. Greg Gianforte, would have proposed and expanded Montana Water Court including new duties to begin after 2028.

Supporters of the bill said it would offer a more streamlined process and court with expertise in water law moving forward.

Opponents cautioned that given the importance of water rights, the bill was rushed and needed too many changes to be viable this session.

Parental consultation

for minors and abortions

Lawmakers look poised to pass a law that would require parental consultation before a minor could obtain an abortion.

The state Senate gave initial approval on a 29-21 to House Bill 968 from Rep. Amy Regier, R-Kalispell. The bill would require parental consultation in the case of a minor seeking an abortion, with some exceptions that would require judicial approval.

On the Senate floor Friday, Sen. Keith Regier, Amy Regiers father, said the bill was meant to provide a quicker path to addressing an issue that has sat in litigation limbo for a decade.

The question of if parents or guardians should either consent to or be notified if their minors seek an abortion has been tied up in Montana courts for a decade. In 2012, voters approved a legislatively passed referendum to require parental notification. Then in 2013, the Legislature passed a consent law, which GOP legislators said intended to clear up loopholes in the notification law.

At the time, Planned Parenthood of Montana sued over both the notification and consent policies and a temporary injunction left the notification part in place but blocked the consent requirement. Since then, the case moved through several judges and even different jurisdictions before Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Chris Abbott in February issued an order declaring the consent requirement unconstitutional given the contours of the right to individual privacy established by the (state) Constitution and prior decisions.

Abbott ordered a trial for the notification law, but Republicans say the bill is needed to address the issue quicker. The attorney general plans to appeal the ruling on the consent law, Keith Regier said.

Republicans backing the bill say it would protect children from continued abuse and allow parents a say in a major decision. Democrats opposing it say that sometimes parents can either be the abuser of a child or close to them if abuse has occurred, and that navigating a judicial process to not require consent is too complicated for a minor to navigate.

The bill faces one more procedural vote before it will move onto Gov. Greg Gianforte for his consideration.

Loosening alcohol sales

Liquor stores in Montana could be open and sell products on Sundays and holidays under a bill that is close to passing the Montana Legislature.

House Bill 867 is from Rep. Ed Buttrey, R-Great Falls. It would expand the hours liquor stores can operate and eliminate an agreement requirement liquor stores used to have to reach with local taverns to sell on Mondays, in exchange for a deal with taverns to allow they to buy on seven-day credit like they do with beer and wine.

On the Senate floor, Sen. Jason Small, R-Busby, said the limitations were a legacy from when the state operated liquor stores. He argued that theyre mostly private businesses now, and government should get out of the way of their operations.

Sen. Mark Noland, R-Bigfork, argued against the bill, saying alcohol is a controlled substance, and some limitations are appropriate.

But Sen. Wendy McKamey, R-Great Falls, said regardless of opinions on alcohol, business practices should be left up to businesses.

The bill passed a second reading in the Senate on a 40-1 margin and goes back to the House, where it advanced earlier in the session on a broad bipartisan margin, for approval of changes made in the Senate. After that, it would advance to the governor for consideration.
DECATUR  Three workers were injured following an apparent dust explosion Thursday night in one of the grain elevators of the Archer Daniels Midland Co. West Plant, officials said.

Decatur Fire Department crews were called to the processing complex at approximately 9 p.m., Deputy Chief Jim Ohl said.

According to Ohl, there appeared to be a dust explosion in the grain processing area.

"Three of employees were injured and taken to local hospitals," he said.

The conditions of the employees were unknown Friday afternoon.

The company issued the following release.

"We appreciate the fast response of the Decatur fire department to quickly get the resulting fire under control," the company said in a prepared statement. "We are investigating the cause of the incident.

Check out these historical photos of ADM's past in Decatur Tom Dahman Robert Coan Ray Mudd Grain dust Explosion Explosion - another look Frank Copenhaver Extracting Unit Lewis Jones Parker Post Unloading Soybeans Soviet Favorite Talking Shop Taste Test Researchers Plenty of variety Archer Daniels Midland Co. ADM clarifier Archer Daniels Midland Co. Outstanding Young Farmers Archer Daniels Midland Co. expansion Archer Daniels Midland Co.
Today

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 58F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low 58F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Tomorrow

Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 84F. Winds WSW at 5 to 10 mph.
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- The minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, stated on Tuesday that the stability of the Western Balkans represents a strategic objective of Romania, which "strongly supports the European aspirations of the countries in this region".Minister Tilvar paid an official visit to North Macedonia on

- The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bogdan Aurescu, and the Minister of National Defence, Angel Tilvar, will host, on Thursday, the first Conference on Black Sea Security, under the aegis of the Crimea International Platform.Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defence

- The Minister of National Defence, Angel Tilvar, declared on Monday, in eastern Focsani, that the system cannot absorb the shock of the departure in a short period of time of the servicemen who, at this moment, meet the conditions for retirement and that is why the Ministry of Defense advocates for solutions

- The Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, is participating, on Tuesday and Wednesday, in the informal meeting of the defense ministers from the EU member states, which is taking place in Stockholm, in Sweden. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook

- The minister of Defence, Angel Tilvar, on Friday said that Romania will continue to support Ukraine as long as it is needed. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know more about Romania! Share

- The Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, held a series of meetings with representatives of the defense industry from Europe and the United States, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, held between February 17-19, respectively from the Airbus and Lockheed Martin companies, the

- The minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar, will participate, on Tuesday and Wednesday, in Brussels, in the meeting of the Contact Group for Ukraine (Ramstein format) and in the meeting of the ministers of Defense from the NATO member states, the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) informs in

- Endowing the Air Force with PATRIOT systems adds "a robust, credible, interoperable and flexible air defense capability, intended to fulfill the missions of the Romanian Army", the Minister of National Defense, Angel Tilvar stated on Tuesday, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.
Fines of approximately 110,000 lei for illegal fishing and illegal trade in fish products, in January-March The police detected, in the first three months of this year, 181 crimes and applied 463 fines for illegal fishing and illegal trade in fish products, in the amount of 109,930 RON. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  .ro  Help your friends know more about Romania! Share this article on Facebook Share this article!  NEWSLETTER   NEWSLETTER  Am citit si sunt de acord cu

Politica de confidentialitate BACK TO TOP DESPRE BACK TO TOP DESPRE Exclusivitati si documente incendiare. Echipa stiripesurse.ro Citeste articolul mai departe pe stiripesurse.ro

Sursa articol si foto: stiripesurse.ro

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- Approximately 600 dogs from several countries were registered at the international exhibition Satu Mare Dog Show, during the days of Saturday and Sunday being a total of five canine beauty competitions. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- The first quarter of 2023 brought real estate transactions with a total value of approximately EUR 133 million, the most important sale in the office market being that of One Herastrau Office, informs JLL Romania. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook

- The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Wednesday, a number of 65,778 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,687 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- More than 22,000 specific control activities were carried out by immigration police nationwide in 2022 to prevent and combat illegal stay and undeclared work of foreigners in Romania. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro 

- Culture Minister Lucian Romascanu sent a message on Sunday on Constantin Brancusi National Day, in which he underlined that the artist, who revolutionised plastic language, is one of the great ambassadors of Romania. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe

- Romania's General Immigration Inspectorate (IGI) reported on Tuesday that in 2022 approximately 19,000 residence permits were issued, over 9,000 applications for work permits were registered and approximately 1,000 illegal immigrants were found by the Bucharest immigration police. Fii la curent

- As many as 841 people with COVID-19 are hospitalized in specialized health units, the Ministry of Health informed on Monday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know more about Romania! Share

- The General Inspectorate of the Border Police (IGPF) informs that on Thursday, a number of 62,006 people entered Romania through border points, of whom 7,928 were Ukrainian citizens, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro
Stiri pe aceeasi tema

- Approximately 600 dogs from several countries were registered at the international exhibition Satu Mare Dog Show, during the days of Saturday and Sunday being a total of five canine beauty competitions. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- President Klaus Iohannis is paying an official visit to Chile on Saturday, the first of this level in the last 10 years.His official visit to Chile marks the second stage of the tour that the Romanian head of state is conducting in South America. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- PRESIDENCY:- President Klaus Iohannis kicks off official visit to Brazil (18-19 April) Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know more about Romania! Share this article on Facebook Share

- President Klaus Iohannis on Saturday sent warm wishes for health and prosperity to all those celebrating Easter and also greeted those celebrating Palm Sunday. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know

- President Klaus Iohannis declared on Wednesday that Romania is willing to support the Republic of Moldova in any scenario, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro  Help your friends know more about Romania!

- President Klaus Iohannis says that Romania has joined Moldova in strongly condemning all destabilisation attempts from abroad, according to the Presidential Administration, told Agerpres. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste stiripesurse.ro pe Facebook stiripesurse.ro

- MEP Eugen Tomac (EPP, People's Movement Party - PMP) estimated on Saturday that CJEU proceedings over the lawsuit initiated by him for Romania's not being accepted to join the Schengen could last between one year and a half and two years. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri. Urmareste

- President Klaus Iohannis declared on Thursday that, when the coalition decides to make a change in the government, in accordance with the Constitution I will make the decision that seems best for Romania regarding the appointment of the prime minister. Fii la curent cu cele mai noi stiri.
Drogul, zborul spre iad, spune NU drogurilor!

Acesta este mesajul prefectului Claudia Gilia pentru tinerii damboviteni, transmis la Gaesti, in cadrul unei actiunei ce face parte din proiectul Fii avocat in scoala ta!, la care au participat peste 200 de tineri. Tema principala a actiunii cu titlul Drogul, zborul spre iad, a vizat problematica [citeste mai departe]
BLOOMINGTON  A Bloomington man is jailed on several felony charges, which include making a false bomb threat to a McLean County court office.

Bobby Q. Williams, 31, appeared in a Thursday bond court hearing on three felony cases following his Wednesday arrest by the Normal Police Department.

In one case filed in late January, Williams is charged with making a false threat to the McLean County Circuit Clerk's Office, a Class 3 felony. Charging documents state that on Tuesday, Dec. 13, Williams indicated to a clerk's office employee that there would be "two massive explosions in the courthouse."

Lt. Jon Albee, patrol division commander for the McLean County Sheriff's Office, told The Pantagraph in an emailed statement that their deputies responded to the threat and temporarily closed the county's Law and Justice Center.

Albee said deputies from the patrol and court security divisions followed planned procedures and determined the threat was unfounded. He said the sheriff's office investigated the threat, and ultimately had an arrest warrant issued for Williams.

McLean County Circuit Clerk Don Everhart did not respond to several requests for comment.

A second case filed March 22 accuses Williams of two counts of burglary, a Class 2 felony. Records dated two burglaries on Dec. 30, 2021: one at OSF St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, and another at Target in Normal. Three Class 3 felony charges were also filed against Williams in that case: theft and two counts of unlawful use of a debit card, all at Target.

Arrest affidavits state Williams twice defrauded Target of $300 by using a woman's debit card at the store without her permission.

The third case, filed in October, charges Williams with burglary, a Class 2 felony. Documents date that offense as occurring Dec. 14, 2021, and identify the Fixit Mobile Repair shop in Bloomington as the victim.

Assistant Public Defender Mackenzie Frizzell told the court that Williams is receiving mental health treatment.

Judge Scott Black set bond in each of the two burglary cases at $25,000, and at $5,000 in the false threat case. Williams must post 10% for each of those individual bond amounts, plus fees, to be released. He remained in custody Friday.

Judge Black also ordered Williams to have no contact with the Shoppes at College Hills in Normal. He scheduled an arraignment hearing for all three cases at 9 a.m. May 5.

Williams denied public defender representation for future hearings.

Photos: Encrypted police radios improve officer safety at cost of transparency 071821-blm-loc-7encryption 071821-blm-loc-1encryption DOMINANT SECONDAY 071821-blm-loc-4encryption 071821-blm-loc-4encryption 071821-blm-loc-5encryption 071821-blm-loc-6encryption 071821-blm-loc-8encryption
China Construction Bank's recent opening a branch in Budapest will further strengthen bilateral economic ties, Finance Minister Mihaly Varga said after talks with Tian Guoli, the head of the CCB Group, in Budapest.

The Hungarian government is committed to increasing Hungarys role as a regional financial centre, the finance ministry cited Varga as saying, adding that the countrys competitive business environment and geographical location served as a good basis to those efforts.



Recent challenges such as the coronavirus pandemic and the war in Ukraine have not broken the dynamism of ties with China, Varga said, and pointed to frequent, high-level talks, and successful economic, trade, and cultural projects.



In 2022, China was Hungarys most important partner outside Europe, with a nearly 6% increase in bilateral trade exceeding a record 13 billion dollars, Varga said.



Hungary is the primary target of Chinese investments in central and eastern Europe, with a total FDI of 8 billion dollars, he added.



Varga also noted Hungarys successful bond issue in China and Hong Kong in recent years, adding that Asian investors have confidence in the Hungarian economy.



CCB has been involved in Hungarys issuing Green Panda bonds worth 50 billion forints (EUR 130m), or one billion renminbi, he added.
The central government has stripped the Budapest municipality of funds amounting to 227 billion forints (EUR 601m) in the past three years, Mayor Gergely Karacsony said on Facebook on Friday.

According to Karacsonys calculations, the city had been made to pay a new solidarity tax introduced in 2019, which amounted to 136 billion forints, while it collected 81 billion forints less in the local business tax, as a result of government-initiated changes to the system.



Karacsony spoke in reaction to recent remarks made by Gergely Gulyas, the head of the Prime Ministers Office, who had said that the city had inherited over 214 billion forints from former Mayor Istvan Tarlos.
A vast majority of Hungarians favour boosting or maintaining Hungarys current relations with the United States, but also find the billboard campaign supported by the US embassy unacceptable, according to a fresh survey by the Nezopont Institute.

Altogether 40% of the surveys respondents said they wanted stronger ties between Hungary and the US, while 26% favoured maintaining the current level of bilateral relations, according to a summary of the surveys findings published on Nezoponts website.



This, however, does not necessarily mean that they agree with the Biden administration, the think-tank said, pointing out that 59% of respondents opposed the US embassys recently-launched billboard campaign.



Nezopont found that 38% of opposition voters said they found Washingtons campaign unacceptable.



Fully 16% said they favoured looser ties between Hungary and the US.



The survey found that 33% of those who support the prime minister and 50% of those critical of him wanted to strengthen relations with the US.



Meanwhile, 29% of the prime ministers supporters and 23% of his critics said they were satisfied with the current state of bilateral ties.



Altogether 18% of government supporters and 8% of opposition sympathisers said Hungary should loosen relations with the US.
Youth in the community took delight in watching baby chicks hatch into the world this week at Kilgore Memorial Library in York.

Through the Nebraska 4-H Extension enrichment program, three weeks of embryology sessions were offered to families at Kilgore Librarys Storytime programs, as well as Homeschool Association students. The sessions are meant to help children understand the knowledge of a chicken egg, the stages of embryonic development and how the eggs get from farm to table.

This program was initially presented to third grade students in area schools," said Amanda Hackenkamp, Nebraska 4-H Extension educator, "but we wanted to open this up and do it for kids who come and go at the library and homeschool groups too.

Over the course of three weeks, Hackenkamp gave lessons, led open discussion and gave students paper booklets to study embryology.

The first week was learning how to successfully incubate chickens. The youth learned that the incubators should be set at 100 to 102 degrees Fahrenheit and humidity should be 43% to 44% throughout the 21-day-cycle. Library staff was mostly in charge turning the eggs to help with the development.

Week two, the students were educated on how to care for chickens including what they should feed them, where they should locate them once they are hatched and how to select the right lighting for chickens.

Week three, the students witnessed chickens breaking out of their eggs for their first time. A few were already hatched and removed from the incubator. The children had the opportunity to gently hold and pick out names for their new, fuzzy critters.

Carol Baker of York Kilgore Library said, Were grateful for 4-H Extension for putting on this program for our patrons and homeschool students. It brought in a lot of people from the community too.

Agricultural sessions are offered every spring through the Nebraska 4-H Extension enrichment program.
New Delhi: Elon Musk saw his wealth plummet by more than $12 billion in just a day as he faced chaos and disappointing news from across his companies -- SpaceX, Twitter, and Tesla. According to Bloomberg's Billionaires Index, this was the biggest drop in Musk's wealth so far this year.





Tesla's share price fell by 9.8 percent after disappointing first-quarter results. Tesla's operating income decreased 24 percent to $2.7 billion in Q1 2023 as the Elon Musk-run EV maker continues to cut the prices of its vehicles. ( Also Read: 70-Year Old Odisha Woman's Walks Miles For Pension, FM Sitharaman Reacts On the same day, SpaceX's integrated Starship spacecraft experienced a "rapid unscheduled disassembly" four minutes into its first test flight. ( Also Read: Man Brings 1999 iBook To Apple Saket Store; Check What Happened Next SpaceX's giant Starship rocket exploded after its launch from the US state of Texas on Thursday. The rocket got off the launch pad in SpaceX's Starbase in South Texas but exploded minutes later. The spacecraft failed to reach orbit.Twitter also went into chaos after Musk removed legacy Blue check marks, leaving hundreds of celebrities in the doldrum.Musk still remains the world's second-richest person despite this latest tumble in net worth, behind French tycoon Bernard Arnault, reports The Verge.Musk's fortune once sat as high as $320 billion in late 2021. Later, he became the first person in history to lose over $200 billion.
New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday expressed hope that traders will soon be able to settle foreign trade in the rupee currency as several banks from different countries are opening special Vostro accounts with Indian banks.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved 60 requests to open Special Rupee Vostro Accounts (SRVAs) of correspondent banks from 18 countries, including the UK, Singapore, and New Zealand. (Also Read: Rupee To Replace Dollar? Indian Money Nearer To Become International Currency -- Check List Of Countries Agreed To Trade In INR)

The central bank, he said, is in discussion with its counterparts in different nations on this. "We will soon start seeing operationalisation of this rupee trading in international trade with several countries," Goyal told reporters here. (Also Read: Next-Gen Business Tycoons: Meet Kids From India's Richest Families Who Are Ready To Lead Empire)

He also said that negotiations for free trade agreements (FTAs) with developed regions like the European Union, the UK, and Canada are in "advanced" stages.

Groups including European Free Trade Association Free Trade Agreement (EFTA), Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are also keen to start talks for similar pacts with India.

"The whole world wants to have a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with India," the minister said. On the second phase of the production-linked incentive scheme for the textiles sector, he said that extensive stakeholder discussions have happened on the subject.

"I am quite confident that very soon we will be able to finalise the contours of the scheme and take it up for approval at the highest level," he added.
Retrofitted Electric Gypsies were showcased at the ongoing Army Commanders Conference in New Delhi on Friday. These retrofitted older Military Gypsies were made into electric vehicles when the Indian Army Cell, IIT-Delhi, and a start-up named Tadpole Projects came together for this project. Army Commanders' Conference (ACC) is an apex-level biannual event which is an institutional platform for conceptual level deliberations, culminating in making important policy decisions for the Indian Army.

For the first time, the ACC is being conducted in a hybrid format exploiting available technology for secure communication, wherein Army Commanders and other senior functionaries will meet virtually on the first day and then travel to Delhi for balanced physical meetings on matters which require detailed deliberations.

Also read: Uttar Pradesh To Become First Indian State To Have 100 Percent EVs In Government Department

Founded in 2020 by Jawaad Khan, the startup incubated under the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi does EV retrofitting.

According to the website of Tadpole Projects, the start-up does the work involving removing the engine and converting the vehicle into an electric one. It said it adds seven years to the vehicle's life, a two-year warranty on the motor, and a five-year or three-year warranty on the battery, which is extendable up to 5-7 years.

On the first day of the conference, agenda points sponsored by various Command Headquarters will be discussed, followed by an update from Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command and sessions by Principal Staff Officers of the Army Headquarters.

The forum will also review the progress on the activities charted out as part of 'Year of Transformation-2023' along with progress on Agnipath Scheme, digitisation and automation initiatives, Combat Engineers tasks, work aspects, and budget management.
New Delhi: Varun Mitra is slowly showing us different sides of himself. From the simpleton in Jalebi to the suave, layered Deepak Rana. The actor is elevating his craft with each role. The actor is one of the few who transforms his voice along with embodying the body language of the character. We can call him the poster for boy finesse and existential charm.

His performance has caught the eye of many prominent directors and producers.

Walking down memory lane  actor shared a video of one of his favourite scenes celebrating the intimidatingly crafted Deepak Rana - he penned down an emotional caption on the completion of one year of Guilty Minds

Varun added I dont know if I realised it while it was happening  DEePAK Rana ended up becoming a very real character. He had his faults  and his greys. I think that aspect of him was challenging to play. It felt like life, it felt wholesome.

Varun was nominated for the Filmfare awards in the best actor category, along with some other nominations as well. His performance in the show was widely appreciated by the audience and critics.

He got a special mention for the pahadi accent he had picked up so flawlessly for the character. The audience is hungry to see him again as Deepak Rana in season 2. And curious to know what he brings to the next project he is a part of.

Next, he will be seen in Homi Adajanias' Saas Bahu Flamingo. The actor also will be seen in a RSVP film 'Tejas', in a pivotal role, which is scheduled to release in July.
Maharashtra has been witnessing political turmoil since the 2019 polls. First, it was the rift between Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Then the Maha Vikas Aghadi witnessed continuous internal bickering and now the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party is on tenterhooks over its leader Ajit Pawar's statements. While the NCP is a part of the opposition alliance that includes Congress, Ajit Pawar's repeated praise for Prime Minister Narendra Modi has fueled the speculations of him joining the BJP.

Modi Did What Atal, Advani Couldn't: Ajit Pawar

Senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar has credited PM Modi for the BJP's victory in the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha Polls. In an interview with the Marathi newspaper Sakal in Pimpri Chinchwad, Ajit Pawar said that Modi did what Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi could not do. He said that under Modi's leadership, the BJP gained an absolute majority making it the first party to do so since 1984. He said that even during the UPA regime, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh had to take the support of the parties to form the government, but PM Modi proved his charisma in the 2014 polls.

No Face To Replace Modi: Ajit Pawar

Former Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar further said that when the question of who is next after Modi is asked, no other name is visible. He said that in the current time, no leader appears to be the successor of PM Modi.

Ajit Pawar On NCP's Relation With Deputy CM Post

When asked why the Nationalist Congress Party often gets the Deputy Chief Minister's post, he said that NCP does not have a liking for the post but the same was decided by the senior party leaders. He said that in the 2004 polls, the people of Maharashtra blessed NCP with 71 seats and Congress got 69 seats. He added that Congress leaders knew that the post of Chief Minister would go to the Nationalist Congress Party, but what happened in Delhi is not known and the NCP cadre was informed that the party will have Deputy Chief Minister's post. Pawar said that after 2004, the NCP remained number 2.

Is Ajit Pawar Ready For The Maharashtra Chief Minister's post?

When asked whether he would stake a claim for the post of Chief Minister in the 2024 polls, Pawar said that he is even ready now. He said that he would 100 per cent like to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

Speculations Over Ajit Pawar's Absence

Ajit Pawar on Friday skipped a convention of his partys Mumbai unit, raising eyebrows in political circles. His name was also missing from the partys list of star campaigners for the Karnataka Elections 2023. However, Pawar said he was unable to attend the convention as it clashed with some other programs and nothing more should be read into it.
New Braunfels, TX (78130)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 64F. Winds light and variable.
The campaigning has intensified in poll-bound Karnataka and so have the incidents of the blame game. With the Election Commission nearing the completion of nomination scrutiny, the Congress has alleged that the state Chief Minister's Office is calling returning officers of various districts to find defects in the applications filed by opposition candidates and rectify the mistakes in those of BJP nominees. Karnataka Congress president DK Shivakumar demanded the Election Commission investigate the matter. Reacting to the allegations, Chief Minister BS Bommai said that the Election Commission is an independent body and works according to its own rules.

DK Shivakumar said that a major conspiracy is going on to reject the applications of the Congress candidates. Giving an example of one incident, he claimed that Karnataka CMO directly called the returning office to rectify mistakes in the nomination of a BJP candidate from the Saundatti Yellamma constituency. "There is no need to elaborate on how a big team is trying to reject (my) application. You all have been informed about it," he said while demanding a probe into the matter.

Reacting to the allegations, Chief Minister BS Bommai said, "Election Commission is a constitutionally formed, independent body. It runs by the rules of the Election Commission. So, there is no question of interference. He is scared of his defeat, so he is making baseless, useless allegations every morning. I need not answer all that." Bommai also asked Congress to first set its house in order and added that Shivakumar should first look within. He said that what Shivakumar did to Siddaramaiah is well known to all.

#WATCH | "Election Commission is a constitutionally formed, independent body. It runs by the rules of the Election Commission. So, there is no question of interference. He is scared of his defeat, so he is making baseless, useless allegations every morning. I need not answer all pic.twitter.com/TjLs379gSw April 22, 2023

According to the state election commission, a total of 3,044 valid nominations were found till Friday and scrutiny of nominations of Savadatti-Yellamma, Aurad, Haveri (SC), Raichur and Shivajinagar constituencies is likely to be completed today. Out of the 3,044 validly nominated candidates -- 219 are from BJP, 218 Congress, 207 from JD(S), while the rest are all from small parties and Independents, according to the CEO's office.

A total of 4,989 nominations have been received from these candidates. Karnataka will vote in a single phase on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.
New Delhi: Delhi on Saturday logged 1,515 COVID-19 infections and six fatalities with a case positivity rate of 26.46, according to data shared by the health department here. With the new fatalities, the death toll from the pandemic rose to 26,595 in the national capital, while the case tally is 20,32,424. Covid was the primary cause of death in one of the six fatalities on Saturday, the department said. Out of 7,974 Covid beds in the city, 385 are occupied, the data showed. The department did not issue a bulletin on Friday. The city saw three fatalities and 1,603 COVID-19 cases on Thursday with a positivity rate of 26.75. On Wednesday, Delhi reported six deaths along with 1,757 new cases of the disease with a positivity rate of 28.63. The national capital had recorded 1,537 COVID-19 cases on Tuesday with a positivity rate of 26.54. On Monday, Delhi recorded 1,017 Covid cases with a positivity rate of 32.25, the highest in more than 15 months.

The number of active cases currently stands at 6,271, the data showed. The number of patients in home isolation is 4,395. Mock drills were conducted in Delhi hospitals on April 11 to ascertain their preparedness to tackle COVID-19.

COVID-19 | Delhi reports 1515 fresh cases in the last 24 hours. Positivity rate stands at 26.46%. pic.twitter.com/b4IsQTnXdT April 22, 2023

The national capital had recorded a Covid positivity rate of 30.6 on January 14 last year. According to the latest bulletin, the fresh cases emerged out of the 5725 tests conducted the previous day to detect the infection. The number of COVID-19 cases had dropped to zero on January 16 for the first time since the outbreak of the pandemic. However, the city has witnessed a spurt in cases over the past month.

Also Read: Covid-19: WHO declares XBB.1.16 Variant Of Interest As Cases Spike Globally

Medical experts have said Omicron sub-variant XBB.1.16 could be driving the surge in cases in the city. However, they have maintained that there is no need to panic and people should follow Covid-appropriate behaviour and get their booster shots. Delhi Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj had last week said XBB.1.16 is not leading to a severe infection among children.

New Covid-19 Cases In India

India has recorded 12,193 fresh COVID-19 cases in a span of 24 hours, with the number of active cases of the infection going up to 67,556, the Union health ministry said on Saturday. The death toll due to the viral disease has climbed to 5,31,300 with 42 more fatalities, including 10 reconciled by Kerala, according to the ministry's data updated at 8 am. The tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4,48,81,877.

The active cases account for 0.15 per cent of the total caseload, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was recorded at 98.66 per cent, according to the health ministry's website. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 4,42,83,021, while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent.

According to the ministry's website, 220.66 crore doses of anti-Covid vaccines have so far been administered to people across the country.
A 20-year-old man was arrested on Saturday in connection with the alleged rape and murder of a teenage girl in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district that triggered violent protests, police said. The 17-year-old girl, whose body was found in a canal in Kaliaganj police station area on Friday, knew the man, Superintendent of Police (SP) Md Sana Akhtar said, identifying him as the prime accused. A case has been filed under IPC section 302 (murder) and relevant sections of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act based on the complaint filed by the girl's mother, he said.

The preliminary post-mortem report revealed no injury to the body, Akhtar said, adding that a bottle of poison was found near the body. "We are investigating the case from all angles," he said.

Violence rocked Kaliaganj, around 18 km from the Bangladesh border, as locals protested against the incident, prompting the police to use tear gas shells and charge batons to bring the situation under control, officials said. Several shops and e-rickshaws were set on fire by the mob, which demanded the arrest of those behind the incident. Roads were also blocked and stones were hurled at the police, they said. The RSS-backed ABVP gheraoed the Kaliaganj police station, while BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar sat on a dharna outside the SP office in Raiganj, demanding justice for the victim's family.

Rapid Action Force (RAF) was deployed to bring the situation under control, police said, adding that a few protestors were also detained. Three persons were injured in the police action and admitted to the Raiganj Government Medical College and Hospital, officials said. Majumdar, who visited the victim's village along with local BJP MP Debasree Chaudhuri, demanded a CBI investigation into the incident. "We think the real truth will be revealed only if a CBI inquiry is conducted in this case," he told reporters.

In this video, the body West Bengal Police is insensitively dragging is that of a minor rape and murder victim from the Rajbongshi community in Uttar Dinajpurs Kaliaganj. Such haste is often seen when the purpose is to eliminate or dilute evidence and cover up the crime pic.twitter.com/zgz2Rxlik1  Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 22, 2023

State Minister for Women and Child Development and Social Welfare, Dr Shashi Panja hit out at the BJP leadership, particularly Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, for identifying the minor in his tweets. She alleged that the saffron party leaders were trying to instigate the people by misleading them.

"The BJP is trying to play dirty politics. That the Leader of Opposition (LoP) has divulged the identity of the victim girl through his tweets is itself a crime. How can he do that? They are playing dead body politics (sic)," Panja said.

The minister further said the post-mortem report would clear whether the girl was raped and killed or whether she died by suicide by consuming poison. "At the moment, police are trying to bring the law and order under control. We must think about the mental condition of the family. Culprits will definitely be brought to the book," Panja said.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) also sent a team to the area, and sought a report from the state police within three days.

The girl went missing on Thursday evening after she left home for going to her tuition classes. Her body was found the next day floating in a canal amid hectic searches by her family and locals.

Protests had started on Friday afternoon but quietened down by the day-end, only to restart on Saturday.
New Delhi: Election officials searched the private helicopter in which Congress state president D K Shivakumar and his family flew from Bengaluru to Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada district on Saturday. Shivakumar's wife Usha, her son, daughter, and son-in-law were on their way to the Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy temple to pray. As soon as the helicopter touched down in Dharmasthala, election officials rushed to inspect it. The pilot questioned the need to inspect the helicopter after the Election Commission was informed that it was not a vehicle on election duty. "We have already given the letter (to the Election Commission)," the pilot was heard saying in a viral video. "We have to check the helicopter," Election officials explained.

"That's exactly what I'm saying. This is not a campaign helicopter. We've already provided a letter stating that this is a private copper. Anyway, check," said the pilot. In the state, which goes to the polls on May 10, the Model Code of Conduct is in effect.

#WATCH | Flying squad of ECI and officials conducted a check of the helicopter used by State Congress president DK Shivakumar after it reached the helipad at Dharmasthala in Dakshina Kannada. The party's state chief was travelling in the chopper.



"Nothing wrong in that. They pic.twitter.com/CTB2i9o0LR April 22, 2023

The Election officials had also intercepted and checked Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's car when he was on his way to a temple in Chikkaballapura district on March 31. Ever since the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, over Rs 253 crore worth unaccounted cash, gold, freebies, liquor and drugs have been seized in Karnataka, according to Election Commision officials.

Blame Game Intensifies Between Cong-BJP In Karnataka

The Congress on Saturday alleged Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai's office is calling up the returning officers of various districts to find defects in the applications filed by its candidates and rectify the mistakes in those of BJP nominees contesting the May 10 Assembly election. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) chief D K Shivakumar demanded that the Election Commission should investigate the matter and summon the call details of the CMO to ascertain the truth.

"A major conspiracy is going on to reject the applications of the Congress candidates," the party's Karnataka unit chief said in a press conference. He charged that some applications of the BJP candidates, for instance in Saundatti Yellamma constituency, are defective but the CMO "directly called the officer and directed him to make changes". "There is no need to elaborate how a big team is trying to reject (my) application. You all have been informed about it," the Congress state chief said.

Shivakumar said he has filed the election form 10 times yet "when they can do this to me then imagine what they can do to the ordinary candidates". "Pressure is being built on all the returning officers. There is rampant misuse of power. The EC must take note of it. The CMO must be investigated," the Kanakapura candidate demanded.

On Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje's charge that the Congress was collecting 'bribe' from those candidates who have been given ticket to contest the Assembly election, Shivakumar retorted that his party was not collecting '40 per cent commission'. "We are only raising building fund for our party. We are collecting Rs 2 lakh from general candidates and Rs 1 lakh from SC/ST candidates," Shivakumar explained.

The opposition Congress is locked in a tussle with the ruling BJP to wrest power in Karnataka with the JD(S) also an important player as polling is just weeks away. Karnataka will vote in a single phase on May 10 and the results will be declared on May 13.
The Army truck that was ambushed in the terrorist attack in Poonch district on Thursday was taking fruits and other items to the Sangiote village in Jammu and Kashmir for Iftar to be organised by the Indian Army's Rashtriya Rifles unit. The event was scheduled to be held at 7pm but instead of happiness, what greeted the villagers was the sad news of the demise of five soldiers. While five soldiers were killed, one was critically injured in the terror attack. The soldiers were from a Rashtriya Rifles unit deployed for counter-terror operations.

According to an Indian Express report, the truck was carrying materials from the Rashtriya Rifles's Balakote headquarters. It was going to the Sangiote village having a population of around 4,000. Mukhtiaz Khan, the village sarpanch, who was also to take part in the iftar, said that the residents won't celebrate Eid and will only offer namaz. The villagers have refused to celebrate Eid following the demise of the soldiers.

A dozen people were detained by the police for questioning in connection with the attack. The MI helicopter, drones and sniffer dogs have been pressed into service in a massive manhunt for the perpetrators. According to the PTI, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police Dilbag Singh along with Additional Director General police Mukesh Singh was camping in neighbouring Rajouri district to oversee the investigation. The two officers also visited the site. A National Investigation Agency (NIA) team headed by a Deputy Inspector General rank officer was also present as the agency is likely to take over the case.

#WATCH | Drone surveillance and search operation underway in the area where terrorists fired on an Indian Army truck in J&K's Poonch



5 Army soldiers lost their lives, one injured hospitalised



(Visuals deferred by unspecified time) pic.twitter.com/4VWNblD4oz  ANI (@ANI) April 20, 2023

Initial reports suggest the presence of around five terrorists and the army truck is believed to have been attacked from three different sides, reported PTI. After the ambush, the terrorists possibly used grenades as well as sticky bombs that set the vehicle ablaze. The officials said those who executed the attack are believed to have been present in Rajouri and Poonch for more than one year and had adequate knowledge of the terrain which is quite tough. The area is a hot bed of Jammu and Kashmir Gaznavi Force (JKGF) as its 'commander' Rafiq Ahmed alias Rafiq Nayi, who is a resident of the area, they added.
Srinagar: National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday asked the government to stop harassing people in Poonch for their failures in preventing such attacks. Abdullah said innocent people should not be harassed during the operation that has been started in the Poonch district of Jammu region after a terror attack killed five army personnel. "People are being detained and subject to thrashing in the name of security which is totally wrong", Abdullah said. Pertinently, five army soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack in Poonch two days back. After the attack, security forces have launched a massive search operation in the area to nab the terrorists responsible for the attack. Farooq Abdullah offered Eid prayers at Hazratbal Srinagar, and while speaking to reporters said that innocent people are being arrested and then tortured. It is their (govts) fault. Dont arrest innocent people in Poonch. It should be stopped, he said.



In response to a question, Farooq Abdullah expressed regret for not allowing Eid prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid of Srinagar. He said It shouldnt have happened at first place. Even Mirwaiz Umar Farooq should be released and allowed to give sermons from the pulpit so that people can benefit from his sermons".

Srinagar, J&K | Now that the investigation has started with regard to the Poonch terror attack, they should not arrest innocent people. I know that they will put the blame on innocent people, so I dont want the innocent people to suffer: NC Chief Farooq Abdullah pic.twitter.com/bm6CqvjSC6  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

Poonch Search Ops Enter Third Day, Many Detained

Meanwhile, Security forces have detained many persons in connection with the investigation of a case involving Thursdays terror attack on an army vehicle on the national highway in Poonch. On the other hand, the search operation launched in the area entered the third day with more teams of the army and police being deployed.

Vehicular movement on the national highway 144-A, which connects Jammu with Rajouri and Poonch districts, has also been kept suspended on the 25-kilometre stretch from Bhimber Gali to Bhata Dhurian. Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh as well as a high-level NIA team examined the site and reviewed the overall circumstances.

Army on Friday also held a wreath-laying ceremony for five soldiers who lost their lives. The wreath laying was held in Army's General Hospital Rajouri. Senior officers from the army, police and civil administration also offered tributes to these soldiers.
New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as MP after conviction in 'Modi surname' defamation case, vacated 12, Tughlaq Lane bungalow on Saturday, news agency ANI reported. Gandhi handed over the keys to the official bungalow to the Lok Sabha secretariat today. The former Congress president moved out all his belongings from an official residence on Friday itself. The former Congress president was asked to vacate the premises by April 22 following his disqualification after the conviction and two-year sentence by a Surat court for his "Modi surname" remark. The former Congress chief had on April 14 shifted his office and some personal belongings from the bungalow to his mother Sonia Gandhi's official residence. He has been living in the bungalow for nearly two decades. After shifting his office, he started living with his mother and Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi at her 10, Janpath residence, the sources said.

#WATCH | Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi hands over his official bungalow, at Tughlak Lane, in the presence of Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi & party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and KC Venugopal. pic.twitter.com/FAPifisfPU  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

"People of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It's the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth...," Gandhi said while talking to reporters after vacating his official residence.

#WATCH | "People of Hindustan gave me this house for 19 years, I want to thank them. It's the price for speaking the truth. I am ready to pay any price for speaking the truth...," says Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as he finally vacates his official residence after pic.twitter.com/hYsVjmetYw  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

'We Are Not Scared': Priyanka Gandhi As Rahul Vacates His Bungalow

Talking to reporters outside Rahul's 12 Tughlaq Lane residence, Priyanka Gandhi said "Whatever my brother is saying is truth. He spoke truth about the govt for which he is suffering. But we are not afraid."

#WATCH | "Whatever my brother is saying is truth. He spoke truth about the govt for which he is suffering. But we are not afraid..," says Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as Rahul Gandhi finally vacates his official residence after disqualification pic.twitter.com/ZcRbuTm5eT  ANI (@ANI) April 22, 2023

A few years ago, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also asked to vacate her Lodhi Estate bungalow after her SPG security cover was removed. Rahul Gandhi first got elected as an MP from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh in 2004 and shifted his constituency to Wayanad in 2019.

A Surat court on March 23 had convicted Gandhi of defamation and given him two-year sentence, leading to his disqualification. He had challenged the magisterial court order in the sessions court in Surat which rejected his appeal to set aside the conviction which would have paved the way for his reinstatement as MP.

The party has said the sessions court order will be challenged in the Gujarat High Court next week. A day after his disqualification, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had sent Gandhi a notice to vacate the premises by April 22. Sources said Rahul Gandhi has been on a hunt for a space to set up his independent office.

Reactions Pour In From Congress Leaders

Taking to Twitter, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said, "Today Rahul Gandhi vacates his home at TughlaqLane in response to the LokSabha Secretariats order. The Court gave him 30 days to appeal &the HC or SC could still reinstate him, but his exemplary gesture to move out shows his respect for the rules."

Today @RahulGandhi vacates his home at TughlaqLane in response to the LokSabha Secretariats order. The Court gave him 30 days to appeal &the HC or SC could still reinstate him, but his exemplary gesture to move out shows his respect for the rules. #Respect #MeraGharAapkaGhar  Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) April 22, 2023

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal also reacted to Rahul's farewell to 12, Tughlaq lane. Taking to Twitter, he said, "Today Rahul Gandhi vacates his home at TughlaqLane in response to the LokSabha Secretariats order. The Court gave him 30 days to appeal &the HC or SC could still reinstate him, but his exemplary gesture to move out shows his respect for the rules."

They may evict you from a house, but you will always have a place in all our homes and hearts, Rahul ji.



We know that such episodes wont deter you from raising the voice of the people and speak truth to power!



The whole country today is saying #MeraGharAapkaGhar in one voice! pic.twitter.com/1lXL42nAEX  K C Venugopal (@kcvenugopalmp) April 22, 2023

""A house is not made of four walls and a cement roof. Home is a feeling - of peace, of peace, of love. And when crores of people open the doors of their hearts and homes for you, then what is the point! Rahul ji vacated his official residence today - his goal and destination is much higher than a house, much higher. No one can scare, no one can silence this satyagrahi of truth because he is ready to pay any cost. #MeraGharAapkaGhar A small proof of this country's love for you Rahul ji," party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate tweeted as Rahul vacated his bungalow.
New Delhi: When Sunil Dhar, who lives in the US, began preparing for his younger son's wedding, he was presented with an uncommon challenge: the bride's parents, who reside in Delhi, lacked the visa authorizations required to enter the US. For Indian nationals, the waiting period for a guest visa to the US may exceed a year.

This is in spite of the US sending "temporary visa officers" to Mumbai last month in an effort to shorten the wait for visas. (Also Read: iPhone 14 Gets Rs 21,000 Discount: Here's How The Deal Works)

The 65-year-old Dhar did not want his future daughter-in-law to get married without her parents there. He told The New York Times, "This is a memory that lasts a lifetime. And I wouldn't want her to get married without her parents being present. (Also Read: Next-Gen Business Tycoons: Meet Kids From India's Richest Families Who Are Ready To Lead Empire)

The difficulty was solved ingeniously by the sides of the bride and the groom. The Dhars, who reside in the San Francisco Bay Area, have chosen to get married in Blaine, Washington, next to the Peace Arch, a landmark on the US-Canada border.

A park surrounds the Peace Arch and spans both the US and Canada. According to the New York Times, this park is regarded as a neutral location where Americans and Canadians can interact without going through immigration.

The Dhar family will hold the nuptials in The American Kitchen, a structure located in the park's southern section. The bride's parents and other family members will enter from the Canadian side while they are on a Canadian visa. Without requiring US visas, they can travel as far as the parking lot on the American side.
New Delhi: World Earth Day is celebrated every year on the 22nd of April to spread awareness about the importance of restoring nature and building a healthy planet for the future. &TV artists Micckie Dudaaney (Varun Sharma, Doosri Maa), Yogesh Tripathi (Daroga Happu Singh, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan), and Shubhangi Atre (Angoori, Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai) share ways and tips to protect our planet and its resources.

Micckie Dudaaney, aka Varun Sharma, shares, One must implement simple lifestyle changes to protect the environment and increase awareness. I urge people to recycle and reuse as often as possible to conserve natural resources. Refrain from using plastic and use reusable bags. Also, I ensure that no unnecessary plastic waste or other environmentally harmful waste is generated. I wish people start taking extra care of their nature, as what we do today to protect nature will provide us with the environment we desire.

Yogesh Tripathi, aka Daroga Happu Singh from Happu Ki Ultan Paltan said, Protecting the environment requires the conservation of natural resources. I teach my son Dakshesh to conserve water and electricity in every possible way. I also teach him the small measures that have a substantial impact on the environment. We made some house rules to save water, like washing clothes in cold water, taking a shower instead of a bath, and not let the water run while brushing teeth. Moreover, we water indoor plants using the same water we use to wash vegetables and fruits. On this day, I would like to appeal to all my fans to save water and save lives.

Shubhangi Atre, aka Angoori, from Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, shares, After realizing the benefits of organic farming, I started working on a fruit farm and have grown guava, chikoo, mango, jackfruit, and java plum (jamun) at my farmhouse in Maharashtra. Farming has made me more connected with nature, and whenever I am not shooting, I spend most of my time farming. Honestly, organic farming is not a new practice. Its just going back to the way farming was done decades ago without using harmful chemicals or pesticides. On this Earth Day, I encourage people to plant more trees and opt for organic farming.

Watch Doosri Maa at 8:00 pm, Happu Ki Ultan Paltan at 10:00 pm, and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai at 10:30 pm, airing every Monday to Friday only on &TV.
New Delhi: In another incident of mass shooting in the United States, a gunman opened fire at a southeast suburb of Washington D.C. on Friday night (local time), reported The US Sun. Initial reports stated that eight persons, including a 12-year-old girl were shot at. DC Police Department said that a black sedan, possibly a Mercedes, drove through the neighbourhood and opened fire on a group of men indiscriminately, WUSA reported. The first calls about the shooting came in just after 10 pm, according to Officer Hugh Carew with the Metropolitan Police Department. Police initially said that seven people were shot on a residential street in the Congress Heights neighbourhood. The number of victims later increased to eight. Seven men were shot on Lebaum Street, Assistant Chief of Patrol Services South Andre Wright told WUSA9.

Nearby in the 2900 block of 2nd Street, a 12-year-old girl was shot. Her injuries weren`t life-threatening. The Police Department believe the two shootings to be related. Multiple shell casings were found on the ground and cops are investigating two crime scenes. A few blocks away, a 12-year-old girl was shot and police believe the two instances of gunfire are related. The condition of all of the victims wasn`t immediately available but at least one person was critically wounded.

Also Read: Four Killed, 28 Injured In Mass Shooting At A Birthday Party In US

DC Fire and EMS took four people to the hospital and other victims were being taken to trauma centres, police said. Assistant Chief Andre Wright provides an update on the multiple people shot in the 500 block of Lebaum St SE and the 2900 block of 2nd St SE.

"To make it easier for everybody to follow the story. There are going to be two scenes involved here. One is the 500 block of Lebanon Street Southeast. This will be the primary scene and then the secondary scene. 2000 block of Second Street Southeast. And the information that I`m about to give is very preliminary," said Wright.

Also Read: Louisville Bank Mass Shooting: Bodycam Video Shows Police Under Fire; Watch

He further stated that the investigations are on and multiple victims are involved and detectives and patrol officers are out knocking on doors. There will be a subsequent follow-up as the information unfolds.

He said, "We discovered that there were multiple adult males suffering from gunshot wounds. Thankfully, none of them are life-threatening, most of them self-transported when we got on the scene. So there was some chaos because of the number of victims and loved ones. Also, while we were on this scene, we also received a call on the 29 O`Block of Second Street. Upon arriving on that scene, we discovered that there was a twelve-year-old female little girl who would also receive a gunshot wound to her lower extremities. Thank God she`s also stable and non-life threatening."
New Delhi: Saudi Arabia's foreign Ministry on Saturday said that it has evacuated Indian nationals along citizens of eleven other countries. In a statement on Twitter, the ministry informed that the Royal Saudi Naval Forces evacuated 66 citizens of twelwe friendly national, that includes Indian living in Sudan. The nations include, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, UAE, Qatar, Canada, Tunisia, Egypt, Bulgaria, Philipines, Kuwait and Burkina Faso. The statement further said that the Saudi foreign ministry is helping the evacuated nationals for their departure to their countries.

#Statement | In the implementation of the directives of the Kingdom's Leadership, we are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the evacuated citizens of the Kingdom from Sudan and several nationals of brotherly & friendly countries, including diplomats & international officials pic.twitter.com/Eg0YemshYD  Foreign Ministry(@KSAmofaEN) April 22, 2023

PM Modi Chairs Meet On Indians In Sudan

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assessed the situation in Sudan, with a particular focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens who are currently scattered throughout the conflict-torn country. According to an official statement, Modi instructed relevant officials at a high-level meeting to remain vigilant, closely monitor developments in Sudan, and assess the safety of Indian nationals there.

The prime minister directed the development of contingency evacuation plans, taking into account the rapidly changing security landscape and the viability of various options. "During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi assessed the most recent developments in Sudan and received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground," the statement said.

How Sudan Fighting Unfolded?

Thousands of civilians have fled Sudan`s capital Khartoum after fighting escalated in the region. According to reports, over 350 people, including an Indian have been killed in the fighting so far.

Fighting has been raging between forces loyal to Sudan`s army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict began since a coup in 2021 between Sudan`s military leader and his deputy on the ruling council erupted derailing a plan for a transition to a civilian democracy after the fall of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Elections were supposed to be held by the end of 2023.
A Delta Airlines passenger allegedly assaulted one of the flight attendants after drinking heavily during his journey. The man flying to Alaska has been accused of trying to force himself on one of the cabin crew members present on the flight, reports New York Post. During the attempt, the man also broke a tray with the captain's meal on it. The passenger in the incident has been identified as David Alan Burk, aged 61, who was travelling from Minnesota to Alaska to settle his dead friend's estate.

As a first-class passenger on the Delta Airlines flight, Burk was entitled to drinks before his take-off from Minneapolis. However, he wasn't served the drink because of the regulations on the flight, making him "snippy" with the flight attendant. Post take off, Burk was served his drink of choice by the same flight attendant, who later allegedly became the victim of an assault by Burk.

Also read: Korean Air Plane Narrowly Avoids Collision With Air Busan Aircraft; Probe Initiated

While the plane was on flight, Burk allegedly made a stop in the galley to compliment the flight attendant before requesting a kiss. He allegedly felt awkward and caught off guard and refused the advance. After which, Burk allegedly grabbed his neck, dragged the attendant towards him, and kissed his neck.

The flight attendant reported the incident to the other crew members and steered clear of Burk until he got back to his seat. Later, he was informed by a separate flight attendant that Burk had damaged a dish on a tray that contained the food for the captain.

Following the fiasco on the plane, the pilot contacted the airport to report the incident, as per New York Post. At the time, Burk appeared "wasted" and fell asleep after drinking three glasses of wine on the plane.

Burk denied shattering the dish, kissing the flight attendant, or being intoxicated during his police questioning. He did, however, acknowledge drinking before the flight. Before being freed on his own recognisance, the passenger was charged with interfering with flight attendants and making false statements. Burk is scheduled to appear in court on April 27 on charges of assault and criminal mischief.
A major disaster was averted at Gimpo airport in Seoul when a Korean Air passenger plane came into a near-collision with an Air Busan plane. The Korean Air passenger plane landed at the airport after completing its flight from Jeju Airport and entered the runway, at the same time, the Air Busan aircraft was at the runway in the process to take off, as per Business Korea's report. After the pilot of the Air Busan aircraft was aware of the situation, he responded by taking the flight nosed up and avoiding a crash narrowly.

A video showing the close contact of the two aircraft was released by a flight tracking website. The video shows the landing of the Korean Air plane and its movement toward the runway. A few seconds in, the Air Busan aircraft can be seen beginning its process to take off on the runway and finally leaving the ground to avoid collision with the Boeing aircraft on the runway.

Also read: Government Launches 'UDAN 5.0', Fifth Round Of Regional Connectivity Scheme

A delay in the take-off of the Air Busan aircraft could have ended in a major disaster. The Air Busan aircraft involved in the incident was reported to be an Airbus A321-200 aircraft with 195 seats. While Korean Air was operating a Boeing 737-900 aircraft, which has a capacity of carrying around 200 passengers.

Korean Air 737 almost collides with a departing Air Busan A321 after crossing the runway into its path at Seoul's Gimpo Airport. The authorities are investigating the serious incident. pic.twitter.com/wZyECJrjmr April 21, 2023

The Seoul Regional Aviation Authority, an agency under the Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, is in charge of the runway and aircraft movement area at Gimpo Airport. As per Business Korea, the authorities have launched an investigation to get the details of the incident.

The report quotes Korean Air saying,"The fuselage of our aircraft did not enter the runway where the Air Busan aircraft was taking off, adding, At that time, we stopped after passing a waiting line about 70 meters away from the edge of the runway. However, we have confirmed that there was a communication problem between the flight crew and the airport controller. We will examine the incident thoroughly."
Earth Day: Every year on April 22, people take time to show their support for safeguarding the earth and its ecology. This day is recognised as Earth Day. The theme of Earth Day in 2023 is "Invest in our planet," encouraging individuals and organisations to cooperate in establishing a sustainable global economy.

During present times when deforestation and forest wildfires are reported across the world this small village located in Rajsamand district in Rajasthan State, India shares an exemplary story of celebrating mother nature with the birth of every girl child.

The tale of this Indian town feels like a breath of fresh air during a time when newspapers are littered with reports of rape, and girls being tortured, slain, and mistreated. Piplantri is leading by example in the Rajsamand region of southern Rajasthan by simultaneously preserving female children and increasing the amount of greenery.

Planting 111 Trees for the Last 15 Years

Every time a girl child is born, the people of Piplantri plant 111 trees, and the neighbourhood takes care of them so they flourish and bear fruit as the girls mature. After a girl is born, the villages put together a contribution of Rs. 21,000 to secure her financial stability. They also take Rs. 10,000 from the parents and place it in a fixed deposit that can be withdrawn when the girl reaches 20. The villagers force the parents to sign an affidavit restricting them from marrying the daughter off before she reaches marriageable age to ensure that she obtains a suitable education.

Piplantri has been a proud advocate and ambassador of eco-feminism. The community ensures these trees survive and grow as do the girls.

Origin Story of Planting 111 Trees

Shyam Sundar Paliwal, former sarpanch of the village, who was key in launching this project in honour of his daughter Kiran, who passed away a few years ago, claims that "On average 60 females are born here each year. When she was 18 years old, she passed away from dehydration." Since then, Shyam has made it his duty to cover the community with vegetation so that there is never a water shortage.

The project has benefited the local economy as well. The town has surrounded the many fruit-bearing trees with more than 2.5 million Aloe vera plants to deter termites. The residents gradually came to understand that there were several ways to prepare and sell aloe vera. As a result, the community now manufactures and sells a variety of items made from aloe, including juice and gel.

Mission to Protect and Celebrate the Girl Child

A fixed deposit (FD) account is opened at the time of the birth of a girl child and funded with Rs 10,000 from the girl's parents and Rs 31,000 from donors and Bhamashahs.

The local panchayat maintains track of this, and once the term is through, the FD is updated. The girl's birth information is reported by the panchayat to the registrar. Along with this, all paperwork for the Janani Suraksha Scheme and other advantageous government bond programmes have been finished.

More than a quarter million trees, including neem, sheesham, mango, and amla, have been planted on the village's pasture commons in the past six years.

The Rajasthani community of Piplantri has established a tradition that is beneficial to both the locals and the environment, in addition to embracing daughters. This charming village plants 111 trees every time a girl is born in an effort to safeguard the girl child and the environment together. This is an excellent demonstration of eco-feminism and ought to motivate people in India and throughout the world.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not reflect the views of Zee News.)
Akshaya Tritiya Wishes, Images and greetings to share: The word "Akshaya" refers to something that cannot be destroyed, hence on this day, people participate in auspicious rituals. Akshaya Tritiya is an important Hindu festival that is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy every year. This day, which occurs on the third day of the Hindu month of Vaishakh, is regarded as one of the most auspicious ones in the Hindu calendar.

People purchase gold on this day, pray to Lord Vishnu, and ask for blessings to bring them happiness and prosperity. Lord Vishnu and the goddess Lakshmi are both revered on this day.

To share your blessings and well wishes with your loved ones on this auspicious day, we have gathered multiple Happy Akshaya Tritiya 2023 wishes, messages, quotes, photos, and Facebook & WhatsApp statuses in this article:

- Akshaya Tritiya is a very sacred and auspicious day. There is a belief that valuables bought on this special day will bring prosperity, luck and success. So purchase the 'gold' of your wish.Happy Akshaya Tritiya.

- Happy Akshaya Tritiya 2023 to you and your family. May this auspicious day bring you a new beginning of greater prosperity.

- May Lord Vishnu bless you with wealth and prosperity on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

- On this day of Akshaya Tritiya, may Lord Vishnu bless you with a new beginning and fill your life with joy and happiness.

- May your heart be filled with love, your home with happiness, and your life with peace and prosperity on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya.

- Wishing you a blessed and prosperous Akshaya Tritiya. May this day bring you happiness, success, and good health.

- May Lord Vishnu bless you with wealth and prosperity. Happy Akshaya Tritiya 2023.

- On this day of Akshaya Tritiya, I wish you all happiness and luck. Happy Akshaya Tritiya 2023.

- Sending you my heartfelt wishes for a joyous and blessed Akshaya Tritiya. May this day bring you good fortune, success, and happiness.

- May this day of Akshaya Tritiya bring you good luck and success which never diminishes. Happy Akshaya Tritiya 2023!

- On this Akshaya Tritiya, may Lord Vishnu bless you with eternal happiness, success and good fortune. Have a blessed day.

- Let us pray to Lord Ganesha on this Akshaya Tritiya to remove all the obstacles from our path and bring success and prosperity into our lives.

- Akshaya Tritiya is an auspicious day to start new ventures, buy gold, and seek blessings of the divine for success and prosperity.

- On this auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya, may Lord Vishnu bless you with endless happiness, wealth, and prosperity. Happy Akshaya Tritiya!

- Let's embrace the spirit of generosity on this Akshaya Tritiya and share our blessings with others.

- On this Akshaya Tritiya, let's pray for the well-being of our loved ones and spread happiness all around.

May this Akshaya Tritiya bring you happiness as well as good fortune. Happy Akshaya Tritiya!
Parshurama Jayanti 2023: Hindus commemorate Parshuram Jayanti, the anniversary of Lord Parshuram's birth, with tremendous fervour and devotion. The festival is observed on the third day of Shukla Paksha in the Hindu month of Vaishakh, which, according to the Gregorian calendar, occurs in April and May. The celebration of Parshuram Jayanti will be commemorated on April 22 this year.

Lord Vishnu's mission in his sixth incarnation is to lighten the burden on Earth by removing the corrupt, destructive, and irreligious kings who pillaged its wealth and disregarded their duties as monarchs.

Parshurama Jayanti 2023: Date and time

Parashurama Jayanti 2023: Saturday, April 22, 2023

Akshaya Tritiya date: Saturday, April 22, 2023

Tritiya Tithi begins: at 10:19 pm on April 21, 2023

Tritiya Tithi ends: 10:17 pm on April 22, 2023

Parshurama Jayanti: History

Hindu mythology holds Parshuram, one of Lord Vishnu's ten incarnations, in high regard. The son of Sage Jamadagni and his wife Renuka, he is thought to have been born in the Treta Yuga. He was a warrior who upheld the dharmic ideals and battled the powers of evil to save the good. He is renowned for his ferocious conflict with the Kshatriya clan, which was mistreating ordinary people and misusing its authority. Lord Parshuram is revered and worshipped by his followers on the occasion of his birth anniversary. He is regarded as the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu.

Parshurama Jayanti: Significance

The festival is held in celebration of Lord Parshuram, who is revered as a representation of strength, courage, and righteousness. He is said to have fought against bad spirits and spent his life according to dharmic teachings.

Devotees worship Lord Parshuram on Parshuram Jayanti, ask for his blessings, and carry out particular puja rites. On this day, many people also fast, breaking their fast only when the puja is completed. The day serves as a reminder for individuals to follow the dharma in all aspects of their lives. Additionally, it is a day for the celebration of the triumph of good over evil.

Parshurama Jayanti 2023: Wishes and messages

- May you have a healthy and happy life and may Lord Parshuram grant you success and happiness.

- If you have strong determination and focus in life, you can never be defeated. Wishing you a very Happy Parshuram Jayanti!

- Happy Parshuram Jayanti! May Lord Parshuram give you all the happiness in the world.

- Heres wishing you and your family a happy Parshuram Jayanti.

- May you have a healthy and happy life and may Lord Parshuram grant you success and happiness.

Parshurama Jayanti: Interesting Stories About Lord Parashurama

Lord Parshuram Fought With Lord Shiva

Lord Parashurama loved Lord Shiva dearly. But when Lord Shiva challenged him to a fight to test him, he was forced to battle his cherished deity. The conflict was strong and brutal. Lord Parashurama finally launched a fierce attack, striking Lord Shiva in the forehead with his axe. A delighted Lord Shiva hugged him with affection after noticing his talent. Because of this incident, Lord Shiva is known as Khanda Parashu.

Lord Parashurama And His Axe

The name Parshurama translates to "Rama with the axe" or "Parashu." Lord Parashurama's preferred weapon is the axe. He received this axe from Lord Shiva. Lord Parashurama loved Lord Shiva dearly. After his lengthy penance, Lord Shiva delightedly gave him an axe.

Lord Parshuram Gifted Sage Kashyapa

Sage Kashyapa was given the Earth by Lord Parshuram. It is stated that Lord Parshuram expelled all Kshatriya and kings from the planet 21 times. Then, with the aid of Sage Kashyapa, he performed a yagna and was granted all the territories on Earth. But he had no desire to rule over the planet. As a result, he offered Sage Kashyapa the entire land as charity.

Lord Parshuram and His Mother

Renuka, the mother of Lord Parashurama, was so dedicated to her husband that her virginity bestowed upon her the ability to even collect water without a pot. One day, she happened to spot a Gandharva beside the river, and for a brief moment, longing consumed her.

As a result, the water liquefied and doused her. With the aid of his yogic abilities, Sage Jamadagni understood what had taken place. He ordered each of his boys to kill their mother individually out of wrath. Everyone who declined received a stone-turning curse from the sage. Lord Parshuram was incredibly attentive and killed his mother right away with his axe. The sage was pleased with his obedience.

The sage asked Lord Parashuram to ask for a boon. As his reward, Lord Parashuram asked his father to revive his mother and his brothers which Sage Jamadagni happily did.

Killing Of Kartaveerya

According to legend, King Kartaveerya stole the sacred calf from his father's ashram, which is claimed to have set off Lord Parshurama's 21-time massacre of the Kshatriyas. King Kartaveerya fought Lord Parashurama, who ultimately slew him, as he attempted to save the calf. To exact revenge for the passing of his father, the King's son assassinated Sage Jamadagni. Lord Parashurama was incensed by this and went on a massacre that destroyed the Kshatriyas.

Karna's Curse

The unlawful son of Kunti Devi, Karna, aspired to get guidance from Lord Parshurama. However, Lord Parashurama had sworn never to teach a Kshatriya. Karna then told Lord Parashurama a falsehood, claiming to be a Brahmin rather than a Kshatriya. Lord Parshuram was furious when he learned about this.

Karna was cursed by Lord Parashurama so that, just when he needed his talents the most, he would forget everything he had learned through deception. Karna's demise during the Battle of Kurukshetra was eventually brought on by this curse.

(This article is intended for your general information only. Zee News does not vouch for its accuracy or reliability.)
Imphal: Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh on Friday said that "there is no crisis" in the state BJP. He said one minister had taken a leave of absence, and three more are having medical treatment in Delhi. "There is no crisis. One minister has taken a leave of absence from me, he went to Indore. Three of them are having medical treatment in Delhi. That`s all. Everyone attended the (party) meeting," CM Biren Singh told reporters.

On April 20, BJP MLA Paonam Brojen Singh from Wangjing Tentha Assembly Constituency tendered his resignation as Chairman of Manipur Development Society. He was the third BJP MLA to resign from the administrative post in the past few weeks. He said he resigned due to "some personal grounds".

#WATCH | There is no crisis. One minister has taken leave of absence from me, he went to Indore. Three of them are having medical treatment in Delhi. Thats all. Everyone attended the (party) meeting: Manipur CM N Biren Singh (21.04) https://t.co/LdTiTC4YsX pic.twitter.com/gPGeTijb0Y  ANI (@ANI) April 21, 2023

"I tender my resignation from the post of chairman of Manipur Development Society (MDS) due to some personal grounds," Brojen stated in his resignation letter submitted to CM Biren Singh.

Earlier, on April 17, BJP MLA from Manipur`s Langthabal Assembly constituency, Karam Shyam, resigned from the Chairman post of the Tourism Corporation of Manipur.

Shyam who tendered his resignation letter to the state`s Chief Minister Singh alleged of not been assigned any responsibility as the Chairman of the Tourism Corporation of Manipur.Prior to that BJP MLA Thokchom Radheshyam Singh resigned as the adviser to Manipur`s CM on April 13. In his resignation letter, Radheshyam also complained of "not being given any responsibility".
Police on Saturday said they have not detained former Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik in southwest Delhi's RK Puram area. "We have not detained former governor Satya Pal Malik. He came on his own volition, along with his supporters, to the R K Puram police station and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will," Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Manoj C said. Another officer said a meeting was scheduled to be held at an MCD park in R K Puram and Malik was supposed to take part in it. He was informed that this was not a place to hold a meeting and that he had neither taken any permission from the authorities concerned, following which Malik and his supporters left the place and subsequently, the former governor came to the police station on his own, the officer added.

The Delhi Police also took to Twitter to say a false news about Malik's detention is being spread. "False information is being spread on social media handles regarding detention of Sh. Satyapal Malik, Ex. Gov. Whereas, he himself has arrived at PS R K Puram along with his supporters. He has been informed that he is at liberty to leave at his own will," it said in a tweet. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has asked Malik to answer certain queries in connection with an alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. This is the second time in seven months that Malik, who has served as the governor of various states, will be questioned by the federal agency. Malik was questioned by the CBI sleuths in October last year after he concluded his gubernatorial responsibilities in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Goa and finally, Meghalaya.

The CBI move comes barely a week after Malik gave an interview to "The Wire", in which he made critical remarks about the BJP-led Centre, especially regarding its handling of Jammu and Kashmir where he served as the last governor before the erstwhile state was bifurcated into Union territories.
BENGALURU: The Bharatiya Janata Party has stepped up its campaign for Karnataka assembly polls with party chief JP Nadda holding a roadshow and rally in Bidar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah holding a meeting with Karnataka BJP leaders. Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was also present at Shah`s meeting with Karnataka BJP leaders. Amit Shah is on a three-day visit to Karnataka as part of BJP`s preparations for May 10 assembly polls. Shah was supposed to hold a roadshow in Devanahalli but it was cancelled due to rain.

"Due to heavy rain could not be there among the people of Devanahalli. I bow to them for turning out in large numbers despite adverse weather. I will certainly visit Devanahalli soon for a campaign. Their enthusiasm shows that the BJP will win a massive victory in Karnataka," he said in a tweet. Shah also shared a video of a local man who was seen wiping rainwater from cutouts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi put up on the way to a proposed BJP roadshow in Devanahalli. "The unwavering trust in PM Narendra Modiji and the selfless affection for him is what the BJP has earned and it is its source of strength. Have a look at this beautiful video from Devanahalli, Karnataka," Shah said in another tweet.

Amid the political battle in Karnataka, PM Modi held a telephone conversation with Karnataka BJP leader and former minister KS Eshwarappa. "I didn`t expect his (PM) call, it inspires me to win Shivamogga city and we'll try all possibilities to bring the BJP government back in Karnataka. It's not something special I have done. I have told the same to PM," Eshwarappa said.

Nadda, who is on a two-day visit to the state, held a roadshow in Bidar on Friday in support of party candidates. He also addressed a public gathering. "BJP has always worked with a sense of commitment towards the betterment of society, whereas Congress has had a long history of interrupting social welfare schemes established by either the Centre or the previous BJP governments," he said. The battle in the Hubli-Dharwad Central constituency is set to get more interesting with a 'guru-shishya' type flavour to the fight between two prominent Lingayat leaders.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Mahesh Tenginkai against former Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, who was denied the ticket. Shettar has joined the Congress. Tenjinakai had on April 18 sought blessings from Jagadish Shettar before filing his nomination for the seat. "Jagadish Shettar has been my guru. This fight is between a guru and his shishya. I am confident that my guru will bless me," Tenjinakai said. Shettar, however, told ANI that he is neither Tenginkai's guru nor is he "shishya".

"His Guru is in Delhi and he is a loyal disciple of his guru in Delhi. BL Santhosh is his Guru. Because of his guru, he got the ticket," said Shettar. The former Karnataka chief minister accused Tenginkai of running a `whispering campaign` against him over the past six to seven months. "What is his contribution? Just being an office bearer is not enough. The people of Hubballi want involvement in their representative in the constituency. Just getting the ticket from BJP is not sufficient," he said.

Shettar joined the Congress after quitting the BJP for being denied a ticket for the May 10 assembly polls in the state. Shetter said he left the BJP as his self-respect was hurt. "Earlier whoever contested from this constituency (from BJP) everybody lost. I built the party here in this place. In 1994, I contested for the first time and also got elected. Subsequently, I have been re-elected from the seat. So it is pretty clear that the people have faith in me. I maintained the same relationship with the people of Hubballi," Shettar said.

"My self-respect was damaged and because of this. I challenged them. After joining Congress, I went across areas in my constituency. People ushered warm welcome...My first meeting after joining Congress, it was all clear. Congress chief Khargeji and others assured me that I will always get respect from the congress party. I want no power. I only want respect. I am not an ambitious person. I am not a power-hungry man," he added.

A day after the Karnataka High Court dismissed D K Shivakumar`s plea in a disproportionate assets case, the Congress leader said that he will fight till his last breath. "I will approach the High Courts, I will fight till the last breath. I believe in a court of law. I still believe they have done an injustice. Everything is transparent," said Shivakumar, who is Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) President. "I believe in people`s court, they (BJP) are trying to use various agencies...I am very cautious on every move, I am also a political animal," Shivakumar said.
New Delhi: Veteran actor and Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan is known to not mince her words when it comes to dealing with paparazzi. She was recently spotted arriving at filmmaker Aditya Chopra's house in Mumbai on Friday to mourn the loss of his mother and late Yash Chopra's wife Pamela Chopra. She was accompanied by her daughter Shweta Bachchan Nanda. However, upon seeing the paparazzi, who were stationed outside Aditya Chopra's residence and taking her pictures, Jaya once again lost her cool and instructed the camerapersons to maintain some distance from her.

In a video shared from a pap's account, Jaya can be seen expressing her displeasure with the presence of paps around her. She also doesn't mince her words while giving answers to journalists. She said in a stern tone, "Please keep your distance." In another video, she told them to stop clicking her pictures. "Bohot ho gaya abhi, peeche jaaiye (It's enough now, go back now)," she said. Shweta walked beside her mother without saying anything.

Pamela Chopra died of pneumonia at the age of 74. On April 20, the Chopra family announced that Pamela's cremation was held at 11 am in Mumbai. They issued a statement on YRF's official Twitter handle that read, "With heavy hearts, the Chopra family would like to inform you that Pamela Chopra, 74, passed away this morning. Her cremation took place at 11 am today in Mumbai. We are grateful for your prayers and the family would like to request for privacy in this moment of deep sadness and reflection."

On the professional front, Jaya is all set to be seen in a pivotal role in Karan Johar's 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani'. The romantic comedy features Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh in lead roles while Dharmendra, Shabana Azmi and Tota Roy Chowdhury will be essaying a prominent role. It also features Arjun Bijlani, Shraddha Arya, Sriti Jha, Bharti Singh, Haarsh Limbachiyaa in special appearances.

'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani' is slated to release on July 28, 2023.
New Delhi: On the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya, Eid-ul-Fitr and Parshuram Jayanti on April 22, Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan made sure to extend his wishes. He took to Twitter and shared heartfelt greetings on all three occasions separately.

WHO IS LORD PARSHURAM?

Parshuram is considered to be the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It is believed that just like other avatars of the Lord, Parshuram too was born to kill evil. Aggression, warfare and valour define this incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who emphasized on equality and justice. Bhargava rama, Jamadagnya rama and Rambhadra are his other names. He was born to Brahman sage Jamadagni and his Kshatriya wife Renuka on top of Janapav hills in today's Indore, Madhya Pradesh. He worshipped Lord Shiva at the temple near the ashram where he stayed and prayed. It is named after his father Jamadagni Ashram.

T 4625 - Today is lord Parashuram Jayanti & auspicious day akshay trutiya

@sionvithalmandir    , 22  2023 ,  ,     ,    . pic.twitter.com/pJjFnoDqBy  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 22, 2023

Parshuram Jayanti is celebrated as the birth anniversary of the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. It usually takes place during the Shukla Paksha Tritya in Vaisakha month. As a reverence to Lord Parshuram, who is hailed as a warrior Brahmin - Parshuram Jayanti is widely celebrated and many extended wishes on social media as well.

If legends are anything to go by then Parshuram is still on earth as he is Chiranjeevi and stays in meditative retirement. There are several temples of Lord Parshuram, like the famous one in south India at Pajaka near Udupi. Lord Vishnu's final avatar will be the Kalki avatar. In Kalki Purana, Parshuram is hailed as the martial guru of Kalki. He is usually depicted as the Brahmin with an axe in his hand.

AKSHAYA TRITIYA AND EID-UL-FITR 2023

Akshaya Tritiya 2023 Date: The auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya or Akti, Akha Teej is the most-waited time of the year for Hindus and the Jain community. It is on the third day of the Shukla Paksha during Vaisakha month. People believe it to be the 'third day of unending prosperity'. The dates every year vary as per the Gregorian calendar. It is said that purchasing of gold on this day is auspicious. Also, making investments, marriages, and buying a new property - Akshaya Tritiya is considered to be perfect for it. Some even fast on this day, perform charity and help the needy.

Ancestors who are no longer with us are also remembered and prayed to for showering blessings on the family. It is also related to the Mahabharat when Shri Krishna presented the Akshaya Patra to Draupadi when Rishi Durvasa visited the Pandavas. In the divine Akshaya Patram, the food never stopped and Draupadi was able to feed a train of sages in tough times.

Eid 2023: The Islamic holy month of Ramzan or Ramadan ends with Eid celebrations after a 30-day-long fasting ritual of keeping Rozas. Muslims across the globe eagerly wait for Eid to celebrate the festival with much gusto and fervour. Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-al-Fitr as it is called in some places, is being celebrated this year on April 22 in India this year. It is the first and only day in the month of Shawwal during which Muslims are not permitted to fast.

T 4625 - Eid Mubaarak pic.twitter.com/VNRdqN61Ds  Amitabh Bachchan (@SrBachchan) April 22, 2023

The day and date of Eid may vary depending on different time zones and moon sightings.


CONOVER  St. John's Lutheran Church of Conover is celebrating the 225th anniversary of the congregation throughout this year.

As part of this celebration, they have invited a son of the congregation, the Rev. Luke Self, to come back to St. John's on Sunday, April 23, and be the guest preacher and Bible study leader.

Self grew up at St. John's and now is the pastor of New Hope Lutheran Church in Mooresville. During the Bible study, Self will share part of his story of how God called him into the pastoral ministry.

Everyone is invited.

The church is at 2126 St. Johns Church Road, NE, Conover.
" " Alexander the Great fights the Battle of Issus, ca. 310 B.C.E. Bettmann/Getty Images

When Alexander III of Macedon died in Babylon at just 32 years old, he ruled a territory that spanned three continents and covered nearly 2 million square miles (5 million square kilometers). Not only was he the king of his native Macedonia, but he was also ruler of the Greeks, the king of Persia and even an Egyptian pharaoh.

So, did he deserve the title Alexander the Great? Absolutely.

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"It's hard to imagine another human being whose personal choices had an impact on more people's lives for many centuries than Alexander," says historian Elizabeth Carney, an Alexander scholar from Clemson University in South Carolina.

"Because of the decisions Alexander made, hundreds of thousands of people died, any number of political entities disappeared or were replaced. And perhaps most importantly, he helped launch this vast cultural enterprise that combined aspects of the Greek and Macedonian world with aspects of the various worlds he conquered."

With that in mind, here are some other big things about him.
Lets face it, anyone who wants to be a dairy farmer may just be a tad unique. Why would one toil from sunup to sundown with loads of challenges, unknowns, and financial hurdles? Simply said, it is a concept the urban community cannot grasp.

Though the yearning is not gender specific, women have not always been encouraged to pursue careers as dairy farmers. However, that is changing. Women are increasingly at the helm of dairy farms as cultural expectations shift and opportunities grow.

Today, young ladies often outnumber young men in leadership roles of youth clubs, on teams that compete in dairy activities, and at the halter of cows in the showring. Of the 36 scholarships distributed by the National Dairy Shrine this year, 28 were awarded to young women. Those stats are surely representative and will firmly entrench the trend of women college graduates in agriculture now outpacing their male peers.

Three women who grew up on two dairy farms share their stories on managing a dairy herd, largely on their own, and the challenges of doing it as a woman. For all, the pursuit fulfills a burning desire to continue a legacy established by their families.

Always a farmer

For fifth-generation dairy farmer Tammie Stiles, sheer determination and the perfect setting have enabled her to manifest her dreams. Today, she milks 90 registered Jersey cows and continues the Skip-A-Rilla bloodlines developed by her family.

As early as I can remember, I wanted to be a dairy farmer, noted Tammie, who farms near Woodstock, Va. From the time I was able to help bottle-feed calves, I knew this job was for me and that I would never be happy behind a desk.

Resilience, tenacity, and timing have made that happen. In the early 1980s, when she was 15, her parents sold their farm in Virginia and the cattle, too. Tammie held back a few favorites and housed and milked them at other farms while she was in high school and earning her degree at Virginia Tech. She moved her milking string of 25 cows to a rented farm after graduation and then housed them at various locations over the years. They finally found their forever home in April 2019.

When I walked onto this place, I immediately fell in love, commented Tammie. Though the facilities are older, they are well-maintained and laid out in a way that lets me handle cows and clean facilities by myself. At one point, they housed 300 Holsteins here, so it is spacious for my herd of Jerseys.

Tammie rents the facilities and purchases grain from the farms owner, who charges a fair price and produces excellent quality feed. To help her manage the herd, she made a few facility changes. Maternity and sick pens were added, water troughs installed, and lighting improved.

Cows are milked in a double-six herringbone parlor and housed in a freestall barn with access to a 7-acre pasture. Calves are raised in polydomes until they are weaned and then moved to a calf barn, where they are grouped in 10 pens of three to four calves. After they are confirmed pregnant, they are moved to another barn and housed with far-off dry cows.

Tammies crew of volunteers includes her 19-year-old son, Trey, his friends, and this summer, a female intern from Virginia Tech. Tammie mates and breeds the cows on her own and relies heavily on software to manage the herd. Tammie has worked with cattle for decades, so she instinctively knows when an animal is sick or off and can diagnose many illnesses on her own and handle treatments with a text or phone call to the vet. Regular herd checks are administered by the veterinarian every six weeks, and other consultants include a nutritionist and accountant.

Because she lives 30 miles from the farm, Tammie repurposed a small building on the dairy as an office and kitchenette. She equipped it with basic amenities so she can spend the night in inclement weather and when necessary.

Like many women, Tammie says her biggest challenge has been maintaining equipment, a hurdle she is overcoming by learning what and whom to ask. When I realized my problem was an emergency to me alone, I started asking, Is this something I can fix and, if so, how do I do it and what do I need? I have learned enough of the basics that I can now fix much of my equipment with a phone call and a shipped part.

Rewards for the long, sometimes lonely, days are pasture walks and bull talks with her dad, Clifford Stiles; cow talks with her sister, Amanda; chores with her sons; and good-natured competition with peers in the showring. Among the prize winners carrying their prefix is SAR Andre, Excellent-95, winner of the 2004 National Jersey Jug Futurity.

This job is far deeper than milking cows for me. Seeing the sun rise and set on happy cows on pasture beats a desk job any day. And it is a big deal that the lineage of nearly every cow here traces to my dads original herd, she said.

The sister act

Sisters Jamie and Shelby Crawford left the nest after school to pursue careers off the home farm, but they eventually found their way back to dairy with each other.

For Jamie, who earned a finance degree in 2008, her first calling was in banking. But eight years in, when she needed a mental break, she came home with the intent of returning to finance in a few months. Five years later, she is still at the farm.

Her baby sister, Shelby, graduated from high school in 2010 and then worked at a pair of powerhouse farms  Arethusa Farm in Litchfield, Conn., and Juniper Farm in Gray, Maine. Longing to be with family and her own cows, she returned to Pennsylvania two years ago.

The 188-acre Rome, Pa., farm near the Susquehanna River is home to 126 Holsteins and 41 Jerseys. Cows are housed and milked in a 71-cow tie stall barn. Feed is raised on 145 tillable acres. The Crawfords are in the process of purchasing an additional 200 acres so they can grow more forages.

Having grown up as a sisterhood of four, with no brothers and a father who passed away two decades ago, gender bias was not even in the lexicon when it came to chores. Jamie and Shelby learned how to work in the barn and the fields and are remarkably independent. They handle most of the data management, herd matings, milking, feeding, cleanup, and crop work on their own. Shelby is adept at diagnosing health issues, so she can usually treat cows without the assistance of a veterinarian.

The sisters get a hand with chores and equipment fixes from their beaus and other family members. A nutritionist balances rations and a veterinarian performs regular herd checks. An A.I. technician breeds cattle and handles embryo transfer and in vitro fertilization jobs.

To safely work with animals that can be 10 times their size, Jamie and Shelby are diligent about raising even-tempered, calm cattle.

We dont baby them, or halter break all of them, said Shelby. But we do get them used to being around people and comfortable being touched and moved from an early age. When we work with them, we are quiet and calm so they are quiet and calm. We have no issues bringing a first-calf heifer to her stall for the first time or moving cows in unfamiliar settings, said the co-owner of Ho-Crawf Holsteins and Jerseys.

To supplement income, the Crawfords have developed a thriving market for high-end show cattle and lease cows as recipients for elite genetics from other breeders. They are becoming a familiar face, especially in Jersey circles, for their own homebred cattle and partnerships with other well-known breeders.

Among the most visible homebred animals is Ho-Crawf Andreas Joplin, Grand Champion of the 2021 All American Junior Jersey Show. Another standout is Drentex Velocity Glitterbug. She was purchased as a heifer calf and sold as a Very Good-89 (maximum score) milking yearling to South Mountain Jerseys, Boonsboro, Md., who showed her to blue ribbon laurels at The Jersey Event in July.

In the early years, Jamie also reaped rewards from some genomic investments, including a Holstein bull, Mer-James Tarnish, that sold to Sexing Technologies, and a Holstein female, Juniper-JLC Wish, that was struck off in the Bovines in South Beach Sale for $115,000 in 2018. That was part of their Mer-James Genetic enterprise.

That success kept me motivated, remarked Jamie. But as the market shifted, we realized we are too small to be a viable player, so we pivoted to show cattle.

For the sisters, motivation also comes from working together to continue a cattle breeding legacy established as Ho-Crawf. Thats the combination of the surnames of their mother, Sandra Hoag Crawford, and father, Merrill John Crawford. Meanwhile, Mer-James represents the first name of their father and his nickname for Jamie.

Though Dad is no longer with us, he would be thrilled to see that we have figured out a way to stay in business, Jamie continued. He would also be proud to see we are doing it as a team.




For many readers, first cut will be just around the corner as you read this article. To say the least, unlocking the energy in your forages to fuel herd performance is a top priority during first cutting since it provides so much tonnage and makes up a substantial portion of the annual forage inventory. With alfalfa, the fiber digestibility is often highest for first cut because it has grown at cooler temperatures.

Depending on spring weather, the ideal time for beginning first cut may occur while the last of the corn is being planted. In short, first cutting can be a hectic time of the year. Focusing on some fundamental concepts of forage quality ahead of the hustle and bustle of first cutting is a profitable and wise use of ones time.

Quality changes rapidly

We all know that getting the right quality of forage into your cows results in higher milk component yields, less purchased grain, and overall higher income over feed cost. Research tells us that, on average, each 1% unit improvement in neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility correlates with about an extra 0.40 pound per day of dry matter intake and 0.50 pound daily of milk. Herds that focus on forage management  and have the ability to harvest at optimal maturity regardless of weather  produce more milk with lower feed costs.

Forage quality is a function of the forage type (such as grass or legume), maturity at harvest, and the environmental conditions during growing, harvesting, and storage. Maturity at harvest is a critical factor for NDF digestibility and my main focus for this article.

Bear in mind how rapidly forage quality can change in the field. We sometimes forget how quickly NDF digestibility can drop. Wisconsin research indicates that NDF content of alfalfa jumps about 0.4% unit each day and NDF digestibility drops by the same amount  not a desirable combination!

Similarly, Cornell University work found that the NDF digestibility of alfalfa declines between 0.5% and 1% unit for each day that harvest is delayed . . . and the NDF digestibility for grasses can plummet even faster.

Other research indicates that alfalfa quality declines at a faster rate during first cutting than later cuttings. With the scarcity of rain-free days during first cut in many parts of the country, we need to be ready to go when weather and drying conditions are right.

Achieving the correct maturity at harvest is important for both grasses and legumes. Given the compositional differences between grasses and legumes, many dairy producers expend considerable time deciding what type of forages to plant or purchase for their herd.

This is an important question, and every farm needs to have the proper mix of forage NDF sources to promote feed intake, rumen fiber digestion, and milk component yields. But if the goal is to harvest digestible NDF, what is more important  the plant type (grass or legume) or getting the crop harvested while it is immature?

To answer that question, we need to understand how grasses and legumes naturally differ in NDF digestibility when they are mature or immature. Fortunately, over a decade ago when Dave Mertens was at the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center in Madison, Wis., he summarized the published research that compared NDF digestibility of grasses and legumes. The table presents some of the key findings of his research review.

First, all the data for legumes and grasses were averaged regardless of maturity. As we look at these first two lines of data in the table, we see that digestible NDF is substantially greater for grasses than legumes while lignin is lower, but alfalfa has a more rapid rate of fiber digestion. These are the well-known and essential characteristics of typical grasses and legumes.

Now lets focus on the last two lines in the table where the research data have been separated by stage of maturity but averaged across both grasses and legumes. Averaged across forage type, immature forages contain much less lignin and have substantially better NDF digestibility as we would expect.

Here is the main point: The effect of maturity on NDF digestibility is much larger than any basic difference between grasses and legumes. For instance, the range in digestible NDF between grasses and legumes is about 18 percentage units, but that same range is nearly 25 percentage units for mature versus immature grass and legume forages. The effect of maturity on the range in lignin and rate of NDF digestion is even more pronounced.

As first cut approaches, you will only be able to maximize the harvest of energy from your grass and legume forages by cutting them at the right maturity when fiber digestibility is optimal.

Target highly digestible NDF

High-producing cows require highly digestible NDF. A typical range in 30-hour NDF digestibility for alfalfa would be about 45% to nearly 60%. This range is essentially the mean value for 30-hour NDF digestibility, plus or minus one standard deviation. Similarly, grass may range between 55% and 70% for 30-hour NDF digestibility. When feeding high-producing cows, we need to target the higher end of these ranges in order to boost feed intake and milk component yield.

As you get ready for first cut, bear in mind that maturity at harvest is crucial  and it has an overriding impact on fiber digestibility for any combination of grasses and legumes. Whatever the forages are on your farm, harvesting at the right stage will maximize the energy you capture from those forages.

As a young extension specialist over three decades ago, one of the first chestnuts of wisdom I heard from a dairy farmer I was visiting was this: Highly digestible forage does not ensure high milk yield, but low digestibility forage guarantees the opposite! Focus on maturity at harvest with your all-important first cut and you are bound to boost your bottom line.
According to him, both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China.

Both sides of the Taiwan Strait belong to China, the Chinese Foreign Minister stated on Friday and emphasized that China has the right to protect its sovereignty. Qing Kang at the opening of a forum on Chinas modernization in Shanghai, southern China, he rejected the claims that Beijing wants to end the status quo in the region and threatens the peace and security of the Taiwan Strait. In his speech, the minister called such statements absurd, and the conclusions drawn from them dangerous. According to him, the status quo is threatened by Taiwanese separatist forces and a handful of countries.

Those who play with fire in Taiwan will one day burn themselves, said Qing Kang, who says that every sane person can see who is striving for hegemony and harassing others.

China considers Taiwan, which has had an independent government since 1949, as its own part, and its leadership has previously underlined that it will take care of reunification by force if necessary. And the Americans declared that they would help Taiwan if China attacked it.

The Chinese military has recently held several military exercises near the island, and Beijing last week ordered the Santung aircraft carrier to the area, from which, according to Japanese observers, J-15 fighter jets took off dozens of times.

Featured image: A Taiwanese Air Force Mirage 2000 prepares for takeoff from Hsinchu Air Base, Taiwan on April 9, 2023. The previous day, the Chinese army began a three-day military exercise in the Taiwan Strait, for which Cai Jing-wen the president of Taiwan met with the speaker of the US House of Representatives in the United States, With Kevin McCarthy.

(MTI)
100 years ago,

April 22, 1923

50 years ago, 1973

25 years ago, 1998

MATTOON  Both sides of the leaf-burning issue made points to the City Council and one another Tuesday night. Most of the more than 60 people in attendance came to debate or hear discussion on prospects of the council allowing open burning after about 71 percent voted for burning in an advisory referendum. In a few instances the comments got personal and a bit emotional, leading Mayor Wanda Ferguson to use her gavel to keep matters civil. Both Bob Michaels, a leader of the leaf-burners association, and former City Commissioner Bob McDowell said the council should vote on the issue again. Michaels suggested that some on the council may have reconsidered their position after the advisory referendum. He said the city won't benefit by spending money on equipment and contracts for leaf removal when most people want to burn. Tom Grissom and Doug Starwalt also spoke for open burning to applause from the audience. Viola Myers, Mark Miller and Margaret Sparks spoke against going back to burning. Myers said the current disposal system is the best Mattoon's ever had. Miller said the council should continue to consider the health benefits of no burning. Sparks said most issues don't go to a public vote, including things like the annex building constructed when McDowell oversaw the fire department...MATTOON  The city's July 4 fireworks and laser show is moving to the Coles County Memorial Airport. The Mattoon City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize the move after Pat Gaines outlined problems with shooting the show in Peterson Park. Gaines represents a Mattoon-based pyrotechnic group that last year electronically-fired an expanded show in the park. The park meets the "minimums," for the show, he said, but still some fallout came down in part of the crowd. And in some weather conditions the show might not be fired at all in Peterson, Gains said, outlining problems with having spectators on all sides of the fireworks...NEOGA  Mayor Jim Short told the Neoga City Council Monday he will likely resign his position at the end of May to pursue other business opportunities. Short said he could not give a definite date for his possible resignation, but if the plans went accordingly, the new opportunity will take him out of the area in May. On Tuesday, Short said he was not prepared to disclose information about the new venture, but he said he will miss the people he has worked with in city government for nearly 25 years...CHARLESTON  A spokesman from the Illinois Department of Nuclear Safety said the agency is now requiring a volunteer landowner and permission from a community's local government before it proceeds with selected an area for a low-level radioactive waste storage site. Mike Klebe spoke to students and members from EIU's Geology and Geography Department about what is defined as low level radioactive waste and how Klebe's department will choose a storage site. The issue of radioactive waste storage was at the forefront of public debate earlier this decade when the IDNS proposed such a facility near Martinsville. The proposal was later withdrawn when the site was deemed unsafe.
The now-notorious violent youth riot in downtown Chicago during a recent weekend got me to thinking of a press conference way back in 2010. Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley voiced frustration about what he said were large groups of suburban kids causing trouble on Chicagos lakefront, even though plenty of Chicago kids were also participating, including six teens who brutally attacked an 18-year-old suburban woman. Daley complained that the youths would text each other to organize their mayhem.

Three years later, downtowns problems with unexpected group violence hadnt gotten any better. So then-Gov. Pat Quinn held a splashy press conference on Michigan Avenue to sign a bill sponsored by then-Sen. Kwame Raoul and then-Rep. Christian Mitchell which doubled the prison sentences (to 6 years) for those who use social media to incite organized mob violence.

We dont want flash mobs harming anyone, anywhere, but especially where many people come from other states, other countries, Quinn said. Their promised crackdown never materialized. However, that penalty enhancement is still in state law books.

Illinois has also had a statute on its books since 1969 known as the Parental Responsibility Law. Parents and guardians can be sued for actual damages for the wilful or malicious acts of such minor which cause injury to a person or property. Damages under 740 ILCS 115 are recoverable up to $20,000. The law has only rarely been used.

Ed Yohnka at the Illinois ACLU told me that his group was not aware of a specific constitutional deficiency with the law, and said the courts long have recognized that one can be held responsible for the actions of others based on specific legal relationships, and recognized the authority of state legislatures to make parents responsible for the torts of their minor children.

Yohnka did say that the law was bad policy, partly because impoverished parents would be hurt the most. Many of these families are struggling to make ends meet in communities that lack services and resources that help support strong families.

The state and the City of Chicago also spend millions of dollars a year, and plan to spend much more, on violence prevention programs. In the past, violence interrupters have described being overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of young people breaking the law during the flash mobs or trends or whatever you want to call them. Last week, we barely heard from anyone in that sector about how they helped during the weekend violence or how they can help in the future if properly deployed.

In 2019, WBEZ actually went out and talked to some of the kids who were causing some of the disruptions. The youths understandably complained that parks and recreational facilities in their own neighborhoods on the South and West Sides were decrepit. There is usually vandalism over the swings, over the slides, there is usually broken material  there is trash and there is a lot of people soliciting, according to Tyrianna Rodgers, who was on a girls-only afternoon in downtown at the time. It just doesnt look like the place where you would send your kids and say OK, You could chill here.  Four years later, many of those facilities are still a disgrace.

The public radio station also reported at the time that Chicago police were bragging about their ability to monitor the online organization of what are now called trends, which the station defined as large teen-led gatherings that are particularly popular among Black teens. Yet, CBS 2 reported last week that the Chicago PD had no clue how the mob violence was organized. And credible reports have emerged since then about police ignoring calls for assistance.

There are really two points here. The first is that all those loud folks pretending that the violence is somehow a new and mysterious thing and a fresh test for a mayor-elect who hasnt even been sworn in yet really ought to take a breath.

The second is that law enforcement and local leaders have been given plenty of legal, investigatory and prevention tools (and there are more than just those listed above) to address these issues, but those leaders appear to be allowing those tools to just rust away in a drawer somewhere.

Rep. Kam Buckner (D-Chicago) had it absolutely right when he complained that nobody has a plan to deal with the violence and that nobody has had a real plan since he was a teen.

That has to change! Rep. Buckner rightly roared on social media.

Yes, it does. And it starts with the people in authority doing their actual jobs.
I have been a clinical counselor at EIU for almost 13 years and had always planned on retiring from EIU. Staying at EIU is very important to me because I care about the students and the university as a whole.

Unfortunately, even with a second job, it is becoming harder and harder to remain at EIU, given the lack of raises, low wages and the state of the economy.

Over the last several years I have grown more and more disheartened by the lack of support from higher administration. There was a time that EIU administration cared about and invested in the employees. The atmosphere was bright, and retention of staff was high.

Sadly, we are now far from that. Staff/faculty turn-over is high, morale is low, and we are tired and discouraged. What's that saying? If they don't appreciate your presence perhaps you should try giving them your absence.

Although stressful, these strike days have also brought hope. They have brought all kinds of people together; unified in this, because wrong is wrong.

It is wrong that administration is unwilling to agree to fair raises, but sure is willing to line their own pockets. Glassman will be receiving a hefty salary of $16K/month (after leaving the president position) to teach one class this fall. It is wrong that administration refuses to address workload issues. It is wrong that the lawyer for the university negotiating team is getting paid $300/hour and is the same lawyer for UIC and Governors State strikes.

This delays negotiations for each of our campuses because he cant be at three places at once and in getting paid $300/hour, there's not a whole lot of incentive for him to come to an agreement. Glassman/EIU administration, do better.

-- Lindsay Wilson, Ashmore
The Earth Day timing is purely serendipitous but, as it turns out, entirely appropriate.

Four Wake Forest University engineering students say a nine-month senior project they will present Saturday has allowed them to apply some of what theyve learned over the past four years while establishing a connection with a part of Winston-Salem they otherwise wouldnt have made.

Their work centers on the plight of residents living along Brushy Fork Creek who have blamed a 250-acre timber-clearing project at Smith Reynolds Airport in 2015 for severe erosion that has damaged their property.

The students  Haley Corbett, William Nave, Caroline Ward and Crawford Wheeler  spent two semesters assessing the conditions contributing to the damage, developing statistical models based on their findings, then designing theoretical solutions that would fortify the stream banks and protect property.

On Saturday, they will present the results of the project at the Department of Engineerings 2023 Capstone Symposium.

The project is an academic exercise and wont be used to guide any future project to shore up the creek, but seeing what residents were experiencing just a few miles from campus inspired the students work.

No one I talked to knew this was happening, but its the community weve all been in for four years and I think its important to be involved, said Haley Corbett, referring to erosion that has toppled trees, taken out fences and opened sinkholes in yards just east of the airport. We just wanted to keep any kind of momentum so the problem wouldnt be swept under the rug again. We want to do anything we can do to get this problem solved.

Local officials said this week that a deal to keep Smith Reynolds Airport from being de-annexed from Winston-Salem included a commitment from the city to help Forsyth County fund work to shore up the creek instead of waiting for a decision on a state grant whose timing would delay work until next year.

For now, impacted residents continue to go to great expense to protect their property.

That shouldnt be happening, Corbett insisted. It shouldnt have gotten to the point where theyre dealing with the problem on their own. 

Social impact

During a practice session Friday, the project team laid out its process and recommendations.

The first step in the students proposed solution involves reducing the slope of the creek banks.

That means you cut away more land but you add more slant and that reinforces the bank, explained student Caroline Ward. By having such a deep slope, its kind of cutting under (the bank). And thats even worse.

The plan also suggests applying biodegradable netting to initially stabilize the reshaped banks, and adding selected plants.

That increases the roughness of the bank slope so it decreases the velocity of the water in the stream, Ward added. We want the plants to be aesthetically pleasing and we want them to be native to North Carolina because we dont want to bring plants into an area that theyre not already in.

The four project partners have different engineering concentrations, so they brought varying perspectives and skills to the process.

Im in mechanical and chemical (engineering), so it was nice to branch out and try something new, said William Nave. But I think the community aspect, just working close to where weve been for four years, is just something thats really important for us.

For Crawford Wheeler, meanwhile, the work followed his environmental engineering focus.

I actually can apply what Ive learned from this project in my job, said Wheeler, who will head to a position with the city of High Point after graduation.

For the students faculty adviser, engineering professor Courtney Di Vittorio, their choice of project subject was no surprise.

I think they do care about the community piece, she said. And I think Wake draws students who want their careers to have social impact.
The N.C. Insurance Department said Friday that Dr. Anne Litton White, a controversial Winston-Salem doctor, has been arrested and charged with identity theft and unlawfully obtaining a credit card, both felonies.

Insurance commissioner Mike Causey announced the arrest of White, 68, of Advance.

White was arrested in Person County on Wednesday. Her bond was set at $2,500.

Her first court date in Forsyth District Court was scheduled for Friday, but was postponed to May 18.

White had been the operator of Carolina Laser and Cosmetic Center from 2004 until the facility closed in April 2022.

The closure fulfilled a N.C. Medical Board order for White to take that action or sell her practice by April 16, 2022, as part of the indefinite suspension of her medical license issued by the board in March 2022.

According to the arrest warrant, White used credit card and banking information of a deceased person, Pamela Dianne Shumate, to obtain and use a credit card in Shumates name.

Special agents with the departments Criminal Investigations Division said White previously had been listed as an authorized user of Shumates credit card.

However, the authority to use her card ceased when Shumate died in May 2006, yet White continued to renew the card, according to the arrest warrant.

Under the identify theft charge, the arrest warrant listed that White unlawfully, willfully and feloniously did knowingly obtain, use identifying information, credit card and banking information (of Skinner) with the intent to fraudulently represent that the defendant was the other person for the purpose of avoiding legal consequences.

The arrest warrant, issued Tuesday, did not list a money amount associated with the credit card.

White was not charged with a dollar amount, officials said.

She was charged for the alleged acts of identity theft and fraudulently obtaining a credit card.

Previous legal issues

The identity theft arrest is the latest legal issue for White.

In November, a Forsyth Superior Court judge ordered White to pay at least $332,000 to Bank of America Corp. for failure to meet the payment terms of her commercial business loan.

Bank of America filed on Oct. 7 for a partial summary judgment against White and her former businesses of Carolina Family Medicine and Dermatology PA and Carolina Laser and Cosmetic Center.

Richard Doughton, a retired special Superior Court judge, approved the partial summary judgment on Oct. 24, which includes $49,509 in attorney fees.

The judge agreed to the restitution breakdown provided by the bank of $309,899 in loan principal, accrued interest of $20,164, late fee of $2,086 and additional interest accruing since May 24 at the daily rate of $63.27.

Background

The N.C. Medical Boards indefinite suspension of Whites medical license was issued at the conclusion of a Feb. 17-18, 2022, disciplinary hearing.

The board ruled that White must wait two years before asking for her license to be reinstated and that she must tell her patients about her practices status. That two-year period began March 17, 2022.

Board attorney Brian Blankenship said that because White is the sole shareholder of the practice, accordingly she must divest herself of her shares to another licensee or shut down the practice.

The focus of the hearing was how White ran her practice between March 18, 2020, and May 25, 2020.

White told board investigators and a board-required monitor that her practice was one of the many businesses that closed under state order during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, former employees testified and provided documentation that White saw patients during that time.

White testified that before the COVID-19 pandemic, she would average between $120,000 and $150,000 in monthly billings during a typical March through May period.

The board also determined that White committed unprofessional conduct by failing to comply with a 2018 order under which she agreed to pay for outside monitoring of her practice.

That determination allows the board to annul, suspend, revoke, condition or limit Whites North Carolina medical license.

The board also said in the report the unprofessional conduct includes the committing of any act contrary to honesty, justice or good morals as it related to a separate complaint involving an insurance claim filed by White.

It was the sixth time White has been subject to a board notice of charges and allegations, the others occurring in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2017 and 2018-20.

Before the Feb. 18 ruling, Whites license had been suspended for a combined 110 days since 2004, the last times from May 7-16, 2018, and from July 16-26, 2018.

Her practice had been operational since the second suspension ended.
The economic and incentives signs are pointing to Piedmont Triad International Airport landing another prominent aerospace employer.

Piedmont Triad Airport Authority announced Friday it will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. Tuesday.

Although airport officials did not disclose the nature of the media event, it is likely to be the disclosure that it has emerged with a 240-job, $50 million maintenance facility by U.K. aerospace manufacturer Marshall Aerospace USA LLC.

Another sign of winning the coveted economic-development project: the N.C. Economic Investment Committee will meet by conference call at 11 a.m. Tuesday to discuss giving final approval to a performance-based incentive package.

The incentive package is likely to come from the states Job Development Investment Grant program, which covers projects considering sites in other states.

Earlier this week, the Marshall project was approved by the Guilford County Board of Commissioners for up to $308,879 in incentives, plus a $124,000 local matching fund utility grant, as well as up to $240,000 from the Greensboro City Council.

The vast majority of companies tend to commit to a local project  often within days or weeks  once approved for local and state incentives.

Marshall could be immediately reached for comment on the project.

PTI executive director Kevin Baker has said authority policy is not commenting on any specific project or projects.

I can say that we continue to prepare the airport to compete for all types of aerospace projects, and we actively pursue potential companies worldwide to be important employers at the airport and for our community, Baker said when the legal notice on the Marshall incentive requests was posted.

Marshall background

According to its website, Marshall Aerospace has operations in the U.K., Europe, Middle East, Canada and U.S. Its primary customers are air forces across the globe.

The primary focus of the Marshall Aerospace business is the delivery of routine maintenance, modifications and repairs to the iconic Hercules C-130 transport aircraft that has been in service in some fashion since the early 1970s.

The team has a hard-earned reputation as a global authority on the C-130 platform, boasting unrivaled engineering experience and expertise that makes it hard to beat, according to the company.

Marshall Aerospace continues to cement its market-leading position, winning new customers and helping to keep their fleets relevant and ready for service.

Marshall also operates Aerostructures, which specializes in the design and manufacture of auxiliary fuel systems and tanks that are used to extend multi-mission maritime aircraft flight range.

We are incredibly proud of the work that we do to keep our customer aircraft mission ready enabling them to protect people in critical situations, according to a website statement from Neil McManus, the companys managing director.

The company recently opened an Aerostructures plant in the U.K.

The facility houses production of auxiliary fuels tanks for the P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, a military derivative of Boeings civilian next-generation 737-800.

PTI presence

PTI remains the states third largest airport overall and third for commercial service, at $9.3 billion in economic impact in 2021, according to an N.C. Aviation Division report released in January. That is up 7.6% from the 2019 report.

Included in that category for PTI would be the FedEx cargo-sorting hub, the HAECO maintenance facilities, the HondaJet manufacturing operations, and other companies with operations on its campus.

The Marshall project would be the third confirmed for PTI since January 2022.

Construction has begun on Boom Supersonics $500 million, 400,000-square-foot superfactory that will assemble and test its Overture airliner, along with a customer delivery center.

The current timeline is: beginning equipment installation in 2024 with Advanced Integration Technology; assembly in 2025; first rollout in 2026; first test flight in 2027; Federal Aviation Administration certification in 2029; and then first passenger flight later in 2029.

Boom projects having 400 employees by spring 2025, 1,750 by 2030 and more than 2,400 at full production in 2032.

On Monday, TAT Piedmont Aviation, an aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul company, said it would expand its operations near PTI and create 85 jobs. The company said it would make a $12.8 million capital investment.

The expansion would feature new test equipment, production tooling, and new machinery to supplement its current operations.

The companys new positions would pay an annual average wage of $51,706.

It has been made eligible for up to $200,000 in incentives from the One North Carolina Fund, which requires matching local incentives.
Northwestern Beijing's Yanqing district signed a framework agreement for strategic cooperation with Sinoma Science & Technology Co., Ltd on April 20.

Yanqing and Sinoma ink cooperation deal on April 20. [photo provided to China.org.cn]

The two sides will strengthen cooperation in the industrialization of composite materials, the research and development and manufacturing of hydrogen storage equipment, the utilization of idle workshops of the Sinoma Wind Power Blade Co., Ltd, the construction of national key laboratories, and the construction of pro-innovation and pro-business incubators and platforms, so as to promote integrated development of new energy industries in the district through win-win cooperation.

The Sinoma Science & Technology, affiliated to China National Building Material Group Co., Ltd, is a high-tech enterprise integrating R&D, design, product manufacturing and sales, and technology and equipment in the field of special fiber composites in China. The company's products and services are closely related to new energy, aerospace, energy conservation and emissions reduction applications.

One of its member enterprises, the Sinoma Wind Power Blade Co., Ltd set up its branch in the Zhongguancun Yanqing Science Park in 2007, and has made its due contributions to the upgrading of industries and the development of economy in Yanqing ever since.

The new cooperation agreement marks the opening of a new chapter for the cooperation between Yanqing and the Sinoma Science & Technology. And the two sides are committed to building the district as an example for high-quality development in new energy, new material and new technology sectors.

After hosting some key events of the Beijing Winter Olympics and Paralympics last year, Yanqing has seen fast industrial development. More than 10,000 enterprises were founded in the district last year alone. Meanwhile, the district has set up more than 30 platforms and incubators to foster the development of startups and promote innovations. Thanks to that, nearly 500 high-tech technologies have been attracted to and founded in Yanqing.
ProPublica, the investigative journalism news organization, recently reported that Supreme Court Justice Thomas, over multiple decades, failed to disclose extravagant gifts, notably luxury travel from Texas billionaire Harlan Crow.

According to ProPublica, Thomas and his wife, Ginni Thomas, have been treated to lavish vacations, including a 2019 vacation to Indonesia on Crows private jet and an island-hopping tour on Crows superyacht. The trip was estimated at more than $500,000 had Thomas paid for it himself.

After the ProPublica story broke, Thomas initially claimed he was unaware the financial gifts from Crow were problematic, Thomas said he was advised such gifts need not be reported. A cookout at a neighbors house doesnt need be reported; a luxury vacation twice ones annual salary probably does. Though it looks bad, Thomas likely broke no laws.

Moreover, this appears to be a loophole afforded exclusively to Supreme Court justices. In recent years, former justices Scalia, Breyer and Ginsburg have taken advantage of this Supreme Court perk. Thomas infraction may be that he injected benefits with steroids.

There was a time in Americas history when bringing such shame onto the court would have created a bipartisan campaign for removal. Those days are but a distant memory. Preserving the integrity of the court assumes something that no longer exists.

If the integrity of the court mattered there would not currently be a 6-3 conservative majority. And that majority is more important than the institution adorning the facade of integrity. Justice Amy Coney Barrett, in 2021, felt compelled to forewarn the audience prior to her prepared remarks, My goal today is to convince you that this court is not comprised of a bunch of partisan hacks.

The moment when our political culture became a competitive sport that emphasized a zero-sum game rather than we the people we have by definition been a nation of hacks. Suggesting, as some have, that Thomas resign, as did Justice Abe Fortas in 1969, for the good of the country is a nonlinear comparison incongruent with the present moment. The political climate is much different.

Given the uber-partisanship that dominates American public discourse, what does Thomas failure to disclose really mean, if anything? It should mean something, but the requisite civic maturity to place the overarching needs of the nation above any short-term partisan interest is nonexistent. Its difficult to comprehend, but Congress possesses members today who boldly state, with the confidence of the late Carl Sagan speaking about astrophysics, that America is not a democracy; its a constitutional republic, which is akin to saying thats not a car, its a Porsche.

In a political climate driven more by the ends justifying the means than adherence to well-established democratic mores, it is unlikely Thomas will face any actions of consequence for his failure to disclose luxury gifts. But now there are reports of a real estate deal also with Crow that Thomas failed to disclose.

A new report by ProPublica details a 2014 real estate deal in which Harlan Crows company paid $133,000 to Thomas and his family to buy the home where the justices mother lived. Unlike Thomasvacation oversights, the law is quite clear.

Federal judges, including Supreme Court justices, are required to disclose such gifts and transactions under the Ethics in Government Act, which establishes rules for federal officials regarding whats acceptable. As detailed by the law, transportation gifts, and most real estate sales above $1,000, need to be disclosed. My educational emphasis on the social sciences notwithstanding, I know Thomas real estate sale to Crow exceeds the federal disclosure limits by $132,000.

It would be laughable if it were not so tragic. Thomas is seemingly comfortable extending his middle finger at ethics when it suits him. There is no ethical way Thomas should hear any case involving Jan. 6, given his wifes direct involvement.

Since the Supreme Court is on an honor system when it comes to policing itself, Thomas saw no need to recuse himself in the past and it is unlikely to do so without Congress taking legislative action. In the meantime, Thomas is free to ignore ethics, disregard the dark cloud his actions levy on the court and in some cases break the law.

The man who famously called his confirmation hearings in 1991, a high-tech lynching is now the beneficiary of high-tech privilege.
As it has been explained to the people of her Mecklenburg County legislative district and millions of others following the story across the state and nation, the impetus for state Rep. Tricia Cothams recent switch from the Democratic Party to the GOP was her frustration with her longtime partys alleged commitment to ideological and policy orthodoxy.

In announcing her move, Cotham said Democrats want to villainize anyone who has free thought, free judgment, has solutions, who wants to get to work and better our state, and not just sit in a meeting and have a workshop after a workshop.

A person who worked for Cotham for years, and who resigned in the wake of her dramatic move categorically rejected that assessment, saying ego and admiration are Cothams driving forces.

Its also a tad difficult to see how embracing an almost exclusively white party long led by Donald Trump  a party that has championed banning books, purging all non-Republicans from the leadership of the UNC System, and silencing debate on several of the most important votes in the General Assembly over the last decade-plus  serves to vindicate open-minded freedom of thought and judgment, but hey, Cotham is entitled to her opinion.

Whats more, the fact remains that, whatever letter appears next to Cothams name  or that of any of the other 169 state legislators  the 2023 session of the General Assembly is rapidly headed toward some moments of truth on an array of vitally important topics.

One of the highest-profile examples: abortion rights. Polls have long shown that North Carolinians strongly support allowing trained professionals to provide their patients with the full range of reproductive health care that modern medicine makes available. And as Rep. Cotham eloquently explained a few years back in describing her own experience on the state House floor, abortion care is an area in which state lawmakers  almost all of them Republicans  have already enacted laws that endanger patient well-being.

Notwithstanding public opinion and these already problematic laws, the General Assembly will soon vote on one or more proposals to dramatically restrict, if not ban outright, abortion care. And regardless of their party affiliation, all 170 members will be asked to cast a yes or no vote.

The decision they render will directly affect the lives of thousands of pregnant people from across the Southeastern United States in the most direct and intimate way imaginable. Indeed, to say that it will be a life or death decision for several of them is not, according to medical experts, an exaggeration.

Whatever her reasoning and/or perception of reality about her recent change in partisan affiliation, nothing has really changed for Rep. Cotham. Sometime in the coming weeks, the General Assemblys gerrymandered conservative majority will pass a bill mandating new and destructive restrictions on abortion care and Gov. Roy Cooper will veto the legislation. And then soon thereafter, the acid test will take place  a vote on a motion in the state House to override the veto.

It takes 72 votes to override a veto in the House and right now, with Cotham in the fold, the GOP caucus is 72 strong. That said, as one of the most powerful Republican House members, Rep. Destin Hall, told reporters at the time of her affiliation change that Her principles and views have not changed.

If thats true  Cotham, a strong and longstanding defender of abortion rights who ran on such a platform last November  can still, as Cooper noted the other day, do the right thing.

Whether she will, of course, is the giant unanswered question of the legislative session. Cotham has thus far refused to respond to media inquiries on the subject. Last week, she told Newslines Lynn Bonner that she was too busy resting.

But if Cotham and her defenders are correct that the Republican Party is the place in North Carolina politics where diversity of viewpoints is truly valued, Cotham will stick to her long-held position and wont be the only vote in her new party to stop this legislation.

Given the strong likelihood that there are multiple Republican lawmakers  women and men  whove either obtained or supported a partner or loved one in obtaining an abortion, theres simply no way such legislation can become law without either: a) a free-thought-crushing edict from GOP leadership, b) a truly mind-blowing exercise in cruel and self-serving hypocrisy, or c) both.

Stay tuned.
A federal judge Friday credited a Lincoln man  who sold cocaine laced with fentanyl that led to an overdose  for gathering up the tainted drugs when he knew they'd made someone sick.

Franklin Rorebeck, 39, pleaded no contest to distribution of cocaine and fentanyl resulting in serious injury.

"You did certain things  afterwards to gather some of the dope," Senior U.S. District Judge John Gerrard said.

In the plea agreement, the U.S. Attorney's Office said on July 25, 2021, Rorebeck intentionally distributed a mixture of cocaine and fentanyl to someone who used some of it and distributed some to others and was seriously injured after using it.

Gerrard tied it to the tainted drugs stolen from the Nebraska State Patrol's evidence facility by a longtime evidence technician and her boyfriend. Both of whom now are set for sentencing before Gerrard.

On Friday, defense attorney Jon Braaten said Rorebeck knew he was looking at a lengthy sentence. He was involved in something that was illegal and caused issues for a lot of people, but he's gotten into treatment and is a different person today from when it all started, Braaten said.

"I think he's tried to do what needed to be done after this started. And I think he should be commended for trying to do the right thing," he said.

Rorebeck told the judge he'd never received drug treatment before and he's feeling positive about it.

"I just see a much brighter future for myself now than I did then," he said.

Gerrard said there's going to be a substantial penalty, but it's not over for Rorebeck.

"We're all lucky that nobody died in these incidents," he said of Rorebeck's part in the conspiracy. "I know you feel the same."

Gerrard said afterward Rorebeck took steps to gather up some of the dope and get it off the street when others in the conspiracy did not. And he sentenced Rorebeck to 22 years in federal prison.

He allowed Rorebeck to continue in drug treatment and turn himself in to start serving his sentence in July.

Narcan, a drug that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, can be purchased and deployed by anyone and is available for free at eight area pharmacies, a list of which is published at stopodne.com.
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.  More than half of North America's bat species are likely to diminish significantly as climate change, disease and habitat loss take their toll, scientists warn.

A new report by experts from the U.S., Canada and Mexico said 81 of the continent's 154 known bat types are at risk of severe population decline in the next 15 years.

The state of the bats report was published by the North American Bat Conservation Alliance, a consortium of government agencies and private organizations.

They need our help to survive, said Winifred Frick, chief scientist at Bat Conservation International, one of the participating groups. We face a biodiversity crisis globally and bats play a very important role in healthy ecosystems needed to protect our planet.

Bats give U.S. agriculture a $3.7 billion annual boost by gobbling crop-destroying insects, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Some are plant pollinators. Bats also serve as prey for other animals, including hawks, owls and weasels.

Millions have died since 2006 from a fungal disease called white-nose syndrome, which attacks bats when hibernating and creates fuzzy spots on their muzzles and wings. It causes them to wake early from hibernation and sometimes fly outside. They can burn up winter fat stores and eventually starve.

Eight U.S. bat species are listed as endangered, or on the brink of extinction.

The federal Fish and Wildlife Service designated the northern long-eared bat as endangered last year and has proposed listing for the tricolored bat. The little brown bat is being evaluated for potential listing. White-nose syndrome is the primary killer for each of the species.

More than 150 agencies, nonprofits and universities are collaborating in the fight against the disease, said Jeremy Coleman, a wildlife biologist who coordinates the service's participation and a co-author of the report.

Among methods under development are vaccines, anti-fungal sprays and ultraviolet light treatments for hibernation spots.

We have a number of tools that are showing great promise, Coleman said. "There are very few precedents for managing a wildlife disease, particularly one so devastating and pervasive.

The report said the bats also are imperiled by forest fragmentation  logging and urban sprawl in Canada, wildfire suppression in the U.S. and livestock ranching in Mexico. Many bats live in older trees during summer.

People sometimes disturb hibernating bats in winter by exploring caves and abandoned mines.

Climate change is expected to intensify the challenges, causing more extreme storms and temperature swings. The report said 82% of the continent's species are at risk from global warming's effects.

More than 1,500 bats were rescued in December after going into hypothermic shock during a sudden freeze in Houston, where they lost their grip and fell from roosting spots beneath bridges.

Drought and increasingly arid conditions will leave bats with less drinking water, killing some and preventing others from reproducing, the report said. As surface waters dry up, there are fewer places to fly over in search of aquatic insects.

Ironically, wind turbines  a leading source of renewable energy that can help slow climate change  pose another problem for bats. An estimated 500,000, representing 45 species, die each year in collisions with the structures, the report said.

But those figures were based on 2021 calculations, said Frick, an associate research professor in ecology at the University of California at Santa Cruz in addition to her position with Bat Conservation International. So many turbines have been constructed since then that the latest estimate is 880,000 deaths.

Her organization is collaborating with manufacturers and others in searching for solutions, including acoustic devices that would cause bats to steer clear of turbines. Reducing blade rotation speeds  particularly during fall mating season, when bats are particularly active  would help, Frick said.

Cori Lausen, director of bat conservation with Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, who did not participate in compiling the report, said it provided a solid overview of North American bats' plight. But some types it described as apparently secure based on their current status have grim prospects, she said.

The government process is a slow one, deciding when to list a species and when not to. If anything, this report is a little conservative," Lausen said. "Many of these bats should not be listed as OK.

Bats, sharks, pumas: What you need to know about 10 misunderstood animals Bats, sharks, pumas: What you need to know about 10 misunderstood animals Bats Sharks Pumas Snakes Spiders Rats Coyotes Wasps Wolves Opossums
Nebraska Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) will dedicate the states third of five America 250! Patriot markers at Antelope Park, 3761 Normal Blvd. (southeast corner of South Street and Normal Boulevard) at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 30.

These markers honor the upcoming 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and resulted from a collaboration with the United States Semiquincentennial Commission.

The marker reads:

Revolutionary War Patriots

This marker commemorates the men and women who achieved American independence.

These Patriots, believing in the noble cause of liberty, fought valiantly to found a new nation.

1775-1783

Presented by Nebraska Society

Daughters of the American Revolution

in honor of the 250th anniversary of the United States.

We currently live in a divided country, and it is our hope that we can come together as a nation in the 250th anniversary of our countrys founding, said Nebraska State Regent Marcia K. Shavlik. Our Revolutionary War patriots lived, fought and sacrificed for us. We will always remember.

Each state was challenged by former DAR President General Denise Doring Van Buren to raise the funds for and place at least one marker. DARs aim is to inspire appreciation among current and future generations of Americans for the men and women whose courage and sacrifices won Americas independence.

DAR is a nonprofit, nonpolitical womens service organization with more than 185,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide. To learn more about the work of todays DAR, visit www.dar.org.
History Nebraska will honor Lincoln researcher, writer and public speaker Gail Blankenau with the annual James L. Sellers Award during a legislative event Wednesday, April 26, at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln.

The Sellers award was created in 1967 and is given each year for the best article published in a volume of Nebraska History Magazine. The author receives the award and $1,000 from the Nebraska State Historical Society Foundation through the support of Catherine Sellers Angle.

This years award was judged and selected by Nebraska Wesleyan University History Department faculty. They wrote, Blankenau's article challenged the common assumption that slavery was not a part of Nebraska history through a detailed case-study that showed how the national debate over slavery played out in the territory. She traced Celia and Eliza Graysons escape with a wide variety of relevant primary sources, while also demonstrating the way in which their story informed debates about the existence of slavery in the territorial legislature."

To learn more about History Nebraska, visit https://history.nebraska.gov and follow it on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
BURLINGTON  A ruling from the Wisconsin Supreme Court is leaving unanswered questions about whether dark store property tax breaks for big-box retail stores are truly a thing of the past.

The court ruled against the retailers Feb. 16 in a long-awaited decision that said businesses cannot lower their property tax bills by paying the same amount for active stores as they do vacant stores.

The issue has long pitted big-box operators like Home Depot and Target against local governments who contend that stores are getting unfair tax breaks at the expense of homeowners and other taxpayers.

While the Supreme Court was preparing its ruling, the City of Burlington postponed a court battle with Walmart attorneys who are trying to slash a stores assessed value by more than $4 million.

But with the Burlington case now heading back to court May 19, observers are offering conflicting opinions about whether the Supreme Court finding has resolved the dark store issue as absolutely as court decisions sometimes do.

The League of Wisconsin Municipalities, which opposes the tax breaks for businesses, says the court ruling is decisive.

Curt Witynski, a consultant to the statewide association of cities, said no retail store owner should expect any judge to contradict the Supreme Courts finding that dark stores cannot be used to determine the value of stores that are open for business and generating income.

That argument just goes nowhere now, Witynski said. That is just completely gone.

Business groups, however, assert that the court ruling in a case that involved a Lowes Home Improvement store is not an unqualified victory for cities and other tax collectors.

Tom Larson, executive vice president of the Wisconsin Realtors Association, said that while the Supreme Court brought a little bit more clarity to the issue, it did not create a universal framework for assessing big-box retail stores in the future.

If Lowes and other stores cannot be compared with vacant properties, Larson said, retailers will look for other ways to avoid paying needlessly high taxes.

I dont think it resolved the issue, he said.

Referring to store owners, he added, Theyre still trying to figure out how to value these properties.

The powerful lobbying group Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce joined the Supreme Court case by filing a brief urging a decision in favor of dark store taxation.

In the brief, group attorney Scott Rosenow wrote that the courts ruling would be far-reaching.

Rosenow now says the ruling does not close the door on dark store taxation methods. The court left open an avenue for businesses, he said in a written statement.

Although Lowes lost this case under its specific facts, he wrote, the Supreme Courts discussion of the law should help ensure that local governments dont inflate a propertys assessed value in order to excessively tax it.

The dark store issue emerged after a different court ruling in 2008 allowed for setting a retail stores taxable value based on similar properties that were vacant.

Walmart, Target, Menards and other large retailers began arguing statewide for lower values on their stores, in many instances leading to court fights with cities.

In the Burlington case, Walmart sued the city and asked a judge to lower the taxable value of its store at 1901 Milwaukee Ave. $8.6 million to $4.5 million.

That would reduce the companys tax bill in Burlington from $160,000 to about $80,000 a year, leaving the city with a revenue shortfall that would necessitate higher taxes for other property owners.

A status hearing in the Burlington dispute is scheduled for 11 a.m. May 19 in Racine County Circuit Court.

Local government officials contend that active stores are inherently more valuable and, therefore, should have a higher value for tax purposes.

Businesses say the value of the land and building has nothing to do with whether a store is open for business.

After trying for years to lobby state lawmakers to close the loophole, municipal leaders in Wisconsin decided to leave the matter to the courts.

The Lowes case originated in Walworth County after the City of Delavan assigned an $8.9 million value to the Lowes home improvement store at 2015 E. Geneva St.

Based on dark store comparisons, the company insisted that the property value was just $3.6 million.

After losing at both the circuit court and appeals court level, Lowes appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

In their ruling, the justices said dark stores are generally less valuable than active stores, and therefore retailers cannot expect appraisers to value both kinds of properties the same way.

A site that can sustain a business is more valuable than one that cannot, the ruling states.

Business groups, however, emphasize that the court also stated that dark stores typically are those that have been vacant for a long time, suggesting that perhaps recently vacated stores could be used in determining the value of active stores.

Witynski said that sort of argument is different from the dark store method, and it raises the possibility of new disputes over big-box taxes.

That was their bread-and-butter argument, he said. Theyll have to come up with a different argument now.
SOMERS  Jonathan Shailor thought of his parents when he heard the news.

Last month, Shailor received a teaching award and felt grateful to his mother and father. They are both deceased, but Shailor envisioned how wonderful it would be to inform his parents of the recognition.

Growing up in Massachusetts, Shailor said his mother was an artist and performer, and his father was service-oriented and involved in community organizations.

As a communication professor at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside for the past 28 years, Shailors work has combined creativity and service.

Shailor was one of three recipients of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents 31st annual Teaching Excellence Awards, which are the UW Systems highest recognition for faculty members.

These UW educators and programs are inspiring students to develop invaluable life skills, Regent Cris Peterson, chair of the selection committee, said in a news release. With this award, we recognize the innovative, collaborative approaches to teaching that are equipping students to reach their full potential.

Each recipient is awarded $7,500 to spend on work-related items.

Shailor plans to purchase books and is considering hiring a film crew to make a documentary about the Shakespeare Prison Project that he leads.

Shailor started the Shakespeare Prison Project in 2004 as a way to bring artistic instruction and performance to people incarcerated at the Racine Correctional Institution, an all-male medium-security prison in Sturtevant.

Men at RCI have performed many of Shakespeares plays over the past two decades, and a performance of Macbeth is scheduled for May 12.

Shailor, who directs the plays, and 11 men incarcerated at the correctional institution meet for two hours twice per week to rehearse, and they are now working on the finishing touches of Macbeth.

Were at that critical point where its all coming together, Shailor said. Were very excited, a little stressed, but  I think its going to be a good one.

Shailor started teaching at the correctional institution in the mid-1990s and knew he wanted to teach there as long as he could after his first semester.

The need is so strong in there for education, and the men were so engaged and so wonderful as students, just extremely bright, highly engaged and challenging me every step of the way, Shailor said. It was very enlivening and inspiring, and I knew that this is an important service. We need education behind bars.

Early on, Shailor was deeply moved by a man at the prison who shared a dream where he helped people heal.

It made it clear that he was recognizing his own worth and his own value, and it was filled with hope and the idea of going home again and being able to contribute something to the community, Shailor said. It may or may not have been connected to the Shakespeare project, but the fact that he had that dream while we were working together and that he wanted to share it with me just connected with what we were doing  He was contributing something there, and we were performing for public audiences who recognized and appreciated his efforts. It also seemed woven together  The men who are participating are finding value in themselves and finding value in what they can give to others.

He initially instructed men at the Racine Correctional Institution on conflict resolution, since he started the Conflict Analysis and Resolution Certificate in 1996 at Parkside.

Shailor still leads that program, and over the past 27 years, he and college students have worked on conflict resolution skills at area schools, the Homeless Assistance Leadership Organization and the Racine Youthful Offender Correctional Facility.

Shailor believes conflict resolution is important because everyone navigates it on a daily basis.

Its just an ongoing challenge that we really cant afford to turn away from, Shailor said. It affects the quality of our lives. It affects our mental health. It affects the functioning of our institutions and global security, so all the way up the ladder, its an essential matter that we really do need to deal with. And the surprising thing, I think, is that we can deal with it with a kind of creativity and even joy, knowing that we can be a positive influence, that we can make a difference.

IN PHOTOS AND VIDEO: UW-Parkside joins state partnership to help inmates succeed UWP - WORKFORCE INNOVATION GRANT UWP - WORKFORCE INNOVATION GRANT UWP - WORKFORCE INNOVATION GRANT UWP - WORKFORCE INNOVATION GRANT UWP - WORKFORCE INNOVATION GRANT UWP - WORKFORCE INNOVATION GRANT UWP - WORKFORCE INNOVATION GRANT DOC Secretary Kevin Carr at UW-Parkside UW-Parkside joins state partnership to help inmates succeed

That eventually led to Shailor directing Shakespeare plays at RCI.

Over his years of instruction at the correctional facility, Shailor has learned that one cannot understand prison unless one has been incarcerated.

You dont know what prison is unless youve been inside, Shailor said. I still dont know what prison is, because although Ive been inside, I havent been inside in the same way that the men I work with are inside, but I can see how stressful the environment is.

He said the constant surveillance makes life difficult, but people find small ways to care for one another.

Security concerns pervade everything that happens in a prison, so what we might consider normal ways of relating and just being human  its not easy to just be sociable, for example, or to be helpful, Shailor said. Whats beautiful about the people that I meet in prison, and this includes both prisoners and officers and staff, is that people find ways to be kind to each other even with terrible restrictions.

Shailor believes that for prison conditions to improve, everyone must make an effort.

Were all part of the system, and weve all created it together, Shailor said. If we want it to be better, then we need to do something about it.

Shailor has also learned that in order to get the best performances from the men at RCI, he must be his fullest, truest self.

The more that I give and the more that I am my best self, the more fulfilling the work is, and the more I receive back from my students, Shailor said.

Building on the work of Curt Tofteland, who developed Shakespeare Behind Bars, Shailor asks all of his students five questions: Who are you? What are your gifts? Who do you love? What will be your legacy? Knowing that one day you will die and your time is limited, whats the most important thing for you to do now?

Through his work, Shailor has shown who he is and used his gifts to be part of his parents legacy.
1. Yes. Of course. Local governmental entities have the most direct impact on our lives.

2. Yes. Its always important to weigh in on local issues; otherwise we cant complain.

3. No. Im not that familiar with the issues or the candidates this year. Ill sit it out.

4. No. My vote doesnt seem to matter much, so Im not going to make the effort.

5. Unsure. I havent decided whether to take part this time around.

Vote

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The tourism industry in China is experiencing a robust recovery as the 2023 May Day holiday approaches, with younger travelers driving the surge in demand. Bookings for hotels, flights, and tickets to scenic areas have all exceeded 2019 levels, according to a report released Thursday by Trip.com Group, China's leading online travel agency.

Following the 2023 Spring Festival and the resumption of outbound group tours, this year's five-day May Day holiday marks a significant rebound in travel demand. Data from Trip.com Group reveals that domestic hotel searches during the holiday have reached nine times the level seen in 2022 and grown nearly 200% compared to 2019. Meanwhile, domestic flight searches have risen by more than 290% compared to the same period in 2022, recovering to 110% of the pre-pandemic level.

A notable trend in this year's May Day holiday is the shift in the demographics of travelers. According to the report, tourists are generally younger than those during the 2019 May Day holiday. Travelers born in the 2000s now make up 35% of bookings, surpassing the post-90s generation (30%) as the primary force in holiday tourism for the first time. The post-80s generation accounts for 26% of bookings.

Outbound travel is also bouncing back, with flight searches for international destinations up 20% compared to 2019, and hotel searches recovering to about 70% of the 2019 level. Popular travel destinations include Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, and Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, with an increase of over 50% in travelers to Southeast Asia and over 100% growth for other Asian destinations and the Middle East.

The majority of outbound travelers hail from first-tier cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, along with some provincial capitals. Shanghai is leading the way, contributing to 30% of outbound orders. Suzhou and Wuxi have also emerged as cities with the highest numbers of outbound travelers.
SHELTON  In 1980, as Leonard Knight was driving across I-80 to California from his home in Burlington, Vermont, his camper broke down at a gas station off the Gibbon exit of I-80.

He intended to stay about three hours, long enough to get the vans starter repaired, but he ended up staying for three years. People in Shelton helped him realize his dream of sewing a multi-colored hot air balloon to spread his message of faith.

Knight eventually went on to California and built Salvation Mountain, but until now, the story of his years in Nebraska has never been told.

At 8 p.m. Thursday, Knights fascinating story will be aired on Nebraska Public Medias Nebraska Stories thanks to the tireless pursuit of Kelly Rush, an Axtell native who is the senior promotion producer there.

When I started to research Leonard Knight in 2015, Id never heard of him, she said. Something resonated with me to tell this story. Its so unique. Hes an unconventional man, an unconventional thinker.

Broken-down car

In 1980, when Knight stopped at a Shelton gas station, its owners, Marie and Max Gee, directed him to Coppy Jones towing and repair shop in Gibbon. Knight took his moped out of his van and rode it down the road by the Platte River to Jones place.

Jones passed away 21 years ago, but his son, Hal, now 50, still lives in Gibbon and remembers Knight well. He met Knight when he was 10 or 11 years old. When the van broke down, he didnt have any money, so he went to my dad. My dad would trade for work if people didnt have money, Hal said.

That van was a conglomeration of a van and the front end of a car, and the top was cut out of it so it had a raised top, like a camper. He didnt have the money to buy a camper or a van," he said.

Hals dad was nicknamed Coppy because when he was four, his bare foot stepped on a Texas sand burr. He developed an infection, then gangrene and finally the leg had to come off. Nurses at what was then Good Samaritan Hospital gave him a policemans hat (a cops hat). Soon, he was known as Coppy.

Coppy fixed the car, but Knight had no money to go on, so he stayed in Shelton, lived in his camper and did odd jobs. One day, he told Coppy that he wanted to build a hot air balloon to spread the message that God is Love.

A blessed balloon

Knight stuttered. He was a loner. Hed dropped out of school in the 10th grade, served briefly with the U.S. Army in Korea and had a spiritual reawakening as a young adult. After that, he devoted his life to spreading the word of God.

Some of local people took a liking to him, but we were all trying to figure him out, Hal said. "He was very passionate about this balloon. I asked him, What are you? He said, Im an evangelist.

Hal noted that 40 years ago, many evangelists were just freeloaders, but Knight and Coppy became friends, and Knight helped Coppy around the shop.

Some people called him Crazy Lenny, but he was a super nice guy. He wasnt easy on the eyes; he was real tall and gangly, with cheeks sunken in. He probably weighed 150 pounds soaking wet, but once you got past all that and got to know him, he was a prince of a guy, Hal said.

Hot air

Knight lived in his van and cut wood for Coppys shop, but he kept talking about his balloon, so a year or two after he arrived, Coppy gave Knight money for the balloon as payment for painting his daughters 1969 Mustang when she turned 16. Knight painted it an emerald green. Hal still has that car.

Over the next six to eight months, Knight made the balloon in one of Coppys outbuildings. Coppy got him fabric scraps from a hot air balloon company in South Dakota.

He worked tirelessly on it. He used one of my moms old sewing machines. When he wore it out, hed go to Goodwill to get another one, Hal said. His whole purpose was that balloon.

The balloon was not built to fly. Instead, Knight wanted to inflate it to create a huge message about God's love for the world to see, Hal said. He wanted it for publicity. He wanted to get that thing off the ground so people could see it for miles around.

It got off the ground a couple times. It didnt have a basket. It just had a big fan that blew up the balloon. It was as wide as a semi, maybe 100 feet long and 20 feet wide, shaped like a ball at the top and tapered down, he said.

One day, Knight inflated it behind Coppys shop by the Platte River, and a gust of wind took it 10 or 12 feet off the ground. He grinned from ear to ear, Hal said. He accomplished his dream.

Not long after that, he took the balloon to a Bible study in Gibbon, but it caught fire. It wasnt ruined, but it was tattered. In 1984, Knight left Gibbon for California. Finally, the balloon gave out.

In California, a few miles from the Salton Sea, he built Salvation Mountain, a three-story-high mountain, near the Slab City squatter/art commune. It burned down, but he built it again.

The Jones family lost touch with Knight, although at some point Coppy and a friend, Dale Herter, then owner of True Value Lumber Yard in Gibbon, visited him in California. By then I was grown and out of the house, and I didnt get many details, Hal said. Knight died in El Cajon, California, in 2014.

Salvation Mountain still stands. It's made of adobe bricks, discarded tires and windows, automobile parts and thousands of gallons of paint. It is painted with Christian sayings and Bible verses. While Knight was still alive, the Folk Art Society of America declared it "a folk art site worthy of preservation and protection.

Looking back this week, Hal said, Leonard was an evangelist. He built that balloon because he loved God, wanted the world to know about the love of Jesus and how to come to the Lord.

He added, In a way, Leonard was a prophet. Now, as a believer, I can see he truly was a man of God. His whole story boils down to that.

Do you remember Leonard Knight? Bob Levesque, president of Salvation Mountain Inc., is asking the public to send pictures related to Knight and his balloon in Shelton or Gibbon. The nonprofit is working to fill in the blanks regarding Knights years in Nebraska. Material can be sent to maryjane.skala@kearneyhub.com or directly to Levesque at 352-286-1980, his cell phone. For more information, visit www.salvation,mountain.org.
The Nebraska Public Power District is returning water to the Kearney Canal.

The canal, which runs along the western and southern sides of Kearney, is emptied every year before winter so crews can conduct maintenance activities, NPPD said. Water is typically returned to the canal in mid-April as the average temperatures begin to warm up.

The canal is currently empty outside of some standing ground water, NPPD Water Systems Maintenance Technician Mike Koubek said in a release. There are many people that live or do activities along or downstream of the canal system, and we want to make sure they are aware water will soon start flowing through the system again.

NPPD planned to start releasing water into the canal system beginning Wednesday, and water will fill the canal over the course of several days, Koubek said. NPPD then plans to dewater the canal again in September, so water systems crews can conduct necessary maintenance on the system.

The Kearney Canal is used for irrigation and feeds into the Kearney Hydro, a 1-megawatt hydro generation facility located near 15th Avenue and University Drive.
KEARNEY  Juan Carlos Guzman graduated from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2002, when Hispanic students represented just 2% of the schools total enrollment.

Now, that number is 12% and rising.

This is a demographic that continues to grow, especially in our region, while many are declining, said Guzman. He notes that the states Hispanic/Latino population is expected to surpass 500,000 people by 2050, making up almost a quarter of all Nebraskans.

As the director of diversity outreach and partnerships, Guzman is leading UNKs efforts to recruit and support students from diverse backgrounds. He sees UNK as a champion for Latino students and their families.

If we give Latinos an opportunity to further their education, graduate and go back to their communities and work as young professionals, its a benefit for our entire state, Guzman said. As a public university, we have a responsibility to help those communities grow, and the only way for those communities to prosper is to educate the people who live there.

Working with undergraduate admissions and other partners across campus, Guzman is focused on increasing college attendance and preparedness among Hispanic youths through a variety of programming and events.

As a first-generation college graduate, I can truly relate to many of the challenges and struggles these students experience because I experienced them, too, he said. I know how difficult it can be to navigate the university system, especially if English isnt your first language, and I understand the financial burdens many families face. As a student, these were big obstacles for me.

Hes dedicated his career to breaking those barriers.

Achieving his dream

Born in Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico, Guzman came to the United States at age 14 and graduated from Grand Island Senior High School as one of just four English-as-a-second-language students in his class. Since he wasnt a U.S. citizen, he didnt qualify for federal financial aid, so he worked at a meatpacking plant to earn money for college.

I went through the entire immigration process while I was going to college, he said.

After completing an associate degree in general studies at Central Community College, Guzman was hired as a migrant coordinator and paraeducator at Grand Island Public Schools, but he had bigger aspirations. He wanted to be a teacher, which required a four-year degree.

Thanks to a scholarship from the UNK Office of Multicultural Affairs, Guzman was able to finish his bachelors degree in Spanish education with an ESL endorsement.

Instead of teaching, he remained at UNK as assistant director for Enhancing Access to Higher Education, a federal grant-funded project that supported Native American and Hispanic students in seven communities across the state. Administered by the UNK College of Education, the program gave these students access to translation technology, summer science camps and other tools and services to enhance their education.

There were more and more Latino families coming into these communities, and they didnt have the support they needed, Guzman said. It was a really good program, and it gave me a better picture of what these populations and these communities needed.

At the same time, Guzman was taking steps to make the UNK campus more supportive and welcoming for Hispanic students. He was a founding member of the Hispanic Student Association and Sigma Lambda Beta multicultural fraternity, and he helped start the Nebraska Cultural Unity Conference, which promotes leadership, higher education and professional development through a variety of workshops and activities. More than 400 high school and community college students attended the 20th annual Cultural Unity Conference earlier this month.

As students, we were eager to make changes, not necessarily for us, but positive changes that would allow other students like ourselves to not have to go through the same challenges we went through, said Guzman, who earned masters degrees in school counseling and student affairs in 2005 and Spanish education in 2017.

Following his work with the grant program, he became assistant director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, now known as the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion. He was named director of that office two years later and served in that role until April 2022, when he transitioned to director of diversity outreach and partnerships.

UNK provided me with the opportunity to get an education and serve as a role model for my family and my community, Guzman said. As a professional working in higher education, I want to help others like me achieve their dreams of earning a college degree. Its a blessing to know that Im part of their educational journeys.

Supporting students

With guidance from Guzman and many others, UNK has become a home away from home for Hispanic students.

Campus tours and freshman orientation are both offered entirely in Spanish, and students can choose from a number of multicultural organizations, including the Hispanic Student Association, Global Student Association, First Gen Lopers, Sigma Lambda Beta fraternity and Lambda Theta Nu and Sigma Lambda Gamma sororities. Numerous scholarships are available for students from diverse backgrounds, as well.

UNK has been a good place for Latino students, and our success rates with this population prove it, Guzman said. Families want their students to get an education, but they dont want them to go too far from home, so our location has been a plus.

We also offer the smaller campus and class sizes many students from rural communities are looking for, along with one-on-one support. Were providing the best practices for these students, and its not just the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion. Its Thompson Scholars. Its the TRIO program. Its Kearney Bound. All of these programs are working together to support the Hispanic population.

Oftentimes, that assistance starts long before a student enrolls in classes.

In addition to the Nebraska Cultural Unity Conference, UNK hosts several other events that expose diverse students to higher education and professional opportunities.

Nearly 150 high schoolers attended Multicultural Senior Day in October, more than 200 middle schoolers were at the Beta Men Youth Empowerment Conference in November and another 150 middle school students visited campus for Lambda Theta Nus annual Latina Youth Leadership Conference in March.

Last fall, Women Investing in Nebraska awarded UNK a $92,550 grant to expand and improve these initiatives. One of the first additions was College 101, a series of interactive workshops that allow Spanish-speaking families to learn more about the university system, career paths, financial aid and college prep. Twenty families attended the inaugural workshop in Lexington last month.

Guzman hopes to create campus events focusing specifically on health care, STEM, teaching and other high-demand areas, and hes collaborating with community colleges in Nebraska and surrounding states to strengthen their partnerships with UNK and make it easier for students to transfer between the institutions. Hes also working with area businesses to create scholarships for employees and their dependents.

In the years ahead, UNK wants to reach a point when Hispanic students represent at least 25% of the total full-time undergraduate enrollment, allowing the university to receive the federal Hispanic-serving institution designation. UNK is already a member of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and the federal designation provides access to more funding and resources to expand educational opportunities for Hispanic students and other underrepresented populations.
On Thursday, April 20, the Westby Area Historical Society received an amazing gift when Kathy Erlandson donated a troll woodcarving to the Thoreson Museum. In 2004, Kathys husband, the late Dr. Martin Erlandson, had commissioned Tilford Tip Bagstad to make the troll after he saw one at Drugans Restaurant in Holmen that Tip had done. WAHS is extremely grateful that Kathy considered WAHS to be a good, final, and permanent home for the troll.

Tip began woodcarving in 1990 after taking a class at Norskedalen in the Norwegian folk art of acanthus carving. Over the next 14 years, he did many acanthus carvings but only two large figures, the one at Drugans and the very big Viking currently located next to the stabbur visitor center in Westby. Tip imagined he might do another large carving at some future date so one day, when he saw a fallen white pine tree on the Lunde farm, just up the road from his farm in Timber Coulee, he dragged it home.

In 2004, that future date came when Marty called to ask Tip to carve another large troll similar to the one at the restaurant. Tip thought about that pine log with many branches that he had stored in the shed. He imagined the knot in the tree trunk as a belly button. One of the branches could be a thumb and another could be a long toe. Tip said that he had to imagine the troll before cutting the log to be sure he carved correctly. He could see the troll and hold that image in his mind as a pattern while he was working.

Trolls have a rich history in the folklore of Norway and Tip shared that he enjoyed working on this particular carving. Being the grandson of Norwegian immigrants, Tip is very proud of his heritage. Garland McGarvey, vice president of WAHS, was on hand to accept the donation from Kathy, and they listened as Tip explained how the troll carving was detailed. The eyelashes and ear hair are actually turkey beard fibers and the teeth are made of pieces of a deer antler that Tip cut and hammered to make smaller and irregular.

The top of the trolls foot could be a perfect seat for youngsters to have a great photo opportunity but that creates a problem for WAHS because first, the troll would need an introduction. So far, he doesnt have a name and thats where you can help. WAHS is holding a contest to name the troll! Donor Kathy and Carver Tip are going to pick the winning name and a prize will be awarded during the 2023 Syttende Mai weekend, depending on the availability of the winner. You can go to the Westby Area Historical Society Facebook page, find the 4/21/23 post, and make a comment, telling us the name that you think we should consider. If multiple people offer the same name, the first person to make a particular suggestion will be entered in the contest so try to be original and think of something different from what anyone else has already entered. You can also send entries to westbywihistory@gmail.com. Anyone can enter and you can enter multiple names. Good luck and we hope to have lots of names to choose from!

WAHS cannot thank Tip enough for using his talent to create this beautiful tribute to Norwegian heritage and Kathy for her generosity to WAHS with this amazing gift. When the museum is not open, you can look through the front door to see this incredible carving.
China's foreign exchange market got off to a good start in the first quarter of 2023, with a stable exchange rate of the renminbi, steady market expectations, and balanced supply and demand, an official said Friday.

The yuan's exchange rate has seen two-way fluctuations within a reasonable range and a slight appreciation since the beginning of the year, Wang Chunying, deputy head of the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, told a press conference.

Since mid-March, China's major economic indicators have shown an upward trend, and the tightened monetary policies of developed economies have been softened, which rendered the yuan stable and strong against a basket of currencies, Wang said.

As of Thursday, the Chinese yuan had strengthened by 1 percent against the U.S. dollar since the end of 2022, she added.

Indicators in the forex market also showed that expectations from market entities were steady with more rational trading, Wang said.

Chinese banks saw a net forex settlement deficit of 15.3 billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter, data from the administration showed.

Wang noted that the deficit is mild and in accordance with the appreciation of the RMB, adding that the balance between supply and demand in the forex market has been further consolidated.

Concluding that China's forex market has solid foundations to maintain steady operations with the support of sound long-term economic fundamentals, Wang said the bright prospect of the country's growth is also an appeal for foreign capital.

China's current account saw steady capital flows in the first quarter, Wang said, adding that trade in goods posted a relatively high inflow, and trade in services saw an increasing outflow as expenditure in cross-border tourism gradually recovered.

The improvement in the quality and efficiency of trade in goods and services has contributed to keeping the current account surplus within a reasonable range, ensuring the smooth functioning of the forex market, Wang said.

Foreign direct investment into the Chinese mainland in actual use expanded 4.9 percent year on year to 408.45 billion yuan (about 59 billion U.S. dollars) in the January-March period, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

China has a complete infrastructure, stable system of industrial and supply chains, world-leading manufacturing capacity, high-quality labor force and vast consumption potential, providing a good foundation for the development of multinationals, while new growth points such as scientific innovation and wider opening-up in the service sector continue to emerge, Wang said.

As China's economic recovery gains momentum and market expectations rise, foreign investors are increasingly viewing yuan-denominated assets as more investment-worthy. In January, net overseas capital inflow into shares traded on the Shenzhen and Shanghai bourses hit a single-month record of 131.146 billion yuan, more than the whole of 2022.

RMB assets remain highly attractive as they have stable investment returns and help diversify investment portfolios, Wang said. As per her predictions, overseas investors will increase their holdings in China's securities market steadily in the future.

Wang said the country will stick to high-level opening-up by optimizing the business environment, reducing restrictions on foreign investment access and improving services offered to foreign-invested enterprises. She added that the administration will facilitate cross-border investment and financing.

There is still large room for foreign capital inflow with the economic recovery and the promotion of financial opening-up, Wang said.
A 48-year-old La Crosse woman is being held in the La Crosse County Jail on a $5,000 cash bond after she allegedly stabbed a man April 18.

Darnaye R. King was charged in La Crosse County Circuit Court with felony counts of first-degree recklessly endangering safety, substantial battery/intent to cause bodily harm and bail jumping and a misdemeanor count of disorderly conduct.

According to the criminal complaint, police were called to 1225 Avon St. in La Crosse, where a man had sustained a stab wound in the left triceps. The complaint says the man was gushing blood, and a large amount of blood was visible on the ground and the exterior wall of the apartment building.

An officer observed that the man, who briefly lost consciousness, was having trouble breathing. The officer applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding before emergency personnel arrived. The man identified King as his assailant.

The alleged victim was transported to a local hospital, where he was heard yelling. He reportedly told staff he wanted to kill his assailant and asked, Should I have stabbed her back?

Police interviewed the man at the hospital. He said he and King had met two weeks earlier and were kind of dating. He said King began screaming at him and slapped him 20 times before he responded by slapping her. He said King then stabbed him.

The man needed three stitches to close his wound. He also suffered cuts and abrasions to his forearm and hand.

King was standing in the alley as the man was being treated. She was arrested without incident. She told police the altercation started after the man wouldnt relinquish her coat as she attempted to leave the apartment. She said he hit her three times and busted her lip. She said he then grabbed her and threw her to the ground and that she used the knife to protect herself.

The complaint says King suffered a small cut to her right thumb, swelling of her bottom lip and forehead and scratches to her neck.

Assistant La Crosse County District Attorney Julie Nelson asked for a $10,000 cash bond during an April 20 initial appearance.

It was very fortunate that the victim was discovered  because he could have bled out, Nelson said.

Defense attorney Ransome Springer asked for a signature bond. He said King has no money for bail and that there is a significant dispute as to what happened.

Judge Scott Horne ordered the $5,000 bail with conditions of no contact with the victim and no weapons.
The new Mayo Clinic Health System hospital tower in La Crosse is being constructed with sustainability in mind, with a projected energy use intensity significantly below the health care industry standard.

The Mayo enterprise last year joined the Better Climate Challenge, facilitated by the U.S. Department of Energy. The six-floor, 70 bed La Crosse hospital, scheduled to be completed in 2024, will use about 130 units of energy per square foot, compared to 200 to 235 for the average facility. Gundersen Health System was also designed to be eco-friendly, having reached energy independence in 2014.

To achieve the lower carbon footprint, Mayos new hospital will be outfitted with an exterior envelope with full insulation, a vapor barrier in the walls and windows, and a tan colored, reflective roof. These features help keep the facility cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

The hospitals lighting will be LED with cloud-based controls to tailor lighting to specific rooms and reduce electricity use by 20% to 40%. Chilled beams in the ceilings limit the number of required materials. In addition, a portion of floor and wall coverings are made from recycled materials.

Mayo Clinic is committed to reducing certain greenhouse gas emissions by 50% and overall energy use by 20% within 10 years, said regional chair of facilities for Mayo Clinic Health System in Southwest Wisconsin Karen Finneman Killinger. New construction projects, like the hospital in La Crosse, provide the perfect opportunity to incorporate more sustainable building solutions.

The hospital will be the first in the Mayo system to use geothermal energy, lowering greenhouse gas emissions by 42%, said Finneman Killinger.

Geothermal heating and cooling uses groundwater to transfer energy for heating and cooling the facility, Finneman Killinger explained. Five or six 12-inch diameter and 162-foot deep wells will support the needs of the new hospital.

The hospital is anticipated to open late next year.
A record number of establishments are set to participate in this year's Restaurant Week.

About 30 restaurants are scheduled to participate in Visit Lake Geneva's Restaurant Week, which scheduled to be held April 22 through April 30 at various restaurants and taverns in Walworth County.

Deanna Goodwin, vice president of marketing, communication and development for Visit Lake Geneva, said during the Lake Geneva Tourism Commission meeting, April 10, that she is excited about the number of restaurants that are participating in Restaurant Week this year.

The participating restaurants are listed on Visit Lake Geneva's website, www.visitlakegeneva.com.

"That is the most we've had so far," Goodwin said. "So we're excited about that being over the 30 mark."

During Restaurant Week, participating restaurants offer special menu items to customers. The menu items are set to be listed on Visit Lake Geneva's website.

"The restaurants' menus are starting to come in, as well," Goodwin said. "So you can take a look at those special deals and make your plans for Restaurant Week."

Restaurant Week also includes the Charity Check program, in which customers of the participating restaurants may vote on which local nonprofit organization they feel should receive a monetary award.

The nonprofit organization that obtains the most votes receives $5,000, and the five runners-up receive $1,000 each.

About 14 local nonprofit organizations are participating in this year's Charity Check program. The participating organizations are listed on Visit Lake Geneva's website.

Representatives from Tito's Handmade Vodka are the Charity Check sponsors for the event.

"So it's a great way to support local charities," Goodwin said. "So we're glad to have Tito's back."
Visitors to Lake Geneva may be able to reserve a parking spot ahead of time this summer.

Members of the Lake Geneva City Council unanimously approved, April 10, to designate parking "Lot I," located across the street from Geneva Lakes Family YMCA on South Wells Street, as a reserved daily lot for June, July and August.

The city council's finance, licensing and regulation unanimously recommended the designation, April 5. Designating the lot for daily reserved parking was proposed by the Parking Ad Hoc Committee, March 29.

As part of the program, half of the lot will be available for people to reserve a parking stall for 10 hours during a day. About 35 stalls will be available for rent. The other half of the lot is reserved for residents with parking passes.

The cost will be based on the parking rate for that day.

Lake Geneva's parking rate is $2 an hour Monday through Thursday, so the cost to reserve a stall would be $20 during those days. The city's parking rate is $4 an hour on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, so the cost to reserve a stall during those days would be $40.

"You would have to buy it for all day, whether it's a weekday for $20 or a weekend day at $40," Parking Operations Manager Seth Elder said during the finance, licensing and regulation committee meeting.

People can reserve a parking stall by downloading the ParkMobile app on their phone.

"We have functionality with our ParkMobile app to sell reserved stalls," Elder said. "It would be like a presale, like, 'I'm on my way to Lake Geneva for the weekend. Oh, I can buy parking ahead of time rather search for parking when I get to town.'"

Alderwoman Mary Jo Fesenmaier said, during the city council meeting, that once people reserve a stall they will not have to worry about finding parking in Lake Geneva for that day.

"The other advantage is they have it for the whole day," Fesenmaier said. "They can come and go at will because they have that spot reserved."

Mayor Charlene Klein said the Parking Ad Hoc Committee proposed the program to help make more parking available in the Downtown area during the summer.

"They were looking at trying to alleviate a little bit of the overcrowding of parking on Main Street and Wrigley Drive," Klein said. "Admittedly, it's only 35 or 36 spaces, but it's potentially 35 or 36 cars that will park there and pay the daily rate and still be utilizing the stores and restaurants."

Klein questioned why the entire lot is not being used for reserved parking.

"I'm not sure I see the rationale of using half of it," Klein said.

Fesemaier said the reserved parking is being offered as a trail program during the summer, and utilizing only half of the lot would better determine if the program is being used.

"You would have a better idea if it's working out if you did half of the lot," Fesenmaier said.

Elder said parking "Lot I" is a good location for a reserved parking program, because it is not used very often. He said the parking lot only generates about $10,000 a year in parking revenue for the city.

"That sort of initiative is almost impossible to manage with on-street parking but it's very easy to manage in a lot like 'Lot I,'" Elder said. "We're just trying to add some functionality and add some convenience for visitors and also market an under used asset which is 'Lot I.'"

The reserved parking program is set to be promoted through the ParkMobile app and Lake Geneva's website and social media sites and by Visit Lake Geneva.

Signs will be posted near "Lot I" to inform people that it is for reserved parking.

Elder said he hopes the program is well used during the summer.

"When you pull up the app it would ask you if you want to pre-buy. For the app users, it would be right in front of their face that they could pre-buy a parking reservation," Elder said. "I think it could work. I'm not saying for sure it's going to work. We could give it a shot for June, July and August and see if it works."

Parking "Lot B" rental rate increased

Members of the Lake Geneva City Council also unanimously approved, April 10, to increase the rental rate for parking "Lot B," located on Center Street near Flat Iron Park, from $750 a day to $1,300 a day.

The city council's finance, licensing and regulation committee recommended the rate increase, April 5, by a 3-2 vote with aldermen Ken Howell and Fesenmaier voting "no."

Elder said the rate increase is to reflect the city's $4 an hour weekend parking rate. Parking "Lot B" is often rented by people who conduct an event at the Riviera or Flat Iron Park.

"I would consider this almost a housekeeping item," Elder said during the finance, licensing and regulation committee meeting. "We increased the parking rate on weekends from $2 an hour to $4 an hour, and we never bumped up the rental fee for the parking lot that gets used in conjunction with weddings at the Riviera."

Howell said, during the finance committee meeting, that he is against the increase because the $750 a day rate already is included in the city's 2023 budget. However, Howell voted in favor of the rate increase during the city council meeting.

"Maybe I'm sentimental, but I'm figuring we wouldn't have to ruin someone's wedding party with all of a sudden adding more money on there," Howell said during the finance committee meeting. "I think it's part of our budget now that it would be at the price that it's at now. So it's really not going to affect our budget that much, so I would say 'no' but it's just me."

The rate increase would not affect people who have already rented the parking lot or who have taken out a contract to rent the lot. It would only affect people who rent the lot in the future.

"So going forward any new contract would reflect the $1,300," Alderman Richard Hedlund said. "Anything that's already in place you can't go back and say, 'Ok, we're going to charge you $550 more.'"
Previously Undisclosed Classified Documents Keep Leaking Out

April 21, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)The arrest, last week, of Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira as the suspected documents leaker has not stopped coverage of previously undisclosed leaked documents, particularly at the Washington Post, which seems to be running one to two stories per day on them. The leakage was almost certainly an issue behind the closed doors of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting at the U.S.s Ramstein Air Base in Germany, today. As I have discussed this issue with our allies and partners, Ive been struck by their solidarity and their commitment to reject efforts to divide us, so nothing will fracture our unity or reduce our determination, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said at a press conference after the meeting.

One such document, apparently first covered by the French-language website Zone Militaire, provides details about U.S. and NATO aerial intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) activity in the Black Sea region between September 2022 and February 2023, the War Zone website reported yesterday. It includes data on flights of RQ-170 stealth drones, RQ-4 Global Hawk and RQ-9 reconnaissance drones, as well as activities involving British RC-135W Rivet Joints, French Mirage 2000s, and NATO Global Hawks. Frances use of Mirage 2000 fighter jets in the region in the ISR role, which they are capable of performing by carrying external reconnaissance pods, does not appear to have been revealed before now, either, says the War Zone.

According to the Washington Post, another document reports that Kiev largely ignored U.S. warnings that Ukrainian forces would not be able to hold Bakhmut. An assessment marked top secret cautioned that steady Russian advances since November had jeopardized Ukraines ability to hold the city, and Ukrainian forces would probably be at risk of encirclement, unless they withdraw within the next month.

But the Kiev regimes planning is not limited to the Donbass region. According to another article in the Post yesterday, Ukraines military intelligence agency developed plans to conduct covert attacks on Russian forces in Syria, using secret Kurdish help. Zelenskyy directed a halt to the planning in December, but the leaked document, based on intelligence gathered as of Jan. 23, lays out in detail how the planning progressed, and how such a campaign could proceed if Ukraine revived it, the Post says. The document details how officers of the Main Directorate of Intelligence, the Ukrainian Defense Ministrys military intelligence service, could plan deniable attacks that would avoid implicating the Ukrainian government itself.

The Post indicates that Ukrainian military planners considered only small-scale strikes and also training operatives of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the U.S. proxy force in eastern Syria, but the Kurds demanded weapons and secrecy about their role in the attacks, and balked at direct attacks on Russian forces in the Kurdish areas, the document says. The documents that you are talking about regarding our forces are not real; our forces have never been a side in the Russian-Ukrainian War, said Farhad Shami, an SDF spokesperson.
Yellen Decouples from Decoupling

April 21, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wants to win the It wasnt me game. After having exposed the backfiring of financial sanctions against Russiaa decision she is co-responsible forshe gave a speech yesterday at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies which is seen as a No to decoupling from China. She read the text of her speech, which is posted in full on the U.S. Treasury website; the video is available on the Treasury YouTube channel.

In her opening section, she explained: The United States proceeds with confidence in its long-term economic strength. We remain the largest and most dynamic economy in the world. We also remain firm in our conviction to defend our values and national security. Within that context, we seek a constructive and fair economic relationship with China. Both countries need to be able to frankly discuss difficult issues. And we should work together, when possible, for the benefit of our countries and the world.

Our economic approach to China has three principal objectives. First, we will secure our national security interests and those of our allies and partners, and we will protect human rights. We will clearly communicate to the P.R.C. our concerns about its behavior. And we will not hesitate to defend our vital interests. Even as our targeted actions may have economic impacts, they are motivated solely by our concerns about our security and values. Our goal is not to use these tools to gain competitive economic advantage. Second, we seek a healthy economic relationship with China: one that fosters growth and innovation in both countries. A growing China that plays by international rules is good for the United States and the world. Both countries can benefit from healthy competition in the economic sphere. But healthy economic competitionwhere both sides benefitis only sustainable if that competition is fair. We will continue to partner with our allies to respond to Chinas unfair economic practices. And we will continue to make critical investments at homewhile engaging with the world to advance our vision for an open, fair, and rules-based global economic order. Third, we seek cooperation on the urgent global challenges of our day. Since last years meeting between Presidents Biden and Xi, both countries have agreed to enhance communication around the macroeconomy and cooperation on issues like climate and debt distress. But more needs to be done. We call on China to follow through on its promise to work with us on these issuesnot as a favor to us, but out of our joint duty and obligation to the world. Tackling these issues together will also advance the national interests of both of our countries.

Media also quoted her, including Times of India: Progress on these issues requires constructive engagement between the worlds two largest economies. Yet our relationship is clearly at a tense moment. So today, I would like to discuss our economic relationship with China. My goal is to be clear and honest: to cut through the noise and speak to this essential relationship based on sober realities.

And in Financial Times: As Ive said, the United States will assert ourselves when our vital interests are at stake. But we do not seek to decouple our economy from Chinas. A full separation of our economies would be disastrous for both countries. It would be destabilizing for the rest of the world.
EIR LEAD EDITORIAL SATURDAY APRIL 22, 2023

Think Like Cusa, and All Things Are Possible

April 21, 2023, 2022 (EIRNS)First, the good news. While there are momentous changes in the world, several of which are discussed in the body of what follows below, sometimes the greatest change occurs in the microcosm of the process called organizing. A crucial and successful thought-experiment has proven that education can, in fact, still take place at an American university. And this can even be done among the most emotionally inaccessible of groupsa department faculty.

A Schiller Institute contact, a professor at an American college, reported a faculty conversation which discussed the future directions of the particular department. At one point, the conversation turned to the topic: Should we be teaching a course on peace? Other important matters were posed, but all of them from the standpoint of what the administration would expect.

The contact intervened, saying he was associated with the Schiller Institute, and had endorsed the call by Pope Francis to negotiate an end to the Ukraine war. He then said, people look at ideas in the wrong way. The first thing you have to do, is ignore what the (school) bureaucracy has to say; you have to take ideas from the top, not work your way up from the bottom. A spark was ignited. The meeting went on for four hours, with full engagement from the 16 people present, who represented several disciplines. At a certain point the professor, somewhat shocked, stood back and thought to himself, I had no idea that people would respond to me in this way.

In his call to report the happy, successful thought-experiment, his opening words were, Im calling you because I want to thank you and the Schiller institute for something that happened to me. When the organizer said to him, It sounds to me that you have been reading Helgas Ten Principles of a New International Development and Security Architecture, he said, Of course I read it! Now, he has also grasped the principle of the Ten Principles, and used it. He proved that it is possible to use higher philosophical principles to lift the thinking and potential actions of a (wrongly) presumably unresponsive intellectual sector; the same should be attempted everywhere, and with everyone.

The bad news, for the trans-Atlantic egotists that have supremely miscalculated, in their infinite wisdom, the limits of tyrannical power, is that the world has walked away from them. They have lost the hearts and minds of the Global Majority. Even the Ukrainians can no longer trust them, in part thanks to the various leaked documents that continue to be released from the bowels of the intelligence hall of mirrors that they themselves have created. Though the Anglosphere can pressure, torture, and kill, they cannot persuade. As the saying so aptly puts it: You have not converted a man, merely because you have silenced him. And the Global Majority is increasingly vocal about it, to boot.

The response internal to the Anglosphere itself also threatens the morally tone-deaf of the ruling governments of their crisis-ridden nations. The trans-Atlantic worlds elite rulers and omnipotent administrators are unable to face, and therefore they deny, the spirit of rising hope that can, at any moment, grip their populationsas it gripped the audience at the RFK Jr. 2024 Presidential candidacy announcement this week. The 1,200-person audience assembled itself from around the entire United States. A handicapped 69-year-old who traveled with his son from New York said, Were here for one word: hope. Our generation has failed miserably. I think Bobby is the only one who can create real change and help us get out of this mess. He is not a Neanderthal. Hes not a TikTok punk. He has felt pain. The word is hope. It was not RFK; it was the Hamlets ghost, the awful shadow of the two slain brothers and the responsibility to the better angels of America that was palpable there.

Schillers poem, Die Hoffnung, says that we are born for that which is better. That is the sentiment of people in the United States, in Brazil, in South Africa, and in the war zones of the world, many of which are aspiring to peace, as in Yemen, or Syria. In other areas, like Sudan, a different direction is being imposed. Yet, in even the circumstance of a re-emerging colonialism in Africa, a policy to which China and Russia are presently counterposed, the more astute of the liberal imperialists are aware that they are not winning hearts and minds; their duplicity is too obvious. A Foreign Affairs article on Africa, Order of OppressionAfricas Quest for a New International System by Tim Murithi, warns that Seventeen African states refused to vote for a UN resolution condemning Russia, and most countries on the continent have maintained economic and trade ties with Moscow despite Western sanctions. In response, the United States and other Western countries have berated African leaders for failing to defend the rules- based international order, framing African neutrality in the Ukrainian conflict as a betrayal of liberal principles.... But the truth is that the rules-based international order has not served Africas interests. On the contrary, it has preserved a status quo in which major world powersbe they Western or Easternhave maintained their positions of dominance over the Global South.

There, of course, is the lie. There is not an equivalence between the relationship of Western former colonialist powers, like Great Britain and France to Africa, and that of the Eastern powers, like China and Russia, that have no colonialist history in Africa. People and nations are choosing sides, and its not that of what Larry Summers calls the right side of history. They are choosing, instead, to be, not on the side, but in the center of universal history.

Force, including overwhelming thermonuclear force, is not the arbiter of history. Nietzsche spoke in his Twilight of the Idols of philosophy with a hammer. The image of the irresistible force of the will to power, captures the conceit, as well as the downfall of the post-Nietzschean neo-cons, Republican or Democrat, of the unipolar world order, the decline that 20th-century American eugenicist Madison Grant once characterized as the passing of the great race. Nietzsches collapse into insanity at the age of 44, and subsequent death 11 years later, does not recommend the hammer approach, but, in its consequence, rather invokes the Islamic observation that Truth knocks out the brains of falsehood.

A philosophical approach like that of learned ignorance, pioneered by the organizer of the 1439 Council of Florence, Cardinal Nicholas of Cusa, is far preferable to the violence of philosophy with a hammer. Instead of a hammer, think of the mind as wielding a conductors baton. Each player of the minds orchestra is sovereign, a master of a different instrument. The whole group of musicians, however, comprise a meta-instrument, which is called the orchestra. That is the metaphysical instrument the conductor plays, with the consent of the musicians governed by the intent of the composition. It is neither unipolarity nor multipolarity, but a community of principle devoted to achieving the re-creation of a singular, unique idea, and its unity of effect, on the mind of the audience.

Conductor John Sigerson once stated that a conductor should never use a fist as a gesture to an orchestra. A fist conveys force, precisely the opposite of the force free mood and method of performingthat is, re-composinga great musical work. Beethoven directed, in his instruction for performing his Great Fugue, that it must be so frei wie strengas free as it is rigorous. To convey Beethovens daunting Great Fugue, a very difficult piece, requires a transparency of intention that conveys the compositions unit-idea. It also requires, in its original setting as the sixth and concluding movement of his String Quartet No. 13, a concentration over those six movements, as though they were heard all at once in the minds of the performers as a single movement a kind of over-movement. The unity of effect, produced in a great Classical performance, conveys, over multiple movements, a unit-idea, like that of the republican notion, E Pluribus Unumout of the Many, Onethe solution-concept that supersedes unipolarity or multipolarity.

Truth also seems to be knocking out the brains of absurd ideas in physics these days. The London Daily Mail reported April 17 about The Galaxies That Shouldnt EXIST: Experts Are Baffled as NASAs $10 Billion James Webb Telescope Discovers Six Super-Sized Star Clusters That Are Too Big For Their Age. The story, which first was reported on Feb. 23, and was updated because of a follow-up study published in Nature Astronomy days ago, is that six galaxies that contain as many as 100 billion stars or more, more or less the size of our Milky Way, have been observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, except that they should be much older; they shouldnt be where they are at the beginning of the universe. They should be little fellas, according to the Big Bang, that are just being formed.

Reached by EIR for comment, the galaxies issued a two-word statement in response to the Earth-bound, uncreative post-Newtonians: Sez Who? The universe represents not a linear, or non-linear extrapolation, but a development architecture everywhere dense with the potential for change. It is this hopeful notion that the discussion of the Ten Principles can catalyze in even the remotest reaches of the universeincluding, even, the mental faculties of college faculties.
We present the short story "After Twenty Years," by O. Henry. The story was originally adapted and recorded by the U.S. Department of State.

The cop moved along the street, looking strong and important. This was the way he always moved. He was not thinking of how he looked. There were few people on the street to see him. It was only about ten at night, but it was cold. And there was a wind with a little rain in it.

He stopped at doors as he walked along, trying each door to be sure that it was closed for the night. Now and then he turned and looked up and down the street. He was a fine-looking cop, watchful, guarding the peace.

People in this part of the city went home early. Now and then you might see the lights of a shop or of a small restaurant. But most of the doors belonged to business places that had been closed hours ago.

Then the cop suddenly slowed his walk. Near the door of a darkened shop a man was standing. As the cop walked toward him, the man spoke quickly.

Its all right, officer, he said. Im waiting for a friend. Twenty years ago we agreed to meet here tonight. It sounds strange to you, doesnt it? Ill explain if you want to be sure that everythings all right. About twenty years ago there was a restaurant where this shop stands. Big Joe Bradys restaurant.

It was here until five years ago, said the cop.

The man near the door had a colorless square face with bright eyes, and a little white mark near his right eye. He had a large jewel in his necktie.

Twenty years ago tonight, said the man, I had dinner here with Jimmy Wells. He was my best friend and the best fellow in the world. He and I grew up together here in New York, like two brothers. I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. The next morning I was to start for the West. I was going to find a job and make a great success. You couldnt have pulled Jimmy out of New York. He thought it was the only place on earth.

We agreed that night that we would meet here again in twenty years. We thought that in twenty years we would know what kind of men we were, and what future waited for us.

It sounds interesting, said the cop. A long time between meetings, it seems to me. Have you heard from your friend since you went West?

Yes, for a time we did write to each other, said the man. But after a year or two, we stopped. The West is big. I moved around everywhere, and I moved quickly. But I know that Jimmy will meet me here if he can. He was as true as any man in the world. Hell never forget. I came a thousand miles to stand here tonight. But Ill be glad about that, if my old friend comes too.

The man waiting took out a fine watch, covered with small jewels.

Three minutes before ten, he said. It was ten that night when we said goodbye here at the restaurant door.

You were successful in the West, werent you? asked the cop.

I surely was! I hope Jimmy has done half as well. He was a slow mover. Ive had to fight for my success. In New York a man doesnt change much. In the West you learn how to fight for what you get.

The cop took a step or two. Ill go on my way, he said. I hope your friend comes all right. If he isnt here at ten, are you going to leave?

I am not! said the other. Ill wait half an hour, at least. If Jimmy is alive on earth, hell be here by that time. Good night, officer.

Good night, said the cop, and walked away, trying doors as he went.

There was now a cold rain falling and the wind was stronger. The few people walking along that street were hurrying, trying to keep warm. At the door of the shop stood the man who had come a thousand miles to meet a friend. Such a meeting could not be certain. But he waited.

About twenty minutes he waited, and then a tall man in a long coat came hurrying across the street. He went directly to the waiting man.

Is that you, Bob? he asked, doubtfully.

Is that you, Jimmy Wells? cried the man at the door.

The new man took the other mans hands in his. Its Bob! It surely is. I was certain I would find you here if you were still alive. Twenty years is a long time. The old restaurant is gone, Bob. I wish it were here, so that we could have another dinner in it. Has the West been good to you?

It gave me everything I asked for. Youve changed, Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall.

Oh, I grew a little after I was twenty.

Are you doing well in New York, Jimmy?

Well enough. I work for the city. Come on, Bob, Well go to a place I know, and have a good long talk about old times.

The two men started along the street, arm in arm. The man from the West was beginning to tell the story of his life. The other, with his coat up to his ears, listened with interest.

At the corner stood a shop bright with electric lights. When they came near, each turned to look at the others face.

The man from the West stopped suddenly and pulled his arm away. Youre not Jimmy Wells, he said. Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change the shape of a mans nose.

It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one, said the tall man. Youve been under arrest for ten minutes, Bob. Chicago cops thought you might be coming to New York. They told us to watch for you. Are you coming with me quietly? Thats wise. But first here is something I was asked to give you. You may read it here at the window. Its from a cop named Wells.

The man from the West opened the little piece of paper. His hand began to shake a little as he read.

Bob: I was at the place on time. I saw the face of the man wanted by Chicago cops. I didnt want to arrest you myself. So I went and got another cop and sent him to do the job.

JIMMY.

Download activities to help you understand this story here.

Now it's your turn to use the words in this story. How much do people change over time? What is it like to try to connect with a friend you have not seen in a long time? Let us know in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

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QUIZ

Quiz: After Twenty Years Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz

For Teachers

Download activities for teaching with this story here.

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Words in This Story

cop  n. a person whose job is to enforce laws, investigate crimes, and make arrests

shop  n. a building or room where goods and services are sold

necktie n. a long piece of cloth that is worn by men around the neck and under a collar and that is tied in front with a knot at the top

coat  n. an outer piece of clothing that can be long or short and that is worn to keep warm or dry
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday stressed upholding fundamental principles, breaking new ground and taking solid steps to write a new chapter in reform and opening-up on the new journey.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while presiding over the first meeting of the commission for deepening overall reform of the 20th CPC Central Committee, which he heads.

This year marks the first year for fully implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress. It also marks the 45th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up and the 10th anniversary of the third plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committee, said Xi.

To achieve the goals and tasks on the new journey of the new era, deepening overall reform should be taken as the fundamental driving force for advancing Chinese modernization and an important leverage to stabilize the overall situation, deal with changes, and make new advances.

Li Qiang, Wang Huning and Cai Qi, who are members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy heads of the central commission for deepening overall reform, also attended the meeting.

The meeting approved documents on strengthening enterprises' principal position in sci-tech innovation, enhancing and improving the management of the state-owned economy to effectively support Chinese modernization, and boosting the private economy.

It also approved working rules for the central commission for deepening overall reform, those for the commission's special groups and office, and key tasks of the commission in 2023.

The meeting called for strengthening the principal position of enterprises in sci-tech innovation, which it said is a crucial move to deepen structural scientific and technological reform and achieve high-standard self-reliance and strength in science and technology.

Efforts must be made to establish an innovation system in which enterprises are the main players, and enterprises, universities and research institutes are efficiently collaborating and deeply integrated.

There should be greater support for enterprises' innovation with a focus on national strategies and major demands of industrial development, according to the meeting.

Private enterprises should be actively encouraged and effectively guided to participate in China's major innovation endeavors and play their role in the innovation of core technologies in key fields and making breakthroughs in significant original technologies.

The meeting also stressed deepening the reform of state-owned enterprises to build a management system of the state-owned economy with top-level coordination, well-defined rights and obligations, efficient operation and effective supervision.

Supporting the private economy is a consistent principle of the CPC Central Committee, the meeting noted. To promote the development and growth of the private economy, it is necessary to improve the development environment and remove the institutional barriers that keep private enterprises away from fair market competition.

It is also vital to help private enterprises find their right position in high-quality development and improve their development quality via self-reform and development, business compliance, as well as transformation and upgrading, said the meeting, which urged efforts to ensure precise implementation of preferential policies to effectively address the enterprises' difficulties.

The meeting stressed that since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, China has been working on comprehensively deepening reform with great political courage, and opened new horizons in this respect with unprecedented strength.

In the first decade of the new era, China promoted reform on all fronts and in a profound and fundamental way, and made historic, revolutionary and groundbreaking achievements, the meeting said.

No other country or political party can pursue bold self-reform with such political courage and sense of historical responsibility, nor advance reform with similar scope, scale and strength within such a short period, revealing the distinct features and notable advantage of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, according to the meeting.

To step up efforts to comprehensively deepen reform on the new journey, it is a must to uphold and strengthen the Party's leadership, the meeting stressed.

More work should be done to address difficulties in major reform tasks, improve investigations and research, ensure the reform measures are fully implemented and keep all sectors motivated for reform, according to the meeting.
Police in New York have arrested two men for allegedly setting up a secret police station for a Chinese police agency. The goal was reportedly to collect information on opponents of the ruling Communist Party.

Such offices have been reported across North America, Europe and in other countries with critics of the Communist Party who have family or business contacts in China.

China denies that they are police stations. It says they exist mainly to provide citizen services such as providing driver's licenses.

Xi Jinping is the Communist Party leader and Chinas head of state. His campaign against corruption has targeted criticism of his leadership both in China and overseas.

The arrests Monday in New York came alongside charges against 34 officers with Chinas national police force in China. They are accused of using social media to target party critics in the United States, officials said Monday.

Here is a look at the accusations that China is running secret overseas police stations.

What is the latest in the New York case?

The two men who were arrested were acting under the direction and control of a Chinese government official, the Justice Department said in a statement Monday.

The men were identified as Harry Lu Jianwang, 61, and Chen Jinping, 59, both U.S. citizens from New York City. The arrests are the first of their kind anywhere in the world.

The two did not register with the Justice Department as agents of a foreign government, U.S. law enforcement officials said.

U.S. officials said the office did perform some services like helping Chinese citizens renew their Chinese drivers licenses. But they said it also helped the Chinese government find a pro-democracy activist of Chinese descent living in California. The office also threatened a fugitive who police who wanted to return to China, officials said.

What is the purpose of the offices?

Wang Wenbin is Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson. He said there was no such thing as an overseas police station. He accused the U.S. of political manipulation. The foreign ministry said it operates the centers to help citizens with things like renewing drivers licenses.

Safeguard Defenders is a Spain-based nongovernment group. In a report published last year, the group accused Chinese police of using such centers to spy on critics overseas and to bother or threaten both citizens and non-citizens.

U.S. law enforcement officials said the station in New York was operated by the Fuzhou office of Chinas Ministry of Public Security. They wrote that it had no power to operate in New York and that it violated U.S. law and national sovereignty.

How will the investigation affect U.S.-China relations?

China-U.S. political relations are at a historic low. In February, the U.S. canceled a visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken because of a Chinese spy balloon that was discovered over the United States.

The accusations of illegal Chinese police stations will likely bring more bad feelings towards China and Chinese businesses, such as Huawei and TikTok.

It is not clear if China will seek the release of the two men arrested in the U.S. Both men are U.S. citizens. China has in the past been accused of so-called hostage diplomacy. It previously imprisoned two Canadian citizens over the arrest of a top executive of Chinese electronics giant Huawei.

Where does China operate similar offices?

In a February 2002 news release, the government of Fujian province said it had created the first 30 Fuzhou Police Overseas Service Stations on five continents.

Safeguard Defenders estimates that there are now more than 100 such offices around the world, from Canada to New Zealand. Some are based in embassies, while others have operated out of business centers that are popular among people of Chinese descent.

Im Dan Novak.

Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press.

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Words in This Story

alleged  adj. accused of having done something wrong or illegal but not yet proven guilty

renew  v. to cause to continue to be effective or valid for an additional period of time

descent  n. the people in your family who lived before you were born

fugitive  n. a person who is running away to avoid being captured

manipulate  v. to deal with or control (someone or something) in a clever and usually unfair or selfish way
EID AL-FITR

BEIRUT  The holiday of Eid al-Fitr ushered in a day of prayers and joy for Muslims around the world on Friday. The celebration was marred by tragedy amid the explosion of conflict in Sudan, while in other countries it came against the backdrop of hopes for a better future.

After the Ramadan month of fasting, Muslims celebrate Eid al-Fitr with feasts and family visits. The start of the holiday is traditionally based on sightings of the new moon, which vary according to geographic location.

In Sudan's capital, Khartoum, staccato blasts of gunfire marked the early hours of the feast day. A deadly conflict in the vast African country that erupted in the past week has forced many people to shelter indoors ahead of the holiday, even as water and food for civilians runs low.

In Jerusalem, thousands of faithful gathered at Islam's third holiest shrine, the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, where tensions with Israeli authorities have seethed in the past month. The compound also hosts Judaism's holiest site.

Following holiday prayers, a clown entertained children and a woman painted the cheek of a girl with the green, red, black and white Palestinian flag. Some attendees trampled on an Israeli flag and unfurled banners in support of Palestinian militant groups.

The streets of Arab capitals of Damascus, Baghdad and Beirut were crowded with worshippers heading to mosques and cemeteries. Many Muslims visit the graves of their loved ones after the early morning prayer on the first day of Eid al-Fitr. Visitors toted bouquets of flowers, jugs of water for plants, and brooms to clean gravestones.

"After the Eid prayer we always visit our dead  to pray and pay our respects, may God have mercy and forgive them on this blessed day," said Atheer Mohamed in Baghdad's Azamiya cemetery.

Islam's holidays follow a lunar calendar. But some countries rely on astronomical calculations rather than physical sightings. This frequently leads to disagreements between religious authorities in different countries  and sometimes in the same country  over the start date of Eid al-Fitr.

This year, Saudi Arabia and many other Arab countries began their Eid celebrations on Friday, while Iran, Pakistan and Indonesia, among others, set the first day of the holiday for Saturday.

This year's Eid al-Fitr also came on the heels of intensified violence in Israel and Palestine.
The Sun Prairie School District in an email to parents on Friday said allegations by a conservative Wisconsin law firm that an 18-year-old trans woman showered with four freshman girls at one of the districts high schools is neither an accurate nor complete account of the incident.

The Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty on Friday released a letter describing the March 3 incident and criticized the district for allegedly not providing the" freshmen with the proper supports or an opportunity to file a criminal complaint or a complaint under the federal civil rights law known as Title IX, which prohibits discrimination by sex at schools that get federal money.

According to WILL, the four freshmen had just been swimming as part of a physical education class at Sun Prairie East High School and were rinsing off while still in their bathing suits in the shower area of the girls locker room when the 18-year-old, referred to repeatedly in the complaint as "male," came in and said, Im trans, by the way.

The student then fully undressed in front of the four girls in the shower, WILL said. While the girls were surprised to see him in the locker room, they had a general idea that this student identifies as transgender and has used girls bathrooms before.

The girls reported the incident to district administrators a few days later, and some or all of their parents met with district officials a month later.

School districts need to think through what loosening boundaries for single-sex spaces could mean for girls, Libby Sobic, WILL director of education policy, said in a statement. Parents are understandably concerned about whether school districts  like the Sun Prairie Area School District  are doing everything required to protect girls in bathrooms and locker rooms.

In its email to parents, three district administrators say student privacy laws prohibit them from getting into the details of the incident but said a Fox News story about it provides neither an accurate nor complete account of the events that occurred, and said the district had previously addressed the incident and said steps have been taken to ensure that it does not recur.

The email did not say what parts of the story were inaccurate or address the allegations in WILLs letter.

WILL spokesperson Erin Voelkel said the firm is declining to release the names of the freshmen at this time but provided a screen shot of an email from Sun Prairie East Principal Renee Coleman that appears to reference the incident and reportedly included a district policy on the use of bathrooms and locker rooms by transgender students.

Let me reiterate that the situation your daughter was in should not have happened, and we will continue to work to ensure no one has a similar experience, she said.

WILL has filed a public records request with the district seeking email and other communication related to the incident.
RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany  The United States will begin training Ukrainian forces on how to use and maintain Abrams tanks in coming weeks, as it speeds up efforts to get them on the battlefield as quickly as possible, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Friday.

Leaders from around Europe and the world are meeting at Ramstein Air Base to coordinate the delivery of weapons and equipment to Ukraine. Officials said 31 tanks will arrive at a training area in Germany at the end of May, and training will begin a couple weeks later and last about 10 weeks. The training tanks will not be the ones given to Ukraine for use in the war against Russia. Instead, the U.S. is refurbishing 31 M1A1 battle tanks, which will go to the front lines when ready.
Editors note: This column, a repeat from last year, is a follow-up to the previous Health Care Buzz column.

Multiple adults are either on Traditional Medicare/TM already or are looking to move to Medicare as they turn 65 and have many questions about: Will Traditional Medicare always be the primary insurance after 65? Is there ever a time it wont be? Great questions and as always, there are multi-layered answers.

When Medicare began in 1965, it was the primary payer for all claims except for those covered by Workers Compensation, Federal Black Lung and Veterans Administration benefits. In 1980, Congress passed legislation that made Medicare the secondary payer to certain primary plans in an effort to shift costs from Medicare to the appropriate private source of payment. This change is referred to as Medicare Secondary Payer/MSP. The MSP provisions apply to specific situations where another payment source is determined to pay primary and Medicare will pay secondary.

Lets look at the basic process and some common situations. (A full listing of the MSP coverage outline can be found at https://www.cms.gov. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services/CMS- shortened and referred to as Medicare/Traditional Medicare.)

1) Working Aged. Individual is age 65 or older, is covered by a Group Health Plan/GHP through their current employer or spouses current employer and the employer has 20 or more employees, then the Group Health Plan/GHP is primary. Medicare is secondary. If the employer has less than 20 employees, Medicare is primary. GHP is secondary.

2) Retired employee. Once the individual is retired, even if the employer offers insurance as part of their retirement package, Medicare will become primary. Retirement coverage is secondary.

3) Workers Compensation. Workers compensation pays primary for healthcare items or services related to job-related illness or injury claims. Medicare generally will not pay for a work-related injury or illness. If the workers comp claim is denied then Medicare will become primary.

4) No-fault insurance and liability insurance. Individual is entitled to Medicare and was in an accident or other situation where no-fault or liability insurance is involved. No-fault or liability insurance pays primary for the accident or other situation related healthcare services. Medicare pays secondary. If there is no medical or liability insurance, then Medicare will pay primary. Unfortunately, this process can take an extended period of time to resolve.

Healthcare providers are required to screen every Medicare patient, at each encounter, to determine who is primary. EX) The patient may have had a liability incident where follow-up care was still occurring. The initial visit and all follow-up related to the accident are billed to the liability insurance. This is identified during the registration process for each visit. Any other services the patient may need that are unrelated to the accident, Medicare could be primary if no other MSP situation is occurring. When in doubt, ask your healthcare provider as they are required to query for MSP situations and are trained on the regulations.
Police are searching for two individuals who robbed a Walgreens at about 8:26 p.m. Thursday in Twin Falls.

The two individuals entered the store at 1732 Washington St. N. and demanded medications from the pharmacy staff, police say.

They might have left in a silver car.

Anyone having information on their identities is encouraged to call Detective Cpl. Jayson Mickelson at 208-735-7315.
Zhao Leji, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, presides over the first plenary meeting of inspection teams for enforcement of the Seed Law in Beijing, capital of China, April 21, 2023. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

China's top legislator Zhao Leji on Friday urged promoting the development of the seed industry through law-based means, and further consolidating the legal basis for the industry's vitalization.

Zhao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, made the remarks while presiding over the first plenary meeting of inspection teams for enforcement of the Seed Law.

Zhao called on the NPC to fulfill its duty in areas including legislation and oversight, and to contribute to boosting high-quality development of China's seed industry, while safeguarding the country's seed and food security.

Zhao stressed the importance of scrutinizing prominent issues facing the law enforcement and high-quality development of the seed industry, and conducting law-enforcement inspections to improve the protection and utilization of seed resources, enhance original innovation, and intensify supervision and management of seed quality.




Jeff Day, 29, was recently arrested on a warrant out of Twin Falls County, according to the Twin Falls Sheriffs Office. No other details were available.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is famous for its rich traditions and history as well as the diverse cultural experience it offers tourists. But did you know that the country is also a preferred destination for Filipino healthcare workers who want to work abroad?

According to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) Saudi Arabia is among the top destinations for Filipino nurses, along with Britain, Germany, and Japan.

More Filipino nurses are expected to find work in Saudi Arabia as it ramps up investment in healthcare infrastructure, which will contribute to an increase in demand for healthcare workers in the country. There are an estimated 130,000 Filipino nurses working in Saudi Arabia and this number is expected to increase as President Marcos recently announced plans of increasing the deployment cap for Filipino nurses.

Saudi Arabia offers various opportunities for Filipino healthcare workers

Nurses employed in Saudi Arabia through private institutions can earn a little over P27,000 to as much as P55,500 monthly, according to the POEA. On the other hand, nurses employed through a government program can earn a minimum salary of over P53,000 every month.

Medical and nursing staff do not need to worry about housing and accommodation because Saudi Arabia usually offers housing and transportation benefits. Reputable hospitals in the country also provide bonuses upon contract completion and flight tickets home.

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Just like any profession in Saudi Arabia, healthcare professionals are hired on a contractual basis. A contract usually lasts 12 to 24 months, requiring between 40 to 60 hours of work per week rotated across morning and night shifts.

TrueProfile.io has been the go-to career platform for Filipino healthcare professionals looking for job opportunities abroad. Filipina nurse, Riza de Castro, is enjoying the benefits of working in Saudi Arabia after using TrueProfile.io to secure her dream job.

I am thankful that Im working and living here for my professional growth and development, wherein I am receiving a higher salary compared to what I would make in the Philippines, Castro said.

Thousands of Filipino healthcare professionals have used TrueProfile.ios career toolkit to secure their dream job abroad  from the first job application to overseas relocation and professional development. Members can create a free Digital CV to get headhunted by employers in Saudi Arabia, and access international job opportunities and fast and efficient verification services.

Enjoy the benefits of working in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and fulfill your dreams of working abroad with TrueProfile.io. To register for free, visit https://sso.trueprofile.io/register.

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Child-focused humanitarian organization World Vision Development Foundation, Inc. recently honored Shopee, the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asian and Taiwan, for its unwavering and generous support to World Visions various projects for vulnerable children and communities in the Philippines through the Project Salute.

We thank Shopee for supporting the most vulnerable children. World Vision is truly humbled to be working alongside partners like them who are committed to improving the wellbeing not just of children, but also of their families and communities, said World Vision executive director Rommel V. Fuerte.

Shopees continued commitment to provide an online venue to help fellow Filipino citizens during the pandemic by hosting donation and fund drives through the app earned for the platform the One for Children Plaque.

The partnership between World Vision and Shopee Philippines started in 2020 through Shopee Bayanihan, Shopees umbrella CSR program that seeks to contribute in the development of communities through collaboration with various stakeholders. Shopee provided a platform for users to send help to different sectors affected by the pandemic, and organizations to promote their causes to raise funds.

We are honored and grateful to World Vision for this recognition and for the inspiring work they have done here in the Philippines. At Shopee, we want to be a force for good and with partners such as World Vision, we will continue to ensure that our platform and resources are able to help bring impactful changes in our communities, said Shopee Philippines director Martin Yu.

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Worlds largest outsourcing and technology services specialist, VFS Global, reported that visa applications from Philippines almost hit pre-pandemic levels in 2022  about 91 percent of 2019 levels  driven by pent-up demand, opening of international borders, and eased COVID-related protocols.

We saw a healthy demand from Philippines in 2022 with steady volumes witnessed until December. We are confident that the travel momentum will grow even further in 2023 and hence it is advisable for applicants including students, to apply for their visas in advance to avoid last-minute surprises, said VFS Global head for Australasia Kaushik Ghosh.

VFS Global head for Australasia Kaushik Ghosh.

Based on the report, Philippines visa application volume grew by 44 percent in 2022 compared to 2021, citing major destinations Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, and United Kingdom.

Another defining trend was the wider adoption of personalized service which began since the pandemic. Premium optional services such as Visa At Your Doorstep (VAYD) that enables travelers to book the entire visa experience at a location of their choice, almost doubled over the pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

VFS Global offers VAYD for 10 client governments in Philippines  Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Malta, Switzerland, and UK.

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Juggling multiple roles keeps Saudi-born Filipina Katherine Pauline Rodriguez on her toes as an advisor, educator and influencer.

Rodriguez has charmed many netizens with her first blog where she chronicles her struggles and journey as a returning OFW who wants to live a better part of her life in her home country. For many followers, Rodriguez is the personification of the homogenized aspirations of many OFWS who tried to find their way in a foreign land.

The first blog I wrote was shared by an influencer in the finance field and immediately everyone really liked it because it was about my journey. It was about an OFW nurse who wanted to find financial freedom so she can finally go home, she said, recalling how she lost her hard-earned money investing in the stock market.

Katherine Pauline Rodriguez, entrepreneur, trade psychologist and content creator

Revealing her authentic self and her stark realities in the most visceral manner, many followers have grown to love the blog and the blogger. As a nameless blogger, she called herself Celeste and with followers continue cheering her on, she eventually referred to her blog as Rooting for Celeste.

I think a worthy goal is to live a life you dont have to lie about. Especially in the social media, (where) everything is a framing of things. I want to be who I really am and be proud of it. I wrote in my most truthful manner because I was expecting that there will not be a day when I would reveal who I was. I talked about losses and my depression, of small victories and even ask if there was even point for doing what I am doing, she said.

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Eventually she revealed herself in a video to put to rest a myriad of questions and assumptions on her person. That signaled the shift of her content to more professional topics relating to finance.

Seven years as a blogger, Rodriguez has omnipresence in most forms of social media. She is popular on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube and her own website.

While her professional journey has its ups and turns, her personal life adds more color and depth to her continuing passage. Before her current advisory profession at HGR Digital Asset Group, Rodriguez co-founded ZFTa trading education start-up, with her former beau as head of education and marketing where she also teaches trade psychology. She is the first trade psychology specialist in the Philippines.

Trade psychology, Rodriguez said, remains unheard of in the Philippines. Its more like therapy for creators geared to improve their performancemore of bridging fear and greed, risk and gain. The discipline teaches investors how to make more rational decisions, while reining emotions from running amok.

Proof that trade psychology works was when the company was awarded the best trading group in Asia at the Vietnam Traders Fair Awards 2019, Rodriguez said, with all other aspects taken into consideration.

From being a military nurse in Saudi Arabia, Rodriguez jumped to the other side of the fence, answering the call of the finance world where it beckons her to pursue a career on finance as a licensed stockbroker at 2Trade Asia and educator at ZFT and eventually as lead instructor at YGG Philippines and Nas Academys collaboration course called Web 3 Metaversity while working as company ambassador.

As she built the foundation of ZFT for (not with) her boyfriend, she also built a digitized automated onboarding platform at YGG that briefed new members of the organization with an educational curriculum focused on Web 3 and personal development for the masses.

While people sometimes get lost in translation following the very eclectic life of Rodriguez on her blog accounts, her multiple roles continue to blend with added capacities which she finds exciting and challenging.

She left her previous role as marketing and education head at ZFT and instructor at YGG to nurse a rather hurtful break-up with her co-founder beau at ZFT. Rodriguez is now involved in crypto asset hedge fund and venture capital company HGR, while sustaining her influencer and content maker status.

After the break-up, I realized that my job as a stockbroker and trade psychologist for forex investors was not bad at all, but with crypto upping the stakes and changing the entire finance landscape, I knew I needed to level up. So I decided to get a job as head of information at a web 3 company. And there was where I met my current boyfriend. So its not really a sad ending for me. I believe we are given the right opportunity at the right time, she said.

The experience made her improve her craft and focus her energy to continue teaching trade psychology at HGR. As nce people discovered her as a warm spirit and an easy person to communicate with, her career as a finance advisor has spiraled to accommodate numerous requests for inspirational talks as a keynote speaker, and offers for hosting and co-hosting stints flooded.

At HGR, she continues to share her knowledge in finance and personally gives advice through her brand of trade psychology.

Rodriguez was a self-made womana start-up co-founder, a trading psychology specialist and a social media figurebefore she actually jumped into another relationship with the managing partner at HGR, a Filipino-Chinese serial entrepreneur.

Its funny, though. He is from a prominent family with stakes in finance, insurance, retail. And despite him coming from a traditional Filipino-Chinese family, I am accepted as I am, Celeste from humble beginnings, by his entire family, she said.

With every whirlwind in her job at HGR and her social media commitments, she still finds time for herself. A typical weekend for her is actually very simplespending time with his boyfriends family, going to the gym and attending religious services in church.

Rodriguez disclosed she is an independent woman in her home country as her immediate family is always out of the country, with an elder brother working in Qatar and her widower father spending a great deal of time visiting her brother.

Her mom, the hero in her heart, passed not too long ago from leukemia. She remembered how her mother dissuaded her from becoming a journalist, a profession notorious for being best in public service but low in financial returns.

As a good daughter, she donned her white uniform and cap, but her first day on the job at the Makati Medical Center made her realize the career is not for her. While she loves being with people and nurturing them, the job profile asks for a lothigh stakes, high risks and many opportunities for emotional meltdown, which she is not prepared to deal with. This is something she overlooked while getting her nursing degree from the University of Santo Tomas.

Still, she persevered and found a stable career as a military nurse when she went back to Saudi Arabia but the thought of becoming another person with a life totally cut off from the medical profession kept nagging her.

This was the time when she immersed herself into finance books, hoping to learn the ropes of financing in the trading floor. As an investor, she lost big time, including money borrowed from her parents. Then depression set in and the blogger was born. Venting her frustrations in her blog as an anonymous OFW seeking financial emancipation so she can try to worm her way out and find her way back to the Philippines made for interesting series for a community of OFWs who can empathize with her predicament.

Right now, the blogger, vlogger, trade psychology specialist, educator, entrepreneur, inspirational speaker and social media influencer is seriously building a brand of her own, trying market her professional self, building on her Rooting for Celeste brand.

I just want to make sure that I find my footing, that while I build brands for other companies, I want to build my own brand. Because there are many website marketers, but there is only one Celeste and I want to make sure that I keep my brand alive and afire, she said.

She wants to continue to advocate for trading psychology, write a book and create a group called Bettera self-improvement club for people who want to become better.

At 31, Rodriguez contemplates a lot of things beyond professional goals like building a family of her own.

The things Im considering now is like do I start slowing down on my career so I can start a family. I have a platform by myself. Its not huge, but a lot of women are looking up to me for being a woman in the finance field. I need to show them that you can do both, that you dont have to sacrifice family for a career or your career for a family. I want to be able to grow as a woman and show other women, that they can have it all, she said.

When people see me for the first time, they ask if I am a model, since Im actually a bit tall. And then I say, no, Im a role model. And I really take a lot of pride in that. I dont want women to be boxed in a certain stereotype. I want to represent women who are in finance, but also have a family life, she said.

As an influencer, Rodriguez is in talks with Binancean online exchange where users trade cryptocurrency to join the firms lineup of brand ambassadors.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order to ramp up the issuance of permits for offshore wind (OSW) power projects as the government eyes boosting the use of renewable energy in the country.

Under Executive Order (EO) No. 21, the President said Republic Act No. 9513, or the Renewable Energy Act of 2008, said the government should accelerate the exploration and development of renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, and ocean.

President Marcos said the Philippine Offshore Wind Roadmap has identified a total technical potential capacity of 178 gigawatts that could be harnessed from OSW resources.

OSW, if optimally developed, will play a major role in our countrysgoal for a low-carbon future, improved energy security, and reduced dependence on import fuels, the EO read.

The EO would streamline and expedite the approval process by the permitting agencies for the issuance of permits, licenses, and clearances for OSW projects and eliminate unnecessary delays in every stage of an OSW project.

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The EO defined permitting agencies as government agencies or relevant entities that are concessionaires or franchisees of the government which permitting process or authority is relevant.

The President also said that within 60 days from the issuance of the EO, the Department of Energy (DOE) should formulate and issue a policy and administrative framework for the efficient and optimal development of the countrys OSW resources, which shall be made applicable to all permitting agencies. Vince Lopez

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The United States and NATO said Friday they were confident Ukraine could regain ground in a much-anticipated counter-offensive, as they vowed unwavering support for Kyiv at a key meeting in Germany.

At the talks hosted by the United States, representatives from around 50 nations went through all the different capabilities, systems, supplies that the Ukrainians need, NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said.

Im confident that they will now be in a position to be able to liberate even more land, the NATO chief said.

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, who hosted the Ramstein talks, also assessed that efforts by allies to bolster Kyiv will put Ukraines forces in a position to continue to succeed on the battlefield.

Moscow reacted with anger to the latest gathering in Ramstein, with the Russian foreign ministry saying the allies action for Ukraine confirms their direct involvement in the conflict and participation in the planning of military operations.

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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also accused NATO of trying to absorb and drag Ukraine into the alliance, showing Russia was right to launch this operation to ensure its security.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had urged Western allies to send more fighter jets and long-range missiles to help repel Russian troops, making his case directly to Stoltenberg who visited Kyiv on Thursday.

Allies have so far stopped short of sending Western-made fighter jets to Ukraine, focusing on protecting Ukraine from incoming Russian rocket attacks with anti-air missiles.

Top US general Mark Milley underlined that militarily speaking, the most cost effective, efficient way to control the airspace at the moment is through air defense rather than fighter jets.

Modern fighter jets were still on Kyivs wish list, Ukrainian Defence Minister Oleksiy Reznikov insisted after the talks.

I am sure that we will have modern, NATO-standard fighter jets as a part of air defense systems, Reznikov said, acknowledging that it would take time.

Battle continues

Other points of emphasis for the talks included supplying Ukraine with desperately needed ammunition and maintenance for equipment already deployed.

This is now a battle of attrition, and a battle of attrition becomes a war of logistics, Stoltenberg said, adding, maybe its also a bit more boring but the logistics is extremely important.

Earlier in the week, Kyiv confirmed it had received the first shipment of Patriots, seen as one of the most advanced US air defence systems.

The United States is also sending Abrams tanks to Europe for use in training Ukrainian forces. They will arrive in the next few weeks, said Austin.

We are not letting up, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said.

Training of 100 Ukrainian soldiers on the German-made Leopard 1 tanks would begin on Saturday, Pistorius said, with delivery of up to 80 units beginning from the middle of this year.

While talks were going on in Ramstein, battles with continued to rage in the east of Ukraine.

Several Russian missiles earlier this week ripped the tiles from the roof of Karinas home in Kostyantynivka, a city in the eastern Donetsk region, and very nearly claimed the lives of her, her son and partner.

Everything happened unexpectedly, the 40-year-old recounted to AFP standing ankle-deep in mud, staring at the remains of her home.

Everything started falling apart. And my son screamed, Mama, mama. I was blown away by the blast.

I thought it was the end, she added.

Kyiv last year ordered the evacuation of residents of the region last year but Karina told AFP she will remain in the Donetsk region despite the attack.

Over a year into its invasion, Russia also struck capital Kyiv with drones overnight in the first such attack for almost a month, although city officials reported no casualties.

Moscow suffered a setback with one of its fighter jets losing munitions over Belgorod near the Ukrainian border.

Local authorities reported a blast that injured two people and left a huge crater in the Russian city.

The region of Belgorod has been repeatedly shelled since Russian President Vladimir Putin sent troops to Ukraine in February 2022.

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The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has announced that flights of Jeju Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Thai Airways and Gulf Air will start at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on June

This is part of the MIAAs Schedule and Terminal Assignment Rationalization (STAR) program to optimize the capacity of the four NAIA terminals.

The Philippine Airlines, on the other hand, will begin operating all its international flights in Terminal 1 come June 16.

Jetstar Asia, Jetstar Japan, China Southern Airlines, Scoot, and Starlux Airlines were reassigned last April 16 from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3, while PAL flights to and from Singapore, Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, and Phnom Penh were transferred to Terminal 1 on the same day.

We are satisfied with how well these carriers transitioned. This is a result of our months of coordination with the airlines and ground handlers, MIAA general manager Cesar Chiong said, adding that only two percent of the passengers were misrouted28 in Terminal 1 and 43 in Terminal 2while none were offloaded as a result of the changes.

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To avoid problems about passengers going to the wrong terminals, the MIAA deployed free shuttles in Terminals 1 and 2.

The ground handlers, on the other hand, ensured presence of their personnel at the departure gates to assist the passengers.

Terminal changes occur for airlines all over the world, depending on the airport at which they operate. Its all for the betterment of the system as a whole. Their passengers are our passengers. These passengers are our customers. Of course, we want to support the airlines. With the STAR program, our on-time performance will improve further, passengers will have a better airport experience and everyone will benefit, Chiong explained.

For the next phase of the STAR program, all domestic flights of Philippines AirAsia and Royal Air Philippines will be operated from NAIA Terminal 2 starting July 1.

Chiong said the reshuffle was meant to optimize the capacity of the four NAIA terminals, with NAIA Terminal 2 becoming a purely domestic terminal, consistent with its intended design when it was built in the late 1990s.

The plan to use NAIA Terminal 2 for all domestic flights of PAL, Philippines Air Asia, and Royal Air will be implemented on July 1.

While the MIAA works on further expanding the capacity of NAIA Terminal 2, the domestic operations of Cebu Pacific will remain in NAIA Terminals 3 and 4 for the time being.

The MIAA first implemented the program on Dec. 1 when it moved PAL flightsm to and from the United States, Canada and Middle East.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged the public to participate in the global action against climate change in celebration of International Mother Earth Day.

Our administration remains fully supportive of environmental programsand policies, he said, noting these were in the Climate Change Commission PH Facebook account.

The Department of Budget and Management on Saturday also called on fellow government agencies to intensify climate change planning and programming, as the world observes Earth Day.

Meanwhile, the Climate Change Commission said that by investing in our planet, we can take concrete steps toward mitigating the effects of climate change. This includes implementing sustainable practices, reducing our carbon footprint and promoting conservation efforts.

The social arm of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines(CBCP) also joined the call for the government to declare a climate emergency.

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According to Fr. Antonio Labiao, Caritas Philippines executive secretary, they call on the government to take action on how to address the effects of climate change.

We are calling for a swift transition to a low-carbon economy, the protection of natural habitats and ecosystems, and the adoption of just, pro-people, and sustainable economic development practices across all sectors, Labiao said in a statement issued in line with the celebration of Earth Day on April 22.

International Mother Earth Day was established in 2009 by the United Nations General Assembly under Resolution A/RES/63/278 to ensure the conservation, preservation, and protection of the environment.

The DBM said stakeholders must identify environment-related programs and projects in the preparation of the national budget in line with the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028.

The serious implications that climate change pose are not just a problem for the next generation but also a present danger that is undeniably felt in our time. Thus, we need to act now by protecting our planet and its natural resources before its too late, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement.

May we keep in mind that we are doing all these to ensure that our economic progress is moving towards a track that is truly inclusive and sustainable for all.

Aside from increasing the 2023 budget to address climate change, the DBM allocated P2.39 billion for the National Greening Program, which includes provisions for the Protected Areas Development and Management Program, Manila Bay Rehabilitation, and Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program.

As we celebrate Earth Day, I would like to encourage my fellow Filipinos to embrace our shared responsibility to care for our planet, Pangandaman said.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlighted in 2018 the scale of the challenge required to keep warming to 1.5C.

This year, it stressed that global greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase, with unequal historical and ongoing contributions arising from unsustainable energy use, land use and land-use change, lifestyles, and patterns of consumption and production across regions, between and within countries, and among individuals.

In addition, it warned that the pace and scale of climate action are still insufficient to tackle climate change.

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The US Supreme Court was poised Friday to wade into the legal battle over the abortion drug mifepristone with a ruling on lower court-ordered restrictions on the widely used pill.

The nations highest court has until midnight Friday (0400 GMT Saturday) to decide how it will handle the most significant abortion case since it tossed out the constitutional right to the procedure last year.

The conservative-dominated bench had been scheduled to issue a ruling by Wednesday but it extended a stay freezing the lower court decisions for two days as it decides what to do next.

Were all waiting, were all watching, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Friday. We are prepared for whatever announcement comes out of the Supreme Court and if need be were prepared for a long legal battle.

The Justice Department of President Joe Biden has filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to block the lower court rulings that would have banned or limited use of mifepristone, which accounts for more than half of the abortions in the United States.

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The court can rule in any number of ways, and abortion rights and anti-abortion activists  as well as millions of Americans  are on tenterhooks waiting to see how it proceeds.

The case stems from a ruling by a US District Court judge in Texas that would have banned mifepristone, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000.

An appeals court blocked a ban on the pill, but imposed tough restrictions on access, after which the baton was handed to the Supreme Court, where conservatives wield a 6-3 majority.

The Supreme Court could further freeze the lower court rulings pending the appeal from the Justice Department and mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories.

It could also allow the rulings restricting access to the abortion pill to take effect while the appeals play out.

The court could also decide to hear arguments in the case itself on an expedited basis.

 Deeply misguided 

Further complicating the case is a ruling by a separate federal court in Washington state that said access to mifepristone should be maintained.

Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that enshrined the constitutional right to abortion for half a century, 13 states have banned abortion and it has been severely restricted in others.

Opposition to the legal assault on the abortion pill is being spearheaded by the Justice Department, which argued that the initial federal judges ruling was based on a deeply misguided assessment of the pills safety.

Mifepristone is one component of a two-drug regimen that can be used through the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

It has a long safety record, and the FDA estimates 5.6 million Americans have used it to terminate pregnancies since it was approved.

The appellate court, while striking down the ban on mifepristone, restricted its use to seven weeks of pregnancy, down from 10, and prohibited distribution by mail.

In a filing to the court on Tuesday, the anti-abortion coalition that first brought the case against the FDA repeated their controversial claims that the drug was unsafe.

The coalition said the FDA and distributor of mifepristone had brazenly flouted the law and applicable regulations and continually placed politics above womens health.

In Canada, meanwhile, Families Minister Karina Gould said the federal government there is prepared to provide access to the abortion pill to American women if it is restricted in the United States.

Gould told CTVs Power Play that the Canadian government would work to provide that for American women if the drug is banned in the United States.

Polls repeatedly show a clear majority of Americans support continued access to safe abortion, even as conservative groups push to limit the procedure  or ban it outright.

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A symposium was held Friday in Beijing on Xi Jinping's thought about improving the work on ethnic affairs.

The thought of Xi, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, about ethnic affairs should be carefully studied and understood, said Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, at the symposium.

The Party's work on ethnic affairs should be carried out with a strong sense of responsibility and mission, Wang added.

He said that Xi's thought about improving the work on ethnic affairs summarizes the historic achievements the Party has made and the valuable experience it has gained about ethnic work over the past century, particularly in the new era, and should be implemented throughout the entire work related to ethnic affairs.

Fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation should be the main task, Wang said, calling for solid progress in modernization for ethnic minorities and in areas where they inhabit.

Wang also stressed the need to develop an accurate understanding of the history of the Chinese nation and encourage more communication and exchanges among different ethnic groups, while strengthening the overall leadership of the Party in the work on ethnic affairs.
Canada is considering its next steps after a Paris court on Friday convicted a Lebanese-Canadian sociology professor in absentia for the 1980 bombing of a synagogue in the French capital, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

Hassan Diab, now 69 and a resident of Canada, faces life in prison in France. But he and his supporters want Ottawa to reject any new requests for his extradition.

We will look carefully at next steps, at what the French government chooses to do, at what French tribunals choose to do, Trudeau told a news conference.

But, he added, we will always be there to stand up for Canadians and their rights.

Diab, speaking to reporters in Ottawa, reacted to the verdict by calling it Kafkaesque and not fair. Wed hoped reason would prevail, he added.

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Diab also urged Trudeau to honor his past statement about the case, which appeared to pour cold water on ever sending Diab back to France, after the first extradition took six years.

The evidence shows hes innocent and yet theyve convicted him, Diabs Canadian lawyer Donald Bayne said. Its a political result. Its a wrongful conviction.

In the early evening of October 3, 1980, explosives placed on a motorcycle detonated close to a synagogue on the Rue Copernic in Pariss chic 16th district, killing a student passing by on a motorbike, a driver, an Israeli journalist and a caretaker.

Forty-six others were injured in the blast.

In 2014, Canada extradited Diab at the request of the French authorities on the basis of new evidence.

However, investigating judges were unable to prove him guilty conclusively and Diab was released, leaving France for Canada as a free man in 2018.

Trudeau at the time welcomed Frances release of Diab, telling reporters in June of that year: I think for Hassan Diab we have to recognize first of all that what happened to him never should have happened.

He also ordered a review of Canadas extradition law to make sure that it never happens again.

Three years later, a French court overturned the earlier decision and ordered that Diab should stand trial on charges of murder, attempted murder and destruction of property in connection with a terrorist enterprise.

Diab has denied any involvement in the attack, claiming he was taking exams in Lebanon at the time.

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A former Magna Vista High School student pleaded guilty Friday in Henry County Circuit Court to involuntary manslaughter in the death of his best friend.

Ricardo Antonio Mitchell Jr., 18, of Axton, had difficulty making his way to the defendants table when his name was called shortly after 9 a.m.

Mitchells attorney, Ward Armstrong, told Judge James McGarry that his client would voluntary enter a guilty plea but he believed there would be reason for consideration for deferred disposition. Armstrong was granted his request for a pre-sentence report to be ordered.

Deferred disposition permits a court to withhold imposition of a sentence and place conditions on the defendant that, when met, allow for the charges to be dismissed.

Police said on Nov. 4, 2021, at 8:19 a.m. on State Route 687, two-tenths of a mile east of Route 1060 in Henry County and 1.4 miles from Magna Vista High School, a 2005 Honda Accord driven by Mitchell was traveling west when the vehicle ran off the right-side of the road, struck a tree and then overturned.

A passenger, Nicholas James Pruitt, 17, of Axton, died at the scene.

Two other passengers, a 14-year-old and a 17-year-old, along with Mitchell, were transported to the hospital with injuries.

When asked if he understood what was being said, Mitchell told McGarry that he did, but he had difficulty due to medication he was taking for a brain injury sustained in the crash. One of his legs also had been amputated after the crash.

Do you understand that involuntary manslaughter carries with it a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison? asked McGarry.

Yes sir, said Mitchell.

Armstrong noted that the brain injury suffered by his client left him with no memory of the crash at all and all the passengers in the vehicle had been on their cellphones at the time of the crash and were unable to say what side of the road Mitchells vehicle was on, but speed did appear to be a factor.

One report says 84 mph and another said in excess of 90, so we know there was excessive speed, Armstrong admitted. Mitchell lost a very good friend, Mr. Pruitt. He wants to take responsibility for his actions.

Pruitt had been named to the A honor roll at Magna Vista for the first six-week grading period just prior to his death.

A GoFundMe account was set up with a goal of $7,000 to help with Pruitts funeral costs and nearly $12,000 was raised.

The prosecution and defense juggled multiple dates before they finally settled on Aug. 1 at 2 p.m., when a summary of evidence will be presented and McGarry will review the pre-sentence report and impose sentence against Mitchell.
Will AI obliterate the rule of law?

As a writer and typographic designergenerically, a professional artistI have objections to generative AI. So do other artists.

These objections are frequently mischaracterized as anti-technological. For instance, a longtime tech pundit has caricatured artists as a herd of gabbling nitwits: Wait, it works too well. We need to hobble it. Do something! Straw man constructed, he then derides this view as reactive, misguided, and a panic.

This critique is also encapsulated in the evergreen sick burn Luddite, a term that has long been used epithetically to connote someone who resists technological progress out of fear, nostalgia, or intransigence. (Leaving aside the inaccuracy of this use compared to the actual Luddites.)

[Though I am currently co-counsel in two lawsuits challenging generative AI, this piece is about the broader interactions of AI and the law.]

For those who havent been self-employed their entire adult life as a professional artistincluding decades on the internetIm happy to share what its like. Your years are full of confronting:

Ripoffs of your work that are deliberate but calculated to be just barely legal, so you tolerate those; Ripoffs that are illegal but too minor to pursue, so you tolerate those too; Ripoffs that are illegal and large enough to pursue, but still not worth the opportunity cost, so you tolerate those too; and finally, Ripoffs that are sufficiently large and illegal to be existential for your business, so you have to interrupt your work and engage at length with an annoying stranger because otherwise the tiny, nerdy, arty territory you occupy is going to be incinerated. The US Supreme Court protects the habitat of the snail darter; they dont protect mine.

No sympathy sought. This is the career I chose. The idea, however, that working artists arewhat, riding unicorns across the internet and shooting lasers of intellectual-property law from our fingertips?is bewildering. Maybe there are a handful of Hollywood studios or European fashion houses for whom thats worthwhile. The rest of us have to accept the rough & tumble as a cost of doing business. Im even a motherflipping lawyer, and its still true for me. My online font business runs on the honor system because it has to. Enforcement would be financially irrational. The key competitive differentiator of artists is that we can make new things. In most cases this is a better option than the blunt force of legal action.

Lets also note that deriding professional artists as Luddites is, on the merits, bonkers. Unless youre Al Jaffee, the tools of most artists are heavily digital, and have been for years.

For instance, to run a typography business, I have to stay conversant in at least four programming languagesPython, JavaScript, Racket, and Swiftand be able to troubleshoot technical problems on Mac OS, Windows, and Ubuntu Linux. I wrote a publishing system for my websites and a graphical editor for my fonts. Gosh, Im sure I engineer more software than many software engineers.

Why? For one thing, thats the gig. For another, unless youre already well established, working artists usually have no choice but to embrace any technological advantage that comes our way. Because thats one of the primary ways we can stay profitable. Ive been finding ways to automate my work for decades. Im sure many artists would love to have AI toolsthe ethical and legal kindthat can let us produce more in less time. I certainly would. The idea that artists are the obstacles to progress is nonsensical.

As is the idea that artists are somehow too soft to compete. Most of us are independent contractors. So there is no minimum wage. There is no healthcare. If you distribute your work on the internet, people often take it for free. Independent artists are economically adaptable and resilient because we have to be. The soft ones wash out after the first year.

Thus, to be clear: the core objection to generative AI is not that its fancy technology that artists find intimidating. It isnt. Or that it will displace certain jobs. That happens during every wave of technological change. Or that market competition is intolerable. Far from it. Rather, the core objection is that so far, many generative AI products are based on massive violations of law. If generative AI companies want to compete against human artists by legal meanstheyre welcome to do so. But in many cases, thats not what theyve chosen. As a professional artist, Im not opposed to advancements in technology; Im opposed to violations of the law.

So what is the Luddite smear really about? Why are so many so eager to protect wealthy AI companies from, I guess, something less than complete public submission? It seems to be a vehicle for a deeper claim:

An argument that copyright law in the technological age needs at least reform, at most replacement. For example, this view has been advanced by copyright lawyer William Patry in his book How to Fix Copyright. These points have merit. But advocates of copyright reform have never addressed where the votes will come from. In the last 50 years, US copyright legislation has moved only toward stronger, longer rights for authors. (There have been some major fair-use rulings during that time, but those have come from the courts, not legislation.) This has not been due to the rising economic and political clout of people like me, but rather that of big corporate IP owners: from the Copyright Act of 1976 through the Digital Millennium Copyright Act and the Copyright Term Extension Act in 1998, aka the Mickey Mouse Protection Act. But this is a special case of the more potent form of this argument: that AI should not be subject to the rule of law at all. Roughlywe like its results so much that no one should be allowed to scrutinize whether it reaches them legally. The ends justify the means. No votes necessary.

On this view, if AI is capable of essentially unlimited upside, then nothing can be tolerated that may obstruct it. All dissent must be silenced. All resistance must be extinguished. All laws must be suspended. Let the golem emerge.

What do you call someone who advocates for the end of the rule of law? An anarchist? Theyve made appearances in US history, especially in times of socioeconomic upheaval. But an anarchist seeks to topple those in power. With AI, it is the wealthy & powerful who are seeking to arrogate to themselves further wealth & power by suspending the law. Those who erode the rule of law to sustain their own power are often known by a different name: authoritarians.

Suspending the law, some may be surprised to hear, will probably be the easiest part.

In Copyright for Literate Robots (2016), law professor James Grimmelmann observes that copyright law largely ignores robots, which has led to unintended consequences:

[T]here is something unsettling about a rule of law that regulates humans and gives robots free rein. Most immediately, it encourages people and businesses to outsource their reading.  This pressure to use robots is indifferent to whether people use robots for good or for ill.  The paradox goes deeper. By valorizing robotic reading, copyright doctrine denigrates human reading. A transformative fair use test that categorically exempts robots means that a digital humanist can skim a million books with abandon while a humanist who reads a few books closely must pay full freight for hers. Romantic readership therefore discourages the personal engagement with a work that it claims to value. Copyrights expressive message hererobots good, humans badis the exact opposite of the one it means to convey.

The rule of law is the social agreement that we will conduct ourselves according to the law, and that consequences will be imposed on those who do not. It is premised on humans as legally culpable agents. The law interrogates and evaluates human action.

But as Grimmelmann points out, machines often have free rein legally. This axiom made sense when a machine was primarily understood as a tool wielded by a human. This distinction has gotten murkier, however, as machines have moved into roles traditionally reserved to human judgment.

Grimmelmann argues that by delegating reading to a legally impervious machinethe literate robothuman actors avoid the usual legal scrutiny that would apply to their actions. In so doing, copyright law is essentially neutralized. He foresees this remaining a tremendous incentive for humans to outsource reading to machines that are not treated as legally culpable agents. Even to the point of annihilating human reading altogether.

But the uses of AI already extend well beyond reading. Thus, we could likewise extend Grimmelmanns argument beyond copyright law. How will human behavior change once every human activity can be delegated to a machineinstead of literate robots, lets call them AI systemsthat are not legally culpable agents?

If AI companies are allowed to market AI systems that are essentially black boxes, they could become the ultimate ends-justify-the-means devices. Before too long, we will not delegate decisions to AI systems because they perform better. Rather, we will delegate decisions to AI systems because they can get away with everything that we cant. Youve heard of money laundering? This is human-behavior laundering. At lastplausible deniability for everything.

Moreover, lets be clear: AI is already in widespread use in recruitment and hiring, health insurance, money lending, advertising, and ramming emergency vehicles. The generative AI tools released in the past year are maybe the first time many consumers have gotten to operate a sophisticated AI device directly. But our digital lives have long been ground up in their gears.

Of course, because the profit margins from breaking the law are pretty good, businesses in competition with each other will face market pressure to adopt similar AI tools. Suppose youre a health insurer that finds a way to kill off your least profitable customers with AI. Your competitors will tend to do the same. Now imagine this transition happening in every industry in parallel over the next three years.

If were confident in the legality of these systems, what is the basis for our confidence? How do we know that, say, an AI that determines eligibility for a loan isnt blithely violating laws that are designed to ensure fairness in lending? Unlike a human, who might have to create some kind of written record, the AI doesnt produce a memo explaining each decision with citations. Even AI researchers concede they cant fully explain how and why their systems work or what theyre capable of, an abyss euphemistically called emergent behavior.

When combined with automation biasthat is, the tendency of humans to impute too much credibility to machine outputswe could end up with something truly novel: technology systems that deserve much higher levels of legal scrutiny (because of the consequentiality of their outputs) but simultaneously resist such scrutiny (because of the opacity of their inputs and reasoning).

Another big problemagain, at least for those of us opposed to violations of the lawis that the deep-learning techniques currently in vogue are fundamentally descriptive (= focused on what humans actually do) whereas law wants to be prescriptive (= focused on what humans should do). Meaningwhen a system is trained on mass quantities of existing human data, it necessarily absorbs all the bias and other noxious crud of human existence.

The project of steering AI systems toward something other than the worst version of humanity is known as alignment. So far the best known technique is euphemistically called reinforcement learning from human feedback, which has entailedsweet cheese & crackers, I wish I were making this uphiring low-wage foreign workers to spend hours with the AI, nudging it away from toxic results. The mechanical turk, reinventedwhat an accomplishment.

But if AI is a tool for subverting the rule of law, why bother spending money on alignment? AI vendors have been asking themselves the same question. In the past nine months, Meta, Twitter, Microsoft, and Amazon have all disbanded their teams devoted to AI ethics and safety, even as they increase their investments in AI elsewhere. Recently, Google launched its Bard chatbot despite internal safety and ethics objections. Draw your own conclusions.

As commercial AI arrives, will the US Congress start regulating tech companies? Well, um, have they done so in the last 50 years? No jinxies. But tech stocks represent an outsize portion of the US equity market because theyre a huge driver of earnings growth (and hence, price appreciation). Many government and private pension funds, already underfunded, are counting on the tech sector to help them meet rate-of-return expectations. There is no plan B. The money, we could fairly say, has already been spent.

Thats even before we consider techs direct investments in lobbying and other political action. Against that backdrop, will there be sufficient political motivation to crimp AI? I doubt itunless AI causes some unspinnably major catastrophe, thereby creating a countervailing political imperative for Congress to act.

On the other hand, though the political appetite for tech regulation is maybe higher than its ever been, new legislation can often be a case of be careful what you wish for. Horses get traded. Theres something to be said for exploring the enforcement possibilities of current law.

AI systems made available to the public, or used to make decisions affecting the public, should have some basic level of transparency and accountability to the public. Much like nutrition labels on food: you cant make informed decisions unless you have the information.

Though AI researchers have historically published papers describing their methods, as market competition heats up, we will likely see the for-profit players retreat to the familiar fortress of solitude. From here, the black boxes will go Vantablack.

Though we do have a National AI Initiativewith a groovy logoI wouldnt be surprised if the Federal Trade Commission plays an important early role as the commercial AI market emerges. Looking over their call for truth, fairness, and equity in AI, I find a lot to agree with:

Start with the right foundation.  If a data set is missing information from particular populations, using that data to build an AI model may yield results that are unfair or inequitable to legally protected groups. 

Watch out for discriminatory outcomes.  How can you reduce the risk of your company becoming the example of a business whose well-intentioned algorithm perpetuates racial inequity? 

Embrace transparency and independence.  As your company develops and uses AI, think about ways to embrace transparency and independencefor example, by using transparency frameworks and independent standards, by conducting and publishing the results of independent audits, and by opening your data or source code to outside inspection. 

Dont exaggerate what your algorithm can do or whether it can deliver fair or unbiased results. Under the FTC Act, your statements to business customers and consumers alike must be truthful, non-deceptive, and backed up by evidence. 

Tell the truth about how you use data. In our guidance on AI last year, we advised businesses to be careful about how they get the data that powers their model. 

Do more good than harm. To put it in the simplest terms, under the FTC Act, a practice is unfair if it causes more harm than good. 

Hold yourself accountableor be ready for the FTC to do it for you.

In recognition of a trained AI models ability to retain training data indefinitely, the FTC has also pioneered the remedy of algorithmic destruction, which is just what it sounds likeviolators have to eradicate their infringing AI models and training data.

In addition to the guidelines above, I would also favor an opt-out or patdown rule for AI. By analogywhen you go to the airport, you can opt out of the standard metal detector and ask the TSA to perform a manual patdown. Likewise, I think companies that rely on AI for key functions should be required to offer customers the option to have their requestwhether a resume, or loan application, or medical recordreviewed by a human instead.

Still, much of the FTCs call to action is built on an appeal to ethics. Hold yourself accountable has been a principle with mixed success in the presence of billions and trillions of dollars. For instance, the fact that internal AI ethics and safety teams are already being disbanded is not an encouraging sign. Private litigation will fill some of the gap. But if we want the rule of law to survive the advent of AI, we will all have a role to play in holding these companies accountable.
Prior to spring break, Marion Elementary School and its fifth-grade class completed the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program for the 2022-23 school year.

DARE is a 10-week awareness initiative that is instructed by McDowell County Schools in conjunction with Marion Police Department and the McDowell County Sheriffs Department. The current fifth-graders at Marion Elementary started the program back in the winter and it culminated with a special graduation ceremony.

Marion Elementary School Resource Officer Mike Hensley taught the course and covered all the factors that revolve around drug resistance for those as they get older. The skills taught in the program include how youth should handle and react to bullying, peer pressure, making responsible decisions, using good communication skills and the importance of being a responsible citizen.

During the program, students were required to participate in presentations in front of their peers as a part of the class curriculum. Then at the end of the course, each fifth-grader had to submit an essay about the things he or she learned about drug resistance.

The course ended with a graduation ceremony in which all students who met the class requirements received a certification of completion. The graduation also featured guest speakers from the local area including Marion Police Chief Allen Lawrence, who talked to the group about the importance of the program.

The history of the DARE program nationally goes back to 1983 as a joint initiative of then-LAPD chief Daryl Gates and the Los Angeles Unified School District as a demand-side drug control strategy of the American War on Drugs.

The program was most prominent in the 1980s and 90s. At the height of its popularity, DARE was found in 75% of American school districts and was funded by the U.S. government.
Tucked into the niches of neighboring streams, each draining off the Blue Ridge Mountains, reside two new species of crayfish found in North Carolina and nowhere else on the planet.

Meet Cambarus lapidosus, aka the Stony Fork crayfish, named after a small tributary of the Yadkin River in western North Carolina that harbors the entire known range of this species. Also introducing Cambarus burchfielae, aka the Falls crayfish, which occurs in the Lewis Fork drainage; its common name represents the locality from which the type series (or name-bearing specimens) were collected.

According to Bronwyn Williams  Research Curator of Non-molluscan Invertebrates at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and co-author of a new paper in Zootaxa  these new species can only be found in the upper Yadkin River basin in North Carolina. They are considered narrow-range endemics, meaning they are highly restricted in their geographic ranges and thus acclimated to specific environmental conditions. This distinction likely makes them species of conservation concern.

Taxonomy is essential to effective conservation, Williams notes. If a unique biological entity does not have a formal name, it is not eligible for the resources necessary to manage and protect it.

Historically, both species were lumped in with a widespread species complex called Cambarus species C, which spans much of the Atlantic slope drainages from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Columbia, South Carolina. A species complex is a group of what is assumed to be closely related organisms that are similar in appearance, thereby making it difficult to separate into morphologically unique entities, or species.

But Williams and colleagues Michael Perkins and William Russ from the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission used morphological, genetic and biogeographic data from newly collected field specimens, as well as historic specimens housed in the Museums Non-molluscan Invertebrates Collection, to show that the two species were actually morphologically and genetically more similar to a group that occurs in the south-central Appalachians of North Carolina  Cambarus robustus, the big water crayfish.

This is really neat, notes Williams, as it suggests that a previously unknown, localized, temporary, aquatic connection bridged the Eastern Continental Divide near where the headwaters of the Stony Fork and Lewis Fork are now. This phenomenon is called stream capture, or stream piracy, a well-documented geologic phenomenon whereby a waterway erodes into a divide, capturing or diverting an adjacent waterway into itself.

From what we can tell, these particular stream captures have not previously been documented either geologically or biologically, Williams adds.

The paper, Integrative taxonomy reveals two new narrowly endemic crayfish species (Decapoda: Cambaridae) from the Yadkin River Basin in western North Carolina, USA, was published in Zootaxa on April 2. [For a copy of the complete paper, email bronwyn.williams@naturalsciences.org.]
The prestigious American magazine Newsweek underlines, in its latest issue, that a growing number of countries, including the United States, support Moroccos full sovereignty over its Sahara, noting that some thirty states have opened consulates general in Laayoune and Dakhla.

In an article by Gordon Chang, the magazine recalls that the United States officially recognizes the sovereignty of Morocco over its southern provinces since 2020.

In this context, the author of the article highlights the long-time relationship between the United States and Morocco, indicating that Rabat is a natural partner of Washington.

In addition, the U.S. magazine singled out Algeria, the polisarios main backer, pointing out that this country, immersed in archaism, provides money, weapons and military training to the separatist militia.

This armed group, which is only a proxy in the hands of the Algerian regime, can in no way claim to be a state, said the author of the article, pointing out that Algeria, which is increasingly hard-line state, is in no position to promote individual rights.

The author of the article refers the Algerian regime to its contradictions and wonders: Should Algeria be divided as well, in order to recognize MAK, the Movement for Self-Determination of Kabylie, a Berber secessionist force?

While recalling the fundamental unsustainability of the secessionist aims of the polisario, Newsweek quotes the former U.S. ambassador to Rabat, Thomas Riley, for whom Morocco is stable and peaceful, but Algeria and the rest of the region are particularly troubled.

In a world now dividing into camps, Washington should back friends and not enemies, the magazine noted, quoting Jonathan Bass, consultant at InfraGlobal Partners.

The U.S. publication concludes that the world does not need another crisis, and that both the United States and the broader international community have an interest in stability, by supporting the Kingdom of Morocco.
South African officials have held high level meetings separately with their counterparts from neighboring Namibia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) intended to enhance bilateral trade and investment opportunities.

Speaking at a media briefing this week during a state visit by Namibian President Hage Geingob, South Africas President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country and Namibia will deepen trade and investment ties with a Bi-National Commission (BNC) expected to be held between the two countries later this year. Ramaphosa said progress has already been made in various sectors of mutual interests with new agreements signed in order to further expand our formal scope of cooperation.

We will work together to leverage the opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area and the Tripartite Free Trade Area between the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the East African Community, he said. This work is important for our collective efforts to rebuild our economies and improve the livelihoods of our people following the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.

Meanwhile, South Africa and the UAE held high level meetings on Wednesday April 19 to enhance bilateral trade and investment opportunities, exploring avenues to promote development in key sectors such as logistics, food production, tourism, and energy. During the meeting, the two sides discussed ways to enhance cooperation, facilitate private-sector dialogue, establish new joint ventures and programs, and stimulate mutually beneficial economic growth.

UAEs Minister of State for Foreign Trade Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeoudi said his country is eager to build partnerships with like-minded nations that can catalyze growth, strengthen supply chains, and create new pathways for investment. He also said as the UAEs second-largest trade partner in Africa, accounting for 8% of the countrys total non-oil trade with the continent, South Africa has the potential to become an important partner in these efforts.
This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain

Alcohol consumption increased substantially across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the impact was greatest among American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN) populations, where deaths from alcohol-associated liver disease were six times those of white people, according to a study by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of Mass General Brigham (MGB). The disproportionately high mortality rate reflects not just the pandemic, but a systemic failure of supportive health care and lack of critical resources for AIAN populations which demand urgent action by public policy leaders, the researchers reported in a study published in JAMA Health Forum.

"Even before the pandemic we saw a steady increase in alcohol consumption in this country, and continue to experience high levels of alcohol-associated liver disease exacerbated by COVID-19," says senior author Jagpreet Chhatwal, Ph.D., associate professor of Radiology, Harvard Medical School and director of the Institute for Technology Assessment at MGH. "Our examination of all racial or ethnic groups showed that none are more vulnerable than American Indian and Alaska Native. While alcohol consumption is known to be lower among these groups compared to others, studies have shown that people who engage in any level of drinking are more likely to become excessive in their habit."

Alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD) is characterized by progressive deterioration of the liver and loss of function, and is now the leading indication for liver transplant in the United States. The rate of ALD grew nationally by 43 percent from 2009 to 2015, accounting for more than $5 billion in direct healthcare costs in 2015 alone. At the height of the pandemic, deaths from ALD increased by 23 percent in just one year. Drawing on the CDC's WONDER Multiple Cause of Death database, Mass General researchers learned that ALD mortality rose in nearly every state from 2019 to 2020, with the greatest mortality rates occurring in Wyoming, South Dakota and New Mexicostates with some of the highest concentrations of AIAN populations.

As for actionable measures, the study cites the need for significantly higher levels of preventive healthcare and resource allocation to agencies like the Indian Health Service (IHS), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agency charged with providing comprehensive health services to the approximately 2.6 million American Indians and Alaska Natives in 574 federally recognized tribes in 37 states.

"Based on our findings, strong action needs to be taken at the public policy level to increase awareness among American Indians and Alaska Natives of the alarming mortality rates from alcohol-associated liver disease, and to implement universal alcohol screening and preventive health programs," says Neeti Kulkarni, a research analyst at the MGH Institute for Technology Assessment, and lead author of the study. "It's critical for the states and federal government to recognize and responsibly address this problem before it spirals into a major health crisis for our country."

Chhatwal points out that alcohol consumption hasn't shown any signs of decline even as the pandemic has receded. "It's no coincidence that in 2021, life expectancy in this country dropped to its lowest level since 1996, with ALD being the top reason after COVID-19 and unintentional injuries," he says. "Alcohol-associated liver disease among all ethnicities continues to represent a serous burden on our nation's healthcare system, and the problem will only intensify if we don't take meaningful steps to address it now."

More information: Neeti S. Kulkarni et al, Alcohol-Associated Liver Disease Mortality Rates by Race Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US, JAMA Health Forum (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamahealthforum.2023.0527 Journal information: JAMA Health Forum
A 124-acre expanse of gently-sloped grassland, Missoula's newest public open space, has its grand opening on Earth Day, April 22.

"There's great views of the valley," said City Conservation Lands Manager Jeff Gicklhorn. "We have two-and-a-half miles of new trails and everything's built at a moderate grade."

The Bluebird Preserve, located at the foot of Grant Creek just to the northeast of the Conoco gas station, has been years in the making.

The nonprofit Five Valleys Land Trust protected the area in 2019 before the city bought it with $450,000 in 2006 Open Space Bond funding.

"Five Valleys Land Trust purchased the Bluebird property in 2019 to conserve another important piece of the North Hills and to provide outdoor access for the neighborhoods of northwest Missoula," said FVLT stewardship director Jenny Tollefson. "Since taking ownership, the city has continued this effort, developing a management plan that balances public access with protection of native plants and wildlife."

She said it was a collaborative effort with the city, the Open Space Bond program, Montana Snowbowl and many other partners.

The city has been in the process of constructing trails and overlooks over the last year.

The Earth Day celebration will be from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Mayor Jordan Hess and others will be on hand.

The trailhead for the preserve is located on the east side of Grant Creek Road, between Expo Parkway and Stonebridge Road, at the north end of the vacant gravel Snowbowl carpool lot. The preserve will be open to year-round pedestrian access, but bicycle use isn't permitted at this time. Equestrian use is permitted from April 1 until Sept. 30. Dogs must be leashed within 200 yards of the trailhead and where posted, and owners must remove pet waste.

The Morris family, which owns Snowbowl, granted the city an easement to allow public access from the parking lot.

Karen Sippy, a member of the Grant Creek Trail Association, said the new land offers several miles of moderate-grade trails to accommodate a variety of users and also has scenic overlooks of both the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys.

"The preserve and trail system has been a much-appreciated addition to the neighborhood and Missoula's Conservation Lands," Sippy said. "The well-constructed trails and beautiful views they provide are already very popular with residents and visitors."

Sierra Farmer, a Ward 2 City Council representative, said the parcel brings recreational access to people who live in the Grant Creek, Captain John Mullan, Westside and Northside neighborhoods.

"I'm thrilled to see the new Bluebird Preserve open to the public," she said. "It will be a great addition to recreation opportunities for these neighborhoods, and I applaud the staff that helped make it happen. We are so lucky to live in a city that prioritizes access to public lands."

The Bluebird property "adds critical habitat, unique resources and valuable ecosystem services to Missoula's conservation lands system," according to Gicklhorn. The area hosts a plant called Missoula phlox, a species of native wildflower known only to exist on the rocky, wind-swept ridges of Missoula's North Hills.

"It's a low-growing cushion plant boasting masses of tiny white or blue-tinted flowers in the spring and summer," he said. "The Preserve's Missoula phlox is one of only three currently known populations in the Missoula Valley. It is a Montana species of concern, meaning it could be at risk of extinction due to declining population trends, habitat threats, restricted distribution or other factors."

Protecting and restoring the Missoula phlox is critical to its long-term survival, Gicklhorn added.

Ward 2 City Council representative Mirtha Becerra said the project is a great example of public-private partnership and multi-agency collaboration.

"While much of the land in Grant Creek is undeveloped, only a very small fraction of that space is accessible to the public," she said. "This is a great recreational opportunity for Missoulians, and I'm grateful for all the efforts that got us to today."

Mayor Hess said the area provides habitat to both western bluebirds and mountain bluebirds.

"The Bluebird Preserve is another jewel in our open space system," he said.
After flip-flopping on previous flip-flops, legislators late Friday night added back $8 million in spending to transfer 120 prisoners from Montana to a privately run CoreCivic operation in Arizona.

The idea was first added to the state budget in March, but then 10 days ago the Senate Finance and Claims Committee removed that provision, saying that action taken elsewhere this legislative session should open up bed availability in the state prison system.

Earlier Friday afternoon, however, the same committee attempted to add the spending back, this time to House Bill 817. But the proposal initially failed on a bipartisan 4-15 vote. The committee then advanced the bill, but later in the night came back to reconsider their actions.

House Bill 817 before Friday spent more than $180 million to make improvements to the state prison in Deer Lodge. Legislators Friday evening also voted for an additional $25 million in the bill to build housing that workers at the state prison in Deer Lodge or CoreCivics private Montana facility in Shelby could live in. That part of the bill would be void if a different bill proposing money to build housing for workers is passed.

In bringing the second attempt of the day to add the prison contract back into House Bill 817, Sen. Carl Glimm, R-Kila, said the move was because we looked at this one before but there was some confusion about it.

The spending was approved on a 10-9 vote with all Democrats on the committee and some Republicans opposed. It is contingent on lawmakers passing another bill that increases the penalty for some property thefts or issuing of bad checks worth more than $1,500 with prison sentences of 10 years. That bill, Senate Bill 95 from Republican Sen. Barry Usher, itself is expected to cost $1.9 million to implement. A fiscal note attached estimates it would touch about 178 offenders based on past data.

That bill has already cleared House and Senate votes and is awaiting further action in the House before it'd go back to the Senate for approval of amendments.

The thought process behind this is that if we're going to pass Senate Bill 95 and be putting more of those criminals into prison, then we need space for those criminals to be in, so the two bills are working together, Glimm said.

Sen. Ryan Lynch, a Butte Democrat, strongly opposed the bill.

I just want to make sure everybody knows we're going to give this to a specific company. Is that legal, first of all, in state code? Can we call a company out? Lynch asked.

Lynch also pointed to language in the contingency section of the amendment that says SB 95 would be void if HB 817 did not appropriate at least $3.9 million in each of the next two budget years for the CoreCivic contract.

Absolutely it looks like we have a blank check to make sure that the private, for-profit, out-of-state correctional enterprises gets whatever backroom deal this thing was cut with, Lynch said. I think that Montanans certainly should pay attention.

CoreCivic has reported spending more than $27,000 on lobbying this legislative session, according to records from the Commissioner of Political Practices.

Sen. John Esp, R-Big Timber, countered that it wasnt a blank check, and Glimm said the language was there to clarify that a lesser appropriation would not cover the contract cost.

Lynch still said he was concerned about the bill specifying a contractor.

We went through no procurement process to a private for-profit (prison contractor), Lynch said. It's a minimum, but there's no maximum on any contract. How do we know that there's not other organizations or GAOs or any of these other for-profit entities that also have prison beds?

Lynch said the Department of Corrections has not demanded the contract.

All of a sudden we're going to let the Republicans shove this down Montana's throat so we're celebrating locking more people up and sending them out-of-state. I just want to make sure that everybody knows what we're doing, Lynch said.

The bill now moves back to the full Senate for consideration and the House must sign off on the Senate changes. The Legislature is at day 79 of a 90-day session.
 Flash

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang met with Dilma Rousseff, the president of the New Development Bank (NDB), during the Lanting Forum on Chinese Modernization and the World in Shanghai on Friday.

Congratulating Rousseff on her assumption of office, Qin said the NDB represents the trend of collective rise of emerging markets and developing countries.

Qin expressed the hope and confidence that the NDB will take heed of the voice of developing countries, give full play to its role as a multilateral development financial institution, and take an active part in cooperation on the Global Development Initiative.

It is believed that the NDB will make a greater contribution to strengthening solidarity and cooperation among developing countries, achieving common development, improving global governance, establishing a more just and equitable international financial order, and benefiting more countries and regions, he added.

As the bank's host country, China is ready to strengthen the cooperation with the NDB, and provide support and assistance to Rousseff for the operation of the bank, Qin said.

Rousseff said the achievements of Chinese modernization have set an example for developing countries, and the NDB is willing to carry out close cooperation with China.

The NDB should and can play an important role in transforming unjust international order, building a better world of multilateralism and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for humanity, she said.
A bill that would allow hunters with certain disabilities to use crossbows during Montanas archery hunting season has been voted down.

Senate Bill 298 from Sen. Brad Molnar, R-Laurel, which would mandate the allowance of crossbows for hunters with disabilities during Montanas six-week archery hunting season, was previously tabled twice in the Senate before being revived and passed to the House. Following a passionate hearing on the bill, the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee on Thursday voted the bill down 6-13.

The issue of allowing crossbows during the archery season has been a contentious one, playing out multiple times before the Legislature, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission and in federal court. It is the 10th time an iteration of the bill has come to the Legislature, each time falling short at different points in the process.

Supporters of the concept including some disability rights groups say current rules allowing adaptive equipment for archery gear does not work for all hunters with disabilities, and disallowing crossbows is discriminatory.

Molnar, who says he would qualify to use a crossbow due to a shoulder injury, has been joined by advocates for those with disabilities, disability attorneys and some hunters who say current adaptive equipment may be unsafe.

Opponents including the Montana Bowhunters Association say crossbows are a fundamentally different weapon than bows and arrows, also raising concerns about the potential for future expansion of crossbow use that could diminish archery opportunities.

Under SB 298, eligible hunters would require a doctors evaluation and total permits would be capped at 400. The bill would also drop a current requirement tied to a permit to hunt from a vehicle requiring that hunters with disabilities be accompanied by a companion. Should a hunter wrongly be denied a crossbow permit, they would be awarded a special hunting permit of their choice.

The House committee debated the bill Thursday before voting it down.

Rep. Jedediah Hinkle, R-Belgrade, argued that the bill came down to how the hunter is holding a bow in his support for the bill.

Even though opponents say it's a step in that direction (of widespread crossbow use), it doesnt have to be a step in that direction, he said.

Rep. Ed Butcher, R-Lewistown, pointed to deer harvest statistics from Ohio where crossbows are allowed during archery seasons, questioning impacts to archery season in his opposition to the bill.

My bowhunters are not happy with this thing and I can understand where theyre coming from, he said.
Republican lawmakers in Montanas House of Representatives doubled down Friday on their decision to silence a transgender member of the minority Democratic Party during a floor debate in the chamber.

Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, attempted to join debate on a bill but was not recognized by the Republican chairman of the body. Democrats responded by standing in protest, and as happened one day earlier, but the Republican majority voted almost unanimously to deny Zephyrs request to speak.

Im going to expect the same standard for all the representatives in this House, House Speaker Matt Regier, a Kalispell Republican, said in response to the Democrats objection. Im still going to stand for the dignity and integrity of this House.

On Thursday, Regier had twice refused to recognize Zephyr because of what he said were comments the freshman lawmaker made earlier in the week. Her admonition to fellow lawmakers that they should be ashamed for voting for a bill to restrict gender-affirming care for minors violated the chambers decorum, Regier said.

Zephyr told members of the press that she has no intention of apologizing for her words, which were chosen with clarity and precision at the time. Regier said she would need to apologize to the floor before she will be permitted to join in debate.

Minority Leader Kim Abbott, in an interview Thursday, declined to elaborate on potential procedural strategies to resolve the impasse.

We have to protect the rights of our members, so well do what we need to do to protect the rights of our members, Abbott said, but added more needed to be done to clarify when decorum has been breached.

In an exchange at the end of Fridays floor session, Democratic Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, of Box Elder, asked for that.

In the last two days it kind of befuddles me, about not having a clear definition about what you as the Speaker had mentioned  of what your response was of the definition of the integrity and dignity of the House, Windy Boy said.

Regier responded: This House will move forward with dignity and integrity, which means there will be no belittling of peoples votes or belittling of peoples motives. We will keep it to the issues at hand. And if you cannot follow that you will not be recognized.

On Friday, Missoula County Commissioners Josh Slotnick, Juanita Vero and Dave Strohmaier and Missoula Mayor Jordan Hess issued a statement in support of Zephyr.

"Recent actions taken to silence Rep. Zooey Zephyr are unacceptable and undemocratic," the statement said. "We support Rep. Zephyr and her commitment to speaking for her 11,000 constituents in Missoula County. Laws this Legislature has passed will deprive Montanans of their rights. Rep. Zephyr has boldly stood up for all Montanans, including the LGBTQ+ community, and we stand with her. Some lawmakers, under the guise of 'decorum,' have demonstrated a cruel disdain for Rep. Zephyr's humanity. These types of actions have no place in a democracy, as real democracy demands the free exchange of ideas, with full participation for all."
Three new opioid overdose medication vending machines are now in operation in Helena thanks to grant funding received by Lewis and Clark County and collaboration among community partners, the city announced Thursday.

The new machines will make naloxone available to anyone who needs it free of charge.

"Thanks to collaboration by the Helena Police Department, Helena Municipal Court, and Lewis and Clark Countys Department of Criminal Justice Services," a vending machine has been set up on the first floor of the Law and Justice Center, in the Department of Criminal Justice Services reception area, and at Good Samaritans Our Place Drop-In Center, according to a news release from the city.

The placement of the vending machines is part of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Councils efforts to address opioid misuse disorders.

Helena Police Chief Brett Petty and Helena Municipal Court Judge Anne Peterson are both active members on the council.

Petty said the primary goal is to eliminate opioid use in the community.

"The unfortunate reality is, many of us have neighbors, family or friends that are struggling with opioid addiction," he said. "My hope is that these machines will be a resource for people who are trying to avoid losing their loved ones to addiction.

Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. This reversal means normal breathing can be quickly restored. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say administering naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan, can restore a persons breathing within two to three minutes.

"Petty and his officers carry Narcan with them when on duty and have for several years," the news release states. "Because law enforcement is often the first to arrive to the scene of an overdose, many law enforcement agencies across the United States, including the Lewis and Clark County Sheriffs Office, equip their officers with the life-saving drug."

The National Institute on Drug Abuse encourages families with loved ones with an opioid addiction to have naloxone nearby and let friends know where it is.

We want to make sure we're doing everything we can to prevent overdose deaths in our community, said Kellie McBride, director of the countys department of criminal justice services. One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to prevent death is to increase community access to naloxone.

McBride said in addition to saving lives, providing Narcan opens the door to discussing treatment options.

We are talking about fellow human beings, friends, family members and neighbors, she said.

The Narcan dispensed through the communitys new vending machines comes in nasal spray and works by binding to opioid receptors in the brain and blocking the effects of the drug for 30 to 90 minutes, reversing respiratory depression. Narcan is considered safe, non-addictive and effective at restoring normal breathing.

The hope is the public having access to Narcan, anonymously and in a trusted location like the Law and Justice Center will help eliminate barriers to access and decrease our communitys overdose rate, Peterson said.

Based on data from the Montana death certificates from 2017 through 2021, there have been 294 overdose-related deaths statewide, with Lewis and Clark County residents accounting for nearly 4%, officials said.

In 2021 alone, Montana reported 103 overdose deaths, a 21% increase from the previous year. The same year, the county reported three overdose-related deaths.

The machines were paid for by a grant from the Institute for Intergovernmental Research, and the Narcan is provided by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services.

The Law and Justice Center and Lewis and Clark Countys Department of Criminal Justice Services, both have a machine at 406 Fuller Ave. One is in the main lobby, and the other is in Criminal Justice Services' reception area. The other machine at the Good Samaritans Our Place Drop-In Center is at 631 N. Last Chance Gulch.
Montanas Office of Public Instruction temporarily lost its authority to enter into high-price contracts for goods and services Tuesday after the Department of Administration discovered deficiencies in the agencys practices.

In a memo sent to state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, the department notified OPI that it had received a score of 57% in a recent review of its contracting procedures  a score DOA characterized as failing. According to the memo and other documents obtained by the Montana Free Press, DOAs review found that OPI failed to retain adequate records about its solicitation and execution of contracts for third-party services.

The review also determined that OPI had not adequately trained its staff on the policies governing the solicitation of bids and awarding of agency contracts, and that OPI failed to show that it had verified the eligibility of vendors prior to awarding contracts.

Effective immediately, OPI must submit all procurement activity over the small purchase threshold (with a total contract value of $10,000 or more) to [the State Procurement Bureau], and SPB will complete the procurement action on behalf of OPI, State Financial Services Division Administrator Cheryl Grey wrote in the memo.

OPI is charged with overseeing Montanas K-12 public education system and is one of four agencies headed by an independently elected statewide official. The State Procurement Bureau is a branch of DOA, which falls under the oversight of the governors office.

According to DOA spokesperson Megan Grotzke, the authority to procure goods and services through contracts is delegated to individual Montana agencies, and DOA monitors that activity to ensure compliance with state law. Grotzke added the review that resulted in OPIs suspension was instituted as the result of a legislative audit in 2018, and that no other agencies have had their procurement authority suspended in the recent past.

DOAs memo directed the Office of Public Instruction to submit a corrective action report by April 28, detailing how the agency plans to address the deficiencies. Grotzke confirmed that OPIs suspension will hold until they correct the deficiencies.

In response to a list of questions from MTFP, OPI spokesperson Brian OLeary emailed the following statement Friday on behalf of Arntzen:

The DOA is and always has been ultimately responsible for state contracting. OPI staff looks forward to working with DOA staff to ensure their expectations are met about that process.

OLeary also noted that no existing contracts or legal obligations will be impaired by OPIs suspension.

The Montana Legislature has debated several bills this year seeking to revise Montanas procurement and spending practices. Among those is House Bill 367, sponsored by Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings, which would apply additional restrictions to how OPI uses federal COVID-19 relief funds to modernize its educational data systems. During a House Appropriations Committee hearing in early February, Mercer pointed to a portion of HB 367 that would allow DOA to review and approve OPIs methods in contracting for the work and give DOA oversight in approving those contracts.

An $8 million expenditure is something where we would want to make sure that there was viable competition between potential vendors, Mercer told the committee, and its important to have the Department of Administration serving a role to facilitate that process.
More details in a child sex crimes investigation were released in court Thursday, and a second person has been charged in connection with the ongoing investigation.

Rosa Hollifield, 58, was charged April 4 with four counts of statutory sex offense with a child who was 15 years old or younger at the time, according to a warrant filed at the Burke County Courthouse.

On Thursday, her daughter, Felicia June Hollifield, 34, was charged with felony indecent liberties with a child, according to a warrant filed at the Burke County Courthouse.

Search warrants filed in the cases indicate the investigation started March 31 when a detective with the Burke County Sheriffs Office was notified by the McDowell County Department of Social Services of an alleged sexual assault.

It was alleged Rosa Hollifield, who had been terminated from her position as a foster parent at Southmountain Children and Family Services earlier this year, had given one of her former foster children a cellphone while they were at school around March 10, according to the search warrant. The search warrant indicated she told the child to keep the cellphone a secret.

A social worker asked the child for their cellphone on March 30, and the child gave it to them without issue, the search warrant said.

The social worker told the detective in the case she saw inappropriate sexual acts through text messages between the child and Rosa Hollifield, and said she saw inappropriate sexual screenshots between Rosa Holifield and the child, according to the search warrant.

The child also told the detective during an interview April 3 that her cellphone had a lot of information on it about the relationship between her and Rosa Hollifield, the search warrant said.

During the course of the investigation, the detective discovered there could be more juvenile victims, and found out another social worker asked for the cellphone of another child on April 5, according to a search warrant filed in Felicia Hollifields case.

On this childs cellphone, a social worker told detectives she found text messages between the child and Felicia Hollifield that were inappropriate and in a sexual nature, the search warrant said.

Felicia Hollifield had been a foster parent for Southmountain but had left her position hoping to adopt two of the children she had fostered, according to this search warrant. The child whose phone was searched was one of the children Felicia Hollifield wanted to adopt, according to the search warrant.

After the child had been taken from Felicia Hollifields custody, the Live360 app had been installed on the childs phone, the search warrant said, allowing her to track the childs whereabouts.

Additionally, the detective investigating the case reported seeing an inappropriate interaction between Felicia Hollifield and the child on security camera footage from Southmountain, the search warrant said.

Felicia Hollifield was taken into custody Thursday afternoon at her home in Caldwell County, according to the arrest report. Her bond was set at $10,000 secured.

Hours before Felicia Hollifield was arrested Thursday, Rosa Hollifield appeared in court on a motion to have her $200,000 secured bond reduced.

Rosa Hollifields attorney, Michelle Lippert, said there were three reasons she was requesting the bond be modified, including:

Bond guidelines in operation for the county, which Lippert said would have made Rosa Hollifields maximum bond be $100,000.

Rosa Hollifields longstanding residence in North Carolina, where she has lived since she was 19. Lippert said this should prove the defendant had no intention of leaving the state if she was released from jail.

Hollifields strong support system in the community, including family, friends, former coworkers and people with whom she attended church. There were about 10 people in attendance to support her Thursday.

But prosecutors railed against the bond modification, with Chief Assistant District Attorney Mitch Walker saying text messages between Rosa Hollifield and the child indicated she had suggested leaving the state. He also spoke about some of the evidence in the case, including surveillance video and phone records.

Ultimately, District Court Judge Andrea Plyler denied the motion for bond modification. She did grant another motion from Lippert, which was a motion to preserve evidence used in the case.

Southmountain Children and Family Services Director Chris Jernigan told The News Herald neither of the Hollifields were employed by the agency when the alleged incidents took place. He confirmed one of them was dismissed before the incident took place, but her dismissal was not related to the mistreatment of children, and confirmed the other left her position with the agency to become an adoptive parent.

Prior to their hiring, we completed extensive background checks that included finger print checks through the NCSB, Jernigan said. There was not any indication in their backgrounds that would have led us to believe that either of them would harm a child in any way. If there had been, we certainly would not have employed them. The safety and well-being of the children in our care has always been and continues to be of the upmost importance to us.

Felicia Hollifield will make her first appearance in court Monday, while Rosa Hollifield is set for another appearance Thursday, according to court records.
Saturday

Buttes Fred Crase returns as iconic Elton John

Butte entertainer Fred Crase returns again this year to perform Elton John's greatest hits at 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at the Elks Lodge 240, 206 W. Galena St. The 21-and-older event supports the Orphan Girl Children's Theatre and the Mining City Choral Union. In addition to the concert, there will be games as well. Doors will open at 7 p.m. Advance tickets are $35 and can be purchased at the Elks, Headframe Spirits, and the Freeway. Tickets are $40 at the door.

Food truck festival

Montana Booking Agency and Collective Elevation will have a Butte Food Truck Festival from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at Collective Elevation, 34 E. Galena St. Music, food and much more. Vendors can apply by contacting Matt at 406-498-3549 or Boyle@montanabooking.com.

Symphony's season grand finale

Butte Symphony Orchestra and Marcia Henry Liebenow will perform Bruch Violin Concerto in G Minor at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 22, at the Mother Lode Theatre, 316 W. Park St. The symphony ends with the first movement of the Bruckner Symphony No. 5, bridging the artistic gap between Wagner and Mahler. For more details, call 406-723-5590.

New Songs for the Butte Mining Camp

The Butte-Silver Bow Archives and the historic Clark Chateau will again be hosting the popular project, New Songs for the Butte Mining Camp at Clark Chateau, 321 W. Broadway. Music from Ron Ivy can be heard from 5-7 p.m. and tickets are $10.

Out of the Darkness Campus Walk

This free event at the Highlands College campus, 25 Basin Creek Road, starting at 10:30 a.m., is part of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention's signature student fundraising series designed to engage youths, young adults and the community to prevent suicide. Check-in starts at 9:30 a.m. and this is a free event.

Mother's Day gift making

Drop by the United Way office in the Butte Plaza Mall, 3100 Harrison Ave., from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to make a unique gift for Mother's Day. Children under 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult (preferably not their mother) or an older sibling. For more details, call 406-782-1255.

Big Hole History Volume II Presale Event

The Bookstore in Dillon will host a presale event for the History of the Big Hole Volume II from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Help support the preservation of local stories by pre-ordering your book or joining the Big Hole Historical Society. Discover amazing stories of local pioneers, meet historians on-site and pick up a copy of the History of the Big Hole Volume I. Contact the Big Hole Historical Society on Facebook with questions.

CLUBS AND MEETINGS

Butte-Silver Bow Public Library, 226 W. Broadway St., welcomes volunteers to help at 10 a.m. Saturdays. For details, call 406-723-3361.

The Science Mine, 36 E. Granite St., will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Explore magnetism in the steam-powered kids' project, the binary counter, Tesla coils, stream tables, laser mazes, and more. Non-member admission is $5 per person and $15 per family. For details, call Jacqueline at 406-559-7279 or email jmjanosko@gmail.com.
Dawson Community College helped provide rapid training for a group of laid off Sidney Sugars employees who expressed interest in the trade of welding.

Over the course of two weeks between April 3 and 13, a total of 14 Sidney Sugars employees showed up to a specialized welding trailer in Sidney, beginning a rapid 25-hour training class designed to prepare the students for an entry-level welding job.

The 13-foot by 8-foot welding trailer, owned by Great Falls College and provided through a partnership between it and DCC, consists of six welding bays and a small classroom area.

The rapid welding training was funded through the Department of Labor and Industrys Dislocated Worker Program, which is purposed to provide services to individuals who meet one of the five categories of a dislocated worker.

According to DCC Director of Workforce Development and Continuing Education Sara Engle, the rapid training proved overall successful, and those who took advantage of the training expressed they wish the class was longer.

It went over very well, Engle said. Most of the feedback I got is they wish they would have had longer during each day.

She added the 14 participants were divided into three groups  five in the first two groups and four in a third group  and trained three-and-a-half hours per day.

They were just starting to get the hang of it and then class ends and youve got to wait until you come back the next day, Engle said.

Despite the rapid nature of the training, all of them shared with Engle how much they enjoyed it and how valuable it was to them.

Even one who she explained was a little bit apprehensive at the start of the 25-hour training ended with an enjoyment for welding, as well as an award for best weld.

(On) the last day, he apologized to everybody and we did ... a competition for whoever had the best weld and whoever had the best trophy, and he won the best weld, Engle said. It was awesome.

The curriculum for the training was ultimately put together by DCCs own welding technology instructors Doug Buscho and Riley Caudle, and taught by former DCC faculty Brent Nelson of Wibaux and alumni Alli Silvernale of Glendive.

Engle expressed gratitude for all of the work each of them put into making the training possible.

We had the best instructors (and) they did an awesome job, she said.

She specifically pointed to Silvernales involvement in the training.

I wanted that dynamic because we had one female sign up for this who was super nervous, Engle noted, adding even Silvernale expressed some nervousness in teaching others how to weld. Shes a dang good welder, but being able to demonstrate that to somebody else, she was a little nervous how her approach was going to be taken by others.

All 14 students in the rapid training ended the two weeks with a certificate on the same day Sidney Sugars was expected to send them home for the last time at 3 p.m. on Friday, April 14.

Although an unfortunate situation for those dislocated as a result of the Sidney Sugars closure, Engle believes the 14 that DCC was able to assist through the 25-hour welding training will move on and continue to contribute to the workforce in a different capacity.

That was the whole point of the class, to give them that exposure to a whole new trade because a lot of them have only welded in high school classes, she said. Maybe theyve watched the welders at Sidney Sugars and got to stand by them and do a little (bit of) tack welding with them, but have never really gotten in deep to do a full-blown class and learn about it.

While 14 students in the training may not seem like many, Engle is ultimately proud that DCC is able to provide services to people in both Dawson County and surrounding communities who need assistance so they can continue contributing to the local workforce and economies in the communities they reside.

If we can even help one person, thats good enough for me, Engle said. Employers are going to be lucky if they get a former Sidney Sugars employee because they are all hard workers.
Its just a coincidence that the month that begins with a day dedicated to fools is the same month that we raise awareness about the importance of financial education.

April is National Financial Capability Month (formerly Financial Literacy Month), which highlights the value of high-quality financial education in improving Americans' financial capability.

I thought about this noble goal as I read about dual fraud charges from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York against the now-shuttered student-loan-assistance company previously known as Frank.

The target of the complaint was Frank's founder, 31-year-old Charlie Javice, who, according to Gurbir S. Grewal, director of the SECs Division of Enforcement, engaged in an old-school fraud: She lied about Franks success in helping millions of students navigate the college financial-aid process by making up data to support her claims. Javice, a 2019 inductee of the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, denies the allegations.

In an interesting twist, Javices alleged misdeeds were not carried out to scam the users of her service; rather, she is accused of faking the number of users of her service to induce JP Morgan Chase to purchase her company for $175 million in 2021. While this was an old-school fraud, Javice utilized advanced technology, in the form of a third-party data scientist who helped show an inflated 4.25 million users versus the actual fewer than 300,000.

If a large investment bank like JP Morgan Chase can be fooled, pity the rest of us! How are we to parse the real deal from the fraudsters or the benign but non-credentialed folks who migrate to TikTok, YouTube, Reddit and the like?

Dubious financial advice or get-rich-quick videos are amplified through these platforms, and for some users, its difficult to parse real financial education from self-serving claptrap. Many who are touting ideas may have an agenda that is far afield from what is best for your financial life.

As we mark National Financial Capability Month, I encourage people to seek out education but note that the description from the official declaration of Financial Capability Month that I cited in the beginning of this article was high-quality financial education.

For that, I encourage you to turn to credible and reliable sources. An easy place to start is to check out the persons bio to find out whether the source of the information has important professional certifications, licenses or designations. Top certifications and memberships include CFP certification from the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards (a designation that I hold), CPA Personal Financial Specialists, members of the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors, and Chartered Financial Analyst.

All of these designations require their holders to act and communicate with the public as a fiduciary. A fiduciary duty requires that the person providing advice or guidance acts in your best interest, even if doing so is not in their companys best interest.

It may surprise you to learn that about half of the so-called financial professionals out there do NOT have to put your best interest first. They are held to a lesser standard, called suitability, which means that anything they sell you has to be appropriate for you.

If the advice-giver or educator has no experience and no qualifications, you can still enjoy the content, but do so with a critical eye.

These platforms may be fun and entertaining, but know that youre entering the mosh pit of investing. Sift through what you encounter with a keen and skeptical eye. Try to poke holes in what you hear and not become too emotionally invested.
NEW YORK  Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg agreed Friday to let Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee question an ex-prosecutor about the criminal case against former President Donald Trump.

Under the agreement, committee members will be able to question Mark Pomerantz under oath next month in Washington. The deal resolves a lawsuit in which Bragg had sought to block Pomerantz from testifying, ending a legal dispute that escalated to a federal appeals court just weeks after Trump's historic indictment.

Pomerantz will be accompanied by a lawyer from Bragg's office, an accommodation the committee said it would have allowed even without Friday's agreement.

Bragg's office and the Judiciary Committee reached the agreement after the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay Thursday that temporarily halted enforcement of a House subpoena that called for Pomerantz to testify.

The appeals court had been scheduled to hear oral arguments in the dispute Tuesday.

Bragg's office said the agreement, delaying Pomerantz's testimony until May 12, preserves the district attorney's "privileges and interests" in his ongoing Trump prosecution.

"Our successful stay of this subpoena blocked the immediate deposition and afforded us the time necessary to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that protects the District Attorney's privileges and interests," Bragg's office said in a statement.

"We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe. We are gratified that the Second Circuit's ruling provided us with the opportunity to successfully resolve this dispute," Bragg's office said.

Bragg appealed to the 2nd Circuit after a lower court judge ruled Wednesday that there was no legal basis to block the Judiciary Committee's subpoena and that Pomerantz's deposition must go forward as scheduled.

Under the agreement, Bragg withdrew his appeal.

Russell Dye, a spokesperson for committee Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio Republican, said in a statement, "Mr. Pomerantz's deposition will go forward on May 12, and we look forward to his appearance."

Pomerantz once oversaw the yearslong Trump investigation but left the job after clashing with Bragg over the direction of the case. He recently wrote a book about his work pursuing Trump and discussed the investigation in interviews on "60 Minutes" and other shows.

Bragg, a Democrat, sued Jordan and the Judiciary Committee last week seeking to block the subpoena. His lawyer, Theodore Boutrous, argued that seeking Pomerantz's testimony was part of a "transparent campaign to intimidate and attack" Bragg and Congress was "invading a state" to investigate a local prosecutor when it had no authority to do so.

Boutrous said House Republicans' interest in Bragg amounted to Congress "jumping in and haranguing the D.A. while the prosecution is ongoing."

The Judiciary Committee started scrutinizing Bragg's investigation of the former president in the weeks that preceded his indictment. Jordan sent letters seeking interviews with Bragg and documents before subpoenaing Pomerantz. U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, a Trump appointee, said in her ruling Wednesday that she would handle any legal fights that may arise from other subpoenas in the committee's investigation of Bragg.

A committee lawyer, Matthew Berry, said at that hearing that Congress has legitimate legislative reasons for wanting to question Pomerantz and examine Bragg's prosecution of Trump, citing the office's use of $5,000 in federal funds to pay for Trump-related investigations.

Congress is also considering legislation, offered by Republicans in the wake of Trump's indictment, to change how criminal cases against former presidents unfold, Berry said. One bill would prohibit prosecutors from using federal funds to investigate presidents, and another would require any criminal cases involving a former president be resolved in federal court instead of at the state level.

House Republicans, Berry said, want to protect the sovereignty and autonomy of the presidency, envisioning a scenario where the commander in chief could feel obligated to make certain decisions to avoid having local prosecutors in politically unfavorable jurisdictions charge them with crimes after they leave office.

For those reasons, Berry argued, Congress is immune from judicial intervention, citing the speech and debate clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Pomerantz could refuse to answer certain questions, citing legal privilege and ethical obligations, and Jordan would rule on those assertions on a case-by-case basis, Berry said, but he shouldn't be exempt from showing up. If Jordan were to overrule Pomerantz and he still refused to answer, he could then face a criminal referral to the Justice Department for contempt of Congress, but that wouldn't happen immediately, Berry said.

Trump was indicted last month on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records related to hush-money payments made during the 2016 campaign to bury allegations of extramarital sexual encounters. He denied wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty.

Photos: Donald Trump's arraignment
 Flash

China will continue to levy anti-dumping duties on imports of dispersion unshifted single-mode optical fibers from the European Union (EU) and the United States for another five years, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said Friday.

The extension will take effect from April 22, the MOC said in an online statement, adding that the decision was made following an expiry review launched at the request of the domestic industry in April last year.

The MOC ruled that should the anti-dumping measures be scrapped, dumping would continue or reoccur in the Chinese market and have harmful effects on the domestic industry, according to the statement.

China started to impose anti-dumping duties on imported dispersion unshifted single-mode optical fibers from the EU and the United States from April 2011.

Dispersion unshifted single-mode optical fibers are used for high-speed and long-distance data transmission, such as in the long-distance communication and cable TV networks.
NEW YORK  Artificial intelligence imaging can be used to create art, try on clothes in virtual fitting rooms or help design advertising campaigns.

But experts fear the darker side of the easily accessible tools could worsen something that primarily harms women: nonconsensual deepfake pornography.

Deepfakes are videos and images that have been digitally created or altered with artificial intelligence or machine learning. Porn created using the technology first began spreading across the internet several years ago when a Reddit user shared clips that placed the faces of female celebrities on the shoulders of porn actors.

Since then, deepfake creators have disseminated similar videos and images targeting online influencers, journalists and others with a public profile. Thousands of videos exist across a plethora of websites. And some have been offering users the opportunity to create their own images  essentially allowing anyone to turn whoever they wish into sexual fantasies without their consent, or use the technology to harm former partners.

The problem, experts say, grew as it became easier to make sophisticated and visually compelling deepfakes. And they say it could get worse with the development of generative AI tools that are trained on billions of images from the internet and spit out novel content using existing data.

The reality is that the technology will continue to proliferate, will continue to develop and will continue to become sort of as easy as pushing the button, said Adam Dodge, the founder of EndTAB, a group that provides trainings on technology-enabled abuse. And as long as that happens, people will undoubtedly  continue to misuse that technology to harm others, primarily through online sexual violence, deepfake pornography and fake nude images.

Noelle Martin, of Perth, Australia, has experienced that reality. The 28-year-old found deepfake porn of herself 10 years ago when out of curiosity one day she used Google to search an image of herself. To this day, Martin says she doesnt know who created the fake images, or videos of her engaging in sexual intercourse that she would later find. She suspects someone likely took a picture posted on her social media page or elsewhere and doctored it into porn.

Horrified, Martin contacted different websites for a number of years in an effort to get the images taken down. Some didn't respond. Others took it down but she soon found it up again.

You cannot win, Martin said. "This is something that is always going to be out there. Its just like it's forever ruined you.

The more she spoke out, she said, the more the problem escalated. Some people even told her the way she dressed and posted images on social media contributed to the harassment  essentially blaming her for the images instead of the creators.

Eventually, Martin turned her attention toward legislation, advocating for a national law in Australia that would fine companies 555,000 Australian dollars ($370,706) if they didnt comply with removal notices for such content from online safety regulators.

But governing the internet is next to impossible when countries have their own laws for content that's sometimes made halfway around the world. Martin, currently an attorney and legal researcher at the University of Western Australia, says she believes the problem has to be controlled through some sort of global solution.

In the meantime, some AI models say they're already curbing access to explicit images.

OpenAI says it removed explicit content from data used to train the image generating tool DALL-E, which limits the ability of users to create those types of images. The company also filters requests and says it blocks users from creating AI images of celebrities and prominent politicians. Midjourney, another model, blocks the use of certain keywords and encourages users to flag problematic images to moderators.

Meanwhile, the startup Stability AI rolled out an update in November that removes the ability to create explicit images using its image generator Stable Diffusion. Those changes came following reports that some users were creating celebrity inspired nude pictures using the technology.

Stability AI spokesperson Motez Bishara said the filter uses a combination of keywords and other techniques like image recognition to detect nudity and returns a blurred image. But its possible for users to manipulate the software and generate what they want since the company releases its code to the public. Bishara said Stability AIs license extends to third-party applications built on Stable Diffusion and strictly prohibits any misuse for illegal or immoral purposes.

Some social media companies have also been tightening up their rules to better protect their platforms against harmful materials.

TikTok said in March all deepfakes or manipulated content that show realistic scenes must be labeled to indicate theyre fake or altered in some way, and that deepfakes of private figures and young people are no longer allowed. Previously, the company had barred sexually explicit content and deepfakes that mislead viewers about real-world events and cause harm.

The gaming platform Twitch also recently updated its policies around explicit deepfake images after a popular streamer named Atrioc was discovered to have a deepfake porn website open on his browser during a livestream in late January. The site featured phony images of fellow Twitch streamers.

Twitch already prohibited explicit deepfakes, but now showing a glimpse of such content  even if its intended to express outrage  will be removed and will result in an enforcement, the company wrote in a blog post. And intentionally promoting, creating or sharing the material is grounds for an instant ban.

How AI predicts what youll buy How AI predicts what youll buy Compiling user movement across the web Identifying user characteristics Mapping user location data Matching new users to known customers who look and act in similar ways IP address targeting by network connection
LAS VEGAS  Families of people killed in the Las Vegas Strip massacre in October 2017 will receive shares of almost all the $1.4 million estate of the man who unleashed the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history and killed himself before police reached him, according to a probate case that ended Thursday in Nevada.

In the next several weeks, a total of almost $1.3 million will be distributed to the families of 61 victims of the shooting, said Alice Denton, the Las Vegas attorney who handled the case with her partner, Jarien Cho, at no cost to the estate of the gunman, Stephen Paddock.

"We have done what we set out to do," Denton said of the more than five-year process to appraise, sell and distribute proceeds from Paddock's assets, including two homes and an investment property in Nevada, a vehicle and 49 guns.

"We worked to ensure that the victims' families received the most that they could," she told The Associated Press. "The guns were destroyed, and the funds will be distributed to the families of the deceased victims according to the direction of the shooter's mother. None of the money is going to anyone in the Paddock family."

Fifty-eight people died the night of the shooting, and authorities said two died months later from their wounds. More than 850 people were injured.

The list of recipients of shares of Paddock's estate was sealed by the court, and Denton said she could not disclose the identity of a 61st person or how they died.

"This is not intended in any way to compensate for the loss of these lives. It can't," Clark County District Court Judge Gloria Sturman said as she closed the case, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported.

The guns  including assault-style rifles that authorities found had been fitted with "bump stock" devices to make them fire more rapidly  were purchased for $62,500 by an anonymous donor in January 2019 with the provision that they be turned over to the FBI, according to court records.

Thirty-six of the weapons were destroyed, according to documents the FBI provided on Feb. 28 to the estate, and 13 were kept by the bureau for training purposes.

Las Vegas police and the FBI said they never found a conclusive motive for Paddock to rain gunfire from a 32nd-floor suite at the Mandalay Bay resort into an open-air concert audience of 22,000 people across Las Vegas Boulevard. Recent disclosures of material collected by the FBI and letters released by Las Vegas police provided new looks at the case but no additional answers.

Paddock was a 64-year-old retired postal service worker, accountant and real estate investor with a penchant for guns and gambling, and homes in Reno and Mesquite, a retirement community more than an hour's drive from Las Vegas. His investment property was in suburban Henderson.

His father was a notorious bank robber and federal prison escapee once listed on the FBI's most-wanted list. Stephen Paddock held a private pilot's license, and he sometimes wagered tens of thousands of dollars at a time playing video poker.

Police and the FBI concluded that Paddock meticulously planned the shooting, burned through more than $1.5 million of personal savings and distanced himself from his girlfriend and family in the months before the Las Vegas shooting.

A settlement totaling $800 million was reached in September 2020 between casino company MGM Resorts International and its insurers with more than 4,400 relatives and victims of the shooting to resolve lawsuits involving plaintiffs from nearly every state in the U.S., at least eight Canadian provinces, the United Kingdom, Iran and Ireland.

The US surpasses 160 mass shootings in 2023. Here's every event mapped The US surpasses 100 mass shootings in 2023here's every event mapped Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space Mass shootings have happened in gun-friendly statesand some stricter ones Mass shootings take place in nearly every type of public and private space
An Iowa nurse accused of stealing patient painkillers on three separate occasions has agreed to surrender her license.

Last October, police and paramedics were called to the Coon Rapids home of Roberta Landon, an Iowa-licensed nurse, in response to a call about a suspected drug overdose. According to state records, they found Landon at the house in an unresponsive state.

Police records indicate that at the time, Landon, 66, was working at the New Homestead care facility in Guthrie Center. An investigation allegedly determined that the day before the incident at her house, Landon was working at New Homestead and had signed out a fentanyl patch  a narcotic painkiller to be applied to an elderly female residents skin.

When the resident was examined, however, an older patch was found on her skin. Landon had allegedly flipped that patch over so the non-medicated side was facing outward, and then signed and dated it as if it were the new patch she had procured. Landon allegedly admitted to police she had taken the residents painkiller patch for her own use.

After being charged by the Board of Nursing with stealing patient medications, falsifying records and committing an act that could adversely affect a patients welfare, Landon recently agreed to surrender her license.

Police have charged Landon with wanton neglect of a dependent adult, theft and possession of a controlled substance. A plea hearing in the case is scheduled for June 5.

Landon has a history of disciplinary action and criminal charges related to the practice of nursing.

In 1991, Landon misappropriated the narcotic painkiller Demerol from a health care facility in Missouri and was subsequently convicted of a felony. The Iowa Board of Nursing later issued Landon a warning for the offense.

In 1998, the board charged Landon with committing unethical conduct by stealing medications from a nursing home where she worked, Manor of Malvern. She had allegedly locked herself in a restroom while on duty at the facility, injected herself with Demerol, and was later found staggering and on the verge of passing out. According to board records, she then left the facility and drove her vehicle into a ditch. A police officer allegedly found several needles or syringes on the car seat next to Landon.

An investigation concluded Landon had taken the Demerol, intended for a resident in severe pain, and then replaced the missing drug with a diluted solution to conceal the theft. The Board of Nursing subsequently revoked her license.

In 2002, the board agreed to reinstate Landons license subject to certain restrictions. One year later, Landon surrendered her license as an alternative to complying with those restrictions. In 2011, the board agreed to reinstate her license.

Other Iowa nurses recently sanctioned by the board include:

Mindy Jones, Stuart  Court records indicate that last March, police searched Jones home and found many juveniles scattered throughout the residence, along with a wide assortment of drug paraphernalia and a container with oxycodone, tramadol, cyclobenzaprine and hydrocodone pills. At the time, Jones was working for the Total Nursing Network. She allegedly told police that a methamphetamine pipe that was found was hers and that she had recently taken up smoking meth.

Jones later pleaded guilty to drug possession, and a child endangerment charge was dismissed. Under the terms of an agreement with the board, Jones will retain her Iowa nursing license, which has been placed on probation for 12 months. During that time she must refrain from using alcohol or illicit drugs and submit to chemical screening.

Joel Anderson, Omaha, Nebraska  Anderson was allegedly working at an unspecified Iowa hospital in September of last year when the hospital pharmacy discovered he had pulled three doses of narcotics that he never documented as being administered to patients or being discarded. A subsequent audit found several doses of narcotic and non-narcotic medications had been pulled by Anderson without any record of them being given to patients or discarded. Anderson allegedly stated that he had a medical condition and had run out of the medication hed been prescribed to treat the condition, which may have contributed to his actions. The board charged Anderson with failing to assess or accurately document the status of a patient and ordered him to complete 30 hours of educational training related to medical documentation.

Ranae Fallis, West Des Moines  Fallis was charged by the board with unauthorized use of controlled substances. While employed at an unspecified Iowa hospital in July 2022, she alleged submitted to a reasonable-suspicion drug test that came back positive for cocaine. The board placed Fallis license on probation for 18 months, during which time she can continue to practice while submitting to chemical screening.

Lora Hyde, Ottumwa  Hyde was charged by the board with unauthorized use of controlled substances. The board alleged that in September of last year, some unidentified person or organization asked Hyde to submit to a drug test that came back positive for marijuana. The board placed Hydes license on probation for 18 months, during which time she can continue to practice while submitting to chemical screening. The board issued Hyde a warning.

Jeri Moore, Dexter  Moore was charged by the board with falsifying patient records in connection with her employment as a home health nurse. The board ordered her to complete 30 hours of educational training in ethics.

Rebecca Winter, Sheldon  Winter was charged with committing an act that could adversely affect the physical or psychosocial welfare of a patient. The board alleged that while working as a home-care nurse last September, Winter interacted with a pediatric patient in an aggressive manner.

The status of new cybersecurity laws proposed in Iowa The status of new cybersecurity laws proposed in Iowa
A Vallejo man was arrested Saturday after leading police on a chase down Highway 29 from Calistoga to St. Helena and then refusing to leave his disabled vehicle.

The incident started when Calistoga police tried to pull over a vehicle at 7:50 a.m., according to St. Helena Police Chief Chris Hartley. The driver sped off on southbound Highway 29 with police in pursuit.

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As the pursuit neared St. Helena, St. Helena police officers deployed a spike strip in the elm tunnel, disabling the suspect's vehicle. He pulled over but refused to leave the car, Hartley said.

Based on the vehicle's license plate, police determined the driver had a felony warrant for arson, Hartley said. Police weren't sure if he was armed, but they knew he had a Malinois in the car with him, the same dog often used for police K-9 units.

St. Helena police called for the California Highway Patrol to close the road and asked for the Napa County Sheriff's Office's help with a drone.

After about 40 minutes, police broke the car's rear window and deployed pepper balls, but the suspect still refused to come out, Hartley said. Officers from St. Helena, Calistoga and the sheriff's office deployed ballistic shields and entered the vehicle, using a taser when the suspect continued to resist, Hartley said.

Henry Robert Harvey, 43, of Vallejo was eventually pulled out of the car and arrested. Hartley expected him to be booked at the Napa County Jail for felony evasion and related charges after being medically cleared at Adventist Health St. Helena for minor injuries he sustained during the incident.

A St. Helena police officer suffered minor cuts to his hand when he broke the driver's-side window and unlocked the door from the inside.

Police had not found any weapons as of 10 a.m., but Hartley said they hadn't taken a full inventory of the car. Napa County Animal Control secured the suspect's dog.

Highway 29 was closed between Deer Park Road and Pratt Avenue from approximately 8:45 to 10 a.m.

PHOTOS: Training for an active shooter situation in St.Helena
The Napa Valley Register community calendar includes events submitted by our readers. To list your event in the community calendar, fill out the online form at napavalleyregister.com/forms/nvrcalendar.

Sunday, April 23

Community Cleanup

9-11:30 a.m. Napa County Resource Conservation District hosts Earth Day community cleanups throughout Napa. For a list of cleanup sites, visit naparcd.org/events/earthday2023.

Earth Day Napa

11 a.m.-4 p.m. Environmental Education Coalition of Napa County hosts an Earth Day festival at the Napa Oxbow Commons, 1268 McKinstry St., Napa. Enjoy interactive booths, live music, dance performances, crafts, games, and more! Learn about green products and services, and find out how to get involved locally to make a difference for the Earth. Free admission. Info, earthdaynapacoordinator@gmail.com.

'Newsies'

2 p.m. American Canyon High School Theater Arts students present the musical "Newsies." Tickets are available at achsdrama.org. Additional performances will be held April 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. and April 30 at 2 p.m.

Tuesday, April 25

Making Memories Last

6 p.m. Napa County Library and Napa Valley Genealogical Society team up to host a virtual meeting that introduces community members to the Napa County Library's Memory Lab. In honor of Preservation Week, take a tour through a variety of different resources to digitize and protect family treasures and collections. Experts from the Napa County Library's Memory Lab and the Napa Valley Genealogical Society will walk guests through how to best preserve family memories in different formats, followed by a Q&A. Free admission. Info, makingmemorieslast.eventbrite.com; 707-254-4235.

Friday, April 28

World Affairs Napa Valley

6 p.m. World Affairs Napa Valley hosts "EARTH DAY - Climate, Ecology & Adaptation" at Yountville Community Center, 6516 Washington St., Yountville. The event includes a presentation by wine expert Brian Freedman (best-selling author of "Crushed") on climate, wine and agriculture around the world. He will be joined by a panel of ecology-minded Napa Valley growers. There will also be a silent auction. Tickets are $40-$45. Info, worldaffairs.org/events/event/2267; 707-738-4500; napavalley@worldaffairs.org.

Saturday, April 29

Bilingual Family Biking Workshop

9-11 a.m. Napa County Bicycle Coalition hosts a bilingual family biking workshop at Shearer Elementary School, 1590 Elm St., Napa, to teach children ages 5-12 and their parents/caregivers the skills they need to ride bikes safely and confidently. Space is limited. Sign up at bit.ly/shearerfbw. Student does not have to attend Shearer to participate. Info, csainato@napabike.org.

Arts & Crafts Fair

11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friends of New Tech (FONT) Board hosts the New Tech High's Spring Arts & Crafts Fair at 920 Yount St., Napa. Guests will find handmade arts and crafts, baked goods, jewelry, clothing and more. Free admission. Info, kimssweetkarma@gmail.com.

Sunday, April 30

Spring Concert

4 p.m. Saint Helena Community Band Spring Concert is held at the St. Helena High School Performing Arts Center, 1401 Grayson Ave., St. Helena. Free admission. Open seating. Info, SaintHelenaBand.org; 707-963-3391.

Sunday, May 7

Bikefest

9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Napa County Bicycle Coalition hosts Bikefest at South Napa Century Center, 155 Gasser Drive, Napa. Bikefest brings together bike enthusiasts from across the Bay Area for a day of celebrating life on two wheels. The event includes a bike swap meet, bands, group rides, a bike rodeo and decorating station, and more. Free admission. Info, napabike.org/bikefest; 707-258-6318; info@napabike.org.

Saturday, May 13

Anniversary celebration

4-6 p.m. Hearts And Hands Preschool, 1504 Myrtle St., Calistoga, hosts its 20th anniversary celebration. Festivities include wine and light bites, a silent auction and raffle. Tickets are $50. Info, heartsandhandskids.com; 707-495-5305; millie.jane.pease@gmail.com.
A firearm and bomb case that investigators tied to a plot to attack a state Democratic Party office has led to another prison sentence for Ian Benjamin Rogers  this time in a Napa courtroom.

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The 47-year-old Rogers, who was arrested after sheriffs deputies seized a cache of guns and explosives at his home and his Napa auto repair shop in January 2021, received an 11-year sentence Friday morning in Napa County Superior Court. Judge Joseph J. Solga imposed the term after Rogers pleaded no contest last month to five felony counts, including possession of a pipe bomb and an unregistered machine gun.

Rogers will serve the state sentence concurrently with the nine-year term he will serve in a federal prison after he pleaded guilty March 1 in connection to a plot to firebomb the John L. Burton building in Sacramento, which houses the Democratic Partys California headquarters. A co-defendant, Jarrod Copeland of Vallejo, also received a 4 -year federal term in that case.

The Napa sentence splits the difference between the 12-year term sought by prosecutors and the 10 years recommended by his defense attorney, Colin Cooper.

Solgas decision followed the continuation of a dispute over whether Rogers has shown enough remorse for his actions, which federal prosecutors said stemmed from his and Copelands belief that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from the Republican incumbent Donald Trump.

I dont think Mr. Rogers has taken complete responsibility for what he did in this case, Deputy District Attorney Kecia Lind said by videoconference during the hearing. He seems to think that he was railroaded by law enforcement and the justice system.

Lind pointed to a dispute last fall that delayed and nearly derailed Rogers guilty plea on federal explosives charges. In September, Judge Charles R. Breyer of the U.S. District Court in San Francisco halted the plea agreement, citing Rogers statement to probation officers about his regret for putting myself in a bad situation that allowed the government to destroy my life  a comment that, Breyer suggested, showed Rogers was more worried about being caught than admitting his crimes.

Breyer eventually cleared the plea deal and the resulting nine-year federal sentence after a psychiatric report determined that alcohol abuse  and the resulting lack of self-restraint  largely drove Rogers actions.

Cooper, arguing for a shorter state term, said Rogers willingness to take responsibility in the gun and explosives case in two different courts merits him some leniency, as does the absence of a previous criminal record.

He feels awful about what happened, he feels that hes let his family down, and thats why he agreed to resolve both cases, Cooper told Solga by speakerphone.

Rogers, his hands manacled in front of his dark-blue jail uniform, declared he now wants only to resolve the matter as quickly as possible.

The only thing I want now is to get this resolved, do my federal time, and go home and be with my family as soon as possible, Rogers, a father of two, told Solga from within the same glass-walled courtroom booth where he had agreed on March 23 not to fight the Napa County charges.

Rogers, who was moved from the Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County to the Napa jail after his federal sentencing, will be transferred to a federal prison to be determined later. Breyer, the judge in the federal case, has said he would recommend placing him at a prison in the Bay Area or greater Sacramento, in part to allow family members to visit.

Rogers has been in custody since his arrest on Jan. 15, 2021, after the discovery of pipe guns, machine guns and more than 40 other firearms at his home and inside British Auto Repair of the Napa Valley, the now-defunct garage he owned on Action Avenue in Napa.

Federal prosecutors outlined a plot by Rogers and Copeland to attack not only the state Democratic offices but the California governors mansion, Facebook and Twitter offices and other targets, using Molotov cocktails. The case included texts and online messages between the defendants the FBI pulled from Rogers cellphone, including statements from Rogers such as I want to blow up a democrat building bad and the dems need to pay.

Prosecutors also alleged that in late 2020, Copeland told Rogers he had contacted an anti-government militia group to bolster support for their movement. After Rogers arrest, they say Copeland contacted a militia group leader who advised him to erase his old messages and move to a new communication platform.

Before his sentencing in federal court, Rogers admitted owning the guns  some for more than 20 years  but denied ever having a bona fide plan to carry out an assault, saying he fired his guns only for fun and locked them in a safe when not in use. The bombs had been built in early 2020 to protect his family during an unspecified potential future event, he told Breyer in March.

Excessive drinking and the decline of his auto-repair business during the COVID-19 pandemic also sped Rogers path toward conspiracy-laden thinking, he added.

I only said stupid things, but these things have come back to haunt me a million times over, Rogers said at the time.

States where the most Jan. 6 rioters were arrested States where the most Jan. 6 rioters were arrested #49. Mississippi #48. Nebraska #47. Hawaii #46. Rhode Island #45. Vermont #44. New Mexico #43. South Dakota #42. Alaska #41. Louisiana #40. Nevada #39. New Hampshire #38. Connecticut #37. Arkansas #36. Maine #35. Montana #34. Delaware #33. Oregon #32. Idaho #31. Oklahoma #30. Iowa #29. Kansas #28. West Virginia #27. Wisconsin #26. Minnesota #25. Utah #24. Arizona #23. Massachusetts #22. Maryland #21. South Carolina #20. Alabama #19. Indiana #18. Colorado #17. Kentucky #16. North Carolina #15. Georgia #14. Michigan #13. Washington #12. Missouri #11. New Jersey #10. Tennessee #9. Washington, D.C. #8. Illinois #7. Virginia #6. Ohio #5. California #4. New York #3. Pennsylvania #2. Texas #1. Florida
The city of Napa announced on Friday that Raj Prasad, currently the citys deputy finance director, has been appointed to the finance director role. Prasad will officially start in the position on May 1, and the city will seek a new deputy director, according to a news release.

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The release states that Prasad, since joining the city government in 2022, has successfully directed Napas annual financial audit. He also implemented the Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement number 87, which has to do with more accurately portraying lease obligations in government financial statements, according to the announcement.

Prasad has also conducted citywide training on finance processes, and managed the post-Enterprise Resource Planning Project  an update to city processes such as payroll  implementation and troubleshooting.

Before joining the city, Prasad worked for over 18 years in local government and private sector financial management roles, the press release says. He was accounting manager for Citrus Heights outside of Sacramento, and before that worked as a senior accountant for West Sacramento.

Prasad received a bachelors degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix in Sacramento and a masters degree in accountancy from William Jessup University in Rocklin, the news release states.

Prasad will assume the position vacated by Anne Cardwell in January; Cardwell left the city to take on a deputy city manager job with the city of Berkeley. For the past few months, Bill Zenoni has assumed the acting finance director role while the city of Napa sought a permanent replacement.

PHOTOS: Napa holds Mixed Martial Arts Pro-Am Event
The Trader Joe's grocery store at 5727 College Ave. in Oakland has officially unionized, a first for the chain in the Bay Area and the state.

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Trader Joe's employees voted 73 to 53 in favor of unionizing Thursday after filing a petition with the National Labor Relations Board last month. The vote made the Bay Area storefront the first Trader Joe's in California to unionize.

Crew members were seen celebrating after the vote in a video shared on Twitter by @renepakmorrison. Trader Joe's United also celebrated with an Instagram post that simply read, "We won!"

SFGATE previously reported that the two employees at the Rockridge Trader Joe's location had filed two unfair labor practice charges against the grocery chain, alleging union busting. In their complaint filings, crew members stated that the chain had violated Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act by threatening to "retaliate against employees if they joined or supported a union."

In March, the Los Angeles Times reported that staff at the Oakland Trader Joe's fought to unionize in part due to a rat infestation that took two years to abate. The Oakland store on College Avenue now joins the ranks of three other unionized Trader Joe's stores in Hadley, Massachusetts, Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky.
Two legal advocacy groups that have bird-dogged school districts spending for a decade under California's education funding formula are calling for significant changes they say are vital for students the law is intended to serve.

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They join Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is also urging a big expansion of the Local Control Funding Formula on its 10th anniversary, including more funding for high-poverty schools. In pursuit of more equitable and transparent spending, both would broaden districts reporting requirements.

Public Advocates and the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California laid out their case for amending the funding formula in a 64-page report released last month. It focuses on strengthening the three-year plan of action that all districts write detailing goals for student improvement and the actions and spending theyll take to accomplish them. That document is the Local Control and Accountability Plan, the LCAP, which already runs from dozens to hundreds of pages in some districts.

Newsom would rather channel money to high-needs students through schools instead of the districts.

Public Advocates and the ACLU cite other longstanding problems that should be addressed, including:

- Many school districts go through the motions of engaging parents and students in writing their LCAPs but dont take their suggestions seriously.

- Many districts bunch big spending items together, making it impossible to track specific commitments.

- Districts provide a minimum time between presenting their LCAPs and voting on them, cutting debate short.

- Many districts dont include enough money in the LCAPs to show how they are meeting their full obligations under state law.

Overall, were still supportive of (the funding formula) and the promise it holds for increasing equitable outcomes in our state, said John Affeldt, managing attorney for Public Advocates, but that hinges on the LCAP working. We need to make sure it functions as intended.

California districts vary enormously in reading achievement, report finds Some districts with substantially numbers of low-income Latino students vastly outperform others when it comes to reading and writing.

Among their recommendations to fix it, Public Advocates and the ACLU call for:

- Strengthening requirements for districts to consider the perspectives of parents, students and the community when writing the local control plan. California should require more time for the public to review the draft LCAP and for school boards to consider the publics suggestions; districts should spend more money to expand their outreach to the public.

- Monitoring county offices of education, which are responsible for certifying districts LCAPs, to ensure they are doing their jobs. Recognizing that this work can be time-consuming, the report also calls for more funding to provide county offices with additional staff.

- Requiring that the LCAP include not only money provided through the funding formula, but also billions of dollars from all federal and state revenue sources that districts use to address the funding laws broadly defined priorities for student success. Those would include, for example, community schools efforts for counseling, tutoring and mental health.

About 80% of TK-12 funding from the states general fund is funneled through the Local Control Funding Formula. On top of base funding, an additional 20% is distributed according to the number of a districts or charter schools high-needs students, which the law defines as students from low-income families, English learners and foster youths.

As its name implies, the funding formula cedes more control over spending decisions to local school boards. But in return, the law obligated districts to engage parents on how money should be spent to meet eight priorities for improvement. Besides student achievement, they include student engagement, family involvement, school climate and basic school conditions, which includes equitable distribution of well-qualified teachers.

Former Gov. Jerry Brown, the funding formulas champion, quashed any effort to amend it as long as he was governor, saying it should be given time to work. At the same time, the State Board of Education, charged with rolling out the law, has regularly tweaked the LCAPs requirements and template. It has added the requirement that districts create an overview for parents and expenditure tables to track spending. A change that went into effect this year requires districts to permanently commit unspent funding for high-needs students, not funnel it to the general fund, as many districts had been doing. Public Advocates and the ACLU maintain these actions dont go far enough to fix fundamental flaws.

Newsom adds focus on schools

Now in his second term as governor, Newsom has announced ambitious changes as part of his 2023-24 budget.

The funding formula currently focuses on improving the performance of low-achieving students at the district level. Responding to criticism that districts have not paid enough attention and money to schools that high-needs students attend, Newsom proposes an additional $300 million in permanent funding, which he calls an equity multiplier. It would go to about 800 of the highest-poverty schools. He would broaden the LCAP to require improvement plans for not only equity multiplier schools but all schools where student groups score very low on state performance metrics. These groups include students with disabilities, English learners, and racial and ethnic groups.

Affleldt said Public Advocates supports Newsoms equity multiplier approach, but believes it will come up short unless the state addresses weaknesses in monitoring, transparency and accountability.

Expanding the LCAP to include revenue sources outside of the funding formula will be contentious. In the last several years, Newsom has committed more than $15 billion to specific purposes that are exempt from LCAP reporting: community schools, before- and after-school extended learning, and broadly defined learning recovery from the school shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. Newsoms advisers have argued that most of the funding is targeted to low-income students, consistent with the intent of the funding formula, and is mostly one-time funding, capturing a post-COVID surge in state revenue.

But the trend is increasingly problematic, the report argues, since the programs have different reporting periods or minimum accountability requirements, in the case of federal pandemic relief funding, making it hard for the public to know how huge amounts of money will be spent.

If the goal of comprehensive strategic planning is to evaluate the hard choices (districts) must make about the use of limited resources, all actions and expenditures that contribute towards state priority goals should be included, the report said, citing the states instructions for the LCAP. If forced to scour multiple documents to see how their district is dealing with chronic absenteeism or budgeting for mental health, for example, frustrated parents will give up on the local control plan, the report said.

LCAP overload

Critics say the additional reporting requirements could overload an already complex and often overwhelming document  especially for thousands of small districts where often a single administrator may be responsible for writing the LCAP and the 20 plans that districts must complete for new state and federal programs.

More is not always better, said Corey Greenlaw, associate director for LCAP and compliance for the Fresno County Office of Education. The LCAP risks becoming an unwieldy document, and thats a concern for us. We want to get it as efficient and lean as we can, so its more useful and usable to parents.

Theres no requirement that money from other sources be included in the LCAP, he said. Thats an option that districts have for clarity.

Matt Navo, executive director of the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence, a state agency that the Local Control Funding Formula established to help school districts improve, said, Its always a good thing when you can create a system that allows people to easily see how dollars that are equipping students may be better used.

But, he added, as a tool for continuous improvement, the LCAP was never designed to be the be-all, end-all for every reporting question that people might have.

Newsoms equity multiplier proposal also could greatly increase the length of many districts LCAPs by requiring adding dozens of school plans for student groups in individual schools. As a way to streamline the plans, the nonpartisan Legislative Advocates Office suggests creating an interactive online portal where LCAP expenditure data would be moved; users could choose the level of financial detail they want to explore.

The Public Advocates/ACLU report urges something similar  investing in an innovative, web-based comprehensive planning platform that would consolidate LCAP and other budgetary reporting. It should enable advocates and parents to compare districts LCAP spending priorities  something they cant do now.

Its unclear whether a proposed electronic version is realistic  and whether it could be both less complicated and more transparent. Greenlaw said he anticipates it would be complex and difficult to create. Navo suggested piloting an electronic template within one county and seeing if it produces the desired results.

Parent engagement is critical

Effective parent and community engagement and shared decision-making are, as the report notes, cornerstones of local control. Most districts adhere to most of the funding laws minimum requirements for engagement, but not its spirit. And yet researchers found that only one-quarter of the 20 districts provided responses to suggestions of parent committees, as the law requires; most local control plans dont say which were adopted and which were ignored.

The Legislature has allotted $100 million for a statewide LCAP engagement initiative, led by the San Bernardino County Office of Education. Over three years, 44 districts have participated; Public Advocates and the ACLU urge more districts to get involved.

The report makes numerous recommendations. To give parents more time to give feedback and the school board more time to consider it, the funding law should be amended to require at least a week or two between when an LCAP is presented at a public hearing and its adoption by the board.

It says districts should invest in getting the community involved by hiring staff to engage students and families, hiring community-based organizations to support engagement and providing stipends for parents and students to develop their leadership skills to co-lead engagement events.

It should empower county offices of education to monitor and even reject local control plans when districts fail to follow legal requirements, such as publicly posting LCAP documents, holding public hearings and regular meetings with parent LCAP committees.

The report highlighted bright spots of engagement, such as San Diego Unifieds translation of LCAP presentations into seven languages, Sacramento City Unifieds series of community listening sessions on how to support high-needs students, and Los Angeles Unifieds agreement to expand its Black Student Achievement Plan based on students suggestions.

But Alma Cervantes can testify that it can take years to build effective parent engagement by breaking down school districts resistance and building the confidence of low-income parents to view themselves as partners in developing strategies that get to the root causes of inequities for students.

Cervantes is the regional education equity and justice director of the nonprofit Building Healthy Communities-Monterey County, which has focused its work in Salinas and small school districts in Soledad and Alisal, where parents now elect school representatives to the District Advisory Committee and conduct parent training.

Districts dont have the bandwidth and capacity to really understand community engagement because it creates more work to step out of your comfort zone and create a culture of belonging, she said.

Every school should be required to have a year-round work plan for parent engagement, with goals, deliverables and time frames, she said. Otherwise, parents will feel overlooked by a districts rush every June to pass an LCAP, she said.

How widespread are problems?

Researchers examined 72 LCAPs for 2022-23, including all districts in Monterey and San Bernardino counties. Researchers intensely focused on 20 districts; they included the states four largest districts  Los Angeles, San Diego, Fresno and Long Beach, as well as Oakland and two small districts: Del Norte Unified in Del Norte County near the Oregon border, and Loleta Union Elementary School Distinct in Humboldt County on the North Coast.

Among the findings:

- Nearly a quarter of the districts budgeted less funding for services for high-needs students than the amount of funding they received for those students.

- Although districts are required to include base funding when explaining how they are meeting the eight state priorities, 51 districts (71%) included less than half of their budget in the LCAP.

- Districts frequently bundled large amounts of spending on multiple programs, making it hard to know how money would be spent. As an example, the Anaheim Union High School District said it would spend $15.9 million on staff to support the mental, physical, behavioral and emotional health of vulnerable students to reduce student suspensions, improve student learning, and promote well-being, according to the report.

Public Advocates has filed LCAP complaints over the years with several districts for underspending for high-needs students. In the report, Public Advocates and ACLU said that county offices of education routinely fall short of their duties by approving local control plans that do not adhere to the LCAP template or the expenditure regulations; one-third of the districts in the report had incomplete LCAPs after their county review, it said.

The California County Superintendents, which represents the states county offices, disputes that conclusion. The reports findings are based on a sampling of districts and county offices, not the majority, and shouldnt be generalized, said Lindsay Tornatore, director of systems improvement and student success for the California County Superintendents. You cant say that these findings are statistically sound because theyre not.

No one, including the county superintendents organization and the California Department of Education, has done a comprehensive analysis of LCAPs. There is no manageable way to dissect and aggregate disparate data from 1,000 districts. Jerry Brown intended it that way, to encourage districts to be independent without state interference.

"There isnt a database of LCAPs. Its what people can gather from district or county office websites by scraping (the data), said Julien Lafortune, a research fellow for the Public Policy Institute of California.

But Lafortune said the findings in the Public Advocates/ACLU report were consistent with what others have observed, including former State Auditor Elaine Howle. She was highly critical of districts spending and a lack of transparency in a 2019 analysis of only three districts LCAPs. Lafortunes own work in 2021, which found that only 55% of funding for high-needs students made it to the schools they attended, provides research supporting Newsoms equity multiplier.

Tornatore said the County Superintendents association is taking the report seriously and plans to meet soon with Public Advocates. If the governor and the Legislature have guidance for LCAP monitoring, they should provide clear expectations in statute, because county offices are often left to be the interpreters and the implementers of the ed code, she said.

She added that the county superintendents appreciate the reports call for more resources and support to county offices, because the LCAP is one of the most challenging, complex pieces of our educational system, without a doubt.

PHOTOS: Napa County Ag Day 2023
 Flash

Wang Yi, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, met with participants of a Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) National Executive Committee workshop led by CCM General Secretary Daniel Godfrey Chongolo in Beijing on Friday.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, said that President Hassan was the first African head of state China received after the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. During her visit to China, the two sides announced the elevation of China-Tanzania relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

Under these new circumstances, China is ready to work with Tanzania to implement the important consensus reached by the top leaders of the two parties and countries, deepen inter-party exchanges and cooperation, and promote the greater development of China-Tanzania and China-Africa relations, Wang said.

Chongolo said that Tanzania and China enjoy a profound traditional friendship, and that the CCM is willing to enhance its exchange of governance experience with China and promote bilateral and Africa-China cooperation for the benefit of both peoples.
Dramatic photos show how storms filled California reservoirs

FOLSOM, Calif. (AP)  Water levels fell so low in key reservoirs during the depth of California's drought that boat docks sat on dry, cracked land and cars drove into the center of what should have been Folsom Lake.

Those scenes are no more after a series of powerful storms dumped record amounts of rain and snow across California, replenishing reservoirs and bringing an end  mostly  to the state's three-year drought.

Now, 12 of California's 17 major reservoirs are filled above their historical averages for the start of spring. That includes Folsom Lake, which controls water flows along the American River, as well as Lake Oroville, the state's second largest reservoir and home to the nation's tallest dam.

It's a stunning turnaround of water availability in the nation's most populous state. Late last year nearly all of California was in drought, including at extreme and exceptional levels. Wells ran dry, farmers fallowed fields and cities restricted watering grass.

The water picture changed dramatically starting in December, when the first of a dozen " atmospheric rivers " hit, causing widespread flooding and damaging homes and infrastructure, and dumping as many as 700 inches (17.8 meters) of snow in the Sierra Nevada mountains.

"California went from the three driest years on record to the three wettest weeks on record when we were catapulted into our rainy season in January," said Karla Nemeth, director of California Department of Water Resources. "So, hydrologically, California is no longer in a drought except for very small portions of the state."

All the rain and snow, while drought-busting, may bring new challenges. Some reservoirs are so full that water is being released to make room for storm runoff and snowmelt that could cause flooding this spring and summer, a new problem for weary water managers and emergency responders.

The storms have created one of the biggest snowpacks on record in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The snowpack's water content is 239% of its normal average and nearly triple in the southern Sierra, according to state data. Now as the weather warms up, water managers are preparing for all that snow to melt, unleashing a torrent of water that's expected to cause flooding in the Sierra foothills and Central Valley.

"We know there will be flooding as a result of the snowmelt," Nemeth said. "There's just too much snowmelt to be accommodated in our rivers and channels and keeping things between levees."

Managers are now releasing water from the Oroville Dam spillway, which was rebuilt after it broke apart during heavy rains in February 2017 and forced the evacuation of more than 180,000 people downstream along the Feather River.

The reservoir is 16% above its historic average. That's compared to 2021, when water levels dropped so low that its hydroelectric dams stopped generating power.

That year the Bidwell Canyon and Lime Saddle marinas had to pull most recreational boats out of Lake Oroville and shut down their boat rental business because water levels were too low and it was too hard to get to the marinas, said Jared Rael, who manages the marinas.

In late March, the water at Lake Oroville rose to 859 feet (262 meters) above sea level, about 230 feet (70 meters) higher than its low point in 2021, according to state data.

"The public is going to benefit with the water being higher. Everything is easier to get to. They can just jump on the lake and have fun," Rael said. "Right now we have tons of water. We have a high lake with a bunch of snowpack. We're going to have a great year."

The abundant precipitation has prompted Gov. Gavin Newsom to lift some of the state's water restrictions and stop asking people to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15%.

Newsom has not declared the drought over because there are still water shortages along the California-Oregon border and parts of Southern California that rely on the struggling Colorado River.

Cities and irrigation districts that provide water to farms will receive a big boost in water supplies from the State Water Project and Central Valley Project, networks of reservoirs and canals that supply water across California. Some farmers are using the stormwater to replenish underground aquifers that had become depleted after years of pumping and drought left wells dry.

State officials are warning residents not to let the current abundance let them revert to wasting water. In the era of climate change, one extremely wet year could be followed by several dry years, returning the state to drought.

"Given weather whiplash, we know the return of dry conditions and the intensity of the dry conditions that are likely to return means we have to be using water more efficiently," Nemeth said. "We have to be adopting conservation as a way of life."
Any provocation or violence jeopardizes the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaijan, EU-Armenia relations rapporteur Andrey Kovatchev told Public Television Company of Armenia on April 21.

According to Kovatchev, with the recently adopted EU-Armenia relations resolution, the European Parliament has expressed its clear position, that Azerbaijan should stop its aggressive actions against the sovereign territory of Armenia, as well stop the blockade of the only road connecting Arstakh with Armenia.

When asked to assess Armenias concern that Azerbaijan is preparing new military aggression, Kovatchev noted that Baku has declared its commitment to the peace agenda and delimitation process.

This is the only peaceful and civilized way to resolve the situation, he said.
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Papikyan, Lentsov discuss urgent situation at zone of responsibility of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh
Microsoft President Brad Smith on Saturday warned that Chinese research organisations and companies will emerge as major rivals of ChatGPT, according to a report in Nikkei Asia. The tech giant is the biggest investor in OpenAI, the developer of the AI-powered chatbot. Smith said China will not be far behind as competition heats up among US technology giants such as Amazon and Google in the development of generative AI, according to Nikkei Asia. "We see three at the absolute forefront," Smith said in an interview in Tokyo with Nikkei Asia. One is Open AI with Microsoft, the second is Google, and "the third is the Beijing Academy of Artificial Intelligence." "Who's ahead and who's behind can change a bit from one part of the year to another, but one thing has been absolutely constant: the gap is almost always measured in months, not years," Smith said, calling the race to innovate "enormously competitive." According to Nikkei Asia, Generative AI -- the technology behind ChatGPT -- is capable of producing text and images at near-human levels of sophistication. The technology has excited the world with its potential in fields from business and the arts to education and health care, but it has also sparked fears that it could displace workers by automating many jobs, it added. Other concerns include its potential for spreading misinformation, infringing on copyrights, compromising privacy and leaking sensitive information. Smith argues that the solution to such concerns is not to stop innovation but rather to use and improve on existing products. Like other technologies, AI can be a tool as well as a weapon, he said, citing cyber attacks as an example. "We should absolutely assume, and even expect, that certain nation states will use AI to launch cyber attacks, even stronger cyber attacks and cyber influence operations than we see today," he warned. "What we have fundamentally found is that technology innovation, when pursued well, can actually lead to stronger defence at the expense of strong offence. That's the real lesson from the war in Ukraine," he said, pointing to American tech companies like Microsoft that have helped Ukraine defend against Russian cyber attacks throughout the year-long war. "Already, we are using AI to identify new attacks in real-time, and intercept them," he said. "We can move faster than even a human can go. ... We are using AI to detect cyber influence operations of foreign governments and disinformation campaigns," he said. But "if we can continue to combine the best minds of people with the best technology, that is an area where we should be able to outperform the adversaries of the world's democracies," he said. Smith is in Japan as the country hosts the Group of Seven industrial nations, according to Nikkei Asia. The government of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has said Japan will lead discussions about rules surrounding AI. Earlier this month, Kishida received a visit from Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, to talk about ways to protect user privacy and safety. On the business front, Japan is already tapping ChatGPT, according to Nikkei Asia. The country's three biggest banks are using it to lighten workloads, such as responding to internal queries and reducing paperwork. Insurers such as Tokio Marine are developing an AI system based on the ChatGPT platform to write draft answers for queries from policyholders and insurance agents. Smith said that the technology can address one of the biggest challenges facing Asia: labour shortages. "The working-age population has to support more people who have retired and are dependent on the economic growth of people who are working. We desperately need to find new sources of productivity growth," he said. "There is no other way to grow GDP." (ANI)
The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) received the Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Public Administration, 2022, in the category called 'Innovation-Central' for its successful implementation of the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. The award was conferred by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 16th Civil Services Day Celebration held here on Friday. On the occasion, Prime Minister Modi appreciated the efforts made under PM GatiShakti and further set the vision ahead for all line ministries, States and UTs. He highlighted all data layers related to any infrastructure that can be found on a single platform and stressed the need to utilize it to the maximum for better planning and execution, particularly in the social sector. National Master Plan is an approach that enables integrated and synchronised implementation of projects. It was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 13, 2021, with a vision to break departmental silos in government and institutionalize holistic planning for stakeholders across major infrastructure projects. National Master Plan aims to reduce the cost of logistics in India compared to global benchmarks by 2030, improve the Logistics Performance Index ranking (the endeavour is to be among the top 25 countries by 2030), and create a data-driven mechanism for an efficient logistics ecosystem. As of date, more than 30 central ministries or departments including Infrastructure, economic and social sector line ministries or departments and all 36 States and UTs have been onboarded under the NMP plan. According to the government, all Ministries and Departments and States and UTs are using and have benefitted from planning on PM GatiShakti NMP in terms of savings in time and cost, optimized planning, faster clearances, cost-effective implementation, reduction in project pendency, ease of inter-ministerial coordination. Further, for wider adoption of PM GatiShakti, five regional workshops covering all 36 States and UTs to build synergy with all the stakeholders have been organized between February 20, 2023 and April 12, 2023 at Goa, Kochi, Srinagar, Guwahati, and Varanasi. (ANI)
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], April 22 (ANI/PNN): Shree Mahadev Texfab, a renowned textile manufacturer, has announced the launch of its latest collection of premium fabrics. The collection features a range of exquisite designs, patterns, and colors that are sure to appeal to fashion enthusiasts and designers alike. To believe can become the most passionate treasure Shree Mahadev Texfab Pvt Ltd possesses with fabrics that speak ELEGANCE!! A textile manufacturing company founded in 2008 which produces cotton and other fabrics that are supplied to some of the top apparels brands in India. Despite being a young company, it became a top player in the market within ten years of starting operation, thanks to its innovative approach to designs, diligence towards quality and thoughtfulness regarding customer satisfaction. Known for its beautiful and elegant trouser fabric, Shree Mahadev Texfab Pvt Ltd leaves no stone unturned in its manufacturing operation, whether it is procuring top-grade raw materials, facilitating superior quality dyeing, or coming up with pioneering fabric designs. Get yourself a style update today with a simple look that grabs away the limelight. The company, with head office in Ahmedabad and a branch office in Delhi, is ISO 9000 certified and well-known for its organized ways in a market that is largely unorganized. their operations strictly follow the processes and have created for seamless flow and professional business practices. The latest collection features a range of fabrics suitable for a variety of occasions and applications. From elegant sarees to stylish kurtis and suits, the collection offers something for everyone. The designs are inspired by traditional Indian motifs and patterns, but with a modern twist that makes them perfect for contemporary fashion. With its latest collection, Shree Mahadev Texfab has once again demonstrated its commitment to providing the best quality fabrics to its customers. The company's passion for textiles and dedication to excellence is evident in every piece of fabric it produces. Shree Mahadev TEXFAB Pvt.Ltd Head office Block-E, Shop No.2 & 8 Sumel Business Park-1, B/H.New Cloth Market Ahmedabad - 380 002. https://www.shreemahadevtex.com/ Branch office Block 25 / 67 - 68, Ground Floor, West, Patelnagar, New Delhi - 110008. Website: https://www.shreemahadevtex.com/ Whatsapp: 9824700355 This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)
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United Kingdom (UK) Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab resigned on Friday, one day after an independent report into allegations that he bullied staff members while working at several government departments reached the desk of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

An inquiry was requested by Raab in November last year following formal complaints about his bullying behavior when dealing with civil servants. Sunak appointed senior employment lawyer Adam Tolley to lead an independent investigation.

Raab "humiliated" and "intimidated" civil servants, the report said, which was published in full on the government website on Friday.

In his resignation posted on Twitter, however, Raab hit out at the inquiry, saying: "In setting the threshold for bullying so low, this inquiry has set a dangerous precedent. It will encourage spurious complaints against ministers, and have a chilling effect on those driving change on behalf of your government -- and ultimately the British people."

While expressing "great sadness" over Raab's departure, Sunak said: "It is clear that there have been shortcomings in the historic process that have negatively affected everyone involved. We should learn from this how to better handle such matters in future."

Raab also resigned from his post of secretary of state for justice, making him the third senior minister to leave Sunak's government over their personal conduct.

Gavin Williamson, a member of Sunak's cabinet, quit in November over bullying claims and Sunak sacked Conservative Party Chair Nadhim Zahawi in January for a "serious breach" of ministerial code amid a multimillion-dollar tax dispute.

Sunak himself is also facing an investigation by a parliamentary watchdog over whether he properly declared his wife's shares in a childcare agency that would benefit from policy changes in his administration's budget.

After assuming the post of prime minister last October, Sunak vowed to lead a government of "integrity, professionalism, and accountability" as the chaotic period under his two predecessors -- the scandal-hit Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, who had a short-lived tenure due to economic turbulence -- damaged the reputation of the Tory Party and cast a cloud over its prospects in the next general elections.

Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said Raab's resignation showed Sunak's "continual weakness" as the prime minister should have sacked Raab instead of letting him resign.

"No matter how many times you change the person at the top, you've essentially got a party that just can't deliver, just can't govern," Starmer told reporters.

Oliver Dowden, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has been appointed as the new deputy prime minister. Alex Chalk, currently serving as minister of state in the Ministry of Defence, has been named as Raab's successor in the post of justice secretary.
New Delhi [India], April 22 (ANI/NewsVoir): Megacities have drawn much of the attention when it comes to urban disaster risk. Mapping the terrain of interaction between disasters and at-risk children, Bal Raksha Bharat (globally known as Save the Children), launched a report - Child-centred humanitarian response, planning and action for urban settings in India, marking the World Earth Day on April 22. Based on commonalities and variations in risks and responses that affect children across varied demographic, geo-climatic, socio-economic contexts, findings have been drawn from across 5 cities of Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Patna and Pune. One of the major concerns that came out of this study is waterlogging and localised flooding, which does not make headlines as urban floods, but even though it is a low-intensity event it creates a significant impact over time due to its high frequency of occurrence. The worst affected city in this regard is Pune, where children feel extremely unsafe in their neighbourhoods. The absence of a deliberate child-centered approach is seen from the fact that the Pune plan has only two references to children, one related to compensation and the other to feeding bottles in relief camps. Kolkata's plan also has two references, one in the context of their vulnerability, and the other around thermal comfort during first aid. Hyderabad's plan considers children along with other special vulnerable groups and highlights the need for their requirements to be met during relief and for training, without goings into specifics. Delhi's plan also has a hazard centric approach rather than a vulnerability centric one, and children are among the vulnerable groups to be attended to during relief and preparedness actions, without any specific actions highlighted for them. The report, conducted in areas with high exposure to hazards, draws out right from the impacts of calamities on children to their involvement in prevention and relief work. It states that across the city-level and state-level disaster management plans there is an absence of child-centric approaches or even specific child-based needs. While education departments and schools are covered under the departmental response and preparedness planning processes, these do not go into any details. Sudarshan Suchi, CEO, Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children) shares, "As in any humanitarian crisis, children and women particularly girls and those differently abled, senior citizens are most affected, they face different challenges and barriers and have unique needs, more often ignored or missed out. It is imperative for all us together to invest in research, preparedness, and operations to make the urban humanitarian response - well prepared, with adequate skills, with coordination structure and SOPs in place." The lower access to infrastructure and services, along with massive population density and poor infrastructures, massively increase the vulnerability of people living in sub-standard housing across slums, squatters, urban villages, regularised colonies and peri-urban areas to any disasters. As a consequence of the combination of heavy rainfall and poor drainage facilities, this may be seen as a local issue till a major flood occurs, but to the community, this still is a stress that leads to sustained losses. Such issues are local vulnerabilities and often go unaddressed in the state, national, and city-level disaster management plans. Manish Thakre, Head Urban Programme and Policy, Bal Raksha Bharat (Save the Children) shares, "They are at greater risk of being injured or killed in hazards, the majority of which are climate weather related. The ignorance of children's existence and their voices in decision-making processes is a common practice and it is contrary to Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). This denial of children's agency and right to participate in decision making processes that directly affect their lives has implications for whether these processes will adequately respond to their needs. It also limits the extent to which these processes can benefit from the unique insights and innovative solutions that children can generate." Despite growing acceptance of the realities of the increased risk of calamities and the importance of children in urban planning, there is relatively little research, policy, or practical attention paid to children's well-being in the light of calamities, and how disaster management and policies can account for their perspectives, experiences, and interests. Besides that, little attention is given to the specific risks that young girls and boys face, the challenges of the communities around them, or the factors that can contribute to their resilience, especially in the context of humanitarian aid (Brown, D. & Dodman, D., 2014). In that context, this study aims to create a framework for understanding the needs, priorities, and demands of children concerning humanitarian relief work, and how policymaking for disaster relief can evolve to better cater to their needs. Even the consequences of natural disasters are being felt more acutely due to poor urban planning and increased vulnerability for marginalized and lower-income households. Yet surprisingly, policy and disaster relief frameworks continue to lack representation of children's interests and remain oblivious to their needs and demands. Reference is made to climate change while addressing weather-related natural hazards and resultant disasters with reducing degree as we move downwards from the National Plan, which makes a very detailed analysis of the linkage of disaster management with the Paris Agreement and alignment of climate and disaster risk reduction actions, to the state plans that refer to climate change in passing, to the city plans where there is no mentionable aspect of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and alignment with the disaster management approach. Please click on link to access full report for details and recommendations Bal Raksha Bharat works across 15 states of India on issues related to education, health, protection, and humanitarian/DRR needs of children, especially for those who are the most deprived and marginalized. Visit www.savethechildren.in for more information. This story has been provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir)
The arrested individuals who were jewellers were identified as Suraj Bhosle and his father Dharamraj Bhosle.

Earlier, the revenue intelligence agency had arrested Prashant Mainkar, who used to melt gold smuggled in by passengers from the Gulf countries.

The gold melting facilities situated at Kalbadevi in Mumbai were run by the Dharamraj Bhosle, DRI said on Saturday. (ANI)
According to a study done by the University of St Andrews, a commonly used medical test for heart injury may one day be used to help COVID-19 patients avoid hospitalisation. Cardiac troponins are proteins that form part of the heart's contractile machinery and are released into the bloodstream when the heart is damaged. It can be measured in a blood test which is widely used in the assessment of heart attacks and other heart conditions. Existing studies since 2020 have shown that COVID-19 patients who have elevated troponin levels are more likely to die or suffer adverse clinical outcomes compared with those who have normal troponin levels. However, despite this evidence, cardiac troponins are still not used in clinical practice to directly risk assess COVID-19 patients and this new paper, led by the University's Dr Alexander Liu and supervised by Dr Robert Hammond, Professor Peter Donnelly and Professor Anthony Coates, investigates the diagnostic properties of cardiac troponin and its potential to be used in mainstream clinical practice. Dr Liu, from the School of Medicine, said: "COVID-19 is undoubtedly one of the worst pandemics of our generation. Identifying patients at a greater or lesser risk for mortality - what clinical staff call risk-stratifying patients - is important, as it may help us decide which patients need more medical attention and which patients can be discharged safely. "Looking for heart injury is important because COVID-19 appears to have an ability to affect people's hearts, and not just their lungs, and existing literature showed that patients with heart injury do less well in terms of prognosis than those without. "Despite a body of evidence and potential, cardiac troponin is still not being used in clinical practice to directly risk-stratify patients with COVID-19. This study sought to ask why." The paper, published in the journal PLOS ONE, reports on a study of 191 patients with COVID-19, retrospectively looking at the ability of a subtype of cardiac troponin - high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T - to predict which patients suffered mortality, and which patients did not. It found that having an elevated troponin test did not necessarily mean that the patient suffered mortality - it was inaccurate in predicting individual patient risk of death. This is most likely because, in real life, the patient population is diverse and there are factors other than heart damage which can cause elevated troponin tests. This observation may be the reason why clinicians are unable to use cardiac troponin alone to risk-stratify patients at present. More importantly, the study also found that if a COVID-19 patient had normal cardiac troponin levels, the prognosis was very good. This is because normal troponin levels can potentially identify low-risk patients, since it may rule out complications and other illnesses that may put patients at a high risk. Dr Liu said: "The results indicated that rather than going along with the general message in the existing literature - which is that high troponin levels are linked to poor prognosis in COVID-19 - we realised that as a diagnostic test, a high troponin level is unlikely able to accurately identify a patient at high risk of mortality. Instead, it may be better to exploit the ability of a normal troponin to rule out the risk of death in our patients. "This study may be one small step towards clinical translation but potentially a giant leap for identifying the direction in which we need to go with COVID-19 risk-stratification. It now sets the stage for a future prospective validation of the rule-out powers of normal troponins. This could further propel the test into the COVID-19 clinical arena. The ultimate vision is to open up the possibility of using cardiac troponins to help doctors send patients home safely, to reduce their risk of hospital exposure, potentially saving lives and millions for healthcare systems." Dr Liu added: "This project is not just a research piece but also a product of human resilience, forged on a shared desire to make things better for our patients whilst bracing the challenges of the pandemic. This study benefited from the input of junior doctors, senior scientists, and clinicians across various disciplines and sites. It is a privilege to do research with them." (ANI)
The implementation of Prime Minister Awas Yojana--housing for all scheme--has led to the poor man's dream to own a house coming true in 'Naya Jammu and Kashmir'. In the financial year 2022-23, Jammu and Kashmir administration embarked on a mission to construct 54000 houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Gramin (PMAY-G), housing for all scheme, and the mission is nearing completion. The administration, during the past three years, has put in extraordinary efforts to help poor people acquire decent accommodation by providing financial assistance to them under PMAY Gramin and Urban. The main objective of the PMAY-G is to replace the kaccha houses in villages with concrete ones. In December 2021, the Union Cabinet approved the extension of the PMAY-G scheme till March 2024. Nearly 70 per cent of J-K's population lives in rural areas. After the scrapping of Article 370, a temporary provision in the Constitution, on August 5, 2019, the government has focused on the development of rural areas. It has provided all the requisite support to build infrastructure in the villages across the Union Territory. The government has reached out to thousands of homeless people by facilitating their endeavours to build their own homes. Besides rural areas, the government has worked towards the implementation of PMAY-U in the urban areas of the Union Territory. In 2022, Jammu and Kashmir won top awards in the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban at the three-day "India Urban Housing Conclave 2022" (IUHC 2022) organized by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, in Gujarat. J&K won two awards, including 'Overall best performing Union Territory and best performing UT for the implementation of Affordable Rental Housing Complexes. In the conclave, J&K highlighted its achievements and the practices adopted by it in the implementation of the scheme. The PMAY-U is a flagship mission of the Union government being implemented by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), which addresses urban housing shortage among the EWS/LIG and MIG categories, including the slum dwellers by ensuring a pucca house to all eligible urban households. According to officials, J&K has achieved 100 per cent saturation in the implementation of the PMAY Mission. About 44,701 beneficiaries were identified and approved under the BLC component (the fourth component of the PMAY-U to provide assistance to individual eligible families belonging to EWS categories). As many as 44630 dwelling units were grounded and many have been completed within the prescribed time schedule. The J&K administration is providing interest-free loans/subsidies for an amount of Rs 2 lakh per beneficiary for the construction of dwelling units under the BLC component. Now, the administration has decided to help the landless people. It has prepared a Land Allotment Policy for the poor people for the construction of houses under PMAY as there was no provision hitherto to allot land to the people and houses were being constructed only for those beneficiaries who had land on their names. In order to help the landless people, a proposal has been finalised to allot land to the people for building houses under the PMAY. According to a Jammu-based daily, the administration is ready with the laws to allot the state land in urban as well as rural areas. The laws are likely to be approved by the Administrative Council headed by the J&K Lieutenant Governor shortly after which the Land Allotment Policy will come into force, the daily reported. According to the officials during the financial year 2023-24, J&K has been allotted 40,000 new houses for houseless families under PMAY-G and 18934 dwelling units are to be completed under PMAY-U. The state land, which was retrieved from the encroachers during the demolition drive carried out in the Union Territory, is likely to be allotted to the poor people. Some people, who deserved houses under PMAY, didn't own land. Therefore, houses couldn't be constructed for them. But the new laws would make them eligible for the PMAY benefits. Allotting land to the landless people would bring J&K at par with the other states and Union Territories where such laws are already prevalent. Pertinently, till 2019 implementation of PMAY in Jammu and Kashmir went on at a tardy pace as the former rulers didn't exhibit will to help the poor people. In March 2018, the then J&K Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister attended a meeting convened in New Delhi by the Union Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Mines, Narendra Singh Tomar to discuss the implementation of PMAY in Jammu and Kashmir. The J&K minister had assured full support to implement housing for all schemes but on the ground, nothing much was done to implement PMAY aimed at helping the poor. However, during the past three years, the J&K administration has worked hard to fulfil PM Modi's dream to see a roof over the head of every J&K resident. Thousands of houses built under the PMAY have provided a reason for a common man to rejoice as no government during the past 70 years had done this. The bold decision taken by the PM Modi-led regime to integrate J&K with the Union of India paved the way for direct implementation of the centrally sponsored schemes in the Union Territory. Till Article 370 was in vogue, schemes like PMAY used to get stuck in one or another wrangle as the so-called special status of J&K acted as a big stumbling block. On one hand, New Delhi has been putting massive efforts to rebuild Jammu and Kashmir while on the other Pakistan is busy playing dirty games to make the lives of J&K denizens miserable. From 1990 to 2019, Pakistan-sponsored terrorism wreaked havoc in the Himalayan region. The terrorists sponsored by it soaked J&K with blood and made every attempt to make people poor by not allowing them to carry on with their activities peacefully. The failure of Kashmir-based rulers to implement the centrally sponsored schemes in Jammu and Kashmir provided Pakistan with an opportunity to preach secessionism and sedition and helped its cause in the Himalayan region. After the abrogation of Article 370, a common man in J&K realized that Pakistan and the terrorists sponsored by it were his biggest enemies while New Delhi has always tried to help them. The successful implementation of PMAY in the Union Territory has brought a common man close to a system as he has understood that the government cares and is always there for him. (ANI)
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has called former Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Satya Pal Malik, seeking more information in an alleged corruption case. The case pertains to a health insurance scheme that he was allegedly pushed to pass but had cancelled when he was the Governor of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. Malik had claimed that he was offered a Rs 300 crore bribe for clearing the files during his tenure as J&K Governor between August 23, 2018 and October 30, 2019. According to a source, the CBI has asked Malik to appear before the agency either on April 27 or April 28. The CBI officials can also approach him on either days. The source said that as of now, it appears that Malik might join the CBI at its headquarters in the national capital. "The matter pertains to the Reliance Insurance issue. While the Centre wanted green signal for the scheme, it was cancelled by then J&K Governor Malik," the source said. According to Malik, it was a health insurance scheme for Central government employees. Malik had also said that hospitals listed under the scheme were in poor condition. Now the CBI is seeking more information to decide its future course of action. It is learnt that if merit is found in the claims made by Malik, the CBI might lodge a case, otherwise it won't. --IANS atk/arm ( 247 Words) 2023-04-21-19:34:04 (IANS)
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi on Friday said the three men who killed former MP Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf in police custody were part of a terror cell. He termed the assailants as terrorists and "illicit" children of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi. The Hyderabad MP expressed his apprehension that there may be many more such people who were provided arms and trained and they may carry out more killings. Addressing a public meeting at the historic Mecca Masjid here on the occasion of Jummat-ul-Vida, the last Friday of Ramzan, he noted that none of the UP policemen present there took out their weapons and the assailants after succeeding in their task raised their arms to surrender. He cited media reports which quoted top police officials as saying that the assailants may have received training for one month and they may have fired 500 rounds before killing the former MP and his brother. Stating that each of the revolvers used by the assailants was worth Rs 8 lakh, Owaisi wondered how these youth acquired the weapons when media reports show that they come from poor families. The MP alleged that the assailants were given arms and training to realize the dream of Godse. Owaisi drew similarities between the attack on him last year and the killing of Atiq Ahmed. He said in both the cases the attackers raised religious slogans and they later told police that they wanted to become famous through these attacks. "They will kill more people. They may try to attack me again. I am not scared. I will be alive as long as Allah wants," he said. The MP wanted to know from the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh why the UAPA was not invoked against the assailants in Atiq Ahmed's killing. He also demanded that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath make public the letter which Atiq Ahmed had written to him before he was killed. Referring to the acquittal of all 68 accused in the ANaroda Gam massacre case in which 11 Muslims were killed during 2002 Gujarat riots, Owaisi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he would appeal against the acquittal. He voiced concern over denial of justice and acquittal of accused in all cases in which Muslims were targeted. He recalled that Aseemanand and 5 others were acquitted in Mecca Masjid blast while those involved in blast at Ajmer dargah had also gone unpunished. Owaisi said 36 years after the massacre of 70 Muslims in Maliana in Uttar Pradesh, the accused were set free. --IANS ms/vd ( 441 Words) 2023-04-21-22:36:02 (IANS)
Hlaing Konyak, 22, says he is a changed man since the last two years. But he hastens to add that, "I have also befriended some strangers I never liked in the past but now share black tea with them every evening." Oting in Mon district had courted ill-fate and controversy in December 2021 when in a botched up operation 21 paratroopers from neighbouring Assam had killed innocuous coal mine workers from the hitherto little known village. To Hlaing (name changed to be precise), 'strangers' are Assam Rifles officers and jawans. To Hlaing's friends and parents the 'change' is welcome as he was a victim of alcoholism for years. On ground friendship with Assam Rifles personnel have been able to bring out the talented volleyball player in him. Now on ground Oting offers a different picture and there is a "modest" bonhomie between Assam Rifles and the local villagers. Village Council chairman, Longwang Konyak, also endorses the neo-friendship. But he is a man with pain in his heart. "Difficult to forget what happened on Dec 4, 2021. It was a nightmare for us. But I believe in Jesus Christ and so I say, let us forgive and move ahead. The family who suffered of course cannot forget nor forgive." A visit to the village in circa 2023 gives one a pensive experience with melancholy. The victims of the December 2021 catastrophe included a graduate too; and the sad part of the tale is that he has lost his 'thumb'. "Raasta beya asey, kopal toh besi beya asey (You are saying the road to my village is bad. It is true, but our luck is worse)," laments Village Council chairman Longwang recalling some of these nightmares. But Longwang, 61, wants the villagers to get back to normalcy. This is why he refers to the 'experience' of Hlaing. I tried to interact with a few Assam Rifles personnel posted in the small camp at the village gate. One of them --- also a tribal soldier -- agrees with the story of 'black tea (or fika cha) of Hlaing. But the soldier says Hlaing is not alone. There are many Naga youth in the Oting village now who have developed a 'taste' for black tea offered by soldiers after the regular volleyball match they play every afternoon. The soldier adds other information. "Nagas are very hospitable people and Konyaks will probably top the list. They relish our black tea and whenever we are in the village compound for regular development projects like establishing the water tanks, we get mugs full of milk tea," he says. On the return journey from the village, our vehicle got stuck up for a while just outside the village area -- thanks to the pathetic road with potholes and a bed of stones. One was little surprised to find two sets of people -- the Assam Rifles soldiers accompanied local boys rushing in to our 'rescue'. Some of them looked thirsty and tired, smouldering in the heat but they spotted that infectious smile Nagas are famous for. One was convinced, friendship has set in between two sets of people -- who were probably identified by each other as 'rivals if not enemies' even a few months back. However, all these did not come easily. The powerful Eastern Nagaland Public Organisation (ENPO) had given a clarion call for boycott of "non cooperation" with all central security forces operating in Nagaland in December 2021. But in April 2022 -- that is after almost four months, the ENPO withdrew their non-cooperation policy. And yet again despite several welfare projects being taken up by Assam Rifles, the villagers "offered land for an AR company operating base" only in December 2022. "The Government of India also admitted the major lapse in army operation during the December 4, 2021 incident. Now they say the Standard of Operations for the army has been reviewed. Home Minister Amit Shah has agreed to grant us the Autonomous Council. So, we are giving land to Assam Rifles. Moreover, Assam Rifles reports directly to Shah, we can always share our grievances to him," says one villager on the condition of anonymity. Deputy Angh of Oting Village, Chengwang konyak, clarifies: "Do not mix up matters. The Frontier Nagaland is something we want, and about security forces what went on in December 2021, people still cannot forget the agony. Now Assam Rifles is doing some good developmental work. We did not ask for it." Official sources say the Assam Rifles through Military Civic Action Projects under Operation Sadbhavana worth Rs 45 lakh will be taken up from time to time. "This is in addition to construction of two reinforced concrete cement reservoirs of 1,50,000 litre capacity for Rs 35 lakh," says one AR personnel adding that a similar quantum of Rs 45-50 lakh development works are planned for the upcoming year as well. Locals say various development projects are probably not enough to bridge the gap that got engulfed recently. I posed this question to Assam Rifles personnel. Initially they did not have any answer or did not want to respond without clearance from their bosses. At the later stage one was told that the Assam Rifles choir team has befriended locals and even performed during a Sunday service. One particular Assam Rifles man's performance was unique and so impressive that at the end of the programme, several locals congratulated him warmly. The top guns in Assam Rifles in Kohima and Dimapur have also taken note of the December 4, 2021 incident and the subsequent efforts being made by one of their battalions to rebuild the bond. One Naga woman in nearby Wangla village sums up the story of Assam Rifles's friendship with locals very well. "You must be aware that Indian army people say Assam Rifles are like friends of the hill people. Now these friends are trying to re-establish the bond". Nevertheless, local Nagas still have their complaints and apprehensions. A number of youths one interacted at district town Mon said, the Armed Forces Special Power Act (AFSPA) is a draconian law and should be withdrawn from all civilian areas in Nagaland and especially from the Tuensang-Mon region. Maj Gen Vikas Lakhera, GoC - Assam Rifles in Nagaland, was out of station when a brief interaction was sought. "The Assam Rifles is investing in building new bonds with the youth of tomorrow by training selected local boys from Oting and nearby areas for various employment opportunities including those for Agniveers," one junior official said speaking on the condition of anonymity. "The directives to us from the Defence ministry and Army headquarters are clear, even a single instance of human rights violation is totally unacceptable. Oting was a really bad thing to happen. If villagers lament it as a nightmare, for the forces the agony was deep. A few Assam Rifles jawans wept that night trying to conceal their emotions from senior officers." In Delhi, sources have stated that the government is fully committed to uphold human rights at all times. In fact, the source went on to add, respecting human rights for Assam Rifles is not simply a moral and a legal necessity, but also a crucial strategic imperative. There is already a policy of 'Zero Tolerance' towards any instance of human rights violation, the men in uniform only ought to ensure that such a policy exists in letter and spirit, and not merely on papers. --IANS nirendra/pgh ( 1250 Words) 2023-04-21-22:56:02 (IANS)
As many as 12 people were injured after a passenger bus collided with a truck on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur highway in Ayodhya on Friday evening, a senior district official said. The Adyodhya District Magistrate Nitish Kumar told reporters that the rescue operation has been completed. "Around 12 people have been sent to the hospital. Five have been sent to the district hospital and seven to medical college. Some casualties also occurred. The rescue operation has been completed," the DM said. Further details are awaited. (ANI)
He warned that police would intervene in the matter if the Congress party failed to solve it.

Sarma also criticised the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee for handling Dutta's complaint in an "improper manner".

"The way Assam Congress is dealing with the whole situation is very unfortunate. They need to solve the problem. I still believe that it is the Congress party's internal matter.

"However, if they cannot find a proper solution to it, police will take action as per law. The National Commission of Women has already written to Assam DGP on this issue," he added.

Meanwhile, Angkita Dutta submitted her statement in the Chief Judicial Magistrate court on Friday.

She has lodged a complaint in Dispur police station in Guwahati against the national president of India Youth Congress, Srinivas BV for harassment.

Meanwhile, Assam unit Congress president Bhupen Borah said that Dutta has not been suspended from the party.

She submitted her reply to the show cause notice within time.

Borah said: "We have received an answer from Angkita Dutta and sent it to the All India Congress Committee. We have been waiting for a reply from their end."

--IANS tdr/pgh

( 249 Words)

2023-04-21-23:10:06 (IANS)
The police also rescued three women from being trapped, the Mumbai Police's Crime Branch said.

"A Bhojpuri actress Suman Kumari (24) has been arrested by Mumbai Police for allegedly forcing girls (models) into prostitution. Police also rescued three models. Further investigation is being done," the Crime Branch said in a statement on Friday.

Further investigations are underway in the case. (ANI)
 Flash

A foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday introduced China's measures and achievements in implementing the Global Security Initiative (GSI) over the past year, saying that China stands ready to work with other parties to act on the vision of a community of shared security for mankind, practice true multilateralism, jointly address traditional and non-traditional security challenges and advance the lofty cause of peace and development for humanity.

One year ago today, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Security Initiative (GSI).

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing that in a world of change and disorder on the security front, President Xi Jinping put forward the important GSI, calling on countries to adapt to the profoundly changing international landscape in the spirit of solidarity, and address the complex and intertwined security challenges with a win-win mindset.

The GSI aims to eliminate the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security governance, encourage joint international efforts to bring more stability and certainty to a volatile and changing era, and promote durable peace and development in the world, Wang added.

Wang said this major initiative has been widely commended and warmly received by the international community, among which more than 80 countries and a number of international organizations have expressed appreciation and support.

"As the initiator of the GSI, China has taken real actions to implement it," Wang said, adding that China is committed to the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security. The Chinese side has had in-depth exchanges and communication on security concepts and policies with other parties to beat swords into plowshares and work for shared security.

Not long ago, China issued the Global Security Initiative Concept Paper to further elaborate on the initiative's core ideas and principles as well as the priorities, platforms and mechanisms of cooperation, Wang said.

Wang said China has actively engaged in mediation diplomacy and made unremitting efforts for the political settlement of hotspot issues including the Iranian nuclear issue, the issues on the Korean Peninsula, the Syrian issue and the Palestinian question.

"We've issued China's Position on the Political Settlement of the Ukraine Crisis and China's Position on the Afghan Issue, and stood firm on the side of peace," said Wang.

Not long ago, Saudi Arabia and Iran held talks in Beijing and achieved major outcomes. The two countries announced their decision to resume diplomatic relations, which is a successful practice of the GSI and sets a good example of how countries in the region can resolve disputes and differences and achieve good neighborliness and friendship through dialogue and consultation, Wang added.

"China has actively advanced international security dialogue and exchanges," Wang said, adding that China facilitated the convening of the first China-Horn of Africa peace conference among African countries in the region, which reached important common understandings on regional peace, development and governance and injected positive energy into the efforts to uphold Africa's security and stability.

China successfully held the second Middle East Security Forum and made a four-point proposal for fostering a new security architecture in the Middle East. China has also vigorously promoted exchanges and cooperation in the field of security on multiple platforms including the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia and East Asia cooperation mechanisms to build consensus and synergy for tackling security challenges among the international community, said Wang.

"China has actively participated in cooperation in the field of non-traditional security including COVID, counterterrorism, biosecurity, cyberspace, food and climate change," Wang added.

China has put forward an initiative on international food security cooperation at the G20, and promoted the adoption of the BRICS Strategy on Food Security Cooperation, offering China's solution for the global food security challenge. The launch of the center for disaster prevention and mitigation cooperation between China and Pacific Island countries in February this year is China's another robust effort to help fellow developing countries cope with non-traditional security challenges, Wang said.

"The GSI is an international public good and guardian of tranquility and wellbeing for people around the world," Wang said, adding that China stands ready to work with other parties to act on the vision of a community of shared security for mankind, practice true multilateralism, jointly address traditional and non-traditional security challenges and advance the lofty cause of peace and development for humanity.




Condemning the detention of Waris Punjab De chief Amritpal Singh's wife, Kirandeep Kaur who was stopped from flying to the UK from the Amritsar International Airport, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) accused the Punjab government of creating an "atmosphere of terror" and violating her human rights. This comes days after Kirandeep Kaur was on April 20 "not permitted to travel" to the UK from Amritsar after Punjab Police detained her while boarding her Air India flight. SGPC is an organization in the country responsible for the management of Gurdwaras. SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the history of Punjab is of protecting and respecting the daughters and sisters, but it is not right for the present government to stop daughters like this while suspecting them. "Condemning the act of stopping Bibi Kirandeep Kaur, wife of Amritpal Singh at Sri Guru Ramdass International Airport, Amritsar from boarding a flight to London, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) President Harjinder Singh Dhami said that the Punjab government and the police administration are creating an atmosphere of terror among the youth. Such acts do not suit the government which disrespects the beliefs of Punjab," Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee tweeted on Friday. Dhami said that it is the right of every citizen to visit their family and go anywhere and that detaining Kaur without charge is a "violation of human rights". "Detaining someone without charge is a direct violation of human rights and the government should avoid such acts. The SGPC President said that the action of stopping Bibi Kirandeep Kaur at the airport has raised many questions for the government," SGPC tweeted. https://twitter.com/SGPCAmritsar/status/1649428128316497920?t=WbYqCK-5TY26BMX38AXPlQ&s=08 Earlier on April 20, Kirandeep Kaur was booked on an Air India flight, which was scheduled to take off at 2.30 pm from the Shri Guru Ram Dass International Airport here. "Kirandip Kaur, wife of Amritpal Singh and a UK national was supposed to travel to Birmingham by Air India Flight No. 117 scheduled at 14:30 hrs. At 12:20 hrs she reported to the immigration counters but since she had a Look Out Circular issued against her, immigration officials did not permit her to travel and detained her," the sources had said. Earlier Police sources said that she was stopped by Immigration Department officials from boarding the flight. Punjab Police has been on a hunt for Amritpal Singh since March 18, when he had gone absconding. Punjab police said last week that it had arrested Joga Singh, a close aide of the fugitive Khalistan sympathiser and radical preacher, from Sirhind in the Fatehgarh Sahib district.He was arrested in a joint operation by Amritsar police rural and Hoshiyarpur police. Papalpreet Singh, another close aide of the fugitive Amritpal Singh was brought to Assam's Dibrugarh Central Jail after his arrest earlier this month from Amritsar's Kathu Nangal area. Amritpal has been on the run since March 18, the day Punjab Police launched a massive manhunt for him. The crackdown came almost over three weeks after Amritpal's supporters stormed Ajnala police station in Amritsar on February 23, demanding the release of one of his aides, Lovepreet Toofan. (ANI)
West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee on Saturday claimed that people are trying to divide the country through politics of hatred while asserting that she would not let the country divide in the name of religion and is ready to lay down her life for it. West Bengal Chief Mamata Banerjee and Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Abhishek Banerjee visited Red Road in Kolkata where people offered namaz on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Fitr. Addressing the gathering, Mamata Banerjee said, "We want peace in Bengal. We don't want riots. We want peace. We don't want divisions in the country." "Those who want to create divides in the country - I promise today on Eid, I am ready to give my life but I will not let the country divide. We don't want danga, we don't want a clash. We want shanti (peace)," she added. "If democracy will go away, everything will go away. Today Constitution is being changed, history is being changed. They brought NRC; I told them that I will not let them do that," the Bengal CM stated. Earlier, on the occasion of Ram Navami, several vehicles were set on fire after two groups clashed in Howrah. During the procession, the rioters vandalized public and private properties and set vehicles on fire. Launching a scathing attack at the BJP-led Central government, the West Bengal CM said, "Someone takes money from BJP and says that they will divide Muslim votes. I tell them that they don't have the courage to divide Muslim votes for BJP. It is my promise to you today. There is one year to elections. See who will get elected and who won't." "All I would like to tell you is - stay peaceful, don't listen to anyone. A "gaddar party" with whom I have to fight, I have to fight agencies too - I fight them because I have the courage to do so but I am not ready to cow down," she added. Condemning the release of the 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots, the CM said, "Everyone was released in the Bilkis case. But we will not tolerate all this. We will fight and we will win." The Gujarat government granted remission to 11 convicts on August 10 last year following which they walked free on August 15, 2022. "Leaders should always keep unity. We dont want to destroy anything. I pray to Allah to give us shakti (power). If we are united then I am sure we can defeat them," Banerjee added. TMC's Abhishek Banerjee also reiterated CM Mamata Banerjee's words. He said, "Be it Christmas, Durga Puja or Eid, we in West Bengal have unity. We dont want any division. This only happens in West Bengal. No other state or city has this. They want to divide and rule. But this can't happen. There should be brotherhood everywhere." "The trees, roads, and soil don't have a caste. Allah and God are not bad. Those people who divide people are. Those who will try to apply the divide-and-rule policy in Bengal will not be tolerated. We say, Jay Hind, we say Vande Mataram as well as we say Jai Bangla," he added. Muslims across India, as well as different parts of the world on Saturday, are celebrating the festival of Eid-ul-Fitr by offering namaz. The festival marks the end of the holy month of Ramzan. Eid ul-Fitr is celebrated on the first day of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic lunar calendar. The festival is of great significance due to the moon sighting which has been part of Islamic culture for a long time. It is believed that Prophet Muhammad used to wait for news of sightings of the crescent moon as it narrated the beginning of a new month. Ending the holy month of Ramzan and starting a new spiritual journey also marks the beginning of a new Islamic year. Eid-ul-Fitr marks the month-long Ramzan fasting and the beginning of Shawwal which is the tenth month per the Islamic calendar. Since the observance of the moon is essential for ending Ramzan month and celebrating Eid, it is celebrated in different parts on different days usually with a one-day difference. (ANI)
As a move to strengthen the party in the coming elections, the Chhattisgarh Congress will launch a campaign 'Congress Ki Aawaz' across the state from April 22. Under this campaign, the party will select good speakers and thereafter, ensure extensive propagation of developmental works being done by it at the grass-root level and also highlight the shortfalls of the government at the centre, Chairman of Congress's communication cell in the state unit Sushil Anand Shukla said.Shukla further elaborated that through this move, the party will spread awareness among people about the schemes being run and introduced by it, the contribution of Congress in the freedom struggle, the history of Congress, the contribution of Congress in building an independent India and others. "Simultaneously, the selected speakers will highlight the failures of the Modi government, alleged corruptions of the Modi government and others," he said. Efforts for the selection of speakers have been started and a committee in this connection has also been constituted, he added. "The campaign 'Congress ki Aawaz' will commence on April 22 and culminate on April 30 across the state. The committee members are going to visit all the district and select speakers, who are associated with the ideology of Congress as well as office-bearers and have the ability to communicate with people in a better way," Shukla said, elaborating that the selected speakers will be used in street plays and public meetings. A minimum of 10 speakers will be selected in each district while there is no limit for the maximum, said Shukla. Efforts in this connection have already begun in 33 districts, he added. (ANI)
A Delhi Court, hearing Northeast Delhi riots cases, has asked the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) concerned to take immediate remedial action over sending inaccessible video to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL). The video contained footage of a man accused of arson in a place of worship but the DVD was inaccessible in the system. This matter pertains to an incident of arson in a place of worship in Ashok Nagar of Jyoti Nagar police station area of Shahadara District. Additional Sessions Judge (ASJ) Amitabh Rawat of Karkardooma Court directed the DCP concerned to take immediate remedial action in the matter. The ASJ Rawat said, "There is no other witness to identify the accused Naresh alias Monu in this case. It is inexplicable as to how the incriminating video as regard accused Naresh, when sent to the FSL is found to be inaccessible." "If it was so, the IO/SHO/ACP should have again sent the correct and accessible video to the FSL for their opinion and filed the same," he added. The judge pointed out that instead, the IO has filed the supplementary charge sheet alongwith the FSL report of inaccessible video as stated above. Thereafter, it asked the court to order on charge based on the available record itself. The court said, "It becomes difficult for the court, based upon an unverified DVD as per the FSL report to frame charges against the accused Naresh but yet at the same time if the video exists and it is verified by the FSL, it can inculpate the accused and thus discharging him at this stage without FSL report will hurt the conscience of this court, particularly, given the nature of case of burning of a religious place. Moreover, the origin of the video is not disclosed." The court was hearing arguments on the framing of charges against accused Rahul Kumar, Suraj, Yogender Singh and Naresh alias Monu. Now matter has been listed on June 7. The court noted that there exists one public witness Gul Mohd., who has identified accused Rahul while there is one CCTV footage as regards Suraj and Yogender. The court said that as far as accused Naresh alias Monu is concerned, he is stated to have climbed the top of a religious place and raised the Indian and Saffron flag over the top. He is also accused of arson of the religious place and shops therein. As per IO, there exists a video for this. However when the video was sent to CFSL, the CFSL report was received stating that the DVD was found inaccessible in video analyst system hence, no examination was carried out. The FSL report was filed by way of supplementary charge-sheet, the court said in the order passed on April 15. The present pertains to an incident on 25.02.2020 at 1.15 pm of arson at a religious place. The complainant had informed the PCR that there is a gathering of around 1000 people who have burnt the religious place and heading towards his house. When the police reached at the spot place of worship and seven shops of its Ground floor were burning. Cognizance was taken under Section 147/148/149/188/380/427/436 IPC and 3 of Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Public Property, (DPDPP) Act, 2007 against all the four accused persons on 24.09.2021. (ANI)
Kerala Police and security agencies have launched a probe into a letter threatening to launch a suicide bomb attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kerala BJP chief K Surendran said that he had last week received a letter which spoke of a conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to visit Kerala. Surendran said that he had handed the letter, which was written in Malayalam, over to the Kerala Director General of Police (DGP) and the police are investigating. "Actually, we gave it (letter) to the DGP and police and the SPG, Intelligence Bureau (IB) and all are inquiring into it," he said. "Special Protection Group (SPG) is the most efficient security agency in the world. They will protect the Prime Minister's life always. So this threat is by various fundamentalist organisations and urban naxal. The people will definitely obey rules of the SPG during his (PM Modi) visit," said Surendran. Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to flag off Kerala's first Vande Bharat Express between Thiruvananthapuram and Kasargod at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station on April 25. The train will cover 11 Districts namely Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasargod. "The program will be a great success," said Surendran. PM Modi will lay the foundation stone and dedicate various projects to the nation worth more than Rs. 3200 crore. He will dedicate the Kochi Water Metro to the nation. This one of its kind project connects 10 islands around Kochi through battery-operated electric hybrid boats for seamless connectivity with Kochi city, as per an official release. Apart from Kochi Water Metro, rail electrification of the Dindigul-Palani-Palakkad section will also be dedicated by the Prime Minister. During the event, Prime Minister will also lay the foundation of various rail projects including the redevelopment of Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, and Varkala Sivagiri railway stations; the comprehensive development of Thiruvananthapuram area including Nemon and Kochuveli and the increasing of sectional speed of Thiruvananthapuram-Shoranur section. Apart from this, Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the Digital Science Park in Thiruvananthapuram. Digital Science Park is envisaged as a key research facility to develop digital products and services by industry and business units in collaboration with academia. As a third generation Science Park, the Digital Science Park will house common facilities to support the development of products in the area of Industry 4.0 Technologies like AI, Data Analytics, Cyber Security, Smart Materials etc. The state-of-the-art basic infrastructure will support high-end applied research by industries and the co-development of products in association with the Universities. The initial investment for Phase-1 of the project is around Rs. 200 crore while the total project outlay has been estimated at around Rs.1515 crore. (ANI)
Mumbai's Borivali Police has arrested a student who brought drugs from Himachal Pradesh's Manali to the capital city of Maharashtra on the pretext of trekking. Borivali ATC team recovered Manali 'Charas' (hashish) worth Rs 1,50,000 from the student. The student used to bring drugs from Manali to supply to his fellow students in Mumbai, Borivali police are now on the lookout for a big drug dealer in Manali. A senior officer of Borivali police station said that yesterday when the ATC team was patrolling in the Borivali area around 4.30 pm, some people were seen in suspicious condition near Neel Tower Society in Borivali Govind Nagar area. "When the person was taken into custody and investigated, some packets of drugs were found in his possession and when the police examined them, it was found that it was Manali drugs of high quality," the police said. When questioned and investigated, it was found that a student who is a resident of Mumbai's Kandivali Poisar area was involved in the drug business for a long time. When the police inquired him, it was found that the student goes to Manali on the pretext of trekking and from there he brings the consignment of drugs to Mumbai to his fellow students he used to supply, the police said. "In the investigation, the police learned that the accused student had gone to Manali about two to three times before this and used to bring charas and supply it to the students," the police added. The team of Borivali ATC has started searching for the accused who gave charas to the student from Manali. The police presented the accused student in court and the court sent him to police custody for two days. (ANI)
In this cleanliness drive, the Gujarat ministers and various other BJP leaders of the state including its state president, CR Patil participated.

The cleanliness drive is named "Mahasafai Abhiyan on Temples". Out of the total religious places where a cleanliness drive has been done, 15 of them have a Gujarat cabinet minister's participation.

In pursuance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal, many state units of the BJP have done cleanliness drives. Swachh Bharat Mission, which aims "to accelerate the efforts to achieve universal sanitation coverage and to put the focus on sanitation", is one of the flagship programmes of the Modi government.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched the Swachh Bharat Mission on October 2, 2014. (ANI)
Delhi Police authorities on Saturday said that they have not detained former J-K Governor Satyapal Malik, following rumours about his detention. "He has come on his own volition along with his supporters to Police station RK Puram and we have informed him that he can leave at his own will," a senior Delhi Police officer told ANI. "We have not detained ex-governor Satyapal Malik. We have only detained some people from the Panchayat, who were present in the MCD park," he added. There were rumours that Satyapal Malik was detained after a Khap panchayat meeting organized on Saturday in his support in RK Puram area was cancelled. Police said that they had not given permission for the meeting. Earlier Malik alleged that CBI had summoned him for clarifying his remarks on alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. "CBI has asked me to come to their Delhi office to give clarification regarding the alleged insurance scam in J-K on April 27 or 28," Malik said on Friday. This comes days after the former J-K Governor alleged an insurance scam involving Reliance General Insurance in J-K. He had also claimed the involvement of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Ram Madhav in the alleged scam. Responding to Malik's allegations, Ram Madhav on April 13 sent a legal notice to Malik demanding a public apology from him within 48 hours. Madhav stated that the claims made by Malik were baseless, disgraceful, and utter falsehood. This is nothing but an attempt to influence, albeit maliciously, an ongoing CBI investigation into the matter related to Hydel Power Project, he said. Madhav through legal notice stated, "Malik made untrue and defamatory statements to stay relevant in a political circle. You (Malik) the addressee are well known in the political circles, however, lately owing to your fading popularity and relevance and to stay relevant in the social life of this country, for the sake of gathering public attention through sensationalism you have made certain untrue, defamatory, and incriminating statements on the said YouTube channel in an interview on 08.04.2023 in conspiracy with the interviewer of a Youtube channel," the notice stated. A legal notice sent through Advocate Ayush Anand stated, "Malik deliberately and Maliciously conspired to defame my client Ram Madhav." It added, "In a conspiracy to defame my client the editors and interviewer have deliberately and maliciously defamed my client by imputing his involvement in some health insurance scheme."(ANI)
The Centre has taken significant measures to increase gateways to education for the youth by giving a boost to building Universities, IITs, IIMs, and similar institutions across the country. According to an official release issued on Saturday, the number of universities in the country had witnessed a significant rise in the last 9 years. From 723 universities in 2014, the count has gone up to 1,113 in 2023. Similarly, there were 16 IITs and 13 IIMs in year 2014, and their numbers have increased to 23 and 20 respectively in 2023. "Furthermore, 5,298 colleges have been built in the last 9 years (up from 38,498 in 2014 to 43,796 in 2023), which has led to increased access to education for students across the country," the official release said. "It is noteworthy that 43 per cent of universities and 61.4 per cent of colleges are located in Rural Areas" an official with the Ministry of Education told ANI. He further said that the government has also expanded the number of IITs and IIMs across the country. With 7 IITs and 7 IIMs built in the last 9 years, the government has ensured enhanced opportunities for students to pursue higher education. "Overall, the progressive institutional structure has played a vital role in the development of India's education system. Their focus on high-quality education, research and innovation has helped to position India as a global player in various fields" he added. (ANI)
The Haryana Government through its Chief Secretary has informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that a ring-fenced amount of Rs 1124.64 crores for urban solid and sewage management should be set apart for the purpose of solid as well as liquid waste management in the state. The tribunal noted that a ring-fenced amount of at least Rs 1124.64 crores should be set apart in terms of the statement of the Chief Secretary, which has been taken on record and such funds be kept as "non-lapsable". "Such an amount may include additional requirements upto Rs 1,500 crores for the upgradation of STPs which may also be available out of taking other economic methods of sewage treatment and utilization, said the Tribunal. The bench headed by Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel in an order passed on April 20, 2023, said that "the Chief Secretary, Haryana may take further remedial measures to ensure compliance of Solid Waste Management Rules considering the statutory timelines to be sacrosanct as already directed by this Tribunal judgment. Similarly, the timelines for ensuring the setting up of necessary sewage management systems have to be accepted as rigid timelines in view of the judgment of the Supreme Court. The tribunal also said, "Community compost pits be properly maintained, ensuring that compost produced is fully utilized and standardized designs be executed at town and village level and progress of installation duly monitored." Plastic waste and construction and demolition waste processing plants should be set up to ensure that bio-medical, hazardous and e-waste are not co-mingled and treated with solid waste. "Immediate efforts be made for ensuring connectivity with STPs and proposed STPs", further directed the Tribunal. The Tribunal said, "We hope in the light of interaction with the Chief Secretary, the State of Haryana will take further measures in the matter by an innovative approach and stringent monitoring, ensuring that legacy waste as well as unprocessed waste and liquid waste generation and treatment are bridged at the earliest, shortening the proposed timelines, adopting alternative/interim measures to the extent and wherever found viable. "Restoration plans need to be executed at the earliest simultaneously in all districts/cities/ towns/ villages in a time-bound manner without further delay with well-laid monitoring mechanisms at State and District levels," added the Tribunal. NGT also directed the District Magistrates to take ownership of monitoring of sewage and solid waste management and provide the report to Chief Secretary regularly. "District Magistrates must take ownership for monitoring of sewage and solid waste management and regularly providing report to Chief Secretary on monthly basis and overall compliance be ensured by Chief Secretary for which regular meetings be conducted", said the Tribunal. Earlier while being awarded Environment Compensation in several states, the NGT had said that "Award of compensation has become necessary under section 15 of the NGT Act to remedy the continuing damage to the environment and to comply with directions of the Supreme Court requiring this Tribunal to monitor enforcement of norms for solid and liquid waste management. "Moreover, without fixing the quantified liability necessary for restoration, the mere passing of orders has not shown any tangible results in the last several years (for solid waste management) and five years (for liquid waste management), even after the expiry of statutory/laid down timelines. Continuing damage is required to be prevented in future and past damage is to be restored", said the bench. The directions were passed by the Green Court while examining the issues of solid as well as liquid waste management as per orders of the Supreme Court order dated 02.09.2014 with regard to solid waste management and order dated 22.02.2017 with regard to liquid waste management. (ANI)
"One death each has been reported from Kangra and Una districts," the press release said.

A total of 99 COVID patients recovered from the disease in the last 24 hours.

"The total number of active cases in the state stands at 1,719 while the death toll in the state stands at 4,216," it mentioned.

A total of 1537 persons were tested for Covid 19 in the past 24 hours, officials informed.

Meanwhile, the country reported 12,193 new cases in the last 24 hours. With 10,765 recoveries in the last 24 hours, the total recoveries reached 4,42,83,021.

On April 21, a total of 11,692 fresh covid-19 infections were recorded in the last 24 hours in the country, marking a dip from Thursday's tally of 12,591 cases, the Union health ministry said on Friday.

India recorded 12,591 on April 20, 10,542 on April 19, 7,633 on April 18, 9,111 on April 17, 10,093 on April 16, and 10,753 on April 15.

In wake of the spike in the number of COVID-19 cases across the country, Dr PK Mishra, the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister chaired a high-level meeting on Wednesday to assess the situation.

The PMO informed in a statement that the focus of the meeting was on the status of preparedness of health infrastructure and logistics, drugs, vaccination campaign in the country and the key necessary steps as a response to the recent surge in Covid cases.

"Dr PK Mishra stressed that the time tested 5-fold strategy of Test-Track-Treat-Vaccination and adherence COVID Appropriate Behaviour must continue to be implemented and equally crucial to promote awareness within the community regarding COVID appropriate behaviour and caution citizens against complacency," the PMO statement read.

During the meeting, a comprehensive presentation was made by Rajesh Bhushan, the Secretary of Health and Family Welfare providing an overview of the global COVID-19 situation. (ANI)
Union Home Minister Amit Shah has said that former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satyapal Malik has been called by the Central Bureau of Investigation "for third time" as part of the investigation in an alleged insurance scam and noted that there was no relation of the summons and his allegations against BJP-led government. Amit Shah said the BJP government has not done any such thing which needs to be hidden from people. He said if certain remarks are made for personal, political self-interest, those should be treated likewise. "According to my information, he has been called a second or third time. An investigation is underway, some new information or proof must have come to light and he has been called for the third time. There is no truth in this that he has been called for speaking against us," Shah said at Karnataka Roundtable organised by India Today. Referring to Malik's allegations against the BJP-led government, Shah said he should be asked "why these things (have) come to mind after leaving us". "Why is not the soul awoken when you are in power...the credibility of such remarks should be seen by people, journalists...if all this is true, why was he quiet when he was Governor..these are not issues of public discussion. I want to say to the people of the country that the BJP-led government hasn't done any such thing which needs to be hidden. If some remarks are made for personal, political self-interest after leaving us, those should be evaluated by the people, media...," Amit Shah said. Answering another query about the decision to appoint Satyapal Malik as Jammu and Kashmir Governor, Shah said he had worked in BJP for a long time and was also a former party vice president. "A selection was made, sometimes this happens in politics...If someone keeps changing attitude, form from time to time, what can we do, people should understand," he said. Satyapal Malik on Friday said that he has been called by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for giving clarification regarding the alleged insurance scam in Jammu and Kashmir. "CBI has asked me to come to their Delhi office to give clarification regarding the alleged insurance scam in J-K on April 27 or 28," he said when asked on the alleged insurance scam involving Reliance General Insurance. He had earlier alleged the involvement of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary in the matter. Responding to Malik's allegations, Ram Madhav had on April 13 sent him a legal notice demanding a public apology from him within 48 hours. Speaking about the Karnataka elections, Amit Shah said that the BJP will return to power with an absolute majority. "This time BJP will return to form government in Karnataka with full majority. I'm confident that we will win 15-20 seats more than the halfway mark." Asked about JD(S), he said voting for it "means voting for Congress". Answering queries, he said there was no chance of a hung assembly and BJP will get a majority. Polling to elect a new Karnataka assembly will be held on May 10 and results will be declared on May 13. (ANI)
After the alleged gang-rape and murder of a Dalit girl in North Dinajpur district's Kaliagunj, Trinamool Congress State General Secretary Kunal Ghosh criticised the police for the way they carried her body and said it is saddening. This comes after a video that has been shared on Twitter alleging that a minor girl was raped and murdered by a group of men in North Dinajpur's, Kaliaganj, West Bengal. Further, in the video police can be seen dragging the body of the victim ruthlessly and inappropriately. TMC Gen Secretary said, "The way police carried the body of the minor girl is saddening. This is unfortunate." Highlighting the people who are chasing police in the viral video, and hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party, TMC Secretary Ghosh said, "Who are the people who are chasing the police? People of BJP are creating a ruckus there." Earlier in the day, clashes also broke out between the locals and police in the district over the rape and murder of a minor girl. Police and security personnel were seen on the spot. Giving details, SP Dinajpur Sana Akhtar told ANI that the victim's body was found in Kaliyaganj, after which the police swung into action and arrested the two accused. "We received information that a girl was missing since Thursday night. We started conducting searches at all railway stations, and bus stands. Later, a body was found in Kailyaganj. Two people have been arrested based on the complaint given by the deceased's family." Earlier on Friday, Bharatiya Janata Party Leader Suvendu Adhikari in the state assembly alleged that the police didn't allow the BJP MLAs to meet the victim's family. He also accused the police of "diluting" the evidence. (ANI)
In this regard, a Customs official of the Guwahati division said that the passenger was from Manipur and was carrying gold in the luggage.

"More than 1 kg of gold was recovered in possession from a passenger at Guwahati airport. A passenger hailing from Manipur was carrying gold in luggage. Later he was caught by CISF while the bag was running through an X-Ray machine," the Customs official told ANI.

The passenger after an interrogation with CISF was handed over to the Customs division.

"He did not disclose anything to CISF and later the passenger was handed over to Customs. Now he is under interrogation by Customs," the official said.

The Customs Department has registered a case in this matter.

Earlier today, a man-son duo were arrested in Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar for their alleged link with a gold smuggling racket, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence said on Saturday.

The arrested individuals who were jewellers were identified as Suraj Bhosle and his father Dharamraj Bhosle. (ANI)
Bihar Police on Saturday said that a team of experts has been called from Patna to inspect the spot in the suspected explosion in Paharpura village in Nalanda. While talking to the ANI, DSP Dr Shibli Nomani said," A team of experts has been called from Patna to inspect the spot. Evidence is being collected from the spot by the team. We are investigating the matter seriously". Earlier today two people were injured after an explosion was suspected in Nalanda. In this regard, the district administration said a probe will be conducted by the Forensic Science Laboratory team then the cause of the incident can be ascertained. "A sound was heard in Paharpura village in Nalanda district. After reaching the site, it did not seem that it is a case of an explosion. No traces of any explosives were found there. A probe will be conducted by the FSL team, only they can further ascertain," Shashank Shubhankar, DM, Nalanda said. The police official also said that two people were injured. "We checked the site, and there was not a mark of anything burning, it does not seem there was a blast. Few blood stains were found, and 1-2 people were injured. They are to be found out. We can see in the video some smoke coming out from the site," SP Nalanda said. (ANI)
Reacting to slogans glorifying slain Uttar Pradesh gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed after offering prayers, Union Minister Ashwini Choubey said that such people should be shot at sight and Bihar needs Yogi's model of government. This comes after Patna police on Friday said one of the men at the Jumma Namaz (Friday prayer congregations) raised slogans glorifying slain Uttar Pradesh gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed after offering prayers in Patna district. "After offering Jumma Namaz, one of the men shouted 'Atiq Ahmad Amar Rahe' and used slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath," Vaibhav Sharma, City SP, Patna, said. Reacting to this, Union Minister said, "The incident is unfortunate and it is regrettable to make such statements and slogans in Bihar, such people should be immediately shot and sighted." Hitting out at the slogans raised against UP CM Yogi Adityanath and PM Modi, Choubey said, "The manner in which slogans were raised against the Prime Minister of the country and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh by taking names, is also very unfortunate." "We need the 'Yogi' model in Bihar in which criminals like terrorism mafia are not spared," he added. Further, Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that in Bihar only the government of the uncle-nephew dynasty and casteism is running, the way Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is giving statements targeting the people of BJP, the public will give them answer by choosing the Yogi model in the state in 2025. "In Bihar, only the government of the uncle-nephew dynasty and casteism is running, the way CM Nitish Kumar is giving statements targeting the people of BJP, the public will give them answer by choosing the Yogi model in the state in 2025. In the coming times the people of Bihar will bring the Yogi model into power, BJP government will also be formed in Bihar." (ANI)
"Assam Rifles and Arunachal Pradesh Police launched a joint operation and apprehended an OGW of NSCN K-YA and recovered a pistol along with 17 rounds of ammunition from the individual at Rusa village in Longding District, Arunachal Pradesh on April 22", the press statement said.

The statement mentioned that based on specific input a search operation was carried out.

"Apprehended individual along with recoveries have been handed over to Arunachal Pradesh Police for further investigation", the statement further added.

Earlier on April 17, Assam Rifles in a joint operation with Arunachal Police apprehended two Overground workers (OGWs) of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN) K (YA) in Tirap district, officials informed.

"Based on specific inputs, a joint operation with Arunachal Police was launched. The column cordoned the area and carried out a thorough search of the area that led to the apprehension of two OGWs of NSCN K(YA)," it mentioned. (ANI)
Mumbai's Dindoshi Police said that the drug peddler has been identified as Sashikant Jagtab (31). He was arrested from MHB Colony in Goregaon.

The seized drugs are valued at Rs 5 lakh in the international market, the police said.

While patrolling, the police noticed a suspicious person, who started running. But the police nabbed the accused. Upon searching him, the police found MD drugs in his possession.

The police have also registered a case against the accused under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substance (NDPS) Act.

The accused was presented in a court which sent him to judicial custody.

Further investigation is underway in the case. (ANI)
A 12-year-old Connecticut girl died after being shot in the head during a drive-by shooting that left three others injured, police said, New York Post reported. Secret Pierce, a student at Thurman L. Milner Middle School in Hartford, was inside a vehicle when shots rang out at about 8:45 pm on Thursday, striking her and three other people, the Connecticut Post reported. The police said Secret was hit in the head and rushed to Saint Francis Hospital in critical condition, but succumbed to her injuries at 7 am on Friday. Mayor Luke Bronin told reporters: "This is a painful day in our community. I don't have the words I want to say to Secret's mom and loved ones ... that we are all so deeply sorry. That we are with them today in grief, in prayer and with love." He said the three other people had "extensive firearm involvement and criminal history," and called on them to cooperate with police because they likely know who opened fire, New York Post reported. "It is not acceptable not to share the information you know about who took the life of a 12-year-old girl," the mayor said. "That's not fair to her family, that's not fair to her loved ones, it's not fair to her memory, it's is not fair to our community." Lt. Aaron Boisvert said authorities do not believe the shooters were aiming at Secret. "At this point, it appears that the 12-year-old girl had nothing to do with the incident and was not the intended target," Boisvert said, as quoted by New York Post. Police who responded to the shooting found the wounded girl in a parked vehicle, while an 18-year-old injured man was on the sidewalk, Boisvert said. The 18-year-old man was listed in stable condition, while the other two -- a 16-year-old boy and a 23-year-old man -- arrived on their own at the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, he said, according to New York Post. "We do have some footage that captured a vehicle flying by, went north on Huntington Street, right when the gunfire erupted," Boisvert said. "We are actively working to decipher what vehicle that was so that we can put it out." (ANI)
US Department of State Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel on Friday said US nominee for World Bank presidency, Indian-American Ajay Banga is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at such a critical moment. During a press briefing, Patel said, Ajay Banga "is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at such a critical moment, and he's an exceptional candidate." Banga's "leadership skills and management experience, his experience in the financial sector, will help achieve the World's Bank objectives by eliminating extreme poverty, expanding prosperity, while also doing so in a very evolving and dynamic global playing field, where we're dealing with a lot of new and pressing issues and challenges, like climate change and global health challenges and other things as well," Patel added The World Bank recently said that Indian-American Ajay Banga is the only candidate nominated for the President's position as the nomination period closed on March 29. The World Bank announced that Ajay Banga will be considered for the position. In a press release issued on its website, the World Bank said, "The World Bank Group's Board of Executive Directors confirmed that, as announced on February 22, the period for submitting nominations for the position of the next President of the World Bank Group closed on Wednesday, March 29 at 6:00 pm ET." The World Bank said, "The Board received one nomination and would like to announce that Mr Ajay Banga, a US national, will be considered for the position." The World Bank said that a formal interview will be conducted with the candidate in Washington DC. It said, "In accordance with established procedures, the Board of Executive Directors will conduct a formal interview with the candidate in Washington D.C., and expect to conclude the Presidential selection in due course." In February, US President Joe Biden nominated former Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank. In a statement, Biden had noted that Ajay Banga is "uniquely" equipped to lead the World Bank at a critical moment in history. Biden's statement read, "Ajay is uniquely equipped to lead the World Bank at this critical moment in history. He has spent more than three decades building and managing successful, global companies that create jobs and bring investment to developing economies and guiding organizations through periods of fundamental change. He has a proven track record managing people and systems, and partnering with global leaders around the world to deliver results." (ANI)
United States top General Mark Milley has in a telephone conversation with Sudan's General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan discussed the safety of US citizens in Sudan, which is witnessing fighting. Al Jazeera reported citing a statement by Milley's office that the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff has discussed the safety of US citizens in Sudan in a phone call with Sudan's army chief, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, "The two leaders discussed the safety of Americans and the developing situation in Sudan" the statement said on Friday. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday said that the US military is looking into options to evacuate the US Embassy in Sudan amid the fighting that has killed hundreds, mainly in Khartoum and the west of the country, as per Al Jazeera's report. "We've deployed some forces into the theatre to ensure that we provide as many options as possible if we are called on to do something. And we haven't been called on to do anything yet," Austin said at a press conference at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. "No decision on anything has been made," Austin added. A decision regarding a potential embassy evacuation is due soon, according to two US officials, though it is not yet known if there would be a public statement. Fighting continued in Khartoum on Friday, even though the Sudanese army said it had reached an understanding with the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for a three-day ceasefire to allow civilians to observe the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr. The RSF announced earlier in the day that a 72-hour ceasefire had been reached in observance of Eid. According to journalist and analyst Mohamed Alamin Ahmed of Khartoum, there was a respite in the fighting on Friday night, but it was not a truce, Al Jazeera reported. He also said, "We cannot say that here is an implementation of the truce 100 per cent because the two sides actually do a lot of movements of repositioning themselves," adding that sporadic gunfire could still be heard from different parts of the city. Ahmed also said, "The situation is fluctuating. We cannot say that this truce is being implemented well but the situation is a little bit, going, a little bit positive." Countries including Germany, Japan, South Korea, Spain, and the US have been unable to evacuate embassy workers since the airport in Khartoum is engulfed in violence and the skies are insecure, read a report published in Al Jazeera. According to a Western diplomat, the Sudanese evacuation situation is among the most challenging they have ever encountered. The US is probably concentrating on achieving a truce so that its personnel may be evacuated. Washington has said that private US citizens living in Sudan shouldn't expect a coordinated evacuation by the US government. Vedant Patel, the deputy spokeswoman for the US State Department, stated that authorities were in contact with hundreds of US individuals believed to remain in Sudan. The State Department on Friday confirmed the death of a US citizen there. The United Nations and other countries are also looking at ways of evacuating citizens and employees. Abdou Dieng, a top UN official in Sudan said that the UN has been attempting to shift workers out of "very dangerous" zones in Sudan and into safer areas. On Wednesday, according to Dieng, he was relocated to a safer area. Eight hundred of the UN's roughly 4,000 employees in Sudan are foreigners. Sweden said on Friday that it will evacuate embassy personnel and their families as soon as possible, and Switzerland said it was looking into how to evacuate its citizens from Sudan. While South Korea ordered military aircraft to stand by at the US military facility in Djibouti to prepare to evacuate its citizens when possible, Spanish military aircraft are on standby and prepared to evacuate some 60 Spanish nationals and others from Khartoum. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that 413 people had died and 3,551 had been injured as a result of the fighting in Sudan so far; however, the true death toll is likely higher because many injured individuals were unable to get to hospitals. The International Committee of the Red Cross has appealed for "immediate and unimpeded humanitarian access", saying it was a "legal obligation under international humanitarian law". The analysts have warned that the conflict could have an impact on countries across the region, with the UN saying up to 20,000 people have already fled to a neighbouring country, Chad, Al Jazeera reported. (ANI)
The Enhanced Linkages between Private Sector and Small-Scale Producers (ELPS) initiative will be set up with an aim of strengthening developing nations' agriculture and food systems, according to the leader of the Rome-based specialized U.N. body.

The Japanese government will provide some of the funding for the program, in hopes of boosting cooperation with so-called Global South emerging and developing countries over food security.

In an interview with Jiji Press in Tokyo, Lario pointed to the need to create investment opportunities for private-sector companies as governments' official development assistance programs are insufficient.

He indicated that his organization will call on a wide range of companies to join the initiative, including trading houses, food manufacturers and retailers. (AMI/WAM)
In light of the immense challenges confronting China's manufacturing and real estate sectors, there is a growing need to reconsider the country's economic focus and turn towards the agricultural industry, reported Financial Post. As China grapples with these economic uncertainties, a strategic realignment of the economy towards agricultural development may represent a viable pathway to economic stability and growth. Despite easing COVID-19 measures earlier this year, the situation in China has not improved significantly, and many factories are on the verge of collapse with the risk of imminent closure. The harsh reality is that the situation has not improved in 2023, despite hopes that surviving 2022 would bring relief. The global supply chain has shifted significantly, and many manufacturing companies in the region have not received any orders this year, leading to an increasing number of factory closure notices, reported Financial Post. The potential decline in the industrial sector is likely to be more rapid and severe than previously anticipated, with only military-industrial enterprises appearing to be willing to invest, despite the exorbitant costs involved. Nevertheless, even these enterprises are likely to face significant hurdles in securing funding, reported Financial Post. Moreover, the ability of the real estate sector to weather the current manufacturing crisis is questionable. Any assumption that it will do so is unreliable and wishful thinking. The housing market is facing significant challenges, with a large number of properties struggling to sell. As of February this year, around 3.5 billion square feet of completed residential buildings in China remained unsold, equivalent to roughly 4 million residential units. Real estate consulting agencies estimate that approximately one-third of all newly constructed homes in China in 2022 remain unsold, marking the highest proportion since 2015, reported Financial Post. It is high time that the Chinese government takes urgent action to address the underlying issues causing the collapse of these businesses. The fact that established enterprises are now struggling highlights the shortcomings of China's economic policies, and urgent measures need to be implemented to save the struggling manufacturing industry. While the idea of shifting focus towards agriculture may seem like a good solution to China's economic woes, it is important to note that there are significant challenges in this sector as well. Agriculture is a highly competitive industry, and China will need to invest heavily in research and development, technology, and infrastructure to keep up with other global players. Moreover, there is a growing concern about China's ageing population and its impact on the agricultural sector, as there are fewer young people willing to take up farming as a career, reported Financial Post. Moreover, China will need to address the issue of food security, which has become increasingly important in recent years due to the pandemic and geopolitical tensions. The country has historically relied on food imports to meet its needs, but rising trade tensions and supply chain disruptions have made this approach risky. China has been investing heavily in its domestic agriculture sector, with a particular focus on grain production, but it remains to be seen whether these efforts will be sufficient to ensure food security in the long term, reported Financial Post. (ANI)
In another incident of mass shooting in the United States, a gunman opened fire at a southeast suburb of Washington D.C. on Friday night (local time), reported The US Sun. Initial reports stated that eight persons, including a 12-year-old girl were shot at. DC Police Department said that a black sedan, possibly a Mercedes, drove through the neighbourhood and opened fire on a group of men indiscriminately, WUSA reported. The first calls about the shooting came in just after 10 pm, according to Officer Hugh Carew with the Metropolitan Police Department. Police initially said that seven people were shot on a residential street in the Congress Heights neighbourhood. The number of victims later increased to eight. Seven men were shot on Lebaum Street, Assistant Chief of Patrol Services South Andre Wright told WUSA9. Nearby in the 2900 block of 2nd Street, a 12-year-old girl was shot. Her injuries weren't life-threatening. The Police Department believe the two shootings to be related. Multiple shell casings were found on the ground and cops are investigating two crime scenes. A few blocks away, a 12-year-old girl was shot and police believe the two instances of gunfire are related. The condition of all of the victims wasn't immediately available but at least one person was critically wounded. DC Fire and EMS took four people to the hospital and other victims were being taken to trauma centres, police said. Assistant Chief Andre Wright provides an update on the multiple people shot in the 500 block of Lebaum St SE and the 2900 block of 2nd St SE. "To make it easier for everybody to follow the story. There are going to be two scenes involved here. One is the 500 block of Lebanon Street Southeast. This will be the primary scene and then the secondary scene. 2000 block of Second Street Southeast. And the information that I'm about to give is very preliminary," said Wright. He further stated that the investigations are on and multiple victims are involved and detectives and patrol officers are out knocking on doors. There will be a subsequent follow-up as the information unfolds. He said, "We discovered that there were multiple adult males suffering from gunshot wounds. Thankfully, none of them are life-threatening, most of them self-transported when we got on the scene. So there was some chaos because of the number of victims and loved ones. Also, while we were on this scene, we also received a call on the 29 O'Block of Second Street. Upon arriving on that scene, we discovered that there was a twelve-year-old female little girl who would also receive a gunshot wound to her lower extremities. Thank God she's also stable and non-life threatening." (ANI)
A subcommittee of the Japanese health ministry's Pharmaceutical Affairs and Food Sanitation Council on Friday approved an abortion pill developed by Britain's Linepharma International Ltd - Mefeego pill pack, reported Japan Times. It would provide an alternative to a surgical procedure amid calls for progress in women's reproductive rights and gender equality. In Japan, abortions have been usually performed with metal instruments. As this procedure is invasive, medical experts and others are calling for introduction of abortion pills in Japan. The ministry announced the move after a secondary panel reviewed 12,000 public comments collected online. Final approval from the health minister is expected to follow, reported Japan Times. In January, an expert panel under the subcommittee approved the drug, but the ministry decided to have the subcommittee discuss the matter after hearing public comments. For around 30 years, abortion pills have been used overseas, with over 80 nations having them available. Japan has been criticized for lagging behind other nations. France was the first to approve such a pill in 1988, Japan Times reported. Currently, surgical procedures, allowed at the early stages of pregnancy, are the only options available for abortion in Japan, despite the World Health Organization has endorsed the pill as one of the safest methods. The approval of the pill in Japan would mark progress for women's reproductive rights, but debates over pricing and consent have cast a shadow over the decision, reported Japan Times. Mefeego will not be covered by Japan's national health insurance, and with women being required to take the drugs under medical supervision, costs may be greater than if one were to get a surgical abortion, even if the average wholesale price of abortion pills globally is estimated to be around Yen 780 to Yen 1,400, while surgical procedures for abortion in Japan cost Yen 100,000 to Yen 200,000, reported Japan Times. Another factor is Japan's Maternal Health Act, which requires spousal consent for an abortion -- a policy that sometimes prevents access. The health ministry says the law will be applicable to abortion pills. While a partner's consent is not legally needed for unmarried women, many doctors require a man's consent due to a lack of understanding and fear of legal consequences, Japan Times reported. The law includes no provision for unmarried mothers. However, the health ministry has said a partner's consent is not required for unmarried women or those impregnated through rape. (ANI)
China has sought to circumvent export restrictions and has attempted to procure equipment and know-how from the Netherlands' aerospace sector, the Dutch military spy agency MIVD has said in a recent report. Beijing has denied the allegation. Accusations of Chinese companies spying are not based on evidence, untrue and unfair, the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands said in response to a Dutch intelligence service assessment that hyped "China threats" such as "commercial espionage and covert investments," reported Global Times. "The Netherlands remains an attractive espionage target for China... especially in the domain of semiconductor industry, quantum technology and the aerospace and maritime industry," the MIVD military spy agency's head Jan Swillens said. Swillens, who was delivering an annual report, said his service had last year "detected and prevented various Chinese attempts to acquire (military) technology." The Military Intelligence of the Netherlands (MIVD) reported that in 2022, China made several attempts to purchase military technology beyond the export restrictions. At the same time, the agency's employees discovered a number of front companies used for this heist. "Dutch firms, knowledge institutes and scientists are being targeted on a large scale. China is rapidly developing advanced weapons with advanced technologies (including) different types of anti-satellite weapons -- highly destructive in nature." The MIVD said that China is working intensively to increase satellite launches -- seeking to conduct as many as 100 a year, up from 40 in 2020. The MIVD added China's aim is to lead the way in space through the development of state-of-the-art quantum communication networks with global coverage. The Dutch general intelligence agency AIVD, the MIVD's partner agency, warned on Monday that China posed "the greatest threat to Dutch economic security". Netherlands' intelligence agency in its 2022 annual report that China had used "legitimate investments, corporate takeovers and academic cooperation, as well as illegal (digital) espionage, insiders," among other methods in the European country, and claimed that Dutch companies, knowledge institutions and scientists are regularly "victims" of these moves, the Global Times reported. The Netherlands is a European leader manufacturing chips which are indispensable components for goods including smartphones and connected vehicles -but also military hardware. In March, under pressure from Washington, The Hague announced plans for new export restrictions on technology to make computer chips in order to limit Chinese access to the technology. US is coercing other countries, including the Netherlands, to hobble China's ability to make its own semiconductors. In March, the Dutch trade minister was quoted in media reports as saying that the Netherlands will impose new restrictions on exports of semiconductor technology, a move broadly in line with US restrictions imposed in October 2022, reported Global Times. (ANI)
Two photographs of Sri Lankan origin were unveiled at the office of the State Minister of External Affairs and Culture in Delhi on Saturday to mark the 75th anniversary of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations. Two photographs of Sri Lankan origin were exhibited in the office of the State Minister of External Affairs and Culture of India at the National Gallery of Modern Art in New Delhi today to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the start of diplomatic relations between India and Sri Lanka, which falls this year, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in India said in an official statement. Notably, the photographs, which were installed at the office of the State Minister of External Affairs and Culture Meenakshi Lekhi, feature two murals painted by the eminent Sri Lankan painter Solias Mendis in the Kelaniya Rajamaha Vihara. The first mural depicts Arahat Mahinda, delivering the message of the Buddha to King Devanampiyatissa upon arriving in Sri Lanka. The second mural depicts the arrival to Sri Lanka of Theri Sanghamitta, bearing the right-hand branch sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhi tree, stated the release. These two historical occurrences, which took place in the third century BCE, symbolised the strong and unbreakable ties between Sri Lanka and India in terms of culture and signified the beginning of Buddhist civilization in Sri Lanka, the release stated. Meenakshi Lekhi, State Minister of External Affairs and Culture and Milinda Moragoda, the high commissioner of Sri Lanka to India, ceremonially unveiled the images in front of the revered Sri Lankan members of the Maha Sangha, including the most Venerable Waskaduwe Mahindawansa Maha Nayaka Thero, who was in New Delhi for the Global Buddhist Summit. Director General of the Department of Archaeology of Sri Lanka Professor Anura Manatunga, Director General of the International Buddhist Confederation Abhijit Halder and senior officials of the High Commission of Sri Lanka in New Delhi were also present during the occasion. The same murals were previously shown in two images by the Sri Lankan High Commission in New Delhi, which were intended for installation at the recently opened Kushinagar international airport, the High Commission of Sri Lanka in India said. Moreover, similar photographs were installed at the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Headquarters in Nagpur in February 2022, and at the Ahmedabad International Airport in July 2022. As part of an ongoing programme to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Indo-Lanka diplomatic relations, action has also been initiated to install similar photographs at other locations in India, including at the international airports in Buddha Gaya and Varanasi shortly, enhancing Sri Lanka's cultural footprint at the level of the States of the Union of India, the official release said. (ANI)
Indian nationals are among 66 people from "friendly and brotherly countries" evacuated by Saudi Arabia from violence-torn Sudan. The evacuation came days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke to his Saudi Arabia counterpart. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to review the security situation in Sudan. Sudan is facing violence due to fighting between the army and the paramilitary forces. There are reports of violence even amid 72-hour ceasefire. "In the implementation of the directives of the Kingdom's Leadership, we are pleased to announce the safe arrival of the evacuated citizens of the Kingdom from Sudan and several nationals of brotherly & friendly countries, including diplomats & international officials," Saudi Arabia Foreign Ministry statement said. The Ministry said that not only its own citizens but also a number of citizens of allied and friendly nations were evacuated from the North African country of Sudan. "We are happy to announce the safe arrival of the Kingdom's citizens who were evacuated from the Republic of Sudan as well as a number of citizens of allied and friendly nations, including diplomats and international officials, who arrived in an evacuation operation conducted by the Royal Saudi Naval Forces with the assistance of other armed forces," the statement said. "The number of citizens who were evacuated reached 91 citizens, while the number of people who were evacuated from brotherly and friendly countries reached approximately 66, representing the following nationalities (Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Tunisia, Pakistan, India, Bulgaria, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Canada, and Burkina Faso). The Kingdom worked to provide all the necessary needs of foreign nationals in preparation for their departure to their countries," the statement added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting today to review the security situation in Sudan via video-conferencing on Friday. During the meeting, Prime Minister Modi assessed the most recent developments in Sudan and received a first-hand report of the conditions on the ground, with specific focus on the safety of over 3,000 Indian citizens presently located throughout the country. The Prime Minister expressed his condolences on the passing away of an Indian national who tragically fell victim to a stray bullet last week. Prime Minister Modi instructed all relevant officials to remain vigilant, closely monitoring developments and continuously evaluating the safety of Indian nationals in Sudan and extending them all possible assistance. The Prime Minister further directed the preparation of contingency evacuation plans, accounting for the rapidly shifting security landscape and the viability of various options. The Prime Minister also emphasized the importance of maintaining close communication with neighboring countries in the region, as well as those with significant numbers of citizens in Sudan. External Affairs Minister Jaishankar had on April 20 met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in New York and discussed the developments in Sudan. "We had a very good meeting. Most of our meeting was on the Sudan situation. We also discussed the G20, and Ukraine conflict, but essentially it was about Sudan," Jaishankar told ANI. Jaishankar said that the Indian government is in continuous touch with its citizens stuck in Sudan. "Our team in Delhi is in continuous touch with the Indians in Sudan, advising them, saying we know it's very difficult for everybody but keep calm and don't take unnecessary risk. I hope that the efforts will yield something very soon," the EAM said. Fighting has been raging between forces loyal to Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict began since a coup in 2021 between Sudan's military leader and his deputy on the ruling council erupted derailing a plan for a transition to a civilian democracy after the fall of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in 2019. Elections were supposed to be held by the end of 2023. (ANI)
A Texas woman was arrested after she went on a racist rant targeting a group of Indian-American women. Kali9/Getty Images

Two teenagers were shot at in Florida when they pulled up to the wrong address while delivering for Instacart.

A 43-year-old man who fired at the teens said he saw them driving "erratically" on his property.

A police investigation found both parties were "justified in their actions," and no charges were filed.

Two teenagers who were delivering for Instacart in Florida were shot at after they pulled into the wrong driveway to make a delivery.

There were no injuries or fatalities in the shooting, but Waldes Thomas and his girlfriend, Diamond D'arville, remain shaken by the incident, local station WTVJ reported.

The couple was making deliveries on the evening of April 15 when they pulled up to an address on Southwest 178th Avenue in Southwest Ranches, Florida. As they called the customer trying to assess if it was the right address and made their way to exit the property, they said they saw a flashlight.

"He's like, 'Who are you?' And we're saying we're with Instacart," D'arville, 18, told WTVJ. "The guy gets in his truck and reverses, and he pulls up behind us."

That's when D'arville saw the man retrieve a gun, she told the outlet.

"I had seen him pull out a gun, and that's when I said, 'We got to go, we got to go,'" D'arville told WTVJ. "I was scared. I'm not going to lie."

The couple heard three gunshots as they fled the property and pulled over on a nearby street, where they found bullet holes in their vehicle.

When they were located afterward by officers from the Davie Police Department, "Diamond was crying frantically and Waldes appeared to be extremely nervous and scared," according to an incident report obtained by Insider.

"We were there for Instacart, we were trying to tell him, and he went about it the wrong way," Thomas, 19, told the local station. "Instead of just calling police, saying I have trespassers on my lawn, he decided to shoot."

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Antonio Caccavale, 43, told police he observed a vehicle on his property and told his 12-year-old son to "order them to leave." When his son called for help, Caccavale told police he "observed the vehicle driving erratically and running into items on the property."

D'arville and Thomas told police that as they were reversing, they struck a boulder, the police report said.

"That's when Antonio approached them aggressively and began grabbing onto the driver door window. Waldes, the driver, continued to try and leave the area. During that time they heard three gunshots in close proximity," D'arville and Thomas told police, according to the report.

Caccavale told police the vehicle was driving toward him "causing him to dive out of the way." The vehicle "side-swiped him, causing his right foot to be run over," at which point Caccavale drew a handgun and "fired several rounds toward the tires of the vehicle," he told police, according to the police report.

As the incident unfolded, a neighbor ran to Caccavale's house to tell him it was his Instacart order, local NBC Miami affiliate WTVJ reported.

The police report noted Caccavale sustained an "apparent minor injury," though it remains unclear if EMS or medical personnel responded were dispatched to respond. A spokesperson for the Davie Police Department did not answer additional questions.

Officers in the investigation were "unable to determine if a criminal act was committed by either party," adding that there were no surveillance cameras.

Both parties appeared "justified in their actions based on the circumstances they perceived," the report concluded, adding that no criminal charges would be filed.

"It's just not right  even if you have a gun. I understand you're trying to protect your family, but you don't come outside shooting," D'arville told the NBC Miami affiliate. "We're telling you what we're here, we're trying to leave and you're blocking us in. It could've just been on our way, and they made it bigger than what it was."

Read the original article on Insider
CLIVE, Iowa (AP)  Donald Trump, stinging from a rebuke by the nation's leading anti-abortion group, used a speech Saturday before influential evangelicals in Iowa to spotlight his actions as president to try to restrict abortion rights.

Chief among the accomplishments Trump listed were his nominations of three conservative judges to the U.S. Supreme Court. The appointments paved the way for the overturning last year of the landmark Roe. v. Wade ruling, which had affirmed a federal right to abortion.

Those justices delivered a landmark victory for protecting innocent life. Nobody thought it was going to happen, Trump said, appearing via video to a gathering of the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. "They thought it would be another 50 years. Because Republicans had been trying to do it for exactly that period of time, 50 years."

Trump has often avoided talking about abortion as he campaigns again for the White House, sidestepping the issue less than a year after the court overturned Roe.

But his position that abortion restrictions should be left up to the states, not the federal government, drew a sharp rebuke Thursday from the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America group, which called it a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate."

Trump didn't take a stance Saturday on a national ban. Instead, he ticked through a record as president that aimed to satisfy abortion opponents that form the core of evangelical Christians, who hold sway in the GOP primary contest and particularly Iowas first-in-the-nation Republican caucuses.

Trump won applause noting he was the first president to attend the annual March for Life abortion opposition rally.

Likewise, the crowd of roughly 1,000 gathered in the suburban Des Moines event hall cheered when Trump noted his relocating the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a symbol many evangelical Christians see as fulfilling biblical prophecy.

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Every promise to you I made as a candidate, I fulfilled as president, he said.

Trump's former vice president Mike Pence, who appeared in person before the group, used his speech earlier in the evening to celebrate Trump's efforts to restrict abortion and take some bit of credit for himself.

Pence, long known for his conservative values, called the appointments the "most important of all the accomplishments of the Trump administration, drawing loud applause and cheers from the crowd.

We did that, Iowa, he said. I couldnt be more proud to have been a small part of an administration that did just that.

The Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition's annual spring fundraiser marks the unofficial start of the state's 2024 caucus campaign. The event featured a slate of Republican candidates and potential contenders, including U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is expected to enter the race.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, considered a top rival to Trump, did not attend.

The event gives the presidential prospects the chance to make their pitch to evangelicals in a state where Republicans will kick off the nominating process next year. It's also a shot at making an impression on activists who may be open to an alternative to Trump at a time when he is mired in legal problems and was recently charged in New York in a hush money scheme involving a porn actor.

The gathering comes as abortion rights have reemerged as a pivotal issue in elections after conservatives last year achieved their long-sought goal of overturning the Roe. v. Wade ruling.

The Republican presidential field is trying to get a handle on how far to go in supporting restrictions on the procedure to satisfy the conservative base in the primary but not to further alienate general election voters, most of whom support keeping abortion legal.

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America has said it will not support any White House candidate who does not at a minimum back a 15-week federal abortion ban.

Distinguishing himself from Trump, Pence told reporters during a stop in Jefferson, Iowa, earlier Saturday that the Supreme Court's ruling does not preclude federal restrictions.

Ill certainly support efforts to create a threshold of support for the unborn even at the national level, Pence said, adding he would support the minimum of a 15-week ban.

Pences advocacy group has pushed for Congress to pass legislation including a national abortion ban beginning around six weeks.

Despite the credit Trump received for his judicial nominations, he was criticized after last year's elections for saying that Republicans' underperformance was due to abortion foes' opposition to exceptions for women who became pregnant by rape or incest or whose life was at risk.

All the Republicans in the race or moving toward running have supported state bans on abortion. Most have been much more cautious about staking a position on a nationwide ban.

Scott has said he would support a federal law to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

The senator has issued calls for uniting the nation around Christian faith and spoke Saturday about the religion's values being embedded in the foundation of America.

If you believe, like l do, that America should celebrate our founding fathers and not cancel them, let me hear you say Amen, Scott shouted at the start of a call-and-response with the audience.

He, along with Pence, has visited regularly with evangelical pastors during his early trips to Iowa, with the aim of building rapport with clergy who can be influential in their churches among politically active social conservatives.

Also appearing Saturday night were Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, radio host Larry Elder, former Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii and former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson.

In his closing remark, Johnson made reference to the Florida governor's absence from the event.

I think DeSantis is making a huge mistake for not being here," Johnson said. "But to each his own.
Five-year-old Millie Schofield was screaming in pain with a broken leg, but workers called her mum to pick her up. (SWNS)

A five-year-old girl screaming in pain with a broken leg was labelled a "drama queen" by childminders - despite telling them "I heard my leg crack".

Millie Rowe slipped and fell at an after-school club and was left crying after a "lump bigger than a satsuma" swelled on her shin.

The after-school club at her primary school didn't believe she'd broken her leg and called her mum to come and pick her up.

The delay in treatment meant she went for three hours without pain relief for a broken fibula (shin bone) which had broken in two.

Millie's mother, Nicole Schofield, 29, said she was furious that the school didn't take her daughter's pain more seriously.

She said she was "disgusted" when she was told by the head of safeguarding at the primary school that Millie was known as a "drama queen" - which she thinks explains why her cries were not taken seriously.

Millie Schofield slipped and fell and was left crying in pain after a 'lump bigger than a satsuma' swelled on her shin. (SWNS)

Schofield, a mum of three from Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, said: "They saw her as a 'drama queen' and so didn't take any notice of her. That comment was not only rude but unnecessary.

"Is that why they didn't call an ambulance - because they thought she was exaggerating?

"It makes me feel sick knowing she was in so much pain, and that the school picked her up and moved her which they shouldn't have done."

Schofield was called to Nene and Ramnoth School in Wisbech on 29 March to collect Millie from the after-school club she attended each day.

The school said there had been an accident and that Millie needed to be picked up. She arrived at the school to find Millie sitting on a chair, crying in pain.

Millie's mother said she was told Millie had slipped on a hula hoop and hurt her leg, and had been examined by a first aider.

She had screamed and told the teacher, "I head my leg crack," said Schofield.

An x-ray of Millie Schofield's broken leg. (SWNS)

Schofield said that while she was comforting her daughter, a teacher had told the taxi driver to expect a girl with a broken leg, but claims she was never given that information.

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She said: "They told me I could take her home or get her looked at, that it was up to me.

"Before I left the Head of Safeguarding at the school said, 'well, we know Millie as a drama queen'."

Once home, Millie was still screaming in pain her mother called an ambulance, which arrived 90 minutes later at 6.30pm.

It was only with the critical care paramedic that someone first mentioned to Schofield that the leg could be broken. Millie was then given ketamine to put her to sleep.

Millie Schofield was left screaming in pain with a broken leg after she was dubbed a 'drama queen' by teachers despite saying 'I heard my leg crack'. (SWNS)

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At hospital an x-ray confirmed it was a straight break of her fibula.

Schofield, a single mum whose children are 11, five and four, said: "Me and the hospital staff didn't believe this could have been from slipping on a hula hoop. It may have been a hairline fracture that then became a break after she was moved onto a chair, then into the taxi, then into the house.

"They shouldn't have moved her and they should have told me if they suspected a break. I wouldn't have moved her from the school.

Paramedics treating Millie at home for her broken leg. (SWNS)

"I could have gotten her pain relief quicker and treatment quicker. It makes me feel sick. I don't believe any staff were supervising when she fell."

She said she has now applied to enrol her daughter into a new primary school, She also doesn't plan to return her daughter to the school until they give her an explanation.

"I phoned the school the next day, I was really angry. I cried down the phone to the headteacher, who was apologetic," she said.

Schofield said she has contacted Ofsted and the Elliot Foundation Academies Trust, which runs the school, to chase up on her complaint.

She has since been told an internal investigation will be launched.

Meanwhile, "boisterous" Millie is sporting a bright pink cast on her leg for the next six weeks.

Nobody from Nene and Ramnoth School was available for comment at the time of going to press.
Seven North Texas men have been charged with dealing drugs out of a Las Colinas motel, officials said.

Brandon Jones, Jaleel Peterson, Victor Contreras, Glenn Blair, Corey Allen, Derrick Richardson and Antonie Thompson-Stevens were arrested Wednesday. They made their first appearance in federal court on Friday, according to a press release from the United States Department of Justice.

The seven men were charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, according to the release. If convicted, each defendant could face between five and 40 years in federal prison.

A source told law enforcement officers that the men were operating a narcotics distribution room, also known as a trap room, out of the Las Colinas motel.

Officials later identified a second motel room used for the same purpose. Its not clear if the second trap room was also located in Las Colinas.

Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the motel rooms on Wednesday. Jones and Peterson were apprehended while trying to leave through a back window, according to the release. Contreras, Richardson and Thompson-Stevens were found inside the rooms, and Blair was apprehended nearby.

Officials said they seized a variety of illegal drugs in the rooms along with scales, packing and equipment used to put fentanyl into individual capsules.
Hundreds of packages of drugs worth around 100,000,000 were found adrift in the English Channel early on Wednesday morning. (Home Office)

A tonne of cocaine with a street value of around 100,000,000 has been sized by the Home Office after it was found floating in the English Channel.

Hundreds of huge parcels wrapped in plastic were seized by officials after Border Force and RNLI crews were deployed off the Kent coast.

Forensic tests confirmed the substance was cocaine after the packages were brought to shore in Dover early on Wednesday morning.

An investigation has been launched by the Home Office following the discovery.

The Home Office posted a Tweet showing the massive haul of cocaine found floating in the Channel. (Twitter/Home Office)

The Home Office tweeted: "This vital work will continue to stop illegal substances reaching our shores and devastating our communities."

New data released by the government on Thursday revealed that record amounts of cocaine and ketamine were seized by Border Force and police forces between March 2021 and March 2022.

Immigration minister Robert Jenrick said: "We will continue to back Border Force and the police to use every available power to stop dangerous drugs from coming into our country and enforce the law.

"Data released, which includes a record amount of cocaine and ketamine seized, shows the effectiveness of our approach as we continue to go after the criminals who blight so many communities and destroy lives with these harmful substances."

Border Force officials and RNLI crews retrieved the haul from the sea. (Home Office)

The quantity of cocaine seized by Border Force and police officers in England and Wales increased by 68% to 18,767kg, while the quantity of ketamine confiscated shot up by 884% to 1,837kg.

The drugs have been bagged up by the Home Office. (Home Office)

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The Home Office said Border Force, police forces, the National Crime Agency and international partners use intelligence and technology to keep the borders safe, prevent drug trafficking and bring those responsible to justice.

Steve Dann, Border Force chief operating officer, said: "These seizures send a clear message to anyone prepared to smuggle illegal drugs into the country that we remain committed to tackle often violent and exploitative drug supply chains.

"Border Force officers involved in these seizures can be proud of their work in stopping these dangerous drugs from entering our communities."
Mifepristone, a drug widely used in the United States to induce abortion in women pregnant for 10 weeks or less, has become a target of the country's anti-abortion movement.

On Friday the US Supreme Court temporarily preserved broad access to the medication, freezing restrictions imposed on the drug by an appeals court, which had ruled in favor of a group challenging the decades-old authorization of mifepristone by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Here it is a timeline of drug's history and the recent US legal fight likely to end up in the Supreme Court:

- Development and distribution -

- 1980: Mifepristone is developed by French researchers, initially dubbed RU-486 based on its chemical compound.

- 1988: Mifepristone is approved for medical abortions in France, and is adopted in other countries in the years following.

- 2000: The FDA rules mifepristone safe for use in the United States to terminate pregnancies up to seven weeks gestation. It can only be dispensed to users directly at clinics, doctor's offices and hospitals.

- 2016: The FDA says mifepristone can be prescribed for pregnancies up to 10 weeks gestation.

- 2020-21: The FDA halts enforcement of the in-person dispensing requirements due to the Covid-19 pandemic, allowing mifepristone to be mailed to patients after telemedicine consultations.

- Roe v. Wade overturned -

- June 24, 2022: The Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision that guaranteed women's abortion rights nationwide. The ruling permits individual states to set their own rules, and about half of the 50 states either ban or tightly restrict the procedure. Mifepristone quickly becomes a new target for anti-abortion activists.

- January 3, 2023: The FDA rules that the drug can be distributed to users by certified pharmacies, including by mail.

- April 7, 2023: A federal judge in Texas places a nationwide ban, to begin after a week-long delay, on distribution of mifepristone while he hears a lawsuit by anti-abortion activists challenging the FDA's 2000 approval of the drug.

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- April 12, 2023: A federal appeals court partially overturns the Texas judge's action, saying that it was far too late for plaintiffs to challenge the FDA's 2000 approval of the drug. But the appeals court accepts the judge's block on the 2016 FDA decision to expand mifepristone use up to 10 weeks gestation, and its decision to allow distribution by mail.

- April 13, 2023: The US Justice Department under Democratic President Joe Biden announces it will file an emergency request to the Supreme Court seeking a reversal of the appeals court's decision placing new restrictions on mifepristone.

- April 21, 2023: The US Supreme Court rules in favor of temporarily preserving broad access to mifepristone, freezing restrictions imposed on the drug by an appeals court. Two conservative justices dissented with the decision.

pmh/caw/dw
WASHINGTON  The Supreme Court put the legal battle over the abortion pill mifepristone on pause Friday, granting Americans full access to the medication while a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug continues.

While the decision was a rare win on the high court for abortion rights, it's unlikely to be the final say on the drug  and doesn't offer any insight into the potential outcome of a litany of other reproductive rights cases now percolating in lower federal courts.

When the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last summer, some people hoped the divisive decision would get federal courts out of the business of having to rule on abortion. The battle over mifepristone has underscored that it hasn't quite worked out that way.

News: Supreme Court halts mail, telehealth restrictions on mifepristone

FDA: Mifepristone court battle could threaten access to other FDA-approved drugs

Here's a look at the latest decision from the high court and what may come next.

What the Supreme Court said on mifepristone and what comes next

The Supreme Court shot down, for now, restrictions imposed by lower courts on the abortion pill drug mifepristone. Though the court was not ruling on the merits, its unsigned, one-paragraph order maintained the status quo on access to the drug.

The case now returns to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, which is reviewing U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk's decision earlier this month that, in effect, invalidated the FDA's approval of the drug.

While the Supreme Court's order was a win for abortion rights groups, it did not reach the merits of the case, which could return to the high court in a matter of months.

'Return the issue ... to the people'

When the Supreme Court handed down its decision last year in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, a central theme of the majority's opinion was the notion of returning abortion to elected representatives in states.

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"It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the peoples elected representatives," Justice Samuel Alito wrote for the majority. "This court cannot bring about the permanent resolution of a rancorous national controversy simply by dictating a settlement and telling the people to move on."

Judge: Who is Judge Kacsmaryk and why was the abortion pill case in his court?

Ignore courts? Some float defiance on abortion pill. Experts say it's an explosive idea.

In some ways, that has happened. At least 14 states, including Texas, Arkansas and Kentucky, have completely or almost completely banned abortion, actions that led to a series of lawsuits in state courts. Other states, including New York and California, have sought to further protect people's access to the procedure. The result is what many experts predicted: A patchwork of different abortion laws across the country.

But that hasn't wiped abortion off federal court dockets. The Dobbs decision last year has raised many new questions and led to new litigation, including the fight over mifepristone access. Many of those cases may work their way up to the Supreme Court in coming months or years  keeping reproductive rights front and center for the justices.

Director of the Christian Defense Coalition Rev. Patrick Mahoney sets signs up in front of the U.S. Supreme Court Building on April 19, 2023 in Washington, DC.

Traveling out of state for abortions

One question likely to be sorted out by federal courts: What happens if a resident in a state with strict rules decides to have an abortion  or purchase abortion drugs  in a state with more lenient rules? Can the more conservative states regulate that decision or criminalize it?

A federal judge in Idaho is set to hold a hearing Monday about whether that state's abortion ban bars doctors from referring people to out of state clinics for abortion care.

Separately, Idaho Gov. Brad Little, a Republican, signed into law this month a bill that would make it a crime to help a pregnant minor get an out-of-state abortion without parental consent. The first of its kind in the U.S., the law creates a new crime of "abortion trafficking" and carries a sentence of two to five years in prison.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh laid down a marker on the issue in Dobbs last year, asserting that  generally  travel prohibitions would not be permitted "based on the constitutional right to interstate travel." Kavanaugh's vote would be critical if that issue made its way to the high court, but it's not clear how he would view the specifics of a particular case.

Safe: Mifepristone 'safer than Tylenol,' experts say amid battle over major abortion pill

Travel: How a case about pig farms could muddy debate over out-of-state abortions

Texas officials, in another matter, are suing the Biden administration over guidance issued in July that warns pharmacies they may be violating anti-discrimination law if they declined to fill prescriptions for drugs that can induce an abortion.

What are people saying about the high court's abortion pill decision?

Abortion rights groups applauded the decision Friday but also sounded a note of caution for their side of the debate.

"We cannot overstate how crucial it is that people still have access to this safe, effective medicine," said NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju. "The fight, however, is far from over." Anti-abortion "extremists," she said, would continue to "use the courts to push their deeply unpopular agenda.

Alliance Defending Freedom, which filed the lawsuit against the FDA, described the order as procedural and said it is looking forward to the case continuing.

"As is common practice, the Supreme Court has decided to maintain the status quo that existed prior to our lawsuit while our challenge to the FDA's illegal approval of chemical abortion drugs and its removal of critical safeguards for those drugs moves forward," the group's senior counsel, Erik Baptist, said in a statement. "We look forward to a final outcome in this case that will hold the FDA accountable."

Contributing: Christine Fernando

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abortion: Mifepristone fight will continue after Supreme Court ruling
A court should overturn a restraining order filed against a Phoenix reporter who is investigating whether an Arizona politician is following the law by living in the district she represents, First Amendment attorneys and journalism leaders say.

Camryn Sanchez, who covers the state Senate for the Arizona Capitol Times, was the target of an injunction against harassment filed by state Sen. Wendy Rogers, R-Flagstaff, and approved by a Flagstaff judge April 19.

Rogers, who was reelected to a second two-year term last year, didn't allege that Sanchez threatened her in the petition for the injunction, only that Sanchez had once persisted in asking her questions and recently rang the doorbell at two of her homes.

"This would definitely have a horrible effect on journalists if this were allowed to stand," said Gregg Leslie, executive director of the First Amendment Legal Clinic at the Sandra Day OConnor College of Law at Arizona State University.

"We've always known that the only way to protect free speech and a free press is to not have the courts play a significant role in regulating it. Anything that becomes kind of licensure or regulation of the media just ends up putting the power in the hands of government to control what a reporter is doing. And that's absolutely offensive to the First Amendment."

Sanchez was working on a story about whether Rogers lived in Flagstaff in the district where she was elected, or in homes she owned in Tempe and Chandler. Rogers was a longtime resident of Tempe before listing a property in Flagstaff as her official residence and recently signed a property deed that said she was "currently residing" in Tempe.

The Arizona Constitution states that lawmakers must live in their districts, although court precedent has weakened the requirement.

Sanchez also was investigating Rogers' claim to mileage and subsistence reimbursement. Rogers collected more than $19,000 in reimbursement from the Senate in recent months  much more than lawmakers who live in metro Phoenix are given.

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The injunction, signed by Flagstaff Justice Court Magistrate Judge Amy Criddle, forbids Sanchez from going to any of Rogers' homes. Rogers posted Ring doorbell photographs of Sanchez ringing a doorbell and standing in front of one of the homes, writing on social media that Sanchez was "stalking" her and that her behavior was "bizarre."

The lawmaker also asked that Sanchez be banned from the state Senate, but Senate President Warren Petersen, R-Gilbert, said Sanchez can continue to work as a reporter in the Senate as long as she doesn't approach Rogers at her desk.

Rogers claimed she doesn't know what Sanchez is "capable of" and that she did not "trust that this person wouldn't lash out and try to physically harm me in some fashion."

Rogers was censured last year in part for stating on social media that her political enemies should be hanged.

The injunction was an insult to the very purpose for these orders, Leslie said. You know, there are people facing real threats from violent people, and they need this kind of protection from a court. And it's ridiculous to assume the same standard should apply to a journalist asking questions."

Greg Burton, executive editor for The Arizona Republic, called the judges order an outrageous violation of press freedoms.

Knocking on doors and asking questions is what we do, Burton said. It's how we find the truth. It's an act of journalism that legislative leaders should be constitutionally obligated to defend. Their apparent endorsement of this order will have a chilling effect on newsgathering and should be withdrawn or overturned immediately."

The Arizona Newspapers Association released a statement that said the organization was still investigating the facts.

But a reporter, in the course of doing their job, and, indeed, members of the public should have a reasonable expectation of being able to speak with elected officials, the statement said.

What could happen next with injunction against reporter

Under state law, violating the injunction could result in Sanchezs arrest and prosecution for interfering with judicial proceedings.

Criddle could have delayed the injunction order for 10 days and scheduled a hearing in which Sanchez and the Capitol Times could have defended the reporters actions. The law says a judge is supposed to review the petition for an injunction for evidence of harassment and decide whether to grant the injunction immediately.

If the judge does grant the injunction immediately, as happened in this case, the defendant can file a written request for a hearing, and the hearing must take place within 10 days of the request.

Sanchez declined comment and representatives of the Capitol Times did not return a message seeking comment.

Journalist barred: Reporter investigating where state Sen. Wendy Rogers lives in Arizona hit with restraining order

Benjamin Taylor, a civil rights attorney who has handled such hearings, said that judges typically do not delay approving a request for an injunction and instead would lean towards the person who is being harassed.

No judge wants to be the one to say 'no,' and then something happens, Taylor said. When hearings are requested, the truth comes out, and the judge will say, Now I understand both sides.

If Criddle decides no harassment has occurred, she could reverse the order. Otherwise, it would last for a year.

Matthew Kelley, an attorney who represents media companies including The Arizona Republic, said a restraining order against a reporter was inappropriate but not unprecedented.

"The misuse of anti-harassment orders against journalists is a tactic that other politicians have used occasionally. Elected officials must expect scrutiny from the public, and asking questions is not a crime. The courts shouldnt be asked to intervene when a simple 'no comment' would suffice," Kelley said.

Reach the reporter at rstern@arizonarepublic.com or 480-276-3237. Follow him on Twitter @raystern.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Sen. Wendy Rogers' restraining order against reporter assailed
Jack Teixeira, 21, has been charged in connection with the leak of secret Pentagon documents. Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images

Jack Teixeira, 21, might have leaked sensitive intelligence much earlier than previously thought.

The New York Times found posts sharing secret intelligence less than 48 hours after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The National Guardsman has been charged in connection with the leaks of top secret military documents.

The 21-year-old Air National Guardsman charged in connection with the leak of dozens of secret Pentagon documents appears to have been posting intelligence much earlier than previously thought.

The New York Times has discovered a Discord user profile matching Jack Teixeira's shared secret intelligence about the war in Ukraine less than 48 hours after Russia began its invasion.

Teixeira has been charged in connection with leaking hundreds of classified Pentagon documents to a private gaming chat room of about 50 people, known as Thug Shaker Central, on the online messaging platform Discord.

The affidavit said he had started posting classified information on social media around December 2022, according to Reuters.

However, The Times has now found older postings dating back to February 2022, which were shared in a larger and more easily accessible Discord chat group, with about 600 members.

The user claimed to be posting information from the NSA, CIA, and other intelligence agencies. The posts included details about casualties on both sides, Russia's spy agencies' activities, and details about aid to Ukraine.

Less than 48 hours into Russia's invasion, the user posted a message saying: "Saw a pentagon report saying that rd of the force is being used to invade."

When questioned by another user, he boasted: "I have a little more than open source info. Perks of being in a USAF intel unit."

On some occasions, the user shared information about the Russian invasion that preempted events on the battlefield.

On March 27, 2022, he said that Russia was planning to retreat from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, which Russian officials announced they were doing two days later.

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The Times reported that it is unclear whether authorities are aware of these specific posts.

The paper linked the profile to Teixeira through various pieces of digital evidence, including the username he had previously used, the user sharing that he worked at a US Air Force intelligence unit, sharing the same birthday, and posting photos and videos matching others taken inside his family home.

Teixeira joined the Air National Guard in September 2019 and in 2021 was given "Top Secret" security clearance, which gave him access to the classified documents leaked online, according to the criminal complaint.

It appears he was motivated mainly by a desire to impress gamers he befriended online rather than leaking the classified information out of patriotism, according to accounts by friends reported by the Washington Post and New York Times.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A baby bobcat was presumed orphaned after he was found alone in the Oregon wilderness twice, officials said.

Now the adorable baby has a permanent home at the High Desert Museum in Bend, officials said in an April 21 news release.

Well-meaning people first took him in back in October, when he weighed only 3 pounds, officials said in the news release.

Biologists with the department explained that animals will sometimes leave their babies for a short period to feed and return to them later. Officials brought him back to where he was found, hoping his mother would return, the release said.

But when someone else brought him in less than a week later, officials worried he might become habituated to humans.

The best thing to do when discovering baby or injured wildlife is to leave the animal there and contact the local ODFW office to report it, said museum Curator of Wildlife Jon Nelson in the release. The best outcome is always to locate the mother so the animal can be raised and live in the wild, but ODFW is well-equipped to determine if the animal is legitimately abandoned or otherwise requires long-term human care.

Officials arent sure if the yet-to-be-named bobcat was truly orphaned, but officials determined the museum would be the best spot for the little guy. The wildlife team has expertise in caring for feline predators, the release said.

But Museum Executive Director Dana Whitelaw said staff still has a huge responsibility on their hands.

Although not generally a danger to humans, bobcats are also not housecats, she said. Our team is working with him daily to ensure he will thrive here.

Right now, while hes about 15.5 pounds, staff is teaching him to voluntarily crate and to participate in veterinary care. Hell reach full size of 20 to 25 pounds in about another year, the release said.

He has done well so far and is a smart animal who has taken quickly to training and working with wildlife staff, the release said.

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Over the next several weeks, the public can view him in the atrium where Gert the gray fox currently lives, the release said. They cant be in there at the same time, so museum staff will rotate them.

The museum will auction off the opportunity to name him at the High Desert Rendezvous, its largest annual fundraising event, on Saturday, Aug. 26.

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Watch this wild cat behave just like domestic counterpart on trail camera in Colorado
Photo Illustration by The Daily Beast / Getty

Anyone who grew up in a rural part of the country can tell you that the sun rarely catches farmers sleeping. After all, a farmers work is never doneand that might never change.

However, if you are a farmer, your life might look just a little different someday soon: you wake up around 5 a.m. or maybe even earlier. After getting dressed, you grab a cup of coffee and breakfast to fuel up for the day ahead. As you do, you run through a checklist of priorities and to-dos for the day: feed and water the animals, clean their sheds and pens, and tend the crops. But first, you need to head out to the barn.

There, after making your way past the tractors and harvesting equipment, you arrive at a platform with a large drone on it underneath an opening in the ceiling. You swap out yesterdays batteries with some fresh ones from a charging terminal. Then, finally, you pull up an app on your phone and speak into it. Check the soil status of the soybeans before watering the cornfield. Soon, you hear the familiar whirring of the propellers. You step back and watch as the drone takes off out of the skylight and into the brightening morning horizon. For a moment, you watch as it climbs into the sky, before heading out of the barn and back out into the farm. No time to waste. After all, the cows arent going to feed themselves.

This Flying ATV Might Bring Farming Into a Cyberpunk Future

It reads like something out of a speculative sci-fi storybut it could very well soon be a reality. While there has been a lot of hype about AI in the past few months after the release of OpenAIs ChatGPT, much of the discourse has been focused on things like fearful headlines about sentient bots, what AI means for the future of education and essay writing, how itll disrupt industries like writing and coding, or how private companies and entrepreneurs can capitalize on this trend like the they tried to with the metaverse and crypto.

However, some have begun to consider how exactly these new generative AIs can be leveraged beyond the obviousand even fight climate change while feeding the world. Thats the idea behind a new pre-print penned by a multi-university team of data and machine learning researchers on how emerging advanced AI like GPT-4 can be leveraged for agriculture, while also helping fight climate change.

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Climate change poses a serious threat to agriculture activities, Jin Sun, assistant professor of computer science at the University of Georgia, Athens and co-author of the paper, told The Daily Beast in an email. [Meanwhile], the agriculture industry also has a significant climate footprint. [AI] can help in both directions.

An Environmental Case for AGI

Specifically, the paper argues for the use of artificial general intelligence (AGI), a term used to commonly describe the point in which AI has the learning and understanding capabilities of the human brain. The concept itself is steeped in fear of Terminator-style robot uprisings and even God-like intelligences. Billionaire and former OpenAI board member Elon Musk has even made numerous comments in the past hinting at his own fears about AGI and its potential to upend society. He recently told Tucker Carlson that advanced AI could lead to civilizational destruction.

Nevertheless, the idea of AGI has largely remained in the realm of speculationsomething that will one day come, but isnt here yet. However, Sun says that AGI is just around the corner, due to the success of the GPT-family models.

These models are general purpose, large-scale, andin the case of GPT-4multimodal, which means it accepts image and text inputs to generate text outputs. This is significantly different from traditional AI models that are more task-specific and unable to adapt to new environments, Sun explained.

Martin Shkrelis Bizarre AI Chatbot Is a Medical and Legal Nightmare

Some researchers have already begun exploring applications for these models in the realm of health care to do everything from helping to make diagnostic decisions, to using ChatGPT to assist surgeons on the operating table. (Of course, it should be noted that no hospital in the world has reported doing such things, since they could get shut down and lose their licenses faster than you can say Do no harm.)

The same could be done for stewarding the Earth through agriculture and climate initiatives, the papers authors argue. Specifically, they make the case that AGI can possibly reduce emissions through a variety of core processes. For example, AGI could help enhance and power a new generation of agricultural robotics to perform tasks like weeding, fertilizing, harvesting, and crop scouting.

AGIs ability to understand natural languages and reasoning can greatly improve the interaction between humans and robots, thereby lowering the technical barriers for farmers to use agricultural robots, the studys authors wrote. That means, one day, the story above where the farmer commands their drones through a sentence could very well be possible.

A Robots Work Is Never Done

In a lot of ways, the AI revolution has already come for farmingthough we just might not realize it. Today, practically every farmer in the country utilizes a war chest of sensors, AI software, and even hardware like drones to help them with their work.

AI is already a thing in agriculture, Daniel Kaiser, the Environmental Defense Funds director of agricultural innovation, told The Daily Beast. Its data, sensors, and how AI can be used to interpret data to give farmers better insights into management decisions.

Thats where the true power of AI is when it comes to the environment: data. The more information that someone has about a particular stretch of land or ecosystem, the better they can take care of it. This all falls under the purview of a process known as precision agriculture. If a farmer knows, for example, the precise soil composition of their acreage, they can know what the optimal crops will grow there.

How Organic Food Could Doom the Future of Agriculture

However, Kaiser said that the industry is facing a bit of a chicken and egg situation where farmers have all of this AI-powered data and analyticsbut the hardware hasnt caught up with them in order to do anything about it. Thats what a lot of new startups are trying to do: theyre trying to marry the software into machines that can actually take action, Kaiser explained.

So the future could mean things like flying drone tractors to water, fertilize, and spray herbicide over crops, or even autonomous crop harvesters that know how to pluck the most ideal-sized lemons in a grove, Kaiser said.

Beyond facilitating and enhancing cool hardware, though, perhaps the most impactful application for something like AGI to help solve things like world hunger and farming during a climate crisis is genetic engineering in plants and animals. Kaiser explained that AI is already being utilized to make identifying functional groups of genes much more rapid.

It used to take months to code the genome of a wheat plant and identify functional groups. Now they can do it in a couple of weeks, Kaiser said. He added that scientists have already done things like create breeds of crops with nitrogen fixation so it gets rid of the need to fertilize them, and create saltwater-tolerant rice.

Sun and his co-authors argue that AGI can exponentially increase the potential of this process, allowing scientists to create supercharged plants that can survive erratic weather patterns, resist pests and disease, and increase crop yield. All of which are important to maintain productivity in challenging climate environments, he said.

Farmer in the Loop

But, as with all things related to AIespecially when it comes to models like GPTthe problems posed by biases cannot be understated. These are models that are trained on massive datasets that are frequently prone to bias themselves. This means that it could result in a disproportionate amount of harm when developed and deployed without guardrails in place.

We saw this with the initial launch of ChatGPT and Bings AI-powered chatbot. The developers behind it seemed to rush a product out the door without considering the full ramifications of thrusting a powerful chatbot into the hands of the public.

The results were damning: People started to believe that the AI was doing things like threatening to kill them, falling in love with them, or even becoming sentient. There were even instances of the bots spreading outright misinformationand at one point even baselessly accused a professor of sexual assault.

ChatGPT May Be Able to Convince You Killing a Person Is OK

Extrapolate these effects to the consequential world of agriculture and land stewardship, and the impacts could be felt by people all over the Earth. We cannot ignore its potential for bias, Gengchen Mai, an AI researcher at UGA and co-author of the paper, told The Daily Beast. ChatGPT has been known to make inaccurate and toxic contentwhich is very, very bad for some critical decision making.

He gave the example that if we used ChatGPT for medical treatment, it could give a patient a wrong diagnosis or ignore symptoms due to biased datasomething that has happened before with people of color. And if youre after agriculture, like farmers, it could give them wrong data and lead to the wrong decisionwhich means disaster.

This underscores a refrain that AI ethicists and researchers have been practically screaming for decades: There always needs to be a humanin this case, a farmerin the loop. In fact, everyone The Daily Beast spoke to for this story agreed that no matter how sophisticated or intelligent an AI is, there will be a need for a person to make sure things are going smoothly.

Youre always going to need a human observing whats happening, Kaiser said. You}re always gonna miss something with a sensor, and theres also a lot of changes happening all the time like growing conditions and climate. Theres uncertainty to it and humans are going to be the ones who can adapt to those changes.

So, in that way, we can take solace in the fact that there will always be a need for human stewards of the Earth, and be glad that the old adage will always be true: A farmers work is never doneeven during a robot apocalypse.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/Insider

Biden and the White House have taken aim at the extra costs families incur to fly together.

Airlines are heeding the Biden administration's pressure to rein in this so-called "junk fee."

Consumer advocates want Congress to push through a law banning the practice entirely.

Airlines make billions each year by charging customers extra fees. But one fee, in particular, has become so loathed that after years of discussion, the White House is browbeating companies to stop the practice.

Consumer groups and President Joe Biden are aghast that carriers have effectively charged families more to sit together. Biden and his aides have added the surcharge to the list of so-called "junk fees" that he wants to end altogether along with "resort fees" and cable and phone providers making it difficult to cancel their services.

Some airlines are already conceding to the president's bully pulpit.

American, Alaska, and Frontier Airlines all announced that they would write a guarantee that parents would not have to pay more to sit with young children. Their moves came after the Department of Transportation unveiled a dashboard that blatantly singles out carriers refusing to meet the administration's preferred policy.

The cost of traveling together

Airlines can effectively charge more for parents to travel with their kids by imposing additional fees on seat selections or making it difficult to book tickets without additional hurdles. No airline explicitly imposes a "family seating fee," but consumer advocates have complained for years about how that's exactly what's happening.

"It means the passenger can choose airlines where this is important," Paul Hudson, the president of FlyersRights, a passenger-focused non-profit, told Insider. "It will also give them notice if they don't have that feature that they are probably going to have to pay extra or have family members separated."

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Airlines for America, an industry lobbying arm that counts the big four, America, Delta, Southwest, and United, among its members, previously pointed out that none of its members explicitly charge a family seating fee.

The big four airlines "already work to accommodate customers who are traveling together, especially those traveling with children, and will continue to do so," Hannah Walden, a spokesperson for Airlines for America, said in a statement to Insider. "Each carrier has established individual policies, and all make every effort to ensure families sit together."

Consumer advocates caution that such a distinction is merely semantic, and promises alone won't fix the issue.

"When you charge a seat reservation fee to passengers, and you require someone who wants to sit next to their 13-year-old child to pay that seat reservation fee, that is a family seating fee whether they specifically call it that or not that's what it ends up being for travelers," John Breyault, a vice president at the advocacy group the National Consumers League, told Insider.

A bill to address it is in the works, but prospects are uncertain

Airlines that don't currently meet the DOT's preferred standard, such as Delta, have said they will work with families to ensure they can sit together. But the department has made it clear airlines will need to do more than simply make assurances. The Biden administration wants airlines to explicitly guarantee for a child 13-and-under with an accompanying adult with no additional costs. Airlines are allowed to condition their guarantees on seating availability and how the tickets were originally booked.

Buttigieg has pledged that the department will also go through the lengthy federal rulemaking process to formally institute a ban. In the meantime, Biden has also called on Congress to pass a law banning the list of junk fees.

"Baggage fees are bad enough  they can't just treat your child like a piece of luggage," he said. "Americans are tired of being played for suckers."

Breyault stressed that White House browbeating alone won't be enough. His organization is pushing Congress to pass a law banning the practice.

DOT dashboard that shows airline policies for family seating

This is a March 24, 2023 screenshot of the Department of Transportation's dashboard of airline family seating policies.DOT/Insider

"These commitments need to be backed up by regulations that consumers can count on," he said. "If it's just taking the airlines at their word, their businesses and they can change on a dime."

Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts is working with a trio of other Senate Democrats, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, on separate legislation on just family seating. Consumer advocates are hopeful that Congress will address the issue in its massive, must-pass Federal Aviation Administration reauthorization.

Airlines have become reliant on extra fees

It is worth noting how we got here. As Nerd Wallet reported last year, the rise of budget airlines forced the traditional big names to generate more of their bottom line from what is officially known as ancillary fees. Fees now make up more than 20% of the total revenue US airlines generate.

It's not clear how much revenue the extra family-related fees generate, but it likely pales in comparison to other categories. In just three-quarters of 2022, major airlines made just under $5 billion in baggage fees alone, according to federal financial records the companies have to file.

During the Trump administration, the Transportation Department was required by Congress to study the extent of the family seating situation. The department found that only a very small amount of the complaints filed by passengers were related to such seating woes. It concluded that it was "unnecessary to direct airlines to establish policies on family seating" based on the low number of complaints at the time. It is worth noting that the federal complaint database almost certainly pales in comparison to the angry tweets, Facebook posts, and other ways Americans vent their rage at airlines.

Complaints filed since then outline some troubling scenarios. In 2021, an unnamed airline seated a mother's 11-month-old and 4-year-old children by themselves. A year prior, a six-year-old was separated from a parent. According to the complaint, the passenger sitting next to the child then watched R-rated content. Neither airline disputed the parents' respective accounts.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Two charges of trespassing against Winona LaDuke have been dismissed by a county judge in Minnesota. (Photo: StopLine3.org)

A county judge in central Minnesota dismissed two counts of trespassing against activist Winona LaDuke this week.

The charges are related to an incident on December 5, 2020, when LaDuke was charged with two counts of misdemeanor trespass for participating in a prayer lodge on the banks of the Mississippi River. On the day Line 3 construction was scheduled to begin, law enforcement posted no trespassing signs around a group of people conducting a ceremony and then demanded that everyone leave.

Im grateful for the dismissal, LaDuke, founder and former executive director of Honor the Earth, said in an interview with Native News Online. The charges were wrong. We are Anishinaabe and we are water protectors.

LaDukes attorneys defended her right to participate in her religious freedom and alleged the American Indian Religious Freedom Act (AIRFA) in their court documents, violations of the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Judge Metzens prudent decision to dismiss these exaggerated charges against Ms. LaDuke once again illustrates that Winonas rights to exercise her religious and First Amendment freedoms were not in any way criminal trespass, Frank Bibeau, one of LaDukes attorneys, said in a statement.

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC) made agreements with Enbridge to reimburse for extra policing during the construction of the Line 3 Oil Pipeline Replacement Project. In total, both the Minnesota DNR and Aitken County Sheriffs Office received at least $8.6 million in reimbursement funding for Line 3 related activity. Nearly 900 people were arrested during the construction of Line 3, from December 2020 to October 2021.

Aitkin County received over $350,000 from Enbridge to turn water protectors into criminals, LaDuke said. There are still many other water protectors who have been charged, all while Enbridge is gunning for the Straits of Mackinac risking the Great Lakes.

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While the courts dismissed the trespassing charges against LaDuke, a White Earth Ojibwe citizen, she is still a defendant in Aitkin and Wadena counties on separate charges related to her opposition of Enbridges Line 3 Oil Pipeline Replacement Project.

Enbridge Line 5 was built in 1953 and is a 30-inch oil pipeline that transports crude oil from western Canada to eastern Canada, 645 miles from Superior, Wisconsin to Sarnia, Ontario via the state of Michigan. The most controversial part of the pipeline is in the Straits of Mackinac, the narrow waterway that connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

In 2018, an anchor from a freight ship struck and damaged the Line 5 pipeline while passing through the Straits of Mackinac. While damage from the passing didnt lead to an oil spill, then-Republican Governor Rick Snyder made an agreement with Enbridge to protect the pipeline from future damage and keep it operational. Enbridge later built a $500 million tunnel under the lake to enclose the Line 5 pipeline.

Two years later, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, ordered Enbridge to cease operations in the Straits of Mackinac, effectively shutting the Line 5 oil pipeline down.Enbridge has refused to end operations, saying it earns an estimated $2 million daily and has been operating the pipeline safely and reliably for decades.

Enbridge wants to replace the pipeline inside a utility tunnel drilled beneath the Straits, arguing that would heighten protections against environmental damages. Enbridge already received permits to build the tunnel from Michigan state environmental regulators and the Mackinac Straits Corridor Authority. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has already begun its environmental impact statement (EIS), and is expected to take several years to complete.

About the Author: "Darren Thompson (Lac du Flambeau Ojibwe) is a staff reporter for Native News Online who is based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota. Thompson has reported on political unrest, tribal sovereignty, and Indigenous issues for the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, Indian Country Today, Native News Online, Powwows.com and Unicorn Riot. He has contributed to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and Voice of America on various Indigenous issues in international conversation. He has a bachelor\u2019s degree in Criminology & Law Studies from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. "

Contact: dthompson@nativenewsonline.net
Al Pacino has teasingly taken credit for Harrison Fords illustrious career.

Before Ford became known globally as rebel hero Han Solo in the Star Wars franchise, it appears the Millennium Falcon spaceship couldve had a different pilot.

During an event in New York on Wednesday (19 April), Pacino revealed he had originally been offered Fords role in the sci-fi fantasy.

When I first came up, I was the new kid on the block, you know what happens when you first become famous, The Godfather star told the audience per Variety. Its like, Give it to Al. Theyd give me Queen Elizabeth to play.

Pacino said he was given a script called Star Warsand had been offered so much money.

The 82-year-old Scarface actor explained that he read it but didnt understand it.

So I said I couldnt do it, Pacino said. I turned down Star Wars.

Al Pacino and Harrison Ford (Getty Images)

He then joked: I gave Harrison Ford a career.

While Pacino turned down the role that would go on to shoot Ford to worldwide fame, he instead led the 1977 romance drama Bobby Deerfield.

Although his alternative choice was poorly received by critics, Pacino went on to star in other classics, including Scarface (1983), Carlitos Way (1993), Donnie Brasco (1997), and more recently The Irishman (2019).

Just before leading the final film in the Star Wars trilogy, Ford landed his career-defining role as the intrepid archaeologist Indiana Jones in Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).

Three more Indiana Jones films later and the now 80-year-old actor will reprise the iconic role in the forthcoming Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, premiering in cinemas on 30 June.

In order for the opening sequence to maintain continuity with the original trilogy, Ford will feature digitally de-aged.

Last December, Indiana Jones fans rejoiced at the release of the first trailer teaser for the fifth movie.
Al Pacino could easily refuse the offer to play Han Solo in Star Wars.

The Oscar winner revealed that he turned down the 1977 film despite being offered so much money for the role. Pacino was coming off of hits like The Godfather (1972), Serpico (1973), The Godfather Part II (1974), and Dog Day Afternoon (1975).

More from IndieWire

Well, I turned down Star Wars. When I first came up, I was the new kid on the block, Pacino said during an event at the 92nd Street Y in New York (via Variety). You know what happens when you first become famous. Its like, Give it to Al. Theyd give me Queen Elizabeth to play.

Pacino, who is next starring in King Lear, added, They gave me a script called Star Wars. They offered me so much money. I dont understand it. I read it. So I said I couldnt do it.

He joked, I gave Harrison Ford a career.

Ford had previously starred in American Graffiti, The Conversation, and Kung Fu before breaking out in Star Wars as Han Solo and later leading the Indiana Jones franchise.

Pacino additionally reflected on thinking his career was over during a tough Godfather production. Director Francis Ford Coppola told Pacino he was failing the film over dinner.

Im standing there thinking What the fuck, what did I do?' Pacino said, with Coppola advising him to go to Paramount.

I wanted to come out of nowhere, and by the end of the film create some kind of enigma, Pacino said. His transition is what interested me, and I thought I was unable to save it. After the first day of shooting, Diane Keaton and I got drunk. We thought This is it, our careers are over.'

Pacino noted that the Solozzo scene, where Michael shoots the cop was pushed up by Coppola since he thought Paramount was about to fire me.

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The actor added, I do the scene, they liked it, and they kept me in because I shot someone.

During the 50th anniversary of The Godfather release in March 2022, Pacino called his sudden fame from the film like a bolt of lightning.

I felt like, all of a sudden, some veil was lifted and all eyes were on me. Of course, they were on others in the film. But The Godfather gave me a new identity that was hard for me to cope with, Pacino said. Its a piece of work that I was so fortunate to be in. But its taken me a lifetime to accept it and move on. Its not like I played Superman.

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Sundar Pichai became Alphabet CEO in 2019. Jerod Harris/Getty Images

Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google owner Alphabet, was paid a total of $226 million in 2022.

His package was boosted by stock awards worth $218 million.

Alphabet also spent almost $6 million on personal security for Pichai, according to a filing.

Alphabet's Sundar Pichai was paid a total of $226 million last year after he was awarded a big tranche of shares, making him one of America's best-paid CEOs.

The chief executive of Google's owner was given more than $218 million, according to filings published Friday. His base annual salary of $2 million hasn't changed since 2020.

Pichai is awarded shares every three years and took home more than $280 million in 2019, the year cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin officially stepped down from their executive roles.

Alphabet also spent almost $6 million on personal security for Pichai, according to the filing.

Other executives, including senior vice president of Google's knowledge and information, Prabhakar Raghavan, and chief business officer Philipp Schindler both made about $37 million, per the filing. They are awarded shares annually.

Pichai's compensation makes him one of the world's best-paid CEOs. The timing is awkward following layoffs at Alphabet as well as other companies in the tech sector such as Meta and Twitter.

Alphabet cut 12,000 jobs in January and Pichai said in a memo he was taking "full responsibility for the decisions that led us here."

"Over the past two years we've seen periods of dramatic growth," he wrote. "To match and fuel that growth, we hired for a different economic reality than the one we face today."

Pichai said the company had undertaken a "rigorous review" and that jobs were being cut across all "product areas, functions, levels and regions."

Apple CEO Tim Cook asked to have his pay cut for 2023 after huge packages in previous years caused controversy among shareholders. He is set to earn $49 million, about 40% less than in 2022.

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Elon Musk was arguably the best-paid boss last year after selling shares in Tesla worth almost $23 billion to help fund his takeover of Twitter. The CEO doesn't take a salary or bonus from the EV maker.

Alphabet didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Ambassador of Ukraine to France Vadym Omelchenko has reacted to the scandalous statements that the Chinese ambassador in this country made about Crimea and the status of Ukraine in international law.

Source: Omelchenko, the Ambassador of Ukraine to France, on Twitter, as reported by European Pravda

China's ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, said in an interview that the former Soviet countries "do not have an effective status in international law" because there is no international agreement that would materialise their status as a sovereign country.

When asked whether he considers Crimea to be a part of Ukraine, the ambassador said that "it depends on how you perceive the problem," adding that "it is far from being simple."

The Chinese diplomat also said that Crimea was "Russian from the beginning", but did not specify what he meant by the beginning.

Ukrainian Ambassador Vadym Omelchenko strongly reacted to such statements.

"There are obvious problems with [the ambassador's understanding of] geography; or else, such statements go against the position of the Chinese capital "regarding efforts to restore peace in Ukraine based on international law and the goals and principles of the UN Charter."

The test question "Who owns Crimea?" is, as always, indicative. Next time it would be good to expand it with the question "Who owns Vladivostok?". There is no place for ambiguity here. Crimea is Ukraine," Omelchenko wrote on Twitter.

He added that "the Soviet empire no longer exists, and history moves on."

Background: Bloomberg agency reports that French President Emmanuel Macron, with the assistance of China, is looking for a way to bring the leaders of Ukraine and Russia to the negotiating table.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP)  The Los Angeles Angels placed promising rookie catcher Logan O'Hoppe on the 10-day injured list Friday due to a problem with his left shoulder.

O'Hoppe is still undergoing tests before the Angels determine the severity of his injury, manager Phil Nevin said.

O'Hoppe first injured his shoulder on a swing Monday in Boston. He injured it again while hitting a single Thursday in the ninth inning of the Angels' road loss to the Yankees.

The Angels have been vague on the nature of the injury, but O'Hoppe said Thursday that it was the same thing that happened in Boston: I felt a pop come out the back.

The 23-year-old prospect seized the Angels' starting job behind the plate out of spring training while Max Stassi is away from the team with a hip injury and a family emergency. O'Hoppe is batting .283 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 16 games.

The Angels acquired O'Hoppe from Philadelphia near the trade deadline last season for outfielder Brandon Marsh.

Veteran Chad Wallach started at catcher Friday night when the Angels opened a seven-game homestand against Kansas City. Los Angeles also optioned reliever Jimmy Herget to Triple-A Salt Lake and recalled right-hander Austin Warren, while right-hander Justin Garza was designated for assignment.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Bud Light marketing VP Alissa Heinerscheid, who said the brand was fratty and out of touch and devised the much-criticized Dylan Mulvaney partnership, is taking a leave of absence.

Heinerscheid, who has led the brand since June, will be replaced by Budweiser global marketing VP Todd Allen, according to Ad Age. The move comes as Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch have faced intense backlash for their partnership with the trans influencer and activist, famous for her 365 Days of Girlhood video series, which chronicled the first year of her transition. Anheuser-Busch has faced cascading problems, including cancelled events with the iconic Budweiser Clydesdale horses, a stock price thats dipped, and many prominent Americans voicing their opposition, including Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R., Texas), Kid Rock, and Travis Tritt.

If we do not attract young drinkers to come and drink this brand, there will be no future for Bud Light, the beers VP of marketing explained last month. What I brought to that was a belief in, okay, what does evolve and elevate mean? It means inclusivity. It means shifting the tone. It means having a campaign thats truly inclusive and feels lighter and brighter and different and appeals to women and to men.

Meet Alissa Heinerscheid, Bud Lights VP of Marketing. She explains her strategy of using inclusive marketing to promote the brand to young people. pic.twitter.com/hFpe8YnbBc  Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) April 9, 2023

But Heinerscheids immediate future at Bud Light has now been cut short. The executive became the first woman to lead Bud Light in the brands 40-year history and was recognized by Ad Age in 2022 as one of the 40 under 40 rising stars in marketing, advertising, and media. Heinerscheid was promoted to the job after a nearly eight-year tenure at Anheuser-Busch in various marketing roles, including a recent stint as VP of direct-to-consumer marketing, which includes e-commerce. She created the role of Bud Light Blue VP, which refers to the main brand, proposing it to a top Anheuser-Busch executive through a 30-page pitch. It came after nearly four years of working on Bud Light, including overseeing the 2019 Game of Thrones Super Bowl ad.

Today, we communicated some next steps with our internal teams and wholesaler partners, explained an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson. First, we made it clear that the safety and welfare of our employees and our partners is our top priority. Second, Todd Allen is appointed Vice President of Bud Light reporting directly to Benoit Garbe, U.S. Chief Marketing Officer. Third, we have made some adjustments to streamline the structure of our marketing function to reduce layers so that our most senior marketers are more closely connected to every aspect of our brands activities. These steps will help us maintain focus on the things we do best: brewing great beer for all consumers, while always making a positive impact in our communities and on our country.

The Daily Wire reported that senior executives were in the dark about the decision to green-light the Mulvaney partnership.

According to a statement obtained by Ad Age from City Distributors, an Anheuser-Busch distributor based in Topeka, Kansas, the custom can decision, featuring Mulvaneys face, circumvented the proper approval channels.

Its unclear if Heinerscheids current replacement will be made permanent or what her future at Anheuser-Busch is. National Review reached out to company for additional comment, but has not heard back by press time.

Mulvaney, who has been invited to the White House and has attracted a number of lucrative business partnerships with brands like Nike, responded to the controversy earlier this month, appearing on an episode of iHeartPodcastss Onward With Rosie O Donnell.

The reason I think Im an easy target is because Im still new to this. I think going after a trans woman who has been doing this for 20 years is a lot more difficult, Mulvaney said.

I have watched it get so much worse, as my timeline has gone on and its been very kind of odd to compare the two, my transition as well as all this anti-trans legislation simultaneously, Mulvaney added.

Anheuser-Busch acknowledged the controversy in a statement last week, backtracking to a degree.

We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer, wrote CEO Brendan Whitworth.

More from National Review
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D., N.Y.) has doubled down on calls for the Biden administration to defy federal courts, including the nations highest, which she believes to be a highly politicized entity that is rapidly delegitimizing.

Ocasio-Cortez argued earlier this month that the Biden administration should ignore Judge Matthew Kacsmaryks ruling suspending approval of mifepristone, which is used in a regimen that constitutes the most common method of procuring an abortion in the United States. The Department of Justice appealed the ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and then the Supreme Court. On Friday, the high court stayed Kacsmaryks ruling in full.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito would have denied the applications for stays, with Alito writing that the applicants have not shown that they are likely to suffer irreparable harm in the interim. One line in Alitos dissent drew a reaction from Ocasio-Cortez  namely, his point that the Government has not dispelled legitimate doubts that it would even obey an unfavorable order in these cases, much less that it would choose to take enforcement actions to which it has strong objections.

In response, Ocasio-Cortez speculated on Twitter that she and others who had supported defying federal courts contributed to the stay of mifepristones suspension.

Another perspective: despite Alitos tantrum, this is a good thing. The court has devolved into a highly politicized entity that is rapidly delegitimizing. Open discussion of checking the courts abuse of power & defying Kacsmaryk possibly contributed to pause/consideration https://t.co/T9I29rll5k  Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 22, 2023

The court is a political entity currently engaged in overreach and abuse of power. In our system of checks and balances, SCOTUSs reckless behavior warrants a check from the leg + executive branches. This is not unprecedented, its how our system is designed to avert tyranny, Ocasio-Cortez continued.

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The representatives comments on Friday follow an interview she gave to Anderson Cooper on CNN in which she argued much the same.

It is the justices themselves through the deeply partisan and unfounded nature of these rulings that are undermining their own enforcementIt is up to the Biden administration to choose whether or not to enforce such a ruling, she said.

I believe that the Biden administration should ignore this ruling: Rep. @AOC reacts to Texas judges abortion pill ruling https://t.co/fLN25Ll12Y pic.twitter.com/EFUTyFFHqI  CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 8, 2023

We are seeing a power grab over our courts in which the laws passed by Congress and the rules and policies passed by the executive branch now are going to require unanimous consent from 650 district court judges, many of which are appointed with even the American Bar Association saying theyre completely unfit for the role, Ocasio-Cortez added.

The representative is not the only Democratic member of Congress that has openly called for the federal courts to be ignored by the executive branch. Senator Ron Wyden (D., Or.) said in a statement there was no way Kacsmaryks order has a basis in the law.

It is instead rooted in conservatives dangerous and undemocratic takeover of our countrys institutions. No matter what happens in seven days, I believe the Food and Drug Administration has the authority to ignore this ruling, which is why Im again calling on President Biden and the FDA to do just that, Wyden wrote.

These calls drew condemnation from many concerned with the rule of law. Though the Wall Street Journal editorial board harbored doubts about Kacsmaryks ruling, they thought the remarks of Wyden and Ocasio-Cortez were beyond the pale.

This is dangerous for the rule of law, and Democrats shouldnt think theyll be the only politicians who pick up the Wyden Nullification Doctrine. Southern Democrats called for massive resistance to legal orders in the 1950s after the Supreme Courts school desegregation ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. Is that now the Wyden-AOC model?, the editorial board wrote.

Theres a risk the Administration will cave under progressive pressure if the legal rulings dont go its way. If it does, the U.S. will take another giant step toward lawless politics, the editorial board added.

More from National Review
Users say these apps are helping them learn about historical monuments in fun ways

Kolkata-based Shital Ganeriwal enjoys learning about her city's history and culture.

To get her fix of learning, she tunes into an audio app and "enjoys the places and narratives coming alive around her".

The 31-year-old is currently using Wnder - an audio app started by the heritage walks company, Immersive Trails - to learn about some of the oldest monuments and areas in her hometown in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.

Ms Ganeriwal is among several history enthusiasts in India who are using audio apps to deepen their understanding about the country's past. Apps like Wnder, Augtraveler, HopOn India and Storytrails offer multimedia tours of historical places, coupled with audio narration, to create an immersive experience.

Wnder, the brainchild of a Kolkata-based archaeologist Tathagata Neogi and linguistic anthropologist Chelsea McGill, offers five curated heritage walks in the city. A recording, done by specialised voice actors, narrates the history of the area to them.

Starting May, tourists will also be able to undertake an augmented reality tour with 360-degree photographs.

Sreejeeta Saha is among many in India tuning into audio apps

"The inspiration for the project came from a US-based app called Detour, which is sadly no longer available," says Mr Neogi. "We were planning to create something similar for the Indian market as far back as 2017. It took six years of planning and fundraising to make it happen."

Augtraveler, offers virtual multimedia tours of World Heritage sites in India. There's audio narration, 360 degree imagery, augmented reality based models that visitors can interact with and onscreen text.

HopOn India has 116 tours live on its app across 14 cities. The app can be used on physical walks, as it moves the user across a map onscreen, tracking them through GPS and prompting them to pause or move on as needed at locations. There are also virtual tours where audio narration is accompanied by pop-up images of the locations.

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Founders of the apps say that the reason for creating them was to accurately represent India's history at various tourist spots. Many guides in India have inaccurate knowledge about the sites, charge hefty prices and sometimes have trouble communicating information due to language barriers.

"At Humayun's Tomb in Delhi, many people were not able to climb the stairs to see the interiors of the monument. Our [app] experiences can help here," says Pankaj Manchanda, founder of Augtraveler. He says that self-guidance devices available at monuments tend to be expensive, limited in number or are not scalable.

For Mr Neogi too, cutting down the cost of accessing tourist places was important. So, walks on the Wnder app are priced at 199 rupees ($2.5; 2) for a year's access, while the app itself is free to download.

But launching these apps in a new market like India is challenging and user numbers remain low, founders say.

"Not enough people were interested in the stories and we had no budget to market them. So we decided to move into spaces where people come with the intent to hear," says Shalini Bansal, co-founder of HopOn.

Audio-app platforms are also helping art galleries digitise their exhibitions

So many of these apps are tying up with museums and art galleries to help them digitise their exhibitions and walking tours.

Wnder and HopOn have created software solutions platforms that help museums and art galleries digitise their visitor experience. It involves leasing out their technology to create apps and websites that have audio-visual information about exhibits. Visitors can scan a QR code to access the information for free.

HopOn's offerings can be found at the National Museum in Delhi and the National Gallery of Modern Art in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru cities. Augtraveler has teamed up with knowledge partners and government departments to curate exclusive tours of World Heritage Sites in India on its own platform.

To ensure that they share accurate historical information, these apps hire or partner with domain experts to do the research.

"For us, the walk leader does the research to make it as personalised as possible," says Mr Neogi. "We factor in primary sources of information, such the British libraries' digitised material including East India Company's documents and newspaper archives. We also work with communities to learn oral histories and record memories."

Users say that these apps are helping them explore the cities they live in in new and interesting ways.

Sreejeeta Saha, who lives in Kolkata and uses Wnder, smiles when she talks about the most fascinating piece of trivia she learnt through the app:

"Fearing that the Japanese would attack the [city's] Victoria Memorial [during World War II] from the air, people covered the monument with cow dung."

Rushati Mukherjee is a Kolkata-based independent journalist

Read more India stories from the BBC:
Fumigation to stop the spread of dengue in the capital Buenos Aires

Argentina is battling a record outbreak of dengue fever, which has killed more than 40 people and infected more than 60,000, mainly in the north-west.

The infection is spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and the last big outbreak to hit Argentina was in 2020.

The health ministry says dengue cases are starting to plateau, however.

Biologists are irradiating thousands of male mosquitoes in labs, to be released later, in the hope that their offspring will be unviable because of DNA damage.

"This mosquito, due to the rise in temperature in our country and the world... is able to spread more. Their population keeps on moving further south," biologist Marianela Garcia Alba said, quoted by Reuters news agency.

The aim is to make the mosquitoes that have been exposed to radiation the dominant type, to curb the spread of dengue, she added.

The north-western provinces of Salta, Tucuman and Jujuy, near Argentina's borders with Chile and Bolivia, have recorded the highest numbers of deaths.

Dengue symptoms include fever, headaches, nausea and aching joints.

The health ministry has urged people to step up anti-mosquito measures, including mosquito netting on doorways and windows, use of insect repellent and removal of any water containers that may act as breeding grounds.
Alana Edgin is a business reporter for the Avalanche-Journal, as seen Tuesday, June 14, 2022, at the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.

Hello A-J readers!

It's another exciting week of business news in the Lubbock area. Prosperity Bank officially completed its acquisition of FirstCapital, which will expand Prosperity's reach across Texas and Oklahoma.

Varsity Jewelers, 1311 University Ave., confirmed it will close its doors "sometime this summer" and is currently running a retirement sale.

Related: Varsity Jewelers to close their doors in Lubbock after 35 years

Salata Salad Kitchen announced it is coming to Lubbock with three locations, operated by franchisees Charles and Randy Warren, who grew up around the restaurant industry. The first location is estimated in the fall of 2023.

Bnails, 12811 Indiana Ave., Suite 400, will have their grand opening on April 27. The salon is also open for appointments and walk-ins as of April 16, according to the business's social media. This salon, which has locations in Amarillo, Hereford and Austin, offers an array of services, which can be seen at bnails.com.

Others are reading: Lubbock restaurant, magazine, city official honored with Small Business Week awards

While Wild Honey Hats has been in business for a few months, they are seeing some quick success. I met with owner Brisai Amador to learn more about her business, mission, and to find out exactly what a hat bar is. I was impressed, and I'm sure you will be as well. Stay tuned for that sweet story in the coming days.

More: 'It's just the beginning': Wild Honey Hats aims for unique experience for Lubbock

Next week is the last week of April, so we'll have the popular monthly business wrap-up. Readers should keep an eye out for the story on our independent book stores, a project that myself and photographer Annie Rice have been excitedly working on for weeks. We'll also hear from Revival Mills, a flour-milling business.

As always, thank you for reading and supporting the A-J.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lubbock business news includes openings, closings, more
The Washington state Department of Social and Health Services and the state Attorney Generals Office were ordered to pay $200,000 for withholding nearly 11,000 pages of documents in a recent court case, according to an order filed in King County Superior Court late last month.

The plaintiff in the case, a developmentally disabled adult, is suing DSHS and the state for failing to provide adequate case management and for failing to investigate allegations of abuse and neglect. King County Superior Court Judge Michael K. Ryan granted the plaintiffs motion for discovery sanctions after DSHS and the AGs Office failed to produce documents on time related to discovery.

DSHS found the responsive documents early on, but officials said they did not turn over the records for months because no one at the AGs office made a specific request for those documents to be provided, according to the filing.

The judge said that the AGs Office made no attempt to explain why DSHS failed to provide these documents sooner or explain why counsel did not follow up with DSHS to make sure that all responsive documents were provided to them at the time DSHS located these documents.

It is apparent to the court that DSHS and the AGO lack sufficient protocols to make sure that discovery is done in a timely and complete manner. The proof is in the pudding, Ryan wrote. This complete lack of diligence is tantamount to intentional withholding of these documents because it falls so far below the standards necessary to comply with DSHSs discovery obligations.

Ryan wrote that the attorney from the AGs Office assigned to the case outsourced the discovery work to a paralegal that he was not properly communicating with or supervising. The judge admonished the office for attempting to lay the blame on the paralegal.

Defendants had been asked to produce the documents by December 2021, but failed to meet that deadline. The documents were then found in June 2022 but not produced until December 2022. Between that time, the AGs Office moved for a summary judgment on the plaintiffs claims while also seeking to prevent the plaintiff from taking a deposition that would have addressed discovery in the case, among other things.

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That was particularly concerning to the judge, he wrote, because the AGs Office took the position that such discovery was unnecessary because there were no disputes as to the adequacy of DSHSs production of documents. It was after this that the additional 11,000 documents pertaining to the case were found.

In those documents, a DSHS employee mocked the plaintiff and even made light of the concerns regarding their care, Ryan said.

The lack of processes and procedures by the States largest law firm is very concerning to the Court because it evinces a reckless approach to discovery and case management, Ryan wrote. This lack of internal safeguards is deeply troubling to the Court and demonstrates that the largest law firm in Evergreen State does not have adequate procedures in place to ensure that its discovery obligations are being met.

The judge noted that this is not the first time the AGs office has been sanctioned for lack of appropriate procedures. In 2017 they were also sanctioned for $100,000 for intentionally withholding documents.

The Court finds that production of almost 11,000 pages of documents over a year past when they were due substantially prejudiced the plaintiff in preparing for trial, Ryan said. The discovery violations in this case are egregious, serious, without excuse and the result of willful disregard of discovery obligations by both DSHS and the AGO.

The AGs office and DSHS opposed the motion in court filings and claimed that because they did not intentionally withhold documents that sanctions from the judge were not warranted.

In an email to McClatchy, a spokesperson for the AGs Office said that the $200,000 in sanctions ordered by the judge had already been paid to the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, as the judge ordered. DSHS and the AGs Office were required to split the cost evenly, and the money was paid out of the State Insurance Liability Account, they said.

DSHS agreed with the AGs Office statements and told McClatchy that the agency had no further comment.
The changes will affect about 350,000 New Zealanders living in Australia

Australia has announced plans to make it easier for hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders living in the country to become Australian citizens.

From 1 July, they can apply for citizenship as long as they have lived in Australia for four years or more and arrived after 2001.

They will also no longer need to apply for permanent residency first to be eligible for citizenship.

New Zealand has campaigned for reform since visa rules toughened in 2001.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made the announcement on Saturday, a day ahead of a visit by his New Zealand counterpart Chris Hipkins.

"We know many New Zealanders are here on a special category visa while raising families, working and building their lives in Australia. So I am proud to offer the benefits that citizenship provides," Mr Albanese said in a statement.

It is expected to affect up to 350,000 New Zealanders currently residing in Australia.

New Zealand's Chris Hipkins, who is due to visit Brisbane on Sunday, hailed the changes as "the biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation".

It also "restores the rights Kiwis had in Australia before they were revoked in 2001," he said in a statement.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese (R) announced the reform a day ahead of meeting his New Zealand counterpart Chris Hipkins

New Zealand has long been calling for these changes since visa rules for their nationals living in Australia were toughened more than two decades ago.

In 2001, a special category visa was introduced restricting New Zealanders' access to certain health and welfare support.

It also required them to apply for permanent residency before seeking citizenship - an often lengthy and costly process.

New Zealander Scott Bowley says he and his Swedish wife, who live in Melbourne with their two children, were happy to hear the news overnight. The changes mean he and his family would have access to government assistance - such as unemployment benefits - after becoming citizens.

"It takes away a level of uncertainty and if you do fall on hard times, you can lean on the government a bit more," he tells the BBC.

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He says his second child, who was born last December, will now also automatically be entitled to Australian citizenship.

Fellow New Zealander Nicole Westrupp, who works at a children's hospital in Melbourne, says she had given up trying to get permanent residency due to her medical role being considered too niche and the thousands of dollars it cost to apply.

"There was no path for me until now," she tells the BBC. The changes mean she can now get access to extra support if needed, such as housing grants, but it also means she is eligible to vote.

"Up until now I haven't been able to vote and I feel passionately about voting - I live here and pay taxes but can't have a say over who runs the country."

Authorities in Australia say the changes now put the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia on a level playing field with Australians living in New Zealand.

About 670,000 New Zealanders currently live in Australia, with about 70,000 Australians in New Zealand.
SYDNEY (Reuters) -Australia announced on Saturday a direct pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders living in the country, reversing controversial visa rules a day before a visit by New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

Hipkins, set to visit Queensland state's capital Brisbane on Sunday, hailed the move as "the biggest improvement in the rights of New Zealanders living in Australia in a generation".

The changes, effective from July, meant New Zealand citizens living in Australia for four years or more could apply for citizenship without having to become permanent residents first, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement.

"We know that many New Zealanders are here on a Special Category Visa while raising families, working and building their lives in Australia. So I am proud to offer the benefits that citizenship provides," Albanese added.

New Zealand has long campaigned for changes since visa rules were altered in 2001, making it tougher for Kiwis in Australia to get citizenship.

The reform would bring New Zealanders' rights more into line with those of Australian expats living in New Zealand, Australia's Labor government said.

"Kiwis taking up Australian citizenship will still retain their New Zealand citizenship. These dual citizens are not lost to New Zealand  but draw us closer together," Hipkins said in a statement.

The changes also meant children born in Australia since July to an Australia-based New Zealand parent would be automatically entitled to Australian citizenship, he said.

"This will make critical services available to them," he said, adding the changes delivered on an Albanese promise that no New Zealander be left "permanently temporary" in Australia.

Around 670,000 New Zealand citizens live in Australia, while there are around 70,000 Australians in New Zealand, according to Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

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Australia's Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil ruled out the changes being extended to other migrant groups, saying it was a "special arrangement with New Zealand".

The reform was about ensuring the "strong friendship we have is reflected properly in law", she told ABC television.

(Reporting by Sam McKeith; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
When people can't find a good argument for something, their only alternatives are to use a bad argument or claim there is no need for one.

During the summers of 1960 and 1961, I interned in the Oregon State Public Welfare Commission's headquarters.

In 1960, the headquarters were in Portland. But Gov. Mark Hatfield proposed moving it to Salem, the state capital, 60 miles south. This upset headquarters employees. Salem was too far to commute, and they hated the idea of moving.

Paul F. deLespinasse

My supervisor had me survey our employees to see what they would do if the commission got moved. Many said they would resign.

We reported details to Gov. Hatfield. He responded that he was pleased that the employees who really counted were willing to move!

Portland's newspapers complained that it was crazy to move the commission, since most Oregon welfare recipients lived in or near Portland  Oregon's largest metropolitan area.

This was a plausible argument, but it was a bad one. The commission headquarters had no contact with welfare recipients. Offices in each Oregon county had all actual contact with welfare recipients. Our headquarters just provided centralized administrative services for the county offices.

There weren't any good arguments against the move, except inconvenience for the welfare bureaucrats. The governor had argued, not unreasonably, that having the commission in the capital would make it easier to supervise and coordinate with other state agencies.

Hatfield moved us to Salem in 1961. Many of the workers changed their minds and continued working for the commission.

The Supreme Court supplies my second example of an inability to find a good argument. The court has generally been happy to support its decisions with bad arguments when it can't find good ones. But it refused to give any arguments at all in upholding the World War I military draft against claims that it was "involuntary servitude," which it clearly was if those words have any meaning:

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"Finally, as we are unable to conceive upon what theory the exaction by government from the citizen of the performance of his supreme and noble duty of contributing to the defense of the rights and honor of the nation, as the result of a war declared by the great representative body of the people, can be said to be the imposition of involuntary servitude in violation of the prohibitions of the 13th Amendment, we are constrained to the conclusion that the contention to that effect is refuted by its mere statement."

It couldn't even find a bad argument!

A recent example of a bad argument was contributed by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). Objecting to Direct TV's decision (later reversed) to discontinue carrying a particular station, Cruz called it "corporate censorship."

Of course censorship is bad, and the First Amendment wisely prohibits it: ""Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press ..."

But the First Amendment does not restrict the right of private persons or corporations to refuse to publish or broadcast particular material.

As a Harvard Law School graduate, Cruz must understand that the First Amendment's "freedom of ... the press" actually protects the right of private organizations to refuse to publish or broadcast certain material. That is essentially an editorial decision, not carrying the weight of governmental censorship.

If a newspaper refuses to publish something that I have written, I can submit it to other newspapers and other editors remain free to publish it. The TV station discontinued by the satellite company was still carried by cable companies and was also available over the Internet.

Governmental censorship like that in today's Russia, on the other hand, threatens anybody who publishes the forbidden material with sanctions.

Sen. Cruz's complaint about "corporate censorship" is a good example of using a bad argument when you can't find a good one. But he must have known better.

 Paul F. deLespinasse is professor emeritus of political science and computer science at Adrian College. He can be reached at pdeles@proaxis.com.

This article originally appeared on Sturgis Journal: Bad arguments: Attractive when good ones unavailable
Australian entertainer Barry Humphries, best known for his comic character Dame Edna Everage, has died aged 89.

The star had been in hospital in Sydney after suffering complications following hip surgery in March. He had a fall in February.

Humphries' most famous creation became a hit in the UK in the 1970s and landed her own TV chat show, the Dame Edna Everage Experience, in the late 1980s.

His other personas included the lecherous drunk Sir Les Patterson.

In a statement, his family remembered him as "completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit".

They said Humphries' fans were "precious to him", and said his characters, "which brought laughter to millions, will live on".

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese paid tribute shortly after the news of Humphries' death broke.

"A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift," Mr Albanese said.

Barry Humphries speaks after winning the Wizard of Oz award for his fictional character Sir Les Patterson during the Oldie Of The Year Awards 2021 at The Savoy Hotel in London on October 19, 2021

Melbourne-born Humphries moved to London in 1959, appearing in West End shows such as Maggie May and Oliver!

Inspired by the absurdist, avant-garde art movement Dada, he became a leading figure of the British comedy scene alongside contemporaries like Alan Bennett, Dudley Moore and Spike Milligan.

Broadcaster Dame Joan Bakewell, a friend of Humphries, told the BBC he had an "extremely brilliant mind".

"A world in which I don't have the friendship of Barry Humphries is really painful. Because he was so resilient and energetic and loving and direct... that's a great absence in my life now," she said.

Comedian Rory Bremner described Humphries as "lightning quick, subversive, mischievous... & savagely funny" in a tweet.

He said with his passing "we lose an all-time great".

Actor and comedian Rob Brydon also described Humphries as a "true great who inspired me immeasurably" and said it was a "delight to call him my friend".

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He said he was with him only three days ago, where he was "as ever, making me laugh".

Australian actor Jason Donovan tweeted a photo of himself with Dame Edna and said Humphries was "quite simply an entertaining genius".

Ricky Gervais described Humphries as a "comedy genius" while former Mock The Week host Dara O Briain said he was "one of the absolute funniest people ever".

Little Britain actor Matt Lucas tweeted a picture of him with Humphries, saying: "Quite simply, you were the greatest."

Former prime minister Boris Johnson, who edited the Spectator magazine that Humphries contributed to, said he was "one of the greatest-ever Australians - and a comic genius".

Sir Elton John said: "Barry was the funniest man ever. AND, the sweetest man ever. What a sad day."

Andrew Lloyd Webber shared a photo of himself with Humphries and wrote: "No more will we share obscure composers and unfashionable Victoriana. How I'll miss you."

'Hello possums!'

In 1955, Humphries introduced Mrs Norman Everage, the housewife from Moonee Ponds, a suburb in Melbourne, in a university production.

It was the first iteration of the irrepressible character that would define his career.

Humphries said his creation was supposed to last only a week.

Instead, it blossomed into Dame Edna, his gaudy, sharp-tongued comic alter ego who would leave audiences in stitches in Australia and beyond for decades. He said the character was based on his own mother.

"Edna was painfully shy at first," Humphries told the Guardian in 2018. "Hard to believe!"

She became more outrageous as the years went on, and was famed for her lilac-rinsed hair, flamboyant glasses and catchphrase: "Hello possums!"

Dame Edna surprised the then Prince Charles and his wife, Camilla, at the Royal Variety show in 2019 when she sat near the two and joked "they've found me a better seat" before moving.

Humphries appeared as Dame Edna on stage, on screen and in print throughout his long career

Humphries even wrote an autobiography, My Gorgeous Life, as the character.

His other popular characters on stage and screen included the more grandfatherly Sandy Stone.

He said of Stone in 2016 that he could "finally feel myself turning into him".

Humphries also presented six series for BBC Radio 2, the latest being a three part series celebrating 100 years of the BBC.

The commissioning executive for Radio 2, Laura Busson, said his series "Barry Humphries Forgotten Musical Masterpieces" was hugely popular with audiences, and would be published on BBC Sounds today as a tribute to the comedian.

He also voiced the shark Bruce in 2003 Pixar animated film Finding Nemo

The comic actor, author, director and scriptwriter, who was also a keen landscape painter, announced a farewell tour for his satirical one-man stage show in 2012. But he returned last year with a series of shows looking back at his career.

His other credits included voicing the shark Bruce in 2003 Pixar animated film Finding Nemo, as well as appearances in 1967 comedy Bedazzled, Spice World, The Hobbit and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie.

Humphries was made an Officer of the Order of Australia, one of the country's highest civic honours, in 1982.

Later in his career, he was criticised for referring to gender affirmation surgery as "self-mutilation" and described transgender identity as a "fashion".

But his fans in Australia are mourning the loss of a comedy legend.

He was married four times, and leaves behind his wife of Lizzie Spender and four children.

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(Getty Images)

Australian comedian Barry Humphries has died aged 89.

Humphries  best known for his comedy characters including Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson  died in hospital on Saturday (22 April) surrounded by his family.

Earlier this week, reports emerged that the comedian had been admitted to a Sydney hospital with serious health problems following complications with a recent hip replacement surgery.

A spokesperson for St Vincents hospital in Sydney confirmed that the entertainer died on Saturday (22 April) at around 7pm AEST.

As per Sydney Morning Herald, Humphries family issued a statement, reading: aHe was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.

With over a70 years on the stage, he was an entertainer to his core, touring up until the last year of his life and planning more shows that will sadly never be.

They continued: His audiences were precious to him, and he never took them for granted. Although he may be best remembered for his work in theatre, he was a painter, author, poet, and a collector and lover of aaaaaart in all its forms.a

He was also a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and a friend and confidant to many. His passing leaves a void in so many lives.

The characters he created, which brought laughter to millions, will live on.

Appearing on Sunrise on Channel Seven on 19 April, journalist Peter Ford announced that there were serious concerns for Humphries, for whom things were looking tough.

In February, the legendary

More to follow
Dame Edna Everage

Australian comedian and actor Barry Humphries, who is best known his drag alter-ego Dame Edna Everage, has died aged 89.



"He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit," his family said in a statement, according to CNN.

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese wrote on Twitter: "For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone. But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. A great wit, satirist, writer, and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift."

\u201cFor 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone.



But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry.



A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift.



May he rest in peace.\u201d  Anthony Albanese (@Anthony Albanese) 1682161283

twitter.com

For 89 years, Barry Humphries entertained us through a galaxy of personas, from Dame Edna to Sandy Stone. But the brightest star in that galaxy was always Barry. A great wit, satirist, writer and an absolute one-of-kind, he was both gifted and a gift. May he rest in peace.





Humphries died at a Sydney hospital after being readmitted Wednesday following surgery on his hip last month, according to the New York Times.

"A stiletto-heeled, stiletto-tongued persona who might well have been the spawn of a menage a quatre involving Oscar Wilde, Salvador Dali, Auntie Mame and Miss Piggy, Dame Edna was not so much a character as a cultural phenomenon, a force of nature trafficking in wicked, sequined commentary on the nature of fame," the paper writes.

The drag artist had her own mock celebrity broadcast talk show on NBC in the early 1990s called "Dame Edna's Hollywood." Humphries was also a mainstay on actual talk shows as well.

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Humphries won a special Tony Award for his 199 one-person show "Dame Edna: The Royal Tour."

Humphries was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1934. He crafted housewife Edna Everage in 1955 for satire, according to CNN. The persona became huge after Humphries began appearing on British television as her. In the 1960s, before Edna's rise to stardom, Humphries appeared in several West End and Broadway productions.

Edna was best known for her catchphrase, "Hello, Possums!," her lavender-colored hair, and rhinestone glasses.

Humphries was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (OA) for services to theatre in 1982. Then in 2007, the Queen made him a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contribution to the arts.

Humphries wrote several books, novels, autobiographies, and plays, and he painted.

In 2022, Humphries toured the U.K. for "The Man Behind the Mask," outside the character.

Humphries was also a controversial figure. In 2003 in an advice column for Vanity Fair, he replied to a reader's question about learning Spanish with, Who speaks it that you are really desperate to talk to?

Edna added, The help? Your leaf blower? Study French or German, where there are at least a few books worth reading, or, if youre American, try English.

Selma Hayek led a backlash against the racist comments.

Humphries continued to speak against what he perceived as the problems with "political correctness."

He called it a "new puritanism" and in an interview with the Telegraph in 2016 said that trans women were "mutilated men." He later also described being transgender as a "fashion."

The comedian said his comments had been taken out of context, according to CNN.

Humphries is survived by his wife, Lizzie Spender; four children; and 10 grandchildren.
Tributes have poured in following the news of Barry Humphries death.

The Australian comedy legend died aged 89 on Saturday (22 April) in hospital in Sydney surrounded by his loved ones.

Earlier this week, reports emerged that the Melbourne-born entertainer had been admitted to a Sydney hospital with serious health problems following complications with a recent hip replacement surgery.

In a statement, his family said that he was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit and generosity of spirit.

Following news of his death, tributes from public figures and fellow comedians have flooded in on social media.

Ricky Gervais commended the comedy genius on Twitter, bidding farewell to Humphries.

Gavin and Stacey star Rob Brydon shared a photograph of himself and Humphries, writing alongside the picture: RIP Barry Humphries. A true great who inspired me immeasurably. It was a delight to call him my friend.

Byrdon told fans that he had been in Australia with Humphries only three days ago.

RIP Barry Humphries. A true great who inspired me immeasurably. It was a delight to call him my friend.

I've been in Australia and was with him only 3 days ago. He was, as ever, making me laugh. His talent shone until the very end.

My love goes out to Lizzie and all the family. pic.twitter.com/G5aJfLiVkK  Rob Brydon (@RobBrydon) April 22, 2023

He was, as ever, making me laugh. His talent shone until the very end, wrote Brydon. My love goes out to Lizzie and all the family.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese remembered Humphries as a great wit, satirist, writer, and an absolute one-of-a-kind.

Albanese added: He was both gifted and a gift.

You will be mourned Barry Humphries 



I only met you a few times but that look in your eyes full of bright intelligence and mischief, knowing trouble was ahead and looking forward to every special second of it: I'll never forget it. Thank you Sir.



A genius  pic.twitter.com/duIRf3yKGv  Carol Vorderman (@carolvorders) April 22, 2023

Former Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan similarly paid tribute to one of the funniest people Ive ever met.

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As hilarious in private as he was as the iconic Dame Edna, wrote Morgan. What a life, what a character.

You will be mourned, Barry Humphries, wrote Carol Vorderman, who said that in the few times she met Humphries, his eyes were full of bright intelligence and mischief.

I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us. Quite simply, you were the greatest. pic.twitter.com/86scyP449b  Matt Lucas HQ (@RealMattLucas) April 22, 2023

Matt Lucas added: I wonder if all geniuses are as lovely as Barry Humphries. Thank you for delighting and inspiring us. Quite simply, you were the greatest.

The former Great British Bake Off host accompanied his words with a photograph of himself and Humphries.
Conservation groups broaden their reach over social media (Photo credit: @NatlParkService, @OKWildlifeDept/Twitter)

When Sarah Southerland and her social media team at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation sent out a tongue-in-cheek tweet in January 2022 reminding people that mountain lions have fur and dont actually need to come inside to warm up, she had no idea just how much animal humor with a purpose would resonate in the Twittersphere and beyond.

YOU are cold. They have fur.

Do not let inside. pic.twitter.com/WrVIdF9mkh  Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (@OKWildlifeDept) January 20, 2022

Just over a year later, the wildlife organizations Twitter audience has ballooned from about 8,000 to 200,000, and theyve even launched on TikTok, boasting 226,000 followers on the platform.

With nearly 50% of TikToks audience celebrating birthdays under 30, including 25% ranging from 10-19, organizations that might have appealed to an older (and even local) crowd are now seeing traction with a broader audience. That goes for age and location.

Growth has been crazy, Southerland, ODWCs social media coordinator, tells In The Know by Yahoo. In fact, the wildlife organization has doubled its audience in the last six months alone.

Which is good, but it makes me nervous, she adds.

Its the internet, after all. What could go wrong?

It created this moment of traffic that was just chaotic and a little unpredictable, Southerland says. And we were just like, Oh my God, its working.'

Us watching you attempt to outrun something you tried to pspspspspspsps after we specifically said not to pic.twitter.com/gQq7sKQ8pK  Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (@OKWildlifeDept) March 23, 2023

The wildlife organizations mission is to manage and protect fish and wildlife, along with their habitats, while also growing our community of hunters and anglers, partnering with those who love the outdoors, and fostering stewardship with those who care for the land.

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While their core focus is on people who live and interact with wildlife in Oklahoma, they dont mind appealing to people in, say, New Zealand. (Especially when theyre trying to name their supervisors baby Armadillo  if the tweet gets a million likes, that is.) That said, sharing information about the environment theyre in is their first priority.

We do have to make references to the part of the world that were in and our role in conservation, and that opens a lot of conversation, she says. And so we hope that people have learned a lot about our state and where were at in the world.

In addition to educating their audience on species like black bears and badgers, they also offer up hilarious warnings while using popular memes like The Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal munching on a sandwich.

Us watching you attempt to outrun something you tried to pspspspspspsps after we specifically said not to reads one recent warning tweet.

More conservation orgs get in on the fun

The Oklahoma-based group isnt the only conservation organization to use humor on social media to draw a crowd. The National Park Services social media accounts have been listed as one of the funnier entries, according to outlets including Outside and the Washington Post.

Im sorry Jack, theres just not enough room pic.twitter.com/fkUDe0dvJG  National Park Service (@NatlParkService) April 8, 2023

While educating its Twitter audience of 1.1 million followers about the sunbathing habits of turtles earlier this month, the social media team included a reference to a famous scene from the 1997 film Titanic.

Im sorry Jack, theres just not enough room reads the tweet, showing a photo of one turtle comfortably perched on a log while another fends for itself in the water below. (Presumably, the turtles fate was far less devastating than Jacks.)

We find infusing a bit of fun and friendly banter goes a long way, Matt Turner, a social media specialist with the National Park Service, which oversees more than 400 U.S. parks, told Twitter.

Me reappearing in peoples lives after inexplicably disappearing for several months pic.twitter.com/IN4lamDaXL  National Park Service (@NatlParkService) March 21, 2023

The strategy definitely seems to be working, as the NPS Twitter audience has grown from just over 700,000 in January 2022.

The Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources Twitter account, which has nearly 140,000 followers, even recently jumped on the buzz surrounding the Barbie trailer.

Our new standard issue work boots inspired by the Barbie trailer pic.twitter.com/q6wxxxbl86  Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (@waDNR) April 5, 2023

While social media is a fast-moving business, as trends and even platforms rise and fall, Southerland says she hopes that the wildlife organizations audience will stick with them, no matter what platform they log into.

Im hoping that we can stay flexible with whatever gets thrown at us as these platforms change, that we can successfully grow with other people who are using social media, Southerland says. So whether or not were doing the same thing in five years or were in a completely different place, I hope that were in that place, too, that were something that people want to take with them.

In The Know by Yahoo is now available on Apple News  follow us here!

The post Here for the bear drama? How conservation groups have used hilarious TikToks and tweets to broaden their reach appeared first on In The Know.

More from In The Know:

Designer Chelsy Christina talks sustainable living, buying secondhand and leaning into your true passions

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These eco-friendly cleaning tips will help you say goodbye to toxic chemicals and pollutants in your home
A man living on the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.

Leonardo Rubio, 23, pleaded guilty Friday, according to a press release. He also admitted to sexually assaulting a relative, who is a minor, and taking pictures of himself engaged in sexual contact with his wifes relative, who is a minor, when he was about 16 years old.

There is no parole in the federal system and the sentence will be followed by a life term of court-ordered supervision.

The sentence was handed down by U.S. District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks. The judge also ordered that Rubio pay $69,000 to the 23 victims seeking restitution.

Rubios crimes were discovered after Naval Crime Investigate Service special agents received a tip from Dropbox, which indicated Rubio uploaded child pornography to its cloud service.

From there, a forensic examination of Rubios devices discovered 26,114 images and 1,505 videos containing child pornography involving prepubescent male and female victims ranging in age from 3 months to 14 years old.

Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort sign.

Evidence showed that for about five years beginning in at least 2016 through 2021, Rubio sought, received, produced, and distributed images, videos, and files containing child pornography using multiple cell phones, data storage devices, the Kik social media messaging application, and Dropbox online cloud storage, according to the press release.

The Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort Office of Communication was unable to be reached for immediate comment to confirm if Rubio was in the Marine Corps.

However, housing on the Marine Corps Air Station is only available for active-duty service members and their families, Department of Defense civilians and military retirees.

The case was brought up as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

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.
(Reuters) - Units from Belarus returned home from Russia on Saturday after training on how to use the Iskander tactical missile system to launch nuclear weapons, the Belarusian defence ministry said.

It made the announcement exactly four weeks after President Vladimir Putin said Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus, sending a warning to NATO over its military support for Ukraine.

In early February, Belarus said its armed forces were in autonomous control of Iskander mobile guided missile systems that Russia had already provided.

But when the units were sent to Russia on April 4 for additional training, Minsk made clear their sessions would include study of "the maintenance and use of tactical nuclear warheads of the Iskander missile defense system".

Those units returned to Belarus on Saturday, the defence ministry said on Telegram.

Russia has not given a clear timetable for moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, but Putin said the construction of storage facilities should be complete by the start of July.

It will be the first deployment of part of Russia's nuclear arsenal outside its borders since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.

(Reporting by David Ljunggren; Editing by Daniel Wallis)
Il-96300 arrived from Moscow to Berlin to pick up expelled Russian diplomats

Germany expelled over 20 Russian diplomats, according to Russian state news RIA-Novosti.

Moscow calls Berlin's actions "hostile."

Russia will expel at least 20 German diplomats in a tit-for-tat response, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said. The maximum number of German diplomatic staff will also be limited, she added.

Russia officially informed German Ambassador to Russia, Geza Andreas von Geyr, in the on April 5.

It isnt clear whether the diplomatic staff have already left the country.

A Russian Il-96-300 aircraft carrying senior officials was spotted at Berlin airport this morning, DW news wrote. The aircraft received a special diplomatic permit as EU airspace is closed for Russian planes following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Germany's MFA confirmed to journalists that Il-96-300 aircraft came from Moscow to Berlin to collect the expelled diplomats.

Germany was going to expel more than 30 Russian diplomats for allegedly recruiting German informants, Fokus reported at the end of March.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
If an email regarding your taxes seems suspicious, dont open it.

Scammers get more active near tax deadlines. As Californias extension lingers, make sure that charity is in fact a charity.

Dont think you can avoid taxes if you keep your money offshore.

These and other possible schemes are part of the Dirty Dozen most common scams contained in this years IRS warning list.

Unsolicited texts and emails are a problem that tax practitioners deal with on a day-to-day basis, said Lee Reams, chief technical officer for TaxBuzz and CountingWorks Inc., a Newport Beach-based company that provides services for tax professionals.

The Internal Revenue Service initiates most contacts through regular mail. The agency advises it will never initiate contact with taxpayers by email, text or social media regarding a bill or tax refund.

Yet these scammers know that practitioners have the personal data on hundreds of clients on their computers, Reams said, so tax experts constantly get emails trying to trick them into divulging the password and access to those files. Or they try to hack their way in to file fake tax returns with large refunds.

Employers beware

A major headache for tax professionals among the dozen involves the federal employee retention credit, said Tom OSaben, director of tax content and government relations for the National Association of Tax Professionals.

The credit was aimed at encouraging employers to keep employees on their payrolls. Such employers could qualify if they were fully or partly closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, or their gross receipts fell below a certain level, at some point from March 2020 to the end of December 2021.

Several practitioners have reported their clients have gotten caught up in these scams and have had to amend returns to undo them since their clients dont qualify, Reams said.

The IRS warns that taxpayers should be aware of aggressive pitches from scammers who promote large refunds related to the credit, using blatant attempts by promoters to con ineligible people to claim the credit.

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The scammers will broadcast radio and internet ads promoting refunds involving the credit, IRS says, but the agency added, these promotions can be based on inaccurate information related to eligibility for and computation of the credit ... some of these advertisements exist solely to collect the taxpayers personally identifiable information in exchange for false promises.

Though most of the countrys taxpayers, and some in California, had to file their returns last week, the deadline for people in most California counties was extended until Oct. 16 because of weather-related disasters.

The IRS scam list

Here are the other scam warnings from the IRS:

 Online help. Swindlers pose as a helpful third party and offer to help create a taxpayers IRS Online Account at IRS.gov. In reality, no help is needed, the agency says. Anyone wishing to establish an online account should go to IRS.gov to set it up.

 Phony fuel tax credit claims. This credit is designed to provide a break off-road business and farming vehicles and is not available to most taxpayers. IRS warns scammers are enticing taxpayers to inflate their refunds by erroneously claiming the credit.

 Phony charities. This is an ongoing problem, particularly when a natural disaster such as the storms that struck California are involved.

Scammers set up these fake organizations to take advantage of the publics generosity. They seek money and personal information, which can be used to further exploit victims through identity theft, IRS says.

Charitable deductions only qualify if theyre made to a tax-exempt organization recognized by the IRS. You can check on IRS.gov.





 Unscrupulous tax preparers. While most are honest and helpful, IRS advises watching for common warning signs, including charging a fee based on the size of the refund. A major red flag or bad sign is when the tax preparer is unwilling to sign the dotted line.

Theyre required to include their IRS Preparer Tax Identification Number as required by law. If not, beware. And, IRS says, taxpayers should never sign a blank or incomplete return.

 Social media concerns. Such problems can involve schemes that urge people to submit false, inaccurate information to the IRS that will supposedly trigger a refund.

 Spearphishing. The IRS is particularly concerned about spearphishing, a way of targeting a business or organization to get information, because there is greater potential for harm if the tax preparer has a data breach. A successful spearphishing attack can ultimately steal client data and the tax preparers identity, allowing the thief to file fraudulent returns.

 Offers in compromise. Offers in compromise is a program to aid people who are unable to settle tax debts. But mills can aggressively promote Offers in Compromise in misleading ways to people who clearly dont meet the qualifications, frequently costing taxpayers thousands of dollars, says the IRS. To see if you do qualify, click on this link.

 Schemes targeting high income earners. IRS notes that Charitable Remainder Trusts are irrevocable trusts that let individuals donate assets to charity and draw annual income for life or a specific period. Unfortunately, these trusts are sometimes misused by promoters, advisors and taxpayers to try to eliminate ordinary income and/or capital gain on the sale of the property. It also lists other potential schemes.

 Phony ways to avoid taxes. IRS lists some complex schemes consumers should avoid, such as certain issues with some land designated for conservation.

 Schemes with international elements. Among them: The IRS continues to scrutinize attempts to hide assets in offshore accounts and accounts holding digital assets, such as cryptocurrency.

The agency says it continues to seek people who attempt to conceal income in offshore banks, brokerage accounts, digital asset accounts and nominee entities. Asset protection professionals and unscrupulous promoters continue to lure U.S. persons into placing their assets in offshore accounts and structures saying they are out of reach of the IRS. These assertions are not true.
The Biden administration will be investing $140 million in water conservation and efficiency projects across the American West, the Department of the Interior announced on Friday.

The projects include 84 initiatives in 15 states, which are collectively expected to conserve more than 230,000 acre-feet of water once complete  or enough to meet the needs of more than 940,000 people, according to the Interior Department.

The investment, allocated through the bipartisan infrastructure law and annual appropriations, is part of the Bureau of Reclamations WaterSMART Program, which aims to increase water supply sustainability and modernize relevant infrastructure.

Delivering water more efficiently is key to helping Western communities become more resilient to drought, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton said in a statement.

In the Colorado River Basin alone, 12 projects will receive more than $20 million in federal funding  resulting in a combined annual water savings of more than 29,000 acre-feet, according to the Friday announcement.

We are bringing every resource to bear to conserve local water supplies and support the long-term stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System, Deputy Secretary of the Interior Tommy Beaudreau said in a statement.

Another 32 projects in California will be receiving $46.7 million in federal funding, leading to a total savings of more than 65,000 acre-feet of water, the agency, the announcement stated.

The selected projects include updates to canal lining and piping to reduce seepage losses, as well as the installation of advanced metering, automated gates and control systems. Other initiatives include urban programs to integrate residential water meters and other conservation measures.

The projects we are funding today are locally led and will support increased water conservation through innovative efficiency measures, Beaudreau said.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The sun sets over Big Bend National Park on Mar. 1, 2021. Big Bend is one of the largest national parks geographically in the U.S. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News

The desert landscape in Big Bend National Park in Texas is a great place to watch a sunset. But theres also a lot more to the park than waiting for sundown.

Its name is derived from where its located at the bend of Rio Grande river that separates the U.S. from Mexico. In one section of the park, you can cross the river and youre technically in Mexico  but steep canyons prevent access from either side.

Tourists visited the park in record numbers in 2021. It marked a 49% increase since 2016, with 581,000 recreational visits to Big Bend National Park in 2021, per the National Park Service.

What is Big Bend National Park known for?

The park contains the most representative example of the Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem in the United States, according to the National Park Service. Inside the park, you can see sea fossils, dinosaur bones and volcanic dikes.

More than 100 miles of paved roads meander throughout Big Bend National Park, so its a big park with lots to explore.

Being located in Texas, the park gets above 100-degree temperatures in the summer, so the best time to visit for comfort is between November and April, Conde Nast reported.

The park is often referred to as three parks in one, because it has three distinct environments: desert, mountain and river, according to Thrillist.

Here are some of the top things to do during your visit to the park.

Big Bend National Park on Mar. 3, 2021. Big Bend offers three environment experiences in one  desert, river and mountains. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News

What to do in Big Bend National Park

Scenic drives

With so many paved roads, going on a scenic drive is a great option for what to do in Big Bend. If you can, try to be in the park close to sunset or sunrise  thats when the park really shines, and there are few things as magnificent as a Texas sunset.

Here are some of the best drives.

Chisos Basin Road | 6 miles: A great opportunity to see the transition from desert to mountain habitats.

Ross Maxwell Scenic Drive | 30 miles: You can see Sotol Vista, Mule Ears Overlook and Tuff Canyon to get a glimpse of staggering volcanic rocks.

Panther Junction to Rio Grande Village | 21 miles: This drive is a great place do bird-watching.

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Water tour

There are five river canyons where visitors can kayak or canoe, per Visit Big Bend. You can bring your own equipment or book an excursion through the National Park System. Depending on how high the water is, the rivers typically offer flows that are easy to navigate for beginners and intermediate skilled kayakers.

Santa Elena Canyon is one of the most beautiful and must-do hikes in Big Bend National Park. This view of the park was on Mar. 3, 2021. | Sarah Gambles, Deseret News

Hiking

According to Conde Nast, Big Bend has more than 200 miles of trails you can hike on, so theres lots of different levels to choose from for you and your family.

Moderate 4.8 mile hike: Chimneys Trail is a must to enjoy the Chihuahuan Desert  it offers volcanic formations and petroglyphs on one of the chimneys, per Thrillist.

Easy 1.7 mile walk: the Santa Elena Canyon is where you can see spectacular views walking in the water in between the canyon walls.

Rio Grande Village area natural hot spring

There are natural hot springs that hit 105 degrees located close to parking. Theres also a scenic trail that offers some incredible views out over the Rio Grande and mountains on a 0.75 mile hot springs loop, according to Planetware.
A young bull bison grazes on the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Matthew Moran, CC BY-ND

Driving north of Pawhuska, Oklahoma, an extraordinary landscape comes into view. Trees disappear and an immense landscape of grass emerges, undulating in the wind like a great, green ocean.

This is the Flint Hills. For over a century it has been cattle country, a place where cows grow fat on nutritious grasses. More recently, a piece of this landscape was transformed in 1989 when the nonprofit Nature Conservancy bought the Barnard Ranch. It created a nature reserve there, the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, which now covers almost 40,000 acres.

A central element of the groups conservation strategy was reintroducing the American bison (Bison bison), which had been eradicated from the land in the mid-1800s. Releasing the first bison in 1993 was a step toward restoring part of an ecosystem that once stretched from Texas to Minnesota.

Today some 500,000 bison have been restored in over 6,000 locations, including public lands, private ranches and Native American lands. As they return, researchers like me are gaining insights into their substantial ecological and conservation value.

Near extinction

It was not always certain that bison could rebound. Once numbering in the tens of millions, they dominated the Great Plains landscape until the late 1800s, anchoring a remarkable ecosystem that contained perhaps the greatest concentration of mammals on Earth. That abundance was wiped out as settlers and the U.S. government engaged in a brutally effective campaign to eradicate the ecosystem and the native cultures that relied on it.

Bison were shot by the millions, sometimes for sport, sometimes for profit, and ultimately to deprive Native Americans of vital resources. By 1890 fewer than 1,000 bison were left, and the outlook for them was bleak. Two small wild populations remained, in Yellowstone National Park and northern Alberta, Canada; and a few individuals survived in zoos and on private ranches.

Bison skulls collected during the slaughter, mid-1870s. Source unknown

Recovery

Remarkably, a movement developed to save the bison and ultimately became a conservation success story. Some former bison hunters, including prominent figures like William Buffalo Bill Cody and future President Theodore Roosevelt, gathered the few surviving animals, promoted captive breeding and eventually reintroduced them to the natural landscape.

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With the establishment of additional populations on public and private lands across the Great Plains, the species was saved from immediate extinction. By 1920 it numbered about 12,000.

Bison remained out of sight and out of mind for most Americans over the next half-century, but in the 1960s diverse groups began to consider the species place on the landscape. Native Americans wanted bison back on their ancestral lands. Conservationists wanted to restore parts of the Plains ecosystems. And ranchers started to view bison as an alternative to cattle production.

More ranches began raising bison, and Native American tribes started their own herds. Federal, state, tribal and private organizations established new conservation areas focusing in part on bison restoration, a process that continues today in locations such as the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in Kansas and the Fort Peck Reservation in Montana.

By the early 2000s, the total North American population had expanded to 500,000, with about 90 percent being raised as livestock  but often in relatively natural conditions  and the rest in public parks and preserves. For scientists, this process has been an opportunity to learn how bison interact with their habitat.

Male bison grazing and bellowing in Yellowstone National Park. NPS/Shan Burson711 KB (download)

Improving prairie landscapes

Bison feed almost exclusively on grasses, which, because they grow rapidly, tend to out-compete other plants. Bisons selective grazing behavior produces higher biodiversity because it helps plants that normally are dominated by grasses to coexist.

Because they tend to graze intensively on recently burned zones and leave other areas relatively untouched, bison create a diverse mosaic of habitats. They also like to move, spreading their impacts over large areas. The variety they produce is key to the survival of imperiled species such as the greater prairie chicken (Tympanuchus cupido) that prefer to use different patches for different behaviors, such as mating and nesting.

Bison impacts dont stop there. They often kill woody vegetation by rubbing their bodies and horns on it. And by digesting vegetation and excreting their waste across large areas, they spread nutrients over the landscape. This can produce higher-quality vegetation that benefits other animals.

Grazing by bison on this stretch of prairie has produced an increase in forbs (nongrass flowering plants). Matthew Moran, CC BY-ND

Studies, including my own research, have shown that bison-induced changes in vegetation composition and quality grazing can increase the abundance and diversity of birds and insects in tallgrass prairies. Bison also affect their environment by wallowing  rolling on the ground repeatedly to avoid biting insects and shed loose fur. This creates long-lasting depressions that further enhance plant and insect diversity, because they are good habitats for plant and animal species that are not found in open areas of the prairie. In contrast, cattle do not wallow, so they do not provide these benefits.

It is hard to determine the ecological role that bison played before North America was settled by Europeans, but available evidence suggests they may have been the most impactful animal on the Plains  potentially a keystone species whose presence played a unique and crucial role in the ecology of prairies.

The growth of bison ranching

The return of the bison has generated a new industry on the Plains. The National Bison Association promotes these animals as long-lived, hardy and high-quality livestock. The group hopes to double bison numbers through its Bison 1 Million commitment, a program designed to increase interest in bison ranching and consumption.

Advocates cite health, ecological and ethical arguments in support of bison ranching. Bison meat is lean and has a high protein content. Many bison ranchers are committed to ethical and sustainable ranching practices, which sometimes are lacking in modern industrial livestock farming.

I have a love of nature and want to protect it. It was one of my familys goals to restore the grasslands. Bison helped us regenerate the land, Mimi Hillenbrand, owner and operator of the 777 Bison Ranch near Rapid City, South Dakota told me. She adds, I love the animal. We are lucky that we brought them back. I learn every day from them.

Thinking bigger

Will bison live on in relatively small, isolated herds as they do now, or something greater? The American Prairie Reserve, a Montana-based nonprofit, has a big and controversial idea: creating an ecologically functioning 3 million acre preserve of private, public and tribal lands in northeast Montana, with a herd of over 10,000 bison  the largest single population in the world. Although this would be small compared to the millions that once existed, it still would be something to see.

Bison were saved through the combined efforts of conservationists, scientists, ranchers and ultimately the general public. As their comeback continues, I believe that they can teach us how to be better stewards of the land and provide a future for the Plains where ecosystems and human cultures thrive.

Editors note: This article was updated on January 24, 2019 to correct the purchase date for the Barnard Ranch.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation has a variety of fascinating free newsletters.

It was written by: Matthew D. Moran, Hendrix College.

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Matthew Moran is Professor of Biology at Hendrix College in Conway, AR. He has received research funding from the National Science Foundation, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, and the Arkansas Department of Higher Education, as well his employer, Hendrix College. Funding from Hendrix College supports research performed on the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy. He is also a volunteer fundraiser for the Children's Eternal Rainforest based in Costa Rica.
Ukrainian troops charged with treason after bizarre plot to steal Russian jets goes south.

An undisclosed number of Ukrainian service members have been charged with treason, the Ukrainian State Security Service (SBU) announced Thursday, after a bizarre plot to convince Russian pilots to steal their aircraft apparently backfired. As a result of the ensuing Russian investigation, its forces launched a "massive missile attack" on Ukraine's "Kanatove airfield on July 23, 2022. It killed a commander, wounded 17 airmen, destroyed two fighter jets and caused significant damage to the airstrip and several buildings, SBU stated in a release.

Just two days after the deadly attack, Bellingcat Russia investigator Christo Grosev described the plot in a Twitter thread as a crazier-than-fiction story of triple-agents, fake passports and faux girlfriends. Bellingcat, he said, was chronicling this plot as it unfolded, via a documentary about one of the wackiest counter-counter-intel operations of all time.

It was a tale, he said, that Russia's FSB security agency falsely accused him of being involved in.

What is true, however, is I was involved in this crazier-than-fiction story of triple-agents, fake passports and faux girlfriends - as a documentary film maker. Yes, we were chronicling one of the wackiest counter-counter-intel operations of all time. And the docu is still on.  Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) July 25, 2022

The genesis of this operation was based on a new Ukrainian law offering money to Russians who provide Kyiv with military hardware, Grosev said.

A team of Ukrainian operatives decided to approach Russian pilots with an offer based on this law, Grosev wrote. We found out about the initiative, and assured ourselves a front seat  to make a documentary about this brazen operation.

He was quick to point out that the operation was not a project of either SBU or GUR [Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate]. (If it were, there'd be no way we would - or want to - get access to it). It was organized by maverick ex operatives whom we got to know via a previous Bellingcat investigation.

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Several Russian military pilots were approached and even sent proof-of-access videos from inside their planes, in each case bearing a separate number hand-written on pieces of paper. Some of the footage from the inside of the planes was quite detailed and enlightening.

Several Russian military pilots were approached and even sent proof-of-access videos from inside their planes, in each case bearing a separate number hand-written on pieces of paper. Some of the footage from the inside of the planes was quite detailed and enlightening. pic.twitter.com/fxwOyZGtYv  Christo Grozev (@christogrozev) July 25, 2022

The plot, however, went sideways.

This bizarre mutual-deceit game came to an end when the FSB realized no one will show up at any of the suggested meet-ups (FSB were keen to identify Ukrainian agents), realizing they've been burned, Grosev wrote. And the Ukrainians realized they're likely not getting a real pilot either.

Still, it was a win for Ukraine, Grosev wrote.

While Russia is presenting today this as a coup for its counter intelligence, in fact the operation was a serious blunder for the FSB, disclosing unintentionally identities of dozens of counter intel officers, their methods of operation, and their undercover assets.

Last month, Yahoo News took a deep dive into the story about the plot, laying out the complex twists and turns of what the SBU now says was a rogue off-the-books operation that had devastating results.

Last summer, a group of Ukrainian volunteers, working closely with their countrys intelligence service, apparently came close to persuading three Russian aviators who were in the midst of bombing Ukraine to defect with their warplanes in exchange for $1 million a piece, according to Yahoo News. It was a bold, months-long operation, like a movie, in the words of one of the Russian marks, a trio of exceptionally well-trained airmen who seemed amenable to betraying their motherland for a sum of money theyd otherwise never see in their lifetimes.

The plot involved Russian pilots of the Tu-22M3 Backfire-C bombers as well as the Su-34 Fullback strike aircraft and Su-24 Fencer strike aircraft, Yahoo News wrote.

One of the pilots in the reported plot to steal Russian aircraft flew a Tu-22M Backfire bomber. (Dmitry Pichugin photo)

Had this been successful, it could have been a major win for Ukraine and, to possibly a bigger degree, the United States.

Capturing a fully-intact Su-34 would be an intelligence haul, especially for U.S. Foreign Materiel Exploitation programs. The Su-24 could bolster Ukraine's dwindling fleet, while the Tu-22 would be a major propaganda win and one less to be used to attack Ukraine.

But what looked like a legitimate plan to switch sides proved anything but," Yahoo News wrote. "None of the pilots defected in the end. There is strong evidence that most if not all of them were found out by Russias Federal Security Service (FSB), one of the successor agencies to the Soviet KGB."

Russian propaganda "says the whole saga was in fact orchestrated by the FSB from the start, according to Yahoo News.

But the Ukrainians insist the FSB only got involved late in the negotiations, after sincere commitments were made by each pilot. Kyiv also maintains its failure to acquire Russian warplanes was nonetheless a mitigated success: It gleaned valuable technical information about Russias air force and compromised three military officers, at least one of whom has not flown combat missions since. A complex intelligence operation thus devolved into a remote game of dueling counterintelligence narratives with both sides claiming victory.

However, there is another twist to this story.

Yahoo News reported that the FSB also claimed a victory here, saying it discovered the location of the Kantatove airfield as a result of uncovering the Ukrainian plot, a narrative that lines up with the SBU version of events.

But in reality, those airfields had already been bombed since the start of Moscows invasion, Yahoo News reported, citing previous news accounts.

The Kantatove airfield as seen on Aug. 7, 2021. (Google Earth image)

It's hard to understand what the issue is here with this airfield as its existence is no secret, although precise operations ongoing there could have been leveraged by Russian intelligence. It's just unclear how the successful targeting of this base was prompted by this allegedly botched operation.

Regardless, the SBU on Thursday said the unraveling of the plot resulted in the deadly attack and that the service-members involved had to be punished.

Therefore, such actions of individual servicemen, which led to serious consequences, the death and injury of Ukrainian defenders and harmed the country's defense capabilities, require an appropriate legal assessment, according to SBU. Criminal proceedings have been opened under Part 2 of Article 111 (treason) and Part 5 of Article 426-1 (exceeding authority or official powers by a military official) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

We reached out to SBU to see if they could offer more details and explain how the Russians discovered this airfield as a result of the plot after it had already been targeted. And we reached out to Grosev, to check on the status of his documentary on this convoluted tale.

We will update this story with any response provided and if and when the case goes to trial and a verdict is reached.

Contact the author: howard@thewarzone.com
The board of the Ada Community Library system removed six books from its collection last month.

The books include some of the most commonly challenged titles in schools and libraries in Idaho and across the United States.

In a statement to the Idaho Statesman, the Ada Community Library board said it decided to review its policy on what criteria to use to judge whether a book is harmful to minors. Upon its review, board members determined that their policy did not follow Idaho code, which prohibits the disseminating material harmful to minors.

The Legislature passed a bill earlier this year that opened library staff to lawsuits if a parent or guardian of a child deemed a library book harmful. But Gov. Brad Little vetoed the bill, saying the legislation makes sweeping, blanket assumptions on materials that could be determined as harmful to minors.

Idaho code says disseminating material harmful to minors is a misdemeanor punishable by one year of jail time or a $1,000 fine. But librarians are exempt from the law. The library board decided to follow the definition of harmful to minors and remove books from the library anyway.

The board voted to remove the following books, according to an email provided to the Statesman:

Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe

Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison

All Boys Arent Blue by George M Johnson

Out Of Darkness by Ashley Hope Perez

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

The board reviewed books on an unspecified 10 most challenged books list from 2021, the statement said.

The Boise Public Library has copies of all of the books removed from the Ada Community Library system.

This was an effort to ensure that our policy and staff guidelines were usable and understandable, to test the exception in the statute, and to explore the types of books that do and do not fall within the prohibition of the statute, the board said.

The board voted to remove the books in an open meeting March 18  after the Legislature passed the bill and before Little vetoed it. The Ada Community Library does not record its meeting audio and the written minutes included just three sentences about the decision:

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A series of books in the collection were read by trustees and reviewed under existing Idaho code to determine whether they contained material that fell within the current Idaho statutes definition of what is harmful to minors. Where it seemed so, the board voted to remove the books from our collection. Where the books did not contain such material, the board voted to retain.

Ada Community Libraries operates separate from the Boise and Meridian libraries with its own library board. It operates three locations in Boise and one in Star.

Mary Anne Saunders, a candidate for a seat on the Ada Community Library board, attended the March meeting via Zoom because she wanted to see how the meetings operated. She did not know that the board would be discussing removing books, she said.

Part of the reason that Im running is that Ive been very concerned about some of the attacks on libraries, Saunders said by phone. And Im an avid proponent of free speech, and of lifelong learning, and of diversity.

Saunders also criticized the boards lack of transparency on its March meeting agenda. The agenda had a section labeled Legislative Update under which the board voted to remove the books. It did not provide any information about the books.

If I were in charge of a board meeting like that, I would have made certain that the issue was clearly on the agenda, Saunders said.

The Nampa School District board voted last May to remove 23 books from the districts libraries that it said had too much sexual content, the Statesman reported.

The decision to remove material from the Ada Community Library comes amid a stream of criticism of libraries in Idaho. The Meridian Library District recently survived an effort to dissolve the taxing district from a group calling themselves Concerned Citizens of Meridian who said their concerns about library material were not being heard by the board.

Idaho bill allowing parents to sue libraries over harmful books heads to governor

Tax relief, abortion, transgender rights: Idaho lawmakers adjourn eventful session
Maia Kobabe, author of "Gender Queer: A Memoir," poses for a portrait with the book, which was one of the most banned titles in U.S. schools last year. (Josh Edelson / For The Times)

Fearing criminal penalties, public schools throughout Missouri removed hundreds of books from their libraries after state lawmakers last year made it illegal to provide students with sexually explicit material  a law that carried punishment of up to a year in prison.

The issue is playing out in public school districts and campus libraries across the United States, 1st Amendment advocates warn: Book bans, gassed up by state legislation pushed by conservative officials and groups, are stacking up at an alarming rate.

In a report published Thursday by PEN America, the nonprofit free speech organization cited 1,477 instances of books being prohibited during the first half of the 2022-23 academic year, up 28.5% from 1,149 cases in the previous semester. Overall, the organization has recorded more than 4,000 instances of banned books since it started tracking cases in July 2021.

At issue is more than a single book being removed in a single district, said Kasey Meehan, the Freedom to Read program director at PEN America and a lead author of the report.

Its a set of ideas, its themes, its identities, its knowledge on the history of our country  these are the kind of bigger buckets of what is being removed, restricted, suppressed in public schools and public school libraries, Meehan said.

Forbidden books are largely by and about people of color and LGBTQ individuals, the group found. Of the books removed in the first half of this school year, 30% are about race, racism or include characters of color, and 26% have LGBTQ characters or themes  all at a time when library shelves are becoming more inclusive and representative of society.

The clash over books is not new, but the tactics are changing. Once spurred mainly by concerned parents, book removals are increasingly powered by organized groups, elected leaders and legislation targeting titles that dont align with their values, PEN America found.

The pandemic helped shift that landscape as schools became entrenched in partisan politics. Groups such as Moms for Liberty, united in its opposition to mask mandates, took aim at curricula and rallied against books it deemed inappropriate for young readers.

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School board meetings became arenas for those fights, which spilled onto social media. Some school staffers, particularly librarians, found themselves on the front lines of the intensifying culture wars, facing bullying, harassment and accusations of pedophilia or grooming children due to the literature they offered.

Texas school districts had the highest number of bans in PEN Americas report, with 438 removals. Florida had 357 bans, followed by Missouri, with 315 bans. In Utah and South Carolina, there were more than 100 bans.

State legislatures and courthouses in Republican-controlled states have largely led the charge.

According to PEN America, nearly a third of the book bans earlier this school year were the direct result of newly enacted state laws in Florida, Utah and Missouri. But its very likely that the laws, which are often ambiguous, indirectly led to many more effective book bans by creating a chilling effect, PEN said. Books have vanished en masse as staffers vet literature to ensure it doesnt run afoul of the laws.

The wave of legislation has drawn challenges. Missouris law, enacted in August, is the subject of a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and two state library associations, which argue the law is unconstitutional.

Jamie Gregory, a school librarian in South Carolina, one of the states where bans are most prevalent, said the escalating situation feels like it presents ... this binary choice to librarians.

You either choose to stand by the ethics and the foundation of the profession and defend intellectual freedom rights, or risk your job and your personal safety, said Gregory, who has done work advocating for intellectual freedom. I dont know that a lot of people truly understand what that feels like.

A law in Florida, which has more book bans than any state but Texas, requires that books be reviewed by certified media specialists, leading some districts to clear out or



hide books in their libraries and classrooms.

Brian Covey said such was the case at his childrens public school in Floridas Duval County. One Thursday in January, Covey picked up his two elementary school children after a book fair fundraiser. Covey, who worked as a substitute teacher at a nearby campus, said his daughter asked him whether hed heard about what happened at school that day.

They took away all the books, he recalled his children telling him.

Covey, puzzled, asked which books. His children reiterated: all of them.

Classroom shelves were barren or sealed off with construction paper, he said. Schools in the county had launched a formal review of their classroom libraries in accordance with the law and guidance from the state.

They even went through and took away books kids were currently reading, said Covey, who tweeted about the issue.

Duval County Public Schools did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Covey said his daughter called it wrong and rude to take books away, because some children dont have them at home or are still learning to read. For a second-grader, she is an advanced reader and would devour books daily, Covey said. But the few books that have made their way back to the shelves after being reviewed are boring to her. She now mostly spends her free time hanging out with classmates.

While I love that she gets time to play with her friends, she loves to learn, Covey said. Shed rather be reading books.

Certain books are frequent targets of bans. Some of the most commonly removed titles last year, according to PEN America, were the graphic-novel-style memoir Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Flamer by Mike Curato, the graphic novel of The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood and Milk and Honey, a book of poems by Rupi Kaur.

The movement to restrict books is also affecting public libraries.

In Llano County in a rural area of central Texas, officials debated closing the entire library system rather than follow a judges order to return 17 challenged titles to its shelves while a lawsuit works its way through court. (County commissioners ultimately decided to keep the library open.)

PEN Americas study echoes a March report by the American Library Assn., which found that efforts to censor library books and resources nearly doubled last year to 1,269 such demands, from 729 the previous year. That marks the most attempts to ban books since the organization began collecting such data more than 20 years ago.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
(Bloomberg) -- The Manhattan District Attorney agreed to drop his efforts to block congressional questioning of a former top prosecutor about New Yorks criminal case against former President Donald Trump.

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Under an agreement reached between District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Jim Jordan, the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, former prosecutor Mark Pomerantz will appear for a hearing in Washington, flanked by the general counsel for the DAs office, Braggs office said late Friday in a statement.

The general counsels presence will protect the DAs privileges and interests, according to the statement.

The accord comes after a federal judge ruled against Braggs request to block a subpoena from the Judiciary Committee. Jordan and many other congressional Republicans publicly defended Trump when he was indicted on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, after hush money payments were made to conceal his alleged extramarital sexual escapades in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

Bragg had sued April 11 to block the subpoena, calling the Republican-led probe a brazen and unconstitutional attack on a local prosecution.

A federal appeals court later granted a temporary hold on congressional questioning of Pomerantz. Bragg said Friday hed drop the appeal.

Pomerantz quit Braggs team last year after vigorously advocating for Trumps prosecution and wrote a book about the investigation of the former president. Pomerantz has said he supported Braggs move to block the subpoena.

Mr. Pomerantzs deposition will go forward on May 12, and we look forward to his appearance, Russell Dye, a spokesman for Jordan, said in a statement.

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Read More: DA Bragg Wins Delay of GOP Questioning in NYs Trump Case

The case is Bragg v. Jordan, 23-cv-03032, US District Court, Southern District of New York (Manhattan).

--With assistance from Patricia Hurtado.

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Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva

National Security Advisor Ambassador Celso Amorim will travel to Ukraine at the behest of the president, said Brazils head of the presidential administrations General Secretariat, Marcio Macedo.

"The president has made a decision and instructed me to announce that the special assistant for international affairs, fand ormer foreign minister, who has already been to Russia, will visit Ukraine," Macedo said.

Ukrainians gathered with flags near Brazil's embassy in Lisbon, Portugal on April 22, where the Brazilian President arrived. People protested Lula's recent claims that parroted Russian propaganda about the Russian war in Ukraine.

Read also: Ukraine does not trade its territories  Ukraine to Brazil about Crimea

Lula said that the Western support of Ukraine prolongs the war and proposed the creation of a "political G20" that would broker peace between Ukraine and Russia.

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that he could begin to understand the real essence and consequences of Russian aggression only after visiting Ukraine.

Lula has said that the Russian dictator Putin isn't able to seize all of Ukraine: "Perhaps Crimea will be discussed. But what more he invaded, he has to think about," he said.

"Zelenskyy can't want everything either," Brazil's President added.

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 Catarina Demony and Miguel Pereira

LISBON (Reuters) -Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Saturday he did not want to "please anyone" with his views about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, after provoking criticism in the West for suggesting Kyiv shared the blame for the war.

Speaking in Lisbon at the start of his first visit to Europe since being elected president, Lula said his aim was to "build a way to bring both of them (Russia and Ukraine) to the table".

"I want to find a third alternative (to solve the conflict), which is the construction of peace," he told a news conference.

Last week he said the United States and European allies should stop supplying arms to Ukraine, arguing that they were prolonging the war. "If you are not making peace, you are contributing to war," Lula said.

The White House accused Lula of parroting Russian and Chinese propaganda.

Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who accompanied Lula at the news conference, said their countries' stances on the war were different.

Portugal is a founding member of the Western NATO defence alliance and has sent military equipment to Ukraine. Rebelo de Sousa said Ukraine had the right to defend itself and recover its territory.

Lula arrived in Portugal on Friday for a five-day visit as he strives to improve foreign ties after Jair Bolsonaro's four years in office, during which Brazil's relations with many countries including its former colonial power frayed.

Bolsonaro did not visit Portugal, home to around 300,000 Brazilians, during his time in office.

"I wanted to tell you how happy I am," Lula, standing next to Costa, told a room packed with government officials and reporters. "Brazil spent almost six years, especially the last four, isolated from the world.

"Brazil is back, to improve our relationship."

Lula signed 13 agreements on technology, energy transition, tourism, culture and education with Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa.

Brazil has said Portugal could be an important ally in helping South America's Mercosur bloc to negotiate a free trade deal with the European Union (EU). "Small adjustments are needed but we will do it," Lula said.

(Reporting by Catarina Demony, Miguel Pereira and Rodrigo Antunes; Editing by Mike Harrison and Kevin Liffey)
James Throckmorton was a pioneer, doctor, lawyer, congressman and governor. In spite of an impressive career, he often found himself caught between the great forces of history that were tearing the nation apart.

Throckmorton was born in 1825 in Sparta in central Tennessee. His father was a physician and moved often. Eventually, the Throckmortons made their way to Texas, and the family became early settlers of Collin County, settling not far from what is now Melissa in 1841 near the modern US Highway 75.

Throckmortons father died in 1842, and he had to help care for his seven brothers and sisters. Later, he went to Kentucky to study medicine. He returned to Texas in 1847 when the Mexican War erupted and served as an army surgeon. After the war, he established a successful medical practice in Collin County and helped establish a private school in Mantua. However, he grew disenchanted with medicine and turned to law.

He served three terms in the Texas House of Representatives from 1851 to 1857. While in the legislature, he focused on education and railroad development, two causes that would mark his career. In 1857, Throckmorton rose to the state senate and allied with Sam Houston against the rising forces of secession in Texas. Throckmorton became a close advisor to Houston, now governor, as the Civil War loomed, but the election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860 prompted a wave of secession that engulfed Texas.

In 1861, he was a delegate to the secession convention and became one of only eight delegates to reject disunion. He remained close to Houston in the desperate weeks as Houston crossed the state pleading to save the Union. Because of their efforts, Collin, along with several counties along the Red River (including Fannin, Lamar, and Grayson), voted against secession in a February referendum. However, in the fevered atmosphere, most voted in favor of secession.

Throckmorton stepped forward and volunteered to defend Texas during the Civil War, rising from captain to general by 1864. In 1866, he chaired a convention of Unionists to draft a new constitution for the state, one that recognized the realities of the postwar South. The new constitution was ratified and Throckmorton was elected governor with 79% of the vote.

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The war wrecked the states economy and violence plagued both whites and freedmen alike. Texas contended with this chaos as Union troops attempted to re-establish order. Throckmorton attempted to rebuild the state, emphasizing new schools and railroads. While the slaves had been freed, the policy of the United States government was that giving the freedmen the vote and equality under the law was essential to preserving the freedoms of the former slaves. While Throckmorton accepted the end of slavery, giving African-Americans the vote was a step he could not take, and he clashed with federal officials. Barely a year after Throckmorton became governor, Gen. Philip Sheridan ordered him and other elected officials removed from their posts for opposing Reconstruction.

In 1872, his ban on holding office was lifted and he plotted his political comeback. He was elected to Congress in 1874 and re-elected in 1876. A respected figure, he was named Chairman on the Committee on Pacific Railroads in 1877, an important position as the railroads surged westward across the frontier. He soon moved for higher offices. In 1878, he ran for governor but lost the nomination. In 1881, he lost a bid for U. S. Senate. The next year, however, he ran for Congress and won easily.

In 1886, he announced his retirement and returned to Texas. He resumed his law practice in McKinney as his health declined. He died in 1894. Throckmorton remained widely respected in his community, with residents later naming a street after him and erecting a statue in his honor.

Ken Bridges is a writer, historian and native Texan. He holds a doctorate from the University of North Texas. Bridges can be reached by email at drkenbridges@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Bridges: Throckmorton a key figure in Texas Civil War history
The Royal Court Theatre

One of the most sinister aspects of Vladimir Putins Russia  and that of all nasty regimes  is the weaponisation of the arts and artists. Since the invasion of Ukraine, Russian artists and their families have either faced life-disfiguring punishment for speaking out against their vile leader  as they were forced to do to keep jobs in the West  or, like former LSO conductor Valerie Gyergiev, have nestled more deeply their leaders toxic embrace.



In Britain, we hardly expect to see mezzo sopranos and playwrights facing such choices, or indeed the state interfering in artistic freedom at all, demanding allegiance and punishing those who refuse to toe the governments line. And we dont see it.

And yet, to listen to the complaints of the champagne-socialist Left, you would think that Britain was indeed a hotbed of devious state interference in the arts; the new Hungary, as Guardian columnist Owen Jones put it. Just look, they say, at how Tories have stuffed quangos intended to persevere impartiality, how they installed their man Richard Sharp, a friend of Sunaks, as Chairman of the BBC. The Tories are ideologically bullies, they say, threatening to destroy cultural outfits deemed too woke by withdrawing funding. They are nefarious propagandists, hardly better than Orban or Putin. Anish Kapoor, the artist, wrote last year of the Tories sinister and systematic attempt to dismantle the Keynesian project which set up arts for all. This just after more than a billion pounds were pledged to keep cultural institutions afloat after Covid.

If they are sinister and systematic in their dismantling of lefty arts institutions, then theyre jolly bad at it. A high volume of third-rate woke rubbish is still being churned out by theatres and museums  to the tune of taxpayer millions.



Last week offered yet another flummoxing spectacle for a country whose government is allegedly destroying the arts with their partisan and systematic bullying. The Royal Court theatre staged a show called No ID, which at first I assumed was a parody, before remembering this was also the theatre that put on Caryl Churchills Seven Jewish Children: A Play for Gaza, seen by many as openly indulging in anti-Semitic tropes. No ID is a one-person show starring trans man Tatenda Shamiso who tells the story of his experience as a Black transgender immigrant in the UK. Using the songs he wrote throughout his first year on testosterone alongside letters, signatures and a whole lot of paperwork, he guides us through what it takes to validate Black and queer identities in the eyes of the law.



If some people want to pay good money to sit through something like that, fair play. Less fair play, however, is that the Royal Court is funded to the tune of 2m per year with money from state coffers. Meanwhile, the Institute For Contemporary Art, also funded by a large grant from the government (789,000 in 2021) is pure woke agitprop, with a whole section on its web page devoted to its commitment to anti-racism. The current exhibition is an immersive multipart installation... that examines the complex logic of cultural gatekeeping within Black culture and the (mis)perception of these dynamics in a wider (white) world.



As for the BBC, much output both on TV and radio fits a left-wing cultural agenda  some of it good, much of it less so. Many of my classical-music loving friends have stopped listening to the once wonderful Radio 3 because its become all stories about marginalised communities and music from obscure South American tribes, as one friend keen on 19th and 20th century Russian and European music put it. She now listens to Classic FM, and mutes the ads.

Story continues

The most active and powerful attempts to control culture take the form of Arts Council funding decisions. Arts Council money is a revenue stream of complex  or rather, muddy  motives. Last years saw the brutal cuts of funding of the ENO  one of the nations best-loved, if sporadically struggling opera houses  and the total deletion of support for the Hampstead, Gate and Donmar theatres. The idea was not to punish them for not being Tory enough (on the contrary, the Arts Councils are obsessed with diversity and ensuring the right number of voices are being heard). It was, rather, to serve the bizarre Tory fixation with levelling up, a dunder-headed method of doing so if ever there was one. As the ensuing uproar from audiences showed, butchering Londons world-class arts scene is not the way to serve the north.

As the whole mess showed, this government is very far from being willing or able to control culture, or shape the artistic narrative of this island. Which, when it comes to the Royal Court, is a bit of a shame. No decent tax-payer, least of all in a cost of living crisis, should be asked to fund performances about what it takes to validate Black and queer identities in the eyes of the law.

Like the next person, I too would rather money rained from the heavens and that there was enough to guarantee the highest quality arts while protecting total creative freedom. But money doesnt rain down from the heavens: for many theatres and galleries and museums it comes from us, via an inefficient, cumbersome set of state processes known as the government. A certain amount of meddling is therefore inevitable, since who gets how much money  and for what  is a political question. Whats surprising is how little difference Tory meddling makes: the arts in Britain are still stuffed with the trappings of performative progressivism, which is a good sign for freedom and a bad sign for, well, everything else.
Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County recently announced a $45,000 grant given to them by S.C. Johnson to support Belmonts Dixon Village neighborhood.

The grant will go towards a new, sustainable home for a local family in the Dixon Village community that is still under construction. Habitat for Humanity, in partnership with homeowners and volunteers in Gaston County, will build over 20 single-family homes and introduce a mixed-income approach to affordable housing.

ALSO READ: Construction begins on Habitat for Humanitys 39-home development in west Charlotte

Houses in the Dixon Village neighborhood will be separated into thirds; the first will be reserved for Habitat for Humanity families; the next will be used for workforce housing; and the remaining third will be sold to entry-level buyers. The new homes are expected to fill a gap in the Gaston County housing market.

Kay Peninger, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County, thanked S.C. Johnson for their large donation and shared her excitement as she continues to watch the Gaston County community grow and thrive.

We are very grateful, said Peninger. SC Johnson has provided a grant to help build homes for hard-working families in our Dixon Village community. This really shows their commitment to seeing Gaston County thrive.

Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County says the goals for the Dixon Village development are to create a peaceful, diverse, and close environment that will bring benefits to the entire region.

(WATCH BELOW: Habitat for Humanity of Charlotte hosts meeting to discuss affordable housing crisis)
Last June, Crystal Regehr Westergard received about 5,500 boxes containing 133,000 Rum & Butter chocolate bars. Crystal Regehr Westergard

A Canadian woman had to give away 133,000 candy bars for free, reports said.

Crystal Regehr Westergard was bombarded with the candy, which had an expiry date of June this year.

Westergard donated the bars when a looming expiry date meant stores refused to accept them.

After a supply-chain blunder left her with far too many, a Canadian businesswoman was forced to give away 133,000 candy bars before they expired, reports said.

Crystal Regehr Westergard, a physiotherapist, started a candy company as a side hustle in 2018 to bring back old favorites that companies had long stopped producing.

Through her company Canadian Candy Nostalgia, Westergard first brought back Cuban Lunch, a candy dating back to World War II.

She then started selling Rum & Butter, a chocolate treat with a rum-flavored center that was discontinued in 1996. This move proved to be a major success, BBC News reported, and the candy sold more than a million bars in its first round of reproduction.

Westergard said she increased her order for the candy bar. But when the pandemic hit, the company making Rum & Butter bars for her ran into production problems, according to the Globe and Mail.

When operations eventually fully resumed, it processed her outstanding order all at once.

In Westergard's own version of a "bullwhip effect" that has hit global-supply chains in recent years, about 5,500 boxes containing 133,000 Rum & Butter chocolate bars suddenly bombarded her last June.

They all had the same expiration date of June 2023. While Canadian regulations don't require expiry dates on candy, the self-imposed date on the bars meant stores stopped accepting them in January, BBC News reported.

"It's immense," Westergard told the Globe and the Mail. "If I think about it too much, I'll start to shake."

She's struggled to give away the retro candy bars, even for free. The shipment was stored in a food warehouse in Calgary, Alberta, a three-hour drive from her home, in massive pallets that were difficult to separate.

Story continues

Food banks in Calgary wouldn't accept any donations due to their no-candy policies.

But after the Globe and Mail published its story, requests for the bars inundated Westergard.

She was able to give away all her bars in bulk to several organizations, including Calgary's drop-in center for homeless people, a Ukrainian church helping newly arrived refugees, and a fire department in Saskatchewan, the BBC reported.

Some food banks also took them despite their no-candy policies, Westergard said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
From April 22nd to April 30th, the National Park Service will host its annual celebration of the countrys more than 400 national parks.

The celebration begins on Saturday  Earth Day  when entrance fees will be waived at all parks. According to the NPS, this is to encourage visitors to enjoy their national parks in person.

Throughout the nine-day celebration, many national parks across the country have planned a number of events and activities for each day.

TOP 10 MOST VISITED NATIONAL PARKS AND MEMORIALS

One example is Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, which will host a free Geology Talk on April 23rd to teach park visitors about the geologic story of the canyon. With rocks up to 1.8 billion years old, this natural wonder of the world has a great story to tell.

Tourists stand on a canyon rim at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona during the spring of 2023.

Additionally, Biscayne National Park in Florida will host its Ranger Program from April 23rd to April 28th. The program allows visitors to hear park rangers talk about historical and natural topics regarding the park, which is home to manatees, sea turtles and many other types of wildlife.

7 FACTS ABOUT US NATIONAL PARKS

Diver at Biscayne National Park.

On April 29th, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Tennessee will host its annual Spring Planting and Music Festival. The festival honors springtime traditions and forgotten arts of the Cumberland Plateau, such as blacksmithing and mountain music.

Waterfall at Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area.

Many more events and activities are planned throughout the more than 400 national parks across the country.

As part of the celebration, National Park Week will also include an initiative called "Your Park Story."

The NPS is asking its staff and visitors to share their special connections with places in the national parks, along with the communities where the NPS has programs and partners, online by tagging their posts with #MyParkStory.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

Clouds move across a blue sky above Everglades National Park in Florida during the spring of 2023.

The NPS has even suggested story themes for each day of National Park Week to give storytellers some inspiration:

April 22nd: Connection

April 23rd: Discovery

April 24th: Accomplishment

April 25th: Tradition

April 26th: Gratitude

April 27th: Ingenuity

April 28th: Inspiration

April 29th: Fun

April 30th: Love

More information on "Your Park Story" and all National Park Week events and activities can be found on the NPS National Park Week page.
Charlie Hunnam attends the Shantaram premiere in Westwood, California on October 3, 2022. (MICHAEL TRAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Charlie Hunnam went through hell to get last year's Apple TV+ series Shantaram finished.

Ultimately cancelled by the streamer after just one season, this 12-episode thriller featured Hunnam in the lead role of Lin Ford, who flees to Bombay after escaping Australia's Pentridge Prison.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the actor, 43, provided an entire list of bodily traumas he experienced while filming out in India.

Read more: The Last Thing He Told Me review: Jennifer Garner leads Apple's top tier drama

"I got a bacterial gut infection, a viral gut infection, an acute respiratory infection," he said. "I had conjunctivitis in both eyes, an ear infection and dengue fever from a mosquito bite."

Hunnam played Australian fugitive Lin Ford in the Apple TV+ thriller series. (Anonymous Content/Paramount Television)

As if that wasn't horrific enough, Hunnam's subsequent gig on Zack Snyder's Rebel Moon (which'll hit Netflix this Christmastime) found new ways to destroy him.

"I have a totally exploded S1 and S2 that are torn wide open, 100 percent dehydrated. Its going to take two years to heal and I have a 40 percent tear on the ligament on the right side that holds my spinal column in place," the Sons of Anarchy star revealed.

"I was training really hard because the part has some big, physical requirements. I wasn't listening to my body and giving myself enough time to rest while trying to get as big as I could as quickly as I could."

Read more: Was 'Zack Snyder's Justice League' worth the wait? What the critics are saying

Hunnam, whose other physically demanding credits include Pacific Rim and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, went on to admit that he's "less tolerant" of injuries nowadays, but accepts the "intrepid nature" of his work goes hand in hand with bashes and bruises.

Watch: How is Charlie Hunnam STILL ALIVE?! 'This might all just be the afterlife'
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Chelsea take on Barcelona for a place in the final of the Womens Champions League after booking a spot in the final four in a dramatic quarter-final win against Lyon.

Maren Mjeldes last gasp penalty deep in extra time of the second leg ensured Chelsea took the current Champions League holders to penalties, with Emma Hayess side victorious in the shootout, winning 4-3 to progress.

Barcelona faced Roma in the previous round and had a rather easier outing. The Liga F champions demolished the Italians 5-1 in the second leg which showcased their intent to win this competition again.

Barca have only lifted the Womens Champions League once when they triumphed in the 2021 final. Coincidentally, that game was also the last time these two sides met when a brilliant display for the Spanish side earned them a comprehensive 4-0 victory. Chelsea will be hoping for some revenge this season.

Follow all the action as Chelsea host Barcelona in the Womens Champions League semi-finals:

Chelsea vs Barcelona

Chelsea host Barcelona in the Womens Champions League semi-final

The match is a repeat of the 2021 WCL final which Barca won 4-0

66 CHANCE! - Cuthberts header is caught by Panos (CHE 0-1 BAR)

54 SHOT! - James gets a first sight of goal but doesnt beat Panos (CHE 0-1 BAR)

25 DISALLOWED - Reitens equaliser ruled out for offside (CHE 0-1 BAR)

16 SHOT! - Geyse draws a low save out of Berger (CHE

4 GOAL! - Graham Hansen sends Barca ahead (CHE 0-1 BAR)

FT Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:31 , Mike Jones

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Full-time: Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:26 , Mike Jones

90+4 mins: Sandra Panos is shown a yellow card for time-wasting after delaying the restart.

Chelsea are unable to get the goal they wanted and have work to do in the second leg. Theyve been defeated at Stamford Bridge after a superb strike from Caroline Graham Hansen less than five minutes into the game.

Barcelona win 1-0 and take an slight advantage back to the Camp Nou. The tie is all to play for though.

Story continues

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:23 , Mike Jones

90 mins: Four minutes of added time to play. Chelsea look tired now. Theyll settle for a one goal deficit right now.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:22 , Mike Jones

87 mins: A Barcelona corner from Mapi Leon is easily cleared but the visitors recycle the ball. A cross comes into the penalty area but its plucked out of the air by Ann-Katrin Berger.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:19 , Mike Jones

84 mins: Chelsea replace Melanie Leupolz, Guro Reiten and Eve Perriset with Jessie Fleming, Pernille Harder and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd.

Barcelona take off goalscorer Caroline Graham Hansen as well as Keira Walsh and Salma Paralluelo. Asisat Oshoala, Ingrid Engen and Ana Maria Crnogorcevic replace them.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:16 , Mike Jones

81 mins: Barcelona are penning Chelsea back in the hopes of extending their lead. A cross comes into the box and Marta Torrejon strikes the woodwork with her header.

Shes jus inches away from adding a second.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:11 , Mike Jones

78 mins: Parralluelo is still keen add to Barcelonas lead. She bombs up the pitch on the counter-attack and nudges the ball into the left side of the box. Under pressure from Maren Mjelde, Parralluelo shoots but Berger has the shot covered and keeps it out.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:07 , Mike Jones

75 mins: Marta Torrejon has replaced Lucy Bronze for Barcelona. Bronze has an ice pack wrapped over her right knee as she watches on from the stands.

That doesnt look too good for the Lioness ahead of this summers World Cup. Sarina Wiegman has already lost captain Leah Williamson to an ACL injury so to lose Bronze to injury too would be a massive blow.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:05 , Mike Jones

72 mins: Chelsea seem revitalised. After 10 minutes or so of playing on the back foot, theyre pushing up the pitch again searching for the equaliser.

Should this game end with Barcelona taking a lead back to the Camp Nou then things will be even more difficult for the Blues in the second leg.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

14:00 , Mike Jones

69 mins: Another change for Chelsea. Emma Hayes sees that her team need to get more control in the middle of the park and takes off Erin Cuthbert to bring on Sophie Ingle

Its a more defensive option but should gain the Blues more possession.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:57 , Mike Jones

66 mins: A Chelsea free kick is floated deep into the box by Eve Perisset. The ball is recycled back across the penalty area where Magdalena Eriksson nods the ball across to Eri Cuthbert.

Cuthbert is free and takes a headed effort of her own. She hits it well enough but Sandro Panos grabs hold of the ball.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:54 , Mike Jones

63 mins: That effort was Geyses last involvement of the game as she is replaced with Mariona Caldentey. Caldentey is a more physical centre-forward and could cause a few problems for the more tired Chelsea defenders.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:51 , Mike Jones

60 mins: Chance! Terrific play from Barcelona.

Rolfo brings the ball down the left side before playing it up to Geyse. She combines with Parralluelo for a one-two and gets in behind the Blues defence.

When the ball comes bacl Geyse shoots but cant beat Berger at the near post.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:49 , Mike Jones

57 mins: Oh lovely defending. A threaded pass allows Geyse to carry the ball into the right side of Chelseas box.

The Barcelona forward is hoping to line up a shot but Magdalena Eriksson gets across, shoulders Geyse away from the ball and shields it out of play for a goal kick.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:45 , Mike Jones

54 mins: Shot! Keira Walsh loses possession to Lauren James after a Chelsea throw in. James cuts onto her right foot and shoots but her low, curling effort is kept out by Sandra Panos.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:44 , Mike Jones

51 mins: Barcelona win a corner that Mapi Leon pulls back to Keira Walsh. Walsh floats her cross into the penalty area but Ann-Katrin Berger flaps at the ball and pushes it behind.

Another short corner kick comes to Parralluelo. She returns the ball to Graham Hansen who sends a cross straight into the hands of the goalkeeper.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:40 , Mike Jones

48 mins: Lauren James has taken up the central forward position with Sam Kerr out on the left side of the forward line and Guro Reiten over on the right.

Geyse dinks the ball past Magdalena Eriksson and dribbles into the box. She lays it off to Graham Hansen who switches the play. Rolfo brings the ball down but loses possession to right-back Eve Perisset.

Second half: Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:38 , Mike Jones

Barcelona get the ball rolling for the second half. Jelena Cankovic has been replaced with Lauren James at the break for Chelsea.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:31 , Mike Jones

Down but definitely not out at HT. #UWCL pic.twitter.com/SaZ2N0R2jx  Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW) April 22, 2023

HT Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:27 , Mike Jones

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(PA)

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Half-time: Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:22 , Mike Jones

45+4 mins: The whistle goes to bring the first 45 minutes of this Womens Champions League semi-final to a close. Caroline Graham Hansens electric strike has given the visitors the lead but Chelsea responded well.

They had a goal disallowed and showed more than enough attacking qualities to keep Barcelona on their toes. Can the Blues equalise after the break?

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:19 , Mike Jones

45+2 mins: Close! Graham Hansen creates another great chance for Barcelona.

She uses her strength to hold off Charles then weaves into the box. Her ball into the six-yard area comes bouncing through to the back post where Parralluelo just cant prod it home.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:17 , Mike Jones

45 mins: Theres going to be four minutes of added time to play before the end of the first half.

Rolfo lets fly from range and Berger comes out to snatch the ball out of the air. Confident goalkeeping.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:14 , Mike Jones

42 mins: Graham Hansen collects the ball out wide and wastes no time sending a cross into the middle. Carter rises highest and flicks the ball away.

Rolfo recycles it back into the area but Chelsea deal with this attack too.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:13 , Mike Jones

39 mins: Mapi Leon joins Kerr in the book after a handball. Chelsea win a free kick over on the left wing and have the chance to whip the ball into the box.

Cankovic sends in the cross but Rolfo nods it clear.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:10 , Mike Jones

36 mins: Emma Hayes tactical changes seem to have paid off for Chelsea. Theyre playing a few yards further forward which is allowing them to compe more in midfield.

An interception from the visitors knocks the ball to Lucy Bronze who is hacked down by a lunging Sam Kerr. Barca win a free kick and Kerr gets booked.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:07 , Mike Jones

33 mins: Another blind side run from Sam Kerr gets her inside of Mapi Leon and into the box as Erin Cuthbert chips over a pass. Irene Paredes gets across to cover for her centre-back partner and beats Kerr in the air.

The defenders header loops the ball into the air and Sandra Panos jogs off her line to claim it.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:02 , Mike Jones

30 mins: Wonderful from Lucy Bronze!

Chelsea send the ball up to Sam Kerr who dinks it into the box and picks out Guro Reiten making a diagonal run into the right side of the box.

She dances around the goalkeeper again and shoots but Bronze sprints towards the line and deflects the ball wide of the near post!

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

13:00 , Mike Jones

29 mins: Although the goal doesnt stand its a warning to the visitors that Chelsea wont just roll over this time around.

Kerr and Reiten in particular are trying to nip in behind the defence and if they time their runs correctly it could be a fruitful avenue for the Blues to exploit.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

12:58 , Mike Jones

26 mins: Disallowed goal! Erin Cuthbert slides a through ball into Sam Kerr who makes a fine run in behind Barcelonas high line. She carries the ball into the box then sends it over to Guro Reiten.

Reiten dribbles around goalkeeper Sandro Panos and slots it home but the offside flag goes up and VAR shows that Kerr just drifted offside in the build-up.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

12:57 , Mike Jones

25 mins: Good work from Maren Mjelde! A Barcelona cross comes in from the right side of the pitch and falls nicely for Salma Parralluelo.

She shoots on the half-volley but Mjelde leaps in front of the shot and gets the block in.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

12:55 , Mike Jones

22 mins: Better from Chelsea! Cuthbert takes hold of the ball in the middle of the pitch and flicks a nice pass over the top to Guro Reiten.

She brings the ball down inside the box, moves inside of Irene Paredes then lays the ball over to Sam Kerr. Kerr guides a side-footed effort at goal but Barca recover and get bodies behind the ball.

They block the effort.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

12:52 , Mike Jones

19 mins: Barcelona have enjoyed the better of these opening 20 minutes or so. Berger goes down needing to stretch out a bit of cramp and Emma Hayes takes the opportunity to get her players over to the touchline to issue new instructions.

The Blues need to impose themselves on the game a bit more.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

12:49 , Mike Jones

16 mins: Shot! A failed interception from Erin Cuthbert knocks the ball over to Lucy Bronze. Bronze sends the ball over to Caroline Graham Hansen who then squares a pass into the feet of Geyse.

Geyse checks to the right and smokes a low effort towards goal but Ann-Katrin Berger drops to the left and clings onto the ball.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

12:46 , Mike Jones

13 mins: Chance! Lucy Bronzes quality is well known but that doesnt make it any easier to defend against her. She drives down the line, links up with Graham Hansen for a one two then flicks the ball back to the winger who darts into the box.

Graham Hansen shoots but her effort is timid and Berger has no issues scooping up the ball at the near post.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

12:41 , Mike Jones

10 mins: Graham Hansen gets the ball once again over on the right wing. She looks confident and tries to take on Niamh Charles who holds her ground and recovers possession.

Charles has been given the nod ahead of Lauren James today, probably due to her commitment to get back and help out the defence.

Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona

12:39 , Mike Jones

7 mins: Barcelona also scored early in the 2021 WCL final against Chelsea. On that occasion the Blues shipped four goals before half-time and they cant afford to do so again today.

The Blues have responded well though. A couple of attacks get them into the box but they arent clinical with the final pass and the visitors clear their lines.

GOAL! Chelsea 0-1 Barcelona (Graham Hansen, 4)

12:38 , Mike Jones

4 mins: Thats incredible! Caroline Graham Hansen receives the ball for Barcelona over on the right wing. She dribbles inside and runs across the edge of the penalty area.

Chelsea dont engage her leaving the forward with time to shoot. She does and blasts a wonderful strike to the far corner leaving Ann-Katrin Berger no chance to keep it out.

Barcelona strike first!

Chelsea 0-0 Barcelona

12:35 , Mike Jones

3 mins: Barcelona commit a few players forward but Carter does well to take the ball off Aitana Bonmati. The Chelsea left-back releases a long ball up the pitch and almost sends Sam Kerr in behind.

Mapi Leon gets across to clear her lines and beats Kerr to the loose ball.

Kick off: Chelsea 0-0 Barcelona

12:33 , Mike Jones

Chelsea get the ball rolling for this semi-final clash. They lose possession early and Barcelona attempt to sweep down the left wing. Fridolina Rolfo whips a cross into the far side of the penalty area but Jess Carter is on hand to nod the ball away.

Chelsea vs Barcelona

12:30 , Mike Jones

Here come the teams!

Chelsea and Barcelona walk out onto the pitch at Stamford Bridge ahead of this crucial Womens Champions League tie. Can the Blues defeat the Spanish champions this afternoon?

Chelsea vs Barcelona

12:24 , Mike Jones

Barcelona, whose Womens Champions League semi-final record is won three, lost two have progressed in three of their last four ties at this stage.

Their only failure in that time coming against Wolfsburg in 2019/20.

How a dramatic 48 hours sparked a new era for womens football

12:20 , Mike Jones

Two nights, two teams, and a momentous 48 hours for English clubs in the Womens Champions League. Yet when Emma Hayes, drained after Chelseas head-spinning escape against Lyon, soaked in the buzz that lingered in the air at Stamford Bridge she recognised the importance of not just one victory, but two. How brilliant was that, what a performance from them, she said, but Hayes spoke of Arsenals display in their stunning win over Bayern Munich, not of Chelseas dethroning of Lyon to join the Gunners in the semi-finals.

Both Chelsea and Arsenal had taken huge steps forward in the competition, Arsenal in reaching their first semi-final since 2013, Chelsea in knocking out the eight-time winners after a night of the highest drama. Chelsea played their first knockout match in the Champions League at Stamford Bridge and delivered a comeback to stand among any in the clubs European history, on the night after Arsenal set new records and made the Emirates feel like a home. Jonas Eidevall said history was being written in front of their eyes, and there will now be bigger nights to come.

Im so happy for English football, Hayes said, after a week that can accelerate interest in the club game - just as the Lionesses started to crackle during their run to the Euros final, before peaking with victory at Wembley. Should either Chelsea or Arsenal go all the way and end Englishs footballs 13-year wait for a Womens Champions League winner then there is potential for it to be a similar seismic moment. Leah Williamson is already attune to it, with the suggestion that Arsenal could one day make the Emirates their permanent home now said to be a realistic vision.

How a dramatic 48 hours sparked a new era for womens football

Chelsea vs Barcelona

12:17 , Mike Jones

Chelsea reached this stage of the competition three times in four seasons between 2018 and 2021.

They went out 5-1 on aggregate to Wolfsburg in April 2018 and the following year lost 3-2 to Lyon, who would go on to defeat Barcelona in the Budapest final in May 2019.

Hayes on facing Barcleona again

12:15 , Mike Jones

"We will get chances, as will they, we have to convert them," said Chelsea boss, Emma Hayes. "As a whole team, for 90 minutes, everybody has to defend at an unbelievable level to make it difficult because Barcelona average 20-25 chances a game.

"Every team evolves, Barca have improved in lots of ways, developed lots of experience, added new players and lots of dimensions, equally so have we."

Pre-match thoughts from Barcelonas Keira Walsh

12:12 , Mike Jones

I dont speak the best Spanish so a lot of the conversation I do miss! Everyones in good spirits and in training its really competitive and everyones enjoying it.

You dont want to feel the nerves and feel the tension in training, you want everyone to be relaxed. Its a really good atmosphere so Im looking forward to the game.

Everyones confident but I wouldnt say we view ourselves as a favourite. We go into every game thinking that we want to play a certain way and we want to win. The three other teams that are left in it are also great teams with great players.

Were confident in the way that were playing and the style that were playing. Weve got some unbelievable players here as well. For me its just exciting to be a part of this team and Im just really looking forward to playing both of the games in big stadiums.

Chelsea have learnt from Barcelona loss

12:09 , Mike Jones

Chelsea boss, Emma Hayes, says her team have learnt a lot from the 2021 Champions League final defeat to Barcelona and that they are in a better place to take on the Spanish champions this time around.

"The learnings from that night [v Barcelona] were significant for us as a club," said Hayes.

"You have to go through those moments. Im pretty certain [captain] Magda Eriksson and I have had 1,000 conversations since then about how to keep raising the bar for our team and weve done that.

"We are as best prepared as we can possibly be. We know what to expect. Were better off as a result of that night."

How Chelsea pulled off Champions Leagues greatest escape

12:05 , Mike Jones

How on earth did Chelsea escape this? With 122 minutes on the clock against Lyon, the dominant force in the Champions League, Chelsea were done, out, and had reached the end of their road in this competition. But the night after Arsenal made the Emirates their home, Chelsea had their moment at Stamford Bridge to join them in the semi-finals. How they needed those fans in the Shed End during the penalty shootout, as Ann-Katrin Berger saved from Wendie Renard and then Lindsey Horan to seal a famous victory on a night of stunning drama.

With a sense of growing inevitability, Lyon had shown the authority of eight-time winners to overturn Chelseas first-leg lead. In extra time Chelsea were doing all they could to hold on, down to their barest of bones. With Chelsea depleted, Lyon strengthened.

Sonia Bompastor could call upon quality at the level of Ada Hegerberg and Sara Dabritz and they combined for what looked to be the winning goal in the 110th minute. But then, deep into stoppage time, the ball broke to Lauren James and Chelsea dragged themselves into European folklore.

How Chelsea pulled off Champions Leagues greatest escape

Emma Hayes hails character-building Chelsea performance in win over Lyon

12:01 , Mike Jones

Chelsea boss Emma Hayes was left exhausted after watching her side advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League on penalties against reigning European champions Lyon at Stamford Bridge.

Hayes side were facing elimination two minutes into injury time at the end of extra-time following Sara Dabritzs goal that looked to have won it for Lyon.

They were rescued by Maren Mjedles penalty after Lauren James had been tripped inside the box, with a protracted VAR check leaving the tie in limbo for almost five minutes whilst a decision was reached.

Mjedle then showed an ice-cold nerve to step up and take the first kick of the shootout, before goalkeeper Ann-Katrin Berger made herself the hero with saves from Wendie Renard and Lindsey Horan to cap an incredible fightback.

It kept alive Chelseas hopes of becoming the first English side to win the tournament as they continue to chase an unprecedented treble.

Emma Hayes hails character-building Chelsea performance in win over Lyon

Chelsea vs Barcelona

11:57 , Mike Jones

Chelsea have reached the last four of this competition for the first time since 2021, knocking out reigning champions and eight-time winners Lyon in the quarter-finals.

They triumphed 4-3 on penalties after a dramatic 2-2 aggregate draw with Maren Mjelde forcing the shoot-out after a successful spot kick deep in extra time of the second leg.

Chelsea vs Barcelona

11:52 , Mike Jones

Barcelona recorded the competitions biggest ever final victory with a 4-0 win against the Blues in Gothenburg in May 2021.

Melanie Leupolz conceded an own goal in the opening minute, before Alexia Putellas 14th-minute penalty, Aitana Bonmati (21) and Caroline Graham Hansen (36) rounded off a stunning first-half display as Barcelona claimed their first European title.

Chelsea vs Barcelona

11:47 , Mike Jones

Chelsea are the only side left in this seasons Womens Champions League who are yet to lift the trophy. They welcome Barcelona for the first leg of their semi-final this afternoon.

Barcelona were they side that ended Chelseas closest run to the title, beating them 4-0 in the 2021 WCL final.

Leah Williamsons ACL injury has to be a final wake-up call for football

11:42 , Mike Jones

You feared the worst when Leah Williamson went down, and then the worst was confirmed. Englands captain will miss the Womens World Cup after rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament, the scans revealing what those within the game have sadly become conditioned to expect. Williamson had collapsed over her right knee in the 12th minute of Arsenals match against Manchester United on Wednesday and her immediate reaction, as well as those around her as she hobbled down the tunnel, all but told you what had happened.

It is a devastating blow for Williamson and the Lionesses, but only one that those who are yet to wake up to the crisis hanging over this summers World Cup will be surprised by.

Williamson knew. I had my tears and made my peace with it the night it happened, she posted on Instagram shortly after the news broke. Yet there was a further line from the 26-year-old that emphasised where womens football is three months away from the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The noise around the situation is loud, she said. Ultimately, I think its just my time.

Leah Williamsons ACL injury has to be a final wake-up call for football

Chelsea need to defend at unbelievable level to beat Barca says Hayes

11:37 , Mike Jones

Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says her team will have to defend "at an unbelievable level" if they are to best Barcelona in their Champions League semi-final.

"It will be tough. We have to play a perfect game, have to execute at both ends of the pitch to give ourselves the perfect chance," added Hayes.

"Were a team which is used to struggling, we know how to suffer. Were going to have to do that for a lot of the game. But we have a dressing room that are motivated and ready to perform."

(Action Images via Reuters)

Chelsea vs Barcelona

11:32 , Mike Jones

Todays match is being played at Stamford Bridge and the excitement levels are building already for fans of Emma Hayes Chelsea.

(PA)

(PA)

Chelsea vs Barcelona prediction

11:27 , Mike Jones

The manner in which Barcelona dismantled Roma will worry Chelsea, who have plenty to prove after being so thoroughly beaten by the Catalan club in the final in 2021.

The hosts will need a good first leg performance to have any hope of progress.

Chelsea 2-2 Barcelona.

Chelsea vs Barcelona line-ups

11:23 , Mike Jones

Chelsea XI: Berger; Perisset, Mjelde, Eriksson, Carter; Cuthbert, Leupolz, Reiten; Charles, Cankovic, Kerr

Barcelona XI: Panos; Bronze, Paredes, Leon, Rolfo; Bonmati, Walsh, Guijarro; Graham Hansen, Geyse, Parralluelo

What is the early team news?

11:19 , Mike Jones

Millie Bright is out for the next few weeks due to a knee injury, with the Chelsea defender forced to pull out of the England squad earlier in April. Lionesses colleague Fran Kirby has been battling injury for much of this season, but Pernille Harder returned to the bench for the FA Cup win against Aston Villa and could feature.

For Barcelona, Alexia Putellas is getting closer to a return after tearing her ACL just before last summers Euros. the Midfielder has been back in full training, though this first leg has come too soon for her. Claudia Pina and Mariona Caldentey are back fit.

How to watch Chelsea vs Barcelona

11:15 , Mike Jones

Chelsea vs Barcelona is due to kick off at 12.30pm BST on Saturday 22 April at Stamford Bridge in London.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the semi-final first leg live on DAZN or YouTube. Every game in this seasons UEFA Womens Champions League from the group stage onwards is broadcast live in most territories on streaming platform DAZN, together with YouTube.

Chelsea vs Barcelona

11:05 , Mike Jones

Good morning and welcome to The Independents coverage of the Womens Champions League.

This massive semi-final clash sees two of Europes heavyweight teams go head-to-head as they battle for a spot in the final. Emma Hayes Chelsea host Jonatan Giraldezs Barcelona in the first leg of this two-legged tie and will hope home advantage gives them an edge this afternoon.

The hosts have bad memories of playing Barca who defeated them 4-0 in the 2021 Womens Champions League final and there is no doubt that they will want to inflict a bit of revenge on the Spanish Champions today.

Kick off for this one is at 12.30pm and well have all the build-up, team news and updates as Chelsea look to reach the WCL showpiece.
SANTIAGO, Chile (AP)  The Chilean governments newly announced plan to have the state take a majority stake in the lithium industry disconcerted business leaders, though analysts cautioned that the proposal appears to try to strike a middle ground between competing interests.

President Gabriel Boric announced in a national broadcast Thursday night that private companies will have to partner with the government in exploiting Chile's lithium, a metal used to make rechargeable batteries.

Boric said the state would take a controlling interest in each partnership, leading some to call it a nationalization of the industry, while others disagreed.

Phrasing it as nationalization is too strong  its a quasi-nationalization in that the playing field will now be leveled in favor of the state, said Nicolas Saldias, senior analyst at the Economist Intelligence Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean. There is no level playing field for the private sector in Chile.

Chile is the second largest producer of lithium and holds the worlds third largest reserves of the metal. Demand for lithium is expected to soar amid the transition to renewable energy around the world and the growth in electric vehicles that are powered by lithium batteries.

The South American country has recently been losing ground to others in the race to exploit the metal so there was much anticipation over what Boric, a leftist, would announce as the countrys strategy for the industry.

There were no great surprises, which doesnt mean that it isnt a very important change in the model, said Mariano Machado, principal analyst for the Americas at Verisk Maplecroft, a global risk intelligence firm.

Under the plan, all companies wanting to work in Chiles lithium sector will have to take on the yet-to-be created National Lithium Company as a partner and the state will have control, Boric said Thursday. Existing contracts will be honored, but Boric expressed optimism they could find a way to boost state participation in their operations before they expire.

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Its not a theft of the concessions, its a changing of the rules rather than abruptly breaking them, said Emily Hersh, CEO of Luna Lithium, a lithium exploration company with projects in the Americas.

Two companies currently mine lithium in Chile, Albemarle Corp. of the United States and local company SQM with concessions set to expire in 2043 and 2030, respectively. Shares in the two companies plunged Friday following Borics announcement.

Creation of the new company would require approval from Congress, which has already shot down several of Borics key initiatives.

Until then, two other state-owned companies, Codelco, the worlds largest copper producer, and state mining company Enami will figure out how the private-public partnerships will operate.

Chiles president traveled Friday to Antofagasta, some 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) from the Chilean capital to deliver more details about his proposal to local authorities.

Were calling for a dialogue and participation process to gather visions and knowledge regarding the new governance of lithium and salt flats, Boric said.

But Chile's business sector expressed concern.

We were quite disconcerted by Boric's announcement, said Ricardo Mewes, head of the Confederation of Production and Trade, an association that represents Chiles business community.

Mewes said business leaders had expected there would be a great private sector participation in the lithium sector and now the state will be the one that will control the industry.

Several analysts said those concerns may go too far.

Saldias, at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said the proposal actually provides the private sector more opportunity than the existing framework because  there would be more ability to partake in projects than currently exists.

He cautioned, though, that environmental restrictions on the way lithium is produced and the push for more consultation with local communities could lead to an increase in the costs of doing business in Chile.

Machado at Verisk Maplecroft said that Chile appears to have gone for a model that is in the middle in which the state has the upper hand, given that its a resource that is considered strategic.

That is a different model from neighboring Bolivia, in which the state has full control of the sector, and Argentina, in which the state simply grants concessions for companies to operate.

Finance Minister Mario Marcel called for calm in the business community. He said that under the plan, private companies will contribute capital, technological knowledge and experience, while the state provides financing and at the same time safeguards environmental conditions of the salt flats and the relationship with the Indigenous peoples of the affected area.

It remains unclear whether the government would contribute capital in direct proportion to its ownership stake.

Boric also said the government will go beyond just being involved in mining lithium, saying it will promote the development of lithium products with added value as it strives to become the worlds leading lithium producer.

Borics plan is in line with the direction that the world is going, said Hersh at Luna Lithium.

The push to have more added value where minerals are produced and to have a grater share of revenues from the mining activities are understandable long term trends, she said.

For Hersh the real concern isnt necessarily Chile, a country with a robust mining industry and existing lithium production. She worries about what message this sends to others in the region that are trying to build up nascent industries, considering Mexico already nationalized its lithium sector.

You kind of have a rush to the party, you cant be seen as the uncool president who isnt doing it, Hersh said.

___

Politi reported from Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey speaks during a town hall-style meeting at New England College in Henniker, New Hampshire, on April 20, 2023. AP Photo/Charles Krupa

Chris Christie said there's only "one lane" for the GOP if they want to beat Trump in the primaries.

"I'm going to tell people the facts about his presidency," he said in New Hampshire, according to The New York Times.

In describing a potential Trump second term, Christie said "the reruns will be worse than the original show."

After a failed White House bid in 2016, former Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is testing the presidential waters once again  and he's focusing his fire at onetime political ally former President Donald Trump.

Unlike some of the current and potential GOP presidential candidates, who are attempting to thread the needle by calling for new leadership while also praising Trump's policies, Christie is making the case for his own potential candidacy with explicit critiques of the former president's conduct during his single term in office.

During a swing in critical New Hampshire, Christie warned Republican voters against renominating Trump in 2024.

"Donald Trump is a TV star. Nothing more, nothing less," Christie told a crowd, according to The New York Times. "And let me suggest to you that if we put it back to the White House, the reruns will be worse than the original show."

"I don't think that anybody is going to beat Donald Trump by sidling up to him, playing footsie with him and pretending that you're almost like him," he continued. "I'm going to tell people the facts about his presidency and about his conduct. If they decide they want that again, that's up to them."

(However, when Christie was asked if he would have backed Trump against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election knowing what would happen in the aftermath of the 2020 election, the ex-governor said he still would have voted for him, per The Times.)

Christie also made it clear that there was only one way to defeat Trump in the GOP primaries.

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"I think there's this fiction about lanes," he said while speaking with potential primary voters. "There is one lane, OK? There are not multiple lanes. At the front of that lane right now is Donald Trump."

"If you want to win the Republican nomination for president, you have to beat Donald Trump and get to the front of that lane," he added.

Despite the sweeping criticism, Christie is no stranger to Trumpworld.

Following Christie's poor performances in both the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary in 2016, he suspended his campaign and threw his support behind Trump, which at the time was a major boost to the the first-time candidate's presidential bid.

After Trump defeated Clinton that fall, Christie was reportedly offered multiple roles in the administration, including the cabinet posts of homeland security secretary and labor secretary, but he ultimately chose to serve out the rest of his second term as governor after then-Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama was tapped to become attorney general  which was the role that he had been eyeing.

In 2020, Christie helped Trump prepare for his first debate with then-Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, but after the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, he criticized the then-president over the siege, which was sparked by pro-Trump supporters incensed over the certification of Biden's electoral victory.

However, just months later, Christie said he'd give Trump an "A" grade for the policies he was able to enact while in the White House.

While speaking in New Hampshire this week, Christie broached the topic of January 6 once again and blasted Trump over his response to the mayhem that day, per The Times.

"When he saw that, you know what he did?" the former governor said of Trump watching the riot unfold on television. "He ate his well-done cheeseburger, and sat there and did nothing."

Read the original article on Business Insider
An Atlanta City Council member wants the Justice Department to investigate the deadly police shooting at the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

State troopers shot and killed Manuel Teran back in January. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said he fired at troopers first, wounding one of them.

Teran was one of several protestors troopers were trying to clear from the property at the time.

This week, The DeKalb County Medical Examiners Office released the official autopsy report for Teran.

The 31-page report from DeKalb County Medical Examiners Office said Teran had at least 57 gunshot wounds. It does not say how many actual shots were fired nor did it determine the position that Teran was in.

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The autopsy also said there was no gunshot residue observed on his hands, but they swabbed his hands for the GBI to perform lab tests for gunshot residue.

Atlanta City Council member Liliana Bakhtiari called for a federal investigation on Thursday and said that the autopsy raised even more questions about the official accounts of Terans death.

The timelines reported by law enforcement had already proven to be contradictory and with this new information from DeKalbs autopsy report showing no gunshot residue on Torts hands, but at least 57 individual gunshot wounds, they have proven that their word cannot be trusted, she said.

Another council member said that the piecemeal drip of information and conflicting narratives over the shooting have increased criticism of the controversial $90-million training center project.

The GBI previously said that a firearm purchased by Teran has been tied to the bullet that wounded a trooper and that he purchased the gun in 2020.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution contributed to this article.

RELATED NEWS:
Winter Springs residents will now be able to beautify their yards. Beginning April 26, the City will deliver free trees to hundreds of residents as part of its annual tree giveaway event.

Residents can choose from six different types of trees and shrubs and get free delivery of what they pick.

These are the types of trees available:

Live Oak

Magnolia

Red Maple

Slash Pine

Tuscarora Crape Myrtle

Tea Olive

On April 10, Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann proclaimed April 28, 2023, Arbor Day in the City of Winter Springs. He hopes to celebrate nature and promote a healthier environment for residents.

I urge all citizens to plant trees and promote the well-being of this and future generations, Winter Springs Mayor Kevin McCann said on the proclamation.

Read: Heres how to celebrate Earth Day 2022 in Central Florida

According to the City, they will deliver 1200 trees to residents. Last year, they gave away over 950 trees.

Each resident that gets a free tree will also get a guide to help care for their new yard addition

PRESS RELEASE: City of Winter Springs to deliver over 1200 free trees to residents beginning April 26, 2023.

 https://t.co/xT0taSj8sa pic.twitter.com/2eejxUg0ik  City of Winter Springs (@winterspringsfl) April 20, 2023





Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
A collision between a car and a fuel delivery truck in Connecticut on Friday sparked a massive blaze on a major highway bridge, temporarily shutting down Interstate 95 as firefighters worked to contain a fire that jump onto adjoining land.

This was a tragic accident at 11:15 this morning, Governor Ned Lamont said on Friday during a press conference. It looks like a passenger vehicle tire blew out, creating an incident with "billowing smoke, incredible flames, pouring right down through the pipes, spilling out into the Thames River, he added.

The driver of the truck was killed in the crash, while two people suffered non-life threatening injuries, according to officials.

"My heart goes out to the family of the truck driver, said on Friday.

The incident occurred on the southbound side of Gold Star Memorial Bridge between New London and Groton, Connecticut, a busy corridor through which 60,000 vehicles often pass daily.

I saw the smoke from a distance, thought it was something from underneath, Seth Bottone, 48, told news station WCVB. As I got closer, I was like, Oh my goodness.

The Navy, which has a submarine base nearby, sent teams of firefighters to assist with the containment effort, and environmental crews worked Friday to remove contaminants from the Thames.

By Friday evening, traffic reopened on both sides of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge.

There is no damage to the steel structure of the bridge, according to officials.
Boats are pictured on land at the Great Salt Lake State Park marina in Magna on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Rising water levels are making the lake accessible to boats again. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

After being forced to dock their boats at the Great Salt Lake State Park and Marina due to the drought two years ago, sailors are readying to once again launch their vessels as water has returned from the wet water year.

Devan Chavez, spokesman for Utah State Parks, said a few boaters were already out on the water earlier this week when the weather turned warmer. He expects more to follow suit.

Right now, it is the smaller vessels that are launching. Hopefully as the water increases we can have the larger boats out there.

The Great Salt Lake has risen 3.5 feet so far due to the hefty amount of precipitation northern Utah has received and will rise more given the runoff has not yet reached its peak.

Dave Shearer, park manager and harbor master, said that runoff will determine if larger vessels are suitable for a slip and for sailing.

Im not optimistic that we will get all of the boats in the water that are in the parking lot right now, just because some of them have a pretty deep draft. But were still evaluating it right now, he said. We basically said that anybody with a four foot draft or less can go ahead and rent a long term slip because were quite confident that those people will be able to launch and sail and stay in the water all year.

He said vessel owners are excited over the renewed opportunity to get out on the water.

Most of them did not think that theyd be putting their boats back in this year. And so the fact that weve had such a really good winter and they can get their boats back in, theyre really excited. Its great to see these people want to come out and enjoy the lake on the water again.

Related

Division of Parks ranger Trent Currie and Steve Bullock, Division of Recreation law enforcement chief with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, load a boat onto a trailer during boat operating training in the Great Salt Lake State Park marina in Magna on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

That water, Chavez said, will be a boon to Utahs popular boating destinations such as Rockport, East Canyon, Deer Creek and Jordanelle, creating a safer and more pleasurable recreational experience for visitors.

Right now, it is looking like we are going to have a majority of park ramps open, which is really good news, he said. Not only can they go out and play, but more water means they can spread out.

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Related

He said the low reservoir levels last year didnt necessarily mean there were fewer people coming out to recreate.

Just because there is less water does not mean there is going to be less people.

A reservoir crowded with boaters not only presents a safety concern, but diminishes the visitor experience, he added.

People want their own space for their own enjoyment, he said. I know when I go to Jordanelle I want to be in my own space.

State Waterfowl Management Areas are also benefitting from the water flowing into the marshes at Ogden and Farmington bays.

This water we have been receiving is awesome, said Mark Hadley, Northern Utah outreach manager for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. Not only is it good for the birds but that water runs through the management areas and flows into the Great Salt Lake.

Related

The water at Farmington Bay, which has about 150,000 acres of wetlands, is a transition area in which fresh water from the Jordan River flows.

Farmington Bay, along with the Bear River Delta, are the only two spots in the lake where fish can be found.

Although the flow of water has created challenges for the division to shore up dykes or do some repairs, Hadley said the water is good news for the lake, the wildlife, hunters, bird watchers and the public.

So, we are really happy we are getting all this water, he said.

Division of Parks ranger Trent Currie and Steve Bullock, Division of Recreation law enforcement chief with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, load a boat onto a trailer during boat operating training in the Great Salt Lake State Park marina in Magna on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

The marina is pictured at the Great Salt Lake State Park in Magna on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. Rising water levels are making the lake accessible to boats again. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Utah State Parks rangers Charity Owens and Cade Pies attach a boat to a trailer during boat operator training at the Great Salt Lake State Park marina in Magna on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News

Steve Bullock, Division of Recreation law enforcement chief in the Utah Department of Natural Resources, rides on a boat in the Great Salt Lake State Park marina during boat operator training in Magna on Wednesday, April 19, 2023. | Kristin Murphy, Deseret News
A candlelight vigil was organized and held Friday evening for 20-year-old Brandon Zapata, who was in severe distress and was in police custody before he died at La Gran Plaza.

Justice for Brandon, the crowd chanted. The vigil, which was held outside of a south Fort Worth party hall, was organized by Tara Maldonado-Wilson, a community activist and candidate for the Fort Worth City Council District 11.

We now are here tonight because Brandon came in contact with local law enforcement and now is no longer alive here with us, said Maldonado-Wilson, commencing the vigil.

Tara Maldonado-Wilson holds a lit candle at the vigil she organized for Brandon Zapata on Friday, April 21, 2023, at the Southside Bar And Partyhall in Fort Worth. Zapata, 20, died after being restrained and handcuffed by an off-duty police officer at La Gran Plaza.

Zapata was restrained and handcuffed by security guards, including an off-duty Fort Worth police officer, at La Gran Plaza shopping center on April 11 after he was acting erratically, according to police.

Video, including cellphone footage from witnesses and security and body-camera video released by police, shows the events leading up to Zapatas death. Witnesses said Zapata was struggling to breathe and asked for help when he entered the mall. On the video, security officers appeared at first to try to calm Zapata and get him to sit down, and then struggled with him as he tried to stand. Toward the end of a 15-minute security video, the off-duty officer and a bystander pinned Zapata face-down on the floor as they handcuffed him.

While in handcuffs, Zapata became unresponsive shortly after on-duty officers arrived, according to police and video footage. Officers then removed his handcuffs and provided first aid, including CPR and Narcan, for several minutes until paramedics arrived. Zapata was transported to a hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead, but his family has said they were told he died while still at the mall.

The Tarrant County Medical Examiners Office conducted an autopsy but has not yet reported its findings on Zapatas cause or manner of death. Zapatas family said they havent seen the results of the autopsy or the toxicology report, but they are having a private autopsy done.

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I felt that it was my duty to come to support his family because theyre going to need support from this day forward, said James Smith  the neighbor who called 911 the night Atatiana Jefferson died after being fatally shot by a Fort Worth police officer in October 2019. We all have families that we protect from incidents like this. Brandon was far too young to lose his life in the manner that he lost it.

It doesnt make any sense to go to a mall under your own power and not leave that mall under your own power, Smith said at the vigil.

Brandon Zapata, 20, died after he was restrained and handcuffed by security officers at La Gran Plaza in Fort Worth, Texas, on April 11, 2023. Autopsy results are pending to determine his cause of death.

Zapatas family members believe his death could have been avoided and are demanding justice and answers from the Fort Worth Police Department.

I want you to know that there are people here, people like me, and people like Tara (Maldonado-Wilson), who are going to show up for you in the community and who are going to work to fight against whats happening to the people here, said Luis Fuentes at the vigil, who is a community activist and candidate for Texas 33rd Congressional District. Im here for everyone who has suffered from police violence.

Zapatas mother, Gloria Ortiz, has said her son suffered from asthma and didnt have his inhaler with him when he was at the mall. The family said that they believe Zapatas erratic behavior was a result of an asthma attack, and that they were told he was asking for water. The family believes that the security officers actions may have impeded his breathing.

Ortiz and other family members attended Fridays vigil but didnt want to make additional statements.

In their visit to police headquarters on Tuesday, Zapatas family was accompanied by community activist Carlos Quintanilla. The family viewed footage of the incident obtained by police. We believe that there was excessive force, Quintanilla said.

Video taken by employees who work at shops in La Gran Plaza shows two men, including the off-duty officer, with their knees on Zapatas back. The family said they saw extensive bruising on Zapatas back and shoulders at the funeral home.

The family has established a GoFundMe to help cover his Zapatas expenses. As of Friday $5,560 of a $10,000 goal had been raised.

Zapatas funeral will be held on Saturday.

Attendants of a vigil for Brandon Zapata write notes to his family on Friday, April 21, 2023, at the Southside Bar And Partyhall in Fort Worth. Zapata, 20, died after being restrained and handcuffed by an off-duty police officer at La Gran Plaza.

Staff writer Harriet Ramos contributed to this report.
Terrill Bros. (Founders) Limited, of Hayle, Cornwall, was ordered to pay 81,351 for putting employees at risk of exposure to ionising radiation. (HSE)

Workers at a cast metal company in Cornwall were put at risk of radiation poisoning for ten years, an inquiry has found.

Failings in access controls and warning systems at Terrill Bros. (Founders) Limited were flagged by external Radiation Protection Adviser (RPA) when they were first identified in 2009. However, in the subsequent ten years, despite the company received further RPA visits, reports and advice, no remedial action was taken.

The company has been ordered to pay a total of 81,351 after a court case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The companys failure to address the issues continued for almost a decade until the HSE carried out an unannounced inspection of the foundry in Hayle, Cornwall, in February 2019.

An investigation found the door to the companys industrial radiography enclosure did not have adequate interlocks nor was there a suitable trapped key system to prevent access.

There were also no pre-exposure warning systems or automatic and failsafe warning lights in place.

The investigation found that employees at Terrill Bros. were put at risk of exposure to high dose rates of ionising radiation by the companys reliance on administrative controls, rather than installing industry standard engineering controls.

Representatives for Terrill Bros. pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9(1) of the Ionising Radiations Regulations 2017, and Regulation 8(1) of the preceding Ionising Radiations Regulations 1999. The company was fined 33,750 and ordered to pay costs of 47,601, at a hearing at Truro Crown Court on 14 April.

The door to the companys industrial radiography enclosure. The HSE says all companies carrying out industrial radiography must ensure they have appropriate access controls for their enclosures. (HSE)

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Karen Fuller, HSE specialist inspector of radiation, said: This situation could so easily have been avoided by acting on the advice received from their RPA and installing appropriate control measures.

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All companies carrying out industrial radiography must ensure they have appropriate access controls and warning systems for their enclosures. Only then can they be confident that any exposure to ionising radiation is kept as low as reasonably practicable and the risks of accidental exposure are minimised.

Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.

Nobody from Terrill Bros. was available for comment at the time of publication.
Lloyd Austin

Austin called on allies to provide Ukraine with ground-based air defense capabilities.

He also announced that American M1 Abrams tanks would arrive in Germany in a few weeks to train Ukrainian soldiers.

Read also: We have reached unprecedented levels of interoperability  Reznikov on Ukraine joining NATO

Controlling Ukraines airspace was a hot topic at yesterdays Ramstein format meeting, with U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff chair Mark Milley suggesting that a multilevel air defense system would be the most rapid and efficient means of achieving this objective.

Read also: Main statements and photos of NATO chief Stoltenbergs visit to Kyiv

Milley explained that while discussions about transferring F-16 fighters to Ukraine have occurred, the training required for the aircraft is time-consuming. This explains the emphasis on ground-based air defense systems, though a decision on fighters may be made in the future.

Ukraines allies, including Germany and the Netherlands, agreed to supply mine-clearing vehicles, transport, and fuel tankers to Ukraine.

The Contact Group on Defense Issues of Ukraine, which includes over 50 allies of Ukraine, also pledged to deliver new air defense systems and their critically-needed ammunition. Over several months, Ramstein format participants have already transferred over 230 tanks, over 1550 units of armored vehicles, and other equipment and ammunition to support more than nine new armored brigades in Ukraine.

Were bringing the voice of Ukraine to the world. Support us with a one-time donation, or become a Patron!

Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
(NEXSTAR)  Along with eggs and breakfast cereal, the cost of a vacation has skyrocketed in recent years  but will it ever go back to pre-pandemic prices?

Experts say dont bet on it.

Some categories might see price decreases, but we should also be focusing on whether prices will continue to rise in the future, John Horn, professor of practice in economics at Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, told Nexstar. The price level may not fall, but if it stops rising further, then over time wed want to see if wage growth caught up so that the buying power when traveling returns to prior levels.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, the Travel Price Index for March was 21.5% higher than it was for the same month in 2019. The index tracks the cost of airline fares, motor fuel, transportation within and between cities, recreation, lodging and restaurant costs.

In the past year, the greatest single increases were for plane tickets (17.7%), food away from home (8.8%) and lodging (8.1%). Motor fuel fell by 17.3% over the last year, but was still 34.4% higher than in March 2019.

Its finally happening. Twitter users bid farewell to blue checkmarks

Both the hotel and restaurant industry have been hit hard by a combination of staffing shortages and higher wage pressure Bankrate Senior Industry Analyst Ted Rossman told Nexstar.

If youre still planning a vacation for this summer, Rossman has some tips including what not to do.

Theres a danger in hoarding rewards points because these programs change over time, and usually not for the better, Rossman said. I would also stress that people should avoid credit card debt, if at all possible. I dont want to tell people they cant have any fun but the average credit card rate right now is over 20% and thats a record high.

Rossman also recommends that people make use of the vacation days given by their employers. Past surveys found that a sizable percentage of Americans leave vacation time unused.

I hope people can take some time off this summer and relax and recharge, Rossman added. I think theres a good chance that you know, people can also take a road trip somewhere or fly somewhere if its in budget, but I do think its important to take a little time away and break the routine and recharge a little bit.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
On Monday, April 17, Crosley Green gave his final goodbyes to loved ones gathered at the 65-year-old grandfather's residence in Titusville, Florida. After two years of freedom, Green was ordered back to prison following a federal court's ruling to reinstate his conviction for a murder he says he did not commit.

Crosley Green saying goodbye during his final hours of freedom on April 17, 2023. / Credit: CBS News

Green urged his supporters to be optimistic, but many anguished at the possibility of the man they affectionately call "Papa Green" spending the rest of his life behind bars.

Restricted by an ankle bracelet during his time outside prison, Green made the most of his situation. He spent time catching up with many relatives and friends, joined a local church, and got a job at a metal fabrication plant. He says his coworkers called him, "PPE," which means "pure, positive energy." He even got engaged to nursing aide Kathy Spikes.

Crosley Green with Kathy Spikes on the car ride to a Florida Department of Corrections office. / Credit: Crowell & Moring

"I love you all," Green said to those gathered at his home before departing to a Florida Department of Corrections office in Orlando. "Listen, you all be strong," he told them before getting in the car.

While en route to the corrections office, Green told his fiancee, "Everything is going to be OK." She sat in the car hugging Green, comforting him during the 30-minute drive.

Upon arrival, Crosley Green spent his final minutes of freedom in the parking lot with his baby great-niece and a few other loved ones. Everyone there struggled to hold back tears, including his attorneys, Keith Harrison and Jeane Thomas, who have been representing Green pro bono.

Crosley Green with family members before turning himself in to authorities. / Credit: Pool/Malcolm Denemark

As Green walked into the corrections office, his head remained high for the next "bump in the road" as he calls it. However, Crosley Green may never experience life outside prison again. His only remaining options for freedom are to seek parole or clemency.

Crosley Green returning to custody in Orlando, Florida. / Credit: Pool/Malcolm Denemark

"We're going to do everything we can to get him out as soon as we can. But it's an administrative process that is going to take some time," Harrison told "48 Hours" correspondent Erin Moriarty, who has been covering Crosley Green's case since 1999.

Story continues

"I still believe in the system," Green told Moriarty, "I don't have no hatred. I don't have no sadness." Green says.

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Flag of the Czech Republic

In Czechia, we combine the maximum amount of donations from army reserves, purchases from state funds, crowdfunding, and commercial supplies, the statement said.

Thanks to cooperation with Ukrainian and foreign partners, there are specific projects in Czechia that can be quickly implemented and are included in the list of priorities for Ukraine.

Read also: Czechia denies reports of intent to supply Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine

Within the framework of a trilateral project with the United States and the Netherlands on the supply of over 90 tanks to Ukraine, 37 modernized T-72 tanks have already been delivered, and that number increases every month.

Read also: Czechia, Slovakia ready to transfer Leopard tanks to Ukraine  FAZ

We propose to increase the production volume by dozens more if partners are interested in financing this project, said Ales Vitechko, Director of Czechias Intergovernmental Defense Cooperation Agency.

Czechia is also ready to negotiate the creation of a center for technical maintenance, repair, and overhaul of heavy equipment within a state-owned enterprise and several private companies.

Another form of assistance is aimed at training personnel; the country plans to train up to 4,000 Ukrainian soldiers by late 2023.

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 preliminary hearing for a Fresno man accused of using pepper spray against a group of pro-Palestine supporters was suspended Friday after the defendants attorney sought to have the judge disqualified.

Mark Kapetan, the attorney for defendant Brian Lee Turner, submitted the written motion to Judge Alvin Harrell III prior to the start of Fridays hearing. The motion did not appear Friday in the courts online system.

The request to replace Harrell is based on section 170.1 of the states code of civil procedure.

The section states that a judge shall be disqualified if the judge has personal knowledge of disputed evidentiary facts concerning the proceeding.

Deputy District Attorney Anthony Muia objected to the delay, but was overruled by Harrell, who set a status hearing for May 26. A hearing to argue the merits of the motion has not yet been set.

Kapetan would not discuss why he submitted the motion or why he feels the judge should be disqualified, but he did say he is concerned about the possibility of tainting the jury pool with false allegations about Turner.

The 64-year-old Turner is charged with three felonies for allegedly using pepper spray against a group of people who had gathered near River Park on May 15, 2021 to denounce aggression against Palestine by Israel. About 200 people attended the rally.

The District Attorneys Office added a hate crime penalty enhancement to each felony charge. If Turner is convicted the enhancement could add three years for each felony count.

During Thursdays testimony, the three young men hit with the pepper spray described Turner as angry and hateful toward them.

Ahmad Qutami, 21, testified that he and two friends were in a car on Blackstone Avenue waiting to turn left onto Nees Avenue when Turner pulled up next to them. Looks were exchange and then an argument ensued.

Qutami accused Turner of saying he did not support Palestine and that all Palestinians will be killed.

The argument escalated when a backseat passenger in the car Qutami was riding in began wildly waving a flag at Turner. The passenger also opened the door and took a step out before being pulled back inside.

Story continues

Thats when the pepper spraying began, Qutami testified.

The witnesses also testified that Turner flashed a white power symbol at them. Kapetan objected to the comment saying there was no evidence of that. He asked that the comment be stricken from the court record and not mentioned in media coverage of the case. Harrell granted the motion but case law has consistently shown that whats said in open court is on the record.

On Friday, Kapetan acknowledged that his motion should have been worded as a request to the media.

I did it so quick that I was just trying to stop that from coming out,  he said. Because once its out, you can never un-ring that bell.

Kapetan is adamant that Turner did not display a white power symbol during the confrontation with the Palestine supporters.

That was never a part of any police report, or investigation, Kapetan said. It was an accusation created at the DAs Office. And I dont know how it became part of their testimony, it was never a part of their allegations about the incident.
US President Joe Biden delivers remarks. Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, a Democrat, called for Joe Biden to share more about his health.

Hancock said he wants to make sure Biden is "ready and fit to serve" ahead of the 2024 election.

An official announcement that Biden is seeking re-election could come next week.

A Democratic mayor called on President Joe Biden to be forthcoming about his health ahead of the 2024 presidential election.

Denver Mayor Michael Hancock said on NBC's "Meet the Press NOW" that he's "a fan" of Biden's but still wants to see the president be open about his health status.

"I love Joe Biden personally and politically, but I want to make sure he's okay as well and ready and fit to serve," Hancock told NBC host Chuck Todd on Friday.

A February report from the president's physician found he was "fit for duty" and "fully executes all of his responsibilities without any exemptions or accommodations."

Biden has maintained for months that he plans on seeking re-election. An official announcement could come as early as Tuesday, The New York Times reported.

Some Democrats have been vocally skeptical about Biden's age and well-being, Todd said on the show on Friday.

"You can put me in that category," Hancock replied. "I've seen him regularly and throughout his term and mine, and I'm a great fan. I want him to be okay, so once he proves, he shares where he is on that, then let's roll."

Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) April 22, 2023

The report on Biden's health from physician Kevin O'Connor said Biden works out at least five days a week.

"President Biden remains a healthy, vigorous, 80-year-old male, who is fit to successfully execute the duties of the Presidency, to include those as Chief Executive, Head of State and Commander in Cheif," O'Connor wrote in February.

Hancock added that Colorado is "pretty solid blue," though the state needs any presidential candidate to address rising crime and housing affordability, he said. Hancock's term as mayor will end in July.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Diane von Furstenberg is a US fashion icon. But she never forgot her Belgian roots -- as evidenced by a return to Brussels, the city of her birth, to celebrate a half-century of her glamorous career.

"I really lived an American dream as a young European and it was fascinating," the 76-year-old told AFP in an interview as the Belgian capital puts on an exhibition of her work.

The show, at Brussels' Fashion and Lace Museum, is the first exhibition in Europe dedicated to the Belgian-American designer, organisers said.

Naturally, pride of place goes to von Furstenberg's signature wrap dress, which made her famous as soon as it went on sale in 1973, three years after she made New York her home.

Sought after for its simplicity and practicality, the soft jersey wrap dress has been made in several dozen iterations in bright colours, making it an enduring feature in celebrity wardrobes.

"It makes a woman confident. And if you are confident, you are beautiful," von Furstenberg said with a wide smile.

"The jersey: very practical. Doesn't crinkle. You put in a print that moves and moves with your body. That all of a sudden makes beautiful curves in your body. The shape: very simple."

At age 25, von Furstenberg was making 25,000 dresses a week to keep up with demand.

Her star never dimmed, enabling her to go into philanthropy and support her view of herself as "a big feminist".

That's a theme informing the Brussels exhibition, which is titled "Woman Before Fashion".

"What is most important to me is to use my voice, my experience, my knowledge, my resources, my connections in order to help other women to be the women they want to be," she said.

- 'A miracle' -

With her second husband, US media billionaire Barry Diller, von Furstenberg runs a foundation that annually hands out awards to personalities seen as inspiring other women.

For her own sources of inspiration, she cites first above all her mother, a survivor of the Nazi concentration camps who incarnated, for her, combativeness and a desire for freedom.

Story continues

Liliane Halfin, nee Nahmias, came from a Greek-Jewish family. She was deported to Auschwitz in Poland and then to the Ravensbrueck camp in Germany as a young bride in her 20s.

When she was freed in 1945 she weighed less than 25 kilogrammes (55 pounds) and was in such poor condition that doctors recommended she postpone having children.

"She was a skeleton amongst ashes. She went to concentration camps and she wasn't supposed to survive," von Furstenberg said, adding that her own birth 18 months later was "a miracle".

After the end of World War II her parents settled in Brussels, where the future designer, then named Diane Halfin, lived until age 14 before going to boarding school in Switzerland and England.

It was during her university studies that she met her first husband, a jet-setting European prince named Eduard Egon von Furstenberg, whose name she kept after their divorce. That name is now indelibly linked to the world of fashion.

For the curator of the Brussels exhibition, Nicolas Lor, one of the keys to the success of the Diane von Furstenberg label was the combination of a dress of typically European style with material that offered comfortable wear.

"She mixed the concept of the little dress that was thought up in the 1920s with the principles of sportswear and comfort that clearly defined apparel in the United States," explained Lor, a French fashion expert who has worked at Chanel and Christian Dior.

"For me, she was American," he smiled.

The exhibition runs to January next year.

mad/rmb/gil/leg
A Kansas City, Kansas, firefighter says senior officials repeatedly passed over him for promotions and subjected him to racist comments on account of his Hispanic heritage during his 30-year career.

Carlos Pacheco joined the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department in 1992 and later captained the Argentine fire station, serving its predominantly Hispanic residents for over 13 years. His attorney says he was kept working in that fire station years longer than other captains would have been, because he is Hispanic.

During that time, he faced discrimination from high-ranking fire officials, filing multiple complaints that were ignored and settled out of court last year for an undisclosed amount of money, according to a civil petition and mediation statement provided by his attorneys.

Now in his 60s, Pacheco has recently retired. He developed a serious shoulder injury that left him unable to hop in and out of a fire truck. Pacheco and his attorneys contend that had he been promoted to chief, he would be able to continue working.

Pacheco was one of, if not the most, senior captains on the force, his attorney Jake Miller said.

Pacheco had hoped to reveal in court many allegations of unfair treatment but, because of the states statute of limitations, most were thrown out, Miller said.

Finally, he just said Im fed up and I dont want young Hispanic kids to continue getting passed over like I was. I want to file a complaint to do something about it, Miller said.

If I were Mr. Pacheco, after his case and dealing with what he had to go through, Id move out of Wyandotte County, he said. I wouldnt want to deal with it knowing the way my county government treated me.

The Unified Government declined to comment on the case and said they value diversity, equity and inclusion, and are working to reinforce this commitment.

Did you do it in Spanish?

When Pacheco came to the United States from Mexico in 1985, he dreamed of being a firefighter.

Story continues

Its important to give back to the community that accepted you, he said of joining the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department.

Pacheco was one of five Hispanic people hired, alongside 28 white firefighters and 18 Black firefighters, he said.

In 1992, he started work at fire station 14 of the departments 18 stations, where he was the only Hispanic person.

Everybody would laugh and go I dont understand what youre saying, he said, referring to his accent.

The first time its funny. The second time its annoying. The third its harassment... but thats common in the fire department.

Fourteen years after joining, Pacheco was promoted to captain, according to legal filings obtained by The Star.

Unlike other captains, Pacheco did not serve throughout the departments other stations even to temporarily fill in for a colleague. He remained in the Argentine neighborhood.

Thats very rare, Pacheco said.

His attorneys suggest Pachecos time at the station was extended due to his ethnicity, restricting access to other opportunities in the department.

By 2010, Pacheco applied for a promotion as search and rescue captain, where he would be making $250 more each month. Despite his four years in leadership, he was passed over for a white colleague still six months into their probation as a captain.

About seven years later, Pacheco hoped to become district chief, now known as acting battalion chief. He had been asked for the first time to ride out his title or attempt to fulfill the responsibilities of the new role by completing a computer-related task, which would test his competency.

He successfully completed the assignment in three minutes, despite having few opportunities to learn about the departments computer system, he said.

I saw people who were there for around two years who would get asked to do this, he said. They gave some people all the experience and people like me none.

Then, during an annual inspection of the Argentine fire house in October 2019, Pacheco asked Fire Chief Michael Callahan and Deputy Chief Jack Andrade about opportunities to act as a battalion chief.

But Callahan was dismissive, according to Pachecos complaint, insisting that the shift operations chief decided on the position, even when it only needs to be filled temporarily.

In his 13 years as captain, Pacheco was consistently denied the opportunity to serve as an interim chief, alongside at least eight other minority captains, the documents said.

When Pacheco mentioned how quickly he had completed the battalion chief test despite never being asked to fill the role, Callahan asked:

Did you do it in Spanish?

The question gave the implication that the only way Pacheco could do his job was if it was done in Spanish, according to legal filings.

It was embarrassing, the legal filings said. The respect that all fire chiefs demand was lost that day.

Pacheco responded in the moment: No chief. I could have probably done it in four different languages but it was all done in English.

Callahan, who resigned from the fire department last week, denied this in a Friday evening phone call, calling Pachecos account inaccurate. He also said Pacheco did not score high enough to earn the chief role and was sick both times he had been asked to fill in.

Im also bilingual. I speak Spanish fluently, Callahan said. There was no racial animus there. Thats completely and utterly false.

I promoted the highest ranking Hispanic and highest ranking African American in the department. So if I wanted to be racially discriminatory, odds are I wouldnt have done that.

Delayed test benefits white firefighters

Callahan also delayed the deadline for the next test by about three years, documents said, allowing more colleagues, who were white, to qualify. All applicants needed at least five years of experience to apply, according to a labor relations contract.

I didnt sign that contract, Callahan said to Pacheco at the Argentine fire station, according to legal filings. Until a lawyer makes me, I will hold the test.

The white colleagues who applied had already been given opportunities to act as a battalion chief, unlike Pacheco, giving them an unfair advantage, legal filings said.

In his response Friday, Callahan said the labor relations contract allowed the test to be given within a three year span. He also said the test was delayed only a couple months to give more qualified applicants the opportunity to apply.

If Callahan had not delayed the deadline for the test, about seven white captains, including a deputy chief, would not have been promoted. Two white captains were also allowed to take the test while on medical leave, which was an opportunity denied from at least two minority captains, according to legal filings.

Its obvious whats happening. You cant say all these minority people arent smart enough, Pacheco said.

According to Pacheco, only about two firefighters had been promoted within the system to chief throughout his 30 year career.

Its institutionalized discriminatory practice, he said.

Complaints ignored

Pacheco filed a human resources complaint against Callahan the morning after he asked whether the captain completed the task in Spanish.

The Deputy Chief told me that Callahan is not racist. But I said thats not for him to decide, Pacheco said.

Then, he did not hear back for weeks.

Pacheco filed a follow-up complaint with the Unified Government of Wyandotte Countys human resources department on Dec. 18, 2019.

He did not hear back from them either.

An HR investigation proved fruitless, and by May 4, 2020, the period allowing Pacheco to file a complaint on the incident was dwindling. So he tried again, submitting his concerns to the Kansas Human Rights Commission.

Pacheco was provided the right to sue on Aug. 20, 2021, but the case was dismissed by September.

At the time, Pacheco had injured his shoulder on the job. Doctors told him that he couldnt lift over 20 pounds, which is a requirement as a captain. Despite his over 30 years of experience, the department recommended he take on an entry-level position inputting data for the ambulance.

Kansas City Kansas Fire Department

The case alleges that Pacheco could continue in a senior role had he been given the battalion chief position, since it does not require employees to jump in and out of the firetruck.

Each shift would have paid $120, which could have allowed Pacheco to support his wife and two young boys, had he been promoted to battalion chief.

I would never allow my sons to be in the fire department because I know theres no way for them to advance being Hispanic, Pacheco said.

During the mediation, Pacheco said, the Unified Government referred to Callahans comment toward him as a joke and referred to Deputy Chief Jack Andrades Hispanic heritage as reason for why the department could not be racist.

The final settlement, Pacheco said, was for less than $10,000.

I just wanted them to say that they did wrong, Pacheco said. I only wanted an apology.

Racism in the fire department

The case of Carlos Pacheco comes to light as concerns over racism and discriminatory treatment in the Kansas City, Kansas, Fire Department boil over.

A 20-year veteran of the fire department, Leejamahl A. Washington sued the department in January for disparate treatment based on his race.

The lawsuit contends Washington had received harsher punishments than his white colleagues for petty offenses. His human resources complaints were ignored, court documents said.

The discrimination grew increasingly worse after Washington testified in a civil trial for Jyan Harris, another Black firefighter who accused the local government of discrimination and retaliation.

For Harris, raising complaints about racism led to his termination, according to a 2018 lawsuit.

The Unified Government accused Harris of receiving pay for working a shift with the fire department on several days in 2014 and 2015 when he also was receiving pay for work in a youth summer camp, which court documents referred to as double dipping.

Harris alleged the investigation into his pay was pretext for firing him after complaints of the Unified Government retaliating and discriminating against him in 2013 and 2016 surfaced.

A federal jury found that the Unified Government had discriminated against Harris and awarded him more than $2.4 million in April 2021. More than 14 months later, Harris had yet to receive the money or be reinstated as a firefighter, which had been agreed upon in the settlement.

The case continued to drag on until May 3, when the Unified Government submitted a motion to pay slightly less than $1.5 million, according to court documents. The settlement promised that Harris would be employed again with the department, but not as a firefighter.

As of Friday evening, Harris had yet to receive his settlement.
A Disney Hollywood Studios employee was arrested and charged with video voyeurism after allegedly taking upskirt videos of multiple female guests in the park.

Jorge Diaz Vega, 26, was caught by park security on March 31, 2023, after a witness reported seeing him recording a female guest inappropriately.

According to the police report, during an interview with deputies, Diaz confessed to taking videos up the skirts of unknown females in Disney World theme parks for approximately six years.

>>> STREAM CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS LIVE <<<

Diaz-Vega estimated he had over 500 videos on his phone and admitted to taking videos of multiple females on March 31, 2023, while he was working at the Dok-Ondars retail store in Hollywood Studios.

Diaz-Vega stated to deputies that he takes these videos because they are hard to find online and they bring him sexual gratification.

Read: Brevard County deputies ask for publics help in locating escaped inmate

During the interview, Diaz willingly showed the detectives multiple examples of the videos he spoke about in the interview via his phone in the image gallery. The videos were of multiple females who all appeared to not know they were being video recorded.

Diaz-Vega also told deputies that he is diagnosed with a borderline personality disorder but knows right from wrong and takes no medications.

Read: FHP: Cocoa woman dies, man & 3 children hospitalized in crash

Diaz-Vega has been charged with video voyeurism.

WFTV reached out to Disney on Saturday and a spokesperson said the individual does not work for the company.

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Click here to download the free WFTV news and weather apps, click here to download the WFTV Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
A man whose guilty verdict in a Warminster double murder was reversed six years ago will face a second jury.

And Alfonso Sanchez, now 41, will have a familiar foe as District Attorney Matt Weintraub plans to join his deputies at the prosecution table.

Sanchez goes to trial April 24 on charges he fatally shot Lisa Diaz, 27, and Mendez Thomas, 22, in Warminster in 2007. He also faces newer charges that he tried to have a witness killed while awaiting retrial.

Sanchez, formerly of Philadelphia, was granted a retrial in 2017.

His co-defendant, Anthony Sparango, of Souderton, will also be tried next week. County detectives allege Sparango had helped Sanchez while he was in prison.

Weintraub and deputy district attorneys Edward Furman and Matthew Lannetti are seeking the death penalty.

Why is DA Matt Weintraub trying the Anthony Sanchez case?

Weintraub said he was the DA who sought a new trial. He wanted to be a part of the prosecution team this time to ensure some continuity for the survivors given turnover in his office over the years.

Sanchez is charged with two counts of homicide, burglary, aggravated assault and related offenses. In the second case, he is charged with four counts of solicitation to commit homicide, conspiracy to commit homicide, witness intimidation, and solicitation and conspiracy of that offense

What was Sanchez originally convicted of?

Sanchez was among three people charged in the deaths of Diaz and Thomas.

Warminster police said Sanchez shot the victims at the Bucks Landing apartments on Street Road on Oct. 17, 2007. Sanchez allegedly shot them in the head at close range during a dispute over a crack cocaine debt.

Sanchez was found guilty in 2008 of first-degree murder, and was sentenced to death.

One of the three men charged testified against Sanchez, and was sentenced to four to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to burglary in the case. The other man was found guilty of second-degree murder, and was sentenced to life in prison.

Story continues

Why was Sanchez granted a retrial in the case?

In 2017, Sanchez was granted a new trial after it was discovered that DNA lab reports were not handed over to his attorneys during his initial trial, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said at the time.

Sanchez had been on death row since his conviction.

Prosecutors said at the time that the failure was "inadvertence and oversight," in which both sides went to trial under the belief that no DNA testing was done.

Sanchez charged again: Man awaiting Warminster murder retrial accused of trying to have witness killed

New trial granted: At Bucks County District Attorney's request, judge orders new trial in 2007 Warminster killings

Teen charged with rape: Bensalem teen charged with rape, other sex-related crimes at Philadelphia party

What is Sanchez accused of doing while awaiting trial?

County detectives allege Sanchez ordered the killing of a witness while in prison. Detectives also alleged Sanchez's friend, Sparango, 38, had taken steps to get information on the witness and planned killing the witness in a way that eluded authorities.

Sparango is charged with solicitation to commit homicide and conspiracy to intimidate witness. He is currently in Bucks County Prison on $1 million bail.

Investigators were made aware of Sanchez's plan in 2020, when a confidential informant spoke to them about it, charging documents allege.

Detectives intercepted prison phone calls, as well as viewed text messages that showed Sanchez's plan, according to officials.

The witness and their family, who authorities did not identify, were placed in a protection program, court documents state.

Last year, Sanchez pleaded guilty to running a drug smuggling ring inside Bucks County Jail. He was sentenced to 10 to 40 years in prison.

Sanchez's trial is expected to last at least a week.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Philly man to get retrial in 2007 Warminster double murder. Here's why
World number one Novak Djokovic pulled out of the Madrid Masters on Saturday, joining Rafael Nadal in missing the tournament with the French Open just five weeks away.

Both men are vying for a record-extending 23rd Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, with the tournament beginning on May 28.

Djokovic, a two-time French Open winner, has been struggling with an elbow problem while Nadal, champion in Paris on 14 occasions, has been sidelined with a hip injury since January.

"Novak Djokovic is unable to compete at the Madrid Open," the organisers wrote on Instagram ahead of the tournament which starts April 26.

"Wishing you a speedy recovery, we hope to see you back on court as soon as possible, Nole."

Australian Open champion Djokovic, 35, suffered a straight-sets defeat by Serbian compatriot Dusan Lajovic in the quarter-finals at Banja Luka in Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday.

He was beaten by underdog Lorenzo Musetti at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier in April and said ahead of the Bosnian event that his elbow was "not in an ideal condition".

Djokovic missed tournaments earlier this year at Indian Wells and Miami, over his refusal to get a Covid-19 vaccination.

"I was many levels below what I want," said Djokovic on Friday, after his defeat by world number 70 Lajovic.

"Playing like that, I can't win against opponents who are so solid on this surface. But what can I do? It's simply sport. I was trying but it wasn't working.

"I didn't feel very good physically on court. My legs were slow, I missed a lot of balls. I played well at times, but generally well below standard."

Djokovic has triumphed three times in Madrid, but was beaten there last year by Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals.

- No deadline -

Nadal, 36, has not been able to play since losing in the second round of the Australian Open in January because of his hip issue.

He pulled out of last month's hard-court tournaments in the US, with his sights set on a return at the start of the clay-court season, but it did not come to fruition.

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"In principle it was supposed to be a recovery period of six to eight weeks and now we're around 14," said Nadal on Thursday when he pulled out of the Madrid Masters.

"The reality is that the situation is not what we would have hoped for. All medical indications have been followed, but the healing has not gone as they told us initially and we find ourselves in a difficult situation."

Nadal, who turns 37 in June, said he and his team have decided to try a different treatment and see if things improve, but that he was not setting a deadline for his comeback.

"I can't give deadlines because if I knew I would tell you, but I don't know," he added. "This is how things are now."

Nadal has featured in every edition of the French Open since his title-winning debut in 2005 and boasts an astonishing record of 112 wins against just three losses -- two of them coming against Djokovic.

rbs/mw/dj
The Department of Justice is reportedly joining the Transportation Departments investigation into Southwest Airlines after its holiday meltdown caused chaos and delays for millions of travelers.

The Justice Department (DOJ) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is aiding the Transportation Departments (DOT) probe into Southwest Airlines. A Transportation Department spokesperson told The Hill that it has completed on-site audits of the airlines records of reimbursements and refunds, and has also met with multiple officials from the airline.

The DOT team probing whether Southwest engaged in unrealistic scheduling of flights is also closely coordinating with DOJ and FAA, DOT spokesperson Kerry Arndt said in a statement to Politico. DOT will leverage the full extent of its investigative and enforcement power to ensure consumers are protected and to hold Southwest accountable for any violations of the law.

Southwest Airlines cancelled nearly 17,000 flights over the last 10 days of the year as multiple airlines faced delays with travel. The Department of Transportation pledged in January to investigate whether unrealistic scheduling played a role into the meltdown.

The airline also reported in January that the meltdown will cost between $725 million and $825 million, including losing up to $425 million in refunded flights alone. Lawmakers have also vowed to hold the airline accountable, with Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), chair of the Senate Commerce Committee, leading the charge in December.

The Hill has reached out to the Justice Department, Transportation Department and Southwest Airlines for comment.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to state, local and juvenile courts on Thursday, warning judges to watch out for fees and fines that could unfairly burden low-income individuals and minors.

DOJ officials said in the Dear Colleague letter that excessive fees and fines could violate the Sixth, Eighth and 14th amendments and suggested that judges consider individuals economic circumstances and ability to pay when determining fees, as well as punishments for nonpayment.

Imposing and enforcing fines and fees on individuals who cannot afford to pay them has been shown to cause profound harm, the letter said, adding that individuals that confront escalating debt often face repeated, unnecessary incarceration for nonpayment of fines and fees; experience extended periods of probation and parole; are subjected to changes in immigration status; and lose their employment, drivers license, voting rights, or home.

This practice far too often traps individuals and their families in a cycle of poverty and punishment that can be nearly impossible to escape, the agency added.

The department noted unjust fees tend to disproportionately impact low-income communities and people of color and urged courts to consider whether required payments have disproportionate effects based on race or other characteristics, even in the absence of intentional discrimination.

The push against discriminatory fines gained traction in the wake of the shooting of Michael Brown in 2014, according to The New York Times. Brown, a Black teenager, was fatally shot by police in Ferguson, Mo.

A 2015 DOJ investigation in the wake of the shooting found that the disproportionate impact of Fergusons fines and fees on Black residents constituted intentional discrimination.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Barry Humphries spent seven decades making audiences laugh both through his timeless parody characters and own unashamed wit.

The Australian performer died at the age of 89 after years of performing on both stage and television.

His characters ranged from the high-camp of Dame Edna Everage, to the sleaze of Aussie statesman Sir Les Patterson.

Here is a selection of Humphries quotes, from and about his alter-egos.

On humour

I was born with a priceless gift, the ability to laugh at the misfortunes of others.

I can laugh at myself, I think its one of the precious things Dame Nature gave me  I think if you cant laugh at yourself you might be missing the joke of the century.

I like anyone who can make me and an audience laugh.

On political correctness

Les Patterson can say things that are completely incorrect, and its a relief to express views which we privately hold, but dare not publicly ventilate  otherwise wed be history our careers would be over.

In the early 60s, I felt Edna had run out of steam. But no, she proved indestructible  and a very useful mouthpiece. She can say things, for instance, about political correctness that I couldnt possibly express.

I love making an audience gasp. I dont crave the sound of applause. I crave the sound of sharply indrawn breath. Thats a good sound.

Dame Edmana was a beloved characters for generations

On Australia

You mustnt judge Australia by the Australians  as Dame Edna.

To live in Australia permanently is rather like going to a party and dancing all night with ones mother  Humphries.

On politics

I have very little interest in politics  but my characters have insights which would have benefited the nation if theyd taken more notice of them.

Humphries said his gift was to laugh at the misfortune of others (PA Wire)

On sobriety

For some people like me, its off the menu. It just doesnt work. I have it in the house for other people. I could give you an absinthe if you want one. I brought upon myself some horrible events.

On his fears

Im very scared of ghosts. I believe in them and Im very wary of them. I dont like to sleep in haunted places and Australias very spooky. Ghosts are there.

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On old age and being in his 80s

It is a good innings and I dont know what I attribute it to. But I dont do exercise and I think thats the answer.

Is there a follow-up to the CBE and if so, how long does it take?

On health

I come from a family who have a great deal of prudishness about illness. If someone was very ill wed say he hasnt been very well lately, which means dying.
Drug Take Back Day is back with multiple agencies throughout Miami Valley participating to keep unused prescriptions drugs off the streets and out of your cabinets.

>> TRENDING: 2 teens dead following crash on U.S. 68 in Clark County

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) created the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day back in 2010 after the drug overdose epidemic in the United States persisted over the years, the departments website wrote.

The use, sale, and overdosing of prescription drugs presented a clear public health, public safety, and national security threat, the department continued.

As a means of curbing the threat to public health and security, the DEA provided the opportunity for Americans to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of prevent medication misuse and an opioid addiction.

Saturday, April 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., marks the next Drug Take Back Day with multiple agencies throughout Miami Valley participating:

Dayton Police Department

Sinclair Police Department

Butler Township Police Department

Harrison Township Substation of Montgomery County Sheriffs Office

Montgomery County Sheriffs Office

University of Dayton Police Department

Trotwood Police Department

Moraine Police Department

Vandalia Police Department

Kettering Police Department

Miami Township Police Department

Huber Heights Police Department

Riverside Police Department

Englewood Police Department

Clayton Police Department

Wright Patterson Airforce Base

Greene County Sheriffs Office

Brookville Police Department

Clearcreek Township Police Department

Springboro Police Department

Centerville Police Department

Fairborn Police Department

West Milton Police Department

Miami County Sheriffs Office

Carlisle Police Department

Franklin Police Department

Preble County Sheriffs Office

Darke County Sheriffs Office

Clinton County Sheriffs Office

Champaign County Sheriffs Office

To view the full list of participating locations, you can visit dea.gov/takebackday and enter your location in the Collection Site Locator.

Acceptable items include non-narcotics, narcotics, over the counter medication, herbals, and veterinary medications. Needles, liquids, biohazard materials, and illegal drugs will not be accepted.
The governor of Alabama announced the resignation of a top education official after a book deemed woke by her office was pulled from resource materials, news outlets report.

Barbara Cooper, Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education secretary, resigned effective immediately after a book containing a woke agenda was removed from pre-K educator resources, according to a statement from Alabama Gov. Kay Iveys office on April 21, WTVY reported.

Ivey said in the statement that the book was brought to her attention after its content was deemed not reflective of the beliefs of the people of Alabama, , WTVY reported.

The book invokes ideas for teachers that there are larger systemic forces that perpetuate systems of White privilege or that the United States is built on systemic and structural racism. Also included for 4-year-olds to learn is that LGBTQIA+ need to hear and see messages that promote equality, dignity and worth, according to the governors statement, WAAY reported.

The governor thanked Cooper for her service but said she believed the education program in Alabama should move on its forward trajectory under new leadership, according to WRBL.

McClatchy News tried to reach Cooper through the education office by email on Friday evening but had not received a reply.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children Developmentally Appropriate Practice Book, 4th Edition, was described by its author as a way to address developmentally appropriate content in a changing field of early childhood education, WAAY reported, and the book emphasized the importance of social, cultural, and historical contexts of development.

The governor referred to those goals as woke concepts that have nothing to do with proper education and are divisive, WTVY reported.

We want our children to be focused on the fundamentals, such as reading and math, the governor said in the statement, according to WTVY.

Alabama currently ranks 39th in reading and 40th in math in the nation among fourth-grade students, according to a report from the National Assessment of Education Progress, as reported by WHNT.

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The governor announced an interim secretary for the Department of Early Childhood Education, and said concepts like those found in the training book have no place at any level of education in the state of Alabama and should not be taking away from the overall mission of improving educational outcomes for students, AL.com reported.

McClatchy News reached out to the governors office regarding the statement and awaits a response.

Cooper was appointed to the secretary position in 2020, AL.com reported.

School choirs rendition of national anthem brings DC crowd to standstill, video shows

10-foot alligators spotted in Alabama  but theyre no reason to worry, experts say

19-year-old stabs his roommate in the face in their Alabama home, police say

Easter gathering erupts in gunfire as man shoots his sister, mom and grandma, cops say
KARACHI, Pakistan (AP)  An ailing elephant who underwent a critical medical procedure by a team of international veterinarians earlier this month has died at a Pakistani zoo, officials said Saturday.

Noor Jehan, 17 years old, was brought to Karachi with three other elephants more than a dozen years ago. She died after an accident just days after the procedure performed by a team of experts based in Austria to assess her condition, said Kanwar Ayub, a top official at the Karachi zoo.

Syed Saifur Rehman, the top local government official in Karachi, said city and zoo administrators did all they could to comfort the long-ailing elephant after the procedure this month.

Sadly we could not save Noor Jehan despite making all efforts including bringing in a team of foreign experts for her treatment, he said.

Videos of Noor Jehan leaning her head against a tree and struggling to stand caused alarm in Pakistan and around the world.

An eight-member team from the Austrian animal welfare organization Four Paws was brought in and performed a complex procedure to assess several medical issues the elephant was facing. The procedure was done with the help of a crane and a fire truck.

The team included veterinarians from Egypt and Bulgaria and an elephant husbandry expert from Germany. It was headed by Dr. Amir Khalil of Egypt.

The experts did an ultrasound and found a large hematoma in Noor's abdomen, which was affecting her organs. Noor Jehans pelvis was broken due to trauma and there was an abscess growing in that area.

After the procedure, Khalil was hopeful for her recovery. We nearly lost her when we gave her sedation, but luckily we had all the necessary preparations, and Noor Jehan stood up again," he said at the time.

Khalil said her death came after an accident April 13 in her enclosure that left her unable to leave the pool in her enclosure for hours. A local team was able to pull her out under the remote supervision of Four Paws veterinarians, who had already left Pakistan. But the animal was unable to stand up on her own despite multiple attempts to help her.

Khalil said that because Noor Jehan was already weakened from her condition, the elephant did not have the strength to stand up again. After fighting for nine days, she died, he said.

It is now more urgent than ever that the remaining elephant at Karachi Zoo, Madhubala, who is mourning her long-time companion, is transferred to a more species-appropriate location as soon as possible, to prevent another potential tragedy, said Khalil.
Elephant seal sleeping in Antarctica. Sebnem Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Elephant seals drift downwards in a "sleep spiral" when deep diving in the ocean, a new study found.

Sleeping while deep diving allows the seals to avoid predators, scientists believe.

The scientists recorded the brain waves of 13 young female seals in California as part of the study.

Elephant seals drift downwards into the ocean in a "sleep spiral" to catch up on sleep while on months-long foraging trips but are programmed not to drown, according to a new study.

The seals fall into sleep during deep dives of up to 377 meters, which is around 1,235 feet, to avoid predators. They spiral downwards for about 10 minutes at a time during half-hour dives, and they sometimes even catch some sleep on the sea floor, according to new findings published in Science.

The study marks the first time scientists have studied the brain waves and recorded the sleeping habits of a free-ranging, wild marine mammal, according to the University of California, Santa Cruz.

The study examined the crucial nature of sleep for mammals, and pointed out that marine mammals "encounter especially challenging conditions for sleep when they are at sea."

"For years, one of the central questions about elephant seals has been when do they sleep," Daniel Costa, director of the UCSC Institute of Marine Sciences, said.

The lab used tags to track the movements of elephant seals in the Ano Nuevo Reserve when the animals head out to the Pacific Ocean for months at a time.

"The dive records show that they are constantly diving, so we thought they must be sleeping during what we call drift dives, when they stop swimming and slowly sink, but we really didn't know," Costa continued.

Professor Terrie Williams, from UC Santa Cruz, told BBC News that it was "remarkable" that any mammal would fall asleep while drifting hundreds of feet below the water surface.

"This is not light sleep but real paralytic, deep sleep that would have humans snoring. Remarkably, the seal's brain reliably wakes them out of it before running out of oxygen.

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"Imagine waking up on the bottom of a pool - it sends a shiver down the spine," said Williams.

African elephants currently hold the title of mammal that sleeps the least, at just two hours a day, but these new finding show that elephant seals "rival the record," according to UCSC.

Killer whales and sharks attack elephant seals when they are at the surface of the ocean, which is why they spend so little time near the top and only take a short time breathing at the surface between dives, per UCSC.

"They're able to hold their breath for a long time, so they can go into a deep slumber on these dives deep below the surface where it's safe," said Jessica Kendall-Bar, who led the study.

The scientists fitted neoprene headcaps with electroencephalogram (EEG) sensors to record the 13 young female seals' brain activity.

"We used the same sensors you'd use for a human sleep study at a sleep clinic and a removable, flexible adhesive to attach the headcap so that water couldn't get in and disrupt the signals," Kendall-Bar, a postdoctoral fellow at UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said.

The recordings showed the diving seals going into a sleep stage known as "slow-wave sleep" before transitioning into REM sleep, which leads to a kind of "sleep spiral" or sleep paralysis, experts found.

Elephant seals do get a lot of sleep when they are on land  about 10 hours  scientists said, which makes their sleeping pattern "unusual."

Read the original article on Business Insider
Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Mass. on Aug. 18, 2022. (Vanessa Leroy/The New York Times)

It may be a case of be careful what you wish for.

Seven months ago, dozens of elite law schools and medical schools announced that they were boycotting the U.S. News & World Report rankings and refusing to give the publication any data. The rankings, they said, were unreliable and skewed educational priorities.

Last week, U.S. News previewed its first rankings since the boycott  for the top dozen or so law and medical schools only  and now, it seems, many of these same schools care quite a lot about their portrayal in the publications pecking order.

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In fact, their complaints about the methodology were so forceful that U.S. News announced Wednesday that it had indefinitely postponed the rankings official publication.

The level of interest in our rankings, including from those schools that decline to participate in our survey, has been beyond anything we have experienced in the past, U.S. News wrote on its website, explaining why it was delaying the release.

Yale Law School, the instigator of the boycott, is among those that see the rankings as incorrigible. What we are seeing unfold with U.S. News on a weekly basis is exactly why so many schools no longer participate, said Debra Kroszner, an associate dean and chief of staff at the law school. Its a deeply flawed system.

This latest skirmish  which comes as students are committing themselves to schools, often with U.S. News as a guide  demonstrates that even a boycott enveloped in the ivy of Yale and Harvard may be no match for the influence of the U.S. News rankings system.

Yale exited in November, followed shortly thereafter by Harvard, Stanford, Georgetown, Columbia and the University of California, Berkeley, among others. Harvard was the first medical school to depart, followed by schools such as Columbia and the University of Pennsylvania.

Facing a revolt, U.S. News went on a listening tour of more than 100 schools and conducted what it said was the most significant revision of its methodology. To fill in the missing data from boycotting schools, it used public numbers from sources such as the American Bar Association.

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When the rankings preview was released, not much changed. Yale Law School was still No. 1 (although now tied with Stanford). UCLAs law school bumped Georgetown out of the Top 14. Harvard Medical School dropped to No. 3 from No. 1 in the research ranking, replaced in the top spot by Johns Hopkins.

But boycotting schools were still upset over some of the data, especially the way that U.S. News counted after-graduation employment.

U.S. News had said that it would change its methodology and count students on fellowships as employed, with the caveat that the fellowships were long term and required passage of the bar exam (or, at the very least, that a law degree gave an advantage to the fellowships).

Factoring in the fellowships, Yale expected its employment rate to rise to nearly 100% from 90%. Instead, it dropped to 80%, at least from what Yale said it had gathered from hearing about the data through media reports. (Yale said it had not purchased access to the data or been in touch with U.S. News.)

If this is the employment metric that theyre using for Yale Law School, its entirely incorrect and flatly inconsistent with the methodologies outlined on their website, Kroszner said.

The University of California, Berkeley, had similar complaints, saying that students in its joint law and doctoral program, who take longer to graduate, were being counted as unemployed. The law schools dean, Erwin Chemerinsky, said he had complained to U.S. News but not yet heard back.

Chemerinsky, however, batted back any idea that he cared about the ratings.

The problem is not that schools suddenly have become believers in the value of the rankings, he said. Rather, they believe that if U.S. News is going to produce rankings regardless of a schools cooperation, the data should at least be correct.

I hope that by making this choice we have undermined the credibility of U.S. News, because it has far too much influence over education, Chemerinsky said. But Im a realist. I know theyre doing rankings. I want to make sure that whatever the data is, it is done accurately.

To some university officials, the dust-up reveals the hypocrisy of the high-minded schools.

Peter Rutledge, dean of the University of Georgia law school, which did not boycott the rankings, said he thought the changes in methodology were a legitimate attempt to incorporate what U.S. News had learned from its listening tour. His school had one question about the data, and it was answered, he said.

In my estimation, U.S. News has done its level best to engage deans in a dialogue, he said. The radical change in methodology was not something that U.S. News waved its magic wand and plucked out of a hat.

Rutledge said he was respecting the embargo and would not say whether Georgia, which last year placed 29th, rose or fell in the rankings.

To other observers, however, the haggling reveals the arbitrariness of the data that can be disrupted by a simple change in metrics.

Michael Thaddeus, a math professor at Columbia who has criticized the rankings for being too easily manipulated by the schools, said it did not inspire confidence that U.S. News was renegotiating rankings on the eve of their release.

Its sort of like the Wizard of Oz saying, Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, Thaddeus said.

Although many organizations rank colleges and universities, U.S. News is probably the most prominent of them. Students across the country use its rankings as a guide to the most prestigious schools, and as a tool for deciding where to enroll. The rankings also affect how prospective employers evaluate graduates.

Schools invest time and money in enhancing the metrics that U.S. News values  for instance, admissions test scores, faculty-to-student ratios, class size and post-graduation employment.

Now, it appears that the changes in some of those metrics have had unanticipated consequences for some of the elite schools that demanded them.

When you think about everything else going on in the world, theres a side of it that sort of looks like a tempest in a teapot, Rutledge said. Then you realize that this is an industry where the incumbents have for 30 years built their model around a relatively predictable and unchanged regimen for how to produce a highly ranked law school.

Paul Caron, dean of the Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law, which ranked 52nd last year, suggested that the word boycott in this context is a kind of gaslighting. In a recent headline on his blog, he noted that U.S. News had again delayed the release of its rankings because of inquiries, including from schools that are ostensibly boycotting the rankings.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
DANNY MOLOSHOK

Emily Ratajkowski has opened up about that video of her making out with Harry Styles which went viral last month. Speaking with Spanish Vogue, the actress said she didnt expect the video to leak and rebuffed the idea that she and Styles recent ex, Olivia Wilde, are feuding.

Last month, video footage leaked of Styles and Ratajkowski locking lips in Toyko. Ratajkowski is currently divorcing her ex of four years, embattled producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, while Styles and Wilde broke up last November.

Speaking with Spanish Vogue reporter Eva Blanco Medina, Ratajkowski said, Its very bizarre to have certain experiences and then have the whole world know about them and comment on them. Im just a person whos gone from a three-year relationship to a four-year relationship. So this is the first time in a long time that Ive been in a dating stage.

Ratajkowski also commented on what Blanco Medina described as the medias tendency to perpetuate the narrative of female confrontation. The actress first referred to the recent controversy surrounding a 23-year-old Instagram model who said she had a year-long affair with married Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine before pivoting back to Wilde. (Levine denied the affair last fall but admitted hed crossed the line.)

I was frustrated with the way in which an attack narrative was being established on this girl, Ratajkowski said, noting that as the person in an actual relationship, Levine was really the one with obligations to meet.

I feel bad for Olivia, Ratajkowski added, because she has had to suffer this situation on several occasions.

Emily Ratajkowski says she feels bad for Harry Styles ex, Olivia Wilde. Getty

After the kissing video went public, the expected headlines followed; Ratajkowski, who reportedly mingled with Wilde just weeks before the kiss at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, was said to be begging for Wildes forgiveness. When asked if her supposed beef with Wilde is not real, Ratajkowski replied, Thats how it is. Just an unfortunate issue.

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In spite of the leaked video, however, it sounds like Ratajkowski doesnt plan to limit her personal life for the sake of privacy any time soon. While some celebrities hire security teams and avoid excessively public outings, Ratajkowski said, I want to keep squeezing New York, a place I had always fantasized about.

This means that articles, tweets or TikToks will be made about my personal life in an imprecise way, the actress said, but today it is worth it because I prefer to have freedom.

At this point, Ratajkowski told Spanish Vogue that her life mostly revolves around her son and her work. That said, her biggest privacy concerns now center around her child.

It is complex to explain our relationship with the paparazzi, Ratajkowski said. I dont want you to be afraid of them. But, at the same time, he has to know that they are not his friends. If something were to happen to him, they wouldnt run to protect him. Im sure theyd take a photo before.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Im going to be real with you; up until a few years ago, I had no clue who Emily Ratajkowski was. Now, I constantly look to the supermodel for fashion inspiration, as shes always rocking simultaneously controversial and comfy outfits  just look at her retro cowboy boots or super tiny crop tops for proof. Most recently, though, her It piece of choice came in the form of super wearable hoop earrings, and Im so here for it.

The earrings in question are from Jordan Road, a Southern California-based brand, and are none other than the Cloud Hoops. The classic hoops come in four sizes, including mini, small, medium, and large (EmRata opted for the large), and start at just $40. The earrings are available in both 18-karat gold plated brass and silver rhodium options and have an open back. Depending on which side you pick, they vary from 3/4-inch to 2-inches wide.

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This isnt the first time Ratajkowski has worn the hoops either; in fact, she cant stop wearing them. The model styled the same shiny earrings another time this past week alone, pairing them with a tiny yellow dress versus the open-front top she wore most recently, proving they go with just about anything. Shes also worn various other earrings from Jordan Road this year, including the Monaco Hoops, which are smaller and chunkier.

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The best part about either of the Jordan Road hoops is that theyre super easy to style and can practically zhush up any outfit, whether youre wearing blue jeans and a white tee or a floor-grazing maxi dress.

Now, I dont want to bring the mood down, but I have to tell you that EmRatas Cloud earrings are already sold out at Saks Fifth Avenue and are going fast on the brands website. This isnt surprising, since the Large Gold Monaco Hoops Ratajkowski wore last Thursday havealready been completely swiped off of the virtual shelves (though the medium version is still up for grabs). So its not farfetched to think the same thing will happen with her other go-to Jordan Road pair. Therefore, if you want to score the hoops EmRata keeps wearing on repeat, Id add them to your cart sooner rather than later.

Story continues

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Energoatom building

Small Modular Reactor SMR-160 is a pressurised light-water reactor, generating 160 MWe using low-enriched uranium fuel.

The Cooperation Agreement to install the small modular reactors was signed on April 21 by Energoatom President Petro Kotin in Kyiv and Holtec International President and CEO Kris Singh.

Read also: Energoatom relaunching Ukraine-Poland power line

Minister of Energy of Ukraine, Herman Halushchenko, and Vice President overseeing all aspects of Holtec International operations in Ukraine, Riaz Awan, also attended the ceremony.

The agreement foresees the construction of 20 SMR-160 units in Ukraine. The first SMR-160 Pilot Project is aimed to connect to the grid by March 2029, after it reaches the minimum controlled reaction power.

Read also: Energoatom demands compensation from Russia for occupation of ZNPP

"Construction of small modular reactors in Ukraine would not only strength the countrys energy security, but could replace thermal power plants destroyed by Russian attacks, and achieve decarbonization goals," Halushchenko 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
Russian occupiers have arranged covert surveillance of Ukrainian citizens in occupied Enerhodar and increased pressure on employees of Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant.

Source: summary of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Quote: "The Russian occupiers continue to strengthen the counterintelligence regime in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. Thus, in Enerhodar, Zaporizhzhia Oblast, the number of patrols has been increased, and personal documents and vehicles have been more meticulously checked at roadblocks. The invaders restricted visits to forest areas. Ukrainian citizens seen in these locations are taken under control by the FSB of the Russian Federation and their personal data is checked.

At the same time, representatives of the Russian special services in the city arranged covert surveillance of Ukrainian citizens who refused to receive a Russian passport. They take into account, in particular, the sources of financial income of such citizens. Representatives of the FSB of the Russian Federation are interested in how funds are transferred from the territory controlled by the government of Ukraine to the temporarily occupied territories of the Oblast and how these funds are converted into cash.

At the same time, due to the critical shortage of qualified workers at the Zaporizhia NPP who are ready to work for the invaders, the enemy has increased psychological and physical pressure on Ukrainian employees of the ZNPP. Using intimidation, threats, blackmail and torture, the enemy continues to force the latter to obtain Russian citizenship and sign employment contracts with the Russian state corporation Rosatom."

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
In spring 2021, unauthorized operators crashed two drones in protected estuarial wetlands near Southern California's port complex where elegant terns were nesting on sandy soil.

Thousands of spooked terns abandoned their nests and scattered. Some resettled on a barge carting rocks off shore. When the terns hatched on the barge later that summer, many chicks taking exploratory steps tumbled off its steep sides into the water. Unable to fly or clamber back onto the barge deck, the chicks drowned and washed ashore, prompting local outcry and a rescue effort. A California Department of Fish and Wildlife officer said that the event represented a full generation of birds not established.

Elegant terns are designated as near threatened by U.S. environmental regulations. Meanwhile, Southern Californias port complex is an emblem of oil-driven growth and globalization. But while these two forcesenvironmental protection and petro-capitalismseem to be at odds, the tern catastrophe is an example of how measures to protect wildlife can be calibrated to exist alongside commercial shipping, petroleum, and military uses of the coastline.

Historical ecologists estimate that Los Angeles coastline estuaries once totaled between 15,000 and 18,000 acres. But by the 1980s, 90% of Californias wetlands had been sacrificed to oil development, military uses, agricultureand the ports.

The Southern California port complextwo contiguous but separately administered ports about 20 miles south of downtown L.A., one belonging to the city of Los Angeles and the other Long Beachis one of the ten largest container ports in the world. There, same estuarial ecology in which the terns nest has been subjected to an intense modernization project. The marshland was hardened into cement docks that flow into intermodal infrastructure, connecting ships to the rail and freeways that move goods to distribution centers; the shore was also filled with petroleum infrastructure connecting ships and offshore drilling to inland refineries.

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After environmental outcry starting in the 1960s, the government began to require wildlife surveys for infrastructural projects that might impact air and water quality or endangered species. As mitigation measures for such projects, wetlands areas are sometimes created or restored in exchange for permits for new industrial activity, including oil drilling.

The requirements for biological surveys and air-and-water quality monitoring have meant that since the 1970s, environmental management is incentivized to sign off on the continued operationand even expansionof the logistics industry and petroleum development. Funding and logistical support for conservation occurs alongside the ports' unquestioned pursuit of year-over-year growth. Some habitat management and wildlife rescue here are even funded by the petroleum industry.

Conservations entanglement with industry means that disaster scenarios are part of normal operations, rather than anomalies. The terns 2021 nesting catastrophe was not an isolated event. Similar incidents also occurred in 2006 and 2007. These prompted discussion over building an artificial sandy island to provide expanded habitat for the terns to nest in. But the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rejected the proposal as too pricey. A manager of the Bolsa Chica Reserve said, The reason we want to [restore more habitat] is these terns keep wanting to nest in the port.

The climate crisis and its associated mass extinction event are intensifying choices between habitat and industrial land use. But the situation is more than a competition for space. Fossil fuel-driven heating stresses wildlife, leaving species with even less capacity to absorb habitat loss. The terns are a perfect example: where they can nest is sensitive to movements of fish; warming oceans make access to the southern California coast even more important to their reproduction than it once was.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has committed to a plan to conserve 30% of land and marine areas by 2030. But what will happen to the remaining 70% of California? It's important to think about how to regulate non-conservation areas, too.

To protect human and animal life alike, we have to confront the zero-sum logic where goods movement crowds out space for flourishing life. The first step should be rethinking the very concepts of wild and developed spaces alike, with the aim of finding a path to an economic future less dependent on both unsustainable growth and sacrifice.

Christina Dunbar-Hester is a professor at University of Southern Californias Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, a current member of the Institute for Advanced Study, and the author of Oil Beach: How Toxic Infrastructure Threatens Life in the Ports of Los Angeles and Beyond.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: What environmental conservation looks like at America's biggest port
China is the world's factory  but even its homegrown companies are moving out. CFOTO/Future Publishing/Getty Images

Even Chinese manufacturers are shifting parts of their supply chains out of China to manage risks.

That's because manufacturers are moving to near where their customers are.

Southeast Asia has benefited from the shift. So have Mexico and some European countries.

China has been the world's factory for over four decades  but that could be changing soon, as even Chinese firms are moving supply chains out of the country.

While Western countries have already been doing this since 2018 after then-President Donald Trump launched a trade war against China, homegrown companies from the manufacturing giant are now following in their footsteps.

To be sure, Chinese manufacturers aren't moving all their production out of the mainland. But a combination of geopolitical risks  such as tensions with the US  and rising costs are pushing them to look for alternatives.

"We already see a lot of China-based manufacturers are actively looking at setting up overseas productions with anticipation of the supply chain challenges and political risks," Shay Luo, a principal at consulting firm Kearney told Insider.

While India  which is set to overtake China as the most populous nation by mid-2023  is likely to be a key beneficiary of the shift, much of the shuffle is headed to nearby Southeast Asia countries such as Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Further away, lower-cost havens nearer key consuming markets  such as Mexico for the US market and Eastern Europe  are also proving popular, Luo said.

Here are the six countries these supply chains are moving to:

India and Bangladesh are attractive manufacturing bases due to their vast lands and young populations

Bangladesh, an apparel manufacturing giant, has attracted $770 million worth of foreign direct investment from China. Habibur Rahman / Eyepix Group/Future Publishing via Getty Images

South Asian countries like India and Bangladesh are prime candidates for Chinese manufacturers to move to, thanks to their vast lands and young populations.

While India is mainly positioning itself as an alternative for international manufacturers who want to diversify away from China, it is also trying to attract Chinese companies targeting the Indian market.

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Chinese firms already operating manufacturing facilities in India include smartphone makers Oppo and Vivo, and carmaker SAIC.

Bangladesh, an apparel manufacturing giant, has attracted $770 million worth of foreign direct investment from China  the highest amount among foreign investors, Md Sirazul Islam, the executive chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority, told the Dhaka Tribune media outlet in June 2022.

Setting up manufacturing in Bangladesh was already attractive even before the pandemic and geopolitical tensions intensified because wages in China have been going up.

The cost difference is significant  the average monthly salary of a worker in Bangladesh is around $120, less than one-fifth of the $670 a factory worker takes home in the southern-China manufacturing hub of Guangzhou, Mostafiz Uddin, the owner of the Bangladeshi apparel manufacturer Denim Expert, told Insider in December 2022.

As Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, Thailand is an established auto hub

Thailand is Southeast Asia's auto manufacturing hub. Rachen Sageamsak/Xinhua/Getty Images

As Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, Thailand has been moving up the value chain in manufacturing and is a production hub for car parts, vehicles, and electronics, with multinationals such as Sony and Sharp setting up shop there.

And Chinese companies aren't too far behind either.

For instance, Chinese companies have relocated parts of their supply chains to Thailand. Companies producing solar panels, such as Shanghai's JinkoSolar, are moving their production to the island nation to take advantage of lower costs and avoid geopolitical tensions, the South China Morning Post reported in July.

Chinese car-parts manufacturers are also making their way to Thailand due to pressure from their overseas clients who are now wary of relying too much on China and over geopolitical tensions, Bloomberg reported on April 11, citing car-parts suppliers.

One supplier of electric vehicle charging components identified by his family name Wang told Bloomberg he was pushed into setting up a new factory overseas by a European customer.

"It looks like I have no choice. Move out, or lose the business," Wang told the media outlet.

Vietnam is witnessing a wave of interest from Chinese solar panel manufacturers

Vietnam has witnessed a rash of foreign investments in its economy. Manan Vatsyayana / AFP

With China's economy reopening after three years of strict COVID-19 restrictions, there has been a flood of Chinese companies setting up shop in Vietnam, Reuters reported on March 16.

"Enquiries from Chinese firms about manufacturing investment in Vietnam grew exponentially in the last quarter of last year," Michael Chan, the senior director of leasing at industrial real estate specialist BW Industrial Development, told Reuters. Chan said the rash of influx is mostly catering to larger peers that are already there.

For instance, Vietnam's solar panel industry  dominated by Chinese firms  is attracting ancillary support providers such as plastic molding manufacturers, die-cast makers, and energy storage providers, per Reuters, citing industry sources.

Chinese companies that have moved to Vietnam include Growatt, a Shenzhen-based power storage firm, and Hangzhou First Applied Material, a solar panel component maker.

Mexico is a key manufacturing base in the North American market

Mexico is a car manufacturing hub. Claudio Cruz/AFP/Getty Images

Mexico's shaping up to be a prime location for Chinese manufacturers to relocate  particularly since the US is a key consuming market.

"We're increasingly seeing Chinese companies manufacturing finished goods in Mexico to serve their US customers, immunizing themselves against further worsening of the US and China relations," Kearney, the consultancy, said in its 2022 Reshoring Index report published on April 13. "In their wake, second- and third-tier Chinese suppliers are coming to Mexico to continue serving their OEM customers," Kearney added, referring to original equipment manufacturers.

Mexico's Hofusan Industrial Park  which was jointly developed by the Mexican Santos family, and Chinese investors Holley Group and Futong Group  represents how Chinese firms are moving closer to their key consumers by moving to a nearby country. And here are other similar industrial parks being built in Mexico right now, added Kearney.

Chinese companies exporting out of Mexico to the US would also be able to lower freight rates due to increases in energy prices. and skirt high US tariffs slapped on some products from China, per Bloomberg.

Countries like Poland present opportunities for China's foray into Europe, particularly for EVs

Chinese electric vehicles are eyeing the European market. Shan Yuqi/Xinhua via Getty

Chinese car-parts makers that supply to European auto manufacturers are also looking for factory sites overseas.

Minth, a car parts company, which is based in the eastern city of Ningbo, broke ground on a factory in Poland in September 2022.

"We've all seen some recent trend of reverse globalization," Liu Yanchun, Minth's chief operating officer, said at an event in Shanghai in February, per Bloomberg. "We'll have many cards to play, and will never be checkmated," Liu added.

Shenzhen-based electric vehicle maker BYD  backed by legendary investor Warren Buffet  is planning to build its first EV factory in Europe.

We're doing feasibility studies to see our plans for the future," Stella Li, executive vice president at BYD told Bloomberg in February. The EV maker hasn't decided on specific countries, but announced ambitious plans to expand sales across the continent in late 2022.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Multiple sources tell Action News Jax Ben Becker that the Duval County school board is expected to meet next Wednesday about the Douglas Anderson teacher accused of inappropriate behavior with a student, as well as Dr. Diana Greenes future.

Sources say everything is on the the table, including her possible termination.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

If there is a termination or even a resignation, which Becker says sources have stated is also possible, the board would be responsible for bringing in an interim superintendent.

Greenes current contract isnt set to expire until June of 2025. She has been with the district since 2018 and was Floridas superintendent of the year in 2021.

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Humane co-founder Imran Chaudhri demonstrated an AI-device at the annual TED conference this week. Gilberto Tadday/TED

A new device by Humane can project phone calls onto the palm of a hand.

The AI-oriented startup was founded by Apple alums Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno.

Chaudhri demonstrated the device at the 2023 annual TED conference.

Humane co-founder Imran Chaudhri has a vision for an artificially intelligent future where devices have a subtler presence in the form of wearables, and screens are optional.

At the 2023 annual TED conference in Vancouver, Canada, Chaudhri appeared to show the power of such a tool, taking a call in a rather unusual way in the middle of his presentation on Thursday.

Zarif Ali, a Toronto-based freelance journalist, tweeted a visual of the demo in which Chaudhri, who formerly led design at Apple, appeared to view a call notification in the palm of his hand. The demo was first reported by Axios.

In a video of the event that Ali shared with Insider, Chaudhri's talk appeared to be interrupted by the insistent chime of a call. But instead of reaching for a device in his pocket, Chaudhri simply turned over his hand to gaze at his palm.

"Sorry, this is my wife," he said, looking over at an alert lighting up on his palm about the call. "I'm going to have to get this." Chaudhri proceeds to take the call from wife and Humane co-founder and fellow Apple alum Bethany Bongiorno.

"We believe that artificial intelligence or AI would be the driving force behind the next leap in device design," he said in the presentation.

A representative for TED indicated that the video that Ali shared was likely captured from a livestream. The representative did not share when a video of the demonstration would be available for public viewing.

"Humane will be releasing further details on how the device works in the coming months," a company spokesperson told Insider. Chaudhri and Bongiorno did not respond to Insider's messages seeking comment ahead of publication.

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At the event, Chaudhri also appeared to demonstrate the device's ability to act as an assistant. At one point, he asked the device where he could buy his wife a gift before leaving town, which prompted the device to provide a simple response about a popular shopping district in Vancouver, according to the video Ali shared that Insider viewed.

Chaudhri also showed the device's ability to quickly produce a French translation of a sentence he spoke into it, repeated in an AI-generated voice similar to his own: "Invisible devices should feel so natural to use that you almost forget about their existence."

Humane disclosed in March that it raised a $100 million series C funding round led by Kindred Ventures, and in which OpenAI's founder Sam Altman, whose star has risen since the runaway success of ChatGPT, was one of the other investors.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former Rep. Dave Trott of Michigan. AP Photo/Paul Sancya

An ex-GOP congressman told Playbook that DeSantis didn't speak to him for two years during hearings.

"I was new to Congress, and he didn't introduce himself or even say hello," Trott said this week.

Trott told the outlet that they sat beside each other during Foreign Affairs committee hearings.

A former Republican congressman said Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida didn't speak to him for two years despite the pair sitting next to each other during House Foreign Affairs Committee hearings and described the potential 2024 presidential contender as "arrogant," according to Politico Playbook.

Dave Trott, who represented Michigan's 11th Congressional District from 2015 to 2019, told Playbook that despite his close proximity to DeSantis, their interactions were virtually nonexistent.

"I sat right next to DeSantis for two years on the Foreign Affairs Committee, and he never said a single word to me," the former congressman wrote in an unsolicited email to Playbook. "I was new to Congress, and he didn't introduce himself or even say hello."

After receiving the email, Playbook called Trott, who expanded on his earlier comments over the phone.

"I go to my first [House Foreign Affairs Committee] hearing early, and DeSantis showed up right at the gavel time and didn't say hello or introduce himself," he continued. "And then the next hearing, the same thing happened. I think the third time it happened, I thought, 'Oh, this guy's not ever going to say hello to me.'"

Trott told Playbook he eventually introduced himself to DeSantis, whom he said had sharp political instincts despite their limited personal interactions.

"He's got an ability to size up the electorate and figure out what issues and hot buttons he needs to press to advance his political ambitions," he said. "There's no question there's a talent there. No taking that away from him."

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But Trott said that such abilities aren't enough in the political world, which is rooted in building relationships and getting face time with lawmakers.

"If you're going to go into politics, kind of a fundamental skill that you should have is likability. I don't think [he] has that," Trott told Playbook. "He never developed any relationships with other members that I know of."

"You'd never see him talking on the floor with other people or palling around," he continued. "He's just a very arrogant guy, very focused on Ron DeSantis."

And the former congressman also said he wasn't shocked to see multiple House Republicans from the Sunshine State  including conservatives like Reps. Byron Donalds and Brian Mast  throw their support behind former President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign over their own home state governor.

(DeSantis has not yet announced a campaign but is expected to do so once the Florida legislature ends its current session.)

Then-Rep. Ron DeSantis is pictured during a House Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2016. AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

"He wasn't really liked when he was in Congress," Trott said of DeSantis, who served in the lower chamber from 2013 until 2018. "And now it's coming home to, you know, prove out as some of the Florida delegation endorsed Trump and some of the donors, you know, think he's kind of awkward in terms of how he interacts with them."

"If his pre-presidential campaign was playing out differently, then I'd say, 'Well, maybe he just didn't like me.' But I think there's something more at work here. I think he's an asshole. I don't think he cares about people," he added.

DeSantis resigned from Congress several months before the end of his term to concentrate on his 2018 campaign, which at the time was one of the most competitive gubernatorial contests in the country. He went on to narrowly defeat then-Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum by less than one percent of the vote.

However, building on GOP gains in Florida in recent years, DeSantis powered a nearly 20-point victory during his reelection campaign last fall, which helped create veto-proof legislative majorities that have greenlit his conservative agenda this year.

If DeSantis pursues a presidential campaign as expected, he'll have to take down Trump, who retains considerable support from a broad swath of Republican voters and a constellation of officeholders across the country.

But as Trott noted, the governor will have to contend with the sort of retail politics that he's not especially known for, especially as Trump's recent leads in national Republican presidential primary polls have continued to rise.

Insider reached out to a representative of DeSantis for comment.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Iranian-made shock drones

"On the evening of 21 April 2023, at about 7:00 p.m., the enemy attacked Ukraine from the southeastern direction with Shahed-136/131 kamikaze attack drones," the message reads.

Read also: Russian missile attack on Zaporizhzhya kills at least 3 civilians, injures six

The Eastern Air Commands air defense forces intercepted enemy drones in cooperation with the air defence of the National Guard of Ukraine, the Air Forces wrote.

The air raid sirens were activated across southeastern Ukraine. Several explosions were heard in Zaporizhzhya, reported Suspilne.TV.

Read also: Russia conducts mass missile, drone attack overnight: six explosions in Kharkiv

Russia attacked Kyiv, Poltava, and Vinnytsia oblasts with Shahed drones just yesterday.

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
WEST PALM BEACH  Alisha McCarthy didn't know the young man who slid into the back seat of her car. Keitho Banks didn't know her either, or that she was pregnant, when he aimed his gun and pulled the trigger.

He killed Clayton Washington in the passenger seat first, then shot McCarthy through the neck and severed an artery. Two and a half years later, she watched from a wheelchair in the back of the courtroom as Banks pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder.

"I forgive you, but that doesn't mean that He will," McCarthy told him Thursday. She jerked her chin skyward. "You better pray. Pray. Just pray."

Related: Man imprisoned for murders targeting undocumented Lake Worth men

Criminal courts: Man who killed his wife's boyfriend will go to prison, but not for murder. Here's why.

Victim's family urged judge not to be lenient

Banks, 26, traded his guilty plea for a 20-year prison sentence on April 20, thanks to a deal negotiated by Assistant State Attorney Jo Wilensky and Assistant Public Defender Scott Pribble. Court records indicate Banks had a history of mental illness and "significant intellectual and developmental deficits" that precipitated the attack on Dec. 22, 2020.

Doctors debated his sanity in the year leading up to his plea, but it seemed of little interest to the victims' relatives Thursday. Banks and his family could say nothing as each took turns addressing Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe.

"I don't know what he was going through, but it's not right," said Rebecca Figaroua, McCarthy's mother. "It's not right that he gets to walk around and breathe every day."

She pleaded with the judge to not be lenient and asked her to take every life into consideration  including the one inside her daughter's womb when Banks shot her in the neck. Figaroua spoke as though the penalty wasn't already decided, a printed copy of the plea agreement in the attorneys' and judge's hands.

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Victim impact: Family addresses killer who bludgeoned, burned Boca Raton grandmother to death in 2019

Witness: Gunman 'talking nonsense' before shooting

Banks' mother, Ebony Hall, watched the hearing over Zoom. Hall called a friend to her home on Dec. 22, 2020, because her son was "talking nonsense," she told a Lantana police officer. Banks, 24 at the time, had recently moved to Palm Beach County from Louisiana, and his behavior that morning frightened her.

Hall's friend heeded the call. He got a ride to the home with McCarthy, 23, and Washington, 22, who parked in the driveway and waited as their friend went inside. Christmas was three days away. Washington's 17-year-old sister, Katrina Dillard, had promised him a gift she said she knew he'd love.

Hall's friend confronted Banks inside the home, but Banks walked past him to the car in the driveway. He ignored the older man's pleas to hand over the gun and shot McCarthy and Washington instead.

McCarthy's arms and legs are paralyzed as a result of the shooting. She cried occasionally in the back row of the courtroom Thursday, and her baby did, too.

Hannah Phillips is a journalist covering public safety and criminal justice at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach her at hphillips@pbpost.com.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Victims' families get final say before Lantana gunman goes to prison
Thirty years after the murder of their son in a racist attack, Stephen Lawrence's parents are tired of broken promises.

They have heard Britain's biggest police force talk about reform many times since a gang of white youths stabbed the black 18-year-old to death.

The brutal killing shocked Britain and sparked calls for an overhaul of policing.

It led to a damning official review in 1999, which found the force carried out a flawed murder investigation marred by "institutional racism" and recommended a series of changes.

But last month, a new review following a spate of fresh police scandals, found racism still rife in the force, along with misogyny and homophobia.

"I don't see any change," Neville Lawrence told AFP after giving a talk in central London to mark the anniversary of his son's murder.

He said black people still fear the force will not protect them, and vowed to make life safer for his young relatives so they can "walk the streets and not worry about getting stabbed".

Stephen had wanted to be an architect, and his father described being "robbed" of the chance to see him grow up and fulfil his ambitions.

- Battle for justice -

On the night of his death, April 22 1993, Stephen was waiting for a bus with his friend Duwayne Brooks in south London.

The gang shouted racist abuse before they attacked. Brooks remembers Stephen running fatally wounded from the scene, asking: "What's happened to me?"

The suspects were well known in the area, but the mishandled initial murder investigation meant it took the family years of tireless campaigning before two members of the gang were jailed in 2012, after new forensic evidence came to light. Three others were never prosecuted.

In recent years, Metropolitan Police officers have faced outrage over their treatment of black Londoners -- from routinely using disproportionate force to strip-searching schoolchildren.

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Stephen's mother Doreen Lawrence -- now a member of the UK's upper house of parliament -- said this week that the police force had not changed and officers could still be "as brutal as they want" without being held accountable.

"I don't know how many more inquiries and how many reviews you need to have to say the same thing -- and still no changes, and still denials," she told the BBC.

- 'Over-policed, under-protected' -

Suresh Grover, founder of The Monitoring Group anti-racism charity, has been involved in the Lawrence family's campaign for justice since the outset.

He said the family were promised "a proper attempt at addressing institutional racism" -- but the latest review showed the force had failed.

"What little trust people had is gone -- it's got worse", he said.

In Britain, April 22 is officially recognised as "Stephen Lawrence Day". The family will hold a memorial service in a church near Trafalgar Square, which the mayor of London and opposition party leader Keir Starmer are set to attend.

On the eve of the anniversary, the head of the Metropolitan Police admitted the force had failed black communities in the three decades following Stephen's death, saying they had been left feeling "over-policed and under-protected".

Mark Rowley paid tribute to the family's long battle for justice, acknowledged "systemic biases" in the force and pledged to "finally" make it anti-racist.

But he did not use the term "institutional racism", and his refusal to do so since the latest report's publication has been seen as a key sticking point in efforts to reform the service.

"Until they can accept it, they can't fix it", Neville Lawrence said.

lcm/jwp/fb
A Florida couple delivering groceries for Instacart said their car was shot at when they drove to the wrong address.

Waldes Thomas told NBC6 he was delivering groceries Saturday with his girlfriend, Diamond Darville when he drove to the wrong address. As they pulled out to leave, the couple said a man got into his truck and followed them.

I had seen him pull out a gun, and thats when I said, We got to go, we got to go, Darville told NBC6. I was scared, Im not going to lie.

Thomas said he told the man he worked for Instacart but was fired upon anyway.

We were there for Instacart, we were trying to tell him, and he went about it the wrong way  instead of just calling police, saying I have trespassers on my lawn, he decided to shoot, Thomas said.

Video taken by NBC6 shows at least one bullet hole in Darvilles car.

The Davie Police Department told NBC6 that a gun went off at the home but did not identify the homeowner. Darville said they spoke to a detective but were told no laws were broken because they were on the shooters property.

Its at least the fourth incident in the past month of someone being shot at for making the mistake of going to the wrong address or vehicle.

Ralph Yarl, a 16-year-old in Missouri, was shot earlier this month after mistakenly going to the wrong address to pick up his younger siblings. The alleged shooter, 84-year-old Andrew Lester, has been charged with assault in the first degree and armed criminal action.

Last week, a New York man was charged with second-degree murder after allegedly shooting and killing a 20-year-old woman after she accidentally drove into his driveway.

And on Tuesday, two cheerleaders in Texas were shot after one of them accidentally entered the wrong car. Both girls survived and are recovering from their injuries. Pedro Tello Rodriguez Jr., 25, was arrested and charged with deadly conduct, a third-degree felony.

Related...
A turtle riding on an alligator in a pond in Tampa, Florida, on Monday, April 17, 2023. Jef Henninger, Traveling with Jef

A travel blogger in Florida captured a photo of a turtle riding on the back of an alligator.

Alligators are known to prey on turtles, but this particular gator apparently couldn't be bothered.

Alligator activity in Florida picks up April to June, with officials warning residents to be careful near ponds.

A travel blogger in Florida captured something he'd never seen before in Tampa on Monday: a turtle riding on the back of an alligator.

Jef Henninger posted a photo of the strange encounter on his Facebook page, Traveling with Jef.

"You know you're in #florida when you see a turtle riding a gator around a pond like it's a horse," Henninger wrote alongside the photo.

One commentator wrote, "Florida hitch hikers," while another said, "Ooohhhhh FL" with a laugh-crying emoji.

Henninger confirmed to Insider he'd seen turtles near alligators before, but never riding one. He said the alligator, which was about 10 feet long, eventually stopped near the edge of the pond and the turtle continued to sit on its back. When Henninger left and came back an hour later both animals were still in the same area, however, the turtle was now on a log.

Henninger told Newsweek it's not uncommon to spot alligators near other animals, adding: "Most have a natural fear of humans but other than that, they will usually share their space with birds, turtles, and other animals."

Alligators are considered opportunistic feeders, meaning they'll eat many kinds of prey species as long as they're readily available, according to Florida's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. That includes fish, snakes, birds, small mammals, and yes, even turtles.

"That's why it's always interesting to see gators so close to turtles and birds  those animals have no idea that they can be dinner at any moment," Henninger told Newsweek.

Alligator activity has also recently picked up in Florida, as they tend to be most active during the mating season from April to June, so local residents typically know to look out for them. State officials have warned residents to be especially careful around ponds and lakes.

Read the original article on Insider
Khartoum's international airport has been caught up in the fighting

Diplomats and nationals from the UK, US, France and China are to be evacuated from Sudan by air as fighting there continues, a statement from the Sudanese army says.

Army chief Fattah al-Burhan agreed to facilitate and secure their evacuation "in the coming hours", it said.

He is locked in a bitter power struggle with the leader of a rival paramilitary faction, the Rapid Support Forces.

Saudi Arabia confirmed it had evacuated over 150 people from Sudan on Saturday.

Among those evacuated to Jeddah were diplomats and international officials, the Saudi Arabian foreign ministry said.

It said it had safely transported 91 Saudi Arabian citizens, as well as 66 others from various other countries including Qatar, Pakistan, the UAE and Canada. They were evacuated by sea, state TV channel Al-Ekhbariyah reported. It is unclear where in Sudan they were evacuated from.

Meanwhile, the UK government said it was preparing for "a number of contingencies".

But fierce fighting in the city centre on Saturday made it unclear how evacuations from Khartoum's airport could take place.

People in Khartoum who have been speaking to the BBC described intense fighting in the city centre on Saturday.

A statement from the Sudanese army said British, US, French and Chinese nationals and diplomats would be evacuated by air on board military transport planes from the capital, Khartoum.

The UK government said it was "doing everything possible to support British nationals and diplomatic staff in Khartoum".

It said its defence ministry was working with the foreign office to prepare for a number of provisions, without specifying whether immediate evacuations were among those plans.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak chaired a Cobra meeting - an emergency response committee - on Saturday morning about the situation in Sudan.

A British citizen in Khartoum told the BBC she felt "completely abandoned" by the British government, adding that she had not been given "much information at all" about possible plans to be evacuated.

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"It remains very depressing, worrying and confusing to be a Brit on the ground here," she said. "We're still very much in the dark".

"We don't have a plan, we don't even have a kind of plan for a plan. We understand that this is a fast-evolving situation but to be honest we've just in many senses been completely abandoned here."

Spain's defence minister said six planes were being sent to Djibouti as part of the country's efforts to evacuate Spanish nationals and others.

Khartoum's international airport has been closed due to the violence, with foreign embassies unable to bring their citizens home.

The conflict has entered its second week despite both sides - the army and the RSF - agreeing to a three-day ceasefire to mark the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, starting from Friday. But fighting continued on Saturday.

A former foreign minister, Mariam al-Mahdi, who is sheltering in Khartoum told the BBC the ceasefire was "not taking at all".

"We are out of electricity for the last 24 hours. We are out of water for the last six days," she said.

Medical teams are being targeted in the fighting, she said, adding: "There are rotting bodies of our youth in the streets."

Thousands of people have been trying to flee Sudan since the violent clashes began

Fierce street battles erupted in Khartoum on 15 April after disagreements emerged between the leaders of both sides - General Burhan and the RSF's Mohamed Hamdan "Hemedti" Dagalo - over how Sudan should be run.

They both held top positions in Sudan's current military government, formed after the 2019 coup that ousted long-time leader Omar al-Bashir.

They were supposed to merge their forces but the RSF resisted this change, mobilising its troops which escalated into full-scale fighting last week.

The World Health Organization says more than 400 people have been killed. The death toll is believed to be much higher as people struggle to reach hospitals.

Thousands of people, mainly civilians, have also been injured, with medical centres under pressure to deal with the influx of patients.

Along with Khartoum, the western region of Darfur, where the RSF first emerged, has also been badly affected by the fighting.

The UN has warned that up to 20,000 people - mostly women and children - have fled Sudan to seek safety in Chad, across the border from Darfur.
A Russian participates in the Ukrainian competition

The competition has been held in Kyiv since 1995 until it was forced to relocate to Geneva, Switzerland, following Russias brutal attack of Ukraine.

Read also: Kalush Orchestra performs at MTV Europe Music Awards

Stanislav Korchagin, who served in the Russian army from 2014-2015 after Russia invaded Ukraine, was allowed to take part in the competition and made it to the semifinals, according to Stas Nevmerzhytskyi, music expert and Editor-in-Chief of Is lndradio.

The Russian was a member of the Preobrazhensky Regiment, recreated by Russian dictator Vladimir Putin in 2013 as the 154th Preobrazhensky Independent Commandant's Regiment. He is also a member of the teaching staff at the Moscow-based Gnesins Russian Academy of Music.

"[Horowitz Piano Competition organizers] please explain how a Russian pianist who served in the Russian army after the start of the war against Ukraine ended up among your participants. You even got him to the semifinals, where he plays (works by Sergei) Rachmaninoff and (Pyotr) Tchaikovsky," Nevmerzhytskyi said on April 17.

In response, organizers posted a statement on Facebook by Florian Riem, Secretary General of the Geneva-based World Federation of International Music Competitions (WFIMC).

Read also: Zelensky speaks about the war at the 2022 Grammy music award ceremony

Without mentioning Korchagin by name, he explained that there should beno discrimination against "anyone because of their nationality ... Competitions and participants should clearly detach themselves from political ideology or manifestations ... Young artists are not representatives of a particular country ... Music does not know borders either of nationality, of religion, or ideology."

"Our statutes clearly dictate that we must not discriminate against anyone because of their nationality. This is a basic principle of justice, ethics, and human decency," Riems statement reads.

"We realize that for someone living in a country under attack, for someone who may have lost a friend, a relative, or even a child, these words may seem empty and meaningless, but I know that every single one of the 28 pianists performing on this stage is supporting our cause. We believe that both competitions and participants should clearly detach themselves from political ideology or manifestations. Our participants are all young artists struggling for their careers. They take part as individuals, and not as representatives of a country. And each and everyone of them has signed a code of conduct, staying away from political expressions or discrimination of any kind."

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Read also: Legendary Ukrainian musician performs for Bakhmut defenders

Commenting on Riems statement, Ukrainians demanded the disqualification of the Russian and expressed indignance with the WFIMC'sstance that music is beyond politics.

Ukraines Culture Ministry commented that as was the case in 2022, it did not sponsor the competition.

"Last year, the World Federation of International Music Competitions offered to support the Horowitz Competition as it could not be held in Ukraine. In particular, it offered to hold and finance it as a separate competition, yet in Geneva  it would bear the same name (the Horowitz Competition Kyiv-Geneva) and would be entirely sponsored with donors' funds," it said.

The Vladimir Horowitz Piano Competition announced the prizewinners on April 21.

Ukraines Roman Fediurko won the gold medal.

The UKs Julian Trevelyan won silver, while South Koreas Kyoungsun Park took bronze.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The FSB has charged the former deputy head of the Promtekhnologii arms factory testing laboratory with treason.

Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agencies TASS and RIA Novosti

Details: The media do not specify the case details but report that the ex-deputy chief has been jailed for two years and "investigative actions" are being carried out on him.

He has been placed in Lefortovo Prison.

Representatives of the plant said that the arrested employee "has not worked for the company for two years and has nothing to do with it."

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Former Iowa State football stars have donated memorabilia as part of an initiative to bring awareness to the We Will Collective.

According to a We Will press release, Brock Purdy, Breece Hall and Allen Lazard have signed and contributed personal items to be given away to winners of an April 30 free drawing.

More: Peterson: Iowa State boosters create the 'We Will' collective to help compete in NIL landscape

Purdy, who quarterbacked the San Francisco 49ers to the NFC championship game, is donating an autographed jersey. Hall, a running back for the New York Jets, has signed a pair of his cleats. Lazard, a Jets receiver, has signed game-worn NFL gloves.

These Cyclone legends have been incredibly generous by providing these items to us with hopes it helps spread the word and brings awareness to the work we are doing to help current Cyclone student-athletes, Brent Blum, executive director of the We Will Collective, said in the release.

Allen Lazard is one of a few former Iowa State football stars donating memorabilia for a We Will Collective giveaway.

The non-profit We Will Collective helps support Iowa State student-athletes. Blum said in the press release that there are more than 2,000 collective donors.

The release says We Will has supported more than 70 Iowa State student-athletes.

Fans can sign up for the giveaway at https://swee.ps/zkllLGbgO.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 51st year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, and on Twitter @RandyPete

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ex-Iowa State stars are contributing to a We Will Collective giveaway
It seems as if winter goes on forever; by the time spring comes you really deserve it, George Harrison said as he sat in Eric Claptons garden. His friend John Lennon was recovering from a serious car crash. It was a beautiful July morning. Harrison picked up Clapton's acoustic guitar and the words came. "Its been a long, cold lonely winter; its been years since its been here . . . Here comes the sun! Sun, sun, sun, here it comes."

The last few years have been a challenging stretch  a long, cold lonely winter  for our communitys wildlife rehabilitation center and thousands of local wildlife lovers who depend on it.

Two of the many orphaned bunnies that St. Francis Wildlife is raising now.

St. Francis Wildlife (SFW) lost its beloved, longtime director and wildlife rehabilitator in a tragic car crash. COVID hit our staff and volunteers hard. And a rescued duck infected with the highly contagious avian flu closed the wildlife hospital to all birds for many months.

After 34 years as St. Francis Wildlifes educator and spokesperson, I developed Essential Tremors (like Katharine Hepburn)  a genetic neurological condition that makes speaking tricky. So I made the difficult decision to transfer my beloved co-teachers  three disabled owls and a hawk  to my good friend Dorothy Kaufmann, director of the Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida in Pensacola, where they continue their important work as wildlife ambassadors.

Then in February, our world suddenly brightened when SFW had the good fortune to hire two new, experienced, licensed wildlife rehabilitators, providing relief for Emily Brann, its tenacious board president who had been juggling three full-time jobs  Leon County Sheriffs Office Deputy, mother and wildlife rehabilitator  to keep SFW afloat.

Here comes the sun.

On Tuesday, the Waterworks Weekly Science Salon will host St. Francis Wildlife at Waterworks, 1133 Thomasville Road.

Meet the new wildlife rehabilitators

Hannah Altonji left her position as Animal Care Manager at Wild Care Oklahoma, treating 7,000 animals a year, to become SFWs new Wildlife Rehabilitation Manager. This dedicated woman now lives in the woods, just few hundred feet from the wildlife hospital.

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As a kid, I loved animals but didnt realize wildlife rehabilitation was a career option until I got to college; then everything clicked, and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

Hannah fondly recalls nurturing three newborn river otters whose mom had been killed by oil rig equipment. Nine months later she opened the cage door and watched them scamper off into the wild. It was so satisfying. That moment is what this is all about, she said.

Hannah Altonji and Jenith Flex, St. Francis Wildlife's new wildlife rehabilitators, treat an injured gopher tortoise.

Hannah immediately reorganized SFWs hospital, creating biosecure spaces for potentially sick wildlife. Continuing education is another priority for Hannah and her staff. There is always more to learn, she says.

Jenith Flex is SFWs other new wildlife angel. As a board member of Lehigh Valley Audubon Society and a lifelong bird lover, she volunteered at two Pennsylvania wildlife rehab centers and then worked as a full-time wildlife rehabilitator in Texas.

Sara Kershner, a wildlife technician, feeds the first orphaned songbird to arrive at St. Francis Wildlife this spring, a mourning dove.

Realistically, what will save wildlife is education, Jenith said. Some things, such as car strikes, are difficult to prevent, but others  a poisoned hawk, a bunny attacked by a cat  can be avoided when people learn how to coexist with wildlife. Wildlife rehabilitation helps balance the equation.

SFW, already in baby season overdrive, is so grateful to have these seasoned, experienced women in charge. From April through October, they and their small staff, volunteers and interns will receive more than 2,000 wild orphans from our community, in addition to sick and injured adults. The first week of April, there were already 96 orphans: 52 squirrels, 11 bunnies, 12 opossums, 5 raccoons, 15 songbirds and 1 fox.

Does every wild baby you find need rescuing?

Probably not. Just like humans, most wild mothers have powerful maternal instincts and will not abandon their young. It can be difficult to resist the urge to scoop up a helpless baby and deliver it to SFW, so heres what you need to know . . .

St. Francis Wildlife volunteers learn that, just like your own dogs and cats, every wild bird, such as this young blue jay, has a distinct personality.

Baby songbirds

Replace a naked or downy baby in its nest. If you cant find the nest, attach a little basket filled with pine straw to the shady side of the closest tree or bush. Place the baby inside and observe from a distance.

Leave fully feathered juveniles with short wing and tail feathers (fledglings) on the ground. Parents protect and feed them until they can fly in a couple of days. Keep pets and kids away.

Bunnies and fawns

To deter predators, these mothers do not stay with their babies all the time, but they are close by.

Baby squirrels

Try to reunite them with their mothers. First warm the baby, then place it in a box beneath the tree from which it fell. Take pets inside and watch from a window.

Opossums

Unfortunately these marsupials cant outrun a car. Check a dead opossums belly for a pouch full of babies. If they are still alive, place them in a box, keep them warm and take them to St. Francis Wildlife.

Turtles

There is no such thing as an orphaned turtle; babies are independent as soon as they hatch.

These babies always need help

Its parent is dead. The baby is weak, cold, bleeding, injured or covered with insects. A cat or dog caught it (even if you dont see a wound), or the baby is in imminent danger.

Never handle baby raccoons, foxes, skunks and bats  possible rabies vectors. And beware of a bird of preys powerful feet and sharp talons. Call St. Francis Wildlife.

Never handle baby raccoons or other possible rabies vectors. Call St. Francis Wildlife.

So many wild babies are caught by pets. Hungry owls, hawks and coyotes, in turn, prey on cats and small dogs. Please keep your cats indoors, especially during baby season, and keep dogs close.

If you think an animal needs help, first call SFW for advice at 850-627-4151. After 5 p.m. call 850-933-2735. Learn more about wildlife rescue and where to take an orphaned or injured animal at stfranciswildlife.org.

Get involved

If you are hungry for your own wild experience and are at least 18, learn about volunteer opportunities and print an application at stfranciswildlife.org. Then call to sign up for an orientation session, held twice a month for new volunteers.

Internships are available for college students who can commit 15 hours per week. Send a cover letter, resume and references to rehab@stfranciswildlife.org.

If you are not able to volunteer but would still like to help, make a donation or purchase something they need at stfranciswildlife.org/donate.

It seems like years since it's been clear, but here comes the sun! Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.

Sandy Beck

Sandy Beck is the former education director for St. Francis Wildlife.

If you go

What: Waterworks Weekly Science Salon with Sandy Beck sharing a rare behind-the-scenes tour of St. Francis Wildlifes 36-acre wildlife hospital and sanctuary tucked deep in the Gadsden County woods, a professionally produced movie recorded over the span of one year. Follow injured and orphaned wildlife from the time they arrive to the moment they are released back in the wild, followed by a Q&A session with SFWs new wildlife rehabilitators, Hannah Altonji and Jenith Flex

When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 25

Where: Waterworks, 1133 Thomasville Road

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Get a look behind the scenes at St. Francis Wildlife science talk
GETTY IMAGES

The G7 countries are discussing the possibility of expanding the sanctions regime against Russia, including a ban on almost all exports to Moscow.

Source: Kyodo

The decision may be made during the G7 summit to be held in May in Hiroshima, western Japan.

Quote: "The G-7 countries have already stopped exporting a wide range of items to Russia, including products that can be used for military purposes and luxury goods. But the latest plan could expand the trade embargo to used cars, tyres, cosmetic items and clothing, the source said."

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has invited President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to join the meeting online. The summit takes place on May 19-21 and will be attended by the leaders of the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States, and the European Union.

Background:

The G7 countries are likely to impose new sanctions on large one-carat diamonds from the Russian diamond mining company Alrosa, which accounts for about a third of the world's rough diamond supply.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
California leaders commended Fridays U.S. Supreme Court decision that will temporarily preserve access to abortion pills, doubling down on their push to protect reproductive services in the Golden State.

The U.S. Supreme Court blocked an April 7 decision by a federal judge in Amarillo, Texas, suspending the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations approval of mifepristone, a pill used in combination with another drug to induce abortions.

U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, sided with anti-abortion medical practitioners who argued mifepristone was unsafe.

Kacsmaryk gave the FDA a week to seek emergency relief before his ruling would take effect and the Biden Administration immediately appealed. The FDA approved mifepristone in 2000, and millions have used it as part of abortion and miscarriage treatment.

On April 13, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled that mifepristone could remain available as the lawsuit makes its way through the courts. However, the three-judge panel imposed significant barriers to access, including a prohibition on sending the pills by mail.

The Supreme Courts decision ensures mifepristone will remain available while lower court appeals continue. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.

California leaders praise Supreme Court decision

Gov. Gavin Newsom, legislative leaders and California reproductive health care providers cheered the Supreme Courts ruling.

Newsom praised the decision, saying the judges followed science, data, and the law rather than an extreme and out of touch political agenda.

Mifepristone is safe, legal, and has been FDA-approved for more than two decades, he said in a statement late Friday. Medication abortion is available and accessible here in California and we will continue to fight to protect peoples freedom to choose.

California Legislative Womens Caucus leaders Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and Assemblywoman Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, D-Winters echoed the governors message.

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The FDAs experts approved (mifepristone) two decades ago for nationwide use after determining that it is an extremely safe and effective medication for abortion and other life-saving purposes, the two lawmakers said in a statement. (Mifepristone) should remain legal and accessible, and we will continue to fight any court action that seeks to cut off access to this proven and safe medication.

Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California offered a more cautious reaction.Lets be clear; we should not be having this fight to keep safe & effective abortion care accessible for all who need it, the organization wrote on Twitter.

Californias history of protecting abortion access

Mifepristone is typically used with a second drug, misoprostol. Those seeking abortion care could use only misoprostol, but the single-drug regimen is typically more painful and causes more side effects.

Medications were used in more than half of all 2020 United States abortions, as opposed to surgical procedures performed in clinics, according to the Guttmacher Institute.

Newsom and other California leaders have spent the last several years fortifying reproductive rights in California.

In May 2019, just months into his first term as governor, Newsom signed a proclamation on reproductive freedom that welcomed people seeking abortion procedures to California and reaffirmed the right to terminate a pregnancy.

After the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, Newsom issued an executive order and signed more than a dozen bills aimed at protecting abortion access both for Californians and out-of-state residents seeking reproductive services. The measures bar coroner investigations following the death of a fetus; make it easier for nurse practitioners to provide abortions, and set aside $20 million to help cover travel, lodging, child care and other expenses for women coming to the state.

In November, California voters overwhelmingly approved a pro-choice ballot measure that enshrined abortion and contraceptive access in the state constitution.

More than a dozen new bills related to abortion are currently moving through the Legislature, including one to protect electronic health records and to safeguard providers who transport drugs.

Following Kacsmaryks decision, Newsom announced that California had secured a two-million pill stockpile of the medication abortion drug misoprostol  an effort that had been months in the making.

The governor blasted the judges decision, calling it an extremist ban that ignored facts, science, and the law  putting the health of millions of women and girls at risk.
A lion has been spotted in Chad's Sena Oura National Park for the first time in almost two decades.

A team of conservationists from the Chadian government and the New York City-based nonprofit Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) released an image on Thursday showing what they described as "a beautiful lioness, in her prime and clearly in great health." The photo was taken on Feb. 22 by a camera trap in Chad's Sena Oura National Park, where lions haven't been seen since 2004, according to the WCS.

MORE: 'Lions are on the menu now': Inside the legal lion bone trade

It was unclear from the image whether the lioness was alone. Unlike other big cat species, lions -- especially females -- typically live in family units called "prides."

"Our team believes there are more lions out there," WCS spokesperson Stephen Sautner told ABC News.

PHOTO: An image released by the government of Chad and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) on April 20, 2023, shows a healthy female lion in Chads Sena Oura National Park, where the big cats have not been seen since 2004. (Wildlife Conservation Society/Government of Chad)

Overall, lions are classified as "vulnerable" on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List. Lions in West and Central Africa are considered "critically endangered," with populations declining by about 66% since the early 1990s. They are genetically distinct from the more robust lion populations in East and Southern Africa, according to the WCS.

MORE: Release of wild cheetahs in Mozambique could be answer to conservation of the species, biologists say

Lions are technically considered extinct in Chad's Sena Oura National Park, a protected area of about 182,000 acres that's adjacent to Cameroon's much larger Bouba N'djida National Park, where the big cats "are now increasing and appear to be recolonizing parts of their former range including Sena Oura," according to the WCS.

"The region saw a period of ruthless, organized poaching more than a decade ago, but has since benefitted from a very strong commitment to conservation by the governments of both Cameroon and Chad," the WCS said in a press release. "This has produced better protection of the national parks and wildlife populations are now starting to recover."

'Extinct' lion spotted in Chad's Sena Oura National Park after almost 20 years originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
TEHRAN, April 22 (Xinhua) -- The Iranian foreign minister and his counterpart of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday agreed to expand cooperation in various fields.

During a phone call, Iran's Hossein Amir-Abdollahian and UAE's Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed to expand cooperation in various fields, including the private sector, said the Iranian Foreign Ministry's website.

Amir-Abdollahian said the bilateral relations are improving, and active meetings and exchanges between the two countries' officials are underway, stressing that Iran has no limits to all-out expansion of its relations with the UAE.

Sheikh Abdullah, for his part, said promoting bilateral relations in various fields bears on the two countries' common interests, adding there are diverse opportunities to enhance cooperation.

The top UAE diplomat said he noticed an array of regional countries have seen strengthened bilateral ties lately, including the normalization between Iran and Saudi Arabia, and the development in Syria.

In early April, Iran appointed its first ambassador to UAE since 2016 amid thawing relations. The UAE reinstated its ambassador in Tehran in September, 2022.

In 2016, the UAE downgraded its relations with Iran after Riyadh cut diplomatic ties with Tehran. 
The girls are back in town.

Just in time for Mothers Day weekend, Golden Gals Live! returns to the Clermont Performing Arts Center May 12-14 after a successful residency in Chicago.

READ: Golden Girls-themed cruise returns for 2023

The all-new live parody show of The Golden Girls is written, directed and stars Orlandos own Ginger Minj, who has gone national with her roles in RuPauls Drag Race, Dumplin on Netflix and Hocus Pocus 2, which marked a groundbreaking step forward for LGBTQIA+ representation within Disney, according to a news release.

The show also stars Divine Grace, Gidget Galore and Mr. Ms. Adrien.

READ: Dates, details announced for this years Mickeys Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

Tickets are on sale and range from $45 to $75. Click here to purchase.

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.
Republicans are on the verge of wiping out what remains of Democrats political power in North Carolina.

The only thing they need is for the likely nominee for governor to not blow it up.

On Saturday, when the states lightning rod Republican lieutenant governor, Mark Robinson, formally announces his gubernatorial campaign, polls suggest he will instantly become the frontrunner for the nomination. Hell saddle the GOP with a laundry list of his past public controversies  from agreeing with antisemitic remarks about the global economy to homophobic musings that children shouldnt learn about homosexuality or any of that filth.

In a state where surveys show a majority of voters favor keeping abortion legal, he has compared the procedure to murder. And even some Republicans in North Carolina see him as a liability.

"Because of his comments, he will nationalize the gubernatorial race in North Carolina for the Democrats, which will open the door for them in raising tens of millions of dollars across the country, said Paul Shumaker, a Republican consultant in the state.

But as he launches his campaign in rural Alamance County, Robinson will need to do what many high-profile, controversial Republicans failed to accomplish in last years midterms  overcome his past comments that could be deeply unpopular with general election voters.

It is a critical test for the GOP in the post-Trump era, after a slate of problematic nominees cost Republicans a number of winnable governor and U.S. Senate races in 2022.

The opportunity for Republicans in North Carolina is enormous. Democrats havent won a presidential or U.S. Senate race there since 2008. And with Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper leaving office  a candidate who won twice as Donald Trump took the state in both 2016 and 2020  Tarheel Democrats are staring down an election without their best candidate in a generation.



Robinson will be boosted by an existing small-dollar fundraising operation and a flurry of earned media on conservative platforms, where he has raised his profile in recent years. And hell have the backing of fiery grassroots supporters that dominate the GOP base in North Carolina. None of the negative headlines have so far stopped his meteoric rise in state politics, riding a viral video of him giving public comment about gun rights at a city council meeting in 2018 to being elected to the states second-highest office a little over two years later. And even after in-state media uncovered a past comment by Robinson  a staunch abortion opponent  that he and his wife had terminated a pregnancy decades ago, his standing remained virtually unchanged, Raleighs WRAL found in a survey.

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Still, he could face a potentially bruising challenge in the primary  largely focused on other Republicans concerns that he is not electable in the fall.

Mark Walker, a former Greensboro-area congressman who unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for Senate last year, is publicly mulling a run, and is expected to enter the race in the coming weeks.

Walker acknowledged in an interview that most political observers in the state see Robinson as the strong favorite to win the GOP nomination, but he repeatedly suggested that Robinson would not be a good general election candidate because of baggage he carried. Walker, who is being advised by National Public Affairs, a political consulting group run by Bill Stepien and other Trump alumni, said he was disappointed that [Robinson] would not be honest with the people of North Carolina about all different things, declining to elaborate further.

Walkers criticism carries a bit of irony since he helped launch Robinsons political career by sharing that 2018 viral video on Facebook. He insisted there was nothing personal about potentially running against Robinson, only that Republicans needed to nominate a winning candidate for the fall.

Even if Walker does not get in, Robinson is facing other challengers in the Republican primary. Already in the race is Dale Folwell, the state treasurer first elected in 2016, who cast himself as an alternative to Robinson in part because he is not a gamble on the ballot.

But any challenger to Robinson faces a tough path. Members of North Carolinas Republican legislative leadership are largely supportive of Robinsons primary bid, according to four state GOP insiders. Legislative leaders gave him an unusually prominent perch earlier this year, tapping Robinson to give the response to Coopers state of the state address  a spot where Robinson tried to shed at least some of his usual bomb-throwing persona.

And Republican legislators are expected to be among those supporting Robinson at his announcement Saturday.

Early polling on the general election race shows its likely to be a dead-heat. Carolina Forward, a progressive advocacy group, released a survey this fall that showed state Attorney General Josh Stein  who Democrats have coalesced around  at 44 percent support, compared to Robinsons 42 percent. But among independents  a key voting bloc in North Carolina  Robinson was up slightly.



Youre going to have two absolute juggernauts from either party, with Robinson and Stein raising, I predict, more money than weve ever seen in a governors race in this state, said Conrad Pogorzelski III, Robinsons top political strategist.

While it remains to be seen how Robinsons past scandals and history of heated rhetoric will play out under greater scrutiny this election cycle, those close to the lieutenant governor have advised him to proceed as if the primary is already over  and to focus more on the general electorate than dishing out more red meat to the base. Saturdays rally could be an early sign of whether hell actually embrace that advice.

Robinson  the states first Black lieutenant governor, who worked a manufacturing job up until his recent political career launch  has sought to emphasize his relatability to average people when confronted with past news coverage about his personal financial mismanagement and other missteps.

Its a quasi-populist message thats about going after the elites, and thats what Trump was able to channel very effectively when he carried the state of North Carolina twice, said Jonathan Felts, a Republican strategist who most recently advised Sen. Ted Budds midterm campaign. Its not just a fringe-right phenomenon  its something that percolates across the political spectrum and something that pollsters and the D.C. consultant class have gotten wrong since 2016.

If he wins the primary, Robinsons traits will be contrasted with the mild-mannered persona of Stein, a Dartmouth and Harvard-educated lawyer who has served two terms as the states top prosecutor. But its one that Democrats eagerly embrace.

"You couldnt have a bigger contrast between these two candidates, said Morgan Jackson, a Democratic strategist who advises both Cooper and Stein. Mark Robinsion is the most far-right extreme candidate who has ever run in the history of North Carolina.

The race comes at a dire moment for the Democratic Party in North Carolina.



The state was supposed to be the swing state of the future for Democrats, after then-candidate Barack Obama won a squeaker in 2008, and Kay Hagan knocked off Republican Sen. Elizabeth Dole by over 8 points in a Senate race that year. But Democrats have not won a statewide federal race since then  losing a string of close Senate and presidential contests that have thrown into question the true tossup nature of the state.

Democrats have fared far better on the statewide level. Republicans have won just one governor race in the last 30 years, and there has been a single Republican attorney general in the last century. Even so, Cooper, the most successful Democrat in North Carolina in any recent history, is term-limited out. And Republicans hold supermajorities in both state legislative chambers.



This could be the culmination of 15 years of [Republican] work, in the sense of a consolidation of power by any means, said Democratic state House Minority Leader Robert Reives.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this report misstated the occupancy of the Senate seat Hagan won in 2008.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine was with Greene County community leaders Friday to discuss the $15 million in state funding the county is receiving in support for construction of a new jail.

>>PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Millions of dollars going to Auglaize, Greene, Miami and 8 other counties for jail upgrades

It is part of the Ohio Jail Safety and Security program.

The jail has been in use for over 20 years and the sheriff says its current condition is not acceptable for staff and inmates with the focus on rehab and mental health programs.

Its important that we try to help them deal with their mental health problem that they might face, the addiction problem they might face while weve got them here, he said.

Construction could begin as soon as this summer.

It will be named after the late Greene County Sheriff Gene Fisher.

He passed away in 2021.
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs responds to questions about her first 100 days in office during an interview in her office in Phoenix on April 10, 2023.

Last week, Gov. Katie Hobbs completed her first 100 days in office.

Arizonans arent thrilled with what theyve seen.

Morning Consult asked voters nationwide if they approved of their states chief executive. Out of 50 governors, Hobbs ranked 47th.

None of the governors were underwater, but Hobbs 47% approval and 36% disapproval landed her behind everyone but the leaders of Nebraska and Oregon.

The poll didnt ask for reasons behind voters disapproval, but the answer seems obvious.

Its been 100 days of nothing much.

Hobbs has been plenty involved in culture wars

At her inauguration, Hobbs promised to move past division and partisanship and return to a path of cooperation and progress.

The next month, she vetoed 13 bills in one day, and has since broken the state record for vetoing legislation.

To date, Hobbs has nuked 63 bills, flying by the former record of 58. Since the Legislature remains in session, shes likely to veto a lot more.

Our new governor promised to focus on what voters really care about and ignore culture war issues.

She then promised to protect abortion rights, and issued executive orders focused on LGBTQ government workers and stopping hair discrimination.

Last month, Hobbs had to fire press secretary Josselyn Berry for tweeting an image of a woman with two guns and the message: Us when we see transphobes.

This was hours after the Nashville school shooting.

Her budget ignored a lot of her promises

Outside of totally not being involved in the culture wars, no way no how, Hobbs made a lot of other promises.

She would better fund public education, fix Arizonas water woes, invest in affordable housing, make life more affordable, and hold the federal government accountable for a broken immigration system.

Maybe shes saving that for the next 100 days.

After 100 days: Are Hobbs' fractures with GOP starting to close?

Minimal action has happened on any of these, outside of a creating a task force or three.

She made a lot of promises during her campaign, as well.

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Hobbs promised to end Gov. Doug Duceys policy of busing migrants out of state. She kept the buses and added planes.

Hobbs demanded additional funding for the Governors Office for Equal Opportunity. Her proposed budget didnt provide any.

That same budget offers a $100 per child tax credit for families making up to $40,000. She promised a $250 tax credit for families making up to $100,000.

Hobbs has mismanaged her veto pen

At times, its tough to remember we even have a governor.

Outside of her veto pen, Hobbs hasnt demonstrated any plans to move the state forward or accomplish her stated goals.

Yes, she has an adversarial Legislature, but she knew that going in. Our governor hasnt shown the ability to peel off the couple of Republican votes needed to pass her own agenda.

All the activity is in the House and Senate; Hobbss only contribution is signing a bill or stamping it with a big, red No.

Vetoing is a tool that weak leaders will use in an effort to control legislative priorities, Sen. T.J. Shope, R-Coolidge and a Senate GOP leader, said. Instead of demonstrating diplomacy and bipartisanship, the governor is showcasing her failure to work across the aisle.

Sen. Shope spoke too soon.

Hobbs did unite both parties this week  in opposition to her veto of House Bill 2509.

Nicknamed the tamale bill, it would have allowed home chefs to sell their food, including the Arizona staple of Christmas tamales.

I didnt realize selling that husk-wrapped goodness was illegal, and confess to violating that law again and again.

Hobbs can veto gun legislation all she wants, but Arizonan politicians mess with Sonoran cuisine at their peril.

Jon Gabriel, a Mesa resident, is editor-in-chief of Ricochet.com and a contributor to The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. On Twitter: @exjon.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Gov. Katie Hobbs' do-nothing-but-veto approach only hurts Arizona
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced he would request a Major Disaster Declaration for Broward County to support recovery efforts in Southeast Florida communities impacted by unprecedented flooding.

A Major Disaster Declaration, if granted, could provide federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure damaged by the floods.

On Monday, Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie requested Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) teams to go in person to Broward County.

State and federal teams have been in the area conducting damage assessments since Wednesday. The goal is to complete physical examinations this weekend. So far, crews have assessed over 1,300 homes and identified over 1,000 with significant damage.

Read: Florida Dept. of Health issues swimming advisory for Cocoa Beach Pier due to fecal bacteria

Gov. DeSantis also activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program to support businesses impacted by flooding in southeast Florida.

The program will grant $5 million to support businesses in Broward County, including sole proprietors.

Floridas small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to visit this website to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.

Read: Heres why historic downpour in Fort Lauderdale just wouldnt stop

On April 12, the National Weather Service in Miami issued a Flash Flood Emergency for Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood.

Flash Flood Emergency continues for Fort Lauderdale FL, Sunrise FL and Lauderhill FL until 2:00 AM EDT pic.twitter.com/2ibEo2PHO4  NWS Miami (@NWSMiami) April 13, 2023

In addition to the flooding, the National Weather Service in Miami confirmed areas of damage were consistent with two EF-0 tornadoes in Broward County. One tornado in Dania Beach produced metal siding and roof damage through a mobile home park. The second tornado caused tree damage near West Hollywood.

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On April 13, less than 24 hours after the flooding began, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 23-65 declaring a State of Emergency in Broward County.

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) has been helping the areas impacted with state resources, including 1 million gallons of fuel, in response to fuel distribution delays.









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.
Today, Governor Ron DeSantis announced he will request a Major Disaster Declaration for Broward County due to the catastrophic impacts of unprecedented flooding in Southeast Florida. If granted by the White House, a Major Disaster Declaration will provide a wide range of federal assistance programs for individuals and public infrastructure damaged by the floods.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

On Monday, April 17 Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie requested Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) teams deploy to Broward County for in-person PDAs. Joint State & Federal Teams have been in the field conducting damage assessments in impacted flood areas since Wednesday, April 19 and are estimated to complete physical assessments this weekend. In less than three days, teams have assessed over 1,300 homes and identified over 1,000 with major damages.

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In response to the significant flooding in southeast Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has also activated the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, making $5 million available for businesses impacted by flooding in Southeast Florida.

Businesses in Broward County, including sole proprietors, are eligible to apply. Floridas small business owners in need of assistance are encouraged to visit FloridaJobs.org/EBL to apply for the Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program.

On April 13, less than 24 hours after flooding began, Governor Ron DeSantis issued Executive Order 23-65 declaring a State of Emergency in Broward County. The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) remains in communication with areas impacted by devastating flooding and continues to deploy state resources and assistance as requested, including 1-million gallons of fuel in response to fuel distribution delays.

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On Wednesday, April 12, the National Weather Service in Miami issued a Flash Flood Emergency for the areas of Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood. The heaviest rainfall was observed in Broward County, with 25.91 inches of rain measured at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. In addition to the extensive flooding, the National Weather Service in Miami confirmed areas of damage were consistent with two EF-0 tornadoes in Broward County. One tornado in Dania Beach produced metal siding and roof damage through a mobile home park, and the second tornado caused tree damage near West Hollywood

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.
(Bloomberg) -- Greeces Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed a general vote on May 21, completing the formal process to call for an election that will take place in the aftermath of a deadly train crash which has shaken the country.

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The country is today very close to recovering its investment grade, a development that will mean lower borrowing costs for the state, businesses and households, the premier said Saturday. This national goal, combined with the need for a strong representation of the country internationally, impose political stability over a four-year horizon, Mitsotakis said.

The government has in practice completed its term, Mitsotakis said during a meeting with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou in Athens, completing the formal constitutional process to officially begin the campaign period. I have the pleasure to hand you the cabinet meetings decision according to which we recommend the dissolution of parliament and the holding of elections on May 21.

The announcement was made when the Greek parliament was already closed for the Orthodox Easter holidays, meaning that it will remain closed until the vote. Parliamentary activity will also be halted following the vote during the time given for the parties to try to form a government.

The popularity of Mitsotakiss center-right New Democracy party has declined in polls after the deadliest train crash in Greeces history late on Feb. 28, but the party is still leading over the leftist Syriza party of former premier Alexis Tsipras.

Following a change to the electoral law introduced by Tsipras, the May general election will take place under a full proportional representation system that makes it almost impossible to have a one-party government, making a second round of voting likely in the event that political parties will not be able to form a coalition government.

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In this case, Greeks will be called to vote again about a month after the first ballot and the second elections will be held using a semi-proportional system introduced by Mitsotakis that will make it easier to put together an administration.

--With assistance from Sotiris Nikas.

(Updates with Mitsotakiss quote from second paragraph.)

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Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called for the dissolution of parliament on Saturday, kicking off the countdown to general elections set for May 21.

Mitsotakis, whose four-year term would have ended in July and holds a slim lead in polls, is seeking re-election on pledges of safety improvements after the nation's worst rail disaster, and strengthening the economy.

He met with President Katerina Sakellaropoulou to submit the proposal from cabinet, with a signed presidential decree expected later in the day.

"The government has practically exhausted its term of office. I hope we have a fruitful debate free from toxicity," Mitsotakis said in a statement calling for widespread participation in the coming elections.

"I especially call on young people who must be involved in decisions about their future," he added.

Later, in televised statement, Mitsotakis added that "the country needs political stability to... regain investment grade status meaning cheaper borrowing for the country but also for businesses and households".

- Narrow lead -

Credit rating agency Standard and Poors refrained from granting investment grade to Greece's economy on Friday, affirming its rating at "BB+" that is one notch below investment grade, attributed to the uncertainty of the upcoming general election.

The latest polls have shown the prime minister's conservative New Democracy party holding a slim lead of around four points over the leftist Syriza party of former premier Alexis Tsipras.

The ruling party has been embroiled by a wiretap scandal which erupted last year when the head of the Greek socialist party was revealed to have been spied on by state intelligence.

The head of Greece's intelligence agency resigned over the scandal, as did a senior prime ministerial aide who is Mitsotakis' nephew.

Members of the prime minister's own cabinet, prominent businessmen and journalists were also under surveillance in a separate operation involving illegal spying software called Predator, according to reports.

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Mitsotakis has called the reports "an incredible lie" and in January survived a no-confidence vote on the scandal.

The May 21 ballot will be held under a proportional representation system that most analysts believe is unlikely to produce a clear winner.

If needed, follow-up polls will be held by early July at the latest, Mitsotakis said Tuesday.

A new law would apply to a July ballot, giving the winning party between 20 and 50 additional seats in parliament, depending on its final result.

kan/gw
ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece's president approved a request by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Saturday to dissolve parliament and hold elections on May 21, as the country gears for a vote that is unlikely to produce an outright winner.

Mitsotakis announced the election date during a cabinet meeting in late March, a few months before his term officially ends in July. On Saturday, he told President Katerina Sakellaropoulou that parliament will be dissolved on April 23.

"I hope we have a calm and fruitful pre-election period, for the good of the country," Sakellaropoulou told the conservative premier, kicking off a four-week political campaigning period.

The election will be held under a proportional voting system and opinion polls show neither Mitsotakis' New Democracy party nor the main opposition, the leftist Syriza party, are likely to secure the votes needed for an absolute parliamentary majority.

Mitsotakis said that he hoped for full participation in the election.

If the parties elected cannot form a coalition government, a second vote will be held in early July.

(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Mark Heinrich)
The silencing of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) after she called Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas a liar in a hearing has led to a pledge for a more civil House Homeland Security Committee going forward  a standard lawmakers may struggle to meet as they gear up for the secretarys impeachment.

When Mayorkas appeared before Congress this week, Chair Mark Green (R-Tenn.) accused him of intentional disruption at the border and said his answers to prior questions show incompetence. Rep. Clay Higgins told Mayorkas it was shameful what you brought upon our country. Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) accused him of being smug.

Numerous lawmakers accused him of lying before Congress  an argument both Mayorkas and Democrats refute.

But while others accused Mayorkas of being dishonest, Greene on Wednesday explicitly labeled him a liar, something Green determined violated House rules on impugning someones character.

A hearing that began with a fiery opening statement from Green ended with a call to dial the rhetoric down in the country and apparently in the committee.

We dont have to despise someone because they disagree with us. We dont have to disparage someone because they disagree with us, he said in closing the hearing.

It was a commitment he made after a sidebar with ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who repeatedly described the panels discourse that day as unbecoming for a committee with such a serious jurisdiction.

Whether that moment can be met already appears in doubt for a committee that contains many members eager to impeach Mayorkas  a process that involves holding him personally responsible for the Biden administrations approach to the border.

Green was chastised early in the meeting by Democrats, who pointed to a story in The New York Times reporting he told donors to get the popcorn ready ahead of Wednesdays hearing.

And Republicans on the panel have offered mixed assessments of whether they believe the tone of the hearing was inappropriate.

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Greene called the decision to silence her for the rest of the hearing unfair, noting that numerous Republican speakers before her accused Mayorkas of lying to Congress, even if they did not label him as a liar directly.

These are all impugning his character also, which is what they claimed were the rules. I think silencing me was extremely unfair. And I think it showed weakness from Republicans on the committee, she said.

Rep. Dan Bishop (R-N.C.) said calling someone a liar is poor form, but that doing so is justified in regards to Mayorkas.

They have been provoked to engage with Secretary Mayorkas in very severe terms, he said of some of his colleagues. And theres a reason for it.

Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-Okla.), however, suggested the committee members take a softer approach in their language if not in their stance, pointing to specific passages from the Bible that guide him.

We can be unwavering without compromise, and also be gentle and reasonable. And so it hangs on my wall. Its hidden in my heart. And thats who I want to be as a legislator, he said, pointing to James 3:17.

I can disagree with someone and disagree with them heartily. And thats what makes our nation great is we have raucous debates, right? But I also want people to know that I love them and that the way I behold them in my subconscious is not through hatred, it is through love towards them as an individual whos made in the image of God.

Mayorkas is no stranger to heated rhetoric. At one point last year during an appearance before the House Judiciary Committee, one lawmaker compared him to Benedict Arnold, suggesting he was a traitor to the country. And numerous senators this week likewise attacked his character, with Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) asking whether he had an ounce of human compassion about the situation at the border.

At an event Friday, Mayorkas lamented the approach of lawmakers who criticize his character.

They are not easy to listen to, he said of the insults. They also have ramifications that I wish individuals in positions of leadership would consider.

I am fundamentally  fundamentally though  Im impervious to them. Because I may make some mistakes. My decisions may be mistaken. Some may disagree with them, but I have 100 percent confidence in the integrity of my decision, Mayorkas said in response to a question from The Hill during an event at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Several Democrats, meanwhile, have sought to dismiss the budding impeachment argument from the GOP.

They can disagree with him on policy, but that is not a high crime and misdemeanor, nor does it in any way violate the Constitution and has no grounds for impeachment, Rep. Daniel Goldman (D-N.Y.) said.

Rep. Robert Garcia (D-Calif.) said while many colleagues offered similar remarks to Greene, her comments have received the most attention, undercutting the effort to focus on Mayorkas.

I think most of the Republicans are saying the same thing. I think most Republicans were calling [the] secretary names, belittling him and not allowing him to speak, insinuating that he was lying  all things which are false, Garcia told The Hill.

Republicans are focused  and they were clear  even in the chairmans comments at the fundraiser that he had, that he expected today to be a circus, he expected today to be kind of a made-for-TV event, which is how they planned it. And I think it backfired on them, he said Wednesday.

Green has said he was misquoted in the Times article, though he did not specify how, and noted the impeachment process will ultimately fall to the House Judiciary Committee.

The nearly 20-minute delay in challenging Greenes comments was a source of embarrassment for some on the committee. Thompson warned the division on display is poor signaling to adversaries who keep tabs on internal dynamics in the U.S.

Our charge as a committee is to keep the homeland safe from foreign as well as domestic terrorists, he said.

And if they see a committee tasked with that responsibility acting like we did today, youre saying, Well, look, we dont have to worry anymore since its going off the rails.

Green told The Hill that going forward committee members need to just attack the problem. You dont attack the person.

But he sees the issue as one on both sides of the aisle, adding that There better not be any of either side breaking the rules of decorum, in a nod to a sign brought by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.) criticizing Greenes effort to defund the FBI.

Greene made a similar argument, saying Thompson chaired a committee that impugned her character.

Bennie Thompson has used his position, especially his chairmanship on the Jan. 6 committee, to literally call Republicans names every single day impugning our character, me specifically, she said, adding that Democrats have called her an insurrectionist.

Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) said he appreciated the efforts at the end of the hearing to rein it back in, but said whether Green can ultimately do so remains to be seen.

It varies from different Republican members. I think for some of them, this is the raison detre. Theyre going for more quotes, more tweets, more sales, more dollars raised on the internet. Theyre not going to change, he said.

The chairman and some of the other members, I hope that they will step back from that precipice and we can actually get back to doing some reasonable work.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
COLOMBO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan police on Saturday arrested a 21-year-old man who allegedly provided false information about an impending bomb attack in Akurana, a predominantly Muslim area in the South Asian country.

According to a statement released by the police, the suspect called the online emergency complaint system on April 19 and anonymously provided false information about a bomb threat to mosques in Akurana during Muslim devotees' prayers in the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.

Based on the information, special police teams were deployed to Akurana to beef up security in the area.

The false tip-off has raised concerns over security during the Eid al-Fitr festival, and the police have assured the public that steps have been taken to enhance security at all Muslim mosques that will hold ceremonies for the festival in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan security forces increase security measures at religious establishments during all major religious festivals following the Easter Sunday attacks in April 2019 in which over 260 people were killed. 
Guo Wengui, a Chinese billionaire and associate of Steve Bannon, was denied bail on Thursday after being charged in a $1 billion fraud case in March.

U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres rejected Guos proposed bail package, saying he must remain behind bars pending trial because there is no condition or set of conditions that would ensure his return to court or the safety of the community, according to the court order.

Torres said Guo has means and know-how to flee. While law enforcement officials have confiscated two passports and copies of another passport from Guo, the judge said a clever defendant with sufficient resources could figure out a way to leave the country without travel documents.

It was on Guo's yacht that Bannon, the former chief White House strategist and adviser to former President Donald Trump, was arrested in a fraud case in 2020. Trump pardoned Bannon in 2021.

In hopes of obtaining bail, Guos lawyer, Stephen Cook, said in a court filing that Guo would remain in the country if he was released on bond, because the risk to his life is simply too great for him to leave.

Guo has pleaded not guilty. Cook did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Guo is an exiled Chinese businessman and has lived in the United States since around 2015. He was arrested and charged by federal authorities in New York in March for allegedly orchestrating a complex conspiracy to defraud thousands of his online followers out of more than $1 billion.

Prosecutors allege that Guo promised his followers outsized financial returns and other benefits. Guo then misappropriated hundreds of millions of dollars of the fraudulently obtained funds, which went towards his lavish lifestyle.

Kwok is charged with lining his pockets with the money he stole, including buying himself, and his close relatives, a 50,000 square foot mansion, a $3.5 million Ferrari, and even two $36,000 mattresses, and financing a $37 million luxury yacht, prosecutors said.

Story continues

The judge on Thursday also said Guos proposed bail package  which amounted to a $25 million bond, $5 million which would be secured by cash or real estate  was insufficient, noting he filed for bankruptcy and claimed to only have $10,000 in assets.

Even though Guo offered his bond to be signed by two adults, including a relative, Torres said in the order that several of his family members have been accused of being recipients of fraud proceeds. Torres said Guo hasnt identified a co-signer  with a sufficient net worth and ties to the U.S.  who would have a moral suasion over him.

Meanwhile, the judge said GPS monitoring for Guo would be inadequate, because ankle monitors can be removed and ensure only a reduced head start should a defendant decide to flee. Torres also nixed his suggestion of using private security, citing that its not as reliable as a federal jail.

Further, Defendants past obstructive conduct in civil litigation, in his bankruptcy proceeding, and in this case, as well as his actions following the SEC order and the seizure of funds, demonstrate that the Court does not have reasonable assurance that Defendant will abide by any conditions of pretrial release, she added.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The trial of a Marine drill instructor charged with negligent homicide in recruit Dalton Beals death has been delayed by nearly two months, according to the Marine Corps Times.

The delay will give lawyers more time to review new evidence discovered by a second autopsy. According to the newspaper, Beals second autopsy determined he died of heart problems. This contradicts the first autopsy, which said he died of hyperthermia, caused by overheating.

The prosecution also requested a delay to work through potential evidence from a new Naval Safety Center investigation into Beals death. This investigation is different from Command Investigation and Line of Duty Determination report obtained by the Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette previously.

Beals died June 4, 2021, during the Crucible, a rite-of-passage held during week 10 of recruit training at Parris Island, when recruits march 48 miles over 54 hours carrying up to 45 pounds of gear through 36 stations and problem-solving exercises.

In November, Staff Sgt. Steven Smiley was charged with negligent homicide in addition to dereliction of duty resulting in death; cruelty, oppression, or maltreatment of subordinates; and obstruction of justice.

Dalton Beals

Smileys three-week trial before a general court-martial had tentatively been scheduled to start April 24, Marine spokesman Maj. Philip Kulczewski told the Marine Corps Times.

But on March 24, the prosecution filed a motion, obtained by Marine Corps Times, asking the judge to delay the trial because of a Naval Safety Center investigation into Beals death, in addition to the second autopsy results.

Dalton Beals graduated from high school in 2020.

The newspaper said the Naval Safety Center informed the prosecution of the investigation on Feb. 1, causing the prosecution to request additional time to work through the new potential evidence.

The Marine Corps Times said that on April 6, the military judge ordered the trials start date to be delayed by eight weeks, to June 19, according to Marine spokesman Maj. Philip Kulczewski. He told the newspaper the date could still change.
(Bloomberg) -- Hungarys president rejected a bill that would enable citizens to report anonymously same-sex families to authorities, a rare rebuke from an otherwise loyal ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

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The draft law approved by parliament earlier this month would allow people to report those who contest the constitutionally recognized role of marriage and the family and those who deny childrens rights to an identity appropriate to their sex at birth.

President Katalin Novak sent the bill back to parliament for reconsideration, saying that it weakens rather than strengthens constitutional protections. The legislation contains passages that are irrelevant to the original purpose of facilitating the reporting of corruption in line with European Union law, according to Novaks letter dated Friday.

While lawmakers can still override Novaks veto, her letter contains unusually sharp criticism from a member of Orbans self-styled illiberal leadership.

Orbans government has curbed the rights of the countrys LGBTQ community and effectively barred adoption for same-sex couples. That was one of the reasons why Hungary was cut off from European Union funding.

Novak said the bill cites the protection of constitutional values to introduce vaguely-worded directives whose practical applicability and legal consequences are doubtful, according to her letter.

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By Zahra Matarani and Hasnoor Hussain

JAKARTA (Reuters) - Muslims in Indonesia and Malaysia gathered in large groups to usher in the Eid al-Fitr festival on Saturday, relieved to be able to celebrate freely after the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions.

In Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, hundreds of worshippers turned up for morning prayers at the historic port of Sunda Kelapa in North Jakarta to mark the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.

"I'm very happy that we're free (of COVID curbs) now," said Laila, 35, who goes by one name like many Indonesians.

Another worshipper, 30-year old Adit Chandra, said: "I hope it gets better from here on, and that we can gather together with our families after the last three years of not being able to go back to our hometown".

Chandra is among the more than 120 million Indonesians - nearly half the country's population - who plan to travel from major urban centres to their hometowns for Eid al-Fitr.

That is about 44% more than the number of people who made the exodus last year, the government said.

In neighbouring Muslim-majority Malaysia, devotees also celebrated with families.

"We can visit the extended family, and do so without suspicious feelings ... during the pandemic we were cautious," said Khairul Soryati, a 39-year-old resident of Kuala Lumpur.

Muhd Nur Afham, 31, who works in Singapore said he could finally celebrate with the family in Malaysia this year after not being able to travel during the pandemic.

"I'm grateful I can meet with my families ... last time we only met through video call," he said.

Authorities in both countries have, however, urged the public to remain cautious amid reports of rising COVID cases.

(Additional reporting by Johan Purnomo; Writing by Stefanno Sulaiman; Editing by Himani Sarkar)
Earth Day is one of the most popular and widespread non-religious holidays in the world, recognized in over 100 nations across continents.

Although the event was primarily based in the United States, by 2009, the coordinators for Earth Day helped gain recognition from the United Nations and other countries around the world.

Additionally, Earth Day has played a key role in passing essential environmental protection laws that protect wildlife, such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, APRIL 22, 1970, FIRST EARTH DAY IS CELEBRATED: RARE POLITICAL ALIGNMENT

Read below to find out who created the day and what inspired it.

The founder of Earth Day was Democratic Wisconsin Sen. Gaylord Nelson, who was inspired to create the global observance after one of the worst ecological disasters in U.S. history.

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In January 1969, an oil well off the coast of California near Santa Barbara exploded more than 3 million gallons of oil into the Pacific Ocean.

The disaster killed over 10,000 dolphins, seals, sea lions and seabirds, leading to an outcry from environmental activists.

The first Earth Day celebration in April 1970 became the largest protest in human history with over 20 million participants.

Nelson decided to inspect the damage caused by the 6-mile oil platform via an airplane, where he saw the extent of the harm done to the environment and sea life.

After inspecting the ocean, Nelson worked with environmental activists to organize and create the first Earth Day celebration.

Nelson and others wanted to educate Americans about our impact on the Earth's environment and pass new environmental regulations.

EARTH DAY AT 50: ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES FACE NEW OBSTACLES

Many high-profile activists supported Nelson's decision to create the observance, such as Marc McGinnes and Selma Rubin. Aside from Nelson, the January 1969 oil disaster shocked the nation and led to the passage of further government oversight over the oil industry to ensure that future disasters on that scale would not happen again in the country.

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The outcry and celebration of Earth Day inspired the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Nelson worked with a young activist named Dennis Hayes to coordinate the first Earth Day primarily in the United States through a series of teach-ins, protests and marches all across the country.

Nelson decided to hold the first Earth Day on April 22 because it fell between the spring break period for most college students. He wanted to attract as many young people as possible to support the event.

The first Earth Day celebrations in 1970 helped lead to new environmental protections and laws.

The organizers of the first Earth Day were soon able to grow the event to expand nationwide and lead to the biggest protest in recorded human history, with more than 20 million people taking to the streets to protest for environmental justice and other issues that were popular at the time.

Labor unions and anti-war activists were huge allies in the celebration and protests during Earth Day 1970.

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On April 22, 1970, over 10,000 public schools and 2,000 colleges and universities participated in the first Earth Day celebration.

The enthusiasm and support for young people were crucial and led to new environmental safety regulations and agencies. In total, approximately 10% of the population of the U.S. took part in the first Earth Day.

Earth Day is recognized across the world by over 140 nations and is celebrated by over a billion people every year.

In the United States alone, over 95% of all primary and secondary education facilities take part in observing the holiday annually.

The Clean Water Act and the Environmental Protection Agency were put in place as a result of Earth Day.

The popularity and widespread celebration of Earth Day have made it the popular secular observance in the world and has inspired conservation efforts for the environment and wildlife in various countries.
When Credit Suisse unveils what are likely its final quarterly results Monday, investors will be seeking clues to the magnitude of the challenges awaiting UBS, after it was strongarmed into taking over its stricken rival.

Credit Suisse pushed forward its result release to come out the day before those of UBS, as Switzerland's largest bank prepares to swallow its long-time main domestic rival.

The results, which will be presented in a statement without the usual accompanying press conference and analyst discussion, will be closely studied for the mass withdrawals that took place as panic engulfed the bank last month, prior to the hastily arranged takeover.

Absorbing Credit Suisse will be a complex task, and "we won't have all the answers we need," Swissquote analyst Ipek Ozkardeskaya told AFP, pointing out that "the merger is fresh and (even) UBS didn't have enough time to dive in Credit Suisse's business".

The answers to the many remaining questions around the depth of crises dogging Credit Suisse will arrive "gradually", the analyst said, adding that she expected UBS over time "to take control of the situation and structure the bank in a healthy way."

- 'Very weak' -

Credit Suisse had suffered a string of scandals over several years, and after three US regional banks collapsed in March unleashing market panic, it was left looking like the weakest link in the chain.

Over the course of a nerve-wracking weekend, Swiss authorities organised an emergency rescue, pressuring UBS to agree to a $3.25-billion mega merger on the evening of March 19.

Justifying the move to parliament earlier this month, Swiss President Alain Berset said that "without intervention, Credit Suisse would have found itself, in all likelihood, in default on March 20 or 21".

Monday's quarterly report will likely be Credit Suisse's last one, depending on how quickly the UBS deal closes, Vontobel analyst Andreas Venditti said in a research note.

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He predicted that once released, "the market will focus on the magnitude of outflows across businesses".

Some numbers are already circulating.

According to data compiled by US financial services firm Morningstar, the bank saw around 4.6 billion euros ($5.1 billion) withdrawn from funds during the month of March alone, marking the biggest monthly outflow on record.

Venditti said he expected Credit Suisse's first quarter report to "reveal very weak underlying results".

He estimated that the bank would post a net loss of around 700 million Swiss francs ($784 million), with an 800-million-franc gain from the sale of its Securitised Products Group helping it avoid falling far deeper in the red.

- UBS results 'a sideshow' -

In 2022, the bank suffered a 7.3-billion-franc loss, with 110.5 billion francs in outflows in the final quarter alone.

That stood in stark contrast to the $7.6 billion profit raked in by UBS last year.

Venditti said he expected UBS on Tuesday to post a first quarter profit of nearly $1.7 billion, below the $2.1 billion it made during the same quarter a year ago.

He said he expected a poorer performance primarily due to "lower recurring fee income", but said that would be "partially offset by higher net interest income" amid higher rates.

But investors will be most "interested in receiving additional details of the CS deal," Venditti said, adding though that "we do not expect much additional information, given that the transaction has not closed yet."

Analysts with the Zurich Cantonal Bank (ZKB) also acknowledged that UBS's results would be "a sideshow", with all eyes on "the uncertainties surrounding the planned merger with Credit Suisse".

noo/nl/gw-jj
"Pages of history" features excerpts from The News Journal archives including The Morning News and the Evening Journal.

April 24, 1975, The Morning News

Senate OKs aid, troops to help evacuation from Vietnam

The Senate yesterday overwhelmingly approved $250 million in humanitarian aid and funds to evacuate endangered Americans and Vietnamese from South Vietnam, with authority for the president to use the armed forces if necessary to take people out.

In the House, a corresponding $327 million measure was in fierce dispute and was debated late into the night. Both bills reached the floor exactly 13 days after President Fords urgent request for $250 million in humanitarian aid and $722 million in emergency military aid to shore up the crumbling South Vietnamese army.

Front page of The Morning News from April 24, 1975.

The Senate billalso permits the president to use U.S. armed forces if necessary to take the people out, but they can only be used for evacuation of endangered south Vietnamese incidentally to rescue operations for Americans.

President Ford declared last night that the Indochina war was over for the United States, and he called on Americans to write a new agenda for the future.

The president told an audience of Tulane University students that he was saddened by the events in Indochina, but they do not portend the end of the world nor the end of Americas leadership in the world.

In a prepared speech that a White House spokesman billed as the first of the post-Vietnam era, the president said that America can again regain the sense of pride that existed before Vietnam.

But it cannot be achieved by refighting a war that is finished  as far as America is concerned,

he said.

April 25, 1980, Evening Journal

Hostage rescue bid fails; 8 dead in Iran

U.S. military forces undertook a desperate raid to rescue American hostages in Tehran, Iran, but the mission collapsed in equipment failures on a remote desert airstrip far from its target, President Jimmy Carter said today.

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Eight U.S. servicemen died in a collision of retreating aircraft.

Front page of the Evening Journal from April 25, 1980.

Carter, on television, somberly told an awakening nation that there was no clash with Iranian forces and no evidence Iran knew of the mission until after it was over and U.S. forces were withdrawn.

Defense Secretary Harold Brown said the mission was called off when three of the eight rescue helicopters had difficulties.

Recent world news involving Delawareans: With bombs dropping nearby, these Delaware parents faced a choice: Stay or leave Ukraine?

The secretary said that, in the withdrawal, a helicopter and a transport plane collided, killing the eight servicemen and burning four others.

Iranian radio said the militants holding 50 Americans hostage in Tehran were meeting to discuss their response to the rescue mission.

State Department officer Mark Johnson said nothing had been heard from the militants occupying the U.S. Embassy who have repeatedly threatened to kill the American hostages if even the smallest military action were taken.

In his remarks, Carter emphasized that the rescue effort was a humanitarian mission. It was not directed against Iran.

Catch up on history: The News Journal archives, week of March 13

April 27, 1973, The Morning News

FBI chief linked to burning of files in Watergate probe

L. Patrick Gray III, acting director of the FBI, has told friends that he destroyed documents taken from a central figure in the Watergate case after it was suggested at a White House meeting that the papers should never see the light of day.

The front page of The Morning News from April 27, 1973.

Gray, who has been notified that he can expect to appear before a federal grand jury, has said he placed in his FBI burn bag files handed to him at a session June 23 with John D. Ehrlichman, assistant to the President for domestic affairs, and John W. Dean III, counsel to the President.

The files had been obtained from E. Howard Hunt Jr., a former consultant to the White House who was indicted for and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to spy on the Democratic opposition during last years campaign.

Five men had been arrested in the Watergate Hotel complex 11 days before the White House meeting. Their arrests led to the later implication of Hunt.

Gray, under close questioning by friends, has insisted that neither Dean nor Erhlichman informed him of what was in the Hunt files and that he destroyed them without examining their contents.

April 29, 1986, The Morning News

Soviet nuclear reactor leaks; radiation spreads

The Soviet Union said Monday that a nuclear accident damaged an atomic reactor at the Chernobyl power plant in the Ukraine. Radiation reported up to 10 times above normal swept across Finland, Denmark and Sweden, more than 750 miles away.

Front page of The Morning News from April 29, 1986.

Budapest Radio in Hungary reported early today that there were injuries form the accident, and noted that the power plant was at the conjunction of two rivers, near the reservoir that supplies Kiev, a city of 2.4 million people and the capital of the Ukraine.

The official Soviet new agency, Tass, said only that people affected were being aided, but did not say whether there were injuries or deaths, when the accident happened, nor the exact location of the plant.

Reach reporter Ben Mace at rmace@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Iran hostage rescue fails, nuclear disaster: News Journal archives
Not even two years have passed since President Biden's fumbled military withdrawal from Afghanistan, and already Islamic State terrorists are using the country to plot attacks across Europe and Asia. Islamic State Khorasan Province is also conducting "aspirational plotting" against the United States, according to leaked Pentagon documents reported by The Washington Post.

The leaked classified intelligence was found on the Discord social media platform, where suspected leaker Massachusetts Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira allegedly posted sensitive information online for more than a year. The Washington Post reports that documents from those leaks show that U.S. intelligence was aware of ISIS-K plots targeting embassies, churches, business centers and the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, which attracted a crowd of more than two million people last fall in Qatar.

"Pentagon officials were aware in December of nine such plots coordinated by ISIS leaders in Afghanistan, and the number rose to 15 by February, says the assessment, which has not been disclosed previously," the newspaper reported. The assessment is reportedly labeled top-secret and bears the logos of several Department of Defense organizations.

"ISIS has been developing a cost-effective model for external operations that relies on resources from outside Afghanistan, operatives in target countries, and extensive facilitation networks," the assessment reads, according to The Washington Post. "The model will likely enable ISIS to overcome obstacles  such as competent security services  and reduce some plot timelines, minimizing disruption opportunities."

AFGHANISTAN ONCE AGAIN TERRORIST SAFE HAVEN AS US OVER THE HORIZON CAPABILITY FACES LIMITATIONS: EXPERT

A faction of the Islamic State terror group known as ISIS-K operates in the Khorasan Province of Afghanistan.

More classified intelligence reports leaked on Discord show that Islamic State terrorists in other parts of the world are seeking to obtain expertise to create chemical weapons and operating drone aircraft. They also reveal "a plot in which the groups supporters would kidnap Iraqi diplomats in Belgium or France in a bid to secure the release of 4,000 imprisoned militants," according to the Washington Post.

Story continues

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Fox News reached out to the Department of Defense to confirm details of The Washington Post's reporting. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The report comes months after Gen. Michael Kurilla, leader of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on ISIS-K's operations in Afghanistan.

AFGHAN TALIBAN RAID KILLS 6 MEMBERS OF ISLAMIC STATE GROUP

Selfie of Jack Teixeira, the 21-year-old National Guard Airman accused of leaking classified information. A classified intelligence assessment leaked online and reported by the Washington Post reveals that Afghanistan has become a hotbed of Islamic State terror plotting since American military withdrawal in 2021.

Kurilla told lawmakers that the Pentagon estimated ISIS-K would be ready to conduct "an external operation against U.S. or Western interests abroad in under six months with little-to-no warning."

"In a classified [hearing], I will talk about why I make that assessment. It is much harder for them to be able to do that against the homeland," the general added.

President Biden's handling of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 was widely criticized after the operation proved to be both deadly and chaotic.

AFGHANISTAN IG REPORT HAMMERS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION FOR DYSFUNCTION DAYS AFTER WHITE HOUSE BLAMES TRUMP

Thirteen U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing while protecting the evacuation at the Kabul airport. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of Afghans surged to the airport seeking to escape the Taliban, with some even clinging to U.S. transport planes as they took off.

House Republicans have launched several investigations into the Biden administration's actions, calling the episode a "stunning failure" of leadership.

Earlier this month, the White House released its own assessment of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, which mostly blamed former President Trump's administration.

"President Bidens choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor," the White House review said.

Fox News' Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
Yevgeny Prigozhin's calls for the Kremlin to end the so-called "Special Military Operation" [the term war is prohibited in Russia  ed.] and focus on consolidating Russian forces in the occupied territories may indicate that the founder of the Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) has found allies in the Russian Ministry of Defence who support a temporary freeze on the war in Ukraine.

Source: Report from the Institute for the Study of War

Details: ISW analysts note that in early April, Prigozhin publicly resumed cooperation with the Russian Defence Ministry and appears to have regained some of the privileges granted by the Kremlin after months of feuding with the Russian military command.

The institute believes that Prigozhin's cooperation with the Russian Defence Ministry indicates that the head of Wagner has probably reached an agreement with the Russian military command, offering Putin a proposal for a temporary ceasefire. In this way, the report says, Prigozhin wants to regain the ability to build up his forces and expand his political prospects ahead of the parliamentary and presidential elections in Russia.

The institute noted that Prigozhin has also previously criticised Putin's maximalist goals for the war in Ukraine and made pessimistic predictions about how long it would take Russia to capture Donbas. These statements, ISW suggested, are likely part of the ceasefire narrative.

The institute's analysts also noted that the club of "Angry Patriots," one of whose leaders is Igor Girkin, recently accused Prigozhin of supporting efforts to freeze the war in Ukraine.

"This accusation may also indicate that Prigozhin has found a patron  possibly affiliated with the Russian MoD  who supports the temporary freeze of the war in Ukraine for political reasons," the report states.

"A temporary ceasefire in Ukraine and protraction of the war will only benefit Russia by allowing it to reconstitute its forces and wear down Western support for Ukraine. Russia will use occupied territories in Ukraine as a springboard for future offensive operations after it restores its combat capabilities," summed up ISW.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is getting dragged into the escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing as she tries to disentangle Italy from its close relationship with China.

Most Read from Bloomberg

Meloni, the right-wing leader who came to power less than a year ago, is leaning toward pulling out of an agreement to join Chinas controversial Belt and Road Initiative, which has funded $900 billion in infrastructure projects globally, according to people familiar with the governments thinking. Italian officials raised the prospect of withdrawal in talks with Taiwan this week, Bloomberg reported.

Italys hawkish turn complicates Chinese President Xi Jinpings effort to drive a wedge between European countries eager to retain economic relations with Beijing, and the US which is implementing increasingly confrontational policies. This puts Italy and the European Union in a delicate position between the two superpowers.

Italy is Stuck

Italy is stuck between a rock and a hard place, and what to do with the cooperation pact is a real diplomatic conundrum for Meloni, Francesca Ghiretti, an analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies research firm, said in an interview. Renewing it would send a very difficult message to Washington, but not renewing it would put a strain in relations with China.

With US-China relations deteriorating, Beijing is looking to prevent Europe from following Washington, particularly on measures like export controls of key technologies. The EU is struggling to balance a desire to engage with China on trade and investment with resisting economic coercion.

Underscoring the EUs difficulties, a push by French President Emmanuel Macron to recruit Chinas help for possible talks between Russia and Ukraine drew criticism from some allies who think such an effort is premature and fear it could undermine European unity.

Story continues

Italys dilemma on Belt and Road is starting to draw the US governments attention, said the people who spoke on the condition of anonymity. For Washington and other capitals, its a sign of Melonis capacity to turn her staunch pro-US rhetoric into facts.

In a speech in Washington on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Biden administration was prepared to accept economic costs as it sought to protect US national security interests from threats posed by China.

Italy is the only Group of Seven country that signed up to the infrastructure plan. The deal agreed in 2019 under then-Premier Giuseppe Conte has not led to deeper integration between Italy and China compared to other EU nations. But the stakes in quitting are both economic and diplomatic, with the risk of Chinese retaliation.

Both China and Taiwan are key trading partners with Italy, which is the third largest importer of goods from China in the EU, and the fourth largest exporter of goods to the country which is a key export destination for luxury brands that are crucial for its industry.

Taiwan has planned to invest about $400 million in Italys chip industry, according to the Taipei Representative Office in Rome. On Friday, Industry Minister Adolfo Urso confirmed a Bloomberg report that his officials discussed plans to increase cooperation on semiconductors in private talks in Taipei. Urso said the mission was mostly technical, a sign that Italy is trying to keep the economic and diplomatic tracks as separate as possible.

On semiconductors, Italy has some strategic advantages compared to other EU countries, manufacturing capacity and research and developments, Vincent Tsai, head of Taipeis office in Rome, said in an interview.

Tsai, who was appointed in the role earlier this year, said that bilateral trade between the two countries rose by 13% last year, and there are plans to further boost it with the opening of a new representative office later this year in Milan, Italys business capital.

Meloni wanted to have an announcement on Italys stance on Belt and Road by Mays G-7 summit, but picking an option is proving harder than expected for her coalition, the people said. The administration is split, with Melonis Brothers of Italy party mostly favoring ditching the pact, and others pushing to keep it.

In another delay, Meloni has yet to officially respond to an invitation to Beijing from Xi, which had been tentatively scheduled for May, according to the people. The trip is on hold as Italy studies ways to simply not renew the Belt and Road deal, while limiting the impact on China ties.

At the moment, it seems the government is leaning toward not renewing the pact, but in this scenario it will be key to coordinate with the US and other allies to react to a possible response, Ghiretti said.

--With assistance from Alessandro Speciale and Thomas Hall.

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Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos (L) meets with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang in Manila, the Philippines on April 22, 2023. (Xinhua/Rouelle Umali)

MANILA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- China and the Philippines agreed on Saturday to further deepen friendship and promote cooperation between the two countries.

When meeting with visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Qin Gang, Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos said his country and China have maintained close exchanges and yielded fruitful results in cooperation.

The Taiwan question is China's internal affairs and the Philippines will continue adhering to the one-China policy as it has always done, he said, adding that his country will stick to strategic independence rather than take sides.

The Philippines is willing to strengthen communication, properly handle maritime issues and prevent them from disturbing overall relationship of the two countries, so as to safeguard the regional peace and prosperity.

For his part, Qin said mutual respect, friendship, keeping promises, trustworthiness, and mutually beneficial cooperation between the two countries are in the fundamental interests of both sides. Both experiences and lessons should be learned.

Both sides should further enhance communication, deepen mutual trust and overcome difficulties and disturbances, in order to create favorable conditions for cooperation and ensure sound and stable development of bilateral ties, he said.

Qin said the two countries should make joint efforts to become good neighbors, good relatives and good partners as envisioned during President Marcos' visit to China earlier this year.

The Chinese official wished the Philippine side could properly handle Taiwan-related and maritime issues based on regional peace and stability as well as the fundamental interests of both peoples.

He called on the Philippines to earnestly respond to China's legitimate concerns and respect China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity, as well as honor its commitment to upholding strategic independence rather than picking sides.

China proposes to further improve the liaison mechanism on maritime issues to properly manage the situation, Qin added. 
Update: The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office has announced that both children have been located and are safe.

Both children have been located and are safe.  Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) April 22, 2023

Original: The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is currently conducting a search for a missing 10-year-old and 15-year-old in the Southside of Jacksonville.

Zion Lionel was reported missing from the 3700 block of Belfort Road after leaving his residence on foot at around 12:00 p.m. He is believed to be in the company of fifteen-year-old Samuel Jordan, who has also been reported missing from the same location.

The authorities are asking for help in ensuring the safety of both children.

Zion Lionel is described as being male, 43 tall, and weighs 91lbs. He has brown eyes and black curly hair. Zion was last seen wearing a red shirt, blue jeans, a dark-colored jacket, and gray and navy sneakers.

Samuel Jordan is described as being male, 53 tall, and weighs 115 lbs. He has brown eyes and black hair. Samuel was last seen wearing a black shirt, black pants, and red slide-type shoes.

The authorities are urging anyone who may have seen Zion or Samuel or have any information that could assist in this search to immediately contact the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office at 904-630-0500.

The community is urged to remain vigilant and report any information that could be helpful in finding Zion and Samuel.

Missing Endangered Child

JSO is currently searching for a missing ten-year-old child on the Southside of Jacksonville. Zion Lionel, was reported missing from the 3700 block of Belfort Rd. He is a Bi-Racial male, 43/91lbs with Brown eyes /Black curly hair may with Samuel Jordan pic.twitter.com/eo2bevziHA  Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO) April 22, 2023

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Nathani Pelham, 40, faces a felony gun charge after he allegedly fired on police responding to a welfare check. Pelham was previously charged with four misdemeanors for entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Nathani Pelham, 40, faces a felony gun charge after he allegedly fired on police responding to a welfare check. Pelham was previously charged with four misdemeanors for entering the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

A Texas man facing multiple charges for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol now faces a felony after he allegedly opened fire on police who came to check on him before his scheduled surrender.

Nathan Pelham, 40, was charged on April 11 with four misdemeanors for allegedly entering the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot. The next day, Pelham told an FBI agent he would self-surrender the following Monday to face the charges.

That night, the Hunt County Sheriffs Office initiated a welfare check at Pelhams home in Greenville after a relative told authorities Pelham had a gun, the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Texas said on Thursday.

When local police arrived, the house was dark and deputies turned on their emergency lights. Pelhams daughter exited the home and was placed in a patrol car. Police could then hear gunshots coming from inside the house and took cover. More from the Northern District of Texas:

About an hour later, at approximately 9:38 p.m., Mr. Pelham  a previously convicted felon  walked onto the porch and allegedly fired towards several deputies, who could be heard on body-worn camera video noting bullets whiz by them. A deputy instructed Mr. Pelham to put his gun down, but he continued to wave it until re-entering his home. At 10:46 p.m., Mr. Pelham again exited the residence and fired multiple rounds.

Authorities were finally able to detain Pelham just after midnight. There were no injuries.

A search of Pelhams home turned up a Smith & Wesson 9mm pistol and four boxes of ammunition. Police also found several 9mm sized holes in the walls, according to the U.S. Attorneys statement.

Pelham, a previously convicted felon, was first investigated for his role in the Capitol attack when he attempted to enter Canada in March. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers searched Pelhams phone and found photos and video of Pelham near a door to the U.S. Capitol, according to a criminal complaint.

Story continues

Authorities noted that in at least one photo from the day of the attack, Pelham could be seen wearing a hat with a logo associated with the right-wing extremist gang the Proud Boys.

Pelham now faces a felony gun charge for firing at officers and up to 15 years in prison.

In text messages the day after the Capitol attack obtained by the FBI, Pelham reassured his wife he wouldnt get caught.

If you have a video of being inside, dont post it, his wife texted Pelham.

I know, Pelham responded, I am smart honey.

Related...
TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan's Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Saturday ordered the country's military to prepare to shoot down a North Korean spy satellite should it fall within Japan's territory.

Hamada ordered the Self-Defense Forces to make necessary preparations as he could potentially "order the destruction of ballistic missiles", the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Preparations included making arrangements to deploy troops to the southern prefecture of Okinawa to "minimise damage should a ballistic missile fall."

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said preparations for the planned launch of the country's first spy satellite should proceed to counter perceived threats from the United States and South Korea, state media reported on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Sakura Murakami; Editing by Kim Coghill and William Mallard)
Dozens of bawling Japanese babies faced off Saturday in a traditional "crying sumo" ritual believed to bring the infants good health, which returned for the first time in four years after the pandemic.

Pairs of toddlers wearing ceremonial sumo aprons were held up by their parents and faced each other in the sumo ring at Sensoji Temple in Tokyo.

Staff wearing "oni" demon masks tried to make the babies cry, with the first to bawl declared the winner by a sumo referee in an elaborate traditional uniform holding a wooden fan used to signal victory.

"We can tell a baby's health condition by listening to the way they cry. Today she may get nervous and not cry so much, but I want to hear her healthy crying," Hisae Watanabe, mother of an eight-month-old, told AFP.

The "crying sumo" is held at shrines and temples nationwide, to the delight of parents and onlookers.

Shigemi Fuji, chairman of Asakusa Tourism Federation which organised the event, said some people might think it's terrible they make babies cry.

"But in Japan, we believe babies who cry powerfully also grow up healthily. This

kind of event takes place in many places in Japan," he said.

A total of 64 babies participated in the ritual, according to the organiser.

The rules vary from region to region -- in some places parents want their offspring to be the first to cry, in others the first to weep is the loser.

oh-nf/mtp
Manhattan district attorney Alvin Bragg (D.) and House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan (R.) have reached a settlement agreement that will see Mark Pomerantz, a prosecutor who investigated Donald Trump, offer testimony early next month.

Once it became clear Trumps indictment for falsifying business records in connection with a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels was close, Jordan requested testimony from Braggs office for pursuing what he called a politically motivated prosecution. The Judiciary chairman doubled down by asking ex-prosecutors Carey Dunne and Mark Pomerantz to appear, arguing Congress had legitimate oversight purview over aspects of this local investigation. The Manhattan DAs office considered this a shocking overreach and filed a lawsuit against Jordan and his colleagues attempting to obstruct the congressional inquiry. After a district court judge cleared the way for Pomerantz to testify, the case was appealed to the Second Circuit.

This evening, the Manhattan District Attorneys Office withdrew its appeal in Bragg v. Jordan. Mr. Pomerantzs deposition will go forward on May 12, and we look forward to his appearance, a spokesperson for Jordan wrote on Friday.

Despite being unable to prevent Pomerantzs testimony, the Manhattan DAs office framed the agreement as a victory for their side.

Our successful stay of this subpoena blocked the immediate deposition and afforded us the time necessary to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that protects the District Attorneys privileges and interests, wrote a spokesperson for Bragg in a statement.

Pomerantz and Dunne were both ex-colleagues at the Manhattan DAs office who resigned in protest after Bragg initially expressed doubts about prosecuting Trump, suspending the investigation. Dunne and Pomerantz were tasked with leading the investigation into every aspect of Trumps finances.

In his letter demanding testimony from Pomerantz, Jordan pointed to the prosecutors recent book excoriating Bragg for not aggressively prosecuting President Trump. Jordan added that Bragg had been deeply stung by criticism from Pomerantz and Dunne.

Story continues

Pomerantz will be questioned by the committee alongside legal counsel from the DAs office.

More from National Review
NEW YORK (Reuters) - JPMorgan Chase & Co bankers continued to have meetings with the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein even after the bank decided to close his accounts in 2013, the Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The banker Justin Nelson had about a half-dozen meetings at Epstein's townhouse between 2014 and 2017, the newspaper said.

Bank employees also met with Epstein after his accounts were closed to discuss other clients and introductions he could make to potential clients, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the meetings.

Epstein, a well-connected money manager dogged for years by allegations that he sexually abused girls and young women, killed himself in a Manhattan jail cell in August 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

While still a client of JPMorgan, Epstein met in 2011 and 2013 with Mary Erdoes, who is now CEO of the bank's asset and wealth management unit, and in 2013 with John Duffy, who ran JPMorgan's U.S. private bank, the newspaper said.

JPMorgan has denied knowledge of Epstein's crimes and is suing former executive Jes Staley for misleading it about Epstein's conduct.

The interaction with Epstein was typical for a client of the private bank, a JPMorgan spokesman said after the article was published.

Erdoes' first meeting with Epstein involved settling a lawsuit he had filed against Bear Stearns, and any of the bank's meetings with Epstein after 2013 were requested by clients who used Epstein as an adviser, the spokesman said. JPMorgan bought Bear during the 2008 financial crisis.

Nelson declined to comment via the spokesman. Duffy and Staley's lawyers did not reply immediately to separate requests for comment.

JPMorgan is being sued in Manhattan federal court by women who said Epstein sexually abused them, and by the government of the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Epstein owned a private island.

JPMorgan did business with Epstein as early as 1998, and managed about 55 Epstein-related accounts worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Story continues

According to court papers, compliance staff and executives on several occasions flagged the risks of keeping Epstein as a client, including his alleged use of cash to pay for girls and young women to go to his homes.

Epstein was a client for about five years after he pleaded guilty in 2008 to a Florida state prostitution charge.

(Reporting by Tatiana Bautzer in New York; Editing by Lananh Nguyen and Rosalba O'Brien)
A former Paso Robles school board member appeared poised to regain his seat as special election results rolled in Friday.

As of the latest counts released Friday afternoon, Kenney Enney was leading in the race for a seat on the Paso Robles Joint Unified School Districts Board of Education by a margin of 1,060 votes, according to the San Luis Obispo County Clerk-Recorders Office and Monterey County elections office.

In the race to represent the Paso Robles district, which includes part of Monterey County, Enney had 54.42% of the vote, or 6,524 votes.

Opponent Angela Hollander had 5,464 votes, or 45.58% of the vote, the latest counts show.

The final count of San Luis Obispo County ballots will begin at 9 a.m. on May 3, according to the Clerk-Recorders Office. This will account for any mail-in ballots sent on or before Election Day.

It wasnt clear Friday afternoon when the Monterey County elections office was due to complete its ballot count.

The special election was held Tuesday after Enney, who was appointed to the school board in October, was ousted by a community-led petition in December.

Petitioners said Enney was an extremist candidate who held viewpoints that could result in discrimination against LGBTQ+ students.
Heavy fighting continued in Sudan for a sixth day on Friday, even as both the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) agreed to a brief three-day truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr.

More than 400 people have been killed and over 3,500 have been injured since fighting broke out last Saturday in the capital city of Khartoum and other sites across the country, according to the World Health Organization.

Heres what to know about the conflict:

Whos fighting who

After months of rising tensions, clashes erupted last weekend between the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary group RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Al-Burhan became the de-facto head of state of Sudan in 2019 while serving as leader of a joint civilian-military transitionary government in the wake of the popular uprising that toppled longtime ruler Omar al-Bashir.

Dagalo, better known as Hemedti, became al-Burhans deputy in the new government. His RSF paramilitary group was formed out of the Janjaweed militia forces, which previously fought in conflicts in the western region of Darfur on behalf of al-Bashir.

The two jointly overthrew the civilian government in an October 2021 coup. However, disagreements have since arisen over the integration of the RSF into the armed forces and determining the leader of the new joint force.

Al-Burhan and Hemedti signed a preliminary agreement in December that sought to bring about a transition to a civilian government. However, the final signing of the framework has been delayed by the recent fighting.

Fighting continues despite 72-hour truce

After multiple failed ceasefire attempts earlier this week, the Sudanese army and the RSF both agreed to a three-day truce on Friday for Eid al-Fitr.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who spoke with both al-Burhan and Hemedti on Thursday, welcomed the ceasefire announcement on Friday and urged both sides to abide by the temporary pause in fighting.

Story continues

The priority for all must be to end the suffering of civilians, Blinken said in a statement. I reiterate my call on both sides to pause the fighting to allow civilians to take care of themselves and their families, to permit full and unimpeded humanitarian access, and to enable all civilians, including diplomatic personnel, to reach safety.

However, fighting appears to have largely continued, according to multiple media reports.

US prepares for possible embassy evacuation

As the conflict persists, the U.S. is preparing for a possible evacuation of embassy personnel from Sudan, with additional troops being moved to a Naval base in nearby Djibouti.

The Pentagon is moving forward to pre-position some military forces and capabilities nearby just for contingency purposes in case they would be needed for any kind of evacuation, White House spokesperson John Kirby said.

The preparations come as the State Department announced on Thursday that an American citizen had died amid the outbreak of fighting.

Complicated role of regional powers

Several nearby countries in the Middle East and northern Africa have called on the two sides in the Sudanese conflict to end hostilities. However, concerns remain that some regional powers could begin taking sides.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, which assisted in negotiation efforts alongside the U.S. and U.K. as part of the Quad, have both called for a ceasefire.

We call on the brothers in Sudan to quickly stop military operations, exercise maximum restraint, avoid escalation, and give priority to the interest of the brotherly Sudanese people by preserving their gains and capabilities, and to return to the framework agreement, Saudi foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan tweeted last Saturday.

However, both the UAE and Saudi Arabia previously developed close ties with the RSF, after the paramilitary group sent fighters to Yemen.

Egypt, on the other hand, has long backed al-Burhan and sent in warplanes and pilots earlier this week to assist the Sudanese military, according to The Wall Street Journal.

A Libyan militia leader, Khalifa Haftar, reportedly has also sent at least one plane to provide military supplies to the RSF, the Journal reported.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Security guard, fitness trainer, taxi driver: All important jobs in peacetime but in wartime Russia, these are not for real men.

Thats the message the Kremlin hopes will help to boost recruitment efforts and replenish forces depleted by more than a year of grueling conflict in Ukraine.

The Russian Defense Ministry released a new advertising campaign this week centered on the idea, part of a broader push to entice military-age men to join the fight in large numbers and avoid the need for a new wave of conscription ahead of a widely expected Ukrainian counteroffensive.

A video that appeared across the ministrys social networks Wednesday features three men going about their daily lives and working seemingly mundane jobs.

As dramatic music plays in the background, all three appear to ponder their life choices, imagining themselves instead in army uniforms, with an arm patch prominently featuring the letter Z, which has become the symbol of what Russia calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

Did you dream of becoming this kind of a defender? the advertisement asks as it shows the security guard manning an entrance to a grocery shop, next to a produce stand. Is your strength really in this? it asks while showing the fitness trainer helping a client lift a weight. Is this the path you wanted to choose? it asks a taxi driver as he drops off a passenger.

All three then appear looking stern while walking through thick fog in what appears to be a battlefield, wearing uniforms and carrying assault rifles in their hands.

You are a real man. Be one, a message on the screen tells viewers, before cutting to a graphic from the ministry that calls for men to sign up as contract soldiers with a promised monthly salary starting at 204,000 rubles (nearly $2,500)  a significant sum for most Russian families and more than triple the average salary, according to official statistics from 2021.

The ad comes as the Kremlins invasion is centered on the grueling battle for the eastern Ukrainian town of Bakhmut, in which ammunition and soldiers on both sides have been severely drained. Moscow is preparing for a counteroffensive expected to be launched by Kyiv this spring, having seen its own winter push falter.

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Last week, Russian lawmakers hastily approved new legislation allowing authorities to deliver conscription notices electronically, making it almost impossible to avoid getting drafted.

The law has raised fears that a second wave of mobilization for the war in Ukraine could be imminent.

Russia called up some 300,000 men during the first wave last September, leading to protests and a mass exodus of men.

Moscow has not said how many more men it might be seeking to recruit, playing down any fears of a new mobilization.

Recruitment posters have been popping up around Moscow since the beginning of the invasion but have become more commonplace in recent weeks.

People walk past a desk promoting Russian army service in Moscow, Russia April 12, 2023. (Yulia Morozova / Reuters via Alamy Stock Photo)

It is unclear whether the campaigns are having their desired effect.

Ivan, a 34-year-old Muscovite, told NBC News Friday that he'd noticed the recruitment posters around the capital but said they did not ignite any desire in him to serve.

The real man concept was strange to him, he said, adding, Its one thing to serve your family, and another  the way we serve in our army. Those are different things.

Being a real man for him, he said, was protecting ones family and doing something good in life, creating something rather than destroying it.

There are severe reporting restrictions in Russia, where many find it difficult to speak honestly about the war in public. NBC News chose not to use Ivans last name to protect him from possible punishment for speaking openly.

Last month, Britains military intelligence cited Russian media reports suggesting President Vladimir Putin could be seeking to recruit another 400,000 troops. NBC News could not confirm those reports.

During the first mobilization wave, some Russian media reported stories of newly mobilized soldiers lacking proper training and supplies, and being thrown into the thick of the fighting without much preparation.

But the ad released this week appears aimed at luring contract soldiers specifically to avoid that controversy.

Its appeal for real men to join the fight plays into the stereotype of masculinity that has been venerated under Putin  who has admitted he himself once drove a taxi to earn extra money after the collapse of the Soviet Union. For more than two decades, the Kremlin has been cultivating the macho image of the Russian leader, who has often been photographed bare-chested, swimming in wild rivers and riding horses while on his summer vacations in Siberia.

That narrative has been amplified and accelerated since the invasion, with many of the hawkish war supporters heralding him as a real man for invading his neighbor in the face of the perceived Western threat.

Its no wonder that in its latest recruitment campaign, the Kremlin is trying to tap into that kind of emotional motivation and appeal to the inner macho in Russian men, said Andrei Kolesnikov, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The use of the narrative dating from the Soviet era sounds pretentious and noble, while hiding the necrophilic essence of using people as cannon fodder, without regard to the needs of the economy and the decline in the working population, he told NBC News.

Abbas Gallyamov, a Russian political analyst and former Putin speechwriter, wrote on Facebook that the ad alluded to terminology used in the criminal world, whose code of conduct is used by Russias ruling class. In that world, he said, the word muzhik (meaning real man, in Russian) is synonymous with the one who suffers and tolerates.

So this video turned out to be much more telling than originally planned, he said.

The ad also appears to reinforce an argument Putin himself made to a grieving mother last year that rather than dying from vodka, Russian men killed in Ukraine were not wasting their lives in vain.

However, some experts alluded to the fact that Russia was not unique in appealing to manliness as a recruiting tactic, and that a number of nations, including Britain, have employed the real men narrative, though perhaps largely decades ago.

The ad was met with ridicule by some media outlets in Ukraine.

A bitterly sarcastic headline in the Kyiv Post on Friday read: Russian Video Campaign Calls for Real Men to Replace Enlisted Cannon Fodder.

Meanwhile, the Unian news agency said on the Telegram messaging app Wednesday that the ad is the latest cringe from Russian propaganda and is trying to sell Russian men on the idea that its better to become a corpse or disabled than be a security guard or a fitness instructor.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Lubbock Chamber of Commerce announces that Mark Lanier, J.D., will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Community Prayer Luncheon scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 4 at the Lubbock Civic Center. The event is being held in commemoration of the National Day of Prayer.

Lanier, one of the leading trial lawyers in America, is a Lubbock native and graduate of the Texas Tech University School of Law. A renowned author and strong proponent of biblical literacy, he is the founder of the Lanier Theological Library, one of the nations largest private theological collections. He has written several books on faith. His address at the Community Prayer Luncheon will focus on Balancing Faith in Business.

Mark Lanier, J.D., will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Community Prayer Luncheon scheduled for 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on May 4 at the Lubbock Civic Center.

"We are honored to have Mark Lanier as our keynote speaker for the Community Prayer Luncheon," said Kay McDowell, president and CEO of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, in a news release. "His deep knowledge and genuine passion for the Bible are contagious and are sure to provide valuable insights and inspire our community as we come together to pray for our city, state, and nation."

The Chamber of Commerce welcomes Lubbock Christian University as the presenting sponsor for this event. HEB is the catering sponsor and will provide lunch for attendees.

The Community Prayer Luncheon is an opportunity for business leaders, community members and local organizations to pray for our community, state, nation, and world.

For information about sponsorships and tables, contact Megan Gastelum at megan.gastelum@lubbockbiz.org or by calling (806) 761-7009.

Tickets are on sale for $40 for Chamber members and $60 for the general business community. For tickets, visit http://business.lubbockchamber.com/events/details/2023-community-prayer-luncheon-11514.

For more information, contact the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce on (806) 761-7000.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: Lanier to be keynote speaker at Community Prayer Lunch
CANBERRA, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders living in Australia will be able to claim citizenship under a policy shift.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Saturday announced that, from July, hurdles to citizenship will be removed, allowing New Zealanders on Special Category Visa to apply directly for Australian citizenship without becoming permanent residents first, as long as they meet a four-year residence and other eligibility requirements.

It means that approximately 400,000 of the 700,000 New Zealanders currently living in Australia will be eligible for citizenship.

The decision overturns a 2001 move by Australia to strip New Zealanders of citizenship access and instead establish a Special Category Visa.

Albanese, who made the announcement prior to meeting with New Zealand Prime Minister Chris Hipkins in this weekend, said the change was consistent with his government's ambition for a fairer and more inclusive migration system.

Hipkins, who is visiting Australia for the second time since becoming PM, said it would bring the countries closer. 
WASHINGTON (AP)  Its April 22, 2027, and 72 hours into a first-strike Chinese attack on Taiwan and the U.S. military response. Already, the toll on all sides is staggering.

It was a war game, but one with a serious purpose and high-profile players: members of the House select committee on China. The conflict unfolded on Risk board game-style tabletop maps and markers under a giant gold chandelier in the House Ways and Means Committee room.

The exercise explored American diplomatic, economic and military options if the United States and China were to reach the brink of war over Taiwan, a self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its own. The exercise played out one night last week and was observed by The Associated Press. It was part of the committee's in-depth review of U.S. policies toward China as lawmakers, especially in the Republican-led House, focus on tensions with President Xi Jinping's government.

In the war game, Beijings missiles and rockets cascade down on Taiwan and on U.S. forces as far away as Japan and Guam. Initial casualties include hundreds, possibly thousands, of U.S. troops. Taiwan's and China's losses are even higher.

Discouragingly for Washington, alarmed and alienated allies in the war game leave Americans to fight almost entirely alone in support of Taiwan.

And forget about a U.S. hotline call to Xi or one of his top generals to calm things down  not happening, at least not under this role-playing scenario.

The war game wasn't about planning a war, lawmakers said. It was about figuring out how to strengthen U.S. deterrence, to keep a war involving the U.S., China and Taiwan from ever starting.

Ideally, the members of Congress would walk out of the war game with two convictions, the committee chairman, Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., told colleagues at the outset: One is a sense of urgency.

The second: A sense ... that there are meaningful things we can do in this Congress through legislative action to improve the prospect of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait," Gallagher said.

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In reality, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the committee's top Democrat, told lawmakers, we cannot have a situation where we are faced with what we are going to be facing tonight."

The only way to do that is to deter aggression and to prevent a conflict from arising, said Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill.

The U.S. doesnt formally recognize the Taiwan government but is Taipei's most vital provider of weapons and other security assistance. Xi has directed his military to be ready to reclaim Taiwan in 2027, by force if necessary.

Asked about lawmakers' war game, Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy, said China wants peaceful reunification with Taiwan but reserves the option of taking all necessary measures.

The U.S. sides so-called war game is meant to support and embolden Taiwan independence separatists and further fuel tensions in the Taiwan Strait, which we firmly oppose, Liu said.

In the war game, lawmakers played the blue team, in the role of National Security Council advisers. Their directive from their (imaginary) president: Deter a Chinese takeover of Taiwan if possible, defeat it if not.

Experts for the Center for a New American Security think tank, whose research includes war-gaming possible conflicts using realistic scenarios and unclassified information, played the red team.

In the exercise, it all kicks off with opposition lawmakers in Taiwan talking about independence.

With the think tank's defense program director Stacie Pettyjohn narrating, angry Chinese officials respond by heaping unacceptable demands on Taiwan. Meanwhile, China's military moves invasion-capable forces into position. Steps such as bringing in blood supplies for treating troops suggest this is no ordinary military exercise.

Ultimately, China imposes a de facto blockade on Taiwan, intolerable for an island that produces more than 60 percent of the world's semiconductors, as well as other high-tech gear.

While the U.S. military readies for a possible fight, U.S. presidential advisers  House committee members who are surrounding and studying the wooden tables with the map and troop markers spread out  assemble.

They lob questions at a retired general, Mike Holmes, playing the role of the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, before deciding courses of action.

What are the economic consequences if the U.S. goes maximalist on financial punishments, one lawmaker asks.

Catastrophic is the response, for both the United States and China. China will hit back at the U.S. economy as well.

Who's going to tell the president that he has to say to the American people, Say goodbye to your iPhones? Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, asks.

Do American leaders have any way to communicate with their Chinese counterparts, lawmakers ask. No, China's leaders have a history of shunning U.S. hotline calls, and that's a problem, the exercise leaders tell them.

In the war game, U.S. officials are left trying to pass messages to their Chinese counterparts through China-based American business leaders, whose Dell, Apple, HP and other product operations China all subsequently seizes as one of its first moves in the attack.

Are potential military targets in China near major metropolitan areas that are going to include millions and millions of people? asks Rep. Mikie Sherrill, D-N.J.

Has Taiwan done all it can to try to calm the situation? All it can and will, lawmakers are told.

It's not clear to me we've exhausted all our diplomatic options, Gallagher notes.

Then, on paper, U.S. and Chinese satellites, space weapons, drones, submarines, ground forces, warships, fighter squadrons, cyber warriors, communications experts, bankers, Treasury officials and diplomats all go to war.

At the end, before the lessons-learned part, the war-game operators reveal the toll of the first wave of fighting. Lawmakers study the tabletop map, wincing as they hear of particularly hard setbacks among U.S. successes.

U.S. stockpiles of very long-range missiles? Gone.

Global financial markets? Shaking.

U.S. allies? As it turns out, China's diplomats did their advance work to keep American allies on the sidelines. And anyway, it seems the all-out U.S. economic measures against China's economy have put allies off. They're sitting this one out.

In the hot-wash debrief at the end, lawmakers point to a few key military weaknesses that the war game highlighted.

Running out of long-missiles is bad, said Rep. Dusty Johnson, R-S.D.

But the most glaring shortfalls appeared in diplomacy and in nonmilitary planning.

Becca Wasser, a think tank senior fellow who role-played a convincingly menacing Chinese official, pointed to lawmakers' recurring frustration in the war game at the lack of direct, immediate leader-to-leader crisis communication. It's something Beijing and Washington in the real world have never managed to consistently make happen.

In peacetime, we should have those lines of communication, Wasser said.

The exercise also underscored the risks of neglecting to put together a package of well-thought out economic penalties, and of failing to build consensus among allies, lawmakers said.

As we get closer to 2027, they're going to be trying to isolate us, Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., said of Xi's government.

Holmes, in the role of Joint Chiefs chairman, reassured lawmakers, after the first three days of fighting.

"We survived, he said.
Leaked text messages reveal that operatives for Donald Trump allegedly discussed using breached voter data in Georgia to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to new a report.

Two men working for the former president in January 2021 also allegedly talked about the possibility of the data being used in an attempt to decertify the states pivotal Senate runoffs, according to CNN.

Republicans lost control of the US Senate to the Democrats when Jon Ossoff beat Republican David Perdue, which left the upper chamber of Congress tied at 50 votes each giving vice president Kamala Harris the vote to break all ties.

The news network reports that the messages were exchanged two weeks after the operatives allegedly breached the voting machine in Georgias Coffee County.

Heres the plan. Lets keep this close hold, wrote Jim Penrose, a former NSA official working with Trump lawyer Sidney Powell to access voting machines in Georgia, CNN reports.

The message was allegedly written on 19 January and sent to Doug Logan, the CEO of Cyber Ninjas, the company that led the Republican-demanded audit of 2020 presidential election ballots in Arizona.

In the text obtained by CNN, Mr Penrose also brings up the pending certification of Mr Ossoffs victory.

We only have until Saturday to decide if we are going to use this report to try to decertify the Senate run-off election or if we hold it for a bigger moment, Mr Penrose allegedly wrote.

The scheme to breach voting machines in Coffee County, and the role of Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, are being investigated as part of a 2020 election probe by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.

Sources told CNN that her office is considering potential racketeering charges against multiple defendants in the case.

The breach of voting systems in Coffee County is also under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

CNN says that Ms Powell, Mr Penrose and Mr Logan did not respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Mr Giuliani told the network that they were declining comment.
By Kanishka Singh

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Air National Guardsman accused of leaking classified documents to a small group of gamers had been posting sensitive information months earlier than previously known and to a much larger chat group, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing online postings reviewed by the newspaper.

In February 2022, soon after the invasion of Ukraine, a user profile matching that of Airman Jack Teixeira began posting secret intelligence on the Russian war effort on a previously undisclosed chat group on social platform Discord, the newspaper reported, adding the group had about 600 members.

This chat room was publicly listed on a YouTube channel and was easily accessible, the newspaper added.

The Pentagon declined to comment on the new information reported by the New York Times.

The 21-year-old U.S. Air National Guardsman facing criminal charges for leaking top-secret military intelligence records online was arrested last week.

The New York Times said the newly discovered information posted on the larger chat group included details about Russian and Ukrainian casualties, activities of Moscows spy agencies and updates on aid being provided to Ukraine.

The user claimed to be posting information from the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence agencies, according to the New York Times.

The case is 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."

The leaks did not come to light until they were reported by the New York Times in early April even though the documents were posted earlier.

Teixeira was charged with one count of violating the Espionage Act related to the unlawful copying and transmitting of sensitive defense material, and a second charge related to unlawful removal of defense material to an unauthorized location. He will likely face more charges, legal experts have said.

(Reporting by Kanishka Singh, Editing by Rosalba O'Brien and Diane Craft)
The Lexington Fire Department was working a structure fire at a Roosters restaurant in Lexington Friday night.

The fire was reported just before 8:30 p.m. at the Roosters at 124 Marketplace Drive, off Man o War Boulevard near Nicholasville Road.

Lexington Maj. Derek Roberts said that when firefighters arrived, they found fire in the wall above the dropped ceiling, which they were able to extinguish with minimal extension and damage.

No injuries were reported.

The restaurant remained closed Saturday, and employees said they did not yet know when it would reopen.

Roberts said the Lexington-Fayette County Health Department will work with the restaurant to determine when they would be able to reopen.

Roberts said that as of about 9:30 p.m., the cause of the fire and its origin were under investigation.

Roosters has nine Kentucky locations, including a second Lexington location on Richmond Road, according to its website.

Two Louisville-area Roosters restaurants have also had fires this year. The Roosters on Preston Highway had a fire in March, and a Roosters in Clarksville, Ind., was destroyed by fire in late February, WLKY and other local media reported.
Pool/Max Mumby - Getty Images

For over a decade, Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank have shared one of the most low-profile romances within the royal family.

Brooksbank married Eugenie, the youngest daughter of Prince Andrew, Duke of York, and Sarah, Duchess of York, in October 2018, effectively joining the British royal family. But before he became known as Eugenie's husband, Brooksbank was an English socialite with several royal blood ties of his own.

Ahead, read everything to know about him.

He has a normal job.

Brooksbank has been involved in the hospitality industry over the years, working as a nightclub manager at Mahiki and brand ambassador for George Clooney's popular tequila brand, Casamigos. In 2022, he got a new job at Discovery Land Company, a development corporation based in Portugal.

David M. Benett - Getty Images

He met Eugenie on a ski trip in 2010.

Back in 2010, 24-year-old Brooksbank first crossed paths with 20-year-old Princess Eugenie during a ski trip in Switzerland, during which the two happened to be staying at the same resort.

Following the news of their engagement in January 2018, Brooksbank told BBC that his meeting with Eugenie was "love at first sight."

"We met when I was 20 and Jack was 24 and fell in love," Eugenie also told the news channel. "We have the same passions and drive for life."

The two dated for seven years before Brooksbank proposed in January 2018 during a vacation in Nicaragua. Later that year, on October 12, they tied the knot at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle.

He is a distant cousin of Eugenie.



Much like the late Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip (who were third cousins), the royal spouses share distant blood ties as half-third cousins twice removed.

Brooksbank's ties to Eugenie are tangentially royal, as his parentsGeorge Edward Hugh Brooksbank and Nicola Newtoncome from the Brooksbank baronetcy of the Baronetage of England, a British hereditary dignity considered lower in rank than barony but above knighthood (barring several exceptions, including the Knights of the Garter in England and Scotland).

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He does not have a royal title.

Despite descending from British nobility and later marrying into the British royal family, Brooksbank does not have a royal title of his own.

As a baronet descended, Brooksbank comes from the only class of British nobility not part of the peerage, the ranks of which consist (in descending order of precedence) of duke, marquess, earl, viscount, and baron. Royal historian Marlene Koenig told Town and Country, "There is no precedent for giving a peerage to the commoner husband of a princess on the wedding day."

He has a child with Eugenie, with one more on the way.

Brooksbank and Eugenie share two-year-old son August Philip Hawke Brooksbank, who, like his father, does not have a royal title. The two are also expecting their second childa daughterlater this summer.

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Last October, as women filled the streets of Iranian cities to protest the Islamic Republics violent repression, Sherry Hakimi accepted an invitation to meet with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. In an ornate State Department reception room, Hakimi and a handful of other Iranian-American women sat across a table from Blinken and discussed Irans antigovernment protests, the regimes brutal response and how the United States should handle the events.

Three of the participants  Hakimi included  appeared in a photo with the secretary, which he posted on Twitter. We continue to find ways to respond to the Iranian governments state-sponsored violence against women, Blinken wrote. Today, I met with civil society partners to discuss what more the U.S. can do.

Hakimi didnt think too much about the photo. She is founder and executive director of a nonprofit that promotes gender equality around the world. She supported the Iranian nuclear deal in 2015 and led roundtables with Mohammad Zarif, Irans then-foreign minister, during and after the negotiations. But Hakimi generally eschews the spotlight. She has a modest social media presence and does not receive much publicity.

Yet in the hours after the Blinken photo appeared, that changed. Why the FUCK, one tweet asked, was Hakimi at the meeting? The account went on to call her an agent of the Mullahs and Butcher regime. Other posts referred to her as an apologist for the Iranian government. She found the comments upsetting  and baffling. She was born in the United States and hadnt been in Iran since 2006, when government officials threatened to arrest her for delivering a talk on sexually transmitted diseases. There is no love lost between her and the regime.



Hakimi went to bed that night hoping the attacks would subside. Instead, they got worse. The next day, Kaveh Shahrooz, a Canadian lawyer and think tank fellow with more than 30,000 followers, posted a 2015 video of Hakimi speaking excitedly about taking a photo with Zarif. Shahrooz tweeted the photo and said that she lobbied for the regime. His accusations gained traction: Over the course of just two days, she was mentioned on Twitter nearly 35,000 times. Many of those posts called Hakimi an Islamic Republic supporter. Others said she was a regime puppet. One suggested that Hakimi had her hands up Zarifs ass.

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Twitter was tame compared to Instagram, where she was inundated with violent messages, almost all in Persian. Some threatened to rape her. Others threatened to kill her. Ill find you and Ill burn you alive, one declared. Some of the people who messaged her said they knew where she lived.

Hakimi didnt sleep at home for the next week. She had security systems installed in her apartment. She downloaded the DeleteMe app to help get her personal information offline. She laid low. But the threats kept coming. People began trolling her nonprofit.

It was a wild time, Hakimi told me. People have tried to take me out, essentially, as an organizer.

For Iranians, the last seven months have been extraordinarily turbulent. Since last September, when Mahsa Amini  a 22-year-old Iranian-Kurdish woman  died in police custody after being arrested for improperly wearing her hijab, people across Iran have taken to the streets to protest the regime. They have been staunchly supported by the diaspora, which has held demonstrations around the world in solidarity.

But the governments horrifying suppression of the protests has stirred up the diasporas emotions, and many Iranian expats have been smeared, harassed and threatened by their angry peers. The attacks overwhelmingly target women, most notably in North America and Europe. The victims include gender equality activists, journalists, foreign policy analysts and a historian, each of whom has been accused of colluding with the authoritarian Islamist regime in Tehran.



It is unclear who many of the assailants are, because many of the attacks are anonymous, often using social media accounts without clear provenance. Some of the harassment may be orchestrated by institutions, rather than actual people. But there are plenty of humans launching the attacks, too. Some are well-known figures in the Iranian expat community, others are less-known, but all of them are hardliners with a commitment to aggressively isolating Iran. As for their targets, what they share is a history of either supporting Western-Iranian diplomacy or reporting information that adds subtlety to the debate over how the United States and its allies should handle the Islamic Republic.

They are trying to claim that anyone who brings nuance or a degree of complexity into the conversation is a regime apologist, said Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, the founder of a feminist organization that works with women-led peace initiatives in conflict-ridden countries.

The debate around Iran has assumed newfound urgency. Since former President Donald Trump walked away from the Iran nuclear deal in 2018, Tehran has worked hard to bring itself within striking distance of obtaining a nuclear weapon, and today, it is closer than it has ever been. A senior U.S. official estimated that Iran can now produce a bombs worth of fissile material in roughly 12 days. Gen. Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has told Congress that Iran would need only a few months to build a working weapon.

President Joe Biden, like his predecessors, has pledged to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It is an issue that he must contend with alongside Tehrans arms sales to Russia, its support for regional militias, its attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq, and, of course, its domestic repression. Individually, each of these problems is hard to address. Collectively, they pose an extraordinary challenge, and one that Biden is struggling to solve. It is no surprise, then, that plenty of diplomacy proponents and opponents alike agree that addressing Iran will require great creativity, especially from the diaspora.

The United States and Europes leading Iran hands are often of Iranian origin, making them more vulnerable to harassment. And the threats and harassment appear to be hitting their mark: At arguably the most critical juncture in relations with Iran since the two countries agreed to the nuclear deal in 2015, many pro-diplomacy analysts have shut up.

The goal of this campaign is to intimidate and silence people, said Ali Vaez, the Iran project director for the pro-diplomacy International Crisis Group. He expressed deep concern that Iran will become much more dangerous if experts and observers cannot openly discuss and figure out a new policy for the country. There is literally a ticking bomb, Vaez said. The risk is that Iran will become another North Korea. The authoritarian system will survive, and the threat to the world will grow.



Among diasporas, political infighting is nothing new. Cuban Americans have been arguing about whether and just how vigorously the United States should oppose the islands government since Fidel Castro took power in 1959. Venezuelans living abroad have had similarly intense debates about President Nicolas Maduro. And American Jews have formed a variety of powerful advocacy groups that spar over Washingtons support for Israel. In an especially incendiary moment, David Friedman, Trumps ambassador to Israel, declared that his liberal Jewish critics were far worse than kapos  the Jews who helped Nazis run concentration camps.

For Iranian Americans, accusations of collaboration are widespread. But the attacks go beyond occasional smears. Farnaz Fassihi, a New York Times reporter who frequently writes about Iran, has received death threats, rape threats and had her home address doxed. Naraghi-Anderlini was once sent a Twitter message with an image of a noose. Elahe Sharifpour-Hicks, a former Iran researcher for Human Rights Watch and a nuclear deal proponent, said she has come across graphic imagery of herself, including a cartoon depicting her naked in the arms of Irans supreme leader. Sharifpour-Hicks son, who is not involved in politics or diplomacy, has received death threats as well.

The harassment has not been limited to the internet. In mid-October, the University of Chicago received a bomb threat after it invited Negar Mortazavi, an Iranian-American freelance journalist, to participate in an event. In response, the university beefed up security. The harassment has also targeted members of the diaspora in countries other than the United States. When Rouzbeh Parsi  an academic and sanctions skeptic  joined a panel on Irans protests at a Stockholm museum, demonstrators outside tried to storm the building. In Berlin, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Foundation, a German think tank associated with the countrys governing party, canceled a December event on Iran after panelists and employees were threatened. The British Parliament postponed a hearing on Iran after one of the experts scheduled to testify was bombarded with attacks in apparent retaliation for publishing an op-ed in the Washington Post calling for a revived nuclear deal between the West and Iran.

The cancellations are just one of the ways the harassment has made it harder for diplomacy proponents to make their case. Iranian foreign policy experts have turned down invitations to write articles for policy magazines like the one I work for. Others have told me they are avoiding media altogether. Vaez, a former adviser to current U.S. Iran envoy Robert Malley, said the attacks have made the entire subject of diplomacy toxic.

Although Iranians have received most of the harassment, the attacks are not limited to the diaspora community.

The harassment has made me think twice about tweeting and publishing, said Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association. It was a fact she was not proud to admit, but one thats easy to understand. After writing an article proposing a new path for Iranian-U.S. nuclear diplomacy, Davenport was inundated with threats, including against her children. She received four consecutive phone calls in which the caller said she was whoring for the ayatollahs.

In addition to frustrating the work of diplomacy proponents, the harassment has exacted an intense personal cost on the recipients. Naraghi-Anderlini said her family has come across accusations that she is a regime apologist, a painful smear for most Iranian expats. Mortazavi told me she is careful when she goes outside. Hakimi said that many of her friends would not defend her, and that some no longer wanted to be associated with her at all. The campaign has made her and others worry that, even if the Islamic Republic were to fall tomorrow, the diaspora would make it challenging for Iranians to build a liberal replacement.

This is autocratic behavior, Hakimi said. This is not how you build a democracy.



The Iranian expats launching the attacks, of course, see matters differently. To them, and to many other hawks, the best way to stop Tehran is by aggressively isolating it from the rest of the world. But unlike other hardliners, this group sees supporting diplomacy not just as counterproductive; they see it as tantamount to supporting the regime.

Shahrooz, the lawyer who is a senior fellow at Canadas Macdonald-Laurier Institute, tweeted that his ideological rivals should be ridiculed and treated as the dictator-coddling clowns they are. He has insinuated, without providing evidence, that many dovish analysts are on the regimes payroll. Collaborators and Vichyites hate it when their patron collapses, he posted.

It is not the only time that Shahrooz, one of the most bombastic voices in the Wests Iran debate, whose posts can be retweeted hundreds of times and attract hundreds of comments, has drawn Nazi parallels. He tweeted that one analyst critical of the online attacks was akin to Adolf Eichmann, a key architect of the Holocaust. He posted that Fassihi, the Times reporter, was mouthing talking points shes not herself bright enough to understand. In a particularly graphic comment, Shahrooz tweeted that Mortazavi and people like her had just one critique of Tehran: that it doesnt send Zarif to the U.S. more often so that they can fellate him more thoroughly.

To better understand what was driving the harassment, I called Shahrooz in late February. Over the phone, he was less pugnacious. During the first part of our conversation, he instead came off more like the prominent analyst he is, one who has written for the Wall Street Journal and the Globe and Mail and who makes appearances on Canadas national broadcaster. I think the West should do everything short of military action to help Iranian people overthrow this regime, he said. He outlined a theory of change that entailed sweeping transatlantic sanctions and an end by Europe to diplomatic relations with Tehran.



Shahrooz was born in Iran shortly after the 1979 revolution. He moved abroad when he was 10, and he said his familys experience inspired him to become an Iran analyst. I lost many family members in Irans prisons because of their activism, he said. I knew and my family knew [the regime] could not be trusted.

Among Iranian expats, personal pain was a commonly cited reason for condemning peers. I also called Sana Ebrahimi, a computer science Ph.D. student at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who frequently launches attacks against dovish analysts. She told me her father had once been arrested and tortured by the Iranian regime for his activism. She said that, as a student in Iran, the system had fed her immense amounts of propaganda. Ebrahimi cited such experiences as the reason she often alleges her opponents are working with the Islamic Republic. As someone who lived there, Ebrahimi told me, it doesnt make sense how they could support diplomacy otherwise.

Ebrahimi arrived in the United States in 2019, a moment she described as liberating. She began using Twitter, where she now has roughly 55,000 followers, to aggressively blast both Irans brutality and analysts with whom she doesnt agree. Her pinned tweet  which has been retweeted more than 8,000 times  accuses Mortazavi of fabricating the bomb threat at the University of Chicago. (In a call, a university spokesperson confirmed that there was a threat but declined to specify its nature. The colleges newspaper reported that it was a bomb threat, and the spokesperson did not dispute the report.) In another tweet, she accused Naraghi-Anderlini of promoting the IRGCs propaganda and warned that the day the truth comes out would be a sad and scary day in your life.

On the phone, Ebrahimi said she thought the pro-diplomacy camp was blowing the attacks out of proportion. Ebrahimi also told me that she had received anonymous online threats, and that the harassment was not one sided. She sent over screenshots in which a volunteer then-affiliated with the National Iranian American Council  a dovish and controversial activist group  made fun of her English. The poster also accused Ebrahimi of being a bootlicker and a bottom feeder.

Shahrooz also said he had received threats, and he objected to his treatment by analysts he disagrees with. He told me that he had been labeled a warmonger and a child killer for supporting strong sanctions. The comments, he protested, were a bad-faith debate designed to close the Overton window  a social theory that posits people can shift the publicly acceptable range of policy options through aggressive and repetitive communication. The value of open debate and free speech is a theme of Shahroozs Twitter posts, one that exists alongside his invectives. In one tweet, for example, Shahrooz wrote that the real test of your commitment to liberal democracy is the willingness to defend speech you hate. To stand up for the rights of your enemies.

In our call, I asked Shahrooz if his commitment to free speech was in tension with his surrounding posts, and in particular his invocation of the Third Reich. He bristled. Lets dig into it, Daniel, he said. Youve got a swastika-wearing Nazi. If I actually point out, Oh hey, this person is actually a goddamn Nazi, is that somehow illiberal because it brings shame and anger upon the person? Or is that just a statement of fact? His subjects, he argued, were being labeled accurately. I think theyre the moral equivalent of Nazis, he said. Shahrooz had a similar response when I asked him whether he felt responsible for some of the threats his opponents have faced, given his large social media following.

I condemn any sort of threat, he said. But he argued that it was not irresponsible for him to point out the truth. On Twitter and again during our call, Shahrooz even said he wanted his opponents to tremble.

But the menace isnt solely driven by individuals like him and Ebrahimi  in fact, the scale of harassment suggests plenty of the attacks do not come from people at all. Mortazavi, for example, was at one point being tagged by more than 55,000 accounts per day on Twitter, an astounding figure for a freelance journalist. Of those 55,000 accounts, at least 16,000 had little to no followers and were tweeting more than 100 times per day. One account was tweeting 1,600 times per day.

There is artificial amplification, said Marc Owen Jones, a professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University and the author of Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East. Jones told me there is ample evidence that organized actors are using the internet to shape debates over Iran. In this case, it's possible that at least some of these actors are funded directly by Tehran; U.S. intelligence officials have told Time Magazine that the Iranian government runs troll farms. Some of the attacks are likely funded by Irans enemies, too. In April 2021, for example, Facebook removed hundreds of fake accounts linked to the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a controversial, belligerent Iranian opposition group based in Albania. And during the Trump administration, the U.S. State Department funded the Iran Disinformation Project: an opaque digital initiative that routinely called diplomacy supporters and journalists Iranian lobbyists.

The initiative lost its grant after its Western targets complained it was using its platform to harass them, rather than sticking to criticizing Iran. The projects Twitter handle has been inactive since 2019. But Mariam Memarsadeghi, the initiatives reported founder, has been active online during the current protests, and she has not been shy about lambasting people she disagrees with. In October, she accused Mortazavi of fabricating the bomb threat.



Plenty of the diasporas hardline attacks appear to be crafted by professionals and pushed out by bots. But there is a reason why large numbers of ordinary expats are also retweeting and sending out threats. Within the diaspora, trauma runs deep, and many members who have suffered because of the Iranian regime are understandably furious at the idea of Washington loosening its sanctions.

But the communitys journalists and more dovish members have also suffered at the hands of Tehran. Hakimis uncle was executed by the Iranian government. Several of Naraghi-Anderlinis aunts and uncles were jailed. Mortazavis family has been harassed by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp. Fassihi was accused of being a U.S. spy by Iranian state media and cannot go back. The last time Sharifpour-Hicks went to Iran, she received an anonymous message in her hotel saying she was a CIA agent and would be killed. Jason Rezaian, a Washington Post journalist who has written about the value of diplomacy, spent more than 500 days in Irans notorious Evin prison. Shahrooz nonetheless tweeted that Rezaian had developed intense Stockholm syndrome.

After talking to people who had been harassed, as well as to Shahrooz and Ebrahami, I came to the conclusion that the victims real offense is not that they support the Iranian government. It is not that they blame all of Irans problems on the West. It is certainly not that they oppose the protests. It is, instead, that they do not back maximalist positions over how the West should handle Tehran.

What the West should do is, of course, a very difficult question. And made without rancor, the case against diplomacy is quite strong. Between the protests, Irans weapons shipments to Russia, and how close the country is to obtaining nuclear weapons, restoring the nuclear agreement that offered Iran money in exchange for a pause in the program may ultimately do more harm than good. Tehran may also not be interested in diplomacy of any kind with Washington. In Iran, the ultra-hardline of the ultra-hardline are at the helm, said Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies.



But the case for diplomacy is compelling, too. The 2015 nuclear deal, after all, did halt Irans nuclear development until Washington withdrew. A new agreement could not roll back Irans program to 2015, but any pause would still have benefits. If U.S. government analysts are correct, the country could create weapons-grade uranium and figure out how to fit it inside a missile with just several months of time. The result  a workable nuclear bomb  might make Iran feel secure enough to send conventional weapons it keeps at home to its overseas proxies. It could also embolden the regime, allowing it to become even more violent in responding to domestic protests.

And ultimately, there may be no alternative to diplomacy that does not involve military force. Some analysts even fear that the harassment campaign is designed to pave the way for an attack.

In the run-up to the Iraq war, the Iraqi exile community was either not well-positioned to try to add nuance to the policy debate or was in favor of U.S. military intervention, Vaez said. The same is not yet true among diaspora Iranians. But with all the threats, Vaez worried it might be soon.

Hakimi, for her part, feels the tension between these two positions. I dont want them to have money to continue their bad activities, but I also dont want them to get a nuclear weapon, she said. Youre kind of between a rock and a hard place.

Hakimi has shifted her position in recent months. The governments cruel crackdown on the protests eventually led her to oppose diplomacy altogether. But she does not expect to join the hawks push for maximalist pressure anytime soon. In fact, shes not sure how much she can push for anything. The trolling, harassment and bombardment may have proven too much.

Ive never been one looking for attention. Ive never tried to build my personal brand, she told me. But I have always wanted to have an impact and to bring people together. Ive always wanted to create change. And now I feel like I cant.



CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated a social media poster's relationship to the National Iranian American Council. At the time, the poster was a volunteer affiliated with the group.
Editors Note: For this story, the Kyiv Independent talked to residents who recently left Russian-occupied Melitopol but still have family in the city. For their safety, we do not identify them by their full name.

Maryna didnt need to see the faces of the soldiers who had kidnapped her.



Even though they put a woven bag on her head, she already knew some of them by voice.

They had come to her house before, to ask questions about the residence and stuff their faces with apples she had sitting on her windowsill.

When they demanded $1,000 to allow her to keep the old car she and her husband used to drive on her farm, she agreed, thinking they would leave her alone after that.

Except, they didnt. Seven soldiers, who used to roam her village near Melitopol, came knocking at her door that one September morning.

She already knew where they would take her. She never hid her pro-Ukrainian stance, she told the Kyiv Independent months later, in the city of Zaporizhzhia.

If they dont like someone, they just take this person into a car and abduct them, she said. Your relatives will never know what happened to you.

The Russian soldiers took her to a small, disgusting cell in a former pre-trial detention center in Melitopol for a talk, as they put it.

One was asking the questions, and the other beat me, she recalled. She was beaten whenever her answers didnt suit the interrogators or when she replied in Ukrainian.

They threatened to break my nose, beat me on the floor, and hand me over to the Chechen soldiers for entertainment, she said.

She was beaten three times over the span of 22 days before being released in a prisoner exchange on Sept. 27. The Russian troops filmed one of these beatings.

Marynas story is just one of many similar accounts from occupied Melitopol  a city ruled by fear, where Russians behave with impunity and can throw anyone into a torture chamber at any moment.

Owning hryvnias, speaking Ukrainian, or having the Ukrainian mobile e-government app Dia on their phone could land Melitopol residents in one of the citys basements for a talk, meaning interrogation under torture.

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Anyone refusing Russias forced conscription, ongoing in Russian-occupied regions, can also end up in a cell, beaten, shocked with electricity, and severely injured, locals told the Kyiv Independent.

Ever since Russian forces captured Melitopol in March 2022, residents of the southern city of Zaporizhzhia Oblast have grown accustomed to disappearances that often take place in broad daylight.

They can simply come to your house without saying where they take you or why, Maryna said. And its a very common thing.

Over 1,000 people have been abducted since Melitopol fell to Russians, its exiled mayor, Ivan Fedorov, told the Kyiv Independent. Its his estimate based on his sources in the city.

He, too, had been abducted early on. However, his case was so widely publicized that he was swapped in a prisoner exchange in March 2022. He now works from an office in Zaporizhzhia, the regional capital.

Over 500 people are still missing, he said. But its hard to count because everyones afraid to talk about it.

Civilian forced to dig trenches for Russians: I wanted to jump on a mine and end it Editors Note: People interviewed for this story are not identified by their full names to protect their identities since they or their relatives still remain in Russian-occupied towns in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The native city of released prisoner Bohdan, which is still under Russian occupation, is al Kyiv IndependentDaria Shulzhenko

A city ruled by fear

Fedorov estimated that nearly two-thirds of the 150,000 residents who used to live in the city before the invasion left. Some 50,000-60,000 locals stayed, while others came to take the vacant flats and houses.

Those who left were replaced by people who once lived in occupied Donetsk Oblast, including Mariupol, and a lot of Russians, said the mayor.

The city, located between Kherson and Mariupol, several kilometers north of the Black Sea coast, was also turned into a heavily fortified military base since its capture.

A photo taken on December 18, 2022 shows a Christmas tree in front of a building with banners reading "We are one people" and "We are together with Russia" in occupied Melitopol. (Photo by STRINGER / AFP) (Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

Melitopol was declared the so-called capital of the occupied part of the Zaporizhzhia Oblast on March 19, following Russias sham referendums in occupied parts of the oblast at the end of September 2022.

Fake referendums were also held in occupied parts of Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson oblasts.

The checkpoints between Russian-occupied territories and Ukraine have been closed since December, forcing people to go through Russia to escape the occupation.

As in all occupied territories, Russian rubles replaced Ukrainian hryvnias as the main currency. Its forbidden to speak Ukrainian, and a Russian curriculum replaced the Ukrainian one in schools.

Those who stayed behind are afraid to talk to strangers because its too dangerous, Melitopol residents who asked to remain anonymous told the Kyiv Independent through their friends and relatives who left the city.

Maryna keeps in contact with her relatives in the occupied city, which is why she knows about it, despite the spotty internet and Russians constantly checking phones.

Anastasia, another refugee from Melitopol who fled last summer but still has relatives in the city, had a very similar description of what its like.

She calls her parents on the phone and makes sure to stick to the most trite, innocuous topics to avoid putting them in danger.

Her parents didnt buy Russian sim cards because Russians monitor them. The couple doesnt take their phones outside.

My parents are depressed, the prices are crazy, and its impossible to live there, but they have no choice, she said. Theyre old, and they keep an eye on our flat in case someone wants to take it.

Collaborators often tell Russians which flats are free when the residents flee to Ukrainian-controlled territories, Anastasia said.

Some people used to walk around in Ukrainian vyshyvankas (a national embroidered shirt), but they turned into collaborators somehow, she said.

While Fedorov was still in captivity in March 2022, Russians placed a local to head the occupation administration  Halyna Danylchenko, a close aide to a local pro-Russian politician once a member of parliament from the now defunct pro-Russian Party of Regions and now the puppet governor of the occupied part of the oblast.

She released a video calling on people to welcome Russian rule.

Our main task right now is to adapt to the new reality so that we can begin to live in a new way, she said.

But not everyone is ready for the new way.

While some residents collaborate with the occupiers, most of them sit in silence, waiting for (Ukrainian) victory, Anastasia said.

People are too scared to talk to each other, Maryna said, because they dont know each others real views.

Today, they support you, and tomorrow theyll rat you out, just for a house or a flat, she said.

Russians use vacated houses and apartments to reward collaborators, said Sasha, another resident who had to flee Russian torture.

Some troops go as far as taking entire nearby villages, telling residents they have one day to pack up and leave, Fedorov said.

They use the empty houses to quarter their troops or the soldiers families brought in from Russia.

They call it nationalization, Fedorov said.

Life near Russian-occupied nuclear plant: I dont know if tomorrow will come Editors Note: The Kyiv Independent talked to residents who are still in Russian-occupied Enerhodar and those who recently left but still have family in the city. For their safety, we do not disclose their identities. When Russian soldiers captured Enerhodar, the satellite city of the Zaporizhzhia Kyiv IndependentAlexander Query

Rape

Despite the new arrivals, the citys streets are deserted. Locals, especially young girls, avoid walking alone.

At the beginning of the summer of 2022, the body of a 14-year-old girl was found in a local park, Anastasia and Maryna recalled. The girl was allegedly raped and killed. Her body was dumped on the grass.

The Kyiv Independent couldnt independently verify this story, and neither could Fedorov.

Soon after, another 13-year-old girl was kidnapped, Maryna said. They secretly snatched her, she said.

Russians brought her back two days later. Her parents told everyone nothing happened, but she was obviously not fine, Maryna recalled.

She believes Russian soldiers threatened their parents, making them too afraid to speak to their close relatives about what had been done to their daughter.

Fedorov also recalled the story of a 17-year-old walking in the city when three Russian soldiers tried to kidnap her in broad daylight. She ran and left for Zaporizhzhia the same day.

She escaped by miracle, Fedorov said.

Torture chambers

Russian torture chambers are harder to hide than the alleged rape and murder in Melitopol.

At least five detention centers and torture chambers are scattered throughout the city, according to Maryna and Fedorov, the mayor.

Some are rougher than others; some are just detention centers where they keep people in the cold or starve them, Maryna said.

She indicated a few places, including a garage and Melitopols police station with cages where many men and women are kept.

They torture people in (these) garages, she said.

Russian occupying authorities created a whole network of torture chambers in Melitopol's police headquarters, pre-trial detention center, and local commissariat, according to torture survivors and refugees, including exiled Melitopol Mayor Ivan Fedorov. Russian forces set up at least five torture and detention centers in the city, including makeshift ones in garages and containers in the yards of administrative buildings, according to testimonies gathered by the Kyiv Independent. (Map: Lisa Kukharska)

Maryna said she was held in a 2.5-by-3-meter cell in a pre-trial detention center, with a 28-year-old woman caught putting up leaflets saying "Melitopol is Ukraine." They were fed once per day.

The toilet was broken, everything was leaking out, she recalled.

The smell was terrible because of the sewage puddle on the floor, where she had to sleep without a mattress for the first two days.

There were hundreds of flies in the cell, she said.

Loud Russian music, including the anthem and rap about suicide, blasted from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., she said. It was difficult to even talk to each other.

Roughly 15 people were held there, she estimated, after an evening when the electricity cut out and she could finally talk to people in neighboring cells.

During the interrogations, she understood that the Russians looked into her Telegram chats because they saw she had told her daughter about trucks carrying Russian S-300 surface-to-air missiles she had spotted on the way to Zaporizhzhia.

Marynas husband and relatives came to look for her, but they were told that there was no such thing as a detention center there.

Anyone can be taken in "basements" for a talk, Maryna, who shared her cell with a woman caught with pro-Ukrainian leaflets, told the Kyiv Independent. (Illustration: Karolina Gulshani)

Her cellmate was released after 45 days of captivity, but the Kyiv Independent couldnt reach her at the time of the publication.

Inna, a local pro-Ukrainian activist, told investigative outlet Media Initiative that local occupation authorities had also put up some iron containers similar to those in seaports in the yard of the citys administrative buildings.

The container in which she was held was a windowless cube of 2-by-2 meters with two park benches, Inna said.

After days of beating and mistreatment, Maryna and Inna were released in the gray zone, between Russian and Ukrainian lines, with a bag on their heads before finally reaching freedom after a checkpoint near Vasylivka in Zaporizhzhia Oblast.

The checkpoint has been closed since December.

Partisans

The detention center was full of partisans, Maryna recalled. Some were there because they had been sharing the location of Russian depots with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

After a year of Russian abuse, resistance is growing, Maryna said. In our village, some took down the Russian flag, and Russians came with dogs to look for partisans.

In fact, the city is filled with people involved in underground resistance work, according to the former residents. Russians are afraid, Fedorov said.

As a result, paranoia reigns supreme, and Russian forces frantically search homes for weapons or explosives.

Explosions occur regularly in Melitopol, targeting local collaborators or reportedly destroying Russian military equipment and personnel.

Moscow usually blames Ukraine for such incidents, while Kyiv doesn't confirm it stands behind the explosions.

A Russian serviceman guards the site of a car bomb explosion outside a building housing a local TV station in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol on Oct. 25, 2022. (Photo by STRINGER/AFP via Getty Images)

Multiple explosions have been heard in the city in the past several weeks.

A car bomb went off on April 3 in the city, seriously wounding local collaborator Maksym Zubariev.

Following several explosions in the city on March 28, another prominent Russian collaborator, Vladimir Rogov, reported that a Ukrainian strike allegedly hit a railway depot.

My parents hear a lot of explosions, the big ones are (the result of) Ukrainian strikes, the small ones are the work of local partisans, Anastasia said.

Melitopol is part of the land bridge that links Russia to the occupied Crimea, which makes it an obvious target for a Ukrainian potential counteroffensive in the south.

Mock execution

Anyone who traveled to Ukrainian-controlled territory is a potential target for Russians, and Sasha learned it the hard way.

Unable to find a job in Zaporizhzhia, he had decided to return to occupied Melitopol to make ends meet.

One day, he heard a knock at the door. Sasha opened it, thinking it was a neighbor. A bullet flew over his head. Three soldiers were standing in front of his door, laughing.

They entered, grabbed him, and made him kneel before emptying a revolver but for one bullet. And they spun the cylinder.

Three times they spun the cylinder, putting the muzzle on his head each time, he recalled, mimicking the sound of the spinning barrel.

They were trying to get information, why did I come back, why did I leave the city, he said.

Just kids in their 20s, armed to the teeth, he said. "Heroes."

The last shot fired, but he managed to push the barrel away at the last moment. Oh, you got lucky; youre gonna live, Sasha recalled one of them saying.

He was taken into the basement of Melitopols police station. I took some serious beatings, he said. Sasha spent a day or so, sometimes being beaten every half-hour.

He shared a small cell with around 10 people, hearing screams of people tortured in other cells.

I told them, I cant think, I cant tell you something now, but I know a lot, let me go, and Ill help (you), he said.

Either you come to us, or we come to you in two days, they answered before almost breaking his leg.

He was let go and escaped the city on his bicycle before their return, fearing for his life.

They will kill me if I come back, Sasha told the Kyiv Independent.

Russian soldiers broke the kneecap of one of Sasha's neighbor after days of torture because he ignored the forced conscriptions' papers. If you arent with us, you wont be with anyone, his jailors reportedly said before breaking his kneecap, disabling him. (Illustration: Karolina Gulshani)

Forced conscription

Sasha still keeps in contact with his neighbors to check on his house, which is how he learned about the forced conscription in Melitopol.

Men between 20 and 50 are subjected to forced conscription to Russias army to fight against Ukraine, even if they are Ukrainian. Locals who refuse conscription are tortured.

What Ukraine? They think Melitopol is Russian, Sasha said.

The first time one of his friends ignored his conscription paper, they took him into a basement for three days. The second time he ignored it, Russians tortured him for a week, and the third time, for a month.

If you arent with us, you wont be with anyone, his jailors reportedly said before breaking his kneecap, disabling him.

In a bid to Russify the city by force, Russian soldiers recently resorted to forcing bed-ridden pensioners to get a Russian passport without their consent.

In mid-April, some Russian soldiers, helped by a local collaborator, came to Marynas village and took a picture of an 87-year-old while he was too feeble to move. The intention was to give him a Russian passport.

He died of a heart attack two days later, said Maryna. The Kyiv Independent couldnt independently verify this story.

Fedorov cant even start to imagine what Ukrainian forces will discover after the citys liberation.

"It's a pity, but it's only after the liberation that we'll know everything about all the torture and the killing, Fedorov said. It will be a real tragedy."

Molfar, a Ukrainian open-source intelligence (OSINT) group, contributed to this report by identifying where civilians were tortured in occupied Melitopol.

____________________

Note from the author:

Hello, I'm Alexander Query, the author of this story.

Melitopols residents took a considerable risk talking to us, and those who escaped too, as their relatives still suffer under Russian occupation. At the Kyiv Independent, we try to bring you the voices of people like this with every security precaution, but we need your support to help us make them heard. Consider supporting us for more about life under Russias occupation.
Ralf-Finn Hestoft - Getty Images

Lloyd Reuss, president of GM under Robert Stempel, has died at the age of 86.

Reuss became president when Stempel was promoted to CEO upon the ouster of accountant-turned-car-executive Roger Smith.

Reuss and Stempel were car guys in an era when bean counters ruled GM.

Former GM president Lloyd Reuss, a mechanical engineer who worked his way up through the ranks at General Motors and ultimately became president from 1990 to 1992, and whose son Mark Reuss is currently GM president, has died at 86.

It is with deep sorrow and great joy that we celebrate our dad, husband, and grandfather as he joined God April 21, 2023, son Mark announced today on social media.

The senior Reuss joined GM in 1957 and embarked on a 36-year career at the automaker, in a time when company loyalty went both ways, from the employees who spent their entire working lives in one place, and from the corporations who benevolently kept them there.

Reuss rose through the executive ranks, becoming chief engineer of Buick by 1975, at a time when chief engineers held prodigious power. He went on to fill corporate positions for the next 18 years in the thick-carpeted, wood-paneled halls of power at one of the worlds largest carmakers.

Reuss was a friend and contemporary of eventual GM CEO Bob Stempel. When Stempel became CEO upon the ouster of Roger Smith, Reuss became president. But the two found themselves burdened with a cripplingly awkward corporate structure, following as they did on the heels of the reign of GM titan Smith, who was an accountant. Smith had inexplicably reorganized the company into Buick-Olds-Cadillac and Chevrolet-Pontiac-Canada.

Heads are still being scratched over that move. Stempel and Reuss did their best, but plunging sales following the Iraq War, combined with shareholders eager for dividends, saw the board boot them both.

Once free of the GM mothership, rather than complain bitterly or write a tell-all expose, Reuss dove headlong into charity work, in particular, Focus: HOPE, a Detroit organization that offered anyone who wanted it job training and placement, along with the skills and inspiration to tackle lifes challenges.

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Recognizing the dignity and beauty of every person, we pledge intelligent and practical action to overcome racism, poverty and injustice, and to build a metropolitan community where all people may live in freedom, harmony, trust and affection, says the groups website. Its still active in Detroit.

Lloyd Reuss is survived by children Charlene and Mark, daughter-in-law Kim, and grandchildren Amanda, Nick, Grant, Grace, and Sophia. Reuss was married to wife Maurcine, who passed away in 2020, for 63 years.

No plans have been released for a memorial service or a charity to support, but it certainly wouldnt be a bad idea to make a contribution to Focus: HOPE in Reuss name.
The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case on content moderation from both Texas and Florida that could offer clear guidelines on what entity is responsible for content moderation.

Many small businesses who use digital tools want to make sure they can communicate to their customers about their products without feeling like they must dodge hateful and harmful rhetoric online. Yet currently, the issue of who moderates what content is up for debate.

The U.S. Supreme Court is considering a case on content moderation from both Texas and Florida that could offer clear guidelines on what entity is responsible for content moderation. The case centers on Section 230, which protects tech companies from being held legally responsible for content that is posted on their platforms while also empowering them to remove unsafe content, when appropriate.

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This type of content moderation helps keep us safe and ensures that we dont work within digital spaces that harbor hate speech, harmful rhetoric and other dangerous topics. Many small businesses actively rely on the ability for tech companies to moderate that exact content so that they can work within digital spaces and platforms, connect with customers, sell their goods and conduct their business free from rhetoric that could turn customers away.

Content moderation isnt perfect. Its still possible for bad information to spread and naturally many want to hold tech companies accountable. Unfortunately, President Joe Bidens recent call to reform Section 230 under the guise of holding Big Tech accountable could jeopardize our First Amendment rights.

We should absolutely discuss how tech companies can better moderate their content to keep us safe, especially as more businesses decide they want to use the internet and digital tools to expand their reach. Conversations about online responsibility and safety are even making their way through our state Legislature right now, with bills that focus on educating kids, parents and teachers on social media being considered.

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But its important that the solutions proposed dont lead to over-regulation and big government overreach that could place the largest burden on the shoulders of small businesses.

Slover

Drew Slover, owner, Slover Consulting, Jacksonville

This guest column is the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the views of the Times-Union. We welcome a diversity of opinions.

This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Proposed regulations would put largest burden on small business
While local pro-choice advocates celebrate the Supreme Courts decision to preserve the most used abortion pill in the U.S., the fight is nowhere near over.

The legal fight over abortion is not new to Florida.

On April 13, the Florida House of Representatives passed a bill banning abortion after six weeks of pregnancy.

Current state law allows abortion until 15 weeks of pregnancy.

Read: Whats next for abortion pill after Supreme Courts order

On Friday, the Supreme Court preserved womens access to Mifepristone, rejecting lower-court restrictions while a lawsuit continues.

Theres a sigh of relief as its available for now, but were still worried and concerned about what the healthcare leaders will do now, said Rep. Anna Eskamani.

Mifepristone is used as a two-part pill up to 10 weeks of pregnancy.

Doctors also use the drug to treat ulcers, manage miscarriages, induce labor, and help with IUD insertions.

Read: What Supreme Court action on abortion means for patients

Eskamani worries about the risks of what could happen if access to Mifepristone is restricted.

There are scenarios very tragic where women need this medication, need minestrone for a wanted pregnancy thats no longer viable. You are potentially forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy thats not viable for no reason but your extremism, Eskamani said.

Those against the pill are not giving up either.

Grace Ebak was standing outside Planned Parenthood in Orlando, praying to end all abortions, including those using Mifepristone.

To end a baby thats developing in the womb -thats wrong. It doesnt belong to us; it belongs to good. The conception doesnt belong to us. It belongs to the lord, and its not ours to take away, Ebak said.

Read: Florida House passes 6-week abortion ban; when it should take effect

The senior counsel for the anti-abortion group Alliance Defending Freedom, which brought the initial mifepristone case challenging its FDA approval, responded in a written statement.

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We look forward to a final outcome in this case that will hold the FDA accountable, said Erik Baptist.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is set for a hearing of the case, with arguments set for May 17.

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TOKYO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A male owner of a ramen noodle shop was shot dead in western Japan's port city of Kobe on Saturday, according to local police.

At around 11:00 a.m. local time, a female worker at the shop in Kobe's Nagata Ward called for an ambulance after finding the man lying on the kitchen floor and bleeding from mouth and nose.

The shop owner in his 50s was pronounced dead at the hospital, and a murder investigation is underway, according to the local police station.

What appears to be a bullet remains lodged in the head of the man, who could be linked with a crime syndicate, national news agency Kyodo reported, citing police and investigative sources.

There were no customers in the noodle shop when the incident took place. 
A board displays arrivals at the airport in Seville, Spain, on Wednesday, May 18, 2022. (Laura Leon/The New York Times)

To buy or to wait? Given the wild fluctuations of airfare prices, that is a frugal flyers persistent dilemma. A fare found today may tick up tomorrow, double next week or fall.

Now Google and other online travel platforms aim to take the uncertainty out of the equation by offering guarantees or freezes, often on fares they predict wont shrink.

Sitting on mountains of data, these platforms say they have a good grasp on predicting price fluctuations. On fares where guarantees are offered, our algorithms are confident that the price is unlikely to drop between booking and departure, said Jade Kessler, a product manager for Google Flights, which recently launched its Price Guarantee pilot program. Our goal really is to help travelers avoid that feeling of buyers remorse and help them to know that no matter what happens after they book, theyre getting the best deal possible.

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Like Google Flights, Kayak already allows travel shoppers to track flights for insights on pricing trends and recommendations on when to book. Though not necessarily available on every flight, guarantee and price-hold programs go a step further, and often cover hotel and car rental reservations, too.

But how do they work, and are they worthwhile? To find out, we analyzed the leading programs in price freezes and guarantees that dont require a membership to access.

GOOGLE FLIGHTS

This month, Google Flights announced a pilot Price Guarantee program that will monitor an eligible flight from purchase to take off and refund the difference between the airfare paid and the lowest fare found in that period, as long as it is more than $5.

How it works: Travelers must book their tickets on Google Flights, which, unlike online travel agencies, acts like a pass-through sales portal so that flyers can still accrue loyalty points and hear directly from an airline about schedule changes. Eligible flights must originate in the United States. To date, there are relatively few that qualify. The platform is primarily working with Alaska, Hawaiian and Spirit.

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Searching popular routes on those airlines on Google Flights, I recently found a $144 round-trip in May between Chicago and Las Vegas operated by Spirit that had the Price Guarantee badge. I had the option to Book on Google to get the Price Guarantee at the same price as booking on Spirit. Googles price analysis showed the fare was $90 cheaper than usual, so I did not expect it to fall.

Google Flights then monitors the price fluctuations of that ticket between purchase and takeoff and sends a status update at the halfway date. If a fare has dropped at any point after purchase, Google will refund the difference if it is more than $5. Since flyers must take the trip to qualify for a refund, Google Flights deposits any refund to a Google Pay account. Those who use Price Guarantee must have a Google Pay account, and the company provides instructions for setting one up.

Cost: Participation is free. User refunds are capped at $500 annually.

Bottom line: Google Flights Price Guarantee goes a long way to providing assurance that travelers can buy with confidence. Its chief problem is its limited availability, which the company says it hopes to expand after the trial phase is over, though it didnt specify a date.

HOPPER

The travel-booking app Hopper offers a Price Freeze feature that allows users to lock in an airfare for a fee and book later. If the price goes up before booking, the consumer pays the lower frozen price; if it goes down, the consumer pays the lower price. Hopper offers a similar program with hotel and car rental reservations.

How it works: Travelers searching for flights can choose to hold a price for a fee and a set period. Fees depend on the ticket price and the hold length; the company said the average freeze costs $47 and that most users freeze a fare for seven days. Within that window, if a fare rises, Hopper pays the difference up to a cap of $300 a ticket. If it falls, users pay the lower fare and forfeit the fee.

You dont have to pay anything to get Hoppers insights into pricing. Hopper already analyzes airfares during searches, indicating whether you should wait for a better price or book now. In a recent search for a flight from Newark, New Jersey, to Miami in late May, I found a $76 round-trip ticket with the advice to wait for a lower fare. It also offered the option to pay $12 to freeze the fare and wait one day, $13 for three days, $21 for a week or $27 for two weeks. If the price went up on a frozen fare within the hold period, Hopper would pay the difference. If the price goes down, the user would pay the lower fare.

Price freezes on hotels and cars work similarly, though in the case of hotels the fee is applied as a deposit on the booking.

Cost: Freeze fees, which are nonrefundable, vary by length and reservation price.

Bottom line: Hopper provides advice on whether to book flights based on its analysis of more than 65 trillion data points and says its able to predict future prices with 95% accuracy. (It says it saves users an average of $65 a trip.) Price Freeze on flights provides assurance for those who dont want to gamble, though the fees can be budget-busters.

Many hotels and car rental companies offer generous cancellation policies, so check those companies for direct bookings before freezing a price, since Hoppers fees are nonrefundable.

EXPEDIA

On its app, the online travel agency Expedia offers Price Drop Protection on most flights. For a nonrefundable fee, the service will monitor the price of a flight booked through Expedia. If the price drops, the service will refund the difference.

How it works: Using the Expedia app, a flight search turns up a price-tracking screen with insights into past price fluctuations and future predictions  insights it began offering last year  along with current fares and the option to hedge against them falling. On a recent search, the lowest round-trip in late May between New York and Los Angeles came up at $219, which Expedia predicted would be the best price we expect to see between now and takeoff. Nevertheless, it offered Price Drop Protection at $21, meaning that if the fare fell between purchase and take off, Expedia would refund me the difference.

Cost: Fees, which are nonrefundable, vary based on the ticket price, but theres no annual limit on refunds.

Bottom line: Expedias price insights offer a guide on whether buying Price Drop Protection might be worth it. In the previous example, I would be betting $21 that my fare would drop more than $21, or to below $198, which seemed unlikely.

AIRLINE PRICE HOLDS

When searching for flights on the websites of a few major carriers, including American and United Airlines, consumers can opt to freeze a fare for a while.

How it works: Uniteds FareLock program allows users to hold a fare for a fee, which varies based on ticket price and length of the hold. Using a recent search for a round trip in May between Chicago and San Francisco, a $372 fare would cost $5.99 to hold for three days, $8.99 for a week and $12.99 for two weeks. Within the hold period, users can pay the guaranteed price for the flight or let it expire. Either way, the fee is nonrefundable.

American Airlines says it offers free 24-hour holds and extended hold options with nonrefundable fees on select flights. A recent search for a round-trip flight in May from Dallas-Fort Worth to Los Angeles turned up a $366 round-trip fare. After clicking through to the final payment page, I was offered a 24-hour complimentary hold. Despite numerous other searches, I was unable to find an extended hold offer.

Cost: When applied, fees are nonrefundable and vary with the ticket price and hold term.

Bottom line: Regardless of hold offers, all carriers are required to refund any airline reservation canceled within 24 hours of purchase. So, if its just a matter of syncing schedules with fellow travelers or getting a quick approval at work, youre better off buying a United fare knowing that it is fully refundable up to 24 hours rather than paying for the hold. Americans free 24-hour hold offers a grace period without the hassle of having to cancel a new reservation and request a refund.

If you need more than 24 hours to decide, a price hold might be worth it. Look for advice from Kayak, Google Flights or Expedia on whether to book or wait.

BOOKING.COM

Through its We Price Match guarantee, the online reservation service Booking.com will meet a lower price on a hotel room found on another booking site.

How it works: When users who have made a hotel reservation at Booking.com find a cheaper price for the same hotel and accommodation type with the same terms  including check-in and checkout dates and cancellation policy  at least 24 hours before their stay, they can request a refund by filing a claim on the website.

In this case, the onus is on the user to search for lower prices. There are exceptions that exclude cheaper prices found, including those that use a discount code or are generated by a hotel loyalty membership.

Cost: Free.

Bottom line: Many hotel companies, including Marriott and online agencies like Orbitz, offer price guarantees for lower rates found elsewhere within 24 hours of booking. Booking.com extends that assurance for the entire pre-travel term, though consumers will have to do their own digging to find cheaper rates.

AUTOSLASH

AutoSlash monitors existing car rental reservations, letting users know when the price for a rental drops, allowing them to cancel the old reservation and to rebook at the lower rate.

How it works: AutoSlash takes advantage of the generous cancellation policies of car rental companies, which generally dont charge a penalty if you cancel a booking (excluding nonrefundable prepaid bookings). Travelers holding reservations can engage the online platform AutoSlash by providing their confirmation number, price quote and any memberships they might have to organizations like AAA or AARP or retail clubs like Costco that can trigger discounts. The service then tracks the booking and will notify users when the price drops. If it does, AutoSlash will notify the reservation holder who can cancel and rebook at the lower prevailing rate.

Cost: Free.

Bottom line: AutoSlash does the price-tracking legwork, but youll have to act quickly on its advice to cancel and rebook, lest the rates change again.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Luke Russert was just 22 when his father died. In an exclusive excerpt from his new memoir, Russert recalls hearing the news, and what came after

Courtesy

In his new memoir, Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself, Luke Russert chronicles his life as the son of famed newsman Tim Russert, who died suddenly in 2008. After working at his dad's beloved NBC News for the next eight years, Luke decided to leave behind the life of a D.C. journalist and become a world traveler, visiting more than 60 countries  a journey he describes in the book. In this excerpt, exclusive to PEOPLE, Luke writes about the days following his father's death, from the "horrific" moment he and his mother heard the news to his decision to write and deliver his father's eulogy.

While on a family trip to Italy following Luke's graduation from Boston College, Tim Russert flew home to Washington early so he could prepare to host Meet the Press, a position he had held for more than 16 years. Luke and his mother, Maureen Orth, were in Florence preparing for dinner when a phone call came that Tim had collapsed in his NBC office. A frantic series of calls followed, and before long they learned it was what they had feared. Tim Russert had died at just 58.

Somebody at the hospital confirms the news. A fatal heart attack, a type known as "the widow maker." Mom sinks back into her chair. She has been perked up at the desk, pen in hand, taking notes about the details. She is a celebrated journalist in her own right, a special correspondent at Vanity Fair, and till that moment she remarkably remains in reporter mode. But when the confirmation comes, the terrible truth sinks in. Tears stream down her face. She puts the phone down and motions for me to come over. We hug. She doesn't say a word. Mom does not wail. Not once. My throat chokes up, but I have to say it; I need to face this horrific reality, this new normal.

"He's gone."

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Mom nods her head. I don't feel pain. Just shock. It's the beginning of somehow trying to accept that our world has forever changed.

Afterward, mother and son try to process the news.

Related:Tim Russert: The Father's Day That Wasn't

By the grace of God, my mother and I cannot see the report in real-time. NBC News doesn't reach Florence, Italy, and social media apps are not yet as ubiquitous and invasive as they will be in the years ahead. This turns out to be an enormous blessing. In the hours after Dad's death, our news updates are the phone calls of friends and not an endless stream of politicians and fellow journalists offering up remembrances on Twitter or the national airwaves. Instead, we find ourselves, mother and son, walking the streets of the beautiful Renaissance-era city on a perfect summer night  phones off, only each other to lean on as we peer down at the Arno River and try to catch our breath.

We duck into a lobby bar of some nearby hotel. The crush of death is still raw, but not quite all-consuming. At that table we pledge our loyalty, affirm our love, and make a pact of strength and togetherness as a family. Our grieving will be dignified. Our attention will go toward honoring Dad's legacy and picking up the spirits of those as sad as us. Mom mentions we are blessed. Now is the time to rely on our Catholic faith. We hold hands and say a Hail Mary.

Later that night, Luke faces the reality of his loss.

I'll never speak to Dad again. He is gone.

I burst into tears, clutch the pillow, and scream into the night. Jeanie holds me and reminds me to breathe in between my hysterical wheezing. I cry about losing my best friend. I cry for the grandchildren he'll never meet. I cry for all the lessons ahead that I know I needed to learn but will not receive from his calm and trusting voice. I cry knowing the fabric of my being is forever torn.

I cry because he never got to see the Bills win a Super Bowl.

Courtesy

Back in D.C., Luke offers to deliver his father's eulogy, a daunting task for any son. But he finds inspiration from the man he is mourning.

Where can I turn for help in writing the most important words of my life? It dawns on me. Why not the man himself? I remember he had written about loss. I rush out to grab a copy of Big Russ and Me, my dad's memoir. In it, he talks about death through the prism of faith:

'The importance of faith, and of accepting and even celebrating death, was something I continue to believe as a Catholic and a Christian. To accept faith, we have to resign ourselves as mortals to the fact that we are a small part of a grand design.'

Dad does not leave me alone in the apartment. I feel he is showing himself. Almost immediately, I internalize his spirit. Perhaps he is writing through me, or there is a more divine connection. The words flow out. I write at a level of focus I've never reached before. The writing is continuous. When done, I give it a look over. I don't know where it came from, but there it is. I crack two beers. I toast the man and thank him.

Related:Tim Russert's Son Luke on Cherishing Every Moment He Spent With the Meet the Press Host

At the wake, Luke realizes that the vast crowds honoring his father include the U.S. President.

The line must be a mile long. My eyes start to well up as I look at the people through the tinted glass. All ages, genders, races, and creeds. It's the American quilt.

We have heard that somebody from the White House was going to pay their respects, but we did not know that it was going to be the president. The sirens from the motorcade are within earshot. The president and Mrs. Bush walk in, escorted by one of my old teachers. President Bush, famous for giving nicknames, has one for me. "Big Luke! Come here, brother." He brings me in for a bear hug. "So sorry, your dad was a good man."

"Thank you, sir."

Mom and I pray with them. She holds their hands. They then follow us to the school library to meet the rest of our family. President Bush stays for an hour and greets every single Orth and Russert.

"Thank you for the time, sir," I say.

"My honor," says President Bush.

The son of a garbage man, getting a US president to his wake? I can hear Dad mouthing, "What a country."

Courtesy

Later, he must rise to the pulpit to eulogize his father.

I walk down the aisle of Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., step behind Dad's casket. My focus is on Mom and nobody else. So long as she stays strong, I know I'll be fine. The priests have the rest under control.

That is the beauty of the Catholic faith. If nothing else, we know how to do death, following the thousands-year-old script.

At the appropriate time, the priest summonses me to the pulpit for the eulogy. I stare out into a sea of friends, family, and official Washington. In the pews, I see Barack Obama, John McCain, Nancy Pelosi. Joe Biden's face looks especially pained; he is a man all too familiar with grief. The same can be said of Ethel Kennedy, whom I lock eyes with for a brief moment.

And one more event, the public memorial service at the Kennedy Center, where Luke reflects on the world his father has left.

I follow remembrances from Dad's friend Maria Shriver and old boss Mario Cuomo. I see James Carville and Mary Matalin in tears, leading the audience in applause, and then a bear hug comes from Dad's friend Mike Barnicle. My uncle Tony Scozzaro, a gifted guitarist from Buffalo, plays Springsteen's "Born to Run" as a closing tribute. Then, unexpectedly, Bruce Springsteen himself is piped in via satellite and performs "ThunderRoad," Dad's favorite song. That makes me shed my only public tear.

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.

I take a moment backstage to think. Tim Russert died at the height of his career. He died as the nominees for the 2008 presidential election were being settled on after a historic primary season. He died as television media reached its pinnacle, in the last hours before a new digital world. He died just after his son graduated from a Jesuit college. He died days after praying in the Vatican. He died in his favorite season: summer. He died on the Friday before his favorite holiday: Father's Day. The man who wrote books about fatherhood, which caused so many people to reconnect with their dads, actually died on Father's Day weekend.

A fitting ending.

Harper Horizon, imprint of HarperCollins Focus

Look For Me There: Grieving My Father, Finding Myself, will be published May 2 by Harper Horizon.

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Read the original article on People.
Jason Valentine Esparza, 57  seen here in a 2020 DMV photo, left, and a 2023 booking photo  was arrested April 7 in Huntington Beach. (Orange County district attorney's office)

Orange County authorities are seeking the publics help in identifying potential victims of a Huntington Beach man accused of sexually abusing children for decades and "grooming" women to seek out babysitting jobs and bringing children in their care to motel rooms where he could molest them.

Officials suspect the assaults took place over the course of decades and involved victims as young as 4 years old, according to the Orange County district attorneys office.

Undercover detectives arrested Jason Valentine Esparza in Huntington Beach following an investigation sparked in September by an anonymous online tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children program.

Authorities say Huntington Beach Police Department detectives made contact with him while posing as a woman babysitting a 4-year-old girl. In his communications, the suspect allegedly described specific sexual acts he wished to perform upon the child, according to the district attorneys office.

Esparza, 57, was arrested April 7 at a Huntington Beach hotel where authorities allege he went expecting to meet the child.

He has been charged with three felony counts of attempted oral copulation or sexual penetration of a child 10 years old or younger and two felony counts of attempted forcible lewd act on a child under the age of 14. If convicted as charged, he faces a sentence of up to 16 years and four months, according to the district attorney's office.

He remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail and is scheduled to be arraigned Friday.

Originally from Warren, Ohio, authorities say Esparza has connections to Huntington Beach, Long Beach and Fullerton.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Huntington Beach police WeTip Hotline at (714) 375-5066. Tips can also be made anonymously to OC Crime Stoppers at (855) 847-6227.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A 2-month-old black female mix suffered from injuries apparently related to being thrown over a fence along the Tujunga Wash while she was inside a crate last month. (Los Angeles Police Department)

A 25-year-old Tujunga man is being charged with animal cruelty after detectives linked him to video of a dog being thrown over a fence along the Tujunga Wash, the LAPD said.

On March 27, a tipster alerted police to a video captured by a neighborhood surveillance app that showed a man opening the trunk of a Chevrolet Tahoe, removing a dog crate and tossing it over a fence near Renaissance Drive and Cardamine Court, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release.

Alarmed by the video, a resident searched along the Tujunga Wash and found a puppy, described as a 2-month-old black female mix, suffering from injuries apparently related to being thrown in the crate.

On Tuesday, police arrested Daniel Arias at his Tujunga home, and the district attorneys office has charged him with one count of felony animal cruelty, the LAPD said.

Police said the puppy, which has been named Raisin, is recovering and will be put up for adoption.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A civilian in Kherson Oblast has been killed by an explosive device left by the Russians.

Source: Kherson Oblast Military Administration

Quote: "A civilian was killed in the Velyka Oleksandrivka hromada [an administrative unit designating a town, village or several villages and their adjacent territories  ed.] by explosives left by the Russians.

The tragedy happened on the bank of the Inhulets River, between the villages of Davydiv Brid and Bilohirka. There, a 30-year-old man came across a Russian explosive. He received life-threatening injuries."

Details: Kherson Oblast Military Administration reiterated that the mine danger in Kherson Oblast remains extremely high. The zone of increased danger is the coast of reservoirs, fields, forest strips, roadsides, wastelands.

Background: On 22 April, Ukraines Ministry of Defence reported that 124 people, including six children, have been killed by explosive devices in Ukraine since the start of Russias full-scale invasion.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Matty Healy has apologised to Ice Spice over a podcast interview in which he and the hosts mocked Chinese and Inuit people in relation to the rapper.

The 1975 frontman came under fire for comments he made during an episode of the Adam Friedland Show podcast in February.

At one point in the podcast, Healy mentioned US rapper Ice Spice, whom he claimed he tried to message on Instagram.

Healy, Friedland and comedian Nick Mullen then appeared to confuse her heritage by referring to her as Inuit and Chinese, imitating and mocking the accents of each.

Mullen called the American rapper an Inuit Spice Girl and a chubby Chinese lady .

As reported by Rolling Stone, Healy, 34, addressed the comments during a 1975 concert in New Zealand.

The musician and son of Denise Welch said that he doesnt like being famous and that he makes a joke out of everything and can take it too far sometimes in front of too many people.

Ice Spice, Im sorry. Its not because Im annoyed that me joking got misconstrued. Its because I dont want Ice Spice to think Im a d***. I love you, Ice Spice. Im so sorry, he said.

The Independent has contacted a representative of Ice Spice  real name Isis Naija Gaston, 23  for comment.

matty healy apologising to @icespicee_ in auckland/nz: pic.twitter.com/gKrKET6Rd2  Coup De Main (@coupdemain) April 21, 2023

Healy failed, however, to address wider criticism of the podcast appearance, during which he went on to encourage the hosts to do impressions of Japanese people working in concentration camps, later joining in himself.

The group also made a number of derogatory comments about women during the interview.

Within 15 minutes of the podcast beginning, Healy told Friedland that he would f*** Friedlands sister because shes hot.

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Making a thread of my least favorite moments from the Adam Friedland podcast  Japhia (@japhia_aurantia) February 10, 2023

They also discussed Scots, a recognised indigenous language, which they appeared to confuse with the Scottish accent.

Scots is its own language which is like retard English, one of the hosts remarked, while Healey could be heard describing it as mediaeval.

At another point, while talking about a gambling website, one of the hosts joked that they have child porn on the website.

Healy responded: Shout out!

On Twitter, listeners branded the conversation f***ing gross and called out Healy for taking part.

Earlier this month, the podcast episode pulled from both Apple and Spotify. It is still available on YouTube.

His representatives did not respond to The Independents request about the podcast remarks.
LONDON (Reuters) - Meghan, the wife of Britain's Prince Harry, criticised the British media on Saturday over reports that letters exchanged with King Charles played a part behind her decision not to attend his coronation, her latest confrontation with the press.

The Daily Telegraph reported Meghan had written to the now king to express her concerns about unconscious bias in the royal family. It said the letter was sent following her 2021 comments in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that the family had raised concerns about how dark her son's skin would be.

It reported the Duchess of Sussex did not feel she had received a satisfactory response to her concerns.

"The Duchess of Sussex is going about her life in the present, not thinking about correspondence from two years ago related to conversations from four years ago," a spokesperson for Meghan said.

"Any suggestion otherwise is false and frankly ridiculous. We encourage tabloid media and various royal correspondents to stop the exhausting circus that they alone are creating."

Prince Harry will attend the coronation next month without Meghan, who will remain in California with the couple's two young children. Their eldest, Archie, turns four on the same day.

Harry and Meghan stepped down from royal duties in March 2020, saying they wanted to make new lives in the United States away from media harassment.

(Reporting by Michael Holden; Writing by Kylie MacLellan; Editing by Jonathan Oatisditing by Jonathan Oatis)
Meghan Trainor, author of "Dear Future Mama: A TMI Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Motherhood from Your Bestie," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

The 28th Los Angeles Times Festival of Books returned to the University of Southern California on Saturday and Sunday  and in a big way. Many of the 550 guests stopped by our portrait studio: Meghan Trainor, Michael Connelly, Jennifer Garner and more poets, artists, chefs, journalists, celebrities and musicians.

Here are some of the best photos from the day of people who did their best to entertain our photographer Myung J. Chun.

Angie Thomas, author of "Nic Blake and the Remarkables: The Manifestor Prophecy," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books on April 23. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Jayden Elijah, Alexis Schaitkin, West Duchovny, Leila Gerstein, Betsy Brandt, Alycia Debnam-Carey and Josh Bonzie at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books Portrait Studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Meghan Trainor, author of "Dear Future Mama: A TMI Guide to Pregnancy, Birth, and Motherhood from Your Bestie," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

James Ellroy, author of "The Enchanters: A Novel," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Michael Connelly, author of "Desert Star," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Laura Dave and Jennifer Garner at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Jesse Leon, author of "I'm Not Broken: A Memoir," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Rachel Lindsay, author of "Real Love: A Novel," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Shaunna Stith and John Stith, at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio at the Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club of USC on Saturday. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

James Hannaham, author of "Delicious Foods," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Jemele Hill, author of "Uphill: A Memoir," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Courtney Faye Taylor at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Cathleen Schine at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Betsy Brandt at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Lynne E. Thompson at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

George M. Johnson at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Ivy Pochoda, author of "These Women: A Novel," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Cara Mentzel and Idina Menzel at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Katie Porter, author of "I Swear: Politics Is Messier Than My Minivan," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Saeed Jones at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Annalee Newitz at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Akilah Hughes, Lane Moore with dog Lights, and Judy Greer at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Gabino Iglesias at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

John Scalzi, author of "Starter Villain," at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books portrait studio. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces his candidacy for President of the United States in a speech at Boston Park Plaza on April 19, 2023. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is challenging President Joe Biden for the 2024 Democratic nomination.

Members of his famous family say they oppose his candidacy because of his anti-vaccine views.

His niece told Insider that she believes his views are "unfounded and potentially dangerous."

Members of the Kennedy family say they are not supporting Robert F. Kennedy Jr's bid for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination because of his prominent role in the anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist movement.

The nephew of former President John F. Kennedy officially announced his long-shot bid to challenge President Joe Biden for the nomination at an event in Boston on Wednesday.

Kerry Kennedy, one of his sisters, told Insider in a statement that she will not be supporting her brother's bid.

"I love my brother Bobby, but I do not share or endorse his opinions on many issues, including the COVID pandemic, vaccinations and the role of social media platforms in policing false information," she said.

Kennedy built a reputation as a prominent anti-vaxxer long before the pandemic, but his impact reached new heights when the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

One report identified him as being one of 12 people who were responsible for the spread of most disinformation about COVID-19 online.

Kennedy, who graduated from Harvard and previously worked as an environmental lawyer, has repeatedly courted controversy for his statements about vaccines.

He has pushed a widely debunked claim that vaccines are linked to autism, and last year likened government efforts to contain COVID-19 to Hitler's Germany.

His anti-vaccine group, Children's Health Defense, was removed from Facebook and Instagram last year and his personal Instagram account was also barred in 2021.

"I love my uncle and admire him for many reasons," his niece Kerry Meltzer, the daughter of his sister Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, said in a statement to Insider.

Story continues

"But I'm a physician who has seen the life-saving power of vaccines firsthand, particularly the COVID vaccine, and I think Bobby's vaccine scepticism is unfounded and potentially dangerous. As a result, I will not support his candidacy for president. I will be supporting President Joe Biden."

His campaign did not respond to Insider's request for comment.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks against legislation to narrow exemptions to state mandated vaccines during a rally at the state Capitol Tuesday, May 14, 2019, in Albany, N.Y. AP Photo/Hans Pennink

This family schism is not new  in 2019, two of his siblings and a niece penned an op-ed for Politico in which they denounced his views on vaccines and their "heartbreaking consequences."

It is perhaps unsurprising to see many of the Kennedys oppose his candidacy. Not only have family members long opposed his views on vaccines, three of his siblings are diplomats for the Biden administration.

Kennedy poked fun at his family's lack of support as he addressed the ballroom full of people at the Boston Park Plaza hotel.

"There are other members of my family who are not here today," he said to laughter.

"I know most American families, they never have any differences with each other. So when that happens in a family, it's really huge news, like, everywhere."

He added that he has "no ill will" towards any of his family members and said that many of his relatives had written him "beautiful letters of love."

While his siblings were notably absent, several of his children and grandchildren attended the campaign launch.

Although Biden is yet to confirm whether he will run again in 2024, The Washington Post and The New York Times have reported that a campaign launch could be as early as Tuesday.

Self-help author Marianne Williamson has also said she will challenge Biden for the Democratic nomination.

Read the original article on Business Insider
On Saturday, April 22 at 2:00 p.m. Jacksonville Pet Funeral Home, Pet Cremation Center and Pet Memorial Park will receive the community to be in attendance for retired law enforcement K9 Putnam, who will be memorialized at the K9 law enforcement monument in our memorial park.

This service is open to the public.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

K9 Putnam found a missing teen with medical issues who had been missing for more than four days in 2018. Within 30 minutes of receiving the scent he found the young man severely dehydrated in a wooded area of Palm Coast.

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While this case received state-wide and national attention, there were countless times in his 7-year career that Putnam saved lives of those who were lost and disoriented.

To be included at the memorial event will be:

A military and K9 law enforcement gun volley. A bagpiper soldier that will play Amazing Grace.

The placement of K9 Putnams permanent memorial plaque at the K9 monument by his handler

The ringing of the brass memorial bell for each year of his service to the Putnam County Sheriffs Office and other memorial tributes.

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The Jax Pet Funeral home kindly asks that the public take time out of your busy schedule and attend this event in support of all the law enforcement K9s and their handlers.

Law enforcement K9 handlers and their K9 partners will be in attendance.

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.
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Malaysia's Muslims marked the Eid al-Fitr festival on Saturday as the country sees economic recovery, instilling a more positive vibe in the country following years of disruptions and uncertainty.

With a renewed interest in international travel and trade, Malaysians look forward to the festival, which typically begins with a trip back to hometowns and a reunion with family members.

For sales executive Nadirah Naim, this year will be a more joyous celebration as the economy has jump-started and all forms of pandemic restrictions have been withdrawn, encouraging her family and relatives to meet up without hesitation.

"Last year was not easy. (COVID-19) cases were still high. My company was not certain about its future and there was talk of reducing the number of staff. It was still a gloomy time," she told Xinhua.

"But this year there is a feeling of being set free. My job is stable, and I do not have the same anxiety that I faced previously. My family will be meeting up in our hometown in Negeri Sembilan (state). I am looking forward to seeing them, especially those who I have not seen in years," she added.

Meanwhile, Khairudin Nizam, who operates a consultancy in Kuala Lumpur also chimed in, explaining that he felt he had more to spend this year and would do so to make up for previous years, when he could not celebrate as freely.

"Our family's hometown is right in this state, but we have not met each other often, even during the Eid al-Fitr season of last year. There was still uncertainty, whether from the pandemic or the poor economy. But things have turned around. This year will be the first real celebration in the recent years," he said.

The movement of people to their hometowns is especially felt in the capital Kuala Lumpur, with the usually busy roads being relatively free, with more tourists than locals walking around in parts of the city.

This contrasts with heavy traffic along the country's main interstate highways, with the Malaysian Highway Authority expecting an increased volume of 2.3 million cars daily over the festival period.

The country's king Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah urged Malaysians to be grateful for the peaceful coexistence of the various ethnic and religious groups in the country, who are free to conduct worship and celebrate their respective festivals with joy and excitement.

"Transcending borders and differences, Malaysians celebrate holy festivals of various religions in harmony and by visiting each other. Malaysians can also continue their daily lives with a sense of tolerance and without any gaps between races and religions," he said in a televised speech.

For his part, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called on Malaysians to strengthen unity by visiting each other during the festival period, in a separate address.

He also spoke on the importance of promoting mercy and compassion in Malaysia's pursuit of development and progress. "I would also like to stress that the spirit of unity and sacrifice be fostered and the attitude of kindness and mercy be extended to the weak and destitute and those who are marginalized," he said.

Malaysia is one of the most multicultural nations in Southeast Asia, with a population of about 33 million. 
The Merced City School District Board unanimously voted Friday night to fire superintendent Diana Jimenez during a special board meeting.

Board President Allen Brooks announced Jimenezs employment contract was terminated without cause.

The board voted on the item during closed session, with board members Brooks, Birdi Olivarez-Kidwell, Priya Lakireddy and Beatrice McCutchen all voting for the termination. Board member Jessee Espinoza was absent.

Associate Superintendent Brian Meisenheimer will take over as acting superintendent, according to Brooks.

The board has a regularly scheduled board meeting at 7 p.m Tuesday.

Thats when we will figure out the next step, Brooks said. Who will be the interim superintendent and when well start the search for a new superintendent.

Jimenez lasted less than a year in the district. The board appointed Jimenez as superintendent on May 24, 2022, and she officially started on July 1, 2022.

Jimenez was the superintendent of the Winters Joint Unified School District west of Davis prior to coming to Merced.

Jimenezs salary was $260,000 a year with a 2% annual raise, according to her employment agreement.

There was controversy prior to Jimenez becoming Merceds superintendent.

Jimenezs predecessor Doug Collins left at the end of the 2022 school year to become superintendent of the Chowchilla Elementary School District.

Collins, however, was preceded by former MCSD superintendent Richard Al Rogers, who resigned July 1, 2021, following a civil complaint filed against him alleging sexual harassment.

The civil complaint, filed by a female administrator against Rogers, stated she was asked by him to work for the district in spring 2020. Not long after she started, she was allegedly subjected to harassment that included  but was not limited to  demeaning comments, unwanted touching, unwanted sexual advances and other unacceptable forms of behavior.

Rogers denied the allegations.

MCSD employees were unhappy with the districts leadership under Jimenez.

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Ada Givens Elementary principal Dora Crane addressed the issue during the special board meeting on Friday.

I have never in my life not known what the vision is for the district, said Crane, who has spent 36 years working in education.

Every day is a battle for me to do my job and it shouldnt be, Crane added. Were looking to you, Im asking you for better leadership that will drive us all and to have a true vision as we move forward.

Brooks said the board heard similar pleas during a special board meeting held April 18.

We heard union representatives express concern about a lack of communication throughout the entire year, Brooks said. This is the second time in one week weve heard about a lack of communication and a lack of leadership this year.

The board was listening.
MATAMOROS, Mexico (AP)  About two dozen makeshift tents were set ablaze and destroyed at a migrant camp across the border from Texas this week, witnesses said Friday, a sign of the extreme risk that comes with being stuck in Mexico as the Biden administration increasingly relies on that country to host people fleeing poverty and violence.

The fires were set Wednesday and Thursday at the sprawling camp of about 2,000 people, most of them from Venezuela, Haiti and Mexico, in Matamoros, a city near Brownsville, Texas. An advocate for migrants said they had been doused with gasoline.

It was not immediately known who was to blame in torching the tents. Cartel-backed gangs often draw suspicion in any border attacks because of their penchant for preying on migrants and demanding money for passage through their territory. But a government official suggested the fires could have been set by a group of migrants frustrated over their long wait in Matamoros to cross the border.

The people fled as their tents were burned, said Gladys Canas, who runs the group Ayudandoles A Triunfar. What theyre saying as part of their testimony is that they were told to leave from there.

There were no reports of deaths or significant injuries. But about 25 rudimentary shelters made up of plastic, tarps, branches and other materials were torched in a sparsely populated part of the camp. Many who lived there also apparently lost clothing, documents and whatever other modest belongings may have been left inside.

Margarita, a Mexican woman staying at the camp, said Friday she saw migrants from Venezuela screaming during the previous days blaze.

They had their children with them and a few other things they had a chance to get, Margarita said. She spoke on the condition that her last name not be published due to fears for her safety.

Gangs recently threatened migrants who were wading across the river border illegally, as well as their guides, Margarita said, but the crossings had continued.

Story continues

Criminal groups often prey upon migrants in the area and demand money in return for permission to pass through their territory.

However, Juan Jose Rodriguez, director of the Tamaulipas Institute for Migrants, a state agency coordinating with Mexico's federal government, said he had no information that a gang was responsible for the fires.

Rodriguez attributed them to a group of migrants and said some 10 tents that had already been abandoned were burned. He added that they apparently set the fires to express frustration with a U.S. government mobile app that assigns turns for people to show up at the border and claim asylum.

Migrants have been applying for 740 slots made available daily on the glitch-plagued app, CBPOne, which allows them to enter the U.S. legally at an official crossing.

There are far more migrants than available slots, exacerbating tensions in Mexican border cities that house them, often in shelters and camps like the one in Matamoros. Last year hundreds of migrants blocked a major pedestrian crossing between Tijuana and San Diego until authorities shut down the protest.

In Matamoros on Wednesday night, about 200 migrants gathered on the southern side of an international bridge and halted all U.S.-bound traffic, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported. Vehicles were able to resume crossing after about two hours and pedestrians were allowed to cross after about four hours.

CBP made no mention of fires at the Mexican camp in its statement about the bridge shutdown.

The tent fires in Matamoros come on the heels of a March 27 blaze that killed 40 men at a Mexican immigration detention center in Ciudad Juarez. The fire was allegedly started by a detained migrant to protest conditions at the facility in the city across from El Paso, Texas.

The U.S. government is increasingly turning to Mexico while preparing to end pandemic-era asylum restrictions, known as Title 42 authority, on May 11. Mexico recently began accepting people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela who cross the border irregularly and are turned back by the U.S.

The Biden administration also is putting final touches on a policy under which asylum would be denied to people who pass through another country, such as Mexico, to reach U.S. soil.

___

Associated Press writer Alfredo Pena in Ciudad Victoria, Mexico, contributed to this report.
Miami educator Horacio Sierra has a voluminous library of songs on his digital device and delights in sharing his annual 100-most-played-songs playlists with followers of his social media accounts.

Lady Gaga has figured prominently on Sierras lists since her 2008 debut.

Now hes rubbing shoulders with the pop superstar in the halls of Washington.

Sierra and Gaga have been appointed by President Joe Bidens Presidents Committee on the Arts and Humanities.

Sierra, now 39, was appointed as a member, while Gaga, 37, is named a co-chair.

Lady Gaga arrives at the 95th Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

Who are some of the presidents appointees?

Welcome newly appointed members of the Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, led by @BruceCohen83 and @ladygaga! We look forward to partnering to positively impact the arts, libraries, museums, and humanities work across the country. https://t.co/bbhZje2Rwm  President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities (@PCAHgov) April 13, 2023

The mid-April announcement by the White House finds the music fan and the music superstar joined by names including Oscar-winning producer Brian Cohen as Gagas co-chair and Sierras fellow members George Clooney, Jon Batiste, Shonda Rhimes, Kerry Washington, former Congressman Steve Israel, and Eagles guitarist Joe Walsh.

The 24 appointees include a mix of musicians, educators, scholars, actors, art historians, philanthropists and activists.

READ MORE: Margaritaville goes to Washington. Jimmy Buffetts song is in the Library of Congress

As a college professor, I see my appointment as the administrations recognition of how the Humanities are an essential part of a well-rounded education, Sierra told the Miami Herald in an email interview.

Story continues

Sierra, president of the Miami-Dade Cuban-American Democrats, is a tenured English professor at Bowie State University in Maryland where he created in-person and online courses such as Graphic Novels, Studies in Popular Music, Queer Cultural Studies, Shakespeare & Film, and U.S. Hispanic Literature.

The University System of Maryland awarded Sierra its Excellence in Teaching Award for his commitment to experiential education. His research on English and Spanish Renaissance literature was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Sierras editorials on humanities education have been published in The Washington Post, The Hartford Courant and The Baltimore Sun. His poems on the intersections of history, geography, and identity have been published in The William & Mary Review and other publications.

When we study classic and innovative works of literature, art, and music, we are invited to contemplate the human condition and how we can create a more peaceful and prosperous society. By representing Florida on this committee, I plan to promote and support our uniquely polyglot arts scene, Sierra said from Miami where he lives with husband Dallas Clay Sierra.

What the Arts Committee does

In this file photo from May 8, 2021, then-Democratic candidate for Florida governor Charlie Crist talks to Horacio Sierra, Cuban American Democratic Club president, during his meeting with Miami-Dade Democratic Cuban Americans at Tropical Park in Miami

The Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities was founded in 1982 during the Ronald Reagan administration to advise the president on cultural policy. The first lady historically serves as honorary chair and the Committee selections are appointed by the president.

According to the White House, the Committee advises the president and the heads of U.S. cultural agencies. These include the Librarian of Congress, National Endowments for the Arts and the Humanities, the Secretary of the Smithsonian, and the Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The members advise the president on policy, philanthropic and private sector engagement, and other efforts to enhance federal support for the arts, humanities, and museum and library services.

From Miami to Washington

Maria and Horacio Sierra, combined, worked for 56 years at Miami Coral Park Senior High School in Westchester. They retired together in 2020. Their son Horacio was named by President Joe Biden to Presidents Committee on the Arts and the Humanities in April 2023.

The hometown writer and educator has had his name out there since he was a teen and for longer than, dare we say it, the Oscar-winning songwriter Gaga.

Miami may be a glitzy and flashy city, but we locals know that its a working class city where the entrepreneurial spirit is part of our DNA, Sierra said.

When you write about Miamis artists, politicians, and everyday citizens, youre writing about the American Dream. Were a city of Caribbean immigrants and Northern migrants. Were all hustling to lead fulfilling lives. So, Id say that hustle is what inspires me to have a strong work ethic and seize every opportunity that presents itself to me, Sierra said.

Sierra was first published in the Miami Herald at 16 when the paper had a features page called Yo! Herald, written by South Florida teens and overseen by Herald editors, like the Heralds current food editor Connie Ogle.

He was interested in so many things and he really could do everything. He stood out among all the kids that came through that program, Ogle said.

Hes one of those people whos interested in the world and that wasnt always the case with teenagers. To have him representing the arts, I cant think of any anyone better, Ogle said. Hes the kind of kid I knew would go on to great things. But I didnt know what those things would be because he could have been a writer. He could have gone into politics. He could have gone into the arts. He could have gone into any number of things and he probably would have been successful. So Im really proud of him.

From Cher to Columbine

A file photo of Horacio Sierra from March 8, 2001. Sierra was writing for the Miami Heralds Yo! Herald features page and was interviewed on what it meant to be a teenager at the time.

Some of Sierras earliest features for the Herald in 1999 included reviews of the eras biggest names.

Sometimes the 16-year-old wasnt into everything his Miami Coral Park Senior High classmates were grooving to on the CD format. Of the Backstreet Boys he wrote in one of his first published pieces: We all know the songs, weve all seen the videos, and unfortunately sometimes we can name all the members. But A.J., Brian, or Kevin, it doesnt really matter  their names are as interchangeable as their bland songs and videos.

Often times, he was right on the trends of the time, as when he recognized Lady Gaga precursor Chers unlikely comeback at age 52 with 1999s biggest hit, Believe. Cher is cool because of her music. For me, its about the music; its always been about the music. ... Her age is just a minor footnote to the great music she puts out.

And sometimes, at 16, Sierra, son of Coral Park Senior educators Maria and Horacio Sierra Sr., was entrusted by Herald editors to weigh-in on more serious national topics.

In December 1999, Sierra wrote a column for the Herald on the Columbine High School massacre. Two high school seniors murdered 12 students and one teacher at the Colorado school earlier that year.

The school violence that students witnessed in 1999 forever affected schools and security, Sierra wrote. Though the deadly rampage witnessed live on national television from Littleton, Colorado on April 20, is most entrenched in the nations mind, several other shootings and copycat threats at schools throughout the nation, including Dade and Broward, changed school policies. ... Only the future can tell if newly implemented safeguards will be able to curb school violence. All one can do is hope for a peaceful 2000, Sierra wrote.

He would also write about Miami Springs for the Heralds Neighbors section when he was at the University of Miami and served as an editorial intern at Ocean Drive en Espanol.

Sierras message from Miami

Try everything, Sierra says.

Miamis hustle culture allowed me to try my hands at being a journalist, an educator, a political activist, an op-ed writer, a community organizer, a poet, a scholar, a theater critic, a trivia host, a micro-influencer, an NEA grant reviewer, and even a tour guide.

Because why not? We shouldnt waste our talents on pursuing just one goal, Sierra said. And thats what the arts and humanities teach us, to be well-rounded. To be a Renaissance man and woman. Dont limit yourself. Rejections come and go, but youll eventually find success if youre willing to perfect your craft, promote yourself, and do good work.
On Christopher Street and Michael Denneny

Michael Denneny, who edited and oversaw the publication of many important LGBTQ-related books, including Randy Shiltss And the Band Played On, has died at age 80.

Denneny was found dead Saturday at his home in New York City, The Washington Post reports. He most likely had been dead three days, probably due to a heart attack, his brother, Joe Denneny, told the Post.

Denneny had been an editor at St. Martins Press since 1977, and he founded an LGBTQ+ imprint, Stonewall Inn Editions, at that company in 1987. It was the first gay imprint at a major publishing house, the Post notes. He also was believed to be the first out gay editor at a high-profile publisher.

Its probably too much to say that without Michael there would be no gay literature, but it would be a very different landscape, because once he started to publish and show it was possible to write about these lives, writers and other editors were inspired and emboldened, Keith Kahla, an executive editor at St. Martins and Dennenys former assistant, told the paper.

In his acknowledgments for And the Band Played On, one of the most significant chronicles of the AIDS epidemic, Shilts said his reporting would never have been transformed into a book if it were not for the faith of Denneny, who believed in this project when most in publishing doubted that the epidemic would ever prove serious enough to warrant a major book.

Denneny brought out books, both fiction and nonfiction, by many other gay authors, including Larry Kramer, Ethan Mordden, Christopher Davis, Larry Duplechan, Malcolm Boyd, Paul Monette, and Edmund White. Several of the works he oversaw dealt with AIDS; The New York Times once noted that he may have published more books on AIDS than any other editor at a commercial house.

He also was known for supporting authors across the literary spectrum, the Post reports. Among them were Renata Adler, Ntozake Shange, Buckminster Fuller, and Judith Thurman, whose biography Isak Dinesen won the National Book Award. The Oscar-winning 1985 film Out of Africa, starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, was based partly on it.

Denneny cofounded the gay literary magazine Christopher Street in 1976 and was an editor there for a time. Starting the publication cost him his job at the Macmillan publishing house. Most recently, he wrote the similarly titled On Christopher Street, a book of gay history since the Stonewall riots of 1969, and it came out just a few weeks ago. Earlier, he had written Lovers and Decent Passions, both nonfiction works about gay life and relationships.

He once said he considered his own community to be the primary audience for LGBTQ+ books. I was never worried about educating straight people, he told Gay City News in 2004. All of us were self-hating. We needed to reformulate gay imaginations, reimagine sex and relationships. The way you do that is with books.
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday blocking lower court limitations on the abortion medication mifepristone as the issue awaits more judicial review.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling Friday blocking lower court limitations on the abortion medication mifepristone as the issue awaits more judicial review.

The suspense is over for an anti-abortion medication, although, as the saying goes, it aint over til its over. The drugs ultimate fate remains an unknown.

On Friday evening, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mifepristone, the long-approved abortion drug, will remain widely available for now. The order halts a sweeping ruling by a federal judge in Texas that would have removed access to the drug.

The justices kicked the legal battle back down to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit to hear arguments and render a formal decision. But no matter how that court rules, one of the parties will appeal, which will return the case to the high court, where oral arguments will likely be presented in the fall and a decision perhaps not rendered until the following June.

A decision could have major consequences in a number of ways, from how it affects those seeking an abortion to hindering the Food and Drug Administrations regulatory authority.

Whatever the final decision, the case is yet another chapter in the hypocrisy of anti-abortion advocates in the specific, and of conservatives in general.

The Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone, part of a two-drug abortion process, 20 years ago.

The Food and Drug Administration approved mifepristone, part of a two-drug abortion process, 20 years ago.

The Drug

Mifepristone is part of a two-drug regimen that accounts for more than half of U.S. abortions today. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug over 20 years ago. It only recently became a flashpoint in the abortion debate. More precisely, the drug became the next battleground for anti-abortion crusaders last year after the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that had made abortion legal nationwide.

The drug is legal throughout the United States, including states that ban abortion, because it is also used to treat miscarriage.

Story continues

Timeline Of The Case

Anti-abortion rights groups sued the FDA for its approval of the drug, in Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine v. FDA.

They chose the safe legal harbor of U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a nominee of former President Donald Trump.

It is no accident the litigants sought Kacsmaryks court in the northern Texas district. Its a dirty little secret called judge shopping. Lawyers can manipulate the legal system by filing their cases with a judge they think will be receptive. Did someone say activist judges? Looks like lawyers know all about them.

Before being appointed by Trump, Kacsmaryk worked for the First Liberty Institute, a conservative legal group that has been a force behind many successful religious-based challenges through federal courts, including the Supreme Court.

Kacsmaryk sided with the anti-abortionists and issued a nationwide injunction to suspend the FDAs approval of the drug. Had it gone into effect last Friday, the drug would no longer be available, although many states were prepared to ignore the ruling and continue making it available to their residents.

The Biden administration, the Justice Department and Danco Laboratories, a manufacturer of mifepristone and a defendant in the case, appealed to the 5th Circuit, based in New Orleans. In the 5th Circuit, a three-judge panel  two Trump nominees and a George W. Bush nominee  overturned part of Kacsmaryks ruling but held for other parts. That sent an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, raising fears that the high court, with its six conservative justices, would uphold Kacsmaryks ruling.

Initially, on April 14, the high court issued an administrative stay in the case, a temporary pause, until a midnight Wednesday decision, which the court then extended to this Friday when it sent the case back to the 5th Circuit. The ruling by the 5th Circuit, one expected to favor the plaintiffs, wont end the saga. An expected appeal will send the case back to the Supreme Court for its full review of the case and what will be a final ruling on the fate of the drug.

The abridged version of all these legal gymnastics: An abortion drug was banned, then unbanned, then restricted, then unbanned and then it stayed unbanned when a lot of people thought it might get banned only to get banned again in the 5th Circuit but unbanned on appeal until it faces the possibility of being banned again.

Maybe the Supreme Court should just declare the entire FDA unconstitutional and call it a day.

For the time being, the drug will remain available as it always has since its FDA approval back in 2000.

The case, the courts most crucial since overturning Roe, comes with an especially frightening consequence: If the justices hold for Kacsmaryk, the entire regulatory structure of the FDA and its job to ensure safe medications would be thrown into chaos.

There is a legal reason to believe the justices will reverse Kaczmaryks original decision.

As much as Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett and Clarence Thomas would support it (because abortion BAD, ooog!), John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh might join the courts three liberal justices because of the standing question.

You cant just sue over any law just because you want to. It requires standing, which means you have suffered actual harm from a law or could reasonably be harmed by it.

A signature feature of the Roberts Court has been to create doctrines to limit who has standing to sue and restrict access to the courts. (Conservatives have been on that crusade for more than 50 years now.)

The standing theory in this case is, at best, questionable. The anti-abortion physicians who brought this case have no legal standing to challenge the FDA approval because they have no concrete stake in the drug. They dont take it or prescribe it, and they never found a woman who claimed to have been injured by it.

Granting a favorable ruling to the plaintiffs is a door Roberts doesnt want to open.

A woman holds a sign in support of abortion rights at the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday.

A woman holds a sign in support of abortion rights at the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday.

The Plaintiffs Case

The plaintiffs case is head-scratching.

A key argument is that the FDA rushed the drugs approval and didnt properly test it to ensure it was safe. But the approval process actually took longer than usual, four years, and the FDAs process had the full support of advisory committees and major professional associations.

Further, the drug, invented by a French pharmaceutical company, had already been approved throughout much of Europe and China by the late 1980s with no evidence of inefficacy. So, long before approval here in the United States, we had extensive data showing the drug to be safe and effective. One study included more than 16,000 patients.

In fact, the FDA went above and beyond to ensure safety.

Approval of the drug relied partly on French data, but since the French health system differs from the U.S. health system, the FDA placed certain restrictions on the drug, later known as a risk evaluation and mitigation strategy or REMS. As more data came in, the FDA gradually loosened restrictions, including some as recently as earlier this year. Does that sound like an agency that fast-tracked a drug?

Despite all these precautions, a judge out of nowhere with no medical experience rebuked the FDA, its extended safety protocols and the input of medical professionals, both here and abroad.

Wait, conservatives ignoring science? Color me shocked!

The plaintiffs also cited the Comstock Act, a federal law known as a chastity law, dating back to 1873. It prohibited using the mail to send lewd or lascivious material, including contraception. The law only vaguely defines obscene materials, but its patently obvious that what was considered lewd or lascivious back then is entirely acceptable today.

So were supposed to apply the standards of 1873 to todays standards 150 years later? Was there such a thing as mifepristone in 1873? Is this some jurists idea of originalism?

So let me understand this: We cant ban an AR-15 even though it didnt exist when the Framers wrote the Second Amendment, but we can ban mifepristone based on a law written in 1873 even though the drug didnt exist 150 years ago. Is that about the size of it, or shall we next ban bikinis and require that a dress reveal only a womans ankles?

Or did this judge not know that the landmark 1965 Supreme Court decision in Griswold v. Connecticut found the Comstock Act unconstitutional to restrict access to birth control because it interfered with a persons right to privacy? (See also 1969s Stanley v. Georgia.)

Who in the heck is this Trump-nominated Texas judge? Oh, right, Only the best people.

Not quite.

An abortion rights activist holds a sign with a sketch of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk and former President Donald Trump, with

An abortion rights activist holds a sign with a sketch of Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk and former President Donald Trump, with "Trump's puppet" written on it at a rally April 14, the day the Supreme Court temporarily preserved access to mifepristone.

Judge Kacsmaryk Under Fire

As this case was being put through the judicial meat grinder, The Washington Post reported that Kacsmaryk lied under oath before the Senate Judiciary Committee during his confirmation hearing interviews.

According to The Post, Kacsmaryk submitted a draft article to a Texas law journal in 2017 that criticized Obama administration protections for transgender people, criticized people seeking abortions and criticized abortifacient drugs designed to kill unborn children.

Gee, no wonder the anti-abortion plaintiffs brought their case before him.

You can agree or disagree with those views, but they come with a big illegal red flag: Kacsmaryk asked to be removed as the articles sole author and have his name replaced by two colleagues at the First Liberty Institute, the religious legal organization where he worked.

Why such a request? Well, at the same time Kacsmaryk submitted his draft article to that Texas law journal, he was being considered for a judgeship on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Nominees for federal judgeships are required to disclose every public and published remark, anything written or said in public. Kacsmaryks article was published all right, but under his colleagues names, and he never reported it to the committee.

Gee, no wonder he asked to have his name removed from the article.

But wait, theres more. Kacsmaryk also failed to tell the committee about interviews he gave to a Christian talk radio program in which he called being gay a lifestyle, and warned that changes in sexual norms would lead people who experience same-sex attraction to clash with religious institutions. He said it all began with no-fault divorce and permissive policies on contraception.

Bottom line: We have a judge who lied to a committee so that he could become a judge and whose views were tailor-made for issuing rulings the anti-abortion side knew it could get out of him. Must be another one of those activist judges Republicans keep warning us about.

Just think about that for a moment. A nominee, a devout Christian, stands before the Senate Judiciary Committee, places his hand on a Bible, swears to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, and then lies through his teeth.

In a sane, reasonable and honest world, Kacsmaryk should be immediately expelled, his rulings nullified and voided, and charges of perjury filed, all without the reliance on impeachment.

But that will never happen. The idea that nominees for federal judgeships are required to disclose every public and published remark is a joke. If there are no consequences, then they arent required to do anything, and there wont be anything to stop future nominees from doing whatever it takes to get on the bench.

Only the best people.

About The Comstock Act

The Comstock Act was central to two diametrically opposed crusades in the 19th century. The law was the work of Anthony Comstock, a deeply religious man who was horrified by the amount of porn and alcohol he saw among fellow soldiers while serving in the Army. He championed efforts to oppose such obscenities (because he knew so much better than anyone else, right?) and successfully lobbied for passage of the law named after him. It was part of the growing temperance movement that eventually led to Prohibition in 1920 (that worked out swimmingly), but, ironically, it also ignited interest in reproductive issues and womens rights, paving the way for womens right to vote and future Supreme Court cases that would eventually nullify the Comstock Act.

So now a bunch of meddling self-righteous conservatives want to do what, ban this pill outright? Mifepristone is now used for half the abortions in America. Half. And they want to take that away, too? I can see that poor pharmacist now. Sorry, maam, but abortion pills are dangerous, and you cant be trusted with them. How about a big fucking gun instead?

I cant wait for the mental gymnastics on why judges can ban abortion pills but not Viagra, antibiotics and painkillers.

The Hypocrisy Of It All

But I have a different question about all this, one that, once again, highlights the hypocritical nature of so many conservative arguments.

How is it that conservatives, who typically rail against big government meddling, have no trouble using the government to tell people how to live their lives? Gay marriage, physician-assisted suicide, abortion and, my goodness, dont forget those drag shows!

Well, they lost the sanctity-of-marriage battle, so theyve rekindled the sanctity-of-life issue. Can calls to defund Planned Parenthood be far behind again?

We all know raising children is expensive, so it should come as no surprise that the overwhelming majority of women getting abortions do so because they dont have the means or resources to raise that child in a nourishing environment. Sounds pretty family value-ish, yet those insisting we force childbirth on the ill-equipped to-be mothers also support reducing the services upon which such mothers depend.

In other words, in Family Values Land, the pre-born zygote is a beautiful child, but upon birth, the little rugrat is a parasite eating up my tax dollars. So lets cut those taxes (but only on the rich), and lets cut those entitlement programs (but onlythe ones that help the poor).

Sex and sex education? Cant have that. Republicans want to eliminate it in publicschools. The alternative, abstinence-only, has proved to be a totalfailure. Meanwhile, states with the highest teen pregnancy rates also have the least access to comprehensive sex education, and most of those states are majority-Republican.

Consistently, 99% of women of every faith use contraception, while women of all faiths, including evangelicals, have had abortions. One survey found that as many as 70% of women who have abortions in the U.S. identified as Christians, including one-quarter of those participants.

Does this not sound a little hypocritical to you?

If pro-lifers want to prevent abortions, why arent they more supportive of comprehensive sex education and contraception use, the main factors driving the long-term decline in teen pregnancy?

If they are so pro-life, why arent they offering to adopt the child of a woman seeking an abortion? At least then wed know just how pro-life the pro-lifers really were since the real burden of supporting a life begins not at conception but at birth.

You see where we are here? Abortion opponents are good at making convenient arguments, but when it comes to consistently living up to them, they fail miserably. Do as I say, not as I do.

Whether you are for or against abortion rights, we can all agree that wed like to reduce the number of abortions performed in our country.

What I wonder is whether conservatives will ever see that being pro-life has to go hand-in-hand with having substantive help for young mothers, such as free daycare, help with housing and financial subsidies, so that the pregnancy wont throw them and the baby into poverty.

No woman wants to be a position of needing an abortion, but some women have no choice. If it is good for each state to decide whether or not abortion should be safe and legal, isnt it even better if each person decides this for herself or himself?

To the religious right, I say: If God is omnipotent, if he wanted to force and enforce his laws on everyone, then he could and he would. He left choice up to the individual. He must have a reason for that. If God has left choice up to us, then who can claim they know better than God and try to force his law on another? No child should be born unwanted. But no one who is not going to be involved in raising that potential child should have the right to tell someone else what to do.

People should be free to make choices concerning their lives, bodies and health, and no government or church should be making those choices for them. No more than insurance companies should make medical choices for people.

Government and churches are welcome to offer advice, education, and alternatives (to those willing to hear them), but they should not take choices away. If you believe abortion is wrong, dont get one. If you think other people shouldnt get abortions, set up an adoption clinic that does outreach to pregnant women considering an abortion, especially poor pregnant women, the largest group who seek abortions.

If the anti-abortion side had been as zealous in advocating adoption as its been all these years to ban abortions, it mightve achieved its goals, but in a far more positive way.

Criminalizing abortion, including pharmaceutically induced abortions, will convince no one that its wrong. Women who want to exercise their right to choose will simply apply the 11th Commandment: Thou shalt not get caught.

I hope Republicans continue their assault on abortion rights. I hope they go all out with six-week bans across the board. Then Id like to see them suffer the consequences come 2024, and not necessarily because I support a womans right to choose.

If the prime directive of an elected official is to stay elected, you have to wonder three things:

Do they not see what Americans think about abortion rights? How can they not? Since the Supreme Court nullified Roe, polls have consistently shown that most Americans believe abortion should be legal in all or most cases, particularly among young voters. On access to abortion medication such as mifepristone, the debate is even more lopsided. If Republicans cant see this, then they dont deserve a seat in government because theyre not doing the peoples business. Theyre unable to. Translation, dear voter: They cant hear you. If they can read the tea leaves but choose not to heed them, they dont deserve to be in elected office because theyre not only not doing the peoples business, theyre willfully ignoring the job description that comes with the duties of representative government.

So go nuts, Republicans. Run the table. But dont come crying to me when you get your tails kicked in 2024. And please, dont have one of those V8 moments where you tell reporters, gee, we made a mistake. Playing dumb now and naive later isnt a good look, even for you guys.
The Minnesota Senate passed a bill Friday that would ban so-called conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth and certain adults.

The legislation, SF23, targets the discredited practice of seeking to change peoples sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. If signed into law, mental health practitioners and professionals would be prohibited from engaging in conversion therapy with anyone under the age of 18 or any vulnerable adult, a label that can include those receiving treatment for physical, mental or emotional conditions.

The Senate voted 36-27 to advance SF23, with two Republicans joining the chambers slim Democratic majority. Its passage followed years of failed attempts to get the bill through the legislative body. The proposal had previously passed in the states House of Representatives on multiple occasions.

SF23 now awaits a signature from Gov. Tim Walz (D), which would put Minnesota alongside the 20 other states, as well as the District of Columbia, that have passed laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ minors.

The Minnesota Senate just passed a bill permanently banning the inhumane practice of so-called conversion therapy.



As I said in my State of the State address, if anyone doubts that we can take meaningful action to protect our kids, Ive got two words for you: Watch us. https://t.co/eAZguaOMjn  Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) April 21, 2023

Conversion therapy dates back to the early 20th century, emerging as an attempt to cure homosexuality. LGBTQ+ advocates, along with medical and mental health organizations in the U.S., have condemned the practice, which they describe as inhumane, ineffective and dangerous  especially in terms of mental health.

With 469 bills nationwide now targeting drag shows, gender-affirming care and more LGBTQ-related issues, several advocacy organizations have spoken out in support of SF23 and other legislation aimed at granting protections to LGBTQ+ people in Minnesota.

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Thank you #Minnesota for standing up to protect #LGBTQ youth from the dangerous practice of #ConversionTherapy! We look forward to celebrating with you when @GovTimWalz signs this historic bill and enshrines these protections into law.  #BornPerfecthttps://t.co/yLTMeZy2CF  NCLR  National Center for Lesbian Rights (@NCLRights) April 21, 2023

Minnesota lawmakers have passed a bill that would ban so-called "conversion therapy" and the legislation now moves to Gov. Walz's desk! Shout out to @outfrontmn, @TrevorProject and all those on the ground who've worked to advance this necessary bill.  Human Rights Campaign (@HRC) April 22, 2023

To LGBTQ young people everywhere: know that there are so many people fighting for you and working together to help make this world brighter, more loving and affirming for you. Were not going anywhere  https://t.co/FYOfrwFMElpic.twitter.com/FpQurHxEUP  The Trevor Project (@TrevorProject) April 21, 2023

In the wake of the record levels of anti-LGBTQ bills across the country, it brings so much hope to mark the historic passage of this legislation, wrote Troy Stevenson, director of state advocacy campaigns for The Trevor Project, in a statement about SF23.

This bipartisan bill ... sends a powerful message of affirmation and support to every young LGBTQ Minnesotan growing up in The North Star State.

Minnesotas House and Senate have also passed the Trans Refuge Act. Walz has already declared that he plans to sign the bill, which would effectively make Minnesota the third sanctuary state in the country for people seeking gender-affirming care.

Related...
Wilbur Lin

What sort of musicians do fireflies resemble?

Are they percussionists offering a silent but no less striking pulse? String players, creating a warm and resonant glow? Ask the members of the Missouri Symphony Orchestra, and they envision an ensemble tuning to summer.

The remarkably luminous little creatures serve as a mascot and metaphor for the newest iteration of the Symphony's significant music festival. What was Hot Summer Nights will become the Firefly Music Festival, the symphony recently announced.

More: Andrew Yoon brings the poetry of taking chances to Unbound Book Festival

Last year, the festival doubled as a summer-long audition for a new music director following the retirement of long-time Maestro Kirk Trevor. Dynamic conductor Wilbur Lin was chosen as just the third director in the Symphony's 50-plus-year history.

"Following our Summer of Conductors in 2022, we entered a new phase and asked our musicians what helps them feel at home when visiting Missouri," the Symphony's website notes. "The answer was unanimous: fireflies! After that, MOSY had no doubt what the next iteration of our summer festival would be called."

Running June 24-July 15, Firefly promises six concerts along a spectrum from pops to new music and Romantic masters. The lineup is as follows, with concerts at the Missouri Theatre unless noted:

June 24: Fanfare CoMo  Features the premiere of Ching-Shan Chang's commission "Fanfare CoMo"; Brahms' third symphony; and Brahms' double concerto, performed by Stefani and Hiro Matsuo

June 30: Clara: Inspiration and Legacy  Explores the legacy of Clara Schumann through her piano concerto in A; the original work "Clara" by Gabriela Ortiz; and Saint-Saens' Organ Symphony

July 2: Missouri's Finest, America's Best  Excellent, locally-formed talents such as Jazz Rucker and Symonne Sparks perform on the annual patriotic concert, which features the works of Sousa, John Williams and more

July 7: Playlist at an Exhibition: A Promenade Concert at State Historical Society of Missouri  The repertoire features the likes of Mussorgsky, Rossini and Bernstein in culturally-rich environs

July 9: Beyond the Star(War)s: Greatest Hits of the Silver Screen  Features movie music from "Star Wars," "Up," the "Indiana Jones" franchise and more

July 15: The Schuman(n) Connection  The work of Robert Schumann and 20th-century composer William Schuman will be performed, as will a piano concerto by Edward MacDowell

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More: Two finalists for One Read: Choose historical novel or scientific adventure

Tickets for the summer series go on sale May 1. For more information, visit https://themosy.org/firefly/.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. Find him on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri Symphony's Firefly festival promises summer of Brahms, Schumann, more
Following a bipartisan agreement, the Assembly Public Safety Committee will consider fentanyl-related bills at a hearing Thursday. Some of the bills would strengthen criminal penalties for dealers that sell the deadly illegal pills.

The public safety committees in the California Assembly and Senate have shelved proposals or declined to hear testimony this year on any bills proposing tougher criminal laws to combat the fentanyl crisis. Democratic committee members have said that incarceration has failed to reduce problems with drug abuse in the past.

Illegal fentanyl was the cause of 127 overdose deaths in Stanislaus County last year.

The freeze on hearing fentanyl legislation became upsetting for some moderate Democrats and the GOP caucus in Sacramento. Conservative lawmakers threatened to force fentanyl bills to a floor vote without being heard in committee.

An Assembly staff member said that in order to avoid high-profile drama in the Legislature, elected officials from both parties and their staffs brokered an agreement Thursday, April 20, to hear fentanyl bills in committee next week. Valley representatives including Assemblyman Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, Assemblyman Heath Flora, R-Ripon, and others were involved in the negotiations, said Josh Whitfield, chief of staff for Alanis.

Alanis, who is vice chairman of the Public Safety Committee, released a statement praising the agreement.

Republicans and Democrats have set aside partisan divides and are trying to find a path forward on fentanyl-related legislation, said Alanis, a Stanislaus County sheriffs sergeant elected in November. I look forward to working with (public safety committee chairman) Reggie Jones-Sawyer on this issue that is plaguing our communities. We have proven to find common ground together on other important issues this year and I am hopeful we can have productive conversations on this issue as well.

According to public health data, there were 5,722 deaths due to illegal fentanyl in California in 2021, a death toll that included 224 people ages 15 to 19.

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A Stanislaus County campaign to warn the public about opioid use includes the story of a 14-year-old Waterford girl who died from fentanyl poisoning in August 2021.

The Assembly committee is scheduled to consider bills including AB 1058 written by Assemblyman Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, proposing tougher court sentences for possessing large amounts of fentanyl.

Other bills scheduled before the committee are: AB 33 by Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains, D-Delano, to create a fentanyl task force; AB 367, to bolster criminal penalties; AB 474, for cooperation between state and local authorities to disrupt fentanyl trafficking; and AB 955, a Democratic bill to increase penalties for selling fentanyl on social media.

Whitfield said Alanis has voted for most fentanyl bills proposed in the Democrat-controlled Legislature, everything from court admonishments for convicted dealers to making overdose-reversing Narcan available in public places.

We are hoping to actually get something done Thursday and not get hung up on partisan issues, Whitfield said.
David Robinson has spent most of his career in service to other communities around Southeast Michigan.

Now he's ready to give back to his home.

David Robinson

The Monroe City Council approved offering its city manager position to Robinson in a 5-2 vote during a special meeting Thursday. The council will now enter into contract negotiations with Robinson.

In a council-manager form of government like in Monroe, the city manager oversees the day-to-day operations of the city government while the mayor and council set policy, enact ordinances and oversee the budget.

Robinson, 56, and his wife, Tara, have lived in Monroe for the past four years. Before that, his family made their home in Newport since 2004. His son, Nicholas, attends St. Mary Catholic Central, and his daughter, Jordan, is in her fifth year at the University of Toledo.

"I love Monroe," Robinson said. "It's absolutely beautiful. It's a great place, it really is. ... I just thought about being able to do all of this right where I live. It's been a lot of years since I've been able to live in the city where I'm working."

More: Search for next Monroe city manager narrowed to two

Robinson has served the dual role as both city manager and police chief in Belleville since 2021. He became Belleville's part-time police chief in 2020 before being asked to take on both roles.

Before that, he was a police officer in Belleville for 30 years and retired in 2019 as the deputy chief. He also served as a board member and later executive director for the nonprofit Wayne County Mediation Services Dispute Resolution Center.

Robinson said he was impressed by Monroe's hiring process, which started in December 2022 before narrowing the pool of candidates down to two earlier this month.

Both candidates, Robinson and Tecumseh City Manager Dan Swallow, were invited for a site visit to Monroe last week and were able to tour city facilities and meet with staff. During the visit, city employees were given an open forum to ask questions and later asked to fill out a survey with their opinions.

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"I was able to meet with different individuals around the city, the employees, the people who provide service to everybody," Robinson said. "I think it was very visionary of the city to take the input of employees who work there. It sent me a message that this council cares about the people who work there and you could tell those people appreciated having a voice in the process.

"It was the site visit that completely locked it in for me that this is where I want to be. Everybody I met was friendly, open-minded and just awesome people. They truly care about the residents and the city. It was very, very fulfilling for me."

Robinson admits that there will be a learning curve to the role, but it's one he looks forward to as "a lifelong learner."

"I will depend on the people who are experts in their field to help guide me and teach me," he said. "I might be the city manager, but I actually work for everybody else in the city. ... The public is the boss.

"I'll look to Council for guidance and their vision for where they want to take the city. They're the representatives of our residents. I want to do everything I can to work together as a team to help the city based on the vision of the people who live there."

Mayor Robert Clark said that Robinson impressed the council with the work he has done in Belleville and his openness and candidness during the interview process.

"Mr. Robinson has expertise in local government both as an employee and his growth and rank in the police department," Clark said. "In Belleville, he went in as the police chief and they recognized quality in him to fulfill the duties as the city manager, too. That's a plus. If he wasn't progressing well in the role he had, they wouldn't have made that offer."

Clark thanked the city council members for their meticulous collaboration during the lengthy process.

"I appreciate the council did their diligence in the process," he said. "Mr. Robinson made a good connection with staff and employees and in the interview with council. I really appreciate Council's thoughtful deliberation taking all aspects into consideration."

Councilpersons Paula Whitman, Deb Staelgraeve, Michelle Germani, Brian Lamour and Andrew Felder voted in favor of Robinson. Clark and councilperson Kellie Vining were the two votes against.

"That should not be a concern for Mr. Robinson," Clark said. "Just because two members may have had a liking in a different direction is now past. When the majority of Council, especially a super majority, votes one way, we all need to get behind that action and move forward. Each step of the way we'll continue to grow together and serve the community."

The city will now enter into contract negotiations with Robinson. Clark expects a deal will come in front of the council for a vote at its next meeting on May 1.

Robinson hopes to get the chance to work with outgoing city manager, Vince Pastue, before his official departure on May 19.

Pastue announced his upcoming retirement last year. He originally planned to stay on in his role through April 2023 while the city conducted a search for his replacement, but later he agreed to extend his service until mid-May.

"I'm very impressed with the work he (Pastue) has done," Robinson said. "I'll have to do the same thing in Belleville. I have to help come up with a transition plan, not just for one job, but for two. There are a lot of big projects in Belleville that I hope stay on course. I'm sure Vince feels the same way. He's put a lot of time and effort into this and I'm sure he wants the transition to be smooth as he moves on to the next chapter."

This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Monroe City Council chooses next city manager
A transgender Democratic lawmaker has been banned from speaking in the Montana statehouse after telling Republicans they would have "blood on their hands" if they ban gender-affirming care in the conservative state.

Zooey Zephyr has been told she will not be allowed to take the floor until she apologizes over the comment, in the latest spat over the hot-button issue of trans rights in the deeply divided United States.

"If you vote yes on this bill and yes on these amendments I hope the next time theres an invocation, when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands," Zephyr, the state's first transgender representative, told colleagues on Tuesday.

Republican lawmakers objected to the remark, getting Zephyr's gender wrong in a statement on Twitter.

"Our caucus is calling for the immediate censure of transgender Rep. Zooey Zephyr after his threatening and deeply concerning comments on the House floor earlier today," the Freedom House Caucus wrote.

The House's Republican speaker Matt Regier on Thursday refused to call on Zephyr in debates, saying she would not be allowed to speak until she apologizes.

A vote along party lines on Friday upheld the move. Republicans dominate the legislature, with 68 of the 100 seats.

The bill, which was ultimately passed, bans transgender minors in the state from receiving puberty blockers, or from having surgery.

Advocates say these are effective treatments for people suffering from gender dysphoria -- the clinical condition of distress because a person's gender identity is not the same as their biological sex.

Supporters say children and young people denied these treatments are at greater risk of self-harm or suicide.

Opponents say children are not adequately equipped to make such life-altering decisions, and are being pressured to undergo drastic procedures by those pushing an ideological position.

Transgender rights are among the frontline issues in America's culture wars.

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Since January, 29 new laws restricting the rights of transgender people have been passed in 14 US states, according to an analysis of data from the American Civil Liberties Union published this week by The Washington Post.

The Montana spat comes weeks after two Black Democrats were kicked out of the Tennessee legislature after demonstrating against what they said was Republican complicity in gun violence. They have since regained admission.

rfo-hg/dw
TOKYO, April 22 (Xinhua) -- A Japanese civil group held a rally here on Saturday to call on the government to return Chinese relics stolen by Japanese soldiers during World War II.

The Japanese society should face up to and liquidate the crimes of cultural aggression during the Japanese war of aggression against China, according to the group.

To reckon with Japan's responsibilities in its imperialist aggression and colonization means that the crime of looting cultural relics should also be exposed and criticized, said Atsushi Koketsu, emeritus professor at Yamaguchi University of Japan and also co-representative of the civil group which aims to promote the return of Chinese cultural properties.

Since the establishment of the civil group a year ago, more and more Japanese have paid attention to and understood the call for returning looted cultural relics, said Takakage Fujita, another co-representative of the group.

The civil group will continue to promote the return of Chinese cultural relics plundered by Japan during WWII through various activities, Fujita, also director general of a civic group dedicated to upholding and developing the 1995 Murayama Statement, told Xinhua.

At the rally, Kazuo Morimoto, representative of a research association of East Asian history and cultural assets, said that in recent years, France and other European countries have returned looted cultural relics to former colonial countries in Africa and Asia.

Noting the trend of returning looted cultural relics around the world, Morimoto stressed that Japan barely mentioned its wartime looting and destruction of cultural relics.

It is necessary for Japanese society to face up to history, sort out historical facts together with relevant countries, and seriously consider the issue of returning looted cultural relics, he added.

The founding purpose of the civil group is to encourage Japan to return Chinese cultural relics, achieve "historical reconciliation" between the two countries, and further promote the development of bilateral relations. 
Montgomery mayor's met Friday evening with President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C.

Mayor Steven Reed visited the White House as part of the African American Mayors Associations annual conference, according to an email from Griffith Waller, the city's communications director.

Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed announces his campaign for re-election at Gateway Park in Montgomery, Ala., on Wednesday March 22, 2023. Reed met with President Joe Biden on Friday, April 21, 2023.

Reed is the association's first vice president and is expected to serve as president next year.

More: DA's Meeting District attorneys lead bipartisan push for stronger penalties in Alabama

The association "is the only organization exclusively representing African-American mayors in the United States," according to its website.

Alex Gladden is the Montgomery Advertiser's public safety reporter. She can be reached at agladden@gannett.com or on Twitter @gladlyalex.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed meets with President Joe Biden
The Louisville police officer who delivered the bullet that killed Breonna Taylor in March 2020 is back working in law enforcement.

Myles Cosgrove, who was fired by the Louisville Metro Police Department in January 2021, has been hired by the Carroll County Sheriff's Office, Chief Deputy Rob Miller told The Courier Journal on Saturday.

The county is about an hour northeast of downtown Louisville and has a population of around 10,000.

Cosgrove was one of three officers who fired their weapons during a raid of Taylor's apartment March 13, 2020. Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, were in bed when LMPD officers attempted to serve a search warrant as part of a narcotics investigation. Walker, who has said he thought an intruder was breaking in, fired a single shot that hit an officer. Officers returned fire, with Cosgrove firing the fatal bullet, according to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron's investigation.

More: Which officers face federal charges in the Breonna Taylor case: What you should know

Cosgrove was fired in January 2021 for violating use-of-force procedures and failing to use a body camera during the raid. He fired his gun 16 times. He filed a lawsuit appealing his termination, but a judge ruled in favor of the department's decision earlier this year.

Former Louisville Metro Police detective Myles Cosgrove, right, sat with his attorney Scott Miller, left, while Andrew Meyer of the Louisville Metro Police Professional Standards unit testified during a police merit board hearing. Nov. 9, 2021

Despite his termination, Cosgrove has not faced any criminal charges related to the killing. Attorney General Cameron said his investigation also found that Cosgrove was justified in returning gunfire after he and the other officers were fired upon by Walker. One officer was shot in the thigh, which required surgery.

Federal charges have been filed against four officers who were involved in the raid at Taylor's home - three accused of lying in order to obtain the search warrant and a fourth who fired bullets into Taylor's neighbors' home.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland said the federal grand jury also didn't indict Cosgrove because "the officers who ultimately carried out the search at Taylor's apartment were not involved in the drafting of the warrant and were unaware of the false and misleading statements that it contained."

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Carroll County's Chief Deputy Miller pointed to this fact in reference to Cosgrove's hiring.

More: Louisville reaches $2 million settlement with Kenneth Walker, Breonna Taylor's boyfriend

The Sheriff's Office did a background check on Cosgrove, which he passed, Miller said. He said the federal and state investigation did not lead to charges against Cosgrove and he has nearly two decades of police experience.

"We think he will help reduce the flow of drugs in our area and reduce property crimes," he said. "We felt like he was a good candidate to help us in our county."

Demonstrators displayed signs outside the Carroll County Courthouse in Carrollton, Ky. on Apr. 24, 2023 to protest the hiring of former LMPD officer Myles Cosgrove by the Carroll County Sheriffs Department. Cosgrove was one of the officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020.

Cosgrove's hiring was met with pushback in Carroll County, as a small crowd gathered in protest Monday morning.

Antonio Brown, an activist from Louisville who'd traveled to the demonstration, said the hiring "spit in the face of Americans, not just people in Kentucky."

And Ashley Hughes, a Carroll County librarian, said hiring an officer at the center of the Taylor case would only instill fear in her community.

People are afraid to come here today to protest," she said Monday. "Ive seen a lot of people say they wish they could go, but theyre afraid theyll be harassed, either by the cops (or) people who support the cops."

Even police who may disagree can't make their feelings known because of a "brotherhood mentality" among officers," Hughes argued, which made it more important for others in the community to protest.If someone wants to speak out, they really cant," she said. "Theyll get ostracized if they do  so its our job to speak up.

Cosgrove worked in LMPD's 8th, 4th and 6th divisions before transferring to narcotics in 2016.

Carroll County resident Ashley Hughes displays a sign outside the Carroll County Courthouse in Carrollton, Ky. on Apr. 24, 2023 to protest the hiring of former LMPD officer Myles Cosgrove by the Carroll County Sheriffs Department. Cosgrove was one of the officers involved in the shooting of Breonna Taylor in 2020.

His LMPD personnel file includes commendations for his handling of a dangerous situation with someone in crisis and his involvement in training division graduation ceremonies.

But it also includes disciplinary actions for poor court attendance and violating "courtesy" policies.

Former police Chief Robert White wrote in a 2009 letter that Cosgrove "failed to exercise patience and diplomacy when dealing with a member of the public," garnering him a letter of reprimand.

Before that, Cosgrove was sued for excessive force by a man he shot in 2006 at a Speedway gas station in the East End, records show. A federal judge sided with Cosgrove in the case, according to court records.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Carroll County Sheriff's Department hires Myles Cosgrove
The moment the doors to the boarding area opened, the panicked crowd surged forward.

But 32-year-old Javid's heart soared  U.S. soldiers opened those doors at the Kabul airport in Afghanistan on Aug. 15, 2021, so he and his family could escape a country in chaos.

The troops even cleared a narrow pathway for Javid's 10 relatives after his older brother, Abdullah, showed U.S. military officers papers saying that Abdullah had worked security for U.S.-owned companies in Kabul.

But that pathway closed quickly as thousands of frantic Afghans rushed toward the open doors.

Afghan people climb up on a plane and sit by the door as they wait at the Kabul airport in Kabul on Aug. 16, 2021 as thousands of people mobbed the city's airport trying to flee the group's feared hardline brand of Islamist rule.

"When people saw we were running to the gates, they started running from this way and that way and from the backside," Abdullah said.

U.S. soldiers grabbed for Abdullah and his relatives, pulling them through the crowd, but Javid, at the back of the line, never made it through the door.

He got knocked to the ground, his knees and hands repeatedly trampled. Javid panicked, not aware the rest of his family made it through the door and onto the plane.

Unable to stand at first, Javid scrambled on the ground, desperately looking for his wife, his kids, his mom, any relatives.

After hours of searching, Javid, scared and heartbroken, limped out of the airport. "For two days I can't sleep," he told The Tennessean. "I just sat at home and prayed."

Javid, a practicing Muslim, couldn't have known then that Nashville's Jewish community 7,300 miles away would be the answer to those prayers.

His brother Abdullah marveled at how the Jewish community came to his family's aid.

"Why are they helping me and standing with me for everything?" Abdullah asked. "In Afghanistan, we dont have a lot of Jewish people. The first time I saw [any] was here."

Afghan brothers Abdullah and Javid tell their story of how they were reunited after being separated for more than a year after fleeing Afghanistan at their home Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Tenn.

Abdullah and his family flew from Afghanistan to Qatar to New York to a U.S. Army base in Indiana before the 10 of them were shoehorned into an apartment in Nashville. There, volunteers from The Temple and the Jewish Federation in Nashville reached out to the new immigrants.

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While Abdullah and his relatives were kind to and grateful for their new benefactors, the Afghans kept telling the volunteers about their loved one left behind.

How much they missed Javid. How they stayed up at night wondering if the Taliban would arrest him, torture him or kill him because he was part of a family that worked for Americans.

Their Nashville Jewish benefactors felt they had no choice but to transition their efforts from resettlement to rescue.

"I thought, well, I signed up to show them how to shop at Kroger," said Michal Becker, Nashville Jewish Federation engagement director.

"But bringing [Javid] here? Thats so not my area," she said. "It was so much work just understanding what to do."

And yet, the volunteers pulled it off. About five of them joined Abdullah and his family on March 11 for a powerful-yet-low-key reunion at Nashville International Airport.

"Im very happy, I cannot tell you how much Im happy," the brothers' mom, Fazila, said in Persian as Abdullah translated. "Our family is together."

It's a journey that started 20 years ago when Abdullah's police officer father died in a terrorist attack when Abdullah was a teen.

The Tennessean has chosen to honor the family's request to use first names only and to avoid using any pictures of their faces because of their fears the Taliban might retaliate against close relatives who remain in Afghanistan.

With U.S. troops in Afghanistan, 'people had hope'

After the attack, Abdullah found himself suddenly the patriarch of the family. At 17, he left a school in Pakistan where he was learning English and started working for a U.S. security company in his hometown of Kabul.

The company paid well and it paid with U.S. dollars, allowing Abdullah to send his brother and three sisters to school. "All graduated with diplomas," Abdullah said with a big smile.

Abdullah himself wouldn't finish high school until he was 23, but his English improved as he continued to work security for American and European companies in Kabul.

A redacted ID card for Abdullah from when he started working for a U.S.-owned company in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2003. It's one of the documents Abdullah presented to U.S. soldiers in 2021 at the airport in Kabul that let him and his family escape Afghanistan when the U.S. troops pulled out

Javid got a bachelor's degree in business from a university in Kabul and started working for a South African-based multinational cell phone company.

U.S. troops in Afghanistan created an environment of possibilities and relative peace, Abdullah and Javid said.

"When the U.S. troops were in Afghanistan, people had hope," Javid said.

When President Biden announced troop withdrawals, many Afghans panicked, the brothers said, especially those who worked for foreign-based companies. Especially those who worked for U.S. companies.

Most Afghans were convinced the new Taliban rulers would seek retribution against those who'd worked for "the enemy." The fear sparked the chaos and desperation that drove Abdullah and Javid and their relatives to go to the airport two years ago. When the crowd knocked him to the ground that day, Javid lost his breath  and his hope.

A U.S. soldier holds a sign indicating a gate is closed as hundreds of people gather some holding documents, near an evacuation control checkpoint on the perimeter of the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021. Western nations warned Thursday of a possible attack on Kabuls airport, where thousands have flocked as they try to flee Taliban-controlled Afghanistan in the waning days of a massive airlift. Britain said an attack could come within hours.

On the other side of the door, Abdullah begged U.S. soldiers to let him go back and look for his brother.

"Finally, they said, 'You have to leave. Im sorry, we cant get your brother.' We are hurting; it very difficult for me," Abdullah said. "As the plane is leaving, my heart is broken; everything is broken."

'I'm not gonna eat until my dad gets here'

A few weeks later, in Nashville, Javid's kids were heartbroken.

"Javid's little girl wouldn't eat, and the little boy cried every day," said Ruth Thomas, partner with fellow volunteer Renee Kasman in helping the Afghan family.

"The girl said, 'Im not gonna eat until my dad gets here; hell feed me.'

Afghan refugee Abdullah tells his story of how he and his family were reunited with his brother Javid after being separated for more than a year after fleeing Afghanistan at their home Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Tenn.

"The Taliban knows my family is in the U.S.; there is a danger for me. I'm always hiding myself, back and forth to a married sister or a friend's house or somewhere else," he said. "How to feed yourself and have a normal life? It was very difficult for me.

"At night, after an hour, Id wake up, I was afraid: Is the Taliban coming? Is someone knocking?"

The Temple's rabbis connected the volunteers to Memphis immigration law firm Siskind Susser, which worked for free on the case. The volunteers also reached out to U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tennessee, whose staff helped get Javid to the U.S.

Step one: Get Javid to neighboring Pakistan where there is a U.S. embassy, in capital city Islamabad. There, Javid said he felt less in danger, and he and his wife and children used WhatsApp Messenger mobile app to talk daily.

After several months of submitting and resubmitting documents and filing petitions and sending and receiving hundreds of emails, lawyers and volunteers started to see hope of reunification.

"It took a village of people," volunteer Kasman said.

"A law firm that donated services for us. We needed testimony from doctors and social workers as to the impact it was having on the family being separated. Javids son needed eye surgery," she said. "A surgeon wrote a letter saying how important it was for the boy to have his father there for the surgery. An Afghan association in Nashville, they were very helpful translating documents for us, Dari into English."

'My family is complete again'

And suddenly, after nearly two years, Javid had boarding passes for flights from Pakistan to Qatar to New York to Nashville.

But neither Javid nor his family in Nashville would let themselves get excited; they wouldn't believe they'd be reunited until they were hugging each other at the airport.

Yet that's exactly what happened March 11 at Nashville International Airport.

Javid, carrying one bag, smiled big and hugged his children and his wife simultaneously.

"Then I saw the wife break down. She really let herself feel stuff," said Nashville Jewish Federation executive Barbara Dab. "She stepped off to the side wiping away tears."

Afghan brothers Abdullah and Javid tell their story of how they were reunited after being separated for more than a year after fleeing Afghanistan at their home Tuesday, March 21, 2023 in Tenn.

Then, hugs for his mom, his brother, his nephews  and each of the five U.S. volunteers who showed that day.

"I cried because it was so amazing, something wed waited for for so long. I still tear up when I think about it," volunteer Thomas said. "As Abdullah says, it was magic."

Most of the Afghans now are working in La Vergne, where 11 of them are sharing a rented, newly built home. The children are in school and speaking fluent English.

And Javid's and Abdullah's mother, Fazila, seemingly can't stop smiling.

"Im very happy, I cannot tell you how much Im happy," she said in Persian, her sons translating. "Im very happy in my life, and my son is here and my family is complete again. Our family is together."

Reach Brad Schmitt at brad@tennessean.com or 615-259-8384 or on Twitter @bradschmitt.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: An Afghan family torn apart is reunited by Nashville Jewish volunteers
Waterfowl hunters in Wisconsin will once again be offered the most liberal regulations allowed under federal guidelines when the state's 2023 duck and goose seasons commence in September.

The rules will include a 60-day duck hunting season in each zone with a six-bird daily bag limit.

The details were part of the 2023 migratory bird season framework presented by the Department of Natural Resources; the Natural Resources Board unanimously approved the package at its April 12 board meeting in Madison.

More: Outdoors calendar

The regulations were developed by using the most current scientific data as well as input from the public, conservation and hunting groups and results from a waterfowl hunter survey, according to Taylor Finger, DNR game bird ecologist. The agency received 500 comments in the public input process, Finger said.

We used everything in our toolbox to collect public input  in-person meetings, virtual meetings and expanded online outreach  to ensure engagement with anyone interested in migratory bird management," Finger said.

The 2023 rules will be very familiar to those who hunted in the last couple of seasons.

The state is split into three geographical zones: north, south and open water.

The first hunts open in September with the early Canada Goose (Sept. 1 to 15) and early Teal seasons (Sept. 1 to 9). A youth waterfowl hunt will be held Sept. 16 and 17 statewide.

Then the regular regular duck seasons open Sept. 23 in the north zone, Sept. 30 in the south and Oct. 14 in the open water. The north runs continuously through Nov. 21, the open water runs continuously through Dec. 12 while the south is split Sept. 30 to Oct. 8 and Oct. 14 to Dec. 3.

The daily bag limit in each zone can include no more than four mallards (of which two may be hens), three wood ducks, two canvasbacks, two redheads, two black ducks and one pintail.

The daily bag limit in each zone can include no more than four mallards (of which two may be hens).

The regular goose seasons begin Sept. 16 in each zone with a daily bag limit of three geese.

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The 2023 regulations include some changes, including an update in the definition of the open water zone boundary. It now incorporates adjacent rooted vegetation, floating cattail mats and Green Bays Long Tail and Little Tail points as part of the mainland shore.

It also modified the regulations for the open water restrictions on approved inland open water hunting lakes by decreasing the distance from shore to 500 feet.

And the Mississippi River Canada goose hunting season will run concurrently with the south zone goose regulations in 2023, rather than opening with the duck season.

The DNR plans to finalize the 2024 and 2025 waterfowl hunting regulations later this year in a permanent rule. The move is part of a process announced in February intended to create more consistency for hunters across seasons and align Wisconsin rules with the five-year periods used by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for setting zones. It would also allow DNR staff to spend more time to execute the waterfowl plan and less on setting regulations, Finger said.

The next set of regulations would cover 2026-30.

To view details of the 2023 Wisconsin waterfowl regulations, visit dnr.wi.gov.

County deer meetings start Tuesday

The Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Conservation Congress are encouraging the public to attend a County Deer Advisory Council (CDAC) meeting virtually or in person this spring.

The meetings will be held across the state April 24 to May 4. In Milwaukee County, the meeting is at 7 p.m. April 27 at the DNR Milwaukee Service Center, 1027 West St. Paul Ave., Milwaukee, while the Waukesha County meeting is 6 p.m. April 25 at the DNR Service Center, 141 NW Barstow St., Waukesha.

The county deer councils are chaired by a local WCC delegate and made up of volunteers that represent various stakeholder groups. Councils meet annually to provide input and recommendations to the DNR on deer management within their area. The CDACs review current county data on fawn to doe ratios, harvest trends, herd health, deer impacts on agriculture, forest health, economics and vehicular collisions as well as the deer hunter experience.

Information on each countys harvest and population metrics can be found on the DNRs website in the Wisconsin Deer Metrics System.

CDAC recommendations are reviewed and set annually so they can be adjusted as needed in response to the previous years deer harvest, winter severity and other factors.

To see a complete list of meeting sites, dates and times as well as details to participate via Zoom, visit dnr.wi.gov.

Following the CDAC process, the DNR will bring recommendations for the 2023 hunting season to the Natural Resources Board for review on June 21.

Our subscribers make this reporting possible. Please consider supporting local journalism by subscribing to the Journal Sentinel at jsonline.com/deal.

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Natural Resources Board sets 2023 Wisconsin waterfowl hunting seasons
Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, who has publicly teased a run for the states highest office for months and is widely expected to become the instant front runner in the GOP primary, is formally launched his gubernatorial campaign Saturday.

Today, we make it official. I am running for governor of North Carolina, Robinson said to loud cheers from the crowd of supporters that filled the grounds of the Ace Speedway in Elon, for the campaign kickoff event.

Robinson, who has quickly become one of the most influential conservative voices in North Carolina, spoke about lessons he learned from his mother, who raised him and his siblings on her own after his abusive father died when Robinson was in the fifth grade.

He said he was running for governor to continue implementing Republican policies that he said had led to the states economic success.

A large group of Republican state legislators, including Senate leader Phil Berger, took to the stage soon after the event began, to express their support for Robinson, and convey the importance of electing a strong conservative to governor.

Rep. Neal Jackson told the crowd that Republicans, who lost supermajorities in the Senate and House in 2018 and only regained them earlier this month, need someone that will stand up and fight when there needs to be a fight.

Robinsons entrance into the race comes more than three months after the presumed Democratic front runner, Attorney General Josh Stein, launched his campaign with an announcement video that took direct aim at Robinson and called him out for his staunch opposition to abortion and his negative comments about the LGBTQ community.

The Republican field is also taking shape, with State Treasurer Dale Folwell launching his campaign, and former U.S. Rep. Mark Walker expected to announce his run for governor next month as well.

This story will be updated.

Additional coverage:

Mark Robinsons not the only Republican planning a campaign for NC governor.

See whos running in 2024 for North Carolina governor and other statewide offices.

A viral moment helped make Mark Robinson, NC factory worker, into a polarizing GOP star.
SHAWNEE  While exact damage totals are not yet known, preliminary estimates put the number of damaged structures in Pottawatomie County alone at nearly 2,000.

That preliminary assessment was provided by the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, whose emergency management staff has been working alongside those from the county and state to assess impacts from Wednesday night's tornadic storms.

An initial damage assessment inside the county identified nearly 2,000 structures as damaged or destroyed, Tim Zientek, director of the tribe's emergency management organization reported Friday morning.

As far as CPN (the Citizen Potawatomi Nation) goes, weve been extremely fortunate, said Zientek. But with over 1,700 homes or structures damaged, Im pretty sure that some of those are going to be Tribal members at some point, somewhere.

A car is pictured upside down Thursday, April, 20, 2023, at a home on Kickapoo Street, in Shawnee, Okla., after tornado moved through the area Wednesday night.

Tribal properties' damages were mostly superficial, consisting of broken skylights, debris and damaged trees.

However, it did lose the CPN Distribution Center, formerly Hardesty Grocery, at the corner of Hardesty Road and South Gordon Cooper Drive.

On Thursday, tribal crews prioritized efforts to clear streets debris to make them accessible to emergency personnel. An assessment of damages sustained by the county's Rural Water District 3 continues.

Weve been coordinating with agencies from all over the state, said Zientek.

This included the Absentee Shawnee Tribe, Choctaw Nation and Chickasaw Nation emergency services mobile command units  all of which participate in the Intertribal Emergency Management Coalition.

More: Cole, Shawnee, OBU reeling after tornadoes tear across Oklahoma this week

The Chickasaw Nation helped fly drones across the larger Shawnee and the Citizen Potawatomi Nation for damage assessments passed along both to the tribe and county, while the Muscogee Nation Arbor Care unit helped the tribe clear roadways within its jurisdiction.

The nation provided those agencies with power, fuel, food and places to park equipment being used to help the area recover, including skid steers, backhoes and other equipment.

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On Thursday night, a shelter set up within the tribe's Reunion Hall by the American Red Cross hosted about 10 people overnight, plus many others who stopped in to charge phones, grab snacks and water or to take breaks.

Workers pick up dough balls Thursday, April 20, 2023, at a Domino's Pizza store on Kickapoo Street in Shawnee, Okla., after severe storms and tornadoes moved through the area Wednesday night.

Other Red Cross shelters have been established at Noble High School, 4601 E Etowah Road and the Washington School Gym, 101 E Kerby Ave..

The places we normally used (in Shawnee) were either destroyed or had no electricity, said Sherry Schauer, the Red Cross' disaster program manager for south central and southeast Oklahoma chapters.

CPN was very generous to let us come in and let us use their facilities, and they are also letting us use their facilities for our headquarters, as well, in Tecumseh," Schauer said.

The tribe reported Thursday that phone and internet services were spotty throughout the area.

Meanwhile, many service stations across town remained without power, prompting area residents to visit the nation's FireLake Convenience Store at 41201 Hardesty Road to obtain fuel, where patrons waited for upwards of 45 minutes to fill their tanks.

More: See what tornadoes in Cole, Shawnee and other storms look like across Oklahoma

What we know about power outages

Power had been restored to more than half of Oklahoma Gas & Electric customers before noon on Friday, a spokesperson for the utility reported.

At 11 a.m. Friday, 11,160 customers (primarily in Shawnee) remained without service, she said.

Restoration efforts are being performed by more than 2,800 utility workers. So far, they have found more than 600 broken distribution poles and metal structures that carry power from the grid to transformer stations so that it can be distributed.

Damaged cross arms, transformers and other equipment attached to poles also must be replaced before the distribution lines they carry can be energized to restore power.

More: Track power outages amid tornadoes, storms hitting Oklahoma

Beyond that, utility personnel must verify it will be safe for a home or business to accept power before service can be restored.

The spokesperson said the utility has brought additional crews into the area to help make needed repairs.

The utility wants customers to know that:

Downed power lines may still be energized and should be considered dangerous  please stay away from them and anything they are touching.

They should report downed power lines by calling 800-552-6870.

They should report outages and monitor repair updates through using the utility's free mobile app available on iOS and Android, or report outages either online at OGE.com/outages or by texting OUT to 32001 through myOGEalerts. Outages also can be reported by phoning 405-272-9595 (in the Oklahoma City metro area) or 800-522-6870.

They should secure animals and ensure power workers can access their properties as work continues.

OG&E crews will carry cleared tree limbs interfering with power lines to customers' curbs, with customers responsible for further disposal.

Some customers may need to hire certified electricians to repair damaged weather heads, meter bases or service cables.

Customers can visit OGE.com/stormcenter to see a list of restoration tips and to find contact numbers for businesses that could make needed repairs to their home or business.

The spokesperson said visual inspections and assessments were continuing Friday morning, and that OG&E expected to have enough information to provide estimated restoration times later today to help customers without power to plan as much as possible.

It could take multiple days for repairs to be completed, she said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma tornadoes impacted thousands of homes, businesses
Representative Carlos Gimenez on Friday became the eleventh member of Congress from Florida to endorse former president Donald Trump in the 2024 race.

Ill be supporting president Donald Trump for president in 2024, Gimenez told Fox News host Neil Cavuto. I think he gives us the best chance of winning. He had a solid track record as president, and yesterday at the dinner, he laid out a solid plan for the future and where we need to go.

Gimenez joins the majority of Floridas 20 Republican members of Congress in snubbing Florida governor Ron DeSantis in favor of the former president. Other members who have endorsed Trump include Representatives Matt Gaetz, Brian Mast, Anna Paulina Luna, Cory Mills, Greg Steube, Byron Donalds, Vern Buchanan, Gus Bilirakis, Michael Waltz, and John Rutherford.

DeSantis, who has not formally announced a 2024 bid, has secured the support of only one member of the Florida delegation so far: Representative Laurel Lee, who previously served as Florida secretary of state under DeSantiss administration.

Gimenez said he thinks DeSantis has done a great job in Florida and insisted his endorsement is not against Governor DeSantis but for President Trump.

I think President Trump is better suited and better prepared to be president of the United States, better prepared to lead us in the direction that this country needs to go, he said.

Gimenez and the ten other Florida lawmakers who have endorsed the former president met Trump for dinner at Mar-a-Lago on Thursday.

The recent flurry of endorsements is no accident, according to Politico, which reported today that Trump officials sent emails to Florida members on Sunday asking for support ahead of DeSantiss planned meeting in D.C. with GOP lawmakers earlier this week.

Representative Lance Gooden of Texas also announced his endorsement of Trump on Tuesday after careful consideration and a positive meeting with DeSantis. His endorsement came as a surprise even to Team Trump, according to Politico.

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I met with Governor DeSantis, and while he has done commendable work in Florida, there is no doubt in my mind that President Trump is the only leader who can save America from the leftist onslaught we are currently facing, Gooden said in a statement.

Meanwhile, as the Sunshine State lawmakers have come out in support of Trump, the former president attacked the state in an email campaign on Friday that called Florida among the worst states to live, to work, to raise a family, and to retire. The email also cited statistics that said Florida is one of the least affordable states to live in.

More from National Review
Members of a neo-Nazi group were denied a permit to hold a protest against Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood on Saturday, and it's not clear whether they will still arrive. But members of a Christian pro-Jewish group plan to hold a counterprotest in anticipation of the event.

The National Socialist Movement planned to hold an event from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Ormond Beach City Hall.

Burt Colucci, the leader of the National Socialist Movement, applied to the city of Ormond Beach for the permit in March. He described it as a "First Amendment political protest" of Chitwood's law enforcement methods.

Chitwood has been battling hate groups in recent months. He held a press conference in February to speak out against antisemitic propaganda being spread in Volusia County.

'Their goal is for us to take the bait': Antisemitic propaganda attacks hit Ormond, Daytona, International Speedway Boulevard

Third man arrested for threats: Connecticut man threatened to kill Volusia Sheriff Mike Chitwood, authorities say

Members of the National Socialist Movement (NSM) and other white nationalists march toward the entrance to Greenville Street Park in Newnan, Georgia on April 21, 2018. Only about 25 NSM and white nationalists turned up for the rally in the park, while counter-protesters showed up in the hundreds.

Since then three people have been arrested for death threats against Chitwood. Richard Golden, 38, of New Jersey, was arrested for suggesting in a white supremacists' chatroom that Chitwood be murdered, according to authorities. Chitwood confronted him when he arrived at the Orlando Sanford International Airport.

Counterprotesters from the Philos Action League plan to head to Ormond Beach City Hall Saturday to express "their solidarity with their Jewish neighbors and thanking Sheriff Chitwood for his courageous support of the Jewish community," according to a media advisory.

The city of Ormond Beach denied the National Socialist Movement's request for a permit for several reasons: It said the group is a "public nuisance hate group" as defined in their City Code. The group would not provide its own insurance or pay for law enforcement expenses. The group was willing to work with the Ormond Beach Police Department or the Florida Highway Patrol and not the sheriff's office.

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Prominent leaders of the National Socialist Movement have been arrested, charged and/or convicted for committing hate-related crimes," the city wrote in its denial.

It states that Colucci as a co-defendant is currently charged in Orange County, Florida, with battery, a third-degree felony, with a trial date scheduled for June 2023.

The crimes were committed at a rally of the applicant, the permit denial reads. You are also indicted in Arizona for committing hate-related offenses at rallies there.

The group didn't appeal the rejection. But in his application, Colucci threatened legal action.

"If for any reason this permit is denied, the city requires insurance by the NSM to insure the whole world, etc. it will be our full intention to pursue a federal court ruling on the matter of free speech," Colucci wrote.

Burt Colucci

A flyer for the event listed the same number that Colucci listed in his application. No one answered, and the voicemail recording simply said, "Leave me a message or shoot me a text."

The News-Journal left a voicemail and sent an email and text message but didn't immediately hear back from Colucci.

The National Socialist Movement is notable for its violent antisemitic rhetoric and racist views, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, which designates it as a hate group.

The NSM became the largest membership-based neo-Nazi group in this country through the 2000s and into the following decade. The groups brand and tactics of demonstrating in quasi-Nazi uniforms stalled, and its membership tally subsequently dipped.

The organization and its former leader were defendants in a civil trial, which targeted those who planned and promoted the deadly 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville. A federal judge found them guilty on charges of civil conspiracy, the SPLC reports.

The counterprotesters with the Philos Action League did not apply for a permit, according to city of Ormond Beach spokeswoman Jenn Elston. Officials with the group weren't available to comment on Friday night.

Some events near City Hall don't need a permit. Those include "lawful assemblies" like picketing or political events on city-owned public spaces, such as sidewalks, according to the City Code.

Ormond Beach Police Chief Jesse Godfrey didn't immediately respond to a request for information. Elston said the police department is working closely with the sheriff's office to prepare.

 Patricio Balona contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: National Socialist Movement's permit to protest Volusia sheriff denied
A crucial, late-game penalty killed the Oilers once again in Game 3. (Getty)

After a nearly seven-minute video review, Trevor Moore's overtime winner stood as the Los Angeles Kings secured a wild Game 3 win to take a 2-1 series lead over the Edmonton Oilers Friday night.

The Kings opened the scoring late in the first period with Alex Iafallo  the overtime hero in Game 1  banging one past Stuart Skinner. Connor McDavid then found the back of the net for the first time this series nearly eight minutes into the middle frame before burying his second less than two minutes later.

Adrian Kempe scored his third of the series midway through the third period, burying an incredible end-board bounce pass off the stick of Viktor Arvidsson.

Kings goalie Joonas Korpisalo was stellar once again, stopping 38 of 40 shots in the win, while Skinner made 28 stops for the Oilers in the loss.

Controversy on Moore's OT goal, but it stands after review

It took nearly seven minutes for a replay review to confirm the decisive goal, but ultimately Moores OT tally stood. For Oilers fans and people who love to watch replays, deciding if Gabriel Vilardi touched the puck with a high stick before Moore scored will be their latest answer to the Zapruder film.

Sportsnets Elliotte Friedman gave some added insight on the goal review, noting there was no conclusive evidence the puck hit Vilardis stick up high, leading to the goal call on the ice standing.

"They say they do not have an angle that conclusively proves the puck hit the stick high."@FriedgeHNIC explains the Kings' disputed OT-winning goal in Game 3. pic.twitter.com/mFKcPqxcM3  Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 22, 2023

Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft was convinced, however, by McDavid pleading for a high-stick stoppage both during the play itself, and during the review.

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"I thought it's a play where the greatest player in the world is two feet away as it happens and his arm comes straight up in the air because he knows it hits the stick, otherwise he wouldn't put his arm up he would keep playing," Woodcroft said. "It appears to me in the video that the puck is going straight up in a trajectory and deadens. In the end I'm going to go with the greatest player in the world who's two feet away."

Does that puck not change direction after hitting the stick? pic.twitter.com/cOGMcFo1as  Dustin Nielson (@nielsonTSN1260) April 22, 2023

Nhl on Tnt shows evidence it was touched by high stick. pic.twitter.com/Y9sDucj7jD  Trent (@Wizalters) April 22, 2023

Clunky start, clunky finish

To an extent, its fitting for Game 3 to end with a long, clunky video review, because the contest opened as a bit of a mess.

Indeed, the first period of Game 3 between the Kings and Oilers was odd. Not necessarily Will Ferrell decked out in ska-reminiscent checkers facepaint odd, but off-beat nonetheless.

will brought his game face too  https://t.co/Vuc3hHZkeJ pic.twitter.com/Y8w8sWJ5Vu  x - LA Kings (@LAKings) April 22, 2023

There were five penalty calls during the first 20 minutes alone, including offsetting minors when Arvidsson threw his stick and then got sent whirling by Darnell Nurse. At first, officials reacted to the pageantry of a spinning Arvidsson by calling for a major penalty, but then downgraded it to a two-minute minor.

Viktor Arvidsson has left the game following this encounter with Darnell Nurse. pic.twitter.com/5n4aPTKYWm  Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 22, 2023

Arvidsson ended up fine  folks who get wound up by claims of embellishment might say a little too fine  and would factor into plenty of scoring chances for the Kings as Game 3 went along.

With about 30 seconds remaining in an off-rhythm first period, Iafallo made it 1-0 for the Kings.

McDavid breaks through, Draisaitl keeps showing up in the record book

Through about half of the second period, the Oilers seemed off, undoubtedly in part because of the Kings strong structure. Yet, just when it was tempting to wonder if McDavid just didnt have it in Game 3 (before that, hed created chances but hadnt been able to convert), No. 97 decided to take matters into his own superbly talented hands.

Late in a power play, McDavid found some space around the left faceoff dot and beat Korpisalo up high. Less than two minutes later, McDavid scored in a strikingly similar way  and from just about the same spot on the ice.

If McDavid imposing his will wasnt impressive enough, consider that he was seen flexing his leg after another hit by Drew Doughty, who heading into the series said the Kings would try to avoid penalties but still smack McDavid.

In 18 career games against the Kings, McDavid now has 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points.

With an assist on McDavids second goal, Draisaitl reached 30-plus points in 20 playoff games, becoming the fourth fastest NHL player to reach that mark. Only Wayne Gretzky (13), Mario Lemieux (16) and Peter Stastny (19) reached 30-plus playoff points quicker than Draisaitl did.

Passions boiling over into bad penalties

Both of McDavids tallies were power-play goals, a reminder not to give Edmonton too many special teams chances. Yet, you can still argue the Oilers are giving the Kings extra chances by losing their cool.

For example: Draisaitl was whistled for unsportsmanlike conduct after that second McDavid goal. That call killed much of the Oilers momentum, especially since the Kings made Edmonton pay.

Arvidsson made an incredible long-distance pass off the far wall behind Skinner, setting up Kempe for yet another big goal.

Kempe clapper ties it back up!  pic.twitter.com/gjJvRXdSbL  Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 22, 2023

Draisaitl, Evander Kane and other Oilers players need to do a better job straddling the line between being passionate and recklessly taking penalties, or theyll keep leaving the door open for the opportunistic Kings.

Granted, some of it may boil down to being lucky or unlucky enough for officials to see an infraction when it happens  and maybe even when it happens, as calls often dry up later in a tied playoff game.

danault with a two-handed slash on mcdavid. no call. pic.twitter.com/ZBo02hXKvP  zach (@zjlaing) April 22, 2023

In the end, another overtime penalty cost the Oilers big time. This is a gut-punch loss for Edmonton, yet maybe the best way to respond isnt with your gut, but with your brain.

"Theres no moral victory so we have find a way to turn those chances & that territory advantage into results."



Connor McDavid on tonights Game 3 loss. @Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/uLn00esYBj  Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) April 22, 2023

After Game 3, Draisaitl said that the Oilers need to be smarter, but said more than once that he doesnt know what the standard is right now.
Boiling Spring Lakes city leaders hope construction to rebuild Sanford Dam and three others damaged during Hurricane Florence will begin later this year, but funding remains an issue for the project.

Boiling Spring Lakes city leaders sent a strong message to their engineering firm this week.

Theres not an open checkbook in the city, and theres not going to be an open checkbook in the city, Mayor Jeff Winecoff said during the Board of Commissioners special meeting on April 18.

The meeting was to hear a presentation from Michael Hanson, vice president of McGill Associates, P.A., the engineering firm the city hired to design and oversee the project to replace four city dams. Hanson presented the two bids, opened on March 31, as well as McGills recommendation.

However, they all came in above budget.

Heres where the project stands now.

The total estimated project cost was around $52 million

When city leaders began raising funds to replace four of the citys dams, which burst during Hurricane Florence, Winecoff said commissioners asked the engineers for a goal post. He noted the figure given by engineers with McGill & Associates was $52 million.

The city obtained funding from various sources: $14 million from the state, about $20 million from FEMA, and $3 million from Brunswick County. In the summer of 2022, the city was still about $15 million short of its goal and had no money for contingencies. City leaders initially pursued a $20 million bond referendum.

Prior to the election in November, the city learned it had received $14.9 million in federal grant funding through the Defense Community Infrastructure Pilot Program, which made up the difference needed for construction costs but still left no contingency funding. The city proceeded with a $20 million bond referendum because the ballots had already been printed, but officials planned to use only $5 million if needed for contingencies.

The city received two bids

Initially, the project received only two bids; state statute requires three bids, so the project had to be re-bid. Again, two bids were received, but state statute allows local governments to proceed with two bids if it has been previously bid.

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Sequoia Services LLC of Greensboro was the low bidder at $46,430,434.20, and Thalle Construction Co. of Hillsborough bid $49,215,342.

Both bids are for all four dams: Sanford, Pine Lake, North Lake, and Upper Lake.

More: Residents overwhelmingly approve Boiling Spring Lakes dam bond referendum

More: Facing more than $20 million in debt, Boiling Spring Lakes pins its survival on voters

The actual total project cost is just over $59 million

The low bid from Sequoia Services LLC exceeds the engineering firms estimated construction costs of $42.8 million. It also does not include project administration fees from McGill and its contractor, Schnabel Construction, or contingency fees.

McGill suggested awarding the bid to Sequoia Services LLC and using the awarded funding and the $20 million bonding capacity to proceed with the project.

No bid has been awarded

McGill suggested eliminating one of the dams from the project to reduce costs, but city leaders noted this would reduce FEMA and grant funding, as well. The Boiling Spring Lakes Board of Commissioners did not hire the low-bidder to move forward with the project, opting to sit down with representatives from McGill, Schnabel, and Sequoia to engage in value-engineering, which examines how costs could be cut from the project. Hansen said the meeting would need to be scheduled soon because the bids are only good for 60 days.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Boiling Spring Lakes low on funds to address shortfall on dam project
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21)  The United States has so far earmarked a total of 11 billion for projects under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) as well as the acquisition of helicopters for the Philippine military, according to the Department of National Defense (DND).

In a statement on Friday, DND officer-in-charge Carlito Galvez Jr. said the US has pledged $100 million (roughly 5.5 billion) for the purchase of medium-lift choppers that will be used for disaster response and non-combat operations of the Armed Forces.

This is on top of Washington's $100 million-pledge for the development of EDCA sites.

"This brings the total of the US' pledge of support for the HADR [humanitarian assistance and disaster relief] helicopters and EDCA projects to 11 billion," Galvez said.

"The various projects in these EDCA sites, most of which are for warehousing and storage for HADR-related material, are scheduled for completion by the end of 2023," he added.

Earlier this month, the US announced it has set millions of dollars in infrastructure investments for both new and existing EDCA sites, expressing confidence that this will spur job creation and economic growth in local communities.

The four new EDCA sites will be stationed in Santa Ana and Lal-lo towns in Cagayan, Gamu town in Isabela, and on Balabac Island in Palawan.

According to Galvez, at least 21 mayors in Cagayan  whose governor previously expressed concern over the establishment of EDCA sites in the province  have already voiced their support for the implementation of the deal.

He noted that the additional areas are also expected to "serve as points for evacuation" of overseas Filipino workers "in the event of a flare-up in the region's flashpoints."

RELATED: DND: PH may tap EDCA sites to evacuate Filipinos in Taiwan
The golliwog display in Norfolk's Old Manor Cafe, which sparked complaints and led to police investigating a 'hate incident'. (SWNS)

A cafe owner has removed a display of golliwog dolls after police declared the exhibit a "hate incident".

The cafe owner, who did not wish to be named when approached for comment, initially defended the dolls which he sells as seaside souvenirs, saying people hadn't complained about "the other parts of the collection".

Golliwog dolls have long been seen as outdated and associated with racism.

Multiple members of the public complained about the display at Old Manor Cafe in Caister-on-Sea, and an official complaint was filed with Norfolk police.

The display has since been removed and an apology issued by the business.

The man said he had removed them after "patient and polite" conversations with some customers.

The cafe, which serves traditional English breakfasts, describes staff as "super friendly" on its website, and describes the venue as "good for children". Its owner said: "First of all they're not golliwogs, they're gollies.

The cafe owner initially defended the display but has since removed it and apologised for any offence caused. (SWNS)

"It's stupid, the whole thing has gone f***ed.

"People aren't complaining about the other things I have on display. They're not seeing the whole picture."

However he has since changed his mind, and said: "It was never my intention to cause distress to any member of the public and that I want my cafe to be a welcoming space for everyone."

One customer, who did not want to be named, said: "We recently dropped in for a bite to eat and were shocked to find the dolls openly on show and available for purchase.

"These racially stereotypical caricatures have been morally unacceptable in this country for years. But not in Norfolk, it would appear.

"They are racially divisive and antisocial."

In a letter of apology sent to the Eastern Daily Press, the owner wrote that he "understands and appreciates the discomfort and concern" selling the figures may incur.

Great Yarmouth fishermen figurines on display in the Old Manor Cafe. (SWNS)

He added: "I would also like to offer my thanks to those people who took the time to discuss, patiently and politely with me, the underlying reasons for the hurt that these images can cause.

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"These discussions very much informed my decision to withdraw them from sale."

A golliwog is a black doll-like character originally created by the 19th-century cartoonist Florence Kate Upton, known for their exaggerated features and clothing.

The word "golliwog" became a slur against people of colour in the 20th century, stemming from the doll character which displayed stereotyped and racially insensitive portrayals of black people.

Last year, two Metropolitan police officers were sacked after making offensive jokes about Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, including one comparing Meghan to a golliwog toy.

As well as golliwogs, the cafe contains shelves featuring figurines including Betty Boop and Great Yarmouth fishermen.

The Old Manor Cafe also sells Betty Boop dolls. (SWNS)

Read more From Yahoo News UK:

Jake Paul calls KSI an 'egotistical narcissist' after racism controversy

Adil Ray criticises Laurence Fox for comparing negative theatre review to racist abuse

Essex Police deny scolding by Home Secretary over seizure of golliwog dolls from pub

The owner said: "The complainers went home, visited their local police station, who told headquarters, who told Great Yarmouth police, who then told Flegg police.

"Four police forces were involved, all because someone didnt want to say anything to me."

He said the souvenirs remain popular with some of his customers and he sells "hundreds of them".

A Norfolk Constabulary spokesperson said: "We can confirm police received a complaint about items on display at a cafe in Caister on 11 April. The report has been recorded as a hate incident, and officers have spoken with the cafe owner.

"A hate incident is defined as an incident where no crime has been committed, but where the person reporting the incident perceives it was motivated by hostility or prejudice based on protected characteristics."

Earlier this month, five police officers seized a collection of golliwog dolls from the White Hart Inn pub in Grays, Essex, as part of an investigation into an allegation of hate crime reported on 24 February.

While the pub owner defends displaying the dolls as not being racist, the Campaign For Real Ales (CAMRA) has banned the pub from receiving awards or being in its beer guides.
Thomas Kanes listened quietly in March 1688 as the indictment was read in the small Sussex County courtroom, Thomas, Kanes, thou standest here indicted [for] wickedly and feloniously spread and disperse abroad among the good and peaceable subjects of our Lord the King several pieces of coined money being not only false coin, but false metal, on purpose to deceive, cheat, cozen [deceive] and abuse the good and peaceable subjects of our said Lord the King.

When European colonists arrived in southern Delaware in the late 17th century, they cleared the forests, built homes and planted crops. The self-sufficient settlers grew food, raised livestock and, on some patches of land, they grew cash crops, such as tobacco.

When the southern Delaware tobacco was sold, the money was used to buy manufactured goods that could be shipped back to the colonists from Europe.

Unfortunately, these colonial trade practices discouraged the flow of cash to Sussex County; and to supplement the limited amount of English coins that were in circulation, the settlers of southern Delaware used tobacco as a medium of exchange.

Just like today when people do not carry around a pocket full of bitcoins; when Delaware colonists stopped at their local tavern for a hearty meal and a refreshing drink, they did not slap a handful of tobacco leaves on the table in payment. Many transactions were made by exchanging receipts for tobacco that had been shipped or were in storage.

In addition to tobacco and English currency, southern Delaware settlers sometimes came into the possession of foreign coins, which were usually made of gold or silver that gave them an intrinsic value.

A whipping post stands outside the Old Courthouse in Georgetown.

One of the more common foreign coins to circulate among the English colonists of Delaware was the Spanish silver dollar that was worth 8 reales. In the 17th century, people often lacked the currency to make change, and it was not unusual to take an 8 reale coin and cut it into smaller chunks to create pieces of eight.

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In 1688, Kanes decided to buy a gun from Thomas Sherman for three pieces of eight. After Kanes gave Sherman the money, and Sherman took a cursory look at the three pieces of eight, he put the money into his pocket.

Sometime later, Sherman took a closer look at what Kanes had given him; and he discovered that the coin fragments were not silver, but pewter, which was made mostly of tin with copper, lead and other common metals. Sherman complained to the authorities, who charged Kanes with counterfeiting. At the trial, the outcome would turn on a pair of britches.

Clothing was also in short supply in colonial Delaware, and Kanes had recently borrowed a pair of britches from Alexander Draper. When Kanes returned the britches, Draper found a piece of eight in the pants pocket.

Draper showed up at Kanes trial and he gave the court the piece of eight. It was compared to the fake pieces of eight that Kanes had given Sherman, and like the other pieces, it was made of pewter. According to the court records, They [were] exactly alike as if they had been all cast in one mold.

Kanes was found guilty of passing counterfeit pieces of eight, and was sentenced to twenty-one stripes upon his bare back well laid on, and the [counterfeit] money to be melted and he to pay three good pieces of eight to the person wronged.

Michael Morgan

When Kanes heard the verdict, he pleaded for mercy; and the court reduced the whipping from 21 lashes to 10. Kanes was immediately taken to the whipping post. As the members of the court watched, the counterfeiters shirt was ripped off his back, the whipping was administered, and the case of counterfeit pieces of-eight and borrowed britches was closed.

Principal sources

Craig W. Horle, ed., Records of the Sussex County Delaware, 1677-1710, 1991, Vol. 1, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1991, pp. 526-528.

Sea History: What is a piece of eight?, https://www.kingmanyachtcenter.com/sea-history-what-is-a-piece-of-eight/.

MORE MORGAN: How amateur plane spotters kept Delaware safe with eyes on the sky during World War II

DEL. HISTORY: Georgetown's whipping post was used to punish 'infamous trade' of chicken thieves

This article originally appeared on Salisbury Daily Times: History: Notorious case of counterfeit coin pieces in Sussex County
South Koreas President Yoon will be visiting Washington for talks with Mr Biden

Hidden away in the private room of an underground restaurant in Seoul, a disparate group of South Koreans have gathered for a clandestine lunch. Among the mix are politicians, scientists, and military people, some of whose identities are too sensitive to reveal. This is the meeting of the newly formed Forum for Nuclear Strategy, and their lunchtime agenda is ambitious - to plot out how South Korea can develop nuclear weapons.

This once-fringe idea has exploded into the mainstream over the past months. Even South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol raised the possibility during a defence meeting, making him the only president to have put this option on the table in recent times. Now newspaper columns trumpet the idea daily, while a staggering three-quarters of the public support it. South Koreans have grown anxious about their nuclear-armed neighbour to the north, and on Wednesday Mr Yoon is heading to the White House, seeking President Joe Biden's help.

South Korea previously flirted with the idea of developing nuclear weapons in the 1970s, when it ran a secret programme. But when the United States found out, it issued an ultimatum: Seoul could carry on, or have the US defend it, with the full force of its existing nuclear arsenal. It picked US support, and to this day tens of thousands of US troops remain stationed on the Korean peninsula.

Since then, the geopolitical situation has shifted dramatically. North Korea is building ever-more sophisticated nuclear weapons that can target cities across the US, leaving people to question whether Washington would still come to South Korea's defence.

Here is the scenario they chew over: a belligerent Kim Jong-un attacks South Korea, forcing the US to intervene. Mr Kim then threatens to detonate a nuclear bomb over the US mainland unless it withdraws from the war. What does Washington do? Does it risk having San Francisco reduced to rubble to save Seoul? Probably not, is the conclusion those at the secret lunchtime meeting have come to.

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"It is irrational to think another country should protect us. This is our problem and our responsibility," said Choi Ji-young, a forum member and member of South Korea's ruling People Power Party.

The members of South Koreas new Nuclear Policy Forum want the country to go nuclear

The chairman of the forum, academic Cheong Seong-chang, presented their suggested plan. The next time the North tests a nuclear weapon, Seoul would withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). If, within six months, Mr Kim has not agreed to discuss giving up some of his weapons, Seoul would start building its own. Mr Cheong argues that this would reduce the probability of a nuclear war on the Korean peninsula, as Mr Kim would be less likely to attack, knowing the South could strike back.

But Jenny Town, from the US-based think tank 38 North, challenges the assumption that a nuclear-armed South would make the North less adventurous. "More nuclear weapons does not make the world safer from nuclear use," she said. "If you look at India and Pakistan as an example, this is not what we have seen. If anything, being nuclear-armed has sort of given them both the green light to go a little further."

A nuclear-armed South Korea is absolutely not what Washington wants. Yet, this beast is partly of America's making. In 2016, then-President Donald Trump accused South Korea of free-riding. He threatened to make Seoul pay for the US troops stationed on its soil, or else he would withdraw them. The fear those words instilled in people has not lessened with time. An increasing number of South Koreans, acutely aware that America's promises are only as good as its next leader, now favour building the bomb.

On a recent Sunday afternoon, at a local sauna in Seoul, people young and old from all backgrounds gathered to ease their weekly aches, while indulging in beer and fried chicken. While it might seem strange to discuss nuclear proliferation in such a setting, these days, it is almost in the realm of small talk.

"The US is not going to use its nukes to defend us, so we should be in control of our own defence," said 31-year-old Koo Sung-wook, who swayed this way during his time in the military. He served in 2010, during a major crisis when North Korea shelled a South Korean island, killing four people.

"It felt like a total emergency. Units were calling their parents and writing wills," he recounted. Now he worries not just about North Korea, but China too. "We are surrounded by these great powers and walking on eggshells around them. To be competitive, we need to have nukes."

Almost everyone at the sauna agreed, even 82-year-old Hong In-su. A child during the Korean War in the 1950s, she said she was anti-nuclear weapons, before reluctantly concluding they were a necessary evil: "Other countries are developing theirs, so I don't see how we can go on without them. The world is changing."

Hong In-su is wary of South Korea getting nuclear weapons but thinks the country needs them

Another woman was torn over whether the US would defend South Korea, and thought it "better to have nukes just in case", while a young mother worried that Seoul's current relationship with the US could change at any moment.

Washington is now scrambling to reassure its ally of its "iron-clad" commitment to its defence. Earlier this month it stationed a gigantic nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in the southern port of Busan. But to the frustration of US policymakers, such reassuring gestures no longer seem to be working.

Seoul's politicians have grown wary of being kept in the dark, unclear about what would trigger the US president to push the nuclear button on their behalf. Currently, there is no requirement for Mr Biden to even tell Mr Yoon before doing so. "At the very least we could build in a mandatory phone call, so long as it is understood that this is still the US president's decision," Ms Town said.

Yang Uk, a defence analyst with the Seoul-based Asan Institute, was in the room with President Yoon when he made his remarks about South Korea going nuclear. He claims Mr Yoon was indirectly pressuring the US. "The US is so reluctant to discuss its nuclear policy with South Korea and yet if a nuclear war broke out on the peninsula we are the ones who would suffer the most," he said.

Seoul is pushing to be more involved in the planning and execution around nuclear use. That could mean having US nuclear weapons stationed in South Korea, or to have a nuclear sharing arrangement, similar to that in Europe, where South Korea is able to use US weapons in the event of a war. A less drastic option would be to create a joint nuclear-planning group.

US forces practice defending South Korea from a North Korean attack

The US is unlikely to offer up much, but knows it must deliver something concrete that President Yoon can chalk up as a win, and sell to the South Korean public. Even so, it may prove too late. This once inconceivable idea is now so firmly planted in the South Korean psyche, it is difficult to see how it can be uprooted.

Going nuclear is a mammoth decision. The current international order is built on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, and those that threaten this order, such as Iran and North Korea, have paid a high price. Analysts say the South Korean public has probably not considered the consequences. The US could pull out of its defence commitment, China might retaliate ferociously by hounding South Korea with sanctions, and their country could end up isolated, another failed pariah state, its dazzling international reputation in tatters.

At the sauna, people seemed unperturbed by these scenarios. Only one woman conceded that if it meant South Korea becoming "an axis of evil" then it was probably not worth it.

But that is unlikely to happen. South Korea is too strategically and economically important for it to be shunned like North Korea. Most analysts do not even believe the US would end its decades-long military alliance. Instead, the concern is that a potential South Korean nuclear armament would create such a crack in the non-proliferation regime, it would cause other countries to follow.

Only 82-year-old Hong In-su seemed to grapple with the dangers ahead. She quoted a Korean proverb that roughly translates to "you fall in your own poop", or in other words, this could seriously backfire.

"I do think nuclear weapons will come back to harm us," she said. "I feel bad for the next generation."

Read more of our coverage from North and South Korea
Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant on May 1, 2022. ANDREY BORODULIN/AFP via Getty Images

Former workers at a Ukrainian nuclear power plant have spoken about mistreatment by Russian soldiers.

They described being shot with rubber bullets, beatings, and detention and witnessing murders.

The UN says that "the use of torture by Russian authorities, may amount to crimes against humanity."

Workers at the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant have told The Times about alleged torture they endured at the hands of Russian soldiers.

When the Russians captured Zaporizhzhia in southeast Ukraine, they had to use brute force to compel the 11,000-strong workforce to continue to do their jobs under the new Russian occupation regime. Hundreds of employees who showed "pro-Ukrainian sympathies" were targeted.

It included, a source told The Times, being shot with rubber bullets, beatings, and detention  and, if they continued to show support for Ukraine  murder.

If people do make it out of these situations alive, they told The Times that the Russians would sometimes torture them in other ways.

One man, who described being repeatedly beaten and shot, said that when he was able to return home after three months of detention, Russian soldiers had stolen all of his electrical appliances, including his washing machine.

This news comes one month after the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine wrote that "the Commission has found that the Russian armed forces' waves of attacks, starting 10 October 2022, on Ukraine's energy-related infrastructure and the use of torture by Russian authorities, may amount to crimes against humanity."

The Zaporizhzhia allegations are the latest in a series of accounts accusing the Russian military of torture.

Earlier this week, a Ukrainian woman delivered harrowing testimony to US lawmakers, recounting scenes of torture, physical abuse, and mock executions.

Insider's Jake Epstein reported that the 57-year-old woman was forced to dig her own grave, as well as being beaten, forced to undress, cut with knives, and threatened to be raped and killed by Russian soldiers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
A second person has died of injuries sustained during Thursdays house fire in New Bedford, according to officials.

One person killed, three in critical condition following house fire in New Bedford

Bristol County District Attorneys office identified the victims as Radames Lopez Mendrez, 78, and Eneida Gonzalez Mangual, 79.

On behalf of Mayor Jon Mitchell and the New Bedford Fire Department, I want to offer our most sincere condolences to this family at a time of such terrible loss, said Chief Kruger. This was the second fire in three weeks to claim two members of our community, and our hearts are with all the loved ones who are grieving today.

Firefighters were called to a two-story home on Chestnut Street where two people were trapped on the second floor with flames shooting out of the windows.

Crews used ground ladders to make entry through windows and up an interior stairway where they rescued one man and one woman from a second-floor bedroom, later identified as Mendrez and Mangual, both of whom succumbed to their injuries.

Two other adults were able to escape the building and were also transported for medical care. Two children escaped unharmed, officials said.

Investigators determined that the fire began in a second-floor bedroom. The cause will remain officially undetermined but investigators found no evidence that it was intentionally set, and the potential factors were accidental.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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When Ashley Sylvester was faced with yet another Father's Day she didn't know how to celebrate with her two boys, she turned to Clavis "Carl" Gilbert.

The family didn't know how to put the pieces back together after the death of their husband and father, Sgt. Jason Sylvester, and Ashley told Gilbert, a mentor with Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), that she struggles every year because she can't "just bypass the day."

Gilbert, who is stationed in Washington, D.C., but was in Oklahoma City visiting his father, surprised the Sylvester brothers and took them out to dinner.

"That was the point where this snapped in their head like, 'Oh my gosh, these people really do care,'" Ashley said.

Ashley Sylvester shows April 14 where her late husband, Sgt. Jason A. Sylvester, is listed on the Veterans Wall of Honor at Veterans Memorial Park in Moore.

An Oklahoma City native, Gilbert received the honorary award of 2023 Military Mentor of the Year from TAPS on March 23 in Arlington, Virginia. The recognition was given on behalf of Gilbert's commitment to mentorship for children of fallen soldiers.

TAPS is a national nonprofit organization that provides national support to families grieving the loss of a loved one in the U.S. military. Gilbert, along with 700 other TAPS mentors, cumulatively dedicated 32,566 hours to the organization in 2022.

More: 'The book from the enemy': A lifetime after Vietnam, U.S. veteran delivers a diary to its home

You can tell from the second Carl walks into a room full of TAPS kids that his heart is in this, said Bonnie Carroll, TAPS president and founder. He honors the lives of those lost by providing care and a safe space for their children. His heart for our mission inspires us all."

Carl Gilbert receives the Military Mentor of the Year award from the Tragedy Assistance Programs for Survivors.

Gilbert, a chief warrant officer 4 for the U.S. Army, graduated from Millwood High School in 1996 already enlisted for the U.S. Army to be a military policeman. He was the drum major of the school band and worked at the Oklahoma City Zoo as the driver for train tours. He described his childhood home as having a "revolving door" for the children in his community.

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"My parents always just taught us the easiest way to feel good about yourself is to do something good for somebody else," Gilbert said.

Gilbert joined TAPS after the death of his friend, Marvin Marcelle. Marcelle was also a warrant officer, and Gilbert had mentored him throughout his training process.

Carl Gilbert receives the Military Mentor of the Year award from the Tragedy Assistance Programs for Survivors.

Marcelle, a mentor for TAPS at the time, urged Gilbert to join. Gilbert, who was a single parent of two and active in other organizations, simply didn't have the time to join.

More: Veterans wait months for records needed for benefits. What's the holdup at National Archives?

Shortly after becoming a warrant officer, Marcelle was stationed in Germany for his first assignment where he was killed in a car accident. His body was flown back and buried in Arlington, Virginia.

"It was so abrupt," Gilbert said. "I learned through my mom when we lost her a way to kind of process that more is to figure out a way to honor that person ... after the service, I was just in my car and I signed up for a TAPS event. I only planned on doing one."

Carl Gilbert receives the Military Mentor of the Year award from the Tragedy Assistance Programs for Survivors.

Gilbert couldn't imagine the impact TAPS would have on him.

"I learned from TAPS how to process and honor someone's life ... I learned that through talking to children," Gilbert said.

Jacob Sylvester, 16, was one of those children. Jacob lost his father when he was just 9 years old. The Sylvester family found connection, emotional support and mental strength through TAPS.

Ashley Sylvester and son Jacob Sylvester are pictured April 14 at Veterans Memorial Park where Ashleys late husband, Sgt. Jason A. Sylvester, is listed on the Veterans Wall of Honor in Moore.

"I saw them smile again for the first time," Ashley Sylvester said of her two sons. "They opened up in the Good Grief camps. ... It brought them to a place where they were starting their grieving process."

Jacob met first met Gilbert at a TAPS event in Dallas and connected through their mutual Oklahoma background.

"It's not something you really want to be open about," Jacob said. "It's so hard for people who don't know our situation to understand it. ... (Carl) has given me advice about dealing with it, how to cope with it. He relates to me. He's someone I can connect with that I know has the same feeling."

Ashley Sylvester and son Jacob Sylvester are pictured April 14 at Veterans Memorial Park in Moore. Her late husband is listed there on the Veterans Wall of Honor.

Grief resources

Surviving families grieving the loss of a loved one can often feel lost and unable to get their lives back on track.

Calm Waters is an Oklahoma City-based grief support company that provides grief counseling and support groups.

"For anybody who has experienced a tragedy in their life, especially if it involves death, it is one of the most healing things to do is to seek community," said Erin Engelke, executive director.

The TAPS National Military Survivor Helpline is another resource and is available 24/7. A trained professional will always pick up the phone at 800-959-8277.

"Grief doesnt follow a schedule, and often the loneliest times come at night, or on weekends or holidays," TAPS stated on its website. "Were here for you at the other end of the TAPS National Military Survivor Helpline."

Ashley Sylvester and son Jacob Sylvester on April 14 find the name of her late husband, Sgt. Jason A Sylvester, on the Veterans Wall of Honor in Moore.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City native is recognized as Military Mentor of the Year
The last time an airplane landed at Sherwood Field in Paso Robles was likely during late December 1976.

Unfortunately, the airfield had been closed for more than two decades. The pilot mistook the old airfield for the active Paso Robles Municipal Airport runway less than four miles away.

The San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune reported on the mixup on Dec. 30, 1976.

The remains of the 1,000-foot-long runway were overgrown with weeds and cut with ditches but the runway paint with warning crosses had faded, failing to alert pilots that the field was closed.

The out-of-town pilot somehow missed the larger active field nearby and aimed for Sherwood instead.

The aircraft ended up in a backyard but no one was injured.

The Hangar, BarrelHouse Brewing Co.s newest production facility and taproom, will be located at the corner of Niblick and Creston roads in Paso Robles in a former airplane hangar.

According to the Telegram-Tribune article, Sherwood Field was the site of the Paso Robles airport until 1951 when the city moved operations to the current location north of Highway 46, a former World War II military airport.

Now most of the Sherwood area is developed and the former runway can no longer be seen from the air.

Popular Paso Robles craft brewery BarrelHouse Brewing Co. recently announced that it will be opening a new production facility and taproom in a former Sherwood Field airplane hangar.

Longtime Tribune reporter and columnist Phil Dirkx wrote about Paso Robles airport history in his Over The Hill column on Sept. 15, 2006:

The Hangar, BarrelHouse Brewing Co.s newest production facility and taproom, will be located in a former airplane hangar that was once part of Sherwood Air Field in Paso Robles.

Paso airport was factor in eastward push

In a way Orville and Wilbur Wright, the inventors of the airplane, are responsible for the shape Paso Robles is now in.

When the city incorporated in 1889, it lay entirely west of the Salinas River. Today the biggest part of Paso is east of the river.

Paso Robles didnt start spreading across the river until 1952. Thats when it annexed a former airfield near the intersection of what is now Creston and Niblick roads.

The airfield was started in the 1920s to serve later versions of the Wright brothers 1903 invention.

That 1952 annexation started the ball rolling. Since then, the vast majority of the citys growth has been east of the river.

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The airfields history goes back at least to 1929. That year a directory of landing fields said the Paso Robles airport had a 2,000-foot main runway and one small hangar.

In April 1940, the fields owner sold it to the city for $9,000. It had two 150-foot-wide, oiled runways. One was 3,400 feet long. The other was 1,600 feet.

On Aug. 1, 1940, a Civilian Pilot Training school began at the field with 50 students, including four women. But America was also preparing for its likely entry into World War II, so two months later the Army took over the airport. All private planes were ordered removed.

The Army constructed improvements, including a big metal hangar. That hangar still stands as the central core of the Ennis, Inc., printing plant at 298 Sherwood Road.

The Army connected the field to electric power lines, telephone cables and city water. The Army also built a sewage treatment plant. All that made the field ready to serve airplanes. It also made the field ready to become a housing tract.

The first military unit stationed at the field was the 115th Observation Squadron of the California National Guard. The airport was named Sherwood Field in honor of that squadrons first commanding officer  Capt. George Sherwood. He was killed in 1935 when his plane crashed while delivering civilian mail.

The Hangar, BarrelHouse Brewing Co.s newest production facility and taproom, will be located in a former airplane hangar that was once part of Sherwood Air Field in Paso Robles.

At the end of 1941, the Army turned the airport over to the Navy, which used it only as an emergency field. When the war ended in 1945, the field reverted to city control, but the fields days were numbered.

Competition was coming. A larger airport the Estrella Army Air Field  had been built in 1943 four miles to the north. Two years after the war ended, that field became a public airport and the local aviators moved to it.

Paso Robles 1952 annexation of Sherwood Field was called the Sherwood Annexation. A housing tract called Sherwood Acres was started that year in the annexed land. Houses sold for around $8,000. Some were right across the street from the big hangar and their street is actually the hangars concrete apron.

Other parts of the airfield are now the citys Sherwood Park and the Sherwood Industrial Park. A Sherwood Forest playground is under construction. Capt. Sherwoods name wont be forgotten.

Want to learn more?

To learn more about local aviation history, Estrella Warbirds Museum in Paso Robles is a good place to start.

The museum is hosting its 14th annual Warbirds Wings & Wheels event on May 13. For more information, go to ewarbirds.org/www14/index.shtml
A year has passed since Indiana State Police began investigating how the body of a little boy ended up inside a suitcase left in a wooded area, and one person they say is responsible for the killing is still on the loose.

The boy was found April 16, 2022, in a heavily wooded area in Washington County, Indiana, northwest of Louisville. His body was inside a distinctive suitcase with "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada" painted on its shell.

About six months later, police identified the boy as 5-year-old Cairo Ammar Jordan. He was buried in May with a headstone that said "In loving memory of a beloved little boy known but to God." His full name has since been engraved on a space left open at the time of his burial.

The unknown child whose body was discovered in a suitcase in rural Washington County has a donated headstone. Room was left for his name when he is finally identified. June 1, 2022

More: Mother of dead boy found in suitcase is still on the run, Indiana police say. What we know

When he was identified, police announced that two women - Cairo's mother and her friend - were responsible for his death and abandonment in the woods.

The friend - Dawn Elaine Coleman, 40, of Shreveport, Louisiana - was arrested in October but police are still searching for Cairo's mom, 37-year-old Dejuane Ludie Anderson of Atlanta.

Dejuane Anderson, 37, is wanted by Indiana State Police on the charge of murder. She is accused of killing her 5-year-old son in April 2022 and leaving his body inside a suitcase in a wooded area of Southern Indiana.

The investigation is still ongoing, ISP Sgt. Carey Huls told The Courier Journal this week.

"We still believe she is out west, possibly still in LA and maybe also in Las Vegas at times," he said.

Anderson is about 5 feet, 5 inches tall and is believed to weigh about 135 pounds, according to police. Police believe she was last seen in Los Angeles but she is known to travel. During the six months after Cairo's death, investigators said she had been to San Francisco, San Diego, Las Vegas, and Houston.

More: One suspect in Cairo Jordan murder case is back in Indiana, with another still missing

Anderson was arrested in Louisville less than a month before her son's death and charged with second-degree robbery after being accused of attempting to steal merchandise from the city's Von Maur store March 31, according to her arrest citation, and of hitting a security guard in the face once confronted.

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She was released April 11 on her own recognizance. Her son's body was found five days later.

Both women had published several social media posts that referred to a child as a "demon" and "an avatar playing a character" ahead of Cairo's death, according to Coleman's arrest affidavit. At one point, Anderson is alleged to have written a post that referred to writing a "book about living with a demonic child."

More: Gun used in Louisville Old National Bank shooting likely won't be resold at auction

Fingerprints belonging to Coleman and Anderson were found on contents within the suitcase and phones owned by the women were found to have been in the areas where Cairo's body was found, police said. Additionally, Riverlink data found a car owned by Anderson had crossed a bridge between Louisville and Southern Indiana the day the body was recovered.

Huls said Cairo died due to an electrolyte imbalance "most likely caused by gastroenteritis, which in common laymans' terms would be vomiting and diarrhea. And that resulted in dehydration."

He was buried that month following a service in Washington County, where he was located.

Coleman was found and arrested in San Francisco, then extradited to Indiana. Investigators believe she had Cairo in her custody for about two weeks in during April. She's remained in jail since with a $5 million cash bond, court records show. A jury trial is set to start next month.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Dejuane Ludie Anderson, mother of Cairo Jordan, still on the run
One of the oldest known meteor showers is back this April, and its expected to hit its peak this weekend.

The Lyrids meteor shower is generally visible throughout the entire Northern Hemisphere, according to NASA. The Lyrids were first observed in 687 B.C. and have been studied for more than 2,000 years.

The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors, the space agencys website reads. Lyrids dont tend to leave long, glowing dust trains behind them as they streak through Earths atmosphere, but they can produce the occasional bright flash called a fireball.

If you hope to spot these meteors in the sky this weekend in Pennsylvania, heres what you need to know.

Best practices for observing the Lyrids

This year, the Lyrids are active from April 15 through 29, but they are expected to peak April 22 and 23.

The meteor shower is best observed in the Northern Hemisphere during dark hours, after moonset and before dawn, NASA says. For the best results, try to find a spot that is far from cities or streetlights to help cut out light pollution that might tarnish your view.

Once youve found a spot, NASA recommends lying flat on your back with your feet facing east. Of course, youll want to make sure youre paying attention to the night sky above you, too.

You might not notice any meteors or stars at first, but be patient. It might take your eyes at least 30 minutes to properly adapt to the dark sky. Youll have plenty of time to see meteors while the showers last until dawn.

Meteors spotted among the Lyrids travel at approximately 29 miles per second, NASA says. Meteor counts at peak activity generally sit near 18 per hour, but hundreds can be seen on rare occasions.

State Colleges stargazing forecast

This weekend could be a rough one for stargazing in Centre County if the current forecast holds.

AccuWeather is calling for partly cloudy conditions Saturday night and into Sunday morning. The weather agencys stargazing forecast predicts approximately 96% cloud cover Saturday before lowering to 82% Sunday.

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Thankfully, the moon is less of a problem. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Earths only natural satellite is in its new moon phase, which should minimize natural light in the sky and set the stage for the highly anticipated meteor shower.

What are meteors?

Simply put, meteors are just meteoroids  or space rocks  that have entered Earths atmosphere, usually burning up when flying across the sky at a high speed, NASA says. When these objects survive a trip through the atmosphere and hit the ground, theyre called meteorites.

Meteors are not to be confused with asteroids, which are small, rocky objects that orbit the sun way out in space. They are also not comets, which also orbit the sun but are composed primarily of ice and dust, NASA says.
The sign outside the Slice by Saddleback south Lansing location on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022.

LANSING  A restaurant's mobile pizza oven is back in the possession of its owners after it was stolen and ferreted away from the capital city before police and online sleuths quickly recovered it.

A $12,500 mobile pizza oven was stolen from Slice by Saddleback's West Lansing location at 644 Migaldi Lane sometime between 8 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m. Friday, the company said in a Facebook post.

The restaurant, which also has a location in South Lansing at 3135 Pennsylvania Ave., initially offered a $1,000 reward for information leading to the return of the oven.

The oven held extra significance to owners Matt Gillett and Travis Stoliker as it was used to feed victims of the tornado that damaged much of Gaylord last year. The oven has also been used for events like funerals, graduations, weddings and other family events.

Co-owner Matt Gillett helps a customer with a piece of pizza during an event for neighbors at the Slice by Saddleback south Lansing location on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2022.

Gillett and Stoliker worked with nearby businesses, the Eaton County Sheriffs Office, the Hastings Police Department and reviewed security footage. A Facebook tip led them to the oven at a location about an hour outside of Lansing. Gillett said Saturday that the oven was found near a home in Hastings.

Gillett told the State Journal it appears the people who stole the oven sold it to someone who was unaware it was stolen. He said he did not know if those responsible for stealing the oven have been arrested.

"We've had two incidents in the last couple of weeks with some sort of theft or burglary. It's been kind of frustrating," Gillett said. "Obviously the crime, in general, has been frustrating, but also dealing with all of the things that come along with that."

At about 3:28 a.m. on April 12, a man was seen on security camera footage throwing a rock through a window of the restaurant's front door. He stole a cash register, according to the company's Facebook page. It wasn't a huge loss, Gillett said. Rather, it was more of a "pain in the butt," with all of the time-consuming paperwork, calls and tasks that had to be completed after.

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He mentioned working to educate staff on what happened and communicating with police and their insurance company as a few of the tasks heaped onto their plate as a result of the recent crimes.

The oven will be home safe tomorrow! THANK YOU so much to everyone that shared the post, contacted us with leads, shared it in their friend groups, covered it on the news, reviewed their security footage, and on and on and on, the company posted on Facebook. So many of you helped us and we can't thank you enough.

Contact Mark Johnson at majohnson2@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMarkJohnson.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Online sleuths help Lansing restaurant Slice by Saddleback find stolen pizza oven
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22)  The Climate Change Commission (CCC) on Saturday urged the public to make an investment in the environment to fight climate change.

"A healthy ecosystem helps to protect us from diseases," the CCC said in a statement as the world commemorates Earth Day.

"By investing in our planet, we can take concrete steps toward mitigating the effects of climate change. This includes implementing sustainable practices, reducing our carbon footprint, and promoting conservation efforts," the agency added.

In line with this, environmental group Greenpeace called on the public to reduce the use of plastic, noting that plastic production could triple by 2050.

"This year's Earth Day theme, 'Invest in our Planet,' couldn't be more timely. It's indeed time for countries, especially corporations, to invest in genuine zero-waste solutions that will safeguard people and give the youth a plastic-free future they deserve. Young people have the most to gain if we act on the plastics issueand the most to lose if we don't," said Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Marian Ledesma.

"We need a strong and ambitious Global Plastics Treaty that won't just drastically reduce plastic production and turn off the plastic tap, but also drive industries and nations to invest in sustainable and socially equitable solutions to protect future generations from plastic pollution," she added.

According to the latest Plastic Waste Makers Index, the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste in 2021, which was 6 million metric tons more than in 2019.

In the Philippines, the House of Representatives has already approved the bill imposing a tax on single-use plastics while the Senate has a bill banning the use of such materials.

Several local government units have also already imposed ordinances that ban single-use plastics.
The Supreme Court pulled back from the edge. In suspending the district courts nationwide bar on the abortion pill mifepristone, the high courts conservative majority (with two exceptions) declined to embrace the radicalism of its ideological allies. The move not only ensures access to a drug long deemed safe by the FDA but may help bolster the courts increasingly tenuous public credibility.

The Supreme Court has recently experienced a sharp decline in popular support. That should not be surprising amid evidence suggesting that people view courts as being impartial if judicial decisions match their policy preferences. The series of high-profile rulings advancing policy interests aligned with the Republican Partys right flank  on reproductive choice, on guns, on climate change  are shaping public opinion. They are likely driving Democratic voters to see the federal courts as instruments for the delivery of far-right policy preferences.

The decision to maintain the status quo on mifepristone by the same court that struck down Roe v Wade may be a quiet nod to the waning legitimacy of the court, and a concern about further backlash.



But what if the politics of judicial reform are already shifting under the justices feet?

The high-profile state Supreme Court race in Wisconsin  and the potential fallout  suggests that may be the case. During the midterms, that quintessential purple state delivered slim victories to a Democratic governor and a Republican senator. Less than five months later, though, a left-leaning candidate, Judge Janet Protasiewicz, ran up a double-digit advantage over her right-of-center opponent.

The Protasiewicz win fits awkwardly with a well-hallowed chestnut of political wisdom  that the politics of judicial power arent symmetrical across the party line. Simply put, Republican voters tend to have stronger feelings than Democrats about judicial appointments, and cast their votes in primaries to punish or reward candidates on that basis. In contrast, theres some evidence that Democratic voters punish candidates who center campaigns on the courts. Republicans, indeed, have kept their eyes on the prize by prioritizing ideological consistency. Democrats such as President Joe Biden have instead aimed for representativeness across gender, ethnicity and professional grounds. The result is a less ideologically consistent and less coherent bench of Biden and Obama appointees.

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In addition to his own centrist, institutionally minded temperament, it is likely this uneven pattern of voter attention to the courts that shaped the way in which the Biden White House has so far approached the politics of court reform. Rather than embracing calls on the left to expand the Supreme Court, the newly inaugurated president created a sprawling, bipartisan commission to study the question of reform. The body was largely staffed with legal academics of diverse views and partisan orientations. It was entirely predictable that such a group would not reach a consensus on reform. The commission was plainly designed to delay, and hence deflate, the push for structural change to the federal courts. And so it did  producing an extensive and academic report that elicited precisely nothing of political or practical significance.

But Wisconsins judicial election earlier this month suggests that the White Houses assessment of how judicial politics plays among Democratic voters no longer holds water. That election may signal a broader shift in the tectonics of voter mobilization in respect to courts and judges more generally.



The most obvious reason for thinking something has changed is that it was Democrats, and not Republicans, who were galvanized by the judicial election. These voters, moreover, were moved by the issue of judicial power but were not motivated as much by the goal of electing Democrats. In a state Senate race held that same day, the Republican candidate eked out a win. That too was a highly consequential election, giving Republicans a Senate supermajority and the votes to oust officials through impeachment.

Nor can it be said that the issue of abortion made all the difference: The question of reproductive choice plainly loomed large in November 2022. And yet GOP Sen. Ron Johnson, always a reliable voice for the anti-abortion position, retained his seat. Plainly, abortion politics explains in part why Protasiewicz won  but it cant be the whole story.

In the wake of her election, we may also see more realignment in the politics of court reform. Until now, it has been Democrats on the left of their party who had pressed hardest for changing the courts through structural reform or other measures.

But in Wisconsin, Republicans were talking of impeaching Protasiewicz before she had even won the election, let alone taken office. This is all the more remarkable because  unless shes committed a crime  Protasiewicz can be impeached only for conduct in office, according to the state constitution, i.e. for things she presumably may do in the future.

Some state GOP lawmakers have since backed away from such talk, and in any event, the Democratic governor would be empowered to appoint a replacement. But the legislature could respond to rulings they dislike with the kinds of other tools that progressives have been advocating at the national level: measures such as jurisdiction-stripping and changes to the size of the court.

If the political script on judicial power gets flipped in Wisconsin  if GOP legislators act to rein in a liberal-leaning court  what could this bode for a broader change nationally? Or what happens if conservative federal judges or Supreme Court justices advance a far-right agenda reviled by progressives and even many centrists?

Surely, the next time Democrats have full control of Washington, the push to overhaul the judiciary will be a top priority, if they have the votes.



Even apart from its precedent-shattering opinions, some justices are doing little to build trust in the court. ProPublicas revelations that Justice Clarence Thomas both received expensive gifts and engaged in six-figure real-estate transactions with a conservative billionaire will add fuel to the fire of public suspicion. Democratic calls for Thomas impeachment are, of course, unlikely to lead to any legislative action. But in striking contrast to the impeachment calls targeting Protasiewicz, they draw public attention to judicial behavior that plainly raises serious ethical questions, even if it doesnt in the end cross a line into rank illegality.

All this means that the political dynamics of court reform are on the verge of a momentous shift: Democratic voters are likely to be more energized, and more likely to stomach what might have once seemed explosive measures. And for once, they may even be willing to reward candidates for public office who promise to follow through.
Invisible Technologies, a San Francisco-based tech contracting agency, laid off dozens of contractors in March who train OpenAI's language models. iStock / Getty Images Plus

Invisible Technologies laid off 31 contractors hired to train OpenAI's GPT, Insider has learned.

The contractors were hired to improve the AI model's abilities like creative writing and coding.

OpenAI has reportedly hired about 1,000 contractors globally as its ChatGPT AI gains popularity.

Dozens of contractors who helped train the OpenAI language models that power ChatGPT were laid off in March, according to a person familiar with the matter and documentation of internal communications.

San Francisco-based firm Invisible Technologies laid off 31 contractors as of March 16, according to internal Slack screenshots that Insider obtained. The layoffs come as OpenAI's ChatGPT takes the world by storm, with users flocking to the bot in hopes of making their lives easier. OpenAI is still hiring throughout its business.

Hundreds of Invisible contractors known as "advanced AI data trainers" work with OpenAI to train its GPT bots, internal Slack screenshots show. Invisible's AI data trainers are responsible for tasks like improving the models' coding skills, enhancing their creative writing capabilities, or training them to stop saying certain things, said an Invisible contractor familiar with the matter, who requested to remain anonymous because he signed a non-disclosure agreement. Insider verified his identity and employment.

Kamron Palizban, vice president of operations at Invisible, addressed the layoffs during an all-staff meeting in March. He said OpenAI wanted to reduce its ranks of contractors due to changing business needs, according to a recording of the meeting Insider obtained. Many of the laid-off contractors worked on projects that didn't provide a high enough return on investment for OpenAI, Palziban said in the meeting.

OpenAI and Invisible Technologies did not respond to requests for comment.

OpenAI slashed some of its contractors after hiring 1,000 globally

Invisible's relationship with OpenAI provides a glimpse into the ChatGPT-maker's data-training practices, which it has largely kept secret from the public.

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The adjustment in OpenAI's contract with Invisible follows a six-month staffing ramp-up first reported by Semafor. As of January, OpenAI had hired close to 1,000 data-labeling contractors in places like Eastern Europe and Latin America, sources with knowledge of the matter told Semafor.

Invisible's layoffs came just two months after Microsoft poured $10 billion into OpenAI. But Invisible isn't the only contracting firm that has worked with OpenAI.

In February 2022, contracting firm Sama  also based in San Francisco  ended its partnership with OpenAI after learning its data labelers in Kenya were reviewing harmful content like sexual abuse, hate speech, and violence, according to a Time investigation.

In a statement to Time, an OpenAI spokesperson said, "Classifying and filtering harmful [text and images] is a necessary step in minimizing the amount of violent and sexual content included in training data and creating tools that can detect harmful content."

A day in the life of an AI trainer

According to the Invisible contractor, data trainers' most basic duties include reviewing conversations between AI and its users to identify messages that are potentially illegal, private, offensive, or riddled with errors. The contractor who spoke to Insider explained a daily routine like this:

They start their shift by opening an internal work browser and checking their teams' task lists. They might click on a task like: "Have a conversation about a random topic with browsing disabled," then enter a query into a message box.

Once the query is submitted, the model generates four responses. Contractors evaluate each response by opening a drop-down menu and selecting the types of errors present, such as factual inaccuracies, spelling, grammar, or harassment. Then, they rank the severity of the errors on a scale of one to seven  with seven indicating a "basically perfect" answer, according to a demo the contractor gave to Insider.

Next, contractors must craft what a perfect response might be, and submit it to complete the task. The result is sent to OpenAI and quality checkers at Invisible, the contractor said. The cycle repeats for each following task.

"They're in a stage where they're on the cusp of getting a lot more clarity on where they're going," Palizban said in reference to OpenAI during the meeting.

Invisible laid off contractors based on performance metrics like "quality" and "throughput," Grace Matelich, a partner and operations manager at Invisible, said during the recorded meeting.

Some contractors who underperformed  as well as those who were being onboarded but didn't "hit their bar for certification"  were laid off, though many were given the option to move to a different OpenAI team, per the meeting. "If you're still here today, I want you to know it's because we have faith and trust in your ability to operate with excellence," Matelich said.

If you work at OpenAI or have a story to share, contact this author at amok@insider.com.

Read the original article on Business Insider
In North Carolina, particularly in its fast-growing cities, there is an acute shortage of affordable housing.

The median home price rose by 25 percent in 2021 and bumped up an estimated 5 percent in 2022. Nearly half of the states renters are considered cost-burdened, meaning they pay more than 30 percent of their gross income on rent and utilities.

There are many reasons, including urbanization driving up land prices, the rising cost of construction material and more affluent newcomers drawn by a boom in tech and bioscience industries.

Now state lawmakers are focusing on other causes: Restrictive local zoning and unnecessary requirements for inspecting and permitting new housing developments. There are several bills in the legislature aimed at usurping local authority in order to speed the construction of more housing and more affordable housing.

Senate Bill 317, for instance, would exempt development of 10 acres or more from local planning regulations if 20 percent of the development was set aside for people making the average median income or less. Another would prohibit the regulation of short-term rentals as a residential use. Another would allow accessory dwelling units on any lot where a single family unit exists.

On the surface, this is state lawmakers pushing back against NIMBYs, the not-in-my-backyard citizens who fill local zoning hearings to block denser  and presumably more affordable  development near their neighborhoods of mostly single homes.

The push is understandable. Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin has been criticized by neighborhood groups for her support of multifamily housing in or near neighborhoods. She sees the flurry of municipal override bills as the legislature telling the cities to get their act together.

Thats partly true, but also dangerous. Whats going on here is also a push by the home builders lobby to get out from under planning rules and regulations that ensure compatible development and that new construction is lasting and safe. Creating more affordable housing shouldnt be a license to enact shady boom towns and feed suburban sprawl.

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Local governments are already at a disadvantage in North Carolina. The state restricts their ability to impose impact fees or mandate that builders include affordable housing. Theres no reason to further weaken local control over development with statewide edicts. Every city and town is different and should have the right to set priorities for how they shape and preserve their local character. Once upon a time, that was an article of faith for Republicans.

Its not that local governments are in the thrall of NIMBYs. The N.C. League of Municipalities and the N.C. Association of Counties recently issued a report titled The Housing Crisis in North Carolina. It includes a survey of 31 municipalities and nine counties in fast-growing areas. The survey found that 60 percent of those responding had revised their zoning codes in recent years to allow for more density in development.

The report noted that rather than obstructing housing, North Carolinas largest municipalities are among the leaders in new housing. Raleigh in the first quarter of 2022 had the second-most housing starts among the nations top 20 metro areas. The Charlotte metro area came in fifth.

Instead of the state usurping local zoning and planning powers, the state should consider other options. The League report proposes that the state Department of Insurance could expand its training of building inspectors. It also calls for the state to create and fund uniform software for small towns and rural counties to speed up the permit process.

The legislature could take other actions. One big step would be to reinstate the states low-income housing tax credit that was repealed in 2015. Theres a bill in the House to do that, House Bill 208. Another step would be to increase the states affordable housing trust fund.

Affordable housing isnt a partisan issue. Its an economic issue. Getting more of it will help the poor, of course, but it also will make it possible for more teachers, police, firefighters and others to live in or near the cities and towns they serve.

The shortage of affordable housing in this rapidly urbanizing state wont be solved by bullying local governments to get their acts together. But it can become less of a problem if municipalities and the legislature commit to acting together.
For hundreds of years, the ocean has protected the Guna Yala culture on Cardi Sugdub, or Crab Island, located off the coast of Panama.

On the island, every square inch is occupied by about a thousand members of the Guna Yala tribe. There are no cars or motorcycles, people dress in traditional attire, and residents still speak their native tongue. Generations ago, members of the tribe settled on the island to escape aggression from Spanish colonizers and the Panamanian government.

But now, things are changing: Rising water levels are threatening the island and other nearby sites, forcing one of the largest migrations due to climate change in modern history.

Flooding on the low-lying islands has become more frequent due to the effects of sea level rise.

Magdalena Martinez, a resident of the island, told CBS News in Spanish that the flooding is a "sad reality" of life on the island. But in 30 years, scientists predict the islands will be completely underwater. Overpopulation is also an issue, but climate change is the biggest threat, said Laurel Avila, a member of Panama's Ministry of the Environment.

Cardi Sugdub, or Crab Island. / Credit: CBS Saturday Mornings

Avila explained that increased carbon emissions have raised the earth's temperature and caused glaciers to melt. This means water molecules expand, eventually leading to flooding like the kind seen on Crab Island. In the 1960s, the water around the islands rose at a rate of around 1 millimeter per year. Now, though, it's rising at about 3.5 millimeters a year, according to tide-gauge data from the Panama Canal Authority and satellite data from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

"(The tribe has) to be moved. There's no other option," Avila said. "The rise of the sea level is not going to stop."

It's a reality that the island's residents have only recently started to accept, after years of putting up a fight. Some members of the tribe see the move as a problem caused by the industrialized world unfairly bearing down on them and the culture they've defended.

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Some residents, including Augusto Boyd, have put up a fight by using rocks and remnants of coral reefs to try to expand the island and keep the water at bay. However, he's realized it's a losing battle and the only option is to leave it all behind.

"Filling, filling, filling all the time, because the water doesn't stop. It keeps going up," he told CBS News in Spanish. "It's difficult. Everything you did here stays behind."

There is a place for the tribe to relocate to, but it's a stark, cookie-cutter subdivision with rows of houses that could not be more different than life on Cardi Sugdub. It's being built on land owned by the tribe, with the majority of the funding coming from the Panamanian government.

While life will be different on the mainland, Martinez says she knows the tribe's traditions will carry on.

"We carry that here, inside," she said.

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Parents of Prichardville Elementary students in modular classrooms say their children have symptoms consistent with mold exposure, and the school district is not responding to their concerns.

Parent Crystal Renee said her emails to school administrators, state legislators and others were ignored.

[They] just blew us off, Renee said.

The Beaufort County School District, which tested in February and did not find high mold counts, will test again next week after hearing from parents, Chief Operations Officer Robert Oetting told The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette on Friday.

The school notified parents of mold testing in September and February, and told parents that theyd continue to test the classrooms periodically.

Weve had some parent concerns that have been raised [and] were going to test again, Oetting said. Outside of the parent concern we havent noticed or been able to detect any problems in the area.

However, parents said the district hasnt notified them about any new testing, although the district has been transparent about sharing previous test results.

The parents called for the district to test for mold again to ensure the safety of their children. They said in the two months after the February testing, temperatures have gotten warmer and there have been multiple heavy rain storms. They said that while there might not have been dangerous amounts of mold then, there could be now.

Within those two months, if you already have some remaining mold and its constituted as fine, but then we get more heavy rain, what are the chances of that progressing within a certain period? said parent Nicole Zolzer, who has a fourth grade student in a modular classroom.

The school has two modular, or mobile, buildings, built to accommodate growth in the Bluffton area. The fourth grade building has six classrooms and the fifth grade building has eight classrooms. Both modular buildings were built in 2018, although the fifth grade modular moved from River Ridge Academy in 2022.

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Parents questioned what is an acceptable level of mold? There is mold everywhere, according to air quality specialist, Ken Marchi, with Low Country House Detectives, and that doesnt always mean that its harmful. People are impacted by mold differently depending on their immune system and allergies, he said.

A classroom in the mobile classroom building at Pritchardville Elementary. The school offers their students a wide variety of flexible seating options  from bean bag chairs to stool-like chairs. The mobile is structured more like a traditional brick and mortar building with classrooms on both sides of a central hallway.

The standard is you dont want to see that mold is coming from the building itself, Oetting said. Thats why you test to make sure that your indoor [mold] levels are significantly less than your outdoor levels.

The parents complaints follow a September incident at a Prichardville Elementary fifth-grade modular classroom, where the district tested and found unsafe mold levels. The school moved the fifth graders temporarily while repairing the interior walls and roof.

Oetting said the district hasnt had mold concerns at any other school this year.

We have a formal process, Oetting said. Whenever anybody has a concern, we ask them to fill out an indoor air quality report.

He said parents, community members or employees can fill out a report and then theyll investigate the issue.

Weve done everything that we can and whenever we found something we react as quickly as possible, Oetting said.

However, parents said theyve put in a lot of effort with little response.

Headaches, fatigue and ER visits

Renees fifth grader at Prichardville Elementary complained about headaches, itchy and watery eyes, throat irritation and fatigue before the September repairs.

These are symptoms consistent with mold exposure, and once the district repaired the classroom, Renees 10-year-old stopped showing symptoms. In March, along with about five other children, her symptoms returned.

She started with constant sneezing again, all the time, Renee said. She always complained about her head hurting, her throat sore, and (its) very red in the back.

Renee brought her daughter to a pediatrician, who ruled out other sicknesses like COVID or the flu.

I have a first grader there as well thats in the [main] building, and he has no symptoms of anything, Renee said. My kids dont get sick. They take their vitamins [...]and all that. They have great immune systems.

Parent Stephanie Frazier said her daughter has missed over nine days since March visiting the emergency room, urgent care and her pediatrician.

Her child was diagnosed with allergies to the environment, bronchitis and mesenteric adenitis. The later two can be related to conditions that cause respiratory problems, like allergies.

In the fall, parent Tanya Coluccis son was diagnosed with asthma and had to start nebulizer treatments, which help with wheezing and breathing problems.

It became like a pattern [where] he would be out sick for a while and then get better and then since he returned back to school, his allergy-asthma symptoms would flare up almost immediately with him being in school for a day, she said.

Colucci and Renee are in the process of getting mold allergy tests done on their children at the recommendation of their pediatricians.

Can I confirm that mold is the issue? No, but its the suspicion in my head, Zolzer said.

What does the testing say?

In September, the district found high amount of Aspergillus/Penicillium. The follow-up testing in February didnt find similar high mold counts in the classroom.

So whats the problem?

We have something called allergenic spores, which is what this Aspergillus Penicillium is. If you dont have allergies and you have a lot of (this mold), it will give you allergies, said Marchi, the air quality expert. If you do have allergies and you breathe this in, its going to exasperate your allergic reactions.

When testing for mold, inspectors send air samples from outdoors and inside the classroom to a lab. Marchi tests hundreds of buildings for mold annually, and has worked in the Lowcountry for 17 years.

The lab is looking for numbers 10 times greater than the outside, he said. However, like most states, South Carolina doesnt regulate or have standards for unhealthy mold levels, according to Marchi.

Teachers at Pritchardvile Elementary in Bluffton check in with each other in the new mobile classroom building for fifth grade students. The building is more secure than older mobile classrooms with two doors on either end of a central hallway. Existing portables have doors to the outside for each individual classroom. The new style also have bathrooms for the students and separate facilities for the teaching staff.

In February, all of the mold levels at Prichardville Elementary were less than 10 times greater than the outside air, and there was no toxic mold ever reported in the classrooms, according to Marchi.

However, parents said the school didnt collect enough air to properly test for mold. The school did a five-minute collection test instead of a 10-minute test, according to Marchi.

Will it make a big difference? It depends on the system, said Marchi, explaining that certain systems are designed for five minutes. He said the only systems he uses are for 10 minutes which collect 150 liters of air, instead of the five-minute tests, or 75 liters like the school collected and tested in February.

He said that the February results dont show anything alarming, but since it was two months ago, new mold could have grown  especially considering the warming and wet weather.

For sure my recommendation would be to have further testing, more comprehensive testing to find out whats really going on with the air in there, he said.

Editors note: An earlier version gave an incorrect attribution for Nicole Zolzers quotes
phone

WhatsApp scammers pretending to be distressed children to con parents out of money have now started using text messages, a consumer group has warned.

The so-called "Hi mum, hi dad" scams, which first arose on the encrypted messaging app have now spread to other channels, according to consumer group Which?.

As part of the scam, criminals usually pose as a family member messaging with an excuse about why they are contacting their loved ones from a different phone number.

Fraudsters then provide a bogus reason as to why they cannot speak on the phone before requesting money.

The contrivance has caused devastating impact with scammers "preying on loved ones", according to Lisa Webb, Which?'s law expert.

Scammers will use any hook they can to try to steal money and personal information from victims, she said.

We first heard reports of this scam in 2021 and it has now moved from WhatsApp to other channels, such as text messages.

It comes as Action Fraud data revealed around 1,200 British people have been conned out of more than 1.5 million thanks to the scam. Hundreds of thousands of pounds were stolen in the first three months of 2023 alone.

Number of victims likely 'significantly greater'

Figures seen by The Telegraph show 1,317,882 was stolen from 1,112 individuals related to "Hi mum" scams, and a further 208,409 was stolen from 160 people, related to "Hi dad" scams over the same period.

However, the real number is likely to be significantly greater because many frauds go unreported, according to BBC Money Box reporter Dan Whitworth.

One mother, Jan, lost close to 3,000 to a criminal gang posing as her son in a desperate situation, she told Money Box.

I was so gutted and so upset that someone could do this to me, because I saved so hard and tried so hard to save money and watch my pennies, Jan said. I felt so gutted that someone could do this to me.

Pauline Smith, head of Action Fraud, said: "If youre contacted out of the blue from a number you dont recognise but the person is claiming to be someone you know and are requesting financial assistance  stop and think as it could protect you and your money.

These messages may appear genuine but your money could end up in the pockets of a criminal, so its okay to reject, refuse or ignore any requests. Only criminals will try to rush or panic you. Try and reach out to the person directly by another form of communication to confirm that their request for help is genuine as it could be a scam.
Paris Hilton has a lifetime of memories to make with her new baby, Phoenix, and in a recent conversation with her husband, she shared what she's most excited for.

"I can't wait for all the holidays," she said on the April 20 episode of her podcast, featuring Carter Reum.

"I can't wait to be the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus," she continued.

Reum agreed and weighed in on other baby milestones he's looking forward to.

"I'm so excited, too, (for) Phoenix's first word and I'm so excited for him to start smiling," he said.

"He does smile to me," Hilton softly corrected.

"Well, that's awkward, because he's only smiled at me twice," her husband replied. "But the two times he did it, he just kind of looked up at me and smiled. It melted my heart."

Phoenix was born in January. The couple welcomed their son with the help of a surrogate and with some advice from Hilton's childhood friend Kim Kardashian.

Paris Hilton and Carter Reum (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)

The couple's extended family has welcomed several new additions, including Phoenix, Hilton said in the episode. She noted how excited she is to have "the next generation of cousins growing up together.

"They're going to have a cool cousin friend group," Reum said.

"Yeah, they're all born within a couple months (of) each other," she said, as Reum added, "It's going to be awesome."

The couple also discussed who Phoenix looks like.

"I think he looks like me," Hilton said.

"Yeah, thank God, right?" Reum joked. "I'm hoping he looks like you. He shares both of our brains, he's tall like dada, funny like dada and can dance like mama. What do you think about that combo?"

"That's hot," she replied.

Hilton also noted that shes already feeling like a mama bear.

Im just so in love with him, she said. I just look in his eyes, so innocent, and I just want to protect him from everything.

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Speaking of eyes, Reum noted that Phoenix has his mom's.

"I saw his eyes the other day and having looked in your eyes so many times, I kind of got chills because I was like, 'Those are Paris' eyes.'"

"Yeah, his baby photos look exactly like mine," she agreed.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com
This article was originally published in Missouri Independent.

Early on in his administrative career, longtime Missouri educator Chris Belcher had what he called the worst experience of his life.

The kid screamed, and I felt awful, he said.

He didnt want to do it, but he had to.

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It was the 1980s, and Belcher was told to paddle a student who was enrolled in the school districts special education program. The administrator who typically oversaw discipline for that particular student was out that day, leaving Belcher to handle the punishment.

As upsetting as the situation was to both the student and Belcher, it also reaffirmed his strong belief in cognitive and nonpunitive strategies.

Related: The Education Community Braced for Guidance on Student Discipline. It Never Came

School corporal punishment, which gained traction in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, is a physical disciplinary method to correct student misbehavior. In most instances where the practice is used, students are paddled by a district superintendent or school principal.

Missouris Cassville R-IV School District made headlines last August when it chose to reinstate its corporal punishment policy. That move  which ignited a national conversation on swattings place in schools  came shortly after a state law regarding student discipline took effect. The statute, RSMo 160.261, required districts to get written parent permission to administer swats before doing so. Districts that implement corporal punishment are expected to send out permission forms at the start of the school year.

Amid the media frenzy surrounding Cassvilles decision came public debate on the practice. Although some argue corporal punishment traumatizes students and damages childhood development, others call the tactic time-tested and effective. Apparently caught in the middle are districts with policies that allow corporal punishment but instead opt for conversation-based strategies.

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So at a time when alternative behavior management practices have become mainstream, why do some Missouri districts hold on to corporal punishment?

Carla London, chief equity officer of Columbia Public Schools, identified a core reason:

People go to  good or bad  they go back to what they know, what was used on them.

Columbia Public Schools does not use corporal punishment, but London has about 30 years of experience in monitoring childhood development. She spent most of her career in education but also worked at Texas Child Protective Services and was a medical social worker at Childrens Medical Center Dallas. She has a background in psychology.

Building strong character

Although the U.S. Supreme Court solidified the constitutionality of the practice in 1977, use of corporal punishment has waned in recent decades. Today, Missouri is one of 19 remaining states that legally allow it.

At least 123 Missouri school districts used language  found in their 2022 or 2023 district policies or 2022-23 school year handbooks  that authorized corporal punishment, according to a Missourian investigation on the status of almost every public school district in the state. Several districts werent identified for the following reasons: They lacked detailed information on district policies, their policies werent updated, or they posted conflicting information on their websites.

Pamela Halstead, administrator of Callao C-8 School District in north-central Missouri, said corporal punishment is a last resort in her district. She said the last time she swatted a student was about 10 years ago, and she did it at a parents request.

Related: Kids Keep Getting Hit at School, Even Where Corporal Punishment is Banned

I know were probably one of a few districts that do keep corporal punishment on there, she said in February. We keep that as an option. Is it going to be the first option? No, not even the second.

Although it has been years since Halstead used corporal punishment, she said the districts school board continues to uphold longstanding policy that favors the practice. The only time corporal punishment is really discussed in the district, Halstead said, is when the board has to review its policies.

It has always been voted to keep corporal punishment in, she said.

The districts policies often reflect the values of the board, Halstead said. Callaos present board has strong feelings about discipline and follows the mindset that building strong character outweighs academics.

Part of building strong character is discipline, Halstead said.

The difference between discipline and abuse stems from the mindset of the person administering corporal punishment, Halstead said.

If you discipline with a clear mind and conversation along with it, and youre not angry, and in your heart feel that theres merit to this corporal punishment, then it can be effective, she said.

In Advance R-IV School District in southeast Missouri, the idea of being swatted is a stronger deterrent against misbehavior than the actual swatting, Superintendent Shannon Garner said in an August interview.

Just the thought of it, especially in the elementary-level schools, he said.

Corporal punishment has been allowed in the district for as long as Garner can remember. Building principals are the only people authorized to administer swats in the district.

Garner said that even before legislation required parental permission, the district always checked in with parents before administering swats. At the beginning of this school year, permission slips were sent home with each child in a stack of usual back-to-school paper work. The slip asked parents whether they consented to their child being swatted.

We contact all parents regarding all discipline before any discipline is performed, he said. Then, it becomes a conversation between the parent and the building-level principal.

Developmental impacts

Corporal punishment puts students at risk of demonstrating negative externalizing and internalizing behaviors and decreased academic performance, according to a 2022 study from the University of Amsterdams Research Institute of Child Development and Education.

Externalizing behavior can include bullying, verbal and physical aggression and general rule-breaking. Internalizing behavior is when a person directs a set of negative behaviors toward themselves. Internalizing presents itself in a few ways, such as mental and social withdrawal, anxiety and depression.

Belcher, who was a Columbia Public Schools superintendent and today works as an assistant teaching professor in the MU College of Education and Human Development, said the more problematic a students behavior is, the less corporal punishment would help shape positive behavior. He said he hasnt seen research that proves corporal punishment is better than cognitive intervention.

Being swatted at school not only embarrasses a student, but it also alters their perception of whether that environment is safe, Belcher said. This also applies to students who dont receive swats but are in an environment where theyre administered.

It might change your behavior, but it might change your entire viewpoint of adults, and schools, and safe and caring environments, he said.

Belcher added theres a difference between swats dealt by a caregiver and swats from a school administrator. The former is personal; the latter is institutional.

That is a completely different psychological event for that student, he said.

Similarly, London said that a mother spanking a child is different than a schoolteacher or principal. She added this is detrimental to relationship-building, something that is foundational in keeping students on track.

I do think it would potentially damage that relationship forever, London said.

Relationship building, alternative strategies

In northwest Missouris King City School District, Superintendent Danny Johnson sees no need to hit his students.

Im not of the mindset that theres never time for a child to be spanked, but Im not going to do it here at school, Johnson said.

Although the district has corporal punishment listed as an option in its 2022-23 handbook, its discipline policy states that the method is strictly prohibited. Instead, Johnson and district faculty push for conversation-based resolutions.

On a Thursday in early March, a preschool student refused to file into the school building at the start of the day. It was clear to Ryan Anderson, principal of King Citys elementary school, that the student was just having a tough morning.

Rather than moving into disciplinary action, Anderson let the student sleep off the bad mood in his office.

Hell sleep for another 30-40 minutes, well give him breakfast, and then hell go start his day, Johnson said while Anderson was with the student. Hes not disrupting his peers, hes not disrupting his teacher. So, those kids are learning, hes getting what he needs, and then once hes rested a bit better, well get him on his way and get his day started.

With a population of roughly 800, King City is relatively small. The entire district is housed in one school building, and high school graduating classes typically consist of about 25 students.

Johnson said the closeness of the community helps build relationships with students and their families. Staying in touch with parents when their children are doing well in school makes difficult phone calls home a bit more manageable.

Relationship-building is also essential among students, Johnson said. On Fridays, high school students walk down to the elementary wing of the building to teach younger students various character-building and healthy communication strategies that had been taught to them. This is the first year of that program.

Well tweak it and make some adjustments for year two, but that has been a pretty successful avenue for building relationships with the kids, Johnson said.

For one King City teacher, physical discipline has a completely different meaning. Anita Gilbert said she doesnt need to discipline her students often, but when she does, shell either talk to them or have them do exercises, like burpees.

And backward bear crawls, piped up one student in her physical science class.

Nichole Staley, when asked what she does when her students are acting up, turned the question to her sophomore math class.

She makes us clean! called out a handful of students. Staley explained that misbehaving students sweep the classroom and hallways and clean the rooms whiteboards, desks and tables. She has a corner with brooms and cleaning supplies at the ready.

London said Columbia Public Schools strives to teach students strategies to healthily navigate conflict, compromise and self efficacy. The district this school year kicked off its five-year behavior education plan, spearheaded by London. The plan aims to maintain consistency in the behavior management methods districtwide, as well as level the playing field for students of color, who London said are disproportionately disciplined.

A multigenerational cycle

Thats how I was raised.

Its a chief argument among supporters of corporal punishment. Often, people who were swatted as children believe that it taught them to respect their elders and that passing the paddle on to the next generation will do the same.

These people on school boards who support corporal punishment probably had some strong discipline corporal punishment as a child, Halstead said. And they grew up to be these well-rounded people who could hold a position on the school board, and they dont see what the big deal is.

Halstead was raised in a home that used corporal punishment, and she said it taught her to respect her parents. She spanked her children when they were young.

Belcher said the need to continue the cycle stems from public schools being reflective of community values.

Thats what they grew up with, thats what they did in the home, Belcher said, adding that this concept isnt exclusive to rural districts.

London said the cycle stems from two factors: not being equipped with different resolutions and a need to regain control.

She said corporal punishment comes from people not having alternatives to deal with their children at home when all they know is physical discipline. She tries to give parents different behavior management tools besides what they already know.

And, London said, people who grew up in abusive environments sometimes use physical discipline on their own children as a means to regain control over what happened to them.

I think its a mindset, I think its a trauma, and we go back to what we know.

Brooke Muckerman, Megan Sundberg and Caroline McCone contributed to the reporting of this story.

This story originally appeared in the Columbia Missourian. It can be republished in print or online.

Missouri Independent is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Missouri Independent maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jason Hancock for questions: info@missouriindependent.com. Follow Missouri Independent on Facebook and Twitter.
Welcome to This Week in Outer Space, where youll find a roundup of the best space coverage from Yahoo News and our partners from the past week or so. Last week, we sat down with Space Foundation CEO Tom Zelibor to discuss why the U.S. should take space a bit more seriously. This week, weve got all the stories you may have missed while watching SpaceXs Starship have a very expensive oopsie after liftoff: the first hybrid solar eclipse of the decade, the Pentagon talking UFOs to Congress, and the space industry coming together to talk shop. But first, a word on that rapid unscheduled disassembly.

Starship test flight follows long tradition of SpaceX explosions

The biggest news in outer space this week was the launch and subsequent explosion of SpaceXs Starship Rocket. After a delay on Monday, the crew at Starbase in Boca Chica Beach, Texas, got the green light for ignition on Thursday morning. And for the first couple of minutes, things were going great. The booster rockets did their job and got Starship off the launch platform and soaring into the sky. Then things started going wrong, as Starship went into a flip maneuver to separate from its boosters.

According to the mission plan, the booster rockets should have separated, and then the Starships internal engines was supposed to kick in and take it on a journey around the planet. Instead, the boosters stayed attached, and the whole thing just kept flopping around until undergoing a rapid unscheduled disassembly  which is a nice way of saying it exploded.

Not exactly the result Musk and Co. would have hoped for but, to be fair, just getting the thing off the ground is a huge achievement. Fortunately, no one was hurt, although a minivan parked beneath the explosion wasnt so lucky.

The Pentagon says it hasnt found aliens  but it does have a plan, just in case

On Wednesday, the Senate Armed Services Committee met with the guy in charge of keeping track of UFOs for the Pentagon. Sean Kirkpatrick, head of the Department of Defenses All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (ARRO), testified that, yes, there have indeed been numerous documented instances of unidentified aerial phenomena. At least so far, though, theres no evidence that any of the encounters Kirkpatricks team has studied are in any way related to visitors from another planet.

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In our research, ARRO has found no credible evidence thus far of extraterrestrial activity, off-world technology or objects that defy the known laws of physics, said Kirkpatrick. However, there is a plan in place if alien activity is ever discovered.

Kirkpatrick testified, In the event sufficient scientific data were ever obtained that a UAP encountered can only be explained by extraterrestrial origin, we are committed to working with our interagency partners at NASA to appropriately inform the U.S. government's leadership of its findings.

Now, does that mean the general public would find out? Your guess is as good as ours.

Reminder: Dont look directly into the sun

A man uses protective glasses to watch a hybrid solar eclipse in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Thursday that also crossed over East Timor and remote parts of Australia. (Tatan Syuflana/AP)

This week also saw the first hybrid solar eclipse in nearly 10 years appear over the South Pacific. For a brief few moments, the moon passed directly in front of the sun, casting shadows over Indonesia, East Timor and Western Australia, before transitioning into a partial eclipse, with the suns rays peeking out from behind. While the ideal viewing spot for the eclipse was in the middle of the ocean, thousands of lucky folks equipped with special protective viewing devices were able to catch a glimpse of it. The next hybrid eclipse wont happen until 2031, but if you happen to find yourself in a place where you can see it, dont look directly at it.

The space industrys most social time of the year

Finally, the Space Foundation held its annual Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo., this week. During the four-day conference, an estimated 13,000 attendees and more than 200 exhibitors gathered to talk about the most pressing issues in the global space ecosystem. Between talks about things like the future of space warfare and networking mixers for young, up-and-coming space ingenues, the Space Foundation honored the best and brightest of the space world. The honors included a lifetime achievement award for Dan Goldin, the longest service NASA administrator, the Space Exploration award presented to the team behind the James Webb telescope, the Space Achievement award won by NASAs DART Program and a public outreach award for the U.S. Postal Service.

Unfortunately, theres no award for best mostly-weekly space news roundup. If there were, Im sure itd be an honor to be nominated.

Bonus round! Even more space news from our partners

A supermassive black hole, originally imaged in 2019, is seen on the left; a new image generated by the PRIMO algorithm using the same data set is seen on the right. (Medeiros et al. 2023/Handout via Reuters)

Remember that grainy photo of a black hole from 2019? It just got a major glow-up, thanks to AI, and Business Insiders Aaron McDade has the full story.

What goes up must come down. Gizmodos Passant Rabie has the tale of a defunct NASA satellite that ended its retirement by disintegrating over Earth.

Space.coms Tereza Pultarova has the details and photos of Airbuss concept for a swanky new space station with artificial gravity. Our science fiction dreams of washing our hair in space without it being a huge hassle are now one step closer to reality.

Last but not least: Fox Weather offers an inside look at the launch of NASAs very own giant balloon from New Zealand. The stigma surrounding giant balloons floating around the globe must have worn off.

(Cover illustration: Yahoo News Visuals/Photo: Getty Images)
Roman Starovoit, Governor of Russia's Kursk Oblast, has claimed that attacks have been allegedly carried out "by Ukraine" on several villages, which have been cut off from the power grid as a result.

Source: Starovoit on Telegram

Quote: "The Ukrainian Armed Forces hit the Rylsk district [of Belgorod Oblast] on the morning [of 22 April].

Over 20 strikes have been recorded from the Ukrainian side. The settlements had no casualties or destruction, but the power supply networks have been damaged.

Residents of the villages of Obesta, Lokot and Novoivanovka remain cut off from the power grid."

Details: Starovoit said that crews are not restoring the grid yet because it is still "unsafe".

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22)  The late former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario suffered a "massive heart attack" during a flight to San Francisco, his family confirmed Saturday as they released more details on his passing.

Del Rosario was en route to the US with his wife and son-in-law on Tuesday when he "breathed his last," his family said in a statement.

"It was determined that the causes of death were cardiac insufficiency, congestive heart failure, and cardiomyopathy. He had suffered a massive heart attack. He died in the arms of his wife," the family revealed. "While there were valiant attempts to resuscitate him by two doctors who were passengers on the same flight, these efforts were to no avail."

The DFA earlier this week confirmed the death of Del Rosario, who served as top diplomat when Manila took Beijing to court over its claims in the West Philippine Sea.

RELATED: True patriot, champion of PH sovereignty: Govt officials, envoys pay tribute to ex-DFA chief Del Rosario

His remains were brought home earlier in the day.

The wake will be open to the public on Sunday and Monday at the Chapels of the Santuario de San Antonio in Makati, according to his kin.

"We ask the Filipino people to pray for the peaceful repose of his soul and for consolation in our time of grief. We are grateful for the outpouring of support for the family," they said.
The Philippines' top diplomat has expressed his concern to Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang over escalating tensions in waters around Taiwan, Manila said on Saturday.

Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo met Qin as the two countries seek to deepen economic ties while also managing their dispute in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement after the talks.

"Secretary Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines' adherence to the One China Policy, while at the same time expressing concern over the escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait," the DFA said.

China claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control one day, by force if necessary.

Qin described China and the Philippines as "close neighbours across the sea".

"Amid the fluid and turbulent regional situation, a healthy and stable China-Philippines relationship is not only meeting the aspirations of our two peoples, but also in line with the common aspirations of regional countries," Qin said during the talks.

He told a forum in Shanghai on Friday that recent rhetoric accusing China of disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait could have dangerous consequences.

"Such claims go against basic common sense on international relations and historical justice," he said.

"The logic is absurd and the consequences dangerous."

China staged military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan this month that simulated targeted strikes and a blockade of the island.

This was in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China and the Philippines are locked in a bitter maritime dispute in the strategic South China Sea.

President Ferdinand Marcos, after meeting Qin on Saturday, sought to downplay the tensions.

"Some of the pronouncements that have been made recently by our two countries and many other countries might be misinterpreted," Marcos said in a statement.

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The Philippine leader described the meeting as "very useful" and "very productive".

"As to the conflicts, we agreed to establish more lines of communication," he added.

Manalo, the Philippine foreign minister, said differences in the South China Sea "are not the sum total" of relations between the two nations, which have agreed to manage disagreements through dialogue and cooperation.

Beijing claims almost the entire waterway and has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that ruled its claims have no legal basis.

Other regional issues were also on the agenda of Saturday's talks, the DFA said.

mff/axn
Grace Kelly always dreamed of flying before she died aged four from a rare kidney tumour. (SWNS)

A photo of a four-year-old girl who dreamed of flying has been found behind an aeroplane mirror - eight years after her death.

Grace Kelly died in November 2014 after battling a rare kidney tumour.

Six weeks after her death, her heartbroken grandparents booked a flight on Monarch Airlines. They took on board a picture they had taken of Grace sitting in a plane on a funfair ride and slid the photo behind a bathroom mirror of the plane.

They wrote on the back of the photo: "Our little angel had always wanted to fly - so she flies with Monarch - hidden away for as long as possible.

"Happy travels darling Grace, you made our life just perfect for all too short a time."

The photograph lay undiscovered for more than eight years before it was found during a routine check by Frontier Airlines, who took over Monarch following its collapse in 2017.

Airline mechanics Cullen Johns and Shaun Brown in Tampa Bay, Florida, found the picture while they worked on the Frontier Airbus A320 on 20 February this year.

Grace Kelly pictured with mother Jen. (SWNS)

Read more from Yahoo News UK:

5-year-old with broken leg called drama queen after screaming and saying 'I heard it crack'

Norfolk cafe removes golliwog display after police declare it a 'hate incident'

Company fined 80k for putting workers at risk of radiation poisoning

The maintenance workers used Facebook to contact Graces mother, Dr Jen Kelly, from Crowle, Worcestershire, to tell them about their discovery.

They also told her that the picture would stay in the plane as a tribute to her daughter.

Dr Kelly, who founded The Grace Kelly Childhood Cancer Trust in her daughters memory, said: I am so proud of Grace and all that she has managed to achieve.

I always knew that Grace would move mountains.

"This is not the way anyone would have chosen, but now Grace is not only moving mountains but soaring above them too.

She never had the chance to fly in a plane, so to know she is flying around high in the clouds is truly special.

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"We are so thankful to Frontier Airlines for keeping Grace on board and we are truly grateful they tracked us down to let us know.

It feels so special to know that Graces photo has been flying for so many years and continues to do so.

Frontier Airlines say Grace's picture will remain inside Aircraft N228FR, which is identified by a picture of Orville the red cardinal bird painted on the tail of the aircraft.
Gaining a deeper understanding of our shared history can allow for healing. Terry Vine/The Image Bank via Getty Images

Quraysh Ali Lansana is the director of the Center for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation at Oklahoma State University in Tulsa, part of a nationwide, community-based initiative to plan for and bring about transformational and sustainable change, and to address the historic and contemporary effects of racism. He is also an author of 22 books in poetry, nonfiction, childrens literature and literary anthologies. Below are highlights from an interview with The Conversation. Answers have been edited for brevity and clarity.

Why does your research matter? And why do you study it?

Quraysh Ali Lansana: I am a historian and a political junkie. I think that my love for history and connecting - I call it the tenuous tether of yesterday and today  actually was born in my small town, Enid, Oklahoma. I grew up in a lower-working-class Black, very deeply segregated town where I did not learn much in K-12 education about Black history.

My love of history began there in Enid with a growing understanding of what I didnt know, what I didnt learn, what I was not introduced to. Those questions led me into journalism.

How did you get to where you are today?

Quraysh Ali Lansana: I attended the University of Oklahoma and studied print and broadcast journalism and started writing poetry as a sophomore. I could scream on a piece of paper as opposed to screaming at a human being.

But I always had a love for poetry, and then I worked professionally in broadcast journalism in Oklahoma City for a year. And then I moved to Chicago in 1989 to get to a literary town, and also to move to a city where I saw folks who look like me engaged in every aspect of civic and cultural and political life, which is something thats fairly rare in Oklahoma.

Whats the one thing you want people to take away from your research?

Quraysh Ali Lansana: I want folks to learn from the past so the future can be different, the future can be better. A section of a poem that I wrote a couple of years ago reads,

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Fear = ignorance. Ignorance = lack of knowledge. Lack of knowledge = lack of respect. Lack of respect = hate.

And I think that frame in this poem really sums up what my work is about, right? Its rooted in Black history, African American history and culture and politics. But it also is informed by the fact that we dont live in a monolith, and Black culture and Black community are not monolithic either. Even my graduate and undergraduate creative writing course are rooted in BIPOC literature and sensibilities. Langston Hughes wrote, If youre going to write, its important to have something to say.

What is something that people might be surprised by in the research you do?

Quraysh Ali Lansana: In my work, I learned from Amiri Baraka and Mari Evans to speak truth to power.

Some folks might be surprised that the work I do is primarily rooted in sharing knowledge of Black history and culture for Black folks. But it is not just for Black folks. It is for everyone. And I think that there are folks who  might think or who may harbor an idea that my work is an assault or attack or affront on dominant culture. And its some of those things, and none of those things.

Because its really about how we as BIPOC folks define ourselves, how we understand the history that our elders and our ancestors endured to get us to this point. And then also seeing where we are now and how we can help young people. We want the future be much more welcoming and nurturing and positive for our young people.

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This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. The Conversation is trustworthy news from experts. Try our free newsletters.

It was written by: Quraysh Ali Lansana, Oklahoma State University.

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Quraysh Ali Lansana does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
A man was arrested Friday in Tampa, Florida, on allegations of kidnapping and sexually assaulting a DoorDash driver who was attempting to make a delivery earlier this week, authorities said.

Joseph Killins, 38, has been charged with armed kidnapping, robbery with a firearm, armed sexual battery and aggravated battery with a weapon, Tampa police said in a news release Saturday.

The attack took place around 11 p.m. on Tuesday at a Residence Inn hotel, where the female victim, who is in her early 20s, had exited her car to make a delivery, police said.

The suspect allegedly approached her with a gun, forced her back into her car and told her, at gunpoint, to drive to Belara Lakes Apartments, where he sexually assaulted her, police reported.

At the time of the kidnapping and assault, the victim had her AirPods in and was on a call with her girlfriend, who realized what was happening, police said. The family of the victim called police and then tracked her to her location using her phone.

When the family arrived at the apartment complex, they rescued the victim from her car, police said, but the suspect opened fire on them in the process. A family member of the victim's girlfriend, a woman in her 20s, sustained a gunshot wound, police reported.

The suspect then fled the scene.

Both victims were taken to a hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries, police said.

Police have also released information about an additional robbery Killins is being charged with that took place on Wednesday, the morning after the attack on the DoorDash driver, also at the Belara Lakes complex. In that incident, a woman in her 40s was punched and her backpack was stolen.

Detectives working both cases eventually tracked Killins to the Tampa Inn, where he was arrested Friday night.

"This criminal is now off the streets thanks to the tireless efforts of every Tampa Police Department employee and the assistance provided by members of our community," said Interim Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw in a statement. "My thoughts remain with the victims. I hope this arrest brings them a sense of comfort knowing that he will now face justice for the crimes he chose to commit."

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Alisa Mathewson on facing her ex in court: "I'm not afraid of him anymore"

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says judicial system overhaul is an "internal matter"

Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas says Ralph Yarl shooting stems from "culture of fear and paranoia"
A New Hampshire man is facing charges after allegedly fleeing from a traffic stop and crashing into a Townsend home Saturday morning.

Police say they attempted to pull over Dennis Legere, 46, of Mason, New Hampshire for speeding just before 5 a.m. at the Lunenberg town line. Legere allegedly sped away. Officers briefly chased the 2021 Buick Encore but eased off due to safety reasons.

A short time later, police were notified that a similar car to Legeres had crashed into a home on Elm Street. Responding officers arrived to find an injured Legere and transported the New Hampshire man to the Nashoba Valley Medical Center. Lemere was released and arrested by police after being treated.

None of the residents of the Elm Street home sustained injuries but the home was damaged. A building inspector will evaluate the house to determine if it will need to be torn down.

As of 4:00 p.m., the car had pulled out of the side of the house and a large blue tarp was placed over the gaping hole.

Legere was driving under the influence of alcohol and is wanted by the Leominster Police Department on unrelated charges, according to Townsend police.

The New Hampshire man was booked on charges of speeding, failure to stop for police, operating under the influence of liquor (second offense), unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operating to endanger and marked lanes violation. Lemere will be transferred to the custody of Leominster police and had bail set at $5,000.

Legere will be arraigned in Ayer District Court in Townsend at a later date.

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The search for 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez resumed Saturday morning in two large areas of Everman after searches were paused last weekend.

About 50 people from the Everman Police Department and Texas Search and Rescue (TEXSAR) gathered outside of the Everman Civic Center and began searching multiple sites at around 9 a.m. Saturday. The searches continued through Saturday evening without finding any apparent evidence that would lead to the location of the boys remains. Additional searches were not planned on Sunday.

Local police and Texas Search and Rescue crews begin the search for Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez at the Everman Civic Center on Saturday, April 22, 2023. After his mother fled the country in March, police revealed Noel had not been seen since November 2022. The boy is presumed to be dead.

Noel was first reported missing in March, when Texas Child Protective Services received an anonymous tip that the boy hadnt been seen since November. An Amber Alert was issued March 25.

Authorities transitioned the search to a death investigation April 6, saying evidence indicates the boy is likely dead.

Police obtained warrants to charge Noels mother and stepfather with endangering and abandoning a child, and authorities said they are trying to extradite the couple from India, where they fled with six other children days before the Amber Alert was issued.

Warrants for Noels mother and stepfather have been turned over to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to police.

There has been no update regarding the mothers and stepfathers location or whereabouts after fleeing the country, police said, but they believe additional charges would help in extraditing Noels parents back to the United States.

We obviously think theres something nefarious that occurred here, said Everman Police Chief Craig W. Spencer. So it would likely lead to some sort of criminal charge. What that criminal charge exactly is yet, we wont know until we build that evidence.

Police and TEXSAR volunteers began searching the southern area first, Spencer said on Saturday morning. Once that search area is complete, then we will move to the northern search area.

The Everman Police Department and TEXSAR volunteers resumed the search for 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez Alvarez Saturday, April 22, 2023, in two large areas located off of Shelby Road and Forest Hill Drive in Everman.

The first search site is located off the 3700 block of Shelby Road. The second search site is located off of Forest Hill Drive, just over a mile north of Shelby Road.

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Some of the areas that were searching are pretty heavily wooded and align with the creek bed, so it just depends on how long it takes to really work through that, said Spencer. Were not going to miss anything, so theyre going to take their time in doing those searches. It could take all day. We could go into the evening. It just depends on how they progress.

Law enforcement vehicles block the entrance to a grid search conducted by local police and Texas Search and Rescue on Saturday, April 22, 2023, in Everman, Texas. After his mother fled the country in March, police revealed Noel had not been seen since November 2022.

The areas that police and TEXSAR are searching are based on analyzed data, Spencer said.

We dont want to do any just widespread random searches because when we do that, typically, the searchers get worn out. We tend to miss things. We cant afford to miss anything on this case with such a lack of physical evidence already existing in this case, said Spencer. We just cant afford to miss anything.

Both of the larger search sites equal about 215 acres in total, according to police.

There are additional small search areas that are being handled by very small teams of investigators, said Spencer. We are not disclosing those locations at this time.

Members from the Everman Police Department and Texas Search and Rescue resumed the search for 6-year-old Noel Rodriguez-Alvarez along the 3700 block of Shelby Road in Everman on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

Investigators are utilizing drones and human remains detection K-9 unit dogs. Searchers also have boats available if they need to enter a body of water nearby.

Lots of prayers today, Spencer said at the civic center. Hopefully we come up with something.

After recently pausing the search for 6-year-old Noel, Everman investigators continued today while bringing in new volunteers and resources. The chief of police walked me through today's search and explained why he's hopeful. I'll have a full update tonight on @wfaa at 10. pic.twitter.com/pOzD76Jjrj  Jay Wallis (@WFAAJayWallis) April 23, 2023

Searches scheduled for last weekend were canceled so investigators could focus on data analysis, which police said has helped them determine purposeful areas to search.

Spencer said that investigators plan to hold their next press conference early next week unless there are major developments before then.

Im hopeful that today will lead to some sort of evidence at least, if nothing else. Then either way todays going to be a win for us because its going to show one or two things, said Spencer. Its either going to provide us evidence in the case or its going to show us where hes not, which will also still help us further this investigation.
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"Portugal will send five armoured rescue and medical vehicles to Ukraine  three M113s and two M577s," the message reads.

The 11th Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting was held at the Ramstein Air Base, Germany on April 21.

Read also: Portugal to send Ukraine three Leopard 2 tanks in March

Read also: Portugal announces further military aid to Ukraine

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Following a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, also known as the Ramstein group, Helena Carreiras, Portugal's Minister of National Defence, announced that her country would provide Ukraine with five armoured vehicles.

Source: Ministry of National Defence of Portugal on Twitter

Details: Portugal will send five armoured rescue and medical vehicles to Ukraine  three of the M113 type and two of the M577 type.

Portugal vai enviar para a Ucrania cinco viaturas blindadas de socorro e apoio medico  3 do tipo M113 e 2 do tipo M577  anunciou a ministra Helena Carreiras na reuniao do Grupo de Contacto para a Defesa da #Ucrania, em Ramstein, na Alemanha. pic.twitter.com/ARudgSAZN6  Defesa Nacional (@defesa_pt) April 21, 2023

Background:

On 21 April, the participants of the Ramstein-format meeting signed a protocol stating their intention to establish a maintenance and service centre in Poland for Leopard 2 main battle tanks previously supplied to Ukraine.

The Czech Republic expressed its readiness to modernise several dozen more T-72 tanks as part of a partnership project with the United States and the Netherlands to strengthen military support for Kyiv.

At the meeting of the Contact Group on the Defence of Ukraine on Friday, the Minister of Defence of Latvia, Inara Murniece, announced the decision to hand over all Latvian Stinger portable anti-aircraft missile systems to Kyiv.

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WASHINGTON  Two decades after Republicans stoked fears of gay marriage to drive conservative voters to the polls, another fight is brewing over LGBTQ rights as President Joe Biden gears up for what is expected to be a brutal reelection campaign.

But this time, things are different. While George W. Bush and other Republicans campaigned in 2004 against granting same-sex couples the right to marry, Biden, a Democrat, is siding with those who advocate expanding or protecting the rights of LGBTQ Americans.

For weeks, Biden has spoken out against a tsunami of anti-LGBTQ legislation flowing from GOP-led states.

"What's going on in Florida is, as my mother would say, 'close to sinful,'" Biden said during an appearance on Comedy Centrals The Daily Show last month.

He was referring to new state laws enacted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led legislature that ban the discussion of sexual orientation and gender identity in classrooms and other proposals under consideration to roll back the rights of LGBTQ Americans.

For Biden, the decision to condemn attacks against LGBTQ Americans isnt about politics but is instead a question of fairness and morality, White House aides insist. Biden has a long record of supporting gay rights  even if that meant disagreeing with President Barack Obama when he was vice president  and is regarded as the most LGBTQ-friendly president in history despite being a decades-long moderate.

Even so, Bidens public criticism of anti-LGBTQ state laws is a likely prelude to the 2024 elections, when Republicans are expected to use issues like gender-affirming health care for transgender youth, transgender access to public restrooms and participation in school sports, and state bans on drag shows in an attempt to drive voters to the polls.

By pushing the culture wars the way that they do, they almost always put the Democratic Party on the defensive, said Andrew Proctor, an expert on the politics of LGBTQ issues at the University of Chicago. And I think that this is playing out in a really similar fashion, where these bills are being introduced at the state level, and thats forcing the Democratic Party to take these issues on when perhaps they might not want to.

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Fears for the future: As 'Don't Say Gay' and similar bills take hold, LGBTQ youths feel they're 'getting crushed'

How Joe Biden became the most LGBTQ-friendly president in U.S. history

Gay rights as a political weapon

From Anita Bryants Save Our Children campaign in 1977 to Bushs reliance on same-sex marriage to fire up voters in 2004, weaponizing gay rights for political gain has been an effective strategy for Republicans in the past.

Even many Democrats were uncomfortable with the issue of same-sex marriage back in 2004.

John Kerry, the Democratic nominee for president at the time, took the same position as many others in his party  that marriage should be between a man and a woman but that states should be given the option of allowing civil unions, which provided some legal protections for same-sex couples but fell short of the full rights afforded to married heterosexuals.

Bush, who was running for a second term on a platform that emphasized national security, recognized the marriage issues potency as a political issue and sided with conservatives pushing for a constitutional amendment to declare marriage as a union between a man and woman.

Unlike DeSantis, who is expected to seek the GOP nomination for president and has made the culture wars the central issue of his soon-to-be-announced campaign, Bush allowed key operatives to push the marriage issue while he mostly emphasized what he called the war on terror. But he did weigh in occasionally on the same-sex marriage fight, even going as far as announcing support for a federal ban on gay marriage.

Bush defeated Kerry by just 2 percentage points, with some analysts crediting his narrow victory to the fight over marriage equality and others downplaying its significance in turning out conservative voters.

Best and worst states for LGBTQ Americans: Divide worsens after 'Don't Say Gay,' report says

President Joe Biden and members of his administration are pushing back against a tsunami of anti-LGBTQ laws flowing from Republican-led states.

Transgender rights are new wedge issue

With support for same-sex marriage now at an all-time high  71% of Americans in a Gallup Poll last summer favored gay nuptials  transgender rights have now become the wedge issue that conservative Republicans are pushing heading into next years elections.

Nearly 500 bills targeting LGBTQ Americans have been introduced in state legislatures this year, according to the Human Rights Campaign, the nations largest LGBTQ advocacy group. More than 200 specifically target the transgender community.

Twenty-seven bills already have been signed into law in West Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Utah, South Dakota, Indiana, Iowa, Arkansas, Idaho, Georgia and North Dakota. In Kentucky and Kansas, laws targeting transgender individuals were allowed to take effect after the legislature overrode gubernatorial vetoes.

Florida, in particular, has been at the forefront of the recent push to restrict rights of the LGBTQ community. DeSantis has used his opposition to transgender issues and other social issues to raise his profile as he prepares for his own bid for the GOP presidential nomination.

Many Americans dont know what it means to be transgender or are unfamiliar with the transgender community, and extremist politicians are using that to stoke fear and to score political points, said Ash Orr, spokesperson for the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Its important to have allies in the Biden administration to help counter that narrative, Orr said.

Biden, who supported same-sex marriage before many other Democrats were on board, has also been out front attacking those who attack transgender Americans. He and other members of his administration have publicly condemned new anti-LGBTQ laws as cruel, dangerous and even immoral.

Transgender people are some of the bravest Americans I know. But no person should have to be brave just to live in safety and dignity, Biden said in a statement posted on his official @POTUS Twitter account on March 31 to mark International Transgender Day of Visibility.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the first out gay woman to hold the post, has used the briefing room podium and her official Twitter account multiple times to condemn what she calls "shameful, hateful and dangerous attacks" by GOP lawmakers and others against LGTBQ people.

The administrations campaign to protect LGBTQ rights isnt limited to speaking out against the spate of new state laws. Biden has taken action on several fronts to shield the LGBTQ community.

In December, Biden signed legislation writing protections for same-sex marriage into federal law amid fears the Supreme Court might revisit its 2015 decision legalizing same-sex nuptials.

In his first week in office, Biden signed executive orders revoking a Trump-era ban on transgender individuals serving in the military and barring discrimination in the federal government on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. He also has appointed LGBTQ Americans in prominent positions throughout his administration.

'An out gay woman': Karine Jean-Pierre hopes to empower LGBTQ youth as White House press secretary

Youth activist Javier Gomez reacts after President Joe Biden handed him a pen he used to sign an executive order at an event to celebrate Pride Month in the East Room of the White House, Wednesday, June 15, 2022, in Washington.

Can Biden influence gay rights debate?

By choosing to speak out publicly, Biden has the ability to influence the debate on LGBTQ rights, said David Stacy, the Human Right's Campaign's government affairs director.

Obviously, theres limits to that because when the president speaks out, there are some that dont like what he says, Stacy said. But we think its helpful for the administration to be engaged in these fights. This is an all-hands-on-deck moment.

While the Biden administrations actions show that it cares about the LGBTQ community, I also think they recognize it as a political issue, said Annise Parker, former mayor of Houston and chief executive officer of the LGBTQ Victory Fund, which works to elect LGBTQ people to all levels of government.

The attacks on LGBTQ Americans have gotten to the point of political theater, Parker said, citing DeSantis recent push to revoke the liquor license of a Miami hotel that hosted a Christmas-themed drag show in the presence of children.

Of all of the myriad, really important issues going on in this country, and the Republicans want to ride that horse, she said. If I were Joe Biden, I would be talking about it as well.

Yet while public attitudes have shifted sharply in support of gay rights over the past decade, many Americans remain conflicted over issues involving gender identity and transgender rights.

Fifty-eight percent of adults polled last summer by the Pew Research Center favored proposals requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth. Among Republicans, support for such proposals was 85%.

Sixty percent of those polled said a persons gender is determined by their sex assigned at birth, a four-point increase in just one year.

Those numbers help explain why Republicans see potential political benefits from the flood of anti-LGBTQ legislation.

But is it a winning strategy?

Proctor, the LGBTQ expert at the University of Chicago, doesnt think so.

There are a lot of other issues right now facing the country that I think are probably much higher up on the minds of most Americans, he said.

Michael Collins covers the White House. Follow him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.

Making the case for LGBTQ individuals: US envoy advances LGBTQ rights in a world of 'mind-boggling' violence, discrimination

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Biden, White House condemn anti-LGBTQ laws in GOP-led states
Prince William - Millie Pilkington

A smiling Prince Louis has been photographed being pushed in a wheelbarrow by his mother ahead of his fifth birthday.

The photograph shows the young prince sitting on top of leaves as the Princess of Wales pushes him.

It is one of two pictures taken by the photographer Millie Pilkington earlier this month on the Windsor Estate. They have been released to mark Louis turning five on Sunday.

The other is a close-up of the beaming prince, showing how quickly Prince William and Kate's youngest child is growing up.

Prince Louis - Millie Pilkington

The family live in Adelaide Cottage in Windsor's Home Park and Louis attends the private Lambrook School near Ascot in Berkshire, alongside his brother and sister, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.

Louis is expected to accompany his siblings in the procession from Westminster Abbey which will follow the King's Coronation on May 6, according to newspaper reports.

He was not at the Queen's state funeral at the Abbey in September and is thought to have been considered too young to attend the service with his parents.

Louis is fourth in line to the throne and was born on St George's Day - April 23 - in 2018 in the private Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London, weighing 8lb 7oz.

He was christened Louis Arthur Charles at 11 weeks old, by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, at the Chapel Royal, St James's Palace, in front of friends and family.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22)  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. described as "useful" his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Saturday as it cleared up "misinterpretations" between the two nations.

"Some of the pronouncements that have been made recently by our two countries and many other countries might be misinterpreted," Marcos said in a statement after talks with Qin in Malacanang.

"So today it was really useful that we were able to speak with Minister Qin Gang, the Foreign Minister of China, so we can talk directly to one another and iron things out," he added.

The president did not clarify further what pronouncements were being misinterpreted.

But the meeting came after Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian made a controversial remark about the situation of overseas Filipino workers in Taiwan. He joined Qin at the Palace.

RELATED: Senator calls out Chinese envoy over 'disgraceful' remarks

Marcos said Qin's visit to the Philippines was "very useful and productive" as it allowed them to "make plans for the future" and continue to work on the ties between Manila and Beijing on economy, culture, and education, among other exchanges.

The president added that the meeting resulted in an agreement for more communication lines meant for immediate resolution of conflicts between the two nations in the contested West Philippine Sea.

RELATED: China 'gravely concerned, strongly disapproves' US-PH stance on South China Sea

"So we are currently working on that and are awaiting the Chinese response and we are confident that these issues would be worked out that would be mutually beneficial for both our nations," Marcos said.

Earlier the day, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo met with Qin on areas of cooperationwith both agreeing to resolve differences.

Manalo also reaffirmed Manila's adherence to the One China Policy amid brewing regional tensions.
A former royal butler who previously worked for King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla has revealed how to tell when the monarch is displeased.

Grant Harrold, who worked for the then-Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall from 2004 to 2011, said he never saw the royal get angry but has seen him when he was stressed.

He said that now, even after more than a decade since he last worked for the couple, he can tell when the King is unhappy by simply watching him on television.

There was a documentary I watched a couple of years ago and the interviewer kept asking the same question, Harrold recalled during an etiquette event this week. You would probably never notice, but I could tell that he had had enough.

Asked what the monarchs signs were, Harrold told The Independent: Its in his mannerisms. Hell just suddenly [look left and right], hell be fidgeting a little bit and kind of look all around, its quite interesting.

Harrold mimed shifting in his seat and continued: It looks like this, like hes just getting comfortable [in his chair], but actually hes not happy.

The former butler said that the most stressed he has ever seen the King was the period immediately after the death of his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II.

When the Queen died and we saw the pen incident, I really felt for him then, Harrold said, referring to a moment Charles appeared to get irritated and lose his temper due to a leaky pen.

There have been two incidents where His Majesty has appeared to get stressed over his pen. The first took place during his first Privy Council meeting to sign documents and saw Charles gesturing for an ornate pen holder to be taken away by an aide. Later, upon seeing the pen holder a second time, Charles pulled a face before it was removed again.

The second incident occurred at at the royal residence of Hillsborough Castle in Co Down in Northern Ireland. After the ink from his pen dripped, Charles told his aides: I cant bear this bloody thing... every stinking time.

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At the time, the new monarch was branded petulant by some critics for his attitude.

However, Harrold sympathised with the King and said: Losing both parents so quickly, and then having to carry on doing stuff in front of people  that was probably the most stressed Ive ever seen him.

Charles is preparing for his and Camillas coronation on Saturday 6 May, which will be attended by 2,000 guests, including other members of the royal family, politicians, foreign royals and dignitaries, and celebrities.

The UK will celebrate the historic occasion with a bank holiday weekend, as Monday 8 May has been appointed a bank holiday.
DES MOINES, Iowa  Democrats have watched in dismay as voters in rural and old industrial strongholds say they want more of what the Republican Party is offering, resisting the establishments approach to win them back and raising questions about their partys strategy.

One progressive  a suited-up, camera-ready U.S. congressman from California  is determined to try a different approach to pique their interest.

Seated in a dimly lit hotel conference room in Des Moines, far from his hub in Silicon Valley and work base in Washington, D.C., Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said he believes theres something Democrats get wrong about voters around here.

One of the things that is a stereotype in my view against rural Americans is this view somehow that they dont understand whats happening in the world, Khanna told The Hill. They get it. They understand whats changing the economy. They understand were in an economy where technology really matters.

There is a ton of demand for new kinds of jobs, and residents are dying to innovate. They want the education, training and skills that come from industries of the future, and they want to be compensated accordingly. They arent afraid of Big Tech. If Democrats can offer that, he believes voters will listen and the party will be rewarded at the ballot box.

In my district, when theres a town hall, 80 percent of hands go up saying theyre optimistic about America. Thats not the case in many other communities, Khanna said. You know what they resent? That their kids dont have the opportunity that the kids in my district do.

Khannas been on a mission beyond the Beltway to change that. Elected in the district where tech giants dominate, the liberal House member sees his position, both geographically and politically, as unique. Hes a progressive who likes to use that label. But unlike some of his contemporaries on the left, hes not crusading against the tech sector. He rather sees the industry as a key piece to restoring some of Americas most prized places to their original luster.

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If we bring economic opportunity, if we have a renewal of American production, if we make America a manufacturing superpower again, which we can with technology, he said, then we can start to bring this country together in ways that have fractured it.

Its an ambitious pitch. In places like Des Moines, politicians from both sides of the aisle fly in and out each presidential cycle, shaking hands and retailing with residents, but they dont stay long. Khanna wants to leave a different kind of imprint  one that requires a strong presence from his districts biggest strength.

Hes not running for president this cycle and is supporting President Bidens anticipated bid for re-election in 2024. Some locals wonder why a Democrat like him would even come here after the caucus is no longer expected to be the first voting state on the calendar.

Driving downtown, one Iowa resident remarked that he used to be a Democrat, but that the party left him, rather than the other way around. Democrats have struggled to pull those types of voters away from the GOP.

Its sad to me that weve let Donald Trump take the manufacturing message when we have the real substance, Khanna said.

Here and in places like Pennsylvania, where Khanna also recently visited as part of a multi-state tour, he hopes to connect with communities daring to ask for something they say the partys not delivering.

Its clear that a sizable group of people want something new. The state went for both Trump in 2020 and voted for Kim Reynolds, a Republican, for governor this November, cementing a trend that had been forming for years.

To some extent, Trump speaking about the loss of manufacturing jobs is what resonated in parts of the industrial midwest and the south, Khanna said. But what we need to say is: He had four years.

Democrats, for their part, have focused heavily on social and cultural issues. The results have been up and down. They lost seats in some traditionally blue places like New York during the midterms, but also made headway in battlegrounds like Wisconsin over the issue of abortion, which has galvanized their base.

Weve got to stop talking like technocrats, academics, social justice warriors or bland bureaucrats, said Anthony Flaccavento, a rural development expert and author of The Rural Progressive Platform.

Democrats need to start showing up much more than we have for the past few decades, Flaccavento said, who lives in an Appalachian area of Virginia.

That means year-round engagement, particularly doing helpful stuff in local rural communities, he said. Consistently showing up as good neighbors to solve local problems will help us rebuild trust, which is essential.

Some Democrats are urging members of their party to emphasize more tangible things like showing ways to create generational wealth and building a strong financial future. They believe that with an economic message like that, voters can be persuaded to think differently about the party in power.

Thats the hope for MD Isley, an educator who caucuses regularly for Democrats but sees holes in the partys approach. Last primary, he was inspired by Pete Buttigieg, the former South Bend mayor who now serves as Transportation secretary, as a possible new direction for Democrats, but admits to being freshly inspired by Khannas progressive ideas.

Its not just because hes here with us today, said Isley. Democrats should be paying direct attention to the work Congressman Khanna is doing.

Rural Iowa is unique and valuable and core to our history of the state and the midwest. Metro areas within Iowa are also key, very important economic drivers, he said.

Despite the obvious electoral ramifications, national Democrats are often puzzled by their partys inability to bring more voters from rural and former manufacturing towns over to their side. Some critique flaws within their platform, arguing they need to offer voters more social safety net programs, health care, affordable housing, education and the like.

Democrats do not understand rural areas and buy into the argument that rural is hopeless, a downward spiral of dysfunction fueled by bigotry, xenophobia and outmoded thinking. This characterization is false, and it has helped Dems feel justified in either ignoring or denigrating rural people and places, said Flaccavento.

Some of the most innovative new economic, civic, cultural and media strategies in the country are emerging in small towns and rural communities, but most Dems know nothing of it, he added.

Khannas alignment with the tech sector distinguishes him from progressives like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who has been critical of the industrys influence. While Khanna is clear-eyed about areas for improvement, such as privacy and data protection, he believes it offers the party opportunities as well.

A glimpse into that vision for Democrats was recently on display, when several dozen young people engaged in a discussion around a new tech development and career training program.

The initiative, dubbed the Techwise program in partnership with TalentSprint Inc., combines the hiring power of Google with students at Des Moines Area Community College and other community colleges in areas with less of a natural link to the tech world. Its intended to propel students into specific early tech careers like software engineering after just 18 months.

This is a big step for us, we can be the first ones in our family to do this, said Ryan, a 20-year-old student from Ankeny, one of many students participating across several schools nationally.

Ryan, like other students here, wants a sustainable path toward economic prosperity. A political independent, he said he looks for growth messages when vetting candidates. I want to feel secure in my future financially, he said, adding that he hopes to hear new ideas that would help me and hopefully my future family come up in the world, economically.

He wants Democrats to focus on more local communities. More people like me, he said.

Another student, 19-year-old Adam, a Republican, said he hopes the hiring discussion for jobs for the future goes beyond the bigger states like California and metropolitan centers.

Theres talent everywhere in the world, he said. You just have to go find it.

As the next presidential cycle ramps up and Democrats start fine-tuning their strategy, Republicans are eager to grab votes from the margins. They see messages around identity and culture wars as ways to attack the other side.

Khanna, along with other outspoken progressives in the House, also believes Democrats need to look beyond social issues.

While hes reluctant to pitch himself as the right messenger  or even the right person to give Biden a nudge on election strategy  others are increasingly looking to him.

Rep. Khanna, I hope, will highlight many of these innovative businesses and strategies, Flaccavento said.

At 46, Khannas a lot younger than members of his partys leadership. Biden is 80 and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), for whom Khanna served as a campaign co-chair in 2020, is 81. Hes also Indian American.

Like Sanders, hes not afraid to go where other Democrats have sometimes skipped over. Sanders won parts of the midwest against Hillary Clinton in 2016  including nearly beating her in the Iowa caucus and pulling off a meteoric win in Michigan  by outlining a populist economic agenda that was previously more muted within the party. Khanna, too, believes its not enough to reach just Democrats, but rather to expand to other electorates searching for new kinds of jobs and chances to be forward-looking about their work.

People say, how can you be a Bernie Sanders co-chair and go on Fox [News] and have people listen to you? he said. Its because I dont go on there and just hurl insults.

Where Sanders had economic populism and Trump had America First, Khanna has coined a new economic patriotism, a merging of the sort of upward mobility people strive for and the values that drive their lives at home.

And its not just the industrial midwest that many believe needs Democrats attention. Just hours after sitting down for a bowl of cajun gumbo at Bubba, a southern style restaurant downtown, Khanna and a close adviser were off to South Carolina, another hotspot for Democrats that is often lost to Republicans in general elections.

Khanna fundamentally believes he has the right prescription for the moment. Its not a midwestern thing or a southern thing, but rather a transferring of values that have somehow gotten lost in the mix.

The Democratic Party has to speak loudly, boldly, clearly about that, he said, listing off core values like making sure people have the right to vote and women have autonomy over their bodies and healthcare decisions, and that the judicial process is fair.

In addition to that, he stressed, we need to have a second sentence.

What are we going to do for folks to bring economic opportunity? What are we going to do to bring manufacturing back? What are we going to do to bring the technology and prosperity in my district to places that have been left behind? he pressed.

Next month, Khanna heads to New Hampshire, where top party officials know him as a regular.

Why I want President Biden to succeed is because that makes a progressive movement more possible, he said. And I do think that were going to see for the next 20 years, after Biden, progressive nominees of the party.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Voting stickers are made available to those who participated on Election Day in Pueblo on Nov. 8, 2022.

Three local metro districts found out about incorrect voter rolls sent by the office of Pueblo County Clerk Candace Rivera at the same time as the public, according to a joint statement released by those districts Friday.

The county clerks office sent updated voter rolls that do not include pre-registered minors to the affected metro districts the day after an initial news release about the matter was issued by the county clerk  but ballots have already been mailed.

The Pueblo West Metropolitan District, Colorado City Metropolitan District and Pueblo Rural Fire Protection District are holding mail elections on May 2.

Rivera has not responded to multiple requests for comment from the Chieftain this week seeking clarification about the error.

Prepare to vote: Meet the candidates running for the Pueblo West Metro District's Board of Directors

Candace Rivera, center, is sworn in as the new Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder during a ceremony on Jan. 10.

Rivera unseated longtime incumbent clerk Gilbert Bo Ortiz in the 2022 Democratic primary by a wide margin en route to beating Republican candidate Nathan Baxter with 52% of votes. Rivera previously declined to administer the election for the special districts because she had not yet obtained election certification.

A media representative with the county also did not respond to a detailed list of questions prior to the Chieftains Friday deadline.

Anthony Sandstrom, a spokesperson for the Pueblo West Metropolitan District, said the company that the metropolitan districts has hired to administer the election  and Colorado election law  have multiple safeguards in place to ensure that only eligible voters ballots are counted.

It is unclear if the metropolitan district was legally obligated to double-check the voter rolls the county clerk provided them before sending out ballots, Sandstrom said. But state law is clear that county clerks are required to provide a list of eligible voters for local government elections.

Election laws are complex and difficult to navigate at times. We are working with our legal team, the county is working with theirs, and as that process continues, it's in the best interest of the voters to work together on a common ground to make sure that the election integrity is protected, Sandstrom said.

Story continues

Is an election observer coming to Pueblo again? Not this time

Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold cannot dispatch an election observer to oversee the May 2 elections in Pueblo. Her office has no authority to get involved in local contests, according to department spokesperson Annie Orloff.

Griswold sent an election observer to Pueblo for the 2022 midterm and primary elections because of a series of errors, including incorrect ballots being sent to some voters under the leadership of the previous clerk.

Meanwhile, the clerks office is getting new digs

Pueblo County Commissioner Chair Garrison Ortiz declined to respond to specific questions about the clerks office, such as how the mistake was made and detected, but said commissioners are working alongside Rivera and her office to move into the Wells Fargo building on a tight timeline.

Ortiz told the Chieftain last month that the lease for the clerks election department, currently in an office building at 720 N. Main St., ends in June of this year.

City Clerk Marisa Stoller mentioned at a city council work session Monday that the county clerk needs to be situated in their new office by June 30 to comply with new statutory security requirements.

Anna Lynn Winfrey covers politics for the Pueblo Chieftain. She can be reached at awinfrey@gannett.com or on Twitter, @annalynnfrey.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: Pueblo ballot error: Districts learned of mistake when public did
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NEW YORK (AP)  Former President Donald Trump's behavior toward women, long a source of flashpoints in his political career, now faces a new level of scrutiny: a trial in a lawsuit accusing him of rape.

Jury selection is set to start Tuesday in the case filed by former advice columnist E. Jean Carroll, who says Trump raped her in a luxury New York department store dressing room in the 1990s.

Trump, who is unlikely to attend the trial, has called the accusations a complete con job. Carroll, who is seeking unspecified damages, casts the case as a #MeToo-inspired quest for accountability from the epitome of prominent men.

Im filing this lawsuit not just for myself but for every woman in America who has been grabbed, groped, harassed, sexually assaulted and has spoken up and still has been disgraced, shamed or fired, Carroll said early on.

The lawsuit is putting Trumps history with women under a microscope as he runs to return to the White House. But if a trial over a rape accusation would be a crisis for most candidates, with Trump, it remains to be seen.

To the extent that the chaos around Trump is his biggest challenge, this reinforces that narrative, said Alex Conant, a Republican strategist who worked on Marco Rubios 2016 presidential campaign. The No. 1 thing I hear in focus groups of Republican voters is that theyre tired of the constant drama that comes with Trump.

Trump's political rise was riddled with criticism of his attitudes and conduct toward women. There were his insulting remarks about onetime Republican rival Carly Fiorina's appearance, his misogynistic comments about former Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly, his double-down on denigrating a former Miss Universe whom he had pilloried about her weight and more  including, most notoriously, the crass Access Hollywood hot-mic recording that nearly derailed his 2016 campaign and elicited rare contrition for what he called "locker room banter.

Story continues

Then there were the dozen-plus women, including Carroll, who came forward during his campaign and presidency to accuse him of sexual assault and harassment. He denied all the claims. Other lawsuits over them were dropped or dismissed, but Carroll's has endured.

If Trump prevails in the case, he will likely tout it as another example of him beating what he sees as spurious claims about him, Conant said. If Trump loses, the impact could depend on the circumstances of the judgment. Carroll is seeking unspecified damages and a retraction of Trumps denials of her allegations.

Trump has aimed to use his other legal troubles  including a recent, unrelated indictment and ongoing investigations into other matters  to bolster his support among fellow Republicans, painting the various probes as a politically motivated witch hunt" and a broad attempt to interfere with the 2024 election. Its unclear whether the voters he seeks to reach will sympathize with his portrayal of Carrolls lawsuit as a pile-on, see it as a growing distraction or ignore it altogether.

His campaign saw a spike in donations after his indictment, which accuses him of fudging his companys records to try to conceal payments made to suppress stories about his alleged marital infidelity; he denies the charges and the sexual encounters.

His favorability ratings have held steady at 34% among U.S. adults overall and 68% among Republicans, according to a recent poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

Beyond its political ramifications, the trial marks a #MeToo milestone, even after closely watched civil and criminal cases against disgraced movie honcho Harvey Weinstein and other powerful men. The case also is drawing national attention to a New York law that allows for lawsuits over decades-old sex crime claims.

The time frame for pursuing criminal charges over the allegations, which Carroll never reported to police, has long since passed. If she prevails in the lawsuit, it could cost Trump money but not his freedom.

A former magazine journalist, talk show host and Saturday Night Live writer, Carroll was best known  at least until her lawsuit  for the eponymous advice column she wrote for Elle magazine from 1993 through 2019.

According to Carroll, she crossed paths with Trump at Bergdorf Goodman sometime in 1995 or 1996, when he was a real estate mogul and man about town. Recognizing her as that advice lady, he asked her to help him browse for a women's gift, bantered with Carroll about a bodysuit and steered her to a fitting room, she says. Then, in her telling, he suddenly forced himself on her while she tried to push him off.

That rape changed my life, which is shocking for me to now understand, she said in a deposition, a legal term for pretrial questioning under oath.

According to Carroll, she immediately lost interest in dating and desire, then lost her job after she told her story in a 2019 memoir and Trump responded that she was totally lying. Elle has said her contract wasn't renewed for unrelated reasons.

Trump says he never encountered Carroll at Bergdorf Goodman and had no idea who she was when she publicly accused him. He has asserted that she invented the story to sell her book.

Its a false accusation. Never happened, never would happen, he said during a caustic 5 1/2-hour deposition, which can be played for jurors.

In snippets released to date, he called Carroll a nut job, her attorney a disgrace and the case a big, fat hoax. He reiterated his description of Carroll as not my type"  and misidentified her in a 1987 photo as Marla Maples, his wife from 1993 to 1999.

Besides Carroll, two Trump accusers who never sued are set to testify in Carrolls case.

Jessica Leeds has said Trump grabbed her breasts and tried to put his hand up her skirt when they were seatmates on a flight three decades ago. People magazine writer Natasha Stoynoff has said Trump forcibly kissed her against her will while showing her around his Florida home for a 2005 article.

Jurors also are expected to hear the Access Hollywood recording.

The Associated Press does not identify people who say they have been sexually assaulted unless they come forward publicly.

The trial will unfold at a federal courthouse a block from the state court where Trump was arraigned earlier this month on his indictment.

___

Associated Press writer Michelle Price contributed to this report.
A recovery room at a clinic in the Camp 5 detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, April 17, 2019. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba  A senior official with the International Committee of the Red Cross issued a rare statement of alarm on Friday about deteriorating health conditions and inadequate preparations for aging prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

The U.S. military must do a better job of providing care for prisoners who are experiencing the symptoms of accelerated aging, worsened by the cumulative effects of their experiences and years spent in detention, Patrick Hamilton, the head of the Red Cross delegation for the United States and Canada, said in the statement.

In March, Hamilton and other delegates made a routine quarterly visit to the detention facility, the organizations 146th since the wartime prison opened in January 2002. He said the detainees physical and mental health needs are growing and becoming increasingly challenging.

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Consideration must be given to adapting the infrastructure for the detainees evolving needs and disabilities, as well as the rules that govern their daily lives, said Hamilton, who had last visited the prison in 2003, when 660 men and boys were held there. Today, 30 detainees remain.

Red Cross officials generally do not comment publicly on the conditions at the detention facility, preferring to keep their communications with the U.S. government confidential.

Ordinarily, quarterly visits include meetings with the detention facility commander, who is currently a brigadier general with the Michigan National Guard. Members of the delegation, which generally includes a doctor, also meet with detainees, interview those who will soon be released and deliver messages from family.

Hamilton said military officials at Guantanamo were offering some temporary solutions to the prisoners increasing physical and mental health needs.

He urged President Joe Bidens administration and Congress to, as a priority, find adequate and sustainable solutions to address these issues.

Story continues

Lawyers for some of the prisoners, particularly those who spent years in harsh, secret CIA custody before Guantanamo, have said detainees have brain damage and disorders from blows and sleep deprivation, damaged gastrointestinal systems from rectal abuse and issues possibly linked to prolonged shackling and other confinement.

One of the most debilitated prisoners is Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi, who is in his 60s and is the prisons oldest detainee. He has undergone six operations on his spine and back at Guantanamo Bay since 2017 by Navy medical teams who were airlifted to the base.

His lawyer, Susan Hensler, said Friday that Hadi al-Iraqi was recently diagnosed with severe osteoporosis that likely contributed to problems in his most recent operation, in November. Doctors inserted metal inside his back, but the device slipped and screws became loose, she said. Navy doctors plan to bring a team to the base this year for another surgery, using bigger screws.

The Red Cross statement comes less than a month after a group of United Nations investigators made public a complaint they had presented to the United States on Jan. 11 about health care provisions at the prison, and for Hadi al-Iraqi in particular.

Hamilton said the United States needed to adopt a more comprehensive approach to detainee health care. All detainees must receive access to adequate health care that accounts for both deteriorating mental and physical conditions  whether at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay or elsewhere. This includes cases of medical emergencies.

At the same time, consideration must be given to adapting the infrastructure for the detainees evolving needs and disabilities, as well as the rules that govern their daily lives, he said.

Government employees, who were not authorized to be identified by name, have complained about air conditioning problems at the prison for detainees through the month of Ramadan, which is ending.

The military had no immediate comment on either the Red Cross concern or the air conditioning issue.

The Red Cross official also urged the Pentagon to grant its prisoners longer, more frequent phone calls with family members, bearing in mind the total absence of in-person visits.

Lawyers have said detainees are generally entitled to speak with family members four times a year.

c.2023 The New York Times Company
Leonardo Suarez, 73, has lived in Hialeah for eight years with his 69-year-old wife. Both are retired. They each receive a monthly check for $685 to pay for their home at 321 E. Sixth St.

The $1,370 the couple gets isnt enough to cover the cost of their home. The rent increase has forced them, for the first time, to ask for help.

Suarez, who was born in Cuba, explained to el Nuevo Herald that until 2022, the apartments rent was $1,050. Now they pay $1,475, and they were informed that the rent will rise to $1,550 in May, an increase that they say they cant afford.

Without help I dont know how well be able to pay that rent. We both have chronic diabetes, and my wife wakes up every morning with severe muscle pain. We cant go out looking for a job. We are old, he said.

Although the couple have two children, they rule out the possibility of asking them for money to cover the difference or moving in with one of them.

How affordable is housing in Hialeah?

Hialeah is the second largest city in Miami-Dade but has one of the lowest incomes at $43,181, according to the Census. The reality is that housing in the West Miami-Dade municipality is no longer affordable for the majority of residents.

Median rent in Hialeah is $2,950, about $200 less than in March but $100 more than in April 2022, according to Zillow statistics.

Average rents in the city is $800 above the national average, Zillow says.

The city is aware. And thats why the Department of Grants, in charge of managing state and federal funds, is reaching out to people on how to request aid.

Suarez will benefit from that, at a Babcock Park even where employees explained how to help pay the rent.

City employees informed him that due to his family circumstance, the couple can get a monthly check for $275 to help them cover the rent increase. That will allow them to continue living in their home for at least a year. But not all cases are so simple.

Being the city with the largest Hispanic population in the country, 95.82% of its total population, Hialeah requires by federal law that these funds be delivered to people with permanent residence. Many people who live in the city dont have legal status.

Story continues

Thats the case of Gladys Jerez, 42. The Salvadoran woman has lived in the United States for 18 years. Her two children, ages 9 and 13, were born in the US, but she hasnt been able to adjust her status.

She has lived for two years with her partner and her children in a motel on Okeechobee Road, and the family pays $450 a week. They were evicted from a house that had been sold and havent been able to find a stable place to call home.

Because of Jerezs immigration situation, the city of Hialeah cannot give her federal funds to look for an apartment. Jerezs partner, of Cuban origin and a permanent resident, could seek to rent an apartment, and the city could provide help for three months.

$11 million to help pay rent

The Treasury Department has provided the city a second allocation of funds of about $4.1 million from the Emergency Rental Assistance Program. That money allowed Hialeah to help 178 families through April 12, delivering a total of $562,756.

The program, created in March 2021 to help the most vulnerable during the pandemic, provided the city with $7 million. With that, Hialeah assisted with rent and utilities for 756 families, Maria Ruiz, director of grants for the city, told el Nevo Herald.

Ruiz said that in Hialeah there is more need to cover rents than what residents are asking the city for. We see $400 or $500 rent increases from one month to the next. People are paying more than 50% of their income on housing alone.

For this reason, her departments mission is to search for those who are most vulnerable. They live mainly in the eastern and southeastern sections of the city and in areas close to industrial centers, where rents are lower, but salaries have not matched the increase.

Our goal is to visit the neighborhoods and give advice to the most economically vulnerable residents in the community. We hope to hold events in different neighborhoods of the city as a way to reach out to residents who may be disenfranchised, Ruiz said.

The event at Babcock Park this month allowed a dozen residents to learn about the process, eligibility and alternative options to pay their home rent, including a program to help them buy their first property.

In Hialeah there are 78,718 homes, and 50.4% of them are multi-unit structures or buildings with two or more apartments, like the one where Suarez lives. The majority of residences in the city, 53%, are occupied by renters, a fact that is far away from the American dream of owning a property.
Photo Illustration by Luis G. Rendon/YouTube/Getty

A retired Navy officer who was aboard the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on 9/11 was among the parents who spoke out against book banning at this weeks school board meeting in Martin County, Florida.

Religious fanatics, who wouldnt even let women be educated, flew planes into the World Trade Center and my Pentagon, 54-year-old Wess Rexrode said. I spent the last decade of my naval career fighting religious fascism abroad. I never thought Id have to fight it right here in the United States of America.

Rexrode was speaking specifically of those who used a new Florida law to have 92 books banned from the countys public school classrooms and libraries. Books by Jodi Picoult and Toni Morrison were removed following an objection filed by a member of Moms for Liberty who had not even read them.

I urge you to think about what a book ban means and use transparency, Rexroad told the board on Tuesday.

As the father of a 14-year-old in middle school, he added, I dont need anyone else telling my son what he can and cannot read. Im perfectly capable of doing that myself.

He explained to the board that he had learned in his own childhood the importance of this particular freedom.

I grew up in rural South Carolina, and books got me out of the trailer parks, Rexrode said. My parents trusted those educators and the librarians to let me read what I needed to read.

Later, Rexrode told The Daily Beast that his mother had given him a set of encyclopedias for Christmas when he was 4.

I think she paid in installments, Rexrode said. I just remember being happy, left alone with my encyclopedia. I was fortunate to be able to read early.

His parents had parted ways, his father having returned from the Vietnam war what Rexrode describes as broken. His mother had struggled to raise him alone, managing to make the payments for the volumes that enabled her son to venture wherever his wonderings took him.

That started a love of reading that I didnt even know existed, Rexrode recalled. And then when I got into school, school was always easy for me.

Story continues

His mother remarried when he was 7 and he then had four stepsisters and stepbrothers who got him playing sports.

Not that I was that good, but at least I played, he recalled. I still had my books. And I remember my momd drop me off at the library and leave me alone. Back then, they trusted teachers and they trusted librarians.

He started out with books about sharks and snakes. He then ventured into fiction.

And just that curiosity, learning new words, he said. And it sort of carried over into English and literature class.

Ron DeSantis Just Made Life Easier for Parents Who Hate His Book Bans

But he had not figured his life would take a trajectory other than that of a typical country boy.

Back then, you just got outta high school and you went to work, he recalled. I go along and Im in high school and Im in the college prep classes, but its still not really registering with me that I was gonna go to college until I did very, very well on the SATs going into my senior year. And then I just started getting inundated by colleges. And Im like, Well, I guess Ill go to college.

He added, I didnt really have any blueprint for how that was supposed to work, but I wound up getting pretty much a full scholarship to Clemson.

When he arrived at Clemson, he told himself, Im outta my league this is the big time.

But, he said, I did OK. I got an engineering degree and then that catapulted me into the nuclear navy. The Navy had a nuclear propulsion officer candidate program for, you know, science and technical majors with a certain GPA.

In the Navy, Rexrode began to add real life experiences to his virtual journeys through reading.

Youre out of your comfort zone in your hometown where youre surrounded by everybody and people, he recalled. Theres New Yorkers and theres Californians and midwesterners and southerners and Alaskans and just everybody. And you learn to learn from different peoples backgrounds and different peoples perspectives. And youre all sort of like in the same boat together. Literally.

After 9/11, Rexrode was a supervisor for the crew that kept the US Theodore Roosevelt underway for 159 straight days, bringing the war to Al Qaeda and the Taliban. The mission seemed to be shared by all of America.

We were at least united then, he recalled.

Nine years into our longest war, in January 2010, Rexrode retired. His son was 2 as Rexrode settled down in Florida and took a job in commercial nuclear power. He became a single dad after his marriage unraveled. He settled into a busy routine of work and picking his son up at school and making dinner. He read Goodnight Moon to his son at bedtime until the boy aged out of it. The boy then became more interested in gaming than in books.

Its a different era, Rexrode said. We didnt have the internet. He has to follow his own path. I look at my job as a parent as putting up the guardrails. You cant protect him from everything.

Last month, Rexrode began hearing that a nationwide surge of book banning in the name of protecting children had reached Martin County.

I started remembering what books meant to me and how they helped me, he told The Daily Beast.

And the whole notion of deciding what other peoples kids can and cannot read seemed a manifestation of domestic fascism that is too much like what he had spent a decade combating.

My philosophy is, If something goes against my beliefs, I cant do that, he said. But increasingly weve seen a lot of, If that goes against my beliefs, YOU cant do that. And Im sorry, but thats not America.

He had hoped to join other parents in speaking out against the book banning at a school board meeting on March 21, but he was delayed by his immediate parental duties. There was an overflow crowd by the time he got there.

The 100-Year-Old Woman Fighting Book Bans

On Tuesday, Rexrode arranged for a friend to pick up his son at school. And this time, Rexrode arrived in time to speak. He quoted Admiral Hyman Rickover, who was known as the father of the nuclear navy.

Admiral Rickover said a questioning attitude was the key to success, Rexrode said.

Rexrode continued, I want my son exposed to different ideas and different viewpoints so that he can learn to think critically and not be force fed somebody elses opinion. Weve all been exposed to different opinions. It makes us better, makes us stronger.

Diversity has made me stronger. And I didnt sacrifice 21 years of my life to stand idly by while religious fanatics and other fanatics try to impose fascism on my country, he added.

He ended by saying Remember the Little Rock 9, referring to the nine Black teens who integrated an Arkansas high school in 1957.

If those kids could endure a year of people spitting on them and hating them just to go to school, just to get an education, our kids can deal with a little uncomfortableness from Jodi Picoult or Toni Morrison.

Rexrode allowed that he had been nervous when he stepped up to speak, although he had routinely given briefings in the Navy.

Youre in front of a bunch of people you dont know, but it was just like, Well, if I dont say it, whos gonna say it? he said of the school board meeting.

Once he was done, he said, I felt good. Im like, OK, I think they need to hear it. They had heard from a lot of teachers, obviously, and parents, but not from someone like me with my background and perspective.

In these divided times, he had invoked the too brief unity following 9/11.

Im not right or left, Rexrode told The Daily Beast. I think for myself, and my oath was to the Constitution, not a political party. I just want whats best for America.

He added, I think my patriotism and my intelligence and my work ethic and my bonafides, I guess sort of speak to themselves. So then people typically have to debate me on the facts, instead of attacking me personally, which too many times a lot of debate these days devolves into.

But on that night, the busy life of a single dad did not allow him to stick around for any after-meeting discussion.

I had to leave and come home and feed my kid, he said.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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More than 240 years after they were dumped unceremoniously in shallow graves, 14 soldiers of the Revolutionary War have received the honor of heroes.

Over three days, their funeral procession went from the Richland County Coroners Office, where anthropologists assembled their remains soldiers, through downtown Columbia and on to Fort Jackson, before being brought to lie in state at a historic home near the town of Camden.

Fourteen American and British soldiers are given a funeral hundreds of years after their deaths fighting in the American Revolution in Camden, South Carolina on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

On Saturday, following funeral services, they were returned to the battlefield where they fell to receive full military honors. In Columbia, the State House flag flew at half mast on orders from the governor.

Thirteen of the soldiers were Americans, mostly from Maryland and Delaware. One was a member of an elite British regiment, the 71st Regiment of Foot, known as Fraziers Highlanders.

Historical reenactors attend a funeral for fourteen American and British soldiers who died fighting in the American Revolution in Camden, South Carolina on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

But the dead were honored just the same. The military performed flyovers in jets and helicopters, and an Anglican ceremony in the style of the 1700s was performed for the dead. Representatives of the British military were there to honor the Highlander.

They dead were borne to the battleground in wooden caissons pulled by horses. Their remains laid in handmade wooden coffins, the Americans draped with the Colonial flag with 13 stars, and a British flag was placed over the coffin belonging to the Highlander.

Fourteen American and British soldiers are given a funeral hundreds of years after their deaths fighting in the American Revolution in Camden, South Carolina on Saturday, April 22, 2023.

The events Saturday and the work to recover and rebury the soldiers were the product of more than six months of work, often in secret, under the auspices of South Carolina Battleground Trust and Historic Camden.

The soldiers were recovered by anthropologists and archaeologists from the South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, the University of South Carolina, the Richland County Coroners Office and the Department of Natural Resources.
Council members concern upset her

I am incensed at Theresa Richardsons gall in making her recent public comments about the drag show at the Emerald of Siam.

She inserted her personal beliefs into voicing publicly a negative opinion about a legitimate business in Richland. How inappropriate, especially when such opinions are known to lead to violence, which endangers the citizens and businesses of the city she theoretically works to support.

I assume that her opinions about such a show are shaped by the same beliefs that have led to efforts to ban speech, ideas, reproductive rights, health care, books, etc. Those opinions have no place on the City Council or in how it operates.

As a representative of the city, she is obligated to support all our citizens and all our businesses regardless of her own personal beliefs. She has done incredible damage to a Richland business, one that has been a valued part of the city for decades and that puts a great deal of effort into giving back to the community.

She should be ashamed of herself. I look forward to replacing her with someone more open minded, who wont mindlessly stoke violence by feeding the bigotry that has become far too prevalent.

Peggy Hamilton, Richland

Clean your own house first of all

Pedophiles, perverts, groomers the current pejoratives from people claiming morality as the justification for demanding that everything and everyone be sanitized to their standards. Perhaps these folks should get their own house in order before they start pointing fingers. Seems to me the biggest headlines have been grabbed by priests and other church officials for actually committing those heinous crimes. To make such accusations without proof is reckless, wrong, and  um, did I read something about bearing false witness somewhere?

Dont want to see a drag show in your town? Dont go. Its that simple. Dont want your kid to read something in the library or learn something at school? Probably should cloister them at home. Just using lies to rile up a crowd in order to get your way or get elected or re-elected? Get thee off to the theological place of eternal punishment.

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Kirk Williamson, Kennewick

Gun lovers are living in fear

Gun lovers live in fear that if they do not have a high-powered murder weapon they can use to kill someone, the criminals will rob them of everything they have and then kill them. How are they going to protect themselves if they cant shoot someone to death?

We live in an uncivilized country. We have more lethal weapons than people. Every day we show the world how important guns are to us. Our God-given 2nd Amendment grants us the right to shoot to death anyone we think might be threatening us. We parade around with our military assault rifles to show people how macho we are. For more than 50 years running, we hold the world record for mass shootings, especially of children. We are Number One and not about to let any other country take that status from us. Unless they can pry our cold dead fingers from our beloved guns.

Edward Rykiel, Richland

Extreme views inflame bigotry





Throughout the country, incidents of hate and intolerance are increasing. Despite our largely conservative populace, I had hoped that the more extreme views experienced in less educated communities were not pervasive here. The vandalizing of the Emerald of Siam combined with the adoption of increasingly restrictive policies governing our schools tells me that is not the case. I fear that the increasing reliance on social media for information has flamed bias and misinformation resulting in news and commentary only from sources that promote hate, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.

Linda Powers, Richland
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 22)  The Philippines is already preparing for the evacuation of Filipinos in Sudan, where a deadly power struggle continues between the army and paramilitary forces.

"We are just waiting to get better information as to whether or not it will be safe to bring our evacuees out of Khartoum perhaps into Cairo," President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Saturday.

"Unfortunately, none of the airports are functioning. They are still under fire," he added. "Also, we cannot ascertain a secure land route for them to leave."

READ: Sudan's warring factions announce ceasefire, but fighting continues

The government is trying to bring Filipinos in Sudan to the Philippine Embassy in Cairo, Egyptwhich also has jurisdiction over the North African country.

The road distance between Sudan's capital Khartoum to Cairo is more than 2,000 kilometers.

Marcos said the country is already preparing the assets that might be needed.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier urged Filipinos in Sudan to stay indoors, specifically at the lower levels of their homes.

Latest data from the embassy in Cairo showed there are approximately 400 Filipinos in Sudan.

The DFA said at least 86 have sought repatriation.

READ: Filipino hurt in Sudan conflict but now recovered  DFA
Here's a roundup of recent incidents and announcements from Ventura County agencies:

DUI arrest in Highway 33 crash

Highway 33 near Casitas Springs in a file photo. An alleged DUI driver suffered life-threatening injuries in a crash that closed the route Friday afternoon.

A 28-year-old Ventura woman was hospitalized with potentially life-threatening injuries after she crashed her car Friday afternoon while allegedly driving under the influence on Highway 33, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The single-vehicle crash occurred around 4:20 p.m. on the southbound highway north of Nye Road, in the Casitas Springs area. The incident closed the highway in both directions for about an hour.

The woman had been driving a 1997 Toyota Celica southbound when she suddenly swerved and hit a Southern California Edison power pole on the right shoulder, CHP officials said. The impact caused major damage to the vehicle and also damaged the pole, cutting power to several nearby homes for hours.

The woman was taken to Ventura County Medical Center with major injuries. No one else was in the car.

She was arrested on suspicion of alcohol-related DUI after being taken to the hospital and was subsequently released from custody for treatment of injuries described as possibly life-threatening, the highway patrol said Friday night. No update on her condition was available Saturday.

The accident remains under investigation. Witnesses are asked to call the CHPs Ventura-area office at 805-662-2640.

Firearms seized in separate incidents

Ventura County Sheriff's officials seized unregistered firearms during a probation search in Ventura on Thursday.

Ventura County Sheriff's authorities seized firearms, drugs and other items during incidents this month around the county.

On Thursday in Ventura, multiple illegal "ghost guns" were recovered during a probation search at a home in the 300 block of Barry Drive in Ventura. Such guns are made without an engraved serial number and haven't been registered with the state, officials said. Illegal weapons at the residence included an AR-15 ghost gun, a 9 mm semi-automatic ghost gun, an unregistered .22-caliber rifle and a collapsible baton, the agency reported. Detectives also found ammunition and evidence of firearms being manufactured. A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of various firearms and weapons violations.

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In the Silver Strand beach area Tuesday afternoon, a 20-year-old Oxnard man was arrested after an alleged brandishing incident. A man and woman in their 20s had been trying to park near Sawtelle and Island View avenues in the unincorporated neighborhood when the suspect reportedly brandished a Glock-style handgun in his waistband, sheriff's officials said. The victims left and called 911, but when deputies searched the suspect, he wasn't armed. A subsequent search using a K-9 police dog turned up a Glock-style ghost gun loaded with 10 live rounds hidden near where the suspect was seen. He was subsequently arrested and his home searched.

In Thousand Oaks on April 5, a 38-year-old resident was arrested after an investigation into illegal firearms possession. The man, a convicted felon barred from having guns and ammunition, was initially arrested after a warrant search of his vehicle at a shopping center turned up a quarter pound of methamphetamine, 2 ounces of fentanyl and an expandable baton, sheriff's officials said. A warrant search of his home in the 900 block of Birch Hill Street led to the seizure of a loaded handgun with an extended magazine, a semi-automatic rifle, multipleloaded magazines and three silencers.

Sheriff's detectives seized guns and drugs from a convicted felon's home in Thousand Oaks on April 5.

Simi authorities seek information on shooting

Authorities are investigating a 25-year-old man with a gunshot wound to his abdomen who sought treatment at a Simi Valley hospital Thursday night.

Adventist Health Simi Valley staff reported the wounded man around 10 p.m. Thursday, according to the Simi Valley Police Department. The department's violent crimes detectives responded to the hospital and were trying to determine where the shooting happened and who else was may have been involved.

The man was transferred to Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks for additional treatment, authorities said.

The wound did not appear to be life-threatening and no updated condition was available, said Simi Valley police Sgt. Duy Bui.

Anyone with information is asked to call Detective Kevin Van Fleet at 805-583-6182.

-- Items may be updated.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Roundup: DUI arrest in Hwy 33 crash, guns seized, more news
The Russian authorities have cancelled the Immortal Regiment march, most likely to avoid emphasising the scale of their losses in the war in Ukraine.

Source: European Pravda; UK Defence Intelligence review on Saturday, 22 April

Details: As the review reports, Russia is trying to maintain the consistency of its main narrative to justify the war in Ukraine. They say that its invasion is similar to the Soviet experience of World War II.

On 18 April 2023, Russian state media announced that this years Immortal Regiment march has been cancelled, allegedly on "safety grounds", UK Intelligence recalls.

"The authorities were highly likely concerned that participants would highlight the scope of recent Russian losses," the UK Defence Ministry said.

This happened after Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagnerites, publicly questioned whether there were "Nazis" in Ukraine, contradicting the Russian justification for the war.

"The authorities have continued attempts to unify the Russian public around polarising myths about the 1940s," the UK Intelligence states.

In addition, on 12 April 2023, RIA Novosti, a Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency, reported on allegedly "unique" documents from the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (FSB) archives, which indicate the involvement of the Nazis in the murder of 22,000 Polish citizens during the Katyn massacre in 1940.

In fact, the FSB's predecessor, the People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD), was responsible for this. In 2010, the Russian State Duma officially condemned Joseph Stalin for ordering the murders, as the UK review states.

Background: Earlier, UK Defence Intelligence reported that Russian propaganda is likely exaggerating the overall impact of the weather on Ukraine's expected counteroffensive.

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Russia has refused to let through trucks carrying wounded invaders which were trying to enter its territory from occupied Luhansk Oblast, and some soldiers died due to a lack of medical care.

Source: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Facebook, information as of 06:00 on 22 April

Quote: "On 17 April, the enemy attempted to carry out a medical evacuation from temporarily occupied Luhansk Oblast towards the village of Urazovo, Belgorod Oblast. 14 trucks were used to transport the wounded occupiers. While attempting to cross the state border of Ukraine, the Russian side did not allow the military convoy to pass and turned it back.

It is known that during this movement, some of the enemy soldiers did not survive due to a lack of proper medical care."

Details: The General Staff has clarified that after an unsuccessful attempt to enter the territory of the Russian Federation, more than 50 seriously wounded invaders were taken to a hospital set up at the Troitske Central District Hospital in Luhansk Oblast.

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Russias Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that the German authorities have decided on a mass expulsion of Russian diplomatic mission staff in Germany.

Source: European Pravda, citing a statement made by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Saturday, 22 April

Details: The Russian ministry stated that although the German side had repeatedly assured it of their "reluctance to make this story public", it had broken its promises and informed media representatives "which it regularly uses to arrange controlled leaks and disinformation dumps".

Quote: "In response to Berlin's hostile actions, the Russian side has decided on a mirror expulsion of German diplomats from Russia, as well as on a significant restriction of the maximum number of employees of German diplomatic missions in our country, of which Geza Andreas von Geyr, Germany's ambassador to Russia, was officially notified during a conversation at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia on 5 April 2023."

It is not known how many expelled German and Russian diplomats the Russian ministry is talking about, or the extent of the restrictions on the activities of the German embassy in Moscow.

Background: At the end of March, the German news magazine Focus reported that Annalena Baerbock, Germanys Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs, said more than 30 Russian diplomats were to be expelled from Berlin due to suspicions that they were conducting sabotage operations and disinformation campaigns.

The German Foreign Ministry subsequently denied that there were plans to expel dozens of Russian diplomats.

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Russian forces carried out an attack on the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast late on Saturday, 22 April.

Source: Oleh Syniehubov, Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration, on Telegram; Ihor Terekhov, Kharkiv Mayor, on Telegram

Quote from Syniehubov: "Attention! Residents of Kharkiv and [Kharkiv] Oblast, the occupiers are carrying out new attacks! Please heed warning signals. Remain in shelters!"

Quote from Terekhov: "Kharkiv is being attacked."

Details: Terekhov later added that a fire broke out at a civilian infrastructure facility in the Novobavarskyi district. Ukraines State Emergency Service workers have been deployed to the site of the attack. Information about casualties has yet to be confirmed.

Syniehubov said that the city of Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast came under Russian attack.

"According to early reports, enemy forces deployed S-300 missiles. The extent of destruction and the number of casualties have yet to be confirmed," he said.

Head of the Kharkiv Oblast Military Administration said that one of the Russian missiles struck a private residential neighbourhood in the village of Kotliary in the Kharkiv district.

A civilian infrastructure facility in the city of Kharkiv was also hit. Emergency response workers are extinguishing the fire that broke out after the Russian attack.

At least five other sites in Kharkiv and Kharkiv Oblast were struck as well.

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The village of Kamianka, Kharkiv Oblast, was in Russian occupation from April to September 2022.

According to local residents, during that time, the Russians conducted large-scaled murders of people, shot dogs and destroyed all livestock.

But local residents are returning home despite the devastation, the difficult humanitarian situation and other problems; some of them after being forcibly evicted by the Russians.

Residents of Kamianka told the press about the events that happened during the occupation for the Ukrainian Witness project [a media initiative founded to inform foreigners about the war started by Russia  ed.].

The Russians left behind ruins and countless mines in the village. Bomb disposal experts have not yet cleared the village of the explosives.

Locals started coming to Kamianka in the spring of 2023. So far, about 40 of the 1,200 residents have returned. Many of those returning have nowhere to live.

The locals remember the losses that the occupiers inflicted on them during the occupation.

Local resident

Photo: Ukrainian Witness

"The Russians killed 32 residents of Kamianka during the occupation. One was shot and run over with a tank; explosives were thrown at two brothers who were hiding in a cellar," a local resident said.

Mykola, another resident of Kamianka, said that he lived under occupation until 30 March.

"Then the Russians forcibly took us all to Izium, Kharkiv Oblast. No one explained why," the man said.

According to him, he walked 18 km to Kamianka to get some potatoes. His scooter, bicycle, and motorcycle were stolen from him, so he had to walk back to Izium with buckets in both hands.

Mr. Oleksandr

Mykolas two barns, a garage, and part of an old house burned down... The fire was caused by an aerial bomb dropped by the occupiers.

A local resident named Oleksandr said that he was sitting in the cellar when the Russians came. His dog was shot right in the kitchen because he was trying to keep the invaders out.

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When it became clear that he had to flee, the man left with his family for Sloviansk, Donetsk Oblast.

Local resident Mykola

Later, they had to move repeatedly again. On their way, they picked up a wounded soldier and took him to the hospital. They say he returned to his position on the front line.

"In addition to the mutilated and broken houses, the Russians left behind armatures and boxes of ammunition. Residents of Kamianka use all this for repair and reconstruction," the Ukrainian Witness notes.

They add that the occupiers ate all the livestock in the village: only one cow out of several hundred survived. Russians killed dogs en masse. The dogs that managed to escape during the occupation are returning to their homes now. Volunteers help the locals adapt to life in the village.

Background: In one of the villages of Izium District, Kharkiv Oblast, a man hid two Ukrainian flags so that the Russian occupiers would not find them.

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The Russian-controlled Kyiv District Court of Simferopol has sentenced Crimean Tatar Appaz Kurtamet to 7 years of imprisonment for allegedly transferring 500 hryvnias to the volunteer battalion Crimea.

Source: Dmytro Lubinets, ombudsman for human rights of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, on Telegram; Krym.Realii outlet

Quote from Lubinets: "7 years of imprisonment in a strict regime colony with the first year [to be spent] in prison. Such a sentence was passed by the Russian-controlled Kyiv District Court of Simferopol against Crimean Tatar Appaz Kurtamet.

The occupiers accused the 21-year-old boy of "financing" the Crimea volunteer battalion. ("the creation of an armed formation, the leadership of such formations or its financing", Article 208.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation). According to the investigation, he transferred 500 hryvnias (US$13.67) to a member of the battalion. In fact, Appaz lent this money to an acquaintance, who at that time entered the volunteer battalion."

Details: Russian security forces detained Kurtamet on 23 July 2022 at the administrative border with temporarily occupied Crimea, where he was heading to visit his relatives. The connection with him disappeared on the same day. His location was unknown until 8 October. The occupiers started the trial at the end of February this year.

Krym.Realii reported that the hearing in this case ended on 20 April. Judge Oxana Karchevskaya announced the verdict in the criminal case, found Kurtamet guilty and sentenced him to 7 years in prison, with the first year to be served in prison, and the rest of the term in a strict regime colony. The verdict has not yet taken effect. Lawyer Refat Yunusov announced that he intended to appeal the judge's decision in the Court of Appeals.

During court debates a day earlier, the prosecution demanded a 10-year prison sentence for Kurtamet, arguing that the defendant's guilt was fully proven during the investigation and trial. The defence insisted on Kurtamet's acquittal, believing that his actions did not constitute a crime.

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According to Krym.Realii, Kurtamet lent his friend UAH 500 in July 2022. He was detained by Russian security forces in Henichesk on 22 July. He was sent to a filtration camp, in which, during a phone check, it turned out that an acquaintance of Kurtamet, to whom he had lent the money, was serving in the Crimea volunteer battalion. Investigators of the Russian FSB filed his loan as "funding of an illegal armed formation".

As Refat Chubarov, the chairman of the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People, stated in his comment, "the case of Appaz Kurtamet revealed all the arbitrariness with which the occupying power acts".

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As a result of the Russian shelling of one of the parks in Kherson on Saturday, a man was injured.

Source: Oleksandr Tolokonnikov, head of the Press Office of the Kherson Oblast Military Administration in the comments for Suspilne

Quote from Tolokonnikov: "They hit one of the coastal parks in Kherson. A 46-year-old man suffered a shin wound, as well as head abrasions."

Details: The shelling occurred on Saturday at about two o'clock in the afternoon.

The wounded man was taken to the city clinical hospital; he is receiving medical attention.

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The Seattle Police Department is searching for a man it says raped a 59-year-old woman Tuesday night around 11:30 p.m. in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.

Police said they responded to reports of a sexual assault near East Barbara Bailey Way and Broadway.

Its sad and its scary, said Amelia Casciola, who lives in the area. Seattle police said that a witness called 911 and thats what scared the suspect off. Police are still trying to find the man.

SPD said the suspect is a six foot tall Black man who is clean shaven with a medium build. If you have any information, call SPD.

According to Seattle police, rape cases in the city have been on the rise for the last couple of years. In 2021 there were 270 reported rapes. In 2022 that number increased to 280 and so far in 2023 that number is at 74.
Supreme Court justices Samuel Alito and Elana Kagan testify about the court's budget during a hearing of the House Appropriations Committee's Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee March 07, 2019 in Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

The Supreme Court ruled to uphold FDA approval of the abortion pill on Friday.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito publicly dissented, with Alito writing an opinion.

A SCOTUS expert said it appeared Alito was accusing three female justices of hypocrisy.

A Supreme Court ruling on Friday ensured the abortion pill mifepristone can still be purchased and used in the US, freezing a lower court ruling that would've effectively banned access to the pill.

Two justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, publicly dissented, with the latter writing an opinion in which he called out three female justices by name  including fellow conservative justice Amy Coney Barrett  in an apparent act of judiciary "theater," Scott Lemieux, a professor of political science at the University of Washington and an expert on the Supreme Court and constitutional law, told Insider.

The case came to the court after a judge in Texas ruled to suspend the Food and Drug Administration's more-than-20-year-old approval of mifepristone. The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to grant an emergency request that would protect the FDA approval while the case is still being litigated.

Because it was an emergency request, the case was reviewed under what is known as the court's "shadow docket," where they rule on procedural matters. Cases that are considered on the shadow docket do not get the same level of review as other cases, meaning "the decisions are accompanied by little to no explanation and often lack clarity on which justices are in the majority or minority," according to the Brennan Center for Justice.

Indeed, while the Court said they were granting the Biden administration's request, no explanation was provided by the majority as to why. The ruling did not specify how most of the justices voted, or even how many justices voted in favor. Both Thomas and Alito elected to note their dissents, with only one of them explaining why.

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For part of his reasoning, Alito focused on the "shadow docket" itself. He wrote that the court has previously been criticized for shadow-docket decision-making, and specifically called out three female justices  Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Barrett  citing rulings in which they previously objected to using the shadow docket.

Alito, who has defended the court against complaints about the shadow docket in the past, added: "I did not agree with these criticisms at the time, but if they were warranted in the cases in which they were made, they are emphatically true here."

"There's something personal about the tone of Alito's opinion," Lemieux said, adding it was notable that Thomas did not join him.

Alito did not respond to Insider's request for comment via the Supreme Court's press email.

Lemieux said Alito has been stung in the past by accusations of abusing the shadow docket, particularly on rulings he has made related to abortion access and religious freedom cases during the pandemic.

"I think he's trying to do a little theatre with 'wait a minute! I thought you were against using the shadow docket and changing things in these ways,'" Lemieux said.

But Alito's comparison  and accusations of hypocrisy  may not be justified. Lemieux said Alito and the conservative majority have faced criticism for using the shadow docket to disrupt the status quo, making drastic legal changes without transparency.

Friday's ruling does the opposite.

"The use of the shadow docket here is not disrupting the status quo, it's preserving the status quo," Lemieux explained of the abortion pill ruling, which simply allows the most common abortion medication to stay on the market. "This is the kind of case that the 'shadow docket' is for: to preserve the status quo so that a case  that frankly, does not strike me as very meritorious  can be resolved."

Despite Alito appearing to call out Kagan, Sotomayor, and Barrett, there's no way of knowing for sure how any of the justices voted, beyond the two who noted their dissent.

Lemieux added it's not unusual for justices to call each other out in opinions, but said Alito's dissent was "clearly reflective" of the fact that he feels he's been unfairly characterized.

Read the original article on Business Insider
(CNN)  The two rival forces battling for control in Sudan have both said they are ready to help evacuate foreign nationals, raising hopes international powers could soon rescue stranded citizens after a week of fighting.

RELATED: PH preparing evacuation plan for Filipinos in Sudan

In a statement, Sudan's army said it had agreed to facilitate the evacuation of nationals and diplomats from a number of countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France and China.

Evacuations are expected to begin "within the coming hours," according to the statement.

On Friday, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) said they were ready to partially reopen all airports in Sudan to air traffic to allow countries to evacuate their nationals.

Fierce fighting broke out in Sudan last Saturday between the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF), commanded by Sudan's military leader General Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and the paramilitary RSF led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

The two are former allies but tensions between them arose during negotiations to integrate the RSF into the country's military as part of plans to restore civilian rule.

More than 400 people have been killed and 3,550 injured in the fighting, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and on the ground the humanitarian situation is worsening.

The UN says people are increasingly fleeing areas hit by fighting, including Khartoum. Up to 20,000 refugees have arrived in neighboring Chad, the UN says.

The announcements on evacuations came as fresh clashes between the two groups shattered a three-day ceasefire declared for the Muslim holiday of Eid.

Fighting was reported in Khartoum on Saturday, with witnesses telling CNN fierce clashes were taking place in the vicinity of the presidential palace and the sounds of explosions and warplanes flying overhead could be heard.

Saudi Arabia said Saturday its evacuation efforts were under way. The Saudi foreign ministry said in a statement that the government was evacuating its citizens from Sudan alongside "several nationals of brotherly and friendly countries."

Dagalo said he spoke to French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna on Saturday and they discussed "the current situation, the reasons [that] led to the exacerbation of the situation" and the possibility of opening evacuation corridors.

CNN has learned that a British government evacuation effort of UK diplomats and nationals in conflict ridden Sudan will not be happening imminently.

A government spokesperson told CNN they were doing "everything possible" to support British nationals.

A spokesperson for the European Union said that estimated 1,500 citizens from various EU countries are currently in Sudan.

"They are facing a very difficult situation and their safety is a priority. We urge both sides (the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces) to stop fighting and allow for safe passage out of the country," the spokesperson said, adding the EU was working with member states to find solutions and get these people out of the country.

It is unclear how many US citizens are in Sudan. The State Department does not keep official counts of US citizens in foreign countries and Americans are not required to register when they go abroad. US State Department officials told staffers estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, most of whom are dual nationals.

A US State Department spokesperson told CNN that the department remains in close contact with its embassy in Khartoum and have "have full accountability of our personnel."

"For their safety, I cannot discuss the details of their movements or whereabouts," the spokesperson added.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Hopes rise for evacuations of foreigners caught in Sudan fighting"
(Photo/Courtesy)

RIVERSIDE, Calif.  The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians granted $2.7 million to the Sherman Indian High School in Riverside, California. The grant is part of the tribes ongoing commitment to support the schools comprehensive career technical education program.

The announcement was made at a recommitment ceremony at the school on Wednesday afternoon. Tribal and school officials celebrated a 10-year partnership through culture, arts, and student-led presentations.

Sherman Indian High School is a historic off-reservation Indian boarding school and is operated as a Bureau of Indian Educaion school.

The tribe is dedicated to all Native youth becoming productive members of their tribal communities and place philanthropy as one of its top priorities.

Wednesdays grant was the fifth educational grant given by the tribe to the school during the past decade for a total of $12 million.

The newest grant will assist in funding the innovative Career Technical Education Pathways Program (Career Pathways), for an additional three years (2022 through 2025).

Since 2010, our partnership to bring career technical education to Sherman has introduced so many students from across Indian Country to life-changing career opportunities, said San Manuel Business Committee Member Laurena Bolden. We cant wait to see their faces to tell them of our shared belief in their potential and celebrate this partnership of Native people investing in Native youth.

Sherman Indian High School principal Delbert Ortiz credits the tribe as being the catalyst for the success of the career technical education program.

The Sherman family is deeply appreciative of the ongoing financial support of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians. Their commitment to the enhancement of our Career Technical Education Pathways program provides tremendous academic support and opportunities for our students to explore careers, gain certifications as well as work-based experiences which in turn will help students make informed decisions regarding careers and or post-secondary education, Ortiz said.

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It was the foresight of the tribe and school that led to the creation of the successful career technical education program so that students could learn skills to support themselves, communities, and others. Students can choose between agricultural, computer literacy and design, construction, culinary, health, public safety, and small gas engine repairs pathways.

About the Author: "Native News Online is one of the most-read publications covering Indian Country and the news that matters to American Indians, Alaska Natives and other Indigenous people. Reach out to us at editor@nativenewsonline.net. "

Contact: news@nativenewsonline.net
Scientists have succeeded in saving samples of ancient Arctic ice for analysis in a race against time before it melts away due to climate change, they said this week.

The eight French, Italian and Norwegian researchers camped in Norway's Svalbard archipelago in March and April, braving storms and mishaps to preserve crucial ice records that can be used to analyse what the Earth's climate looked like in the past and chart the devastating impact human activity is having on it now.

The Ice Memory Foundation team extracted three huge tubes of glacier ice on Svalbard. They, like others collected by the 20-year project launched in 2015, will be preserved for future scientific analysis at a research station in Antarctica.

Analysing chemicals in such deep "ice cores" provides valuable data about centuries of past climatic and environmental conditions, long after the original glacier has disappeared.

But it is a race to preserve this "ice memory". Experts warn that as global temperatures rise, meltwater is leaking into ancient ice and risks destroying the geochemical records it contains before scientists can collect the data.

When the Ice Memory team set up camp in March on Holtedahlfonna, one of the highest and most northerly glaciers in the Arctic, the first hitch was the weather.

Instead of the expected -25 degrees Celsius (-13 degrees Farenheit), fierce winds forced the temperature down to -40C, delaying drilling for several days.

Then, once they had bored a 24.5-metre (80-foot) hole in the ice, water from the melting glacier rushed into it.

Even though radar data collected since 2005 showed there was some meltwater inside the Holtedalhfonna glacier, "we did not expect to find such an extended, abundant and saturated aquifer in the selected drilling site, at the end of winter", explained Jean-Charles Gallet, snow physicist at the Norwegian Polar Institute and expedition coordinator.

"Glaciers are not only dramatically losing their mass but also their cold content."

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- 'Dramatic climate change' -

Aquifers are underground reservoirs of freshwater or saltwater that permeate the ice crystals in glaciers and weaken them.

"Seeing all that water in the glacier gave us the clearest evidence yet of the effects that dramatic climate change is having in the Arctic," said Daniele Zannoni, a member of the team from the Ca Foscari University in Venice.

Human-caused carbon emissions have warmed the planet by 1.15 degrees Celsius since industrialisation, powered by fossil fuels, began the 19th century. Studies indicate that the Arctic is warming between two and four times faster than the global average.

On Friday, the United Nations said the world's 40-odd "reference glaciers" -- those for which long-term observations exist -- are more than 26 metres thinner now on average than in 1970.

The pressure of the meltwater rushing into the Holtedalhfonna drill hole damaged two of the team's driller motors, forcing them to relocate to the summit of the Dovrebreen glacier, 13 metres higher up.

When drilling resumed, the researchers succeeded in extracting three ice cores 50-75 metres long. The strata and air bubbles trapped in these precious translucent cylinders, just a dozen centimetres in diameter, could contain up to 300 years of climate history.

- Race against time -

The race is on for glaciologists, who "are seeing their primary material disappear forever from the surface of the planet", Jerome Chappellaz, president of the Ice Memory foundation, told AFP on April 3.

"It is our responsibility as glaciologists of this generation to make sure a bit of it is preserved."

When the researchers had three ice samples, the temperature in Svalbard shot up to -3C, turning part of the route back to their base at the Ny-Alesund research station into a treacherous torrent of water.

Two of the ice cores made it to base but the third is still stuck at the drilling site, waiting for more clement weather to be shipped out.

In the meantime, Ice Memory has put out an international plea to other researchers.

"We do need (them)... rapidly to collect samples from endangered glaciers or to save... already collected ice cores, to preserve these very precious data in the Ice Memory sanctuary in Antarctica," said paleoclimatologist and Ice Memory vice-chair Carlo Barbante.

"If we lose archives like this, we will lose the memory of human alteration of the climate," stressed Ice Memory director Anne-Catherine Ohlmann.

"We will also lose crucial information for future scientists and policymakers, who will have to make decisions for the well-being of society.

dep/bl/ico/ide/gil/giv
Update 6:15 a.m.: According to Jacksonville Sheriffs Office, Tristan Smith has been located safe.

The Jacksonville Sheriffs Office is searching for a missing endangered man and is asking for the communitys help.

>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<

On Fri., Apr. 21, just after 9:30 p.m., officers responded to the area of 9600 Southbrook Dr. after 66-year-old Tristan Smith was reported missing.

The victim was last seen by an employee of his residential facility at around 6:30 p.m., pushing a shopping cart southbound on the Southside Service Road towards Baymeadows Road.

Smith is reported to have dementia and is also non-verbal. He is 6-foot-2, weighs 190 pounds has blue eyes and white, balding hair. Smith was last seen wearing a white T-shirt with brown shorts and flip flops.

Anyone having seen Smith or who may know his whereabouts is asked to contact the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office at 904-630-0500.

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 Seattle Police Department is investigating after someone fired a shot at one of its officers while he was refueling his patrol car on Friday night.

The incident occurred in the 700 block of South Charles Street just before 9 p.m.

The officer was putting fuel in his patrol car when he heard a gunshot strike a sign above his head, according to the SPD.

He was uninjured and unable to get a description of any potential suspects or vehicles connected to this incident.

Additional officers who responded to the scene located a spent bullet on the ground near the gas pump.

SPD homicide detectives were also called to the scene and will be investigating this incident.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to call the SPD Violent Crimes tip line at (206) 233-5000.
The Seattle Police Department said it recovered a gun from a student at Nathan Hale High School on Thursday after a video began circling of the student holding the gun in the parking lot of Ingraham High School.

Seattle Public Schools said the student was at Ingraham attending a morning skills center program.

Police responded to Nathan Hale and quickly recovered the gun. In a note to parents, the district wrote, in part:

The Seattle Police Department were informed of the threat and responded to the Nathan Hale campus to talk with the student involved. The gun was quickly recovered by the SPD.

SPS has zero-tolerance for any weapons on school property. Disciplinary actions have been taken and the student will face consequences.

The incident comes five months after a 17-year-old was shot and killed at Ingraham in November. Police said the shooting happened after a fight over a cell phone.
Evacuation buses in Belgorod

Explosive ordnance disposal experts found the dangerous item, Belgorod Oblast governor Vyacheslav Gladkov confirmed. Russian Ministry of Defense sappers will neutralize it at a training ground.

The operational headquarters has decided to evacuate 17 multi-story buildings within a radius of 200 meters. According to preliminary data, it is more than 3,000 people, Gladkov said.

Read also: Russian media report drone attack on Belgorod airport

Those evacuated will be transported to temporary shelters that have been set up with food and water, and 90 transportation units have been allocated for this purpose.

Later, Baza reported that the FAB-500 bomb had penetrated seven meters into the ground.

On the evening of April 20, a Russian Su-34 bomber dropped the bomb on a residential district of Belgorod, presumably an explosive aerial bomb, making it the most prominent case of a Russian strike on its own territory.

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
Even before the first red peak appears on the horizon, I notice my breath getting slower, my body releasing built-up tension within. On approach to Wadi Rum, a Mars-red desert spanning 280 square miles in the south of Jordan, I know that a unique experience awaits, one with few interruptions, where time stretches according to the rhythm of the desert.

Wadi Rum is my special place. Over the past six years of traveling to Jordan regularly, Ive returned to this desert nearly a dozen times. Im drawn to the expansive landscape of limestone and granite mountains arising from the yellow, white, and red sands. Ive made friends with members of the Bedouin community who call the desert home. I love the excuse of not getting good Wi-Fi service to stop constantly checking my email and social media.

But I mostly travel to Wadi Rum for its special kind of silence. The silence of this desert is not one devoid of sound; it is devoid of noise.

Yulia Denisyuk

Noise has become the soundtrack of our lives, and its getting louder, even in the outdoors: the National Parks Service estimates that auditory noise pollution doubles every 30 years as we build more highways and urban spaces that encroach on natural environments. The National Parks Service also finds that over half of US protected areas are twice as loud as they should be.

But there is more to noise. In their 2022 book Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise, authors Leigh Marz and Justin Zorn explain that noise is ...the unwelcome sound and stimulus, the loudness both inside and out. Its the unwanted distraction.

The book distinguishes three levels of noise: auditory noise (think lawn-mowers, commercial trucks, and planes in the sky), information noise, an unceasing stream of notifications taxing our limited attention span, and internal noise, the barrage of inner monologue contributing to the growing rates of stress and anxiety (one estimate in the book mentions that most of us [] have to listen to something like 320 State of the Union addresses worth of inner monologues on any given day.)

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Yulia Denisyuk

Yulia Denisyuk

Noting that at the societal level, noise is our most celebrated addiction, Marz and Zorn set out to investigate how we can get back to silence, a restorative place in which were not distracted by noise and, instead, have the time and space to connect with ourselves, discern whats important to us, and calibrate our path forward.

And isnt that why we travel, too?

Beyond being devoid of noise, the restorative silence of quiet places has a presence. You might recognize it in moments of experiencing religious or spiritual awe, getting into a flow while playing the guitar or running, spending time in nature, or going through profound events like taking a life-changing trip. In these moments, you might feel spacious and expansive, akin to floating outside of time and space.

I feel this way when I travel to Wadi Rum. My quiet place is not always without sound: sitting on a dune at dusk, I hear the soft rustling of the wind against the grains of sand. Leaving my tent at sunrise, I notice the bellows of camels as they return from their daily excursions. A crackling of the fire fills the long pauses in the unhurried conversations at night. The presence of this silence is a salve that helps me connect to the core of who I am.

Yulia Denisyuk

Marz and Zorn agree: While we both enjoy finding silence in auditorily quiet settingsamid the untrampled snow of the Sangre De Cristo mountains of New Mexico or deep in the wilderness of Alaskawe also find a certain kind of silence in immersive activities where we let go of all ruminative thoughts, says Marz.

Numerous studies have shown that experiencing silence has real, tangible benefits. Its been linked to reducing stress and anxiety levels and leading to better sleep, improved focus, and increased creativity. And humans are not the only ones who need silence to thrive: growing noise pollution is disrupting long-established patterns for numerous wildlife species ranging from caterpillars and hummingbirds to dolphins and whales.

It is no surprise then that seeking silence wherever we go is on the rise. This year, it is one of the key trends affecting decisions on how we travel. In a recent Booking.com survey, 40 percent of travelers said theyd be interested in booking a silent retreat. The Quiet Parks movement, dedicated to protecting the remaining quiet places on earthlarge pristine areas offering exceptional sonic beauty and extended periods of pure natural quiethas been gaining momentum since 2019. In addition to recognizing pockets of quiet wilderness, the non-profit has awarded its quiet designation to nine urban areas around the world, with eight more (places like Heimork Natural Reserve in Reykjavik and Mt. Tabor Park in Portland, Oregon) under evaluation.

Yulia Denisyuk

Yulia Denisyuk

Many travelers have already made silence and tranquility a key consideration when deciding where to go. Kristina Baraba, a London-based project manager, booked a trip to Sicilys Aeolian Islands last summer because there would be no internet connection. Nomadic photographer Cassandra Jackson-Baker has been returning to Sao Vicente on the northwestern coast of Madeira for the last decade, renting out remote cottages to avoid noise and disruption. Im at my most creative when the world is silent and still, she says. Travel blogger and journalist La Carmina started building peaceful getaways into her itinerary after staying with Buddhist monks at Japans Mount Koya where she went on tranquil nature walks through the forested Okunoin cemetery, the largest in Japan.

The authors have one lasting passionate claim: silence is not a luxury and it shouldnt be something only some people have access to. Instead, it is an age-old survival mechanism and a human right. Beyond traveling to a quiet place, they offer strategies to look for daily pockets of silence such as getting quick hits of nature like paying attention to birdsong.

I try and think about this each time I leave Wadi Rum, back to my desk where obligations, notifications, and stress slowly creep back in. But there is a space inside me where I can tap into that silence. The feeling of the desert is present there, calling me to return as soon as I can.

Originally Appeared on Conde Nast Traveler
LOS ANGELES (AP)  Actor Shannen Doherty of hit shows Charmed and Beverly Hills, 90210 has filed for divorce from her husband, Kurt Iswarienko, after 11 years of marriage, her representative says.

Divorce is the last thing Shannen wanted, publicist Leslie Sloane said in an emailed statement Saturday. Unfortunately, she felt she was left with no other option.

In early 2020, Doherty, now 52, announced that she was battling a recurrence of breast cancer that had progressed to stage four, calling it "a bitter pill to swallow.

I definitely have days where I say, Why me? And then I go, Well, why not me? Who else? Who else besides me deserves this? None of us do, Doherty told Good Morning America."

The actor first revealed she had breast cancer in 2015 and has charted her battle with the disease on social media.

Doherty did not refer to the divorce development on Instagram, but in a post Friday wrote: The only people who deserve to be in your life are the ones who treat you with love, kindness and total respect.

In October 2021, a federal jury in Los Angeles awarded Doherty $6.3 million in a lawsuit alleging that State Farm, her insurance carrier, failed to pay sufficiently for damage to her house in a 2018 California wildfire. The jury found the failure to pay policy benefits for Dohertys Malibu home unreasonable and without proper cause.

In her statement, Sloane, Doherty's publicist, suggested contacting Iswarienkos agent for elaboration, whom she identified as Collier Grimm. Grimm did not immediately reply to a message for comment.
Jessica Reyna's daughter, Delaney Kain, holds the two shells the family found on a recent visit to Sanibel Island.

During a recent vacation on Sanibel Island, Jessica Reyna and her family participated in the popular tradition of shelling along the beach. More than six months after Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage on the island that sits on the Gulf of Mexico, visitors like Reyna are starting to come back.

Reyna, who lives in Buffalo, posted photos of the shells she found on social media. We caught up with her for a Q&A about the two shells she found during her visit April 1-8 and some other topics related to Sanibel's comeback from Ian:

Was this the first time you had been to Sanibel since Hurricane Ian?

REYNA: Yes.

What were the conditions like on the beaches and other places you visited?

REYNA: The beaches were great. They were clean. The facilities at the beaches we visited were open, and communication for parking was very clear. We were very surprised to see how far theyve come with the causeway. The island itself was heartbreaking. It was great to see some businesses had reopened, but the number of buildings boarded up was startling.

Have you vacationed on Sanibel in the past?

REYNA: Yes, we visited the island in April 2022.

Where did you find your shells on Sanibel?

REYNA: I found the two shells in the water, both on Sanibel Island and both about 15-20 feet offshore. One was at Tarpon Bay Beach and the other was at Bowmans Bay Beach. We always hunt for shells when we visit a beach, but honestly we didnt even know shells this big were out there. We didnt go right at dawn, and I always thought you needed to be the first one on the beach to find anything larger.

How did you know, with your feet, it might be a shell?

REYNA: It almost feels like a large stone or rock. If you try to move it and it doesnt want to budge, you know its big. If its a horse conch, in addition to the large size, youll feel the little bumps that run along the middle.

Is this a common practice to look for shells when you are in the Gulf?

REYNA: We are always looking for shells. Weve been to beaches on Sanibel, but also down in Bonita Springs and north in Englewood.

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Jessica Reyan and her family were visiting Sanibel Island recently and they uncovered these two large shells.

This shell was a world record! Sanibel's Bailey-Matthews shell museum acquires world record-sized shell

Have you ever found shells as big as these two shells?

REYNA: Never before. The biggest was no larger than three to four inches.

Did you weigh the shells, or have an approximate idea of the weight?

REYNA: I dont have a weight, but one is about 13.5 inches long and the other is just over 11 inches.

Did you take the shells back to Buffalo?

REYNA: We did bring them home. We dont have a ton of extra room in a van with six people, so they traveled home on the floor of the passenger side. We have one of them on a shelf in our family room and the other on our fireplace in our living room.

People on social media were worried that the shells were alive?

REYNA: When we pulled the shells up my husband was close by, so we both looked in, and they looked empty. We put our hand in to make sure nothing was alive inside. Once we got out of the water, we smelled them to see how strong the odor was. It smelled like ocean, but not strong enough that something was living inside. I have a 4-year-old who was also able to get his little hand in pretty far and they both were empty.

Dodging oversized loads on causeway: Rush hour on the Sanibel Causeway: Oversized load leaves no wiggle room

Are you a shell collector?

REYNA: We do have shells from our travels to Florida. We have smaller shells from the Atlantic side on Hutchinson Island, and we have some more substantial ones for our travels on the Gulf. My kids love to gift shells to their teachers when we return, so we keep the larger ones and more unique shells we find. We have a large glass canister of shells in our family room.

Do you have any tips for people about shelling?

REYNA: You do have to look, or dig, for them. The weather was calm for the fist shell and a pair of goggles probably wouldve helped. The waves were much larger when we found the second shell, so we went out in groups of two to help dig and to keep each other from drifting too far from where we thought we might have found something.

Anything else you'd like to share about your recent visit here?

REYNA: This last (most recent) visit was honestly the best vacation weve had in Florida. As much as we hated to see Sanibel in such a bad state after the hurricane, we felt so lucky to be able to come back, enjoy the beaches, and support any businesses we could. We drive down each year, and I know well be back next year to support the island and hunt for the next big one.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Family finds two large horse conch shells on Florida's Sanibel Island
The U.S. Embassy in Sudan issued a security alert Saturday, warning American citizens to shelter in place until further notice, hours after the country's military said it had agreed to guarantee evacuation requests made by the United States, Britain, France and China.

It is not currently safe to undertake a U.S. government co-ordinated evacuation of private U.S. citizens, the alert said, as fighting continued between the Sudanese army and its partner turned rival, the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group in the capital Khartoum and other parts of the northeast African nation.

The alert said there was incomplete information about convoys traveling from the northeast African country's capital Khartoum to the coastal city of Port Sudan. The embassy is unable to assist convoys. Traveling in any convoy is at your own risk, it added.

At least one American has been killed in Sudan since the fighting began, the State Department confirmed Friday. The U.S. victims name, gender, hometown and other details were not immediately disclosed.

The alert was issued hours after the Sudanese Armed Forces said in a Facebook post that the United States, Britain, France and China will evacuate their diplomats and citizens by air with military transport aircraft belonging to their armed forces from Khartoum.

It said that Gen. Fattah al-Burhan, the Sudanese army chief, had agreed to guarantee the evacuation requests, although it did not say how the departures would be organized.

The international airport in Khartoum is currently closed because of the fighting.

An estimated 16,000 Americans are on the ground in Sudan, many of them dual citizens. Around 500 of those American citizens had been in touch with the U.S. Embassy as of Wednesday, and 55 had requested an evacuation, with the number expected to rise.

A U.S. diplomatic convoy came under fire in an apparent attack by fighters linked to one of the warring sides, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday, calling the incident reckless and irresponsible.

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The Biden administration is leaning toward evacuating U.S. government personnel from Sudan, a military official and two congressional staff members, told NBC News Friday.

Sudanese army soldier sit atop a tank in the Red Sea city of Port Sudan (AFP via Getty Images)

It was unclear when any evacuation might take place, but the Pentagon announced Thursday that the U.S. was deploying extra troops to the region in case they were needed for an evacuation.

Elsewhere, Britains Foreign office said in a statement that it was "doing everything possible" to support its citizens and diplomatic staff in the country, but it did not mention any evacuation attempt. French officials have yet to comment.

The Sudanese army's announcement came after days of intense pressure from the international community for a cease-fire and for help in facilitating the evacuations from the country.

The Sudanese military said in a statement on Friday that it had agreed to a three-day cease-fire to enable citizens to celebrate Eid al-Fitr and allow humanitarian services to proceed smoothly.

But fighting continued overnight into Saturday morning and explosions could be heard in Khartoum. Two cease-fire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

The bombardments, gun battles and sniper fire in densely populated areas have hit civilian infrastructure, including many hospitals.

The clashes have killed more than 400 people so far, the World Health Organization said in a statement Friday, although it stressed the death toll would likely be higher.

Fighting erupted after months of tensions between the military and the Rapid Support Forces Rafter months of heightened tensions between the two forces that had delayed a deal with political parties to get the country back to its short-lived transition to democracy, which was derailed by a military coup in October 2021.

Both sides disagree on how the Rapid Support Forces should be integrated into the military, a key condition of the framework agreement. The army wants the transition to happen in two years, while the Rapid Support Forces said it could take 10 years.

Burhan and his current rival and Rapid Support Forces leader, Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, a former camel dealer widely known as Hemedti, were leaders in a counterinsurgency against an uprising in Sudans Darfur region, a conflict that in 2005 saw the countrys dictator, Omar al-Bashir, become the worlds first sitting leader to be indicted by the International Criminal Court on suspicion of genocide.

They were part of the military establishment that helped oust al-Bashir in 2019 after widespread popular unrest, raising hopes for democracy after his 30 years in power.

The two generals then joined together to overthrow the Western-backed government of Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdock in 2021.

But conflict sparked earlier this month over a disagreement over how to integrate the Rapid Support Forces, Hemedtis faction, into the national army, a key condition of a framework agreement to return Sudan to democratic civilian rule.

CORRECTION (April 24, 1:39 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article mistakenly characterized Sudan as a west African country. Sudan is in northeast Africa.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
(CNN)  Both of Sudan's warring factions have declared a 72-hour truce for the Muslim holiday of Eid after nearly a week of fierce fighting, which has left more than 400 people dead and pushed tens of thousands of refugees to flee the country.

The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) first announced a ceasefire earlier on Friday yet clashes continued north of the capital. Its rival Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) later announced a three-day suspension of fighting.

Foreign officials and international organizations had been calling for a three-day pause in fighting, which would allow people to find food, evacuate safely, or gather with family for Eid, which marks the end of the Islamic holdy month of Ramadan.

The fighting broke out last Saturday as SAF leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who is Sudan's military ruler, and RSF Commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo vie for control of the country

But it remains unclear if the agreement will hold after several previous ceasefires between the warring generals repeatedly broke down, with both sides trading blame for violating the terms.

The fighting has led to 413 deaths and 3,551 injuries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), and one US citizen has also been killed amid the violence, the US State Department confirmed to CNN on Friday.

Speaking at a United Nations briefing in Geneva on Friday, UNICEF spokesman James Elder said that so far at least nine children were killed and at least 50 injured, adding that the number of child casualties "will continue to rise as long as fighting continues."

Eyewitnesses that CNN has spoken with said fierce fighting raged in Khartoum North, an area north of the capital, on Friday.

The violence has also hampered the work of humanitarian and aid groups.

The UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM) said that it has been forced to suspend its humanitarian operations in Sudan, after a staff member died when the vehicle he was traveling in with his family on Friday morning was caught in a crossfire between warring parties in the southern Sudanese city of El-Obeid.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) says it has been unable to deliver aid to civilians in Sudan because of a lack of security guarantees due to the recent fighting and violence, according to a press release.

The RSF had announced a ceasefire in a statement on Twitter on Friday morning, saying it was due to begin at 6 a.m. local time SAF leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan released an on-camera statement Friday morning, expressing sadness for victims of the fighting and praying for a peaceful Eid -- but he made no mention of a truce.

"The ruin and destruction and the sound of gunfire have not allowed a space for the joy that our people across our beloved country deserve, and we are deeply saddened by this," Burhan said in the statement -- his first on-camera remarks since clashes broke out on April 15.

The pleas for a truce have grown more urgent in recent days as the death toll climbs. Most hospitals in the capital Khartoum are out of operation, with many having come under attack by shelling; meanwhile, those still operating are rapidly running out of supplies to treat survivors.

Residents have been stranded at home and in shelters without food or water, surrounded by the threat of gunfire and artillery outside.

The fighting could force millions into hunger, the World Food Program (WFP) warned on Thursday.

"Record numbers of people were already facing hunger in Sudan before the conflict erupted on April 15," it said in a statement, adding that the fighting was preventing the organization from delivering emergency food to civilians.

Evacuation efforts

The death of a US citizen in Sudan was confirmed by a State Department spokesperson on Friday. "We are in touch with the family and offer our deepest condolences to them on their loss," the spokesperson told CNN. "Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add," they added.

A ceasefire could provide a crucial window not just for aid distribution and medical care -- but for foreign governments to reach their citizens stranded in the country.

There are an estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, most of whom are dual nationals, officials told staffers Wednesday. Roughly 500 had contacted the US Embassy since the outbreak of fighting, though only around 50 of those people had asked for help, according to the staffers.

But the security situation and the closure of the airport in Khartoum has led to the US State Department to advise that American citizens in Sudan "should have no expectation of a US government-coordinated evacuation at this time," State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel at a press briefing.

"It is imperative that US citizens in Sudan make their own arrangements to stay safe in these difficult circumstances," he added.

The US Defense Department said on Thursday it was deploying "additional capabilities" nearby Sudan to secure the US Embassy in the country and assist with a potential evacuation, if the situation calls for it. It includes hundreds of Marines who are already in nearby Djibouti, a US defense official told CNN, with aircraft capable of bringing in ground units to secure an embassy.

US President Joe Biden had "authorized the military to move forward with pre-positioning forces and to develop options in case -- and I want to stress right now -- in case there's a need for an evacuation," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Thursday.

Some countries have already begun the evacuation process, with Japan announcing it would send its Self-Defense Forces to evacuate 60 Japanese nationals, including embassy staff, from Sudan.

South Korea's defense ministry said Friday it would send a military transport plane to evacuate its nationals from Sudan, adding that the aircraft and troops will "watch the situation from the US military base in Djibouti" since the Khartoum international airport remains closed. It added that all 26 South Koreans in Sudan have been confirmed to be safe, and that their forces would "prioritize the evacuation."

Sudan's army said Thursday that 177 Egyptian soldiers who had been trapped in the country were evacuated and safely returned to Egypt.

However, not all evacuations have started.

Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares said Friday that Spain has "pre-positioned" military planes to evacuate 60 Spaniards and about 20 nationals from other countries from violence-torn Sudan, but conditions are currently not safe for the planes to land in the country.

Albares did not say where the planes were pre-positioned, but prominent Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that the site is in Djibouti in East Africa. The newspaper said each plane has a capacity to evacuate about 100 people from Sudan.

Spain's Defense Ministry press office declined to respond to CNN's questions about the number of planes sent and their location.

Meanwhile, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson acknowledged that his country has not been able so far to take part in an international evacuation mission of both Swedes and other foreign citizens who are in Sudan, his press office said Friday in a statement.

On Wednesday, "the government made the necessary decisions needed for Sweden to be able to assist in an international evacuation mission of both Swedes and other foreign citizens who are in Sudan. Right now, it not possible to carry out that mission. We hope that it will be possible very soon," Kristersson said.

Switzerland said on Friday it was weighing evacuations of Swiss nationals and a portion of its embassy staff. The Swiss foreign affairs department said there were believed to be some 100 Swiss nationals registered in Sudan, while others were thought to be visiting the Red Sea area as tourists.

Local residents, too, are fleeing the country in huge numbers. Eyewitnesses in Khartoum describe growing lines of people at bus stops, hoping to escape the fighting. And up to 20,000 refugees from Sudan's Darfur region have fled to neighboring Chad in recent days, according to a statement from the UN Refugee Agency.

This story was first published on CNN.com. Sudans warring factions announce ceasefire
A teenager in Louisiana was fatally shot after going to the wrong house while looking for a Halloween party. A young man in Georgia was gunned down after pulling into the wrong driveway when GPS led him astray. Another man died from a bullet in Atlanta after Lyft dropped him off at the wrong apartment.

But these aren't the "wrong place, wrong time" shootings that have been dominating media attention in recent days. They happened in 1992, 2013 and 2019.

People are constantly told to be scared and to use guns to defend themselves, so we shouldnt be shocked when this happens," says UCLA law professor Adam Winkler.

Deadly overreactions to "wrong place" events have brought tragic consequences across the U.S. for decades. And many times when they happen, there are calls for stronger gun control, questions about racist motivations, and pleas for tougher laws to protect innocent people from gun-wielding homeowners.

But solutions have been elusive.

In the 1992 case, the death of Yoshihiro Hattori, a 16-year-old Japanese exchange student, caused reverberations around the world. Hattori, dressed in a white tuxedo in the style of Saturday Night Fever's John Travolta, was fatally shot by a homeowner with a .44 Magnum revolver after Hattori went to the wrong address.

The homeowner, arguing self-defense when he mistook a camera Hattori was carrying for a weapon, was found not guilty and courtroom spectators applauded when the verdict was announced.

The Japanese nation reacted strongly to the killing and the acquittal. Hattori's parents campaigned for gun law reform in the U.S. and met in 993 with President Bill Clinton, presenting him with a petition signed by 1.7 million Japanese citizens urging stronger gun control. And Hattori's mother and father, still to this day, lobby the U.S. for gun reform and plead with world leaders not to forget the senseless death of their son.

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Little has changed, however, and "wrong place" shootings are still dominating the news, with incidents in Missouri, New York and Texas in the past week.

We currently live in a country that has normalized gun violence through any fears, through culture and laws that allow it, said Josh Horwitz, co-director of the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. And what were now seeing is a horrific result of those efforts.

Horwitz believes that while more Americans are presumably buying guns for self-defense, there surely will be an increase of reckless shooting incidents.

The bottom line is were seeing more of it, a huge proliferation of firearms, of people not trained or skilled in firearms, and itchy trigger fingers, Horwitz said. With more firearms in peoples hands, there are more chances for these types of incidents to occur.

WHAT IS STAND YOUR GROUND?: Ralph Yarl, Kaylin Gillis shootings may renew debate about 'stand your ground' laws

Spate of 'wrong place' shootings this week cause debate, worry

The most recent spate of such shootings has rocked the nation in the last several days, with seemingly completely innocent people being fatally shot or seriously injured when they made simple mistakes.

Ralf Yarl, 16, rang the doorbell at the wrong house on April 13 when he went to pick up his sibling in Kansas City. The white man living there, Andrew Lester, is charged with shooting him in the forehead within seconds after opening the door.

Kaylin Gillis was riding in a car on April 15 that had pulled into the wrong driveway by accident in upstate New York. Police say the 20-year-old was killed when the homeowner, Kevin Monahan, fired shots at the car.

In Austin, teen cheerleader Heather Roth said she accidentally opened the wrong car door and got in, thinking it was hers, outside a grocery store late at night on Tuesday. She realized she was in the wrong car and got back out, but a man who was sitting in the passenger seat approached and opened fire as she tried to apologize from her friend's car. She and her teammate Payton Washington were struck and injured.

Cheryl Dorsey, a retired sergeant in the Los Angeles Police Department, said she doesn't think things will change.

"Sadly, I dont think national politicians have an appetite to do anything, Dorsey said.

KANSAS CITY, MO- APRIL 18: Protesters attend a rally for Black teen Ralph Yarl in front of U.S. District Court on April 18, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. The 16-year-old Yarl was shot last week by an 84-year-old white homeowner after going to the wrong house to pick up his brother.

When gun owners feel emboldened to shoot

Gun violence experts and advocates say a number of factors are at play behind the shootings. Chief among them are increasingly polarizing attitudes about the right to own and use firearms, and the amount of guns owned in the United States  researchers have estimated there are at least 393 million guns in the country, more than there are people.

Theres a huge disconnect when you have a society calling for gun reform, but a political body not willing to make changes, said Howard Henderson, a professor and director at the Center for Justice Research at Texas Southern University.

Politicians and partisan commentators seize on examples of violent crime in big cities to tear down their political opponents. People can even purchase signs warning trespassers they will be shot for less than $10 on Amazon.

Henderson said nearly every major survey in the U.S. says Americans want stricter gun laws, but the problem is that politicians seem to not want to change to pass meaningful gun legislation, he said.

Henderson believes politicians dont want to appear to go against high-powered lobbying groups like the NRA and other gun rights-supporting organizations. He said the courts are also hesitant to take any legislative gun reform actions.

Unfortunately, as a result, lives are being lost in the process, Henderson said.

'Shoot first and ask questions later'

Despite the attention on shootings, Dudley Brown, president of the National Association for Gun Rights, a Colorado-based advocacy organization, said its been a victorious couple of weeks for gun owners nationwide. He points to Florida eliminating licensing requirements for residents to carry a concealed firearm in most public places; Nebraska lawmakers passing a bill allowing people to carry concealed guns in the state without a permit and a Colorado House committee voting down a bill banning assault weapons.

U.S. states have a patchwork of laws governing self-defense. Researchers have linked the broadening of "stand your ground" laws, which allow for the use of deadly force when a person reasonably believes they are in imminent threat of being killed, and "castle doctrine" laws, which remove a person's duty to first try and retreat before using deadly force against an intruder, to increasing violent crime and racial bias in such incidents.

SELF-DEFENSE OR DEADLY OVERREACTION?: In a nation awash with guns and racial division, it can be hard to tell

Lester, the 84-year-old man who shot the teen in Missouri, told police he was "scared to death" after he saw a Black male pulling on his exterior door handle and thought someone was breaking in.

Winkler said he doubts Lester wouldve shot a middle-aged white woman if she had come to his door. But because its a young Black man, hes seen as a threat that must be countered.

Racial bias has been a factor in other "wrong place" shootings. In 2018, 14-year-old Brennan Walker said he missed his school bus and got lost when he tried walking the route, so he knocked on a door to ask for directions. Instead of directions, he got a woman yelling at him and her husband, Jeffrey Zeigler, firing shots that missed him. The couple said they thought he was breaking in, but Walker and his family said they believed the shooting was racially motivated.

Current gun laws allow owners not to suffer real consequences for any reckless actions, Horwitz said. In the 2013 case of a 22-year-old Roger Diaz, who was killed after GPS took him and his friends to the wrong address while they were headed to a friend's house, gunman Phillip Sailors was sentenced to a year of probation and a fine after pleading guilty to manslaughter.

We have a shoot-first mentality reinforced by laws that dont require you to have a permit, stand-your-ground acts where you dont have to retreat, Horwitz said.

So between hype from the gun lobbyists and the legal regime in many states, you can have your gun ready, shoot first and ask questions later."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wrong-place shootings have plagued US for decades despite calls for reform
LAPD Chief Michel Moore inspects a graduating class during a ceremony at the Los Angeles Police Academy on June 3. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

As the hand-wringing at Los Angeles Police Department headquarters continues over the release of police officers pictures, the city has been quietly scrubbing the names and ranks of cops from its public records website.

Earlier this month, hawk-eyed LAPD watchers began noticing the disappearance from the city's records portal of LAPD personnel rosters that had previously been released through a public records request.

As with all city departments, the LAPD maintains a roster with the names of its employees, both sworn and civilian, along with other basic details, such as rank, assignments and years of employment. Members of the public regularly request the information, which is subsequently published to the department's records portal. A review of the portal shows that in several cases, even though the records request itself is still visible, the rosters have been removed.

The rosters began vanishing shortly after the city filed a lawsuit against journalist Ben Camacho and the abolitionist group Stop LAPD Spying Coalition. The legal action sought to claw back thousands of officer headshots, in a move that was roundly condemned as baseless by 1st Amendment and media rights experts.

After the images' publication, LAPD Chief Michel Moore and other officials began to suggest in news interviews that the photos of some undercover officers were mistakenly released and posed a safety risk. Moore later told The Times that he has taken steps to address the safety concerns of those whose photos were released.

Soon thereafter, the city began taking down the LAPD rosters, according to Stop LAPD Spying.

Even if the personnel records were previously available, their erasure sends the message that the public is not entitled to them, said Matyos Kidane, a local organizer.

"To remove access in that way is kind of the equivalent of destroying these records," said Kidane, of Stop LAPD Spying, which published the images on a searchable database called Watch the Watchers."

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The group has accused the LAPD of stirring controversy around the photos' release in an effort to escape transparency. Its members said it counted at least nine instances in which information have been removed from the portal. While the original requests are intact, the accompanying records are no longer visible, according to the group.

"The city has a history of destroying records when they want to be held accountable for something," said Kidane, referring to an episode in the 1970s in which a judge accused the LAPD of shredding four tons of citizen complaints to avoid disclosing them to the public.

An LAPD spokeswoman on Friday confirmed that Moore ordered the rosters to be removed "due to the inadvertent release of the photographs of those in sensitive and confidential assignments."

According to the spokeswoman, Capt. Kelly Muniz, "nefarious actors" began "aggregating the various data sources to build profiles" of officers."Those profiles were then being used to threaten, intimidate and create fear on the part of our police officers and their families," Muniz said.

David Loy, legal director of the California First Amendment Coalition, said that generally speaking cities are not required to post public records online, with "limited exceptions for things such as agendas of Brown Act meetings and other things."

And yet, he said, a city's decision to remove records retroactively is troubling.

Im certainly not condoning this, dont get me wrong. I'm not saying this is a good thing. I think agencies should be proactive as being as transparent as possible," he said. "It absolutely defeats transparency as a matter of policy to take down or scrub public records from an agency website when they were previously posted.

The photos' release touched off a flurry of legal activity. The union that represents rank-and-file LAPD officers sued Moore, hoping to force the department to stop disclosing such images and claw back those already released. More than 300 LAPD officers who claim to work in sensitive assignments have also given notice that they intend to sue the city for negligence and for allegedly endangering their lives by releasing the images.

The city subsequently sued Stop LAPD Spying and journalist Camacho, who obtained the images in September through a public records request and related litigation. The legal team for Camacho, a reporter for Knock LA, filed a motion this week asking a judge to toss out the city's lawsuit, arguing that the action was unconstitutional and retaliatory.

It's impossible to tell how widely the images have spread online.

According to reporting by the Intercept, an online news site, the images have been published to the Internet Archive and the transparency collective Distributed Denial of Secrets, which has previously published materials leaked from other U.S. law enforcement agencies and from right-wing extremist groups.

Both sites have a history of rebuffing legal requests to take information down, according to the Intercept report.

Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Leopard tank

"After the second will follow with four more tanks," Tagesschau quoted him as saying.

The minister pledged Spain's support for Ukraine as long as it takes.

This includes humanitarian aid, refugee admissions, and weapons supply," he said.

Dozens of Ukrainian soldiers completed a four-week-long training on the Leopard 2A4 tanks in Spain on March 13.

A total of 40 crew members and 15 mechanics have undergone training ata military base in Zaragoza.

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
Alec Tabak/Pool via Reuters

The family of the late Rust cinematographer Halyna Hutchins has announced plans to file a civil lawsuit against Alec Baldwin, after prosecutors dropped the criminal charges against him last week.

In 2021, as the Rust crew filmed a scene set in a church, Baldwin was practicing drawing his prop gun when the firearm discharged, killing Hutchins. The actor has consistently maintained that he did not pull the trigger and that instead the gun misfired. Before Thursdays news that the involuntary manslaughter charges against him had been dropped, Baldwin faced a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison.

Attorney Gloria Allred, who represents Hutchins parents and sister (mother Olga Solovey, father Anatolii Androsovych, and sister Svetlana Zemko) did not mince words in a statement provided to Deadline.

Mr Baldwin may pretend that he is not responsible for pulling the trigger and ejecting a live bullet which ended Halynas life, Allred said. He can run to Montana and pretend that he is just an actor in a wild west movie but, in real life, he cannot escape from the fact that he had a major role in a tragedy which had real life consequences.

Cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Via Reuters

Deadline reports that Baldwins attorneys have called Hutchins family members planned lawsuit misguided and suggested that it would not hold up. Prosecutors are now focused on Rust armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was 24 years old at the time of the accident and still faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter.

In the wake of the deadly incident, sources whod worked with Reed told The Daily Beast that Gutierrez-Reed was inexperienced and green, and that her handling firearms on the set of the Nicolas Cage film The Old Way seemed a bit careless. The accident also sparked broader discussion of oversight on indie film sets.

Production on Rust resumed last week, as stipulated by a settlement between Baldwin and Hutchins widower, Matthew Hutchins. CNN reports that one stipulation included Matthew becoming a named executive producer. The production will not re-film the church scene that had been underway when the shooting occurred.

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On Friday, one day after the criminal charges against Baldwin dropped, TMZ published photos from the set, in which Baldwin can be seen handling a prop shotgun. According to Deadline, Rust director and producer Joel DSouzawho was also injured in the 2021 shootinghas said that no working firearms or ammo are allowed on set.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Cambria Community Services District has a new general manager  a paramedic who has worked in the area since 2008.

On Thursday, the districts board of directors voted 4-1 to hire Matthew Matt McElhenie, 47, for the GM job. He started his new job at noon Friday.

In a letter to the community Friday, McElhenie said hes spent 18 years working in emergency services, including 15 years working part-time as a Cambria Community Healthcare District paramedic. He also spent two years as a reserve firefighter and paramedic for the Cambria CSD.

McElhenie replaces acting general manager Ray Dienzo, who continues in the district engineer/utilities manager jobs he held while also holding down the top post.

Dienzo was filling in after previous GM John Weigold left in November after becoming engaged and relocating to the Santa Barbara area.

According to McElhenies employment agreement, he will earn $14,583 per month, or $175,000 annually, plus benefits for the first six months of his employment.

A staff report indicated his annual salary, based on the results of his six-month performance review, would then increase to $180,000 plus benefits the following year.

Im committed to transparency, to open communication and to inclusivity with our citizens, staff and board  with an open-door policy, the Cal Poly graduate said during an in-person presentation to the board.

I wont be hiding in an office, McElhenie added. I plan to be out in the public.

In addition to his work on the Cambria ambulance crew, McElhenie is currently program director for paramedic or emergency medical technician programs at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, UC Santa Barbara and Hartnell College in Salinas.

He previously was a fire engineer/paramedic for Cal Fire in Half Moon Bay and Fort Hunter Liggett.

According to his resume, his responsibilities as program director include financial analysis, public administration, economic community engagement and grant writing.

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McElhenie holds a doctorate of public administration degree from California Baptist University in Riverside, a masters degree in public safety administration from Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, and a bachelors degree in kinesiology from Cal Poly. He served as a Marine Corps reservist from 1998 until 2006.

Cambria CSD boards vote for new general manager

The boards vote came after McElhenies verbal presentation, and CSD administrative analyst Haley Dodson reading of a parade of letters of support for McElhenie, mostly from former colleagues, and public comment.

Director Tom Gray voted no on the contract, explaining before the vote that hes concerned about some gaps in McElhenies experience, including some areas of the CSDs purview such as water and wastewater.

Gray also expressed concerns about McElhenies continuing employment with Hartnell College in Salinas.

McElhenies contract as CSD general manager calls for him to be within district boundaries five workdays a week unless he has teaching commitments. During those weeks, hell be in the district at least three days a week, while staying available by phone, email and video conferencing on the other work days.

Youre energetic, outspoken, personable and a very good person for a job like this, Gray told McElhenie at Thursdays meeting.

However, Gray said, The experience you have is limited and you face a steep learning curve.

We want to have more of you here, Gray added, and were not doing you a real favor by giving you time for this other job, which takes away time you need to settle in and learn a job so complex.

Director Harry Farmer noted that Weigold also had outside employment.

McElhenie stressed that hes accustomed to working long hours for several entities at a time.

He said the CSD has had fairly high turnover in the general manager position recently and added that keeping his foot in the academic world for a while will help insure his familys financial security.

That doesnt mean I wouldnt leave the teaching position at a certain age, McElhenie said, but he has to provide for my four children, my wife and our financial obligations.

He, wife Melissa and their children Morgan, 17, twins Madden and Mallory, 15, and son Maverick, 12, live in Arroyo Grande.

We will allow our children to finish their high-school journey, and graduate with their close friends, he said in an email reply to The Tribune late on Friday. Once that is said and done, we would love to entertain the opportunity of potentially moving to Cambria.

Director Michael Thomas said he relates to McElhenie and his work ethic.

Thirty years ago, I was working 60 hours a week, working on my MBA and raising three kids, Thomas said. I understand the challenge (of this job) and  I got the impression that youre all in for Cambria.
The nations largest gas utility sought to charge ratepayers more than $1 million for legal fees to support a challenge to Berkeleys ban on natural gas hookups in most new buildings, a move environmental advocates called a brazen attempt to block climate-friendly policies in California cities.

SoCalGas told advocates that it requested ratepayers pay $1.14 million to a law firm representing the California Restaurant Association (CRA) in its challenge to Berkeleys ban, which was overturned by a federal court Wednesday. The utility has since rescinded the request and denies involvement in the case.

But legal researchers for Earthjustice, the environmental nonprofit that uncovered the payments, believe SoCalGas bankrolled legal research used in the lawsuit. Wednesdays ruling is considered a setback to prospects for similar bans in dozens of cities across California, including Sacramento.

These utilities are given a monopoly by the state but this one is actively working to undermine climate policy, said Matt Vespa, an attorney at Earthjustice. Gas bills are at an all time high, yet they tried to get away with putting the cost of climate obstruction onto customers. Thats extremely concerning.

As California looks to decarbonize much of its economy, it is exploring a variety of strategies to replace natural gas with electric appliances. Gas burns cleaner than coal and oil but still contributes to climate change and releases damaging air pollution.

Clean energy advocates say that widespread replacement of gas with electric appliances will reduce planet-warming emissions and limit gas leaks that research shows can contribute to health issues.

SoCalGas has emerged as a powerful opponent to the push for electrification, backing lobbying campaigns to convince public officials of the need to preserve gas. The company is a legally sanctioned monopoly subject to oversight from the Public Utilities Commission.

The California Restaurant Association brought a lawsuit in 2019 against the city of Berkeley, the nations first city to ban gas hookups in most new buildings. Losing flame cooking in kitchens would negatively impact restaurants, the association argued, and local policy bypassed federal energy regulations.

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In 2021, researchers with the California Environmental Justice Alliance began questioning SoCalGas payments to Reichman Jorgensen, the law firm representing CRA in the Berkeley suit. A review of expense reports show that the company paid the firm a total of $4,181,129 over the last three years.

The utility sought approval to charge ratepayers $1,786,838 in payments to Jorgensen in 2022, researchers say. Earthjustice asked SoCalGas whether the payments were related to the Berkeley lawsuit, and the CPUC recently forced the utility to answer.

In their response Wednesday, the utility said it had unintentionally categorized the payments as ratepayer dollars and rescinded the request. Earthjustice researchers say its clear that the payments were used to help underwrite the legal challenge against Berkeley, but SoCalGas representatives deny a connection to the lawsuit.

The Reichman Jorgensen costs referenced in your question are not being funded by ratepayers and are unrelated to the CRAs legal challenge to the Berkeley ordinance, said Dan Guthrie, a spokesperson for SoCalGas.

Sharokina Shams, a spokesperson for the California Restaurant Association, said in a statement: We are not aware of the reporting of the California Environmental Justice Alliance and are not privy to any work our legal counsel do on behalf of their other clients. Reichman Jorgensen LLP are representing CRA in this matter because they are experts in this area of litigation. We have not and do not coordinate with SoCal Gas on our litigation.
Insider's author spent a night at the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel at the Narita Airport in Japan. Monica Humphries/Insider

I ended a trip to Tokyo with an experience on my Japan bucket list  a night in a capsule hotel.

For $50, I slept at the Nine Hours Narita Airport, a pod hotel inside the airport.

The sleep wasn't great, but I thought it was convenient for travelers with early flights.

Earlier this month, I spent 12 days wandering around Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan. And as the days disappeared, I wanted to end my trip with a few experiences that were high on my travel bucket list.

The author in Tokyo's Shinjuku neighborhood. Monica Humphries/Insider

I made sure to spend my morning slurping shio ramen, and my afternoon exploring Shinjuku City, a popular Tokyo neighborhood known for its skyscrapers and stores.

A bowl of shio ramen. Monica Humphries/Insider

Source: Live Japan

And for my last night, I wanted to stay in a capsule hotel.

Rows of pods at the capsule hotel. Monica Humphries

Capsule hotels, often called pod hotels, originated in Japan, according to Conde Nast Traveler. They're hotels that offer basic amenities and cubby-like rooms.

The interior of a pod room at a capsule hotel. Jordan Parker Erb/Insider

Source: Conde Nast Traveler

I've stayed in a capsule hotel before and think they're best described as a cross between a hotel and a hostel you don't have much space, but you do get a bit of privacy.

The author in a capsule hotel in Australia. Monica Humphries/Insider

Read more: I paid $32 to stay in a futuristic capsule pod in Sydney, Australia. After 1 night, I can see why it's one of the city's lowest-rated hostels.

For this trip, I booked a night in a capsule hotel at the Narita International Airport where I was flying out of to go home.

The entrance to the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel at the Narita International Airport. Monica Humphries/Insider

Not only did it feel like an interesting way to end my trip, but I also hoped it would relieve travel anxiety. For me, the most stressful part of flying is getting to the airport, and by staying at the airport, I hoped to eliminate that concern.

A view of one of the pods at Nine Hours. Monica Humphries

My capsule cost $49 USD. Travelers can book a pod in the hotel to stay overnight or for just a few hours to nap and shower.

Two rows of capsules at the Nine Hours Hotel at the Narita International Airport. Monica Humphries

Source: Nine Hours Narita Airport

Around 9 p.m. on the last night of my trip, I hopped on a train in Shinjuku heading to Narita International Airport and arrived a little over an hour later.

Signs point to the hotel at the Narita international Airport. Monica Humphries

The hotel was located in terminal two, and when I arrived, there were signs pointing to the Nine Hours everywhere I looked.

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An escalator leads to the Nine Hours hotel. Monica Humphries

I reached the reception, and behind the check-in counter, screens flashed with the latest flight information. A worker helped me check in and went over the rules of the pods.

Screens displayed flight information for guests at the Nine Hours Hotel. Monica Humphries

I was not permitted to eat in my pod, but I could drink. Travelers were instructed to be quiet in the pods and return their towels to a bin before the end of their stay.

The check-in desk at the capsule hotel. Monica Humphries

Once the rules were covered, I was handed a key marked 11. This was the number on both my locker and bed.

Each pod had two nooks to store belongings. Monica Humphries

The capsule hotel was divided by gender, and I entered the women's section of the hotel. The first room was the locker room.

The entrance to the Nine Hours Capsule Hotel at the Narita International Airport. Monica Humphries/Insider

Since the pods are small, travelers store their belongings in lockers. The locker room had two long rows of lockers with a bench in between where I spotted other travelers unpacking and repacking belongings.

Two rows of lockers filled a room at the Nine Hours Hotel. Monica Humphries

There was plenty of space in my locker. Shoes aren't allowed in the rest of the hotel, so I slipped them off and stored them away.

Each traveler received access to a locker at the capsule hotel. Monica Humphries

Then I grabbed a pair of provided disposable slippers, which were inside a complimentary bag of toiletries that the hotel gives every overnight guest. The bag also contained two towels, a toothbrush, earplugs, and a nightgown.

A bag of amenities, which included towels and a nightgown. Monica Humphries

With my luggage locked away, I headed into the next room, which was the bathroom. Eight toilets lined one wall.

Rows of toilets and sinks. Monica Humphries

Across from the toilets were a row of sinks and a vanity station.

The bathroom also had a vanity area with outlets and hair dryers. Monica Humphries

In the next two rooms were nine showers.

The showers at the Nine Hours Hotel. Monica Humphries

I noticed that everything appeared to be remarkably clean.

The interior of a shower room. Monica Humphries

As I explored the hotel, I was shocked by its size. The rows of lockers felt as if they went on and on, as did the bathrooms.

A row of sinks in the capsule hotel. Monica Humphries/Insider

In other hostels I've booked, most rooms had four, eight, or 12 people. And often, I found this to be too many people. I'm a light sleeper, so I strangers snoring, as well as leaving and arriving at different times, has meant poor nights of sleep in the past.

A capsule hotel with 12 pods in Sydney. Monica Humphries/Insider

Prior to booking, I failed to consider how many pods were in each room, and I didn't spot that information on the hotel's website. But so many lockers hinted to me that there would be quite a few people sharing the same space.

Guests dropped off their used towels into the bin. Monica Humphries

Source: Nine Hours Narita Airport

And my fears were soon confirmed. Near the showers, I saw a door leading to the capsules that said, "Sleeping Pods 001 - 058."

A door leads to the pods. Monica Humphries

Those numbers indicated to me that I was going to be spending my night in a pod next to 57 other pods, which meant I was also going to be spending the night with 57 potential snorers and sleep talkers.

The author in her complimentary night gown. Monica Humphries

Any hope of sleep vanished, and I took a deep breath and stepped inside the pod room. The fluorescent lights of the rest of the hotel disappeared, and I felt like I was stepping into the set for a utopian movie.

Fifty-eight beds filled the women's section of the capsule hotel. Monica Humphries

The pods were illuminated in the darkness. Each capsule had a pull-down curtain for privacy, but with travelers still trickling in, the majority of the pods were open when I first arrived.

Each pod had a pillow and blanket. Monica Humphries

I walked the length of the room to bed 11 and found my pod.

The numbers for the pods painted on the floor. Monica Humphries

Inside my pod was a folded comforter and pillow.

The view of one pod. Monica Humphries

I crawled in and was surprised by how spacious the room felt. I didn't feel cramped on either side and had plenty of room to stretch out my legs and sit up straight. According to The Points Guy, the pod was about 26 square feet.

The author inside her pod at the Nine Hours Hotel. Monica Humphries

Source: The Points Guy

I thought the mattress was firm, and the pillow was firmer.

Each pod had a pillow. Monica Humphries

A small panel was stationed at the head of the bed. Here, I could control the pod's lights and access a power outlet. There was also a button for music provided by the hotel, but I didn't have headphones to try it out.

The control panel inside the pod. Monica Humphries

The pod also had two small storage nooks, though they could not hold much more than my pair of AirPods or locker key.

Each pod had two nooks to store belongings. Monica Humphries

Besides that, the room was bare.

A view of the pod at the Nine Hours Hotel. Monica Humphries

At 11:30 p.m., I was ready for bed, and pulled down the curtain at the entrance of the pod.

Each pod had a curtain for privacy. Monica Humphries

The curtain allowed for privacy, which I was thankful for, but it wasn't thick enough to dampen the sounds of other travelers entering the room. According to the hotel's website, the law prohibits doors or locks on the individual pods.

The pods illuminated in the dark. Monica Humphries

Source: Nine Hours Narita Airport

From what I could see, most pods were occupied. I dozed off to the sounds of a nearby pod mate snoring. Overall, it was surprisingly quiet considering over 50 other people were sharing the room.

A view of four empty pods. Monica Humphries

But, unfortunately, the silence didn't last long. At 3 a.m., I woke as strangers' alarms went off, pod curtains were opened, and people got up to catch a flight.

A screenshot of alarms. Monica Humphries/Insider

I  on the other hand  was in no rush to wake up. My flight wasn't until the afternoon, and I hoped to sleep in. I dozed in and out of sleep for the next five hours as people crawled out from their pods and headed to their airport gates.

Three pods at the capsule hotel. Monica Humphries

Overall, no, I didn't have a great night of sleep. But I usually don't prior to flights. Instead of deep sleep, I typically stir all night fearing I'll miss an alarm, and my flight.

The author inside her capsule. Monica Humphries

So even if I was in a traditional hotel, I don't think I would've gotten much extra rest. I climbed out of the capsule at 8:30 a.m. and was surprised to find that every other bed in the room was empty.

Rows of pods at the capsule hotel. Monica Humphries

Even though check-out wasn't until 10 a.m., it appeared that everyone else had already left, and the cleaning staff was stripping sheets and preparing for a new set of guests.

The interior of the capsule. Monica Humphries

It made sense. The pod seemed convenient for people with early flights who didn't want to make an hours-long journey to the airport in the morning.

The interior of one of the trains that goes to the Narita International Airport. Monica Humphries/Insider

When it was time for me to leave, I checked out of the hotel and headed to my terminal, which was a short walk and bus ride away.

The exterior of a building at the Narita International Airport. Monica Humphries

The short commute made getting to my gate stress-free. I typically spend the day of my flight fearing some sort of mishap will prevent me from getting to the airport on time. But all my anxieties disappeared since I was already at the airport.

Travelers stand inside the Narita International Airport. Monica Humphries/Insider

So while it wasn't the best night of sleep, it was awfully convenient and affordable. If I had an early morning flight in Japan, I'd be sure to book the capsule hotel again.

The author outside the hotel's entrance. Monica Humphries

Read the original article on Insider
"McIntyre." That name has become part of local lore that may remain beyond Portsmouth's 500th anniversary in 2123.

Thomas J. McIntyre was born in 1915. After graduating from Dartmouth in 1937, he received a law degree, then served in the U.S. Army during World War II with the rank of major.

Jim Splaine

Drawn to government, he became Laconia's mayor in 1949. He quickly became interested in national politics and was elected delegate to the 1956 Democratic National Convention. He soon developed a close friendship with John F. Kennedy, then a U.S. senator from Massachusetts.

In 1962, Thomas McIntyre ran for U.S. Senate. He supported President Kennedy's medical care initiatives and federal education funding, both causes in their infancy then. McIntyre earned election at a time when New Hampshire elective offices were mostly won by Republicans.

His focus in Washington was advocating for wilderness preservation, small business development, consumer banking, and defense procurement, serving on committees promoting those issues. He spent a lot of time in Portsmouth getting to know our residents. He fought to fund nuclear submarines, which was important to our Navy Yard, and expanded funding for Pease Air Force Base.

And he supported a new federal building to replace one that was a century old. Both currently stand.

His dedication to constituents led him to ask Eileen Foley, who served as New Hampshire state senator and Portsmouth mayor for several terms, to run his local field office. Her daughter, Mary Carey, remembers those years as a very busy, exciting and productive time for her mother. "She was truly devoted to the senator and worked endlessly for his constituents. She was referred to as 'the miracle worker' due to her success at solving problems for anyone who stopped by for the senator's help."

The Vietnam War absorbed much of the time Thomas McIntyre served in Washington, and with our state's first-in-the-nation presidential primary he became deeply embroiled in that era's Democratic Party politics. For several years McIntyre was among national leaders supporting the war effort.

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In the late 1960s and early '70s, I was N.H. Young Democrats president, and it was on that issue that I and others had clashes with him. Many people of my generation were seeing body bags of people our age being shipped home. Eventually he would oppose the Vietnam War and became an important leader in stopping it.

Throughout his career and despite a divisive war, Thomas McIntyre earned respect from many people, even those who disagreed with him. That reveals much about the quality of his personal skills. Those of us who knew him saw he was direct and passionate in his views  ready to do battle on behalf of the beliefs he held, yet willing to listen.

Throughout his service, and even after retirement in a book he wrote, he showed his concern for the future of the nation he loved by warning of divisions that were on our horizon. His book wears well in the politics of today, and is still widely available. In that way, he continues to serve the people of New Hampshire and America.

Thomas J. McIntyre died in 1992 at age 77.

"The Fear Brokers: Peddling The Hate Politics of the New Right." This 1979 book is the senator's early warning about the power of the far right-wing in American politics. "This is not a book about American conservatism, an old and honorable political philosophy I do not share but hold in high esteem. Rather, it is a book about the Radical Right, about people who profess to love America more and understand it better than you or I do but whose words and deeds belie this claim."  Thomas J. McIntyre, author.

Today's quotes: "My favorite memory would have to be working the gates of the Navy Yard during campaign season with the senator and my mother by my side."  Mary Carey Foley

"Although I was a rookie journalist when I met the senator at a press conference he held in 1970, I found him to be pleasant and outgoing."  legendary local journalist Roger Wood, remembering the beginnings of his career over 50 years ago. He currently covers news at InDepthNH.org and can be reached by Googling "Roger Wood At Large."

Next time: Student Government Day: Hope for Portsmouth's future.

Variously since 1969, Jim Splaine has been Portsmouth assistant mayor, Police Commission member, and School Board member, as well as New Hampshire state senator and representative. He can be reached at jimsplaineportsmouth@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Splaine: Memories of U.S. Senator Thomas J. McIntyre
A Springfield teenager was arrested early Saturday in connection to a homicide in London, Ohio.

London police and fire were called to a home in the 200 block of Washington Avenue just before 5:45 p.m. Friday.

When they arrived on the scene they learned a girlfriend returned home to find her boyfriend shot, according to London Police Department on social media.

The man, identified as Jamie Crim, 29, of London was taken to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

>> Richmond residents file class-action lawsuit against owner of facility that caught fire

After an investigation, a 17-year-old from Springfield was arrested around 1:30 a.m. and charged with murder, according to police.

Police said the motive for the shooting is still under investigation but a handgun believed to be involved in the murder was recovered.

The Montgomery County Coroners Office will be conducting the autopsy investigation.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations was called to help investigate the scene.

The case remains under investigation by London Police, with assistance from the Madison County Sheriffs Office and the Madison County Prosecutors Office.




The U.S. Department of State says that it's in contact with several hundreds of American citizens in Sudan as a growing civil conflict is emerging in the African nation.

Explosions and gunfire began Saturday amid an armed conflict between paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and Sudan's army, which are battling for control of the country.

State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said during a press briefing on about security precautions.

"We are in touch with several hundred private American citizens who we understand to be in Sudan. And of those, many of those have our registered through our Smart Traveler program, which, as I said, has been a mechanism in which we've been in direct communication with them to talk about security precautions and other measures that they can take on their own. But given the fluidity of the situation, I'm not going to get more specific than that," Patel said.

US FORCES DEPLOY TO DJIBOUTI AS PENTAGON EYES SUDAN EMBASSY EVACUATION

One U.S. citizen was killed in Sudan over the past week.

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A 24-hour cease-fire went into effect on Wednesday at 6 p.m with fighting becoming less intense in the hours after it began, according to Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Doctors Syndicate.

Multiple countries and the United Nations urged for an extension to the cease-fire. Military generals on both sides agreed to a "humanitarian truce for a period of 72 hours," on Friday.

A senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News on Thursday that the U.S. military is preparing to place additional forces in Djibouti in preparation for a potential mission to evaluate U.S. Embassy personnel in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city.

BLOODY SUDAN CONFLICT CONTINUES DESPITE TRUCE, INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

TOPSHOT - This image grab taken from AFPTV video footage on April 20, 2023, shows an aerial view of black smoke rising above the Khartoum International Airport amid ongoing battles between the forces of two rival generals. - Hundreds of people have been killed since the fighting erupted on April 15 between forces loyal to Sudan's army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)

Staff at the embassy have been sheltering in place since last weekend, when the explosions and gunfire began.

On Friday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed during a press conference that U.S. troops have been positioned nearby as a measure of safety.

"We always want to make sure that we're doing prudent planning, which is what we're doing," Austin added. "We've deployed some forces into the theater to ensure that we provide as many options as possible if we are called on to do something. We haven't been called on to do anything yet."

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo, Liz Friden, Lawrence Richard and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
(CNN) -- The Supreme Court on Friday protected access to a widely used abortion drug by freezing lower-court rulings that placed restrictions on its usage as appeals play out.

As a result, the US Food and Drug Administration's approval of the drug mifepristone and subsequent actions that made it more easily accessible will remain in place while appeals play out -- potentially for months to come.

The Friday night move is a striking victory for the Biden administration and its allies in the abortion rights community, which suffered a withering defeat at the Supreme Court last year when the conservative majority reversed the Roe v. Wade precedent that protected abortion rights nationwide.

The court's brief, unsigned order did not explain why it granted the request by the Biden administration and a manufacturer of the drug to intervene. Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito publicly dissented; the votes of the other justices were not disclosed.

The case is the most important abortion-related dispute to reach the high court since the justices overturned Roe v. Wade, triggering conservative states across the country to either ban or severely restrict the procedure. How the dispute over medication abortion is ultimately resolved could make it more difficult for women to obtain abortion, even in the states that still allow it.

At issue is the scope of FDA's authority to regulate mifepristone, a drug that the medical community has deemed safe and effective. Mifepristone has been used by millions of women across the country in the more than two decades that it has been on the market.

The next step in the litigation will be a hearing in front of a New Orleans-based federal appeals court on May 17.

"The case could well come back to the justices once the Fifth Circuit rules, but nothing is going to change with respect to mifepristone access until and unless the court both takes the case on the merits and sides with the challengers," said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law. "That's not going to happen for a long time -- if ever."

President Joe Biden praised the order.

"As a result of the Supreme Court's stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts," Biden said in a statement Friday evening.

Biden also urged Americans "to use their vote as their voice, and elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v Wade."

A lawyer for the group of doctors who brought the challenge downplayed the order. "As is common practice, the Supreme Court has decided to maintain the status quo," Erik Baptist, a lawyer for Alliance Defending Freedom, said in a statement.

"Our case seeking to put women's health above politics continues on an expedited basis in the lower courts," Baptist added. "We look forward to a final outcome in this case that will hold the FDA accountable."

Alito suggests government might have ignored mifepristone ban

In his dissent, Alito said he voted to deny the request for a stay because the 5th Circuit has scheduled such an expedited hearing on the merits of the dispute.

He suggested that allowing the restrictions to remain in place would not lead to "any real harm during the presumably short period at issue."

Alito wrote that the stay would not "remove mifepristone from the market" but would have simply restored "the circumstances that existed" from the time the drug was approved in 2000 to when the FDA passed new regulations to ease access to the pill starting in 2016.

"The Government has not dispelled legitimate doubts that it would even obey an unfavorable order in these cases, much less that it would choose to take enforcement action to which it has strong objections," Alito wrote.

No other justice joined his dissent.

Defenders of abortion pills react

Danco Laboratories, the manufacturer of the drug that intervened in the case to defend mifepristone's approval, cheered the Friday order for preserving "crucial access to a drug relied on by millions of patients."

"The lower courts' reversal of longstanding FDA approvals has caused widespread chaos among providers, patients, and healthcare systems. Today's order provides continuity to all concerned as we litigate the underlying issues in this case," Jessica Ellsworth, Danco's attorney, said in a statement.

The other manufacturer of the drug, GenBioPro, did not intervene in the lawsuit, but the FDA's approval of their product -- the generic version of the abortion pill -- would have been suspended had the Supreme Court left the lower court rulings in effect.

"Today's Supreme Court ruling keeps mifepristone lawful and available," the company's CEO Evan Masingill said in a statement responding to Friday night's order. "GenBioPro is continuing to serve its customers and is committed to providing our evidence-based, essential medication to all who need it."

US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said the order was " an important step in the right direction" as the administration "vigorously" fights "to defend the FDA's independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs."

"We are confident the law is on our side and remain focused on prevailing in court," he said. The Justice Department declined to comment.

Lower court rulings that second guessed FDA's assessments

The legal controversy began last November when a group representing doctors who oppose abortion filed suit, arguing that the FDA had not done enough to ensure the safety of the drug some two decades earlier.

US District Court Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump appointee, issued a broad ruling on April 7 that blocked the approval of the drug, as well as changes the FDA made in subsequent years to make the drug more accessible. He, however, delayed the effective date of his ruling by seven days to give time for an appeal.

Rejecting the consensus of the medical community, Kacsmaryk raised questions about the safety of the drug, peppering his opinion with jargon that is often used by opponents of abortion. He labeled doctors who perform the procedure "abortionists" and explained that he would reject the term "fetus" in favor of the more inflammatory "unborn human." Instead of referring to the procedure as a "medication abortion," he insisted on calling it a "chemical abortion."

The FDA, Kacsmaryk contended at one point, "acquiesced on its legitimate safety concerns -- in violation of its statutory duty -- based on plainly unsound reasoning and studies that did not support its conclusions."

Mainstream medical associations have rebuked his assertions about the dangers of the drug, and mifepristone has been shown to be safer than common medicines like penicillin and Viagra.

On a key threshold issue, the judge insisted that the plaintiffs -- doctors who do not use or prescribe the drug -- had the legal right to be in court to make their case because they allege that the use of the drug could "overwhelm" the medical system.

Stunned by the breadth of the decision, the Biden administration and Danco, a manufacturer of the drug, filed an appeal with the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals.

The appeals court ultimately let stand the government's approval of the drug, but agreed with Kacsmaryk that access could be limited.

A divided three-judge panel ordered a return to the stricter, pre-2016 FDA regime around the drug, which prevents mailing the pill to patients who obtained it through telehealth, or virtual visits with their providers, rather than traveling to a clinic or hospital to obtain the drug in person. It also effectively revokes the 2019 approval of the generic version of the drug. The restrictions also affect the instructions on the label for the medication, shortening the window of obtaining the pill to seven weeks into pregnancy as opposed to 10.

It's possible however that even with the ruling in effect, some providers could go "off-label" and continue to prescribe mifepristone up until 10 weeks.

The 5th Circuit claimed that the FDA's rules for the drug created "an exceedingly unusual regime," and that the anti-abortion doctors had the right to sue over it because they would "necessarily be injured by the consequences" of the FDA's decision "to cut out doctors from the prescription and administration of mifepristone."

The appeals court said that the statute of limitations likely barred the plaintiffs from challenging the 2000 approval, but that they were likely to succeed in their claims against the FDA's more recent moves to adjust the rules around the drug.

The court accused the FDA of having an "ostrich's-head-in-the-sand approach" to the drug that was "deeply troubling."

Biden last week decried how those lower courts had handled the case.

"I think it's outrageous what the court has done, relative to concluding that they're going to overrule the FDA on whether something is safe or not," he said. "I think it's out of their domain."

Pleas for the Supreme Court to intervene

The Biden administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene last week, with court filings from Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar citing "unprecedented lower court orders countermanding FDA's scientific judgment and unleashing regulatory chaos by suspending the existing FDA-approved conditions of use for mifepristone."

Implementing the changes to mifepristone's rules ordered by the lower courts would "deny women lawful access to a drug FDA deemed a safe and effective alternative to invasive surgical abortion," while putting the FDA and the entities they regulate "in an impossible position."

Danco Laboratories, a manufacturer of the brand-name version of the drug that had intervened in the case to defend FDA's approval of mifepristone, also requested the high court to step in.

Leaving the lower court rulings in place, the company's attorney said in filings, would "irreparably harm Danco, which will be unable to both conduct its business nationwide and comply with its legal obligations."

"The lack of emergency relief from this Court will also harm women, the healthcare system, the pharmaceutical industry, States' sovereignty interests, and the separation-of-powers," the attorney, Ellsworth, told the justices.

The anti-abortion doctors who had brought the case meanwhile told the justices that the restrictions the appeals court placed on the drug were "reasonable."

"The lower courts' meticulous decisions do not second-guess the agency's scientific determinations; they merely require the agency to follow the law," the challengers argued.

This story has been updated with additional details.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "Supreme Court protects access to abortion pill"
Baroness Lawrence arrives at the 30th anniversary memorial service for her son Stephen - Jeff Gilbert

Stephen Lawrence's mother has said his "story remains as important and relevant as ever" as a memorial service was held in central London to mark the 30th anniversary of the teenager's death.

The murder victim's family gathered at St Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square on Saturday with Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, and Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, also in attendance.

Sir Keir made a short speech and read a poem by Maya Angelou at the request of Stephen's mother, Baroness Lawrence.

The anniversary comes after Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, apologised for failings in the aftermath of the killing, with the force's response to the investigation being branded institutionally racist in the 1999 Macpherson Report.

Stephen was stabbed to death on April 22 1993 in an unprovoked, racially motivated attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham, south-east London, after he was set upon by a gang of white youths shouting racial slurs and brandishing weapons.

The bungled original investigation hampered by racism and alleged police corruption meant it took nearly 20 years for two of the 18-year-old's five killers to be brought to justice, with three never prosecuted.

The date of his death is now marked by Stephen Lawrence Day each year.

Stephen Lawrence - PA

Sir Keir told the memorial that "contrasted against the very worst side of Britain, Stephen represented the best", as he lamented the loss of "a life which shone with the light of potential".

He was director of public prosecutions when two of Stephen's killers were brought to justice.

Speaking outside the church, Mr Khan asserted that the Metropolitan Police Service remains "institutionally racist".

He said: "It's 30 years since Stephen Lawrence was brutally murdered, I remember it well as a south Londoner.

"For those of us who are people of colour it had a ripple effect on us, ripples of hate but also the appalling way that the family was let down by the Met Police Service, by the media and by some politicians.

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"Thirty years on, we've not made the progress we'd hope to have made.

"It's really important that we recognise that 30 years on, Dame Louise Casey has found the Met Police to still be institutionally racist, we can't ignore that or equivocate on that, we've got to make progress."

Sir Keir Starmer, Stuart Lawrence, John Sentamu, Baroness Lawrence and Sadiq Khan outside the service - Stefan Rousseau

The Casey Review into the Metropolitan Police, published last month, found the force to be institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic in the wake of a series of scandals, including the murder of Sarah Everard by a serving officer, and Pc David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist.

Sir Mark admitted on Friday that the Metropolitan Police "did not dig deep enough" to root out racism after Stephen's murder.

Baroness Lawrence said her son's "story remains as important and relevant as ever" 30 years after his death, adding that she is "filled with immense pride to witness all that has been achieved in his name".

"From launching education initiatives to opening up career pathways and inspiring community engagement, Stephen's legacy has touched countless young lives and moved us closer towards a more just and equitable society", she said in a statement.

"Yet, we must also acknowledge the work still to be done. Inequality persists, and our mission to create a world free from discrimination continues".

Earlier this week, she told the BBC that "nothing much has changed" within the Metropolitan Police in the 30 years since her son was murdered.

Jessica Neil, chief executive of the Stephen Lawrence Day Foundation, said the anniversary was "an incredibly difficult time" for Stephen's loved ones but said she was "feeling hopeful for the next 30 years".

She said the teenager's legacy was one of "hope and change", adding: "He was an ordinary young man who's life and death has inspired extraordinary change in the fabric of British society and so his legacy is one of hope and change and inspiring other young people like him to fulfil the breadth and depth of their potential."
If your Delaware state tax refund still hasnt hit your bank account, youre not alone.

Many Delawareans have been wondering why their state tax refund is taking weeks to end up in their pockets. If this sounds like your current predicament, weve got some answers to help you out.

When is the Delaware state income tax deadline?

Piggy banks in Delaware might be a bit emptier now that many are still left without their state tax refunds.

The Internal Revenue Service began accepting and processing tax returns in January. They were due by April 18, unless you were granted an extension.

Delaware began processing 2022 individual state income tax returns on Jan. 23, according to the states Division of Revenue.

The filing deadline for personal state income tax is Monday, May 1.

When should I expect my Delaware state tax refund?

Although federal returns are expected to be refunded within 21 days of electronic filing, according to the IRS, Delaware state tax returns operate a bit differently.

The Delaware Division of Revenue began issuing refunds on Feb. 15 and has since seen a 5% increase in the number of refund requests.

Returns with fewer complexities may process faster than returns where inconsistencies require further manual review, said the Division of Revenue.

Tax legislation: Lawmakers pass tax relief bill that could put more money in your pocket: The Press Room

The average processing time to date for returns without any agency review has been eight days. More complex returns average 34 calendar days.

Overall, the divisions automated systems indicate that it can take 10 to 12 weeks for review, according to the Division of Revenue.

Delaware Division of Revenue using new system

Aside from data errors drawing out refund windows, the division is operating on a new system that is different than the process of review for previous years.

The second phase of the divisions new, modernized tax system, with a focus on personal income tax, was implemented in October.

As part of this new effort, the division was careful to monitor system progress to help quickly identify system anomalies and ensure proper functioning and take any additional steps needed to prevent fraud that may target new systems, said the Division of Revenue.

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We are working diligently to quickly process refunds while also working to prevent fraud and ensure the accuracy of amounts claimed, said Kathy Revel, director of revenue.

Tax filing tips

Residents are encouraged to file their taxes online at tax.delaware.gov or to go through other electronic filing programs to receive their refunds faster. Requesting refunds by direct deposit also will improve refund processing, said the Division of Revenue.

If you need a filing extension, requests must be made by May 1.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: When Delaware state tax refunds are expected, why some still wait
Walter Green, 18, was arrested around 8 a.m. on April 21, 2023 near 1200 Doray Court, according to Stockton police.

Reports of a knife assault led police to a home near Louis Park on Thursday morning when they arrested a man they believe killed someone in downtown Stockton hours before, according to police.

Walter Green, 18, was arrested around 8 a.m. near 1200 Doray Court, located west of Interstate 5 near the Port of Stockton, police said in an online post on Thursday.

A girl called 911 alleging Green was at her house trying to stab her, police said. He was later connected to a homicide that took place hours before. The girl wasn't injured.

At about 7:15 a.m., officers found an unconscious man in his 50s behind the Medico-Dental Building. Officers say it appeared the man suffered blunt-force trauma and died at the scene.

A spokesperson for the county medical examiner did not immediately respond to a request to identify the victim.

Green was arrested and booked at the San Joaquin County Jail on suspicion of homicide. No official charges had been filed in court against Green as of Friday afternoon, a search of court records showed. Prosecutors have 48 hours to charge the man.

Homicides in downtown Stockton

The man's death marks the fourth reported homicide in downtown Stockton this year.

Sometime before midnight on April 3, 22-year-old Moses Richardson Jr. was shot to death two blocks from Fremont Square.

In February, fatal shootings occurred in downtown Stockton two days in a row.

On Feb. 4, a 44-year-old man was shot to death sometime before 11:30 p.m. outside a club in the Waterfront Warehouse building. Another man was shot to death near 1300 West Fremont Street the next day. No arrests have been made public in either case.

Thursday's homicide is the third this year not committed using a firearm. In March, a man was found dead in Mormon Slough near Airport Way with serious head wounds. Police would not provide more detail about his injuries.

A woman in her 60s also died following an arson attack in January, police reported.

Record reporter Aaron Leathley covers public safety. She can be reached at aleathley@recordnet.com or on Twitter @LeathleyAaron. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.

This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton police make same-day arrest following fourth downtown homicide this year
Researchers discovered new markings on the Stone of Destiny ahead of King Charles' III coronation.

The stone has been used in English coronations for hundreds of years.

One of the newest discoveries includes markings that could be Roman numerals.

The Stone of Destiny, a 13th-century sandstone symbol of Scotland's monarchy, will be delicately transported from Scotland to Westminster Abbey ahead of the May 6 coronation of King Charles III.

The stone has been a part of English coronations for centuries, yet ahead of Charles' coronation, scientists in a press release said they have discovered never-before-observed details about the stone, thanks to 3D modeling.

The modeling was done to help measure the stone, which will be placed inside Charles' Coronation chair, but revealed more than the researchers had hoped for.

"It's very exciting to discover new information about an object as unique and important to Scotland's history as the Stone of Destiny," Ewan Hyslop, Head of Research and Climate Change at HES, said in the release.

One of the discoveries includes four markings on one face of the rock that appear to be Roman numerals three X's and one V  Historic Environment Scotland, a public body to preserve Scotland's history that maintains the stone, said.

However, their exact meaning remains unknown, Hyslop said.

The markings also helped researchers to further place the stone's origins, with the researchers concluding it is most likely a sandstone from the Scone Sandstone Formation around Scone Palace in Scotland. It also revealed wear and tear over the years including when the stone was broken in half in 1950 during an unsuccessful heist to return the stone to Scotland  and the work done to fix it.

"The high level of detail we've been able to capture through the digital imaging has enabled us to re-examine the tooling marks on the surface of the Stone, which has helped confirm that the Stone has been roughly worked by more than one stonemason with a number of different tools, as was previously thought."

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Another analysis tool known as X-ray fluorescence was used by researchers to find traces of copper alloy, meaning that for a prolonged period, there may have been a bronze or brass item placed on the stone that is no longer there. The XRF analysis also found "microscopic traces" of gypsum plaster on the stone, meaning that at some point in history, at least one person may have tried to make a cast of the rock.

"We may not have all the answers at this stage, but what we've been able to uncover is testament to a variety of uses in the Stone's long history and contributes to its provenance and authenticity," Hyslop said in the statement.

The Stone of Destiny was repatriated to Scotland in the 1990s after English monarchy took hold of it six centuries earlier. An ancient legend says the stone would be able to recognize its rightful monarch, the BBC reported.

HES did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Read the original article on Insider
Diamond Ranch Academy declined to take Taylor Goodridge to the hospital when she was fatally ill, a state report found. Matt Gush/Getty Images

A Utah teenager who died at a troubled teen facility was "crying and groaning in pain" leading up to her death.

Still, staffers at Diamond Ranch Academy refused to take her to a hospital, NBC News reported.

Taylor Goodridge's parents are suing the academy, which has asked for the case to be dismissed.

A 17-year-old who died at a troubled teen facility in Utah in December was sick for weeks and "crying and groaning in pain" before she succumbed to a treatable illness, according to a report from the state's Department of Health & Human Services.

Still, staffers refused to take her to the hospital for more than a week, and she died before she could get medical attention, according to the report, which was first obtained by NBC News.

Taylor Goodridge died on December 20 at Diamond Ranch Academy from peritonitis, an infection that is typically treated with antibiotics, NBC News reported.

Goodridge was ill and vomiting for multiple days, but staffers at Diamond Ranch  which costs some $12,000 per month, a former staffer told NBC News  dismissed Goodridge's "complaints of pain and discomfort," the DHHS report found.

In the 12 days leading up to Goodridge's death, she vomited at least 14 times, including 7 times in one 11-hour period, the report found. She had been sick for weeks and complained of difficulty breathing and sleeping, DHHS interviews with Diamond Ranch staff found.

Despite her symptoms, the facility "did not take the client to see a physician or to the emergency room for further assessment. The client collapsed and passed away," the report said. A lawsuit filed against Diamond Ranch by Goodridge's father claims that she was only taken to the hospital after she died at the school.

An autopsy found that Goodridge succumbed to peritonitis, or infected abdomen tissue, which led to sepsis and ultimately death, according to NBC News. The autopsy also found Goodridge had been showing signs of illness since October.

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Utah's DHHS placed Diamond Ranch on probation, suspending its ability to enroll new students, citing compliance issues. After unannounced visits by officials and an appeal from Diamond Ranch, that suspension was lifted in March  before Goodridge's autopsy was complete, NBC News reported.

Goodridge's parents, Dean Goodridge and AmberLynn Wigtion, said in a statement to NBC News that they were "dumbfounded" that state officials have "not held Diamond Ranch Academy accountable for Taylor's death, settling with Diamond Ranch Academy without any input from our family."

"We are devastated to learn that Taylor's death was entirely preventable had Diamond Ranch Academy cared," the statement continued.

Goodridge's father is suing the school to ensure "this does not happen to other innocent teens and their families," they told NBC News.

An attorney for the school told NBC News that Taylor Goodridge's death was a "tragic circumstance" and that the school disputed "many aspects" of the accounts contained in the DHHS report.

Diamond Ranch has asked for the case to be dismissed. In a filing on Friday, Goodridge's attorney asked that the school's request be denied, stating that Taylor Goodridge's death was a direct result of the academy's "refusal to provide health care when it was requested," according to court records.

Attorneys for the academy did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on Saturday.

Read the original article on Insider
Kansas Citys air quality received low grades from the American Lung Association Wednesday in the groups annual State of the Air report.

The report ranks cities and assigns grades to counties around the country based on the number of high-pollution days they experienced during the period from 2019 to 2021.

Nearly 36% of Americans  119.6 million people  still live in places with failing grades for unhealthy levels of ozone or particle pollution, the report found.

We talked to a local air quality expert and consulted the reports recommendations to get the best tips on how to stay safe from air pollution in the metro. Heres what we learned.

How bad is air pollution in the Kansas City area?

The report assigned grades on two metrics: daily ozone levels and daily particle pollution levels. Both of these pollutants can cause negative health effects, especially in vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.

The report identified ten key groups who are most impacted by poor air quality. These groups include children, seniors, people with asthma, pregnant people and people with other health conditions as well as people of color and those living in poverty.

The burden of living with unhealthy air is not shared equally, the report stated. Although people of color are 41% of the overall population of the U.S., they are 54% of the nearly 120 million people living in counties with at least one failing grade.

You can see how local counties in Missouri and Kansas were graded in the images below.

Missouris high air pollution days are tallied and graded by county in the 2023 State of the Air report. Jackson and Clay counties are highlighted. American Lung Association

Particle Pollution: This type of air pollution is composed of tiny particles of soot, smoke, dust and chemicals that are commonly found in urban and industrial areas. These particles, often too small to see, can lodge deep in the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.

According to the EPA, the most common type of particle pollution comes from emissions from power plants, industries and vehicles.

Jackson County received a D grade on its particle pollution levels for having eight high-level days during the reporting period. Nearby Clay County saw none, earning it an A grade, while Platte County was not included in the report.

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In Kansas, Wyandotte County received a D for its nine high particle pollution days, while Johnson County got a C with four of these days.

Ozone Pollution: Missouri was recently cited by the EPA for its high levels of ground-level ozone, also known as smog.

Ozone is formed when nitrous oxides, a common emission from any machines or facilities that burn fuel, interacts with the air. Breathing in ozone can harm the respiratory system and lead to other health problems like asthma.

The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) tracks ozone levels in the metro, but does not have any ozone monitors in Jackson County.

Missouris Department of Natural Resources also monitors air quality around the state, but its devices do not measure ozone levels, a Jackson County spokesperson told The Star.

In Missouri, Clay County received a C grade in this category for having five high-ozone days during the reporting period. Platte County wasnt included in the report, and Jackson County did not receive an ozone grade because daily ozone level data was not available.

In Kansas, Wyandotte County got a C with four high-ozone days, while Johnson County got a B with one high-ozone day.

What can I do to avoid the effects of air pollution?

The American Lung Association included recommendations for air safety measures individuals can take in their communities. We also consulted with local air quality expert Beto Lugo Martinez, the president of the Kansas City nonprofit CleanAirNow and a member of the environmental justice advisory council at the Health Effects Institute. Here are a few tips to help you breathe easier:

Check your local air quality daily. You can do this by visiting airnow.gov and entering your ZIP code, or by scrolling down to the air quality section on most weather apps. Be cautious when the air quality rating is in the orange zone or higher  these indicate that the air may cause irritation to high-risk groups.

When the air is bad, move your exercise plans and other activities indoors, the association recommended. Learn more about how to keep your indoor air safe below.

Reduce your own air pollution output. We all have a role to play in reducing air pollution both outdoors and indoors. Reducing your use of gasoline-fueled vehicles outdoors and natural gas appliances indoors is a good place to start.

Avoid lighting fires when you can: Dont burn leaves or trash, and avoid burning wood whenever possible, the report advises.

Even using harsh cleaning chemicals or burning candles indoors on a regular basis can increase the particulate matter in your home, Lugo Martinez told The Star. Consider burning candles and spraying cleaners in well-ventilated areas and choosing those without added scents.

Lugo Martinez added that socioeconomic conditions can also contribute to the burden of air pollution both within the home and beyond it.

Those living in substandard housing do not have the resources to tackle indoor or outdoor pollution. So the things people can do to reduce indoor air pollution are not accessible to everyone, he said.

Use caution around gas stoves. According to the EPA, natural gas-burning stoves produce harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide. If you have an exhaust hood over your stove, make sure it vents to the outdoors. If you dont, try to boost the air flow through your kitchen by using an exhaust fan or opening doors and windows.

Improve the ventilation in your home. This doesnt have to mean investing in a brand-new HVAC system. Using inexpensive home air filters and changing the filters in your current HVAC system regularly are great places to start.

Check behind the air vent panels in your home or inside the front of your air conditioner to find out what filters you already have that may need replacing. Lugo recommended using MERV-13 filters, which can catch extremely small particles  learn more about how the EPA rates air filters here.

This is not going to solve the climate crisis or reduce (outdoor) pollution, Lugo Martinez told The Star. But when it comes to indoor air quality, you know, theres a lot of things community members can do.

Do you have more questions about air quality in Kansas City? Ask the Service Journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com.
KHARTOUM, Sudan  The Sudanese army said Saturday it was coordinating efforts to evacuate American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan on military aircraft, as the bloody fighting that has engulfed the vast African nation entered its second week.

The military said that its chief, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, had spoken to leaders of several countries who have requested safe evacuations of their citizens and diplomats from Sudan. The prospect has vexed officials as most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital, Khartoum, has proven intensely dangerous.

Burhan agreed to provide the necessary assistance to secure such evacuations for various countries, the military said.

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudans main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors. As battles between the Sudanese army led by Burhan and a rival powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens  some of whom are running short on food and basic supplies while hunkered down.

The Pentagon said earlier this week it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the evacuation of U.S. Embassy personnel. But the White House said Friday it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of an estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Even as the warring sides said Friday theyd agreed to a cease-fire for the three-day Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, explosions and gunfire rang out across Khartoum on Saturday. Two cease-fire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed.

People need to realize that the war has been continuous since day one. It has not stopped for one moment, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties. The clashes have killed over 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organization.

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The international airport near the center of the capital has come under heavy shelling as the paramilitary group, known as the Rapid Support Forces, or RSF, has tried to take control of the compound. In an apparent effort to oust the RSF fighters, the Sudanese army has pounded the airport with airstrikes, gutting at least one runway and leaving wrecked planes scattered on the tarmac. The full extent of damage at the airfield remains unclear.

Burhan said that some diplomats from Saudi Arabia had already been evacuated from Port Sudan, the countrys main seaport on the Red Sea, and airlifted back to the kingdom. He said that Jordans diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way.

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia and Jordan both announced that they had started arranging for the repatriation of their citizens stuck in Sudan. Officials did not elaborate on how the plans would unfold. Jordan said it was taking into account the security conditions on the ground and was coordinating its efforts with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP)  American embassy staffers were airlifted from Sudan early Sunday, as forces loyal to rival generals battled for control of Africa's third-largest nation for a ninth day amid fading hopes for deescalation.

The warring sides said they were helping coordinate the evacuation of foreigners, though continued exchanges of fire in Sudan's capital undermined those claims.

A senior Biden administration official said U.S. troops are carrying out the precarious evacuation of U.S. Embassy staffers. The troops who airlifted the staff out of Khartoum have safely left Sudanese airspace, a second U.S. official confirmed.

The Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group, which has been battling the Sudanese army, said the U.S. rescue mission involved six aircraft and that it had coordinated evacuation efforts with the U.S.

But the U.S. denied the group did anything to help the evacuation.

You may have seen some assertions in social media in recent hours, that the Rapid Security Forces somehow coordinated with us and supported this operation. That was not the case, said Under Secretary of State for Management John Bass. They cooperated to the extent that they did not fire on our service members in the course of the operation.

The RSF, led by Gen. Mohammed Hamad Dagolo, said it is cooperating with all diplomatic missions and that it is committed to a three-day cease-fire that was declared at sundown Friday.

Earlier, army chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan said he would facilitate the evacuation of American, British, Chinese and French citizens and diplomats from Sudan after speaking with the leaders of several countries that had requested help.

French Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Anne-Claire Legendre said Sunday that France was organizing the evacuation of its embassy staff, French citizens in Sudan and citizens of allied countries. She said France was organizing the operation in connection with all the involved parties, as well as with our European partners and allies.

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However, the situation on the ground remains volatile. Most major airports have become battlegrounds and movement out of the capital has proven intensely dangerous. The two rivals have dug in, signaling they would resume the fighting after the declared three-day truce.

Questions have swirled over how the mass rescues of foreign citizens would unfold, with Sudan's main international airport closed and millions of people sheltering indoors. As battles between the Sudanese army and the powerful paramilitary group rage in and around Khartoum, including in residential areas, foreign countries have struggled to repatriate their citizens  many trapped in their homes as food supplies dwindle.

The White House would not confirm the Sudanese militarys announcement. We have made very clear to both sides that they are responsible for ensuring the protection of civilians and noncombatants, the National Security Council said. On Friday, the U.S. said it had no plans for a government-coordinated evacuation of the estimated 16,000 American citizens trapped in Sudan.

Saudi Arabia announced the successful repatriation of some of its citizens on Saturday, sharing footage of Saudi nationals and other foreigners welcomed with chocolate and flowers as they stepped off an apparent evacuation ship at the Saudi port of Jeddah.

Officials did not elaborate on exactly how the rescue unfolded but Burhan said the Saudi diplomats and nationals had first traveled by land to Port Sudan, the countrys main seaport on the Red Sea. He said that Jordans diplomats would soon be evacuated in the same way. The port is in Sudans far east, some 840 kilometers (520 miles) from Khartoum.

President Joe Biden ordered American troops to evacuate embassy personnel after receiving a recommendation earlier Saturday from his national security team with no end in sight to the fighting, according to the official who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the mission.

The evacuation order was believed to apply to about 70 Americans. U.S. forces were flying them from a landing zone at the embassy to an unspecified location.

With the U.S. focused on evacuating diplomats first, the Pentagon said it was moving additional troops and equipment to a Naval base in the tiny Gulf of Aden nation of Djibouti to prepare for the effort.

Burhan told Saudi-owned Al Arabiya satellite channel on Saturday that flights in and out of Khartoum remained risky because of the ongoing clashes. He claimed that the military had regained control over all the other airports in the country, except for one in the southwestern city of Nyala.

We share the international communitys concern about foreign nationals, he said, promising Sudan would provide necessary airports and safe passageways for foreigners trapped in the fighting, without elaborating.

Two cease-fire attempts earlier this week also rapidly collapsed. The turmoil has dealt a perhaps fatal blow to hopes for the countrys transition to a civilian-led democracy and raised concerns the chaos could draw in its neighbors, including Chad, Egypt and Libya.

"The war has been continuous since day one. It has not stopped for one moment, said Atiya Abdalla Atiya, secretary of the Sudanese Doctors Syndicate, which monitors casualties.

The clashes have killed over 400 people so far, according to the World Health Organization. The bombardments, gunbattles and sniper fire in densely populated areas have hit civilian infrastructure, including many hospitals. Internet-access advocacy group NetBlocks.org said Sunday there was a near-total collapse of internet connectivity.

The international airport near the center of the capital has come under heavy shelling as the RSF has tried to take control of the compound. In an apparent effort to oust the RSF fighters, the Sudanese army has pounded the airport with airstrikes, gutting at least one runway and leaving wrecked planes scattered on the tarmac. The full extent of damage at the airfield remains unclear.

The conflict has opened a dangerous new chapter in Sudan's history, thrusting the country into uncertainty.

No one can predict when and how this war will end, Burhan told the Al-Hadath news channel. I am currently in the command center and will only leave it in a coffin.

The current explosion of violence came after Burhan and Dagalo fell out over a recent internationally brokered deal with democracy activists that was meant to incorporate the RSF into the military and eventually lead to civilian rule.

The rival generals rose to power in the tumultuous aftermath of popular uprisings that led to the ouster of Sudans longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir, in 2019. Two years later, they joined forces to seize power in a coup that ousted the civilian leaders.

Both the military and RSF have a long history of human rights abuses. The RSF was born out of the Janjaweed militias, which were accused of atrocities in crushing a rebellion in Sudans western Darfur region in the early 2000s.

Many Sudanese fear that despite the generals' repeated promises, the violence will only escalate as tens of thousands of foreign citizens try to leave.

We are sure both sides of fighting are more careful about foreign lives than the lives of Sudanese citizens, Atiya said.

___

Associated press writers Isabel DeBre in Jerusalem, Fay Abuelgasim in Beirut, Angela Charlton in Paris, Samy Magdy in Cairo and Aamer Madhani, Matthew Lee and Tara Copp in Washington contributed to this report.
The Sudanese military says it is working with foreign government to prepare for evacuations at key embassies, including the U.S.

Sudan is currently experiencing a civil war between its army and a government paramilitary organization known as the Rapid Support Forces.

Sudanese Army Chief Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan is reportedly in contact with leaders of various countries to coordinate the safe rescue of diplomats trapped within the warring nation's borders.

US FORCES DEPLOY TO DJIBOUTI AS PENTAGON EYES SUDAN EMBASSY EVACUATION

People fleeing street battles between the forces of two rival Sudanese generals, are transported on the back of a truck in the southern part of Khartoum, on April 21, 2023.

Diplomats from the U.S., United Kingdom, France, and elsewhere are expected to repatriate via military flight, though clashes between the army and RSF have been reported at the capital city Khartoum's main airport.

US CITIZEN KILLED IN SUDAN AMID HEAVY INFIGHTING: STATE DEPARTMENT

READ ON THE FOX NEWS APP

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin confirmed Friday that U.S. troops have been positioned near Sudan as a safety measure.

"We always want to make sure that we're doing prudent planning, which is what we're doing," Austin added. "We've deployed some forces into the theater to ensure that we provide as many options as possible if we are called on to do something. We haven't been called on to do anything yet."

BLOODY SUDAN CONFLICT CONTINUES DESPITE TRUCE, INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

U.S. forces were placed in Djibouti for a potential mission to evacuate U.S. Embassy personnel in Khartoum, Sudan's capital city, a senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News Thursday.

A U.S. citizen was killed in Sudan amid escalating violence in the countrys capital and other places over the past week.

"We can confirm the death of one U.S. citizen in Sudan," a State Department spokesperson told Fox News. "We are in touch with the family and offer our deepest condolences to them on their loss. Out of respect for the family during this difficult time, we have nothing further to add."

The deceased American citizen did not work for the U.S. Embassy.
(CNN)  The United States government has not yet made a decision about whether to evacuate US diplomatic personnel from Sudan, but preparations are continuing for a potential evacuation, multiple US officials said Friday.

Officials from the White House, State Department, and Defense Department stressed that they are closely monitoring the volatile situation in the country, where hundreds have been killed and injured since intense fighting between rival military factions broke out days ago. Humanitarian organizations have warned of massive consequences if the violence continues.

John Kirby, the communications coordinator for the National Security Council, said Friday that President Joe Biden would make the final decision on whether to evacuate American personnel who are posted in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum.

"There has not been a decision made," Kirby said. "It's just a matter of making sure that we're ready for it."

On Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged the commanders of warring parties -- the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Security Forces (RSF) -- to lay down their weapons this weekend in honor of the Eid al-Fitr holiday, and he reiterated that call on Friday.

Such a pause in the violence could present an opportunity for the US to get its personnel out of the country.

However, despite claims from both military factions that they had agreed to a ceasefire, there were reports of continued fighting in the capital city of Khartoum.

Even as the US government evaluates its options for an evacuation of the American personnel in Khartoum, American officials on Friday made clear that there were no plans at the moment to evacuate other American citizens there.

"Due to uncertain security situations in Khartoum and closure of the airport, Americans should have no expectation of a US government-coordinated evacuation at this time," State Department principal deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel said on Friday.

'Prudent planning'

US officials on Friday noted that they were continuing "to preposition capabilities nearby," in Kirby's words, to be ready for a potential evacuation of American personnel from Sudan.

"We continue to coordinate with the State Department to make sure we have a common vision of what the situation is," US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

"We always want to make sure that we're doing prudent planning, which is what we're doing. We've deployed some forces to ... into theater to ensure that we provide as many options as possible if we are called on to do something, and we haven't been called on to do anything yet," he said at a press conference in Germany.

A US defense official told CNN that the US is considering deploying the Army's Immediate Response Force to assist with an evacuation. The team has deployed several times in the last few years, including to Afghanistan during the chaotic US withdrawal, after an attack on the US embassy in Baghdad in December 2019, and to Poland at the start of Russia's invasion in 2022.

The US intends to consolidate its personnel at the embassy in Khartoum -- a facility that former NSC official Cameron Hudson described as a "fortress" -- but Kirby said Friday that "that process is not complete."

Evacuating the diplomats would require the US to trust that the warring SAF and RSF commanders have good command and control of their soldiers on the ground, said Hudson, who is now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

"In the trust department, they're bankrupt," he told CNN.

'Kabul casts a very long shadow over Khartoum'

Officials on Friday stressed that they do not have plans to evacuate regular American citizens from Sudan, and pointed to warnings issued by the State Department about travel to the country.

"When it comes to Sudan, this is a warning -- a level four warning that we provided to them many months ago, basically telling Americans who were there to leave if they could, and not to travel -- Americans not to travel to Sudan. So, we've been very clear on that," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Patel, meanwhile, said at a State Department press briefing, "It is imperative that US citizens in Sudan make their own arrangements to stay safe in these difficult circumstances." He added that the State Department has been in touch with "several hundred American citizens who we understand to be in Sudan" to discuss "security precautions and other measures that they can take on their own."

The State Department does not keep official counts of US citizens in foreign countries and Americans are not required to register when they go abroad. Officials told staffers Wednesday that there could be an estimated 16,000 American citizens in Sudan, most of whom are dual nationals.

The US government typically does not facilitate evacuations for regular citizens. The US withdrawal from Afghanistan presented a rare -- and chaotic -- exception to that norm.

Jean-Pierre emphasized that Afghanistan was "a unique situation for many reasons, including already hosting a significant military presence."

Still, "Kabul casts a very long shadow over Khartoum right now," CSIS' Hudson told CNN.

"The people that I've spoken to are fully aware of the optics of that, and the optics, frankly, of leaving a city of 6 million people to fend for itself as it goes up in flames," he said, adding that a small evacuation of American personnel could trigger panic.

On Friday, Republican House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul sent a letter to Blinken seeking answers about evacuation plans from Sudan, saying he did not want to see a repeat of "the mistakes of the Afghanistan evacuation."

"The Afghanistan Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation (NEO) in 2021 demonstrated the consequences of failing to plan adequately for worst-case scenarios, mixed messaging by the State Department, unclear chains of command, the inadequate coordination between the State Department and the Department of Defense, and the failure to coordinate with private organizations evacuating American citizens," the Texas Republican wrote.

Prior to the letter, the State Department pushed back on the notion that it was repeating the errors of Afghanistan with Sudan.

"We're taking appropriate actions that are in line with previous lessons learned, not just as it relates to Afghanistan, but in other circumstances where we have had personnel on the ground and they are in harm's way," Patel said at the briefing.

"I would push back on the notion that we are acting too late. That is certainly not the case. We have been working diligently. Ambassador John Godfrey and his team have been working diligently to take appropriate steps to keep his team and our personnel safe. And we'll continue to do that," he said.

This story was first published on CNN.com. US is making preparations but has not yet made a decision on evacuating personnel from Sudan
The ever-looming 2024 election and the ongoing legal battle over access to a widely used abortion pill are likely to dominate the Sunday talk show circuit this weekend.

As several Republicans inch closer to making decisions on potential presidential bids, the 2024 GOP field is beginning to take shape.

While former President Trump remains the clear frontrunner for the Republican nomination, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson have all officially launched competing bids, albeit with limited success in the polls.

Hutchinson, who has sought to separate himself from the rest of the pack as an anti-Trump candidate, is set to join Fox News Sunday this weekend. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu will also make an appearance on NBCs Meet the Press, as he continues to tease a potential 2024 bid.

Former Vice President Mike Pence, who has hinted that his decision on a potential 2024 run would come in a matter of weeks, is set to join CBS Face the Nation on Sunday.

Pence has recently taken several swings at Trump without explicitly naming his old boss, criticizing those who praise Chinese leader Xi Jinping and urging the GOP to resist the politics of personality.

Even as multiple Republicans line up to challenge the former president, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) continues to poll the strongest behind Trump, despite having yet to announce a bid.

On the other side of the aisle, President Biden appears to be preparing to launch his reelection campaign. The announcement, which could come as soon as Tuesday, has been widely expected given the presidents repeated suggestions that he planned to run again.

The ongoing legal battle over mifepristone, one of two drugs used in medication abortions, is also likely to be a topic of discussion on the Sunday shows this weekend, after the Supreme Court on Friday temporarily blocked restrictions on the drug from going into effect.

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Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), who is set to appear on ABCs This Week on Sunday, joined several of her Democratic colleagues last week in urging the FDA to ignore the initial ruling from a federal judge in Texas that suspended mifepristones approval.

Mace has been an outspoken critic of strict anti-abortion laws and proposals that lack exceptions for rape, describing some of her partys views on the issue as extreme.

Weve got some extreme views on this issue, but 90 percent of America is somewhere in the middle, she told CNN last week. And I think that that 90 percent would be okay with listening to the FDA rather than a judge who used an old law that was determined unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

With the Supreme Courts decision on Friday, the lower court ruling on the abortion pill will remain on hold while the Biden administrations appeal proceeds. Mace, as well as Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), are set to discuss the high courts decision with ABCs This Week.

Below is the full list of guests scheduled to appear on this weeks Sunday talk shows:

ABCs This Week  Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.); Reps. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-Ill.); Jason Armstrong, police chief in Apex, N.C.; Allison Anderman, senior counsel and director of local policy, Giffords Law Center

NBCs Meet the Press  Gov. Chris Sununu (R-N.H.); Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.)

CBS Face the Nation  Former Vice President Mike Pence; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas; Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.)

CNN State of the Union  Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)

Fox News Sunday  Former Gov. Asa Hutchinson (R-Ark.); Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.)

Fox News Channels Sunday Morning Futures  House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.); Reps. James Comer (R-Ky.) and Claudia Tenney (R-N.Y.); Jonathan D.T. Ward, author of The Decisive Decade; Gordon Chang, author of The Great U.S.-China Tech War

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
The Supreme Court on Friday granted a full stay in a case concerning the Food and Drug Administrations approval of -- and access to -- the widely used abortion pill mifepristone, ABC News reports.

The courts decision preserves access to mifepristone as lower court legal battles play out.

RELATED: Supreme Court decision on access to abortion pill mifepristone expected

The court previously gave itself more time to decide whether it would wade into a legal battle over a Texas judges unprecedented ruling suspending the FDAs approval of mifepristone more than 20 years ago.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters Friday afternoon, before the court acted, that the administration was prepared for whatever action came from the bench.

All I can tell you at this time as were all waiting, were all watching, is that we are prepared, Jean-Pierre said. We are prepared for whatever announcement comes out of the Supreme Court, and if need be, we are prepared also for a long legal battle. That is our commitment and our promise to the millions of women across the country.

Medication abortion quickly became the new focus of legal battles over abortion access following the Supreme Courts decision to overrule Roe v. Wade last June.

Mifepristone rulings: What to know about opposing rulings on abortion pill

It was just months after Roes fall that a coalition of anti-abortion doctors and associations, represented by the conservative legal group Alliance Defending Freedom, filed a lawsuit in Amarillo, Texas, challenging the FDAs assessment of mifepristones safety and effectiveness.

Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, a Trump-appointee, ruled in favor of the group on April 7. He stated the FDA exceeded its authority when it approved the drug back in 2000.

Kacsmaryks order was partially blocked by the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, though that court imposed restrictions that would prevent mifepristone from being sent to patients by mail.

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The Biden administration and Danco Labs, the manufacturer of mifepristone, warned of possible wide-ranging consequences if the federal agencys expertise were to be second-guessed.

If allowed to take effect, the lower courts orders would thwart FDAs scientific judgment and undermine widespread reliance in a healthcare system that assumes the availability of mifepristone as an alternative to more burdensome and invasive surgical abortions, Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the Supreme Court in a filing this week.

Alliance Defending Freedom, representing opponents to the abortion pill, countered the administrations concerns amounted to a sky-is-falling-argument.

>> Read more trending news

If this litigation involved any other drug, there would not even be a debate as to whether this Court should intervene mid-litigation stream with extraordinary relief, attorneys for the Alliance Defending Freedom wrote in a filing to the court.

The case has divided the nation, with more than 150 Republican lawmakers supporting the conservative plaintiffs. Democrats and leading medical associations, on the other hand, have pushed for mifepristones continued availability.

Some states and abortion providers have been stockpiling abortion drugs as the legal battle plays out.

LATEST TRENDING NEWS:

VIDEO: South Carolina House passes abortion ban; no sign of budging
Access to the common abortion pill mifepristone will remain unchanged, for now, after the Supreme Court sided Friday with the Biden administration and paused a lower court ruling.

The justices, in a brief order, said they will put on hold a ruling from a Texas federal judge while the Biden administrations appeal proceeds.

The decision is a temporary victory for the Biden administration that for now, keeps the Food and Drug Administrations authority on drug approvals.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, two of the courts conservatives, said they would have denied the request for a pause.

As a result of the Supreme Courts stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts, President Biden said in a statement.

I continue to stand by FDAs evidence-based approval of mifepristone, and my administration will continue to defend FDAs independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs, Biden said.

Biden reiterated his calls for the public to elect more pro-abortion lawmakers.

The American people must continue to use their vote as their voice, and elect a Congress who will pass a law restoring the protections of Roe v Wade, Biden said.

Alito, in dissent, wrote that his position did not reflect any view on the merits of FDAs mifepristone actions. He noted past criticisms levied against the courts use of the so-called shadow docket, referring to when the high court issues emergency rulings without oral argument or a significant record.

I did not agree with these criticisms at the time, but if they were warranted in the cases in which they were made, they are emphatically true here, Alito wrote.

On April 7, U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk suspended the Food and Drug Administrations 23-year-old approval of mifepristone. Kacsmaryk ruled the agencys approval process was improperly rushed and resulted in an unsafe drug regimen getting on the market.

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The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week paused part of Kacsmaryks ruling until it considers the governments appeal, temporarily preserving the FDAs original approval of mifepristone. But it left in place another part of the ruling that blocked steps the FDA has taken since 2016 to ease access to mifepristone.

As is common practice, the Supreme Court has decided to maintain the status quo that existed prior to our lawsuit while our challenge to the FDAs illegal approval of chemical abortion drugs and its removal of critical safeguards for those drugs moves forward, said Erik Baptist, senior counsel at Alliance Defending Freedom, the legal group representing the mifepristone challengers.

Our case seeking to put womens health above politics continues on an expedited basis in the lower courts, he said in a statement.

The high courts emergency order pauses those remaining portions, which would have otherwise gone into effect Friday night.

Those preserved changes include allowing mifepristone to be sent through the mail, lifting a requirement for three in-person visits, approving a generic, and approving the drugs use up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy, rather than seven weeks.

Danco Laboratories, which makes the brand name version called Mifeprex, joined the Biden administration in asking for the stay.

Danco had told the justices in court filings that, in order to market mifepristone, it would have needed to completely change the drugs packaging and label and then ask FDA to approve it, typically a monthslong process.

That would not take place, however, unless the FDA elected to use its enforcement discretion to stop Danco, and the applicants papers do not provide any reason to believe the FDA would make that choice, Alito wrote.

The FDA has previously invoked enforcement discretion to permit the distribution of mifepristone in a way that the regulations then in force prohibited, and here, the Government has not dispelled legitimate doubts that it would even obey an unfavorable order in these cases, much less that it would choose to take enforcement actions to which it has strong objections, he continued.

However, federal officials have indicated since the initial decision earlier this month that they were not interested in using enforcement discretion as a way to circumvent a court ruling.

The 5th Circuit has scheduled an oral argument in the governments appeal for May 17. Access to mifepristone will remain unchanged at least until the three-judge panel issues its ruling, but a party could then again appeal to the Supreme Court.

If they do, the pause will automatically extend until the high court issues its judgment in the case or declines to hear the dispute.

 Updated 7:44 p.m.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Boxes of Mifepristone, an abortion medication Allen G. Breed/File/AP

The Supreme Court maintained access to the abortion drug mifepristone on Friday.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito publicly dissented.

The court took on the issue after a federal judge in Texas issued a ruling suspending FDA approval of mifepristone.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that the abortion pill mifepristone could still be purchased and used in the US, freezing a lower court ruling that temporarily suspended FDA approval of the drug.

The issue reached the nation's top court last week after the Biden administration submitted an emergency application to preserve the US Food and Drug Administration's 20-year-old approval of the medication mifepristone, which is used alongside a second drug, misoprostol, to end pregnancies.

Justice Samuel Alito last Friday issued a temporary stay on lower court rulings that would have greatly restricted access to mifepristone. That ruling was set to expire Friday at midnight.

The sparse ruling came Friday night with no oral arguments or public reasoning from the other eight justices for their decisions. While Alito and Clarence Thomas publicly dissented, it's unclear from the ruling which, if any, other justices may have also dissented  only that there was a majority that favored the stay.

Drugs like mifepristone and misoprostol have been under heightened scrutiny from abortion opponents since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last June. Anti-abortion activists and lawmakers have sought to limit access to the drugs, while their opponents  including the Biden administration  have sought to expand access.

Scott Lemieux, a professor of political science at the University of Washington and an expert on the Supreme Court and constitutional law, told Insider that the decision was "less troubling" than many were anticipating, but not necessarily indicative of how the justices will rule on the larger matter come oral arguments.

"A year after [Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization], I don't know if the Supreme Court is going to be up for a nationwide ban on the most common way of obtaining an abortion," he said.

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But there are still other legal challenges to abortion access moving through lower courts. On May 17, a 5th circuit judge in New Orleans will hear appeals related to the FDA's scope in regulating the drugs, as well as the SCOTUS decision on Friday, according to CNN.

Lemieux said that while the Texas decision at the heart of Friday's decision is legally weak, the top justices may be more friendly toward the 5th circuit case.

A similar appeal against access to the abortion pills likely will not happen until the court's next term, after October.

Mifepristone is most commonly used as the first part of a two-step process to terminate pregnancies. Patients typically take a mifepristone pill, which blocks the hormone progesterone and ends the pregnancy, and follow it up 24 to 48 hours later with misoprostol pills, which induce contractions.

Leading medical organizations, such as the American Medical Association, have argued that medication abortions have been proven safe and effective in hundreds of medical studies and over two decades of widespread use.

After the decision, President Joe Biden said that his administration would try to protect access to the pill.

"As a result of the Supreme Court's stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use," Biden said in a statement on Friday. "My administration will continue to defend FDA's independent, expert authority to review, approve, and regulate a wide range of prescription drugs."

Earlier in April, a federal judge in Amarillo, Texas, issued a ruling suspending mifepristone's FDA approval, arguing the approval itself was unlawful. A federal appeals court then modified the Texas judge's ruling and imposed new restrictions on the drug while the case was being litigated  including restricting approval to the first seven weeks of pregnancy, down from 10.

Complicating matters, just minutes after the Texas judge published his ruling, a federal judge in Washington issued a contradictory ruling, forbidding the FDA from pulling the medication from the market in 17 states that have Democratic attorneys general.

In response to the dueling rulings, the Department of Justice accused the lower court rulings of "countermanding FDA's scientific judgment and unleashing regulatory chaos by suspending the existing FDA-approved conditions of use for mifepristone."

According to Pew Research, the Supreme Court's decision to strip federal abortion protections by Roe v. Wade was wildly unpopular  nearly six in ten Americans polled said they disapproved of the court's decision, including 43% who "strongly disapproved."

Following the Supreme Court's reversal on abortion rights, Democrats heavily campaigned on the issue of abortion in the 2022 midterm elections.

The Republican Party and many experts at the time expected a "red wave" in the voting booths, but Democrats surprised political pundits by maintaining control of the Senate and just narrowly losing control of the House of Representatives.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Pro-choice protesters outside of the Supreme Court. ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images

The Supreme Court on Friday upheld nationwide access to the abortion pill mifepristone  at least for the time being.

In its first major weigh-in since overturning Roe v. Wade, the court blocked a decision by Texas U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk that would have overturned the FDA's approval of the drug. The Supreme Court issued a brief emergency action against Kacsmaryk's ruling, and did not specify why they blocked his decision. However, the case is expected to be litigated for months, and it is likely that the justices upheld the status quo simply to give themselves time to consider their next steps.

The decision by the Supreme Court means that mifepristone will remain on the market for the foreseeable future, and that's a significant victory for the Biden administration, which has fought to codify abortion rights since Roe v. Wade was overturned. The court's ruling means that mifepristone will also remain available by mail, and women can still take it at home up to 10 weeks into a pregnancy, NBC News reported.

In a statement, President Biden praised the court's decision, saying Kacsmaryk's ruling "undermined the FDA's medical judgment and put women's health at risk."

The Supreme Court has a 6-3 conservative majority, and two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, issued dissenting opinions.

While Thomas did not explain his reasoning, Alito claimed that the public would not have been harmed if the court had allowed Kacsmaryk's ruling to stand. "It would simply restore the circumstances that existed (and that the government defended) from 2000 to 2016 under three presidential administrations," Alito wrote. He added that letting Kacsmaryk's ruling take effect "would not express any view on the merits of the question whether the FDA acted lawfully in any of its actions regarding mifepristone."

Story continues

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A man who stabbed his girlfriend nearly 30 times in a Surprise home has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Raymond Maltos, 28, pled guilty to attempted murder and aggravated assault charges against his former girlfriend, Sophia Teng last month. Maltos was also sentenced on April 14 to five years probation for the aggravated assault.

At Maltos sentencing, tears were shed by both parties, and statements were made by family and friends of both Teng and Maltos. Teng herself, who briefly died and had to be brought back to life when she was en route to the hospital, addressed the court in a long, emotional statement.

I died and was brought back to a world of immeasurable pain and suffering.

Teng spoke of her new medical debt, job loss, permanent body complications, and fear throughout her statement. She asked Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Michael Mandell to hand Maltos the harshest sentence.

While she spoke, her best friend held her hand, and the father of one of her friends kept a comforting hand on her shoulder. Maltos, in his orange jumpsuit, had to be handed tissues by his attorney and let his face fall into his hands as he cried.

The stabbing

On the evening of Feb. 6, 2022, Surprise Police responded to a call made by Maltos, who said that Teng was bleeding and had about 30 stab wounds. The dispatcher asked Maltos if he was the one who stabbed her, to which he replied, Theyll see.

After arriving at the home and coming in contact with Maltos, he hinted to officers why this incident happened.

I just couldnt stand her anymore, he told them.

Arrest: Man arrested after admitting to stabbing girlfriend nearly to death in Surprise home

Inside the home, officers found Teng lying in a pool of her own blood, not moving, but conscious. She had multiple, deep stab wounds on her legs, head, and hand. Officers noted blood was all throughout the living room and that they found three kitchen knives and the handle of a small knife between the living room and the kitchen.

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After deducting that Maltos was the one responsible for the incident, officers arrested Maltos.

Maltos agreed to tell police what led to the stabbing. He said that he went to visit Teng after his sales associate shift at Home Depot because she was stressed over a homework assignment. He said that her father has high expectations for her academics, which takes a toll on her.

In an attempt to comfort her with words of encouragement, Maltos said Tang received it negatively and asked him to leave. He did but came back to talk things out.

Maltos said they sat at a table and he rubbed her feet to try and make her feel better, but at one point she stood up and started belittling him. In response, Maltos said he told Teng that he did not understand why she was being so rude. Teng responded, Boo hoo, and started to mock him, Maltos told police.

At that moment, Maltos said, a violent rage took over, prompting him to go into the kitchen, grab a knife, and begin stabbing Teng in the back. In the process, he broke two kitchen knives and a personal knife before ending his rage. He told police he stopped stabbing her when she said Babe, stop, and began to provide aid by using blankets to apply pressure to her wounds.

However, according to Teng, the violence did not begin with the stabbing that night. And the events of that evening were described differently than what Maltos told police.

At the hospital, Teng told police that she asked Maltos twice to leave because she was stressed about a school assignment. He did leave and come back, but his reason was that he forgot his charger.

When she let him inside, Teng said, he began attacking her and repeatedly said Im going to kill you.

Former Maricopa County prosecutor: April Sponsel gives training to police officers in Surprise

Maltos then smashed her head on the tile floor and dragged her into the kitchen by her hair, according to Teng. He then pulled out a personal knife that he always carried and began to stab her thigh saying, I love you so much. Why would you do this to me?

Teng said she asked him not to kill her, to which Maltos replied, I need to.

When she tried to crawl away from him, Teng said he pulled her into the kitchen again by her hair. He then grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter and continuously stabbed her, still repeating that he was going to kill her, she told police. At one point, the knife broke.

Maltos then started hitting her, at which point Teng said she fell in and out of consciousness.

Finally, Maltos flipped a switch and began apologizing, expressing his love, and being attentive to Teng and her injuries. Teng said he asked if she wanted him to call 911 or her mom. She said to call 911, before again falling in and out of consciousness.

Teng was pronounced dead on her way to the hospital, but medical personnel brought her back to life.

An emotional sentencing

Last week at Maltos sentencing, family and friends showed up for both Teng and Maltos.

Teng detailed the different types of physical, emotional, and psychological pain that she has experienced this past year which has been never-ending.

Sophia is gone. She died and sometimes, I wish this new version died with her too.

Teng said her time in the hospital was a personal hell.

I went through surgery after surgery. I had groups of students, doctors, and nurses examine my naked body as if I were something to dissect and cut apart again.

Her recovery has consisted of re-learning how to walk because of the wounds to her leg. Teng said she has experienced shame in trying to grasp something a toddler knows better to do than she does: learning to walk.

Additionally, a piece of one of the knives is permanently lodged into her neck, she said, and it sends nerve shocks multiple times a day. Teng also said that she has permanent nerve damage in her hands, chest, neck, head and legs. She also gets shocks if people hug or touch her in a certain way.

Because of this incident, Teng said she is unable to touch any type of knife or even be in the same room with someone who is using a knife while cooking. And when she sees a dark enough color of red, or red meat, her mind takes her back to the scene of the crime.

Now, Teng said that she has lost most of her personal relationships and has a severe distrust in others to the point where she is afraid that her brother or mother might attack her. She now sleeps with a weapon nearby.

Teng said Maltos has marked her emotionally, physically, and psychologically, with her scars as a constant reminder.

When I look in the mirror, I see him.

Maltos made a statement after family members of his commented on his character to the court. Right when he began speaking, Teng completely bent over in her chair and could be heard crying, never looking up while a friend lay a supportive hand on her back.

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In a neutral, emotionless tone, Maltos apologized to Teng. However, his voice slightly broke when he specifically addressed Teng by her first name.

Sophia, I want you to know there arent enough words to express to you how sorry I am for what I did, he said, I wish I could take it all back and erase it from your story, but I cant.

In speaking to her, he said he prays that Teng will be able to forget him and find the happiness that he was not able to provide her.

He also apologized to Tengs mom, who earlier said in a statement that she saw him as her own son, and thanked her for her approval of his and Tengs relationship. In addressing them, he said that he believes this incident had some form of purpose.

I trust that my mistake was not purposeless and will be used by our God to bring your family closer together.

Maltos then went into what he had been doing while in jail, such as completing anger management and domestic violence courses, and physical training to be a volunteer firefighter.

At the end of his statement, he addressed Teng once more.

Remember that, in the end, this is my mistake to live with, not yours. Dont allow it to interfere with the rest of your journey in this life to find what makes you happy.

Maricopa County Superior Judge Michael Mandell thanked Maltos family for coming out and speaking about his nonviolent, caring, and religious character. However, Mandell said, he reminded them that overall, the court had to consider what he did to Teng.

Mandell told Maltos that had not medical personnel brought Teng back to life, he would be facing a potential life sentence instead of just years in prison.

This reporting follows crimes The Republic began to cover in 2021 and is part of our commitment to telling the story from start to finish.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Peoria man sentenced after attempted murder stabbing of girlfriend
The first students to arrive at the flagpole at Tampas Hillsborough High School carried small American flags.

One draped a larger rainbow flag around her shoulders. There were handwritten cardboard signs that said, Academic Freedom, We are the Future, History, Not Hate and Book Bans are Unamerican.

They chanted, What do we want? Justice. When do we want it? Now. and Teach the truth.

In the crowd, some directed profanities at Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Principal Kevin Gordon watched from the sidewalk, communicating with other administrators over a walkie-talkie.

They just want to be heard, Gordon said of the students. Weve got good kids. Really good kids.

After about 10 minutes, the students headed back into the building. Across the state, students at 300 high schools, colleges and universities walked out of their classrooms in a symbolic rebuke to the state.

The Walkout2Learn protests were organized by students and spearheaded by Zander Moricz, a plaintiff in a lawsuit against the Parental Rights in Education Act, also known as the Dont Say Gay bill. They targeted recent education policies from DeSantis and the state Legislature, including the Individual Freedom Act, also known as Floridas Stop Woke act.

Right now, Floridas people do not have control over their legislatureour governor does, an organizing toolkit for the group said.  ... Floridas organizers  all of us  can make a difference if we think strategically.

Walkouts were planned at high schools and colleges across the state, and evening rallies were planned in Sarasota, Orlando, Jacksonville and Miami Beach.

During the walkouts, students presented a five- to 10-minute banned history lesson theyd planned. The topics included Marsha P. Johnson, a pioneering Black LGBTQ activist, and Lift Every Voice and Sing, the Black national anthem, which an Ocala school required a permission slip to learn about. Students also could sign up for a college-level, online Black history course designed by Ivy League educators. They pledged online never to vote for people who dont support student rights.

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On the Walkout2Learn website, organizers told students not to fear punishment for participating, and that they had lawyers and politicians to support them. Students for generations have walked out, and its worked, the site said. Join us in joining them.

The walkouts were promoted on social media by celebrities popular with Generation Z, including actresses Pauline Chalamet and Beanie Feldstein and content creator Dylan Troesken. Teachers in other states also shared posts of solidarity.

Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-Orlando, who supported the group as they organized, said she believed that though not all protesters were old enough to vote, their actions indicated a disconnect with legislators.

Its clear that young people are not being deterred, she said. This is their state. I mean, theyre the future leaders of Florida. And yet policies being implemented and passed are those that ignore their identity  that dismisses their perspectives and attempts to control the next generation and their free will.

She added, Its the first step in what will be many efforts to take back the state for young people and to craft a future thats, thats all-encompassing and inclusive to every Floridian versus just a few.

Morrisey Montgomery, a senior at Hillsborough High School, heard about the Walkout2Learn movement last week from a former elementary school teacher.

Montgomery saw Hillsborough High was not registered, so decided to bring it to the school.

Education is liberation, Montgomery said. Its important for us to learn about our real history and what actually happened. Erasing these themes of LGBTQ and African American history doesnt make anything better for anyone.

At Freedom High School in Tampa, students posted photos gathered in the schools courtyard, holding rainbow flags and signs with messages like Erase bigotry, not my history. At Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, members of the Gay-Straight Alliance shared posts of students walking out.

Cameron Driggers, a senior at Flagler-Palm Coast High School, started protesting in 2021, when Flagler Countys school board considered removing books. Last year, he helped organize a walkout against the Dont Say Gay bill.

I think this today is just one more example of the way the Gen Z is not going to be legislated away without fighting back, Driggers said. Ron DeSantis might have an iron grip on the state Legislature and the bureaucratic agencies in Florida, but in my opinion, organized students can be organized power.

Nadia Plechaty and Zoe OBrien of Eckerd College said though they attend a private college that is exempt from bills that target curriculum, they wanted to raise awareness about legislation.

Thank God we are like safe in terms of what we get to learn, but that doesnt mean that people our age arent having censored education, which is just not OK, Plechaty said. Its about our history. Its just heartbreaking.

Isabela Puente, a senior at the School for Advanced Studies in Miami-Dade County, said while she plans to attend the University of Miami, she worries about the future.

For someone like me, I have younger siblings, she said. My sister might not learn about her menstrual cycle or how people get pregnant. Its easy to brush a protest off as one day because it doesnt make immediate change, but this is not the end. This is the beginning of a long fight.

Heres what some other protests looked like:

Freedom High School:

University of Florida:

Florida State University

Florida International University

University of Central Florida

  

Sign up for the Gradebook newsletter!

Every Thursday, get the latest updates on whats happening in Tampa Bay area schools from Times education reporter Jeffrey S. Solochek. Click here to sign up.
Tens of thousands of Israelis packed Tel Aviv streets on Saturday for the 16th consecutive week to protest government judicial reforms they see as an attack on democracy.

The weekly protests have continued despite Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on March 27 announcing a "pause" to allow for talks on the reforms which were moving through parliament and split the nation.

Saturday's demonstration comes ahead of another mass protest planned for the coastal city on Sunday to coincide with a Netanyahu speech to the general assembly of the Jewish Federations of North America.

The government's reform proposals would curtail the authority of the Supreme Court and give politicians greater powers over the selection of judges.

Netanyahu's administration, a coalition between his Likud party and extreme-right and ultra-Orthodox Jewish allies, argues the changes are needed to rebalance powers between lawmakers and the judiciary.

Next week also sees Israel commemorate Remembrance Day for its fallen soldiers and victims of "terrorism", and also the country's 75th anniversary.

Opponents of the reform plan another demonstration on Tuesday in Tel Aviv ahead of Independence Day on Wednesday, and those who back the reform are expected to gather on Thursday.

nk-dms/srm/it
Surveillance images show a man kidnapping a woman off a street in Brooklyn (NYPD)

A desperate search is underway for a woman who was snatched off the street by a kidnapper in Brooklyn.

The NYPD released stills from surveillance footage showing the moment the woman was abducted just before 2am on Friday near the corner of Avenue W and Stillwell Avenue in Gravesend.

The first image shows the unidentified male suspect confronting the woman with his arms raised on a cross walk.

In the second image, he is seen carrying her in his arms.

The woman was then allegedly shoved into a Toyota minivan, which began driving north on Stillwell Avenue. A third image shows the vehicle.

Surveillance image shows a man approaching a woman at a crosswalk before Brooklyn kidnapping (NYPD)

A second image shows the suspect carrying the victim (NYPD)

A person passing by saw the altercation and reported it to the 60th Precinct.

Police have not yet identified the woman but said she is believed to be in her 20s, approximately 55 and 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing a striped shirt, blue skirt and white sneakers.

The alleged kidnapper was described as a man in his 30s with a light complexion and facial hair, approximately 510 and 175 pounds. He was last seen wearing a black shirt, dark pants and black sneakers.

The victim was reportedly shoved into a Toyota minivan (pictured) (NYPD)

Anyone with information on the case is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS (for Spanish, dial 888-57-PISTA). Tips can also be submitted at crimestoppers.nypdonline.org or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
Its been a bad couple of days for Tesla, but theres no reason for the company or its stockholders to panic yet.

The EV makers market cap plunged by nearly $56 billion dollars on Thursday following a stock selloff in the wake of the companys worse-than-expected first-quarter earnings call, according to Market Insider. That number is so big that it actually dwarfs the market cap of Ford and General Motors.

More from Robb Report

During Wednesdays earnings call, Elon Musks company announced a net income of $2.51 billion during the first three months of 2023. While most companies would love to earn that much in a quarter, the figure represented a 24 percent drop from the same period last year. The decrease, which has been attributed to the companys aggressive price cut strategy, led to a selloff of Tesla shares that sent its stock price falling by 9.75 percent (or $55.69 billion) to $515.72 billion, according to YCharts data.

The Teslas Cybertruck launch could help boost profits for the company

Still, Tesla is not in a financial danger zone. The reason why Tesla could lose $56 billion in one day is that it is worth 10 times that. It is the most valuable car company in the world and no one else is even close. Even after the loss, the companys market cap at the end of trading on Thursday still made it the ninth most valuable company in the world. The next most valuable car company, Toyota, was worth $181.71 billion on Thursday. Thats a difference of $334 billion, or nearly twice Toyotas market cap. The next two most valuable US-based automakers, Ford and General Motors, were worth $48.71 billion and $48.23 billion respectively. Teslas doing just fine in comparison to everyone else.

Wednesdays earnings call wasnt all bad, though. During the call, Musk revealed that the automaker plans to hold a delivery event for the Cybertruck before the end of the third quarter. No one knows exactly what the event will involve, but it suggests that the company will finally start building the eagerly anticipated EV this summer and begin mass production sometime next year.

Story continues

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Elon Musk's Tesla is yet to unveil an affordable EV. Christian Marquard/Getty Images

Tesla's market share in California plunged in California despite big price cuts, a report says.

Data reviewed by Reuters found Tesla's market share in the state fell from 72.7% to 59.6% in a year.

Tesla's profits have also plunged since the cuts after Elon Musk promised to focus on market share.

Potential Tesla buyers in California have been turning their backs on the brand despite a series of price cuts this years, according to a report.

Data from the California Energy Commission reviewed by Reuters showed that Tesla's market share in the state was 59.6% between January and March, down from 72.7% for the same period last year.

Meanwhile, competitors including Volkswagen, General Motors, Chevrolet and Kia all increased their market share increase in the first three months of the year, per the news agency.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk brought in massive price cuts at the beginning of the year and followed them up with several more in a bid to win more customers and continue to dominate the EV market. Tesla has been accused by Ford's CEO of potentially initiating an EV price war as a result.

The price cuts helped send Tesla's profits down 24% in the first quarter as the company made less on each car sold.

"Our near-term pricing strategy considers a long-term view on per-vehicle profitability given the potential lifetime value of a Tesla vehicle through autonomy, supercharging, connectivity and service," Tesla said in a presentation alongside its latest results.

"We expect that our product pricing will continue to evolve, upwards or downwards, depending on a number of factors."

While Musk said he planned to prioritize market share over profits, the scale of the decline still spooked investors. Shares in Tesla have dropped more than 10% in the past five days, cutting Musk's personal net worth by around $13 billion.

California dominates the US EV market, according to data from the US Department of Energy. Its 563,000 vehicles registered in 2021 was nearly six times higher than its closest competitor Florida.

As a broadly liberal state, Musk has also brought controversy in California for his courting of Republicans and high-profile takeover of Twitter, possibly deterring prospective buyers.

Read the original article on Business Insider
LOS ANGELES (AP)  A federal grand jury indicted a Houston man Friday for allegedly calling the office of California Democratic U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters several times last year and leaving threatening voice mails, including saying he intended to cut your throat.

Brian Michael Gaherty, 60, was charged in the indictment with four counts of making threats in interstate communications and four counts of threatening a U.S. official, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles said in a statement.

Gaherty was arrested April 13 after prosecutors filed a criminal complaint alleging that he had threatened Waters, other elected officials and a news reporter in Houston.

The indictment says Gaherty called the congresswomans office four times  twice in August and twice in November  and each time left a threatening message.

Prosecutors said that in one, he told the congresswoman he intended to cut your throat.

The indictment alleged Gaherty knowingly threatened to assault and kill Waters while she was engaged in the performance of her official duties.

There was no immediate response to messages requesting comment from an attorney who was believed to be representing Gaherty.

After Gaherty was arrested at his residence in Houston, he made a court appearance Monday and was ordered released on $100,000 bond.

He is expected to appear for an arraignment in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles in the coming weeks.

Each count of making a threat to a federal official carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. The charge of making threats in interstate communications carries a maximum penalty of five years.
Thailand's second-largest opposition party framed next month's elections as a generational choice between what it called on Saturday "a dark present and a bright future".

Thailand goes to the polls on May 14 for the first election since the kingdom was rocked by major student-led pro-democracy protests in 2020 calling for political reform.

The election is shaping as a clash between incumbent ruling parties, backed by Thailand's conservative military and royalist establishment, and more reformist and progressive opposition groups.

"Election day is a choice between the dark present and a bright future," Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit, the billionaire co-founder of the Move Forward party, told supporters at a rally in Bangkok.

The party's leader, Harvard-educated businessman Pita Limjaroenrat, told the crowd of about 2,000 mostly young voters that "we will change Thailand together".

"A vote for Move Forward is a vote for the younger generation to change the country," he said.

Recent opinion polls show Move Forward is second to Pheu Thai, the biggest opposition party that has Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the 36-year-old daughter of exiled billionaire and former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, as one of its candidates for prime minister.

Polling also shows 42-year-old Pita is trailing frontrunner Paetongtarn, whose father and aunt Yingluck were ousted in coups in 2006 and 2014, in the preferred prime minister stakes.

These younger leaders are up against unpopular incumbent Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha, 69, who came to power in the 2014 coup, and 77-year-old ex-general Prawit Wongsuwan from the ruling Palang Pracharath Party.

Pita has ruled out coalitions with Palang Pracharath or Prayut's United Thai Nation Party but has expressed willingness to ally with Pheu Thai to form government.

Despite the opinion polls, Thailand's 2017 constitution gives military-linked parties a big advantage.

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A candidate must win a majority of the 500 elected lower-house MPs as well as 250 military-appointed senators to become prime minister.

Move Forward evolved out of a Thai court's decision to dissolve Thanathorn's Future Forward Party in February 2020.

Newcomer Future Forward netted 6.3 million votes in 2019 to become Thailand's third-biggest party with 81 seats.

Auto-parts billionaire Thanathorn has been banned from running for political office for 10 years but said he was not worried about history repeating itself.

"We would start again," he told AFP.

"If the establishment dissolves our party again, they underestimate the anger of the people."

Move Forward's platform includes legalising same-sex marriage, scrapping mandatory military conscription, removing the armed forces from politics, rewriting the constitution, and boosting the minimum daily wage to 450 baht ($13).

It has also advocated reform of Thailand's royal defamation laws, considered to be among the harshest in the world and which human rights groups say are used to crush political dissent.

More than 200 pro-democracy activists are facing royal defamation charges and those convicted can be jailed for up to 15 years for each charge.

So-called Millennial and Gen Z voters represent about 41 percent of Thailand's 52 million voters.

Fruit seller Pisit Alipong, 30, said he was tired of coups and the military's involvement in politics.

"They are not capable and a waste of time," he said. "Its time to return power to the people after eight years."

tak-lpm/pbt
Illustration by Aida Amer for Yahoo News; Photos: Getty Images

For as long as Shabnam Khalilyar can remember, the United States was a fixture of her life in Afghanistan.

She was just 5 years old when the U.S. military invaded her home country in late 2001, following the Sept. 11 terror attacks. Her father quickly went to work for the Americans as a translator, as did her uncle, making most members of her family eligible for special visas created for those who helped U.S. forces.

But when Americas longest war finally came to an end in the summer of 2021, allowing Taliban militants to once again seize control of the country, only Khalilyar was able to make it out to safety.

A former journalist, she had been working for then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani prior to the withdrawal, putting her at direct risk of retribution from the newly empowered Taliban. After unsuccessfully trying to get to the Kabul airport on Aug. 30, Khalilyar and her family traveled to Mazar-i-Sharif in hopes of making it across the border to Uzbekistan.

Shabnam Khalilyar was one of roughly 80,000 Afghans who were evacuated and brought to the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome, an emergency resettlement effort established by the Biden administration amid the chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021. (Illustration by Aida Amer for Yahoo News)

There was uncertainty [about] what Taliban are going to do after [Aug. 31], the day that American troops officially withdrew from Afghanistan, Khalilyar told Yahoo News. Are they going [take] the whole population hostage, closing all borders, no airport, and you cannot leave the country? The situation was very big for us.

While they were waiting for an opportunity to cross, Khalilyar received a WhatsApp message from a stranger telling her she could join a group that would be traveling from Kabul up north to Mazar-i-Sharif to be evacuated. She didnt know anything about the people in this group, or where they were going, but she knew it was an opportunity she couldnt afford to miss.

One thing was very important for me: just to get out of that country, no matter where, she said. I was risking my life. Either I'm going to die or leave that country.

The next morning, Khalilyar went to a hotel in Mazar-i-Sharif where she joined about 150 women in a wedding hall, where theyd been separated from roughly the same number of men, who were in another area. After a few days at the hotel, Khalilyar said they were moved to some apartments where she was paired up with four strangers who are now her good friends. They stayed in the apartments for about three weeks until finally one night they were taken to the airport and put on a flight to an unknown destination.

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It wasnt until they landed that Khalilyar discovered they were in Doha, Qatar, west of Afghanistan. After spending about a month in a refugee camp there, she said, they were informed that theyd be traveling to the United States.

Khalilyar was one of roughly 80,000 Afghans who were evacuated and brought to the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome, an emergency resettlement effort established by the Biden administration amid the chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Foreigners board an aircraft at the Kabul airport on Sept. 9, 2021. (Bernat Armangue/AP)

Less than two years later, Khalilyar, 27, has resettled in Norman, Okla., where she studies international studies at the University of Oklahoma. Shes also among tens of thousands of Afghan evacuees who has yet to obtain legal permanent residency in the U.S. and whose temporary parole  good for just two years  is set to expire starting later this summer.

By relying on humanitarian parole, the Biden administration was able to bypass the regular refugee admissions system  which had been gutted under the previous administration  to quickly conduct one of the largest emergency resettlement efforts in decades. But parole is a temporary status, which offers no pathway to permanent residency; nor does Temporary Protected Status, which the Biden administration granted for Afghans in the U.S. last year.

That leaves few options for Afghans who were brought here specifically because of the dangers they would face at home, under Taliban rule. Those who worked directly with or for American troops or other U.S. government agencies are eligible to apply for Special Immigrant Visas, a lengthy and complicated process that requires applicants to submit a variety of documents  documents that could easily have been destroyed or left behind in the mad dash to flee the country.

Shabnam Khalilyar was one of roughly 80,000 Afghans who were evacuated and brought to the United States as part of Operation Allies Welcome

But more than half of Afghans who were part of Operation Allies Welcome, including Khalilyar, are not eligible for the SIV program, including womens rights activists, journalists and civic leaders. For them, the best option is to request asylum and hope that their applications make it through the backlogged system  a process that can take years  before their parole expires. Thats precisely the situation that Khalilyar finds herself in now.

It's certainly not a proud moment in American history, our treatment of these individuals after 20 years, said Michael Turansick, supervisory policy and practice counsel at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Weve given them parole status but thats really, as a practical matter, legal limbo.

A majority of Afghan evacuees are in legal limbo

According to recent data provided by the Department of Homeland Security, of the more than 77,000 Afghan evacuees who received humanitarian parole, 17,000 had submitted applications to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to register for permanent residence as of April 16, 5,300 of which have been approved.

DHS said that since July 31, 2021, USCIS has also received approximately 16,200 asylum applications from Afghan evacuees, of which more than 2,000 had been approved as of April 16. The agency notes that the total number of asylees may be larger because applicants may include their spouse and unmarried children under age 21 as dependents on their applications.

Helal Massomi, a womens rights advocate who was part of the U.S. evacuation, told Yahoo News that while she is among the minority of evacuees whove already received asylum, she regularly speaks to members of the Afghan community in Washington, D.C., where shes based, who have not obtained any kind of permanent status.

The DHS also notes that, in a typical year, the USCIS will receive less than 2,000 individual requests for humanitarian parole from people of all nationalities, of which 500-700 are usually approved. Since July 1, 2021, however, the agency has received and processed 52,000 humanitarian parole requests from Afghan nationals, approximately 11,700 of which have been denied.

A spokesperson for the State Department, which oversees the Special Immigrant Visa program, noted that at the Presidents direction, we have undertaken substantial efforts to improve the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) program to streamline the application and adjudication processes, while safeguarding our national security. including significantly increasing the number of staff dedicated to processing applications.

As a result, the spokesperson said, since the start of the Biden administration through April 1, 2023, we have issued more than 25,000 SIVs to principal applicants and their eligible family members  representing substantial yearly increases from the previous several years.

However, many more applications are still pending. According to the State Department's most recent quarterly report on the SIV program, as of Dec. 31, 2022, 62,919 principal applicants were awaiting Chief of Mission (COM) approval, which is one of the first of several steps in the SIV application process. At that time, an additional 76,778 principal applicants had submitted some, but not all, of the documents required to apply for COM approval.

A legislative solution

Historically, following other large humanitarian parole efforts , Congress has passed whats known as an adjustment act, to offer permanent status to those who were paroled into the country during an emergency situation. For example, two years after the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, when the U.S. evacuated more than 100,000 Vietnamese refugees, Congress passed a Vietnamese adjustment act giving Vietnamese and other Southeast Asian evacuees in the U.S. the opportunity to become permanent residents after two years.

Similar combinations of parole plus adjustment acts were used throughout the Cold War to give refugees who fled communist countries, such as China and Cuba, a path to permanent residency. More recently, at various times during the 1990s and early 2000s, the U.S. government enacted adjustment legislation for certain parolees from the Soviet Union, Iraq and Southeast Asia.

But despite the support of the White House, as well as members of both parties in the House and Senate, Congress has thus far failed to pass an Afghan Adjustment Act.

In the past, we've kept our promises, Turansick said. Now in Afghanistan, we told them wed have their back and we haven't done so yet.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, center, tours an evacuation control center at the Kabul airport, August 17, 2021. (1st Lt. Mark Andries/U.S. Marine Corps)

Afghan evacuees and their supporters, including veterans groups and immigration advocates, had hoped to see the Afghan Adjustment Act included in a Continuing Resolution to fund the government, which was guaranteed to pass last fall, but it was unable to overcome opposition from critics like Chuck Grassley, the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee, who raised security concerns based on a report from the DHS inspector general, which found that some Afghan evacuees were not fully vetted before being paroled into the country.

In a statement at the time, Grassley said, Congress should not consider sweeping status immigration changes for evacuees unless and until this administration guarantees the integrity of and fully responds to long-standing oversight requests regarding their vetting and resettlement process. Anything less would be irresponsible.

Proponents of the Afghan Adjustment Act argue that it addresses those vetting concerns by requiring evacuees to undergo an extra layer of security checks before they can obtain permanent status.

This is where I think its just politics, Mahsa Khanbabai, an immigration law expert, said of the opposition over security concerns.

Khanbabai was a co-leader of a task force created by the American Immigration Lawyers Association during the evacuation to provide pro bono legal assistance to newly arrived Afghans. She told Yahoo News that the Afghan Adjustment Act would be game changing for tens of thousands of Afghans who would otherwise be forced to navigate the broken and dysfunctional asylum system.

Illustration by Aida Amer for Yahoo News)

We have cases years in backlogs. You dont have enough asylum officers in the first place. And to put people through that trauma all over again is really disconcerting, she said. Basically it's going to put a huge plug into ... this huge crack thats in the dam right now.

Grassleys office did not respond to multiple requests for comment on whether he would be open to considering a revised version of the Afghan Adjustment Act during this Congress.

So far, the bill hasnt been re-introduced, but Sen. Chris Coons, D-Conn., one of the co-sponsors of the act, told Yahoo News in a statement that hes optimistic that Congress will reach an agreement to enact protections for Afghans in the United States before humanitarian parole expires this year.

Not only is this a moral imperative, but countless former military leaders, including three former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Supreme Allied Commander of NATO have said this is in our national security interest, Coons said. I am hopeful we can get an agreement together this Congress to keep our commitments to Afghans in the U.S., and heed the call of the U.S. troops, veterans and military families who have made this a priority.

Betrayal

For some Afghans, the U.S. governments inability, or refusal to provide them with permanent protections after 20 years of war feels like a betrayal.

The allies of [the] U.S., the Afghans, both in Afghanistan and here, were not expecting this kind of treatment, Helal Massomi, a womens rights advocate who was part of the U.S. evacuation, told Yahoo News.

Before the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August 2021, Massomi was working as an adviser to the Afghan government, advocating for the rights of women and other war-affected people were included in peace negotiations with the Taliban.

Now Massomi is advocating for Afghan refugees in the U.S. She works as a policy adviser for the Lutheran Immigrant Refugee Service, one of the countrys largest refugee resettlement agencies, and also serves as co-chair of the Evacuate Our Allies Coalition, a network of refugee, religious and human rights groups as well as veterans organizations that have been advocating on behalf of Afghan allies since President Biden first announced the plan to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan in the spring of 2021. The coalition has been a leading voice on Capitol Hill in favor of the Afghan Adjustment Act.

While Massomi is among the minority of evacuees whove already received asylum, she said she regularly speaks to members of the Afghan community in Washington, D.C., where shes based, who have not obtained some kind of permanent status.

They think that they're going to be deported from this country, she said. And there's a big probability that they will be deported from this country because the options that are out there are not permanent.

Desperate Afghans wait to submit documents inside the passport office in Kabul on June 30, 2021. (Rahmat Gul/AP)

Massomi said that among many of the Afghans she talks to, there is a sense that the U.S. does not care about them, that we were just a country that was used for the benefit of [the] U.S.

She said this feeling is especially acute among Afghan women who were evacuated but, in most cases, dont qualify for Special Immigrant Visas, noting that the U.S. government had justified its prolonged presence in Afghanistan, in part, by promising to bring democracy and gender equality to a society where women had long been treated like second-class citizens.

For Massomi, this sense of betrayal is compounded by the Biden administrations treatment of Ukrainian refugees, who were granted humanitarian parole to enter the U.S. following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Last month, the Department of Homeland Security announced an extension of parole for certain Ukrainian refugees whose temporary status was at risk of expiring, allowing them to remain in the country for another year without having to submit any additional paperwork.

We are so happy for what they're doing [for] Ukrainians, but we stood by the U.S. for more than 20 years. We provided our home to them. We [gave] them everything they needed, Massomi said, adding that during the two decades the U.S. was at war in Afghanistan, roughly 66,000 Afghan soldiers and police were killed.

It makes Afghan people think that theyre less valuable than other communities, she said.

President Biden speaking from the Treaty Room in the White House about the withdrawal of the remainder of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, April 14, 2021. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

In lieu of an adjustment act, advocates like Massomi have urged the Biden administration to alleviate some of that anxiety by announcing an extension to the two-year parole for Afghan evacuees before it begins to expire this summer.

A National Security Council spokesperson told Yahoo News on background that the administration remains committed to supporting Afghan nationals who were admitted to our country through humanitarian parole, and the Department of Homeland Security is exploring opportunities for humanitarian relief.

Many more Afghans left behind

Massomi also emphasized that this immigration limbo is just one of the many things weighing heavily on Afghan evacuees in the U.S., many of whom remain separated from their families nearly two years after boarding an evacuation flight.

For those left behind in Afghanistan, like Khalilyars family or that of Col. Nazar Mohammad Azizi, a former helicopter pilot in the Afghan Army, getting out has become even more challenging  and more urgent.

Azizi, who served alongside U.S. and allied forces for 20 years, was evacuated after leading a fleet of Afghan military helicopters and other aircraft to safety in Uzbekistan during the Taliban takeover. He has since resettled in Tucson, Ariz., and been granted asylum, but worries for the family he left behind. His wife and daughter remain in Kabul, moving to a new house or apartment every few months to evade the Taliban, whove already thrown his brother in jail.

Azizis two sons, who were just toddlers when the U.S. military invaded and he decided to join them on the battlefield, are now both over 21  the maximum age to be included on a parents asylum application.

A few months ago, amid growing Taliban threats, Azizi sold his house in Afghanistan to pay to send his two sons to Kazakhstan, for their protection. But shortly after their arrival, tragedy struck: One of his sons was hit by a bus, putting him into a coma for 10 days. Now, Azizi said, he is awake but remains in the hospital with serious injuries from his chest down. A doctor there told Azizi that if his son is not moved to a hospital in the United States or Germany, he may never walk again.

If that happens, Azizi told Yahoo News, I couldnt forgive myself, in my whole life.

Michael Turansick is a supervisory policy and practice counsel at the American Immigration Lawyers Association.

A recent report from the Association for Wartime Allies found that Afghan allies who were left behind following the evacuation continue to face years-long bureaucratic delays of processing of their SIV applications with lengthy wait times for relocation, as the threat to their existence under Taliban rule becomes increasingly more perilous.

Since the Taliban takeover, the Taliban have engaged in a systematic country wide effort to hunt down and murder the Afghans who previously worked with American forces, the report states, adding, Their campaign has thus far been tragically successful.

Afghans can also apply for humanitarian parole from outside the country, and in the wake of the evacuation, the USCIS received a flood of humanitarian parole applications from Afghans who were not lucky enough to escape. But those requests have also encountered bureaucratic hurdles.

As of April 12, the DHS said that approximately 770 Afghans outside the U.S. have received conditional approval for their humanitarian parole requests. However, they said the process is complicated by the fact that the USCIS requires humanitarian parole applicants to complete vetting and biometrics screenings in-person, at a U.S. embassy or consulate, neither of which are currently operating in Afghanistan. Those seeking humanitarian parole from Afghanistan must first travel to a third country to complete their vetting and screening requirements before they can be approved.

Khalilyar noted that such logistical barriers pose a particular challenge for other young women and girls left behind in Afghanistan, who are now barred from leaving the country without a male guardian. She reflected on where she might be had she not gotten out when she did.

It was my good luck that I was among the list of vulnerable people, she said.
Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis will look to settle their long-standing feud tonight, as the unbeaten boxers clash in a huge main event in Las Vegas.

Davis (28-0, 26 knockouts) holds the WBA lightweight title, while Garcia (23-0, 19 KOs) is a former WBC interim lightweight champion.

However, the Americans will meet in a catchweight bout at 136lbs, in a fight that is years in the making.

Davis recent legal issues threatened to delay the contest, but Tank, 28, and Garcia, 24, are still on course to clash at long last.

Heres all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

When is it?

The fight will take place on Saturday 22 April, a main event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 23 April (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). Ring walks for the main event are then expected at approximately 4am BST on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday).

How can I watch it?

The event will stream live on Dazn in the UK and selected European countries, and on Dazn pay-per-view in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. It will also be available as a Showtime pay-per-view in the US.

Odds

Garcia  15/8

Davis  4/9

Draw  14/1

Via Betway.

Fight card (subject to change)

Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia (136lbs catchweight)

David Morrell (C) vs Sena Agbeko (WBA super-middleweight title)

Bektemir Melikuziev vs Gabriel Rosado (super-middleweight)

Elijah Garcia vs Kevin Salgado Zambrano (middleweight)
Tom Parker Bowles, son of Queen Consort Camilla, has hit back at Prince Harrys claim that his mother played an end game to become Queen.

Parker Bowles is the eldest child of Camilla and Andrew Parker Bowles, who were married from 1973 to 1995. They also share daughter Laura Rose Lopes (nee Parker Bowles).

On Thursday 20 April, the 48-year-old British food writer appeared on The News Agents podcast where he discussed Camillas marriage to Charles, insisting that she just married the person she loved.

I think change happens but I dont care what anyone says  this wasnt any sort of end game, he said. She married the person she loved and this is what happened.

His comments come after the Duke of Sussex labelled his step-mother as the villain in his highly-publicised memoir, Spare, which was released last January. In the tell-all memoir, Prince Harry claimed that the Queen Consort leaked stories about the royal family to the media to bolster her image as part of a long game for marriage and the crown. I have complex feelings about gaining a step-parent who I thought had recently sacrificed me on her personal PR altar, he wrote.

However, sources close to the Queen Consort have said that Camilla was hurt to be branded as the villain by Harry.

Asked if his mother would be anxious in the run-up to the coronation, Parker Bowles said it was difficult for her to take on such a role during the ceremony but shes never complained.

I think anyone would be anxious on an occasion of this sort of importance in terms of the historical. And yes, I think Id be terrified if I had to sort of walk out wearing ancient robes   he said. Shes 75, but you know, its tough to do it. But shes never complained. You just do it. Get on with it.

He said it was not really weird to think of Camilla as the Queen, because shes still our mother. I say our but not the royal we, speaking for my sister and me. Shes our mother.

His remarks reflect those made by Charles and Camillas former royal butler, Grant Harrold, who told The Independent that she would be nervous and terrified ahead of the historic event.

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[Charles] has done this for so long, the only thing that will worry him is that he is very particular and likes everything done and to go perfectly, Harrold said during an etiquette event this week.

Hell be more focused on making sure everybody knows what theyre doing. Hell trust his team, including the household team, the office, secretaries, hes going to trust that theyll get it right so that he just has to worry about making sure he gets the crown on the right way.

Tom Parker Bowles denied claims his mother played an end game to become Queen (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)

The Duke of Sussex has confirmed his attendance at King Charles and Queen Camillas coronation on Saturday 6 May. In a statement, Buckingham Palace announced Prince Harry will attend the ceremony while his wife, Meghan Markle, 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 on 12 April. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.

Prince Harrys confirmation at the Kings coronation comes after months of speculation over whether the royal couple would attend the ceremony. 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.

In the same interview, Parker Bowles spoke about planned protests that are set to take place during the coronation on 6 May.

Everyone has a right to think what they want, he told podcast hosts Emily Maitlis and Jon Sopel. You know, we live in a, thankfully, a free country.

Republic is an activist group that calls to see the monarchy abolished and the King replaced with an elected, democratic head of state. The group says its supporters will march along The Mall on 6 May, which the King will proceed down from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey. The demonstrators have been known to carry yellow protest signs emblazoned with the words, Not My King.

When asked whether he was worried that anti-monarchy demonstrators would get in the way of the King and his mothers coronation, Parker Bowles backed their right to protest. If people want to protest, thats their right to do so, I think, he added. If people protest, people protest. Youre allowed to protest, were all allowed to have different views. I think that makes for an interesting and civilised country.

Republic is set to stage the largest protest action in its history by lining the coronation procession route and gathering in Trafalgar Square. From there, they will march down the procession route towards Westminster Abbey  the site of the coronations of England and Britains monarchs since 1066.

Additional reporting by PA.
Lord Ranger - ROGER HARRIS

A Conservative peer is being sued for libel over claims that a Sikh campaign group is being funded by the enemies of India.

Rami Ranger is accused of damaging the reputation of Sikhs for Justice (SfJ) and its founder Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who campaign for an independent nation for Sikhs in the Indian state of Punjab.

Both have now submitted a joint 500,000 claim for damages for libel against Lord Ranger in a claim filed in the High Court in London.

The claim states that a number of serious, false and defamatory allegations were made about them in an article in the Pakistan Daily on November 30, 2021, which included an interview with Lord Ranger and was shared by the peer on Twitter to his more than 10,000 followers. The article was headlined "Lord Ranger questions faith, funding of Sikh separatist leader".

At one stage in the interview, Lord Ranger is reported as saying: They are funded by the enemies of India.

SfJ and Mr Pannun allege the article led to a significant number of people believing the group is a terrorist organisation and caused serious harm to SfJ 's reputation as an organisation campaigning for a referendum for a separate Sikh state through non-violent protest and political means.

The claim filed with the court states that SfJ, which has its UK base in the West Midlands, and Mr Pannun, a US attorney based in New York, have suffered very serious harm to their reputations and have suffered considerable hurt, distress and embarrassment as a result of the allegations contained in the article.

They are also seeking aggravated damages for Lord Rangers failure to offer any apology or retraction.

Gurpatwant Singh Pannu

Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, this month called on Rishi Sunak to take strong action against anti-India elements, following a call by the Indian authorities for the UK Government to monitor groups like SfJ.

This came after a protest outside the Indian High Commission in London when the Indian flag was pulled down and the Khalistan flag raised in its place to highlight what the SfJ said was the occupation of the Punjab by India and the need for a separate Sikh state.

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Lord Ranger, who is chairman of the British Sikh Association and joint chairman of the Conservative Friends of India, has hit back against the lawsuit, inviting the High Court in London to throw the case out on the basis that it was not submitted in time.

Mr Justice Nicklin has ruled that his application will be heard by a procedural judge some time after June 16, and he ordered both sides to file evidence and skeleton argument.

The judge also noted that although Lord Rangers legal representative said the claim form launching the legal action was issued on March 13, 2023, outside the limitation period, the original document had in fact been dated November 23, 2022, within the one year allowed to bring an action for libel.

Apology over 'racially charged' comments

Two months ago, Lord Ranger apologised and withdrew comments made about Pakistanis that had been criticised for being racially charged, after a referral was made about his conduct to the House of Lords standards watchdog.

The Telegraph revealed in January that Lord Ranger had facilitated the hosting of an event at the Houses of Parliament promoting the work of Sri Nithyananda, a self-styled "God man" wanted by the Indian authorities in connection with allegations of rape, child abduction and fraud.

A full-page advert for Nithyanandas organisation Kailasa UK appeared in a commemorative brochure for the Diwali event organised by the Hindu Forum of Britain (HFB).

The HFB reception was also attended by one of the cult leaders prominent British supporters.

Lord Ranger, the founder of the export firm Sun Mark, which has donated more than 1.5 million to the Conservative Party, said he had no knowledge of Nithyananda or his activities and had only facilitated the event in his capacity as a peer.
A Georgetown man has received a 99-year prison sentence for the beating death of his wife, whose remains couldn't be found after they ended up in a trash dump, officials said.

At the beginning of his trial Tuesday, Travis Hall, 50, pleaded guilty to the murder of his 47-year-old wife, Julie Hall, on Feb. 19, 2021. A Williamson County jury in the 26th District Court sentenced him to the maximum prison term Thursday. Jurors also required him to pay a $10,000 fine, the maximum for a first-degree felony.

Travis Hall's attorney, Ryan Deck, did not respond to a request for comment about the case.

"We want to thank the jury for their service, hard work, attention and consideration of this case," said Michael Waldman, one of the prosecutors who tried the case. "Being a juror is difficult, especially in a murder case where there is graphic testimony about a person being brutally murdered."

Travis Hall makes his way into the courtroom Wednesday, a day after pleading guilty to killing his wife in 2021.

Hall, who was a plumber at the time, beat his wife to death with a pipe wrench in their bed, Waldman said. He previously was a chiropractor in Houston, the prosecutor said. His license was revoked in 2014, public records show. Julie Hall was a special education teacher's aide in the Hutto school district.

Travis Hall dumped his wife's body at 3:44 a.m. Feb. 19 in a trash compactor at the Georgetown apartment complex where they lived and then went to Houston to meet with a prostitute in a hotel, Waldman said. He said Hall had booked the hotel before he killed his wife.

More: Husband charged with missing teacher's murder after police find bloodstains, bloody wrench

When Hall came back from Houston two days later, "he used Julie Halls phone to send out messages pretending to be her from her cellphone and then sent messages from his cellphone to Julies cellphone pretending like he didnt know where she was," Waldman said.

"When questioned by police and when confronted with his series of lies the Georgetown Police Department and Texas Rangers checked up on, Travis Hall continued to lie and refused to say what he did to Julie Hall and where he put her body," the prosecutor said.

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During the week of Feb. 23, 2021, Travis Hall confessed to the prostitute about killing his wife and dumping her body, Waldman said. After investigators were able to identify who the prostitute was, he said, she told them what Hall had confessed to her.

Julie Hall, with her daughter Ashley, who was trying on a wedding dress, was a special education teacher's aide in the Hutto school district.

More: Hutto teacher's husband accused in her disappearance after blood found in Georgetown apartment

Police were then able to find video from the apartment complex that showed Hall putting his wife's body into the trash compactor, Waldman said. He said a Texas Ranger involved in the investigation was able to learn that the trash had been picked up Feb. 20, 2021, and taken to a landfill in Creedmoor owned by Texas Disposal Systems.

He said the landfill received 3,000 to 3,500 tons of trash on the day Julie Hall's body was taken there. Law enforcement officers searched for more than 24 hours but were unable to find her body, the prosecutor said.

Travis Hall, center, takes the stand in the 26th District Court in Williamson County on Wednesday. He was sentenced Thursday to 99 years in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine.

"By the time search teams were able to coordinate the effort to try to recover the remains of Julie Hall, over 21,000 tons of trash had been dumped, compacted and scattered over a large area," Waldman said.

There had been no previous reported violence in the marriage, Waldman said, but "throughout the marriage, Travis Hall repeatedly committed adultery with prostitutes, escorts and people involved in the sex trade."

Travis Hall killed his wife one week before their 27th wedding anniversary, the prosecutor said.

"Julie Hall was a loved teacher's assistant at Howard Norman Elementary," Waldman said. "Julie worked with behavior-challenged children at the school. Ms. Hall was a loved mother, member of the Hutto ISD and member of the community."

Travis Hall testifies Wednesday in the sentencing phase of his trial after he pleaded guilty to the murder of his wife.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Georgetown man gets 99 years in wife's beating death
A 21-year-old man will spend the next 24 years in prison for his part in gunning down a pregnant woman in Kennewick in 2019.

Judge Jacqueline Stam said it was one of the most difficult decisions she has made as she considered the tragic history of Adrian Mendoza, and the impact of his crime on Andrea Nunezs family and the Tri-Cities.

This has been a very difficult day for many people, the judge said on Friday afternoon as she wrapped up an emotional two-hour long sentencing hearing. My hope is that people can move forward from this day. My hope is that Mr. Mendoza takes this opportunity. ... My impression is that he can be better.

Mendoza pleaded guilty on Friday to second-degree murder in Benton County Superior Court. He also admitted to using a gun to commit the crime, which carries an additional five years in prison.

With the additional time, Mendoza faced between 16 years and two months and 24 1/2 years in prison.

Stam decided to follow Deputy Prosecutor Anita Petras recommendation for the maximum sentence.

Petra described a youth who was out of control in the years leading up to the murder, who was able to quickly get a hold of guns and then fled to Oregon after the shooting.

When he was initially charged, Mendoza was a 17-year-old gang member with a history of using a gun to commit crimes.

The state submits the only just sentence is 24 1/2 years, Petra said. A sentence of 294 months is what is needed to protect the public. The defendant poses a great risk to the community.

Defense Attorney Shelley Ajax asked for leniency for her client, pointing out that Mendoza was introduced to methamphetamine when he was a young teen, and didnt have a structure around him to support him.

He was a young (gang) member and when I talk to all of my clients about why they make that choice, its always devastating to hear and its heartbreaking, Ajax said. And this case is one of the worst. The foster care system failed him. His family failed him. The school system failed him. ... And being touched by all of those systems, that could have helped him, not one did.

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While she believed he should bear some responsibility, she asked for an eight-year and five-month sentence, which would keep him in the juvenile rehabilitation system.

Mendoza also asked for leniency from the judge while apologizing for his actions.

I never had a chance your honor, since I can remember, Ive been around horrible people and situations, Mendoza wrote in a letter that was read by Ajax. I never had any role models or people to look up to, so I had no choice but to follow or get left behind.

2019 shooting

Mendoza was at a party in a house in east Kennewick on May 5, 2019, along with Marin Rivera, another 17-year-old who would also be charged in connection with the shooting.

The party had about 15 to 20 people there, with many of them using drugs.

Rivera, who pleaded guilty to first-degree rendering criminal assistance, told investigators that he had been hanging out with Mendoza for a few days before the shooting.

About 4 a.m., someone saw Nunez and her boyfriend walk past the home, and alerted others at the party. Rivera said someone at the home handed out guns, but since Rivera wasnt part of the gang, he didnt get one.

While Rivera was initially reluctant, Mendoza urged him to come along.

As he and Mendoza started down Seventh Avenue, others from the party joined them, converging on the couple. As they approached, Nunez told them to leave her and her boyfriend alone.

And they kept walking, and like Adrian ... was like, F-k that. West Side, Rivera said in a statement to prosecutors. And she turned around and said, South Side.

When she responded the first person opened fire, then a second, finally Mendoza fired.

One of those bullets hit Nunez in her upper body, killing her.

A home security camera captured some of the attack.

Minutes later two men walked past the camera. One of them, believed to be Mendoza, had a shirt with the number 18 on the back in large numerals.

Nunez died before police arrived.

Days later, Rivera, who turned 17 three days before the slaying, was arrested during classes at Southridge High School. Mendoza was arrested in Hermiston.

A lengthy sentence

Petra portrayed Mendoza as a hardened gang member who was nearly 18 at the time of the shooting.

When he was arrested on the day after the shooting, he was evasive with detectives, lied several times, misidentified people on the video and tried to divert blame onto others including Rivera.

She went on to explain that Rivera was caught and provided a statement to police that was corroborated by the physical evidence.

Your honor, these are the actions of a very dangerous individual, she said. One who fully understood what he did and the consequences at stake.

She pointed out that in the years and months prior to the crime, Mendoza had a history of being involved with guns. When he was 14, he pointed a BB gun at another teen during a fight.

Then when he was 16, he went to an emergency room with a gunshot wound in his hand and said he had shot himself. He didnt give any more details about the gun. A search of his home turned up the gun and blood, Petra said.

Months later, he was involved in a fight, where he used a padlock tied to a bandanna as a weapon.

Then slightly more than a month before the shooting, he allegedly pointed a gun at someone in Pasco. The vehicle was later searched and a gun was found. He is still facing charges in Franklin County on that count.

This is an aggressive violent history that involves a firearm, Petra said. What is so scary and concerning is how quickly he is able to get another firearm when police seized the firearm that he had.

Nunezs mother, Janet Nunez, cried as she remembered her daughter during the hearing.

I have missed the fun I had with my daughter. I miss her everyday, she told Stam. In the end, we all know whats right and wrong, no matter how much we try to justify the wrong things that we do.

She asked Stam to follow Petras recommendation, saying that she was angry when she realized that he would go free at one point.

I got angry at one point because I cant go unbury my baby and bring her home, but he gets to go home, she said. My daughter has gone through a lot of things when she was young. Hes not going to be the first or the last person who has gone through things, your honor.

A traumatic history

Ajax presented a different image of Mendoza, as someone who lacked good role models, was abused, introduced to drugs at a young age, and found comfort in the wrong people.

Some of the things that he had to endure were too horrible to talk about out loud, she said.

Even though he was involved with the juvenile justice system, he never had the support necessary to follow through.

Even if he had gone to all those classes, he was still a man alone on an island for a long time with nobody to help him, she said. He had no drivers license. He had no education other than in the ninth grade. He had no way to get anywhere. No way to clothe himself. No way to feed himself. ... This was one of the worst situations Ive seen.

Ajax said its only been the time hes spent in the Benton County jail that has seemed to chance his perspective. In recent years, hes asked for self-help books, moved away from gangs and is haunted by what hes done.

She said sending him to prison will only turn him into a hardened criminal, and it is better to keep him in the juvenile rehabilitation system.

He knows that he wants to straighten out. He knows that he needs help, she said. Hes made great advancements.

She said he has left behind the gang influences.

Mendoza was going to speak, but couldnt bring himself to, so he gave his letter to Ajax to read. He said he regretted his decisions and wished that there was some way to take it back.

If there were words to express how much I regret my decisions, I would say them, he wrote. I was doing and reacting the only way I knew how. I truly couldnt grasp or understand that what I was doing was so bad at the time. ... Please see in what I have written that this isnt me any more.

He said he wanted to get his GED and perhaps become a counselor.

Two of his sisters also spoke on his behalf. They didnt live with him at the time, but said that he had been abandoned by his parents and didnt have a chance to have support.
I tried hot chicken from Prince's and Hattie B's. Clay Walker/Insider

Nashville is known for hot chicken: fried chicken brushed with oil and seasoned with hot spices.

I tried the city's two most popular hot chicken spots: Prince's Hot Chicken and Hattie B's.

I had a hard time choosing a favorite as both restaurants serve deliciously spicy chicken.

Nashville is known for hot chicken.

Nashville hot chicken is a Music City delicacy. Rus32/Getty Images

Nashville is famous for its hot chicken: crispy fried chicken that's doused in oil and hot spices. The chicken's oil-based sauce differentiates it from Buffalo chicken, which according to Fox, is typically made with butter and some variety of cayenne-based sauce.

Once a delicacy only enjoyed by Nashvillians, the dish's popularity has boomed in recent years, with hot chicken restaurants sprouting up from Los Angeles to Washington, DC.

It's built a rabid fan base on TikTok, and according to Eater, the chicken has become so beloved that it's even inspired a slew of spin-off dishes around the city, including hot tater tots, hot hummus, and hot doughnuts.

It can be found at restaurants all over Nashville, but the two hot chicken giants are Prince's Hot Chicken and Hattie B's.

I visited both to see whose chicken reigns supreme.

My first stop was Prince's Hot Chicken.

Prince's Hot Chicken in Nashville. Clay Walker/Insider

Prince's Hot Chicken is the originator of Nashville hot chicken.

In 2019, Insider's Herrine Ro spoke to Andre Prince, the current owner of Prince's, about her family's business and the hot chicken phenomenon.

According to Andre, in the 1930s, her great uncle Thornton Prince was unknowingly served spicy chicken by an angry lover, and the heat of the chicken, intended to burn his mouth, actually lit a fire of a different kind.

Thornton loved the chicken so much he started his own business and opened the first hot chicken restaurant, called BBQ Chicken Shack, in 1936. Andre continues to honor her great uncle's legacy by serving this spicy specialty to Music City.

What started as popular fare in Nashville's Black community is now a worldwide hit, with other restaurants replicating the dish.

Story continues

"Competition is good. And it gives you more recognition, because everybody wants to know, where did it start? Hey, they got to come to Prince's Hot Chicken. That's where it all started. Oh, baby, people are always curious," Andre told Ro.

Prince's has a lively and welcoming atmosphere.

The Prince's I visited is located in South Nashville. Clay Walker/Insider

Prince's has three restaurants in the Nashville area: South Nashville, Broadway, and a food truck on 6th Avenue. I visited the South Nashville location.

The dining room is casual with photos and Prince's memorabilia lining the walls.

My four tenders cost $7.85, and side items like baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw were a la carte, starting at $2.50. That seemed to be a reasonable price for the amount of food I got. I decided to just get the chicken as that, to me, is the star of the show.

I found that Prince's hot chicken was fresh and flavorful.

I ordered four medium tenders. Clay Walker/Insider

The tenders were topped with pickles and came in a paper basket piled on a piece of white bread.

Hot chicken is customarily served on top of white bread. Excess oil and spices soak into the bread leaving behind a spicy slice to enjoy.

The tenders were a good size, hot (temperature-wise), and crispy.

There are seven hot chicken heat levels at Prince's, and I opted for medium. I figured this would be a good level to gauge how fiery their chicken actually is.

I actually think I could have gone up a level or two in terms of spice. Don't get me wrong, the chicken was hot, but not as hot as I had expected. Next time I'm definitely taking it up a notch.

Regardless, it was delicious and packed with hot chicken flavor.

My next stop was Hattie B's.

Hattie B's in Nashville. Clay Walker/Insider

Like Prince's, Hattie B's started with family.

According to The Tennessean, Nick Bishop Jr., one of the restaurant's founders, had the food business in his DNA. Both his father and grandfather operated their own successful Tennessee restaurants before Bishop Jr. opened Hattie B's with his dad in 2012.

"We knew we had great fried chicken, really for any Hot Chicken place, starts with great southern fried chicken and here is something Nashville did well, that the rest of the world doesn't know about, so we thought we could do a really good job with it," Bishop Jr. told WKRN.

Hattie B's has a straightforward menu and casual vibe.

The Hattie B's location I went to was located in Nashville's Melrose neighborhood. Clay Walker/Insider

Hattie B's has ten locations: five in Tennessee, two in Atlanta, and one in Birmingham, Dallas, and Las Vegas.

I visited the location on 8th Avenue in an area called Melrose.

The atmosphere is laid back and fun with pops of bright red and plenty of seating. Similar to Prince's, there is plenty of merchandise for sale and on display.

I would advise going on the earlier side or later in the afternoon. The line can get lengthy at peak lunch hours.

My meal, which came with three tenders and two sides, was $12.00  about the same price as Prince's. Sides included Southern favorites like potato salad, greens, and grits. For sides, I ordered fries and coleslaw. Both were very tasty.

I found Hattie B's chicken to be spicier than Prince's.

I also ordered medium tenders at Hattie B's. Clay Walker/Insider

The first thing I noticed about the Hattie B's chicken was the large size of the tenders. They were also served with pickles and the standard white bread.

As for heat, I, again, opted for medium, which is the third option on Hattie B's six-level heat scale. It did not disappoint.

It wasn't unbearably spicy, but for sure had a kick. Much more than Prince's medium tenders.

Just looking at the chicken you can see how red it is from all of the oil and seasoning, and in addition to being spicy, it had a great flavor too.

Overall, I thought both Prince's and Hattie B's served a great product.

Both Prince's and Hattie B's have great hot chicken. Clay Walker/Insider

To be honest, I really can't pick a winner.

Taste-wise they are both top-notch. Prince's is juicy and crispy, and Hattie B's is spicy and flavorful. The prices were comparable, and the sides, at least at Hattie B's, were great too. You really can't go wrong with either.

However, if you were a tourist visiting Nashville for a brief time and are forced to choose between the two, perhaps Prince's would be your best bet. Afterward, you can tell people that you ate at the home of hot chicken.

Hattie B's is not to be overlooked though. With more locations, it can be more convenient depending on where you are in the city.

Read the original article on Insider
President Donald Trumps 2024 presidential campaign team bashed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and criticized his leadership skills on Friday for causing the state to become among the worst states to live in and raise a family.

Steven Cheung, in a campaign email, put the Florida Republican on blast during a day where Trump delivered a speech  and distributed pizza slices with his hands  in Fort Myers.

The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair, Cheung said in an email detailed by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

He has left a wake of destruction all across Florida, and people are hurting because he has spent more time playing public relations games instead of actually doing the hard-work needed to improve the lives of the people he represents.

The campaigns message, titled The Real Ron DeSantis Playbook, continued to knock the Florida governor with a list of points linked to the state becoming among the worst.

Under Ron DeSantis, Florida has become among the worst states to live find economic opportunity work retire raise a family pay taxesbe safe rent a home have a baby afford energy die be a teacher be a doctor be a police officer... for millennials... for working dads [and] for working moms, the email read.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Lee County Republican dinner in Fort Myers, Florida on Friday. His 2024 presidential campaign team bashed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and criticized his leadership skills in an email on Friday.

Former President Donald Trump speaks at the Lee County Republican dinner in Fort Myers, Florida on Friday. His 2024 presidential campaign team bashed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and criticized his leadership skills in an email on Friday.

Trump, who owns property in Mar-a-Lago and spoke at Floridas Lee County GOP dinner on Friday, mocked DeSantis for his endorsement request and celebrated his position in polls against the governor, Florida Politics noted.

The former president has, as of Friday, stayed on top of DeSantis in the endorsement department as a potential primary battle between the two heats up.

Trump has collected endorsements from nine senators and 48 members of the House as of Friday, including, as NBC News noted, more than half of the Florida Republicans serving in the House.

Story continues

DeSantis has thus far seen three endorsements in Congress, including one from Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), a former Secretary of State under his administration.

Trump has also maintained a lead over DeSantis in the polls, as a recent Wall Street Journal poll shows him with 48% compared to DeSantiss 24% among likely GOP primary voters.

Related...
Former President Donald Trump put a new twist on the concept of hand-tossed pizza as he picked up slices and handed them out to a crowd in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday.

Trump, following a speech at the Lee County Lincoln-Reagan dinner, stopped by Fort Myers Downtown House of Pizza to grab a pie with Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) and reached into a pizza box and offered onlookers slices by hand.

The former president also took a bite of a slice and offered it to a willing participant among a Trump-chanting crowd, then laughed.

Does anyone want a piece that Ive eaten? shouted Trump before proclaiming that the slice was good as he placed it back in the box and grabbed another slice to hand out.

Trump stopped at a pizza place tonight after giving a speech in Fort Myers and handed out slices to supporters. He then took a bite out of a slice of pepperoni pizza and said, Does anybody want a piece that Ive eaten? pic.twitter.com/KoZYAzuhma  Kate Sullivan (@KateSullivanDC) April 22, 2023

Real Man of the People here. pic.twitter.com/TLzc3ifQkr  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 22, 2023

Trumps delivery method got panned by Twitter users, including one who suggested that the Trump-touched slices would end up on eBay by Saturday.

The smooth brains were screaming for a piece of trump-bitten pizza like it was the 1960s and the pizza was named Paul.



What the actual fuck is wrong with these people?  Jo  (@JoJoFromJerz) April 22, 2023

Most people just put the pizza box on the table and let everybody take a slice. Not this guy. pic.twitter.com/0hIUteIPiQ  Mr. Newberger (@jeremynewberger) April 22, 2023

The @GOPs sloven Overlard slobbers over pizza before handing out crusts he cant chew. https://t.co/tUtzNfME3d  Sgt Joker (@TheSGTJoker) April 22, 2023

Okay, dont ruin pizza for me.



You can have Big Macs and wrestling, and paper towels and boxing, golf and Diet Coke, Florida and ketchup.but for the love GOD, STAY AWAY FROM PIZZA  Dastardly Democrat  (@LifeLongWanderR) April 22, 2023

Oh man, I love pizza that is passed from person to person!  MobBelvin (@kmahl13) April 22, 2023

Related...
Donald Trump has come under fire for offering a slice of pizza to his supporters - after taking a bite out of it.

The former president courted a crowd of fans on Friday night at a pizza parlour in Fort Meyers, Florida, where he ordered a massive pie for himself.

Viral video showed Mr Trump sinking his teeth into a pepperoni slice before raising it in the air and asking: Does anybody want a piece that Ive eaten?

While the fans didnt seem fazed by the offer, viewers sounding off on social media were quick to brand it disgusting.

The pizza shop visit came after Mr Trump insulted his own home state of Florida in his latest attack on Governor Ron DeSantis as the war between the likely 2024 rivals continues to heat up.

The former president, who lives in Palm Beach, said Florida is among the worst states to live, die, pay taxes and be safe, among other things, in a campaign email on Friday.

The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair, a Trump spokesperson said. He has left a wake of destruction all across Florida.

Key Points

Trumps financial disclosures reveal his post-White house earnings

Fox News settles with Dominion Voting Systems for stunning $787m

Judge rejects another effort by Trumps lawyers to delay E Jean Carroll trial

What happened to Donald Trump? DeSantis supporting super PAC launches attack ad against former president

Trumps presidential campaign has raised $34m so far this year

Texts reveal Trump operatives plan to use breached Georgia voter data

21:00 , Graeme Massie

Leaked text messages reveal that operatives for Donald Trump allegedly discussed using breached voter data in Georgia to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to new a report.

Two men working for the former president in January 2021 also allegedly talked about the possibility of the data being used in an attempt to decertify the states pivotal Senate runoffs, according to CNN.

Republicans lost control of the US Senate to the Democrats when Jon Ossoff beat Republican David Perdue, which left the upper chamber of Congress tied at 50 votes each giving vice president Kamala Harris the vote to break all ties.

Story continues

The news network reports that the messages were exchanged two weeks after the operatives allegedly breached the voting machine in Georgias Coffee County.

Heres the plan. Lets keep this close hold, wrote Jim Penrose, a former NSA official working with Trump lawyer Sidney Powell to access voting machines in Georgia, CNN reports.

Read more:

Texts reveal Trump operatives plan to use breached Georgia voter data

Nearly half of Republicans dont want Trump to run for president again

19:00 , Megan Sheets

Despite Donald Trumps frequent boasting of his popularity in the 2024 presidential race, a recent poll shows a whopping 44 per cent of Republicans dont want him to run at all.

The poll from the Associated Press and the University of Chicagos research centre NORC, released on Thursday, highlights trouble ahead for the former president.

Overall, 70 per cent of Americans said they dont want Mr Trump to run for reelection.

That includes 93 per cent of Democrats, 63 per cent of independents and 44 per cent of Republicans.

However, the poll showed 68 per cent of Republicans hold a favourable view of Mr Trump - compared with just 4 per cent of Democrats and 34 per cent of respondents overall.

Manhattan DA allows Congress to question former prosecutor over Trump probe

18:00 , Ariana Baio

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has agreed to let former prosecutor Mark F Pomerantz testify before the House Judiciary Committee over the DAs investigation into former president Donald Trump.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee with be permitted to ask Mr Pomerantz questions under oath on 12 May.

An attorney from the DAs office will be present with Mr Pomerantz according to a statement from the Manhattan DAs Office on Twitter.

We are pleased with this resolution, which ensures any questioning of our former employee will take place in the presence of our General Counsel on a reasonable, agreed upon timeframe, the statement from the Manhattan DA says.

It continued, Our successful stay of this subpoena blocked the immediate deposition and afforded us the time necessary to coordinate with the House Judiciary Committee on an agreement that protects the District Attorneys privileges and interests.

The move will bring Mr Braggs battle with Jim Jordan (R-OH), the chairman of the GOP-led House Judiciary Committee, to an end. For now.

The Independents Ariana Baio reports:

Manhattan DA allows Congress to question former prosecutor over Trump probe

Longtime Trump ally jumps ship for DeSantis

16:58 , Megan Sheets

Adam Laxalt, the former Nevada attorney general and longtime ally of Donald Trump, appears to be throwing his weight behind rival Ron DeSantis in the 2024 race.

Mr Laxalt will help lead the Never Back Down super PAC encouraging Mr DeSantis to take on Mr Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, the PAC announced Saturday.

Mr Laxalt and Mr DeSantis have a long history, having roomed together at the Naval Justice School years back.

But despite their long friendship, the move to support Mr DeSantis will likely anger Mr Trump, whose campaign Mr Laxalt chaired in Nevada in 2020.

Trump dubiously claims hes leading 2024 polls by a lot

15:12 , Megan Sheets

Donald Trump kicked off his Saturday morning with a Truth Social post bragging about his standing in the polls.

According to him, all media outlets aside from the Wall Street Journal show him ahead of President Joe Biden and Ron DeSantis by a lot.

In the Polls, I am beat Biden everywhere, by a lot, except in the Globalist inspired Wall Street Journal, one of the worst, and most partisan, media outlets anywhere, he wrote.

It was that way with them in 2016, until I beat Crooked Hillary. Now they are using the same Fake Playbook, that I beat Ron DeSanctimonious easily, but Biden is close.

All others media outlets have me beating both by a lot. Dont buy their Bull. They are FAKE NEWS!!!

In reality, the latest polling does not show anyone leading by a significant margin, according to data compiled by Race to the White House.

ICYMI: Trump remains silent on Foxs Dominion lawsuit settlement

13:00 , Ariana Baio

Former president Donald Trumps social media output in the hours since Fox News reached a $787m settlement with Dominion Voting Systems has included numerous posts promoting a series of digital trading cards he is selling, attacks on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and bizarre complaints about Elon Musk and alleged censorship on Twitter (where Mr Trumps account has gone unused since it was restored earlier this year).

But Mr Trump has not weighed in on Foxs decision to offer more than three-quarters of a billion dollars to Dominion rather than allow a Delaware jury to determine how much the right-wing network should pay for broadcasting repeated lies about the companys products rather than report the truth because it was upsetting their audience.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

Trump remains silent on Foxs Dominion lawsuit settlement

Who is E Jean Carroll the woman suing Donald Trump?

12:00 , Ariana Baio

E Jean Carroll released a memoir in 2019 which contained a list of men she encountered and a bombshell accusation: that she had been raped by the then-president of the United States 30 years earlier.

Not only did the accusation skyrocket her to mainstream media fame, but it sparked several civil lawsuits against Donald Trump.

Next week, Ms Carroll will take on Mr Trumps attorneys representing him for defamation and rape.

But who is the pioneering advice columnist, author and TV talk show host who took on Mr Trump?

Bevan Hurley reports:

E Jean Carroll: The author and TV talkshow host who took on Donald Trump

Trump trolls DeSantis Florida

11:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump is continuing his attack on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, this time by releasing a list of statistics indicating Florida is not in good shape.

The press release, titled The Real Ron DeSantis Playbook claims that under Mr DeSantis Florida has become one of the least affordable states to live in.

The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Mr Trump wrote.

What followed was a list of statistics indicating Florida was a bad place to pay taxes, be safe, rent a home, have a baby, retire, die, be a teacher, be a doctor, be a police officer, be a working parent, and more.

Mr Trump resides in Palm Beach, Florida

While ripping Desantis today, the Trump campaign lays out some fantastic opposition research for Florida Democrats. pic.twitter.com/51fWHjsgVj  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 21, 2023

Judge scolds lawyer for withdrawing from Jan 6 defendant case

10:00 , Ariana Baio

A federal judge in Washington scolded an attorney for withdrawing from a January 6th defendants case, causing a delay in the mans trial, but did not refer him for disciplinary action.

US District Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of former president Donald Trump, said he was considering referring the attorney, Joseph McBride, to the courts committee on grievances.

He said it appeared that Mr McBride misled the court when he withdrew from the case of Christopher Quaglin, charged with assaulting officers during the January 6th riot.

McBride told Judge McFadden that another attorney familiar with the case, Jonathan Gross, would take over.

However, Mr Gross asked Judge McFadden to delay the case because he does not practice criminal law.

Mr McBride explained that Mr Gross was only going to serve as lead counsel for a time until they found a replacement. He later clarified that his client fired him because he thought the judge did not like him.

Donald Trump says he has universal support in Florida

09:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump says he has universal support in Florida

Rumours are swirling that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be announcing his bid for 2024 Republican presidential candidate soon and Mr Trump is sticking his foot out.

For months, the former president has been launching attacks at Mr DeSantis as people begin to pit the two GOP leaders against each other.

But more recently, Mr Trump has been more aggressive about making strides against Mr DeSantis by seeking endorsements from members of Congress in Mr DeSantis home state.

On Truth Social, Mr Trump boasted about his accomplishments saying he has almost universal support in Florida.

A great group of supportive Florida Congressmen and Congresswomen, all who have Endorsed me, will be coming to Mar-a-Lago tonight. Our support is almost universal in Florida and throughout the USA, Mr Trump wrote.

Florida Representatives Greg Steube, John Rutherford, and Brian Mast have all endorsed Mr Trump.

When does the rape and defamation case against Trump begin?

08:00 , Ariana Baio

Former president Donald Trump will face the latest in his string of legal woes next week when E Jean Carrolls case against him begins.

The case is expected to begin on 25 April in New York.

Ms Carroll, a columnist and author, is suing the former president for defamation and battery.

She alleges that Mr Trump sexually assaulted her in the dressing room of a department store in the 1990s. After going public with the accusations in her book in 2019, Mr Trump denied them and said he had never met Ms Carroll nor was she his type.

Bevan Hurley reports.

When is the E Jean Carroll rape and defamation trial against Donald Trump?

Who is running for president in 2024?

07:00 , Ariana Baio

With less than two years remaining until US voters decide who will serve as president, candidates are beginning to announce their campaigns.

Familiar faces like former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley have made their bid to run against the former US president, Donald Trump, who already announced his campaign.

But rumours are swirling that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence could throw their hats in the ring too.

As tensions heat up, heres what you need to know.

Who is running for president in 2024?

Inside the Stormy Daniels hush money case that led to Trumps arrest

06:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump became the first-ever US president to be charged with a crime on 4 April when he appeared before a judge at Manhattan Criminal Court accused of falsifying business records.

Now, his lawyers are preparing to go back to court in a defamation and rape trial brought on by columnist E Jean Carroll.

In case you need a refresher, heres a recap of Mr Trumps indictment.

Joe Sommerlad reports.

Is Donald Trump going to jail?

New poll shows half of Democrats think President Joe Biden should run again in 2024

05:00 , Ariana Baio

Only about half of Democrats think President Joe Biden should run again in 2024, a new poll shows, but a large majority say theyd be likely to support him if he became the nominee.

The poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 26% of Americans overall want to see Biden run again  a slight recovery from the 22% who said that in January

The ambivalence among Democratic voters comes as Biden is preparing to formally announce his 2024 reelection campaign as soon as next week, according to people briefed on the discussions.

Both the current and former presidents could face resistance from the public as a whole in a general election. A total of 65% of U.S. adults say they would definitely or probably not support former President Donald Trump if he is nominated in a general election, including 53% who say they definitely would not.

Trump's former financial chief Weisselberg gets out of jail

04:00 , Ariana Baio

Allen Weisselberg, the former chief financial officer at Donald Trumps company, got out of jail Wednesday but might not have freed himself from the legal morass surrounding the former president.

The 75-year-old emerged from New York Citys Rikers Island jail complex facing the same pressures he was under three months ago, when he started serving time for tax evasion.

Trump's former financial chief Weisselberg gets out of jail

Larry Elder announces 2024 GOP bid for president

03:00 , Ariana Baio

Conservative talk radio host Larry Elder, who sought to replace the California governor in a failed 2021 recall effort, announced Thursday he is running for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024.

Elder, 70, made the announcement on Fox News Tucker Carlson Tonight and followed up with a tweet.

America is in decline, but this decline is not inevitable. We can enter a new American Golden Age, but we must choose a leader who can bring us there. Thats why Im running for President, he wrote.

Radio host Larry Elder announces 2024 bid for president

ICYMI: Congressional hearing features Trumps greatest hits of Covid misinformation

02:00 , Ariana Baio

In case you missed it:

Florida Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz listed off a series of former president Donald Trumps lies about Covid-19 during a House subcommittee hearing on the origins of the pandemic.

The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic convened on Tuesday to discuss the origins, with Republicans largely focusing on the likelihood that a lab leak in the Wuhan province caused the virus to spread.

Eric Garcia reports.

Trumps greatest hits of Covid misinformation are read out at congressional hearing

Have Republicans have anything on the Biden family?

01:00 , Ariana Baio

President Joe Biden is expected to announce that he is officially seeking re-election soon and GOP members of Congress have been busy conducting investigations that they hope will tarnish the 46th presidents public image enough to convince voters that former president Donald Trump  not Mr Biden  deserves four more years.

Andrew Feinberg reports.

House GOP targets Hunter Biden: Do Republicans have anything on Biden family?

The allegations against Trump

Saturday 22 April 2023 00:00 , Ariana Baio

Columnist and author E Jean Carroll is suing Donald Trump for defamation and rape.

Ms Carroll alleges that Mr Trump sexually assaulted her in the dressing room of a department store in the 1990s. After revealing the assault in her memoir What Do We Need Men For? Mr Trump disputed them, indicating Ms Carroll was lying.

Now Ms Carroll is taking Mr Trump to trial.

Heres what you need to know about the allegations facing Mr Trump.

Bevan Hurley reports.

What are the allegations at the centre of E Jean Carrolls rape trial against Trump?

Voices: Trump eats Ron DeSantis lunch in the endorsement contest

Friday 21 April 2023 23:30 , Ariana Baio

The Independent Washington DC correspondent Eric Garcia writes about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis aloofness and falling support as Donald Trump continues to grow in the run for 2024 president.

Eric Garcia reports:

Trump eats Ron DeSantis lunch in the endorsement contest

Donald Trumps favorability is growing

Friday 21 April 2023 23:00 , Ariana Baio

Polling from FiveThirtyEight shows that Donald Trumps favorability is growing, not shrinking.

Mr Trump had a 54.6 per cent unfavorable rate on 1 January 2023, a +14 margin indicating most people were unfavorable toward the former president.

But as of 21 April, Mr Trumps unfavorability has shrunken to 53.3 per cent. The margin has been reduced by two points.

The opposite effect has happened to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who went from being 40.2 per cent favorable on 1 January to 38 per cent favorable as of 21 April.

Who is E Jean Carroll the woman suing Donald Trump?

Friday 21 April 2023 22:30 , Ariana Baio

E Jean Carroll released a memoir in 2019 which contained a list of men she encountered and a bombshell accusation: that she had been raped by the then-president of the United States 30 years earlier.

Not only did the accusation skyrocket her to mainstream media fame, but it sparked several civil lawsuits against Donald Trump.

Next week, Ms Carroll will take on Mr Trumps attorneys representing him for defamation and rape.

But who is the pioneering advice columnist, author and TV talk show host who took on Mr Trump?

Bevan Hurley reports.

E Jean Carroll: The author and TV talkshow host who took on Donald Trump

Trump rips into Florida

Friday 21 April 2023 22:00 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trump is continuing his attack on Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, this time by releasing a list of statistics indicating Florida is not in good shape.

The press release, titled The Real Ron DeSantis Playbook claims that under Mr DeSantis Florida has become one of the least affordable states to live in.

"The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Mr Trump wrote.

What followed was a list of statistics indicating Florida was a bad place to pay taxes, be safe, rent a home, have a baby, retire, die, be a teacher, be a doctor, be a police officer, be a working parent, and more.

Mr Trump resides in Palm Beach, Florida

While ripping Desantis today, the Trump campaign lays out some fantastic opposition research for Florida Democrats. pic.twitter.com/51fWHjsgVj  Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) April 21, 2023

ICYMI: How the almost-trial of Dominion v Fox exploded into a Succession-worthy finale

Friday 21 April 2023 21:30 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trumps election fraud accusations were at the center of a major lawsuit between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems.

The lawsuit, which was supposed to go to trial last week, ended in a $787m settlement but the twists and turns of the drama surrounding the suit could have made for a Succession-worthy finale.

In case you missed it: heres how the lawsuit, and settlement, played out.

Alex Woodward reports.

The Succession-worthy finale of the Dominion v Fox nearly-trial

Will Donald Trump be at the E Jean Carroll trial?

Friday 21 April 2023 21:00 , Ariana Baio

E Jean Carrolls rape and defamation lawsuit against Donald Trump will begin next week but it is unclear if Mr Trump will appear in court.

In a letter to Judge Lewis Kaplan, Mr Trumps attorney Joe Tacopina, said the former president wishes to attend but is concerned about the logistical and financial burdens of his appearance in New York City.

Judge Kaplan told attorneys that they are not allowed to relay the excuse to jurors next week but that Mr. Trump is free to attend, to testify, or both. He is free also to do none of those things.

Judge Kaplan requested Mr Trumps attorneys notify him if Mr Trump will attend but Mr Tacopina said it was too early to decide.

Judge Kaplan noted that Mr Trump announced earlier this week he will speak at a campaign event in New Hampshire on 27 April - day two of the scheduled trial.

If the Secret Service can protect him at that event, certainly the Secret Service, the Marshals Service, and the City of New York can see to his security in this very secure federal courthouse, Judge Kaplan wrote.

What to know about the E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

Friday 21 April 2023 20:30 , Ariana Baio

A pair of civil lawsuits against former president Donald Trump will be presented in a New York City federal courtroom starting on 25 April.

E Jean Carroll, a columnist and author, is accusing the former president of rape and defamation all stemming back to an alleged assault that occurred in the dressing room of Bergdorf Goodmans in the 1990s.

Andrew Feinberg reports

Trump facing trial: What to know about the E Jean Carroll rape defamation case

The Waco siege and a straight line' to January 6th

Friday 21 April 2023 20:00 , Ariana Baio

Reflecting on the 25th anniversary of the Waco siege, Kevin Cook, the author of Waco Rising: David Koresh, the FBI, and the Birth of Americas Modern Militias, can see a straight line between the siege and January 6th.

Josh Marcus reports.

Waco: The infamous Texas siege with a straight line to QAnon, militias, and Jan 6

How does Donald Trumps age compare to other US presidents?

Friday 21 April 2023 19:30 , Ariana Baio

When Donald Trump was inaugurated in January 2017, he became the oldest commander-in-chief sworn in at the age of 70 years and 220 days old.

That was surpassed by his successor Joe Biden, who was 78 years and 61 days when he became the countrys 46th president in January 2021.

Depending on who wins the 2024 presidential election, a new record could be set as both Mr Biden and Mr Trump are running for re-election.

It would be the first election where both candidates are older than the national average life expectancy.

Graeme Massie reports.

How old is Donald Trump and how does his age compare to other US presidents?

Donald Trumps history of marriages and sexual assault allegations

Friday 21 April 2023 19:00 , Ariana Baio

Former President Donald Trump will be represented in court, again, next week as E Jean Carrolls rape and defamation case against him goes to trial.

Ms Carroll is alleging that Mr Trump sexually assaulted her in the dressing room of a department store in the 1990s.

Mr Trump denies her allegations.

But this is not the first time Mr Trump has been accused of sexual misconduct. Throughout his marriages and life, Mr Trump has faced accusations from at least 26 women.

Chelsea Ritschel reports:

A timeline of Trumps marriages and sexual assault allegations

Judge scolds lawyer for withdrawing from Jan 6 defendant case

Friday 21 April 2023 18:30 , Ariana Baio

A federal judge in Washington scolded an attorney for withdrawing from a January 6th defendants case, causing a delay in the mans trial, but did not refer him for disciplinary action.

US District Judge Trevor McFadden, an appointee of former president Donald Trump, said he was considering referring the attorney, Joseph McBride, to the courts committee on grievances.

He said it appeared that Mr McBride misled the court when he withdrew from the case of Christopher Quaglin, charged with assaulting officers during the January 6th riot.

McBride told Judge McFadden that another attorney familiar with the case, Jonathan Gross, would take over.

However, Mr Gross asked Judge McFadden to delay the case because he does not practice criminal law.

Mr McBride explained that Mr Gross was only going to serve as lead counsel for a time until they found a replacement. He later clarified that his client fired him because he thought the judge did not like him.

Read more from The Independent

Judge scolds 1/6 lawyer, but won't seek disciplinary action

Donald Trump says he has universal support in Florida

Friday 21 April 2023 18:00 , Ariana Baio

Rumours are swirling that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will be announcing his bid for 2024 Republican presidential candidate soon and Mr Trump is sticking his foot out.

For months, the former president has been launching attacks at Mr DeSantis as people begin to pit the two GOP leaders against each other.

But more recently, Mr Trump has been more aggressive about making strides against Mr DeSantis by seeking endorsements from members of Congress in Mr DeSantis home state.

On Truth Social, Mr Trump boasted about his accomplishments saying he has almost universal support in Florida.

A great group of supportive Florida Congressmen and Congresswomen, all who have Endorsed me, will be coming to Mar-a-Lago tonight. Our support is almost universal in Florida and throughout the USA, Mr Trump wrote.

Florida Representatives Greg Steube, John Rutherford, and Brian Mast have all endorsed Mr Trump.

When does the rape and defamation case against Trump begin?

Friday 21 April 2023 17:30 , Ariana Baio

Former president Donald Trump will face the latest in his string of legal woes next week when E Jean Carrolls case against him begins.

The case is expected to begin on 25 April in New York.

Ms Carroll, a columnist and author, is suing the former president for defamation and battery.

She alleges that Mr Trump sexually assaulted her in the dressing room of a department store in the 1990s. After going public with the accusations in her book in 2019, Mr Trump denied them and said he had never met Ms Carroll nor was she his type.

Ms Carroll then filed a lawsuit against Mr Trump for defamation.

In 2022, Ms Carroll filed a separate civil lawsuit against Mr Trump under a New York law that allows sexual assault survivors to bring cases after the statute of limitations has expired on alleged offences.

The new case accuses him of battery  and also adds a new defamation claim based on recent posts where Mr Trump called her a con job.

Bevan Hurley reports.

When is the E Jean Carroll rape and defamation trial against Donald Trump?

Kellyanne Conway advises Ron DeSantis to lay off culture wars

Friday 21 April 2023 17:00 , ariana.baio

Kellyanne Conway, a former advisor to Donald Trump on his 2016 presidential campaign, had a piece of advice for Flordia Governor Ron DeSantis as he eyes a presidential campaign announcement.

He spends way too much time on the culture wars, and that begins with Disney and includes many other things, Ms Conway told Fox Business Network anchor Larry Kudlow on Friday.

Woke is important, but you cant have that as a replacement for a bold, growth-centric economic plan, she added.

Mr Kudlow highlighted how Mr Trump is crushing Mr DeSantis in polling and Mr Trump has already received plenty of endorsements from Florida congressional members.

Ms Conway said this polling could be attributed to the fact that Mr Trump announced his candidacy in November whereas Mr DeSantis hasnt launched his own yet.

But both Ms Conway and Mr Kudlow agreed that Mr DeSantis fight against Disney was not helping his numbers.

Trump is running against DeSantis, Mr Kudlow said. Meanwhile, in my view, Desantis is running against Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. And I think thats a huge mistake, and his obsession here I think is really damaging him.

Larry Elder: the conservative radio host running for president

Friday 21 April 2023 16:30 , Ariana Baio

Larry Elder, the conservative radio host, announced he is joining Donald Trump, Nikki Haley, and others in the race for 2024 president.

Mr Elder, 70, made his announcement during an appearance on Fox Newss Tucker Carlson Tonight on Thursday evening.

My announcement Tucker, is Im announcing that Im running for the presidency of the United States on your programme, he said.

Joe Sommerlad reports:

Who is Republican presidential contender Larry Elder?

Who is running for president in 2024?

Friday 21 April 2023 16:00 , Ariana Baio

With less than two years remaining until US voters decide who will serve as president, candidates are beginning to announce their campaigns.

Familiar faces like former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley have made their bid to run against the former US president, Donald Trump, who already announced his campaign.

But rumours are swirling that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Vice President Mike Pence could throw their hats in the ring too.

As tensions heat up, heres what you need to know.

The Independent reports:

Who is running for president in 2024?

Judge dismissive of Trumps excuse to not attend rape trial

Friday 21 April 2023 15:30 , Ariana Baio

Donald Trumps lawyers will not be allowed to tell jurors that he would like to testify in the trial with E Jean Carroll, a federal judge has ruled.

As Mr Trumps attornies gear up to go to trial with Ms Carroll, a columnist who alleges Mr Trump sexually assaulted her in the 1990s, one person may be noticeably missing - Mr Trump.

Mr Trumps attorney, Joe Tacopina, requested Judge Lewis A Kaplan inform the jury at the trial that Mr Trumps absence was intended to spare New York City and the court system from the logistical burdens of his presence

Judge Kaplan wrote in an order, Mr. Trump is free to attend, to testify, or both. He is free also to do none of those things.

He warned Mr Trumps lawyers to make no reference to Mr Trumps alleged desire to testify or to the burdens that any absence on his part allegedly might spare, or might have spared, the Court or the City of New York.

Chris Christie calls Trump nothing more than a TV star'

Friday 21 April 2023 15:00 , Ariana Baio

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie delivered opening remarks against Donald Trump at a town hall in New Hampshire.

Tonight is the beginning of the case against Donald Trump, Mr Christie said to a crowd on Thursday, 20 April.

Donald Trump is a TV star, nothing more, nothing less. Let me suggest to you that in putting him back in the White House, the reruns will be worse than the original show, Mr Christie added.

Mr Christie, who once supported Mr Trump in the 2016 presidential election, has pushed a campaign against the former president since he refused to accept election results in 2020.

He is one of the few prominent Republicans to do so.

2024 Watch-NEW: @GovChristie -in New Hampshire at a @nhiop townhall - touts his debate skills in potentially taking down #DonaldTrump in a #GOP showdown - its not going to end nicely.his end will not be a calm and quiet conclusion" #2024Election #FITN #FoxNews #njpolitics pic.twitter.com/4lPI7Ao4g0  Paul Steinhauser (@steinhauserNH1) March 27, 2023

Mr Christies town hall appearance added to growing rumours that he may run for president in 2024. Though Mr Christie directly addressed these saying, If I decide to run, Ill be able to try to do something directly about it. And if I dont, then Ill be still on ABC-TV every Sunday.

Clip of Rudy Giuliani dressed in drag resurfaces

Friday 21 April 2023 14:30 , Ariana Baio

An old clip of Rudy Giuliani appearing in drag alongside Donald Trump has resurfaced.

The clip, filmed in 2000, was a skit filmed for the mayors Inner Circle Press Roast, an annual event where New York politicians and White House journalists parody themselves for charity.

In the video, Mr Trump pushes his face into the then-New York City mayors fake breasts.

The clip comes at a time when multiple Republican-led states are trying to restrict drag performances.

Read More:

Clip resurfaces of Rudy Giuliani in drag as Republicans target performers
Former President Donald Trump and Florida congressman Byron Donalds receiving their order from Downtown House of Pizza in Downtown Fort Myers, after speaking at the Lee County Republican dinner in Fort Myers, Fla., Friday, April 21, 2023. ( Chris Tilley/AP Photo

Donald Trump stopped by a pizza restaurant in Fort Myers, Florida, after giving a speech.

A video shows him offering a half-eaten slice of pepperoni pizza to supporters.

Trump's love of fast food is well-documented.

Former President Donald Trump offered a half-eaten slice of pizza to enthusiastic supporters while making a surprise stop at Downtown House of Pizza in Fort Myers, Florida, on Friday night.

The video, posted on Twitter by CNN reporter Kate Sullivan, shows the former president holding a box of pepperoni pizza in one hand and a slice in the other as the crowd chants "Trump."

"Does anybody want a piece that I've eaten?" he shouts before taking a bite from the slice. But even for Trump's adoring supporters, the invitation was too much, and they replied "No!" in unison.

Over 100 supporters rushed to see Trump as he stopped to get pizza, causing "pandemonium," according to local outlet Wink News.

Trump's love of fast food is well-documented. His former aides said that pizza was one of the "major food groups" on Trump Force One, and he even appeared in an ad for Pizza Hut with his ex-wife Ivana in 1995.

However, he has previously said that he doesn't eat pizza crust.

The former president stopped by the eaterie after giving a speech at the Lee County GOP's 2023 Lincoln-Reagan Dinner.

The event included speeches from Rep. Greg Steube, Rep. Byron Donalds, and political operative Roger Stone.

Read the original article on Business Insider
Former President Trump launched a series of new attacks Friday at the state of Florida in a new email campaign taking aim at Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).

The real DeSantis record is one of misery and despair, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a statement. He has left a wake of destruction all across Florida and people are hurting because he has spent more time playing public relations games instead of actually doing the hard-work needed to improve the lives of the people he represents.

Trump, who lives in Florida, has ramped up his attacks on DeSantis as the governor mulls a potential run for the White House. In his latest series of insults, Trumps campaign sent out an email blast citing statistics that portray the state of Florida in a negative light, including statistics saying that Florida is one of the least affordable states to live in.

The email also blasts the state of Florida for being among the worst states to live, to work, to raise a family, to retire and many other issues. It referred to statistics from organizations like the U.S. News and World Report, Money Inc. and the Florida Policy Institute, when talking about the state.

The email states that Floridas cost-of-living has jumped by 10 percent over the last year and home prices in cities like Tampa and Miami have increased. The email also points to the ongoing fuel shortage in South Florida, where 47 percent of fuel stations remain empty in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale area after severe storms flooded the cities.

This is just the latest series of insults the former president has thrown at the Florida governor, who has yet to make a formal bid for the presidency. A Trump PAC launched a pudding fingers attack ad last week directed at DeSantis, saying that he loves sticking his fingers where they dont belong. And were not just talking about pudding.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
Former President Donald Trump is leaning on a network of personal and political relationships to rack up broad congressional support for his 2024 White House bid and undercut his chief Republican rival, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, before the governors campaign formally gets off the ground.

The depth and influence of Trumps retail politicking abilities have become increasingly apparent over the past several days and weeks as an ever-growing list of congressional Republicans has lined up behind the former presidents comeback campaign. Hes already notched the support of at least half of Floridas Republican House delegation, including a handful of members whom DeSantiss team had sought to win over.

The spate of endorsements for Trump amounted to a disappointing series of defections for DeSantis, who is expected to announce a 2024 presidential bid in May or June after the Florida state legislature wraps up its annual session. So far, three members of Congress  including only one from Florida  have backed his presidential ambitions.

In some cases, the endorsements came as a direct result of lobbying efforts by Trump and his team. Others said that they never received any outreach from the former president or his political operation but noted that Trump had maintained an open line of communication with them, while they had only begun to hear from DeSantiss team recently.

It was actually the DeSantis people that started all of a sudden, after five years, kind of reaching out to me, said Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), who endorsed Trump on Monday. Not him, but his people.

In Steubes case, he recounted this week, Trump made a point to call him personally and check in after the congressman was admitted to the hospital after falling off a ladder at his home earlier this year. Since he endorsed Trump, Steube said, he hasnt heard from anyone in DeSantiss camp.

A spokesperson for DeSantiss campaign did not respond to The Hills request for comment for this story.

Story continues

As president, Trump would invite members of Congress to fly with him aboard Air Force One when traveling to their states or districts. When Trump endorsed a lawmaker for office over the past few years, he would frequently try to call or meet with them or host them for a fundraiser at Mar-a-Lago. If something happened in a members personal life, Trump would often reach out.

Last week, when Trump attended a Republican National Committee (RNC) retreat in Nashville, he sat for three hours with Tennessees two GOP senators and four members of Congress from the state, most of whom the former president had either helped elect or spoken with before.

The former president on Thursday hosted 10 members of the Florida delegation at his Mar-a-Lago estate for dinner.

Personal touch is everything for him, a Trump campaign aide said.

In addition to Steube, Florida Reps. John Rutherford and Brian Mast endorsed Trump just ahead of DeSantiss visit to Washington, D.C., this week. Rep. Lance Gooden (R-Texas) met with the governor, then promptly issued a statement backing Trump for 2024. And Rep. Mike Waltz (R-Fla.) who represents DeSantiss old congressional district, joined his colleagues on Thursday in endorsing the former president.

Trumps long-standing and well-managed personal relationships stand in contrast with what some lawmakers have said about DeSantis who spoke with members of Congress at a conservative think tank this week in the nations capital. And its a difference Trumps team is happy to exploit.

President Trump and I, you know, we talk. We really just talk more about the country and whats going on, said Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.), who introduced DeSantis at his victory party on election night in November but endorsed Trump earlier this month. I really havent had too many conversations with Gov. DeSantis, but at the end of the day its about who can hit the ground running.

Donalds said neither Trump nor DeSantis reached out to ask for his support, but said his decision to back the former president was due in part to where a lot of my voters are back home and voters around the country. With Trump, he added, members know what theyre going to get.

Trumps dominance in the nascent 2024 Republican primary comes after his campaign got off to a bumpy start late last year, leading some to begin writing his political obituary. But despite concerns among some in the party that he wont be able to win in a general election, polling suggests the former president remains the clear favorite to win the partys nomination.

A Wall Street Journal poll published Friday showed Trump with 51 percent support among likely GOP primary voters, up 13 points on DeSantis, his next closest competition.

The support for President Trump has been very, very strong among Republicans, said Garrett Ventry, a GOP consultant who advises House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.). The polling proves that. And the voters that these people represent, the president is very popular with them.

The slew of endorsements this week not only coincided with DeSantiss D.C. visit, but also preceded Trumps first public campaign event in Florida since he announced his 2024 bid in November when he speaks at the Lee County GOP Dinner on Friday.

The governors trip to D.C. for an event that was billed as a meet and greet and policy discussion with lawmakers, drew several dozen members of Congress. That same day, Rep. Laurel Lee (R-Fla.), DeSantiss former secretary of state, endorsed the governors presidential ambitions, citing his conservative principles, proven track record, and his commitment to our country.

But Trump rolled out a handful of new endorsements of his own. And in a development that came as a surprise to Trump and his team, Gooden issued a statement after attending the DeSantis event saying that while he had a positive meeting with the Florida governor, he had decided to endorse Trump.

A Trump aide noted that several of the endorsements came from lawmakers in delegate-rich Florida, and others came from Super Tuesday primary states like Tennessee and Texas. The backing of members of Congress can boost fundraising efforts, and they help bolster the narrative that Trump is the candidate to beat.

One Republican operative who is not aligned with Trump or DeSantis downplayed the significance of the deluge of congressional support for the former president, acknowledging it may be important in shaping a narrative inside the Beltway but is unlikely to sway many voters nearly a year ahead of the first primaries.

Trump famously had little support from Republican lawmakers when he first sought the White House in 2016 but went on to win the GOP nomination anyway.

DeSantis has also scored a handful of congressional endorsements of his own from the likes of Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Lee.

Massie, who served in the House with DeSantis for about six years, said that even after DeSantis left Congress, the two remained friends and talked about every six months once he became governor. Massie said that DeSantis never asked for his endorsement, but that he decided to announce his support early to help encourage DeSantis to run.

While Massie said that some Republican lawmakers who have endorsed Trump in recent weeks were sincere in their support, he suggested that others did so out of concern that the former president could threaten to back primary challenges to them.

I think a lot of them are sincere but there may be some who are worried about a primary challenger, Massie told The Hill in an interview on Friday. And I think in a primary, Donald Trump has more ability to move the needle with the 30 percent of the Republican Party that are solidly behind him.

Massie said that DeSantis still has plenty of time to get into the 2024 race, adding that the typical challenges of running a presidential campaign  fundraising, organizing and the like  dont apply to the Florida governor. He also said that there are more endorsements in the pipeline.

Roy, who along with Massie helped arrange DeSantiss recent appearance in D.C., explained his endorsement late last month as born out of his experience working with the governor while DeSantis was a member of Congress, as well as his desire to see a younger generation of leadership step up.

Ive known the governor. I was Teds chief when he was a freshman in Congress. We were starting the Freedom Caucus, we were meeting in basements, said Roy, who served as chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) before he was elected to Congress in 2018. You get to know these guys and Ive known the governor for a long time.

Itd be nice to have somebody whos not a baby boomer, he added. I think its time for a new generation. He can serve for eight years.

A number of former Trump officials have also defected to back DeSantiss presidential ambitions, including former Trump campaign aides Erin Perrine and Matt Wolking, both of whom now work for the pro-DeSantis Never Back Down super PAC.

DeSantis on Friday spoke at a Heritage Foundation event near Washington, where he received a standing ovation from attendees as he outlined his record and gave a nod to his general election appeal.

Weve been able to operate an administration that does not get consumed in petty controversy or drama or palace intrigue. We basically execute the mission day after day after day, DeSantis told the crowd.

Emily Brooks and Mychael Schnell contributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to The Hill.
CANTON  Stark County is honoring another group of young leaders who are making a difference in the community.

The Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce's ystark! and the Canton Repository announced the 2023 class of Twenty under 40! on Friday.

"These individuals are the best and brightest in our community, having made significant contributions to their respective fields and passion areas," said Kelly Piero, vice president of marketing, communications and public affairs at the chamber. "They represent the next generation of leaders who will drive innovation, inspire change, and shape the future of our region.

"Their dedication, passion, and commitment to excellence are truly admirable. We are thrilled to see them recognized for their remarkable achievements and look forward to the impact they will have on our community and beyond as they continue to make a difference. By highlighting the success of these professionals under 40, we hope to inspire future generations and demonstrate that the possibilities in the Stark County region are limitless.

Meet the 2022 class: Say hello to the Stark County Twenty under 40! honorees for 2022

It's the 16th year for the program, which is presented by ystark!, a division of the chamber, and The Repository, in conjunction with Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co., Aultman, and Weston & Associates.

The Twenty under 40! awards are designed to recognize people who are under 40 and have demonstrated leadership and social responsibility. Program participants are committed to making a difference in the community and having a lasting impact.

This year's class of honorees are:

Don Ackerman, 37, lead pastor at Crossroads United Methodist Church and executive director of Canton for All People

Andrew Weston Feucht, 35, owner and resident of Weston and Associates

Matthew Griffin, 36, associate vice president at the Schauer Group Inc.

Andrea Hartman, 32, marketing director at Gervasi Vineyard Resort & Spa

Gino Haynes, 35, pastor, community organizer and leadership consultant at Legacy in Action, Canton for All People, and Beacon of Hope Community Church

Zach Hostetler, 34, senior vice president of client solutions at Employers Health

Kayla Householder, 33, division contract manager at IES Infrastructure

Matthew R. Hull, 32, attorney at Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co. LPA

Jordan Knapp, 28, supervisor at Hall, Kistler & Co. LLP

Rocco Maragas Sr., 39, vice president, chief operating officer at the Charge, Cleveland Cavaliers

Brooke Meneses, 33, associate attorney at Plakas Mannos

Joseph F. Monaco, 31, chief financial officer at UPL Northern Region, Utility Pipeline Ltd.

Skyler Parks, 28, director of business development at the Stark County Minority Business Association

Heather Prince, 34, real estate matchmaker at Howard Hanna Real Estate Services

Mike Scarpino, 39, associate executive director at the YMCA of Central Stark County

Jeff Shaffer, 38, Toyota certified trainer at Williams Toyota Lift

Donte Stewart, 38, president at Arrow Passage Recovery

Mark Trew, 35, chief operating officer at the Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio

Christian Turner, 36, director of public relations and community initiatives at the Stark County Prosecutors Office

Alex Williamson, 29, assistant executive director at the Boys & Girls Club of Massillon

Story continues

Nominees were selected on career acumen, community service and trusteeship, and personal and professional achievements. The Twenty under 40! selection committee is comprised of Stark County business and community leaders representing a variety of industry sectors.

Twenty under 40! is presented by ystark! and The Canton Repository, in conjunction with Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty Co. LPA, Aultman, and Weston & Associates, LLC.

The awards celebration details will be announced soon.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Twenty under 40! Meet Stark County's top young professionals
Two controversial right-wing speakers scheduled to appear on Penn States campus in separate events this month have had their events canceled by their respective organizers  although both speakers could still return again in the fall.

An April 24 event featuring self-proclaimed professional troll Alex Stein, who gained headlines last summer for sexually harassing U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, was canceled by the organizing student group after the university said it could not accommodate a last-minute request to change the date or the speaker. An April 20 event headlining James Lindsay, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center labeled an extremist, was canceled over a second student groups dislike of the proposed venue, according to both the group and the university.

The group organizing the April 20 event, Young Americans for Freedom, expressed dissatisfaction over hosting it in a conference room within the Bryce Jordan Center and hoped to hold it elsewhere in the future. In a written statement, the university said such decisions are made on a viewpoint- and content-neutral basis.

Said Jack Kentner, chair of the student group, in an email to the CDT: We are working diligently to have James Lindsay come speak next semester and feel that he would bring great insights to campus.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit that seeks to fight hate and racial injustice, has said Lindsay is a leading voice in the reactionary anti-student inclusion, anti-LGBTQ and conspiracy propaganda movement. He has mocked George Floyd, referred to the Pride Flag as the flag of a hostile enemy, promoted the conspiracy theory that LGBTQ supporters are pedophiles, and once got into a Twitter fight with the Auschwitz Museum over comparing vaccine mandates to the Holocaust.

Stein, a YouTube personality who hosts a show on conservative network BlazeTV, is no stranger to Happy Valley. He was part of the eventually canceled October 2022 event, which also featured Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes. Stein walked through the crowd of protesters with a smile and recorded their interactions, from one person spitting on him to him tearing up a protesters sign. Ill be honest, probably the best content of the whole show, Stein said at the time.

Story continues

Penn State canceled last falls event about 45 minutes before it was set to begin due to the threat of escalating violence  and after supporters of the Proud Boys, one of whom gave a Nazi salute, pepper-sprayed a number of protesters and reporters. Student group Uncensored America, founded in 2020, organized both that and the April 24 events.

Uncensored America hinted at the event on social media as recently as April 10, when it retweeted a Penn State student news story about requesting security with the message, Stand back and stand by!, the title of last Octobers event. Both the university and Uncensored America confirmed the cancellation of the upcoming event in separate statements.

According to Penn State, Uncensored America requested to move the date to April 28, the semesters final day of classes  but the university could not approve that change since university police were already committed to support Movin On, one of the nations largest student-run music festivals. Uncensored America then suggested April 29, but university policy prohibits student programs from April 29 through the remainder of the semester.

Uncensored America indicated none of the other dates proposed by the university would work and the group canceled the proposed event, a statement from the university read. Following this cancellation, Uncensored America then proposed a different speaker for April 24. With less than a week to prepare, staff and resources that had been allocated to other events were not available to support this event.

Uncensored America added in an email to the CDT, We will be back in the fall semester.

As in previous instances, Penn States leaders have explained that while theyre opposed to the rhetoric featured in such events, they cannot legally cancel them on the basis of speech due to the First Amendment. Multiple experts have told the CDT the university is almost certainly correct in its assertion.

Still, both the local and university communities have overwhelmingly expressed opposition to the messages at such events. An unofficial student group, the Student Committee for Defense and Solidarity, originally planned separate protests set for an hour before each of Aprils events. (In October, the group helped organize a protest that saw the attendance of several hundred students and community members.)

In October 2021, when Uncensored America invited controversial figure Milo Yiannopoulos to campus, a Love is Louder counter-event outdrew Yiannopoulos by more than a 7-to-1 margin.

Penn State informed the community late last month that speakers who may generate controversy would likely be visiting campus in the spring, alluding to both Stein and Lindsay. University president Neeli Bendapudi followed that up with a video message two weeks ago, where she said, Our university personnel are working with law enforcement to create as safe an environment as possible.

Commencement is scheduled for May 5-7. The fall semester will kick off Aug. 21.
(Natalie Barry/Caitlin Hartley)

Natalie Barry and her husband Aaron Bazzone became infected with Covid-19 in the very early days of the pandemic in 2020.

Without much knowledge of the virus or the toll that it would take on their bodies, they decided to quarantine at their home in California until their symptoms subsided. Despite initially experiencing harsh fatigue and congestion, Bazzone improved within days.

But just weeks after his recovery, he began exhibiting psychiatric symptoms that he never had before, Ms Barry tells The Independent. Bazzone would see demons, spend the night at hotels convinced their San Francisco home was bugged, and pick holes in his face because he believed that aliens were implanting in him.

On 30 April 2022, two years after his first psychiatric onset, police knocked on Ms Barrys door with the gutwrenching news that Bazzones body had been found in an isolated mountain area. He was 52 years old.

Ms Barry believes that her husband died by suicide following a long fight with a condition known as Covid psychosis.

It was two years of hell, Ms Barry recalls three years later as she fights back tears. He was wielding an axe and knocking out peoples lights around their houses because he was afraid of EMF [electric and magnetic fields] he claimed came from his phone and at night he had this ringing in his ears.

Like Bazzone, North Carolina teacher Jonathan Hartley, 35, had an unexplained, out-of-the-blue psychotic break following his recovery from Covid-19 nearly a year and a half ago. His wife Caitlin advocated for him with physicians who insisted Mr Hartley suffered from Bipolar disorder, despite having no previous history.

After their concerns about a potential link between Mr Hartleys Covid-19 infection and his sudden symptoms were dismissed for months, Mr Hartley was eventually diagnosed with Covid psychosis.

Nobody would listen. Theres research out there saying that Covid can cause psychosis in some people, Ms Hartley tells The Independent. They just kept telling me, No, we havent seen that, thats not a thing. This cant be due to Covid.

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According to the National Library of Medicine, there is a causal link between Covid-19 infections and mental disorders. The institute cites a study conducted in China, which found Covid had effects on patients attention, depression and anxiety levels and potentially caused memory impairments and insomnia.

Another study by British researchers in 2021 also found that 0.42 per cent of Covid patients developed a first psychotic episode within six months of testing positive for the virus. While that percentage may appear small, it is not when put in context of the nearly 700 million Covid cases reported worldwide.

Covid psychosis has left an irreparable impact on Ms Barry and the Hartleys. Now, theyre trying to raise awareness about the rare and devastating condition.

I knew this wasnt my husband

Bazzone was both a web designer and a talented musician, having attended Berkeley College of Music, according to his wife.

At the time he became infected with coronavirus in February 2020, he was working from home for the biotechnology corporation Genentech. He had briefly worked with other companies, including Google, Cisco, Apple and Walmart Labs.

It was early on in the outbreak, so Genentech being involved in the medical field and genes, they had us quarantined anyway, Ms Barry says. Id been with him for 21 years and at that point, I had never seen him have the flu, or stay in bed. He went to bed for three days. He would not seek medical attention.

The symptoms soon passed, but Bazzone then began to behave bizarrely. He would stare blankly at his computer for long periods of time and become paranoid about his surroundings.

He lived in hotels for four months, running from the aliens, Ms Barry says. I saw him alienate his family members. And the more he alienated them, the more he stayed on the run.

Natalie Barry and her late husband Aaron Bazzane (Natalie Barry)

Bazzone was committed to mental health institutions several times, but physicians dismissed his wifes emphasis on the fact that his symptoms showed up just weeks after he recovered from Covid. He was prescribed psychiatric medication but refused to take it once he was released from treatment centres.

Ms Barry says she tried to be supportive of Bazzone and educated herself on Covid psychosis. But despite her best efforts, his condition continued to worsen.

I knew the time. This is not my husband, he changed overnight. I knew right away because I saw the link, she says. We both were sick and we were told to consider ourselves positive and he started having these symptoms and they never stopped.

After suffering from a heart attack, Ms Barry became unable to continue caring for Bazzone as she intended. In the last stages of his life, they stayed in separate parts of their home as Bazzone battled his condition and his wife recovered from her health scare.

The last six months he was not nice to me, Ms Barry recounted. But those two weeks before he died, he told me I love you twice.

Ms Barry believes that her husband died by suicide following a long fight with a condition known as Covid psychosis (Natalie Barry)

When authorities showed up at her door in April 2020, Ms Barry was expecting to hear her husband had been committed again. Instead, she was informed he had died as a result of emphysema, a lung condition that causes shortness of breath, and emaciation.

His body was found in a remote area.

Ms Barry believes her husband starved himself to death.

She only realised after her husband was dead, but he had finished his coffee can down to the last grain, and fixed things around the house that she forgot were broken. On her bed, he left behind tiny squares which he claimed protected humans from aliens.

I want people to know about this if I can stop some suffering, Ms Barry says. People can get help right away.

Im now dealing with the trauma

Jonathan Hartley continued working after he tested positive for Covid. He led remote classes for his high school students and when his quarantine ended, he returned to teaching in person.

I returned back to school on a Friday. And I came home and just felt really tired, Mr Hartley tells The Independent.

The following Monday, Mr Hartleys symptoms persisted and he called his wife so she could take him to the emergency room. By the time Ms Hartley picked him up, her husbands mind was running fast and he felt almost as though he could see the future.

He would start to say something, but then his brain was already on something else, Ms Hartley says. And so then his mouth would go to that. He wasnt finishing all of his statements and we had a friend who had bipolar disorder so I got really scared because it did seem he was kind of like manic.

Ms Hartley says she feared her husbands cancer had returned and it was in his brain, but her request for an MRI was denied. She asked whether Covid could have affected his brain, but doctors told her that her husband was having a manic episode.

Mr Hartley was initially committed for a week and was discharged with medication for bipolar disorder. He alleged he was told by nurses to take a medication that previously caused him temporal paralysis on his face and aphasia  or problems with his speech.

He was hospitalised a second time for nearly three weeks after failing to adjust to another medication, with physicians at the mental health facility allegedly refusing to even consider the possibility that his mental breakdown stemmed from his previous Covid infection.

Jonathan Hartley was diagnosed with Covid psychosis (Cailtin Hartley)

I requested medical testing while he was there and they refused, Ms Hartley says.

Mr Hartley says that his mental health declined while hospitalised, as he could not see or speak with his wife and children. Even after he was discharged and received treatment for Covid psychosis, Mr Hartley said he struggled to integrate back into his life.

For three months, he was unable to return to work and was left feeling depressed and anxious.

We struggled as a family unit for about a year afterwards. One of our daughters is in therapy and she was having extreme anxiety  they saw their daddy like that and then he was gone and they, Ms Hartley says. Any time he left home, they freaked out. Theyd say, Daddys not coming back to us. Daddys not coming back. It was rough.

The Hartleys say medical professionals denial to explore a link between Covid-19 and Mr Hartleys sudden break, and the medication that was prescribed to him exacerbated his mental anguish for months. The family consulted with an attorney about the possibility of suing the hospital but were told that no case could be filed due to North Carolinas Covid liability law, which gives providers exemptions from civil liability.

A year and a half after becoming infected with Covid, Mr Hartley is still grappling with the aftermath of his experience. To cope with the frustration he faced as his wife desperately advocated for him, he often volunteers at local mental health facilities.

Im kind of dealing with residual from it. Ive been having a lot of anxiety and my therapist basically said Im in survival mode, Mr Hartley says. And so now Im dealing with all the trauma from when I didnt take the time or really had the choice to deal with it then.

I was grateful to have somebody, [My wife] helped me, he added. But theres a lot of people out there who dont have anybody and theyre just stuck in the system.
MADRID (Reuters) -Two people died and 12 others were injured in a fire at a restaurant in the Spanish capital Madrid, emergency services said on Saturday.

The blaze started late on Friday night at Burro Canaglia Bar&Resto, an Italian restaurant in the central Salamanca neighbourhood.

One of the dead was a restaurant employee and the other was a customer, Madrid mayor Luis Martinez-Almeida told reporters on Saturday outside the building.

An eyewitness told El Pais newspaper that the fire started after a waiter flambeed a pizza and the flames set fire to the ceiling and walls.

Madrid fire chief Carlos Martin said the blaze took place near a fire station and people were able to run to alert them about the accident.

Diners found it hard to flee as the blaze started near the main exit, emergency services said.

Police were investigating the cause of the fire.

(Reporting by Graham Keeley, Catherine MacDonald; editing by Jason Neely and Kevin Liffey)
Jack Thomas, president of Central State University, during a Jan. 18 interview with The Dispatch in the Board of Trustees conference room.

Two women are suing Central State University for damages in the Ohio Court of Claims, alleging they were victims of "a pattern of discrimination" by college President Jack Thomas.

David Duwel, a Dayton-based attorney for the women, said in a news release Friday that the lawsuits are the first of what will be a total of five lawsuits that will be filed against Central State by the end of June.

Lena Fields-Arnold, communications coordinator with Central State, and Ieesha Ramsey, former executive director of Central State's undergraduate student success center, allege that they were "demoted, demeaned and denigrated" as a result of Thomas' actions.

Our previous reporting: Central State president under investigation, faced backlash at previous university

In Fields-Arnolds case, the lawsuit alleges that the posted starting salary for her position was $100,000, but that Thomas started her at $90,000. He also allegedly asked about her husbands salary, the lawsuit says.

The suit also alleges the stress from Fields-Arnolds job and being the target of constant critique and criticism led her to seek medical attention and request time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act. After filing the FMLA paperwork, Fields-Arnold's lawsuit alleges that she was told without reason that she was being demoted and taking a $30,000 pay cut.

Ramseys lawsuit alleges she was called to a meeting with her boss, F. Erik Brooks, vice president of academic affairs, and a human resources officer, during which she was informed of issues with her job performance.

The meeting was the first time she had heard anything about this, Ramsey alleges, and she was told that because she was an at-will employee she would be demoted to a new position and salary of $62,500  an 18% pay cut from her leadership role.

The lawsuit alleges that Brooks was intimidated by (Ramseys) knowledge and skill set, and the fact she was a female.

Fields-Arnold and Ramsey both allege in their lawsuits that they were subjected to hostile treatment because they are "assertive" Black women, something that was not viewed favorably by Thomas and other people in leadership at Central State.

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Both women are seeking reinstatement to their executive director positions with back pay and benefits in excess of $100,000; compensatory damages in excess of $100,000; statutory damages, attorneys fees and other costs.

Central State officials did not immediately reply to a request for comment Friday night from The Dispatch.

Fields-Arnold and Ramsey are two of five women who submitted a complaint to the board of trustees against Thomas in August, which led to a seven-month-long investigation by Ohio-based law firm Taft, Stettinius and Hollister, who were hired by the state Attorney General's office.

Jack Thomas, president of Central State University, during a Jan. 18 interview with The Dispatch.

The other three women who signed the complaint are Isabelle Cayo-Sanders, former director of admissions and enrollment management; former registrar Felicia Harris-Nagel; and Wendy Hayes, the previous vice president of student affairs, who now serves as a liaison for honors and international student affairs.

The law firm released a report in February criticizing Thomas as "rude, belittling and bullying," but investigators did not think his actions rose to the level of discrimination, harassment or creating a hostile work environment.

"Rude, belittling and bullying are not words typically associated with leadership," Duwel said in her release. "At best, these words point out serious character flaws in someone who does not care about how he interacts with others. On a more extreme end, they point to someone who can potentially cause irreparable harm to others, as he has done to my clients."

Duwel said his clients are scared to speak out, but want justice to be served.

Sheridan Hendrix is a higher education reporter for The Columbus Dispatch. Sign up for her Mobile Newsroom newsletter here and Extra Credit, her education newsletter, here.

shendrix@dispatch.com

@sheridan120

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central State sued by two women for hostile workplace, discrimination
The U.S. Supreme Court preserved access to the abortion pill mifepristone on Friday, issuing a full stay in a legal case challenging the governments approval of the drug more than 20 years ago.

The courts decision halts, at least for now, a lower-court ruling from earlier this month that would have suspended the Food and Drug Administrations approval of the pills. The court essentially maintained the status quo, not only keeping mifepristone on the market, but allowing recent changes to its access  including allowing the pills to be delivered through the mail  to remain in effect.

The stay is pending a disposition of an appeal at the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. That application for appeal has been fast-tracked, with oral arguments scheduled for next month.

As is common practice, the Supreme Court has decided to maintain the status quo that existed prior to our lawsuit while our challenge to the FDAs illegal approval of chemical abortion drugs and its removal of critical safeguards for those drugs moves forward, said Erik Baptist, a lawyer for Alliance Defending Freedom, or ADF, which challenged the approval of the drug. We look forward to a final outcome in this case that will hold the FDA accountable.

The deadline for the court to make a decision about access to the drug was the end of the day Friday. The court was initially slated to issue a decision on Wednesday, but Justice Samuel Alito extended the deadline, giving justices another two days to review case documents and rulings.

The case stems from a lawsuit filed in November by Alliance Defending Freedom on behalf of the Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, an organization of pro-life medical groups, as well as four pro-life doctors. The lawsuit claims that the FDA never had the authority to approve the two-pill chemical-abortion regimen when it did so nearly a quarter century ago. Lawyers for the government argue the drugs are safe and effective and that the FDAs 2000 approval process for mifepristone, one of the two drugs, was appropriate.

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U.S. District Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk disagreed with the government, and on April 7 he issued a ruling suspending the FDAs approval of mifepristone. The Texas judge, a conservative and an appointee of former president Donald Trump, wrote that the FDA acquiesced on its legitimate safety concerns  in violation of its statutory duty  based on plainly unsound reasoning and studies that did not support its conclusions.

Less than a week later, on April 12, a three-judge panel with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals voted to restore access to mifepristone, finding that the legal challenge appeared to have been filed after the statute of limitations had expired. But the panel voted 2-1 to put a hold on recent changes the FDA has made that have made the drug easier to obtain, including limiting necessary doctor visits and allowing the pills to be dispensed through the mail.

Lawyers with ADF called the appeal panels ruling a win for their cause. But the Biden administration appealed to the Supreme Court to defend the FDAs scientific judgment and protect Americans access to safe and effective reproductive care, according to a prepared statement from Attorney General Merrick Garland.

More than half of all abortions in the U.S. are now done using chemical-abortion pills.

ADF has called for the Supreme Court to keep in place the appeals-court ruling that restored critical safeguards to chemical abortion drugs while the lawsuit proceeds.

More from National Review
Ukraine Counteroffensive

Those Ukrainians who have endured this winter's Russian onslaught in the ruins of Marinka, Avdiivka, Bakhmut, and all the trenches in between, know the counteroffensive is coming, but no one knows whether they'll live to see it.

Ruined towns and cratered fields turned into no mans land have borne the brunt of Russias war machine while Ukrainian units spent much of this winter training on Western equipment with NATO partners. As they ready their Bradleys, Leopards, and more to take back territory, each day at the frontline brings a high cost.

The Institute for the Study of Wars (@TheStudyofWar) latest assessed control of terrain maps show the frontline towns continue to see heavy fighting and video from the Russian side. It also shows tanks from Russias 150th Motorized Rifle Division in action in Mariinka, with shells from tanks and artillery landing throughout the piles of debris.

https://twitter.com/TheStudyofWar/status/1649588764971335681 https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1649542047659851776

Haunting accounts from the frontline confirm just how badly Ukraine needs the initiative back with some help from its NATO-trained mechanized units. The besieged town of Bakhmut perhaps illustrates this best, the grueling battle now a bloody street-by-street fight as Russia attempts to punch through the citys ruins. Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) with the Financial Times wrote about combat training for Ukraines provisional units as the country scrounges for manpower, and it includes a grim anecdote of Ukraines casualties.

A soldier in a Kyiv Territorial Defense Brigade told Miller that, in a single day at Bakhmuts frontline, he was one of only three in his platoon of 21 to escape alive and without injury.

Stories from the Battle of Bakhmut are something else. "We were shelled by mortars, tanks & planes. Drones dropped bombs on us. I had to evacuate a severely wounded guy & a dead body from the trenches." Of a 21-man platoon, 18 WIA/KIA in 24 hours.https://t.co/7zlviQzGGy  Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) April 22, 2023

Outside the citys ruins, fighting continues along the trench lines. Francis Farrell (@francisjfarrell) of The Kyiv Independent brings us to the harrowing situation at Bakhmuts zero line for Ukrainian soldiers while embedded with the storied Ukrainian 10th Mountain Assault Brigade to the north near Soledar.

Story continues

The relentless human wave assaults of Wagner PMC fighters have filled fields between the trenches with bodies, while a Ukrainian aid station has blood-stained stretchers and used tourniquets near its temporary morgue.

While Kyiv prepares for its counteroffensive, Ukrainian infantry are making unbelievable sacrifices with limited resources to hold back Russia's grinding assault in Donbas.



I spent some precious time with them on the zero line, for @KyivIndependent :https://t.co/oCYCHV32K1  Francis Farrell (@francisjfarrell) April 11, 2023

In its update on the battle, the Institute for the Study of War noted limited Russian gains as their attempted encirclement remains a bloody slog.

#Bakhmut Update:#Russian forces continued to advance in and around Bakhmut on April 21, although Russian forces have not completed a turning movement around the city.https://t.co/1gvBZJ4uuK pic.twitter.com/oER1qi9Y6M  ISW (@TheStudyofWar) April 22, 2023

Recent weeks have seen Russian Ministry of Defense troops assume responsibility over parts of the Bakhmut frontline from Wagner PMC forces, among them this 152mm Msta-B gun section from the VDVs 106th Airborne Division.

Video of a Russian VDV 106th Airborne Division Msta-B howitzer supporting Wagner assault detachments in Bakhmut. 3/https://t.co/hCFWU8xjrC pic.twitter.com/jg6hvWwy2L  Rob Lee (@RALee85) April 21, 2023

Videos and pictures of the besieged city are beyond words. Entire neighborhoods stand scorched and burning, with debris from shelling covering the ground below like snow. There are also incredible clips of Ukrainian tanks making mad dashes into the dust-blown ruins to blunt Russian offensives.

https://twitter.com/RALee85/status/1649591632969318400 https://twitter.com/Danspiun/status/1649541839156805633

Taking pressure off the Donbas frontline has to be at least a desired side-effect of any Ukrainian counteroffensive. Some of those towns, namely those on Donetsks western edge like Avdiivka and Mariinka, have been at war since Russias annexation of Crimea in 2014. Longevity aside, Kyiv certainly doesnt want the staggering cost of troops and materiel in this region to be in vain.

Before we head into todays latest updates from Ukraine, The War Zone readers can catch up on our previous rolling coverage here.

The Latest

In its latest intelligence update, the British Ministry of Defense reported that Russian efforts to analogize its war in Ukraine to the Second World War are beginning to fall flat.

On April 18, Russian state media announced the cancellation of its Immortal Regiment Great Patriotic War remembrance marches, citing safety concerns. Although thats just the kind of event a propaganda machine could rally the people around, the British MoD noted it may in fact have the opposite effect given Russias staggering losses in Ukraine.

Latest Defence Intelligence update on the situation in Ukraine - 22 April 2023.



Find out more about Defence Intelligence's use of language: https://t.co/QzHiPxY2mx



 #StandWithUkraine  pic.twitter.com/1xGsgMUFTj  Ministry of Defence  (@DefenceHQ) April 22, 2023

The Nazis in Ukraine theory parroted since Russia began justifying its invasion in late 2021 has been a central tenant of Moscows callbacks to WWII. But even Wagner Group leader Yevgeny Prigozhin publicly questioned that justification in recent remarks.

The latest chapter of Russias revisionist history played out via state news agency RIA Novosti, reporting on unique documents from Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) implicating Nazis in the 1940 Katyn Massacre. In reality, the Soviet NKVD, the FSBs predecessor, carried out the mass executions of nearly 22,000 Polish nationals on Soviet leader Joseph Stalins orders.

The bombshell leak of numerous classified documents on the war in Ukraine reportedly began long before the arrest of Massachusetts Air National Guard Airman Jack Teixeira on April 13.

The New York Times reports a Discord user profile matching Teixeiras began posting secret intelligence on the Russian war effort on Discord less than two days after Russias full-scale invasion began in February 2022.

Breaking News: The airman accused of leaking classified documents had posted intelligence on another, larger chat group months earlier than previously known. https://t.co/YSzOz5W5UD  The New York Times (@nytimes) April 21, 2023

Despite summer inching closer, springs mud and muck remain in parts of Ukraine, with this M113 churning through some rather chunky stuff on maneuvers.

Ukrainian drone operations continue to terrorize Russian armored vehicles in the open, both with dropped munitions and first-person view (FPV) kamikaze drones.

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1649605160245575680 https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/1649521424879460352

There are also new images and video of the Ukrainian-produced Wizard drone in use performing forward observer and target acquisition duties for Ukrainian artillery.

The system has been seen in use with the Carlson unit, scouting Russian positions for later indirect fire support. pic.twitter.com/D2ys2qa7Fr  OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 21, 2023

Video shows a Ukrainian truck-mounted AZP S-60 57mm anti-aircraft gun providing fire support, the Cold War-era autocannon having seen new life in the role on both sides of the conflict.

ZiL-131-mounted AZP S-60 57mm autocannon in Ukrainian service. pic.twitter.com/wTuWuwBpQi  OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) April 22, 2023

We wrote about the concerns for Ukraines stockpile of Soviet-era surface-to-air missiles, and there are now indications Ukraine acquired some of Jordans former stock of 9K33 Osa (NATO: SA-8 Gecko) SAMs.

#Ukraine: The serious deficit in missile stocks for Ukrainian legacy Soviet air defense systems are covered in all possible ways; one such example are these orange-toned missiles for the 9K33M3 Osa-AKM.



These missiles are apparently from  Jordanian stocks. pic.twitter.com/6gfo3uzMp6   Ukraine Weapons Tracker (@UAWeapons) April 22, 2023

In occupied Zaporizhia Oblast, a Russian 9K330 Tor SAM (NATO: SA-15 Gauntlet) transporter-erector-launcher and radar (TELAR), took a spill off its transporter.

Finally, we have a rather interesting improvised minelayer used by Russian forces. It appears troops mounted a Universal Minelayer UMZ in a truck bed, allowing a moving truck to quickly scatter a minefield as it drives. The standard UMZ has six honeycomb-style mine launchers, capable of saturating an area with anti-personnel or anti-tank mines.





Fascinating image of an improvised truck-mounted remote mining system used by #Russia|n forces in #Ukraine.



This seems to use the launcher from a Universal Minelayer UMZ - which deploys several scattered mines while driving, thereby creating a minefield.



A brief  pic.twitter.com/Lr7izY0MR8  Patrick Senft (@SenftPatrick) April 22, 2023

Thats it for now. Well update this story when we have more news to report about Ukraine.

Contact the author: stetson.payne@thewarzone.com
The 11th meeting of the Contact Group for the Defence of Ukraine, which took place on 21 April at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, brought Russia closer to a tribunal similar to the one in Nuremberg.

Source: Oleksii Reznikov, Ukraines Defence Minister, on Twitter

#Ramstein 11 results: russia is getting closer to Nuremberg II. Each meeting in this format not only provides more useful"gifts" for the #UAarmy, but also aims to bring criminals to justice. pic.twitter.com/Li9TcgvZyI  Oleksii Reznikov (@oleksiireznikov) April 22, 2023

Quote: "Ramstein 11 results: Russia is getting closer to Nuremberg II.

Each meeting in this format not only provides more useful gifts for the Ukrainian army, but also aims to bring criminals to justice."

Background: The 11th meeting of the Contact Group for the Defence of Ukraine took place on 21 April at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Reznikov said that at the meeting, the allies will discuss not only immediate needs but also the strategy for the whole of 2023.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Friday, 21 April, he was waiting for Defence Minister Oleksii Reznikov to report on the results of the Ramstein-format meeting.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Andrii Melnyk, Ukraines Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, has stated that Ukraine urgently needs to receive 10 times more military support than the allies have provided so far in order to end the war this year.

Source: European Pravda

We are thankful to our allies for their military help. But: it is not enough. Ukraine needs 10 times more to finish russian aggression this year. Thus we call upon our partners to cross all artificial red lines & devote 1% of GDP for weapons deliverieshttps://t.co/SkLyB8RQ6j pic.twitter.com/q62UTa9lSg  Andrij Melnyk (@MelnykAndrij) April 22, 2023

Quote: "We are thankful to our allies for their military help. But it is not enough. Ukraine needs 10 times more to end Russian aggression this year," Melnyk tweeted.

He called on Ukraines partners to "cross all artificial red lines" and devote 1% of GDP to supply weapons to Ukraine.

In addition, during Novyi Vidlik [New Countdown], a talk show produced by the public broadcaster Suspilne, Melnyk reminded viewers that according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the participants of the international coalition have provided Ukraine with US$55 billion worth of support in total.

"That seems like a large number. But to contrast it with the Second World War, with which, unfortunately, more and more parallels can be drawn, over US$50 billion worth of help was supplied under US lend-lease alone in the 1940s. The equivalent today would be around US$700-800 billion

Our allies have to comprehend the scale of this war. The support needs to be 10 times bigger right now," the Deputy Minister asserted.

Following the 11th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group at the Ramstein air base on 21 April, Lloyd Austin announced that Ukrainian servicemen would begin training on Abrams M1 tanks in Germany in a couple of weeks.

On the sidelines of the meeting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he was confident that Ukraine is prepared to retake more territory amid preparation for the anticipated counteroffensive against Russian forces.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
Energoatom, Ukraine's nuclear energy company, and the US company Holtec International have signed an agreement to build up to 20 nuclear power units with SMR-160 reactors in Ukraine.

Source: Energoatom on Facebook

Details: On 21 April, Energoatom President Petro Kotin and Holtec International President and CEO Khris Singh reportedly signed an agreement on cooperation in the deployment of small modular reactors.

Kotin signed the agreement in Kyiv, while Singh signed it in Camden, New Jersey, USA. The ceremony was also attended by Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko and Holtec International Vice President for Ukraine, Riaz Awan.

Energoatom has said that the agreement envisages the construction of up to 20 SMR-160 reactors in Ukraine, the implementation of the first pilot project, and the achievement of the minimum regulated reactor capacity and grid connection by March 2029.

It is noted that the construction of small modular reactors will help strengthen Ukraine's energy security and replace the thermal power capacities destroyed by Russian attacks.

For reference: The SMR-160 is a 160 MW light water pressurised reactor that uses low-enriched uranium as fuel and has the flexibility to produce process heat for industrial use and hydrogen production.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The Security Service of Ukraine has identified twelve more collaborators who joined the Russian-created Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation in Kherson Oblast and fabricated cases against Ukrainians.

Source: Security Service of Ukraine

Details: According to the Ukraines Security Service, they carried out Moscow's tasks in the ranks of the Russian punitive body regarding the spread of the Kremlin regime and the suppression of the resistance movement in the temporarily occupied part of the oblast.

Among the identified collaborators is a 30-year-old resident of the administrative centre of [Kherson] Oblast who voluntarily agreed to become an "investigator" in one of the "district departments".

She took part in illegal detentions and imprisonment of local residents while she was working there.

To do this, she was engaged in serial fabrication of cases against residents of occupied districts of the oblast.

She is also involved in the looting of people's personal property during "searches" in their homes.

In addition, Ukraines Security Service employees exposed three former law enforcement officers who supported Russian armed aggression and joined the ranks of the occupiers.

They were assigned to the "expert forensic centre" created by the invaders, which is responsible for forging expertise in "criminal cases" against Ukrainian patriots.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
The search groups worked on almost 600 locations

As of April 2023, approximately 7,000 military personnel are still considered missing, he added.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion until April 20 of this year, a little less than half of the bodies of our fallen defenders were found by our military search teams. A little over half of the bodies of the invaders were collected and delivered to designated storage locations, he said.

Read also: 195 bodies of murdered civilians still not identified, up to 300 still missing in Kyiv Oblast

According to Lyamzin, search teams have worked in nearly 600 locations.

He clarified that Ukrainian Armed Forces search teams carry out work in places where staff of the Office of the Commissioner for Missing Persons cannot reach.

Read also: 122 bodies from mass grave in Izyum still unidentified

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Read the original article on The New Voice of Ukraine
The Ukrainian Armed Forces are seriously lacking in anti-aircraft assets and may lose control of its skies to Russia, according to secret Pentagon documents obtained by the media.

Source: The Times

Details: The journalists spoke to the Ukrainian military, who noted that Russia has the technology of better defence against the Stinger MANPADS. A soldier states that the Ukrainian troops launched two missiles, hoping the second one will hit the target.

Quote: "We have used anti-tank missiles against them too and it stopped them from sending helicopters far into our territory because they were scared they would get hit.

But now the Russians know we are running low on ammunition and they are getting bolder. There are more and more helicopters and aircraft coming every day and they are starting to realise we can't stop them."

More details: The top-secret Pentagon documents revealed weaknesses in the Ukrainian army and made a wake-up call.

They have suggested, among other things, that Ukraine is so short of anti-aircraft assets that it could lose control of its skies to Russia as early as May, just as it is preparing for a ground offensive to regain lost territory.

The leaked documents state that Russia has improved its FAB-500 bomb by giving it wings and a GPS system, allowing it to be dropped from a military aircraft and fly to its intended target without the aircraft ever entering hostile airspace or coming under fire.

Such a bomb, dropped by a Su-34 jet, caused an accidental strike on the Russian city of Belgorod, which injured at least three people. Analysts attribute the rise in such incidents to a sharp increase in the number of Russian military flights.

Ukrainian military officials are now considering how to provide air cover for troops in an offensive. The countrys allies have not yet responded to its requests for F-16 jets.

Ukrainian soldiers showed the news agency how their ammunition supplies were dwindling at a drone control base in an abandoned house a few miles from the Russian foxholes. A large monitor showed a feed from a Ukrainian drone hovering near the Russian positions, showing several men moving forward. "If there are less than ten of them, it's a waste of a mortar; we need them to hit their artillery," said one of the soldiers.

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The US $6,000 drone, equipped with night vision cameras, is one of the most expensive used by the unit. As the journalists write, other commercial models cost about US $3,000, many of which were purchased through crowdfunding.

However, the Russians are improving their UAV jamming assets, using systems the military believes have recently arrived from China. The most popular drone used by the Ukrainians is a Chinese commercial model. Russias greater success in jamming them has led to speculation on the Ukrainian side that Beijing is helping them do so.

According to the media, there are concerns that Russia's advances in jamming drones will result in thousands of Ukraine's UAVs being put out of action, with little prospect of finding replacements. While drones have been recognised as one of Ukraine's most effective and cheapest weapons since the beginning of the conflict, they have become even more important now that ammunition is running low and accurate targeting is critical to preserve supplies.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
By Mahamat Ramadane

N'DJAMENA (Reuters) - The head of the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) in Chad said it expects to see more refugees fleeing across the border from Sudan to escape the fighting between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

Around 10,000 to 20,000 Sudanese have already crossed the border into Chad a week after the fighting began in Khartoum and other areas of the country.

"We are expecting more waves, that is certain. Immediately, when there will be a security window for them to come. There are major towns near the border and those there have not been able to move," Pierre Honnorat, director of the WFP in Chad, told Reuters on Friday.

Honnorat said 400,000 Sudanese refugees who had already fled Sudan during previous conflicts are spread around the Chad border area in 14 camps.

In the Sudan capital of Khartoum, desperate residents are trapped in their homes under bombardment and fighters roaming the streets.

Caught in the fighting are thousands of foreigners, including embassy staff, aid workers and students in Khartoum and elsewhere in Sudan.

Sudan's army said on Saturday it was helping to evacuate foreign nationals from the country after a week of strife that has killed hundreds of civilians.

"The World Food Programme is going to prepare to welcome at least 100,000. It is probable that there could be more, so we have to be ready," Honnorat said.

He added that most of those who arrived in recent days from villages along the border were women and children.

"The number of children was impressive. We were surprised to see so many children crossing. It was heartbreaking [to] see the women and children under trees. Some of them have suffered some violence, their houses burnt, their villages destroyed and their neighbourhoods completely looted," he said.

Honnorat said there is an immediate necessity to provide enough drinking water in the arid desert region.

(Reporting by Mahamat Ramadane; Writing by Bate Felix; Editing by Mike Harrison)
University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue announced the adoption of a new statement of principles on academic freedom and freedom of expression.

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents on Wednesday approved a statement of principles on academic freedom and freedom of expression, a move meant to clarify USG's stance after a 2021 decision on tenure protection for faculty led to outrage from the American Association of University Professors and many members of the public.

The principles approved by the Board of Regents included all three points from the 1940 Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom from the American Association of University Professors, which outlines freedom for teachers in their research, instruction, and public interactions, as well as expectations for how professors will use this freedom. The Regents adoption of the AAUP statement comes after the faculty organization censured the university system over the tenure protection changes  the first time such a step had been taken against a public university system in 44 years.

Higher education is a place where people  young people particularly  come to realize that not everybody brings their same life perspective, USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said in a press release announcing the new principles. We want people to feel free to be expressive with their First Amendment rights on our campuses without being shouted down or called out as a matter of mutual respect and civil discourse.

According to Kristina Torres, assistant vice chancellor for leadership communications, academic freedom was included in USG policies previously, but the new resolutions outline the guidance for the Regents themselves.

"It's sort of the principles of the Board," she said.

Academic freedom tied to tenure, says AAUP

More: National faculty organization censures University System of Georgia over tenure

The full title of the 1940 AAUP resolution is "Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure," said Georgia AAUP President Matthew Boedy, an associate professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia. The two principles re-enforce each other, he said,

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Traditionally tenured faculty can only be removed for serious academic or personal misconduct after an investigation by other faculty members. In fall 2021, the Regents passed changes to tenure protection that would allow faculty who failed to improve after a negative post-tenure review to be removed by the administration, without the traditional tenure protections. The AAUP charged that these changes violated longstanding expectations of academic freedom.

"Obviously I applaud the statement, I applaud the Board of Regents using the AAUP principles, I wish they had followed the AAUP principles in regards to tenure," said Boedy.

The Regents also adopted two additional principles, in addition to the 1940 Statement. These are:

USG values the diversity of intellectual thought and expression, which shall be reflected in a student body and faculty that respect the individuality and beliefs of all.

The BOR values our faculty and the important role they play in teaching, conducting research and providing service. Faculty have the right to be unburdened by ideological tests, affirmations and oaths. The key basis for hiring, promotion and tenure should be achievement and a commitment to student success.

The Regents also asked Perdue to review current USG policies regarding academic freedom and freedom of expression, and to make recommendations for changes. These recommendations will guide the implementation of the new principles, according to Torres.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Academic freedom, free speech principles approved by USG Regents
About two weeks after a man killed four children in a Brazilian daycare center, authorities already have rounded up some 300 adults and minors nationwide accused of spreading hate speech or stoking school violence.

Little has been revealed about the unprecedented crackdown, which risks judicial overreach, but it underlines the determination of the countrys response across federal, state and municipal levels. Brazils all-hands effort to stamp out its emerging trend of school attacks stands in contrast to the U.S., where such attacks have been more frequent and more deadly for a longer period, yet where measures nowadays are incremental.

Actions adopted in the U.S. - and some of its perceived shortcomings - are informing the Brazilian response, said Renan Theodoro, a researcher with Center for the Study of Violence at the University of Sao Paulo.

We have learned from the successes and the mistakes of other countries, especially the United States, Theodoro told The Associated Press.

Brazil has seen almost two dozen attacks or violent episodes in schools since 2000, half of them in the last 12 months, including the daycare center attack April 5.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the notion of schools as safe havens has been ruined. His government has sought input from independent researchers and this week convened a meeting of ministers, mayors and Supreme Court justices to discuss possible solutions.

Some measures already adopted are in line with those implemented over time in the U.S., like the creation of hotlines, safety training for school administrators and teachers, federal funding for mental health, plus security equipment and infrastructure.

Other measures -- like the nationwide sweep for supposedly threatening suspects involving over 3,400 police officers, or the newly invigorated push to regulate social media platforms -- have not been enacted there.

The arrests aim to assuage fear among Brazilians, said Luis Flavio Sapori, a senior associate researcher with the Brazilian Forum for Public Security. The priority is diminishing panic, he said.

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In the weeks since the day care massacre, unconfirmed threats and rumors have circulated on social media, and stirred dread among students, educators and parents  including Vanusia Silva Lima, 42, the mother of a 5-year-old son in central Sao Paulo.

I am afraid of sending my son to school. Not only myself, my friends are too, women I met at the salon, too, Lima said.

Many Brazilian states didnt wait for the federal response. Sao Paulo, for example, temporarily hired 550 psychologists to attend to its public schools, and hired 1,000 private security guards.

While shootings in the U.S. often ignite debate, at the federal level it usually ends in stalemate. Democrats focus on gun control while Republicans push for stronger security measures.

Brazils push has garnered broad support in part because proposals havent included restricting firearm access, increasingly a hot-button political issue here, as in the U.S. Anyway, Brazil's school attacks more often are carried out with other weapons, especially knives.

In the U.S., legislation rarely passes. There have been notable exceptions, however, including a bipartisan compromise approved last year after a massacre at a Texas elementary school and other mass shootings. The bill toughened background checks and kept firearms from more domestic violence offenders, and allocated $1 billion for student mental health and school security.

Other change has come more gradually since the 1999 Columbine High School massacre and the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. In almost every state, schools are now required to have safety plans that often include shooter drills. Many individual school districts have their own safety hotlines, and some use software to monitor social media for threats, with mixed results.

And many U.S. states have given schools money to harden buildings with metal detectors, security officers, bulletproof doors and other measures  which has stirred its own debate over the policing of Americas schools.

Lawmaker Eduardo Bolsonaro, the son of Lulas far-right predecessor, was one of a few prominent voices calling for detectors and armed guards, citing some U.S. states as as examples, and put forward a bill to make them obligatory at all schools.

Lula has said his government will consider neither detectors nor backpack inspections.

Sapori said that Brazil has adopted a mixed approach, which stresses mental health care, preventive monitoring of threats and training for teachers, in addition to policing.

In Brazil, we have a clear understanding, based on the U.S. experience, that merely investing in armed security in schools does not work, that police presence in schools doesnt hinder attacks," Sapori said. It only works to transform schools into prisons.

For Brazil, the Western hemispheres second-most populous country, scrambling for quick solutions risks introducing abuses of power.

As for the suspects arrested over a two-week period through Thursday, Theodoro noted that authorities haven't detailed the criteria for detentions, and investigations are under seal. Asked by the AP, the Justice Ministry declined to clarify how many of the 302 people taken into custody were minors.

The ministry also has empowered a national consumer agency to fine tech companies for not removing content perceived as glorifying school massacres, incentivizing violence or making threats.

And there appears to be broad support for holding social media platforms accountable. At this week's meeting in the capital, Lula, his justice minister, two Supreme Court justices, and the Senates president voiced support for regulation of the platforms, arguing that speech that is illegal in real life cannot be permitted online.

Either we have the courage to discuss the difference between freedom of expression and stupidity, or we wont get very far, Lula said.

The Rights in Network Coalition, an umbrella group of 50 organizations focused on basic digital rights, has expressed concern over giving the government the power to decide what can be said on social media.

Some social media platforms that initially resisted compliance with takedown requests have come around and, in the prior 10 days, had removed or suspended more than 750 profiles, Justice Minister Flavio Dino said.

When a man hopped over the wall of a day care center in Santa Catarina state and killed four children with a hatchet April 5, state prosecutors called on news media to refrain from sharing images or identifying the killer, citing research that this can encourage other attackers.

Behemoth media conglomerate Grupo Globo announced it would no longer name nor portray perpetrators of such crimes in its broadcasts or publications. O Estado de S. Paulo, one of Brazils biggest newspapers, followed suit. CNN Brasil and Band also made the change.

In the United States, such a broad shift is yet to be seen in media, though outlets have begun efforts to use shooters names sparingly and to focus on victims stories, largely due to advocacy by relatives of victims. Some U.S. news organizations have ceased the previously routine profiles of school shooters.

The developments in Brazil are reminiscent of a groundswell of U.S. federal support for school safety after the Columbine shooting, said Ken Trump, president of Ohio-based consultant National School Safety and Security Services.

Since then, it has become much more choppy, he said.

The success of Brazil's efforts will hinge on the ability to maintain momentum even after public attention shifts away from school violence, he added.

The bottom-line question is, will it be sustainable?

___ Binkley reported from Washington, D.C. AP journalists Eleonore Hughes, Maurcio Savarese and Carla Bridi contributed from Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Brasilia.
The US Supreme Court on Friday temporarily preserved access to a widely used abortion pill, freezing rulings by lower courts that would have banned or severely restricted availability of the drug.

Two conservative justices disagreed with the decision in the most significant abortion case to reach the nine-member court since it overturned the constitutional right to the procedure 10 months ago.

Without commenting on the merits of the case, the decision by the nation's highest court means that mifepristone, which accounts for more than half of the abortions in the United States, will remain available while the case plays out in an appeals court.

The Justice Department of President Joe Biden had filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to block the lower court rulings that would have banned or limited use of mifepristone.

The case stems from a ruling by a US District Court judge in Texas, in a lawsuit brought by anti-abortion groups, that would have banned mifepristone, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2000.

An appeals court blocked a ban on the pill, but imposed tough restrictions on access, after which the baton was handed to the Supreme Court, where conservatives wield a 6-3 majority.

The Supreme Court decision effectively freezes the lower court rulings pending the an appellate court hearing of the appeal from the Justice Department and mifepristone manufacturer Danco Laboratories.

Reacting to the Supreme Court move, Biden said the lower court decisions "would have undermined FDA's medical judgment and put women's health at risk."

"As a result of the Supreme Court's stay, mifepristone remains available and approved for safe and effective use while we continue this fight in the courts," Biden said in a statement. "I will continue to fight politically-driven attacks on women's health."

- 'Deeply misguided' -

Since the Supreme Court overturned the landmark Roe v. Wade ruling that enshrined the constitutional right to abortion for half a century, 13 states have banned abortion and it has been severely restricted in others.

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Opposition to the legal assault on the abortion pill is being spearheaded by the Justice Department, which argued that the initial ruling by the federal judge in Texas was based on a "deeply misguided assessment" of the pill's safety.

Mifepristone is one component of a two-drug regimen that can be used through the first 10 weeks of pregnancy.

It has a long safety record, and the FDA estimates 5.6 million Americans have used it to terminate pregnancies since it was approved.

Polls repeatedly show a clear majority of Americans support continued access to safe abortion, even as conservative groups push to limit the procedure -- or ban it outright.

cl/bgs
The Veterans Crisis Line is fielding a record number of cries for help, the Department of Veterans Affairs said, amid increased mental health concerns for post-9/11 veterans and service members.

The suicide hotline received more than 88,000 calls, texts and chats in March  the highest amount of monthly contacts it has ever had, according to new federal data obtained by NBC News.

Last months figure is nearly 28% higher than the busiest of any month in the first 10 months of the pandemic and 15% higher than August 2021, when calls surged after Kabul fell to the Taliban.

Scott Mann, a retired Army lieutenant colonel, served three tours in Afghanistan and as a Green Beret for about two decades. (Courtesy Scott Mann)

Were on the front end of a mental health tsunami, said Scott Mann, a retired Army lieutenant colonel who served three tours in Afghanistan.

The number of annual contacts increased 15% from about 775,000 in 2020 to nearly 896,000 in 2022, VA statistics show. There were about 74,000 total contacts in March 2022, nearly 67,000 in March 2021, and roughly 67,500 in March 2020, according to the data.

In a statement, the VA said there is "no particular data that can be pointed to in order to fully explain the increases" but that a combination of factors, including outreach campaigns and the launch of the crisis lines new 988 phone number, most likely led more people to use the hotline.

But many veterans said they believe the surge is directly related to the troubled end of the 20-year conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan, which they fought simultaneously and without a draft, meaning they were deployed more than any other generation and for longer.

Every time you came out of it, you were going right back into it, said Jonathan Cleck, a former Navy SEAL.

Now, Cleck says, after the longest war in American history, everything weve been able to suppress is now just bubbling up to the surface.

About 62% of combat veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan said they knew someone who was killed on duty, according to a Pew Research Center survey in 2011.

On top of that, a newly released survey conducted in part by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonprofit advocacy group, found that nearly 49% of veterans are suffering from trauma as a result of the events of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

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Army veteran Matt Zeller, 41, a senior adviser with the nonprofit, said he and many others are tormented by extreme guilt over leaving behind tens of thousands of Afghan interpreters and allies  an invisible wound he called a moral injury.

Its an injury of the soul," said Zeller, who served nine months in Afghanistan in 2008. "And its the most insidious injury a veteran can suffer."

Army veteran Matt Zeller served nine months in Afghanistan in 2008. (Courtesy Matt Zeller)

Theres not a pill that they can give you. Theres not a group or individual therapy session you can go to. You cant paint or sing your way out of this," Zeller added. "It fuels a person to take their life.

In the immediate aftermath of the Afghanistan withdrawal, the Veterans Crisis Line saw texts for help surge 98% compared to the same time frame the year before, VA officials told reporters at the time.

Among those struggling was Mann, the retired Army lieutenant colonel, who served as a Green Beret for about two decades.

Mann, 54, said he struggled with suicidal ideations in 2013 when he retired from the military and began transitioning to civilian life after multiple deployments. Eight years later, he said, the end of the war in Afghanistan took me right back to that place.

It got pretty dark for me, Mann said. The depression came on really hard because of the way the war ended, because of the way our leaders abandoned our allies, and how we were left holding the phone.

The volume of monthly contacts to the Veterans Crisis Line decreased after August 2021 but spiked again around the first anniversary in the summer of 2022, new data shows. That timing also coincided with the launch of the crisis line's 988 phone number.

Then, in January, the hotline handled a record high of 85,500 contacts before reaching its peak of 88,000 contacts in March.

Lack of data on post-9/11 veteran suicides

More than 6,800 U.S. military members died during operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, according to the Department of Defense. But because the VA does not track suicides of former service members by generation, there is no way to know exactly how many post-9/11 veterans have taken their lives.

That makes it difficult to find effective solutions, said Cole Lyle, a former Marine and VA adviser who is now the executive director of Mission Roll Call, a nonprofit veterans advocacy group.

"I don't think you can tackle any problem until you have an idea of the scope and scale of the problem," Lyle said. "You have to have accurate data, and we do not."

In at least one widely cited estimate, a 2021 Brown University research paper said more than 30,000 service members and veterans of the post-9/11 wars have died by suicide  more than four times as many as have died in combat.

While the VA's latest annual suicide prevention report does not distinguish deaths by generation, it appears to show a mental health crisis among the youngest cohorts.

In 2020, the most recent year for which mortality data is available, suicide rates were highest among veterans ages 18 to 34. Suicide rates among that age group increased from 2019 to 2020, while they decreased for all other groups, the report said.

Without accurate federal data, many veterans have been keeping personal tallies, from word of mouth in their social circles. Since the end of the war, Mann said hes lost three friends to suicide, including one fellow Green Beret and two combat-infantrymen.

Zeller said he knew five veterans who died by suicide directly after the last U.S. service member left Afghanistan in 2021. After that, Zeller did not have the heart to continue counting.

"I stopped tracking," he said. "I stopped asking the question."

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741 or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
The Washington state legislature passed a suite of bills targeting the housing crisis, bringing them one step closer to becoming law.

Washingtonians won this session, said Dan Bertolet, Director of the Housing and Urbanism program for Sightline Institute. Whether it was cutting red tape and construction costs or ensuring our cities allow more affordable options near transit and jobs, these bills, working together, mean more homes, at more affordable prices, in communities all across our state.

A deficit of homes is driving up prices and rents, according to a news release from the Housing and Urbanism program for Sightline Institute on Friday.

The Department of Commerce estimates that Washington needs one million new homes within the next 20 years to make up for decades of underbuilding, these measureslarge and smallwill go a long way to address the states acute shortage of homes and affordability crisis, said the release.

Here is a list of the bills, per the news release:

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Russian forces deployed FAB-500 bombs in at least six attacks on the city of Vuhledar in Donetsk Oblast on Saturday, 22 April. Russian attacks damaged a power supply facility in Karlivka, leaving 67 Donetsk Oblast settlements without running water.

Source: Oleksii Dmytrashkivskyi, spokesman for the Tavriia Front Defence Forces Joint Press Centre, during the national 24/7 newscast

Quote: "Over the course of today, the enemy used FAB-500 air-dropped bombs to attack Vuhledar at least six times, significantly damaging a number of buildings. We are confirming the number of civilian casualties. As for Marinka and Avdiivka, the enemy forces continue to assault that front.

Today, [Russian] assault operations damaged power supply in Karlivka, which left 67 settlements without running water. Enemy forces also continue to assault Avdiivka. Not just assault, but carry out artillery attacks and deploy aircraft [to conduct airstrikes on the area]."

Details: Dmytrashkivskyi said that around 1,800 civilians, including two children, remain in Avdiivka. Government representatives are trying to convince people to evacuate.

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Just days after announcing a halt to the embattled Veterans Affairs electronic health records program, department Secretary Denis McDonough will travel to Capitol Hill to talk about the decision and what comes next for veterans support efforts.

McDonough is scheduled to testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request and related issues before the Senate Appropriations Committee on April 26. A day earlier, the House Veterans Affairs Committee will hold a separate hearing on the health records modernization effort, which was completely halted on April 21.

The decision to reset the program came after months of delays and complaints about the new system, currently in use at five VA health care sites. Additional deployments were scheduled for later this year, but have now been put on hold indefinitely.

Lawmakers on the House committee have already questioned whether the $16-billion, 10-year project will ever be fully functional. Although only a portion of that total is included in the departments nearly $325 billion budget request for next fiscal year, McDonough will likely face significant questions about the ongoing costs and plan ahead for the program.

Tuesday, April 25



House Veterans' Affairs  3 p.m  390 Cannon

Electronic Health Records

Department officials will testify on the latest delays with the electronic health records modernization program.



Wednesday, April 26



Senate Armed Services  9:30 a.m.  G-50 Dirksen

Energy Defense Activities

Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm will testify on atomic energy programs and the fiscal 2024 budget request.



Senate Foreign Relations  10 a.m.  419 Dirksen

USAID Budget

Samantha Power, administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development, will testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request.



Senate Appropriations  10:30 a.m.  124 Dirksen

VA Budget

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough will testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request.



House Armed Services  10:30 a.m.  2118 Rayburn

Europe

Gen. Christopher Cavoli, head of U.S. European Command, will testify on current operations and the fiscal 2024 budget request.



House Foreign Affairs  10:30 a.m.  Visitors Center H-210

Iran Sanctions

The committee will consider several bills including legislation to impose new sanctions on Iranian leadership.



Senate Foreign Relations  2 p.m.  419 Dirksen

Tunisia

State Department officials will testify on the current security situation in Tunisia.



House Armed Services  2 p.m.  2212 Rayburn

National Security Space Programs

John Plumb, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, and service officials will discuss current space security programs.



House Armed Services  2:30 p.m.  2118 Rayburn

Army Modernization Programs

Douglas Bush, assistant Army secretary for acquisition, and other service officials will testify on service modernization plans.



Senate Armed Services  2:30 p.m.  232-A Russell

Air Force Modernization

Service officials will discuss modernization plans and the fiscal 2024 budget request.



Senate Veterans' Affairs  3 p.m.  418 Russell

Pending Business

The committee will consider pending legislation.



Senate Armed Services  3 p.m.  222 Russell

DOD Public Integrity

Service legal officials will testify on public integrity and anti-corruption laws at the Department of Defense.



Thursday, April 27



Senate Armed Services  8 a.m.  G-50 Dirksen

European/Transportation Commands

Gen. Christopher Cavolihead of U.S. European Command, and Gen. Jacqueline Van Ovost, head of U.S. Transportation Command, will testify on current operations and the fiscal 2024 budget request.



Senate Foreign Relations  10 a.m.  Capitol S-116

Nominations

The committee will review several pending nominations.



House Armed Services  12:30 p.m.  2118 Rayburn

Air Force Budget

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown Jr., and Chief of Space Force Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman will testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request.



House Armed Services  4 p.m.  2212 Rayburn

China

Gen. Paul Nakasone, head of U.S. Cyber Command, and Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, will testify on strategic challenges posed by China.



Friday, April 28



House Armed Services  9 a.m.  2118 Rayburn

Navy Budget

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday, and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger will testify on the fiscal 2024 budget request.



House Veterans' Affairs  10 a.m.  390 Cannon

Pending Legislation

The committee will consider several pending bills.




A military convoy of soldiers toting rifles and submachine guns rumbles into a poor neighborhood of the Ecuadoran port town of Esmeraldas, trying to root out drug gangs.

The town in the northern part of the country, near the border with Colombia, has been living under a state of emergency for nearly two months in response to what the government calls terrorist acts by powerful drug trafficking gangs.

The trucks that make up the convoy carry more than 100 soldiers, wearing bullet-proof vests as they travel through narrow streets -- neighborhood residents eyeing them warily.

Some soldiers aim at houses with their guns while others using a battering ram knock down a metal door.

"Where are the weapons?" one hooded soldier yells at a group of young black people lying on the ground as AFP, traveling exclusively with these troops, observed the raid.

A city of 200,000, Esmeraldas, capital of the province of the same name, is considered a stronghold for crime gangs.

-Hundreds of detainees-

In this raid one suspect is handcuffed. He is believed to belong to a feared gang called the Tiguerones.

Gang members live by blending in with regular everyday people, said police colonel Julio Cesar Vasquez.

This young detainee with long hair and a tiger tattooed on his ankle is one of more than 900 people arrested around the country since the state of emergency was declared, according to the interior ministry.

President Guillermo Lasso declared the emergency in Esmeraldas on March 3, acting because of its proximity to Colombia, the world's top producer of cocaine. A month later he extended it to other troubled regions of Ecuador and started letting people carry guns for self-defense.

"We have a common enemy: delinquency, drug trafficking and organized crime," the president said at the time.

- People are afraid -

A helicopter flies over a river looking for speedboats loaded with cocaine. In 2021 Ecuador seized a record 210 tonnes of cocaine that had been meant for shipment to Europe.

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But the state of emergency has not made this town much safer. On April 11, a group of some 30 assailants killed nine fishermen in an attack that authorities said stemmed from a gang turf war.

Police say that in Esmeraldas the homicide rate is up seven percent so far this year.

Ecuador is located between Colombia and Peru, the world's two largest producers of cocaine, much of which is sent to the United States and Europe from Ecuadoran ports, principally Guayaquil.

Consequently, Ecuador has seen a recent rise in violence and murders related to drug trafficking.

Its murder rate almost doubled from 14 per 100,000 citizens in 2021 to 25 a year later.

Despite all the soldiers deployed in Esmeraldas, people are afraid. Many shops are locked shut and some hotels and big businesses have been put up for sale.

"The gangs, all the crime, we cannot work freely. You hear people say they are being extorted," said Jofre Mancillo, who runs a warehouse. "There are no guarantees to keep working."

str-das/dga/dw/caw
There is currently no backchannel between the White House and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

Amid the simmering standoff over spending with the ticking time bomb of the debt ceiling in the background, the Republican leader and President Joe Biden are negotiating  if you want to call it that  in public.

And even though the prospect of default would inflict intense pain on the country, the White House is quite confident at the moment that such a doomsday scenario is avoidable and that, politically, it holds the upper hand. But as the danger of default nears, the politics may shift and force the president to adjust course.

The endgame is still hard to see, weeks or even months away depending on how quickly the nation approaches default. But the political battle entered a new phase this week when McCarthy finally put forth a legislative proposal in his speech Monday, laying out the spending cuts Republicans wanted in exchange for a one-year debt ceiling increase  and giving the White House officials something specific to attack.

And attack they have. Bidens speech Wednesday at a Maryland union hall served as a summation of his teams theory of the case. And White House aides have made it clear theyre eager to continue talking about this, whether through emails from the press shop, Cabinet officials describing the specific impacts of proposed cuts or at the briefing room podium.



On Friday, press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called McCarthys proposal a ransom note and emphasized a new VA analysis on the impact of proposed GOP cuts on veterans healthcare. The presidents economic agenda, the White House believes, is popular. Repealing laws that have helped the middle class and created jobs, cutting taxes for corporations and the rich, and risking default are not.

Republicans, Biden asserted Wednesday, say theyre going to default unless I agree to all these wacko notions they have. Default. It would be worse than totally irresponsible.

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He reminded McCarthy of the GOPs hypocrisy  they had no problem raising the debt ceiling three times during the Trump presidency  and of Ronald Reagan and Donald Trumps own comments decrying debt limit brinkmanship as reckless. Biden also urged the speaker to take default off the table, and lets have a real, serious, detailed conversation about how to grow the economy, lower costs and reduce the deficit.

According to two people familiar with the administrations strategy, its not clear to anyone inside the White House if McCarthy has the votes from his own caucus to pass his bill, and it may not yet be clear to the speaker himself, who has what one person familiar with the White Houses thinking termed a principal-agent problem.

The bill would be dead on arrival in a Democrat-controlled Senate. But the White House is signaling clearly to GOP moderates in the House: Vote to cut popular programs, including Social Security and Medicare, at your own risk.

If they pass this, we are going to hang it around their moderates necks, said one person familiar with the administrations thinking.

Chad Gilmartin, a McCarthy spokesperson, said the White House is clearly having trouble defending President Bidens reckless spending and irresponsible refusal to negotiate with Speaker McCarthy on the debt limit.

He added: Its no surprise that the administration now has to fall back on crazy accusations against the only plan in Congress that would avoid default.



But Biden, his aides say, learned from the Obama administrations 2011 standoff with Republicans that its imperative not to allow the debt ceiling to become part of negotiations. But with McCarthys tenuous speakership constantly hanging by a thread, and dependent in large part on his ability to placate his most extreme members, the White House knows that talking him off the ledge on risking default  giving up what he sees as his main point of leverage  wont be easy.

And as much as White House officials like the politics of the negotiations current phase, they know they, too, will face pressure to negotiate the closer they get to D-Day.

The window for scoring points, in fact, could be quite short as the danger of default grows. Goldman Sachs economists this week said that, due to weaker than expected tax season revenues, the U.S. could hit the debt ceiling in early June, earlier than expected. Within the administration, there are some differences in the level of alarm, as senior officials focused on economic matters have privately expressed more concern about the serious possibility of default than others whose purview is politics, according to one senior administration official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to speak freely.

Already, some Democrats are urging Biden to engage with McCarthy sooner rather than later. But at this point, Biden would be unlikely to say anything different to the speaker in private than what hes said publicly  hes open to a bipartisan deal on spending but only after lawmakers authorize a clean debt ceiling increase. That said, Jean-Pierre Friday wouldnt go as far as to say that Biden would only meet with McCarthy after he puts forth a clean debt ceiling hike.

And theres doubt inside the West Wing about whether McCarthy is ready for a meeting. Some aides believe it will take mounting pressure from the business community for the speaker to relent and that, given the difficult politics within his own caucus, he may not be able to back down. In such a scenario, the White House hopes that the House might at the very least swallow a Senate-passed bill to avoid default, if some Republicans are willing to use a discharge petition to get such a bill to the floor.

But some in the administration are less confident about that scenario coming to fruition than the White House is at the moment about the current contours of the debate. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell as the backstop is scary, the senior administration official said.




A college computer science lecture. The professor is calling on a student.

Imagine the following scenario.

You are a student and enter a room or Zoom meeting. A panel of examiners who have read your essay or viewed your performance, are waiting inside.

Read more

You answer a series of questions as they probe your knowledge and skills. You leave. The examiners then consider the preliminary pre-oral exam grade and if an adjustment up or down is required.

You are called back to receive your final grade.

This type of oral assessment  or viva voce as it was known in Latin  is a tried and tested form of educational assessment.

No need to sit in an exam hall, no fear of plagiarism accusations or concerns with students submitting essays generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot. Integrity is 100% assured, in a fair, reliable and authentic manner that can also be easily used to assess multiple individual or group assignments.

As services like ChatGPT continue to grow in terms of both its capabilities and usage  including in education and academia  is it high time for universities to revert to the time-tested oral exam?

The rise and fall of oral exams at universities

The oral exam has a history dating back to the ancient Greeks over 2,000 years ago. Philosophers defended their knowledge in the ritual of a public oral defence.

By the 10th century, oral assessment was also an important tool in the development of Muslim law and medicine. Those who were experts in munazara (the Islamic term for debates or disputes) were greatly esteemed.

At the medieval University of Paris in the 13th century, students were apprenticed to a master and, when regarded as ready, they took a public viva to graduate.

However, the oral exam experienced a decline as universities began to gravitate toward written assessments in the 1700s.



Academics at the time considered written exams more efficient, with the opportunity to numerically grade students individually. This contrasted with the complicated system of placing students in broad class categories that reflected their performance in oral examinations.

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Examining written papers was also a silent process, and gave ample time for examiners to grade in the comfort of their own homes.

Oral exams: Finding renewed relevance as ChatGPT rises

However, there are countries and institutions that still embrace the viva in the contemporary age.

As I explained in my 2018 book, Assessing the Viva in Higher Education, Norway uses the viva in its postgraduate programs, and until recently it has been extensively used in undergraduate education.

High school students must also sit in at least one oral exam in a random subject. This is done in Year 10 (junior high school) and Year 13 (senior high school).

I video recorded these pre-viva examiners meetings, the tests themselves, and the post-test conversations on grading. Through analysis of spoken and bodily language, I argue that the viva is a rich form of assessment that takes into account content quality and the answering skills of students.

It also offers students the opportunity to explain and clarify what they had submitted. This is not possible in a purely written assessment.

Whats interesting was that in my study, I never came across cases of cheating: of students mimicking work undertaken by others, concealing crib sheets in their clothes, or writing on their forearms.

Similarly, Ken Purnell, a professor of education at CQUniversity in Australia, suggests how students might be asked to create and verbally share a reflective journal  such as how their learning in educational neuroscience is applied to inform their practice.

Chatbots cannot replicate this sort of task, ensuring student authenticity.

Another colleague at my university also recounted how she and her co-lecturers had introduced the viva for the first time.

They assessed 600 oral exams in under a week in a large first-year undergraduate literacy course for pre-service teachers. Apart from there being no integrity issues, lecturers were also rewarded with a weekend free from a pile of papers to mark.

Was it tiring for the examiners? Of course. But it was also fulfilling, as they could observe students turning their thoughts into words.

For the students in my study, the experience was nerve-racking and full of emotion. They remember the viva vividly, including the atmosphere and the questions. Much like in a job interview, they achieved a sense of relief and mastery after completion.

It left a lasting imprint on these students minds, and to them, it was an opportunity to grow as a person.

I argue that it is time to change our conversation to be more about assessment that actually involves a conversation.

Writing would still be important, but we should learn to re-appreciate the importance of how a student can talk about the knowledge and skills they acquired. Successfully completing a viva could become one of our graduate attributes, as it once was.

Want to know more about AI, chatbots, and the future of machine learning? Check out our full coverage of artificial intelligence, or browse our guides to The Best Free AI Art Generators and Everything We Know About OpenAIs ChatGPT.





Stephen Dobson, Professor and Dean of Education and the Arts, CQUniversity Australia



This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, left, and Russian President Vladimir Putin; pro-democracy demonstrators in Belarus. (Photo illustration: Kelli R. Grant/Yahoo News; photos: Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik/Kremlin pool photo via AP, AFP via Getty Images; Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who was derided three years ago in the British press as a housewife with no political experience  even though she claims to have won the 2020 disputed presidential election  has been a fast learner.

Last month she flew to Washington, where she met with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and his Democratic predecessor, Nancy Pelosi. Tsikhanouskaya sat down with Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman and Isobel Coleman, deputy administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Throughout the short but busy trip, Tsikhanouskayas message was emphatic and consistent: The war cannot be over until Belarus is free, as she put it in a conversation with Yahoo News.

She and other Belarusians argue that it is a mistake to see Belarus as nothing more than Russias junior partner in the war against Ukraine. They say the countrys first and only president, Alexander Lukashenko, does not represent ordinary Belarusians, who have seen their yearning for democracy ruthlessly suppressed throughout his long tenure.

Belarus opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya at the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January. (Markus Schreiber/AP)

They argue that the West has no less responsibility to help realize those yearnings than it does to help Ukraine retain independence. We cant, of course, be a huge trade partner for the USA, Tsikhanouskaya told Yahoo News. You cant get a lot of profit from Belarus. But the fight for universal values is important.

Why is Belarus important?

A landlocked nation roughly the size of Kansas, with a population on par with New Jersey's, Belarus (Belarussia, or White Russia, in Russian) is wedged like a boulder between Russia and Ukraine, sharing thousands of miles of border with those two warring neighbors but also with Poland, Latvia and Lithuania  three NATO members that have come to Ukraines defense.

During the late Soviet era it was widely derided  at least among the power elite in Moscow and Leningrad  as an underdeveloped backwater of little cultural and political significance. Although the Chernobyl nuclear explosion in 1986 took place on Ukrainian soil, the radioactive cloud quickly blew north across the border and into Belarus, in what was an all-too-apt symbol of its fortunes.

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Map of Belarus and Ukraine.

Today Belarus is the rare ally of Russia in Europe, and a crucial one at that. In the opening days of the war, Moscows forces invaded Ukraine from Belarusian territory, launching a failed assault on Kyiv from the north.

Without Lukashenko, this war would not even be possible, Valery Kavaleuski, a top deputy in Tsikhanouskayas shadow government, said during a recent conversation with reporters in Washington, D.C. He enabled this.

Who is Alexander Lukashenko?

A former Communist Party functionary, Lukashenko came to power in 1994, promising improved living standards and a crackdown on corruption. Those promises were made, and broken, all over Eastern Europe, but nowhere more thoroughly or devastatingly than in Belarus. Within two years, Lukashenko had dissolved the Parliament and passed a referendum arrogating greater powers to his own office.

Lukashenko at a meeting with Putin in Moscow on April 6. (Mikhail Klimentyev/Sputnik/Kremlin pool photo via AP)

Belarus is either going to fall into a kind of neo-Soviet dictatorship or it will establish a basis for building a modern state, a Western diplomat warned a Washington Post reporter as those changes were being disputed in Minsk. "Right now, it's impossible to tell which."

Today there is little question which direction Lukashenko took. The more power he claimed, the more power he sought. Arrests on political grounds continue in Belarus, newspapers are still being shut down and the private sector of the economy is rapidly shrinking, Radio Free Europe reported the following year.

In 1999, Lukashenko pushed to forge a new alliance with ailing Russian leader Boris Yeltsin. He may have even perceived that chaos in the Kremlin would redound to his benefit and that it would be he who would, in time, rule over a combined Russian-Belarusian state.

The two leaders did sign a union treaty in 1999, but the agreement did not reestablish the Soviet-style proximity Lukashenko had sought. And he was plainly discomfited by the signing ceremony, at which Yeltsin  then in the advanced stages of alcoholism  was likely inebriated.

Three weeks later, Yeltsin resigned. He named as acting president a charmless former KGB officer unknown to most Russians: Vladimir Putin.

Lukashenko and Putin embrace during a meeting at the Kremlin on April 5. (Pavel Byrkin/Sputnik/Kremlin pool photo via AP)

Whatever designs Lukashenko had were eclipsed and frustrated by Putins rise, which saw Moscow reassert itself, however clumsily, as a superpower. In 2002, Putin rejected a full merger with Belarus  to which the 1999 agreement had been a supposed preamble  in what the Guardian would describe as a crushing humiliation for Lukashenko.

His consolation prize was to remain a dictator flanked on one side by new Eastern European democracies and on the other by an increasingly revanchist and belligerent Russia. Lukashenkos dismissive approach to the coronavirus pandemic only underscored how isolated Minsk has become from the rest of the continent.

The war in Ukraine brought Minsk and Moscow into a tight embrace while isolating Belarus from the rest of Europe.

Lukashenkos subordinate status was made clear in the months leading up to the invasion, as Russian troops gathered on the Belarusian border, hoping to quickly conquer Kyiv, only 100 miles to the south. Although there are no Belarusian troops fighting for Russia, the Kremlin has used Belarusian territory as a kind of staging ground for troops and equipment, as well as field hospitals.

Russian troops take part in drills in Belarus in December 2022. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

When Putin suggested that he might place nuclear weapons in Belarus, Lukashenko embraced the possibility.

We see Belarus tacitly supporting Russias invasion of Ukraine, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told Yahoo News in March.

That support may not mean a lot to a Kremlin that sees Lukashenko as little more than a minion, an insignificant figure in a grandiose pan-Slavic project.

Yahoo News recently revealed a Kremlin document outlining Russias plans to subsume Belarus into its borders by 2030. Some fear it could happen sooner and that, if the war in Ukraine continues to fare badly for Putin, he might take Belarus as a consolation prize, according to Kavaleuski.

To resistance figures like Tsikhanouskaya, as long as Lukashenko is in power, Ukraine will live under a threat. Without a free Belarus, there will be a constant threat to our neighbors, she said. Nobody will be able to sleep peacefully.

Do the Belarusian people want democracy?

Throughout his three decades in power, Lukashenko has imitated Putins ruthless silencing of opponents and the free press.

The State Department describes Belarus as an authoritarian state and accuses Lukashenko of human rights abuses, including arbitrary or unlawful killings of dissidents, as well as deaths from torture or severe abuse.

Demonstrators in Minsk wave the former Belarusian flag during a rally to protest the presidential election results on Oct. 18, 2020. (AP)

After Tsikhanouskaya's husband, an opposition journalist, was arrested ahead of the 2020 presidential election, she decided to enter the race herself.

People demanded free and fair elections, Kavaleuski says, bristling at the notion that Belarusians were content to live in a dictatorship.

An astonishing 84% of Belarusians voted in the election. Lukashenko allegedly won with 80% of the vote; the mass protests that followed suggested that Tsikhanouskaya had good reason to believe she had been cheated out of her share of votes. Poll workers widely described the election as fraudulent.

Belarus is at a crossroads, and no one knows how the situation will play out, Kennan Institute scholar Igor Zevelev observed. At this moment, at least one thing is crystal clear: This is a beginning of the end for President Alexander Lukashenkos rule.

Fearing for the safety of her children, Tsikhanouskaya fled to Lithuania. She has not been back to Belarus since.

Three years later, she remains defiant about the race. I know that Belarusian people voted for me, she told Yahoo News. People voted against Lukashenko, and I was the only person who tried to oppose him.

Earlier this year, she was tried in absentia for treason and given a 15-year prison sentence.

What do the Belarusians want from the West?

The sanctions levied against Belarus in the early days of the war by the United States and European powers inextricably tied the fates of Minsk and Moscow. Belarus, like Russia, came to be seen as an enemy of freedom, democracy and peace.

Of course, we advocate for as much military support for Ukraine as possible, Kavaleuski told Yahoo News. He worries that many Ukrainians mistake the corrupt aims of the Lukashenko regime for the will of the people. Overnight, we turned from freedom fighters to backstabbers in the eyes of the Ukrainians, he laments.

Today, a Belarusian regiment fights in Ukraine  for Ukraine. Belarusian saboteurs have also tried to hamper the Russian war machine. That is proof, the opposition argues, that Belarusian aspirations are firmly in line with those of their Ukrainian neighbors to the south, not their Russian neighbors to the north and east.

A Belarusian volunteer soldier fires a 120mm mortar round near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region of Ukraine on April 9. (Genya SavilovAFP via Getty Images)

Now, the opposition says, its time for the West to recognize as much. Showing solidarity and support for people who are fighting for freedom is a moral obligation, Tsikhanouskaya told Yahoo News, arguing for a kind of domino theory of Eastern European autocracy.

Tyranny is like a cancer, she says. It starts in one country and spreads.

What does Washington say?

After Lukashenkos last electoral victory, the United States ceased to recognize the legitimacy of his regime. His support of Putins war has seen a new round of sanctions on Belarus levied by Europe and the United States.

Tsikhanouskaya and her allies say that if the Biden administration believes in democracy as deeply as it claims, it must do more to bring democracy to Belarus.

Tsikhanouskaya, at left, holding a banner, at a demonstration of solidarity with Belarus in Krakow, Poland, last October. (Beata Zawrzel/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

So far, they have struggled to make that case convincingly, at least in Washington.

Ultimately, this is for the Belarusian people to decide, Kirby of the NSC told Yahoo News in response to a question about how the Biden administration could further the democratic aspirations of Belarusian citizens.

It may have been a disappointing answer, but it is one that reflected American realities as much as Belarusian ones. Belarus is, after all, a sovereign country. Already involved  albeit not directly  in Ukraine, the United States can do little to effect change in Ukraines pro-Russia neighbor, much as Washington would love to see the Lukashenko regime collapse.

Tsikhanouskaya says her meetings in Washington were encouraging, with U.S. officials vowing greater cooperation with the opposition. Ultimately, though, only Lukashenkos departure will bring about the kind of change she and others hope for.

Democracy is difficult, she concedes. But after 30 years of despotism, Belarusians are ready to give it a try.
It was fitting that Gov. Greg Abbott brought his campaign to expand parental rights in education to Fort Worths Nolan Catholic High School, since Abbott has no more eloquent an advocate for his plan to establish education savings accounts than Catholic Bishop Michael Olson.

There are state interests in education, Olson said during a recent interview, but they dont precede that of the parents.

Indeed. But back to Abbott.

Speaking before a large crowd Wednesday, the governor described his commitment to ensuring that Texas parents are at the center of their childrens education. That includes, of course, their right to access student curriculums and know what books occupy school library shelves.

The primary purpose of the governors parental rights campaign, however, is to expand support for legislation to make savings accounts widely available to Texas families.

ESAs, an avenue whereby the tax dollars that families pay into public school systems may be applied to alternative education options, including private, religious and homeschooling, enjoy support from a majority of Texans (68 percent, according to at least one recent public opinion tracker).

Those numbers appear to be strengthening as a result of Abbotts energetic effort. But the bills moving through the Texas House and Senate have encountered pockets of resistance, largely from rural Republicans who are heavily influenced by local public school officials, and urban Democrats.

It is mostly the latter who repeat, ad nauseam, the false trope that school choice is an underhanded way to use public funds to pay for private, namely religious, institutions.

That specific critique was lobbed at Olson during his recent testimony before the House Public Education Committee this month.

Youre testifying for money to go to private schools, to your schools, Democratic Rep. Gina Hinojosa of Austin insisted.

No, Olson replied. What Im testifying for is for parents to have the money that theyre paying into their taxes so that they have parental choice. I dont want government money directly given to our schools.

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He went on to defend the rights of parents, particularly those facing poverty and other social problems. Im talking about access for these people, he said. Im talking about the students in public schools and their parents.

To be clear, Olson is correct that neither of the current legislative proposals would give government money directly to private schools.

The tax dollars would be made available through an appropriation that could be used only if a parent, dissatisfied with their public options, applied for a savings account.

The parent could direct the funds received to a private institution or apply that money to goods and services, like books or instructional supplies (for homeschool or otherwise), tutoring, transportation, or even special needs testing and therapy.

This would truly give parents freedom, control and the ability to customize educational choices specifically for the particular needs of their children.

And, to Olsons point, the bills would also prioritize families with the greatest financial needs, enabling them first access to ESAs.

If there is any resonant criticism of the current legislation, its the provision that makes ESAs accessible only to those who are currently attending a public school.

With public school enrollment numbers declining in places such as Fort Worth ISD, its clear that many parents already have chosen alternative education options for their children.

For many of them, that choice has come at a cost. Some parents are scrounging together the funds to send a child to a private or religious school. Others are forgoing a second income to educate their children at home.

None of the families in my homeschool network, for example, many of whom are of modest means and educating several children, would benefit from the current legislative proposals because they long ago determined that their public school options (for a variety of reasons) were unsatisfactory.

Yet were they to qualify for an ESA for financial reasons, they would be unable to access any funding available to other families in similar circumstances who currently attend public institutions  a reality that seems to defy the spirit of parental freedom that undergirds the governors campaign.

These families should not be excluded from policies that would improve educational opportunities for their children.

As Ive heard from many school choice advocates, even those who like me, find problems with the current proposals  weve got to start somewhere.

The political will may never be stronger than it is now.

So whether parental-choice legislation passes during the regular session or needs to go to special session in June, legislators  and the advocates who have their ears  should push for broad legislation that would serve every Texas parent and child.
Carlita Victoria told Insider she broke up with her long-term boyfriend because he would not let her post a picture of him. Carlita Victoria

Carlita Victoria grew suspicious when her boyfriend wouldn't be in any of her Instagram posts.

She took it as a sign that he was cheating on her and didn't want his other partner to find out.

She aired her suspicions on TikTok, in the hopes that the app would help her find out the truth.

It was February 2021, and Carlita Victoria had just about had it with dating apps.

Exhausted by the lack of face-to-face connection, she decided to tell a man she had been chatting to on Hinge that she was planning to delete the app. He was persistent that he still wanted to get to know her and asked for her number, she said, adding that they then began dating and eventually got into a serious relationship.

Victoria, 38, told Insider she noticed early on that her boyfriend was quite private about their relationship, saying he told her within the first month of dating that he did not want to post a picture of someone he was going out with on social media until he was engaged.

At the time, Victoria, who is based in North Carolina, was compassionate about his preference, assuming that he was being cautious to not prematurely share a relationship with the world if it wasn't going to work out.

However, 10 months later, around the holiday season, Victoria thought the relationship had grown serious enough that it warranted her posting a picture of them both on social media. To her shock, her boyfriend insisted that he did not want to be featured on her accounts, she said.

His decision led to a series of arguments between the pair, according to Victoria, who said she eventually broke up with him on the suspicion that he might have had ulterior motives for not wanting to go public with their relationship.

Desperate to find out whether her suspicions were correct, Victoria turned to TikTok, asking viewers if anyone knew her ex-boyfriend or had seen him with another woman. Her post went viral, and put the former couple under a microscope of online criticism that hugely eroded their privacy  but still, she believes she took a necessary step to find out the truth about what happened.

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Victoria thought her boyfriend's aversion to going public on social media was a red flag

Although her boyfriend expressed some concern, Victoria eventually did share a montage of photos of them both on TikTok, putting a sticker over his face to protect his privacy. But, according to Victoria, he asked her to take it down because he was worried people would be able to identify him by his tattoos.

Victoria told Insider she began to suspect that her boyfriend was cheating on her after this conversation, believing that he perhaps did not want to be seen with her in a public post because he didn't want his other partner to find it.

While she said she thinks people are entitled to have preferences about privacy on their own social media accounts, she felt that her partner's attempts to control what she posted on her own account went a bit far. According to Victoria, he had been posting pictures of himself with friends and family members at the time, and she thought his "rule" of not wanting to be on her social media pages at all was a sign that he was not committed to the relationship.

"He kept saying he wanted to marry me but he wasn't really taking the steps to really invest in me," she said, adding, "I kept thinking, 'there's no way this rule could be more important than what we have,' and that's what made me think there's got to be someone else in the picture, and she must be important because I don't know anyone who would sacrifice a relationship with somebody they love for a rule."

When it came time for the couple to celebrate their one-year anniversary in February, Victoria said she decided to break the relationship up, since her partner still did not want to go public on social media, even though she had met his family and invested a lot of time into the relationship by that point.

She shared the story on TikTok, and her suspicions were confirmed

Victoria knew that TikTok has become a popular way for people to appeal for information about a person or event. Creators often turn to the app with a description of a person or situation, hoping that by going viral through the algorithm, which pushes a message to millions of people, some commenters with relevant information might come forward.

"The internet moves quick," Victoria told Insider, saying she decided to post a video explaining the story of her relationship to see if anyone knew whether her boyfriend was seeing someone else.

In her video, Victoria shared a picture of her boyfriend's face, and disclosed his first name, Derwin, in spite of his previous demands for online privacy, in the hopes that someone on TikTok would recognize him.

"At that point, I felt like I didn't have anything to lose," she said, adding, "I was livid. I knew that that video would expose him and me to the world, and open up a can of worms, but I felt like it was worth it to find her."

The post went viral, receiving 12.3 million views, and several prominent creators on the app shared it to spread the word. Victoria told Insider she then received a message from a woman saying her cousin had been seeing the same man for around two years. Victoria said she spoke to the woman's cousin over the phone, and their conversation confirmed her initial suspicions.

When reached over the phone, Derwin declined to comment. Insider agreed to withhold his last name due to concerns about online harassment. The woman whose cousin Victoria said was dating Derwin did not respond to multiple attempts to reach her for comment.

While Victoria said it was satisfying to hear the woman's story, her video had consequences

Victoria had no idea what it was like to have millions of people watch one of her TikToks.

While an overwhelming majority of people expressed support for her, she was shocked by how negative some of the comments were  people made remarks about her ex-boyfriend's appearance in the picture she shared, which she said made her feel uncomfortable, and she had to ask her viewers in a follow-up video not to send hate comments to him or his family or workplace, telling Insider that she thinks sometimes the internet can take things too far and become "a dangerous place."

Victoria did not find the positive comments as helpful as she initially thought she would either. Where other women who have previously gone viral for divulging the ins and outs of their relationship breakdowns online have told Insider they found the online community and support comforting, Victoria said she ultimately did not find it truly satisfying, particularly in proportion to the pain of heartbreak.

"It does feel good to look at those comments," she said, "but no one is here in this apartment with me while I'm crying; no one is here to pick me up off the floor or tell me how loved I am. They don't love me. They might love an aspect of me or the part of me I show online, but no one is here."

"It's just me that has to go through this healing process," she added.

Despite the consequences that going viral had on her and her former boyfriend, Victoria said she thinks posting the video was "worth it" because she believes it helped her to find out the truth.

"I think that what I did was the right thing to do because I had to know, I needed to walk away with clarity," she told Insider.

For more stories like this, check out coverage from Insider's Digital Culture team here.

Read the original article on Insider
An alligator. David Cannon/Getty Images

A South Carolina woman's family filed a lawsuit against a retirement home community for her death.

Nancy Becker was killed by an alligator who wandered into her backyard in August 2022.

Her family claims the developer ignored warning signs and put them in danger.

A South Carolina woman's family has sued the developer of the retirement community where she lived claiming the facility's decision to install ponds led to her tragic death.

In August 2022, Nancy Becker, a resident at the Sun City Hilton Head community for residents over 55, was mauled to death in an alligator attack. In a wrongful death lawsuit filed against real estate developer Del Webb, Becker's family claimed the community did not adequately protect residents from nearby predators.

Her family stated in the complaint that Becker was put in a precarious position by Del Webb "by designing and constructing ponds and ponding basins within the Community which attracted hazards and predators such as alligators, without adequate safeguards and protections."

Her family said when an alligator ended up in Becker's backyard, she was helpless: "Becker endured excruciating pain and suffering, including severed limbs, and as a direct result of the alligator attack died from her injuries," the lawsuit stated.

Del Webb did not immediately return Insider's request for comment.

The lawsuit, filed in Beaufort County, South Carolina, includes a claim of negligence and also names the Sun City Community Association and one of its employees as defendants. Tammy Hayes, the employee named as a defendant, was in charge of the alligator culling and hunting permits for the facility, Becker's lawyers said in the lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, the company failed to erect proper barriers and nets, even though they applied for yearly hunting and culling permits for the alligators, and "particularly knew and were aware of the aggressive nature of alligators within the Community such as the one that attacked and killed Becker."

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The family also sued on the grounds that Del Webb fraudulently misrepresented the safety of the facility to the elder residents.

"Becker was safety-conscious: the assertion that she could safely reside in the Community and be safe in her home and its adjacent property was a material consideration in Becker's decision to move into the Community," Becker's lawyers said in the suit.

Read the original article on Insider
Allison Bailey, left, and her mother Felicia Cavanaugh pose for a photo in November 2018.

Under the direction of its leader Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry, the Nevada National Guard launched a zero-tolerance campaign in January 2021 to address sexual assault. It encouraged soldiers to report rape no matter how much time had passed and vowed to support them.

That same month, Sgt. First Class Allison Bailey reported being raped twice the previous May and June by a fellow Guardsman of lower rank.

The North Valleys High School student had been steadily rising through the ranks ever since enlisting in Reno for the Nevada National Guard at age 17, when she was still so young that her Air Force veteran mother had to sign for her.

She was a trusted member of the service. The commander of her unit  the medical detachment  is based in Reno, but the unit is located in Las Vegas, where Bailey was its senior noncommissioned officer there.

Baileys rape claims were not believed. Instead, her alleged rapist was believed when he said the two sexual encounters were consensual.

Felicia Cavanaugh, left, poses with her daughter Allison Bailey after Bailey was promoted to Sergeant First Class.

Her last performance review before the alleged rapes said she had exceeded expectations, was a natural-born leader and should be promoted before her peers.

After siding with her alleged attacker, the Nevada National Guard used what happened between them as the no. 1 charge in a 22-item misconduct investigation: Sex with a subordinate.

I feel as if I am being punished for being sexually assaulted, Bailey wrote in an April 2021 email for Berry.

Baileys mental and physical health worsened. She started the process for a medical discharge.

Bailey received mediocre and then negative performance reviews after years of positive ones.

She was demoted for misconduct.

On Jan. 15, 2023, she was kicked out of the Nevada National Guard with an other than honorable discharge.

Six weeks later, Bailey collapsed and died  a death her family links to the Guards actions following her alleged rapes.

I watched her deteriorate over the course of the ordeal with the Nevada National Guard, said her mother, Felicia Cavanaugh, from her Reno home.

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The military attorney who defended Bailey against the misconduct claims was so appalled by what happened to her, he resigned from the Nevada National Guard.

I lost faith in the commanders and, in the end, in the military justice system, Capt. Christopher Tinsman said.

Nevada National Guard public affairs officer Capt. Emerson Marcus said he understands why some people feel frustrated with how sexual assault cases are charged and prosecuted.

We empathize with all victims, he said in an email. In the case of Ms. Bailey, the Nevada National Guard did everything in its power to assist her in coming forward and ensured procedures in place  including an investigation by the Nevada Department of Public Safety  were followed appropriately.

Not wanting to report rape

Allison Bailey didnt want to report being raped. She didnt even want to talk about it.

It took her more than two months to tell her boyfriend, Sam Boyd.

Sam Boyd takes a selfie with his girlfriend Allison Bailey.

Hes also in the Nevada National Guard. They crossed paths when he returned from his third tour  this one of Afghanistan  in 2016.

By 2017, they were living together in a Las Vegas house with her two sons from a previous relationship.

She was very hesitant to report the sexual assault, Boyd said. She knew it was gonna be tough.

Sandy Duchac said its especially difficult for those in the military to come forward about rape because theyve been trained to trust and defend their fellow soldiers with their lives.

Duchac is a Navy veteran and vice president of Veteran Sisters, a group that supports survivors of military sexual trauma, and shed been working with Bailey to get her other-than-honorable discharge upgraded.

She considered it a last-ditch nuclear option, Duchac said of reporting sexual assault.

Bailey believed it would ruin her attackers career in the military and probably hurt others in the chain of command, Duchac said.

So she didnt want to do it, Duchac said. She loved the Guard.

But after the Nevada National Guard launched a misconduct investigation against Bailey on Jan. 4, 2021, based on anonymous complaints about her leadership behavior, she filed an official report of sexual assault three weeks later.

Col. Kevin Remus said he finds the fact that Bailey didnt come forward until after the misconduct case opened to be suspicious. He provides legal review for all sexual assault reports in the Nevada National Guard. He was also the prosecuting attorney in the hearing over whether to discharge Bailey for bad conduct.

None of this is brought to our attention until she was in the hot seat, Remus said of Baileys rape report. And that's the part that disturbs me the most: the timing.

Remus expressed sympathy for the accused Guardsman just thinking hes having a consensual affair with somebody and suddenly hes facing a 25-to-life crime.

He pointed to screenshots of pornographic-sounding text messages from the police investigation indicating she was a willing participant.

You can see 70 pages of very explicit text messages between Bailey and the male that would make it hard for anyone to believe it was not a consensual relationship, he said.

Boyd said she was prepared for such reactions.

She knew she was gonna be called a liar, that people were going to come at her and not believe her, he said. And she just kept going. She held her ground throughout this entire process.

Police investigation into alleged rapes

As soon as Bailey officially reported being raped Jan. 29, 2021, the misconduct investigation was put on hold.

To avoid bias, Nevada law requires a third party handle Nevada National Guard sexual assault cases. The state police  formally called the Nevada Department of Public Safety  has the exclusive contract.

Detective Kyle McKnight interviewed Bailey about what she says were rapes by the same man at two alcohol-fueled parties about eight months earlier.

Allison Bailey poses during a training exercise.

McKnight also talked to her boyfriend and two other people who said Bailey told them about the assaults not long after.

Her alleged attacker was also interviewed. The RGJ is not naming the Guardsman because he was never charged in the case.

He provided screenshots of text messages to support his contention that the sex with Bailey at the parties was consensual.

McKnights summary of the interview says her alleged attacker consented to a full forensic download of his cell phone. However, he later rescinded that consent and would not turn over his phone.

After getting a search warrant, McKnight seized the phone but the Guardsman would not reveal its passcode to allow the state police to verify whether the text messages were real.

McKnight later wrote, The forensic download was unable to recover the text messages between (REDACTED) and Bailey.

The state police did not say Bailey had not been raped. The conclusion was that no one had been located who witnessed the alleged rapes except the two parties involved and that no other evidence could be located showing that rapes happened.

McKnights final report  dated June 9, 2021, almost exactly one year after the alleged rapes  ended: Investigation closed, insufficient evidence for prosecution.

According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, out of every 1,000 instances of rape, only 13 cases will get referred to a prosecutor.

Misconduct investigation and a claim of bias

The text messages were part of the evidence used against Bailey that led to her discharge.

In his appeal of the misconduct findings, her defense counsel, Tinsman, highlighted that the state police could not verify them and that there are numerous online services able to generate realistic-looking fake text threads.

But bias was the main point of his appeal.

When Bailey found out whod been appointed investigating officer in her misconduct case, I immediately asked for another because there is no way she could not be biased as she was very good friends with (the alleged attacker) and his wife, going over for breakfast etc., she wrote in a document found on her phone after her death.

Tinsman also requested that the investigating officer be replaced. This did not happen.

Remus said it was not true the investigator knew the alleged rapist well.

There is no evidence of bias, he said.

The Nevada National Guard is not a huge organization. People may know each other, but I don't agree with that assessment at all. As far as I know, the alleged perpetrator and the person that investigated  I don't know if they're good friends or anything like that. I read an investigation  the evidence supported its conclusions and that's what matters.

Dwight Stirling said there's a fundamental rule of fairness in the JAG Corps, the militarys legal arm, that an investigating officer must be impartial and unbiased.

Dwight Stirling

Stirling teaches law at the University of Southern California, is a retired JAG officer in the California National Guard, and is founder and CEO of the Center for Law and Military Policy, a think tank dedicated to strengthening legal protections of soldiers.

When theres even a whisper of bias by the investigating officer, the only proper remedy is to replace that person with someone who is not biased, he said.

Deterioration of career and health

Baileys discharge was not unique to the Nevada National Guard.

A 2016 Department of Defense Inspector General report looked at more than 15,000 sexual assault reports in the military over the previous six years. It found that one-third of those making the claim were discharged, typically within seven months of filing a report.

Sandy Duchac is vice president of Veteran Sisters, a nonprofit advocacy group supporting survivors of sexual assault in the military.

When a woman in the military is sexually assaulted, said Duchac of Veteran Sisters, shes betrayed three times: by the brother in arms who raped her, by her chain of command that blames her or ignores her, and by the American people who just dont want to know.

In addition to the mental toll a sexual assault can have, it also frequently leads to long-term effects on the body.

Sibelia Chaiyahat said stomach issues, headaches and a racing heart are common. Shes a licensed social worker with a Ph.D. in psychology who works with veterans who have PTSD at her clinic in Oceanside, California. She has a focus on sexual trauma.

If you develop PTSD  which is what happens if you don't get the opportunity to process trauma  it can lead to serious physical problems, she said.

After Bailey said she was raped, her mental and physical health began a downward spiral.

Tinsman, who defended her against the misconduct charges, had an office near Bailey at the Las Vegas base and knew her for quite a while.

By the time she became a client, she was a different person, he said.

She had been the type of officer you could sense was in charge and knew what she was doing, Tinsman said, but she became a shell of former herself.

She seemed like someone who had been under assault, he said. I dont mean necessarily a physical assault, but that her psyche or whatever had been attacked to the point of her being a smaller person than shed been before.

This was reflected in her performance reviews.

Before reporting rape, her evaluations said she exemplified (the) meaning of professionalism, outperformed noncommissioned officers above her and had unlimited potential.

After reporting rape, an evaluation said she had difficulty in controlling her emotions, allowed her personal issues to overshadow her performance and showed no effort to view her difficult situation as an opportunity to better her performance.

Bailey was fully aware of the changes in herself.

My mental health quickly deteriorated since I was assaulted, she wrote in a note found on her phone.

She referenced a diagnosis shed received at a Las Vegas mental health clinic for post-traumatic stress disorder.

I was diagnosed with PTSD and night terrors along with increased anxiety medication, she said.

I have gained and lost over 50 pounds, I have lost 75% of my hair. I started having seizures and extreme fear of leaving my house.

She was also worried about how her transformation was affecting her sons, who Boyd said were the most important things in the world to her.

My children have had to watch their mother become some other human being that no one wants to be sucked into and be around, Bailey wrote. The rape fails in comparison to what I have been through since.

See also: What happens when a sexual assault is reported in Nevada National Guard?

More: 2019 change to Nevada law kept Guard soldier from having case heard in court

Allison Baileys death

On March 4, six weeks after the bad conduct discharge, Bailey collapsed on her kitchen floor in Las Vegas.

She was found by her two sons, ages 10 and 15, and taken to a hospital, where she died.

Her death certificate says her heart and lungs stopped after her blood pressure dangerously dropped.

A third listed cause was advanced hepatitis cirrhosis, which is often linked to heavy alcohol consumption.

I'm not going to pretend she didnt drink, her mother said.

Allison Bailey, left, and her mother Felicia Cavanaugh pose for a photo in November 2022. It's the last photo Cavanaugh has of her daughter.

What she didnt know was that her daughter had also started on multiple medications for depression, anxiety and night terrors, Cavanaugh said.

The combination of five prescriptions plus lots of Tylenol for frequent headaches can be a stressor on the liver and kidneys.

An autopsy was not done. Because of this, its not possible to know for sure how much the various factors  alcohol, high levels of medication and PTSD  played a role.

All I can say is she went from a healthy, outgoing extrovert to an introvert who wouldn't leave the house and suffered from severe anxiety and depression, Cavanaugh said.

Bailey would not seek help for her weakening body because she thought she had no health care.

She told me, I cant go to the doctor because I cant afford it, Cavanaugh said.

The Guard confirmed that when someone is other-than-honorably discharged, their health coverage ends.

Just before Baileys death, Cavanaugh was traveling back from South Carolina with her husband.

In a last video call with her daughter, I said, Honey, you dont look good. Were gonna be there in two days, and were going to take you to the hospital.

They never got the chance.

They not only took her life in my opinion, she said of the Nevada National Guard, they took the last 2 1/2 years of her life as well.

Protecting soldiers who report sexual assault

April is Sexual Assault Awareness month.

In preparation, the Nevada National Guard has held multiple meetings so far this year. It has posted fliers with QR codes and the contact info for its sexual assault response team in armories and office areas around the state.

The Nevada National Guard is working hard to bring awareness to sexual assault and to support its members who report it, Guard spokesperson Marcus said.

Maj. Gen. Ondra Berry discusses Social Justice and why it's important in light of the WCSD debates in the Carson City office on July 8, 2021.

"We really have changed a lot since Gen. Berry took over" in September 2019, he added.

Cavanaugh said she will believe the Guard is truly supporting and protecting soldiers who report sexual assault when she sees what Berry does in regard to her daughter's case. One of the first things she did after Bailey died last month was to write him.

I asked him to do a full investigation of all the proceedings when my daughter filed her complaint: how her complaint was handled and how the complaints against her were handled, she said.

I think an outside agency should do it.

She wants her daughters rank restored to what it was when she filed her sexual assault claim and for her discharge classification to be upgraded to honorable  because she served honorably and so her sons get their benefits.

Cavanaugh hasnt stopped there. Shes been emailing everyone else she can think of, from Nevadas congressional delegation to the Pentagon.

She doesnt think any soldier who files a sexual assault claim should have to go through what her daughter did.

She's not alone, Cavanaugh said. And she will not be the last if a full investigation doesn't happen and people are held accountable.

Mark Robison covers local government for the Reno Gazette-Journal. This story is made possible by the nonprofit RGJ Fund, which pays 100% of Mark Robison's wages. If youd like to see more stories like this one, please consider donating. Share your comments with him at mrobison@rgj.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Rape in the military: What happened to Allison Bailey in Nevada Guard?
England are the defending Womens Six Nations champions (Getty Images)

The Womens Six Nations continues to go from strength to strength as the tournament returns in 2023.

For the first time, all competing teams now offer professional contracts in some form.

England and France are likely to again vie for the title, with their potential deciding date at Twickenham on the final Saturday set to break records as the best-attended womens rugby match in history.

But Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Wales will have plenty of optimism they can trouble the tournaments big two across five rounds of action.

Here are the Womens Six Nations 2023 fixtures and UK TV channels:

The BBC has broadcasting rights to the Womens Six Nations in the UK, with extensive coverage across television and online platforms. All of Englands games will be shown live on BBC Two.

ROUND 1

Saturday, 25 March

Wales 31-5 Ireland

England 58-7 Scotland

Sunday, 26 March

Italy 12-22 France

ROUND 2

Saturday, 1 April

Ireland 3-53 France

Scotland 22-34 Wales

Sunday, 2 April

England 68-5 Italy

ROUND 3

Saturday, 15 April

Wales 3-59 England

Italy 24-7 Ireland

Sunday, 16 April

France 55-0 Scotland

ROUND 4

Saturday, 22 April

2.15pm BST: Ireland v England, Cork - BBC Two, iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

4.45pm BST: Scotland v Italy, Edinburgh - BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

Sunday, 23 April

3.15pm BST: France v Wales, Grenoble - BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

ROUND 5

Saturday, 29 April

1pm BST: England v France, Twickenham - BBC Two, iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

3.30pm BST: Italy v Wales, Parma - BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app

7.30pm BST: Scotland v Ireland, Edinburgh - BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app
The worst areas to invest in buy-to-let

Buying a property and renting it out can be a lucrative way of building your wealth.

Buy-to-let investors have previously received net returns as high as 82 per cent over five years, but not all areas will be as profitable as others.

To help you avoid disappointing returns, Telegraph Money finds out which areas offer the lowest gains.

Worst returns

Two major factors that you need to consider when investing are rental yields and capital growth.

When both are taken into account, London offers lower returns than any region in England and Wales, according to Hamptons estate agents.

Investors in London received a net return of 18 per cent from 2018 to 2022, which takes into account both capital growth and rents, but subtracts mortgage and maintenance costs. The analysis assumes a 25 per cent deposit on the mortgage.

Robert Jones, of Property Investment UK, said investors fare worse in London because the cost of buying a property is so high.

The average price paid by a buy-to-let investor in London is 579,717, higher than any other region, according to Hamptons. The second-lowest region for returns  the South East  also has the second-highest average price paid by investors, at 322,518.

Landlords in London can charge higher rents but the margin between the rents and mortgage payments is still not enough to compensate for the investment cost.

Mr Jones said: The cost of the property is quite high, and very often the rentals don't kind of keep up in terms of any pace in growth in quite the same way, so you have a disparity between what the cost of the asset might be and the rental income that you might get, and therefore your yields as a percentage may be lower when compared with other more balanced areas."

London also experienced lower price growth during the pandemic relative to other areas as remote workers fled the city in search of more space and a better quality of life.

While many are returning, there are signs that hybrid working is here to stay and property buyers are choosing more affordable places with lower mortgage payments and good commuter links to the city. This could further dampen capital growth in London.

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Kensington and Chelsea was the local authority area that offered the lowest net returns, at just 2 per cent over five years. Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham paid out 3 per cent and 4 per cent respectively.

The average price paid by an investor in Kensington and Chelsea was 1.3m, while those in Westminster and Hammersmith and Fulham paid 1.9m and 794,951 respectively.

Investors there who opt for terraces, semi-detached or fully detached properties would end up paying more in mortgage costs and taxes than they earn in rent each year, so investors should beware of renting out properties there that are not flats.

Camden, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Lambeth and Barnet were other London boroughs that were among the worst 10 areas for net returns.

Two London suburbs  Reading and Slough in Berkshire  could also disappoint investors, with returns of 11 per cent and 14 per cent.

Out of the top 20 areas with the worst returns, 15 were in London and five were in the surrounding areas.

The common theme among these low-performing areas is the high cost of buying a property there, which in turn affects mortgage payments. The average price paid by investors was above 300,000 in all of these places.

By contrast, in the top 34 areas for net returns, buy-to-let investors paid less than 200,000 on average for their properties. The average investor purchase price in England and Wales is 273,616.

Lowest yields

Salcombe Harbour and Kingsbridge Estuary - James Osmond/Getty

Some investors prefer to focus on areas that generate high rental yields and disregard capital growth.

David Fell, of Hamptons, said yields are likely to become increasingly important given that house prices are falling. Research consultancies like Oxford Economics and Capital Economics have forecast drops of 12 per cent in 2023.

It is harder to predict what will happen in the long term, but some capital growth is still expected over a five-year period once the housing market recovers.

Mr Jones said rental yields tend to be more consistent each year than house prices.

But even if capital growth is not factored in, London still comes out as the worst option for investors in England and Wales.

The average yield is 5 per cent, which is far lower than the 7.3 per cent that can be achieved in Wales and the North West.

Out of the top 20 local authority areas with the lowest rental yields, seven were in London. These included the City of Westminster, Waltham Forest, City of London, Kensington and Chelsea and Wandsworth, where mortgage costs are high because of prices.

The London suburb of Three Rivers, Hertfordshire, offers the lowest rental gross rental yield of any local authority in England and Wales. Investors who buy property there will earn just 4 per cent.

Cambridge and Ryedale in North Yorkshire pay 4.1 per cent and 4.2 per cent respectively.

Other areas with low yields are Sevenoaks in Kent, the coastal area of South Hams in Devon, St Albans in Hertfordshire and Derbyshire Dales in the East Midlands.

These areas all have rental yields of below 5 per cent. This is markedly less than yields of 8 per cent and above that are to be had in other parts of the country.

It is worth bearing in mind that landlords face increasing costs because of soaring mortgage rates, as well as falling house prices, so returns are likely to be lower than they have been over the past years.

One way you can protect yourself is by buying in cash or paying larger deposits to limit the size of your mortgage.

Worst regulations

Buy-to-let investors should perhaps avoid buying properties in Scotland after a series of anti-landlord polices were put in place by Nicola Sturgeon's government.

A cap on rents is having an impact on landlords' returns, and a ban on evictions is making it harder for landlords to reclaim possession of their properties compared with England. Taxes are also higher in Scotland.

Other considerations

Landlords should make sure they have thoroughly researched the areas they buy properties in, according to trade body the National Residential Landlords Association.

Many investors start out in areas close to where they live because they understand the market and what tenants are looking for.

Chris Norris, of the NRLA, said: I think it's very easy to get swayed by big, shiny new developments in cities a long way away from where you live.

I speak to more landlords actually who have a really hard time with those developments than probably anything else, because they haven't understood what the market is like in that city and they haven't understood who their target customers are.

The type of property is another factor worth considering as it can have an impact on returns.

Mr Jones said this varies in different areas depending on what the needs of local tenants are, but starter homes tend to work best  these are usually one and two-bedroom flats and terraced houses.
Deep-sea explorers said Saturday they had located the wreck of a World War II Japanese transport ship, the Montevideo Maru, which was torpedoed off the Philippines, killing nearly 1,000 Australians aboard.

The ship -- sunk on July 1, 1942, by a US submarine unaware it was carrying prisoners of war -- was found at a depth of more than four kilometres (2.5 miles), said the maritime archaeology group Silentworld Foundation, which organised the mission with Dutch deep-sea survey firm Fugro.

The sinking of the Montevideo Maru was Australia's worst-ever maritime disaster, killing an estimated 979 Australian citizens, including at least 850 troops.

Civilians from 13 other countries were also aboard, the foundation said, bringing the total number of prisoners killed to about 1,060.

They had been captured a few months earlier by Japanese forces in the fall of the coastal township of Rabaul in Papua New Guinea.

"At long last, the resting place of the lost souls of the Montevideo Maru has been found," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.

"Among the 1,060 prisoners on board were 850 Australian service members - their lives cut short," he said on social media.

"We hope today's news brings a measure of comfort to loved ones who have kept a long vigil."

After five years of planning, explorers began searching for the wreck on April 6 in the South China Sea, northwest of the Philippines' main island of Luzon.

They made a positive sighting just 12 days later using high-tech equipment, including an autonomous underwater vehicle equipped with sonar.

"When we saw those images it was the moment of a lifetime, very exciting," Captain Roger Turner, technical director of the expedition, told AFP by phone from aboard the Fugro Equator survey vessel.

- 'Two torpedoes' -

The ship had split into two sections, with the bow and stern lying about 500 metres apart on the seabed, he said.

"We think that she was struck by two torpedoes. The first one was what caused her to sink, the second one actually blew off a part of the accommodation."

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The wreckage will remain undisturbed on the sea floor, where it lies at a greater depth than the Titanic, out of respect for the families of those who perished, the foundation said. No artefacts or human remains are to be removed.

"We're very conscious that it is a grave, it is a war grave for some 1,100 people -- both our Allied military and civilians but also the Japanese crew and guards," Turner said.

"It is being treated with appropriate respect."

Andrea Williams, an Australian whose grandfather and great-uncle were civilian internees who perished on the ship, was also with the team that found it.

"It was very emotional but it is also a very proud moment to have been able to find the wreck," she told AFP.

"The relatives have often said: 'Will the Montevideo Maru ever be found?'," Williams said.

Locating the vessel was "hugely comforting" to the perished prisoners' relatives, many of whom had contacted her after the news broke, she said.

Australia's Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart said finding the wreck had ended 81 years of uncertainty for the loved ones of those lost.

"A loss like this reaches down through the decades and reminds us all of the human cost of conflict," he said. Australia's military had assisted in the search.

Those who perished aboard the Montevideo Maru included 33 crew from the Norwegian freighter the Herstein and about 20 Japanese guards and crew, the Silentworld Foundation said.

Other nations affected by the sinking included Britain, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Solomon Islands, Sweden and the United States, it said.

djw/aha
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy imposed sanctions against hundreds of Russian individuals and legal entities on 22 April, including the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia.

Source: Zelenskyy's decrees

Details: One of the decrees imposed sanctions against 30 Russians, Iranians and Ukrainians for 10 years, including state traitor Volodymyr Bobryshev, who was informed of suspicion by the Ukraines Security Service in the summer, and the occupiers made him the "head of the personnel department" in the "police".

The list also includes eight citizens of Mali against whom sanctions have been imposed until 31 August.

On the next sanction list are the Russian political parties - the Communist Party of the Russian Federation, Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, Socialist Party, United Russia, New People and A Just Russia  For Truth, as well as the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation and a number of companies, a total of 60 items.

Sanctions are imposed on all of them for 10 years.

The latest list includes more than 320 names of Russian joint-stock companies.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has signed a law "On the Condemnation and Prohibition of Propaganda of Russian Imperial Policy in Ukraine and the Decolonisation of Toponymy", establishing a ban on the distribution of symbols of Russian imperial policy throughout Ukraine.

Source: Verkhovna Rada [Ukrainian parliament] website

Details: As of 21 April, Zelenskyy signed draft law No. 7253 "On Amendments to the Law of Ukraine "On Geographical Names" regarding the decolonisation of toponymy and streamlining the use of geographical names in settlements of Ukraine".

Corrected: The original version of the news said that Zelenskyy signed the law "On Geographical Names", which "prohibits geographical names associated with Russia."

In fact, we are talking about the final version of the law entitled "On the Condemnation and Prohibition of Propaganda of Russian Imperial Policy in Ukraine and the Decolonisation of Toponymy".

The news also discussed the essence of the draft law adopted in the first reading, after which it was significantly expanded and changed.

Updated: The law comes into force three months after its publication, during which time the Cabinet of Ministers must prepare a regulatory framework to implement its provisions.

Under the adopted law, the production, distribution and public use of symbols of Russian imperial policy in Ukraine are prohibited.

The symbols of Russian imperial policy include, in particular:

monuments dedicated to persons who held senior positions in government and administrative bodies, political organisations, parties, armed formations of State entities of Russia and who participated in or contributed to the implementation of Russian imperial policy;

monuments dedicated to individuals who publicly supported, glorified or justified Russian imperial policies, called for Russification or Ukrainophobia;

names of geographical objects and objects of local toponymy in honour of the persons mentioned above or names in honour of Russian cities and other geographical, historical and cultural objects of Russia;

flags and anthems of Russian state entities.

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In order to comply with the requirements of this law, state authorities and local self-government bodies must remove from public spaces monuments dedicated to persons involved in the implementation of Russian imperial policy, as well as rename streets, squares, parks, squares, and geographical objects that contain symbols of Russian imperial policy.

Legal entities, political parties, and other associations of citizens with symbols of Russian imperial policy in their names or statutory documents must bring their founding documents, names, and/or symbols into compliance with this law within one month from the date of entry into force of the law.

In addition, the law provides that geographical features with Russified names (in particular, Yuzhne, Sievierodonetsk, Yuzhnoukrainsk) must bring their names in line with Ukrainian spelling or return the historical name.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron!
A federal judge in Lynchburg has thrown out several claims against individual defendants in a lawsuit filed by a sitting Lynchburg City Councilor, while upholding other claims that his First Amendment rights were violated, according to a memorandum opinion issued by the judge.

In April 2021, Martin Misjuns, a former Lynchburg Fire Department captain, filed a federal lawsuit claiming the fire department and city violated his rights to free speech and religion.

In the lawsuit, Misjuns named the city, the fire department, then-Mayor MaryJane Dolan, then-Vice Mayor Beau Wright and then-acting City Manager Reid Wodicka as defendants.

Misjuns, who was terminated by the Lynchburg Fire Department in October 2021, according to court documents, was elected as a representative to Lynchburg City Council in November 2022, where he currently serves as one of the bodys three at-large members.

Misjuns claims the city took adverse employment actions against him because of political cartoons he reposted on his Facebook page. The cartoons were posted in January 2021, and included caricaturized illustrations of transgender women.

One panel showed an illustration of what appears to be a partially-clothed man, holding a video camera, walking into a womens restroom and claiming to be transgendered, with the caption reading #BidenErasedWomenComing to your daughters high school locker room in the near future.

Misjuns Facebook page identified him as a public figure due to his duty as Ward I chair of the Lynchburg City Republican Committee, but it was not run as a part of his fire department duties.

Judge Norman K. Moon, in an opinion published Thursday, tossed out claims made by Misjuns against Dolan, Wright and Wodicka, stating Misjuns did not allege sufficient facts to bring a plausible claim ... that Defendants ... conspired to deprive Plaintiff of his civil rights.

Additionally, Moon ruled that Misjuns Fails to State a Claim Against the Individual Defendants for Wrongful Termination, and he also Fails to State a Claim for Conspiracy to Violate His Constitutional Rights, according to the opinion.

The Lynchburg Fire Department also has been terminated as a named defendant in the case because Plaintiff and defendants have since agreed that LFD lacks capacity to be sued, a standard determined by state law, Moon wrote.

In total, Moon dismissed claims by Misjuns of wrongful termination, violation of equal protection, conspiracy, and municipal liability against the city, in addition to removing the individual defendants from the suit.

However, Moon upheld two claims made by Misjuns that the city violated his rights under the First Amendment speech clause, as well as his claim that the city violated his First Amendment right to exercise of religion.

Taking the facts alleged in the light most favorable to Plaintiff, as is required at the motion to dismiss stage, Plaintiffs allegations sufficiently demonstrate, based on the close proximity in time between when the emails were sent and when the City-sanctioned investigation into citizen complaints occurred, that City officials disciplined Plaintiff based on his protected speech, Moon wrote in regards to Misjuns claim on the free speech clause.

Moon was referring to emails sent by the individual defendants that directed [Fire Chief Gregory Wormser] to investigate the complaints that Plaintiffs posts related to the Equality Act were transphobic.

Moon similarly wrote about the exercise of religion claim, taking the facts alleged in the light most favorable to Plaintiff, the Court concludes that Plaintiff has sufficiently alleged, under the Twombly pleading standard, that Defendants retaliatory actions against him were due to religious beliefs, not just political beliefs.

The Twombly pleading standard specifies that a complaint must be plausible on its face and brings forth factual allegations that nudge a claim across the line from conceivable to plausible, according to the American Bar Association.

In a news release sent out by Fairchild & Yoder, PLLC., the law firm representing Misjuns, the councilman stated, Im thankful that Judge Moon recognized that the civil rights of municipal employees dont end when the employment relationship begins. I look forward to strengthening the protections of government employees through this case and continuing on my commitment to preserve and defend the Constitution of this great land for all, including those I disagree with.

In the news release, J.D. Fairchild and Rick Boyer, the lead attorneys on the case for Misjuns, wrote the dismissed claims in the suit, specifically the wrongful termination and equal protection claims, would be appealed to the Fourth Circuit of Appeals, adding, We believe strongly that the wrongful termination claim will be reinstated on appeal.

We have demonstrated that the sham investigation against Captain Misjuns was trumped up to cover the Citys political and religious animus against his beliefs, Boyer said in the release.

Additionally, the attorneys wrote that pursuing claims against the named individuals in their personal capacity is not off the table yet.

Attempts to reach City Attorney Matthew Freedman and Jennifer Royer of Royer Law Firm, another lead attorney for the city on the case, were unsuccessful.

The two claims will proceed to the discovery portion, according to the news release from Misjuns attorneys.

A bench trial date is set for March 4 to 15, 2024, according to federal court records.
Becky Burgart retired from Iowa Western Community College after 33 years in education. She joined the volunteer team at CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs last January.

She is very familiar with Mercy, as her husband Jim started as a student in 1973 and completed 40 years with the health system. Becky helps with our fundraising events and as a volunteer gift shop clerk.

The thing I like most about volunteering is the people I meet including other volunteers, hospital staff as well as patients and visitors to the hospital, she said.

Sometimes being in the hospital or visiting can be stressful and retail therapy helps, she said.

She enjoys talking to visitors who may be there to buy a gift for a new grandchild or a friend buying something to let a patient know they are in their thoughts. There is also a sense of satisfaction helping the hospital meet its mission, as the money in the gift shop is used by the Mercy Guild to support projects in the hospital. The Mercy Gift Shop was recently remodeled and the reaction is exciting as it is very welcoming for our patients, visitors and staff.

Outside of volunteering, Becky enjoys reading, shopping, sewing and crafting. Recently she has been busy working for a friend who does estate sales.

It is fascinating to find hidden treasures while going through items for the sales, she said.

Becky enjoys staying active and supporting the community by volunteering at Mercy, ushering at the IWCC Art Center, and serving on several community boards. Becky and her husband Jim have three children and eight grandchildren. They spend a lot of travel time visiting them as they dont live in the area. Their last family trip was to Hawaii and they plan to do this again later this year. She enjoys watching the grandkids participate in their activities and celebrating events in their lives.

National Volunteer Appreciation Week is April 16-22, 2023. Mercy Hospital wants to celebrate and thank our volunteers for their commitment and dedication. To learn more about volunteer opportunities at CHI Health Mercy Council Bluffs, call Volunteer Services at 712-328-5394.
This past week, Midlands Humane Society and thousands of nonprofit organizations around the country have been celebrating National Volunteer Week. National Volunteer Week takes place the third week of April and is a time to recognize, thank and spotlight individuals who donate their time, talent, voice and heart to the causes that they care deeply about. MHS is deeply fortunate to have a volunteer team of compassionate animal lovers who work every day towards finding homeless pets their happily ever after.

So far in 2023, nearly 2,000 hours of service have been donated by volunteers to the humane society. This includes individual, group and community service volunteers. According to Share Iowa, the estimated national value of volunteers is $30 per hour. The breakdown for that at MHS would be $57,420 worth of volunteer hours this January through April. The projected worth through 2023 would be a total of $172,260  wow, what a number! As a nonprofit organization it would be nearly impossible to allocate those funds to staffing needs.

The almost 2,000 service hours this year are a culmination of various volunteer roles. We are excited to continue creating additional opportunities for volunteers in the future. An example of this expansion is the addition of two medical volunteers. One of these volunteers, Dr. Corey Miciunas, has been on our team since November 2022. As a recent veterinary school graduate, his additional knowledge and expertise is essential when we have surgery-heavy days. Since we never know what animals will come through our door, his interest in exotics has proven valuable when we get oddball surrenders or strays. Since November, Dr. Miciunas has completed 43 hours of service. Our other medical volunteer, Brooklyn Smith, has been instrumental to the team. Brooklyn is a senior at Lewis Central and is pursuing a career in veterinary medicine as a vet technician. We have been working with her to provide both hands-on and observational time during her shifts to prepare her for future schooling.

Another new role we have begun offering to volunteers is photography. All available animals are posted on our website so potential adopters can see if there is anyone they would like to welcome into their home. Having high-quality images full of personality helps adopters gauge whether an animal is a good fit for their home. You can see these new and improved images on our website, Facebook and Instagram page.

While we are excited to have these new opportunities for volunteers, we also have many regular shifts including dog walking, cat care, general cleaning and enrichment team that still need more volunteer help! Whatever skillset you have, you can be sure that we can find a role for you on our volunteer team! To maximize the experience for volunteers and our animals, we ask that volunteers can commit to six hours of volunteering per month for a minimum of six months, have access to a computer or phone for onboarding, scheduling and communications, and is at least 13 years of age.

Thank you so much to our volunteer team for the hard work and dedication you bring to the animal shelter every day of the week. Saving so many lives would not be possible without your compassion and willingness to do whatever is necessary for the animals. We are so grateful for your support!

MHS Pets of the Week:

Gideon is a 5-year-old neutered male Pomsky who we think looks just like an arctic fox! He is a sweet little guy who enjoys cuddling in your lap and soaking up all the attention. He can be nervous when meeting new people but warms up quickly.

Fable is a 2-year-old spayed female Lab mix who has really nailed down her puppy dog eyes. She is full of energy and would love to be your walking or running buddy and loves to romp around and play with her toys outside. She is very intelligent and will benefit from continued training.

Belle is a 2-year-old spayed female Pit mix who loves everyone that she meets. She has successfully lived with children and other dogs, but we recommend a meet and greet with existing dogs to ensure it is a good fit for everyone.

Ranger is a 5-year-old neutered male Australian Cattle Dog mix who lives up to his breed. He is protective of those he loves and his favorite things in life are people, food and lots of attention.

Visit our adoptable pets in person on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and weekdays from noon to 6 p.m. View our adoptable pets online by visiting our website at midlandshumanesociety.org/adopt. Dont forget to get your tickets for our upcoming Gala on Friday, May 12 at the Mid America Center! More information can be found on our website or Facebook page.
Muddy Paws Second Chance Rescue of Council Bluffs and DogGurt of Bellevue, Nebraska, are teaming up to deliver Mothers Day gifts with wags and kisses this year.

Volunteers and their K9 couriers will deliver individualized cakes, tissue-wrapped roses and a card with a custom message to mothers in the metro area  all for just $50.

The fundraiser, benefiting Muddy Paws, covers Omaha-Council Bluffs area homes, businesses, assisted living facilities and other locations, according to a news release.

Mothers Day Waggin Gram deliveries are offered May 6, May7, May 12, May 13 and May 14. (Mothers Day is Sunday, May 14.)

You can also order Waggin Gram deliveries year-round for dog birthdays (special pawty packs are available), human birthdays, anniversaries or any other special occasion to have a dog waggin at your doorstep.

Order online at doggurt.com and dont forget to use the link to SignUpGenius to schedule your Mothers Day delivery.

Muddy Paws is an all-breed rescue that believes every pet deserves a second chance. Learn more at muddypawssecondchancerescue.com.
Weather Alert

...FREEZE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 8 AM CDT TUESDAY... * WHAT...Sub-freezing temperatures as low as 31 expected. * WHERE...Knox, Antelope, Pierce, Boone, Madison and Platte Counties. * WHEN...From 4 AM to 8 AM CDT Tuesday. * IMPACTS...Frost and freeze conditions will kill crops, other sensitive vegetation and possibly damage unprotected outdoor plumbing. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Take steps now to protect tender plants from the cold. To prevent freezing and possible bursting of outdoor water pipes they should be wrapped, drained, or allowed to drip slowly. Those that have in-ground sprinkler systems should drain them and cover above- ground pipes to protect them from freezing. &&
King Mohammed VI has pardoned 1,518 convicts on the eve of Eid Al Fitr celebrated on April 22 in the North African Kingdom after a month of fasting, reflection, charity, and generosity.

A press release issued by the Ministry of Justice says the beneficiaries of the royal pardon include inmates who were granted a pardon over their remaining jail terms, convicts who had their prison terms reduced and one prisoner who saw his sentence commuted from life imprisonment to fixed jail term.

Some inmates benefited from the royal pardon over their prison sentences or remaining prison terms. Others benefited from a pardon over their imprisonment terms but their fines were maintained.

Some prisoners saw their fines canceled, while others benefited from both a pardon over their prison terms and fines.

Among the beneficiaries of the Royal pardon, there are 17 inmates convicted in extremism and terrorism cases. These prisoners benefited from Royal clemency after they renounced all forms of extremism & terrorism, and voiced attachment to the sacred values of the Nation and national institutions.

Five of these convicts benefited from royal pardon over the remaining prison terms, 5 had their sentences reduced and their fines annulled, 6 inmates had their prison terms shortened and one person had his fine cancelled.

The Moroccan Monarch usually grants pardons to inmates and convicts on religious and national celebrations. On this joyous occasion of Eid Al Fitr, the King also extended his warmest greetings to all Muslim leaders and people.
King Mohammed VI, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), has appointed Major General Mohammed Berrid as Inspector General of FAR, Commander of the Southern zone, in replacement of Lieutenant General Belkhir El Farouk, the Ministry of the Royal Household, Protocol and Chancellery announced, Saturday, in a statement.

The Sovereign decorated Lieutenant General Belkhir El Farouk with the Grand Cordon of the Wissam Al Arch, in consideration of his distinguished professional career and the commendable services he rendered in the service of the Throne and the Homeland, the statement said.
US Under-Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met on Friday with the UN Secretary-Generals personal envoy for the Sahara, Staffan de Mistura, to whom she expressed the full support of the United States for the process policy under the aegis of the United Nations.

Deputy Secretary Sherman emphasized full U.S. support for the Personal Envoys efforts to advance the ongoing UN-led political process for Western Sahara and welcomed the Personal Envoys vision to intensify his consultations to this end, Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department Vedant Patel said in a statement.

The Deputy Secretary and the Personal Envoy discussed the importance of building on the momentum of the substantive UN-hosted consultations in March to achieve an enduring and dignified political solution for the Sahara, the Deputy Spokesman said.
As the forces of two rival generals fought intense street battles in Sudans capital Khartoum on Friday (21 April), ignoring appeals for an end-of-Ramadan Eid ceasefire, the United States is reportedly preparing to send additional troops to its base in nearby Djibouti in case an evacuation of Americans from Sudan is needed.

On the first day of the Muslim holiday of Eid al Fitr on Friday, the fiercest battles between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) continued to be around Khartoum, as both sides shot at each other in residential areas of the north, west and center of the city. The latest violence between Sudans military ruler, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and paramilitary leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, widely known as Hemedti, was triggered by disagreement over an internationally backed plan to form a new civilian government. Both sides have also ignored the calls by UN chief Antonio Guterres and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for a ceasefire of at least three days to mark Eid.

Meanwhile, the US will be sending a large number of additional troops to its military base in Djibouti in case the deteriorating security situation in Sudan requires an emergency evacuation of American citizens. We are deploying additional capabilities nearby in the region for contingency purposes related to securing and potentially facilitating the departure of US embassy personnel from Sudan, if circumstances require it, the Pentagon said in a statement on Thursday (20 April). President Joe Biden has ordered the pre-positioning of military forces to be ready, White House spokesperson John Kirby said, adding Biden was closely following developments.
North Platte Area Chamber & Development Corp. President and CEO Gary Person was named 2023 Housing Champion at the Nebraska Investment Finance Authoritys Innovation Expo 2023 Wednesday in Lincoln.

At the same conference, Custer Economic Development Corp. of Broken Bow was honored as one of three statewide recipients of 2023 Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund awards.

Person, a former Cheyenne County economic development director and Sidney city manager, was honored for his lifetime of work and dedication to the affordable housing industry, NIFA said in a Wednesday Facebook post.

Since taking North Plattes top chamber job in 2015, Person has conceived and guided several housing initiatives alongside such high-profile economic projects as Sustainable Beef LLC and the Hershey rail park.

His tenure has seen the creation of the chambers Shot in the Arm housing construction incentives, which have gone through three rounds so far; the expansion of Pacific Place Apartments; and the creation of the Victory Village apartment complex that is preparing for a second phase of construction.

The chamber directly spearheaded its own housing development in 2022, buying city land for the shovel-ready Mulligan Meadows subdivision north of the North Platte Cemetery. Infrastructure work to welcome modular and traditional stick-built homes is set to proceed this year.

Person said Friday he has been a strong housing advocate for the last 30 years because its such a critical part of economic development, community growth and workforce development. Housing is where jobs sleep at night.

NIFAs award recognizes the creative and innovative things North Platte is doing to bring housing development forward, he added. But thats a total team effort. No one ever accomplishes anything on their own, but a team can make it happen.

The Nebraska Commission on Housing and Homelessness honored Custer Economic Development alongside Habitat of Humanity of Omaha and Blue Valley Community Action in Fairbury, the Nebraska Department of Economic Development said in a press release.

The annual housing trust fund awards were founded in 2018 to recognize organizations and projects that have used grants from the fund to create high-quality, affordable housing, DED said.

As a department, we deeply appreciate our local housing partners, said interim DED Director Joe Fox. These agencies are best positioned to determine their communitys needs and design solutions to housing shortages.

Custer Economic Development received $524,139 in 2019 from the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund, supplementing local matching funds of $62,500.

Three homes were built as a result, including two in Broken Bow that sold quickly. A third is being built in a newly developed subdivision in Callaway, DED said in the press release.

The trust fund, founded in 1996, has supported construction or rehabilitation of thousands of Nebraska homes.
Africa is facing an energy trilemma: how to make sure that the energy supply is sufficient, affordable, and sustainable. The continent is trying to industrialize and develop at the same time that the world is trying to decarbonize  and the African population is set to boom. The good news is that the African continent has enormous renewable energy potential, but fully tapping into it will be as challenging as it is necessary.

At present, 600 million people across the African continent still lack access to energy. While energy production is increasing, so too is the population, and therefore the demand. It is projected that by 2050, one in four people on the planet will be in sub-Saharan Africa. As the population grows and the region industrializes, African energy demand is expected to increase by a third over the next ten years. Meeting this projected energy demand will require a ten-fold increase in power generation capacity by 2065.

The need is enormous  but so too is the opportunity. The continent is prime real estate for solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal energy production. In response to this opportunity for market development, international interests have been flocking to the African energy market trying to get an early foothold in what is certain to be a rapidly expanding industry. For years now, Russia and China have been facing off for dominance in emerging African energy markets, and now Europes fast-growing need for solar energy is increasingly pushing European developers into the Sahara in search of sun and vast tracts of land.

But international development experts say that the development of the African energy sector needs to come from within Africa at the national level. A recent opinion piece by Sebastian Sterl, a Senior Research Associate at the World Resources Institute, identifies 5 key challenges for African leaders to solve this energy trilemma and take control of their own clean energy development:

The real cost of renewables

While renewable energies have proven to be competitively cheap elsewhere in the world, this wont necessarily be the case in Africa. According to Serl, the relatively high risks that investors assign to most African countries, as compared to the rest of the world, mean they demand a higher return to justify investments. This means power plants must charge customers a higher price per kilowatt hour to break even. Solving this challenge will require a strategic approach to de-risk these investments so that energy remains within reach for cash-strapped consumers.

Variability

This challenge is far from unique to the African continent. No matter where you are in the world, the sun doesnt shine 24/7, and the wind isnt always blowing. Wind and solar power are produced according to the whims of the weather, unlike fossil fuels which can be produced and consumed according to demand patterns. Variable energy therefore puts an added strain on electrical grids, and requires resilient and smart grids able to handle the waxing and waning of supply and demand sides that dont always match. On the whole, African countries lack this kind of infrastructure. Many African grids are already underperforming, and doubling down on wind and solar without properly supporting and developing them could worsen issues of energy security rather than improve them.

Matching supply and demand

Around the world, the financial success of power utilities depends on large commercial and industrial customers with reliable demand. This poses a challenge in countries where these sectors are underdeveloped. Many sub-Saharan African countries lack a strong industrial base, writes Serl. Meanwhile, utility companies need to connect a high number of low-consumption customers whose electricity bills will be low. All of this needs to happen while electricity prices remain affordable. This will pose a major challenge, as industrial growth requires a strong grid, and a strong grid requires a strong industry. Major policy support and economic incentives will be necessary to turn this vicious cycle into a virtuous one.

Leapfrogging fossil fuel use

Africa will need to electrify and substitute fuels in order to decarbonize, but consumption of fuels is really just beginning in Africa. Many homes still rely on biomass and industrialization is just beginning. Thinking past what is normally the next phase of development  an increased consumption of fossil fuels and increased gas-powered transport to create a strong economy  will therefore require new ways of conceptualizing the green energy transition. This is also an ethically tricky area, as many leaders in the developing world feel that their countries should have the opportunity to develop their economies  like the developed world already did  before being asked to kickstart a green energy transition that they cant afford.

Oil and gas

The African continent is home to oil and gas reserves that could provide an essential kickstart to local economies. Many African leaders insist that they should be allowed to capitalize on this without pressure from nations that have already gotten rich off of their own fossil fuel reserves and are now ready to decarbonize. But like the ethics of this situation, the economics of this are not so cut and dry either. As the world moves away from oil and gas, African nations could be at risk of being left with stranded assets if they invested in new oil and gas infrastructure. Furthermore, studies show that developing African oil and gas will not solve Africas own energy poverty. Whats so galling is that 89% the liquified natural gas infrastructure being built in Africa is to be exported to Europe to bail them out of their addiction to Russian gas, Joab Okanda, Christian Aids Pan African Advocacy Advisor said at COP27 last year. We cannot be Europes gas station. Otherwise, we will crash the climate.

Nowhere is the importance of decarbonization more obvious than in Africa. Seven out of the ten countries most vulnerable to climate change are located in Africa, and, therefore will be disproportionately impacted by each additional ton of carbon dioxide equivalent released into the atmosphere. The injustice of this situation cant be overstated: historically, Africa has contributed just 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. But allowing African nations to have their turn to pollute freely is clearly not a solution.

Africa is in a unique position heading into a very uncertain era for the global energy sector, creating major policy planning challenges. But if the challenges highlighted above are all accounted for and properly planned around, the continent could capitalize on a major clean energy opportunity. The timing is right for Africa to change its narrative from victimization to climate leadership and resilience.

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By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com

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As public and private entities across the world weigh how to utilise generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology, GCC countries are embracing the new tool as a way to transform their education sectors.

The November 2022 release of ChatGPT by Silicon Valley-based start-up OpenAI unleashed a wave of excitement and concern surrounding the potential of generative AI to transform intellectual work. The tool is built on a large language model, trained on a massive amount of written data to generate human-like responses to prompts. ChatGPT has since proven capable of writing essays, screenplays and poetry, as well as passing some written exams.

The chatbots capabilities and surge in popularity sparked fears of plagiarism and cheating from educators and administrators. Schools in New York and universities in Australia, France, India and the US have banned the use of ChatGPT, while other educational institutions are working to redesign assessments to discourage the use of generative AI.

A number of GCC countries, however, are tapping into generative AI technology as part of their broader AI strategies.

As the regions economies look to diversify beyond hydrocarbons revenue, such technology could serve the twin goals of improving education outcomes for the current generation of students and training a qualified workforce for the jobs of tomorrow.

AIs potential in education

AI could contribute some $15.7trn to the global economy by 2030, according to consultancy PwC. Of this, 2%  or $320bn  is expected to benefit the MENA region. The annual average growth in the contribution of AI to GDP in the region is expected to range between 20% and 34% in the 2018-30 period.

Saudi Arabia is poised to see the largest contribution to GDP in real terms from this transition, at $135.2bn, while the UAE is expected to accrue the largest relative impact, at 14% of 2030 GDP. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar, meanwhile, are projected to see a collective contribution of $45.9bn, or 8.2% of GDP in 2030.

To actualise these benefits, several GCC countries have taken the lead in preparing their economies to integrate and utilise AI.

The UAE became the first country to appoint a minister of state for AI in 2017, marking its intention to support investment in the area, and Qatar published its National AI Strategy in October 2019.

In October 2020 Saudi Arabia outlined its National Strategy for Data and AI, having established the Saudi Data and AI Authority and the National Centre for AI the year before. By 2030 the Kingdom intends to attract an estimated $20bn in local and foreign investment in the field to support its goals.

At the same time, universities in the GCC have attracted increasing recognition for leveraging new technologies to improve educational outcomes. Saudi Arabias King Abdulaziz University rose to 101st place in the ranking of global universities this year published by Times Higher Education, and received a top score for UN Sustainable Development Goal 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure.

Overall, Saudi Arabia claimed five spots on the list of the top-10 Arab universities, alongside Qatar University, the University of Sharjah, UAE University and Abu Dhabi University.

Innovative learning models

The shift to e-learning and the resulting proliferation of educational technology (edtech) options following the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic has already transformed the education landscape in the GCC.

The regions embrace of ed-tech has made it a prime case study for the integration of AI in education. While labour-intensive fields such as retail and health care are expected to benefit from the automation opportunities afforded by AI, the public sector in MENA, which includes education, is expected to receive a contribution of $59bn in absolute terms from AI in 2030.

Tapping into the education benefits of AI will require collaboration between public and private entities.

We need to understand and determine the role of education in a rapidly changing scenario, with important developments in the field due to technological advancements such as a growing online world and the introduction of AI-based tools, Mansoor Alaali, president of Bahrains Ahlia University, told OBG. All economic and social stakeholders must collaborate, discuss and convene on the next steps needed to ensure that higher education institutions continue to be a catalyst for economic development.

In March Ahmad Al Falasi, the UAEs minister of education, announced that the country was planning to use AI chatbot tutors to transform the education sector. Rather than supplant the role of teachers, the AI tutors would be used to generate content to encourage student learning. Online education tools are already being used by schools in the country to supplement classroom learning.

In terms of higher education, the UAEs Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence saw its inaugural class graduate in early 2023. Founded in 2019, the university is the worlds first graduate institution dedicated to AI research.

Meanwhile, in March the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance announced the launch of its metaverse campus, which is intended to provide students and professionals in business and finance with an immersive learning experience supported by the latest technology.

Training tomorrows workforce

While there are concerns about the job losses that could occur as AI and automation replace a range of professional categories, industry experts argue that AI usage will create a slew of jobs in designing, building and maintaining such programmes.

In the MENA region, an estimated 45% of existing work opportunities could be automated today, just short of the global average of 50%. GCC countries are organising vocational training programmes to prepare their populations for a future where AI plays a larger role.

Such initiatives could also help fulfil localisation requirements, providing a skilled domestic workforce that can inhabit positions often held by expatriates in the region.

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Saudi Arabia plans to train 20,000 data and AI specialists by 2030 to support its goals in the field. An estimated two-thirds of the goals of Vision 2030 involve some aspect of data and AI. To help support these goals, in November 2022 the Kingdoms King Abdullah University of Science and Technology launched a specialised programme for undergraduates with the aim of training talented students to become leaders in the field of AI.

In March 2023 Bahrains Nasser Vocational Training Centre announced its Smart Coders initiative, which aims to train approximately 2000 adults annually to write computer code. By 2027 the initiative is expected to train a total of 10,000 Bahrainis to enter the workforce as programmers.

Bahrain has also received recognition for ensuring equitable opportunities in technology. The country ranked first in national female e-inclusion policies, female digital skills training and science, technology, engineering and maths education in Metas 2022 Inclusive Internet Index compiled by Economist Impact.

ICT and the digital economy are central to the kingdoms Economic Recovery Plan, which aims to cultivate a digital infrastructure and local workforce to encourage international tech companies to set up shop in the country.

Earlier this year the UAEs Ministry of Education announced the launch of a new innovation strategy that includes a platform known as DisruptED, intended to allow ministry employees to share their ideas for furthering innovation. Although the details of the plan have yet to be revealed, it is intended to help students and professionals from a range of disciplines to embrace new skillsets and ways of working as the digital economy evolves.

By Oxford Business Group

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An Omaha family had an intergalactic visitor the other day.

The guest drove up to their home in a cargo van, parked in their driveway and informed Freddie Weitz that she was there for his starkeeper training. His parents, Kate and Roger, could come along, she said.

She placed a small launch pad on the ground and invited Freddie to jump on it to the surface of a star. And thus began his journey to another dimension.

The Weitz familys recent adventure was one of the first artistic experiences on the VROOM! Mobile Sensory Theatre, a new outreach effort from the Omaha Community Playhouse.

The stage was unveiled earlier this month, which was fitting, because its designed expressly for people who have autism or other sensory sensitivities.

We felt the month of April, Autism Awareness Month, was the perfect time to cut the ribbon and officially launch, said Stephen Santa, artistic director at the Playhouse. While we celebrate the unique qualities and perspectives children with autism bring to the world, we are eager to hit the road and provide this new, safe, nonjudgmental and welcoming environment so that more kids can enjoy live theaters magic this spring and summer.

The mobile theater is free and will travel anywhere within a 30-mile radius of Omaha. Playhouse officials hope to obtain more than one van and extend the program to greater Nebraska and beyond.

Santa created a similar mobile stage at Jumping Jack Theater in Pittsburgh, where he worked as artistic director before coming to Omaha late last year. The mission at Jumping Jack is to offer original sensory productions with and for audiences that benefit from autism-friendly strategies, according to its website.

As a teen, Santa was a counselor at a summer camp for differently-abled kids and the work turned into a passion, he said in a recent interview. Jumping Jack was a way to combine two loves.

When he came to Omaha, he hoped to eventually add a mobile sensory stage to the Playhouses robust list of programming, but it wasnt an immediate priority.

It took flight when Kate Weitz learned about it from Claire Sabatine, Santas former colleague at Jumping Jack, who was in Omaha helping the Rose Theater on a sensory-friendly production. Weitz is always on the lookout for activities that will help her son.

Out of the blue in December, we got a call from (Kate and Roger Weitz) who said if we want to do this, they would really be in favor, said Playhouse Executive Director Katie Broman, who worked with Roger when she was the public relations director for Opera Omaha. Weitz recently resigned his job as the operas general director to spend more time with his family.

Broman said Kate and Roger Weitz donated to the project, along with the Weitz Family Foundation, the Lozier Foundation, the Immanuel Vision Foundation and other private donors. The startup cost was less than $50,000, and most of that was for the van, she said. Shes not yet sure what the operational costs will be.

Santa wrote the vans production, Starshine, for the Pittsburgh theater and brought it with him to Omaha. Its aimed at kids ages 6 through 13.

We dont call it a play or a show, he said. Its really more than that.

The launch pad is a trampoline, and once you jump inside, youre on the surface of a star, he said. Kids get to create their own constellations, hear the soothing sounds of space, take a trip to the sun, plant new stars and polish a star that has lost its shine, among other activities. It takes up to 40 minutes.

The actors are sensitive to the reactions of their audience and let them go at their own pace. If they dont want to do something, they move on. If they want to stay longer at one place, they can.

Kate Weitz said 11-year-old Freddie got pretty immersed in the experience.

It went off his needs and what he was interested in, she said. The actor was just phenomenal. She redirected Freddie if he got off track. He went inside (the house) and got a couple of his (toy) rockets out right after the show. That meant he totally got it and wanted to keep playing in that genre.

Four actors, all with experience in this type of theater, were hired initially: Kathleen Combs, Katy Kepler, Anna Perilo and Jessica Burrill Logue. Santa hopes to add more as the project takes off.

It takes a unique actor whos not afraid to be right up there with the family, Santa said.

Talks with local organizations such as the Autism Action Partnership, the Monroe Meyer Institute and the Circle Theatre, all of which work with sensory-sensitive kids, indicated that theres a need for the mobile stage in the Omaha area.

Broman said the agencies were eager to see their clients take advantage of it. Both Broman and Santa said that as far as they know, Omaha and Pittsburgh are the only two cities in the country that have such a free service available.

Other theaters in town, including the Playhouse, offer specific performances for sensory sensitive people, but not to the extent of the mobile theater.

Weitz said the actors who came to her house told her they already had 14 home visits lined up in the Omaha area.

Santa thinks parents are jumping at the idea because its hard to involve an autistic or sensory-sensitive child in the arts, especially live theater.

Theres a challenge just to get there, he said, and challenges once you get there.

Exposing Freddie to the arts is especially important to the Weitz family, given their background.

We want to have that shared experience with our son, she said. For Freddie and other kids who are significantly impacted, the arts offer culture and create empathy and ways for us to communicate. Opportunities to interact with other people and allow him to be himself are invaluable. It opens doors to imagination that we dont see on a daily basis.

To book VROOM!, go to omahaplayhouse.com.

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Omaha Community Playhouse through the years
The Department of Homeland Security is boosting its support for the counterterrorism research center it established at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 2020.

The department signed a new basic ordering agreement with UNOs National Counterterrorism, Innovation, Technology and Education Center (NCITE) that increases the centers maximum funding from $10 million to $35 million, according to a NCITE press release.

This money comes from Homeland Securitys Science & Technology Directorate and is separate from the 10-year, $36.5 million agreement that started NCITE. That covered some startup costs at UNO while providing grant money to fund proposals submitted by some of the 60 NCITE-affiliated researchers at 26 universities across the country.

The basic ordering agreement is a separate funding stream that allows DHS to pay for specific studies it needs.

The funding boost demonstrates NCITEs growing reputation as the nations premier provider of counterterrorism research, Gina Ligon, NCITEs director, said in the press release.

By increasing the limit of NCITEs award funding, our government stakeholders have communicated that theyve found real value in the work weve done, she added.

Three counterterrorism studies are currently being funded at UNO through NCITE, according to the release:

A $1 million project to develop a comprehensive report outlining the current threat posed by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and identify priorities for countering them, led by Austin Doctor, an assistant professor of political science and NCITEs head of counterterrorism research initiatives.

A $4.5 million study to evaluate the effectiveness of DHS state, local, tribal and territorial terrorism and targeted-violence prevention programs, led by Matthew Allen, an assistant professor of management who is also NCITEs head of business strategy.

A $4.7 million project to outline best practices for prevention and intervention of would-be terrorists before they accept radical messaging and join extremist groups. It is led by Sam Hunter, a professor of industrial and organizational psychology who is NCITEs head of strategic operations.

Our best Omaha staff photos & videos of April 2023
WILMINGTON, Del.  Fox and Dominion Voting Systems reached a $787 million settlement Tuesday in the voting machine companys defamation lawsuit, averting a trial in a case that exposed how the top-rated network chased viewers by promoting lies about the 2020 presidential election.

The truth matters. Lies have consequences, Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson said at a press conference outside the courthouse after a judge announced the deal.

Dominion asked for $1.6 billion in arguing that Fox damaged its reputation by helping peddle phony conspiracy theories about its equipment switching votes from former President Donald Trump to Democrat Joe Biden. Fox said the amount greatly overstated the value of the Colorado-based company.

The resolution in Delaware Superior Court follows a recent ruling by Judge Eric Davis in which he allowed the case to go to trial while emphasizing it was CRYSTAL clear that none of the allegations about Dominion by Trump allies aired on Fox were true.

In a statement shortly after the announcement, Fox News said the network acknowledged the courts rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false. It did not respond to an inquiry asking for elaboration.

Inquiries to Dominion and Fox Corp. were not immediately returned.

Records in the lawsuit showed how Fox hosts and executives did not believe the claims by Trumps allies but aired them anyway, in part to win back viewers who fled from the network after it correctly called hotly contested Arizona for Biden on election night. The race call infuriated Trump and many viewers who supported him.

The settlement, if formally accepted by the judge, will end a case that has proven a major embarrassment for Fox News. If the case had gone to trial, it also would have presented one of the sternest tests to a libel standard that has protected media organizations for more than a half-century.

Several First Amendment experts said Dominions case was among the strongest they ever saw. Still, there was doubt about whether Dominion would be able to prove to a jury that people in a decision-making capacity at Fox could be held responsible for the networks airing of the falsehoods.

Dominions lawyers argued that Fox defamed the voting machine company by making a deliberate decision to repeatedly air, in the weeks after the 2020 presidential election, false claims by Trump and his allies to appeal to viewers. Fox allowed guests to falsely claim Dominion rigged the election, flipped large numbers of votes to Biden through a secret algorithm, was owned by a company founded in Venezuela to rig elections for late President Hugo Chavez and bribed government officials.

A mountain of evidence  released in the form of deposition transcripts, internal memos and emails from the time  damaged Fox.

Dominion pointed to text and email messages in which Fox insiders discounted and sometimes mocked the vote manipulation claims. One Fox Corp. vice president called them MIND BLOWINGLY NUTS.

The company sued both Fox News and its parent, Fox Corp., and said its business was significantly damaged.

During a deposition, Fox Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch, who founded the network, testified that he believed the 2020 election was fair and not stolen from Trump.

Fox knew the truth, Dominion argued in court papers. It knew the allegations against Dominion were outlandish and crazy and ludicrous and nuts. Yet it used the power and influence of its platform to promote that false story.

In his March 31 summary judgment ruling, Davis pointedly called out the news organization for airing falsehoods while noting how the bogus election claims persist, 2 years after Trump lost his bid for reelection.

The statements at issue were dramatically different than the truth, Davis said in that ruling. In fact, although it cannot be attributed directly to Foxs statements, it is noteworthy that some Americans still believe the election was rigged.

In its defense, Fox said it was obligated to report on the most newsworthy of stories: a president claiming he was cheated out of reelection.

We never reported those to be true, Fox lawyer Erin Murphy said. All we ever did was provide viewers the true fact that these were allegations that were being made.

Fox said Dominion argued that the network was obligated to suppress the allegations or denounce them as false.

Freedom of speech and of the press would be illusory if the prevailing side in a public controversy could sue the press for giving a forum to the losing side, Fox said in court papers.

In a 1964 case involving The New York Times, the U.S. Supreme Court limited the ability of public figures to sue for defamation. The court ruled that plaintiffs needed to prove that news outlets published or aired false material with actual malice  knowing such material was false or acting with a reckless disregard for whether or not it was true.

That provides news organizations with stout protection against libel judgments. Yet some conservatives attacked the nearly six-decade legal standard in recent years, including Trump and Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida, who argued for making it easier to win a libel case.

Two Republican-nominated Supreme Court justices  Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch  publicly expressed interest in revisiting the protection.
The Lagos State Government has announced it will commence massive demolition of illegal structures and shanties along Lekki Coastal Road and has issued five days deadline for squatters around the area to vacate.

Officials of the Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Unit (Taskforce) on Friday, stormed the area and served squatters at Adewale Kolwale Street, Lekki coastal road and its environment five days removal notice of all illegal structures and shanties erected in the area.

The Chairman of the Agency, CSP Shola Jejeloye, advised the owners of the illegal structures, makeshift buildings and shanties to immediately remove them as well as vacate the area within the stipulated date given to them by the state government.

Jejeloye, while appealing to traders, food vendors, and other squatters living unhygienically in clusters, noted that government would enforce the 5-day removal notice on 25th April 2023.

He disclosed that the Removal Notice became necessary in view of the rising incidences of pollution and most importantly a fire outbreak which occurred three days ago which almost led to the destruction of buildings on the other side of the street.

The Chairman said that the state government was worried by the squalid environment which could also serve as hideouts for criminals who posed as security threats to residents in the area and Lagosians at large.
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The Dean, Dangote Business School, Bayero University, Kano, Prof Murtala Sagagi, has said over four million Kano State indigenes are unemployed.

Sagagi said this while delivering a paper at an event organised by the Kano Concerned Citizens Initiative in Kano on Saturday.

He blamed a lack of developmental agenda by successive administrations in the state.

He called on politicians, business owners and other stakeholders to work towards a comprehensive strategy for the economic development and prosperity of the state.

The don lamented that over 500 industries had been shut down in Kano due to effective implementation of government policies.

Despite the efforts of the state government to revamp Agriculture, Sagagi, stressed that more needs to be done to revitalize the sector through the comprehensive transformation of farming.

Alhaji Aliko Dangote urged the Federal Government to review its policies on agriculture and industry to provide an enabling environment for job creation.

He also told the FG to intensify efforts on power generation in the country, regretting that many industries collapsed in the state due to erratic power supply.
IT will be unfair to measure the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration by its achievements in anti-corruption fight by the number of convictions it has secured, the Federal Government said yesterday.

Information, Culture and Tourism Minister Lai Mohammed, who featured on a live TVC News Programme  This Morning monitored in Abuja by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the administration has succeeded in laying the foundation to stamp out corruption.

He listed the Single Treasury Account (TSA) and Whistle Blower policy as some of the sustainable policies put in place by the government.

According to the minister, with the solid foundation, the fight against corruption will remain the bedrock of the administration in the next four years.

He said: Under this administration, we insisted and have succeeded in ensuring that all payments and revenues are paid into the TSA. Before we came in, the Federal Government had over 2000 different accounts in various banks which resulted in paying several billions on Naira in charges.

The government then also never had an idea of how much it had as revenue. Today, over N9.3 trillion has gone into the TSA and that is why it is possible for us to invest especially in the area of infrastructure and social investment programmes.

The minister said that with the TSA savings, the government spent unprecedented N2.7 trillion on development of infrastructure in 2017 and 2018 and also introduced accountability in spending of government resources.

He said the Whistle Blower policy has helped in blocking corruption and recovery of looted funds.

Mohammed disclosed that the government has, so far, recovered several billions of naira and about $53 million through the policy.

He said the administrations fight against corruption had been recognised abroad, with the African Union (AU) recognition of President Buhari as Champion of Anti-Corruption.

Besides, the minister said that the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also recognised the efforts of the administration in fighting corruption.

He said: When we say the fight against corruption is successful its because we have laid the foundation that would make it difficult for people to engage in the evil act.

For us, the success of the fight against corruption is the fact that we have driven corruption under the table and made it unattractive as it was before.

Those who are corrupt are doing so with the fear of the law. It will be progressive,y become more and more difficult in Nigeria for corruption to be attractive.

On the allegation that the governments anti-corruption fight was against perceived enemies and opposition, the minister said it was a misconception.

Mohammed said: We had 16 years of unbroken rule by the PDP; so, the likely people who will be accused of misuse of resources should be the people who were in charge. We also have some former governors who decamped to APC who have also been convicted.

The minister reiterated that the anti-corruption fight would be frontal in the next four years of President Buhari administration.
The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, on Friday expressed unhappiness over the failure of the 9th National Assembly to pass the gender bills.

Lawan, who spoke with journalists during a visit to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, said inadeq funds affected the performance of the National Assembly under his watch.

The parliament had in March 2022 rejected five gender bills which sought to promote women inclusiveness in governance, among other key areas.

Lawan said: First of all, when the bills, five of them that concern women were not voted for by the National Assembly, I think naturally, there are things that we assume could happen. But they didnt happen the way we wanted them. But remember that even bills that concern the national assembly were killed.

READ ALSO: Again, Women storm National Assembly in protest against rejected gender bills

There are bills that concern the national assembly itself that did not see the light of the day. I felt bad that we could not pass even one. But then we shouldnt really lose hope, we should continue to campaign, and we should talk to more members of the national assembly. And we should also re-strategize.

Maybe the kind of campaign that was undertaken may not be necessarily the one that will give you the kind of outcome that we needed. But Im very confident that we should continue to campaign for issues that we have not been able to get right.

Let me give you an example. The mayor of FCT, almost every constitutional amendment period, the mayor of FCT will surface. But it has not been passed. Does that mean that we shouldnt continue to ask for a mayor for FCT from those that feel there should be a mayor? No!

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The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has said there is no trouble within the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as presumed.

Naija News reports that Lawan told State House Correspondents in Abuja on Friday at the Sallah homage by FCT residents to President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa that if there is any trouble whatsoever in the party, chieftains wont make it to the Sallah celebration at the Villa.

According to him party chieftains who have travelled for either Umrrah or one reason or the other will be back in the country, including our president-elect, Bola Tinubu and the decision for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly would hold.

The Senate President submitted that The party is not in trouble. This is todays Sallah, and by the grace of God, and most of those people who have travelled for either Umrrah or one reason or the other will be back in the country, including our president-elect, and Im sure that our leaders will come together and decide how the leadership of the 10th National Assembly will emerge.

Im very confident that the APC members and senators-elect will respect whatever our party and our leaders will eventually come up with. We are praying that we are able to deal with it as decisively as possible, and then keep ourselves united and work together with other parties. We have been able to work together with other parties in the Ninth Assembly in a very bipartisan way, smoothly and seamlessly. And I believe that we can repeat that. And it is very, very essential that we have a very united National Assembly. And Im very confident that we will do that.

While boasting about the achievements of the APC-led Buhari administration, Lawan remarked that infrastructure was one of the major achievements of this government.

Reeling out some of the Infrastructural achievements, he stated that You tell me, is there any part of Nigeria that today does not have one infrastructural development or the other? The South-East has the Second Niger Bridge. The Second Niger bridge was something that defied all the previous administrations, right from 1999, when President Obasanjo held sway.

Then late YarAdua of blessed memory, then Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. All the PDP administrations came. They went there, they said they broke ground, or [did] groundbreaking, but that was where it stopped. Nothing else happened until the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari came. Like a joke, people thought it was going to be the same thing. But we have proven everybody wrong.

He however noted that the administration has no regrets whatsoever saying No, no, no, you cant say regrets. We can only say there are things that we have not been able to satisfactorily deal with. And this is natural, because, one, we dont have sufficient funds.

Two, as human beings, there are areas that, naturally, whatever you do, you may not get it right. But its for us to identify those areas, go back and rework them. And this administration, as it winds up a new one, an APC administration is coming in to take over and by the grace of God, it will have a national assembly that is also APC. So, we will continue to work on those areas that we need to improve. So, I am not going to talk about what areas because the time we have here is very limited.
April 21, (THEWILL)  The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has urged the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), to declare the suspended Adamawa Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Hudu Yunusa-Ari, wanted.

INEC National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, made the appeal when he featured on Channels Televisions Sunrise Daily on Friday.

Okoye said the Commission is unaware of the whereabouts of Yunusa-Ari.

We dont know where he is because, after this particular incident, the Commission wrote him and also called him on the phone. He never returned any of the calls, he never answered any of the calls.

We asked him to report to the Commission on Sunday, we didnt see him, we asked him to report on Monday, we didnt see him.

So up till this moment, he has not reported and we dont know his whereabouts.

(It) is the responsibility of the Nigerian police (to declare Ari wanted). If they feel that his presence is absolutely needed during the investigation and he is nowhere to be found, it is their prerogative and discretion to declare him wanted, he said.

Yunusa-Ari, on Sunday, illegally declared Senator Aisha Dahiru, aka Binnani, the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), as winner of the Adamawa guber election, when collation of the supplementary election results were still ongoing.

While the Commission voided Binanis declaration, President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, suspended Yunusa-Ari, until the completion of an investigation by the Inspector General of Police on the controversial declaration made by Yunusa-Ari.
Another tragedy has struck Imo state amid the incessant insecurity rate in the southeast region

Reports from Ngor Okpala local government area revealed that five police officers were shot dead by unknown gunmen

It was gathered that a couple, identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu were also shot dead by the suspected gunmen

Imo, Ngor Okpala  Residents of Ngor Okpala, a local government area of Imo State, panicked when suspected gunmen killed a couple and five other police officers at a checkpoint in Okpala junction.

As reported by The Nation, the deceased couple were identified as Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu from the Amankwo Okpala community.

The Imo state police command was yet to react to the incident when filing the report. Photo: NPF HQ

Source: Facebook

Some eyewitnesses recounted that the incident had transpired between the hours of 8 am leaving residents to scamper for safety at the sound of the sporadic shooting of the gunmen.

The incident was said to have instantly halted economic activities in the area where the incident occurred.

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Another eyewitness recounted how the five police officers were killed during the face-off. The eyewitness stated that three officers were killed at the checkpoint scene while two others who ran into a nearby shop for safety were chased and gunned down.

How Mr and Mrs Chinaka Nwagu were killed by gunmen

As reported by the Daily Trust newspaper, the shop where the two police officers ran into for safety belonged to the couple who were also shot dead for obvious reasons of being a witness to the murder of two police officers.

Further info from eyewitnesses confirmed that the gunmen carted away with the weapons of the police officers they had shot dead at the scenes of the incident.

At the time of filing this report, the Imo state police command was yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Several attempts to reach the commands spokesperson, ASP Henry Okoye, proved abortive.

The tragic incident comes less than a month after gunmen ambushed and killed five Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps personnel in the same area.

Tension as Daredevil Gunmen Kill 3 NSCDC Personnel in Imo

Similarly, Legit.ng earlier reported that unknown gunmen have struck again as they killed three personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Imo state.

The tragic incident reportedly happened in the Ngor Okpala local government area in the early hours of Monday, March 27.

Henry Okoye, the spokesperson of the police command in Imo state has confirmed the tragic incident and given an important update.

Source: Legit.ng
Despite pleading being his first time at committing fraud, an internet fraudster, better known as Yahoo Boy, Austine Famaa has been convicted and sentenced to two years imprisonment for impersonation.

Famaa was sentenced by Justice E. A. Obile of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

The  Yahoo Boy was jailed on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, after pleading guilty to a two-count charge preferred against him by the Port Harcourt Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

A statement issued on Friday by the Spokesman of the EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren said one of the counts reads: That you, Austine Famaa, sometime in June 2022, at Ada-George and Choba axes of Port Harcourt within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, fraudulently obtained from one Jane Doe the sum of One Thousand, Three Hundred and Ninety-One Dollars Ninety-Three Cents ($ 1,391.93) under the false pretence that you are a Bitcoin and Crypto Currency International Trader which pretence you knew to be false with intent to gain advantage for yourself and thereby committed an offense contrary to Section 1 (1) (a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act 2006 and punishable under Section 1 (3) of the same Act.

According to the statement, the convict pleaded guilty to the charge. Given his plea, the prosecution counsel, U .I. Nwokorie prayed to the court to convict and sentence the defendant accordingly.

Counsel to the defendant, D .O. Kelly prayed to the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that the defendant was a first-time offender.

Justice Obile convicted and sentenced the defendant to one-year imprisonment on each of the counts, with One Hundred Thousand Naira (N100, 000.00) as the option of fine payable into the Consolidated Revenue Account of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The judge also ordered that one iPhone 8+, one Samsung Smart Phone, one iPhone 6s, and one Hisense TV, recovered from the convict be forfeited to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has felicitated with the Muslim Ummah, and all Nigerians, as they celebrate this years Eid El-Fitr, marking the end of the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Oliver Dowden has been named Britains new Deputy Prime Minister following the resignation of Dominic Raab.

KanyiDaily recalls that Dominic Raab resigned on Friday, April 21, after he was accused of bulling staff members while working as a cabinet minister across different UK government departments.

During the investigation conducted by Adam Tolley, evidence was heard from multiple government officials about complaints of bullying at three different departments.

Raab denied claims he belittled and demeaned his staff and said he behaved professionally at all times while acting as foreign secretary, Brexit secretary and justice secretary.

But in his resignation letter addressed to Rishi Sunak, UK prime minister, Raab said he decided to step down after an investigation into eight bullying allegations against him found that some of the claims made against him were justified.

Dowden Becomes UK deputy PM

Oliver Dowden had been the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Cabinet Office secretary in Rishi Sunaks government before the new appointment, and he will continue in those roles alongside his new responsibilities.

Tweeting after the announcement, he said: Deeply honoured to have been asked to serve as deputy prime minister. I look forward to working even more closely with the prime minister as we tackle the issues that matter most to the people of this country.

Dowden was educated at a selective state school in Hertfordshire before heading to Cambridge, where he studied law.

But he went on to work for the Tory Party as a researcher and later became a special adviser and deputy chief of staff to David Cameron.

Dowden became an MP in 2015 and represents Hertsmere in his home country, with a solid majority of over 21,000.

Dominic Raab is the third senior minister to leave the government since Rishi Sunak became prime minister.

KanyiDaily had also reported how Rishi Sunak was for not wearing a seatbelt in a moving car while filming a social media video three months ago.
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Kano state governor, Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has said that he holds no grudge against anybody over his eight-year stewardship.

The governor made the assertion in his Sallah Message issued in Kano by the commissioner for Information and Internal Affairs, Malam Muhammad Garba, Friday.

He stated that having been in the act of governance for more than two decades in the state, he has every cause to thank Allah and quit with no grievance against anyone.

According to the statement, the governor also reiterated his plea for forgiveness from those he might had offended in the cause of governing the state.

Governor Ganduje said he had forgiven those who wrong him and they should reciprocate same by forgiving him.

The statement also called the incoming government to ensure the completion of all viable projects embarked upon by his administration which time could not permit their completion for the benefits of the people in the state.

He said government was all about continuity, adding that no project executed with tax payers money is worth abandoning.

The governor also appealed to Muslim faithful to imbibe the moral lessons of the Holy month of Ramadan, which teaches love and support for one another.

The statement stressed the need for fervent prayers for peace and development in the state and the country at large.

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Spokesperson of the command, DSP Mohammed Jalige, said the suspect was arrested from a planned mob action that would have led to his death.

A man simply identified as Kenneth was recently arrested by operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command for the gruesome murder of his 27-year-old girlfriend, Ebenezer Agaba.

The suspect used a machete to hack the recent nursing graduate to death for allegedly plotting to dump him for another man after he claimed to have spent money on her.

Spokesperson of the command, DSP Mohammed Jalige, said the suspect was arrested from a planned mob action that would have led to his death.

Meanwhile, photos of the slain woman have emerged and friends and former course mates have been mourning Ebenezer, from Owukpa, Benue State, since the incident happened.

It was also gathered that the suspect is a tailor, also from Owukpa but based in Makurdi, Benue State.

See tributes by friends below
In what will come across as a really startling development, a man was rushed to the hospital in Copenhagen after allegedly setting himself on fire outside of an American embassy.

Updates from outside the United States embassy in sterbro, Copenhagen, detailed a man who had set himself on fire in front of the building and remained conscious while doing so.

His fiery stunt has apparently come to an end with the fire put out and the man still alive following the burst of flames that dominated the streets of Dag Hammarskjolds Alle in the Danish capital.

A statement from police has since confirmed the incident and says the unnamed 18-year-old man who set himself alight is currently recovering in hospital.

Tweeting out an update regarding the fire, Copenhagen Police wrote: The man is in treatment at Rigshospitalet. He has not been charged with any immediate offence.

Ambulance and fire services attended the scene earlier today, April 21.

By the time emergency services had arrived at the scene of the blaze, the man was said to have been both on fire and conscious.

He was quickly put out and taken to hospital, where he is subsequently being treated for assumed burns and injuries.

The 18-year-old has not yet been charged with any crime, police say, although a motive has not yet been revealed for the fiery youngster.

Police have yet to uncover many details around the fire but did also confirm that the incident was reported to emergency services by the Embassy itself.

The unnamed man is reportedly not in a life-threatening condition.
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The health status of Nigerian President-elect Bola Tinubu has been a topic of much speculation recently, with rumours circulating that he is unwell and receiving medical treatment.

However, Senate Chief Whip Orji Uzor Kalu has dismissed these claims, stating that Tinubu is not currently in a sick bed. Kalu made these remarks during a celebration of Mass in Abuja to mark his 63rd birthday.

Our President-elect is not sick, he stated unequivocally. It is not true that hes sick. I dont want to say much. He is in good health; he is himself. Kalu went on to recount a conversation he had with a colleague about Tinubus health.

One of my colleagues said yesterday he heard that the President-elect, Tinubu, was in the hospital, Kalu explained. I told him the incoming president was not in the hospital; it is not true that he is in the hospital.

We argued. I told him the President-elect was okay. The rumours about Tinubus health began to circulate on March 22 when reports claimed that he had been secretly flown out of Nigeria for medical treatment.

Tinubu had reportedly taken ill after months of uninterrupted political campaigning. However, his media team quickly denied these reports, stating that the President-elect had merely travelled to Paris and London to rest.

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Governor of Anambra State, Professor Chukwuma Charles Soludo has given the commitment of the State Government to partner with the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) and the organized private sector to achieve his administrations industrialization agenda.

Governor Soludo gave the assurance at the MAN Business/Stakeholders Town Hall Meeting in Onitsha.

The Governor who described the community of manufacturers as true partners of progress, recalled his meeting with the landlords association and revealed that they had talked about Onitsha and its environs, and the need to revive its fortune as a Commercial city of repute

The Governor noted that his administration is already tackling the foundational issues and disclosed that there are plans to pass a law to make touting illegal and punishable by imprisonment for those found guilty.

He stressed that his administrations major goal is to transform Anambra from a state with a largely informal economy into a hub for industry, technology, and leisure.

Governor Soludo also disclosed that the Anambra industrial policy would soon be implemented, and hinted that a new Commissioner for Industry had been appointed to support his vision for manufacturing and industrialization.

With a sizable urban population, Anambras future lies in industrialization and manufacturing, and we are dedicated to following this path.

Our goal for Anambra is to make it a thriving community where people want to live and visit. People wont be able to invest in the state if they cant come and feel at home.

In our master plan, we have also acquired 100 hectares of land that will house the center of commerce and grow to be Africas largest shopping mall, as well as 4000 hectares of land that will be an industrial city and the Nnewi Automobile Park at Akwaihedi.

We will develop a power policy, now that the Nigerian constitution has been amended to include power on the concurrent list,  he stated.

The Governor emphasized that buying local products is the best way to support its growth and urged Ndi Anambra living abroad and outside the state to send 2550% of the taxes they pay to their home country to Anambra, assuring that if they do, the state will be far better for it in five to ten years.

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Earlier, the President of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, Otunba Francis Meshioye, expressed gratitude to the Governor for honoring them with his presence as well as to his colleagues for the cordial reception.

READ ALSO: Ive been doing odd jobs to invest in my music  Gov Soludos Son

He commended MAN members for sustaining their businesses, despite the difficult economic period and emphasized that the role of MAN includes providing foreign exchange as well as deepening ties between the public, private sector and manufacturers in particular. He prayed that the Dozzy Groups Liason Office would bring good tidings and the inauguration of the Elders Committee will forge a way ahead for manufacturers in the state.

On her part, the Chairman of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (Anambra, Enugu, and Ebonyi), Lady Ada Chukwudozie, emphasized the need for the Government of Anambra State to find solution to problems related to land allocation, title documents (C/O), constant power supply for industries to operate efficiently, among others.

Lady Chukwudozie praised the Governor for flagging-off more than 261 km of roads in the state and suggested that a knowledgeable consultant should be engaged to meet with MAN stakeholders to discuss the issues and come up with solutions.

Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon Uchenna Okafor, Deputy Speaker, Dr. Pascal Agbodike, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah Representing Anambra South District, Chairman, Anambra State Traditional Rulers Council, Igwe Alfred Achebe, members of the State Executive Council, among others attended the event.

The event also featured commissioning of the MAN Liason Office provided by Dozzy Group.
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The hope of the over 1700 Nigerian students stranded in war-torn Sudan for an early evacuation may have been dashed, as the Federal Government, on Friday said it was practically impossible for them to be evacuated with the current situation in that country.

According to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), the tense situation in Sudan was making it difficult for stranded Nigerian citizens to be evacuated from the country.

The Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said though the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) already have arrangements to evacuate the citizens, it was impossible for any flight during this period of war.

Dabiri-Erewa said this in a statement signed by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NIDCOM on Friday.

READ ALSO: Dangerous fighting breaks out in Sudan

The statement reads: The Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said while the Nigerian Mission in Sudan and the National Emergency Management Agency have put in place arrangements to evacuate Nigerian students and other Nigerian citizens stranded in Sudan, the tensed situation makes it gravely risky and impossible for any flights at this point in time, noting that aircrafts parked at the airport in the country were burnt yesterday (Thursday) morning.

Dabiri-Erewa noted that humanitarian groups are seeking ways of getting food, water and medical supplies across to people.

She therefore appealed to the fighting parties to consider the Juba Peace Agreement enunciated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development as a fundamental mechanism for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the country.

The stranded Nigerian students, numbering over 1,700, have appealed to the Federal Government to evacuate them from the Republic of Sudan where a fierce military confrontation between the Sudanese armed forces and the paramilitary group, Rapid Support Force, has claimed over 400 lives with 3,500 injured.
THE Njiko Igbo Forum, an Igbo socio-political group affiliated with Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, has rejected the emergence of Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

Ohanaeze Ndigbo is the apex socio-political body of the Igbo.

President of Njiko Igbo Forum Okechukwu Obioha stated the groups opposition to Iwuanyanwus emergence as Ohanaeze leader in a statement released on Friday, April 21.

Obioha recommended former Ohanaeze Secretary-General Joe Nworgu as a more suitable candidate for the position.

He said Nworgu was endorsed by the Forum based on experience.

Njiko Igbo Forum rejects Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu as the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo. As the President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide is deceased and Imo State is unarguably the state to still retain the President-General, we strongly recommend Joe Nworgu, who was one of the contestants for that position, the statement released by Njiko Igbo Forum said.

The group also stated that if Iwuanyanwu insists on being referred to as the President-General, he will not be recognised by the Forum or other affiliate organisations of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide.

Iwuanyanwus emergence as Ohanaeze leader followed the death of the substantive President-General, Professor George Obiozor, who passed away on January 9, 2023.

The Imo Elders Council led by the Chairman, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, had presented Iwuanyanwu to Imo State governor, Hope Uzodinma, as the new President-General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo.

His nomination was also endorsed by a group of Igbo youths under the aegis of the Coalition of South East Youth Leaders (COSEYL)

The groups President General, Goodluck Ibem and its Director Of Mobilization, Ogbonnaya Obasi, said Iwuanyanwu is the best man for the job.

During a recent interview on Channels Politics Today, Iwuanyanwu accepted the position, stating that he was pleased to serve and that he had been selected by distinguished stakeholders of Ohanaeze.




Former Minister of Aviation cum Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Femi Fani-Kayode has mourned Australian comedian and actor, Barry Humphries.

Kanyi Daily earlier reported that Humphries, best known for his creations Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Patterson died on Saturday at the age of 89.

His death was disclosed by his family in a statement.

The statement briefly read: He was completely himself until the very end, never losing his brilliant mind, his unique wit, and generosity of spirit.

Taking to his official Twitter handle on Saturday, Fani-Kayode expressed sadness at the demise of the entertainer.

He said the deceased brought smiles to our faces and laughter to our lips for so many decades.

The former minister added that We will miss you and we will never forget you! RIP.

Dame Edna Everidge (AKA Barry Humphries): gone too soon! You brought smiles to our faces and laughter to our lips for so many decades. We will miss you and we will never forget you! RIP. pic.twitter.com/05woZ37xfI  Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) April 22, 2023

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that a viral video has shown the moment some police officers were captured assaulting two unidentified men with machete at an open undisclosed location.

The Imo State Police Command has therefore condemned the assault on the two men.
Veteran Nollywood actor, Bob Manuel Udokwu has called on real professionals to take back the Nigerian movie industry which has been overun by half-baked practitioners.

Bob Manuel Udokwu, who turned 60 during the week, made the reamke this during an Instagram Live session with journalist, Azuh Arinze.

He expressed sadness that half-baked actors and filmmakers have invaded Nollywood, stressing that real professionals should step forward and take back the movie industry.

According him, the industry should be better than the level it has reached and the only reason the growth seems stagnant is because a lot of unprofessional activities are taking place.

He said, Nollywood ought to be greater than what it is at the moment. Unfortunately, the true potential of the industry is not being realised.

A lot of unprofessional activities are going on. Many half-baked practitioners have invaded the industry. The real professionals should step forward and take back Nollywood.

Udokwu also noted that for one to last long in Nollywood, one needs to embrace hard work, consistency, and being real to oneself.

He said, Hard work, consistency and being true to oneself are important if one wants to last long in Nollywood. One does not need to do things because others are doing it. One just has to be true to oneself.

Asked about his career high point, the actor said, Being in Checkmate (a TV series in the nineties) was a game changer for me. Also, being in Living in Bondage (one of the first Nigerian home videos) paved the way for some other roles.

Anchoring Gulder Ultimate Search (a TV reality show) in 2007 was another game changer for me. It was also challenging, because I was not the first person that anchored it. I started anchoring the show in season four in 2007.

But, I eventually became the longest-running anchor person for the show. I hosted it for five consecutive years. Basically, not one particular role changed my career; each role added to the things I was doing.

KanyiDaily recalls that President Muhammadu Buhari felicitated Nollywood actor, Bob-Manuel Udokwu, on the occasion of his 60th birthday.
The Federal Government has expressed worry over its inability to evacuate Nigerians in Sudan as a deadly crisis continues to plague the North African nation.

The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, disclosed Friday evening on Twitter that efforts had been put in place by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Nigerian Mission in Sudan.

She however noted that the authorities were experiencing challenges, particularly with regard to airlifting Nigerian nationals out of the troubled country.

While @nemanigeria and the Nigerian Mission in Sudan have put in place necessary arrangements, any flight now is gravely risky, Dabiri-Erewa tweeted.

Update on Nigerians in Sudan: While @nemanigeria and the Nigerian Mission in Sudan have put in place necessary arrangements, any flight now is gravely risky. Airlines on ground at the airport were all burnt today , there is a curfew in place and no flights can operate  Abike Dabiri-Erewa (@abikedabiri) April 21, 2023

Airlines on ground at the airport were all burnt today , there is a curfew in place and no flights can operate.

The NIDCOM boss added that humanitarian groups were making efforts to distribute food, water, and medicals, while all efforts were being put in place to hopefully get the warring parties to ceasefire.

Our thoughts and prayers are with our citizens there, and the whole country, she said.

READ ALSO: Gunmen Kill Four Policemen, Two Others In Imo

The country is experiencing hostilities owing to two warring generals who seized power in a 2021 coup: army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, who commands the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Amid the crisis, Nigerian students in Sudan cried out to be evacuated from the in-crisis country.

In response, NIDCOM on Thursday revealed that plans were already underway to see to the evacuation of Nigerians in Sudan, saying meetings were being held as to how best to handle the evacuation process.
By Gift Chapi Odekina

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has expressed sadness over the demise of a House member-elect for the 10th Assembly from Taraba State, Hon. Ismaila Yushau Maihanci.

Gbajabiamila said he was shocked that Maihanci, who just got elected to represent Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives died at the young age of 37.

Describing the news of the demise of the member-elect as devastating and disheartening, Gbajabiamila said from the little that he was told about the late Maihanci, the Taraba politician was one Nigerian who was ready to serve his people diligently.

The Speaker expressed his heartfelt condolences to the family of the late politician, the people and the government of Taraba State, especially his constituents at Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency.

He prayed for the repose of the soul of Hon. Ismaila Yushau Maihanci and that God should give his family the fortitude to bear the loss.




By EricJames Ochigbo

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has expressed sadness over the demise of a Taraba member-elect, Mr Ismaila Maihanci.

In a statement on Saturday, Gbajabiamila said he was sad that Maihanci who just got elected to represent Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency, has died at the age of 37.

The speaker, who described the news of the demise as devastating and disheartening, said that from the little that he was told of Maihanci, he was one Nigerian who was ready to serve his people diligently.

Gbajabiamila said his condolences are with the family of the late politician, the people of his constituency and the government of Taraba.

He prayed for the repose of the soul of Maihanci and that God should give his family the fortitude to bear the loss.

In a related development, a leading aspirant for the position of the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Rep. Muktar Betara, has commiserated with the people and Government of Taraba over the death of Maihanchi.

Betara, who represents Biu/Bayo/Shani/Kwaya Kusar Federal Constituency of Borno, expressed grief over the ugly incident.

He described the late member-elect as a brother and friend, and prayed for the repose of his soul.

It is with heavy heart that I received the news about the passing away of my brother and Member-elect, Hon. Ismaila Yushau Maihanchi, this morning.

I was with him shortly before I departed to Saudi Arabia for the Lesser Hajj. He was one of the front soldiers of One Nation, Forward-Together .

The news of his death came as a huge shock to me, knowing full well the depth of his knowledge and vision for a prosperous Nigeria, which we collectively share; he will sorely be missed by all of us, he said.

The aspirant also prayed God to grant the deceaseds family and Government of Taraba the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

The member-elect contested the National Assembly election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). (NAN)
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Sudans de facto president, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has agreed to the evacuation of citizens and diplomatic representatives from the country.

A spokesman for the Sudanese Army said in a statement on Saturday that the United States, Britain, France, and China would begin the evacuation of their nationals from the capital Khartoum using military aircraft in the coming hours.

He said Al-Burhan has promised to facilitate the evacuation and to provide the countries with the necessary support to ensure the airlift of their citizens.

He added that a Saudi Arabian delegation has already been evacuated from the eastern city of Port Sudan while the Jordanian team was expected to leave Port Sudan later on Saturday.

READ ALSO: Nigerian students remain stranded in Sudan as crisis escalates

The army has seized control of all airports in the country except those in Khartoum and the town of Njala in the South Darfur region, the president told Arabic television station Al-Arabiya.

Al-Burhan declared that he remained in control of the army and would only let his rival and former deputy, Mohammed Hamdan Daglo, get away in a coffin.

Daglo is the leader of the powerful paramilitary group RSF.

Fighting broke out in Sudan about a week ago between the countrys two most powerful generals and their respective military units.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed during the week that at least 413 people had been killed and more than 3,500 injured since the fighting began.

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The airport in the capital has been at the centre of the fighting and was therefore inaccessible with diplomats trying to secure a resilient ceasefire for the evacuation of foreign citizen.
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The Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Sen. George Akume has disclosed plans by the Federal Government to establish a National Council of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs for sustainable national development.

Akume stated this in his keynote address at a three-day stakeholders conference on Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs in Abuja on Tuesday.

The theme of the conference is Harnessing grassroots potentials for service delivery and for sustainable national development: The proper place of Local Government Administration and Inter- Governmental Relations.

According to Akume, the national council if established would be the highest policy advisory body to the nation on issues of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

He further stated that the absence of a critical structure or vehicle of mobilisation of stakeholders for prompt action has hindered the pace of the Ministry in discharging its activities.

His words: This realisation has thus informed my decision to establish the National Council of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs.

The proposed council in its form, structure and function would resemble national councils of other ministries.

It is also pertinent to state that the need for this council was mentioned as far back as 2008, during the bi-annual conference of key functionaries of local government administration in Kaduna State, Akume said.

According to Akume, the conference was informed by the to enrich the process that would eventually lead to the formal establishment of the national council.

Akume urged the participants to utilise their experiences, backgrounds and professions during the deliberations to ensure a convergence of ideas and the eventual seamless take  off of the council.

Earlier, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Ibiene Roberts, while thanking the participants, expressed hope that the discussions would help birth a successful national council.

As seasoned administration that we are, our key responsibility is to ensure that government institutions work optimally in service delivery in an efficient and effective manner.

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I recognise you as the pillars and as such, integral part of the ministry. It is the resolve of the ministry to work with you to enable us achieve our deserving citzenry, Roberts said.

On his part, Sen. Yusuf Yusuf, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Special Duties, said that there was need for proper sensitisation on the local government potentials at the grassroots.

Yusuf said that there were lots of potentials at the local government areas, saying that harnessing the potentials would enhance national development.

The potentials must be unlocked through proper sensitisation; government has to create proper avenue, and mobilisation of the grassroots is the key for national development, he added.

Similarly, Sen. Abba Moro, the Chairman of the Committee on Federal Character and Inter-Governmental Affairs, said the local government administration was the foundation of government worldwide.

Moro, while commending the ministry for the initiative, pledged to support the ministry in its activities, saying that local government autonomy was the bedrock for national development.
Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), on Saturday, said Governor Hope Uzodimma of Imo State does not deserve a second term as the governor of the state because he has failed woefully to opt for constructive dialogues with all the restive youths in the state.

HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, condemned the gruesome killing of five policemen at the Okpala Junction in the Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State on Friday.

The group said Governor Uzodimma must set up a reconciliation commission by offering apologies to the families of all those killed including security operatives and civilians. HURIWA also said the governor must pay compensations to the victims of the numerous dastard attacks on security agents and civilians in the state.

On Friday, gunmen attacked policemen from Abo Mbaise police division when they went to eat at an eatery. Reports said that while three police were shot dead at the scene, two others escaped to a nearby shop but the criminal elements raced to the shop and killed them and equally killed a couple who owned the shop they ran into. The assailants further carted away five rifles of the policemen.

READ ALSO: HURIWA carpets Soyinka over statement on Datti Baba-Ahmed

HURIWAs Onwubiko said, HURIWA condemn in strong terms the killings of the five policemen on Friday in Imo states and the serial murders of Imo youths.

We condemn the intransigence of Gov Hope Uzodinma to opt for constructive dialogues with all the restive youths of Imo State. We call on the governor to step down from being on the ticket of the All Progressives Congress for a second term in order to save Imo from continuous killings.

Gov Uzodimma, if he means well for the state, should announce that he wont be running in the November governorship poll, then set up a reconciliation commission by offering apologies to families of all those killed including security operatives and civilians.

He should also pay compensations where possible, offer amnesty and open avenues for peace building through withdrawal and submission of arms by sundry armed groups. But the reconciliation must be sincere and pragmatic.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed concern over the manner the protest by members of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN) is being handled by security agencies.

In a statement issued on Thursday, NHRCs spokesman, Lambert Oparah, quoted the commissions Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, as expressing concern that the conflict, if not handled peacefully, may result in monumental human rights and humanitarian crises.

Oparah said the NHRC called for speedy trial of the Shiite leader El Zakzaky and for government to ensure he receives adequate treatment against the consistent claim by his supporters of his state of health.

He said the NHRC views with great concern the incessant clashes between members of the IMN and security agencies, which has resulted in the loss of lives and wanton destruction of properties.

The Executive Secretary of the commission condoled with the families of those who lost their loved ones on Monday in another clash between the protesting IMN members and the police in Abuja.

The death of the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, FCT Command, DCP Usman Umar, a Channels Television journalist, Precious Owolabi, some protesters and others who sustained various degrees of injury in that incident calls for serious and urgent action to address the situation.

ALSO READ: DCP Umar killed in Shiites, Police clash in Abuja

The Executive Secretary reiterated the commissions call on Federal Government and the leaders of the Islamic Movement to consider dialogue as the best option in this conflict.

In a crisis of this nature, human right is usually the casualty and as a national institution for the promotion and protection of human rights, we are very concerned that this conflict, if not handled peacefully, may result in monumental human rights and humanitarian crises.

The commission called for speedy trial of the Shiite leader, El Zakzaky and government to ensure he receives adequate treatment against the consistent claim by his supporters of his state of health.

The NHRC has been at the forefront of finding a solution to the protracted conflict between the IMN and the government over the conflict that has lasted for more than four years.

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A 38-year-old man, Daniel Isaac who was arrested by the Police in Lagos , yesterday, gave gory account of how he strangled his landlord at Ijegun area of the state.

The suspect, a plumber at Abule Ado area of the state claimed that a strange spirit came over him and he pounced on his 50-yr-old landlord called Don Able from Rivers state, inside their compound in Ijegun.

He later threw the body of the landlord into an open septic tank in their compound. The suspect was arrested by the police on stop and search at Ibah division with an accomplice, Emmanuel Chukwu, 36, while they were taking the landlords car to a buyer.

Giving details of how the incident took place, the suspect said My landlord whom I call Don Able was a very unassuming good man. He is from Rivers state and sells cars. He is not living with his family in the compound. That morning around 7.30pm, I gripped him, overpowered him and strangled him to death. I then threw the body into the open septic tank inside our compound.

After that, I called Emmanuel Chukwu who was earlier introduced to me as a car dealer. He came and we contacted another man called CY who brought the number plate we fixed in the car, a Toyota Camry, blue in colour, and drove off to look for a buyer. We were arrested at a police check point in Ibah. CY took to his heels when they stopped us but two of us were arrested.
Kisa Gbekle, a 27-year-old Ghanaian actress and alleged girlfriend of popular dancehall act, Shatta Wale, has revealed that she has been having sex with men for money since the age of 12.

During a recent interview with Zionfelix Uncut, Gbekle disclosed that life was difficult for her at a tender age because of her poor background  a situation that compelled her to date and sleep with men for money.

According to her, she got deflowered at the age of 12 while sleeping with young boys from good homes for money and even dropped out of school.

My exes are just five and I broke my virginity when I was 12 years, she said. It was because of where I was coming from. I had to take things into my hands. I had a very bad background. My past is something Im not too proud of. When youre from a very poor home, you do everything to make it in life. I started doing that to take care of myself, to pay my fees. I had dropped out of school. There was no money I didnt even know my age. It was when I completed JSS before I got to know that I no even catch 20 years sef wey I do things plenty like that. I was dating these young guys from good homes in Volta Region. She said

Asked if there has been an improvement in her life in terms of finances, she replied,

Im not broke, Im not rich. If its boyfriend, I have; I dont have. I dont even know whether Im dating or not.

Watch the video below:

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Meanwhile, Shatta Wale has berated all the women had ever dated saying they never had any positive impact in his life.

According to Shatta Wale, all the woman he had dated never had any positive impact in his life, they were all dating him for a wrong reason because he is famous which leaves him unperturbed when they leave.
Nigerians and other foreign nationals resident in South Africas Keimoes and Upington areas of Northern Cape Province were on Thursday morning given 12 hours to vacate by the indigenes.

The President of Nigeria Union in South Africa, Mr Adetola Olubajo, made the disclosure in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

Olubajo said the development was as a result of an ugly incident that took place on Wednesday, Jan. 8, between a Police Officer and a Nigerian.

He said that a Nigerian man, an Abakaliki indigene of Ebonyi, allegedly stabbed to death a Police Officer, Constable Nico Visagie, during a disagreement at 5 a.m.

Olubajo said that the details of the disagreement was still not very clear as the major witness was also stabbed multiple times and was still in critical condition at the hospital.

After the horrific incident, the community members of Keimoes and environs went on rampage burning and destroying properties belonging to foreign nationals, Nigerians in particular.

These attacks spread to Upington and Nigerians and other foreign nationals were also expelled from Upington.

Prompt Police intervention this morning brought about calm but the situation is still tensed. Some locals were arrested by the police for public disturbance and malicious damage to properties.

They appeared in a magistrates court this morning for bail hearing, he said.

He added that the suspect who stabbed the police officer had been arrested and would appear in court on or before next Monday.

We commend the swift intervention of the members of South African Police Service (SAPS) and the arrest of the suspect is a welcome development.

We hope the police will continue to maintain law and order in the area, Olubajo said.

Keimoes is a town in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. It lies on the Orange River and is about halfway between Upington and Kakamas.

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An 18-year-old man identified as Mizanbilu Yusuf who was arrested by officers of the Niger State police Command over rape, has confessed that he defiles little children to ease tension.

In his confessional statement to the Police, the suspect said he has raped a number of juveniles in his area and he was arrested after raping a 9-year-old girl whom he dragged into the bush to defile her, The nation reports.

The victims father reported him to security agencies attached to the Kafin Koro Division of Paikoro Local Government Area.

Paraded in Minna, Yusuf confessed that he started defiling minors in his community when he was 17 years old, adding that a number of girls had fallen into his trap.

He also pleaded for forgiveness from the families of the girls he had defiled.

I have been in the act and I enjoyed doing it, he said. I do it when I am aroused to have s*x and since I do not have a girlfriend, I decided it would be easier to have carnal knowledge of minors in my area to cool off tension.

It is quite unfortunate that I found myself in this hopeless act, I want to warn other teenagers to shun this wicked act. It may destroy their future.
NORMAL  A Michigan man has died after a motorcycle crash on Friday in Normal.

Normal police officers were called at about 6:48 p.m. for a multivehicle crash involving a motorcycle at the Interstate 55/74 overpass on Raab Road west of Parkside Road, according to a news release from the Normal Police Department.

Upon arrival, officers found a man who had been ejected from a motorcycle. He was aided at the scene by witnesses and the Normal Fire Department, the news release said.

The man was transported to Carle BroMenn Medical Center and was pronounced deceased by the McLean County Coroners Office. The coroner identified the man as Douglas Wriston, 22, of Warren, Michigan.

The cause of death is pending and the crash remains under investigation by NPD, the McLean County Accident Reconstruction Team and the coroners office.

Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact NPD at 309-454-9593.
BLOOMINGTON  Whats the greatest gift students will take away from Saturday's Celebrating High School Innovator Awards in Bloomington?

Paul Ritter, event founder and director, said its not the $1,000 cash prize for the top five teams.

The greatest gift in this program is the discovery of each other and the networking that goes on in the room, he answered.

Also an environmental science teacher for Pontiac Township High School, Ritter said the event had over 150 students in 37 teams prepare presentations for their projects.

The show was hosted at Illinois Wesleyan University, and Ritter said teams presented from across Illinois. Others showed ideas from Texas, and as far away as Turkey and the United Kingdom, via virtual presentations.

John Quarton, director of the Petrick Idea Center at IWU, said students in the top five teams will be offered $2,000 yearly scholarships across four years at IWU. The Illinois Manufacturing Association also offered $1,000 scholarships for the top teams, Ritter said.

Ritter said the fact that Saturday was also Earth Day resonates clear with these kids.

He said students were learning how to present their ideas and bounce them off of professionals in various fields.

Each conversation is a new opportunity to accelerate, he said.

Next week, Ritter said hell start work on planning the 2024 awards program for young innovators. He said it takes a whole calendar year to put it together.

Passion projects

At least two teams from the Twin Cities were recognized in the first awards showcase round. One team was A&F Co., which branded itself as an allergy-friendly company.

Its namesake derives from founders Ashleigh Horton and Faith Hartrich-Jackson. Horton, a junior at Normal Community West High School, said she has a tree nut allergy. Others in her family have allergies, too.

We both are just really passionate about creating a better environment with allergies, Horton said of her team.

She listed eight allergens, plus a vegan designator, each with a symbol so people can easily see which products are safe for them to use. The retail shelf displays would serve as easy identifiers for products free of tree nuts, fish, soy, egg, peanut, milk, shellfish and gluten.

Hartrich-Jackson, a senior at Normal Community High School, said she believes everyone knows someone with an allergy. She said their project is taking off from life experiences of those people, who have to read small print labels when grocery shopping.

They said theyve partnered with Green Top Grocery in Bloomington for a test run. Their next trials will be at Ivy Lane Bakery.

Hartrich-Jackson said shes headed to IWU next year to study business.

Several students from the Pontiac High School presented. That included senior Emma Nelson, who is developing a self-sustainable electric toothbrush. With her mom having grown up in Streator, she said she knows small towns dont have easy access to dental care items.

Being able to create something at the comfort of home I knew was essential, she said.

Nelson said her research found a Princeton University study that showed 95% of lithium batteries are not recycled. She added that most electric toothbrushes use those batteries.

Her design wrapped 594 coils of copper wire around a PVC pipe, with alligator clips reading a voltage amount. After shaking a neodymium magnet through the pipe, Nelson said she found her concept was viable and could sustain kinetic motion.

She hopes to spread her project internationally, especially in developing countries.

Ann Marquis Fisher, IWU board member, visited Nelsons booth. When asked if she was impressed by the creativity and innovation displayed at the awards, she exclaimed: Oh my gosh!

Marquis Fisher then said she could tell students were really about doing good. She added their professionalism was incredible.

Lucy Jackson was another Pontiac High School presenter. She said shes trying to source recycled plastics to make vinyl records, and also reduce landfill disposal.

Jackson said records are produced from polyvinyl chloride, which pollutes toxic chemicals into the air.

She said 95% of plastics dont get recycled, and shes looking for plastic types 1 and 2 to mold into audio records.

Jackson said she researched another attempt to recycle plastic into records, but it used a mix of ocean plastics and the sound quality wasnt the same.

She said shes used waffle makers and Bunsen burners to melt plastics into prototypes. Jackson said shes only been able to press a penny so far, and shes looking to acquire a special oven.

Im trying to get bigger and better, Jackson said.

Final award standings were not available at press time.

Photos: As world marks Earth Day, trash still big problem
CHICAGO  In the past week, police, state and local leaders have grappled with the decadeslong question of how to control large youth gatherings downtown in wake of the violent crowd that swarmed near Millennium Park last weekend, and the spotlight for immediate answers could not have shone more brightly on Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson.

In response, Johnson, who was in Springfield the days following the weekend violence to court state lawmakers in his first visit to the capital since winning the election, touted a strategy he pledged on the campaign trail: more job opportunities for the citys youth.

But is the solution really that simple Its a progressive approach that voters embraced over his tough-on-crime opponent, Paul Vallas, who was backed by the citys Fraternal Order of Police.

The idea to hire more young people to deter crime might have started with Mayor Richard J. Daley, who in 1967 had one of the first models of engaging inner-city gangs with jobs programs, said Lance Williams, a professor at Northeastern Illinois University with 28 years of experience as a street gang interventionist and researcher. Daleys federally funded job program worked to reform gang leaders.

If the city could convince the leader of a gang to buy into the jobs program, the rest of the gang would follow, he said.

It was like cutting the head off of a snake, and then the body would die, said Williams.

But much has changed, especially after the sweeping arrests of gang leaders in the 70s and 80s that left gangs splintered and unorganized, Williams said. Loyalty isnt bound to the top, and social media can rapidly escalate conflict.

While politicians and community leaders have long touted job opportunities as somewhat of a panacea to crime, practicing what they preach has proven to be out of reach with these modern challenges, even as knowledge about trauma and street crime has increased through research and advocacy.

University of Michigan professor Sara Heller, who published a Department of Justice-funded 2017 report on summer jobs and their ability to reduce violence, said the people who are most involved in shootings are not the ones who are signing up for summer jobs programs.

If youre really, really disconnected, six weeks of a summer job is unlikely to change your behavior, she said.

Instead, Heller stressed that programming should be available to help the most at-risk youth. The job market is built around excluding people with those experiences, she said.

Sam Castro, director of community violence intervention at the Institute for Nonviolence, agreed, saying that youth who have experienced various levels of trauma need extensive training and education before being introduced into the workforce.

When you take a person off the street and put them into a job, you set them up for failure, he said. Theres some work that has to be done before they get into the workforce.

Lakeidra Chavis, a staff writer for The Marshall Project, said Chicago mayors have consistently promised jobs campaigns to reduce youth crime.

Despite the prevalence of these issues, the rhetoric around politicians changed very little. Despite research, despite what community members or activists said  the rhetoric hasnt changed, Chavis said.

Williams, the son of a Chicago gang leader who has devoted his career to helping implement and research violence intervention programs in Chicago, said deep-rooted structural issues need to be solved, such as inequities in education, to address crime. But he believes Johnson has a strong grasp on what needs to be done in part because of his background as a public schoolteacher.

The schoolhouse is a good place to see how behavior in a community plays out. Youve got 30 kids, and you can see how their personalities play out, Williams said. You can see what type of personality is aggressive and gets pushed out of the school into the streets.

In a statement to the Tribune, Johnson spokesperson Ronnie Reese said the mayor-elect plans to prioritize those most at risk by engaging government, community-based organizations and employers throughout the city. But he gave no specifics about funding allocation or which city programs he will prioritize.

Chicago currently faces a youth unemployment rate of 19% for those 16 to 19 years old, and 12% for those 20 to 24 years old, Reese said in the statement. As a result, too many young Chicagoans feel there is nowhere to turn, and when there is nowhere to turn, they can act in ways that arent in their  or our citys  best interest.

Marlon Haywood, executive director of Urban Male Network, said that a few youth leaders are instigating the downtown meetups that are wreaking so much havoc.

He said instead of resorting to punitive measures, such as curfews and bag searches, the city should pay these youth leaders to provide activities to their peers.

This would engage them, instead of punishing them, said Haywood, who started the mentoring program for young men on the citys West and South sides over 10 years ago. The weekly programs are held in nine locations to help minority men gain skills to become community leaders and enter the workforce with one-on-one mentoring sessions and group activities.

If we can work with them, we can change that dynamic, he said.

The idea of paying youth leaders was part of Daleys model, according to Williams, who wrote about the subject in his book, King David and Boss Daley: The Black Disciples, Mayor Daley, and Chicago on the Edge.

Gang leaders, he said, were paid to recruit members into the job training program, which was funded by federal money funneled through The Woodlawn Organization, a group of residents, churches and community organizations formed to confront neighborhood issues.

In the spring of 1967, the organization received $927,000 from the Office of Equal Opportunity, , started by President Lyndon B. Johnson for his War on Poverty, to provide education and job training to the Blackstone Rangers and the Black Disciples.

Daley was skeptical about giving money directly to gang leaders, but it worked for a while, Williams said. The program was implemented at various sites in Woodlawn, but there was pressure on both groups to keep violence down in order to keep the money flowing.

A mistake they made was giving gang leaders financial incentives to increase enrollment in programs, he said. Disciple leader David Barksdale received a salary that would be more than $50,000 in todays money, Williams wrote in his book.

So because they were still active on the streets, not only did they recruit their members, but they also went out to the neighborhood and communities around them to intimidate other young men who were not gang affiliated to drop out of school, under threat, to sign up for their program, Williams told the Tribune.

Although those deceptive recruiting practices by gang leaders led to the programs eventual demise, the idea that youth leaders can be part of a solution has not gone away.

Tara Dabney, director of development and communications at Institute for Nonviolence Chicago, said its pertinent that efforts should go toward giving young adults agency  making them feel seen and empowered.

Can we get outreach teams downtown to be the protective shield? Lets have conversations with youth about what they want, she told the Tribune.

Its important that the public sector as a whole understands that workforce programs developed for this population are by design different from traditional workforce programs, Dabney said. We need to think critically about the way we spend our money and the way we are allocating our money.

Williams stressed outreach teams should be sourced from groups throughout the city already doing violence prevention. They understand the youth, and may even know some of them. They speak the language of the streets, he said.

Latrayveon Borrow, an 18-year-old mentee at Urban Male Network, said his older brother died a few years ago from gun violence.

He said with Haywoods help at UMN, he was able to connect with After School Matters to work summer jobs in high school. Hes graduating this spring and attending Illinois State University, where he hopes to major in accounting with a minor in mechanical engineering or architecture.

Marlon brings in topics that we dont normally talk about. It brings us together because we can all relate to each other. We all feel the same, said Borrow. We talk about gun violence. Even though thats a common topic, but with us as teenagers we dont talk about it as much as we should.

If we had a bunch of people doing what Marvin is doing, it would save so many lives, he said. t

Chicago Tribunes Alice Yin contributed.

Photos: Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Election 2023 Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - 2023 Brandon Johnson - File Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022 Brandon Johnson - 2022
Question: On the popular 1960s CBS-TV comedy Green Acres, starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor, a town called Hooterville was the locale and people flew their prop planes into the Hooterville Airport. But alas, in real life, in the 2020s, there actually is a Hooterville Airport. Do you know where?
The Minister of Health has rejected claims in a section of the media that he has threatened to halt the operations of Zipline Medical Delivery Service in Ghana.



After a Ghana Health Service management meeting last week, some media reported that the Health Minister slammed the operations of the much-praised drone delivery service and threatened to reach out to his bosses to halt the operations because it is abused.



However, a press statement issued by the Ministry of Health on Friday, has rejected the media reports saying the Minister rather commended the operations.



"At the same ceremony, the Minister expressed the view that the services of Zipline, where drones are used to deliver medical commodities to health facilities are saving lives every day and stakeholders should endeavour to use the services judiciously for the purpose of sustainability," the statement said.



The statement continued that "the Minister bemoaned the practice where some health facilities just place orders for Zipline services not in times when the service is most needed".



It added: "Due to the unpredicted nature of emerging technologies like Zipline, it will be in the Ministry's and it's agencies' best interests to periodically review the guidelines around its operations to ensure alignment with government policies."



It assured that the "Ministry remains committed to the operations of Zipline in the provision of essential healthcare services and will keep exploring all available means to make this sustainable".



"We hereby wish to call on the public to disregard this misleading and misrepresentation headlines."



In the statement, the Minister also described as misleading the reports that claimed he said the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) is not working.



Ghana's medical drone delivery service has been hailed as the largest in the world and it has attracted international plaudits.



During her recent visit to Ghana, United States Vice President, Kamala Harris commended Ghana for being a global example in the delivery of essential medical supplies through drones to remote areas.







Source: Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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The only functioning hospital in Fasher, the capital of Sudans North Darfur state, is overwhelmed with patients injured during heavy fighting between rival military factions, Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) says.



The medical charitys Cyrus Paye said his team in Fasher had repurposed a maternity hospital to receive the wounded as all other hospitals in the city had had to close because of their proximity to the fighting, or the inability of staff to reach them.



The maternity South Hospital has received 279 wounded patients since the clashes began on Saturday.



"Tragically, 44 have died. The situation is catastrophic. The majority of the wounded are civilians who were hit by stray bullets, and many of them are children".



"Many need blood transfusions. There are so many patients that they are being treated on the floor in the corridors because there simply arent enough beds to accommodate the vast number of wounded." from MSF's Cyrus Paye"



The hospital was rapidly running out of supplies - as airports were closed as was with the border with Chad, which neighbours Darfur, the MSF project co-ordinator explained.





Source: BBC









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It has emerged that the Tamale Teaching Hospital owes the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), about GHS 46 million in debts.



This was made known when the Managing Director of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Osman Aludiba Ayuba, led senior officials to the Tamale Teaching Hospital as part of its revenue mobilisation exercise across its operational areas.



The Managing Director of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), Mr. Ayuba, disclosed to the management of the Tamale Teaching Hospital that they owe their suppliers, contractors, and others about GHS 2 billion.



Our customers owe us over GHS 1.2 billion and you (TTH) alone owe us GHS 46 million so you can see that you are owning most of the debt.



Mr. Emmanuel S.K. Donkor (Esq)  Director of Administration, at Tamale Teaching Hospital, told the NEDCo team that the facility does not settle its electricity bills itself and that government is in charge.



We as an institution, for now, do not pay for electricity from here, its been paid for by the government and so we expect that now that you are carrying out this exercise government will see the need to settle part of the debt for us to continue to enjoy your good services.



He stated that the hospitals management will officially write to the Health Ministry about the debt situation and yet for their response.



The Managing Director of the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), however, gave the Tamale Teaching Hospital a 2 weeks ultimatum to settle at least 70 percent of its debt or risk being taken off the national grid.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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Former President John Dramani Mahama, who is attempting a return to the Jubilee House, has promised tea and cookies to the partys agents who will be sent to the Electoral Commissions (EC) National Collation Centre popularly known as Strong Room.



According to him, this is part of the strategy to ensure absolute strictness in the monitoring of the collation process to prevent any possible rigging.



The pledge follows Rojo Mettle-Nunoos declaration during the Supreme Courts hearing of the 2020 presidential election petition that he was tricked by the EC Chairperson into leaving the Strong Room, during which he was handed tea without a biscuit.



Mr. Mettle-Nunoo, an NDC agent at the Strong Room, was the petitioner, John Dramani Mahamas third witness.



The ex-President told NDC delegates at Ashaley Botwe in Accra on Tuesday that the party would be more attentive in the 2024 elections.



He revealed that the party would send agents who would not sleep at the various collation centres, saying, We will remain at the collation centres until every ballot has been counted. Well match them in the ECs Strong Room.



The NDC flagbearer hopeful stated that the partys agents would no longer require the ECs tea or cookies since they would make provisions for them.



Those we select to go to the Strong Room, we will give them our own tea and digestive biscuits to take with them, he emphasised.



Mr. Mahama accused the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of putting its activists into positions at the EC, suggesting that the party was afraid to lose the general election.



We are going to match them at the polling stations. We dont want to cheat anybody, but we dont want anybody to cheat us. So we are going to mark them at the polling station and make sure that no extra ballot papers come from somewhere into that ballot box, he asserted.



Mr. Mahama urged NDC branch and constituency executives to be very vigilant and actively participate in the voting processes in their respective polling stations, saying, Elections are won or lost at the polling stations.



According to him, the party will commit vigilance at polling stations to the executives, as well as campaign activities, to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections.



He stated that the party was putting in place a strong mechanism to allow for the transmission of results from the branch and constituency levels to the national headquarters of the party, and that this was a new system that would necessitate some training.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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Gospel songstress, Selina Boateng is back in the headlines for falling again.



The latest video in circulation captured the gospel artiste falling flat on the floor with media personality Fiifi Pratt while he attempted to lift her.



In the footage, Selina Boateng stepped out of her vehicle and approached Fiifi Pratt confidently.



He greeted her and asked how she was doing, to which she replied that she was fine.



Then, he asked her if he could lift her since he had heard rumours that he couldnt.



When he attempted to do so, he ended up losing his balance and they both fell to the ground.



This follows an earlier incident in which she fell flat on her back while dancing at a gospel concert in Accra.



That incident took place at the Celestial Praiz Concert held in Accra on March 6, during a performance by her fellow gospel star Piesie Esther.



She subsequently explained that the fall was due to the influence of the Holy Spirit.



I think it was the doing of the Holy Spirit, that is what I will say, she told Adom TV in March 2023.

Source: dailyguidenetwork.com









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" " Celebrating your quinceanera or "Sweet 15" is a milestone for many Latin American girls and American girls of Hispanic heritage. Adam Hester/Getty Images

For Hispanic girls in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Cuba, the United States and elsewhere, the 15th birthday marks the most lavish celebration of their lives. Designating a girl's transition from childhood to adulthood, the quinceanera is a two-part festivity that traces back to both indigenous and European cultural traditions and has become an increasingly opulent affair in recent years. Parents may even spend more on their daughters' "Sweet 15" quinceaneras than their weddings, which is why some refer to them as mini bodas, or miniature weddings. Not counting the birthday presents a young girl might receive, a quinceanera in the United States (with all the trimmings) can cost at least $10,000 [source: Gonzalez]. A 2019 report put the average cost at $21,781.

One look at a quince girl (a nickname for the quinceanera honoree) on her special day, and the high price tag makes sense. First off, there's the outfit: Often made of satin with lace overlays and rhinestone accents, quinceanera dresses, the visible centerpieces of these celebrations, mirror what Cinderella might've worn to her fairytale ball. The floor-length gowns are traditionally white or pale pink, but the revived quinceanera culture accepts dresses in a rainbow of hues. Perched on the quince girl's head is a delicate tiara or crown, the symbolism of which we'll discuss later in the article, and in her hands  at least at the beginning of the ceremony  she might hold a Bible or book of prayer.

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Although its emphasis is more on the party than the prayer, the quinceanera starts at the local Catholic church. Before any birthday cake is cut, the quince girl attends a special mass in which she reaffirms her dedication to God and receives a blessing from the priest. Afterward, the Sweet 15 reception gets underway, typically involving some combination of choreographed dance sequences, limousine arrivals, sumptuous spreads of food and desserts, and an official presentation of the quince girl to fiesta attendees. Similar to cotillion and debutante traditions, quinceaneras serve as young Hispanics' official entrance into society and womanhood and incorporate a host of unique elements and rituals that celebrate girls' birthdays, as well as their heritage.
" " Female impersonator Sushi takes a test run descending in a giant high-heel shoe in preparation for a New Year's celebration Dec. 31, 2004 in Key West Florida. The red-shoe drop (which still goes on) is not even the wackiest "ball drop" out there. Rob O'Neal/Florida Keys News Bureau via Getty Images

Every Dec. 31, throngs of revelers eager to ring in a new year crowd into New York City's Times Square. In the final minute of the year, as the clock ticks away seconds toward midnight, an opulent, oversized ball descends from above  and when it reaches its destination the crowd cheers, Happy New Year!

The New Year's ball drop has its roots in naval history, inspired by the Time Balls  introduced in the early 1800s. These devices were affixed to towers in coastal towns and would drop a ball at a precise moment of the day to alert nearby ship captains when to precisely set their navigational tools, called chronometers. In 1833, the Astronomer Royal, John Pond, set up a Time Ball at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. The current New Year's tradition is a particularly American affair, and the Times Square ball drop has inspired numerous imitators across the United States, and even around the world. Here are some of the most surprising things people drop to ring in the new year.
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This photo provided Friday, April 21, 2023, by the Bronx Zoo, shows an American alligator rescued from a lake in Prospect Park in Brooklyn under care at the Bronx Zoo, in New York. The abandoned and emaciated alligator has died in a "tragic case of animal abuse," zoo officials said. Credit: Courtesy of Bronx Zoo via AP

An abandoned and emaciated alligator that was found in a New York City lake and sent to the Bronx Zoo for recovery has died in a "tragic case of animal abuse," zoo officials said.

The zoo provided extensive medical treatment and nutritional support for the debilitated gator, but she succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, the zoo said in a statement.

"This alligator suffered and died because its owner decided to dump her in a frigid lake, in an extremely debilitated state rather than provide her with the veterinary care that could have saved her," Bronx Zoo officials said. "Wild animals are not pets."

An autopsy showed chronic and severe weight loss, extreme anemia and infections in the gator's intestine and skin, the statement said. The gator, estimated to be 5 to 6 years old, also had a chronic ulcer in her stomach caused by a rubber bathtub stopper she had ingested while illegally kept as a pet.

That rubber stopper was later successfully removed.

When the gator was rescued from Prospect Park Lake in Brooklyn in late February and brought to the Bronx Zoo for recovery, she weighed only 15 pounds (6.8 kilos). An alligator of her length should have weighed 30 to 35 pounds (13.6 to 15.9 kilos), officials said.

This photo provided Friday, April 21, 2023, by the Bronx Zoo, a radiograph shows a bathtub stopper in the stomach of an American alligator, rescued from a lake in Prospect Park in the Brooklyn borough of New York. The abandoned and emaciated alligator has died in a "tragic case of animal abuse," zoo officials said. Credit: Courtesy of Bronx Zoo via AP

 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
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Credit: Joe Belanger/Shutterstock

Underwater forests known as kelp have been sustaining people and cultures for millennia. However, most of us are only vaguely aware of the vibrant masses of seaweed hugging the ocean shores around Earth. Furthermore, we don't realize how valuable and necessary they really are.

In a new study published today in Nature Communications, we have produced the first global estimate of the economic value of kelp forestsrevealing they provide hundreds of billions of dollars in value to humans across the world.

A human history of kelp

Along the Pacific, kelp harvest has long played an important role in Asian societies. In Japan, seaweed was among the marine products people could use to pay taxes, according to a law code from the year 701.

In Medieval Europe, kelp was used to fertilize soil and increase crop yields, to treat goiter, and was used to fortify building materials for centuries. In the 21st century kelp forests have become the main source for alginate, a common food and medical additive.

And throughout this time, kelps have supported teeming ecosystems and important fisheries of abalone, lobsters and many different types of fishes. Through their prolific productivity, kelp forests draw carbon from the atmosphere, exude oxygen, and help reduce nutrient pollution in our oceans.

A marine marvel, hidden kelp forests spread across almost one third of our world's coastlines and lie within 50km of 740 million people. If you live in London, Tokyo, New York, Vancouver, Santiago, Cape Town, Los Angeles or Lisbon, you have one of these ecosystems on your doorstep.

Yet they tend to be forgotten or misunderstood. People often aren't even aware of a kelp forest, and if they are, they might be most familiar with a pile of decomposing seaweed on the beach after a storm.

This disconnect has real-world implications. Despite sitting next to some of the biggest research centers on the planet and likely covering more seafloor than any other biotic habitat, research and conservation of kelp forests is terribly behind other ecosystems.

This knowledge gap impedes desperately needed action and conservation. Kelp populations in northern California, Tasmania, and the Salish Sea have all but disappeared in living memory. Elsewhere, kelp populations have been continually declining over the last 50 years.

What we value and how we value it is actually quite a complicated process. And despite the fact we make value judgements over and over each day, we have a really poor understanding of something's value if it doesn't have a price tag on it.

A kelp forest is a rich habitat, a provider of oxygen and a sequester of carbon. Credit: Andrew B Stowe/Shutterstock

Our natural world is perhaps the ultimate value providereverything we do in our societies is ultimately tied to nature, ecosystems, and a healthy planet. But because these processes and benefits happen with or without humans, they are often taken for granted.

So, what is the 'value' of a kelp forest?

Our research has brought together data from all across our oceans to produce a global estimate of the economic value of kelp forest ecosystems. Looking at six key genera of kelpMacrocystis, Nereocystis, Laminaria, Saccharina, Ecklonia, and Lessoniaand the potential economic value of the fisheries they support, the carbon they pull from the atmosphere, and the nutrient pollution they remove from the water, we found that kelp forests are valued at US$500 billion per year.

The highest of these values was the removal of excess nitrogen from the water, which can trigger blooms of algae, reduced water quality, and ultimately oxygen-depleted dead zones.

A close second was the fisheries valueskelp forests support some of our most iconic fisheries, including lobster and abalone.

Lastly, despite finding the carbon sequestration of kelp forests was comparable to other terrestrial and marine ecosystems, the economic value was much lower, as society has yet to place a high price on carbon. This finding suggests that carbon credits may not be an economic driver of kelp conservation, but kelp forests still play an important role in the blue carbon cycle.

The future of kelp

When nature is treated as a freebie, where we can take what we want and not pay for the damages, this attitude has direct consequences; people and the environment suffer.

First, it can mean that people and government don't see the value in protecting and restoring ecosystems. Second, development projects are able to destroy nature without compensating for those damages.

Lastly, it leads to poor management. How can we manage something if we cannot quantify it? Imagine if you didn't know where your bank account was, or how much money was in it.

The battle to save our kelp forests is just getting started, and we need greater action to protect these intrinsically and economically valuable marine ecosystems.

That is why researchers like me have started the not-for-profit Kelp Forest Alliance, and have now launched the Kelp Forest Challenge, a global call to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forest by 2040. This is a call for governments to meet their commitments to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and act now to save these ecosystems and #HelpTheKelp.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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Phases of solid hydrogen. The left is the well-studied hexagonal close packed phase, while the right is the new phase predicted by the authors' machine learning-informed simulations. Image by Wesley Moore. Credit: The Grainger College of Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, is found everywhere from the dust filling most of outer space to the cores of stars to many substances here on Earth. This would be reason enough to study hydrogen, but its individual atoms are also the simplest of any element with just one proton and one electron. For David Ceperley, a professor of physics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, this makes hydrogen the natural starting point for formulating and testing theories of matter.

Ceperley, also a member of the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center, uses computer simulations to study how hydrogen atoms interact and combine to form different phases of matter like solids, liquids, and gases. However, a true understanding of these phenomena requires quantum mechanics, and quantum mechanical simulations are costly. To simplify the task, Ceperley and his collaborators developed a machine learning technique that allows quantum mechanical simulations to be performed with an unprecedented number of atoms. They reported in Physical Review Letters that their method found a new kind of high-pressure solid hydrogen that past theory and experiments missed.

"Machine learning turned out to teach us a great deal," Ceperley said. "We had been seeing signs of new behavior in our previous simulations, but we didn't trust them because we could only accommodate small numbers of atoms. With our machine learning model, we could take full advantage of the most accurate methods and see what's really going on."

Hydrogen atoms form a quantum mechanical system, but capturing their full quantum behavior is very difficult even on computers. A state-of-the-art technique like quantum Monte Carlo (QMC) can feasibly simulate hundreds of atoms, while understanding large-scale phase behaviors requires simulating thousands of atoms over long periods of time.

To make QMC more versatile, two former graduate students, Hongwei Niu and Yubo Yang, developed a machine learning model trained with QMC simulations capable of accommodating many more atoms than QMC by itself. They then used the model with postdoctoral research associate Scott Jensen to study how the solid phase of hydrogen that forms at very high pressures melts.

The three of them were surveying different temperatures and pressures to form a complete picture when they noticed something unusual in the solid phase. While the molecules in solid hydrogen are normally close-to-spherical and form a configuration called hexagonal close packedCeperley compared it to stacked orangesthe researchers observed a phase where the molecules become oblong figuresCeperley described them as egg-like.

"We started with the not-too-ambitious goal of refining the theory of something we know about," Jensen recalled. "Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, it was more interesting than that. There was this new behavior showing up. In fact, it was the dominant behavior at high temperatures and pressures, something there was no hint of in older theory."

To verify their results, the researchers trained their machine learning model with data from density functional theory, a widely used technique that is less accurate than QMC but can accommodate many more atoms. They found that the simplified machine learning model perfectly reproduced the results of standard theory. The researchers concluded that their large-scale, machine learning-assisted QMC simulations can account for effects and make predictions that standard techniques cannot.

This work has started a conversation between Ceperley's collaborators and some experimentalists. High-pressure measurements of hydrogen are difficult to perform, so experimental results are limited. The new prediction has inspired some groups to revisit the problem and more carefully explore hydrogen's behavior under extreme conditions.

Ceperley noted that understanding hydrogen under high temperatures and pressures will enhance our understanding of Jupiter and Saturn, gaseous planets primarily made of hydrogen. Jensen added that hydrogen's "simplicity" makes the substance important to study. "We want to understand everything, so we should start with systems that we can attack," he said. "Hydrogen is simple, so it's worth knowing that we can deal with it."

More information: Hongwei Niu et al, Stable Solid Molecular Hydrogen above 900 K from a Machine-Learned Potential Trained with Diffusion Quantum Monte Carlo, Physical Review Letters (2023). DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.130.076102 Journal information: Physical Review Letters
By Francis H. Murray

Governments Chief Pathologist Dr. Simeon Owizz Koroma, the 13th prosecution witness in the murder trial of Mariama Sajor Barrie and Ibrahim Bah for the alleged murder of 5-year old Khadija Saccoh has testified before Justice John Bosco Allieu and a twelve- member jury at the High Court in Freetown.

Led in evidence by Lawyer Joseph A. K Sesay on Thursday 25th February 2021, the witness described himself as a medical doctor attached to the Connaught Hospital as the Chief Government Pathologist.

He said some of his duties include the training of medical students, the Sierra Leone Police Scientific Offices and performs all hospital and medical autopsies for the government.

Dr. Owizz said he remembered doing autopsy on the remains of Khadija Madinatu Saccoh and prepared his findings into a five-page document which he signed and dated, adding that he issued the original cause of death certificate to the relatives of the deceased as required by international standards.

He noted that a copy was given to the investigating officers while another copy was left in his office.

The witness said that, because autopsies are conducted to ascertain the precise cause, mode or manner in which people die, he was able to identify the cause of death of the deceased.

The deceased died as a result of neurogenic shock resulting from manual strangulation. Her tongue was beaten and had a swollen neck with finger nail marks on either sides. The primary signs of virginity were absent with dilated anus. Her death was brutal, unnatural and mode or manner was homicidal, he stated.

He further noted that although he had received a medical history from relatives of the deceased which was issued by a certain doctor, such history did not influence his findings.

He maintained that he has been a medical doctor for 42 years and a Pathologist for over 30 years with over 1,000 autopsies conducted already.

Under cross-examination by lawyer Alhaji M Kamara for the 1st accused, the witness denied demanding any sum of money from the relatives of the deceased in order to get the autopsy done.

He said that the family of the relatives told him that the deceased was fist attended to by a certain doctor who diagnosed her of pneumonia, but that his autopsy found no sign of pneumonia on the remains of the deceased.

The witness stressed that there were no signs of any medical treatment admitted on the deceased before the autopsy and that she died as a result of being manually strangled.

Under cross-examination by lawyer Emmanuel T. Koroma for the 2nd accused, the witness said that he was told that the victim was raped and sexually assaulted before the autopsy.

He said that during the course of the autopsy, the whole body was examined as part of best practice including the lips and fingers.

Agreeing that there are extremities with manual strangulation, he stressed that it was only limited to the use of hands, adding that he could not tell who may have inflicted the said injuries on the deceased and when.

Dr. Owizz testimony brought to an end the case for the prosecution, with both accused persons opting to testify from the witness stand on oath as well as call witnesses in their defence.

The matter was adjourned to Monday 1st March 2021.

Copyright  2021 Politico Online
FORT ANN  A Whitehall man was killed on Friday after crashing his motorcycle.

At about 9:52 p.m., the Washington County Sheriffs Office received a report of a crash on state Route 149, west of Cartier Lane in the town of Fort Ann. Upon arriving, deputies located 36-year-old Everett R. Mattison III, who had been riding his 2023 Yamaha motorcycle east on Route 149 with a small group of other riders.

A preliminary investigation determined that Mattison lost control of the motorcycle, which caused him to strike the guardrails and was ultimately thrown from the motorcycle. Lifesaving efforts were conducted, but Mattison succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Sheriffs investigators continue to look into all aspects surrounding the crash including whether any contributing factors may have played a role.

A portion of Route 149 was closed for about three hours while the crash was cleared.

The Department of Environmental Conservation, Fort Ann Fire and EMS, West Fort Ann Fire and New York State Police assisted at the scene.
About 75 people gathered in South Glens Falls Saturday to help clean up around the village to commemorate Earth Day.

Weve got a few teams from community businesses and organizations in the area, said Cheryl Lawyer, director of marketing and outreach for the Moreau Community Center, which hosted the event.

One of those organizations was Boy Scout Troop Pack 99, which came out in force to help clean up around the river.

While those volunteers worked to do their part for the environment for today, Sustainable PR, a green-focused public relations firm, hosted the annual Earth Day event at City Park in Glens Falls, which focuses on long-term sustainability practices.

This years event featured several booths from eco-friendly organizations, as well as some special showcases including the Glens Falls vertical farm, leave no trace training, the grand opening of the seed library at Crandall Public Library, and an electronic vehicle show from Garvey Hyundai.

Advocacy important

The day also included environmental speakers from members of the local government.

Glens Falls 3rd Ward Supervisor Claudia Braymer, who is deputy director of Protect the Adirondacks, spoke on the importance of government to get involved in green initiatives.

As with all of these laws and goals in place to reduce carbon emissions and the impacts of climate change, we need advocates who will continue pushing our leaders at all levels of government to ensure that these goals are met, Braymer said. Not only will these goals benefit us now, but the future of the earth depends on us and the future of our children depends on us.

EDC Warren County President Jim Siplon talked about how economic development and environmental consciousness need not be at odds. He used the conservation and protection efforts that have been effective in Lake George as an example.

If we can protect Lake George, we can help thousands of communities across North America and the globe figure out how to better steward their water, he said. And when we do that, the industry and the knowledge base thats involved in that can become our new neighbors, our new residents. Thats economic development that is not at odds with the values of the park. It is not at odds with the idea of controlled and managed development here in our own communities. It is aligned with it.

Dana Pickett, COO of Cipriani Energy Group, addressed the crowd and tasked them to attend planning meetings at their local government level to advocate for sustainable and renewable energy concerns looking to move into the area.

It would be really great for the public to actually show up and give their opinion, yes, we are pro solar in Glens Falls, he said. And by doing this, it sends a very, very loud and repeat message to the planning board for your communities: we are pro solar, we want to take what Gods given us every single day, and turn it into a tool to provide the electricity we so badly need.

Greener industry

Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner, D-Round Lake, echoed all that the other speakers had to say, but also offered even more insight as to how a shift in industry could make New York State a greener place.

Textiles, Woerner said. New York used to be a textile state. We had the No. 2 sized flock of sheep in the country, now. This was back in 1880, but we did.

Woerner surmised that if a greater effort were to be placed on rebuilding New Yorks textile economy, it would naturally lead to a more environmentally conservative industry.

For one thing, sheep, as grazing animals, sequester carbon in the soil, she said. As they graze, they turn over the soil that brings in the carbon and it nourishes the ground. Rotational grazing ensures that we can use those fields also to plant crops.

Woerner said these types of creative problem solutions may seem ambitious, but are necessary to look towards a future in which people play a more symbiotic role in the wellbeing of the planet as a whole.

The kinds of things that I work on is how can we solve complex problems in a way that is holistic, that takes advantage of the assets that we have, that makes our planet a better place, creates new jobs and new opportunities, and does it in a way that is respectful of our planet, she said. Its so important that we build an economy that supports our planet because our planet supports us.
CAMBRIDGE  District voters will weigh in on a $24.806 million budget with a projected tax increase of 2.5% under the proposed 2023-2024 school budget the school board approved Thursday evening.

The budget maintains all current programs and adds one special education teacher, one social studies teacher and one agriculture teacher to support a new agricultural education program.

School Business Administrator Michele Hogan said the budget is up $882,378, or 3.7%, from this year. Revenue from property taxes would increase from $9.419 million to $9.655, an increase of $235,488, or 2.5%. The tax levy cap is 3.2%.

The budget would take $799,210 from the fund balance, a drop of $880. The schools fund balance is strong now because of federal pandemic aid, but will fall as the aid ends, Hogan warned.

State aid revenue is an estimate, Hogan said, because the state budget was still in negotiations. What individual taxpayers would pay isnt firm because that depends on state-set equalization rates that vary from town to town, and those rates wont be released until July. She noted that equalization rates among the districts eight towns range from 18% in Schaghticoke to 100% in Easton, Jackson, Salem, and White Creek, which recently did revaluations.

Residents will also vote on whether to spend up to $491,349 for five years to lease three 71-passenger buses and one 21-passenger handicapped-accessible bus. The amount for a proposition to fund the Cambridge Public Library wasnt presented Thursday.

Board President Shay Price said that a tax levy increase of less than 2.5% would create a financially unstable budget, but it wasnt necessary to go above 2.5%.

District Clerk Kate Canini said the slate of candidates for school board was down to two, Joseph Hamilton and Edmund Flint, after Kathy Clark withdrew her petition. Hamilton and Flint are running for two open three-year seats on the five-seat board.

The board will hold a budget hearing at 7 p.m., May 2, at the high school library. All district residents should receive a budget newsletter in the mail by May 10. The Cambridge Faculty Association will host a Meet the Candidates night from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. May 11, also at the high school library. Voting is from noon to 8 p.m., May 16, at the elementary gym, 24 South Park St. Voters will be required to show a photo ID.

In other business:

The board officially accepted the results of the March 21 referendum on a $11.7 million capital project. The project would have renovated the school auditorium and adjacent areas, but failed by 17 votes, 261-278. About 50 voters participated in an exit survey the day of the vote. According to school spokesman Chris Crucetti, 71% of the respondents had voted yes and 29% no. Seventy percent said they felt informed about the project, which had been described on the school website, through a mailing to district residents and in local newspapers. Those who voted in favor wanted to make proactive updates to the building, believed in supporting the school and understood the project was tax-neutral. Opponents didnt think the project was necessary and didnt believe it wouldnt raise their taxes.

The state attorney generals office has until May 17 to reply to the schools appeal of state Education Commissioner Betty Rosas order that the school must retire the Indian mascot, School Superintendent Douglas Silvernell reported. One appeal by the school already has been denied. The state Board of Regents on Tuesday banned public schools from using Indigenous names, mascots, and logos, rendering Cambridges appeal effectively moot. The school has already largely complied with Rosas order. Other districts have until June 30, 2025 to discontinue Native names and images. Silvernell said he was awaiting state guidance on how the ban will be implemented.

Secondary Principal Caroline Goss said the school will offer an agriculture class for seventh grade and Introduction to Agriculture in two sections, for grades 9-10 and 11-12, starting in the fall. Silvernell said he would do the final round of interviews for an agriculture teacher on Friday.
The Hebron man accused of shooting and killing 20-year-old Kaylin Gillis, who was in a vehicle turning around in his driveway, will remain in custody without opportunity for bail.
Watching the events unfolding in Ukraine, Basil Seggos wanted to help.

The commissioner of the state Department of Environmental Conservation and a U.S. Army veteran returned in March from his second trip to Ukraine. He first traveled there in September and volunteered with Ukraine Focus, an organization that delivers ambulances and medical aid to the war-torn country.

Seggos, who took leaves of absence from his state post to volunteer in Ukraine, told The Citizen that his involvement with Ukraine Focus began when he met Brock Bierman, the organizations founder and CEO. Bierman is a former assistant administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development.

When Seggos first traveled to Ukraine last fall, he was part of a group that delivered 22 ambulances to the frontlines. When he returned in March, they drove four ambulances into the country. He traveled to the Donetsk region, one of the main battlegrounds as Ukrainian forces fight back against Russias invasion.

Ukraine Focus has delivered more than 100 ambulances, according to Seggos. Ambulances are needed, he explained, because Russia has targeted emergency vehicles. The ambulances, which last 30 to 60 days, each transport an average of 200 civilians or soldiers while in service.

It makes even the delivery of one ambulance incredibly important, he said.

Seggos met Ukrainian soldiers who are fighting in the conflict. He also volunteered building orphanages for children who have lost parents in the war.

There were reminders of the war around them. In several cities he visited, air raid sirens were activated. There was more activity in the Donetsk region. They saw fighter jets flying overhead and heard artillery shells going off, he said. He credited their handlers for keeping them safe during their travels.

Six months had passed since his last trip to Ukraine. In Kyiv, the countrys capital, he observed a city that is getting back to normal  as normal as it can get during wartime. When he visited Bucha in September, he saw destroyed tanks on a main street. He went there again on the most recent trip and workers were repairing houses and sidewalks.

What he considered most significant is the resolve of the Ukrainian people, even as there is no sign the fighting will end anytime soon.

I guess I had expected to see people with more fatigue, the fatigue of war, which often leads to a sort of pessimism, Seggos said. I didnt see that at all. I found the population to be just as resolute, inspired and just as strong as they were six months ago... Were now seeing a country thats been at war for well over a year and yet the people have not backed down at all.

One highlight for Seggos was a late-night conversation he had with Ruslan Strilets, Ukraines minister of environmental protection and natural resources. At the time of the video call, Seggos was in New York, a city in Ukraine. Strilets was in New York City for a conference at the United Nations.

He hopes to return to Ukraine, but knows that he can provide assistance from afar. As an example, he noted that he introduced Bucha Mayor Anatolii Fedoruk to Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan. Now, Albany and Bucha have a sister city agreement.

As long as Ukraine is fighting to fend off the Russian invasion, Seggos will find a way to help the cause.

This war has major implications for us as Americans morally, politically and economically, he said. Ukraine is an ally of ours and right now, they are the ones on the frontlines of really what is a fight for democracy across the globe. To let a nation like that suffer defeat at the hands of an autocratic regime, I think, would be devastating for all of us over the long term. Its really important for us to do it now, be present now, to help defend that country.
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  A deadline to remove the pet pigs and chickens at the center of a neighborhood feud and media spectacle has come and gone, but the controversy is continuing apace.

Township officials previously ordered that Dave and Brianna Ferrier remove the pet chickens and potbellied pigs from their property on Mill Road by Friday, but action had yet to be taken as of late Friday afternoon. The Ferrier family is now trying to find a way forward.

Brianna Ferrier said Thursday she and Dave had retained an attorney to help handle the matter. She said they planned to file an appeal to the determination by the township zoning officer that initially designated their four pigs and eight chickens illegal. Ferrier said she remained afraid of how the township might respond in the coming weeks and was frustrated her concerns have gone unheard.

I live in that fear, Brianna Ferrier said. Thats been the struggle for us.

Township Administrator Donna Markulic said officials were not eager to hurry their management of the case. She said if the Ferrier family files a zoning appeal, the township would wait until the appeal is adjudicated before officials issue a summons.

Even absent an appeal, Markulic said the township would proceed at a deliberate and measured pace when deciding how to approach the situation. She said officials would likely discuss the matter at a Township Committee meeting before taking action to try to punish the Ferriers for the pigs and chickens.

Its been such a public event. We would all want to be on the same page on how to proceed, Markulic said. Theres nothing that compels the township to act immediately.

Friday had been a critical point in a feud that has been simmering for the past six months. Township Zoning Officer Sarah Schaffer issued the Ferriers a notice of violation Dec. 15, alleging the pigs violated two local ordinances. One ordinance prohibits land in the township from being used for piggeries or the business of raising pigs. Another bans the rearing of chickens on a property smaller than 5 acres. The Ferriers keep their animals in a chicken coop and pigpen on their 3.89-acre property.

Pigs, chickens set off neighborhood feud in Egg Harbor Township EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP  A neighborhood feud has ignited over chickens, pigs and 6 inches of land.

Possible penalties

The Ferriers could be fined as much as $1,000, made to do as much as 90 days of community service or jailed for up to 90 days for each day of noncompliance with the ordinance, according to a Feb. 14 notice of violation.

The Ferriers have since received several notices reiterating the township zoning officers position. They managed to extend the deadline several times over the course of the past six months leading up to Friday. In their conversations with the media and township officials, the Ferriers have said their pigs and chickens are pets, beloved by their 5-year-old daughter, Regan. Brianna Ferrier has also argued the township prohibition on piggeries applies only to farms that are raising pigs as livestock for slaughter, not keeping them as pets.

While the punishment for ownership of the animals has been stayed, the conflict has intensified on other fronts. Brianna Ferrier said South Jersey Animal Control came to her house April 14. A person Ferrier presumed to be her neighbor had filed a noise complaint against the Ferriers due to the noise their two roosters allegedly make in the early hours of the morning. The Ferriers were served a summons and are being asked to appear in municipal court June 12 for an alleged violation of a noise ordinance.

Brianna Ferrier said she felt the roosters were being unfairly singled out for being atypical pets, saying dogs and other animals make similar noises. The Ferrier family has also decided to move the chicken coup farther back into the interior of their property to help abate the noise.

Overall, Ferrier said she felt she was the object of ire for her neighbors due to an older neighborhood dispute.

I just feel like were being targeted, she said.

Ferrier said the township and its residents needed to be more tolerant of atypical pets, calling them her form of freedom of expression.

They need to wake up and understand that we are all different, Ferrier said. Worry about you and yours.  Thats our freedom, right? This is America.

Previous conflict

The noise complaint is a likely escalation of disputes between the Ferriers and those who oppose their keeping of the pigs and chickens.

Doris Dilley, a neighbor of the Ferrier family and the person who sold them the current property, has emerged as a chief opponent of the Ferriers, arguing their ownership of the pigs is unambiguously illegal. She and other neighbors have argued the animals are a nuisance, singling out the pigs for their alleged smell and roosters for their alleged noise. They also argued the Ferriers are expecting special favor.

Dilley declined comment after a Township Committee meeting earlier this month.

The feud between Dilley and the Ferriers extends back before the pigs polarized the neighborhood.

In 2022, Dilley, a former member of the Egg Harbor Township Board of Education, had put several properties she owned along Mill Road up for sale. The Ferrier family bought their current home from Dilley last May.

At a Township Committee meeting Aug. 17, Dilley said she had been trying to sell another piece of property on Mill Road but could not close on the sale because the planned development required a 100-foot frontage, leaving the 99.54-foot frontage currently at the property just under 6 inches short. The Ferriers and a group of other neighbors then testified against granting Dilley the variance she would need for the sale at a Dec. 5 meeting at the township Zoning Board of Adjustment. Brianna Ferrier has since said she was opposed because she did not want to be disturbed by new neighbors. Township officials confirmed there was a chicken coup and pigpen on the Ferriers property through testimony from Dave Ferrier at that Dec 5 meeting.

While the Zoning Board ultimately granted Dilleys variance, discord in the neighborhood worsened as the neighbors moved on to arguments over the pigs and chickens. Rising tensions combusted at a Township Committee meeting April 5. Caustic pig polemics left multiple people visibly distressed and on the verge of tears by the meetings end.

Brianna Ferrier said the anxiety and distrust between the neighbors have only deepened in the intervening two weeks.

The intensity is building and the hostility, she said.

Volunteers keep Funny Farm animals warm, fed HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  Pigs huddled under mountains of blankets and straw in their shelters unt

Looking to sell home

While continuing the fight in the township, Brianna Ferrier said the family is trying to move beyond the dispute. The Ferriers have put their home in the township up for sale. Brianna Ferrier said about 27 people indicated online they may be interested in the property.

We cant wait to get the hell out of there, she said.

While the matters of the township ordinances may be moot for the Ferriers going forward, there is desire for some change.

Markulic said the Township Committee was exploring an amendment to the municipal ordinances to avoid similar situations with swine and other animals. She said the governing body was not 100% sure what the new ordinance would be, but at minimum, it would clarify the definition of a piggery.

A moot point, but a point taken, Markulic said.

After her move, Brianna Ferrier said, she has ambitions of opening a nonprofit shelter for animals, such as chickens and pigs. She said the experience in the township has left an impression on her and taught her about the magnitude of need for farm animals. She cited a story that ran Tuesday from KWCH 12 News in which a 9-year-old boy in Newton, Kansas, was set to lose his emotional-support pot-bellied pig.

Its much bigger than Dave and I, Brianna Ferrier said.
ATLANTIC CITY  Tiffany Giang spent her Saturday morning planting flowers in front of Tonys Baltimore Grill in hopes of helping to change how others perceive the city.

Theres a lot of negative perception, so were doing what we can to change that visually, said Giang, a Stockton University student who was participating in the schools second annual Community Day.

Chelsea Economic Development Corporation repurposed six planters from the vacant former Atlantic Club and placed them at several locations throughout the neighborhood. Two planters sit outside Tonys, one of the citys iconic restaurants, on Atlantic Avenue.

Were happy to be part of anything thats going to improve the city and anything that pays respect to Atlantic City, said Julie Aspell, a Tonys employee. Weve been around for 100 years, and our commitment to the community is to make sure its around for another 100.

Nearly 600 volunteers worked from 8:30 a.m. to noon at nine cleanup sites on the beach and throughout all six of the citys wards.

Last year was our first year holding this event. We had a really good first year, but the word is out now that were doing this event, said Brian K. Jackson, chief operating officer of Stockton Atlantic City. More groups want to be involved, more members of the community want to be involved, more vendors want to be involved. Everyone is having a great time

Elizabeth Terenik, senior project manager for the corporation, said they chose Tonys Baltimore Grill as one of the locations because of its high visibility and its commitment to the community. Business owners and community members in the area have agreed to take care of the flowers.

It gives people hope, Terenik said. It makes people want to invest in the community if they see that other people care about it.

After the cleanup, volunteers gathered at ODonnell Memorial Park to dedicate the citys first Little Free Library as part of the Party in the Park. The Little Free Library is a nonprofit organization that promotes literacy and community engagement by creating small libraries in public spaces. Utilizing a small weatherproof box, passersby are encouraged to take a book or leave one behind for others to enjoy. Many of the books included in the Little Free Library were donated by the Bridge of Books Foundation. The book-sharing box is open to the public 24/7.

We really hope that people are going to see this Little Library and stop on a beautiful day like this and take time to read, and hopefully theyll be inspired to read more and also contribute books to the library, said Don Latham, the Atlantic City Free Public Librarys public information officer.

The Little Free Library project is part of a larger initiative to revitalize Atlantic Citys public spaces and promote community engagement. The Foundation of the Atlantic City Free Public Library plans to expand the program in the city, allowing the program to reach more individuals who might not otherwise have access to a library.

Were going to put them in public parks all over the city, foundation chair Vicki Gold Levi said. This is just the first of many.

This report was produced as a collaboration between The Press of Atlantic City and Stockton Universitys Communication Studies Program.

GALLERY: Stockton Community Day in Atlantic City
The police identified the accused as Sujal Rajendra Gill, a resident of Sangvi, and Rihan Arif Shaikh, a resident of Pimple Saudagar.

Acting on the tip-off, the police, reached a ghat in the Sangvi area and nabbed the duo. The investigation revealed that the duo had recently purchased the firearm from a man from Bihar.

According to the police, the accused opened fire in the air at the Sangvi area around 11:30 on Sunday. People were terrorized. Also, the police received information on Monday that the accused opened fire in the Old Sangvi area. the Sangvi police laid a trap near Visarjan Ghat in Old Sangvi and detained the accused.

A country-made pistol worth Rs 25,000 and two live cartridges were seized from them. Further investigation is underway.
The Daund police officials, under Pune Rural jurisdiction, reached the spot and all the injured were taken to the nearby hospital. According to the police, the accident took place around 4: 30 am in the Sonawadi Phata area located on the outskirts of Pune city.

Reportedly, when a group of eight people traveling in a tempo truck was going on its way to attend a gathering at a nearby village, the tempo rammed into a truck from behind, causing injuries to five people.

All the injured have been taken to the hospital and are out of danger. Further investigation is underway to know the cause of the accident.
A man attempting to purchase a handgun at a Davenport store in January was arrested Thursday for allegedly lying on the ATF transaction record form about a felony conviction in 2010.

Marquarius Daniel Powell, 29, is charged in Scott County District Court with one count of false information in acquiring a weapon. The charge is a Class D felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of five years.

According to the arrest affidavit filed by Davenport Police Detective Bryan Butt, at about 3 p.m. Jan. 14, Powell went to Dicks Sporting Goods, 5511 Elmore Ave., and attempted to purchase a Taurus 9mm handgun.

Powell completed ATF Form 4473, a firearms transaction record that must be completed by everyone who wants to purchase a firearm. A background check is then conducted on the person attempting to purchase the firearm.

In section 21 of the form is the question, Have you ever been convicted in any court, including a military court, of a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could have imprisoned you for more than one year, even if you received a shorter sentence including probation?

Powell answered no to the question, when in fact, he had been convicted in Illinois of felony burglary in 2010, when he was a juvenile. Juvenile felony records prohibit the purchase of firearms as an adult.

During a first appearance on the charge Friday in Scott County District Court, Magistrate Stephen Wing scheduled a preliminary hearing in the case for May 11. Wing released Powell on his own recognizance after Powell promised to appear at future court hearings.

Lying on ATF Form 4473 is a federal offense for which the penalties have been stiffened under recent changed to the Gun Control Act.

ATF Form 4473 was updated in December to reflect the changes. Lying on the form now carries a prison sentence of up to 15 years, instead of 10 years. Federal authorities could take over the case from the State of Iowa and charge Powell with a federal crime.
Liberty and Justice hatched one healthy eaglet despite two eggs laid, Arconics Community Relations Manager John Riches said Friday.

Last week, we were waiting for Liberty and Justice's second egg to hatch, he said. Unfortunately, it never did, which means Liberty and Justice have just one eaglet this year.

The parents are doing a good job of keeping it fed and protected from the elements, Riches added.

While we usually have a naming contest for the eaglets, this year will be a little different," he said.

"This year's eaglet will be named Kay after former Business Unit President Kay Meggers, who passed away on Dec. 30, 2022.

"Meggers was a big fan of the Arconic eagles and loved to show them off to other leaders, customers and friends," Riches said.

Meggers served as executive vice president and group president, Global Rolled Products, beginning in 2011, when Arconic was still named Alcoa.

In 2017, Meggers went on to become the Hays Watkins executive-in-residence in the Gordon Ford College of Business, Department of Management, at Western Kentucky University. He taught marketing courses and the capstone course for the department of management.

He died Dec. 30 in an accident in Germany, his home country.
CAMBRIDGE, Ill.  Henry County Board members voted 14-2 Thursday to approve a community solar project developed by the Solar Provider Group.

The 2.8-megawatt project is located on 16.8 acres south of Prophetstown, north of Hooppole and east of Route 78. It is sized to power 700 households.

Solar Provider Group representative Andrew Ross told the board it hadn't been decided whether to have a third party be in charge of selling subscriptions to the project. He said subscribers would see $100 to $300 in annual savings on their electricity bills.

"We may contract a third party so as not to have an ongoing subscription management team in our company," Ross said.

Plan/development chairman Lynn Sutton said the planning committee voted unanimously in favor of the project while the zoning board of appeals turned it down. In his opinion, the landowner should have "pretty good say-so" over what happens on his land and it isn't taking it out of production, but producing electricity instead of soybeans. He said the land was not absolutely prime farmland.

Voting against the project were Bob Wachtel and Dave Dobbels. Joe Garrity, Tim Wells, Natalie Hendryx and Jeanna Moore were absent.

Board member Tim Yager said he would vote in favor of the project, because "the state is taking the issue out of our hands," and if it were turned down, the state would say Henry County overstepped its bounds. He said this would be the case as long as J.B. Pritzker was the governor. Board member Dan Crippen said he agreed with Yager.

Other business

Henry County State's Attorney Catherine Runty gave an overview of trends in her office. She noted, at first glance, it appears her office is doing less work than in previous years. For the past five to 10 years, she said, municipalities are taking crimes and turning them into ordinance violations. She said in a typical past year, her office would file 600 misdemeanors, but now they are down to 250.

"It does not mean there is any less crime; we are just resolving it in a different manner," she said.

If a defendant fled from police a couple of years ago, Runty used as an example, he might get 10 traffic tickets, two cases of driving under the influence and one felony case for a total of 13 "hits" on her tracker for one interaction, but now, according to the state, they can file only one case.

She said a significant rise in juvenile abuse and neglect cases correlated to the rise in methamphetamine cases among adults.

Runty said she was glad to be able to use $32,000 in seizures and forfeiture monies to redistribute to police departments for two K-9 officers, noting that money cannot be used for salaries in her office.

She said she hoped a shortage of three prosecutors in her office was back on the right track with one attorney starting next week and a retired Stark County prosecutor joining her office two days per week.

"We're doing everything we can to try to keep things moving forward. I hope the staffing situation is changing," she said.

Henry County is about to get a problem-solving court to handle drug court, mental health court and veterans court. The Administrative Office of Illinois Courts is reviewing Henry County's proposed bylaws to ensure it has appropriate service providers involved, and Runty is anticipating a summer start.

"Treatment is a need for our community, and if we can't offer treatment, we are destined to fail," she said.

Board members also approved $537,982 in additional American Rescue Plan Act funding for Henry County Courthouse HVAC repairs. Finance committee chairman Mark Burton explained where the funds were coming from. He said $187,982 was never allocated from the original $9.5 million from the federal government. A sum of $163,900 was not used from a $50 utility rebate to county residents; $162,300 was returned from cities under broadband revenue and $23,800 was unspent in funds to not-for-profit organizations.

Henry County experienced a record seven tornadoes in six days from March 31 to April 5, Office of Emergency Management Director Mat Schnepple told the board. In all, 45 occupiable, non-agricultural structures were damaged, according to a preliminary damage assessment.

"Probably four to five times that amount if you were to take in ag damage," said Schnepple. He explained he can't count agricultural buildings in the damage total for either the state or the federal government. "I have to follow their guidelines," he said.

He also said the county was able to respond to and fill every request it got through the severe weather. "Everything that we were made aware of," he said.

During county board comments, board member Kathy Nelson noted Sheriff Josh Verscheure had been much appreciated for personally checking on residents of a Geneseo apartment complex damaged in the March 31 tornado. She said one elderly couple in particular was especially grateful, because the husband could not be transported out of their apartment.

Also, out of 69 residents at Hillcrest Nursing Home, 21 are positive for COVID, as well as six staff members. As a result, the home is using staff from an outside agency.
Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (EICC) will offer an eight-week "Fundamentals of Welding" certificate this summer, with classes starting on Tuesday, May 30.

In-person classes will take place at the John T. Blong Technology Center, located at 8500 Hillandale Road in Davenport, until Friday, July 21.

The certificate program aims to provide the foundational skills needed to enter the welding field but also applies to students continuing education at EICC.

"Students will gain practical, hands-on experience and a comprehensive understanding of welding fundamentals, welding discontinuities and workplace safety, EICC computer numerical control (CNC) machining instructor Michael Clark said in a news release.

To earn the certificate, students must successfully complete three in-person and three online courses, totaling 16 credits.

Courses are:

MFG-106: Workplace Safety (Online).

WEL-361: Virtual Reality (VR) Welding (In-person).

WEL-362: Welding Fundamentals (Online).

WEL-363: Welding Discontinuities (Online).

WEL-364: Gas Metal Arc Welding (In-person).

WEL-365: Flux Core Arc Welding & Metal Cutting (In-person).

All in-person classes will take place in the mornings, with lab time open for students in the afternoons.

"There is a high demand for skilled welders in eastern Iowa, and this program is a great opportunity for individuals to gain the necessary skills and enter the workforce quickly," EICC welding instructor Megan Edens said in the release.

Iowa residents can also take advantage of Iowas Last Dollar Scholarship, which covers tuition costs for more than 30 career programs, including welding. To do this, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the state will cover their remaining balanceeven if a student receives no federal or state aid.

For more information or to register, visit eicc.edu/welding.

For additional questions about the summer welding certificate, contact EICC academic adviser Kasey Fisher at 563-441-4388 or kcfisher@eicc.edu.

Photos: EICC students compete in inaugural welding competition
State, city and county inspectors have cited Iowa restaurants and stores for hundreds of food-safety violations during the past four weeks, including dead rodents, moldy cheese, and six-week-old hotdogs.

The findings are reported by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals, which handles food-establishment inspections at the state level. Listed below are some of the more serious findings that stem from inspections at Iowa restaurants, stores, schools, hospitals and other businesses over the past four weeks.

The state inspections department reminds the public that their reports are a snapshot in time, and violations are often corrected on the spot before the inspector leaves the establishment. For a more complete list of all inspections, along with additional details on each of the inspections listed below, visit the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals website.

China House of Gao, 2916 E. University Ave., Des Moines  During a March 17 visit, a state inspector cited the restaurant for 14 violations, an unusually high number. Among the issues: The person in charge was not a certified food protection manager; the person in charge was not fulfilling their duties as evidenced by the number and severity of the violations; raw chicken was stored above cream cheese and ready-to-eat noodles, risking cross-contamination; and containers of pork eggroll, fried chicken and crab Rangoon were all stored at 55 to 62 degrees, which was far too warm to ensure their safety.

The inspector also found that were no food items anywhere in the establishment that had been marked with their preparation or opening dates  including cooked noodles, cooked chicken, cooked shrimp and fried chicken.

In addition, plastic food containers were not adequately washed and had food debris on them after being cleaned; food-contact surfaces, equipment and utensils were not being sanitized; staff access to the handwashing sink was blocked by multiple objects; bottles of bleach and maintenance tools were stored directly above bins of flour, sugar and salt; and multiple foods  including crab Rangoon, fried chicken, eggrolls, raw chicken, raw fish, cream cheese and raw eggs  were stored throughout the kitchen without any form of temperature control to maintain their safety.

Also, a dead rodent was found behind the main cook line, and rodent droppings were seen behind the kitchens freezer chest and on the lid to a container of soy sauce. In addition, a bag of onions was stored directly on the floor, close to a collection of rodent droppings; the dry-storage shelf in the kitchen and a platform holding bulk containers of food ingredients were soiled with rodent droppings; and the floors were soiled with accumulated debris.

The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint pertaining to rodent activity. The inspector deemed the complaint to be verified. According to state records, the restaurant was last inspected in 2018.

Hawkeye Convenience Store, 250 16th Ave. SW, Cedar Rapids  During an April 13 visit, an inspector cited the store for nine violations, an unusually high number for a convenience store. Some of the inspectors typed report is indecipherable, however, alluding to violations such as open bag of mashed potatoes into date marked and small cups to go with cheese or mashed potato in hot holding unit. The inspectors report indicates workers were not using sanitizer and were multitasking without changing their gloves. The inspector also noted that all of the equipment  including refrigerators, the food-prep table and the fryers  were marred by food debris and dust.

Wellmans Pub, 2920 Ingersoll Ave., Des Moines  During a March 20 visit, an inspector cited the establishment for 10 violations, including a failure to ensure the persons in charge were certified food protection managers. The inspector also reported that the people in charge were not fulfilling their duties as evidenced by the number of violations found.

Among the issues: Raw chicken and raw ground beef were stored directly over cooked chicken; the reach-in cooler was holding food at 47.5 degrees rather than 41 degrees or colder, which led to cut tomatoes, deli meat, chicken wings, various cheeses and several raw meats being discarded; and the restaurant appeared to have no date-marking procedures in place to ensure that food was fresh and safe to eat.

Also, hamburgers, cut tomatoes, cooked chicken, cooked pasta and cooked beef were not labeled with any preparation or expiration dates, and parmesan sauce dated March 2  a full 18 days before the inspection  was found in one cooler.

In addition, the interior of the ice machine had a build-up food debris and mold; salmon in vacuum-sealed packaging was being improperly thawed inside the packaging; food items such as ranch dressing and other condiments were stored directly on the floor; a soda gun holster was visibly soiled with what appeared to be mold or food debris; and there was a buildup of food debris and grease on the floor and walls.

Stoney Point Meadows Assisted Living, 1900 Stoney Point Road, Cedar Rapids  During an April 13 visit, an inspector cited the home for milk that was holding at 47 degrees and had to be discarded; a lack of any date markings on the raw chicken and shrimp, which had to be discarded; hotdogs that were dated Feb. 25  a full six weeks prior to the inspection, and raw chicken and chopped potatoes that were dated April 5, which was beyond the seven-day limit.

The citations also included the lack of any temperature logs or written procedures for the safe use of food products in the salad bar; the lack of thermometers in three different coolers; and the lack of hair restraints for the kitchen staff. The inspector noted the assisted-living facility serves food to a highly susceptible population.

Boulder Tap House, 4444 1st Ave., Cedar Rapids  During an April 12 visit, an inspector observed an employee handling raw meat without washing their hands afterward. In addition, chicken wings were being cooked using an unapproved, non-continuous procedure, and a steam table was holding food products around 85 to 95 degrees, which was far too cool to ensure safety.

Also, several food items  including sauces, lettuce and tomatoes  were not date marked, creating additional risk for consumers; and some food items had date markings indicating they had been held for more than the maximum seven days.

Fiesta Brava, 2650 Iowa Ave., Onawa  During an April 12 visit, an inspector noted there was no certified food protection manager on staff. Also, there were six large pans of refried beans cooked the previous day that were holding inside a cooler at 44 to 52 degrees  all of which had to be discarded, as they had been held at an unsafe temperature for too long.

The inspector also found queso in a food warmer that was holding at 115 degrees and enchilada sauce holding at 116 degrees  too cool to ensure their safety. The restaurant also had no system in place for the date marking of food to ensure it was still fresh and safe.

The inspector also noted what appeared to be a black, mold-like substance on the inside of the ice machine, and reported that there was no handwashing soap at the sinks in the kitchen area and behind the bar.

Facility is heavily soiled with grease and dried food debris ... Tables in dining room are soiled.

 Inspector's report on KFC in Cedar Falls

The Iowa Chop House, 223 E. Washington St., Iowa City  During an April 11 visit, an inspector noted that raw bacon was stored over ready-to-eat lettuce inside a cooler; the food-preparation cooler on the main cook line was holding food items at 53 degrees, which was above the 41-degree maximum; and multiple food items made or sliced on the premises had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety. In addition, there were multiple house-made sauces on hand that had been held past the maximum of seven days and had to be discarded.

KFC, 6104 University Ave., Cedar Falls  During an April 11 visit, an inspector reported that employees did not wash their hands after washing dishes before returning to food preparation. In addition, one of the handwashing sinks could not produce hot water that reached at least 100 degrees; two of the handwashing sinks had no soap; chicken stored inside the walk-in coolers were left uncovered; there was heavy soiling and a buildup of flour on the food-preparation equipment; and the door of the walk-in cooler was soiled with dried chicken breading.

Also, the trays that were used to hold defrosting chicken were contaminated with a yellow, slime-like buildup of some kind; the metal racks in the kitchen had a buildup of food debris and grease on them; the fixtures in the bathroom were dirty; and the restaurant had not posted its most recent inspection report.

The visit was in response to a non-illness complaint concerning general facility sanitation. Facility is heavily soiled with grease and dried food debris, the inspector wrote in verifying the complaint. Tables in dining room are soiled.

Metro High School Cafeteria, 1212 7th St., Cedar Rapids  During an April 11 visit, an inspector cited the school for having no certified food protection manager on staff. In addition, the inspector noted there were no sneeze-guards in place on the serving line to prevent contamination from students being served, and the ham and cheese sandwiches and cut melons were not being stored at 41 degrees or colder and were measured at 57 degrees.

The cold-holding unit had been inoperable for years, according to the inspector. The cafeteria also failed to maintain written procedures for keeping food within mandatory temperature ranges.

Sauced Up, 16718 Highway 92, Indianola  During an April 11 visit, an inspector cited the business for red sauce that was stored in a cheese container and had what appeared to be mold on the surface of it. The sauce was discarded. Also, raw eggs were being stored over whole fruit, risking cross-contamination; Italian sausage that was dated April 3 was still on hand, as was milk that had expired seven days prior on April 4.

In addition, an apple slicer that was stored on the clean-utensil shelf had a buildup of dried food debris on it; cooked sauces and meatballs inside the kitchens walk-in cooler lacked the proper labeling; a skillet, a vacuum-sealing packaging machine for food and the handwashing sink were all marred by a buildup of dried food debris; and a cigar was lying on the food-preparation table.

Supermarket Villachuato, 107 N. Center St., Marshalltown  During an April 11 visit, an inspector cited the establishment for storing raw eggs above ready-to-eat cheeses and meats, risking cross-contamination; for storing raw chicken, raw beef and an open package of raw shrimp in the same drawer; for storing cut cilantro in cardboard boxes that previously were used to hold raw pork and beef; and for storing bulk bakery ingredients, beans, and dried peppers throughout the facility in open bags, risking contamination.

The supermarket was also cited for storing bags and boxes of onions, beans, chilies, and produce directly on the floor throughout the store; for keeping raw meats, cut vegetables, and bakery doughs uncovered in the walk-in coolers, risking contamination; and for reheating rice to 118 degrees  rather than 165 degrees or hotter  and then placing it on a steam table.

In addition, the inspector found house-made chorizo that was held beyond the maximum of seven days; there were bags of cooked meats in the freezer that had no date markings to ensure freshness and safety.

The inspector also reported the dishwasher had no sanitizing solution in it and wasnt sanitizing any equipment or utensils; the vegetable dicers had dried food debris on the blades and surfaces; the large mixer in the bakery area had dried food debris in the bowl and other surfaces; the cutting boards in the meat department had dried food debris on them; and a cardboard box that was soiled with dried debris was stored directly on the cutting board surface.

Also, the handwashing sink in the meat department did not produce any hot water; cut onions were stored in a bucket that had previously held detergent; and food items that were packaged in-house  such as salsas, tortillas, cakes, ice cream novelties, and gelatin products  were not labeled as to any of their ingredients, preparation dates, allergens, or store information.

The visit was in response to an illness complaint pertaining to food that had been catered by the establishment. The inspector ruled the complaint was unverified.

Hy-Vee Foods, 1501 E. 1st Ave., Newton  During a March 31 visit, an inspector cited the establishment for several violations related to sushi preparation. According to the inspector, an employee was observed assembling sushi rolls with ready-to-eat ingredients, then assembling raw sushi rolls, and then assembling more rolls with ready-to-eat ingredients  all without changing gloves or utensils. The store agreed to dispose of the sushi rolls that were prepared after the raw ingredients were handled.

In addition, the inspector noted that the sushi-preparation worker did not follow the required Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point plan for pH testing of sushi ingredients, and the store lacked any documentation to show the worker had received training on the HACCP plan and any variances.

Elm Street Grill, 1800 S. Elm St., Shenandoah  During a March 29 visit, an inspector cited the restaurant for failing to have a certified food protection manager on staff; for workers handling sliced cheese and shredded cheese with their bare hands; for workers handling raw meat and then ready-to-eat food items without washing their hands in between; and for an ice machine that was heavily soiled with a mold-like substance.

La Herradura Mexican Grill, 540 N. Cody Road, Le Claire  During a March 29 visit, an inspector cited the restaurant for storing raw ground beef patties above an open container of cooked baked beans, risking cross-contamination; for storing raw fish above green peppers inside a cooler; for placing queso in a steam table without first heating it to 165 degrees to ensure safety, and for storing sour cream and salsa at temperatures of 45 to 50 degrees rather than 41 degrees or colder.

The inspector also cited the restaurant for food strainers, a metal pan and a plate that were all stored with clean dishes but had leftover food debris adhered to them, and for a dishwashing machine that was not sanitizing dishes or utensils. The inspector also noted that two large containers of salsa and guacamole were stored on the floor in the back of the kitchen and that the area underneath the grill had a buildup of grease, food debris and trash.

Simpson College, Pfeiffer Hall, 701 N. C St., Indianola  During a March 27 visit, an inspector observed workers washing soiled dishes and then putting away clean dishes without washing their hands between tasks. Also, the shredded cheddar cheese in the reach-in cooler and on the burger-preparation line was adulterated by visible mold throughout.

In addition, meatball lasagna in the hot-holding table was measured at just 127 degrees after coming directly from the oven. The manager agreed to put the lasagna back in the oven and reheat it to at least 165 degrees. Also, several cold items, such as yogurt and pasta salad, were measured at 45 degrees rather than 41 degrees or colder.

Tacos Villanueva, 2423 E. 14th St., Des Moines  During a March 24 visit, an inspector noted that not all of the employees designated as the person in charge were certified food protection managers. The inspector also reported that food employees did not wash their hands before working with food or after touching a garbage can.

Also, several food items  such as cooked chorizo, cooked chicken, refried beans, shredded beef, and cooked onions and peppers  were being held at temperatures that fell outside the acceptable range for food safety and had to be discarded. The inspector also reported finding shredded cheese that was stored at 76 degrees and had to be discarded and noted that multiple foods were stored without any means for temperature control. The restaurant was last inspected in 2019.

Sunset Family Restaurant, 1202 W. Main St., Manchester  During a March 21 visit, an inspector noted there were multiple foods on hand  such as cooked meatloaf, lasagna, pancake and waffle batter  that were not date marked to ensure their freshness and safety.

The inspector also observed workers moving from handling raw, precooked foods to ready-to-eat foods without washing their hands between tasks. One employee handled dirty dishes and then put clean dishes away while wearing the same dirty gloves. The inspector also found taco meat in one cooler that had a date mark of March 10  11 days prior to the inspection  and had to be discarded.

In addition, a food slicer that was last used the day before had visible food debris adhered to it, indicating it had not been cleaned since that time. Also, an employee was using a visibly soiled towel to soak up oil in a pan that he was using to cook eggs, with the soiled towel coming into direct contact with the eggs.

The inspector reported that a gallon can on the kitchen counter was being used to store gravy that was measured at 67 degrees and had to be discarded; eggs were being stored at room temperature during breakfast and lunch service; and there was no thermometer on hand to take the temperature of food.

The floors and walls surrounding the kitchen equipment have a visible amount of debris and grease accumulation, the inspector reported.
As the remaining embers from his campfire died away, a young Ron Dyvigs gaze followed their ascent up to the night sky. There, illuminated against the backdrop of the glittering cosmos, his scoutmaster pointed out Mars.

As he watched the red planet floating in space millions of miles away, a lifelong love for astronomy was born. That love propelled him into an astronomical research career, the founding of an observatory in a small western South Dakota town, and a life of achievement including multiple near-Earth object discoveries.

Decades later, he still works alongside his partner, Teresa Hofer, at their observatory in Quinn.

In the beginning

Born in California, Dyvigs parents moved to Deadwood after World War II, when he was just an infant. He considers South Dakota his home state.

Alongside his encounter with Mars, Dyvig grew up amid the space race and the kitschy science-fiction movies of the 40s and 50s.

I had an older brother that was involved in the early days of the missile program down at White Sands, New Mexico, firing off rockets and stuff like that, Dyvig said. He was motivated in science and math and he helped get me started in that type of stuff.

For the first two decades of his life, Dyvig was self-taught in optics, astronomy and telescope-making. After graduating from Deadwood High School, he went on to the School of Mines and graduated from Black Hills State before spending a few years as a science and math teacher.

Dyvig spent five years at the University of Arizona doing research in optical sciences and astronomy, getting the chance to observe the advanced facilities at Kitt Peak National Observatory and helping design and test camera systems for the Steward Observatory.

I kind of decided that someday I wanted to put up my own private facility and perhaps do some private-type research that I might be able to collaborate with the astronomical community on, he said.

One small town, one giant leap

On May 27, 2000, in the prairie town of Quinn, population 63, he opened a window to the cosmos.

The flagship telescopes first operation marked the end of a multi-year journey tinged with tragedy.

Located just north of Interstate 90, Quinn was founded in 1907.

The Quinn hospital opened in 1950 and operated for nearly 20 years, then sat abandoned among the windswept hills. Dyvig purchased it in 1996. Construction began in the summer of 1998. He removed part of the roof and added a second floor platform for the telescope.

But a fire ripped through the old hospital in December of that year, nearly bringing an end to Dyvigs dream.

I pretty much said, OK, thats it, Im done, he said. Friends of mine from Rapid City  most of them were also members of the Black Hills Astronomical Society that I had acquainted [with] over the years  they refused to let this project die, and they made countless trips down here and contributions to get this resurrected.

The west wing of the hospital, which housed the dome and telescope mirror, was spared from the inferno. Dyvig had intended on a more grandiose observatory than what came to be though. The fire left behind a 2,500-square-foot concrete foundation, which now functions as a spacious observation deck for visitors.

Regardless, he said, without those friends, the Badlands Observatory would not have materialized.

Quinns town council and West River Electric agreed to retrofit the streetlights with corrective shades to prevent light pollution and interference with the telescope, solidifying Dyvigs decision to put a state-of-the-art piece of technology in a town with no stoplights.

Gravity

Teresa Hofer had never looked through a telescope when she arrived in Quinn one evening in 2001.

An East Coast transplant, Hofer made the Black Hills her home in the 1980s and worked as an accountant. She met Ron Dyvig through a mutual friend, a former student of his who had casually mentioned his research.

The prospect of astronomical research in an old abandoned building in the middle of nowhere was just too interesting for Hofer to forget, so she called him up and asked to come check it out.

I was questioning in my mind, Wow, do you think I might actually get to look through that telescope? No, I can't ask him. That's too bold...that would be, you know, that would be really presumptuous of me to think that, she chuckled.

Little did she know, Dyvig had Saturn pulled up in the telescope ready to show her.

Theyve been together ever since.

Dyvig shared his passion for astronomy, which developed Hofers love and talent for astrophotography. After being a private research station for many years, Dyvig and Hofer moved to Quinn full-time and opened the observatory for public tours in 2021.

Last summer, we welcomed visitors from 25 states and three countries, and the feedback that we get from people that come out because of our skies and because of the things that they get to see that they never thought they would  just like me looking at Saturn many, many years ago  it's just really really enjoyable to see that happen for other people, Hofer said. Were enjoying what we're doing very much.

Observatory

Badlands Observatorys main instrument is a 26-inch Newtonian reflector telescope of Dyvigs own creation. It's primarily used for imaging. Dyvig crafted the telescope's lens himself, and designed the tools needed to test its intricate shape.

The Brobdingnagian array of components sit perched atop a 12,000 pound concrete pillar that runs through the center of the building. The platform distributes the weight across the foundation. A small gap in the floor rings the pillar, keeping the lens steady while people walk about on the second-floor platform.

Overhead, the dome encapsulates the telescope, able to rotate to track celestial objects and close to protect sensitive equipment from severe weather.

The scope can be operated remotely, and has allowed scientists from as far away as India to use the telescope for research.

The observatory can also be used by day.

Dyvig identified a long tube gracing the length of the equipment as a dedicated solar telescope. The cylinder is capped with an energy rejection filter to balance the temperature. Through it an observer can see the suns fiery disc emanating puffs of burning gas.

Hydrogen eruptions, Dyvig explained, each multiple times the height of the earth.

Those flame-like structures, those are called solar prominences, and they're really the plasma that's released from thermonuclear reactions on the sun, he said. The only way you can see those is to view them in a very narrow frequency of light that requires a dedicated filter tuned to the frequency.

The earth is moving into a solar maximum period set to peak around 2025, Hofer explained, part of an 11-year cycle of activity that scientists are still figuring out. It explains the recent frequency and intensity of the aurora borealis.

Increasing solar activity brings the potential for interference, an eventuality that concerns Dyvig and a number of others in the astronomical community. Super flares threaten infrastructure, he explained, referencing the Carrington Event of 1859, the most intense geomagnetic storm in recorded history.

If we had a similar flare now like that, it would probably bring down the entire power grid of the United States probably for months, if not years, Dyvig warned. The government has not prepared for taking corrective action in a case of a flare like that, and it's very unfortunate. It's like the asteroids  it's not a matter of whether it's going to happen again, it's a matter of when.

Not an existential-type threat, he clarified, but a significantly inconvenient one.

One corner inside the observatory holds ham radio equipment and a wide computer monitor loaded with sophisticated software.

The radio equipment is a relic from the early days of communication between observatories, and Dyvigs channel is still actively licensed. Astronomers also used to communicate via Morse code, so tradition-loving Dyvig keeps a vintage telegraph key  this particular one used in a B-17 during WWII  on his desk.

It operates, and he still knows Morse code.

Next to the vintage dials sits the computer that operates Badlands Observatorys main telescope and the satellite dish out front.

The Observatory is expanding its research into radio astronomy, which allows scientists to map and study phenomena outside the spectrum of visible light.

Dyvig explained the Milky Way radiates hydrogen at a specific frequency allowing observations further into space than visible light allows.

As the earth rotates, the Milky Way will rotate around and actually go right in front of our radio. When that happens, we will be able to see a stronger hydrogen signal. That's actually the radiation from the Milky Way galaxy, he said, pointing out a faintly opaque strip of orange on the computer screen.

Theres a multitude of reasons to pursue radio astronomy. Part of why Badlands does it, according to Dyvig, is to educate visitors about the wonders of the universe.

Those frequencies can also observe supernovas and other astrophysical phenomena that cant be done in the visual spectrum.

S.E.T.I.

Radio astronomy also has another alluring application  listening for extraterrestrial communication.

A narrow band of frequencies called the "stellar watering hole" exist in a quiet part of the radio spectrum surrounding the most well-known radio source in the universe  the emission of hydrogen.

It's speculated that any advanced civilization that has the ability to build radio telescopes probably knows about this, and it's a logical place to either look for other signals, or to send a signal if you're wanting to communicate with somebody else, Dyvig explained.

Theyre hoping to one day collaborate with SETI  the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence  and connect with a network of other observers who monitor these frequencies for other-worldly signals.

Part of the renewed interest in the search for extraterrestrial life is new research into exoplanets. Dyvig and Hofer hope their intern, a senior at Sturgis Brown High School, will be a part of their exoplanet survey.

The topic of aliens and extraterrestrial life was once common discussion in the scientific community and partly responsible for why some astronomers took an interest in the field at an early age, Dyvig said. For decades, flying saucers and extraterrestrial intelligence was considered fringe, but he believes its now becoming mainstream again.

Dyvig likes the mathematical odds, but agrees with astronomer Carl Sagan that extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof  something were still waiting on.

He also said, If its just us, [it] seems like an awful waste of space, Dyvig joked.

Asteroid No. 26715

Dyvig is credited with the discovery of 25 main belt asteroids, including one  Asteroid Number 26715  affectionately named South Dakota.

Hes participated in NASAs Spaceguard program, which tracks near-earth objects, as well as provided ground-based astrometric observations for NASA/JPLs Stardust and Deep Impact missions.

Other international research credit comes from participation in the Binary Asteroid Survey Program with Dr. Petr Pravec at the Andrejov Observatory in the Czech Republic. In collaboration with Dr. Vishnu Reddy at the University of North Dakota, Dyvig helped map rotational light curves on main belt asteroids, leading to credit for finding three astroidal moons.

In addition, dozens of publications  from international scientific research to local high school science fair projects  name the Badlands Observatory in their work.

This gentleman, Hofer said gesturing to a display, Peter Schemmel, was [from] Brandon Valley High School, and he actually found a supernova by participating in a program that Ron had designed for finding supernovas. He went on to become a NASA scientist and he's at Goddard Space Center now.

Dazzling dynamic display

The Lyrid meteor shower will light up skies in the northern hemisphere this weekend, with rough predictions of 15 to 20 meteors per hour overnight Friday and Saturday.

Meteor showers, according to Dyvig, are related to comets, which travel on long, elliptical orbits around the sun. These dirty snowballs of ice and debris are frozen the further they get from the sun, but as they return, they heat up  causing ice and dust to break off  resulting in their spectacular tails.

As these comets round the sun  thousands or millions of times over the eons  throughout their orbit, you get this dust scattered, Dyvig said. Some of these comets have orbits that happen to intersect [with earth]  so its going to pick up some of this dust in a certain part of the sky every year.

The comet whose particulate causes the Lyrid shower is called Thatcher, first observed by astronomers in April 1861. Thatcher takes 415 years to orbit the sun, meaning it isnt expected back until 2278  but the Lyrids will be here every April.

The Lyrids shower seems to have a higher percentage of fireballs. These are brighter ones that may actually break into pieces as they burn up, Dyvig said.

While the Observatory is closed for a private event this weekend, there's still plenty of open sky to find a place and watch the show.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) is forecasting mostly clear skies for western South Dakota Saturday night. Coupled with a new moon, conditions are optimal for observing the shower.

To find the constellation Lyra, look to the northeast late evening until dawn. Lyra has a distinct parallelogram shape, with a vivid Vega marking the top.

Vega is the fifth-brightest star in the night sky.

Although they can appear anywhere in the sky, meteors from the Lyrid shower will emanate from the point just above and to the right of Vega.

Some of them you'll see very close to the radiant point, but others you may not actually see until they get long ways away, Dyvig said. If you were to trace their path back, they would go through that point.

For those looking to photograph the show, Hofer recommends taking lots of shots with long exposures and a high ISO  and make sure to use a tripod.

Its a test of vigilance and patience.

"Have your field set as wide as you canunfortunately, a lot of times you'll see one and you go, Wow, that was a fireball; that was a beauty, and then you realize your camera didn't get it in the field.

Hofers patience and skill is obvious from her incredible capture of the comet NEOWISE reflected in Bear Butte Lake to stunning auroras over the Cheyenne River.

Starstuff

With each new orbit around the sun, Dyvig and Hofer contemplate the future of the Badlands Observatory and the legacy theyll leave behind.

Dyvig, despite a lifetime of achievements, flashes a humble smile and head shake when asked how he feels about inspiring the next generation of astronomers.

If I've helped inspire a few young people and a few things the way I was inspired, fine, but really, I have people that went before me to give credit to, he said.

One of those people is Hofer, whose involvement added 20 years to the longevity of the project, Dyvig said. Astronomy is a lonely endeavor and her contributions made all the difference.

Looking up into the night sky  like Dyvig all those decades ago  new visitors to the Observatory often discover a passion for the immenseness of our heavens.

Perhaps thats why were so starstruck, because, like Carl Sagan said, we too are made of starstuff.
Louisiana officers visited Rapid City for a three-day training course that they hope will create lasting change around the country.

The course was offered by a South Dakota company focused on improving police procedure and the reputation of U.S. law enforcement.

During their decades in law enforcement, three Louisiana officers from the Village of Tangipahoa Police Department have witnessed constant abuse of power and the disrespecting of citizens' rights by their fellow officers. Similar to departments across the country, this has fueled fear, mistrust and resentment of law enforcement by the community.

Recognizing required training and precinct culture continually fail to deter misconduct, the Department of Justice is motivated to find a solution, according to Village of Tangipahoa Police Officer Vincent Jemison. To change policing procedure, the DOJ wanted an innovative new training course that would address issues of accountability, recognizing abuse of power and unequal treatment of citizens.

After applying, their Louisiana parish was chosen for a grant that would make them the test subjects for the new training. The idea is to implement it in a small municipality where effects on the community can be more clearly observed. If it is found to be effective, and relations between police and the community improved, the training would be dispersed nationwide with DOJ backing.

Jemison and two other Tangipahoa officers, Darcey Garrett and Chief Darrell Martin, researched and chose a course from one of seven DOJ-vetted companies that offer training to curtail police officers' misconduct.

After tirelessly searching, they found a course that stood out from the rest offered by Premier Police Training, a South Dakota-based company.

Jemison said they chose the company because of its focus on officers' duty to intervene, which outlines regulations that require an officer who witnesses misconduct or excessive use of force by another officer to interrupt or face consequences. Officers have a duty to intervene if any constitutional right violation is occurring in their presence, according to Don McCrae, who founded the law enforcement training company.

McCrae has extensive law enforcement experience in South Dakota. He worked as a police officer in Faith, deputy in Meade County, supervising officer in Pierre for 30 years, staff instructor of the Basic Law Enforcement Academy in Pierre and deputy sheriff in Brookings. Still a certified South Dakota peace officer, McCrae also offers a law enforcement degree program at South Dakota State University.

According to Martin, the DOJ wanted the officers to get out of the community where they live and work to get them out of their comfort zone and get new perspectives. With some input from McCrae, the DOJ chose to host the training in Rapid City.

"I've never been to South Dakota, and you have really nice town here," McCrae said. "The folks here have treated us so nicely and the mountains are gorgeous. You have some good food here too and that means something because we're sticklers about our food now."

Though the men enjoyed their time in the Black Hills, they were intently focused their three-day course. According to McCrae and the three Louisiana officers, officer-induced escalation is the cause of a vast majority of lawsuits brought against officers and agencies today. It often ends with officers losing their job or massive payouts to victims. According to data collected by the Washington Post, the nations 25 largest police and sheriffs departments documented more than $3.2 billion spent to settle claims within the past decade.

McCrae believes the widespread police misconduct in the U.S. is partly due to officers abusing their power, but also due to their misunderstanding of laws regarding the use of force and search and seizure.

For the last seven years, McCrae has delivered Premier Police Training courses to better inform officers of these laws to city, tribal, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies all over the country. According to Jemison, they also chose the course because it is the only one in the nation to offer training regarding police-induced non-escalation.

Non-escalation, dissimilar to de-escalation, is focused on the prevention of officers from making matters worse. It is a proactive policing approach, contrary to de-escalation, to ensure officers are not antagonizing or agitating citizens during an interaction.

This seemingly simple idea was completely new to Martin, who has been in law enforcement for 33 years.

I have never had a class like this. I even go to chief of police training three times a year, Martin said. It upsets me the way I see my officers treat people, and so this training in much needed in Louisiana and in the United States of America to train officers to do the job they are supposed to do.

The Advancing Community Policing and Procedural Justice course the three officers took in Rapid City is a train-the-trainer course, which means the three officers intend to share what they learned to other departments in their area. According to Jemison, the training could be a revolutionary change to policing in their small community and more.

It's time for change, and we could be a nucleus for change to other large departments, because we're going to take this training back to Louisiana and implement in in our tight knit community," Jemison said. "If we can show the impact these ideas can have on a small community, the DOJ will take notice. That is how we can change the nation."

Work to more broadly implement the training is already underway, according to Jemison. In August, Louisiana State Police, representatives from the governor's office and chiefs of police across the state will take the Premier Police Training course together.

Alicia Briggs, the Village of Tangipahoa Clerk who has worked closely with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards to host the event, said Edwards is excited for the upcoming training and the impacts the new policing strategies can have statewide.

"Any officers in the state who want to attend can come, so it's going to be a pretty big deal," Briggs said. "The governor is excited, because there aren't many organizations that are actually doing this type of training. We're grateful to the Department of Justice to help us do it on this scale."

During his time at the Faith Police Department, McCrae's regional office was located in Rapid City, where he spent a lot of time. He still favors the area and said it makes perfect sense as a location to hold the class.

"We want to take the training to a much higher level to impact law enforcement on a national basis, and that's what these gentlemen are attempting to do," McCrae said. "Whether it's successful or not, Rapid City people should be excited they were selected to host this training. Maybe we find this training is really needed in the profession and Rapid City was the epicenter of where it all started."

The class Jemison, Garrett and Martin attended was not offered to any other departments, and Rapid City officers and Sheriff's Department personnel were not given the choice to attend.

Police-induced non-escalation is not backed by many police departments in the U.S., but McCrae hopes to have Rapid City law enforcement participate in future coursework.
WEST YELLOWSTONE  A lone bison walked north on a snowmobile path last Tuesday, parallel to U.S. Highway 191. It crossed the Madison River on a Jeep trail bridge about 4 miles outside of town, then maneuvered down a steep snow berm onto the road.

The bison lumbered north toward oncoming cars and semi trucks, loosely following the median strip. Vehicles slowed to a near-halt, swerved around the animal and sped back up.

At the turn of spring, a wall of snow still lined the roads around West Yellowstone. Hundreds of bison from the parks central herd were about to migrate toward their calving grounds at the Horse Butte.

To get there, the animals first have to navigate Highway 191. Usually they follow river corridors, but advocates fear that an unusually robust snowpack could funnel the bison onto the highway and into traffic this spring, said Mike Mease, co-founder of Buffalo Field Campaign.

Due to their dark brown color, bison dont reflect light very well when its dark, he said. To entice them away from the road, particularly at night, volunteers have worked with the Montana Department of Transportation to dig deep canals in the snow.

Plows poked holes in snow berms, outside of guardrails. Then the volunteers arrived with pickaxes and shovels. They cut deep channels in the snow  pathways that they hoped would draw the massive animals toward grass along waterways and away from traffic, Mease said.

If youre going down Highway 191 anytime this spring, please slow down. Go real slow at night, he said. Were going to try and have signs and everything to do what we can to warn people, but just to know that in this area at this time of year, it can be treacherous.

This snow year has already been tragic for bison in Yellowstone National Park, Mease said. More than a quarter of the parks bison population was culled outside of its boundaries, mostly through legal hunts coordinated by multiple tribal nations and the state of Montana.

An interagency report showed that hunters had killed 1,139 of the animals by March 31. Another 374 bison were removed from the population as part of efforts to protect Montana cattle from brucellosis  a disease that many Yellowstone bison have been exposed to.

The bulk of this winters losses were concentrated in hunts north of Yellowstone, but an additional 20 bison were killed in vehicle collisions along a 7-mile stretch of Highway 191, just north of West Yellowstone, counts from Buffalo Field Campaign indicated.

In December, a semi truck struck a group of bison in the evening, at approximately the same location where the lone bison walked last Tuesday. The driver survived the wreck, but the accident killed 13 of the animals at once.

The year has been so tragic, and we cant really afford to have many more of the central herd taken this year, Mease said. Anything we can do to help them is the honor of my life. He added that with winter kill, more losses will be revealed.

The canals in the snow are a short-term solution meant to protect migrating bison and travelers along Highway 191, but nonprofit organizations, biologists, road ecologists, agency officials and other advocates are also looking toward longer-term solutions.

Following the wreck that left 13 bison dead last year, Buffalo Field Campaign organized a Change.org petition advocating for a wildlife bridge at the Madison River crossing. The petition has since garnered close to 73,000 signatures.

While that effort gains steam, experts are identifying areas along Highway 191 that could benefit from crossings and other wildlife accommodations. They are poised to release a detailed report this spring. A similar assessment is underway on U.S. Highway 89 from Livingston to Gardiner.

As progress is made locally, Montana officials and their nonprofit partners are looking toward solutions at the state level. Theyve introduced two new tools, meant to streamline the process for getting wildlife crossings built.

Those accomplishments coincided with a new federal Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program, approved through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. States can begin to apply for grants to fund the construction of wildlife crossings from an initial pool of $112 million.

Rob Ament, road ecology program manager at Montana State Universitys Western Transportation Institute, said some money is always available for wildlife crossings through various transportation programs, but the new federal pilot program is a standalone.

Its dedicated just to wildlife crossings. That has never been done before at the federal level, he said. I believe its a landmark conservation program for transportation. And its a pilot, but easily, with its popularity, I believe it could be institutionalized in the next transportation act.



Montana is ranked second among states where drivers run the highest risk of hitting wildlife, statistics from State Farm Insurance show. Here, 10% of all reported crashes are with wildlife. The rates are elevated on Highway 191, where about a quarter of all crashes are with wildlife.

Economists calculated that between 2008 and 2017, vehicle collisions with deer, elk and moose in Montana amounted to an estimated $87 million in associated costs, annually. An average of about four people are killed in collisions with animals in the state every year, Ament said.

Back in March, Ament and other experts with the Western Transportation Institute released more than a dozen new reports investigating the costs and benefits of building wildlife crossing structures as a part of a broader multi-state and Canadian research initiative.

Experts tested animal detection systems, various forms of signage and other technologies, but one of the reports indicated that crossings to separate animals from traffic are the most consistently effective mechanism for reducing wildlife-vehicle collisions, Ament said.

Assuming the structures are designed well, combined with at least a mile of exclusionary fencing and constructed in the right locations, overpasses and underpasses can reduce vehicle collisions with wildlife by 85% or more, according to Ament. They typically last around 75 years.

Small mammals can benefit from crossings that are designed for larger animals, especially if the structures are fit with features that can improve hiding cover, he added. Options for smaller, relatively inexpensive crossings for animals like salamanders and rodents also exist.

The catch is that large wildlife crossings are expensive, costing anywhere from $200,000 to upward of $7 million, depending on the size and model. While the up-front costs are high, the reduction in collisions can make the investment worth it, according to Ament.

Where crossings are placed along a road corridor is key, and it takes finer-scale assessments to identify effective locations. For several years, road ecologists, biologists and other experts have been collecting data and analyzing various possibilities for projects on Highway 191.

Road ecologist Liz Fairbank with the Center for Large Landscape Conservation is among those working on the Highway 191 Wildlife and Transportation Assessment, which will inform decision-making for wildlife accommodations along that road corridor.

Private entities  the Big Sky Resort Tax District, Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, Moonlight Community Foundation and Volgenau Foundation  are funding the assessment, which will culminate in a final report this spring.

Federal, state and local agencies are advising the effort, and while results arent public yet, they demonstrate that different sections of the highway are important for different reasons, Fairbank said.

Theyve shown that wildlife-vehicle collisions are particularly frequent between Four Corners and the mouth of Gallatin Canyon. But theyve also revealed that certain zones with fewer crashes are critical for wildlife movement, including some highway segments south of Big Sky.

Its really about, Where is the road a barrier? Where are we having collisions with wildlife? Where is it important that we maintain connectivity, given the rapid pace of growth and development in the area? Fairbank said.

Momentum to accommodate animals on Highway 191 is growing, but all north-south highways in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem have very high rates of wildlife vehicle-collisions. As one fine-scale assessment in the region wraps up, another is taking off.

Yellowstone Safe Passages, led by liaison Daniel Anderson, has amassed the funding to assess possibilities around installing similar infrastructure on the 55-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 89 between Livingston and Gardiner.

The loose coalition of conservation groups banded together in 2020 to raise awareness about wildlife-vehicle collisions on the route, and theyve since partnered with philanthropists, local landowners, agency officials and others to come up with solutions.

A team of road ecologists and other experts will work to pinpoint wildlife-vehicle collision hotspots and identify ideal locations for overpasses, culverts and other projects. Anderson expects the information-gathering process could wrap up by early fall.

Once thats done, Yellowstone Safe Passages could submit applications through a new program from the Montana Wildlife and Transportation Partnership  a statewide coalition led by experts from MDT, Montana FWP, and Montanans for Safe Wildlife Passage.



MDT, FWP and the coalition of conservation organizations banded together to address wildlife-vehicle collisions after a Montana Wildlife and Transportation Summit was held in Helena back in 2018.

In the years after the summit, the three entities signed a formal agreement to coordinate and share resources. Recently, their efforts culminated in a new program and interactive map  tools that are designed to expedite and inform projects that help to keep animals off of highways.

The planning tool is a heat map of wildlife-vehicle collisions on all the highways in Montana, said Anderson, who also serves as the Montanans for Safe Wildlife Passage coordinator. Based on five criteria, it shows the specific areas where issues are most acute.

Its like a big stepping stone  an invitation for people to lean in and get closer to the ground in specific communities, Anderson said. The tool itself is not that detailed, but it invites getting into that kind of detail.

In contrast, the partnerships new program is a brand new avenue by which public and private entities can propose standalone projects that accommodate wildlife, said Deb Wambach, Butte District biologist for MDT.

In the past, such projects were only proposed through the transportation departments internal highway program. Biologists would evaluate needs along highways and incorporate wildlife accommodation recommendations into improvement projects, like bridge replacements, she said.

Through the new external program, partners from the public and private sectors can leverage one anothers resources, capacity and funding to implement projects that fall outside the scope of the agencys highway program, Wambach said.

The programs application process is robust, but assuming groups and entities do their homework, MDT will have the tools and information needed to expedite projects, Anderson said. That could make it easier for the state to secure matching federal funds, which are competitive.

Right now, they say even just the highway needs for operation and performance  they outweigh our available funding at least 3 to 1, Wambach said. To be able to put additional money into dedicated wildlife features Thats huge. Its a great opportunity.

While outside experts like Fairbank analyze wildlife accommodation possibilities on Highway 191, MDT is conducting its own feasibility study into improvement projects along the road corridor, through the agencys traditional track, Wambach said.

One project is already underway along the Cougar Creek bridge, several miles north of West Yellowstone. Crews are incorporating 20-foot-long wildlife paths on either side of the structure, and theyre raising the grade so large animals like bison can move through, she said.

In addition, the department is proposing to add animal detection systems on a mile-long section of the highway in that area. If its successful, the feature will lock in on bison and warn drivers of their presence in real time, Wambach said.

Bison are a very unique challenge because they move parallel and along the road. They lay down in the road, and theyre seasonal, so they just dont behave like traditional wildlife, she said. Just building a bridge for bison isnt going to be the answer.

Due to their conservation value and proximity to Yellowstone National Park, Anderson expects Highway 191 and Highway 89 will be strong candidates for federal matching dollars.

However, to set the stage for resilient, well-funded infrastructure, its important to build social bridges before physical bridges, since the Federal Highway Administration wont put money into crossings that dont span protected land, he said.

If a wildlife overpass is put on private land without protection, 10 years later there could be subdivision development on both sides of that structure, and wildlife have moved to a different location along the highway, he said. Its not a wise use of money.

That right there is the reason we have to partner with landowners because theres a conversation with them about, Are you willing to put some of your property into a conservation easement? Anderson said. And thats a delicate conversation.

South of Wilson Creek Road, along the stretch of Highway 191 between Gallatin Gateway and Spanish Creek Road where vehicles regularly hit and kill elk, Rob Sisson once had a chance to get a wildlife overpass funded.

Sisson identified a donor who was interested in funding the project. The structure could have been placed on a 90-acre field where elk would graze regularly in the winter.

The Gallatin County Commission did not act on Sissons request for emergency zoning, and now the parcel is being developed, he said.

There is land west of the highway where a crossing could be built, but finding suitable land on its east remains a challenge, said Holly Pippel, a Gallatin Gateway resident.

The elk are kind of getting pushed out in a way. Everywhere they go, they have new challenges, whether its a new house, a new fence, more traffic or more people during the hunting season, she said.

We who have lived here so long  all we see is the density coming in, and the loss of open space and habitat. But when people come from cities, they see wide open spaces. They dont see the density, so they think this is wild, Pippel said. We just hope they leave the valley a little bit more whole.




NEW LONDON, Conn. (AP)  A former Connecticut landlord must pay $400,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging he violated the Fair Housing Act by sexually harassing and victimizing his female tenants for at least five years, including evicting or threatening to evict those who objected to or refused his sexual advances.





In an agreement reached by the U.S. Justice Department's Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative and announced Thursday, $350,000 of the funds will be deposited in a settlement account to benefit tenants harassed by landlord Richard Bruno. The remaining $50,000 is a federal civil penalty.





No person should ever have to endure sexual harassment in order to get or keep housing, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division said in a statement.





Bruno, who managed multiple rental properties in New London, is currently serving a 16-year sentence in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2017 to producing child pornography with a tenant's minor child in one of the properties.





According to the Justice Department's lawsuit, first filed in 2019, Bruno made unwelcome sexual advances and comments to female tenants, entered their homes without their consent, took pictures and videos of tenants' bodies and of their female children, and forced tenants and their female children to view dungeons or sex rooms in the rental properties.





The settlement also resolves claims against two limited liability corporations that owned the properties, along with Bruno, where the alleged harassment occurred from at least 2011 through 2016.








Kathmandu, Nepal, April 22, 2023: The Supreme Court (SC), the apex court of the country, has issued an interim order against the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) to collect the garbage from Singha Durbar, the principal secretariat of the federal government of Nepal, and dispose it within three days.





Responding to the writ petition filed by advocate Padam Bahadur Shrestha, a single bench of Justice Prakashman Singh Raut on Friday ordered the KMC to collect the garbage within three days stating that not disposing of the waste in places like Singha Durbar will directly affect the health and life of the citizens.





Alleging to the federal government for not trusting the KMC, Mayor Balen Shah had ordered not to collect the garbage from Singha Durbar, Prime Ministers Official Residence in Baluwatar and the Office of President, Shital Niwas. In the verdict, the SC has also ordered the KMC to collect the garbage of Prime Ministers Official Residence in Baluwatar and the Office of President, Shital Niwas.





The interim order, the SC has also drawn the attention of the government bodies concerned to ensure necessary coordination between the Government of Nepal, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in waste management stating that there should be a collective and continued effort of the citizens, including institutional stakeholders to resolve the issue of waste management.





Garbage collection and disposal should not be avoided under any circumstances, the SC has stated in the order stating as the citizen's right to live in a clean and healthy environment is linked to the precious life. Not collecting garbage is directly connected to the life of the citizen.




Dr. Roger Loria, 83, still remembers the Gestapo uniforms he saw when he was just 3.

Loria and his mother had fled to France in hopes of finding his father who had arrived in the country earlier. German soldiers walked up to the house where Loria and his mother lived with several other refugee women. He was playing in the front yard when they entered the house. His mother jumped out a back window, grabbed him and they fled into the woods.

The rest there werent so lucky.

During the Holocaust, the entire paternal side of Lorias family  some 70 uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, cousins  perished.

Loria and his mother had already been displaced from their home in Antwerp, Belgium, escaping only after a family friend  at risk to her own life  warned them that the Nazis were coming. Jewish businesses were burned, synagogues were desecrated, and tens of thousands of the citys Jews were hauled off to concentration camps.

Any child, and I had a cousin who was 4 years old at the time, who was less than 9 years old was immediately killed because you couldnt work, Loria said. My aunt, my uncle and my maternal grandfather were all picked up, and they all died in Auschwitz.

Loria and his mother evaded capture while moving from town to town across central Europe before finding safe haven in a Swiss refugee camp in 1944.

If You Go What: Holocaust Remembrance Day When: 2 p.m., Sunday Where: Virginia Holocaust Museum, 2000 E. Cary St., Richmond

New chapter of hate

Even after the war, Loria and his mother faced years of resettlement before life could even resemble normality. The wars end did not end the hate, but only introduced a new chapter.

When we came back to Belgium, we had a lot of trouble, to find everybody was killed, essentially, Loria said. Then my mother could not access the money in her bank because in those days you needed the signature of the husband, for a woman to get her own money.

Loria and his mother never found his father in France, and the family was never reunited. It is believed he died a week before the war ended.

Without money, it was even difficult to find work in the country where they lived before the war. They were very explicit, Loria said. Madame, we do not give work to Jews here. There was no question, it was outright.

Loria, an internationally recognized expert in virology and immunology, is an emeritus professor at VCUs Medical College who has trained over 6,000 physicians. He says hes speaking out because he, like many Jews, fear that the world has forgotten a painful page in its history.

The silent pain

For 50 years, he said, pain kept him silent. But now Loria and many others are urged to speak so one of the most hideous, murderous time in history is never repeated.

Its been more than 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi death camps, but we still need a greater understanding of something like this, which was a global human tragedy, and we need to make an investment in initiatives that will help safeguard it from happening ever again, said Meredith R. Weisel, regional director of the Anti-Defamation League who will be a keynote speaker at the Holocaust Museum event.

Weisel and other Jewish leaders converging at the museum are stressing the importance of continuing to share stories like Lorias amid recent increases in antisemitic attacks and a general lack of knowledge about the Holocaust.

A 2020 report from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany found many young Americans do not know basic facts about the Holocaust: 63% of respondents in the report did not know that 6 million Jews were killed by the Nazis; 36% thought that two million or fewer Jews were murdered. While there were more than 40,000 concentration camps and ghettos, nearly half of respondents (45%) were unable to name one.

That survey focused on American millennials and GenZ.

Weisel said the standard of Holocaust education varies widely from state to state, and that only 25 states mandate Holocaust education in their schools.

Research reveals that there is a direct relationship between Holocaust knowledge and the levels of antisemitism, Weisel said. We know that Americans who have learned about the Holocaust in school display the least antisemitic attitudes versus those who have not had as much of an education, so we just feel its such a critical tool.

Antisemitic incidents are now at the highest level since the ADL began tracking hate metrics in 1979. Incidents could be physical attacks or harassment like vandalism of synagogues, schools or anywhere else in the public square with antisemitic symbols.

Weisel said the increase in antisemitic actions are often accompanied by a rise in acts of hate against all minority groups. A major motivation behind Holocaust remembrance is also a way of staving off hate in all its forms.

Weisel notes that Jews were the largest group killed by the Nazis, but that hundreds of thousands of LGBTQ, priests, people with disabilities and other groups were also killed.

Loria, prompted by years of seeing other marginalized groups being harmed, said he now wants to talk about the events he witnessed during the Holocaust.

National legislators examining the reasons young people lack knowledge of the Holocaust introduced the HEAL Act this year. It would study such things as school requirements, curriculums and instruction materials, then report findings to Congress.

Virginia first mandated Holocaust education in 2009. As of last week, the Virginia Board of Education approved new history and social studies standards that go into effect during the 2024-25 school year.

The new standards require the Holocaust to be taught in grades 6, 10 and 11 while examining things like antisemitism, the rise of the Nazi party, concentration camps, ghettos, Kristallnacht, Hitlers final solution and how those events shaped history afterward.

Weisel was critical of other educational programs that taught about the Holocaust as just a footnote in an overall course about World War II.

The ADL has launched a social campaign called #LearnToNeverForget. The 2020 study found that a majority of Virginia respondents came across antisemitic symbols and conspiracy theories online. That ADL campaign is attempting to counteract some of that incorrect information on social platforms, where teens spend a lot of time.

A testament to history

The Virginia Holocaust Museum also hosts local field trips and uses other programs to connect with the areas youth.

Executive director Samuel Asher explained Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower required photographers from all corners of the Allied forces to photograph the concentration camps and its survivors as they were being liberated. This should never be forgotten, Eisenhower said at the time.

We have to be proactive in teaching about the Holocaust because you never know how many lives were going to have an impact on, Asher said.

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Ikea is planning to splash $2.19 billion to expand its furniture empire in the United States in what will be the retailer's biggest-ever investment in a single country.

Ingka Group, Ikea Retail's Dutch holding company, said in a statement Thursday that it hoped to open eight large stores and nine smaller "plan and order points" in America over the next three years. The new outlets would create 2,000 jobs, it added.

Ikea plan and order points are aimed at customers who want to speak with a consultant on how to design their homes, as well as place orders.

The exact locations of the new US stores have not yet been decided, an Ingka spokesperson told CNN, though the company intends to build up its presence on the east and west coasts, and invest more in the south of the country.

Tolga Oncu, head of Ikea Retail, said the company saw "endless opportunities to grow" in the United States.

"More than ever before, we want to increase the density of our presence in the US, ramp up our fulfillment capacities, and make our range even more relevant to local customers' needs and dreams," he said.

The company already has 51 stores and two plan and order points in America. And new Ikea locations  not covered by the $2.19 billion investment  are set to open in San Francisco, California, and Arlington, Virginia, over the summer.

Ingka also said it planned to use part of its bumper investment to modernize its existing US Ikea stores to enable them to send out more parcels.

Founded in Sweden in 1943, Ikea is the world's largest furniture retailer, with presence in 31 countries. Its stores today are operated as franchises, with Ingka Group by far the biggest franchisee, representing about 90% of Ikea's sales globally.

Oncu told the Financial Times Thursday that he expected the United States to overtake Germany as Ikea's biggest market in terms of sales in the next few years.

Ingka Group reported sales of $6 billion in the United States in the last financial year, which ended in August 2022. It took $6.2 billion in sales in Germany over the same period.

Major retail chains that no longer exist Major retail chains that no longer exist Ames Anchor Blue BI-LO Blockbuster Borders Builders Square Century 21 Circuit City CompUSA Crazy Eddie Crown Books Delia's Dominick's Dressbarn Eckerd's Family Video Frank's Nursery & Crafts Friedman's Golfsmith Gottschalks Hollywood Video Hudson's Just for Feet Kaufmann's KB Toys Kids 'R' Us Linens 'n Things Marshall Field's Merry-Go-Round Mervyn's Modell's Sporting Goods Noodle Kidoodle Payless ShoeSource Pier 1 Imports Sam Goody Sharper Image Sports Authority Sports Chalet Steve & Barry's The Limited Thom McAn Tower Records Tweeter Virgin Megastores Waldenbooks Warner Bros. Studio Store Western Auto Wickes Furniture Woolworth's Zany Brainy
IN THE NEWS

Grand jury indictment issued in Charlottesville event

A grand jury has indicted multiple people on felony charges of carrying flaming torches with the intent to intimidate during a rally at the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville nearly six years ago. The Albemarle County Commonwealths Attorneys Office said in a news release that the indictments relate to an event on Aug. 11, 2017. Thats when a group of white nationalists carrying torches marched through the University of Virginia campus. Commonwealths Attorney James Hingeley did not say how many people have been indicted. According to electronic court records, indictments against three people have been unsealed, including William Zachary Smith of Nacona, Texas; Tyler Bradley Dykes of Bluffton, South Carolina; and Dallas Medina of Ravenna, Ohio.

Prosecutors said the indictments were issued as part of a criminal investigation that is active and ongoing, adding they work with law enforcement to investigate, analyze applicable laws, and bring charges when appropriate.

This is our process regardless of how much time has passed or where the alleged offenders may be found, they said.

BOMB: A Civil War reenactor has pleaded guilty to charges that he planted a pipe bomb at a Virginia battlefield in 2017 and wrote letters falsely claiming that antifa protesters were to blame. Prosecutors on Tuesday announced the guilty plea from Gerald Leonard Drake, 63, of Winchester.

Drake admitted during a hearing Monday in federal court in Harrisonburg that he planted a pipe bomb at Cedar Creek Battlefield during an annual reenactment in October 2017. The bomb did not detonate, but it resulted in cancellation of the reenactment after its discovery. Drake was a Civil War reenactor who regularly participated in events at Cedar Creek until he was expelled from his unit in 2014.

THEY SAID ...

"We are forever grateful for his enduring legacy of faithful leadership and spiritual guidance."

 a statement by First Baptist Church of Atlanta on the death of Virginia native Charles Stanley, a prominent televangelist who once led the Southern Baptist Convention. He was born in Dry Fork in Pittsylvania County.

"I think its very net positive for both cities.

 Bristol, Virginia, Mayor Neal Osborne about an agreement settling a federal lawsuit over the city's landfill that Bristol, Tennessee, filed in May. The two Bristol city councils approved the agreement Monday night in meetings less than a mile apart.

BY THE NUMBERS

2.7 million

Amount, in dollars, generated during the first quarter by Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin's main fundraising arm. The Spirit of Virginia political action committee surpassed its own prior quarterly record and those of previous governors.

1.2 million

Funding, in dollars, approved by the City Council for the design of a memorial to honor 12 people killed and four wounded during a May 2019 shooting at the Virginia Beach Municipal Center. The project is planned on about 1.3 acres across the street from the center.

IN THE NEWS

Honors for Langley director

A former Langley Research Center director is being inducted into the Astronaut Hall of Fame in May.

That was a huge surprise because I only had the one space flight, Roy Bridges told The Virginian-Pilot. They told me sometime in either late February or early March, and I figured that running NASA Kennedy Space Center and Langley would qualify me for this.

Each year, inductees are selected by a committee of Hall of Fame astronauts, former NASA officials, flight directors, historians and journalists. To be eligible, an astronauts first flight must have taken place no less than 15 years prior.

In July 1985, he piloted the space shuttle Challenger for the eight-day Spacelab 2 mission. He went on to serve as center director of NASAs Kennedy Space Center from 1997 to 2003, where he was responsible for space shuttle and International Space Station programs. Between 2003 and 2005, he served as center director of NASAs Langley Research Center in Hampton.

GRAND JURY: A grand jury did not indict a former Northern Virginia police officer after he fatally shot an unarmed shoplifting suspect outside a busy shopping mall in February. Authorities presented the case to a grand jury for an indictment against Wesley Shifflett, who shot and killed Timothy McCree Johnson outside Tysons Corner Center on Feb. 22. Fairfax County Commonwealths Attorney Steve Descano issued a statement saying he's evaluating all options in light of the grand jury's decision. Shifflett was fired from his job last month.

SHOOTING: More than four months after six employees were killed in a shooting in the stores break room, a Walmart in Chesapeake reopened Wednesday. The renovated store includes a permanent outdoor memorial with six stone benches arranged in a seating area and a metal plaque in commemoration of the six workers who died in the shooting.

Store manager Alycia Mixon said she hoped the space would be used by employees, their families and the community to gather, reflect and honor the victims. Were really grateful that we were able to do something in their memory, Mixon said.